#leading to accelerated wear and tear.

[emergencyplumbingil]

Why Sewer Ejector Pumps Can Fail Sooner.

After conducting a thorough investigation into the premature failure of sewer ejector pumps, several key factors have emerged that explain why these pumps might break down sooner than the manufacturer's warranty period:

Improper Installation.

One of the leading causes of early pump failure is improper installation. If the pump is not installed according to the manufacturer’s specifications—such as incorrect pipe sizing, inadequate venting, or poor alignment—this can cause strain on the motor and moving parts, leading to accelerated wear and tear.

Power Surges and Electrical Issues.

Power surges or fluctuations in the electrical supply can damage sensitive components within the pump, such as the motor or control panel. Even if the surge lasts only a second, it can burn out circuits or compromise the motor's efficiency. Without surge protectors or proper grounding, this can lead to premature failure.

Clogs from Improper Materials. Sewer ejector pumps are designed to handle waste and certain types of debris, but when improper materials—such as feminine hygiene products, wipes labeled as "flushable," or other non-degradable items—are flushed, they can clog or damage the pump. Over time, these clogs can cause the motor to overwork, leading to an early breakdown.

Lack of Regular Maintenance. Routine maintenance is often overlooked. Failing to check and service the pump periodically can result in small issues going unnoticed until they become larger, irreversible problems. Sediment buildup, worn-out seals, or deteriorating gaskets can all contribute to pump failure, especially in areas with hard water where mineral deposits may accumulate.

Overworking the Pump.

Many sewer ejector pumps are not designed to run continuously. If the pump is overworked due to improper sizing, such as being undersized for the household’s waste output or running too frequently, it can result in overheating and breakdown. Ensuring the pump is appropriate for the expected load is essential for longevity.

Environmental Factors.

Harsh environmental conditions such as excessive moisture, flooding, or extreme temperatures can affect the pump’s lifespan. Excessive moisture can cause corrosion of internal components, while extreme cold or heat can affect the motor and seals. Additionally, if the pump is exposed to corrosive chemicals or gases in the sewage, it can degrade faster than expected.

In most cases, premature failure of sewer ejector pumps can be traced to installation errors, misuse, or lack of maintenance. To ensure a pump reaches its full lifespan, it is critical to follow manufacturer guidelines, perform regular maintenance, and avoid flushing materials that can cause clogs. These preventative measures can help avoid costly repairs and ensure the pump functions efficiently for its intended lifespan.

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[umadosedepascal]

W I N N E R | Pedro Pascal X f!reader | PART VIII

Written by Santa Trindade

Banner by @missyorkswhore

Made in Brazil

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Summary: You couldn’t attend SAG awards but Pedro meets you late in the night to celebrate.

wc: 2.9k

rating/warnings: [a little drunk] [one spit][take a shower together][ride on thigh][Pedro begging in Spanish][little fluffy][Smut][unprotected PIV][oral sex m/f]

a/n: This was kind of a request. Enjoy whoever asked us for it! And sorry if there’s any mistakes on our English.Pedro was freaking HOT that night MY GOSH!Consider commenting and reblogging if you like it!

Its been a busy beginning of the year, Pedro has a lot of work going on and you as well.

You can barely see each other but when there's an opportunity to meet you just jump on it by him invinting you or just to be there at the same event.

When he won the People's Choice Award you just had to call him congratulating for the winning, and while you were talking he told you he was going to fly back to LA for SAG awards and really wanted to see you before come back to Canada.

That news made your day, and you had a good feeling that he was going for good.

Unfortunatelly you couldnt attend the award not even the after party for other reasons but you kept texting insanely each other during the event.

Pedro P: Hey honey, I'm already here. drinking some Casamigos with awesome people, wish you were here...

You: It's ok babe, have fun tonite! I bet you going to win and we can celebrate later..

Pedro P: Not sure, my dear. Kieran is taking them all 🥲 can't wait to see you later tonite.

You are laying on your couch with pajamas watching the award and his category comes up with an surprisingly announcement. Pedro wins, you start screaming on your apartment like your team scored on final championship.

DAMN, you are so proud of him and turn up the volume just to hear his speech loud and clear. Well, wasn't one of the best ones but you swirl your glass of wine bitting your bottom lip while he is saying he is a bit drunk and tear up with him as he mention how important this is for himself.

You realize is time to get ready to meet him, you let the TV on while going to take a shower and hear he's back live with Tan on backstage interview. It looked like more shenanigans than possible. The moment you hear him saying he would make out with Kieran and this is his revenge you automatically raise your phone for a sassiest nude pic and send him..

You: So, you want to make out with me or him? 🤣

You know he is buzzed and feeling the moment and know his not going to reply so soon but still piss and laughing at the same time.

After a couple hours you get a message

Pedro P: Mine or yours?

You: Inside me

Pedro P: This is what I wanted to. I will be there in 20.

You: Come to me Don Juan

Pedro P: haha 🤣

It's 1:30 am and you debating with your sleep just to keep yourself awake and see that Chilean Don Juan appear in front of your door. To keep it up you still drinking and looking at the app because he always share his location with you. Not to bother, you just wait with patience and see its moving faster. Means that he is coming towards your place. Your heart starts to accelerate and definitely you cannot wait to see him holding that heavy award on his hands..

You live in a quiet neighbour in West Hollywood, nothing happens like the crazyness on the other side. You sit in front of your door wearing a comfy robe when his car approaches the street.

"MAMA I WON!" He screams while getting off the car

You are like "SSSSH Pedro! It's 2 in the morning..😂"

Pedro holds you leading you back to your house and closing the door behind him.

"I'm so proud of you, even you saying those things on live TV, you were so funny, light and emotional. Can you believe I cried when you got on that stage saying anything but everything?"

"Yeah I, I, I was drunk babe..haha"

He leaves his award carefully by the door on the floor and when he comes back up to you his hands are already on your thighs sliding up giving you shivers and taking off your robe for good. Pedro holds the back of your neck while licking on it tracing a pat to your right ear saying "I win twice tonite huh..”

He grabs your hand and make you feel his hardon throught his pants, you let out a soft moan and rub your hands harshly on him, your mouths meet each other in a sloppy wet kiss. You can feel the taste of tequila and his tongue is tender and he is gentle on you.

You keep on your toes and whisper in his ear "are you sure this is all for me? Isn't it for Kieran or the other thousand people you wee flirting P?"

Pedro looks at you, those brown eyes getting darker, he raises an eyebrow and moves away from you, your heart beating faster when you see that man going to the middle of your living room.

Pedro stops and looks at you,

"Do you really think my cock is hard like that because of anyone other than you and this tight pussy?"

Each word Pedro was saying, he was opening a button on his shirt, so slowly that you felt your legs soften with every inch of skin that was emerging in front of you.

"Eyes on my dear, tell me, do you know how hard I got when I saw that pic you’ve sent me? How did I have to disguise it by holding my award?"

The last button is undone and Pedro takes his clothes off quickly now just on his undies. He sits in the sofa, legs open, he pops out a cigarette, you face him petrified, the way Pedro takes your living room, how this room seems ten times smaller and warmer with him there.

Pedro lights up the cigarette and drags it slowly, his head falling on the back of the sofa.

"Come here mama" he pats his left thigh twice. The view of him with the cigarette hanging on his lips, shirtless, the slightly reddish skin, the curls on his forehead, and those eyes that look like a burning brown sea drives you crazy.

You sigh, approach and ride on his left thigh.

You take the cigarette out of his mouth, take a drag and land on the ashtray.

While making sudden movements on his thigh you hold his jaw squeezing his cheeks and say "so, it means we have a winner here..." putting two fingers in his mouth, he sucks them and say softly.. "go down, I want to see how wet you are for me" you obey with a peck on his lips.

Sliding down your left hand through his hot chest giving a quick pass through the bulge over his boxers. the feeling is very hot and pleasurable..moving the fabric away from your panties you dip one finger only and move back into his mouth.

He opens his mouth slowly giving permission for you to pass on his lips and that was enough for him to hold the edges of your panties and strip down making you get up quickly and get rid of it.

Sitting back again on his thigh and making more abrupt movements and wetting him completely, a feeling of drowning, a smell of sex and expensive perfume with the taste of tequila coming from that mouth.

Pedro guides your hand to his cock and asks with some difficulty to caress him the way he likes it.

You drag your nails through the contour of his cock, the wet fabric of pre cum shows how Pedro is looking forward to you. You stroke his thighs, going up and down slowly, feeling how his skin chills, how his stomach contracts when your fingers get close to his cock.

You take back the cigarette and drag looking at him, your head falling to the side, watching how he seems lost and anxious.

“You look so beautiful kneeling to me," Pedro says taking the cigarette off your fingers.

Biting your lip you hold the sides of his undies, Pedro raises his hips helping you, the fabric going down his legs, you throw it to the floor.

Pedro holds his throbbing cock with his right hand, uncut, thick and veiny with a swolen red head looking like a huge strawberry, he makes movements up and down.

"Déjame sentir esa boca mama. Please" he says with half close eyes and husky voice.

You approach and hold his cock over his hand, squeezing and feeling how he pulsates. You lick the wet tip of pre cum, looking into his eyes you slowly suck only the tip, Pedro takes his hand off the cock and holds the armchair stroking it, cursing softly while you lick and teases him with your tongue.

"You're so hot, I've been wishing to suck you all night" before Pedro can answer you put his cock in your mouth, feeling the tip hit your throat, you feel him pulsating on your tongue, the bittersweet taste of the pre cum invading your throat. Pedro runs his hand in your hair, moving in circles encouraging you to swallow more, you choke but don't take him out of your mouth.

"Shit! I love it when you do that. Don't stop!"

You look into his eyes, Pedro wiping the tear that accumulates in the corner of your eyes. You take him out of your mouth just to jack him off while sucking his balls, Pedro throws his head back and moans loudly, no caring if anyone will hear him.

"Gosh! You're going to kill me"

You go up with your tongue licking his length, until you reach the tip you swallow it again feeling Pedro grabbing your hair tightly, guiding how he wants to fuck your mouth.

"Por favor…”

You feel that Pedro is about to cum in your mouth, with a pop you let it go and ask looking up at him "will there be a second round, babe?"

With his eyes closed and his mouth half open he nods a yes and you grab him again passing his tongue with more intensity on the frenum. He lets out a dense moan slightly squeezing the sides of your temple and arches his hip releasing jets of hot cum in your mouth. Pedro's moans get louder as you swallow his hot juice by sliding your nails on his thighs making him having goosebumps.

You get up and sit again on him facing front, caressing his graysh beard and kissing his neck and corner of mouth. He mouths a lazy smile biting his lower lip and says "I want more, I don't want it to end like this today without me satisfying you..."

Pedro looks at you from the corner of his eye, pointing to your bedroom.

“..taste you Ma’am..."

Lifting you up on his lap, you interlace your legs on his hip and he goes towards your bed throwing you into it and opening your legs with his knees.

He starts kissing your knees looking up at you, going down to your thighs alternating between each one licking and giving light nibbles, sometimes some bites that will leave you marks making you complain with pleasure "stop, Pedro"

"Stop?"

"No, no, keep going.." giggling.

This time Pedro went straight to the pot licking the sides of your folders, holding your hips pulling you to him so you can reach his curly hair, already messy and sweaty.

He fucks you with his tongue, grunting while smearing himself from you, you feel your pussy pinching with his beard constantly scrubbing against your skin. he alternates between licking, and sucking on your clit leaving on the edge.

"Cum to me babe, you're so delicious... I missed you"

You feel your pussy contract, squeezing, your stomach on fire, a hot numbness taking over your body. Pedro moans against your pussy while sucking on it, begging you to cum for him.

"Cum in my mouth cum in my whole face, babe"

Pedro spits onto your pussy, a long line of saliva while his eyes do not detach from yours. He fucks you with his tongue, his pretty aquiline nose poking your sensitive clit.

"Pedro! Sn't it!" You shout his name, cumming on his tongue, his hands squeezing you, snakeing your body, leaving scratches.

"Every day more delicious" Pedro crawls on top of you, finding your lips he kisses you, you feel his hard cock again against your thigh.

Pedro moves away kneeling on the edge of the bed, you don't even have time to assimilate before you feel him pull you by the ankles, causing your legs to curl around his waist.

Pedro holds his cock hard cock with his right hand and rubs the tip against your swollen clit, you moan when he slide the tip in your pussy.

"So fucking tight..ah”

He takes off and stimulate you again, and so he does one, two, three times teasing you.

"Please papi, fuck me…"

Pedro growls looking at you, he holds his cock by the base and push into you. You two moaning together, that little pain mixed with pleasure taking over your body, Pedro seems like a sex God, a fallen angel looking at your pussy while

fucking you deep, his lips half-open, the side vein of his neck pulsating, drops of sweat accumulating on his forehead...

Pedro grabs your waist, sitting on the bed and rolling you on top of him. He holds your ass making you rub on it, the feeling of his cock so deep in your pussy.

You lean on him, sinking your mouth into his sweaty neck while he already without forces slaps you in the cheeks holding firmly making you move up and down. with a low grun he lifts you slightly and fucks you even harder. the sound of skin to skin and his moans mix while he pumps you in order to reach his climax but you give in first leaving his cock wetter and slippery, making it escape more than once from inside you but he quickly guides his hard cock again inside until he grabs you tight on your waist and cums hot inside you saying cursed things. You quickly shut him up kissing him roughly.

The kiss turns sloppy, and decreases as your lungs fight for air.

Pedro kisses your jaw, his tongue passing through your neck, leaving a bite on your right shoulder. He lies on the bed, still with his dick inside you, he smiles as if he were high. You watch him, his eyes closed, the satisfied smile on his lips, the curls of his hair now completely wet with sweat.

You bend over and kiss his collarbone, raising your tongue to his neck, feeling the salty of his skin. Unique.

"Are you trying a third round?" He says opening only one eye and looking at you. You laugh coming out of him, immediately missing the feeling of his cock inside you.

"Come, take a shower with me"

The bath is relaxing, the warm water falling on you, Pedro kisses you while you pass the soap through his body, it is sensual and calm.

You tell him to turn around, passing the soap behind his back, leaving a kiss on the back of his newly operated shoulder, he laughs and turns to you, kissing your lips calmly, taking advantage of every inch of your mouth. It's so relaxing that you feel your muscles give way every time he hugs you next to his body.

While you talk and get dry, Pedro tells you about how he doesn't remember anything of the speech, that he was so nervous and happy that he just said what came to his mind, and blames himself for not having thanked more people.

"You made a beautiful speech, Pedro, I’m serious"

He smiles and holds your hand.

