#human sunshade

[heretherebedork]

Just saw @absolutebl mentioned we hadn't seen this trope in a while and here it is! The human sunshade has returned.

[cherimoyatea]

⋩ Rafayel - Beyond the Tides

Pairing: Rafayel x You Synopsis: A little story about our first meeting on the beach; Stranded on a secluded beach, Rafayel is at the brink of exhaustion when an unexpected encounter with you changes everything. Word Count: 1.667K Tags: merman!rafayel, female!MC, stranded, mentioning of hopelessness, fluff, you both are relatively young (canonically teens or kids?), head canons mixed with strong references to the flash back scenes by the end of Rafayel's branch and Nightly stroll. Side notes: This little version of our first meeting on the beach, had been sitting in my drafts since Rafayel's branch was released last year, but I never had the time or energy to properly edit it. As mentioned above, I made strong references and tried to bridge the gap between what we already know canonically and what was left open to interpretation (at least for now). Enjoy Lovelies 🩷

Rafayel didn't know how much time had passed since he was stranded on this secluded beach—since the relentless sea had carried him ashore, saving him from the strong currents only to leave him at the mercy of the cruel sunlight, which now burned his sensitive skin.

Somehow, with the last of his strength, he had managed to drag himself onto the white sand, but now the young Lemurian felt as if the merciless heat was slowly draining the life from him, seeping into his body. With each passing moment, his mind drifted deeper into nothingness.

He was exhausted, hopeless and miles away from his beloved home—Lemuria.

Rafayel sighed in pain as he lay on his stomach, his eyes closed while the sun scorched his mesmerizing fish tail, making the shimmering pigments of his scales glisten in a multitude of colors. He had almost surrendered to his fate when suddenly, a voice reached his ears. His senses sharpened while his ears strained to listen. Was he already hallucinating from dehydration?

Maybe it was just the waves crashing against the rocks, the ocean's call luring him into eternal sleep. Perhaps his time had come... the young siren's heart sank at the idea of never returning home, his breath trembling...

But wait! There it was again—undoubtedly, a soft voice humming a song! Rafayel let out a weak groan and barely managed to open his eyes, noticing someone approaching from afar. Though his vision was blurry, he could make out a silhouette slowly drawing closer.

Under any other circumstances, he would have avoided coming anywhere near humans. But in his weakened state he had no strength left to fight or escape. Maybe he was destined to die at the hands of a greedy human being who would strip him off his glistening scales and sell them as precious gems. Bracing himself for the worst, he felt the last remnants of his strength slip away, until darkness finally consumed him and his heavy eyelids fell shut once more...

When Rafayel regains consciousness some time later, he is still on the beach. But something feels different. The sun no longer scorches his sensitive skin and he now finds himself lying on his back. Slowly, the lavender-haired Lemurian opens his eyes only to be met with a pair of curious orbs hovering over his face.

''Whaaa—?!''

The young merman jolts in shock and pushes himself up from the sand as you hold a sunshade over him, shielding him from the relentless heat. Only then does he notice the damp sand beneath him—soaked through with water. You must have been trying to cool him down, carrying bucket after bucket to his side.

"Ah! You're awake! For a moment, I thought you were dead..." You remark relieved, your curious gaze fixed on the captivating sea creature sitting before you. Tilting your head as you kneel beside him, your eyes trace the shimmering scales on his cheekbones.

"Are you real?" You whisper in awe, as if he might disappear at any moment. "Grandma always told me that mermen only exist in fairy tales..." Your gaze drifts downward, captivated by the shimmering fish tail resting in the white sand before it moves back to his gorgous cheeks. When you decided to visit the nearby beach today to collect shells in your bucket, the last thing you expected was to find a merman. "You don't look like you belong here... are you stranded?"

Rafayel is taken aback by the young pretty girl sitting next to him, his body tense as he instinctively tries to keep his distance. Can he trust you? Or are you merely pretending to be kind, waiting for the right moment to lure him into a trap? The long lashes framing his sunset eyes flutter as he studies you intently. And with a quick throat clear, he slips into a facade of effortless confidence.

"Of course I'm real, silly girl! I'm Lemurian, after all!" Rafayel retorts, flicking his shimmering tail in front of you as if to prove his point. His sharp eyes remain locked on you, scanning your every move while trying to determine whether you are a threat.

"And I'm not stranded… it's the waves… they're just too strong." He adds defiantly, furrowing his brows as he crosses his arms over his chest. Something about you has awakened his interest—an inexplicable force drawing him toward you, as if the currents had carried him to shore just to answer your humming call.

"Hey, are you even listening?" He shakes his head as you push the sunshade into the sand beside him, making him wonder what you were up to?

And of course you were listening—how could you not when his voice was already becoming your favorite sound? But at this moment, you were focused on something else. Something you couldn't resist trying... even if only for a second. Gathering your courage you lean in closer, still fascinated by the scales on his pretty cheeks as you reach out to him.

"Do you mind if I touch them?" You whisper awestruck. But before the young merman can answer, curiosity gets the better of you, and you brush your fingers over the glimmering scales above his cheekbones—only for Rafayel to flinch and pull his head away, caught off guard by your boldness!

"H-Hey, stop that!" The Lemurian grabs your wrist before you can try again, his grip on you surprisingly firm despite his weakened state. "Don't you know it's rude to touch someone's scales?" He huffs, with a slight blush spreading across his handsome face.

You can't help but chuckle softly at his reaction, adoring his flustred expression as you sit back a bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... I just like your scales!" Nodding earnestly, you flash him your brightest, most innocent smile as the warm breeze catches your hair, making it sway.

And the Lemurian? He blinks in surprise at you, his heart nearly skipping a beat. Never in his entire life had he expected to meet a human like this. Despite all the warnings the elders had drilled into every Lemurian child, you seemed so different from everything he had ever been taught about humans.

For a moment, he simply stares, his grip on your wrist loosening as doubt flickers across his sunset-colored eyes. Could it be that not all humans were as cruel and greedy as he had been told?

"You know... where I come from... if you say you like someone's scales, that means you like them..." Rafayel mumbles his voice quieter now, almost as if he is embarrassed to admit it. The pink hue on his cheeks deepens as his gaze lingers on your face, tracing every little detail as if trying to commit you to his memory.

What if you were the one who wasn't real? Just an illusion created by his exhausted mind?

Silence stretches between you for a while, filled only by the distant crashing of waves and the gentle rustling of the wind. When the quiet is broken by a loud growl, an amused glimmer sparks in your eyes as the merman's stomach rumbles.

"Oh right! You must be starving, hm?" Under Rafayel's curious gaze, you start rummaging through your little backpack. His pink-blue eyes follow you intently as you pull out a handful of colorful packages and hold them up for him to see.

"These are cheese sticks! The perfect snack for a rumbling stomach." You explain as you unwrap one before passing it to him. Reluctantly taking the unfamiliar food from you, Rafayel eyes the soft, yellowish stick intently before finally letting go of his last bit of restraint and taking a cautious bite. At first, he isn't sure what to make of the strange texture, but as the flavor unfolds on his tongue, his eyes widen in surprise.

"It's so good! We don't have this in Lemuria. It wouldn't last in the water, you know?"

"Really? Then I'll bring more snacks for you the next time we meet!" You chuckle, watching the Lemurian devour another stick as the sun begins to set behind the horizon, casting a soft light on his face and making his scales glimmer even more.

Adoring your enthusiasm, Rafayel replies with a soft laugh, feeling his exhausted fins come to life again in your presence. Without even realizing it, effortlessly, you have already captured his heart.

