#ISH Market Growth

[smute]

inspired by my tags ⬆️ on this poast:

LAUNDRY STRIPPING

basickly laundry stripping is an old (ish) tiktok trend that for some reason has started appearing on my dashboard recently.

it involves soaking your clean laundry in a bathtub with hot water and a solution of borax, baking soda, and detergent, and the idea is to "deep-clean" your clothes removing detergent, fabric softener residue, body oils that have collected on your clothes over time, and other grime. the viral videos all show tubs full of opaque brownish gray water.

HOWEVER! the implicit (or sometimes explicit) message that "your washing machine isn't actually cleaning your clothes 🙀🙀🙀" or more bluntly, "your clean clothes are actually FILTHY!😵" borders on fear-mongering imo which is the part that really pisses me off. i've seen people blame everything from big detergent to fast fashion, and many people seem to swear by laundry stripping as a necessary practice, so i am here to debunk it. i am the debunker.

now i am become debunker, the debunker of bullshit.

✂️hyperfocus kicked in so the rest is under the cut✂️

TL;DR:

laundry stripping can technically help, but it only addresses a symptom rather than the cause of the problem. generally speaking, it is unnecessary if you wash your laundry correctly.

but many people don't.

so let's review:

I. AVOID UNNECESSARY ADDITIVES

softeners (including dryer sheets) and perfume (those scented pearls of waxy stuff) fuck with the properties of textiles (both natural and synthetic) and they can build up on the fibers. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY AN ISSUE, in fact, it's what they're designed to do, but over time it can make fabrics feel less fluffy, it stops cotton from absorbing moisture (especially bad for bedding/towels), and it messes with functional fabrics (active wear etc).

if you really really want to use fabric softener, try limiting yourself to shirts and stuff. dont use it for underwear, and definitely dont use it for bedding and towels. also, try using less of it/don't use it for every load.

II. AVOID OVERDOSING

if you use too much laundry detergent, there's a chance that some of it will be left behind on your clothes even after the final rinse cycle. it can also make your clothes feel sticky and irritate your skin. more importantly though, IT WILL BUILD UP IN YOUR MACHINE, which not only damages seals and gaskets and wears out the motor, it also encourages the growth of bacteria and mold.

this is an easy fix though. apart from the fact that washing machines, like all appliances, need to be cleaned regularly, you can easily tell if you're overdosing by looking at and feeling your laundry at the end of a cycle. if there are any suds left or if the fabric feels slippery, put it through another rinse cycle and try using a little less detergent next time.

III. KNOW HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT CYCLE AND TEMPERATURE

your washing machine has multiple settings for a reason. DON'T use the same one for everything all the time and DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE HOT WATER SETTING. please please PLEASE wash your towels and bedding at higher temperatures.

okay, so afaik many american washing machines use lower temps because they depend on an external hot water source. according to google, the "hot water" setting on american washers can mean anything over 130°F (55°C), which is the minimum temp i would recommend for bedding and towels. (obviously mind the instructions on the tags, but tbh if a cotton pillowcase or towel can't be washed at hot temps, dont even buy it).

european washers usually have a built-in water heater and allow you to select a specific temperature, including a 95°C (203°F) cycle. USE THAT. i know, i know, every detergent brand has jumped on the climate change marketing bandwagon and tells you to conserve energy because their super duper laundry sauce can remove stains at ice cold temperatures, but that's exactly the problem. as a rule: the higher your water temperature, the less you depend on aggressive additives to clean your laundry. and if you have a washer that can do 95°C/203°F, it's probably a front loader and quite energy efficient to begin with.

like i said, 60°C/140°F is the minimum i would recommend for bedding/towels as well as for washcloths, cleaning rags, dish towels, etc. but do try to make use of the 95°C/203°F cycle occasionally. 60°C/140°F is also good for underwear and things that are actually dirty.

the 40°C/104°F cycle is totally fine for most other things, and if you're washing delicates or things that are just "worn" rather than dirty/sweaty/stained you can definitely do 30°C (86°F). google says this would be the "warm water" setting on american washers (=generally between 90°F/32°C and 110°F/43°C).

and tbh if it's your jam, feel free to do 20°C/68°F (="cold water") for those things. BUT NOT FOR BEDDING AND TOWELS

IV. SO WHAT ABOUT LAUNDRY STRIPPING?

you can do whatever you want forever. if your clothes feel sticky and not clean and you think you may have been overdosing your detergent or if you use a lot of fancy additives because you like mixing colorful things and miss making potions on the playground (no judgement btw) go ahead and try it.

one thing i want to say though is that in 90% of the videos i've seen about laundry stripping, the murky brown water is literally just DYE. 🥴 scorching hot water alone is more than enough to make textiles bleed color.

borax is also an irritant and laundry soaked in such a concoction is not something i would handle with my bare hands (if borax was legal in germany lol). hell, most detergents can irritate your skin, so if you decide to strip your laundry with this method, please use gloves.

V. A BETTER ALTERNATIVE

this is based on personal experience btw, im not just talking out of my ass. if you've been using a lot of additives and your clothes don't feel clean or smell weird even when they're freshly washed, try the following troubleshooting steps:

CLEAN YOUR WASHING MACHINE

DO NOT USE BLEACH AND VINEGAR! oddly enough, this seems to be the number one recommendation on many websites, but mixing bleach and vinegar creates POISONOUS CHLORINE GAS! 😐 both things can also potentially damage rubber seals/gaskets. instead, try the following:

start by manually cleaning the parts of your washing machine that are accessible from the outside. remove the detergent drawer/dispenser compartment, take it apart, and clean it with warm water. use a bit of dish soap and a sponge or an old tooth brush to get rid of stuck-on gunk.

wipe down the rubber gasket around the lid/door. this is just to remove any gunk or lint stuck in there so water should be enough, but you can use a bit of dish soap if you like

find the filter on your machine, take it out, clean it with a paper towel, and rinse it off

finally, run an empty cycle at the highest temp but add one or two tablespoons of natron/baking soda instead of laundry detergent

repeat as needed

REMOVE FABRIC SOFTENER RESIDUE FROM YOUR CLOTHES

tbh i hesitate to call it "residue" because coating the fibers of your clothes is literally the whole point of fabric softeners, but that's exactly why they can be problematic.

most fabric softeners are hydrophobic, so water alone won't do anything. instead, try soaking your clothes in lukewarm water with dish soap, which also works great for removing fabric softener stains, or simply put them through a cycle with dish soap instead of detergent. (please don't use too much though because it can produce a lot of foam🫧)

AVOID COMMON MISTAKES

try to remember the basic tips from above going forward:

avoid unnecessary additives (fabric softener, dryer sheets [the same thing basically], and laundry perfume)

less is more. don't use too much detergent. pods are gimmicky and fun and very convenient, but they don't give you much control over the amount. for liquid detergent and washing powder, stick to the instructions. also, detergent pods are a major source of microplastics.

choose the right cycle and water temperature.

VI. SECRET BONUS TIPS

not directly related to laundry stripping but useful to keep in mind:

don't overstuff your washing machine, and if you do half a load/a smaller load, adjust the amount of detergent accordingly.

if you use a tumble dryer, CLEAN THE FILTER AND LINT TRAP AFTER EVERY SINGLE LOAD FOR GOD'S SAKE. not only is it kind of desgostang to let all that hair and lint accumulate, it's also a fire risk 🔥 additionally, clean the internal filter as well as the vent hose regularly, and check for lint in the less accessible areas and behind/underneath the dryer.

don't leave zippers unzipped, but DO leave buttons unbuttoned.

this one is hard, i know, but try not to leave wet laundry in the machine for hours and hours. set a timer. not only will your clothes be wrinkly, they will also develop a funny smell very (and i mean very) quickly. if a load has been in there overnight, it probably needs to be washed again.

additionally, leave the lid/door open after a cycle to allow moisture to escape and to prevent mildew in your washing machine

finally, and i know this is gonna be controversial, but SORT YOUR LAUNDRY! 😭 it's the one necessary step that allows you to use the appropriate cycle/water temperature for different loads. color bleeding is not the only concern here, and you absolutely do not have to wash all colors separately, but separating whites from darks WILL preserve their color without the need for bleaching/lightening agents. general rule: separate whites from darks and bright colors. separate delicate fabrics from heavy denim. group things by cycle/temp. combine things like bedding and towels, or underwear and sweaty/stained clothes, and group semi-clean stuff that only needs a cold wash. i swear it's not as complicated as it sounds.

ok rant over 💕

sources: personal experience, my mom, research and critical thinking skills

[delyth-thomas-art]

Tired Webcomic Creator Noises

Gags … ah yes lets make art into mindless content spat out by Ai cos we've been literally killing creators with inhumane workloads to spit out as many episodes as possible for mindless consumption.

I make my comics with passion and love of the craft! I have a degree in Comics, I spent years...years learning, practising, experimenting, adapting. I recall the days where you may get a page a week, or a few at the start of the month back in the 2000s era of self hosted webcomics and smackjeeves. (Rant below)

I've had to learn how the whole scrolling format worked to adapt to where all the readers had gone to, having been taught the traditional print page formats. And now cos its suddenly a massive money maker for these few hosts and they've pushed creators to the brink with the sheer volume they want pumped out that of course they want to use AI.

But it will speed up colouring! I have multiple tools available by the software I use and made by the wonderful people who love creating that colouring isn't that much of a chore, Its my fav part honestly. And its also a job sector within comics, colourists are skilled artists and this is another way to trim the fat, to pocket more money and keep churning out the 5th millionth villainess story.

Yes I am in most views a tiny creator, I haven't even broken their 1000 sub goal to even try applying for ad rev in the near 5 ish years on webtoon. But what I make I love, I spend hours researching folklore, scripting, drafting the whole kabudle like many other creators. And other than the kind supporters on my Patreon and Ko-fi I don't make much from the hours, days, weeks I pour into what I make. But at least I know its made with my own hands. That its made with love as corny as that sounds.

