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Are Aluminum Water Bottles Safe To Use?
A water bottle made of inappropriate material possesses different drawbacks. If you consume or absorb such material particles, it can cause you to have health conditions, odour in your drinks, altered taste of your drinks, and so many more unpleasant experiences.
Speaking of water bottles, how good is aluminum? Are aluminum water bottles safe to use?
Aluminum water bottles are safe to drink from in most cases. But overconsumption or over-absorption of aluminum can lead to health conditions. Another risk is in the plastic lining (which contains BPA) inside maximum aluminum water bottles.
For more details visit: Are aluminum water bottles safe?
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my water bottle broke :( died from falling from a high place :( now I have to go to the store to get a new one :(
#luka.txt#i had to go anyway to get some hair stuff#i just hate going to the store. why is walmarts parking lot such a nightmare.#this time i need to get like steel or aluminum or smth bc clearly plastic is too delicate for my accident prone ass#making me unreasonably depressed wtf. gonna look up water bottles on the web to cheer myself up i think .
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orange soda.
a. donaldson , you | nsfw |
The quiet sprinkle of evening dew quiets your racing nerves with each pitter-patter splashing against the pavement. You lay rested comfortably on the mattress of your boy-best friend's dormitory. You can hear the quickening hum of his heartbeat as you lay against the headboard. You estimated a near 120 beats each minute. A soft smile tugs on your lips at this realization, gently adjusting your position so that your forearm rests recklessly close to the curve in his aqua tennis shorts. He faintly chokes back a cough, a pink hue tinting his cheeks and nose. You glance up at him warmly, "You need water?" a sarcastic laughs leaves your lips. His flushed-red lips widen into a teethy smile, "It's on my nightstand, if you want to hand it me." You snootily roll your eyes in 'way to brush me off' way, twisting your body to grab the aluminum water that rest on his wooden night stand. "Why don't you get a smaller water bottle- this thing weighs a shit ton Art." You complain, surveying the vividly scattered stickers casually placed on the bottle. He places the water bottle to his lips, taking a sip before leaving it to lay in between his thighs, "I need to stay hydrated." he promptly says. You notice the bob of his adam's apple as he swallows, his jaw flexing to a cast a gentle shadow, lining his chin and neck. You scrunch your eyebrows together in disagreement, "and there aren't smaller water bottle that can do the same thing?" you quiz. His coy gaze softens your facial expression, "No." he denotes. "Doesn't it get heavy carrying around every day?" You urge, grabbing the water bottle, swiftly grazing his inner thigh. The sudden movement causes him to flinch, wincing as the cool metal is subsisted by your thumb and pointer finger. You cock an eyebrow at him, a curious look coats your face, "You good?" His body shifts as he sits up from leaning on the headboard, the wooden bed frame creaking in retaliation. "Yeah, I'm fine." he opposes. His pink-hue is punctuality replaced by a cherry-red tinge. A vivid red tints his face, followed by his neck and hands. He almost looks like he'd be hot to the touch. "Never had a girl touch your leg before?" you sarcastically joked, positioning the water bottle back onto the nightstand. "Shut up." He palms his face in mortification, brining his knees to his chest. "Stop acting like a virgin Donaldson." you tease, gently shoving his shoulder to the side. "Fuck off." he groans in desperation. "Oh I bet you'd love me to do that to you." your index finger playfully tracing the length of his thigh. He can only whine in an effort to retaliate, his skin glowing a deep red. "You can do better than that." you mockingly place your hand on his upper thigh, tenderly messaging the muscle, your fingers working carefully near the leg-holes of his tiny shorts. He whimpers at the contact, jerking his leg to the left. A grin dances across your lips, the grip you have on his thigh loosens. Your fingers begin to sketch the lining of his waistband, gently tugging on the stretchy fabric. You pause, gazing attentively at him for a brief moment, his eyes struggling to meet yours. " Art?" you ask, his stare coming to acknowledge yours, a look of desperation masks his face. "Please." he mutters, voice low and soft. "Please what-" you are interrupted by the warmth of his lips against your nape, his hands trailing down the length of your waist, to your hips. A soft moan escapes your lips, fingers rushing to pull at his blonde locks. You can feel the sensation of a cocky grin tug at his lips while he bruises your neck with his mouth, his hands desperately gripping your hips. "Art-" your voice breaks, husky, and rough. "Shit-", you breathe. Art places gentle kisses from your neck to your jaw, finally meeting your lips with his own. They are soft, and have that generic chapstick flavor. He kisses you with a gentleness you're not used to, like as if he made one wrong move, he would hurt you. That thought brings a warmth to your stomach, its tickling and teasing you.
Art beckons you closer, pulling you to his chest with his bicep. You lean into his muscular body, palming his jaw with your hand. His hands restlessly travels your body, cupping your ass with one hand, and gripping the fat of for waist with the other. You shift your body so that your leg rests between his thighs, and you both are kneeling on the mattress. You groan in the kiss, your free hand trails his clothed abs. He whines at your touch, the veins in his hands pop as he shifts his attention to massage the fat of your ass with both hands. Your body jolts at the sudden gesture, causing friction between Art's thigh and your sensitive bud. You moan instinctively, lips parting from his. A quiet whine of absence leaves his lips, his eyes glare lewdly at you."Do that again." he presses, guiding your hips to move forward. You groan at his words, bucking your hips up to achieve that friction once again. Art remains silent, his grip on your hips tightening each time you move back and forth, the lining of your athletic shorts is the only barrier between skin. "Art-," you breathe, "Fuck." your head falls into his shoulder, your hands resting neatly on either side. He winces when your knee promptly grazes his cock. "Please Art-" you slur, the warm feeling in your stomach is replaced by a tightness, Art needily rocking your hips on his thigh, quiet whimpers of approval every time you moan at the slightest change in pace.
(not proofread + im cooked) 👩🏽🍳🥰
#𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐚#past ha bedtime ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁#challengers#art donaldson#tashi duncan#patrick zweig#tennis#art donaldson x reader#art donaldson x you
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insert for ch2
"Finn, come on."
background items: Marcy Acoustic set poster from Scream Queens, Fern's leaves pressed between glass, Finn's Candy Kingdom diplomat pin, the cash he won in a bet in the comic Marcy & Simon, the dimensional sword, root sword. I wanted to add more but thought it'd get too busy.
closer view and excerpt under the cut
He finds himself before the sink, mussing up his oily hair and disheveled beard to rid himself of wood chips, splashing water over his face and coughing after breathing deep off a stale cigarette. The cherry fizzles back at him against the aluminum as he taps it off into an empty. He tugs at the bottom of his eyelid — the whites of his eyes are yellowing again. Pressing his forehead to the mirror and staring at his reflection he sees Martin's eyes, jaw and brow. He sees his maladjusted view, understands now what he meant, in the end.
He can't look in a mirror without seeing the man staring back at him, and it only gets worse with age.
“You’re fine. Today was just a bad day,” he recites just as he’s been told to, loyal tool of the kingdom that he is, a coping mechanism PB calls self affirmation. He leans back, scoffing, “in a long line of bad days.”
His feet carry him to the stump set before his wood stove, and the air toasts his frozen fingers and melts away the pins and needles in the skin that his port connects to. Anxiety bubbles its way up his esophagus and he drowns it with a long pull off his homebrew, eyes flickering from the bottle to his prosthetic, foot tapping furiously. He sighs and gives into the itch at the back of his brain, taking the wish out and reading it over again, biting more teeth marks into a pencil already shredded down to the lead.
It’s something to look forward to. Something he can put off, hoping ‘it gets better’ but it hasn’t and he’s almost certain it won’t. A morbid form of motivation to get more built, work harder, save more people, hoping against hope he’ll wake up happy before he has to spirit himself away. But none of it matters without fulfillment, sat alone and suffocating under his own melancholy in this empty space, only a facsimile of a loved one on his chest for company. He wants to see his brother, he wants to see his mom. He wants from the bottom of his being to go back and smack himself for being dumb, deaf and blind in the face of his own wants and needs. He hunches more in on himself and clutches it harder, it crinkles back at him, threatening another rip.
Slim, sage colored fingers enter his vision and pluck the precious slip of writing from his hand.
“I’ll give it back if you clean yourself up and go to bed.”
“I have it memorized,” he sighs. “I thought you believed in nihilism, anyway, Miss nothing matters and the wind makes my decisions.” Their eyes meet and he can’t help himself but to smile, though it doesn’t reach the rest of his face.
“I believe in natural predeterminism inscribed on our souls by our great earth mother, not in being a sad sack with whisky dick.”
“Ouch. My ego,” he drones, throwing his palm to his chest in faux hurt. “Like I’m disappointing anyone these days. Cot’s closed, sweetheart.”
“So not why I’m here.” She rolls her eyes and holds her hand out, motioning for the bottle.
“If you crack it open against my floor you owe me a face cord of firewood.” He hands it over by the neck and she takes a fifth straight, wiping her mouth with the back of her glove and gagging. “Christ, bad day?”
“Not yet.” She sighs deeply, clearing her throat of the burn and takes a seat on the floor next to him. “You’re going to be pissed with me. I thought saying anything would just upset you, but you’re still set on doing this,” she waves the wish in her hand, “so. It might help. I don’t know.”
“What are you talking about?” His voice drops decibels, adam’s apple bobbing as he gruffly clears his throat.
“I swear to you I didn’t keep this from you on purpose.” She huffs a sigh and peers up at him guiltily. “You know, Fern crashed in my woods with LSP, but we never spoke. Not until the war.”
“…” his breath gets caught in his lungs, burning.
“I forgot. There was so much going on, back then.” She blinks at him, brows steepled, and covers his hand with her own. “What he said— when I did remember I thought it would just break your heart all over again, so I’ve kept it to myself.”
His hackles raise and defensiveness floods his veins, skin hot and starting to prick with nervous sweat. “Excuse me?” he asks, resistive.
Her eyes hold his though, expression full of pity unchanged. “Finn. Come on.” Her thumb brushes against his knuckles and he shakes her off.
His anger speaks for him, misplaced and protective of his brittle heart. “It’s been a decade and you think I’m like this over some kid I knew for half a minute when we were teenagers?”
“He wasn’t just some kid, I‘ve seen you- you know. Lurking in his tree. It’s a contributing factor in your whole bummer lifestyle because you never processed his death. Or are we still pretending that he has nothing to do with us?” Her voice is gentle but firm, not entertaining his usual evasiveness.
“I'm not doing this,” he snaps, shutting down. He stands and walks to the door, holding it open even though the cold night air will chill the space again. “I am sorry, ‘Tess, for— for whatever you think you know. I can’t rehash it. I’ve buried that shit deep, and it’s gonna stay there.”
“I asked him what he was fighting for. He was dying, falling apart under me, I was just trying to keep him distracted," she barrels ahead anyway. “He looked me in the eye and said ‘same as you.’ Maybe he opened up to me because of what was happening to him, or because he knew we had— you in common, I’m not sure.” She looks at him with such compassionate sympathy that it makes him nauseous. “He adored you, Finn—“ his knees buckle, “—he said he was happy to die for you if it meant he could 'make up for everything that happened after you left him behind’.” She stands and reads the wish, scrutinizing. “If you truly need to do this to be happy… knowing that can’t hurt.”
How he’s able to remain upright he doesn’t know, but a flash of devastation covers his face before he can recover.
“Please, don’t tell me his business,” he rasps, voice wavering. “I can’t,” he begs, croaking out the words through the raw vice of emotion choking him. “I can’t think about it.” He closes his eyes, pleading with his whole body.
He feels a hand brush against his cheek, and her lips press to his softly, whispering “I’ll miss you.”
When he opens his eyes again she’s gone. Bottle and paper placed neatly on his stool. He closes the door and leans against it, hugging himself and breathing hard, face hot with upset. The more he tries to calm himself the closer he comes to hyperventilating, and when the tears start his breathing only worsens. He crams his fist against his mouth and takes a shuddering gasp in, close to wailing over it.
#i dont use their names in flashbacks. dumb decision at the time but im ok with it now.#keep yourself au#adventure time#finn mertens#huntress wizard#finntress
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Sick Boy
#PriceGhostWeek
Day Two: Heart/Alpha (@gomzdrawfr)
I took a lot if inspiration from Ren's videos (and music) about his health jorney, but I didn't even try to be medically accurate with it. This is about feelings and a bit of wordplay, not facts.
Click-clack of the round dispenser. Echoey pop of a child protection lid on a rattling pill bottle. Crinkles of aluminum foil breached like a chest of a parasite victim in an Alien movie. A big see-through red one shaped like a rugby ball. Two tiny flat circles, pale pink. Three elongated whites: two pills with a word pressed into them, one gelatine capsule with magic dust inside.