"You humans are bold! We've only known each other for a day, and already you're thinking about our next meeting." The merman replies amused, raising an eyebrow at you, when deep down, he is anticipating your reunion just as much as you are.

"Alright, let's meet again." The siren nods at you, locking his oceanic eyes with yours. "One year from today, when the tide is low, we will meet again. Same place, same time."

"Pinky promise?" He watches as you nod at him with a smile and lift your hand, sticking out your little finger, while the last rays of sunlight gently envelop you.

"Pinky promise?" He repeats confused, furrowing his brows as he mirrors your gesture, not quite knowing where you are going with this. "Yes! When humans make a promise, we link our little fingers like this." You hook your finger with his and laugh softly, realizing how odd it must look from the merman's point of view. "It means that we can never break our promise, or something bad will happen!"

Another amused smirk appears on the Lemurian's face as he shifts his gaze between you and your linked fingers. Humans really were strange creatures and today, he had found the strangest and sweetest one among them all.

"It's settled then..."

If only he had known that this would be the first and last time he would meet you for a long, long time. Perhaps he would have stayed a little longer, letting your innocent laughter fill the air.

For from that moment on, his beloved home would feel like a prison.

Thank you for reading!

Cheri 🍒

[library-ducky]

Ghouls on vacation

Totally not inspired by me going to the seaside over the weekend. Not at all.

HEADCANONS UNDER THE CUT, LET'S GO

AETHER

gets everything set up

if there's a Papa nearby, he will make him sit down and rest, no buts

he'll go swimming, but will not put his head under the water. And he'll do at least one dive-bomb to soak any unfortunate soul who is close enough

he'll read crime mistery books while lounging on a deck chair (bonus point if there's a beer in his hand)

he has the Dad™️ fit: flip-flops, swimming trunks (with palm trees or dolphins or pineapples on them), an open hawaian shirt and the sunglasses and baseball cap combo

RAIN

knows how to surf

idk how or when or where he'd learn, but he DOES

also the sun brings out his bioluminescent spots (the biology probably doesn't check out but idc, I headcanon that he has bioluminescent freckles and the sun brings out freckles so)

(in his human glamour), he doesn't tan a lot (I might be projecting but it's *MY* headcanon and *I* get to choose the bitch that will simply not tan 😤)

if possible, he'll unglamour just to dive as deep as he can go

he's the bastard that brings out the pretty rocks and seashells

might also befriend a fish or two while he's at it

he pulls the "my hair is wet so I have to shake the water off OH NO I WAS STANDING TOO CLOSE AND SOMEONE GOT SPRAYED this surely was not on purpouse I would never 🥺👉🏻👈🏻"

PHANTOM

he'd be a bit scared to go in at first, but ultimately would get coaxed into it

he swims by doggy paddling for the better part of his time at the beach. He knows how to swim, that's just more fun to him

builds sandcastles (and honestly slays at it)

hates the feeling of salt in his hair after it dries, so Cumulus brings a water bottle along so he can rinse it out when he gets out of the sea

he gets HUNGRY after a swim

tries to dive along with Rain, but isn't able to go as deep since he's not a water Ghoul. He will, however, make it his job to point out pretty seashells and demand Rain gets them for him

SWISS

an absolute heathen in the water

he'll creep up behind people (mostly Dew or Phantom) and push their head under the water

he steals a bucket from Phantom and uses it to absolutely SOAK Aurora with the water he scoops from the sea

he tans both in human glamour and in actual Ghoul form

also knows how to surf (dude bro energy fr fr)

he'll be a menace and playfully tease and torment everyone but as soon as someone tells him to stop, he'll be on his best behaviour

reminds everyone to drink water (resorted to throwing a bottle at Rain's head one time cuz he would ignore him and refuse to stop swimming. Rain listened immediately)

DEWDROP

hair in a high bun IMMEDIATELY, will NOT let them get wet

unless Swiss pulls him under, but that usually warrants Swiss getting chased up and down the beach for 15 minutes with a fuming (HAH) Dew behind him

he'd bring a sunshade umbrella to stick in the sand (and then not use it cuz he likes to bask in the sun)

he'd also join Phantom in his sandcastle endeavours by digging a moat around the structure

will swim, but only for a little bit, he'd rather make himself sizzle in the sun

he doesn't really tan, but also doesn't get a sunburn (something something fire Ghoul)

Cumulus still manhandles him into putting on sunscreen (as she does with everyone)

MOUNTAIN

THE SUN MAKES HIS FRECKLES SO PROMINENT AND EVERYONE LOOKS AT HIM LIKE 💖👄💖

usually throws his hair into a haphazard bun and leaves it like that for the entire time

he jumps into the water EXCLUSIVELY by diving headfirst

he doesn't mind the salt on his skin after he dries off, he's used to the grime from the greenhouse and the gardens anyways

he tans, and the freckles on his shoulders/back/collarbone get much more visible as well

his cheeks also get a bit pinker from the sun and everyone calls him adorable because of it

will observe the local flora and fauna, he just can't help himself honestly (and he WILL tell Rain all the sea life fun facts he knows)

drinks only water, but occasionally he'll treat himself to a pre-mixed cocktail if Cumulus brings any (she always does)

CUMULUS

mom friend fr

brings an extra tube of sunscreen (both for the body and the face) just in case someone forgets

manhandles EVERYONE into putting it on

also brings some extra towels in case someone gets theirs wet by accident or forgets it completely

she packs snacks and fruit, as well as drinks (the cooler bag carried by Aether, of course)

she likes swimming, and doesn't mind diving or getting her hair wet (her hair gets really curly and fluffy when it's dry and everyone thinks it's the cutest thing ever)

reads romance novels

she steals the sunshade from Dew, he doesn't need it anyways

helps people to brush out their hair if they need it after a swim

the only person who could convince Rain to get out of the water immediately

CIRRUS

Rich Wine Aunt energy and she shows it

black bikini with a black sheer robe over it

big sunglasses and a big ass hat as well

she doesn't really go swimming a lot, she preferes to tan

reads horror novels on the beach

usually drinks a cosmopolitan cocktail while she lounges, sometimes (although rarely) a beer

she keeps her hair down for the added Dramatic Effect

she keeps everyone (or at least the Ghouls not in the water) cool with her air magic (Dew asked her to stop doing that for him cuz he likes burning in the sun)

will not tolerate being bothered in her peace (she will, actually, but she'll be extremely annoyed about it)

SUNSHINE

much like Dew, she loves to bask in the warmth of the sun

her hair gets hella curly and bouncy from the salt water

she has a whole "after tanning" routine so her skin won't get messed up

also she tans quite a lot

uses a tanning jam

likes to nap under the sunshade with Cumulus

she puts on headphones, plays some music aaaaand she's dozing off

the third surfer of the group (YES I'M HAVING "MALIBU RISING" BRAINROT IT'S SUCH A GOOD SUMMER BOOK)

makes necklaces out of the shells Rain picks up (if she manages to convince him to give some up)

star shaped sunglasses

AURORA

helps Phantom build sandcastles

also brings pretty rocks (and steals shells from Rain when he's not there) to decorate them

she LOVES swimming and diving

"her hair turns bright pink in salt water" ~@ligovskaya (okay Barbie mermaid toy moment 💅🏻✨️)

she does her nails on theme (either to do with the sea, the beach, fish, so on and so forth)

is in the process of learning how to surf and is being taught by Sunshine

she likes to listen to music but like on an ipod shuffle with wired headphones

has heart shaped sunglasses (got them from Sunshine cuz she decided that she's adopting Aurora as a sister, therefore they have to match)

she has the cutest, frilliest pink bathing suit (she's a pink girlie to me)

uses a tanning jam as well, but mostly because it smells nice

okay, this is it for now, I will gladly do other Ghouls or Papas if you guys want, you can pop into my ask box as well :3

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ reblogs are appreciated ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[everykindofnerd13]

Trolls Human AU but it’s college student snack pack raising Tiny diamond as all of their kid when Guy Diamond finds himself with a child at the rope young age of 19.

