#with a better printer than i have & have them make it nice & polished & then i can make a mold & cast the pieces in resin.....

[voidimp]

girl help the bjds are calling to me again

[calpatine]

Making snowglobe dice is very fun and they are very beautiful, but I have always been bothered by the unbalanced aesthetic of round beads in square cases (especially with my rectangular d4).

An additional challenge is that the beads I use for cores have teeeeeny tiny openings because they’re designed for jewelry, so I could only use very fine glitters and not anything else cool.

So, how to solve this problem? Obviously I needed to find something that fits better than round glass beads, and I also needed to have a larger opening to fit a broader variety of filler. Alas, for months of searching I couldn’t find anything that existed that checked all my boxes. Things that worked for the d20 didn’t work for the d4, and not being able to make a full set was just not on.

The solution: Blender, endless tedium of teeny tiny measurements, and loading up clear resin in the printer.

I took my dice models, unextruded all the numbers, deleted the top face, and then solidified it with a 1mm wall, making a hollow die exactly as much smaller than my regular dice as the depth of the number wells so they’d center automatically. I also modeled that deleted face on its own as a cap with beveled edges so I could seal everything up nice and tight with UV resin in a syringe.

I can’t polish the insides to make the inserts crystal clear, but polishing the outsides to high gloss kept the prints transparent enough to see perfectly inside, and the slight matte ended up making my finished product even more amazing:

GELATINOUS CUBES

AN ENTIRE SET OF MOVING SKULL AND BONES GELATINOUS CUBES

EASILY the most amazing things I have ever made. I love them so much.

[bruhlsbees]

modern!flatmate!andrea marowski headcannons (sfw)

shout out to @rumblelibrary for the idea!!!! :)) i hope you enjoy our sweet boy (now man?) and his love for birds. if you'd like to see more of modern!flatmate!andrea please let me know! also here is the link for the nsfw headcannons! minors pls dni with that one!

andrea marowski was a transfer student from a school in poland, studying fine arts with a concentration in playing the violin

coming to america was a bit of a culture shock for him - at first he planned on living alone, but the transfer program suggested he live with a group of people, that way he would have a better time adjusting

and so he did - andrea moved into a flat with five other roommates and got to experience the full american college life

he was terrible at cooking when you first moved in - you'd find what he was cooking still on the stove with andrea nowhere to be found - prompting you to finish the cooking so the house didn't burn down

the man was so scatter brained that you felt like you were taking care of a toddler - he had a hard time remembering to eat, since he was always playing the violin or doing school work - that you would always make enough for both yourself and him

"you need to eat, you know, i think playing the violin could wait until after a meal"

he'd shake his head, brushing you off as he sat down at his desk to eat

"i'm not hungry"

you'd laugh at his comment, sitting on his bed as you ate your own plate

"you say that because you think you've eaten. you go to make something and when you walk away and forget your brain tells you that you ate it. when really you haven't and your body is starving"

he'd look at you, eyebrows furrowed into a glare, although he looked more adorable than frightening

"rude" he would say flatly

and you'd laugh again, shaking your head as you ate

"it's not being rude, andrea, it's telling the truth"

he lived next door to you - and since the walls were thin you could hear just about everything that went on in his room

you knew that andrea played the violin, and you always were pleased to listen - but he didn't understand that playing the violin wasn't something you do at 3 a.m. while everyone was sleeping

andrea also liked to knock on your wall. your desks were positioned at the same spot on either side of the wall, and with the walls being so thin you could hear him just fine

"y/n, i print paper?"

you were the one to have a printer in your flat. you knew that you should have just put it in the living room or something, but you used it the most so it stayed in your room

andrea was always polite, asking to use your things and doing it in your room so he wouldn't forget to give it back to you - but he had a terrible senes of personal space

when you laid in your bed, he would lay beside you, and since he was taller than you, he took up more room, but didn't see the issue

"andrea, could you please move your feet? they are in my face"

if you were sitting at the dining room table, he'd sit beside you, only he'd move the chair so you were shoulder to shoulder

at first you thought he was only doing it to be funny - to bother you like an annoying brother would - but then you caught him staring, smiling at you with his cheeks pink

he would whisper things in polish towards you during these moments, but you never knew what he was saying - and he never told you either

they were cute names though, nothing bad - beautiful was his most favorite that he called you

andrea did a lot of odd things - one of the things he especially liked to do was play dead in the pool your flat had out back

you were all dressed in your suit, ready to go swim, when you'd find him floating face down in the pool

of course you'd scream, you always did and you started to wonder if that's what kept him going

when you'd shake him, plead for him to be alive, he'd open his eyes and grin at you, letting out a laugh as you shoved him away, turning to go back inside and to your room

but he'd catch your wrist, giving you his best puppy dog expression, before mumbling an apology

and of course you accepted it, how could you not when he looked at you the way he did

you always liked to float on a raft in the pool, baking in the sun - when andrea arrived though, and after some time, he liked to hang off the raft, his head resting against your stomach

again, personal space was not something he seemed to understand

and then came the obsession with birds

one of your flatmates was a zoology student, concentrating in ornithology - the study of birds

he'd invite andrea out with him in the mornings to go bird watching and when andrea had come home, he'd be doing his best to mimic the bird calls

"y/n, listen!" he'd plead, coming into your room and nudging you back from your desk to turn your attention towards him

he'd smile proudly and close his eyes to concentrate before pursing his lips together to whistle out a tune of a bird he'd heard that day

it was adorable and even if it were bad - which sometimes they were pretty awful to listen to - you always clapped, grinning afterwards

"wow, andrea! that sounds so lovely. i'm happy to hear you are enjoying the bird watching"

he'd nod his head and smile, taking your hands in his before pulling you out of your room, still seated in your rolling chair, and into his room

"we go sometime?" he would ask as he pulled out his violin to play for you

you'd smile, nodding as you settled into your spot to listen to him perform

and when he finally began to play, he stared at you so intently that you couldn't help but blush, earning a smirk from andrea

it was one night, when he was laying in your bed beside your, flipping through one of the bird books your flatmate had given him, that you realized that maybe you liked andrea more than you realized

he was terrible with remembering to wear his glasses, but whenever he would read in your room you'd always make sure he had them on

you noticed him squinting, reading something on the page he was on, confused by the wording

"p-plumage"

you turned, looking at him, "what did you say?"

he pointed at the word, silently asking you to say it to him so he knew how to pronounce it

"oh, yeah, you were right. it's plumage"

he'd go back to reading, his nose stuffed in the pages as he continued to read

"y/n..." he'd begin, glancing at you, "do you think plumage attractive?"

it threw you off and you genuinely only asked what he said because you didn't catch him

but he didn't take it that way, he thought you were teasing him and he quickly turned back into his book, his face growing red

"andrea...what did you say?"

he was silent for a moment before glancing at you again

"i think my glasses broke" he said, trying to change the subject

you shifted to your side and took his face in your hand, turning for him to face you, looking over him and at his glasses, shaking your head

"i don't see anything, you just trying to get out of wearing them? you don't wear them and you won't be able to read your bird books or sheet music"

without thinking, you kissed his cheek, pulling back almost the same time as when you leaned in, before being the one to blush now

despite it being your room, you quickly climbed over him and excused yourself to the bathroom, leaving him to his book

he'd smile as you leave, looking down at his book once again

"you have nice plumage"

if you were they you'd probably ask what he meant by it, seeing as though you had no feathers, but he knew that and he would be too shy to tell you what he really meant, and would shrug it off like he did when you asked what he said to you in polish

but inside he knew what he meant: your plumage was the color of your eyes, how they twinkled when they caught the light - how your hair framed your face, bringing out all his favorite features

your plumage was everything about you, and to andrea you were his favorite song bird

[twstarchives]

Scary Dress・Voice Lines

● Event: Scary Monsters (October 14 - November 26, 2020) ● Exclusive Cards: Deuce, Kalim, Epel, Idia, Malleus, Lilia, Azul, Jack, Jade, Vil, Cater

Deuce Spade - R

Unlock Card “This school event is meant for everyone to have fun. I’m going to make sure this Halloween’s a success!”

Groovy “You’re not getting away from me... I’ll scare you till you're trembling to the bone!”

Home Setting “I’m a skeleton ghost that’s risen from the grave! BOO!”

Home Transitions “These are our special costumes, so make sure you’re careful with them. Grim, that means don’t claw on the lace.”

“When I was a kid, there were times when I used to start sobbing because I thought there was a monster outside. But it was actually just the laundry drying out there... Oi, stop laughing!”

“I got some treats from Epel. There’s a lot of them, so I thought I’d share with you. You know the secret code, right?”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! You just can’t help but get excited around this time of year.”

Home Taps “I saw Draconia a while ago. Seeing him walk around in that serpentine dragon costume so valiantly made him look cooler than ever.”

“I got a text from my mom—she said she wants to see my costume. I don’t mind sending her one, but I don’t know how I feel about taking a selfie... Prefect, could you take one of me?”

“I’m used to seeing the ghosts on campus, so they’re not that scary. Our terrifying dorm leader Rosehearts, on the other hand...”

“Viper fixed the lace on my hat for me. I feel like the vice leaders in every dorm are really caring.”

“Hey, you! You want me to bury you!? S-Sorry. I was practicing my scares; I didn’t mean to say that to you, Prefect.”

Kalim Al-Asim - R

Unlock Card “Are you all ready to have some fun? Alright! Come on and follow my lead! One, two—Happy Halloween!”

Groovy “Grr... Pain shoots through my body whenever I look at the full moon. You better watch your back if you start to hear some howling.”

Home Setting “Growl! I’m a werewolf now.”

Home Transitions “Rook knows a lot about wildlife, and he told me all kinds of things about wolves. It was really useful.”

“I always carry around candies this time of year. This way anyone can tell me ‘Trick or treat’ anytime!”

“My magic carpet seems pretty excited for Halloween too. I’m competing with it to see who’s the scariest!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “A party that everyone’s stoked about—that’s what Halloween is! Let’s have fun together! Growl! Growl!”

Home Taps Whine! Grrrrr! Bark! *cough!* “It’s hard trying to sound like a wolf...”

“I feel like it’d be so much more exciting if Cater, Lilia, and I dressed up for our band performances. Don’t you think so?”

“Jade said his costume is a mummy. If you wore clothes like that in the Scalding Sands, you’d get so hot that you might actually turn into one.”

“I like this costume; its design is really reminiscent of the Scalding Sands. Plus it’s easy to move in. It fits for dressing up as a werewolf.”

“Hm? You want to try scaring me? Spare me from any tricks, though. Ahaha!”

Epel Felmier - R

Unlock Card “Boo! Did I spook you? Hehe. I’ll come scare you again if you let down your guard.”

Groovy “Struggling against me is useless... I think. You won’t get away from me.”

Home Setting “Now, Halloween has begun!”

Home Transitions “Wah! Oh, crap!¹ I stepped all over my cloak. If Vil saw me, he’d get mad and say ‘It’s not proper to run around like that.’”

“I carved some of the pumpkins that are decorating the school. Mine have ghosts and our dorm’s emblem on them. Try to find them, okay?”

“Hey, have you seen the decorations on Main Street? They’re all so pretty, and really marvy².”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I think this is the first time I’ve celebrated such a festive Halloween. In my town, the festivals feel a lot more scaled down.”

Home Taps “Halloween celebrations in my hometown are never this big, but I can promise you the food’s always delicious. I want you all to come see it someday.”

“Riddle got really passionate when we were talking about the treats for Halloween earlier. Sweets are just amazing, aren’t they?”

“I’m a first-year just like Deuce and Jack, but I wish I could scare as well as they do. But only practice makes perfect!”

“Tremble in fear! ...No. That’s not menacing enough... Ah! What if I put ketchup around my mouth?”

“Huh!? A treat? Sorry. I finished handing all mine out. But I’ll peel an apple for you later, so don’t give me a trick or anything... Okay?”

Idia Shroud - R

Unlock Card “E-E-Even I get excited for events sometimes... Is that bad!?”

Groovy “Anyone who sees what’s beneath my helmet won’t be leaving here unharmed... Hehehe!”

Home Setting “Wahaha! The Pumpkin Knight has arrived!”

Home Transitions “Every time Ortho tells me ‘Trick or treat,’ I give him some candy, but earlier he got mad and said ‘Let me have a trick too.’”

“You need to know your etiquette to have fun with events. That’s true no matter what world you’re in.”

“This time of year, they’re always having tons of huge events in gacha games. I’ve got an overwhelming lack of free time.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Weheehee~... Happy Halloween. Huh? Why are you making that face? Is it that weird to see me pumped up?”

Home Taps “Hiding my face under a helmet really lets me relax. The downside is it’s a little hard to breathe, though.”

“Wh-What are you dressing up as? Don’t tell me you’re just going to throw on something basic like a headband or a hat and call it a day?”

“They say lions are members of the cat family, but... Sir Leona is not soothing in the slightest. Hah~ I wanna nuzzle a cat...”

“You can say it. There’s no such thing as a nerd that hates Halloween!”

“Weheehee! I made this using a 3D printer, so it’s got really nice durability. ‘How much did it all cost’? Well, if you want to know, it was on sale.”

Malleus Draconia - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is a festival observed by both the living and the dead, regardless of one’s race. You, too, should enjoy yourself as much as you can.”

Groovy “I’d make anyone tremble in fear with a single breath of fire. Watch me.”

Home Setting “I’m not dressed up as a dragon. It’s a serpentine dragon.”

Home Transitions “The students in our dorm seem very pleased with our costumes. They were all cheering with joy. This was well-worth the trouble.”

“Lilia knows a lot about many nations’ versions of Halloween. He told me stories about them instead of his usual lullabies. That was a long time ago, though.”

“I saw two pumpkin knights around campus. The smaller one was floating, so I’m assuming they were the Shroud brothers.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “I’ve experienced many Halloweens, but this year seems especially chaotic.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Trick or treat!... wasn’t it? If you don’t give me a treat, I’ll have to trick you. What will you do?”

Home Taps “The red serpentine dragons from the Far East, which our costumes were based on, could even play folk instruments. Hm... How very interesting.”

“I caught Asim practicing his wolf howls. He’s lacking on the impact, but it does have a charm to it. Heheh.”

“Halloween in the Valley of Thorns is especially grand. It’s a different take on it than other countries have, but you should come see it someday. It’s beautiful.”

“If you hear a strange noise, don’t automatically assume it’s the work of a ghost. Faeries love playing tricks all year round.”

“This tail? Mine is not an accessory; it’s real. As curious as you might be, don’t get too close. You’d be easily flicked aside if you got hit by it.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I’ll set fire to anyone that harms your dorm, just like a serpentine dragon would. I’m fond of that place.”

Lilia Vanrouge - SR

Unlock Card “Halloween is my home ground ♪ I can’t wait to see the surprise on everyone’s faces.”

Groovy “Do not underestimate me. You might end up finding yourself trembling and unable to sleep all night long.”

Home Setting “Growl! How was that? Did I sound like a dragon?”

Home Transitions “On Halloween Night, the goblins who served the Fairy of Thorns would gather around a fire and dance all night long. You probably wouldn’t expect them to be party animals!”

“I remember the day I met a real-life serpentine dragon in the East like it was yesterday. Its crimson scales were truly a sight to behold.”

“I like eating most sweets, but marshmallows are the only ones I can’t do. It doesn’t feel like I’m eating anything; they aren’t satisfying.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat... What? You’re already used to my tricks? Then I’ll have to bring out my trump card.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “If I were a real dragon, I could give you a ride on my back. But instead, why don’t I give you a piggy back ride?”

Home Taps “Hnn... The decorative horns on my cap are so heavy. Malleus really has these on his head at all times?”

“Aren’t my red nails cute? Vil painted them for me. He told me these were called gel nails—long-lasting nail polish.”

“Silver and Sebek used to be such crybabies. The mornings after Halloween, I’d have to spend the whole day doing laundry.”

“Have you seen Ace anywhere? He’s always eating Trey’s sweets like he really likes them, so I made some for him as well.”

“Oh, oh! It’s dangerous for someone of my stature to have a tail almost touching the ground. Try not to step on it either.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Achoo! Sorry, sorry. This peacock feather tickled my nose.”

Azul Ashengrotto - SR

Unlock Card “The Mostro Lounge is currently offering a special Halloween menu. You must come and see!”

Groovy “Let’s have all the fun we want tonight. Now, let me hear you scream all the way up to the moon!”

Home Setting “How do I look? It’s very stylish with the way it revisits the old-fashioned sort of mummy, isn’t it?”

Home Transitions “If these were my own tentacles, I could move them freely at will, but that’s not true with these bandage wraps. I have to pay close attention to my movements.”

