#medium tone kit

[thepanvelite]

Ladies’ Most Popular Makeup Accessories

Makeup kits for various skin tones and types, ideal for any occasion.

Makeup kits are essential for every woman who loves to enhance her beauty. Here are some of the most popular makeup kits available, perfect for various skin tones and types. The Blue Heaven Festive MakeUp Kit For Women is a specially curated all-in-one make-up kit suitable for medium and dark complexions. It includes premium products at an affordable price, making it a complete festive kit of 8…

[smalltown-if]

Smalltown, Nowhere (an Interactive Fiction game)

a slice-of-life game set in a small town with a focus on romantic, platonic, and family relationships

After getting laid off from your swanky job in the city, you are left with no choice but to move back to your rural hometown, Bridgewater, while you get your life back together. Your parents let you move into the apartment above their bar, with one condition- you pick up some shifts and help their once-popular bar get more customers again. But life in a small town can get messy quick, and even though Bridgewater comes with a lot of mess, it’s hard not to get attached to the small town and the people that reside in it. As you start to build a life here, you realize you have a big decision in your future: will you stay or will you go?

Play as female, male, transmasc, transfem, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, aro, or ace.

Customize your mc’s appearance

Develop your personality over the course of the book.

Romance one of 4 romanceable characters: your best friend, their (moody) twin sibling, a single parent, or the kind but mysterious bartender.

Develop friendships with the cast.

Customize the bar: choose a theme, decorate, set the vibes.

Make a big decision: do you stay in your hometown, or move away again?

Make decisions that impact your reputation in the town.

Get involved with the town: volunteer at local businesses, help plan town events, and get to know the people of Bridgewater.

Apply for jobs in the city… or procrastinate.

all gender selectable

Spencer | 28 : Spencer has been your best friend since childhood, but you haven’t lived in the same place since you were 18. For the last ten years, you’ve stayed in touch, but living 2 minutes away again will be completely different. Spencer is kind, funny, and creative, and there’s not much they wouldn’t do for you.

Spencer has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. m!Spencer has medium length wavy hair and is 5’11. f!Spencer’s falls to her chest and is slightly wavy. f!Spencer is 5’8.

Arden | 28 : Arden runs Bridgewater’s community center and is the glue that holds the town together. They’re generous, patient, and mature- or so you’re told. They’ve never acted like that toward you. Arden is Spencer’s twin, and you’ve just been their sibling’s friend who’s always around, and always annoying. Moving back to Bridgewater could be a chance to start fresh, or you can pick up right where you left off.

Arden has dark brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and a small scar above their right eyebrow. m!Arden has medium length, slighty wavy hair and is 5’11. f!Arden’s hair is mid-back length and wavy and she is 5’8.

if Arden and Spencer are the same gender, they are identical twins.

Noel/le | 31 : Noel/le is a history teacher, the coach of the local high school’s football team and an occasional musician at the bar. A relative newcomer to Bridgewater, N moved here after the birth of their daughter, Tatum, in order to be closer to Tatum’s other parent. Noel/le is gentle, responsible, active, and cautious- especially when it comes to who they let into their life.

Noel/le has pale, freckled skin and green eyes. Noel has short light brown hair, broad shoulders, and he stands at 6’1. Noelle’s hair ends between her jaw and shoulder, and she stands at 5’10. Noel/le has a toned build.

Kit | 30 : Kit moved to town a few months after you left and works for your parents as a bartender when they aren’t studying at a nearby college. In your absence, they became close with your parents. Despite this, Kit is one of the few people in Bridgewater who doesn’t seem to be here permanently. Kit is hardworking, intelligent, and extremely driven. They have a lot they want to achieve, and romance just doesn’t fit into that.

Kit has rich brown skin and brown eyes. m!Kit has buzzcut and is 6’0, and f!Kit’s long hair is in many braids that reach mid-back and is 5’9. Kit has a lithe body.

smalltown, nowhere is rated 18+ for (optional) NSFW scenes.

[digitalbrushes]

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[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Percussion Instruments

The percussion family of musical instruments - consists of membranophones and idiophones.

Membranophones - (or drums) are instruments that make sound when a player strikes a membrane that is tightly stretched over a frame.

Idiophones - instruments that produce sound when the entire instrument vibrates in response to being struck.

Percussionists play their instruments with their hands or with beaters, a collective term describing drumsticks, mallets, rods, or wire brushes.

Types of Membranophone Percussion Instruments

Nearly every genre of music features some form of drumming, and there are innumerable types of drums across world cultures, including:

Congas: Congas are tall, deeply-pitched hand drums that stand on the floor or on study chrome hardware.

Bongos: Bongos are tall hand drums that are smaller than congas and produce a higher pitch.

Timbales: Timbales are small metal-frame drums that are mounted on a stand and played with beaters. A timbale player usually has two drums, plus cowbell and perhaps a woodblock, as part of their kit.

Mridangam: Thought to be the oldest type of drum still in use, the mridangam has two drum faces—a left face and a right face. Traditional mridangam players apply a mixture of flour and water to the left face to lower its tone when playing.

Tabla: The tabla is the most common percussion instrument in traditional Indian music, typically paired with a sitar. Tablas consist of two drums—a "male drum" that produces a bass tone and a "female drum" that produces a tenor tone.

Djembe: A djembe is a goblet-shaped African drum that a player holds between their knees and plays with their hands.

Talking drum: A talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum with drum heads on either end. Talking drums get their name from the notion that they can mimic sounds of human speech.

Ngoma: A ngoma is a barrel-shaped African drum that sits on the floor. The drummer strikes it with large wood beaters.

Orchestral bass drum: Similar in origin to the bass drum found in a standard drum set, but much larger in diameter, the classical bass drum hangs from a frame. The percussionist strikes it with handheld mallets.

Tenor drum: Higher-pitched than a bass drum but lower pitched than a snare drum, a tenor drum is round and of medium depth. The drummer plays it with a mallet or a drumstick.

Side drum: The term "side drum" is used in classical music to describe a snare drum, usually with its snare disengaged. Side drums feature prominently in most contemporary classical music, whether or not they're part of a standard drum set.

Bodhran: A bodhran is a traditional Irish drum that sometimes finds its way into orchestral music, particularly when composers hail from the British or Irish isles. A bodhran resembles a tambourine without any jingles. The player strikes it with a small beater. Most bodhrans still are made with real goat skins.

Timpani: Also known as kettle drums, timpani sets consist of massive drums that stand on the floor in front of the player, who strikes them with felted mallets. Timpani pitches can be adjusted using a foot pedal, which loosens and tightens the drum head.

Kick drum: Also known as a bass drum, a kick drum is a large, deep-sounding drum that sits on the floor and is played with a foot pedal.

Snare drum: A bright, trebly drum that features metal snare wires running beneath its lower drum head. Typically, a drummer plays the snare with their non-dominant hand. Larger, body-mounted snare drums are a mainstay of marching band music.

Floor tom: A deep, low-pitched tom-tom drum that stands on legs near the drummer's dominant hand.

Rack toms (sometimes called a hi tom and a low tom): This pair of tom-tom drums hangs above the kick drum. They produce a higher-pitched sound than the floor tom.

Tambourine: Tracing back to the Middle East, a tambourine can be part of a drum set, either mounted as a standalone instrument or placed atop a hi-hat. A tambourine can have a drum head or it can exclusively produce sound via its zils (or jingles), which are metal discs mounted around the tambourine frame. Some players opt for a pandeiro, which is a close relative of the traditional tambourine.