The crew having a schedule of who watches Tiny at any given time on any given day. (It is extensive and color coded and Branch had a great time making it.)

Everyone explanding tiny diamonds repertoire of skills before he can even comprehend his own existence. Like.

Suki who holds a one year old Tiny on her lap while she works on mixes.

Cooper and D who switch off holding Tiny in one of those chest carrier things while they play DDR.

Poppy who will give Tiny a bag of scrap paper and tell him to make a picture inside it. (She doesn’t want to let him actually touch the paper, lest he ingest it.)

Branch who puts on science kids shows like Wild Kratts and Sid the Science Kid on the background while he and Poppy have Tiny so that he kid can start learning fun science stuff early.

Sati and Chenille who started by dressing up Tiny in their studio, but ended up just letting him use his creative guidance on them. (They hold him above a pile of fabric and whichever two he picks they have to make work as a garment.)

Biggie who has “tea parties” with Tiny and Dinkles (his cat) and is always trying to teach the baby proper table manners, it’s futile, for Tiny is a menace.

Smidge who teaches the baby to “work out”. (She actually owns a bunch of grip training baby toys that she hands him while she lifts weights.)

Barb who insists she doesn’t like babies but will happily take Tiny in for a night when needed, making little purée dinners for him and spoiling him rotten for the evening.

Legsly, who encourages Tiny to dance with her in her living room, gripping his hands and holding him up so they can “dance”.

Fuzzbert who is canonically mute and uses sign language to communicate in this universe, who loves to bring Tiny out to the park to experience nature with him, always mesmerized by the baby’s wonder at the clouds and the leaves. (Listen, I just like to imagine that Fuzzbert as someone who often finds themself unable to make themselves heard, quite enjoys the satisfaction of such a small child finding joy in the same things he does.)

Tiny who is very monkey-see monkey-do, and actually is a very well rounded kid after being raised by so many well rounded people who care about a love him.

When they’re together as a group, usually at game nights, they’ll make Tiny little “mocktails” aka, like, mango juice, so that he doesn’t feel left out while they all drink their drinks of choice.

Tiny is the most spoiled kid on earth because he has so many aunts and uncles willing to pitch in and get him whatever he wants.

Brozone and Viva also loving Tiny when they meet him one day while Branch and Poppy are in charge of him. Poppy has a little stroller with a sunshade, and Branch is happily carrying the baby bag so the stroller isn’t too heavy to push. At first, everyone’s mortified cause they thing that their baby siblings have gone off and had a whole baby without telling them, but they quickly notice the “Tiny Diamond” printed across the baby bag and realize it’s in fact their siblings’ close friend’s baby that they’ve heard so much about.

Viva making the kid candy necklaces only to be quickly shut down by Clay who explains that they’re a choking hazard, and they should not be given to a baby.

Bruce who has kids of his own and will invite Guy Diamond to drop Tiny off at his place when he and the rest of the snack pack want a night out.

JD who is terrified of children after how much he feels like he screwed up with Branch, but is still infatuated by the little boy and basically gives him anything he wants.

Floyd who mostly stays out of the way while the baby’s around but is the first to volunteer to put him down for a nap so that he can sing him a lullaby and rock him to sleep.

Branch and Poppy being very blush when old women tell them they have a “beautiful family” when they’re out and about, because while they do consider Tiny and all of their friends family, they know the older women mean something different.

Listen this AU is living rent free in my head. I have a timeline. I have a whole thing. I have backstories and modern world adaptations of trauma. It’s pretty fun.

[blerb-f1]

„Pimientos asados“ – A roasted Spaniard

Fernando Alonso x NonBinary!Medic!Reader

I'm aware i already used this trope. I think i just like my drivers sweaty :D

Read more on my Masterlist.

-blerb

„Pimientos asados“ – A roasted Spaniard

„Stupid fucking Security Rules“, Y/N mouthed, buttoning their shirt up. The crisp blue and yellow fabric would soon be entirely sweat through, that was for sure. Their black linen trousers were the most airy thing allowed under safety rules, yet felt still too covering and heat retaining. They sighed once again, placing some bobby pins between their pursed lips. Coarse fingers grabbed each of them, in use of pinning their fringe up and out of the way. With the heat coming, sticky forehead hair would only be an issue. A load of hairspray that was sufficient to destroy the earths ozone layer, was the last step to get their hair out of the way. Seeing that the familiar team cap would rest on their head anyway, Y/N didn’t bother more in that regard.

They placed their badge around their neck, visibly reading “Renault Formula 1 Team Medic Y/N L/N”.

Knowing what was to come, Y/N were not jumping around in joy as they entered the car of another crew member, ready to head to the Track. Bahrain was hot, incredibly hot. Temperatures edging the 40°C Mark were announced before the race and definitely the truth currently. The team member sighed as well, emptying another water bottle.

With 2005 looking like a Championship Year for Renault, Y/N had to make sure their drivers would survive the race. Reaching the race track was however war in itself, with fans crowing outside. Y/N would tiredly wave their hands out of the window in hopes of shooing them away. “Shit”, proclaimed the car’s driver – Mike, the breakguy. Mike was tasked with all things breaks, he had to weigh them before and after races to measure their corrosion, to watch them during the race and tell the mechanics of breakage and measure their temperatures during the stops. He’d always tell Y/N that break discs were nicer than caring for Humans. Afterall, they didn’t rebut advice or act unnecessarily careless with their own bodies. He had taking a quick look in the rearview mirror, though just a second to late.

Some ‘fan’ had stolen the team cap of Y/N’s head, unveiling the bobby pins that were messily strung together. Y/N just scoffed, rolling the window back up before leaning back. “Stupid fuckers”, they cursed, patting down the now ruffled strands. ‘Hopefully the team has some laying around, otherwise Flavio’s gonna be mad again. He hates things that aren’t good appearance wise.’

Mike parked the car as close as could, shuffling around the boot to get out his backpack and Y/N’s workbag. Slinging it over the shoulder, he huffed loudly. “God, these fans are getting out of hand. We’ve had so much teamwear stolen by now – I wonder how other team’s are coping. I bet Ron Dennis is unhappy about them getting crumbly and muddy”.

As they approached the garage, an unhappy face already stood aside. Pat Symmonds, their Technical Director was talking angrily to a few of the mechanics. Apparently he had screwed up quite badly with something – not that it was of matter to Y/N. They fumbled around their bag to fish out a towel. Renault branded of course. Pouring water on the towel provided it as lovely cold recourse once placed on their own head, but also hid the hat-lessness from Flavio if he were to appear out of nowhere. A skill the otherwise loud Italian man knew better than one would expect him to.

Y/N ducked in the back of the garage searching through the shelves in hope of finding anything. A hat was important as team gear but also as sunshade in this demanded climate. The garage proved to be fruitless however, so Y/N made their way over to hospitality, still hidden under their fluffy frotté  head covering. The ladies behind the coffee counter were positively buzzing, their updos looking good despite the horrible weather. Flavio always had beautiful ladies work there and many mechanics would appear in hospitality, trying to fight for their numbers. Y/N on the other hand was a happy sight as they’d usually just ask for an Latte Macchiato and chatter about recent drama.

