#The solution to everything is glitter and a good design

[threalnexus]

Making myself a cute skin for Felix

I posted the WIP an while ago, here's the final results!

Clarification: I don't intend to insult anyone with my drawings, this is just a redesign and adjustment for my personal taste!

Also: i changed my name and this will be the last time i do so, My name is Nexus , nice to meet you.

[anncanta]

***

Of course, the Hungarian version of Elisabeth is a special phenomenon. Not only in terms of the production itself, done in blue-green tones and built like either a fairy tale or a dream. But also in terms of the actors' choices.

All the Hungarian actors playing Death are good. Mester Tamás is charming and seductive. Szabó P. Szilveszter is aggressive and domineering. But my favorite is Maté Kamárás. I don't know who chose him for this role or who designed the image, but in all the productions (at least in those that were filmed), starting from the earliest ones, he shows an incredible level of dramatic art.

All the Hungarian actors are spectacular and organic. Especially if you consider the unique make-up and costume used in this production. But only Kamárás masters the ‘Death mask’. If you watch how he plays and what he plays, and compare his facial expressions with the facial expressions of the other actors, it becomes clear that where the other performers of this role act ‘inside’ the costume and make-up, Kamárás uses this make-up as ‘his own’, like a second skin. These amazing sardonic smiles, this mocking pose, this gaze directed into nowhere, a face that has just twisted into a mocking grimace and then freezes into a Venetian mask.

It seems like an obvious solution. If the director or the production designer came up with such an image, it should work. It is not just a pretty picture. Not a fantasy about the angel of death. This musical has too complex and deep a text to play such games. There is no place for empty prettiness in such a structure. And yet, most of the actors (except Tamás, but I think he is a bit overacting) simply ‘wear’ this image and do almost nothing with it.

Most of Kamárás' appearances as Death are a mixture of carnival and danse macabre. At the same time, everything he does is so natural that a strange feeling arises – this is Death, you should be scared, at least – on guard. But you are fascinated by the beautiful creature that appears on stage, and willy-nilly, you begin to listen to him.

And there is something to listen to. Not only in the musical sense. I have never seen such a wealth of intonations, emotions, meanings, and internal reflection in one scene. Considering how the story is structured, all broken down into moments where Elisabeth, one way or another, rejects her magical admirer time after time, it could have looked false, vulgar, or ridiculous. But each time it is like a wave of crystal water that rises up and breaks into pieces. All the other performers play the personification of an idea. Kamárás plays the element that learn to be aware of itself. And in each scene, right up until the finale, he remains, to a certain extent, the element, an incomprehensible force that grows, discovers, and cultivates humanity in itself. From the first smile when he lies down next to Elisabeth – a smile in which there is mockery of himself and his naive dreams – to the impatient gesture with which he draws Elisabeth to himself at the end.

Glitter can tell a lot, it turns out. If you look and listen carefully enough. And it's good that this version has it. I think the authors wanted to take the character as far away from the human image as possible, but at the same time, they didn't want to make him cold and distant, like Uwe Kröger's Death in the original production. And the result is a story that balances on the knife's edge of that smile – the smile of a hero who learns to love.

[royalinkblot]

Wings of Home – Chapter Four: Jetstreams and Fireworks

The Kazansky-Mitchell house sat just one stretch of sand away from the Bradshaw residence, both nestled along the Pacific coastline. It was a perfect setup—two families bound by flight, love, and legacy. Between the homes, the twins had free reign, often found barefoot and sun-kissed, darting between one kitchen and the next in pursuit of snacks, science experiments, or family gossip. It was home. It was peaceful.

But peace rarely lasted long where Ace and Nikola were involved.

At Orion Academy for the Gifted, the twins had already made headlines—twice. Once for accidentally overriding a drone simulation to launch a real test flight, and once for designing an AI that outperformed its instructor.

“They rewired the campus surveillance to track the cafeteria pizza delivery schedule,” one baffled teacher had told Maverick in a conference.

“Efficiency is good,” Maverick replied, barely suppressing a grin.

Back at home, chaos gave way to a more serious storm.

Tom sat in his study, surrounded by military advisors and one very sharply dressed political envoy. His reputation was pristine, his record unmatched, and his tactical brilliance revered. But being offered the position of Secretary of the Navy came with knives in the dark—whispers about his health, his personal life, his marriage to a man, and the twins he was helping raise.

Tom leaned forward across the table, eyes like ice and voice like steel. “If my marriage and my children are what disqualify me in some eyes, then the Navy needs me more than I need the title.”

The room went dead silent.

A general finally cleared his throat. “Understood, Admiral Kazansky. You’ll have our full support.”

Meanwhile, Maverick was handed a different kind of proposition—a classified black ops mission requiring deep airstrike expertise and high-risk insertion. The same kind of mission that had nearly ended everything back in Hop 31.

He remembered the burning wreckage, the panic in his chest when Goose was dragged out, coughing and bleeding but somehow alive. He remembered the moment he realized he could have lost everything.

Now, the weight returned.

“You don’t have to do this,” Goose said, sitting across from him at Need for Speed Solutions. “You’ve got nothing left to prove.”

“I know,” Maverick said quietly. “That’s what scares me. I don’t need it—but someone thinks I still matter on the battlefield.”

“You do,” Goose said. “But you matter more here.”

That night, the porch light flickered between the two houses, a signal between husbands.

Tom stepped out first, met halfway by Maverick.

“You thinking about going?” Tom asked softly.

Maverick looked at him. “Only if you say yes to Washington.”

They both smiled, full of scars and history.

“God help the world if we both go back to war,” Tom murmured, pulling him in.

Across the yard, Bradley and Jake sat under the stars, Engine curled at their feet and the twins asleep inside. The laughter from the earlier chaos had faded into a quiet hum.

Jake shifted. “So...you didn’t run. After I met everyone.”

“Of course not,” Bradley said. “You fit.”

Jake looked at him, eyes gentle. “I’ve been in love with you since the first time you punched me in the ready room.”

Bradley blinked. “That was your third day on base.”

Jake grinned. “Slow learner.”

Bradley took his hand. “I love you too.”

They didn’t need anything more than that.

The following morning, Tom and Maverick sat at the kitchen table surrounded by glitter, paper planes, and a stack of invitations. July 29 was fast approaching, and the twins' birthday bash was shaping up to be a full-scale operation.

“They want a ‘science dogfight space party,’” Maverick said, reading from Nikola’s handwritten request.

“What does that mean?” Tom asked.

“I think we’re building a rocket and staging a simulated aerial combat using drones,” Maverick guessed.

“We’re so getting shut down by the HOA,” Tom deadpanned.

“And Slider’s coming. As a senator. Married to a pediatric neurosurgeon now.”

“Wonderful,” Tom sighed. “I’ll make sure he gets the drone with the slow response time.”

Maverick smirked. “Hollywood and Wolfman are planning to come too. Admirals now. Maybe they’ll talk Slider into funding our backup power grid.”

“Oh good,” Tom said, tossing confetti into the air. “A backyard full of Navy brass, an experimental rocket, two genius five-year-olds, and Jake and Bradley trying not to make out in the photo booth.”

Maverick laughed. “You love this.”

“I really, really do,” Tom said, kissing him.

And so, the countdown to July 29 began.

Chapter one Chapter two Chapter three Chapter five

[clovexei]

Descendants: Rise of Red was a time!!

I'm not as fond of this one as I was of the original trilogy (I miss the original VK gang), BUT some highlights (spoilers rampant):

Queen of Hearts dressed in the most insane rose dress with glittering red claws on every finger and three full dimensions of eye make-up: "My awful daughter, your outfit is so tacky, god, you're embarrassing me"

Red's mom is in charge of a brutal totalitarian regime, but Red rebels by uhhhh throwing paint on her mom's portrait

Red: "GOD I can't STAND my MOM I want to live my OWN LIFE I gotta GET OUT OF HERE" -- Honey YOUR MOM IS KILLING PEOPLE and you're just gonna DITCH Wonderland?? Fuck all your subjects I guess??

In the Wonderland car, the Queen isn't wearing her seatbelt but Red IS wearing her seatbelt--this franchise is really improving its bad person/good person seatbelt visual cues

Loved Chloe's design, loved her relationship with her parents, loved that she is so sparkly and sweet and also great at fencing. Characters learning to shift from a Lawful Good mindset to Neutral Good are my favorite. No notes, perfect character.

Also love that Chad was retconned into the Brandi Cinderella and Prince Charming family!! 10/10 for recreating the multiracial family from the Brandi movie AND, like the original, providing no explanation for how that happened.

"Please welcome your new incoming principal who will, of course, be performing a song and dance number in celebration of her promotion."

Delighted to see we are continuing the time-honored tradition of queer Captain Hook (Also delighted to see him serving AVPM Snape vibes with every single acting choice god BLESS)

"We wanted another bad-ass Ursula-themed villain but we can't use Uma again so here's Ursula's little sister (not an in-universe Uma expy for sure)" (They didn't even use Ursula?? for some reason??)

