#starch solution

[incohearent]

John McDougall in The Starch Solution giving vegans encouragement to eat healthy. If you disagree with diet discourse, then I think the first photo / paragraph is still heartening to read.

[eggpea]

i am slow cooking the most delicious of concoctions in the kitchen rn

(my tags are so long lol whole half ass recipe down there)

[madewithonerib]

The Most Dangerous Foods for Your Health (Especially After 50!) | Dr. Eric Berg

Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide derived from starch hydrolysis and used as a thickener and filler in processed food. Maltodextrin is regarded as inert and generally is regarded as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration.

loss of B1 keeps blood sugar high (pre-diabetic/diabetic); there are 4 different tissues that are going to age a lot faster than they should, which has to do with a lack of B1 but also bc when sugar gets stuck to protein in your body, it makes sticky protein & then it builds up in the body. This creates all sorts of problems, especially to the lense of the eye, that is when you get cataracts.

it really ages your skin & you get wrinkles, and then you lose elasticity. This is why as ppl get older, they can't sprint like they used, they don't have that bounce in their step.

Some other foods you want to also avoid: Barbecued Anything, where they add sugar sauce to meat then they cook it, deadly.

Think about it: How many restaurants add sugar to meat or even deep fried donuts/french fry?

This is going to really age you, and it also affects the cognitive function, mood, and also the heart; so the elasticity is affected, hardening the arteries.

The silica mineral, if you want strong bones/hair/skin that is elastic, silica is s/t you don't want to become deficient in. So what is high is silica: horsetail/bamboo/spring water/silica supplement.

Another food we consume that ages us is seed oils, which tends to get stored in our membranes of our cells, so they start to replace all the membranes in our brain & nervous system.

It take 1.5 years to get it out, once you stop eating these seed oils.

You don't want these industrial refined ranchid fats stored in your body bc it creates inflammation in your brain; it's in all the deepfried foods, it's in a lot of junk foods. But do not cook in seed oils. Use olive oil, but not other fats that can remain solid at room temperature like butter or lard or tallow oil [hydrogenated/saturated fats problematic].

Your body needs healthy fats for energy and other functions. But too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries (blood vessels). Saturated fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Consume a lot of fish oil to replace that lower quality fat in your brain & nervous system.

#4: Refined Soy Products, especially Soy Protein: Avoid [4:15]

It's in a lot of protein bars, it's very refined but it is not that clean bc we don't know this for sure but there are reports that there is residue of hexane.. in order to make that you have to use a solvent, and you don't want to be consuming such a refined unnatural protein. When I was in practice, a lot of ppl were doing ideal protein, and I noticed when they lost weight they also looked really old & unhealthy & dried out. Their hair was bad, and brittle & breaking..

Their skin looked older, they had a lot of gallbladdar & liver problems, I really think it is that soy protein isolate, so you want to avoid it.

5.] Avoid Anything Low-Fat: One important nutrient is K2, that is in fatty cheese & goose liver, when you go low-fat you can deprive yourself of this nutrient that can make your bones really solid by taking the calcium out of the arteries & keeping the calcium out of your joints so you don't have Arthritis.

If you have those problems of calcium in your arteries/joints & a lot of stiffness, you may want to take a vitamin K2 supplement; or lower the acidity in your food consumption, which you can hear all about from Barbara O'Neill [worst things to make your blood acidic is caffeine/sugar/dairy, so you might want to rethink your cup of joe].

6.] Aid Sleep with Magnesium: Recommend Magnesium Glycinate, in powder for better absorption. But a high level of calcium, especially when magnesium intake is low, can impair magnesium balance and potentially lead to magnesium deficiency.

Calcium and Magnesium Competition: Calcium and magnesium compete for absorption and transport in the gut.

High Calcium, Low Magnesium: If calcium intake is significantly higher than magnesium intake, it can hinder magnesium absorption and lead to a negative magnesium balance.

Magnesium Deficiency Implications: Magnesium deficiency can have various health consequences, including muscle cramps, fatigue, and even more serious issues like heart problems.

Supplementation Considerations: If you are taking calcium supplements, it's important to ensure you are also getting adequate magnesium, either through diet or supplementation, to maintain a balanced ratio.

Optimal Ratio: Some authorities recommend a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium (by weight) for both supplementation and overall daily intake. [this is bc we tend to lean towards acidic blood levels, ie pollution/lack of sleep/stress, do you see the infinite loops yet?]

Kidney Function: High calcium intake can also lead to increased urinary excretion of magnesium

Interactions with other nutrients: Dietary protein and phosphate can also influence magnesium absorption and excretion. Calcium and Magnesium Competition: Calcium and magnesium compete for absorption and transport in the gut.

High Calcium, Low Magnesium: If calcium intake is significantly higher than magnesium intake, it can hinder magnesium absorption and lead to a negative magnesium balance.

Magnesium Deficiency Implications: Magnesium deficiency can have various health consequences, including muscle cramps, fatigue, and even more serious issues like heart problems.

Supplementation Considerations: If you are taking calcium supplements, it's important to ensure you are also getting adequate magnesium, either through diet or supplementation, to maintain a balanced ratio.

Optimal Ratio: Some authorities recommend a 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium (by weight) for both supplementation and overall daily intake. [this is bc we tend to lean towards acidic blood levels, ie pollution/lack of sleep/stress, do you see the infinite loops yet?]

Kidney Function: High calcium intake can also lead to increased urinary excretion of magnesium

Interactions with other nutrients: Dietary protein and phosphate can also influence magnesium absorption and excretion.

High calcium results in a chain reaction to stress, which strips calcium from our bones to balance the acidic blood level:

Stress can increase acidic levels in the blood through several mechanisms, including increased breathing rate (hyperventilation) leading to lower carbon dioxide levels, and the release of stress hormones like cortisol, which can lead to metabolic acidosis.

Hyperventilation: During stressful situations, people often breathe faster and deeper, a state called hyperventilation. This rapid breathing leads to the expulsion of more carbon dioxide from the body than usual.

Carbon Dioxide and pH: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key player in maintaining the body's acid-base balance. When CO2 levels drop, the blood becomes more alkaline (less acidic).

Stress Hormones and Metabolism: Stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol, which can lead to changes in metabolism, including increased glucose and fatty acid mobilization.

Metabolic Acidosis: In some cases, stress can lead to metabolic acidosis, a condition where the blood becomes too acidic. This can occur if the body is unable to remove enough acid or if it produces too much acid.

Renal and Respiratory Compensation: The body has mechanisms to compensate for changes in blood pH, including the kidneys excreting or reabsorbing bicarbonate and the lungs adjusting breathing rate. However, these mechanisms can be overwhelmed in severe cases.

Does stress make your body more acidic?

Stress is another factor that causes an excessive production of stomach acid which can bring on acid reflux disease. Some food and drinks can cause the esophagus muscle to relax. These include high fat foods, caffeinated drinks, alcohol and peppermint.

Why does blood become more acidic?

Blood acidity increases when people ingest substances that contain or produce acid or when the lungs do not expel enough carbon dioxide. People with metabolic acidosis often have nausea, vomiting, and fatigue and may breathe faster and deeper than normal.

People with respiratory acidosis often have headache and confusion, and breathing may appear shallow, slow, or both. Tests on blood samples typically show pH below the normal range.

If an increase in acid overwhelms the body's acid-base control systems, the blood will become acidic. As blood pH drops (becomes more acidic), the parts of the brain that regulate breathing are stimulated to produce faster and deeper breathing (respiratory compensation). Breathing faster and deeper increases the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled, which raises the blood pH back toward normal.

The kidneys also try to compensate by excreting more acid in the urine. However, both mechanisms can be overwhelmed if the body continues to produce too much acid, leading to severe acidosis and eventually heart problems and coma.

The acidity or alkalinity of any solution, including blood, is indicated on the pH scale.

Blood pH

Acidity and alkalinity are expressed on the pH scale, which ranges from 0 (strongly acidic) to 14 (strongly basic or alkaline). A pH of 7.0, in the middle of this scale, is neutral.

Blood is normally slightly basic, with a normal pH range of 7.35 to 7.45. Usually the body maintains the pH of blood close to 7.40. The blood pH is below 7.35 in people with acidosis and above 7.45 in those with alkalosis.

Causes of Acidosis

Acidosis is categorized depending on its primary cause as metabolic & respiratory.

1.] Metabolic acidosis

Metabolic acidosis develops when the amount of acid in the body is increased through ingestion of a substance that is, or can be broken down (metabolized) to, an acid—such as wood alcohol (methanol), antifreeze (ethylene glycol), or large doses of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Many other medications and poisons can cause acidosis.

Metabolic acidosis can also occur as a result of abnormal metabolism. The body produces excess acid in the advanced stages of shock (lactic acidosis) and in poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus (diabetic ketoacidosis).

Even the production of normal amounts of acid may lead to acidosis when the kidneys are not functioning normally (kidney failure) and are therefore not able to excrete sufficient amounts of acid in the urine.

Metabolic acidosis also develops when the body loses too much base. For example, bicarbonate can be lost through the digestive tract due to diarrhea.

2.] Respiratory acidosis

Respiratory acidosis develops when the lungs do not expel carbon dioxide adequately (inadequate ventilation), a problem that can occur in disorders that severely affect the lungs (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], severe pneumonia, heart failure, and asthma).

Respiratory acidosis can also develop when disorders of the brain or of the nerves or muscles of the chest (such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) impair breathing. In addition, people can develop respiratory acidosis when their breathing is slowed due to oversedation as a result of opioids (narcotics), alcohol, or strong medications or drugs that induce sleep (sedatives). As a result of the slowed breathing, the level of oxygen in the blood may be low.

Sleep-disordered breathing (for example, sleep apnea) can repeatedly pause breathing long enough to cause temporary respiratory acidosis.

Symptoms of Acidosis

In mild metabolic acidosis, people may have no symptoms but usually experience

Fatigue

Nausea

Vomiting

Breathing becomes deeper and slightly faster (as the body tries to correct the acidosis by expelling more carbon dioxide). As the acidosis worsens, people begin to feel extremely weak and drowsy and may feel confused and increasingly nauseated. Eventually, in severe cases, heart problems may develop and blood pressure can fall, leading to shock, coma, and death.

In respiratory acidosis, the earliest symptoms are

Drowsiness

Headache

Drowsiness may progress to unresponsiveness and coma as the oxygen in the blood becomes inadequate. Stupor and coma can develop within moments if breathing stops or is severely impaired, or over hours if breathing is less dramatically impaired.

Diagnosis of Acidosis

Blood tests: The diagnosis of acidosis generally requires the measurement of blood pH and carbon dioxide in a sample of arterial blood, usually taken from the radial artery in the wrist. Arterial blood is used because venous blood is generally not as reliable when measuring the body’s pH status. To learn more about the cause of the acidosis, doctors also measure the levels of bicarbonate in the blood. Additional blood tests are then done to help determine the specific cause.

Treatment of Acidosis

Treatment of the cause

Rarely fluids with bicarbonate given by vein

Almost always, treatment of acidosis is directed at reversing the cause. Doctors rarely simply give alkaline medications, such as bicarbonate, to reverse the acidosis.

In metabolic acidosis, treatment depends primarily on the cause. For instance, treatment may be needed to control diabetes with insulin or to remove the toxic substance from the blood in cases of poisoning.

In respiratory acidosis, treatment aims at improving the function of the lungs. Medications that open the airways (bronchodilators, such as albuterol) may help people who have lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sedation due to medications and other substances can sometimes be reversed by antidotes. People who have severely impaired breathing or lung function, for whatever reason, may need mechanical ventilation to aid breathing.

Severe acidosis may also be treated directly when it does not respond to efforts to treat the cause. In such cases, bicarbonate may be given intravenously. However, bicarbonate provides only temporary relief (treatment of the cause should continue) and may cause harm—for instance, by overloading the body with sodium and water.

The True Cause of Diseases | Barbara O’Neill

Alkalosis

ByJames L. Lewis III, MD, Brookwood Baptist Health and Saint Vincent’s Ascension Health, Birmingham | Reviewed Mar 2025

Alkalosis is excessive blood alkalinity (a measure of blood pH) caused by an overabundance of bicarbonate in the blood or a loss of acid from the blood (metabolic alkalosis), or by a low level of carbon dioxide in the blood that results from rapid or deep breathing (respiratory alkalosis).

