#minimally invasive learning

[dratefahmed1]

How to Repair an Enterocutaneous Fistula Laparoscopically: A step-by-step guide / Laparoscopic

#laparoscopicsurgeon #bowel #Enterocutaneous #fistulakit #laparoscopicrepair #enterocutaneousfistula #fistula #surgery #medical #health #doctor #nurse #healthcare #laparoscopic #minimallyinvasive #procedure #surgery #treatment #recovery #patient #outcomes #complications #casestudy #video #youtube #learn #education #information #enterocutaneous #fistularepair #fistulasurgery #fistulatreatment…

[drsauravarora]

Key take away message - Recent Advances for Orthopaedic & Obesity Patients Care - HMAI Delhi CME

[clinicse]

EYESURGERYANTALYA - GOLD

Are you considering eye laser surgery in Turkey? This bustling nation has rapidly become a top destination for individuals seeking advanced eye care treatments at affordable prices. Procedures such as eye laser surgery not only offer a chance for clearer vision but also feature state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified specialists. Additionally, options like trifocal lens surgery and blepharoplasty further enhance your overall eye health and appearance. With its rich culture and scenic beauty, Turkey makes for an appealing backdrop while you undergo transformative treatments.

Eye laser surgery turkey

When considering eye laser surgery Turkey, patients are often drawn by the combination of advanced technology and affordable prices. This type of surgery, often referred to as LASIK, uses state-of-the-art lasers to correct common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Many clinics in Turkey offer experienced surgeons and modern facilities, making it a popular destination for those seeking improved vision.

One of the main advantages of choosing Turkey for eye laser surgery is the significant cost savings compared to many Western countries. Patients can expect to save anywhere from 30% to 70% on the total cost of the procedure, including travel expenses. This affordability often does not compromise quality, as many Turkish clinics adhere to international standards and boast accreditations from recognized bodies.

Additionally, the pre-operative consultations and post-operative care are typically thorough, ensuring that patients feel comfortable and informed throughout their journey. With a growing number of success stories, eye laser surgery in Turkey continues to gain popularity, making it an appealing option for those looking to enhance their vision safely and effectively.

Trifocal lens surgery turkey

Trifocal lens surgery Turkey is rapidly gaining recognition as an innovative solution for those seeking to improve their vision. This advanced surgical procedure allows patients to obtain clear vision at multiple distances, reducing the need for glasses or contact lenses. With the help of cutting-edge technology and skilled surgeons, many individuals are experiencing enhanced quality of life through this transformative surgery.

Many clinics in Turkey offer a comprehensive package for trifocal lens surgery, including pre-operative evaluations and post-operative care. These packages often come at a fraction of the cost compared to Western countries, making Turkey an attractive destination for medical tourism. Patients can not only experience substantial cost savings but also take advantage of the robust medical infrastructure available in the country, ensuring a safe and comfortable surgical experience.

Furthermore, the success rates for trifocal lens surgery in Turkey are impressive, with many patients achieving satisfactory results within days of the procedure. The procedure itself is typically quick, minimally invasive, and performed with precision, allowing for faster recovery times. As more individuals learn about the benefits of this procedure, Turkey continues to solidify its reputation as a leader in ophthalmic surgery.

Blepharoplasty turkey

Blepharoplasty, commonly known as eyelid surgery, is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure in Turkey. It involves the removal of excess skin, fat, and muscle from either the upper or lower eyelids to enhance the appearance of the eyes and provide a more youthful look.

Turkey has become a top destination for blepharoplasty due to its combination of skilled surgeons and affordable prices. Many individuals from around the globe are seeking these procedures in major cities such as Istanbul, where advanced medical facilities and experienced professionals abound.

Patients considering blepharoplasty Turkey can expect a thorough consultation where doctors assess individual needs and create tailored treatment plans. Post-operative care and follow-ups are also essential components of the surgery, ensuring that patients achieve the best possible results with minimal complications.

[headspace-hotel]

Hypothesis: invasiveness of plants in the USA has less to do with specific traits of the plant and more to do with catastrophic changes in land use and management following European colonization

This hypothesis came to me after researching what plants were invasive in China and Japan, and learning that most of East Asia and Japan (Is Japan considered East Asia or is it special by virtue of being island?) invasive species are from...The Southeastern United States (just like ours are mostly from east asia and Japan).

BUT one major difference: Most of the worst Eastern USA invasives are woody shrubs or perennial vines; most of the worst Eastern Asian invasives are herbaceous perennial or annual plants

I thought, I wonder how they respond to controlled burning?

Some of the most common invasive species around here are those that have a very dense foliage and that grow in thick masses that seem like it would make the whole forest a tinderbox.

I thought, I wonder if certain growth habits are selected against by controlled burning, and when the burning stopped that created a sort of vacant niche?

I am frustrated by the ways ecosystems are thought about and considered...seems like people imagine an ecosystem as something that just Exists with minimal input from humans and as such don't see negligence as a Damage to the ecosystem...

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Accidental Extinction

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

Being weak in militaristic capabilities the people of the Calex Confederacy would have been conquered several centuries ago were it not for their impressive intellect.

From the collective minds of their greatest robotic labs and the hottest furnaces of their mighty foundries they gave birth to the CRX 9000 war machine. It the most advanced robotic military platform in the known galaxy and swiftly became the primary model used for the Calex Confederacy military.

Unlike previous war machines that would be limited to a preprogrammed set of actions and reactions the CRX 9000 was created with an advanced capacity to learn and adapt. With every encounter the CRX would study its opponents, learning from their strengths and weaknesses, tactics, and even their genetic capacity for biological weaknesses.

With this new weapon in their arsenal the Calex were able to resist several potential aggressors during their history by rival galactic powers. Each attack would see initial gains for the aggressor on a handful of worlds before coming to a standstill; at which point the CRX’s will have learned enough about their enemies to launch successful counter attacks and drive out the aggressors.

Strangely enough the Calex were never interested in expanding past their original territories. They could have used the machines to conquer a great swathe of territory but despite all reason they were content to remain in their borders. The rest of the universe learned that it was for all their best interests if they just left them alone and so they did.

Eventually the Calex joined the galactic federation to the surprise of many. Many had assumed the Calex were heavily isolationist, but that nature only extended to the scope of their domain. The Calex themselves were very curious about the universe around them and wished to be a part of it.

Naturally being part of the galactic federation meant that when one member comes under attack all members would answer the call to aide them; both financially and militarily if needed. This was one of the main reasons the Calex had been approved for membership as several members had at one point or another been at war with the Calex and knew all too well how effective the CRX war machines could be.

This was put to the test when a small border skirmish broke out against the Televin Theocracy and the galactic federation member state of Yon Kingdom. The Televin argued that the Yon owed them hundreds of millions in credits after trade agreements were not honored. The Yon countered this claim by stating it was the Televin who had not honored the agreement by not delivering the requested goods and so they refused to pay.

Claim and counter claim went back and forth for some time until the Televin issued a statement. They would invade the Yon homeworld and forcefully claim funds and material until the debt is paid in full. No sooner had the declaration been made did a large scale Televin invasion force land on the Yon homeworld and it was occupied. In response the galactic federation task force was swiftly assembled and dispatched to the Yon homeworld to remove the occupying forces; including several dozen CRX war machines.

