#horrible crowd. everyone there thinks they invented the wheel.

[thinking-emoji]

well bluesky is triggering to me as someone who fled from twitter years ago, and the pillowfort frontpage just took 3 minutes to load for me. wonderful alternatives we have don't we

[misasimagines]

going to the beach with the genshin boys! pt 2

included characters: Heizou, Itto, Ayato, Albedo rating: sfw warnings: alcohol mention in Ayato’s, gn reader

Heizou:

okay let’s be real, he’s the metal detector at the beach kind of guy. He collects a bag full of little rings, bracelets, charms, etc and he’s, of course, looking for something specific. He may be here to solve a decades old murder/disappearance on the beach and he’s convinced he’s going to do it with a metal detector.

Maybe you think he’s crazy! and then he digs up an old bullet casing and he’s like, well, well, well. The pieces are all falling together.

He might not put it all together at the beach, but he got what he’s here for, and now- there’s a bunch of greasy, horrible for your arteries fried food just a short walk away and he’s starving.

He likes to people watch while you guys eat at the boardwalk. He has a lot of observations he can make about the various characters you see. Someone is obviously cheating, there’s a tan line on his finger but no ring. Someone else is about to propose, she keeps patting her pocket and glancing back at the disguised best friend photographer. He catches a bunch of small details you wouldn’t even think to look for.

You guys run into a small time magician on the pier who tries some silly, not very inventive tricks on you to get you to buy his handbook on sleight of hand. Heizou ends up unraveling his tricks and revealing to the crowd how exactly they all work.

He would have let the guy go if he wasn’t also picking pockets with each sales pitch. Heizou, of course, reveals his crimes and the crowd goes from awestruck to pissed. You guys hang around long enough to confirm justice has been served, and then its on to a shady character messing the ferris wheel...

It might not be the beach day you envisioned, but it’s par the course with him. At least you get a bunch of random jewelry to play with at the end of day (if he’s not deadset on hunting down the owners and returning them.... expect that to be your next date).

Itto:

bury him up to his waist in sand and give him a fake mermaid tail or something. That’s what he’s here for. If Childe was the dig a big hole in the sand guy, Itto is the dig a BIGGER hole in the sand guy but then also nearly get buried by it. He’ll be coughing up sand and salt water for a bit.

He see’s some kid with a faux hawk swimming and he’s like THERE’S A SHARK IN THE WATER! and freaks everyone out including the shark kid. He tries to convince you it was a funny prank and that his frantic fleeing and tripping over sand to get away from the shark was part of it. Of course he didn’t ACTUALLY think that kid in floaties was a shark, haha...

You play with one of those big inflatable beach balls until he tries to headbutt it, pops it with his horns, and then he’s standing there with the beach ball deflating over his face.

Challenges anyone he can to a popsicle eating competition, loser has to pay for all the popsicles. He wins the first time, then loses the next and is like woah woah woah, I ate double the popsicles you ate, they definitely carry over from the last match- oh? they don’t? Hey, babe, do you have like, uh, $30 bucks? (He promises he’ll win next time)

Voted most likely to get stung by a jellyfish and believe the myth that you have to pee on it to heal it. Please tell him that’s not the truth and you’ll just take him to urgent care or something so he stops panicking about the venom eventually paralyzing him.

Is a total baby about the jellyfish sting and the sunburn he has because “REAL men don’t need sunscreen, I’ll just reflect the sun rays with my pecs” (enjoy putting aloe vera on a huge himbo who whines every time you have to touch him because it huuuuurts)

Ayato:

He’s really REALLY not a public beach guy. He’ll take you to a private beach or a resort/beach house with an infinity pool just for the two of you.

Lounge poolside/beach side with a fancy cocktail that has a little umbrella in it. He might offer to make you a drink, and then stare at you very expectantly when you taste it. He’s done something weird to the drink, not like unhealthy/drugged weird, but maybe it’s 90% lemon juice or he put an olive into your pina colada. The game here is that you know it’s going to be gross, but you have to control your reaction and take a little sip of it and be like “wow, great job, dear <3 you should really try it :) you did such a good job!”

He will have to taste test it because he’s well mannered, and you did insist, and now he has to pretend it doesn’t taste like pure citric acid melting his tongue. He pretends it’s drinkable, then laments how he didn’t write down the recipe so you’ll never be able to taste it again.

“Then we shouldn’t get so attached to it. You should throw it away before we grow to love it too much!” and he does! and you’ve won this round. Next time, it’ll be a glass full of vodka with a salted rim. You won’t win that one.

You guys can go swimming, hang out on fancy inflatable floats, etc. You can challenge him to do an underwater handstand, which he finds endearing that you’d want to do that, and he definitely can. He lets his hair down, so to speak, and does some more of the silly stuff with you. Like he WILL play mermaids if you ask politely, and he will jump off the diving board with you and try to do poses for pictures. He will deny it if you mention in a professional setting, but Ayaka and Thoma will know and they’ll thank you for getting him to unwind.

He likes to take a sunset stroll down the beach and thanks you for giving him such a relaxing day. Tomorrow, he’ll have to go back to all work all day Ayato, but he’ll remember today as an escape from his busy life.

Albedo:

yes, he IS a painting the sunset type of guy. He’ll bring sketch or paint supplies, find a place to set up, and will Art his Little Heart Out. He likes to sketch you, especially if you’re doing something you think is mundane. Something like making a little sandcastle, rolling a crab onto it’s front so it can get away, showing him a pretty seashell, etc. He thinks the normal, unassuming moments are when he loves you most. He wants to remember them forever.

He has a lot to say about the makeup of the beach and it’s inhabitants. He’s wistful about the lives of the shells you find, how old they are, how far they travelled to end up here, etc. He’s interested in the marine life in the area, and if you’re on a beach that has like any signs that tell you about the ecosystem, he IS sitting there and reading the entire thing.

He ends up having to draw some portraits for kids who see him painting and start being super excited about getting their own picture down. Normally, he’d say no, but they’re so young and polite he can’t help himself.

He’s also interested in using natural ingredients to make paint, so you guys can collect some of the various materials and plants you can find and he’ll try to make paint out of it! So what if the finished landscape smells like seaweed?

