#food and energy capsules

[sw5w]

Qui-Gon on the Offensive

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 01:55:51

[neverendingford]

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[jcmarchi]

Repurposed beer yeast may offer a cost-effective way to remove lead from water

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/repurposed-beer-yeast-may-offer-a-cost-effective-way-to-remove-lead-from-water/

Repurposed beer yeast may offer a cost-effective way to remove lead from water

Every year, beer breweries generate and discard thousands of tons of surplus yeast. Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech have now come up with a way to repurpose that yeast to absorb lead from contaminated water.

Through a process called biosorption, yeast can quickly absorb even trace amounts of lead and other heavy metals from water. The researchers showed that they could package the yeast inside hydrogel capsules to create a filter that removes lead from water. Because the yeast cells are encapsulated, they can be easily removed from the water once it’s ready to drink.

“We have the hydrogel surrounding the free yeast that exists in the center, and this is porous enough to let water come in, interact with yeast as if they were freely moving in water, and then come out clean,” says Patricia Stathatou, a former postdoc at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, who is now a research scientist at Georgia Tech and an incoming assistant professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. “The fact that the yeast themselves are bio-based, benign, and biodegradable is a significant advantage over traditional technologies.”

The researchers envision that this process could be used to filter drinking water coming out of a faucet in homes, or scaled up to treat large quantities of water at treatment plants.

MIT graduate student Devashish Gokhale and Stathatou are the lead authors of the study, which appears today in the journal RSC Sustainability. Patrick Doyle, the Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, is the senior author of the paper, and Christos Athanasiou, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech and a former visiting scholar at MIT, is also an author.

Absorbing lead

The new study builds on work that Stathatou and Athanasiou began in 2021, when Athanasiou was a visiting scholar at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms. That year, they calculated that waste yeast discarded from a single brewery in Boston would be enough to treat the city’s entire water supply.

Through biosorption, a process that is not fully understood, yeast cells can bind to and absorb heavy metal ions, even at challenging initial concentrations below 1 part per million. The MIT team found that this process could effectively decontaminate water with low concentrations of lead. However, one key obstacle remained, which was how to remove yeast from the water after they absorb the lead.

In a serendipitous coincidence, Stathatou and Athanasiou happened to present their research at the AIChE Annual Meeting in Boston in 2021, where Gokhale, a student in Doyle’s lab, was presenting his own research on using hydrogels to capture micropollutants in water. The two sets of researchers decided to join forces and explore whether the yeast-based strategy could be easier to scale up if the yeast were encapsulated in hydrogels developed by Gokhale and Doyle.

“What we decided to do was make these hollow capsules — something like a multivitamin pill, but instead of filling them up with vitamins, we fill them up with yeast cells,” Gokhale says. “These capsules are porous, so the water can go into the capsules and the yeast are able to bind all of that lead, but the yeast themselves can’t escape into the water.”

The capsules are made from a polymer called polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is widely used in medical applications. To form the capsules, the researchers suspend freeze-dried yeast in water, then mix them with the polymer subunits. When UV light is shone on the mixture, the polymers link together to form capsules with yeast trapped inside.

Each capsule is about half a millimeter in diameter. Because the hydrogels are very thin and porous, water can easily pass through and encounter the yeast inside, while the yeast remain trapped.

In this study, the researchers showed that the encapsulated yeast could remove trace lead from water just as rapidly as the unencapsulated yeast from Stathatou and Athanasiou’s original 2021 study.

Scaling up

Led by Athanasiou, the researchers tested the mechanical stability of the hydrogel capsules and found that the capsules and the yeast inside can withstand forces similar to those generated by water running from a faucet. They also calculated that the yeast-laden capsules should be able to withstand forces generated by flows in water treatment plants serving several hundred residences.

“Lack of mechanical robustness is a common cause of failure of previous attempts to scale-up biosorption using immobilized cells; in our work we wanted to make sure that this aspect is thoroughly addressed from the very beginning to ensure scalability,” Athanasiou says.

After assessing the mechanical robustness of the yeast-laden capsules, the researchers constructed a proof-of-concept packed-bed biofilter, capable of treating trace lead-contaminated water and meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water guidelines while operating continuously for 12 days.

This process would likely consume less energy than existing physicochemical processes for removing trace inorganic compounds from water, such as precipitation and membrane filtration, the researchers say.

This approach, rooted in circular economy principles, could minimize waste and environmental impact while also fostering economic opportunities within local communities. Although numerous lead contamination incidents have been reported in various locations in the United States, this approach could have an especially significant impact in low-income areas that have historically faced environmental pollution and limited access to clean water, and may not be able to afford other ways to remediate it, the researchers say.

“We think that there’s an interesting environmental justice aspect to this, especially when you start with something as low-cost and sustainable as yeast, which is essentially available anywhere,” Gokhale says.

The researchers are now exploring strategies for recycling and replacing the yeast once they’re used up, and trying to calculate how often that will need to occur. They also hope to investigate whether they could use feedstocks derived from biomass to make the hydrogels, instead of fossil-fuel-based polymers, and whether the yeast can be used to capture other types of contaminants.

“Moving forward, this is a technology that can be evolved to target other trace contaminants of emerging concern, such as PFAS or even microplastics,” Stathatou says. “We really view this as an example with a lot of potential applications in the future.”

The research was funded by the Rasikbhai L. Meswani Fellowship for Water Solutions, the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), and the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech.

[brewingcoffi]

UNDERTALE: YELLOW ‘REVIVED! CLOVER’ AU

PART 1

Explanation:

AS WE CAN TELL BY THE CUTSCENES, THAT DYING WITHOUT A SOUL ISNT IMMEDIATE. but slowly, it sorta drains away your energy, but seeing that Clover was literally hunched down during Floweys speech before having ENOUGH energy to drag themselves to position their last death place shows how REALLY strong Clover is. So, assuming that they DIDNT immediately passed away after they positioned themselves for prob a few last breath minutes really made me think.

What if Flowey decided to still keep Clover? They were ‘pals’ Yeah. Flowey decided to let them rest… BBBBBut, what if before Clover used their last breath. Floweys forced a TINY ounce of his determination into them. Making Clover a sort of a walking dying corpse.

Nevertheless, since it is shown that Clover has enough energy to drag themselves without their soul. In their now revived state, they can do simple movements by themselves. It’s just their legs can't balance anymore due to a lack of soul energy, so Flowey helps them with their balance and movements by being their support via using Vines as body strings.

Flowey and Them DO meet Frisk at some point,

Clover genuinely looks so tired which make sense because they literally got their energy sucked out after they lost their soul. Clover now has to drink ANY energy giving drinks or they barely functions for 2 hours (Forced to drink coffee.)

Character Info:

Clover & Flowey

Due to Clover's SOUL already being taken Encased in a capsule (Takes places during OG Undertale.)

Flowey mostly ‘Helps’ with their movements since without a soul, their control over their body are VERY WEAK. Revived! Clover can’t do Shit. Only thinks and blinks (But has enough energy to speak simple words.) of course, they can move their arms with any leftover weak energy. but it will never be enough to resists Flowey's control over their movement and actions.

I also wanted to add a detail that the vines will extend more rapidly and secure/support more, depending on what body part(s) Clover is going to use more effortly just incase of Clover was caught in a fight.

Qna questions that are answered for the lore of this AU:

Question 1. You think the lack of a soul might cause empathy/emotion issues like with flowey? Imagine flowey teaching clover to cope with it.

Answer:

“The answer is, Yeah! But, I have a feeling or a (hc of course) that it still has same affect upon losing your soul, slowly but surely. It would take Clover a few days or maybe one month in the underground to suddenly lose their concept of emotions, since like what happened after they lost their soul.

But Clover probably "tries' to hold onto their emotions to as long as possible, to make sure they don't ended up like flowey (I like to think that they slowly soon starts to act semi-like their genocide counterpart; ruthless and bold.)”

Question 2. Wondering how their friends would interact with how... "kind of alive" their body is. Or heck, how they and their friends would interact with the undertale cast.

Before the aftermath, how would Clover "kind-of live" in the underground? With all of the emotionlessness consuming their days, would they act like some kind of cryptid since they don't want their friends to see them as this... soulless shell.

Answer:

1.) I bet they would interact with Clover by treating them like a glass child (Which would start A LOT of conflicts, especially when the side effect of being soulless could affect their moral Justice as well.), and for the UT cast, it depends on your idea!