"Can I ask for something? Can you wear my shirt? From the minute Julie gave it to me, I imagined how beautiful you would look wearing it. Hah”

You smile at his request, nodding your head giving a quick kiss on his lips, you send him to bed and run to the living room. You just see chaos, clothes thrown on the floor, ashtray, glass of drink and TV on. You find the shirt on the couch, you put it on not wearing anything underneath, leaving the same amount of buttons open that he left during that night.

The moment you head to the room, he brought the trophy to the bedside table and catches your attention, you take it, looking at his name engraved, smiling, happy for him.

"Papi I’m a winner!" You mimic him when he told you in the early evening, raising the heavy trophy.

You walk slowly to the side of the bed, leaving the trophy on the bedside table. Pedro climbs his right hand down the back of your thigh, gently squeezing your ass, looking at you while his left hand plays with one of the buttons on the shirt.

"Jesus, you look so sexy! Much better than I imagined. Come here" Pedro whispers looking at you.

You know exactly what that look means. The night will really have no end.

���——————————

Thanks for being here and read our delusional fics, likes are appreciate, comments even more. If you want to ask anything, blast it!

[s-awturn]

Karma Is A Bitch | MV1

summary: S/N and Max invented hate at first sight, they hate each other from the first moment they met and never tried to make things better. The hatred between the two is real and almost palpable to the point of becoming karma... In the dirtiest sense of the word.

cw: Conflict, verbal fighting, insults and name calling, suggestive, mild smut (very little), mention of accidents, and what else? Somewhat based on the discussion between Max and Esteban (no explanation needed). No real events will be taken into consideration here, so everything was taken from my head (duh)

a/n: I wrote this based on Max's headcanon in "Pilots and their romantic tropes", because it stuck in my head and I needed to develop it. It's my first time with Max (⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°) heheheh so he's gonna be a little OC, don't take it too seriously pls. I just saw that I reached 101 followers, I'm going to shout it out (I'll think of something to celebrate, suggestions?)

Melbourne, 2023

"You're doing great, kiddo," Hugh said into the headphones. "We're down to the last ten laps, keep doing that and we could have a double podium today."

"Cool," she said through gritted teeth, focused on keeping Lando where he was: on her tail. "How's the car? Can we fight Verstappen for first place?"

Y/N heard Hugh's heavy sigh, and if she knew Hugh, she knew the engineer was rubbing his beard, as he always did when he was nervous.

The season was still in its early stages, it was only the third race of the year and the rivalry between Max and Y/N had already reached a dangerous peak, they competed more with each other than with other drivers. Luckily for the team, both Max and Y/N managed to keep the competition alive both among themselves and with the other teams — even if the two always took their internal rivalry more seriously.

"The wear on the tires has not yet reached a precarious level, so you can compete, but you need to be careful, there may be rubber debris on the track," he advised, hearing her click her tongue in agreement, Hugh knew he was stirring the hunger of a beast, and for all intents and purposes, Max had the prey she wanted. "God help us," he muttered, closing the communication channel.

Y/N smiled at the free pass Hugh had given her, she shifted gears, hearing the engine roar loudly and she smiled, there was a DRS zone. She was a few seconds behind Max, three maybe four seconds and with the possibility of overtaking in front of her, Y/N did what her instincts told her: she opened the rear wing and put her foot down on the accelerator, breaking the distance between her and Max and consequently stealing first place from the Dutch driver. She not only passed Max, but managed to establish the four-second gap between them again, with herself in the lead. Her smile under her helmet was wide enough for her to feel pain in the cheeks.

The rest of the race was fast and intense, she and Max fought aggressively for first place, Y/N didn't let Max take advantage of any opening, she broke all chances of Max regaining first place. Not even with DRS active was Verstappen able to retake the lead.

As the two entered the last lap, Christian, Hugh and the entire Red Bull team began to think they would have an accident, because the two were, literally, playing cat and mouse.

"Keep it up, girl" Hugh suddenly appeared on the comms, making Y/N laugh "you're going to win your first F1 race, keep it up"

She laughed with victory, feeling as light as a balloon as her car passed the checkered flag in first place. Everyone in the garage heard her happy screams, when Y/N parked the car in the spot reserved for the winner, she could barely see because of her tears. The girl didn't even have time to take off her helmet before she was engulfed in the team's hug.

"You did it, girl!" Hugh lifted her into the air, celebrating the victory. It all went through her mind like a torpedo, but she remembers well when her country's anthem played, Y/N cried. She couldn't even explain how light she felt without the weight on her shoulders.Being the only woman among drivers in the top category of motorsport was heavier than she thought and winning was not a dream, it was an obligation.

She greeted the champagne shower as if it were a blessing, laughing as she doused the other riders. If it were possible, she would be exploding like fireworks.

Victory tasted sweet, and she got addicted.

After Melbourne, what was already tense got even worse. Y/N discovered what victory tasted like and Max wasn't about to let her taste it again. But what he didn't know was that his teammate was just as stubborn as he was and was willing to commit atrocities if it guaranteed her a podium finish — just like Max himself.

The races became increasingly fierce, the other teams instructed their drivers to stay away from the fight between Max and Y/N. The possibility of the two RBR drivers putting a third person in an accident was immense, and no one wanted to risk it.

"You" Christian pointed at S/N, watching the girl play with the zipper of her jumpsuit, as if she wasn't being reprimanded "don't tease, I know how much of a brat you can be when you want and you" he turned to Max "calm your nerves, you'll end up causing an accident, and no one here needs any more punishment"

The team leader scratched the back of his neck, all his efforts to convert the hatred between the two into anything but... Harmful, but nothing worked. Frustrated because neither of them seemed willing to give in, so if neither of them would make the first move, Christian would.

"You two are going to stay here until you sort it out, I don't care how, if you want to be treated like children, I will treat you like children" he scolded, putting his hands on his hips "You have plenty of time to sort things out and when you leave here, I expect you to respect each other, at the very least!"

Christian left the room, locking them in there, Y/N snorted, aware that Horner wasn't joking and the sound of the doorknob locking made that obvious. From her corner of the couch, she glanced sideways at Max, making a disgusted face, which he scoffed at.

"If we're here it's your fault" he said, pointing his finger in her direction, S/N frowned in confusion and stood up.

"My fault?! You're the idiot who thinks everyone has to give you back the position! Do you know how to lose a race without crying in the team's lap?!" She yelled back, stopping just a few steps away from him. Both of them radiated pure rage.

"I wouldn't need to ask for the positions back if you weren't a treacherous snake!"

"And you're a crybaby!" She said angrily and soon a wicked smile appeared on her face "You hate knowing that there's someone really competing with you, threatening your title"

Max scoffed, stepping away from her as he adjusted his hat. "As if you were enough competition to threaten me with, cutie."

“You wouldn’t be so mad if I wasn’t,” she retorted, balancing on his ankles, being petulant enough to prick Max’s short temper. “It’s okay to admit you’re afraid of me, Verstappen.”

“As if I would fear someone who still smells of milk”

Y/N laughed, leaning closer to him. “Should I be worried about your nose being so close to my neck?” He clicked his tongue again, increasing the level of mockery, making Max even more irritated.

“I would never get close to you, under any circumstances,” he replied, with nothing less than raw disgust in his voice and Y/N would never be able to explain why that was such a hard blow to her ego.

“As if you had any chance,” she said, composing herself with dignity.

“Anyway, fuck you, stay out of my way, girl,” he warned, pointing his index finger at her, “or I’ll throw you in the gravel.”

“Do that and I’ll be your worst nightmare, kid.”

The two went to opposite corners of the room, leaving the entire place filled with animosity. They remained in the office for almost two hours until the public relations manager took them out, scolding them because they were late for their interviews.

When Christian saw them leave the office, he couldn't tell if his attempts had yielded any results, but from the way they existed near each other, he was afraid. Whatever would come after this conversation, he had the entire team ready, whether it was for a fight or, maybe, the apocalypse.

Spielberg, 2023.

The Austrian GP was an important circuit for RBR and S/N was excited, she really wanted to win at the team's home ground, it would be an important victory and she wanted first place as much as she wanted oxygen, perhaps victory was more important.

Since Christian's intervention, instead of her and Max strengthening their rivalry, it seemed to increase, which was great for the fans, the races became more exciting and fun to watch, but for the team, the atmosphere was unbearable. The fear of an accident between the two happening was real and increasingly possible; and the race at Red Bull Ring gave an extra weight to the competitiveness of the RBR drivers,

"Keep your head cool, girl." Hugh ruffled her hair as Y/N sat in the cockpit, reading the information on the monitor. "Do your race, stay calm and everything will be fine, you have a good score in the drivers' championship, don't let your problems with Max get in the way of the race, It's important for the team"

"Relax Hugh, we'll win the race and increase the points gap with the second team"

"You're in second, so try to preserve your tires until the pitstop, our strategy will come into play after the first stop, understand?"

"Yep Hugh, I understand."

"In other words, no pointless fights with Max." He said, giving her a stern look, Y/N giggled and held up her crossed fingers. "Y/N..."

"I'll try, I promise"

The minutes until the start of the race were spent fine-tuning the details of the strategy, meditating and listening to encouragement from the family. And as always, the moments until she positioned herself on the grid passed as if she were on autopilot, without realizing where she was or what she was doing until her engines roared. It wasn't until the lights came on that Y/N blinked back to the real world and she smiled, gripping the sides of the steering wheel. She glanced quickly in the rearview mirror, seeing her purple helmet gleam in the faint light of the weak sun. The forecast was for rain for the second half of the circuit, which made her anxious, she loved racing in the rain just like one of her greatest examples in motorsport, Ayrton Senna.

When the lights went out, she let her instincts take over and her focus was on one thing, the highest place on the podium.

In the second half of the race, the rain fell like a torrent, nothing that S/N wasn't used to and with this new obstacle, she held on, trying to have a safe race, even though he was still competing for victory with his teammate. She stepped on the brakes several times, trying to avoid any collision and as they were entering the forty-fifth lap, exactly at the Schlossgold Curve, in a fierce dispute with Max, where she tried to overtake him when a collision with the two front wings made S/N spin on the track until she was pushed against the barrier. The shock was strong enough to make her hit her head against the steering wheel; S/N was disoriented for a few seconds and shook her head, but the act made her grunt in pain and hearing Hugh's desperate calls in the dot in her ear only made her more nervous. She didn't even know when she was pulled out of the cockpit or when she was taken to the circuit hospital, but she knew exactly the moment the rage exploded in her chest.

Max threw her off the track, in a dirty move, Max took her out of the race.

"I'm going to kill him," she said as the nurse bandaged her forehead. The poor nurse gave S/N's companion a frightened look, who signaled for her to ignore it. "He threw me off the track, mom, I hit the barrier!"

"Honey, don't worry about it, you're fine, luckily the accident wasn't more serious" she tried to calm her daughter down and asked the nurse to leave, which she did in a hurry.

The driver's time in the hospital was spent hurling abuse and homicidal thoughts at Max Verstappen. So it was no surprise when she arrived at the Red Bull garage screaming and swearing. She shook off Hugh's grip on her, marched straight to Max, and pressed her finger against his chest.

"You scream that I'm a treacherous snake, but you're the most dishonest son of a bitch that ever walked this fucking earth!" She yelled, seeing Max's eyes widen until he understood what was happening.

"What? Did you really think I was going to give you my position? Wake up girl."

"Are you an idiot? That was a clean maneuver, I didn't attack you to get thrown off the fucking track"

"You wouldn't have gone off the track if you were a good driver, or an honest one" Jos Verstappen interjected into the conversation, pulling Max away from it.

"Maybe it's time for you to rethink your career, this profession isn't for everyone, including cute and delicate little things like you" Max said, and that made something burn deep inside her before it completely faded away.

She licked her lips and pulled away, playing with the zipper of her jumpsuit, a habit she did whenever she was nervous, she took a deep breath and said "You know what? Fuck it, from today you died to me"

And with that, Y/N retreated to her room, feeling her whole body tremble, since she was four years old, she never questioned herself, She always knew that she would race in F1. This was always a certainty in her life and she had the unconditional support of her parents; thinking about anything else for her life never crossed her mind, Y/N knew she would be the first girl in the highest category of motorsport.

However, being discredited in that way, especially after an accident, shook her convictions.

And for the first time in many years, she cried in fear that she would not be able to do it anymore.

São Paulo, 2023

After Spielberg, things in the RBR pit changed drastically, Y/N didn't just avoid Max, she literally pretended he didn't exist, of course the Dutchman didn't take it seriously in the first few weeks, he thought Y/N was just making a fuss to get attention, but he realized things were serious when Hugh started relaying her decisions to him. Of course, the PR team did best to keep things away from the general public, It was necessary for the pilots to maintain good relations, even if just a little, for the good of the team.

She did what she promised and it was as if Max didn't even exist.

And shit, that really bothered Max, because Y/N looked past him, she never spoke to him again, she never stayed in the same place as him again, even the races had changed, Y/N hadn't lost the will to win, but something had really lost its essence.

It was Saturday, almost eleven o'clock at night when Max's discomfort about Y/N became unbearable.

He didn't know why, but it was boring, really bad not having someone to fight with, to make things more exciting. There was a piece missing and he knew where it was.

Y/N was the karma in his life, to torment him, to make his life hell, but fuck it, Y/N was still his karma and he would deal with her.

He put on his slippers and got the room key, he didn't need to ask, he knew which room she was staying in, Max crossed the hotel like a caged lion that had found freedom and it was with all that frantic energy that he almost broke down the door to her room.

Max hoped that this would get some reaction from his teammate, but Y/N opened the door and remained silent, looking at him standing in the hallway.

"You can't fucking ignore me forever!" He yelled, expecting her to retaliate, but Y/N just prepared to close the door, but Max stopped her. "Talk to me, damn it."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" She said, too calm, too soft, and Max didn't like it.

"Fight, scream, do anything, but don't ignore me"

She reached out, checking her cuticles, a clear sign of disinterest that increased Max's disgust, she couldn't act like that.

"I can't ignore what's dead to me," she said dryly, "was that all?"

Max swallowed the lump in his throat, her indifference made him uncomfortable in his own skin, it was impossible to deal with it calmly. He took a deep breath, letting the act clear his mind, he let all his arrogance and pride fall away and allowed himself to be vulnerable; Max admitted to himself that he missed her, Y/N was a constant in his life, chaotic, disturbing and restless, but a constant, he knew she would be there to stick his ass in the races, to take everything he had and without it, things would get monotonous.

But still, he wanted a reaction, he wanted the white-hot, overwhelming anger that was always in her.