He likes making sandcastles with you, so you might end up having a little sandcastle city. When the tide comes in and starts washing it away and you’re a little sad about it, he just comments that everything decays eventually. At least it existed as long as it did and will be mourned by the two of you.

Not a very exciting or energetic day, but he’s very willing to return. As long as next time you grab something to eat a little sooner than you did because he nearly passes out on the way home. He got too into all of the activities, he forgot to eat and the harsh sun certainly didn’t help. He needs a day to recover.

[fcrmula]

plants awoke and slowly grow. ➜ @unovasrose​ asked:  gladiolus : describe a moment from your muse’s life that they will never forget . (prompt 2 of 2.)

just the one?

when he really thinks about it, though, he realizes narrowing it down is easier than it seems--- at least for him.

there's only one person at the center of the most important moments of his life, after all.

from there, he could pick anything. he could pick that final bolt of lightning. he could pick the top of dragonspiral tower. he could pick the ferris wheel. he could even pick chargestone cave, a battle in nacrene, a chance meeting in mistralton. he'll never forget any of those moments, even the smaller ones.

but if it's just a single moment, a single, vitally important moment...

"what the hell do you mean, release them?!" "is that why purrloin is always trying to sneak out of the house?" "n-no way! that's ridiculous!" "this guy doesn't know what he's talking about!"

fools. all of them. just listen to them. how could any of you possibly have any doubt? even the ones who are close to agreeing are hardly thinking of their pokemon if they're not bothering to ask them how they feel, they'd rather keep thinking about what a fellow human said.

... unbecoming. and spiteful. he knows that. that's why he's not saying this out loud, or letting it show on his face. he has to be patient. he knows that even within plasma, it took rallies like these to bring people to their side, he's even seen recordings of them going over poorly with much worse responses than these, but...

it's so different in person. so... infuriating. but not everyone's eyes have opened to the truth yet, not like him. not like plasma. that's why it's their responsibility to wake them all up.

"there's no way, right...?" "this is stupid." "maybe he's right..." "man, i'm super claustrophobic... maybe i should let them out more often." "... hey, is there a sign-up sheet anywhere?" "i don't want to say goodbye, but..."

"i ...on't wa... .... ......! ba...ing is fu...!"

"... huh?"

was that a pokemon's voice...? it's not the purrloin sitting on his shoulder... where is it? he can't see it through the crowd.

... right. it must be in a pokeball. that would explain why it's so muffled, too--- it seems most humans can't hear or understand their voices like he can (or maybe they're just ignoring them), but they can hear it when they vocalise, so how did they fail to see even the simplest fundamental issue with those accursed things? they could be crying out to be freed and the trainer would never have to listen! but obviously no one thought about that when they were invented. pokeballs were created to control them, cage them, all for the sake of the humans that were afraid of them, even though they were the ones intruding on their homes and invading their territory.

disgusting. it's all so disgusting. pokemon walked alongside humans just fine without pokeballs before their advent. they've never been necessary. he has to fix this. it's only a matter of time now, but even so, the wait is horrible... and even worse for the pokemon that are still trapped until then. but if he tries to fix everything by force, people will resist. they need to convince as many people as possible first--- and when those who disagree are in the minority, it'll already be over.

by the time he focuses in again, father's speech has ended, and the crowd has begun to disperse. all still mumbling on, debating if it's all true... tsk. it's all just a selfish defense mechanism. they don't want to feel stupid or guilty, so they have to convince themselves it's all a lie, and all of it is nonsense...

he can't stand humans' formulas. so convoluted for something so simple. errors and missteps everywhere, and then they proclaim that they hate math and it's too hard and they don't understand it.

"....., y...'re not g...ing to release me, ri...? ...an y... ...ear me? if y... release m... i'... ...ome right back!"

... there it is again.

it has to be one of those two... no. the one on the left. yes. that's the one.

... but... was he hearing that right...?

"i wa... battle wi... ...ou and get str...!"

the pokemon is young. maybe it doesn't really understand. but... but it sounds so confident. does it not understand what it means to battle? the fact that it'll get hurt, and its trainer won't? it's unfair, isn't it?

... it seems as if it's only just met its trainer, though. perhaps that's why. or...

"... ... ..."

there's no way of knowing without asking and seeing it for himself. especially not with that pokeball in the way.

he detests battling, but... he has self-control, and won't harm the poor thing too much. if it wants to battle, he's the perfect opponent. he doesn't even need to glance towards purrloin--- it's ready and willing to battle. he can hear it loud and clear, even if the crowd hadn't completely disappeared already.

the trainer is talking to the one with glasses, discussing the rally. the glasses-wearer is distracted, but the one he's here to talk to turns to look at him when he approaches before he even says a word, and something strange he won't identify for a very long time stirs in his heart.

"your pokemon... just now, it was saying..."

[probablymango]

Dungeons and Arcana

Chapter 3: The Tavern

Julian sets his glasses on the table and rubs the bridge of his nose. It had been a long day and he was more than willing to go to bed, but he needed to be here. Past him thought it would be best to bring her to the Rowdy Raven, so that Lucio could meet her, then they could talk while he drinks, then go home and fall asleep. Past Julian didn’t consider that he’d have to cover a co-worker’s shift and have 2 kids throw up on him in the span of an hour before having to sit in a crowded bar with loud music. He looks up at Asra, tempted to text him and tell him to play something quieter, but didn’t want to put on his glasses.

There was motion at the seat next to him and he turned to see a familiar mess of red hair. “Hello, sir, can you help me find my brother? He’s a tall stick with nerd ass glasses.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. I forgot how to laugh.” He grins, putting his glasses back on to see Portia properly. “How’ve you been?”

“Could’ve been better.” She shrugs. “Could’ve had actual instructions on how to get here instead of just a name.”

“I didn’t?” He pulls out his phone and looked at his messages for her and…. Oh… Oh. Right in front of him sat the instructions on how to get here, saved as a draft and unsent. “Sorry ‘bout that.” His cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

She shrugs, leaning against the table. “It’s cool, met a guy who helped me find this place, so it’s all good.”

He nods, then waves Lucio over.

“What?”

“Pasha, this is Lucio. Montag, this is Portia.” He grinned as both of them glared at him.