Causes: Loss of Acid or Low Level of carbon dioxide

Symptoms: irritability/twitching&cramps/tingling extremities

Diagnosis: blood/urine test

Treatment: [1] Metabolic alkalosis is treated by correcting the cause and replacing water and mineral salts such as sodium and potassium (electrolytes). [2] Respiratory alkalosis is treated by correcting the cause, making sure the person is getting enough oxygen, and slowing rapid breathing.

(See also Overview of Acid-Base Balance.)

Causes of Alkalosis

If too much bicarbonate in the blood, a loss of acid from the blood, or a low level of carbon dioxide in the blood overwhelms the body's acid-base control systems, the blood will become alkalotic. Alkalosis is categorized depending on its primary cause as

Metabolic

Respiratory

Metabolic alkalosis

Metabolic alkalosis develops when the body

Loses too much acid

Gains too much base

For example, stomach acid is lost during periods of prolonged vomiting or when stomach acids are suctioned with a stomach tube (as is sometimes done in hospitals).

In rare cases, metabolic alkalosis develops in a person who has ingested too much base from substances such as baking soda (bicarbonate of soda).

In addition, metabolic alkalosis can develop when excessive loss of fluids and electrolytes (such as sodium or potassium) affects the kidneys' ability to maintain the blood's acid-base balance. For instance, loss of potassium sufficient to cause metabolic alkalosis may result from an overactive adrenal gland or the use of diuretics (for example, hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, or ethacrynic acid).

Respiratory alkalosis

Respiratory alkalosis develops when

Rapid, deep breathing (hyperventilation) causes too much carbon dioxide to be expelled from the bloodstream

The most common cause of hyperventilation, and thus respiratory alkalosis, is anxiety. Other causes of hyperventilation and consequent respiratory alkalosis include pain, low levels of oxygen in the blood, fever, and aspirin overdose (which can also cause metabolic acidosis).

Symptoms of Alkalosis

Alkalosis may cause

Irritability

Muscle twitching and cramps

Tingling in the fingers and toes and around the lips

Tingling (paresthesia) is a common complaint in hyperventilation due to anxiety. Sometimes alkalosis causes no symptoms at all. If the alkalosis is severe, painful muscle spasms (tetany) can develop.

Diagnosis of Alkalosis

Blood / Urine tests: A doctor evaluates a person's acid-base balance by measuring the blood pH and levels of carbon dioxide (an acid) and bicarbonate (a base) in the blood. To learn more about the cause of the alkalosis, doctors also measure levels of electrolytes in samples of blood and urine.

Treatment of Alkalosis

Treatment of cause

In metabolic alkalosis, replacement of water and electrolytes

In respiratory alkalosis, giving oxygen if necessary or providing calming reassurance to a person who is hyperventilating due to anxiety

Almost always, treatment of alkalosis is directed at reversing the cause. Rarely, doctors give acid, such as hydrochloric acid, to reverse the alkalosis.

Metabolic alkalosis is usually treated by replacing water and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) while treating the cause. Rarely, when metabolic alkalosis is very severe, dilute acid is given intravenously.

In respiratory alkalosis, the first step is to ensure that the person has enough oxygen. The doctor then looks for a serious cause, such as an infection. If pain is causing the person to breathe rapidly, relieving the pain usually suffices.

When respiratory alkalosis is caused by anxiety or a panic attack, a conscious effort to relax and slow breathing may make the condition disappear. Calming reassurance and emotional support can help. Sometimes people try to slow down their breathing by breathing into a paper bag, which may help raise the carbon dioxide level in the blood as the person breathes carbon dioxide back in after breathing it out. However, this technique is not usually recommended because it may lead to other problems (for example, worsening heart or lung problems because of breathing less oxygen).

True Cause of Disease P2 | Barbara O'Neill

Hyperaldosteronism

By Ashley B. Grossman, MD, University of Oxford; Fellow, Green-Templeton College | Reviewed/Revised Feb 2024

In hyperaldosteronism, overproduction of the hormone aldosterone leads to fluid retention and increased blood pressure, weakness, and, rarely, periods of paralysis.

Topics:

Hyperaldosteronism can be caused by a tumor in the adrenal gland or may be a response to some diseases.

High aldosterone levels can cause high blood pressure and low potassium levels. Low potassium levels may cause weakness, tingling, muscle spasms, and periods of temporary paralysis.

Doctors measure the levels of sodium, potassium, and aldosterone in the blood.

Sometimes, a tumor is removed, or people take medications that block the action of aldosterone.

(See also Overview of the Adrenal Glands.)

Aldosterone, a hormone produced and secreted by the adrenal glands, signals the kidneys to retain more sodium and excrete more potassium. Aldosterone production is regulated partly by the hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH, also known as corticotropin), which is secreted by the pituitary gland, but mainly through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (see figure Regulating Blood Pressure). Renin, an enzyme produced in the kidneys, controls the activation of the hormone angiotensin, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce aldosterone.

Hyperaldosteronism can be caused by a tumor (usually a noncancerous one, called an adenoma) in an adrenal gland (a condition called Conn syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism), although sometimes both glands are involved and are overactive. Sometimes hyperaldosteronism is a response to something else (a condition called secondary hyperaldosteronism), for example, certain disorders, such as narrowing of one of the arteries to the kidneys.

Eating large amounts of real licorice can cause all the symptoms of hyperaldosteronism. Real licorice contains a chemical (called glycyrrhizin) that can act as though there is too much aldosterone. However, many candies sold as "licorice" are artificially flavored and contain little or no real licorice.

Symptoms of Hyperaldosteronism

Doctors suspect hyperaldosteronism in people with high blood pressure who are found to have low potassium levels. Low potassium levels often cause no symptoms but may lead to weakness, tingling, muscle spasms, and periods of temporary paralysis. Some people become extremely thirsty and urinate frequently.

Diagnosis of Hyperaldosteronism

Measurement of sodium, potassium, and hormone levels in the blood

Imaging tests of the adrenal glands

Doctors who suspect hyperaldosteronism test the levels of sodium and potassium in the blood to see whether the potassium level is low. However, sometimes people with hyperaldosteronism have a normal potassium level. The sodium level may be mildly increased.

Doctors also measure renin and aldosterone levels. If the aldosterone level is high, spironolactone or eplerenone, medications that block the action of aldosterone, may be given to see if the levels of sodium and potassium return to normal. Doctors also measure the levels of renin. In Conn syndrome, the levels of renin are also very low because they are suppressed by high levels of aldosterone. In secondary hyperaldosteronism, the levels of renin are high, and they stimulate production of aldosterone.

When too much aldosterone is being produced but renin levels are very low, doctors examine the adrenal glands for a noncancerous tumor (adenoma). Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful, but sometimes blood samples from each of the adrenal glands must be tested to determine the source of the hormone.

Treatment of Hyperaldosteronism

For tumors of the adrenal glands, removal of the tumor

Sometimes aldosterone-blocking medications

If a tumor is found, it can usually be surgically removed. When the tumor is removed, the low potassium level almost always returns to normal, while blood pressure returns to normal about 50 to 70% of the time.

If no tumor is found and both glands are overactive, partial removal of the adrenal glands may not control high blood pressure, and complete removal will cause adrenal insufficiency, requiring treatment with corticosteroids for life. However, spironolactone or eplerenone can usually control the symptoms, and medications for high blood pressure are readily available (see table Antihypertensive Medications). Because spironolactone can block the effects of testosterone and often causes breast enlargement (gynecomastia), decreased sex drive, and erectile dysfunction, it is usually avoided in men. Eplerenone is chemically related to spironolactone, but it does not block testosterone and only rarely causes these side effects.

Rarely do both adrenal glands have to be removed.

Better Than Ozempic! STOP Your Cravings | Feb 12, 2025

Avoiding cravings is not up to sheer willpower. In this video, I’ll share the foods and habits that act as natural appetite suppressants to stop hunger and reduce cravings. Discover the best foods to suppress your appetite naturally so you can lose weight, feel good, and look good!

0:00 Introduction: The best foods to suppress appetite 0:43 Hunger and appetite explained 1:05 The best natural appetite suppressants 5:51 Other ways to curb hunger

Hunger and appetite don’t start with your stomach. Did you know that your microbes and gut bacteria can manipulate your brain and cause you to eat the wrong thing? In this video, I'm going to help you reduce cravings for sugar, refined carbs, MSG, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods. Here’s a list of the best foods to suppress your appetite naturally. These foods contain potent compounds to leave you feeling full and satisfied, and prevent insulin spikes to help stabilize your blood sugar.

1. Coffee 2. Avocado 3. Dark chocolate 4. Cayenne pepper 5. Apple cider vinegar 6. Green tea 7. Bone broth 8. Protein-rich meals 9. Ginger 10. Dark leafy green vegetables 11. Olive oil 12. MCT oil 13. Turmeric 14. Zinc 15. Kombucha tea 16. Grapefruit 17. Arugula 18. Full-fat protein

Eating fatty protein or fat with protein prevents a high insulin spike, which lowers your blood sugar. Avoiding this dip in blood sugar can reduce cravings and curb hunger. Eating fiber also helps buffer the insulin response. Light exercise, like a long walk, is excellent for your blood sugar and can help reduce cravings. An extra 30 minutes of sleep significantly reduces cortisol, stabilizing blood sugar and suppressing appetite naturally.

Minimize stress with exercise, physical work, sleep, a healthy diet, and stretching. Ashwagandha is also beneficial, along with magnesium glycinate before bed.

What does ashwagandha do to the body?

Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb with various possible health benefits. Study findings suggest that it may help reduce anxiety and stress, support restful sleep, and even improve cognitive functioning in certain populations. Ashwagandha is likely safe for most people in the short term. [nice caveat, what's the long-term?]

reduce mucus: [cinnamon/honey/olive oil/lemon/water]

[medicaldevicesindustrynews]

The Growth of the Biodegradable Mulch Film Market: Sustainable Solutions for Agriculture

The global biodegradable mulch film market is set to experience significant growth, expanding from USD 51.5 billion in 2024 to USD 98.9 billion by 2032, advancing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural solutions, growing environmental concerns about plastic pollution, and the need to improve food security amid a…

[trickle-cassava]

For 15 Years, Trickle Cassava Solutions: Your Trusted Partner in Cassava Starch Processing

At Trickle Cassava Solutions, we're passionate about empowering cassava processors to achieve new levels of efficiency and innovation. For the past 15 years, we've been a leading manufacturer of top-of-the-line cassava starch processing equipment.

[cressidagrey]

The Great Béchamel Disaster

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x Felicity Leong-Piastri (Original Character)

Part of the The mysterious Mrs. Piastri Series.

Summary:  Oscar tries to be romantic. It does not go well. 

Warnings and Notes: Unsafe Cooking.

Big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble 😂

It started with a pasta bake.

Oscar had read somewhere—probably in a Reddit thread titled “Easy Romantic Gestures (No Budget Required)”—that cooking for someone was a Love Language™.

And Felicity had had a rough week. Her mother had sent a brutal letter. Her math teacher made a snide comment about her “distracted” exam performance. She hadn’t eaten dinner for two nights in a row, and Oscar was worried.

So naturally, his solution was: pasta bake.

“Easy,” he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles in the tiny shared kitchen of their boarding house. “Pasta. Sauce. Cheese. Béchamel. Vibes.”

There were two problems.

1. Oscar had no idea what béchamel actually was.

2. Felicity had the dorm microwave labelled “SENTIENT DEATH TRAP” for a reason.

But Oscar was determined.

He boiled the pasta. Kind of. Half of it was undercooked, half of it had turned to starch glue. He stirred almond milk and flour together because there was no actual milk left in the kitchen fridge, and almond milk was technically white and liquid, so like… close enough, right?

Wrong.

Very wrong.

The “béchamel” separated instantly. Smelled like wet cereal and regret. He added cheese in a desperate attempt to save it.

It curdled.

Oscar blinked. “Okay, Plan B.”

Plan B involved dumping everything into a cracked plastic bowl, dousing it with more shredded cheese, and microwaving it for seven minutes.

Seven minutes.

By minute four, the microwave began to hiss.

By minute five, the bowl melted.

By minute six, something exploded.

Oscar yanked the door open to a faceful of scorched almond fumes and strings of half-melted cheddar that now looked sentient.

***

Felicity was just starting to relax.

