#24 frames per second

[mythosaursarecool]

Is it after 1am? Sure, but I’m trying to figure out how procreate dream works 🤷‍♀️

[thesquidkid]

Roswell, New Mexico as a brickfilm, part 8 (previous videos, other lego videos)

3x13, Liz interrogates Max and Jones to see who is who

[arolesbianism]

What's up gamers I'm bored

[beif0ngs]

Stop-motion is an animation technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments. By capturing 24 frames per second, the object comes to life

The movement of each character, the speed at which they move, and lighting are all taken into account. Everything is crafted and captured manually, frame by frame. By doing everything manually, the handmade nature of this series exudes warmth filled with the unique charm only stop-motion can provide.

As the process requires extreme precision, each animator can only create up to 4 to 5 seconds of footage a day. Approximately 86,000 individual images were required to create this series.

[hazelplaysgames]

hard to be sure what's a better horde clearer, the Dapples or the Goo Tuber. depends how lined up the fish are from you, i guess?

[msvorderofoperations]

Another dream journal, and this one is a real weird one.

It starts out with hearing about a new video game from a podcast I listen to regularly. It is described as a weird indie game that somehow has gotten away with having some licensed mecha designs (specifically Gurren Lagann) in it while having nothing to do with the show they came from. It sounds very interesting, so I end up playing it for myself.

I am immediately struck by the strange but impressive visual design. It is cel shaded (like Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker) but still maintains a great level of detail. It also doesn't really play like most games I tend to play. There's not much actual gameplay, it's mostly cutscenes driven by occasional choices you have to make. It also becomes quite clear that this story is VERY weird. It begins with people working together at a garage to try and capture roaming mechs to scrap them for parts so they can attempt to build their own. Everyone has a reasonably powerful but patchwork car to try and corral the mechs into the space where they can be disassembled.

The choices have not even begun at this point, it's all still in the preamble to set the story. The cutscene continues with having two small but very nimble mechs herded into the garage to be taken apart. Notably however, they are still operational and are still quite dangerous. So everyone piles out of their cars and posts up next to the entrance of the garage. This eventuality has been planned for, as a great many large logs of wood have been piled next to the door. The plan is that once they try to escape out of the building, the group pushes over the logs and either disables the mechs by damaging them or makes the ground so unstable that they pitch over.

This is not what happens, however. The logs get released, but nothing comes out the door. At least, not what was expected. Instead, some old guy appears at the door and informs everyone that they are to be recruited into an unrelated conflict. No one has any idea what this means, but people begin falling immediately ill and the player is presented with the first choice: let the illness take you, or reach into your mouth. I opt to reach in, and pull out a fully grown emperor scorpion. Unfortunately, this is something of a false choice, as once you pull it out another one appears. Eventually the player character succumbs, and falls into a coma.

It fades back in to a command centre, where all of the people that were present at the time of the en-scorpioning happened. As the old man said, they are now fighting an ongoing war against a fully unseen threat. The way that this manifests however is wholly unique. It is shown that if power is lost in the conn, or if a majority of people fall asleep, random objects will turn into other things. Such as: a mouse (the input device) turning into a tennis ball with a string tied to it, or a input panel turns into a bunch of chewing gum pellets. These changes are reversible, but while the changes have occurred the object can act as a conduit for the person we are fighting against. This makes maintaining a defence very difficult, as one might imagine.

So it follows that a lot of preventative maintenance must be done to ensure constant operations, as well as aggressively staggered shifts to make sure that too many people don't fall asleep. Additionally, this change and control extends to the world at large, so it's very difficult and dangerous to trust the outward appearance of anything. This manifests in a number of choices you have to make going forward. A consistent thing that comes up is finding resources of varying kinds left out inside something that could be construed as a mouth. I am aware enough to not trust them when I come across them, and will only extract the stuff if I have something I can prise them loose with, without risking a limb.

Soon, after doing random tasks to keep the lights on (literally) I have some free time to explore a nearby shopping centre. As I do so, however, a cascading changing event happens. First it's small things, but as random people succumb, it starts changing big things. Until entire stores now are subject to the will of this unseen adversary. I will say at this point, that while the first examples I gave were relatively innocuous, the changes and animation of these things very much has the vibes of the flesh technology in Videodrome, which is to say POWERFULLY unnerving.

Eventually, the character I'm playing as gets stuck in one of these spaces with no way out, and gets engulfed. Shockingly, however, he does not die, nor has anyone else in this event. We've all been taken to an auditorium, where a lecture is taking place. As it happens, it's the old man who is responsible for the change at the garage and the person this war was ostensibly against. It turns out however, that the whole point of this conflict is to prepare us for an even greater threat. He has been holding off another entity that has far more destructive potential that has only sporadically made attempts to change things on earth. While they are similar in their manifestations, the old man can change things into others that look similar whereas the otherworldly entity can only change things that have a similar function. In their first attempt, they turned a pair of glasses that someone was wearing into a focal element of a ridiculously powerful laser, and destroyed the entire building that person was in.

The character I'm playing as begins to freak out, because they wear glasses and want to know if they are going to become a vector for the destruction this entity wants to wreak on earth. Some vague dream-logic justification is given on how that won't happen, and it is about here that I woke up.

[nasa]

Athletes Go for the Gold with NASA Spinoffs

NASA technology tends to find its way into the sporting world more often than you’d expect. Fitness is important to the space program because astronauts must undergo the extreme g-forces of getting into space and endure the long-term effects of weightlessness on the human body. The agency’s engineering expertise also means that items like shoes and swimsuits can be improved with NASA know-how.

As the 2024 Olympics are in full swing in Paris, here are some of the many NASA-derived technologies that have helped competitive athletes train for the games and made sure they’re properly equipped to win.

The LZR Racer reduces skin friction drag by covering more skin than traditional swimsuits. Multiple pieces of the water-resistant and extremely lightweight LZR Pulse fabric connect at ultrasonically welded seams and incorporate extremely low-profile zippers to keep viscous drag to a minimum.

Swimsuits That Don’t Drag

When the swimsuit manufacturer Speedo wanted its LZR Racer suit to have as little drag as possible, the company turned to the experts at Langley Research Center to test its materials and design. The end result was that the new suit reduced drag by 24 percent compared to the prior generation of Speedo racing suit and broke 13 world records in 2008. While the original LZR Racer is no longer used in competition due to the advantage it gave wearers, its legacy lives on in derivatives still produced to this day.

Trilion Quality Systems worked with NASA’s Glenn Research Center to adapt existing stereo photogrammetry software to work with high-speed cameras. Now the company sells the package widely, and it is used to analyze stress and strain in everything from knee implants to running shoes and more.

High-Speed Cameras for High-Speed Shoes

After space shuttle Columbia, investigators needed to see how materials reacted during recreation tests with high-speed cameras, which involved working with industry to create a system that could analyze footage filmed at 30,000 frames per second. Engineers at Adidas used this system to analyze the behavior of Olympic marathoners' feet as they hit the ground and adjusted the design of the company’s high-performance footwear based on these observations.

Martial artist Barry French holds an Impax Body Shield while former European middle-weight kickboxing champion Daryl Tyler delivers an explosive jump side kick; the force of the impact is registered precisely and shown on the display panel of the electronic box French is wearing on his belt.

One-Thousandth-of-an-Inch Punch

In the 1980s, Olympic martial artists needed a way to measure the impact of their strikes to improve training for competition. Impulse Technology reached out to Glenn Research Center to create the Impax sensor, an ultra-thin film sensor which creates a small amount of voltage when struck. The more force applied, the more voltage it generates, enabling a computerized display to show how powerful a punch or kick was.

Astronaut Sunita Williams poses while using the Interim Resistive Exercise Device on the ISS. The cylinders at the base of each side house the SpiraFlex FlexPacks that inventor Paul Francis honed under NASA contracts. They would go on to power the Bowflex Revolution and other commercial exercise equipment.

Weight Training Without the Weight

Astronauts spending long periods of time in space needed a way to maintain muscle mass without the effect of gravity, but lifting free weights doesn’t work when you’re practically weightless. An exercise machine that uses elastic resistance to provide the same benefits as weightlifting went to the space station in the year 2000. That resistance technology was commercialized into the Bowflex Revolution home exercise equipment shortly afterwards.

Want to learn more about technologies made for space and used on Earth? Check out NASA Spinoff to find products and services that wouldn’t exist without space exploration.   

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[justmeclover]

this.

this is what true bliss feels like.

Not alot of progress is being made on the animation lately ( curse you motivation! ) but i'm getting there

[shyflops]

The Princess Bride (novel) by William Goldman is 89,426 words. if a picture were actually worth a thousand words, then translating the novel The Princess Bride into a movie would require approximately 90 images, which, at 24 frames per second, would cause the movie in question to last 3 and 3/4 seconds

however, in reality, The Princess Bride (movie)'s runtime is one hour and thirty-eight minutes. so clearly these images are not so efficient. 98 minutes of movie at 24 frames per second is 141,120 frames of movie, which suggests that the average frame is in fact worth Less than one word.

clearly the value of images was overinflated by marketing executives at Big Image, presumably in order to sell more images

[lover-of-mine]

Hi, let's talk buddie stats for the second half of the season because I know yall are waiting for it lol (other posts about this can be found here and here, and here you can find what I think of these numbers)

The rules for my scenepack supercut are that I keep a scene in full if they are interacting, but if they are just standing next to each other I cut around them to just have the times they are in frame together. This cut is different from the cuts I am making available because they are a bit chaotic to watch when doing the cuts around them, for those I am also adding scenes they are talking about each other and cutting the calls that they're not doing anything relevant to their plot and basically trying to make it a more smooth viewing experience. For 8b in particular, I cut around them for Bobby's funeral and the call in the finale, but I did keep the firehouse scenes in full.

Now that's all out of the way, 8b cut is 48 minutes and 24 seconds for 7 episodes. That puts our average screen time per episode at 6 minutes and 54 seconds. The full season 8 cut is at 1 hour and 50 minutes, with 15 episodes and an average per episode of 7 minutes and 20 seconds. To be fair, 808 and 9 have around 17, so that did mess with the numbers, also, the show has 8 episodes with over 10 minutes (201, 204, 406, 613, 801, 805, 808, 809) and 4 of them are in s8, so they had a couple episodes with a lot of them, but still a pretty high average. This is the 3rd longest half-season, losing only to 2a and 8a. The show did keep up with my crazy theory I explained at the beginning of the season, where every episode the 2 of them were in had at least one Moment.