Did love the deep cut of giving Morgana le Fay a son in this one; I think the only Disney movie that references her is The Sorcerer's Apprentice? Expanded DCU time hell yeah (Also, he's definitely a replacement for Gil/Gaston's son from the main trilogy; in that vein, I expect sweet and gently queer fanart of him and the Hook character, don't disappoint me tumblr)

Love that this movie further muddies the already muddy canon of the Descendants universe since here the original Disney stories never happen as implied in Descendants 1-3. The villain parents go from having their canon, Disney-compliant origin stories to being in a greaser gang together in high school.

Two best girl friends going to prom together & one of them saying, "I hate everything about the institution of prom but I'll go if it's with you" but five feet apart so it's not gay

It's killing me that Red and Chloe never consider going to the prom, grabbing the cupcake, and eating it before Bridget can. They instead come up with a whole 4D chess solution involving theft and espionage, bless them

Chloe: "I don't want to break any rules. :(" Ella: "Sometimes you gotta FUCK SHIT UP" [dance break]

New levels of queerbaiting unlocked if Red and Chloe don't end up as a couple, I mean GOD. The motifs of healing from abusive/close-minded parental relationships + wanting love and not being able to recognize it/being scared of it + "You show me what it means to be a good person" + "You're the first person to see and accept me for who I am" + enemies to BFFs to "I'll instinctively save your life in a fight" BUT NOT IN A QUEER WAY OF COURSE

Screaming at the Back to the Future situation where MC suddenly has a completely different relationship with their family and NO memory of it omg.

[goqmir]

can you pretty pretty please share some banjo kazooie thoughts?? I would love to hear!!

having played through banjo kazooie and then subsequently banjo tooie in the last three months with wrenny i must say that tooie is fucking awesome in a way that i never really realized as a 3 year old watching my big sister and my mom play it. like holy shit banio tooie has a lot going on. banjo kazooies main difficulty is like,,, finding the random dumb bullshit you have to do to get any given jiggy. and sometimes thats awesome and in the best worlds (mumbos mountain, treasure trove cove, bubblegloop swamp, freezezy peak, click clock wood) that is largely either a negated issue because they designed it well or its less annoying than in the other worlds. but the low points of banjo kazooie can really slog away in an unsatisfying way when you are given a problem and try 10 things to solve it but none of them work so you look it up and its some weird little interaction, or like the choice to put clankers cavern largely underwater with that movement system like thats evil. however banjo kazooie is amazing like the peaks are iconic the fucking collectathon nature is unmatched by any game to this day (cavern of dreams comes out in 8 days so we'll see how this post ages) the music is fucking iconic like go play the game even if you have to look up some puzzle solutions or skip the annoying sections like its amazing.

banjo tooie i always thought was such a slog. last time i tried to beat it i was 13 and lost interest after witchyworld but playing it now as an adult who can understand and process the intricate world design it is so fucking worthwhile to play and now i truly like it more than kazooie. when they say tooie is slow they mean it though. everything takes just a little bit longer than you think it should and that really does add up. the worlds are comparatively huge and the warp pads help less than youd like them to. however the worlds are AMAZING. mayahem temple, glitter gulch mine, witchyworld, terrydactyland, hailfire peaks, jolly rogers lagoon! everything about the game seemed so scary and complex as a tween but now as an adult its so gratifying being able to wrap my mind around a banjo tooie level because after a while running around everything truly does click into place every time. tooie has such a delayed gratification system though. every world has one or two jiggies that are only accessible by A) getting a move to access it in a later level like its metroid or B) going to a later level and opening a path to the previous one. every level in tooie is nauseatingly interlinked in a way that can make you squeal if you get off on that kind of complex interlocking game design type beat but if you prefer banjo kazooie's self-contained romps then tooie's game design may leave you very underwhelmed. i thought i liked kazooies levels more before i went back and played tooie as an adult and realized how awesome it is that everything links to everything else. its amazing. its a good game. play it, especially with a friend or lover if you can. its a delight.

the banjo kazooie jinjos and minjos are fucking amazing btw. their noises are iconic and wren and i have just been pretending to be jinjos and minjos as a bit recently. we'll stop talking for a second and then say "help!" in that jinjo voice while waving our arms side to side. its awesome. be a jinjo

also if you play banjo tooie once you unlock the drill peck in glitter gulch mine go back to spiral mountain and save banjos goldfish please im begging you the ability he gives you will turn jolly rogers lagoon from your most hated world to your beloved

also i fucking love banjo kazooie nuts and bolts. yknow the one everyone hates. but thats for another time. play banjo kazooie on xbox if possible but emulator works too just play it! play the game

[coridallasmultipass]

Craft blogging and personal venting

I crocheted almost the entirety of a full size cylindrical market bag today (I have one more strap to do tomorrow and then just outline the straps with a quick row of single-crochets). My hands are fucking killing me. I did the base circle (entirely eyeballed bc I could not be bothered to find the formula for a crochet circle) and then turned the bag sideways and did a foundation chain to do the body of the bag (going off a photo of a bag in TWL3) and I had to stop and redo so much of that beginning bag body because I'm not using the same yarn so it was a challenge to get the same visual texture. The show bag is like extra bulky tshirt yarn. Mine is standard cheap worsted cotton yarn. Lmao. I wound up staying with my first instinct to do treble-crochets as my worsted-weight alternative stitch. It doesn't look amazing, but it looks pretty darn good for using-what-I-have-on-hand.

I WAS going to use a bulky regular yarn I have since it's pre-striped yarn in similar colours, but the bulky didn't have teal. As I was looking in my yarn bin for teal yarn to add, I found the plain white cotton yarn. I remembered that the show bag was actually dyed stripes, not colourwork stripes/not multiple yarns/not striped yarn. I checked my yarn supplies bin and found the tie-dye supplies I bought with the plain white cotton yarn. Guess what!! I can fucking tie dye the colours I need!! Fuck yeahhhh!!

It's gonna be fun, I hope. Stripes should be pretty easy to measure out/rubber-band-off. I did a more complicated design when we did tie-dye in high school, so I'm sure I can figure it out. Only problem is, what do I do with leftover dye solution? I can maybe loosely tie-dye (just dye) parts of the shirt I was going to paint by hand, but I'd rather not since I'm not so skilled with tie-dye lol. I don't want to tie-dye my regular white shirts since they-re only a year old. Maybe it can be refrigerated/frozen for later (they're already dry-measured into bottles when I bought 'em, so I can't just measure less).

Anyways, I'm gonna have a whole fucking TWL3 Chelsea look when I'm done. I didn't even notice her bag till I was looking at fashion articles trying to see reference pics for the shirt colours since I can't screenshot the show from my phone. (I mostly took drawing notes by hand, but I needed colour refs on hand when I paint).

So yeah. On a more personal note...

I had a rough past 2 days, including having to come out to a doctor and being scared about if it will affect the unrelated healthcare I need. Yesterday I got up early to do a full glitter eyeshadow look (like used makeup glue and everything) JUST so that I wouldn't cry in the appointment/events afterwards. I hadn't worn decorative makeup in like a year, before that.

So, I cried about yesterday a lot in therapy today. (Racial microaggression REALLY fucking got to me yesterday bc that happened at a really inopportune moment of vulnerability for me.) Basically, I was feeling constant adrenaline almost the whole day yesterday. Even with meds on board. I felt sick all day the rest of today after therapy (an anniversary, but literally only for me because I was in a different time zone when that happened) and I finally started bawling while crocheting this fucking bag, just trying to do anything to keep my mind off the day, keeping something on the TV constantly (even though it was lagging all day) since, of course, it was gloomy and cold for most of today! Hate that. I'm ready for summer. I hate winter and spring, they're too cold.

I'm still feeling pretty mentally sick about everything. Really, REALLY fucking alone and sad, and I'm gonna try and sleep it off, hopefully I can feel better tomorrow and spend some time working on painting that shirt I really want. Please. I need all the funky neon rave aes clothes lmao. Maybe I'll crochet some neon smiley bag tag or something for the market bag, since I obv don't want to replicate the branded bag tag. Idk. I'm tired.

As an aside, I've been typing for a bit as I'm getting ready for bed. When I went to wash my hands, hOLY SHIT my left hand is so beefy from crocheting for like 13 hours gay lol. Might not even be able to crochet tomorrow if my arthritis acts up because of this. Rn it's just sore. Ugh. Just one more strap. And one bag tag. That's all I ask. I can paint the shirt with my right hand. (Cross-dominant handedness.)

Anyways, I'm prob gonna pass out now. Everything hurts in more ways than one. My hand needs kissies, holy fuck, it really hurts. I'm tired. I need a fucking break. I need one million dollars. I need to be at the blood rave. I need a hug. I need 7k E M/M PWP read to me as I sleep. I need a full night's rest. Good night.

[bestshoppingbag]

Stylish and Festive: Top Trends in Plastic Christmas Gift Bags

Giving Christmas gifts is as much about the presentation as it is about the gift itself. Beautifully wrapped presents heighten the joy of unwrapping and add to the magic of the holiday season. One trend that’s catching on like wildfire is the use of plastic Christmas gift bags—a modern, versatile, and visually appealing way to wrap your presents. From charming goodie bags to personalized tote designs, there’s no shortage of stylish options to spread holiday cheer.

