#high quality Drop in Anchor

[mitsuki91]

@hamriceagenda this is for you! You inspired me.

Enjoy my Katniss/Gale for you 💖

@tumblingghosts I tag you too since you reblogged my post!

What remains

Summary:

"They’re not coming back, Katniss."

Peeta? My mother? Snow, or Coin to destroy my life from beyond the grave?

Prim?

"No one's coming back."

Stressing the obvious has always been his prerogative, and my lips curve into a bitter smile.

"But you're staying."

A moment's pause, as the icy wind rattles the bare branches above our heads.

"I'm staying. Like you."

Link on ao3:

Author notes: I can't format on tumblr. This is visually better on ao3.

It happened after the first incident.

Peeta had only been back a month. A month since I had seen him planting primroses for me, him and his sun-flavored smile.

It seemed like a day like any other, me returning from hunting and him tending the garden. The sun at its zenith and Haymitch's geese quacking. Someone had dropped something heavy just down the street and the noise had made both me and Peeta jump with fright.

Suddenly I had his hands on my neck again, his horrified expression inches from my face. Someone screamed, someone ran and snatched him away from me - someone saved me. From Peeta's murderous fury.

And so it happened, exactly one day, two hours and twenty minutes after Peeta tried to kill me a second time.

Gale came back.

***

"I thought you were in Two, immersed in your military career."

"But you needed me, Katniss."

***

Sometimes I wonder what I did wrong to deserve this.

I know my life doesn't belong to me - I knew this from the first moment Prim's name was drawn in the Hunger Games - but I wonder what the point of fighting any longer is. After all, I have fulfilled my function in this world. I have been a Mockingjay, I have been the Girl on Fire, I have been the Face of the Revolution. The last arrow shot, the end of the Games. Why am I not allowed to escape even from myself now? Why am I forced to stay, why am I not allowed to slip over the edge?

Peeta has been taken away.

'Unstable', so Capitol City declared him. How they found out is a mystery - or perhaps one of the many things I don't want to admit even to myself. A suspicion, an unspoken thing, lurking in the shadows behind me.

Because now I am no longer alone.

I am not and - I would like to abandon myself, but I can't. I cannot because he looks at me.

Gale.

And when Gale looks at me, everything about me tenses by instinct - it's the sadness in his eyes. That magnet that is impossible to ignore. A center of gravity that pulls me along, preventing me from drifting.

An anchor.

And I hate him for it, too.

***

"That's not true. I never needed you."

The flash of a smile, cruel.

"My only quality was taking care of your family. And you are what remains."

 ***

The sun burns high in the sky as July sets, even in the early morning.

Gale is with me in the woods, like every day.

In silence, like every day. He can no longer speak of injustice and revolution now - they are no longer imaginary dreams, but lived nightmares.

I ignore him, as I have become good at doing. But he does not give up. He has turned into my shadow.

I just have to not look him in the eye.

The anchor is always there, keeping me clinging to myself even as Peeta's absence burns in my soul. I can always pretend he doesn't exist, though.

If I don't look at him, he doesn't exist. If I don't talk to him, he's not real.

I know he knows it hurts me. I know he knows that what I had with Peeta was real, and that the loss of what we could have been is destroying me to the core.

Killed before I can even taste life.

But Gale is too much like me and uses the same techniques against me.

If his eyes do not let me go, I cannot disappear. If his mouth is sealed, he cannot lose to Peeta.

The world won't change until one of us gives in. And, deep down, we both know it'll be me who surrenders.

***

"We're too similar to make it work, Gale. You know that. I don't need that in my life."

A step forward, one foot crushing a dandelion.

"I won't believe you until you tell me by looking at my face."

***

The beginning of November brings a week of uninterrupted rain and a sudden frost that turns the primrose bed into a muddy, dead mush. 

I feel myself dying a little with it, watching it through the window and feeling helpless.

It is like losing her a second time. Will this torment ever end? 

Gale comes back into the house at that moment with a handful of wood in his arms and does his best to light the fireplace. I close my eyes for a second and inhale deeply, because I know that if I do it now, I won't be able to go back. But the decision is already made. It is only a question of coming to terms with what I want to do - no, what I need to do. To not lose Prim. To never let her go again. 

"Gale" I call softly, in a whisper, and I hear him stand up and turn to me.

I turn as well.

And I stare him straight in the eyes.

Because I know Prim is there. She is the ghost that inhabits those gray irises, consumed by guilt. And if I look into his eyes, I can almost see her.

If I look into his eyes, I already know that I will have to surrender.

Because nothing breaks my heart more than seeing Gale sad, and I know only one viable solution to erase the torment from his soul.

I try to resist, anyway. I enjoy my sister dancing devoured by the fire at the bottom of his eyes, and I postpone the inevitable to a new day.

***

"They’re not coming back, Katniss."

Peeta? My mother? Snow, or Coin to destroy my life from beyond the grave?

Prim?

"No one's coming back."

Stressing the obvious has always been his prerogative, and my lips curve into a bitter smile.

"But you're staying."

A moment's pause, as the icy wind rattles the bare branches above our heads.

"I'm staying. Like you."

***

'A complete separation is necessary for the serenity of the subject' is the last line penned by one of Capitol City's most renowned doctors, in a graceful and elegant handwriting.

I clasp the letter in my hands as snowflakes fall placidly around me. I didn't even go back into the house before I tore open the envelope, I just stood by the mailbox reading.

It was devastating to discover how, despite all the months that had passed, I still had hope. My mind had long since given up; my heart and soul, however, had different ideas.

I return home feeling almost light, drained while everything around me seems unreal.

It is not real. It is not real. It cannot be real because I, because I...

The letter slips through my hands and I advance towards the sofa, where Gale is taking a nap. I watch him for a moment, trapped in that suspended realm where illusion still dominates over reality, and then I realize. Enlightenment hits me.

 I never kissed Gale because I wanted to make him feel good in the past.

I kissed him because if I could become the right girl for him, even for a moment, then it meant I no longer had to be Katniss Everdeen.

I kneel beside him and grab his face. Before he can fully wake up, my lips are already on his. He won't mind coming back to the world like this, I hope.

If by kissing him I can become whoever I want, then that means I can also be the girl who was never in love with Peeta - the girl who never lost him.

***

"You're the one who wanted it."

Both of our breaths are broken, his cheeks are red and his gaze is hard as steel.

"You can't regret it now, Katniss."

***

There is an aspect of fire that I had never considered before. That destructive force that animates us, that ignites us with its desperation, can be channeled in many ways.

It was with Gale that I discovered passion.

Pain is best expressed when you can carve flesh with your nails, then lick the trails of ferruginous blood returning from orgasm. Guilt is best borne when you can at least partially atone for it when it all comes down to an irrational instinct to grab, to have, to suffer - and only the dark bruises remain, which you look at with a satisfied smile the next day.

You no longer feel the guilt of being alive during the day, if in the night you season your nightmares with sex, which seems to erase all sin.

Even Gale seems more relaxed.

There is always Prim in the back of his eyes, dancing on skulls and ashes. But she smiles, for once. She is serene and watches me live with a mysterious smile.

To have Gale is to have her and that I can never give up.

Gale smiles much more often. When we go out hunting together; we don't speak, but sometimes he holds me in his arms and the world thins out around us.

Understanding each other with a glance and without making noise has always been a prerogative of us hunters. We have known each other almost all our lives and, after all, we both live with the same ghosts.

Since I have had the courage to look, everything seems to have fallen into place.

I'm not saying my life is perfect, not this, never this. But Gale is my rock.

And with him, I know I can live one more day.

***

"Where are you going?"

He smiles, amused by the hint of panic in my voice.

"Just to the market, to buy bread."

"I'll go with you. Wait for me."

"As you wish, Katnip ."

[tiffyfoundsomething]

Lady Doolli

I’ve mentioned before that I like blind box toys and ball jointed dolls and now I’m in trouble because there are blind box ball jointed dolls out there.

Lady Doolli is blind boxed but is NOT a BJD though she’s in a similar style. I’d seen these on Amazon for a while and was curious but only recently decided to give one a try.

There is 1 skintone, 6 different hair styles/colors, and it looks like maybe 2 eye colors.

There are also 6 possible outfits.

The dolls and clothing are separate, but are each $26 and both are in the same listing here: https://amzn.to/3OrhHsk

The box is small and cute with a lot of pictures and writing on it, especially making a point to let you know there’s no second outfit in here and they must be bought separately.

The outfits are packed in a little paperboard box shaped like a garment bag. It says 2022 Spring, so I wonder if there are many other outfit sets that have been released.

To be honest, I don’t care for any of these outfits, really. Figured I should get one to review, at least.

Both the doll and outfit are packed in these silver foil bags inside the boxes. There’s no plastic shell or anything to hold their position in the packaging. They’re just loose in there.

I got dark, long hair with a side part with blue and purple eyes, and almost missed the tiny little bag of extra hands inside the silver bag. She does come already dressed in the pajamas.

I tried to get a good photo of the face screening but my phone is a potato. There’s a good amount of detail with a simple layout. She has eyeshadow, blush on the cheeks, chin, nose, and brows, a little lip line to separate her lips... It’s a cute face, but I do prefer my dolls to not look sad or startled.

She does have rooted hair which is silky and smooth. It’s a little stiffer than Kiwi nylon (Rainbow High) while still being soft.

