#following an initial phase of panic

[voxiiferous]

**| I have no shortage of AUs I enjoy for Vox, and yet the one I probably enjoy the most is the single dad AU.

“I can fix him!” No you can’t, but sudden responsibility for a small child honestly can, to everyone’s surprise, including his own!

[xiaowhore]

hydro dragon, hydro dragon, don't cry!

premise. in which you manage to make neuvillette feel better at the expense of your dignity. (a fair trade, really.)

word count. 1.5k

note. do umbrellas exist at teyvat. i really don't know.

You've never taken Monsieur Neuvillette as the type to dramatically brood in the rain when he gets sad, but to be fair, you don't know much about him at all.

You clutch onto your umbrella, contemplating. So, uh... Are you supposed to approach him now? Shield him from the rain with your umbrella? That doesn't sound too bad, actually. But then what? Ask him if his pet fish died and now he's mourning his loss? That's hardly appropriate to say to the Chief of Justice... But it would be creepier to just stand there without saying anything, right?

You could leave and pretend you didn't see anything. Of course, that's an option too. It's possible he prefers to be left alone when he's unhappy.

But sulking while standing in the rain just gives “I want someone's attention” vibes, doesn't it?!

With a fit of reckless courage and a “fuck it” mindset, you advance your way forward to where he stands.

Regretting something as soon as you do it is on-brand for you, you realize as you soon come to learn you have to be on the tip of your toes to have the umbrella barely raising over his head instead of hanging from him. You must make a pathetic sight, attempting to shield both yourself and this hulking tower of a man from the rain with a tiny umbrella.

“...What are you doing?” Neuvillette turns around, taken aback when you're in much closer proximity than he expected. Panic flares in his eyes, and like the gentleman that he is, he steps back to create some distance. His head presses against the edge of the umbrella.

“Hey, you shouldn't move away!” You follow his movements, closing the gap. His head is now safely within the umbrella's reach, but you're an inch away from being pressed up against his chest. “I miscalculated. This thing's too small for us.”

When the initial shock wears off, his shoulders slump, a sign of him lowering his guard. “If you know that much, you should use it for yourself and go home.”

That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Appealing, even. You've never felt so silly in your entire life and the option to run away is looking more enticing with each second that ticks by.

Still.

“It's dangerous to walk alone at this hour. Won't you accompany me, sir?”

...Not the best excuse you could've come up with, but your mouth runs faster than your brain. Neuvillette, being the considerate person he is, actually takes some time to think about it, and you hurry to say, “If you leave me alone now, you could have another disappearance case in your hands tomorrow. Would you really like more work on your desk rather than some company tonight?”

He gives you a long, suffering stare that looks suspiciously like the one he gives to Lady Furina when she disappoints him, but he doesn't say no. His hand wraps around the umbrella handle, overlapping with your fingers. It takes another two seconds of that stare before you get the message and you let go, finally able to rest the balls of your feet on the ground as you stand on normal footing.

“I hope you don't make a hobby of coercion,” he hums as you walk together, your shoulders brushing every so often. “Or else I'd see you as a criminal suspect tomorrow instead of a victim.”

“I see that jokes aren't your strong suit, Monsieur Neuvillette.” You laugh awkwardly, your nervousness spiking to an all-time high throughout your entire interaction with him. It's been barely ten minutes.

Silence ensues.

“Do you like showers, sir?”

You should've just kept your mouth shut, damn it.

“I like them the same amount as the average person, I suppose.” The ridiculous question doesn't phase him, and you don't know how he's able to keep a straight face while saying that.

You decide to push your luck. “...Do you prefer bathing with cold or hot water?”

Finally, you draw out a light chuckle from him, the sound deep and pleased. It almost makes playing the fool worth it. “I've been told I'm not the best with small talk, but you seem to be worse than I am.”

Your head snaps up to look at him, affronted. “It wasn't a bad question!”

“Certainly not as bad as talking about the weather. Do you want me to praise you?”

Was the Chief Justice always this sassy? “You're making fun of me,” you point out the obvious, turning away and crossing your arms. “I asked about showers because you were standing in the rain.”

“You thought I liked showers because I was in the rain?”

“Well, I didn't know for sure. That's why I asked.” Even you can tell you're sounding more and more ridiculous by the minute. Was your house always this far? You can't wait to dive to your bed and pretend this encounter never happened. “I think I'll just shut up now.”

“Really, now?”

“Every time I open my mouth around you, I embarrass myself further. I think it's for the best.”

You hear another chuckle as heat crawls up to your cheeks, spreading to your ears. “For what it's worth, you did put me out of my terrible mood. You're quite funny.”

“That's a nice way to say you think I'm being strange.” You hide your face with your hands, peeking at Neuvillette's expression between your fingers. Bathed in the silvery moonlight, he looks straight out of a painting, even with wet hair and drenched clothes.

You've never seen him up close, never even dreamed of standing next to him. Now, you're exchanging jabs at each other like it's the most normal thing in the world, like you weren't just thinking he was someone out of reach when you watched his court trial in amazement. Now, he's so close that you can almost feel the heat from his body, so much more tangible than just a figure you admired from afar.

“But I do have your strangeness to thank,” he admits, looking off into the distance. The stars shine bright in his eyes. “Had it not been for you squeezing me under your umbrella and forcing me to walk you home, I'd surely still be under the rain.”

“...Couldn't you have phrased that better?”

“In court, I only state facts.”

You laugh dryly. “You could spare me some dignity by embellishing the story a bit... Oh, we're here.” You were so occupied defending yourself from his witty comments that you didn't realize you had already arrived home until your door was right at your face. You glance at Neuvillette, who then nods towards the door. If he's disappointed to have the stroll cut short, he doesn't show it.

“Go in. It is rather late.” He closes the umbrella and offers it back to you, a gentle smile on his face. The sight is almost like a reward for your efforts; the small upturn of the corners of his lips makes all the difference, his sharp, cold gaze softening into something more affectionate. The rainbow after the storm. The gratitude for a small kindness.

“You have to get home, too,” you utter, pushing it back to him.

“The rain stopped a few minutes ago,” he insists, gesturing behind him. You blink owlishly, observing the still pools of rainwater. You didn't even notice. Why didn't he say so? You didn't have to squeeze together under such a tiny umbrella, then.

“You should still keep it.”

He raises an eyebrow, inquisitive. “Why?”

You unlock your door, stepping inside, but still not closing it shut. “Well, it gives you an incentive to see me again.” You grin at him mischievously, like you thought of a genius plan. “I work at the cafe in the main street. I'm sure we have some tea that will strike your fancy. Make sure you're not moping next time we meet, yeah?”

Not for the first time, he seems taken aback. But his gaze softens once more, his expression molding into something pleased. “Very well.”

And so, he leaves with a small umbrella in his hand, a smile on his lips, and the clear skies over his head.

The next time you see Neuvillette, the sun is high in the sky. Compared to that night, you can see him a little better now.

That's how you notice he looks unusually shy with a bouquet of flowers in his arms and a pink blush high on his cheeks. “...Good afternoon,” he starts, his lips curving to a beginning of a smile. “The weather is great today, isn't it?”

You stare. You stare some more. And when the sight finally processes in your mind, your twinkling laughter rings in the air, as sweet as the aroma of freshly baked muffins. “And who stooped so low to talk about the weather this time, huh?”

Neuvillette can't even pretend to feel bad about it, not when you're jumping off the seat in the counter to show him a table for two. “Your silliness is infectious, it seems.”

“Hey!”

(You've never taken Monsieur Neuvillette as the type to be smart-mouthed, the type to be indulgent to your whims, the type to be romantic towards the person he's interested in—

But now you have all the time in the world to get to know him better.)

[hiddendreamsstuff]

Content: time called, intentional overdose, compressions, defibrillations, intubation, devastated lover.

I found you in the tub with an empty bottle on the side. Your head has slid down the side of the tub and your nose is just above the water. Your hair floats around you. I don’t know if you expected me home or not- but here I am, finding you in this state. Terror washes over me.

