#Snowflake cloud development

[sigmasolveinc]

Migrating Your On-Prem Data Warehouse to Snowflake Cloud

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations, enhance data analysis capabilities, and drive innovation. One of the most significant shifts in recent years has been the transition from on-premises data warehouses to cloud-based solutions, such as Snowflake. This cutting-edge cloud platform has revolutionized the way organizations manage and analyze their data, offering unparalleled scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency. If your organization is still relying on an on-premises data warehouse, it’s time to consider making the move to Snowflake. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the key benefits of migrating to Snowflake and provide you with a step-by-step approach to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Why Snowflake?

Snowflake is a fully managed, cloud-based data platform that offers a unique blend of performance, scalability, and flexibility. Here are some of the key advantages of adopting Snowflake:

Scalability on Demand: With Snowflake, you can instantly scale your computing resources up or down based on your evolving needs, without the need for complex hardware upgrades or capacity planning.

Cost Optimization: Snowflake’s pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures that you only pay for the resources you consume, eliminating the need for expensive upfront investments in hardware and infrastructure.

Seamless Data Integration: Snowflake simplifies data integration by providing native connectors to a wide range of data sources, enabling you to consolidate data from various systems into a centralized platform.

Advanced Analytics: Snowflake’s powerful analytics capabilities, including support for machine learning and data sharing, empower businesses to derive actionable insights from their data.

High Performance: Snowflake’s unique architecture, leveraging massively parallel processing (MPP) and columnar storage, delivers exceptional query performance, even for complex analytical workloads.

The Migration Process

Migrating your on-premises data warehouse to Snowflake can seem daunting, but with proper planning and execution, the process can be streamlined and efficient. Here’s a step-by-step approach to guide you through the migration:

Assess Your Current Environment: Begin by thoroughly evaluating your existing data warehouse infrastructure, including the data sources, schemas, workloads, and any custom configurations or transformations.

Plan Your Migration Strategy: Based on your assessment, develop a comprehensive migration plan that outlines the scope, timeline, and resources required for the transition. This plan should also address potential challenges and risk mitigation strategies.

Set Up Your Snowflake Account: Sign up for a Snowflake account and configure your virtual warehouse, ensuring that it meets your specific requirements in terms of compute resources, storage, and networking.

Data Extraction and Transformation: Extract your data from the on-premises data warehouse and perform any necessary transformations or cleansing to ensure data integrity and compatibility with Snowflake’s schema.

Load Data into Snowflake: Leverage Snowflake’s robust data ingestion tools, such as Snowpipe or the COPY command, to load your transformed data into your Snowflake account efficiently and securely.

Validate and Test: Once your data is loaded, perform thorough validation and testing to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and compatibility with your existing applications and processes.

Optimize and Tune: Continuously monitor and tune your Snowflake environment to ensure optimal performance and cost-efficiency, taking advantage of features like auto-scaling and multi-cluster warehouses.

Train and Transition: Provide comprehensive training to your team on the new Snowflake environment, ensuring a smooth transition and adoption of the new platform.

Ongoing Maintenance and Support: Establish a robust maintenance and support plan to ensure the long-term success of your Snowflake deployment, leveraging Snowflake’s extensive documentation, community resources, and support offerings.

Partnering for Success

While the migration process can be managed internally, many organizations choose to partner with experienced Snowflake consulting and implementation partners. These partners bring extensive expertise in data migration, cloud architecture, and Snowflake best practices, ensuring a seamless and efficient transition.

By leveraging the knowledge and resources of a trusted partner, you can accelerate your migration timeline, mitigate risks, and maximize the value derived from your Snowflake investment from day one.

Embracing the Future of Data

The move from on-premises data warehouses to Snowflake’s cloud platform represents a transformative shift in how businesses manage and leverage their data. By embracing this transition, organizations can unlock new levels of agility, scalability, and analytical power, positioning themselves for success in an increasingly data-driven world.

With careful planning, execution, and the right partnerships, migrating to Snowflake can be a seamless and rewarding experience, empowering your organization to harness the full potential of its data and drive innovation like never before. Original Source:https://locantotech.com/migrating-your-on-prem-data-warehouse-to-snowflake-cloud/

[insignia2023]

Fortify Your Cloud Infrastructure: Top Security Solutions

Discover how to fortify your cloud infrastructure against cyber threats and data breaches. Explore top security solutions and best practices for staying protected in the cloud.

[kasagia]

❄️️Warm my heart pt. 1❄️️

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova/ The Darkling x fem! heartrender! reader Summary: December. Everyone in the Little and Grand Palaces is excited about the upcoming holidays. Only the Black General seems rather... depressed. Like every year when these holidays are coming closer. Maybe this year, since you've been promoted to his second-in-command, you can make the general's holidays a little more enjoyable? And you're not doing it because you're in love with him and you want to see him finally careless happy... not even a little bit. Nonsense from me: A spontaneous Christmas mini-series. We'll see how it develops... I hope you will like it 🩵🖤 P.S. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I don't know if there's any equivalent to our Christmas… let's just say there is and I'll try to find out to be sure😅 Word Count: 3k Taglist: @aoi-targaryen ~•♤♤♤•~ Aleksander Morozova's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ ~•♤♤♤•~ Part 2 ~•♤♤♤•~

"Oh saints, I'm freezing here." Fedyor complains as he walks next to you through the snowdrifts.

"Don't be such a grump." you say, adjusting your black fur coat that protects your neck from the cold wind. You look at the sky. The clouds were swirling above you, and the snow was still falling. In moments like these, you kind of wish you were Inferni.

"Grumpy? We had been walking around, searching for this stag, the whole day. I start to doubt if that tracker can find it."

"That tracker had seen it." Mal's voice is coming behind you. You turn to see him helping Alina walk through the snow. "It had to go somewhere to await the snowstorm."

"We should do the same." you tremble as you hear General's right behind you. You feel his warm body and beating heart before he stands next to you. "It's getting worse with each hour. We should go back to camp." he says, looking at Ivan.

"Yes, sir." Ivan who came with him nods to him and looks at the rest.

All of you are following him. You see Zoya and the general talking to him about something in the front. Mal and Alina whisper something quietly to each other. The tracker looks distrustfully at the three Grishas in front of him. You decide to stay with Fedyor a little after them.

"Lovers' quarrel?" you ask him as you see him trying to stay as far away from Ivan as he can. He also has not looked at him even once since you all got together after hours of searching Morozova's stag.

"You can say that. I want to go on holiday with my family and take him with me. He refused... well, it's putting it mildly."

"He needs time. I'm sure he will gladly come with you to meet your cousins and siblings." you defend him.

You know very well that Ivan wasn't necessarily eager to leave the Little Palace. He rarely saw his family. Like you, he didn't have many... people in his family who accepted him as Grisha. Fedyor was lucky to have someone to write letters to and visit during the holidays. Ivan was also more conservative; he did not engage in closer relationships with people, except for his fiancé.

Just like someone else you know...—you think, staring at the back of the general's head.

Snowflakes fall on his black kefta, making it even harder for you to take your eyes off him. You stopped counting the number of times you just wanted to go up to him, run your hand through his hair, hug him while simultaneously hiding in his black kefta, or kiss those temptingly soft lips that gave orders to thousands of soldiers.

The beating of his heart has become wonderful music for you to work with since you somehow became his second-in-command and started to spend more time with him in the war room.

It also worsened your crush on him… but it was a sacrifice you could bear for the sake of Ravek and Grishas.

"I hope so. I haven't seen them for a year. I wanted to finally introduce Ivan to them. Especially after our engagement." he sighs sadly, staring blankly at the footprints in front of you. You look at him sympathetically. As you notice snowflakes gathering on his shoulder, you think of an idea to make him laugh and maybe feel a little better.

You stand for a moment and bend down to your shoe, pretending to try to tie it. Fedyor stops and waits for you, his eyes patrolling the area and the forest surrounding you. You weren't that far from the capital, but some of Drüskelle's unit could always show up. You take advantage of his moment of inattention, form a snowball, and throw it at him.

You laugh quietly as the snowball hits his back. Fedyor gives you a surprised look before smirking and accepting the challenge. You silently throw snowballs at each other from behind, trying to stay silent enough so that no one notices what you two are doing.

At one point, you dodge a snowball thrown by Fedyor, causing it to hit Alina. The Sun Summoner turns towards you and lets out a small huff of laughter as he sees the two of you covered in snow. He nudges Mal with his elbow, and soon the four of you are left far behind the others, throwing snowballs at each other.

You laugh as you form teams against each other. You and Fedyor do quite well against them... at least until, instead of throwing a snowball at Mal's face, you manage to hit General Kirigan, who seems to have noticed your absence and come back to find you.

You all freeze, watching the snow fall from his face onto the kefta. Beside him, Zoya tries her best not to burst out laughing. Ivan, on the other hand, gives the four of you an irritated, disbelieving look.

"Ten minutes… we can't let you out of our sight for ten minutes," Kirigan says, wiping his face with a handkerchief and brushing away the remaining snow from his face.

"Our apologies, General." Fedyor says, biting the inside of his cheek to keep his face straight.

"Whose genius idea was it?" he asks, hiding his handkerchief and brushing off the excess snow from his black coat. To no avail, judging by the snow still falling on you. But that didn't change the fact that he was as intimidating as he was in any setting.

You see Alina take a breath to take the blame, but you cut her off before she could. "My, sir. I wanted to lighten the mood. I apologise; it won't happen again. We won't delay our return."

Your remorseful look and tone of voice make him relax. His stern gaze softens, and you can practically hear Fedyor teasing you about it.

"Just don't get left behind." he says and turns on his heel, leading you all again back to the camp.