"Yes! I want you to stop ignoring me, acting like I'm nothing in front of you."

"I don't care what you want, Verstappen," she said, crossing her arms. "I couldn't care less about your desires."

"You think that makes you better than me? You're always saying how arrogant I am and what do you think that swagger is? Niceness?"

Y/N gave an exhausted sigh and pulled Max into her room, because in a little while longer, he would be causing a ruckus in the hallway.

"Why is this important to you, Verstappen? Unfortunately for you and your father I didn't change careers, but to your delight, as your father once said...?" she paused, resting her index finger on her lips as she pretended to think, "Oh yes, a hindrance to your brilliant career."

"And you gave in? Did you accept it so easily?!" He exclaimed and she pressed her temples, already exhausted from that conversation, feeling her patience drain away very quickly.

"Do you have some personality problem? You have to! Why the hell are you so bothered by this, damn it?!" She finally screamed, stressed out by the whole thing.

"I don't like it! I hate that you're distant, damn it!" He took over, making her posture break, Y/N looked at him in surprise, what was Max talking about?"

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"I hate you, I hate the fact that you are hard-working and intelligent, that you work on your strategies, the way you drive, the way you laugh" he spoke quickly, not giving her a chance to respond "I hate how you fill every space with your presence, I hate how nice you are to Charles, how you idolize Hamilton, I hate you for flirting with Lando because..."

Y/N's eyes were wide as she watched Max's monologue in his suite.

In return, Max found his breath — and the courage to finish what he had started, because hell, Y/N was more challenging than any race he had faced.

"Because I get jealous, I hate that they have your attention, I hate that they have any part of you while I have nothing"

Y/N rested her hands on her hips, absorbing Max's confession, God knows she never expected to hear that, not even in that circumstance.

"Fuck, that's something," she said, wanting to break the silence, seeing Max twist his fingers in pure nervousness. But nothing more was said for long minutes until she looked him in the eyes, peering into whatever he was trying to keep hidden. "Have you ever thought about talking about this in therapy?"

Max gasped, this was fucking not what he was expecting.

"Well, damn, that caught me off guard, you know?" She said, sitting on the bed. "That doesn't justify your shitty behavior towards me this whole year."

"I know, but you were a bitch to me too."

"And I ignored you"

"And I hated that shit, keep being a bitch to me, it's better than being treated like nothing"

"You deserved every second, you still do"

Max sat next to her, both of them staring at the huge black and white photograph of the capital of São Paulo.

"I'm sorry, you're a great driver, I never meant to make you doubt your potential and the sport would be a lot more boring without you in my rear view mirror" he said sincerely "You make a difference in racing and I wouldn't forgive myself if I ruined that... None of what I said was true, it was a bit of spite"

"You need to work on being forgiven... And if your father talks to me like that again, I'll throw my helmet at him."

"Okay, fair enough."

"And you need to learn to declare yourself, that was completely unromantic"

"Was that all you paid attention to?"

"And you're judging me for that?"

"Obviously, because I opened my heart here, "go fuck yourself, damn it"

"Why don't you come do it, you coward"

Before the two could process what was happening, Max and S/N were kissing, rolling around on the mattress. Grunts and curses were uttered in a confused manner and before long, the clothes were scattered around the suite and before long, the girl was riding the Dutchman, moaning insults as he bit her breasts and neck, leaving fingerprints on her hips, her thighs and ass. He swore in Dutch — and it made Y/N clench around him.

Maybe it was the euphoria, or the repressed feelings that led them both to orgasm in a violent way.

"Fuck," they said together.

The sky above her was so blue and bright it hurt to look at and behind her, Max was on her tail, nudging for any chance to retake the lead of the pack, but Y/N increased the gap, from four seconds to six. She knew he was cursing and that it would be harder to close the gap between them.

The fans screamed, fired up by the competition for first place, suddenly that fight, the anger had arisen again, making things interesting again.

"One more quarter of a lap and you'll win the race, firecracker." Hugh said into the headset, making Y/N laugh in excitement. "Things are in place again, that is great"

"I know you missed me, I missed you too," she admitted, changing gears at once, making the engine roar. "I love my job."

The podium featured Red Bull Racing twice and the last time anyone saw such a bright smile on S/N's face was in Melbourne, months before.

"You should make it easier sometimes" he said as they both waited for her anthem to start, Y/N giggled.

"As if you liked that," he retorted ironically and Max shrugged, yeah, he didn't.

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO S-AWTURN™ 🪐. I do not allow copying or republication. Any unauthorized publication will be reported.

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[thecameronchronicles]

Territorial

TW: Smut. Language. Slightly Dom!Rafe. Slightly Dom!Reader. 

SUMMARY: You make it quite clear who Rafe belongs to…

WORD COUNT: 2200

REQUESTED

Anonymous asked:

Jealous!reader where Sarah has a bunch of friends over and they’re all drooling over Rafe so reader (his girlfriend) takes him upstairs and leaves marks all over him and moans extra loud and when they go back downstairs she’s all smiles and Sarah’s friends can’t stop blushing

Territorial

The second the comment was made, his eyes lifted to you as if to ask for permission to respond. Yet, he wouldn't have to flex a brow or raise the edge of his mouth as you were wearing enough of an expression for you both. If looks could kill, you would have been suspected of second degree murder with a motive of being a crime of passion.  Someone you once claimed to be a friend was a shameless and notorious flirt, harmless traces of her fingers to Rafe's arm seen as an instigation for war. To prove what was yours. To mark your territory. 

Rafe tensed as your arms ran down his shoulders from behind. His breath rose in relief to the scent of your perfume reaching him as he turned to kiss you, causing the lounge chair to sound beneath him. With your eyes shifting to the girl dull enough to think she could ever care for Rafe as you could, you led your lips to his cheek. At the same moment, his hands collected yours softly. 

"You look so lonely over here all by yourself..." You explained with a whine as he shifted over the fabric to the sound of that near whimper. The same one that made him understand he has offered himself as a job well done when you'd tremble beneath him. It was the reason his eyes came to a close, abandoning the pointless conversation ceased with your touch. 

"You look so good...makes me want to get on my knees for you right here.." He gripped your hand, a momentary smirk fading for the contentment of his arousal. 

"You know I love crying for you, Rafe...I love the reason why, too...Making you feel good makes me want to come..." 

His grip was now wrapped entirely around your wrist, knuckles white from keeping from acting on what you clearly intended to have develop. 

"I want you inside me Rafe...You can have me however you want...I just want you to make me scream-" His patience was shattered by your teasing as he tore you shamelessly through the crowd as the man on the mission he was. But before he could even manage a single step in ascension to the stairs leading to his room, you stopped him. 

"Sorry sweetheart...You don't get to change your mind after making it very clear to me that I didn't take care of you well enough last night." You squealed as he pulled you over his shoulder. A smack to your ass leading you to wear a grin of pride, leaving behind the dismay of a 'friend' whose title was now whittled down to the cinders and smoke of 'rival'. 

The door to his bedroom came closed by his heel forcing it to slam shut. Your body was led to the bed but infiltrated with a harsh grip to your hips. 

"If you want me to make you come screaming, you're gonna need to take your clothes off..." You sweetened the sultry heat of the moment with a hand firmly set at his chest. The acceleration of his heart would be felt as a jackhammer to your touch as you teased his lips. 

"I want you to tear it off of me-" In the attempt to do this, Rafe was left clasping for mid air as you sauntered to the bed. Legs crossed as your hands supported your position at the end of the bed. 

"But first...I want you to kiss me." He lowered his gaze, looking through his brows, before rushing to appease you. But once again, you stopped him. 

"Here..." You explained with a soft hand to his cheek, guiding his gaze to the legs now uncrossed for him. 

"You better be as wet as you said...I'm thirsty-" You giggled before feeling a single kiss to your lips hold enough power to knock you flat. But your desire to feel him lower kept you upright. Yet as he attempted to withdraw, you pulled him back. 

"Baby-"

"Just a little more...before you're stained with me." He pounced, weighing you down with himself before pressing your interlaced fingers into the mattress. 

"I want every inch to be stained...Starting with..." His fingers already began at your sex, thin panties set as an easily adjustable obstacle before he made contact. 

"And how long have you been ruining your panties for me?" 

"Long enough." He scoffed, his finger led to your opening, a cold ring contrasting his finger. 

"Oh, I still don't think that's enough, baby..." A second finger stretched you to more of a fulfilment you understood with his anatomy as your mouth pulled slack. 

"Not yet." 

"But it feels-" 

"Not. Yet." He ordered as you clenched around him to try to keep your release at bay. But this only sent him to spread his fingers from within, bringing them back to that sacred g-spot that left your knees to tremor. 

"You know the deal about wet panties..." He breathed over you, speaking behind a smirk. "I get to keep the ones you ruin..." He chuckled to himself. 

"Which is why my eager girl always needs new ones..." He teasingly berated. 

"Maybe you should stop wearing them altogether..."

"Everyone would see me dripping..." 

"You think they don't know? Like they can't see the scratches on my chest or the bruises on your ass when you wear my favorite bikini?" He scoffed. "And YOU were the one who wanted to scream...and we both know it doesn't take much for you-" 

"Ahhh....mmmm...Rafe...please..." 

"So I'm going to make this last. Can't have them thinking I'm done with you just yet...Not when I'm just getting started..." His fingers retreated as he stood at the edge of the bed. A single force carried you to the ledge as His fingers came to his pants. Your eyes stationed at the button left undone as he diverted the immediate exposure to that of his shirt, now shirtless before you. 

"You want to scream for me?" He asked bowing over you once more. Only now, taking hold of your hair and lifting you onto your elbows. 

"Show me what I have to look forward to then...But don't come-" 

"I can't, Rafe, I'm too close-"

"If you come, I'll leave your ass tied to this bed and go back to my party...maybe leave behind something that vibrates as you can't do anything but come over and over and over again...getting what you want ..making you happy..because I do that for my girl, don't I? Make you happy-"

"You make me come, Rafe, so please..."

"Not yet." You groaned as he lowered between your legs, but only until your eyes closed to his breath at your clothed sex. 

"You said you were hungry..." Your eyes narrowed for only a moment in confusion before you were taken to the edge of the bed by a force of your ankles. Fingers softly at your cheek would slip into your hair and into a grip before you involuntarily kissed his toned stomach. 

"Said you wanted to choke on me...Maybe it will give you a chance to cool off..." He smirked. 

"Make me just as wet as you are, baby." His eyes came to that infamous slow roll as you obliged. But not even a second pump to your throat and he was moaning your name in a curse. 

"You’re acting like I don't feed you, fuck!"

"You taste so good...." You moaned as he growled, your lips teasing only his head with a gentle kiss as he tore at your dress. Tearing the fabric low enough to reveal you to him, both breasts at attention from the lack of a bra, he took one to his grasp. 

"Jesus...no bra...you were already half ready..." 

"I'm always halfway there..."

"That right?" You nodded. 

"Then you don't get anything else. Can't have you coming without me-"

"Rafe-"

"Don't whine or I'll think you're already coming.  You save that for me..." You scowled. 

"You know I'm good for it. Stop looking at me like that and finish what you started..." He guided the back of his knuckles to your cheek in a teasing graze before you resumed. 

With each suction made around him, you wondered how long it would take for him to take possession of you once again. But just as you were motivated to bring him in the need to lose control, he was more steadfast to hold on to it. That being said, he still heaved over you with your name spoken between those quick and desperate breaths. The grip made within your hair was sporadic in an exertion of his strength until you wrapped your nails until his lower thigh. This allowed the stability needed to take him further. No pesky hand wrapped at his base to keep you from taking him fully. 

"Fuck!" He grunted, having lost the battle as he fucked himself into your throat. 

"Might have to come twice-" 

You smirked to his desperation before the smirk felt around him had reminded him of this game. For that, you were taken to your feet for only a moment. He set you to stand between his legs, forcing the rest of your dress to the floor, before tearing your panties down to follow. 

"Choking on me make you THAT wet?" You shook your head back and forth. 

"Thinking what you're gonna do after makes me..." He scoffed. 

"You won't have to think about it anymore. Come here." He pulled you over him into a straddle, setting a condom between his teeth before you took hold of the package. 

"I want to feel all of you, Rafe-" Being on the pill made him agreeable to act on the remaining risk. It had been quite some time since you'd felt him this way and yet you craved it. 

His bare cock slipped into you effortlessly with the help of gravity. Your body stiffening to the familiar stretch still foreign to your tight walls. Even if he was a frequent tourist between his favorite vacation destination between your thighs, you could never find it fully peaceful with those initial thrusts. All because of how endowed and skilled he had been. The scoff of pride validating that he knew this, as well, basking in that moment of pain before the rush of pleasure. 

"This is the part you can scream for me now...Let her hear how good I make it for you..." You blushed. "Yeah baby, I know...I know you want her to hear you...so let her..." He took a hold to the back of your neck. 

"No faking either. I want everything to be genuine. Believe me, I'll know the difference." Your eyes rolled as he guided you to and from his shaft, returning and rising you in perfectly synchronized motions. He filled you in the same way he neglected you, replacing that absence by then setting himself to bottom out within you. 

"So fucking tight...So good for me...Wanting to come so hard...but not yet, baby..." 

"RAFE! PLEASE!" 

"I know baby...not yet..."

"I’m gonna-" he clenched his teeth, turning you onto your back. You were only stationary for a moment before he pulled your calf to rest at his shoulder as he curved over you. 

"With me or not at all. You know how this goes."

"Then make me come, Rafe! Please!"

"Since you asked so loudly...." He winked, pounding into you. If the way your belting his name in pleading repetition did not inform her of your throughout plowing, then the battering of the headboard of the wall or his own cursed would vindicate your secure relationship. 

"That's it baby, let her hear you...let everyone hear how much you love me fucking you-"

"Fuck. Me.". You grunted, drunk on the high teasing its approach. His thrusts, too deep. His speed, too perfect. His voice, too titillating. 

"Rafe!" That whimper sounded as the trophy he fought to achieve. That final sound of pleasure that remained and an echo and accompaniment to his own release as he shook over you. 

"Maybe next time I'll make you get on your knees for me so she can see why I'll only ever look at you..."

"All you have to do is ask..." You kissed him sweetly. 

"Do you really worry about her?" He asked, dominance fading to concern as he helped set your zipper back in ascension. 

"No." 

"Must be nice." Your brows furrowed. 

"What?" 

"Every guy at that party was looking at you like you were a piece of fucking meat...Sorry baby..." He set a plan to your cheek. "I guess you weren't the only one trying to prove a point..."

"Which was?"

"You're mine. End of fucking story."