This blog dives into the latest trends in plastic Christmas gift bags, the benefits they offer, and why they’ve become a holiday must-have. If you're ready to revolutionize your gift-wrapping routine, keep reading!

Why Choose Plastic Christmas Gift Bags?

Plastic Christmas gift bags offer a unique blend of style and functionality. These bags:

Come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and festive designs to fit any gift.

Are easy to use—no scissors, tape, or wrapping skills required.

Provide durability, ensuring your gifts stay safe and secure.

Often include transparent options that allow you to showcase the contents stylishly.

Whether you’re wrapping a small box of chocolates or a large present, they offer convenience along with a touch of elegance.

2025 Trends in Plastic Christmas Gift Bags

1. Reusable Christmas Gift Bags

Eco-conscious gifting? Yes, please! Reusable Christmas gift bags are gaining popularity as both a sustainable and stylish option. They help reduce waste, save you money, and can be customized to match your theme. Many of these bags are made from durable materials, enabling them to hold multiple presents and last for years.

At Infinite Pack, we offer reusable bags in an array of festive designs that can be personalized with your messages. They’re a perfect fit for anyone looking to combine sustainability with holiday cheer.

2. Tote-Inspired Plastic Bags

Tote bags have been a year-round favorite, and this trend is spilling over into the holiday season as customized Christmas goodie totes. These are perfect for filling with miniature gifts, candies, or homemade treats while giving a nod to the fashion-forward crowd. Tote-inspired plastic bags bridge practicality and festive aesthetics.

3. Bold and Bright Prints

Think oversized snowflakes, Christmas trees, and glittering stars. Plastic Christmas bags are no longer just accessories—they’re becoming a part of the visual festivities. Vibrant and bold Christmas prints are trending, offering an off-beat yet chic alternative to traditional wrapping paper. Look out for glossy and visually textured designs to impress your recipients.

4. Transparent Designs for Showcasing Gifts

Clear Christmas gift bags are here to level up your wrapping game. These bags allow gifters to display their present’s contents while still maintaining a polished look. They’re an excellent choice for beautifully packaged baked goods, toys, or artisanal presents you want visible at first glance. Infinite Pack’s Merry Christmas Bags, for instance, combine thickness with gloss for an elevated transparent packaging solution.

5. Bulk Christmas Goodie Bags

For companies or large families looking to simplify bulk gift-wrapping tasks, wholesale Christmas goodie bags are a lifesaver. These are available in sizes ranging from small to extra-large, made to accommodate everything from tiny stocking stuffers to premium holiday hampers. Infinite Pack offers bulk options that are affordable and ensure every present is wrapped in style.

Why Buy Plastic Christmas Gift Bags From Infinite Pack?

Infinite Pack takes the hassle out of holiday packaging. Whether you’re a parent wrapping for the kids or a business owner sending gifts to clients, we cater to all your needs. Here’s why you’ll love shopping with us:

Unmatched Variety: We offer bags in different sizes, colors, and themes, including classic red-and-green ones and modern minimalist designs.

Eco-Friendly Options: Explore our sustainable, reusable bags for guilt-free gifting.

Custom Designs: Got a vision in mind? We offer customizable goodie and tote bag options.

Bulk Deals: Our wholesale Christmas treat bags are perfect for those wanting to wrap a large number of gifts without breaking the bank.

Durability and Quality: Made with high-quality plastic that doesn’t compromise on looks.

How to Pick the Perfect Plastic Christmas Gift Bag

If you’re wondering how to choose the ideal gift bag for your loved ones, here’s a simple guide:

Size Matters: Select a bag that fits your gift snugly without leaving too much extra room.

Match the Recipient’s Style: Whether it’s playful snowmen for kids or chic, minimalist designs for adults, try to match the bag to the recipient's preferences.

Theme Consistency: Choose bags that align with your holiday theme or decor.

Consider Reusability: Opt for reusable bags for larger presents or heavy gifts. It’s a win-win for the environment and your wallet!

From Function to Festive — Elevate Your Christmas Game

Plastic Christmas gift bags have proven themselves more than just an alternative to traditional wrapping paper. Their versatility, convenience, and stunning designs make them an obvious choice for modern gift wrappers. Whether you’re drawn to the eco-friendly appeal of our reusable bags or want to stock up on colorful bulk goodie bags, Infinite Pack has something to suit every gifter’s needs.

Still undecided? Browse our exclusive collection of plastic Christmas gift bags today and find the perfect fit for your holiday wrapping. Trust us—it’ll be your chicest Christmas yet!

[gloryclean]

The Importance Of Cleanliness In Your Business Space: Get Prepares For Upcoming Holidays

Maintaining the cleanliness of your business premises is crucial throughout the year. Customers, guests, and visitors will always evaluate your business based on its cleanliness, tidiness, and overall appearance. Therefore, it is essential to stay ahead of the holiday rush and chaos. Ensuring your space remains clean and sparkling is a must. Here are some essential carpet cleaning tips to keep you prepared for the upcoming holiday season.

The Holidays and Their Impact on Your Interior

The holiday season is approaching, and the festive spirit is gradually making its presence felt. From the joyful Christmas carols playing in the background to the glittering and colorful decorations adorning your walls, your home or business cannot escape the magic of the season.

The holidays are a wonderful time, a season to celebrate and spend time with loved ones. However, the holiday season can be tough on your interiors. Accidents are inevitable in crowded spaces, leading to stains from wine and food spills. Increased foot traffic means more dirt and scuff marks. One of the main casualties of holiday parties and the rush is your carpet. It bears the brunt of everything from spilled drinks and food to dirt and mud tracked in by foot traffic. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare your maintenance and cleaning team to protect your carpet.

Carpet Cleaning Tips You'll Appreciate

Carpet Cleaning Chelsea make your establishment feel more inviting and cozier. They enhance the aesthetic appeal of your interior and help keep your space warmer, especially during colder weather. There are numerous benefits to maintaining clean carpets, so it's wise to take good care of them. Here are some carpet cleaning tips to keep in mind as the holiday season approaches.

Thoroughly Mop and Vacuum at Closing Time

At the end of each day, make sure to mop and vacuum the entire premises. This prevents dirt from accumulating and becoming difficult to remove. Delaying this can lead to excessive dirt buildup. Dust that settles in your carpet not only affects its appearance but also impacts the air quality inside your establishment, potentially leading to respiratory issues and health problems.

Use a Welcome Mat at Your Entrance

A welcome mat can significantly reduce the amount of dirt that comes into contact with your carpet. Mats with bristles can help scrape off dirt and mud from your patrons' shoes before they step inside. Choose welcome mats that complement the design and interior of your business establishment.

Install a Coat Rack and Umbrella Stand at Your Entrance

Coats and umbrellas might seem harmless to your carpeting, but they can bring in water on a cold, rainy day. If allowed inside, droplets can seep into your carpet, leading to unsightly water stains.

Prepare Cleaning Solutions for Various Carpet Stains

You never know what kind of stain might end up on your carpet, so it's best to be prepared for common ones. For water stains, use a solution of one cup of water and two ounces of white vinegar. Alternatively, you can use a mixture of one cup of water and one teaspoon of dish soap. To tackle red wine stains, mix dish soap with hydrogen peroxide or dish washing liquid.

Hire Professional Carpet Cleaners

During the holidays, you’ll want to focus on your work or business rather than carpet cleaning. Keeping your space clean can be overwhelming when running a business, and doing it yourself might cause damage. Instead of saving money on cleaning services, you might end up spending more. Hire a reputable carpet cleaning service with excellent reviews and a proven track record. Glory Clean can help keep your carpet and flooring in top condition. For superior and excellent carpet cleaning services, contact Glory Clean today!

[awpro]

Comparing Mirrorless vs DSLR Cameras for Videography: AWPRO Reveals the UAE's Vlogging Powerhouse!

Captivating images are essential to the UAE's thriving content creation landscape. Regardless of experience level, selecting the appropriate camera is an essential first step in creating your work of art. However, navigating the world of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras can be difficult due to the rapid advancement of technology. Do not be alarmed, UAE's inventive minds! The DSLR vs. mirrorless argument is explored in detail in this blog article from AWPRO.TV, your one-stop shop for everything photography and videography in Dubai and beyond. This essay will assist you in selecting the ideal weapon to unleash your narrative magic.

The DSLR Powerhouse:

DSLRs, or Digital Single-Lens Reflex, cameras have been the industry standard for professional videography for many years. Below is a summary of their advantages:

Image Quality: DSLR cameras produce incredibly beautiful images with vivid colors and rich details, making them ideal for cinematic photographs showcasing the UAE's spectacular surroundings.

Low-Luminous Efficiency: Doing night time filming beneath the glittering Dubai skyline? DSLRs are excellent in low light, so even in poorly lit spaces, your films will look clear and sharp.

Wide Lens Selection: DSLRs come with a huge selection of interchangeable lenses that let you adjust to any kind of shooting situation. There's a lens to fit your vision, whether you're shooting wide-angle desert landscapes or up-close interviews.