Surdo: An unpitched Brazilian variant on the bass drum, played with handheld beaters.

Types of Idiophone Percussion Instruments

Idiophones produce sound when a percussionist strikes them, causing the entire instrument to vibrate. There are many enduring idiophones throughout the world of music, including:

Cymbals: Most cymbals are curved brass discs appearing in a wide array of sizes. Drum kit cymbals include a hi-hat, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, and splash cymbal, each mounted on a cymbal stand and played with beaters. Orchestral and marching band crash cymbals appear in handheld pairs; they produce sound when a player slides one cymbal past the other. Finger cymbals, as their name implies, are small enough to be worn on the player's fingers.

Crotales: Also known as antique cymbals, crotales are made up of a collection of small pitched cymbals and may be found in everything from classical music to 1970s progressive rock.

Claves: Wooden sticks that click together to produce an unpitched sound. They are a mainstay of salsa music.

Temple blocks: A series of pitched woodblocks popular in classical ensembles.

Agogo: An unpitched metal bell (or pair of bells) often featured in samba music.

Ganzá: An unpitched metal rattle developed in Brazil and popular in Brazilian samba.

Headless tambourine: This instrument is a tambourine without a membrane. It produces sound via the vibration of the frame and jingles.

Slit drum: Also known as a log drum, the slit drum is not a membranophone despite its name. Rather, a slit drum is an idiophone made from a hollowed log.

Udu: An untuned idiophone resembling a hollow jug.

Cajón: Originating in Peru, a cajón (or cajón de rumba) is a hollow wooden box that usually features internal snares on one side. A player sits on the cajón and strikes it with their hands (and occasionally beaters).

Gong: A suspended metal disc found in both Western classical and Eastern traditional music. Orchestras particularly favor a type of gong known as a tam-tam.

Maracas: Originating in Venezuela but popular throughout Latin American music, maracas are wooden shakers with handles.

Castanets: Castanets are handheld wood idiophones that come in pairs. They make a clicking sound when the player snaps two of them together.

Güiro: An idiophone made from a dried gourd. Typically, a percussionist plays güiro by rubbing wire brushes against it.

Shekere: A dried gourd covered with a netting of beads. Originally from West Africa and popular in Latin American traditions, it produces sound when shaken.

Tubular bells: These are pitched chimes that a player strikes with beaters.

Mbira: Also known as an African thumb piano, a mbira contains individual keys that a player presses and releases, causing them to vibrate.

Cabasa: A type of African shaker made by wrapping metal chains around a wooden cylinder.

Xylophone: A pitched percussion instrument made from wooden bars laid out like a piano keyboard, which the player strikes with felted mallets.

Marimba: A musical instrument much like a xylophone but with a greater range and resonators beneath its wood bars.

Vibraphone: An adaptation of a xylophone, the vibraphone has metal bars and a built-in electric resonator that projects the instrument's sound. A vibraphone is essentially a plugged-in metal marimba.

Glockenspiel: A smaller member of the xylophone and vibraphone family, containing small metal bars that produce a definite pitch with numerous overtones.

Steel drum: An idiophone made from a concave metal drum. The player can attain different pitches by striking different parts of the drum.

Cowbell: A hollow metal idiophone named for a similar device hung around the necks of some domestic cows.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[commodorez]

I still believe the craziest form of computer program storage format from the 1980s is the cassette tape. Logical I get it but to store entire programs on little tape (that I only remember using to play music) is just crazy to me. Idk

Agreed, cassette tape for data storage was really clever. The concept had its heyday was the 1970s in a wide variety of encoding schemes for different computer platforms. It did persist into the 80s, mostly in Europe, while the US switched to floppy disks as soon as they were available for systems. The majority of my Ohio Scientific software is on cassette.

Talking with UK vs. US Commodore 64 users in particular will highlight the disparity in which storage mediums that were commonplace. I've got a few pieces of software on tape for mainly the VIC-20, but I rarely bother to use it, because it's slow and annoying. To be fair, Commodore's implementation of data storage on tape is pretty rock solid relative to the competition. It's considered more reliable than other company's but Chuck Peddle's implementation of the cassette routines are considered quite enigmatic to this day. He didn't document it super well, so CBM kept reusing his old code from the PET all the way through the end of the C128's development 7 years later because they didn't want to break any backward compatibility.

The big thing that really made alot of homebrewers and kit computer owners cozy up to the idea was the introduction of the Kansas City Standard from 1976. The idea of getting away from delicate and slow paper tape, and moving towards an inexpensive, portable, and more durable storage medium was quite enticing. Floppy disk drives and interfaces were expensive at the time, so something more accessible like off the shelf audio tapes made sense.

I've linked two places you can read about it from Byte Magazine's February 1976 issue below (check the attribution links).

You might recognize a familiar name present...

There are a few ways to encode binary data on tape designed to handle analog audio, but the KCS approach is to have 1's be 8 cycles of 2400Hz tone, and 0's be 4 cycles of 1200Hz tone. I say cycles, because while 300 baud is the initial specification, there is also a 1200 baud specification available, so the duration of marks vs spaces (another way of saying 1's and 0's), is variable based on that baud rate. Many S-100 computers implemented it, as do a few contemporary proprietary designs.

The big 3 microcomputers of 1977 that revolutionized the industry (Apple II, Commodore PET 2001, and Tandy TRS-80 Model I) each have their own cassette interface implementation. It kept costs down, and it was easy to implement, all things considered. The Apple II and TRS-80 use off-the-shelf cassette deck connections like many other machines, whereas the original variant of the PET had an integrated cassette. Commodore later used external cassette decks with a proprietary connector, whereas many other companies abandoned tape before too long. Hell, even the original IBM PC has a cassette port, not that anybody bothered to use that. Each one used a different encoding format to store their data, rather than KCS.

Here's a sample of what an OSI-formatted tape sounds like.

And here's a Commodore formatted tape, specifically one with VIC-20 programs on it.

I won't subject you to the whole program, or we'd be here all day. The initial single tone that starts the segment is called the "leader", I've truncated it for the sake of your ears, as well as recorded them kinda quietly. I don't have any other tape formats on hand to demonstrate, but I think you get the idea.

You can do alot better than storing programs on tape, but you can also do alot worse -- it beats having to type in a program every time from scratch.

[imagoddamnonionmason]

Esmeralda "Falcon" Sanchez

Images by @/melodamage on X, @/penduluns, @/dreamsofrvens on X.

Basic Information

Other name(s): Esme, Falcon

Citizenship: Mexican American

Language(s): Spanish (Mexican), English

Place of Birth: Los Angeles

Date of Birth: 5th May 1997

Occupation: Pilot

Status: Alive

Physical Appearance

Eyes: Green

Hair: Black

Skin: olive, medium, warm undertone

Tattoo(s): none

Scar(s): Multiple faded small scars from different injuries. One deep scar on upper right thigh from shrapnel injury.

Face Claim:  Lydia Graham

Description: Esme stands at around 5ft5inches tall with an athletic build; she keeps on top of her strength training and general fitness but has well toned muscles. She is not overly muscular, but you can tell she works out. Her hair is short-ish in length, coming to stop just above her shoulders and straight, parted from the left side.

