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solong-and-thanksforallthefish · 4 years ago

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ESCAPE OF K-10 PROLOGUE: “The Creature’s Escape”  ┍━━━━━━━━━━━✁━━━━━━━━━━━┑ WARNING: 16+ Recommenced. This chapter contains heavy blood, gore, body horror, physiological horror, abuse, torture, medical themes, death, and other disturbing material. Please do not read if any of the subjects above are upsetting or triggering, thank you. ┕━━━━━━━━━━━✃━━━━━━━━━━━┙  Another day has gone by, maybe two, is it night? Evening? No one but the people in white knows the elusive time under all these blinding, unyielding ceiling lights. Within this facility was nothing but despair, people and creatures of all ages were stuck in this man-made hell, wishing for the day where their body would finally give out from too many chemicals, handled too roughly, or to simply never wake up again. That was a dream many subjects yearned for… the only mercy in this god-forsaken maze was through death. This wasn’t a place for science and a greater cause. It was a filthy cesspool of overfilling sins committed by everyone here; despite what side they were on every single soul was guilty of their actions and some eagerly awaited the consequences.  One creature in particular, laid on her side under the concrete bed, curled up tightly in a poor attempt to keep warmth in the frigid temperature. She could hear the soft buzzing of that accursed vent sending out the freezing air in order to keep her calm…..numb…..immobile. Those bastards did that with every cell despite if the subjects inside were naturally obedient and non-conflicting. For the scientists never knew if and when their subject’s mind will snap. The creature’s limbs were contorted, mutated. A leather raven black skin took over the second half of her limbs; her hands were nothing short of monstrous with elongated claws as sharp as knives. Her legs came out to be more of stilts, with bird-like feet locked downward. Nothing but emptiness in her eyes and not a sound came out. She had given up long ago fighting this. After losing too many loved ones.  With a sudden obnoxious buzz, the door slid open. The creature slowly unraveled her limbs from herself and crawled out from underneath her safe area. There was a dead, empty look in her expression. Finally submitted, finally broken. There at the entrance was one of the lab’s security guards. He’s taken her many times before and knew she wouldn’t do anything. She was too hungry, too mindless, too tired. The fire and hope in her were put out years ago after she had killed the last of her loved ones. It was all her fault. All her fault. If it wasn’t for her he’d be alive. All her fault.  She made him didn’t she? All her fault. She deserves this.  All her fault. All her fault. All her fault…  The sudden electrical buzzer pulled her out of her foggy intrusive thoughts and back into reality. She hadn’t realized she was cuffed again and being dragged by the security guard into an… unknown room. It’s been a long time since the creature could feel a chill go up her spine. It was like a rupture throughout her body; her whole numb body shocked into awakening and primal senses coming to fruition, panic and dread flooding her system as she was pushed inside and held tightly by the guard.  The room itself was different from the many within the facility. The lighting was dim, with walls covered with a black wallpaper with an intricate white pattern to it. The area had a neat, glazed over wooden desk. Papers upon files upon notes and so forth all seen in half-decent piles or scattered amongst the area, completely covering the surface! One corner had a filing cabinet that was full of years worth of research, with no dust or decay whatsoever. Against the wall was an old leather cushioned chair, it seemed well taken care of despite the rest of the scenery wanting to say otherwise. The most unsettling feature of this room however, was the right-sided wall… a simple door with a small metal station, and above was nothing but a humongous window, nothing but a void on the other side of the glass. The ominous scenery made the creature’s stomach wretch with the unsettling fear; though the intrusive questions bashing against her head came to a halt. Behind her the creature heard the door heavily creak open, metal squealing against each other with a disgusting voice cutting through the silence.  “Is everything prepared? Good, I’ll send the data and videos as soon as I’m finished. You can come and observe if you wish….. Ah, I see. I thought so…… I do always enjoy these “tests”. The man was speaking into his earpiece as he entered the room, heading straight to his desk and grabbing a file with no concern for the other two in the office. He had a disturbing expression on his face as he spoke, a crooked smile on his pale features. Biting his chapped lips and an excited look in his grey eyes. He took a deep breath, taking a moment and brushing his hand through his black, gelled hair put into a simple ponytail. After straightening the front of his lab coat, he made his way to the others in the room. That smile soon disappeared and his expression hardened into something more serious and mature. Oddly, the moment the creature saw the man in white she instantly backed up as much as she could into the security guard behind her. Though he quickly pushed her off of him and kept her right in between the two of them.  “Ah. K-10, my most prized subject here. Although….. you have been ruining yourself lately, haven’t you?” Dr. Henry leaned in close, his gloved hands grabbing the creature’s face quite roughly. She let out a growling whine in an attempt to scare him…but instead sounded like a pitiful plea. Her eyes shut tightly as Dr.Henry thumbed into the deep creases of her hollowed cheeks, forcing her mouth open as he tightly gripped against the points of her jaw, looking inside and seeing her teeth yellow, gums receded and scrunched up tongue deprived of any pleasure of taste or texture against it. After some observation, he finally let go of her and watched her wincing away from his touch, giving him a deadly glare and low growl. The lanky man gave off a dark chuckle at his toy’s reaction. Watching such hatred and fight in her eyes, the act of bravery, when fear was spilling out of those trembling eyes…. defying him and the useless hope of winning was just… so cute.  He had to restrain himself, he knew he had to show control, absolute control over such a fine specimen, and one that was made so well. Though he had a bad habit of breaking them, and in a way, if it went exceptionally well, he would make a new toy out of the broken pieces. In a way, it would be so much better than before. So much more fun, such excitement for the scientist.  “Well, no matter. We’ll have to fix that… if you survive this next test.” Dr.Henry waved his hand for the two to follow him. The guard shoved the creature to continue walking, stumbling and growling in response. The scientist stopped both of them at the metal door and held out his hand.  “That is enough for now Jermane. You can go out front and watch. There is to be no interruption, even from you. Make sure no one enters. If it’s for me, tell them I’m in the middle of testing and to leave an email for me to handle later.” Dr. Henry stated strictly, not breaking eye contact with the worried man in front of him. The creature could feel the man grip tighter on her, and Dr. Henry’s eyebrow raised expectantly when the guard hesitated to hand her over.  Though with one cold and warning glare from the scientist, Jermane finally let go of the creature. She fell to her knees, staying curled down and still. She didn’t try to scurry or fight, the pitiful display was quickly put to an end by the scientist.  Dr.Henry instantly grabbed the back of the creature’s neck and gripped around her scars, her cords and her airway. The creature’s eyes widened in fear, her whole body going limp and hands gently laid upon Dr.Henry’s. Her silent plea of mercy as her mouth opened wide, revealing the monstrous canines behind it. Jermane flinched back in shock and fear. The scientist’s expression stayed the same as he picked her up with ease.  Although it was slightly difficult to keep that neutral expression. He could feel the panicked pulse pushing against his grip, each dry swallow, the freezing skin against his, it was such a sweet tease. Able to control this creature’s fragile life. No matter how many times, he always loved the feeling of life. The living being, able to be manipulated, killed, changed, all at his doing.  “You may leave.”  Jermane scurried out of the office and stood at the door behind him with second thoughts on who he should be afraid of. Dr.Henry was finally able to, relax. The creature was yanked and forced to scramble to stand up and clumsily walk inside the room. Dr.Henry flicked on the light and revealed the area to her. She was scared of course, but so far it was nothing too out of the ordinary. A concrete room, grey walls and black tiled floor. A black curtain had split the room in half, leaving only a cold medical table with metal restraints, a cart of horrifying surgical utensils all neatly cleaned and placed on each shelf.  The creature avoided eye contact, though barely resisted when being lifted and snapped into the contraption. She closed her eyes with a defeated sigh… ready for the worst. However, Dr.Henry grabbed her cheeks hard and yanked her head to meet his now passionate, and mentally cracked look.  “Open them K-10. Now. You really thought today would be about you? Everyone knows how easily bored I get.” That sadistic smile, and the unnerving tone in his voice made the creature’s breath uneven. Just what were his intentions? This somehow felt different, more dangerous. After a brief inhale she could sense, another creature here. And not only anyone…. No…. it couldn’t be…  Dr.Henry could see the sinking expressions go through her head, processing, and realizing that they weren’t alone. He removed his touch from her and went to the curtains, unveiling an official surgical area of the room.. Buckets, preserve containers, similar operational tools. In the middle of it all was a disastrous creature, as large as the flat table it was strapped too. The beast had lumps, clubbed limbs, scars, oozing wounds and saliva dripping off it’s blood-stained and rotten teeth. Jagged, long, fanged, with a huge underbite. It breathed slowly, turning its head slowly to look at the creature across the room. With a huff from it’s flattened nose, it let out a screechy whine.  “A…! Ah..!!” The creature struggled to call out the beast’s name, with such scarred tissue on her vocal chords and lack of speaking for months on end it was hopeless. She kept making small noises, attempting to try and say something!  “Yeeesss, the two have been through quite the years together. Although, Subject K-09 here does not possess the same genetic mutations as K-10. Thus within the later years slowly K-09 will grow tumors,experience cancerous diseases, or its body will slowly shut down and malfunction in one way or the other. Meanwhile Subject K-10 possess a genetic makeup entirely different from the rest. Thus keeping it alive is essential. Meanwhile…..”  Dr. Henry slowly swayed over to the table, caressing the bare stomach of K-09. Tracing the marked dashes that laid across multiple areas of the body, earning growling and jerking movements from the beast in response. Was the scientist recording? Was there a camera inside this room?  “It has been agreed the most optimal way to continue research on subject K-09….Would be to dissect it. Preserving its organs, eyes, skin… muscles… bone… Slowly strip away everything… before you become spoiled …” Dr. Henry’s professional tone was slowly cracking, sadistic and horrid intentions slipping through the cracks. He slowly grabbed his gloves, relishing the sound of each rubber end snapping back. The beast flinched, looking to the creature with its small, fearful eyes. It was an expression of absolute despair, a final goodbye, knowing well that life will end in this room.  The creature started screeching in protest, jerking her limbs and slamming her body against the table in a poor attempt to stop him. Dr. Henry tsked as he slowly chose his scalpel. “Now now, this must be done…. Unless, you can plead? It will be difficult with your shriveled and scarred vocal cords. But if you can manage to plead your case as I like I will stop the operation.”  Dr.Henry took a syringe, plunging the serum into the beast. It jerked, struggled, screeched as if it was dying… and slowly the movements stopped. He could still see the beast breathing, calmly. Its eyes darting side to side. “You better hurry K-10.”  He dragged out his aim to the upper chest and slowly inched his scalpel deep into the flesh of the beast. It could barely open its mouth, letting out a soundless scream as Dr.Henry sliced right, down, left, flipping open the piece of flesh like a demented doorway to the beast’s very insides. Blood ran down the side of the table, and screeches were let out by the creature herself. She quickly started muttering, moving her lips, squealing and screeching.  “P…..pleeeeeeaaaas…….pleaaaa” she muttered, attempting to sew the sounds together into words to stop this madness.  “You’re the only one who can stop this…. But it won’t happen if I can’t hear you.” Dr.Henry enjoyed every cut, digging his gloved hands into the body, feeling the pulses, the sputtering blood, organs moving and twitching at his touch, it was a guilty, pleasurable sensation for the man. He took his time slowly cutting the flesh into smaller parts, a disturbing grin on his face, his body shuddering as the blood squelched under his grip.  “Please…. please please please please please please please please please…” the creature kept squealing out, shaking her head, her eyes shutting tightly together as she continued to repeat her pleas. The beast let out a gurgled hack, making the creature’s eyes snap open. She watched the beast’s blood slip through the edges of its agaped mouth as Dr. Henry watched the pitiful look on his toy.  “Please what? Even a monster like yourself should be more specific…. Are you asking for more? Please~ speak up K-10, I can’t work without noise.” He cooed, digging his hands back into the beast and cutting away at its internal organs. any sign of control and sanity had left him the moment he entered the room. He was too excited, this was going so well for him. Dr.Henry teased himself, thinking about how this will end, on one end he was impatient wanting to break the creature already to see such a reaction. On the other, he had to savor this moment. Listen to every reaction and noise… watch every expression and detail of the body…. Feel each pulse, feel the life slowly drain from this beast in his hands. This man was no longer a man, but a monster overtaken by bloodlust, intoxicated by the smell of copper filling his lungs…  The creature screeched and banged her head against the metal table attempting to speak more words, tears flowing over her face, making her vision blur and burn with each blink, forcing herself to look at him, to get his attention. “PLEASE, ST- Stooooop!! PLease STop!! pLeAse sToP!!! Please stop, please please stop, stop it stop it stop it please!!” She screeched out, her voice croaked, cracked, and sounded like she was choking, screaming out and begging for mercy like she had so long ago.  Dr.Henry’s sadistic grin only grew wider as the creature begged, and continued to remove each one of the beast’s insides, gently placing them in their bins. The creature continued to bawl, becoming louder and louder with each cut and each rip off from the body. Her body contorted, her limbs and body desperately changing shifting, attempting to go into a stronger form to stop this maddening event.  “Please stop pLeAse StOp Please sToP pLeAse StOp Please sToP PLEASE STOP PLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASESTOPPLEASE-!”  A final horrid squelch echoed through the room.  The large organ pulsed for a moment in the scientist’s hand, before slowly laying still. The body on the table was still, save for the blood dripping onto the tile. Its chest no longer heaved, the body’s mouth left agap, the body’s eyes left half open, glazed over, empty. The soul encased in them has left. The beast, was gone.  Dr.Henry let out a disturbing chuckle, “Ohhhh, too late. You could have stopped this…. But you …”  He looked over and stopped what he was saying. Something’s wrong. The creature’s body contorted, blood was pouring from her mouth, her body grew, skin peeled, scales formed, bones were cracking everywhere, limbs bent, snapped, flesh could be heard ripping itself apart and forming again. Soon the creature broke free of the metal restraints, immediately falling through the glass screen as it morphed. The creature was no longer recognizable… a long muzzle with a thousand teeth, eyes large and small, of all sorts scattered across its face. Limbs like a lizard’s… claws and flesh meshed together, a huge jagged body with showing ribs,spine, neck. Scales, flesh, feathers, fur, all mingled together in a horrid decoration across this form. This was no longer a creature, but a monster.  Without any hesitance the creature screeched to life, an ear-bleeding scream suddenly running and smashing through the metal door and seeing red below its claws. The monster could barely fit through the hallways as it raged through.  Alarms were set off, guards rushed to the third floor to stop the containment breach. Panic and chaos filled the facility, blood curdling screams filled the air as the beast ripped into everything that got in its way. Gun shots, blaring buzzers, shattering glass, growls, squelches, spilt blood, eaten bodies, papers flying… everything was happening at once, no one was prepared, and everyone suffered this monster’s wrath. This night was the most beautiful mural, a mural of consequence.  Senses were at a buzz, spiked to the edge and yet numb. The monster’s body shrieked for mercy at the insufferable damage, and yet the monster could feel none of it. Adrenaline, fear, and pure feral instinct for survival was all that ran through its broken mind. It looked passed the flooding bodies, to the white void in front of it. Faraway screams of terror and despair start to fade behind it’s chaotic path.  Finally busting through the final door, a freezing chill bit into the many bullets and tranquilizers dug into it’s crawling flesh and wounds. Stretching out it’s large leather and feather wings, the monster ran, faster and faster, as everyone shoved each other and piling up the stairs and out onto the roof, quickly scurrying to contain the monster, one more flap, one more jump, and…..  ‘  ; ‘* . * ; : ……… “Am…. I alive? Am I dead…? Inbetween?….”  “Everything hurts……”  “….Where am i?”  There was a freezing wind against her pale and thin skin. She slowly regained her senses, feeling a soft, dusty, and tangible flooring…no.. it was ground. The scent around her was moist and earthy. The sound of quiet chirping and gentle rush of water filled her ears. After mustering the mental strength, she opened her eyes. Trees stood as tall as her eyes could see, surrounding, and what seemed to be protecting her… Moss, rocks, grass, flowers, they were all here. And above it all was a light orange sky, speckled with twinkling stars… it was so beautiful. She heaved, taking in a large breath, starting to sob softly, riddled with joyous laughter on her bleeding and cracked lips. Tears rolled down her hollow cheeks and onto the dirt below where her knotted black hair laid sprawled out. Her rib encased chest rose with each stuttering breath, and her toes curled and uncurled as her legs attempted to curl up. Her watery light brown eyes happily looked up to the gorgeous scenery around her, it was almost too good to be true…  She shakily reached up to the brightening sky with her boney hand. This was real. She really made it…  Nalani, was free. Writing Tagliiiist: @aliasastrid , @bogbodybitch , @coralblast , @crybb-purrgundy , @dazed-night-lights , @lightrhetoric , @persephonescomplex , @tenacious-scripturient , @theworst-pirate , @screamingbasement , @xxxdreamerp666xxx  (Lemme know if you want to be added or removed! :)