You nodded. "Let's make sure they got the message?" He nodded, leading you down the steps as Sarah was looking at you both with humored embarrassment. But her face was not the one you cared to note. That came in the sight of your friend. The very friend who had gotten the message loud and clear. A single kiss to Rafe's lips validating this to those he was insecure in front of, silencing his demons once again. 

Taglist: @hopebaker @iovdrew @penny4yourthoughts @magnificantmermaid @pickingviolets @lovedetlost @trikigirl271 @maybankslover @slut4starkey @slvtherinseeker @obxiskewl @bluesongbird @slut-era @ailee-celeste @camilynn @sweetestdesire @onmykneesforrafe @drews1love @phildunphyisadilf @mashdan0916 @belcalis9503

MASTERLIST

RAFE CAMERON MASTERLIST

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[lady0ctavia]

As We Ponder Belief

(2p!Prussia x Reader) - Chapter 3

Note: This story is based vaguely during the mid 1200s in Eastern Europe where the Teutonic Knights fought the Northern Crusades to try and convert the native pagan population to Christianity. As a result, this story will have heavy religious themes all throughout. It should also be noted that, while referencing real-life events and locations, I am not striving for full historical accuracy. This is for the sake of the story I am telling.

Once again, this series will have heavy religious themes throughout, including discussions of bible stories, doctrine, and scripture verses, as well as critical analysis of Christian doctrine and beliefs. So, if you don't like that, you will want to skip out on this.

(y/n) woke from her nightmare gasping, trembling where she lay, her heart rate accelerated. Sweat covered her face, causing her (h/c) hair to stick to her head and pillow. Her head was pounding, a headache forming as she processed the hellish dream she had just had.

It's been years since I had a nightmare so vivid, she thought to herself before glancing around the room. The walls were of brown, carved wood on the bottom half, with the upper half appearing to be a beige color. The ceiling was curved, leading towards a window just above her bed where she lay. The floor appeared to be made of wood, sanded and smoothed out to avoid splinters on bare feet. Off to the side, she could see a few wooden chairs. On one was a set of clean clothes, and on the other was a pair of crutches.

(The room looks vaguely similar to this).

This is not my room. What is this place? Where am I?

Questions sounded off in (y/n)'s head as she attempted to sit up. But when she did so, a sharp, agonizing pain shot through her side, causing her to yell out. What was that...? Oh no.

In a flash, she remembered the night before. The raid, the fire, getting stabbed, her father. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She didn't experience a mere dream or nightmare. No, this was all too real. Her village was gone, and as for her friends and family? Likely massacred, their bodies lying somewhere within the now most likely decimated village.

But before (y/n) had a chance to cry, let alone mourn, a door at the end of the room opened. In walked an older man with long, pale blonde hair and stubble on his chin. His brown eyes fell directly on (y/n) with a sense of warmth and concern. He was quite tall and broad-shouldered and was wearing a uniform (y/n) recognized as that of the Teutonic Order. (y/n) felt herself shrink into the bed, nervous about this unfamiliar stranger.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Miss," He apologized before closing the door behind him. "I heard you call out. I just wanted to check in."

"W-Where am I?" She asked, her voice quiet and frail, wincing in pain. I must look so pathetic.

"Miss, you are in Malbork Fortress. A center of command for the Knights of the Teutonic Order," He stated as he knelt down by her bedside. "And you may call me Nikolaus. I am the captain at this fortress."

"A fortress?" She repeated dumbly.

"Yes," said Nikolaus, before his expression went from kind to forlorn. "I am sorry to inform you, Miss...? Forgive me, I know not your name."

"(y/n). It's (y/n) (l/n)." She muttered.

"Miss (l/n), I am sorry to inform you that your village is gone. As well as the people within. I led my knights into battle to try and defend your home, but alas, we were too late. I am deeply sorry, Miss (l/n). As the captain of Malbork Fortress, it is I who have failed you. I take full responsibility."

(y/n) now allowed the tears to flow silently, casting her eyes downward at her hands which were now clutching at the blankets, as if trying to ground herself. "I know." She whispered, feeling her heart shatter. Nikolaus stayed there, allowing (y/n) to cry and let her emotions out. After she appeared to be done, he spoke up.

"The injuries you acquired were severe. Luckily, one of our knights is trained as a doctor, so he was able to treat you, but you are going to want to refrain from too much movement for the time being. You sustained a deep stab wound in the abdomen, not to mention a broken ankle," Nikolaus got up and stood beside her before heading towards the door. "The knight who treated your wounds will be by later. Until then, get some rest. You need it."

And with those words the captain left the room, closing the door behind him. (y/n) slowly laid back down, now staring at the ceiling above her. Everything and everyone I've ever known and loved is now gone. What do I do now?

The next hour or so was spent recalling nearly all of her past memories. Birthdays, family meals, religious studies with her father, and flower and berry picking with Adeline. So many memories clashed together in (y/n)'s mind. I still cannot believe it. None of this feels real, but the pain in my side and foot tells me otherwise. As she drifted into her memories, she was quickly brought back into reality when she heard a light knock at her door.

"H-Hello?" (y/n) answered.

"May we come in?" A familiar, raspy-sounding voice asked.

"Sure?" (y/n) responded, phrasing the word as more of a question than an answer.

With those words, two young men entered the room. Both of them looked so similar to one another that it was almost uncanny. They stood at about the same height, both with pale skin and snowy white hair. That's a little unusual, she thought to herself. They had eerily similar facial structures and appeared to be of the same body type. They looked nearly identical, save for a few key differences.

One of them had short hair and purple eyes that seemed to glow red when exposed to the light. The other man, however, had much longer hair lazily pulled back into a messy ponytail, yet some of his hair still hung lazily around his face. He also had a scar across his right cheek. But the most captivating detail was his eyes. The same icy blue gaze (y/n) had seen just a day before. However this time, his hood was down. While the man with purple-red eyes smiled at her, the other one stood there with the most deadpan expression she'd ever seen.

"How are you feeling?" The first man asked, his raspy voice being punctuated by a Germanic accent.

"Um, alright I suppose. Though I've been better," (y/n) admitted after pulling her eyes away from the man standing just behind him. "My name's (y/n) (l/n). Mind telling me yours?"

"My name is Gilbert Beilschmidt!" He announced proudly as if he had been dying to introduce himself. After which he gestured to the man behind him. "And this is my little brother, Gillen!"

"We are twins you idiot," Gillen droned, his stoic expression never changing. Gillen himself also had a Germanic accent, one that sounded just as familiar as Gilbert's.

"Yes, but out of the two of us, I came out first!" Gilbert boasted.

"Ten minutes is really not that long," Gillen stated. Gilbert only responded with an eye-roll before turning around to address (y/n).

"Anyway, Gillen here is the one who patched you up. We both wanted to see how our patient was doing."

"She's my patient, Gilbert. You didn't do squat." Gillen corrected his brother, his voice remaining quiet and calm. It was only then that (y/n) noticed that Gillen was holding something. A plate of food that seemed to be a chunk of pot roast, as well as a fork. Gillen stepped past his brother and toward (y/n) before setting the plate in her lap. "You should eat."

"Oh, thank you," She accepted the meal. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she smelled it.

Gillen stepped back as (y/n) slowly began to eat. As she did so, Gilbert began to go on and on about how "awesome" his younger brother is.

"You have no idea how awesome this man is, (y/n)! I can't begin to tell you how many times he's saved our skins. Both on the battlefield and in the infirmary! Ja, he really is the best. But of course, he got that from me!"

(y/n) looked at the brothers and raised a brow. "You taught Gillen how to treat wounds?"

"Well, no... But I'm the best, so that means that, by default, he's the best as well!" Gilbert laughed, his voice shrill and borderline madddening.

That makes almost no sense. But I'm really not in the mood to argue right now.

After finishing her meal, Gillen walked over and picked up the dish, his fingers just barely grazing over (y/n)'s. After taking the dish he stood up straight and gazed down at her. "There are crutches and clean clothes for you on the chairs over there. The bathroom is at the far end of the hall."

"Th-Thank you," (y/n) thanked him, giving a small smile. The first one she'd given all day. Gillen simply nodded in response before heading out. After he left, Gilbert followed just behind him, waving her goodbye and telling her to "sleep tight."

After they left, (y/n) almost didn't know how to process all that happened.

"They seem kind of odd," she muttered to herself before laying back down, doing so slowly to not cause herself any pain. As she closed her eyes to sleep, she could not quite erase the image of Gillen's blue gaze from her mind.

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

I have done three chapters in one day. Here's hoping they came out well! Let me know what you think!

Also, things really start to get interesting in the next chapter. 👀

[the-odd-ducks]

Hiboy S2/S2R Plus Electric Scooter Review

The Hiboy S2/S2R Plus Electric Scooter has quickly become a popular choice for urban commuters and casual riders alike, thanks to its blend of performance, convenience, and affordability. Below is a detailed review of the scooter's features, performance, and overall value.

Design and Build Quality

The Hiboy S2/S2R Plus boasts a sleek, minimalist design that is both stylish and functional. The frame is constructed from durable aluminum alloy, ensuring it can withstand daily wear and tear. The scooter has a clean, modern aesthetic, with a black matte finish that adds to its appeal.

One of the standout features is the foldable design, which makes the scooter incredibly portable. Whether you're hopping on public transport or storing it in a small apartment, the Hiboy S2/S2R Plus can easily fold down to a compact size. The locking mechanism is sturdy, providing confidence that the scooter will remain secure when folded.

Performance

Equipped with a 350W motor, the Hiboy S2/S2R Plus offers a top speed of 19 mph (30 km/h). This speed is sufficient for most urban environments, allowing riders to keep up with traffic or breeze past it during rush hour. The acceleration is smooth, and the motor provides ample power to tackle small inclines without straining.

The scooter features two riding modes: Normal and Sport. The Normal mode conserves battery life while still delivering respectable performance, making it ideal for leisurely rides or longer commutes. The Sport mode unlocks the full potential of the motor, offering a more thrilling ride for those who crave speed.

Battery Life and Range

The Hiboy S2R model features a detachable battery, a significant upgrade over the standard S2. This feature allows users to swap out the battery on the go, effectively doubling the range without the need for a lengthy charging session. The standard battery provides a range of up to 17 miles (27 km), depending on the terrain, rider weight, and speed mode.

Charging the battery takes around 4-6 hours, which is fairly standard for electric scooters in this class. The detachable battery can be charged separately from the scooter, offering added convenience for those with limited charging options.

Ride Comfort and Safety

Ride comfort is enhanced by the solid tires, which are puncture-proof and maintenance-free. While solid tires can sometimes lead to a rougher ride compared to air-filled ones, the Hiboy S2/S2R Plus compensates with front and rear dual shock absorbers. These absorbers effectively dampen vibrations and bumps, providing a smoother ride on uneven surfaces.

Safety is a top priority, and the Hiboy S2/S2R Plus doesn't disappoint. The scooter is equipped with a dual braking system: an electronic brake at the front and a disc brake at the rear. This combination ensures responsive stopping power, even in wet conditions. Additionally, the scooter features a bright LED headlight, taillight, and side reflectors to enhance visibility during night rides.

Technology and Features

The Hiboy S2/S2R Plus is packed with smart features that elevate the riding experience. The LCD display on the handlebar provides real-time information on speed, battery life, and riding mode. The scooter also connects to the Hiboy app via Bluetooth, allowing riders to track their rides, customize settings, and even lock the scooter for added security.

Another notable feature is the cruise control function, which allows riders to maintain a constant speed without holding down the throttle. This is particularly useful for longer rides, reducing hand fatigue and making the journey more enjoyable.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Solid Performance: The 350W motor offers a good balance of speed and power for urban commuting.

Detachable Battery: The S2R model's removable battery allows for extended range and easy charging.

Portable Design: The foldable frame makes it easy to carry and store.

Safety Features: Dual braking system, LED lights, and reflectors enhance safety.

Comfortable Ride: Dual shock absorbers and solid tires provide a smooth ride on various terrains.

Smart Features: The LCD display, app connectivity, and cruise control add convenience and customization.

Cons:

Limited Range: The 17-mile range may not be sufficient for longer commutes without a second battery.

Solid Tires: While puncture-proof, they can lead to a slightly rougher ride on very bumpy roads.

Charging Time: A full charge takes 4-6 hours, which might be inconvenient for frequent riders.

Conclusion

The Hiboy S2/S2R Plus Electric Scooter is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable, feature-rich scooter for urban commuting. Its combination of performance, portability, and smart features makes it a strong contender in the electric scooter market. While the range may be a limiting factor for some, the detachable battery in the S2R model offers a practical solution. Whether you're a daily commuter or a weekend rider, the Hiboy S2/S2R Plus delivers a smooth, safe, and enjoyable ride at a competitive price point.

[transsexual-dandelions]

hey!! im gonna humor you (but also im just really interested), how’s your capstone? it sounds compelling:>

i think its SO cool and interesting but I may be biased i've spent the last like,, six months on this researching and planning and im starting statistical analysis next week (planning to do a t test several times over, if I have to do ANOVA i'll cry. I could settle for pearson correlation coefficient theyre not terrible)

(can you tell im a STEM guy through and through)

short version: i'm studying how often a pair of jeans should be washed based on accumulation of bacteria over a period of time, the project itself was conducted through seven consecutive days, being worn for a minimum of three hours a day, however I do believe this information could transfer over to "wears" instead, so instead of three consecutive days you could wear them three times over maybe two weeks and get similar results (in theory, this is inference made based on my decent amount of research)

longer version:

the whole reason clothes need to be washed beyond removing stains is because of odor. how does that odor get there? bacteria, baby! there is a large amount of bacteria residing on your skin (which is wonderful for your immune system, first line of defense!). The amount, types, and variety/biodiversity of bacteria is determined by many factors, including but not limited to pH, temperature, and moisture. how do these bacteria survive on your skin? sweat! sweat is inherently neutral and has no odor, it gains an odor as a byproduct of bacteria metabolizing it.

this odor is transferred over to clothes through the sweat, it wics into the textile and attaches to the fibers, bringing the bacteria along with it, they will just exist together for the most part, creating a malodor but nothing intense for now, the real fun part happens when the sweat dries. as the sweat dries, the solutes and compounds that the bacteria metabolize are severely concentrated, so the bacteria can access more of it quicker, giving it much more energy than it previously had access to, allowing irreversible adhesion to take place, which when built up can cause a lingering malodor, discoloration, loss of textile strength (thinning) not related to natural wear and tear,

the material a textile is made of will impact how sweat, sebum, and bacteria interact. most clothes are made with any combination of these three things: cotton, polyester, and spandex/elastane, each with different properties and attributes causing. ive read some journals/studies suggesting spandex to have a degree of antimicrobial properties, and for denim/100% cotton to have a degree of antifungal properties

cotton and polyester differ in many ways due to being natural vs synthetic, with one being hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic, different hygroscopicity, and general structure, as well as preparation for textile making. this results in different sebum distributions as it dries, polyester causing a uniform distribution with no respect for being face up/face down, while with cotton it dries into spherical droplets, face down, which could lead to implications and suggestions with and about bacterial behavior and odor formation (different bacteria cause different odors!)

the dyes used for clothes can also impact bacteria, it can accelerate or decrease bacterial growth/quantity/malodor, for example black jeans will gain a unique malodor that blue jeans may have. different dyes and dying processes can impact the integrity of the textile to begin with, such as stonewashing or acid wash which compromise the health of it, and traditional/classic indigo dye will strengthen/better it, with its natural antimicrobial properties. ultimately, different dyes will also have chemical properties that will affect how bacteria, sweat, and sebum interact and absorb (adsorb?)

jeans can have a different washing rate than say, t shirts, for a few reasons

one, denim is in reference to how the fibers are weaved to form the textile itself, a different structure means sweat and sebum (oil from your skin) will interact differently two, where and how you sweat! sure you sweat everywhere for the most part, but it accumulates and acts differently in some places compared to others, the most prominent sweating is at the armpits so it has all these processes happening quickly creating a greater need, compared to your legs where it may not be happening as quickly, if at all

so with all that background knowledge, what did I actually test?