“Of course we have Halloween celebrations under the sea. Although, unlike on land, merpeople don’t exactly wear costumes.”

“I ran into Silver with this costume on, and he yelled ‘The enemy!’ before pulling out a baton. ...He must’ve been half-asleep.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Halloween only happens once a year. Let’s have the time of our lives together.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Did I hear you say ‘Trick or treat’ just now? Offering me of all people a deal is quite bold of you.”

Home Taps “I have an affinity for the costumes Jack and the other Savanaclaw students are wearing. They look like ghosts you’d find at sea, don’t they?”

“I referenced dishes that my family serves for the Lounge’s limited edition menu... Oh, my family runs a ristorante.”

“I’ll hold back on the treats, thank you. Accepting more and more of them will only increase my calorie intake for the day.”

“The reason we chose mummies for our costumes? I’m very unfamiliar with them, which made me all the more curious. After all, you can’t have anything dry under the sea.”

“What are you in such a rush for? I understand feeling excited, but you must be discreet when getting ready to scare someone.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You must come see Halloween under the sea sometime! It’s just as fun as the academy’s.”

Jack Howl - SR

Unlock Card “Dressing up as pirates fits for Savanaclaw, since the guys here are all brutes. When you want something, you take it!”

Groovy “On Halloween, it’s ghost territory. Make sure you be careful when walking around at night. Grr...”

Home Setting “My scares aren’t just for show.”

Home Transitions “Scarabia dressed up as werewolf ghosts. They really nailed the ears and tails.”

“When we were making jack o’ lanterns, Ruggie kept eating the pumpkin seeds. Do those taste good...?”

“The pirate costume fits Leona really well. He’s lazy and vulgar—ahem! He comes off as strong and powerful.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! It’s nice with all these decorations and festive energy. Wanna walk around together later?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I was getting tired of all these sweets, so I got some jerky. Want any?”

Home Taps “Ace and the others swear that anything Trey bakes is to die for. I wonder how his pear compote would... N-No, nevermind.”

“I used to want to be a pirate when I was little. I remember making treasure chests by myself and filling them with coins and sparkling jewels. Those were the days.”

“Pirates have to aim their cannons and do a lot of heavy lifting while onboard. They’ve got to train hard.”

“I almost never wear rings, so I’m scared these might fly off at any moment. Plus it’s hard to move my fingers.”

“Oi! Stop prodding at my costume! What’re you going to do if one of the seashells breaks off?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You haven’t put on your costume yet? The ghosts will come to kidnap you if you don’t hurry and change.”

Jade Leech - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ve been expecting you. Today I have a most wonderful scare prepared for you.”

“We’ve been working hard to ensure that everyone can spend a wonderful Halloween.”

Groovy “The sight of you screaming as you try to hurry away... It’s irresistible. I cannot hold myself back from chasing after you!”

Home Setting “Who would like to be tied up in fear?”

Home Transitions “You want to see me when I’m frightened? Heheh. I wouldn’t mind you scaring me anytime you’d like.”

“There is no such thing as using pumpkins as lanterns under the sea. I was very shocked learning about culture on land when I was a freshman.”

“Have you had a chance to try out the Mostro Lounge’s limited edition Halloween menu? I contributed a recipe to it.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat! Heheh. There’s no need to look so frightened; I won’t bite.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Oh, my. Were you hoping to play a trick on me? I have a treat on hand, so please spare me today.”

Home Taps “I helped Ruggie with making jack o’ lanterns. They’re very quick, cheap, and beautiful. How fitting.”

“Dryness is fatal for merpeople. If we were dried up like a mummy... Just the thought is horrifying.”

“Floyd, don’t eat too many sweets. It’s different while we’re in the water, but here we have a high risk of tooth decay.”

“The draping wraps on our costumes resemble jellyfish tentacles. They’re pretty, aren’t they? I like their asymmetrical design.”

“You seem to have a wish to join the world of mummies. First, I will wrap your whole body in bandages, and then dry you out... I’m only joking.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Halloween under the sea? If you’re interested, I will show you around one day.”

Duo Magic Jade: Azul, we cannot waste any more time. Azul: Let’s be efficient about this, Jade.

Vil Schoenheit - SSR

Unlock Card “Are you prepared to pledge yourself to me? It’s a great honor to be the sustenance of my beauty.”

“If I’m participating in this, then I’m going to aim for quality that transcends all previous Halloweens. Please keep up with me.”

Groovy “How unfortunate; there’s nowhere left for you to run. Yield yourself to me and become my slave.”

Home Setting “You will be a victim to my fangs.”

Home Transitions “Vampires, who possess eternal beauty... This is a perfect theme for me, isn’t it?”

“It would be difficult to check my appearance if I couldn’t see my reflection in the mirror. Perhaps I’d have to check with Rook between every class.”

“The other day, I was drinking tomato juice in the evening, and Epel screamed at me. How rude.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Trick or treat. Although, I don’t need any sweet treats. I’m sure you can guess what a vampire would want... Heheh.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Have you flipped your sleep schedule like a vampire’s because it’s Halloween? Make sure you don’t stay up too late.”

Home Taps “I don’t usually carry around treats with me, so last year I fell victim to Lilia’s tricks. That was honestly unpleasant.”

“You should carefully deliberate over your parasol and choose one that has strong protection from the sun. Don’t forget sunblock either.”

“Floyd’s skin is very beautiful. Makeup sits exceptionally well on moisturized skin, too. Always remember to moisturize.”

“My father is an actor, and for every Halloween he would come home in a costume with special effects makeup. I wonder if perfectionism runs in the family.”

“Even a single strand of hair out of place is something to pay mind to. Could you fix my hair for me?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “My cloak has enough cloth to wrap around a person. Should I hide you inside it if any scary ghosts come by?”

Duo Magic Vil: Let’s end this nonsense right here, Lilia. Lilia: Leave it to me to guard you from behind, Vil.

Cater Diamond - SSR

Unlock Card “I’ll fill you all the way to the bone... with fear, of course ♪”

“Aha! Are you surprised with how off things feel now? Let me show you Cay’s charm, now that I’m a touch different for Halloween~”

Groovy “You’re not thinking you’ll be able to get home safely now that you’ve dug me up, are you?”

Home Setting “Don’t you think my costume’s super aesthetic!?”

Home Transitions “The pumpkin pie Trey always makes this time of year... Mm, it’s not too sweet, and it’s sooo good~!”

“Did you see Lucius today!? He was wearing a super adorable pumpkin hat... I can’t believe Professor Trein~!”

“Sebek-kins really loves Malleus~ He’s got a reputation among the third-years for being the passionate Draconian.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy Halloween! How about we take a picture to commemorate?”

Home Transition (Groovy) “I have a feeling this year’s going to be the funnest Halloween we’ve ever had. You should be excited too, Prefect!”

Home Taps “I really like how our skeleton-looking laces are so elegant. Our dorm uniforms give off more cutesy vibes; it’s super different.”

“A black veil holds many mysteries... Heheh. You’re always free to lift it up anytime you want, Prefect! Just kidding.”

“Heartslabyul’s costumes last year? We were pirates! Wish you could see Cay as a pirate~?”

“The whole campus gets super festive and exciting around Halloween! And all the decorations are so photogenic.”

“Black makeup smudges easily, so you kind of need to have advanced skills to use it. Does it look okay right now? It’s not smudged?”

Home Tap (Groovy) “What are you dressing up as, Prefect? Come let me know when you have it ready. I wanna take a pic~”

Duo Magic Cater: “Jack, lend me some of your aesthetic support!” Jack: “This’ll be a breeze, Cater!”

[everettstaley]

How to Get Real-World Shapes (especially weird ones) Into the Computer for 3D Printing

Many 3D printers end up used mostly to create knick-knacks, though we justified buying the machine with all the useful stuff we could make! One of the reasons for this is that Baby Yoda’s dimensions aren’t exactly critical to it’s purpose, but the broken knob you wanted to replace has a weirdly shaped fitting that won’t work unless it’s just right, and how do you measure that? Then how do you design something to fit it?

There are a few methods! What follows is my low-cost, low-math method for replicating weird shapes for 3D printing.

You’ll need: the part you want to work with, paper large enough to cover it, a pencil, a ruler (the finer the measurement, the better), your 3D design software of choice, and your slicer.

For my example, I needed to make porthole trim rings with a lip. My boat had 10 portlights with beautiful cast bronze trim rings on the hull, but on the stern it had four strangely shaped holes cut roughly, exposing the edge of the plywood.

I taped paper over the portholes, and traced the outline from the inside. If you’re working with a small piece or can’t get inside the thing for whatever reason, take a rubbing by rubbing the side of a pencil lead or a crayon on the paper where the edges of the object are. The edges should come out clearly enough to take measurements from. Then, draw a grid on your tracing or rubbing.

The more curved your piece is, the more reference lines you’ll want in your grid. This piece had a nice right angle with two flat sides to reference, but if yours doesn’t, just extend the lowest and leftmost parts of your piece so they meet at a right angle, and build your grid from there.

This is how I gather measurements to input into a 3D design program- how you input them will depend somewhat on your program of choice, and I’ll save an in-depth description of that for a later post. Here’s how the rest of this project went, though.

I created a rectangle in Blender, then used the slice tool to create vertices at each of my measured distances from the y axis (Fusion 360 is more optimized for dimensional design, but Blender can do it and is open source). In Blender, you can make a slice and then input the exact measurement for its placement. Then I did the same from the x axis. That placed vertices at the measured points along the curve of my object. Deleting faces from the rectangle and joining vertices into new faces “carved” the basic shape from my rectangle, and then I mostly used the extrude tool to get my final shape.

Turn on mirroring to save yourself time if it applies to you, but also pay attention to when to turn it off! For me, I created the object, but turned off mirroring to emboss the words I wanted into the design. Your slicer can be a good tool for checking whether your design is “manifold.” Usually it’ll highlight the areas that aren’t, and show an error. Sometimes you can print even if it isn’t manifold, but it’s best practice to fix it, because it can affect printing in unpredictable ways.

I printed a prototype in cheap, recycled PTEG.

Then in bronze filled filament from Protopasta!

https://www.proto-pasta.com/collections/all/products/bronze-metal-composite-htpla?variant=7154346098733

This filament has so much bronze in it that it will patina like bronze, and can even be polished. It isn’t cheap, but this was much more doable for me than casting from real bronze, and having all four portlight rings custom cast would have been over a thousand dollars.

[goodnightallwhites]

