#spec the cacti

[voidbears-oc-stash]

Just read the blog banner and description. I'll use this pinned post as a list of my OCs.

Jax and perhaps Springtime, you both know the rules I put for asks. And if you don't, reread the rules on @the-cookies-of-darkness blog.

More OC tags

Even more OC tags

Yeah I think you get the point

OC List under cut

OCs:

Expo, a Sphinx Cat that is half void, and is extremely powerful because of that. He's a bit witty but all-in-all loves adventuring. Lost his mom soon after his birth and his father died in The Great Void War.

Luna The Werewolf Queen. She's a werewolf queen and can command werewolves. She, unlike other werewolves, is not weak to sliver. You'll find her backstory depressing, but I'm keeping a little mystery for now. She typically wears a special gold necklace that keeps her in a between-form. She just looks like a white wolf but her front paws are hand shaped. She's a bit self-conscious about her full werewolf form and doesn't go into it unless necessary. Yes, in the between-form she walks on all 4s.

Vinnie the Velociraptor. He's a Velociraptor from the dream realm and can enter others dreamrelms while they're asleep. He's kinda dumb but in a funny way, though he takes his 'job' to save others from nightmare seriously. He miraculously came from the dream realm of Sky The Cloud Warrior, in which in the realm he though Sky died and had a whole existential crisis when he became real.

Nameless, he does not know exactly what he is, even his own name was a bit of a misunderstanding but he kept it anyways. He stays around special rainbow crystals that keep him 'powered up', though he can still make more if given the energy. Here's some art of him by @maskoni-five. He's basepart wolf, has owl wings, aardvark claws in front, basilisk legs in back, a camel hump, and the venomous bite of a gila monster. His favorite food is eggs.

He dislikes being called rat-like, especially while being AT LEAST the size of a Great Dane. In reality, he's a Demigod, the son of a god of nature from a different planet. Rumors spread that the new baby demigod had a key to immortality, so he was kidnapped. His dad wasn't too happy, so his papa cursed the species that kidnapped his son with immortality without any of the benefits(As in you literally cannot die but your body can't keep up forever), and for his safety sent Nameless off world with a protection boon so his true backstory would be near impossible to find out even from other godly beings. This, somewhat unfortunately, lead to Nameless not exactly knowing much about his own backstory and having large gaps in his memory. He got his name because for some official IDs that were made for him, a rather tired worker asked him for his name, and he said "I'm nameless...", which led to his name being named Nameless. He finds it funny and has gotten too used to it to get a 'real' name. He specializes in nature control and healing magic. The rainbow crystals are basically generators for his power, which he got from his mother's side. With enough energy, he can make more rainbow crystals, but prefers to just use the ones he already made. He can also use his power directly through the rainbow crystals, which makes it stronger.

Blacky The Void Demon. He's not exactly a "demon", demon is just the void's word for powerful, like the void's word for the world outside the void is "Osega". He has a pet Shadow Beast named Beastie. He also has a complex backstory, involving him loving somebody who his dad did not allow and (his dad)causing The Great Void War. He left out of hatered of his dad and gained enough power to be able to survive the osega without having to possess anyone, granting him rank of Void Demon. He'd be willing to share his knowledge about what lives in the void. Here's his ref.

Fiqunzur: A full on species of mythical bests I have made. They can shapeshift and fit through even the tightest of gaps, and have the magpie's tendency to just take anything shiny or that they find neat. I'll likely be using Fritz and his two kids, Atsen(male) and Zemryu(female). Fritz's partner was murdered by the superstitious folk, but his kids don't know that. Here's what they looks like typically

(Yes, my pfp is Blacky petting one)

Shadow Beasts. I've already introduced the jist of them on @the-cookies-of-darkness but I'm thinking of moving Raider, Silho, and Buddy here. They're shadowy lions, basically, though their temperament changes on how they grow up. Without supervision (or supervision of ferals), they grow up a feral apex predator. When treated like a person, they grow up acting like a person and are capable of speech, though still stand on all 4s(Raider, Silho, and Buddy as examples). And when treated like a pet, they'll act like a mix of a cat and a dog, Beastie being an example of this. They're weak to attacks of "pure light". Which they describe as "something you can see that does not cast a shadow". AKA mostly just fire. Their scratches typically leave permanent black marks, and when one dies they are reborn. Though they can still have the more 'traditional' kids way. They're all one gender but it still takes two. The ferals have been known for taking over universes.

Sola and Quasar are two space-patterned technically aliens. Sola looks like a and is about the size of a Songbird, while Quasar is a large and powerful-looking dragon. The two are in love. They refuge in this galaxy to hide from a Tyrant in their home one. Quasar, despite looking powerful, the most power he has is the strength due to his size, the typical dragon fire-breath (but, ya'know, at will), and technically being able to move at Faster Than Light speeds, but he's actually a big softie who loves to make cookies(for eating, which might cause awkwardice when confronting cookie run characters.) Sola is a bit more willing to talk about the tyrant dictator of their home multiverse, but is clearly still scared to talk about them. She's a bit more introverted and only really feels comfortable around Quasar. She's prone to nightmares.

Sybeny, said Tyrant Dictator. I do not intend for her to show up yet, but I am at least writing her name down. The warning I have: Do not let her cuteness fool you. That's exactly how she gets you.

Cannibal, one of my Just Shape and Beats OCs. His home world's treeangle had a star on top that often kept our cannibalistic friend fed, but after a lot of trouble and the world starting to fade, he and 2 remaining others had to leave. Will Of Fire (will be referred to as "Will") made the mech and infused his soul into it, giving the mech his ability to make golden fire that has like a midus touch effect. However, it did not have enough time to charge with solar power, so Cannibal grabbed his other remaining friend Fusion, who was already in a comatose state, and put him into the backup power source spot and managed to flee the world before it faded. Fusion will ne near impossible to wake up again unless another star-topped treeangle is found, Will's soul does have some mild influence in the mech, but Cannibal is the main guy controlling it. He controls it all from the head portion like that scene in Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 where Berry controls the sentinel of safety suit. He can leave the suit if he wants, but usually only opens the visor to eat, and only ever leaves to go to the bathroom. But here's a ref of him outside the humanoid mech suit! Due to not having a star treeangle piece to keep giving him the required food he needs, he usually eats cacti as it's the closest to what he could eat in home world that lives up to his cannibalistic instincts(as long as it works to keep him from self-cannibalism, that's what he's concerned about). He is not corrupted, he is just naturally pink.

Fusion, another Just Shapes and Beats OC. When not able to be powered by a treeangle, Fusion will be in a comatose ball form that's all rainbow-y that constantly leaks energy. When powered by a treeangle, Fusion is a force to be reckoned with. With powers from each boss from Just Shapes and Beats with looks to boot, he is essentially a demigod. He takes his job to protect the innocent very seriously. Sometimes even too seriously. Threaten anyone he deems innocent, you're in for a bad time. If he's in a good mood, you'll likely just be punted. In a bad mood? Better start praying to what gods you believe in. His favorite attack is lasers, which he, like annihilate, can shoot from his mouth. He can also summon things like sawblades and scythes, fire and spider webbing. Arms can also detach and regrow like Blixer/Fresh/whatever you call the main boss guy.