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abigailskoda · 4 years ago

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The Historic TWA Terminal and Lockheed Consellation at JFK

Presentation:

As I passed the control stopped convertible and entered the https://moneymofo.com/ entryways of the Eero Saarinen-planned TWA Terminal with its winged, flight-proposing rooftop at JFK International Airport on a mid-September day, nothing, I noted, had changed, then again, actually the traveler registration counters flanking either side were refreshingly without lines. Maybe that ought to have been a clue.

Mounting the dozen steps and afterward redescending those that prompted the natural Sunken Lounge, I looked at the Solari split-fold appearances and flights load up, its boards intermittently flipping and clattering like stacking poker chips, however they just uncovered clear squares. There were no flight numbers, no occasions, and no objections.

However by perspectives on the vintage aircrafts on the slope through the floor-to-roof calculated glass showing TWA's red-and-white uniform, yet deficient with regards to a solitary stream motor, my objective today must be marked "history" or, even "flying history." Perhaps that was suitable for the "gear" I brought: a carry-on comprising of a clipboard and a pen.

The scene before me was a suspended one. The time frame music and the declarations repeating through my head moved me to the one I was not in.

"TWA Starstream Flight 802 to Paris, presently loading up at entryway one," they said.

My eyes, examining past the area of the once popular and recognizable Brass Rail Restaurant toward the double, fundamental terminal interfacing tubes actually secured with bean stew red pepper covering to the flight zone, I completely expected to take in at least one Boeing 707-320Bs with their gruffly pointed, radome noses, 35-degree cleared wings, and Pratt and Whitney JT3D-3B low detour proportion turbofans.

However the Lockheed L-1649A Starliner Constellation, speaking to the apex of-cylinder improvement, demonstrated that the time safeguarded and portrayed "out there" was not the one my psyche attempted to persuade me actually existed "in here." Instead, it was twenty years sooner, of the 1960s, and I had entered a saved pocket of time.

THE TWA TERMINAL:

As an articulation, portrayal, and improvement of the post-World War II-filled, innovation encouraged business carrier industry and the then-named Idlewild International Airport whose development came about because of it, the TWA Terminal was and is a compositionally tasteful image, all things considered, It catches the impression of trip with its wing-taking after shell and the liquid, open inside underneath it.

Not at all like a large number of the present single-building, various carrier offices, it follows its starting point to 1954 when the Port Authority of New York concocted its terminal city idea. Foreseeing the requirement for framework to take into account expanding travel interest, it executed an arrangement in which each significant transporter would configuration, manufacture, and work its own terminal, encouraging, all the while, brand character. In spite of the fact that the TWA office was the design reaction to the Port Authority's masterplan, its aircraft affiliation was one of its goals from the beginning, as expressed by the undertaking commission, which previously looked for a proficient ground activities framework, yet optionally needed "to furnish TWA with publicizing, exposure, and consideration" with it.

That the picked site for it was at the peak of the air terminal's frontage road, established the expectation nearly as much as the solidified substance which framed it, and that it actually does today, regardless of the two-decade stretch since the aircraft's downfall, fills this post-transporter need.

Eero Saarinen, a Finnish-American engineer and originator and now and again thought to be a mid-century ace, was picked to change both Idlewild's and TWA's vision into solid reality in 1955. Following his own genealogical roots to his dad, Eliel Saarinen, a draftsman, and his mom, Loja Saarinien, a material craftsman, he could guarantee that the ability went through his veins similarly as uninhibitedly as did his blood when he was conceived in 1910. In the wake of examining model in Paris, engineering at Yale University, and plan at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, he changed material into stylish capacity in such manifestations as the St. Louis Gateway Arch and Washington-Dulles International Airport.

In spite of the fact that Eero Saarinen accomplished his objective of making a theoretical portrayal of trip in the TWA Terminal, its motivation was rarely unquestionably decided, some proposing that a thumb sorrow into an emptied grapefruit skin brought about the possible bended, concrete, evenly situated rooftop areas that flawlessly spilled out of the wharfs that upheld them and were just isolated by tight lookout windows. The four met at a roundabout swinging place point.

The rooftop's wing surface arch or camber proceeded in the blood red and white inside by methods for the upper walkaway upheld sections that converged into both floor and roof as though they were vital to them. Its absence of rectangularity was clear in its different highlights. The flights of stairs, for example, were bended and its terminal and takeoff relax associating passageways were more similar to barrel shaped cylinders.

Its general articulation was one of 1960s neo-futurism and space-age Googie design.

Notwithstanding what at last end up being Saarinen's compositional accomplishment, it additionally turned into his heritage, since a year after he assessed its superstructure in 1961, he died at 52, never having seen his completed item.

While it was expected to serve little cylinder aircrafts whose limits never surpassed a hundred, it was not fit to TWA's thin body planes, for example, the 707 and the 727, considerably less its widebody ones, including the 747, the L-1011 TriStar, and the 767, requiring the expansion of jetbridge-associated loading up satellites.

After the transporter's 2001 end, its unique terminal anticipated reason or safeguarding. Its destruction, at any rate, had just been saved. In 1994, it was assigned a New York City milestone, at which time then Chairwoman of the Landmark Preservation Commission, Larie Beckelman, remarked in "The New York Times," "This is maybe the quintessential present day structure, communicating development and the entire idea of flight."

After eleven years it was put on the National Register of Historic Places. With its essence in any event guaranteed, it actually anticipated the two "p's"- protection and reason.

THE TWA HOTEL:

Safeguarding and reason, in the function, became different sides to a similar coin-that is, reestablish the 392,000-square-foot terminal to reproduce its 1960's magnificence and fill in as the anchor and hall to another different sides for this situation, two rectangular, dark glass structures with 512 lodgings created by MCR/MORSE and four building firms at a $250 million or more expense.

Draftsman Richard Southwick, who regulated the undertaking's rebuilding, noted of the TWA Flight Center, "(It was) the ideal image of post-war good faith, the wizardry of flight, and the style of mid-century current engineering."

Its first visitors were acknowledged in May of 2019.

As a "entryway," it contains the Sunken Lounge with the Solari flight load up; a mixed drink relax; a Sundries Shop with vintage duplicates of "Life," "Time," "Great Housekeeping," and "Family Circle" magazines; a good old shoe sparkle station took care of the edge (obviously); a TWA Gift Shop whose each thing, one way or different, shows the aircraft's logo; a 10,000-square-foot wellness focus with a cycling studio, treadmills, ellipticals, a spa area, and fitness coaches; and the Paris Café by Jean-Georges, which possesses the impression of the first one, alongside that of the Lisbon Lounge, on one of the two mezzanines and serves cooking roused by TWA in-flight menus. There is likewise 50,000 square feet of meeting and function space.

The two tube shaped cylinders the "Saarinen" to one side and the "Hughes" to one side lead, by method of halfway, initially nonexistent patterns, to the two seven-story glass, metal, and solid lodging structures, which were needed to be complimentary to, yet recognizable from, the milestone terminal.

Seven layers of triple-coated, 1,740-pound, protected, floor-to-roof glass guarantee in-room quietness, in spite of the way that slope maneuvering airplane are just yards away.

Rooms, which either neglect this scene or the terminal, lease for $250 every night, with lower estimated spans bookable for travel travelers who just look for a short rest and a shower.

The rooftop includes the Infinity Edge Pool and perception deck, alongside a bar.

Just the "Saarinen" tube, back on the principle level, leads out-or, in the opposite bearing, in-to this protected pocket of time, as communicated by the two story assignments or times on which the lift at its end lands: "1960s TWA Hotel" and "Present Day JetBlue," as per the two fastens the traveler can press to go there.

THE MUSEUM DISPLAYS:

While the Eero Saarinen planned terminal can be viewed as an aggregate, retro, yet living field, a few regions serve to complement it in historical center structure.

"Situated in different spots all through the previous TWA Terminal-the core of our inn just as in the function place and in the zones that associate our inn flight cylinders to JetBlue's Terminal 5, the shows (curated by the New York Historical Society) permit guests to encounter the stream age through valid antiques, intelligent presentations, and individual accounts," as per the TWA Hotel site.

Its 2,000 things hail from the TWA Museum in Kansas City, just as from the previous carrier representatives who gave them away.

"Shows center around TWA's set of experiences, including Howard Hughes residency as proprietor, TWA outfits from 1945 to 2001, and Saarinen's advancement of the terminal at Idlewild Airport," the site proceeds.

Focusing on the last's significance, Mike Thornton, New York Historical Society guardian, expressed, "The Saarinen terminal is a landmark to the positive thinking and vision of the fly age. These presentations welcome individuals into the fabulousness and fun that Saarinen and TWA endeavored to make and encourage."

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kiruuuuu · 5 years ago

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Smoke/Mute oneshot in which Mute meets someone close to Smoke - or: Witness Two Boners Die In Slow Motion. (Rating M/E, sexual content + humour, fluff, ~5k words)

“You’re what he came for.”

Mute’s eyes slide over in suspicion and despite the unexpected statement, he leans back to maintain an aura of nonchalance. His interest is piqued, however, directed at the handsome features made more attractive by a genuine smile. Even more by the fact that his curious stare is reciprocated with quick glances now and then, like someone wanting to dance but too shy, like seeking reassurance. Like checking availability. Mute knows better than to display a large neon sign saying VACANT and yet he refuses to do the opposite. “That so?”

“Aye.” Sledge takes a sip, not letting the object of Mute’s attention out of his eyes either. “Dressed up for ya, he did.”

It’s one of Rainbow’s first outings and meant to strengthen the so far loose bonds between the international operators – as of now, country ties bind them together more closely than interests and Six astutely remarked on having to change this if they’re meant to form a coherent unit. Therefore, they spent the day suffering team-building exercises and are now out drinking together. Invitations were polite but firm and so most of them came, some earlier, some later, some left already. Mute was punctual and delighted to see Sledge, a Scotsman with whom he’s worked together in the past, if briefly. They maintain a professional friendship which runs deep enough for Mute to consider meeting up with him off duty.

Smoke was late. Possibly on purpose, seeing as the first two whisky and coke noticeably impeded Mute’s judgement; inhibitions and standards have lowered. Nonetheless, he’s noticed the man’s cat-like movements favourably before and would be lying if he claimed his gaze didn’t linger where it should’ve brushed over. Now especially, watching the tight t-shirt cling to Smoke for dear life, the loose boots and well-fitting jeans flattering his legs, hair messily combed back like he already rolled in the hay before coming here and honestly, that wouldn’t make it any less hot. The opposite, if anything. A sated Smoke still hungering for him, not able to help himself? Hell yes.

Mute is occupying a booth, long legs stretched out into empty space and not yet ready to embark on his third journey of peaty pop, so he merely wipes the condensation off his glass and wonders whether he should try to approach this the classy way, and if so, what that would look like. Or whether it really matters in the grand scheme of things – if either of them remembers this night in a few years, they definitely won’t focus on their first interaction that day. Time moves at a sluggish pace yet Mute is filled with an increasing impatience. He knows he’s not meant to be right here, right now, not when there’s a perfectly good bed both in his and in Smoke’s room.

“Why for me?”, he asks and it’s vanity speaking. He’s not wondering whether he’s Smoke’s target, not when it’s made abundantly clear by absent-minded lip biting and fiddling with hair and almost dropping the phone and maybe he’s making Smoke nervous by staring at him. He enjoys the thought. Smoke is older and with a much bigger gob, plus he’s a vain bastard with too much confidence. Mute doesn’t know how he caught his eye, but he wants to hear why Sledge thinks he did.