Zoya stares at you, surprised at how smoothly you managed to pull off something like insulting the general of the Second Army by throwing a snowball at his face. However, she quickly comes back to her senses and tries to catch up with the general to talk to him about something. Ivan, on the other hand, just shakes his head and wordlessly follows the Black General like his shadow.

"Seriously? If it were me, he'd tear me apart just by looking at me," Mal grumbles to himself.

"Don't worry so much. He would do it to anyone. He has a soft spot only for Y/N. Well, and maybe Alina, since she is one-of-a-kind." Fedyor says quietly and pats him on the back. Alina snickers and takes Mal's arm as they both follow the trail of the three Grishas. You roll your eyes at your dear friend's words.

"Stop it. It's ridiculous. Don't even insinuate something like that. With Zoya and Alina in the picture, I mean nothing more to him than a soldier, his second-in-command. At best, a friend."

"Sure. The beating of his heart every time you look at him is an obvious clue that this is the case. Besides, you've seen yourslef. You are the only one who can hit him with a snowball and stay safe and sound. He didn't even raise his voice at you. The two of you are so damn obvious and so damn stubborn that even if you ended up in bed together, you both would consider it an accident."

"Oh, shut up." he laughs, hitting me on the arm with his.

"What? Why do you think he made you stop your training as a healer and decide for you to be a heartrender instead of making you a main healer? You would have stuck in an infirmary far away from him. That way, he sees you often, plus you have black embroidery on your kefta." he says and winks suggestively. You huff in amusement, shaking your head.

"You are ridiculous. We work together. That's all. There's nothing more between us. At best, it's camaraderie. Besides, he can have anyone."

"But he wants you. Do you think he gives flowers to everyone on Women's Day? Or does he buy birthday gifts? Does he even remember about someone's birthday?" you blush, you feel your cheeks turn the bloody color of your kefta and it's not because of the cold.

"I remember him wishing Ivan a happy birthday." you mutter under your breath.

"Because he was standing next to us when I gave this idiot a gift." he says, obviously still angry at his fiancé.

"Give it up. Him and I—it's not going to happen. He's a womanizer. Zoya is not his first mistress. And I am definitely not his type or league."

"Well, now that you've brought it up... little birdie told me that he cut off all non-Army relations with her. And guess when? When you became his second-in-command. And guess who he pushes away, despite the fact that she's desperately trying to get back into his bed?"

"It does not matter. He probably has his eyes on Alina and wants to make a good impression."

Fedyor groans in annoyance at your response. Before you know it, you're back at camp, with no trace of the rest of your companions. The man next to you sighs in frustration and runs a hand through his hair.

"If you keep fighting it for so long and denying it, which makes no sense by the way, then yes. He'll find someone else. Take the opportunity before you regret it. Christmas is coming! Maybe some miracle will happen that will make you both see that you have to end together, because only saints can make the two of you see things together, you stubborn donkeys." he says and leaves you alone, going saints know where.

You sigh, walking back to your tent. However, before you strip off the layers of clothes that protect you from heat loss, you notice that you have no firewood. You go back to the forest and collect twigs and small logs of wood that you can use to light a fire at night.

You go back to camp, dragging a small wood sled behind you. You think about Fedyor's words and whether they might actually turn out to be true. You blush as you remember the countless late nights spent in the war room talking to the general about plans, reports, new recruits, or just drinking his kvass with him and talking about anything and everything. It's true, you were close... but would you be willing to jump in and risk everything—your entire career and the life you created in the Little Palace—to try to be more to him than just one of his soldiers? Especially when he could have had a Sun Summoner?

Lost in your thoughts, you don't notice familiar, dark shadows starting to swirl behind you. You scream in shock, both from the feeling of someone suddenly pulling you into his chest and from the fact that the skin on your neck and face meets the icy snow.

General Kirigan's laughter, the familiar scent of his cologne, and the warmth emanating from him calm you enough to realise that you are not in the arms of anyone dangerous. Well... if a shadow summoner could be considered such. But the coolness of the snow he rubs into your face and neck effectively shakes you from thoughts of him as you try to fight back.

He chuckles and holds you tighter with one hand as you kick and struggle in his arms.

“A good soldier knows when to surrender, Y/N.” he whispers into your ear, clearly amused. His silky tone of voice was as mischievous as it was slightly defiant and dangerous. "Shouldn't you have enough honour to obediently endure the punishment of your general?"

"Punishment? What for?" you ask as you manage to wipe the snow off your face enough to keep it from sticking in your mouth as you speak.

"Do you think I would let your little stunt get away with it? I wonder if you can still throw so accurately with snow in your kefta…" he says, slowly scooping up more snow and guiding his hand with it under your coat.

"NO!" you scream, amused and scared at the same time.

You use your powers to stun him for a moment and pull yourself out of his arms. You don't get very far, though. His shadows chase after you, and he keeps you tightly against his chest again. You struggle with him so much that you both fall screaming into a large snowdrift.

You land on top of him, blushing furiously as you realise this. The snow around you cools you a little, and you start to feel the cold seep into your bones despite everything.

"Armistice?" you ask him, your hand full of snow ready to attack.

He chuckles, amused, which only makes your smile widen. You had rarely seen him so… carefree. Especially now that he was so focused on finding Morozova's stag.

"For now. I will still look for my revenge." you whine, dissatisfied.

"It was only one snowball, Aleksander. I wasn't even aiming at you!" you protest. You squeak, surprised, as he switches, so now he is on top of you. A dangerous smile played on his face as he looked at you with a mischievous spark in his dark eyes.

"You think so?" he asks with a cheeky smirk, the hand holding the snow coming dangerously close to the buttoms of your kefta under your coat.

"All right, you won! Please don't. I'm freezing."

He frowns when he hears that you are cold. He lets go of the snow and wipes his hand on his coat before touching your cheek. He sighs, feeling how cold you are. He stands up first and helps you up, still watching you carefully.

"Let's go back to the camp. I wouldn't want my second-in-command to get sick because she decided to play in the snow" he says, and you blush slightly.

He only makes you redder by taking your hands in his and breathing warm air on them. You see the nostalgia in his eyes, and you can't help but ask him a question.

"What is it?"

"It's just... it's been so long since I did it. The last person I threw snowballs with was my sister. It feels like... centuries ago." he whispers thoughtfully, not letting go of your hands.

Unconsciously, he starts drawing patterns on your hands with his thumbs. You see him going back to his memories. How his eyes darken with sadness, even hurt. You don't know what must have happened to make him so depressed, but you feel the inner need to fight off all his worries just to see his smile again—the gleam of joy in those dark, hypnotising eyes.

"Well… maybe you can do it again? After all, the holidays are coming. You'll definitely want to visit her. Or she you." you say, choosing your words carefully. He didn't talk much about his family. Even his name was a big secret. And from your information, as long as it was good, you were the only one who knew it.

"It's a little more complicated." he says it gruffly and pulls away from you. You curse yourself in your mind, not even knowing what you did wrong. "Neither of us sees anything... special about it."

"You don't have a family meeting? Never?"

"We're not close. I don't remember when was the last time we got together. Not to mention something as insignificant and trivial as all this exchange of gifts, celebrations and prayers to the saints." he replies, pulling your sled of wood as you both walk back to camp.

You can tell by the tone of his voice that he doesn't want to talk about it anymore, so you change the subject and ask about the next steps in his plan to capture the deer, and he perks up a little more.

Little does General Kirigan know that you're half-listening to him, thinking about something entirely else. The distant look in his dark eyes when he talks about his family—that hidden longing for something he pretends not to want—tells you one thing.

You will make sure he feels different this year. You will do everything to replace his clearly unpleasant memories with harshness from his loved ones, memories he doesn't want to share with something better.

"We'll discuss the details in my tent tonight. I hope you don't get sick. We don't have time for any delays. We have to finally catch that damn stag by the end of the year at the latest. Although our only tracker who saw it will keep hanging around the Summoner Sun instead of tracking, I don't see it well." he says, and anyone else would find his words harsh and irritated, but you've long since learned that his eyes are the true reflection of his feelings and emotions.

The one thing he couldn't control. He gives you the rope of the sled, and before he leaves you, he ties his scarf around your neck, mumbling something about how you don't know how to pack the most necessary things for the mission.

You go back to your tent and light a fire. After a while, a fabricator comes in and hands you black leather gloves without saying a word. He's gone before he can see you smiling and blushing, realising WHO told him to make them for you.

You shake your head, trying to get past Fedyor's teasing words from the hours ago. It's just a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

But this is the moment when you make your final decision.

You will see the general again, as happy and carefree as he was a few moments ago. So relaxed and calm as he deserves to be, at least in this time of year...

Even if, along the way, your stupid heart had to completely and hopelessly fail for a man you could never have.

Thank you! 🩵🖤🩵🖤

~•♤♤♤•~ Part 2 ~•♤♤♤•~

[shiorihoshino]

Where Ruin Remembers

Echoes in the Snow [Part 1]

Echoes in the Snow | 1 [here currently] | When Reality Fractures | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Market — Winter

You double, triple, and even quadruple checked the knot securing your cloak together. The knot you tied bumped into your neck at every step, tugging your lips into a frown. Though, you refrained from touching that particular part to avoid unravelling it by accident. You did not want to test your luck.

Inky fabric fluttered around you as you weaved through the crowd of shoppers, tourists, or merchants. Ever the crowd around this time. Though, you had hoped waking early would haven lessen the numbers a bit. But, as usual, luck was rarely on your side.

A snowflake landed on your nose, directing your eyes upwards to the cloud covered sky. Endless grey stretched out to erase any hints of blue, blocking out the sun subsequently and whatever warmth it could provide. You hoped it stopped at a small flurry and not develop into a blizzard. You had enough trouble as it is.