2.) Clover went into hiding and lived off caffeine and energy drinks(Or leftover food from their inventory.) But, Flowey being their pal would probably give them food if they don't, And Yeah! Clover became this ‘Cryptic entity’ that tends to lurk around where ‘Injustice or corruption’ happens. I like to see Clover, before the emotionlessness began; Was that Clover USED to be this ‘Peacekeeper’ vigilante. Relating to them acting like this ‘Cryptic’ due to them. Even in OG Undertale, I like to imagine that Clover appears for a short period of time and disappears from Frisk point of view(Like that Flowey Easter egg from the OG UT.)

Question 3. does clover tell flowey what limb or does flowey just know?

Answer:

Well, they used The first one, but until a few days or weeks, they’ve gotten used to it, so Flowey now just knows.

4. What exactly WAS flowey's plan for Clover

Answer:

The only logical and ‘in-character’ thought I had of Flowey’s plan; was that Flowey was going to use Clover against or perhaps use Clover as bait/trick the last human child, and help kill King Asgore. Which backfired.

And I also realized that Clover no longer has their Gun, so I wanted to give Clover a weapon to help ppl while also defending themselves. (Clover is used to range, so they probably suck-ass on melee weapons.)

[disciplined-cornfed]

Rome wasn't built in a day

Alex had never expected his college life to take this kind of turn. He’d moved to New York for school, planning to live on campus like most students, but when he found a better deal on an off-campus apartment that financial aid would cover, he jumped on it. The apartment was in a decent neighborhood, close to the subway, and the landlord didn’t ask too many questions. Seemed like a win.

What he hadn’t planned on, though, was Frank—his new roommate.

Frank was… something else. The guy was like a time capsule from a decade ago, straight out of Jersey Shore. From the gelled-back hair, the deep tan, ridiculous yelling at football and ufc matches every weekend, the flashy chains, to the relentless love of tank tops and gold watches. Alex wasn’t sure if Frank was for real or if this was just an elaborate, extended joke.

But here’s the thing: despite his douchey exterior, Frank was actually a pretty nice guy. Sure, he blasted club music at ungodly hours and flexed in the mirror every time he passed it, but Frank was always chill. He’d offer Alex food whenever he cooked, made sure the apartment was clean, and always gave him a heads-up when he had people over. Plus, Frank clearly knew what he was doing in the gym. The guy was shredded, and Alex had to admit, Frank’s discipline when it came to his diet and workout routine was impressive.

It didn’t take long before Alex’s curiosity got the best of him.

One day, after weeks of seeing Frank pound protein shakes and head to the gym religiously, Alex asked him for some advice. He had always been a casual gym-goer, but seeing Frank’s dedication made him wonder if he could up his own game.

“Yo, Frank,” Alex said one afternoon as they sat in the living room. “What do you usually eat for those gains, man? And how do you stay so consistent?”

Frank grinned, pausing the DJ Pauly D remix playing on his speakers. “Bro, it’s all about focus foods and the right lifts. Stick to lean meats, eggs, beans, lots of veggies. And you gotta hit the weights hard. No shortcuts.”

Alex nodded, scribbling down some notes on his phone. “Got any recommendations? Like content or something I can watch?”

Frank’s grin grew wider. “Oh, for sure. I’ll send you some stuff. There’s Dom Mazzetti, Vinny Guadagnino—some good shit, bro. But hey, I’ll send you my playlist too. Got a WAV file I use at the gym that keeps me hyped.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “A playlist?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Frank said, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s got some fire tracks. Also, I threw in some personal affirmations underneath it, helps me stay focused during my lifts. You probably won’t even notice them, but they help, bro. Trust me.”

Alex wasn’t really buying into the whole “subliminal affirmation” thing. It sounded like some weird self-help nonsense. But Frank was shredded, and if these little tricks worked for him, maybe they were worth a shot.

Later that evening, Alex plugged in his headphones and hit play on Frank’s WAV file. It started with “Lucky, Lucky, Lucky Me”—a male cover that felt oddly calming. The song transitioned into upbeat remixes like “Fireball” and other club tracks that seemed to pump adrenaline into his veins. Somewhere in between, Sinatra’s smooth voice made an appearance, bringing a strange, nostalgic energy to the mix.

As the playlist played, Alex caught faint whispers beneath the music—barely noticeable. “You love the gym. You crave the weights. Tanning makes you feel amazing. You rep the Italian pride with every lift.”

He chuckled to himself. This subliminal shit can’t be real, he thought. But, whatever—Frank swears by it.

The playlist ended with “Lucky, Lucky Me” again, and as Alex dozed off that night, the tune echoed faintly in his head.

The changes didn’t happen overnight, but as the days went by, Alex began to notice subtle differences. It started with his workouts. He’d always been someone who worked out occasionally, but now there was something different. One morning, as he walked past the gym on his way to class, he felt an urge—a need to lift. It wasn’t just about getting in shape anymore. Something about the weights called to him, pulling him in.

He ended up inside, grabbing a set of dumbbells and diving into a full workout. By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat, but instead of feeling exhausted, he felt exhilarated. There was a rush—an energy that coursed through him, leaving him wanting more.

From that point on, the gym became part of his daily routine. At first, he didn’t even realize it was happening. He started following Frank’s tips—lifting heavier, focusing on compound movements, and pushing himself harder with each session. His muscles responded quickly, growing faster than they ever had before. His shirts started to fit tighter, hugging his chest and arms in ways they never had before. Every time he looked in the mirror, he couldn’t help but flex, admiring his progress.

It wasn’t just the gym either. One afternoon, Alex caught himself in front of the bathroom mirror, noticing how pale his skin looked under the fluorescent lights. Without thinking much of it, he booked an appointment at the tanning salon down the street. After his first session, he looked at himself in the mirror, marveling at the golden glow on his skin. It made him feel good, confident—like he was stepping into a new version of himself.

Tanning became part of his routine, just like the gym. He started looking forward to that golden glow, the way it made his muscles stand out more, and how it just felt right.

One weekend, Alex found himself wandering into a clothing store, drawn to a section of tank tops with bold prints—Italian flags, American flags, vibrant colors that screamed confidence. He picked up a few without thinking twice, the fabric feeling perfect against his newly defined arms. When he got home and slipped into one of the tanks, he stood in front of the mirror, flexing his biceps. The tank hugged his body in all the right places, and as he admired his reflection, a grin spread across his face.

Damn, I look good.

It wasn’t just the clothes that made him feel this way—it was the pride, the feeling of representing his heritage with every lift, every flex. It felt right.

The most surprising change came with his voice. At first, it was barely noticeable—a slight shift in his accent, a few new words slipping into his vocabulary. But as the weeks went on, the transformation in his speech became undeniable. His voice took on a thicker Jersey inflection, and words like “bro” and “yo” started slipping out naturally, almost without him realizing it. He spoke with more confidence, more swagger, his words carrying a weight that hadn’t been there before.

He even noticed how loud he’d become, but it wasn’t obnoxious—it felt like he was owning the room. His friends started to comment on it, but Alex didn’t mind. It felt like the way he was supposed to talk, like his voice was finally matching the rest of his transformation.

One night, Alex found himself scrolling through YouTube, where he came across a Dom Mazzetti video. He clicked on it, expecting to laugh at the over-the-top persona, but something else happened. As Dom joked about gym culture, diet, and lifting, Alex found himself nodding along, relating to the lifestyle. The gym wasn’t just a place to work out anymore—it was part of who he was becoming.

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Alex’s days revolved around the gym, tanning, and repping his heritage with pride. He found himself following more content creators who embodied the same mindset—guys who lived for the grind, the lifts, and the pride in who they were.

His roommate Frank noticed the changes, too. “Bro, you’re looking jacked,” Frank said one afternoon as Alex flexed in the mirror before heading out to the gym. “You flexing the gains hard now.”

Alex grinned, running a hand through his hair, which he’d started gelling back every morning. “Yeah, man. It just feels right, you know?”

Frank clapped him on the shoulder, a proud smirk on his face. “Told ya. Once you get in the groove, there’s no going back. You’re one of us now, bro. Tanning, lifting, and heritage. Welcome to the crew.”

Alex chuckled, feeling Frank’s words sink in. Wasn’t just about the workouts or the diet no more. It was the whole package—the attitude, the pride, the way he carried himself. He’d become confident, bold, and unapologetic. The gym had become his temple, and every flex in the mirror, every perfectly tanned muscle, reminded him of how far he’d come.