“Nice to see you Y/N!” the fronting one exclaimed.

“Nice to see you too, Monique!”, Y/N expressed before leaning onto the counter.

“Has Flavio passed by recently? I hope not.”

“If it has to do with your fancy new headdress, he hasn’t. Might want to ask Zanarini whether there’s still a cap ins storage. He just got one for Giancarlo. His got stolen as well apparently.”

The medic sighed before downing a cup of coffee given to them by Monique. “I’d better hurry, I’ve got to check Fisicella and Alonso over soon. Bye Monique!”

“Bye-Bye Y/N!” she waved cheerfully before giving her colleagues a snicker. Something bad must be going on they’d hear of later.

Trotting through hospitality with tired feet, Y/N soon spotted Enrico Zanarini standing to the side, his phone perched up. Being Fisicella’s Manager must have been a tiring job for sure. They approached the hard working man slowly, making sure he was not in a call or anything.

“Ah, Y/N. I presume you also got caught by the hat thieves, am I right in that assumption?” was his greeting. The medic just nodded. “I’m sorry to ruin your day now, but I got the last one out of storage. It seems someone snuck in overnight and emptied our warehouse here. I wonder what’s wrong with the people today.”

With their head hanging low, Y/N trotted back to the garage, knowing that Flavios scolding was inevitable by now. On the way the bumped into another person, blinking twice to notice they had run into Fernando.

“Good Morning Y/N, you’re late to the check-up.”

“I know, I know, Fernando. I’ve been on a treasure hunt the last hour. Some idiot stole my cap but we don’t even have a single one left.”

The driver lifted his eyebrows. “Not a single one?”

“None. The others all seem to have theirs so I’m the only one getting chewed out by Flavio.”

Fernando seemed to ponder for a while before settling onto Y/N’s office chair.

“Doctor, please proceed with your check-up.”

Y/N started their work, taking measurements and jolting down Fernandos health data.

“Please remember to drink a lot for this GP, I know the heat is horrible. It’ll be worse after the Race. I’m going to check up on you and get you both hydrated before the Press conference. Can’t have you fall on your face from heat exhaustion.”

“Us both? How are you so sure I’m landing on the Podium?”

“I just know, Fernando. Trust me. But something is telling me it’s not going to end well for Giancarlo…”

“You sure you aren’t Magic Alonso with these visions?”

“Maybe. Now zoom off. Fisi is waiting and I still gotta report to Flavio.”

Fernando stood up from his chair, eying the medic again. Finally, he lifted the cap from his head and placed it on theirs. “Look. Problem fixed, right?”

“Fernando, you’re our face! Wear it yourself!”

“I won’t” he chuckled while crossing his arms. “I can’t stand you looking so sad. Especially if I can fix it so easily, no?” He turned towards the door. “I’ll be going now. See you later!”

Y/N settled onto their chair with another sigh, though one team cap richer. Fisi was already standing in the door with his trademark grin. “Enrico told me you were looking for a cap. Seems you stole one yourself?”

This day would only grow longer.

As the race started and Y/N sat in the garage, monitoring stats and news relayed to them from the Pitwall to check on their drivers. With Fisicella coming in after Lap 3’s engine failure, work was sure to arrive. They took his stats again, got him equipped with nutritious drinks and snacks while also handing his Manager stuff for a bath. Exact instructions regarding temperature and procedure were added along with it. Since the race was still ongoing, they couldn’t care for the driver themselves which was unfortunate but Fernando needed full attention now. Soon after Michael Schumacher overshot a corner with apparent car issues, leaving one of their top contenders ouf of the race. Y/N was on the edge of their seat, attention at it’s peak. Fernando was doing well, staying cool despite the horrible heat. He kept drinking which was very good. His pitstop on Lap 20 went very well, he looked all right in the car as well.

As the race progressed and Fernando stayed on top of the Leaderboard, his victory lap around the track was lovely to watch. Seeing him do that bunny ear gesture in the car was always an amusing sight. Y/N rushed out with the Crew towards Parc Fermée to catch their lucky driver exiting his car, stepping on top and gesturing towards the sky. His race suit was entirely sweat through, his face red but his smile was real.

He headed up to the cooldown room, with Jarno Trulli and Kimi Räikkönen behind him. Y/N was following along as well, equipped with a coke can and some wet towels. Their exasperated winner slid tiredly on the floor, leaning back but still smiling like the sun incarnate.

“Here, Fernando” Y/N said, handing him the Coke Can. He deserved such a treat after this tiring race. They took the towels, helping Fernando get the sweat of his face and hair while also stopping it from burning. After a while, the call came to step outside. Fernando headed towards the Podium, pumping his arms and cheering loudly while Y/N kept looking from beside, happy for their driver.

Getting shooed off to the press conference afterwards kept Fernando away from Y/N who meanwhile prepared everything to get him going again.  Watching the conference on TV was quite amusing – Jarno looked like a wet dog, Fernando lost his color and Kimi was beet red.

As the conference finally ended, Fernando tiredly stumbled into his driver’s room. His steps had gotten weaker as he finally arrived, sinking onto his sofa. Y/N was quick to arrive, smiling at him with their teeth showing. “Congratulations Nando, that was a good race!”

The tired driver faintly nodded as he leaned back, just breathing in. The adrenaline was slowly leaving his body as Y/N handed him his sports drink. “Let’s get you back in shape, right?”

Shortly after, Fernando was bathed, properly dressed and back on his sofa, looking way less haggard. Y/N sat behind him, bobby pins placed between their lips again. A soft brush was holding his locks back as they got put into a short ponytail, barely enough to keep it out of his neck from scrubbing at the now very sensitive skin. Y/N placed a few Bobby Pins in strategic fashion to keep the shorter hairs out of his face, to stop it irritating his eyes. Fernando just sighed in relief as the hair stopped bothering him. “You were right with your prediction” he said.

“Hmm?” Y/N mouthed, still busy.

“With Giancarlo not finishing and me winning. You truly are the real Magic Alonso.”

Y/N laughed softly, patting his shoulder before placing his last Bobby Pin.

“It was your work as much as mine.”

As they were finishing, Y/N lifted the cap from their head, wanting to place it back on Fernandos. The driver however grabbed the medics arm, stopping them from finishing their action.

“Don’t. Keep it. It’s yours now my friend. I know you’ll bring me luck wearing it.”

He lifted the blue Fabric before placing it on the crown of Y/Ns head again. “Please, bring me more luck in the future.” He said, his grin cheeky.

Y/N turned to the side, not wanting him to see their reaction. “Shut up you stupid roasted Paprika.”

“Pimientos asados, eh? Sounds like a great Idea. Let’s get some” he laughed, getting up and pulling Y/N behind him.

[hao-and-yoh]

For @matamunes-little-paws

It is definitely much nicer in this AU Ivy!

Fluffy / Comfort

Shaman King | Hao and Brocken | Hao and Yoh

This fanfic is not Canon in “Fourth Times The Charm” AU

Read “Fourth Times The Charm” by IvyCorp here!