Filtered water, one swallow, two hollowed cheeks, three blinks, infinity of scars.
Simon holds back the usual wave of bile, hungry stomach disturbed by the chemical cocktail foaming in the acid and breaching thin walls of his vascular system. His reflection in the mirror blurs, sunken eyes disappearing in dark sockets of a pale skull for a split second, and then everything comes back to normal – insomnia painting his face better than any skeletal makeup could.
His jaw bone feels foreign, an ill fit, accidentally swapped with the one he dug himself out with.
Humming of an aquarium filter. Plastic cracking of a single use white cup. Gurgles of an abused water cooler boiling with fat bubbles in its blueish head. Psychiatrist’s lobby smells of coffee and cleaning products poorly masked with a chemical lemon air freshener.
Simon swallows another retching urge and stands up thirty seconds before a door with a fake wooden pattern swings open to let him into a cabinet with no straight angles.
“Is this all making sense, Simon?”
It isn’t. It isn’t making any sense why being a good boy and swallowing pills hasn’t fixed him still, hasn’t made him suitable for medical tests she won’t write off no matter what Simon tells her. Brain damage, she says with a matte lipstick smile, C-PTSD. He’s stuck in a sympathetic response, she says, and Simon feels maggots crawl on the underside of his jaw – he’s not stuck, he’s choosing it.
Being always alert is a necessity once you learn what happens if you get sloppy.
“Simon? Oi, Simon! Bloody hell, boy, snap out of it.”
Price’s figure enters the bathroom of a cold safe house, already crowded with Simon alone inside, and flicks the switch on before closing the door. Grey light washes off the skull blur off the mirror, leaving Simon to stare into his own eyes. There are some eyelashes missing from the already sparse lines.
“M fine. Jus’ mornin’ sickness. Gonna approve my maternal leave, sir?”
Simon’s broad shoulders slump, muscles rippling and bulging underneath an ugly cross-stitching of scars across his back, he pushes himself off the sink and plops down heavily on the toilet lid, reaching into his sweats’ pocket for a tangled knot of wires.
“What’s tha’ for?” Simon’s eyes flick over to his cross-armed Captain, leaning on the locked door with his unshaven chin tucked into his chest – unmoving, studying, attentive. Curious.
“Humane shock therapy,” he swallows a curse as his aching fingers struggle to untangle the mess and nearly drop the whole device on flesh pink tiles. Finally managing to find loose ends, Simon clips both of them to his earlobes and takes a breath. “Hits my brain wi’ electricity t’ force it into “alpha state”. Means I’m relaxed. Apparently can’t do it on my own, need a bloody remote control t’ fix me.”
His thumb hurts from pressing on the upper arrow too hard. The dizziness creeps up too fast, another attempt to make him barf, and reluctantly pulls back with the single digit dialed down.
Four minutes into his half-hour brain frying session little device clutched in a fist with scarred knuckles dies.
“Fuckin’ hell!” Plastic case cracks in Simon’s palm. His jaw doesn’t fit, teeth grinding remains of six pills into white foam on a mangled scowl. Wide open eyes go blind with maggots swarming panicked pupils.
Price grips his wrist before he can smash a pricey stimulation device into pieces, steady and warm hold on his sweaty skin. John pries it out of his hand, carefully unclipping the clamps from his ears, rough fingertips rubbing cold flesh unconsciously to get blood running again.
“Shh, easy. Easy. Oughtta make ya relaxed, innit? Don’t need a machine for that. Ya have it in ya, Simon, I know.”
One hand leaves him to put useless device away, but the second one stays, sliding further behind and cupping the back of Simon’s head. With no hesitation, Price pulls him against his chest, forcing his face into a shockwave of warmth – there’s too much at once, slightly coarse chest hair rubbing against skin he’s suddenly extremely aware of instead of reserving all his senses for the bones underneath; rich scent of a recently awakened man flooding Simon’s nose and wiping pills’ bitterness from the roof of his mouth.
Simon swallows the urge to stick his tongue out and drag a filthy lick between his Captain’s tits and gets rewarded with a squeeze on his nape lighting up his brain in all those little spots they stuck electrodes for a scan in an 80-s sci-fi looking cap.
“Yer heart’s barely beatin’, sir. Need me t-”
“My heart’s perfectly normal. Yours is jus’ going at it like a bloody jackhammer.”
He knows now – finally feeling his blood flow where previously only worms slithered over naked bones, Simon tries counting beats and loses track too fast. It’s pricking in his forehead, pressed into a fine chest, pulsing in his fingertips suddenly squeezed in a desperate fist grip on Price’s hips.
“Tha’s it, good lad, breathe. How long ya sit with those clips usually?”
Big hand carefully covers one of Simon’s grasps and eases it into an open palm, still allowing it to stay on Price’s back, fingertips throbbing with suddenly warm blood pressing into the soft flesh needily.
“Thirty minutes, sir.”
He relaxes his second palm on his own, fingers splaying over the small of John’s back. Jittering knees bracketing Price slow down and stop, leaning slightly inward to let Simon’s thigh brush against his Captain’s leg.
“Your brain generates different signals every day, which means required settings of the stimulator will vary too. The easiest way to determine the level needed today is to raise it until you feel dizzy and then lower it by one. Is this all making sense, Simon?”
It is. It is making sense, he’s one step shy from dizzy, nausea finally dissolved deep down in his stomach. Eyes closed – not gouged out – and resting, he’s being a good lad and getting fixed. There’s a steady pressure on the back of his neck, thick fingertips massaging where maggots used to be.
Simon doesn’t notice how his jaw finds it way to fit perfectly into Price’s palm until John turns his head up and to the right, forcing Simon’s chipped ear against slightly quickened heartbeat and baring his face to the piercing gaze of two blue eyes.
There’s an astronomical map of freckles scattered on the universe of his boy – something no bone would be able to bear.
A thumb presses into the ugly cleft of his upper lip, sliding torn flesh further up – before Simon’s lashes can flutter open, Price shushes him, and Simon obeys. He keeps his eyes closed while his Captain measures his pulse through the wet thin skin of his scarred lips.
His mind doesn’t alert him, when John leans down and presses his own mouth down.
That same palm that fixed his jaw slides up his face reverently to cover Simon’s eyes, determined to keep them closed for the required thirty minutes, and Price deepens the kiss, licking into the pills-tasting mouth. Simon feels him, initial novelty and excitement of a hot tongue rolling over his teeth and soft facial hair brushing against his skin quickly get drowned out by a calm call of weighted peace pouring over him like caramel.
There must be something wrong with him for having no reaction to a sudden kiss from his Captain, but his psychiatrist would be proud of the steadiness of his alpha brainwaves today.
“What happens if ya keep it longer than thirty, eh?”
Price’s voice sounds hoarse right above his ear, big hands still holding his head close and blind. Simon doesn’t know what happens – maybe more brain damage, maybe an anxiety attack.
Maybe he becomes sloppy again and forgets how to be constantly alert.
“Runnin’ late to a briefing, sir.”
Simon’s hand slides lower, skims down the chiseled hip and tries wrapping around Price’s thick thigh, little finger pressing into the vulnerable hinge of his knee until John gives in and allows to pull himself into his Lieutenant’s lap.
“Good thing there’s no briefing today then. Ya feeling relaxed yet?”
Price feels thin blonde eyebrows move under his blinder palm into a momentarily pleading position and needs no other answer. You can’t expect same result as when using a proper device.
It’s making perfect sense.
youtube
#priceghostweek#ghostpriceweek#ghostprice#priceghost#ghost x price#price x ghost#simon ghost riley#ghost cod#captain john price#price cod#Youtube
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Hey Fanguins! Want to Help Real Life Penguins? :D
Why Now?
5 out of the 18 penguin species are listed as endangered
That’s approximately 28% that are endangered, not including those under the “vulnerable” or “near threatened” statuses.
These endangered species include:
The Yellow-eyed Penguin
Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Galapagos Penguin
Erect-Crested Penguin
African Penguin
Cute little guys like these African penguins are predicted to go EXTINCT by 2035.
Biggest Threats to Penguins:
Overfishing
Plastic Pollution
Oil Spills
Habitat Disruption
Invasive Species
Climate Change
So… What can We Do?
I know sometimes it seems hopeless when there are major corporations having extensive negative impacts on the environment.
But there are small, everyday changes you may be able to make to contribute for the better (at least a little).
Small actions can add up over time.
Shop Consciously
Overfishing and unregulated fishing are big contributors to penguin populations decreasing.
Less available prey means penguins have to spend longer time at sea to feed their chicks and themselves. This could force them to abandon their chicks, reach the point of exhaustion and pass away as a result, or return to emaciated chicks.
Seafood Watch is a wonderful resource to ensure the seafood you’re buying has been caught sustainably. https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/download-consumer-guides
Swap for More Sustainable Options
Aside from seafood, you might be able to make many swaps to reusable products.
Reusable grocery bags/tote bags can actually make transporting groceries easier while reducing plastic usage.
If you have access to clean water, a water filter pitcher or a reusable water bottle are also great options when available! 😊
Swapping plastic containers for aluminum cans or cartons (these are easier to recycle)
Swap balloons for other party favors (many released balloons end up in our oceans). Penguins and other sea animals can choke on or get tangled in these while swimming.
Conscious Pet Ownership
Choose pets responsibly and never abandon a pet if you can no longer take care of it. This could lead to the rise of invasive species.
Keep pets on a leash when outside even when you do not see local wildlife.
Penguins, especially those whose habits are around human populations, are regularly attacked and lethally injured by unattended dogs or cats. These include feral or stray animals that have become invasive.
Learn More Directly from Non-Profits:
SANCCOB is an internationally renowned rehabilitation center for South African seabirds (including African penguins) leading conservation efforts for this species. https://sanccob.co.za/about-sanccob/
The Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust is another great non-profit located in New Zealand that tracks behavior and nesting patterns of the Yellow-eyed penguins. They also remove invasive predators to ensure Yellow-eyed penguins have a chance at repopulating to sustainable levels. https://www.yellow-eyedpenguin.org.nz/yellow-eyed-penguin-trust/about-the-trust/
Penguins International is a nonprofit that educates about penguins and penguin conservation efforts. https://www.penguinsinternational.org/about-us/
Any AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums that support conservation efforts
Advocate:
Sign petitions encouraging legislation change that aims to reduce climate change or regulate fishing
Write to/email legislators when penguin species are at risk
Donate (if you can/would like):
Both Penguins International and SANCCOB do symbolic penguin adoptions to support penguin conservation.
On SANCCOB’s website, you can choose an egg, hatchling, rehabilitated penguin, or long-term penguin resident to symbolically adopt/sponsor. You even get to give your adopted penguin a name!
The Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust also accepts donations of various amounts.
I figured since if you follow this blog, penguins have inspired media and art that means a lot to you or that has at least brightened your day. If you’re as amazed as I am about the real life species, please consider taking steps to help or learn more about real penguins. I figured sharing this information, while trying to make these changes myself, are the least I could do to honor these amazing creatures!
Thank you for reading! 😁
(Lol I’ll get off my soapbox now 😉)
youtube
Maybe Tom McGrath can explain it better 😉 (skip to 3:16 to hear him talk about how amazing penguins are! 😊)
#penguins of madgascar#the penguins of madagscar#skipper#kowalski#rico#private#penguin conservation#penguin#penguins#Youtube#Tom McGrath
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Great Adult Presents Between Adult Friends
a list inspired by gifts I've given or been asked for or want, but not including crafts and art you make yourself because those are more obviously treasures. this list is for "oh I have no idea what to gift/make someone"
Special Interest Magazines - from Star Trek, Astronomy, to SpecLit, and beyond
Little Trinkets - for their desks at work/elsewhere, things they can look at and think of you. candles in fun shapes! weather crystals! little carved figurines!
Calendars - desk and wall calendars with art on subjects they're interested in, like National Parks or Seasons or Alphonse Mucha or anything
Food Gift Baskets - either fresh season fruit like Harry & David Pears or non perishable things like assorted hot chocolates to try, or hot sauces, or cheeses. I like this strat better than gift carding.
Comfort Items - Blankets for display and for outside and for inside comfort, pillows both decorative and practical, hot water bottles, fluffy robes. How likely is someone gonna buy it for themselves? but they'll appreciate having it!
Museum Memberships. They can always choose not to renew in the coming year, but a museum membership often gives them complimentary / reciprocal free admission to other museums within the same association. It also often lets them take +1's! A single one time gift can turn into a whole year of goodness :) AND this goes for BOTANICAL GARDENS AND AQUARIUMS AND ZOOS TOO.