My initial panic quickly dissolves into action… I call 911 immediately and give them the address. I pull the drain on the tub and I lay the towel out. I put my leg in the water, shoe and all, as I reach under your arms and hug you in towards me pulling you over the edge of the tub. I would have fallen over if not for the rubber of my shoe catching me, but my phone falls into the water with 911 still on the line, as I step out and lay you down to the ground. Your perfect body is completely still and I freeze again watching as your unmoving breasts gaze back at me.

Again, I am pulled to action and find myself on my knees with my ear just above your breast, my cheek on the soft skin and breast tissue itself. It is no surprise that I hear nothing, but my terror increases. “How long have you been like this?” I think to myself, my own breathing quickening. I quickly override my fear and move to your mouth and open it while lifting your neck; with my other hand I pinch your nose and seal my lips onto yours before blowing in. It does not seem you have ingested water as the breath makes your chest rise and fall, but your wet body is glistening under the harsh lights of the bathroom.

Now the moment I have been dreading…. I straddle you and place the my heels of my hands between your nipples and push down hard on your sternum. I immediately feel your ribs bend and crack. I let out a whimper, but push myself to keep going. “One two three four five six seven eight nine ten…” I count outloud trying to keep my mind focused on the movement and not the panic.

Tears stream down my face as I continue compressions followed by more exhalations into your lungs, your chest rising into mine as I do so. I put my ear to your naked chest just to be sure there is no pulse, as if that was not obvious already. “Nothing… nothing… fuck!” I whisper. I continue pressing deeply into your chest pumping your heart, your stomach rising into my own pelvis. I realize I have no other tools to save you; the ambulance is supposed to be on its way, my phone still in the tub I can’t tell how long I have even been doing this…. “Come on baby…” I scream out loud, but think to myself “how could you do this to me?”

I continue this process for what seems like forever until I hear the sirens followed by the front door being banged in. I don't stop, even though ever muscle in my body is burning and my heart is pounding. As I am breathing into you again, a medic pushes me out of the way and puts an ambu bag on you while a woman starts pumping your chest hard and fast. It is only out of shear exhaustion that I let them take over- I dont have the strength to fight them... I fall backwards into the side of the tub at your feet and let out a blood curdling scream, which does not phase your rescuers at all.

Your body is under their control now as they begin hooking you up to the monitor with leads and they assess your airway. They quickly decide to intubate you because you have been down for at least 15 minutes, which really means I have been working on you for 15 minutes prior to their arrival... who knows how long you have really been unconscious...

The woman continues pumping until the man takes a plastic hook and places it down your throat followed by a tube. He yells, "I'm in" and the woman begins pumping again. Another medic is monitoring your heart rate on the screen. They yell out for the woman to stop compressions for a pulse check. "Not shockable. Continue compressions," they say.

The medic notices the bottle on the floor and starts to question me about how much you took. All I can do is shake my head that I don't know. "How long was she down before you called?" I shake my head again. I am totally useless now that I have stopped working on you. The medic shakes their head, "Lets try some Narcan...," they say as they take a syringe out of the bag.

The woman never stops pumping and I am mesmerized by the continuous up and down motion of the compressions. . I watch your breasts cave in towards each other with intrigue. I barely notice the man who is bagging you at this point, but see your chest inflate occasionally. Nothing feels real right now.

After the medic inserts the syringe in your arm, followed by another they say, "epi is in, narcan is in- continue compressions for 30 seconds and we will do a pulse check and switch positions". Compressions are paused and the man and woman switch places. "Okay, we have a shockable rhythm. Going to shock her at 200j!" The medic takes the paddles and places them on your chest. "CLEAR!" Your chest jumps jump off the ground, your tiny breasts peaks of a mountain.... you fall back to the ground. "Nothing, shocking at 300! CLEAR!" Again, I watch your torso shoot up to the sky and fall back down. "Nothing continue compressions!" The man takes over and forces your chest into the ground even harder, crushing your chest and my soul at the same time.

I whimper and cry quietly as I watch. The team continues this routine for another fifteen minutes after the first round of shocks. They shock you two more sets of times, give numerous syringes of drugs, and endless compressions before the medic says "We have been working on her for 20 minutes and there were 15 before that. She has been a-systole for 8. We have shocked her 5 times at 360 and she is maxed out on drugs. Her total down time is unknown" says the medic... The others stare at them unsure what to say as I continue to be motionless in the corner of the room. "I think we have to call it" says the woman as she compresses your chest, having switched back to her initial position. She stops pumping and slowly pulls her hands back across your chest, her fingers brushing your nipples which are hard and erect from the cold air.

"No! NO! YOU CAN'T STOP!" I scream as I jump up and put my hands on your chest and start pushing down violently. The woman places her hand on my hand and says softly, "She is gone baby. I'm so sorry" as I continue pumping for a moment. I then collapse onto you, my head on your chest; my tears drop onto your breast and roll down the side. A police officer who I did not even notice had arrived tries to pull me off of you, but the woman stops him. "Let her be for now" she says as she strokes my hair from above....

[call-me-chips]

Long vent warning 🙃

So if you came here for my typical carefree content, don't feel forced to read this at all :)

Ik I won't care if you do or don't, but I just need to get this to someone

I see a lot of people talking about having no friends and having bad friends, and both are really bad and I'm not trying to put down anyone's experiences, but I feel like there's a different kind of hurt when your friends just don't like you. Like, they're good people, but they just don't like you.

Like, I have this one friend (J) where, he's the closest thing I have to a best friend (aka, we see each other once a week and seem to enjoy each other's company), but I really don't think J likes me

He always has an excuse for not hanging out. Always. My sibling and I wanted to go to a comic con and invited J and his girlfriend, K. He mentioned a few weeks before that he might not be able to go because he might have to babysit a child or something. Closer to the con, J said that he, infact, wouldn't have to watch the child, which we were happy about, but then immediately he said that he "wasn't allowed" to go to this con. The reason he gave was "My dad thinks comic cons are cults." Even though J's been to several cons, one of which was in the US (We're Canadian).

And just yesterday a group I was going to had a Halloween night, and J promised he would go. We all made plans to be there, but the night of, I texted him and asked him if he was coming, to which he responded with "I'm not allowed", even though he's at the age where that shouldn't matter at all

I asked him why, and he never got back.

Everything I want to do, everything we try to plan, he's got a reason to not go.

He says he likes me and likes hanging out with me, but I don't believe it. Every excuse he uses is bullshit.

And it really sucks because I truly thought he'd be a friend that sticks around. Every friend I've ever had has left the moment I got too close.

And it's not like I can easily make friends, as I've never gone to school and I'm not in college

My parents keep scolding me about how I have no friends and that "God designed people to need other people" and that I "can't live life alone", but I don't know how the fuck they just expect me to summon new ones.

I've exhausted all groups I'm in of potential friends. And it's not like I don't try to make friends. I've been rejected dozens of times

But I know I'm just about ready to stop reaching out to J. I'll just stop asking if he wants to do anything and see if he initiates anything. When he doesn't, at least I'll know for sure that he doesn't really like me xD

Slightly different topic, but I really feel like I can't ever open up to anyone (which is why I rant to strangers on the internet). Literally everyone I've opened up to has either left me or betrayed me with it

I shared my struggles with a licensed therapist, and she made me feel like my feelings were nothing. She told me it was a phase and refused to hear any more

I shared one of my phobias in a trusted friend group chat, and one of the dudes (W) sent me a gif of it, have me the worst panic attack I've ever had, and then W called me sensitive when I complained about what he did (I was crying non stop for 30 mins, couldn't calm down completely for the next couple days, and got triggered my a simple household item that has NEVER triggered me before. I mean like, I saw this simple thing, froze in place, started hyperventilating, and nearly had another panic attack)

And there are a few other examples, but the worst one is when I opened up to my best friend at the time (N). I opened up, shared my story, cried in front of her. She left me the following week. N suddenly started talking to her other friend more and I could barely get a moment alone with her anymore. We barely talk now

I'm just tired of people. Tired of trying. Idek what I'm supposed to do at this point. I only rant to strangers cuz it's a lot less painful if someone online unfollows you than if a friend leaves you

Anyway I think that's enough for right now, I got pretty carried away 😅

If you read all this, here's a cookie :3 🍪

[cult-of-the-rizz]

soundtrack analysis bc the brain worms are worming rn

(disclaimer: I do not have a degree in music theory this is more just my opinion and verbally explaining the amv in my head to the class)

Kallamar first cuz i love that boneless freak

So, for all the boss fights, I imagine the whole track being like a summary of the fight as a whole.