He spoke with more confidence now, his voice carrying a thick Jersey accent that seemed to come naturally. Words like “bro” and “yo” slipped out effortlessly, and he found himself embracing the louder, more assertive side of himself. Even his walk had changed—there was more swagger, more presence.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks later, Alex and Frank were sitting in the living room, scrolling through profiles of potential new roommates. Their lease was ending soon, and they needed to find someone to fill the third room. Frank leaned back in his chair, sipping a protein shake as he swiped through a list of candidates.

“Yo, check this one out,” Alex said, pausing on a profile. “Marco Ricci. Italian last name.”

Frank raised an eyebrow and leaned in, studying the screen. “Oh shit, an Italian? That’s promising.”

They opened Marco’s profile, but instead of seeing someone flexing or rocking a tan, Marco looked... pretty regular. He wasn’t out of shape, but he wasn’t exactly lifting heavy either. Pale, with a pretty average physique, he was the kind of guy who didn’t seem to spend much time at the gym. His shirt was plain, and his expression, while friendly, was far from the confident swagger Alex and Frank had come to expect in their circle.

Alex chuckled, nudging Frank. “Dude’s kinda pasty, huh?”

Frank smirked. “Yeah, bro. Definitely needs some work. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know? He’s got the Italian blood—that’s what counts. We can mold him.”

Alex nodded, his mind already racing. Marco might not be there yet, but with the right guidance, who knows? The guy had potential. He just needed some direction.

“Yeah,” Alex said, swiping right on Marco’s profile. “We’ll get him there. If he’s down to move in, I have the perfect playlist in mind."

Frank chuckled deeply, shaking his head. “Bro, he won’t know what hit him.”

Alex grinned, flexing in the mirror nearby. “Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?”

Frank laughed again, raising his protein shake in a mock toast. “Damn straight, bro."

WANNA BECOME A GUIDO FOR REAL? Try this subliminal:

Guido Subliminal (Accent, Mindset, Discipline, Extreme Confidence)

[lilyaliceanne282]

How I lost 20+ lbs in 28 days

I can't guarantee this will work for everyone and it's certainly not healthy so I would not recommend this to anyone, but it got me down 20 lbs in the past 28 days.

I started at 200 lbs on August 22, and as of September 18, am 173 lbs. While this is technically 26 lbs, I believe that the first day's weight loss was water weight. So, I'm estimating my weightloss to have begun at 194 lbs. During this time, I did not do anything out of the ordinary for myself with regards to exercise. I did try to aim to drink at least half my body weight in ounces per day.

Week One: August 22-28

August 22, I started off at 1167 cal, 200/195 lbs.

August 23, I dropped down to 691 cal, 193 lbs.

August 24, I fasted, 192 lbs.

August 25, 353 cal, 190 lbs.

August 26, 550 cal, 188 lbs.

August 27, I allowed myself an allowance day, 2005 cal, 187 lbs.

August 28, I fasted to balance out the day before. No change in weight.

I averaged at about 602 cal/day, and a weight loss of 8 lbs for the week. I believe that this first week allowed for more pounds to be dropped due to a drastic change in my diet, before I had been maintaining weight only.

Week Two: August 29-September 4

August 29, 832 cal, 186 lbs.

August 30, 597 cal, no weightloss.

August 31, 423 cal, no weightloss.

Sep. 1, 410 cal, 184 lbs.

Sep. 2, yet another allowance day but decreased the allowance to less than 2000 cal, ended up being 1845 cal, 183 lbs.

Sep. 3, 485 cal, no weightloss.

Sep. 4, 386 cal, 182 lbs.

I averaged in at 711 cal/day, with a weight loss of 4 lbs. I started taking a multivitamin on September 2 along with a biotin capsule. As well I began to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, this allows for more food intake with less calories.

Week Three: September 5-11

Sep. 5, 584 cal, 182 lbs.

Sep. 6, 498 cal, no weightloss.

Sep. 7, this is an allowance day, I put my intake limit at 1600, but consumed 1139, 180 lbs.

Sep. 8, this was another allowance day, roughly estimated at 1600 cal, no weightloss.

Sep. 9, I fasted after two high calorie days, no weightloss.

Sep. 10, 610 cal, 179 lbs.

Sep. 11, 503 cal, no weightloss.

This week I averaged in at 704 cal/day with a weight loss of 3 lbs.

Week Four: September 12-18

Sep. 12, 694 cals, 177 lbs.

Sep. 13, 228 cals, no weightloss.

Sep. 14, this is an allowance day, ~1562 cal, 176 lbs.

Sep. 15, 243 cal, no weightloss.

Sep. 16, I fasted, no weightloss.

Sep. 17, 242 cal, 174 lbs.

Sep. 18, fasted, 173 lbs.

This week I averaged in at 424 cal/day, with a weight loss of 4 lbs.

September 13, I put myself on a 3500 cal per week limit, I feel as if this would allow for me to continue to lose more than 2 lbs per week, and if I keep my daily intake beneath 300, I can still have cheat days/metabolism days.

On some of the days that I ate more than 400 cal, I split my cal into different meals so I could eat throughout the day. I started doing this on Sep.5, 6, 12 and 13. I found this allowed for a surplus in energy as well as allowed for my metabolism to kickstart a little bit. I found no reliable pattern of weightloss on/after the days that I consumed more protein as opposed to carbs and fat, however I will continue to stick with uping my intake of protein as this does allow for me to feel more full throughout the day.

I plan to undertake several more trial and error studies with regards to my weight loss journey, with heavy emphasis on a low-calorie diet and plant-based foods, as well as meat sporadically, until I find the perfect plan for myself.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Playbook: How To Look More Expensive & Elevate Your Aura

Looking expensive or 'rich' is all about investing in yourself, your appearance, how you carry yourself, and not shying away from signature details or indulgences. Here are some tips to level up your look and demeanor to feel high-class in your daily life – no matter how much money you want to spend in these life arenas.

Appearance:

Prioritize Proper Grooming: Always looking clean and put-together is the ultimate sign of class. Shower daily. Brush, and take care of your teeth. Wash your hair on a regular schedule. Never allow your hair to look greasy – brush and blow dry it regularly. Cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize every inch of your face and body. Perform your skincare routine religiously. Apply sunscreen daily.

Tailor & Steam Your Clothes: Freshly-pressed and well-fitting clothes always look infinitely more expensive – no matter their price point. Looking rich and expensive is about high self-regard and paying attention to the little details. Ensure your garments look crisp and clean – no wrinkles, pet hairs, loose threads, lint pieces, or fabric bulges highlighting an improper fit.

Create A Classic & Streamlined Capsule Wardrobe: Simplicity radiates a chic sophistication. Go back to the basics with timeless pieces – like a button-down blouse, a classic crewneck sweater, black trousers or straight-leg jeans, leather pants, a leather jacket, a trench or wool coat, a well-fitting cami or tee shirt, a simple slip dress, or a knit set. Focus on a neutral color palette – black, champagne, dark grey, chocolate brown, camel, or crisp white shades. Seek out elevated fabrics – such as Pima cotton, cashmere, washable silk, and buttery vegan or recycled leather.

Invest In Signature Pieces: Spend on "outer shell' items – coats, jackets, heavyweight knits, handbags, and shoes – that directly interact with the outside world and can be worn repeatedly with almost every outfit. Save on items like tee shirts or more simple jewelry pieces that can be found for less while still being fairly high-quality. I recommend Everlane, Lilysilk, and Naadam for affordable basics (Frankie Shop, Skims, and Norma Kamali for moderately priced pieces) and Catbird and Oma The Label for well-priced accessories. Here are all the everyday essentials you need to build the ultimate Femme Fatale Wardrobe.

Simplify Your Beauty Routine: Fresh, clear, and glowy skin radiates rich girl energy. A well-curated skincare routine should do half the heavy lifting. However, you will probably want to include a shade-matched foundation, concealer, and powder into your makeup routine along with a bronze contour, a rosy blush, and a subtle highlighter. Shape and fill in your brows for a polished look. Apply a deep black mascara to your lashes and luscious black eyeliner to your top lid, waterline, and tight line – keep the strokes thin and crisp (create a subtle wing if desired). Finish your face with a deep pink nude, red, or deep wine lipstick/gloss/lip tint. Here's a guide to the ultimate Femme Fatale Beauty Routine for a completely elevated (and sensual) look.

Eat Healthfully & Workout: Health is wealth. Taking care of your body shows self-respect – your most priceless asset. So, incorporate whole, plant-based foods into your daily diet and make it a priority to find movement you love that you can incorporate into your routine multiple times a week.

Lifestyle:

Streamline The Details: The rich girl aesthetic is all about refinement and looking put together at all times. Always have a set of matching pens with coordinating notepads on your desk, a uniform set of coffee mugs on the counter, coasters, glassware, sheets, pillowcases, cold-weather accessories, etc. This attention to detail instant makes your environment look more expensive.