“Shamans in Disguise”

Short on cash and sanity, neither in great supply to begin with, Asakura Hao found himself – yet again – shopping for ludicrous objectives. Except this time his Patch descendant would be relieved that his “partner in crime” was his adopted father figure, who had offered to assist with Hao’s latest strange indulgence, “How do I appear more like a teenager?” “Sorry?” replied Brocken – his shrouded features obscured the amused smile on his face paired with the quizzical look in his eye. “I’m supposed to be fourteen, so – what do fourteen-year-olds do?” Brocken chuckled at the funny question, though a cold snap chill washed over his miniature frame when he saw the serious look now in his leader’s eyes. “Uh…” he began hesitantly, “Well, I suppose that depends?” “On what?” huffed Hao, raising an eye brow at his small father. “On what they like? What their interests are?” listed Brocken. Likes and interests? What on earth in this day and age do kids even enjoy? Seeing that his adopted son was struggling with the concept of the modern times, Brocken Meyer made the bold suggestion they retcon the town in search of answers from the locals – observe the behaviours of the community, perhaps even peruse the shopping districts. The small in stature shaman was surprised and overjoyed when Hao immediately agreed to the idea – insisting they act immediately. Though, it would be some time before they actually left camp for their spontaneous father and son outing – as Hao spent a ridiculously long time picking out the perfect outfit for the occasion. Settling on a blue baseball cap, a pair of mirrored sunshades, a bright orange and white striped jersey, white sneakers and black shorts.

“Is this fourteen-year-old enough?” asked the mighty and all powerful Asakura Hao – turning slowly on the spot as he pulled his long hair through the back of the cap.

Stifling a laugh once more, Brocken nodded in response.

The funny looking duo turned the occasional head as they made their way down the busy high street. Hao searched the faces of the humans for other youths and searched their minds for answers to his questions. Though it became apparent very quickly this method was a waste of time – as the teenagers he observed were too busy thinking about what others thought about them instead of thinking about the things they loved.

“How about in here?” hopefully asked Brocken as they passed a toy store. Hao sighed when he saw the window display. Obviously his adopted father wanted to go in this store. When Brocken saw the irked expression flicker across the masquerading teen’s face, he went on, “I – I mean, kids like toys – don’t they?”

“I suppose.” mumbled Hao, humouring the toy-fan shaman. He pretended not to sense Brocken’s outpouring of delight as the pair made their way inside.

The shorter one of the two soon disappeared from Hao’s side and down the LEGO aisle, and Hao rolled his eyes behind his reflective shades as he began to search the shelves for ideas.

Perhaps this new venture of his had already gotten away from him when he realised he didn’t have the slightest clue what any of the mostly pre-packaged plastic land-fill was actually for, nor did he understand how or why any of it would bring joy to the targeted age group he had in mind. Until suddenly, something caught his eye.

He picked up the brightly coloured HASBRO box containing a bright red and blue robot. He gently maneuvered the exposed figurine with his free hand and delighted in its ability to change its form into a vehicle. His eyes drifted to the other figures on the shelf beside it as a child-like excitement suddenly awakened within him to explore what delights the others could do, too.

“Ah, Transformers, Generation 1.” came the voice of his father figure. “Released 1984, a very popular franchise in Japan and around the world. Children of all ages - even adults - enjoy them, Hao-sama.”

“Hm. I see.” muttered Hao, fixating his gaze on the range in front of him. He momentarily looked down to his right to exchange a glance with the toy-expert in his company, though he let out a chuckle when he saw the stack of LEGO boxes in Brocken’s grasp.

Yes, that’ll do just nicely.

**** “Do you like Transformers?”

“What?”

Odd. He was certain that the question he had asked was clear enough. Had an actual fourteen-year-old teen never even heard of them? Brocken had reassured him the toy range was popular for all age groups?

“Transformers?” repeated Hao, offering a bright yellow robot to the boy.

“Ha!” he laughed, accepting the figurine immediately and attempting to change its form. “I haven’t seen one of these in years!”

“Oh.” muttered Hao, wincing slightly as a wave of embarrassment came over him. “Are – are they too juvenile for you?”

“Not at all!” delighted the teen, smiling broadly at the one who had given him the toy.

Hao smiled to himself, pleased that his research had paid off. But then, the delighted face in front of him moulded into something else.  

“It’s just…”

Yoh gazed at the toy with reminiscent eyes as he observed the black and yellow robot intensely in his hands. Hao began to notice the distinct hint of sadness emanating in the air around them both.

This was definitely not going the way he had imagined. The offering was supposed to strengthen his demise, further push his agenda he was just like all the others in Yoh’s circle, the same age, the same level of threat, perhaps even harmless. Though he could see the toy had inflicted some kind of harm on the one in front of him, though not the physical kind.

“Is something wrong with it?” questioned the strange looking one of the two, who still adorned his large mirrored frames despite the darkening skyline.

“No, no – it’s not that. It just kinda reminds me of when I was a kid.” sighed Yoh. He lifted his gaze and smiled kindly at the strange shaman, whose odd mannerisms he was becoming all too familiar with. “I collected a few of these guys, they were awesome! I even read some of the comic books, too.”

Hao hesitated as he searched his mind for the right thing to say.

“Who was your favourite?” he muttered, feigning interest and knowledge of the franchise he had only learned about hours before.

“Megatron!” laughed Yoh, excitedly. “I love villains. They’re so much fun! And his toy was the best one too! It could transform into a pistol and had a fusion cannon!”

Hao suddenly felt like he was on the back foot – Yoh’s overly excitable behaviour threw him off guard – he didn’t anticipate he would get this so perfect that he wouldn’t even know how to steer the conversation in the direction he needed it to go.

“That’s so cool. I like Megatron too.” he chuckled in reply. His eyes drifted to the yellow robot in the teen’s hand. He quickly realised that he had made a grossly false assumption.

“Really? Neat! We have that in common!” delightfully laughed Yoh. “I bet we would have been good friends if we had known each other as kids!”

Taken aback by Yoh’s overzealous child-like innocence, Hao swallowed nervously at his words. Despite his covered eyes, Yoh noticed the subtle change in the other’s expression.

“Ah, sorry. I get a bit carried away sometimes. That’s… probably why I didn’t have anyone to play Transformers with, eh?” sheepishly said the teen as he offered the robot toy back to the one who had given it to him.

“Keep it.” said Hao with a soft smile. “Call it a trade, for the headphones.”

“No – no, I can’t. I bet your little sis likes playing with it, right?”

“She’s not as big of a fan as you are,” reassured Hao, “Take it.”

“Really?” breathed Yoh, his eyes widening with delight. “That’s so nice of you! Thanks!”

Before Hao could make his escape from the somewhat awkward scenario, he found himself getting more than he bargained for as the happy, thankful and clearly rather lonely young boy threw his arms around him in a grateful embrace.

Stunned, Asakura Hao froze in the other’s arms, his own arms becoming rigid by his sides. The hold likely only lasted moments, but each second seemed to stretch out in his mind and the world around them seemed to have stood still. In those brief few seconds, he noticed how Yoh’s touch felt almost nuclear to him, like there was an electrical spark charged between them creating a strange internal gravitational pull. Unbeknown to him, the other recognised the same thing – only his observation was reasoned in a different way. Yoh wondered if, perhaps – they were meant to have crossed paths one day. Why did Yoh feel this pull towards this strange boy? And why did he enjoy being around him so much?

Yoh pulled back and cleared his throat, worried once more he may have crossed a boundary and potentially scared his new friend away. Picking up on this anxiety, Hao found himself uncharacteristically searching for words of reassurance,

“I think we would have been good friends, too.”

Read “Fourth Times The Charm” by IvyCorp on AO3 here.

[two-sides-halved]

Continued | @fcrgottn

Human Steven didn't think, he just moved. He rushed to Spinel's aid, summoning a shield out of thin air, and slammed the anon away from Spinel. The shield making a clanking noise as it made contact with the anonymous creature. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the visage of a humanoid form with sunshade disapate in a puff of smoke, with no gem left behind.