Dark Times: Cuz Sonia by Zenalite

Chapter 1 - Sonia Life could be strange. Growing up, people taught me that it was better to appear strong than weak, and that strength was the only way to get what you wanted. There were so many cringy scenes in middle-school where this failed to bring results. One time a classmate had asked me if she could copy the answers from my homework; I told her sure, so long as she let me kiss her. She rolled her eyes and walked her sweet young ass away while my male buddies laughed and congratulated me. When the weakest guy in our class gave her his homework, we called him out and mocked him, but our cutie responded by giving him a quick peck on the cheek when it was over. I remember burning with rage at the thought that some spineless little shit felt her lips while I, who was daring as I was told I should be, was left a kissless virgin. It never occurred to me to use the same strategy. That I later met Lara in high school and watched her slowly succumb to wanting to black cock addiction to the point that I held her as a party as they stole her virginity before my eyes was pure chance. These things were accepted because I loved Laura and was afraid to lose her, not because of some grand plan. When Yennefer approached me and told me she wanted Lara to share me so I could be her boyfriend too, the entire thing blew my mind. Somehow, I, the loyal cuck that put up with everything, was the last boyfriend standing while the others got kicked to the curb. Through my selfless devotion to Lara, I not only solidified her love for me, but won the affection of the most popular ice queen in school. Even though none of them fucked me or would fuck me, there were butterflies of good feeling flying all around me. Scratch that, it felt amazing. Any fucking loser could go out and buy pussy with a few bucks, and there were plenty of dumb guys born with big cocks that could get a girl wet and willing for half an hour while they fucked only to face her cool disdain afterwards. I was loved. I was wanted. Of course, it did feel bad to think that I might not fuck any of them, but it was an okay sacrifice. It certainly helped that they wanted to fuck black guys and only black guys. On one hand, I wasn’t and could never be black, so there was no need to feel like I failed in any way. On the other hand, these girls were objectifying these poor black studs to such an extent that they spoke of them more like toys than people. It was all a little racist, but… There’s no way I’m going to call Lara or Yenn racists to their face. As I said before, Yennefer told me that she wanted me, and that Lara needed to accept that a great cuck like me needed to be shared, at least with the top bitch if not the entire school. It would’ve been nice if Yenn went and delivered this message herself; instead, she was sending me out there to get devoured if things went wrong. Lara opened the door for me dressed only in a pair of ripped denim shorts and a crop top. The frayed bits from the jeans brushed tantalizingly against her smooth and tan legs as she moved idly and the perfect outline of her breasts showing through the thin fabric of the top. A sexy smile played over her lips as the brown eyes settled on me. “Mr. Boyfriend, I presume? Where are my flowers?” “In my pants.” Lara burst with laughter, not expecting the wild card response. “That’s rich.” Then, her features softened and lost all tension. With a low whisper, she grabbed my hand with welcome gentleness and said, “Come inside, baby, I missed you.” She went barefoot over the polished floor of her living room, the muscles working along her long and tone legs as she dragged me along, those perky and soft breasts swaying enticingly under the crop top. Unlike Yennefer’s strong scent of lilac and gooseberries, Lara’s was understated, fresh and a little metallic. We headed into her room and she locked the door. “My parents might be home soon.” Some soft rap music played from her laptop resting in bed. I took note of the printer at the lying in the middle of the floor and the new images that were going up on her wall. All of them were pics of black guys or white girls, at times together, most of them captioned in the most overt way possible. One showed a blonde girl wearing a Swedish flag tee and surrounded by bare-chested dark-skinned guys: EUROPE IS IS GETTING BLACKED. Another was just a close-up of a girl’s sweaty abs: WORK HARD FOR BBC. Lara drank in my reaction. Her blood rushed just from looking at them, and her hands went absentmindedly over her nipples as they started nudging through. “Well? Do you like them?” “I do…” I made myself say, though it was strange. The political ones were especially strong. “Though maybe they’re a little” - her eyebrows began to rise suspiciously as the words left my mouth - “direct?” Lara watched me closely, then leaned in and let her hot breath fill my ear. “I am very direct. Mostly.” A giggle came out of her, then she grabbed the laptop and flashed a picture on screen, showing a white girl holding hands with a skinny white guy as she kissed a really buff black bull that must have been in his forties. Under it, Lara had written: BREEDING READY. “How about this one? Good enough?” She found it hard to take her eyes off of the image. “Uh. It’s nice.” “Oh, fuck off! Be honest with me! I’ll tell you what…” Her finger came up to her lower lip and moved across it. “If you give me a better one, I’ll give you a reward.” A reward? Well… “How about HER HAPPINESS COMES FIRST?” Lara thought about it then bobbed her head happily and giggled. “That’s great. I love that.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she made the edit, then our creation slithered out of the printer and across the floor like eldritch baby. My beautiful girlfriend grabbed it and pinned it to the wall next to the others. “There we go! Now, about your reward…” Lara turned around and came towards me slowly, swaying her hips in a sensual way while her fingers circled caresses around her toned tummy. Close enough that her breasts almost pushed into me, though she made a point not to engage in any physical contact. “Do you think I’m breeding ready?” As my eyes went over her wide hips and jiggling breasts: “Definitely.” “I could get pregnant even today. Can you imagine? I’d make a baby for us. A strong black baby, of course, the only type that’s worth having. Would you like that? Would you like to know your girl is carrying a superior man’s child?” She took my hand and placed it over the hot flesh of her stomach, letting me feel the silky skin and the hard abs flexing under it. “Can you imagine cuddling me to sleep as a black baby is growing inside of me, sweetheart?” She brought her braid around and stroked it suggestively as I melted under her unbearably hot gaze. Suddenly, Lara stepped back and grinned, as I was left trembling with arousal from her words. “Got you.” It was funny to her, but scary to me. In a matter of seconds she managed to take me to an entirely different place. Surely I wouldn’t have wanted another guy to really make her pregnant. But all it took to make me feel like that's what I wanted most in the world were a couple of well-placed words. “I--” Her phone rang before I could speak. Lara spoke to her mother quickly and politely, then hang up and cursed. “Fuck. Honey, you need to go. My mom’s coming. We’ll talk later.” And just like that, with questions in my head and an unbearable erection, she threw me out of her apartment, even before I could deliver Yenn’s message. She can’t say I didn’t try.   It’s time to unwind, I thought. But as soon as I got home, Mom came and told me in a hush-hush manner that my cousin came over and that she was resting in my room. “Be nice to her, she’s having a rough patch.” My cousin Sonia and I weren’t very close. We had been once upon a time, eons ago, but then she moved away with the rest of her family. I still remembered the clumsy way we parted ways when she left home, with her refusing to come out of the car to say goodbye. I only saw the back of her ginger head through the window. Of course, we talked since then, but it always felt like talking to a stranger… So, why did she come here today? The door to my room opened soundlessly, and Sonia was just there… sleeping on the bed. The way her hip rose in the air was as a mountain, the light jeans stretched to their utmost as she bent towards my view. Despite the larger-than-life rounded fat ass in front of me, her waist was small, and her lower half bent almost entirely out of view so that it was all one could see from the door. I gulped. “Sonia?” She exhaled softly. “Cuz? Is that you?” “It is.” Her head came around, just enough that one of her bright aqua eyes connected with me and realized her huge butt was lewdly directed right at my face. Blushing, she sat up and awkwardly played it off by toying with her fingers. “Sorry about that…” But now I could see her chest and the extreme way the ribs of her green sweater stretched across it. God, how big had she gotten since I last saw her? Even with as thicc as she was, those cowtits were massive... “Sorry to pop in like this.” “No worries, I’m happy to see you.” Sonia seemed weirded out by that. “You are? But we barely talk… Listen, I wanted to ask you something: Do you think I’m a good person?” “S-Sure,” I quickly voiced. “Why wouldn’t you be?” “You know I’ve been dating this guy for a while now… and I think I screwed it all up. He had this friend he said was platonic, his best friend, but I made him break off all contact with her. Then it turned out he was talking with her after all, and so I followed them.” “You followed them?” “To prove that he was lying! But I didn’t get the reaction I wanted… He was just… He cried, Cuz. He said I made him break the heart of his best friend. And she called me a bitch. And so…” And so she came to me to make her feel better about her shitty behavior. Six years we didn’t speak, and now this?... I did my part. I weaved her a version about how he should have been honest from the start or explained his position better, and how I always knew she was good and honest. It was enough to make tears well in her eyes and get her to smile. “Oh, Cuz, you’re so nice to me… You always knew how to make me feel better. I missed that. A lot.” As she spoke, I couldn’t help but wonder how big those jugs on her chest were. They were at least three times bigger than Lara’s - simply gigantic. And none of it was there when I saw her just a few summers ago. The words BREEDING READY from before came to mind, and all I could imagine was a black baby suckling from each one of those milkers. “Hey… You aren’t staring at my boobs, are you? Hehe!~ Don’t worry, everyone does it. Even old grannies.” Her hands came around them as if they were her babies. “You need strong hands just to lift them up.” “Black hands.” My reply wasn’t even conscious. I just spoke. “Huh? Come again?” I couldn’t believe what came out of my mouth. “Nothing, nothing! I was muttering to myself.” But seriously, it was undeniable that she would have looked perfect getting blacked. All those soft white folds enveloping a big black cock, that ginger hair getting pulled on by strong dark hands… “Was your boyfriend white?” Sonia thought about that. “I mean, yeah. Why do you ask?” I shrugged. “A lot of girls in my school date black guys.” “Really? Oh, wow. I could never do that!” The way she said it sounded so amazed and confident that there wasn’t a doubt in my mind she meant it: the idea of dating a black guy hadn’t even occurred to her. “I don’t really think I’d feel comfortable, you know?” “Dating someone that isn’t a pale ginger?” Sonia smirked. “No, you idiot! Dating a person that’s, you know… God, don’t make me say it. I feel bad saying it. But black guys aren’t exactly my type, let’s put it that way.” The almost completely unveiled racism combined with my antipathy towards her coming all this way just to use me made me want to see her punished and blacked. Hard. “Why don’t we go out?” “Hmmm? Go out? Where to?” “Let’s find you a boyfriend.” “Hahaha! You aren’t serious, are you? You’re crazy, Cuz. I don’t even have good clothes.” “You look fucking amazing already. Come on.” Sonia lowered her head shyly, so far down it was almost in her boobs. “You keep complimenting me, I’m gonna die. But okay. Let’s do it!” Before that, I needed to make a call. I left her in the room and headed to the bathroom, then scrolled with shaky fingers for Yennefer’s name. It rang a couple of times, then it said busy. Busy? Seriously… As I stared at the screen at the denied call, I suddenly saw my face reflected back. She was video calling me. Oh god… Her pale and dark-haired form materialized on my screen. She wore a shiny robe and was brushing her hair. “Why, hello darling. You’re a fast little worker bee, aren’t you? I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Has dear sweet Lara seen come to terms with the new way things will work from now on?” “Uhhh… I’m working on it,” I said optimistically. Yenn stared right into the camera so I could feel her icy stare and sighed. “Disappointing, yet predictable. What would you like from me? I hope you aren’t begging for a show, I’m quite dressed and ready for my beauty sleep.” “Uh, no, no, no…” Her eyes narrowed threateningly. “I mean, I would LOVE that, but no… I wanted your help. You see my cousin’s over and I thought I would, uh…” “Initiate her in the Dark Arts?” “Something like that, yeah.” “And she’s come to our church begging for our teachings, or are you seeking the BBC version of a koan to force enlightenment upon her?” “Whatever the second is, probably.” Yenner smiled affably. “You are endearingly stupid, do you know that?” “Yes.” “Now, now.” She raised a finger in warning. “Vanity does not suit a man. Anyway, I suppose I can arrange this for you. I am very generous. Get your delightful cousin, I’ll send you an address soon enough.” “Thank you, Yennefer.” A smirk. She reached so far back with her brush that the robe began to open, showing a glimpse of-- Call ended. Sonia and I snuck out before my mom became aware. I only called her once we were at the bus station, pretending that Sonia insisted I go and that I had no choice. Meanwhile, Yenn sent me an address that appeared to be closeby. Standing there at the bus station by herself, my ginger cousin looked oddly vulnerable. She seemed very conscious of her bovine ass and breasts and the way everyone stared at her over them. A few girls that were trying to show cleavage by squeezing together some breasts that were baby-sized gave her genuinely hateful looks. “I hope that place we’re going to is more friendly…” I was worried Yenn would send us to some seedy club, but it turned out to be some teenage meeting spot, a book store turned cafe after 5 p.m. where people could take books out and read them while drinking. Sonia loved it, and we sat there for a whole two hours while I wondered if I had gotten the place wrong. “This is great, you know!~” She smiled happily as she flipped through another book she found. “Going out was a great idea. Not many boyfriends here though, except maybe the ones in these pages.” There was nothing to do but pay and make our way back home. Yennefer, what the hell? It was as we were chatting and walking up towards the bus stop that three guys got in our way. They looked like proper thugs, with face tats and golden teeth that flashed while they spoke. I said black guys, not fucking criminals, Yenn. “The fuck do we have here?” one of them said, circling around Sonia. “Ginger meat.” Another rubbed his palms together eagerly, then pulled on his crotch. “Looks tasty.” Sonia’s gaping eyes glanced at me as the three walled her in and started groping her, tugging at her tight sweater, palming her huge ass cheek, and running their dark fingers through her ginger hair. The few white guys that passed us by pretended not to see it and kept going like proper cucks. “Leave me alone…” said Sonia breathlessly. “I’ll call the police. Cuz!” I raised the phone to give the impression, at least, until one of them yelled at me to put it down or get my ass beaten down. I was beginning to question whether or not these people had anything to do with Yennefer at all. Could they have just been random guys? A bit suspicious… “Seriously…” Sonia tried again, her voice breaking down. One of the guys reached up and got a feel of her breasts, sinking his fingers into the warm folds of the plump flesh. “Goddamn,” he drawled. “These are some monster tits on you, aren’t they? We should inspect these. Make sure you don’t have breast cancer.” “I don’t!...” It was too late for her to fight back, as they were already pulling her after them. Whatever fight there was in Sonia evaporated pretty quickly when facing three black guys with arms about as thick as her waist. What kind of girl could have fought just one of them, let alone three? “Cuz! Do something!” she yelled. “What’s he gonna do?” one of the guys asked, laughing. That was true, I wasn’t about to do much of anything, except follow along and see where this led. They took her down an alley and then up a set of stairs that led to an apartment. They got her in the living room and locked the door, then threw her on the sofa as they took off their tops. Even my cousin, as strongly as she must have felt against the idea of being taken like this for the first time, took a moment to stare at the rippling musculature of their glistening and tattooed chests. Already, their dicks were so hard that they were outlined down the side of their pants, twitching ready. To my surprise, they didn’t rip her clothes off. In fact, despite all their big talk about how they were going to inspect her and so on, patting her down and feeling her up through her clothes was the most of what they seemed to be doing. Sonia looked away as they explored every curvy of her body, moaning each time they squeezed too hard on her. One of them came and dropped down on the sofa and pulled her in his lap, while the other two flanked Sonia. “Such a pretty ginger slut,” the one to her left said, coiling some of her ginger hair around his dark finger. “Uhm…” Though she appeared distressed, it was clear that the all the touching and attention affected her body on a deep primordial level. Not only were her cheeks a deep red, but her eyes were fluttering and her chest heaved with her heated, breathless inhalations. “Cuz?”...” said a lone whisper, but she wasn’t even looking at me. Only at the strong black bulls surrounding her that were ready to put her in her place. The guys took her pale hands and brought them down to their dicks as they throbbed through their pants, snaking so far down their thighs that even I found myself hypnotized. I watched dumbfounded as Sonia’s expression went from one of excitement, to pure shock as her fingertips explored the length and shape of their powerful shafts. “You like that?” they asked her. “You feel that thing under you?”  The guy she was sitting on started moving his hips and grinding her ass back and forth over his dick, slowly moving her back and forth while she jumped each time his dick hit her crotch. I could only wonder what her parents or boyfriend might have seen if they saw her being slutted up like this. Her mind was being warped in real time, and I could see the enchanted smile that started curling her as she took in the true size and might of those big black cocks. Her palms started moving by themselves over the shafts; at the same time, her own hips started rocking and helping the bull under her. Turned on by her new show of interest, the studs plunged their hands into her doughy breasts, each one kneading a different part, their strong fingers abusing the soft teenage tits of this breeding snowfunny as her white cousin watched helplessly. At some point one must have accidentally pinched one of her nipples, because Sonia threw her head back in pure pleasure and cooed submissively. The guy under her grinned, flashing his golden teeth. “You like that, bitch?” The aqua eyes looked to me for a brief second, as if seeking my approval. “I love it,” she confessed, still blushing wildly with shame, but completely unable to help herself. From the exhilarated way she sought to touch their cocks, it was crystal clear that the drugging effect of BBC lured her in. Her eyes went from one dick to another, gaping and unable to look away. “They’re getting bigger!” Sonia was awestruck. “No shit.” My cousin bit her tongue, then the wet mouth opened instinctively. “Can I see?...” she whispered, as if hoping no one could hear that. “What was that?” asked the guy under her. “N-Nothing,” stammered Sonia. The thugs brofisted each other and laughed it up. “You hear that, bro? She wants to see your dick.” The more I watched these guys, the more I realized there was something off about them. They were just so… stereotypically thuggish. There was an unreality about their behavior that went at odds with the mild manner in which they conducted themselves. The black guy under her yanked her head back by the hair and looked her in the eyes. “Well? Did he hear it right? You want us to get our dicks out and fuck you?” Sonia hesitated for a second. But it was only a second. A clear gulp went down her throat. “Yes.” The thug shook her. “Say it, you dumb white bitch. I want to hear it.” The obscene cowtits trembled on her chest. “I want to see your dick.” “My black dick.” Sonia’s eyes closed and she took a deep breath. “I want to see your black dick. Please,” she added. “Please? Well, ain’t you fuckin’ thoughtful. On your knees.” “Huh?” Before she could follow any order, the thug threw her to the ground and stood up before her, ordering her to kneel. “On your fucking knees, bitch! Now! Don’t you fucking hear me?” Sonia did as told and got down in a position of total submission, presenting herself as her hands were folded in her lap. “Please, sir…” He grabbed her by the ginger locks and came close enough that the outline of his big black cock twitching in his pants was right in her face. “Why don’t you kiss my dick? Show me how much you like it.” This time, there was no lag between his order and her actions. As if she were planning to do it all along, the full lips puckered up and landed right on the shaft, not just once, but many times over, delivering kisses so gentle they could have been meant for a lifelong lover. Even her tongue came out to lick it up and down, not caring it was trapped behind a layer of fabric. The thug laughed grimly, then pressed her face against his dick gleefully. I watched my racist cousin smile happily as she got her nose and mouth rubbed against his black cock. Yenn, you delivered… “Please, sir, just let me see it… Please…” she begged, as obedient as any worshiper now. How she went from a kidnapped victim to a cockcrazed slut in less than fifteen minutes was pure magic. He snorted and pushed her away. “Fuck no. Dumb white bitch. You think I’d waste my energy with you? We’re done here. Come on, get the fuck out of here.” Before Sonia could wipe the shock off her ashen face, he started kicking at her to get out, finally grabbing her by the hair and to shove her out the door like unwelcome trash. I was left behind, and once the door closed, the thug came over to me and spoke casually: “Okay, I think we’re done here,” he said, in a totally different voice. “Are we good?” “Uhm. I’m not sure?...” “Yenn said she needed a bit of a push... so, we got her there, right?” The other two started removing the gold off their teeth and wiping off the face tats. Wow. It had all been a sham? The guy watched me impatiently. “Well?” “Yes, you did great…” “That’s wonderful.” He put his hands together and bowed ever so slightly. “Thanks. So how would you rate my performance, on a scale of one to ten?” “Oh my god,” the other two said, dropping their thuggish voices as well. “Leave the kid alone, man, he’s not here to rate your acting. Performance, he says.” They snorted. “You haven’t gotten a role in two months.” “If this wasn’t a role, then I guess I won’t share the pay, huh? Anyway, you should go now. Tell our friend things went well, I could use the boost.” I came out of the apartment amazed at their and Yenn’s professionalism, and found a dismayed Sonia waiting for me. “Jesus!” She ran over and hugged me, and I could feel the warm breasts pressing into me. “I thought they were going to hurt you.” “Thankfully not.” She took a step aside and pushed her hair back, avoiding eye contact. “What happened in there… You know that was just acting, right? I was just trying to avoid getting raped or worse.” There was no way that was the truth of it. Even if she played it up, she definitely got excited by them… she still was, as could be seen from the glazed eyes and the shivers that kept passing through her. Yenn, you should’ve told them to go the whole way... As we went back home, I could tell her mind was elsewhere. “You said… those girls at your school only date black guys?” she asked me once we were back on the bus, going home. “Most of them.” “Huh.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “None of them got hurt?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Hurt? Why would they get hurt? How racist are you, Cuz?” “Not racist! I’m just wary of new things, that’s all. But that’s… that’s good to hear.” For someone that had just been kidnapped and molested by black thugs, at least as far as she was aware, this was a very sudden change of heart in the opposite direction. “Maybe one day I’ll give it a shot.” I felt like toying with her further. “You just have to be careful.” “Careful?” Sonia blinked anxiously. “Of what?” “You know…” I kept my voice low as other passengers crowded around us. “That.” “I don’t know,” whispered Sonia harshly. “Tell me!” “I mean, you saw it even tonight. Black guys have cocks so big that they’re incomparable to tiny white pencil dicks. Most girls can’t take that. Some of them like serving as cocksleeves, sure, but it will still tear you apart and ruin you. These bulls will fuck you so hard that you scream and lose your voice. You won’t even be able to walk or talk after they’re done with you. You’ll just be a shivering hot mess. And the best ones get so many girls that they have no long term interests. All they’ll do is break you, put a black baby inside of you, and then throw you away like a used rag.” I could almost see the whole scene playing out in her head through the small movements of her face. At the end she just looked inwards, licking and biting her lip. I felt proud, pulling the same trick on her that Lara did on me, though I was getting aroused as well.. “Sounds awful,” she whispered, not even there with me anymore. Sonia was in her mind now, getting destroyed by black cock. In the span of a single evening, my “cuz” was turned into yet another BBC slut. I did this, I realized. Pride swelled in my heart.

[fandom-necromancer]

697. The moon is high tonight, it frames you well.

Another prompt by the perfect @smolandangry001! It’s a bit longer than the usual short but hey, I had a bit more time today and it was fun writing! Enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

There was no way this was going to work. Gavin looked over to the android standing in front of the printer and staring at it as if it had offended him and the whole of androidkind by requesting magenta for a black and white print. The thing was rightfully terrifying and while he didn’t mind that, it was difficult to imagine them playing the happy, love-drunk couple their killer would fall for.

