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shooting-love-arrows · 2 years ago

Note

I might be cringe-

How about a detective/journaliest reader entering a haunted library or mental hospital or anything? Where the yandere is actually the one who ordered reader's boss to send them there? Or just knew how to pop reader's interest

Dear @mil-vc,

It's not cringy at all. Here's my interpretation of your request. Have a nice day!

@shooting-love-arrows

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄! 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 [𝐎𝐂] who lures their darling into their trap

PAIRING: 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 [𝐎𝐂] x [JOURNALIST] reader (gender not mentioned/impled/specified) Tw. another floating red flag, obsessive/creepy behavior, possession, murder (?), rituals, supernatural activities, it takes a darker turn so yeah…

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

Who became so desperate to interact with you face to face that one day, they decided to possess your idiotic boss. Their plan was carefully thought over and had a clear goal at the end of it. The way there was long, complicated and tedious. It took a lot of energy and effort since they were tied by invisible strings to the place they died. However they knew it would be worth it in the end. After all it was for you. And once they succeeded? 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 decided to use it to its fullest. It was a once in a lifetime chance.

“I summon thee, hear me. I am in need to borrow the body of a mortal. Hear me!” After the last word left their mouth, 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 were blinded by the light. When they opened them again, they successfully possessed the body of your boss.

Who lures you into their trap. After the possession, 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 had no time to waste. Since they acquired quite a lot of knowledge about you. Being a journalist, they knew you treasure your job, were exceptionally good at it and you were a curious little thing too. Taking into consideration all those facts, you basically gave them a solution on the golden plate. But to you, it came as a surprise that your (possessed) boss gives you a job to investigate the supposed haunted gothic mansion.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat. Your (possessed) boss' stare was unnerving to say the least. His beady eyes were glued to you since the moment you entered his office. You cleared your throat, cutting the awkward silence. You ‘boss’ snapped out of the trace and straightened his back. “I want you to investigate a supposed haunted mansion.” ‘he’ informed you and gave you a thin folder of documents related to the said place. “Our source said that something suspicious is taking place there.” Of course, you accepted it.

Who wants to eagerly welcome you in their 'humble' abode. Well, as much as ghosts can welcome their guests. The gothic mansion might be a bit dusty, the time of its splendor long since passed but still! It was enormous and what matters is what it can become in the future. And his welcome tactic? They like to spook you. It's all harmless tho! Shifting objects around. Imitating sounds like footspes or whispers in your ears. Playing with your flashlight. Those all are little tricks and parts of their personality from where 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 were still alive.

You stepped into another endless hall of the supposed haunted mansion, shining your flashlight around. “Ah!” You jumped back when a wooden chair was tipped back and fell. Like a ripple in the water, the echo of its fall carried around the empty halls. Your heartbeat began to pick.. The longer you stayed there, the more paranoid you became. Something just wasn’t right with this place…Scratch that, everything was wrong with it. Then your flashlight started to flicker. “Oh no, no, no.” You started to visibly panicked and began hitting your only source of light. You even turned to praying to let it work properly again. Thankfully it seemed to work because the flickering stopped. You sighed in relief just as a violent shiver racked your body. You began to regret taking that task. Meanwhile 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 grinned playfully and moved their fingers along your spine.

Who decided to trap you in the said place by manipulating energy to tie to the place. It was another step of their plan.𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 had you right where they wanted you to be and everything was prepared early. Slowly but surely, they began to lead you into the direction of a hidden chamber which was a magic room. And when you crossed its threshold, your fate was sealed.

“I hope you’ll understand what I’m about to do is for your own good. For us to be happy for all of the eternity.”

Who processes to possess you and finalize the ritual. Since they were in the place they were tied to, their powers and energy was much stronger so possessing you came more easily to them. Unfortunately, they couldn’t fully appreciate being in your body. This step was their least favorite part of their plan but it needed to be done. 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 steered your body in the middle of the room and started muttering incantations. They reached for the ancient dagger laying by your feet and raised it to be at the same level as your beating heart. With the last words of an ancient language leaving their mouth, they drove the weapon into your heart. The ritual was completed.

“Welcome home, love.” The news about your dissapearance ended up being on the cover of the very newspaper you worked for.

All of the published posts on this account/blog belongs to @shooting-love-arrows. I do not consent to my works being: translated, stolen, published or reposted on this and other sites. Likes, reblogs, comments are highly appreaciated. Thank you.

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tootoomanycats · 1 year ago

Text

Boiling Over

Suguru Geto x Personal Chef Smut

Pairing:

Pent Up Geto Cult Leader x OC Fem

(can also be read as reader insert)

Word Count: 3,576 words

Summary: Geto realizes that his new cook has started to put disgusting notions into his daughters heads. After tucking the girls to bed, he finds holding the lid on his anger challenging and complex. It is time to have a talk with this vile monkey; only things don’t go according to plan.

Warnings:

Language usage refers to non-sorcery users such as monkeys and animals and uses verbiage degrading non-users' ideology. (It's Geto; I am only trying to stick to how I think he would internally speak about us muggle folk.)

Enemies arguing to unexpected smut.

Mentions of premature ejaculation. (we make sure he knows he’s still wanted)

Minor mention of a potential eating disorder for Geto.

Author Notes:

Hello Everyone! I promise I am still working on rewriting Performances, but I had to stop because my brain would not let me get any sleep until I got this little one-shot out and edited. I never planned on writing any JJK content, but this is my lesson in never saying never. Honestly, I don't know if this will be a stand-alone one-shot or if it will develop into a short story. Either way, I hope you'll like it! As always if you like what you have read please remember that fanfic writers live off of likes, comments and reblogs- we wont admit it but we all have praise kinks.

Have you watered your writer today?

Each long stride only allowed more anger to fill his lungs.

That disgusting, foul-breathed cretan. How dare she encourage such thoughts in their minds? To speak of this dementedly wicked world like the Garden of Eden, like it was something worth protecting.

When it is creatures like her that ruined its oasis. This was just more evidence to go through with his plan of wiping them out of existence.

Silence filled the long, winding corridors in the late hour—only the soft shuffles of his steps to be heard. The time spent wandering, stewing in the whirlpool of thoughts, was unknown. Be it subconsciously or with intention, he came to stand before the kitchen door.

Finger paints covered the wood in various colors and shapes and crudely drawn animals. No doubt, the artistic freedom given to the girls by that damn woman. Another distraction put in front of them that should instead be spent studying and growing more substantial for the future, his future.

Fingers massaged at his temple, and that damn under-eye twitch was back. Before turning to continue on the walk of rage, a faint light shined from under the door.

The source’s inconsistent flickering made it obvious it was a flame light, not the usual overhead bulbs. A shadow was moving about, its lines from under the door jam shifting around. Was someone trying to find a late-night snack? Curiosity got the better of him as the door cracked open, the well-oiled hinges making no noise to give away his presence.

There, at the kitchen island, sat the bane of his existence. A single candle was her only light source as she made notes in a thick-bound journal. Books littered across the counter’s surface that she was scanning between.

After spending two hours tossing and turning in bed, Hope had given up on sleep finding her tonight. What time would have been spent dreaming was now used to research and plan instead.

In the short time since coming to the estate, she realized how out of her depth she was. Growing up on a farm had taught her many valuable tidbits that rolled over into the new career of personal cook.

Sadly, though, most of the knowledge of common fruits and vegetation was useless now due to being on foreign soil. Not to mention, all the meals commonly made here were a complete novelty to her.

All day, the worry of not knowing a simple dish to make for the girls if one got sick filled her head.

She felt lucky that it was still summer, but fall and winter would soon come, so it was best to start studying basic soup stocks and how to preserve them now.