Ai is creeping its tentacles into everything, now ethically trained ai tools to help smaller creators would be fine. Most creators already rely on 3d tools to speed up things like backgrounds for webcomics. But when we don't know what its trained on, and is marketed wholesale as something anyone can use to make "content" is where it gets insidious. I am all for anyone with the desire to create and tell a story to go out there and do so, whether a beginner or a master. Part of the joy of a long running webcomic is seeing the artist grow both artistically and literary. But with ai it will be all one homogenous style, a copy of what ever is the hot thing. We already have amazon stuffed to the teeth with ai generated books, videos, merch and more all to be sold in some get rich quick manner. (need I point at the Willy's Wonderland incident). Youtube videos being spat out by faceless accounts stealing and regurgitating content at the speed no human video making team can easily match without cutting out quality or fact checking.

It is tiring. Creatives as a whole are treated poorly for decades, and now with the rapid late stage capitalism, website /social media enshitification and the blind headlong rush into the next big money making thing (watches the nft crash). I can't deny Covid sped this up, as everyone was locked inside and turned to what we creators made for comfort. But that content eating boom, lead to more demand, faster output and tighter budgets. We are seeing journalists being cut, game designers in their thousands and recently Dreamworks cutting a bunch and pushing to make their Robot film come out sooner due to public demands.

Skilled creatives are being treated like disposable fast food restaurant employees. Used til they burn out, get injured and even die! And then are simply replaced.

I've never been a creator with huge ambitions to work at places like DC, Marvel or Top Cow. I simply wished to create and share stories with the world, to bring smiles, to create art that evokes emotions, inspires others to look around themselves and create too.

Art is for everyone. You just need to take that scary jump, there is a whole array of welcoming communities willing to teach and share. I wouldn't have improved so much without the kindness of the webcomic groups I've discovered and learnt from. Everyone is always learning, and there no shame in not knowing how to do a thing. Even I started with the cheesy how to draw books as a kid and made my own pokemon and digimon.

Don't let the world treat your art as content. It is "ART" as much as what's kept in the louvre is seen as art, so is that little stick man doodle on a postit.

So Try something new, try a new material, a new style.

And support the artists you enjoy, tip their Ko-Fi, pledge to their Patreon, buy a sticker or print. Share their posts and tell them what you love about what they make.

Don't let machines steal away the art in HEART.

[waitmyturtles]

CONTINUED UNPOPULAR OPINIONS ABOUT STEP BY STEP, EPISODE 11

I will spare y’all my biting criticism with a read-more. But, TL;DR -- my review is short (for me, HA!), and I hand this show over lovingly to anyone who wants it. 

(Thanks to continued conversations with the inimitable @lurkingshan and the utterly lovely @neuroticbookworm to ensure I’m not going insane with these thoughts.)

At this point, I don’t know what narrative lens we’re supposed to be watching this show through*. Maybe a few of them, together, but that is striking me as an understudied, overambitious, overworked, and confused approach to understanding this show.

Is it a queer narrative about how Jeng has been closeted-ish/held back in his public queer identification for so long that he’s turned into an inconsistent, incommunicative, distrusting putz? Is there a connection between his family being disapproving of his sexuality, and/or him running away from a filial fate of taking over his dad’s company -- and him being a bumbling asshole to Pat?

Is it a trust narrative about how Pat can’t trust ANYONE? Put, Jeng, Jeng’s dad, the company, Toh? Maybe even Chot? (I’m just throwing that out there, since Chot sent him into the battlefield with Jeng during the last episode -- I love Chot, I ain’t blamin’ Chot.) (Maybe I analytically get to this narrative by... assuming Pat can’t trust anyone, since his loving, COMMUNICATIVE parents ended up getting divorced?) (And in the process of that divorce, we learn, in part, that Pat’s mom couldn’t find her full potential in life unless she was outside of the marriage?) [So maybe that’s what needs to happen to Pat? Since Jeng is CLEARLY UNDERMINING Pat’s efforts to be successful on his (Pat’s) own, in multiple ways, by really not allowing Pat to have control over his (Pat’s) own life?]

Is this a MACRO MACRO narrative commentary on the failings of BL tropes and the BL industry as a whole? (The reveal of the once-toxic Ying as a fujoshi?)

It could very well be all of these narratives at the same time. However, the execution of this storytelling, at this point, is so inconsistent and choppy that 1) I can’t exactly tell, and 2) I’m so frustrated about the amount of time that I’ve spent trying to understand this show that at this point, I don’t really want or care TO care.

To refer back to my first point (*) -- I think it’s unfair for me to demand that ANY show have a singular narrative lens. But I propose that Step By Step would have been an actually successful drama if it hadn’t tried to do so much. I’m EXTREMELY biased right now on this kind of analysis, because I’ve just finished Until We Meet Again for the Old GMMTV Challenge, and watched two narrative lenses in DeanPharm and KornIntouch come together into one cohesive story. (And, fuck, I cannot believe I’m saying this about a New Siwaj show.) I mean -- you can take filmmaking classes that can teach screenwriters and directors how to handle multiple narrative lenses successfully.

Maybe that’s the word: cohesiveness. I’m not seeing cohesiveness in Tee Bundit’s Step By Step. Instead, I watched an episode with actual minutes -- MINUTES! -- spent watching an office team held in tension as internet “likes” poured in. Looking at computers. I spent MANY MINUTES watching Jaab WAFFLE over MULTIPLE episodes going back and forth on Jen... only to discover that he missed Jen’s departure to Japan -- a Very Big Life Decision that Jaab just *missed.* Okay.

And.... we are left with the break-up of Jeng and Pat. And a time jump. 

I mean. 

All that growth of the previous episodes, all that slow burn, all that processing of Pat’s growth into a hopefully successful professional digital marketer. For what. No cohesive character development or a sharpening of any narrative lenses.

The last thing I’ll offer is that I understand that Tee Bundit added themes to this show that were not present in the original novel, such as the aforementioned macro commentary on the BL industry and other workplace storylines. And, starting with episode 10, he was on his complete own, outside of the novel’s romance arc (thank you to @lurkingshan for confirming this for me). I’ll theorize, therefore, that what we’ve been watching these past few weeks is a Frankenstein-ed approach to this story where the novel focused on the romance aspect of Pat and Jeng, and Tee’s been wanting to drive home themes of workplace success (I think); professional growth (I think?!); homophobia in the workplace and the harms of either being disapproved of and/or being closeted or closeted-ish in general (Jeng, Chot/Krit, Pat), plus that macro commentary on the BL industry that got edited out. 

But, and I emphasize here: not a SINGLE one of these threads has been illuminated to the point of clarity. I’ve wondered in the back of my mind if Tee maybe threw the baby out with the bathwater on this show AFTER the whole ZeeNew debacle, but -- whatever. The seams on this show were fraying weeks ago, and it shows.

Again -- I can’t think much longer on this show. It’s over next week. After a break-up and a time jump. We’re on the express train to a likely happy ending that I’m going to guess will be totally unearned. I had high hopes for each episode, only to be sorely disappointed since episode 8, when the drag got so unbalanced that I started to raise red flags. I want to see a surprise turn towards good storytelling for this finale next week. I want to be proven wrong about my instincts, but I ain’t putting any of my money on it.

[transingthoseformers]

I wanted to tell someone else about this, and I feel like I haven't poked your ask box in a while. Hi Riot!

I am currently gnawing on a very juicy idea of Pharma as a Scavenger. Though it is unofficial at first.

Basically, his storyline has similar beats but changed. Still the opening with Tarn starting to blackmail him and the slow growth of demands he can at first meet with general stock and natural death. But Tarn escalates the numbers, and his terrible behavior and Pharma is caged in.

On the terrible day he is thinking of letting a patient slip away he hears his staff talking about black market organ market and Ambulon admitting yes, Swindle partook sometimes but Decepticons mainly got theirs from Scavenger teams and command turned the other way if the sold extra.

So Pharma goes looking and finds the Scavengers.

He starts paying them to provide tcogs, and they figure way not. Life is expensive, and they aren't being used. It takes them a while to realize their best client is an Autobot when Pharma is forced to meet in person and is very aggressive with them. But even if he is an ass and an Autobot, he pays good.

The first meeting is basically that meme of have a good day/fuck you/damn actually hope your day gets worse.

Pharma keeps meeting them coming more and more unhinged because Tarn is pushing in different ways when his stressball isn't breaking as expected and Pharma is having to adjust. Misfire makes the mistake of touching him at the wrong moment, and Pharma proceeds to have a very messy breakdown in the WAP because he feels scrubbed raw inside from secrets and having had a "house call" from Tarn the day before. Krok talks him down, and they Scavengers, who'd kind of assumed he was a transmute addict get the whole story out of him in between Pharma, throwing them hateful barbs.

Misfire, with perfect tact, says, "damn that's fragged up" which makes Pharma laugh wetly.

Krok, meanwhile, is furious at the "extracurricular entertainment," a phrase Tarn used, and Pharma spat out. Blackmailing someone to get supplies is one thing, but the more Pharma tells him about the interworkings of the DJD, which were a semi myth until now, the more disgusted Krok is.

The Scavengers make a point to be nicer to their doctor and check in on him during their deals, and Pharma softens a bit as they get to know him and offer comfort and a place he can share the burden. They are essentially saving his patients each time and Spinister gets very good at tcog extraction.

But this is hanging on by a thread, and all know something has to give. Crankcase is the one who finally says, "How would you kill him?" The Scavengers and Pharma start plotting to murder the DJD even if it half in jest because as they point out, Misfire gives them a target on their back.

Pharma has Red Rust ready as a late night musing with Spinister that leads Misfire to asking, "So, uh, are we going to kill the DJD...?" and no one knows what to say.

Eventually, though, they get delayed calling Pharma to tell him Misfire was taken by the Galactic Council. He uses his connections to assist so they find him faster, but they are still delayed. Pharma needs one more tcog. Pharma, after seven years of careful control, lets a patient slip away, and it breaks him.

He desperately uses the plague to escape and leave a trap for Tarn if he comes calling. Things go down the same-ish with him disassociated half the time. The only difference is while he is weeping rust he messages the Scavengers to warn them to not come he's dying and the plague is active. Spinister of course already made it too and innoculated them one day going through and stabbing everyone with no explanation so they book it. They get there in time to see Pharma get abducted and follow Tyrest back to the moon.