She also has a couple paint spots on her face that look to be from the eyebrow paint.

The rooting isn’t super dense in some areas.

Her head is harder than a Barbie’s head but is squishable to a degree so her eyes could be removed and replaced with some heat and her hair could be rerooted if you wanted.

Hair drop on a new doll head is normal. This looks like a plug or two which didn’t get anchored.

I’m impressed with the posing. The joints are stiff enough to hold a pose but easy to move other than her hips which take a little bit more pressure, and have a high range of motion.

The torso joints aren’t as mobile as the arms and legs, though.

Her head can look up and down or tilt left and right depending on how you turn the neck joint which is a simple hinged ball.

The backs of the knees...

All of the jointing reminds me of Figmas.

Honestly I feel like the body alone is worth the $26 price tag, AND you get a rooted head with quality hair and inset eyes, a pair of pajamas, and an extra pair of hands.

-

Neither outfit that I have has any sort of closures or openings so you do need to remove the head and hands to dress her.

Getting the hands on and off is difficult

Turns out there’s a LOT of flash on her wrist pegs. I did go in and clean that off. There was a good sized bit on her neck ball, too.

Heat up the hands, though, and they go on and off pretty easily.

-

As for the outfit.

Silver bag again.

I couldn’t get this headband to stay on her hair because it’s satin and her hair is satiny smooth, but it does have a wire in the “ears” so you can pose it as you wish.

......

LOOK AT THESE TINY LITTLE SHOES!

They have stitches, laces, tongues, glued on rubbery soles with IN SCALE texture on the bottom...

They went on a lot more easily than I expected them to OVER her socks. I did need to get a little stick to pull the back of the heel out and over the doll’s heels. Other than that, easy-easy.

I also didn’t even try to extract and tie the laces. They looked really short and I have poor motor control, so I opted to just shove her feet in there with the laces tucked inside.

The outfit came with shorts, a one-piece sweater and shirt combo, and some long socks. The socks aren’t hemmed but everything else is. Again, no closures, not even an elastic waistband on the shorts. The shorts were a little difficult to put on.

All of the fabrics are soft and despite the sweater having a feelable texture, it’s not rough or scratchy so it’s not kicking off my texture-BAD senses.

Action pose! FWIP!

She can’t quite pull of Sailor Moon’s signature pose.

Here she is next to some other blind box BJD (the others really are BJD). They all could certainly share clothes despite Doolli’s longer, thinner body.

From left to right:

Penny’s Box Antu Natural Wonderland - https://amzn.to/3IqKfOz

SimonToy Teenar Campus Series - https://amzn.to/3IlnGLl

Lady Doolli and outfit pack - https://amzn.to/3MiOflA

Come4Free Bonnie Journey of Streets - https://amzn.to/42QlMKG

-

While I do feel that the quality of Lady Doolli is in line with the price (all together she costs $52), and am impressed with, basically, everything about her, I don’t feel a need to buy another. Out of all of the blind box BJD I’ve tried (not pictured here is the Penny’s Box centaurs), the only one I’ve wanted more than one of was Bonnie. I have three.

[missmungoe]

Omg omg I’m literally screaming just came back from finals to find THIS😭😭😭 literally made my day🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

I saw your other ask about mistaking the WIP meme for a recent one, but no worries!! I've been wondering if I should do it again, so here you go! From Heart and Anchor, a longer snippet, since it's been a minute<3

Her morning regulars left as the day sank into a deep blue afternoon, a quiet lull between shifts where she usually caught up with chores, but with her glasses polished and her floors mopped, there wasn’t much left for her to do, allowing her a moment’s peace, humming under her breath as she did the books, going over unpaid tabs and next month's shipment, listening to their muffled voices in the kitchen where the boys had taken it upon themselves to do the dishes. So far Makino had counted three plates breaking, and primly ignored the fourth, followed by Luffy's muffled "it was Ace!"

It was probably about time she got new dishware anyway.

She was behind the counter, her back turned to the room, when the bat-wing doors swung open, the floorboards creaking gently, and pausing, she frowned, but then she’d always had an uncanny ability to know who’d be coming through her doors before she saw them, only this time, Makino couldn’t even make a guess.

But she realised why when she turned, only to find an unfamiliar man in her doorway.

He was looking around the empty common room, but with her crew away for the day, the tables were empty, although he didn’t look like he’d come with a drink in mind, Makino thought, even before he fixed his gaze on her.

He was well-dressed, a burgundy velvet coat with shiny brass buttons above a high-necked shirt, the fine quality standing out, which ruled out a common sailor or pirate, although no merchant she'd ever seen had looked like this, as though he was about to go on stage. A trimmed moustache curled along his upper lip, giving him a cheerful air, and he wore his hair arranged to perfection.

“Can I help you?” Makino asked, and hoped he couldn’t tell that she was uneasy, but then ever since the raid, she’d been wary about new visitors. And while she couldn’t be suspicious of every newcomer to her shores, she couldn’t seem to shrug off the sensation now.

He didn’t answer, considering her where she stood behind the bar, his eyes lingering on her face a beat too long, but while it wasn't a leering look, the feeling it left was worse.

“I am looking for a pirate,” he said then, withdrawing something from the inner pocket of his coat, and coming up to the bar, he slid it towards her.

She’d already recognised the black lettering of a Government-issued wanted poster, although catching a look at the photograph beneath, her eyes widened.

Shanks’ face looked back, her wide eyes moving over the handsome features captured on the page, his scars and the crooked grin that defied them, but even instantly recogniseable, it took a full second for Makino to understand just whose wanted poster she was looking at.

Then she saw the row of numbers printed beneath his picture. And even if she'd always known there was likely a price on his head, she wasn’t prepared to see the truth in print, or for it to be what it was.

She couldn't drag her gaze away from the numbers, her mind struggling just to take in the obscene amount, let alone reconcile it with the face in the picture, and the pirate captain who'd woken up in her bed that morning; the same one whose child she was carrying.

He had a bounty of over a billion berri?!

Her own face had betrayed her, because the stranger mused, “It seems I have found the right place.” Although with a glance around her empty bar, “But he is not here, and I couldn't see his ship in the harbour,” he said, before his gaze settled on her and stayed. “But maybe it’s just as well.”

Then, this time in a business-like tone, “I was told this was where my shipment got lost,” he said. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, and her heart dropped like a stone when he added, “I am here for compensation.”

Her former unease had deepened to fear, but while he might have just been a merchant whose ship had gone aground, Makino knew then which shipment he was talking about, and that if he was a merchant, it wasn’t grain and spirits that filled his hold but living cargo.

She’d taken an instinctive step back without thinking, only for the cupboards to meet her, and realised her mistake a second later when his gaze dropped from her face to her belly, before they lit up.

“Oh?” he said, this time with a pitch that made her blood run cold. His eyes were fixed on her belly, heavy in the cup of her hand. “Perhaps I might salvage this after all.”

His eyes lifted, as he took her in anew, but where his interest had made her uneasy before, the look in them now froze her in place. “Exquisite. You'll fetch a high price, I wager. Enough to make up for my lost shipment and more besides. Or at least enough to get my gracious benefactor off my back for losing him valuable business.”

She couldn’t move, frozen where she stood behind the counter, although it felt like a paltry shield. She couldn't even reach for Yasopp’s pistol, all of her seized by that calm, assessing gaze where it weighed her worth.

Her heart was racing, her thoughts stumbling over each other as she tried to keep calm. Beneath her hand, the child in her belly was unusually quiet.

On the counter before her, Shanks’ wanted poster lay, but they wouldn’t be back from Goa for another few hours, and she couldn't make a run for it with the boys in her kitchen.

As though in answer to the thought, she heard the door to the kitchen swinging open, and her heart stuttered with her breath as they appeared.

Stopping at the sight of the man in her bar, “Who the hell are you?” Ace asked, as narrowed eyes swept across him. The front of his shirt was wet, and his hands were wrinkled from washing up.

Sabo and Luffy were with him, although the former put the latter behind him, coming up beside Ace where he was seizing up the newcomer.

For his part, he only spared them a perfunctory glance, before he gave a snap of his fingers, and they must have been waiting, because it wasn’t a second before the bat-wing doors swung open again, admitting four men, although none as finely dressed as the first. Instead, they wore uniforms, although she only caught a glimpse of the symbol emblazoned over their backs, red like a bloody hoof-print, before they came to stand beside the one who was ostensibly their boss. One of them was holding something; it looked like heavy metal ring.

A chill went through her, as, “Ace,” Makino said, and saw him look at her, but she hadn’t taken her eyes off the slavers. Her voice was even; a calm she didn’t feel. “Take your brothers and go.”

His eyes widened, the suspicion on his face swept off with his surprise. “What?”

“Go,” Makino said, and was glad when her voice didn't waver. “Get Dadan.”

They all reacted with shock, as Ace snapped, “We’re not leaving you!”

“Yeah, not a chance,” Sabo said, as Luffy brandished his fists.

“Like hell!”

They’d moved to stand before the counter, putting themselves between her and the slavers, although the leader of their operation didn’t seem overly concerned by their presence or their anger.

Nodding to the one holding the metal ring, “Collar her,” he said, as Makino’s breath seized, her gaze shooting to the collar. “But be mindful of the child. I know a Celestial Dragon who’d pay a fine fee for it, and I mean to get my money's worth.”