Just as exhaustion began to creep its way up her spine, the face of that egotistical man came to mind. She groaned, remembering how he had already refused everything but the boiled, unseasoned chicken breast. A previous warning of how picky her new boss was had first been brushed off, but now she only saw it as something more concerning.

When inquired, the girls only looked at each other before explaining how their father seemed to struggle with food. Something about how things always seemed to taste putrid: Hope made a mental note to inquire if there were meals that would not be so vehemently refused going forward.

“I see I am not alone in burning the late-night oil.” Geto had to hold in the smug smirk at watching Hope almost jump out of her skin when making his presence known.

Stepping closer to the kitchen island, his eyes scanned its counter’s contents. Multiple subjects filled the open pages, text outlining photos and drawings of local flora and fauna in Japan, while another explained cultural customs entwined with particular meals.

“Homework?” he asked, keeping the tone of the question light, almost teasing. Anger still simmered just below the surface, the lid of feigned equanimity keeping it in check.

She quickly closed the notebook, gathered the books, and walked backward while responding. “Just menu planning and figuring out what to plant in the garden first.”

Mirroring his strained smile, she still tried to calm the racing of her heart from being caught off guard by his presence. “W-What has you up so late?” Gulping when the evident anger in his eyes seemed to be barely masked by the smile on his lips.

With each step he took further into the space, she took one back-feigning needing to put the books back in their place, on the opposite end of the island. Something deep and primal warned not to turn her back to him.

Hands going back into their usual hiding place in the sleeves of his haori, he stopped where she had just been sitting. Magnanimous in allowing the useless cook her space.

“I just tucked the girls into bed. They were having difficulty falling asleep, and I couldn’t figure out why for a while until they started asking some peculiar questions.” Geto tilted his head, the candle’s light only illuminating one half of his face while the other became shrouded in the darkness of the night.

Even in the dimly lit space, the fear on her face was clear as day. Teeth ground together as realization dawned on him; at first, he had chalked up what she had told his daughters as common monkey ignorance. But now, in the fearful response of shirking away from him, it became apparent that she knew exactly what she had done.

“Oh? What kinds of questions?” Hope’s palms began to sweat, making it hard to hold the books.

She had no shame in introducing the importance of protecting living things, nor held abasement in teaching how the circle of life affected everyone, including Nanako and Mimiko. However, this did not make her oblivious to the potential backlash of such actions.

She laid the books down on the edge of the counter before straightening her posture; if she were to be fired or threatened, then he would have to do it while seeing her head held high.

What was once a simmering pot now started to boil. It was one thing to play stupid with him, but it was another thing entirely to look proud while doing it.

Taking a step forward, he spoke sternly, “Yes. It seems they have these ideas suddenly.” Another step. “Notions I have taught them that will not be allowed in the future I am creating. You wouldn't happen to know where they got those from, would you?”

He now stood only a few short strides from her and the corner she had put herself in. Watching as she stood taller with each step, even puffing her chest out. She was brave; he would give her that. Bravely stupid.

Hope’s eyes dropped down from where he now stood to the books before her. With a deep breath, she calmly spoke the answer he was trying to pull from her. “Yes, I had asked them what vegetables would be best to grow in the garden earlier today. As it turns out, they didn't know, and neither did I. So I found a book, and the three of us took turns reading and learning.”

Wetting her mouth, she continued before glancing up to see the anger on his face build. “The girls started to have more philosophical questions on which I gave my opinions on.”

Fear spread through her bones as he quickly walked into the small space that was left between them. Turning to face the outrage on his face, back facing the island as her hands held onto its edge for the needed stability of what was to come.

“Who are you to fill their minds with such disgusting notions?” The pot's lid danced over the boiling rage held within. The candlelight illuminated both of them clearly, making it possible to watch as shock filled her face at his statement.

At first, her jaw hung open until the feeling of offense had her back to defend herself. “You may think it disgusting, Your Radiance, but like it or not, the reality is that those girls are starting to realize that not everything in this world is horrible. There are things worth enjoying now, not just when you create some theoretical future.” Though her words rang with strength, her body responded in alarm at watching the monster before her shift through so many emotions.

“They are my children! And much too young to be curious about such things.” The lid crashed to the ground as the emotions finally boiled over the pot’s opening. His voice had raised before quieting back down.

“They are growing girls, just three years shy of being teenagers! How can you not see that they are becoming curious about the world around them? Both have questions, yet you refuse to acknowledge it.”

Wrath filled his eyes, his usually fake pacifying expression vanishing to show the true nature of his feelings as he crowded her further with a sneer, twisting his lips. “Oh? What questions would be so important that they would go to a vile monkey for answers instead of me?” His tone was dangerous, threatening, and low.

She could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise; he did not expect such rage to be mirrored back. “I may be a monkey, but at least they feel safe enough to tell me when they like a boy.”

Shock started filling his face as she took the chance to be the one now leaning in. “Tell me, how do you plan to explain to them that you will cause the death of their crush?”

Her eyes flicked back and forth between his; he was so close that she could feel the heat of his breath across her nose. Blood thrummed in her veins at how hard her heart pounded.

The butcher-block wood creaked under her white knuckle grip, and her back pressed firmly against the counter as he further cornered her in. If this is how she died, then so be it; it will have been worth it to have finally shoved reality into the maniac's face.

Large palms and long arms became caged bars around her, nails scratching groves into the woodgrain. “A crush is a trivial thing.” He leaned further, pressing his chest forward, forcing her spine to bow back uncomfortably. The stiff lip of the wood now bit painfully into her haunches.

Delicate fingers gripped the front of his gojogesa, desperate to have any control of how he continued contorting her upper body. His head tilted to whisper into her ear, “They will learn that a monkey’s place is beneath them.”

Geto hated weaklings and abhorred their very existence. It was revulsion, not excitement, that caused the fluttering in his stomach when their cheeks brushed.

Loathing how it should have been disgust, not pleasure when her breasts pressed against his chest with each shuddered breath she took.

He should have felt repulsed when realizing how perfect the closeness of their height was and how easy it would be to connect further.

It’s because of the years of celibacy that she was so sensitive, Hope told herself.

Why else would such a monster cause the sensation of pooling hot honey to form in her belly? How, when Geto shifted his weight to press the muscle of his hips against hers, a whimper caught in her throat that pride refused to let out.

It must have been the lack of touch for so long that had her eyes fluttering shut when he nuzzled his nose into her temple.

Monsters did not fathom such intimate affection.

Monsters would not wrap such large hands around the back of her neck, gripping the corded muscles of her throat in such a dizzying way.

She would not lift onto the counter and widen the distance of her thighs for a beast to slot between them so perfectly.

Surely, such a creature would not brace his other hand around the center of her back to press further for contact. The sensation of the growl emanating from its lungs shooting to her core.

It was because his nose had become accustomed to the disinfectant spray that he was so sensitive to her smell. Internally berating himself for nuzzling into the hairline above the cook’s ear, lemon verbena, and citrus mixed pleasantly among the uplifting notes of her scent.

Geto couldn’t refrain from pressing firmer into her hairline, gulping in deep breaths of Hope’s scent.

The grip on the back of her neck tightened further; confirmation of the creature’s ability to still breathe came in how she tried and failed to hold back a second low moan.

His own response vibrated from how feminine hands gripped the thick fabric on his back and along his rib cage. Cursing at the way, soft, long legs dragged upward along the sides of his hips before wrapping around to press him closer. Silk robe falling open from the movement to show matching panties.

It was unbelievable how quickly his cock hardened, straining against the white cloth of his momohiki. He could feel the heat radiating from her core, even with the five layers of Buddhist robes between them.