They proceed to stalk it out and get Fulcrum to sneak in as a spy joining Lockdown's gang to get info and learn about Pharma being used as a lab rat and the Kill Switch and plot save the CCs. Then, of course, the Lost Light shows up to ruin it. Krok activates the plan early, which makes things more chaotic as he smuggle Misfire and Spinister in to talk to Pharma, who is having a breakdown over Ratchet. They have a very emotional reunion, and Misfire hugs him and tells him he they've got new hands for him. Pharma has a breakdown crying because someone remembered him and came for him, and Misfire calls him their Autobot while Ratchet, who is a spine, watches confused. Pharma is considerably more stable and reluctantly tells Spinister to fix Ratchet. He does and keeps Pharma's hands and leaves Ratchet handless until he finds Ratchet’s hands in the Lost Light's medivay–for some reason I think Iremember the initial confrontation there and then them moving to the Luna-1 maybe I'm wrong–and casually fixes them before reattaching Ratchet's good as new hands and giving Pharma his back.

They go to destroy the Kill Switch, but Misfire has initiated hug protocol, so Pharma is being switched off from Scavenger to Scavenger seriously, so he's never not being hugged.

They find Krok and Rodimus arguing. Misfire shoves Pharma into Fulcrum's arms introducing him as the new guy, and Fulcrum awkwardly hugs him, which makes Pharma laugh as they make small talk. Pharma helps them disarm it without Rodimus dying refusing to make eye contact with the medics while Fulcrum awkwardly hold one hand as a compromise.

The Scavengers inform Pharma he is coming with them because he's one of them and he starts crying.

The Scavengers have a big group hug with Pharma crying into his–his–hands in the middle of a Decepticon plus Grimlock group hug. Minimus tries to make something of it, but the Scavengers all pull guns for their Autobot, and Rodimus makes the executive decision to let it go since they just saved the day together. Minimus and First Aid grumble and Pharma throws his Autobrand at them saying they can take this as his formal defection before Crankcase picks him up in a bear hig to prevent violence.

Ambulon insists on a goodbye and says he's sorry and thank you for Pharma trying to protect them. Misfire finally remembers his name which is the one before he was called Ambulon and goes "Wait, Thunderclash?!" Ambulon dies a littke because there was a reason he changed it. And the Scavengers exit stage left. Though Misfire shows that he might have pocketed something and it's half the Matrix which he presents to Pharma as compensation. Pharma laughs.

Oooooo???

Makes sense in another verse he'd resort to outside sources for his t-cogs, and ooo that they don't know he's an autobot until they finally meet him, which has gotta create crunchy first reactions

Makes sense the Scavs would be seeing Pharma's mental state worsen because Tarn being a bastard, and i like to think they have severe opinions on that (especially since it's the D-J-fucking-D we're talking about here)

Aaand yep they do, nice to see Krok kinda cares

"Are we going to kill the DJD?" One hell of a question because that's not easy to do

"Spinister no" "Spinister yes"

"Oh scrap, he's got our guy!" I feel like we as a fandom do not dwell on Pharma's time with Tyrest enough, like. Yes, Tarn & Delphi traumatized him pretty good. But so did Tyrest, and we as a fandom need to chew on the Tyrest arc more.

The LL and the WAP meeting a lot earlier than in canon has gotta have funny moments

Spinister would totally be able to fix Ratchet's hands

shsggd that's sooo sweet

He issss he isss a Scavenger now

Misfire pocketed what

[very-grownup]

This seemed to resonate with some folks on the other social media site

Also now reading "Moira's Pen" (2022) by Megan Whalen Turner because I'm not taking "The Odyssey" into the bath to be dropped by my tiny hands.

You would think that a collection of short stories - although it's not really that (errata maybe) - published after the conclusion of an author's series would be full of answers to narrative gaps, things readers have always been curious about, elaborations from the ending.

So I'm absurdly pleased that Turner continues to answer basically no questions beyond "what is the age difference between two characters?" and "who is Gitta?" and instead has scattered dozens of new questions for the reader.

I might have further thoughts in terms of how this all fits with Turner's approach to series structure as a whole because I continue to find that fascinating. If I don't, though, cheers for more material confirming Relius as the least wholesome queer character. What a gift.

(The bookshelf photos are here as evidence that I have in fact read some books.)

I think it all comes back to Turner bucking the conventions of the genre demographic she's published under. I feel like "The Thief" was published, and what she endearing calls The Geniad was conceived, just before the rise of YA as a "distinct" genre. (Genre is fake and a construct of the publishing industry.) There have always been books of interest to older teens, but just as the idea of teenagers is a relatively recent as something separate from a child, so to is YA as something distinct from children's fiction. I think, in being a constructed marketing thing, there are rigid expectations about what a series is, what formulae make something a series, how they work for both authors and audience, and that those things won't change. A famous(ly hateful and mediocre) author was seen as doing something new in having characters /age/ and /increasing book length/ even though the former is just how a bildungsroman works and the later is 'lack of editing'.

What's thought of as a YA series has, I think, become an expectation of pressing and breaking up the bildungsroman into something structured with all the variety of an Enid Blyton or, more contemporaneously, Babysitter's Club, if that makes sense? You'll have the same characters, probably with one central character, the same point of view, facing an escalating series of the same sort of thing, whether it's demons or dark lords or relationship complications or levels of schooling, ultimately culminating in the Big Thing: Satan or fighting your arch nemesis or marriage or graduating into adult life beyond the structure of educational institutions. Am I making sense? I think I'm making sense, I may be stating the painfully obvious. I'm tired. For the reader there's growth within the narrative but the structure makes the reading experience an easy one, literally, because you're reading same-ish things. That's what makes series so marketable and readable!

But pre-YA-as-a-genre, amidst the Blytons you also got:

- Everyone's problematic fave religious allegory from C.S. Lewis!

- Cooper's Dark is Rising series, which started Famous Five-y in structure and ran towards Tolkien!

- L'Engle's scientific-religious weirdness with the Murray family!

- Any DWJ that publishers try to coral as 'series'!

- (Friend Jen added Diane Duane's Young Wizard series.)

Megan Whalen Turner feels special because the way she's written her series calls back to what authors like the previously mentioned were doing before an expectation of audience and genre pressed books into something that asked less of their audience.

It doesn't have to be much.

But the way I have seen people, especially younger readers, talk about experiencing the series, is evocative of someone being given a new food with their meal and balking because it isn't what they asked for, it isn't what they expected, do they even want this?

In "The Thief" our protagonist is Gen, first person point of view.

In "The Queen of Attolia" our protagonist is still Gen, but out secondary protagonist is also a primary antagonist, Attolia, third person point of view, alternately limited and omniscient.

In "The King of Attolia" our protagonist is Costis (who is this Costis guy?! I want Gen!), third person limited.

In "A Conspiracy of Kings" our protagonist is Sophos (and sure, we know Sophos, but where's Costis?! WHAT ABOUT GEN? THIS IS GEN'S SERIES!), first person but also third person.

In "Thick as Thieves" our protagonist is Kamet a mostly-background character from several books back (BUT SOPHOS! AND GEN! WE'VE HAD SO LITTLE GEN!), first person.

In "Return of the Thief" our protagonist is Pheris (who is this Pheris kid?! Gen and Sophos are here but WHERE ARE COSTIS AND KAMET? ARE THEY OKAY?!), first person.

After each one, you love what you've gained due to the change, due to not getting what you 'want'. Still marketed as a series. Still /is/ a series. I can't imagine, for example, coming in to "Return of the Thief" cold. But Turner tells the story she's always intended to tell without conforming to reader or publisher expectations.

And she never answers questions.

This isn't to say she is disconnected from her fans. She has a lovely, engaged fanbase (she's on tumblr and not, sensibly, twitter). She delights in memes and fanart and reblogs so much of it.

But she doesn't answer questions. She doesn't even tell you how names are pronounced.

AND IN CONCLUSION that's why she's such a fascinating author and that is the kind of author who puts together a book like "Moira's Pen". Short stories, yes, but also short observations on ancient art that informed things in her stories, brief dialogues, poetry. There's a cake recipe.

Megan Whalen Turner finished a series that took her twenty-five years to write and the first thing she has published after ending that series includes a recipe for cake and I love that. It's perfect.

The stories in "Moira's Pen" bring up so many questions, dozens upon dozens, and there's no indication that Turner intends to answer any of them in future novels. And that's fine. Because Turner also spent six books teaching her audience that questions and empty space are part of storytelling and that the author's involvement in that, for the reader, begins and ends with the story you're given.

Okay, I think I'm done. Read "The Thief". It's fun.

[ashen-crest]

a stats report on the rk ashwick books (as of April 2023)

some folks responded positively to the idea of seeing data on how my books have done (for indie author research and benchmark purposes), so here you go!

I'll put everything under the cut:

📚 What do I write?

Cozy fantasy romance under the pen name R.K. Ashwick.

📚 Why do I write?

Because I love it. I have a full-time job that isn't related to writing, so I write in my spare time. I should also note that I do not have dependents, am not a caregiver, and I do have anxiety and ADHD. I am not certain that I want to be a full-time writer, given the financial instability and the joy it could take away from writing. However, I want my books to be and perform the best they can, so I try to be professional about my product and methods.

(To me, this is all important context to be up-front about. Finances, family size, and health all have a huge impact on an author's goals and strategies.)

📚 How many books do I have out?

The Stray Spirit: released August 2022. First in a planned trilogy.

A Rival Most Vial: released March 2023. First in a planned trilogy.

📚 Online Visibility

Here's what I have going on:

Paid:

Website (requires $ for hosting)

BookFunnel for newsletter promos, sales promos, and ARC distribution (site requires $ to join)

Unpaid:

Newsletter (currently managing on free version of Mailerlite, since I'm under 1000 followers)

Facebook page (not consistently maintained, mostly for SEO)

Instagram, posting 5x/wk

TikTok, posting 5k/wk

Tumblr- hi!

using things like LibraryThing, GoodReads forums, Reddit, and FB pages to find more ARC readers

I was doing Amazon ads, but recently nixed them, as I didn't feel they were really getting me anything. I'll likely return to them once I have more books out.