“‘S just his modus operandi. He thinks breaking in the newbies in the SAS is gonna earn him a merit badge in the long run.”

Smoke looks over and offers a smile, a small, tentative thing, and Mute is too slow – his heartbeat reacts faster than he does, spikes in anticipation, but his facial muscles need a moment. He allows his enjoyment to bleed into his expression once he’s overcome the shock of just how fucking good Smoke looks and when their gazes meet once more, they’re both smiling. Just then, the group around the other man breaks out into laughter and Smoke joins, too late, obviously missed the punchline and fuck. That’s – Mute takes a big gulp to cool down a little.

“That’s what he does? Go after the young ones?” Not a deal breaker, but leaving behind an unpleasant taste on his tongue. Imagining them old and still gunning for a few decades below their own age isn’t part of Mute’s definition of sexy.

“No. The new ones. Nothing to do with age.” Tearing his eyes off the topic of their conversation is harder than he thought. Sledge doesn’t seem to be sugar coating, not with how earnest he looks. “If they’ve been with us for less than two, three years, he’ll pursue. No clue why. Blackmail material, maybe, or some warped sense of accomplishment. You won’t find a single troop where nobody has let him have a go.”

Interesting. Sledge’s tone of voice conveys exactly what he thinks of this achievement but to Mute, it makes Smoke all the more alluring. “Is he any good?”

The scandalised reply almost makes him laugh: “You’re not gonna fuck him, lad. You barely know him.”

While correct, it’s hardly a reason not to fuck Smoke. “That’s the point”, Mute explains despite the outrage in Sledge’s face, “less likely to get attached, the both of us. Early on is the best time to fuck anyone – later on it’s all ‘don’t sleep with his ex’, ‘don’t sleep with my best friend’, and maybe I wouldn’t ever wanna fuck anyone if I knew them enough. No chance of knowing it better when I’m lacking all the details.”

“That’s a horrendous point of view”, Sledge states, not even causing Mute’s grin to waver. “And what if he turns out to be a tosser?”

“I don’t plan on making a habit out of this anyway. He wants a quick shag, I want a quick shag. Besides, I do hope he’s a tosser, then I won’t have to worry about getting him off.”

Giving up, fortunately, seems to be the only course of action Sledge still sees. “Alright. Go on then, lad. Hope you’ll have no regrets.” He leaves behind an empty bench perfect for a tight little arse to squeeze in instead.

And Mute doesn’t have to wait long.

You’re what he came for, echo the words through his mind, prompting a giddy recklessness flaring up once he’s joined in the booth. The sizzling is audible and his drink forgotten in favour of attentive eyes drilling into his skull. I’m not calling back after tonight, Mute decides and remains unsure whether it’s out of self-preservation or vindictiveness. He’s too pretty, fingers curling around a glass, black strands falling into his forehead, body language open and inviting and provocative.

“I heard you’re the prodigy around here”, Smoke addresses him, still fully in control over his tongue. He can’t have had much yet.

“I heard you’re fucking your way through the Blades”, Mute responds politely, and the smile grows.

“Only the good ones.”

Cheeky. The hand on his knee goes uncommented and his silence is taken as the very encouragement it was intended. “How do you tell them apart?”

“What colour shirt did I wear yesterday?”

His palm burns and Mute wishes he could show Sledge how he feels in this moment, alight under a smouldering, watchful gaze, the idea of doing the deed almost more enticing than the actual thing. He figures the Scotsman would still judge him, albeit less harshly. Mute begins wondering what would need to happen for him to consider calling Smoke back. “You wore a black hoodie”, he drawls and parts his lips at the sudden squeeze of his thigh. Smoke looks delighted.

“The bad ones don’t pay attention to detail”, he explains and the next thing Mute knows is the taste of stale cigarettes and beer on his tongue.

~*~

“Babe, come on. Please, babe.” The whispered plea sends a crackling shudder down his spine, translating into a twitch of his fingers, grip on solid hipbones wavering, and the following breath right into his ear makes him consider spilling all of the imagery contained in his mind.

Mute lost count a while ago. They’re in the double digits for sure, both of them pretending they really want to try out this new game, really want to visit this restaurant again, really just want to hang out; and amidst good-natured laughs and sharp quips, their fingers brush during an exchange of bottles, one of them sits a little too close, and a compliment during banter comes out too genuine. They’re terrified, but fortunately they get off on danger. They’ve become addicted: outlets, catalysts. Wildfires.

Nothing ties them together and by all logic, they should’ve left it at that one night – and the next morning, really, and Smoke delayed leaving without overstaying his welcome. The times after that were so coincidental, telling themselves it wasn’t deliberate was deceptively easy, and these days Mute comes over with Smoke’s favourite takeout, bursting with trivia, tidbits and gossip to share and knowing there’ll be a second toothbrush. When he first saw it, he nearly faltered. It was lying there so innocuously as if it really was just a toothbrush, and after a moment Mute convinced himself that’s all it was. A mere toothbrush. Nothing more.

And now Smoke is riding his cock like his life depended on it, and maybe it does; the way he holds on to Mute reminds him of a drowning man but the ecstatic grin disrupts the image. He’s glowing from the inside, or maybe it’s the dying light of the sun painting him golden, or maybe it’s Mute’s mind which casually notes that they end their evenings earlier each time, give in faster, allow the tug around their midsections to make them collide.

“Just a bit”, Smoke continues and he’s so fucking overwhelming Mute wishes he could come in him ten times just to watch his reaction. Or make him come ten times just to watch him. Either is good. “It’d be so fucking hot, babe, please, I’ll do you any favour, you know I’m good for it.”

Is he ever. Mute vividly remembers the last time he was given a blank cheque like this. “I don’t know what to say”, he shoots back a big fat lie, mostly because he enjoys being difficult and a frustrated Smoke makes for fantastic memories. They’ve slowed down and every grind seems to go marrow deep, making it impossible not to grin. Mute fucking loves this, loves doing this and especially with Smoke, loves that they always end up here, inside each other in some way, loves the mutual respect and attraction and the fact that both of them play along. No egos getting stroked, only their dicks.

“You ever listen to me run my mouth?”

Often, and gladly. Mute’s grin widens. “I might need another demonstration.”

“No dice, babe. Just imitate all the porn you’ve undoubtedly watched while thinking of me.”

“Thinking of you is usually enough.”

He really went there. A heated gaze darkens and there’s no doubt Smoke is picturing it, judging by the slightly absent expression Mute switches to an appreciative one with a hard thrust. “That’s a good start.”

“Sorry, that was all the material I had.” In his mind, he’s mapping out his game plan: proper filth at the end, all the graphic details need to be staggered or else he risks a verbal premature ejaculation leaving them both dissatisfied. Compliments here and there – his stupid fucking luscious hair still growing like from a shampoo commercial despite having been burnt off several times; he’s proud of it so Mute will have to include it. Then his fingers, God, his fingers, producing the worst chicken scratch Mute has ever encountered and yet able to stroke him into another dimension nonetheless, not only over his dick or prostate but also his scalp. He’s not telling him he’s never felt so comfortable and refreshed like the time Smoke petted him to sleep. He is, however, telling him about the day he spent half hard over Smoke winning against the entirety of the GIGN in hand to hand, the boxer in him clearly visible in his fearless stance and the way he either fully dodges or simply absorbs the hit.

Mute is perceptive and thorough. Once he’s done talking, Smoke will be on his second orgasm and begging for more personalised compliments and spot-on dirty talk.

“Honestly, just throw out a few ‘fuck’s and describe what you’re doing and I’m happy.”

The urges to laugh and to interrupt their lovemaking for a reproachful, deadpan stare compete viciously. Smoke is taking him seriously, genuinely believes him to be inept and it shows in his lack of exasperation – if he knew Mute was deliberately being a little shite, he’d roll his eyes or sigh or try to make him cream himself by twisting his nipples, but instead he’s being gently supportive.

He knows enough about Mute’s history, so it’s more of an intentional insult than a faux pas.

Neither of them are faltering through the entire exchange, which is impressive in its own right. Mute still possesses the presence of mind to nail Smoke’s sweet spot often enough to keep the dopey look in his expression, and yet he’s got the brain capacity left to vow revenge.

Repeat after porn, he said? “Oh fuck, you’re so big”, he moans, earning an odd look almost shattering his composure already. None of his body parts are purposefully touching Smoke’s cock and still he takes the comment in stride.

And then he goes in for the kill: “Fuck yes daddy. Oh, fuck me daddy.”

The effect is as instant as it is hilarious and Mute has his iron composure to thank that he doesn’t break out into hysterical laughter immediately. Slowly, like a tree falling over, desire turns into disbelief turns into shock turns into thinly-veiled disgust – and Mute already outlines more horrific statements like his previous to frustrate Smoke. A displeased Smoke is a dominant Smoke and it’s oh so enjoyable to hold him down.

Instead of completing the full circuit and circling back to helpless amusement, Smoke simply stares him down, unmoving, unresponsive to the slight nudges from Mute’s hips, and says: “Dude.”

He sounds serious.

“Too far?”, Mute asks. It might be a prank – he hopes it is, hopes Smoke’s suddenly sober attitude is based in well-hidden mirth instead of genuine dismay, because the consequences would be far too dire. Maybe something happened to a friend of his, a sister, a cousin, maybe even to him, leading to a knee-jerk aversion of this particular kink and dear Lord, he’s flagging now, and so is Mute due to the uncomfortable twist in his guts. The concern that he overstepped an invisible line by straying from well-lit paths without asking permission. The fear that he might not be invited back.

“It’s just -”

Avoiding eye contact. Fuck. Mute’s in the shite now. Last time Smoke looked this uncomfortable was when he turned down an old flame, out of earshot and yet in full sight of Mute who sipped his beer and tried not to show his inordinate pleasure. Though he did lean closer once Smoke returned, looking away when Sledge’s gaze met his.

He doesn’t want this to be over.

An apology forces his lips apart, pride and ego violently shoved aside by an odd sense of self preservation, as if Smoke was food or sleep instead of an irritating fucker with an atrocious gag reflex who’s infuriatingly beaten Mute in every single one of his favourite video games and then stole the blanket all night afterwards, and he can’t fucking lose this. He went too far, he made a dumb joke which might’ve hit too close to home and he’ll be damned if -

“I have a daughter.”

Mute’s brain freezes.

“And, well, she called me that, so it’s a bit – you know.”

“You’re fucking kidding me”, Mute breathes softly.

“She’s almost done with school now, but just don’t go there, alright?”

She’s fucking what.

The following is the most awkward of silences, considering Mute is still halfway inside Smoke yet neither of them display any motivation to keep going, and when they eventually separate, Smoke sitting next to him with an uncertain aura of anticipation, Mute’s mind still hasn’t caught up. “Is this – I mean -”

Is this a deal breaker, he isn’t saying, much to Mute’s benefit as he wouldn’t have an answer. What kind of deal do they even have?

“Do you like kids?”

And it’s not about that, fucking hell, it’s about the omission thing. Lack of trust. “I don’t know. I kinda still am one”, he replies and is fairly certain it’s not the response Smoke wanted as he pulls a face and mutters something like well we’re done here and Mute doesn’t dare ask what exactly he means.

~*~

Society generally expects an answer where a question was posed, that much Mute knows, but attempting to take in all these shocking turns of events simultaneously occupies his entire mental capacity and thus he leaves the vaguely annoyed can I help you echo uselessly between them as he stares at the personified nightmare right before him.

He’s terrifyingly bad with children and worse with teenagers, swinging between trying so desperately to be the ‘cool uncle’ by teaching them easy explosions achievable with common household items and treating them like adults, meaning he ignores them for the large part unless they have anything genuinely interesting to say. Which happens rarely enough, in his experience.

It’s worse when the child belongs to someone close to him. Being stuck at a friend’s birthday party where the predominant topics were family friendly vacation places and shortcomings in the kindergarten system has happened to him more than once. He’s slept with a guy a few times who was adamant on having a family later in life and watched him try to convince his best friend to be his surrogate mother, and it took no longer than another week for Mute to break off all contact.

Now he’s faced not only with a kid with an attitude, no, she’s also Smoke’s daughter. And as if this wasn’t alarming enough already, her hair is blue.

“I, uh”, he introduces himself elaborately.

A brown eyebrow lifts. This seems to be her natural hair colour, though her mane is dyed a vibrant aqua and looks like she hasn’t brushed it today.

He realises belatedly that a strange man appearing on her doorstep and proceeding to gape at her idiotically isn’t the best way to gain her trust. “James sent me, I’m Mark. You’re – you’re Charlie?”

She nods curtly and makes no move to let him in. Just a typical girl, Smoke had said with a smile and a shrug, smart, but otherwise normal. Charlie looks like she attended a three-day punk festival and hadn’t gotten a chance to shower yet. At least Mute can’t detect any smell of cigarettes – or worse. He begins wondering how Smoke describes him to anyone if he considers his daughter to be wholly generic. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I’m not here to babysit. He said you’re running low on a few things and to help clean a bit.”

“Ah. Bitchwork.”

“That’s what I usually say to your dad.”

One of the many reasons Mute prefers not being alone with anyone ten years younger than him: having been surrounded by older people instead of peers for most of his life gave him a skewed view of what’s appropriate and, uh, what’s most definitely not.

Fortunately for him, disgust and disbelief aren’t the only emotions fighting on Charlotte Porter’s face – delight and amusement are among them. “Wow. Well. Come in then.”

If he’d known that one fateful night in the early days of Rainbow was such a slippery slope leading to him being Smoke’s confidante to check on the most important person in his life while he sits on his arse all day in Colombia waiting for something to happen, Mute might’ve made a wide berth around him. If he’d known that sticking with him and waiting for a half-arsed apology about the omission of offspring eventually delivered between very wet and malty kisses would result in him having to spend half a day with this punk of a teenager, he might’ve ended it after learning of Charlie’s existence.

He tells himself this, exasperated, and ignores his own voice calling him hypocritical. There’s a star next to Smoke’s name in his phone, in every app that allows it, and it facilitated checking the address ten times. It’s not the fucking tuna or a sudden weather change why he’s nauseous. It’s because he doesn’t want to fuck this up.