“Really? Really, Ilya?” She frowned at him.

“Already introducing me with my old name?” Lucio crossing his arms.

He grins, leaning slightly away from both of them. “What? Having a small case of the Mondays?”

“Julian!” They both yell at him as he laughs.

Portia slugs him, face scrunched as she’s torn between laughing and yelling at him. “So dumb!”

“I don’t get paid enough for this.” Lucio groans, rubbing his face. “Do you want a drink or not?”

“Yes, I’ll take a Hot White Russian and she’ll have…” He looks to Portia for her order.

She gives him an unimpressed look, then turns to Lucio. “A Guinness beer, for now.” When he leaves, she turns to him, continuing the look. “‘Hot White Russian’?”

He grins. “It’s coffee with Kahlúa and Vodka.”

“..... You choose it because of its name, didn’t you?”

He grins wider. “It would be a lie to say I didn’t.”

“Oh my god, Ilya!”

They laugh, making some small talk and jabs as they waited for their drinks. They talked all about whatever came to mind; people, jobs, animals, their mothers, friends, and weird stuff that has happened to them.

“Holy shit, you can’t be serious. Thirteen crit roles? In one session?!” She howls with laughter, face red from all the laughing.

“Yes, it did! My dice are cursed and Lucio won’t let me borrow his!” His own face red from both, embarrassment and laughter.

Lucio snorts, setting down their drinks. “I don’t want you cursing my dice too. It’s bad enough that you get shitty rolls, I, the dm, don’t want to make the campaign too easy for y’all.”

“Boooooooooo! Thank you.” He grinned, giving his card to Lucio as he takes his drink and starts drinking it. Maybe he should request it without the cream next. “Oh! Before I forget, Portia, this is Lucio the DM. Lucio, this is the sister who plans on joining us.”

“I’m sorry that you’re related to him.” Lucio gets mock serious.

“Hey.” Julian pouts.

“Thank you, I’ve made my peace with it.”

“Heeeey!”

They both giggle at him, then start to talk about the game, but that was about when Julian started to tune out and drink more. Despite his energetic talk with Portia, he was still very tired and wanted to go to bed. Hmmm, maybe he could- no. He can’t leave her here and expect someone else to take her home. That’s a horrible idea on many levels. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a notification. He glanced at the other two, they were busy talking, so he decided to look. Ah, it appears that another person has decided to support his.. Blog. He smiles softly, then puts his phone away. He can examine that better when he wasn’t about to pass out.

“Got a girlfriend?”

He yelps, spinning around to face- oh, it’s just Asra and his shit eating grin. “Asra, you sneaky fox! What are you doing?”

He sits by him, poking his pocket with the phone. “You smiled at it. Find a boyfriend?”

This again. “No, I don’t have a date partner.”

“Family?”

He points to Portia, who is still talking to Lucio. “Sister already arrived.”

“Cute animal video?”

“No.” Why didn’t he just say yes to that? Asra would have accepted that answer or asked to watch it.

Asra pouts, not happy that he hasn’t figured it out yet, and scooted the chair closer. “A fic update?”

“No.” He chuckles softly, his younger friend was still being cute while being a nosey brat. “Lucio! Can I get another drink?”

Lucio stopped talking to his sister for now, looking disappointed about being interrupted, but willing to stop talking about the game for money. “Yeah, yeah.” He takes his glass and walks away.

Shit, he forgot to ask for no cream this time. Oh well.

“Who’s this?” Portia was now leaning between him and the table. “Is this your s/o?”

Julian blushed, pushing her face away. “Pasha, that’s Asra. Asra, this is my brat of a sister, Portia.”

Portia laughed, sticking her hand out for Asra and talking despite her brother’s hand still firmly in her face. “Nice to meet you, ‘probably dating my brother’ Asra.”

Asra laughs, shaking her hand. “Hello, ‘fellow brat’ Portia.”

Julian rolls his eyes, taking his hand off her face and leaning back, letting himself be third-wheeled again so that neither of them would question his phone for a while. He pulls out his phone again, there was another notification. He put it away. He watches them for a while longer, then decided to get back into their conversation.

“- and then his character tried to seduce the dragon!” Asra laughs.

“Oh my god, that’s so Julian!” She laughs and snorts.

He looked between them, suddenly wishing to back out of the conversation, but Lucio was back with his drink. “Thank you.”

Lucio nods, then joins the other two in their nerd conversations.

He hopes that they get done soon, he wants to go to bed. Maybe he can convince Portia to drive. He sips his drink as he tries to keep his eyes open. This was a horrible idea. He should try to remember to ask without the cream next time. Coffee sounds great. There’s a guy sitting by Asra. Why were seats without backs invented? Wait, who is that guy?

He snaps back to reality enough to focus on the guy. “..... Hi.”

“Hello. Are you a doctor?”

He gives him a look. “No… Why?”

“The scrubs.”

Scrubs? What scrubs? He looks down and sees that he’s sit wearing his replacement scrubs. “Oh. No. I’m just a nurse. You know? The one you see before the doctor.”

The guy smirks and chuckles. “Tired?”

Julian nods, rubbing his face. He needs to piss. “I’m going to piss.” He gets up, ignoring everyone’s remarks, and heading straight to where he thinks the bathroom is. He walks into the room to discover that for once in his tired life, he was correct. Ow. The light was too bright in here. He was about to do his business when he bumped into a very nice looking blond. “M’sorry.” This guy’s eyes were a really pretty brown.

“It’s fine.” The guy backed up, face getting red and readjusting his clothes. “It’s fine. Bye.” He walks around him and out the door.

“.... Lovely impression.” He yawns, becoming uncomfortably awake, but still tired. He did his business and stared at the mirror. “...... today is not your day.”

The bathroom mirror showed him someone with bright orange hair walking it. “.... this isn’t the right room.”

“Where are you looking for?”

“The gallery..”

“Next door, go up it’s stairs.”

They smile and he couldn’t help smiling back. “Thank you!” They walk out and soon he follows their example, leaving the bathroom and going back to the group.

The group consisted of Portia, Asra, Lucio, and that guy who is still sitting by Asra. His seat was taken over by his sister. “Damn it.” He takes her seat, too tired to fight over the seat. “What did I miss?”

