#and plenty are about how to do things without extra tools

[ooc-miqojak]

I started with no Reshade/Gshade, and no posing tools, and did just fine - and you can/are as well! Just combine various expressions with various emotes and pause them at just the right time! (It's a lot of mashing the 1 button to catch the perfect moment...lol) Use the in-game color filters to make them pop! Find areas with cool lighting! Find photography studios in various houses or apartments (I just found one in my alt's apartment building on accident a couple days ago - someone has already done the work for you in that case!).

You don't need flashy bokeh or whatever - lots of cool effects already exist in game in the environment around you! The Sights of Eorzea Discord has lots of resources on taking good pictures, and also has a nice compendium of cool locations in the world to utilize for interesting shots! If you can't use all the wacky tools others have, you can still take cool shots! You can even edit them in another program afterwards to brighten or darken or add effects, and it doesn't require any photoshop knowledge or the like, unless you want to learn more about those programs - I just usually use my built-in Windows photo editor, or the one on my phone! Never feel limited by what you have access to, or your technical knowledge.

Besides, we all start somewhere, after all! No one was perfect from their very first Gpose shot they ever took... I've surreptitiously gone back and deleted many of my early gpose shots, even, because I looked back and was like "Wow my understanding of lighting was real bad" and I cringe... but like Jake says in Adventure Time:

I'm flipping through el tumbles, and I'm seeing everyone's WoLs, and I am like demn these are some cool Warriors of Light. And I see them with perfect lighting and excellent posing and the colours and I am like I am in love your WoL needs to be loved. I see a picture of a Warrior of Light with perfect bokeh, seeing them just pop out in a field of tasteful blur, and I am like nice. I see another one with just the freshest glam and I'm like what a cool character. I see an image with someone shrouded in darkness and smoke with reds and purples and I am like whew that is sick.

And then there's this.

[foone]

Now I'm imagining a totally different version of that mini-story shitpost (I'd call it a ficlet if it was more serious), where it's a story about a floret elaborately planning an escape, but with a twist.

(mini-hdg fic follows. No sex, but this an inherently dubcon/noncon setting and there are some very minor references to that)

They figured out how to bypass some restrictions on the matter compiler by asking for things with components that could be reused. They've hidden tools inside some of their plushies, pushed to the back so their owner won't accidentally notice them.

Finally, it's time. The door to her quarters falls quickly from the acid attack (she's been doing hidden chemistry for Weeks). The ion storm will blind some of the sensors, so they only need a little extra help to not notice a DIY escape pod falling out of an auxiliary cargo bay.

The escape pod soft-lands (well, mostly. It hit a few tree branches on the way down) on the nearby habitable planet, and the door pops up. A floret in some brightly colored doll clothes resewn into hiking gear pops out. She holds up a sensor with a little screen on it, and it shows one big blue dot. Suddenly the dot grows, the screen's image is swamped out, and then it returns: nothing. No dots. The Cembroides has jumped out of the system. She's free without anyone noticing. She tosses aside the sensor she rigged out of a hair cutting machine, grabs some supplies from the pod, and hikes north.

A few kilometers later she finds a clearing with a small log cabin recently built in it. She opens the door without knocking, and says "Did you miss me?"

Her owner puts aside her book. "Of course I did little one! I was worried when your pod came down in the dense forest, but I see you made it safely here."

The floret smiles. "I wasn't worried! I used some hoverunits from an old medi-bed design, so my pod was slowed down enough that I just got jostled a bit. The real trick was figuring out how I could make the pod smart enough to land me near the cabin but not so smart that it'll discover what I'm doing and alert the Cembroides AI... I ended up with a nano-computer out of a dining tray wired into the thrusters. It thinks it's keeping my lunch warm, not flying a spaceship!"

Her owner beams an expression of leafy pride at her. "That's all very interesting, and I look forward to reading your report on it. But for now, come cuddle with mommy, and drink up. You've been hiking through the forest, you need hydration and nutrients now, little one."

The floret jumps into her vines, literally, and buries her face in the leaves of her owner. "it was a lot of fun! I've got some great ideas for the next time, too". She yawns, and cuddles closer, her eyes slowly closing. "But for now I think I'll rest..."

A distance away in the alien jungle, a small creature scurries out of the abandoned escape pod, as the discarded sensor loudly beeps an alert as one of the Cembroides' shuttles makes an FTL jump back into the system.

Back at the cabin, the Affini gently pats the head of their floret. You gotta make sure your pets have plenty of enrichment, you know? And sometimes that means letting them "escape", just so they can have the enjoyment of figuring out their escape plan.

The shuttle sets down besides the cabin, and the Affini carries her sleeping pet out to it, pausing only to activate a system to reclaim the cabin back into biomass for the forest to use. The shuttle takes off silently, and the sound of birds and other forest wildlife slowly returns, as the cabin slowly melts like a sand castle at high tide.

That sensor by the pod beeps again as the shuttle jumps out to meet up with the Cembroides, and something not entirely unlike a deer darts off into the denser forest in fright.

[fanfic-inator795]

Happy WoY Gift Exchange Day! ^v^

For my gift, I was assigned @ownovet who asked for some Skeleton Dance fluff. So, here you go! Managed to get it to nearly 2,000 words! Hope you enjoy, and happy holidays! ^v^

@woyexchange2024

It was a particularly chilly day in the Galaxy, which caused the Skullship to feel more like an icebox than anything else, and unfortunately for Lord Hater, his wandering weirdo boyfriend was nowhere to be found - nowhere near close enough to be able to offer his usual warmth-generating hugs and homemade cocoa - and Hater was more than a little grumpy about that…

Call it ironic, really. If someone had told him about a year ago that he’d actually not only enjoy but WANT one of Wander’s hugs on a cold day like this one, he would’ve laughed right in their face before zapping them into oblivion. But plenty of bonding, a switch from being one of the Galaxy’s biggest villains to its newest hero, and an eventual love confession had changed a lot between them in a short amount of time.

And maybe, in circumstances such as these where he and Wander were still doing their own thing (likely on completely different sides of the Galaxy) and thus couldn’t be attached at the hip like most newly-established couples often were, it would’ve been easier to still hate the furry nomad - to pretend that he was happy when Wander wasn’t around to annoy him, and that he TOTALLY didn’t miss his stupid smile and unlimited love. 

But, despite how cold and lonely his bones felt, Hater couldn’t fully bring himself to regret entering a somewhat long-distance relationship with his former enemy… Although that didn’t stop him from still missing his boyfriend’s cocoa, especially as an extra shiver ran up spine. As he tried to think of ways to warm himself up that didn’t require TOO much energy or effort, a memory made its way to the front of his mind.

“What do you mean ‘just make it ourselves’? You can’t make cocoa without the little bags of cocoa powder, Wander!” Hater insisted the first time he was introduced to Wander’s version of the famous winter drink.

“Sure ya can!” Wander assured, taking off his hat and reaching into it, “You just need to make it with the right ingredients - and, of course, a lil’ bit of love!” Hater resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead just grumbling under his breath, and Wander gave him a quick kiss on the cheek for his efforts. “We’ll make it together! That way, not only are we havin’ fun with it, but you’re also learnin’ how to make it if you ever wanna do it yourself!”

Hater gave another huff. Why make it himself if he could just order Peepers to do it instead? And even if he DID want to make his own cocoa, surely just using the pre-made stuff and mixing it with some water was easier. 

And it did still seem easier, Hater was sure of that - though, the memory still encouraged him to at least try. So, he made his way to the Skullship’s main kitchen and got to work searching for the ingredients and tools he needed: A pan perfect for boiling, a whisk with a lightning bolt-shaped handle, and plenty of natural cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate chips (for an EXTRA chocolatey flavor) and milk.

Once he had everything, Hater got to work, doing his best to remember what Wander had taught him - not too hard, right? With each step of the recipe came a new memory - a new moment that made Hater smile softly to himself, often accompanied with a light blush on his boney cheeks and a bit of extra warmth blooming in his ribcage, even if it also made his electric heart ache just a bit…

Memories of corny jokes and fun facts and mini food fights and and sugar-coated kisses, memories that (while admittedly still a bit embarrassing) were only for him, and he took a bit of pride in that. He even allowed himself to hum a short ditty, one that he’d heard Wander play on his banjo only a month or two before, as he added a splash of vanilla extract. He then watched as it all melted together into a rich, dark brown color. “At least it looks right,” he mumbled.

Finally, after pouring it all into a large mug and throwing in the marshmallows and whipped cream, Hater’s homemade concoction was complete - and while he was still alone and boyfriend-less for the time being, Hater did admittedly feel a bit less lonely, and certainly a lot warmer. 

As he slowly stirred his cocoa, watching as the steam from it floated up towards the ceiling, Hater recalled yet another moment he’d had with Wander - not one that came from a fun activity they’d done together or some space-y shenanigan they’d gotten themselves mixed up in, but one that came from the closest thing Hater could call their first real argument as an official couple.

He remembered how Wander had buried his face in his shoulder, holding him close as he gently rubbed his back, all while Hater had done his best to not let too many frustration-filled tears fall.

“I know it’s hard,” Wander had told him, “Believe me, I don’t wanna keep leavin’ ya either… But we aren’t always gonna be able to be together, not when the Galaxy is so much bigger than just us… We both have places we need to go, people we need to meet and to help, and-”

Hater sniffed, scowling now. “Yeah, well… None of those people are YOU! I don’t- I just-  …What if you stop coming back? What if- I mean, I’m not a villain anymore so what if there’s some new jerk in the next Galaxy over that you need to stop, o-or someone who really needs your help thousands of lightyears away and I just- what if you just leave and… and I end up never seeing you again?”

“Hater… Honeybadger, I promise, I would never-”

“You did with Major Threat,” Hater quietly pointed out,  his eyes now hidden under his hood, “He didn’t even know that you’d changed your name… Is that going to be me?”

Feeling a pinch of guilt at the mention of his old friend, Wander released his embrace and took a step back. “I do feel bad that I lost touch with Jeff. I’m sure I could give a dozen excuses as to why, but either way ya slice it, it wasn’t right of me, and I certainly owe him a visit or two while he’s still hangin’ around this Galaxy. But…”

Reaching up, Wander gently cupped Hater’s jaw, angling the skeleton’s gaze towards him so that he could look him in the eye. “But, as great as Jeff was and as much as I loved him as a friend, he wasn’t my boyfriend. YOU are, and I can give you my word that I word that, so long as I have a choice in the matter, I will never leave you behind. Even if we end up bein’ apart for weeks or months at a time, I won’t disappear on ya, cross my heart.”

Hater stared at his nomadic lover, wanting so badly to believe him. As if he could sense the skeleton’s lingering doubt, Wander gave him another caring smile as he leaned up and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. “Nothin’s stopped me from comin’ back before, has it? Sometimes we just need to have faith that the people we love will find their way back to us, one way or another.” 

“...” Hater sighed. He wasn’t sure how long he would have to wait until they ran into each other again (he hoped it wouldn’t be TOO long), but even someone as stubborn as he could be knew it would be more than worth the wait. 