The full screentime of the show is 8 hours, 37 minutes, and 10 seconds in 103 episodes, which brings our average screetime for the show up to 4 minutes and 59 seconds. Before the move to ABC the average per episode was at 4 minutes and 23 seconds. The average on ABC is 6 minutes and 55 seconds.

You can read a breakdown of the screentime Buck had with his love interests here.

Here are updated graphs for the full screentime and the average per season. Please keep in mind 7a has 5 episodes and 7b has 4. I'll be back after season 9.

[tiredmamaissy]

Ralak te Sepwan ieyk’itan: Special Episode II 

Concurrent Tides

An Illustrated Collaboration with @zestys-stuff

Masterlist ; Rut/Heat/Knotting Info

🔞 minors, do not interact 🔞

Hyperlinks are attached to specific paragraphs that when clicked on will lead you to its illustration by Ralak's creator @zestys-stuff. Most illustrations are now on her patreon.

Characters: Metkayina!Ralak (24) x Sully!Omaticaya!Reader (19) Warnings: nsfw, smut, fluff, profanity, age gap, aggressive rut cycle, heat cycle, dom/sub dynamics, jealousy/posessiveness, knotting, marking, scenting, praise kink, breeding kink, size difference, p in v, mating/bonding, multiple climaxes, creampie, ralak is a bit of a meanie in this, let me know if I forgot anything? Word Count: 10k Requested: Yes || No Author’s Note: the second special episode is finally here. sorry it took forever to get it out, but better late than never :') i hope you guys enjoy <3 theres another part to come after this one! 🤍 Synopsis: what happens if you and your new mates cycles sync? 

<- Previous Next ->

——

“Only I knot you.”

That was the first time you’d ever seen Ralaks eyes shift in colour. That same night right after he pulled you out of his memory of his first rut. A beautiful, deep blue, glistening before your honey glazed orbs. It’s barely been a week since that night, yet it replays over and over. Day and night. How he looked at you with nothing but unadulterated greed, hardly catching his breath as he tried to steady his galloping heart. It was something deep-rooted and primal. 

Something animalistic. 

Since, you’ve longed to see him fully immersed in such a state. A state where self control and sexual desire no longer coexist. He’s always too concerned with you and what he thinks you can and cannot manage that he never allows himself to do what he truly wants. The level of restraint you feel through the bond is indescribable. A level you nor any other na’vi could conceivably attain. Regardless, most nights you find yourself fantasizing about this ‘lack of control’ right before bed. 

Nights like tonight. 

Where the stars shimmer so brightly that you need to draw the curtains, and the air is exceptionally cold and crisp that you need to huddle closely together for warmth. When your nose is buried so deep into his chest that there's no other choice for his scent to fill your lungs. And tonight he smells extraordinarily good. The salt of the sea mixed with leather hide. And oddly enough, he smells like… home. The forest and its greenery. It’s quite ironic but perhaps it’s Eywa’s way of saying that this man is truly yours. It's so comforting and right. Like a cup of hot tea on a stormy night, never failing to put you to sleep. A remedy that works in seconds — but not tonight. 

Tonight you’re restless and he can sense it. 

“What is it?” Ralak husks, shifting his position to hold you a little closer. “Cold?” 

Truthfully, you’ve been feeling a little off. Your body has been restless and haunted. As if it could sense some sort of change of shift in the atmosphere. Or perhaps it was between the two of you. “No.” You mumble, lifting your head to look up at him. “Just can’t sleep.”

Ralaks ears twitch, a little surprised his typical soothing techniques aren’t working. He sits up quite quickly, bringing you up with him as he scoots back into frame of his bed. His brows lower when he ponders about what could be keeping you so on edge. He takes note of your flushed appearance and the minute changes in your eyes, they’re glowing a little brighter recently. 

His brows jump when the realisation dawns on him. 

Could it be? He knows it’s close but is it really already affecting you? How is that possible? And does that mean it will be even more severe this time around? 

He had every intention to stay but perhaps it’ll be more difficult than he expected. He should really tell you, but he knows exactly how that would play out. You would get your way as per usual, it was hard for him to deny you of anything you wanted. A quick swish of your tail and it was yours. Ralak took pride in caring and providing for you. But not for this. This was just plain dangerous. And therefore he couldn’t allow you to figure it out. It’s ultimately safer that he keeps it to himself, at least until you’ve adjusted to him a little more. Your intimate moments together are very few in number after all. 

“Why is that, tanhì?” He asks in a low, steady tone, fixing his mask of indifference tightly to his face. 

You may be a slow learner, but you weren’t slow. You could sense that he wasn’t being all that transparent with you. 

“I don’t know. Something feels off about you.” You say in an almost accusatory tone, finally sitting up to look him in the eye. He’s pale in the face and his breath becomes raggedy. “Tell me, Ralak.” 

You watch as his pupils constrict, leaving nothing but a black dot in an open sea of blue. Within a matter of seconds, they deepen in colour and his eyelids flutter shut. He clears his throat, and waits a few seconds to open his eyes. They’re back to normal but you could’ve sworn they looked different. Just like they did a few nights ago. 

“What just happened to your—” Your heart begins to race as you utter the words, only to be cut off by Ralaks hasty voice. 

“Inland. Tomorrow morning. Overnight hunting trip.” He grinds them out as if it physically hurts to say the words. Anything to keep you from figuring it out. 

What? Is he — lying to you? 

This isn’t like him. He avoided trips inland at all costs. Anything to stay with his tanhí. He’d even go as far as faking an illness, despite rarely getting ill, to get out of accompanying Tonowari. Especially for overnight trips. 

“And why did you not tell me earlier?” You manage to squeak out a closing throat, backing away to create a little distance.

He shakes his head as he blinks rapidly, staying put to allow as much space as you need. “I was hoping I did not need to go.” He utters, dropping his head to lock his gaze on your twiddling thumbs. His eyes trail up your dark blue frame, taking note of how your body is already almost trembling —already responding to him— all out of your control. He bows his head, hiding his face. “But it seems that I cannot get out of this one. I am sorry, my paysyul.” 

For a fleeting moment, you really thought this was the beginning of something bad. Something deceitful. But, his words instantly bring you comfort, slowing your leaping heart and putting your mind at ease. 

But the funny thing is that there was no lie. 

There was really an overnight trip inland with Tonowari. One that Ralak arranged himself. Tonowari was especially taken aback by Ralaks suggestion of a hunting trip and immediately queried if he was alright, putting a firm hand on his forehead to determine if he had some sort of fever. But once Ralak explained himself, Tonowari was smiling and laughing, smacking a few blows on his back as a form of approval, teasing him yet again about ‘the love story between an Akula and an ilu’. 

Your sigh brings Ralak out of his deep thought, chin leaving his chest to witness you sliding back into bed, turning on your side and backing up onto him. A smirk pulls at the his lips as he joins you, enveloping you in his warmth once more. A wave of relief washes over him as he rests his chin on the crown of your head. He’s thankful that you didn’t press any further. Otherwise, he would’ve had to reveal his best kept secret. 

His upcoming rut. 

—— 

The harsh thump of Ralaks heart rouses him to the sight of his mate clung to his chest. He admires your beauty, allowing his eyes to fall on your chest, watching closely as you breathe slowly. He gently pulls back the thin sheeting covering your body, exposing your puffy nipples to the cool morning air. When they stiffen into peaks, saliva pools in his mouth. At this point he would have looked away because of basic na’vi decency, but this morning is different. 

He allows himself to stare. To take in every detail on your chest. To sear it into his memory so he can visualise you just like this as he relieves himself. Exposed before his eyes, supple skin glistening as the rays of sunlight reflect against your freckles, exposed, stiffened nipples, that act as the perfect bait to lure in a hungry predator. 

Predator.

That’s what he’ll be in a matter of minutes. Nothing but a slave to his own urges and instincts. Ravenous. Insatiable. Voracious. With not even a sliver of self composure left to hold onto an ounce of rationality. He can already feel it creeping up on him, the hunger deep in his core turning him into the beast that he appears to be on the outside. It’s always been like this. A little too much. Too overwhelming. 

Too aggressive. 

And as the years passed it only worsened. Six unmated years. With no one but himself to make it through the tortuous few days. He just knows that he would be too rough with you. It’s his biggest fear, after all. To have no self control. To hurt the one thing he loves more than Eywa’s gift of life itself. He would sacrifice his own (life) if it meant to save yours.

He was hoping to endure it. Bite his tongue through it and be by your side. Perhaps take a long bath in the lake and crawl into bed after you’ve gone to sleep and relieve himself as quietly as he can. But now that it’s here in full bloom, he’s already having a hard time containing his urge to spread your legs and use you as his own personal fucktoy. 

But you’re more than that to him. 

And this is why he’s choosing to leave before you wake. Before he can no longer contain himself to just staring at your bare chest. Before he pulls the sheet down even further and parts your legs—already trembling from his leaking pheromones—and has a taste of his sweet, sweet tanhí. Rather, he uses his last shred of self composure to plant a firm kiss on your forehead before quickly gathering his gear and heading out the door. 

Unbeknownst to him, you were awake the entire time. 

You could feel his eyes bore into your tiny frame as the crisp morning air grazed past your nipples, just like you could feel the roughness of his kiss right above your brow. You wanted to open your eyes but the way his pheromones waft up your nose had you in a foggy trance. Your eyes burned under your eyelids and your body felt so heavy and hot. 

You couldn’t help but think, is this his rut?

To be influenced by his cycle? You had felt it before. His first rut in the flashback, but it was nothing like this. Sure, it had you shivering and a little on edge but this was to another level. You could barely open your eyes, much less get out of bed. This entire time your body has been sending warning signals that its mate was peaking in his cycle — restlessness, clinginess, the nesting. You had unknowingly gathered enough fruits and grains to last you a few days. Even in this murky state of mind you finally manage to link the pieces of the puzzle together. 