DSLRs do have some drawbacks, though:

Bulk and Weight: DSLRs are less suitable for travel or scenarios demanding continuous mobility because they are often larger and heavier than their mirrorless counterparts.

Mirror Slap Sound: DSLRs' built-in mirror mechanism occasionally produces a faint shutter sound during filming, which may need to be edited out further.

The Steady Mirrorless Marvel:

Videographers are quickly adopting mirrorless cameras (MILCs), which present a strong substitute for DSLRs. Let's examine their main benefits:

Compact and Lightweight: Compared to DSLRs, mirrorless cameras are substantially lighter and smaller, which makes them perfect for vloggers who are constantly on the go or for use in dynamic settings. They're ideal traveling partners for taking pictures of desert excursions or visiting Dubai's busy streets.

Silent Shooting: Mirrorless cameras record audio more cleanly and may require less post-production work because they don't produce the mirror slap sound.

Advanced Features: A lot of mirrorless cameras come with amazing technological innovations, like better autofocus systems and electronic viewfinders (EVFs) with excellent resolution. These capabilities have the potential to greatly improve your process in videography.

Mirrorless cameras do have certain restrictions, though:

Battery Life: Because DSLRs are larger, they often have longer battery lives. This can be an important consideration for long-term video projects.

Lens Selection: Although mirrorless cameras are starting to offer a wider range of lenses, the selection may still fall short of that of DSLRs.

Which Camera Is the Best of All?

In the end, what is "best" for you will rely on your own requirements and tastes. Here is a brief how-to:

Select a DSLR if: You value excellent image quality, good performance in low light, and a wide range of lenses.

Select a mirrorless camera if you value advanced features, weight, silent operation, and compactness more than other factors.

Your Reliable Camera Partner in Dubai is AWPRO.TV.

Whichever route you decide on, Dubai's top camera store, AWPRO.TV is ready to provide you with the ideal equipment for your videography endeavors. We provide a large selection of excellent DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, lenses, and accessories from well-known manufacturers. Our knowledgeable staff can assist you in weighing your alternatives and designing a solution that fits both your needs and your budget.

Ready to reach your full potential as a videographer? Your one-stop store for all camera needs in Dubai and the UAE is AWPRO.TV. Start producing fascinating video material that embodies your creative personality by browsing our vast library and consulting with experts!

[thebigphonestore]

DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF PHONE ACCESSORIES - TRANSFORM YOUR DEVICE

Top 2023 Phone Accessories Will Improve Your Mobile Experience

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[crystalelemental]

I have finished Cassette Beasts.  All Archangels defeated, all beasts (except Magikrab, don’t have the patience) acquired.  I am calling that complete.  Thoughts below.

Stuff I liked

I kind of appreciate how the starting beasts have split evolutions.  I think an issue Pokemon often runs into is my sense of “I can’t abandon my first child,” but then it there’s another thing in that type I want to use I can’t.  Having alternate options helps.

I actually like the idea of everything being one singular type.  I think it simplifies things a lot.

I love how the game plays with strategy.  Specifically stuff like:

Type Shields can cover for your weaknesses in absurd ways.  An Ice Shield put up for a Fire-type means any Water moves that are aimed at it instead boost its defenses.  The early Poison Crow thing can set Wind Shield, and not only negates its Fire weakness, but the shield gets stronger and lasts longer.

Glitter Type is really interesting.  Being able to apply a new type that overrides the former, and then shifting the opponent’s type to the next attack type that lands, is an interesting gimmick I wish I’d played with more.

Strategies like stall just kinda...work consistently.  There was very little that couldn’t be addressed by Leech/Poison Spore.  I love that.  I love stall strats.  And I think the biggest thing is that they’re just accurate.  They don’t miss arbitrarily.

Neutral commentary

Boss battles are fine. Until I really got into the Stall Swing, many of the Archangel fights were frustrating, because they’re immune to debuffs, which feels like an incredibly stupid thing to do.  I don’t like when games just turn off mechanics and call it a challenge.  You can do better.

Beast designs range from pretty neat to kinda meh.  There were none that stand out to be as strong favorites, but none that stood out as things I couldn’t stand.  They all work out.

Any arguments to be made about the type chart being better than Pokemon’s is asinine.  It’s just as imbalanced, if not worse in some ways.  Poison feels like Gen 1 Psychic type; only one weakness (Fire) that is easily negated or turned into an advantage.  Earth is just Pokemon’s Ice, it’s so hilariously bad defensively.

I don’t really know what the point of Glass type is.  One thing has it.  It doesn’t seem good, like...at all.

Some mechanics just don’t get added until late.  When I finally encountered Glitter Bomb as a sticker, I was already established with my Stall comp.  There are just certain angles that feel like they aren’t even available until you stumble on the right sticker, which can be ages.

Archangels, conceptually, are...fine.  I’m on board with things made manifest by the imagination of humans.  But also I don’t feel like many of them exude much in the way of personality.

This is the same general feeling I have toward the human characters.  Absolutely no one stands out.  I reference my girl Kayleigh a lot, but that’s frankly more to do with Decibelle than her.

Stuff I don’t like

Look, the only thing I actively hated is that the Switch port is constantly crashing. They get that patched, this is the kind of game I will probably replay some day.  But as it stands, the game is borderline unplayable on console, with some quests being so routine in their crashing that you have to be really stubborn to find solutions.

I think 2v2 mechanics don’t necessarily work out all the time.  While there are interesting things you can do with it, the main suffering is random encounters taking forever.  Early game, running into the Poison Crow is a nightmare.  I don’t have a ton of wood to constantly rest, it’s gonna Poison me, and if I try to hit its Fire weakness, its literal only weakness, there’s a good chance it’ll Wind Shield, and I’ll make this entire situation way worse.  It turns every encounter into a real hassle and a significant threat, which isn’t really to the game’s benefit.  Especially not when stall strats crack the Archangels like a particularly flimsy eggshell, but random encounters can still threaten the hell out of you.  It feels very backwards.

AP Systems are not my favorite.  So much of this game can feel like just waiting for your AP to generate.  The entire reason I latched on to Decibelle so strongly was because Echolocation auto-activating into AP Boost that applied to both allies sped up access to stronger moves.  On fusion, this is the difference between getting a lot of the really good attacks, and being 1AP short, and the double application means you get twice the duration, which is always enough to finish the match.

Fusion, as a mechanic, feels irrelevant by endgame.  Early on, and even in mid-game, it’s the main solution to boss fights.  But again, stall strats.  You can easily figure out that Leech/Poison Spore will answer big single-target fights just fine, and that Decibelle’s Echolocation lets you pivot around AP boosting, Doc Leaf for further healing, and Shield to block major attacks.  The result of this is that Fusion winds up being an outright worse solution.  I can run the risk of my opponent out-DPSing me, or I can safely sit here and siphon HP without issue.  Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Stall Strats, but I do think Fusion as a mechanic starts to stop mattering.  Then again, maybe that’s a personal problem.

I think if there’s any major criticism of the game’s story and characters, it’s that they feel like they’re trying for something they’re not out to deliver on.  The game does a lot of pushing things like building community, and pushing back on injustice and such, but only as lip service.  The Landkeepers are an interesting antagonistic force that ultimately doesn’t amount to much more than a bunch of allusions to real world housing market bullshit.  Random trainer encounters will talk at length about modern issues, but it never goes anywhere.  I think the worst is one has like seven pre-battle dialogue boxes about different eras and worlds, like one has a major plague an one is undergoing major social upheaval, etc, and ends on “Wouldn’t it be so fucked if there were a world where all that was happening at once?”  YEAH, SURE WOULD THANKS.  Like, it’s commentary without really saying anything.  I’m sure there are concepts to be drawn and extrapolated on from playing, I know not everything has to be spelled out.  But this also isn’t Utena.  There’s not really anything being set up that can be dug in to.  It’s just alluding to stuff, alluding to the concept of a solution, but not really presenting anything novel or compelling.  Like, Kayleigh was part of a cult, helped run it, for people who first showed up in this strange world, couldn’t get home, and fell into despair.  Do we want to do anything with that?  No, just one quick comment on the general vibe and then we all go on like no one’s actually all that affected by its rise or its leader’s sudden death, leaving them directionless?  Okay.  It feels like the game, quite legitimately, would’ve been better without trying to push the social commentary stuff, and just sticking to the “Archangels are cool concepts” and more mundane human stuff.  Like, I actually liked Felix’s quest.  An artist embarrassed by his early work comes to appreciate where he started from and get over that notion of cringe?  Excellent, that’s doing something, that’s saying something.  Just do stuff like that.  Smaller moments are what the game did well.  Larger elements felt directionless.

In totality, it’s the kind of game I definitely wish I liked more than I did, but I chalk up a lot of the dislike to frustrations around the game crashing.  I think it’s overall pretty good!  As a gameplay experience, definitely worthwhile, pretty nice for only $20.  Just...don’t get it for Switch until the performance issues are patched.  Seriously.  It is constant.