The house is more spacious than he’d thought but the area also more rural. Posters line the walls, a lot of the floor is naked and there’s a casual air of neglect Mute immediately finds charming: paperwork crammed into shelves, a few dust bunnies peeking out of cracks, more jackets than one person could ever need draped over various pieces of furniture. It’s neither cramped nor ultimately untidy or dirty, but it has a rugged lived-in look he can’t imagine to be popular with most girls of that age. Fifteen, he remembers Smoke saying. Finishing school next year.

“You’re not allowed in my room”, Charlie tells him and closes a door right before he gets to it. He catches a glimpse of a bright pink wall, fairy lights and what looks like a janbiya, an Arabic dagger. Maybe Smoke brought it home as a souvenir.

Endless questions are on his mind: how is he as a dad? What’s the stupidest thing you heard him do or say? What was he like five years ago?

And then, inevitably: does he bring other guys here often?

“Are you alone a lot?”

Only teenagers have perfected this utterly indifferent shrug when asked a personal question, Mute has never witnessed anyone over twenty perform it this flawlessly. “I’m usually out, you’re lucky you caught me.”

She’s on break – hence the hair, he figures – and Smoke mentioned some difficulties in her friends group. Charlie doesn’t strike him as someone who’s left the house for a few days and the state of most horizontal surfaces supports his suspicion. “No parties happening here? Even when dad’s away?”

“We don’t just invite people over. This is our place.” She’s scrutinising him again. Smart, Smoke called her and Mute is inclined to agree, her eyes certainly are attentive and flit about like they’re trying to catch him doing something unsavoury, thus warranting a ban for life.

“What do you do?”, Charlie asks in between tossing some pasta and rice into the cart. She cooks, surprisingly, and Mute can’t help the image of a small ten-year-old Charlotte with brown pigtails fixing dinner for them both and chastising Smoke for his unhealthy eating habits. Over time, she’s thawed – as has he. Putting her seatbelt on is second nature, she asks first before changing CDs and doesn’t put her dirtied boots on the dashboard. Smoke could learn a lot from her. It seems she chose this hair colour out of personal preference and not as an act of inconsequential rebellion and who is Mute to judge anyone’s taste in fashion.

“Same thing as your dad.” He snatches some off-brand cereal off the shelf as Charlie mentioned wanting some and watches in amusement as she rolls her eyes and exchanges them for the much pricier branded version.

“You save people and blow things up?”

He couldn’t have described Smoke’s actual function on the battlefield more concisely. “Mostly I prevent things from blowing up, but the premise is the same.”

“Are you the smart one? Did you attend Oxford?”

“Cambridge. Yes.” He’s momentarily caught up in witnessing his ego grow a few sizes at the thought of Smoke talking about him to his daughter, so he forgives her for the gaffe. Most people who mistake one prestigious university for the other aren’t so lucky and invite a lengthy lecture over the age-old rivalry between the two. Charlie gets a pass.

“Same thing.”

Alright. Okay.

All bets are off.

“I’ll have you know that they’re extremely -”, and this round goes to Charlie with her unbearably smug grin making it impossible to think she’s not a blood relative of Smoke’s. He looks exactly like this whenever he’s managed to rile Mute up as well. He deflates and manages to catch himself before he rolls his eyes. “Brat. That won’t work again.”

“Wanna bet?” She’s laughing now yet there’s no malice behind it. Growing up with half a parent left an impact on her, Mute can tell: trying to stay positive and find joy in everything, but her level of independence reminds him of his own at her age. There’s a few aspects of a typical childhood he didn’t get to experience. Regardless, she’s fiercely loyal and her love for Smoke obvious. “Are you better at maths than him?”

“Easily.” He fondly recalls the look on Smoke’s face the one time he gave in and actually explained the calculations he was doing.

“I got a ton of homework over the break and my maths teacher is a hardass.”

“Need my help with anything?”

“Well, I’m done with all of it. But maybe you could just check it for mistakes.”

At this point, he wonders how Smoke managed to raise such an angel. She’s distant in a friendly way and he assumes she takes time warming up to anyone, just like he’s sure there’s a bubbly, excitable and emotional girl hidden under the nonchalant façade. “Sure.”

“And you need to teach me how to defend myself. Dad still refuses.”

Finding it a little odd Smoke would neglect to train his own daughter, he agrees once more and forgets two very crucial details in the process: Charlie already baited him before. And Smoke boxed for a long, long time.

His fight response kicks in the moment the mattress dips and it takes several it’s me, it’s me until he stops struggling against the grip around his wrists, loosening as soon as he sinks back into the unfamiliar sheets. Smoke’s wearing a grin that’s entirely too handsome and yet not pretty enough for Mute not to take a swing at him when a sharp jolt of pain shoots through him at the welcoming kiss.

“Ow, fuck”, Smoke hisses and glides under the covers to drape himself over Mute like a second blanket. His clothes are cold, he must’ve returned home not long ago. “We got sent home early, otherwise I would’ve stayed another week. What happened to your nose?”

They’re keeping their voices down and together with the dulled lamp in the corner, the room is filled with softness: velvet shadows, kind whispers, gentle touches. Mute relaxes again and wraps his arms around the familiar body the way he couldn’t the past two weeks. “Charlie”, he says.

He missed this ungraceful snort. Missed all of him, really; now that he’s back it’s clear as day. “Your fault for falling for it.”

“She do this often?”

“Only with me. But then she doesn’t hold back. ‘Dad, I think I forgot everything you taught me’. ‘Dad, can you show me that one kick again’. ‘Dad, I’m not gonna embarrass you again, I promise’.” Their giggles echo in between the rustling of clothes. Mute is undressing him without motive, but when Smoke starts moving against him with purpose, his fingers become more insistent. “I didn’t expect you to stay overnight. I only asked you to make sure she’s got everything she needs.”

“It was her idea. She destroyed me in Mario Kart, I dominated her in Smash Bros., and then it was late already.”

“You didn’t even clean. The place still looks like shite.”

“Listen. We went shopping, I taught her scary-sounding maths words to intimidate you, she almost broke my nose, then we watched some cartoons and played video games. There was no time.”

Smoke is beaming at him and he can’t take it. He looks fucking stoked, as if Mute offered to take his brat off his hands or to cook for him for the rest of their lives, and somehow it’s scarier than coming here, facing such a significant part of Smoke’s life all on his own. There’s devotion in these eyes, and adoration, something far bigger than simple gratitude. They both know Mute’s visit here isn’t a courtesy. It may be a test of some kind, and he seems to have passed with flying colours if Smoke’s maniacal grin is anything to go by.

He’s terrified of what’s gonna come out of Smoke’s mouth next.

Because he -

He just doesn’t know -

“God you’re fucking hot”, Smoke breathes and thank Christ, this is familiar territory.

His fist is enough for Smoke to push into while sucking deep purple bruises onto his shoulder to stop himself from anything more than a mewl, and though Mute is too tired to get off himself, his toes curl the moment it splatters warm on his stomach. There’s nothing new to their touches, nothing remarkable about the way they instinctively wrap around each other as they drift off, and yet it’s Smoke’s bed in Smoke’s house and therefore it’s all foreign somehow.

The love bites thrum in gentle pain, the flat creaks like any strange place when his ears haven’t started filtering out the usual yet, and none of it matters because Smoke is drooling on his arm. Small steps. Mute can do small steps.

He has a feeling one of them is coming up with an excuse for him to spend some more time here soon.

No guys, Charlie said. He only sent babysitters over. No friends, nobody from work. No one like you.

And then the young woman who probably upended Smoke’s life the day she stepped into it, the grown-up girl for whom Smoke grew up himself more than ten years ago, the blue-haired student who’s earned so much of Smoke’s love and time gave him a meaningful look. Added: He doesn’t get attached.

Me neither, Mute replied. And was already looking forward to watching her and Smoke interact.

#rainbow six siege #smoke #mute #smoke/mute #charlie #fanfic #oneshot #I promise you charlie's here to stay #sledge is just watching them in awe and horror #waiting for the inevitable explosion #but never guessed that explosion was mutual affection

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chestfreezer6-blog · 5 years ago

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Fridge Solutions for Restaurants as well as Hotels

chest freezer Every restaurant, can definitely a standalone one or maybe some sort of hotel restaurant, calls for a cold unit for you to store consumables for instance beef and vegetables. Every single eating place requires freezing alternatives appropriate to their niche. On this page, I want to take a look at the various varieties of providing equipment that are ideal intended for commercial refrigeration.

chest freezer

All these are different commercial a fridge options available to help dining establishments and hotels.

Pastry Exhibit Fridge. It is often highly recommended to keep pastry cool ahead of serving throughout order to preserve this. The cake display family fridge offers both refrigeration plus a display. Thus, keeping the actual muffins fresh whilst offering them how to your customers.

Torso Freezer. Some sort of chest fridge is a helpful home unit that allows anyone store food items with bulk. It is a very ample freezer when you can contain multiple products.

Glass Top rated Freezer. The key benefits of this house equipment is comparable to in which of the chest freezer cooler. It, however, has the particular extra benefit of a new glass top rated which helps you to see inside unit without opening that.

Some yummy ice cream Display Fridge. Many of us all love some yummy ice cream and also want it even far more if we see it. Intended for ice cream parlours, this kind of is a great exhibit unit to get showcasing the variety of ice product along with enticing your buyers.

Meat/Deli Present Fridge. Buyers want to see the things they buy especially when the idea comes to beef in addition to deli meats. For the butchery, this is a must since you need to preserve the meat fresh new when having it on present for customers.

Pastry Screen Refrigerator. Once a buyer sees any golden darkish baked pastry, they instantaneously want it. This particular having an experienced caterer equipment is essential with regard to just about any bakery as the item allows you to screen pies, sausage rolls and also other pastries while keeping all this fresh.

Sushi Display Chiller. Sushi is one involving those foods that possesses to remain cool so as to remain fresh. It likewise should not be kept for some sort of long period. Therefore, it is best to display artistic sushi within a display fridge to really encourage customers to order this.

Underbar Fridge. This device is suitable for kitchen sets that terribly lack much area but call for a refrigeration remedy. It can merely in shape underneath any counter-top within your kitchen.

Upright Freezer cooler. These are ideal regarding storing almost any food piece. You can keep that inside a corner in your own personal kitchen in order to limit room.

Wall Refrigerator. This is usually a broad refrigeration product that allows you to be able to chill many foodstuffs about its multiple cabinets. This specific also allows you for you to display a lot of food things at one time.

Zero matter what sort of cafe you own or deal with, there is a business oriented refrigeration option available intended for you.

CaterWeb stocks an entire range of commercial kitchen area companies we even present cost-free demonstrations as effectively as hands on teaching if necessary. Visit each of our website to reach our on the web store or otherwise many of us welcome you to pay a visit to our new showroom.

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fox-fic-and-ink · 7 years ago

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Trophies

(So since this didn’t make it into the fanzine, I no longer have to keep it a secret!)

Cayde-6 raids the ship of Taniks the Scarred. Full piece below break. Slight body horror warning.