She is often found wearing a pilot's flight suit, undone with the arms tied around her waist. Underneath that, she wears tank tops or small t-shirts. With that, she will often wear combat boots with the laces wrapped around her ankles before she ties them at the front. When she is needed for her flying, she will undo the suit and become fully kitted out with everything she needs to pilot, with a pistol strapped to her leg in case she finds herself down.

Personality

Like(s): her rage room, mechanical things, taking apart the bike engine she has inside her rage room (not to be touched by anyone but her), birds of prey, bird watching, food, flying

Dislike(s): being grounded for too long, people who assert control over her without earning it, disrespectful people, the Federation, rain, colder weather, people who mumble too much, boats, the ocean, people not valuing her place and skillsets

Strength(s): exceptional flier, hawk-like eyes that can spot things from a fair good distance, strong-willed, good survival instincts, compassionate

Weakness(es): can be impatient, single-minded at times, tunnel vision, stuck in the past at times

Relationships

Parent(s):  Elena “El” Sanchez, Christopher “Chris” Sanchez

Sibling(s): Liam Mateo Sanchez (goes by Mateo)

Spouse(s): Keegan P. Russ (eventually)

Children: none yet

Affiliation(s): J.J (@deeptrashwitch) Beth (@stargazing-sapphire2) (more can be added, just ask me!)

Biography

Born to a Mexican-born mother and American-born USAF father, Esme was a child of the military and moved around a lot with her family. She was extremely close with her father, despite him not spending a lot of time at home, as she appreciated his time with more passion the less of it they had. She made every second count, as did her father. By comparison, her brother was not as close, and even resented him for not putting the family first. The two were also extremely close with their mother and loved her dearly, enjoying her cooking, her made up games, the creativity she brought to the home. She was a mother without compare, in their eyes, no one ever reaching the pedestal that they had put her on. And Elena adored her children.

When Esme was much older, she came to a decision that she would like to follow in her father's footsteps and become a pilot, however, she didn't want to fly jets or planes. Esme has set her heart on helicopters.

By the time she was 18, Esme had applied to join the US Army and completed the Warrant Officer Flight Program over an 18 month period. Her parents couldn't be prouder, but there was little affection or support from her brother, though he did not make this obvious. In 2017, the battles that would follow the Federation's first attack were some of Esme's first. A few years after that, whilst on leave, she visited her mother and brother in Mexico, just before the Federation attacked and claimed Mexico a part of its dictatorship. It was during this time that Esme had to hide her true occupation, while working to keep her family safe; she intended on escaping Mexico with them, heading towards the border to America where she knew fellow troops were holding the line. However, it was on this journey that they were captured by Federation soldiers, questioned and threatened. Esme refused to talk, unwilling to give in to their demands. It was at this moment that one soldier killed their mother in front of them. Her brother caved, begging them to take them in and that they would fight for the Federation. He gave his sister the grace to keep her secret safe, not revealing that she was with the US Army, or else that would mean her death, too. It was at this point that Esme and her brother were taken in by the Federation and became soldiers; Esme's talents as a pilot were clocked and she unwillingly, silently spent years biding her time for the right moment to escape. Meanwhile, her brother worked his way up through the ranks, gave in to their propaganda, and came to love the Federation. While stationed at a remote POW base, one that her brother was the overseer for, Esme found her opportunity to escape. A rebel attack gave her the opening and Esme stole one of the helicopters with the intent on flying to the nearest US-associated base.

She knew the risk that came with flying an enemy bird into US territory, but it was calculated and one she was willing to take; of course, with the lack of luck that Esme seemed to have, her bird was shot down. In its crash landing, Esme survived, but was injured, a jagged piece of shrapnel stuck in her thigh as well as a broken wrist, other grazes and scratches. She tried to patch herself up as best she could and waited, knowing that her former affiliate would send someone to check out why a singular enemy chopper was flying so haphazardly in enemy territory.

This was her first run in with the Ghosts, Beth (@stargazing-sapphire2's oc) was the one locate her and after a brief conversation, she had gained herself long enough to plead her case to Elias. Of course, there were records of her, records that stated she was AWOL. Given that snippet of truth to her story, Elias allowed her the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention, Esme had good insight a fraction of their enemy, and all information was helpful. It took a while for Esme to find her place, but she was glad to be back with the people she was supposed to have been fighting for from the beginning. She remains loyal to them, fiercely, but experiences a lot of grief over the loss of her brother, who still maintains oversight on many POW camps.

Divider Credit: me.

[mosneakers]

Clementine: [staring at the screen in disbelief] This doesn't make any sense. She won… it's official. Kirsten: [with a heavy sigh] Well, I’ll be damned. You kids see the power you wield? You resurrected that Salas bunch, and now we’ve got a damn vampire in office. I'm telling you, it's that Darling family curse, it's no joke.

Salem: Yeah, no one's fucking laughing, mom.

Yellow: [Starts pacing, checking cell phone] Has anyone heard from Coraleye? It’s nearly 4 AM, and she hasn’t checked in. That’s not like her—especially after this long.

Donna, anxiously knitting on the sofa, turns to give her husband a loving glance, striving to keep her tone light and comforting. Donna: We needn't fret, love. She's likely off with Tycho, helping him get his mind off things like lovebirds do— hehe! Yellow: [Sighs] You’re probably right. I’ll give her more time before trying again. I do remember how it felt, being young and utterly smitten. [Grins and cheesily winks at Donna]

Salem: Disgusting.

Donna: You are! [Playfully sticks out tongue]

Seymour, thought to be asleep, croaks a laugh. Salem groans and leans forward, burying her head in her hands.

Out of nowhere, the Darling family landline rings, breaking the silence with a jolt. The unexpected sound causes even the family dog to yelp in surprise. Donna: Oh, heavens! It's alright, Mimsy, that's just the phone. Gave me a scare too; it hardly ever rings. Excuse me, I'll answer it.

Donna gently sets her knitting kit aside, then carefully maneuvers around the jumbled feet and dog, making her way to the foyer to tend to the ringing phone. Yellow tries his daughter’s cellphone once more, as Clementine nudges Salem with her leg. Clementine: What's wrong? Having doubts about resurrecting them? Salem: Of course not. Don’t be stupid. That was the only way I'd get you back. How was I supposed to know it'd get lead to this? She was so different all those years ago.

Donna, usually known for her bravery, suddenly cries out in distress from the foyer, causing Yellow to rush to her side, alarmed. Yellow: Donna, sweetheart! What's wrong? Who called? Donna: That was an officer from the city. We have to go pick up Coraleye right away! There's been a terrible accident. Yellow: What? What happened to her? Is she hurt?

Donna: She's safe, but it sounds like others may have been hurt, and she's rather quite shaken. They wouldn't elaborate, so I guess we'll learn more when we arrive. Oh! Let me just fetch my slippers!

Clementine: Shit, I’m pretty worried… should we tag along? Yellow: We’ll manage. Maybe you all stay here in case anything comes up here. Thanks, Clem. Mom— we'll be right back with Coraleye. Will you be alright getting Dad to bed? Kirsten: Yes, of course, hun. Just get my baby girl back home safe and soon.

Clementine: Ditto. Give her hugs and kisses for me. [Waits for Donna and Yellow to leave] What a crazy night. What do you think went down?

Salem: How should I know.

Clementine: Think it’s connected to Salas winning?