Have Personalized Stationery: A high-value woman isn't shy about leaving her signature touch. Have personalized stationery (thank you notes, greeting cards, business cards, etc.) monogrammed and on hand for anytime you need to send a note or gift to a friend, coworker, boss, client, etc. This addition shows your attention to detail, leaves the recipient something small to remember you by, and adds a human touch to any gift or gesture. Try gold lettering on cream cards for an elegant, expensive look.

Keep Prosecco & Sparkling Water On Hand: Bubbly on a budget feels just as expensive as champagne (and tastes great too). Sparkling water elevates your daily H20 – add some lemon, lime, orange wedges, or frozen berries for a fancy, fruity twist.

Have Proper Place Settings: Neat, thoughtful presentation exudes class and rich energy. Whenever hosting any type of sit-down event or cocktail party, have the plates stacked, glasses and cutlery arranged correctly. Have all of the appropriate utensils readily available. Again, it's all about the details.

Stay Informed & Well-Read: A thirst for knowledge, learning and having the ability to engage in thoughtful, informed, and intellectual imbues a high-class radiance into any room. Read books, learn about different cultures and current events, and invest in studying different industries, and interests. Explore your hobbies. A rich mindset translates and generates an overall elevated aura.

Demeanor:

Learn Proper Etiquette: Address people by name, and offer a firm handshake. Maintain eye contact. Say "please" and "thank you." RSVP promptly. Communicate clearly and compassionately.

Maintain Good Posture: Shoulders back and relaxed. Open your chest. Keep your back straight and your head held high. Take up space. Command presence.

Master The Art of Engaging Conversation: Prioritizing self-presentation, learning how to listen, holding your own, and encouraging others to feel relaxed are the secrets to becoming magnetic in any social situation. Read more of my tips HERE.

Embrace An Abundant Mindset: Free your mind of limiting beliefs and notions of scarcity. There are plenty of opportunities, experiences, and emotions to go around. Another person's success doesn't take away from your potential. Focus on expansion, not envy.

Remain Confident & Unbothered: Believe in yourself. Invest in your well-being. Prioritize your goals and block out the noise from anyone trying to tear you down or criticize you for your ambition, goals, or desires. Stay in your own lane. Allow others to do the same. This is how you level up to elevate into your queen energy to create a rich life and design your dream reality.

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

E+ Food Technologies

From what I can gather, E+ Food Technologies is an energy drink/stamina item company in Linkon City.

Their "Energy Capsules" are the latest beverage specially crafted for Hunters.

Advertised to "replenish your energy anytime, anywhere!".

Each of the product listings reminds consumers to "please pay attention to the expiration date".

It comes in three different varieties: Light (left), Vigorous (center), and Powerful (right).

Energy Capsule: Light

Restores 30 stamina upon consumption

Energy Capsule: Vigorous

Restores 60 stamina upon consumption

Energy Capsule: Powerful

Restores 100 stamina upon consumption

Personal Thoughts:

I'm curious what flavors they come in and what other beverages they sell! Since these are their "latest" beverages, I feel safe assuming various other preceeded them.

And since the expiration warning is repeatedly reinforced, I wonder what the consequences of drinking an expired one would be

[faeriekit]

Health and Hybrids (VIII)👽👻💚

[I can't remember the original prompt posters  for the life of me but here's a mashup between a cryptid!Danny, presumed-alien!Danny, dp x dc, and whatever prompt made the one body horror meat grinder fic.]

PART ONE is here PART TWOis here PART THREEis here PART FOUR is here and PART FIVE is here PART SIX is here and PART SEVEN is here and this is part 8 💚 Ao3 Is here for all parts

Where we last left off... Everybody got lunch! Not Danny, though. :) He was taking a nap. And Wonder Woman

Trigger warnings for this story:  body horror | gore | post-dissection fic | dehumanization (probably) |  my awful attempts at following DC canon. On with the show.

💚👻👽👻💚

Danny only doesn’t throw something because he already knew someone was on their way. The alien told him so. It’s not a surprise.

There’s someone new here. In his room. At the edge of his curtain. Too close to his bed. Danny doesn’t like it. He doesn’t hiss, because that’s Rude, but he does push his shadow to be bigger. Longer. Darker.

The human just waves. Waits. Holds something out in its hand. Danny doesn’t care. He can’t see it and he’s not going to go over there.

The human makes more words Danny can’t hear. Blech. He wonders what everyone knows here that he doesn’t. Is it French? Is it German? Jazz—

Thinking about Jazz makes his heart hurt.

Danny curls up further into the dark spots on his bed.

The human steps past Danny’s curtain. Danny does hiss, now, something long and low and halfway out of a human hearing range.

The human pauses. Its black haired-head tilts. It says—something else. Its tone is still gentle.

Danny doesn’t trust it. But it doesn’t get any closer, either. It only…holds out a hand.

There’s something in that hand.

It’s a trap, it has to be. But—

The alien said that they had friends in this tower. That the humans here are…safe. Danny doesn’t believe it. Danny is afraid to believe it.

But one of them gave him food.

…And the younger ones feed him all the time.

So maybe. Danny. Maybe he can. He flinches and he leans forward.

Danny can. He can’t see most things. But something aches in his skull where he is meant to see color and shape and familiarity, and something in his melted brain whispers wait, watch.

Danny’s back arches.

He waits. He watches.

…The object doesn’t do anything. The human simply sets it on Danny’s side table, and then it’s an object. A mostly white, somewhat red object. The other colors might be blue, or gray; they’re not distinct enough to be distinguishable in Danny’s mostly mush eyes. It’s oblong, and sort of round and—

Danny jerks upright. He snatches the item off of the table as quickly as he can, brings it as close to his eyes as he can— IT’S A ROCKET!!!! It is!!!! With fuel thrusters and everything!! If Danny had his whole brain he thinks that he could even recognize which one!!

He purrs, and he purrs, and he purrs, and he takes his pillow and he settles the hard plastic into his kind-of-damp (but mostly dry!) pillows and leans into it, happy to have this thing he likes and can recognize!!

Fine. Danny can like this human. When it comes back with little pills in a paper cup, it bravely gets closer, so Danny can see black hair pulled back, a tail swinging behind her, a tinge of red under a mostly-opaque white medical gown, and gold bracelets on her arms.

…Danny touches the bracelets to investigate before he can even be scared. They shiver with energy. Danny’s fragile form shivers back.

The human spends a lot of time with words Danny can’t hear on the paper cup, and she pulls out each little pill inside so that she can say more things, show him what it looks like, let him smell each capsule and tablet.

When the buzzing human comes back with a vibrato of joycurio/us!/joy in its wake, eager to see Danny as he is relieved to see it, Danny shows him the little paper cup.

The buzzing human trills with relief! Relief! Relief!

…That’s got to be safe enough, right? …Right?

Danny…

It’s been a while since he tried to dry-swallow medicine down his torn esophagus, but everyone’s immediate rush to find him water makes the swallow easier than Danny might have thought.

Some of the medicine is going to make him sleepy. Danny remembers enough about medicine to remember that. The thought of being vulnerable and not able to wake up is scary; but if Danny is going to get better, he’s going to have to trust that not every human wants to make sample slides out of his organs and jam needle-long electrodes into his brain, and he will have to fall asleep and not cry about it.

The cup of water the quickquickquick human gets him is so nice. His claws clink against the ceramic of the mug. Most of the liquid actually makes it into his mouth, and some of it even into his throat.

Danny lays down, pulls the rocket ship closer to his fragile form, and purrs. The fastquick human takes Danny’s hand so that he’s not alone.

At some point, his paper eyelids shut.

[missmilkie]

Dragonball Bf Scenarios

Becoming Friends

2k words

Goku

After the Tenkaichi Budokai, you did end up giving Goku a call. It was about two weeks after the tournament when you met him out in the mountains. You silently prayed that he didn’t lure you out there just to murder you. Something about him gave you the feeling that not only was he not that smart, but he wouldn’t have any malicious intention. Because of that, you were at his place right on time.

You were one of the few Earthlings who could fly on their own. It was a technique you had learned from your master who had learned it somewhere else. Thanks to this ability, you traveled to the mountains with ease.

As soon as you knocked on the door of the small house, Goku opened it.

“Hey, (Y/n)! Wow you sure know how to get places on time.”

“Thanks. Training gets me so pumped.”

“I’m just finishing up breakfast. I’ll be quick though.”