Human Steven was solely focused on trying to get Spinel to stop hurting herself. His first instinct was to block her hands from her gem. He held her wrists with a firm grip bubbling their hands together on both sides so she couldn't stretch them to summon anything from her gem to hurt herself with.

"Spinel, I know we haven't exactly formally met yet, nor is this exactly the scenario I would have seen myself in seeing another Spinel... But please don't hurt yourself." Human Steven replied, putting aside all his own feelings in an effort of trying to comfort this Spinel.

"I know that some people might get under your skin and say the things that confirm those nasty thoughts we feel about ourself... they have no idea who you are, and they have no right to say those things about you." He replied.

[scilou-mdr]

My vampire Ew oc: Valentina Ombeline!

(Thanks: @skellieezstudioz for the idea)

Her full name is Valentina (Priya) Ombeline. She is a very tall Romanian vampire woman (1m71) born on February 14 and at 2000 years old (20 years in human age). She is a lesbian and Amber is her girlfriend. She also has a twin brother: Valentin (Matt sucks vampire )

She uses a sunshade to protect herself from the sun outside

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Work is underway on NASA's next-generation asteroid hunter

The mirrors for NASA's Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope are being installed and aligned, and work on other spacecraft components is accelerating.

NASA's new asteroid-hunting spacecraft is taking shape at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Called NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor), this cutting-edge infrared space telescope will seek out the hardest-to-find asteroids and comets that might pose a hazard to our planet. In fact, it is the agency's first space telescope designed specifically for planetary defense.

Targeting launch in late 2027, the spacecraft will travel a million miles to a region of gravitational stability—called the L1 Lagrange point—between Earth and the sun. From there, its large sunshade will block the glare and heat of sunlight, allowing the mission to discover and track near-Earth objects as they approach Earth from the direction of the sun, which is difficult for other observatories to do. The space telescope also may reveal asteroids called Earth Trojans, which lead and trail our planet's orbit and are difficult to see from the ground or from Earth orbit.

NEO Surveyor relies on cutting-edge detectors that observe two bands of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. Near-Earth objects, no matter how dark, glow brightly in infrared as the sun heats them. Because of this, the telescope will be able to find dark asteroids and comets, which don't reflect much visible light. It also will measure those objects, a challenging task for visible-light telescopes that have a hard time distinguishing between small, highly reflective objects and large, dark ones.

"NEO Surveyor is optimized to help us to do one specific thing: enable humanity to find the most hazardous asteroids and comets far enough in advance so we can do something about them," said Amy Mainzer, survey director for NEO Surveyor and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. "We aim to build a spacecraft that can find, track, and characterize the objects with the greatest chance of hitting Earth. In the process, we will learn a lot about their origins and evolution."

Coming into focus

The spacecraft's only instrument is its telescope. About the size of a washer-and-dryer set, the telescope's blocky aluminum body, called the optical bench, was built in a JPL clean room. Known as a three-mirror anastigmat telescope, it will rely on curved mirrors to focus light onto its infrared detectors in such a way that minimizes optical aberrations.

"We have been carefully managing the fabrication of the spacecraft's telescope mirrors, all of which were received in the JPL clean room by July," said Brian Monacelli, principal optical engineer at JPL. "Its mirrors were shaped and polished from solid aluminum using a diamond-turning machine. Each exceeds the mission's performance requirements."

Monacelli inspected the mirror surfaces for debris and damage, then JPL's team of optomechanical technicians and engineers attached the mirrors to the telescope's optical bench in August. Next, they will measure the telescope's performance and align its mirrors.

Complementing the mirror assembly are the telescope's mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors, which are similar to the detectors used by NASA's recently retired NEOWISE (short for Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission.

An advantage of these detectors is that they don't necessarily require cryogenic coolers or cryogens to lower their operational temperatures in order to detect infrared wavelengths. Cryocoolers and cryogens can limit the lifespan of a spacecraft.

NEO Surveyor will instead keep its cool by using its large sunshade to block sunlight from heating the telescope and by occupying an orbit beyond that of the moon, minimizing heating from Earth.

The telescope will eventually be installed inside the spacecraft's instrument enclosure, which is being assembled in JPL's historic High Bay 1 clean room where NASA missions such as Voyager, Cassini, and Perseverance were constructed. Fabricated from dark composite material that allows heat to escape, the enclosure will help keep the telescope cool and prevent its own heat from obscuring observations.

Once it is completed in coming weeks, the enclosure will be tested to make sure it can withstand the rigors of space exploration. Then it will be mounted on the back of the sunshade and atop the electronic systems that will power and control the spacecraft.

"The entire team has been working hard for a long time to get to this point, and we are excited to see the hardware coming together with contributions from our institutional and industrial collaborators from across the country," said Tom Hoffman, NEO Surveyor's project manager at JPL.

"From the panels and cables for the instrument enclosure to the detectors and mirrors for the telescope—as well as components to build the spacecraft—hardware is being fabricated, delivered, and assembled to build this incredible observatory."

IMAGE: This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s NEO Surveyor in deep space. The black-paneled angular structure in the belly of the spacecraft is the instrument enclosure that is being built at JPL. The mission’s infrared telescope will be installed inside the enclosure. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[drstonetrivia]

Chapter 217 Trivia

Can you believe it's been 25 chapters already?

The meeting Suika and Chrome call is held in the computer room, since that's the only hut with bricks. Exactly where they set up their little podiums I'm not sure, (SAL 9000 takes up most of the room) but it's convenient that the "voting machines"/the computer was right there!

"Senku Birds" is written on the presentation, which is likely a reference to the 1965 TV series Thunderbirds. It follows a group of 5 sons who pilot 5 rescue vehicles, with the goal of saving human life. The 5 vehicles are (very approximately) shaped like Chrome's rocket stages.

NASA's plans are a little more broad than just a rocket. OSAM (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing) intends to build structures for future space constructs, such as larger telescopes and sunshades.

The ones who definitely know, or are implied to know, about the medusa's secrets are Senku, Tsukasa (who isn't here), Chrome, Xeno, Gen, Ryusui, and Ukyo.

Chrome says only the ones present should vote, which going by those shown in the room, are: Chrome, Suika, Xeno, Senku, Gen, Yo, Chelsea, Kohaku, Kaseki, Ryusui, and Sai, along with several random characters.

Neither group adds up to the 10 votes Sai sees, unless background characters were ignored and Sai himself didn't vote.

Or it's binary and there's only 2 votes haha!

It's no surprise that Sai managed to make a vote counter so fast, all it needs to do is add 1 to a value per vote. You'd also only need to store two values: one for total votes counted, and one for either option A or option B (subtract from the total to get the other amount).

That method doesn't even account for the fact that one CPU register holds 16 bits, which is less than the 10 votes they had, and could have been used to "count" the votes. It'd be harder to produce the final result, however.

Interesting fact, Thomas Edison's first patented invention was a voting machine meant for congress.

They didn't want it.

This seems to be an extreme simplification of existing fiber-optic cable networks, however the map itself is somewhat inaccurate making it hard to compare.

Very short trivia this week since there wasn't a lot of content, but soon we may have the return of (Google) Chrome!

[scarletkid8972012]

[Had to repost from before]

“One night, I took an expedition to snapshot creatures of the supernatural world that hides in these forest grounds. I’m not a Jungle Girl, really… I’m more of a Forest Girl than the tropical climates. Temperate climate is my main thing, I don’t mind it at all. Anyways, I heard that most interspecies creatures are migratory as they prefer which environment is suitable for them. Even the serpents of different kinds have certain traits. And believe me, I heard that one serpent has some strong hypnotic powers… luckily, I’ve come prepared.”