Quinton the Hydra. Good friend of Luna's, ended up in a minecraft world that's basically single-biome of cherry grove. So has gotten used to eating cherries, pigs, and sheep. Ironically, when I first made him I imaged him looking like the hydra from minecraft's Twilight Forest mod. He's kinda goofy, with his center head being in control, and the other heads tend to not exactly care, which leads him to limp now-and-then when the other heads are lazy and sleeping. He does take his job as a guardian seriously, however. He's covered in scars, though at least it seems people are smart enough to not cut any of his heads off. He calls his other heads Lefty and Righty

Swifty the Jagfox. She lives in the trees and is very quick in them, that's even how she got her name! And her jaguar spots help her camouflage. Was also in the cherry grove world. She tries to be friendly, but sometimes her hunting instincts take over. (Drawing was made when I was still, like, a freshman in highschool and was starting to get into drawing, so don't judge how bad it is :b)

Silver the Giant Snake. She's an albino Burmese Python who is slightly bigger than a Reticulated Python. She's sometimes seen like the mom of the group, she's kind and caring, but can do the 'I'm not mad I'm disappointed' attitude. Sadly and ironically, she's infertile. She did take care of a baby turtle named Ellipse for a while before the shadow beast invasion, in which Ellipse was killed in front of her, which has caused her to be a little more depressed. Ellipse was friends with Swifty. She ended up in the Cherry Grove world

Desmond the Phantom Witch. He's a Phantom from Minecraft mixed with a Witch(which makes him humanoid). He makes potions for a 'living' and is always trying to find new things to use to make them. Being a phantom, however, he sometimes has a hard time controlling himself when he's around somebody who hasn't slept for days and feels the urge to aggressively leech the energies off of them. He wears a hat with mending and curse of binding to keep him from burning in the sunlight. He has a knack for showing up in random worlds when testing out potions. He always carries brewing stands and potion making supplies with him at all times. No matter what light, you can't see his face under the immense shade of his hat, just his glowing green eyes. He does mention he has fangs and a nose. Here's his ref and a poster he made! (Ignore the "in the thread" part, I used that for roleplays on Discord then the server got closed down =/)

Firefly. A Windchime Squid from The Void. Ended up in the Osega when Void Cookie (from @the-cookies-of-darkness) had a power surge. He and Stinger both now control a body made out of scrap coredroid parts with a void-infused core. He controls the upper body. He uses fancier words and is quite smart, and often instructs Stinger where to go. He takes responsivity cleaning up most of the void-related messes

Stinger. A Monstera-Mimic The Void. Ended up in the Osega when Void Cookie (from @the-cookies-of-darkness) had a power surge. He and Firefly now control a body made out of scrap coredroid parts with a void-infused core. He controls the lower body. As a predator species from The Void, he's more physically strong than smart. While he often now listens to Firefly, his predator instincts will sometimes get the better of him and he starts using his thousands of microscopic stingers to consume sugars of those he gets close enough to. While Firefly insists they flee most squabbles, Stinger prefers to try to fight anyone off.

Notebuster. A Superhero on basically the other side of the world or at the very least a different country from where most of the OCs hang out. He's a superhero there with superpowers that relate to music! But he's also half-void on his mom's side, so he also has void powers like Expo! Just slightly ones, at the very least by color. He is somewhat ironically a cousin of a famous (in the towns nearby at least, anyone who knows void people would hate him) void demon hunter and killer named Oggy Budderhorn (who has since died and has a memorial). He wears a cyan suit with a screen, speaker, and special fingertips that allows him to control music in a way to create attacks. He also doesn't talk verbally most of the time. He can talk, but he prefers to just scroll through videos to talk for him, like that one scene in Animation Vs YouTube. Basically, he's mute by choice, like Henry Stickman.

Rzore. Notebuster's mother. She's one of the last surviving members of the pink tribe that was wiped out in The Great Void War. She wasn't aware the war ever happened, and had been in hiding in the Osega for a few hundred years before finally having a child. She became a Void Demon through mostly determination, rather than killing fake people in a fake world like Blacky did. As for why? She found the Osega much more interesting than the void.

MINOR (for now) OCS:

Sky The Cloud Warrior. I do not intent on having him be very relevant other than being Vinnie's 'dad'. He's retired and loves pizza parties, though he gets his nickname "The Cloud Warrior" for a good reason. He lives on the top of a mountain. Here's a ref with a little bit of info on it(Via a very inexperienced OC maker past me). The clouds he makes are always the perfect comfortable temperature and he can choose whether or not they're tangible.

Plobettba(Goes by "Plob" for short). I don't intend for her to actually show up in a long time, but she will be mentioned by Expo and the others. She's a cyborg dragon with the ability to melt planets, and only the metal on her could resist such high temperatures. She's killed her maker, Snatg(which is a shorting of "Snatgbbgu"(back when I was obsessed with Rot13 names lol), he was a mix of an Okapi and a Rhino, and is a more horrible and powerful tyrant than Sydeny could ever dream to be.), and has the source of his power on her. She's currently residing in the center of a star about a thousand lightyears away in hypersleep mode, and has connections to Expo if she wakes up and wants to talk, or if something goes horribly, horribly wrong to the point she can't handle it alone.

Qwarkon, The Blood Moon's Ghost. He's a weather elemental that looks ghost-like, though he can only seem to charge up his powers at night when the moon is out, and when he charges up, anyone nearby sees the moon turn to look like a blood moon. So he kinda typically stays away from the crowd and usually can't get himself the confidence to start a conversation.

Fred. He's just a grouchy scrooge Komodo Dragon who would kill just for peace and quiet.

These four. Not adding as much info as I've already shared it all in DMs with Jax and I'm pretty sure it's just me and him on this blog lol

Phantasma the Ghost. He's a humanoid wolf-panther mix who is, of course, a ghost. His tail is completely clipped off and he has no idea what happened to it. He's a quiet guy who enjoys the little things. His favorite thing to do is watch Fireflies, which he hadn't done in a long time due to first being stuck underground and then being stuck in the cherry grove world (even if Minecraft added Fireflies, they would've only been in swamps). He is lacking a good chunk of his memories, and only remembers that he died due to his best friend betraying him and thus doesn't trust easily.

adding the mutants to the more OC Tags post

Avtug. One of the few of the elusive Void species called Lucem. He's one of the more braver ones of the species, but still flighty. He hides in ghost towns of the world, fleeing when any explorers or tourists or the like show up. He isn't afraid of being seen, he is afraid of his picture being taken and the world knowing about his species because of him.

Willy The Wanderer and Vlad The Destroyer. Two mice people (who I made using this Picrew) who are adventurers. They're cousins, but are as close as brothers. Willy is the one in black and has brown fur. He knows magic, and has somehow wound up in the wrong place multiple times. He's adventurous and has a knack for solving problems. Vlad is the one in read with gray fur, he's a sailor who sometimes tells tall tails, once saying he rode a shark with nothing but his fishing hook steering it. He's a bit more serious, but has a soft spot. The two live in the same area as Notebuster and Rzore

Pyth (Previously named Decidoreal). A Green Tree Python helplessly in love with Silver, ended up foolishly saving Geno. In return, he ended up getting fused with a cacti and changed himself up to try to impress Silver.