In the meantime, he had a sweet drink to enjoy. Licking his lips, Hater brough the mug up to his mouth, took a long sip - and immediately spat it out.

()()()()()()()()()()

“-I mean, come on! It wasn’t my fault! How was I supposed to know that I was using salt instead of sugar! They’re both tiny white rocks! THEY’RE PRACTICALLY THE SAME THING!”

“Uh huh, that’s crazy, man,” the bug-like, three-eyed Blarpee’s cashier replied in a flat, bored voice, “Anyway, $2.99.”

Hater huffed and tossed a few Haterzoids the cashier’s way before picking up his cheap orbble-station hot chocolate. Better than having no cocoa at all, he supposed, even if he had to go to some planet out in the middle of nowhere to get it. 

Taking a small sip of the drink for the sake of double-checking, he nodded to himself, satisfied that it was sweet and NOT salty, thank grop. At least it had that going for it, he thought, despite it had absolutely no hope of being as good and as delicious as-

The bell above the station’s entrance rang, and then he heard a slight gasp. For a second, Hater thought it was a random fan, or even just a civilian who was surprised to see the famous and infamous Lord Hater in the flesh- er, bones. But instead- “Hater?” a familiar voice asked.

Hater yelped, turning around so quickly that he nearly spilled his drink right onto the floor. Sure enough, there was his boyfriend, standing in the doorway of the orbble-station, wearing his usual green hat as well as a silly-looking red and white knitted sweater (perfect for the currently-cold surface of the usually desert-like planet) and looking just as surprised as Hater was.

“You- We’re- How did you- Huh?” was all Hater could say.

And as he stared back at his boyfriend, it didn’t take long for Wander’s shocked expression to shift into a warm smile. “Well, how about that?”

“...Hmph, yeah,” Hater nodded, rolling his eyes slightly even as his own smile began to grow. “How about that…” 

It was just as Wander had told him - no matter how far apart they were or how long they were away from each other, they would always find their way back to one another, either through purposeful actions or through cosmic coincidences. It was just in their nature, and neither Hater nor Wander would want it any other way.

Much to the cashier’s annoyance, Hater ordered another hot chocolate as well as a dozen donuts to split, with Wander making sure to thank the cashier for doing such a fantastic job with their treats. (Nevermind the fact that the treats were all pre-made, the nomad still appreciated the effort it took to prepare them, no matter how minor it might have been.) 

Once they had everything in hand, the two of them made their way outside and took a seat on the curb near the entrance. With the planet’s three suns having long since set over the planet’s sandy horizon, its skies were now dark enough for the couple to see thousands of stars. 

Sitting as close as they could get to one another, they happily ate and drank and shared whatever was on their mind, their conversations never boring - “What’s with the sweater anyway? Do you even need it, since you have fur and all?” “Hey, you know me, I never give up the chance to be festive! See, we were passin’ by Baaahalla, and Cashmere’s people were havin’ this fun holiday all about knitting!” - and all while they continued to stargaze, completely unbothered by the occasional cloud or gust of wind.

After all, with their hands intertwined and their hearts near each other much more, it was pretty easy for them to keep each other warm no matter how cold it got.

[the-fallen-blue]

So in light of that thing I just posted complaining about the Left eating our own —

this article is an examination of the claim that "Merrick Garland wasted his tenure;" that the Democrats are responsible for gross negligence in failing to properly remove Trump as a threat during Biden's four years in office. It doesn't specifically take a side, but it does make it clear that the DOJ was not dragging its feet. They appointed skilled veterans to the case, sent in extra help and resources, and investigated every possible avenue of prosecution. Nor were the Dems content to simply set Garland on the issue and let it be; they began their own investigation in the House, which ended up providing key evidence to the DOJ team. Meanwhile, Trump marshaled all the resources of his inherited money and corrupt party to delay, deny, depose the case until it was too late. We could armchair quarterback that the DOJ made tactical mistakes - plenty of informed people did at the time, and I am nothing remotely close to a lawyer and won't pretend to dispute them - but tactical mistakes are different from inaction. And given the hostile Supreme Court and the magnitude of time-wasting legally available to Trump, I'm personally pretty persuaded by the idea that it ultimately doesn't matter if they did everything right or not. They simply could not convict Trump, within the law, within the time the voters allotted them.

(one can, of course, argue that they should then have acted outside the law. That they should have detained him without trial, used their monopoly on force to override the courts and restrain the entire GOP leadership; that the threat of red autocracy was sufficient to justify preemptive blue autocracy. One might even be right! "Can the master's tools destroy the master's house, how much should we sacrifice against an existential threat" is a question that is probably as old as humanity! But. Again. It is a different question from "are they doing anything, are they even fucking trying;" the answer to which, of course, is an unqualified "yes, obviously, tremendously.")

Now what does all of this have to do with anything, with the Left eating itself?

Well, this post is, in part, a mea culpa. I have totally reblogged things to this very blog complaining about Garland, blaming the Dems for sitting on their asses about Trump after 2020. Why did I reblog them? Because they Felt Right. They Seemed Correct. Because just world fallacy demands that if the bad guys win it's because the good guys didn't try hard enough. Because decades of Both Sides and All Politicians Are Liars and I Know She's Not A Perfect Candidate Or Even A Good One But She's All We've Got insist that the Dems must get something wrong sometimes. They're Evil Capitalist Ruling Class Too, after all. Even if they're not as bad as the GOP, they've got to be committing some catastrophic acts of callous disregard, they're politicians.

And the thing is that all that stuff I just capitalized there, I have been alert to and have actively despised since 2016. I know perfectly well what's going on here. I post regularly about stupid leftist infighting and Russian astroturfing. I have strict personal policies about what I reblog and they have only ever gotten stricter as I have only ever gotten more angry with the people who do the GOP's work for them by acting like "liberal" is a worse insult than "fascist." And I still fell for that one. I still slipped up. I still got mad about a thing that isn't real and encouraged other people to be mad about it too, and did my small internet part to undermine antifascist solidarity.

In short, I am not immune to propaganda, and neither are you. It is so, so easy to do their job for them. But every single person left of fascism is your ally right now. We do not survive this if we cannot work together, if we refuse to trust that anyone is trying to help or protect us. We need to be willing to believe that they are. And we need to be incredibly scrupulous about claims that they are not.

[madkuroi]

Yea know what's coming 👁️👁️ WHAT READING DO YA GOT FOR MY 8595 LOSER LESBIANS 🫵🫵 ?!

AYYY TOOK ME A WHILE!

But brace yourself for some deep meanings behind this reading! I know that you saw the cards before, but I'll put all the context here! Without further ado, let's dive into another ship insight!

TYB 8595: Death, 2 of Coins, The Tower

Okay, so at first, this reading seems to be a little... Threatening? Considering two of the Arcana who showed up usually bring something "negative" in a way. But fear not, because the way they're displayed here showed a different interpretation in my eyes. Let's unravel them!

First of all, Death. Aside from its powerful meaning about the only thing in the universe that we can't control nor escape from... For this reading, it looks like a new beginning. I do think this is related to how Kyoko is usually seen by everyone - Mostly a pretty face, the "idol" of the school and even a damsel in distress in a few situations. However, this Arcana shows up as a desire to change. Being with Ageha could be a start for said change because she needed an extra strength to show who she is to the world. Somehow, she doesn't want to be seen with labels, Kyoko just wants to be herself, without any kind of pressure.

However, The Tower clearly shows a downside about their relationship. Not because they don't love each other or there's conflicts between them. On the contrary, both are willing to be together. However, Kyoko's popularity also brings a stigma - So the fact that Ageha is her partner is seen as a "disaster" for people outside of their friend circle. Such a relationship could be literally seen with bad eyes by others due to their retrograde beliefs. Ageha isn't exactly someone who can stand up to fight them while outnumbered, but that's not because she doesn't want to fight. Rather, she doesn't want to see Kyoko upset or even guilty just because both realize they have feelings towards each other.

The 2 of Coins is their mutual desire to share their love, regardless of labels. Even with their turmoils, deep inside there's a need of validation. However, they know it isn't an easy task. There would be plenty of challenges awaiting them, and this Arcana shows up to tell that no matter what comes for them, both are ready to move forward with a smile in their faces. Also shows a hint of maturity that's essential for the years to come.

.

.

TYL 8595: 10 of Coins, The Fool, Page of Cups

Now for the second part of this reading! This one is a proof that time is a powerful tool, and patience is key! Aside from everything that happened in the previous reading, this one tells me that the Sun always will shine again, pun intended, heh.

The 10 of Coins is the Arcana of completion. I see this as a way that both Kyoko and Ageha estabilished their feelings and kept their promise to each other. Of course, as years passed, their relationship couldn't go unnoticed. There's a hint of prosperity here as well, as if being rewarded from all of the struggles they had to face in the past. When it comes to love, for some people it seems trivial, but that certainly took a toll on them. And I can say that Kyoko suffered the most - Ageha, as a Lightning, knows how to endure. Not that it didn't hurt her too, but when it comes to delicate matters, she needs to be the bastion who keeps both of them safe, and alive.

Now, for the Page of Cups, which is directly tied to their emotions. A desire to be accepted, to let their feelings flow. There's still plenty of things for both of them to discover, even if they're trapped in a chaotic world and their lives are in danger. But in the end, it's just another challenge. And a man with a God Syndrome won't be enough to tear them apart, that's for sure.

Finally, we have The Fool, which brings a nice contrast to the first Arcana pulled for this ship, which was Death. You know what both share in common aside from their different meanings? The desire to change. The same spark that Kyoko kept lit up, reaches its completion here. Ageha shares the same feelings too. They want to get rid of the shackles of their past and live a love without fear. Always looking forward, because in the end, they might be in the future right now, but the real future, is still uncertain. And it shows countless pathways. But even with that, they're not afraid to walk through them.

[deityoftherain]

blossoming appreciation - skizzb in my fallen stars au

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64203943

Rating: Mature

Relationship: M/M

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Status: Completed Oneshot

Word Count: 6,089

Summary:

It had been about a month since Skizz and BigB had started seeing each other, and it was fantastic. At least, it was when Skizz would actually communicate with BigB instead of hiding his issues, burying them so deep he's doomed to not heal from his pain. BigB, the generous soul he is, does his best to help his new lover, Skizz would just have to be willing to take it.

Please interact here or on AO3 if you enjoy the fic! Full fic under the cut.

It had only been maybe a month since BigB entered Skizz’s life, and Skizz struggled to comprehend how he managed to function before him. A measly four weeks felt like several lifetimes as they spent every spare moment together, and Skizz couldn’t be more enthused about it.

Besides, it wasn’t like Skizz had anywhere better to spend his time. When he wasn’t warming BigB’s bed, he was living out of his car or selling drugs or doing whatever other odd jobs he could for some extra cash. Not exactly the most fun sorts of things to fill his life with.