The slaver hadn’t even taken a step towards her when Luffy shot forward. “I’ll kick your ass!”

His arm shot out, extending from his boy, although his fist missed its mark, bouncing off the wall instead, and she saw the surprise on the slavers’ faces.

“A devil fruit user?” the leader asked, his eyes alight where they’d fixed on Luffy, and her heart lurched in her chest. “Interesting.” Then to his men, “Take them both," he said, and with a dismissive jerk of his chin, “Kill the other two.”

One of the slavers reached for Luffy as Sabo lunged forward, although Ace hesitated, torn as his gaze shot up to her, but before Makino could shout at them to run, the slaver knocked Sabo out of the way, seizing the back of Luffy’s shirt to lift him up as he shouted, striking out blindly. "Let me go!"

“Luffy!” Ace shouted, and was about to move towards him when the slaver holding him snapped the collar around his neck, and he froze.

Luffy’s eyes sprang wide as his hands shot up to grip it, confusion twisting his face as Makino cried out, “Luffy!”

His bravado had disappeared, clutching the heavy collar, and she saw from the distress that shaped his features that something was wrong, although didn't know what had put that fear in his eyes, knew only that he was afraid, the force of his feelings so great Makino almost thought she felt it, like a ripple across her senses, and her eyes widened as she felt something within her responding.

It happened so fast.

The windows exploded outwards, along with every surface of glass within, a sudden force ripping through her bar like a shockwave, so great it shoved her back against the cupboards, knocked out before her head even struck the counter.

The last thing she felt before it went dark was from within, a voice she didn't recognise, that wasn’t even a voice, that was only a feeling, as instinctive as it was fierce, and leaving the impression within her quiet mind, of a tiny but resounding roar.

—

“—she okay? Doc!”

“—leeding. Shallow cuts, but a lot of them—”

“—the baby? Doc? Doc!"

“—fine. Jesus, Boss, calm down. It’s kicking, but she’s—”

There were voices speaking somewhere above her head, but they were muffled, as though she was underwater. Was she underwater?

“—the boys?”

“—no outward injuries. Looks like they were knocked out—”

“—the hell did this?”

She couldn’t make out what they were saying, the words like broken flotsam, bobbing in and out of hearing. Her head hurt, a throbbing that seemed to be growing in intensity.

“—kind of destruction. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was—”

Her ears were ringing, a high, persistent keening, and she couldn’t help the sound that shattered on her tongue, begging it to stop.

“She's coming to. Boss!”

Then a voice she knew carved through the muffled layers, the warm timbre like a lifeline.

“—kino? Makino!”

Blinking dazedly, she struggled to focus. The world was a blur, and her mind jumbled with so many thoughts and feelings, she couldn’t even find herself in the midst of it all.

Faces were coming into view as her vision slowly cleared, and she'd latched onto the familiar red of his hair before she saw him, his scars taking shape, furrowed above his eyes as Makino blinked hers open.

He was kneeling in front of her, his hand cradling her face, lolling a bit as she tried to fix her gaze on him.

“Hey,” Shanks said, gently. His voice was a mooring, keeping her from drifting. “Can you hear me?”

She nodded, although regretted it when a splitting headache lanced through the back of her skull, and sucked a startled hiss through her teeth.

She saw him draw his hand back from where he’d cradled her head, his fingers streaked with blood. “Doc!”

“Careful,” said a new voice, and Hongou was beside her, Makino saw then, although couldn't understand why he looked so serious.

She tried to move when Shanks stopped her, his hand cradling her head gently to keep it in place. “Stay still,” he said firmly, before he added in a gentler pitch, “You’ll cut yourself.”

Her brows knitted, but looking down, she saw what he meant.

She was sitting behind the counter, her back to the cupboards. The floor around her was covered in broken glass and liquid, seeping into her skirt, sticky and smelling heavily of spirits, a sickening mixture of different liquors, and lifting her eyes to the shelves above saw that there wasn’t so much as a shot glass left.

“Makino?”

She couldn’t formulate her thoughts, or what she was feeling, could only feel, everything, as though her senses had been heightened to an uncomfortable degree. The world was too bright, too vivid, every sound and sensation like the broken shards of glass around her, so sharp that every little movement felt like she might cut herself.

“I don’t—” She clenched her jaw over a shivering whimper. “What—”

“Easy,” Shanks said, the soothing pitch of his voice anchoring her, like his gaze. “Breathe.”

She tried, although it was hard to find herself through the chaos, so many feelings she couldn't even tell them apart. It felt like she was drowning, tossed around like a piece of driftwood on a heaving sea.

But the hand cradling her neck was steady, like his big frame where he knelt in front of her, his presence anchoring her panic, and seizing it, Makino tried to fill her lungs, a shivering sob escaping with her exhale.

“Attagirl,” Shanks murmured, with something that almost sounded like pride, even if she didn’t know why, when all she was doing was breathing. “Awakened observation takes some getting used to. Just try to keep your head above water for now.”

“Haki?” someone whispered.

“She always was a latent user,” someone else said. Lucky Roo. “Boss said so, anyway.”

“This is a helluva lot more than observation.” Yasopp.

She was trying to focus, but every time someone spoke, it was like she could feel them, outlined in her mind, their feelings and their heartbeats, every pulse painfully present.

Lifting her eyes from Shanks' found them watching from above the counter, their faces ashen as they looked around the broken furniture of her bar, the shattered windows and the ceiling lamp hanging on by a thread. Every single bottle and glass had exploded, the broken shards in piles around her where she sat, small and confused amidst the destruction and unable to even remember what had caused it.

She started at the gentle brush of his thumb over her bottom lip, and realised with a hiss that it was split, although now that she was becoming aware of her surroundings and herself, she could feel more cuts, stinging her cheeks and her hands, and something wet trickling down her temples and the back of her neck.

She looked at Shanks, conscious now but confused. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, the gathering shadows deepening his scars, furrowed above his eyes where he watched her. Wait, when had he come back from Goa?

Then she remembered—the stranger in the velvet coat, who’d talked about compensation. The metal collar, and Ace and Sabo, and Luffy—

Her thoughts must have broken through her confusion, because, “They’re okay,” Shanks said, still cradling her head to keep her from moving, and looking up, she saw them. Ben had Luffy in his arms, the collar gone from around his neck, and Lucky and Yasopp had Ace and Sabo, all of them out cold.

She couldn’t see the slavers anywhere. “What—” she tried again, but her voice was so hoarse, she struggled sounding out the words. In her belly, the baby was kicking, which was at least a relief, and she felt his hand releasing her neck to settle over the curve, the broad width covering it, warm through her skirt. Seeking his eyes, “What happened?” Makino croaked.

Shanks was watching her, the look on his face somewhere between shock and wonder, and she found it in his voice when he said, “Conqueror’s haki.”

The words registered, even as their meaning eluded her. But his crew understood, because their eyes widened, their shock surging like a wave through the quiet waters of her mind.

“Conqueror's haki?" someone asked, seeming on behalf of them all. "Makino has it?”

She didn’t understand what was going on, but then she couldn’t make sense of what they were saying. What did she have?

“No,” Shanks said. His eyes hadn’t released hers, although he seemed to be looking further, as he lowered them to her belly, his hand shaking where it spanned the taut curve as he said, his voice rough with a terrified wonder,

“Not her.”

[once-was-muses]

[ oh fuckin hrhrhrjjrjr also. Forgored last night. The Blighted Cosmetics List™️. That I also forgored half the ideas of. It's Absolutely not complete and I've just copy-pasted it off the doc below the cut here so it's nothing fancied up, fairly disorganized (still has the symbol/numbers and cosmetic descriptions.) I am so sorry if it's impossible to read but this is what I have rn djdjdjdjjd ]

How Talbot captured each of the killers (in chronological order), and the numbers/symbols on their tags

Huntress (Copper, 2114-25; “This feral specimen was the first experiment of its kind.”): as the cosmetic’s description states, she was the first Talbot “captured” and experimented on- with the help of Vigo, the two hoping to find some way to turn the killers against their Master and/or find some way to use the blight to vanquish Her. Anna was easily lured by Vigo to where Talbot waited to drop onto the wild woman from his perch in a tree and jab the syringe into her.

Wraith (Copper, 2114-25; “A tortured prototype with a unique, otherworldly densely corrupted quality.”): the second killer-turned-victim of Talbot and Vigo’s experiments, the Wraith was the subject of a more coordinated plan. The pair waited until the Wraith was whisked away to a trial before descending on Autohaven, quickly and efficiently assembling the trap which Vigo designed, making use of the wreckage strewn about for parts. When the Wraith returned to the small building he dwelled most often in, he tripped a wire which sent a crudely made cage crashing down from the ceiling. While Talbot didn't hesitate in taking advantage of the killer's compromised state to inject him with the experimental serum, Vigo took notice of the Wraith's utter lack of struggling after the initial shock, rather cowering against the bars and flinching away from Talbot’s hands.

