#Lab Stirrer

[equilrxnlab]

What Are the Benefits of Using the AKF-100L Double-Glazed Reactor for Advanced Chemical Reactions?

The AKF-100L Double-Glazed Reactor is a high-performance solution for chemical reactions, offering precise temperature control ranging from -120°C to 300°C. It features:

100L material capacity & 60L jacket capacity for efficient heating and cooling.

6 customizable ports for versatile experimental setups.

Stainless steel fluoropolymer-coated stirrer for reliable mixing.

5L constant pressure funnel to enhance reaction efficiency.

Optional explosion-proof control box, explosion-proof motor, and insulation sheath for added safety.

Ideal for labs that require precision and safety, the AKF-100L Reactor is perfect for a wide range of chemical and pharmaceutical applications.

Explore more: AKF-100L Double-Glazed Reactor

[sylvialabtronuk]

Horizontal autoclave

Labtron Horizontal autoclave is a PLC system controlled fully automatic horizontal vacuum sterilizer, offers 80L capacity with 150°C design temperature and 0.26 MPa of design pressure it has Cycle counting function, to autoclaving large volumes of liquid in a timely manner it consist of Automatic process of pulsation with temperature rise, for more information you can visit our website https://www.labtron.uk/

[crystalflores786]

Over Head Stirrer

An overhead stirrer, also known as a overhead mixer or overhead stirrer motor, is a laboratory device used for mixing and stirring fluids. It typically consists of a motorized unit mounted on a stand or support structure positioned above the vessel containing the substance to be mixed. The motor drives a rotating shaft, which is connected to a stirring element such as a propeller, paddle, or impeller that is immersed in the liquid.

[labotronicsscientific]

Digital Over Head Stirrer

Labotronics digital overhead stirrer is a stirrer with stirring capacity of 50mL~15L at a speed range 60rpm~2000rpm.Equipped with a digital control panel for adjustment stirring parameters as per requirements.The chucking and clamping range at Ф 1.5 ̴ 10 mm ensure the stirring element couldn't move during process.The DC brushless motor start spinning at a specified speed,related to the sample consistency torque motor apply twisting force of 20N.cm.The stirring shaft rotates at specified torque level ensuring effective and controllable mixing of sample. Read more

[thefusioncelestial]

Mix 14: Model Stirrer

Ah the modeling world, constantly shoving the prettiest, most handsome, most aesthetic people in our faces. But some of those models were not born that way, some had to be made.

In a series of valleys, no longer on any maps, is a series of modeling camps. For the most part, they seem normal: helping with health, modeling techniques, building connections, and all the shebang; but there is a secret program.

The program aims to reject nobody once they get in, but still wants its prospective models to actually try to get better. Thus the mix & match program.

The bottom 10% & top 10% are brought together & merged. For the cream of the crop, they assimilate members of the bottom 10% to improve "minor" things. There are also rumors that nepo babies who got to the top via connections are given total make overs via this program.

But more often than not, the bottom 10% are merged with each other. A mutual fusion.

Here is Yorden:

A part of the bottom 10%, he is was on the fitness model track.

Problem is that he could never put enough muscle on his frame. Many of the teachers disliked his beiber cut as well. Other than that, he performed well and every other measure. Had he had any connections, he could have gotten that make over that the top 10% gets.

Next is Elijah:

Same track as Yorden. Same problem exacerbated by his tall frame. A bit of a social butterfly, and that has made him a target. Some nepo baby wants his height and social skills for themselves.

The day before they were due to get assimilated by other model students, they hatched a plan.

"Will this plan really work," Elijah asked.

"It's either this, or we are someone else's lunch," Yorden responded.

Elijah pursed his lips for a moment, but silently agreed. Elijah found out that he & Yorden was due to get absorbed by Josh. Everyone hated Josh, he was a nepo baby who had the same bad marks as them in the physique areas, and even worse grades elsewhere except in runway & photo poses. Yet, he was on the top 10% in board rankings.

"I can't believe they want us to give ourselves to him to make him halfway good, all because his grandfather is on the board," Yorden said.

"Nah, we would catapult him to the 1%, give yourself some credit," Elijah chimed.

Yorden sniggered, he liked this about Elijah; a joker and is able to see the positive in many things. That position energy brought people towards him like a magnet, but even his connections couldn't save him. This large social network made him stick out like a sore thumb.