Ellipse. Silver's adopted turtle daughter who was killed in front of her. Revived using corruption by Pyth in an attempt to woo Silver, she ended up fairly unstable due to Shadow Beast DNA being in her.

Echo. Echo is an Undertale OC. Her father was a Spelunker who explored the caves of Mt Ebbot before the barrier. She was named after the Echo Flower. After her unfortunate death due to a car crash, she ended up being buried in what would become Waterfall. When the barrier was made, the splurge of magic turned her into a boss monster(a boss monster because she was once human and had some leftover determination in her), a Zombie. She has Echo Flowers growing into cracks in her skull. She's become an adult since her awakening, but has no memory of her life before being a zombie, other than her name.

[draagu]

itty bitty outer wilds update because i only played for like 40 minutes but found some stuff i want to mention

so! went to the cave at the bottom of the sunless city. apparently i was TOO early because of that one room where the sands got to rise to be able to jump over the cacti but over well

the place there is cool! now i know all the stuff about the towers on the ash twin! maybe i just dont quite know how they work, but i didn't seem to be able to use the teleportation pads my first time around, or maybe i just need to do something else first! i saw the collection of the warp cores(? the things in the middle of the warp pads, but noticeably smaller) and tried to figure out something to do with one i picked up, but nothing.

I did notice the different centers they had though! seems to be representative of the black hole, white hole, and i unno nothing, or at least thats what i think!

next cycle(s) i wanted to follow the thing launched at the beginning of the cycle, and so i did. restarted one cycle bc i got lost at first oops. but! after some trial and error on the next cycle, i managed to reach it! not sure what i expected, but it sure was a thing. it had the eye symbol, which i guess i could've already assumed based on what i knew about the cannon, but still cool.

couldn't really figure out anything else to do with it at the time so after some tampering i just restarted the cycle once more

then i kind of just messed around for a few minutes, took a second look at the gravity canon on the ash twin, launched my own ship for the achievement on said twin, and also sort of learnt the other ships controls! i knew the recall and launch function but i only just now realized the third one gravitates to the nearest planet!

thats kind of it! i do notice a white spec that flies by timber hearth at the start, and i was going to try and follow it but lost it. now im not entirely sure if thats the same canon ship with weird lighting or not, but it sure wasn't purple

[devinschumacher]

Extract any Website's Typography, Colors, Fonts & Styles! | SERP Design ...

I'm shit at design.

I know what I like, but I seem to be first, and then I can never explain it properly to any type of designer…

Maybe that's because all of the designers I've ever tried don't even really know what a Type-scale is 🤷.

So… I decided to look for plugins, extensions, software, etc, that would be help just take the easy way out and extract a type-scale from a website that I liked.

After all, we’ve all heard this one

But to my surprise... in the year 2023… it did not seem to exist.

Impossible. But true.

So, I made one!

I’d like to share it with all of you design-challenged developers who would, like me, would rather jump into a pile of Cacti than try and tinker with front-end web development of any kind…

Here’s how it works:

Go to a webpage where you like the design style (typography, type-scale, etc.)

Hit the extension

And get some text files with all the specs!

Here is it in action:

https://youtu.be/plocOQgqK8A?si=VRZMAP5s4Z19J_qO

---

It’s been submitted to the good ‘ol Chrome app store and will probably be approved in a day or two…

But if you’re impatient and want the bootleg version, you can grab it here and install it via chrome “developer” extensions:

👉 https://serp.ly/@serp/stuff/serp-design-grabber

And if you getting on Product hunt leaderboards for all the upvotes you, do here’s a layup for ya!

👉 https://serp.ly/@serp/ph/serp-design-grabber-ext

Otherwise it’ll be on the Chrome Store soon!

Cheers, and happy programing (with one less front-end worry)

🦩

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Join the Community: https://serp.ly/@serp/discord

[speculative-world]

alvoivouno, more commonly called tuber cacti, are small sedereamischos which were farmed by ◗ta for the tubers, they tend to make a large tuber underneath the cacti and make a few smaller ones around the root system, this large root lets them regenerate their moss faster than if they lacked it, they reproduce similar to telluric verns, growing a sporangium in the centre of the tuber cactus which launch spores, the tubers are commonly eaten but the core of the root remains which lets the plant live, this adaptation is caused by making the core too thick and tough to be eaten with ease, alongside not being worth being eaten considering the low nutrition count, if you have any questions whatsoever about this organism please dont be afraid to ask i am more than happy to answer

[bangbaby]

##DORM TOUR !

home is where the (heart is) boys are . . .

LUCY: i don’t wanna say i gave up cleaning after the kids, but i gave up cleaning after the kids — a tired maid

audio moodboard by kiki ! [ drums by *subin ]

## (OLD) LAYOUT !

update (as of DEC 2021): now that the kids are living in separate houses (felix/seungmin/jeongin/lee know & 3RACHA/hyunjin respectively), assume lucy is living with the latter. most of this fic still applies though!

sims 4 build by kiki ! [ half-fictional, half-researched ]

note: this layout is purely based on assumption and is not accurate by any means. i also hope it doesn’t come across as creepy, as i’ve only used public videos (linked above) for reference! and for those who aren’t aware, sims dimensions are very particular and not at all realistic; so i filled spaces with what i believed was best. i was also limited by colour and furniture choices (i used as much custom content as i could), but this is just meant to be a fun re-creation of the kids’ dorm: lucy’s room is not real!

front: entrance, laundry/storage, art room (based on hyunjin’s paintings in i.n’s vlog), manager’s room (spare/storage/recording, where han filmed his vlog), small bathroom; chan, felix and changbin’s room (based on what i think chan had in mind for an “optimal gaming layout”).

middle: living room, kitchen, roof access (assuming that they live on the top floor of the building because of their sun rooves); seungmin, hyunjin, minho’s room (assuming seungmin’s bunk has become some form of storage).

back: laundry/storage (making a total of six washing machines based on the idea that there’s nine/ten people living in the dorm), big bathroom; jeongin and jisung’s room.

lucy’s ensuite.