[preshregimen]

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At some point, I wanted to give up but guess what?

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I understand how frustrating and exhausting you can be having a skin problems and getting totally ripped off on the solutions.

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IN A NUTSHELL:

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[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

A Miraculous TikTok Account

Part 5

First

Previous

Next

Pretending to be perfect would be so much easier if she was actually perfect.

Now, Ladybug absolutely knew that she didn’t need to pretend anymore. In fact, there was no way in hell that she would be able to keep up the act…

And so she’d told herself that this was fine, that she was okay with the fact that she was going to be incorporating her life as ‘Ladybug’ more into her actual life.

She’d tried. She really had. She’d worn her normal clothes for the first few days while she was unpacking…

And then she’d sat down next to Carapace on that couch to talk to him like normal humans do… only to find herself falling right back into her persona the moment she’d laid eyes on him. She’d pulled her ‘scared civilian smile’ to her face and lied about her progress on her room for seemingly no reason.

That night she went to the store to buy herself red and black dresses to match her usual Ladybug aesthetic.

They’d believe that she was just wearing the casual clothes as temps while she was settling in, probably, it wouldn’t take much to convince them that she actually acted like Ladybug at all times.

Now, she knew that this would only work for a limited amount of time. No one could be perfect forever, and the resident human disaster would have an even harder time keeping up the charade…

But she could keep it up for a while, and ‘a while’ was all she needed.

After all, she suddenly had a proper motivation to find out who Hawkmoth was (she hadn’t really cared before, things were always fixed at the end so she wasn’t all that concerned about it), and Ladybug was never one to do things half-ass.

She had to change everything about herself, though, because she couldn’t concentrate on Hawkmoth if she was constantly worrying about maintaining her facade.

She considered ‘Ladybug’s’ general traits and how to convince everyone of it:

Probably a narc, has her life together, perfect…

Yeah, that would probably be enough for now.

She started by learning the law. She found some cheap copies of law textbooks online.

(And promptly found out by reading them that many of the sites she’d used to buy them were technically illegal. She wrote out an apology in Google to the DGSI agent that might be watching her computer. Did they care? Probably not, but she figured there was no harm in being safe.)

Next was getting her life together…

Difficult, but she figured she’d be able to do it. People did it all the time, right?

… not right.

She stared at the article she found on getting your life together in a few simple steps. She was not at all fond of being called out for all her bad habits and coping mechanisms so bluntly...

Still, it was worth a shot.

She searched through her boxes and pulled out a whiteboard. She pushed a couple pictures of her civilian friends off of it, there were more important things to be doing (also the whole ‘secret identities’ thing…), and started making a schedule for herself.

Ladybug blocked out time for work, working out, and cooking/eating healthy food. It left… very little time to find Hawkmoth…

Unless…

Coffee! The ultimate ‘I have my life together’ drink AND it added a few hours to her day! It was perfect!

Speaking of perfect, she was now going to have to be perfect pretty much all day.

She wouldn’t get a break as a civilian because she worked with models and fashion designers and kwami knows that even perfect isn’t enough for them most of the time.

Even her room wasn’t safe, Chat had proved that by walking in and watching her faceplant (it was a good thing he was stupid or else that might have actually ended up being a problem).

No, the only times she could be herself was when she was 1) texting her civilian friends or 2) walking to and from work.

She was beginning to think this was a lot more trouble than it was worth…

Whatever. She was doing it anyways. Nothing, not even logic, was going to stop her from maintaining her ‘Ladybug’ persona.

~

She nearly dropped her coffee (which was mostly sugar and milk, let’s be honest) when she heard a knock on her trapdoor.

“Come in!” She said, pulling an earbud out of her ear.

Chloe poked her head through. “The akuma can fly.”

Ladybug fought the urge to groan. She looked down at the empty page in her sketchbook. Gabriel Agreste, the bastard, wanted a design by the next day and he didn’t grant extensions for akumas.

But she supposed saving Paris was slightly more important than her work --.

Wait, if she didn’t save Paris then she wouldn’t have to turn in her assignment…

She saw Tikki giving her a disapproving look, no doubt aware of where her thoughts were currently heading, and rolled her eyes.

She took out her other earbud and got up. “Alright. Tikki, spots on. Is it really a two person job?”

“Master Fu says so.”

“And Chloe says…?”

“Chlo -- I say that it’s a man made of sand. Guess how hard it’ll be.”

“Mr. Sandman, man me a sand…” mumbled Ladybug absently.

Chloe frowned a little bit. “Did you say something?”

She blinked a few times and then smiled. “Just that Master Fu needs to relax a bit more. We’re very obviously overcompensating.”

“True.”

Ladybug pushed open the attic window and they both flew out into the night --.

Wait, night? Wow, it was a lot later than she thought it was. She was soooo screwed on this deadline.

But there were bigger problems: there was a guy floating around on a pillow.

“The Sandboy just checked in! Now nightmares can begin!”

She rolled her eyes under her mask and looked at Chloe. “What does he do?”

“Creates nightmares. Obviously.”

They came to a stop a few buildings away and watched as sand slowly sprinkled down from the pillow that Sandboy was currently riding. The houses that he passed over erupted with screams.

Wow, the sand was really pretty, actually. Ladybug took note of the colors and the way it shone in the night. Maybe she could model the dress after it… she could do those colors, a bit of glitter…

Chloe nudged her shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, just thinking about what to do…” … for her assignment, but Chloe didn’t need to know that.

“Got any ideas?”

She forced herself to focus on Sandboy. “His cloud is shaped like a pillow, that’s probably the akuma. It also looks like the glitt -- sand -- the SAND is what causes the nightmares, so we should avoid that.”

Chloe nodded a little bit. “Obviously. What should we do?”

“Knock him off.”

“You’re so smart, I wonder how I’d never thought of that,” she said sarcastically.

“You ASKED me what we should do! I answered --!”

“Hello, ladies!” Said Sandboy as he came around the side of the roof.

Chloe scoffed. “Go back to saying your lame rhyme, will you? We’re in the middle of something!”

Sandboy frowned, his expression a combination of shocked and offended. His voice was much higher when he spoke next: “You think my rhyme is lame?”

“Yes.”

Sandboy looked at Ladybug for confirmation, and Ladybug just shrugged and nodded.

“Ouch,” said Sandboy. He cleared his throat and when he spoke again he’d deepened his voice: “We’ll see how lame you think I am when you’re fighting your worst nightmare!”

Ladybug and Chloe immediately jumped away, because usually people say that when they’re about to attack, and the sand nailed the roof right where they’d just been.

The two women met eyes briefly and an understanding passed between them.

“Still lame!” Taunted Chloe.

Sandboy gasped indignantly and floated after her. Chloe smiled and started flying away.

“I mean, honestly, who thought of that? What’re you ‘checking in’ to? Work?”

Sand barely missed Chloe and she took out her spinning top to get away faster.

A piece of sand hit her spinning top. Ladybug and Chloe gave pause. Would that count? Well, it didn’t matter, at least. The solution would be the same: keep running.

Chloe must have come to the same conclusion, because she shook her head and continued…

Except her strides were much slower now.

Ah. So it did matter.

Chloe whimpered a little bit.

Ladybug winced. Great. So it had taken away her powers, probably, or at least her speed. She needed to wrap this up…

She forced herself to fly faster and she launched herself at Sandboy’s back. He happened to glance back and see her, which wasn’t great as he ascended sharply.

Her hands managed to catch the pillow, and she held tight even when she got a facefull of sand.

She felt flames lap at her ankles and a strangled scream escaped her lips. Ladybug didn’t care how she went out for the most part, but it was not going to be through burning to death. She forced herself to not pay attention to the fact that the fire was travelling up and catching on the hem of her dress and it was creeping along her --!

Nope! Not paying attention!

She swung her legs back and forth a few times to wobble the pillow underneath him until he inevitably lost his balance and fell over the side.

That was the good thing.

The bad thing was that the pillow was apparently Sandboy powered and now Sandboy and Ladybug were both plummeting towards the flames far below. Ladybug flapped her currently burning wings and couldn’t help but mumble a curse when she realized that they definitely didn’t work as well when they were on fire.

As it was, she managed to slow her fall and miss the bulk of the flames by inches.

Still hurt like hell when she hit the ground, though.

She rolled around on the concrete streets to smother the flames and didn’t relax until she knew for sure that they were gone.

That done, she allowed herself to relax with a still smoldering pillow. She probably would have rested her head on it if she wasn’t somewhat worried that some leftover sand would touch her face and she’d have to deal with more fire.

Still, it was over… that was nice…

A foot nudged her side. 

She blinked the pain from her eyes and looked up at Chloe…

Chloe pulled the pillow from her weak grip and tore the case.

The akuma fluttered out of the pillow.

Ladybug forced herself to her feet before she was ready.

“Can you hit the akuma or do you need me?”

Chloe scoffed a little, and then paused. She considered for a minute before saying, “Yeah, it’s not like I just faced one of my worst nightmares...”

“Losing your powers is one of your worst -- know what? Doesn’t matter. You can’t even hit it without your powers,” said Ladybug.