She was wearing her softest pyjamas—the navy silk ones which were probably one of the few pieces of clothing that weren’t Oscar’s shirts that she actually liked—and had sunk into a beanbag with a book, content and warm and vaguely suspicious about how long her boyfriend been gone.

Oscar had been weirdly enthusiastic all evening. Whispered something about a surprise dinner and then disappeared into the communal kitchen, which was already a death trap and absolutely not meant for unsupervised sixteen-year-olds.

Especially not sixteen-year-olds who believed things like “cream is just milk with ambition” or “it thickens eventually if you believe hard enough.”

The smell was her first warning.

Burnt almonds.

The second was the sound.

A pop.

Followed by a bang.

Followed by—

“OH MY GOD.”

She dropped her book and sprinted.

By the time she reached the kitchen, it was already too late.

The microwave was smoking. The plastic dish inside was bubbling with something that looked like beige glue. There was cheese all over the counter. Pasta clumped together like regret. Oscar stood in the middle of it all, clutching a wooden spoon like a weapon, and wearing the distinct expression of someone who had fought God and lost.

“Oscar.”

He turned, eyes wide. “Fliss. I can explain.”

“Can you?”

He gestured helplessly at the dish. “It was supposed to be a pasta bake. Like, surprise dinner. You had a rough week and I thought—comfort food! Homemade!”

“This is not comforting.”

He winced. “The béchamel… didn’t béchamel.”

“What did you use?”

“We didn’t have cream. But I found almond milk—”

“Almond milk?!”

“—and I thought, you know, it’s a nut, that’s protein, protein thickens things—”

“What are you talking about?!?”

“And then I added flour,” he continued, bravely ignoring her escalating horror. “But it just kind of… curdled. So I microwaved it. And then the microwave kind of… sparked.”

Felicity slowly turned to look at the microwave.

It had scorch marks.

She turned back to him. “You could’ve died.”

“I didn’t!”

“You could have.”

Oscar, to his credit, had the decency to look ashamed. “I was trying to be romantic.”

“You ruined the pan.”

“I’ll clean it.”

“You used the fancy cheese I was saving for exam week.”

“I’ll… buy more?”

“You’ve coated the entire counter in béchamel soup.”

“Okay, that one’s on me.”

“And,” she said, voice dropping as she tugged at the sleeve of her pyjama top, “you exploded béchamel onto me.”

He blinked.

Sure enough—white blotches dotted her shoulder and the hem of her top. She looked like she’d been splattered by a culinary Jackson Pollock.

“Oh no,” he breathed.

“These were my favourite pyjamas.”

“I will hand-wash them. I will buy you ten more. I will write them a eulogy.”

Felicity stared at him.

At the absolute chaos.

At the absurd, idiotic, wonderful boy standing in the middle of it all, covered in cheese, trying to make béchamel out of almond milk and pure intention.

She sighed.

“You,” she said finally, “are never allowed to cook unsupervised again.”

Oscar grinned, sheepish and still holding that spoon like a knight might a sword.

“Does supervised include you wearing the pyjamas I ruined while you tell me what to do?”

She arched a brow. “You’re already on probation.”

“Right. Fair.”

The microwave hissed again.

Felicity grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the sink.

“Clean first. Then dinner. And we’re ordering actual food.”

Oscar followed with the solemnity of a man who’d learned his lesson.

Probably.

Mostly.

Maybe.

[celestial-sphere-press]

Book Decoration: AKA All The Ways I Don't Use a Cricut

(this post is for people who don't want to buy an expensive cutting tool, or for those that do have an expensive cutting tool that would like to mix things up a little)

1. Print That Shit

If you're already printing your own textblocks, an easy step for titles is to print them. Above is a title printed onto an "obi" of decorative paper. I measured out where I wanted things on the finished book and laid it out in Affinity, then printed it on a full sheet & trimmed it down to wrap around the book. A more simple method is to print & glue on the label into a slight indent in the cover (to protect it). A third option is to do the spine in bookcloth, while you print on paper for the cover and then glue that paper onto the boards (this usually looks even better when it is a three-piece bradel bind).

2. Foil Quill / Heat Pens

The heat pen is one of my go-to tools, but it can be a bit touchy about materials. The most popular version is the We R Memory Keepers' Foil Quill (which is one of the most ergonomic), but other pens exist that can get you to a higher heat temp, finer lines, or more consistent foil. For example, I have a pen created by a local Japanese bookbinding studio that fares way better on leathers than the WRMK quill & with a finer tip, but it's hell to control. Best results in general are on paper or smooth bookcloth (starched linen, arrestox, colibri - even duo will work but its less solid). The fuzzier a bookcloth is, the less your foil quill wants to deal with it. This means the heat n bond method of making bookcloth does not play nice with a heat pen usually, but there are two solutions: 1) use this tutorial on paste + acrylic medium coated bookcloth instead that will get you a perfect surface for the heat pen, or 2) use the pen on paper & then glue onto the cloth. I did a video tutorial for both foil quill use and this type of homemade bookcloth for @renegadeguild Binderary in 2023.

You get the most consistent results by tracing through a printed template that is taped in place, as I do in the video above.

3. Paint That Shit

Acrylic paints will do you fine! The above is free-handed with a circle template, because I wanted that vibe. If you need straight lines that won't seep, lay them down with tape first & then paint over it first with a clear Acrylic medium, then your color. Same goes for stencils. Two more examples of painted bookcloth:

4. IT'S GOT LAYERS

By using layers of thinner boards, you can create interesting depths & contrasts on your cover. You can also make cutouts that peep through to the decorative paper behind. The most important part to this technique is the order in which each edge is wrapped. To get a good wrapped inside edge, you will split the turn in into tabs to get them to conform to a curve. You can also layer multiple colors of bookcloth without multiple layers of board, as seen below left, so long as you mind your cut edges for fraying.

5. Inlaid... anything

Mirrors! Marbled paper! I saw someone do a pretty metal bookmark once! The key is creating a little home for it to live in, which is pretty similar to the above layering method. On one layer you cut the shape, & glue that layer onto the bottom solid board before covering. You can do the top layer as an entire 1 mm board (like I did for the mirrors) or a sheet of cardstock, like I would use for inlaid paper.

6. Decorative Paper

Decorative paper is always helpful & adds to the paper hoard... & its effects can be layers with other techniques, as below. Marbles, chiyogami, momi, or prints & maps of all kinds can be great additions. Some papers may need a protective coating (such as wax or a sealer).

7. Stamps (with optional linocut)

While I've not used many more regular rubber stamps, I do know some who have, successfully! And I've used one once or twice with embossing powder (see photo 3 up, the gold anchor on the little pamphlet bind). What also works is to carve your own linocut or stamp, & then use block printing ink to ink it onto your fabric (as i did above). A bit time intensive, but it was nice how easily reproducible it was, and I liked the effect I got for this particular bind.

These methods are not exhaustive, just ones I've used, and there are of course many others. I haven't gone too into detail on any of these for the sake of length (& post photo limits) but feel free to ask about more specifics. Usually I'm using them in combination with other options.

[vrystalius]

Demon king’s heir pt.2

Muzan’s baby boy is not so little anymore. A curious toddler now running around in the halls, causing ruckus and great annoyance to the demon king.

Here’s pt.1!

(Muzan x fem!reader, fluff)

Muzan was standing by his work desk, pouring a mystery liquid from one vial into another. The liquid changed colour rapidly, going from clear to a completely dark purple colour. “Did you catch that?” He glanced down to the little boy standing right beside him, staring at the vials with large and curious eyes. He could barely look over his papa’s tall desk, that’s how small he was. The little boy had one hand tightly gripping Muzan’s dress pants while his other hand was fiddling with his colourful shirt. The boy quietly nodded, glancing up at his papa’s face and awaiting an explanation on what he just saw.

Muzan smiled slightly at him and leaned down, holding the vial with the black liquid in front of his face. “What you just saw is called an Iodine clock reaction….” The boy nodded and took the vial in his hand as he carefully handed it over to his son. “Two colourless solutions are mixed and at first there is no visible reaction. After a short time delay, the liquid suddenly turns to a shade of dark blue due to the formation of an Iodine–starch complex.”

He tried to explain the chemical reaction to his son the easiest way he could, but judging by the look the boy was giving him, he seemingly failed. Muzan sighed and took the vial back into his larger hands. “Let’s do something different, something easier.” His eyes wandered around his laboratory to find something to entertain his son with, when a book about botany caught his eye. “Would you like to look at some plants? Pretty flowers?” Muzan tried to simplify his speech to fit the understanding of a four year old. His son lightened up and started smiling brightly. He still had a tight grip on his dress pants as he started nodding eagerly. “Okay, come. I’ll lift you up.” He leaned down and lifted the boy into his arms, walking him over to the shelf and picked out the botany book.

Muzan knows that you have been watching the interacting between him and his son. You know that he’s still very unsure on how to act around his boy. He married many women with children before and was always good with the kids, but now, now that he has one on his own, he fears that he is actively failing to raise his son.

As a baby, his boy grew scared of his menacing presence. Ever since noticing, you watched Muzan read one parenting book after another. He almost obsessively studied the subject of raising a child. You watched him desperately trying to search for something he and his son are both interested in. It took many tries and a lot of patience from Muzan’s side (wich was incredibly rare to witness) to finally found out that his son likes watching his papa do cool experiments. And now, he’s here, teaching his son about the blue spider lily.

You leaned onto the doorframe, watching your husband show your son a picture of the blue spider lily. Your toddler curiously tried to put the smaller picture into his mouth. A small chuckle escaped your lips as you saw how your husband scolded the boy in his arms. Muzan glanced over his shoulder, looking right at you. He gave you a small smile before turning back to his son. “Mommy is here. Let’s go say hello, hm? Tell her what you learned today.”

💠

Tags: @pandaquick @hanadulsetaad @thigh-o-saur (I’m so sorry if I forgot anyone!!)

I have been thinking about what to write as part 2 for such a long time, I wasn’t even sure if I’m gonna make one. I never planned on doing one in the first place XD. I really really hope it met the expectations though and I really hope you enjoyed reading it <3

Make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough!!

Take care of yourselves <3

[highcarbheather]

Now that my wisdom teeth removal stuff is ending, I've finished off my ice cream and going back to what I did in January: Potatoes and veggies. I'm prepping potatoes now and hope that April is the fresh start needed to get back on track. March was all over the place and I didn't really lose weight but I also felt like I wasn't strict or trying to. April, May, and June will be stricter before our beach trip.

[tf-servant2]

“Permanent Placement”

By the time he realized what kind of prison this really was, it was far too late to stop the changes.

⸻

Chase Donovan was the kind of man who could walk into any room and command it. A star athlete, square-jawed and broad-shouldered, he had coasted through life on charisma, muscle, and confidence alone. Football captain, minor celebrity on social media, and a golden boy with a full-ride scholarship waiting—until he got involved in a high-profile bar fight that ended with two men in the hospital and a viral video that shattered his reputation.

Convicted on aggravated assault charges and deemed a danger to society, Chase expected prison—cold walls, violent cellmates, maybe a shank in the ribs if he didn’t assert dominance fast enough. What he didn’t expect was a facility with glass doors, marble floors, and a front desk staffed by a perky receptionist who greeted him like he was starting a corporate internship.

“Welcome to Vireon Correctional Solutions,” she said with a bright smile. “We’re not a prison—we’re a workplace rehabilitation environment. You’ll be joining the Data Intake Division. Orientation begins at 0800 sharp.”

He blinked, confused, as two uniformed guards flanked him and guided him not into a cellblock, but into a sleek elevator that chimed softly as it rose. His muscles tensed. Something was wrong. Too clean. Too quiet.

They brought him to a sterile white room labeled “Conversion Unit A.” Chase barely had time to protest before he was strapped to a reclined chair. A soft hiss filled the air. Something sharp jabbed into his neck.

Then nothing.

⸻

He woke up disoriented. His muscles felt… wrong. Weak. There was a tightness around his chest, and when he looked down, he choked. He was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt, starched and buttoned all the way up. A navy blue clip-on tie pinched his throat. His arms, once proud displays of biceps and veins, looked thinner. Pale.

His pants were high-waisted and pleated. Too high. Cinched with suspenders and a belt. His legs were shaved clean and swaddled in beige slacks that stopped above white socks and black orthopedic loafers.