Listening to his footsteps as he walks out the marui, you muster up as much strength as you can to open your eyes. It’s blurry and honestly all just one blob. You could only make out a few colours trailing behind this gentle giant—green, blue and orange. All of which mix together and move like the aurora in the night sky. If one could see what a pheromone looks like, this would be it. When you finally get enough strength to part your chapped lips to mutter his name, the colours disappear as the marui flap closes behind him. 

You really thought that once he left and the room aired out, that the influence of his pheromones on your body would lift as well. But you were wrong. Instead, the heaviness of your body grew tenfold, making it hard to breathe. It’s as if your lungs were filled to the brim with cold water, yet they burned as you squirmed around to fill them with air. The fire in your lungs quickly spread to your extremities, leaving your entire being in a sweltering inferno. 

This feeling is familiar, yet foreign all at once. A desire so extreme it burns from within. The desire to be connected with your mate on all levels known to the na’vi. To satiate the itch of your empty, fertile womb by filling it with his seed. 

Why did you have to get your heat now?

You call for Ralak a few times in your dazed state, only for you to be reminded by nothing but the crash of the waves that he’s gone. Soon the heavy rumble of the waves is drowned out by your whimpers and whines as you call for your mate to no avail. All you can manage to do in your feverish haze is kick off whatever cloth is stuck to your body, curl into a ball and rock to ease the unbearable sensation between your legs.

All until you hear a familiar, husky voice. 

“I was doing some sessions with Ronal and—”

“R-Ralak?” You call out in relief, hoping your prayers have finally been answered. You roll onto your side and squint at the figure in the door frame. 

“Uh. Not quite.” He quickly mutters under his breath, moving his forearm to shield his nose from your strong pheromones wafting his way. “Eywa—” He mumbles the great mothers name like a curse as he looks around the marui for your mate. “Where is Tak?” 

Tak?

The more you squint your eyes, the more you’re able to make out who this figure standing in your doorway is. Your blurred vision clears just enough to reveal the unforgettable, brawny features of no other than Ka’ani. 

“Ka’ani?” You say the name slowly, unsure if you should believe your eyes. 

“Hah. What do you know…” Ka’ani scoffs, moving his arm from his face to lean in to get a better look at your condition. You’re panting yet shivering, glazed in your own sweat and slick. He smirks a little as he pulls back, spitting out the words, “…bitch in heat.” 

“What are you... d-doing here? You should leave!” You try to shout, although it comes out more as a hoarse cry. 

“Why should I? It looks like you need a hand.” Ka’ani jesters, physically extending his hand towards you as he wiggles his thickset fingers. 

“Haa. I really don’t.” You pant, hugging your knees to your chest even tighter.

“You’re sitting in a puddle of your own sweat.” Ka’ani’s voice is harsh, yet laced with concern. “And whatever else is coming out of you.” His jaw clenches and unclenches as he looks away from you, seemingly out of — respect? He catches sight of the full bucket of fresh water at your bedside, along with empty drinking bowls.

Has she not been tended to all day? Not a sip to drink? Ka’ani thinks to himself, concerned as to why Tak’s mate would be alone, uncared for and in heat of all things. 

You finally muster up the energy to tug the sodden sheet over your naked body and scoot back further to the frame of the bed. “Ralak said he will be back soon. You should leave if y-you want to live.” You lie, feeling a little threatened that a male na’vi has barged into your marui while you’re in heat. 

“Yeah, I don’t believe that for a second, y/n. None of this makes sense.” Ka’ani speaks, taking a few steps towards you. 

You shuffle even further back only for your back to make contact with the bed frame. A rush of fear surges through you. The type of fear that has your heart twisting behind your ribs. You cross your legs over one another, bunching up the sheet between them and beg with trembling lungs, “P-Please, Ka’ani. Don’t.” 

Ka’ani stops dead in his tracks, seemingly offended by your assumption that he’d be approaching you to do something that the great mother herself would look down upon. Sure, he tracked your scent last time, but he was here atone exactly for that. 

“Syor [relax]. I would never do such a thing.” He says through gritted teeth, storming towards the bedside and quickly pouring you a drink. “No matter how strong your scent is. Although, you don’t smell all that great now that you’re mated.” He chuckles lightly as he hands you the drink. Your eyes jump between him and the cup in his hand before you struggle to sit up. His hand instinctively reaches out to assist you, but you bat it away and continue to pull yourself up. 

“Just — let me help you.” He snaps, supporting your back when you finally give in. “Drink.” He commands, plunking the cup in your hand, taking a step back and crossing his arms.  

You gulp down the water greedily, finally quenching your thirst and hoping it will provide some level of relief to your febrile condition. You hum to yourself as the water makes its way down your throat, but groan when you feel no better. Meanwhile, Ka’ani takes in your state, feeling a twinge in his heart for you when he sees how you’ve been suffering. You look more than uncomfortable. You look like you’re in pain.

“You’ll be alright, y/n. Just tell me where he went and I’ll go fetch him.” He speaks in a more gentle tone, taking the empty cup from your hand.

“I-I don’t — haah. He said he went… He went inland to hunt.” You blubber out, feeling your body heat to a dangerous degree. It has you shaking as you ease yourself back into a more comfortable position. 

Ka’ani shakes his head a bit, “Inland to hunt? Really? When his mate is in heat? Tak would never. The only time he’d ever do that is if he is also… in rut.” Ka’ani stalls on the last few words that slip off his tongue, tasting them in his mouth as the realization sets in. Ka’ani quickly fills the cup, sets it next to you and bolts to the door. Before he ducks under the flap of your Marui, he looks over his shoulder and reassures you.

“Sit tight, forest girl. I know exactly where he is.”

— —

It’s been a few hours since coming to his usual spot — the waterfall with the coldest water known to the reef people. It is Ralaks most private and intimate place aside from his humble abode. A place where only a select few people know about. He’s most drawn to the low temperature of the water, making it a perfect environment to endure the heat of his rut in. 

Despite doing this for the past few years, each cycle gets a little more intense. And this one is certainly no exception. 

Ralak sits underneath the overhang, right in the dip of the plunge pool, and allows the water to beat on his back. He’s maintained this position for the past few hours, only releasing himself when the pressure in his core grows too much. A pressure so immense it would have his body acting on its own accord — a wandering hand finding its way to his swollen cock. 

Truth be told, he hated the feeling. 

He hated feeling so out of control. To be nothing but a slave to his own primal impulses. He’d fight it as much as he could, just like he is now, until the sensation is just too intense to ignore. Until he’s grunting and squirming with a body so heated it has him grinding his teeth. 

He quickly stands up, tilting his head back and covering his face from the stream of the water with his hands. At this point his cock is so swollen that it’s outright painful, throbbing and pulsing from the lack of attention. He thinks of you — your thin tail and tiny stature. The way you lay in bed this morning before he left. Naked and exposed before his eyes. Eywa, how he wishes you were here. How he could finally spend his rut with his mate, but he just knows it would be too much for you to handle. 

The thoughts of you make this no easier, sending his hips thrusting into the air — the running water stimulating his thudding cockhead. He groans from the immense pleasure a little water brings him. He’s neglected himself so badly to the point that he feels like this could really make him cum. But how many times has he cum by now? 

Once? Twice? Thrice? 

He lost count after the fifth time, not that he was keeping track anyways. If anything he was downright denying himself the pleasure, and convincing himself that he remained in control. But fuck, the image of your delicate body —the possibility that he could break you if he weren’t careful— pushes him over the edge. Before he can stop himself, his hot cum is spilling from his slit all over the length of his cock and he’s unable to keep his noises at a minimum. 

“Mmmph.” His deep growl rumbles, a hand grabbing a firm hold of his jumping cock. 

He squeezes what’s left out of his slit, finally looking down to see the state of himself. It’s red and raw — spikes fully erect and balls drawn so close to his body they’re practically hiding behind his thick knot. He lets out a loud sigh. 

Relief. 

Finally, he leans back against the rocky wall and slides down into the plunge pool, immersing himself chest deep into the water. He lightly treads back to the bank and makes himself comfortable — allowing his head to rest and body to relax. He takes a few deep breaths and tunes into the burble of the waterfall. 

All until he hears the click of a — 

Ka’ani?

“Tik-Tak.” Ka’ani clicks melodically, cautiously approaching the giant submerged in the waterfall. Ralak doesn’t budge. He remains fixed in position, eyes shut, head and elbows resting on the edge of the river. His chest heaves harshly as he attempts to remain in this less than tranquil state. “Never thought I’d see the day Ralak leaves his mate in heat. To be soaking in a waterfall of all things.” 

Perhaps Ralak heard wrong. Leaving his mate in heat? Ralak would know if his mate were in heat. He would sense it. Whatever rubbish he’s spewing out, Ralak doesn’t have the time, nor patience, for it. 

“Skxawng, what are you on about? Leave me be.” Ralak huffs, wiping the sweat from his face with a quick hand movement.

“Just as I thought. You’re all hot and bothered too, aren’t you?” Ka’ani chuckles. 

“Leave.” Ralak says angrily, his purplish-blue eyes finally snapping up to meet Ka’ani’s. “I have just calmed.”

Ka’ani’s brows knit together, offended and a little confused with himself for being upset from the way Ralak is shooing him away. 

“Oh c’mon brother. All I’ve been told today is to leave!” Ka’ani’s hands fly up as he takes a step forward. “First your mate, and now you. Am I really that unwanted?”

Now he’s got Ralaks attention. 

Ralak gets a whiff of your sweet, sweet pheromones on him. As if he’s been around his tanhì. Scenting his tanhì. Touching his tanhì. His primal urges devour him once more, eating away at him until nothing but a possessive beast remains. One of pure territorial instinct. 

“What did you do?” Ralak growls through a clenched jaw as he jumps out the water and approaches Ka’ani. “Scenting my mate again?” His voice booms as it increases in volume, yet lowers in depth. “Answer me. Did you touch her?!” 

“No!” Ka’ani blurts out, now taking a few steps back with his hands splayed out in front of him. “Is that what you both really think of me? This is the last I ever do some—”

Ralak remains silent, taking quick, calculated strides directly towards Ka’ani, who is now backing up into a tree. Once his back hits the scaly bark, Ralaks' balled fist slams into the trunk, barely an inch away from Ka’ani’s skull. 