He’d stopped gambling, sure, and he had paid off most of his monetary debts, but… money wasn’t the only thing Skizz wagered. He wasn’t so foolish– despite what people thought about him– that he falsely believed his impulsive urges had a bottomless budget! Skizz adapted years ago, throwing money into the pot, yes, but also favors and other assorted IOUs– ‘I owe you’ contracts. 

Skizz was a valuable asset to most, taking note of his big and muscular build. He was a tool to be used in more ways than one, and he allowed it, needing to pay off all debts he accrued. Skizz had functioned in such a way for years, and it worked for him, so the gambling wasn’t that bad, but… but maybe it was, considering his old flame… never mind that. Point was, Skizz still had old IOUs lingering in his wake, waiting to be cashed in at any point, and dropping off the face of the earth for his other gigs would only anger people. Dealing with the sort of people he hung out with when they were angry led to much more violence than Skizz would care to admit.

Not that he would ever inform BigB of such things, of course. He didn’t want to lose him after his generosity so far, nor did he want to find where the outer bounds of that generosity were. Skizz danced his way around BigB’s inquiries of his home and past, and he took what BigB could give him out of necessity. He showered and fed himself most days at BigB’s apartment, but Skizz didn’t take without having something to give back in return. Skizz ensured that he made BigB feel good when they fell into bed together– repaying the debt in one of the many ways he knew how.

It wasn’t like sex was difficult, and Skizz enjoyed it well enough. It was one of the easier trades he had in his arsenal– whether that was for profit or debt purposes– and it wasn’t like he hadn’t given it away to plenty of others he didn’t care about as much as he cared for BigB in the past! Skizz hated to admit it, but sex was all he really could give to BigB. It wasn’t like he could fulfil the money, stability, or security aspects of their quickly growing relationship, as much as he wished he could. BigB was simply better than him, and Skizz had made peace with that, but Skizz still wanted to give BigB all he could. A fun time was a fun time, after all.

A grin grew on Skizz’s face as he whipped up some boxed mac-and-cheese while chicken nuggets cooked in the oven. His side gigs had been doing fairly well recently– though that was helped by the fact he wasn’t paying off monetary debts anymore– and Skizz wanted to give something more back to his lover that wasn’t just rough and fast sex, so he had gone to the store and picked up some groceries for dinner. It wasn’t that fancy of a meal, sure, but Skizz had never claimed to be a fantastic chef.

Skizz had BigB’s schedule pretty much memorized at this point, allowing him to guess when BigB would arrive home fairly accurately. His phone’s speakers announced the winning numbers of the lottery Skizz had bought tickets for, unable to resist the discounted price they were sold at to get rid of stock before the lottery numbers were rolled.

What? It wasn’t like he didn’t have the funds! Sure, he gave up gambling shortly after Impulse broke up with him, but lottery tickets were hardly gambling! Even if they were, gambling itself wasn’t the issue anyway.

…

Right?

Nope, not thinkin’ about this. He needed to pay attention to the numbers!

Skizz idly stirred the macaroni as he followed each number, only to not match halfway through. He sighed heavily once he verified he hadn’t won, disappointed but not unused to it. Skizz scooped up the lottery tickets and threw them away before returning to the meal.

By the time the lock on the door turned, announcing BigB’s arrival, Skizz had plated the chicken nuggets and cheesy macaroni for their consumption. 

Shortly after hanging up his keys and kicking off his shoes, BigB paused by the door. He then turned toward where Skizz was standing, eyes promptly flicking over to the meal on the dining table. A small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, bashful and a little flattered. “So this is where you’ve been all day.”

“Well,” Skizz clicked his tongue, gaze darting to the table and then back again. “I can’t bother you at work all the time, and I figured I should treat you.” 

“I appreciate it, thank you.” BigB gave his gratitudes as they stepped closer to each other, exchanging a chaste kiss in greeting once they were in range.

Dinner didn’t bring much to report, BigB simply informing him on the latest café drama that Skizz had missed since he hadn’t visited today. It was silly and awfully cute– at least, Skizz thought so. The simple domesticity of sharing a meal as they discussed the mundane nature of the life they lived together ignited joyfully within Skizz, a sensation he had missed greatly between partners.

Honestly, with how the blissful evening was going, it was no wonder that they ended up heavily making out, Skizz pinning BigB against the wall as hands wandered under his shirt. His tongue explored BigB’s mouth, teeth occasionally nipping his bottom lip. BigB moaned against him, which only spurred Skizz to go faster and rougher as they gradually made their way to BigB’s bedroom. This was the terms of their exchange, and Skizz knew the script well.

Skizz thought he had anyway, but then BigB stopped him from removing his pants, breathing out a “Wait.” 

Of course, he froze, stopping what he was doing. Both Skizz and BigB’s chests heaved as their lungs attempted to regain air. They were breathing loudly, the extent more obvious now that the room fell otherwise silent. Skizz took in the soft sounds that escaped BigB’s lips and the feverish expression held on his face.

BigB tugged Skizz down toward him by his exposed shoulders, leading them through another kiss. This kiss was excruciatingly slow and drawn out, especially compared to their previous speed before. It tossed Skizz’s world upside down, an unusual sensation bursting within his chest. 

“What are you doing?” Skizz finally asked as BigB guided Skizz on his back, eyes wide and unsure. He was thrown out of his element, the usual script useless in such a careful setting.

“Appreciating you properly,” BigB murmured gently against Skizz’s skin, littering kisses and lovemarks along Skizz’s collarbone. He must have sensed Skizz’s unease, for he continued, “I enjoy our usual speed, don’t get me wrong, but I want to take my time to love on you as you deserve.”

Tears started to well in Skizz’s eyes as BigB continued exploring his body, words dying on his tongue. He didn’t know what to say nor did he know how to react. Usually he was on top, and he was the one putting in the work to make BigB feel good… the other way around was practically foreign to him.

“BigB,” Skizz tried, voice cracking and breathy. “You don’t need– I don’t deserve–” “I want to,” BigB insisted, unwavering and determined, “and you do. You deserve this, at the very least. You’re a good person, Skizz. You’re kind and silly and so much more– you’ve just gotten trapped in some bad situations, but that doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Tears flowed freely now as Skizz trembled under BigB’s painstakingly gentle touch. They hadn’t even done much yet, and Skizz still felt so undone by BigB’s hand. He wanted to disagree, put a voice to his mind pointing out every flaw in BigB’s sentiment, but he couldn’t get himself to say any of it. BigB didn’t need to be burdened with his negative thoughts like this. Skizz… Skizz didn’t want to scare BigB away. He knew enough, and, as expressed before, Skizz didn’t want to discover how much was too much. He didn’t want to lose yet another person he cared for so intensely.

Still though, Skizz knew he didn’t deserve this kindness. He didn’t deserve the privilege that came with this kind of care and intentionality after he fucked up his previous relationships so thoroughly. Bliss and confusion whirled within his mind, every nerve of his body on fire. He moaned out BigB’s name, mind hazy and torn and–

Just lose yourself in it, Skizz instructed himself, not wanting to ruin the moment, not wanting to upset the man he’d grown so fond of. Just enjoy it, even if it isn’t deserved. 

BigB was putting in all this effort, and Skizz didn’t want to have it all go to waste. It shouldn’t have been given in the first place, but Skizz was selfish, and he wanted it. He was going to take it, and he would take it again, even if guilt threatened to eat him alive. The guilt was worth it if it meant Skizz could keep BigB close, if he could not lose someone so precious again.

Emotions overwhelmed him, threatening to overflow and he didn’t know how to handle it. Unsure of what to do, Skizz did the only thing he really knew how to do well every time, and that was pulling BigB into a bear hug. He held him close to his chest, burying his face against the flesh of his neck. 

BigB was clearly caught off guard, assuming Skizz’s skills at reading body language were as good as he thought they were, but BigB never pushed away. Instead, he relaxed into the hold, which made Skizz’s heart flutter.

“I love you,” Skizz whispered against BigB’s neck, so soft that he wasn’t even sure if the words were comprehensible. He hadn’t meant to admit what he had felt in his heart just yet, not so soon, not wanting to scare BigB off…

BigB didn’t react, and Skizz allowed that to convince him that BigB hadn’t heard what he had said. Skizz wasn’t sure if that is what he wanted or not, but he didn’t dare repeat himself. He breathed out shakily, breath hot against BigB’s neck. He shivered in Skizz’s hold, propping himself up to gaze into Skizz’s blue irises. “I care about you, Skizz. Let me show you that, okay?”

Skizz knew his cheeks were flushed bright pink as he stared adoringly up at his lover. He gulped back, any words he could have spoken caught in his throat. He nodded in lieu of a response, and BigB let out a contented hum as he leaned back down. Their noses bumped against each other, BigB’s lips so close yet so far. “Good boy.” 

ʚ♡ɞ

BigB adored his family, and they adored him in return. They had always been there for him, supporting him and his dreams for as long as he could remember. When he had gotten his heart set on opening a café, they did all they could to help him. They were simply wonderful like that.

The Statz didn't come from money– the opposite, in fact. BigB’s great grandfather moved to the developing city of Astravega when he was just a teen with his family in search of better pay. They hadn’t had much to their name, but Great Grandpa Ben worked diligently to provide for his family, and his descendents followed in his footsteps. Being a hard worker and provider was the Statz family way, after all.

Their hardships only aided in growing them closer, supporting each other in times of need. It was something BigB took comfort in, grateful for the closeness of his family and knowing that he was never truly alone with them in his corner. He had plenty of fond memories baking with Grandma Roxanne and sitting with his parents as they drank their morning coffee and shadowing Grandpa Benji at work just to be close to him. Their family was whole and beautiful, and BigB couldn’t imagine a life without them.

That being said, they were known to hover. It shouldn’t be a surprise, as being nosy was in his blood. BigB hadn’t named the café Nosy Neighbors for no reason, after all.

“You should have a no drug policy,” Mama chimed in to him randomly, the decorations around her box braids clinking softly together as she moved.

“I already do.” BigB raised his eyebrow at her, confused. She would know that better than anyone, for she had helped with Nosy Neighbor’s policy creation, and they both had lived through Dad and Grandpa’s struggles to get clean from their assorted issues– some of those issues being substance abuse. “Employees know they aren’t allowed to come to work intoxicated.”

“I meant for the customers.” Mama crossed her arms over her chest, standing with her hip jutted out to one side like it often did when she was being sassy or judgemental. “We don’t need that shit in here. You know the addiction gene runs in our family.”

BigB exhaled a low breath, letting his eyes flutter close to compose himself. “I’m aware.”

And that was all he said, going back to his task of cleaning while he waited for another customer to approach the counter. 

“Aren’t ya gonna say something?” Mama raised an eyebrow with a pout. “Love, you know I just want what’s best for you. Having customers come in smellin’ like weed and such is just gonna scare away the middle class folks. Hate ‘em as much you like, they’re the ones with the most funds.”

“I can’t control what customers do, Ma.” BigB picked idly at his fingernails, not meeting her gaze. He loved her to death, don’t get him wrong, but she had a lot of opinions she needed to voice even if it wasn’t always the best place or time.

