#camouflag solutions

[madhulikaupadhyay]

Discover effective vitiligo treatment by Madhulika Upadhyay, a renowned expert in the field. Visit MadhulikaUpadhyay.com to learn about her holistic approach, innovative treatment options, and success stories. Restore your skin confidence with personalized care and professional guidance.

[aeonaesthetics]

Expert scar camouflage services in Belfast

Expert scar camouflage services in Belfast, Northern Ireland, offering discreet and effective solutions for minimizing the appearance of scars. Call us now: 07877738670.

[deathmoth-blog]

The family Cranchiidae comprises the approximately 60 species of glass squid, also known as cockatoo squid, cranchiid, cranch squid, or bathyscaphoid squid. Cranchiid squid occur in surface and midwater depths of open oceans around the world. They range in mantle length from 10 cm (3.9 in) to over 3 m (9.8 ft), in the case of the colossal squid. The common name, glass squid, derives from the transparent nature of most species. Cranchiid squid spend much of their lives in partially sunlit shallow waters, where their transparency provides camouflage. They are characterised by a swollen body and short arms, which bear two rows of suckers or hooks. The third arm pair is often enlarged. Many species are bioluminescent organisms and possess light organs on the undersides of their eyes, used to cancel their shadows. Eye morphology varies widely, ranging from large and circular to telescopic and stalked. A large, fluid-filled chamber containing ammonia solution is used to aid buoyancy. This buoyancy system is unique to the family and is the source of their common name "bathyscaphoid squid", after their resemblance to a bathyscaphe. Often the only organ that is visible through the transparent tissues is a cigar-shaped digestive gland, which is the cephalopod equivalent of a mammalian liver. This is usually held in a vertical position to reduce its silhouette and a light organ is sometimes present on the lower tip to further minimise its appearance in the water.

[rileyslibrary]

No fun allowed.

Based on this idea from anon: Can you feel that? A heat wave is washing over the 141 base. Who wants to do training at 35 degrees and counting? No one but Ghost of course... Maybe it's time for some fun summer activities instead? How about some beach volleyball in the sandpit where they blow up explosives? Fruit salad from a helmet anyone? Can our stoic lieutenant be convinced to enjoy this sunny day with the team?

———————————————————————

You were all melting in the heat today, but the lieutenant insisted on continuing the training.

Even the medics stepped in. They tried to emphasise the dangers of heat stroke, but Ghost dismissed their credibility and accused them of slacking off, claiming that he’s been through worse.

That’s right—he has been through worse. So why should you have to go through the same?

Without anyone else to turn to, you collectively decided to snitch on him and inform Price, hoping he’d be the most sensible of the two.

Being the man he is, the captain came up with a solution to please both parties—Yes, you would continue your training, but with water guns instead. This way, you could cool off from the heat while following Ghost’s training routine.

And so it happened—water guns, balloons, sprinklers, and inflatable pools were brought to the base and set up around the training grounds to simulate a field exercise.

The lieutenant wasn’t happy, but then again, when was he ever?

“This is bloody orange, and these look like fucking Skittles,” he moaned, looking at the water blasters and pointing at the balloons, “how are we going to blend in with these?”

You tried to reason with him, explaining that the bright colours would add to the difficulty since you would all have to work harder to camouflage yourselves. And, although he didn’t accept the idea in the way most people tend to change their minds, he stopped complaining.

Everyone changed in their summer attire except for the lieutenant, of course, who didn’t remove anything from his body. Not even his gloves. You asked him why he was still clinging to all that gear and pointed at a flare in his tactical vest, claiming it was unnecessary. He clarified that it wasn’t a flare but an Evian water facial spray. His response made you laugh, and in return, he made you drop and give him fifty push-ups.

And so the “training” began, and it was nothing like your lieutenant had hoped for. You were all deliberately blasting water guns at each other while staying within the sprinkler’s range to keep cool. Ghost soon lost his patience—if he had any—and chased around whoever dared to laugh or show any hint of joy, yelling things like, “Stop laughing, ya focken muppets,” and “This is serious; why can’t you take it the way is intended to be?”

And this went on and on until the water fight turned into a game of cops and robbers. Or, more like, one cop and many robbers, with Ghost chasing soldiers around and you treating him as the enemy.

And he loved it. Finally, he did.

Look at him now; so happy and running around, trying to catch you. He corners you inside a mock house, and you can see traces of his smile through the damp cloth covering his face. You desperately try to escape his grasp, but you’re too slippery. He lifts you up and tosses you over his shoulder. You scream and laugh simultaneously, and he responds with a menacing chuckle. He carries you to the centre of the training grounds and throws you in one of the inflatable pools—his “prison cells,” as he now calls them.

———————————————————————

[amicus-siderum]

I think it'd be nice if in Genshin they added the main characters into the playable world- eg. seeing Amber at the Good Hunter, or finding Zhongli at the storyteller's place and being able to interact with them. Kinda hangout style except it's not a quest or anything major. Just a fun little interaction!

I think this would make for a more interactive and realistic experience. As you know, the players love their favourite character's greatly, and often complain about not having enough interactions with them, so I believe that making them occasionally appear outside of quests would be a great solution to that.

Here are some examples I've come up with:

- Diluc can be found on Mondstadt's city wall at night, and when you try to interact with him, he is very awkwardly trying to hide his Darknight Hero identity

- Lisa can be found in the KoF library sometimes, sipping tea and reading a romance novel, and when you interact with her, she invites you to read together

- Noelle can be found around the Favonius Headquarters performing her maidly duties, and when interacted with, she says she's quite busy but will try her best to aid you in any way she can

- Jean can be found in her office late at night, and when interacted with, you can try to coerce her into resting by doing some of her work for her

- Kaeya can be found walking around the streets of Mond at any time of the day, and when interacted with, he invites you for a walk together while gaining intel from the other residents

- Beidou can be found on the Alcor, and when interacted with, she sings sea shanties or offers to tell you of her adventures out at sea

- Ningguang can be found in the Jade Chamber in the early mornings, and when interacted with, she entertains you with a philosophical discussion and is amused by your responses

- Childe can be found around and about Liyue Harbor, and when interacted with, he ends up giving you mora to "buy yourself something nice"

- Thoma can be found at Komore Teahouse in the afternoons, and when interacted with, you receive consumable food thanks to his caring nature

- Sayu can sometimes be spotted in her barrel camouflage, and when you try to interact with her, she says bad inconspicuous things such as "I am just a normal barrel, no need to concern yourself with me"

- Yoimiya can be encountered when interacting with her father at Naganohara Fireworks, and when interacted with, she gives you fireworks and you set

[arulens-least-horny-jongleur]

myself and my best friend planning on going as Will and Horace from Rangers Apprentice this halloween. we have our own money for costumes, and hopefully enough time (curse of ADHD) to actually pull it off. my friend will be going as Horace, in his Oakleaf Knight regalia, and i will be going as fully adult ranger Will.

problem: i’m short, relatively stealthy, and putting me in a camouflage cloak is not going to solve either of these problems. this probably wouldn’t be a big issue if we didn't live in a fairly urban area that is not well known for its pedestrian courtesy, but it is an issue we have to consider.

my friends brilliant solution? Road Safety Horace.

all he has to do is cross the street with me, and since as far as we can find in the books, his Oakleaf Knight costume is a white surcoat, a white shield, and shiny silver chainmaille, he will be fully and obnoxiously visible to any vehicles on the road.

which is all well and good, if not slightly entertaining, but now all i can imagine is Horace standing in the middle of a busy street so Will can run across the road without getting hit by a cart.