Salem: Most likely. And now that a psychotic vampire is in charge— this is just the beginning. Who knows what she's capable of?

Kirsten: You can say that again. How long is it gonna take before someone addresses that none of us mediums have been able to make contact with Jay Salas? I think the bitch killed her husband. Salem: Mom please, not now. Kirsten: Sorry! Just saying... I have my suspicions. Guess we'll save it for a later season.

Salem exhales heavily, clutching her scalp. Her gaze drifts to the glowing TV screen, where Tatiana's unsettling grin beams back, mocking her hesitation.

Salem: Ugh, fuck! I can’t believe I’m responsible for this fucking shitshow.

Clementine: [Brief silence, eyes transfixed on the screen] …You brought her into this realm.

Salem: …And I’m gonna have to take her out.

[wolven91]

New Style. New You.

Fur was a standard amongst the stars.

Oh sure, some of the races sported beautiful feathers. Others look resplendent in beautiful scales that shone like gemstones. But most of the races had fur. The taurians had mostly short velvet-like cover, except atop their heads. The felinoids ranged from the short to the long fur and the ursidains had fur several inches thick at times.

Thanks to this, everyone had grooming kits. Small bundles that unrolled into a selection of tools for removing knots, brushes for straightening ruffled patches and even small scissors for the removal of that which will not obey its owner. These self-grooming tools were common. Even children would have their own, despite lacking the scissors.

With a body worth of fur, it was expected that one would need to maintain their own pelt.

But, that did not stop the need for those who could take an unmoulded medium of unsculpted head fur and turn it into something that pulled the owner's chin up, push their chest out and whisper into their ear that a strut was needed from them. There were groomers of course, beings would like up and would be brought back into acceptable appearances via a groomer who just wanted to get as many customers sorted as they could.

But then there was Notila.

Notila was a taurian and had dedicated himself to this act of artistry. His medium, was other's fur.  He could take a loveless taurian woman and with his tools, a bit of product and a peptalk, turn her into a taurian who's horns rivalled the very mountains. He had managed celebrities, lords and even royalty. More than once had he had received gifts to his private shop as thanks for his work, it was so life changing. Everyone wanted him to 'do' their fur.

The taurian male, draped in the finest shimmering silks, and glittering gold jewellery, from his own little kingdom, enjoyed the fact that he was the premier stylist in the system. Twenty-two billion souls and they all dreamed for him to cut their fur.

So, when the human settled down into Notila's chair for the fifth time and asked for a 'short, back and sides'. Notila clasped his hands together and touched the sides of his palms to the tip of his snout. With his eyes closed, Notila took in a calm and steading breath. The human watched the gold bangles tinkle together as the taurian remained still for a moment, seemingly gathering his thoughts.

"You live in the same high security building as me and you're human. This is why you can get your hair cut here every few months." The taurian explained carefully to the human. His many earrings sparkling in the light.

"Without throwing myself to narcissism, it would be... disingenuous to not point out that this career of mine has made me the number one in my craft..." The bull continued. The human at this point was merely looking up at the male, blinking innocently. His fine silks were flawless, despite being in his shop most of the day, the taurian's robes were nary a jot out of place. Not a single errant strand of fur or hair lay on his clothes.

"I could make you anything." The hornless taurian promised. "Your hair is sculpt-able. Malleable. I could make every man, woman and child look at you and want to *be* you." Notila opened his eyes and gazed at the customer that sat waiting in the chair that could easily have been a throne elsewhere. The human's lips pulled into a tight smile and nodded gently in understanding as Notila's palms, still pressed together, fell and pointed at the human.

"So why do you torture me so and ask to have everything lopped off every time?!" The taurian demanded with a serious tone, 'almost' glaring at the customer.

"It's what I want?" Replied the human dumbly. Notila's mind crashed to a desktop before rebooting causing him to stutter in his response, his fists clenched immediately.

"Bu- You- It-" The taurian had to physically stop himself from allowing his now outstretched hands from throttling the beligerant alien. "Fine. You want to be shaved? We'll shave you." The taurian snapped, waving a dismissive hand above his head as if throwing the idea of anything else away. Having a small tantrum from being denied, Notila put away his tools and went to get his clippers, almost unused except for when the human arrived.

"You know shaving is seen as sickness or punishment right?" The taurian called back, grabbing the clippers from the drawer and sneering at them before stomping back in a display almost never seen in male taurians. They were meant to be grace, untouched by the world around them. But Notila had been denied his passion in his own shop one too many times.

In his defence, the human was not unaware of the taurian's distress, but knew that he couldn't be bothered to keep up with whatever design the exuberent taurian gave him.

"I didn't... but... Look... If you were to-" Sputtered the human, suddenly acutely aware something was wrong. His words however, sharked hope within the taurian's breast.

"*Yes?!*" Notila replied, practically running back over to his customer, and swinging himself around the back of the chair and landing against the counter the human was sat infront of. This was the furthest he had ever got with the fleshy alien; was he about to agree!?

"I'm not going to be able to keep up with whatever you do. It would look like a great hairstyle, but then tomorrow it would just be back to my usual messy style. I don't want to disappoint you by wearing it wrong." Explained the human carefully, trying to articulate the issue.

Notila took a breath, and hesitated before he answered with a calm and steady tone.

"So it's not that you're allergic to fashion?" He asked.

"No, I'm just lazy." Admitted the human.

"My dear, lazy I can deal with. You ever met my kind's 'other half'?" Grinned the taurian, merely mentioning the ladette ladies of his own species.

"So you wont care if I don't keep it up?" Questioned the man, unsure where this was going. If fiddling with his hair made the hornless flamboyant bull happy; why wouldn't he let him?

"Oh, I absolutely will. It would be like throwing mud at a painting the day after it was finished." Admitted Notila.

"Oh." The wind being stolen from the human's sails. "Then-"

"I will come to yours each morning and personally complete your hair." Interjected the alien with a sharp, toothy grin.

"Wha-" The human started, but lost his voice, mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land.

"Let me style your hair, let me tame these beautifully long strands into art and I will make the effort to come to you any day you plan to be seen in public. If, by the time of your next haircut, you want to go back?" A casual shrug, foreign to the taurian normally, but he was appealing to the human at this moment; manners be damned.

"Then I shall never mention it again and will live my remaining days happy that I was able to show you your potential at least once."

The pair were sat in silence for a time, the taurian perfectly still, his many dangling bits of jewellery not even 'tinkling' together he was so still. Until he decided to push it just a bit further.

"After all, I can bring a squidgit to the water, but I cannot force it to drink." He finished with a grin, then showed his hands.

In his left; shearers.

In his right; scissors.

The human sighed and gave a flat smile again.

"I am a blank canvas. I trust you."

-- 0 --

When the human turned his head from one side to the other, he had to admit; he would have *never* picked this.

A mohawk, His sides were still shaved, but with intricate patterns and strange shapes gently sculped into his hair line. Not only that, but the dye that Notilas had used was special. As and when heat was applied; it would change colours gradually. The man had been shocked when Notilas had started using a hairdryer to dry off his hair and watched in the mirror how it went from a deep purple, to blue, to yellow, to red. The taurian was of course, grinning from ear to ear the entire time. Even the man's beard had not been safe from Notila's ministrations as swooping curls had been finely shaved into it using the very edge of a scalpel.