Trapper (Copper, 2114-25; “A cruel specimen injected with metalloids congealed at high temperatures.”): the plan was too simple to have gone so horribly wrong, but really they both should've seen the major flaw immediately. Once again sneaking into their target killer's domain, Talbot and Vigo carefully swiped two each of the cruel traps they'd seen many caught in- including themselves, and the very brute which utilized them. Creeping through the ruins of the MacMillan Estate, they again assessed the interior to determine the Trapper's favored space to reside in, setting the bear traps then hiding themselves. With no reason to suspect his own den to hold dangers, the Trapper almost immediately stepped into one of the inconspicuously placed sets of metal jaws, Vigo quickly snagging the old chain left in the workshop to attempt binding the killer. Quicker than anticipated, the Trapper abandoned prying himself free to instead snatch up the smaller man by the neck, retrieving his blade with the other. In a split second snap of apparent rage, Talbot hoisted one of the unsprung traps over his head and slammed it into the Trapper's side, forcing him to drop both machete and Vigo. The latter simply sat there stunned as Talbot quickly snatched up the machete himself and swung it into its owner's shoulder before driving the syringe in.

Hillbilly (Copper, 2114-25; “A particularly aggressive specimen following experimentation. Injected in multiple locations to yield faster results, which caused severe fluid-filled lumps.”): after the first three, Talbot felt it made sense to move on to one of the more dangerously armed "subjects," Vigo not outright disagreeing but no longer as enthusiastic as he had once been. Nevertheless, he continued to assist Talbot in using four of the many butcher hooks on Coldwind Farm to restrain the particularly brutal killer, looping them over beams in the old barn and using the cattle chute fencing as anchors. Once the Hillbilly was secured, Vigo left the area while Talbot carried out the experiment.

Doctor (Copper, 2114-25; “A relentless specimen with acute aggressive responses to experimentation. Physical restraints were used on both ankles.”): when Talbot suggested the Doctor as their next target, Vigo was beyond horrified- yet still laughed in his face in utter disbelief. He refused to even set foot within the cold walls where the Doctor dwelled, informing Talbot he could be tortured by himself if he was fool enough to carry this out- yet still, Vigo assisted Talbot in securing sedatives and, still, helped in acquiring proper restraints. The only reason they received comparatively minor voltage was the silent yet swift way Talbot moved (which seemed almost innate to the strange man), getting much closer to the hulking figure before lunging than Vigo ever expected could be possible. Of all their "subjects" so far, the Doctor fought them the hardest, and received the most grievous injury beside the injection site. Vigo would not speak to Talbot for a long while after their fifth experiment.

Nurse (Copper, 2114-25; “With foul serum still dripping from her wound, she broke free from her captor.”): Talbot didn't believe Vigo when he again refused to assist him any further. He continued to convey his plan to his partner in crime, choosing to interpret his empty silence as attentive listening. He was proven wrong when he was forced to make the trek to Crotus Penn on his own, forced to concoct a totally new plan. Cursing his so-called "partner" between ideas. Soon after setting foot in her domain, the lone survivor found himself being stalked through the grounds, screams echoing around him as the resident drew closer. With a hooked chain stolen from Coldwind in one hand and syringe in the other beneath his coat, Talbot fought to resist the icy fingers of dread as he lured her into a claustrophobic hallway. Despite his best efforts, without anyone to have his back he froze up when met with the Nurse, snapping out his daze once she was only an arm's breadth away. Ducking beneath the raised saw blade, he jabbed the hook into her chest and used that anchor to pin both her arms to her sides. Not wasting any time, Talbot jabbed the syringe in- only for the Nurse to react immediately, a godawful shriek leaving her as the hook tore itself free from her. Talbot scrambled to get away, electing to vault from a window rather than waste precious time afforded to him by the growing threat's struggle on taking the stairs.

True Blight (Agrilla [clay], 3412; “An extreme overdose of putrid serum culminated in a corruption like no other. Visceral cankers blossomed through his body, sprouting from his flesh and twisting out of nearly every orifice.”): occurred after Talbot was sent to the Void and later escaped, but not without the cost of losing pieces of himself. The Entity encouraged Talbot to continue his experiments on the killers only once he was thoroughly addicted to the very same serum. It took a long time for Talbot to realize this encouragement was for Her own gain, planning he would discover a way to rid Her of the annual blighting for good and force him to do so. Needless to say he's thus far yet to even concretely explain the cause nor origin.

-----

Hag (Putrefaction, 1227; “She escaped when a charm of strength buried within her was ignited by the serum.”): 

Clown (Aqua Vita (alcohol)?, 1130; “He took off when the substance provoked a profound hunger that made his belly swell with anticipation.”):

Plague (Vinegar-2 [distilled vinegar], 2330; “She emerged from confinement when the serum amplified the disease coursing through her blood.”):

Ghostface (Air, 2825; “A specimen who reacted strangely to the latest compounds, resulting in unexpected mutations that cannot yet be explained.”):

Spirit (Air, 2825; “She emerged from captivity when the serum sparked her ancestral rage, making her blood boil with fury.”):

Oni (???; “His overwhelming strength made him a priority candidate for testing. The searing pain of the experiment, more than anything, made his rage even more potent.”): the Oni’s strength and rage is infamous throughout the Fog, seemingly outmatched only by those that were not originally human at some point. While the mutation had rendered Talbot twisted and hunched over, the serum provided him unnatural strength and speed- but nothing to compete with the elder Yamaoka. How, then, did the Blight manage to capture such a fearsome target? By using the shreds of humanity left against him. His descendant was already undergoing her own experiment at the time Talbot used her hypothetical safety as distraction long enough to get close enough to lunge, grabbing on with the awful limbs that sprouted from his back, one hand gripping the fearsome mane while the other plunged the syringe into the muscular neck.

Legion (Putrefaction, 1227; “Repulsive. The serum has grafted the four specimens into a single creature, three of which are entrapped within the flesh of the host, ineffectually attempting to escape.”):

Nemesis (Zinc, 1823; “The putrid serum mixed with the Ne-a Type parasite to create a chimerical horror that not even The Blight could have anticipated.”): 

Pyramid Head (Zinc, 1825; “The putrid serum took hold of the creature born from a dark wish, rotting with putrid ways to punish the guilty.”): the Red God volunteered itself to be subjected to the serum, for what purposes Talbot did not dare risk angering it to find out. What he did discover, however, was that the Executioner required two full doses for any effects to take hold.

Wesker (probs Red Arsenic, possibly Regulus?, 1513-15; “Nobody could predict the complex interactions that would occur between the serum and Uroboros, but that didn’t stop him from testing it on himself.”): the Mastermind intercepted the Blight before he had even crafted a plan for him. Swiping a unique concoction, Wesker swiftly injected himself with it, leaving Talbot no choice but to witness and document the effects. And do his best to stay out of the path of destruction.

Sadako (???, 4020-68): 

Xenomorph (???): 

[kedsandtubesocks]

erika erika erika!! i am dropping by with a few things i find pretty bc april is so very pretty to me! 🍞🌻💭🌷☀️🫧✨🌱💗🍓 how are you?? i hope the month is lovely to you 🥺

i also come back with a curious sel question 🤓 a more technical writing one but, what is your anchor point to writing a character like gojo? what part of him do you like exploring and what quality of his stays the same to you across any universe you put him in? 🥺

SEL HI MY APRIL FLOWER 🥹🌻🌼🌸💐🌷💕

Those sweet April vibes are so precious thank you for sharing and for being such a sweet treat!!! April really is such a lovely month and you’re such a great reminder of that bb 🥺💕

I’m still on that post eclipse high so I’m like “THE COSMOS ARE WILD?!” so that’s how I’ve been LOL

Now to your question!!

what is your anchor point to writing a character like gojo? what part of him do you like exploring and what quality of his stays the same to you across any universe you put him in?

But okay… Sel… as the kids like you say, you COOKED with this!?!? 😮‍💨 what an incredible question and thank you for wanting to ask me??? 🥺

Okay! So the parts of Gojo I love exploring are strangely enough his humanity (if this makes sense omg rip) like the way he interacts with others in any universe and how he shoulders his ties and connections with others I think is so interesting to see in different scenarios! His humanity is so unique and tied distinctly to his abilities and who he is as a sorcerer! So then getting to see how that works in different situations & even sometimes when he’s not a sorcerer has been such a great way to just explore his character more (unfortunately) LOL

And to me his most persistent quality that I believe doesn’t change no matter where or when you drop this moron into, is how silly he can be 😔

He’s such a weird guy and has a weird way of interacting with people and he’s such a peak Sagittarius with how he holds his energy and loves to giggle and even be a bit of a pest but it’s out of a way of wanting to connect with people, he’s so SILLY AND I HATE HIM abdudbehGSYSGHS

The silliest of gooses 🫠

But then again, after all the rambling did… maybe I am just as bad of a silly goose 🤡🫠

Also wow do I heckin’ love you so much Sel thank you again for this amazing message 😭💕🦋✨

[mintawasalreadytaken]

new fic alert for my depraved besties

sup, freaks. hot on the tails of my MCD Deathly Hallows re-write comes more of the same, and also the opposite.

Bad Times is now posting. nothing but “you think this is bad?” and then it gets worse.

it’s whump. un-beta’d. no magic. posting at random. not sure when it’ll end.

here’s an excerpt from chapter 1. enjoy 😘

—

Draco leans to the left, digging his weight into the elbow at his knee as he digs his toes into the squishy bathroom rug and rising onto the ball of his foot. From this hunched angle the stream of cold water pulses directly at the centre of his anus. He twists the dial of the bidet higher, like setting an egg timer, and rocks forward, pushing the sphincter out until he feels the stream breach him. It's not as thorough as a full enema, but the bulb is at the back of the cupboard under the sink and this low-rent rectal pressure-wash will do the intended job neatly. This isn't group sex captured with a mobile on a tripod: the bedspread is navy, but he'll still put down a towel. He's not an animal.