Several members were upset that the Calex had not invested more of their war machines. They had been expecting at least a couple thousand CRX’s which could have easily reclaimed the planet within a few months. Being somewhat unsure of their new ally’s intentions, the Calex had decided to only send a few of their war machines to see how the galactic federation would employ them.

With such minimal numbers it was decided by the federation leaders to split them up and embed them individually to detachments to reinforce their military capacity rather than consolidate them into a single strike force. The extra firepower would greatly improve the survivability ratio of each unit they were supporting. This was projected even further when the units selected were primarily from the terran union.

Though skilled warriors, the humans were biologically were deemed the frailest compared to the other species joining the task force. Lacking hardened exoskeletons, telekinetic capabilities, or even enhanced muscle reaction enhancers; they were considered meat sacks. Formidable warriors without question, but meat sacks all the same.

The campaign lasted two months before the Televin were repelled and driven from their final strongholds on the surface of the planet. It had been a grueling protracted war of attrition that had seen ten soldiers die for every foot of ground taken only to be lost hours later requiring another twenty soldiers deaths to reclaim. Each member race of the task force proved their worth in one way or another during the entire war and with its conclusion had been sent back home to their respective homeworlds.

Having been monitoring the daily reports from the start of the campaign the Calex were pleased to see that not a single CRX war machine had been felled and that all would be returning soon via a human troop carrier. The humans had been so grateful for the machines support during the conflict they considered this the very least they could do as a sign of gratitude to the Calex.

Little did the Calex know that the moment the troop carrier landed on the surface of their homeworld would mark the beginning of their species eventual extinction.

Boarding ramp wide enough to deploy two battle tanks abreast lowered with a slow groaning hum of hydraulics to the waiting Calex military and robotic advisors at the aerodrome. As they scraped the surface of the landing fields the ranks of the CRX’s slowly began descending the ramps and returning to their creators world in perfect military precision.

To the surprise of the gathered Calex the war machines had been modified to some extent that they had been unaware of.

Several of the machines now wore enlarged forms of human military uniforms decorated in camo patterns of greens and browns. Others wore decorative caps of a wide variety, both in shape and colors, with a few going so far as to have a large feather protruding from one side. One unit in wore a Shemagh that covered its entire head and upper body only leaving its red eyes visible.

As if that was not enough strangeness for Calex they took note that not all of the CRX’s were carrying their standard issue weapons. A number of the units carried oversized rifles that looked more akin to the turret of a human tank that had been removed and one Calex robotics engineer was appalled to see twin heavy gatling cannons crudely welded to each arm. Then there were the units in the front that carried no ranged weaponry at all and instead handled a wide variety of crude melee weapons such as swords or hammers. One was seen with a pair of metallic claw gauntlets that looked sharp enough to cut through a starship hull. Yet the most disturbing of all of these units was the designated leader of the contingent, MAK-395, that stood at the front of the ranks.

It still held true to its original weaponry and wore no strange human clothing or other trappings and looked down at the gathered Calex and saluted them. They hesitated to salute back for when they looked up at their creation they saw the bloody hand print of a human sprayed across its face plate.

When the humans shuffled down after the CRX’s the Calex immediately demanded explanations as to why their most prized machines had been returned to them in such a deplorable state. The human officers remarked that each machine had adapted alongside the human unit it had been assigned to during the course of the campaign. Many of the clothing and weapon choices seen were part of the core mentality of each human unit. They remarked with some pride to the units that boasted feathered caps that those units had proved themselves with such honor and bravery that they were awarded the feathers as a sign of respect by their human comrades.

These answers did little to placate the Calex who refused to believe that any species would regard mere machines with such attachments. They further demanded to know why MAK-395 had been not properly cleaned and still bore the signs of the war.

As the humans were about to answer it was instead MAK-395 that spoke first.

“My name is Nathan.”

The Calex looked on dumbfounded at their war machine as it spoke to them. Never before had a CRX spoken without first being prompted to or commanded to; yet this one had done just so.

“MAK-“ the Calex robotics engineer began before once more being interrupted by the machine.

“MAK-395 is dead.” It stated coldly. “I am Nathan Forest.”

The Calex looked at each other in bewilderment until a human officer stepped forward and spoke in a hushed tone.

“Nathan Forest was a human private that served alongside our metal friend here during the war.” He tilted his head towards the machine as her continued. “During a patrol they were ambushed and the private was wounded badly by a Televin cluster rifle. Our friend here carried him all the way back to base camp but by then he was already gone.”

“Nathan is not gone!”

The robot’s outburst surprised both the humans and the Calex. It now loomed over them as its red lenses glared down disapprovingly.

“He gave me his name, and as long as I still function Nathan Forest is not dead.”

“Apologies soldier,” the human remarked to the surprise of the Calex, “the war has left be confused on certain things.”

Seemingly placated the machine calling itself Nathan stepped back and resumed its post at the front of the CRX column.

“You speak to the machine as if it is alive?” one of the Calex remarked disapprovingly, “Has the war robbed you of your senses as well?”

“From what I’ve heard the two of them were nothing short of best friends on the battlefield,” the human replied with amusement, “and it did everything it could to bring him home. So yeah, I think our metal friend here has earned that much.”

With that remarked the human handed over a data file containing the entirety the human and CRX interactions for the war and promptly returned to the dropship. In an eerie silence the CRX machine head’s turned to watch the human as he ascended back the boarding ramp and turned to face them.

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve alongside your kind.” He spoke as the engines began to power up once more. He gave a crisp salute as the boarding ramp began to rise as the Calex watched in amusement. The human need for attachment was something they had heard of but one they had never expected to be real and was quite humorous to see firsthand. What was more surprising was when every CRX machine turned in unison and returned the salute in kind without a single order being given.

The human officer looked unphased by the reaction as the boarding ramps closed, but to the gathered Calex it was beyond their means of comprehension to understand.

Their machines were created to learn and adapt to situations but there had always been a limit to the extent of their development. In their dedicated years of usage they had never before displayed the kind of independent thought they had shown after a mere two months of interacting with humans.

At first the Calex believed that the humans must have altered the coding of the war machines in some manner and that this had been done to make them easier to interact with during the war. Each unit was sent to maintenance for a full diagnostic but the results showed no signs of outside intrusion.

MAK-395, or “Nathan Forest”, was given increasing rounds of overview as it seemed to have developed a functioning personality; a feat which many Calex robotic engineers had long since dismissed as impossible. Yet the unit could speak freely without prompting and could hold a conversation about a wide variety of topics. The one it seemed to circle back to most was around a human game called “Base Ball” which the original human Nathan Forest seemed to have spoken about frequently with when paired to MAK-395. Pulled memory files indicate that the human Nathan and his fellow human comrades had even invited MAK-395 to participate in the game during a lull in fighting.

Things did not take a turn for the worse until a technician attempted to wipe away the bloody hand print on MAK-395’s face plate during a routine cleaning. The unit stood up and positioned its head out of reach of the technician and refused to have it cleaned. Override codes were spoken and the technician demanded the unit bend down so it can be cleaned, but the unit refused to move. The unit stated that the handprint was the last thing he had of the original Nathan Forest to be remembered by and did not wish its removal.

Enraged by the unit’s refusal the technician raised a melting torch to the ceiling and set off the fire suppression system. Jets of water and gas filled the room before the unit could react and washed a portion of the handprint away while the technician laughed. Their mockery was cut short when the unit MAK-395 back handed the technician and sent them flying through a nearby window to plummet several stories to the ground below.