How many years had it been since he had touched himself, let alone such a tempting, vile animal?

Hope bit her bottom lip at the delicious pressure against her core. If she hadn’t been so swept up in the moment’s intensity, she might have been embarrassed about the wet spot that could be felt already in her underwear.

Skin growing hot as her body craved more contact and friction. The hands that previously gripped his clothes now reached up to thread into the long tendrils of the brutes hair.

Fingernails scraped against his scalp before grasping firmly to pull the face away from hiding against her cheek. The strangled gasp he made caused her walls to flutter; what other noises would this monster of a man make?

The site that greeted her was breathtaking: flushed cheeks, eyes wide with shock and pleasure, and an oh-so-tempting pout to kiss.

Gone were the fake smiles, disgusted glares, and angry scowls. Now what stood before her was a desperate mess of a man whose cock was so hard it could be felt through the many layers of clothing.

She felt relief from the sight before her; a previous worry that he was toying with her dissipated. No one would be able to deny his desire from how hard he was breathing, his own hands clinging to her like a lifeline.

Suguru was a man who had faced his fair share of dangerous and terrifying situations in his lifetime. He prided himself on keeping calm and making calculated choices during high-stress moments.

So panic began to set in when he found moving from this frozen position impossible. The way her hands had gripped his hair, forcing them to hold eye contact, had his cock throbbing. Panic rose higher from the sensation.

She kept glancing at his lips; this wasn’t good.

Willing his lungs to work and throat to open, a quiet but hoarse word came out. “No.”

It was Hope’s turn to pout. Her legs locked tighter around him. In reality, he could break free from her so easily; the fact that he wasn’t just proved how much his body languished for contact.

Her eyes pleaded as she took in his image, memorizing it and burning it into her mind. “Please.” she quietly asked in return. Hips rocked gently against his to help emphasize her ask.

All movement paused at hearing an odd sound. Her brow furrowed in question at the noise he made suddenly, his face contorting to one that could be described as painful. Had she hurt him just now?

Geto eyes shut as the sudden climax continued quivering through him. Its shame was felt running down his stomach, legs, and clothing. He refused to look, to see her expression once she realized what had just occurred.

Hope's concern grew as he stayed still and closed off, contrasting how he clung to her a moment ago. The grip in his hair melted into gentle touches on his cheek, cupping his face to see if she could coax him to look at her.

Hormones and endorphins craving the intimacy once more.

When his eyes still refused to open, she scanned more of him to find the source of the sudden change. That’s when she spotted it; instantly, it all made sense.

The relatively sizable wet spot formed on his clothes was proof of what occurred. Warmth spread to her cheeks as sinful thoughts began to race in her mind, the desire for more growing.

Biting her bottom lip, she murmured- “Again.”

His eyes sprung open wide, disbelief shaping the expression. Their eyes met as he processed her expression of hunger.

The gentle touch of her hands on his cheek shifted to clasping the side of his face in place. Hips tilted as she pressed her core to where the wet spot lay on him.

His mouth was agape in shock at the feeling of being nuzzled along his jawbone, the sensation trailing a line to his ear where a whisper was pressed against its shell. “I want another one, please.” The ask was sweet and sincere, even begging.

Words failed him as a hand gently guided his own from the counter across the warmth of a plush thigh to someplace much hotter.

A palpation hit his ribcage when feeling thin satin fabric, saturated and slick. Shuttering when Hopes’s fingers encouraged his own to press more firmly against the spot.

Her resounding whine brought him back from the out-of-body experience.

The overwhelming rage from before shifted into something much more savage and ravenous. Years of repressed urges bled to the surface; sturdy fingers gripped into the base of her hair like a handle to be pulled back from him, the movement forcing her skull to tilt up.

It felt impossible to catch any breath as it heaved erratically between the groaning and growls, responding to how desperate legs clung to him. Any previous control had spilled from the pot that now boiled over.

Another hand raised to cup her face with the same tenderness she had shown him just moments ago, watching how her eyes repeated their glances to his lips again.

Finally, he leaned in.

“Shhh, I know where she hid the cookies from earlier.” Multiple footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer outside the door. Mimiko and Nanako both telling the other to be quiet, annoying the other with each repeated response given back and forth.

Hope and Geto’s eyes widened as the reality of their situation quickly sunk in. Her mouth opened and closed like the koi fish in the pond outside, and before she could say a word, the maniac was gone.

Her brain struggled to process his disappearance, the movement inhuman in its speed. The limbs that once were held up against the other body flopped from no longer having something to grip onto.

As the kitchen door slowly opened, she scrambled off the counter and ripped open one of the fridge doors to hide her overtly flushed face. Praying that its cold air would help calm down her heart rate.

She was panicking as she quickly fixed the front of her silk robe back in its proper place.

Hidden outside the kitchen’s veranda, Geto stood in horror as the events that had just transpired replayed in his mind.

Dismay that the truth about who started the whole situation was him. What was worse was that as hard as he tried to feel the disgust he so proudly touted for her kind, he could only feel how hard he was--again.

Realization dawned on him of how dangerous the cook was as he shifted Hopes’s title from monkey to succubus.

#geto suguru #jjk suguru #jjk smut #getou suguru x reader #suguru geto smut #jujutsu kaisen suguru #geto #suguru geto #jjk #suguru geto x oc #jjk x reader

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independentanon · 4 months ago

Text

It's Starting...

I don't know the legitimacy of this post, as this was posted very recently and I can't verify the source, but this post might be worth reading:

Mirror on Reddit:

Here's my copy:

Report from the Senate Floor:

“Last night in the Senate, something really important happened. Republicans forced us to debate their billionaire bailout budget framework. We started voting at 6 PM because they knew doing it in the dark of night would minimize media coverage. And they do not want the American people to see how blatant their handover of our government to the billionaire class is.

So I want to explain what happened last night and what we did to fight back. The apex of Republicans’ plan to turn over our government to their wealthy cronies is a giant tax cut for billionaires and corporations. And they plan to pay for it with cuts to programs that working people rely on. Popular and necessary programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, are all being targeted.

In order to pass the tax cut, Republicans have to go through a series of procedural steps. Last night, they took the first step which requires them to pass an outline of their plan, but with it, any senator can offer as many amendments as we want. So my Democratic colleagues and I did just that.

Now, we knew that Republicans would largely unanimously oppose them, but we had two objectives here. One, Republicans were forced to put their opinion on record — many for the first time — on the most corrupt parts of Trump and Musk’s agenda. Two, as I’ve been saying, I am going to make every process and procedure as slow and painful as possible for as long as my colleagues choose to ignore the constitutional crisis happening before our eyes.

So what did we propose? We proposed no tax cuts for anyone who makes a billion dollars a year. We made them vote on whether or not Elon Musk and DOGE should have limitless access to Americans’ personal data. We made them vote on whether to protect IVF and require insurers to cover it. Every single amendment Democrats proposed was shot down. On almost every single amendment, Republicans universally opposed it. Every Republican voted against our proposal to prevent more tax cuts for billionaires. The corruption and theft is happening in the open here.

The whole game for Republicans is taking your money and giving it to the wealthiest corporations and billionaires — even if it means kicking your parents out of a nursing home or turning off Medicaid for the poorest children. They know what they are doing is deeply unpopular. They are offering a tax cut to the most wealthy that is 850 times larger than what they are offering working people. Oh and by the way, any tax cuts for working people are going to be washed out by higher costs for basic necessities, like health care and food. It’s a fundamental injustice.