I had a person wear the same pair of jeans for seven days, minimum of three hours a day, medium wash, indigo dye, 100% cotton. i took samples on day 0, 1, 2, 6, and 7. I could not get data for days 3-5 due to reasons out of my control, but it ultimately may not matter because there was no seemingly visible difference in amount of bacteria compared to day zero and one until day seven! at day seven it was intense, easily reaching fifty colonies per plate (two sections per day, each section gets played five times), compared to the one to ten colonies, <= 2mm on the first few days,

i predict that my statistical analysis will not show a significant difference (probably p value <0.05) until day seven, but i may be entirely wrong either way, i think its going to be very interesting!

in theory it would have applications in determining optimal washing frequency, based on a variety of factors (significant physical activity or sweating would decrease amount of time between washes) to create the longest possible lifespan of the jeans, especially with the effects of fast fashion and planned obsolescence

washing too frequently can also negatively impact the lifespan of a textile and make it degrade much quicker, and not washing it frequently enough will cause bio deterioration

I would love to do this project again another time, perhaps with more people, or exploring other %make ups, brands, and dyes/colors

[andreanne-ams]

Reasons Why Pigeon Proofing Solar Panels is Important

Harnessing solar energy is a sustainable choice for powering our homes and businesses. However, the presence of birds, particularly pigeons, can pose significant challenges to the efficiency and longevity of solar panels. In this blog post, we'll explore the crucial reasons why investing in "Pigeon Proofing Solar Panels" is a smart decision, shedding light on the importance of bird-proofing measures for your solar energy system.

1. Preventing Damage to Solar Panels: Pigeons, attracted to the warmth and shelter solar panels provide, often nest in the spaces beneath them. Unfortunately, their nesting materials and droppings can lead to damage, reducing the efficiency of the panels over time. Pigeon proofing safeguards your solar investment by preventing such damage.

2. Ensuring Optimal Energy Efficiency: Blocked solar panels result in reduced sunlight absorption, leading to lower energy production. Pigeon proofing measures, such as specialized netting or deterrent devices, ensure that your solar panels remain unobstructed, maximizing their exposure to sunlight and, in turn, optimizing energy efficiency.

3. Extending the Lifespan of Solar Panels: Regular exposure to pigeon droppings can accelerate wear and tear on solar panels, shortening their lifespan. Pigeon proofing not only protects against immediate damage but also contributes to the long-term durability of your solar energy system, ultimately preserving your investment.

4. Maintaining Aesthetics and Property Value: Pigeon droppings not only impact the functionality of solar panels but also mar their visual appeal. Bird-proofing measures help maintain the aesthetic integrity of your solar installation, preserving the curb appeal of your property. This, in turn, contributes to the overall value of your home or business.

5. Health and Safety Concerns: Pigeon droppings can pose health risks due to the presence of bacteria, fungi, and parasites. By implementing pigeon proofing measures, you create a safer environment for both yourself and those around you, reducing the potential health hazards associated with bird infestations.

Finding Solar Panel Bird Proofing Near You: Locating reliable professionals for solar panel bird proofing is crucial for effective implementation. Explore options for "Solar Panel Bird Proofing Near Me" to ensure a seamless and expertly executed bird-proofing solution tailored to your specific needs.

Investing in pigeon proofing for your solar panels is a proactive step towards safeguarding your sustainable energy system. By preventing damage, optimizing energy production, and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of your solar installation, you not only protect your investment but also contribute to a cleaner and more efficient energy future. Explore bird-proofing solutions today to ensure your solar panels continue to shine for years to come.

[centralmobility1]

How to Maintain and Care for Your Rollator

Rollators have become indispensable mobility aids for many seniors and individuals with mobility challenges. With their ease of use and stability, rollators provide the necessary support to maintain an active and independent lifestyle. For residents of The Villages, Florida, where outdoor activities and social gatherings are abundant, a well-maintained rollator is crucial. This guide offers essential tips on how to maintain and care for your rollator in The Villages, Florida, ensuring it remains reliable and functional throughout your daily adventures.

Regular Cleaning and Inspection

Regular cleaning and inspection are fundamental to maintaining the longevity of your rollator. Depending on how frequently you use it and the terrain you navigate, debris and dust can accumulate on the wheels and frame. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the entire rollator, paying close attention to the wheels, brakes, and hand grips. Avoid using harsh chemicals that may damage the surface. Additionally, inspect the rollator for any signs of wear or damage, such as loose bolts, bent frames, or frayed cables. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent further damage and ensure your rollator's safety and reliability.

Lubrication of Moving Parts

To keep your rollator running smoothly, regular lubrication of moving parts is essential. Apply a silicone-based lubricant to the wheel axles, pivot points, and any movable components. This prevents excessive friction, reduces wear and tear, and ensures a more comfortable and efficient rolling experience. Regular lubrication also helps prevent squeaking noises, which can be a nuisance during your walks around The Villages, Florida.

Tire Maintenance

Proper tire maintenance is critical for ensuring optimal performance and traction on various surfaces. Check the tire pressure regularly and ensure it matches the manufacturer's recommended specifications. Underinflated tires can make maneuvering difficult, while overinflated tires can lead to reduced shock absorption. Also, inspect the tires for any signs of wear or damage, such as cracks or punctures. If you notice any issues, replace the tires promptly to avoid potential accidents and maintain a smooth ride around The Villages.

Battery Care (For Rollators with Electric Features)

For rollators equipped with electric features like powered wheels or height adjustment, proper battery care is essential. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for charging the batteries and avoid overcharging. Regularly check the battery's condition and replace it if needed. In the warm Florida climate of The Villages, battery performance can be affected, so ensure the rollator is stored in a cool and dry place to extend battery life.

Brake Maintenance

The brake system of your rollator is vital for ensuring safety during use. Regularly inspect the brake cables, pads, and levers for any signs of wear or damage. Adjust the brake tension if needed, following the manufacturer's instructions. If you notice any issues with the brakes, such as decreased stopping power or squeaking sounds, have them checked and repaired by a professional as soon as possible.

Storage and Transportation

When not in use, store your rollator in a dry and clean environment. Avoid leaving it outdoors for extended periods, as exposure to the elements can accelerate wear and rusting. If you need to transport your rollator, fold it properly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Consider using a protective cover or bag to shield it from scratches and damage while in transit.

[fandomstars]

If Steven Universe had a brother from….Blue Diamond

Alex Diamond - Son of Blue Diamond

Fandoms: SU + Star Wars (Clone Wars + Bad Batch)

AU where Earth is known throughout the galaxy, just hasn’t gotten as technology advanced like everyone else just yet. No one (pirates/gangs/etc.) invades cause to them there is nothing worth there.

Looks:

Blue diamond on chest (Same shape as BD)

Sea blue eyes

Pale skin

Navy blue color hair

Wears lots of navy blue/black hoodies

Red & white sneakers, green flip flops, dark brown boots, or black dress shoes

In the future, might be seen with a piece of Crosshair’s armor on

Personality:

Smart

Shy

Kind

Caring

Intelligent

Serious

Creative

Powers:

Energy projection

Walk on water

Teleportation (up to a mile distance before exhaustion kicks in)

Healing tears

Fusion

Superhuman strength/speed/durability ( Like Steven)

Self healing (Like Steven)

Bubble shield (Like Steven)

Speed of Descent Regulation (Like Steven)

Skills:

Marital Arts

Writing

Climbing

Speaks all Earth languages

Gem Weapon: Bow staff (like tmnt2012 Donnie but can be taken apart to form nunchucks or a grappling hook)

Family:

Belle (Blue Pearl)

Ruth, Raven, Riley, & River (Blue gem Rubies) (Aqua Squadron)

Steven (Twin brother / cousin (but goes with brothers cause come on)

Pearl

Amethyst

Garnet

Lapis Lazuli

Peridot

Lion

Oreo (pet blue panther)

Bismuth

White Diamond (Still cautious since she almost tore Steven’s gem out of him. Isn’t comfortable yet of calling her ‘family’ nor ‘aunt’ like Steven has.)

Yellow Diamond (Aunt)

Crush: Crosshair

Backstory:

Blue Diamond was seen as flawless, but she had weaknesses. One just happened to be, she fell in love with a human.

It’s been years since Pink was ‘shattered’, and yet despite her rage towards the planet, Blue still came to the surface, in secret.

She’d just visit Pink’s old palanquin, that’s all.

But one day, something, a feeling she thought lost, urges her to go further.

She travels below the ocean floor, her movements not strived towards a point of destination.

She eventually makes it to the U.S.

It isn’t till she explores the area (forests, mountains, rivers) around her does she feel some sentiment that Rose had of this planet.

She decides to have a child. Not just for said child to experience the bound of peace she hasn’t felt since Pink was shattered, but for love.

Lets just say the dad isn’t in the picture.

Blue Pearl assembles her Pearl and a Ruby squadron to care for the child.

While the rest of Blue’s colony moves from Homeworld to the other side of Earth’s galaxy. A pair of twin planets they colonize as basically a gem community.

Of course their both a two days trip notice to Earth if needed.

To ‘fit in’ all of BD’s colonies gave themselves human names. It took awhile, since they all gave each other names starting with the first letter of their gem type.

Some did go beyond Earth names, some even went for Mandalorian if they could.

Which happen to lead to the clones of Kamino.

Of course Belle sends squadrons from the twin colonies (later named ‘Ocean’ and ‘Sea’ Colonies) to free the clones and kick Kamino butt.

Since most of BD colony is diplomacy, it’s easy to get galaxy rights and certification for all the clones.

They also heal and reverse the accelerated aging. And find the inhibitor chip and get it removed (helps arrest the Kaminoians + Dooku + Palpatine revel).

The Clone Wars has already been happening, so many clones get adopted by their Jedi generals.

And in turn, the oldest clones adopt the Cree baby Jedi kids in return.

Which also shuts down the ‘Jedi steal force sensitive kids from families’ rumor. They take in orphan force sensitive kids, and raise them. Only way they ‘take away’ said kids is if the family is toxic/abusive/dangerous. Which by then, a clone is likely to have adopted said kid by the time they reach the temple.

The Ocean & Sea colonies help restore old Jedi temples to be habitable once more, as well as get a planet for the clones to live and develop freely. Lots of support and resources come to said colonies from across the galaxies. Their very persuasive.

All this is all done by the time Steven & Alex are three years old.

The twin brothers meet one another at age one, but at 2 years old, Alex is kidnapped by Dooku.

Took a full month to find him, and despite the colonies be diplomats..they have been exploring other occupations too…and they all are part diplomats part fighters so…

Dooku gets arrested (no one mentioning the clear bruising and black eye as he’s handcuffed).

Palpatine goes into hiding, but not before vowing to obtain Alex and Steven, and use their diamond powers to make him unstoppable.

Aqua Squadron moves in with Belle and the squad to protect Alex (and Steven).

Belle makes another gem temple, underwater near Beach City.

It’s able to go above water so no one has to swim down deep to get in.

After that, the twins have their amazing childhood…until age 12.

Homeworld deals with the Crystal Gems two years earlier due to Belle and the colonies diplomat and other accomplishments.

Due to Alex’s early trauma and shy, quiet personality, Steven is a bit less hyper/naive than in canon.

So filter episodes like ‘Together Breakfast’ , ‘Frybo’ (Alex would of been TERRIFIED), ‘Onion Trade’, ‘Joking Victim’, ‘Steven & the Stevens’, ‘Secret Team’, ‘Garnet’s Universe’, ‘Future Vision’ (Alex kind of suspected Garnet was a fusion. I mean he’s meet many Sapphires on the colony planets, and he literally lives with a group of Rubies.)

Minus ‘Serious Steven’ (If anything it’s more serious than humor) & ‘The Test’

Lapis gets out of the mirror earlier thanks to Belle recognizing said gem.

Eyeball doesn’t hate Steven as in canon (more dislike till PD discovery). Alex though she likes (but would rather shatter than admit it).

Instead of Greg getting kidnapped by BD, everyone just goes on vacation to the Naboo Jedi Temple (let’s pretend there’s been one since forever or if anything was built by the Sea and Ocean colonies cause why not.)

Steven & Alex celebrate their 15th birthday there.

The Bad Batch just happens to be there at the time, and so love at first sight for Alex.

One year later the twins head to Homeworld.

Same thing mostly, only Yellow instead of Blue so…more YD screen time!

White Diamond fight happens…but instead of Steven it’s Alex that get his gem taken out. Alex pushed Steven out of the way so yeah.

The Bad Batch just happen to be on Earth when Steven sends the SOS message from Watermelon Steven. Yeah…they have some questions about that, but first they head to Homeworld with Bismuth, Belle, Peridot, Lapis, and the Aqua Squad.

Unlike canon, they do make it to see WD pull out Alex’s gem and well…

While Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot try to free the Crystal Gems, Aqua Squadron helps Connie & Steven, and the Bad Batch go after WD.

By this time, the squad has been video chatting/texting with Steven & Alex (+Connie) and have all really gotten close over the past couple of months.

Crosshair tries to shoot WD in the diamond, but Bismuth reminds him they aren’t shatters.