Winter brings with it many changes. It carries over the dropping temperatures of Autumn, cooling from Summer's glares. Daylight fades, letting night encroach and last for longer. Certain plants shrivel and hide under the soil, much like the animals that burrowed away in their homes. Death looms over the horizon as winter stretches to its apex.

Your puffed out breath condensed into white mist from your chapped lips, slapping back against your stinging face. The air bites and cuts as you inhaled, your lungs weeping. You hid your numbing hands further into your cloak. You pushed on, ignoring your body's whining.

From one stall to another, you haggle and trade. A few failures and missteps, or just downright entilted greedy weasels, but most of them successes. Each stop helped your woven basket grow more packed. Especially when you target those poor unfortunate elders, your body trembling and shrunk in, lashes batting ever so innocent.

Your skin redden under the basket's weight, muscles straining from carrying the container. You had to push the basket lid down, squishing some items. Still, a better option than letting wandering eyes catch sight of your hard work. Adding extra precaution, you sheltered your basket with your cloak. In exchange, you exposed your vulnerable self to the chilling air.

Loud cheers erupted from taverns you passed by, jabbing at your eardrums. Your nose crinkle, catching the punches of what those gaggle of patrons intoxicated themselves on. Unable to handle the assault, you buried your nose into your billowing sleeve. You hasten your pace, your footsteps light against the uneven rock ground.

Each person that passed you, you shift to the side to avoid. You protected your basket like your life depended on it beneath your cloak, keeping everyone at an arm's length if you could help it. Not one slipped past your watchful eyes unnoticed, eyes drilling holes through their hands for any suspicious movement.

The small shower of snow above intensifies, the grey clouds darkening and thickens. Once whispers of the wind roared with vigor now, prompting merchants and ordinary people alike to secure their items on them. A storm was approaching.

Winter brings about many changes. It lets the world slow, blanketing the fragile life beneath. The death that succumbed, the lives that surrendered in its time. It covers everything, hiding surprises for Spring. Letting the world wait for that moment to burst out from the freshly melted snow.

As you near an alleyway, you caught sight of an appendage much like the one tucked under your cloak. The fleeting image send your heart pounding, butterflies fluttering up a storm. You cared little for the people you breeze by, feet a blur as they took you into the alleyway without any second thought to be had.

Red dotted the dim lit alleyway as you rush through the winding narrow path. The color help guide you to your destination, the trail fresh and recent. Nothing registered in your mind besides that one color, all ignored without remorse. Neither the foul stench of people's garbage, broken glasses, or the thick murky color liquid lining the alley's walls could distract you.

Rounding a corner, you huff out breaths of white mist, eyes widened to scan for the source. The edges blurred in your frantic search. Your heart clenched tight as the seconds passed by without success. But, even still, you refuse to let it go.

Winter brings changes and Spring bares its surpriss, nurturing what Winter tucked away. That moment near the end of Winter, when it retracts its claws enough to give way to Spring, is one of anticipation and hope. But, near Winter's beginning, soon to be in the middle of that encroaching storm, is not that time.

Leaning to the side, you peer around a massive pile of trash. Your breath hitched, heart speeding once more, despite the air refusing to enter your lungs. Your eyes met with the sight of blood and broken scales scattered on the floor. Yet, what caught your eyes were the jewels presented in the center.

Enticed by the dazzling luster, you could not help but approach. Fervent desires you had stomped down reared its head and roared, it echoed in your mind. It claws at your chest, struggling to break the control and walls you spend years working on. A pin puncture and...

Thus, the first seed was planted. You took care to not crush the fragile shell. You tucked them into the pockets of enriched soil, blanketing them up — safe and sound. You sprinkle the water, heart alight for the gains you will reap.

You held out your hand, eyes never once leaving the jewels before you. "Are you alright?"

For all you hope... even Spring's gentle touch cannot nurture something born deep in Winter's grasp.

[adarkrainbow]

Some of the concept art for Wilds of Eldraine

Taken from this page.

Will Kenrith, the heir to the throne of Eldraine’s human kingdoms and ex-planeswalker, goes to war for the sake of his people against the witches of the wilds and his twin sister, Rowan. -Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

“A few weeks after the end of the Eldraine 3 week session, I'm receiving another email from Andrew, asking me to work on Will Kenrith's new appearance for the coming set. The whole point was to design his king outfit. Also, the character lost his right leg facing the Blood Avatar, and that was a big part of the challenge in this design.

We don't go and work on such concepts "just like that". For Will, we received some help from a disability consultant regarding the prosthetics. There was a subtle balance to be found between making the prosthetic look believable, while still from a Fantasy world, but not thoughtlessly "cool" or "cyborg-like". We wanted Will to look strong, and still make his disability clear. So some realism was very necessary. For example, that's why you can see some bandage around his knee, to protect his stump. I imagined he would go and accept it as fully part of himself by doing the same on his other knee, as if his prosthetic was another type of leg armour for him.

As you can see, the general structure of the prosthetic is very real-life like. The fantasy element comes from the ice that Will build around it for extra protection during a fight. I added some delicate engraving, but didn't go too crazy. Again, it is a practical element, not an ornament.

The intent for the rest of the costume is pretty obvious : the "cold" motif was to be everywhere. You can see it as icicles on his shoulder, crown and forearms of course, but also as snowflakes patterns on the fabric parts. I had a lot of fun trying to find the good mix between the King and the Fighter. I grew very attached to Will through this visual development. It happens all the time! ^^I strongly believe a good design also comes from a good connexion with a character's personality and life.”

Edgewall & Human Characters

With humans being driven out of the five kingdoms of the realms in droves by the Phyrexian invasion, humanity finds itself face-to-face with the mysterious and unknown wilds on the edge of their civilization. Simple towns on the outskirts of the Realm already housed adventurous and hardy humans who welcomed the refugees, and some, like the rat-charmer Totentanz, took advantage of the chaos.

Totentanz, the Swarm Piper, a character based off of the real-world folklore of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, - Concept art by Jesper Ejsing

Totentanz charms rats and humans alike - Concept art by Jesper Ejsing

Wayward Knight, who has moss and flowers sprout wherever he steps. The basis of the card “Woodland Acolyte” - Concept art by Steve Prescott

“Herbalist potion maker” - Concept art by Steve Prescott

“Wilds-Enhanced” Robin-Hood type rogue character - Concept art by Steve Prescott

The Kingdom of Storms

An enormous kingdom of storm giants in the skies high above Eldraine’s Wilds, built upon islands of magical clouds. Only reachable by climbing enormous beanstalks known as “Everstalks.” Populated by other giant creatures, such as tempest harts, beanstalk wurms, and the Goose Mother. The capital, Stormkeld, is ruled by the storm giant Beluna.

The Kingdom of Storms, concept art from the Wilds of Eldraine world guide

Storm Giant Tower, concept art by Jehan Choo

Tuinvale, Court of the Fae

Home to Eldraine’s High Fae within the wilds, Tuinvale is a city of shimmering, translucent architecture made of gossomar glamors mixed with hewed stone and the forest itself. The lord of Tuinvale, Talion, presides from a perfumed throne-room in the center of the court, surrounded by twisted trees.

Fae Court, early study, concept art by Jehan Choo

A human adventurer entering Tuinvale, concept by Jose Vega

Studies of how different basic land types could be depicted in Tuinvale. Concept by Jose Vega

Dunbarrow & the Witches of the wilds

A misty land near to edgewall, and home to the powerful witch Agatha as well as other spellcasters and giant spiders, Dunbarrow and the surrounding area is home to all manner of wicked things. It was said the wildlife around Dunbarrow was twisted by Agatha’s magic and even friendly herbivores gained a taste for human flesh due to her influence. Agatha’s sister, the powerful witch Eriette, has left her home in Dunbarrow and now sits on the throne of Ardenvale Castle,

The witch Eriette casting the Wicked Slumber with her enchanted apple as she sits upon the throne of the overrun Ardenvale - Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

Dunbarrow Witch’s Cottage studies & designs - Concept by Jose Vega

Witches & Warlocks of the Eldraine Wilds - Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

The noblewoman Neva, an analogue for Sleeping Beauty, is placed within a Glass Casket to preserve her while she succumbs to the Wicked Slumber. Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

The noblewoman Neva - Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

Hylda’s Castle, Winter’s Home

The domain of the powerful ice-witch Hylda, her palace of ice known as Winter’s Home. Winter’s Home’s main tower stands on a rocky cliff that overlooks the loch, and glittering ice-towers stand guard around her domain.

“Winter’s Seat”, Hyldra’s Ice Castle. Concept art by Jehan Choo

Tundra Elk, beats of burden for crossing Hylda’s Domain. Art by Jehan Choo

The Rest of the Wilds

With Redtooth elves and were-foxes running around, the depths of Eldraine’s Wilds have an immense amount of lore and depth to discover.

Redtooth Elves/Werewfox Elves - Concept art by Magali Villeneuve.

“Werefoxes were part of the Beauty and the Beast archetype. There was no way I would leave that part of the push unexplored. Turns out my version of these very peculiar elves remained as the official one in the end. They allowed everything I like to do : working on strong silhouettes, mixing organic textures into a coherent ensemble. Look closely : not one piece of fabric involved. Only leaves, flower petals, wood, vegetal braiding, a touch of leather. I wanted them to feel like an autumn forest. The funniest part was definitely to show clearly their inner fox nature. It is especially obvious with the concept on the right, where it takes a second look to make sure whether we're looking at a humanoid's face or not.”