“Mostly embarrassing stories of you.”

“Sweet. Did you tell anyone about the time my elf got yeeted by Nadia’s dragonborn?”

Lucio grins. “We absolutely will.”

He joined them in conversation this time, the light and energy helped him feel more awake and able to talk again. So he joined them in the making fun of himself and others in their group. He learned many things tonight, one, that his sister is definitely willing to make fun of him, two, that the other guy was called Valerius, and three, he never remembered to ask without cream.

Julian thinks for a bit, then pats Portia’s shoulder til she pays attention to him. “Pashaaaaaa. Can you drive us home?”

She shakes her head. “Can’t, didn’t get my license updated for here.” She sounded almost as drunk as himself.

“Wait, wait.” He sits up straighter and holds up a finger, as if it would help his thinking. “If I’m not driving and you’re not driving, then who’s driving?”

In their drunken state, the Devorak siblings found this to be the most important and brain rattling question in the world. Their more sober friends were less confused and more amused.

“Jules, you walked here.” Lucio watches him from over his glasses. “Do we need to get you both a ride?”

“Yeah, it would probably be best if we didn’t let the two drunks walk each other home.” Asra muses, poking Julian’s cheek.  “Let’s just get them a lift, most people know where he lives at this point.”

Lucio nods and sighs. “I’ll charge it to his card, you get someone ready to take him.”

Asra runs off as Lucio starts charging the ride to Julian’s card. The red head then decides to start a conversation with his sister, neither of them knowing what the conversation was or about, but getting very into it.

Valerius looked on and laughed. “These are some of Muriel’s friends?”

Lucio shrugs, putting Julian’s card into the scrub pocket. “I think he might be loosely called a friend, but I’m not sure he’s met her yet.”

“I see. Is this a regular occurance with them?”

Lucio gives another shrug. “I’ve only known her since today and he’s usually more attention grabbing the more drunk he gets.”

He nods, setting his empty glass down. “So that’s what I should be expecting if I come back?”

“If you come back when he’s here, yeah.”

He grins, getting up as Asra returns. “I’ll consider that then.”

“Hey, Valentina is ready to take them.” Asra was followed by the blond man.

“So they are the ones for her to take?” The man walks over to the siblings and Portia waved excitedly at him. “Lovely.”

“Hiiiiiii!” Portia giggles more, slowly getting to her feet. “Time for home?”

“Home time?” Julian followed her example and tried to get up, knocking over the chair and falling on his butt. “Owww…..”

“Don’t move too much.” He kneels down and helps him up. “Do you know your name?”

Julian thought for a bit. “I’m…… I’m Ilya.”

“Hello, Ilya. Take slow steps to the door and keep your arm on me.”

“You have beautiful eyes.” He grins, watching the man get redder. “Very beautiful, like polished amber.” Asra is helping Portia outside instead of letting her take the dance floor.

“You’re drunk.”

“And you still have pretty eyes.” He sniffs the air for a bit as they got out, then sniffed his suit. “.... you smell expensive…”

“...... Uh, sure.” The darkness couldn’t hide the blush with Julian this close.

A car pulled up and Julian focused on that, a familiar brunette stepped out of the car. “Valentina!”

“Drunk again?” She smiles, pushing back her black hair so that she could help him into the car. “Hey Claudius.”

He nods at her, carefully putting the drunk red-head into the back of the car, then helped Portia in. “Yeah, I was around and need to talk to you about something.”

She sighs, getting them into seatbelts. “Can we talk about it later? I don’t want to talk about it with him in the car and… whoever she is.”

“Portia!” She giggles, looking out the window.

The blond, crawls into the passenger seat. “Why not? They’re drunk and probably won’t remember anything we say.”

“Untrue.” Val gets into her seat and points at Julian. “That fucker remembers almost everything he hears! I once mention wanting flowers for a holiday, then the next day this bastard sends me an entire bouquet! Just because he felt bad for me!”

“You deserve floweeeeers.” He whines from the back.

“....... I guess we can wait til later to talk then.” Claud glanced back at the drunk siblings, contemplating something, but shaking it off for now.

Julian looked out the window and let the ride pass him by as he unconsciously listened to the others in the car. This is going to be an adventure.

( I would like to thank @sassra-the-empath (the breifly mentioned redhead) and @deathmcrk (Claud and Val) for letting me use their ocs

[zrtranscripts]

Season 8, Mission 25: Bonfire Heart

Drink Up

~

SAM YAO: Tom, Jody, Five, I've got you on cams. How did everyone sleep?

JODY MARSH: Really rough.

TOM DE LUCA: The dreams again.

JODY MARSH: Yeah. This time, I was underwater. The waves were red, and I was walking along the bottom of the ocean. My hands were rotted.

SAM YAO: And you knew that your face had rotted away, and when you tried to scream, your jaw fell off. Yeah. I was there, too, last night.

TOM DE LUCA: I was underground, buried alive. You were with me, Five.

JODY MARSH: But everything was red, yeah?

TOM DE LUCA: Obviously. Everything's always red.

SAM YAO: And just to be clear, it feels like everyone on Mor is with us in the dreams, right? Like we know all these people now because we see them every night in the red world.

JODY MARSH: Yeah.

TOM DE LUCA: Yes.

SAM YAO: Great. Well, either the fungus has reached some particular level in our blood to make this happen, or... or we're all imagining it because now we know there's fungus in our blood. Even Amelia's having them, apparently. Good to know we're all in this horror together. [laughs] 

Right. Um, you're on track for the laird's house because finding out what he's up to is our best chance of stopping this endless nightmare. He's just told Janine he's away this afternoon, so if you hurry, you'll be able to search his house. Go!

~

JODY MARSH: They're lighting bonfires all over the island. Look! All along the cliffs. I always liked that bit in Lord of the Rings.

TOM DE LUCA: In Lord of the Rings, the bonfires summoned help, not death.

SAM YAO: Morag said they're part of the naming festival. It's like a prologue to the king of the rocks. The islanders light fires, then gather at the hills near [?] Beach to choose who's going to be the next king at the full ceremony. Morag's making her spiced ginger ale as normal. She doesn't want to stand out.

JODY MARSH: Obviously they're still doing the festival even though... even though we're all going to die horribly.