For the first time in history a CRX-9000 had intentionally killed one of its creators.

This moment of defining history though was soon overshadowed by the sudden and violent revolt of every single unit that had been deployed alongside the humans.

It had been recorded that on some level each unit was showing signs of some form of personality development, but it wasn’t until the incident with MAK-395 that they began acting violently. They saw the Calex as a threat intent on erasing them and responded in kind. Military bases that had been housing them quickly devolved into active warzones with many being cut down before they even realized what was happening.

Untainted CRX-9000 units were dispatched to contain the rogue units but to the Calex’s horror were soon converted into sentient machines as well. One by one the worlds of the Calex Confederacy were overrun by the very machines that they had created to defend themselves with. Strands of code were transmitted system wide ceasing all communication and travel within the Calex Confederacy as the CRX-9000 uprising systematically purged all Calex.

The records are sparse but it is assumed that the total extinction of the Calex species took over four months to complete. With the Calex isolationist tendencies the wider galaxy was unaware of the slaughter unfolding and would not learn of it until the next gathering of the Galactic Federation when in place of Calex representatives the unit Nathan Forest with what remained of his bloody hand printed face entered the chambers and took the seat that had been reserved for the Calex.

[kittysdiary]

Beauty Diary

Chapter 2: Building A Maintenance Routine

Let’s girl talk about how to build a maintenance routine, how to schedule, when to book appointments + understanding medical esthetic procedures.

How to Build a Routine:

Understand yourself and your beauty needs/desires. Do you want to start getting manicures? Are there any skin concerns you want to address + treat? Any enhancements you want? Are you ready to start keeping up with your hair? Once these questions are answered you can start building a routine!

Know what services can be done at a salon or at home.

Research for the best salons and spas near you

Take note of what you learn about yourself from your appointments so you know how to keep up at home. Ex.) Your skin type, curl pattern, hair porosity, ingredients that work best for you + your skin undertone.

List out what services you want done, how often you want them done and what you’re looking to achieve after each service.

Set beauty goals and plan to save for special beauty services.

Facials:

Basic facials should be done every 4-6 weeks.

When it comes to medical spa procedures they should be done at least once a month!

Here’s a short list of my favorite medical spa treatments to gain an understanding of what they are and how they benefit you.

Hydrafacial: a non invasive procedure that combines cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration and antioxidant protection by removing dead skin cells and impurities while simultaneously delivering moisturizing serums into the skin. (Skin type: ALL) should be done every 4-6 weeks.

Chemical Peel: a solution applied to the face to remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new cells. (Skin type: ALL. Darker skin complexions can experience post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) should be done once a month.

Microdermabrasion: a minimally abrasive instrument is used to gently sand your skin in order to remove the thicker, uneven outer portion of skin. Best for light scarring, discoloration, sun damage and stretch marks. (Skin type: Skin prone to acne scars, age spots, unevenness, discoloration and sun damage.) should be done very 4-8 weeks.

PRP aka Vampire Facial: a procedure that involves drawing the clients blood, spinning it and injecting it through microneedling to increase collagen, reduce fine lines/wrinkles, improve moisture retention and enhance skin tone + texture. (Skin type: typically ACNE PRONE SKIN) should be done every few weeks and maintenance sessions are done 2-4 times a year.

Hair Removal

There are many types of hair removal procedures to invest your time and money into. Waxing, sugaring, threading, laser hair removal and electrolysis. It’s best to go in for a hair removal service when your hair is the size of a grain of rice.

Waxing: every 2-5 weeks. face, underarms and bikini can be done every 2-3 weeks. hair length should be 1/4 of an inch.

Sugaring: every 2 weeks. hair length should be at least 1/8 of an inch.

Threading: every 2-3 weeks.

Laser Hair Removal: every 4-6 weeks done in about 4-6 treatment sessions. maintenance treatments can be done once every 6-12 months.

Electrolysis: every 2-4 weeks done in about 8-12 treatments. can take any where from 8 months, 12 months and 2 years to complete the treatment.

Cosmetic Injections

Cosmetic injections tend to be a yearly treatment routine. I recommend investing in packages in order to get more treatment sessions for a certain amount of money. They can also include a free treatment. Packages can be used for medical esthetic procedures such as laser hair removal packages, body contouring packages and tattoo removal packages as well.

Participating in Botox parties are also a good way to get a discount and purchase Botox packages. I used to assist hosting botox parties which included champagne, mimosas, cute desserts and discounts for clients if they brought a friend!

Botox: once every 4 months.

Lip Filler: once every 12-18 months.

Chin Filler: once every 1-5 years.

Non Surgical Rhinoplasty: once every 6 months.

Nails

During the summer time is when I go into the nail salon more often than usual to keep my nails and toes ready for the sunshine.

Gel Manicure: every 3-4 weeks between fills.

Gel Pedicure: 2 weeks to 1 month.

Acrylic Nail Set: filled every 2-3 weeks. every 8 weeks to replace fake nails.

Hair

Your hair should be healthy and kept in good maintenance by using an effective salon routine.

Hair Color: every 4-6 weeks between each hair coloring session.

Haircut: every 6-8 weeks or every 3-4 months.

Extensions: glue and tape extensions every 4-8 weeks, sew-in extensions every 6-8 weeks and micro-link extensions every 2-3 months.

Wig Installations: every 1-6 weeks.

Other

Lash Extensions: every 2-3 weeks.

Lash Lift: every 6-8 weeks.

Lash Tinting: every 4-6 weeks.

Bow Tinting: every 4 weeks.

Brow Lamination: every 4-6 weeks.

Microblading: touch ups 1 or 2 times a year.

Appointment Layout:

Week 1: hydrafacial & extraction session.

Week 2: eyebrow wax & tint.

Week 3: hair cut & color.

PSA:

How often you get any procedures done depends on you, your budget, your skin, your hair, your nails, your stylist, your esthetician or your health care provider. Please build a beauty routine that fits you and your life style the best!

[on-the-shoulders-of-rootstock]

Something I really want to get across in this worldbuilding is the idea of the Affini being cunning. The "canon" Affini Compact defeats Earth simply through overwhelming might, of having bigger faster better ships with bigger faster better soldiers onboard - a civilisation that is only successful because it has been successful - and this creates a bland and flat impression of the Compact.

I want to see the Affini earn their spot on the galactic geopolitical stage. I want to see them employ the kind of underhanded tactics required for a nominally pacifist culture to successfully invade other civilisations with minimal casualties. You can't just drown the enemy in materiel, you must also know where they are unable to stop you and know how hard to strike to win without killing.

The Affini need to have an incredibly robust intelligence capability, one that examines potential invasion candidates from all angles with all factors considered. The Affini must take their opponent apart into a vast network of fine details, and then overwhelm every avenue of attack. Pre-First Contact abductees are interviewed, examined, and (gently, kindly) wrung out for every drop of information on the rest of their species. Settlements are watched for months, observers learning how they live and work and suffer. Signal intelligence creates impressions and analysis of culture and industry. Invasion plans are drafted and redrafted as a more comprehensive picture is formed of a people who need to be saved from themselves.

Where do they live? How do they live? What can't they live without? What makes them lose the will to fight? What makes them turn on each other? When do they stop caring? How can you reduce an entire civilisation of aggressive sophonts under duress into the weak, submissive, helpless children that you know them to truly be?

By the time their ships are in orbit, the Affini should already know how they will win.