When Goku said breakfast you expected like some eggs or something. His entire dining table was covered in empty bowls stacked up. Only a few still had food in them. He ate a ton! This was just breakfast!

“Sorry about the mess, I eat a lot.” Goku grinned sheepishly.

“It’s alright. Whatever you gotta do, man.” You shrugged it off.

Goku finished eating in a matter of minutes. He offered you some food, but you didn’t wanna barf while you trained.

There was a clearing not too far from Goku’s house. That was where you trained until lunch. Goku taught you how to focus your energy to shoot beams and told you about some weighted training he did. You would be trying that at home under your master’s supervision.

For lunch, you helped Goku prepare a meal of gargantuan proportions. It all smelled so good, so you weren’t complaining. All that training had worked up quite the appetite for you.

“Where’d you learn to cook like this? It looks and smells amazing.” You asked while chopping vegetables.

“When my ex-wife and I got divorced, I had to learn how to cook for myself so that I wouldn’t starve. Some friends gave me some cookbooks to study and I’ve been doing fine since.” Goku explained with a smile.

“Oh, I’m sorry to have brought up your divorce.” You frowned, feeling like an inconsiderate idiot.

“It’s okay. We weren’t really that happy together anyways. I was always away training, which was hard on her. We butted heads when it came to our sons’ schooling and whatnot.” Goku explained somewhat sadly. He perked back up again. “It was probably for the best. Now our sons don’t see us fighting all the time.”

“How old are your sons?” You questioned, trying to shift the topic.

“21 and 11. Gohan is the older one, and Goten is younger. My ex still has custody over Goten, so I only get to see him on the weekends.”

“How is Goten about all of this? Eleven is sort of a delicate age.”

“He seems to be alright. He’s just glad he gets to see me. Gohan is more affected I think. He doesn’t talk about it, but I can tell he’s sad that his mom and I weren’t happy together.”

“Geez, I need to stop asking questions. I’m over here bringing up deep stuff and we just met.” You chided yourself out loud.

“You’re fine. I love my sons, they’re a huge part of my life. They were bound to come up sooner or later.”

Vegeta

For some odd reason, everytime you left Capsule Corp, you ran into Vegeta. You couldn’t avoid him. No matter what you did, you ended up meeting him at the door. It would be more annoying if Trunks’s attitude wasn’t starting to turn around.

He had begrudgingly begun to cooperate during class. You didn’t know how long this streak would last, so you took advantage of it. You gave him positive reinforcement at every opportunity to encourage his new behavior. When you gave him a test, he passed with flying colors. It was a miracle!

You knew you kind of owed Vegeta some kind of thanks for talking to his son, but you were still upset about how rude he was to you. Your pride made it hard to do these things in the first place.

Swallowing your instinct to just glare at Vegeta as you walked by him, you prepared to say what you had mentally rehearsed for the entire walk to the door.

“Hey, Vegeta. I just wanted to say thanks for talking to Trunks. His grades have gotten so much better and he’s realizing how intelligent he really is. I think this has been a big confidence booster for him, and you’re one to thank for it.”

“Whatever. His mother told me to yell at him about his grades anyways.” And Vegeta ruined the moment.

“Your son’s education is important to me. Not just because I get paid for it, but because I genuinely enjoy what I do.” You stated with confidence. You were about to walk out the door when Vegeta grabbed you by the arm.

“You should tell me more about his progress next week. I didn’t raise my son to be a simpleton.”

With that, he released you. The cab ride home was full of thoughts for you. You and Vegeta were finally on good terms.

Son Gohan

Sitting next to Gohan was actually better than you thought it’d be. He was so funny and socially clueless. You could mess with him a bit.

At first he had things to say about you sleeping in class, but you assured him that it was fine. He saw your grades to prove it and has left it alone since. It was cute though because he mentioned it out of concern.

Gohan was so sweet compared to most other teenage boys. He didn’t bask in the attention from the other girls. He just nervously responded to them and exited the conversation as politely as possible. Gohan was a people pleaser, these things made him awkward. The fact that he was home schooled for most of his life only made it worse. He did not know how high school worked.

That was okay though. He had you to show him the ropes and guide him. You warned him about which people to avoid and not engage with. Teenagers could be nasty. In more than one way.

You took on the role of Gohan’s protector. People already didn’t like you, so you had nothing to lose. You tended to keep to yourself and stay out of drama. People held that and the fact that you were blunt, especially to those who interrupted your naps, against you.

Gohan just barely picked up on the fact that people didn’t like you. Some red headed girl that you couldn’t remember the name of had blackmailed him into going out with her. When he told you about it, he mentioned that she was confused as to why he chose to be friends with such a lazy bitch. You didn’t explain it much, but he got the idea.

While you weren’t one to stay awake in class, you were a studyer. Gohan came to your house after school almost every day to study for a bit before he had to go home. You offered to alternate which house you studied at, but he refused saying his mom would flip out if he brought a girl home.

“She would ask you if you’re pregnant. No joke.” Gohan told you with a horrified expression.

“You? Get a girl pregnant? That’s like impossible. You’re the biggest virgin I know.” You giggled.

“Hey! I could.” Gohan had learned enough from you to know that you were teasing him.

“Do you even know how sex works?” You raised your eyebrows, still laughing.

“Of course I do! The guy inserts his penis in the girl’s vagina and then they go at it until he ejaculates.” Gohan explained so matter of factly that you were on the floor laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“You know so little. I have much to teach you, my child.” You patted his head.

“I don’t think I wanna know anything you have to teach me about sex.”

“It’ll be fun.”

Future Trunks

After you met Bulma, she convinced you to stay a while. The worn down Capsule Corp building provided a room for you where the androids would not hear you scream. You figured it wouldn’t hurt to stick around and contribute to Bulma’s efforts.

This included scavenging for materials with Trunks. You would go out and dig through rubble until you could find things that were still usable. It was hard work, but you enjoyed chatting with Trunks for hours every day.

At first he was shy and awkward. Bulma told you he hadn’t really met girls his age. You had to initiate your first conversations and keep them going which was hard. You weren’t used to interacting with people, so you were just as awkward. He did warm up to you though.

“Look at this, Trunks. Isn’t it cool?” You held up an unknown object. There were a lot of things that were probably everyday items back before the androids that you couldn’t name.

“Oh wow. That’s a music player!” He reached out for the small rectangular electronic device. He inspected the small screen and large circle with buttons around it, indicating their uses. “I might have a charger for this lying around the lab.”

“Let’s see if we can get it to work!”

In the evening, you headed back to Capsule Corp under the cover of the shadows of dilapidated buildings. The two of you put the salvaged parts in the lab before digging through some junk in Trunks’s corner.

Like his mom, he was gifted with technology and liked to tinker with appliances. When he scavenged he took things for himself that he found interesting. Only he could navigate his collection, carefully sifting through boxes.

“Found it!” Trunks turned around, charger in hand.

He plugged it into the wall before connecting it to the music player. An icon appeared on the tiny screen. Success.

“I wonder what songs are on it”

“Probably old stuff that we wouldn’t recognize. My mom might though.”

“Damn, calling your mom old like that.” You teased. He immediately turned red and looked away.

“I didn’t mean it like that..”

“I’m just giving you a hard time, Trunks.”

He went back to figuring out the device with his ears still tinted red. He gasped when he pressed a button and sound came out.

You swayed to the music, you’d never heard anything so beautiful for such a long time.

“I think you’re supposed to dance a certain way. My mom used to do it with me when I was younger.” Trunks stuttered through that a bit.

“By all means, teach me.”

“My hands go here.” He placed his hands on the sides of your waist. “And your arms go around my neck.”

You tentatively brought your hands up to meet at the back of his neck. “Like this?”

“Yeah.” Trunks began to sway, leading you through the song.

I hear the crystal raindrops fall, on the window down the hall, and it becomes the morning dew~

And darling when the morning comes, and I see the morning sun, I wanna be the one with you~

Broly

A few days in, things were going well on Vampa. Broly was gentle and considerate seeing as you were a human and happened to be much more fragile than him. He took you out to explore the planet, carrying you as he flew through the air.

His grip was light on your body, fingers nearly hovering around your shoulders and under your thighs.

“My father used to train me here. He had to cut off my tail because I couldn’t control myself as a great ape.” His deep voice was so soft.

“And to my knowledge, that is a transformation brought about by seeing the full moon? Vegeta tells me that he could control it, but Goku and Gohan never learned how to.”

