#fluorescent agate

[srlgemstone]

I knew this rock was special, but I didn't realize just how special. It glows under 365 nm and 395 nm UV light. Wow!

[spaceguy44]

My fluorescent (glowing) rock and radioactive materials collection that I've been building for about a year with my partner. Looks cooler IRL than what my phone camera can do. I've labelled everything with the color they glow as the text color.

[reddpenn]

Here is a potentially silly question: how do you feel about birthstones? Do you think they fit the months (by season or astrological sign)? Do you have other stones you'd rather see as birthstones?

Okay, so, birthstones make absolutely no sense.

I mean, look at this mess. We’re doing beryl and corundum twice! I get that they get Special Different Names for their Special Different Colors, but it's just lazy. And why are we giving some months cheap, common gemstones like garnet and amethyst while the poor June birthdays have to shell out tens of thousands of dollars for FREAKING ALEXANDRITE? That’s incredibly unfair! We should be picking birthstones that are all roughly the same price. And why do some months get multiple gemstones? I’ll tell you why: because nobody can agree on an official list and every attempt to standardize this thing has just added MORE birthstones to every month.

So obviously the answer is to standardize it again, by throwing out everything and starting over. Here are our goals:

Fair pricing. You should be paying roughly the same amount regardless of what month you were born in. We’re getting rid of those ridiculous outliers like diamond and alexandrite.

More customization potential! Nobody should be stuck with a stone they hate. We’re picking gemstones that come in multiple colors or varieties, so that everyone can choose a variant they like.

Wearability. Some birthstones are too fragile to be worn as jewelry. We need to replace them with stronger stuff.

No more duplicate gemstones. Every month gets a stone or family of stones with a unique chemical composition.

Now without further ado, I present to you:

The New And Improved List Of Birthstones With No Problems Or Flaws That Everyone Will Definitely Agree On And We Can Start Using Right Now Immediately

JANUARY: GARNET

I've got no problem with garnet. It's a fine, classic birthstone, so January can keep it. But I would like to see a little more garnet diversity. January birthdays shouldn’t be confined to just red. The garnet family of minerals contains a rainbow of different colors, like orange hessonite, green uvarovite, pink rhodolite, yellow grandite, and many more. They’re all garnet, so we should be wearing them all!

FEBRUARY: QUARTZ

The original birthstone of February was amethyst, which is… kinda boring. Super cheap and common and you only get one color? No, we can do better. February gets ALL the quartzes now. Keep wearing amethyst if you want, but also feel free to branch out into clear quartz, citrine, rose quartz, smoky quartz, rutilated quartz, tiger eye… actually, take all the agates too. If it’s quartz, it’s yours!

MARCH: SPODUMENE

March was originally aquamarine, but I’ll be giving all the beryls to May, so we need a different stone here. Let’s stick with that theme of pale pastels and go with spodumene. For an April birthday, bedeck yourself in green hiddenite, pink kunzite, or yellow triphane. Despite its subtle colors, your birthstone has some amazing fluorescence, with really cool pinks and oranges under a UV light.

APRIL: FELDSPAR

Diamond is too pricy for this list, so we’re replacing it with something less expensive and way more interesting. April will now be represented by the feldspar family. We’re talking labradorite, moonstone, amazonite, aventurine, and sunstone. While you don’t have much variety in color, your stones are full of shimmery schiller which glitters and shifts as it catches the light.

MAY: BERYL

May’s original birthstone was emerald, which is great and can stay, but we’re also adding its siblings! May is now represented by all beryls: Emerald, Aquamarine, Morganite, Bixbite, Heliodor, Goshenite, and whatever other varieties I’m forgetting to list. A bright and saturated rainbow of colors is represented here, so everyone born in May is sure to find something they like.

JUNE: ORGANIC GEMSTONES AND FOSSILS

It’s time to address the alexandrite in the room, and obviously we’re getting rid of alexandrite. A stone worth $15,000 to $70,000 a carat does not belong on the same list as friggin amethyst. Instead we’ll look at the other traditional June birthstone, pearl. The problem with pearl is that it’s a clear outlier in this list. An organic gemstone, by some definitions not even a mineral. Should we replace it? NO. We are OWNING it. All organic gemstones now belong to June. Pearl is joined here by jet, amber, coral, ivory, ammolite, petrified wood… in fact, June can have every fossil ever.