[byeuijoo]

not so secret 𐀔 kim woonhak

genre : pure fluff ⋆ warnings : nothing particular just some marvel endgame movie spoilers ⋆ word count : 1219

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ୨ ✩ ୧

your mother always taught you that lying was a sin, but was lying so bad if it meant preserving something that could make you happy? you'd thought long and hard about whether you should finally tell your group of friends that you were in a relationship with one of them — all this to end up telling you that keeping your love story a secret for the time being was the best solution.

you and woonhak tried hard to keep a low profile, slipping away from time to time, each time finding a new hiding place to spend a little moment just the two of you. but sometimes, the temptation to glue each other was too strong — and fortunately, it seemed totally natural to your friends' eyes.

after a long week of classes, your tradition was to spend the night at sungho's house, eating anything and everything while playing silly games with quality background music specially chosen by the one and only han dongmin. so here you are, in sungho's living room, sipping your peach iced tea while watching jaehyun fight dongmin over the best marvel superhero.

« i'm telling you captain america is the best ! » he suddenly swung a cushion at the black-haired boy's face. and after that, taesan retorted, trying to convince jaehyun that iron man was actually better than captain america. « but he's dead ! » jaehyun shouted, which amused the rest of the people in the room, including you. but your attention was drawn to a certain young boy, climbing the stairs, who gave you a look and a smile you couldn't resist.

« i'm going to the bathroom, i'll be right back. » you say to the boys, before throwing off your blanket and making your way discreetly upstairs.

looking around you, tiptoeing on your toes, your body was suddenly dragged into a room, which almost made you cry out in surprise. but your eyes soon found the beaming face of your boyfriend, who had taken you prisoner in his arms.

« i could have hit you. » you said softly, pinching his rib, which drew a little laugh from his lips. « i know you wouldn't have done it. » he said in return, in a whisper, before placing a kiss on your cheek.

it was this kind of moment that you cherished the most, a relaxing, soothing atmosphere that made you feel safe and warmed your heart. and this kind of cocoon, you only had it with woonhak. certainly, you were still young, just discovering what love is — but you already knew that your heart had a soft spot for him.

camouflaging your tiny body against the warmth of his, woonhak stroked up and down your spine, simply enjoying your presence. « we're going to get caught if we stay here much longer, » you whispered, gently straightening up to rub the tip of your nose against his cheek, « we should go back downstairs. »

the young boy nodded, but didn't miss the opportunity to place a little kiss on your cheek, which made your heart beat faster. you didn't even have time to retort, he was already out of the room, running to join the other boys in the living room. tapping your cheeks to keep from grinning like an idiot, you followed his lead as you joined them again, without noticing the suspicious looks juggling the youngest and yourself.

later that evening, jaehyun had the bright idea of playing a silly and childish game called : truth or dare. sitting next to woonhak, his hand naturally clinging to yours but camouflaged by your blanket, you rolled your eyes as you observed the dares given, each more idiotic than the last one. « you guys really are a great team of idiots.. » you sighed as you finished your pizza, instantly regretting your words when your gaze met dongmin's.

« y/n, you talk a lot but don't play much. » you saw it, the machiavellian look in his eyes, and the mischievous smile on his lips just afterwards, the black-haired boy undoubtedly had an idea in mind, « so, truth or dare? »

in both cases, you knew you would regret your decision. but in both cases, you were obliged to play. so, glancing slightly at your (secret) boyfriend, who was urging you to answer, you sighed, finally declaring : « truth. »

taesan seemed satisfied with your answer, and glanced at jaehyun who nodded briskly, with a smile so big it could take up the whole of his face. « are you and woonhak in a relationship? » he asked so boldly that you might have fallen off your chair if you'd been sitting on one.

you were trapped, and your round, big eyes must have betrayed your answer. you seemed speechless, unsure if it was the right time to finally confess to all your friends that, yes, you were in a relationship with woonhak. but before you can say anything, leehan, who had slipped in behind you unawares, pulled the blanket from over your hands and revealed to everyone what was hidden underneath : your fingers entwined with each other.

« you can no longer deny it. » commented riwoo, who found the scene unfolding in front of him particularly amusing. and when you finally give in, nodding positively and sighing, thunderous applause and shouts of euphoria echoed through the room, « yes. we're together. woonhak is my boyfriend. »

observing the reactions of the boys one by one, who all seemed very happy to finally know the truth, you insisted that he was YOUR boyfriend while throwing lasers with your eyes at jaehyun, who had just thrown himself at the younger boy, already starting to tease him about your relationship. woonhak's hand unhooked from yours in a desperate attempt to get rid of the big puppy that was crushing him right now, giving sungho the opportunity to approach you, a smile far too glorious to be natural.

suddenly pushing him away and crossing your arms against your chest, you prevented a laugh from escaping your lips, wanting to continue sulking. « you're not mad? » you asked in a small voice, glancing at your friend out of the corner of your eye. for his part, sungho shrugged, shaking his head negatively, « not at all. if you hadn't told us, you must have had a reason to do so. » — you loved that he was so understanding, and you thanked him inwardly for not reacting immaturely and reproaching both of you for your silence. but something wasn't quite right : how could they all have known?

« how long have you known about this? » you finally asked, as he ruffled your hair in a comforting gesture. the eldest of the group sat down beside you, patting your shoulder as you watch the youngsters making a mess a little further on, « dongmin has been having doubts for a while, » he explained, before pinching your cheek, « but next time remember to lock the door when you hide somewhere in my house. »

with a falsely shocked expression and round eyes, you nodded and laughed. in the end, sharing your secret with your closest friends wasn't such a bad idea.

⠀

reblogs & feedbacks are highly appreciated !

[deathblacksmoke]

Cyanide | Part 2

Pairing: Nick Ruffilo x Musician!OFC (Shaun)

Summary: 2000s-era local band AU. Nicky meets Shaun — older, cooler, a better bassist, a little mean. She’s nonchalant. He couldn’t be more enamored.

CW: smoking (content warnings updated by chapter)

Word Count: 2.2K

dividers by @saradika-graphics 🖤

title and inspo from “cyanide” by creeper.

His head is fuzzy, ears full of static as he sits with Noah at the bar. His mind hasn’t cleared of the thought of her since 2 weekends ago. He hasn’t known a moment of peace since she stepped into her car and sped off, since he went to his mama’s in search of a phone book only to be hit with the kindly worded reality that searching by first name in the phone book is unlikely to pay off, since he went to their last show with high hopes only for her to be nowhere to be found.

If not for his vivid memories of that night — the sound of her laugh, the edges of her smile, the way her perfume smelled mixing delicately with her cigarette smoke — he would think he dreamt her. He’s humiliated himself in pursuit of her and still he comes up empty.

“Dude, are you even listening to me?” Noah interrupts, rousing Nick abruptly from his thoughts.