Thanks to your pressure and support, many of my Democratic colleagues have joined my effort to do everything we can to make sure they cannot destroy democracy and steal your money in the dark of the night. We are being loud about what is happening. I’m going to continue to grind the gears of Congress down as much as possible to make it that much harder and slower to get away with this corruption. That’s why the votes lasted until nearly 5 AM.

This is a five-alarm fire. I don’t think we have two years to plan and fight back. I think we have months. It’s still in our power to stop the destruction of our democracy with mass mobilization and effective opposition from elected officials. So we can’t miss any opportunity to take advantage of opportunities to put Republicans on the record and shine a light on what is happening.

And you have a role to play in this as well. I need you to amplify what’s happening, support the leaders who are fighting for you to make sure they can continue speaking truth to power against Musk and Trump’s billionaire cronies, and show up at rallies and town halls. Use every tool at your disposal to send a message loud and clear about how you expect my colleagues to lead and fight in this moment.

Every best wish,” US Senator Chris Murphy (D - CT)

Might want to share this around, guys. Just in case it's legit.

#us politics #american politics #resistance #protest #america #usa #fuck trump #fuck elon #fuck zuckerberg #fuck the 1%

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gunnrblze · 10 months ago

Note

Okay so your moodboard for Keegan and Ajax got me thinking (plus that old ask way back comparing Keegan and Ajax to the moon and sun respectively) I apologize in advance for my ramblings and the length of this

My song of choice is The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives (aka one of my favorite songs)

"Tell me once again I could have been anyone, anyone else before you made the choice for me."

Basically.. Sandviper. It all set into motion Keegan and Ajax becoming Ghosts -> Ajax's eventual demise

"My feet knew the path we walked in the dark, in the dark, I never gave a single thought where it might lead."

Keegan and Ajax became Ghosts together, walking the same path. In their line of work, you can't really know where the future will go, so they might have tried to live life in the present savoring the moments they had together

"All those empty rooms, we could have been anywhere, anywhere else. Instead I made a bed with apathy."

This just reminds me of Keegan searching for Ajax during struck down, clearing room through room searching for him. I feel like part of Keegan knew Ajax wasn't making it out alive.

"My heart knew the weight, ten years' worth of dust and neglect, we made our peace with weariness and let it be."

More Sandviper for the soul. Your honor, they're tired

"The moon will sing a song for me, I loved you like the sun. Bore the shadows that you made with no light of my own."

I like to think Ajax brought out the best in Keegan, the sun shining his light onto him in a sense. Without the sun's light, you can't see the moon. They both had dark parts of their lives, but Keegan was more than willing to bear both of their pasts if it meant Ajax would continue to shine. Extrovert with their adopted introvert my beloved

"I shine only with the light you gave me." x2

Keegan was aggressive, desperate to get his other half back. He goes from yelling at Federation soldiers to cradling Ajax's body, carrying him with reverence as he's just lost part of his soul, his source of light

"Name your courage now, we could have had anything, anything else instead you hoarded all that's left of me."

Keegan towards Rorke no doubt. Not sticking around for a fight after killing one of their own? Coward. Rorke took the greatest thing in Keegan's life and didn't even hang around to see what he caused- leaving Ajax to have to drop the bombshell that Rorke was hunting Ghosts.

"Swallowing your doubt, like swords to the pit of my belly. I want to feel the fire that you kept from me."

More Keegan vs Rorke here. I'd say if Hesh wasn't the most likely to kill Rorke, Keegan would be a runner up as Ajax's death definitely hurt. What hurts more is that Ajax died from a stab to the stomach by a Federation soldier (like swords to the pit of my belly)

Anyways thanks for letting me lyric dump, I love The Crane Wives and have plenty of other songs that get me thinking about the Ghosts. I hope this made sense

HELLOOOO WHAT?😭 i literally love this song, but the Keejax breakdown? MY HEART omg, makes total sense ur a genius. This is literally their song I’m afraid, such a good dissection of them

“I shine only with the light you gave me” I’ll cry rn

#thank you bestie this made me feel insane #call of duty ghosts #keegan russ #alex ajax johnson #keegan russ x alex ajax johnson #keejax #gunnrblze rambles

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robinnygrenart · 2 months ago

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Spider-Man WIP

Hi!

Feels like ages since I did a superhero. I don’t really read many comics these days, not that many that managed to keep my interest. So I haven't gotten that many new ideas either. Kinda feels like I’m losing touch with a big part of my childhood, wondering a little what will take its place.

But I have started on a Spider-Man/Captain America Team-Up and felt I wanted to share my step-by-step drawing ol’ Webhead!

First of all, open up your friendly neighbourhood JustSketchMe. Really helpful when you can’t really see the full canvas when you draw. And start with lineart. Spidey’s suit is tight and thin to allow him to use his powers and to hide under his clothes. So, abs, ribcage, toes should even be slightly visible while adding wringage or stretching in groin, elbows and knees. If I make a younger Ditko-era Spidey, the mask would have more wrinkles and the ears more prominent but for an adult Spidey, the head is smoother and the neck tighter.

Spider-Man’s eyes are one-way-glass and in my render, not that flexible so I imagine them being this round shape and the mask form around that and are held by two shiny plastic frames, them being separate from the thin fabric as well.

Most times I have to adjust the ratio of red/blue in the torso to make space for the webbing but managed to pull it off this time without any major readjustments. Webs are drawn on an individual layer.

As the lineart is done, the next step is the coloring. I actually make Spidey’s eyes quite dark here as a dark base will make it easier for me to make it shine afterwards as I try to catch a glass-effect. I always make sure to keep an extra layer for each color in a hidden folder so I can mark the specific colors when needed.

Next step is my highlighter. Simply strengthen the lineart and first step to add a little depth in it. Where I chose to highlight and not has changed over the years, like the space between the head and the further arm lacks highlight as it’s further away, same with the closer arm and the torso as well as left leg/thigh. Areas where one piece of clothing goes to another gets a subtle highlight like shirt, gloves and boots.

Next step is a 3-parter where I depthen the figure more. First layer’s functions the same as the last step but in a larger area and wider brush. Second layer goes more along the edges of the line art and makes the body rounder. Last is just focusing on areas with more depth like collarbone, ribs, some wrinkles, maybe if I missed a spot on the wrist.

So now is the basic “pillar” of the character done, the steps I undergo for all my figures, so now are the personal details like eye colors or hair coloring. This is where the spare layers are mostly welcomed. I give my Spider-Man a halftone effect on the red areas, making the suit look more breathable and giving the thing a comic-effect while the blue parts get darkened. I then eliminate the already shadowed areas, kinda reversing the work so wrinkles get lighter and smoother parts get darker. Inspired by how the suit can be portrayed black with blue detailing in classic comics as well as the fabric in Tom Holland’s second homemade suit.

Speaking of films, I also brighten some spots. I add a light grey spot on the eyes and I brighten the webs, inspired by Tobey Maguire’s suit but more subtle.

Last steps are brightening the black areas like the frames and logo. A lesser layer along the edges to showcase the shape and bulge of things and a brighter one that can be splashed across, reflecting light. I add more black and white on the eyes for that glass-effect.

AND… That’s basically it! Things might change and get added when I put in a real light source but for a basic 3-Dimensional Spider-Man in a pure white world, the process is done!

#fan art #art process #wannabe artist #artist on tumblr #spider-man #peter parker #no clue what i’m doing

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lord-jen-grey · 2 years ago

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What factors inspired you to write like this ? PS: I love your work !! x

Thank you so much! It's very kind of you to say. I didn't study to be a writer in school, so my path in this direction was a bit circuitous.

A number of factors inspired me (and continue to inspire me). In regards to the Outlander stories I've written, the source material (books and show) were extremely inspirational, and I wanted to spend more time in that world with the characters I fell in love with. No other book or show comes close for me.