[The Shadow Thief (grimoire card) “The Wolves have sent a mercenary to Luna. Taniks, the Scarred. He would steal from the Hive all they know. Would align the Fallen with the shadows. You will stop him… but he will rejoice in your interference. Embraces conflict does Taniks. Revels in the trophies he collects from all he defeats. End his games.” - Variks, the Loyal] [Cloak of Taniks (item description) He of the endless troves of arms, and legs, and hearts, and lungs, and…] The last Vandal struggles but it’s crackling snarl is smothered by a gloved hand, then by ether building up in its throat when Cayde-6 twists his knife just so. Four arms twitch one last time before sliding away. Cayde lowers the body gently, not for the benefit of the Fallen but because the wet flop of another dead Vandal is sure to be dangerously loud in the otherwise hushed halls of the Kaliks-Syn. His Ghost hacks the door as Cayde drags the silenced guards away from their post and stuffs the bodies behind one of the Fallen munitions spheres lining the hall like orange boulders. The number of limp limbs make it something of a chore. Maybe brief weeks as the new Hunter Vanguard have already thrown Cayde off his game. There’s a burning line where his ribs would be- the thrust of a shock blade that didn’t quite meet its mark- but the wound is negligible, hardly leaking. Cayde urges through their neural link for his Ghost to hurry as he watches the open hall behind them. This is the right door. He’s certain of it. It’s the only door under guard across the entire ketch, excluding the bridge. A seal hisses pressurized air and massive doors slide apart. Cayde slips inside with his companion hot on his heels. Ghost seals the door from the inside and darkness falls over them- not the kind that dampens Light of Guardians but the old-fashioned kind of darkness that smothers the senses and spurs the imagination in the creation of unseen horrors. Ghost hums as he sifts through simple systems of the control panel glowing gently beside the locked door. When pale, white runners spring up to push back the shadows, Cayde-6 slowly realizes his imagination hadn’t run nearly hard or far enough. The space is cavernous; far larger than any of the other rooms they’ve stealthily sifted through aboard the ketch. The dim lighting barely reaches the banners that hang from the high ceiling in a tattered criss-crossing tapestry. Most are Fallen in design but none of the markings match the glyph on the side of the ship. Cayde’s Ghost drifts upward to examine the collection of house symbols but Cayde snaps his fingers and shakes his head. This isn’t the time or place for curious Ghosts to float beyond their Guardians’ protective reach. The Hunter’s silent order to descend increases urgently when his eyes adjust to space and he gets a better look at the ground floor. Running lights frame a central aisle and on either side stand rows of clear cases containing…pieces. Some things Cayde recognizes through the hazy gloom and thick barriers, like the pitted arm of a Hive Knight with a sword still in hand. Some things he doesn’t, like the tooth nearly as long as his leg or the pile of tentacles…tongues?…in the case next to it. Whatever they are and whatever they once belonged to, they are nothing but trophies now. None of them are the one Cayde came for. Variks swore it would be here. He almost misses it. The tank at the end of the aisle is so large and the specimen inside so comparatively small that, at first, Cayde thinks it’s empty. But once he’s recognized the silhouette from across the long room, none of the other displays matter and Cayde’s feet lead him reluctantly down the morbid lane. The oversized cylinder must have been meant for something big, bigger than an Archon, far larger than the creature it holds; a display planned for one acquisition but given to another in a place of dubious honor. Andal Brask hangs inside suspended in pale, amber goo. He’s dead. Cayde knew that. But seeing it makes it real. Cayde has yet to mourn- refused to do so without proof. Now he has it. The blackened remains of a Ghost ‘float’ over Andal’s shoulder and erase all doubt. Andal is gone. Irreparably. It should destroy Cayde, should make his knees buckle, send the Exo crumbling to the floor. Cayde is far too angry for any of that. There are no controls, no, buttons, and no release hatch scattered along the slightly raised dais. It’s just an oversized jar with one immaculately kept human specimen in full field gear. Even as his Ghost begins to scan for some weakness, Cayde kicks at the enclosure viciously. His heel bounces off and he staggers. Ghost shushes Guardian desperately but the Hunter regains his balance and strikes again. The Light-given strength that can crack a decent-sized tree does little more than slosh the liquid inside and send Andal’s limbs drifting with the change. It makes Cayde sick to his core. He rips his handcannon from his holster and lets the Traveler’s power roar through him. Three golden rounds scream into the tank at a careful angle. Each punches a hole before it drills into the floor. Jets of rank preservatives gush out in their wake. Loud. Ghost warns across their bond. Stupid. Ghost swirls around in a panic as the first sirens bellow. Cayde doesn’t care, refuses to worry further. Let the Fallen come. He could massacre every living thing on this ship now that he’s seen what they’ve done. He strikes with his boot again and what’s left of the glass around the three holes crumples and sags held only by a nearly invisible mesh that lines the glass. Dozens of streams spit from the fractures and splash against the Exo’s armor. Cayde holsters his gun and drives his fist through the weakened mess. The fist turns into a furious claw as the Hunter tears away mesh and glass until he finally creates a small opening. The surrounding glass cracks and bows from the force of surging liquid before great chunks break away and the small opening suddenly becomes a gaping doorway. Cayde staggers when the wave of amber preservatives hit his knees but holds onto the jagged edge of the glass even as it bites through his shredded gloves and into the joints of his fingers. Andal follows with the flow and Cayde catches the body mid-stream. Sopping wet and reeking of alien chemicals, Cayde clings to his fallen friend. He thanks the Traveler for small blessings because, even cracked and dented, Andal’s helmet is still securely fastened. Cayde is not quite ready for the final face-to-face. “I’ve got you,” Cayde whispers into the drooping head against his chest. The last of the tank empties in little rivers as the door behind them hisses open. The first Dreg in hesitates, confused by the splashes it makes. Cayde takes off its head with one well-placed shot. So falls the second and the third. Panicked clicks and growls in the doorway are drowned by a roar from the hall. If Cayde still had a heart, it would be thundering in anticipation. Taniks the Scarred bursts through the door in a writhing mess of limbs. A nightmare augmented by ether and metal. The mercenary’s crew scatter out of the way or suffer the consequences like the Dreg batted into the wall by a great, metal hand. Rage simmers in every inch of the massive Fallen; rage for Cayde’s impudence in trespassing aboard the Kaliks-Syn, the murder of Taniks’ crew, but mostly for the violation of his trove. A Vandal raises its wire rifle and Taniks stomps the creature into the ground before snarling at the surrounding troops. A primed scorch cannon rests in Taniks’ hand but even he doesn’t fire. Cayde chuckles to himself when the reason becomes apparent. Taniks the Proud won’t risk ruining his trophies. The mercenary spits something garbled and violent sounding in Cayde’s direction as his troops throw down their ranged weapons and rush for the dais. Ghost attempts to translate from his hiding place behind Cayde’s shoulder but the Hunter shakes his head. “I don’t care what it says.” Cayde guns down the two fastest Fallen, stows his handcannon with an easy confidence, and shoots Taniks the Scarred a single verticle finger. “Translate this and take us away, Ghost.” Ghost growls his best impression of the Fallen language and hastily begins to transmat the three of them away in a shower of blue. He may not be the one to do it, but Cayde allows himself to retreat with the satisfaction of knowing eventually some Guardian will put an end to Tanik’s life. For now, Cayde hoists Andal’s weight against his chest and holds tight for transmat. “Don’t worry. I’m bringing you home.”

#destiny #fanfiction #cayde #andal brask #taniks the scarred #also in candal collection on ao3 because why not?

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architectnews · 3 years ago

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Rede Architects and Moguang Studio turn abandoned factory into youth activity centre

Ramps, slides and platforms made of colourful mesh feature at this youth centre near Beijing, which Rede Architects and Moguang Studio have built within a derelict garment factory.

The industrial site in Beizhuang Town, Miyun District, comprised a dozen disused buildings arranged around two courtyards and surrounded by factories and mountains.

Top: The Youth Activity Center occupies an old garment factory. Above: it features a combination of brick and steel buildings

Rede Architects and Moguang Studio retained and reused the existing structures as The Youth Activity Center's classrooms, restaurant, conference room and hostel accommodation.

A workshop building with a single-span trussed roof has been converted into a children's centre and multipurpose hall.

A raised steel walkway winds through another courtyard

In the northern courtyard is a raised steel platform accessed by a pair of curving ramps that form a circular shape when viewed from above.

Ramps lead up from a central lawn and play area to the restaurant's roof terrace. The steel mesh platform shades the spaces beneath and a metal slide provides a speedy route back down to the lawn.

Red steel mesh provides shaded areas

A second courtyard to the south of the site contains a landscaped garden comprising circular paved areas interspersed with patches of vegetation.

Local perennial plants used in the garden are left to grow naturally to recall the previously wild and overgrown space. The courtyard also contains a circular trampoline.

The ramps run over a large lawn

Between the north and south courtyards, the architects introduced a water feature and a connecting passageway enclosed using the same red metal mesh.

The activity centre is located within the main brick and reinforced concrete factory building.

A lobby with curved glass marks one entrance area

A single-storey structure adjoining the northern facade of this building was removed and replaced with a series of umbrella-like metal canopies to create an entrance.

The lobby comprises seven intersecting semi-circular glass volumes that separate the entrance to the main activity centre from a cafe and a concept store.

New steel mesh details are painted a bright yellow

The youth activity centre contains learning spaces within the original seven-metre-high space. The addition of a mezzanine level allows active and quiet functions to be separated across different floors.

New interventions are painted a vibrant shade of yellow, and mesh lends visual lightness to these structures. Ramps, slides and climbing nets make the experience of navigating the space enjoyable for children.

The eastern edge of the factory building is separated into large rooms for public use.

Circular paved areas feature in one courtyard

In one area, the roof was removed to create an open-air courtyard spanned by the original trusses. This courtyard alters the scale of the spaces on either side, creating a more compact and suitably proportioned room for the restaurant.

The buildings in the southern portion of the site are of brick construction with wooden truss roofs. These structures originally contained dormitories and a canteen, but now function as guest rooms.

Original faded green walls have been preserved

The structural columns and steel components of a derelict carport were retained and turned into a porch leading to The Youth Activity Center hostel's entrance.

An abandoned canteen is now a reception hall, which displays original features including the faded green-painted walls and prefabricated concrete roof.

The canteen celebrates the building's original details

New interventions in the canteen include stainless-steel units containing the toilets, along with fair-faced concrete counters and stainless-steel bench seating.

Inside the hostel's guest rooms, brick walls echo the scales and textures of existing buildings within the site.

External courtyard walls and paving between the accommodation makes use of bricks recycled from demolished villages in the surrounding region. These bricks form low walls surrounded by plants to mark the transition between public and private areas.

Beds are built from wood

Other architect-designed youth centres include a building by Spanish studio B720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos that uses wood and bright colours to create a warm environment, and EFFEKT's transformation of an abandoned windmill factory in Viborg.

Photography is by Xi Zhi, Zhu Yumeng, Li Jiaying.

Project credits:

Architects: Rede Architects and Moguang Studio Principal architects: Jin Lei of REDe Architects, Li Jiaying and Feng Xin of Moguang Studio Project architects: Li Jiaying, Feng Xin Landscape design: Li Jiaying, Xu Wenkai Hostel interior decoration: Song Wentao, Huang Xinwei

The post Rede Architects and Moguang Studio turn abandoned factory into youth activity centre appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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pursuingtheplanet · 7 years ago

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A low roar makes me jump as I stare over the city. I look up to see the belly of an aeroplane soaring above us. The vibrations are pretty violent, and I almost fear for the ruins surrounding me. After nearly two hours on a coach, this is the Heraklion that greets us: hot, busy, eclectic. Just one of the stops on our tour of Eastern Crete.

While I understand the need for an early pick up for this particular trip, it doesn’t mean I like it. Thankfully the air is cool at 6:30 am while we wait for our ride, and we are quick to doze off in its cushioned seats. Halfway to our destination we stop at a roadside café in the middle of nowhere. The driver grabs a much needed coffee, while the rest of us make the most of the fresh doughnuts and orange juice on offer. Tummies full and legs stretched, we quickly doze off again for an hour or so until our driver wakes us up by sharply breaking in a car park. This alerts us to our first: no trip to Crete would be complete without a visit to Knossos.

The last time I came here I was four years old. Now, after studying Classical Civilisation and ancient literature as part of my degree, it is a site I have been desperate to revisit. The Sunday morning heat is uncomfortable but the place isn’t manically busy yet; just a few guides marching groups through narrow spots like the ‘Room with the Copies’ and temporarily blocking them. The swallows that are perched and nesting above doorways do make for good entertainment though, especially when they begin dive-bomb unsuspecting tourists below. The place is certainly fascinating however. The grand staircase and royal apartments offer insight into the sheer scale of the site. My musical background draws me the ‘theatre’ where I take a snap with a well-known travel mag to try and get featured (it doesn’t work). The backdrop to the ancient palace is also stunning, rolling hills and lush green trees framing the site, adding to its grandeur. Yet I must confess myself a little disappointed: while the sheer age of the site certainly makes it impressive, there are elements that dim its raw legitimacy. Patches of red paint mark ‘re-creations’, and square windows have been added in during some points of its excavation. I may sound ungrateful, ignorant even to some; don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly grateful for the preservation of the palace, along with other similar sites across the globe. The re-painted frescos across the palace, made to look suitably aged, are very well executed. I guess I just had an image of a palace whose original architecture had been almost completely preserved, or lay in near complete ruin with its age being the focal point, not some hybrid sitting in-between. Some of the more disparaging sights created by other tourists: a man has been employed to sit a particular spot and shout at people attempting to take pictures stood on top of one of many giant urns, and a gentleman is yelled at after wandering around with a cigarette in his mouth. It is a place that I need to come back to in the low season, I feel, away from the tours and masses of tourists that come stomping through the gate just as we are leaving. Away from those that come here just because it is on some list of places to visit or a hotel excursion. And away from the heat.

Our next stop, however, fulfils any further questions I may have of the site itself; a short drive into the city centre of Héraklion leads us to the Archaeological Museum. The first three rooms immediately grab my attention, the bright lights making all the gold displayed in cabinets glitter. Our guide book states them as “luxury objects from the Neolithic settlement of Knossos and Prepalatial tholos tombs of the Mesara, as well the burial complexes of Malia, Mochlos, and Archanes”. Any grandeur the palace of Knossos may have lost is certainly compensated for within its safely stored treasures, the pinnacle object for me being the Malian golden bee pendant, displaying Minoan taste at its finest. There is even a stunning replica of the Knossos palace, which can rival Leavesden Studios’ miniature Hogwarts in terms of detail. My favourite element of the museum, however, has to be the Phaistos disc. The earliest known example of Minoan text, the disc is believed of be of a religious nature, possibly a prayer to a Minoan Goddess (thanks to a 2014 study). In the museum though it sits isolated, both sides displayed in a glass cabinet while a single bright bulb shines above it, making the clay almost appear gold and shimmering. I manage to grab a quick snap of it (don’t worry, I’m allowed to), and smile as a little girl with a very expensive looking camera patiently waits for people to move out of the way so that she can get the perfect picture.

Walking beyond these sparkling treasures, I learn that the museum is very strict: some exhibits cannot be photographed since they have not been formally published yet, which is fair enough. It is also amusing to see grown men flinch at a woman’s bark of “be quiet!” when the level of noise in each room gets a little high, the echoing reprimand reminding me of being told off in a school assembly. Though I am glad to not be the subject of her shouts, it does not deter me from getting as close as I can to each exhibit, beautiful frescos such as the ‘Bull-Leaper’ and a stunning Gold Myrtle wreath proving yet more insight into life inside Knossos.

By the time we’ve finished in the museum, we don’t really have time to explore the city. There is a chance, however, to grab a coffee and the first slice of ‘real’ baklava I’ve encountered since being in Greece. It should seem fitting then that it is the biggest slice I’ve ever seen. Savouring every crumb I can, I’m amazed by the juxtaposition of the city that surrounds me. We’re in the old part of tow, ruins and tired looking buildings dotted around us, while aeroplanes glide low into the nearby airport, vibrations making the air buzz, and giant ferries hum in the port, destined for Athens. Settling back in our comfy seats for the long drive back, we expect to arrive at our hotel just before dinner. But just an hour into the journey we make an unexpected stop in Réthymno, Crete’s third and ‘middle’ city.

“We stay here for a bit. No longer than 45 minutes. Go. Go wander.”

We obey our guide and step out into the surprisingly cooler air of the port of Réthymno, dark clouds above us signalling imminent rain, while a chilly breeze is a welcome breath of fresh air. We walk up a slight hill and are suddenly in the old part of town, the small harbour greeting us echoing Chania’s charm and character. We can see a maze of narrow streets ahead of us, but whether it is the early morning finally catching up with us, the extensive travelling, or the Sunday afternoon attitude in the air, suddenly the canopied bars lining the harbour are incredibly inviting. We pick one with comfy sofas right next the lapping water, old ships tethered up to our right, resting for the day before the tours of the coast begin again tomorrow. Orange juice is again the drink of choice, though the choice of food on the menu is extensive. The table next to us have opted for a fresh fish platter, which seems to contain a myriad of shellfish, squid, swordfish, and others that I don’t recognise. It looks fabulous, though the cats loitering next to the table seem to be getting the lion’s share, perhaps due to on being very clearly pregnant. The hum of a Harley accompanies our quiet drink, speeding away as we had back towards our own ride. We spot other restaurants making the most of the quiet time of day before the crowds roll in, setting up stunning displays of today’s offerings, live crab and lobster attempting to scuttle away before their claws are banded shut.