“Alright! Alright. I know what I did before. I-I’m sorry. I came looking for you to apologise for that but I found her in heat. Okay? I came here as soon as I realized.” 

Unsure of whether or not to believe a word coming from this skxawng’s mouth, Ralak steps away from his prey, bloody knuckled and full of uncertainty. But the one thing he is certain about is the fact that he wants no other na’vi to find you if you really are in heat. With a huff of defeat, he pushes past Ka’ani and bolts for the shore. 

——

The trek back to the marui is twice as quick. Your pheromones are thick and potent, affecting him even a few feet away from the marui door. And when he steps through the marui door, he’s completely inundated with the thick fog of your pheromones. He feels lost in himself, struggling not to succumb to his instincts. Struggling to regain control.

“Ma’ L-Lak?” You mewl shakily.

You can smell him, just like he can smell you. It only drives you further into your heat, your trembling body now shaking a little more. Sensing that your mate is in close proximity, your scent glands release more of your aphrodisiac to lure him in. In turn, this has its effects on your body — sending you into a submissive state where you feel too heavy to even lift a finger. You lay there, legs splayed out and glossy fingered. 

You watch through blurred vision as the tall and thick silhouette quickly makes its way towards you. Ralak grabs and firmly holds your legs back as he leans in close, making the confirmation that his mate is indeed in heat. He lingers a little longer than he can control, taking everything in him to pull away and calm down — panting and out of breath. 

“It is true.” He huffs, towering over your tiny, shivering frame. “In heat.” The two words drip off his tongue, much like the thick nectar dripping from your slit.

“Lak. Oh — lak. ’ts you.” You cry out in relief, clawing at his thigh to bring him back to you, “‘m so happy it’s you ‘nd not someone else.” His teeth grit as your hand grazes his thigh, but he remains fixed in place, unsure of his ability to keep his composure if he allows himself to give in to your touches. 

What is he supposed to do now? 

He didn’t think this far into his plan… for once in his life. Typically he’s quite calculated and certain of his next move but now — now he’s not sure how he’s going to deal with this. He just knew that he couldn’t leave you alone. Not for another man to find and claim you in the way that only he should. But he has to remain himself. For you. He swallows down his uncertainty before speaking. 

“I should have stayed.” He looks down at the flushed, puffy flesh between your legs with a rapacious glint in his eye. “I am sorry.” 

“Don’t be. Just p-please. It’s to-o much. T-Too hot. It aches, karyu.” Ralak winces when you groan the last few words, it’s almost painful to resist you at this point. You go to claw at this thigh once more, only for him to shift away. “No, don’t do that. Not right now. N-Need you so ba—”

“My rut came. This morning.” He’s quick to cut you off with a strained, yet monotonous voice, unable to peel his eyes away from your swollen cunt. 

“I-I know.” You pant, earning a twitch of Ralaks brows. “‘nd t-that’s good. Ngh—that’s really good,  I-I can help you too.” You mumble, sticking your hand between your legs to fondle with yourself. With the way he grimaces one side of his face, it seems as if he wants to look away, but can’t. 

“No, tanhì. We spoke of this.” His accent is thick as he struggles to string the words together, “No control. Trying hard…” he inhales quickly, eyes plastered to the sight in front of him, “…not to lose it.”

At this point the haze of your heat has you lethargically shaking your head from side to side, mumbling whatever frustrated-fueled words that first come to you “…haven’t cum yet…”, you squirm around to find a position that allows your wandering fingers better access to your hole, “…need to cum.” You slur the words as you barely slip two fingers inside you and you quietly sob when they provide very little release. 

“Ralak!” You cry loudly enough to at last lure his gaze up to yours, the night sea finally meeting the roaring flame. Your voice quiets down into a soft whimper, “Please. Just t-try. Please.” 

A moment of silence passes where you and Ralak stare at one another, hearts pounding and chests heaving, understanding exactly how the other feels. The burning desire to come together. The resistance, yet the lack of control. The eternal flame within. The heat. 

Ralak breaks eye contact to glance at your slender fingers working as hard as they can. He breathes a heavy sigh, feeling a pang of guilt for leaving you when he sees just how raw you are from being in heat all alone. He’s responsible for you even being in this bad of a state, isn’t he? Leaving you before sunrise with nothing but a kiss on the head. If anything that only made it more intense for you. He wants to — no, needs to care for you. It’s what every part of himself is urging him to do. 

“The thought of another finding you… like this.” Ralak rasps as he closes in on you, “so vulnerable… it makes me — haah.” He cuts himself off with a shaky sigh and a clench to his jaw. Beads of sweat ball on his temples, slowly rolling down his angular jaw to eventually meet and drip from his chin onto your stomach. He looms over you, his hair flowing forward when he suddenly grabs and tugs at your wrist in one swift move, yanking your fingers out of you. 

“Ss-ah!” You hiss with a wince, heart skipping a beat when you realise that he’s barely there anymore. “I-It makes you, what?” You ask quietly — nervously, even. 

A bestial growl begins to rumble in his chest, causing a shiver to ripple through you—hardening your nipples into peaks within seconds. Jawbone fluttering from his reluctance to answer, he harshly cups your pussy with his hand, causing you to gasp. His sharp, intimidating stare locks with yours, brows tensing as he allows two, thickset fingers to slip down to your slickened opening. His growl fades into a single, drawn out word. 

“Nìfmokx. [jealous]” 

His admission slips past his lips just as his fingers sink into your aching core, leaving your mouth agape and hot tears spilling over your cheeks. Jealousy isn’t an emotion Ralak is used to feeling. Much less something he would subject you to experience with him. But you could see the raw emotion in his eyes, as they flicker from a dark blue to something even deeper. It’s the way his stare bores into your innermost being as he fills you up with his digits alone, telling you that you were his, and his only. 

He hooks his fingers right into your gummy walls, holding his position as he moves his hand in an up and down motion at full tilt. The tips of his fingers repeatedly slam into your swelling sweet spot, coaxing out broken, filthy noises from your throat. He hums with pride, yet his face remains stone cold, minus the occasional twitch of his jawbone. He’s trying so hard to keep at a steady pace, and not to be too rough with your fragility. 

“Oh f-fuck.” You curse under your breath, both hands grabbing a firm hold of his forearm. You’ve been unintentionally edging yourself all day that you’re already almost there. And no matter how hard you squeeze and claw at his now-veiny arm, he remains unmoving. 

“Go on, then.” He huffs impatiently as he looks down at you, feeling your walls clamp down on his fingers. Your heels sink into the bed when you push your hips into the air, fingernails digging into his skin as you near your first release. You begin to whimper, bucking your hips to chase the feeling of relief. It’s right there. It’s so close; and you just need to allow it to wash through you. You tense up so badly your whole body shakes, sending your teeth chattering and your bottom lip quivering. You swear you can see the stars from the night sky litter your vision and feel your heavy lids flutter shut.

“Look at me.” Ralak demands in a sharp, gruff tone. Your glossy eyes shoot back up to his, and you start to sputter out whatever gibberish comes from your mouth — a few curses mixed with his name and your fathers’ mother-tongue. He continues to glare down at you with a rigid face, tensing his jaw as he wills himself to be gentle and patient with you. “Good. Now cum, little one.” 

Your pathetic noises suddenly fade into a sweet, little cry. A cry of relief when your frustration washes away as you finally come undone on his fingers. The alleviation is so intense that it’s almost consuming; “T-Thank—” you collapse back down onto the bed, “—you. Thank you—haah, thank you karyu.” You pant repeatedly, his forearm ripping from your grip when he unexpectedly wrenches his fingers out of you. You squirm from the sudden emptiness, “Wait—” 

“Do not thank.” He spits the accented words as he stumbles back to create some distance between the two of you. He pants as he attempts to recollect himself, his face of stone finally screwing into something of a grimace. “So…if another na’vi found you, would you thank him too? Hm?”

“Lak. I… N-No.” You stutter, unsure of what to even say. 

“You are mine. My mate…” he growls through thinned lips, “My duty. Understand?” 

“Yes.” You nod quickly, feeling your cheeks heat up. It arouses you to see him so jealous. So possessive. So assertive. 

Ralak slams his eyes shut and gulps so hard it’s audible —visible even. You could see the bump in the column of his throat quickly undulate, his chest heaving harshly and his shoulders dramatically rising and falling with each breath he struggles to take. And for a while, there’s nothing but silence and his heavy breathing that you feel the overwhelming need to break it. 

“Ralak.” 

Your trembling, tiny voice snapping his head back up to you, once tightly closed eyes now flying open to reveal the most beautiful shade of mauve. They pierce into you like a spear through an unsuspecting prey, full of nothing but pure, unadulterated greed. 

You never thought you’d see them again except in that vision. You get lost in them for a little, studying how the gold ring around his blown pupils still remains even in a sea of indigo. 

You sense that he’s in the thick of his rut now and you need to relieve him soon, like he did for you. Or only Eywa knows what will happen. You allow yourself to finally take in the man before you in full, eyes trailing down his sweaty, muscular physique — perfectly carved v-lines and six fingered tattoo — until they land on his aching cock. 

Oh, fuck. Is he bigger? You think, admiring his mushroomy head and erect spikes. It’s oozing and dripping, unable to keep still from how hard it’s pulsing. It’s at least an inch bigger than usual. 

You look away to study his facial expression and by the way he’s looking at you, you can tell he’s waiting for your command, trying his hardest to prevent himself from pouncing on you and fucking you senseless right here and now. You’ve never seen him this way before. Straining so hard to keep himself in one position and struggling to keep his hands to himself. 

“Ralak… More.” You spread your legs as wide as they can go, holding them apart by the bend of your knees, exposing yourself completely. His heavy lidded eyes widen almost as much as your legs, pointed ears flicking upwards in excitement when he sees you assume such a vulnerable and submissive position. 

“Y/n.” He groans, voice thick with arousal and want and maybe a little desperation as he takes in the sweet sight of your still-pulsing and swollen clit poking out between your folds. “I am… losing control.”