There was a mirror on the far wall.

He staggered toward it and stared.

The reflection wasn’t right. His jaw was softer. His cheeks thinner. His hair, once floppy and sun-bleached, had been neatly side-parted and slicked down with some greasy product. But the worst part? His eyes. The cocky gleam was gone, replaced with a flat, compliant fog.

He stumbled backward and slammed into the wall. The door opened.

“Intern Donovan?” A bespectacled woman in a pencil skirt stepped in, holding a clipboard. “You’re late for keyboard drills. Please follow me.”

“I’m not— I’m not staying here! You can’t keep me here like this!” he growled, but even as he shouted, his voice cracked—meeker, reedier than it used to be.

The woman smiled, coolly. “That’s the aggression talking. It’ll fade once the serum stabilizes.”

⸻

Week 1.

Chase was assigned to the third floor—Data Processing, Unit 14. The work was endless: intake forms, records, corrections, timestamps. Ten hours a day, five-minute bathroom breaks, identical cubicles. Every movement tracked. Every mistake logged.

Each morning, he was lined up with the other “interns” for inspection. Dozens of former athletes, criminals, alphas—now lined up like sheep in too-tight shirts and nerdish uniforms. White briefs. Starched collars. Glasses. Pocket protectors. High-waisted trousers. If one forgot to tuck in their shirt or wore their tie crooked, they were punished—hours of posture correction drills or injected with additional compliance serum.

Chase tried resisting at first. He tried spitting out the daily pills. Tried yelling. Tried running.

That earned him two weeks in Compliance Therapy. When he came out, he shuffled like the rest. Eyes lowered. Shoulders stooped. He didn’t even realize he’d been fitted with braces until he looked in the mirror and saw the glint of metal in his once-pristine smile.

⸻

Month 2.

The serum had done more than dull his mind—it had softened his body. His muscles were practically gone. His once-bold strut was a timid scurry. He wore thick glasses now, required at all times. “For screen use,” they said, but he couldn’t see clearly without them anymore. His hair was recut every week into the same greasy, schoolboy side-part.

The worst part was how normal it was starting to feel. His morning began with shirt-tucking drills and ended with spreadsheet accuracy tests. The others barely spoke—just occasional whispers about how long they’d been here. No one ever got out. The “life sentence” wasn’t figurative. Once you were in the system, you were processed forever.

He heard rumors—of how the serum couldn’t be reversed. Of how outside contacts were told you’d died or vanished. Of how your social identity was scrubbed, and a new, pathetic one created in its place.

He tried writing to a lawyer once. The letter came back censored, rewritten in a weak, apologetic tone—“Dear Sir, I apologize for my past aggression and accept my new station. Thank you for your correctional guidance.”

He had no memory of writing that.

⸻

Month 5.

Chase no longer sat—he perched. Upright, knees together, spine straight. His tie always centered, his pants always pulled high, the waistband digging into his softened gut. He still remembered the man he’d been, but it was like a fading dream—someone else’s life.

He now responded to “Intern Donovan” without hesitation.

His coworkers were the same—former CEOs, gang leaders, influencers. All of them transformed into meek little clerks. Glasses. Braces. Sweater vests. Silence.

No one fought anymore.

⸻

Year 1.

Chase’s old name had been deleted from the system.

Now he was simply Donovan, C. His ID badge displayed a bespectacled, unassuming office drone. No mention of his past. His workstation had been upgraded to “Level 2 Administrative Processing,” a meaningless title. The real reward was a tighter uniform and a new pocket calculator.

Once a week, he was brought into a small room for a compliance review. A supervisor in a tailored suit would observe him as he was asked questions:

“What is your function?”

“To process, correct, and comply.”

“Are you dangerous?”

“No, ma’am. I am safe. Efficient. Meek.”

“Do you have any desire to leave?”

“…No, ma’am.”

“Why?”

“Because… because this is my placement. I… belong here.”

And somehow, he meant it.

⸻

Outside, the world forgot him.

Inside, the company buzzed on.

Row after row of former powerhouses sat hunched in their pastel cubicles, typing, calculating, correcting—forever.

All with tucked-in shirts. All with parted hair. All with fogged-over eyes.

Chase Donovan—the once-golden jock—was now a quiet, obedient intern with braces, glasses, and no future.

[1343401]

echos of the sea - chapter four

pairing: bts x reader

status: ongoing

word count: 10.4 k

warnings: depictions of violence, death, family trauma, insecurities, mentions of blood

prev | next | m.list

jiah adjusted the starched apron over her plain gray dress, brushing off invisible dust as she paced down one of the quieter palace corridors. it had been a few days since she'd been thrown into this world, and while the shock of everything still hit her in waves, she'd managed to fall into some sort of rhythm, or at least fake one. waking up at dawn, tending to yiseo, running errands for the other servants... it was enough to keep her hands busy, her mind distracted, and her emotions bottled up just enough to survive.

sleep, though, had been a different story.

every night, she felt the pull again. the soft hum of a melody that had haunted her since her arrival. the first night after that strange encounter by the ocean, she hadn't slept at all, her mind replaying the haunting voice and the impossibly beautiful man with silvery hair who had kissed her like she was the answer to a question he hadn't dared to ask. it was like she'd been branded by the moment, her thoughts unable to escape the weight of his gaze or the feel of the cold, damp air as it wrapped around them.

but after the second sleepless night, she'd improvised.

the solution was ridiculous: she stuffed the leftover bits of fabric from the palace sewing room into her ears before bed. not elegant, not particularly comfortable, but effective enough to block out the siren song that had clawed at the edges of her consciousness. it worked. mostly.

focus on yiseo, she reminded herself. focus on staying alive in this world, not on the ocean, or him, or... taehyung.

her heart gave an unwelcome twist at the thought of the stable boy she'd been carefully avoiding for days.

the memories of their last interaction refused to leave her. the quiet intensity of his gaze, the casual way he leaned against the stable doorframe like he wasn't the most striking man she'd ever seen. it wasn't just his looks, though they were a problem all on their own; it was the way he looked at her. it wasn't the wary observation she got from yiseo, nor the polite indifference of the other servants. taehyung looked at her like he knew her. like he still saw the jiah he had grown up with.

but she wasn't that girl. not really.

a flash of memory interrupted her thoughts. a moment from two days ago that had her pulse quickening despite herself.

she'd been hurrying through the courtyard, balancing a tray of tea that yiseo had demanded to have served outside, her steps quick and her mind busy counting tasks she still needed to finish before sundown. it was a busy, noisy day, the kind where she could almost forget that she didn't belong here, that her life had been ripped apart and dropped into a novel like some sick cosmic joke.

and then he'd appeared.

"you've been avoiding me," came his voice, low and steady, from somewhere behind her.

she froze mid-step, the tea tray wobbling precariously in her grip. she didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"i'm busy," she said quickly, her voice sharper than she intended, hoping he'd take the hint and leave.

but, of course, he didn't.

taehyung stepped into her peripheral vision, his dark servant's uniform doing nothing to dull the quiet confidence in the way he carried himself. he wasn't trying to block her path, but his presence alone was enough to stop her in her tracks.

"busy with what?" he asked, his tone light, teasing even. "you've been running around like you're avoiding something. or someone."

her cheeks burned. she glanced at him for a fraction of a second before fixing her gaze on the cobblestones. "i have work to do," she said curtly. "unlike some people."

he raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "oh, believe me, i've been busy too." his tone shifted, softening just enough to make her uneasy. "but i thought we could talk."

"about what?" she asked, her voice clipped, though her hands tightened around the tea tray.

"about why you're acting like you don't know me."

her breath caught. her mind scrambled for an excuse, any excuse, but before she could answer, a voice from across the courtyard called her name. she seized the opportunity, bowing her head slightly and muttering, "i have to go."

she didn't look back as she hurried away, her heart pounding in her chest.

jiah shook her head, trying to shove the memory aside as she rounded a corner into the servants' quarters.

the room was quiet, dimly lit by the afternoon sun streaming through the small windows. it was a stark contrast to the chaos of the palace, a sanctuary where she could finally catch her breath. her feet ached, and her arms felt like they might fall off from the endless tasks she'd been assigned all day.

she sank onto the edge of her narrow bed, pulling the pins from her hair and letting it fall loose around her shoulders. for a moment, she closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.

you've been here for a few days, she reminded herself. you're still alive. that's something.

but the thought was hardly comforting. she'd been thrown into a whirlwind of courtly politics, secret schemes, and... whatever the hell taehyung and the siren by the ocean were supposed to be.

focus, she told herself. just focus on the work.

but no matter how hard she tried, the memories wouldn't stop creeping in. the haunting melody of the siren's song, taehyung's piercing gaze, the weight of yiseo's expectations. it was all too much, too fast, and she felt like she was barely keeping her head above water.

how is this my life now?

letting out a heavy sigh, she reached for the small pile of fabric she'd been using as earplugs, determined to block out the chaos for just a little while longer.

the royal ship sailed steadily through the dawn-tinted waters, the rhythmic crash of waves against its hull a stark contrast to the storm brewing within prince seokjin’s mind. seated in his quarters, the crown prince of gukseon gazed at the gilded mirror on the opposite wall, its reflection casting his features in a faint golden hue. his dark brown hair fell into soft waves, framing his sharp yet noble face, but his warm eyes carried a weariness that no amount of royal polish could mask.

the letters from his council sat open on the desk before him, their ink bleeding into words he had read over and over again: securing an alliance through marriage is imperative for stability. your betrothal to princess lee yiseo is the only viable path forward.

he knew what they wanted, no, expected, of him. gukseon was one of the most formidable military powers on the continent, but its strength meant little without loyalty. with his father’s health failing, the unrest among the nobility had grown louder. his generals could only keep rebellion at bay for so long, and his council whispered of threats from within his own court. a marriage to the crown princess of seohwa would silence the dissenters, uniting the two powerful kingdoms under one rule.

and yet, every time he thought of it, an inexplicable bitterness settled in his chest.

seokjin leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking softly beneath him, and ran a hand down his face. he had heard of princess yiseo’s beauty, her elegance, her charm. poets in seohwa sang of her like she was the moon come to earth, a woman whose beauty could halt wars and inspire peace. but he’d also heard the less flattering whispers. that she was spoiled, unkind to her servants, and indifferent to anyone beneath her station.

what good is beauty if there’s no substance beneath it? he thought grimly.

he wasn’t a man who indulged in flights of romantic fancy. as prince and eventual king, his marriage was always going to be a matter of duty rather than love. but it gnawed at him that his bride to be might not share even a shred of the same commitment to the kingdom that he carried in his bones.

his lips pressed into a thin line as his thoughts shifted to why he had even allowed himself to be dragged into this arrangement in the first place.

it wasn’t just about gukseon’s future stability.

because somewhere out there, lost to the ruthless tides, was his younger brother.

his thoughts drifted to hoseok, his bright smile as vivid in his memory as the sun rising over the horizon. hoseok had always been different. where seokjin was composed, disciplined, and bound by duty, hoseok had been vibrant, carefree, and endlessly kind. he was the heart of their family, a beam of light even amidst the weight of their royal obligations.

and yet, hoseok’s warmth hadn’t been enough to shield him from the dangers of the sea.

it had been almost five years since hoseok was taken, and seokjin remembered the day with brutal clarity. it had been a diplomatic voyage. routine. uneventful. their ship had sailed calm waters, and seokjin had allowed himself to relax for once, trusting in their guards and the tranquility of the route. hoseok, of course, had been in his element, laughing with the crew, making even the most stoic soldiers smile.

then, as if summoned by fate itself, the hwa yang yeon hwa appeared.

seokjin had only heard of the infamous pirate ship in passing. tales of its cunning captain, a ghost on the sea who evaded capture at every turn. but that day, he came to know the name intimately. the pirates struck with precision, overwhelming their ship’s defenses in a matter of minutes.

he had fought fiercely, cutting down any who dared approach hoseok, but even a prince’s determination wasn’t enough against their numbers. hoseok had been dragged away amidst the chaos, his cries echoing in seokjin’s ears even as the pirates disappeared into the horizon.

the search that followed was exhaustive. seokjin sent every available ship after the hwa yang yeon hwa, scoured every port, interrogated every informant, but it was as if the ship had vanished into thin air.

hoseok was never seen again.

his fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword, knuckles whitening. the grief never lessened, but what seokjin felt now wasn’t grief. it was cold, calculating anger. he didn’t know if hoseok was dead or alive, but he knew one thing: the hwa yang yeon hwa had to be stopped.

and if marriage to lee yiseo meant securing the resources to do so, then so be it.

a knock at the door broke through his thoughts.