As the human stood from the chair, and looked at himself in the mirror, inspecting the hair and hairline, but also leaning in and running the tips of his fingers over the swirls in his beard; he liked how it felt, even if it was rather loud compared to his usual fare.

As the human straightened, his usual slouch; didn't suit the bold and powerful style.

Briefly frowning, the man straightened. His spine clicked as he pulled his shoulders back.

So long had the man spent trying to get by, he'd attempted to hide himself in plain sight. But the powerful symbol he now wore needed, or rather demanded attention.

Turning and checking himself in the full-length mirror, the human felt... seen.

"Huh..." He murmured.

"My dear human... If you had merely said it was a lack of habit, I would have offered this when you had first arrived. You deserve to be seen. I'm not ignorant to you or your people's plight. It is your, and your kind's duty to bellow and bleat against the crowd now. To be seen. Heard. If nothing else remembered."

The human smirked, still getting used to standing tall.

"Maybe you're right..."

"Of course I am. Look at me! I'm the great Notilas!"

[r/WolvensStories]

[Ko-Fi]

[subterraneanna]

@youandthemountains asked in the tags if I’d be willing to share my artmaking process, so for anyone else interested: I frequently jump between mediums, so for better or worse, I’ve never had a set process. But I’m happy to walk through the steps I took to create my last piece and show the tools I used. Also, because I never want my creations mistaken for generative AI, I’ve gotten in the habit of documenting the work (perhaps excessively!) so I have plenty of WIP photos to share:

(More below the cut)

My current sketchbook is made of cold-pressed 100% cotton paper with a nice toothy vellum surface that’s great for wet and dry media. Usually, when working with ink, I start directly sketching with a pen or marker. But achieving reasonable character likeness was important here, and I didn’t want to mess it up, so I did a light pencil sketch first. I then inked it with a fountain pen and erased the pencil marks once dry. And because the pen was loaded with waterproof ink, it was safe to paint over with watercolor. As I was painting, I noticed the paper had a slight yellow tint which worked well with the warmer light sources but muddied the blues and purples. I wanted the color to be more vibrant, so I scanned the piece, digitally painted in some deeper values, and did a little color correction to bump up the cooler tones. I’m glad I did because the improved contrast made the bioluminescent parts pop.

I didn’t have a plan when I made this piece, and in hindsight, I wish I had done a little more line weight variation, but I’m still happy with how it came out. I think Spock’s pose is appropriately awkward. And the fact that he and McCoy seem to be sticking to their typically squashed 4:3 aspect ratio positioning despite the wide-open forest feels right.

These are the supplies I used, most of which work as a travel kit for plein-air painting and sketching (I ditch the longer paintbrushes and use the travel brush with a built-in water well [disassembled in the watercolor kit]):

Not all of my projects are as simple as the last one. For instance, the Sub Rosa painting I did last year was a big production that combined concept work, painting, graphic design, lighting design, and even some cosplay! A certain level of realism was needed to pull off a convincing romance novel cover, so good reference photos were crucial. But I wasn’t interested in re-painting a still shot from TNG footage. I wanted a completely original composition and pose with lighting that was far more dramatic than the scene it was parodying. So, I set up studio lights, dressed as Dr. Crusher, and took several hundred photos whipping my wig around with a high-powered fan blowing (I'm not posting those pics 😅). I then sifted through them for light and shadow details that eventually informed the painting you see. Unfortunately, I hit a major snag when I realized I couldn’t find a single photo of Gates McFadden in similar lighting. And if the painting didn’t instantly read as her, the whole thing would be a bust. I didn't think it'd be that much of a challenge, but I failed so many times. When I got the lighting right, the likeness was lost. When I got the likeness right, the lighting looked disconnected from the rest of the painting. I wrestled with this for months. NGL a few angry tears were shed at one point, and many evening walks were spent sulking over whatever the hell anaphasic energy light was supposed to look like reflected on skin (if you look closely at the episode footage, there’s no actual green light on Beverly while Ronin’s in his non-corporeal state). Things finally clicked somewhere around the 10th (?) version I painted, and while the lighting’s still a little wonky, I’m playing it off as supernatural artistic license.

Thank you @youandthemountains for asking about my work and for all of your kind words! I always read the tags people leave; they're a big motivation to keep making more fanart!

[mineesims]

New video coming today at 3:00

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgKoBGaT7lrE-Hu_Cndfdlw

CC - List:

All sims:

Default eyes: pirumxsim (tumblr.com)

Default skin: AGAVE; a default + non default skinblend | Patreon

Skin tones: velvet scout; (tumblr.com)

Default teeth 1: 👽 Default, non-default, additional maxis teeth (update 19.11.2020) | Patreon

Default teeth 2: MAGIC BOT: 👽 DEFAULT AND NON-DEFAULT ALPHA TEETH - bgc,... (tumblr.com)

No EA eyelashes: Sim File Share - Filehosting for Simmers

Pierced ears: adelar sims : PIERCED EARS (skin detail) (tumblr.com)

Tanya:

Genetics:

Hair: The Sims Resource - WINGS-ER0206-Medium curly hair

Eyes: sims3melancholic: download (ea) \ info: contacts... - Emily CC Finds (tumblr.com)

Eyebrows: GPME-GOLD M-Eyebrows G11 | Patreon

Skin : its haha funny : Saturnine Skinblend Stuff; for all ages & genders... (tumblr.com)

Hand color: The Sims Resource - Sweetheart Hand Palms Skin Detail

Highlight: highlight #3 by sims3melancholic | Patreon

Eye bags: The Sims Resource - Eyebags N09

Freckles: Freckle Overlay This set of freckles contains 12... : Nolan-Sims

Clavicle overlay: its haha funny : Skin Details Pack theses are skin details from... (tumblr.com)

Belly overlay: BODYCARE KIT🥑 | Patreon

Cleavage overlay: September Set of Genetics! | Patreon

Lashes: 3 D L a s h e s V 3 | Patreon

Presets:

Ears: Ear Presets 6 different ear shapes for Sims aged... - Luumia (luumiasims.com)

Lips: its haha funny : More Lip presets Stuff 20 presets all ages &... (tumblr.com)

Nose: Summer Wind | Patreon

Clothes:

Top: Rapcopters sweater | Patreon

Skirt: unable to find

Shoes: Demonia Boots - The Sims 4 Download - SimsFinds.com

Makeup:

Lips: The Sims Resource - Edona Lipstick N97

Eyeshadow: The Sims Resource - Vanilla Eyeshadow Intense N02

Eyeliner: GOPPOLS Me on Tumblr: GPME Liner cc7 5 Swatches Download (  PAYPAL ) BUY ME A COFFEE  ��� Thank for support me  ❤   Thanks for all CC creators ❤...