“You’re not, but I will if that giant keeps mocking me with Alex’s gem like that.”

He eventually, reluctantly stands down and instead helps Alex reunite with his gem half.

Unlike canon, there is indeed a hole where the gem is on Alex, graphic as you can imagine, in simplification.

Alex becomes whole, Steven throws that one line that of course Wrecker & Amethyst joke with him later about, and happy ending all around.

Crosshair may of definitely kissed Alex in private at the celebration party back on Earth.

Age 16, Spinel comes to Earth, but by then a couple of Jedi have worked to have a Jedi-Earth education club (Connie of course joins as she’s already made one of gems and is president of) and so the drill is dealt with earlier.

As for Spinel…we’ll mostly canon aside from the drill. So the Spinel final fight up in the sky/in the ocean.

Alex was on a mission with the Bad Batch, 212th, and 501st at the time (mainly babysitting Luke & Leia who are born earlier. Anakin left the order after Palpatine’s defeat and lives on Naboo as a mechanic. But he still has his saber just in case.) managed to come back and help Steven by the concert canon scene.

Yes they were all confused of the whole scenario despite Steven’s explanation later.

White and Yellow come down and yeah Spinel goes with them same as canon.

By the time the twin’s 17th birthdays are coming near, is when Steven goes through his PTSD and more event.

Alex is able to stop him from shattering Jasper (but just barely), but gets poofed as a result.

Crosshair & Alex become a couple by this time.

A couple weeks pass, and Steven decides to hit the road as Connie heads to college.

She also has a internship as a diplomat, becoming later the head of the Gem-Earth senate party in later years.

Steven becomes an artist. Withh the help of the gems, Alex, and Connie, makes the history of his life, the Gem war, and more in a graphic novel series (basically the show/movie but comic form).

Alex goes on to become a writer, writing multiple novels after co-writing with Steven on his. He also travels with the Bad Batch on a couple a mission every other month, which mainly consist of bounty hunters, assassins, or natural disaster cleanup (slavery has already been abolished long time by now so yeah).

Trivia:

Loves oranges.

Hates avocados

Insomniac ever since the kidnapping

Has been known to do all nighters, worse than Tech

Is vegetarian.

Can’t resist a good vanilla milkshake.

Loves a good, warm blanket.

Likes to wear Crosshair’s armor in secret (and by that, Crosshair knows but let’s it slide cause the view is just amazing)

Very insecure about his body, especially his chest cause gem and all.

He’s not overweight mind you, but has a bit belly you know?

When nervous, pinches the sides of his chest (has caused bruising in the past).

Crosshair will not give up until Alex sees what he sees, perfection.

Will especially hiss/fight anyone who says otherwise (A couple of regs walking along and whispering such hate? Crosshair will go all out.)

Alex can’t stand intense hot weather despite living in Beach City most of his life, yet is better than most in extreme cold

Only swims with his shirt off if it’s just him and Crosshair.

Crosshair can’t get enough of Alex, both body and mind, and when the shirt comes off, he’s practically feral.

While fluent in all Earth languages, he can’t write any but English. But speak and understand? No problem.

While going on a couple of missions with the BB every now and then, he always tries to find some sort of gift/trinkets to give to Crosshair.

His brothers think it’s adorable and tease Crosshair always.

Crosshair vows when they all get lovers to do 10x worst to them.

But keeps every gift in a secret spot on the ship.

Doesn’t curse as much as Crosshair, but when he does, you know sh*t is about to go down.

[nehswritesstuffs]

banish every gaslight; let clarity shine - Part 4

I’ve been waiting to get to this stuff for a while you have no idea. It’s a little longer than the prior chapters, but it’s worth it.

Part 1 [FFN/AO3] - Part 2 [FFN/AO3] - Part 3 [FFN/AO3]

A pair of children, sick and alone, stumble into Spider Miles with hate in their hearts and their lives on a timer. Then, a surprising thing happens: they acquire a sister. [3136 words; AU where there is a Third Corazón, whose existence makes Law’s life hell]

Sixteen years earlier, in an entirely different ocean…

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Lami squeaked quietly as she tried to not cry. Her entire body hurt as she hid in the cart, feeling every bump in the cobblestone road shift the bodies above her. Law pressed two fingers to her lips—they had to be quiet. The little bit of light that filtered through to them was enough to hit his eyes and show how large and terrified they were; he was just as scared as she was, and they both needed to hold on a while longer. As they traveled, they could feel the ground beneath them shift to something softer before the cart finally came to a stop.

“Ah, shit, we’ve got to dig too?” came an irritated voice. It must have been one of the soldiers. “Breathing’s tough enough in these fucking masks.”

“We wanted to wear surgical masks, but no… it had to be rubber gas masks,” another soldier griped.

“Yeah, fuck this,” a third chimed in. “Let’s just ditch the cart and say we thought we didn’t need to dig—all in?” A small chorus of voices agreed and their heavy boots began to walk away into the distance.

Silence.

“A-are they g-gone…?” Lami whispered.

“I think so,” Law replied. He wiggled his way out of Lami’s sight and carefully—quietly—removed himself from the cart. After a quick look to make sure none of the soldiers were there, he found his sister’s ankles amongst the limbs in differing stages of Amber Lead and rigormortis and pulled her out, her shirt getting caught on someone’s hand that had long-ago calcified. She began to panic, but he deftly unhooked the fabric from the stiff fingers. “See? We’re good.”

“Law…? Where are we…?”

“It looks like the campgrounds,” he said, taking a better look around. There was a pile of shovels near one tree, along with a container that looked like fuel accelerant. The clearing across the way had several mounds of dirt that were too neat and orderly and large to be anything but fresh graves. He remembered how it looked in the cemetery when their neighbor passed away before the Amber Lead began to take its toll—that was supposed to be their fate next, burned and buried in a pit with everyone else from the cart. “We need to get out of here, and quickly.”

“…but where will we go?!” Lami asked, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She watched as her brother climbed back onto the cart and began tugging clothes off corpses. “Law?!”

“It’s only going to get colder, and they won’t miss them,” he claimed. He tossed down two thick cloaks, a coat, and a thick sweater before hopping back down to the ground, a pair of boots in-hand. They were not the correct size for Lami’s feet, but they would work, since she hadn’t put on shoes in months. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Where…?”

“Somewhere we can get them back,” he said darkly, taking her hand in his. “We need to first survive, but then… they’ll be sorry.”

The two children ran into the woods and did not look back.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Bloody fucking hell… look at them,” Diamante smirked. He and Trebol towered over the pair of brats in the trash heap, having stumbled onto them eating moldy bread. The boy was a bit older than the girl and was holding a knife as though it would protect them. “…and what do you plan on doing with that, lad?”

“Don’t touch my sister,” the kid growled. “All we want is to die taking out as many people as possible, so if you know what’s good for you, you’ll let us be.”

“You’re not going to get anywhere like this,” Trebol snorted. He sucked some phlegm back up into his sinuses and chuckled. “You’re Flevench—how much time you got, kid?”

“Thirty-eight months,” the boy said. “My sister has thirty-six.”

“A doctor told you that?”

“Our parents did,” the girl said, trembling. “They were really, really great doctors! They were murdered by soldiers!”

“You two are little kids,” Diamante scoffed. “How do you plan on taking out all these people?”

“We’re going to join the Doflamingo Pirates,” the boy stated. Diamante and Trebol both laughed. “You’ll see! We’ll join them so we can help cause as much destruction as possible!”

“Why do you think that the Young Master should waste his time on you, hm?” Trebol wondered. The boy swallowed hard and adjusted his grip on the knife. “We only take serious applicants.”

“We are serious,” the girl chirped.

“Yeah,” her brother agreed. “We won’t have peace during the three years that we have left, so why should anyone else get that luxury?”

The children waited with bated breath as the adults in front of them grew quiet. Diamante and Trebol both looked at one another and nodded before turning around and walking away.

“If you’re really that serious, then follow us,” Trebol chuckled. “If not, then have fun eating garbage for the rest of your lives.”

Law and Lami looked at one another and nodded—this was it.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Flying through the air, Law grabbed onto Lami and did his best to land on his back, cushioning her fall. He glared at the man staring out the window at them, feeling just slightly vindicated when he caught himself on fire.

“Jackass,” he mumbled. He looked Lami over, seeing that she was shivering. “Hey… you alright…?”

“Yeah,” she whimpered, nodding into his shirt. “Law… I want Mom and Dad…”

“We’ll see them soon enough,” he said as he hugged her.

“Wow! You survived!” Lami and Law looked to see the two kids from the Donquixote Pirates—a large boy and a girl in a maid outfit—scurrying over to them. The girl helped them stand as Buffalo watched over his shoulder for the adults. “We thought you were dead for sure!”

“Law makes sure we don’t die,” Lami told the other girl. “He’s really smart and good at taking care of me.”

“If you’re so smart, then why do you need the Family’s help?” she deadpanned, turning her attention to Law. “They say smart kids are the ones who leave.”

“We need their help because we are not going down quietly,” Law hissed. “What’s it say about you that you’re still around?”

“I’m clever—that’s different,” the girl retorted. She then looked at Lami, her face brightening. “Finally, another girl! If you convince the Young Master to let you stay, then we are going to have the best time. Better than we got now at least.”

“I thought we already had another girl,” the boy mentioned. The girl punched him in the arm.

“Dellinger is a boy, you dummy,” she scolded. “He’s part Fish-man, so his junk hides like theirs, but he’s definitely a boy! You’d know that if you changed his diaper!”

“Then why’s Giolla acting like he’s a girl?”

“…because Giolla is also stupid and thinks she can just make him a girl because she wants to,” the girl sighed. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Law and Lami. “So, how about it? You gonna see if you have what it takes?”

“We know we do,” Law said. Seas, this girl wasn’t getting it. “Can you get us back in?”

“Mmm… I might be able to pull a few strings,” she said with a grin. She then stuck out her hand. “Name’s Baby 5.”

“Law.”

“Lami.”

“I’m Buffalo!”

“Those are weird names,” Lami noted quietly.

“That’s because they’re codenames,” Baby 5 scoffed. “Almost everyone in the group has them.”

“We’ll be dead soon from acute Amber Lead poisoning, so I don’t see the point,” Law shrugged. Baby 5 scowled at his answer, which made Lami giggle. Instead of chastising them, Law held out his hand, which Baby 5 looked at warily, then shook. “To all the chaos we’ll cause in the meantime.”

“To the chaos.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was somewhat easy to adjust to living on Spider Miles within the construct of the Donquixote Pirates. Law and Lami were able to eat good food every day as they tried to stay healthy enough to contribute. While Law studied and trained with the adult members of the Pirates, Lami was often laid up in bed and unable to do much of anything.

“This sucks,” she pouted. Baby 5 was setting a tray down on the bed next to her as the younger girl was very tempted to throw her book across the room. It was just the two of them that evening, as most of the crew had gone out on an assignment and would not be back for a couple days and baby 5 was assigned to watch over the younger, bedridden girl. “Why does my Amber Lead have to be so debilitating?!”

“Do you even know what that word means?” Baby 5 asked.

“Well, yeah; it means it makes it so I can’t do anything,” Lami replied. She tried to sit up against her pillows and the other girl jumped in to help. “Ow…! I hate this so much!”

“Law-nii’s working on trying to find a cure,” Baby 5 reminded her. She then handed her a hot chocolate, only to get a stare. “What…?”

“Why’d you call him that…?”

“Well, I’m two years older than you, and he’s two years older than me, so I decided we can be siblings,” Baby 5 reasoned.

“What about Buffalo and Dellinger?”

“Weird cousins…? I don’t know.” She sat down next to Lami with her own hot chocolate and the girls cuddled in close for warmth. Baby 5 looked at the book that was sitting on the blankets and tilted her head. “What are you reading?”

“Noland the Liar,” the younger girl replied. “I know it’s a little babyish, but I like it.”

“Yeah…?”

“Yeah… but it’s weird.” Lami opened the book and flipped to a page towards the back. “The book we had when I was a baby showed him crying.”

“Crying…?” Baby 5 scrunched her nose. “Everyone knows Noland laughed at his death, like the Pirate King did.”

“Our book was our opa’s when he was little, and he got it from his opa, and all I know is that it was old and that old is also sometimes different.” She touched the illustration and frowned, seeing the large white patch on the back of her hand. “Bee…?”

“Yeah…?”

“If Law-nii doesn’t find a cure for us, you’ll remember us, right?”

“I’ll always remember you,” she promised. “Why do you ask?”

“I… I guess I’m just scared.” She took a sip of her hot chocolate, avoiding eye contact. “I guess that’s kind of babyish of me too, isn’t it?”

“No… I think it’s brave,” Baby 5 admitted. She put an arm around Lami’s shoulders and hugged her. “I’d be scared too if I were in your situation. Law-nii better find a cure for you both soon… I… I don’t want to be alone again.”

“…but you have Buffalo and Dellinger!”

“Yeah, but they’re not like you two. They’re not…” She sighed. “I dunno… it just seems right being with you and Law-nii… almost like… we can be a family… like I belong with someone… like I’m needed.”

“That’s silly—everyone’s needed by someone,” Lami decided. “That’s silly to think otherwise.”

“…really?”

“Really.” The girls sat there with their hot chocolate, staring at the book illustration, before Lami nodded her head decidedly. “Can I need you to be my big sister if you need me to be your little sister so you’re not alone?”

“Yeah. We can need each other to be sisters.”

…and that was the end of that.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was a few days before the rest of the crew came back from their mission, the Numancia Flamingo overflowing with money and treasure. Instead of helping to unload the ship, Law went directly to the balcony where Lami liked to read, hugging his baby sister tightly upon seeing her.

“It’s been so long!” Lami squeaked. She put down her book and pulled her cloak a bit tighter around her shoulders to ward off the autumn chill. “You were gone for ages!”

“It wasn’t even a week, you silly thing,” he scoffed. “You make it sound like I can control how long we’re gone.”

“You could’ve stayed,” she pouted.

“I’ll stay when I’m not feeling good, so I got to make sure I get as much done when I can.” He exhaled heavily as she simply leaned against his chest and shoulder, forcing him to hug her. “Come on… it’s not that bad…”

“I still missed you.”

Figuring it was a good a time as any, Law dug into his pocket and hid something in his hand as they sat down together. “Here, hold still.” He took the clasp off Lami’s cloak and replaced it with a new one, which glittered in the evening sun. “Prefect.”