A Book That Was Important To You Sometime - Even if I don't end up reading it or liking it I am honored and happy to have a book someone cared about in my collection, especially if they tell me why. I will think of them always and it feels like a piece of them!
Special Editions of things they already have - a special edition book or album or game case or anything will be a beautiful addition even if I've already read/consumed that media.
These are great for semi-surprise gifts, where you don't just go and ask "Hey, I'm getting you something, what do you like."
As for other gifts where you aren't so concerned with surprise, since they may require some coordinating:
A Large Version of Their Favorite Scent (perfume, cologne)
An Appointment at a Cat Cafe
Tickets to a Museum/Aquarium "After Dark" Event
Tickets to a Museum/Gallery Special Exhibition
An Intro Class for a Specialty Hobby (like book binding, cooking, ceramics)
A Piece of Art from a Local Artist they would never find elsewhere (photographers, 2d media artists, sculptors, anything) (safe subjects include: birds, fields, beaches, mountains, urban art specific to their home; more adventurous subjects and depictions depending on how well you know their style; safe size is small like a post card or 8x11", but for something you're confident in, bigger is special! aluminum prints are very nice)
COOKBOOKS. Classic cookbooks like Better Homes & Gardens or good French cooking staples, or niche books like for a specific ethnic cuisine, or for a specific type of food like ramen, or cookbooks by their favorite celebrity
Art Book for a Favorite Movie/Series.
Designer Measuring Cups/Bowls. Upgrade them from the plain plastic/glass/metal that they use. There are amazing porcelain/china designs for even things like measuring SPOONS (this was a hit with my sister who bakes - and that set came with a matching apron)
Resin Lamps. From humpback whales, cloud scapes, to Pokemon, there are beautiful resin displays that light up and are more unique than just a figurine.
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୨୧ nerves and liquid courage
oh seungmin (o.de)
ᨳ you and your childhood best friend are only allowed to share 3 bottles of soju to maintain your long lasting friendship.
𖧷 very inspired by dear m. i luv that show
𖧷 who else is insane about oh seungmin (frantically waves hand around)
𖧷 cw mentions drinking, drunk people, kissing
you’re face to face with your best friend. a scarlet red flushes across his face as if it was painted by the sun. his fingers are coated in alcohol after the two hours he’s spent clanking his glass with yours. his slim, gentle eyes squint at the brightness of the quiet bar, and he unknowingly rocks his body in circles. your childhood best friend after two and a half bottles.
on an average drinking day he would consume two and you would have one. this time, someone must have misordered because an extra bottle found its way to your table, and from the rough day you both were having, it snickered and threatened the pact. you’re done with your first bottle and eye the bottle he’s working on, but you fear that the daze he’s in will soon become familiar within yourself.
because your childhood best friend is the world’s most attractive man ever, in and out. his gentle coos that escape his glossy, fruitful lips - when you notice your thought process you confirm that you’re approaching your limit.
this happens every now and then, and that’s why the two of you have implemented the rule of never surpassing 3 bottles in total. it’s for times like these, where frazzled minds may lead to regrets. it’s something the both of you feared may jeopardize your friendship despite it being held by ancient pillars, so the simple rule is crucial to the two of you. even buzzed you understand that rule completely. in the morning you’ll realize he’s better off as a friend, because he’s a great one.
seungmin pours himself a glass. his eyes peer up to meet yours that are cloudy and tell him enough. for this round he skips your glass and rather asks, “are you okay?”
you messily nod. alcohol tended to paralyze all your noticeable senses, including your ability to voice out words that you mean to say. so you remain silent about what you’re feeling, afraid that something might slip in the presence of your sly, intoxicated tongue.
minutes later you finish the bottle together, him mostly carrying the weight for you. you feel a single butterfly at the gesture, but it’s your sign to go. the situation has reached its greatest extent, and your bodies are warning you in similar ways. seungmin plays with the soju bottle cap, fingers intertwining the aluminum until it’s a wide heart. now three heart caps decorate the table, while the additional bottle is left empty and gets glanced over by the two.
seungmin stays in his seat, wavering for a bit as he licks his lips and studies the details in the bar. he seems nervous.
“seungmin,” you tilt your head, “why are you nervous?” you’re trying to meet his eyes, but they scan everywhere but you. it’s pitches your worries up, prompting you to sprint out of your seat and approach him, “hey, are you okay?”
“i’m - i’m okay.” he stammers to save himself from the feeling of your palms on him. he still avoids you, staring down as he suggests, “we should go home.”
it’s cold outside, and your warm breaths create flurries in the air. cold flakes freckle your flushed cheeks as you walk beside one another, occasionally bumping shoulders. it unknowingly tickles you; you feel the need to laugh when he accidentally stumbles in your path. so you push him back, and it suddenly lightens his heart a smudge. “hey, that was on purpose!”
you shrug, “my apologies.”
“being formal?”
“i will.”
you’re not sure where you’re going with this bit. your brain is fuzzy, the streetlights are starting to look like water colored paintings. your hands are freezing, but your face feels like it’s on fire. you’re trying to survive at this point. seungmin notices immediately, catching on like the veteran he held himself to be when it comes to you and drinks. “you’re bad at drinking…you need to stop accepting my invitations.”
you shake your head, “you get all loser-ish when you drink alone.” you stare at your feet as you shuffle by, feeling his eyes shoot angry rays of warmth to your cheeks. he complains and insults you back, but you follow up with the truth, “i like to drink every now and then.”
he scoffs and turns away. he wants to say something like, ‘then learn your limit.’ but tonight was weird, as you guys dismissed the usual promise without discussion. it might be quite obvious by the way seungmin is tripping over his feet and slurring every other word, though he’s trying his best.
a river accompanies you two for a while until you pay it more attention. it’s calm. a few ducks hinder underneath the bridge, their eyes tight as they snuggle against one another in accents of comfort. the moon joins the stars in illuminating flickers of light on the serene waters that trickle to a nice rhythm. you approach it without a word, and seungmin follows you without a choice.
your hand cradles the metal railing separating you from nature. it stings your finger with brittle coldness, but it means nothing to you. the view of a river and the collection of bright and busy buildings far behind it melts into your brain like medicated tea. you gently move your hair behind you, letting the cold wind bite your neck. but it appeases the cheeks that have been inflamed for hours now, so it’s what you crave.
seungmin finds the view of you absolutely insane.
it was the moment you pushed your hair back, the way the wind carried those strands far behind you as you shut your eyes tightly and felt the fresh air fill every crevice in your lungs. it’s the way the sounds of the river was nothing wondrous compared to the breaths that escaped your parted lips and rosy nose. he stared at your hands that rathered touch a cold and bitter metal barrier instead of his warm and tender hands, that just waited to provide comfort such as those ducks that snoozed peacefully beneath the scene.
it’s not the alcohol. your childhood best friend is pathetically head over heels for you.
it made sense, as his past dates had the tendency to abandon him after noticing the way he talks about you when you’re not around. it’s easy to catch the moments where his mind would flicker to you and your quirks when they’re least relevant. he apologized profusely to his dates, but the women laughed since they only found a love story waiting to blossom. they wished him the best before leaving him without disclosing their findings. these thoughts of his have always been buried with fear guarding the grave, but he’s uncovered and understood them, and intoxication holds the power to triumph fear to set loose his feelings.
“i like you.” liquid courage.
you slowly turn to meet your childhood best friend. you emphasize, your childhood best friend. the boy you met when the two of you were small kids, terrified of being in school rather than sitting at home twiddling your fingers. the boy who teased you, the boy you’ve cried to, the boy who has always had the good advice because he knows every little thing about you. you want to believe he’s joking with these words. when you study him you find seriousness in the middle of his hiccups, and you’re even more confused as to what to think about it.
“you’re drunk.” this has never happened before, but you assume this is the way to go. this is the right thing to do. you can’t lay a finger on this friendship. your brain is electrified and awake with the shock, and you feel at least slightly more conscious than a tipsy zombie.
why are you anticipating…something?
“i’ve liked you for a very long time, i think.”
seungmin does it again. he’s looking at everything but you now. he doesn’t want to meet your gaze, despite it ranking in his brain to be one of the most beautiful wonders of the world. he’s scared it has just been chipped all to his doing. so much for liquid courage; it ran for two seconds, and now it might impact him for the rest of his life.
you pause for a minute, tilting your head, “is this liquid courage…or are you just confused?” you’re not expecting an answer from him, as you instead spoke to yourself as a desperate attempt to explain this moment to your dizzy brain.
a wave crashes into seungmin. he stumbles back from the shame, and he quickly learns that it’s regret. there’s a slight attempt to salvage it, “can we talk about this tomorrow?”
but you have no idea what that’s about, “seungmin, i’m confused.”
and it sends his off.
“i don’t mean to, i really don’t.” he splatters out his feelings like a broken faucet. “i know it’s always been ‘just friends’, but i find myself watching you as someone more. but i’ve loved you as a friend and i don’t want to ruin that for you either… that’s why i want to talk more when i’m not in this state.”
you study him; he’s heavy with emotion. his arms sag beside him until he awkwardly tucks his fingers into his denim jeans. he briefly looks at you when you’ve remained quiet. nothing can come out, and you’re not sure if anything should. you‘re also not in your right mind, despite the desperate attempts to grasp onto a sober reality.
“i’ll walk you home.” he turns around, waiting for you to follow beside him. it’s the most awkward walk, with the two of you still not walking straight but avoiding each others’ once playful touch. you especially find yourself paranoid in your head, becoming a ball of thought as confusion transforms into an unknown entity of thought that ultimately leads to anticipation.
eventually the two of you approach your door, and all that’s left for you to do is to bid him farewell before slipping behind the door as quickly as you can. but instead you stand, face-to-face once again, flushed cheeks, childhood friends. childhood friends.
“seung, do you…regret saying that?”
this is the first time tonight where intense eye contact has been enacted. you’re staring at him, and finally he’s meeting your gaze.
“if it ruins everything, yes.” he suppresses the urge to apologize. rather he detaches his eyes from you, afraid to heighten the disappointment plastered on your face. however, pure courage returns and he remains in his spot, finally with some of his senses sobered up. the entire confession was a poor move, but at the same time he feels like he could breathe exceptionally better even if he’s still drunk. so he’s plagued with ricochet thoughts, unable to perceive the opportunity as a path worth taking for a chance of achieving a side quest of romantic happiness in a game focused on friendship. so impulsively he also says, “but if it doesn’t…then i don’t regret it...”
your curiosity bottles up like a shaken soda at this point. an intense longing for an answer just to better understand what that unknown feeling in your head is all about. for what exact reason were you anticipating something to happen? and it frustrates you more that nothing is happening. it drives you crazy, your buzzed senses heightening the dramatics of it all. it’s a mixture of soju, nerves, and courage that spins your head into the conclusion that there’s one way to recognize it. you feel crazy when your hand reaches his shoulder, pulling him downwards until his lips crash into yours. you feel confident that you’re creating a messier slate, one that probably scraps his plans and your own. is it because you want to see if something is there? is this event just in the wake of drunk pining?
you’re crazy. remember, childhood friends.
but you can’t remember that, and neither could he. the only occupations your brains hold are maintaining this moment without having so much as a catch of breath ruining it. seungmin’s afraid to deepen it in the case this was all just a big accident; it makes him worried out of his mind that he freezes up at first. but after a while he practically sighs into the kiss when you make it clear that it is not. he pulls you closer with one hand on your chin, a finger becoming your guide to the rhythm.
it had to happen. you pull away after a while, masking the out-of-breath huffs with a laugh. his face is just inches away, and it takes every fiber in you not to approach it again, to taste whatever liquor that remained tainted on his lips. at first you just wanted to know, but now it feels like it’s right. however you hold off; it’ll be difficult if all the events taking place are carried out by drunk doings that persist forward simply because childhood friends doesn’t serve as a strong enough barrier. now you’ve seen just a sliver of the shaded area of seungmin. you’ve developed a quest to continue uncovering it, convinced that it’s probably worth years of multiplied happiness.
so you warn him, “i hope you mean what you say.” and the sober seungmin does, so much more than you anticipate him to.
#xdinary heroes#xdh imagines#xdh#xdh x reader#oh seungmin#o.de#o.de x reader#xdinary heroes x reader#UGGHHHHHHHHHH i like seungmin#guys i’m not good at writing x readers my bad
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I hope Fiddleford puts on a pair of cowboy boots and does a square dance on your pointy dome you numbskull you're built like a slug that had salt poured on it you're like the water that comes out of a ketchup bottle when it's not shaken enough why your dumb ass look like a guitar pick they cover your relatives in seasoning and sell them in aluminum bags at ridiculous prices to college kids go get a life you 3 sided two faced one brain cell having dumbo.