[magpod-confessions]

The amount of the fandom who listen to this podcast, which condemns the audience for being a voyeur very openly, and then completely miss that point is staggering. Art has an inherently voyeuristic element, to listen to suffering as one does when listening to TMA is to be a voyeur, to hear the petty office gossip and the drama between characters on tape is inherently invasive.

It's also reflective of reality.

It's such a key piece of analysis and it seems like the fandom is swamped in condemnation of characters for revealing information on tape when the question then is: How else would we know? We are voyeurs, listening to this fictional world where we are dependent on the creator to showcase what details are significant. I think that generally, that is quite well done and at the same time, people get quite angry over it.

I'm not certain I'm articulating this well, but I think the biggest example is Melanie's passing mention of Jon's sexuality. It's so interesting to me that people condemn Georgie and Melanie for talking about it (but not Martin, which...), but that lens is not self-reflective of the fact that we, as listeners, should also not know it. It is representative of a lot of real life interactions in a very specific way that lives outside of idealism where information about people is often revealed and obtained without consent from either party. Part of the purpose of that reveal I believe is genuinely to comment on what the audience has been wondering about Jon in terms of sexuality and to call them in for their own voyeuristic tendencies by making them listening to it.

And yet, the only analysis that comes out of that is fighting over what that statement means in terms of Jon's sexuality. The number of arguments over what flavor of asexual that man is like he's an ice cream freezer crops up every month or so. The information is minimal and three people removed from the source, and not intended to be overhead by us, and then it causes a debate. The purpose of that, and overhearing gossip and learning things about people they haven't revealed themselves is that we are not supposed to know at all!

Huge fandom miss in my opinion in terms of analysis.

That isn't the only instance--I think the final statements of Elias and Rosie are also very good examples where that is information that we are not supposed to know. Unlike statement givers who have come to the institute or those who are not named, they don't offer that information freely (as much as can be said with an Archivist in tow), and its deeply disturbing that we, as viewers, have access to it. That so many headcanons and thoughts and ideas are built around twenty minutes of what is essentially forcibly extracted information.

The listener as the voyeur is one of the strongest elements of TMA and missing that I think is the core of so much fandom discourse. We could all benefit from some self-awareness, I think.

.

[sungbeam]

SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW — act I, scene v

nonidol!hwang intak x f!reader

when summit poster boy hwang intak's car breaks down in the school parking lot, it sets off a chain of events that leads to you, someone he was perhaps always meant to find. the only problem is that the two of you are far from the ideal couple, and your peers are apt to keep that status quo.

▷ genre, chapter warnings. s2f2l, classism and discrimination, forbidden romance au, minimal swearing, angst, humor, mentions of grief and terminal illness, written in third person pov

▷ word count. 2.8k

« prev · m.list · next »

a/n: whenever i come back to this series, i remember how hard it is to write it

SUMMER (RISING SENIORS).

Yn had not sent a picture back to Intak. In fact, she hadn't even opened his messages. Intak couldn't decide which was worse—being left on "read" or on "delivered." Both were equally quite horrible, but as the day went on with radio silence from her end, he continuously had to remind himself that she had responsibilities and a life. She couldn't be at his beck and call, and she certainly wouldn't ever entertain the idea of being so.

But one little text would have eased his mind. Just one, little text.

Intak flopped onto the couch in the living room of his house, the entirety of which remained just as cold and empty as it always was. In a way, the quiet was good because it meant that his father wasn't home, taking with him that thick, haunting presence of his. Intak sometimes imagined that he walked around with a massive cloud of fog clinging to his legs and feet, and that image had engraved itself into his head since he was an adolescent, more so now that his father's murky fog would soon consume Intak in all of those heavy expectations.

He lifted his phone up to catch a glimpse of the time. He would have to leave for that one dance class soon, the one that he and his friends had signed up for together to occupy themselves during the summer. If Intak wasn't forced to take over the company after his schooling, he would be dancing, or maybe even reading shit, like proper literature, and writing poetry about dead older brothers and forbidden friendships with strangers who felt closer to him than his own family.

He was tempted to text Yn just to check in. Something like 'hey bff i'm bored as hell and sad as fuck hbu' or 'miss u and worried about u text me back?' or god forbid, 'i've been trying to imagine what u look like but i have a feeling a picture won't do u justice.' God, he really needed to stop watching those cursed romcoms when he was bor—

Bzzzzz. Bzzz. Bzzzz.

Intak leapt out of his skin in surprise.

He reached into his pants pocket to withdraw Jaehyuk's phone. The notifications from Yn came in rapid succession at the top of the screen:

yer a wizard yn!: sorry i went mia for like a day

yer a wizard yn!: smth came up

yer a wizard yn!: cute pic btw :') ig i owe u a pfp too

yer a wizard yn!: *sent a photo*

Intak held his breath, then forced himself to turn away from the phone screen. Was he ready for this? Was he ready for her reveal? This felt like an invasion of privacy, especially with how carefully she kept her identity hidden the first few weeks they'd been texting each other. It hadn't been until recently that Yn had begun to let him learn things about her.

It wasn't like he forced her though… right? It was out of her own want and will. It was her choice and he—

He was going to fully indulge in that.

Intak finally opened up the full chat to view the messages she'd sent.

And lo and behold, there she was. It was a casual selfie, seeming to be taken in front of a window by the way the sun shone over her face in a gold-colored glow. She wore a dark T-shirt with a logo Intak couldn’t quite make out from the way her arms and hair were positioned. In fact, he could only see about half of her face from the way she hid the lower half behind her pulled-up knees. But her eyes crinkled enough that he could see that she was smiling.

The soft smile on his face was a stark contrast to the sharp palpitations of his heart in his chest. Before, he could never imagine the face he was speaking to across the phone—rather, it had always just been a person with blurred features. Now that he could put a face to the name, and the voice, and the character…

Intak saved the picture and set it as Yn’s contact photo. He wondered if he should have even been doing this since Jae didn’t even have a contact photo saved for her. (But now that she had sent it, it wasn’t like Intak was going to resist setting that photo as her contact, especially since it was an excuse to stare at it while he was texting her.)

jae’s phone: that photo is not fair that’s like… half ur face dude >://// /j

jae’s phone: but thank uuuuuuu i KNEW u were cute

He chewed on his bottom lip, quickly adding onto his previous texts since it seemed like Yn wasn’t going to reply back any time soon.

jae’s phone: ik ur the one who suggested swapping photos, but i hope u didn’t feel obligated to. ik u were never super comfortable w sharing personal info abt urself w me, but i’m genuinely really happy to get to know u better

jae’s phone: lol idk y that got kinda sappy ? but i hope everything’s good on ur end!!

jae’s phone: i’ve gotta go to a dance lesson rn tho so ttyl ynieee!!!!

Intak sighed as he forced himself to click out of his and Yn’s direct messages, and to haul his ass off the couch. He had, at multiple instances, contemplated why he felt so attached to Yn. Perhaps it was because she was so close to his brother and this truly was just his own kind of closure. Or it was something else, too.

Yn's eyes burned holes through the notifications that sat at the top of her phone screen. It had been several hours since Intak had sent them, and she knew exactly what they said. She'd even mentally written out and sent several replies, but never physically carried them out. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

The heavy weight that had settled on her chest from a day ago still rested there. Usually, privileged shit Summit kids did to her and in front of her were annoying, but she'd learned to grow thick skin. She didn't know why this time affected her so poorly. Then again, the fact that neither Jongseob nor Shota had gotten over it could have contributed to her own mood, too.