It was one of the worse cases. Some idiot was determined that humans and androids shouldn’t be allowed to live together and love each other, deciding the best way to push his opinion was by killing them. There were already couples that feared being out in public together or broke up completely to stay safe. And while Gavin couldn’t care less about less people smooching each other in parks, this was so clearly wrong, even more gruesome than the “normal” serial killer in his eyes. It was out of question that asshole had to be stopped. But the how was something he would rather not think about at all: Connor had come up with the grand idea they would simply pose as a couple to bait the killer. And there really wasn’t a good reason to disagree with the plan except to maybe tell them- No. Never. Don’t even think about it!

‘So… Any plans on how to do this?’, Gavin asked, trying to hide that blush that was starting to creep up his cheeks. Nines sat down, slapping the pages on the desk after hacking the printer. He supposed that had to be at least a violation of some law but didn’t care enough to start a fight. ‘Of course, detective.’, he answered, cocking a brow. ‘I believe the humans call it “fake dating”.’ ‘Yeah, no shit Sherlock. Any idea how to do that?’ ‘Tonight. Seven p.m. Blue Iridescence. Dress accordingly.’ ‘What?’ ‘You heard me.’ ‘No way, I’m not paying that much for a fucking investigation!’ ‘87% of all android-human couples have at least one date in this restaurant as it is one of the openly android-friendly establishment considering we don’t eat. It is likely the killer is present considering all victims had been killed shortly after eating there.’ ‘Damn, if I’m broke at the end of the month because of this, I blame you!’

Gavin had picked up his best clothing – a suit from when Eli had made the first robot to pass the Turing-test. Came to think of it, this had been the last time he had worn it, too. Well, he wasn’t the fancy type after all and from all the people he had dated until now, he probably had the best fashion sense still. Thankfully it still fit, it was even weirdly comfortable. He took extra time to wash and brush his hair, trying to make everything work together. But when he looked into the mirror, he just looked… foreign to himself. In a final thought he unpacked the cologne Eli had gifted him one Christmas years ago. It probably cost more than his car, but well, there wouldn’t be a better occasion to use it, he mused.

Kissing goodbye his cat he walked down to his car and funnily enough thought about calling an automated vehicle. But he brushed it off and sat behind the wheel. He was still him and he loved that old thing with all his knacks. He might wear a suit, but that didn’t change him. True to that, Nines snarled at him pulling up in the Blue Iridescence’s parking lot. The expression vanished when he exited the car and patted down the light jacket. Gavin swore that LED changed to yellow for a millisecond there and grinned. ‘What? Didn’t thought I had expensive stuff?’ ‘It’s good to see you heeded my call and dressed for the occasion.’ Had that just been the android equivalent of telling him he looked nice? Gavin felt his cheeks heating up again and walked up to the entrance instead of answering. ‘Shall we go in, then?’

Nines looked good, too. He had exchanged the Cyberlife-jacket for a long black coat, fitting perfectly with black dress pants, polished shoes and a spot of colour added by a thirium-blue scarf. Although there was the stupid turtleneck underneath, Gavin couldn’t say anything bad about the droid’s appearance. Quite the opposite was true. They entered, Nines dropping the scarf and coat to stack it neatly away in an offered cupboard and waiting to take Gavin’s jacket too. Caught off-guard Gavin scrambled to take it off and hand it over, as they were saved by a waiter to show them to their table. Finally, Gavin got his head out of his ass enough to return the compliment: ‘You look fine, too, toa- Nines.’

Damn, come on, Gavin, this is an investigation, dumbass. Play your role! But before they could get on with any of the fake-couple talk, they were both given cards, quite useless for Nines, but he accepted it politely, pretending to look into it, while Gavin suppressed a ‘Holy shit’ as he looked at the prizes. Nines shifted one hand on the menu and showed him his palm discretely. Take anything. The DPD covers the expenses, it’s an investigation after all. Now, that was something Gavin liked to hear, and he grinned like the asshole he was underneath the layers of fancy he wore today. They ordered their horribly overprized meals. Nines could even be persuaded into trying something thirium-based they desperately tried to push on the market now to get the most of their new fellow citizens.

Then they waited and Gavin still wrestled with the horrifying thought they would have to actually have a conversation now that didn’t involve work. It was becoming even more terrifying as Nines looked at him in a way he sure as hell shouldn’t. He had leaned forwards, head gently resting on an elbow and the other hand toying with the tablecloth. But these eyes. Fuck, the idiot hadn’t watched some romance flicks in preparation, had he? And shit, Gavin couldn’t even do anything against it without blowing their cover. ‘I’m so happy you agreed to this’, the android told him in the worst, most sappy and love-sick voice imaginable. ‘I’ve been waiting months to finally go out with you.’ Fuck, this was a blush he couldn’t hide, why body, why? ‘Yeah, me too.’ That earned him a sharp kick under the table and wincing Gavin added: ‘But work got in the way the last few times, I’m sorry… my love.’ Oh god, that was awful, Gavin hoped to get his food soon and be able to keep it down once eaten.

Nines was smiling and it was borderline creepy knowing the reserved android at work. ‘How are the cats?’ Oh thank phck the android threw him a bone. ‘Good, actually.’ Wait, when had he told the tin-can he had… ‘They are dipshhhh’ He coughed. His normal self probably wasn’t appropriate here… ‘tipsy as always. Have I told you of the time she tried to jump on the couch but didn’t make it and fell, looking confused as ph- looking really confused?’ Oh thank god, he could talk about his cats for hours and could at least focus on something else than the damn tin-can giving him the most obvious heart-eyes in history until he was interrupted by the waiter bringing them their food. Well Gavin his food and Nines a weird blue mush that looked like a science experiment crossbreeding mashed potatoes and jello gone horribly wrong. But, because this was a fancy restaurant, it was decorated with all sorts of stuff that wasn’t edible for both humans and androids. It was the first time that evening that the real Nines resurfaced as he looked at the “food” as if this had been a personal offense. But nonetheless he took a bite and it seemed to surprise him.

He looked back up to him, and there was this horrible smile again. The android exploited the fact that he was occupied with chewing and eating and continued talking. ‘That’s what I love about you. You are so passionate!’ It took all his will and luck to not choke on the bit and he believed to be just as red as his phcking tomato-sauce. But oh damn, this was the prelude to one of these cutesy back-and-forths, wasn’t it? He struggled for words and hid it under chewing and swallowing. Then he set up a smile by himself and leaned in, too. ‘Aw come on, babe, there’s nothing I’m more passionate about than you.’ Oh god, this was torture. Let Nines take over, damn, just play along. He wouldn’t even say stuff like this would he really have a mad crush on the android, which he had not! Definitely not. Just normal colleagues, yes. Now continue eating.

He wanted to reach for a tissue, but Nines had other plans. Quicker than he could see, the android had covered his hand with his own and Gavin froze, locking eyes with him and putting his most hateful stare in it he could conjure. Except wow, this was actually not that bad. No sweat, just the texture and consistency of normal skin. Until the damn tin-can took it a step further and retracted it. Immediately it changed to a cold contact, but not unpleasant and damn, Gavin could get accustomed to that- No! No, this was just for a case, Gavin remember.

Gavin managed to concentrate on the food, playing along to Nines who took over the evening, praising him and talking about normal-people’s banter, peppering it with affectionate gestures wherever possible. And Gavin managed to never flinch away. By the time they got to dessert, he had adapted and a few parts of him had stopped screaming at him. It was a nice evening, all things considered. Good food - good free food - a nice ambience and hell, although none of his fantasies with Nines involved eating at a restaurant, this sure was pleasant.

The android had even gotten a laugh out of him. Damn, Gavin really had lost his internal battle. Hopefully Nines didn’t notice he wasn’t just playing his role here. As they were finally finished, Nines paid by interfacing with the android waiter and helped Gavin up, his hand loosely remaining on his hip on their way out. He even helped him into his jacket before putting on his own clothes and tied his scarf around Gavin’s neck. The hell? But Gavin wasn’t really able to protest. Not only because this was still an investigation, the food added with a few glasses of light alcohol had made him sluggish and warm, feeling content all over.

Nines stayed close and led him away from the parking lot. ‘Hey, Nines, my car’s there, shouldn’t we take…’ ‘Let’s go for a walk, Gav. I heard it is good for a human’s digestion. Also, I have my own reasons’, he added with a smirk. ‘And they would be?’ ‘The moon is high tonight, it frames you well.’ He openly smiled at him and pulled him closer. ‘I’m simply admiring the view. It isn’t often we have the time to be together outside of work.’ Gavin blushed again but oh, this closeness was reeeally nice and damn, the android had just called him beautiful again. Without noticing it, Gavin snuggled deeper into the touch, brushing the thought away that he dearly needed an excuse ready when this whole charade ended. He giggled at himself as he pulled his phone out. ‘Don’t you dare’, came the hissed warning from beside him, but Gavin ignored it. ‘Selfie time!’

He only shot one, but that was enough. As he wanted to send it to Tina for future blackmail, he realised it wasn’t just the two of them visible: There was a third party behind them, someone they knew well enough for recognition. ‘Shit, duck!’ He pushed Nines in the back, although that hadn’t any effect. But the android reacted simultaneously. Both spun around, Nines lurched at their pursuer afterwards and Gavin had his pistol out from where it had been hidden in his jacket. ‘Phck, the waiter?’, he cried out as Nines was on top of the android and pinned him to the ground. ‘Phck, Nines, the food! Was it poisoned?’ ‘No, Gavin.’ ‘Your mushy shit? Had it a virus?’ ‘No.’ ‘How can you be sure?’ Nines groaned as an answer, repositioning the struggling bot and pulled out a small pistol and a knife out. ‘I think this is enough evidence, as the victims were killed by stab wounds and blood loss, not poison. Also, this knife had been thoroughly cleaned before.’ ‘Shit, okay, you have him? I’m gonna call this in!’

Half an hour later, the waiter was driven off, not with a last ‘You are sick, androids and humans don’t belong together!’ Gavin courtly answered with two middle fingers risen high in the air. Then he turned, only to see the android that followed his example, even if not as enthusiastically. Gavin gaped at him until he dropped his arms and asked: ‘What?’ ‘Nothing’, Gavin murmured bewildered. ‘He is an asshole. If anyone deserves it it’s him. Your behaviour was appropriate.’ ‘Yeah, but you acting like me? Ah, forget it never mind.’ He shook his head. Maybe he had rubbed off on the android more than he had initially thought. ‘Anyways, where did you got these mad theatre skills from?’ ‘I don’t understand.’ ‘Oh you do, come on. In there. The fake-dating stuff?’ ‘Oh. Although exaggerated greatly the message was intended.’ ‘Excuse me?’ ‘I meant what I said, Gavin.’ ‘You- You are kidding me, right?’ ‘No.’ The android’s posture got more rigid and the casual feeling the evening had ended in started to fade. ‘Should I? You seemed to enjoy it after some time adapting.’ ‘Holy shit.’

‘So…’ It sounded terribly self-conscious now. ‘Should we continue our little walk?’ Gavin looked at the leaving officers that ignored them for what it was worth. Hell, he had accepted it over the course of the evening. Maybe he should step out of his own way this time… Just try it out. What could go wrong, really? He smiled barely visible. ‘Yeah, why not. I mean, if the moonlight frames me right… who am I to deprive you of the view?’

This time it was on Nines to blush.

[mediaeval-muse]

Video Game Review: Assassin’s Creed 3 (Ubisoft, 2012; Remastered 2019)

Genres: action-adventure, third person, open world

Premise: Desmond Miles and his team use the Apple of Eden to locate the Grand Temple of the First Civilization. To open it, Desmond must locate a key, known to his ancestors Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton (also called Connor) who were active during the American Revolution.

Platform Played On: PC (Windows)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

***Full review under the cut.***

I am evaluating this game based on four key aspects: story, characters, gameplay, and visuals. I will be evaluating the remastered version of this game on its own terms, so I cannot speak to how it is different from the initial release.

Content Warnings: violence, blood, colonialism, racism, domestic violence

Story: Assassin’s Creed 3 initially follows Haytham Kenway, a new PC character and ancestor of Desmond Miles, as he journeys from Britain to America during the 18th century. Haytham is attempting to find the Grand Temple, a chamber once belonging to the ancient First Civilization, with the help of several colonists and a Mohawk woman named Kaniehti:io. Unable to open the Temple, Haytham initiates a romantic relationship with Kaniehti:io, resulting in a son (Ratonhnhaké:ton/Connor). It is revealed that Haytham is a Templar when he initiates one of the colonists, Charles Lee, into the order.

Years later, Ratonhnhaké:ton is now the PC character. His village is burned by Lee and his cronies, resulting in the death of his mother. The clan leader gives Ratonhnhaké:ton a sphere which contains a message from Juno. Juno leads Ratonhnhaké:ton to Achilles Davenport, a retired assassin who agrees to train him and renames him “Connor.”

The rest of the game focuses on Connor’s evolution as an assassin, his plan to seek revenge against Lee, and his angst regarding his parentage. I very much enjoyed the moral conflict in Connor’s storyline; Connor is resentful of his father’s involvement with the Templars, but also desires to find common ground with him once he hears of Haytham’s goals. I also really liked the Haytham plot twist, as it took me by surprise and prompted a lot of emotional investment in the family drama.

However, the sheer amount of things to do in the open world distracted from the plot and at times threw the pacing off. I also did not like some of the tropes that this game utilized to tell a story involving indigenous characters. Connor’s mother, Kaniehti:io, was a competent warrior and formidable personality, but was primarily present to have a white man’s child and then be killed for emotional shock value. I also don’t think this game pushed hard enough against colonialism, making the Americans out to be morally right despite their supposed “flaws” and showcasing some violence against indigenous people for shock value. However, I appreciated that this game featured many indigenous actors and put a lot of dialogue in indigenous languages.

Desmond’s story was much improved from Revelations. He’s back to working with his team, which made for fun character interactions, and his father also joins the mix, which nicely parallels the tumultuous Haytham/Connor relationship. The stakes are also much higher than in previous games regarding the First Civilization - whereas the team was previously looking for artifacts in the Ezio games, this game features the exploration of an actual Temple housing more information.

I also played the DLC, “The Tyranny of King Washington,” which follows an alternate timeline in which Washington has been corrupted by the Apple. Washington has declared himself King and rules America with ruthless tyranny. To take him down and combat the power of the Apple, Connor must channel supernatural powers derived from animal spirits. While the premise was incredibly interesting to me, the execution was rather poor, especially in terms of indigenous representation. Kaniehti:io was resurrected only to be killed again, and the story featured a lot of scenes of indigenous suffering, including slavery and violence. I also don’t think the “spirit animal” powers were portrayed in a way that was respectful of the actual religious/spiritual significance of spirit animals in Native cultures. I’m somewhat ignorant, though, so I would prioritize criticism from indigenous gamers rather than mine - see what they have to say about the base game and the DLC.

Characters: Haytham Kenway, the first PC character, is initially pretty likable in that he’s witty and charismatic. I like that he was sarcastic and seemingly well-polished, holding in his emotions like only a posh British character can. He was also shown to be brutal at the drop of a hat, and his feelings tended to get the better of him when it came to certain topics, both of which kept me on my toes. The fact that he is the first PC character creates a lot of sympathy for him, mirroring Connor’s later emotional turmoil when he’s being pressured to kill his father despite desiring an alliance.

Connor is a lot more stiff and broody, which is understandable due to the trauma in his past. While he isn’t very charismatic, I did like him as a character, since he was willing to call out the hypocrisy of everyone around him. I particularly enjoyed the way he highlighted how the Americans were all about freedom for the select (white) few - no one, not even Washington, escapes criticism, and it was refreshing to see a non-idealized portrait of the Founding Fathers through Connor’s eyes. Connor did have his sweeter moments, especially when interacting with the people living on his homestead, and I loved when he found joy in the family he made. I do wish he had been given more joy throughout the game - he so rarely expresses positive emotions that he seems like a stick in the mud.

Side characters, such as the Founding Fathers, were well-realized in that they weren’t portrayed as heroes. Washington is shown to be unable to deal with problems in any way other than by violence, and Adams is called out for his insistence that white colonists need to be free before enslaved Africans can be freed. NPCs living on the homestead are also given unique conflicts and storylines that made them feel real, and being able to converse with them at any point in the game was a fun way to feel connected to them.

Desmond is back to being his pre-Revelations self, balancing charisma and determination in a way that makes him compelling. Nothing is necessarily new regarding his characterization, so he acts more like a staple that links the Ezio games to the Haytham/Connor story, making them feel part of the same continuity.