“Into the wilds” - Concept by Jose Vega

Wilds of Eldraine environment - Concept by Jose Vega

Wilds of Eldraine environment - Concept by Jose Vega

“Boundary Land” studies of the different land types in Magic and where they meet in the Wilds of Eldraine - Concepts by Jose Vega

[offbranddragon]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪Ask the author⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

A list of asks to send you favorite author, mun, or writer! Adjust pronouns or context as needed!

♥ What's your current favorite line that you've wrote?

💙 (alt: blue heart) Whats your 'word'/phrase? (the one you use most often)

✿ What inspired some of your work (s)? How heavily did these influence you?

❁ (Alt: Daisy) Whats one of your character's weirdest quirks?

☆ (Alt: empty star) Would you ever date you main character/ the character you write the most? Why or why not?

★ (Alt: filled star) What's a song that you heavily associate with your character (s)?

🧡 (Alt: orange heart) What do you want your work to be? Do you wish for it to be meaningful, entertaining, or just out there in the world?

💚 (Alt: Green heart) Do you have any fears relating to writing or your work?

💜 (Alt: purple heart) What's something about you that people would not be able to guess from your work?

🖤 (Alt: Black heart) Okay, pop off about one of your characters

✪ (Alt: star in a circle) Give the worse quick summary of your work/book/ muse

✦ (Alt: Four point filled in star) Is there a character in your work or that your write that you are 'down bad' for? tell us about that

✧ (Alt: empty four point star) What do you think is the most significant trauma your character has?

❆ (Atl: snowflake) What are some themes and tropes in your work or ones you want to work into it?

✥ (Alt: Cross with a clover at each point) How long as you been working and developing your world, characters, etc? Do you feel that works been worth it?

⚝ (Alt: Celtic style star) Okay, pick a character and roast them. Absolutely obliterate them.

✬ (Alt: Empty star with a dot at its center) Okay, go to picrew and make a picrew of a character in your work. Tell us about them and how accurate the picrew is

☠ (Alt: Skull and cross bones) Are there any 'paths not followed' in your work? What would the story had looked like if that path was followed? (Path not followed means a choice they could have made but didn't or something that could have happened but due to plot reasons didn't)

✁ (Alt: A pair of scissors missing half a blade) Pick a character, tell us how they would die or succumb to madness.

✂ (Alt: A pair of scissors) Whats something your character is obsessed with/would be obsessed with?

☛ (Alt: A hand point to the right) Tell us about one of your characters scars. How did they get it? Do we get to see them get it in the story? How do they feel about it

✉ (Alt: An envelope) What would your main character, or one of your main characters, think of themselves at the stories start vs its end? What would they tell their story start self?

☀ (Alt: a sun) Whats one warning you'd tell one of your characters (tell us which character/who they briefly are)? Why? Do you think they'd listen?

☂ (Alt: An umbrella) What would you put on a warning label for your character? (MC/SC/ anyone)

☁ (Alt: A cloud) What do you feel is the worst advice someone could give your main character/muse?

☃ (Alt: an over dressed snow man) What animal is associated with each of you main cast? Explain each briefly to us!

☾ (Alt: Crescent moon facing the right) OKAY GUSH OR VENT ABOUT YOUR WORK!

☎ (Alt: Rotary style telephone) Whats something you hate about your main character/muse? If you cant think of anything, what do you think other people hate/will hate?

$ (Alt: A dollar sign) Okay, give us a random line of dialog. Bonus points if its funny or weird without context.

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

"Ashwa Snow Village"

Type: Videogame

Developer: Planet Lab

Details:

"Ashwa Snow Village" is a videogame developed by Planet Lab. It is described as a city-builder game, featuring houses next to a plaza and the Ice Palace located at the summit of Mt. Ashwa. To claim the Ice Palace in the original videogame, the player had to log in consecutively for a hundred days. If they miss a single day, they have to start over.

Zayne and the protagonist visit the "Ashwa Snow Village" themed role-play experience at Planet Lab's Cloud Island holographic theme park. After changing into their costumes for the game, they pass through the preparation zone before entering the simulation. Once they pass through the door, the game begins, and their roles and objectives are revealed.

According to Planet Lab, they recreated the setting from the Ashwa Snow Village videogame "down to the last snowflake". The staff said they even used real snow and ice to create the scenery. In the simulation, there are snow-covered mountains in the distance. One of these mountains is Mt. Ashwa. The Ice Palace, situated at the summit of Mt. Ashwa, is a crystalline structure with a towering spire. It is in this Palace that they will find the fabled treasure. Scattered throughout the simulation are various cabins with blue signs. These cabins (below) be used as shelter from blizzards or rest areas. The cabins are equipped with a fireplace, wicker chairs, a bed, a stocked kitchen, and a simple wooden sled.

Plot:

In the game, the players act as Winter's Emmissaries (left). These halo-wearing heroes must work together to ascend Mt. Ashwa (right) and find the legendary treasure that will banish the winter's chill and bring the villagers warmth.

Gameplay:

At the plaza where the game begins, villagers speak of legends about "those who have halos atop their heads - Winter's Emmissaries". They say only Winter's Emmissaries can find the treasure that brings warmth to wintry days. Only Winter's Emmissaries are allowed to step foot into the mountains and make their way to the Palace. But the villagers say that, once they reach the Forest located halfway up the mountain, "the solution will take them directly to the summit" of Mt. Ashwa.

In the simulated experience, Zayne and the protagonist actually had to climb the mountain path. When they eventually reach the center of the Forest, they find a "never-ending cave". A cute cream-colored elephant named "Solution" emerges from this cave and says it can take them to the mountain's summit.

Once there, they push open the iron gate and enter the Ice Palace. Its icy blue great hall (left) has a skylight and pieces of parchment lie scattered about. The parchments are notes written by other Winter's Emmissaries over the years. Some of these notes were actual clues for finding the treasure, while others were red herrings. In a corner of the hall, they find a "crystal ball"-shaped telescope. Using the staircase in another corner of the hall, they reach the palace's terrace (right). From there, they are able to use the telescope to spot the legendary treasure - hot springs in the distance.

Zayne's Review:

After the experience concluded, Zayne submitted the review shown below. In his opinion, the journey was "much more memorable than the treasure itself".

[theolmtales]

During These Snowy Night (Genderneutral)

Victor X Reader (can be read as both platonic or romantic)

Summary:

You & Victor have develop your own little way of communicating. & you're just enjoying each others company.

Rathed: Fluff

Warning: None

Not taking 2 months to post something? That is a miracle that will only happen once. Also thanks my english dictionnary for preventing me in using the scientific terms for anatomy. I keep forgetting the common ones... (I did not use it to write this sentence though).

The room was wrapped in darkness. Not the kind of darkness that leaves you anxious about what might be lurking in the dark. A soft darkness that brings comfort and peace. By the window, the moon’s light was passing through the grey cloud, reflecting on the snow. Snowflakes were falling slowly and covering the sleeping tree with a white coat.

In the bed, two people wrapped under the covers were keeping each other warm.

Your figure was facing the window, you’re back facing your friend, looking at the never-ending snow fall as you listened to him. Well, listening might not be the right word.

The stitches covering Victor’s mouth rendered him unable to speak. Not like he would do it even if he could & you didn’t need him to. If, at first, the Postman needed his trusted letters to communicate with you, you had learned to understand him with the passing days.

Unlike the others, you didn’t mind the communication barrier. You adjust your way of communicating as simply as if you were changing your walking pace. With the days you learned to understand his body language & sooner than later Victor could leave his stack of letters behind.

An unlikely friendship had formed the more you interacted with each other. In this never-ending hell of torments & death, it was a nice respite. It was rare to trust people in here. Whether it was because of past action or the stress from the matches,

Victor hated interacting face to face with people. Never trusting their true intentions. Then, what could have made him change is mind about you? Something only, you & him knew.

If some people develop special handshakes, little traditions & others with their loved ones, Victor & you share your own way of communicating.

The two of you had started to exchange in your own unique way. Using each others’ skin as paper. It had started one day when you couldn’t understand a word Victor was trying to communicate & you had offered him your wrist so he could write it there. Since then, your skin became like a back-up letter for him to put his thoughts into words the rare times you couldn’t grasp them.

Except one word became two, & than three, & so on. Until he was writing complete conversation on you. & Words became symbols. Brushing his fingers a certain way on a certain part of your skin would bring the two of you comfort before a match. Before long, you had started doing the same to him. Sometimes preferring to talk, but some other times preferring your silent exchanges.

Words weren’t a need for the two of you. But in the moments that you wish to exchange extensively on a subject, he was always content to listen to your voice. Again & again.

In the silence of this night, Victor’s fingers move softly as he caresses the words into your back. Particularly enjoying tracing along your spine. Hiding little drawings only the two of you knew the significance of. He would ask you questions, & you would simply answer him with your voice. The sound lulling him in a sense of peace.

This exchange was nothing people would consider essential. Meaningless questions, wandering thoughts, charades, stories with neither tail nor head & many others. But it wasn’t important.

Because it was not the information exchanged during that time that was important. It was the moment.

These moments were for the two of you only. Shrouded with peace & love until the moment Morpheus would come & claim both of you. Sometimes together, sometimes one after the other.

[ze-slaughtermod]

I love my wife

But I'm a terrible friend and partner

I'm bad at communicating and expressing myself

I try but I know I sound like some whiney "third world problem" snowflake because all of my explanations are only excuses as to why I think, behave or act a certain way

My mother sheltered me and hardly let me ever express myself or explore new things because she was constantly afraid of letting me do new things that seemed "dangerous"

So I developed a fear of the unknown

My step father tried to be a role model and teach me things (building, DIY, computers, how to use tools, how to do some basic home repairs, etc)

But he is a very condescending asshole who actually has admitted to looking down on people who he considers "dumb"

And therefore nothing I ever do is ever good enough in his eyes and in the eyes of others: other family, friends, myself and especially in my wife's eyes. I'll forever remain a disappointment to everyone. I'm not good enough.