He’s sure Noah’s gotten used to his semi-absence the past couple weeks — around, but not all there. He’s sure he’s grown a little sick of it, as well, Nick chiming in every now and again to bring her up. He’s sure it’s a little grating on them all, but he finds he can’t really help it. 

“Do you think I’ll ever see her again?” Nick asks before Noah’s eyes light up with amusement, a vaguely annoyed fondness. He works to push away the shame and embarrassment it makes him feel. “I’m serious, Noah.”

Noah rolls his eyes, but his expression remains soft, “Probably.”

Nick huffs, finding Noah’s response wildly unhelpful. He wishes he never brought it up, that he could push the thoughts of her away and go back to normal. Whatever normal was.

“Why don’t you just get her number from one of her bandmates?” Noah offers like it’s the easiest solution in the world, overlooking the fact that if he knew how to get in touch with any of them, he would have by now. He doesn’t know a single one of their names. “I can ask Daisy for you if you want.”

Nick feels as his expression falls, at the first ever mention of this Daisy. Nick isn’t sure who she is, but if she can help find Shaun, he doesn’t know why Noah didn’t mention her before.

“And Daisy is who?” Nick asks, his tone edged with quite a lot more annoyance than he intends. He doesn’t correct himself, though.

“The drummer for Morning Dew,” Noah responds. Nick feels lost, and he’s sure it shows on his face when Noah continues, voice laced with frustration. “Shaun’s band. Nick, what the hell is wrong with you?”

He wants to ask Noah why the offer didn’t come sooner. He wants to criticize him for keeping it a secret, but instead goes for something a little more subtle. He decides to be reasonable for the first time in weeks.

“I’m sorry,” he concedes. He figures it’s the least Noah deserves, after everything. “Can you help me?”

“If it’ll help get you back to normal, I’ll do anything,” Noah responds. Nick bows his head to take a sip of his beer, attempting to camouflage his humiliation as his cheeks heat.

She normally goes to Fallout on Thursday nights.

He stares at Noah’s text, up to the sign on the building, and back down to his phone. Wishful thinking has him hoping it’s the wrong place, but the chances of there being more than one club in Richmond named Fallout feels slim.

Noah had given him a very brief rundown, passed along from Daisy — it’s a goth club, so dress accordingly. He went for what he thought would be safe: black jeans, black t-shirt, black boots. He figured he would blend in, at the very least. As he looks at the groups filing through the entrance, he becomes increasingly sure he’ll stick out more than he ever has.

If he’s already so uneasy standing across the street from the place, he can’t imagine how he’ll feel once he steps inside the doors. His feet stay planted on the sidewalk. He can’t bring himself to cross the street.

He’s moments away from walking back to his car and calling it an early night when he remembers: she’s in there. The only thing separating him from seeing her again is a little discomfort, a few overpriced beers, and probably a headache.

Not to mention, the guys will never let him live it down if he comes home dejected and without even trying first. He remembers when he asked Noah for his help, when he felt positive he’d do anything to see her again. He still is, and he’s going to.

He feels wobbly on his feet as he makes his way to the door, receives a sideways glance from the bouncer checking his ID, and steps into the club. He’s left to immediately grapple with the glaring reality that this is not his scene.

It’s at once too dark and too bright, and loud in a way he isn’t used to. The unease on his feet has only worsened since he stepped inside. As he tries his hardest to find a single other person here alone and fails, he curses himself for not trying harder to convince Noah to come along. His scoff of absolutely not felt both firm and final, and even if he had been in the mood to argue, it’s hard to compete with the excuse of a 5 am shift.

All alone and out of his element here, he feels like he’ll be sick.

The thought of any alcohol in his system sounds like a worse and worse idea as the nausea starts to set in. The unfriendly bartender snarls when Nick asks for water, likely assuming it’ll cost him a tip. Nick slips him a $5 to get into his good graces, but it doesn’t seem to help any as he turns on his heels and makes his way to the other end of the bar.

Sipping what he was given and assuming he won’t be getting another, he sets his sights on finding her. He knows that he would recognize her anywhere, even as the strobes warp his vision and the thud of the bass rattles his bones. 

He briefly considers making his way into the crowd, getting a better look around, but he feels so unwell already. He doesn’t think it would be the best idea. He feels so foolish for coming here, for thinking it would be as easy as walking through the doors and she’d appear.

He hadn’t considered how creepy it would make him feel, like a stalker, underdressed in the goth club. He’s sure that if she’s here, she’s dressed appropriately, looks phenomenal — when she sees him, if she does, she’ll see right through him.

He can’t have this be the place they meet again.

He’s about ready to go, digging in his wallet for some extra money to throw in the tip jar when there’s a voice from behind him that sounds awfully familiar.

“Hey, Ant,” she shouts, confident over the music, getting the bartender’s attention immediately. “Water, please?”

The bartender — Ant, he assumes — doesn’t react to her with quite the same disdain he’d received. He wants to slip out without her seeing him, hide in his shame, but she’s so close behind him he’s sure he could feel her radiating body heat. It’s just his luck.

When she gets her drink, she doesn’t disappear back into the crowd as he’d hoped. She shuffles just a little bit closer, and God he hopes it’s not on purpose, but from the corner of his eye he sees her fingers drumming on the bar.

“You found me,” she says, and her flat tone does nothing to betray how she might feel about that. He wants to shrink into himself, or disappear completely.

He feels a buzzing beneath the surface of his skin that he can’t attribute to excitement. He feels sick. He has to leave, no matter the risk of it being the final nail in his humiliation coffin.

“I’m sorry, I was just leaving,” he says as he gets up from the bar stool and heads hastily for the door. He neglects to leave anything else in the tip jar, but it won’t matter, anyway. He won’t be coming back here if he can help it.

Before he can get too far, a delicate hand wraps around his arm to stop him. He burns from the inside out.

“You went through all this trouble to find me and you leave the moment you finally do?” 

He feels himself physically shrink. He wonders just how much she knows about the trouble he went through, how hard he tried to find her, how much it’s been eating away at him for weeks. He turns to her, meeting her eyes for the first time tonight. She looks perfect. “Daisy told me you might be showing up tonight. The least you can do is stay a while.”

“I feel kind of sick,” he confesses. He feels unsteady on his feet again, much more so than he has all night, and he’s worried he might pass out if he doesn’t get outside. It’s all a little humiliating. “I need to go outside for a little bit.”

She smiles at him then, and it’s the same dazzling smile he remembers from weeks ago. It tells him that she pities him, but there’s an endeared twinkle in her eye that makes his heart race. He’s pleased to just be perceived by her, and he doesn’t have it in him to find that embarrassing.

“I need a smoke break anyway,” she offers. “Can I come with you?”

He feels his hands shake as he nods, the same as when they first met. The overwhelm takes over. He didn’t actually consider what he would do when he finally saw her again, and he feels out of his element. Unprepared. He turns on his heels and heads for the doors. He can’t bear to turn around and see her trailing behind him.

He lights his own cigarette, not knowing if in his current state he can handle his lips touching where hers have. He suddenly feels like a teenager again, caught like a fish out of water and flailing. He wants to apologize, to say anything, but he can’t seem to find the words he needs.