"Anyway, this has worked before, if we merge & are good enough, we can shave off getting eaten by Josh-turd, or we can fight him off tomorrow and absorb him instead, but we got to do it together," Yorden said.

Yorden was the ideas & plan guy. Every criticism, he turned into a basis for improvement. He decisiveness & work ethic is what led to him getting targeted.

The duo sneaked into a lab, the same lab where they were to meet their fates tomorrow.

It was a combination of blue, grey, & very dim. There were operating tables with other past students strapped on them in a state of sedation. They are shocked that isn't them right now, but the knowledge of their selection was not for them to know. Elijah's friend network was able to get that info to them.

But what they wanted was in the back of the lab. Three twenty foot cylinders that could pack four guys each. This is how they planned to merge. Each guy would stand in each side cylinder, and the process would merge them into singular new person who would come out the middle cylinder.

There was a problem, they needed a third person on the outside to activate the machine. So much for Yorden's plans. But where Yorden fails, Elijah succeeds.

Had Elijah chosen a more traditional path, he could be fielding acceptance letters from many engineering & computer science programs. That potential never left him.

"Get in one the cylinders, I know how to get around this," Elijah said.

He walks to a nearby computer console and begins typing away.

Yorden begins to walk to the cylinder furthest away from the console.

"How," he asked.

Elijah turns towards Yorden and smiled a big smile. Yorden remembered: Elijah was a tech wiz. He broke into the cafeteria system once and had the gluten free, sugar free sauce dispenser spray anyone who tried to use them.

Yorden smacked his forehead, he forgot about that quality of his soon to be other half. He was soon in the cylinder, within a few moments it closed shut. Josh was a shade of red for a month.

It was cool and surprisingly airy. Made sense, don't want the fusees dead from the lack of oxygen. It was like the rest of the lab and dimly lit. But in the middle was a pitch black circle. It gave off an energy that both drew you in & made you uncomfortable. Yorden quickly shook his head to get out of the trance.

"Hurry up before I get claustrophobic," he yelled.

Elijah was almost done. He had to change the settings, from assimilation to merge. He was tempted to assimilate Yorden, but he rather not just be another Josh and all the other top 10%'ers who devoured others for their personal advancement. A quick fifteen second delay for the activation, and he was ready.

He heard Yorden.

"Just a moment," he yelled. He pressed the activation button.

The fusion cylinder suddenly roared to life after the instructions were sent. This was Elijah's que to quickly get in the cylinder closest to him.

Elijah was soon inside the cylinder after a quick sprint. It closed behind him. Elijah was a little nervous, and that made him a little bouncy, but after exhaling a deep breath he calmed down.

The insides of the cylinders turned bright as the dim lights turned on, and made the insides look like an infinite white room with a pitch black circle in the middle. Yorden reached out and noticed that the infinity was an illusion, he could feel the cylinder walls after reaching out.

A large start up & then suction noise could be heard. A swirl of light could be seen forming inside the cylinders. It was barely noticeable at first, but soon turned in a spinning light show with Elijah & Yorden in the middle of each swirling rainbow light pillar. To get out of the delirium the spinning and random color changing induced, they both looked up at the pitch black hole at the ceiling. They noticed that the color show terminated there. The suction noise ramped up.

Soon they were both floating. They were approaching the black circle, coming closer. Eventually they reached the black circle and expected to bump their heads, but instead they notice they flowed into the circle with no resistance. From their perspective, they entered a pitch black tunnel and were flying through it with their clothes attached. From the outside their bodies were slowly floating up through the circle and were being swallowed by the dark entrance.

Soon they were gone, effectually in the pipes that connected the three cylinders. As they approached the center connection, low light random color shapes began to zoom past them. Eventually they were able to make out each other's shapes. They crashed against each other with a thud, but no pain was felt.

Then they began to move downwards in an accelerated rate & began to spin.

"This is it, it was nice knowing you," Elijah said.

"We are about to get to know a lot more about each other, everything in fact," Yorden piped.

Elijah closed his eyes, no turning back.

With what little space they had between each other, they nodded towards each other.

Their bodies glowed. Elijah red, Yorden blue. Their bodies of light swirled around each other and then mixed into one purple light.