He sighs, dropping his forehead and closes his eyes. He'd give anything for another hour of sleep, but Harry's already made the Moka pot. He's in bed now, mug anchored on that sweet roll of pudge at the bottom of his belly, scrolling Twitter on his phone.

Draco will drink his own coffee lukewarm in a half-hour, after tossing the medium-sized butt plug on the bed. Harry will coax him open with it (Harry likes that part best, squirting more lube than Draco ever bothers with until his every ministration produces ludicrous, pornographic amounts of squelching). When he's happy with the ease with which the toy slides in and is pulled sweetly out, Draco will straddle him, then ride him (Draco's preferred position, his knees on the bed, his feet wrapped over the furry tops of Harry's thighs.) When he tires of the work of bouncing Harry will roll him onto his back to fuck him missionary—it's a fifty-fifty if he'll stand and pull Draco to the edge of the bed or arrange him with his head on a pillow, pushing one knee to meet his shoulder. Either way, twenty minutes from Draco's arrival in the bedroom, Harry will jackhammer into him for up to a minute before pulling out, tossing the condom to the floor, and coming as directed on Draco's belly. Draco will join him, at the same time or shortly after, by his own hand. Harry will deflate, sweat-damp and panting on top of him. He will kiss Draco's cheek and nose and eyelids, tie off the condom and dispose of it in the wastebasket in the ensuite, discreetly wrapped in tissue, as though anyone but them would ever go rooting around inside the covered bin. He will wipe Draco clean with a flannel soaked with hot water, smelling of their laundry soap, and return to bed cheery. He will, for a few days, be comically touchy: hugs from behind and bum-pinches and a holding Draco spooned to him even as they grow too hot and damp with it. The glow will linger, then fade. This is a gift Draco seldom bestows.

Draco doesn't often take Harry's cock. He admits this once, still a little high from Saturday's escapades over brunch mimosas with Pansy. Over time this tidbit of gossip develops into the a commonly held belief that Harry's penis is extraordinary, a fact that Harry hotly denies and Draco remains mum about. This combination anchors his friend's belief that Harry is the incredible person he is, and humble to boot, and Draco is the indulgent little shit he's always been, superficial to the last.

Harry's cock is not special. He's the first person to tell you this, and has no qualms about it.

It is average in every way: 5 and something inches, thick enough to feel good in the hand, with no curve to it. The single freckle on the tip is its most memorable feature.

On the contrary, Draco's ass is special. If anyone cared to ask him about its intrinsic qualities he'd describe it as particular, finicky, and utterly demanding.

read Bad Times on AO3

[sullustangin]

Fluffy February Day 14: Heartbeat (Free Space)

Fandom: SWTOR

Pairing:  Theron Shan/Smuggler (on pause at the moment for reasons that will become obvious)

Time: Carbonite Years

Rating:  T, mostly for one Trant f-bomb at the end

Words: ~1880 (Ok, I let the feels get to me on this one)

~~

The air conditioning ducts were a tighter fit than anticipated.  ...that was true of a lot of things, these days.

Theron gagged on some dust that had escaped the filters of his respirator, but he kept pushing forward.

Trant’s voice came in. “Left at the next junction.  That should put you within range of the terminal.  From there, you can slice in.  Are you sure --?”

“The intel was good,” Theron insisted through grit teeth.  He was not going to get stuck in here, and his slice was going to be successful.   It had to be.

A nascent resistance depended upon it, and Trant didn’t even know it.

Sure, Trant was fully cognizant of the fact that he was leading Theron through the long-neglected ventilation system of some ancient Zakuul office building.  He was well-aware that Theron had received intel that there was a data package left behind on the network.  Yes, it would help the Republic black ops against Zakuul…given the fact that Marcus Trant and Theron Shan were the only members of that operational corps, the data wasn’t travelling far.  

But Trant didn’t know about Lana Beniko and her Great Idea.  Theron had an agenda beyond the one Trant knew about.

“You should be right under it.  There a vent nearby you can fit your droid through?”

“Yeah.”  Theron reached back to pull out his magnetic screwdriver set and went to work at wiggling the slats of the vent open just wide enough.

That done, Theron deployed a remote droid, one specially modified by him.  He could control it with his implants, and its sensors were so fine that it could replicate his own slice work – if he could think clearly enough. The high-quality holo cam he mounted on it (at ridiculous prices, given the Zakuulan crushing of the economy) made it possible for him to port the image to his ocular implants; it was like being right there in front of the terminal himself.  

Given the fact that this terminal was on an antenna platform that was several hundred feet in the air in the Spire, it was highly recommended that Theron not attempt to be there in person.

(Though he probably would have tried it, if he was… yikes, ten years younger)

(And…if he was physically in better condition…)

Theron pushed those intrusive thoughts away as he activated the high-quality cam on the droid to help it scurry its way up to the terminal.  Once the droid was able to activate its anchors, carefully, Theron was finally able to move in the ventilation shaft without worrying about dropping the droid off the top of the building and probably killing someone on the street.

With a grunt and few moments of strain, he managed to get all of his limbs straightened out.  Using his glove grips and his toe picks, Theron managed to get a hold on the ceiling of the shaft he was in and slide along his back toward the last air exchange he’d mapped.  He … he needed space.

As he pushed himself into the larger space of the exchange, he let himself go limp in exhaustion. Roughly he tugged at the zipper of his tac suit pulling it down.  He wasn’t as bad as he was that one time he sliced an Imperial destroyer, but he was hot and sweaty –

“Hey, Theron, your vitals –”

“I know, I.. I had to maneuver.”  Theron cringed at the sound of his voice, making excuses.

…It was Theron’s first external mission since Ziost.

He’d gone up two tac suit sizes in the intervening years.

Some of it was the alcohol.  A significant part was the fact he’d given up the fitness regiment he’d had since he was a youngling.

And some of it was grief.

What was the point, after the Republic knuckled under to Zakuul?

Rather than get Zakuul’s boot off the Republic’s throat, Saresh focused on the Sith Empire, which was suffocating just like they were.

But she had willing counterparts to play that game over on the Imperial side, so the war between the Sith Empire and the Republic had continued, even as Zakuul ruled over both.

(There was another source for the grief, something deeper than he wanted to acknowledge.  He batted it away.  Not now.)

Theron was disgusted. With Saresh.  With the Republic that let her get away with it.  With himself for giving up and just going through the motions, hoping to make it to 36 years, 10 months and 8 days so he could collect his pension and –

Do what?

Nothing good.  Nothing meaningful.  That was the story of the last two years.  

And then came Lana and her Great Idea.

Her demand for a man on Coruscant mentally and physically capable for the mission.

And with it… news. The first good news since… he didn’t know when.  

And now he was going to test that news, because he didn’t have faith in anything now.

No matter how good it seemed, Theron suspected it wasn’t true.

It was too good.  For him.  For what he’d become.  He didn’t deserve that sort of… luck.  That… whatever it had been, what could be again.   That second chance.

Trant had been all too willing to join him on this misguided crusade.  He was restless too.

Theron knew Trant would help him resist Zakuul.  They’d screw up things, thwart transports, inconvenience their conquerors.  But that was going to be a war of two against an entire Empire.  It would never be enough.

Theron wanted something more.  

And so he let the little droid do its work, slicing into the Zakuul network, bypassing the defenses that would have infected it with a virus that would have resulted in a complete bricking.   (Theron knew what to watch for now.)  Theron leaned his head back into the dust, letting it stick to his neck and hair, damp with sweat.  He closed his eyes.  Then he let his implants trigger the deep dive into the remote droid’s system.  The last part would be tricky – the data cache had been stashed in a tight space to ensure it would remain until the proper recipient found it.

Theron believed he was the man it was left for.  

Just as the data spike carefully drew the packet just so, clear off the Zakuul network, it seemed to spring to life –

“Theron, you did it. I got – stars, the data.  It’s… it’s the Spire.  It’s a map, it’s the public transport it’s – oh god, it’s everything.”

Thank you, tiny omnitool.

Theron exhaled deeply. Mission success, for the first time in so goddamn long.  

But there was one more thing.  

Theron directed the slice toward one particular physical address.  He’d demanded it from Lana for tonight.

Because he had to know.

“Theron, you read me?”

“Yeah.”

“You ok?”

“Yeah.”

“… you stuck?”

“No!” Theron said, a little too loudly.  “Gotta do something.  Going silent.”

Then he killed the comm between him in Trant.  He even took his own comms implant offline.  Now he was all about the dive, all about the place he was going in his mind…

Two levels of encryption. Easy, now.  He’d practiced for weeks before coming here.

Security.

Storage.

Med data, storage unit.

Theron sent a little signal scurrying down the line, wanting a view –

He got it.  Security holo cam, aimed right at –

Too still.  Too quiet.   The lights could lie.  Nobody would know until it was too late.

Theron felt his own pulse quicken, he could practically see the blood pressure numbers rising as the slice through continued, layer after layer until –

Cardiopulmonary.

Monitoring.

Theron opened his eyes, sightless in the darkness of the carbonite chamber.

Theron yanked his respirator off, as if that would make it harder to hear him.  