Hearing your name fall from his lips in this way — this tone, instantaneously reignites the flame in your core. In seconds your slit is practically dripping, forming a pool of your slick underneath you. “Good.” You pant as you stare up into his slit-like pupils. You swallow quickly before mustering up the courage to invite the beast in. “Now…remind me who I belong to.”

How could he resist now? 

With the way you’re talking and your pheromones so pungent that they fill his lungs to the brim with no space for any other option but to fall into the thick of his rut. Before you can formulate another thought in your foggy state, Ralak has your legs pinned back and is diving nose first into your cunt. 

He wastes no time to have his fill of you, lapping up your juices so desperately your body moves from the force of his licks. He has been wanting to taste you ever since you made a mess on his fingers, fuck — ever since he got a whiff of your scent from outside his marui door, but denied himself the pleasure in the case he couldn’t stop himself from going any further. But now, all restraint and denial is now left out at that very door. 

The flat of his tongue trails up your inner thigh and then back to your folds, tasting a mixture of the sweetness of your slick and the saltiness of your sweat. He groans when his tongue finally grazes past your clit, feeling it throb against his taste buds. He lingers there for a while, swirling and sucking on you until he unlatches to come up for a quick breath of air. 

“Fucking ftxìlor [delicious].” He gasps out a curse, shoving your legs even further back to have seconds of his meal. 

It becomes evident that he’s doing this for himself. Because if he were doing this solely for you, he would have made you cum by now. He’s eating you out as if he’s been starved for weeks, sucking and popping off your clit just to lap up the sweet, sticky nectar seeping from your hole just to coat his tongue. 

He’s nowhere near as quiet as he usually is, grunting and groaning as he swallows your juices. His fingernails dig into your thighs as he tries to keep himself from being too rough with your tiny, dainty body. But, his attempts prove to be futile once you feel your hips lift off the ground from his grip tightening around your thighs. You stare at the sight of your mate between your legs, crinkling his forehead and squeezing his eyes shut as he can’t stop himself from indulging in his urges. 

“Fuck me!” You let out a frustrated moan, your heat having you so on edge you need to cum again. 

His eyes fly open, and within moments he’s tucked under your hips, pelvises flush together as he rests his throbbing, neglected cock between your folds. His tip touches your belly button with ease, beads of precum oozing out of his slit one after the next. 

“This is what you want, yes?” He bucks his hips into you, the tip of his cock smearing his slick all over your deep blue skin. 

“Fuck, yes.” You whisper shakily, chin meeting your chest to look at the masterpiece he’s painting on you. “I want my mates cock.”

He only responds with a rough growl, flipping you over and pushing you onto your stomach.

“Oh shit.” You mutter under your breath, a little afraid of what you’ve gotten yourself into. But you trust Ralak. 

You know that even in rut he would never hurt you. Not intentionally, at least. Of course this is not to say that he would be gentle —you expect that anything but.

With a firm hand to your upper back, his body is pressed against yours and his face nuzzled into the crook of your neck. He breathes in deeply through his nose, holding it in his lungs, and then letting out a hot, shaky breath against your skin, finally allowing himself to really take in your scent. 

He almost becomes drunk off it— at least it feels that way for him. Your scent has him feeling like he’s downed two full bottles of fermented fruit with no chasers in between and he simply can’t get enough of it. 

Hand moving swiftly from your back to your head, he pins your face to the bed as he trails his tongue along your jawbone to the nape of your neck. He lingers a little longer than he can help, suckling on and grazing his pointed canines against the skin. It sends shivers down your spine until your tail curls into the air and back arches in complete submission. You push back into him, feeling his hardened length pressed between the swell of your ass and base of your tail. 

Fuck, you just want it inside you already. 

“Lifting your tail for me, hm?” He huffs, puckering his lips against your skin and suckling tenderly. You can feel the emptiness creep back in, and that maddening itch deep in your womb. You moan softly, like a low hum under your breath, which only riles him up more. He feels like he wants to make you his all over again.

To mate with you. 

To mark you as his in every way so that no other man would even dare look your way. Without warning, Ralak pushes up off you, his sinewy arms caging you in with one hand binding your wrists and the other keeping your head pinned to the bed. His legs hold yours down, his knees locking your ankles in place. 

“You belong to me.” He growls next to your ear, his hand abruptly leaving your head to reach for the base of his skull for his kuru. With a quick tug, he brings it over his shoulder and pops it into his mouth to hold with his teeth. He reaches for your kuru that lies innocently in the dip of your back, and brings it towards his mouth.  

A wave of anxiety washes over you when the image of Ka’ani finding you earlier in your own mess flashes before you. You can’t help but wonder if he would see that if he made tsaheylu right now. Imagine how he’d react when he realizes Ka’ani saw you naked and covered in slick? Your body squirmed at the mere thought, only making Ralak tighten his grip on you. 

“Wait!” Is all you could blubber out before you feel the connection —the bond. Your eyes bulge when you feel him surge through you, two minds becoming one. It takes you by surprise, he’s never one to hastily or unexpectedly make tsaheylu with you. But tonight he makes the bond as if you were a tsurak to be tamed. 

What he sees next drives him further into his territorial urges — your interaction with Ka’ani. The way Ka’ani barged into his home. How he saw your naked, vulnerable body. The fear that you felt when another man invaded your space. When he helped you. Innocently touched you. 

“He touched you.” He says between pants, a mixture of emotions washing over him all at once. But the sharp pang of your heat transferring through tsaheylu has him entirely succumbing to his own urges and carnal instincts. 

He’s simply not there. 

His hips start bucking uncontrollably and his cock is poking and prodding at your puffy folds. The crown of his cock jabs at your clit a few times before finally parting your folds and with a quick snap of his hips he’s probing your entrance. 

It stings when his swollen cockhead breaks past the resistance of your tightness, and he can’t help but lay hold of your hip and hiss from how tiny you feel. This is the first he’s ever had his cock stuffed inside a pussy during his rut. The feeling is all-consuming and he unapologetically yearns for more.  

Hips snapping back, he pops his cockhead out of you only to shove it back in again. And again. And again until he’s repeatedly using your tight, little hole as nothing more than a fucktoy for his own self pleasure. 

He leans back to take in the hazy sight, admiring the way your hole stretches perfectly to accommodate the sheer thickness of his cock. And when he sees the mushroomy part of his head slowly emerge he can’t help the way his hips stutter just to sink it back inside you. 

It’s torturous, not having all of him inside you when that’s what your body is pining for most. He’s so much bigger than normal and you know that this is an itch that only he can scratch. “God—” You whine the foreign word, “—just fuck me already!” 

“Agh. Quiet.” He lets out an irritated grunt, both hands flying to your hips to shove you down onto his cock — a loud, audible smack permeating the air when your sticky pelvises collide. 

It almost overpowers the hoarse yet piercing cry that escapes your quivering lips. You’re so tender that the sudden stretch is too intense and with no time to adjust to his size you find yourself shuddering like you did after he took your innocence —your virginity. 

His head dips back in ecstasy just when his tip kisses your cervix, his eyes screwed shut as he tries not to spray his seed inside your womb right now. His fingers sink into your skin, surely leaving bruises behind that will last for weeks. 

“Hngh — woman.” He groans longingly, dropping his head forward and opening his ineberated eyes to witness how your cunt is sucking in every single inch of his cock with glee. 

He grinds himself inside you, tugging at your hips and pushing against the resistance as if he were trying to stuff more of his cock inside you. Your high-pitched shrill fades out into a pathetic little whimper, your wobbly elbows and knees struggling to keep you up.

It’s all too much and your fucked out mind goes blank. You can’t even process how your body is submitting to its owner and his rough touches, opening itself up to be bred already. You sense what’s coming next. Your back bows, elbows and knees burying into the softness of the bed as you try to ground yourself for Ralak to use you for his own relief. 

He does exactly that— hunching over you and shuffling his knees closer so he can gain more leverage to fuck into your slippery cunt. He puts all his weight on you, his fingernails almost piercing your skin when he begins rutting into you like his life depends on it. 

He sets a merciless pace right off the bat, pounding into you as if he were angry with you. He huffs and puffs from trying to catch his breath but fails because he can’t stop himself from humping at you. His body won’t let him, not until he’s ensured you're full with his seed and will bear his child. 

Hands quickly leaving your hips, he grabs your wrists, binding them together once more and the other grips your kuru and yanks it back. Your neck is exposed and your mouth hangs agape as you’re given no other choice but to take the jackhammering of your life. He’s never fucked you so hard or fast and perhaps it’s the haze of your heat but you just want more of him. 

“F-Fuck. FuckFuckFuckmeFuckme— yes!” You beg deliriously, pushing yourself back onto him. You can feel the way his cock is bulging from your lower stomach, but you couldn’t care less because you just want it even deeper inside you. Fuck, it hurts even but it feels so good that you can’t stop begging for more. “Deeper — oh, yesyesyes!” 

Ralaks groans become drawn out and he’s burying his hot face into the crook of your neck as his pulsing tip bullies its way past your cervix. It’s like white hot pleasure surging through your entire being and it has you so lightheaded you may actually pass out before he’s finished with you. 

His cock heats up inside your cunt, becoming so veiny you could practically feel each vein press against your gummy, slimy walls. He’s now panting open mouthed against your throat, his tongue darting out to lick your skin. He shoves your head down so he can access the back of your neck—a hot spot for your pheromones— and grazes his canines against you. Every fiber of his being is urging him to sink them into your skin and see if you taste as good as you smell. His fangs throb in his mouth at the mere thought, his hot saliva dripping off their length and down your neck. 

You’re so overwhelmed and overstimulated that you can’t form a coherent thought much less process the fact that you’re quickly nearing your climax. It’s as if you’ve surrendered all control over your body to him and he’s dictating what happens next. Your pussy walls tighten around him so much it aches and he outright whimpers. 

“Sst-ah.” He pulls away from your neck and slams his eyes shut, grimacing from the way your cunt is gripping his cock. At this point you’re so on edge that you’re just pinching him, locking him inside you and almost cutting off his blood supply. It’s more than painful for him, and he becomes peeved that you won’t ease up. 

Irritated, he aggressively slams himself into you so that you stop with your pathetic little pinching, but all that does is tip you over the edge. Next thing you know your cunt is helplessly fluttering around his cock and your pussy juices are trickling down your thighs.