Another inspiration comes from my previous fandom. There is a crack ship on General Hospital (yes, I was raised a soap girl) that never played out on screen, but there are 3 writers who wrote for that ship (Lolexis) who were absolutely brilliant. EllenSmithee, Lionel, and Lsquared. Ellen knocked my socks off the first time I read her work, and I have never recovered. I reread her story (30 days) at least once a year. It has the best character development (and SEX) of anything I have ever read...ever! My writing can't live up to hers, and I don't even try, but I've learned so much from her about things like how to use sex as more than sex (it's plot too!), how to sit with an intense emotion in a scene, and the basics of nicely flowing sentence/paragraph structures (I'm constantly learning more about this). From Lionel, I learned how to lean into certain tropes, how to use plot to drive the story forward, and the beauty of simplicity.

Other inspirations come from media I consume. Listening to the likes of Pixar storytellers and Phoebe Waller Bridge discuss how they craft a story have had HUGE impacts on me. Without them, Journey would never have turned into what it is now. Another author, She-who-must-not-be-named, taught me how to unfold a mystery. And then there is Diana. She employs storytelling strategies that are utterly brilliant, and they've strongly influenced the way I write.

For years, I've studied philosophy and various other academic fields related to human behavior, and ventured into deep, emotional places with a variety of people. It's had a massive influence on how I craft a character and their journey.

More recently, I've been working with a professional editor who has helped me identify and clean up some of my bad habits, and she has helped with shining a light on missed emotional beats and plot holes. She's incredible. My beta, Lis, has done this for me a millions times over as well.

The biggest influence on my writing has been to just write. I've written more than 2 millions words in the last 6-7 years, and I experimented with perspectives, tropes, character development strategies, outlines, etc. Rereading my own work helps me recognize areas for growth and already established strengths.

Feedback from readers has been invaluable and a HUGE motivator.

I hope this answers your question. Sorry it took so long. I wanted to ensure I took the time to think it through and give a decent response.

#anon asks #writing inspiration

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mutedeclipse · 2 years ago

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I got really inspired to list off some basic bomberman anatomy headcanons that ive picked up from 2022-2023 so i introduce to you...

BOMBERMAN BASICS, a blanket guide to understanding whatever the fuck mutedeclipse has going on

By lunar myth.

Before i proceed i need to preface and clarify i function on a loose, but still grounded logic of the biomechanical. This is fantasy alien tech it doesnt have to all make sense, and konami disregards consistency in their own series anyway so this is MY way. They have biosynthetic components, like skin and they have mechanical components, like a screen, but they also have mouths inside those screens and can eat to recover energy like any other being of flesh and bone (i will explain this LATER. we'll get to it dear friend it will not make sense to most ontill we get there)

As a robotic 'species' their creation is a rather individual process, while components are standard they come in many shapes, sizes and colours! But the main thing is what goes on inside that makes a bomber a bomber. Aside from those there are exceptions and rules commonly broken. (I do whatever but this is my baseline, as an example my own sona works on extremely nonsensical logic by design)

Internally they have a ribcage, a flexible spine, pelvis.. ish and a 'skull' in order to protect their core and other delicate parts. with soft, flexible joints and limbs with hands that vary from bomber to bomber, although the standard tend to have rather malleable, flexible fingers that are gloved with mittens or regular old gloves.. either way theyre typically covered, If exposed they resemble human hands, although finger count is a resounding 4 including an opposing thumb (ive decided its not a stylistic choice actually its cuter if they only have 4 fingers on average per hand) and 0 toes, with malliable, adaptable feet

i believe that bombermen as a whole, classic, R or any other continuity run on a sort of small-scale hyper-efficient combustion engine which burns consumed fuel. (while food is typical basically anything that can be blown up and burned can be consumed to refuel) which not only is a partial reason for their name as bombers and a big distinguishing factor from just any ordinary bio machine. Their Engine resides neatly in their chest and it almost sounds like a heartbeat if you lay your ear to their synth-flesh, their bodies have a lifelike warmth due to their fuel source. The engine also produces light that may faintly shine through as body blushing

Now onto the head... difficult to tackle but ill try to make this make as much sense as i can... their head is exactly what you see is what we're working with. They have a 'screen' that for the purpose of expression have lights for the purpose of expression. that screen is also rather flexible, as it is a Non-Newtonian fluid. Bear with me here this is about to get insane.

Typically a flexible/malleable sheet of glass-like material it may become liquid through some sort of reaction not quite understood past "these specific components make this sheet of glass become permeable when used as stimuli", the material only sticks to itself, allowing objects to freely pass through creating small ripples in a bomber's face as they eat, or sticking out their tongue. (Yes They have tongues because i really want them to know the pleasures of good food ok? I want them to enjoy good meals with eachother and bond over that. Its a lovely thought to me.) They have artificial tastebuds there that mimic the capabilities of any normal tongue. They may also have teeth. I havent decided on that being standard yet because they either swallow things whole like snakes (horrifying) or chew things up (also weirdly horrifying but makes more sense considering itd help with combustion).

Inside the aforementioned 'skull' like structure, which mainly consists of a component refered to as a core, this contains the personality, memory and other things that revolve around individualistic abilities of a given bomber, it acts as a brain for these little guys and can be just as delicate as one, a faulty core can spell a whole host of problems for a bomber, such as memory issues and faulty power regulation. Touch receptors run down from the core through the body in order to aid in a sense of touch (most sensative in the hands (palms), antenna, face, etc. Normal places youd expect)

The antenna work like whiskers as it aids in the balance of a bomberman along with a general receptor of data around them, they respond to many different kinds of stimuli, typically sound and signals sent by other bombers. (theyre kinda like bugs in that isnt that neat) the standard antenna has a rather gummy like quality and is at least a little translucent, if you look inside sometimes you can notice a little light of the receptor inside. The standard ball antenna may irregularly spike up in response to strong emotions. Despite seeming like a defense mechanism, this is an unintended effect of the structure.

As theyre mechanical body modification (one of my oldest hcs and one of my favorites) and cybernetics tend to be a sight thats not too uncommon, stay tuned and i might tackle those next. In the meantime i can awnser questions about this because Im barely sure if this makes sense and im bad at articulating.

#lunar myth rambles #bomberman #bomberman hcs #my bomberman hcs

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thefrogman · 9 months ago

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@yapurplegirl The breakdown is here. Now.

Because I will break it down for you in this post.

Glossy and semi glossy surfaces are some of the toughest things to deal with in product photography.

And pure mirrored surfaces, well... those can ruin your day.

I think people thought I was using mirrors to do this effect (and sometimes mirrors are used to reflect light), but I meant the glasses had mirrored lenses. So I was basically taking a photo of two mirrors—which is a huge pain in the patoot.

And my double mirrors were curved, so they were reflecting nearly half of my studio.

Which is exactly why I chose them. I wanted to learn how to do it.

Photographing mirrors is most frustrating when they are directly reflecting into your camera lens. But we product photographers try to use angles when possible to avoid having to Photoshop our heads and cameras out of the shot (though sometimes that is unavoidable).

And if you can't shop yourself out of the mirror shot, then you have to get creative...

If you aren't a product photographer and you need to take a picture of a mirror, people have come up with some fun solutions (as seen on r/peoplesellingmirrors )

You can try to be sneaky...

You can try to be artistic...

Ah! A ghost!

Some will recruit their pets and kids...

And some will just say, "Fuck it."

And then you have the Amazon solution, which is to just use Photoshop to create a blank "reflection."

Or they hired a vampire. Not sure.

The product photographer solution for glossy/mirrored surfaces is to use "gradient lighting."