The light that carried their merged being approached a tunnel of light. It entered the center cylinder and landed with a light thud.

The central cylinder suddenly let out a lot of steam & began to shake. The system was taking the different aspects of Elijah & Yorden and sending the result to this humanoid being of purple light.

It began to stand up. And began to groan as it did.

It gained Yorden's skin tone.

It began to breathe heavily.

It started off with Yorden's frame, but soon it doubled in muscle & grew taller. Shoulders, arms, legs, neck, & chest popped with new muscle.

It had Elijah's abs, but soon his his abdominals grew in size. It's skin restricted & squeezed giving it more defined obliques.

Both of the fusees were not well endowed, but together their family jewels and rods combined on the being to be longer and girther.

It's butt double in sized like blowing two balloons.

It kept Yorden's facial features as a base and then began to morph. It had Elijah's dark hair, jawline, nose, & eyebrows. It kept Yorden's eyes only a little bigger, and kept his ears & chin. The mouth was mix.

After a few more pops and gradual changes in other areas, the merger was done. The being stood fully up.

The purple light faded away & the central cylinder opened up. It stopped shaking and steam flowed out of the bottom of the cylinder.

It walked out and as it did, it thought of its new name.

"Zachary, I am Zachary," he exclaimed.

He looked down and noticed he was wearing a combination of his fusee's clothing. He had airpods in his ear, but messing around with them revealed that they were interfaced with the lab's security systems.

The Elijah part of him remembered the layout from the maps given to him via his social network, and bucked it to the nearest bathroom. He lifted up his shirt to check out the new him:

He was overjoyed.

And the gambit worked. The timeline shifted so that Zachary was never up for assimilation.

Here he is the morning before graduation:

He'll continue to model, but maybe he will pursue that tech potential that Elijah gave up.

[shelbgrey]

Comedy short: who broke the coffee pot?(Bones)

Paring: reader x jeffersonian staff

Summary: cam wants to know who broke the coffee pot.

A/n: bones requests are open!

MasterList

Cam called a staff meeting today... No one would have ever predicted that it would be about a broken coffee pot. Not a corpse, not a piece of broken bone, but a broken pot.

They all stood around the broken coffee pot confused, in the coffee maker it's self was large beaker from the lab in place of the pot. All of us minus Bones, she was aggravated she was taken away from her work for this.

“So...” Cam said crossing her arms “Who broke it? I'm not mad, I just wanna know.” she said softly looking at everyone.

Everyone stayed silent as Seeley and Lance walked in confused. Lance walked up next to y/n looking at the broken glass. Before he could ask what happened y/n sighed when she saw everyone's silent panic and spoke up.

“...I did. I broke it.” y/n said trying to save who's ever ass broke it.

Cam shook her head and sighed “No. No you didn't, you don't even drink coffee. Dr. Hodgins?”

Jack looked insulted that she would even mention him, did he not relize how many beakers he's broken in the Lab? “Don't look at me. Look at Wendell”

The blond look bewildered and gave Jack a dirty look before turning to Cam. “What?! I didn't break it.”

Jack hummed and looked at Cam like he cracked the case “Huh, that's weird. How'd you even know it was broken?”

Wendell started to get annoyed, he rubbed his fave then pointed to the broken glass “Because it's sitting right in front of us and it's broken.”

Jack shrugged “Suspicious.”

“No, it's not!” Wendell said shaking his head. Cam, who just wanted an answer sighed right back and looked towards Seeley who interjected.

“If it matters, probably not, but Lance was the last one to use it.” y/n and Lance both looked at him shocked.

“Liar! I don't even work here!” Lance said stepping away from the group.

“Oh really? Then what were you doing by the coffee cart last night?” Seeley asked in joking matter, he wasn't really trying to blame him.

“Because Brennan asked me to get her a cup of coffee while I got y/n her tea. They were both working late last Everyone knows that, Booth” Lance quickly said and his story check out.

Angela sighed and put her hands up “Okay let's not fight. I broke it. Let me pay for it, Cam”

Cam stoped her and held up the lose handle “No! Who broke it!?”

Everyone stayed quiet, they all shared glances just waiting for someone to crack. Jack's eyes fell on Bones who was now checking her watch.

Jack glanced at Cam “Cam Brennan's been awfully quiet.”