Chloe frowned.

Ladybug ignored this. She pulled her yoyo from her waist and tossed it at the butterfly. The akuma gave a pitiful squeak as it was sniped out of the air.

Instantly, her pain melted away. She breathed a sigh of relief. Much better.

She slowly walked over to Sandboy, who was apparently just a kid.

Annoyance flared in her. Hawkmoth was going after kids? This one looked like a toddler!

She forced herself to relax and brought a smile to her face. “Hey, what happened?”

“I watched a scary movie and had a nightmare…” explained the kid.

She nodded a tiny bit and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Would you like one of us to take you home? We can read you a bedtime story and keep the akumas away…”

PleasesaynoIhaveworktodopleasesaynosaynosay --.

“Yes please!” The kid sniffled and wrapped his arms around her.

Noooooooo...

Chloe spoke up after a second’s hesitation, her expression thoughtful: “You were working on something before we left, right, ‘bug?”

Ladybug blinked behind her mask. “Yeah…?” Was Chloe really going to offer to help?

“Ha! Sucks! See you tomorrow!” Chloe smiled and stuck her tongue out at Ladybug, then took off.

Yeah, she should have expected that.

She rolled her eyes and looked back down at the kid. Whatever. She could go read him a story and get him to bed, it shouldn’t take long…

“Where do you live?”

“I don’t know.”

Fuck.

~~~

Taglist

@nathleigh @mialuvscats @sassakitty @th1s-1s-my-aesthet1c @blueslushgueen

[standbyplacesplease]

SM ASTROLOGY

Aries

You have a natural leadership that makes the role of SM come easily to you. Your dynamic personality and strong ego (come on, admit it!) can keep a complex tech running along smoothly. However, you can step on a few toes with your super-confident attitude – and it usually surprises you when people take things the wrong way. You hate being told what to do, though occasionally you should slow down and listen to the carp with decades of experience under his tool belt. You are quick to come up with solutions to problems, and directors usually appreciate that you maintain shows consistently and with excellent quality.

Most likely to lead the parade to the bar after rehearsal.

Taurus

You are the epitome of patience, and never sweat the small stuff. You are content to rule over the theatre from behind your SM station, watching everyone hustle and flow as you calmly impose order over this chaos. People enjoy working with you because you always have your eye on the big picture. Sometimes your slow walk and quiet watchfulness are mistaken to mean that you are less than enthusiastic about your show. But those who know you best know the truth: you are a fierce defender of your production’s best interests, and you’ll win any shouting match if it finally comes to that. In fact, you’d really excel as a producer. When people need someone to put a foot down, they come straight to you.

Most likely to keep the company from giving out comps like candy.

Gemini

Your SM motto is “Communicate!” No one can top your skills at moderating discussion, passing along information, and keeping all members of the cast and crew in touch. Your paperwork is informative and lively. You are a true master at running production meetings. However, you might tend to debate issues longer than necessary because you can see all sides of an argument naturally – which sometimes leaves you caught in the middle. You tend to move quickly, and can jot down complex blocking on the first go.

Most likely to be the best cue caller on Earth.

Cancer

You adore the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t illusion of theatre magic. You are definitely most comfortable backstage, under the blue glow of work lights. While you can guide a show competently through rehearsals, it is backstage where you really shine. You can call those visual or “feel” cues perfectly every time because you are always in the moment when it comes to performances. While you’re not one for the spotlight yourself, you love the warm-and-fuzzy feeling when a cast bonds and the audience gives a standing-O. You can tend to get sick easily, especially during a stressful tech.

Most likely to have the Mary Poppins Bag of kits – and to be called “Mom” by the cast.

Leo

You have the natural qualities of a mentor, and can guide a production from start to finish using sheer will alone. People naturally look up to you, and you take this and run with it (even when you secretly know you’re not quite sure what you’re talking about sometimes). Your showbiz motto could be “High Class, Baby!” You want everything done with no expense or effort spared �� you’ll settle for nothing less than the best in all things. You’re extremely independent, but might do well to delegate more tasks to your ASMs. You secretly love the backstage gossip and can be quite susceptible to flattery.

Most likely to give speeches – about tardiness, show concept, backstage protocol, anything really.

Virgo

You are tops when it comes to organization. Even your prop tables are taped with perfect right angles. Your pencils are perfectly sharp and your paperwork is pristine (even if it takes you a while to file reports because you’re fussing with line spacing). Sometimes you can get impatient when the “creatives” are taking too long to debate character motivation or the exact shade of green that expresses the emotion of this scene. But you have saved the day more than once because while everyone else was looking the other way, you quietly put everything in order.

Most likely to guard your kit like a lion.

Libra

You are level-headed and patient – even when everyone around you is beyond stressed. Your calm demeanor makes you extremely valuable during crazy techs, and cast and crew alike a drawn to your easy-going friendliness. You are able to prioritize tasks and to defuse various crises as soon as they arise. You aren’t the perfect caller, or paperwork maven, or the master fixer. In a way, you are very good at all areas of SMing, while you don’t necessarily excel at any – except providing an enthusiastic but realistic outlook at all times.

Most likely to be the Go-To person for all things show related.

Scorpio

You just belong in the theatre. The drama, the craziness, the long hours, the nighttime schedule – it fits you perfectly. You become extremely attached to productions you’re working on, and are most likely to suffer from Post-Dramatic Stress Disorder after closing. But for each show you work, you give it your all. You work especially well with directors and actors because you appreciate the emotional demands of theatre. Measuring ground plans and making run sheets are definitely not your favorite activities – you’ll delegate these to your ASMs whenever possible.

Most likely to get involved in a show romance.

Sagittarius

You want the biggest, craziest, sparkliest shows you can find. Musicals are your favorite – with the glitzy costumes, the big sets, the intense cue sequences, and the glitter drops (love the glitter drops!). You enjoy theatre not for the emotional catharsis but for the pure entertainment factor. You are always the cheerleader for whatever production you are on, and can make people smile through even the most painful tech. Typical SM neuroses -– pristine paperwork, overstocked kits, impeccable call boards – are not for you. Sometimes people might accuse you of being a little slap-dash in your execution. But gosh darn it, you just love the theatre, and you’re guaranteed to give ‘em a great show every time.

Most likely to secretly want to be an actor.

Capricorn

You are the perfectionist SM personified. Not because you’re neurotic or naturally orderly, but for the pure challenge of it. You enjoy SMing because it allows you to use all your skills, constantly learning how to do things better. Though you’re patient in your way, you can be quite demanding when others don’t live up to your expectations. You have a certain detachment from your shows because for you they are exercises and learning opportunities. But this constant personal challenge means that you are inevitably very good at what you do. Your ASMs think you are god.

Most likely to have run sheets drafted before rehearsals even start.

Aquarius

You are an SM because you love being a central part of the creative process. You are imaginative, energetic, and friendly. However, you might not be the most practical SM – paperwork and call boards with hospital corners are not where you excel. With your inventive mind, you can come up with amazing creative solutions to most dilemmas – especially in regards to props and costumes. You are likely to have a few silly toys in your kit alongside your pencils.

Most likely to be SM + costumes + props + carpenter + house manager + program designer + ...

Pisces

Your independent, non-competitive nature makes SMing a good position for you. You’re rather optimistic and can always see the best in people and situations, though you can get emotionally attached in rehearsals. While running through the tragic scene, you’ll be the first one with tears in your eyes – but be careful that you don’t go home in a foul mood, too. You might find it hard to sit through long rehearsals or to park yourself at the SM desk through a show (wireless headsets were made for SMs like you!).

Most likely to give counseling sessions to sobbing actors backstage.

[stonefreeak]

Sorry it’s taken me so long! Life, amirite?

In some ways, Quinlan is almost fucking impressed by how good La is at not admitting to anything at all. He knows that Hissleet Endai is an assassins' guild, he knows that La no doubt knows a lot of their targets... But she's also keeping mum so hard that Quinlan can't use her knowledge to narrow down the possible culprits.

It really would be impressive if it wasn't so fucking frustrating.

So. He's gonna need a plan B.

He discussed the scene with the other Jedi when they arrived and compared notes regarding what they'd discovered at the scene of the bombing... But they also concluded that it's probably for the best if Quinlan takes a trip there himself too.

He's felt the Sith Lord so clearly it nearly choked him. If there are any hints of him anywhere near that office, Quinlan will find them.

"Well, La. For all that you're helpful you're supremely unhelpful."

She rolls her eyes and gives him a wry smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Van."

Quinlan rolls his eyes right back at her and shakes his head.

"Nevermind." He rolls his shoulders. "Grab your identifier, we're going to visit the Senate and the Senate Office Building and if we run into the Sith Lord, I don't plan on missing it."

La snorts loudly. "And how are you expecting to get me inside without anyone getting suspicious? Or can Jedi just walk around the Senate Office Building with anyone they want?"

Quinlan gives her a sharp grin. "Not hardly. But—!" No doubt are his teeth glittering in the lamp light—"I've got a plan."

He watches with much amusement as La's face twists from confusion to horror as he holds up some regular Jedi robes he borrowed from the Temple.

This'll be easy.