Debate creased her features. “I know that, but–”

“Missus Rachel!” one of the employees called for Mama from the back. “I can’t find the coffee beans you were wanting–”

Mama sighed deeply before stepping forward and placing a brief kiss against BigB’s forehead. “I better go help her.”

BigB opened his mouth to respond, but Mama continued on before he had the chance, waving her hand dismissively, “Maybe the scent of pastries and coffee covers the smell enough, anyway. I’m just always worried about this place, but you know how it is.”

And with that, she turned on her heel, leaving BigB with her words. For better or for worse, he did know how it was, which made him somewhat anxious. Was there truth to her words? BigB turned his attention to the tables seating customers, looking to see if any of them were actively smoking or had other signs of substance abuse. As much as he couldn’t control customers' actions, that sort of thing could drive a business into the ground. 

A soft smile graced his lips as his gaze fell upon his… he wanted to say boyfriend, but they hadn’t talked about the terms of their situationship. It just had… flowed into what it was today fairly naturally, and BigB was okay with taking it slow to enjoy these early relationship moments. They didn’t need to define what they had for it to be special.

His face heated up at the many memories of them very much not taking it slow by typical standards. His mind tempted him with fantasies of how they could spend their time later, but he shook his head, needing to focus on his work while he was clocked in.

Across from Skizz sat someone BigB didn’t particularly recognize– maybe one of Skizz’s friends? Tango, perhaps? Or Etho? Those were the names he vaguely recalled Skizz mentioning, though he hadn’t seemed to be on talking terms with them from what he had gathered. It’s good they were talking, then.

BigB was about to leave it at that, perhaps inquiring further for more details like the nosy person he was later after his self-assigned shift was over, but then physical money was passed across the table, followed by something promptly exchanged between them and hidden in the others’ bag.

That something likely being drugs, considering how swiftly it was hidden by the one with shifty eyes. They didn’t stay sitting as soon as the package was secure, rising to their feet and speeding out of the café. How… peculiar.

Honest to whatever gods were out there, BigB had wanted to leave it alone. As he told his mama, he couldn’t control customers, but… but this wasn’t just any customer, and BigB couldn’t resist being a little nosy when it came to him even though he tried to respect that Skizz often didn’t want to talk about it. He double checked that he didn’t have anyone waiting at the register before rounding the counter to approach his lover.

“BigB!” Skizz grinned, rising to his feet to meet BigB. They shared a kiss in greeting, Skizz’s blue eyes lighting up as BigB approached.

BigB almost found himself lost in them, drowning in the sheer excess of admiration Skizz seemed to radiate. It was clear from the first time they fucked that Skizz had a lot of love to give, as all consuming as the blazing sun, and BigB relished basking in his rays.

In lieu of a verbal answer, BigB took Skizz’s hand in his to lead him to the back, something he admittedly did far too frequently. It wasn’t his fault that Skizz spent hours at the tables while BigB worked, looking too damn fine for his own good. BigB was only human, and he couldn’t resist sneaking a little personal time with Skizz in the manager's office with the door shut from time to time.

Knowing this, BigB wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Skizz was all over him the moment the door closed, pushing his back against the wood and large hands resting just above his hips to pull them closer together. 

Skizz’s lips brushed against BigB’s with a flirty smirk, never quite kissing him but close enough that he might as well have. “Miss me?”

BigB resisted the urge to press his lips against Skizz’s, struggling to the point he was sure it was visible on his face. He turned his head so Skizz’s breath was on his cheek instead, averting his gaze. “No– well, yes, but this isn’t why I asked you here.” “Oh.” Skizz loosened his hold on BigB’s hips, stepping back hesitantly. Confusion colored his expression when BigB dared to glance back in his direction. He didn’t say anything else, leaving the ball in BigB’s court.

BigB picked the grime out from under his nails, letting an awkward silence hang in the air as he gathered his thoughts. This wasn’t going to be a fun conversation, and part of BigB wished they were making out instead. Alas, communication was important and a healthy component of any blossoming or established relationship.

“Are you selling drugs?” BigB blurted out, blunt but to the point. There were worse ways to ask, he supposed. There were also better ways to ask, but, well, too late now.

Skizz shifted on his legs uncomfortably, stuttering a bit. “I– you know I have.” “But do you currently?” BigB narrowed his eyes into slits, the questioning pressing more than he truly needed. He didn’t want to discuss the morality of using or distributing substances, because that wasn’t the issue. He understood more than most how complex it could all be. BigB raised his hand to stop Skizz from answering before he even had a chance to speak. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. You just– you can’t bring that sort of business into my café.”

“It’s just a meeting point,” Skizz explained himself. “It isn’t associated with Nosy Neighbors or anything.”

“Doesn’t matter,” BigB stood firm on his previous statement. “I can’t have drugs cycling through here, okay?” Skizz went quiet for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

“Thank you,” BigB murmured, and Skizz just hummed a confirmation that he heard. And with that, they stood there, awkward and without a word passed between them. 

The air was tense and uncomfortable, and BigB despised it, so he filled the silence. “I… I’ve seen the hardships my dad and grandpa had to go through to get clean, and I don’t want to see you go through the same thing.”

“I’m not taking them,” Skizz defended himself. “Just selling them. Paying off some IOUs and making some extra cash when I can.”

“If it’s money you need, you can work here,” BigB offered, like he had before. “I don’t understand why you won’t, if you’re struggling getting hired elsewhere–”

“I don’t need your handouts,” Skizz expressed sharply, just like he had last time BigB offered. It was some pride thing about earning what he had, and not having everything just given to him. BigB didn’t understand that mindset. It was okay to take help if it was needed, which it clearly was. “I’m managing just fine.” “But are you?” BigB pressed, voice straining and desperate now. “I’m not stupid, Skizz. I can tell everything isn’t okay, I just don’t know the specifics because you won’t tell me–”  “Because what do you want me to say?” Skizz cried out, actual tears bubbling up at his waterline. “That I’m half broke and pathetic, living in my car since my lease lapsed on my old apartment? That I’m damaged goods? That I just need someone to save me from the situation I got myself in?”  “That’s not what I’m saying!” BigB countered, though his eyes widened when he mentioned living in his car. He hadn’t known that, but that tidbit of information did make some things this past month make a lot more sense. “I know you can handle yourself, but there’s no shame in accepting aid when you are offered it– you could stay with me! I don’t understand why you don’t want to. We basically share a bed already anyway–”

“I can’t afford rent,” Skizz admitted.

“You don’t need to pay rent,” BigB answered immediately. It was obvious Skizz didn’t appreciate that answer, so BigB moved on quickly, “You can get a job here to help pay rent. Please, Skizz, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help, BigB!” Skizz huffed, brow furrowed with frustration. “I can handle myself; I can pay back my own debts. I don’t want to earn merit with nepotism.”

Perhaps BigB should have focused more on Skizz’s aversion toward accepting aid, but the word debts snagged his attention too forcefully for him to ignore. “Debts? What debts?”  Skizz was taken aback, promptly flustering and tripping over his words once he realized the implications. “It’s not– I’m not– I‘m not gambling, if that’s what you’re asking. They’re old; it’s fine. I am managing just fine, Boppers, don’t worry ‘bout it.”

BigB frowned, distress rampaging in his chest. He hated this, but he cared for Skizz too much to let this slide. “You don’t have to lie to me. It’s okay to not be okay, I just want to help you.” 

Skizz pressed his lips into a flat line, far too many complex emotions whirling in his blue irises. He was trying way too hard to be expressionless, clearly trying to bottle everything up, and it was uncanny. Still, Skizz didn’t say anything and it was driving BigB crazy.

“Skizz, please don’t give me reasons to not trust you,” BigB pleaded, wanting to find some way to connect to the man he found himself falling for all too fast. “I want to trust you, and I want to help you even if you don’t want to accept it, but you can’t keep hiding all these important things from me like this that I got to know to help you help yourself. What else are you not telling me?”

BigB had wished for Skizz to not shut down, but he feared he had wished a little too hard with how haunted Skizz appeared. His gaze was far away and he looked so, so, so devastated. It was heartbreaking and horrible, and BigB just wanted to pull him close and make it all better.

Not that Skizz wanted his help. Skizz would rather push him away than let him in, and it hurt. Perhaps their relationship was too young for that level of communication, but BigB yearned for it anyway. 

BigB stepped away from the door to attempt physical comfort, but Skizz took that as an opportunity to shoulder past him and escape through it. His eyes went wide as he turned to watch Skizz flee. “Wha- wait! Skizz! Come back!”

Skizz ignored BigB’s calls, leaving BigB with no other option than to scurry after him. Unfortunately, Skizz knew the back of the building a little too well, effortlessly finding the back door and exiting through it. BigB failed to catch the door before it closed, and when he shoved it open again, Skizz had vanished, leaving BigB alone. 

BigB cursed under his breath as he pulled out his phone to call Skizz. It went straight to voicemail, which didn’t surprise BigB as much as he hated that. He tried calling a few more times only for the result to be the same.

His heart sank to his stomach, feeling unnaturally hollow. If Skizz wouldn’t answer him, BigB had no clue how to find him. It wasn’t like he knew where he lived, or like Skizz had introduced him formally to any of his friends. He stumbled backwards until his back hit the wall before slumping down until his ass hit the concrete flooring. 

Where was there to go forward from here? What should he do now? How was he going to help now?

BigB gnawed on his lower lip, sharp teeth nibbling over and over again on the raw skin until it cracked. He traced his tongue against his now-bloody lip as he wiped his watery eyes. Today was not how he expected the day to go, but he supposed it was about time his nosiness showed its consequences again. 

People didn’t like how much he cared, and how intrusive he could be… how off-putting. Skizz had seemed to like BigB as he was, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he had finally proven to be too much. Maybe…

BigB leaned his head back, head knocking against the wall as he gazed up at the ceiling. Stars, he needed to get out of his head. He needed a strong drink and a shitty reality TV marathon. 

He needed to self-soothe before he spiraled too deep to get back up, but… but maybe he would have the energy to do that in a few minutes. For now, he simply wanted�� nay, needed to wallow for just a little bit longer. He could figure out what happened after that at a future moment.

ʚ♡ɞ

This was the start of the end, wasn’t it?

Their relationship was failing. He had fucked it all up. Barely one month in, and BigB was already expressing sentiments Impulse had before they broke up. Before he lost his best friend. Before he lost everything that actually mattered to him.

Skizz found himself hating everything he was with his whole being. He hated the situation he was in. He hated himself for blowing up a relationship so quickly. He hated that it only took a month with BigB over the years it took with Impulse.

How broken did this prove him to be? How fucked up was he? How many times did he have to hit rock bottom until he shot out the other side of the Earth?

Skizz wiped his tears with his forearm, though his efforts barely made a dent. His vision was still just as blurred as it was before, and his whole body screamed as he ran at full speed, fleeing as far as he could away from everything he knew.