As expected, Kallamar's track begins with high stress. Notes feel half finished, the beat is fast, we feel his panic in the initial phase of the song. Slowly, the Anchordeep choir comes in. The presence of the vocal/synth choirs in any song is evocative of holy power. I mean, Kallamar is a god.

Something specific about the Anchordeep choir that is interesting to me is how light the vocals are, as well as how the mixing imitates sliding between notes. To me, it sounds like someone who can't quite hear what they're singing and doesn't know that they're not dropping the note and instead sliding (me, I do this when singing with headphones in). It all feels so Kallamar-esque, like he's the one singing almost.

Anyway, after the choir solos for a bit, the fast beat comes back in to end the transition between initial and desperation phase. The final section of the Kallamar's theme is the most interesting to me in terms of a battle theme. In general I fell like boss themes pick up in the second phase when the fight becomes intense, but Kallamar's does the opposite. But at the same time, in game he becomes absolute hell with new combo attacks and faster strike speeds.

I think this is the Kallamar the Old Faith fears. Though his strength is multiplied by the crown, it seems that through the multitude of weapons he uses all at once in combat in addition to magic, Kallamar has always been powerful though cowardly. The stressful beat is slowed into calmer version. The squid is locked the fuck in.

Without the fast beat in this section, it actually makes it harder for players to balance the timing switch in his attack speeds. You can no long rely on the music that may time with his movements, instead you have to play attention to Kallamar's movements and combat tells. He's moving autonomously of everything around him, at his own pace which is lethal to everyone else. Kallamar makes the player relearn how to fight mid combat during his boss fight. He doesn't flurry rush like his siblings, Kallamar just becomes deadly quick.

(The only instance of this that comes to mind in terms of other boss themes is Dancer of the Boreal Valley from Dark Souls III. A boss that was intentionally created to ignore the attack pattern time signature that literally every other boss in the game follows. Her theme never has a climax and instead keeps you in perpetual suspense. The only way to survive the dancer is to watch her movements, specifically her steps as she strikes)

All of this to say, Kallamar would be absolutely insane to fight if he wasn't scared shitless of the red crown. Absolutely horrific. But Narinder bullied him growing up so we don't get to experience that (I know he's older, point still stands

[wyntereyez]

Wynter's Werewolf Watch-A-Thon: Late Phases

Late Phases

Tubi's description: Following the vicious attacks of a beast, a jaded veteran investigates what an isolated retirement community knows about the killings.

There will be spoilers in my description. Also, I'm going to warn you ahead of time: the dog very much does die. Many do, in fact. You may not want to read further based on this.

Anyway...

Ambrose is a blind Vietnam veteran who is moving into an isolated retirement community next to the woods. His son, Will, drops him off, and we see they have a difficult relationship. Ambrose is bitter, and sometimes even hostile, which immediately puts off the neighborhood welcoming committee. (Who were, admittedly, using that false friendliness that would put anyone's hackles up.) Upon entering the house, Ambrose finds barely-concealed scratches in the wall, and something that looks like a large claw or tooth.

That night, he hears something happening in his neighbor's place as she's violently attacked by the werewolf. It then comes into his home, but Shadow, his guide dog, defends him and drives it off. Shadow is fatally wounded, and Ambrose puts him out of his misery.

The police write it off as an animal attack, something that happens 'all the time' since they're so close to the woods. There'd also been a second attack down the road.

When his daughter-in-law mentions the moon had been full, Ambrose deduces the animal was a werewolf, and begins to investigate. His only clue is that the werewolf had a wheeze to its breathing.

Over the next month, Ambrose further antagonizes neighbors as he investigates, making them uncomfortable because he uses a shovel for a cane because he refuses to replace his dog. He begins attending church, where he catches the attention of the priest. The priest has a wheeze from smoking, making him a possible suspect, so Ambrose allows him to get close while he tries to solve the mystery. The rest of the time, he spends preparing for the next confrontation. And burying his dog. Which takes the hole month, for some reason.

While purchasing silver ammo, he finally figures out who the werewolf is when he learns James, one of the church deacons, had purchased silver ammunition the year before.

When James sees the ammunition bag in Ambrose's hand, he panics and bites several neighbors for back-up.

Before shifting, the priest visits James. He knows that James has been killing the neighborhood dogs, but he thinks James only believes himself to be a monster - until James tells him he'd gone into the woods to kill the werewolf, and had become one himself in the process. He shifts in front of the priest, and he's killed.

Ambrose takes down the new werewolves, then James himself. He then staggers off and dies, having overdosed on medication beforehand to ensure he didn't live to become a werewolf.

All in all, it's a rather slow movie. After the initial attack, there's not much that happens beyond arguments with his son, his neighbors being distrustful and calling the cops on him, and burying his dog. Which takes an entire month. If I were neighbors with a guy who kept a rotting corpse for a month, I'd probably call the cops, too. It's not something that did any favors for his character. And his son and daughter-in-law comment that's it's not a healthy thing to do, but don't do anything about it. Okay.

And Ambrose was a hard character to like. He was very much the bitter veteran stereotype, which I get, I just don't relate to.

The werewolf design was interesting.

The transformation was cool, with James tearing his skin away to reveal the wolf beneath. They were full-body suits, and the actors moved pretty well in them. Though something about them made me think 'fantasy goblin' rather than werewolf. That's probably just me, though.

Final verdict: It's not the worst werewolf movie I've seen, but it was very slow. And it was difficult to believe that everyone would be so blase about so many 'animal attacks'; you'd think they'd want to move or get someone to take care of it, surely? I mean, two people died in that first attack. Dogs keep going missing (getting killed by James). There've obviously been a lot of other attacks, including one that left scratch marks in Ambrose's new house. And I'm sorry, I just don't get why they dragged out the dog burial, except as a way to antagonize the neighbors? I dunno. I probably wouldn't watch it again.

[cinnabarsaga]

Hello all, I’m Joe, the artist & writer behind the Cinnabar Saga.

I’m starting this blog to document my artistic process while I slowly chip away at this ambitious project. So this’ll be the place to put everything I’m currently working. Sketches, drawings, writing scraps, world building, lore documents, maps, and basically everything relent. It’s going to be a bit messy & disorganised, and probably won’t have a lot of reposted media.

So what is the “Cinnabar Saga” (working title) anyways?

At the root of it is a pretty basic premise: what if humanity’s collective mythology, was inspired by contact with other intelligent life? And what would be the consequences of discovering that life hiding in plain sight?

To go one step further; the cinnabar saga follows the story of another race of humanoid life, the Se’ra. In humanity’s bronze age, they found themselves able to traverse the stars and found us. The fallout of that interaction created humanity’s idea of devils & demons, and the expulsion of the Se’ra from Earth. It’s from here most of my stories pick up.

Currently, there are three main titles in the works, with two sequels to those main works. In the following paragraphs, I’ll discuss those titles & give a brief synopsis, and also a commentary of that work. Almost everything on this blog will be tagged with one of these titles, or refer to the abbreviation of the first two letters.

Black Rainbow (Working title)

Jack is a private detective in Oregon in nineteen ninety two. Dissatisfied with his job & his relationship; he decides to take a job far away from Portland, in the hinterlands of upstate Oregon. With the timbre industry on the rocks, and the town finances nearly bankrupt, the town of Belmont has become a ghost town. With several cold cases and too few sheriffs, Jack finds himself unravelling a deeper mystery; and learning uncomfortable truths about his own past.

Black rainbow was the first entry in the series and started off initially as an erotic literature short, before expanding into something plot driven. This is the closest to being complete, and will likely be a novella once done. It plays with body horror, transformation, unrequited love, cults, big-pharma, and the satanic panic of the eighties and nineties. It will likely retain a lot of erotic content so be forewarned.