Accessories:

Piercing: PIERCING Ultimate Collection | Patreon

Bra: BOUDOIR COLLECTION What better way to spend... : S E N T A T E (tumblr.com)

Nails: The Sims Resource - Matte Square Nails N07

Choker: NECKLACE Ultimate Collection | Patreon

Leg warmers: leg warmer | Patreon

Mia:

Genetics:

Hair: SONYASIMS - JUDGEMENT HAIR - Files - The Sims 4 Create a Sim - CurseForge

Skin: scarlet skinblend. | Patreon

Eyes: 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐬𝟑𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 #𝟔𝟓 & 𝟔𝟔 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 #𝟐 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 #𝟗 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 #𝟏 | Patreon

Eyebrows: cupid eyebrows set ☾ | Patreon

Eyelashes: MMSIMS 3D Eyelash v3 | Patreon

Highlighter: A set of hand drawn highlighter for your sims with... : MMFINDS (tumblr.com)

Belly overlay: unable to find

Acne: soroka's stuff / real skin acne skindetail acne category 21... (tumblr.com)

Presets:

Lips: its haha funny : Dahlia Lip Presets Stuff  8 presets all ages &... (tumblr.com)

Clothes:

Shoes: *Download* Canvas Sneakers 02 & 03 | Patreon

Shirt: The Sims Resource - Belaoallure_Janet t_shirt (patreon)

Shorts: 💿 Afterparty Set 💿 | Patreon

Makeup:

Lips: GRANDE Coffee Collection | Patreon

Accessories:

Nails: sims, spice and everything nice — Nail It! Set by Joliebean Everyone loves a good... (tumblr.com)

Necklace: The Sims Resource - S-Club ts4 LL Necklace 201910

Bracelet: 4w25-cc: Star Infinity Bracelets TF-EF 5... | love 4 cc finds (tumblr.com)

Taylor:

Genetics:

Hair: The Sims Resource - WINGS-ES0529-Soft and straight long hair

Skin: S A Y A - C C — SAYA ~ { Sigrún Skin Overlay } (tumblr.com)

Eyebrows: EYEBROW Ultimate Collection | Patreon

Eyes: contacts #44 by sims3melancholic | Patreon

Highlighter: 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒔3𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄 | Patreon

Cleavage overlay: September Set of Genetics! | Patreon

Moles: MOLES N2 | Patreon

Clothes:

Shoes: [SUNBERRY]Vintage leather boots long & short SET 23.78 (Early access) | Patreon

Shorts: Ruffle Denim (nitropanic.net)

Top: Racer Top | snailrow (elliesimple-sims.com)

Makeup:

Eyeliner: GOPPOLS Me on Tumblr: GPME Liner cc7 5 Swatches Download (  PAYPAL ) BUY ME A COFFEE  ❤ Thank for support me  ❤   Thanks for all CC creators ❤...

Eyeshadow: The Sims Resource - Sakura Eyeshadow N33

Blush: ✿ petals - a soft makeup pack hi friends! here’s... : ☼☼☼ (tumblr.com)

Accessories:

Piercing: PIERCING Ultimate Collection | Patreon

Nails: magic-bot: magic-bot: 👽 NAILS 7V (SHORT) This... - Emily CC Finds (tumblr.com)

[vukae]

♡‧₊˚ Makeup brands for a Neapolitan ice cream look! ₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Disclaimer: They are brands from different countries, so they can be difficult to get, since it is mostly Asian makeup

1-. Canmake

Canmake is a Chinese brand that is quite popular in its home country for its affordable prices and incredible quality. They have beautiful and feminine designs, full of precious details, despite the low price. I recommend buying on their official website or on Yesstyle

Below are some lovely products you might like!

Silky loose moist powder ♡

A translucent powder that leaves a beautiful effect on the skin. Not only does it come in pink shades, but this lovely shade is recommended for healthy, smooth skin.

Nose Shadow Maker ♡

If you like to contour your nose, you will love this small but adorable kit! It has beautiful and perfect shades for an ideal nose and face contour.

Poreless Airy Base ♡

A cheap but good makeup primer, perfect for porous or uneven skin. It leaves a delicious and fresh feeling on the skin, like a Neapolitan ice cream!

Powder Cheeks ♡

Not only is it a beautiful design, but it also has beautiful, buildable pigmentation for a natural, gorgeous flush!

Metalook Mascara ♡

If you want a brown mascara for a lovely and natural look, this is your mascara! It also has a cute and natural design, and will leave your lashes looking like a dream.

2-. Too faced

This brand may not be cheap, but the quality is amazing and totally worth it. The packaging is beautiful and has a variety of shades ideal for different skin tones. I recommend buying at Sephora.

Below are some lovely products you might like!

Better Than Chocolate Eye Shadow Palette ♡

A literally chocolatey palette ideal for both natural looks and something more daring! It is an excellent option if you are looking for a versatile palette.

Born This Way Soft Blur Flexible Finish Setting Powder ♡

It's perfect for soft, delicate skin, plus it helps control oiliness and is non-comedogenic, vegan and cruelty-free! (remember, pretty girls are pretty inside and out). It comes in various shades, ideal if you have dark skin.

Born This Way Flawless Coverage Natural Finish Foundation ♡

A medium to high coverage foundation perfect for porcelain skin and making it look like you're wearing a filter in real life. It has an incredible range of shades, as well as being moisturizing despite its covering effect on the skin.

Natural Chocolate Bronzer ♡

A bronzer that looks like cocoa powder! It has a delicious chocolate scent and forms a second skin, which is ideal if you want a natural bronzer effect.

Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara ♡

One of the most viral mascaras on the Internet for its gorgeous lengthening and volumizing effect. If you have any doubts about its wonderful effect, I recommend buying the mini version! It also has a version in chocolate tone.

3-. Flower Knows

A brand of Chinese origin that has been on the market for years, but went viral for its beautiful maximalist packaging with a tendency towards antique-style designs. If you want to feel like a princess, this brand is perfect! I recommend buying the products on Aliexpress, since they are more expensive on their website (I clarify that they are not copies, they are originals, I bought them)

Below are some lovely products you might like!

Chocolate Wonder-Shop Highlighter & Contour ♡

A gorgeous contour palette with beautiful, delicate detailing and a light chocolate scent. It's more like a cool contour than a warm one.

Chocolate Wonder-Shop Eight-Color Eyeshadow Palette ♡

This gorgeous palette comes in 3 different shades, for both simple looks and more colorful and bright looks. It has beautiful details in the shadows and is almost a shame to use!

Chocolate Wonder-Shop Mascara ♡

It comes in different shades, leaves your lashes long and perfect, and doesn't clump or anything like that. I have this gorgeous mascara, and it's one of my favorites!

Chocolate Wonder-Shop Cloud Lip Cream ♡

If you want matte and delicate lips, this is your ideal product. It is perfect for creamy lips without being dry or cracked. It is available in 9 shades. It leaves a beautiful sensation on the lips.

4-. Chantilly

A Japanese brand that you probably don't know by name, but if you spend a lot of time on Pinterest you've probably seen some of their beautiful packaging!

Below are some lovely products you might like!

Sweets Sweets Premium Gateau Shading ♡

I don't think I need to explain why this gorgeous palette looks like a candy box! It's compact and perfect for travel, and has an absolutely adorable design.

Sweets Sweets Eye Bag Plumper ♡

If you want big, beautiful eyes, this compact and perfect palette is for you. It has everything you need to create an adorable and appetizing look.

Sweets Sweets Premium Chocolat Shading ♡

This is so adorable! This has that 2000's popsicle look with a chocolate girl twist. No further comments.

That's all, bye bye!

[nczaversnick]

Character Intro: Project Gemini

Caspian Álvarez

Age: 23

Pronouns: He/Him

Status: Water Deviant

Rank: Private

Occupation: Nursing student

In book description:

As he passed by the mirror, he caught a glimpse of his reflection. When was the last time he properly looked at himself in the mirror? He leaned his hands on the countertop and just stared, lightly tracing his face. Underneath the harsh, bluish-white tones of the cheap, artificial lighting, his usual dirt-colored irises were now beady with any kind of life snuffed out of them. The lack of sunlight paled his warm cocoa skin. His cheeks were flatter, and his jawline was more pronounced. The scrubs he swore that used to fit him nicely before now hung looser, enough to hook a finger underneath the hems. He looked different. He was unfamiliar to the man that was staring back at him.