Julissa “Julie” San, licensed Freelance Paranormal Investigator, treks in the woodlands at night after a full daylight search for creatures visible in the sun’s light from the sky. Her extra time in the forest at dusk gives her an easy spot to capture photos filled with evidence for online paranormal seekers to take interest in her social media presence. The only thing that caught her eye… is a giant boa constrictor with some hypnosis that resembles the colors of the Amazon’s Sunset from South America. She heard rumors about him as he lures in unsuspecting strangers to his territory to take their minds away, stripping the tension and stress out of the human body. Fearing for her safety and how her life will forever change later on, she brought the only tool that can reflect and repel the hypnosis from that male serpent: Sunshades. This will work as she dares to use her trademark menacing glare, the Siren’s Stare for people fear of her darkest secrets whenever they sink into the gaze of the beholder. Plus, it conceals her beautiful blue eyes from the many faces of people. That one night, while taking photos of nocturnal creatures that stalk the shadows of the lush greenwood and earth, the feeling of fear fills her as these daggers pierce her from behind. The snake eyes do not lie… it- no… HE is stalking her from the deepest greens. It’s dark… too dark.

“I don’t know what to say. When I bend over and crouch down to take a photo, there he was… he’s in predator mode as he’s in hunting position. The way he showed those daggers for eyes… it feels like I was being watched in the dark. I can smell his scent as he does to me. He is of different fragrance in pheromones, while I smell of gardenia…”

Just as Julie was about to leave, she can’t tell but hear his deep breathing. The serpent just continues to stare at the mutant behind her back, waiting for the opportunity for ambush and then abduct her without even noticing at the last moment. But for now, he just stares at the little siren-sylph. Waiting for the next time he meets with her at the other night, he will have the chance to chat with her. This time… he will do what’s best for this woman of divine beauty. Protection.

[Okay, before you say anything, I’m okay with the whole thing about the tame hypnosis trend. Especially since everyone is a huge fan of Naga!Kenneth beforehand. I wanna jump into the trend, even though it’s a little too late for it. But what the heck! I wanna make a drawing of when my mutant OC gets to meet a naga in person and far away from her hometown, since she’s a huge fan of the supernatural. Guess Kenny is considered a candidate for the role in the story, though���]

[authoresswillowraine]

Bless Your Heart

[TW: Explicit language, gun usage, blood, death]

The night was pitch black and the smell of fresh death hung in the air. It enveloped me and permeated my senses to the point of being damn near overwhelming. The velvety copper scent was so thick I could all but taste it on my tongue. My mouth watered more with each forward step.

Blood. A lot of fucking blood.

If I had a pulse, it would’ve quickened. My long still heart wanted to pound inside my chest. It was like a wild thing clamoring to break free from its cage made of bone and flesh. Good thing it wasn’t possible.

A warm breeze danced over my cool skin, and whipped my long, thick black hair around my face. The faint sound of thunder roared from a few miles away. The storm was headed for me, not that I was frightened to be out in it. Storms energized supernatural beings and I was no exception. I relished the feeling of the electricity that played upon the wind. I knew it was getting closer with each passing second until it was right above me. A deafening ‘CRACK’ brought me up short, and I shot bolt right up in my bed.

Whoever says vampires ‘die’ at daybreak and that we don’t sleep, nor dream was either lying or believed everything fiction said about us. I slept – even snored and I dreamt in vivid details. Usually, it took me several long minutes to fully come back to reality upon waking.

The storm, however, was very real and had worked itself into my subconscious to play in my dream. The lightning was fierce and flashed brightly in my pale gray eyes. It broke through my new “guaranteed” blackout curtains – which I made a mental note of. That could be a safety issue if the sunlight ever shone through them for lesser or younger vampires. Sunlight didn’t kill even the youngest among us, but it was uncomfortable and at times, painful. It could cause hives or burns in younger vampires or weaker ones. For older, Master vampires like me it was little more than an annoyance. I didn’t enjoy the sunlight, but it wasn’t detrimental to my health in any way. Sunshades were all I required to combat the discomfort. But I hated the heat and didn’t feel much more kind about the cold. I preferred Fall.

‘Fuck.’ I thought, still salivating from the copious amounts of blood in my dream. The craving motivated me to get out of bed and do something about it before it got to be overbearing. I checked the clock on my phone: 3:21 A.M. I had gotten two whole hours of sleep before I was jolted awake. Once I was awake I played hell at going back to sleep, so it was going to be a long day for me.

My bare feet shuffled across the luxurious carpet on my bedroom floor before they hit the warming tiles of the hall that led into my kitchen. Most of the flooring throughout my home was heated. Except for the bedrooms which were all thick, lavish carpeting that matched the rest of the décor in them.

I kept emergency blood in my fridge from willing donors, which after a little heating up, would work. I preferred to feed from a living being, but I wasn’t one to call and request it at this hour. Unlike some Master Vampires, I also didn’t keep a house of willing ‘feedees’ at my beck and call. My modest home – at least from the outside- was my oasis. My sanctuary. I seldom let anyone gain entry, and those that did were trusted confidants. There were very few humans who’d had access to my home, and none who had been there by anything other than free will. I didn’t like to use my vampire powers to feed or get laid. It wasn’t my thing, because it was rape, no two ways about it. It didn’t matter if I was taking blood or having sex, consent was a requirement, not an option. I didn’t bring home ‘just anyone.' If I did that may require compulsion at the very least and wiping their memories after they left me at worst. Both of which would be rape in that scenario. No, I had willing sources and lovers, but I wasn’t up to either this night.

The best device I had found to warm the refrigerated blood was a baby bottle warmer. Don’t laugh, it worked. I could heat it to whatever temperature was my preference without scalding my mouth. You only heat the blood too long in the microwave once before learning your lesson. Blood scalds and because it’s so thick it burns far more than an instant. Luckily I healed almost immediately but it doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the pain.

As I waited for my blood to reach the perfect temperature I mulled over the dream I couldn’t shake. I had a few witches I could call upon to decipher the dream. Villia, my favorite of them all, would tell me that my instincts about what the dream meant would be more accurate than anything she could tell me. I liked any advice that told me to trust myself. After all, I had kept myself 'alive' for over four hundred years, so I couldn’t be too awful at this gut instinct thing.

I had a nagging feeling that the dream was a premonition of something bad. That dark times were ahead. Of course, I hoped like hell I was wrong, but until it happened there was no way for me to prepare. I just had to wait and see. Premonitions were the least reliable of my skillset. That sucked because it seemed like it could be one of the most useful powers if I could harness it better.

I made a mental note to ask Villia about premonition. She’d be able to help me sharpen my ability or have an idea of who could assist in that area. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t asked her before now. Another myth about us, not so mythical creatures? We were reborn with all the cool powers, like superheroes, but painted like villains.

The truth was, we came over with anything from zero extrasensory gifts, to several but not all. There were ways we could gain extra powers, and none in a pleasant manner. To enjoy gaining power, one had to find their true pairing. Doing that was about as likely as finding a hay-colored needle in a haystack. Chances are slim to none, that is.

Blood ingested; my mind no longer raced. I grabbed my remote and clicked on the television to keep me company. Once upon a time, I’d fallen into the couch potato trap. That phase had caused a bout of depression that I thought was going to put an end to my long existence. I had no idea how people made it their go-to for entertainment.

I had every channel and streaming service, yet only watched enough television so I could carry on a conversation. I avoided mainstream media like the plagues I had gotten through unscathed. If you know, you know. Instead, I kept up on news from independent and reliable sources – contacts on the inside. I knew World leaders, politicians, and their right hands. I knew military members, indie reporters, and had those types of connections. It was far more reliable and way less sensational.