Bones gasped, shocked anyone would accuse her of such accusations “really Dr. Hodgins?!”

Everyone starts arguing after that, the squints and the scientists that is. Lance and Seeley stared, still confused on what just happened. Cam just snickered and walked over to the boys. “I broke it by accident. It burned my hand so I punched it.”

Seeley and Lance started chuckling when they saw y/n throw a hand full of coffee stirrers at Wendell and Jack.

Seeley chuckled. “I predict 10 minutes from now they'll be at each other's throats with warpaint on their faces and a skull on a stick.”

*Later at the Bureau*

“crap!” James sighed as the sound of glass shattering filled his ears, he quickly looked around for witness hoping no one saw him break the coffee pot in the break room.

Caroline sighed and pulled out her phone from a distance, James didn't see her dialing Cam's number. “Cam, tell me how you handled the coffee pot situation at the jeffersonian”

[trivialbob]

Last year I complained of Prime drink mixes not mixing well in water. The powder clumped up. Some sips of the beverage were too watery, others had too much flavor.

Last year I asked my future daughter-in-law, a professional chemist, if there was something I could do to make the power mix better, giving me a more enjoyable drink experience.

Last year she was of no help.

Michelle and Matt are here now in the Twin Cities this week to celebrate Christmas early with us. Before they had even unpacked Michelle gave me my Christmas gift.

It is an Intllab Magnet Stirrer. This is the same type of mixer she has in her chemistry lab. The base has a spinning magnet underneath a metal plate. A cruciform-shaped, plastic-covered metal spinner sits in a beaker resting on the plate. When power is applied, the device stirs the liquid.

It works well. I am hydrated and have satisfied taste buds.

These are two of Matt and Michelle's engagement photos. They are getting married next year.

[froglightz]

all right, guys. I have a theory about the diamond ore block theft.

Bdubs is known to be a pot-stirrer, and has been keeping tabs on server drama to drum up business for his court cases. Right now, Hon. O’Hundred has motive-getting people into court for his reality show. This makes him one of the leading suspects for the deep slate diamond ore theft.

However, he has additional motive that must be examined. His bestie/wife/father/nemesis/boyfriend, Etho (‘s Lab) is MIA on MCCI. Hon. O’Hundred has strategically employed similar strategies to lure Etho back in the past with promises of war, tomfoolery, and prankage, likening Etho to a bunny that needs to be lured in with a carrot on multiple occasions.

I posit that he is trying a similar strategy, but NOT for drama! Instead, his motive is simple:

******* ****** ** *** ***

Etho’s return :>

[opensesamepandemonium]

This is my first self plug and I feel dirty.

But have you ever wanted to get freaky with Gojo, Inumaki and Ino?

Rating: Explicit - it’s smut.

Incorrect (but correct) summary: female jujutsu sorcerer doesn’t realise she has a face covering kink.

Four chapters feat. Gojo i-was-born-a-shit-stirrer Saturo, Inumaki perverted-funny-boy Toge, and Ino brown-lab-boyfriend-energy Takuma.

[equilrxnlab]

Why Stirrer Capacity Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

When it comes to lab equipment, overhead stirrer capacity might not be the first thing on your mind—but it should be. The capacity determines how much material a stirrer can effectively handle. It’s about making sure the stirrer matches the demands of your experiments, whether you’re dealing with thick liquids or large volumes.

Opting for the wrong capacity can lead to inefficient mixing, wasted energy, or even experiment failure. Let’s dive into how to choose the right one for your lab.

Key Factors in Choosing the Right Overhead Stirrer Capacity

Viscosity & Volume: How thick or runny are the liquids you’re stirring? More viscous solutions need a stirrer with greater torque, while larger volumes require higher capacity to get the job done right.

Task Type: Think about what you're working with—whether it’s large chemical reactions, small batches, or sensitive biological samples. The right stirrer capacity depends on your application, and choosing wisely ensures everything mixes just right.

Adjustable vs. Fixed Capacity: If your lab handles various materials, an adjustable stirrer like the AKS60-S Overhead Stirrer is a great option. It gives you flexibility without compromising power or efficiency.

How Stirrer Capacity Affects Your Lab Efficiency

Choosing the correct stirrer capacity can seriously boost your lab’s efficiency. With the right stirrer, you’ll reduce mixing times and improve reaction consistency. On the flip side, the wrong one could lead to inconsistent results or unnecessary delays.