Family: In book 1, just Athena, his twin sister

Pets: Iris makes him a small robotic bird [that I haven’t named yet] with a bubbly personality with the ability to record and playback audio

Best friend: Isaac [Last Name]

Room description:

In his apartment I don’t think there’s anything to describe. He’s too busy working to decorate. At the rebel base he sleeps in a dormitory with other rebels but he has a chest to keep personal affects in.

Way of speaking: His voice is like medium in pitch. You can hear how muchy he cares in his voice. But still has a nervous anxiety to it as well.

Physical characteristics: Usually tense, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice due to both military and ER training, usually has dark circles under his eyes but his expression is usually warm and inviting.

Items on hand: Before joining the rebels, mostly just his tablet. He doesn’t need keys or a wallet because of the chip implanted in his arm. After he carries a gun but never uses it, and some basic emergency supplies like a flashlight, some matches and a water bottle and a first aid kit

Hobbies: Not sure he really has any. Working in the medical field is his passion and he’s spent nearly every minute since getting out of basic doing exactly that

Relatioships: Overall he gets along fine with most people. He struggles at first coming to the rebel base but eventually grows close with them. I don’t really want to give away specific relationship dynamics other than that Caspian and Adrian are supposed to be a versdion of enemies to lovers. Oh and that at the time the book starts, Caspian hasn’t seen Athena is like, 5 years. Caspian initially harbors some resentment towardes her for abandoning him after their parents went missing.

Fears: Bro has crippling abandonment issues. Also, snakes.

Faults: Caspian is unbelievably selfless. He has always put taking care of others before himself

Good points: He is kind and patient, even with Adrian

What they want more than anything: To be a doctor

Project Gemini Tag List [comment to be +/- from this list]

@the-golden-comet @honeybewrites @athenadire @the-ellia-west @yourpenpaldee @leahnardo-da-veggie

[distanthorizons]

THE PEAK WATCHERS

A tabby cat leaps down from the side of a jagged cliff as you approach. "You've wandered far," they note with a slow nod of their head. It seems as though they already knew of your presence. "You came to learn more, huh?" They ponder the idea, watching you from above. After a moment, they nod. "Sure. But you'll have to keep up."

Common cat traits:

Muscular build: Muscular build which is well-suited for climbing, jumping, and navigating their rocky terrain. Strong limbs and powerful muscles. 

Medium to long fur: Protects against the harsh, rocky environment. This fur also helps to cushion them against rough surfaces, and insulates them against the winds that sweep through the ravines. 

Earthy tones: Often have earthy tones, which help them camouflage against predators and rivals. 

Thick paw pads: Thick and tough paws, developed to withstand the sharp rocks and uneven ground of their territory. These help to prevent injuries and allow them to move swiftly across rough terrain. 

Robust tails: Long and robust tails, providing balance and stability during climbs and jumps. Their tail acts as a counterbalance, which is crucial for maintaining their footing on precarious ledges and narrow pathways. 

Values and culture:

Familial bonds: Great importance on their sense of community and familial bonds. They are always looking out for one another and believe that their lives are safer when they work together. 

Resilience: Values resilience and the ability to overcome challenges. Living in this rocky, rugged territory, they pride themselves on their toughness and ability to adapt to these harsh conditions.

Observation: Sharp observational skills and ability to see long distances into the territories below. They use this keen sense to detect any signs of danger or opportunity. 

Precision: Every move within the Peak Watchers is calculated and crucial. They strive to be exact in their actions, whether it’s in climbing, hunting, jumping, or combat. Making little mistakes and correcting them quickly is a key part to their culture. 

Traditions:

The Climbing Ceremony: [Apprentices] are officially recognized in a ceremony where they must climb a designated cliff unassisted. This ritual symbolizes their readiness to face the challenges of The Peak Watchers and their commitment to the Watchers, but it is quite dangerous. 

The Great Leap: An event where all cats participate in a series of leaping competitions. This event greatly tests their agility and precision, with the winner earning a place of honor and respect for the cycle (3 months). 

Storytelling Circles: Members of the Peak Watchers will gather together and tell stories of their past achievements and struggles. Some elders will tell glorified stories to the young kits.

Moonlit Observations: On a clear sky when the moon is bright, the cats gather at the highest peak in their territory to observe the land below. This is great practice for 

Watcher’s Resilience: A test where [apprentices] must spend several days and nights alone in a particularly challenging part of the territory. This is to assess their ability to survive, adapt, and overcome adversity. 

Wall Stories: Particularly artistic members of this group are tasked with recording the legends, stories and heroic happenings that the group has encountered or performed themselves upon the cavern walls that the group calls home. The paintings are specialized and unique for every member, and might be indecipherable to visiting cats from other groups. The paints are made from a mixture of water, ground stone and clay, and oftentimes berries.

Healing Stone Ceremony: When a cat becomes a [Healer], they must find and retrieve a unique stone/rock in a particularly dangerous cave system. This signifies their respect for the land and their newly acquired position within the group. 

Strengths:

Climbing and jumping: These cats are exceptional climbers and jumpers, able to navigate their rocky terrain with ease. 

Quick reflexes: They are able to quickly respond to hunting and combat situations, as well as if they make a wrong step on a loose rock. 

Intimate understanding: Intimate knowledge of their rocky territory which is foreign to other groups. This includes the hidden paths, tunnels, and safe spots. 

Strategic positioning: Their ability to use the rocky outcrop to their advantage allows them to set up defensive positions, making them formidable opponents in their home environment. 

Toughened bodies: The constant climbing and jumping have built these cats so they are strong and able to withstand harsh conditions and physical challenges. 

Endurance: Excellent stamina, enabling them to endure long patrols, hunting trips, and extended periods of activity within their territory. 

Weaknesses:

Scarcity of prey and herbs: The rocky terrain supports fewer prey animals compared to more fertile areas. This can lead to food scarcity, especially during harsher seasons. 

Exposure to the elements: Their territory offers less natural shelter from extreme weather conditions, unless the clan would stay within their camp. This leads to more vulnerability to the weather when outside of their camp. 

Dependence on skill: Due to the nature of their challenging environment, these cats depend on skill to provide enough prey and herbs for the clan. Wrong movements can be deadly. 

Physical strain: The constant climbing and jumping take a toll on the cats’ bodies over time, potentially leading to more frequent injuries and wear-and-tear. 

Restricted movement: The rocky outcrops can restrict movement during large-scale battles or pursuits, making it difficult to maneuver quickly or chase down fast-moving creatures. 

Vulnerability to landslides: Both rock falls and unstable ground are challenges which this group faces. They both require constant vigilance and maintenance. 

Unique Ranks

Stone Jumpers: Specialized navigators of their rocky terrain. These cats have exceptional agility and strength, allowing them to scale cliffs with ease. They also can jump far distances, and are responsible for high-ground patrols and leading rescue missions within the cliffs.

High-ground patrols: Conduct regular patrols along the cliffs and rocky outcrops, monitoring the integrity of the cliffs and marking any stones which may be loose. They are also responsible for reinforcing pathways.