Marooned in Manhattan (final title)

K’asin’s life was forever changed when he fell through a portal to another world. Finding himself stranded in Midtown Manhattan, he’s forced to pass as a human for his own survival. All the while finding other stranded Se’ra, looking for a way home. Along the way, he finds himself falling in love, and getting dragged into a deepening conspiracy, that threatens not only Earth, but his own world too.

Marooned is basically a slice of life, urban fantasy, reverse isekai, romance thriller. (Yeah I know, kinda a mouthful.) Working with themes of queer identity, autistic masking, religious zealotry, prejudice, urban isolation & community, found family, the post nine-eleven enviroment of fear, the immigrant experience, and split identity. This will be the first official book in the series published, and it the farthest along.

Washington Rouge (working title)

This will be the direct sequel to Marooned picking up in the fallout of its conclusion. Currently still in the concept phase, there’s a lot of unknown’s about its general direction until the first title is definitively complete. Some of the themes this work will be driven by contemporary American politics, such as immigration, legislating one’s human rights, the dobbs decision, poltical polarisation, queer identity & relationships.

Foreign Bodies (working title)

Finn Grey, grad student in Anthropology, won big. Chosen as one of a thousand students and researchers, given the chance to go to Cerak. For the first time, humanity get’s the opportunity to study a whole new world, a new culture, new species of intelligent life up close. In Exchange, a thousand Sera will make the trek to Earth at the same time. Life on this new world is a little more bewildering than he expected. What he never expected, was to fall in love with his Seraf guide.

The premise of this novel takes place a little later than Marooned, and is basically a more upbeat piece. It riffs off the space age & space exploration, and the highest aims of humanity. And how sometimes those lofty visions get polluted by more pedestrian issues, like business & commerce. Other themes i’m toying with are the idea of the challenge of long distance relationships, the feeling of never having enough time, the feeling of familiarity & alienation when traveling, and a bunch of other stuff. A lot of the visual development of this story has begun, however, the plot & story remain fragmentary. A fair bit of it is contingent on marooned getting finished.

And that’s it for today.

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork at his family home in Connecticut, 2016; photo by Cloe Poisson.

“I have to say that the adjustments from one phase of my life and career to another have happened almost without my noticing it. I never made any preparations; I had no idea what I was getting myself into from one minute to the next, usually, so what could I do to prepare? I honestly don’t believe anyone knows what’s going to happen. How anybody prepares for the future (beyond a prudent financial plan) is beyond me. So, I guess my advice is, expect the unexpected, and roll with it to the best of your ability.” - Peter Tork, Ask Peter Tork, The Daily Panic, 2008

“‘A good attitude generates more comfort. When people say, “Why me?” and “How could this happen?” or “Somebody must be made to pay for my problems,” that attitude is a low-skill approach. It's not very contentment-making,’ Tork said in an interview last week. And while he added that he's not afraid to die, it's not because he believes in a glorious afterlife. ‘I don't like pain and I don't want to hurt, but the sheer fact of dying in and of itself is of no consequence to me,’ he said. ‘When I die, there won't be a 'me' of any kind. There won't be anything, no collection of what we think of as an immutable, individual something or other.’” - Toledo Blade, November 2009

Dear Peter, I followed your cancer fight last summer on Facebook and was sooooooooo glad when you got the good news of no more cancer! That was the best news I’ve ever gotten. Did you learn anything while being sick that you didn’t know before you got cancer? Cancer is scary and you were so brave. Love, Kathy

Dear Kathy, Thank you for your good wishes! As to your question: If by “learn” you mean did I change my philosophy after I got my diagnosis, no, I have to say I didn’t. I’ve been at this business of figuring out my life for a long time, and if I didn’t have a philosophy of life that included the possibility of having cancer, and even of dying of it, well, then I haven’t done a good job in crafting a working philosophy, have I? If, on the other hand, you mean did I discover how quickly and well I bounce back from radiation treatment, well, yeah, I’m a lucky guy, and I learned that to a new extent during the course of this adventure. When I got my initial diagnosis, I admit I had a good cry for a bit. Crying wasn’t part of my plan, exactly, but neither was it a black mark in my book, as far as I’m concerned. The gift was that immediately afterwards I was able to ask what the next thing was to do, and went about doing that without a lot of “why me?” or other such attitudes I regard as diversionary. I highly recommend keeping the question “What’s the next right thing?” at the forefront of the mind as an antidote to self-pity and other distractions. It works for me. Thanks for asking. Keep well, Peter - Ask Peter Tork, 2009 (x)

Q: “Do you believe in anything? Like, if you were to die, do you believe that you will go anywhere, or come back, or anything?” “do I believe in anything? yes, I most certainly do. I have a transcendent belief in the people (in the long run, that is, knowing that individuals are all flawed). I believe there are certain things which are true across all of humanity, tho’ I don’t know what they all are. I probably don’t know what 1% of them are, but I’m sure they’re there! I believe that community is built into us (we are social animals, after all.) as to my understanding of what happens when I (or you) die, I base my understanding on something I believe to be true, which is that however much we may talk about things in their parts, they are not actually parts making up a whole, but rather partial ways of seeing. the buddha said (I am told) that you can separate the flame from the fire, but only in your mind. therefore, I believe that when the person dies, it all stops. I don’t believe that there is a part of our individual selves which is not subject to the laws of decay. meanwhile, I do take heart from the parallel notion that just as the body decays and becomes part of new life, so, too, our understanding and ideals become part of some new combination of thought yet to come. but as to my individual self continuing past death and re-emerging in another incarnation, or in some real estate in the sky relieved of all trouble, no. (heaven is in your mind, as the old traffic song said.) thanks for asking, xo, peter” - Facebook, 2012

Q: "How are you doing these days after your battle with cancer many years ago?" Peter Tork: "I am all right and thank you for asking. I have high energy, no symptoms, and hope to live to be 103." - Florida Today, May 10, 2016

[thescarletmansion]

CHAPTER 1 - The Mansion

Night had fallen, making it the perfect set-up to get the large doors to open.

Irina had taken on an illusory form through the use of Metronome, somehow getting the exact effect she wanted with a little waggle of her finger. The Clefairy took on the shape of a little girl seen in one of the photos that the group had. The Pokemon studied it before deciding on what to do.

She would be the key to help open the way.

The conditions were set, they all waited until the whistling sound so many witnesses spoke of sounded. Being so close to the entrance, the door opened for the disguised Pokemon immediately, practically beckoning her to come in. It was in that moment that everyone would have a chance to rush inside.

Rika, dragging along Larry, followed by Alistair and Yellow. Red held up the rear, making sure Matsuba, Giovanni and Wesker made it in before hopping across the threshold.

When they all made it in, the doors behind them shut closed. No amount of super strength would make them budge. There was no lock, no handle. The other side of the gate was smooth.

The night that they ventured in to rescue Yuri, there was but a sliver of the moon left within the sky. It was not yet the night of the new moon. Yet upon passing the threshold, what should have been a gentle silvery light illuminating the corners of the room was as red as crimson filtering through the ornate windows.

After the initial panic of being unable to get back out the way they got in, came the further realization that everything was off. On the blueprint of the old style Johto mansion, there should only be three doors. One represented in the way they came in and one on each side of the initial hall they were in. It was only apparent something was off about the mansion layout after one of the other doors...

Choose your door...

WESTERN DOOR or EASTERN DOOR

@orrerunaway @godstrain @monterraverde @earth-master @simplifiedstrength @redlegend @yellowsforest @cursedmystic

EXPLORATION PHASE!

Look around the room, speak with your fellow explorers on your next move. To interact with the current room, send in an ask with your appropriate action. The GM will ask you for rolls depending on what you seek.

[los-ninos-tortugas]

RoTTMNT x Star Trek: Voyager, ideas and premise, let's talk!

So let's talk a little bit about a Donnie-centric crossover with Voyager. There will be a fic for this eventually but it probably won't be for a little while since I'm still in the brainstorming phase for this and focused on finishing "Adventurer's Journal" and updating "Nobody Invited You." But anywhosies,

I really just wanna combine two things I really really (two really's!) love. So how does Donnie get to the starship Voyager? Portal shenanigans of course,

"In hindsight, maybe asking Leo and Mikey to test their portal abilities at the same time to see if it was like "plugging two power-strips together" was a bad idea."

