#joey carbone

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Project A-Ko | Joey Carbone & Richie Zito | Morning Light (Type C)

[frogshunnedshadows]

Holy shit, fellow oldtaku, I just stumbled across this and I had no idea it existed – 1986 behind the scenes video & photos from the vocal recording sessions for Project A-ko!

[dimespin]

What are BoneLatch and CarbonTheory's other sisters like? There's at least three of them, right?

There are exactly three other sisters - their mother had a run of daughters so this is it. Carbon labeled them in her phone by birth order

The eldest, Wash, stuck around to help care for Angle and Ghost, got burnt out on responsibility, and bounced. Lives with her partner and is kind of a no good bum. Tends to now only call family for favors and to ask for money.

Second eldest daughter Angle is their generation's mother, she's the type of person who's a little obsessed with her kids and being a mother, which her elders encourage and favor her for. Since Wash took off she's in the line of succession for leadership instead - she's third in line it's not that exciting but she is being actively trained and involved in how the house runs and lords this over her sisters.

Sister#3 as Carbon labeled her, the obligatory skinny kid from a fat family, Ghost. More quiet and reserved but not actually timid. Very loyal to her family to the degree that she's often kind of a house leadership lackey. She played surrogate and carried Carbon in her pouch since her mother said she was done with babies and Angle had her own joey to worry about.

BoneLatch! A lot of people know her already she researches the use of magic in the context of making materials that can then have secondary effects. Think potions. Warm upbeat personality. She was supposed to be their mothers last kid. Carbon was born after she'd moved out.

And Finally Carbon, the "oops I thought my fertility was winding down" baby

[demonicseries]

only watching Agatha All Along for the possible lesbianism because the rest of it feels like such a carbon copy of Escape the Night by Joey Graceffa that he should honestly sue

[chococrepes-art]

Xefros loves his soda! Joey, however, is skeptical.

Here is a Hiveswap fanart of Joey and Xefros having some carbonated soda together. Also here's the full picture as well:

[upsettingandunfortunateclasshate]

Joey Santore is a great. Amateur punk rock naturist who knows his stuff, yes mate. In Britain all this lot are posh. Toffs and their attitudes still dominate our view of the countryside; their climate denial & scepticism. You get the odd bit on rewilding and there's that Good Toff that's rewilding his estate out of fake guilt (still won't give the land up though).

But they'd still rather prioritise land for bloodsports, developers or to sit idly to bring in subsidies - rather than trap carbon or restore ecosystems etc.

I think America is more advanced with this climate stuff. In the UK it's still business as usual despite the fact working class people are becoming more & more concerned. But our voices aren't heard at all in the media, in the arts, on TV - anywhere really cos we've been detached from these things by the middle & upper. It's left to a minority of concerned middle class folk to provide some opposition to the toff view as is the case with most things like poverty.

And the powers that be are stronger in the UK IMO, as are their attitudes, so people have become disaffected and detached (deliberately) and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

If we'd have got the toffs off the land hundreds of years ago, broke the enclosures act, the working class as a class would be in a much better state to fight climate change.

[queercode-my-minecraft]

“Xornoth wanted it to show that they did pay attention, Joey thinks they did that so every place he's ever loved will be tainted by their memory…” this is SO CRUEL

Like, fuck, oh my god, on one side there’s Xornoth that’s doing literally everything in their power to show that for them they’re still best friends

And Joey? Hahaha, Joey on the other hand is trying really hard not to full on start screaming and thrashing and putting a stop to it all- because after being so possessive for so long now they still have the gall to destroy and taint what would’ve been beautiful memories??

But, at the same time, I can’t stop thinking that if he had gone there alone or in the future he still wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as he’s enjoying with Xornoth rn (he’s lying and saying that it’s horrible, but the dedication is a lil bit appreciated)

Yes, they’re awful but they also work together? Like, if they want to have a good summer it’s going to be the! Best! Summer! Evah!

(Or so they want it to be, but like c’mon they have no idea what they’re doing)

Here’s the thing, I’ve been trying to quantify into words what I’m thinking about the trip, like the actual physical moving to one place to another

Like, travelling in a car generally sucks. But, what makes it enjoyable is the environment outside (at least for the passenger, rip drivers)

(Also, tell me why I don’t think Joey has a license?)

So, the question always returns: where are they going? What’s outside?

Because like in Europe you’re never really alone, there are either small towns (sometimes even abandoned) or farmland (and livestock), and in the US (at least in fanfics) there’s always this great expanse of nothingness

(Kind of reminiscent of the Q Continuum of that episode of Star Trek Next Gen)

But, at the same time: it doesn’t matter!

It doesn’t matter where they’re physically going because no matter what THEY’RE LOST and alone- even if they take a detour and go into one of the most beautiful and full of tourists cities, they would still be the two of them alone

But, like- in loneliness, in a desert, you realise you’re alone immediately, there’s nobody else and it’s disconcerting in how there is no life and the only thing that resembles it is the one person who you refuse to talk to

But in a crowd, when you’re travelling and sightseeing (or, at least, how I’m used to) you don’t realise you’re really alone until you’re staring at one another, with no clue what to do or say or even act, and just having to work together to be understood

I don’t know. The external trip doesn’t matter really, because, at the end, it’s all abt them having to confront themselves

Hope this wasn’t too long or messy!

OUGH.. It's really less about where they go, and more about Xornoth trying to enjoy their final summer together before they most likely leave each other's life because fuck, Joey is still his best friend.

So there is a list of places they go, sight seeing places, every single place Joey ever mentioned (Xornoth wanted it to show that they did pay attention, Joey thinks they did that so every place he's ever loved will be tainted by their memory), but it's more about running this summer down to the final minute.