SAM YAO: Hmm. I don't think some of them really know what they're doing anymore.

TOM DE LUCA: I saw Mr. Burton the cheesemaker chopping his furniture up for a bonfire. I tried to ask him what he was doing. He just said it is wanted by the skincoats.

JODY MARSH: Everyone's doing what they think they have to survive.

TOM DE LUCA: That's what people do. Do you have any idea what Amelia's planning?

SAM YAO: Uh, no. Well, she wouldn't tell me, obviously. I'd just tell everyone. Well, I know the island's quarantined, but that's just sensible, right?

TOM DE LUCA: If you were Amelia, what would you do? No sense going back to the mainland. We'd only infect everyone there. Even Amelia doesn't want to be a zombie Prime Minister. But we know there's silver mud here that inhibits the V-type fungus. If I were Amelia, I would be preparing to blow the island to pieces to get as much of it as I could.

JODY MARSH: With us on it? With everyone on it?

TOM DE LUCA: Only as a last resort. She doesn't waste resources needlessly. But this is a last resort situation.

SAM YAO: Right. Good. Great. That's super.

JODY MARSH: She'd stop if she got the Edda back, though. Wouldn't she? If it had all the useful stuff in it it's supposed to have about how to stop the red fungus rising.

TOM DE LUCA: That's what I'm hoping. If we just get it back, this madness will be over. And the laird... he's a good candidate for leader of the skincoats. Jones accused the laird of luring him here and killing his decoy that first night on the beach. The laird had access to the cave of death-marked faces. He inherited his title from a brother the skincoats murdered, and he killed Jones. We have to take this opportunity to search his manor.

JODY MARSH: It's up ahead. The big stone house with the turrets. We'll enter through the gardens. We've only got until the festival ends to search it. Best get a shift on! Run!

~

SAM YAO: Okay, so you're approaching the manor from the south, and the kitchen should be your best way in. You -

TOM DE LUCA: [sniffs] Five, do you smell that?

JODY MARSH: Smell what? [sniffs] Oh. Oh no. There's a really strong smell of celery, Sam.

TOM DE LUCA: The fungal accelerator. The smell's coming from the greenhouse. That one, full of ferns. [glass shatters] We're in. Five, Jody, look around quickly.

JODY MARSH: Here, there's silver powder sprinkled on this planting tray. The stuff that keeps V-type fungus back. And just a few traces of red. Someone's been growing it here.

SAM YAO: Could be the laird, right?

TOM DE LUCA: Highly probable. But the fungus isn't here. They've taken it somewhere. Sam, did you say there's going to be a big toast tonight? If someone's looking to use the fungus, then -

JODY MARSH: They could poison Morag. The skincoats know she's their enemy. Or anyone, really. We can't take chances. We have to get to the festival and make sure nobody toasts anything. Five, Tom, to the beach. Run!

~

SAM YAO: Guys, I see you approaching the hills near [?] Beach. The party's underway. There's people dancing with streamers, ice cream. Uh, there's this big wicker statue on the beach. Looks like a giant person with stag horns. This really is all going a bit Edward Woodward, isn't it?

SHONA REID: Five, Tom, Jody, always popping up where you're nae expected.

JODY MARSH: Are you okay, Shona? There haven't been skincoats here, have there?

SHONA REID: No, but this party's just a bit of fun. Most people don't know it was only invented for tourists in the 60's. Except the seasonal bonfires. They go back a bit. I didn't want to come, but dad insisted everyone should do it just as usual.

JODY MARSH: Look, up on that hill, it's the laird! He's in a circle of islanders around an open barrel.

SHONA REID: Aye. They're about to toast the first drink of the night, then we can get all stuck into Morag's ale.

TOM DE LUCA: They're raising cups. We've got to stop them! Five, up that hill! Run!

~

TOM DE LUCA: Good job, Five. You knocked the paper cup out of that woman's hand just in time.

JODY MARSH: Everybody, put your drinks down. We think the ale's been spiked.

LAIRD REID: What's the meaning of this?

SHONA REID: Dad, they just suddenly shot up here. I couldnae have stopped them.

TOM DE LUCA: We've been in your greenhouse. We know what you were growing up there.

LAIRD REID: What does this have to do with my home composting? And what were you doing in my house?

JODY MARSH: Oh, Five, that bearded man with the scars, I think he drank before we got here.

SHONA REID: That's Mad Al Cahoon always eager for a tipple. Bowel trouble again, Al?

TOM DE LUCA: I don't think that's bowel trouble.

SAM YAO: Oh God. Oh. The fungus is spilling out of him. Out of his mouth, nose. It's bursting through the skin on his back in big lumps. It's – it's growing out of his ears and eyes. His head is just a mass of red. That looks excruciating.

TOM DE LUCA: He's ingested fungus and accelerant, clearly in quantity.

JODY MARSH: That's so horrible. Poor, poor man. He's writhing around. Could be a V-type any second. Shona, evacuate the festival. Get everyone to town. Tom, Five, I've got a plan. Over to that bonfire before he finishes turning. Run!

~

[crowd screams]

SAM YAO: Guys, Shona's evacuating everyone towards town. But that fungus zombie thing is on its feet. It's hunched over, sprouting mounds of fungus and it's chasing them.

TOM DE LUCA: That sound the V-types make always makes my skin crawl. It's like I remember it from long ago.

JODY MARSH: Five, there's the bonfire. Do me a favor. Light a couple of these arrows.

TOM DE LUCA: Are you sure? Smoke from burning V-types can be infectious.

JODY MARSH: We know the island strain is less aggressive, and it hasn't finished turning yet. We just need to get it away from the islanders. Tom, there's something I need to tell you about Janine.

TOM DE LUCA: You've been meeting with her in secret to discuss taking over Abel if she goes.

JODY MARSH: How did you - ? [flames crackle] Oh, hang on. Thanks, Five. Better sort out the life or death stuff first. Here goes nothing.

TOM DE LUCA: Direct hit! It's not down, but it's burning. Sound thinking. If there are enough V-types to make them intelligent, we know they prioritize threats. And this island is riddled with red fungus.

JODY MARSH: It's turning this way, coming after us instead of Shona. Now we have to kill it before it kills us. Down to the beach, both of you. Toward that big wicker statue. Run!