“This isn’t really your scene, is it?” she asks, breaking the dreadful silence. She blows her smoke in the opposite direction from him like she’s used to being around nonsmokers. To return the kindness, although unnecessary, he finds himself mirroring her action.

“I didn’t realize how out of place I’d feel,” he admits. She nods like she understands and it’s the first time he hasn’t felt uneasy, like maybe she wants him here. He averts his gaze anyway. “I’m sorry if it’s weird that I came.”

“It’s not like I gave you much of a choice,” she concedes, knocking her knee against his. He feels so small as his heart speeds up, as he has to actively keep himself from reaching for her hand. The feeling that she gives him is so unlike anything else he’s ever known — to be under her microscope feels both like a blessing and an absolute curse. He doesn’t know what he’s meant to do about it. “I’m impressed you came. When Daisy told me, I was sure you wouldn’t show up.”

“I really wanted to see you again,” he says, deciding to go for the truth. It’s worked so far, no matter how mortifying it may feel. “I figured this could be my only chance.”

When he dares to look back up at her, he finds her already looking at him with that gorgeous smile he first fell in love with. She chuckles lightly and he can feel it everywhere. 

“Here, give me your phone.”

As he hands it over and  she flips it open, it really starts to sink in that he never really imagined getting this far. She felt like a dream to him, unattainable, even as he was doing everything in his power to find her. When she gives it back to him and their fingers graze each other, he’s set alight. He slides it back into his pocket — once he looks, it’s real, and it can be taken away once it’s real.

“I can’t guarantee I’ll be home when you call,” she says as she stands up from the curb, stubs out her cigarette, taps the toe of his boot with hers. He looks up at her, knows he should rise from the curb and follow her back in. “But I’ll be waiting.”

She disappears back into the doors without so much as a goodbye, and he remains frozen in place. Her glance back at him burns itself into his vision.

Dizzy as he finally rises from the curb and heads in the direction of his car. Finally in possession of what he’s wanted this entire time, he feels more lost now than ever.

sign up for my tag list here <3

tags: @circle-with-me @darksigns-exe @ladyveronikawrites @baddestomens @sitkowski

@somebodyels3 @sorrowsofsilence @collapsedglasshouses @spicywhenspeaking @cookiesupplier

@agravemisstake @lma1986 @abiomens @cncohshit @xserenax-13

@poisongirl616 @dominuslunae @iknownothingpeople

[nilsavatar]

DAY 9 - ACCIDENTAL STIMULATION

Parings: Rotxo x Fem!human

Genre/Warnings: NSFW/MDNI +18, no use of Y/N, SMUT, accidental stimulation, rubbing, fingering, sexual tension, olfactophilia (Rotxo turns on by smelling arousal) praising (baby boy/pretty boy/good boy), Aubree (reader) is slightly older, cursing, edging, sub-Rotxo, size difference. All characters are AGED-UP.

Summary: the research for an octopus-like species turns into a totally different search.

@acts-of-pastel you mentioned you wished for a Rotxo x human. I hope I have met your expectations☺️

Word Count: 3k

Masterlist - Request a fic

The ilu were funny. Prankster, playful creatures, and very affectionate, even with the few humans in Metkayina territory. They reminded her of dolphins in the way they behaved. In fact, just like dolphins, they had established a bond of friendship with the people of the reef.

However, Aubree had overlooked one crucial detail: the sticky skin.

The Ph.D. student had stood on the back of a Pandora animal before, but they had always been land creatures. So, her small size was inconsequential as long as she could grip tightly. The problem with the ilu lay precisely in that. No matter how much strength she put into her legs, she promptly slipped off the back of the mount. Did she press a little with her right knee? That’s when the left would lose its grip and her weight would unbalance until she fell into the water. Ditto if she did the opposite. Squeezing simultaneously with both was out of the question; she didn’t have long enough legs.

The only solution was to ride with an expert, and fortunately for her, Rotxo had been generous enough to offer to carry her himself. She could not have taken Ao’nung’s constant shenanigans. The woman was here to work, not to be ridiculed.

So here they were, on the beach, the salty smell of the ocean filling the air. Rotxo, already astride his ilu, gently extended a hand to her, while Aubree stared skeptically at the animal, wondering which way to mount.

“I’ve got you,” he repeated to her for the millionth time, his kind lips not losing their friendly smile for a second.

That boy was far too good and patient. An angel. The exact opposite of his best friend, she thought and wondered how on earth those two got along. She, in his place, would have gladly pulled off that annoying smirk with which he strutted around.

Really unbearable.

However, her thoughts were not consumed by her bitterness towards the future olo'eyktan. She had a mission: to take a sample of sagittaria ink.

Skuka, the local name for these 1.2 m nautilus-like creatures, had traits similar to terrestrial mollusks, octopuses, squids, and grinders. An incredibly unique species among the aquatic creatures cataloged on Pandora, but one about which very little was yet known because of its shy nature and the ease with which it camouflaged itself among corals and reef bottoms. Despite its bright purple hue, the skilled cephalopod expertly altered its color.

The similarities between Earth and Pandora were nearly overwhelming, despite their existence in separate systems. The universe was not meant to host life. To find it in its vastness, to receive confirmation that we were not the only ones, was a rarity; an exception that confirmed the rule. Yet, encountering the identical elements duplicated, albeit in a chaotic manner and frequently in colossal proportions to meet the tastes of a feeble human within an alternate ecosystem? It was awe-inspiring, a virtual impossibility.

Pandora's name had become synonymous with achieving the unachievable.

Sagittaria proved incredibly elusive, resulting in a scarcity of publications about it; near to zero. All that was known was the extraordinary special ability to oxygenate not only seawater, but also freshwater. However, just recently, Aubree had set eyes on it for the first time, on an unfortunate specimen caught by reef fishermen, inevitably ending up on the communal dinner menu. While cleaning, the woman noticed a black pouch that they saved to use as a condiment.

The animal’s defensive ink. 

This gave her an idea. If she could analyze the fluid secreted by a live specimen, they could find the answers they were looking for about this curious creature. By chance, the fisherman who had caught the previous octopus was none other than Rotxo, leading her to approach the young diver.

“We gotta go skuka hunting if you're still up for it. We don't have forever,” he said with a slight insistence, dirtying his voice. Her hesitation was making him lose his patience. And the man’s patience was infinite.

Aubree checked one last time that her scuba gear was working and, with a heavy sigh, approached Rotxo, who wasted no further time in lifting her by weight, putting her in the saddle, and anchoring her to his chest with one hand so large that it practically covered her entire abdomen; his thumb pressing on her sternum, placing it right in the middle of her breasts.

Rotxo’s nose curled, tasting a strange note in the air. His mind drew a blank, yet the familiarity was indescribable. It had the sweetness of a ripe fruit, with a touch of spiciness that intoxicated him and caused him to search for the source. He probed carefully. In Aubree's perspective, he appeared to be investigating the absence of predators, unaware of the information her body was betraying.