For example, when you’re mixing chemical solutions, proper capacity helps achieve complete reactions faster. If you’re working with biological samples, too much capacity can damage delicate compounds, while too little could leave your samples improperly mixed.

Watch the Stirrer in Action

Want to see how the right stirrer capacity makes a difference? Check out this demonstration video to see how adjusting capacity can change the way your lab works.

Wrapping Up: Getting the Most Out of Your Stirrer

Getting the right overhead stirrer capacity ensures your lab runs more smoothly and efficiently. Whether you’re working with large volumes or small batches, the right stirrer makes all the difference. Don’t let the wrong choice slow you down—invest in the right tool for the job!

[valeriley]

@inception30daychallenge day 09: Which character has the most annoying habit on the job and what is it?

Um, I’m gonna say Arthur and Eames together. Because no matter in what stage of their relationship they are, they can’t help poking at each other in little ways, whether it be verbal spars or little office pranks (see all of their interactions during the preparation for Inception). And while some can find it entertaining at first, it gets old fast for most of their colleagues, who wish they could just focus on the job and not whatever the drama of the week is. Even though most of them have placed bets about the 2 of them and their relationship status anyway. I do think they both are better behaved and more professional normally, when they’re not in each other’s orbit, but their bickering and flirting also brings to light the best in them in terms of ideas, and they’re the best, so people are willing to put up with their ridiculous antics anyway.

They’re all some flavour of nightmares though, that can tick some of the others off at times, so here are their individual worst habits on the job:

-Cobb tends to hover over people like an overgrown vulture when he’s worried or anxious about something, not in a mean way but still very annoying and exasperating;

-Ariadne is an absolute slob, her corner of the warehouse/office/ whatever is always chaos and she leaves her things all around the place for people to find and stumble over, while she can’t even find the pencil she put behind her ear anymore;

-Eames likes to take office supplies and trinkets from people to use, or even just to see what would happen (though he almost always gives them back), and he’s a shit-stirrer, at his most dangerous when he’s bored (or when Arthur is there);

-Arthur has a tendency to become hangry but more time passes and less likely he is to realize he needs food, and so he progressively becomes more jittery and short-tempered, so much so that few dare to approach him even if they can’t concentrate because of his obsessive pen tapping or something;

-Yusuf is a coffee snob and always hogs the coffee maker, and he’s superb at making it so the others wouldn’t mind that much, if it wasn’t for how very finicky he is about who and what can approach his makeshift lab, even having a set of written rules about hygiene and behaviour and such;

-Saito isn't usually part of the job, but on the inception he was always the perfect employer and tourist, helpful and diligent in providing what the team needed, though how he could get anything through wealth could get kind of creepy;

-Mal was always poking her nose in people’s personal business and giving them unwanted advice, especially people she liked, and would try to set things up or give hints instead of thinking about work because she thought she was doing them a favour. But while she was usually right in her assessments, let’s just say her plans left much to be desired.

[crystalflores786]

Multi-Position Magnetic Stirrer

A multi-position magnetic stirrer is a laboratory device used to simultaneously stir multiple samples in separate containers. It typically consists of a base unit with multiple stirring positions, each equipped with a magnetic stir bar. These stir bars are placed inside the sample containers along with the substances to be mixed.

[labotronicsscientific]

Constant Speed Over Head Stirrer

Labotronics constant speed overhead stirrer is digital electric stirrer with constant speed,providing manual lift mode to adjust the height of the stirring element above the sample.The chucking and clamping feature ensure that the stirring element couldn't move during process.It activate stirring process with a stirring shaft promoting uniform mixing to all areas of sample at a constant speed range 50 rpm~1500 rpm with a frequancy range 50 Hz/60 Hz which is controlled by a top-mounted brushless DC motor.Digital display for monitoring temperature and and speed setting.

Read more

[an-theduckin]

had a chem class in the lab today, it was fun but a metal stirrer thing was left in a beaker of barium chloride and they started reacting and it released some fumes that have definitely fried one or two braincells of mine and are definitely the reason I have a headache right now.