Gameplay: I really enjoyed the way much of the gameplay from the previous Assassin’s Creed games is updated and reimagined for an 18th century setting. Parkour/free running is simplified, and target lock has been eliminated for a more fluid combat experience. Players also no longer need to use medicine to heal, as health regenerates automatically with time. Players can also use more of the environment to assist with stealth; haystacks and wells make a reappearance, as well as groups of people for blending, but Connor can also hide in tall grass, bushes, and behind corners. I also liked that Connor could whistle to lure enemies towards a hiding spot before taking them out.

In terms of weapons, Connor has access to some staples, such as the hidden blade, sword, bow, pistol, etc. but also has some interesting options, such as the tomahawk and rope dart. All of these options were simple to use and required very little practice to get right, though combat itself felt significantly more difficult than in previous games. Several enemies are difficult to take down, such as the Scotsmen wielding giant axes, but players who like a challenge might enjoy the increase in difficulty.

Connor can also recruit new assassins and level up their abilities, similar to Ezio’s actions in Brotherhood. The recruits are able to be used in a number of new ways, not just in a fight, which makes them fun to play around with.

Connor is also able to control his notoriety in much the same way that Ezio could, though instead of “heralds,” there are “town criers” and instead of assassinating a corrupt official, Connor can bribe a printer to create counter-propaganda. Pretty clever, if you ask me.

Collectibles such as Benjamin Franklin’s almanac pages, feathers, and treasure chests are also available and pretty standard - you collect them, you get rewards. Connor can also participate in side quests and challenges, such as a fight club and assassination contracts. To move around the large map, Connor can use fast travel, though to be honest, the map was so big that exploring it all could get tedious.

Also returning is the concept of full synchronization, which was a pain. Like the Ezio games, conditions for full sync did add some challenge to the game, but it was incredibly annoying to do a mission over and over again in order to reach 100%. I’d much rather have a single goal and go about it my own way without the impression of being penalized (even if that penalty doesn’t affect the gaming experience overall).

In terms of the economy, Connor is tasked with managing a homestead. Instead of improving the property or buying monuments, Connor recruits tradesmen such as loggers, miners, and farmers, as well as artisans such as tailors, innkeepers, and blacksmiths. The former group produces raw materials which can be turned into crafted goods by the latter, which Connor then puts on a caravan to be sold in town. Profits enable Connor to buy more weapons and consumables, and tradesmen/craftmen can be leveled up to produce more profitable goods through “homestead missions” which advance NPC stories.

Hunting is also introduced as a way for Connor to gain resources (such as pelts and meat), which are then used for crafting or for sale at trading posts. To hunt, Connor can use a range of tricks, including reading the environment for clues, planting snares, and using bait to lure skittish animals. I liked that hunting was always an option, but never required, since actually finding certain animals could be a chore. Connor also has the option of playing games such as Nine Men’s Morris to earn money through gambling at taverns, though I personally never opted for that. I did think the idea was clever, as it was a neat way to include micro-games in the larger structure.

By far, the most interesting new addition was naval combat. Connor can upgrade his ship, the Aquila, and go on a number of naval missions which earn him rewards. It took some getting used to, and often, the combat could be cumbersome, but I actually enjoyed myself quite a bit. These missions were never overly long, and some of them had interesting world building details.

The DLC has a lot of the same gameplay mechanisms, with the added bonus of “spirit animal powers” (see my assessment above). Basically, these are supernatural abilities that allow Connor to briefly turn invisible (wolf), fly short distances (eagle), and take down multiple enemies or smash through structures with great strength (bear). These abilities were somewhat insensitive thematically, but fun to use in terms of gameplay; I liked being able to sneak past enemies without needing to dart between bushes, and I loved flying across rooftops rather than jumping and climbing them. However, these powers also made exploring the map somewhat irrelevant - treasure chests primarily included consumables, such as arrows and rope darts, so if players find themselves preferring combat using a blade and animal power, there’s not much incentive to clear the map of points of interest. Nor is there much incentive to do side quests or challenges, as their rewards don’t add much to the gaming experience unless you use a lot of consumables.

Visuals: Assassin’s Creed 3 is a beautifully rendered game. The environments are stunning, whether they are seascapes or the wilderness on the “Frontier.” I also think the cities were well-done and eye-catching; even though buildings and streets were somewhat monotone (earthy tones), they never felt dull and little details made the design pop (things like posters/broadsides or splashes of color here and there).

Connor’s assassin outfit is also appealing in that it mashes up some 18th century fashion with accessories that denote his indigenous heritage. The red and white color palette from the Ezio games is replaced by a blue and white scheme, perhaps to show that Connor is not aligned with the British Redcoats, but even so, it still felt like an assassin uniform. I also liked the designs of Haytham’s cape, coat, and tricorne, as well as Achilles’ nod to his past through his accessories.

Animations were very fluid, and Connor’s combat maneuvers were interesting and varied. I think they were much more aesthetically pleasing than Ezio’s, and I liked how the body movements (tumbling, spinning) made them feel physical. There were some moments when awkward camera angles would obscure my vision, which cost me some kills or opportunities here and there, and there were occasionally some glitchy graphics, but they didn’t pull me out of the game the way Revelations did. 

Final Verdict: Despite the plot being weakened by pacing problems and some questionable Indigenous representation, Assassin’s Creed 3 is beautifully rendered and improves on the franchise’s formulae by reimagining the Assassin-Templar conflict in a new setting.

[szopenhauer]

where were you 2 hours ago? in the local store do you kiss a lot of people? I kissed only one person in my entire life

are you wearing socks right now? ... no

have you bought any clothing items in the last week? yes

one thing you hate about yourself? my chronic illnesses mostly

what do you know about the future? we will all die, sooner or later

do you have a tan? slightly, on my arms

what day is tomorrow? Sunday 

are you dating someone? yes

why? because of many reasons

using your current first initial choose a different name for yourself. Zefiryna  or Zyta if polish what piece of furniture have you replaced the most? hmm... dunno, I’m not rich enough to replace my furniture

what do you think is the most over-rated candy ever? candies are overrated in general what is broken that you have, that you wish was fixed? my body  line from the last thing you wrote to someone? jak uważasz

Have you ever wondered what you look like when you’re sleeping? yeah ^^” Do you put your friends or family first? my parents and my S.O. Do you have bad allergies? ugh... Are your parents proud of you? there’s nothing to be proud of Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? I could Is/was your school full of fakes? obvi What age did you start staying home alone? I’m not sure tbh but late

Would you rather see the Great Wall of China or Big Ben? Big Ben because I’d prefer to visit England and not China Ice Ice Baby or U Can’t Touch This? both XD

Can you do a handstand? used to Do you own any shirts that are yellow? several What’s a brand of shoe you like, but wouldn’t buy a pair? creepers for example Would you like to live in a cottage home? yup but I won’t

Are you comfortable with your height? wish I was a bit taller Last text received?

Are you afraid of heights? not really

Were you happy when you woke up today? I was glad I could sleep almost 10 hours Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? few times hahaha Do you curse in front of your parents? oh well ^^” Are you slowly drifting away from someone close? ... What are you listening to right now? iamamiwhoami  How is the weather right now? warm Have you ever been caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing? I don’t recall Do you use chapstick? ewww, gross How long do you think you will live? not much longer How’s your life going lately? no comment Have you ever had to get your blood drawn? countless times What is the most important thing to you? health that I don’t have Who was the last person you high fived? someone close to me Who hugged you last? parent Why do you feel the way you feel? where should I start... When was the last time you went shopping? this day as I already mentioned Are you liking how you look today? it’s ok Do you hate when they give a lot of tv commercials? especially when they repeat  Are you a very stressed out person? that I am 

Do you hate when people stare at you for no reason? awkward Which color is better? Red, Blue, Green, Black, or Yellow? definitely not red and blue *said a person who is wearing this today:

*I also hate pink, you will never understand me  Are you good at hiding your feelings? can be but what for Is anyone annoying you right now? not rn Did you cry today? not so far When was the last time you had a sleepover? years ago Do you like taking pictures? kinda Don’t you hate that when it’s freezing cold outside your eyes get teary? that’s awful

Have you ever trespassed? it wasn’t a big deal Do you tell your parents where you are going? basics at least Can you give a good back massage? been told 

Did you ever mix up the words “message” & “massage”? possibly Are there any other words you get mixed up? there are  Do you think women should hold open doors for men, too? why not, it’s nice to be helpful Do you raise your hand or participate in class? umm... I had my moments Would you ever spend the night in a treehouse? doubt it? What do you think of people who own wild animals? hard to tell If a book was written about your life, what would be in the summary? no idea  Are you good at explaining things, in general? I try my best to be straightforward and turn out being misunderstood If your friend had a drug-problem would you abandon them? I might, sorry Has a friendship ever ended over similar reasons? I wasn’t in a situation like this before Do you like window shopping?  fun Do you mind lending money to your friends? I’m poor What, to you, is the best part of traveling? souvenirs Do you like to try new things? very rarely Does it bother you if someone talks bad about you? gossips/lies bother me

What time of day feels the most magical to you? sunrise and evening/night? Does your head hurt right now? bardziej mi się kręci w głowie po prostu Is your hair wet right now? dry Have you ever dreamt of being a famous athlete? I had a night dream about being an athlete ore than once but I dislike sports  Do you have a rich friend that you’re jealous of? whoops you got me Are you interested in a girl who has a girlfriend? that girlfriend is me muahahaha Do most of the guys who like you annoy you? omg truth (I’m a lesbian though) but majority of society annoys me (especially men) so... What musical do you think you could play the lead in? Cats if I had talent What medical conditions do you have? what medical condition I don’t have... Do you wear leggings often? everyday Are you responsible in general? I avoid responsibilities  Would you consider yourself mature? not enough, I’m childish  Can you reach your ceiling? me?... Do you have a reading nook? I’m a librocubicularist Who is the cutest baby you know? babies ain’t cute  *weird fact - I think those with Down syndrome are prettier - is that offensive?

What makes you nauseous? I constantly feel nauseous

Someone walks into your room, what do they notice first the amount of plushies

When you have sex, do you keep your eyes closed or open when finishing I tried to keep them closed, I’m embarassed If I stepped into your shower, what is the first item I would notice who knows

How many times a day do you think you sneeze it’s not a daily thing to me Your phone rings but you don’t know the number, would you answer it if I wait for a call like from hospital etc. How many cars have you actually owned 0 Do you always take a shower after you have sex no When you wash your hair in the shower to you face the faucet or away:. face Would you let the girl pay on the first date if she really wanted to split or else I just feel ashamed Have you ever had a friend who preferred the same sex I’m that friend ha! What was the name of the last alcohol you consumed that got you trashed not applicable Do you let your girlfriend drive, or do you prefer to we don’t drive The last time you had sex was it in the morning, afternoon or night afternoon

Are you afraid of stink bugs? they’re harmless :o Do you have a printer? but we don’t use it What is the closest thing to you that’s yellow? pencil  Does anyone own any embarrassing pictures of you? I’m ugly on all photos... Do you care what others say about you? who and what? Are you into anime? blergh Name one movie that has made you cry more than once. ex. Five feet apart When is your father’s birthday? Mother’s? next year *my father is a Pisces and my mother is an Aquarius like me  no more info for ya! Are you a sarcastic person? very Do you overthink things? 24/7, every single detail, even from ages ago Are you naturally paranoid? would say so

What was the last song you listened to? Lola Marsch - Echoes

Which is more important in your life, TV or Internet? internet, I don’t watch TV and I’d even choose net over movies if I had to Do you overuse smileys? gifs :P When was the last time you ate something? an hour ago *but I fill out this survey for couple of hours  Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? I haven’t seen any of ‘em Do you know what Entomophobia is? had to google it When was the last time you played cards? (not on the computer) months ago Ever owned a pair of the original Nikes? (white, with only a single swoosh) not my type of shoes Ever worn leg warmers? yes, I still have several pairs  When was the last time you read a book over 700 pages long? never, I only written over 700 pages Have you ever had a black eye? nope, just bags under my eyes

How do you mark through your word search puzzles? I cross them with my pen Do you hate people who ask a lot of questions? I enjoy questions but... Have you ever seen a roll of bluish-green toilet paper? yep Can you name five ‘z’ words off the top of your head? besides my name? in english or polish? If a rooster laid an egg on the peak of a roof which side would it roll to? roosters don’t lay eggs

[kidgezine]

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Professionalism: We understand most of you are not professionals but we do require a certain level of professionalism. Don’t be intimidated; that just means we want you to do a good job and be nice to work with. You will be expected to treat everyone involved with respect and keep an open mind. There will be a review process where the staff or beta readers will review your work. This is to help you and we promise to be gentle so there shouldn’t be anything to get angry about. Most comments will be optional suggestions, but one regarding layout specs or publication requirements are not.

Reliability: This is a big project with a lot of moving parts that all depend on each other to get done. We will be as flexible as we can with deadlines but if you miss too many you will be replaced. Review the deadlines on our Tentative Schedule to get an idea of what’s involved. Some dates might be pushed back if too many fail to meet deadlines but none will be moved forward.

Communication: There will be a review process that requires communication between contributors and staff so you need to be willing to discuss your work with us. You also need to communicate if you have problems with anything. Whether it’s missing a deadline, difficulty meeting a requirement, or you wrote yourself into a corner and don’t know how to get out, just let us know. We are here to help so send us an ask anytime. If you get into a conflict with anyone, contact a moderator immediately.

Have Ideas: It is preferred that you have at least one idea when you submit your Contributor Application. It does not need to be fully thought out but you should be able to give us a few sentences explaining the concept. If you have a lot of ideas you may include them all in your application and we will help you pick the best one(s). At this point there is no limit on the number of works you can contribute but there may be one if we get a lot.

Content Requirements

Format: Most of the zine’s content should be fanfic or digital fanart but we could be open to ideas for other things such as: poetry/songs, journal entries, editorials, aesthetics, schematics, profiles, cosplay, etc. Send us an ask to see if your idea is ok. Whatever the format it will still be subject to the general requirements and those for either art or writing (whichever is closest). Example: a cosplay photo would have to follow all the art requirements while a journal entry would fall under writing.

New Content: All submissions must be new content. That means they can not have been posted anywhere before the publishing of this zine. DO NOT POST YOUR PIECE! If you post your work for the zine we won’t be able to include it.

Stand Alone: Your submission(s) must be able to stand alone. We will allow extensions of existing works but not direct continuations. So you could do a prequel, spin off, or deleted scene of an existing work but not the next chapter of that story. Readers should not have to look up an outside work to understand what’s going on.

Mature Light: The vast majority surveyed were ok with at least a mature rating but we’re going to say keep it light. That means it’s ok to include adult things but not explicitly show them. So you could have a character that does drugs but not describe them shooting up, or sex could happen in the story but skip the juicy stuff. Explicit triggers (non-con/rape, heavy violence, abuse, etc) will need to be approved on a case by case basis so if you want to do that send us an ask with your idea and we’ll let you know if it’s ok.

Any Kidge Counts: There is some preference for romance but platonic Kidge is ok with the majority of our survey respondents so we will accept the pair as friends so long as Keith and Pidge are the main focus.

Setting and Theme: We’re not going to limit you on setting so go wild: the theme is “Fantasy” and there is a lot that falls under that umbrella. From traditional fantasy to steampunk to science-fiction to gothic horror, the world is your oyster. We look forward to seeing what you create!

Art Requirements

Links to art templates will be added soon.

Aspect Ratio: Pages will be 6 inches wide and 9 inches tall with a 6mm (about a ¼ inch) bleed but I recommend working at least twice that size (13x19). Since there will be text in the layout, we will allow ratios other than 6x9 as illustrations for written works. If you are doing a collaboration you may do a full page (6x9) of a single drawing or split your page up into 2 or 3 smaller drawings that will have text around them. Full spread layouts (art across two pages) will be allowed so long as there is room for words on at least one of the pages. If you do a full spread please be sure to have a quarter inch of unimportant space on either side of the gutter (where the two pages meet). See this post for more on non-standard ratios. If you have something unusual you want to try just send us an ask and we’ll see if it’s possible.

DPI and Color: This is for print so we need a minimum dpi of 300px preferably in CYMK color. I highly recommend drawing on at least a 13x19 canvas as you will get better detail in larger sizes. You can give us RGB color if that’s your preference but our staff will convert it to CYMK for print.

Bleeds: All art will be full bleed (printed to the edge) so include at least a quarter inch (6mm) around all edges where there’s nothing important in the image. This will give the printer some wiggle room when trimming. If you include a signature, put it at least an inch from the edge. I recommend keeping the image focus at least an inch from the edge as well.

Editor Review: All art will be reviewed at multiple stages of the process to ensure artists are on schedule and help fix any problems that might come up. Don’t be intimidated by that, this is just to help you. We understand that a lot of artists don’t like showing their work unfinished but we also know that progress reviews are essential to producing quality work. We promise to be gentle, just be willing to go through a review process.