JULY: SPINEL

July was originally represented by ruby, which is a fine stone and won’t be kicked off the birthstone list - we’re just shuffling it down to September. Replacing ruby for July is spinel. (See, it’s funny because historically spinel has often been mistakenly identified as ruby! That's a little gemology humor for you.) Available in any hue you could possibly desire, spinel offers some nice color options to a month that previously only featured red. Of course if you want to keep wearing red, red spinel mimics ruby so well that you’ll barely notice the difference.

AUGUST: PERIDOT

Nope, we’re not changing this one. Peridot is the ideal gemstone and you ungrateful August whiners can die mad about it. HOW ABOUT YOU LEARN TO APPRECIATE PERFECTION

SEPTEMBER: CORUNDUM

Sapphire is a wonderful, classic stone and it deserves its spot on this list. But the corundum family has been separated for far too long, and we’re finally going to reunite them. Joining sapphire in September is its sister ruby. Between the pinks and reds of ruby and the many, many colors of sapphire, these two stones give September a nice variety of colors.

OCTOBER: TOURMALINE

Look, as gorgeous as opal is and as much as I love it, it is both way too pricy for our list and also TERRIBLE in jewelry. This stone is just too brittle to wear around from day to day and can be ruined just by getting it wet, which makes wearing your birthstone a huge hassle. We’ll kick opal out and hang on to October’s other traditional birthstone, tourmaline. Pink tourmaline may be classic, but this stone comes in plenty of other colors. Whether it’s brown dravite, watermelon elbaite, or the rare and beautiful blue indicolite, you can wear them all!

NOVEMBER: TOPAZ

November can keep topaz, but we’re not confining it to the color yellow. This stone comes in a huge variety of colors, and now they can ALL represent November. No further notes; it’s a nice, classic stone.

DECEMBER: ZIRCON

I dunno, I’ve had to come up with 12 of these, I’m burnt out. Sure, zircon, whatever.

“BUT WAIT,” you say. “Now instead of having a single color assigned to each month, almost every month is represented by almost every color, making it impossible to tell anyone’s birthstones apart and removing what made them special and recognizable as symbols!”

Well CLEARLY you didn’t read the title of this list.

[lettucefather]

are there any cool rock/crystal types you like? :]

i think fire agate and boulder opal are really cool looking and fluorescent minerals in general are pretty funky to look at!

geology enthusiasts rise up!!!! very good picks, tumblr user insignificant-creature. i like aragonite, kyanite and sodalite! and my favorite rock formation is the dyke bc i love lesbians they're so cool

[nanamikentoseyebags]

3 with Bokuto

ANYTHING FOR YOU MY BOO!!

PROMISES

Promises. Simple words that give meaning and hope. Simple words that break lives and bonds. Promises. Simple words that meant so much to you. Simple words that you said with confidence and the knowledge that you would. Simple words that brought you here.

You wandered the long, narrow hallways, looking for the right door, bumping into sturdy, tall guys in full uniforms coming out of the locker rooms and heading for warm-ups. You frantically tried to find your boyfriend, who was now behind one of those identical doors, getting ready for the biggest game of the season. You had never been to Yokohama, so just finding the right stadium in this metropolis was a problem of universal proportions. But somehow, miraculously even, you made it to the right place, anxiously looking at your watch and rushing inside. For a good 20 minutes you tried to find the right locker room, seeking out people who passed by, but everyone just shrugged their shoulders and walked away.

          Suddenly you saw Akaashi turning the corner with a serious look on his face. Without a moment's hesitation, you ran after him, circling the young man and standing right in front of him to limit his escape routes. "Hi, hello, please tell me where Bokuto is, I need to see him right away," you babbled in one breath, almost without pausing. He looked at you with a dazed expression, pointing his hand in the right direction, unable to utter a word. You nodded, quickly thanking your friend, and headed for the right door, noticing that all his teammates had already left the room and were chatting loudly about something on their way to the gym. You agilely maneuvered between people who were five heads taller than you, tossing silent greetings and making your way to the desired entrance.