##FAVOURITE THINGS !

gaming pc: all of the computers in the house are set up pretty elaborately (most being for work purposes), so lucy's is no different. she does however, have dual monitors because of her need for screen space but dislike for laptops. and though her paychecks have done wonders for her PC specs, she is ironically the member with the least amount of clothes. also, the members have RGB-lit PCs which basically act as substitutes for lamps (as seen in chan's second vlog).

nintendo switch: lucy's recently bought one of her own whilst the boys have one in the living room, so now the kids can play up to 8-player super smash bros (though round robins are much more fun and a lot less chaotic). chan, hyunjin and lucy are most definitely the animal crossing players of the group (they may or may not be trying to induct the others to join them).

fake plants: lucy, minho and hyunjin totally want to be plant parents, but it's just not possible with the kind of schedule they have. so, they've resorted to decorating the dorm with plants that don't need watering (lucy certainly wasn't inspired by chan's cute fake cacti gift from their first christmas together).

clothing rack: ease of access to her most-used clothes is always helpful when she has no time to decide what to wear in the mornings.

electronic drum kit: bought by lucy when they'd moved into their first dorm. she couldn't bring over the kit she had in australia, so she decided to spend her first paycheck on one that was dorm-friendly. listen to *lucy's "stay" drums cover above!

guitars (electric and bass): these were purchased for her by her mother when she was 7 and 13 respectively. they are extremely valuable to her (the acoustic guitar was her gift to seungmin for his 20th birthday).

vinyl record player: even though it's not actually hers or in her bedroom. she'd gifted it to jeongin for his 19th birthday. jeongin and jisung now have it in what the kids call the certified hippies room.

prized collections shelf: right across from the kitchen pc (the one jeongin used to play among us), is a shelf filled with the bands' trophies, awards, manga books and figurines.

balcony: she has her own private balcony! she usually loves to eat, read or practice singing there, but it's more often than not a place to dry her clothes (like the others).

bathroom: because having one entirely to herself means she doesn't have to wait or take turns with anyone (though her charitable heart does let the boys use it when they're especially desperate). she can also stock it with whatever she wants and not necessarily have to share; except she does, because the boys do not at all hesitate to use her fancy and/or good-smelling stuff whenever possible (ie. when she lets them test products out or they've run out of their own).

##HOBBIES & MOMENTS !

lucy doesn't consider herself part of the cooking team, and certainly prefers cleaning chores or grocery shopping.

it's not that she's completely useless at cooking, rather she hates cleaning after herself and/or getting in the way of other members.

but minho's been wanting to tutor the girl ever since he started feeling sorry about how much she's had to clean/organise: clothes, shoes, dust, bathrooms, toilets, etc. (she says it's fine, but he knows it's a lot more taxing than cooking).

the dorm is a barefaced zone! and it's absolutely adorable how comfortable they are with each other.

moving dorms was a hassle, but surprisingly fun with friends: the teamwork to carry/build furniture was also a sight to witness.

laundry is fucking hectic! the members usually have assigned days/weeks: four of them washing on one day and five on the other. but when they're especially busy, they'll dreadfully carry their things to the apartment laundromat downstairs.

when changbin first bought exercise gear for the dorm, lucy and chan helped the buff boy assemble it (sadly, it was missing pieces). however, even after fixing it (really lucy persuading changbin to get everything replaced), a majority of the kids still use the apartment/company gym out of habit.

sharing clothes just because they can (it's mostly the boys borrowing lucy's nice jackets though). lucy does own more feminine clothing— but on everyday occasion, lucy prefers oversized/gender-neutral wear. it also helps that she's around the same height as the kids so they can occasionally lend her shirts, hoodies or sweats. she does have smaller feet though, meaning she can't trade shoes with the boys like most of them end up doing (but she seriously wants han jisung's jordans)! the kids are always asking her for hand-me-downs, which is another reason why her closet is a lot smaller than the others'.

projector movie nights when everyone's home/free are always a good, relaxing way to spend an evening! the members also have watch parties on particular nights if a few members are looking to binge a series together: eg. 8:00pm tuesdays and thursdays were anime nights for a while (then they were hell's kitchen nights, followed by squid game nights, and are now peaky blinders nights).

but when the kids can't help themselves, they'll start streaming on their respective devices (alone in their rooms, whilst driving to work, during schedules, etc.): this sooner or later causes spoiler wars in the dorms and/or members getting salty (especially if they've previously agreed they'd watch it together).

depending on how busy their schedules are, most members will opt to order meals or bring home food on their way back from work. whenever they have time to cook for each other (let alone eat together), the kids never take it for granted.

chan/lucy/changbin/felix/seungmin are the members who play video games the most often: but hyunjin/jisung/jeongin/minho can (and will) substitute any available spots.

and since there are a total of five computers (or the very least, multiple laptops in the dorm), at some point, the members have played custom games (5 v 5s or 9 player co-ops): their manager/s included!

the five are known for their extremely expressive (NOISY) gameplay: especially during league of legends or any shooter (valorant or overwatch probably).

though the members will play whichever champions/agents they like, they’ve adapted to certain roles from playing together so often (but they’re also happy to switch roles if anyone wants to learn/try something new).

(what i think their play styles are like, based on assumption)

changbin: tank/fighter - initiator

chan: tank/support/assassin - controller

felix: fighter/mage/marksman - duelist

seungmin: support/mage - sentinel

lucy: assassin/marksman - duelist

the five also love teaching or supporting the members who don’t play as often (note: the other four members aren’t necessarily terrible at playing games, just less confident).

lucy and felix are most definitely genshin nerds; since they love RPGs.

more in #dorm shenanigans !

(domestic drabbles, dot points and ficlets coming soon)

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[pigsflyshop]

VERY cool little Apple Watch band that just went out. I don’t use much neon, but this gave me some crazy ideas! Also, the shortest band I’ve done to date. Had me checking spec request 400 times. -Client was open to using vintage repurposed hardware that I cut off of an old goodwill bag that I stripped for parts. I’m stoked about how this one turned out! 🐂📢Customs are still CLOSED, while I power through back orders. Thanks!🐂📢 #pigsflyshop #pfs #custom #customleather #customleatherwork #handmade #handmadeleathergoods #applewatch #applewatchband #customapplewatchband #leatherapplewatchband #bull #desert #neon #cactus #cacti #horseshoe #horseshoeart #roping #western #westernartcollector #cowgirl #cowgirlart #cowgirlstyle #yeehawesome (at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkCOzc5LnZi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[spymeister]

Barricade

Drop your Muse’s name in my inbox and I’ll reveal my Muse’s opinion of them...

Most admirable quality:

Don't know the mech real well, mainly cause he ain't lettin' me get close. Don't mean I ain't tried, just... mech's pricklier than a forest full of cacti. But, if I had to scrounge my processors for one- it's probably that he's protective over other mechanisms. Starscream, and Frenzy for one.

Most attractive physical feature:

Mm. His glossa, I guess. I ain't that squeamish about weird slag. When you do spec ops, let's just say you fuck some weird shit now and again.

Most annoying habit:

That whole ass tendency to judge mecha without knowin' em.

Something they would like to do with them:

Get his ass laid, maybe he'd relax a little.