A Note on Follower Count: I have, like 10 FB followers, 400-ish Insta followers, 1500 TikTok folders, and almost 1600 Tumblr followers. I've been on Tumblr the longest and TikTok second longest. TikTok had the fastest growth, Insta the slowest. However, general advice is that engagement rate is more important than follower count. I'll be real, I'm not doing that hot on that front. I'll consistently get around 20 likes on Insta posts and TikTok often caps my video views at around 200 or 300. The videos that do the best on TT often aren't the ones related to my books. Fun times.

A Note on Newsletter Stats: I have a pretty consistent open rate of 25-30%, which I think is okay. I'd like for it to be closer to 40%. (It's also hard to actually track open rates, so that number isn't entirely reliable.)

A Note on ARC Reader Stats: I got 100 readers for TSS and almost 200 for ARMV. This resulted in a ballpark count of 20 reviews for TSS and 30 reviews for ARMV around release time.

📚 Other Marketing Strategies

What you see above under Visibility is my ongoing work. I also do more limited-run strategies, like:

occasional free book giveaways on social media

pre-order gifts for my book

I sent out around 20 pre-order gift envelopes for TSS and 45 for ARMV. I operate the pre-order gifts at a loss, but I really enjoy doing it, so I'm okay with it. I also have lots of leftover stickers and bookmarks that I can bundle with giveaways.

📚 Distribution

I distribute wide through:

Amazon: both ebook and paperback

IngramSpark: paperback only

Draft2Digital: ebook only

📚 Orders & Royalties

So, what did all this work and shennanery get me?

From July 2022-April 2023 (10 months):

Books Sold: 575

Total Royalties, paid and unpaid: $1543.49 ($2.68 per book)

📚 Is that good or bad?

I have no idea!! And I think in the end, it all depends on your goals.

If my goal was to make a living: welp, it's def not enough.

If my goal was to break even: between website set up, DBA set up, cover cost, editing cost, illustrator cost: nah. I'd have to make about $4,000 more to safely say I've broken even.

If my goal was to get strangers, and not just family and friends, to read my books: oh hey, I did that!!

I hope this information helps you set a goal, so you're not mentally wandering around like I am.

📚 Other Notes

A big factor in having a financially successful indie book is fitting genre conventions in your chosen subgenre, or 'writing to market.' I will say that A Rival Most Vial is more written to market than The Stray Spirit is. The Stray Spirit sort of straddles cozy, historical, and academic fantasy without actually leaning in to any of those things, so it's a little harder to market.

I also spent a lot on cover, editing, and illustration. That makes it harder to be a financially viable business, but it's what I wanted to do to have a strong finished product. I am lucky in that my full-time job can cover these expenses.

I'm not very good at social media. I've never had anything go viral on any of the sites.

The most rewarding part of all this is seeing how people react to the book: reviews, videos where they're almost crying over the book, podcast invitations, and [something a bit bigger than I'll announce in the summer.] At the end of the day, if I have a small group of buyers who are vocal in engaging with my books, that's far more rewarding than a large group of buyers who don't engage.

📚 Parting Thoughts

I'm happy to talk about any and all aspects of my self-publishing experience. If you have more questions or want more details, feel free to reply, send an ask, or DM me!

[bees--in-my--bones]

Silver Spoons - Terry Silver Part 2 of 7

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Chapter 1 / -----

Character: Terry Silver x female reader

Summary: Time jump because I'm jumping back and forth with this series. I've got a plan and I think it makes sense. But back to the past where Terry and reader first meet. Like the 90s ish. After the events of kk3

Warnings: manipulation, some alcohol (but just casual drinking of, no drunkenness), mention of war (no detail), weapons, blood, warning for Terry Silver in general, fade to black scene, business majors

Word Count: 3600

A/N: This chapter has been written for a while but I just do not feel like my writing is doing him justice. I'm at the point where I have to post it so it'll stop haunting me tho. Lmk if you want to be on a taglist.

-----

"Really, Ms. L/N, he's been… incredibly insistent on meeting you," Dorothy said.

Terrence Silver.

That was the name that the file in front of you had read. You had only skimmed it before tossing it aside. “Dorothy, if we’re going to be partnering with anyone, it’s not going to be the disgraced head of Dynatox to advertise for his silly little startups. Is Dynatox even still active?”

Dorothy, an intern in her final year of college, who you had already set your sights on for full time PA, sighed and picked the file up herself, leafing through it. “Ms. L/N, it looks like the only two options at the moment are either Mr. Silver or Mr. Beckett. Anything else and we’d be pushing our limits too far. We simply don’t have the capacity to take on more than one additional major client at the moment. And yes, I believe it is still active, but on a much smaller scale.”

You shivered at Beckett’s name. “God, I hate that guy,” you said, leaning back into your chair. He was the owner of a high profile financial firm, and about as sleazy as they come. But the growth of his company was far more reliably linear than Silver's was. And although your father had left you a sizably large marketing company, you wanted more. Beckett was the safest option for expansion.

"Beckett would probably be a safer bet," said Dorothy echoing your thoughts, "but based on what we know of Mr. Silver, he has the potential to see some exponential growth in the next few years.”

"And the advertising firm that got him there would see the same growth," you said, leaning back in your chair.

Dorothy nodded.

You sighed. "Dorothy, do you know what my father's problem was?" you asked her.

"I can't say that I do, ma'am."

"He never took a single risk. Only safe bets. Which grew this company some, sure, but think of where we could be right now if he had taken a calculated gamble every now and then." You tapped your fingers on the table as you mused.

“So you want me to schedule a meeting with Mr. Silver then?” she asked.

“Can’t hurt to check him out. What do I have Thursday evening?”

She flipped through the pages on her clipboard, landing on her calendar. “You’re free. Tuesday and Wednesday nights as well.”

“Three days in a row, that’s a rare treat. Tell him Thursday, take it or leave it. If he really wants this then he’ll take it.”

“Yes ma’am,” she said. “Is that all?”

“For now,” you replied, and she was gone, no sooner had you said the words.

You picked up the file once more. If you were actually considering this, it couldn’t hurt to know as much about him as you could.

—--

And so Thursday evening came. Silver had sent a short reply to your acceptance.

Thank you for your time.

I’ll be by your office at 7. We can discuss details over dinner, my treat.

You had nearly laughed aloud when Dorothy read his response aloud to you. No doubt the domineering reply was in direct response to your insistence on the day. Contrary to what you first believed, Silver was going to be a challenge. Maybe even a fun challenge.

He came as promised, a long black limo pulling up outside your office building. You had dressed nicely, spent more time on your appearance than usual. First impressions were key.

As you walked down the steps of the building, you couldn’t help but be the tiniest bit relieved that most employees had gone home for the day. Maintaining your image was hard enough, you didn’t want to think about the impression that leaving the office for what very much looked like a date would leave.

The side door opened, and out stepped Silver himself, and so the game was afoot. You approached. He was taller than you thought he would be.

He outstretched his hand. “Terry Silver. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ms. L/N.”

You took it, shaking it firmly. “Likewise, Mr. Silver.”

“Please, Mr. Silver was my father. Call me Terry, I insist.”

“Then I must insist you call me Y/N.”

“Y/N.” He grinned. “Allow me to help you in, it’s a bit of a step.”

You only realized that your hand was still gripped in his just then, when he shifted his grip to help you into the car. Immediately, the pieces fell into place as you realized his plan, but you allowed him to help you regardless. You wouldn’t be charmed so easily.

You settled into a seat, and Terry followed close behind. With a quick rap of his knuckles on the driver’s window, you were off.

“It really isn’t that far of a drive,” he told you, “but if we’ve got to drive, I say we do it in style.”

You hummed slightly, an ambiguous sound that was close enough to agreement, without actually saying a word.

You couldn’t be sure, but you thought you saw him hesitate ever so slightly. Did he not think that you came prepared with games of your own? You wielded the power here, and you both knew that.

“It’s a nice place,” he went on, any previous hint of hesitation completely vanished. “I’m sure you’ll love it. I do prefer a more relaxing environment to chat business, don’t you?”

A direct question, a forced response. He adjusted quickly to his situation. Interesting. “I do. There’s far more to business than just meeting rooms, and I think you can learn a lot about your peers over a meal.”

He grinned again. “Good. That’s good. I hope we learn a lot about each other tonight."

"As do I."

There was silence for a short while, but not necessarily an uncomfortable one, then the car came to a halt. “What did I tell you?” he said. “Short drive.”

Quick as lightning, he was out of the car, offering his hand once more. “May I?”

You took his hand, accepting his assistance again, but dropped it as soon as you were standing on your own two feet.

The two of you entered the restaurant and were led to a private table. "For confidentiality," he had said with a wink.

You didn't talk business immediately, that would have been impolite. And small talk gave you a chance to get a handle on your opponent, see what he was thinking. Business deals were a battle after all, and Terry’s only hope of winning was proving to you that his once great company, now teetering between glory and ruination, had the potential to rise again, perhaps higher than it had before.

You were pleased to see that he seemed to think the same way, engaging with the small talk with a vivacity that you hadn't expected, but armed heavily with anecdotes and remarks that were absolutely riddled with reminders of how well he could do. A story of a successful business deal on his part. A small jab at a company that you had recently had a deal fall through with. You were impressed. He had clearly done his research.

Time passed rather quickly, with no talk of a deal. A waiter approached your table, bottle of wine in hand. "Allow me," Terry said, gesturing for the waiter to hand the bottle to him. He obliged and left the two of you alone.

Terry took your glass and filled it. "I've spent a lot of time in South Korea and Japan," he explained as he did. "To fill another's cup is a sign of respect, and I can't seem to break that habit here." He handed you your glass. "I simply wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.”

“I’m aware of the tradition. Much appreciated,” you said, accepting the drink. “What led you to travel there?”

He smiled, a smile this time, not one of the enthusiastic grins he had been throwing your way all night. “Like most men at that time, the war.”

“You served?” That was a polite question. You already knew that he had, from your prior research.

Again, an almost imperceptible change in his demeanor, his smile falling ever so slightly. “Yes.”