This last summer has to be good so the memory sticks, even if they are awful for each other

[randomcinematicuniverse]

TIL that "My Two Dads" somehow has a Taiwanese version called "Two Fathers", made all the way back in 2013. Although, this show isn't a full adaptation of M2D nor has episodes carbon-copied from the original, but it's mainly inspired by M2D. It's not fully a sitcom, it's got a few drama elements as well.

Same premise: two guys dated the same woman, woman gets pregnant and then gives birth to a daughter but doesn't know which of the two guys is her baby's daddy, and so, she disappears without a trace & just leaves her daughter in the two guys' care. Difference though is that the two guys discover this RIGHT AFTER THE BABY WAS BORN. They met the baby and took her in as their daughter right from the start. And also, the mother isn't dead in this version, she just basically gave up the responsibility of raising the child to her exes in order to "follow her dreams". And sadly... there's no "Judge" involved in this version.

Of course, the dads are both straight in this show. Taiwanese ver. of Michael(?) is a lawyer (but with Joey's goofy personality), Taiwanese ver. of Joey(?) is a florist (and is the more responsible of the dad duo, basically a little like Michael), and their ver. of Nicole is named Wendy and the dads raised her since she was a baby & she's 7 years old in this modern-day version, not a teenager. The dads have female love interests throughout the show, and the daughter's mother eventually gets involved with the family again later in the series. But in a way, like Michael and Joey... the dads in this version are always, ALWAYS mistaken to be a gay couple. Like, OH, COME ON!!!

[gx-gameon]

Gx rewatch - school duel arc

Episode 20

The introduction of the school duel.

And the introduction of Blair. (Or Rebecca 2.0) And her crazy stalker tendencies

Syrus is already worried about being replaced.

Jaden being willing to keep Blair’s secret as long as she duels him. “A duel always reveals the truth”

Not the first time we hear Avians voice is him being in love for Blair’s card

Not Sparkman to!!

Zane roasting Syrus for having a crush on Dark Magician Girl.

Jaden is very lucky Burstinetrix is either A) loyal to Jaden only. On B) that she’s not a lesbian. Also he calling the boys pathetic is a mood.

Jaden not making her tell him her secret because “I learned everything g I need through your duel.”

Oh thank you Alexis and Zane for letting the kid down easy.

Not her leaving with a crush on Jaden.

I know in the dub she’s 8 but in the sub she’s 11 and that feels a lot better considering she comes back in season 2 (12) as a student in year 3 (13)

Episode 21

It’s announced that North academy is using a 1st year and Zane nominates Jaden to be their competitor. Everyone agrees but Crowler (of course) who wants Bastian. (Not like their are several other obelisk students who could do it)

Love the friendly rivalry between Jaden and Bastian.

Not the reporter dressing up as a Slifer and getting disrespected. Jaden calling him old right off the bat. (Au Jaden knows this is a spy/reporter as soon as he sees him and keeps him close so he can’t mess with Oto-San’s school)

Oh no he’s got beef with Skyscraper.

Jerad is such a mess.

I love Chumley saying that he got good at dueling because he started hanging out with Jaden and Syrus.

Jerad asking about missing kids and Jaden almost giving everything away before he catches himself.

Jerad you are a full grown man don’t sneak up on Alexis (14) at the abandoned dorm in the middle of the night with no one around. I don’t like this at all. Like I know he’s just looking for his story but this situation makes me very uncomfortable.

Zane Simms it up best. “Instincts vs Intelligent”

“We teach the Slifers well when they don’t skip class”

Again why couldn’t we have more chemistry dinosaurs from Bastian’s deck? Maybe it’s because I love chemistry and have a special interest in dinosaurs but I want this.

Bastian dealing Jaden’s fusion card is such a good move. What a way to shut down Jaden’s deck.

Episode 22

Not the reporter hacking in to find the missing students

Zane being impressed by Bastian and repeating Syrus previous statement “fusions are how Jaden wins all his duels” the brother really are more a like then they think

Jaden excited for the new challenge of finding a new way to win. Love the positive attitude buddy

The reporter having second thoughts about ruining duel academy because Jaden got into his head

“You make your moves at home I make mine in the field” Jaden I love the confidence.

I forgot about his carbon and diamond card. Yugioh give me more chemistry cards!!!

Jaden getting out blade and using skyscraper to help out. I love the strategy! (Also him giving the reporter war flashbacks

I forgot how fun this duel is. It’s a good back and forth I love how Jaden is still having fun.

Not Jaden winning with a hyper specific equipment spell. Only in the anime would you get the hyper specific equipment card with the particular monster.

I love Bastian’s respect as a duelist.

Not the reporter falling in love with dueling again. And giving Alexis the info about the missing students.

Jaden is representing the school.

I know au Jaden had told his dads about the match before hand. The probably steamed it and watched with the whole family/friend group. Joey and Tristian were cheering. Serenity Téa Mokuba and Mai are cheering but not as obnoxiously as the prior two. Seto, Yugi Atem, Duke and Bakura are all discussing strategy and how well both Jaden and Bastian are doing.

They are all thrilled about Jaden completing big the school duel. (Maybe Kaiba will have to schedule a trip to watch the school duel in person this year. It’s his school after all)

Maybe in the au Jaden tell his Zoro-san about the reporter and Kaiba picks him up. He’s original going to pay the guy off to stay quiet but because of his passion to find the missing students he lands a job with Kaiba Corp. (I’ll have to see if the reporter pops back up, I don’t remember)

Episode 23

I love everyone offering their favorite cards to Jaden to use in the school duel. Very classic yugioh. But could we not phrase it as “you have to win or you’ll embarrass the school.” And phrase it as “we’re here to support you, you’ve got this.” Like Jaden’s obviously feeling the pressure already. Don’t compound it.

It’s an obvious difference between DM and Gx in DM in a scene like that they would offer Yugi the cards and build up his confidence and reassure him, they believe in him. But in Gx they remind him of the pressure and how he can’t fail. It makes them offering their cards feel more like they want credit for helping him win and not because they genuinely want to support him.