[autisticalbert]

masterlist (... again!)

i changed blogs and also wrote a lot more in the past few weeks so i’m sharing my fics again because why not! also it’s like 1am and i’m thinking about my children but i can’t write so this is my outlet

i’m shutuprace on ao3!

you ever wonder what would happen?

the painfully overdone falling-in-love-with-your-best-friend story, from albert dasilva’s perspective.

words: 2.531 ships: ralbert (uh. that’s gonna be a constant here) tags: canon era; autistic albert; pining; childhood friends to lovers (... obviously); character study. warnings: none!

a cookie and a glass of milk

race wakes up from a nightmare.

words: 1.423 ships: ralbert tags: modern era; hurt/comfort; hard of hearing albert; pianist albert (!!); established relationship. warnings: mentions of a nightmare, doesn’t go into it at all, but race is pretty shaken about it at the beginning. it’s really soft tho

how does the sun even fit in the sky? (unfinished)

albert dasilva’s fifth year in hogwarts should go as planned: without any obstacles, without any bumps, without any resurfacing enemies. one can only dream.

words: 3.836 ships: ralbert, minor javey & spelmer & newsbians tags: hogwarts au; friends to enemies to lovers; hufflepuff!albert; hufflepuff!race; everyone is a hufflepuff pretty much. warnings: mentions of hospitals and wounds in the second chapter.

note: this fic is very, very unfinished! sorry about that. i kinda lost inspo.

rain keeps falling (down down down)

race and albert sell together.

words: 1.020 ships: ralbert tags: canon era; non-binary albert (this is also gonna be a constant because projecting is free and good); Yearning; hand holding (??). warnings: nope.

so lovely, goddamn pretty

"in fact, they say he’s quite the lover” kisses and unfortunate misunderstandings shortly after the children’s crusade.

words: 4.122 ships: ralbert, background spelmer, past sprace tags: canon era; canon compliant (??); friends with benefits kinda; lots of pining; songfic (crazy beautiful, by austin p. mckenzie). warnings: nothing just spot being really done with the gays (as is custom).

how many soap bars does mary need?

math is hard. being a fourth grader is hard.

words: 1.352 ships: ralbert tags: modern era; kid fic (as in. they’re 4th graders. not parents); adhd race; autistic albert; non-binary albert. warnings: none!

don’t throw away your shot

for race’s seventeenth birthday, albert outdoes themself. race isn’t necessarily pleased.

words: 2.171 ships: ralbert tags: modern era; best friends to lovers (woooah); laser tag !!; first kiss; autistic albert; non-binary albert. warnings: very, very small description of guns (but it’s for laser tag purposes).

twenty amazing facts you didn’t know about cacti

race has a great idea, and who is he if he doesn't drag albert down with it.

words: 2.429 ships: ralbert tags: modern era; high school au; filmmaker!race (YEAHH); autistic albert; non-binary albert; adhd race; first kiss. warnings: none!

note: i hold this one very close to my heart. i just love it.

proof that jack kelly has a heart (unfinished)

looking back on jack’s interactions with the newsies, from the most recent to the very first.

words: 5.166 ships (minor): javey, ralbert, spelmer, blush, newsbians. tags: canon era; character study; ocs! lots of them!; hurt/comfort; everyone just needs a hug; and jack is a really good hugger; bisexual jack; non-binary albert; non-binary specs; autistic albert; autistic finch. warnings: not in the chapters i’ve put out! i’ll specify before each one, though, just to be safe.

note: this fic isn’t abandoned! i’m just working on it so i can get more than one chapter out at a time.

antonio higgins and the wonders of the passage of time

race always learns new things on albert’s birthday.

words: 4.111 ships: ralbert, implied future blush & smallsniper & spromeo tags: modern era; high school au; character study; larkin family !!; non-binary albert; non binary specs; girl jojo; girl crutchie; girl blink; pining. warnings: none!

how wonderful life is now you’re in the world

albert proposes to race when they’re fifteen.

words: 1.573 ships: ralbert tags: modern era; high school au; proposal (?? i mean technically yes); slice of life; established relationship. warnings: short description of soccer-related wounds

no sky to look up to, now

“Um, J—Jack?”

No. His heart stopped. His mind went blank. Not him. God, anyone but him.

words: 1.336 ships (mentioned): javey, ralbert tags: infinity war au; spidey!race; iron man!jack; major character death; angst (that’s pretty much it). warnings: major character death

to be loved, and to be in love

race let albert go one time. he’s the kind of guy to never make the same mistake twice.

words: 5.376 ships: ralbert, past redfinch, minor finch/crutchie & javey tags: modern era; coming of age; non-binary albert; autistic albert; adhd race; childhood best friends to lovers. warnings: mentions of child abuse and neglect, as well as (unrelated) hospitals and car accidents. neither of these subjects are really explored or explicit, and it’s a really soft fic, overall.

me when i specialinterest two relatively minor newsies and their dynamic and write fourteen fics featuring their shenaningans and i’m emotionally attached to them:

[veiljumpernyssa]

So I’ve been doing a lot of builds in The Sims lately because it’s something I can pick at while I work from home. This is the first big house I finished off. I was asked to upload it to the gallery so I may as well put it here as well.

I built this off a real house floor plan and made some tweaks.

Specs:

Not CC-free (but not a TON of CC; mostly recolours or add-ons, and most could probably be replaced).

I have all the packs

$128,363

40 x 30 lot (Plateau Palace in Strangerville)

3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Master bedroom and ensuite are downstairs and take up a half wing of the house (seriously, they’re fucking huge)

Second bedroom has an ensuite.

Has a study, and a sitting room (which I turned into a kids’ playroom)

A “bonus room” (literally what it’s called on the plan) which I turned into an exercise room/storage.

Covered porch

Landscaped garden with terracing and cacti. And a fountain. And a sundial.

Gallery ID: carpeomnios

Tray Files and CC List

[voidbears-oc-stash]

*Discord'n Felicity are EXTREMELY! happy! tails wagging up a STORM! as they nuzzle'n cuddle them all VERY much! they're SPOILING'EM with love!*

Cog still seems timid, but the rest look happy!

[recovery-within-the-iris]

Actual pride art of my persona?

On this? The Aro weekend?

More likely than you think!

Im so proud of my nebularomantic and aro flux identities! Im no less aro-flux because i have a romantic partner and i am no less aro than any other aro-spec! I am whole!

P.s succlents and cacti are aro/ace culture and this weekend is aro weekend now annually

[everythingisbetterwithpirates]

The Three Bells

Air.

A common element in this world. Even in deep pockets buried under the sea, it managed to persist rather than perish. It held up the clouds far above. Destroyed homes with violent whips. Caressed lovers cheeks in the absence of their counterparts. And right now, it was becoming harder to come by.

No matter how deep a breath, Margharette only found the scorch of a dry desert filling her lungs with it's corrosive splendor. A pair of bloodied hands scared her throat, pushing her back against an old wall. Her nails sank deep into the constricting wrists, but murderous intent ran deeper.

Blow after blow had left her with little air to begin with. Behind the average build, shaggy haired man were the signs of a previous struggle. A broken chair lay scattered to the left. To the right, an overturned table. Only one whole chair remained, and it was hiding somewhere behind the table. Broken glass crunched beneath her assailant as he pressed on. Marge's feet were inches from the ground, but to her, it felt like miles.

The upper hand slipped through her fingers.

And she knew it.

First came the stroke of fear. Like the spines of a cacti, it pricked all of her senses. This was the part where panic had room to slither in and begin to drive the nail further into the coffin. As far as Margharette was concerned, this was where she endured and pushed through the haze. Conditioned to hold discipline above all, she did just that.

Margharette stared at her opponent.

She stopped reaching for air, holding on to his pinning arms with all her might.

A wave of defiance pushed forth by wrath washed away most of the spines, allowing an equally strong force of Shadows to soothe her senses. All the while giving them the little boost of energy she needed in order to turn the tide. With what little air remained in her, the woman smiled and murmured.

"Choke me harder, Daddy."