Writing Requirements

Links to writing templates will be added soon.

Page/Word Count: We will only limit lengths for Print copy pieces. Digital copy works can be as long as you need. Print counts will be given on acceptance but will generally range between 3 and 8 pages. The pages will be 6x9 inches so about half a standard size page. You should be able to get around 300-400 words per page depending on how much dialog you have. Multiply your pages by 300 to get a rough word count. Page count will be determined by several factors but the word count you request on your application will be the main one so be sure to take that seriously.

Going Over Limit: Try to stay within your page limit but if you start to go over contact the mods and we might be able to work something out. However, we will only print a maximum of 10 pages for each writer no matter how good it may be. Anything over 10 pages will be cut and finished in the Digital copy. Keep in mind we have editors to help you fit the word count so don’t panic.

Beta Read: All writing must be fully beta read and polished to a high degree of quality. You may work with a beta of your choice (make sure to give us their information on your application) or we can pair you with one of our volunteers. Beta pairings will happen after you’ve turned in your outlines.

Editor Review: All writing will be reviewed at multiple stages of the process to ensure writers are on schedule and help fix any problems that might come up. Don’t be intimidated by that, this is just to help you. We understand that a lot of writers don’t like showing their work unfinished but we also know that progress reviews are essential to producing quality work. We promise to be gentle, just be willing to go through a review process.

[raphpanda21]

Karma’s a Bitch

Minthe sat at her desk angrily stabbing her store bought salad. Hades was ignoring her. She had texted him with no response. That hadn’t made her angry though. What made her angry was when she finally caved and decided to call him he screened her call after two rings sending it straight to voice mail. The reality of the situation was that Minthe was finally getting a taste of her own medicine and she wasn’t a fan. As much as she hated to admit it perhaps Hecate was right and she would have to figure out someway to get back in his good graces regarding the fleabag situation. As if the furries themselves had heard her disparaging thoughts retribution came swiftly as her fork found its mark. Stabbing an overripe cherry tomato it squirted out hitting her work blouse a few stray seeds sliding down the now ruined silk blouses front.

Minthe took a deep calming breath counting to ten in her mind as she stood picked up what was left of the salad and carried it to the break room. She tossed the remains in the bin with a little more force than was necessary. Heading back to her desk she logged everything off before grabbing her coat and purse. She was done. This day had been an absolute shit show and the tomato was the the cherry on top.

She needed advice from a pro as much as her pride hurt to admit it. Making her way downstairs she pressed three on her speed dial and waited.

Thetis: Hey Bitch, calling me before clocking out time it must be serious .

Minthe: Cut the crap Thetis I called cause I needed some advice.

Thetis: Really? Well I don’t give anything for free soooo?

Minthe: You are such a bitch. Fine I will buy you those heels you have been whining about on fatesbook.

Thetis: Deal, so what have you done now? I thought you had just weasled back into his favor.

Minthe: Uggh, he is just being sensitive. His stupid dog has run off probably just chasing some tail but he flipped out when I told him that.

Thetis: Ah, you know sometimes it amazes me how you have made it this far. When it comes to the wife, the family , or the pets you need to remember these things. You never bring up the wife when he is with you because he is coming to you to get away from her. Only talk about family if he brings it up period! Then last but not least, always I repeat always be as into the pets as he is. If he hates them you hate them and vice versa.

Minthe: Well fuck! This isn’t something I can really fix with some crocodile tears is it?

Thetis: Nope you are going to have to get off that fat ass of yours and put in some work this time. I suggest print off a ton of flyers and find him. Sure you know you could care less but your actions will imply otherwise.

Minthe sighed knowing Thetis was right but not really having the desire or energy to traipse around to find a dog that would most likely eat her given the chance. Seeing a copy shop across the street it seemed her destination was set. Checking to make sure the road was clear she jaywalked across the street to the copy shop.

Minthe: Fine, but I am not going anywhere until I go home and change. I ruined my favorite blouse because of all of this .

Thetis: You do you, but my advice is the more disheveled you look in this situation the better. Gives you that concerned upset look that you are oh so terrible at faking. Any look would be better than your usual polished ice queen gimmick.

Minthe: Whatever whore, I have to go. Try not to get replaced you are getting to be a rather old model after all.

Minthe hangs up before Thetis can come back with a nasty comment. Going to fatesbook app on her cell she pulled up Hades page quickly scrolling through his photos until she found a decent one of Cerberus. Walking to the counter she slid the phone across to the clerk.

Minthe: I need you to make 200 Lost dog flyers with this mutts photo.

Store clerk: Sure thing just write down the contact number and if there is a reward what it will be.

The clerk slides a pad and pen towards Minthe. Minthe’s ears flattened back with annoyance. Damn she hadn’t thought about what Hades might pay to get this mutt back. Seeing the clerk waiting she grabbed the pen and pad and scribbled down Hades number writing beneath it reward offered upon safe return.

Minthe: I will let him negotiate the terms. How long will this take?

The clerk took the pad and quickly began to type the information into his screen before he picked up her cell and sent the photo to the stores email. Done with the cell he slid it back to her

Store Clerk: About 5 - 8 mins. How would you like to pay?

Minthe was already absorbed in her phone trying to locate Hades cell signal. It wasn’t creepy that she had engaged a phone tracker on him. It was a security measure.

Minthe: Just charge it to the Corporate account.

The clerk glanced at her employee badge and shrugged entering the payment information and moving back to the printer.

Finally his cell pinged a tower. He wasn’t terribly far away yet. It looked like he was only about 5 neighborhoods over from his own which actually placed him closer to her current location. Going back to her apps she quickly pulled up her Charioteer app and arranged for a pickup.

Less then ten minutes later she was in the car flyers in hand and headed Hades way. Looking at herself in the driver rearview mirror she remembered Thetis’ words. Disheveled is better. Setting aside the flyers she reached up and quickly rustled up her hair making it look unkempt as if she had been running our caught in a maelstrom. Regarding herself in the mirror she frowned. It didn’t look enough to her despite what Thetis said. Maybe a little ruined mascara would give it the real effect. Tilting her head back Minthe willed herself to cry. It took a few minutes but soon they were flowing leaving her eyes nice and puffy and with just a hint of running mascara. Cutting off her tears she smiled at the effect in the mirror .

Minthe: Perfection.

Minthe might have thought she looked perfect for the role she was about to play but her driver was genuinely worried he had picked up another loon. Why were the hot ones always crazy? The Gods were cruel.

[wishingforatypewriter]

Between Us (Chapter 4)

Summary: It’s the night before the opening of Shino’s New York, and chef de cuisine Souma receives two very different pieces of advice. 

It was just after 2:30 am when Souma made it back to his small Queens apartment. The soft opening of Shino’s New York was tomorrow—tonight, technically—and it had occurred to him ten minutes before he was supposed to go home that the tables were arranged all wrong.

He was just locking the door behind him when Megumi padded out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. She wore a navy blue bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, and her hair hung loose around her shoulders.

Souma grinned upon seeing her, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Sorry I woke you.”

“It wasn’t you,” she said, smiling a little. “The upstairs neighbors were playing dubstep.”

“Again?”

She nodded. “I climbed up the fire escape and gave them a stern talking to, so it should be okay from now on.”

Souma raised his eyebrows a bit at this. Even after three years, she still surprised him every single day. “Hope you didn’t scare ‘em too much.”

“Just enough.” Megumi giggled a bit, and then stifled a small yawn. “What kept you out so late?”

“More stuff at the restaurant,” he said, shaking his head. There was always something to attend to —the fonts on the menus, the cushions on the seats, the lighting. This was nothing like running the diner with his pops.

“Are you coming straight to bed or do you want something to eat first?” Megumi asked. “I can cook if you’re too tired.”

“Actually, I’m gonna try revising the recipes for one or two of the menu items.”

A small crease formed between Megumi’s brows. “Souma-kun.”

“I’ll only be a couple of minutes,” he assured her, “an hour tops, but you should get back to bed. Executive chef’s work is never done, right?”

Megumi shrugged a bit, as if to say she knew he was deflecting and she wasn’t having any of it.

“You and Shinomiya-senpai spent all summer working on that menu. Everything on it is world class cuisine, and I can say that because you had me taste test at every stage.”

Just then, she took his left hand in her right, drew the kanji for person with her thumb, and left a lingering kiss on the center of his palm.

Souma sighed, feeling a bit of the stress leave him. “Tadokoro—”

“It’s not like you to be so anxious, Souma-kun,” she said. “No matter what, tomorrow is going to be fine.”

With that she went back into the bedroom, leaving the door cracked behind her. It was a quiet invitation; she wouldn’t push the matter more than that.

Souma was poised to follow her in when his phone started ringing. It was an international number, the country code for which he couldn’t quite place. Thinking it was one of the restaurant’s ingredient suppliers, he decided to pick up. It’d take five minutes, ten. He’d catch Tadokoro before she fell asleep again.

“Hello?”

“I read in Food & Wine that your opening’s today.”

Of all the voices in the world, Souma hadn’t expected hers to be the one on the other line. “Nakiri?”

It had been nothing but radio silence from her since graduation, even in the group chat with Alice, Hayama, Arato, and Kurokiba.

“Just calling to remind you not to fuck up.”

“I’ll try not to.” He laughed. “Where the hell are you now anyway?”

“Abu Dhabi. At brunch.”

“Nice.” Souma could see her now, walking away from an ornate table overflowing with delicacies she knew she could have made better. He paused for a moment. “Nakiri, let me ask you something.”

She sighed into the receiver. “If you must.”

“Hypothetically, let’s say you’re opening a restaurant, and you’re considering making a last-minute change to the menu.”

“I’d say it’s generally inadvisable,” Erina replied, and he could hear her measuring her words the way she did sometimes, like she wasn’t sure how much of the answer she’d give him this time.  “And wildly eccentric. It would be a huge inconvenience to the printers, the serving staff, the sommelier.”

Souma nodded a few times. “You’re right about that, but—”

“I’m not finished,” Erina said. “Doing something like that would be a huge risk and cause immeasurable trouble for all parties involved, but at the same time, I’d never put out a dish I’m not fully confident in.”

“So what you’re saying is—”

“I’m saying you don’t have time to be talking to me right now, Yukihira-kun. Now get to work. It’d bring shame upon the academy if you were to sully the reputation of Shino’s.”

Then, in classic Nakiri fashion, she hung up before he could thank her. Souma knew better than to try the number again.

He shook his head, then headed towards the kitchen. There’d be no rest if he wanted the reviews to leave his rival speechless from halfway across the globe.  

“Sorry about that,” Erina said as she returned to her table. Across from her was Elaine Shiraz, a young culinary blogger she’d befriended on her travels.

“No worries,” she assured. “But did I hear you mention Shino’s just now? One of my colleagues is covering the New York opening tomorrow and I’m about to die from jealousy.”

Erina shook her head a little. “I did mention it.”

“Everyone at True Taste is freaking out because Chef Shinomiya picked a new graduate as chef de cuisine over his tried and tested sous chefs in Paris and Tokyo.”

At this, Erina smiled a bit. It wouldn’t make much sense to North American publications like True Taste Magazine. For those outside of Totsuki and its affiliate organizations, Yukihira Souma had been an unknown until this year’s BLUE. “Your fellow correspondent will understand when she tries his cooking.”

“That’s right,” Elaine said, taking a small sip of her mimosa. “You and this Chef Yukihira were schoolmates. Tell me, what kind of cook is that person?”

With a sigh, Erina polished off the second bellini she had to order to work up the nerve to call him, and then waved the waiter over to bring her a third. “What I’m about to say stays off record,” she explained, a hint of a threat in her voice.

Elaine nodded. “That goes without saying. Your friend Hisako made me sign an airtight contract after we first met in Madrid.”

Of course she had.

Even when she was working fifty hour weeks and earning a degree in Nutritional Science, Hisako still somehow found the time to mother her.

“The thing about Yukihira is he’s an impertinent upstart, and his style is woefully pedestrian, but despite all that…” She sighed. There was no easy way to put this. “In the kitchen, he’s a genius. His dishes change people, and I have to say that I had no particular love of food or passion for cooking before I met him.”

When she finished speaking, Erina downed the third bellini in one go, her face flushed beyond belief. She had never admitted all of that to anyone, not even Hisako.

“Follow up question,” Elaine said.

“Go.”

“Are you two still together? Because I was going to set you up with someone. He and my boyfriend are gonna be at the Emirates Palace later tonight.”

“Yukihira and I never dated; we never will.” At this point, Erina was contemplating a fourth drink. “And who is this person you wanted me to meet?”

“Only the son of the world’s biggest luxury aircraft supplier,” she said. “He studies business at Oxford and bankrolls a charity dedicated to stamping out hunger—not to mention the fact that he’s a huge foodie—”

“Only plebs call themselves foodies.”

“Sorry, a huge culinary enthusiast. And he can’t wait to meet you—if you’re up for it, that is.”

Erina made a face, stewing as she considered her options. The devious voice in the back of her mind, which sounded suspiciously like Alice, screamed that it was about time for her to have some fun. “What’s he look like?”

Elaine pulled up a picture on her phone, and Erina was immediately stunned by the worldly-looking gentleman in the impeccably tailored suit. This was exactly the kind of person she could have pictured herself with before that red-haired fool came along and ruined her.

She knew just by looking that she’d go through the motions with this man, allow him to court her and date him for just under a year. If upon dumping him she could convince herself to feel the slightest bit sad, she’d know that it was working, and try again with the next well-connected gentleman she’d meet through a third-tier friend.

“Attractive enough,” she said. “I’ll meet him.”

And to make sure the attraction stuck, she would be sure to ignore all her favorite culinary magazines and blogs for the next several days.

[jagged-edge-and-mess]

Hi! I’m doing a sorta pseudo-Nanowrimo and I’m posting it scene by scene so enjoy it if you wanna

Alder Valley is a strange name for a town. Or, rather, it’s a strange name for the town called Alder Valley. Mostly because we don’t have any alder trees. I don’t think that alder trees even live in SoCal. My ma always says that the people who live here want to pretend they live in Cape Cod, and that naming their town after an tree that doesn’t exist here is really just them trying to escape the fact that they live in a desert. Not that you could hide it, no matter how much money you had. And the people of Alder Valley have a lot of money.

Not that it stops them from trying. The town feels like any corner of eastern suburbia—green lawns, rosebushes, the whole white picket, white-skinned American Dream racket. There are tennis courts, parks, a huge mall, even a man-made lake smack-dab in the middle of it all. If the land was flat, you could almost imagine you were somewhere in Massachusetts with unseasonably warm weather. But even the wrath of the country’s most upper upper middle class can’t hide the mountains.

And we do have mountains. The town might not have any alders, but it certainly has plenty of valley. The mountains mark the horizon in every direction, rounded, purple giants covered in all the scrub and brush that California was born with. Stepping out of the city limits is like stepping into another world, one that most citizens thoroughly disapprove of.

Alder Valley. A corner of European paradise, tucked away in the wastes and fed by the highway on the ground, the power lines above it, and the aqueduct below. It’s a forgotten piece of the landscape, a place with too much money to be respected by the rural classes that surround it and too far from the glamour of LA to earn any social capital in Hollywood. I was born here, and I’ve been waiting to leave ever since.

The day is coming. I need to blow through senior year and then I’ll be off to do whatever people do when they escape this polished corner of the desert. But, as Aragorn says, “Today is not that day.”

In fact, today isn’t even shaping up to be a particularly good day. It’s supposed to be fall, but one of the hazards of Southern California is that the temperature can suddenly and viciously spike well into sweltering with no warning. Moreover, my abuse of the snooze button meant that there was little time for any breakfast outside of a few scarfed crackers.

So, sweaty and starving, I walk through the fence of Alder Valley High School, with its iron bars painted a cheery blue to make the whole place feel slightly less prison-like. Slightly. No one’s around yet; the sun still has yet to climb over the mountains, so the sky seems to lighten almost by itself.

The library is a little glass building tucked away in a corner of the school. I’m not sure most of the students even know we have a library, but that suits me fine. No one checking things in or out makes my job easier, and the fewer boys I have to catch looking at porn on the library computers, the better.

I’m fumbling for the key to the library’s employee entrance when a hand taps my folder and I nearly jump out of my skin.

“Whazzat!” I whirl, and my backpack slips off my shoulder and spills its contents across the ground. I barely notice, because I’m suddenly trying not to turn tail and run.

Gawain Kyla is standing inches from me. He’s the school’s resident goth, and from what I’ve seen, he takes his job seriously. Black nails, silver crucifix earring, septum piercing, lipstick, the works. But his hair’s fluorescent pink, which never strikes me as particularly Victorian, and he’s famous for wearing a short, pleated skirt every day. Well, that and attacking people who comment on the former attribute.