~

TOM DE LUCA: I see the statue. A massive human body with a stag's head. Must be 40 foot, counting the horns.

SAM YAO: I remember Morag mentioned it. She said the islanders made a statue to burn at the festival a few years ago, but it took so much work, they decided not to burn it so they could wheel it out every year instead.

JODY MARSH: If we can push the stag over onto the flaming V-type, it'll get tangled in the wicker. The statue will burn with it stuck inside and its spores won't be able to travel. I hope. Five, you've got the most experience outpacing V-types. Run into the shadow of that statue, draw it after you. When it's under the rib cage, Tom and I will push the statue over. Go, Five!

~

SAM YAO: Five, Tom and Jody are ready, each by a leg of the statue.

TOM DE LUCA: We've pulled away the wooden supports holding the statue up. One good shove should topple it.

SAM YAO: Right, the zom's in position. Jody, Tom, now! Five, get out from under the statue before it falls. Run! [statue collapses] That's it. The statue's down. The zom, it's caught in the wicker. It's trying to thrash loose, but the whole statue's on fire. Glad you got clear, Five. It's burned to nothing in there.

TOM DE LUCA: Perfect instincts, sweetheart. That's why Janine chose you as her successor.

JODY MARSH: You guessed, right? You didn't know we'd been talking about it. You just guessed.

TOM DE LUCA: Janine probably only has three or four days left. The serum Dearg gave her has stopped working. It's the logical thinking. She'd want to brief you to take over, and she'd ask you not to tell anyone, especially me, for morale. It's the right decision.

JODY MARSH: I don't want it. To replace Janine... I've never wanted that! I just want to make her proud.

TOM DE LUCA: She is proud of you. I'm proud of you.

JODY MARSH: You always know how to make me feel better, like I can get through anything.

TOM DE LUCA: That's how I felt about my life for a long time, darling. If you're with me, I'll be all right.

SAM YAO: Guys, I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but the islanders called an emergency town hall. They've declared the laird will be the next king of the rocks.

TOM DE LUCA: He'll be on his guard now. We won't get another chance to search his manor for the Edda.

JODY MARSH: But the drinks he gave out made that poor man turn V-type! He must be a skincoat, right?

SAM YAO: Well, either way, they've chosen him as their leader. Some of the islanders are talking about the uh, red bloom as if it's some kind of sign. Well, apparently, there are old myths about red blessings for the king.

JODY MARSH: Uh, is it me or...

SAM YAO: Yeah. Did we dream we met a king dressed in red, and kneeled in worship? Yeah, I might have dreamed that.

TOM DE LUCA: Yes. I dreamed it, too. The skincoats are winning. The red is rising.

~

[jenniferaponte-blog1]

Excuses That We Can Make In Our Office Life For A Leave

"Good morning, sir. Firaq, this facet," said I over the cellphone.

"Hey Firaq, morning. What's up?" requested my boss.

"Sir, wanted to inform you that I may not be available inside the office these days. I were given some urgent work to do. I in reality remorse it," I stated very humbly.

"Come on, Firaq. It's okay. You take a depart nowadays. Enjoy yourself, and are available the following day. Don't worry approximately nothing. Okay!" stated my boss.

"Sure issue, sir. Thank you very lots." as quickly as I disconnected the call a candy song started to play, which sooner became out to be my alarm at 7:00am. Well, sh-t takes place.

So, I'm going to talk approximately some effective and some lame excuse for leaves we make in our office lives, now after which. It's a part of our company life-style and tradition. We all make excuses for pressing leaves. Don't agree with the those who say they do not make excuses for leaves.

Making excuses is actually no offense, and we need to make excuses if wished. Making excuses, indeed, is our beginning right as it protects our fundamental proper to privateness.

Apart from being the delivery right, I additionally regard and companion excuses with creativity and adventure. Making an excuse is likewise a test of your creative thoughts and courageous attitude. And I recommend you not to lose this possibility.

Well, I had been making excuses since the very early days of my employment; and I even have learnt from my errors and reviews.

The very first excuse for my absence turned into not even an excuse; I turned into just telling them, my seniors, the reality, but they took that as an excuse.

"It changed into raining the entire day, so I didn't come to the workplace the day prior to this. It turned into just no longer possible," I had said, I consider.

"So, that is your excuse in your absence yesterday?" the ex-boss said.

"No, sir. It's not an excuse, it's a truth. It's proper," I said.

Today, I understand I was a wild ass to mention that to my boss. Lesson: Don't inform the truth, make an excuse, and appreciate your privacy. Otherwise, you'd appear like a silly.

When I got bored with 'stomach pain' excuse, I started out to investigate as regards to excuses for leaves.

KEEP RESPECT IN EXCUSES

Excuses are valued by the quantity of admire you put in them. I say, a respectful excuse is an inventive display of manners.

Please, please, and please, do now not kill your distant granny, or make everybody fall unwell. It's simply gross, and immoral. It's simply no longer cool, man. How can someone just do this! Our excuses are supposed to bring leisure, happiness and positiveness, proper!

As I stated, an excuse is valued with the aid of the respect you fill in it. So please, insert increasingly appreciate, values, morality, existence and fitness on your excuses.

BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR EXCUSES

The characteristics of excuses are defined by the level of self assurance positioned into them. The excuses with lack of confidence are as precise as lies. Lies are bad things, they're typically designed to hurt or damage human beings. But excuses are different; they're made to 'protect our privacy'.

Excuses also are a healthful part of relationships shared by way of employers and personnel. If employers and employees are respecting each different's interests wrapped within the sheet of 'excuses', they're sharing a rather wholesome dating. It's a terrific aspect; usually higher than doubting every different, and confronting every other on a subject of leaves.

RESPECT THE BOSS'S AUTHORITY

'At the stop of the day' your boss is boss. He is your boss, due to the fact he possesses a chairman's traits. Might be, he is your boss, because it turned into his dream to be a md because his formative years. This is what I learnt from looking BBC's Undercover Bosses.

Even nowadays monarchy prevails in our company world, and I'm afraid even America can not supply democracy to this world in spite of having a president like Mr. Donald Trump himself.