Relaxing into the last leg of our journey, I try and remember everything I have seen today, all the treasures and artefacts, everything precious and ancient. Suddenly I become very thankful for the guide book we picked up in Héraklion. Yet it is this last stop that has proved to be the most curious, a place that I have seen signposted but never thought of visiting. As we leave Réthymno the heavens open, and I decide I definitely want to come back here, for a meal at least.

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okayideas · 8 years ago

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Artifact table A (roll d20)

1. Ancient Left Sock

This is a single sock, made from spider silk. It is indestructible, but too soft to be particularly useful as a piece of armor. If it were combined with the other sock of the pair, some incredibly powerful force could be unlocked, but the other sock is gone from mortal planes of existence forever. There are powerful wizards who hope (in vain) to recover both socks and who will go to great lengths and great expense to acquire this one.

2. Belinor's Marvelous Cushion

This is a large unstuffed cushion, as for a luxurious armchair. At a command word, it becomes magically stuffed and rises to seating height. Repeating the command word while pushing or pulling it can allow it to be adjusted. Resting on the cushion is no more restful than on a non-magical seat, but the novelty and portability make it a desirable item among noblemen and others who seek ostentatious displays of wealth.

3. Catalog of Books

A book listing every magical book in the world, giving its title, author, and magical effect. Some non-magical books of great magical significance may are also listed. Only books that existed one hundred years ago are listed. If there was exactly one copy one hundred years ago, the location of that copy at that time is also listed. The text of the catalog magically changes on the hundredth anniversary of a magical book's creation, etc. so that the catalog is always precisely one hundred years out of date. The catalog's own entry for itself mentions the hundred year delay prominently, but it might be overlooked if just opening to a random page or just looking up one specific book.

4. Chain of Many Sausages

When found, this chain has 4d10 sausages. The sausages appear identical on the outside, but each is a different exotic meat (for animal types, roll on an Exotic Menagerie or similar table appropriate to the setting in which the sausages were found, ignoring any poisonous or inedible results). They are magically well-preserved. Four sausages (and potable water) could feed an adult for a day.

5. Horn of Mistune

A simple brass horn enraved with magical-looking symbols. To the user, the horn seems to be powerfully enchanted to play any song the player can imagine. It is not, and in fact it is impossible to play any coherent melody or rhythm on it. This is more of a prank than a curse, as it makes no particular effort to stop its player from listening to and believing the advice of friends. The brass of the horn is useful as a component in crafting other more useful magical brass instruments.

6. Kryptlib's Peculiar Bell

This bell plays different notes, in a fixed repeating order. With trial and error, a rhythm can be found that fits the notes to a well-formed melody. When played in this melodic fashion, the bell's sound is extremely soothing to any animal or otherwise minimally intelligent being that can hear it.

7. Necklace of Undoing

Any attempt to wear this necklace causes it to fall off. An observer experienced with artifacts would draw the conclusion that it is rejecting its wearer, but in fact it always does this, and its magical effect occurs in the course of it coming off. Using magic to somehow force the necklace to stay on can work, but has no useful effect. When the necklace comes off someone who is under a curse or other negative magical effect, there is a 25% chance that it will remove that effect. Roll separately for each effect if there is more than one. If the necklace fails to remove a single effect on a single individual, subsequent attempts on the same effect and individual will also fail.

8. Nirdi's Amazing Duck Call

A wooden duck call with an unusually low-pitched echoing sound. Ducks in general ignore it, but for any Nirdi's Amazing Duck Call, there is a single duck in the world that is bound to it. When the party finds this call, its duck is 2d6 days' flight away. The bound duck will hear the call and immediately head towards the location where it was used, not requiring any food or rest in that journey. The duck does not gain any ability to teleport or open doors, but will apply its animal intelligence diligently towards passing any obstacles. If the duck dies, another random duck somewhere in the world is bound to the call, 1d20 days' flight away. There is no way to control this process.

9. Ogre's Chew Toy

A small human-shaped rag doll. Any being that routinely gnaws on it, even a mouse or infant, will gain the strength of an ogre within 2d6 days of doing so, and will retain that strength as long as it remains in the habit of chewing the toy. There is a slight visible increase in muscle mass, but not as disproportionate as the change in strength. If this is found in a place where rats or other vermin would have been able to chew on it, an otherwise normal rat (etc.) with ogre strength will attack the party as they attempt to leave with it.

10. Portable Moon

This is a white hand-sized orb. When viewed from a distance, it does not shrink with perspective. It emits a strange semi-illusionary light; the further away it is from the observer, the further its light reaches. From a distance of ten miles or more, it is almost indistinguishable from the actual moon. It can cycle through lunar phases using a command word (which must be spoken at close range). It is less bright than a torch when held close, but is usable as a light source. A second, harder to discover command word allows it to command tides. The change in tides is not immediate or violent.

11. Ring of Canine Senses

The wearer of this ring becomes aware of anything a dog would sense and comprehend, such as whether a particular dog has been urinating in the vicinity and whether a tree has any squirrels living in it. The senses provided by the ring do not provide details a dog would have trouble understanding. If using it to follow a scent trail, roll d6 for every 10 minutes of pursuit; on a 1, the wearer unconsciously switches trails to find a butcher shop, dungpile, or other scent of canine interest. Do similarly for any other attempts at using the ring to achieve sustained human goals.

12. Robe of Absorption

This is a lush white hooded robe decorated with golden thread. Embroidery in an uncommon, but not wholly unknown, archaic language clearly identifies it as a Robe of Absorption. It is extremely resistant to staining and accidental damage, and experiments performed on it for the purpose of gauging its durability find it to be virtually indestructible. It will protect the wearer from liquids of any kind, absorbing enormous quantities to be wrung out later. Water absorbed this way is not potable once wrung out. It does not prevent drowning and does not protect the wearer's feet. Any non-liquid attempt to do real harm to the wearer can damage the robe without difficulty.

13. Scroll of Lies

Whenever this scroll is opened, it is revealed to contain many simple declarative statements, each of which is a lie. For each statement, the fact that it is a lie is obvious to at least one person who is present when the scroll is opened. (If the scroll is somehow opened when no one is present, it will be blank.) The scroll can be repeatedly rolled and reopened to show different lies. Occasionally (1 in 10 chance), one of the lies is of a personal nature relating to someone present, and partially reveals a secret of some sort.

14. Shoe Lure

This appears to be an amateurishly constructed, incomplete shoe. It is noticeably sticky. If it is left unattended overnight, any small fae creatures in the vicinity are overcome with a compulsion to complete it or involve it in a prank. When they touch it, they become adhered to it until noon.

15. Skull of Becoming

A small lizard skull with what appear to be diamonds for eyes (although they will shatter like glass if the skull is destroyed). When a command word is spoken followed by a description of a portable item, the skull will become a copy of that item until the next time the command word is given or until the next sunrise. The person describing the item does not need to know precise details of its construction, but it must be an item that could be constructed without the use of magic. Armor, weapons, rope, etc. will function normally. If the item is separated into smaller pieces and not rejoined before the next sunrise, it will be broken when it changes back and will no longer work. If the item is eaten, it will not change form again until it has passed from the eater's body, and it will always be passed as a single coherent mass if possible. If the item is a container, objects held inside it will end up outside the skull when the transformation ends; if not inside another larger container, this will spill liquids and powders. The skull has one quirk which it continues to have in all of its forms (roll d6): 1: It is a bright green color. 2: Those who look at it feel like they are being reminded of something forgotten from their childhood. This effect can be detected as illusory in nature. 3: It is always just slightly above freezing temperature. Using it as a container can triple the use life of perishable food, relative to keeping it at room temperature. 4: When a wish is made in its presence, it will twitch slightly even if it is not in a form that would normally be able to move. If it is in a form capable of self-propelled motion, such as a clockwork toy, then it will make some effort to grant the wish. It has no particular wish-granting powers, but can be generally given commands as long as they are phrased as wishes. 5: It emits harmless but highly noticeable smoke when in the presence of anyone who wishes harm to its carrier. Any magical attempt at hiding motivations will prevent it from doing so, but it can sense through any non-magical attempt at deception. 6: It cannot be magically sensed in any way.

16. Skull of Finding

An average-sized humanoid skull with rubies for eyes and teeth. When the proper command word is spoken, the skull will speak directions to the most valuable cache of treasure within a 10-mile radius. However, the skull will not mention dangers, guardians, or the actual nature of the treasure, and its directions have one other quirk (roll d6): 1: The skull's enchanter was able to phase through solid matter up to 5 feet in thickness, and the directions assume likewise of its current owner. 2: The skull's power is primarily necromantic in nature and can only find treasure composed at least partially of dead humanoid or animal tissue, such as leatherbound tomes, ivory carvings, and other jeweled skulls. 3: The skull's directions always involve stopping at a location that sells dwarven ale, even if the treasure is nearby and the closest such pub is outside the 10-mile radius. 4: The skull will only obey someone it believes to be a dragon, but is always fooled by any attempt at disguise, however token. Add a (non-magical) wooden dragon mask to another nearby treasure for the party to find. 5: For each direction involving left or right, roll d6; on 1-2, the skull gives the wrong direction. This skull never uses absolute compass directions if there is a way to express the route with relative turning directions. 6: If the directions are not followed, the skull becomes increasingly hot. In 20+d10 hours of not following directions, it will be hot enough to set fire to paper or wood.

17. Skull of the Giver

A tiny bird skull which appears at first glance to be studded with pearls. The studs are in fact outgrowths of the bone itself. This skull does nothing apparent if it is taken by force or burgled, but if it is given as a gift or hidden inside a gift it has an effect on both the giver and the recipient. The effect is always the same for a given skull (roll d6): 1: The giver and recipient become afflicted with a debilitating contagious disease. With bed rest and ample clean water, the disease will pass in 4d4 days without need for any more specific treatment; without care, it is fatal. 2: The giver and recipient become aware of each other's dreams. This does not include any awareness of which dream events are or are not based on reality, nor does it include any means of communicating through the dreams. This lasts until the next time the skull is given. 3: Through some coincidence or misunderstanding, a mutual enemy of the giver and recipient learns that the gift has been given and falls under the misapprehension that it is of extremely great value. Once it has been established, this belief is not perpetuated by any ongoing magic, and it may be possible to dissuade the enemy using just a persuasive argument. (If no mutual enemy already exists, then some local criminal or warlord becomes such an enemy.) 4: Individuals with magical training or innate magical abilities become aware of a powerful magical link connecting the giver and recipient, even if they do not normally have any ongoing ability to detect magic. The link is real, but does literally nothing other than magically announce its own existence. It is broken the next time the skull is given. 5: The giver and recipient each find twice as much treasure for the next two weeks or until the recipient loses possession of the skull. If in a group, this is prorated; for example, if the giver and receipient are two members of a five-person party, then that party will find 40% more treasure. Any one individual can only be affected by this once per year, and it has no effect on truly unique treasure. 6: If either the giver or recipient would die, both are instead brought to the brink of death but in stable condition, and the skull vanishes somewhere where it will not be found again for at least two years.

18. Skull of Repetition

A large humanoid skull with a single cyclopean eyesocket and emeralds for teeth. Whenever a spell involving a verbal component is cast within hearing of the skull, it will repeat the words of the spell. The effect of this depends on the individual skull (roll d6): 1: The skull copies the spell effect. If the effect was centered on the skull or the person holding the skull, then the copy will be directed at the caster; otherwise, the copy will be directed at the same target as the original spell. 2: The skull speaks the words backwards. If the spell is reversible in nature, then the skull casts the reverse, at the same target as the original spell; otherwise, nothing happens. 3: The skull stores the words of the most recent spell it repeated. When a proper command word is spoken, the skull will repeat them again, along with a description of other steps required in casting the spell. Using this information requires essentially the same process as copying a scroll into a spellbook. 4: The skull is extremely loud and can be heard from half a mile away, or further if the wind is favorable. 5: The skull continues repeating the words of the spell for an hour, loudly enough to hinder stealth or sleep. 6: The skull sings the words of the spell to an original new tune. The tune is not magical, but is well-written and in a genre that can be appreciated by nearby residents.

19. Thermostatic Wand

Easily comprehensible runes on this wand explain how to charge this wand with a spell (though not the condition for then activating the wand). The wand can only hold one charge of one spell at a time, and only works for spells that can be meaningfully aimed in a direction or at a target. The charge can be held indefinitely until used. Any sharp change in temperature, such as holding the wand to a torch, or being struck by a fire or cold attack, will cause the wand to release the spell. (Determine the direction randomly if this happens by accident without some prior preparation.)

20. Wand of Flour

A wand which produces a fine mist of powder when it is waved. The supply of powder is unending, but the wand otherwise has no magical use. The powder is in fact highly polished flour which can be used in making excellent cakes and breads, well above the quality level that can be produced using a millstone. It can produce enough in an hour of waving to make eight person-days of food. While the bread is as healthy as any other bread, it is not sufficient for long-term survival without some other foodstuff.

#writing saturday #writing #tabletop games

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jonnmartinn-blog1 · 5 years ago

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Bathrom and kitchens ellicott city MD

KITCHEN ISLAND IDEAS FOR

YOUR HOME

Remodeling Services Ellicott City MD makes life easier and happier, providing a place to prep, rest, and gather.

But don’t just pick the primary kitchens Remodeling ellicott city MD

that appears nice. Think about how you operate your kitchen, what you wish you could do in your kitchen, and what will make your kitchen feel entire and unified. Use these ideas to get you started.

A Sink within the Island

When you pick to encompass a sink in your kitchen island, you’re adding a whole new prep station in your kitchen. Set dirty dishes in a single sink at the same time as you meals prep in another. Now getting dinner at the desk — or an entire celebration set out on your guests — won’t be a problem.so we kitchens Remodeling ellicott city MD help on this problems.

Add Furniture Elements

Let your self be stimulated by means of your favored furnishings styles, and contain their shapes, details, and thrives into your kitchen island.

Add Shelves

Include shelves on the end of your island for accessible garage that doubles as decoration. Keep your colorful cookbooks there so they’re clean to seize at the same time as you’re cooking, and let them add visual interest when now not in use. Or store lovely dishes that long to be displayed. Or custom cabinatrey ellicott city MD preserve your each day dishes out at the shelf so they’re smooth to seize all day lengthy.