*sprays you in the eye with Raid bug spray cuz you're a roach teehee 🤭*
Disappointing gasoline-smelling fuckwad.
*Cutely pours yogurt in your ears*
#bill cipher#billford#the book of bill#stanford pines#stanford#gravity falls#gravityfalls#ask bill cipher
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NO JOKES ALLOWED
transcript under the cut
Keith: Just stick aluminum fins all over. “Here, I brought this for you.” [clicks tongue]
Ali: Well, this—this is—in a world where like, [Austin: Right.] robotic people exist, [Janine: Mhm.] this is something that you get at the bodega next to the counter.
Janine: Yeah.
Austin: Yeah. Uh-uh.
Ali: Like you would a bottle of water. Like it is a—[laughs]
Keith: You’re right. This isn’t funny at all.
[group laughter]
Austin: Extremely normal.
Dre: That’s why people say our show isn’t funny, because we talk about doing real things like this.
[Ali laughing]
Austin: [laughing] It is why. “Oh, good. We’re doing fucking critical worldbuilding now. Can’t even have the joke. Can’t—”
[Keith and Ali laughing]
Austin: “Oh, fuckin’—supposed to—what do you—go to the space bodega and get a water cooler or whatever. No, now just regular information is lore. Cool.”
Keith: I heard PALISADE was crazy normal this week.
[Austin, Sylvi, and Dre laugh]
Ali: Hey, if it’s good enough for Tony Gilroy, it’s good enough for me. Okay?
Austin: I agree. I agree.
#‘i got you a HEAT SINK. 👍’#friends at the table#palisade lb#shout out to transcripts at the table for the id <3333333#audio
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Obvious (Phillip Graves x Reader) ࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ
request here, i love writing fluff for graves sosososo cute
loosely based on obvious by Ariana Grande
fem!reader (no use of Y/N)
Word Count: 1.3k
Warnings: pet names, just fluff
₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗
Your heels clicked through the empty hallways of the Shadow base as you made your way to your boyfriend's office. Rounding a corner you stumbled back almost bumping into two of the Shadows.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” you immediately apologized, even though it wasn't entirely your fault.
“No need to apologize, ma’am, where are you headed? Maybe we can help you?” one of the boys spoke up, he was trying to be polite in asking why you were on base. You and Phillip kept things pretty lowkey so you didn't expect anyone to know you just off first glance.
“I’m just heading to Phillip’s office, I wouldn't mind the escort though,” you smiled widely at the group.
The shorter of the two chimed in, “The Commander? What’s the reason for the meeting?”
The military lingo made you giggle considering you were just bringing your boyfriend lunch. You eyed the boys and then looked down at the bag you were carrying. You tipped it open so they could see the aluminum-covered plates and water bottles. “Just lunch, better hurry though I wouldn't want it to get cold,” you began to walk past them before they jogged ahead of you to escort you to the Commander’s office.
As you approached you shot Phillip a quick text letting him know you had some company joining you. The boys knocked on the door as you all waited for Graves to open it up.
“Well looks like the two of you met my girlfriend already, c’mon in,” Phillip laughed as he leaned against the door. Both Shadows walked in first leaving you in the hallway.
“Phil.” you smiled taking him in, it had been a few weeks since you had seen him. He was in casual clothes, sporting a bulletproof vest on top of his classic button-up. He was prepared for anything at all times. He smiled back, he was still the same Phillip, handsome as ever. You noticed a new scar on his face, extending from his ear down across his cheek. Your hand cupped his cheek as you thumbed over the scar frowning. “What happened?” you pouted.
“Don’t worry about it darlin’, I’m alright,” he opened his arms up, “I missed you, c’mere,” pulling you in for a hug and placing a kiss on your head. Your arms wrapped around his torso, taking a deep breath and feeling at home within his grasp. A cough from one of the Shadows brought the both of you back to reality. Graves laughed as he placed a small kiss on your lips before shutting the door behind you.
“Hope these boys didn't give you too much trouble,” his hand rested on the small of your back as he escorted you to his chair behind his desk, only the best seat for you. Without having to even ask, Phillip slipped the bag of food out of your hands and onto the desk, being the doting boyfriend had become second nature to him.
“Only doing what you taught them,” you winked over at the Shadows who sat on the couch opposite the desk, you could tell they were nervous, especially seeing their Commander in such a relaxed way.
You leaned back in the chair, Phillip coming up behind you. His hands rested on your shoulders slowly massaging them as he leaned down close to your ear, “You need anythin’ doll?”
“I’m perfect thank you,” you smiled up at him before placing a quick kiss on his lips.
“Commander, we don't want to interrupt anymore, we can head out,” the two Shadows stood up apprehensively.
“Aw, you boys sure? I brought enough food,” your hand went to rest on Phillip’s which was still on your shoulder. Your eyes flickered between the Shadows and the food and then back at Phillip, silently hoping he would back up your offer. You didn't get to visit the base often, so you wanted to leave a good impression and you hoped Graves would help you out.
“I don’t wanna hold you both hostage here, go ‘head,” he motioned to the door allowing the pair to leave, “I’ll see you both at the briefing later,” you rolled your eyes sarcastically as Graves shut the door, leaving the two of you alone.
“So much for getting to know them,” you laughed as you cracked open a water bottle.
“Sue me for wanting to spend time with my lovely girlfriend then,” he chuckled as he flopped down onto the couch reaching for the bag of food.
“Sue me for wanting to leave a good impression,” giggling as you teased Phillip back. He raised his eyebrows back at you trying to hide his smile as he handed you one of the plates of food.
✩。:*•.───── ❁ ❁ ─────.•*:。✩
The door shut behind the two Shadows as they stood silently outside the door trying to process what they just witnessed. Never had they seen this side of their Commander, he was always strict, professional, and they could never even imagine him having a soft side.
“We gotta tell the others,”
“Would they even believe us? Commander havin’ a girlfriend, and did you see how he was with her?”
“I swear this is the twilight zone or somethin’ dude,”
The boys went on and on about the scene they just witnessed as they headed down to the common area to fill everyone in on the secret side of their Commander, Phillip Graves.
✩。:*•.───── ❁ ❁ ─────.•*:。✩
“Well I should get going, I don’t want to keep you locked up in your office all day,”
“I wouldn't mind that though,”
“Mhmm I know,” you walked over to Phillip, his hands resting on your waist, “Thanks for letting me come for lunch,”
“You’re always welcome doll,” he placed a kiss on your forehead, “Want to say bye to everyone?” you nodded as Graves led you out of his office and towards the common area.
Walking down the halls Phillip had his arm wrapped tightly around your waist, keeping you close to him. As you approached the others you just caught the end of the conversation being had by none other than the two Shadows who were just in Graves’ office earlier.
“-it was like he was a whole different person I swear,”
Phillip cleared his throat interrupting the conversation, “Shadows,” everyone’s attention immediately going to the Commander. “I'm sure you all heard, word travels fast here I suppose,” his eyes shot over to the two boys, “This is my lovely girlfriend, I’m hopin’ to get her out here more but she wanted to say ‘Hi’ before she headed out for the day,” he went on as his hand lightly rubbed your back.
“Hi everyone,” you smiled and waved to the group, “Phil has told me so much about you all so I just wanted to introduce myself,” a slew of ‘Hi’s’ floated through the crowd in response.
“Well, I gotta let her get home,” he kissed your cheek as he continued, “I’ll see y’all for the briefing once I get back, heard?”
A unanimous “Yup yup,” was heard loud and clear as you and Phillip waved bye and headed out.
✩。:*•.───── ❁ ❁ ─────.•*:。✩
“Do you think they liked me?” you and Phillip's hands were intertwined as you walked to your car.
“Of course they did doll, how could they not?” he squeezed your hand lightly as you approached the car finally. You unlocked it and opened the car door but didn't get in yet. “Thanks for comin’ to see me today and bringin’ lunch,” Phillip smiled.
“Thank you for letting me come spend the afternoon with you, I know you’re busy,”
“I’ll always make time for you,” he pulled you in for a hug. After a few minutes, you pulled away, standing up on your tiptoes and kissing him.
“I’ll see you soon,” you winked as you hopped in the car.
“See you soon love,” Graves stood and waved as you left the base, already counting down the minutes till he could see you again.
₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗
disclaimer i didnt proofread bc im so tired, i will in the morning
#phillip graves cod#phillip graves#philip graves x reader#phillip graves x reader#philip graves#phillip graves imagine#phillip graves x you#cod graves#graves x reader#graves mw2#graves cod#call of duty#call of duty modern warfare ii
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What are the Benefits of Aluminum Water Bottles?
In the quest for sustainable living and healthier choices, aluminum water bottles have emerged as a popular alternative to plastic and glass bottles. With a range of advantages from environmental sustainability to health benefits, aluminum water bottles offer a compelling option for those looking to make a positive impact on the planet and their well-being. This article delves into the myriad benefits of aluminum water bottles, highlighting why they are a superior choice for your hydration needs.
1. Environmental Sustainability
One of the primary benefits of aluminum water bottles is their environmental sustainability. Aluminum is one of the most recyclable materials on the planet. In fact, nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today. This high recyclability rate means that aluminum water bottles can be recycled multiple times without losing their quality, significantly reducing the demand for new raw materials and minimizing environmental impact.
By choosing aluminum over plastic, consumers can help combat the global plastic waste crisis. Plastic bottles contribute to the growing problem of plastic pollution, with millions of tons ending up in landfills and oceans each year. Aluminum bottles, on the other hand, can be recycled and repurposed, making them a much more eco-friendly option.
2. Durability and Longevity
Aluminum water bottles are known for their durability. Unlike plastic bottles that can crack or break easily, aluminum bottles are robust and resistant to damage. This durability ensures a longer lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements and further lowering their environmental footprint.
Whether you’re hiking, camping, or simply commuting to work, aluminum water bottles can withstand the rigors of daily use. Their resilience makes them an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts and anyone leading an active lifestyle.
3. Lightweight and Portable
Despite their sturdy build, aluminum water bottles are surprisingly lightweight. This makes them easy to carry around throughout the day, whether you’re heading to the gym, office, or on a travel adventure. The portability of aluminum water bottles is a significant advantage for those who need a reliable hydration solution on the go.
Their lightweight nature does not compromise their capacity. Aluminum bottles come in various sizes, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your hydration needs without adding unnecessary weight to your bag.
4. Temperature Regulation
Another standout feature of aluminum water bottles is their ability to regulate temperature. Many aluminum bottles come with double-wall insulation, which helps keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to 12 hours. This superior insulation capability makes them ideal for both hot summer days and chilly winter mornings.
Whether you prefer ice-cold water or hot tea, an aluminum water bottle can maintain the desired temperature of your beverage, enhancing your drinking experience.
5. Health Benefits
Health-conscious individuals will appreciate that aluminum water bottles are generally free from harmful chemicals. Unlike some plastic bottles that may leach BPA and other toxins into your drink, aluminum bottles are often lined with a BPA-free coating, ensuring that your water remains safe and uncontaminated.
Moreover, aluminum does not impart any taste or odor to your beverages, providing a clean and pure drinking experience. This factor is crucial for those who prioritize the quality and safety of their drinking water.
6. Stylish and Customizable
Aluminum water bottles are available in a wide range of stylish designs and colors. Many brands offer customization options, allowing you to personalize your bottle with logos, artwork, or slogans. This customization not only adds a personal touch but also makes it easier to identify your bottle in a crowded setting.
From sleek and minimalist designs to vibrant and artistic patterns, there is an aluminum water bottle to suit every taste and preference.
7. Cost-Effective in the Long Run
While aluminum water bottles may have a higher initial cost compared to disposable plastic bottles, they are cost-effective in the long run. With proper care, an aluminum bottle can last for years, saving you money on frequent replacements.
Additionally, the environmental benefits of choosing a reusable aluminum bottle contribute to long-term savings in waste management and resource conservation. Investing in a durable, reusable bottle is a smart financial decision that also supports sustainable living.
Conclusion
Aluminum water bottles offer a multitude of benefits that make them an excellent choice for anyone looking to enhance their hydration habits while supporting environmental sustainability. Their durability, lightweight nature, superior temperature regulation, and health benefits set them apart from plastic and glass alternatives.
By opting for an aluminum water bottle, you are making a conscious decision to reduce plastic waste, support recycling efforts, and enjoy a reliable and stylish hydration solution. Whether you are an outdoor enthusiast, a fitness buff, or someone who values sustainability, an aluminum water bottle is a valuable addition to your daily routine.