Rescue operations: Responding to emergencies involving clan members or other cats who are trapped. They utilize their climbing skills to perform rescues. 

Training: Instruct apprentices in advanced climbing techniques, jumping, and save navigation of the rocky terrain. They ensure their apprentices are confident and capable.

Peak Watchers: The scouts and signallers of the group. They specialize in using the acoustics of the rift and rocky terrain to detect and project sounds. This allows the clan to communicate over long distances and detect potential threats early.

Sound monitoring: Regularly listening for distant sounds that might indicate the presence of prey, predators, or other clans.

Long-distance communication: Use “echoes” (specific call patterns) to communicate with other clan members over long distances.

Scouting: Observe the surrounding territory from above, looking for any potential threats that could be coming their way. This notifies the Watchers of any threats as early as possible.

Training: Teach apprentices how to use sound effectively for communication detection, as well as how to amplify their own vocals to communicate via “echoes”. 

[missannemakes]

Ombré/Gradient Project

Super Saver Craft Kit

this one was always kind of a silly addition to the project, because it’s not one ball of yarn that is shifting into a gradient. So there’s going to be a distinct line between colors. With my definition of gradient or ombré being a gradual shift in color, this wasn’t going to meet the definition. But, as I’ve said before, it came with purple as well as pink and blue and it’s pretty. Pretty gets a pretty big pass around here.

The yarn comes in for 50 g skeins, which is actually kind of a lot for a craft kit like this. A lot of the other ones I’ve seen and used over the years come with like 10 g or 20 g or 25 g. 50 g is a decent amount. I know obviously it is super saver yarn so it’s going to be scratchy. It is not very soft at all. It’s not sandpaper against my skin, but I have other yarn that I would rather put against my skin. Even the super saver hombre, I think is a little softer.

I worked up all of the first ball, and started on the second. I’ve said before and I’ll say again I don’t think these two particular colors go all that well together. I think there’s a difference in the tone of them. The first one is kind of a cool pink and the next one is a warmer pink. It’s not my favorite combination.

also – and you tell me what you think based on the picture of the two yarns held in my hand – I think the light pink is thicker than the medium pink. It just felt thicker... Keep in mind I had just been working with the light pink and then added the medium pink and they feel different. The medium pink almost feels flattened? The light pink is round. (I don’t know if this makes any sense…

Anyways – I don’t know where to rank this one among the other yarns that I’m trying for this project, but I’m going to keep going with it. I’m going to use all four balls of yarn and probably put this in the baby blanket stash. Somebody will appreciate the pinkity pink of it all.

[frxntlines]

open to: anyone 25+ ( f for romance ) verse: main - body-guard plot & connection: * client - what ever comes to mind!! * made with beta, pls don't like my starters. you will be blocked.

" maybe listen to me next time? " the words falling from him in a gruff tone as he took a scan at his red stained knuckles. a pulse followed by a hint of pain had spread through out his hand, " i think he got me on my shoulder. " disregarding his swollen fist, topher went to turn his head in the direction of the medium size gash that was torn through his jacket. green hues filled with disappointment in the damage of his jacket before taking it off his shoulders. " i loved this jacket. . ." he mumbled. " i'm not blamin' you, but when i tell you something, you have to listen. " this time his words were a bent more gentle, his hand going to touch the gash that made it's way to his skin causing him to hiss. " do you have a first aid kit around here? "

[cozyhearthyarnworks]

Finished Object: Cailleach Shawl

October 31, 2019

Happy Halloween! Just in time for the spooky season, a project that has engaged most of the household for the entire summer is finished – the Cailleach Shawl. This stunning, witchy, wooly garment is knit in Cozy Hearth Yarn Works hand-dyed Rustic Worsted yarn (Dubh as the primary colorway, with a one-of-a-kind skein providing the accent edging). I dyed up the yarn early in my development work for our Dathanna series, my wife Kai and I worked on the pattern design together, and she knit the entire finished object! While Kai primarily works with Cozy Hearth Yarn Works as a fan, supporter, and frequent knitwear model, she has been working on improving her own knitting skills, and this shawl shows that improvement magnificently. Rather than blather on forever, though, I’m going to let her introduce her own work.

Kai showing off the wild chaos lace edging of the Cailleach shawl.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS SHAWL?

I knew that I wanted something that was a little more witchy feeling for my wardrobe, and I also wanted a BIG warm shawl. We’d recently attended an online conference about (among other things) the Cailleach, and that gave me enough background on her lore to confirm that she would be an appropriate association to call on with the creation of the shawl.

WHO’S THE CAILLEACH? (I KNOW, BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT!)

She is a figure in Irish and also Scottish folklore and mythology. As far as we can tell, she’s a preChristian goddess that in Irish folklore is associated with the building of great stoneworks, and also in more recent folklore has heavy associations with cunning women, shapeshifting, and general witchery.

Shawl wrapped traditionally around her shoulders and fastened with a pin, Kai leans back against a tree.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF WORKING ON THIS SHAWL?

I think honestly the thing that I had the most consistent trouble with is keeping count of where I was as the rows got long. This project had the longest rows I’ve ever worked on, and I was, um, not as diligent at keeping track in some places as I should have been.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN WHILE WORKING ON THIS SHAWL?

That chaos lace is possibly the most fun technique I’ve ever discovered! Also: counting is important. I found that I really also enjoyed the fade technique that I used to transition from the Dubh colorway to the edging colorway, and that’s making me think I’ll have fun with similar color-changing effects in the future.

Enjoying the seasonal foliage / Wrapped up close for warmth / Securing with a pin

DID YOU LIKE YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH DESIGN WORK? AND RELATEDLY, ARE YOU PLANNING ON RELEASING THIS PATTERN?

I almost feel guilty calling it design work because it’s composed of very simple patterns with a crazy tail added on, but yeah- I can’t give instructions for identical chaos lace to mine, but if people are interested I can write out a simple sketch! (Kit note – I’m interested in knitting up my own copy of the shawl, so I’m also invested in a written pattern existing.)

DID YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH THE YARN?

Yeah! It wasn’t a difficult yarn to manage, so it feels like it’s fairly strong without being scratchy or unpleasant to touch. It’s a good, medium, balanced yarn. One of the things I enjoyed about the dye work itself was the way that it very subtly moved from a deep, purpley tone to having hints of blue and brown and green, so in different lights the shawl has a range of colors like what you’d find in, say, a blackbird feather.

WHAT WAS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE?

Having a big warm shawl to wear that’s exactly what I’d been picturing.

WHERE DO YOU PLAN TO WEAR SUCH A BIG STATEMENT SHAWL?

Wherever I want! I figure I’ll mostly wear it as an outer layer on colder days, as it’s pretty heavy for milder weather. (Kit note – she’s literally been wearing it everywhere. A shawl this fabulous makes its own space, and Kai has never been shy about her wardrobe.)

Kai likes to have fun during shoots / She also just really, really loves this shawl

WHAT ARE YOU MAKING NEXT?

Right now, I’m working on trying to level up my basic knitting skills before I try to do anything more ambitious. I’m going back to the Simple Collection by Tin Can Knits and working on the Oats Cowl.

And that’s all from Kai! I am also very in love with this project, and, as mentioned, I’ll be working with her on making the pattern more accessible. For now, though, it’s time to go enjoy the spookiest of eves. Stay warm, friends!

boooOOOoooOOOooo