~~~~

"I'm genuinely surprised that these clothes are comfortable," La says under her breath as they head towards the main Senate building.

Quinlan snorts. "They're not expensive and generally of simple make—it's not like we need anything more—but they're also meant for us to wear in our daily lives or on missions. Of course they're comfortable. You don’t want to get distracted by a wedgie on a mission."

He pauses and rolls his eyes and continues before La can say anything else. "Except for those few weirdos who think the clothes ought to itch and that it'll lead to a better understanding of the Force. But they're few and far in between, and honestly I think they just like being miserable."

La chokes on a laugh, and in the corner of his eye, Quinlan can see her struggling to keep her expression calm and collected.

He grins; he knows he's funny.

Not to mention that it's easier now to crack jokes, now that he knows that Obi-Wan is fine. That he has recovered.

It's easier to deal with your emotions and let them go when everything is alright. It's always a struggle to handle your inner turmoil when the cause of it is still ongoing. Not that Quinlan lets himself dwell on that stuff too much. Sometimes you just need to relax and let things come as they will. Still, he's seen the struggle, he's heard about it...

He feels the pull sometimes, as everyone does, but he tries to keep himself and his emotions fairly laid back. Take things as they come, things'll work out one way or another, and if they don't then they probably weren't meant to. That, or he did his best and it just wasn't enough this time. That does happen, even though it sucks a lot when it does.

Sometimes you do your very best, and without a single mistake, you still fail. Doing, after all, is outside of its outcome. Doing does not mean certainty regarding succeeding or failing. Trying, however, saves the ego. If you fail when you “tried” then it’s okay, because you hadn’t really committed to it anyway, you were just trying, not doing.

Do or do not, there is no try, indeed.

Quinlan shakes himself. Now’s not the time to get philosophical and ruminate on Master Yoda’s words of wisdom; he’s got a job to do.

"So, got the scanner ready?"

La nods. "I've got it."

Quinlan grins and leads the way inside. He doesn't hang out in the Senate a lot—it's not his scene, he's a tracker and infiltrator, not really a diplomat—but he does know the basic rules for how to behave yourself. He's not sure about La, but she's probably trained to fade into the background wherever she is, so he's not that worried about her making a fool of herself.

If they're lucky, they might actually stumble upon the Sith Lord without him noticing and then they can get everyone else involved and get rid of most of the Sith problems they're having. Catching the Sith Lord won't stop Dooku, but they can probably deal with that at a later date. Killing the snake cradled to their breast is more important than killing the snake a few metres away in the sand.