I'm not creative.

I second guess myself.

Bad relationships and not being accepted for who I am and rather who others wanted me to be changed and warped my sense of self

Over time, I let my own religious and spiritual beliefs crumble because: What's the point in anything?

I haven't loved myself not even once because it was instilled in my brain that I'm not good enough at anything and I will always fail...

And then I meet my wife.

She's been fighting this ugliness inside of me ever since we've known each other. For eight. Fucking years.

And you'd think that with our talks and therapy and heart to hearts and simply just being in her kind and accepting and loving aura: I'd be okay

But I'm not

I close myself off

I'm cold sometimes

I'm unsure. I hesitate. I make bad choices because I second guess myself a lot. My personality changes a lot--

TW for mention of s.h.

I even admitted to her once that I used a pumpkin carving knife to make sure I could still feel. Nothing deep. Just....scars that will never go away

They've been there for 12years now. A constant reminder that I was stupid enough to do such a thing

Or told her that: I look at the sky and see the clouds and wonder -- are they real? Is this a simulation?

Sometimes I act like two different people

And right now, I'm the cold and indifferent side of me because I'm so stressed out about our current situation

It's getting hot

The car doesn't have AC

We have a power station and a fan in this muggy tropical like heat

And I'm so worried my wife is gonna have a heat stroke

I'm so terrified my cats are gonna die of heat exhaustion

She's taking good care of them

And all I can think about is: I'm not good enough to provide enough for them

How fucking pathetic and selfish is that thought?

[mariacallous]

One of the biggest hacks of the year may have started to unfold. Late on Friday, embattled events business Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, confirmed it suffered a data breach after criminal hackers claimed to be selling half a billion customer records online. Banking firm Santander also confirmed it had suffered a data breach impacting millions of customers and staff after its data was advertised by the same group of hackers.

While the specific circumstances of the breaches—including exactly what information was stolen and how it was accessed—remain unclear, the incidents may be linked to attacks against company accounts with cloud hosting provider Snowflake. The US-based cloud firm has thousands of customers, including Adobe, Canva, and Mastercard, which can store and analyze vast amounts of data in its systems.

Security experts say that as more details become clear about hackers' attempts to access and take data from Snowflake’s systems, it is possible that other companies will reveal they had data stolen. At present, though, the developing situation is messy and complicated.

“Snowflake recently observed and is investigating an increase in cyber threat activity targeting some of our customers’ accounts,” wrote Brad Jones, Snowflake’s chief information security officer in a blog post acknowledging the cybersecurity incident on Friday. Snowflake has found a “limited number” of customer accounts that have been targeted by hackers who obtained their login credentials to the company’s systems, Jones wrote. Snowflake also found one former staff member’s “demo” account that had been accessed.

However, Snowflake doesn’t “believe” it was the source of any leaked customer credentials, the post says. “We have no evidence suggesting this activity was caused by any vulnerability, misconfiguration, or breach of Snowflake’s product,” Jones wrote in the blog post.

While the number of Snowflake accounts accessed and what data may have been taken have not been released, government officials are warning about the impact of the attack. Australia’s Cyber Security Center issued a “high” alert on Saturday, saying it is “aware of successful compromises of several companies utilizing Snowflake environments” and companies using Snowflake should reset their account credentials, turn on multifactor authentication, and review user activity.

“It looks like Snowflake has had some rather egregiously bad security compromise,” security researcher Troy Hunt, who runs data breach notification website Have I Been Pwned, tells WIRED. “It being a provider to many other different parties, it has sort of bubbled up to different data breaches in different locations.”

Details of the data breaches started to emerge on May 27. A newly registered account on cybercrime forum Exploit posted an advertisement where they claimed to be selling 1.3 TB of Ticketmaster data, including more than 560 million people’s information. The hacker claimed to have names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, some credit card details, ticket sales, order details, and more. They asked for $500,000 for the database.

One day later, the established hacking group ShinyHunters—which first emerged in 2020 with a data-stealing rampage, before selling 70 million AT&T records in 2021—posted the exact same Ticketmaster ad on rival marketplace BreachForums. At the time, Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation had not confirmed any data theft and it was unclear if either post selling the data was legitimate.

On May 30, ShinyHunters also claimed to be selling 30 million customer details and staff information from Santander, putting a $2 million price tag on the information. Both posts on BreachForums have drawn attention to the illegal marketplace, which was recently revived by ShinyHunters after the FBI took the website down on May 15. The posts may, at least in part, be efforts to restore the disrupted forum’s damaged reputation with criminals.

The two hacks were linked to Snowflake’s systems by Israeli security firm Hudson Rock, which, in a now-removed blog post, posted conversations its researchers had with the alleged hacker who claimed to have accessed Snowflake’s systems and exfiltrated data. The hacker claimed they had tried to sell the data back to Snowflake for $20 million. (Hudson Rock did not respond to WIRED’s questions about why it has removed its research).

The Hudson Rock post claimed that a Snowflake employee may have been infected by an infostealer that collected the details the hacker needed to log in to its systems. Charles Carmakal, the chief technology officer at Google-owned security firm Mandiant, told BleepingComputer that its investigations, which have been taking place in recent weeks, indicate information-stealing malware may have been used to get Snowflake account credentials.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told TechCrunch that its stolen database was hosted on Snowflake after the company acknowledged a data breach in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday evening. In the middle of May, before its data was advertised online, Santander first said it had seen unauthorized access to one of its databases “hosted by a third-party provider,” however it has refused to name the third party.

Snowflake’s CISO, Jones, acknowledged the security incident on Friday, saying that if a “threat actor obtains customer credentials, they may be able to access the account.” The company says it became aware of the suspicious activity on May 23 but has since found out it had been happening since mid-April. Jones’ post says Snowflake has notified all of its customers and “encouraged” them to review account settings and ensure they have implemented multi-factor authentication. In an additional security bulletin, Snowflake says it has seen “malicious traffic” from a client calling itself “rapeflake” and also connections from another client called “DBeaver_DBeaverUltimate.” A company spokesperson tells WIRED they have “nothing else to add” beyond the information included in company posts.

Cloud security company Mitiga says its investigations have seen a threat actor targeting organizations using Snowflake databases and using an attack tool called “​​rapeflake” in the process. Roei Sherman, field CTO at Mitiga, tells WIRED one possible scenario is that a threat actor managed to get information about Snowflake’s systems and then stole information about its clients, possibly using automated tools and brute-forcing their way into accounts.

Sherman says little is known about what data was stolen at the moment or the “​​rapeflake” tool, but that the attack could have wider ramifications going forward. There are already early signs other companies may be impacted.

Sherman says some of Mitiga’s customers have reached out to it for help, while Mandiant told BleepingComputer it had been assisting Snowflake customers in recent weeks. Cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont shared online that he knows of six companies that have been impacted. And Australian events company Ticketek has also revealed customer names and email addresses stored in a “cloud-based platform, hosted by a reputable, global third-party supplier” have been accessed, although a spokesperson refused to confirm if this was related to Snowflake at all.

“We haven’t seen the entire blast radius yet,” Sherman says. “Snowflake has thousands of clients—they offer self-registration—and some of their clients are huge companies. We expect to learn about additional companies compromised.”

[christinescupofcoffee]

Kinkmas | day v.

“las cruces is for lovers” (the scorpion ladies)

I thought I was going crazy. After the fact that we had been stung by the intense venom of the scorpions out in the desert, the four of us had been brought together by the mere circumstance of it all, and now we were on our way to standing up to the incoming storm on our backs. We may have looked like women, but we had our shields up and ready for whatever weather may have come our way, as if we had those hard exoskeletons on our person. At the same time, I had my worries. I had my fear that Brendan was going to be stung in our moments alone together, and more so when he raked his fingers across the strands of my braid at the back of my head.

Whenever he had put me into the mood, at any given point, I had to be sure that the braid wasn’t morphing into a stinger. He told me that I was wearing him out, too, as the scorpion’s venom had given me more of a thirst than I had had before. I was strong and I had the power and the strength, and he knew it. My love was afraid of me even as he simultaneously loved me for everything about me. I worried that I had become too much for him.

His eyes always looked so hungry when he saw me, but at the same time, I saw a glimmer of dread in there. It felt as though he had grown wary of my appetite, and I also worried about stinging him and injecting him with my deadly venom.

Vanessa and Rita were all good about it, given they were both unattached, but Egypt, Maya, and I had our doubts. In fact, the three of us were so concerned about it that the four of us agreed on something of an experiment. 

We made our trek down to Las Cruces to see if we could give our bodies to the development of an anti-venom treatment. If we were to keep going, we had to make sure we didn’t lose control in any given circumstance. Most of it was guided by my own concerns 

The five of us had piled into Maya’s bright blue Volkswagen bus, and we had packed our things in the hopes to be away from home for more than a week. It was a four hour drive down to Las Cruces, but it was the winter time, and we were driving through mountains: scorpions came out during the thick of the heat, after all. We were all bundled up in our parkas, while Maya had brought several of her densely woven Hopi blankets to keep us warm lest we be met with a snowstorm at any given point during the trip. We were driving along the high crest of a plateau only to descend down into the valley that was the low desert on the head of a blizzard: we had to time it right.

And we did not time it right.