“What is it?” she wondered, looking at the clasp. It was an ornate brooch, with many intricate swirls and designs. “It looks familiar…”

“It was Oma’s,” he replied. She looked at him, confused, and his heart broke just a little. “I was looking for a souvenir for you after I looked at the coins and…” He brushed his fingers over the metal, the stars and large tree of the city’s old crest mocking him in its silence. “I remember this was one of her favorites—made before Amber Lead became a common addition to everything. Opa had gotten it for cheap because of it—they were just married and struggling. I remember her telling me—that’s how I recognized it. The soldiers must have cleaned out Flevance of all its non-contaminated valuables.”

“…and you know it’s hers for sure…?”

“It still has the inscription on the back from when Opa gave it to her.” He saw as she curled up and put his arm around her protectively. “I’m sure the lady running the shop didn’t know.”

“It’s still wrong.”

“It is, but it’s ours now, and it would have been ours before, so it’s with the right people again.” He tucked her head beneath his chin and sighed heavily. “One day the world will know.”

“We’ll make them pay,” she agreed, sniffling.

Except, what hope did they really have? They were just a pair of siblings, quite possibly the last known descendants of the White City, and the clock was ticking.

“Ah! There you are Law-nii!” The siblings looked and saw that Baby 5 was standing in the doorway looking very put-out. “Gladius said that you had brought something back!”

“Yeah, for my sister, not for you,” he fired back. Baby 5 went close to them and looked directly at the brooch that was now holding Lami’s cloak in place. “It was plundered from our grandparents’ house—it’s safe.”

“Oh, wow…” Baby 5 tilted her head curiously at the item, taking note of the design she knew she’d seen before, but only once or twice if that. “That’s so pretty! Lami, you’re so lucky!”

“I don’t have anything else from Oma, so yeah, I am!” She then pondered for a moment. “Except… her hair…? But hers was gray and mine isn’t…”

“Opa meant when Oma was younger her hair was your color… the brown parts, anyhow.” Law patted Lami’s head as she buried her face in his shoulder. He glared at Baby 5, a chill running down the girl’s spine, before she gathered herself up and scowled right back.

“Well…?” she asked accusingly. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Where’s my present?”

“You’re not my sister,” he replied.

“Uh, yeah I am.” She watched as Lami sat upright and wiped tears from her eyes. “Tell him, Lami.”

“Bee and I decided we’re sisters while you were gone,” Lami said. “So she’s your sister now too.”

“You can’t just be sisters because you said so,” Law frowned, wrinkling his nose. “You never even met our parents.”

“So…? Young Master calls us all his family all the time, and we never met his mom and dad, and he never met ours!” Baby 5 folded her arms and made sure that her brother and sister were concentrating on her and not on being sad. “I’m your sister now whether you like it or not!”

“Why you gotta act so stupid?!”

“I’m clever, and clever people sometimes do smart things, like find family!”

“She’s right, Law-nii! She’s our sister now!”

“I can’t take care of two of you!” the lad protested. At that, Baby 5 lunged forward and threw her arms around him in a hug, which he tried to break out of before Lami joined in, the two girls trapping him against his will.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“RISE AND SHINE, LAW-NII!”

Groaning, Law turned over in bed and pulled his blanket up over his head. When the fabric was stolen from him in a chorus of giggles, he tried hiding under his pillow instead.

“Leave me alone!” he grumbled.

“…but Law-nii!” Lami whined. “It’s your birthday!”

“I don’t care!”

“Well, you should!” Baby 5 insisted. “We prepared a party and everything for you!”

The tween poked his nose out from the safety the pillow. “You did not.”

“We did too!” Lami said. “I told Bee-nee when your birthday is! You can’t hide in here all day!”

“I can and I will!” Law grabbed the blanket back from Baby 5 and wrapped it tightly around himself in and effort to create a cocoon to shield from his sister and… his sister…? Things were a little vague in that regard. Was Baby 5 his sister just because she and Lami decided so? He was too grumpy and emotionally-spent to even begin considering the idea… that they might have family outside of themselves… family after their parents…

“You’re mean!”

“Baby 5, go away.”

“Cora-san, can you help us?”

Before Law could react, he was being picked up and thrown out the window by a familiar set of hands. Thankful he at least had his pillow to help land on, he glared back up at the bedroom window once he was on the ground, Lami and Baby 5 giggling in the open pane while Corazón was walking away. He trudged back inside only to be assaulted by the two girls and pulled into a room where everyone from the Family was waiting for the party to begin. The decorations looked like Lami and Baby 5 made them, though they reminded him of how his classroom would get decorated when someone in school had a birthday. Tears stung his eyes and he had to swallow hard to prevent himself from breaking down in tears.

Only two more birthdays were coming his way, and shit did he hate it, but this…? This he almost liked. Not that he’d admit it, of course.

[anarchywoofwoof]

one thing that a lot of neurotypical people or those who have never suffered from mental illness fail to recognize about neurodiversity is how much more *expensive and time consuming* it is to be neurodiverse vs. neurotypical. pretty much no matter what you deal with.

for example: i have contamination OCD and i have found ways of coping and embracing it. however, my mechanisms for coping often create more work, costs more money, time, etc. in the long run.

i have to put an additional towel down for when i get out of the shower so my feet don't touch the bare floor. this requires the use of additional towels, which i have to buy and then subsequently wash, creating more laundry that piles up due to my ADHD

i have to use far more cleaning supplies than the average person because if i don't, i don't feel like i'm adequately cleaning whatever mess that i'm addressing. this leads to the need to buy more cleaning supplies than the average person.

if my food looks a certain way or has a certain texture to it, i literally can't bring myself to eat it. this leads to more food waste than average, which in addition to being expensive, makes me feel absolutely horrid and like a glutton. it often leads to me just not eating altogether to avoid the shame.

i can't handle discoloration or permanent spots/dirt/smudges on things. this leads to me having to buy new, "non-contaminated" things like shower curtains, linens, food storage, cups.

i have to wash my hands after i touch just about anything in my home, which obviously leads to more water usage and more soap usage. $$$.

because of my OCD, my aversion to cleaning household items, appliances, etc. leads to accelerated wear & tear, which inevitably ends up with me having to buy new appliances when they stop working because i can't properly maintain them

this is just what i was able to come up with in a few minutes. you hear people talk about paying ADHD tax all the time, but it's so much more than that and it impacts every single neurodivergent person who has to try to live on their own as an adult.

the world is catered to neurotypical behavior. by nature of society alone, i am instantly disadvantaged and that disadvantage multiplies for each mental disability that i have.

and if this isn't hard enough, my disability/disabilities are not visible to anyone around me. so who would feel compelled to help someone who, seemingly, is in perfect running condition? what services, besides therapy, are available for people with mental illnesses that make it easier to fucking live your life on a day to day basis that don't involve you coming out of your own pocket? no one wants to help someone that appears to be fully capable of helping themselves. that's a larger societal problem for another post, but it's relevant.

comparatively speaking, i have it pretty easy compared to my POC & LGBTQ+ comrades who have to also try to survive in a world that is actively hostile towards their existence. most challenges i face pale in comparison to that existential threat. but it shouldn't be this difficult for a-n-y-o-n-e to just fucking survive.

[reader-has-entered-the-chat]

I can barely hear what they’re saying as they pronounce my fate. My heart pounding in my ears, the adrenaline still running high in my body. I want to scream. I want to shout at them, tell them that I didn’t do it. That I didn’t kill the President. But I find myself unable to speak. I just can’t. My fingers tremble, and I can’t stop them from doing that. I can’t claim my innocence.

Naturally, we all know that it would be a lie. At this point, I’m not quite sure if they’d laugh or cry if I said that. I mean, c’mon, I stabbed him multiple times on live TV (the bastard deserved it, I swear). Apparently, I “traumatized” an entire nation. Bullshit.

As if we aren’t done for anyway. World ran out of water a hundred years ago, the planet’s fucked, and they still care about a fucking President? An old dude with no hair who just liked money and who was accelerating our inevitable fall? No one cares. I did us all a favor, actually, but no one would ever admit it.

I know that I’m being sent back, but they’re not telling me when. They never tell us “criminals”. It’s actually very funny that the only ones who get a ticket out are those considered as “public enemies”. We’re quite lucky, actually, if you take the extremely low survival rate out of the equation. Right now, no one in their right mind would risk it, so we’re used as “test subjects”, to improve the machine. Psychopaths. We’re all psychopaths. 

Keeping my head up, I climb the steps up to the portal.

It looks surreal, this perfectly round thing hovering midair, seemingly leading to an endless void of darkness. It attracts and repels me. I feel torn between the idea of jumping in and running away, and wonder if that’s what all the others also felt.

As I stand on the small stage, I can feel their eyes on me. Those vultures, drooling at the idea of tearing a piece of dead meat to shred. And today, I’m that dead meat.

At least, they’re not killing me. Not literally. I have a chance -a small one- to survive. I might’ve been executed, in the olden days, though. Barbaric practices. 

I snicker at the thought. Me, a murderer, find executions barbaric? How ironic.

I want to laugh. I want to cry.

The judge, one of those assholes who’d bring anyone down for any sum of money, regardless of what the accused did, glares at me. If we followed the constitution, even though it’s nearly forgotten now, I have to admit that would kinda deserve this. But there were people before me who didn’t deserve this fate and who are maybe dead now because of that dude.

I have to hold myself back. If I spat in his face, I’d only give them what they want : a mentally unstable freak who put the nation in danger. I’d give them a scapegoat. At least, I’ll go down with honor, with my head up. If I die, then I’ll die. If I survive, I promise myself that I’ll be a good person. Try to be. 

I’m young, I should have an entire life ahead of me. But any form of happiness was robbed from my generation. Air and ocean are rotten. Sun’s close to dead. Humanity’s nearly extinct, and most of what’s left of us lives in slums, except for the rich, who have their own cities and pretend everything’s normal. Those ones have no idea what really goes on out there, so I gave them a friendly reminder, which they’re making me pay for.

I look up to the judge, who smiles. It’s not a friendly one. It’s the kind of look that a predator has when cornering a prey it’s been wanting to devour for a long time. Definitely not the look of a mentally sane person. Then again, no one on this planet is mentally sane anymore.

I close my eyes and cross the threshold.

Everything hurts. I feel like my bones break, like my skin is being torn to shreds and rubbed in salt, like my very blood is boiling me, burning my insides. If this is death, I don’t want it. I don’t want this. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to curl myself up in a ball and stay there forever.

And suddenly, it all stops. I look around me. I’m still wearing the faded purple outfit they gave me and the gas mask that everyone wears now, but everything around is different.

Next to me is a weird structure that I’ve only heard about and never seen. Went extinct way before I was born, like many things. It has a brownish base and lots of green stuff on top, a bit like hair. I think the name is “kree”. Or “pree”. Whatever. Something with a consonant and “ree”. Oxygen dispenser.

I take my mask off, and breathe in freshness. It’s weird. It’s amazing.

I want to spend the rest of my life doing this. Looking at pretty oxygen dispensers and breathing air.

I don’t notice that I’m crying until I sniffle and wipe a tear off of my cheek.

My first thought is that I have to preciously conserve that tear, as water’s rare, but then I remember. Here, at this time period -although I have no clue when exactly I am-, there’s still water. There’s still water. I can cry as much as I want, and still be hydrated.

This time, things will be different. I won’t let things get terrible again. I won’t let society collapse again. I won’t let humanity crumble again. I’m gonna change the future. Those motherfucking politicians better be ready, ‘cause I’m going for them first. And they’ll never see me coming.

In a future where time travel exists, criminals are punished by being sent to a random point in time. Having been convicted of a crime, you now face your punishment.

[performancechiro]

Chiropractic Treatment for Ice Hockey Players: Enhancing Performance and Preventing Injuries

Hockey is an intensely physical sport that places significant demands on the body. The combination of high-speed skating, rapid direction changes, body checks, and stick handling can lead to various injuries and strains, particularly in the neck, back, and joints. For ice hockey players, maintaining peak physical condition is essential, and chiropractic care has emerged as a key tool in optimizing their performance and managing injuries. Here’s a closer look at how chiropractic treatment can benefit ice hockey players, from injury prevention to recovery and performance enhancement.

Understanding the Physical Demands of Ice Hockey

Hockey is a sport where athletes are often at risk for musculoskeletal injuries due to frequent collisions, high speeds, and the need for rapid movements on ice. Common injuries among hockey players include:

Whiplash: Caused by sudden movements or impacts, leading to neck strain.

Lower Back Strains: Resulting from the bent-over posture required during skating and play.

Shoulder and Upper Back Injuries: Due to body checks, falls, or hits.

Knee and Ankle Strains: From the constant pressure placed on these joints while skating.

Given the rigorous nature of the sport, players often deal with muscle stiffness, joint misalignment and overall body wear and tear. Chiropractic care can play a crucial role in addressing these issues, helping athletes maintain flexibility and mobility while reducing pain and inflammation.

The Role of Chiropractic Care in Hockey

Chiropractic care involves hands-on spinal manipulation and adjustments, along with a focus on the body's musculoskeletal structure. For ice hockey players, this treatment offers several key benefits:

Injury Prevention

Chiropractic adjustments help maintain proper alignment of the spine and joints, which can significantly reduce the risk of injury. By ensuring that the spine is properly aligned, pressure on nerves is minimized, and muscles can function optimally. This is particularly beneficial for ice hockey players who rely on rapid movements and must maintain proper posture throughout a game.

Enhanced Mobility and Flexibility

Flexibility is vital for ice hockey players, allowing them to maneuver quickly and efficiently on the ice. Chiropractic care can improve joint mobility through adjustments and targeted exercises, helping players achieve greater range of motion. Improved flexibility not only enhances skating speed and agility but also makes it easier for athletes to recover from falls or body checks during games.

Pain Management and Relief

Chiropractic adjustments can provide relief from both acute and chronic pain, such as back pain from the physical demands of skating or neck pain from a body check. By targeting the source of discomfort, chiropractors help reduce inflammation and muscle tension, allowing players to experience relief without relying heavily on pain medications that can have side effects.

Accelerated Recovery

Injuries are an inevitable part of playing ice hockey, but chiropractic care can help speed up recovery. By focusing on spinal alignment and promoting proper blood flow, chiropractic adjustments enhance the body’s natural healing processes. Additionally, chiropractors can recommend specific rehabilitative exercises to help players recover strength and mobility in injured areas, reducing downtime and helping athletes get back on the ice faster.

Improved Performance

When the body is in optimal alignment, it functions more efficiently, allowing for better overall athletic performance. For ice hockey players, this means quicker reaction times, better coordination, and more fluid movements on the ice. Chiropractic care helps ensure that athletes’ bodies are free from any misalignments or restrictions, giving them a competitive edge during games.