Also someone wanted to put a cube of SODIUM into *SULPHURIC ACID*

Oh that's not good 😟

[mimilind]

A Magical Classmate - Part 2

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Rating: T

Chapter Word Count: 2500

Parts: [ < Previous Part ] [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

Your new classmate is an excellent lab partner, and turns out to be a resourceful ally at a party as well. Especially if someone tries to mug you…

2. Lab Partner and Party Protector

The next morning you hauled out your cleanest jeans and best t-shirt, and spent far too long in front of the mirror before you rode your bike to campus. But when you arrived at the lecture hall you found that Catrine and Martin had already monopolized Drake, taking the seats on either side of him.

Feeling defeated, you realized he was probably a lost case, and felt embarrassed for dressing up like you had. As if he would ever notice you when there were attractive, fun people like them to hang out with. 

Morosely you took a seat in the row behind the trio. You knew you were overly dramatic and silly for feeling so jealous and left out, but couldn’t help doing it anyway.

During lunch break, Drake went to a nearby restaurant while the rest of you sat in a student lounge to eat your packed lunches. 

“I wish I could afford to eat out every day too.” Catrine took a bite of her dry cheese sandwich. 

“It’s not very healthy though,” said Filip, the only vegan in the class.

You had brought leftover macaroni and meatballs and ate them in silence, still feeling a bit low. When you had finished you decided to indulge yourself and bought a chocolate bar in the vending machine to cheer you up.

It didn’t help.

Drake returned in the afternoon when it was time for labs, and to your surprise and delight he chose you as his lab partner. You tried not to look smug when Catrine and Martin gave you long, jealous looks.

“Whew, saved by the bell,” he murmured. “Is Catrine silent, like, ever?”

You grinned. “Rarely.” Just like that, your mood had changed from glum to cheerful.

“Even if I had understood Swedish I wouldn’t have caught one word of today’s lecture with her prattling in my ear the entire morning.”

“I still don’t get why you attend lectures.”

He shrugged. “Bored, I guess.”

It was time to begin and you tried to translate the lab instructions. Drake turned out to be adept at practical chemistry as well – except for a few very strange instances. The first one was when you had to help him turn on the light and the fan in the fume hood. Apparently he didn’t understand that he had to press the red button with ‘on’ printed on it. 

His next difficulty was with the magnetic stirrer. This time he found the power switch, but didn’t put the plug in the socket.

”You need to plug it in,” you said, trying not to smile.

”Oh.” He turned the appliance over with a perplexed look. 

”Here.” You helped him again.

First when you began the titration, Drake showed how talented he really was. He claimed to have never done it before, yet managed to create perfect solutions every time, and his calculations – written down with the neatest handwriting you ever saw from a guy – were made with ease. Though you wondered a bit why he used an old-fashioned ink pen.

A gleam drew your attention. From under the lab coat, Drake’s shirt sleeves peeked through, and you saw he wore actual cufflinks. 

Seriously?

He had a matching silver ring on his index finger, with a serpentine pattern. It struck you he had really nice hands. Large but with a soft touch; he had no problem handling the fragile equipment.

”Wow, we’re already finished,” you exclaimed, looking around and finding that nobody else was done by far. ”Can I always be your lab partner?”

He just grinned and shrugged.

”Let’s go make the lab report now.” You figured it would be a win-win combination; he knew what to write in it, you knew Swedish. 

As you went to a study area and sat around the small, round table, Drake removed his suit jacket and loosened the tie so he could open the top button of his shirt.

Your stomach flipped and filled with flutters. Damn, what a body he had! He must work out a lot. You wondered why he kept hiding it under suits and dress coats – all muscular guys you knew wore tight t-shirts to make it show.

Then you began on the report, leaning your heads over the paper. His semi-long hair fell forward and made his face look softer, less controlled.

Sitting so close, his pleasant perfume filled your nostrils and you had to refrain from sniffing him like an enthusiastic dog. It was increasingly hard to focus on the report.

There was no denying it anymore; you had to admit to yourself you were getting a huge crush on this guy. He was just so perfect in every way!

You were nearly finished when Catrine and Martin joined you. Like you, they hadn’t quite understood the lab and had many questions, which Drake seemed glad to answer. In the end, both the reports became mostly his doing, but since you others had translated and written them you figured you weren’t really cheating. Much.