          You waited for that familiar silhouette to appear from behind the door, but no one came out. About seven minutes passed, and all the corridors were empty again, but Bokuto was nowhere to be seen. You quietly turned the knob and peeked inside. The spacious locker room, designed in the colors of the host team, was brightly illuminated with fluorescent lights. Long rows of polished wooden benches lined the snow-white walls next to fancy colorful lockers. Huge gym bags took up most of the space scattered carelessly across the floor with equipment sticking out and uniforms stuffed hastily inside.

          You didn't notice the familiar figure right away, gazing curiously at the trophies and medals on the wide shelf next to the pictures of the players. Eventually you spotted him, sitting in the corner, with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor without blinking. He was already dressed in his favorite uniform, with the big number 4 adorning his broad chest and back. A white towel rested around his neck, his hair still a bit damp from the shower, now down and slightly covering his eyes. He intertwined his fingers, clasping them tightly together and rubbing his thumbs nervously.

          His agitated face made your already trembling heart squeeze even tighter. A few quiet and cautious steps and you were right in front of him, kneeling down and lovingly covering his large hands with yours. Bokuto shuddered, perplexed, raising his head to meet your two agates with his golden, the color of the young moon eyes. You smiled, gently stroking his cold hands, trying to convey all the warmth you have. And then you brought his knuckles to your lips, leaving small, loving kisses on his bruised fingers.

          "Y/N!" he even shrieked in shock, wrapping his long arms around you in the moment and cradling you gently against him, "I thought you weren't coming," Bokuto muttered into the top of your head, burying his nose in your hair.

          "How could I not come," you smiled, wrapping your arms around him, "I promised, and besides, I got to see my favorite boy beat everyone in the finals and become champion," you lifted your head gingerly, kissing his chin.

          "Really?" he raised his eyebrows wonderingly, helping you up and pulling you into his lap, this time hugging you even tighter, as if he were afraid you might disappear.

          "Really," you giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck and playfully rubbing his hair.

          "Then I have no choice, I owe it to my girl to bring the trophy, I promise you that," the familiar wide smile appeared on his face before he covered your entire pretty face with a hundred thousand kisses.

          And he did. He won. Just like he promised. Because promises are made to be kept. They are the simple words on which the world rests.

soft kissing prompts

[oldearthminerals]

Botryoidal Chalcedony/ Amethyst aka Grape Agate with Fluorescence $70 plus shipping

https://www.oldearthminerals.com/shop/p/high-grade-grape-agate-botryoidal-amethyst-cluster-hpj76-smlbg-8bhsp-bt44f

#crystalporn #grapeagate #botyoidalchalcedony #fluorescentminerals #mineralporn #crystals #fineminerals

[ardentguilt]

This piece which was a complete mystery mix for so long finally has an ID.

It’s a mix of Flower Agate (the pale creamy colored parts) and a nice brown Agate with faint banding.

I’ll try to get a photo of it under UV tomorrow because it’s got some nice fluorescence to it as well, there’s this nice flowy yellow-green in the brown Agate but there’s also some patches that glow this faint white-really pale blue as well.

Overall it’s a REALLY nice piece and the mineral guy I showed it to today who helped me ID it straight up said it’s one of the best pieces he’s seen in all the years he’s been working with minerals.

[queerworldtravelers]

Wisconsin

42°30' N to 47°3' N and 86°49' W to 92°54' W

Getting older means realizing that if you see the people you love once a year, if you're lucky, you might get to see them 20 or 30 more times in your life. Time is the only currency we have that we can never get back or make more of, so we spend it wisely. On our way across the United States we decided to spend a lot of time with our loved ones. This is a wild decision after spending a year outside of the country as we returned completely different people with wildly altered world views. Crashing back into old familiar guest rooms and sitting at well-known dinner tables helped us to see just how far our wings have spread. It also helped us to see with a startling clarity just how much we have changed. 