For more detailed insights you can visit the benefits of aluminum water bottles
Choosing aluminum is not just a trend—it’s a step towards a healthier, more sustainable future. Make the switch today and experience the difference for yourself.
This article is crafted to be SEO-friendly, with a focus on highlighting the benefits of aluminum water bottles in a comprehensive and engaging manner. It includes the required internal link, ensuring that it adheres to best practices for search engine optimization.
#Benefits of Aluminum Water Bottles#why do you love aluminum water bottle#why people use aluminum water bottle
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Plant update!
I mentioned I had some unauthorized plants illegally growing in already-occupied pots. I'm now gonna transplant them to their own pots! Or I'll do as many as I can, because I am running out of soil.
This tomato looks the most established; I wasn't sure how to take it out, so I clumsily pushed my finger under it, trying to pull it up from below. I think I accidentally snapped away a piece of root, but it has another little piece so maybe it lives? It's a very feeble root system I have to say. But may it live!
I do feel much better seeing her in her own pot, feels right! The two tiny tomato plants underneath, I have damaged even worse, but I still planted them together in a little cup, hoping one might make it.
Next I checked on my paper towel seeds to see if any seed germinated, and there were some! I found 3 little dwarf tomatoes, and two broccoli seeds activated. I gathered up as much soil as I had left, and put them in 4 little plastic cups.
They're so tiny! Since they've already activated I feel like I can be confident these will come out of the soil, they're Certified Viable Seeds.
At this point I became banned from further gardening, because I don't have any more soil to work with. And this isn't the fault of my poor planning! Right when I was going to the forest to gather soil, my aloe arborescens had all those babies that needed to be transplanted if I were to keep them, and I couldn't abandon little aloe babies, that would be crazy. So in transplating all of them I spent.. half of my soil, and I need to go to the forest to get more. Earth is frozen, temperatures are below zero, ground is frozen, forest is cold. Good luck to me!
However there was another thing I figured I could do. All of my plants were starting to look leggy and sad, reaching to the window for there was not enough sun. I knew a trick to deal with this, even though I've never used it before, it felt like I really needed it now. I found a big piece of cardboard, and reached for used aluminum foil I had stashed 'just in case'. I wrapped the board in aluminum and placed it facing the window, and the plants.
The idea behind this is doubling the solar power the plants receive, by reflecting it right back at them. This way the plants get almost double amount of light, and they get it from both sides, so they stop reaching terminally towards the window, and straighten up a little! I realized after I've done this, that it could be more efficiently achieved with a big mirror, but I did not own a big mirror I could randomly move around, so I left it at cardboard and foil.
This is how it looks like installed:
I took the first picture yesterday, and the second today to compare progress, and even though the plants are still leaning out, their tips are straightened up! They are slightly more inclined to grow straight now they have a reflective source of light. I should have done this from day one, maybe plants wouldn't even get leggy that way. Am mesmerized by the new knowledge I acquired! My next batch of plants will thrive because I learned to use the power of the sun.
I also started using a big paper fan on them, fanning wind at them every day, because wind resistance communicates to baby plants they need to grow stronger stems! That's why professional greenhouses always have those big fans working, that and preventing the mold and disease occurring on wet leaves (wind dries faster).
Isn't it interesting how many normal household items you can use for growing a little garden in your kitchen? Plastic cups, paper fan, little spray bottle to water the tiniest seedlings, aluminum foil with some cardboard, my entire setup is just a big wooden plank placed on a cardboard box, it creates a little plant table. I bet everyone has most of the stuff they need for gardening at home.
#indoor gardening#growing food#germinating seeds#transplating tomatoes#early plants#january gardening#indoor garden hacks#doubling the solar power#using fan to mimic wind#learning about gardening
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Supernova - Chapter 1: The Aftershock
(AO3)
aftershock: noun 1) a small earthquake or tremor that follows a major earthquake.
2) the effect, result, or repercussion of an event; aftermath; consequence
3) what Danny finds himself having to deal with all of a sudden
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“I swear, you kids drink all those ‘Monstras’ or whatever they’re called and then come to class wonderin’ why you’re feeling like crap,” Tetslaff grumbled as she held the back of her hand up to Danny’s clammy forehead.
“Danny doesn’t drink energy drinks,” Sam said, indignant.
“Then what’s that stuff he’s always bringing to school to drink?” The question came from Star, who was one of the others in the class who’d come over to investigate the commotion. She jabbed a finger at one of the puddles of ectoplasm on the mat. “Because that is so not water.”
“Did she really just call them ‘Monstras?’” Tucker mumbled to himself.
Danny didn’t process any of this. For all he knew, he could be a million miles away from what was happening and he wouldn’t know the difference. Everything sounded far away and muddy, as if he were listening to it underwater. His limbs felt thick, like they didn’t even belong to him. Not to mention that he was still distracted by the remnants of that feeling that had overpowered him so suddenly. Whatever it had been.
Really, nothing he’d ever experienced had yanked on his core as hard as that had. He’d felt drains on his core before, but this had been entirely different. Could it even be considered a drain? He couldn’t tell if he’d lost any of his energy.
A shiver ran down his spine. To have such a fundamental part of his being end up so violently displaced, so utterly violated… Even now, it was still out of sync with his heart and making his stomach churn threateningly again.
And had he just been imagining hearing someone shouting?
“... take him to the nurse’s office?” Tetslaff was asking the small crowd. “ Not you , Foley! You’ll be lucky if I let you loose on your own durin’ class again before you graduate.”
“No,” Danny heard himself say. He was the one moving his mouth, right? Why did his tongue feel like sandpaper? “Don’t need the nurse. Just hot.”
And he was hot. Abnormally so. As in he hadn’t been this hot since before the accident. His core sputtered a few weak coils of his cold energy, but couldn’t manage much more than that so soon after such an experience.
“Sorry, Coach, I tried to tell him he needed to keep up with drinking his water today.” He was vaguely aware of his aluminum water bottle being pressed into his grasp by Sam. “He just wouldn’t listen to me.”
Normally, he would’ve been annoyed with the jab at his expense, but his head was still too full of fuzz to even really have room to be annoyed. Instead, he swirled the water bottle and discovered that not everything had spilled out onto the mat, so he took a tentative sip. The results were nearly instantaneous; the ectoplasm buzzed pleasantly through his core and sent a jolt of clarity into his brain. Not enough to completely clear the fog, but it was better than nothing.
Tetslaff eyed him skeptically. “You sure you don’t wanna get checked out? Dehydration is nothin’ to laugh at.”
“Yeah.” He nodded as enthusiastically as he could without setting off another wave of vertigo. “I just… need to sit for a second.”
“Aw, what’sa matter?” Brady Ibarra cooed from behind Star. “Fenton can’t handle a wittle baby workout?”
“Can it, Ibarra!” Tetslaff barked. “Alright, Manson, take him off the field. I don’t want him back out here for at least ten minutes. Nuh-uh, you stay right there Foley! You’ve got a hot date with a mat and some crunches. And the rest of you, get back to it! If you don’t have those sheets done before the bell rings, you’ll be runnin’ laps next time!”
She snatched the water bottle out of Danny’s grasp. “And you, if I catch you drinkin’ this junk durin’ gym again, you can bet your sorry bottom we’ll be havin’ a little chat with your parents. Here,” she shoved the bottle at Sam, “empty that out and get him some real water.”
Sam pulled Danny up by the elbow and dragged him toward the bleachers, away from the echo of Tucker’s complaints. “What the heck was that?” she hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.
“I don’t know.” He plopped down on the sun-warmed seats with a wince. Ouch . Too hot. Core still out of whack. Must’ve been too obvious, since Sam glanced over her shoulder and, after seeing Tetslaff busy telling Tucker to get onto a clean mat, handed the bottle back to Danny. He took a few greedy, grateful gulps.
“What do you mean you don’t know? And stop drinking that so fast, you’ll make yourself sick.”
He pulled the bottle out of his mouth and breathed in deeply before saying, “This is the stuff that keeps me from getting sick. And I mean, I don’t know.” Another swig. The familiar chill was finally beginning to return. “One minute I was fine and then just… I don’t know.”
“You totally froze up.” She looked over her shoulder again before taking a seat next to him. “Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t normal. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I thought we’ve established nothing about me is normal these days.”
“You know what I mean, you idiot,” Sam said, giving him her trademark Manson Eye Roll. “Like did you see the ectoplasm? It just doesn’t do that on its own.”
Danny hummed and finished off the rest of the bottle. Darn. If only half of it hadn’t decided to levitate itself out of the bottle and onto the gym mat. “I mean, it kind of does that in the Zone. Float around and stuff?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Were you the one doing it?”
“Wha- no, that wasn’t me. At least, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t me.” He paused. “I was kind of distracted by whatever was going on in here,” he said, gesturing towards his sternum. His core.
Boy, Sam could really look like Mom, or even Jazz when she scrutinized him like this. “Something happened with your core?”
He sighed and rested his head in his hands. Back on the field, Tucker struggled with his crunches. Poor Tuck, having to deal with Tetslaff’s wrath all on his own. “I don’t know how to describe it. It was like… like someone just grabbed it or something. I don’t know. And then I just - I could’ve sworn I heard something. And saw something.”
“What, like another ghost?”
He shook his head. “No, this was different. But I don’t know if I can explain it that well…” A couple of ghost language words came to mind that would’ve been helpful to describe it, but none of them translated well to English.
The memory of the faint light burned clearly in his mind. Too far to reach, and flickering violently, like a birthday candle being blown out, but it had definitely been there. At least, he thought. He was still somewhat doubting that the memory of the whole experience was actually real. The shouting he thought he’d heard included.
But it hadn’t really been shouting…
Had it?
Sam was still watching him critically. Really, he wished she would give him a second to just breathe without having her breathing down his back. It didn’t help that Tucker would be demanding answers in the locker room.
So he couldn’t give a perfect description of it. Whatever it was. Big deal. He wasn’t about to keel over dead because of it.
“I don’t like this,” she said. “What if someone’s doing this to you? Trying to take you out indirectly so they can swoop in and take over the world or whatever?”
It was a possibility, to be fair, but it was a small one at best. “I don’t think so. Ghosts are kind of sensitive about cores. Like it’s just kind of one of those things you just don’t mess around with. It’d be like… I dunno, getting into someone’s brain and screwing around with how it works, or something.”
“You realize Spectra literally fed off your core that one time? And fed off of the souls of the entire student body?”
“Yeah, well, Spectra’s kind of the exception, not the rule. Most ghosts aren’t like that.”
She huffed and crossed her arms. “Whatever. I still don’t like it.”
The feeling of her eyes on him was making his skin crawl at this point. There was a good reason he tried to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. “So what do you think we should do about it?”
Sam considered this for a moment. “We should probably get you checked out by your doctor or something. What was her name? Fluffy… something?”
“You mean Flurryfoot? I don’t know, it doesn’t feel important enough to make a long trip all the way to the Far Frozen, you know?”
“It’s your core , Danny. Do people just brush it off when they have a heart attack or whatever?”
Danny slid back on the bleachers until his butt fell onto the row of concrete behind him and buried his head into his knees. “I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the ghost equivalent of a heart attack,” he mumbled into his gym shorts.
He was grateful for Sam’s concern of course, and he knew he was lucky to have friends like her and Tucker, but really, could she not make such a big deal out of it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pandora cursed in ancient Greek. “I should’ve known,” she muttered. Her flaming helmet flared, making Fleetfloe wince. Sure, she had possibly the strongest ice core next to Frostbite, but being so close to so much fire was still uncomfortable.
Pandora tossed the letter Fleetfloe had given her onto the throne and stormed out of the room. Fleetfloe sprinted after her.
“I told them,” Pandora was grumbling. “They didn’t listen. I knew something like this would happen, and they didn’t listen!”
“My lady,” Fleetfloe said hesitantly, “I must return to the Chief with a response as quickly as possible. Those were my instructions.”
Pandora stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to look down at the messenger yeti, as if just remembering she was there. The yetis of the Far Frozen towered at seven or eight feet on average, but Pandora stood even taller at a dazzling ten feet. Just the sight made Fleetfloe feel even smaller and more susceptible to the rage Pandora was notorious for.
“Yes, yes,” Pandora said. “My apologies. I am… No. It’s okay. I’ll send you with a return message as soon as I can make the proper preparations.”
“Preparations, my lady?”
Pandora pushed open a great set of doors into a room that was strangely empty. Even stranger were the seven doors spread across the walls, each completely unique from the next. One stood tall and elegant, made of a wood so dark it appeared black. Another more so resembled a human sewer entrance, round and metal, though the material rippled like a curtain in an unseen breeze.