Unsurprisingly, after that, Drake became everyone’s favorite lab partner. He took turns and changed partners each time, and though you were disappointed, you weren’t really expecting anything else. He had no reason to single you out. 

A couple of weeks passed and Halloween was coming up. The following Friday there would be a big costume Halloween party hosted by Chalmers, the city’s famous university of technology. Since it was open to other academic departments as well, Catrine, Martin and you decided to go, and she managed to convince Drake to tag along. 

“But remember this will be Swedish Halloween, not American,” said Martin. “Here we only dress up as evil and nasty things, like vampires, ghosts, witches and stuff.”

“Ah. Then I can dress as a dark wizard,” said Drake with a wry smile you couldn’t quite interpret.

The evening came, and as arranged you went to the Karl IX statue which was where everyone met up in this city. You had spent a long time picking your outfit – wanting to wear something that both matched the Halloween theme and made you look good – and at last settled on a bat face mask and a wide, black cloak that flowed around you dramatically as you walked. 

Shortly afterwards, Drake arrived. “Neat!” He indicated your cape. “You look a bit like a dungeon bat I know, but much cuter.”

The compliment filled you with a pleasant warmth. 

Drake also wore a black cloak, his with wide sleeves, and held an old-fashioned broomstick in one hand. He had used makeup to make his face paler, except for dark red shades around his eyes, and with his blond hair snugly combed back it gave the impression of a skull. His attractive smile took away part of the effect though.

“You look great too,” you said, meaning it wholeheartedly. He was exceedingly handsome no matter what he did. “Only a bit too nice for a dark wizard.”

“Nice?” His smile disappeared and he lowered his eyebrows, piercing you with a dangerous, sharp look. He loomed over you, a hand menacingly hovering near his sleeve like he prepared to draw a gun from it.

You took a step backwards, a nervous throb in your chest. The transformation was uncanny. Drake suddenly looked lethal.

He relaxed and grinned widely, his face perfectly friendly again. “Were you afraid?” he teased.

“Of course not!” you lied, laughing sheepishly. 

Now the others had arrived and the four of you walked up the Avenyn boulevard. Along the way, you passed a beggar with a cup in front of him. 

Drake stopped, pulling out his wallet.

“Don’t,” whispered Catrine. “He will just buy booze.”

He shrugged and put a hundred-crown note in the cup. “Then so be it.” 

The beggar’s eyes became round and he grinned toothlessly, quickly snatching up the note. “Tack så mycket,” he repeated several times.

“It means ‘thanks a lot’,” you translated.

Drake chuckled. “I figured.”

“Are you always this generous?” asked Catrine, giving his thick wallet a speculative look as he put it away. You were all poor students and she probably hoped he would offer to share with you also.

“Nowadays I am.”

“But not before?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Shall we continue?” 

The Halloween party was held in a large student union building and the loud music met you already outside. Drake got that same pained look you had seen at the pub the other week. 

“Don’t you like pop music?” you asked.

“It’s just a bit loud. But I suppose I’ll get used to it.”

Soon your group was swept along by the many cheerful partygoers, each more scarily dressed than the other, and it didn’t take long until you got separated. Catrine and Martin wanted to dance, and you too, but Drake disappeared before you could invite him.

Biting down the disappointment, you danced with your friends instead. At least you felt unusually cool and interesting in your outfit. You were not used to drawing others’ looks, but tonight a random guy even bought you a drink unprompted. 

It had become quite late when you finally saw Drake again. He was standing outside the entrance, talking with your classmate Andreas who was a bit of a lone wolf. 

“There you are!” you said.

“The volume was more bearable here,” Drake explained. “Is it time to leave soon, you think?” He had a longing tone in his voice.

You immediately decided it was. “I’ll fetch Catrine and Martin.”

Catrine was easy to find, dancing like there was no tomorrow in her demon costume, and after a while you found Martin too, closely embracing a handsome ginger guy. 

“We’re going home. You coming?”

“Don’t wait for me; I’ll be sleeping elsewhere tonight,” he said with a proud grin. 

Secretly very pleased, you returned to Drake. Martin had always appeared to be your most serious rival for the object of your crush, so it was a relief he had found himself another guy.

A few blocks away, the silence was nearly deafening after the noisy, crowded hall. The fresh fall air was cool against your heated face, with a light drizzle making the dark streets glisten. 