Somewhere near Socorro and South Baldy, the halfway point of the ride down to Las Cruces, with the Rio Grande to our side and the mountains surrounding us like spires of a castle before they vanished into the clouds over our heads, the sky grew dark and heavy with moisture. I had my hope that it would rain, but when I placed my hand against the windowpane, I could tell that it was far too cold. Large snowflakes fell upon the windshield, and the road in front of us turned white with frost. Maya pulled over to the side of the road, and the five us huddled in the back part of her bus. We had our blankets and we had quite a bit of food onboard, but as far as I could tell, we were stuck there until the road cleared out, and when that would happen was anyone’s guess.

Maya had brought with her a little camping stove so we could make ourselves some hot cocoa in the bed section of the bus once we had moved the seats around: she knew those mountains as well as the part of the Rockies which made up the Navajo and Hopi Nations, and thus, she always came prepared. Our heads wet from the snow, we wrapped the blankets around us and huddled down around the warmth of the stove in the middle of the bus.

“You know what’s one thing I never really got to do before I was stung?” Egypt began with a clearing in her throat.

“What’s that?” I asked her, and she huddled closer to me.

“Explore myself with multiple people,” she replied in a low voice.

“How can you possibly think of that in a situation like this?” Vanessa demanded, albeit with a slight chuckle to her voice.

“It’s a means of staying warm,” Egypt replied with a straight face. “It’ll give us something to do, too. I reckon we’ll sleep better, too.” She turned to me with a hooding to her eyes.

She was this beautiful half-Apache woman with a pair of braids on either side of her head and lips shaped into a perfect heart. I always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen along with my lovely Rita. Where Rita hailed all the way from the lush tropics of Costa Rica, Egypt and Maya both originally hailed from the vast wide stark beauty of the pueblos of the high desert, and I wanted to feel the experience of it all. We finished our cocoa and let our hands be the guides for us.

There really was nothing better to do than to let loose and explore ourselves amongst the five of us. Egypt had her lips on me while Vanessa was fondling my breasts. I returned the favor unto her with my fingers down inside of her jeans just to finger the head of her clit. Maya opened her pants for Egypt while I had opened my pants for Rita.

It grew so much warmer in there with our bodies pushed up against one another than the heat of the stove at the helm. Even with the snow on the windshield and the roof overhead, we kept warm and we danced around the heart of the fire as if we were performing a ceremony of sorts.

At the same time, however, I couldn’t believe the five of us were actually doing it. We had a full-fledged orgy in the bed section of Maya’s van, and there was no one else around on the interstate to witness it, either, given we were caught up in the midst of a blizzard.

[babulejka]

˚₊‧꒰ა your life in kuroko no basket for @tillichan ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

┈─★ description

what is the dream of every serious sports team in high school? to have a cute manager! and you my dear are dream come true for seirin basketball team! your angelic presence has blessed hallways of seirin high and changed fate of basketball club. your adventure in this school will be full of hard work to fulfill dreams and ambitions! sure, it'll be fun! and who knows? maybe you'll even find love?

lead your precious team to the glorious victory! Seirin FIGHT!

┈─★ powers/abilities

thanks to your pro chess player tournament past you're very proficient in developing strategies and training schedules, always helping riko with creating new brilliant tactics. your analysis is incredibly detailed and accurate, you are able to predict the other person's moves, after one look you know all their strengths and weaknesses.

as the manager, you scout other teams and review their playing patterns. you're able to analyze every ability of every player and foresee their moves. your sharp analysis truly belongs in a differend world and makes you do things other people could only dream of; it successfully allowed you to see inner talent of tetsuya kuroko in spite of his lack of presence.

you're also very good and fast at treating injuries, you're so precise and delicate at the same time, always ready to help if needed, tapping up joints or setting a sprained ankle.

you're also biggest cheerleader and support for your team! your friendly nature allows to create strong bond with the players which really improved team dynamics. you bring them comfort and motivate them to becoming even better in what they're doing. sometimes they're coming to you with their sorrows and troubles, always knowing that you'll help them. you're just… so nice and you have this warm, inviting aura that makes you sneak into people's hearts. quickly and unintentionally, you became the soul of seirin basketball team.

your delicate beauty is also very noticeable thing, with simple smile you're able to win over almost everyone, your angelic presence brings attention of those around you, and with attention often comes adoration.

you can also prepare decent meals, which is really appreciated.

⋙ training capability ███████▒▒▒ 7/10

⋙ analytical skill ██████████ 10/10

⋙ leadership █████▒▒▒▒▒ 5/10

⋙ charisma ███████▒▒▒ 7/10

⋙ cooking ███████▒▒▒ 7/10

⋙ feminine appeal █████████▒ 9/10

┈─★ your match is kuroko tetsuya!

a surface of water slightly rippled by a thrown stone. kisses on temple. vanilla. cherry blossom petals in the hair. slight blush brushing cheeks. comfortable silence. snowflakes. purest blue. looking at the sky and laughing at clouds' shapes. gentle breeze. painting nails. playing with stray cats. elegant swans at crystal pond. butterfly on delicate flower. cooing at each others childhood photos. always seeing each other in the crowd first. sweetest smile. feeling comfortable with being vulnerable. daisies. fluffy white bunnies decored with ribbons. wish-keeping dandelions. pinky promises. heartfelt laugh. warm light. whispers filled with love. knowing looks. feathery touches. creampuffs.

⬚ hm? who? oh, him. the transparent and invisible one, easy to miss out; a ghost. his whole presence is filled with serenity and a tinge of sadness, melancholy of days that have passed and will never return and those that will never come. but he's also quite idealist, isn't he? his presence might not be strong, but his heart certainly is. it's full of passion and love, and beats for one special person: you. his indifferent, neutral face softens at your sight; his heart singing cheerful anthems. his light blue gaze is impenetrable, unreadable, but certainly not empty. especially when he's looking at you. a sweet and delicate girl who's become centre of his world; pillar of his life.

it was kind of predictable that you'll fall in love, so painfully obvious for people around you. and the more kuroko spend time with you, he felt that too, slowly falling in love with your gentle soul... your sympathetic nature, pure goodness pouring out of you at every step, delicacy of your gestures, wiseness of your advices, your every action showing that you deeply and truly care. yeah, your whole essence is just so perfect…

everyone knew that you two will start dating eventually. and the more kuroko was learning about you, the more sure he was that you're the one, that this relationship will work out perfectly. after all, you were exactly his type.

┈─★ first meeting

your first meeting was something straight out of a romantic comedy. kuroko was standing on the bus; he was deep in thought and wasn't really paying any attention to his surroundings. the driver suddenly braked really, hard waking him up from his reverie. you flew across the bus and somehow he caught you, preventing you from injuring yourself. he looked into your beautiful shining blue eyes, his mind going blank for the first time in his life.

❝i think you just fell for me❞ accidentaly slipped from his mouth. you smiled sweetly, slight blush from embarassement brushing your cheeks. you just looked into each other eyes for few seconds, somehow not registering the fact that entire bus applauded you.

can't even think of words to describe your surprise when you saw this boy at your school, in the gym. wanting to join the basketball team you just became the manager of.

┈─★ headcannons

ʚ ✮ ɞ his main love languages are acts of service and quality time. he likes doing things for you, like helping you out with your manager duties. it makes him feel closer to you, not to mention that he gets to spend more time with his beloved girlfriend. he'll pack you a lunch every morning just because can (it's not the best meal in the world, but it's true love meal, so it tastes amazing). kuroko would buy you juice and snacks during breaks, even not asked. he always carries your bag when you walk home together.

kuroko loves spending time with you alone, in comfortabe silence, just exisiting next to each other, often doing nothing. being with you is all that matters.

ʚ ✮ ɞ tetsuya never acts on impulse, he'll mull something over before actually making a decision, and he’s a very logical thinker. his kisses are very careful, his touches feathery, as if you're made of porcelain. he’s gentle while he strokes your cheek or the back of your hand, and in the way he bumps his nose against yours before kissing you, in a silent ask for permission.

kuroko likes to hold you in some way when he kisses you, it's an instinct for him. he subconsiously holds hands or links pinkies; tetsuya cradles your face or rests his hands on your waist. somehow he knows the perfect places to caress that make you melt.

ʚ ✮ ɞ he's an absolute sweetheart. kuroko is true gentleman, he's very polite with his speech, always honest about his feelings, a bit blunt even. you have incredibly good communication with each other, he's the type that would never make you feel restrained. kuroko is almost personification of comfort. relationship with him is fun! he has really goofy side, he likes suprising you and making you laugh. and after some time of dating him, you discover that your precious boyfriend is quite easy to fluster.

ʚ ✮ ɞ you often have sleepover dates! it's the perfect way to calmly spend time together and still have fun. surrounded by fluffy pillows cuddled together, watching a movie or reading classical literature books with some nice background music, all cozy and homey. nigou sleeping on your lap. quiet conversations about random things. fairy lights. this peaceful feeling of being safe and loved, comfort of being together. fluffy plushies. sleepiness, listening to the calm heartbeat of another person. subconsciously holding hands in sleep.

ʚ ✮ ɞ people watching is his hobby, but looking at you is something far more important. tetsuya adores your pretty features, how your pretty smile lights up your beautiful face, how your outfits highlight your shiny eyes, he notices smallest details in your apperance. and always compliments you in the sweetest way possible.

ʚ ✮ ɞ tetsuya's specialty is simple magic tricks, combined with his almost imperceptible presence the effect is amazing. he likes doing little performances just for you, creating this special atmosphere of magic show. you giggle sweetly while he pulls plush rabbit out of a hat or correctly gueses which card was yours. kuroko always feels appreciated by his beautiful one person audience, which motivates him to learn more tricks to show off.

ʚ ✮ ɞ kuroko is quite skilled in basic handicrafts. he can sew a bit, crochet a bit, make clumsy clay figurines a bit, make cutouts a bit, make candles a bit. he's an average guy who likes to make things a bit. he experiments a bit with paper mache, soap making, decoupage… he creates little trinkets filled with love and memories of time spent together, essence of what he's feeling and gives you randomly, without any special occasion. being with you is enough special for him.