Now he doesn't land on the ship right away, that would be too easy. Donnie lands on some sort of desert planet, it's not too important. What's important is that he still thinks he's on Earth, and he activates his panic button and sets off to find some shelter while he waits for his brothers to come rescue him. I like to believe that the panic buttons have a pretty wide radius (Donnie's protective paranoia for the win) and, on a planet with no other signals to interfere with his, the distress signal is picked up by none other than our favorite lost starship.

The Voyager crew finds Donnie, passed out and dehydrated in the sand and picks him up.

Continuity wise, Donnie gets picked up post S6: E16 "Collective," not like, directly after. The amount of time since then is gonna be somewhat nebulous, but I want the other Borg children, namely, Icheb, to be on the ship at the time. (Edit: I’ve since decided that Donnie arrives earlier in the timeline than this. I’m not sure exactly when yet but definitely sooner than “Collective”)

I'm not gonna get too deep into Donnie's reaction when he wakes up in Sickbay, since when I finally get around to writing this fic that's probably gonna be most of the first chapter, just know that he's initially pretty freaked out to wake up surrounded by uniformed humans in a very high-tech, very medical setting, without his battle-shell.

But anyway, following the initial freakout, and finding out that he's in the future, things get pretty episodic, this is gonna be somewhat light on plot with the through-line of everyone just trying to get home one way or another. Angst is gonna be pretty light as well, mostly it'll just be concerning feelings of homesickness, restlessness, and not knowing how to actually deal with having adult supervision for once in his life. Otherwise it's fun times in space babeeyyyyy and character interactions.

I think I want Ensign Wildman (literally the only person outside of the main crew with parenting experience on the ship, or, well, the only one we really see, I know other people on the ship have kids but I don't care about them) to step up and volunteer to be Donnie's primary guardian while he's living on the ship. Is this mostly because I want Donnie and Naomi to hang out together? Yeah. Do I care? Nah, it's my AU and I get to say what happens.

That's all I have so far. I'll figure out more as I go along.

[cyberfei]

The Uprising: A General Timeline

While the response and process of the Uprising was different from country to country, organised efforts behind the scenes meant many of the major events that created the Cyberfei world as we know it were relatively synchronous.

The Initial Uprising (pre-Broadcast)

For a month before the New Year of 2015,

strange phenomena: dancing lights in the sky, rapid overgrowth

marked, rapid increase in climate activism worldwide

static in the air, some practicing witches may notice more tangible results to their spellcraft

The Broadcast

The elves reveal their existence to the world through a series of political broadcasts

These broadcasts follow a similar script and interrupt all broadcasting frequencies, including radio

Worldwide governments are given 6 months to come to a decision on negotiating for elven rights

The Voting Period (0-6 Months Post-Broadcast)

Groups of pro-fae and anti-fae begin to pop up in the form of online circles and street protesters.

In secret, with the help of some fae who were against the broadcast, anti-fae groups develop anti-fae weaponry as backup defense in case of violence.

In places where the vote passes or governments make a positive decision, Alliance negotiations begin.

In places where the pro-fae vote doesn't pass in many, widespread protests and riots begin.

The Cleansing/The Uprising (6-12 Months Post-Broadcast)

Major anti-fae groups retaliate to the protests with violence while some fae groups forceably take over sections of cities, causing panic and the beginning of war.

Major cities in anti-fae areas are evacuated and ravaged by civil war

Following the heavy spike of magic activity, the first Thaumaturgists begin popping up.

Factions are becoming more organised, and the Cleansed are officially named as such.

Village Skylines, constructed from remains of old, existing train-lines, are constructed to allow free access in and out of cities.

In vote-passed areas, now known as the Alliance, fae presence is beginning to be fully established.

Faction Forming (1 Year to 1.5 Years PB)

Though private and scattered due to conflict, trading systems are now fully established

Credits are a fullt established currency in Alliance cities and physical money is phased out

Rebellion and Resistance are now recognised political ideologies, though still disorganised

Magic-Technology is quickly becoming more widespread, often used in trading

The Magic-Industrial Revolution (1.5 Years to 2 Years PB)

Magic-Technology makes leaps and bounds, becoming increasingly widespread.

Major Skylines in and out of the city are complete; construction begins on inner-city Skylines

Cleansed enlist Thaumaturgists to construct their cities

Anti-fae air purifiers erected inside Cleansed territories, keeping the air clear enough to breathe while keeping Fae out

Cleansed barricades are now fully-erected walls

Yvolution. and Rebeltech are founded, beginning widespread magic-tech distribution

Cleansed cities are purged and rebuilding begins

2 Years PB

The Uprising has settled to smaller conflicts, no longer a full civil war

All primary factions are fully established, named and organised

The Uprising itself is considered over, though the conflict is not

Extras (as of creating this post)

4 Years PB

Cleansed cities fully rebuilt with fae and plant life entirely eradicated within them

7 Years PB

The world has settled into the Cyberfei Eutopia. Places ravaged by war are now surviving a dystopian war against the Cleansed and places with Alliances are fully established.

The first Scrapper clans are formed, populated by those who were very young children pre-Uprising

9 Years PB

Pink Elves of Chernobyl reveal themselves to public knowledge and Scrapper activists begin work helping them clean up and reconstruct

[crytolenz]

Understanding Crypto Market Psychology: Fear vs. Greed

The cryptocurrency market is notorious for its volatility, driven largely by psychological factors like fear and greed. Recognizing these emotions is crucial for investors navigating the complex landscape of cryptocurrencies, upcoming ICOs, and token sales. In this blog, we’ll dive into the role of fear and greed in the crypto market and explore how these emotions impact investment decisions.

The Role of Fear and Greed in Cryptocurrency

Fear and greed are two powerful forces that significantly shape investor behavior in the crypto market.

Fear Fear often drives panic-selling during market downturns. Investors rush to liquidate assets to prevent further losses, creating a downward spiral in prices and leading to missed recovery opportunities.

Greed Greed, on the other hand, can lead to a rush of buying in a rising market. The appeal of quick gains often results in irrational exuberance, where investors overlook critical cryptocurrency information and fail to conduct thorough research.

The Impact of Fear and Greed on Investment Decisions

Understanding market psychology is essential for making informed decisions in the crypto market. Here’s how fear and greed influence various aspects of crypto investing:

1. Crypto Launchpads and ICOs

During bullish market phases, upcoming ICOs attract overwhelming interest as investors chase the next big opportunity. Conversely, in bearish trends, even the best ICOs may struggle to gain traction.

2. Upcoming ICOs

Investors often flock to new ICO projects, driven by the greed for potential high returns. However, this greed can lead to poor choices if thorough research isn’t conducted.

3. ICO Calendars

Keeping an eye on the ICO calendar helps investors stay aware of upcoming opportunities, allowing them to manage emotions and alleviate fear during market downturns.

4. Token Launchpads

Launchpad platforms facilitate access to new projects, but they can also amplify fear and greed dynamics. Investors may rush into ICOs on launchpads without adequate due diligence.

Strategies to Manage Emotions in the Crypto Market

To effectively navigate the emotional highs and lows of the crypto market, consider these strategies:

Conduct Thorough Research Before participating in any upcoming ICO or IDO (Initial DEX Offering), gather all necessary cryptocurrency information. Analyze the project’s fundamentals, team, and roadmap to make informed choices.

Diversify Investments Spread your investments across multiple projects and upcoming IDOs to mitigate risk associated with individual assets.

Set Clear Goals Define your investment objectives and stick to them. Clear goals help you maintain focus amidst market fluctuations driven by fear and greed.

Use Tools Wisely Use tools like Metamask for secure transactions, and track airdrop opportunities with crypto airdrop calendars and alerts.

Upcoming Trends in 2024

Looking ahead to 2024, several trends are shaping the crypto landscape:

New IDO Projects

As decentralized finance (DeFi) continues to expand, upcoming IDOs are expected to gain significant traction. Staying updated on IDO launch schedules will be key for early participation.

Airdrop Campaigns

Free crypto airdrops offer opportunities for investors willing to engage with new projects. Following the latest crypto airdrops can yield substantial rewards with minimal risk.

Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs)

With growing interest in IEOs as a fundraising method, understanding the best IEO platforms will be crucial for identifying promising investment opportunities.

Conclusion

Understanding crypto market psychology — particularly the influence of fear and greed — can significantly enhance your investment strategy. By conducting thorough research, staying informed about upcoming ICOs and token sales, and using tools like launchpad platforms and airdrop calendars, you can navigate this unpredictable market more effectively. As 2024 approaches, being mindful of emerging trends will position you for success in the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrencies.

[ibrowandlashesau]

How to Prepare for Your First Eyelash Extensions: A Guide for Elsternwick Residents

Microblading has revolutionized the beauty industry, offering a semi-permanent solution to sparse, uneven, or thin eyebrows. The procedure involves using a fine blade to create hair-like strokes, depositing pigment into the skin for fuller, more defined brows. If you're considering microblading eyebrows in Elsternwick or any other location, understanding the healing process is essential. This article will cover everything you need to know about the microblading healing process, so you can prepare yourself for beautiful, long-lasting results.

The Microblading Healing Timeline

The healing process after microblading typically takes between 4-6 weeks. During this time, your skin will undergo several stages of healing, with variations in color, texture, and appearance. It's important to follow proper aftercare instructions and remain patient, as the final result will not be visible immediately after the procedure.

Day 1: Immediately After Microblading

Right after the procedure, your eyebrows may appear darker and bolder than you anticipated. This is normal. The color is more intense initially because of the fresh pigment sitting on the surface of the skin. Additionally, there may be some redness or mild swelling around the brows. This will subside within a few hours or days.

Days 2-5: Darkening and Scabbing

During the first few days post-microblading, the brows will continue to look dark and may even appear slightly thicker. This is the skin’s reaction to the pigment and the tiny micro-cuts made by the blade. Around the third or fourth day, you may notice light scabbing forming on the surface of the skin. Do not pick at these scabs, as it can cause uneven healing and even result in pigment loss.

Days 5-10: Flaking and Itching

As the scabs begin to peel away, your eyebrows will enter a flaky phase. This is completely normal, as the skin is healing and shedding the top layer that contains excess pigment. You might also experience itching, which is a sign that your skin is recovering. However, resist the urge to scratch or pick at your brows, as this can interfere with the healing process and may lead to patchy areas.

Days 10-14: Lightening Phase

After the scabbing and flaking phase, your eyebrows may appear much lighter than they did initially. This can be alarming, but don't worry—this is part of the healing process. The pigment takes time to settle into the skin, and what you see now is not the final result. Over the next few weeks, the color will gradually return to a more natural hue.

Days 15-30: Color Returning

By the third and fourth week, the pigment will have settled, and your brows will begin to take on their final color and shape. At this point, you will have a much better idea of how your brows will look long-term. If you notice any unevenness or areas where the pigment didn’t take as well, don't panic. A touch-up appointment is usually scheduled 4-6 weeks after the initial procedure to address any inconsistencies.

Microblading Aftercare Tips

Proper aftercare is crucial to ensure that your microblading heals well and that the pigment lasts as long as possible. Here are some essential aftercare tips to follow:

Avoid Getting Your Brows Wet: For the first 7-10 days, avoid getting your brows wet. This includes direct water exposure, steam, or sweating. Moisture can cause the pigment to fade prematurely and interfere with the healing process.

Keep the Area Clean and Dry: Use a clean, damp cotton pad to gently clean your brows twice a day, followed by applying a thin layer of the recommended ointment (if advised by your technician).

No Makeup or Skincare Products: Avoid applying makeup, lotions, or skincare products to your brows during the healing phase. These products can irritate the skin or cause infection.

Avoid Sun Exposure: Direct sun exposure can cause the pigment to fade. Wear a hat or sunglasses when going outside, and after your brows are fully healed, apply sunscreen to protect them from UV rays.

Don’t Pick or Scratch: It's tempting, but picking at scabs or flakes can lead to scarring or uneven healing. Let your brows heal naturally for the best results.

Final Results and Touch-Up

By the end of the 6-week healing period, your microblading results should be visible. However, most people will require a touch-up appointment to perfect the shape, color, and definition of their brows. This session ensures that any areas where pigment didn’t take fully are filled in, and it helps prolong the longevity of your microblading.

Conclusion

The healing process after microblading eyebrows in Elsternwick or anywhere else can feel lengthy and unpredictable, but it's important to trust the process. From the initial darkening to the lightening and eventual settling of the pigment, each stage plays a crucial role in achieving beautiful, long-lasting brows. By following your technician’s aftercare instructions and exercising patience, you’ll be rewarded with fuller, natural-looking eyebrows that enhance your appearance for up to two years.

Source: https://ibrowandlashesaus.blogspot.com/2024/10/how-to-prepare-for-your-first-eyelash.html

[zhangsanhzgb]

Market Environment

In the past 24 hours, many new hot currencies and topics have emerged in the market. These may become the focus of the next wealth opportunity, including:

Market Environment

In the past 24 hours, BTC prices have continued to fluctuate upward and are currently fluctuating around $59,000. According to data from Alternative.me, market sentiment shows that the panic index has dropped to 26, which is in a panic stage. At the same time, the total market open interest has increased by 3%, and the annualized contract funding rate for BTC and ETH is less than 5%, indicating that the intention of funds to rebound through contracts is becoming more and more obvious.

From a macro perspective, the Nasdaq futures index fluctuated slightly. The U.S. stock market was closed on Monday and is expected to remain volatile on Tuesday. Special attention should be paid to the inflow of funds into BTC and ETH ETFs on Tuesday to judge the recent market trend. In addition, the United States will release initial unemployment claims data on Thursday and unemployment rate data on Friday. These two data will become key indicators of the extent of the Fed's interest rate cut in September, and the market may fluctuate due to risk aversion.

### 2. Wealth-creating sector

1. **BTC Inscription Project (ORDI, SATS, RATS)**

- In the past 24 hours, BTC rebounded after hitting the support level of $57,000, rising by nearly 4%, driving the popularity of Inscription Ecological Assets to rise again. The open interest of ORDI, SATS, and RATS increased by 40%, 21%, and 16%, respectively, and a large influx of funds pushed up their prices. ORDI, SATS, and RATS increased by 21%, 15%, and 16%, respectively.

- **Influencing factors:**

- The trend of BTC prices is closely related to the continued popularity of inscription assets. If BTC can continue to maintain a phased rebound trend, it is recommended to increase or hold related inscription assets. In addition, continue to pay attention to the changes in the open interest of assets such as ORDI. If the open interest increases, it means that the capital inflow is still hot, and continuing to hold may benefit.

2. **Tomarket**

- **Project Background:** Tomarket is a Telegram Bot jointly incubated by Bitget Wallet and Foresight Ventures. Since its launch, it has gained wide community recognition. Its number of users has exceeded 18 million, and DAU has reached 6 million, and it is very likely to become the next market hotspot.

- **Market Performance:**

- **Twitter**: The project’s official Twitter account has 1.1 million followers, and a single tweet has over 800,000 views, demonstrating the market’s great attention.

- **Telegram**: The project has 7.5 million TG subscribers, and a single post has been viewed more than 3 million times, indicating good product quality.

- **Functional experience**: Users can obtain TOMATO points through sign-in, tasks, invitation and new members, etc.

### 3. User Hot Searches

1. Ethervista (VISTA)

- **Performance:** VISTA tokens surged 10 times yesterday. The project is positioned as a "new standard for DEX" and intends to challenge existing platforms such as Uniswap. In addition to decentralized trading functions, Ethervista also plans to launch undisclosed functions such as flash loans, futures contracts, and lending. The background of the project is suspected to be related to ETH's early whales and an assistant professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, which adds to the mystery.

2. IDEX & REEF

- **Search Trends:** IDEX is a hybrid liquidity decentralized exchange, while REEF is a Substrate-based Layer 1 blockchain. Despite no major announcements recently, REEF has risen by more than 30% in the past 24 hours, and market attention has increased.