He called out for her, once.

“Eva?”

He waited.

He waited.

He waited.

He waited.

He waited.

And then.

A beat. Two parts. Slow.

But that was an unmistakeable human heartbeat, sluggish and slow though it was.

Theron counted to five again, in his head.

There was again.

“Eva.”  Theron wanted to laugh – she was alive. 

He wanted to sob.  She was here and had been here for over two years.

He did both, and he couldn’t help the words that spilled out of him.  She couldn’t hear him – he knew that (no, he didn’t.  Maybe she could).

“I—I’m here.  I’m finally… I’m so sorry --!”  His pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes sockets, trying to hold himself together.  His knees bent, the soles of his boots on the ventilation shaft floor.  He tried to take a deep breath.  “Everything’s fallen apart since you’ve been gone.  We’re… we’re gonna put it back together again.  Fix it all.  And –”

Theron could feel vibrations on his wrist.  It was probably Trant probably trying to get through to him over his personal comm, desperately, because his vitals were all over the place.

“—and we’re going to get you out of there.  I – I still got your ship, Eva,” Theron shakily reassured her.  “You – you got everyone out of Wild Space.  They’re fine, I swear to the gods, and I’ll find them for you.”   Theron tried to swallow, his mouth and throat dry, lips now covered in a fine layer of grime.  “I’ll do anything for you.  To get you back.  I don’t deserve you, but everything seems so dark without you…”

A single thought crystalized in Theron’s head. He’d always known it in his head, he supposed.  But now he knew it in every part of his body.

“I… have so much I want to say to you.  But we’re gonna get you out, and I want you to be wide awake for this, all right?”  Theron hoarsely chuckled at himself as he dragged his tac gloves across his eyes, trying to rid himself of the tears and the dirt before he had to face Trant again.  “I’ve … I’ve got to go.  But… if you can hear me  -- I didn’t forget you.  Not for a damn second.”

He wished he had, so many times.

He never could.

Now he was pleased to confess –

Theron listened once, heard the slow beat again, and then put his tac gear pieces that he’d shed back on.

Then he reopened comms with Trant.  “Situation resolved.  I’m fine.”

There was silence and static.

And then:  “hOly FUCK Shan I swear on the Emperor’s black bones that I thought you ended up like some poor goddamn cat that got stuck in my aunt’s walls when I was a kid –”

Theron could not stop the laughter as Trant went off.   “Are you hearing this?” he asked Eva.

Another heartbeat.  Theron sighed and lay back in the filth as he let Trant vent for a few more minutes.

~

@fluffyfebruary @ayresis @ermingarden @starlightcleric @bluephoenix1347

[seadragon-sailing]

Food is a topic we talk about often. You got any favorite food head canons or ideas for your Treasure island gang?

Shinju: Narezushi/鮓 (picked fish with salt and rice), lotus root, bamboo shoots, roast chestnuts, and plain rice.  She prefers savory/smoky flavors, and likes to put more spice into her food if they’re available.  Enjoys a glass of homemade kombucha/hung caa kwan/紅茶菌.  Has a moderate alcohol tolerance (about the same as Luka).

Luka: Whole roasted duck, beef, chicken, and fried dough sticks/yu char kway/油條. Seafood makes him a little nauseous if he eats too much, or if it has a weird texture, but he’ll tolerate it.  Holds his alcohol surprisingly well, but can’t drink more than one serving of stronger alcohols.  As for his favorite food from his homeland; he was used to eating TONS of meat since he came from the noble class (Shinju had to help him actually eat his goddamn vegetables when he started living with her and Feng) such as pastries filled with beef, lamb or goat.  He is also very fond of various cheeses, preferably soft to semi-hard cheeses.

Lee: Noodles (either made of rice, or sweet potato), loves his citrus fruits (will eat whole peeled lemons occasionally), dried nuts, and plain rice (he’s especially a fan of putting butter on it if it’s available).  Prefers chicken as a primary source of protein, but will eat beef on occasion.  Tends to be picky about what he eats due to being easily grossed out by jelly-like or gristly textures, but usually relents if he doesn’t have any other choice (or if you tell him that someone he cares about made it for him, he’ll eat whatever it is just to avoid upsetting said person).  He has the highest alcohol tolerance out of the bunch, and absolutely loves indulging in high-quality booze.

Feng: Rice porridge/jook/粥 with either mantis shrimp, or chicken and tea eggs.  During the New Years, he enjoys dried plums, and maybe even a bowl of bird’s nest soup if he can find any.  He also has a preference for beer more than wine, and likes to add the pulp from honey locust bean pods into it for a little added sweetness.  While wheat isn’t a staple crop in the southern parts of China, Feng does remember learning how to make dumplings, and hand-pulled noodles from his mother (who was born and raised in the Northern region of China); he still makes them if he gets his hands on proper wheat flour.

Tamara: Fufu; groundnut stew/maafe with mutton or beef; goat skewers (thoroughly seasoned, of course); really enjoys her vegetables and peppers.  She also enjoys baking breads with various herbs and garlic.  In the tavern/inn she works at in Port Tortuga (The Jade Dagger), Tamara not only helps with supplying the bread loaves that are served there, but also has a hand in making its own special brand of palm wine, and clairin.

Kyung: Mantis shrimp rice porridge/jook/粥, sweetheart cakes/lou po beng/老婆餅, and if she can get her hands on it–Tanghulu/糖葫蘆.  Tends to also really like eating edible flowers (roses, lotus, hibiscus, and any others that she knows are safe to eat).  Likes to make her own rice wines, but ironically can’t process alcohol very well which means she drinks the least.  Has the lowest tolerance of the bunch.  If given the option, she’ll confidently order milk or (non-alcoholic) fruit cider at a tavern rather than drink alcohol (this is especially well-known at the Jade Dagger whenever the Sea Dragon drops anchor at Port Tortuga).

[fauxkaren]

The Glory - 9/10

Yoooooooooooo, this drama was so good!  It’s not a 10/10 for me, just because idk if I could stomach a rewatch, but damn there were so many amazing performances in this drama! The female lead is fantastic, but so is the primary antagonist and all the secondary characters. Like, the bullies are SO good at making you loathe them and feel they deserve everything that is coming to them.

This drama centers on Moon Dong-eun who was a victim of horrific bullying. And calling it bullying is letting them off too easy. Her bullies physically tortured her. Since she was driven to drop out of high school due to her bullies, Dong-eun has dedicated the past 18 years of her life to getting her revenge. Watching her orchestrate her bullies’ downfalls is GLORIOUS because so much of what she does is just set things in motion, knowing that the bullies natural awfulness will cause the to act in ways that will lead to their own doom. It is SO satisfying watching these horrible people get their comeuppance.

The quality and range of acting performances really elevate this show. The actress who plays Dong-eun is the perfect center to the chaos around her. She exudes this quiet calm as she exacts her revenge that is sometimes unsettling. Dong-eun has dedicated her life to this vengeance and in some ways, she’s no longer a person. She’s become only her revenge. Another stand-out is the actress who plays the main antagonist and lead bully, Yeon-jin. HOLY SHIT she is good at being horrible. She has this barking laugh that is bonkers and is excellent at cultivating the vibe of someone who is on the verge of snapping. She’s great.

Another thing about this drama that really stood out to me was the spectrum of characters who have experienced traumatic events. Not everyone has the same reaction to trauma. Some people hide their (metaphorical and literal) scars, but for others, their pain is visible for the world to see. Some people seem ok on the outside with a cheerful personality, but on the inside, they are falling apart.

Idk. It was just... it was a really great drama. Amazing performances anchored a story with lots of turns and an INCREDIBLY satisfying story of vengeance.

[kultofathena]

Deepeeka – Landsknecht Katzbalger with Byknives

This reproduction of a Landsknecht Katzbalger sword has a hand forged blade of C60 high carbon steel – a steel with properties similar to 1060 high carbon steel. The blade is both broad and durable and its form allows for particularly hard-hitting strikes closer to the tip than many other swords. The sword is durably anchored into a hilt with a guard and pommel of darkened steel and the grip has a section of carved and polished wood. The sword is matched with a wood core scabbard which is tightly bound in genuine high quality leather and fitted with a blued steel chape with brass embellishment. A slot for a pair of byknives is integrated with the scabbard and fits the included utility knife and pricker.

The iconic German and Swiss Landsknecht mercenary companies were a dominating force on the late 15th and 16th century battlefield. Impossible to miss with their outlandishly colored and voluminous style of dress, their carnival-esque appearance and predilection for purposed swagger was a velvet glove over an iron fist; their mercenary companies were a disciplined core of pikemen and halberdiers supplemented by greatswords and eventually arquebusiers. As their lives were deemed to be “short and fierce” these men were permitted to break social dress code laws and dress themselves in colors and stylings usually reserved for nobility and the distinct styling of their armaments reflected a desire for bold fashion crossed with grim utility. Though polearms and larger weapons were primary weapons, the secondary sidearm weapon for almost all of these mercenary troops would have been a Katzbalger or Messer. The Katzbalger in particular was optimally designed for the type of warfare that Landsknecht mercenary companies engaged in. Battlefield engagements often resulted in a clash of pike and halberd regiments and in the scrum of such a chaotic melee a shorter sword would be needed so that it could operate without entanglement.