┈─★ relationship tropes

`♡´ will follow each other to the end of the earth

`♡´ when two of the sweetest people in the room are in love

`♡´ the moon (kuroko) and his star (you)

┈─★ plot tropes

`☼´ unbreakable bond

`☼´ timeless love

`☼´ mutual growth and empowerment

┈─★ best friend!

▣ riko doesn't have a lot of female friends, she has exactly one and it's you! your gentle nature balances out her fierce personality, you're actually a perfect match, you're like fire and water. she's very protective around you, she thinks you're sometimes too nice for people and she doesn't want you to be used by someone vile. it doesn't take a lot of time to her to start thinking of you as her little sister.

ᯓ ❥  the ( ��� •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡) & (..◜ᴗ◝..)

ᯓ ❥ overprotective self-proclaimed older sister riko and good natured sweetheart you whom she sees as younger sister

you share a passion for basketball, spending hours on developing next strategies for your team. in the mean time you go shopping or play games together, she'll also gladly take your for a ride on her yellow scooter. of course you have matching yellow helmets!

her parents adore you, especially her dad! you're such a great friend for his little girl!

riko: ❝i'm going to be big sister! my parents are adopting a kid.❞ you: ❝that’s gre—❞ riko: [slamming adoption papers on the table] ❝it’s you, sign here❞

┈─★ relationships

▧ seirin boys

i'm going to be honest here: all of them had a crush on you at some point (except tsuchida, he's lucky enough to have a girlfriend). how could anyone blame them? you're incredibly pretty and unbelievably cute, not to mention that you're supportive and understanding. and you cook waaaaay more better than riko. you're literally perfect.

there is quiet rivarly between them who's going to impress you more, which often leads to extremely stupid arguments about their cute manager. the whole team is very protective around you, ready to fight for your honor in any moment, even if it's not needed. also, they're petty. they can and will laugh other teams, rubbing into their faces the fact that seirin team has sweetest and most angelic manager of all time.

▥ you and akashi have long history of rivalry aside of basketball. you met on chess tournament few years ago; the game was tough and demanding, and even though you were the one that eventually won, you both were left feeling unsatisfied. and both of you wanted a rematch.

that's how your friendship? started. you met from time to time to play together again, trying to defeat the opponent.

you have reached some kind of understanding; your conversations slowly expanding from witty comments about each other startegy to talking about your interests. he even convinced you to start learning how to play shogi. because winning only at chess can become boring, right?

akashi appreciates your sharp mind and how you can always think clear and calmly, no matter how difficult problem you're facing. even if he isn't a winner, he always learns more from you, becoming harder to defeat.

▤ your first encounter with aomine daiki has brought the whole seirin team strong feeling of déjà vu.

he overlooked you at first, but when he finally noticed you lifted you up, wondering what a kid like you is doing on the court. all you, completely suprised being captured by a giant, could do was hang in his arms with your legs dangling over the floor after. kagami aggressively clears the misunderstanding and says that you're seirin's manager, rest of the team is glancing at him dangerously, hissing that daiki is going to pay for disrespecting you like this and learning raised eyebrow from the former ace player of the renowned generation of miracles. he put you down on the ground. eventually.

when he gets to actually get to know you, daiki comes to the conclusion that you're less annoying than momoi... you're still quite a fuss, but he thinks you have more tact and charm than she does, so he can forgive you for constantly trying to take care of him and to reform his ways for better.

he developed a habit of babying you, like squishing your cheeks, ruffling your hair or talking to you in this stupid voice usually reserved for talking to babies. heck, he even started thinking of you as his younger sister he never had. but, of course, he'll never tell you that, pretending that he only likes treating you like a kid for the sheer satisfaction of teasing you.

❝aww, you're just a baby❞ ❝we're literally the same age❞

▧ kise isn’t necessarily a good guy. he's a person who only affable to those he admitted and feel worthy after measuring with his own eyes.

apparently you are worthy and get to see his cheery and bubbly side.

you're funny and gentle, though a bit too soft for his liking. and the best thing?

you show no interest in him. not at all. and he tried literally everything. flirting with you was a game at first, he was curious how long it will take him to steal your heart. so he waited. and waited. and waited. and nothing happened. he got to know you, how much you like shoujo mangas, what languages can you speak, what your favourite animal is. that you're the type of girl to respect his boundaries, to always treat him politely and never clingy.

he absolutely loves those short moments you can spend together, just laughing and talking about things. but, like i said, those are very short moments, because he's always suddently noticed by his fanclub, which usually makes you end the meeting. not wanting to interrupt him, how sweet of you.

when he's surrounded by his fans cooing over him and sees you waving at him goodbye with that sweet smile of yours ryōta thinks he might be in love with you.

▦ murasakibara has mixed feelings about you. you're nice and cute, you care about him, give him good advices, and sometimes you buy him snacks! he likes teasing you, poking your cheeks as form of greeting and babytalking to you, even if he's the more childish one. but you're also a hassle. you want him to do things, ugh. you try to convince him to improve himself and be more commited to what he's doing. to stop spending all of his money on snacks.

he thinks of you as a little girl, mostly because he's like 6' 10", but he still listens to most of you're telling him. he's your friend, right? so you want the best for him, right? then you can decide for him, he trusts that you're never wrong.

yeah, after some more thinking… he likes you. he likes you enough to forgive you making him eat healthier.

❝i'm done with a healthy diet. yesterday i almost choked to death when i ate an apple. a donut wouldn't do that to me❞

▥ kagami needs a moment to warm up to you. he's too wrapped in his whole "i'm going to defeat generation of miracles and nothing can stop me" to actually pay any attention to some team manager at first; it takes him some time to acknowledge how valuable addition to the seirin team you are, that your responsibilities aren't only handing him bottle of water after practice. he starts noticing your compassionate side, kind nature and pure fascination with basketball, that's the moment when he decides that you're actually pretty cool. and the fact that you help him with his studies, make studying quite fun and don't get angry at him for not being able to understand something, only strengthens him in this belief. he considers you a friend but is terribly awful at showing this. mostly because you are so different. what do you mean you don't like fast foods??? he can't get it, all of his friends like fast foods... if you don't, where is he going to hang out with you??? but you say that you don't really mind going with him to maji burger, you just won't order anything. but he feels really stupid when he's eating tons of cheeseburgers and you're just sitting here, smiling. next time you went together he awkwardly gave you an apple so you could eat something along with him.

kagami is kinda doomed to be the third wheel, but since people have hard time noticing kuroko and the way you're interacting with each other is just so natural and smooth, strangers often mistaken you for a couple.

❝we could never be a couple. she hates cheeseburgers.❞

he states dead serious everytime he has to explain why exactly you're not dating.

▤ you are skilled manager and very intelligent person who's able to tell opposite team next moves with 100% accuracy and takao kazunari despite his easy going and somewhat goofy personality is an extremely sharp and smart individual, it's dangerous to underestimate any of you, everyone knows that. but it's really hard, especially when you and takao are near each other because you both seem to lose all of your brain cells at the moment. he perfectly brings out the silliest side of you.

ᯓ ❥ takao the yapper and you - one of the few people who actually want to listen

ᯓ ❥ the (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ & ☆૮꒰ˊᗜˋ* ꒱ა

he's very, very talkative so he'll go on and on about midorima and his lucky items, about his riksha, basketball, newest action movie on theatre he'd like to see, the most stupid anegdotes of shuutoku team or about cute dog he saw on his way to school. takao likes having deep conversations about the most stupid ideas any human being could ever think. he often asks the weirdest questions because he knows you'd give him a detailed, probable and serious answer.

❝hey! if i were to fight with kagami who would win?❞ ❝kagami's only known weaknesses are dogs, food, and very difficult kanji. if you can get past those things he's basically invincible. and always ready to fight. your fight would last a few seconds and you most likely wouldn't survive the battle unless mr. 'i'm afraid of small dogs' showed you mercy. kagami wouldn't fight you in one situation only: if you were a demanding japanese teacher who knows very difficult kanji and who is a werewolf. then you would defeat him without a problem because you would be both kanji and a dog, in a sense.❞ ❝… i see❞

▨ since you hang out with takao quite often, you also frequently get to see midorima. he's aloof in contacts, a bit tense and definitely too serious. it takes a lot of teasing from kazunari and friendly space from you to get him talk more.

he's very intelligent individual, whenever he has a chance he wants to share his thoughts about certain topics, no matter if it's book he's been reading or how he's annoyed by takao and his teammates antics. you learn how much he depends on horoscopes, and you cannot believe how??? what??? why??? but you don't laugh at him. if it helps him somehow, why not? when you first told him that he was really surprised, already used to hearing mean snickers about his beliefs.

there's a lot of topics that you disagree on. and you're having lots of friendly discussions and banters about anything you have different opinions on. sometimes discussions turn into arguments, he's proud and rarely admits to make a mistake which can lead to awkward atmosphere between you.

but at the end of the day, midorima thinks of you as a friend. he always have spare lucky item for you, even he swears that it's always completely by accident.

you: ❝i wonder who’s gonna be my boyfriend❞

kuroko: ❝me of course❞

[insignia2023]

Data-driven Marketing: Unleashing the Potential of Big Data

Data-driven marketing has become an essential strategy for businesses in today's digital landscape. With the vast amount of information available, companies are harnessing the power of big data to gain insights, make informed decisions, and drive targeted marketing campaigns. This approach is transforming the way businesses connect with their customers and unlocking a world of possibilities. Let's delve into the realm of data-driven marketing and explore its potential.