Broly only hummed in response as he kept flying. The wind whipped at your hair and his, the strands loosely tangling. You could tell that Broly was focusing from the way his brows slightly furrowed, his nearly unblinking stare, and his slightly scrunched up nose. It was cute.

“This is where Ba lives.”

“Goku told me about him. Your father wounded him because he was your friend? An awful thing to do to an animal.” You glanced at his face to study his reaction.

Broly’s lips pursed into a frown and his eyes clouded with what you guessed was guilt and sadness.

“Yes. He didn’t like me playing with Ba.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Broly. You didn’t know better, and your father is the one who hurt him.” You placed a hand on his muscular shoulder, looking at him in his big dark eyes. “Beating yourself up about it won’t change what happened. You can move forward though.”

“How do I move forward from losing the first friend I ever had?” Broly averted his eyes.

“Accept what has happened. Your father hurt Ba.”

“Yes.”

“And it was not your fault.”

“Okay…”

“Now, we can try to befriend Ba again or leave him in peace if you think that’s best.”

“I…think I can try again.” The saiyan’s voice wavered for a moment.

“Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here for you.”

[ddaz3d-and-cc0nfused]

ᴅᴀʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ: Warm Food w/ Sick!Dean Winchester

a/n: ahh late late late, i know i know, but this whole flu business has been kicking my butt, but now i feel significantly better to start uploading again, even though they may come slowly still seeing as though my life never sleeps! here's this hurt/comfort, sick!fic madness!

masterlist | comfortember masterlist | AO3

As bad as it sounds, one of Dean's many flaws is that he refuses to accept help or admit when there's something wrong with him, but it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that he was sick. Nose red with irritation and mucus, his forehead was scalding to the touch, his voice scratchy due to its dryness.

At first, the man had insisted that he was fine, even though you had to put up with almost an hour of him sniffling before he had gotten up to finally blow his nose. You had tried to tell him that his beer wasn't very hydrating, but he didn't listen until he had ran to one of the many bathrooms in the bunker, inevitably throwing up his guts. You were with him every step of the way, rubbing his hunched over back as he dry heaved.

He leaned on you the whole way back to your shared room, gently setting him down on the bed as you undressed him. "I don't think I have enough energy for that tonight, sweetheart." He said teasingly. You shot him a glare as you tugged off his heavy boots. "Shut it, Dean." You said halfheartedly, worry twisting in your gut as you kept a close eye on him.

"Baby, you don't gotta be worried, I'm fine." He then proceeded to cough into his elbow, the sound real nasty as you winced. "Just lay there Dean, I'll be back." He just grunted, rolling over onto his side. It was the first time that whole day that you hadn't heard any complaints come from him, that was what made you nervous.

You rushed to grab a bunch of medicine, most of the brands ranging from nightquil to ibuprofen. Gripping a Gatorade tightly, you hurried back to your room where you found him already passed out asleep.

You shook him awake, handing him to gel capsules before handing him the electrolyte filled juice. He quickly fell asleep again all the while you snuck away to the bunkers kitchen where you proceeded to make chicken and rice soup, figuring it would be something easy on his stomach and it most definitely would help ease some of that nastiness in his throat.

You were satisfied with yourself to say the least, already feeling the '#1 Girlfriend' badge weaseling itself onto your night shirt. You had always enjoyed taking care of Dean whenever you could, but it was mostly when he allowed you to do so, sometimes even begrudgingly coming from his end.

You were hoping he would be able to sleep for a little bit longer, but alas, you heard wretched coughs echo down the hallway, alerting you of his presence. You quickly scooped some of the food into a bowl, wetting a hand towel and throwing it over your shoulder. You didn't care that it soaked your shirt as you padded your way back to where your boyfriend laid.

"Deano," You called out softly. "I made you some food. It should help." He only groaned in retaliation, remaining unmoving. "Baby, please sit up for me." You pleaded. He easily obliged, letting out tiny sounds of discomfort as he manuvered on his achy muscles. "Thank you." You said in quiet satisfaction. He looked weak and tired, the lamp illuminating the side of his sullen looking face.

You brushed some sweat soaked hair off of his forehead and you gently held the bowl in your hands. You scooped some of the rice and broth onto the spoon, shoveling it into his mouth. He swallowed it, letting out what sounded like a sigh of relief as his body sunk against the headboard.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

ೃ⁀➷ my lovely taglist!: @alina02 @louderfortheback

[sw5w]

Clashing Sabers

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 02:02:02

[tiyoin]

Tho this is a different account, I’ll always be a whore for sagau 🫦

ft alhaitham🙈

Kaveh, out and about doing whatever he does- Alhatiham was lucky to have his alone time.

His chest still as he peered down at the capsule. Its brass chill subsided into a comforting warmth as it lay heavy in his palm.

There was a temptation to it. An impulse to just have a tiny peek inside.

Just a singular blurb of information wouldn’t hurt...

He scoffed, throwing the capsule onto his bed.

What a riot. Him? Tempted by some forbidden fruit? Ha! As if!

He paced his room, hands perched on his hips as the sun started to set in the west. Fragments of golden rays slipped through his window and illuminated his room, occasionally getting in his eye. Though that didn’t break him from his thoughts.

He wasn’t like those foolish scholars or that idiotic eremite! He was a scribe- a member of the havarat for crying out loud!

Yet the simmering amber never failed to catch his eye. The sun only added to its brilliance. Its usual crimson shimmer was only enhanced in the light as it glew on his emerald bedsheets.

It looked like a ruby…

He was no idiot. The street vendors knew as much, so they never tried to scam or rip him off. His peers and co-workers knew as much, so they found it useless to engage in small talk with him

But the academy deemed him one. Promising him a look inside as a reward for doing the dirty work for them.

He knew what they were planning- they wanted to get dispose of him. Discard all loose ends and throw him to Aaru village, making a fool of him and his name.

He chuckled.

Was forbidden knowledge really worth the risk? Was it worth losing his mind- his sanity over? To know things only the dead knew?

Like those archons, Khaneri’ha, the scarlet king. Was knowing their secrets worth the price?

His mind felt like lead, the same with his limbs from the impromptu battle with that crazed eremite.

He was no way out of shape, yet he felt like he had just run a marathon without any food or water.

He’s tired, that's all...

The sun dimmed under his windowsill, the capsule back to its usual mixture of shimmering red and ambers. Its casing was still warm. He placed it on his bedside table, shed his coat, and simply laid done, arms supporting his head as his mind still raced with questions; Why did the Akademiya assign him this mission? What were the `sage's plans? Who stole the knowledge capsule in the first place, and why? The Scarlet King…

Whatever. He’ll just worry about those in the morning...

Like an anchor being cast into the sea, his eyes closed. His mind was still a mess as he tried to control his breathing. There wasn’t much he could do besides let those itching thoughts pass and control his breathing. To not grab onto a theory and spend the rest of the night dissecting it. To not grab his coat and snoop in some dark alley.

No, he needed his energy for tomorrow, he convinced himself.

His body slowly relaxed, sinking further into his made bed as his breathing finally stabilized.

There was a quick flash of red. So quick that he almost missed it. Then there was another quick burst, this time of green. Then of silver, then blue, more greens, pinks, maroons, and teals, all until they started bleeding together in a perverted rainbow, constantly moving, changing like a roaring river.

It stopped.

It’s black. Pitch black.

Something you’d only experience in a torture chamber to deprive you of your senses. To drive you insane.

He didn’t move, nor breathe, not knowing what was happening, or what was to come.

“Greater lord Rukkhadvata! You mustn’t kneel like that” a voice? Whipping his head to the direction heard the voice, the abyss only stared back at him as he inched his hand towards the hilt of his blade.

“Nonsense. Only a fool wouldn't bow in your presence or honor” unlike the other voice, this one wasn’t as panicked, instead, held a calming sense of maturity and elegance.

Almost like an Akademiya student. Then again, this was Greater Lord Rukkhadata he was talking about.

Though he wondered. 'Who had Sumeru’s great archon on her knees bowing?'

The voice continued bantering as the stream of colors started again.

“Please, you know that I don’t like you doing that”

“But your grace, it would be-“

“It wouldn't be damaging if I told you not to! You’re my friend, not my servant. Now c’mon.”

The colors stopped as he was now in a throne room. Though this- this wasn’t like anything he’s seen before. He knows all of Sumeru’s buildings and architecture like the back of his hand… yet he's never seen such a building before in his life.

Not in the world, especially not in the textbooks he's burned into his brain

Tall marble walls that were shaped pointing up, like a Zaytun peach sprout. The insides were contradictory to the Akademiya’s buildings. Instead of white with green, they were gold and white. Everything was white, accented with the colors gold and crimson.