“Mmm-fuck I’m cumming!” You moan the words so quickly they jumble together, “Cu-cumming! Cumming!”  

You throbbing around him has his eyes rolling into the back of his head but the more your body convulses underneath him the more he grows frustrated with you. How could such a little thing put on such a big performance? Why won’t you just stay still?

So he thrusts. And thrusts. And thrusts. 

Taming you in the only way his body knows how. Fucking into you without mercy or sympathy. He lets out a hiss, the first he’s ever directed your way, and tightens his grip. “Keep…” He pulls out of you until only the tip is left inside, “...still.” Ralak’s deep voice rumbles next to your ear as he slams every inch cock into your cunt, the mere force of his thrust almost knocking you onto your stomach. You let out a broken whimper, coming down from your high and already feeling the coil in your stomach wind and heat up again. 

“Haa—‘nna…make you swell.” He groans the fragmented sentence like a dying man, grinding so deeply inside you that his swollen balls rub against your puffed up clit. Your bruised cervix feels so good against his cock as he uses it to massage the most sensitive part of his tip. 

Experiencing nothing but absolute rapture, Ralaks head slumps into the crook of your neck, where he’s flooded by your scent. He only grinds harder. And harder, until he’s panting like a viperwolf against your skin.

“Fuck — please…” You beg through a shaky whisper, trying to free your hands from his undying grip, “I j-ust c-came.” 

He’s just so fucking big and deep that he’s touching parts of you that have never touched before, and he’s only getting more aggressive the more you push away his advances. Right now, you’re just a squirming, noisy bitch in heat that needs to be put in her place. To surrender and submit. And the pheromones wafting up his nostrils only drive him further into his bestial urges to claim you as his.

His teeth and gums throb in his mouth once more when the urge to mark you as his becomes indubitable. Much like the urge to keep you still enough to make you into a vessel for his seed. He indulges himself, yanking your head back to expose the bend of your shoulder. He hovers open mouthed over your flawless skin and gives you a kitten lick before ruthlessly marking you. 

Your eyes bulge and pupils constrict into nothing but dots when you feel his lengthy fangs plunge into your flesh. The wail evading your throat is deafening and only gets higher when you feel your shoulder set ablaze. His jaw locks into place and he holds you still as he incessantly claims you as his in more ways than just marking. Your eyes start to water and your body stiffens when you feel it. 

He’s bulging inside you. 

Stretching you out until your shoulder isn’t the only part of you on fire. You lash around, clawing at whatever’s in your way until your nails are dull but the more you move the more it burns. “Y-You’re getting bigger inside me!” You release a high pitched squeal, your elbows and knees finally collapsing under you. Now all his weight is on top of you, pinning you flat to the bed with nowhere for you to go. He begins groaning low and deep, drawing it out until it turns into a depraved growl. It feels as if he’s swelling inside you, as if he were doubling in size. As if he were — oh fuck. 

“You’re — you’re knotting me, lak!” You yell when you come to the realisation. It feels like there’s two of him inside you, stretching you to unfathomable lengths. Despite your continuous attempts to get him to let up, he continues to bulge inside you. “You’re knotting me.” You repeat the words in a weakened, croaky voice of defeat, finally giving in and accepting your fate. 

Riding out his high, his hips stutter out of his control — a familiar sensation now flooding your core. A rush of warmth inside you. It’s his hot seed pumping inside you, his cock thumping with each spurt. He groans and moans until you’re so overloaded with his cum it begins to drip down your thighs and mix with yours. 

He unlatches from your shoulder, lapping at the wound to prevent it from bleeding too badly. He plants a few rough kisses on the double crescent shaped mark and works them up to the lobe of your ear. He’s panting and sweating and he can feel the fog lifting now that he’s had his release. “‘m sorry.” He mumbles between wet kisses, now trailing them back down to the fresh wound to lap at it some more. “‘m sorry.”

“Ralak, I-I” You stutter, overloaded with all these new sensations. It’s burning worse than a hellfire wasp sting but at the same time it’s everything your body hungers for. “Haah.. it-it hurts” You whimper quietly, looking behind you to see the most inebriated eyes you’ve ever seen on this man’s face stare back at you. He releases his pheromones to help your body calm down and feel less pain, ultimately scenting you all together.  

“Mawey.” Ralak huffs, trying his hardest to stay still now that he’s quickly coming to the realisation that he’s knotted and marked you in one go. “Doing… so well, tahnì.” He tries to praise you but truthfully he’s still in and out of it, dazing off when he feels the occasional throb of your walls. 

“Am I? Am I helping you too, lak?” You ask in a surprisingly optimistic tone, proud that you were able to do what you were told was unmanageable. He musters out a nod, grunting as he finishes emptying himself in your womb. 

Feeling some level of sense and rationality, you ask him a question that’s been on your mind. “I’m going to get pregnant, aren’t I?”

“Mm.” He hums, nodding his head as he nuzzles himself into the dip of your shoulder, inhaling your seeping scent. 

“Is that what you w-want?” Your breath hitches as you flinch from his cheek resting on your shoulder.

“Mm.” Another grunt, followed by an unexpected, fervid thrust — his body answering your question on his behalf by ensuring every last drop of his essence is inside your fertile womb. 

You focus on steadying your breathing now that you’ve gotten your answer. 

“Irayo, muntxate [thank you, wife].” He says weakly, finally rolling you both onto your sides for some much needed rest. You chuckle. A weak one, but a chuckle nonetheless, and repeat his own words back to him.

“Do not thank.” You say with a smile, getting yourself as comfortable as you can for the long night ahead. 

—— 

[sirfrogsworth]

I love practical effects.

I love that more directors are trying to incorporate practical effects.

But you do not want a 100% "practical" movie. Our standards are much too high. The stunts required for a modern Bond movie would be much too dangerous. You would not believe what some of the old Bond movies got away with in terms of stunt safety.

Like, they literally killed a guy.

The only 100% practical modern VFX movie was Oppenheimer.

And the dirty little secret is that Nolan used a loophole to say this.

He shot practical assets instead of creating them with computer modeling techniques.

Assets are individual elements that are combined with live photography during post production. They might be explosions. Or blood spatter. Smoke or water. They can be filmed against a green or black background. Or they can be created from scratch by a VFX artist. Nolan filmed all his assets in real life. So they were "practical."

Incorporating the assets is a process called compositing. It's basically like advanced photoshopping but with 24 frames per second instead of a still image. It's hard work that takes months. And often involves a lot of rotoscoping where you cut things out with a digital exacto knife. For heavy rotoscoping scenes, studios will sometimes hire a rotoscoping firm in India where they just cut things out all day. It is one of the most tedious processes in all of VFX. I have to do it in my photography work and I can barely stand a few hours at a time.

Anyway... Nolan hired 100 of the world's best compositors to take all of the practical footage of sparks and electricity and weird fluid and smoke setups and integrate it with the on-set footage. They probably used a lot of deep compositing which is not traditionally seen as "CGI" even though it is computer generated imagery. It allows artists to composite in a 3D space which helps elements look less like cardboard cutouts.

The work of these VFX wizards was downplayed and Nolan and the studio marketing bragged about how not a single frame of the movie was "fake." Despite the fact that hundreds of shots were heavily digitally altered.

The karma of it all was the nuclear bomb looking like a backyard gasoline explosion.

If he didn't hold himself to that ridiculous standard, he could have augmented the explosion with CGI and that scene would have had twice the impact. He could have still bragged about the insane lengths he had to go through to create practical assets. And he could have joked that the only reason he had to use CGI is because they wouldn't let him set off an actual atomic bomb.

[eilorow]

Civic Transform - Ball Playing

Robert was jogging down the street, like every morning. The 24-year-old had taken that habit from his father, who encouraged him from a young age to start the day with a good amount of exercise. Ever since he moved out of the house, and into his new apartment, he kept the habit of going out for a jog every morning. He usually liked to go to Canjel Park, just around the corner, since there were a lot of trees to shield him from the sharp sun rays.

Although being active everyday, Robert didn’t quite show it. He wasn’t small for say, but was still skinnier than most guys his age, and his lean muscles weren’t fit for much more than cardio. Being 6 feet tall also made him look thinner than he really was. The young man didn’t own any proper sportswear, so he usually just wore some old baggy clothes. Today, his outfit was composed of his dad’s old shorts, too big for him, some shoes he bought thinking they would adjust to his feet, but remained just a little too big to be totally comfortable, and some old design shirt that was hanging loosely on his skinny frame.

As he turned and entered through the park gates, he noticed a sign that wasn’t there before, nailed to the washroom building wall. It read “No ball playing in this area” in capital letters. He chuckled to himself, as he couldn’t help but imagine the sign trying to prevent people from fondling their balls. He knew that’s not what they meant, but it still made him smile.

Robert kept jogging as he took a side path in the park, as per his usual routine. With trees on both sides and a few benches to rest on, it was his favorite. However, a few minutes later, a weird feeling started spreading through his body, like apprehension mixed with a tingling sensation. He maintained his rhythm with ease, although he felt itchy in his crotch area. He tugged at his dick to reposition it, and was surprised to see it instantly raise up to half-mast. He let go of it instantly, not wanting to embarrass himself in public, and kept going.

However, as the young man kept running, he started getting horny, and caught his hands drifting towards his cock. He was trying hard to stop himself, but as he grew itchier and itchier, he couldn’t help but grab it for a few seconds. He then looked down to see his 4-inch dick fully erect and poking at his shorts. Disgusted of himself, he let go immediately and turned around, wondering why he had so much sexual energy all of a sudden.

The jogger focused on ignoring his cock, no matter how horny he felt. He breathed heavily and managed to keep his focus for around half of the way to the entrance. He felt his crotch becoming tighter and tighter, but never dared to look, until he couldn’t stop himself anymore. He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked down, as his dick was a good inch longer than usual.