It didn’t surprise him when he stumbled across one of his old hangout joints, the joyful noise coming from inside enticing him more than he wanted to admit.

He shouldn’t go in, should he? Going in would negate all his progress–

Ha. 

Like that progress actually ever did him any good.

What was the point of denying himself guilty pleasures when everything was so fucked up anyway? If life was going to be ass, he might as well have some fun while he was at it.

Skizz silenced the nagging voice of his conscience as he pushed forward, entering the establishment. The familiar scent of cigars and alcohol filled his nostrils while the shuffling of cards, roll of dice, and chattering of patrons filled his ears. It felt like home to him, sensations he had long become familiar with.

His phone screen was filled with notification messages and missed calls, but he ignored them. He wasn’t in the mindset to respond right now, but that was fine. He could get to it later. Having his phone out only dampened the high he wanted to feel.

“Hey, dudes,” Skizz greeted as he approached a table playing poker with a large grin on his face. He hoped the lighting drowned out any remaining signs of crying on his face, and that the others assumed that any flushing was due to alcohol. “Have room at the table?” Those sitting down glanced between each other before the one with ashy brown hair and trimmed facial hair flashed him a smile. He recognized him and the others at the table, all people he’d played with and owed debts to before. To be fair, they owed him before as well, though they typically had the funds to pay off their debts. They weren’t the type to trade IOUs or sexual favors like Skizz was willing to, but Skizz didn’t mind. He preferred earning cold hard cash. 

“A’course, Skizz, we’d love to have you.” One of the other members at the table kicked a seat out for him so it wasn’t flush against the table. “It’s been awhile since you’ve been around. Come, sit down and we’ll deal you in.” “Thanks.” Skizz relaxed at their easy acceptance, claiming the empty spot at the table as the cards were dished out. “I’ve just been busy, but it’s good to be back.”  “It’s good to have you back.” Travis’ teeth gleamed a pearly white, seemingly sharp and dangerous like a shark’s. 

Skizz knew he was into some shady business, but they all were, so Skizz wasn’t one to judge. He found comfort that they were all fucked in some way here. It was less pressure, and he didn’t feel so awful like he did comparing himself to knights in shining armor like BigB.

Don’t think about him! Skizz berated himself, shoving all thoughts about his life outside of the gambling sphere away. He didn’t want to think about it. He wanted to feel free; he wanted to feel good. He needed the high that came with impulsivity and risk, the adrenaline his body produced more addicting than any drug he could think of.

“Hey, can I get a round of shots?” Travis called out to the bartender, waving some bills between two fingers for him to snatch. “On me, of course.” The table cheered and applauded Travis with their gratitude, Skizz obviously joining in. Some alcohol would help him loosen up, enhancing the thrill that he spent years of his life chasing.

The content hum of the alcohol through his veins was warm and pleasant as he chatted with the table like old friends. And, well, in a way, they were. He didn’t have much money to throw into the pot, so he tossed in an IOU he assumed whoever won would cash in with hard labor of some sort. Skizz didn’t mind working odd gigs like that, enjoying the variety, and… and a part of him didn’t want to disappoint BigB by going back into monetary debt. He may be a screw up, but…

But?

Fuck it, he was a screw up and he knew it, but what could he do about it? Nothing changed for the better, not permanently. Anything good was a trap, waiting in the shadows until it could swallow him whole at the right moment to make its impact truly devastating.

The game flowed easily, cards moving without even as much as a glance as the table discussed amongst themselves. At one point, one of the others sitting at the table offered edibles for free, and Skizz, well… Skizz never claimed to make good decisions.

He felt fantastic though! Sure, he may have a shit hand which lost him the game, but that didn’t matter. Skizz was sure the smile on his face was the widest it’d been in a long time.

“Royal flush,” Travis announced, revealing his hand. The table ooo’ed at the reveal as Travis leaned forward, cupping his arms around his winnings and pulling them toward him.

“Good game, homie,” Skizz congratulated him, not all too peeved about losing. Not every game was a winner, after all, and he had a good time so no hard feelings were acquired.

“What can I say? I’m good at what I do.” Travis grinned at him, a wicked gleam in his eyes. He plucked up the IOU Skizz had bet and inspected it. “You know, LeMann, I know exactly what you can do for me.”

“Oh?” Skizz raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t used to people informing him of what they were going to have him do so soon. “What is that?” “Oh, nothing too bad,” Travis assured him, fanning himself idly with the piece of paper. “Very simple, but it’ll help me out a great deal. You see, I have a package that needs transferring, and I think you’re just the man for the job. You know how to drive a cargo truck, right?”

Skizz relaxed his shoulders at Travis’ explanation. Transferring cargo wasn’t that bad of a gig. He’d done it before; it was easy enough. “Yeah, but I’ve only driven the shorter ones.” “Perfect, ‘cause that’s all I need.” Travis leaned back in his chair, self-satisfied. “I’ll text you the time and place, and you better be there. This is particularly sensitive cargo, something I think will help find my missing wife.”

“What? Really?” Skizz blinked at him rapidly, jaw dropping. His wife was missing and he was here? Skizz supposed there wasn’t much he could do, but– “Did you contact the poe poe? How long has she been gone?”

Travis scrowled, signaling to Skizz that he really shouldn’t ask questions. Still, Travis must’ve been in a decent mood from the high of winning, alcohol, and edibles, for he indulged Skizz anyway. “Unfortunately, this is all below board. She was kidnapped by The Hunters– surely you’ve heard of them– and I plan to get her back. Getting the police involved would be bad for business, but I plan to get her back myself. I’m very capable, you see, and people need to learn they can’t take what’s mine and come out of it scot-free.”

Skizz nodded slowly, attempting to wrap his mind around everything. The sort of scene they were in could get rather messy… Skizz knew he had worried about someone going after Impulse or one of his friends as a way to get to him, though those were typically loan sharks. Perhaps Travis owed these people, and they took his wife as collateral? Poor gal, she didn’t deserve to get mixed up in this. Stars above know that Skizz did everything he could not to get others in his mess, and he’s sure Travis was similar.

“I gotcha, brother.” Skizz clamped his hand on Travis’ shoulder reassuringly. “You can count on me.”

Please reblog, like/kudos, and/or comment if you've made it this far! Thank you <33

[jcmarchi]

Revisiting CSS Multi-Column Layout

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/revisiting-css-multi-column-layout/

Revisiting CSS Multi-Column Layout

Honestly, it’s difficult for me to come to terms with, but almost 20 years have passed since I wrote my first book, Transcending CSS. In it, I explained how and why to use what was the then-emerging Multi-Column Layout module.

Hint: I published an updated version, Transcending CSS Revisited, which is free to read online.

Perhaps because, before the web, I’d worked in print, I was over-excited at the prospect of dividing content into columns without needing extra markup purely there for presentation. I’ve used Multi-Column Layout regularly ever since. Yet, CSS Columns remains one of the most underused CSS layout tools. I wonder why that is?

Holes in the specification

For a long time, there were, and still are, plenty of holes in Multi-Column Layout. As Rachel Andrew — now a specification editor — noted in her article five years ago:

“The column boxes created when you use one of the column properties can’t be targeted. You can’t address them with JavaScript, nor can you style an individual box to give it a background colour or adjust the padding and margins. All of the column boxes will be the same size. The only thing you can do is add a rule between columns.”

She’s right. And that’s still true. You can’t style columns, for example, by alternating background colours using some sort of :nth-column() pseudo-class selector. You can add a column-rule between columns using border-style values like dashed, dotted, and solid, and who can forget those evergreen groove and ridge styles? But you can’t apply border-image values to a column-rule, which seems odd as they were introduced at roughly the same time. The Multi-Column Layout is imperfect, and there’s plenty I wish it could do in the future, but that doesn’t explain why most people ignore what it can do today.

Patchy browser implementation for a long time

Legacy browsers simply ignored the column properties they couldn’t process. But, when Multi-Column Layout was first launched, most designers and developers had yet to accept that websites needn’t look the same in every browser.

Early on, support for Multi-Column Layout was patchy. However, browsers caught up over time, and although there are still discrepancies — especially in controlling content breaks — Multi-Column Layout has now been implemented widely. Yet, for some reason, many designers and developers I speak to feel that CSS Columns remain broken. Yes, there’s plenty that browser makers should do to improve their implementations, but that shouldn’t prevent people from using the solid parts today.

Readability and usability with scrolling

Maybe the main reason designers and developers haven’t embraced Multi-Column Layout as they have CSS Grid and Flexbox isn’t in the specification or its implementation but in its usability. Rachel pointed this out in her article:

“One reason we don’t see multicol used much on the web is that it would be very easy to end up with a reading experience which made the reader scroll in the block dimension. That would mean scrolling up and down vertically for those of us using English or another vertical writing mode. This is not a good reading experience!”

That’s true. No one would enjoy repeatedly scrolling up and down to read a long passage of content set in columns. She went on:

“Neither of these things is ideal, and using multicol on the web is something we need to think about very carefully in terms of the amount of content we might be aiming to flow into our columns.”

But, let’s face it, thinking very carefully is what designers and developers should always be doing.

Sure, if you’re dumb enough to dump a large amount of content into columns without thinking about its design, you’ll end up serving readers a poor experience. But why would you do that when headlines, images, and quotes can span columns and reset the column flow, instantly improving readability? Add to that container queries and newer unit values for text sizing, and there really isn’t a reason to avoid using Multi-Column Layout any longer.

A brief refresher on properties and values

Let’s run through a refresher. There are two ways to flow content into multiple columns; first, by defining the number of columns you need using the column-count property:

Second, and often best, is specifying the column width, leaving a browser to decide how many columns will fit along the inline axis. For example, I’m using column-width to specify that my columns are over 18rem. A browser creates as many 18rem columns as possible to fit and then shares any remaining space between them.

Then, there is the gutter (or column-gap) between columns, which you can specify using any length unit. I prefer using rem units to maintain the gutters’ relationship to the text size, but if your gutters need to be 1em, you can leave this out, as that’s a browser’s default gap.

The final column property is that divider (or column-rule) to the gutters, which adds visual separation between columns. Again, you can set a thickness and use border-style values like dashed, dotted, and solid.

These examples will be seen whenever you encounter a Multi-Column Layout tutorial, including CSS-Tricks’ own Almanac. The Multi-Column Layout syntax is one of the simplest in the suite of CSS layout tools, which is another reason why there are few reasons not to use it.

Multi-Column Layout is even more relevant today

When I wrote Transcending CSS and first explained the emerging Multi-Column Layout, there were no rem or viewport units, no :has() or other advanced selectors, no container queries, and no routine use of media queries because responsive design hadn’t been invented.

We didn’t have calc() or clamp() for adjusting text sizes, and there was no CSS Grid or Flexible Box Layout for precise control over a layout. Now we do, and all these properties help to make Multi-Column Layout even more relevant today.