It was breathtaking. Truly.

Never before had he imagined such craftsmanship. Marble statues of each archon `stood tall on columned shelves, where natural light spilled from the windows above them.

But that was what he was worried about, no. Instead, he could help but stare at the big golden statue in the center of the room where it was in the middle of a pool of water.

Stepping closer, he drank up every crook and crevice of the statute. Their flowy cloth clothing, the natural pose of them holding an orb.. no. It looked more like a star. A star so shiny it looks like it was just plucked from the night sky.

They were stunning. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Anyone young or old, art critic or janitor could tell how much love and care was put into this statue. How much blood sweat and tears the artist took to make sure they got it in the image of this… god?

Slowly, his eyes trailed up towards their arm and to their face.

Hm

That’s odd.

“Sit down, please”

His eyes followed his head as he couldn't tear himself away from the statue's face. He was entranced.

Something was nipping at the back of his brain telling him that he’s seen them before. That they aren’t just a mysterious god, but someone he knew

Oh

Oh

It was like he got burnt, his brain panicked as his eyes widened in shock.

You

You were on the couch in front of Greater Lord Rukkhadavata, who was still on her knees in front of you, though she looked more comfortable than anything.

Leaning down, your hands were in hers as you gently guided her up towards the couch.

He assumed he was invisible, as neither of you batted an eye at him. Continuing your interaction like you were in a play. Lines delivered flawlessly. You both really complimented each other.

Why was he here? How did he get there?

Must have been the knowledge capsule… did it automatically connect to his akksha terminal? Shaking his head to clear up the jumbling thoughts. He decided to ask questions later and just observe.

You two were both now seated next to each other, knees touching and shoulders mushing into one. Anyone could tell that there was a closeness to you. That you'd been friends for a while. But it looked like greater lord Rukkhadvata was trying to merge with you. Her body squished more and more into yours as she listened to you intently. The small smile and intense look on her face showed that she was either drinking up every word you said, or she was doing what he did before; memorizing every pore on your face, watching every muscle twitch as you rambled, slowly getting lost in your own little world- she was enthralled.

“Your grace, why did you stop talking?”

A chill ran up his spine as you made eye contact with him. He must be at least 12-15 meters away, yet he could see every color, every pattern in your eye. It startled him, thinking that it might have been a mistake, and you just spaced out like you usually do. But you were blinking, breathing, conscious.

“Your grace?”

“Why does she call you that?” he blurted out on instinct.

“You shouldn’t be here”

“I- your grace-“

“Then let me go”

“That is not my choice to make, you are in the capsule's memories. When there is everything you need to know, it will bring you back”

“What more do I need to know?”

Your counterpart huffed, leaning back comfortably as Greater Lord Rukkahadvata stared at him, or the vicinity he was in with an obviously stressed face.

“That’s for you to figure out” you broke wow contact, turning back to Greater Lord Rukkahadvata and continuing your previous conversation like you weren’t just talking to thin air

This wasn’t you. It’s not possible. You had such a dignified grace to you. Speaking beautifully and with purpose, yet the real you would stutter and make weird noises when inconvenienced.

This was over 300 hundred years, yet you're alive and breathing now- you couldn’t be an archon or from Khaenri'ah

Yet Greater Lord Rukkahadvata kept calling you ‘your grace’ and there was a gold statue of you, surrounded by a gleaming gold fountain with water so clear it looked like air.

“You’re the creator, aren’t you”

Your eyes met his before you dusted your lap and got up. Greater lord… should he even be calling her that with how dependent she was to you? She was following you like a puppy, babbling about how you should sit down and let her get whatever you need.

“Nonsense” you grew closer to him, eyes never once wavering. “I am simply the person you know as ‘y/n’ “

Like slow motion you walked past him, the wind behind you whispering in his ear as he got punched in the face- huh

That’s what it felt like as the changing stream of color engulfed him again, though, unlike last time, there was a feeling of lightness in the pit of his stomach. His limbs stiff through the harsh windows of the tunnel. Though the wind was pushing him, he couldn't breathe well. Or he had to breathe consciously or else he’d probably die. Never before had he experienced something like this from a knowledge capsule.

The capsules usually show or just insert information into one's terminal- yet this causes him to have an allusion of the past. Nothing he’s ever seen before.

With a startling gasp, he woke up. He was sweating bullets yet it felt like someone (Kaveh) had poured a gallon of ice water over him. Everything hurt. His body won’t listen to him, to get away from that damned thing, the risk that something like that will happen again.

“Fuck” he drawled out, chest heaving as he gave up on moving.

His body and mind were in overdrive, trying to figure out what happened. Images of you, a companion of the traveler, were playing on repeat in his mind as questions upon questions flooded his brain, each one he tried to solve would only make 5 more pop up.

Who the fuck were you

hehe i hop y’all like this 🤭🤭

[mariacallous]

It’s been hard recently to think about anything other than the wars and humanitarian crises raging around the world. Climate change has left its mark in what was almost certainly the hottest year in human history—there were unprecedented heat waves, intensified forest fires, torrential rain, and floods like those in Libya that caused devastation after two dams burst.

But this has not stopped scientists, innovators, and decisionmakers from working on solutions to our biggest societal challenges—with success. Here is a collection of uplifting news to come out of 2023.

A powerful laser veered lightning strikes off their path

In an instant, millions of volts can damage buildings, spark fires, and harm people—unless the lightning can be redirected. An experiment with a laser beam suggests this is possible. The scientists behind it must now demonstrate that their multimillion-dollar laser would actually work better at critical sites such as airports and rocket launchpads than widely used, cheap lightning rods. Read more at Science.

Asteroid rocks and dust were brought to Earth

The first US mission to collect an asteroid sample, OSIRIS-REx, successfully returned a capsule containing granules and dust from the asteroid Bennu. Early analyses back at NASA’s lab suggest the sample is rich in carbon and water-laden minerals, the building blocks of life on Earth. Read more at WIRED.

Scientists grew mouse embryos for the first time ever in space

What would make humans a truly spacefaring species? If we could reproduce and grow outside of Earth’s atmosphere. It may be that this is possible, an experiment with mice suggests. Scientists managed to grow mouse embryos aboard the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth. Their initial growth appeared to be unaffected by the low gravity and high radiation. Read more at New Scientist.

A rare egg-laying mammal was rediscovered after decades

A species with the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater, and the feet of a mole seems hard to miss. But the long-beaked echidna Zaglossus attenboroughi—named after British naturalist David Attenborough—had remained hidden until caught on camera for the first time since it was scientifically recorded in 1961. This egg-laying mammal is known to only live in the Cyclops Mountains in the Indonesian province of Papua. Read more at Mongabay.

Countries signed a landmark treaty to protect the high seas

After almost 20 years of negotiations, members of the United Nations agreed to protect marine life in international waters—the two-thirds of the world’s oceans that lie outside of national boundaries. This legal framework enables, for example, the creation of vast marine protected areas (MPAs). It also states that “genetic resources,” such as materials from animals and plants discovered for use in pharmaceuticals or foods, should benefit society as a whole. Read more at The Guardian.

California national park bounces back after wildfire

Two years after California’s largest single wildfire burned almost 70 percent of Lassen Volcanic National Park, the ecosystem remains viable. Shrubs and grasses are growing in burned areas while fungi and insects are decomposing dead tree trunks, leading to a slow recovery. Read more at The Guardian.

Brazil’s top court rules for Indigenous rights in landmark case

A powerful agribusiness lobby tried to place time limits on Indigenous peoples’ right to land. They would have to prove they lived on the land in 1988, when Brazil’s current constitution was ratified. But many Indigenous peoples were expelled from their ancestral lands during the country’s military dictatorship, which lasted from from the 1960s to the 1980s. The Supreme Court in Brazil squashed the proposed time limit for land claims. Read more at AP News.

There could be a large reserve of hydrogen deep beneath the French ground

Hydrogen could power factories, trucks, ships, and airplanes in the future—but producing it requires a lot of energy and is expensive. But the gas also occurs naturally deep in the Earth’s crust, and researchers in France have accidentally stumbled on a potentially large deposit. Next year they plan to begin drilling to collect gas samples from depths of up to 1.8 miles. Read more at the Conversation.

The world may have crossed a solar power tipping point

A new study suggests that solar is on track to become the main source of the world’s energy by 2050—even without more ambitious climate policies being introduced. Renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuels. But in the case of solar energy, obstacles such as integration into electricity grids and financing in developing countries still need to be overcome in order for it to continue to grow as it has in recent years. Read more at the Conversation.