Although “I want to help you be alone.”-Bastian and “you can’t be alone all by yourself.”-Alexis are iconic

Belowski! He can see duel spirits and speak Kuriboh which is great.

I love that he starts talking about how the colors are just the man’s way of keeping them down and Jaden is over it so fast. “Whatever let’s just throw down.” Aka please stop talking (about my too-san’s color system)

Is Belowski using ‘shadow powers’? Since his Moki Moki cab makes people sleepy.

I love how annoyed Jaden is with his friends fawning over Moki Moki and how great the other duelist is

“Who are you rooting for?” - Jaden “isn’t it obvious Moki Moki” - Bastian

Honestly that has to hurt. To have all of your friends root against you for seemingly no reason.

Love that Jaden realized that their weird behavior was caused by Belowski

I’m sorry but the kid was left at Duel Academy as a baby? This school is less than 10 years old how does that work? Is that the back story in the sub?

He is the first duelist who can summon real monsters in this series which is very cool. Not loving that he lives in a jail cell on campus

Au Jaden has so many questions for his Oto-san. Why is this kid kept in a cell for the same ability Atem and Yugi have?

Love that Jaden is the only student not affected by Moki Moki powers. I’m going to check it up to his own powers. Jaden is the supreme king and user of the Gentle Darkness. I think he has more power than Belowski. I also love that Belowski is surprised by this.

The explanation that Jaden loves to duel so much he just got ramped up he couldn’t sleep. No. Dark powers.

Episode 24

It’s the Chazz episode!!!

He is stranded in the ocean and he imagining Jaden with a pink and floral background? And a rainbow background? Incredible

Him falling into the ocean and blaming figment Jaden

It’s the intro of Ojama Yellow!!!

Not Chazz getting rescued. The ‘rescuer’ dumps his cards in the water the ruin them and then starts asking about Jaden. How does he know about Jaden? Chazz talks about him in his sleep.

I’m living for figment Jaden.

“Talk is cheap.” “Ya well I’m rich!” You go Chazz live up to Kaiba’s crazy rich boy talk

Dude just tried to drown him, shot him out of a submarine into a frozen wasteland. Are you trying to kill this boy?

The answer is yes as they send him in a quest through the tundra to get 40 cards

Not Chazz trying to buy the cards.

Like is the the best way to teach Chazz that money isn’t everything? No they are trying to kill him. But it is effective. He’s going to learn to cherish his cards.

Chazz found 41 so that he could give the old guy the extra. He’s a sweet heart. Though he did try to get ride of Ojama Yellow. Love this duel spirit.

“I have two brothers who are lost!” Love the set up also the reflection of Chazz’s own family. He is one of three brothers as well, but his brothers don’t treat him well. The ojamas really are the brotherhood Chazz could have had.

Oh no he only had forty! What a sweet boy. Figment Jaden “when you do nice things nice things happen to you.” And Chazz getting his last card from the ground.

50 man duel gauntlet! Chazz isn’t even fazed. Oh that’s all?

Also him winning against 50 duelist with a deck he cobbled together with cards he found in the tundra is mad impressive. Not to mention taking on the top 5-2 duelist at the same time to prove a point.

Chazz finally respects his cards!! And is talking to duel spirits!

Chazz as much as you say you don’t like Jaden you sure think about him a lot. He’s literally your inner voice.

Not the Chancellor saying he never liked his top student Czar

Is there only 50 kids at this school? Or is that just the freshman class? Or is it just the dueling gauntlet

Episode 25

Chazz it up! Chazz is up!

Love him getting not only his iconic black coat but also the ‘best deck’ from North Academy.

Love Jaden just summoning his monsters because “I have the best monsters!” Yes king I love how much he loves his deck.

Runs right in up to the two chancellors. “Where’s my opponent?!?” He’s so excited.

Chazz came with a squad “I transferred when I stoped getting the respect i deserved!” He’s read for a verbal smack down and is ready to be king

Jaden over here “I think the match is sold out.” “Oh are you the referee?” “Wait when did you switch school?” The whole grudge has flown over his head. He’s just happy to be dueling and to see Chazz again. They are here for two very different events

Au Jaden sees the helicopters fly in and thinks “my Dads are here? I hope uncle Joey doesn’t blow my cover.” The. He sees Chases brothers and is confused but sure we’ll roll with this.

Then they tell him they are live streaming the duel. And in cannon he’s excited but in the au he’s so stressed. He spent most of his childhood abounding being on camera. What if someone recognizes him and puts together he’s the Prince of Duels? Play it cool Jaden. Play it cool.

The Princeton brothers suck. Not them calling Chazz a slacker and putting all this stupid extra pressure on him. And throwing a deck at him he’s never played talking about how it’s expensive so it will win. Good sirs he already has a deck and strategy he’s been working on the whole way here and you want him to change it last minute? That’s not how you win.

Not Jaden think about how he should have brushed his hair. Or shower. Hah to be empty headed

Not Chazz having a panic attack and break down and Jaden just watching

Cannon Jaden might be starting to understand why Chazz is the way that he is but Au Jaden understand right away. He also feels pressure to succeed but his family never puts it on him. It’s all internal. Chazz is getting it externally and it’s crushing him. Too-San doesn’t talk about his childhood but from what Jaden’s leaves together from Uncle Mokuba Seto was in a sillier situation growing up

Crowler get your fake butt out of here. “I love both of these duelist.”

Chazz really does know how to work a crowd. And I’m glad the North academy kids respect him.

The armor dragons are here!!!

“I’m sorry Burst. My bad.” Not Jaden apologizing to burstinetrix I love this.

He also just got Yeeted and laughed it off. Your doing great Jaden

It took his brothers THIS long to realize Chazz isn’t using the cards they gave him.