Now, you can use rem or viewport units combined with calc() and clamp() to adapt the text size inside CSS Columns. You can use :has() to specify when columns are created, depending on the type of content they contain. Or you might use container queries to implement several columns only when a container is large enough to display them. Of course, you can also combine a Multi-Column Layout with CSS Grid or Flexible Box Layout for even more imaginative layout designs.

Using Multi-Column Layout today

Patty Meltt is an up-and-coming country music sensation. She’s not real, but the challenges of designing and developing websites like hers are.

My challenge was to implement a flexible article layout without media queries which adapts not only to screen size but also whether or not a <figure> is present. To improve the readability of running text in what would potentially be too-long lines, it should be set in columns to narrow the measure. And, as a final touch, the text size should adapt to the width of the container, not the viewport.

Article with no <figure> element. What would potentially be too-long lines of text are set in columns to improve readability by narrowing the measure.

Article containing a <figure> element. No column text is needed for this narrower measure.

The HTML for this layout is rudimentary. One <section>, one <main>, and one <figure> (or not:)

<section> <main> <h1>About Patty</h1> <p>…</p> </main> <figure> <img> </figure> </section>

I started by adding Multi-Column Layout styles to the <main> element using the column-width property to set the width of each column to 40ch (characters). The max-width and automatic inline margins reduce the content width and center it in the viewport:

main margin-inline: auto; max-width: 100ch; column-width: 40ch; column-gap: 3rem; column-rule: .5px solid #98838F;

Next, I applied a flexible box layout to the <section> only if it :has() a direct descendant which is a <figure>:

section:has(> figure) display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 0 3rem;

This next min-width: min(100%, 30rem) — applied to both the <main> and <figure> — is a combination of the min-width property and the min() CSS function. The min() function allows you to specify two or more values, and a browser will choose the smallest value from them. This is incredibly useful for responsive layouts where you want to control the size of an element based on different conditions:

section:has(> figure) main flex: 1; margin-inline: 0; min-width: min(100%, 30rem); section:has(> figure) figure flex: 4; min-width: min(100%, 30rem);

What’s efficient about this implementation is that Multi-Column Layout styles are applied throughout, with no need for media queries to switch them on or off.

Adjusting text size in relation to column width helps improve readability. This has only recently become easy to implement with the introduction of container queries, their associated values including cqi, cqw, cqmin, and cqmax. And the clamp() function. Fortunately, you don’t have to work out these text sizes manually as ClearLeft’s Utopia will do the job for you.

My headlines and paragraph sizes are clamped to their minimum and maximum rem sizes and between them text is fluid depending on their container’s inline size:

h1 font-size: clamp(5.6526rem, 5.4068rem + 1.2288cqi, 6.3592rem); h2 font-size: clamp(1.9994rem, 1.9125rem + 0.4347cqi, 2.2493rem); p font-size: clamp(1rem, 0.9565rem + 0.2174cqi, 1.125rem);

So, to specify the <main> as the container on which those text sizes are based, I applied a container query for its inline size:

main container-type: inline-size;

Open the final result in a desktop browser, when you’re in front of one. It’s a flexible article layout without media queries which adapts to screen size and the presence of a <figure>. Multi-Column Layout sets text in columns to narrow the measure and the text size adapts to the width of its container, not the viewport.

Modern CSS is solving many prior problems

Structure content with spanning elements which will restart the flow of columns and prevent people from scrolling long distances.

Prevent figures from dividing their images and captions between columns.

Almost every article I’ve ever read about Multi-Column Layout focuses on its flaws, especially usability. CSS-Tricks’ own Geoff Graham even mentioned the scrolling up and down issue when he asked, “When Do You Use CSS Columns?”

“But an entire long-form article split into columns? I love it in newspapers but am hesitant to scroll down a webpage to read one column, only to scroll back up to do it again.”

Fortunately, the column-span property — which enables headlines, images, and quotes to span columns, resets the column flow, and instantly improves readability — now has solid support in browsers:

h1, h2, blockquote column-span: all;

But the solution to the scrolling up and down issue isn’t purely technical. It also requires content design. This means that content creators and designers must think carefully about the frequency and type of spanning elements, dividing a Multi-Column Layout into shallower sections, reducing the need to scroll and improving someone’s reading experience.

Another prior problem was preventing headlines from becoming detached from their content and figures, dividing their images and captions between columns. Thankfully, the break-after property now also has widespread support, so orphaned images and captions are now a thing of the past:

figure break-after: column;

Open this final example in a desktop browser:

You should take a fresh look at Multi-Column Layout

Multi-Column Layout isn’t a shiny new tool. In fact, it remains one of the most underused layout tools in CSS. It’s had, and still has, plenty of problems, but they haven’t reduced its usefulness or its ability to add an extra level of refinement to a product or website’s design. Whether you haven’t used Multi-Column Layout in a while or maybe have never tried it, now’s the time to take a fresh look at Multi-Column Layout.

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2023-07-24

Back in the saddle.

Listening: I am not a huge fan of true crime, not because I find the subject distasteful but because the way people go about it grates on me as an annoying blend of unrealistic fearmongering and misinformed wannabe vigilanteism. I do however also admit that I haven't really engaged with true crime in many years, so I asked my brother to recommend his favourite true crime podcast or whatever and he pitched me on My Favourite Murder.

Starting from E1, I've been through two or three episodes. Mostly my opinions continue to hold true, every now and again one of the hosts says something that is the kind of batshit thing normal people say about crime and it blows a fuse in my head. I will stick to it long enough to form a real opinion.

Reading: Finished Seven Surrenders, on the train back from Zurich, this morning. Once again I immediately want to start the next book, I'll probably buy The Will to Battle after this posts.

The world of Terra Ignota is so engaging to read about, it's big but with a tiny cast, futuristic and archaic. It must have been so hard to pull off these reveals and ideas without them just seeming kind of stupid because on the face of it, they are.

Watching: Nothing, I've been traveling until this morning.

Making: Made a cool tomato/chickpea/coconut curry based on Adam Ragusea's recipe, modified for scale, what I have available and my tastes, which included use canned chickpeas, frozen green beans, swapping tomatillos for small vine tomatoes, and working with my usual spice blends.

Oh, I also completely ignored the step of passing the sauce through a sieve because I've been eating the cheapest prepared bakery sandwiches I can find while traveling for the past week and I feel like I need to eat a lot of whole vegetables this week.

The application of very heavily browned vegetables is a nice trick, and with the addition of sugar and coconut cream makes for a very pleasant and rich flavour even though I kind of overshot the chili heat because I'm still not used to the extra-hot chili powder I have now.

Playing: Nothing, due to The Travel.

Tools and Equipment: I gotta pitch the 1kg or less laptop. I've mentioned Calcite, my personal laptop, plenty of times, but this past week of traveling has really shown how handy something this light is. Calcite complete with my 65W GaN charger and various dongles lived in my backpack as I hoofed it around several cities and it was so light that I barely noticed.

It's worth it to be able to use a full size computer when trying to compare accommodation and travel arrangements on the go, rather than trying to fiddle it out on a phone, but if your laptop weighs much more than a kilogram it can quickly become a slog to carry around.

Calcite is a 13 inch HP Envy x360, but the new 14-inch model and the HP Pavilion Aero 13's are both really good and relatively affordable compact laptops that I recommend frequently to people who want light laptops. Lenovo makes their 13 inch family of thinkpads but they're much more upmarket. If cost is no object there's of course ultralights like the LG Gram, and ultracompacts like the Onemix One Netbook 4.

If we're honest, an iPad would probably fit this role well, but I don't have one of those.

[keys4cars]

How Long Does It Take For Car Ignition Repair?

Have you ever put your key into the ignition and nothing happened? Strangely frustrating indeed. And then you start wondering, “How long does it take to repair a car ignition?” That depends on the model of the car, the extent of damage, and the level of skill possessed by the mechanic. Sometimes, the job can be done in no time, while in other instances, it can take longer. If you suspect that your ignition is at fault, then keep calm. This guide will walk you through everything you should know. From how long it should take for car ignition repair, to what really matters, all are discussed in the simplest terms. Keep reading to learn how to expedite the road trip. 

What Is Car Ignition Repair?

Car ignition repair means fixing the part of your vehicle that helps start the engine. Sometimes, when an ignition switch fails, your car may not start at all. At other times, it can cause stalling or power problems. Car ignition repairs can be conducted by replacing the ignition switch, the key cylinder, or the wiring inside the steering column. 

Need for Car Ignition Repair

In time, the ignition switch may get worn out. Dust, key damage, or electrical fault may cause it to stop working. Under these circumstances, it is imperative to have a car ignition repair. Prolonging the repairs can leave you stranded. This can also make way for further and costly repairs in due time.

How Long Does It Take For Car Ignition Repair?

The typical time for car ignition repair ranges between 30 minutes and 2 hours. For a switch-only replacement, it can last about 30 to 60 minutes. Problems like damaged wiring or a stuck ignition cylinder may take 2 hours or more. Further delays may come about if the car being repaired is either a high-end or upscale vehicle that offers extra security features.

Factors Affecting Repair Time

Your car's make and model matter a lot. Older cars are usually easier and faster to repair. Modern cars, however, may require the use of special tools and care. What kind of damage you're dealing with is important, too. Minor issues such as loose wiring can be resolved quickly. Having to order a part, on the other hand, delays the repair. And what about the mechanic's experience and the relevant tools they have?

Is It Possible to Drive Without Getting It Fixed?

Driving with a bad ignition is really not safe. It can simply cut off all the while you're driving and jeopardize your life and the lives of others around you. There's also the chance of having the car damaged further. So having your car ignition repaired the minute you spot any problems is the right thing to do.

Conclusion

Now, how long does it take for car ignition repair? Usually, it gets done within 2 hours of turning up on site. Getting on top of the issue can save you time, money, and stress. Don't allow the problem to get worse. Seek professional help quickly and get back on the road safely.

Looking for a car ignition repair specialist? Keys4Cars.co.NZ (Tauranga Auto Locksmiths Ltd) is home to Onsite Car Key & Remote Solutions servicing throughout the Western Bay of Plenty. Contact us today on 0800 288 653 or mobile 0276 289 251.

[annasteiahhaa20]

10 Reasons Developers Love Cloud-Native Platforms

If you're a developer, chances are you've heard plenty about cloud-native platforms. But what makes them so popular? Why do more and more developers rely on these tools every day? Let’s break it down in a simple and friendly way. If you’re curious to learn more, click here for a helpful overview.

1. Easy to Scale One of the best things about cloud-native platforms is how easy they make it to grow your app. If your app suddenly has more users, the system can handle it without a lot of extra work from you.

2. Faster Deployment Want to push updates quickly? Cloud-native platforms help you release new features or fixes faster. This means happier users and better apps over time.

3. Less Waiting Around Nobody likes slow apps. With cloud-native platforms, you can reduce delays and performance issues, helping your app run more smoothly for everyone.

4. Pay for What You Use Instead of spending a lot of money upfront, you only pay for what you use with cloud-native services. This helps teams manage costs better while still building great apps.

5. Easy to Fix Problems If something goes wrong, cloud-native tools make it easier to find and fix the issue quickly. This saves time and keeps users from getting frustrated.