He stared at it for a few seconds, bewildered. Looking around, he saw a park bench and decided to sit down, to catch his breath for a moment. He sat there, staring at his 5-inch dick, and wondering why it made him feel so horny. He was resting his hands on his laps, though his fingers kept moving slightly, as if slowly trying to reach his cock. He kept them in place, though his resistance was falling, little by little. Eventually, he couldn’t hold it anymore; his right hand gripped his dick and started slowly stroking it. Robert threw his head back in pleasure, moaning softly, before looking down at his cock. Its head was shooting upwards, moving further every time his hand stroked its length. He remained in this sexual daze for a short while before another wave of apprehension hit him. He shivered slightly and got back to his senses, letting go in a panic when he saw his cock jutting out a good 6 inches.

The young man stood up, his mind focused only on getting out of this place. He didn’t know what caused his situation, but he needed to get out. He started running towards the entrance, faster than before, but struggling more, as his member grazed the side of his thighs from time to time, bringing back a bit of pleasure. He kept his thoughts anchored on the exit, following the path he knew like the back of his hand. However, as he kept running, he kept thinking back to the sign at the entrance. “No ball playing”. He shook his head, but just couldn’t stop thinking about it. He felt more and more pleasure in his crotch area, and looked down to see a 7-inch cock caught between two thick thighs. He was getting bloated, even though he’d only been running for a little bit. He could also feel the first drops of pre-cum leaking, staining his underwear. The sensation of his dick rubbing against his thighs was making him crazy and horny, but he kept his fast rhythm, heading towards the exit.

As he turned past the last patch of trees, he finally saw the exit, in front of him. He slowed down a bit as he finally felt relieved, safe, and about to be out of this mess. However, as he was approaching it, thoughts of the sign kept coming back into his head. Almost against his will, he slowly turned his head and looked at it again. Suddenly, he felt his balls inflate, growing slowly in size as his dick pushed out more pre-cum. Robert looked down at his wet 8-inch cock and could not resist gripping it with both hands. He stroked it slowly, moaning softly, and stumbled his way to the wall the sign was nailed to. He pressed his back against it and started stroking faster. As he did, his muscles started growing again, getting much bigger than they had ever been. His pecs jutted out, slightly pushing the front of his shirt, as his shoulders broadened. His biceps and forearms grew into powerful arms that let him jerk off even faster. His hands also grew, his fingers thickening and the palms of his hands broadening. Meanwhile, he was also getting taller, his torso stretching as he developed a 6-pack of abs that were showing under his now tight shirt. His legs started thickening as well, his thighs and calves pumping up, finally showing some sort of progress after his training. His feet lengthened, filling up his large shoes. Then, his legs started stretching as well, bringing him to around 6’3. Finally, his facial figures changed, his face getting wider as his jaw squared up, his chin and nose pushing out in the process. He now was more of a 34-year-old than a 24-year-old, and he sure felt like it too. As his moans kept getting louder but deeper as his voice matured, he finally came, shooting ropes repeatedly on the grass in front of him. 

Robert put his now 9-inch cock back in his pants and took a good look at himself. His shorts now stopped above his knees, and held his large buttocks tightly in the back. His shirt, now too small, was lifted in a way that made a bit of his abs visible. His feet were slightly cramped in his shoes that barely fit him now. The man grabbed his balls through his pants, jiggled them and chuckled, thinking of the sign. “Well, I never was one for rules anyway!” he thought, before standing back up and walking home.

[dfroggofarson]

Helloo Dear Reader! Since exam period is crushing me I decided to post Chapter 2. today. Thank you for the likes and the reblog! I am looking forward to feeding on your support. - that's gonna be how I measure my worth, obviously.

Btw You can also find this on my Ao3 under the same username.

Have fun and a good day (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

Cry, Baby

Chapter 2. - Some I-scream, sir?

"No, I’m telling you, Pompompurin is extremely cute!"

"Exatly! That’s why I’ve been telling you to get Pompompurin socks, like me!"

You wiggled your toes in the pink merch socks while the rest of your legs were still under the too-clean and too-white hospital sheets. It has been almost a week since you’ve had the luck of being hospitalized, and today was the day you finally got released. Yamaguchi came here every day just to be with you for these past six days, and even though you got him to go home early yesterday, he insisted on being with you today to help you with packing, and to treat you to ice cream as a reward for enduring hospitalozation and not dying. You told him you were perfectly fine now, but he was adamant.

"I’m not leaving you alone! What it another episode comes and you’re by yourself?" He asked, despite knowing you have nurses available 24/7 and your mom also came to check on you every day after work.

You were thankful you had a friend like him.

Now there you were, standing up slowly – as per your friend commanded you – while he held your right arm to help you balance yourself. "I can stand all right by myself, thank you," you remarked, to which Yamaguchi just snorted.

"I don't think so."

"I really can, but... alright." Your face warmed into a smile.

Your friend made sure you could actually stand on your two legs, and then went over to the other side of the bed to pick up your backpack your mom brought you a few days ago.

”So I packed your bag but look around, I might have forgotten something," Yamaguchi offered. You glanced around and shook your head. "I got your books, snacks, clothes, socks, and um… that sort of things…" Suddenly his face became all read and you had to take a moment to realize why.

"You didn’t pack my underwear, did you…?" You asked, mortified, now your face read also. He gulped. "I told you to leave my underwear alone! Were you secretly a pervert all this time or what?!"

"No, no, I’m sorry! I was just trying to help, and happened to grab them, too… It was an accident, I swear!"

"How can this be an accident?!" You exclaimed, both of your heads as red as an overripe tomato. "How can touching my underwear be an accident?!"

"Are you finished, kids? We have to get going."

Both of you turned to the door to see your slightly annoyed mom leaning into the door frame. If red had an even more intensive color than you two were wearing, now your faces would resemble that. You wanted to dig yourself a grave and lie in it without hesitation. Yamaguchi’s face told the same tale.

"Come on, Yamaguchi-kun, get Yori’s bag," she ordered, and the poor boy flinched. He grabbed your bag and scurried out of the room as quick as possible. "Let’s go, Yori."

"Yes, mom," you replied.

"And teach that boy some manners while you’re at it! I don’t want grandkids until you’ve both finished college."

"Mom!" you cried, burying your face into your shirt.

"I’m so sorry, Ms. Shidou, I really didn’t mean it…" you heard Yamaguchi whine while waiting for you in the corridor. You caught up to him while letting your mom take the lead.

She got you checked out of the hospital, and took you to the gray Toyota that was parked outside the hospital. All three of you got in the car and remained silent. It was your mother who broke it first.

"How are you feeling, Yori?"

"Better, thanks. I am as healthy as an ox!" You said smiling, and you didn’t lie.

It was just that you had a weird feeling in your stomach you did not know the reason of. But hopefully it was not another warning for a second seizure to come.

"The doctor told me about this new experimental medicine," she continued. "I could have you enter a program, he already made a spot for you. Most of it would be covered by the hospital. He also said it’s much better than the last one, it’s showing great progress with little side effects. I think we should to it."

Your smile weakened. Another experimental program? The last and only one you were willing to participate in ended with night vomiting, serious headaches and early signs of depression. Although it made the number of your seizures deplete, it was not worth it. You would have stopped after the second dose, had your mom not pushed you through all the way to the sixth.

You had no choice but to go with her decision, but maybe you could get her to drop these trial drugs.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea… The last one I took only made it worse," you mentioned carefully.

"Yes, but it’s different now. I looked at the numbers, almost seems to be too good to be true, but apparently it is."

You highly doubted that.

"What do you think, Yamaguchi-kun? Don’t you think it would be good to end these hospital visits and get these seizures out of Yori?"

Yamaguchi looked to the other side. You absolutely hated when she did that. Trying to get a manipulated opinion out of your best friend to support her cause.

"Well, it’s not really my place to say, but… I think Yoriko-chan should be the one to decide. As far as I have heard the last time it didn’t go that well…"

"Is that so? Hmm, I suppose you’re right…" she gave the impression of thinking about it, but you knew very well she had already made up her mind.

You just despised these situations.

The car turned to the left, and you were now in the city center of Shibuya.

"Mom, you remember I told you how we wanted to grab some ice cream with Yama-kun? To celebrate my release?" you said quickly. Anything to get out of this. "Would you please drop us off somewhere near? I’ll meet you at home in a few hours, I promise I won’t be late!"

"Oh, right. Let me take a right, I can pull aside there."

She turned to the right and stopped the car. "All right, you two be careful. If anything happens, call me and I’ll get you," she said, but you knew you would never do that unless it really was an emergency. "Yamaguchi-kun, keep an eye on my daughter – but not a too close one."

Yamaguchi nodded his head up and down frantically, and promised to do so. You bid your farewells to your mother, and got out of the car. You watched as she drove away, and when the Toyota was out of sight, you let out a sigh so large Yamaguchi almost jumped.

"I just hate it when she picks on you, I’m sorry," you said, but he just waved it off.

"I know what she’s like, I sensed something was coming our way," he admitted, to which you grimaced. "But really, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe they’ll go away, like three years ago, and then they won’t come back."

"Even if that were to happen, I doubt she’ll let go easily. Maybe if nothing happens for a few months. I’ll just need her to drop this topic."

You two walked silently towards the ice cream shop you knew well. That strange sensation in your stomach did not seem to go away, no matter how hard you tried to ignore it. The grimace on your face only shifted also. And Yamaguchi was quick to notice it.

"Are you okay? Does something hurt?" he asked worriedly. You shook your head.

"No, it’s just… this seizure was somehow… different."

"Different?"

"I can’t really put it into words, but there is a strange sensation in my stomach telling me something’s wrong," you admitted. Strangers passed by while you were walking slowly. "And… I had this weird dream while I was sleeping… there was this... thing that had four arms and four eyes."

"Wow, okay, your dreams are mostly horrific or undecodable, but this sounds different," Yamaguchi said, looking on the pavement.

"Yeah. And also there was some kind of word I heard while looking at it. It was Ryoumen, it means double-faced, I think."

You heard someone tripping over their feet behind you, and you quickly turned to see a white haired man collect himself casually. He wore rounded sunglasses. You quickly turned to him.

"Are you okay, sir?" You asked as Yamaguchi approached him as well.

"Of course, of course!" He replied, probably with the most unworried tone you have ever heard in your life. You had no idea what he was on but you would gladly accept some of that. "Sorry to bother you, I just accidentally overheard you talk about a dream you had, and I happen to be a big fan of strange dreams! Would you care to talk about it more?" He smiled friendly, and you started to have a fishy feeling about him, you just couldn’t put your finger on it. But you were so taken aback by his question that you automatically replied to him.