Andreas had been tagging along, now he fell into step with you. “He is such a nice guy,” he murmured in Swedish, nodding discreetly at Drake. “I didn’t see anyone I knew at the party and felt out of place at first, but then he came. He kept me company all evening, and even tried to match me with a girl I found pretty.”

“He’s super nice,” you agreed. “How did it go?”

“Well, she only had eyes for him, so not good unfortunately.” He smiled wistfully. “Still, I had a lot of fun for a change.”

His words gave you a pang of bad conscience. Andreas had been nearby when Catrine and you others asked Drake to come with you to the party – why had neither of you thought to ask Andreas too? Perhaps he wasn’t a lone wolf, just lonely and left out.

You decided to be more like Drake and be kinder to fellow students from now on.

After a while, you noticed two strangers following you. Something about them made you uneasy, and you involuntarily increased your step.

The strangers did likewise.

Drake had seen them too, and cast many nervous glances across his shoulder. He had become tense and alert.

Suddenly he stopped, turning to face them. “What do you want?” he asked in a low, threatening voice very different from his usual one. He looked dangerous. Like a tiger ready to pounce. 

“Oo an English tourist,” sneered the bigger of the two. He wore a frayed leather vest and his bare arms were covered in tattoos. A biker.

“We just want to talk,” said his companion. You suddenly noticed he had a knife in his hand.

Cold to the marrow with fear, you tugged at Drake’s sleeve. “Let’s go!”

“Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “These gentlemen were just going to leave.” For some strange reason his stance had become less taut, as if he found a couple of professional criminals no big deal at all. As if he had expected someone worse.

“No we aren’t, you little shit.” The big one drew a knife too. It looked nasty.

“I’m calling the police,” said Catrine in a trembling voice. She was fumbling with the buttons of her Nokia.

“Don’t.” Drake didn’t take his eyes off the thugs. “You go ahead. I will catch up with you.”

When you hesitated, heart pounding, he swiftly turned around. “I said go.” There was a steely edge to his tone. 

“But–”

“Get the hell out of here,” he growled, looking so stern and intimidating you didn’t dare disobey. 

Together with Catrine and Andreas you scrambled away a few meters, but then stopped again. You couldn’t just cowardly flee when your friend was in danger!

One of the bikers charged and Drake caught his knife with his bare hand. Blood trickled between his fingers. 

You yelped, hands flying to your mouth. 

Drake said something in a foreign language and his other hand moved too fast for you to see what he did. 

The bikers cried out and dropped their knives with a clatter of steel against asphalt. Their voices changed pitch, becoming shrill as they turned around, stumbling over each other in their hurry to run away.

You dashed to Drake’s side, shaking with excess adrenaline. “How are you?”

“Fine. They were just bullies.”

“Your hand…” Your voice trailed off, breath hitching. His hand was uninjured. No blood, nothing… but you had seen it!

“What about it?” He calmly flexed his fingers. There was not a mark on them.

“I can’t believe you scared them away,” said Catrine, joining you. “How did you do it?”

“Oh, I just… what’s that technique called, uh…”

“Martial art? Karate?” Andreas suggested.

“That’s it, yes. That’s how I scared them.”

You shook your head, trying to clear it. You had a few drinks at the party, perhaps you had seen wrong… the injury and the blood must be your imagination.

Warm relief filled you then, making your legs go weak. Drake was alright! You were all safe!

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said, voice again soft and kind. “I was afraid they would go for you too if you stayed.”

You looked at him mutely, at the same time immensely grateful and awed over how heroic and selfless he was. Your throat constricted with emotions and you couldn’t stop yourself from giving him an impulsive hug. “Thank you,” you mumbled against his cloak. “That was so brave.”

At first he stiffened, then he hugged you back. “It was nothing. I’ve trained for this, you haven’t.”

You shyly drew back, wiping your eyes from tears that had appeared out of nowhere. 

He patted your shoulder soothingly. “It’s alright.” The motion made his cloak sleeve slide up, exposing the cuff of the black shirt he wore underneath.

That was when you saw it: there was a drop of fresh blood on his silver cufflink.

A/N:

Oops hehe. He should have been more thorough with his scourgify, but I suppose he was a bit in a hurry…

Thanks (or 'tack så mycket!') for reading! :)

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