6. More Time to Build Cool Stuff Since many setup and maintenance tasks are handled by the platform, developers can spend more time doing what they love—writing code and solving problems.

7. Great for Remote Teams Cloud-native platforms are perfect for teams who work from different places. Everything is online, so people can work together easily, no matter where they are.

8. Keeps Data Safer Security is built into most cloud-native systems, helping protect your app and user data without needing to start from scratch.

9. Works Well with Other Tools Cloud-native platforms are often built to work smoothly with other popular tools and services, so you don’t have to change everything just to get started.

10. Supports New Ideas Want to try out a wild new feature or a big change? With cloud-native platforms, it’s easier to experiment because testing and changing things doesn’t take forever.

In short, cloud-native platforms make life easier for developers in lots of small but meaningful ways. From saving time to making collaboration smoother, it’s easy to see why so many developers love using them.

[roadrunnerscamping]

All You Really Need To Know About Camping

Camping is a great way to bond with family and friends. But, some people don't even bother going on a trip because they think the whole process is difficult. It does not need to be if you have all of the right information. Read this article for some sound tried and true camping advice.

make sure your tent stays dry and there is plenty of ventilation. When sleeping in your fully sealed tent, condensation will build on the walls and your sleeping bag. You can wake up wet without adequate ventilation. Make sure to purchase a tent that has vents or windows that can be opened to stop moisture from becoming a problem.

Plan things that are fun to do so your trip is filled with excitement. Marshmallows and campfires aren't the only things you can do when you're camping. Use your creativity and plan activities that all family members can enjoy. Don't forget activities for children of different ages.

Newspapers can be a great tool for a number of things when you go camping. The most obvious use is reading material. If your campsite has wet wood due to rain, you can use newspaper to build a fire.

Pack some indoor entertainment items. Be ready for bad weather while you're out in the woods. When it rains, you will be inside and will need something else to do. Don't let it ruin your trip. Bring lots of activities that will keep you busy inside your tent, RV or cabin.

Make sure you have a good place to go to the bathroom when you go camping. There might not be a portable toilet. Just make sure there is enough space for you to "do your business." Double check your supply of toilet paper to make sure you have enough, unless you've already decided to use leaves instead.

Understand that you are not living at home when out camping. Consequently, you should refrain from leaving trash behind when your camping trip comes to an end. When your camping is over, you should strive to leave the area just as you found it. Respect nature, and clean your campground before you leave.

Know about fire safety when camping. Learn how to handle fire safely. Create a safe fire ring. Have buckets of water ready should the fire grow larger than planned. Never leave a fire unattended, and be prepared to stop a fire that gets out of hand.

When camping on public grounds, you will need to follow the campsite's rules of etiquette. These may be posted at the site, or they may be unwritten expectations. Usually, your music must not play past 11pm in the evening and you should be respectful to every fellow camper.

Don't assume you can find wood at or near your camp site. It's always recommended that you bring extra wood and keep it where it won't get wet.

Make sure your tent is of ample size. This will ensure comfort while inside the tent.

When setting up a tent, be sure its seams are all sealed. You can buy a tube at most sporting goods stores if your tent did not come with any. This will stop critters and rainwater from entering your tent.

Pack what is necessary for your children. Camping can be messy. Kids are seriously attracted to the dirt. Therefore, you will need to understand that a clean trip is probably out of the question. Know that you must accept that fact, but have a change of clothing for them so they can be comfortable. Prepare thoroughly!

Camping is a great time to make new lifelong friends. A campground is a great place to be social and meet others camping around you. Campgrounds create a very social atmosphere. You could be missing out on a lot if you don't make the attempt at new friendships when you are camping.

How are you going to cook when you go camping? You should figure this out before you leave home so you can carry the correct supplies with you. Most people like to cook on a flame, but this can be really hard without preparation.

Make sure your shelter is ready before dark. Tent building in the dark is a major obstacle to confront. If it's already dark, you'll need to create fire while using a flashlight. The process is far easier during daylight hours, and you will be relieved to be finished before darkness hits.

Preserve the batteries in your flashlight. Flashlights can accidentally be switched on. Put the batteries backwards into the flashlight. This way you will have the batteries and the flashlight, but you will not end up with dead batteries if your flashlight accidentally gets turned on before you need it.

With any luck, you now see how easy camping can really be. Anyone can master this activity. Use all you have learned when you go on your next camping trip. Soon, you can really enjoy a great time in nature.

[vanityshowroomatlanta]

Split Style: Designing Double Vanity for Two Different Tastes

Sharing a bathroom isn’t always easy—especially when your styles don’t line up. Maybe one of you loves sleek, modern design, while the other leans toward something more classic or cozy. So how do you make a shared space feel comfortable for both? It’s all about finding the right balance.

A double sink bathroom vanity is super practical and gives you plenty of flexibility. But instead of going with a standard matching setup, why not try a “split style”? It lets each side have its own vibe and personality—without making the whole space feel mismatched or chaotic.

Start with a Neutral Foundation

When you're designing for two tastes, begin with a vanity that has a simple, neutral base. Think light oak, white, soft grey, or black finishes—something versatile that works with many styles. A double sink vanity with top in stone or quartz keeps things clean and modern without overwhelming the space. This sets the stage for each person to add their own touch with mirrors, lighting, and accessories.

Make Each Side Feel Personal

What makes a double sink bathroom vanity so practical is that you both get your own space. One side can have a round mirror with warm lighting, while the other goes for a square mirror with a cooler glow. 

Even small things like cabinet handles, trays, or toothbrush holders can show off your individual style—without throwing off the overall design. It’s about creating a space that feels personal but still works as a whole.

If your vanity includes drawers—like many double sink bathroom vanities with drawers do—you’ve got an easy way to stay organized. Each person can have their own storage space, making daily routines smoother and keeping the countertop clear.

Add a Makeup Table for Extra Comfort

If space allows, consider a double sink vanity with makeup table in the center. It’s more than just a luxury—it’s a practical spot to sit and get ready, especially helpful when two people need the sink at the same time. It also acts as a natural divider between styles. One side can lean modern, while the other keeps things a little softer or more traditional. 

Use Texture to Tie It Together

Blending different styles doesn’t have to make your bathroom feel mismatched. Using texture is a simple way to tie everything together. You could go with a smooth countertop alongside wood-grain drawers, or mix matte black faucets with warm-toned handles. These little contrasts add interest and personality, while still keeping the whole space feeling connected and well put together.

Light It Your Way

Good lighting makes a big difference. Wall sconces beside each mirror give each person their own light source, which is especially helpful when getting ready. If you’re including a makeup table, adding task lighting above or beside it improves visibility and adds to the comfort.

You could also add under-cabinet lighting or LED strips beneath the vanity. These subtle lights provide a modern touch and work well in both minimalist and cozy designs.

Storage That Works for You Both

When two people share a bathroom, smart storage is essential. A double sink bathroom vanity with drawers gives you space to stay organized and avoid clutter. Look for vanities with soft-close drawers, adjustable shelves, or built-in dividers. Inside the drawers, you can use small containers or organizers for makeup, razors, or hair tools—whatever suits your routine.

Bringing It All Together

Designing a double sink bathroom vanity that suits two different tastes doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style or comfort. With a balanced layout, smart storage, and thoughtful personal touches, your shared space can feel practical and uniquely yours. 

Whether you're looking for a double sink vanity with top, drawers, or even a makeup table, we've got options to suit every preference. Explore our collection today and find the perfect double vanity to bring your bathroom vision to life.

[digitalbuzz1998]

Simple Gear That Works: Practical Outdoor Choices for Real Adventures

Stepping out into the wild can be exciting, refreshing, and sometimes unpredictable. Whether it’s a calm trek through hilly terrain or a rough climb on a rainy day, the one thing we always need is gear we can count on. That’s where Himmaleh comes into play, offering thoughtfully built outdoor tools that do exactly what they’re meant to do. Their focus on reliability and comfort is what makes their range—including Camping Equipment, Waterproof Trekking Shoes by Himmaleh, and Camping Tent by Himmaleh—stand out.

Why Every Adventure Needs Reliable Gear

Out in nature, even small problems can turn big fast. A broken zipper, soggy shoes, or a wobbly tent pole can disrupt your trip. That’s why we pay attention to every item we carry. With Best Outdoor Equipment by Himmaleh, we don’t have to worry about such surprises. These products are designed to be dependable, no matter the weather or terrain.

Solid Footwear: First Step to a Good Journey

Good shoes matter. We’ve had enough hikes where wet socks or tired soles ruined the experience. Now, we trust Waterproof Trekking Shoes by Himmaleh to keep our feet dry and supported. They grip well on both rocky slopes and muddy paths, and they don’t wear out after just a few trips. You can hike all day without aches or discomfort, which makes a big difference when you’re outdoors for hours at a time.

Practical Camping Equipment for All Needs

When we camp, we like our gear to be simple, strong, and useful. That’s exactly how we’d describe Camping Equipment from Himmaleh. From cooking gear to storage options, each item serves a real purpose. These are not flashy extras—they’re essentials that are light to carry and easy to set up. Whether you’re boiling water, packing food, or organizing your tools, this gear helps you do it without a fuss.

Tents You Can Rely On, No Matter the Weather

The best tents offer protection and peace of mind. The Camping Tent by Himmaleh does just that. It holds up against wind, stays dry during rain, and provides a comfortable space to rest. We’ve used it during both summer heat and unexpected storms—and it held firm every time. The setup process is quick, and the packed tent doesn’t take up too much space in your bag. For solo trips or team outings, it’s a good fit.

Why Choose Himmaleh Gear?

There are plenty of gear brands out there, but Himmaleh has won our trust for a few reasons. First, they make gear for people who actually go outside. You can tell every product is built with care—zippers that don’t snag, fabric that breathes but doesn’t tear, soles that grip without slipping. Second, their focus is always on function. We don’t find any unnecessary parts or gimmicks. Just the gear you need, made strong.

We’ve tested their tools in forests, hills, and riverbanks. They’ve never let us down. That sort of confidence is hard to find.

Making Packing Easier and Smarter

There’s always a question of what to take when planning a trip. With Best Outdoor Equipment by Himmaleh, it’s easy. Their range covers just about everything. You don’t have to mix and match brands or worry about compatibility. Everything works well together, and the quality stays consistent across products.

Not Just for Experts—Made for Everyone

You don’t need to be a professional trekker or experienced camper to use Himmaleh gear. In fact, that’s what we like most about it. Anyone can unpack and use it right away. The designs are intuitive and not overly technical. That means less time reading instructions and more time enjoying the outdoors.

Top Picks to Consider for Your Next Trip

Here are a few items we always recommend:

Waterproof Trekking Shoes by Himmaleh – These are our go-to hiking shoes, especially in unpredictable weather.

Camping Tent by Himmaleh – Ideal for overnight trips and long stays.

Camping Equipment – All the basics you need for setting up and managing your campsite.