After adventuring north with Sara and Aaron, Krystal’s mom picked us up at the Dollar General in St. Germain. We spent the afternoon in beach chairs soaking up the lake for a few more minutes before heading to the Upper Peninsula.

As we all grow older and wiser we have started a tradition of heading to a small cabin on the shores of Lake Superior in the old copper mining port town of Ontonagon. If you have never been to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we recommend heading that way after the snow melts and after the black flies die off. The rivers casually flow through ancient carved beds, with water stained by the tannins of tree leaves. Lake Superior is the deepest of the Great Lakes and her shores are studded with agates, driftwood, and the crisp air from far northern lands. The western shores of the Upper Peninsula are also home to volcanic rocks named Yooper lights. The presence of sodalite, a fluorescent mineral in the rocks, shines brightly under UV light. We shared the magic lore of the rocks with dear little ones in Hawaiʻi and spent our days on a mission to find some to share. Armed with rudimentary tools and unshakable spirits we totally found a few!

There isn’t a ton to do in Ontonagon, so it is best to space things out. This visit we made a stop at the preserved Old Victoria mining village. A hardy woman of Finnish descent guided us through the straw beds, working phonograph, a wood-fired sauna, and stories of lives lived in the cold and relentless work of copper mining. We missed fresh-baked cinnamon buns in the wood hearth by a week!

The rest of our days were spent reading on the beach, meandering through the forest, and eating great food. We had a grill and were gifted three giant porterhouse steaks. Wow! We also picked up a $1 puzzle at the thrift store and it proved to be really hard. After three weeks of working on it every morning we were able to finish it and it was only missing one piece, which we are sure is on the floor at the cabin. We also did an enormous amount of mushroom hunting and collected chanterelles, hedgehogs, and an abundance of lobster mushrooms. If ever in Iron Mountain we recommend finding Mushroom Matt for a download of epic mycelial knowledge.

From the Upper Peninsula we headed to the booming metropolis of Wausau to spend a few days with Krystal’s aunt Angie, Mark, and their dog who we like to call Muffuletta. Sharing stories of family memories and spending time poolside with cousins made the time speed right past. Aunty Angie was able to share pictures of Krystal’s dad when he was little and added more details to the tapestry of the family history.

We headed farther down state to spend some time with Krystal’s dad. Serendipitously, Aunty Lee was also in town from Oklahoma. Mary suggested photos and everyone agreed!

Our days in the forest of Montello were punctuated with grilled turkey, millions of hummingbirds, and really epic Amish produce. We squared away the guest room, so if anyone is headed to stay things should be a little more cozy. Krystal was able to go with her Aunt Joyce to the Red Granite Correctional facility to spend some time with her older brother. Mary also interviewed Krystal’s dad! We thought the second edition of the family video was ready to roll out, and now we have so much more to add! Dennis and Sandy drove us to Madison for the next leg of the adventure.

In Madison we spent the night at the Governor’s Mansion Inn which was a total score and highly recommended for your midwest lodging needs. We needed a few beers and, we didn’t know it, also some poutine! The capital is gorgeous and easy to navigate on foot thanks to the University.

The next morning found Krystal digging through the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives. She unearthed old records for the orphanage where her father was raised that looked eerily similar to the records we found in Palermo for the institute her great grandmother was abandoned at. At the end of the day we are all connected in patterns and ways that are super haunting and logical if we are brave enough to look.

We took the Badger Bus from Madison to Milwaukee and it totally rocked. The agenda in Milwaukee quickly filled up with really wonderful adventures that included visiting the grave sites of Krystal’s Sicilian family; a lovely lunch with Ginger, a second cousin; and meeting up with Aunty Teddy, Krystal’s grand aunt. While in Milwaukee we rented a car from the Enterprise on Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee and it was the absolute BEST rental car agency either of us has ever had the fortune of engaging with. We actually look forward to returning and doing business with them again in the future. No joke.