“enter,” he called, his voice tight.

the door opened, and general min yoongi stepped inside, his black hair slightly tousled from the sea breeze. his sharp eyes flicked to seokjin, immediately picking up on his stormy mood.

“you’re brooding again,” yoongi said, closing the door behind him.

“i don’t brood,” seokjin replied, though his tone lacked conviction.

yoongi smirked faintly. “you glare at inanimate objects like they owe you money. that’s brooding.”

seokjin let out a huff of air, leaning back in his chair. “if anyone has a right to brood, it’s me. i’m about to marry a woman i’ve never met, just to keep this kingdom from falling apart.”

“and gain a fleet powerful enough to hunt every last pirate in these waters,” yoongi added pointedly.

seokjin’s jaw clenched. “that too.”

the unspoken weight of his brother’s memory hung between them, heavy and unrelenting.

yoongi’s expression softened, though his voice remained steady. “we’ll find them,” he said. “the ones responsible. we’ll make them pay.”

seokjin nodded, his gaze distant. “we will.”

outside, the sea stretched endlessly before them, vast and unyielding. seokjin knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he swore to himself that he would not falter. for his kingdom, for his brother, and for the vengeance that burned in his veins. he would see this through, no matter the cost.

yoongi stepped closer, his boots clicking against the wooden floor, and folded his arms across his chest. “you should try to sleep,” he said, his voice quieter now, though no less firm. “you’ll need a clear head when we reach seohwa tomorrow.”

seokjin huffed a humorless laugh, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. “sleep? in the middle of this mess?” he gestured vaguely to the stack of documents on his desk, maps, letters from his council, reports on the growing unrest back in gukseon. “i’d rather spend the time preparing.”

yoongi’s sharp eyes scanned the desk, taking in the scattered parchment and ink-stained fingers. “you’ve been preparing for years, jin,” he said softly, dropping the formality for once. “you don’t have to carry all of this alone.”

seokjin glanced up at him, surprised by the sudden shift in yoongi’s tone. the general wasn’t one for sentimentality, and moments like this were rare. “what other choice do i have?” seokjin muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “this marriage isn’t just for the kingdom. it’s for the people. for hoseok. for…” he trailed off, swallowing hard.

yoongi’s gaze softened, though his posture remained steady. “you’re right,” he said after a moment. “it is for them. but it won’t mean anything if you burn yourself out before we even get to seohwa.”

seokjin didn’t respond immediately, his jaw tightening as he considered yoongi’s words. he hated being reminded of his limits, but deep down, he knew his general was right. still, the idea of rest felt impossible when his mind refused to quiet.

yoongi, ever observant, seemed to sense his hesitation. “at least get some air,” he suggested, stepping toward the window and pulling the curtains back slightly. the moonlight spilled into the room, casting a silvery glow across the desk. “clear your head. if you keep pacing this room, you’ll wear the floorboards out.”

seokjin raised an eyebrow. “is that a direct order, general?”

yoongi’s lips quirked into a faint smirk. “if it has to be.”

the crown prince sighed, pushing himself up from the chair. he stretched his arms briefly, feeling the tension in his muscles ease just slightly. “fine,” he said, relenting. “i’ll take a walk. but if anything catches fire while i’m gone, i’m holding you responsible.”

“i’ll be sure to send word to the shipwrights,” yoongi deadpanned, though his smirk lingered.

seokjin shook his head, unable to suppress a faint smile. as much as yoongi’s bluntness could be grating, it was moments like this that reminded him why he relied on his general so much.

stepping past yoongi, seokjin made his way to the door. he paused briefly, glancing back over his shoulder. “you should get some rest too,” he said. “we’ll both need our strength tomorrow.”

yoongi tilted his head slightly, a shadow of amusement flickering across his face. “i’ll consider it.”

seokjin didn’t press the issue, knowing better than to try to order yoongi around when it came to his own well-being. instead, he slipped out of the room and into the cool night air.

the deck of the ship was quiet, save for the soft creak of the wood beneath his boots and the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull. the sailors on watch nodded respectfully as he passed, but otherwise left him undisturbed. seokjin welcomed the silence, letting the steady rhythm of the sea soothe his restless thoughts.

he leaned against the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon where seohwa awaited. the kingdom was said to be beautiful, a land of rolling hills and glittering rivers, but all seokjin could think about was the weight of what it represented: a strategic alliance, a fleet strong enough to rival the hwa yang yeon hwa, and a wife he had never met.

lee yiseo.

he tried to picture her, recalling the rumors he’d heard: a face that could launch a thousand ships, a demeanor as sharp as a blade. she sounded formidable, certainly, but beauty and temperament mattered little to him. this wasn’t about love or companionship; it was about necessity.

still, he couldn’t help but wonder what she thought of all this. had she agreed to the match willingly, or was she just as reluctant as he was?

the thought lingered as he straightened up, his grip tightening on the railing. no matter her feelings, he couldn’t afford to waver.

the sea stretched endlessly before him, vast and unyielding, and somewhere beneath its surface lay the answers he sought, the closure he craved.

“i’ll find them,” he murmured to himself, the words barely audible over the sound of the waves. “i’ll find them, and i’ll end this.”

the wind carried his vow out into the night, and for a moment, the world felt still.

the morning light streamed through the tall windows of yiseo's chambers, painting the room in soft hues of gold. jiah stood behind the princess, carefully weaving a delicate braid into her long, dark hair. tiny pearls were threaded into the style, each placed meticulously, their soft shimmer complementing the pale blue gown yiseo wore.

"do you think he'll like me?" yiseo asked, breaking the peaceful silence. her tone was light, but there was a nervous edge to it that made jiah pause.

"who?" jiah asked, feigning ignorance as she picked up another pearl.

yiseo turned slightly, her eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "prince seokjin, of course. who else?"

"oh," jiah said lightly, sliding the pearl into place. "i'm sure he'll like you, princess. you're... unforgettable."

yiseo huffed, her lips forming a slight pout. "that's not what i meant. i mean, do you think he'll really see me? not just as some political pawn his advisors shoved in front of him."

jiah hesitated, fingers lingering in yiseo's hair. in the book, yiseo was excited to meet seokjin. she had heard tales of his charm and strength and had secretly hoped for an instant connection, though it didn't truly happen until the ball later that evening. jiah couldn't help but feel torn, should she encourage yiseo to keep an open mind, knowing what was coming?

"he's... a prince," jiah said carefully, focusing on tucking the last braid into place. "and from what i've heard, a very disciplined one. he's probably thinking about all the political implications, too."

"you mean he's not thinking about me," yiseo said, her voice falling slightly.

jiah shook her head with a small smile, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "i didn't say that. i'm saying he's probably nervous, just like you are. princes are human too, after all."

yiseo raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "a prince? nervous? please."

"it's true," jiah insisted. "besides, you haven't even met him yet. who knows? maybe he's nothing like you imagined."

yiseo tilted her head, considering this. "you think so?"

"i do," jiah said firmly. she smoothed the fabric of yiseo's gown and stepped back, giving the princess a warm smile. "just don't go in with too many expectations. sometimes people surprise you."

the words tasted bittersweet on her tongue. was she doing the right thing? she knew how the story was supposed to go. yiseo would fall for seokjin tonight, swept away by his warmth and kindness. it was the spark that set the entire plot in motion. but then namjoon, the pirate captain, would steal her away, both figuratively and literally, and everything would fall apart.

jiah's chest tightened as she thought of seokjin. he didn't deserve that kind of betrayal. if she could stop yiseo from falling for namjoon in the first place, maybe she could prevent the heartbreak entirely. but was it her place to interfere?

"you're unusually quiet today," yiseo said, pulling jiah from her thoughts.

"am i?" jiah replied quickly, forcing a smile. "just focused, that's all."

yiseo studied her for a moment, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. but then her expression softened, and she sighed. "you're right, though. i shouldn't go in with too many expectations. still i hope he's handsome."

jiah couldn't help but laugh, the sound lightening the tension in her chest. "well, that's one expectation i think you can safely keep."

yiseo grinned, her excitement returning in full force. "do you think he's taller than me?"

"probably."

"and his voice, do you think it's deep?"

"definitely."

yiseo giggled, her mood lifting as she turned to the mirror, admiring herself one last time. "well, if he doesn't fall in love with me tonight, it's his loss."

jiah bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to stay quiet. the story was already in motion. seokjin and yiseo were destined to fall for each other, but now that she was here, the weight of that inevitability pressed down on her.

"you're ready," jiah said softly, stepping back. "let's not keep the people waiting, you still have a long day ahead of you."

yiseo nodded, her confidence returning as she straightened her posture and made her way to the door.

as jiah followed, her heart thudded in her chest. tonight would set everything in motion, and she could only hope she wouldn't regret her choice to stay on the sidelines. for now.

the marketplace buzzed with life, vendors calling out their wares as the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling street food filled the air. jiah adjusted the basket in her arms, her steps quick but careful as she navigated through the narrow streets. yiseo had sent her out to fetch a few last-minute items, a specific perfume she suddenly couldn't do without and a pair of satin gloves to match her gown.

"of course she'd remember the gloves now," jiah muttered under her breath, dodging a man carrying a towering stack of crates.

"just get through today" she muttered to herself, her eyes cast downward as she walked briskly through the crowded street.

she didn't see him at first.

he was a figure in the periphery, just another face in the bustling market, but when she rounded the corner near the flower stand, she collided with him, causing her to stumble back a few steps.

the stranger caught her instantly, his hand wrapping firmly around her arm, steadying her.

"careful," his voice was low and smooth, carrying an undertone that immediately caught her attention.

jiah's heart skipped a beat, and she found herself looking up, her breath hitching as her eyes locked with his. he was tall, taller than most, with broad shoulders that filled out his simple tunic in a way that shouldn't have been so alluring. his hair was dark, slightly tousled from the sea breeze, and his eyes, those warm, dark eyes, held her gaze with an intensity that was unsettling and magnetic all at once.

"i'm so sorry," she blurted, her voice flustered as she tried to regain her composure. she could feel her heart beating faster, a strange flutter building in her chest. "i wasn't looking where i was going."

"no harm done," he replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, though his grip on her arm lingered a moment too long. "but you were certainly in a hurry."

jiah blinked up at him, slightly dazed by the way his gaze held hers, almost like he was studying her, measuring her reaction. she swallowed, trying to maintain control of the situation. "i've got a lot to do," she replied, forcing her tone to sound normal, even though her heart was still racing.

his lips quirked up at the corners. "i can tell." his voice was soft, almost teasing, as though he enjoyed the moment just a little too much.

jiah took a step back, feeling the awkwardness settle between them like a thick fog. "well, i should get going," she said quickly, her eyes darting to the ground. but when she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.

"you're in quite a hurry. why not slow down a bit? the market's a perfect place to take a break," he suggested, his tone almost coaxing, like he was inviting her into some unspoken moment.

she hesitated. there was something about him. something disarming, but at the same time, there was a subtle danger in the way he spoke. like there was more to him than met the eye.

"i really can't," jiah replied, but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was still watching her, his gaze a presence she couldn't escape. "i've got... errands to run," she added, feeling foolish for being so flustered by a simple interaction.

"errands for someone important?" he asked, his eyebrows raising in mild amusement.

she bit her lip, unsure how to respond. technically, yes, she was running errands for the princess, but something about the way he asked made her feel self conscious, like he could see through her.

"just some things to take care of," jiah replied, her tone light, trying to deflect. "nothing special."

he regarded her silently for a moment, his gaze never leaving hers. the street around them buzzed with activity, but in this small space between them, everything else seemed to fade into the background. she could feel the pull between them, even though she had no idea why it was there or what it meant.

"you seem... distracted," he observed, his voice low and thoughtful. "it doesn't suit you."

jiah frowned, unsure whether she liked the way he seemed to read her so easily. "i'm fine," she said quickly, though she wasn't entirely sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

he didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press. instead, he let his gaze drop to the basket in her hand. "running errands for someone important?" he asked again, his voice laced with a slight curiosity, as though he had suddenly become more interested in her tasks than in her.

jiah glanced down at the basket. "just picking up a few things for the princess," she said, keeping her answer vague. "nothing too exciting."