Time to do this thing.

~~~~

"Well. I don't want to say it's a waste of time..." La looks exhausted, and Quinlan can feel echoes of frustration from her in the Force.

He shrugs. "The Senate is huge. We've at least managed to rule out the Senators who took part in today's session, all we need now is to get the participation protocol and get them crossed off our list of suspects."

"But that's just the Senators! All of them have staff as well!" La's face twists and her canines become visible as she curls her lips in anger.

Quinlan just shrugs again. "If you thought this would be easy, sorry to disappoint you."

She lets out a huge sigh and her shoulders relax somewhat. Seeing that she's calmed down somewhat, Quinlan nods to himself.

"Well, time to head over to the Senate Office Building and take a look at the other crime scene." He rolls his shoulders. "I might be able to pick something up when we're there. Not necessarily, but maybe."

The reconstructions of the building are going well, though the epicentre of the blast is still kept in its destroyed state for the time being. But most of the building is back to being used.

Huh, maybe he can check in on and annoy Kenobi for a bit. That'd do wonders for his nerves.

Grinning to himself Quinlan sets off, La hot on his heels.

Sooner or later they'll find what they need, one way or another. They can't be sure that the solution will be easy and straightforward, life rarely is, but sometimes a surprising twist adds a little flavour to life.

It's like the food in the Temple. There's a huge variety in foods you can get, or you can get the bland highly nutritious but super boring fare that's designed to keep dietary restrictions and allergies in mind. A lot of the time that's good and fine, but sometimes you just really want some good Gardeenian sweat spices on your food and spend the rest of the evening sweating like a furnace from the heat of it all.

So.

Investigation first and then he can bother Obi-Wan.

—

(Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan Kenobi masterpost)

[ikeromantic]

Diamond

Day 29 of Ikemektober! 

Holy cats, I didn’t think I would write this much this month! For this prompt, I chose Mitsunari. This is a longer story at Approx. 2800 words, and it’s a bit scary - because it’s almost Halloween ^_^ 

“Mitsunari - it’s beautiful!” His beloved squealed as he draped the bracelet over her wrist. 

It was a strange piece of jewelry. Western in design, with a gold chain and a flower charm. The trader called the stone a diamond - colorless, but cut in such a way that it caught the light. The merchant had been eager to be rid of it, perhaps because such colorless stones were worth so little. But it was very pretty - perfect for his flower.

“I hope it makes up for forgetting . . .” Mitsunari trailed off. He felt terrible about it. Forgetting their anniversary - even after writing it down. 

She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “Nothing to make up for, Mitsu. I forgot too! And you were so busy with reviewing the supply lines, which is way more important.”

Mitsunari took hold of her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “No. There is nothing more important to me than you.” She opened her mouth to argue, but this was one strategy Mitsu knew was super-effective. The kiss. He captured her lips with his and made sure she was too thoroughly kissed to say another word. 

When he finally pulled back, she was pink-cheeked and breathless. “Oh. That - that was nice.”

He loved the way she looked at him in moments like this. As if she saw only him. It made him want to do more than kiss her. But no sooner had he thought it than they were interrupted.

“My lord? There’s a messenger here from Nobunaga?” The servant stood at the door, eyes averted. 

“It’s alright. I have errands to run today - you should do your work.” His beloved stood and straightened her clothes. 

Mitsunari sighed. “I wanted to celebrate with you today.” 

“We still can - later.” She blew him a kiss, and he caught it. It was a silly game between them, but Mitsunari enjoyed it. He enjoyed everything about her.

The charm on her bracelet caught the light, and for just a moment, it looked as if there was a shape in the glittering facets. A face? He rubbed his eyes, and then it was gone. “Yes - later, my love. I will take you to your favorite teahouse. Will that be alright?”

“I can’t wait.” She smiled and left him to his day. He watched her walk out, his eyes tracking the sparkling charm. It seemed normal now. How strange.

By that afternoon, he’d forgotten about the face in the light and could only think about how excited he was to see his love. But she wasn’t in the castle, or in his manor. In fact, she’d not been there since the morning. 

It was strange that she hadn’t left him word, but Mitsunari thought she might still be in town, shopping and delivering messages. He hadn’t specified a time, so really it was his fault. He decided to go to town after her, but he did leave a note in his study in case she made it back before he found her.

The Azuchi markets were bustling with activity. Merchants, traders, visitors from other provinces. Mitsunari found the chaos appealing - a bit like a problem in need of a solution. He couldn’t help but think of strategies for flow and organization as he walked. 

His feet took him in the direction of the fabric sellers. Purveyors of thread, bundles of silk, linen, and beaten flax. This was the place his love always went to - even when she wasn’t in need of anything. She liked to look. And indeed - he spotted her. 

She stood near a rack of brilliant yellow and blue fabric, the afternoon sun warm on her skin. She lifted her arm to point something out, and the bracelet he’d given her caught the light. The charm glistened, spinning the glow around it into brilliant, fractured beams. In the brilliance, as if peering from some depth of radiance, there was a face again. A woman’s face.

Mitsunari rubbed his eyes, blinking, but the face remained. And it smiled. It was an unsettling expression, sharp. 

Then his love’s arm lowered and the image disappeared. She saw Mitsunari in the crowd and smiled at him.

He sped to her side, feeling a sudden need to touch her. To make sure she was alright. He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the lips. 

“M-mitsunari! We’re in public!” 

“Is that not ok? I am sorry - I was just so happy to see you.”

She blushed. “I’m glad to see you too.”

The merchant she’d been talking to chuckled. “It’s alright, lady chatelaine. I was young once too.”

This only made her blush deepen. 

“Is there something here you want to get today?” Mitsunari motioned to the fabric on display, happy to get her whatever she liked.

“Not yet. But I have some ideas. I’ll have to come back with some sketches tomorrow.” She smiled at the merchant. 

He bowed. “I look forward to your visit, princess.”

Mitsunari guided her away from the stall. “Are you hungry now? Should we go out for tea? Or - something else?” He wasn’t sure what was appropriate. Being in love had completely different strategies from war, and he felt uncertain about how to best approach it. 

She laughed and took his arm. “I would love to visit the teahouse. Let’s go to that new one - I heard they have a plum dish that is amazing.” 

They held hands for a few steps when without warning, she yelped and pulled her hand away. 

“What is it?” Mitsunari reached for her hand but she held it up, displaying her wrist. On it, a small petal shaped wound blossomed. Blood seeped from the oddly shaped cut. 

“I - I guess the bracelet caught me. It doesn’t hurt much now. I was just surprised.”

Mitsunari frowned. “Should we go back to the castle? I’m sure Ieyasu would look at it. Just to make sure it’s ok.”

She smiled. “It’s just a little cut. No big deal. Let’s go have a nice time together today, ok?”

He couldn’t say no to that smile. 

At the teahouse, they ordered the plum dessert and a few other treats. The food was good - it reminded Mitsunari of all the times she pulled him from his studies to eat. 

“No matter how good the food is here, nothing is better than the meals you make for me,” he told her. 

“Awww, don’t look at me like that - I’ll melt.” 

The two shared a look that was almost as passionate as a kiss. 

“I think we should head back to the castle,” Mitsunari said hoarsely. He wanted her to look at him like that alone. When he could show her all the ways he learned to love her.

“Mmm, yes.” She licked her lower lip, a habit she had when she was excited and thinking of naughty things.

Mitsunari stood and held his hand out to her. She took it and began to stand up but her legs buckled. 

“I - I don’t know,” she started to say but her lips went slack and her eyes rolled back in her head.

Mitsunari laid her gently down, checking her pulse and breath. One was rapid, the other, shallow. He patted her cheek lightly, but she didn’t wake or make a sound.

Worried, the teahouse owner rushed out to check on them. Mitsunari was so distraught that for a moment, he had no idea what to say. But he found his voice in the cold, distant place he planned from. This was a kind of war too. One that needed his strategy. “Go to the castle. Let them know the chatelaine has fallen sick,” he told the man.

People rushed past him, as if he and his love were a stone in the river. Eddies of activity surrounded them, but they were separate. A silent space, where only the rise and fall of her chest mattered. Mitsunari checked her for injury, but other than the small cut on her wrist, there was nothing. 

He lifted her arm to check it, and the diamond flower caught the light of the candle on their table. For the briefest moment, a laughing face shone out at him from the facets. But it was gone so quickly, he could not convince himself anything was there. Still, he tried to unlatch the bracelet from her wrist. 

It would not come undone. And it would not slide over her hand. He grabbed the delicate chain and pulled, but it held. 

“What are you doing,” Ieyasu hissed from the doorway. 

The blond warlord and scholar hurried forward, pulling the chatelaine’s hand from his grip. “I hope that’s not how you check a pulse, Mitsunari. I know you have fluff for brains but surely . . .” he trailed off, concern clear in his eyes.

“I was trying to take off the bracelet.” Mitsunari gestured toward the charm, unsure how to explain his unease. 

“Well, how about you do something useful? You can tell that panicked fool at the door to fetch cool water.” Ieyasu began loosening the chatelaine’s clothes. 

Mitsunari nodded. He would do anything if it meant she would be alright. He summoned the teahouse owner and brought the requested items. 

Ieyasu was frowning as he soaked a cloth and rubbed the skin of her chest with the water. 

“Will she be alright?”

“Do I look like a fortune teller?” Ieyasu’s scowl deepened. “I can’t find any obvious sign of illness. There is only that raised mark on her arm.”

Mitsunari looked at the petal shaped incision. It was raised now, and red. Hot to the touch. 

“I want to get her back to the keep -”

“I asked some passing guards to fetch a palanquin. I thought it might be better to see to her at my manor.” Mitsunari brushed his love’s hair back from her face.

Ieyasu grunted, which was as good as a yes. 

The charm bracelet caught Mitsunari’s eye again. He could not help but feel it was somehow to blame. “I will meet you back at Azuchi,” he said after a tense silence between them. “I have an idea.”

“Maybe you should share that with -” Ieyasu stopped as he realized Mitsunari was already leaving. “Fine. Don’t tell her doctor anything.” He looked down at the unconscious chatelaine. “I will take care of you,” he told her. And with no one looking, placed a small kiss on her forehead. 

Mitsunari didn’t see any of that. In fact, he hadn’t even heard Ieyasu’s question. He was focused. Focused on a solution, or the beginnings of one. He made his way to the docks, where the trade ships were at anchor. The Portuguese trader’s boat was still in port. Better yet, he could see the man he’d bought the bracelet from, sitting on a stool at the wharf. Likely on guard for the evening.

“You -” Mitsunari called out as he got close. “Do you remember me?”

The trader stood up, puffing out his chest. “Look, friend. All sales are final. FINAL. Or - were you looking to buy something else?” He looked like a bad combination of fear, hubris, and greed. 

Mitsunari ignored this question. He grabbed the man by the collar and hoisted him into the air. “What was wrong with that bracelet?”

“Nothing! You said yourself - it’s beautiful.”

“What. Was. Wrong. With. That. Bracelet.” Mitsunari’s voice was soft and cold. People often forgot that even he was ruthless when a stratagem left him no other room to maneuver. 

The trader struggled for a moment, his shirt beginning to tear. “Come on! Put me down! Th-there’s nothing wrong with it. Not really.”

Mitsunari gave him a look that would have made Mitsuhide proud. “If you do not tell me what I need to know, I will begin shaving parts of you into the bay. To feed fish. I like fish. And they are always hungry.”

“Oh - okay! Please, don’t hurt me! I just, I needed some extra cash. And I thought it would be harmless. Really! I mean, what does a dead woman need with nice things?”

“A dead woman?” Mitsunari lowered the man to the dock but kept ahold of him.

“I - I found her at our last port of call. In a ditch. She - she looked like she drowned.” The man’s eyes were wide with fear now, the hubris and greed gone. “So, I took her jewelry and her clothes.” He swallowed. “H-how did you find out?”

“I didn’t.” Mitsunari’s eyes were cold. His anger was glacial. ��Was there anything else special about that bracelet?”

The trader started to shake his head, and then stopped. “Ah, maybe? The charm - the flower? It was burnt into her wrist.”

Mitsunari nodded slowly, thinking. He let the man go and turned away. “Burn the rest of that dead woman’s things. If you have sold them, you best hope those people bring them back to you.”

“I - will. No one wanted the clothes anyway.” He took a step after the warlord. “You, you won’t put me in prison?”

“No. But if I see you here, trading again, I will kill you.” Mitsunari did not turn around to say this. He just kept walking. His mind turning over the information. He made his way back to Azuchi as he considered all he had learned. It was not much - a suspicion and a hint of superstition. Still.

Ieyasu was with the chatelaine. He had covered her torso in a poultice of pungent herbs. Sharp, astringent smells, like citrus. He was muttering to himself as Mitsunari entered the room.

“Did you learn anything useful?” 

Mitsunari nodded. “Perhaps.” He knelt down and took her arm. The diamond charm shone menacingly in the lamplight. He tugged at the chain again. 

“Here,” Ieyasu handed him a pair of bandage shears. “Just cut it off if it bothers you so much.”

He clamped the shears around the chain, but no matter how hard he tried to cut, the bracelet held. 

Ieyasu frowned. “You need to get out of your office and train more. Give me that.” Then he tried, but the chain still held firm. After several tries, he sat back, staring balefully at it. “That is a strange metal. I think it damaged my shears.”

Mitsunari waved a hand dismissively. “It’s only gold. It should be easy to break. Yet.” He looked at the blonde haired warlord. “It is a dead woman’s jewelry.”

“You gave her a present from a dead lady?” Ieyasu’s voice was loud for the small space, and angry.

“Not intentionally. The trader said nothing about that when I bought it.” Mitsunari paused, thoughtful. “I am not a superstitious man. I do not believe much in curses. But I think . . . this once . . .” He trailed off, dissatisfied with this analysis but unable to think of anything better. 

Ieyasu’s glare softened as he looked at the chatelaine. “I believe in curses. I have seen them destroy families. Villages.” He took the chatelaine’s hand. “Should we call for a priest then?”

“No - or not yet. I have an idea.” Mitsunari gathered a large bowl, paper and ink, and some incense. He filled the bowl with water and laid his love’s hand in it. Then he took the paper and wrote a prayer on it. Though he was no monk or priest, he knew the characters for peace and healing. For rest. Then he lit the incense and burned his prayer.

Ieyasu watched, his shoulders so tense that he could not sit and instead had to pace the room. 

With that done, Mitsunari knelt again beside his love. He kissed her eyelids. Her skin felt cold and clammy. “Spirit,” he whispered. “If you let her go, I will make you a grave. I will return your stolen things.” He took a shaky breath, feeling half a fool for trying to bargain with something that may or may not be there. “I will remember you.”

“We will,” Ieyasu added, laying a hand on Mitsunari’s shoulder. 

For a moment, nothing happened. Then a cold gasp of air came from the chatelaine’s lips. Mitsunari felt it touch his brow, leaving his skin there so cold that it burned. It was, he knew, a reminder to keep his promise. Then the clasp of the bracelet came undone and it fell to the bottom of the bowl of water.

Ieyasu took the bowl and bracelet away, promising to set it ‘someplace safe.’

Mitsunari held his love, waiting for her to wake. It didn’t take long. Her eyelids fluttered open, giving him a confused look much like the one she wore most mornings. 

“Why do I smell like a lemonade?” She touched the poultice wrapped around her chest. “And - Mitsu! Why do you look like you might cry?”

He didn’t say anything, just pulled her more tightly to him and kissed her.