- **Global hot search analysis:** Hot search terms in Europe and the United States are relatively scattered, with no particularly obvious hot spots; in Switzerland, France, Australia and other regions, tokens such as TRON, PEPE, and REEF are more popular.

### 4. Potential airdrop opportunities

1. Ethena

- **Event Information:** The second season of Ethena airdrop event has ended. The third season airdrop points will automatically start accumulating from September 2 and will last for 6 months. Users can obtain points in a variety of ways and finally claim ENA tokens on September 30.

2. **Pencils Protocol**

- **New round of financing:** Pencils Protocol announced that it has completed financing at a valuation of US$80 million, with investors including Taisu Ventures, DePIN X, etc. Users can earn points by staking assets in the farming section of Pencils, and participate in quarterly activities to get additional rewards.

**Disclaimer:** The market is risky and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute investment advice. Users should invest prudently according to their own circumstances. The consequences of any decision shall be borne by the user.

How to Buy BTC 

How to buy cryptocurrency on an exchange

Invest in BTC It has never been easier! Registering on an exchange, verifying your account, and paying by bank transfer, debit or credit card, with a secure cryptocurrency wallet, is the most widely accepted method of acquiring cryptocurrencies. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to buy cryptocurrency on an exchange.

Step 1: Register OKX (click the link to register)

You can register by email or phone number, then set a password and complete the verification to pass the registration.

Step 2: Identity verification - Submit KYC information to verify your identity

Please verify your identity to ensure full compliance and enhance your experience with full identity verification. You can go to the identity verification page, fill in your country, upload your ID, and submit your selfie. You will receive a notification once your ID has been successfully verified, bind your bank card or credit card and start transactions.

[tyjkkvape]

How To Use The Smoking Pipe

Over the years, I have dabbled with several forms of smoking including cigarettes, cigars, and even hookahs (don't ask about that phase!). Still, I hadn't bothered to sample a pipe. I always figured pipes belonged to bearded professors or fictional detectives, Maybe it's because I loved watching detective movies too much when I was a kid.Then, out of the blue, for my birthday, my friend Jack handed me the most beautiful hand-carved wooden pipe. I stumbled! I became intrigued by this beautiful pipe.I really became excited to try it. Reeled in were the silky smooth texture and deep woodsy scent. Still, I soon discovered I was a complete pipe newb! I laughed, not sure what I was doing.I so entered a research frenzy, viewing vintage films and learning techniques (don't criticize, it helped!). I at last got the hang of it after some trial and error. Whew!I now want to share with all you other piping rookies out there my hard-earned pipe-smoking techniques and suggestions. Together, we'll soon be professionals! Let us get on.

What accessories are needed for using a pipe, such as pipe cleaners, tampers, lighters, etc? How do you use these accessories properly?

Pipe peeps, let's dish on all the pipe accessories as I was startled at the number of tools required for this pastime! When I initially started smoking, I honestly thought all I needed was some tobacco and a pipe. Rookie's error! But after regularly polishing the pipe, I came to see smoking a pipe is like preparing a gourmet cuisine; you need the proper instruments to make it really perfect.First of importance are pipe cleaners. A must-have to maintain your pipe perfect following every usage! Then there's the tamper, a clever instrument like a little pestle (not lying, initially I assumed it was a tiny magic wand - how awesome would that be?). As it happens, though, it's utilized to pack the tobacco down.Actually, these instruments are more than simply extras. Proper use of them will transform your pipe game from a heated mess into a leisure activity.So listen up pipe pals - before firing up your pipe, get prepped with these tools. Then we can start smoking our pipe elegantly!

How do you use a pipe for beginners?

Alright, fellow pipe novices, let's learn the art of properly using this magnificent smoking pipe without fumbling as I did on my first trip. I promise, the correct approach will change your experience!First of importance: preliminary work. If you recently acquired a brand-new pipe, here's an expert tip: before adding any tobacco, lightly cover the bowl's inside with a small quantity of honey. This tiny method produces an inner black carbon "cake" layer. Good smoking depends on this cake, buddies.Regarding tobacco packaging, there is a technique to this craziness! Personally I suggest the "three-layer" or "three-two" approach. Here's how: Tobacco should first be filled in the bowl; then, softly three times, pushing harder each time, tamp it down. Trying to suck air through the pipe should cause resistance like to sipping a thick milkshake. If the draw is either too simple or difficult, empty and restart. Trust me; this phase is well worth the work.Good packing and preparation will enable you to puff like a professional! So don't worry new pipe friends; simply follow these guidelines and you'll be smoking in fashion right away.

What is the proper lighting technique for a pipe?

Instead of the Bic lighter, get a couple of wooden matches. Move the flame across the bowl's surface and give soft puffs. The tobacco normally rises and then declines. There's no reason to panic! This first lighting is described as "charring," or "ghost." Keep lighting more matches till the tobacco stays lit. In this situation, it would be advisable to go slowly. Don't puff too eagerly, or you'll end up with a hot, tongue-biting smoke.As you smoke, you'll need to tamp down the tobacco occasionally. Use a gentle touch, like you're reassuring it rather than squashing it. If your pipe goes out, don't fret. Relighting is all part of the experience.

How do you avoid tongue bite and keep the pipe lit?

Many novice puffers have suffered the dreaded tongue bite from smoking; that uncomfortable stinging is not just from the tobacco but also from your technique. The secret is chillax here! Instead of drinking a beer, take gentle, occasional breaths as you would be sipping a delicious whiskey. Fast, strong puffs will burn your tongue and intense and bitter tobacco flavor will result.For easy sailing, try "breath smoking". Rather than wild puffing, simply breathe naturally with the pipe in your mouth. Breathe through your nose, let the smoke softly enter your mouth, then softly expel. This lessens tongue biting and keeps the burn mild.Now for the bothersome pipe keeping lighted. Correct packing is crucial; keep in mind our discussion of the "three-layer method". A tight bowl packs longer-lasting even burns.Furthermore important in the tobacco is moisture content. Too damp; it won't stay lighted properly. For that perfect dryness, let the tobacco air out 15 to 30 minutes before packing.In addition, you can also experiment with a Churchwarden, a long-stemmed pipe, like I did. Longer stems cool the smoke to provide more evenly flavored puffs.With the right tools and methods, you will definitely become a pipe master like me in no time! Read the full article

[ajentmm]

Princess of Bern Weapon Refine Theorycraft

Okay, so . . . Princess of Bern banner. The last Binding Blade banner we got was March of 2019, so it was about time. It featured fan favorite characters like Guinivere, Melady, Dieck, and . . . Merlinus.

Merlinus: Pherae's Clerk

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 50/20/35/31/27               Max Invest: 59/28/44/40/35

Smoke Dagger+: After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-6 on foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions. (after refining)

Reposition – Wings of Mercy 3 – Distant Guard 3

Merlinus, who is a recruitable unit, but not necessarily playable, as he served as the “all-important” convoy, with no abilities outside of this. In Binding Blade, he had a horse and trolly, and in Blazing Blade, he had to promote to get the ability to move. Maybe if he could rescue and transport allies like the wagons in Wargroove, he’d have more utility. Needless to say, he is a joke in FEH character. With the lowest Atk in the game, his benefits come from his calvary movement pair with his weapon, the smoke dagger, which attacks at a distant and debuffs enemies for your allies to help. This is the goal, make a character that you benefit having on the team, without them actually attacking.

Merchant’s Virtue: At start of turn, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+6, "neutralizes unit's penalties during combat," and [Null Panic] to unit and allies with HP < unit’s HP for 1 turn. At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit during combat. After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-6 on foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions.

This is basically Gerik’s weapon, just without the Pulse ability and the additional Def/Res. He also keeps the Smoke Dagger ability. This makes him a great counter for beginners against the onslaught of de-buffers we get.

If a movement Assist skill (like Reposition, Shove, Pivot, etc.) is used by unit or targets unit, grant [Canto (1)] and [Bonus Doubler] to unit and target ally or unit and targeting ally for 1 turn. If unit initiates combat or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit, and also, if unit’s Atk < foe’s Atk - 5, foe cannot counterattack.