Give It Color

Your kitchen island doesn’t should suit the relaxation of the cabinetry to your kitchen. In fact, whilst you select a different colour, it could upload amusing character to the room. Choose a custom cabinatrey ellicott city MD coloration that works nicely with the relaxation of your kitchen, like white, gray, or black — or be a bit daring, and pick out a shade that pops.

Think About Storage

A kitchens Remodeling ellicott city MD is a lot of rectangular footage that may and need to be committed to storage. Again, think about how you use your kitchen. Do you entertain regularly? Do you devour breakfast standing up? Do you flow to the eating room every night time for a more formal sit-down dinner? Do your youngsters generally tend to gather inside the room? Is homework done inside the kitchen?

Now, how can you encompass garage to make your kitchen time simpler, less cluttered, and more efficient? Think about putting in a microwave down beneath so that toddlers can easily make their morning oatmeal. Include a closed cabinet wherein homework supplies can be stashed out of sight. Install deep drawers for pots and pan garage, or consist of a cabinet where your special dishes may be competently stored.

There are infinite methods to make your kitchen island garage area paintings for you. Give this topic a few good notion earlier than making a decision.

MAXIMIZE STORAGE IN UNUSED SPACES:

In a standard kitchen design, there are various spaces which can be left unused. Most human beings won't even acknowledge that they have got so much untapped area that might make their kitchen maintenance lots easier. Here kitchens Remodeling ellicott city MD are some familiar places which can be left vacant in most kitchens.

THE SPACE AROUND THE REFRIGERATOR:

The fridge is one of the bulkier and area-eating appliances inside the kitchen, and it is vital to its functioning, however maximum of the time the gap round the refrigerator is left unused. In a small kitchen, area is like currency, and you can't even waste the tiniest bit. Therefore, you could create a sliding shelf drawer within the narrow regions at the side of the refrigerator. This will offer an awesome amount of extra storage space for pantry items.The space on pinnacle of the refrigerator is additionally generally left underutilized. You can create a very spacious cupboard on this spot. Though we recognize that achieving such a high cupboard will be hard, you may use it to store home equipment that are not used each day. For instance, you can preserve your sous vide machine, pasta maker, and different similar appliances above the fridge. Remember to keep a small, collapsible step ladder for your kitchen as well, so you can attain the cabinet while required.

THE SPACE ABOVE THE CUPBOARDS:

In almost each kitchen, the cabinets are made decrease from the ceiling, so that they are without difficulty accessible, however the huge area above them is commonly left unused. so we Remodeling Services Ellicott City MD help on this problem. Though it is comprehensible that it's far a tough spot to attain, it could nevertheless be very useful in case you create cabinets or shelving.By keeping a small collapsible ladder within the kitchen, you could make sure that you will be capable of reach high spots, just like the area above the cabinets. You can use this area for kitchen essentials that are not used that often. This space can also be used to save and display your fancy china this is best used on unique occasions like a dinner party, or the holidays.

THE WINDOWSILLS:

Another not unusual space this is left unused inside the kitchen in the windowsills. Though they will seem insignificant, you can save a variety of stuff on them. However, I would suggest the use of it for decoration greater than garage. Place some decorative factors like an decorative plant on the windowsill, and maintain the drapes open during the day to let in some herbal light. Both of these actions can make your kitchen look airier, extra spacious and much less claustrophobic.

CORNERS:

Another region that many humans depart unused inside the kitchen and every different room is the corners. You can create shelves in the corners that may be used for design and garage. Creating precise nook drawers in lower cabinets can come up with a huge quantity of greater storage area.

ORGANIZE YOUR REFRIGERATOR:

Apart from counter area, the refrigerator is one of the maximum commonplace factors that get overcrowded in a small kitchen. If you have got a smaller kitchen, you will must make do with a small or average-sized refrigerator, and once in a while that can be a touch problematic.To make the most out of your fridge, you need to be extra efficient with the enterprise of the food inside it. Firstly, you ought to use food-grade plastic or glass packing containers to store food, which allows you to stack your food in the fridge. You must additionally bear in mind vacuum sealing your food when you are planning on freezing it for a protracted time. This can assist hold your food clean and avoid cross-infection as well. Therefore, take a look at the internet for opinions approximately the Remodeling Services Ellicott City MD

Think About Seating

How regularly do you observed you’ll have people sitting at the kitchen island? Will or not it's used every day? Make sure it’s massive sufficient to deal with your family. If you need greater seating, or if you would love the seating to be particularly separated from the island, take into account setting your desk next to the island. Or build a decrease bar-like desk onto the island. This makes it smooth to transfer food from the pan to the plate, and it keeps everything — and everyone — in once area while not having to tidy up food prep right away.

There are infinite ideas for kitchen island garage, placement, shape, and style. At New Life Bath and Kitchen, we love nothing greater than taking your kitchen ideas and dreams — and turning them into reality. Let us help you design the kitchen of your dreams.

You can view a sample of the kitchens we’ve remodeled in custom cabinatrey ellicott city MD here.

MAXIMIZE THE USE OF UNDER CABINET SPACE:

Space below the cabinets and on the counter top normally stay underused as well in maximum kitchens. You can upload hooks and small cabinets at the backsplash, so that Remodeling Services Ellicott City MD will assist you growth your garage space. These small shelves may be used to keep spice boxes that you frequently use, and you can hang some cooking utensils like wooden spoons, spatulas, whisks and ladles on the hooks.

You must also don't forget adding some led lighting under the cupboard to growth the functionality and fashion of your kitchen.

BUILD A SLEEK DIY CENTER ISLAND:

A custom cabinatrey ellicott city MD is a totally not unusual function of present day kitchens. They give you a whole lot of greater working area and storage, however implementing one in a small kitchen appears impossible. Well, in place of a full-fledged center island, you could use a small and sleek wooden table as a middle island. You also can placed the desk aside whilst it isn’t required. The area beneath the desk can be used for garage, and you may additionally have some drawers made to increase convenience and garage capabilities. Therefore, if it would not restrict your movement, you have to most simply add a swish middle island to your kitchen.To sum it all up, just because you have a smaller kitchen, it doesn't mean that you cannot get quite a few capability out of it.

If you comply with the above-noted space-saving tips, you will definitely be capable of create a few extra operating and storage area on your kitchen. Bathrom and kitchens ellicott city MD hope that you discover this post beneficial and informative.

#remodeling #Services

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goadapter-blog · 5 years ago

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Acer Spin 7 Review

The race for being the "thinnest laptop" is actually a never-ending quest,but Acer's Spin seven is undoubtedly the sveltest of 2-in-1s we've ever analyzed.It features a gorgeous,fanless,black aluminum structure,exclusively with USB Type-C ports.However the option to go fanless and make use of a low-power CPU makes the Spin seven less strong than competition.Additionally, it does not past as extensive on a cost.That makes the Spin 7 a solid preference fpcbp329 for those who treatment most about aesthetics,portability and also the newest ports.

Design

The Spin 7 is one of the slimmest 2-in-1 laptops offered right this moment and simultaneously just one of your sturdiest designed.Acer went by having an aluminum unibody construction and as being a end result the notebook feels strong and exhibits practically no flex during the hood or maybe the lid-cover,irrespective of its slim profile.This issues alienware thirteen battery even more over a convertible laptop,one particular that's intended to live its everyday living not simply as being a notebook sitting on a desk or in a lap,but from time to time like a tablet or one thing in between.The neatly crafted chassis,corroborated with ideally reputable hinges,suggests this laptop is not going to split easily and you'll be able to make great utilization of it for your prolonged whilst,and in addition to that,the matte ending shouldn't scratch conveniently both.Now,the Spin 7 is only one of Acer's ultra-slim notebooks.Some time back we reviewed the Swift seven and i've complained about its reasonably significant footprint,which it in fact shares with the Spin seven.Nonetheless,Acer went using a bigger 14-inch display screen dell xps 11 battery replacement on this design,so when you can find continue to a good volume of place remaining within the base in the screen,the best and lateral bezels are slender.So certainly,the Spin 7 nevertheless contains a very large footprint,nonetheless it also will get a bigger display screen.Plus,that reduced lip along with the way it really is made make for an outstanding tackle to carry the machine from in pill method.Talking of that,the two halves of the Spin in shape wonderful on top of each other in the two laptop and pill modes.Magnets help with keeping them tied jointly in both instances,and that's just one in the modest aspects which make lifetime great using this type of personal computer.Let us just say you've got the Spin 7 shut on the desk.The entrance sides are rectangular and also have a crease that allows to easily grab the screen and raise it up.You'll be able to do that with one hand btw,since the hinges are smooth,potentially even a little bit too gentle,since they fail to keep the exhibit in position when you're relocating the notebook close to,but that's not this kind of large inconvenience.The screen is just not top rated significant in notebook manner and the hinges make it possible for the display screen to rotate to 360 degrees.All round you can find little to complain about working with the Spin as a laptop,but I could knit select about the point which the rubber ft to the bottom are small and lack grip,which causes the machine to slide absent easily on the desk.Oh,and you will also find those pesky status LEDs placed beneath the display,genuinely irritating when seeing a movie inside of a dark area.Tablet method is remarkably great as well.As pointed out before,the monitor and bottom in shape properly a single along with one other and so are tied along with magnets.The again sides of your notebook and monitor,those that come with the hinges,are actually neatly rounded,so keeping the pill from this aspect is at ease and sensible,when you can see through the shots beneath.And sure,the Spin seven remains to be quite major to carry with a person hand,but it does great as a couch slate providing you lean it on a little something.The Spin 7's features is fairly crippled by its limited IO,when you only get two USB three.1 slots and a headphone jack around the ideal edge,even though the remaining side homes the ability button plus a volume rocker.Meaning you will need adapters or an exterior USB Dock to obtain the most outside of these ports,but some adapters are actually included during the pack.Now,a lot of other ultraportables np700z5c s02ub battery go this route in recent times,so I'm not intending to keep a grudge in opposition to Acer for undertaking it as well.But it would've been nice if at the very least just one of people ports would've supported Thunderbolt 3 abilities.1 other issue I must point out concerning this laptop computer considerations the aesthetics.The Spin 7 is available within a one colour scheme,having an all black scenario as well as a matte finishing.Many will like this type of sober appears and i feel in addition it sets this computer system apart from your opposition, as most other laptops get a silver scheme nowadays.Just preserve in your mind this variety of anodized metallic surfaces demonstrate smudges and fingerprints quickly,and dents and scratches can also be very apparent on them in case you chip the outer coating.

The keyboard about the Spin seven is pretty much just like the just one over the Swift seven,which suggests it gets appropriately spaced 14 x fourteen mm keys in addition to a respectable structure,with no disasters.The directional keys undoubtedly are a bit little,but hey,which is a offered on all ultraportables.The typing practical experience is alright as soon as you receive utilized to the very fact that the keys are alternatively shallow and do not vacation much inside of a body,and that is about to direct to a lot of typos within the starting.The standard user will most likely get together wonderful using this keyboard dell inspiron 15 7568 battery nevertheless,and can value its rapidly pace and quietness,but a weighty typist will probably would like to glance somewhere else.Still,my greatest challenge with all the keyboard and my principal nit while using the laptop computer as a whole will be the not enough back-lightning,which for me is simply unacceptable with this day and age with a pc.I reckon Acer ended up forced to go with this solution in an effort to make that trim body attainable,but sacrificing performance for aesthetics isn't an excellent concept should you question me.A very huge trackpad sits beneath the keyboard,to some degree related for the one HP uses to the Spectre x360.It is going to seem to be odd at the outset,but you will get accustomed to it after a small though,specially considering the fact that it does an incredible work at rejecting the palm and never registering any bogus clicks or taps.In truth,I haven't see just about anything bizarre concerning this trackpad all through my time with the Spin seven.It is a glass Synaptics surface area having a great experience,strong general performance and really smooth physical clicks at the same time.I am quite certain the same variety of trackpad was utilized within the Swift seven I examined a while ago and back then I ran into some problems asus x550za battery using the jumpy cursor,but this wasn't a concern with this model.Nonetheless,men and women on Amazon as well as the forums do have some complains concerning this trackpad's feel and especially lousy gesture reaction,but once more,I didn't ran into these on this check model.Probably I was just lucky,but be certain to test the trackpad effectively if you make your mind up to have a Spin 7,in order to make certain it really works the way in which you would hope.Acer puts a good display screen to the Spin seven,a 14-inch touchscreen with an IPS panel,no digitzer along with a layer of Gorilla Glass four in addition to the panel.The same as together with the keyboard,I believe most of the people will discover this adequate for day by day use.It is really not that brilliant while,not less than not based on my Sypder4 sensor,so it can struggle outdoor or inside a incredibly dazzling home,in addition it does clearly show traces of light-bleeding across the edges and its shades are instead skewed from the box,however , you can use our calibrated profile to enhance their accuracy.There is certainly 1 thing more you must be aware of.You can find a light-weight sensor lenovo ideapad 100s battery on this notebook,established by default to immediately adjust the screen's brightness centered over the sum of ambient gentle all around.That triggers ongoing fluctuations and changes in specified conditions,specially in darker rooms,so I advise you to flip Automobile brightness Off from the Electrical power Profiles and adjust the screen's brightness manually.

Display

The 14-inch,1920 x 1080 Gorilla Glass display is not as shiny as its competition,nonetheless it creates sharp images with vivid,correct hues.The lush environmentally friendly trees and vivid teal water msi gt70 battery on both aspect of the beach serving being a battlefield within a 1080p "Wonder Woman" trailer just popped out.I could quickly make out the shrapnel in certain explosions for the duration of the struggle.Acer's panel reproduces a great 102 p.c in the sRGB coloration gamut,equal to the Spectre but guiding the MacBook's 113 p.c.The Yoga 910 matched the ultraportable classification ordinary of ninety eight per cent.The Spin 7 includes a Delta-E coloration accuracy score of 1.3,which falls underneath the common of one.9.It is really precise,although not as good as its competitors.The MacBook,the Yoga 910 along with the Spectre x360 experienced even decreased scores.The screen about the Spin 7 could possibly be a tad more luminous.It registered 264 nits of brightness on our lab hp 632016 242 tests.It had been usable,but fell down below the ultraportable typical as well as each and every competitor's rating.The Yoga 910,the Spectre x360 along with the MacBook Pro are unquestionably brighter.