For a moment, Pandora simply stood in the center of the room before saying, “I need to consult with Frostbite about this. In person. Frostbite… and the others.”
Fleetfloe gasped. “You don’t mean…?”
“Yes.” Pandora closed her eyes and sighed. “The Ancient Council must convene at once.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They didn’t get to go to the Far Frozen right after school.
For a moment, Danny wondered if Clockwork was pranking him. The scene was familiar - eerily familiar. He had to do a double take just to make sure he wasn’t experiencing some major deja vu. Especially since the last time he’d walked in on a situation like this, he’d ended up finding out that Pariah Dark had been unleashed.
“Danny!” Dad shouted, bouncing out of his seat. “Look who decided to join us today!”
A totally spontaneous visit, I’m sure , he snarked to himself, trying to ignore how his stomach dropped to his feet. “Hi, Uncle Vlad,” he said through a pained smile.
If Vlad was here, then that pretty much confirmed whatever had happened earlier that morning had been important. Crap.
“Ah, Daniel! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” Vlad said, his voice dripping with faux warmth. Danny resisted the urge to bite back that no , it had not been a while, seeing as how he’d had to fight Mr. Mayor himself off from overshadowing one of the city administrators just last week. But, you know. Semantics.
Sam, however, was not as afraid of unleashing her vitriol. “What are you doing here?” she snapped.
Vlad stood and brushed imaginary dust off of his suit. “Why such hostility? Am I not allowed to drop by and catch up with my dearest friend?”
“Catch up on evil ,” Tucker whispered under his breath. The following oomph told Danny that Sam’s elbow had decided to find a nice spot to jab Tucker in the ribs. Apparently, she didn’t approve of the dig. Either that, or she was trying to be at least a little conscientious about Dad’s presence. But it wasn’t like Tucker didn’t know how to keep things subtle.
Focus, Fenton . Fruitloop first. Friends could handle themselves and Dad. Besides, he already knew how to handle the old man.
“I guess that makes sense,” he said, moving further into the living room and dumping his backpack unceremoniously on the floor. “There hasn’t been much time for you two to talk. I mean, Dad has been super busy and all. He’s been working on, what, at least three new inventions, and Dad, didn’t you just sign off on another contract with the city?”
Yeah. He could totally play the sneaky banter game.
Vlad’s smile turned so tight it turned his lips white. “Yes, well, if young Phantom wouldn’t be so careless during his fights, perhaps that contract wouldn’t be necessary, hm?”
Dad, oblivious to the scowl that erupted on Danny’s face, just grinned broadly and slung an arm around Vlad’s shoulders. “See? Now this is local leadership at its finest! Looking out for the town and stopping troublemakers in their tracks!”
“You know what they say,” Sam said, “never trust a politician.”
“My, such divisive words.” Vlad wriggled his way out from under Dad’s arm. “I’m sure one day you children will understand the importance of the measures I must take to keep our fair city safe. The youth of today just don’t care for civic duty like they should!”
The rage of an impassioned Sam flooded Danny and left him with a sour tang in his mouth. Some negative emotions were bearable, in terms of consumability at least, but Sam Manson’s ire? Not so much.
Vlad must have been able to taste it too, because his oily smile only widened.
Sam did not notice either of these reactions. She stomped towards Vlad with a finger jabbed towards his face. “Listen here, you little -”
“ Okay , Sam!” Tucker cut her off by grabbing onto her arm. Danny perfectly mirrored the move. “Didn’t you have something you wanted to do? Something important ?” In sync, the two boys started to guide her out of the living room and towards the lab.
“Please, don’t go on my account. I was just about to leave anyway. Such important mayoral duties I must attend to! I must sign off on those plans to develop that drab little community garden that’s been such an eyesore.”
This time, the wave of rage nearly toppled Danny over. He gritted his teeth and, with Tucker, dragged Sam into the kitchen, which turned out to be a task much easier said than done when the subject of the dragging was determined to protest the destruction of the community garden. Very loudly .
“I swear, if you make us go deaf before we’re 30, I will never forgive you, woman,” Tucker said as they began to descend the staircase into the lab.
If it had been anyone else who’d made the comment, Sam would’ve probably gone ballistic, but Tucker and Danny both had long since earned the pass to sling such digs at her. Danny figured she’d probably return the favor before long.
As it was, her anger remained directed towards Vlad. “He can’t do that! Do you know how hard we worked to get all the permits and stuff to build that garden? It took months to get the city council to approve the plans! And doesn’t he realize that we’re donating the vegetables to the school so we can actually have healthy school lunches, which, oh look! Another thing the mayor should be looking into fixing instead of schmoozing up to big donors and trying to make another quick buck off -”
“He was bluffing!” Danny interrupted. Ancients, his ears needed a break. He would always love Sam to death of course - or at least, whatever came next for a dead-but-not-quite-dead freak like him - but more often than not, she could let her tirades get loud, and it was killer on his sensitive ears.
Huh. The death puns were strong today.
They reached the bottom of the staircase, and Sam immediately whirled on him with her hands on her hips. “Oh really? And since when did you get the power to read minds?”
“I don’t need the power to read minds, he’s done the same exact thing to me too, you know!” His fingers curled into his palms. “That’s - it’s just what he does, alright? He says a bunch of crap that gets you all riled up so you end up making a mistake.”
“That’s quite clever, little badger.” Danny turned just in time to see Vlad emerge from the stairwell. “And it only took you two years to figure out!”
Danny opened his mouth to order Vlad out of his basement, but Sam beat him to the punch. “I swear, if you don’t march up those stairs and rescind whatever stupid development project you’ve got planned for the community garden, I’ll… I’ll -”
“Oh, relax. For once, Daniel was right about calling a bluff. Those plans were rejected by the city council weeks ago. Besides, I have far more important matters to worry about.” He pushed past her easily and approached Danny. “We need to talk.”
“Sorry. Not interested,” Danny said, his voice clipped. “Just get out of my house, Vlad. I’m too tired to put up with your crap today.”
“Hm. I don’t think I will.” When Danny turned to storm away, Vlad caught his shoulder and forced him back around. “Now, can I implore you to act your age for at least five minutes? The sooner you cooperate, the sooner I can get out of your hair.”
Ugh. Why did his enemies have to make good points sometimes? “Fine. You can have five minutes, so you better make it quick.”
“I’ll cut to the chase,” Vlad said dryly. He leaned down just a couple inches more, and Danny’s already tightly curled fingers dug even deeper into his hand. “Tell me what your parents have been working on recently.”
Well. It certainly hadn’t been the question he’d been expecting. “... Why? So you can steal it or something?”
“Daniel, I swear -”
“Okay, okay. Sorry . You want the truth? ‘Cause I honestly don’t know. I’ve been… busy lately.”
Vlad raised an eyebrow. “Busy doing what? Attacks have been down recently.”
“He’s got a life too, you know!” Tucker protested from the side. “You’re not the only one with things to do.”
“And it’s not like I would tell you, anyway.” He wasn’t exactly keen on telling him about the visits to Long Now, for one thing. Or the Far Frozen. Although, it would be kind of funny to see his reaction to that, given the cheesehead’s last encounter with the yetis.
Vlad looked to the ceiling and inhaled. “ Fine . Then tell me about what happened to you this morning.”
Ah, there it was. The question he’d been waiting for. Might as well make him work for the answer. How could he deny his duty as a sixteen year old to annoy crummy adults as much as possible? “How do you know anything special happened to me this morning?”
“Quite frankly? Because the same thing happened to me, and I’d like to know exactly what it was,” Vlad said, matter-of-fact. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. I wouldn’t bother to ask if I didn’t already suspect you’d been through it too.”
“It’s not that.” Danny fought the urge to give the man a cheeky grin. “I’m just surprised the oh-so-powerful Vlad Plasmius would ever admit to a moment of weakness.”
Red tinged the edges of Vlad’s eyes. “This is serious , boy!” he growled. “There are very few things that can affect a core so strongly and from such a distance, and I’m sure you can figure out for yourself that none of them are good. There could be a dire threat right under our noses, and I for one would much rather get the jump on it than the other way around. I can imagine you’d like to do the same.”
Faint memories of the disquieting sensation of his core put out of rhythm bubbled in his chest. Even now, hours later, he couldn’t tell if the dull unease that had settled in the center of his chest was a true remnant of earlier events or simply the results of an overreaction. And if Vlad had felt it too… “What could’ve done it?” he asked quietly. No more games.
Vlad sighed, and the fire in his eyes died away. “Like I said, there are very few natural forces that could have such an effect on a core. After all, it’s impossible for a ghost to have the power to interfere with another ghost’s core from a distance.”
“Wait, really?” He… admittedly hadn’t known that.
“There’s a reason why ghosts with parasitic natures must make direct contact with their victim. Or why spectral healers always interact directly with a patient’s core. They must physically handle it in order to have any real effect.”
Huh. Well, that would explain some of the more… invasive portions of checkups with Frostbite and Flurryfoot. “They can still use technology and stuff, though, right?”
He was vaguely aware of Sam and Tucker, still standing off to the side, watching with barely restrained interest. If there was one thing he could never quite explain to them well enough, one thing they just could never understand, it had to be ghost cores and all the complexities that accompanied them. They probably had just as many questions as he did, if not more.
“Yes,” Vlad answered, “although such technology would have to be extremely complex. And information on other natural tools and forces and spells to interact with cores has been lost to history, or has been classified as forbidden knowledge by the Ancient Council.”
“So, then you think it wasn’t a ghost?”
Vlad hummed and took a few steps closer to the closed portal. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the hazard-striped doors. “I’m not completely discounting the possibility. Not all ghosts are beholden to the superstitions associated with interfering with a core. It wouldn’t be impossible for someone to get a hold of an artifact, or perhaps a healer’s instrument. Difficult, yes, but not impossible. But that’s why I wanted to ask about Jack and Maddie’s latest projects. It’s also possible that they created something that could’ve had the same effect, whether they intended to or not.”
Danny hesitated for a moment. “I mean, Dad’s had a few new projects, but I’m pretty sure they’re all ecto-guns of some sort. At least, I think.”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it past Jack to bumble his way into something so destructive.” He eyed Danny critically. “You’re sure they haven’t been working on anything else?”
Ignore the cheap shot, Fenton . Danny nodded. He hesitated again, then asked, “I - you don’t think… the Guys in White could’ve done it, do you?”
Vlad’s response wasn’t immediate. That was the farthest thing from reassuring. “My sources within the organization lately have been… inconsistent, at best. I’m still working on getting more reliable means of collecting information on the inside.”
“You mean doing more spying?” Sam accused.
He shot her a wry smile. “Would you rather have no information on them at all?”
For a moment, she was uncharacteristically speechless. “Well, I - I don’t… it’s not like Tucker hasn’t been able to get into their system before…”
“And I suppose it’s somehow morally correct for you to spy on them?”
Sam’s face flushed red, and she slowly closed her mouth.
Vlad regarded her with a smug look. “I believe my point has been made. Anyway,” he turned back to Danny, “my best estimates indicate that the GIW are not capable of creating such a technology at this time. But… I would be foolish to completely count them out of the picture.”
Danny blew out a breath. Right. This was information he could deal with. He’d handled the GIW before. It wasn’t like the prospect of the GIW having technology that could affect cores from a distance was loads more terrifying than the prospect of a ghost having that power.
No, nothing like that at all.
“So wait, if neither of you knows what happened, what are we supposed to do?” Tucker asked. “Sit around and wait till whoever it was decides to try and do it again?”
“You are more than welcome to do that, if that’s your attitude.” Vlad didn’t take his eyes off the portal he’d returned to studying. “ I plan on investigating the matter further. I for one am not too keen on allowing someone to galavant around prying into my core. If you’re alright with that, I suppose that’s your prerogative.”
“Look, if you’re just gonna antagonize my friends, then the only thing you’ll be investigating is my fist in your face,” Danny snapped. The day’s events had long since worn his patience down, and now the potential threat of the Guys in White having something that could mess with him so badly only frayed his nerves further. Maybe he’d been able to tolerate a bit more of the banter earlier, but not now.
Vlad merely glanced at Danny, unfazed. “I suppose you wouldn’t be interested in collaborating our efforts then, hmm?”
“When have I ever been interested in working with you?”
It was then that Danny’s core pulled .
A silent gasp tore at his throat as he fell to his knees and the same feeling that had overwhelmed him earlier that morning once again flooded his body. Somewhere in the corner of his mind, he was vaguely aware of Sam and Tucker rushing over to him and Vlad doubling over. If any of them were saying anything, he couldn’t hear over the rushing roar of white noise that filled his ears.