Jaden being giddy at how great their duel is. Chazz repeating his brothers’s mantras is so sad. Can’t wait until til you learn to be silly

Chazz I love you but “you go bye bye” isnt as threatening as you think it is

Episode 26

Winged Kuriboh is here and so is Ojama Yellow!

Love Jaden immediately asking about Ojama Yellow.

Chazz you just yelled about a spirit and chasing it all over the stage in live tv. You’re not doing a great job hiding.

Jaden you shouldn’t be talking about people being weird for talking to themselves. But way to put it together that Chazz’s brothers suck.

He just wants to show Chazz that dueling is fun.

Chazz just trashed Jaden and mocked him on live tv and Jaden just laughs and talks about how much fun he’s having even though he’s losing and that Chazz should have fun to since he’s winning.

Not them cutting the feed when Chazz loses

Not Chazz’s brothers publicly disowning him. And roughing him up in front of both schools!

Way to go Jaden! Stand up to these guys.

And the whole crowd cheering for Chazz! I love this

Au Jaden is so over these two. He’s grown up around the best siblings of all time (the Kaiba brothers and the wheelers not to mention Yugi and Atem.) he knows how siblings should act. And while all the siblings he met at Duel academy so far are all crazy and different (I’m looking at you anti-Kaiba bros the Trusdales) these two are a new low.

He knows his Dads watched the duel. He’s sure he can reach out and explain somethings about the situation.

He still stands up to them and tells them off for Chazz.

But he also reaches out to Oto-san and questions how quickly they can buy their whole company. (The answer is very fast) He makes sure it won’t negatively affect Chazz before he unleashes his over protective Oto-san/#1 big brother Seto Kaiba on them.

I love Chazz deciding to stay and he was so polite talking to chancellor Sheppard.

“See you next year!” And we never see them again

Ahhh Chazz got dropped down to Slifer

I love how casually Jaden and Syrus mention the cockroaches and rats in the dorm.

“My new family is already difunctional” Chazz I love you.

Over all the school duel arc is pleasant. I’m glad we will know have silly Chazz and I have a tone of ideas for my future fics.

The DM cast were absolutely pumped for Jaden taking place in the school duel. They flew out to watch him duel. None of them were impressed with the Princeton brothers b it they were impressed by Jaden and Chazz.

Jaden sneaks away from his friends to go celebrate with his family after they get Chazz all set up in his room.

Chazz it up!

[fatehbaz]

Scientists use a refrain to sum up in the impact of earthworms [...]: “Good in your garden, bad in the forest.” It’s a quip that can sometimes come as a surprise to people used to thinking of earthworms as symptoms of healthy soil.

In Canada’s northern forests, there’s increasing evidence of a worm problem.

According to research from 2013, tiny soil invertebrates, like mites and springtails, decrease in abundance by more than 50 percent when earthworms are present. These minute creatures play an important role in the decomposition and nutrient-cycling of plants, and their decline can likely be attributed to the rapid way earthworms devour leaf litter. [...] And earthworms, it seems, are spreading everywhere. Research on their presence in northern US forests, where invasions are more advanced, suggests that they could have cascading effects including everything from more severe drought to greater human allergies. [...]

[N]early all native species of earthworms in Canada were wiped out over 12,000 years ago, during the last period of glaciation. Earthworms, we now know, have been present in southern Canada for only a few short centuries, the first having hitched a ride with colonizing Europeans [...].

---

Lumbricus terrestris -- the common earthworms people find in their gardens, which are often called dew worms or Canadian nightcrawlers in fishing circles -- are one of the worm species that were transported from Europe and have settled into their new home so successfully that they’ve emerged as a valuable commodity. According to Steckley’s later research on the subject, demand for these worms as fishing bait exploded as recreational fishing became popular in the wake of the Second World War. But earthworms defy attempts at commercial cultivation and have to be plucked from the wild.

In the 1980s, southwestern Ontario, with its rich soil, abundant volume of introduced nightcrawlers, and steady supply of immigrant labour, quickly eclipsed the other worm-producing regions of North America. By the time Steckley drove past the worm pickers,

Ontario had become the epicentre of global nightcrawler production, with an estimated 500 million to 700 million worms picked and shipped across North America every year.

---

Steckley, who is now a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto researching Ontario’s bait-worm industry, says that he was actually right about his initial impression: there were bags of money in that farmer’s field, at least in the figurative sense. Worm pickers usually make around $30 per 1,000 worms, and a picker in the right conditions can scoop up to 20,000 worms a night.

“Farmers who rent their land [for an entire year] can make more from worm pickers than any other crop that they feasibly plant,” says Steckley, who’s heard of rents of up to $1,500 an acre. The industry is worth around $230 million today, Steckley estimates.

Despite the spread, Steckley says there have been few efforts to regulate its downstream environmental effects -- in fact, most people he’s encountered have been unaware that earthworms are invasive. [...]

---

But, in the boreal forest, most of the carbon is stored in organic matter -- that thick layer of fallen leaves, roots, moss, and rotting wood that, under normal conditions, decomposes slowly. But deep-burrowing earthworms feed on this material [...]. Justine Lejoly, who is conducting doctoral work with the University of Alberta and the Canadian Forest Service, found that, in some invaded parts of the Canadian boreal, 96 percent of this layer has disappeared. “Most of the forest floor is gone, so that means a lot of carbon is gone,” she says. This finding, which Lejoly made alongside her supervisor Sylvie Quideau is striking because 28 percent of the boreal forest is found in Canada and as much as one-third of terrestrial carbon is stored in the boreal worldwide. [...]

---

Text by: Moira Donovan. “Revenge of the Earthworms.” The Walrus. With illustration by Joey Ng. 13 June 2022. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks added by me.]

[joeyvottofacts]

joey votto has committed to becoming carbon neutral by Thursday afternoon

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

Inside a cinder block office building perhaps best known for the Hindu temple and table tennis club next door, a startup company is testing what may be one of the hottest new developments in clean energy technology.