You need to have a pretty solid understanding of light, including angles of incidence and angles of reflectance. And you are going to need some special equipment, but thankfully some of it you can DIY if you need to. And the bigger or more curvy the glossy surface, the more space you are going to need.

The basic idea comes down to creating an "image forming reflection" of your light source. Meaning you position your light source in such a way that it forms an actual image of itself on the glossy surface. And since we want to reflect a gradient onto our glossy surface, the first thing we need to do is create a light with a gradient.

First you need diffusion material. This is specially made plastic or paper that scatters light with a falloff when you shine through it.

A regular softbox tries to scatter light evenly. It wants the entire surface area to be outputting the same intensity of light.

From corner to corner, the light is the same brightness. It is homogenous and creates a big single light source. Which is great for people and bad for glossy products.

So we need something where the light gradually falls off.

Most will build something called a "scrim" which is just special diffusion material stretched out over a rectangular frame.

The most popular diffusion material for this purpose is Savage Translum or Lee 216 White Diffusion. And if you are on a budget, you can also use tracing paper (usually two layers works best). You'll need to attach it to a homemade frame or hang it from a boom arm on a light stand.

Note: Not all diffusion material will create the needed effect. You need to make sure it is made for this purpose.

Once you have hung your scrim, you need to place your light in the proper position behind it.

If you move the light close, you get a small sharp gradient.

And if you move the light farther away, the gradient becomes larger and softer.

And that is the "image" that you want to reflect onto your glossy item. You want that gradient to be infused with the surface of your object.

Just remember he still has all of his regular ambient lighting turned on so you can see things. In the final image you would only see the circle of light falling off into blackness.

There are two main gradients you might want to create—a ball or a tall strip.

For subjects that would most efficiently fit inside an imaginary sphere, you create a ball gradient.

So jewelry, a gaming mouse, a disco ball. It's not a perfect rule of thumb, but I just imagine stuff inside a ball and if I feel like I could reflect a good gradient onto that ball, I use a ball gradient.

The ball is created with either a standard reflector on your light or you can even just use the strobe's "bare bulb."

And if you are trying to do this on a budget, you can use a desk lamp or a flash. For the flash you will need one with a round head or you can buy a cheap "snoot" attachment.

Now if you are shooting a glossy surface that would fit better into an imaginary cylinder, you would use something like a strip softbox behind the diffusion material.

The idea is to make a vertical gradient that is taller than the subject you are shooting. So the image created on your glossy surface looks more like this.

And when all of the ambient light is cut out of the final photo, the vertical gradient will look something like this.

And that is useful for tall or cylindrical things like bottles and jars where it can wrap around the sides and span the entire length of the subject from top to bottom.

This is a Fitz's bottle I shot...

And some of my hair gel that I never use...

I put a strip softbox shining through diffusion on either side and the gradients wrapped around.

So, I'm afraid I am about to disappoint some of you.

Because my original sunglasses photo did not look like my original post.

I wanted to play with an 80s color pallette so I changed some of the colors.

It was not purple and blue originally.

No, that doesn't make it fake and I didn't trick you. I did nothing that could not be achieved in real life.

I could easily get sunglasses with blue lenses and some magenta card and create that exact image.

And if anyone is still not convinced, I will recreate my 80s version all in-camera once I get my studio set up.

Actually, that sounds like fun.

Second, sunglasses cannot actually float in mid-air, so I did have to attach them to a bendy arm and paint that out.

*gasp*

I hope you can forgive my subterfuge.

There seems to be this notion that using Photoshop is cheating or less authentic. And people also seem to be saying my photo looks like a render and thus "fake." But this style of gradient lighting has been around long before Photoshop and CGI. So if anything, CGI looks like product photography, not the other way around.

I promise that is the extent of my Photoshop trickery and everything else was done practically. Okay?

I decided the best gradient for the glasses was a ball. But getting everything in position was very tedious. I moved things a millimeter at a time until they lined up perfectly. That took a frustratingly long time because the lenses reflected a very wide field of view. Which meant using a very large piece of diffusion material that was very close to the glasses. My old studio was tiny so I was in very tight circumstances and my belly kept bumping things and I'd have to start over.

My ball gradient essentially created an image of itself in the lenses about like this...

I placed it so it would reflect in both lenses.

So... to review.

Let me try to break this down in the simplest way possible.

If you wanted to take a picture of a flat mirror. And in that mirror you wanted to reflect an image of Spider-Man holding a pug in a baby bjorn.

The simplest thing to do is put Spider-Man holding a pug in a baby bjorn in front of that mirror.

And if you wanted a ball gradient to reflect in that mirror instead of Spider-Man holding a pug in a baby bjorn, then you'd just hang a sheet of diffusion, stick a light behind it, and Bob's your uncle...

(At this angle you would need to cut a hole in the diffusion material and stick a lens through and then clone it out later.)

What I'm doing is no different.

The tricky part is when you have to do this on things that are irregular shapes. Getting all of the angles right takes a lot of trial and error and practice.

Sometimes you have to build giant scrims and mount them in very awkward positions.

And sometimes, you need to use 3 or 4 scrims at the same time.

It's a lot of very precise work and I think that is why I enjoy it so much. You get amazing results and it isn't something just anyone can to do. It is a skill you have to develop over time.

That is my breakdown.

I hope it was interesting.

And I hope to be shooting some more cool stuff soon. My new studio is coming along. I'm really hoping within the next month or so.

1980s Aviators

Taking a photo of something with two mirrors is not easy. And this was my first success at shooting a mirrored subject like this. And then the 80s color palette is just for vibes.

#photography #gradient lighting #long post

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amproductreview · 17 days ago

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Raw Batana Oil for Hair Growth Review: I Tried It — Here’s What Actually Happened to My Hair

Okay, so I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately — trying to bring my thinning hair back to life without loading up on chemicals. After a lot (and I mean a lot) of digging through Reddit threads, YouTube reviews, and natural hair care blogs, I landed on something called Organic Honduras Batana Oil… and its sister product, the Hair Growth Shampoo.

It’s hyped as a holy grail for hair growth, thickness, and shine — especially in the natural hair community. But does it really work? I gave both products a real shot over several weeks. Here’s the honest lowdown.

🌿 What’s Actually in This Stuff?

Let’s start with the star of the show: 100% pure, cold-pressed Batana oil, straight from Honduras.

It’s packed with:

Essential fatty acids (like oleic and linoleic acid)

Vitamin E

Loads of antioxidants

Basically, it’s like superfood for your scalp. What caught my attention was how many people swore it helped with:

Hair regrowth

Reducing breakage

Moisturizing dry, itchy scalps

Taming frizz and sealing split ends

Plus, if you’re into authenticity (which I totally am), the smoky, roasted scent is how you know it’s the real deal. Fake versions apparently smell like coffee candy… no thanks.

💬 Real Talk: What Happened to My Hair?

✔️ Thicker Hair, Less Shedding

After the first two weeks, I wasn’t sure if anything was happening. But around week three? Boom — less hair in my brush, and my temples (which were looking sparse) started filling in. I didn’t grow Rapunzel hair overnight, but the difference was noticeable. Even my stylist asked what I’d been using.

“My hair feels denser and I’m not seeing as many strands fall out in the shower. That alone is a win.”

✔️ Soft, Manageable, and Super Shiny

No joke — my hair has never felt this soft. Like, glide-your-fingers-through-it-without-snags soft. And that annoying halo of frizz? Way more under control now. The oil doesn’t weigh my strands down either (which was my main concern), as long as I use it sparingly.

🧴 The Shampoo: Good Support, Not the Main Event

Let’s talk about the Organic Honduras Hair Growth Shampoo for a sec. I used this alongside the oil, and while it’s a nice product, it’s definitely not the star of the show.