So, whilst making excuses show a few respects on your type, Mr. Boss, no longer just as it's the norm, however because it's a completely human factor. When you show respect for your boss, it triggers a chemical response in his mind which increases the possibilities for the approval of your leaves.

AVOID BEING TOO CREATIVE

Every individual is a innovative individual, some are proper at creativity and some are horrible at it. If you fall inside the category of 'terrible at creativity' keep away from it to your excuses. There is not any smartness in making excuses like: I slipped on the banana leaves, or I became bitten via a hornet, or I changed into robbed at the manner via some dudes, and many others.

ON A SERIOUS NOTE: PLAN YOUR ROUTINE

Excuses in workplaces are speculated to be made as a last inn. Excuses in our office lifestyles aren't advantageous matters, they can affect one's profession in a terrible manner. Our corporate international is extra aggressive than it become an afternoon before. And your bosses constantly want your aid to live to tell the tale the fish-market, and he does not even can help you know that. A day's depart can only be compensated by way of increasing the workload for your colleagues, or inside the worst case, it can not be compensated at all. So, continually communicate nicely with your bosses.

There isn't any trade of the pleasure of existence residing as according to the plans and workouts we maintain. A leave attained by way of an amazing excuse or a awful excuse, it might stay a dark and jinxed vacation for you. A feel of guilt might not go away.

So plan your leaves and enjoy your existence, in the end excuses are excuses.

A Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine Review Straight From Columbus, Ohio

Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine is a hidden little gem of a restaurant in

chinese food

, Ohio. It's no longer positioned on a chief street, it has a niche idea to it, yet it sticks out for having delicious chinese food .

The 'V' in Neo-V turned into at the beginning meant to face for vegetarian, in step with the chef-owner. As it stands, the menu is vegan and the good sized majority of the ingredients used in the cooking come directly out of the garden positioned within the lower back of the restaurant. This manifestly encourages consuming handiest the flavors of the season and forces Dragonfly Neo-V delicacies to change it's menu often-which it does.

The interior is unpretentious however elegant at the equal time. It has a easy glide and sense, forcing you to consciousness on the complexity of the menu. Other restaurants in Columbus, Ohio have to take observe--this isn't always a 24/7 high-give up type of metropolis with everyone attending the equal actors studio troupe. Re-inventing the wheel doesn't work thoroughly right here.

I can't think of a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio outside of Dragonfly Neo-V delicacies that caters to the vegetarian/vegan crowd so this makes it barely less difficult to nook some wallet of that marketplace with out competition. The chef makes it a point to let the flavors of the seasonal substances do the speakme and the french cuisine is delicious.

Our service become brilliant--I realize they are no longer perfect, and I go to restaurants to experience the meals first and main. I had been to lots of eating places in Columbus, Ohio where the provider became suspect at excellent however the food got here out and turned into top notch. That makes up for plenty of factors in my humble opinion. Get the meals right; we can worry approximately the rest later.

The pistachio crusted tofu become remarkable. I skipped dessert however they'd a plentiful selection. They even have a light lunch concept right next door to their eating place area, known as On The Fly. I changed into given many samples of the lawn services as I awaited my meal. This is a pleasant contact. No expectations, only a try-it-and-you-would possibly-buy-it kind of operation.

Vegan eating places are few and far among in this beer and pizza kind of metropolis with the intention to have an area like Dragonfly Neo-V Cuisine right within the coronary heart of this town is a pleasing touch. The food are hearty, I wasn't hungry after an hour, and I felt extraordinary about assisting the local community. I'll be returned for the vegan  food  fare for positive.

Pick The Right College Without Any Difficulty

Are you interested in college tips? This article can help. College can help you decide what to do with your life. Tesol Certification You will have a better experience if you're able to figure out what you can expect prior to going.

Pack plenty of toiletries for yourself as you head off to college. This is an area that you may not think a great deal about, but you will find toiletries run out quickly. For the sake of economy, try to purchase in bulk.

Before you make your final decision on which college to attend, thoroughly research your intended major and career choice. This will make sure that you will select the college that has the program courses in your field of interest. If necessary, schedule an appointment with the director of admissions.

Get a good night's sleep everyday. When you are attending school, you may find it easy to stay up for a party and then do homework, but it will catch up to you. If you do not get enough sleep, focusing on your work will be hard and your grades will suffer from this.

When classes begin, it's important you know all your teachers. Be sure you know where they have their offices and understand how to get in touch with them easily. When you have a relationship, they'll be easier on you when you need help.

Ride the bus to class. It frequently is as fast as a car. You also save time from not having to search for somewhere on campus to park. You don't have to pay for gas and parking passes. It is also great for the environment.

Have a good relationship with professors. College professors can help you throughout your entire college career and can be a fantastic resource. You should ask them about your class if you need help. A positive relationship can help your grades and improve your learning capability.

Try buying used textbooks. New textbooks are Tesol Certification surprisingly expensive, while used textbooks are considerably cheaper and serve their purpose well. Saving some money on textbooks is a great way to pinch pennies during your financially-strapped college years.

Memorize the number of campus security. Campus police always have an easy number to remember or places around campus in which you can call them at a push of a button. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Don't buy your morning "cup-o-joe" from a cafe every day. It just costs more than is necessary. Instead, make coffee yourself. While this isn't as convenient as grabbing a cup from the drive-thru, you'll save enough money to make it worth the small inconvenience. You can even buy a fancy machine and save.

Take short breaks regularly. Taking breaks is about as important for you to remember as the actual act of studying itself. For each hour you devote to your studies, you should take a 15 minute break to refresh your brain. Setting aside scheduled time for studying can really make thing much easier for you.

If you are still finding your passion and deciding on a major, do not limit yourself to just taking elective classes. Go around campus and get involved. For instance, you could join some clubs or volunteer for a cause. There is a ton to do on campus. To encourage this form of experimentation, set a goal of trying at least one new activity every week.

When you are creating your schedule of classes, try not to pack too many classes into one semester. Too many classes can overwhelm you and create stress. You are going to risk burn out. Make sure to balance out the difficulty in your classes with just a couple that are challenging in a semester.

Wait awhile before submitting any essay. Edit it over and over again. Create a whole new draft instead of proofing what you wrote. Proofread your second effort and polish it. When you do this, your paper will contain all necessary information.