At the back of a small warehouse laboratory buzzing with fans and motors, an MIT spinoff company called Electrified Thermal Solutions is operating something its founders call the Joule Hive, a thermal battery the size of an elevator.  

The Hive is a large, insulated metal box loaded with dozens of white-hot ceramic bricks that convert electricity to heat at temperatures up to 1800 degrees Celsius—well beyond the melting point of steel—and with enough thermal mass to hold the heat for days.

As the price of renewable energy continues to plummet, one of the biggest challenges for the clean energy transition is finding a way to convert electricity to high temperature heat so societies don’t have to continue burning coal or natural gas to power heavy industries. Another thorny issue is finding a way to store energy—in this case heat—for when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow.

“If you are running an industrial plant where you’re making cement or steel or glass or ceramics or chemicals or even food or beverage products, you burn a lot of fossil fuels,” Daniel Stack, chief executive of Electrified Thermal Solutions, said. “Our mission is to decarbonize industry with electrified heat.”

The industrial sector accounts for nearly one-fourth of all direct greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., which drive climate change, according to the EPA. Thermal batteries powered by renewable energy could reduce roughly half of industry’s emissions, according to a 2023 report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a nonprofit, and its affiliated Renewable Thermal Collaborative. 

Additional emissions come from chemical reactions, such as carbon dioxide that is formed as an unwanted byproduct during cement production, and from methane that leaks or is intentionally vented from natural gas pipes and other equipment. 

The challenge to replacing fossil fuel combustion as the go to source for heat, is that there aren’t a lot of good options available to produce high temperature heat from electricity, Stack said. Electric heaters, like the wires that turn red hot in a toaster, work well at low temperatures but quickly burn out at higher temperatures. Other, less common materials like molybdenum and silicon carbide heaters can withstand higher temperatures, but are prohibitively expensive.

As a grad student at MIT, Stack wondered if firebricks, the bricks commonly used in residential fireplaces and industrial kilns, could be a less expensive, more durable solution. Bricks do not typically conduct electricity, but by slightly altering the recipe of the metal oxides used to make them, he and ETS co-founder Joey Kabel were able to create bricks that could essentially take the place of wires to conduct electricity and generate heat.

“There’s no exotic metals in here, there’s nothing that’ll burn out,” Stack said standing next to shelves lined with small samples, or “coupons,” of brick that he and his team have tested to find the ones with the best heating properties. 

[bluewavesofchange]

The guardians of the Pharaoh

The rise of a new darkness

I don't own Yugioh or it's characters

Warning for mature themes in this chapter

Chapter 12

 

Everything hurt, that’s all Lillian felt as she found her way to consciousness. She was tired and her whole body ached, especially her wrists and back. Her eyes slowly opened and she found herself lying on the softest bed she had laid on (well except Seto’s bed, nothing could ever feel as good as that). Her wrists were wrapped in bandages, an IV in her arm (probably some kind of pain meds) and she was surrounded with doctors and nurses, stitching up the wounds on her back.

 

One of the doctor noticed the girl was awake, he stops what his doing and signals one of the nurses to check on Lillian. A soft mumble leaves the raven heads lips, “Wh…where…where am…I?” she glanced up at the doctor as he went back to stitching, “Welcome back to the land of the living Ms. Muto.” he responds gently, wanting to keep her calm while they finish up, “You are on the Kaiba Corp zeppelin. Mr. Kaiba dropped you off before returning to the site of the Battle City finals.”

 

“Oh…wh…where…?”

 

“We’ll be arriving soon…” he says as he ties off the thread before cutting it, “…That should about do it. Do you feel any discomfort?” Lillian looked at them with a frown, the doctor nods at her response, “We’ve given you a mild pain killer but we will give you something a little stronger once you’ve gotten something to eat. For now let’s wrap you up.” the nurses help her to sit up, the poor girl biting her lip as a wave of pain floods through her.

 

Two of the nurses held Lillian up while the doctors wrapped up her back, a long bandage going around her torso. She tried to distract herself by looking around the room, her head a little more clear. The room was mostly bare give or take a few medical supplies and carbonates and a few other hospital beds that were bolted to the floor, most likely that it wouldn’t move around when the zeppelin was flying around.

 

Her shirt and bra had been removed and she would most likely need to be careful with what she wears to ensure that she doesn’t aggravate the wounds. It felt a little awkward sitting half naked while strangers were working on her but they were medical professionals so it wasn’t so bad.

 

Her mind wondered to her little brother and her friends. She remembered what had happened, Yugi and Joey being forced to duel, both of them being threatened to be drowned if neither of them won…she knew Seto was there too and poor little Mokuba, had they heard everything that had happened to her? Of course they did, that was Marik’s whole plan. She knew her brother would’ve easily given up to save her but she couldn’t let that happen…which brought a terrible feeling deep within her as she realized that she could’ve died in that warehouse…she doesn’t remember what happened after they brandied her, she just remembers hearing a voice tell her to let go and then everything went black only to be met with a set of beautiful eyes…

 

After that everything went dark again before waking up high above the city. This sounded like the plot of a bad sci-fi novel. This whole story sounded like a bad sci-fi story. How did it all end up like this? She never asked for all this strange Egyptian pharaoh nonsense or her freaky powers or some psycho trying to kill her brother. Why couldn’t everything just be normal?

 

One of nurses brought over a robe and helped Lillian to put it one before taking her to her designated room on the aircraft, laying her down on the bed, making sure she was on her side so that she wasn’t putting any pressure on her back. They made sure she was alright as they pulled a blanket over her while another brought her some water to drink. One of the flight attendants announced that they would be descending in the next few minutes. The nurses nodded as they left the room once the raven head was secured, leaving her along with her thoughts.