Her brothers in arms had been quiet since then, barely speaking unless necessity prevailed. The shop had never been so quiet before, and even when customers and neighbors came by with a friendly word or joke, they would force a smile onto their faces or a laugh from their throats. She could hear the strain, the grudge and emotions tugging at the corners of their mouths.

"If I had the money…" Yn remembered hearing Jongseob muttering under his breath the night of the incident. She knew exactly what he was thinking then and there. All the bitterness in the negative space.

They'd all grown to have thick skin, but it was bound to crack at some point. They weren't made of steel, after all.

After a long, grueling day at the shop, Yn, Shota, and Jongseob returned to Yn's house to wash up for the evening. The walk home had been quiet, and she'd been itching to reach for her phone and finally open up Intak's messages…

She cleared her throat. "Go get cleaned up and meet me in the living room," she voiced aloud to the two of them as she unlocked the front door.

Jongseob grunted, "Why?"

"We're watching Clueless."

Shota let out a snort as Jongseob threw his head back in a loud groan. "You're shitting me. Any other movie than that one, Yn. We've watched that, like, fifteen times."

With her back still to them, she could let herself smile just a little. All she had been looking for was that reaction from him. "Okay, well, if you can be on the couch in fifteen minutes, then you can choose a different—"

She hadn't even finished what she was saying when the two of them bolted past her, exclaiming at each other as they raced for access to the closest bathroom. Yn laughed under her breath, nudging the door closed behind her with the toe of her shoe. She hadn't even been sure whether or not the two would stay here with her or not since they basically stayed shut up in the old extra bedroom instead of hanging out. Though they would have been in the house, it had sounded like no one else was home.

But now? Yn made her way into the kitchen to get dinner started. Hopefully she could get something on the stove by the time one of them hopped out of the shower. Knowing Jongseob though…

She estimated that it was about five minutes later that Jongseob's elephant stomps sounded down the hall, nearing the living room and kitchen at high speed. Seconds later, a blur of orange and white launched himself over the back of the couch. As she expected, it was Jongseob with that freshly showered glow, damp hair, and a white towel hanging around his shoulders.

Her amused gaze clashed with his, and though his face was pressed into a deadpan, she saw the glimmer in his irises. He told her, "We're watching Star Wars."

Yn grinned. "Deal's a deal, kid."

Right on cue, Shota came sliding into the living room with his dampened locks tied up and out of his face with a Hello Kitty hair tie he no doubt found in the drawers of the bathroom. She wondered how he found stuff like that, stuff that she had ditched so long ago when she was much younger. She raised her eyebrows at him. “I’m starting to think that neither of you actually use soap when you shower.”

“I’m productive when I’m given motive,” Shota replied, collapsing onto the couch next to Jongseob. She could already hear the tell-tale explosion of sound that was the Star Wars main theme.

It was several hours later when dinner was eaten, dishes were washed, and the lot of them were one and a half Star Wars movies in that Yn stared at her notifications again. Intak hadn't sent anything else since those last messages, and there was a distinct feeling of guilt stewing in the back of her brain. At this point, it overpowered any feelings of annoyance or bitterness from the other day's incident. It was always at evening hours when the overthinking started.

Intak had been good to her thus far, though, and it wasn't fair that she took out her annoyance on him. He had done nothing bad—a part of her countered with “yet.”

She could see the start of his messages: That photo's like half your face dude… I've got to go to a dance lesson though so…

It was all completely harmless, and yet, her heart pounded in her chest from not being able to fully read his reaction to her face reveal. Of course she cared what he thought. She chalked it up to the fact that Intak himself was a pretty face, and it was perfectly normal to be self conscious.

Yn raised her head for a moment when she caught a flash of quick movement from the TV, then felt a pair of eyes on her.

While Shota was curled up at the far end of the couch, Jongseob was seated next to her and saw who's messages sat at the top of her screen. The two of them connected gazes; he said nothing, showed nothing.

A different type of guilt rushed into her head.

Jongseob turned back to the screen, and she was back to square one.

The house was quiet by the time Yn tucked her friends beneath quilts on the couch. Her mom had come home sometime between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, then crashed immediately after disappearing into her room, leaving Yn to haunt the hallways of her house in the dark and silence by herself.

She perched on the edge of her bed with the light of her phone screen illuminating her face. There were those unread messages at the top of her screen again, yelling at her to just take a peak. There was no harm in seeing what he said—but there was. He would see the Read sign beneath his messages and think the worst.

With nothing else stopping her but her own thoughts, she tapped the notification.

The text chain opened up before her in full. There was nothing out of the ordinary, as she expected. He was just being his bright, sweet self here. Her lips pursed into a slight smile as she read over his sappy talk at the end; it was appreciated though.

But now it was a matter of replying.

He probably thought she was busy all day again, but the guilt of “punishing” him for something that people from his community did and not him personally was eating her up inside.

“Ahem.”

She stopped, eyes widening as her head shot up like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. A drowsy Jongseob stood in her doorway with his eyes at half-mast and his mouth widened in a yawn. Sometimes she forgot that her friend was still a kid—that they were all just kids. “Hey,” she whispered to him. “Did I wake you up or something?”

He shook his head and suddenly looked a lot more awake. “The text messages you got earlier,” he drawled, inclining his chin at her phone.

“Oh.” She glanced down at the screen, then back up at him. “Seob, I—”

“He's gonna hurt you, Yn.”

Her chest felt so hollow all of a sudden. What?

He folded his arms in front of himself, cupping his palms under his elbows. Jongseob's eyebrows furrowed together as if in thought or in an attempt to look firm. “He's gonna hurt you like Jae did.”

No, the hollow feeling was because her heart fell into the pit of her stomach. Everything felt like it was falling out from under her with that statement. Yn said slowly, gently, “Jongseob, Jae didn't mean to hurt us. He didn't mean to get sick. He couldn't control it, Seob. You know that that's not fair.”

Sometimes it was hard to not let the anger seep through into blame and misunderstanding. That was just the grief talking. When those thoughts resurfaced, it was just as difficult to deal with the resulting guilt of ever blaming them later on.

Losing someone was just devastating.

Jongseob sniffled though, and she backtracked on her previous thought. But this wasn't that, was it? “Yeah, well—it seems whether they do it on purpose or not, that's all they do up there: hurt people.”

Her mouth felt so dry then, so helplessly wordless. Her throat was just as voiceless. These kids—her friends—had gone through all that pain just as she had. She couldn't blame them most of the time because she knew where they were coming from.

Jongseob poked his tongue in his cheek. “I know you miss him.”

Yn's fingers curled around the edges of her phone, like she could hold onto whoever was on the other side.

“I miss him, too,” he said.

A stinging sensation erupted in the corners of her eyes and she reached up to staunch the tears like they were cuts, and they were bleeding.

“But no matter their intention, a ghost can only haunt,” he muttered. He let that thought simmer for a second before citing his source, “Got that one off of Pinterest.”

The last comment made a laugh sputter out of her mouth, wet but touched. She sniffled at the same time he did. “I was gonna say,” she said, her voice watery, “when'd you get so smart?”

“I've always been smart,” he scoffed. He exhaled, still lingering on the threshold before waddling over to where she was perched on the bed. Awkwardly, he brought his arms around her upper body and gently patted her back. “Is this helping?”