"the princess," he repeated, his voice like a purr, though his expression shifted. there was something almost calculating in his gaze now. "must be quite the responsibility."

"it's not as glamorous as it sounds," jiah muttered, a bit of bitterness slipping into her tone despite herself. she quickly bit it back, realizing how easily her emotions were slipping past her control. she had to get herself together.

he noticed, of course. "i can see that," he said softly, his gaze flickering with something she couldn't quite place. "but surely you don't mind? taking care of her, i mean."

jiah took a deep breath, her nerves getting the better of her again. "it's just my job," she replied, her voice carefully neutral.

he nodded, though there was still a glint of amusement in his eyes. "you seem to be quite dedicated to it."

she glanced at him quickly, unsure how to respond to his observations. it felt like he was getting closer to the truth with every word, even though she didn't know what the truth really was.

before she could find something else to say, a voice called out from behind her, breaking the tension between them.

"miss! i have the gloves you asked for!"

jiah sighed in relief, turning to walk toward the vendor. "i have to go," she said quickly, not meeting his eyes. "but it was nice talking to you."

his smile widened, and he took a small step back. "likewise. take care, miss," he said, his voice still warm with that underlying teasing tone.

as jiah hurried away, her heart still racing, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had just happened between them. something that felt too significant to ignore, even if she wasn't sure what it meant. she kept walking, but her mind was racing with thoughts of him. who was he? why did he make her feel this way?

"what just happened?" she whispered to herself, her pulse still quickened as she tried to shake off the strange sense of longing he had left behind.

seokjin stood there for a moment longer, his gaze still fixed on the street where jiah had disappeared, swallowed by the throng of bustling people. the murmur of the marketplace surrounded him, the scents of fresh bread and roasted meats wafting through the air, but they all felt distant. muted. none of it seemed to matter as much as that moment with her. the way she had stood there, hesitant yet confident, the way her eyes had met his with that inexplicable intensity. something had shifted inside him, something he didn't have a name for, but it was there, gnawing at the edges of his mind.

his chest tightened again, a flutter of something unidentifiable swirling deep inside him. it was disconcerting. it was unsettling. he wasn't used to feeling like this. he wasn't used to losing control.

he had learned, over the years, to guard himself. his responsibilities, his family, his kingdom, all of that came first. it always had. the loss of his brother, the burden of being the crown prince, all of it had made him hard, focused, and resolute. emotions were for the weak. they could cloud judgment. they could lead to mistakes.

and yet, in that moment, with her eyes fixed on his, all of that seemed to fade away. the memories of his brother, the weight of his duties, the kingdom he was supposed to protect, they all felt secondary to the overwhelming pull he felt toward her. why? why her? he didn't know.

the thought of never seeing her again gnawed at him, but he forced himself to look away, taking in a sharp breath. he had to focus. there was too much at stake for him to get lost in some fleeting moment, some passing stranger who had crossed his path. he had a kingdom to protect. he had a marriage to secure. and those things were far more important than anything else.

"seokjin," yoongi's voice sliced through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

he turned toward the general, his jaw clenched, as if to shake off the strange, lingering emotions. "what is it?" he asked, his voice a bit too sharp, his frustration bubbling over, though he tried to keep it in check.

yoongi didn't miss it. the general's keen eyes studied him for a moment, sensing something was off, but he didn't press it. instead, he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at his lips. "you've been standing here for far too long. what do you think you're doing?"

seokjin snapped back, irritation rising in him. "i'm fine. just thinking."

"thinking?" yoongi repeated, deadpan. "about what? about the woman you just met?"

seokjin stiffened, but yoongi's words hit too close to home. his heart skipped, his throat tight. he didn't want to admit it, didn't want to acknowledge what was bubbling inside him, so he gritted his teeth and shrugged it off.

"it's nothing," he muttered, though it came out more like a challenge.

yoongi's smirk deepened, clearly amused by seokjin's obvious discomfort. "don't lie to me. you're practically glowing, as if you just had a romantic encounter. you're acting like you've never seen a woman before."

seokjin felt a heat rise in his chest, a flush creeping up his neck. the teasing was relentless, but it was also familiar. yoongi had always been like this, cutting through seokjin's composure with his sharp, biting humor. but this time, seokjin wasn't in the mood for it. "drop it, yoongi," he said curtly, his voice strained.

yoongi studied him for a long beat, then sighed, his expression softening just slightly. "you know what they say about chasing after fleeting feelings, right?"

seokjin met his gaze, but there was no hint of amusement in his eyes now. only seriousness. "i'm not chasing anything," he said quietly. "i don't chase."

yoongi let the silence stretch between them for a moment before speaking again, his voice quieter now, more understanding. "just make sure you don't lose sight of the bigger picture, seokjin. there's more at stake than just... whatever this is. you've got a kingdom, a responsibility. don't let anything, especially a fleeting moment, derail you.”

seokjin's mind drifted back to the image of her face, her eyes, her voice, and he felt that familiar flutter again, deep in his chest. despite everything, despite the warning in yoongi's words, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was important. important, but why? that was what troubled him most. he had never felt this kind of pull before. and as much as he tried to brush it off, he couldn't. it wasn't just some passing whim.

"i know," he replied, the words heavy with something unspoken.

yoongi gave him a long look before finally turning, walking toward the street. "come on, then. let's go. we're not here to waste time."

seokjin hesitated, glancing back at the spot where jiah had disappeared. the weight of his responsibilities pressed on him, but there was something inside him that didn't want to leave her behind. something in his gut told him that this wasn't over. but what was it?

with a heavy sigh, seokjin turned away, catching up to yoongi, but his thoughts still lingered on the woman who had left him so unsettled.

he didn't know why she had left such a mark on him. he didn't know why she had him thinking of things he couldn't afford to think about. but he was sure of one thing: this wouldn't be the last time they crossed paths.

and maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be a fleeting moment after all.

hoseok found jungkook leaning against the ship's railing, staring out at the endless expanse of ocean like it held the answers to every unspoken question swirling in his head. the younger man's frame was tense, his forearms resting on the wood as the sea breeze ruffled his dark hair. the moonlight etched the lines of frustration and something deeper, something harder to name, into his features.

"still brooding, i see," hoseok said lightly, approaching with his usual easy confidence.

jungkook didn't turn, his jaw tightening slightly. "not in the mood, hyung."

"not in the mood?" hoseok repeated with a teasing lilt, leaning his forearms next to jungkook on the railing. "you've been standing here for hours, glaring at the water like it stole something from you. i'd say you're in exactly the mood for some company."

jungkook let out a long breath through his nose, shaking his head. "you wouldn't understand."

hoseok's grin softened into something more knowing, but the glint of humor didn't fade entirely. "maybe not, but why don't you try me anyway? worst-case scenario, i make fun of you."

jungkook shot him a sidelong glare, but hoseok's expression remained infuriatingly cheerful. "fine," jungkook muttered, dropping his gaze back to the waves. "it's about him."

hoseok's eyebrows rose. "ah. the elusive sea boy."

jungkook growled low in his throat. "can you not call him that?"

"what? it's accurate," hoseok said with a shrug. "he's from the sea. and he's... well, let's be honest, he's got boyish charm. ethereal, maybe. fishy, definitely."

jungkook straightened, his muscles taut. "hyung."

"okay, okay!" hoseok held up his hands in mock surrender, the corners of his lips twitching as he suppressed a laugh. "no nicknames. go on. what about him?"

jungkook hesitated, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. he stared out at the horizon, the memory of their last meeting replaying in his mind. the distant look in those otherworldly eyes, the way he'd vanished without a word.

"he's different," jungkook finally said, his voice quieter now. "i don't know what it is, but something's wrong. i've never seen him like that before."

hoseok tilted his head, his grin softening. "different how?"

"he wasn't himself," jungkook said, frustration threading through his words. "it's like... he wasn't even there. he didn't look at me. didn't talk to me. and then he just left, like it didn't matter."

hoseok hummed thoughtfully, leaning back on the railing. "maybe he's got his own stuff going on. it's not like you've ever pinned him down, right? he's always been a bit elusive."

"not like this," jungkook insisted, turning to face hoseok fully now. his dark eyes were intense, practically glowing with the strength of his conviction. "this was different. he's never acted like this before. it's like he was detached. like something was pulling him away."

hoseok studied him for a moment, the teasing edge to his expression fading entirely. "and you think that something is bad?"

jungkook nodded, his throat tight. "i don't know what it is, but yeah. it felt... wrong."

hoseok sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "look, kid. i get it. you care about him. and yeah, he's not exactly the most straightforward person, or whatever he is. but you can't control what he does, and you definitely can't spend all your time worrying about it. he's got his own stuff, just like you've got yours."

jungkook's jaw clenched. "it's not just about worrying. it's about..." he trailed off, struggling to put the tangled mess of his emotions into words.

hoseok gave him a knowing smile. "it's about feeling helpless."

jungkook blinked, surprised at how easily hoseok had cut to the heart of the matter. he looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "yeah."

"hey." hoseok reached out and clapped a hand on jungkook's shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. "i get it. i do. but you've gotta trust that he'll come back when he's ready. you can't force someone like that to stay, and you can't fight whatever it is he's dealing with. not unless he lets you."

jungkook frowned, his shoulders still tense. "what if he doesn't come back?"

hoseok's smile turned wry, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity in his voice. "then you'll deal with it. you're tougher than you think, you know. but let's be real, he'll come back. no one leaves you behind, jungkook. not for long."

jungkook huffed, a small, bitter smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "you make me sound like some kind of stray dog."

hoseok laughed, the sound breaking through the tension like a burst of sunlight. "nah, you're more like a guard dog. loyal to a fault, always ready to bite anyone who crosses your line."

"real comforting," jungkook muttered, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward.

hoseok gave his shoulder a final squeeze before stepping back. "seriously, though. stop staring at the ocean like it's going to give you answers. you've got enough on your plate without adding mysterious sea creatures to the mix."

jungkook didn't reply, his gaze drifting back to the waves. hoseok sighed but didn't press him further. instead, he turned and began walking away, his voice carrying over his shoulder.

"and hey, if he does come back, you owe me a drink for being your personal therapist."

jungkook rolled his eyes but didn't respond, the sound of hoseok's laughter fading into the night as he disappeared below deck.

"brooding again, jungkook?" namjoon's voice was smooth but edged with a faint hint of amusement. "that's unusual for you."

jungkook straightened but didn't turn around, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the railing. "not in the mood for lectures, captain."

namjoon steps slowed, and he came to stand beside jungkook, hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the same endless stretch of water. unlike jungkook's tense frame, namjoon's stance was effortless, his authority woven into every movement.

"good thing I'm not here to give you one," namjoon said, tilting his head toward the horizon. "but I'll admit, it's not every day I see you looking so distracted."

jungkook's jaw tightened, but he stayed silent. namjoon, ever the strategist, didn't press further immediately. he let the silence stretch, the ocean breeze filling the space between them, before speaking again.

"you're thinking about him," namjoon finally said, his tone matter of fact.

jungkook's head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. "what do you know about it?"

namjoon let out a soft chuckle, his lips quirking into a faint smile. "you're not as hard to read as you think. hoseok wasn't exactly subtle when he mentioned your... attachment."

jungkook scowled. "it's not an attachment."

"isn't it?" namjoon raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze cutting through jungkook's defenses. "whatever it is, it's got you distracted. and distraction is dangerous, especially tonight."

that caught jungkook's attention. his scowl faded, replaced by a guarded expression. "tonight?"

namjoon turned fully to face him, his demeanor shifting from casual to commanding in an instant. "yes. tonight, we make our move."

realization dawned on jungkook's face, and he straightened further, his grip on the railing loosening. "the princess."

namjoon nodded, his expression unreadable. "we've waited long enough. with the ball occurring tonight, security will be tighter than ever inside. but outside, on the balcony, it will be empty. this is our best chance."

jungkook's stomach twisted, though he wasn't entirely sure why. maybe it was the weight of what they were about to do, or maybe it was something else. something more personal.