 

She stared out the window, her hand moving to the chest, realizing her necklace wasn’t there. She sighed softly as she closed her eyes, getting lost in her thoughts. It felt like she was in over her head. She had to be honest that she thought she could this on her own, that she could protect the people she cared about. But it felt like a massive failure, her brother ended up in a death trap along with his friend, not to mention herself, Téa and Mokuba were kidnapped too...she couldn’t even protect them.

 

She felt tears forming in her eyes as they run down her cheeks. She felt so along and like such a failure heck she couldn’t even muster her powers to protect herself. What use were they if they couldn’t help her or if she didn’t know how to use it. She closed her eyes as she let her tears stream down her face…her shadow taking a different shape behind her as it towered over her…

 

Everyone had arrived at the Kaiba Corp stadium, Seto and Mokuba as well as a few of members of their security team were waiting for them. Yami stayed beside Yugi the entire time, he didn’t want to leave his little light alone. He had to admit that he feared the danger that was lurking in the shadows, he had nearly lost Yugi just a few hours ago and it was one of the worst moments in his life. He felt like his soul was torn in half, that his bright ball of sunshine was gone when Yugi gave the puzzle to Joey. He lost his connection to the other and it was terrifying. There was a dark part in his soul that started to fester, a darkness that started to rear its ugly head and threatened to envelop him…but then there was this burst of energy that flowed into the puzzle and surrounded the spirit…it felt warm and comforting…it felt like home and somehow he knew it was from Yugi…but how this was even possible he didn’t know. He would need to talk to the boy later.

 

The next issue was Marik…why Seto hadn’t stopped this tournament was beyond him. So many people have gotten hurt and nearly lost their lives. Why didn’t the arrogant asshole just end it all? Well Yugi had asked him the same question when they arrived and Kaiba made a fair point…If they ended the tournament now then Marik and his rare hunters would disappear appear…if any cops showed up, the wielder of the Millennium rod would disappear and would attack them when they least expect them (and Marik could easily take control of anyone that tried to catch the criminals).

 

And there was another unsuspected problem…Bakura…

 

According to Joey and Téa, the white haired boy had been attacked and grandpa had taken him to the hospital and now he was here at the Battle City finals with a duel disk and 6 locator cards?! This didn’t see possible. And the teen that had saved Bakura and brought him to the British kids friends (Namu was it?) was also here at the finals. Yami didn’t understand any of it. There just seems to be too many coincidences…

 

Then Marik showed up, some tall imposing figure in a purple rob and a scar covering the side of his face and eye. Yami could see the glare on his friends faces for the man know what he had done to all of them. Even Seto seemed to be upset, his face may not show it but his eyes were ablaze with rage. He nearly took a step towards Marik but Mokuba stopped him, putting his hand on his brother’s arm to calm him down.

 

Marik walked off to the side, keeping his distance from everyone while the Yugi and his friends stayed together. The short teen eventually asked where his sister was once everything had settled down. The CEO simply pointed upwards, drawing every ones attention to the large zeppelin that was descending into the stadium.

 

Seto and Mokuba wait till everyone is on the aircraft before they get a board, not realizing the last contestant has also arrived.

 

While the other contestants and guests are watching the view as they took off, Seto takes Yugi to go see his sister, Mokuba tagging along as he wants to know if his friend was ok. They reached her room and the door slid open slowly, Lillian opened her eyes when she heard someone stepping into her room. A soft smile forms on her face as she tries to sit up, holding back a wince, “H…hey.” Mokuba pushes past the older boys and runs to her, climbing onto her bed, wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her tightly.

 

She wraps an arm around the smaller boy as she whispers softly, “I’m ok.” She looks up at Seto and her brother, “I’m ok…” she nudges her head, motioning them to come over.

 

Both teens were relieved and surprised to see that she was awake. After the state they had seen her in when they parted ways they didn’t thing she would be awake so soon. It was good to see that she was doing alright. Yugi sat beside Mokuba gibing Lillian a chance to pull her brother into a hug as well, holding both her boys close while her eyes gazed up to Seto. He sat on the chair beside the bed and reaches over, taking her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers as she gave him a soft squeeze, not needing to say anything to each other for the moment, their eyes doing all the talking as two sets of bright blue stared at each other.

 

Just a few hours ago he had held her unconscious broken body in his arms, her skin paler than normal…and now she seemed to be doing alright. She was awake and even talking, interacting with the boys around her…well Mokuba and Yugi were busy talking. The two friends were busy catching up Lillian on all she had missed since Seto fished her out of the sea. She listened quietly, a soft smile on her face as she enjoyed how energetic they seemed to be telling their tales…the main one from Yugi being the famous actor that showed up on their way to the finals to duel Mai and marry her. When beat him he tried to capture her but she managed to get free and Joey saved her. The main story from Mokuba was all the finalists who had showed up; Bakura who was supposed to be in the hospital, some stranger named Namu, a mysterious duellist who arrived last minute and of course Marik.

 

The room went quiet when his name was brought up…in all honesty no one wanted to talk about what happened that afternoon…

 

Lillian eventually spoke up, asking about some of the features on the zeppelin and who came up with the idea of hosting the finals thousands of feet in the air. Mokuba could only grin as he gave every detail he could think of, even making a jab at his brother, stating that the sky was the only place to hold his brothers ego. Seto gave the younger Kaiba a shove making him giggle as he fell off the bed. Yugi couldn’t help but laugh as well, Mokuba grabbing the tri-coloured teen and yanked him onto the floor as well, Yugi yelping as he landed on his butt. Lillian couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her lips as she watched her friend and brother laughing and goofing around, glad they could find some joy in this difficult time. She even caught the slight quick of grin on Seto’s face, knowing he was trying to hide it.

 

She turned her gaze back to the two younger boys (even though Yugi and Seto were close in age, just a few months difference), her eyes landing on the puzzle, wondering how Yami was doing if he was ok.