Performance

The Acer Spin seven employs Intel's Core i7-7Y75 processor,which some think about for being a little bit of a bait and swap.When it carries the Core i7 moniker,the CPU is much more identical on the past generation's Main M designation.Meaning that it truly is an ultra-low-power dual core CPU designed to operate at 1.3GHz with three.6GHz Turbo clock level.This compares to your much more classic Core i7-7500U CPU that operates at two.7GHz,with a three.5GHz Turbo clock.What that should interprets into within the real earth asus q301l battery replacement may be very reduced power use,and so greater battery lifestyle in relative conditions - more on that later - and,maybe a lot more significant,significantly less heat.As a result,the Acer Spin 7 is actually a fanless technique.It in no way would make a seem.Which is wonderful when using the equipment inside of a silent environment,however it will not help in general performance benchmarks.No,the Spin 7 is not the quickest device over the block.Its Geekbench outcomes ended up decrease than each of the comparison devices apart from the Acer Swift 7,which we reviewed along with the even-slower Intel Main i5-7Y54 CPU.It is really precisely the same with the Spin 7's Handbrake exam,in which it encoded the 420MB exam video clip in one,751 seconds,also second slowest,and just in front of the Swift 7.In use,the Acer Spin 7 demonstrated that it truly is just fantastic for normal office environment productiveness responsibilities,e mail,and internet searching.Nonetheless,you will not be wanting to use it to edit significant pics svf14a15cxb battery or render video clip,or actually any endeavor that requires a fast processor.The Acer Spin seven takes advantage of SATA to control the Kingston 256GB SSD,not the faster PCIe NVMe controller.That is a bit disappointing at this selling price place,and it impacts general performance.In comparison with other equipment within this course,the Acer Spin 7's hard drive performance is just not nearly anything to acquire way too thrilled about.When it competes with the other machine using an SATA controller,particularly its sibling the Swift 7,the Spin seven falls effectively behind devices utilizing PCIe controllers that don't price tag that much more.The Spin seven managed around a 3rd in the go through performance with the PCIe-controlled machines,and substantially slower compose speeds likewise.Just like the CPU,it's not such as Acer Spin seven can be a gradual device by any extend of the imagination.It feels a great deal fast in usual use,and it boots immediately plenty of.It can be just that if you need to conduct any responsibilities asus n550jk battery that have to have accessing or saving enormous data files,the Spin 7 isn't likely to be the quickest choice.It really is turning out to be one thing of the mantra with this assessment,although the Spin 7 also utilizes a pedestrian ingredient regarding its GPU.It eschews a focused GPU - no shock provided the dearth of a lover to keep points great,let alone the machine's skinny body - and as an alternative employs the Main i7-7Y75's common integrated Intel Hd 615 GPU.As might be predicted offered the elements,artificial benchmark overall performance is considerably a lot less than with the comparison group.It really is only matched by its sibling the Swift 7,which makes use of an analogous GPU.You are not going to be serious about the Spin 7 if gaming is really an goal.For a few cause,the Spin seven did exceed the Asus Zenbook 3's functionality over the 3DMark Sky Diver check,but it was at the rear of that machine hp spare 849909 850 in Fire Strike.Just for kicks,we tried using out Battlefield 1 to see in the event the synthetic benchmark final results would carry over into actual gaming.On medium depth at 1080P,Battlefield 1 averaged seven frames for each second.At ultra detail at 1080p,the sport was basically a slideshow at an average of four fps.Simply put,the Acer Spin seven isn't really a gaming technique.Battery lifestyle is,after yet again,almost fine.In our rather light-weight Powermark exam,which consists of the looping take a look at of viewing a video clip and browsing the world wide web in a fixed monitor brightness of 150 nits,it managed a promising 7 hrs 31 minutes just before needing a recharge.In my own day-to-day tasks,which entail doing work in world-wide-web applications and searching media-heavy websites,the notebook fujitsu t731 battery managed just a little below 6 several hours use while using the monitor for the very same 150-nits brightness.It eaten battery all through 60 minutes of Netflix streaming,which details to close to 7 hours of playback - not lousy.

Final thoughts

When we draw the line within the Acer Spin seven we end up getting a hat of robust marketing points and a few quirks all-around it.Acer set lots of effort into building and very properly developed,wonderful and simple convertible with a slender profile and reduced body weight.And they did a great task at it,otherwise even nailed it.The look and the fanless components would be the laptops large selling position,but these arrive by using a hefty price tag,particularly when we consider the deficiency of a backlit keyboard,the pretty little battery,the dim screen and ordinary speakers,features that issue from the grand scheme of points when investing over a computer.Thus,like I stated from your beginning,the Spin 7 can be an solution to look at for those who completely crave for your fanless laptop,and that i fully understand why you'll.But even with this situation you should also verify out the Dell XPS thirteen 2-in-1 or perhaps the Asus Zenbook UX360CA asus f551c battery and see which just one ideal fits your specifications. After which you can,if you're able to reside using a enthusiast,your choices are far extra generous, while you can see from this information.So at the end of the working day,whilst I sense the Spin 7 can be a awesome system,I also feel it is not one that offers great price for the revenue.Within the other hand,if value is just not your issue and just desire a fanless convertible by using a greater display screen, extravagant looks and great establish top quality,then you can expect to possibly be rather happy with it.

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180abroad · 6 years ago

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Day 115: The Celtic Connection

We woke up in Dublin after a surprisingly sound night's sleep, given the long day we’d had yesterday and the intimacy with which the spring coils of our mattresses made our acquaintance. Staying up would prove harder, but that was a problem for later. We rode the DART back into town, made a quick detour for caffeine, then queued up for our bus tour.

Today’s tour would focus on the many cultures that have impacted Ireland’s history. It would take us north of Dublin to a Stone Age burial mound, two of the finest medieval Celtic crosses in Ireland, one of the oldest crossroads towns in Ireland, a ruined 12th-century Cistercian abbey, and an imposing Norman castle.

This was our first tour with Rabbie’s, a company we would be spending a lot of time with throughout our stays in Ireland and Scotland. It's a great outfit that focuses on small group sizes and guides that do a great job of balancing entertainment with education. It flies below the radar of the big-bus companies like Greyline and Paddywagon, but among the minibus tour companies, Rabbie’s is a giant.

Our meetup instructions seemed pretty descriptive at first--meet at the bus stand across the street from such-and-such shop. Except that the shop turned out to be a mall, and the bus stand was several blocks long. We eventually found a group of expectantly loitering tourists who confirmed that they were waiting for Rabbie’s, too. As we stood with them, though, became increasingly aware that everyone else in the group had suitcases with them.

As it turned out, they were waiting for a multi-day tour around the country. Luckily, their driver arrived first and told us not to worry--our driver would be pulling up just behind him in a moment. And he did.

As he drove us out of Dublin, our driver treated us to a preview of the famous Irish craic (pronounced "crack")--a concept that encompasses friendly banter, incisive gossip, and cheeky nonsense. A person who's always the life of the party is said to be great craic.

It was a bit hazy that morning, but our guide told us enthusiastically that on a good day they can see Wales. On a bad day, they can see England.

He also told us the “true” reason why doors of Dublin homes are painted in a rainbow of different colors--so that drunk Irishmen will know which one is theirs when it comes time to stumble home from the pub.

On our way out of Dublin, our guide pointed out one actual bit of interesting local culture--Quinn’s, the most famous pub in Ireland. People from across Ireland have visited Quinn’s pub for the simple reason that it is the closest pub to Croke Park, where the national Gaelic Athletic Association championships are held each year.

The GAA is Ireland’s most popular sporting league, which is pretty amazing because it’s an amateur league. It includes a variety of traditional Irish sports including hurling and Gaelic football. Croke Park is the largest stadium in Ireland and the third largest in all of Europe. Every year, hordes of people from across the country flock to see the GAA championships. And when they’re not at the stadium, they’re fighting for a spot at Quinn’s.

Our guide also mentioned the DART, how it was named after the Bay Area’s BART, and how for some reason people didn’t like the idea of implementing the same naming convention in Frankfurt.

I have to admit that we weren’t as familiar with the itinerary of the tour as we probably should have been, which impacted our enjoyment somewhat. (That and still being very very tired from the day before.) It was billed as a between-the-lines look at the origins and evolution of Celtic culture in Ireland, how it influenced and was influenced by the other cultures that existed alongside it. But in the moment it felt more like a whistle-stop tour of assorted sights that happen to lie in a convenient loop north of Dublin.

But looking back on the day that evening, we were able to connect the dots and appreciate everything we saw a lot more. We saw remnants of Ireland’s pre-Celtic stone-age inhabitants, the introduction of Christianity to Ireland’s Celts, and the violent conflicts between the Celtic Irish and Anglo-Saxon English.

Our first stop was the Fourknocks tomb, which we originally heard as the “Fort Knox” tomb when our guide said it. It’s in the middle of nowhere, down a series of tiny one-lane roads that a full-sized bus wouldn’t stand a chance of navigating. And to actually get into the site, our guide needed to stop at a nearby farmhouse to get the key from the local volunteer caretaker.

Because of that, it’s apparently a rare privilege to be able to visit Fourknocks. And once you actually get to it, it’s pretty spectacular.

It was made around 5,000 years ago during the Mesolithic Age. When it was excavated by modern archeologists, it was found to contain at least 65 bodies interred over a span of many years--adults and children, cremated and unburned.

We got to go inside the burial chamber, which is divided into several small compartments around a central room, with wall stones decorated with primitive patterns and drawings. The original roof was made of leather and had long-ago collapsed, but the archeologists rebuilt the mound with a concrete roof after they finished excavating it.

Standing on top of the mound, we got a great view of how the famously green Irish countryside was suffering under the summer drought.

Getting back into the van, we snuck a picture of our guide’s cleverly improvized alternative to a phone holder--a spoon and a zip tie.

Next, we visited the abbey of Monasterboice (which sounded more like “Monster Moist”). The abbey was destroyed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution, but its cemetery is still in active use. And in the middle of the cemetery are two of the finest early Medieval Celtic crosses in Ireland.

As our guide chatted with one of the groundskeepers, he mentioned with awe that it had hit 31 degrees Celsius the day before. Or just over 87 in American. That may be a pleasant day in California, but in Ireland, the pavement was melting and people were posting snapshots of their thermometers to social media.

They’re huge and covered in faded carvings that depict various scenes from the Gospels. We never knew before that Celtic crosses were invented a way of translating the concept of stained-glass windows into a more Celtic medium.

According to our guide, one theory for why Celtic crosses have circles is that the early Christian monks were trying to appeal to the pagan Celts by incorporating the symbol of a sun god into the Christian symbol of a cross.

We also had some time to take in the rest of the cemetery. There are many, many gravestones dedicated to entire families wiped out by plagues and famines. Many were erected long after the deaths by the descendants of relatives who’d escaped to America and returned later to pay their respects.

We learned that Ireland’s population still hasn’t recovered from the Great Famine of the 1840s. Before the famine, the island had a total population of 8 million people. Today, there are only 6.5 million people on the island. In fact, there are nearly five times as many Irish-Americans as there are actual Irish people.

And true enough, as we drove through the countryside, there were parts that felt like a giant ghost town. It’s not a big place, and so much of it is filled with nothing but rolling hills and the crumbling remnants of abandoned farms and villages.

We stopped for lunch in Drogheda, one of the oldest towns in Ireland. We didn’t get to see much of the town, but we learned some interesting things about it. It is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, making it a natural rest stop. During Oliver Cromwell’s Irish genocide, he had ten percent of Drogheda’s men summarily executed, and the other ninety percent were shipped off to the Caribbean to spend the rest of their lives as slaves in the sugar plantations. And the town’s cathedral has on display the preserved head of St. Oliver Plunkett, who was martyred during an anti-Catholic hysteria during the 18th century.

We didn’t have time to see the head, much to Jessica’s relief.

The town also has the Grey Goose pub, which in turn has one of the best steak sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. It had a single thick cut of melt-in-your-mouth steak on a toasted ciabatta roll and topped with pepper sauce, spicy mayonnaise, and red onion marmalade--which I’d never heard of before but was absolutely amazing.

After lunch, we had a quick photo stop at the ruined Bective Abbey, which was used as a set for the prison scenes in the movie Braveheart.

Finally, we stopped in the castle town of Trim.

The castle was also used for several settings in Braveheart, but it has a lot of real history, too. It was built under the Norman King Henry II in the 12th century as part of his conquest of Ireland. After the English Civil War, it served as Oliver Cromwell's headquarters while he oversaw his own conquest. Two generations later, it witnessed the final battle between the forces of the deposed Catholic King James II and newly-crowned Protestant King William of Orange. William won, and England has never had another Catholic king since.

(Not that the Catholics gave up that easily, as we would learn about in fascinating detail at Culloden Moor in Scotland.)

Today, the castle is a scenic, semi-ruined structure. We walked around it for a while, then walked around the rest of the town. The houses facing the castle are pretty, but the rest is pretty plain. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But the best part of our visit to Trim was that my phone finally started working again. Except for our stay in Morocco, we’d been using the same Spanish SIM cards that we’d picked up on Day One in Barcelona, and for the most part they’d been working flawlessly. But every so often, one of our phones would have trouble connecting to the local towers when we first entered a new country. The problem usually resolved itself in a few hours or after a phone reset, but this time it took about 24 hours for my phone to start working again. In the meantime, I’d been having to make do with the few scraps of tethered wifi that Jessica was willing to give me.

As sad as it is, finally being able to connect to the internet again on my smartphone was probably the emotional high point of my day--a day that included getting to actually go inside a prehistoric burial mound and see ancient stone carvings up close.

After a long and sleepy ride back into Dublin, we made it back into town, picked up another set of dinners at the supermarket, and headed home for an early night. Tomorrow would be another, even earlier, even longer tour.

Next Post: Blarney and Cashel--the Real Rock Stars of Ireland

Last Post: The Leaving of Liverpool

#180abroad #dublin #ireland #travel #celtic #ruins #medieval #castle #celtic cross #no time to see a head

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