The completely accidental and unexpected gesture sent a bolt of electricity coursing through her entire body. Like a lightning splitting a tree in two. A thunderbolt that had started where his index finger had pressed on her left nipple (right at the level of her heart, now threatening to explode in her chest) and had ended in the deepest part of her belly. Here an immense heat had sprung up, she was sure had reached her cheeks as well. She never believed that the day would come when she would give thanks for wearing the full mask of the eco-pack over her face. Suddenly, she no longer felt the visceral chill of the ocean penetrate her bones. How could she when all her senses were exclusively focused on the huge man behind her?

When a stronger breath of wind hit them, a whiff of that smell hit him again, along with a scent he knew well.

The scientist’s sugar shampoo.

He had been groping her boob until that moment and, like an idiot, had not even acknowledged it.

With a sudden realization, his orbits split apart, revealing the shock on his face. What he had perceived were her subtle pheromones, barely discernable to most, but not to him. Aubree was ... aroused? For him? Right now, out of all the times. Why? Wasn’t it abominable for human to feel attraction to an alien? Perhaps she was into big stuff.

Great Mother, Rotxo, what the hell are you thinking?

It was a misunderstanding. It had to be. It didn’t make sense. And finally he noticed. Recorded the soft roundness under his palm and that he had held the whole way.

It will surely be embarrassment. He judged the trail of pheromones, not finding the courage to believe there really was more to it.

Not to upset her further, Rotxo slid his hand further to her side and pushed back a little, but this only caused the woman to slip back by the force of gravity, landing precisely on his lower abdomen.

Holding back from moaning was impossible; the parting line in Aubree’s bottom fit his growing erection wonderfully.

The woman was about to apologise by pushing further forward on the ilu’s back when a tight, burning grip on her side silenced her.

“Do not move.” The depth of his voice made her head spin, as if she were about to faint, a soft ringing filling her ears. She wasn’t sure of her voice when shakily she called out to him. 

“Do not talk. Just—,” he exhaled a heavy breath, his voice equally uncertain, “Just do nothing.”

With both palms, he smeared the human on himself — the action already tremendous for his willpower, as all her weight pressed deliciously against his lower abdomen —, then lowered his face to her head, until he buried his nose in her hair. He sniffed her like a cat examines a salmon mousse. Ravenous.

But that wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He needed more.

With trembling fingers, the diver found the zip of her wetsuit and tugged it as far as he could. She shivered, her back suddenly exposed to the cold, but she did not have time to register it, for her body was already in the grip of another kind of shiver. More intense and visceral, which went hand in hand with the hot puffs that escaped from the Na’vi’s nostrils as he explored her bare epidermis. As he did so, he glued her even more tightly to himself and her beautiful ass hit him again, now irrefutably erect, and Aubree missed a beat. Her head grew lighter and lighter, her body more and more uncontrollable. Rotxo’s moans went hand in hand with the dance of her hips.

Rotxo made her feel the outline of his canines on one shoulder, while his hand slid along the outline of her intimacy until he found her swollen clit. Sensitive and erect. She let out a whine. She felt him smile as he rubbed the thick, tight fabric, giving her a pleasant but insufficient friction.

Unsatisfied, Aubree levered the animal’s back to give herself a harder push backwards that made him blow something incomprehensible. His hand crept inside her wetsuit, happily surprised to discover her completely unclothed underneath as he pinched at her nipple, glancing up to catch the moan leaving her plump lips. 

So that’s what she liked. Sweet, filthy little thing.

Satisfied, her back immediately arched and his hands planted themselves on the one remaining on her pelvis. He smiled around her, thrilled to be right. She pushed her ass against him and he groaned, his cock stiffening more than it already was. Fuck, at this rate, he would probably cum through the loincloth, untouched, but he restrained himself. 

“Rotxo,” you mewled. A shiver snaked down his spine at the sound and couldn’t hold back another groan that made the girl look up at him with a racing heart. “Feels good,” she bit into her lip, thighs pressed together.

After more lapses, tugging at her nipple and a playful bite at her shoulder, he approached her face. His gaze fell on her lips, a little reddened and covered with her own saliva. Swollen, eager. 

Fucking mask. 

The other hand quickly found its way to her womanhood, leaning into her as he let her guide him.

He passed her clitoris, teased her fleshy folds and insinuated a fingertip towards the deepest part of her pussy, finding it already magnificently wet and wide. He wore the sensitive ring that tightened around his finger, as if it eagerly sought to trap him, causing a sigh louder than the rest. An unequivocal invitation that he was damned if he was going to refuse it. He pushed the first phalanx lazily to stretch her walls, helping them adjust to a size she had never experienced before. Then he reached for the knuckle and finally found himself sucked in whole. Each millimetre covered corresponded to a higher-pitched cry until Aubree became a whimpering mess.

He couldn’t help wondering how she would act when it was his cock’s turn to sink into her. She would be unconsciously transfixed on him. A dark laugh echoed in his windpipe at the mere thought.

“Put another one in.”

It took him a couple of seconds to register that she had spoken. “What?”

“Put a-another finger.”

“Do it, baby boy.”

“Syulang (flower), I don’t want to hurt you.” He actually wanted to, to be honest. If he hadn’t risked dismembering her, he would have shed his tewng (loincloth) and her diving suit long ago, and slammed her on his cock. But he had to constrain himself, prepare her properly. She was just a little human. Beautiful and fragile, like a crystal.

Shit, that pet name was all he needed to make his knees go soft. He could do nothing but succumb. With no little effort, a second finger took its place next to the first. The burning that pervaded her was almost unbearable, intense, yet addicting. Her mouth was dry because of time she remained wide open in a scream of both pain and pleasure. Small tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Right there!” The sweetness of her voice stimulated his excitement even more because every time she made a sound, a fresh wave of her perfume blanketed him. It was exhilarating.

He couldn’t help but let himself get a little cocky, smirking to himself, running his tongue over his lower lip. The obscene sounds coming from her cunt should have mortified her, but nothing of the sort came to mind as she felt her release coming up and teasing the surface. 

She tried to hide her loud moans by biting her lip until it bled, but watching his hand disappeared into her scuba wetsuit, his fingers pumped into her and his thumb twirled over her sweet clit made her head spin. Doing it in the middle of the ocean made the action even more naughty, wild. He was driving her crazy. She couldn’t recall ever being touched so sublimely. 

Sooner than she had expected, Aubree’s thighs trembled from the aftershock, trying to come down from the climax. She lay back on his chest and gasped, trying to catch her breath.  She stared at the sunny sky for a moment, her mind baffled by what had just happened. 

When she finally composed herself, she rose again to stare at him. Her eyes flashed with mischief. She licked her lower lip with excruciating slowness before biting it, giggling. “My turn.” She was still smiling, little smile lines at the corners of her lips and eyes, when she anchored herself to the saddle for support and began to languidly rub her ass against his covered shaft.

His cock was so big and heavy, she could feel it even through the fabric. Hard and throbbing. He let out a broken moan, staring at her with hooded eyes. Even without a skin-to-skin touch, it was absolutely incredible; the material gave that extra friction that made him fall into a spiral, and for a moment he considered not taking off his tewng at all.

As she approached the point where Rotxo needed her most, she moved her hands to support her pelvis. She imagined having him inside her. Ripping into her spongy walls in a deliciously painful way, before fucking her stupid. He was so big that she would surely cum several times in a row.