He shook his head. “I apologize, we should be talking about things far happier than that.”

“That’s alright,” you said, still pondering the hairline fracture in his facade. “Thank you for your service.”

The grin returned. “You are most welcome. Now, have you decided what you wanted?”

—--

The rest of the evening passed by quickly, with not a word of a business deal. At first, true, the both of you were dancing around the subject, playing games and avoiding cutting to the chase, but eventually, you were talking like old friends, contracts far from your minds. At least, that’s how it was for you, but a certain air of lightness had come over Terry by the end of the night that you couldn’t help but think it was the same for him.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to be dropped off at home?” he asked you many hours later when you were back in the limo.

“No, thank you,” you replied. “I have some things I need to finish up at the office.”

“At this hour?”

You shrugged. “Duty calls.”

“It probably doesn't help that we didn’t get a lick of work done tonight,” he said.

You smiled, small but genuine. “That’s true. We’ll have to meet again.”

“Tomorrow night?”

“Booked. And I fly out to Denver for a conference this weekend.”

“I’ve got some time Monday.”

“I’ll have a lot of catching up to do after being gone all weekend. Does Tuesday work?”

“Tuesdays are no good.”

“Wednesday night?”

“I should be free.”

“Same time?”

“I can do that. Same place?”

“That works,” you said. “I’ll pick you up this time, and it’s on me.”

“Sounds fair to me,” he replied. “And it appears we are at our destination,”

The car rolled to a stop, and in a flash, Terry was holding the door open for the last time that night.

You exited the car. “Thank you, Terry. It was a nice night. We’ll have to actually talk business next time.”

“Of course. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

—--

Terry Silver stared at himself in the mirror.

He splashed cold water on his face.

He took down his ponytail and brushed out his hair, finding familiar comfort in the slight sting at his roots.

He had let his guard down around her, and it had shaken him to his core.

At some point tonight, the pretenses had fallen, his facade had dropped. He had no longer been playing the typical business game, he was just talking to her. The concept was almost foreign to him. And yet it seemed that the exact same thing had happened to her.

Even his time in the service, which usually he had no problem only mentioning casually, had somehow been different around her. It seemed to him that she had been able to decipher so much from so little, and as someone who usually had that effect on others, it unnerved him to be on the receiving end.

Had she said something? Done something that marked her as different than anyone else?

She was smart, he had to give her that. Maybe even as smart as he was. Was that why then? Perhaps, but the average businesswoman was always smarter than the average businessman, that was just the way things went.

But there was something about her. The carefully crafted words whenever she spoke. The subtle expression she wore, as mysterious in nature as the Mona Lisa, that told you nothing of what she was thinking.

Something in him wanted to break her. To push through her defenses, to get her barriers to crack. A genuine smile, a real laugh, a falling tear, or fiery anger. Something in him saw her as a challenge. Something in him wanted to win.

To beat her though, to triumph against her? Or to win her over, to have her for his own, this wily woman, this enigma? He couldn't tell.

—--

Time passed, much slower than you thought it would. The conference in Denver dragged on, and the first few days of the week were mind numbingly dull.

You, against your better judgment, found yourself eager to meet with Terry again. When you had told Dorothy to add another meeting with him to your calendar, she had seemed suspicious.

"Two meetings?" she had asked, an eyebrow raised. "Were you not able to work things out last night?"

You waved your hand dismissively. "We just had more to discuss than previously anticipated."

A small smile appeared on her face. "I take that it went a little too well."

"I said nothing of the sort."

"You don't have to," she said. "Are you planning on taking him on as a client then?"

You nodded. "Don't tell Beckett anything until the contract with Silver goes through, but I think so. Beckett's too content. Silver's got ambition, and unlike a lot of people, has the skill set to do something with it. I'll take that gamble."

"Even if he's tanked before?"

"Even if he's tanked before."

She nodded, and scribbled a note on her clipboard.

"Alright then, Ms. L/N. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment. And thank you Dorothy, I wouldn't have taken that meeting if it weren't for you."

That had been Friday morning, of course, and here you were, Wednesday night, feeling something far too close to nervousness for comfort.

The dinner went as smoothly as before. You made a point to get business out of the way at the beginning of the night. You both signed the contract your lawyers had drawn up, and just like that, Terry Silver was a client of L/N Legacy Marketing Group.

“To a long and fruitful partnership,” Terry said, raising his glass in a toast.

“Hear, hear,” you replied as you clinked your glasses together.

—--

You hadn't heard from Terry for a few weeks after that, not that you were counting. Your only correspondence had been between your respective assistants and legal departments, and you already had a team working on an ad campaign for one of his more prominent tech startups.

So needless to say, you were shocked when late one night, you were interrupted by a sharp knock at your office door. Snapping your head up, your eyes met Terry’s, who definitely was not scheduled to be in your office well after business hours.

"Can I help you, Mr. Silver?"

He raised an eyebrow, and you sighed.

"Can I help you, Terry?"

He leaned against the doorframe, his ascot becoming ever so slightly askew as he did. He straightened it. "I was thinking this morning," he began slowly, "that it's been quite a while since you and I have spoken. But I know you tend to work late…" He straightened and walked up to your desk. "I've heard bits and pieces from my assistant, but I'd really like an update straight from the source."

You swallowed thickly at his intense gaze, but didn't dare break eye contact. "Well, I'm not too hands on with it, but we've been considering expanding the target demographic-"

"Interesting," he said, quickly, not even allowing you to finish your sentence. "Why don't we discuss it further over dinner?"

This gave you a moment's pause. "I'm not dressed to go out," you offered up. A weak excuse and you knew it.

"Then I'll cook you something."

It was your turn to raise an eyebrow.

He laughed. "I have quite the home, if I do say so myself," he said. "I'll give you a tour of my collections after dinner."

"You're awfully confident, Terry Silver."

"You don't get this far if you aren't."

You shook your head. "Alright then. Give me a moment to pack up."

He grinned. "I'll be waiting outside."

He shut the door behind him as he left. The second it latched you quickly put your stuff away, then pulled the pocket mirror out of your drawer. You hastily fixed your appearance as best you could. When the initial adrenaline wore off, you found yourself staring into the mirror, not quite recognizing yourself. You were being ridiculous. No business partnership was worth this effort.

But you couldn't quite ignore the way your stomach twisted when you opened the door and walked outside.

—--

Terry wasn't lying. He did have quite the home. And he was a surprisingly excellent cook. Although you probably shouldn't have been surprised. There didn't seem to be anything that Terry was bad at.

He gave you a full tour of his home, telling you the history of every rare art piece on display. You found yourself hanging onto his every word.

Even more fascinating, though, was the weapons collection. Knives, swords, and various other sharp objects that you had no name for adorned the room. He took you over to one corner and lifted a particular dagger from its display.

"This is a tantō, traditionally worn by samurai. And one in this condition is worth quite a bit of money."

He held it out to you, looking at you expectantly.

Your eyes widened as you realized what he was saying, but gingerly took the blade into your hands as he nodded and pushed the knife slightly forward one again.

"It's beautiful," you said quietly.

You dragged your finger along the blunt edge of the blade, slipping by accident over the tip. You let out a soft “Oh!” of surprise as a small bead of blood pooled out of the nick in your fingertip.

Terry said nothing, seemingly entranced at the sight of your blood, slowly beginning to spill over the edge of your fingertip. Before you had realized the speed at which the blood was falling, a drop had spilled onto the floor. Terry took your hand in his.

“I’m sorry,” you said. He showed no signs of hearing you.

He raised your finger to his lips and gently put it in his mouth, tongue deftly swiping the blood away. You were too stunned to move, even as he released his grip, your hand dropping to your side.

Your breath became shallow as you realized just how close he was.

He brushed one hand over your cheek, his touch ghostlike and hesitant, as if he were holding himself back. “The things I would do to you,” he murmured, followed by a soft chuckle. There was a copper tinge to one of his front teeth.

You froze at his statement, and he lifted the dagger from your uninjured hand and set it back in its place.

He drew closer to you, piercing blue eyes not leaving yours, and you slowly backed away until your back hit the wall.

His arm rested against the wall behind you, leaving you effectively trapped. His face wasn't more than a few centimeters away.

"I'm not sure I know exactly what you're implying," you said, though you suspected that the hint of breathlessness in your voice told him the exact opposite.

"Oh, I think you do," he said, his eyes trained on your lips, and before you could think of a clever retort, his mouth captured yours.

The second it began, it was over. You swallowed thickly, tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach and rush of heat in your face, and he looked at you expectantly. Seconds felt like hours as you tried to gather your thoughts.

"It's unprofessional," you finally breathed out.

"Then tell me to stop," His hand moved to rest on your waist.

"I'm doing you a favor by working with you," you reminded him. "You don't want to lose the chance I'm giving you."

"Then tell me to stop." His hand trailed lower, his fingers capturing the hem of your top, brushing faintly over the skin on your torso.

"I could ruin you," you said, struggling to keep your voice level. "Kick you while you're down. No investor would ever touch you again. It wouldn't be that hard."

"Then tell me. To stop." His voice was so low it was nearly a growl.

You said nothing.

For a long moment you stood there, silently, your breathing becoming harder and harder to keep even, before pushing yourself forward and planting your lips on his.

He broke the kiss, only for a moment, and you could feel his grin against your mouth. Not a second later he was kissing you once more.

It seemed to last both a lifetime and a millisecond, but eventually, regrettably, you had to come up for air. Terry was still grinning, and looking for all the world like he could have kept going for several more minutes. Judging by the firm torso you could feel beneath his shirt, he was in good enough shape that he quite possibly could have.

You were panting, he still had that smug grin on his face, and the both of you were clinging to one another like your lives depended on it. The second your chest stopped burning, you spoke.

"I don't want you to stop."

He took this as his cue, and soon the two of you were clumsily making your way out of the weapons room, stumbling into furniture and clawing at the walls in the brief reprises between kisses. Before you knew it, you were in his room, but you hardly had a moment to look around before the two of you were tangled in the sheets.

The night took a turn from there in a manner that could only be described as violent. Never, though, had the word violent had such pleasant connotations.