Common Chiropractic Techniques for Ice Hockey Players

Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to address the specific needs of ice hockey players, including:

Spinal Adjustments: These align the spine, reducing nerve irritation and improving posture. This is crucial for maintaining balance and coordination on the ice.

Soft Tissue Therapy: Techniques like myofascial release and massage therapy can be used to alleviate muscle tightness and improve circulation, aiding in recovery from strenuous practices and games.

Stretching and Strengthening Exercises: Chiropractors often prescribe exercises that focus on strengthening core muscles and increasing flexibility, helping players improve their skating power and stability.

Cold Laser Therapy: This non-invasive treatment can reduce inflammation and promote healing in injured tissues, making it particularly effective for conditions like sprains, strains, and bruises that are common in ice hockey.

Why Ice Hockey Players Should Consider Chiropractic Care

The high-impact nature of ice hockey means that injuries and body stress are nearly inevitable. However, with a proactive approach to care, players can reduce their injury risks, improve their recovery time, and optimize their performance. Chiropractic care provides a holistic approach to health, focusing not just on treating symptoms but on achieving overall wellness and resilience.

Chiropractors who specialize in sports medicine understand the unique challenges faced by ice hockey players and can tailor treatment plans to their specific needs. Regular sessions can keep players at the top of their game by maintaining alignment, enhancing flexibility, and minimizing downtime due to injury.Edmonton Chiropractors - Elevate your game with Performance Chiropractic + Physiotherapy in Edmonton! We specialize in chiropractic care for ice hockey players, helping you stay injury-free, recover faster, and boost your performance on the ice. Whether you are dealing with back pain, muscle strains, or just want to enhance your flexibility and agility, our tailored treatments will keep you at your peak. Get the competitive edge you need - visit us today and skate stronger, faster, and pain-free!

[hitechpipes0]

How do I protect hot water metal pipes?

Hot water metal pipes are crucial in providing warm water throughout your home or building, but they are also exposed to wear and tear due to heat, pressure, and water quality. Without proper protection, these pipes can suffer from corrosion, mineral buildup, and even heat loss, leading to costly repairs and reduced efficiency. Whether you have steel, copper, or iron pipes, protecting your hot water metal pipes is essential to prolong their lifespan and ensure an efficient hot water supply. Here’s a guide on how to keep them in great shape.

1. Insulate Your Pipes

One of the easiest and most effective ways to protect hot water pipes is through insulation. Insulating hot water pipes helps reduce heat loss, prevents condensation, and can save energy.

Benefits of Insulation: Reduces energy costs by keeping water hot for longer, lowers the risk of pipe sweating (condensation), and protects pipes from temperature fluctuations.

Insulation Options: Common insulation materials include foam pipe sleeves, fiberglass wrap, and rubber insulation. These are easy to install and are available at most hardware stores.

Installation Tips: Wrap the insulation snugly around the pipes and secure it with insulation tape. Ensure there are no gaps to prevent heat loss. If you’re insulating pipes in cold areas, like basements or garages, double-check for tight coverage.

2. Apply Corrosion Protection

Hot water pipes, especially those made from metal, are vulnerable to corrosion, which can weaken the pipes and lead to leaks.

Use Anti-Corrosive Coatings: Many manufacturers provide coatings specifically designed for metal pipes. These coatings prevent oxygen and moisture from coming into direct contact with the metal surface, reducing corrosion risk. Epoxy-based coatings are a popular choice for their durability.

Galvanize Your Pipes: Galvanization is a process in which a layer of zinc is applied to steel or iron pipes. The zinc layer acts as a barrier to prevent corrosion and rust, but it may need to be reapplied over time.

Check for Leaks Regularly: Inspect your hot water pipes regularly for signs of leaks or corrosion. Small leaks can accelerate corrosion, so early detection and repair are essential.

3. Use a Water Softener if Necessary

Hard water, which contains high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium, can lead to scaling inside metal pipes. This mineral buildup restricts water flow, reduces pipe efficiency, and can lead to pipe damage over time.

Install a Water Softener: A water softener removes excess minerals from the water, reducing the risk of scale buildup. This is particularly important in areas with hard water, as softened water helps protect your pipes and water heater.

Descale Regularly: If installing a water softener isn’t feasible, consider periodic descaling. There are products available to help flush out mineral deposits in pipes, but they may need to be applied by a plumber to ensure safety and effectiveness.

4. Minimize Pressure and Temperature Stress

High water pressure and extremely hot temperatures can increase stress on hot water pipes, making them more vulnerable to damage.

Install a Pressure Regulator: If your water pressure is above 60 psi, consider installing a pressure regulator. High water pressure can increase wear on pipes, so a regulator helps maintain an optimal level.

Adjust Water Heater Settings: Setting your water heater to a moderate temperature (around 120°F or 49°C) can protect both your pipes and the heater itself. Extremely hot water can accelerate corrosion and add unnecessary stress to the pipes.

5. Prevent Freezing in Cold Weather

Even though these are hot water pipes, they can still freeze in uninsulated areas if the water isn't constantly moving. Frozen pipes are at risk of bursting, which can cause extensive damage.

Keep the Temperature Consistent: During winter, maintain a steady, warm temperature in areas where hot water pipes are located, such as basements or garages.

Use Heat Tape or Cables: For pipes in uninsulated or outdoor areas, consider installing electric heat tape or heating cables. These products provide low-level heat to keep pipes from freezing, and some even come with thermostats for easy control.

Run a Drip During Extreme Cold: Allowing a small trickle of water to flow through hot water pipes during extremely cold weather can prevent freezing.

6. Inspect and Maintain Regularly

Regular maintenance is key to keeping hot water pipes in good shape. Inspecting pipes on a routine basis can help detect any signs of corrosion, leaks, or wear early, preventing bigger issues.

Check for Leaks and Weak Points: Look for any small leaks, rust spots, or areas where the pipe may be thinning or weakening.

Flush the System Annually: Flushing the hot water pipes and heater annually can remove sediment and mineral buildup. This process keeps the pipes clean and improves hot water efficiency.

Replace Old or Damaged Pipes: If you have older pipes that are already showing significant wear, it may be best to replace them with newer, more corrosion-resistant options like PEX or copper. A proactive replacement can save you from unexpected and expensive repairs down the road.

7. Consider Replacing with Corrosion-Resistant Materials

If your metal hot water pipes are prone to corrosion, upgrading to corrosion-resistant materials may be a wise investment.

Copper Pipes: Copper is naturally resistant to corrosion and doesn’t react with water as much as iron or steel, making it a good option for hot water lines.

PEX Pipes: PEX is a flexible plastic pipe material that is highly resistant to both heat and corrosion. It is increasingly popular for hot water applications due to its durability, flexibility, and low maintenance requirements.

Final Thoughts

Protecting hot water metal pipes doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. By taking preventive measures such as insulation, using anti-corrosive coatings, and controlling water pressure and temperature, you can significantly extend the life of your pipes and maintain an efficient hot water system. Regular inspection and maintenance are crucial, so keep an eye on your pipes for early signs of wear, and address any issues promptly. With these steps, your hot water pipes will stay in great shape, delivering reliable hot water for years to come.

Visit at: Metal pipes

[divinejhonson]

UV Protection for Glass: A Guide to Safer, Sun-Proof Interiors

As modern architecture trends emphasize large glass windows and open, light-filled spaces, finding ways to shield interiors from the sun’s damaging rays has become essential. UV protection for glass is more than just a trend; it's a necessity for maintaining a safe, energy-efficient, and comfortable home or workspace. In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of glass UV protectors, different types of UV-protective solutions, and how UV-protected glass can save on costs while enhancing overall quality of life. If you’re considering UV protection, here’s everything you need to know.

1. Why UV Protection for Glass Matters

UV (ultraviolet) rays are a significant cause of damage to both human skin and interiors. While natural light brings vibrancy to indoor spaces, prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to various issues:

Furniture and Interior Fading: UV rays accelerate fading and deterioration of furnishings, flooring, and artwork.

Increased Heat: UV rays contribute to indoor heat buildup, leading to higher cooling costs and energy consumption.

Health Concerns: Overexposure to UV rays can impact skin health and lead to eye strain, even indoors.

Material Degradation: UV rays break down materials, especially polymers and fabrics, leading to wear and tear over time.

Using a glass UV protector can block up to 99% of harmful UV rays, preserving the aesthetics and comfort of interior spaces while safeguarding health.

For quality and durability, opting for professional Glass Manufacture solutions ensures longevity and reliable UV protection.

2. Benefits of Using UV-Protected Glass

UV protection for glass offers multiple advantages for residential and commercial settings. Here’s how it can make a difference:

a. Protects Furniture and Interiors

Without UV protection, interior fabrics, carpets, and even walls can discolor over time. UV-protected glass acts as a barrier, keeping colors vibrant and extending the life of furniture and fixtures. In spaces with expensive or unique decor, using glass UV protector products can be a game-changer.

b. Reduces Energy Costs

When UV rays penetrate untreated glass, they increase indoor temperatures, especially during summer. This puts added pressure on air conditioning systems, increasing energy bills. UV protection for glass reduces heat buildup, creating a naturally cooler environment and reducing reliance on cooling systems.

c. Enhances Comfort

Glass UV protection enhances indoor comfort by reducing glare. Whether you’re reading, working, or relaxing, less glare improves visibility and minimizes eye strain, allowing occupants to enjoy natural light without discomfort.

d. Health Benefits

UV exposure can lead to eye damage and skin issues even through glass. UV-protected glass acts as a shield, keeping out harmful rays while still allowing natural light, providing peace of mind for those who spend extended hours indoors.

3. Types of UV-Protective Solutions for Glass

There are various ways to incorporate UV protection into your glass installations. Here are some popular options available through Glass Manufacture:

a. UV-Blocking Window Film

Window films are an effective solution for adding UV protection to existing glass. They’re made of polyester sheets embedded with UV-blocking materials and are applied directly to windows.

Pros: Cost-effective, suitable for existing installations, reduces glare and energy costs.

Cons: Requires occasional maintenance, can reduce visibility over time, doesn’t offer as much durability as treated glass.

b. Low-E Glass (Low Emissivity Glass)

Low-E glass has a special coating that reduces the amount of UV and infrared light passing through it while still allowing visible light. It’s a high-performance solution often used in energy-efficient buildings.

Pros: Reduces both UV and heat transmission, improves energy efficiency.

Cons: Higher cost, best suited for new constructions or full window replacements.

c. Laminated Glass with UV Protection

Laminated glass is constructed with a UV-blocking interlayer, offering excellent protection against UV rays. It’s durable and often used in windows, skylights, and glass facades.

Pros: Superior UV protection, durable and shatter-resistant, effective sound insulation.

Cons: More expensive than films, typically used for new installations or extensive renovations.

d. Tempered Glass with UV Coatings

Tempered glass is treated to be stronger than regular glass and is commonly available with UV-protective coatings, making it ideal for outdoor applications.

Pros: Highly durable, suitable for high-traffic areas or large windows, offers safety and UV protection.

Cons: Higher upfront cost, typically recommended for new projects or major upgrades.

Each solution offers unique advantages depending on your requirements and budget. For customized recommendations and professional guidance, consulting a Glass Manufacture specialist ensures you choose the best solution for your space.

4. UV Protection Glass for Different Applications

UV-protected glass is versatile and can be applied to various areas, enhancing both residential and commercial spaces. Here are common applications:

a. Residential Spaces

In homes, UV-protected glass helps protect family health, preserve decor, and reduce cooling expenses. It’s perfect for:

Living rooms: Large windows can admit UV rays, so UV protection prevents fading of carpets and furniture.

Bedrooms: UV protection allows natural light while reducing heat, keeping the space comfortable.

Kitchens: Protects countertops and flooring from sun damage, essential in kitchens with skylights or large windows.

b. Commercial Buildings

For businesses, investing in UV protection for glass creates a pleasant environment for employees and customers, minimizing glare and improving energy efficiency. Applications include:

Office buildings: Reduces glare on screens, helping employees work more comfortably.

Retail stores: Protects displays and merchandise from fading or damage.

Restaurants and cafes: Offers patrons a comfortable dining experience without harsh sunlight.

c. Specialty Uses

UV-protected glass is also ideal for skylights, glass doors, atriums, and greenhouses, where intense sunlight is common. These applications benefit from reduced heat, glare, and damage.

5. Choosing the Right Glass UV Protector

Selecting the appropriate UV-protective glass solution depends on factors like budget, building design, and energy efficiency goals. Here are key considerations:

Purpose of the Space: For offices and retail environments, UV films may suffice. For high-end homes or buildings, investing in laminated or low-E glass can provide long-lasting benefits.

Aesthetic Preferences: Certain films and coatings can slightly alter the appearance of glass. Choose a solution that aligns with your design preferences.

Budget Constraints: Window films are budget-friendly for retrofitting, while laminated and low-E glass are more suited to new installations.

Climate: In hotter climates, higher-grade UV protection can offer enhanced energy savings, making an initial investment more worthwhile.

6. Maintenance and Longevity of UV-Protected Glass

UV-protected glass is relatively low-maintenance but does require some care to retain its efficiency. Here are some tips:

Cleaning: Use mild soap and a soft cloth to clean UV-treated glass. Avoid harsh chemicals that may damage the coating.

Check for Wear: Over time, UV films can lose effectiveness, especially with exposure to intense sunlight. Check periodically and replace if necessary.

Professional Installation: Ensuring a professional installation reduces the chance of bubbling or peeling in films, maintaining appearance and protection.

Proper care extends the lifespan of UV-protective glass and maximizes your investment.

7. The Cost Factor: Is UV-Protected Glass Worth It?

While UV-protective glass or films can involve a higher initial cost, the long-term savings on energy bills, reduced need for replacements, and protection of health and belongings make it a sound investment. When balancing the immediate expenses against long-term benefits, it’s clear that UV protection is worthwhile for those aiming to preserve their space and enhance comfort.

8. Partnering with a Reputable Glass Manufacturer

Choosing the right Glass Manufacture partner is essential for ensuring quality UV protection tailored to your needs. Working with experts allows you to customize your UV-protective glass, with options for tints, thickness, and durability to suit any residential or commercial project.

Conclusion

UV protection for glass is a powerful way to elevate the comfort, safety, and durability of indoor spaces. From reducing energy costs to safeguarding furniture, investing in a Glass UV protector is a forward-thinking choice for modern buildings. By selecting high-quality materials and partnering with experienced professionals, you can achieve a sun-proof, stylish interior that stands the test of time. For expert guidance and tailored solutions, contact a reputable Glass Manufacture provider, and transform your indoor experience today.