“Please don't stop.” 

Who would’ve guessed he was the begging type? Aubree smiled devilishly, giving herself a more mighty momentum, only for him to throw his head back.

“Relax, pretty boy.” He was struggling to hold it together. Just having her ass on him was enough. He couldn’t even imagine what her mouth would feel like. Him hitting the back of her throat, filling it with so many streams of seed, making her swallow every single drop of it. Fuck, and your pussy. Just at the idea, pre-cum dripped to patch the cloth.

She stooped a little more to change the angle. His aquamarine eyes were fixed on hers and a hand rested on her back to steady her. Or perhaps to keep him grounded. He groaned. She gasped in surprise when Rotxo grabbed her butt, keeping her there.

His dick pulsated. The veins were more evident than before. He was close. “Be a good boy and cum for me.”

“N-no,” he said, eyebrows coming together and lips parting. He looked away from her only to kiss her back, nibbling at the soft skin. 

“I know you need to cum.”

“I’ll do anything you want, but please, not like this. I can’t...” his fingers dug into the flesh of her bottom, moaning louder now.

“Don’t worry, pretty boy. Just let it go.”

His hips stuttered as he stifled a moan, no longer knowing where to put his hands. She rubbed herself against him faster and he gasped, moaning hopelessly, almost choking on his own saliva.

His long, prolonged wailing was because he had shot his sperm entirely into his tewng, like an inexperienced kid. His cock throbbed and twitched as he continued to empty himself, his thighs quivering. He used an arm to cover part of his face as he emitted low whines.

“Don’t make that face. I’ll pull another one out of you.” Her playful smile made him hard again. She was so... so alluring. Charming and seductive. He hadn’t planned to fall into her hands, but there he was. Ensnared by her mesmerizing stare, he couldn't break free. He was left speechless, grappling for something to say. Every fiber of his being yearned for her, an insatiable hunger that could not be denied.

She moved up, leaning forward to stretch a hand between his legs to reach his aching erection, taking its heavy length in her frail hand. He let out a shuddering breath, blinking as he felt her tease the tip of his cock. 

“Strip.” Fuck, he was about to lose it again. 

Her name sounded heavenly coming from his beautiful lips, his eyes already begging her to keep doing what she was doing.

But suddenly Aubree’s gaze changed. Her head snapped to one side toward the seabed, too deep for her to really see it. Yet something had caught her attention.

A purple blur moved sinuously but funny against the current.

The woman’s eyes glittered as she trudged back into her wetsuit.“Rotxo, a sagittaria!”

“What?”

“A skuka!” she sat back down, her back to him, ready to chase after the cephalopod. "Come on, now," she said, her tone laced with impatience.

“But, but…” He was so stunned that he couldn't find his words.

She threw him a wink. We'll finish this up later on. You'll get a sweet reward if you fetch that skuka for me.”

He couldn’t believe that between him and an octopus, Aubree would choose the octopus. A fucking octopus!

But with the tantalizing prospect of being profusely thanked later, he swallowed his huff and commanded the ilu to set off in pursuit of the mollusc. Already anticipating his prize.

Special thanks to @pandoraslxna for the prompt!

[aux-squiggle]

This is how the beauty industry targets and manipulates women of colour. They weaponize colourism to convince people they want to be lighter, sell bleaching cream, then sell all the "solutions" for when your dark skin overcorrects trying to get back to its original colour.

Beauty industry profits from you waging a war on your own body, and is selling you the ammo!

[Tiktok video linked below 👇🏾]

I am also a victim of bleaching, my mom did it to me for over a decade as a small child. I have serious discolouration, different browns like a camouflage patch. I love my skin and am happy with myself but I abhor the fact damage was done to me in the first place!

[artstar1997]

I finally did it! The Rageons as ghosts are the last ones in my list because Shocktober is over. The Rageons here are ghosts love to haunt haunted houses, where they can party all night and scare the socks out of the living, including humans. They belong to a species of ghosts called phantasms, which are a species of ghosts that are natural-born, which includes poltergeists, shades, wraiths, and spectres. While phantoms and banshees have ghost-like powers like levitation, and phasing through solid matter, they are separate species from ghosts, who remain non-corporeal, can shapeshift, move things more than once with telekinesis, teleport, and they float all the time. They also have the ability to control their chains, which are camouflaged as fashion accessories when not in use, but special chains are used to bind unruly or evil ghosts like handcuffs.

BTW, I used a lot of ghost references for their style, from the Haunted Mansion, A Christmas Carol for the chains, Spectra Vondergeist from Monster High, and Beetlejuice.

Velvet and Veneer are poltergeists who love to haunt human residences for their own entertainment. Velvet doesn't care who she wants to scare, which caused a wedge between the relationship between the two and Rose, but Veneer tends to be considerate of the humans and all living things before haunting anyone to make sure he doesn't scare them to death. They even haunted Floyd’s old pad that he was scared out of it but they later made amends with their old vampire friend.

As the future ghost leader, Cerise is a spectre with a ladylike demeanor and she makes sure that all ghosts must follow the rules that her auncle, Zircon enforces to make sure there is peace and harmony between the living and the dead after they became the leader of the ghosts and ruler of the netherworld, which he reformed the bureaucracy to a proper government alongside is sisters, Cerise and Ruby, and his brothers, Alexandrite and Agate. Cerise looked up to them so much, especially her deceased parents, who sacrificed their souls to save monsters from the hunters that she worked hard to become as great as they are. She, her adoptive cousins and her fiancé, Marvel would come and go as they please in the living world and the netherworld while checking on the deceased souls, called spirits who are living alongside the phantasms.

Marvel is the odd one out among the other poltergeists because of using tactics in scaring humans but it was his calm, collective demeanor that makes him one of the leaders of the group of ghosts, who are collectively his fiancée’s adoptive cousins and friends. His leadership and protectiveness is from the burden of caring for his siblings, Velvet and Veneer, and he makes sure he never let them fall on the reckless cloud.

Lux is the enby wraith who prefers solving problems, working on technology, and is known for being the brains of the group, but they doesn't have one since they're immortal and they look undead. They are also known to read minds and looking at the true faces of anyone they look at so everybody had to watch what they're thinking or Lux would figure it out. It isn't so bad because they can help give solutions on the problems that anybody is thinking about.

Gloss is a poltergeist with flamboyant ideas to scare the humans out of their daylights but he has a soft side for Marvel, whom he tried to help solve his inner turmoil alongside Lux. He is also in love with Marvel’s brother, Veneer, who later became his boyfriend.

Silks is a shy shade, who would teleport or turn invisible when she gets flustered or overwhelmed. Despite lacking confidence, she is emotionally intelligent, typically shows compassion for everyone, corrects Cerise whenever she's out of character and talks sense into her friends when there are disagreements among them, which comes in handy when she can telepathically feel emotions around her.

The ghostly fashion diva, Cashmere knows how to make any ghost look good and become their better selves with fashion and creativity. She would uses her ability to change anything and everything to make fashions for her ghoulish friends, though she would prefer to create the outfits and accessories with her telekinesis. She is in a relationship with Dazzler, a grim reaper-in training.