In the middle of it all was our one year wedding anniversary! To celebrate we headed to a free kayak rental stand on the shores of the Horicon Marsh just after sunrise. We were pleasantly surprised to find a seaworthy tandem kayak, life vests, paddles, and an accessible boat launch. The boat launch was epic! Seriously. We set the boat down, sat in, and rolled it off into the marsh. We had a blast spending some time on the water celebrating a whirlwind of a year.

We made our way to the Intermodal Station and secured two $25 tickets on the Amtrak from Milwaukee to Chicago. We are grateful for the train, but wow does the US have a long way to go in upgrading infrastructure! A clunky bump down the tracks at sunset put us back at Sara and Aaron’s house just in time for some homemade Panang curry. They are seriously the absolute best friends in the whole world. The next morning found us trundling through O’Hare at the crack of dawn for a direct flight to SFO. Next stop: California!

[srlgemstone]

Pseudomorph Agate

[runesinthenight]

Yes, this is really cool. And here are some fun facts about these stones from a geologist to keep in mind! These apply to both people looking at these for themselves as well as artist and writers.

If you are using any of these gemstones in jewelry you need to keep the hardness in mind. Fluorite is very beautiful but it has a hardness of 4. You do not want it on rings, bracelets, or long necklaces. Any jewelry where it may bump up against things is a no-go because it will get scratched and any cut edges will be ground down. For reference, glass has a hardness of 5.5. Fluorite would still be fine for earrings, chokers, or crowns. It is also often fluorescent!

Several of these have been treated in some way. Anything with "mystic" in the name has been coated to get that effect. Most sapphires are heat-treated to get that deep blue color. Most citrine is treated as well to get that color as natural citrine is relatively rare.

Labradorite can have many colors, but it's not going to be pretty at every angle. These pictures are taken at the perfect angle where you can see the brilliance of the labradorescence. It'll be this grey-blue to grey-green rock that flashes blue or yellow at the right angle.

SOME OF THESE ROCKS ARE POISONOUS!!!

This is one thing that I really want to stress. Wulfenite is my favorite mineral. It is full of lead. Please for the love of whatever god you may or may not believe in, do not put that against your skin.

Some of these are dyed. The purple agate and jasper are dyed. For agates, if they're monochromatic and something bright like purple or blue, that's dyed. Howlite that is not white is dyed. Howlite is commonly dyed turquoise for use in costume jewelry.

Inclusions, such as rutile, can be really beautiful but are also technically an imperfection in the stone. It can be a weak point where the gemstone may break in the future. That's just because it is literally one gemstone inside of another.

The ways you can cut and mount these depend on different properties of the gems. Some minerals, like labradorite, are opaque. Cleavage planes can affect where a stone can be cut as it can cause breakage in the gemstone.

A lot of these are varieties of a different mineral species. Amethyst, citrine, and smokey quartz are all varieties of quartz. Agates are also just a microcrystalline variety of quartz. Beryl has a lot of gemstone varieties such as aquamarine, emerald, morganite, goshenite, and heliodor. (Note: chrysoberly is not a variety of beryl. It's a completely separate mineral)

Diamonds are more common than you think.

Pearls are classified as gemstones for gemological purposes but they are geologically not rocks. They're organic and made by oysters.

Hope this information is helpful to some people. There's a lot more to rocks than most people think.

By LabradoriteKing on Pinterest

[discoverybody]

Become an Expert and Discover Genuine Moss Agate

Moss agate is a beautiful gemstone recognized for its green tints and distinctive patterns that resemble moss-covered landscapes. This article explains how to identify real moss agate and distinguish it from imitations or dyed stones. Visual inspection and physical features including color, clarity, density, and scratch resistance are important signs of authenticity. Other tests, such as the fluorescence test and scratch test, can also be used to ensure its authenticity. When purchasing moss agate, use caution because synthetic versions exist that may appear similar but lack the uneven banding and contain bubbles or oil inclusions.

Moss agate is significant across history and culture. It was employed as a talisman for soldiers and worn as jewelry by the Greeks and Romans to represent wealth and success. This semi-precious stone is thought to have spiritual abilities that promote growth, fertility, abundance, creativity, optimism, and positive relationships. It is also known for its relaxing and grounding effects, which make it an excellent choice for stress relief and physical recovery.