What I liked:

Made with organic ingredients, so no harsh chemicals

Has a light, fresh herbal scent — super clean-smelling

Doesn’t strip hair dry (big win for curly/textured hair)

Pump bottle = mess-free

What I didn’t love:

It’s kinda runny, so I ended up using more than I needed

Hair growth? Meh. Didn’t see much change from the shampoo alone

It’s a bit pricey for the size

If you’re buying this, think of it as a supporting actor. It’s gentle and smells good, but it’s not gonna regrow your edges by itself.

💡 Pro Tips (From Someone Who Went Down the Rabbit Hole)

Massage the oil into your scalp for at least 5 minutes. This boosts blood flow and helps absorption.

I like to warm it up slightly before using — feels spa-like and sinks in better.

It’s thick. You might want to mix it with coconut or almond oil for easier application.

I use it twice a week, sometimes more if my scalp feels dry.

Works amazing as a pre-poo treatment or overnight mask.

⚠️ Stuff You Should Know Before Buying

🚩 Fakes Are Everywhere

Seriously, don’t buy the cheapest Batana oil you find online. The legit ones:

Smell like roasted nuts or slightly smoky

Are thick and a little grainy when solid

Clearly say “Made in Honduras” on the label

Some fakes come from China and are mixed with junk oils. Check reviews, double-check sourcing.

🧪 Don’t Expect Magic in 3 Days

Real talk: this takes time. I didn’t notice real changes until I hit the 3–4 week mark. So if you want instant results? This probably isn’t it. But if you’re in it for the long game, it pays off.

🏁 Final Verdict: Should You Try It?

If you’re looking for a natural, multi-use oil that can help with hair growth, scalp health, and overall hair strength, I genuinely think Batana oil is worth a shot.

The shampoo? It’s fine. Not a miracle, but a decent sidekick.

⭐ Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

What I loved:

Noticeable reduction in shedding

New baby hairs in thinning areas

Smells earthy and natural (a little smoky, but I like it)

Doubles as a brow/lash/scalp/skin oil

A little goes a long way — this jar lasts forever

What I didn’t:

Thick texture can be a bit much (dilution helps)

Shampoo doesn’t do much solo

The price isn’t cheap, but it’s fair for what you get

✅ Will I Keep Using It?

100% yes. This is one of those products I’ll keep coming back to. I’m excited to see what happens with continued use over a few more months.

If you’re tired of trying gimmicky hair serums and want something simple, effective, and rooted in real ingredients, give Batana oil a try. Just remember — it’s a journey, not a sprint.

Got questions about how to use it or which brand to buy? Drop them below — I’ll share what’s worked best for me!

More Info About This Product

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jlfilmprojectba3 · 5 months ago

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GUTTIN' QUINES - GAFFER/2AC

I had the pleasure of being on my first grad shoot, Guttin Quines - a feminist tale about Doric fisherwomen. I didn’t have a chance to work on a grad film last term, but Saif was working on GQ as a production manager and asked if I wanted to take BTS Stills for the shoot. After speaking with producer Alana, it turned out that their gaffer could no longer make the shoot dates, so I was asked to switch roles. I was delighted with this little promotion as I have been pushing to prioritise my lighting knowledge over camera, to balance my overall learning of cinematography. I was fairly unprepared going in, as I was a late replacement, but thankfully, the first three days were exterior shoots, meaning I had time to adjust. There are few opportunities for rigging complicated lighting setups when we have the biggest light source in the galaxy. Their work from a production level was very impressive, giving a good idea of the standard we will need to reach when our final project comes around. The organisation of transport, location and production design was on point, and I picked up some great bits of knowledge from the camera team.

We started with a tech rehearsal and equipment loading at CRL. It was pretty astounding seeing the jump in the amount of kit and production design. We managed to squeeze it all into the back of a rental van, but kit checks and a full run-through were vital. The thoroughness of the preparation was a big step up from what I am used to, and in future, I want to improve on my own equipment prep process. We started with a 3-day shoot on Pittenweem pier. Before day 1, we went through the general plan in terms of how the set would be arranged and the rough blocking of the scenes. Over the three days, I went to set early in the morning with the production design team to help light the space until the sun came up. In the meantime, I made sure everything was prepped, like the scrim, black flags/trace frames, and backup eye lights. We often didn’t need all the kit, but when we did, it needed to be there, ready and safe on hand. After this, I would make sure everything was weather-proofed and do a general overall kit check. The camera setup was very fascinating, Gus had borrowed the Hollylands so Sam could get a wireless feed to focus pull from inside. They were also using the Alexa, which was a stunning piece of kit, and I tried to watch along and get a basic idea of how it operates. Lots of cool nerdy camera stuff going on.

For the second week, we were shooting interiors, so I got to be a bit more involved. The first day we shot in a church. For the interior shots, we used a 1200D and 600D to shine through the stained glass windows as artificial daylight. I hadn’t used a 1200D before, but it’s basically the same as a 600D, just arm-breakingly heavy. Again, there was some exteriors so we set up a station to house some flags, scrims and backup Nanlite 60Bs. On the second INT shoot, we were in a small cottage, a fairly basic setup required. We had a few practicals of fake candlelight and a fireplace using two smallrig boxlights. Then used the 600D with some diffusion and shone through a window that had blue-tinted gels to make some dusk light.

As much fun as my experience was, I wanted to make a conscious effort to take my role as seriously and professionally as possible. My set preparation workflow felt so much more efficient by the end of the shoot as a result of this. Working with the DOP Gus and observing his style of work was also very inspirational. I believe he will pave a good way for himself as he is a very easy-going but dedicated craftsman. I picked up many tidbits of great personal and technical advice from him, and I am very grateful for that.

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capesandquills · 3 months ago

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Tale 21- The Girl spinning Gold

Walking through a town, the Traveler’s ears suddenly caught wind of a song, someone playing a gentle melody which she soon found herself following until reaching the source. A young woman, likely in her early twenties, was sitting and plucking at the strings of an ornate harp, decorated in carvings of angels and flowers. Staring for a moment, she noticed something strange. The harp itself was absolutely beautiful, but the strings were something else, glittering in the light and glistening as she plucked, the sunlight catching them and decorating them with sparkles. The woman noticed her listening and gave her a slight smile. “They’re made from gold, you know?” she spoke, the Traveler leaning in closer to take a look. The woman beckoned, the girl obliging and taking a seat next to her. Gently, the woman showed her how to pluck the harp, the Traveler clumsily trying but not having the elegance or technique necessary- she was younger, and had never touched a harp before- but the woman just gave a little giggle. “Don’t fret, young one. You’ll learn with time.” she smiled, plucking gently at the strings and prompting the Traveler to follow, until they had begun the basics of a melody. “Do you want to hear how these strings are made?” she asked, the Traveler nodding, both an interesting story and one for the books. The woman gently plucked the strings as she spoke, gentle, and ready to tell the tale of ‘The Girl spinning Gold’

‘Far away, in a town close to the ocean, there was an old witch living in a dreary castle. One night, she lured a young girl toward the highest tower, with promise of a reward being granted, and the young girl accepted, climbing the thousands of steps in the castle. Opening a door, she found herself in a room full of gold, ingots, crowns, every piece shimmering in the light reflecting off the fireplace. Stunned, the girl was entranced by it all, when the witch snuck up behind her and locked her in, informing her that unless she spun all the gold in the room into thread, she would never be free. Now, the witch had many customers who needed the gold thread, so she often forced the child to work all day and all night. But, someday, when that girl finishes turning each heavy piece of gold into shining strings, she will be released from that room, and free at last.’