Glimmer and Shimmer are a pair of spectral twins whose style mismatch their personality. Glimmer, the older twin wears devilish colors but she is calm and cool-headed, while Shimmer, who is the younger twin in angelic palette, is hyperactive and optimistic. Both twins know how to balance each other and combine their strengths to help their friends in need.

Shocktober is finally at its end so see ya!

[demonsandpieohmy]

Come celebrate the anniversary of The Kiss with me with some smut and angst. Thank you @isiaiowin for the very helpful beta, and massive thanks to @searchingforakeythatdoesntexist who made the cover art with one hand literally tied behind her back.

After a fateful night in 1941, things between Aziraphale and Crowley are changed forever. Crowley has a solution, but it comes at a high price.

Rated E, 7k words

CWs: Aziraphale has a vulva/Crowley has a penis, vaginal sex, cunnilingus, memory alteration, lots of angst

Read on AO3

“Are you…” Aziraphale felt a pit forming in his stomach. “Are you saying we should keep some distance? To be safe?”

“No!” Crowley said quickly. He reached an arm out toward Aziraphale, before pulling it back and settling on the table between them. “No,” he said, a lot more calmly. “I do think we’ll be safe for a while. But it makes me wonder, if the worst could happen for something so small…”

“Why not go for something big?” Aziraphale whispered.

Crowley nodded slowly.

Aziraphale reached out and lightly traced his fingers along the top of Crowley’s hand. His skin still held a slight chill from the night air. “Something like this?”

Crowley let out a shaky exhale. “Angel…”

“Would you take off your glasses?” Aziraphale asked, gripping Crowley’s hand more firmly.

Crowley hesitated, but took them off, placing them gently on the table. Then he met Aziraphale’s gaze, giving him the first real glimpse of those piercing yellow eyes that he’d had all night. The usual need for bravado and camouflage was warring with a softening desperation.

Crowley looked so beautiful here in the candlelight, shadows casting across the ridges and lines of his face.

“Angel, you have to know—”

Aziraphale didn’t mean to cut him off. Didn’t mean to interrupt what surely would have been some stilted declaration, words that would rend his heart in two. But that same survival instinct that had saved him earlier was telling him that what he needed, what he absolutely had to have in order to keep on living, was to be as close as possible to the demon across from him.

Continue reading on AO3

@goodomensafterdark

[hms-tardimpala]

Ficbinding: Who has eight tentacles and isn't allowed to eat pie? by @no-gorms

The fic: SPN, Castiel/Dean Winchester, T, 16k

Dean watched an anime porn about this once, but real life turns out to be way less interesting. Or, the one where Dean gets turned into an octopus.

This fic is brilliant, it reads like one of the comedic episodes in Supernatural. I read it in one afternoon, it made me laugh out loud, but also think "Wow, I can't believe the characterization is so good with such a silly premise" several times. The concept's potential is used amazingly, you can tell the author had fun making research on octopuses. Hard recommend!

The bind: This fic is so funny, I had to make the binding eccentric too. I used holographic pleather to evoke an octopus' leathery skin. The color blue can represent an aquarium's water (Dean's new home in the fic ^^), but what I particularly like is that the holographic color changes depending on the lighting (you can see outdoors and indoors lighting in the pictures), and there's some octopus camouflage in the story, with Dean changing color.

(no need to turn the sound on, you'll get breakroom noises)

I chose the lobster endpaper because octopus!Dean eats crustaceans and fish (and I thought I'd never get the occasion to use that one!). The red headbands and bookmark match the lobsters, and red and blue really pop together.

This is my first straight spine in an age, I don't like those usually, but with this fabric I couldn't make a round spine and it turned out great! It looks clean.

Details:

I used many small octopuses as chapter headings and closings, and not one is the same. The octopus image after the author's note is a free vector and the decorations are a free font found on Dafont.

The font I used is quite round, and I printed the text big because otherwise the book would have been too small to bind in a hardcover in my opinion.

I'm very happy with my trimming this time again, and with the spacing between the edges of the cover and the textblock. It's nice to see decisions I've made after months of learning pay off. I'm officially good enough at bookbinding to disobey the manual and find my own solutions to problems 🥳

Even the corners are not as bad as they could have been with this fabric.

I love this little book! It's a pleasure to look at, it was fun to make, and having this story bound will make it easier to reread, which I certainly will do.

Fonts: Hey August (title), Trushdex (author name), Bion Book (text). All free on Dafont.

Materials: Holographic pleather, 2mm grey board, 70g/m² white copy paper, synthetic bookmark and headbands. Endpaper bought in a brick and mortar craft store.

Feel free to ask me more about materials and fonts (or whatever), it won’t bother me at all to tell you what I used, I just can't think of anything else right now.

[cerastes]

Would you happen to have recommendations for good, all purpose or simply just worth it 5* operators to raise in Arknights? For someone who has levelled none of them except Amiya, Cantabile, Kroos, Rockeock and Shamare

Going into detail for each and everyone one of them is unfeasible but let's start with the ones I consider really, really good and would always recommend:

Specter - Strong laneholder with self-sustain, best immortality staller in the game for the longest time and still arguably is, benefits from long-term investments in the form of Abyssal Hunter buffs, can be pseudohelidropped with S2M3. Very high HP lets her deals with Arts damage better than in-class equivalents.

Texas - Good DP generator with crowd control and above average damage. Extra starting DP from talent can enable entirely new openers, especially in endgame content. Not exceptional in anything, very reliable in just about any situation to open maps and cover light lanes.

Blue Poison - Strong AA Sniper with constant minibursts and ability to thin lanes thanks to multihits that don't compromise her single targeting, making her a tactical tool that circumvents Taunt to some degree until you can deploy your actual solutions to the Taunt source. Has one of the most famous M3s in her S1, with a charge of 2 attacks.

Warfarin - Versatile unit and easy M6, a lesser known property of her S1 heal is that it is instant, meaning she's a very reliable healer to keep someone under heavy damage alive. Rare Attack Up buff for others, which is what most people know her for. Good SP cycling and can help charge others' SP with her Talent.

Lappland - Best Silence-user in the game, as well as a solid, reliable unit in most maps thanks to her multitarget and Arts damage. You'll hear people claim she's fallen off or some other lie. She is still very solid outside of her Silence (which comes back into relevance every other Thursday anyways).

Ptilopsis - Strong, low investment unit, does not need Masteries at all in order to perform, powerful constant strong heals with S2 and has the best universal Skill Aura Talent that will speed everyone's SP charge by 30% just by existing on the map.

Elysium - One of the best utility units in the game, easy M6 with great SP production, DP reduction and ASPD buffs for Snipers, and a very strong S2 that reveals invisible units, reduces their speed significantly, and gives them a DEF debuff that stacks with other debuffs.

Cantabile - Lightweight assassin that can produce DP per attack while assassinating. Has a short timer to redeploy, so she can be an on-demand miniburst on a troublesome boss or lane, while making DP.

Any of the two Berries, Honeyberry or Mulberry - Handles Elemental Damage buildup, Honeyberry centers more on Elemental Damage, Mulberry has stronger HP heals, both are great. Honeyberry came free with your XBox, no excuse not to raise her. They also have very useful wide ranges that allow for unique safe set-ups.