In such an environment, breakage of primary weapons was not uncommon, and should the clashing polearm regiments end up pushed closer together by pressure from the rear ranks it could be necessary for the front ranks to drop their poleweapons in order to deal with opportunistic combatants who would engage at close range with shorter weapons to disrupt formation. The Katzbalger is ideal for desperately fiece, close-in combat in such an environment. The blade is both broad and exceptionally durable in its design which is necessary in an environment in close proximity with weapons as brutish as halberds and greatswords. The S-shaped guard on these are often thick and appear overbuilt and very wide to a casual glance, but were probably constructed durably and to these exagerrated dimensions so that the bearer could stop a wayward strike from a poleweapon on the guard without breaking or injuring the bearer.

The lack of a thrusting tip on these swords is probably so that the sword can stay wider for a farther length up the blade, this effectively brings its most useful cutting portion farther forward and closer to the tip than many other swords of similar length, thus allowing for effective cutting at the near extremities of the blade length, without needing the blade to be so long as to be entangled in a dense poleweapon-heavy combat. The Katzbalger is easily one of the most recognizable and unique swords of the period and its design seems to be a convergence of practical utility in a specialized combat environment crossed with the ostentatious tastes of fashion and swagger that Landsknecht Mercenaries were famed for.

[enginesinc]

🚤 Catch us at WorkBoat in booths #743 and #963 TODAY! ⚓

Drop anchor at our booth for the next few days and dive into the latest innovations designed to keep your fleet running smoothly. Whether you're looking to upgrade, optimize, or find solutions for your vessel, our crew is here to help you navigate it all! Don’t miss out—stop by, and let’s chart a course for success together. 🌊

Find high-quality diesel parts in Odessa, Dallas, and Houston, TX. at Engines, Inc. From fuel injectors to turbochargers, we offer a wide range of parts to keep your diesel engine running smoothly. Contact us today!

[devoqdesign]

Building User-Centric Web Pages and Apps with Elementor: A UI/UX Guide

Designing user-centric web pages and apps is key to achieving high engagement and satisfaction. Elementor, a powerful drag-and-drop WordPress builder, offers the flexibility and tools needed to create intuitive, visually appealing, and functional designs. Here’s a guide on how to use Elementor’s features to enhance user experience (UX) and create web pages and apps that truly meet user needs.

1. Understanding User-Centric Design and Its Importance

User-centric design revolves around creating digital experiences that prioritize the user’s needs, expectations, and preferences. A user-friendly design improves engagement, reduces bounce rates, and boosts conversion rates. With Elementor, you can achieve a seamless user-centric design that both engages and retains users.

2. Key UI/UX Principles for User-Centric Design

Before diving into Elementor’s tools, it’s essential to understand core UI/UX principles that lead to user-friendly design:

Consistency: Keep design elements consistent throughout the site for a cohesive experience.

Clarity: Avoid clutter by focusing on clear and concise messaging.

Responsiveness: Design for different devices, especially mobile, as mobile traffic continues to grow.

Accessibility: Ensure that users with different abilities can navigate and use the website easily.

3. Getting Started with Elementor

Elementor provides a vast set of widgets, customization options, and integrations that empower designers to create unique and user-focused pages with ease. To start:

Install Elementor: Download and install the plugin via the WordPress dashboard.

Choose a Template: Elementor has pre-made templates that can be customized for various page types.

Add Widgets: Drag and drop widgets to add functionality and elements like text, images, videos, and buttons.

4. Designing an Engaging Homepage with Elementor

The homepage is your users’ first impression. To make it engaging:

Hero Section: Use a clear headline, short subheading, and a CTA (Call to Action) button to capture attention immediately.

Eye-Catching Visuals: Add high-quality images or videos that represent your brand’s message.

User Testimonials: Incorporate a testimonials widget to showcase social proof and build trust.

Navigation: Keep the navigation simple to guide users to the next steps without overwhelming them.

5. Creating Smooth Navigation with Menus and Anchor Links

User-friendly navigation is essential for UX, as it guides visitors through the page seamlessly:

Sticky Menu: Use Elementor’s sticky menu option to keep the navigation accessible as users scroll.

Anchor Links: Anchor links allow users to jump to different sections on a page, making it easier to access relevant information quickly.

Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help users track their position within a website, aiding navigation, especially for sites with a lot of content.

6. Using Elementor’s Responsive Design Features for Mobile Optimization

With mobile users forming a large portion of web traffic, it’s crucial to design pages that perform well on all devices:

Responsive Editing: Elementor allows you to adjust design elements specifically for desktop, tablet, and mobile views.

Tap-Friendly Buttons: Ensure that buttons are large and well-spaced so that mobile users can easily click them without accidentally pressing nearby elements.

Mobile Menus: Use the “hamburger menu” style for navigation on smaller screens, creating a more user-friendly experience on mobile.

7. Enhancing Readability and Accessibility

Accessibility is a major component of user-centric design. Elementor has tools that make your website more accessible to everyone:

Adjust Font Sizes: Use Elementor’s font options to ensure readability, especially on mobile devices.

Color Contrast: Choose contrasting colors for text and backgrounds to ensure readability, particularly for users with visual impairments.

Alt Text for Images: Always add alt text to images, which helps visually impaired users using screen readers and boosts SEO.

8. Personalizing the User Experience

Personalization improves user engagement by tailoring the content or layout to individual preferences:

Dynamic Content: Elementor Pro allows you to display dynamic content based on user profiles or actions, creating a more personalized experience.

User-Targeted Popups: Use Elementor’s Popup Builder to create popups based on user behavior. For example, you could show a signup form for first-time visitors or a discount offer for returning customers.

Geolocation Content: Display region-specific content with geolocation tools available in Elementor Pro, tailoring content to users based on their location.

9. Optimizing Load Speed for Better UX

Slow-loading pages frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates. Optimize speed in Elementor by:

Minimizing Image Size: Use compressed images and the “lazy load” feature to improve loading times.

Reducing Animations: Limit the number of animations to maintain focus and prevent slowing down the site.

Caching and Optimization Plugins: Use caching plugins compatible with Elementor to boost page speed.

10. Using Elementor Widgets to Boost Engagement

Elementor’s widgets enhance interactivity and engagement on your website. Here are a few must-use widgets:

Forms: Add contact forms, subscription forms, or feedback forms to capture user information and keep them engaged.

Sliders and Carousels: Use image carousels or sliders to display multiple images or testimonials.

Accordion and Toggle Widgets: Organize content into expandable sections to avoid overwhelming users with too much information at once.

Conclusion

Building user-centric web pages and apps with Elementor involves more than simply arranging elements; it’s about understanding user behavior, prioritizing accessibility, and enhancing engagement through thoughtful design choices. By following these UI/UX best practices, you’ll be well on your way to creating digital experiences that are both functional and enjoyable for users.

Visit my Upwork project catalog :  Elementor Developer

[atlantic-foundation-crawl-space]

Basement Wall Repair Contractors Near North Carolina: Ensuring Foundation Stability and Fixing Cracked Walls

When it comes to your home’s structural integrity, basement walls play a crucial role in supporting the foundation. Over time, however, issues such as cracked walls or water damage can compromise the stability of your basement and home. That’s where professional basement wall repair contractors near North Carolina come in, offering expert solutions to restore and protect your property.

The Importance of Basement Wall Repair

Cracked or bowing basement walls are often signs of foundation issues. These problems can arise from poor soil conditions, water intrusion, or natural settling over time. Ignoring these warning signs can lead to more severe structural damage, which is why addressing the problem early with professional basement wall repairs is critical for maintaining foundation stability.

Common Basement Wall Issues

Common problems in basement walls include cracks, bowing, and moisture seepage. These issues can result in uneven floors, difficulty in closing windows or doors, and even structural collapse in extreme cases. Professional contractors will assess the cause of the damage and recommend tailored solutions, such as wall anchors, carbon fiber reinforcements, or foundation piers.

Fixing Cracked Walls for Long-Lasting Protection

Cracked walls not only affect the appearance of your basement but also compromise the overall strength of your foundation. Expert contractors near North Carolina can identify the underlying cause of cracks and offer reliable repair solutions to ensure your basement walls are properly stabilized and waterproofed, preventing future damage.

Why Choose Atlantic Foundation for Basement Wall Repair?

Atlantic Foundation has years of experience serving North Carolina homeowners with high-quality, reliable basement wall repair services. Whether you’re dealing with minor cracks or severe structural damage, we can help restore your foundation and ensure the safety of your home. Our expert team uses the latest techniques and materials to ensure long-lasting protection for your basement.

Contact Atlantic Foundation Today For professional basement wall repairs and other foundation services, contact Atlantic Foundation:

Call us: 919-855-0855 or Drop a mail to inquires@atlantic-foundation.com

Website: www.atlantic-foundation.com

Location: Serving North Carolina and surrounding areas.

[rmfreelanc]

Is pbn backinks is bad backlinks for SEO

Problems of PBN Backlinks in SEO: Why they are considered bad

In the competitive world of search engine optimization (SEO), backlinks have long been a key factor in determining the authority and ownership of a website. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Private Blog Network (PBN) backlinks are highly controversial due to their manipulation. Although they can increase the site in the short term, PBN backlinks bring problems in the long term, and their use can do more harm than good. This article will discuss why PBN backlinks are considered bad for SEO and discuss the potential consequences of relying on them. What are PBN backlinks? A private network (PBN) is a group of websites owned by a person or entity that is designed to connect to other websites. These networks use the same old domain names and backlink history as official, high-authority websites. The goal is to transfer this authority to the target site and improve its position in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Unlike natural backlinks, which are obtained based on interest in content or resources, PBN backlinks are created to manipulate search engines. Google and other search engines discourage this kind of artificial manipulation because it undermines the integrity of search results, and they have developed sophisticated methods to detect and penalize sites that engage in these practices.