The only thing he could truly focus on was the agonizingly piercing sensation of his core being ripped away from him. Whether it was actually being torn out of his chest, he couldn’t tell, but he couldn’t help but feel the panic well up inside him that someone had actually taken hold of it and was trying to claw it out, determined to do so at any cost. It was too much. Too much .
I need… I need…
A scream echoed in his mind. This time, it was undeniable.
Except it wasn’t a scream of fear, or a scream of pain, like he would’ve anticipated. This was a wail of anguish, the kind that came from a refugee seeing their home go up in flames and ash. Or from parents who’d just found out their child had died.
Was it his own?
And just as quickly as it had come on, the feeling faded. The hold around his core eased, and his senses slowly returned. Ragged breaths blew his sweat soaked bangs out of his eyes. Nausea swirled ominously in his stomach. Please don’t throw up again , he begged himself, but the irregular rhythm his core had settled into and the feverish warmth washing over him didn’t help those prospects.
He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) to find himself face down on the linoleum of the lab floor. Sam and Tucker each had a hand on him; their worry filled the air with a pungent taste. With a weak groan, he turned his head so his cheek rested against the floor, and he was surprised to see Vlad’s shoes fill his vision. The older hybrid also hovered over him, apparently having recovered from his own episode faster than Danny.
One of the hands on his shoulders shook him vigorously. “Danny, please ,” Sam was pleading. Her voice was thick with concern.
“Easy,” Vlad said. He still sounded like he was trying to catch his breath. “Give him space.”
If Danny could’ve moved his arm more than a few inches, he would’ve swatted it at Vlad. The last thing he needed right now was the fruitloop’s phony concern. “Lee m’lone,” he slurred. Maybe it was slightly childish, but he couldn’t be bothered to care.
Especially with that scream still echoing in his ears.
“Why was… whatever that was way worse for him and not you?” Tucker asked, a frantic edge creeping into his voice.
Vlad didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stood up and walked out of Danny’s range of sight. A second later, he heard Vlad digging around in one of his parent’s storage fridges. “Where does he keep the supplements he takes?”
There was a slight hesitation from his friends. Danny didn’t need to see to know the two of them had some sort of silent exchange (the surge of the sweeter flavor of their loyalty to him told him as much).
“Most of it is in his room,” Sam finally admitted after whatever unspoken conversation they had.
A heavy sigh came from Vlad’s direction. “ Where in his room?” he asked. “I’ll go get it.”
“Yeah, fat chance,” Tucker scoffed, standing up. “Like we’d let you have free reign in his room. I’ll go get it. You can just stay right there, where Sam can keep an eye on you.” And Danny , came the implied addition.
As the thud of his boots disappeared up the steps, Sam helped Danny into a sitting position. “You’re warm again,” she murmured as she propped his back up against her shoulder.
“Tell m’somethin’ I don’ know.” Well, at least he hadn’t sounded like a wasted frat boy in front of his whole gym class. Brady Ibarra definitely wouldn’t have let him live that down.
Ugh. An ice bath sounded so good right then. Like the one Frostbite had let him take in their bathhouse that one time, with the silky cold water and the swirls of ectoplasm and the yummy smelling bubbles…
Sam fixed Vlad with a hard glare. “So? You gonna answer the question or what? Because I’m starting to think it’s awfully convenient that somehow Danny’s a heck of a lot worse off than you.”
Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose, and Danny got the sense that he’d been thrown off by the episode more than he cared to let on. “Honestly, girl, what would I have to gain by subjecting myself to this? I could achieve the same ends with far more direct measures,” he bit out.
That much was probably true. Vlad could be very underhanded, but in Danny’s experience, those underhanded techniques got used way more often when he played his mind games. When he was out for blood (or ectoplasm), he tended to get straight to the point.
Not to mention Vlad was definitely not the kind of man to purposefully put himself into this vulnerable of a position.
Vulnerable . Why couldn’t he have thought of that word earlier?
“But do y’know why?” Danny asked quietly. Any accusation he might’ve mustered before had evaporated as soon as his core had been pulled on again. Vlad might be a dirty, morally gray jerk of a man, but he really couldn’t imagine his archenemy going to such unthinkable lengths just to get at him. Sure, torturing, undermining democracy, and cloning weren’t off the table, but messing with cores was too far.
He just wanted to know what was happening at this point.
Vlad’s eyes bore into his. A reproachful twinkle reflected off of the man’s pupils, but something else danced behind them. Could that be… concern? Care?
“I’m afraid not,” he finally admitted, matching Danny’s volume. “Not without knowing the source of the disturbance.”
“That’s reassuring,” Sam said under her breath.
A single red spark flickered at Vlad’s fingertip. “Believe it or not, I am not all-knowing. For all we know, the explanation could be as simple as Daniel having a younger core than I. His has not had the same amount of time to develop as mine has had.”
Tucker came thundering down the steps, a water bottle plastered with the NASA logo in hand. “I couldn’t find any of the vials,” he said in between gasps for breath. “I think this should have enough in it.”
Danny took the bottle with a grateful smile and began guzzling it down. Like before, the effects of the ectoplasm were practically instant. With a new surge of energy, he adjusted himself so he wasn’t leaning against Sam any more. That was better.
“Not so fast, little badger,” Vlad said, plucking the bottle out of Danny’s grasp, much to the disappointment of the latter. “These are the supplements you normally take, yes?”
“Yeah, and? Buy your own if you want some that bad.” Ah, there was the return of that Fenton fire.
Vlad merely rolled his eyes in response. He took an empty vial off one of the lab tables and rinsed it out before pouring a little bit of the bottle’s contents in it. “Trust me, my boy, you’ll thank me later. There is no reason you should need to drink a whole bottle in one sitting.” He handed the bottle back to Danny.
“I don’t drink it all in one go,” he grumbled, but he accepted it and took another sip.
“I want to analyze the makeup of this concentration,” Vlad continued, as if Danny hadn’t said anything. “For one, I can help you find a stronger blend to help you receive the same effect in a much smaller dose. No more need to chug ectoplasm like some uncultured animal.”
Danny nearly choked on his sip of ectoplasm, and Sam snapped, “Better an ‘uncultured animal’ than a creep who picks fights with a teenager.”
Danny rested a hand on Sam’s shin and, despite his core’s discomfort, tried to channel some of his cooler energy to her to counter Vlad’s heated aura beginning to encroach on them. It was a trick he’d picked up from Clockwork after having it used against him more than once: redirecting his intake of emotional energy into an output to help influence the environment around him. He tried to avoid using it on his friends and family too often (getting used to the idea of eating their emotions was bad enough, let alone intentionally influencing them), but he was definitely not in the mood to get into any sort of fight.
Questionable or not, it seemed to work. Sam’s muscles released their tension under his hand, and he vaguely felt Vlad’s aura retreat a touch. Which was a relief. He didn’t know if his core could handle much more at the moment.
“As I was saying,” the older hybrid said tightly, apparently trying to keep his own anger under control, “even if it’s heavily diluted, it’s clear that this specific concentration does seem to have a strong positive effect on you, in the wake of the interference with your core. If I can reverse engineer this formula and test it against samples of your energy, I might be able to narrow down a possible explanation as to what is causing this interference, or at least how to better counteract it.”
“Why would you do that? Why not just study your own stuff?” Tucker asked.
“Daniel and I are two different people,” Vlad replied easily. “Much like each human has their own, unique genetic makeup, the core makeup of each ghost is unique to that ghost. I could test my own energy to narrow down the possibilities, and I fully intend to do so, but that wouldn’t do much in terms of helping Daniel.”
“Wait, what?” Danny blinked in surprise. “You actually want to help me?”
Danny’s interjection caught Vlad off guard. He looked up from the glowing vial with wide eyes. An instant later, they glazed over with his usual air of confidence, but the initial reaction was unmistakable.
“Why so shocked?” he said with a bonafide chuckle. A chuckle . If that didn’t prove he’d been thrown off, even if just for a moment, then nothing would. “You do realize you are far more valuable to me safe and healthy than you are harmed, do you? What good would any of my plans be if something happened to you?”
Danny narrowed his eyes the tiniest bit. The comeback had been too… normal. Something wasn’t right about it. Still, out of some far-fetched desperation to keep this from becoming weirder than it already had, he scoffed and said, “That’s rich coming from the guy who’s beat me up more than practically anyone else in the Realms.”
If Vlad didn’t want to share with the class, then whatever. He didn’t have the patience to squeeze the truth out of him.
“It’s all been for your own good, dear boy,” Vlad said, putting a stopper in the vial. “One day, you’ll understand.”
“ So many creep alarms going off right now,” Sam said under her breath. Danny chose to ignore the comment. Fruitloops were gonna fruitloop.
With a flourish of black light, Masters became Plasmius. “I expect to hear of any developments you may encounter,” he said, looking at each of the teens in turn. Of course, his eyes lingered on Danny the longest. Maybe Sam had a point about the creep thing.
“Bold of you to assume we’ll just tell you things.” Danny folded his arms across his chest. Did he look as confident as he hoped? Probably not, but at least he wasn’t slurring his speech anymore. Seeing Plasmius always managed to stir the decidedly ghostlier part of him that pushed him to start posturing, trying to make himself seem like more of a threat than he truly was. He couldn’t help it.
He didn’t like it.
Vlad raised an eyebrow. “Believe me, Daniel, this is not a situation in which you want to shun my services. I highly suggest reconsidering.”
Reconsidering? Had he even made a decision?
Why was Vlad even being so intense about this anyway?
Well, he kind of had an idea. Vlad wanted to see to it that this hole in his defenses was dealt with quickly. That had to be it, right? When had Vlad ever been one to just leave a potential weakness sitting out there?
Danny met Tucker’s eyes. The latter looked unsure about the entire situation, but gave Danny a tentative shrug. Whatever you think is best, man , Danny could practically hear him say.
He turned to look at Sam next. She had a much stronger eye of suspicion than Tucker, and it was clear from the look on her face that she didn’t want anything to do with Vlad. Part of Danny wanted her to argue with him, try to convince him that this was a horrible idea.
Instead, the hardness in her jaw softened just the slightest, and she closed her eyes. For you , she seemed to say. I’m only willing to do this to help you .
With a resolved sigh, Danny returned his gaze to Plasmius’. “If we work together on this, and you stab us in the back,” he threatened, “I’ll drag you back to the Observants’ Tribunal myself. They still have it out for you for releasing Vortex, you know.”
“Then I think you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised.” Vlad smiled, revealing his sharp fangs. “Oh, and Daniel? You say that thinking you’d be able to keep me down long enough to bring me there.” With a cackle and a sweep of his cape, he disappeared out of the lab.
Danny’s shoulders dropped as soon as he felt the presence of Vlad’s core fade away. “Stupid, cocky fruitloop,” he muttered, staggering to his feet. Sam grabbed his elbow to steady him.
“Was anything about that weird for anyone else?” Tucker asked. “Like Vlad ? Wanting to work with us ?”
“You know he’s doing it just to get at Danny!” Sam exploded. She must’ve really been working to hold her tongue while Vlad had still been there. “He probably thinks he’ll be able to convince you that you’re better off with him or something. I’m still not convinced that he’s not just faking it and doing something to Danny behind all our backs!”
Danny bit his lip. Something had been off about Vlad, and like he’d already deduced, he knew why , especially since his own reasoning was similar, but could Sam and Tucker understand? Could they understand how terrifying it felt to have the looming threat of this unseen force, just waiting, primed and ready to seize his core again and try and rip it from him? Would they get that every ghostly instinct of his was screaming at him to run and hide somewhere in the Zone where no one would be able to touch his core, where he could protect this side of himself from being so brutally violated?
No. They were only human. They couldn’t understand.
Probably the thing that sucked the most about the only other person like you (other than your clone) being your worst enemy.
“Even if he tries,” he chose to say, “it won’t work. You know that.”
“Yeah… I know…” Sam sighed, and her posture drooped. It suddenly struck Danny how emotionally exhausting this all had to be for her, too. For both her and Tucker. This was the second time in 12 hours that they’d just seen him go through some sort of terrifying episode. He had no clue what happened outside of his own body during those episodes. The thought that he could be at fault for scaring them so badly made him feel sick all over again.
Without thinking, he grabbed a hand from each of them. When they looked at him in surprise, he offered them as warm of a smile as he could muster. “Hey. I promise, alright? It’ll be okay. We’re not gonna let some old man get the best of us.”