 

Eventually Yugi and Mokuba stood up and the younger Kaiba led him out to his room. Lillian had suggested that her brother should get some rest after the long day had had, giving him one last hug before he left…leaving Seto and Lillian alone…

 

They didn’t say anything for a while before he cleared his throat, “I’m guessing you want to get some rest before the finals.” He stood up but Lillian grabbed his arm to stop him. He turned to look at her, not expecting the look she had on her face, it looked like she was close to tears, ready to break at any moment. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms, lying back in the bed so that she could rest on his chest, running his fingers through her hair slowly while his other hand rested over her shoulders.

 

Feeling him so close to her again was something she desperately needed. She let her tears start falling again as he held her. Despite only having been out of each other for a week or so, it felt like she had forgotten his warmth, his strong arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe from the world, his long fingers playing with her hair or tracing the tattoos on her arms which seemed to always grab his attention after they had been intimate together…his eyes sating deeply into her very soul, his deep voice that made her heart race, the way their hearts beat as one when they came together…the nights they would spend just talking about their lives and their futures…that smile that he reserved for her…that gentle heart that he kept hidden from a cruel and horrible world…oh god how much she had missed him.

 

She turned her gaze upwards and reached up, caressing his cheek, her finger tips running over his skin. He laid his hand over hers, wrapping his fingers around hers and squeezing them tenderly as he felt his own tears threatening to form in his eyes, he finally had her back where she belonged…right her back in his arms where she fit so perfectly…finally he could say what he wanted to say since that fateful night…

 

“I’m so so sorry…” he tucked some of her hair behind her ear as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, “You know I’m not always good with words but—“ Lillian gently presses her fingers against his lips, stopping him from uttering another word and simply saying “…Yes…”

 

Seto looked at her confused for a moment as he slowly moved her hand away from his face, “What do you mean ‘yes’?” Lillian moved slowly so that she was straddling his lap, her hands on either side of his head as she leaned over him, her long flowing black hair handing over his face like a curtain as she stared into his eyes, “I mean…yes I will move in with you.”

 

This…came out of nowhere…”I don’t…understand…” he states as he tries to make sense of what was going, all Lillian did was smile softly at him, “Seto...I forgave you for what happened a long time ago…we both did things that night that we both regret but I know one thing that’s for certain…” she closed the distance between them, pressing her soft lifts against his in a long awaited kiss. It felt like every fibre of Seto’s body was set ablaze again as he wrapped his arms around her, his fingers gripping her rob as he wanted pull her in as close as his could, her body feeling warm against his own. She tilted her head ever so slightly, running the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip before whispering softly, “…I never want to be without you ever again…I love you and I will always love you Seto Kaiba…”

 

The fire inside his heart burst at those words as his hands cupped her cheeks and spoke softly in return as he looked into her sapphire eyes, “I love you too…with all my heart and all my soul…I never want to be apart from you again…I will do anything in my power to see that smile on your face…to see those sparkling eyes…to have your hand in mine till the end of our days…You are mine and my hearts, no one else’s…” he pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss as she rested her hands on his chest as she gripped his shirt, a soft moan leaving her lips as his tongue thrusted into her mouth, both of their appendages fighting for dominance.

 

Lillian’s hands slowly moved down his chest and down to his lower stomach, gripping the hem of his shirt and lift it up. He suddenly breaks the kiss to catch his breath, gently pushing her back as he looked at her with uncertainty, “Hold on…as much as I want to, you’re hurt and I don’t want to—“

 

“Please Seto…I need you…” she spoke in almost a needy tone but not in the way you would think. She wanted to feel him again, be one with him again, to just be them…but she also wanted to forget what happened that day…the pain, the horror she had experienced and nearly losing her brother had been too much and she just wanted to forget it all for tonight…she wanted to spend a moment of love and passion with her man…she just wanted him…

 

He was hesitant and quiet for a moment before he got out from under her and stood up. For a moment she thought he was going to leave but he removed the cuffs on his wrists and removed his long sleeve black shirt, setting it down on the chair before removing his boots and moves his hands to belt but Lillian stops him, resting her hands on his, “Let me…” she whispered softly as she pulled him back down for another kiss, her fingers making quick work of his KC belt buckle and slipping it off. She could feel the soft grunts and moans vibrating from his throat as she popped the button of his pants before slipping her fingers down his trousers, drawing a slight gasp from the tall teen when she grazed over his heated skin…

 

Lillian couldn’t help but grin ever so slightly, “Is that a Blue eyes in your pocket or—“

 

“You make that crappy joke and I’ll walk right out of here.” He growled as he gripped the girls rob, untying the drawstring and slipping the article of clothing of her coloured arms and her bandaged covered torso. Despite her injured state, she would still always be the most beautiful sight he would ever lay his eyes on. He leaned down and pressed a trail of kisses and nips along her jawline and down her throat, his teeth scrapping along her collar bone, drawing a symphony of moans from the raven haired girl, her skin feeling ablaze as lowered his pants till it slipped off his long legs, a smirk forming on Lillian’s face, “Commando as always?”

 

The brunet rolled his eyes as he removed the remainder of her clothes before pulling her close, his arms wrapped around her waist while she wraps her own around his neck, “Do you ever stop talking?” he says as a smirk forms on his face. Lillian leaned up and latched onto his skin, running her tongue over the joint between his shoulder and neck as she sucks a mark into his flesh, a groan leaving the CEO’s lips, “I take that as a yes.”