Feasting on her anger, the Shadows aided their host and drove her legs forward. Margharette kicked at the man as hard as her body would allow. The first strike drove into his nuts. It was then that his hands fumbled, allowing Marge to begin grasping at straws. The second knee connected with his side, causing the man to begin buckling sideways.

Damp boots returned to the floor. There was a mote of riled dust gently drifting in the growing space between them. It was directly in the path of her incoming punch. Margharette moved forward, focused on speaking to the man with her hands while she was busy catching her breath. She could see one of his arms rising in hopes of providing protection.

But it was too late. Air now filled her lungs at long last, adding a bit of pep to her fortified steps. The punch connected, stunning the man long enough for the second fist to make it through it's flight. One after the other, Margharette carried on her assault, unyielding in her resolve.

When he was brought to his knees, her own picked up the mantle. In the end, when unconsciousness finally overtook him, a few teeth lay with the rest of the broken furniture. Both of Margharette's hands and knees were caked in his blood and spit. And a little of her own. Specs and drops freckled her face and her white, fuzzy coat.

20 MINUTES LATER

To Margharette, there was something about rope to be admired. Both simple and versatile. It was defined by two opposing natures. Able to save a life but to also end it. At the moment, it veered towards the latter.

"Wakey, wakey~

                  Tits and bakey~"

A splash of cold water startled the bound, bloodied man. Enough to wake him from his stupor. With panicked gasps, he struggled against the ropes keeping him on the only chair left complete. Broken, wide eyes searched for Margharette. Slow to focus. As was his gargled breathing. They found the woman looming close by, holding one of his now empty buckets. Next to the white clothed woman was a bag.

"N-no. Please! I didn't mean it!" he exclaimed, voice shivering. Same as the rest of him.

"You didn't mean... what? Which part specifically did you not mean to do, Toby?" Margharette replied with her more usual calmness. A far cry from the savagery displayed earlier. She turned the bucket around and took a seat across from Toby. His brown hair was shaggy before, but now, it was downright hopeless.

"The part where you open the door and try to bolt after I said I just wanted to talk? Or the part where you hit me in the boob when you were reaching for your sword?" Margharette continued, reaching for her duffel bag and pulling out a black box."Maybe it's the part where you almost killed me. Or maybe, just maybe, you didn't mean to blackmail Mister Reigns?"

At this, Toby Flinched.

"Look -  I didn't want to see you that night. But I did. You were just so beautiful with your blonde hair and that red dress. And then I put two and two together and found my chance to hurt that fucker. You and I --- we can take him down together ! I-I have it all. All the documents to bring him down. They're in there!"

Toby's bound hand wiggled, one of his fingers pointing towards the open door behind her. The one leading to his room. And the same one with the trip wire lined along the entrance. Marge's earlier slip up came from avoiding collision with just such a trap.

"Is that so.."

Margharette softly mused as her arms crossed over the box on which she then leaned. "You know..." The woman began with a reddened smile. Though the full extent of pain had yet to make itself known, Marge could feel the growing ache from the cut to her lip. ".. ever since I saw you at the payment spot, I wondered what kind of criminal you were. Given that the payment you were accepting came from blackmail, I figured you might know what you were doing. Then again, you did choose Reigns as your target, so there was some doubt. So tell me -- where exactly in the room are those papers?"

Margharette sat upright, soon reaching into her bag again.

"I-in the brown chest. Next to the bed." Toby mumbled in between the shakes. "Just let me go. I'll do whatever you want!"

The light from the nearby lamp glistened over the scalpel Margharette drew from her bag. "It's a deal." she purred in response before pushing from the bucket. In one hand, she held a blade. In the other, a box. "But first. Tell me. If you had to pick one, which would it be?" Margharette asked the man, playfully balancing her items before him.

Toby looked between her glistening blade and the dark box. His head jerked towards the lidded cube. Marge's red tainted pearls flashed as a wild grin overtook her features.

"Present from Mister Reigns it is then!" Margharette enthusiastically said. Toby's face further drained of color. His eyes widened with fear. She wondered how such an experience felt like for another. But Margharette did not wonder for long. The scalpel in her hand drove towards the man's stomach, creating a deep and wide opening. His cries of pain made the box rattle. Once a proper entrance had been carved into the landscape, Marge put away the blade and focused on the box.

"Were it up to me, I would have sliced your wrists while you were taking a bath, Toby. But such is not your fate." Margharette softly coo'ed, moving the box towards his bleeding stomach. The jittering mess that was Toby stared down in horror. Once she opened the lid, a scorpion crawled onto his skin. A Tanaris Drainer. Hard to find luxury item. Bloodthirsty. Hungry. And right now, heading down the path that has been presented to it.

TEN MINUTES LATER

The last several minutes had been filled with despaired screams and hopeless bargaining. Beneath Toby's hairy skin, a monster was left loose. On occasion, a small bulge deformed his torso as the scorpion moved and crossed. It also stung.

By now, Margharette sat on the bucket once more, silently watching the man suffer on the road to his death. Though he implored the Gods, none came to his rescue. Neither did Marge. While counting down the minutes, the dark haired woman absorbed the scene. What once were tiny splatters of blood now soaked her warm, wintry gear, creating large splotches.

Snow began to build up along the trim of the grassy roofed cabin's window. The light from the lamp dimmed as it began to run out of oil.

Madness stared deep and hard at Margharette. Toby's hatred at her passive stance in the wake of his woes guided his hallucinations. The pain wrecking his system only helped to make them seem more real.

A few minutes earlier, the Tanaris Drainer found it's way back to the world after it's evil began to feed on the man's insides. Margharette collected the exotic, deadly and useful creature, wrangling it back to the box before it was put away in her duffel bag.

"What does it feel like to you?" Marge began, the first time she had spoken since slicing a hole in Toby's stomach.

"Dying I mean. Everyone's time is different. What do you see, Toby?"

Toby's head rose from it's slump. His skin had gone from simple pale to ash. And though it began to harden, the man's lips painfully cracked with movement.

"Weeping willow..." His voice was as weak as the rest of him.

"It's everywhere. All around me. I can't... Nothing... --n't breathe..."

What began as coherent words quickly began to turn into a jumbled mess. Cracking, ashen skim crumbled over every joint. Little movements brought great consequences. A whistle passed. Then another. Toby wheezed, bound hands reaching for the air that never came. But before his last breath could be delivered, the man's head jerked back.

There was a definite shift in the atmosphere. Charged and oppressive. Margharette stayed put, reaching for something tucked away in her left boot. The crackle in the oil lamp was simultaneous with the straightening of the man's neck and head.

In his rise and fall, a portion of Toby's skull hollowed. Now, thick and tar-like Shadows filled up the holes. Previously unseen veins carried the vicious entity across his visage, making it's dark presence clear and visible.

"Round and round it goes. One debt paid and another owed."

The voice coming from Toby's lip-less mouth was not his own. It grated. Like the clash of swords in a battle field.

"Tick, tock, Tower of Terror. In your graces is our splendor. And when the bells ring three, our final union will be."

The continuous pile up of snow outside had nothing to do with the chill running up Margharette's spine as she listened. Toby's head slumped forward again after the message had been delivered. He was carried off by death to whatever world awaited him, leaving Marge behind to deal with the full weight of his words. The same Shadows which had given her another chance at life now reminded her of their cost with half sung rhymes.