The Traveler could feel her emotions coiling up inside her. The woman, humming, began mindlessly plucking at the golden strings, before one of them came loose. “Ah, I suppose I will have to get some more golden thread.” she smiled, before looking at the Traveler, who refused to stare back. This was wrong. One should not perpetuate the cycle of pain by being an accomplice to it, but rather should do everything in their power to help the victim of said pain escape. Her hand clenched around the quill. No matter who she turned to, nobody really helped her escape the painful cycle. And in the same way, she knew she couldn’t save this girl. As much as she would like to, she had her own freedom to obtain first. Both of them walked in chains, entangled by threads of fate as if they were mere flies in a web. Angered at this woman’s attitude, the Traveler stormed off without another word, using a hand to hold down her hood due to her severely agitated expression.

#capes and quills

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mattanaministry · 6 months ago

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Mattana Ministry Welcomes You To:

Senior Program: 13 January 2025

Theme: Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness (2)

Scripture: Phill. 4:11-13; 1 Cor.1:8; Matt.6:22 & John 15:8

Message:

The Link Between Contentment and Faithfulness

Last week, we learned what the fruit of faithfulness looks like. At its core, faithfulness is unwavering reliability, consistency, devotion, and loyalty. Consider the common marriage vows we hear at weddings: “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” The idea here is fidelity and perseverance in any and everything; it’s faithfulness regardless of what comes our way.

We also learned that walking in faithfulness to God can only be done by the work of God in us. 1 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) tells us that the Lord Himself will “keep [us] firm to the end.” As the Holy Spirit works in us, He makes us faithful. He gives us His faithfulness, which allows us to endure and persevere through any and everything.

This brings us to today’s passage, where we see faithfulness as the result of contentment. Something interesting to note here is that Paul uses two different Greek words that we translate as content in Philippians 4:11–12.

Autarkēs (v11): to be self-sufficient. It’s an active term, but it’s also an inward term. This means Paul’s not talking about being self-sufficient in his ability to take care of himself, which would be outward. Instead, it’s this inward feeling of satisfaction he actively lives with.

Chortazesthai (v12): to be full, lacking nothing. It’s the same word we see in Mark 8 after Jesus fed the 5,000 (“the people ate and were satisfied”). It’s the type of feeling we get when we throw down an epic meal, finish a 1,000-piece puzzle, or move into a new house and finally unpack everything.

Now, the interesting thing about chortazesthai is unlike autarkēs, it’s a passive verb, which means we’re the receivers of the work, not the doers. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) tells us: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” The literal word-for-word translation from the Greek: “For all things, I have strength in the One strengthening me.”

Basically, like how a phone plugged into a power source never runs out of battery, when we’re connected to Christ through an intimate relationship, He provides us with this inexhaustible supply of power to be content in all things, which empowers us to walk faithfully with Him. The more we know Him, the more we trust and love Him, and the more we trust and love Him, the more we find satisfaction in Him, and the more we find satisfaction in Him, the more ready and able we are to endure, persevere, and remain consistent and unwavering. That’s the secret of contentment AND faithfulness.

So, how do we ensure we remain faithful? How do we keep ourselves from wavering in our faithfulness to Christ and His work? Matthew 6:22 (NIV) says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If our eyes are healthy, our whole body will be full of light.” A variety of studies in psychology have shown that intentionally looking at someone’s face and making eye contact increases feelings of love and affection for someone. It ignites and deepens relationships and feelings of gratitude and enjoyment.

So, if we want to remain faithful, keep our eyes on Jesus daily and He will become our treasure. When we behold Jesus consistently, like a spouse who has eyes for no one else, we will remain faithful!

Pause: How does self-controlled living make the teaching about God our Savior attractive?

Practice: In John 15:8 (NIV), Jesus says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” God ordained us to be an agent of transformation in our world, in our culture, in this present age. Not in isolation or seclusion away from the world, but in the places and spaces He has us. Not by fighting a war against culture, but by shining the light of Jesus into our culture! So, this season, be intentional in our workplace to let our good fruit fall onto our coworkers and our bosses. In our homes, in our friend circles, in our gyms, on our teams, and at the restaurants and coffee shops we frequent, let our good fruit and our good works be on display.

Pray: Father, teach us and help us to be more like Your Son, to live an upright, self-controlled, and godly life so we may draw people to You and not away from You. Help us step in with the Spirit and display all the fruit of the Spirit, the results of intimacy with You. Present us with opportunities to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and produce good fruit so others may come to truly understand who You are and how much You love them. Amen.

Please feel free to leave a review of this message:

https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

#christian faith #christian broadcasting network #christianity

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sandman2412 · 1 year ago

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Our relationship with the world needs adjustment. And it all begins here, in the mind. Let’s put this in a relative sense. You finished studying in school and now to get into the field you want you have an exam for certification. You worked your ass off on this test and you’re expecting good results once all is said and done. Now I want to break this scenario down into three components:

The Positive, The Negative, and Perspective.

(+)

We associate the positive with the good and where we want to be. As if the positive is all we should consume. However, the truth of the matter is “ignorance is bliss” and if we live attached solely to what feels good, we live blindly to what we are capable of, what needs change in exchange for abundance. You got a 95% on the exam, now certified and achieving what you set out to do. You ride this high into work, overconfident and affirmed by passing. Yet your supervisor and coworkers question your ability and how fit your are for the role, due to basic or minor oversights in your work. Come to find out these oversights derive from the 5% of of exam material you’ve rendered meaningless in the light of your grade. Carrying yourself as if it was insignificant carried into your work, interrupting your reliability and quality of service in the workplace.

(-)

We associate the negative with where we don’t want to be. As if it is some bad omen that our lives are shambles, and there is some truth to that. The question is how do we respond to our darkness/dark moments. See the positive is like action and the negative, what’s acted upon. Darkness only grows where the light doesn’t shine, and as our own sources of light in life, our darkness should serve less as justification for debilitation and more as an indicator of what needs attention, what needs to be tended to. You got a 75% on the exam. Failing the exam already put you in a bad space, but missing the bar by 5% made it terrible. You act as if nothing happened, you isolate yourself, you remove yourself from your world and your passions, and in the end, wallow in self-deprecation. Not only were you confronted with negativity, but you affirmed it closing off opportunities for joy through taking action, instead expanding negativity through inaction. Which brings me to the third component, perspective.

(♾️)

The thing about positivity and negativity is they represent two sides of the same coin, unable to exist without one another. The key is in allowing the randomness/unpredictable nature of life to flip the coin, accepting which way it falls. Acceptance, because our circumstances are something we receive (negative) but our response (positive) is how we return and affect our circumstance. That is the power of the human condition, bestowed this level of consciousness and intellect to remain rationally detached from our circumstance, observing and honoring our emotions (not acting through them), and responding with what the moment needs. If I score the 95%, that 5% of error (or negativity) should act as an indicator of growth, strengthened or addressed through attention, focus, and action (positivity). If I score the 75%, I should be looking at the silver lining, applauding my attempt to go after where I want to be and doing everything to retain my motivation (positivity). By maintaining my desire to act and channeling that energy to lessen my margin of error through review, education, and correction, I reopen my future to myself. I affirm my ability to do what I believed and in the end, could be of more service to the world because of my trials than my peers simply being forced to return where I failed (negative). If we could bring the positive where we feel negative, and parse out the negativity hiding behind our positivity, how beautiful would life be?

~ Slade

(Was nervous to share, thanks for reading 🙂)

#enlightenment #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #knowledge #positive #negative #perspective #thoughts #writing #balance #esoteric #equilibrium #philosophy #faith #microcosm #esoterik #wisdom #astrology #slade

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