 

She chuckles softly before somehow managing to flip them around, pushing him onto his back again as she climbs on to his lap, running her fingers over the scars on his arms as he moves his hands slowly up her thighs, feeling her soft skin as he couldn’t take his eyes off her, “How did I ever managed to catch such a magnificent figure such as you?” his fingers brushing over her heat, sending a shuddered up her spine as she moaned out, looking down at into her beloveds eyes, her lips curving into one of her loving smiles, “I could ask you the same thing about you Mr. Kaiba. You have no idea the things you do to me…” she laid over him and gave him a long passionate kiss, pouring all her love and devotion into the man below her while his skilled elegant fingers worked her open till he was able to slip inside her, pulling a deep gasp from within the girl as she held onto him, finally able to be one with him again…

 

Meanwhile…

 

Mokuba had taken Yugi to his room and left the star haired boy to rest. Yugi tried to take a nap but he couldn’t find himself to sleep, there were too many things going on in his head…too many things had happened the last few hours…one of them was something he couldn’t explain…

 

The light…the burst of energy that had come out him when he had those weird visions…again he had to wonder if they were just that, visions or were they memories and if they were…what did they mean?

 

He decided to work on his deck with Yami to try and clear his head but even the spirit’s mind seemed to be all over the place. They were so many things that didn’t make sense…first there was Bakura and even the whole thing with Marik seemed odd…and Joey and Téa’s friend Namu who just so happened to survive being grabbed by rare hunters??

 

What the heck was going on?! And honestly how on earth did Lillian escape and end up at the platform? Joey had mentioned to Yugi that despite Seto’s help to get the unlock the boxes with the keys, they didn’t get it in time before being dragged down by the anchor…both friends would’ve drowned if it wasn’t for Lillian, somehow appearing in the nick of time and breaking their chains…but Wheeler had mentioned something strange that he had noticed…

 

He said that Lillian’s eyes weren’t their usual blue colour but instead golden…her skin was dark with red symbols on it, her hair had a few strands of red amongst her raven locks. Maybe he was just seeing something? After all they were deep underwater and they were in a panicked situation…so maybe he was hallucinating? That didn’t seem right. He needed to talk to Lillian.

 

He left his room and headed down the hallway towards Lillian’s room (which he noticed Seto’s room just so happened to be next to hers as well as Mokuba’s…of course). He had passed Joey’s room and heard his friends having a party in there; they deserved it after everything they had been through…

 

Yugi reached his sisters room and reached for the door handle when he heard what sounded like…moaning? Tilting his head he opened the door just a bit to peek inside…only for Yami to take over the last second before the poor teen could catch the sight of his naked sister on top of an equally nude Seto Kaiba…

 

The spirit quickly closing the door before the couple inside could notice, his face a dark shade of red. Yugi appeared beside Yami and frowned at the spirit, ~What was that for?~

 

~I…um…you…uh…~

 

Yugi raised a brow as he folded his arms just as Mokuba came out of his room and say Yami, a mischievous grin on the kids face, “You finally caught them huh?” Yami turned to the youngest Kaiba brother, still at a loss for words as Mokuba walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry man, it won’t be the last time.” He laughed as all the colour drained from the pharaoh’s face. Mokuba shook his head and hooked his arm around his arm and leads Yami to the dining hall where they would be serving dinner soon, Yugi following behind still very confused.

 

Back in Lillian’s room…

 

The couple collapsed onto the bed, both of them trying to catch their breath as Lillian was lying on top of her beloved’s chest, a few drops of sweat running down their faces and body as they slowly came down from the orgasmic high. Seto looked down at his girl, a soft smile on his face, moving his hand to card his fingers through her hair, drawing her attention to him. She returned the smile as she leaned up and pressed a small but sweet kiss to his lips before resting her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she took a moment to rest, the pain she had been feeling early was nothing more but a dull ache…

 

Seto grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the two of them, it was still a short while before dinner, they had time to just enjoy each other’s company, just basking in the afterglow of their love making…

 

He made a decision right then and there…he never wanted to be without her again…he never wanted the other half of his heart to leave him again…he wanted her in her life till the end of his days…he was going to ask her to marry him and become his wife…

[dimespin]

Ghost fostered Carbon in her own pouch! Curious-- is this common for saratoan families? Would fostering a joey stimulate the foster's body (if they have a pouch) to make milk?

It's not an all the time thing but it is considered fairly normal to them. It's often a high pressure snap decision since the fetus won't last long outside the pouch and they generally don't know they are pregnant before birth, so it's down to whoever happened to be present and was willing and able.

It can be the result of situations that the birth mother or family might be ashamed of (example: not being able to nurse because of substance use) so it's one of those things where, unless people preface with a more lighthearted reason (example: triplets) most with the social sense won't pry into the story and will awkwardly change the topic

Carbon's situation would be considered odd because her mother was physically able to carry her, just... didn't want to. And didn't want to terminate because she knew the elders would be happier if she gave them another child - which is why it fell on the family henchman (besides just happenstance of her being present at the time)

Fostering a newborn fetus stimulates milk production but specifically it triggers the normal course of carrying a joey, making it more like surrogate pregnancy. The milk for a newborn the size of a jelly bean is naturally different than what a toddler needs and their body struggles to start that process of adapting to the child from any point other than the beginning. So older fosters are always bottle fed.

Carbon was switched to formula as soon as it was physically possible to get her off Ghost, since Ghost didn't want her sister to get emotionally attached to her as a maternal figure

[straightfacedstrangeness]

Heads up to everyone who loves the Project A-Ko soundtrack that there’s at least one album out there by the same composers (Richie Zito & Joey Carbone) spotlighting the vocalist who sang “Dance Away,” Annie Livingstone. It’s long out of print and apparently a collector’s item, but some kind soul uploaded it to YouTube for your (MY) endless repeat pleasure. The opening track is even “DJ In My Life,” which they talked about at length on the Project A-ko bluray extras.

[geospark]

Mom says "get your hair out ya vision"

I'm sorry? Who's autonomy were you just dissin?

I missed the part where I'm a carbon copy.

And you think some policin is gonna stop me?

I didn't change just for you to shout.

All I wanted to do was see you proud.

But I guess all I can do is just pray.

Isn't that what you Christians do nowadays?

Freestyle rap I came up with when listening to Joey Valence & Brae, they have some funky hip hop.