It may be wise to come up with a sleep schedule during the time you are attending college. You're going to be busy with work, school, studying and other activities, and you could easily forget to sleep. Sleep deprivation will make it difficult to focus on the important things, like your studies.

College is an exciting time, but you may also feel a bit nervous about what is in store. Still, it is important to remember that you will be fine. Be sure to balance your time properly. Set aside plenty of time for studying. Remember, you are in college to become educated and learn all about living on your own.

Give yourself a well-deserved break every so often. It is possible to suffer from study burnout. Despite what your parents may believe, studying too much can have negative effects. Type-A perfectionists may have trouble relaxing, but it is important to rest occasionally to de-stress and let the information you've studied sink in.

Connect with 2 students in each of your classes. It might feel strange to approach strangers, but you will be glad you did. If you are friends with classmates you might be able to get their notes if you have missed class. Also, you can get together with them for study sessions.

If you're returning to school and have kids, it's likely that you believe you can't live on campus. This may not be true. A lot of colleges now offer family housing. More and more people are choosing to further their education while raising families, and colleges are paying attention. Be sure to ask early about housing options for families, because it tends to fill up very fast.

In order to complete all the requirements needed for the general education, you will likely need to take classes which don't pertain to the field you are interested in studying. Nonetheless, you must perform well and apply yourself in these courses to ensure you can continue moving forward. Interesting or not, they still affect your GPA.

The things that were gone over here should have given you an idea of what to expect in college. Take the tips from this article to have a productive, successful college life. Never set out for something Tesol Certification  so important without preparation. Your decisions will surely affect the rest of your life!

Feel Better, Look Better: Beauty Tips And Tricks

Beauty may depend on the person looking, but you can make them do a double take if you improve upon your appearance. Tribal Tattoos  There are so many different beauty tools and products at your disposal. The way you feel about yourself is important to how beautiful you are as well. Peruse this article for interesting and informative tips.

As you get older, exfoliation becomes more and more important to your skin. Use a glycolic acid-rich cream, facial scrub, or even a retinoid gel to slough off the top layer pf dead skin cells and to reveal the fresh, radiant new skin cells beneath. This can be done three to four times per week for the best effect.

Apply a token moisturizer prior to makeup. It improves the way your makeup goes on, and it is good for your skin. Your makeup won't look blotchy when you moisturize. That is a wonderful way to help makeup last and to also look fresh.

As far as eyes go, colors like apricot and copper make blues and greys shine. Look for dark brown eyeliners and mascaras that have either maroon, deep purple, or brick hues in them. These colors will make the blues stand out brightly.

If you have overly round eyes, you can elongate them by adjusting your eyeliner application. The outer two-thirds of your lower and upper lash lines should be lined with a dark brown liner. The two lines should meet at the outer corner of each eye. Finally, apply two coats of mascara to your outer upper lashes.

Drink an adequate amount of fluid each day for fresh, flawless skin. When you skin is dehydrated, the stress will make it look wrinkled, dry and dull. Drink the recommended amount of water every day to keep this from happening to you. If you hate drinking water, add some flavor in it by adding a little cranberry juice or lemon. Your skin is going to be grateful you drank lots of water.

If you have a torn nail, use a small part of a bag of tea. Empty all of the leaves from the bag. After taking the tea out you should use it to cover your nail tear. Finally, place it on the tear, then paint over it using clear nail polish.

Do not use conditioner on a daily basis if you have a fine hair texture. In fact, your hair will look better if you use conditioner only one or two times per week. Conditioner can weigh hair down and make it look dull. Using less conditioner can help your fine hair look shiny and healthy.

When going to the beach, use this trick to make your waist look narrower. With a white pencil liner, dot the shape of an egg on both sides, starting just below the rib cage. Then fill the egg area with a little self-tanner just one shade darker than your natural skin tone and blend it in.

A proven solution to dead skin buildup is to use a pumice stone in the shower. The skin is much softer when it absorbs moisture from the shower so it will come off easier. Do not use a razor to remove dead skin, this causes more skin to grow back in the areas which it was removed.

If you are a woman who is trying to improve your appearance you will want to think about the makeup you use. Remember that like most things, less is actually more. You don't want to use extreme colors. The idea of makeup is for people to believe that you aren't even using any.

Tried and true beauty methods are still the most effective. For instance, you can use a facial masque made from lemon juice and egg white to tighten the skin on your face instantly. 1 Tbsp. and two egg whites are needed. After mixing, spread the mixture on your face thinly and let it set for 30 minutes before rinsing and drying. Your face is going to look fresher and more lively.

Wearing heavy foundation or powdery makeup is not a good look for faces over 40. It accentuates the drier character of the skin. If your face is 40 or older it's better to use a lighter touch. If your skin is fairly even-colored you may be able to skip foundation entirely. Foundations should be very light in weight.

Massaging Vaseline into your cuticles will help your hands in many ways. It will make the skin much more hydrated and it will also encourage your nails to grow a bit quicker. Do this once a week every week and you are sure to see a big difference in the appearance of your hands and nails.

Make eye drops one of your essential beauty supplies. Red eyes are common if you have a hard night or a poor sleep. Having red eyes can add years to your appearance. To help remove the red, just put a few drops of Visine in your eyes. Did you know it clears up acne as well? Just dot a little on the affected area and let it dry. Your skin will look better in no time.

Eyeshadows can be tricky for eyes over 40. Metallic, glittery shadows are beautiful, but eyelid skin develops tiny folds which are, unfortunately, accentuated by those gorgeous metallic colors. On the other hand, some matte shadows look too flat and dry, and do not flatter the eye either. Instead, look for shadows that are neither matte nor metallic: "quietly lustrous" should be the goal.

Brush your lips by placing Vaseline on a toothbrush. Make this a daily routine and you are sure to notice big improvements in the look and feel of your lips. Lipstick applies better and softness is imbued. The results are sure to impress you.

As these tips confirm, you can use a variety of products, services and techniques to enhance your appearance. Try these simple steps to increase your own beauty, and feel positive about yourself when others perceive the beautiful new you, both inside and out. Empower yourself to be your most beautiful self every day.