"Sure, uhh… So there was a four-armed thing, maybe a guy… and I heard this Ryomen…"

"He had four eyes, right? What colour were they?" He asked, face still lit up for whatever was so interesting in your random dream.

"Uhh, blue, why?"

"Oh, blue, I see! You know, there is actually a study that showed that less japanese people see blue-eyes in their dreams, so I guess that makes that dream extra special!"

"I… see?" You were seriously weirded out right now, and you could sense Yamaguchi had the same feeling.

"Also, did he by chance have black marks across his body?"

Something was wrong.

"Yes."

You could not see the stranger’s eyes, but you swore to God something changed in his expression. The next moment it was gone, like nothing happened.

"Are you in a hurry now? If it’s not inconvenient for you, would you care to join me for a coffee to talk about this dream more?" He asked, and all alarms went off in your head. Something’s wrong, something’s wrong!, your gut told you.

"Please excuse us, but actually we are in a hurry," said Yamaguchi, grabbing your arm and starting to pull you in the opposite direction he was originally going in.

"Yes, but it was very interesting, thank you for the talk," you said, hoping to God he wouldn’t follow you. Maybe it would be a good idea to call your mother, she couldn’t have gone that far…

"Ah, forgive me for taking your time, then. But please take my contact info, if anything pops into your mind or have another dream like that, please contact me!"

You quickly took the card uttering one last "goodbye" – heaven knows why – and let Yamaguchi practically drag you away from the scene. You glanced at the stranger’s direction – but he was gone! It was like he wanshed into thin air. The hairs on your neck stood up. Run, your brain told you, and you made haste right away. You and Yamaguchi only stopped when you were several blocks and streets away.

"Oh my god, I thought he was going to kill me or something," you panted, heart still in your throat, and Yamaguchi nodded heavily.

"He’s totally a serial killer. Oh my god, he must be a serial killer, I am so glad we’re alive."

"Me too. Shit that was weird," you muttered, still terrified of the aura that man was carrying. What was his business?! You just couldn’t figure it out.

"Maybe he wanted to kidnap you, you’re a pretty schoolgirl after all.”

"Let’s just… not think about that againand forget it, okay? Shit. Thanks for dragging me away, I thought I was gonna throw up and get killed on the spot," you said, eyes wide, while both of you leaned onto a wall. "I do not want to die by the hands of a random stranger."

"What if we didn’t talk about death at all?" He interjected. "I don’t want to die, I’m too young to die. No death for me, please."

"And no ice cream too, I really think I’m gonna throw up…" You barfed, trying to hold it in. Your stomach was stirred to the point where you really thought you were going to vomit. Thank you, stress.

In the end, you managed to hold back, but you didn’t have the nerve to get going just yet. Both of you just leaned to the wall and stared out of your head.

What was that man’s business? Was he really some sort of dream-scientist or whatever? He didn’t seem to be bad at first glance, he was maybe even handsome and friendly. But the questions he posed and the way he did… Every single nerve in your body told you to run, that something is wrong and just go.

You looked at your hand, his card still in your palm, although a bit crumpled. You waned to throw it away immediately, but… something told you to keep it. You were still a bit trembling, so without thinking, you put it in the back pocket of your trousers and forgot about it as quickly as you could. You would throw it out later.

The two of you remained here for what seemed to be half an hour, until you could calm your heart and breathing. Only ten minutes passed by the time you got going, and none of you spoke about getting ice cream that day again.

* * *

Later that afternoon, you said goodbye to Yamaguchi. You could still see how his hands were shaking, and you could relate to him quite much on this matter. He made sure to get you home safely, walked you to your front door and watched you go inside before he turned to go home as well. Thankfully, he only lived a few streets away from you, and just three minutes after he dropped you off you got a message from him telling you that he’s home, too. You let out a sigh of relief and went straight to your room after saying hi to your mom. She did try to ask why were you so early, but you just said that you remembered you have a test on Monday and you and Yamamguchi had to study for that.

Once you got upstairs, you changed to your pajamas and plopped on your bed to watch anime, or anything, to get your mind off of that strange encounter. You started the first anime that came to your screen and watched mindlessly. It seemed to work, and because Yamaguchi didn’t text you you assumed he was doing the same.

A few hours later you had dinner with your mom, and although she was not a bad cook, you just couldn’t get yourself to eat with joy. You dodn’t have an appetite, but if you had let her know that, she would have tried to ask questions that you really didn’t want to answer.

When you were winished with washing the dishes, your mind was somewhat at ease. You went to the bathroom to get ready to sleep. You said goodnight to your mom, walked to your room, and tucked yourself in. Sleep didn’t come that easily – but when it did, you wished you never closed your eyes in the first place.

-- > chapter three

[who-is-page]

Schrödinger's Dog

Author: Page Type: Personal Essay Words: 533 Summary: How weed affects and changes Page's phantom body and self-image as a canine psychopomp. Author's Note: Content warning for mentions of medical marijuana, obviously. Cross-posted from Dreamwidth.

I sometimes take edibles as a form of medication, with a medical card and the whole nine yards. Specifically for my arthritis, because it's one of the best ways to reduce my pain and improve my appetite on my high-pain days, where I mostly feel otherwise inclined to lay in agony on the couch and refuse to eat anything. But something I've noticed--and which I've actually heard of happening second-hand from quite a few other alterhumans who partake--is that it tends to affect my phantom body in unexpected ways.

I have a strong phantom body 24/7. My phantom limbs are fully integrated, and they never go away. I'm also, colloquially, a dead dog. I'm a wolf skull on a wolf-shaped shadow. For me, my phantoms most often feel like my species' features integrated onto an anthropomorphic frame. When I get high, this changes!

My phantoms are still constant, but they become much stronger, to the point where if I close my eyes it can almost feel like a fully physical change; our reactions to stimuli forget that we're human-bodied more often like this, and I have to work harder to keep it at the forefront of my mind that I don't need to worry about my tail catching in a doorway or accidentally running into Orion with my snout. More than that, it no longer feels like a canine anthropomorphized-- I feel fully quadrepedal, a huge wolf superimposed onto a background human-layer with the latter's opacity turned way, way down. It also, most importantly, turns my shadow into proper fur, gives me flesh and blood, and even changes my skull face into a fuzzy muzzle with a cold wet nose to boot.

Being fluffy is such an indescribably luxurious feeling. The fur's still black like my shadow, but it's incredibly thick, and it's beyond amazing whenever one of my partners gives me pets and it feels like they're running their hands through it. And having an actual nose! I have one as a dragon, but having a dog nose is very different. When combined with the more intense phantoms overall, it makes it feel super sensitive. My paw pads have such a fun texture, and it's so interesting how my fur tapers down on my legs and my muzzle. Really, the list goes on and on. All in all, I super enjoy the ways I change.

The feeling of phantom limbs and phantom bodies strengthening and of phantom body perceptions changing from taking marijuana is something I've heard discussed in alterhuman circles plenty, although I haven't seen very many writings on the subject or similar. It's a shame, because, just based on my own anecdotal experience, I've seen a wide breadth of totally different and unique interactions between alterhuman identities and various recreational substances. Dove's panel at OtherCon 2022, Entheogens for Otherkin, and the discussions it inspired is one of my favorite examples of that. Of course, it makes sense why there wouldn't be all too many writings floating around in the community about it-- I mean, it's not exactly always a fully legal hobby to discuss openly, per se. Someone should do a survey about it. Maybe I will, at some point.

[mayonaizs]

animatings actually easy as shit heres how to animate a quick movement in 5 frames

(works better with small things, if there is larger movement, then you probably should have more than 5 frames but whatever):

key frame 1 (start position):

key frame 2 (end position):

now we have the start and end, we make a middle stage:

the pink and green are the previous and next frames showing. its called onion skin and is good for drawing inbetweens 👍

here is the middle stage without onion skin:

and then, using the first frame, we make an ease in frame, which is just the first frame with a teensy tiny bit of movement towards the goal (onion skin showing frame 1 on the left and no onion skin on the right):

then we get an overshoot frame, which is the final frame but extended a bit further so when it plays, theres this spring-like bounceback effect (it makes it more realistic). (onion skin showing last frame on the left and no onion skin on the right):

now make sure that the key frames (first and final frames) are on for multiple frames since they are when the movement is still. the program i use, FireAlpaca, has an option to change the amount of frames a frame is onscreen for, but you can duplicate frames manually if needed

or

the amount of frames the image needs to be onscreen for depends on the framerate of the whole animation (how fast each frame is onscreen for). note that higher framerate does not necessarily equal smoother animation and an animation can still be pretty darn smooth even with 8 fps (frames per second) but the standard for animation is 24 fps. its all a matter of how you animate. i like to do 8 or 12 fps cuz i dont have to draw as many inbetweens teehee

here is the animation on 12 fps:

^ i have put the key frames on for half a second, which is half the framerate, so the key frames here are on for 6 frames

this is the animation on 24 fps:

^ i have increased the key frames frame count to 12 frames since the framerate was increased.

the movement is faster in 24 fps because the amount of frames are the same, but the more inbetweens you add it will be slower. this is a tutorial for animating with 5 frames, though, so who cares. plus if this is the effect you want then whatever

lasty, here is one on 8 fps:

much slower than the previous two. duh (the key frames are now on screen for 4 frames in this version)

anyways reblog with your tries if you find this, dear animation babies and theres another example below:

works with other things as well obvs heres a quick one i did on 12 fps:

frame breakdown:

key frame:

ease in:

middle stage:

overshoot:

key frame:

im only showing the important frames in onion skin, like ease in is mostly based on the first frame, overshoot is mostly based on the last frame, and the middle stage is only based on the key frames. but whatever yknow heres the ease in frame with onion skinning on both sides:

theres a bit more going on in it so it might be confusing for animation babies but whatevs

heres it on 24 fps its a bit scary 😨:

also heres one where the middle stage is a blank frame its kinda cool like anime moves too fast you cant even see it type shit:

^ i made this on accident but its pretty epic therefore you should experiment with animation styles and shit might look cool