Why PBN Backlinks Are Bad for SEO

Violation of Google's Guidelines

The first and most significant issue with PBN backlinks is that they directly violate Google's Webmaster Guidelines. Google emphasizes the importance of natural, editorially earned backlinks that reflect the quality and relevance of the content. PBN backlinks, on the other hand, are part of a link scheme designed solely to deceive search engines into thinking a site has more authority or relevance than it actually does.

Google's guidelines explicitly state that any kind of manipulative or deceptive link-building tactic is grounds for a penalty. This includes links that are designed to increase the authority of the site. Using PBN backlinks falls into this restricted category and places sites at risk of Google penalties and manual penalties.

The risk of stroke is high. 

PBN backlinks have a high risk of being penalized by sites, either from algorithm updates from Google or manual actions. Google's algorithms are constantly evolving to identify and penalize sites that use manipulative link-building techniques, and PBNs are at the forefront. One of the most famous examples is the Penguin update, which focused on eliminating low-quality and spammy backlinks. When Google notices different linking patterns from a PBN, it automatically takes action against the site. This can cause a significant drop in rankings, or worse, complete elimination of the index from Google's search results. Once a website has been hit, recovering from the hit can be a difficult task. This means deleting spammy backlinks, cleaning up your backlink profile, and submitting a suggested request to Google. Even after this, there is no guarantee that all lines will survive. The quality of the content and website is low. 

Websites with PBNs are of lower quality and less valuable content. These sites are created quickly with the goal of hosting backlinks rather than providing users with useful or interesting information. Many PBN websites contain weak or ineffective content, which makes them unpopular with users and search engines.

In Google's eyes, backlinks from low-quality, nonrelevant sites are of little value and can harm your site's reputation. A backlink configuration filled with PBN links can raise red flags, as these links come from sites that are not relevant or authoritative. Different relationship patterns

Another way Google finds PBNs is through different affiliate models. Natural backlinks come from a variety of sources, anchor articles, and sites. However, PBNs show very similar link patterns, with anchor articles that are highly optimized for a few keywords and get a lot of links from a small number of link sites.

These different link patterns are easy for search engines to find. Google's algorithms are designed to detect these scams, and when they do, it's only a matter of time before a PBN is found and punished. As a result, the target site receiving these backlinks also faces penalties or ranking drops.

Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Consequences

One of the main attractions of PBN backlinks is the potential for quick, short-term ranking improvements. Initially, these backlinks might help a site climb higher in the search engine rankings. However, this boost is often short-lived, as Google is becoming increasingly proficient at detecting PBNs. When the network is discovered, the site's rankings will plummet, often leaving it in a worse position than before.

If you need any information on the topic related to this article, click here   pbn backlinks

The long-term consequences of relying on PBNs can be severe. Once a penalty is issued, it may take months or years for the website to recover, and in some cases, the website may never return to its original state. The costs associated with recovery, such as eliminating backlink configurations and recovering lost traffic, outweigh the short-term benefits that a PBN provides.

Adverse effects on domain authority and reputation

Backlinks are an important part of determining your website's domain authority. High-quality organic backlinks from trusted sources will help build your website's authority and improve its search rankings. However, backlinks to PBNs often come from low-authority sites, which can have the opposite effect. These low-quality links do not provide the same value as backlinks from reputable, authoritative sources.

Conclusion

PBN backlinks may offer the allure of quick SEO gains, but the risks far outweigh the benefits. They violate Google's guidelines, expose websites to penalties, and can lead to long-term damage to a site's domain authority and reputation. Instead of relying on risky, short-term tactics like PBNs, it's better to invest in building a strong, ethical SEO strategy that focuses on earning high-quality, natural backlinks. In the long run, this approach will deliver sustainable growth and protect your site from the ever-increasing scrutiny of search engine algorithms.

[rmfreela]

How many pbn backlinks good for ranking a website

No exact number of Private Blog Network (PBN) backlinks guarantees good rankings for your site because Google's algorithm considers many things besides backlinks. The main ideas are:

1. Quality over quantity:

It's better to have a few high-quality backlinks than a lot of low-quality or spammy backlinks.

Links from authoritative, relevant, and diverse sources have higher authority than links from poorly managed or ineffective sites.

2. Context context:

Backlinks should come from websites related to your niche or industry. Google values contextual relevance, so links to websites in related fields are more influential.

3. Avoid overoptimization:

Too many PBN backlinks can raise a red flag, and Google's algorithm will result in a penalty. Backlinking includes many sources (e.g., editorial links, comments, social media), not just PBNs.

4. Various anchor text:

Excessive use of similar keywords in the anchor text of PBN backlinks can leave your site vulnerable to algorithmic penalties, such as the Google Penguin update. Instead, use a mix of branded anchor text, general anchor text, and organic anchor text.

5. Fast connection:

Getting backlinks at a natural rate is very important. If a website has too many backlinks in a short period of time, especially from PBNs, search engines may think that the website is suspicious. 6. Risks and benefits:

There is a level of risk associated with PBN backlinks. When PBNs are detected, Google will apply strict penalties, which may result in a ranking drop, de-indexing, or manual penalty. RMFreelancer is your go-to freelance marketplace for top-notch services in SEO, digital marketing, web traffic, art and design, development and IT, writing and translations, audio and video, business and lifestyle, and AI services. Connect with skilled freelancers and find the perfect solution for your business needs. If you need any information on the topic related to this article, click here  pbn backlinks

Summary:

There is no "magic number" for how many PBN backlinks you need. Instead, focus on creating a diverse, organic, and relevant PBN network, but don't rely too much on them. Comparing them with other high-quality backlinks from various sources and keeping the ratio low (compared to your affiliate page) will help reduce the risk.

If you use a PBN, it's best to make it a small part of an overall SEO strategy to ensure your content, website design, and user experience are also strong.

[technology01tools]

The Ultimate Guide to Buy Backlinks: Boost Your SEO and Website Rankings

In the competitive world of digital marketing, the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) cannot be overstated. Among the many strategies to improve your website's SEO, one that stands out is the acquisition of backlinks. But what exactly does it mean to "buy backlinks," and how can it impact your website's ranking? This comprehensive guide will answer all your questions.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are links from one website to another. When a site links to your website, it signals to search engines like Google that your content is valuable and worth referencing. This, in turn, can improve your site's authority and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?

Backlinks are one of the most significant factors in Google's ranking algorithm. Websites with a high number of quality backlinks tend to rank higher because they are seen as more authoritative. Here's why backlinks are crucial:

Boosts Website Authority: Backlinks from reputable websites increase your site's domain authority (DA) and page authority (PA).

Improves Organic Rankings: Quality backlinks help you rank higher on SERPs, driving more organic traffic to your site.

Increases Referral Traffic: When users click on backlinks from other sites, they are redirected to your site, boosting your referral traffic.

Accelerates Indexing: Backlinks help search engines discover your site faster, leading to quicker indexing of your new content.

Should You Buy Backlinks?

Buying backlinks is a controversial topic in the SEO world. While it can offer quick results, it also carries risks. Here's a balanced look at the pros and cons:

Pros of Buying Backlinks

Speed: Buying backlinks can quickly improve your site's authority and rankings.

Competitive Edge: It helps you stay competitive in niches where other sites are heavily linked.

Time-Saving: Acquiring backlinks organically can be time-consuming; buying them can save you time and effort.

Cons of Buying Backlinks

Risk of Penalties: If Google detects unnatural backlink patterns, your site could face penalties, leading to a drop in rankings or even deindexing.

Quality Control Issues: Not all backlinks are created equal. Low-quality or spammy links can harm your SEO instead of helping it.

Cost: High-quality backlinks can be expensive, and there’s no guarantee of ROI.

How to Buy Backlinks Safely

If you decide to buy backlinks, here are some tips to do it safely:

Choose Reputable Providers: Research backlink providers carefully. Look for those with good reviews and a track record of delivering high-quality links.

Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: A few high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are better than many low-quality ones.

Diversify Your Link Profile: Ensure your backlink profile includes a variety of links from different domains, anchor texts, and link types.

Avoid Spammy Practices: Stay away from link farms, paid blog networks, and other black-hat SEO practices.

Alternatives to Buying Backlinks

If buying backlinks seems too risky, there are other ways to build your link profile organically:

Create High-Quality Content: Produce content that others want to link to naturally.

Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for reputable blogs in your niche and include links back to your site.

Outreach Campaigns: Reach out to bloggers, influencers, and webmasters to request backlinks to your content.

Engage in Social Media Marketing: Share your content on social media platforms to increase its visibility and attract backlinks.

Conclusion

Buying backlinks can be a quick way to boost your SEO, but it comes with risks. If you choose to buy backlinks, do so with caution and prioritize quality over quantity. Alternatively, focus on building backlinks organically through content creation, outreach, and guest blogging. Remember, the goal is to build a diverse and natural backlink profile that enhances your website's authority and search engine rankings.