"and you think it's worth the risk?" jungkook asked, his voice low. "kidnapping her?"

namjoon's eyes darkened, his tone unyielding, the weight of authority pressing down on jungkook like an anchor. "risk is part of the game, jungkook. you, of all people, should know that." he turned back to the horizon, his voice steady and sharp. "the princess isn't just another pawn. she's the key to everything, gukseon's military power, their navy, their leverage. with her in our hands, the monarchy will be at our mercy."

jungkook's jaw tensed as he wrestled with his thoughts. the plan had been clear from the start, but something about it, about her, was beginning to unsettle him. "and what happens to her?" his voice dropped, almost hesitant. "she didn't create this system. she didn't build the machine we're fighting against. are you fine using her like this?"

namjoon's expression hardened, his lips a thin line. "she's not innocent, jungkook. she may not wield a sword, but she profits from every battle it wins. she wears the crown's wealth while her people starve. if we have to use her to dismantle gukseon's chokehold, so be it."

jungkook looked away, the weight of namjoon's words settling uneasily in his chest. the mention of seohwa, the home he'd left behind, hit too close to memories he'd buried. memories of families torn apart and dreams stolen.

"and if she's not who we think she is?" jungkook murmured, his tone softer now. "if she's not some pampered noble but—"

"she doesn't have to be anything," namjoon interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind. "her name alone is enough to force the crown prince into action. whether she's as spoiled as they say or not, her disappearance will send ripples through gukseon's court."

jungkook's grip tightened on the railing, the ocean's endless expanse blurring as his mind drifted elsewhere. not everything was as clean cut as namjoon made it seem. nothing ever was.

"you've been distracted since we left port," namjoon continued, cutting through the silence. "i need your head on straight tonight. if you can't focus—"

"i'm focused," jungkook snapped, turning to face him. but there was a crack in his voice, a hesitation that didn't go unnoticed.

namjoon studied him for a moment, his sharp gaze softening ever so slightly. "he'll come back."

jungkook froze, his breath hitching at the sudden shift. namjoon's words cut deeper than he'd expected, unearthing the uncertainty jungkook had tried so hard to bury. he turned to namjoon, his expression raw. "how do you know?"

namjoon's smirk softened, his usual sharp edges dulling for a fleeting moment. "i don't," he admitted. "but your fish friend"—he paused, almost like the phrase itself amused him—"he doesn't strike me as someone who leaves things undone. he'll come back."

jungkook stared at him, searching for any trace of doubt in his captain's words. but namjoon's confidence, even if unspoken, was unwavering. reluctantly, jungkook nodded, though the weight on his chest didn't ease.

"tonight," namjoon said, his voice shifting back to command, "the princess will be on the palace balcony when the ball begins. taehyung's intel hasn't failed us yet. this is your chance, jungkook. don't waste it."

jungkook straightened, his hand falling from the railing as he turned fully to namjoon. "i won't let you down."

namjoon clapped a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm and steady. "good. because when we pull this off, we'll have more than leverage. we'll have the upper hand."

as namjoon walked away, his steps purposeful, jungkook remained rooted in place, the weight of the night pressing down on him. the salty air brushed against his skin, a constant reminder of the world they lived in. a world of chaos and ambition.

he stared out at the sea, the sound of the waves mingling with namjoon's parting words. control. leverage. power. all of it within reach, if he could just push aside the distractions.

but his thoughts, unbidden, drifted once more to shimmering hair and melodic songs, a voice that haunted his dreams. he shook his head, steeling himself. namjoon was right. there was no room for distractions. not tonight.

jungkook tore his gaze away from the ocean, forcing himself to focus. the plan had been drilled into him over and over, every detail accounted for. he'd scaled cliffs, fought off armed soldiers, and sailed through storms for missions less critical than this. so why did he feel this gnawing unease twisting in his chest?

he clenched his fists, grounding himself in the familiar weight of the dagger at his side. tonight wasn't about him or his feelings. it was about the crew, the mission, and everything they stood to gain. gukseon had taken too much from them, stolen lives, broken families, and crushed dreams. this was their chance to hit back, to take something that would force the monarchy to finally feel the sting of desperation.

footsteps echoed behind him, soft but deliberate. jungkook didn't have to turn to know it was hoseok. the man had a way of walking that was light yet somehow filled with purpose, like he was always moving toward something brighter.

"you still standing here, kid?" hoseok's voice broke through the tension, warm and teasing. "thought namjoon's pep talk would've lit a fire under you by now."

jungkook exhaled sharply, a faint scoff escaping his lips. "he doesn't do pep talks. he gives orders."

hoseok chuckled, stepping beside him to lean against the railing. his eyes sparkled under the moonlight, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere that seemed to cling to the ship. "call it what you want, but he has a point. we can't afford distractions right now."

jungkook didn't respond, his jaw tightening as he stared at the waves. hoseok studied him for a moment, his usual grin softening into something more thoughtful.

"you're thinking about him, aren't you?" hoseok asked gently.

jungkook's shoulders stiffened, but he didn't deny it. he couldn't. "it's not that simple."

"it never is," hoseok replied, his tone laced with understanding. "but you've got to trust that he'll come back. whatever connection you two have, it's not the kind that just disappears.

jungkook turned his head, meeting hoseok's gaze. "you don't know that."

"no," hoseok admitted, shrugging slightly. "but i've seen the way he looks at you, and i've seen the way you're still standing here, waiting. that's got to mean something, doesn't it?"

jungkook's chest tightened, the weight of hoseok's words settling in a place he wasn't ready to confront. he turned back to the ocean, his voice barely above a whisper. "it's just... i've never seen him like that before. so... human. vulnerable."

hoseok smiled softly, his hand resting lightly on jungkook's shoulder. "and maybe that's why he'll come back. because he's seen something in you worth coming back for."

jungkook didn't respond, but the tension in his body eased just slightly. hoseok's words carried a warmth that was hard to dismiss, even if his doubts remained.

the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the moment, and both men turned to see namjoon descending the stairs from the captain's quarters. his presence, as always, demanded attention.

"are you two done?" namjoon's voice was calm but carried an edge of authority. his eyes flicked between them before settling on jungkook. "we have work to do."

hoseok straightened, his lighthearted demeanor shifting into something more serious. "ready when you are, captain."

namjoon nodded, his focus now entirely on jungkook. "i need you sharp tonight. no distractions."

jungkook met namjoon's gaze, the weight of the captain's expectations settling heavily on his shoulders. he nodded once, resolute. "i'm ready."

namjoon studied him for a moment, his sharp eyes searching for any hint of hesitation. finding none, he turned away, his voice carrying over his shoulder. "good. because when this night is over, everything changes."

as namjoon disappeared back into the shadows, hoseok clapped jungkook on the back, a reassuring grin on his face. "come on, kid. let's go make history."

jungkook followed, the weight in his chest shifting into something sharper, more focused. tonight wasn't just about the mission. it was about proving himself, to namjoon, to the crew, and maybe even to himself.

the ocean stretched out before them, vast and endless, as the ship surged forward toward its destiny. whatever awaited them on the shores of seohwa, jungkook swore he wouldn't falter. not tonight.

taehyung adjusted the crisp lapels of his jacket, his fingers brushing against the fabric with a nervous energy he couldn't quite shake. the small cabin he shared with the other servants felt quieter than usual tonight, the weight of the upcoming ball pressing down on his chest. in the dim light of the flickering lantern, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, feeling the cool, delicate curve of the ring he'd tucked away earlier.

he pulled it out, the simple gold band catching the light. it wasn't extravagant, not by royal standards, but it was honest. he'd bought it with his share of the pirates' gold. the money he'd earned for feeding them whispers of court politics and the schedules of the royal family. taehyung turned the ring over in his fingers, his thoughts straying to her.

noh jiah.

he'd spent years watching her from the shadows, always from a distance. she deserved more than the life of a maid, more than the endless days spent serving others without being seen herself. when he thought of her smile, soft, fleeting, and rare, it reminded him why he had taken such risks, why he'd gone to the pirates in the first place.

but she was more than just his childhood crush, more than the girl he had fallen for long before he understood what love was. jiah was his hope, his reason for fighting against the life fate had handed them.

taehyung slipped the ring back into his pocket, letting out a slow, steadying breath. tonight was the night.

his fingers lingered on the lapel of his jacket as his thoughts drifted back to the moment he'd spoken to the princess.

he'd found her in the rose garden, just where he knew she would be. the highness always visited the garden in the late afternoon, a place of solitude where the burdens of her royal title seemed to lift.

"your highness," taehyung had said, bowing low as he approached.

yiseo turned, her golden gown shimmering in the dappled sunlight. her beauty was undeniable, but taehyung had always found her sharpness more striking than her looks.

"taehyung," she greeted, her tone brisk. "what is it?"

he hesitated, his hands tightening at his sides. "i've come to ask a favor."

her eyebrows arched in surprise, though there was a flicker of curiosity in her gaze. "a favor? from me?"

"yes, your highness," he said, lifting his head to meet her eyes. "it concerns noh jiah."

yiseo tilted her head slightly, studying him. "go on."

"i wish to marry her," taehyung said, the words leaving his mouth with more urgency than he'd intended. he straightened his spine, forcing himself to hold her gaze. "but i would never do so without your blessing. she is your maid, your confidante. i would not take her from you without your approval."

for a moment, yiseo said nothing. her expression was unreadable, her delicate features betraying none of her thoughts.

"marry jiah?" she said finally, her voice softer, almost thoughtful.

taehyung nodded. "i love her, your highness. i always have. but more than that, i want her to have a chance at something more. a life where she's not just someone's shadow."

yiseo's lips quirked into a faint smile, though it was tinged with something bittersweet. "and you think you can give her that?"

"i'll spend my life trying," he said firmly.

yiseo looked at him for a long moment before turning away, her gaze drifting to the roses surrounding them. "you've always been loyal, taehyung," she said. "and you've always cared for her. i won't stand in your way."

relief washed over him, but before he could thank her, yiseo held up a hand.

"on one condition," she said, her tone sharp again.

"anything, your highness," taehyung said quickly.

yiseo turned back to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "you and jiah will attend the ball tonight as guests, not as servants."

his breath caught. "guests?"

"yes," she said, a glimmer of mischief in her smile. "if you're going to marry her, you'll need to show her and everyone else that she's worthy of being treated as more. and that starts tonight."

taehyung's heart raced as he bowed deeply, gratitude swelling in his chest. "thank you, your highness. truly."

yiseo waved him off, though her smile lingered. "don't make me regret this, taehyung. and for both your sakes, make sure you dance with her tonight."

the memory made his chest ache. would she still say that if she knew what he'd done? would yiseo still offer him that gracious smile, those words of encouragement, if she understood that the very freedom she had promised to him and jiah had come at the cost of her own safety?

the thought twisted in taehyung's gut, gnawing at him like a relentless beast. he had always believed in loyalty, in honoring the trust others placed in him. but now? now he had turned his back on someone who had treated him with nothing but kindness, someone who had given him a chance he never would've had if he'd remained a servant.

he stood abruptly, pacing the small room as his thoughts spiraled. no, he told himself firmly, clenching his fists at his sides. i can't let guilt get the better of me. i made my choice, and there's no turning back now.

his footsteps were heavy against the wooden floor as he moved back and forth, his mind a tangled mess of conflicting emotions. the pirates' gold, the promise of freedom, the dreams of a new life, was it really worth it if it meant betraying jiah’s closest friend? he didn't know anymore. everything felt blurry, uncertain, but one thing he was sure of: the life jiah and he had imagined outside the walls of the castle, free from the oppressive grip of the royals, depended on the choices he had made.

"this is for jiah," he whispered to himself, gripping the ring tightly in his fist, as if the physical action could force the storm of doubt out of his mind. "for us."

the plan had been simple. after the ball, when the castle's attention was diverted by the festivities, he and jiah would slip away under the cover of night. they'd be long gone by the time anyone realized yiseo was missing. by the time the pirates made their move, taehyung and jiah would already be halfway to freedom, already lost to the world they'd once known.

yet as he imagined it, the weight of the plan no longer seemed as straightforward as it had before. a cold knot settled in his stomach, and despite his best efforts to ignore it, the guilt dug deeper, like claws raking across his soul.

he sank back onto the cot, the room closing in around him as he rested his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor, the gold ring now cool and distant in his hand. for all his careful planning, for all the justifications he'd told himself, the truth was staring him in the face, unblinking and unforgiving: he had betrayed the person who had always trusted him, the person who had given him and jiah their chance at happiness.

he thought of yiseo, of the way she'd smiled at him in the garden that day, offering him her blessing without hesitation. it's for your happiness, she had said. the irony stung like a slap. taehyung had used her words, her trust, as a bargaining chip for his own escape, for the dream of a life where he and jiah could live free of the kingdom's constraints.

but now, with the ring in his palm and the quiet weight of his actions pressing down on him, he couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. was it truly worth it to leave her to this fate?

his head dropped into his hands, fingers raking through his hair in frustration. the weight of his actions felt too much to bear, like the burden of a hundred lives was pressing down on him, suffocating him with its enormity.