Tucker reacted much faster than Sam. He grinned and squeezed Danny’s hand. “True that. Besides, if he decides to turn heel, then I’ve still got some payback I’ve been waiting to give for those anti-tech laws he tried to pass when he first got elected. He’ll find out security at City Hall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Sam eventually smiled as well, though the concern was far more evident in her face. “That’s assuming there’s anything left after I get done with him,” she said with a weak laugh. She met Danny’s eyes and squeezed his hand too.
A metallic knock echoed through the lab.
The three friends turned their heads all in different directions. “What the heck?” Danny craned his neck to look up the stairwell. “I thought that door up there was wood.”
“But the tables are metal,” Sam said. She swiped a random ecto-rifle from the table closest to her. “So are the fridge doors.”
“Yeah, and so’s that,” Tucker said. His voice had turned uneasy, and when Danny turned to look, he had a finger pointed at the closed portal doors.
A familiar tingle worked its way up from his core and into his throat. “Grab a weapon,” Danny ordered, to which Tucker happily obliged. He himself called forth a healthy buildup of green energy.
He tried to ignore the uncomfortable flutter that came from his core as a result.
He pressed a cautious thumb into the Fenton Genetic Lock, and the hydraulics in the portal doors began to hiss as the mechanisms opened. Otherworldly green light spilled into the lab as the doors inched apart. Danny became hyper-aware of Sam’s finger tensing against the trigger of her rifle, of Tucker’s shallow breathing, of the bluish mist seeping through his lips. Right there . It was…
A woman’s head poked through the portal.
“Oh!” she exclaimed when she saw the three teens with their attacks primed. “Am I interrupting something?”
Danny’s energy fizzled out around his hand. “Uh…”
The ghost’s burgundy colored eyes landed on him, and her face split into a wide smile. “Ah, perfect!” She stepped the rest of the way through the portal and made a beeline for Danny, dropping to her knees at his feet.
“What is even happening right now,” Sam said.
“O, Danny Fenton-Phantom of the Mortal Realm, Pariah’s Bane, brave warrior and favored ally of Her Ladyship, Pandora of Asphodel,” the woman recited, “an audience has been requested of you by my Lady Pandora and Chief Frostbite of the Far Frozen. They require your presence at once!”
The three friends stared in stunned silence at her bowed form.
“Do you think this counts as a development?” Tucker asked.
#danny phantom#danny phantom fanfic#danny phantom ghost king#ghost king au#hannah writes#supernova#sam manson#tucker foley#vlad masters#it'll pick up soon i promise lol
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The Survivors (Part 1)
In alphabetical order.
The photos and some of the information are from Sociedad de la Nieve
Born on April 19th 1948, “Fito” Strauch used to play for the Old Christians rugby team, but he didn’t at the time of the crash. He was invited on the trip by his cousin Eduardo Strauch.
He was part of the trio known as “the cousins” (Fito, Eduardo and Daniel Fernandez). Fito and Eduardo were double cousins, as their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers, whose sister was Daniel’s mother.
The cousins played an essential leadership role in the mountains, as they took the responsibility of cutting the meat off the dead bodies and rationing the portions.
Fito had many brilliant ideas. The boys had a hard time melting snow, as shaking handfuls in a bottle was far too arduous and tiring in the rarefied air of the mountains. Fito figured out that each plane seat had a piece of aluminum that could be folded into a device filled with snow, which was then left in the sun to melt. The resulting water would then be poured into a bottle.
He also came up with the idea of tying seat cushions to their feet so they could walk on snow without sinking to their waist. As if those were not enough, he manufactured sunglasses with pieces of nylon taken from the seats and glass cut from the front windows of the plane (the ones in the cockpit, which were a shade darker than the windows in the cabin)
Born on November 1st 1947, “Pancho” Delgado was a law student. He was invited on the trip by his friend Gaston Costemalle, who played for the Old Christians rugby team.
Due to his eloquence, the other survivors asked him to address the journalists in the press conference held upon their return to Uruguay and explain their decision to eat the bodies of their dead friends.
The book “Alive” by Piers Paul Read paints an unfavorable picture of Pancho, claiming he already had a “lawyer’s mind” and hoarded food behind everyone’s back. In his own book, however, fellow survivor Nando Parrado comes to his defense, saying that all survivors - due to the desperate circumstances they found themselves in - tried to take advantage of the others at some point, but Pancho was resented the most because he got away with it more often.
Pancho had a girlfriend at the time of the crash, Susana Sartori. The couple eventually got married and had four children (María Federica, Alfredo, Joaquín and Agustina).
Born on March 31st 1953, Alvaro wasn’t part of the team nor did he attend the Stella Maris private school as most of the survivors. He knew some of the other passengers on a superficial level, as they lived in the same rich neighborhood in Montevideo. I have yet to find out why he was on the trip at all, but as soon as I do I’ll update you guys.
He broke his left leg when the plane crashed. Fellow survivor Roberto Canessa, a medical student, did his best to put the bones back into their places. Throughout the 72 days, Alvaro remained close to Canessa, who was very protective of him.
Alvaro had a girlfriend at the time of the crash, Margarite Arocena. The couple got married and had four children.
Born on July 24th 1953, “Tintín” played rugby for the Old Christians and stood out for his physical strength. His volatile personality caused some fights, but he never questioned the group’s decisions.
Because of his strength, Tintín was initially enrolled as one of the survivors who were to leave the fuselage in search of help. After three days, however, his fellow expeditionaries (Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado) realized the trip was gonna be much longer than anticipated and sent Tintín back to the fuselage so they could keep his portions of meat.
Born on November 23rd 1951, Bobby was a Stella Maris alumnus and played for Old Christians. He had a very passive attitude towards the whole ordeal, as if he didn’t care whether he lived or died. As soon as the fuselage stopped its descent down the mountainside, Bobby exited the wreckage, sat on the snow and lit a cigarette.
He melted snow when the others forced him to, but didn’t do much else. When the cousins threatened to cut off his supply of meat, Bobby shrugged and said “That seems fair”.
Bobby had six children (Roberto, Federico, Sofía, Josefina, Milagros and Diego) and now lives a quiet life as a farmer.
Born on October 31st 1953, Carlitos was the son of a famous Uruguayan painter, Carlos Páez Villaró, who searched non-stop for the wreckage of the plane and did not rest until his son was found.
Carlitos was a very spoiled boy (he had a nanny!), but the experience in the Andes built his character and soon enough he was in charge of important tasks such as building a wall made of chairs and suitcases to protect the severed fuselage from the cold and praying the rosary every night with his companions. He also knew how to sew, which came in handy when the survivors decided to make a sleeping bag for the expeditionaries.
Several years after the accident, Carlitos struggled with addiction, but he fortunately bounced back. He has two children, Maria Elena de los Andes and Carlos Diego (named after his deceased friends Gustavo Diego Nicholich and Diego Storm).
Born on February 12th 1946, Daniel is the second oldest survivor. He was unharmed in the crash.
As previously mentioned, Daniel and his cousins played a key leadership role after the death of team captain Marcelo Perez. Daniel’s serenity, in particular, calmed the others down when fights erupted.
Born on August 13th 1947, Eduardo was a Stella Maris alumnus and confounder of the Old Christians, as well as a former player. Nicknamed “the German” due to his ancestry, he was an Architecture student and the most worldly of the group, as he had previously traveled to Europe.
Eduardo invited his cousins Adolfo Strauch and Daniel Fernandez on the trip.
Stay tuned for PART 2!
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24 Elsarik :D
"Your Hair is So Soft"
Rating: K
Set in my Costs an Arm and a Leg verse. Alarik belongs to @patricia-von-arundel.
“You're joking.”
“I am not. Yes, Kristoff had reservations at first. But now, he loves it. Never asks for one, but he never turns it down either. I'm telling you, washing his hair, with a scalp massage? Alarik will be putty.”
Elsa shook her head, balling up her napkin and placing it in the aluminum takeout bowl. “I guess. It's just not something that immediately comes to mind.”
Anna swept their trash into the paper bag and stood. “Oh, it doesn't. But he'll love it. If I'm wrong, the next chocolate haul is on me. But I won't be. Which means you can pay.”
Elsa didn't think about their conversation until Alarik came home a few days later, his face tight with pain. Before the door had even fully closed behind him, he had his prosthetic and sleeve off, rubbing the burned skin of his stump.
“Oh, Alarik. How bad?” She offered her hands, and he allowed her to work on his skin, massaging in slow, gentle circles.
“Enough. It's been building for the past few days. I probably should have rested it more.”
Elsa hummed, continuing to rub his arm. Anna's suggestion came back to her, and she smiled up at Alarik, standing on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.
“I'll warm up the leftovers, and then I want to try something, if you're willing.”
He turned so he could kiss her mouth, wrapping his other arm around her waist. “Of course, darling.”
…….
“I certainly could have started my own bath.”
“I know. But it's not just a bath. Now, how's the temperature?”
Alarik padded over, dipping a finger into the water. “Perfect.”
“Good! In you go.”
He settled in, looking back at her as she adjusted the chair so she was sitting by his head.
“Are you joining me?”
“Not this time. I'm going to do your hair.”
His face scrunched in confusion. “But I-”
“I know you can wash your hair. But I want to try this. To give you a chance to relax. May I?”
Alarik rested his head against the towel she'd placed on the tub's rim, smiling. “Of course. I put myself in your capable hands.”
Elsa chuckled, leaning forward to place a kiss on his head. “I need you to lift your head so I can rinse your hair, though.”
After a thorough rinse, Elsa pulled over the pump bottle with Alarik's 3-in-1 shampoo. “I still don't understand how this works for you, while I have to use multiple products.”
“The benefits of having luscious, curly locks, I suppose.”
Elsa rolled her eyes and laughed, splashing his neck. “Goose.”
Several pumps of shampoo onto her hand, and then she started, working it into his hair and scalp, working up a healthy lather. Elsa was surprised at how much she enjoyed it- running her hands through his hair and hearing the bubbly-scratchy noise of the shampoo was soothing in its own way. She could feel Alarik relaxing beneath her, his shoulders slumping and… shaking?
Was he crying?
“Alarik? Are you alright? Are you hurting?”
He sniffed, wiping his hand across his eyes. “No, I'm fine. I… it's… no one's ever done anything like this for me before. And… it's so nice… Oh God, why am I crying so much!?”
“Hey, hey, it's alright.” Elsa rinsed her hands in the water, then shifted the stool so he could look at her. She placed a hand on his cheek, using her thumb to wipe away the tears. “It's okay to feel. I'm here. And I love you, so, so much.”
Alarik sniffled and turned to kiss her palm, his hand coming up to cover hers. “I know. I'm so lucky to have you. And I love you so, so much.”
How long they sat there, Elsa wasn't sure. Eventually, Alarik looked back up at her with a quirked smile. “Would you… would you start washing my hair again?”
Elsa smiled back and shifted the stool. “Of course.”
She added in some more shampoo, and soon Alarik was sighing and slumping against the tub as she massaged his scalp. Elsa kept it up for a few more minutes, before tapping his shoulder.
“Time to rinse.”
He turned so she could see his pout. “Do you have to?”
She laughs. “Yes, Alarik. Besides, I'm sure the water is getting cold.”
“I'd survive.” Still, he sat up, letting her rinse. He took the proffered soap from her and finished washing himself, before reaching forward to pull the drain plug. He stepped out and toweled off, while Elsa grabbed his bottle of moisturizer. She followed him into their bedroom, and waited until he got dressed to sit beside him on the bed.
“May I?”
He didn't hesitate, but immediately placed his stump into her lap. She was struck, as often was the case, by the trust he had in her. Alarik had grown more accepting about his missing hand and burn scars over the years, but he still tended to want to at least keep the skin covered while out in public. But that didn't happen with her.
“You don't have to ask, you know. To touch…” He raised and lowered his stump.
“Would you ever stop asking me for permission to touch mine? Or work on my prosthetics? Even though I say yes every time?”
“Of course not! You might not want me to touch it at some point! I don't ever want to assume… oh.”
Elsa leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. “Exactly. The same goes for you. Every. Time. Now, let's take care of your skin.”
Elsa squeezed a dollop of the lavender-scented lotion onto her hand. She was thorough, working the moisturizer deep into his skin, making sure to massage it well. She felt Alarik relaxing against her, and smiled, happy to see that he appeared to be feeling better.
“You are amazing.”
She closed the bottle with a giggle, and passed him his nightshirt. After donning her own pajamas- just an old shirt of his and a pair of shorts- she settled into bed, tugging on his arm until he laid down next to her. She cuddled into his chest with a sigh, raising one hand to run it through his drying curls.
“Your hair is so soft.”
She felt more than heard his chuckle. “What can I say? Luscious locks.” He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, again. That was really nice.”
“I'm glad you enjoyed it. Just… don't tell Anna.”
“Wait, what?”
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