A new type of geothermal power plant is making the internet a little greener

A pilot plant is now helping to power Google data centers in Nevada by harnessing the Earth’s heat deep beneath it. Engineers drilled two boreholes down 7,000 feet, and then connected them by fracking, a technique that’s conventionally used in the oil and gas industry. Water sent down one borehole moves through the fracked rocks below and returns to the surface heated up via the other drilled hole. Read more at WIRED.

World’s first container ship powered by methanol completed its maiden voyage

Laura Maersk, the world’s first methanol-fueled ship, arrived in England in September—a milestone for the shipping industry, which is responsible for about 3 percent of worldwide emissions and struggling to decarbonize. Methanol can be made from food waste at landfills. Read more at the BBC.

A cheap and effective vaccine against malaria got approval

There’s now a second malaria jab that could be produced even quicker than the first and rolled out to more children. It got the thumbs up from the World Health Organization in October, two years after the first one. Malaria is the leading cause of death among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more at Stat News.

The largest study of migraine sufferers promises new treatment pathways

In the largest genetic study of migraines to date, researchers have identified more than three times the number of genetic risk factors previously known. This will help to better understand the biological basis of migraines and their subtypes and could speed up the search for new treatments. Read more at Science Daily.

Scientists made breakthrough in cervical cancer treatment

In a UK trial of 500 women, half received existing, cheap drugs before standard radiotherapy. The results showed that with the combined therapy, women’s risk of death or relapse fell by 35 percent. According to the researchers, this is the biggest improvement in treating this disease in over 20 years. Read more in the Independent.

Gene therapy showed early promise for children

Scientists in China reported that some children who were born deaf could hear after a gene therapy trial. Meanwhile, experiments are underway in the USA and France aimed at children with a rare form of genetic deafness. Read more at WIRED.

An implant restored walking ability for Parkinson’s patient

A man with advanced Parkinson’s disease can walk several miles again thanks to a special implant. Positioned in the lumbar region of the spinal cord, the implant sends electrical signals to his leg muscles. The scientists behind the innovation plan to carry out further trials with other patients in the coming year. Read more at SWI swissinfo.ch.

DeepMind’s new AI can predict whether a genetic mutation is likely to cause disease

Researchers at DeepMind, Google's AI company, have trained an AI model to detect DNA mutations, which could speed up the diagnosis of rare diseases. Similar to language models like ChatGPT, this model knows the sequences of amino acids in proteins and can detect anomalies. Read more at WIRED.

AI-powered prediction helped Chileans evacuate from floods

A forecasting tool from Google can predict floods in South America and other regions using a little data on the water flow of rivers, with impressive accuracy. This August, many people in Chile were able to evacuate safely and with their belongings thanks to a warning sent out two days before the flooding. Read more at Fast Company.

The Hollywood actors’ and writers’ battle against AI ended—for now

Generative AI has made it to Hollywood, and after months of strikes, both the writers and actors unions managed to negotiate guardrails on how the technology can be used in film and TV projects. AI cannot, for example, be used to write or rewrite scripts, and studios are not allowed to use scripts to train AI models without the writers’ permission. Read more at WIRED.

Lego bricks are teaching kids Braille

The iconic studs on the Lego bricks allow them to be stacked on top of each other. And now you can learn a new language while you’re at it. The company has started selling bricks with modified amounts of studs that teach the Braille alphabet. The corresponding letter or number represented by a brick’s studs are printed on each brick so that children can learn the code. Read more at TechCrunch.

[anasagun]

The Four D's:

Distance yourself from food.

Distract vourself.

Delay eating.

Decide what your goals really are.

50. Green tea raises metabolism and is very good for the skin and overall health. Drink it in the morning to increase metabolism for the day. Add lemon to make it more effective and to add a detoxifying aspect

51. Hot water with lemon is another good morning drink.

52. Spicy foods raise metabolism, if you don't like them you can take cayenne pepper capsules available in supplement section of drugstores or health food stores.

53. Drinking apple cider vinegar is said to raise metabolism, have a few tablespoons, can also be mixed in water (with lemon would be best)or used as salad dressing.

54. Start the morning with stretching to wake up your muscles, the morning is also the best time to exercise because your body will use stored food (fat) as fuel instead of food you ate. It also processes food better throughout the day and gives you more energy if you exercise in the morning

55. Get at least 6 hours of sleep each night, less than this can decrease metabolism by 10% and increase appetite by 15%. You look better and feel better when you have more sleep also it you're sleeping then you're not eating!

56. Keep good posture, it burns 10% more calories throughout the day. You also look better.

57. Vitamin B6 and B12 raise metabolism and give you energy.

58. Eating protein increases your metabolic rate by 14%

[giggly-squiggily]

HEY HEY HEYYY!!

(got inspiration from the person who requested miya twins with sibling!reader- it was js so sweet help-)

BUT AHFJEK i hc that suna just cares for his sibling an insane amount, like will cheer them up ANYTIME if they ask or not, like they're just so dear to him<33 like i feel like he can tell that they like tks just cause of how giddy and happy they get after, so like after a friend breakup or sum he js gives em light tks everywhere cuz they just need it🥺 AAAAAAAAA SCREAMING AT THE THOUGJT OF IT /pos (you know me-- lee reader pls :3 have a wonderful day friend)

(Headcanons to Dabbles: OFFICIALLY CLOSED)

AHHH! *does a little cartwheel* FRIEND! :D the way I immediately read that Hey Hey Hey as Bokuto This is so cute??? So sweet? So freaking- AHH! Suna being an endearing big brother is everything to me; this is perfection! I've gotcha covered!

CW: Angst, hurt/comfort, food

“Hey.” Suna pressed a icy cold can of your favorite drink against your cheek, making you squeak in surprise. “I got you something.”

“Oh?” You didn’t have the energy to sound excited, even as you took the can from him. Your voice was thick with tears, eyes stinging from the past hour shedding them. “Thank you.”

“But wait- there’s more.” Suna smirked as he reached into the bag he had, pulling out not just one, but two of your favorite drinks, alongside your favorite candies and chips. He even pulled out a gacha machine capsule, your favorite character looking back at you through the frosty plastic. “I thought of you.”

You smiled, shaking your head as you took the little figure from your grasp, turning it in your fingers. The gesture was so sweet, but at the same time so painful.

“Oh no- did I get the wrong one?” He blinked when you sobbed, falling into his shoulder. “(Y/N)?”

“N-No, you’re fi-ine. I just- I-” You couldn’t put it into words. How could you explain to him what happened without feeling like the pain in your chest would come up and suffocate you?

Suna hummed, taking in your teary expression before pulling you into his chest completely. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain. Just- let it out.”

So you did. You wailed in his chest, crying like a lost child as he held you tightly in his arms. If he was soothing you, you couldn’t hear him, too caught up in your despair as he rubbed soothing circles in your back. Eventually, you were able to pull away, wiping at your face with a pitiful sniffle. “G-Got any tissues?”

“Yeah.” He reached into the bag, pulling out a box of them. Funny enough- in your favorite color.

“You really went for the theme, huh?” You laughed softly, cleaning up while he went to get you painkillers. Soon after, you were sitting beside him on the couch, nursing your drink and sniffing occasionally as he resumed his earlier actions. Occasionally, you twitched- giggling when his hands got close to your sides.

“Maybe you should laugh. Something about feeling better?” He tickled you again- keeping his touch light and feathery as you giggled and elbowed him in the ribs.

“Shuhuhuhut up. Maahhahybe? I dohohon’t know- suuhure!” You squirmed when he focused on a particularly ticklish spot, never sending you into mind consuming giggles but keeping you smiling. “I thihhiihhnk it’s worohohokrking?”

“I hope so- you’re the one getting tickled here.” Suna snickered as he gave your neck a twitch, earning a small squeal. “Did that help?” “Ahehahahahaha!” A few moments passed before you could answer, squirming up and away from him as you gasped for air. “Yooohohu..yehahhah, actuhahahlly. It did.” You were still rather upset, but not nearly as much as before. The unbearable feeling dulled to a twinge in your chest, helping you breathe once more. “Hey, yeah erm…”

“You don’t need to tell me.” He cut you off, waving a hand. “If you want to, I’ll listen, but don’t force yourself. Just- come sit for a while. Have some of these snacks. We’ll watch that show you love so much.”

You almost cried again, smiling brightly and running to your brother. “Suna, you’re the best!”

“And you’re annoying. Eat.” He shook the candy at you, relaxing when you took it.

You were grateful for your big brother more than ever.