Margharette stood from the bucket and checked the man for vital signs. There were none. The job was officially completed.

Unofficially, there was a possible loose end to tie. If anything, she'd sate her curiosity.

Boots thumped on the creaking floorboards as she made her way across the room. While the chair's broken leg would have made for an excellent bludgeoning object, it's purpose now was a bit more practical. Fodder. Margharette knelt behind the overturned table and tossed the collected piece of wood towards the rigged entrance to the room.

The loud bang that erupted rivaled Toby's earlier screeching and with twice the bass. Even though Marge was hiding behind a rickety but sturdy table, a piece of blown shrapnel found it's way between the planks and nicked her shoulder.

"No. I got it! Fragile. Death. Keep your minions and agents in line for eternity. You can stop now. I got the concept." Margharette sarcastically grumbled, looking at the space around her before she assessed the latest damage.

A scrape. It was nowhere near as bad as the rest of it. Without the trap in place, the woman came out of hiding and began to close the distance between her and the open door. Along the way, she picked up two things. The first was the rope tying the corpse to the chair. A deal was a deal. She untied the knots and began to coil the rough fabric, placing it in her bag. The second recovered belonging was said bag.

Toby's room was as barren as the rest of the hill hidden cabin. A bed. A nightstand and a brown chest were all that occupied it. Scattered all over were small and big pieces of shrapnel, some embedded into whatever was in their way when the explosion hit. Some pieces joined a few traces of broken glass to create a hostile work environment.

Because the dead guy slumped back in a chair wasn't enough.

Happy to find the brown chest unlocked and uncomplicated, Margharette dove in to gather some documents. Instead, what she found was far more valuable. A thorough supply of drugs. From potions to herbs and everything in between.

"... a fair consolation prize from Lady Luck."

Her words were spoken with reverence even through the onslaught of pains and aches that now slammed into her. Dark, blue eyes glistened with the spark of hope.

Temporary salvation.

The chest was taken after rummaging through the rest of the cabin for the legendary papers. Alleged papers.

But the survey said that was a lie.

Carrying the spoils of war, Margharette left the gruesome scene behind and headed for a nearby hill where a tree and a ram patiently awaited her return. Once the goods were secured, the reigns untied and her bottom rested comfortably over the saddle, Marge guided her rented transportation to their next point of interest. Somewhere she could dispose of her more than suspicious clothing before making it to a settlement. The rest of the journey would simply have to be made under the protection of a thick blanket.

The snow continued it's gentle bathing of the mountains and hills. And as she went over a tall one, the woman was taken back several years into the past. To a place with a climate similar to this one. Where the greater dangers hid in the cozy homes, holds and estates making up an isolated kingdom. Wanting to shake off the dreadful melancholia, Margharette reached into the saddle's large bag. There, she found a bottle of rum. It was uncorked and a large chug taken from it. Tired from the battle of body and mind, her soul sought to find peace wherever it could.

"Tick. Tock."

@mister-reigns not just for mentions but for building a world and letting Marge play in it.

This post contains clues that can link to this previous crime. Any and all detectives or guards are more than welcome to investigate. 

[aro-awesome]

I’ve noticed that a lot of us have problems with touch starvation. It’s not surprising, because it’s a lot less likely for aro-spec people who want cuddly relationships to find them. It’s a problem I see all the time, so I thought it might be helpful to some people if I shared a list of what works for me.

Animal friends: cuddling with pets or just spending time playing with or taking care of them can be really helpful. They love you and they want you to be happy!

Plants: Having plants to take care of also helps me. It’s productive and they make my living space a nicer place to be. I have a bunch of cacti so they’re pretty easy. Having hobbies that are rewarding but don’t take a lot of time like this one is good for people with busy schedules.

Weighted blankets: A lot of my problems with touch starvation stem from my need for deep pressure stimulation. Weighted blankets are a good option to help with that, and they can also help people who have difficulty sleeping. I also wear big coats that have a lot of weight most of the year and that helps as well. 

Soft clothes: Wearing soft, comfortable clothing can help as well. 

Self care hours: It’s good to take time once a day or once a week at least to relax and be as comfortable as you can. Take a break from everything that’s stressing you out, get your favorite food or drink and read, play games, watch a movie, or whatever helps you relax the most. This is the thing that’s most helpful to me personally, because cuddling is how I destress. When that’s not an option it’s nice to have something else that works. 

This is by no means a complete list and what works for me won’t necessarily work for everybody, so feel free to reblog with any additions you have!

[azurexalacrity]

@bluebirdsmuses clicked “❤️” for a starter!!!

For @lombaxinhiding / Angela!~

 The sand brushed over the terrain as if they were salty, foaming waves splashing against the docks. Grains of it were carried under the powerful currents of the wind, pushing in blasts of warm, muggy air. Sand was everywhere - On the shrubs, cacti, and even getting into Sonic’s infamous pair of sneakers. Soon, it’ll be getting in his fur, his quills, and even in between his teeth; much to his dismay.

Soleanna’s desert was never forgiving, especially for how massive it is. Sunlight glimmered upon the endless sea of sand, making it appear as if it were to star in some light show. Though, that wasn’t the only thing that came off as a beacon of light...

Fragments of painted metal were sprawled all across the sand, now coating every nook and cranny of them with specs of the land. Thanks to their weight, they never spread across the desert like some scavenger hunt. No; all they ever gained was pockets and pockets of sand. Following the trail of them, he came across a woman, presumably the owner of all these pieces.

Honestly, she looked like she was the spitting image of this tundra - Except for all the out-worldly clothing and vehicle. It was like she came from another era. An era that Sonic’s planet hasn’t evolved from yet. Hopefully, none of the technology in his world isn’t outdated enough to help her out.

“Hey, m’am!” he began to the foreigner, casually slapping his palms against one another to announce his presence, “I saw some bits of y’er ship lyin’ around, and if ya don’t get to ‘em in time, they might as well become one with da desert!” He uttered a chuckle. Or, at least, tried to without getting any sand in his mouth. His mouth was pressed into a line afterwards, with his eyes curving in concern. “....But dat means ya crashed down ‘ere too. Are... You okay? Anythin’ broken?”

Besides your ship, that is.

[sonipanda]

And we are in the Gabriella Lodz Student Tights once again, as I am loving their quirky designs. It’s something totally different, and well … That is where I come in!

So if you didn’t see my previous review of the ‘eyes’m then hit the link below:

Gabriella ASP LODZ Student ‘Eyes’ Tights

The Spec

Colour: Black

Size: Small

Denier: 20

Materials:  85% polyamide, 15% elastane

Price: £5.69

Website: eBay – Cacti Fun Modern Design Black Sheer Tights New Spring Collection By Gabriella

My Outfit

Once again I had meeting after meetings, so I had to dress pretty smart casual, but then I thought let’s add playful tights with them to cuten up the outfit a little! I wore my white t-shirt tucked into my suede pencil skirt and added black wrap court shoes.