Moss agate jewelry requires proper care to keep its charm. To avoid fading, store it in a dry, cool place away from direct sunshine and heat. Storing it separately in a soft cloth or pouch helps to prevent scratches and damage.

In conclusion, moss agate is a highly valued gemstone sought for by collectors and those seeking spiritual connection. Its authenticity can be established by eye examination, physical qualities, and a variety of testing methods. Proper care extends the life of moss agate jewelry, retaining its brightness and beauty for years.

[hiddenstashart]

ok but can we talk about how some of the coolest minerals are UV-reactive??? I’m an absolute sucker for agates, and recently learned that moss agates near the Sweetwater River in Wyoming are fluorescent. Dreamy! 🤩

[reddpenn]

Now that I'm back from the gem and mineral show, here are all the Cool Rocks I came home with!

A cute little coral fossil! He looks like a cauliflower.

A Keokuk geode! These geode beds aren't far from where I live, and it's always fun to have local specimens.

Phosphosiderite! This purple stone comes from Chile. It's so soft that it has to be stabilized with resin before it's cut. This one is a cross section of a botryoidial formation!

Speaking of botryoidial, this Hematite! Botryoidial means it has a bubbly shape kind of like a bunch of grapes. The faces of the bubbles on this pieces are super shiny and metallic.

Dendritic chalcedony, from Turkey! It's a white chalcedony full of dendrites - branching formations of manganese that look kind of like trees!

A cabochon for my cab collection! This one is made from a material sometimes called "ajooba jasper." The pattern is actually a cross section of a bunch of colorfully jasperized bivalve fossils!

Speaking of jasper, this one is Blue Mountain jasper, from Oregon! The circles in this stone are what’s known as an “egg pattern,” and jaspers which have them (Blue Mountain, Imperial jasper, and a few others) are collectively known as “fine jaspers,” the most valuable jaspers in the world.

Hyalite opal! This stuff forms water-clear spheres that look like jelly.

It fluoresces bright green under UV light!

Now to show off this year's haul of awesome agates!

Dryhead agate, from the Bighorn Mountains in Montana! This agate is named after the many bison skulls found in the area. A weird shaped guy with awesome red and orange bands.

Bou Lili agate, from Morocco! I like the name of this one. Soft banding and very subtle, muted colors. I've heard that this locale can produce peachy colors too.

Bear Canyon agate, from the Pryor Mountains in Montana! Agates from this locale have very stark black and white banding.

Red Fox agate, from Argentina! Sometimes this material is also called "crater agate" because the area it comes from is near the crater of an ancient volcano.

A Blue Sky thunderegg, from New Mexico! Thundereggs from this locale often have this two pointed, saucer-like shape.

It fluoresces really brightly!

Dulcote agate, from England! The bands of this agate are full of calcite, which gives them a strange, distinct texture.

Malawi agate, from Malawi! See all the cracks in it? Almost all Malawi agates have them. Frequent earthquakes due to the East African Rift cause these agates to crack and fracture.

Paint Rock agate, from Paint Rock Valley in Alabama! This agate is very rarely banded, and usually just contains swirls of red and yellow color.

A big, unpolished slab of Montana agate! This agate is known for its clear banding and black lines and spots, which are caused by manganese dendrites.

It's best viewed with some light behind it!

A smaller piece with really amazing dendrites!

Here it is backlit!

Fighting Blood agate, from Hebei Provence in China! This locale is known for its super saturated reds and yellows. This piece has purple amethyst crystals growing inside! They didn't photograph well; they are much more purple in person.

A really weird Fighting Blood agate! This one lacks the bright colors typical of this locale, but makes up for it with that super cool spiderweb pattern!

And finally, as is tradition, I came home with some Ethiopian opals! Here are the five I got this year.

And that's everything I got at the show!