You had been right earlier in the evening. There really was nothing that Terry Silver was bad at.

-----

A/N: I'm sorry for another fade to black scene. cop out ending, i know. might happen again. idk. Also I need to think of a name for this beyond "Terry Silver Series" so I can post it on AO3. Could be all lana del rey vinyl about it and call it terrence loves you lmaooo

Chapter 1 / -----

[amalgamate09]

Just a bit of random writing, ignore me

The multiverse is a place where constants are an impossibility. For every possible outcome to every situation that has ever existed, there is an entire world dedicated to that alone. Researchers of the cosmic sea such as myself have moved away from the existence of constants as a whole for this very reason. Very rarely does something exist in more than a few percentage points overall of the entire multiverse. I say very rarely and not impossible because there is one outlier. A place that overshadows any other category when it comes to consistency of appearances, with a total manifestation rate of exactly 66%. The VOID.

The void seems to be the dark matter equivalent of the local group of AU’s. It is the space between space, the empty nothingness from which entire realms can be molded. It is more vast than any other singular location that has been discovered so far, and its center is calculated to be somewhere close, if not overlapping with, the origin universe. It is so incomparably massive, that it is the one place we will never be able to fully discover the limits of. An entire comprehensive map of the void would be impossible to create just by the sheer nature of the twisted realm as a whole, though smaller sections can be put to paper without too many difficulties. That is, of course, assuming the void connected to a given world is not prone to constant fluctuations, as is the case with many void spaces. It is best to approach understanding of the void by comparing it to the deep ocean, as these frequent shifts are the metaphorical currents that flow through the entire space as a whole.

But what is it like? What does it feel like to look into the void as an untrained individual? That depends heavily on what you’re actually looking into. Very rarely do individuals actually look into the true void itself, but rather look upon fallen bits of creation, or smaller sub-worlds growing underneath reality. These visuals can be damaging enough as it is, but even a glance into the completely pure abyss will cause the viewer’s eyes to turn inside out in their skull before they [VOID CORRUPTED DATA REDACTED]. It is important to note that despite how hostile the void generally is to life due to its lack of most basic resources, it still has breathable air for a sizable chunk of it. Why this is the case remains unclear, but it is theorized that frequent leaks of the void into reality has caused it to adopt some features of reality (the aforementioned air and atmospheric pressure, specifically).

As of the time of this writing, a few specific sub-realms inside the void have been identified and studied to different degrees, two of which will be listed here as they are the most understood.

The first of these realms has been dubbed The Garden of Flesh. It is a warped space where the usual black background of the void gives way to stacked mountains of fleshy, red growths that seem to stick into walls that don’t exist. Each pod pulses in a way akin to an organ, and the frequencies of hostile radio waves have also been detected in a few specific pods. Not much else in particular is known.

The second is a place much more safe and housing many more survivors. It’s a place known as the Multiversal Market, and it’s found under a relatively small Hub World known as Ish. The Multiversal Market is where not only the living aspects of time and space live, but also many unfortunate individuals that had fallen from Ish into the void. How the market has access to food and water is unknown, but faint weather signs have been detected from the area, suggesting that a water cycle may in fact be present.

These smaller realms will be a topic of interest for my colleagues and I for a sizable amount of time. When casting yourself into the void, one can always go deeper. Perhaps if there is a bottom to this never ending sea of darkness we may be able to understand the creation of the multiverse, or at the very least discover what caused the void to sprout as a whole. I have been granted funding for these expeditions by an admittedly suspicious source as of recently, and despite the fact that I do not fully understand who this “Founder” is, if they are willing to financially back a scientific effort such as this, then perhaps my caution is misplaced. My friends over in research and development have mentioned that within the next few weeks, we may be able to create a more stable, permanent gateway into the void. Once that is established, I will send strike teams to brave the depths.

I do not know what they will find down there. Perhaps it is the will of the gods that I never know. I never was a religious person anyway.

— The Archivist

(The Multiversal Market and the entire world of Ish belongs to @petra-creat0r. Please check out her stuff, as the world inspired me to write this in the first place.)

[aesethewitch]

D&D Tarot Deck Review

So, I got the D&D Tarot Deck for Christmas. It was a total surprise gift from folks I was once very close to -- now, my partner sees them occasionally, and I don't see them at all (by choice). It's still incredibly thoughtful, and I'd been planning on getting it as a gift for myself. It definitely has its pros and cons, so I figured I'd do a quick* write-up since I'm pretty excited to have this deck.

*Or not so quick, apparently. Details beneath the cut for length!

The Packaging

The first thing I judge in a deck is how it's packaged. This one's box is not bad! The art on the box itself is nice, reflecting the cards within. On the back is the description of the deck and the barcode. It's all one piece, opening with a hinge lid like a book. Rather than printing onto the box itself, they've got a sort of sticker cover that's already cracking and peeling after opening it less than ten times. Not ideal; it's going to destroy itself pretty quickly.

Using the Hierophant card as the cover is a nice touch, though.

The inside is simple. Gold-yellow paper lines the inner cover and deck slot. I really like the color scheme, black and yellow/gold -- mostly because yellow is my favorite color. The rectangular slot for the cards is just deep enough to fit the cards. The booklet fits perfectly atop them. With the book over top, they fit snugly, but any amount of turning or strong jostling lets the topmost cards go free within the box. It does have a ribbon attached for easy removal, but that's standard.

In all, the packaging is standard, leaning on the less-robust side. It's a mass-market deck aimed toward D&D collectors, not tarot collectors. Lucky for them, I'm both, so I don't mind too much... Especially when the deck's art is so nice.

The Booklet

Before I dive into the deck itself, let's have a look at the booklet. It is... wow, thin. Wafer thin. How do they fit so much information in such a little space?

Well... they don't. This booklet is exceptionally beginner unfriendly. Not a big problem for me, but damn. If this is someone's first deck, coming from the world of D&D with no experience in tarot, it would be rough to rely on this booklet for any assistance whatsoever.

The booklet does display a picture of each card with its description, making pairing explanations to the card easy enough. But the descriptions are a short sentence or two each, and... well, frankly, I don't agree with several of them. In particular, the Sun card is depicted as a knight with a flaming sword before the sun's glow... and the booklet describes it as "Returning to the innocence and vitality of childhood." It's incongruent at best.

It's worth noting that the two people credited with creating the deck and guide book are not tarot readers. Or, at least, they aren't listed as such in their credentials. I can forgive the meagerness of the booklet on the grounds that this deck is not truly intended for beginners.

It also isn't necessarily meant for divination. Sure, at the start of the booklet, it explains what tarot is and how to use a tarot spread to do divination. It frames it as a tool for growth and guidance, which I'm a fan of. It does also say that tarot is "ancient," which... I'm not going to get into here. It isn't ancient, but it does sound dramatic and very D&D-ish when put that way.

The booklet gives a short example of a "good" and "bad" question -- "Why am I always sad?" (bad) vs. "How do I bring more joy to my life?" (better). This is great! It also explains that the short descriptions are short on purpose (though I do think it's very much to save space also) to force the reader to interpret the symbolism on each. Again, not necessarily super beginner-friendly. But it is useful to set a book aside and learn to read on sight. So this deck might be good for next-level beginners -- ones looking to step away from traditional meanings and create their own.

There are a couple spreads on offer in the booklet, standard one- and three-card draws. But there's also a unique spread of five cards fashioned after the shape of a D&D adventure that I definitely think I'll be using in paid readings: The Quest, The Conscious, The Unconscious, The Boon or Bogey, and the Quest's End. Very nice.

My favorite part is this, though: The booklet also explains how you can use the deck to build a D&D encounter, which... holy shit, that's cool. Draw a hand of three and, using the second half of each card's description, fashion an adventure. I will 100% be using it this way.

I think it would be fun to replace the Deck of Many things with this tarot deck in a game. Let the players draw a card to alter their fate one way or another. For better or worse, the cards will decide...

Super fucking cool.

The Cards

Now, the good stuff. The cards.

In this deck, the classic Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles have been replaced with D&D-themed suits. They're designed after four of the six main attributes of any D&D character: Charisma, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Strength.

Now, I was a little surprised they chose Strength instead of Constitution or Dexterity, since in the Major Arcana cards, they didn't change the Strength card. It's still there. So you have Strength the Card and Strength the Minor Suit. It strikes me as a missed opportunity. I think that either the Major card should've been changed to Constitution, or the Minor Suit should've been Dexterity.

The suits still follow the pattern of Ace through Ten followed by Page, Knight, Queen, and King. So, it isn't so far removed from a more "classic" deck.

Either way, the cards themselves are... well, damn. They're really pretty. The art style reminds me strongly of modern D&D books, and I suppose that's on purpose. It creates a cohesive brand across the board, but the style also really suits tarot.

The details are amazing. Even if the creators aren't tarot readers or deck designers themselves, I can tell that a lot of research and thought went into each card. Throughout the Major Arcana, you can spot various canon D&D characters (Mordenkainen being the Magician is most notable, though Tiamat burning down a castle as the Tower is so fucking good), and they all fit the card they've been assigned.

Sorting through the deck and writing my personal descriptions as I always do, I can suddenly understand why the descriptions are so short. There's so much on every card. The symbolism is easy to read, clear and fabulous throughout the deck.

And really, replacing the suits was the best choice they made overall. Not only does it fit the D&D theme, but it also stretches the imagination. I tried to fit the D&D suits into the classic suits, but it doesn't really fit. Intelligence might be Wands... but the Five shows a vase, which is definitely more Cups-like... though it is conflict, which is very much Wands... or perhaps Swords...

And so on. The unique suits lend a new depth to the deck. Unfamiliar and familiar all at once, D&D players and tarot readers alike will recognize the symbols on each card. Characters, classes, cursed items, famous weapons, beloved monsters, familiar themes, evocative expressions and colors and posing -- honestly, it's a good fucking deck.

Which is why the only drawback I personally have is the god damn cardstock. Bad cardstock is a deck killer. And holy shit does this paper suck. The texture is fine -- a lightly pebbled surface that's pleasing to the touch. But they're so thin. So thin, in fact, that a slight bend warps them badly. I made the mistake of doing a riffle shuffle right out of the box, and now they're permanently bent, just enough to make it obvious.