"this is the best for us," he murmured, his voice hollow, his breath shaky as he tried to convince himself once again. “it's the best for jiah. we can't stay here.”

but the words felt hollow, as though they held no substance. they hung in the air like a prayer to a god that wasn't listening, and as much as he repeated them, as much as he tried to bury the guilt deep inside himself, it wouldn't let him forget.

it was all coming too fast now. too real.

taehyung closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall of the cabin. what had he done?

jiah sat in front of the vanity, the maids bustling around her. yiseo stood beside her, beaming as she adjusted jiah's dress. the silky ivory fabric seemed out of place on jiah, who had always been more accustomed to humble her humble t-shirts and jeans in the real world.

"there," yiseo said, stepping back to admire her work. "you look stunning."

jiah's gaze met her reflection, but all she saw was someone who didn't belong in this world. she had woken up and immediately been thrust into this life, now caught between her role as a servant and her sudden involvement in the royal court. she didn't feel like the woman staring back at her.

"thank you, your highness," jiah murmured, her voice barely a whisper.

yiseo frowned slightly, noticing the hesitation in jiah's tone. "don't call me that," she said softly, "we're friends, remember? you don't need to be so formal with me."

jiah gave a tight-lipped smile, unsure of what to say. "yes, of course, yiseo."

one of the maids adjusted a delicate necklace around jiah's neck, and another fixed the soft waves of her hair. jiah closed her eyes for a moment, trying to block out the swirl of confusion inside her. it felt wrong to be here, in this palace, playing the part of someone she wasn't. but she couldn't deny that part of her felt a strange pull to it. maybe it was the way she was able to play pretend for awhile. maybe it was just the allure of the life she'd never known.

"you're so lucky, jiah," yiseo said suddenly, her voice filled with wonder. "this night is going to change everything for me. i'll finally meet seokjin, the crown prince, and—" she paused, a dreamy look in her eyes. "he's so handsome, don't you think?"

jiah stiffened, her thoughts snapping back to the reality she was trying to avoid. she had been avoiding thinking about the ball tonight. about yiseo meeting seokjin and how she would inevitably fall for him. she knew the story, knew how it went in the book. yiseo and seokjin were supposed to fall in love at first sight, and jiah was just a bystander in the grand scheme of things.

"he is," jiah said quietly, though her voice felt hollow. "but you deserve him, yiseo."

yiseo smiled, turning her attention back to jiah. "you're so sweet. but really, i've heard he's not just handsome, he's strong, kind, and loyal. i'm sure we'll be great together. i can't wait to see him tonight." she gave jiah a knowing look. "i know you're excited too, right?"

jiah nodded, but her stomach churned with unease. this was the night yiseo would be swept away, just as it had been written. the night she would be lost to seokjin, and jiah would be left with nothing but memories of a life she'd never truly had. she wasn't sure if she could go through with it.

the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and yiseo's face lit up with excitement. "they're almost here, jiah. are you ready for the ball?"

jiah hesitated. "i think so," she said, though her heart wasn't in it.

yiseo clasped her hands together. "you'll do great. i know it."

but jiah couldn't shake the feeling that tonight would change everything. she would have to decide, whether to stay in the shadows and watch the story unfold as she knows it, or to try and change yiseo’s future for the best.

as the door opened, signaling the start of the evening, jiah couldn't help but feel torn. she had never belonged here, and yet, the pull to stay, to fight for something more, was stronger than she had ever felt before.

authors note: we are finally getting somewhere you guys only took me like 30k words. thank you so much for reading the next couple of chapters are where the action really picks up !!

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[existennialmemes]

Similarities between Me and a Potato Battery:

Full of starch

An elaborate electrolyte solution

Capable of powering a lightbulb with the assistance of various metals and wires

Would've been accused of witchcraft 500 years ago

Not designed for serious situations

[readersregrets]

Do you have any headcanons on puppet biology in Threadville? We see some stuff about it in the pages Ingame, but I just have more questions about it!

Do they have saliva?

How do Charlotte's hands work?

Veena has sharp teeth that indicate a predator behaviour outside of the size classes!

Some of them don't have noses, so can he smell?

How do they reproduce?

Oliver and his brother are blue and green like his parents, but his sister is yellow, so they must have genetics!

Are the plants also cloth or are they normal

Is the dirt actual dirt, or is it something else.

I have soooo maaaany queeeeestions.

-Anatomy anon 🫀

🪡 *Threadville Theories and Head-canons*🪡

Do puppets have saliva, and how do they reproduce? Both questions that get one big fat answer!

Puppets produce a threadlike and viscous fluid, like a very diluted glue or starch solution, that functions like saliva. It's mostly used to soften food for “consumption” but puppet saliva isn’t just moisture, it’s infused with micro-thread structures, used for baby making!

These aren’t DNA in the human sense, but they do store stuff like identity, personality tendencies, and textile traits, size, color, patterns, texture, etc.

Puppets rarely actually produce “fertile” spindle in their saliva, so it takes a lot of attention for it to actually do something.

Smooching between two puppets allows these spindles to merge. The threads intertwine, like a physical metaphor for emotional connection because I'm a sucker.

If it works out, some puppets will wait a bit and hack up a big ball of living stuffing with some organs packed into a nice ball of cloth, congratulations you just vomited an egg. (Or a hairball)

Some couples build the child themselves over time, using their own spare parts to add onto the “egg” their literal flesh and blood if you will. You don't have to be the parent to do this, it's common for close friends and other family members to donate as well. The resulting puppet child usually carries traits of all parents, colors, patterns, even emotional imprints. It'll also grow on its own if the parents don't, but it's a lot slower and the child tends to look a lot less like their parents. That’s why Oliver and Jasper are similar hues to their parents, but June, with her yellow, had a lot less attention because of all the work that need to be done on the farm.

Kissing isn't sacred or scandalous. But It’s definitely not casual. It’s an intimate gesture, and its never done to someone with no intention. Puppets often just say “We kissed, and now we have you”, and that’s accepted. Puppets are emotionally delicate and deeply affectionate, but very cautious with physical contact. This isn’t just bashfulness, it’s biological responsibility.

It's possible for puppets to reproduce asexually on their own. They just need a lot of intent and to eat a lot of food, it's really taxing though, so most puppets just try kissing. Others may bond platonically, kissing without romance, to co-create children from deep friendship or community needs. Puppet children can be made of more than two parents as well, kissing between multiple partners can result in some extra colorful characters.

Some puppets may also just prefer to drink as a social behavior, and not for nutrition, though I like to think she likes honey since it's a natural lure for bugs.

So puppet teeth. She absolutely has teeth that do not match her soft aesthetic. This is purposeful and lore-rich.

At first, I thought Veena’s teeth were canines and fangs, but when I put some more thought into it, they look a lot more like the “teeth” on a Venus fly trap.

It would explain why she likes being in a bee infested maze and leave honey out for ants, its nature.

Rocky is shown with a lot of canines and other sharp teeth, but that's after he's become frayed, before that he's shown only having two big canines on his bottom jaw.

He eats fish, so that means there is SOME form of “meat” diet and hunting that puppets do, but I honestly think the teeth are less for hunting and more for dominance?

Evolution isn't all that straight forward, and I don't know enough yet to spiral about this. The next chapter is set in a hospital, so I guess that'll give me plenty of stuff to go crazy over later.

Puppets might lack visible noses, but still respond to scent

Most puppets have a scent-perception mechanism embedded in their heads or their whole fabric.

Their noses can't smell at all, actually. The entire skin functions as a sensory patch that absorbs particles and transmits scent to their brain, absorbing the smell and moving on, which is why the town is kept so clean. Fabric holds onto smells for a while, so we wouldn't want anything too stinky around for long.

Oliver might love the idea of flowers and scent, even if he can’t grow them right he probably associates specific fabric-safe scents with emotional memories.

I think the plants are “normal” in the sense, that they're mostly the same as the ones in our world. The only difference being that they're compacted full of way more of their nutrients.

Flowers are the most outwardly different. They have delicate stitched petals, but still attract “bees” that collect colored pollen and fibers.

The soil is the same as the plants. It's a composite material, a mix of dark felt fibers, shredded paper, fabric scraps, decayed stuff, nutrients, and straight up dirt, etc.

That’s why gardening is still hard even for puppets like Oliver, it’s not easy to balance dirt that's flooded full of super-nutrients!

Fraying is a word used to describe puppets “bleeding” thread or stuffing when injured.

Emotional distress may literally cause seams to pull.

Puppets can lose limbs but reattach them, sewing is a form of medical care.

Puppets take a while to reach old age but eventually they “wear out” slowly, fading, fraying, or losing color. Repair and love can preserve them longer, but it's everyone's times eventually.

[myconetted]

"Pasta alla Cacio e pepe" is a traditional Italian dish made with pasta, pecorino cheese, and pepper. Despite its simple ingredient list, achieving the perfect texture and creaminess of the sauce can be challenging. In this study, we systematically explore the phase behavior of Cacio and pepe sauce, focusing on its stability at increasing temperatures for various proportions of cheese, water, and starch. We identify starch concentration as the key factor influencing sauce stability, with direct implications for practical cooking. Specifically, we delineate a regime where starch concentrations below 1% (relative to cheese mass) lead to the formation of system-wide clumps, a condition determining what we term the "Mozzarella Phase" and corresponding to an unpleasant and separated sauce. Additionally, we examine the impact of cheese concentration relative to water at a fixed starch level, observing a lower critical solution temperature that we theoretically rationalized by means of a minimal effective free-energy model. Finally, we present a scientifically optimized recipe based on our findings, enabling a consistently flawless execution of this classic dish.

[borderepisteme]

“Freedom of the press as it was desired by the bourgeoisie could only introduce oligarchy into the realm of the spirit. Such is the contrast between the plebeian and the bourgeois solution of the problem of freedom of the press. Marx's point of view is quite clear. He wrote: 'When a German looks back upon his history, he finds among the major reasons for his slow political development, as well as for the miserable state of literature before Lessing, the "competent writers". The scholars by profession, by license, and by privilege; the doctors and other asses, the characterless university writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with their starched periwigs, their renowned pedantry and their contemptible micrological dissertations, interposed themselves between people and spirit, between life and science, between liberty and man. It was the incompetent writers who created our literature. Gottsched or Lessing — choose between them the "competent" writer and the "incompetent" writer!”

Mikhail Lifshitz, The Philosophy of Art of Karl Marx

[chalogreen]

Exploring Eco-Friendly Packaging

What is Sustainable Packaging?

Sustainable packaging uses materials and production processes that yield a minimal environmental impact. The aim is to be environmentally friendly.

Benefits of Sustainable Packaging

Biodegradable - They are made from either plant-based or recycled materials that naturally degrade without leaving toxic waste.

Compostable - Decomposes naturally through commercial compost processes. Leaves no trace of plastic.

Recyclable - Commodities consisting of post-consumer recycled paper are recyclable.

Accountable Materials - For example, mushroom fibers, banana leaves, and algae reduce the over-reliance on plastic and the excessive processes involved.

Ethical production - the use of sustainably sourced, locally produced, and fairly traded materials has proven to improve lives while having a lighter impact on the environment.

Small Carbon Footprint - Eco packaging vastly reduces the carbon emissions resulting from traditional manufacturing and waste.

Simple Swaps

Paper or Plastics - Go for paper envelopes, boxes and filler made from recycled content. Don’t use plastic poly bags and bubbles.

Glass vs Plastic - Choose glass bottles over single-use plastics because glass is infinitely recyclable.Support plastic reduction initiatives.

Compostable vs. Styrofoam - Replace styrofoam peanuts with compostable corn starch alternatives. Support the ban on non-recyclable products.

For stylish, zero waste, environmentally friendly packaging solutions pay a visit to Chalogreen. They manufacture their products which are entirely plant-based thus saving the planet.