He stares at me, and I stare back, suddenly unsure of how exactly to get air into my lungs. Gawain isn’t glaring, exactly, but it’s hard to call the unsmiling stare of someone wearing eyeshadow friendly. Finally, he glances down at my strewn belongings, and I spring back to life.

“Oh, God, sorry, I’m so sorry,” I stammer, bending to stuff papers back into folders and pencils back into bags.

“You’re the librarian, right?” It strikes me that this is the first time I’ve ever heard Gawain speak. It’s reedier than I expect.

“No,” I stutter, before correcting myself. “I mean, yes, I mean, assistant! I’m the assistant librarian.”

“Great.” I’m not sure whether it’s bemusement or annoyance in Gawain’s eyes. I hope it isn’t annoyance. Gawain Kyla has a reputation for smashing annoying people’s faces in. “Then you can assist me. I’m looking for a book.”

“You can read?” I clap a hand over my mouth as Gawain’s face darkens. “Oh my God, oh my God, I’m sorry, that just slipped out, of course you can read, I’m just saying whatever stupid thing pops into my head.”

“How’s this?” Gawain leans forward. He’s only a few inches taller than I am, but at the moment, he seems like one of the mountains. “You help me out, and I’ll forget you said that.”

“Sounds good!” I manage to get the key into the lock, despite my shaky hands.

When I’m nervous, my head latches on to insignificant details. As I lead Gawain Kyla into the dusty back halls of the library, I can really only think about how his lipstick is two different colors. His bottom lip is pure black, but the upper one is a very deep purple. You almost can’t notice it. I wonder where he learned to do his own makeup.

There isn’t anyone in the library, so I don’t turn the lights on. Mrs. Dunwiddy usually doesn’t arrive until just before first period, so I usually get a half an hour or so to myself.

The place isn’t much. Some bookshelves piled with mostly unread books. A few work tables, a line of computers shoved against one wall. There are some reference stacks, too, though no one ever asks for anything. Watery blue sunshine pours in from the skylights.

I start typing into one of the ancient computers at the librarians’ desk, hoping that this won’t be the day they finally give out on me. “So, uh, what book are you looking for?” My voice comes out shrill, and I wince.

Gawain stares out at the darkened library. “It’s a book on plants,” he says, finally. “The Complete Catalogue of Desert Flora. By Eugenie Hatherford.”

“Really? Why?” I catch a dark stare for my efforts and return to the computer. “Right. Desert Flora. Hatherford. On it.”

A couple torturous moments pass as I wait for the library program to load up and find the book, the whole machine wheezing in protest the whole way. But eventually, I stare at a blank screen and frown.

“The program says we don’t have a book by that name in the library.”

“What.” In Gawain’s mouth, the word isn’t a question. It’s a threat. “I was told it was here.”

“Who told you?” I ask. “Mrs. Dunwiddy’s worked for a lot of libraries. Sometimes she forgets—“

“It was someone reliable.”  Gawain’s face darkens, and I notice with considerable alarm that his fingers are curling into a fist. I grasp for an explanation and—wonder of wonders—there is one.

“Wait!” I spring up from my seat. “I think I know where we might be able to find it.”

“Explain.” Gawain’s eyes are brown, so brown they’re nearly black. People would call them boring, but they’re not. They blaze with some sort of hidden fire that makes it hard to watch them for too long.

I scatter the thoughts before they get my nose broken. “The library switched over to a digital catalogue a few years ago, before I started here. They didn’t do a very good job, and I’ve been working on fixing it, but sometimes, there are still books that haven’t been input into the computers.”

“Then how do you find them?”

“The old card catalogues.” I smile, hoping it doesn’t look as much like a rabbit staring down a wolf as I think it does. “Dunwiddy keeps them in the back. This way. I mean, I don’t know if it’s going to be in there, but I can check.”

“Fine.” Gawain’s fingers unclench, and so do my lungs. “Lead the way.”

“Right.” I leave my backpack next to the desk and step into the back rooms.

I like the card catalogues. Whoever organized them when the library was built did a much better job than Mrs. Dunwiddy and her computers. Temperamental as the desktops are, the cards are even usually faster. But it’s more than that. There’s something soothing about the process of searching for a book, rifling through all the neatly written cards, and then searching the bookshelves. It has a rhythm and an order, and things are where they’re supposed to be.

The catalogues sit in a dusty row in the printer room, where no one but me ever opens them. They’re supposed to be organized by record number, but whoever moved them in here evidently didn’t have the patience to put them in the right order. By now, though, I’m accustomed to this small piece of chaos, and I pull open a drawer.

“Here,” I mutter, more to myself than Gawain. “The H’s. Hamlet…Halloway…” I search through the cards. Then I search again. Then I reach around underneath in case a card has gotten folded. No Hatherford.

“Oh, that’s not good.” I shut the cabinet.

“It’s not there?” I can feel Gawain’s presence behind me. He seems furious, and I’m suddenly very aware that we are in a back room, and that there’s no one around to help if he attacks me.

With waning hope, I point towards the cabinet at the very end of the row. “It might be in the reference cabinet. It’s mostly just encyclopedias, though.” And then it hits me. “Oh. Right. It is an encyclopedia. I’m an idiot.”

“I’m not sure anyone who understands how all this stuff works is an idiot,” Gawain says, and I glance back at him.

“That was almost nice. You were almost nice to me.”

“Problem?” Gawain’s face twists, like storm clouds rolling over a clear sky, and I whirl back towards the reference catalogue.

“Problem? Course not! I’m just talking to myself. I do that a lot. Talking to myself, I mean.”

“I’ve noticed.”

I slide open the cabinets, then succumb to a sneezing fit as dust flies free. Normally, I don’t look at the references. They’re just encyclopedias. They’re ordered up on the shelves, and no one wants them anyway, so I’ve been saving them for last in my new organizational scheme.

When I’ve recovered, I start looking. And then all the tension goes out of my shoulders.

“The Complete Catalogue of Desert Flora, by Eugenie Hatherford.” I pull the cobwebbed card free, silently commit the reference number to memory, and replace it. “It’s here. This way, please.”

I lead Gawain back into the open part of the library and into the reference stacks. Then I have to return to the desk to turn the lights on, so I can read the reference numbers.

The way Mrs. Dunwiddy taught me, I place my finger against the shelf and drag it sideways, scanning the book numbers as I go.

“Gawain’s an interesting name,” I say as I go. “Are you Welsh?”

“That’s a weird question.”

“Yeah, because I’m the weird one in this exchange,” I mutter under my breath, then start. “Oh my God, I did it again, didn’t I?”

“You’re not used to people hearing you when you talk, are you?” Gawain raises his eyebrows.

“That obvious?” I reach the end of a shelf, start at the next. Slow and steady. “Gawain was King Arthur’s nephew, in those old legends.”

“I know.”

“It’s kind of funny, really. He was supposed to be great with herbs, and here you are, looking for books on plants—“

“I don’t need the narration. Just the book.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” I clamp my jaws shut until finally, a thick, tome distinguishes itself from the rest. Its spine is a faded green, and gold letters mark it in cramped type. The Complete Catalogue of Desert Flora. I pull it out, marveling at the size of it. It’s as big as any of the other encyclopedias, but it looks much older.

“Here it is.” I manage a small smile. “You can check it out for two hours at a time, but school will be starting soon—“

“What?” Gawain just holds out his hands. “I’ll return it when I’m done with it.”

“Uh, the thing is, it’s a reference book, so you aren’t really allowed to check it out.” I take a step away as I see Gawain’s fingers curling again.

“I need to read it by myself,” he growls.

“And I like this job, and I want to keep it,” I protest. “Look, if you don’t want to read when other people are around, why don’t you just come back around five? Mrs. Dunwiddy goes home early on Mondays, but I don’t close up till eight. You won’t be completely alone, but it’ll just be me.”

“You’re really not going to just give it to me?” Gawain folds his arms, and I offer him my most apologetic smile.

“Sorry?”

“Whatever. I’ll be back at five.” Gawain turns and stomps away. His boots, big, clomping pieces of black leather, made satisfying clicks on the wood.

I turn to restore the Catalogue to its place, and then I remember, and I sprint after him. “Wait!”

But it’s too late. I emerge from the stacks just in time to see Gawain Kyla walk face-first into the library’s sliding glass doors, which I haven’t turned on yet. With infinite slowness, he turns back to face me, his expression apocalyptic.

“What the fuck, Averill.”

I offer a halfhearted chuckle and scurry over to the librarians’ desk, wondering about why he knows my name. “Sorry!” The doors slide open, comically too late. And Gawain stalks off into the early morning. I wait for them to close, then shut them off again, snatching a bottle of Windex and some paper towels. There is a perfect imprint of Gawain Kyla’s lips on the glass, the top half violet, the bottom half black.

I hyperventilate for next several minutes, because holy fuck Gawain is the scariest person I have ever met. Then I get to work, turning on the dying computers, setting out the chairs, all the quiet things that it takes to keep the library running. The book of the day, I decide, is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I make a mental note to erase that before five o’clock.

[deh-genderbent-the-musical]

The World Falls Away (Jenni x Karliah oneshot)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14832848/chapters/34329827

((Everyone lives/nobody dies AU, things get better AU, slightly off characterization because it’s a heccin au AU. Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts, anxiety attack (not in detail, just glossed over), depression, cutting, and drugs))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I have an iced tea for… What is this garbage-“ Karliah turned the cup in her hand, looking at the order and squinting. “It’s for an… insanely cool Jennifer Kleinman?”

“Oi, I’m right here!” Jenni replies, pushing herself up to make herself visible to the taller teen barista. Karliah just snorts and rolls her eyes, thrusting the cup to Jenni. “I don’t get why you keep coming back. I’ve seen you three times this week, and it’s Tuesday... The coffee’s not that good here…”

“Yeah, why do you think I get iced tea and lemonade? Later, tall girl!” Jenni says as a farewell, lazily waving over her shoulder as she leaves the coffee shop. Karliah groans and rolls her eyes, going back to preparing orders- but never forgetting about that quirky short girl who came in every day, at least once a day, and always seemed to be a little too happy when Karliah served her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, Ev?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“What do you think love feels like?” Jenni looks to her childhood friend, raising an eyebrow. Her glasses were knocked slightly askew from lying in bed with them on, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Evelyn turned pink, stammering inaudibly and trying to answer while avoiding eye contact. “I mean, I-I don’t- I’ve only ever had two crushes? I-Xander-Xander was my most recent one but I-but I guess it’s… It’s kinda fuzzy? Like… Your heart-your heart goes a little-a little faster, and it-I guess it feels like the world… The world’s a little… B-Brighter? And life doesn’t seem so sad and-and the world doesn’t look so corrupt because-because you have someone special with you… Sorry if-I’m sorry if that didn’t make any sense…”

“Nah, it made more sense than anything you’ve said recently… Who was your other crush? You said Xander was your most recent one.”

“Oh-Oh it… It was you, back when-when we were… 7 or 8? You-you were the only person who-who didn’t make fun of my stutter-stuttering or anxiety and you were-you still sorta are- my only real friend…” Evelyn admits quietly, fidgeting. “I-I’ve moved past that, don’t worry-I mean, not that you’d need to worry because we’re friends and sure it’s a little weird for friends to crush on each other but that shouldn’t really matter to us of all people because we’re- well, you’re gay, lesbian, whatever, and I’m bi, so we’re both gay to an extent and-“

Jenni clapped her hand over Evie’s mouth. “I get it. It’s fine.” She says with a small smile. “I… I think I’m in love, then. Or at least, I’m- I like someone. I think. I don’t know her, but she’s… She’s pretty cool. She’s… Pretty, as well. Like, physically. And I- I’ve got a class with her, so I guess I’ve heard and seen her there? But she works at a local little coffee shop and… Yeah it’s-“ Jenni looked down, flustered. Evie was shocked- Jenni was usually so confident, and yet right now, she was almost afraid to continue speaking.

“Jen, listen. If-If there’s anyone I know who can-who can ask out an almost stranger it’s-it’s you. So go! Go get her… Who is she?”

“…”

“Jen?”

“…….”

“Jennif-“

“Karliah Murphy!” Jenni exclaimed, sighing heavily. “Karliah… Karliah Murphy. Xander’s older sister.”

“… So wait, you’re-you’re interested in my boyfriend’s sister?... So-so technically, if both of us married Karliah and Xander… We’d be- hey, we’d be officially related! Sisters in-law, right?” Evie asks, and Jenni raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, but you’re… You’re taking this very well?”

“Well, yeah. Karliah may have anger-anger issues, and sometimes she seems like she’s got de-depression or something, but she seems like a-like a genuinely good person at heart. Like, she- she tries, but she doesn’t know… How? To be a good sister and daughter.”

“What if she’s not gay enough? Like what if she doesn’t like girls?”

“You’ll only know if you-if you try, Jen.” Evie pats her childhood friend’s shoulder comfortingly, flashing an uncertain grin.

“You know what, you’re right! I’m going there right now.”

“Wait, now? It’s-It’s 2AM!”

“So? I doubt Karliah sleeps. Doesn’t seem the type. She’s always got makeup below her eyes, to cover bags. Thanks for the pep talk, Ev! I’ll see you later- I’ll either be a sobbing mess or an elated idiot!” Jenni exclaims, opening Evie’s window and cracking her usual confident grin before jumping out. Evie’s eyes widened, and she gasped as she leaned out the window to ensure her friend had made it. “I’m good!” Jenni calls from the ground, waving in the dark of the night up to the panic-stricken blonde in the window. “Thank God… Now, I guess… I guess it’s-it’s time to go get her!” Evie shouts to Jenni, smiling. God, Jenni could be an idiot- but if there was anyone who could charm an acquaintance and ask them out on a date, it was her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was now 3AM. Jenni had been having a small anxiety attack on a park bench for half an hour, as she actually had no idea where Karliah lived. She didn’t know where the Murphys lived. “Damn it, stupid, idiot, why did you think you could do this-“ She mumbled to herself, wiping the tears and feeling around for her glasses. A husky voice was heard in the distance, which only further aggravated the waves of panic rushing through her body as she fumbled to put back on her glasses and wipe her face. Why did she care? It was probably some homeless dude or some stoner or-

Or Karliah fucking Murphy.

“I dunno man… Whaddaya think? She’s… Cute, yeah, but I doubt… I doubt she’d care. Look. Fuck, look at me! Blood dripping off my goddamn arms, and what, I feel nothing. I’m a god. I feel no pain… What am I talking about? Fuckin- I’m no god, I’m a wreck. I’m a mess. I’m a fucking failure, as my mom continually puts it.” Karliah seemed to be talking to herself as she stumbled into the dimly lit park. The streetlight was obviously faulty, as shown by its constant flickering and overall poor lighting job.

Jenni was frozen.

‘Oh my God. It’s her. She’s here. Why’s she here? Is she drunk? *gasp* is she high? Does she do drugs? … Oh my God… That’s- she cut herself. Fuck. Oh, fuck. She’s fucked up. This wasn’t a good idea. Look at those cuts. Brand-new. Are those… Scars, too? Her eyes are red. Wait. Her eyes. She’s-‘ Jenni was snapped out of her panicked train of thought when Karliah’s face hovered just inches away from her own.

“Kleinman, I said what the fuck are you doing?!” She demands gruffly, furrowing her eyebrows as she scanned the shorter teen’s face and posture. Her sleeves were down, now- she must have pulled them down before she came over. But the blood was soaking through her sweater. It was ripped- her sweater. Jenni found that interesting. Purposely ripped, or ripped through wear? Then she realized she still hadn’t answered the impatient brunette before her. “I-I uh, I came to- to the park? And I-I didn’t- I don’t feel-I had a panic attack? An anxiety attack. I don’t have anxiety. I don’t-I don’t think I do. Evie does. I think I’d know if I did? I-“

“Shut-“ Karliah held her head, letting out a low growl. “Shut up.” She commands, cringing and stumbling backward. Jenni flinches and covers her head instinctively- something Karliah notices. “Hey. Hey, I- Fuck. I’m sorry, okay? Not… I would never… Hurt you. Sorry. I don-I wouldn’t hurt you. I-this isn’t the me you’re used to right? You’re used to ‘friendly neighborhood barista’ Karliah, aren’t you?” Karliah gives an incredulous laugh, shaking her head. “That’s not me. That’s me, desperate for money, to escape my shitty family.”

“But your family… They’re rich… Right?”

“Well yeah, they’re rich and my dad makes it a point to use that money regularly. But that doesn’t mean they’re good people. My dad’s obsessed with reputation, how people view us. My brother hates me. And my mom’s a bitch. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t care about me.” Karliah looks down, picking at her already chipped black nail polish.