[ginas-minerals]

Fluorescent agate

weight: 7.55 kg

minerals#mineralspecimen#agate

Hi guys! my name is Gina YU, a crystal lover, a wholesaler and retailer of all categories of crystals and minerals.

All items shown here are available!

For more info, welcome to contact me by private message!

Thank you for watching!

[kylo-wrecked]

He's piqued about the food. Sorry God, that smile. Too bad it's inedible. Like Ben's stared directly into the sun; it hurts; he feels stupid for looking. Ben squeezes his eyes shut and tips his head back, gunshot-to-the-head wounded for a flash. He almost has to ask himself what he's here for. Remind him—why's he doing this, again, this thing, the movie? 

"Fuck off," he laughs. "I'm talking about you. You're something else."

Gives Steven a sidelong glance and sips the water, breaking crushed ice with ice teeth. Takes Steven's phone and in another flash, returns it. Their shoulders bump under Gyro fluorescents a second time. Ben's digits grace his screen, unsaved. 

He always gives his subjects of attention the option to discard them.

Steven is, so far as Ben can heel himself, strictly, if risky, business. Tie still tossed over his shoulder. 

"Sure. Pull up the handbill, captain. You wanna shit where you eat, be my guest. We can talk shop wherever y'like." 

He sniffs, takes in Steven's peach cheeks, the playful fry jab—he can eat with his hands, after all. An aloof look over nibbled paper cup rim, a rush, and Ben purloins the fry with his teeth. Gone. A crocodile's jaws aren't as swift. Rests back against the chair. Placid waters. Nothing happened. He stops tapping his Spanish heel. 

"Steven," Ben Solo says to Steven Grant, whom he's harangued all night to the point of violence, that is, the unlawful exercise of physical force or intimidation by the exhibition of such force, unable to help himself pulling his tie. "You're killing me." Delicately. Wouldn't want to stress those fibers. "Killing me."

Ben Solo's face, with its spray of moles, knick in the eyebrow, chewed, chapped lip, sleepless bruises under the agate slices of his eyes, and the dent of some old scar descending from his hairline's tumble—things snapshots don't catch, illuminated by tube lighting—inclines somewhat toward Steven, no more real than live footage. 

@silverjetsystm

Liminal space city. Traffic noise would lull him into skipping time if he wasn't keyed up. Stubbornness grounds him. Grant can hear Soldier's non-verbal query across the rear-view mirror. 'This guy?' Solo's shadow and inch taller frame in the other seat, wearing his teeth out. Ghost of Solo's laughter may as well fill in the gaps. Grant smokes, cigarette glow against low turquoise ambient light replacing red, cloud blown out the window.

Gyros on ninth is fluorescent tubes buzzing overhead, is green jacket on the back of the chair, grey tie tossed over his shoulder. He eats with lotioned hands, picking up fallen beef and lamb when the plastic fork fails him. Earplugs are nudged again. Despite the hostile lighting, Grant perks up from protein and carbs entering his system. Relaxed strings now they were away from the hustle and eggshells. Lockley peeks out to survey the meal.

[Don't tell G-d.] {Don't tell G-d!?}

Solo doesn't eat. Worn irritation scoffs between bites against false innocent like he doesn't know. "Solid as I can after buying an extra plate." Waste. Cost doesn't mean much to him. "Excuse me."

Napkin brushed away stray crumbs from his face and shirt, he's gone momentarily. Quick chat with the counter. To-go box, bag, and a cup of soda fountain ice are placed in front of hunched and tensed Solo. They look eyes, exasperated … friendliness, perhaps, which softens his face, a hint of a smile. "Please. My own teeth are starting to ache." Hydrate. Fries are dipped in leftover sauce and carefully eaten.

"Something else?" He has to laugh at the shift from business to the unknown, shaking his head. "After all that, we do 'something else.'" Incredulous thousand watt smile in response to Solo's grin, he fishes out his phone and unlocks it.

Suspicion drags his chair next to Solo, bumping shoulders. Proximity brings peach cheeks, heart racing from grease and stress. "What." Deadpan is broken into playful point with a fry. "I could pull up the deck or channel surf on your behalf…"

@kylo-wrecked