Projekt Red - Lightweight assassin that can be used as a stunbomb or as a killer for light key targets. Nothing else needs be said, she gets the job done.

Firewatch and Andreana - Heavy duty shooters with wide range and unique targeting rules that specialize in dealing large amounts of damage one way or another, all useful. Firewatch can also use camouflage for fun strats, while Andreana can reap great benefits from long-term investment due to her status as a nominal Abyssal Hunter.

Asbestos - Strong Arts Guard, her S2 can target air, and is just in general very useful in balancing lanes that also need damage when you're spread thin elsewhere, or just as a fun, good unit to use.

La Pluma or Highmore - Both play very similar. Handy, self-sustaining middleweights with potent minibursts and unique three-frontal tile AoE ranges. They can get up to some truly wicked positioning strats.

Manticore - Heavy single hits with either Slow (truly constant with S1M3) or Stun and a large range with true AoE (actually hits EVERY unit in range). Straightforward use and can be used very creatively on chokepoints.

Platinum - S2 gives her extra range and strong single hits, letting her do things no other AA Sniper can do and giving you some ease of command on maps with inconvenient, distant ranged tiles. This is more valuable than you think.

Kazemaru - Middleweight laneholder with explosive bursts and ability to keep herself alive. Can hit air during Doll Form. Allows for various advance deployment strats thanks to her Dollkeeper nature, and has high constant damage during S2 uptime.

Silence - Her drone's healing is actually very powerful, a burst of healing that can actually enable some unique strategies and sustain that you'd otherwise not be able to achieve for cheap. Like her friend Ptilopsis, does not need Masteries to perform at a high level, but of course, welcomes them.

Liskarm - Very sturdy Physical damage tank that can cycle her S1 VERY quickly and has an S2 with good utility for when you need it. Can function as an SP battery for other characters as well, enabling some goofy meme strats (that carry a lot of potency).

Kjera - Great Caster with Freeze on S2. Nothing much needs be said, she's simply lovely, a caster, and can deal good damage with crowd control. Straightforward and simple.

If a 5* isn't here, it doesn't mean they are bad, there are plenty of good ones out there like Iris and Bibeak to name a few, but I consider this list a pretty integral "core" roster, from which you can then expand towards your preferences.

[rileyslibrary]

“You need to.”

“Need is a strong word, soldier; I need water, food, and sleep.” He states and points at the bunny costume you’re holding. “Now, this, I don’t need to do.”

“Come on, Lt., do it for the kids!” You beg.

He looks out the window at the funfair outside. Christmas, Easter, and Halloween festivities are held yearly at the local park, and the military base is expected to contribute somehow. Things like cooking and baking for example, or helping with the construction of the rides, and assisting with the general operations, were a few of the tasks you had to undertake. Apart from the famous egg hunt, the community has organized a variety of other activities this year, including egg and spoon races, potato sack races, and pony rides.

“Why don’t you put it on then if you care so much about the kids?”

“I’m on face-painting duty.”

“Why can’t I do the face-painting?” He asks, pointing at his black-painted, camouflaged eyes.

“We talked about this, Lt.,” you say and extend the costume to him, “you were the chosen one.”

The phrase ‘the chosen one’ was an exaggerated one but, in some ways, accurate. A few days before such events, the base held a raffle to determine who would perform as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. This year’s ‘lucky’ winner happened to be Ghost. You never did that for Halloween though, since there wasn’t an official ‘mascot’ apart from the pumpkins, and according to the Captain, “you were all monsters anyway.”

“I bet Soap planned all this,” he snaps, pointing to the fair outside, “I bet he rigged the raffle and wrote my name on every single ticket: Riley, Riley, Riley, Ri-”

He stops upon hearing your long sigh. “Soap would never do something like that,” you shake your head.

“Oh, yeah?” he asks, peering out the window again. “Where is he anyway?”

“He’s helping the kids at the shooting gallery,” you admit and quickly regret it.

“I’d be great at teaching kids how to aim!” he yells, raising both hands, “why does he get to do that?”

“You’d be the star of the show, Ghost!” you encourage him as you wiggle the suit. “The Easter Bunny!”

“I don’t want to be a star, soldier,” he snaps, shooing the costume away, “plus, I hate dressing up.”

“Um, Lt., sir?”

“Hm?”

“You’re wearing a mask with a skull on.” You murmur, raising your brows.

“That’s for a different reason, and you know it.” He stiffens and narrows his eyes at you.

You must come up with a solution quickly. There’s no way to persuade an grown ass man, especially a frightening one like Ghost, to dress up in a fluffy costume and cosplay as an imaginary character if he doesn’t want to.

“You can’t go outside with that cover of yours, especially on Easter,” you explain. “Now, this, on the other hand, comes with a full mask on...” You say and lift the bunny costume by the shoulders.

He groans and rolls his eyes. That’s his way of contemplating the idea.

You shrug and look at the costume. “I’d consider it a deal, to be honest.”

He looks at the costume, then back at you, takes the costume from your hands without saying a word, and goes to the toilet to get changed.

A short while later, he returns, this time in the form of a 6.5-foot-tall, fluffy, white bunny with pink ears. His hands—or rather, his paws—are hidden in the costume’s pockets, and he diverts his masked face away from you.

You swallow your laughter and nod vigorously in response.

“So, what do I do now?” he asks defensively. 

“Just act like the Easter Bunny.”

His ears and whiskers wiggle as he turns to face you. “How does the Easter Bunny act, soldier?”

That’s an excellent question. See, the Easter Bunny is cheerful and quite energetic. Ghost, on the other hand... well, let’s just say he’s doing a pretty good job on Halloween at the House of Horrors.

“J-just wave at the kids, Lt.,”  you shrug and hand him a basket full of Cadbury creme eggs, “and blow the occasional kiss.”

“Like this?” he asks naively and pats the mask’s buck teeth with his paw.

“Yes sir,” you reply, looking down at the floor to hide your smile, “exactly like this.”

[celestial-alignment]

Artie's Jeweler's Case with Secret Compartment

“Intelligence operatives are known for having the most advanced communications equipment in existence. This is especially true of fictional agents, since the imagination of writers and prop designers knows no bounds.

In The Wild Wild West, set in the 1870s, agents West and Gordon are limited to the technology that existed at that time. Consequently, their communications with Washington and each other were accomplished via telegraph, courier, and carrier pigeon.

A compartment in West’s train provided their pigeons—Henry, Henrietta, Anabella, and Arabella—with a means for discreet arrivals and departures. Communication from the field, however, required a creative solution, which Artemus fashioned into a disguise. Working undercover as a jeweler, Artie carried a large sample case that held numerous drawers filled with fine gems. Unbeknownst to the common observer, the rear of the case was fitted with a camouflaged door leading to a secret compartment. Inside was a carrier pigeon, available at a moment’s notice to deliver an urgent note to Jim, back at the train.

This jeweler’s case is one of the few, if not the only, surviving props used by Artemus Gordon while in disguise during an assignment. The fact that it also functioned as a secret device makes it an even more significant piece of ‘60s-era spy history.”

— "The Incredible World of Spy-Fi" by Danny Biederman (2004)

BONUS: Artie's luggage and prop handbill