The cards shuffle nicely. They do feel a bit like I'm shuffling cards I printed myself on slightly thicker than usual paper. I'm afraid to shuffle them more aggressively in case I bend one entirely in half on accident, which isn't ideal.

It was obviously chosen to save money on the printing. It's a shame. Thicker or more quality cardstock would have made this my #1 deck, I think. Once again, I don't think this was made for tarot readers. It was made for D&D nerds and collectors who just might have an interest in tarot or divination. Or a fun addition to their games. Or something pretty to put on their shelves.

A Quick Explanation of the New Suits

In my own words, bolstered by what's described in the booklet.

Strength:

This entire suit is really similar to the Major Arcana Strength card. It can be about physical abilities, but it can also refer to inner strength, passion, and resolve. The individual cards feature a surprising lack of weaponry. There's a solid focus on making progress, weathering difficulties, and sharing what you have with others. Strength of heart and will, not just of body.

Intelligence:

In short, mental powers and ability. This suit is about gathering and using knowledge to advantage. The booklet also says that this suit is about the way our minds shape our reality and how our perceptions weave a story. These cards have a strong focus on the mind, predictably. Learning, thinking, logic, choice, and planning feature prominently throughout this suit.

Wisdom:

The perception of one's own inner world. Not just knowing, but understanding. This is the suit of intuition and insight. The cards have an emphasis on friendship, connection, healing, and faith. There are also themes of balance and having compassion with yourself. Also, one of the D&D prompts is "A duck waddles up and says that he has witnessed a murder and wants you to catch the culprit." Which fucking rules.

Charisma:

The suit of confidence and charm. Like the D&D attribute, this suit focuses on beauty, relationships, and interpersonal interactions. The cards themselves are surprisingly diverse. There's a strong emphasis on the strength of character and recognizing who you are. These cards focus a lot on being content and honest with yourself and with others.

Will I Use the Deck?

I mean, yeah. Fuck yeah. Shitty cardstock aside, it's a beautiful deck that calls to the TTRPG nerd at my core. I can't wait to do some readings with it (this Free Tarot Friday might all be D&D deck, tbh). Beyond that, I already have ideas for incorporating it into my D&D games.

Like the Alleyman's Tarot, I don't think I'll be reading reversals with this deck. It doesn't quite feel right for a reason I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's because the messages are diverse enough and far enough away from the "classic" Rider-Waite-Smith designs.

Overall Rating

In total, I'd give this deck a solid 8/10. The cardstock and package quality definitely docked several points, but the beautiful art and interesting Minor Arcana choices make up for it. Once again, I wouldn't recommend this for total beginners if you're using it for divination, but as a second or third deck, I think it's fine. D&D nerds and experienced tarot readers will find this to be a gem in our collections.

And hey! If you like my work, consider dropping a dollar in my tip jar. Contributions help me keep making posts like this one!

[dbmrrmarket]

Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis Market Size, Share, Trends, Industry Growth and Competitive Outlook

Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis Market survey report analyses the general market conditions such as product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand, and market growth rate which supports businesses on deciding upon several strategies. Client or business can get aware of the impact of opportunities that are offered by the market and hence design sustainable and competitive strategies in times of rapid development. A range of definitions and classification of the Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis industry, applications of the Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis industry and chain structure are given in the credible Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis report.

Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis business document is also helpful to understand the regional analysis of the market and paradigm shift in consumer preferences. This report makes it easy to analyze various market perspectives with the help of Porter’s five forces analysis. The company profiles of all the top market players and brands with moves like product launches, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions which in turn is affecting the sales, import, export, revenue and CAGR values are revealed in this market report. Key market dynamics of the Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis industry is the best part about Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis market research report.

The infantile systemic hyalinosis market is expected to witness market growth at a rate of 3.50% in the forecast period of 2021 to 2028. Data Bridge Market Research report on infantile systemic hyalinosis market provides analysis and insights regarding the various factors expected to be prevalent throughout the forecast period while providing their impacts on the market’s growth. The rise in the prevalence of genetic disorders is escalating the growth of infantile systemic hyalinosis market.

Access Full 350 Pages PDF Report @

Infantile systemic hyalinosis (ISH) refers to a rare disorder of genetic fibromatoses that is known to be autosomal and fatal recessive disorder with deposition of hyaline material in tissues. It is considered a part of hyaline fibromatosis syndrome. The condition needs to be differentiated from juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (mild) because both belong to hyaline fibromatosis syndrome.

The major players covered in the infantile systemic hyalinosis market report are Biogen, Pfizer Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novartis AG, Sanofi, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Orion Corporation., UCB S.A., Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., H. Lundbeck A/S, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. among other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Countries Studied:

North America (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Rest of Americas)

Europe (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Rest of Europe)

Middle-East and Africa (Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Rest of MEA)

Asia-Pacific (Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Key Coverage in the Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis Market Report:

Detailed analysis of Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis Market by a thorough assessment of the technology, product type, application, and other key segments of the report

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market along with CAGR calculation for the forecast period

Investigative study of the market dynamics including drivers, opportunities, restraints, and limitations that can influence the market growth

Comprehensive analysis of the regions of the Infantile Systemic Hyalinosis industry and their futuristic growth outlook

Competitive landscape benchmarking with key coverage of company profiles, product portfolio, and business expansion strategies

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 01: Executive Summary

Part 02: Scope of the Report

Part 03: Research Methodology

Part 04: Market Landscape

Part 05: Pipeline Analysis

Part 06: Market Sizing

Part 07: Five Forces Analysis

Part 08: Market Segmentation

Part 09: Customer Landscape

Part 10: Regional Landscape

Part 11: Decision Framework

Part 12: Drivers and Challenges

Part 13: Market Trends

Part 14: Vendor Landscape

Part 15: Vendor Analysis

Part 16: Appendix

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Data Bridge set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.

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[bhavanameti]

Slide Stainers Market Projected to Reach $5.53 Billion by 2030

Meticulous Research®—a leading global market research company, published a research report titled, ‘Slide Stainers Market by Product (Reagent [Stains, Mounting, Tissue Fixation, Processing] Equipment), Technique (H&E, ISH, IHC, Hematology, Cytology), Application (Diagnosis, Research), End User (Hospital, Pharmaceutical, Academic) - Global Forecast to 2030.’

According to the latest publication from Meticulous Research®, the slide stainers market is projected to reach $5.53 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. This market growth is driven by factors such as the increasing geriatric population, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, advancements in slide stainer technology, the growing need for personalized treatments, higher healthcare expenditures, the demand for automation in diagnostics and clinical research, and the increasing focus on cancer drug research. Emerging economies and the rising demand for automated slide staining and diagnostic systems also present significant growth opportunities. However, the high cost of slide stainer systems and concerns about automated slide stainers, along with a lack of skilled professionals, pose challenges to market growth.

Key Players

The key players in the slide stainers market include Thermo Fisher Scientific (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Merck KGaA (Germany), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Abcam plc. (U.K.), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), General Data Company, Inc. (U.S.), Biocare Medical, LLC. (U.S.), BioGenex (U.S.), PHC Holdings Corporation (Japan), and Hardy Diagnostics (U.S.).

Market Segmentation

The slide stainers market is segmented by:

Product:

Reagents and Kits (including Grossing/Tissue Marking Dyes, Tissue Fixation Reagents, Tissue Processing Reagents, Mounting/Embedding Reagents, Stains [Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) Stains, Cytology Stains, Special Stains, Stain Controls, and Other Reagents & Kits])

Equipment (Automated Slide Stainers and Manual Slide Stainers)

Accessories and Consumables

Technique:

Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E)

In-situ Hybridization (ISH)

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Hematology

Cytology

Microbiology

Application:

Disease Diagnosis (Infectious Diseases, Cancer, and Other Diseases)

Medical Research

End User:

Hospitals & Diagnostic Centers

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

Academic & Research Institutes

Contract Research Organizations (CROs)

Geography:

North America (U.S. and Canada)

Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, and Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific)

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

In 2023, North America is expected to hold the largest share of the slide stainers market, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. The U.S. is projected to be the largest market in North America, driven by its well-developed healthcare infrastructure and the presence of major market players.

Segment Highlights

Product: The reagents & kits segment is expected to dominate the market in 2023 due to the growth in clinical research and development activities and the increasing adoption of laboratory automation solutions.

Technique: The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share in 2023, favored by its extensive use in examining tissue and cellular structures in research and diagnosis of various diseases.

End User: Hospitals & diagnostic centers are expected to be the largest end-user segment in 2023, driven by the growing patient influx and the need for automated solutions to improve diagnostic efficiency and accuracy.

Geographic Analysis

The report provides an in-depth analysis of major regions including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to lead the market in 2023, supported by advanced healthcare infrastructure and significant investments in research and development.

Download Sample Report Here @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5643

Key Questions Addressed in the Report:

Which market segments are expected to experience the highest growth?

What was the historical market size globally?

What are the market forecasts from 2023 to 2030?

What are the key drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges?

Who are the major players in the market?

What is the competitive landscape like?

What recent developments have occurred in the market?

What strategies are the leading players adopting?

Which regions/countries are exhibiting high growth?

This comprehensive report provides detailed insights into the slide stainers market, helping stakeholders make informed decisions and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Contact Us: Meticulous Research® Email- sales@meticulousresearch.com Contact Sales- +1-646-781-8004 Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/meticulous-research 

[renna-fyth]

Journal,

Last night I did something I had thought I’d never be able to do in all my many years. I admit I am still a little emotional as I attempt to gather my thoughts on it. But for now, I will simply say how incredibly happy I am, and how fortunate I am to be standing on this good earth.

For the past week Kyni and I have been spending pretty much every moment together. We’ve been hard at work on the house, preparing meals, and being sure to spend time out in the yard just relaxing. I don't want it to sound like all our time has been spent needlessly, as we’ve also discussed the free company we had started, and began searching for ideas on how to progress it into a successful venture.