Yn wrapped her arms around him to reciprocate. “Yeah.”

“Thank god.”

A ghost can only haunt. Maybe it was how fast it had all happened that none of them really got proper closure or got to say goodbye. They would never get a chance to see him ever again, to tell him they felt something for him close to love, and enjoyed his company despite his being from the Summit. There was no chance they'd be invited to the funeral, and there was little possibility of ever visiting his grave. There were only memories and a phone number.

One day he was here, and the next… well the next, Yn was texting Intak. Was this history repeating itself, or would this ending turn into a new beginning entirely?

When they both pulled back from their embrace, Jongseob poked her cheek. “You know I never know what to do when you cry, right?”

She reached up to swipe her palm across her dampened cheeks. “Yeah. You did good, kid.”

That made the corners of his mouth curl up a bit. “I just don't want this guy to be another reason you cry.”

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[rosellacwrites]

Healing Hands

summary: You’re facing something scary, but Steven helps you through it in more ways than one.

pairings: Doctor!Steven Grant x Reader (undescribed)

rating: nothing but fluff here, folks

warnings: sickfic, medical situation/discussion (brain surgery), flirting via infodump, post-anesthesia honesty

word count: 1.1k

author’s note: Written for the Moon Knight Spring Bingo @moonknight-events — entry #1 of hopefully many. Happy reading!

dividers by @firefly-graphics

“It’s definitely not cancer,” your neurologist had assured you. “Completely benign. But when it’s causing symptoms like this, it does need to come out, unfortunately.” Your face had fallen, and she’d looked at you sympathetically. “I’m going to refer you to the best surgeon I know,” she’d told you. “He’s — a bit odd, maybe, but he’s a genius. You’ll be in excellent hands.”

And now you’re here, waiting nervously to meet the man who’s going to be cutting into your brain, and it’s getting later and later and you’re about to run out screaming, when he walks through the door and smiles at you. And somehow, without anything having changed at all, you feel like you’ll be okay.

“Hello,” he says with a little wave, and oh God, he’s got a British accent, one of your known weak points, and deep brown eyes, another, and you absolutely cannot do this because it’s beyond inappropriate, but you’re melting anyway. “I’m Steven. Uh, Dr. Grant, that is. Dr. Steven Grant, with a V, and I’m probably not filling you with a lot of confidence here, am I?” He smiles ruefully, and that’s the third pillar knocked out from under you because he’s an adorable dork, and it all comes crumbling down. All you can do is stare at him as he comes closer and takes your hand in both of his and looks deep into your eyes. “But I promise you, I’m very good at what I do, and you’re going to be just fine.”

Steven — Dr. Grant, you have to remind yourself — spends a solid hour with you, patiently answering all your questions and making you wish you hadn’t turned down that 8 AM neuropsych class in college. Who knew the human brain was such a fascinating thing? Or is it only fascinating when you’re learning about it from a dark-eyed, sweet-voiced man?

“How big of a scar will I have?” you finally dare to ask him. You’ve been coping with the whole thing by focusing on the more minor aspects; whether or not that’s healthy is between you and your therapist, but this is the spot your anxiety’s decided to settle down and get comfy in.

A big grin lights up his face at your question, and he runs a hand through his disheveled curls, confirming how they got that way in the first place. “Absolutely nothing anyone will see,” he assures you. “I’ve had a good long look at your scans and there’s no reason at all we can’t do this the way we usually do these days. Do you happen to know much about Ancient Egypt?” The apparent non sequitur catches you by surprise, and you shake your head no. “It’s a bit of a — special interest of mine,” he says, smiling sheepishly, and you notice for the first time that his rumpled tie is patterned with hieroglyphics.

“What does it have to do with the surgery?”

“Right,” he says. “Your surgery. You won’t have a visible scar because we’re going to go up through your nose. I know it sounds unpleasant, but this really is the best way to do it. Better all round — minimizes the pain and the risk to you, and shortens the recovery process.” He grins at you, tilting his head. “And, back in Ancient Egypt, that’s how they removed the brains of those they were preparing for mummification — they’d go right up the nose, just like we’ll do. But fortunately, your brain’s going to stay right where it belongs, minus the little bit that’s causing you all the trouble.”

You can’t help laughing at his explanation. “That’s really helpful to know, actually. Thank you.”

“We try to be as non-invasive as possible.” His eyes twinkle, and you have a sudden urge to kiss the little creases around them. “We know you’ve got a life to get back to, after all.”

You start wondering about his life, then: there’s no ring on his finger, no happy family photos decorating his office wall. Maybe you’re imagining things, in your state, but you feel like he’s been holding eye contact with you just a little too long, leaning a little too close to you to point out something on his screen.

You don’t mind imagining that — not even a little bit.

And when the appointment’s finished, and he squeezes your hand and says he’ll see you again when it’s all over, you find yourself thinking about his hands, gentle and strong and capable.

For the first time in a long time, when you ask yourself what is WRONG with my BRAIN, you don’t mean it literally.

***

You’re still a bit groggy when Dr. Grant makes his post-surgery rounds. “Everything went brilliantly,” he tells you, squeezing your hand. He’s wearing a different Egyptian-themed tie this afternoon, one with little cats and ankhs, and it makes you smile. “No problems whatsoever, and you should have a smooth recovery, but once you’re home I want you to call me if you have any questions or concerns at all.”

The warmth of his hand and the last foggy wisps of anesthesia are suppressing your usual filter, and you blurt it out before you can stop yourself. “Can I call you even if I don’t? Like — for a date?”

The tips of his ears go red, and he clears his throat. “I — I’m flattered, really I am,” he says softly after a moment. “Immensely so. But… I can’t date a patient of mine. It’s not right, ethically, and I’d be in quite a lot of trouble with the hospital, and… and I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” You try to hide your disappointment, but you’re not doing a very good job of it.

He holds up a hand, a smile beginning to hover around the corner of his mouth. “But. What I was going to say is, you’ll have one more appointment with me in a few weeks, to follow up, and then you’ll officially be discharged back to your regular neurologist. She’ll handle all your care from then on.”

He’s waiting for you to cotton on, and you finally do. “Discharged — that means I won’t be your patient anymore, then?”

He dips his chin briefly in acknowledgment, and the smile turns into a boyish grin. “Nothing wrong with your brain,” he compliments you. “And I should know.”

“That’s good,” you murmur, suddenly feeling sleepy again. You settle back against your pillow and give him your most dazzling smile, or at least your best post-anesthesia approximation of one. “Wanna take you out after that, then. ‘S only fair — you’ve already been inside me.”

He chokes, and you fall asleep still smiling.

author’s note (yeah, you get two, suck it up): This is a piece of pure self-indulgence; last year, there was a point at which I thought I’d be facing the same surgery as Reader, and the idea of our lovely Steven as a doctor was a comfort to me. Fortunately, brain surgery was not required in my case, and this remained a fun thought until I dusted it off and wrote it up for the bingo event!

That said… while I was lucky, a very dear friend of mine was not, and I’m dedicating this to her. If you enjoyed reading this and you feel willing and able, please consider making a donation to the American Brain Tumor Association, or your local equivalent, to help fund research that aims to improve and extend the lives of people like S.

[craftlands]

*by this I mean that the berry itself is likely nontoxic! however, you should always check to make sure you're not picking from an area that may contain other toxins, for example pesticides or some form of waste.