The television now offered a soft glow and soothing murmuring of a random infomercial so that I no longer sat in complete silence. This was the only time I felt the deep loneliness settle into my bones. The stillness of the night and early morning hours when I only had myself to keep me company. These are the hours when I’d love to be able to wrap my arms around someone. When I wanted to experience what some of those closest to me had explained with goofy smiles on their faces. A sense of peace, of wonder, that they had found another being who added to their happiness. Unconditional love for those of them lucky enough to have it. Those relationships seemed to be rare among everyone I knew, however. We lived in what the younger generations referred to as a hookup culture. Sex had become God; love was far down the list. I understood it, somewhat. As much as I craved someone when the loneliness crept in, I had fought hard not to have anything substantial. Sex was easy, and a need. Love was something that made you weak if you allowed it. I couldn’t afford to be weak. I had too many people depending on me for their entire existence. I would not risk anyone else, let alone everyone else to abate my passing bouts of loneliness.

My eyelids drooped and I let my head fall back against the back of my bright white, overstuffed couch. I was miraculously about to doze off when a feeling washed over me. It was a warning. Someone was around the perimeter of my home, and they weren’t familiar. They wanted something, and it had to be something pressing to bring them out in an electrical storm. I was up, gun in the waistband of my pajama bottoms before they had a chance to knock on my door.

Country, gun-toting, mamaw loving, dad-bod having Vampires? Hell yes! I've got you covered. First 3 episodes will be FREE on Vella. Subscribe to see where Giddeon goes, and how well an almost 7 ft tall, country boy vampire fits in.

[lgcjino]

SUNSHADE. where jino acts as human shade for his incredibly tiny sibling @lgcjiah at disneyland

the sun prickles at his skin, golden-glazed and glistening, they’ve been here since 8 a.m. and the excitement has yet to wear off. he wouldn't call himself a disney fanatic — yet his sparkly mickey ears and duffy watermelon popcorn bucket say otherwise. what was that saying: when in rome do as the romans? well, when in disney —

a hand over his eyes — a makeshift visor so he can see into the beyond — and squints. a low whistle passes through his lips as he stares ahead at the sign looming before the huge line that seemed to divide them from the attraction.

“i think it says it’s going to take 120 minutes until the front, are you sure this is one of the rides we really, really need to go on?” it’s not like they haven’t gone on it before — then again, jino’s not entirely sure when was the last time they've been on it. (or if they've actually ever been on it — disney had changed quite a bit in the last couple years)

but his statement still stands, “maybe the line will get smaller later — do you want to ride rex’s racer again?” they’ve been on it twice already but that wasn't the point. he’s already turning away from the line and looking down expectantly at jiah.

[aurorasulphur]

Do not open your fridge in an attempt to have the inside cool you off. Your fridge will work harder (draw more electricity) in order to keep it cool and will add to the ambient heat in the space.

Keep a close eye on littles and elders. They are not as good at noticing their bodies overheating.

The inside of a car gets hot much much faster than outside. Remember that seats and seatbelt buckles can get extremely hot and burny. Take extra care when buckling others in. If you don't have sunshades, you can drape a towel over the seat when you leave the car, and remove it when you need to buckle up. Do not leave anyone, human or animal, sitting in a car without the AC on. During the summer I just automatically do a full sweep of the car every time I get out--is there anything that cannot safely stay in the car? I have read too many horror stories of missed daycare dropoffs, and also as a child left a whole pack of chocolate in the backseat when bringing my stuff inside. (Which later my mom quite rightly made me clean off the cloth seats. It is not an experience I am keen to repeat.)

For all of the northerners that stood up for Texas during our freeze and said, "Don't make fun of them, they've never dealt with this before. Their infrastructure isn't made for snow and freezing."

This one is for you.

Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.

Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.

First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.

If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.

If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.

Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).

If you have pets, those portable AC units aren't safe. If your pets destroy the outtake thing, it'll leak CO2. Window units are safer.

Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.

Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.

If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.

Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.

I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.

Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house

If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.

If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.

Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat

-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.

-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.

-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.

Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.

Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.

Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.

Frozen fruit is delicious in water.

Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.

Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!

Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."

Image Description provided by @loveize

[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]

Be safe.

-fae

[rynamowrites]

Little Bird

Little Bird

Octopath Traveler I - Rated M - Gen - Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions of Violence

AU- Canon divergence, AU- yusufa lives, trauma, recovery, past sexual abuse, human trafficking, prostitution, underage prostitution, csa, found family, recovery

At the shrine of Sealctige, Yusufa wakes. Leaving Sunshade behind, she and Primrose find their way to the Riverlands, where a chance encounter with an apothecary alters their course once again. Feeling safety and freedom for the first time in her life, Yusufa can finally heal, and with the help of the village, find out who she really is. They call Sealctige the Lady of Grace, but grace is only part of what she is, as the patron goddess of dance. Sealctige is also light, and warmth, and joy.

[fadingdetectivedreamland]

Medicaid as well as Dental Care: What Patients in Bloomfield, NJ Required to Know

Introduction

Navigating the globe of oral treatment can be complicated, specifically for people counting on Medicaid in Bloomfield, NJ. Along with a jumble of companies covered under this federal government course, knowing your alternatives is important for keeping excellent dental health. This post examines the intricacies of Medicaid as well as dental care, assisting you by means of what you need to referred to as a patient in Bloomfield.

Medicaid as well as Dental Care: What Patients in Bloomfield, NJ Need to Know

In Bloomfield, NJ, Medicaid plays an important duty in supplying oral like qualified homeowners. However what exactly does this require? Medicaid is a state and also federally funded program designed to assist low-income people as well as loved ones along with several medical care necessities. Dental treatment drops under this sunshade however differs coming from region to region.

What Companies Performs Medicaid Cover?

When it concerns dental treatment under Medicaid in New Shirt, numerous services are generally covered:

Preventive Services: This includes regular exams, cleansings, and also X-rays. Basic Restorative Services: Fillings for tooth cavities and essential removals are normally included. Pediatric Dentistry: Little ones commonly get expanded protection under Medicaid, including sealers and also fluoride treatments. Emergency Services: If urgent dental problems occur that need quick interest, like intense ache or infection. Oral Surgery: Some operations might be covered depending upon the medical necessity.

However, it is very important to verify specific solutions along with your local dental professional or even http://marcoxpps071.trexgame.net/loved-ones-dental-treatment-in-bloomfield-why-choosing-the-right-dental-professional-matters-for-your-enjoyed-ones oral clinic joining the program.

Who Is actually Eligible for Medicaid Oral Services?

Eligibility for Medicaid might differ based on several factors including revenue amount, family members dimension, and grow older. Generally:

Low-Income Families: Loved ones that comply with federal poverty standards are very likely eligible. Children: All children under 19 years of age have accessibility to necessary health advantages consisting of oral care. Pregnant Women: Expectant moms might qualify for extra coverage in the course of their pregnancy.

To figure out if you get approved for these companies in Bloomfield, call your regional Medicaid workplace or even visit the New Jacket Branch of Medical Support and also Health And Wellness Providers (DMAHS) website.

How to Gain access to Dental Treatment Via Medicaid

Accessing dental care by means of Medicaid demands a handful of actions:

Find a Participating Dentist: Certainly not all dental professionals take Medicaid; consequently finding one who performs is actually crucial. Schedule an Appointment: Once you have actually pinpointed a local area dental expert who takes part in the plan-- such as those specified by the New Jersey Department of Human Services-- phone call to schedule an appointment. Bring Documentation: Consistently carry necessary information like your Med