But one morning while working in the yard, I came across something that put every thought and well laid plan I’ve ever had to rest. In the farthest back corner, under a massive growth of damp, tangled weeds I came across a strange old hempen sack. The bag had clearly been back there for some time, as the plantlife had actually weaved it's way through the old stitching, and snapped and popped when I lifted it. The labeling, I instantly recognized it as Vieran. I had learned about and forgotten these goods were sold before and…well as I said…everything went out of mind after that.

Like I blur I rushed into the house to hurry and get ready. Kyni, who was just waking for the day, didn't miss a beat even though he was quite confused by my sudden urgency. He could tell whatever I was doing that it was important to me, and I probably wasn’t doing it with the most rational of mind. That was enough for him as he quickly began to get ready too. He is so good to me. Within the hour we had taken the ferry to Kugane, and JUST made the airship to our destination. It was to a place that I swore I'd never go willingly to again…we were headed for Rabanastre.

Now Journal, before you yell at me, please remember that Kyni was with me, so we were in fact safe…ish. Although, as soon as we landed I sure wish I had dyed my hair again, just to help myself stay hidden. Though Kyni seems to like my natural white though...so who knows?

It felt like every single eye was on us as we walked the bazaar... We traveled up and down familiar streets as we searched high and low for a market stall who was selling the bags I had unearthed. With the Garlean’s no longer a threat to these people, it seemed like half of Lowtown had come up out of hiding to retake the square and peddle their wares once again. I admit...I was scared. Really scared in fact. Every shout and quick moving citizen caused me to want to seek the nearest exit more so than our goal. So the less time we spent in town – the better. Kyni and I decided to split up, opting to divide and conquer!

It was during this moment of opportunity that a Hyur suddenly forced me into a back alleyway and began to berate me. It was Orran, Journal! It seems that Orran was still working for Ark and…well everything he was warning me of was already known to me thanks to Danfalo. I showed Orran the bag that I was seeking and he couldn’t believe it. He was so angry at me for risking myself for something so…well something he didn’t understand. Thankfully Kyni was keeping a protective eye on me and quickly arrived to calm the name calling. Orran did in fact know the dealer we needed! With reluctance, and he led us down a back alley, and took Kyni and I down into the under city, to my former home residence of Lowtown.

Through a winding maze of neighborhoods and narrowing streets, I found myself standing before a male Viera who was perched upon a pallet stacked full of sacks. Instantly the male smiled, as he knew why I was there. He…called me Word-Breaker, Journal. I don’t know why the phrase stung me so much. I mean...obviously I had or I would not be standing where I was but…neither would he. The price for the entire pallet of merchandise was steep, but thankfully Danfalo had left me some gil in his home to help get me started out. He’d probably roll over in his grave if he knew what I was spending

With the goods secured, Kyni and I had to make arrangements to get it to the coast. Orran, who owed me absolutely nothing, provided us a chocobo and cart for the transport, as well as some gil for the boat ride home. I... honestly don’t know why he did it…especially as his parting words to me was a reluctant warning that he’d have to inform Ark that I was alive and in Rabanastre. I don’t know…the moment was really hard for me. I was sad for him, scared for myself, but also grateful...it was just...it was a lot.

While traveling to the coast, Kyni and I found ourselves under attack by non-discriminate desert bandits who were after anything we had of worth. Even to this day, I still find myself amazed by the Hrothgar’s strength and determination. He dispatched almost every bandit to keep me safe, save it be for the one that I ran over with the cart. I wish I had be more open with Kyni about exactly why we were there and why the goods I had purchased were so important to me. With the battle over, we completed the remainder of the short ride and finally arrived at the dock. There, our final goal was in sight as we easily secured passage thanks to Orran's gil, and finally set off for home.

After several quiet days, my pallet finally arrived at home. Kyni, who had asked very few questions about why I risked going back to Rabanastre, risked being seen, and risked potentially being caught – watched as I tore eagerly into the first sack. I can't even describe my excitement as my emotions finally let loose as my feet were buried in a dark, rich soil. It's the real thing! The soil was from Golmore, Journal! The pallet was bags and bags of good soil from home, so everyday I’ll be able to walk in my garden, and touch home once again! I had given up on being able to ever set foot in Golmore again. Now with this incredible find, I’ll be able to every single day, and never have to feel so far from home ever again.

I know it's a far cry from the real thing. But in the last 20 years, I've never been closer to home.

~So happy

[bisluthq]

Except for Swifties, I have seen a lot of backlash against Taylor for her new album, in social media. Most comment on her lack of maturity in songwriting by a woman in her 30s and making trashing ex’s her legacy. They felt she should have grown emotionally by now. I tend to agree and I recall what Lady Gaga once said when asked. She could never write diss music against someone she once loved. I am exploring others to follow now. I was impressed by Victoria Monét. She’s a singer/songwriter 15 years into the business and only got a chance to sing her own words later on in the business, when someone found her tapes, and left the record label and took Victoria with her. VM had no father to help jumpstart her career, by investing in a record label, and had to write for other people instead of getting a chance to sing her own music. From now on, I will only be a fan of singers who show the emotional growth as a human being. Taylor has the power to have her words make the world a better place, but she is stuck in high school, emotionally, and only her marketing skills keep her relevant. She is no role model except for money making, squeezing every last dollar out of her fans.

lol but u haven’t even listened to the album???? This is such a weird ass take. So far the only negative-ish thing she’s released about Joe is YLM which is BY NO MEANS a diss track. It’s a pretty measured meditation on a relationship that was once great crumbling and acknowledges fault on both sides.

I’ve not seen anyone saying that lol like not just from Swifties tbh. As I said there was a long thread on FB where a friend of mine in academia changed the cover to the Tortured Historian Department and the zingers in the comments where all around academia references. One person wrote “So Long London is about how no one can afford to live there on a lecturer’s salary” and there were other jokes too that one just stuck out to me and got a lot of likes. There were also jokes about pursuing tenure but I can’t remember which song this was about. None of these people are Swifties and none of them gaf about her boyfriends lmao because they have jobs. PS Florence has confirmed the title was an academia reference to begin with in a story where she calls herself the Department Head of Haunted Houses (obvi the song So Long London is not about academia, that was a joke, but like the title is about it).

Victoria Monet is fucking awesome but that’s got fuck all to do with fuck all.

if you want to unstan Taylor based on an unheard album (or actually just because she annoys u idc why you don’t like her but an unheard album is genuinely a sillier reason than just “I find her annoying” or “she is the epitome of white mediocrity”) go ahead but like you’re doing it because you just don’t dig her anymore not because “a lot of people” think she hasn’t grown up lmfao. Also lol I mean algorithms work that way so if you keep interacting with antis you’ll see more antis so you’ll believe more people dislike her vibe idk.

[alicesara611]

The Rising Demand for Non-Radioactive Nucleic Acid Labeling Products: A 2030 Outlook

The global non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling product market is expected to grow from US$ 1.5 billion in 2023 to US$ 2.5 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period. The growth of the market is attributed to the increasing demand for non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products in various applications, such as molecular biology, genomics, and proteomics.

Non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products offer several advantages over radioactive labeling products, such as safety, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Radioactive labeling products are hazardous to work with and require specialized training and equipment. Non-radioactive labeling products, on the other hand, are safe to use and do not require any special training or equipment. Additionally, non-radioactive labeling products are typically less expensive than radioactive labeling products.

Request A Sample Copy of This Research Report! https://bit.ly/45QNbgh

Non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products are a safe and effective alternative to radioactive labeling products. They are used to label nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, with a variety of different labels, such as fluorescent dyes, haptens, and enzymes. These labeled nucleic acids can then be used in a variety of different applications, such as in situ hybridization (ISH), Southern blotting, Northern blotting, and Western blotting.

Key Market Trends:

The increasing adoption of non-radioactive labeling techniques in molecular biology and biotechnology research is the key market trend driving the growth of the non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling product market. Non-radioactive labeling techniques are safer, more convenient, and more sensitive than traditional radioactive labeling techniques.

Another key market trend is the growing demand for non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies are using non-radioactive labeling products to develop new drugs and therapies.

Key Takeaways:

The global non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling product market is expected to grow from US$ 1.5 billion in 2023 to US$ 2.5 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.5%

The growth of the market is attributed to the increasing demand for non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products in various life science applications, such as DNA sequencing, PCR, and hybridization.

Other factors driving the market growth include the rising prevalence of infectious diseases, the growing demand for personalized medicine, and the increasing investment in life science research.

Regional Outlook:

North America is expected to be the largest market in terms of revenue, accounting for over 35% of the global market share in 2023.

The growth of the market in this region is attributed to the increasing demand for non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling products in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Europe is expected to be the second-largest market, followed by Asia Pacific.

The growth of the market in Asia Pacific is attributed to the increasing investment in life science research and the growing demand for personalized medicine in this region.

Key Players:

Some of the key players in the global non-radioactive nucleic acid labeling product market include:

Thermo Fisher Scientific

PerkinElmer

Roche Diagnostics

GE Healthcare

Illumina

Agilent Technologies

Qiagen

Merck KGaA

Bio Rad Laboratories

Invitrogen

Promega

Segmentation:

By Product Type:

Enzymes

Probes

Kits

Others

By Application:

DNA Sequencing

PCR

Hybridization

Other Applications

By End User:

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies

Academic and Research Institutes

Hospitals and Diagnostic Centers

Other End Users

[milosamunch]

OC LORE

Eden 👁️ (he/they/it)

ur average young spiritual human being from a small, highly religious commune (slightly cult-ish but present socially) inherits a suspicion about their grandfather, a family reject/embarrassment:

🏘️🕷️👁️✝️

on their first trip into the city, eden snuck into a market stretched across the morning boardwalk as his mothers eyes were negligent, and experiences major culture shock. he, thanks to modern medicine used in the cities, perceives old age for the first time, which scared him shitless. (they were later banned from leaving the province for wandering)

following this, its ALSO tasked with decluttering the church shed for “character growth.” here he comes across old stories savored in peculiar levitating patterns. the longer he stared, the darker his vision got, until his eyes fell completely for the exquisite patterns and he reached forward,,

then he wakes up in a different realm- a different physical form of himself- and begins his search from the only thing he has left: his grandfathers memories.

pretty much abt spirtual growth / generational sin ^^