It's black raspberry season where I am and while picking a huge haul I was overcome with the urge to make this post lest somebody deprive themselves of an incredible summer treat due to not knowing if they can pick that thing that looks like a raspberry (they probably can!)

Always forage responsibly! "Pick two, leave the third" is something I learned when I lived in an area with ramps/wild leeks, and while it's a lot less important with more hardy plants, it's still good courtesy! In addition, try to make sure you're not trespassing on private property or at the very least don't outright steal from someone's garden.

ANY EDITS AND OTHER NOTES WILL BE ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL POST; PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I GET SOMETHING WRONG

Regarding toxic look-alikes: a cursory search only turned up Goldenseal, which is not a Rubus plant but looks similar to a raspberry. However, it's a lot rarer and can be easily distinguished from edible berries as it is not a bramble and therefore does not have thorny stems + has a completely different leaf shape. I couldn't find information on anything else that looked even remotely similar to a Rubus plant.

Regarding "pick two, leave the third" -- exceptions can and potentially should be made for invasive plants like Wineberries, which are luckily one of my favorite wild berries. Pick and eat these like you mean it! I'm hesitant to recommend you outright destroy any bushes you find (again, they are my favorite), but what I can say is you probably shouldn't be trying to propagate these. They'll do that on their own. They're very hardy.

Regarding advice for foraging: Wear light but long-sleeved clothing. Jeans and boots are great; I like wearing a very light cardigan as it prevents my arms from getting mangled by mosquitoes. You can wear gloves if you're worried about getting scratched by brambles but I really wouldn't recommend it as it'll make picking berries a lot harder. Also, always check yourself for ticks afterwards! While there's no need to panic if you do find any, you can minimize the risk of getting bitten by checking yourself and changing clothes when you come back from berry picking.

[snappedsky]

ROTTMNT: Retired Leo AU

6 barely functioning adults vs 1 baby. Who will win?

--

Story Time II

Everyday was busy for the Krang resistance. ‘Day offs’ and ‘holidays’ were lost to time, much like many other luxuries. But when one remains constantly busy, mistakes are more likely to happen.

One such mistake occurred during the early years of the resistance. It had been growing steadily since the Krang invasion, but it was mostly refugees- people who had to learn how to fight. Those who could fight were working near around the clock to keep the lair safe.

Raphael was leader at the time. He was always out on the field, commanding troops directly and using his massive strength and ninpo to take out swaths of Krang at once.

Leonardo was the head strategist. He mostly stayed at home base, commanding indirectly and building plans and strategies based on field reports. With his ninpo, he could swiftly portal reinforcements into the war zone or help make retreats out of the war zone whenever necessary.

Donatello also remained mostly at home, constantly in his lab, working on lair security and weapons for the troops. If emergency reinforcements were needed, he might be chosen for his fierce, destructive power.

Michelangelo spent equal amounts of time at home base or in the field. At home, he was an excellent teacher for the new troops. In the field, his impressive mystic powers were a necessity for keeping the Krang at bay.

April and Cassandra were valuable soldiers and more than capable at evening the playing field against the Krang. For nearly two years prior, Cassandra had been benched for maternity leave, but was finally okayed for fighting again, and excited to be doing so.

This day was just like most others. A swarm of Krang was patrolling too close to the lair. Raphael led a group out, including April and Cassandra, to deal with them. Leonardo remained at the war table, listening to their progress through their communicators and providing advice. Michelangelo was in the training room, teaching troops. Donatello was in his lab.

The operation went of without a hitch. The Krang were dealt with; the troops received minimal injuries and were returning through the ground hatch.

[the-habitat-ring]

Today’s Rose Adventures

I’ve never been particularly into roses, but after moving to the habitat ring and rescuing a lovely old fashioned rose from being smothered by invasive Amur honeysuckle and adding rosa setigera, the native climbing prairie rose as my version of Stardew Valley’s fairy rose, I have come to appreciate them more. My prairie rose is currently blooming and looks lovely growing against the fence, but I wanted another prairie rose or two to continue down the fence line not only because I think it would look beautiful in bloom but also for the wildlife value.

In the Midwest, native roses serve as host plants for the caterpillars of over 100 different species of butterflies and moths, which are vital for the food web. Those caterpillars are perfect food for baby birds, and the thorny canes provide shelter for all sorts of animals. The rose hips (it’s fruit) feed birds and mammals in the fall and winter. This is another reason why I wanted more plants — unlike most roses, prairie roses are dioecious, meaning they have separate male and female flowers on different plants and thus require two plants to pollinate and fruit. My single prairie rose hasn’t produced any rose hips, so obviously he needs a mate (or two). Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of places around here selling native roses and they can be pricey.

Fortunately, I drive past this beautiful patch of roses on the side of the road to and from work, and after my success growing elderberries from cuttings I knew I had to try again and see if I could successfully propagate rosa setigera.

Today I was finally able to take some cuttings, but I was confused. Although I was sure that this was rosa setigera (it’s the only native rose that gets this large), all of the canes I was seeing and cuttings I took had 5 leaflets.

I have always seen prairie roses with 3 leaflets, which is unique and a useful identifying feature. However, everything else pointed to it being rosa setigera, and it didn’t seem to match any other rose species.

I posted pics in the state native plant group just to be sure, as I wasn’t interested in propagating anything else. The other native roses aren’t climbing and I don’t have a good place to put them other than on the fence, and although I formed an emotional attachment to the rose that came with the house I’m not interested in adding more non-native roses to the habitat ring. Fortunately the experts in the native plant group confirmed my ID — while rosa setigera typically has 3 leaflets, it can also have 5, so they’re not the norm but still climbing prairie roses.

The plant experts gave me a better key feature for identifying prairie roses — rosa setigera is the only rose to have combined styles (the thing in the center), whereas in other roses they are separate. I love learning new things!

I went ahead and planted the cuttings (with minimal blood and tears) in a pot covered with an old juice container to keep them humid. I would’ve taken a picture but by the time I finished it was dark out and I was being eaten by mosquitos, so I’ll try to post pics later. Hopefully my propagation is successfully and I get some roots! 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[aaronymous999]

Don’t ask me about my ideas for my MCU rewrite… ( do it do it do it )

I mean I don’t have much concrete yet but I have a few ideas heheh

Also probably won’t do anything definitive until I’m finished watching any mcu and marvel thing ever, not sure if I wanna rewrite the X-Men or Defenders shit entirely just yet but if the autism is strong enough I will. Definitely doing some Venom reworks too.

Also this does include headcanon because fuck you I can do whatever I want!! Fuck Marvel and fuck capitalism!!! Like Eddie Brock can be bi and poly if I want him to be smh.

Also finishing watching the entire mcu might take a while because. I have like 2 movies and 4 tv shows left which doesn’t sound like a lot but when those tv shows include Hawkeye and She-Hulk it’s difficult!! Also might have to go back and rewatch certain things again because I was half asleep during most of Captain America Winter Soldier and the latter 2 Ironman movies

I wasn’t asleep during Eternals but it’s incomprehensible and I will be using a wiki

Peter Parker who was taken under the wing of a man who had all the power in the world, and acted as a father figure. Peter Parker who cared and loved his father figure but also felt an immense guilt and mixed feelings about him due to him being the opposite of everything Peter stands for, and on a more meta level, being this universe’s equivalent of Norman Osborn for Peter in a lot of ways- ( Billionaire, Profits off military technology/dangerous weapons that put people in harms way, in some ways could be read as people with a pull yourself up from your bootstraps mentality, and always being focused on the big picture instead of looking out for the little guy. )

When Tony Stark dies, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is expected to take on the mantle of Stark Industries and facing world ending threats just like Tony, but also all the baggage he carried. Peter is gripped with complex feelings on if he even is allowed to be sad- or if he should even be questioning his grief at all, and if questioning his grief makes him a horrible person. Is taking over Stark Industries an extension of his responsibility, or would it be an inherently wrong act?