My Deets

T-Shirt: Dorothy Perkins

Skirt: Primark

Tights: Gabriella

Shoes: off Amazon

    The Review

From The Website: Gorgeous Fun Cactus design on ankle. These are lovely sheer tights which are part of the new spring collection from Gabriella will let your inner child and cactus geek out. These tights are also highwasted and the fabric hugs your body, letting any woman feel sexy.

  The Packaging: the front of the packaging is once again monochrome with the design highlighted. Moving onto the back, these have the sizing guide, hosiery care and the following stated:

“Exclusive fancy tights manufactured from Lycra fibres double braided with polyamide. Without marked panties part, with cotton gusset, sewed with flat seam.”

Once you get into the packaging, you can see them flat packed ready to roll on.

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  Getting Them On: using silky hosiery gloves, I managed to get these to sit where I wanted them to on my ankle and up the legs they go. These were fine going over anklets, but I will mention that you do need to be careful as they did feel quite rough to touch – which means snags could occur.

  On The Legs: they have been interesting…

The denier is great for simple leg coverage to make the design on the ankle stand out. I think 20 works quite nicely to be honest; going lighter in denier would be pretty cool but I doubt the design would have the same effect.

The fit of them are great; no complaints about any gapping on the legs or the hosiery falling down. The feel of them are so soft and smooth on the legs; a real nice finish on these for sure!

The quality however was a little disappointing this time as they managed to snag very easily. After I got to work, I saw that one occurred (it must have been in the car) and then another popped up later in the day. I’m not really impressed with these!

The design is super cute; it’s only on one side of the leg (right hand side) and if I didn’t wear lace-up shoes, you could have seen the design a lot better. It was something super quirky and cute, and certainly one to wear with a pair of shorts.

  The Toes & Ankle: so not too sure if these are reinforced but I am hoping that they are! As you can see they are fully sheer around the feet and toes, working up to the ankle design.

These have plenty of wiggle room in them, so you’re cool if you’re gonna be in heels all day 🙂

Around the ankles, these fit real nice and throughout the day, there is no sign of wrinkles 🙂

  The Waistband: a great band here! These sit around belly button level on me, they hold up so well throughout the day and have plenty of stretch in them too! Pretty much everything I look for rolled up in these!

Now the only downside is that these snag super easy. The label inside my skirt decided to do some damage to them throughout the day, which I was not impressed with when I needed to take my pictures!!

  The Shoes: now as these shoes are brand new and the link to purchase is no longer available, I thought I might a small piece about them on this blog as it’s the first time I am in them 🙂

So they came in a half broken dented shoe box (great start!!), and once you get in, you find these individually wrapped in their mesh pouches to protect the suede on them.

As you can see, these are a mid-heel which means they won’t be super high or anything, so you are able to spend most of the day in them without any issues.

One thing I do like about them is that they just about cover the toes, so you get a small amount of toe cleavage to them and then it’s all open at the top.

The lace-up part just adds to it to be honest; they help to emphasise the legs a little better.

    My Thoughts?

I’m not too sure I would recommend these tights due to the quality not being that great compared to the last pair I did. I do like the cute design and how they are like on the legs, but if they can snag that easy, it’s not great!

Gabriella Art Lodz Student Cacti Tights And we are in the Gabriella Lodz Student Tights once again, as I am loving their quirky designs.

[purplecycleninja]

TOP THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING YOUR VPS HOSTING BUSINESS

FIND A RELIABLE PROVIDER

In a nutshell, the alternative plan is to rent one or more servers from an existing hosting provider, set up a control panel to resell VPS from, and then sell them to customers.

This will allow you to significantly cut costs and actually start a hosting business with a modest investment.

In order to succeed, you have to find an established provider that offers cheap prices and has reliable services at the same time.

FOCUS ON A NICHE

Forget about selling generic VPS services, the competition is simply too high. You’ll have to target a specific niche; a proper market research will help you find one.

Since a few servers are easier to manage than a large number, you could focus for example on a very fast support response time, and charge premium prices for premium support. Make sure that you honor your promises if you take this route.

Alternatively, you might want to consider selling VPS servers to a crowd or niche that you’re particularly familiar with. Perhaps you’re part of a gaming community that needs VPS servers on a frequent basis. Or perhaps you’re a developer or data scientist who needs servers to run your software, and you know other colleagues who have the same need.

The possibilities are endless, and the key advantage of taking this approach is that you can speak very clearly in a language that your customers will understand (because you’re one of them!).

DESIGN YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE

After you buy your servers from a hosting provider and have a target in mind, it is time to create your VPS infrastructure.

You’ll have to design several packages, with a number of CPU cores and various amounts of RAM and disk space.

To make things extra easy, you can simply buy cheap VPS servers from a provider and resell them as is (without needing to set custom CPU or RAM, and just using the specs provided by your hosting provider for each VPS).

These packages can be target-specific; there are for example some applications that don’t need much CPU power but use a lot of memory.

In addition, you can install software or tools on top of the hardware, for example a CMS like WordPress. Offering obsolete packages, such as php 5.3, can also be an interesting niche for people who want to keep old websites online.

In order to create the actual virtual machines, there are several virtualization options. KVM and VMware are free and offer good performance, but most customers want some kind of control panel.

You can try to use one of the free hosting panels like Vesta or ISPConfig, but these can be buggy and require good technical skills for operation and maintenance.

Another alternative is to use Proxmox, which has an open source version that is very stable and offers both KVM and LXC virtualization.

If you want to resell shared or reseller hosting, instead of fully-fledged VPS servers, the safe options are WHM/cPanel and Plesk, which are very reliable and stable control panels. While Plesk is a little cheaper and can be installed on more operating systems, WHM is the best panel on the market and has great features and support.

AUTOMATE BILLING

If you start small and only have a few customers, you can use an open-source suite to manually handle billing.

Later, as your business grows, this will no longer be an effective option. There are several billing applications on the market that are especially designed for hosting companies and integrate with platforms such as WHM.

The best of these are WHMCS and Blesta, both have a form of free trial that you can use to test them and choose the one that suits best the needs of your company.

MANAGE YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE

Every hosting provider must have at least three basic systems in place: active monitoring, backups and a support ticketing platform.

There are both free and paid alternatives for all of these; you should try the open source options first, these include Nagios, Cacti, Zabbix (monitoring), Bacula, UrBackup (backups), or osTicket (for customer support).

Keep in mind that the open source systems are free but installing and configuring them can be quite difficult.

A central systems management solution like Spacewalk can make your life easier.

HANDLE SPAM AND ABUSE

Allowing abuse from your servers can ruin the reputation of your company, so you must prevent it.

WHM and Plesk include dedicated tools that detect and limit spam and other malicious activities. If you don’t use one of these panels, you’ll have to configure your monitoring system to alert you of any suspicious network traffic.

If you need an open source tool to handle your abuse requests (for SPAM, DMCA, and so forth), a good option is to setup a dedicated abuse email (IE, abuse@domain.com), and then forward all mail into a tool called abuse.io. It’s an open source software that helps you manage abuse requests that come via email.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Starting a hosting company as a reseller is a very good idea because you can gain invaluable experience without risking a lot of money.

Many major players in the industry have actually started as resellers and then expanded their business, you can use the same strategy to test your management skills and build a solid platform for future growth.