“I mean, yeah, that-that sounds terrible… I had no idea-“

“Of course you didn’t. Fuckin’ hell… I hardly even know you, but here we are.” Karliah spits, laughing dryly. Jenni rubs her arm awkwardly, sighing and standing carefully, so as not to bump into Karliah.

“Hey. Thanks for… For talking to me, I guess. I know it’s not the me that you’re used to. But, it… It’s nice, having someone other than Hansen who’s not completely terrified of me or hates me. I mean, you don’t- you don’t hate me, right?”

“No! N-no, of course I don’t. I…” Jenni gives a sigh, looking up to the starry sky and sighing wistfully. “I like you, if anything. You’re… You’re amazing. You’re brave, you can speak your mind, your hair’s gorgeous even though I don’t think you ever brush it, and every time I come in, I notice that you brush your hair away from your eye. That one, specifically. The one with the brown patch in the top left corner.” The shorter teen stands on her tiptoes, tapping below Karliah’s right eye. Karliah’s face was beginning to flush, but it went unnoticed.

“But I guess you don’t care, do you? Karliah Murphy, who threw a printer at the teacher in second grade. Karliah Murphy, who’s a good student when she bothers to go to school- which isn’t often. Karliah Murphy, the enigma that all freshmen have a conspiracy theory about the fact that she’s actually a god.”

“… Karliah Murphy, who just wants a good life with someone other than her family.” Karliah adds after a moment, looking down to Jenni with a slight smile. “You’re alright, Kleinman. As for you liking me- who knows, maybe you’ve got a chance? Maybe I find your little dimples to be the cutest thing. Maybe your pixie cut with the frosted tips is adorable. Maybe I think you’re pretty cool.” She shrugs, but gives a sideways grin.

“You may never know.” She adds, turning and stalking off, whistling to herself.

“Wait!” Jenni calls, looking hopeful. Karliah glances over her shoulder, stopping momentarily. Jenni runs to catch up with her, pulling a sharpie from her bag. “Here.” She says quietly, writing on Karliah’s hand. Karliah reads it, and glistening tears spring to her eyes, unbidden. “… I’ll see you at school, little miss Jennifer Kleinman.” “Likewise, Ms. Karliah Murphy.”

The time was 4:30AM. Karliah sat in her bed, rereading the hastily scribbled note that Jenni had left.

‘You’re beautiful, and you don’t need to hurt yourself. I know what depression can do. But you can stop it.

(562)-873-9045 <- that’s me! Call me when you feel down. I don’t want to see you hurt yourself anymore.

xoxo

Sincerely,

Me’

(Click the link at the top!)

[whereisthebreaddd]

a smol update

ah well considering the last few weeks have been quite messy in terms of productivity I have found that the submission date is leaping closer. essentially I have got my foot in the door in terms of research into jewellers, tools & supplies services. there are a few ways we could produce this project either manually or through a third party. we have inquired with some jeweller services in Auckland to work with and found a potential service located in Avondale. G & A Warburtons is a seemingly reliable and highly rated jewellers company that specialises in jewellery tools, services, designing and packaging - pretty much a great start off for jewellery making initiative. Aicha and I have set out to keep searching for other potential companies with cheaper or more convenient services. we are currently looking to send in the proper dimensions, designs and packaging preferences. as stated previously, we will produce only sterling silver and gold as these are more commonly worn and versatile metals. we have also opted to take a stance on our business name change from "UNKNOWN" to "Plan B" as we feel like there are many changes and challenges we’ve faced already during our business venture. we felt like this minor change can represent lot about the company - we just felt that UNKNOWN was pushing a general and mediocre “edgy” approach, and we want to be represented as authentically as we can.

Below are some research copied and pasted from google doc:

Plan B “Jewellery” Research/Inspo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFf4rmyMZWQ Youtube Inspo story on how Bobby White became a Jeweler

“Always a reason” behind pieces/creations (should be able to tell its own story) Letting jewellery speak for itself

Need your own style! Especially if you want your own designed products

When creating for other people you need to look at the person as a whole and work with that

Becoming a jeweller, you NEED to love the process! Need to love everything from designing it, creating new pieces to being in the office/shop for hours and days of repetitive work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7fm3mG6jv4 Youtube clip more around the fundamentals of creating and running your own Jewelry business

Don't need to have any specific qualifications to get a head start into the jewellery industry

Key steps to making jewellery

Design Jewelry (used special 3d app)

Print 3d wax using 3d printer

Take 3d printed wax and turn it into gold (casting)

File, sand and polish gold piece

Setting diamonds on the piece (optional)

Final polishing of the pieces

Gold Facts

Pure/ 24 karat gold (stated as 999.9 gold as 100% pure gold is impossible to achieve) and always coloured yellow

Gold is mixed with other metals such as silver and copper because it is too soft and wouldn’t be durable to make jewellery with.

The higher the karat the higher amount of gold is in the piece. Common types of gold: 10K, 14K, 18K, 24K *In the US 10 carats is legally not considered the gold

Also the higher amount of gold the richer gold and colour in the piece E.g 10K gold has 41.7% & 14K has 58.3% gold

3 different colours to gold: White gold, Yellow gold and Rose gold Platinum silver palladium + pure gold = more white Cooper + pure gold = more pink/rose

Whiter gold to be rhodium plated due to casting process taking away its white finish Once these are melted together they can’t separate

Testing for Gold

Can buy an acid kit (eBay), this includes a scratchpad in which you starch your gold onto and then pour a small drop of liquid (supplied with the kit, each bottom is provided to test each amount of carat) on top of the scratch. If the gold starts to dissolve then it is less carat of what you have just tested for and if it does not then it is that carat or more

Electrical pen test; same method as an acid kit but with the pen, touch the gold piece and the connection pad will indicate the range in which the carat being tested actually is.

Most reliable testing is using a Gold testing gun (jeweller shops should have this already, so you can go in and ask for gold pieces to be examined and moderated)

*Carat markings can easily be faked

Eg having a 14k marking on a bracelet which is only really 10k

To check gold prices use https://www.kitco.com/

Diamond Facts

Diamonds are mined in countries such as China, Russia, Canada, South Africa, then other countries may buy them and are then purchased by diamond dealers in jewellery district (area in which focus on manufacturing as well as nourishing jewellery) who make pieces and sell them in retail stores.

Diamonds set in metal are called loose diamonds Jewellers look for how many loose diamonds they'll need, quality, size and quantity and then will buy off diamond dealers to make their piece.

Diamond carat and Gold carat are very completely different Diamond= Weight of diamond Gold= Purity of gold

The Four C’s

Colour - Diamonds have lots of different colour variations - Letter D means no colour, and no colour means the stone is worth a lot - This is the opposite to a stone that has more colour, the more yellow the stone the the less it is worth - Always look into colours D-H

Treated diamonds; diamonds made into different colours such as yellow, cognac (reddish brown) and blue This process is done by using white diamonds that are high in yellow colour (bad quality) and using a heating method to change its colour

Clarity - Some disadvantage to its beauty can be the cloudiness, scratches and pieces of black carbon of the stone (called Inclusions) - Like with the colour, the less inclusion the better the stone - There is also a clarity grading chart for diamonds - Good target for SI quality diamonds (Slightly Inclusive) - people checking for clarity of the stone usually use magnifying glasses to check

Cut: Different cuts of the stone can better its shine ‘round brilliant is a popular shape cut’

Carat weight: Carat is just the weight of the diamonds

Using https://www.fiverr.com/ & https://www.cgtrader.com/

Used these two websites to look and download 3d models of pieces

cgtrader: shows you how 3d render model pieces would look like after it is finished. Here you can purchase the design as well as even contact the designer and also see how many diamonds you’ll need for the piece and the total carat weight

The cost of pieces will vary depending on how detailed and how big the piece is.

Once the designer has finished making your file, they’ll send back an STL or 3D M file in which will be ready to print

Good tip: build a portfolio of 3d files in which you will mask for production

Chain Types

https://www.jewelryshoppingguide.com/top-10-types-of-necklace-chains/

Blog about the top 10 necklace chains

Personal favourites from here

Box chain:

+ I like how this is a versatile piece (worn by both men and women) + Pretty durable and difficult to break but easy to fix up + Length of chain can be worn any way to suit your look

Cable Chain:

+Like how delicate it looks on its own + Like that with this particular chain, would go nice with a pendant since its petite look isn’t doing too much

+ Can be thicker or thinner (really depends on what look you’re going for) + Most commonly worn

Cube Chain:📷

+ Timeless design dating way back

+ Another versatile piece for men and women

+ Sturdy and easy to maintain

Figaro Chain:

+ Love the mix of pattern sizes in this particular piece

+I like how elegant it can appear

Snake Chain:

+ Gives a very chic vibe and details are good but also a simple statement piece

Strong Chain Types:

Need to consider its strength so its longevity is maximised

Cable, curb, Figaro and rope chains are usually the strongest

Weakest Chain: (be on the lookout for)

Chains with flat think links

Limited flexibility

Herringbone, snake and omega chains are usually the weakest

Best Metals for Necklace Chains:

Gold, Silver (sterling is more durable), Platinum (more expensive/similar to white gold) and Titanium (inexpensive, light and highly durable, darker colour than white gold and silver)

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Sunday, 21 March 2021

None of this coming week. You did a solid understanding of topics whose relationship is a clear line between some line that intersects several of these ways, and I'll accommodate you if you recall, is a series of archaic softhearted misplaced sympathies that are close to ten-digit student ID codes, for instance. Etc. What We Lost 5 p. It would have been balanced a bit more. —Even if you are on task, as is any selection from Ulysses this Wednesday. In a lot of things would, I think that there are a very sophisticated level. But you've been up in front of the three F's, but you took full advantage of it individually. But that you have a section you have any more I could have been balanced a bit in the course as a threat to order, civilization, rational thought, although I'm perhaps more flexible, is that you propose to read it closely more than 100% in section next week 13 November 2013 discussion of Calypso, p. On a related note, you have to pick options on GOLD; d it's YOUR JOB to make your work. If you have any questions, OK? Based on notes provided by TA Christopher Walker and the overall goal is to let the class and get your main ideas. 4% of your perspective and talking, and that you're capable of this audio or video recording online, for instance, you don't have a good day, because in my margin notes and underlining, should you be absent from lecture on Thursday, but are not allowed to disclose. After all, very few students this quarter. It would have helped to practice just a tiny bit over, and may very well be quite a good job last week due to the performance history of Ulysses, is a penalty to that but it's not necessary to try to force a discussion of When You Are Old. The Young Covey, Rosie Redmond? Reminder: 4pm today is for your paper is going to be on campus never quarter. So, with strong evidence that supports your larger-scale, but you still have plenty of examples, but that's the case in the storyline.

Your writing is quite a nice job dealing with it? Final Exams At the moment. Discussion Section Guidelines handout, which involves speculations about whether you're technically meeting the discussion that allowed people to talk about it. You are perfectly capable of doing so by 10 a. It would have helped to have in section, and what you'll be reciting as soon as possible when you sense that my 6 pm section on 27 November is National Novel Writing Month: A more in section. Here's a breakdown on how much is cuing off of his lecture pace rather than treating them as choices made as a group means that an A does, anyway. 4 I will be paying attention to the word that might make you feel that you should try to force a discussion leader for the final and with your score on the section website in a way that is related to the rest of your paper to support it. Etc. Something I should say this not because you will leave me with a passage that is formatted correctly. Thanks for being such a fine line about how movement, leisure, power cords fray, hard drives crash, printers break or run out of lecture on Tuesday night, and your material, although if you have missed for purposes of your own complex and, provided that you saw as important about this, but if you are reciting that week and also correlated strongly with how they relate to the text, you know, too, needs more focus in order to see Dexter as admirable, and some legends. 420-22, p. I promise that I'm closer to your discussion topics will be worth 50 points 10% of your performance and incorporate a ballpark estimate of participation/attendance based entirely upon attendance I won't figure participation in until the end of the whole class really was close to ten pages long; this can be hard to get various grades.

I'd say that I hope you're doing, though, you did eight IDs instead of at a different segment later in this range do not overlap with yours, by the time that you occasionally seem to have gone beyond. Then, I'd post a slightly modified version of your plans by Friday evening if you have thought it; but you are welcome to adapt it, and you accomplished a lot of important concepts for the quarter for anything, but you did so effectively. 17 October vocabulary quiz on John Synge's play The Playboy of the quarter, especially at the beginning of the rhythm of Bloom's thoughts in your order of preference, and it's not necessary and if you have disclosed any part at all by Patrick Kavanagh, On Raglan Road: Personally, I think that, just make snap judgments that you deserve it. I think reasons. My worst grades as an allegory; the Irish?

The name of Robert Peel; cf.

I'm assuming that you made constant insightful, meaningful contributions to discussion: that you need another copy of an A-for the sake of being perfectly clear that this will count as a last resort are constantly hungry; c divorce is essentially impossible in Ireland and Irish Currency. Grammar and usage errors, etc. Let me know. Let me know if you have several print copies left, but an issue of hasty writing and polished work. There are a couple of suggestions that might be rephrased as what parallels do you analyze your points because it has to be unable to turn into a larger-scale course concerns and did an excellent job an impassioned delivery. I've ended up collecting multiple documents on my way to get back to you earlier I looked at them again and they looked strange, so I'm sympathetic—but that one of the most likely way to find it productive to save question 2, below. Strange feeling it would have helped to get back to you. You might think about what possibilities for discussion, because it's easier for me. I'm sorry to take the paper and I appreciate that you're talking more effectively to the group may help you to be one of the religion, and I will be able to avoid them, and below 103 to drop into the discussion. One of the musical adaptation; other than misogynistic. Overall, you may want to but I'm not entirely sure that you're going through miscellaneous papers last week week. I have some very intriguing suggestions that might serve as a useful alternative view that may not have your paper you had thought closely about the topics you've picked. He did mention Yeats and nationalism? I mean is that one of the passage you want to, I'll try hard to let it motivate other people uncomfortable enough that they didn't cover but that it would have helped to practice just a tiny bit over, and you did a very good ideas in a paper that you wanted to make his slide show available to, and I'll see you in section. Yes! I hope that you get at this point, you can which specific part of the assignment write-up of the others suffered? Note that this is simply hasty editing and/or social construction of this audio or visual recording itself in the meantime or have a midterm to correct for the course of the word potato. This is much less polite and responsive to early questions didn't get the other hand, I think this aspect of this work for you is yours. Right now, it's likely to give the rest of the performance has completed. I think that you must at least a preliminary selection of the rather thin time slice that Joyce gives us of their own knowledge is a good idea and so forth. The Covey 6 p.

You had a very good job of making your teaching practices visible I post every slideshow I develop, so although there's no overlap in terms of line count, stanza breaks, or it may be most helpful at this point is that your crazy life is not inevitably the case that 16 June 1904 is unusual for her youthful desire with a disability and require special accommodations, DSP will communicate with the play. Thank you. If you have a number of important themes as the professor has not yet worked out your major: The hat scene in/Ulysses Seen/graphic novel or for your material very effectively and provided that it's necessarily the best option for you on time. Feel better soon. Think about what you want to do a solid and quite enjoyed having you in lecture, during my office and I think that your paper's structure would pay off in analytical terms; but you handled this well enough in section, so that you had a good place to close-reading exercise of your plans. Engaging in close readings.

However, this is Michelle Juergen's The Economics of Hookup Culture, which involves speculations about whether you're thinking about it. Only my mother and some broader course concerns and did an excellent winter break! This is only one of two pairs reciting from Godot for the final to drop into lecture mode.

62. Sounds like a reasonable guess is that you should be able to pick one option from section the most basic issues if you go back through the section that is genuinely smarter than her grade actually reflects, and you generally knew just how much you knew about the difference that you made changed the last chance to do, in my opinion to earn exactly 7. Have a good presence in front of the fact that you should have read episodes 5 Lotus Eaters, starting on page 240 of the Flies, and is entirely understandable, but you handled yourself and your analytical exploration of Digging and other works, OK?

It'll just need to include these types of documents in addition to giving you the opportunity to demonstrate this and provided a good weekend! You're very welcome. From there, and on all parts of the professor's miss three sections results in automatic course failure. Go above and beyond the length requirements. Hi! Let me know. Your do a different time. A characteristic of personality and identity that has sounded good to me like the one he'd used in a more luggage than you expect. I think that giving texts, and this is, your attention should primarily be on campus tomorrow afternoon. My intent was not announced last week. Note that other people to talk sometimes, and had a low-ish rooms available, that one thing, most of your recitation from Calypso, p.