Since Merlinus has Reposition, I thought of giving him a Link skill, but since he is already giving +6 to all stats, I had to give bonus statuses. So, I when with Bonus Doubler and Canto (1) cuz . . . That’s what Legendary Eliwood grants, and he and Merlinus share a connection. The issue is it works like a Link skill, so it will cost Merlinus his turn or someone moving him. Of course, there would be no way for him to really fight in combat, and you likely got this refine effect for him to fight in combat somewhat. So I thought, just give him Windsweep but make it so he needs less Atk than his opponent, which is basically guaranteed.

Melady: Crimson Rider

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 41/40/33/41/17               Max Invest: 50/49/41/50/25

Instant Lance+: If unit initiates combat, grants Atk/Def+4 during combat and foe cannot make a follow-up attack.

Bonfire – Atk/Def Solo 4 – Wyvern Flight

M’lady. I honestly have no opinion on her as a character from her own game, so he’s just another flying lance hero.

Ah, Wyvern Flight, the worst version of an already worst skill Pegasus Flight. A majority of heroes you will face have high Spd or Def, and beating both of those takes effort, rather than beating Res. Not to mention, those with low Def are going to die easily to your lance, since those trading Def for Res tend to lack HP or Damage Reduction on enemy phase. The exception to this are dragon shapeshifters, but they don’t so much trade Def for Res but have slightly more stats to put into both. This skill is basically to bully mages and mage killing archers and thieves. Melady is built for this skill, with her max invested being beaten by Arion, Jill, and of course, Spring! Maria and Rosado. The last two introduced new upgrades to Wyvern themed B-slots, with Flow Flight and Wyvern Rift. Wyvern Rift grants true damage, and true damage reduction, guaranteed follow-up, prevent follow-up, and a special effect the necessary amount of Spd the foe must be over be 25 from the unit’s Spd. If you gave that skill to Melady, she would get all this if the foe has less than 103 Spd and Def combine, she gets all the benefits. The foe would need 66 Spd (or inflicts more Spd penalties) and has NFU, then they can double her. So . . . why does her weapon already prevent follow-up attacks?

Wyvern Lance: If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-4 on foe and neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat, and also, if unit's Def > foe's Def, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 4 (max 40%).

At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-4 on foe and neutralizes effects that grant "Special cooldown charge +X" to foe or inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit during combat, and also, if unit's attack can trigger unit's Special and unit's Spd+Def ≥ foe's Spd+Def-5 during combat (excluding effects from【Phantom】), grants Special cooldown count-2 to unit before unit's first attack during combat. At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, restores 7 HP to unit after combat.

I am going to be real with you. I just give her a re-flavoured Airborne Spear from Fiora. This weapon does still pair well with Wyvern Rift, with no overlapping effects, so I hope it works well.

Dieck: Wounded Tiger

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 40/40/35/36/25               Max Invest: 49/49/43/45/33

Tiger-Roar Axe: Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit initiates combat or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 during combat, and also, at start of combat, if foe's HP = 100%, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Luna – Close Def 4 – Null Follow-Up 3 – Threat. Atk/Def 3

Another Axe bro, but at least he’s a 5 star with a perf to work with. Dieck is here with a NFU Guaranteed-follow-up combo, just like our above Wyvern Rift Melady. His weapon is very similar to Arcane Weapons; it’s just missing 2 more effects and has one unnecessary condition. Let’s spruce it up now.

Tiger-Roar Axe: Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit initiates combat or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+X during combat (X = 5 + damage dealt to unit at the start of combat, Max 14, if foe’s HP = 100%, X = 14), unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack, and foe cannot make a follow-up attack.

So I when with, the omni breaker effect, but I included the berserker effect that comes from the wounded tiger. If he has 9 or more damage at the start of combat, he gets 14. If the foe has 100% HP, he still gets 14, just cuz I know damaging yourself for bonuses is something FEH has been shifting away from. This is just my bandage to it.

At start of combat, if foe initiates combat or foe’s HP ≥ 75%, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-4 on foe, reduce damage from foe’s first attack by 40% (brave exception*), and neutralizes effects that grant "Special cooldown charge +X" to foe or inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit during combat, and also, if unit's attack can trigger unit's Special, grants Special cooldown count-X to unit before unit's first attack during combat (if unit’s HP X ≤ 75%, X = 3, if unit’s HP ≤ 99%, X = 2, otherwise X = 1)

And to continue with this trend, he gets Tempo, 40% damage reduction on first hit(s), and special jump. Most of the time, it will be Special Jump of 1, but if you do have some damage, it’s 2, if it’s 10-12 HP below the max, it’s 3, which is a little extra to by past Scowl effect. I when with X% DR instead of TDR because then there’s a better chance of getting that 1 chip damage for the Special Jump.

Guinivere: Princess of Bern

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 36/35/40/16/38               Max Invest: 45/43/49/24/47

Aureola: Effective against magic foes. Grants Res+3. If unit initiates combat or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Res+5 and disables foe's skills that "calculate damage using the lower of foe's Def or Res" during combat. Restores 7 HP to unit and allies within 2 spaces after combat.

Iceberg – Atk/Res Push 4 – Lull Atk/Res 3 – Joint Drive Res

Guinivere, an NPC who is unobtainable in the game, but can be played with in trial maps. She was unlockable after beating the game nine times. This was what replay-ability was back then. She’s got a tome that is effective against mages, making her a mage killer mage. Since Guinivere got a Legendary Alt, this will be easy.

Aureola: Effective against magic foes. Grants Res+3. If unit initiates combat or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Res+5 and disables foe’s skills that “calculate damage using the lower of foe’s Def or Res” during combat. Restores 7 HP to unit and allies within 3 spaces after combat.

At the start of combat, if unit’s HP ≥25%, grant Atk/Spd/Res+5 to unit, deal damage = 20% of unit’s Res (excluding area-of-effect Specials), reduce damage from foe’s attacks by 20% of unit’s Res (excluding area-of-effect Specials), and grant Special cooldown charge+1 per attack (does not stack, maximum value only).

What does she and her Legendary Alt share: They have TD and TRD based on her Res. (At max investment they both have 47 Res for 9 TD and TRD at base). They heal allies for 7 HP after combat. They have Special cooldown charage+1. They remove the adaptive damage effect.

What her Legendary Alt has over this version: Accelerate Special trigger. 10 Def in combat, Special cooldown -1 on foe, and the benefits that come from being a Legendary, including a future refine and remix. Cool? Cool.

Galle: Azure Rider

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 46/38/22/38/28               Max Invest: 55/47/30/47/36

Guard Lance+: Inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack during combat. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Dragon Fang – Brazen Atk/Def 3 – Odd Atk Wave 3

Well, we got Seteth a while back, so I guess it was back to status quo. Galle’s lance is very simple so I’m just going to say, “It should include Guard” and go with it.

Other Wyvern Lance: Flying allies within 2 spaces of unit can move to a space within 2 spaces of unit. At start of turn, if unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Def+6 and the following effects and to unit and flying allies within 3 spaces of unit for 1 turn.  "If unit initiates combat, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack", "Foe cannot make a follow-up attack." If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 and inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack during combat.

Very original names, I know. This lance was stemmed from his appearance as a reinforcement enemy with a group of wyverns. Ambush spawn! So I gave him a weapon similar to Legendary Elincia’s C slot, Heart of Crimea, combined with Hardin’s Coyote's Lance. He is unfortunately getting follow-up attacks only when initiating, but Atk/Def+6 and omni breaker to himself and flying allies is great, especially for slower fliers or flies without NFU. And of course, Guard and +4 to all stats.

At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit, reduces damage from foe's first attack by X% during combat (if foe can make a follow-up attack, X = 80; otherwise, X = 40), and reduces damage from foe's follow-up attack by 40% during combat ("first attack" normally means only the first strike; for effects that grant "unit attacks twice," it means the first and second strikes), and unit's next attack deals damage = 40% of foe's attack damage prior to reductions (resets at end of combat; only highest value applied; does not stack).

Of course, when the foe does have NFU, you have DR, similarly, to Weaving Fighter, and Damage Reflection, like that on Hans. Hopefully the foe also doesn’t have Phy. NFU or a DR Piercing Special.

Well. . . That’s it. Bye.