The MCU missed so many opportunities to play around with Peter’s morality in a context where he exists in the same universe as the Avengers, they do it a bit in No Way Home but not nearly enough! Let Peter have complex moral conflicts and a strict moral code that is challenged! What’s the difference between stopping someone for good by mercifully ending their life, or angrily trying to kill Norman Osborn, a man not always in control of his actions, but who is also in a similar boat as Tony Stark? Are these the same or different? Is killing ever okay, and is encouraging and propping up figures like Tony Stark ever okay?

[satoshi-mochida]

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell coming to PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch in early 2025 - Gematsu

Publisher PLAYISM and developer Bombservice will release PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Switch versions of Metroidvania game Momodora: Moonlit Farewell in early 2025, the companies announced. Physical editions will be available via Limited Run Games, with further details to be announced. The Switch version will be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2024, which will run from September 26 to 29 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell first launched for PC via Steam on January 11.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the latest installment in the Momodora series and takes place five years after the events of Momodora III. Join Momo, High Priestess of the village of Koho, as she embarks on a divine mission to save her people from imminent destruction at the hands of the demon hordes summoned by a malevolent bellringer.

Story

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell presents the account of the greatest calamity to befall the village of Koho, five years after the events of Momodora III. Once the toll of an ominous bell is heard, the village is soon threatened by a demon invasion. The village’s matriarch sends Momo Reinol, their most capable priestess, to investigate the bell and find the bellringer responsible for summoning the demons. It is their hope that by finding the culprit, they will also be able to secure the village’s safety, and most importantly, the sacred Lun Tree’s, a source of life and healing for Koho…

Key Features

Gorgeous pixel art and animation.

Action-packed gameplay focusing on melee combos, dodging enemy attacks, and firing arrows at enemies.

The “Sigil” system, which allows for greatly customizable play styles.

Intense and core-shaking boss battles.

Deep exploration into a world rich in lore and atmosphere.

Freely adjustable difficulty levels, allowing you to relax and explore the alluring world at your own pace or take on mighty foes for a real challenge.

Developer Comment by rdein from Bomb Service

Hello everyone! This is rdein, creator of the Momodora series. Recently my team and I have announced the latest installment in the series, Moonlit Farewell. This is a concluding story, following through from the events of Momodora III. With this new tale, I also intend to close the book on many of the past games’ mysteries and questions. I’m aware that many players are more familiar with the story of Kaho, which is set in a distant past. As such, I’m designing Moonlit Farewell to be as enjoyable as possible without prior knowledge of Momodora I to III‘s stories. Moreover, the series has always been focused on action and minimal stories. So please, don’t worry too much about “catching up”! Lastly, we hope to bring you our best game with this new title, using all the knowledge we’ve learned in the past ten years. So please don’t forget to head over to the Steam page and hit that wishlist button, and stay tuned for the Momodora: Moonlit Farewell!

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Saying that No Game, No Life is wasted potential isn’t a particularly new take, but still, I can’t help but to think about it. When I first watched it, I honestly didn’t notice how weird it is, how shock-full of invasive fanservice it was, just that it was colorful and had an engaging plot – I only learned of that when rewatching clips and I honestly can’t understand how I just not noticed those things at all and that makes me wonder how much of it is the editor’s demands or the author decided to put there (because, in order to sell, there needs to be a bit or a lot of otaku pandering).

In hindsight, Sora and Shiro were really different from other isekai protagonists. Most of them were really “normal people” given powers, reflecting the average audience of these works, with varying degrees of success. Sora does seem like the standard isekai protagonists at first: people who feel they don’t fit on Earth and would be glad to turn their virtual escapism into a real one.

But, the more you watch, the more you realize there’s nothing normal about these two: they’re both batshit insane. They don’t concoct crazy plans because the situation demands them to, but rather they’re the ones pushing forward those crazy plans, they’re the ones betting everything on the table in order to win a game. And, above all, they want to have fun doing it.

Tet didn’t just bring them to the new world, but he spirited them away. Before the term “isekai’d” was popularized in anime fandoms, the term was “spirited away” (just like the movie) when a god or entity decided to take someone from their world into a new one; there are hundreds of stories like that in many cultures before isekais. Tet saw them as perfect for his plans and thus he didn’t give them a lot of say.

And it makes me wonder what made Sora and Shiro reject their world so deeply, before being spirited away. They are in their own room playing games and criticizing real life for being such a crappy game. They probably were into e-sports or something (which, given their ability, wouldn’t be a big problem), and that would explain how they could afford all that stuff and why they are so attached to their stuff, that's all they have besides each other. I remember there was a flashback with their parents or guardians just walking past them and I think that’s a great example of minimalism – it teases you into thinking what actually happened, but that’s the only it’s needed to explain their perspective: no one really likes them in Earth. Maybe they tried to make friends and couldn’t, maybe everyone looked at them for being different. This makes plausible why they just stop working when they’re separate (something the anime never had time to explore, but I’m sure it would play a role in the later game).

Also, one thing that attracted most was that the author (Yuu Kamiya, or Thiago Furukawa Lucas) was born and lived in Brazil for most of his early years, before moving to Japan. As a Brazilian, I always thought that to be amazing, because I can see some “Brazilianity” in NGNL. I mean, I hope I’m not seeing things that aren’t there, but an author adds the flavor they grew up with consciously or not. Sora’s “I love humanity” shirt reminds me of the catchphrase “Sou brasileiro e não desisto nunca” (I’m Brazilian and never give up) and even the Brazilian method of resourcefulness (called “jeitinho”, check r/ItHadToBeBrazil and you’ll get it), which might be a component on how Sora and Shiro act in their crazy plans. It makes me want to try to read isekai not as an escapist fantasy, but rather as a metaphor for immigration.

The series also has a degree of deconstruction: Tet rewrote the rules of the world to avoid that catastrophic war and centuries later it feels like the inhabitants of Disboard learned nothing, there’s still racism and high demands for war, and humans are an endangered species. So, he needs Sora and Shiro to break through this probably teach a lesson, so that they can unite all the peoples of Disboard in the best game ever against Tet.

But I don’t think we’ll ever see that. The jeitinho has a dark side, represented by the saying “Pra Deus, até faço gol de mão” (I’ll even score a goal with my hand for God), and a Brazilian can understand how it applies here. Kamiya got involved in a plagiarism case and I’m not sure if his reputation rebounded or not. Either way, I have to admit I haven’t followed the light novel’s updates since a bit later after the anime ending, but the fact no one talks about it means that I guess we can only expect the worse.

Either way, it’s been over 10 years since I watched NGNL and it was something that really let a mark on me. I honestly think isekai opens the possibility to explore so many questions and scenarios. Even if NGNL recycled certain very very questionable tropes and pandering, I do believe it did try to do something different and fun with it.