Together, they create a balanced and effective outdoor setup for all kinds of travelers.

Final Thoughts on Gear That Lasts

Good gear doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to work. That’s what we’ve found with Best Outdoor Equipment by Himmaleh. Whether you’re a beginner or a regular adventurer, their tools and equipment take the pressure off planning. You know what you’re getting—strong, well-made items that do the job.

We’ve walked trails, crossed streams, cooked meals in the woods, and slept under open skies with this gear. It’s held up, every time. And we’re confident it’ll do the same for you.

[expertmoversstorage]

7 Must-Know Tips Before Hiring a Long Distance Mover in Fairfield, CT

Moving across state lines or to a distant city is a major undertaking. Whether you’re relocating for a new job, lifestyle change, or family reasons, hiring the right moving company can make all the difference. Before you hire a long distance mover in Fairfield CT, there are a few essential things you should know to ensure a smooth, stress-free experience.

1. Check for Proper Licensing and Insurance

Long distance moves are regulated at the federal level, so make sure the moving company you choose is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). They should have a valid USDOT number, which proves they are authorized to transport goods across state lines.

Also, don’t overlook insurance. A reputable long distance mover will offer both basic liability coverage and options for full-value protection, so your belongings are protected during transit.

2. Ask About Their Experience with Long Distance Moves

Not all moving companies specialize in long-distance relocations. You want movers who have plenty of experience handling cross-country or interstate moves. Ask questions like:

How many long-distance moves do you handle each month?

Do you subcontract any part of the move?

Will my belongings be transferred to another truck?

3. Request an In-Home or Virtual Estimate

Be cautious of companies that give vague phone or email quotes without seeing what you’re moving. A reliable long distance mover in Fairfield CT will offer an in-home or virtual estimate to evaluate the size and weight of your belongings. This ensures you receive an accurate quote and avoids surprise charges later.

Also, ask whether the quote is binding or non-binding. A binding estimate guarantees you won’t pay more than quoted (unless you add items), while a non-binding quote could increase based on actual weight.

4. Read Reviews and Ask for References

Online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are powerful tools when choosing a mover. Check platforms like Google, Yelp, and Better Business Bureau for genuine customer feedback. If possible, ask the company for references from previous long-distance clients so you can get firsthand insight into their service quality.

Pay attention to recurring themes in reviews, such as punctuality, professionalism, care with belongings, and responsiveness.

5. Understand the Timeline

Long distance moves usually take longer than local ones because of travel distance, logistical coordination, and possible stops. Ask your mover about their delivery timeline and whether they provide guaranteed delivery windows.

Also, find out what happens if there’s a delay on their end. Will they offer compensation or storage solutions if your new home isn’t ready when your items arrive?

6. Be Aware of Red Flags

Unfortunately, moving scams still exist. Watch out for companies that:

Demand large deposits upfront (most reputable movers only require a small deposit or payment upon delivery)

Lack a physical address or have no presence online

Refuse to put quotes and policies in writing

7. Know What Services Are Included

Some moving companies offer full-service options, which include packing, loading, transporting, unloading, and even unpacking. Others provide only the basics. Clarify what’s included in your package and whether services like packing materials, furniture disassembly/reassembly, or storage are extra.

This will help you compare quotes accurately and avoid surprise charges on moving day.

Hiring a long distance mover in Fairfield CT doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you’re armed with the right questions and information. By doing your homework, checking licenses, getting accurate quotes, and reviewing customer feedback, you can confidently choose a company that meets your needs.

If you’re planning a long-distance move from or around Fairfield CT, reach out to the trusted professionals at:

Expert Movers and Storage Inc. 📞 Phone: 1–833–333–0450 📧 Email: expertmoversstoragellc@gmail.com

They proudly serve Fairfield and nearby areas including Westport, Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Shelton — ensuring reliable service across Connecticut and beyond.

Make your move with confidence — contact Expert Movers and Storage Inc. today!

[healthandwisdom]

Magnesium for Sore Muscles: Quick Relief Tips That Work

Sore muscles can show up after just about anything—lifting something heavy, trying a new workout, or even sitting too long in one spot. We all experience it at some point. While there are plenty of ways to deal with muscle soreness, one approach that’s simple and easy to include in your routine is magnesium.

Let’s break down how you can use magnesium to support your body after movement and why it makes sense as part of your day-to-day care.

Why Magnesium Matters for Muscles

Our bodies need a variety of minerals to work well, and magnesium is one of the big ones. It’s involved in basic things like helping muscles move and relax. That’s why it often pops up when people talk about post-workout recovery or tightness in muscles.

But not all magnesium products work the same way. There are different forms, and the way you use them matters. For example, applying something directly on the skin or soaking in it might offer a different kind of experience than just taking a pill.

If you’re curious about this kind of method, magnesium for sore muscles is one option that’s worth exploring. It’s a straightforward way to incorporate magnesium through bath crystals you can use at home.

Quick and Easy Tips for Using Magnesium

You don’t need a complicated plan. Most of us are already juggling a lot, so simple steps are the way to go. Here are a few ideas to include magnesium in your regular routine:

Soak it out: Add magnesium bath crystals to warm water and soak for about 20–30 minutes. You can do this in a full bath or even just a foot soak.

After activity: Try applying a magnesium solution or gel to specific muscle areas after moving around a lot or standing all day.

Keep it handy: Have a small bottle or pouch of your chosen magnesium product in your gym bag, work locker, or bathroom cabinet.

It’s less about strict timing and more about consistency. Even doing this a few times a week can help you build a routine that sticks.

Creating a Routine That Works for You

Some people prefer mornings, others feel better doing this in the evening. It really depends on your schedule and what feels right. One way to get started is to pick one part of your day—like after a shower—and make that your regular time.

Consistency doesn’t have to mean daily. It just means coming back to it regularly, even if that’s just a couple of times a week.

Over time, it becomes second nature, like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes.

Choosing the Right Type of Magnesium

With so many options out there, it can be tricky figuring out what to use. There’s magnesium you can drink, take as a tablet, spray on your skin, or soak in. If you’re aiming to support sore muscles, some types might fit better into your routine than others.

When looking for the best magnesium for muscles, it helps to choose products that are made specifically with muscle recovery in mind. These often come in topical or bath forms, making them easy to apply and use when your body needs a little extra care.

What to Expect Over Time

We all want quick results, but routines don’t always work overnight. Just like any habit, using magnesium in your day takes some time to feel natural. The key is to give yourself room to build it in without pressure.

There’s no need to overthink it. Use it when it makes sense. Some weeks you might use it more, other times less—and that’s okay. What matters is that it fits your life, not the other way around.

Wrap-Up: Keeping It Simple and Real

Muscle soreness happens to all of us, whether we’re super active or just dealing with daily life. Adding magnesium to your routine can be an easy way to take better care of your body without making things complicated.

No fancy gear. No strict schedules. Just small, smart steps that can add up over time.

So the next time you feel like your muscles need a bit of attention, consider keeping a few magnesium tools nearby. It’s a simple change that might just make your day a little smoother.

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Why Wooden Knobs Are the Perfect Touch for Any Room – Perilla Home

When it comes to sprucing up your home, sometimes the smallest details make the biggest impact. And one of the simplest yet most effective ways to elevate the style of your furniture is by swapping out your standard knobs for something more unique—like wooden knobs. Whether you’re refreshing your kitchen cabinets, updating your dresser, or adding a touch of charm to your bathroom, wooden knobs can make all the difference.

Let’s talk about why wooden knobs are the perfect touch for any room in your home.

1. Natural Beauty and Timeless Charm

Wood is a timeless material that never goes out of style. No matter your décor—whether it’s modern, rustic, or vintage—wooden knobs can seamlessly blend in and add a touch of natural beauty. Their earthy tones and unique grains can bring warmth and character to your furniture, creating a cozy atmosphere in any room. Plus, wood has that organic feel that’s perfect for creating a more inviting, grounded space.

2. Versatility for Any Style

One of the best things about wooden knobs is their versatility. They come in so many different shapes, sizes, and finishes, meaning there’s something out there for every style. If you love a rustic farmhouse look, opt for rough-hewn, distressed wooden knobs. For a more polished, modern look, go for sleek, smooth knobs in light or dark wood finishes. You can even paint or stain wooden knobs to match your existing furniture or color scheme.

No matter what your personal style is, there’s a wooden knob that can tie the room together and enhance its aesthetic.

3. A Touch of Sustainability

More and more people are looking for ways to make eco-friendly choices in their homes, and wooden knobs are a great way to do just that. Unlike plastic or metal alternatives, wood is a natural, renewable resource. Choosing wooden knobs for your furniture helps reduce the demand for synthetic materials, making it a small but significant way to go green. Plus, many wooden knobs are crafted from sustainably sourced wood, making them a choice you can feel good about.

4. Durability That Lasts

Wooden knobs are not just pretty to look at—they’re built to last. When properly maintained, wood can withstand years of use without losing its appeal. Unlike plastic knobs that may crack or chip over time, wooden knobs can retain their strength and beauty for decades. This makes them an investment that keeps your furniture looking fresh and functional for the long haul.

5. Easy to Replace and Install

One of the great things about wooden knobs is how easy they are to install. Replacing the knobs on your furniture is a simple DIY task that doesn’t require any specialized tools or skills. All you need is a screwdriver and a little bit of time to swap out old, outdated knobs for fresh, new wooden ones. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to update the look of any room without the need for a full renovation.

6. Perfect for Any Room

Wooden knobs are incredibly versatile and can be used in almost any room of your home. In the kitchen, they can add a rustic, farmhouse feel to your cabinets and drawers. In the bedroom, they can add a touch of warmth to your dressers and nightstands. In the bathroom, wooden knobs can bring an organic, spa-like vibe to your vanity or cabinet doors. No matter where you use them, wooden knobs always add that extra bit of character that makes your furniture stand out.

7. Customizable to Your Taste

If you’re the creative type, wooden knobs offer plenty of room for customization. You can paint them in any color that matches your room’s color palette, carve them into unique shapes, or add decorative accents to make them one-of-a-kind. This level of customization allows you to put your own personal touch on your furniture, making it even more special.

8. Affordable Upgrade

Lastly, wooden knobs are an affordable way to upgrade your furniture without breaking the bank. Whether you're refreshing an old dresser or giving your kitchen cabinets a facelift, replacing your knobs is a cost-effective way to give your furniture a fresh, new look. It’s a simple update that can make a huge difference in the overall vibe of a room.

In Conclusion

When it comes to giving your home a little personality, don’t overlook the power of wooden knobs. They bring natural beauty, durability, and a touch of sustainability to your furniture, all while being incredibly versatile and easy to customize. Whether you're looking to add a rustic touch, go eco-friendly, or simply refresh your home’s décor, wooden knobs are the perfect finishing touch.

At Perilla Home, we offer a wide selection of wooden knobs that will fit any style and elevate the look of your furniture. So why not add a little charm and character to your home with the simple, yet stunning, addition of wooden knobs? Trust us, it’s a change you’ll love!