Big data provides businesses with a treasure trove of information about their target audience. By analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and demographics, companies can create highly personalized and targeted marketing campaigns. Through advanced analytics tools, businesses can identify patterns, trends, and correlations in the data, enabling them to tailor their marketing strategies to specific segments of their customer base. This level of personalization enhances the customer experience and boosts engagement, leading to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty.

Moreover, data-driven marketing allows businesses to optimize their marketing spend by targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time. By understanding customer preferences and purchasing behaviors, companies can allocate their resources more effectively, ensuring maximum return on investment. Instead of relying on guesswork or generic marketing campaigns, businesses can make data-backed decisions and deliver relevant content to their customers, increasing the chances of conversion and sales.

Another significant advantage of data-driven marketing is the ability to track and measure the success of marketing initiatives in real-time. With data analytics tools, businesses can monitor key performance indicators, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value, allowing them to make timely adjustments and optimizations. This iterative approach to marketing ensures continuous improvement and maximizes marketing effectiveness.

Data-driven marketing also empowers businesses to stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging big data, companies can gain valuable insights into market trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activities. These insights enable businesses to identify untapped opportunities, adapt to changing market dynamics, and develop innovative marketing strategies that give them a competitive edge. In conclusion, data-driven marketing has unleashed the potential of big data, transforming the way businesses connect with their customers. By utilizing the power of data analytics, companies can create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns, optimize their marketing spend, track performance in real-time, and gain a competitive advantage. As technology continues to evolve and generate more data, businesses that embrace data-driven marketing will thrive in the digital era. know more: https://insigniaconsultancy.com/cloud-migration.html

[glassboxdiaries]

200 Days Later: My Thriving Walstad Method Cherry Shrimp Tank!

EQUIPMENT USED WITH THIS AQUARIUM

Algae Wafers - https://glassboxdiaries.com/hakariminiwafers Light - https://glassboxdiaries.com/seaouralight Filter - https://glassboxdiaries.com/nanohobfilter

PLANT LIST

Rotala Rotundifolia - https://glassboxdiaries.com/RotalaRotundifolia Bacopa Caroliniana - https://glassboxdiaries.com/BacopaCaroliniana Eleocharis Parvula - https://glassboxdiaries.com/eleocharisparvula Christmas Moss - https://glassboxdiaries.com/christmasmoss Duckweed - https://glassboxdiaries.com/duckweed Water Lettuce - https://glassboxdiaries.com/waterlettuce

Research 1 - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00387462 Research 2 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23033643/

Welcome to the 200-day update on my 6.6-gallon (25-liter) Walstad cherry shrimp tank! This setup has been a fascinating journey, showcasing how a low-tech, self-sustaining system can thrive without relying on a traditional filter, heater, or CO2 injection. The core of this tank’s success lies in its substrate—a layer of nutrient-rich topsoil capped with fine gravel. The soil provides vital micronutrients for plants and hosts colonies of waste-eating bacteria, which naturally boost CO2 levels in the water. The gravel not only locks these nutrients in place but also prevents the substrate from clouding the water, creating a stable and balanced environment.

The plants in this tank play a vital role in maintaining water quality. Rotala rotundifolia, with its vibrant colors, acts as a natural filter by absorbing nitrogen compounds and heavy metals while providing grazing surfaces for shrimp. Christmas moss is another key player, offering shrimp an abundance of grazing areas and hiding spots for baby shrimp. On the sides, Eleocharis has struggled to establish itself, but Bacopa caroliniana, planted as an experiment, has done surprisingly well, thriving in the nutrient-rich substrate. Floating plants like water lettuce and duckweed are newer additions. While duckweed has spread more than I’d like, both provide shade, surface area for biofilm, and additional grazing spots for shrimp.

There have been some significant changes to the tank since the last update. The two adult Medaka rice fish, which once lived here, were moved to a dedicated Medaka tank after their fry were large enough to avoid predation. Interestingly, their presence increased the tank’s bioload, which had a noticeable positive impact on plant growth. Bacopa caroliniana recovered from earlier struggles, and Rotala rotundifolia developed more vibrant coloration, likely due to the extra nutrients. To maintain this balance, I added two guppies, which have settled in nicely. Their contribution to the tank’s bioload has helped keep the plants thriving and the ecosystem stable.

The cherry shrimp colony is thriving more than ever. I estimate the population at around 100 shrimp, constantly grazing, breeding, and contributing to the tank’s cycle. Over the past week, I’ve shared 50 shrimp with friends and relocated some to my Medaka and celestial pearl danio tanks to help control algae. Despite this, the tank still feels teeming with life. The plants have been instrumental in supporting the shrimp population by increasing the available surface area for biofilm and algae. To sustain their growth, I supplement their diet with algae wafers, shrimp snowflake food, Fluval Bug Bites, and leaves. However, I recently added a nano hang-on-back filter to reduce particulate matter from foods like snowflake food.

The tank’s water parameters have remained stable, thanks to the plants. While an initial ammonia spike occurred when I added the Medaka due to overfeeding, floating plants like water lettuce and duckweed helped mitigate the issue by absorbing excess ammonia and nitrite. Although my soft tap water can pose challenges for shrimp molting, I’ve stopped adding shrimp salts during water changes for the past month and haven’t noticed any issues. This balance is a testament to the effectiveness of the tank’s self-sustaining ecosystem.

BRAND MEDIA KIT - https://glassboxdiaries.com/brands

Some of the links in this video description may be affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission from any purchases made.

[giftedverse-confidential]

Giftedverse: Storm Dynasty

The Storm Dynasty, formally known as the Dynasty of Five Storms, is a hero dynasty that consists of five subsidiary families: the Amarai, Kumosuku, Yukigumo, Yukimura, and Yokoshiro families. All five are descendants of Susanoo, one of the first Heroes. They are also one of the First Families of Mars.

Susanoo was one of the world's first Heroes in the early days and had five children-- two boys and three girls-- with his wife Amaya. Despite the bad optics from having a civilian wife and the threats of violence from Humans, Susanoo remained married to Amaya until his death.

One day, the Justice Bureau recruited him to make Mars liveable by using his Gift. However, he was forbidden from returning to Earth once the job was done. Amaya and the children were brought to Mars along with the other First Heroes and their families.

Despite being forcibly removed from their home, Susanoo and Amaya were determined to make the best of their situation and settled down in the Martian city of Eden.

When their children began developing powers, Susanoo trained them in the art of "being one with the weather" since they all inherited variations of his weather based Gift. Both Susanoo and Amaya knew the key to keeping their legacy alive was by building a strong and powerful family.

As adults, Susanoo's children honored their father by following in his footsteps and becoming Heroes despite backlash from Humans. They would also go on to create the five different hero families that make up the dynasty via their marriages.

Susanoo and Amaya's five children were as follows:

Ooarashi, Susanoo's eldest son, would keep his family name of Amarai, thus becoming the second ancestor of the Amarai family. His Gift was called Raging Storm.

Seppen, Susanoo's eldest daughter and Ooarashi's twin, would marry a man with the last name of Yukigumo and become the ancestress of the Yukigumo clan. Her Gift was Snowflake.

Kohyo, the 2nd daughter, would marry a man with the surname of Yukimura and become the ancestor of the Yukimura family. Her Gift was Hailstorm.

Soyokaze, his second son and second youngest child, would take his wife's surname of Kumosuku, thus creating the Kumosuku family. His Gift was Breeze.

Nettaishi, the last child, would go on to become the ancestor of the Yokoshiro clan after her marriage. Her Gift was Tropical Storm.

Ooarashi wanted to establish himself as leader of the entire family, but Seppen wouldn't allow it. Instead, she propose a more centralized way where each has a select group of leaders that would meet with the others and decide on important matters. The other children agreed and adopted this system.

The first generation of the Storm Dynasty weren't able to have as many children like their descendants did due to the restrictions placed on Gifteds about the number of children they could have at the time. Nevertheless, they persevered in becoming a powerful hero family; each generation stronger than the previous one.

As time went on, the number of Susanoo's descendants rose, making them singlehandedly responsible for the increase of weather based Gifts. At some point, some members of the family began to seek out and marry others with similar Gifts to increase the power of their child's.

They have many unique features like most Gifteds. For example, the Kumosuku have literal cloud hair. Aozora Amarai's hair mimicked the sky and changed color according to the time of day as did his sons Hirosora and Raiden and his granddaughter Sorami.

Notable Members

Susanoo & Amaya - The founder of the dynasty and their common ancestor. Like how respected Mother Nature is in the Yamaniwa family, Susanoo and Amaya are also highly respected and regarded by their descendants.

Ooarashi, Seppen, Kohyo, Soyokaze, and Nettaishi - The children of Susanoo and Amaya; as well as the secondary ancestors of the five families. They made up the first generation.

Aozora Amarai | Blue Sky - Aozora is the former patriarch of the Amarai family and a former Hero. He's the father of Rainmaker (Hirosora Amarai), Thunderstormer (Raiden Amarai), and more. Aozora's married to Downpour (Mizuko Amarai).

Hirosora Amarai | Rainmaker - Hirosora is the eldest son of Blue Sky (Aozora Amarai) and a former top hero. He's the father of Heroes Stormchaser (Oya Mejia) and SolFlare (Akihiro Amarai). He is also the grandfather of Tenki Mejia.

Raiden Amarai | Thunderstormer - Raiden is the second son of Aozora, father of Thunderboom (Raihan Amarai), and grandfather of Thunderwave (Raiterasu Amarai). He was exiled after attempting to attack an elder during one of the family's tournaments and lost one of his eyes in the attack.

Raiha Kumosuku | Nimbus - The father of Sunny (Skyward), Brisa (Zephyrine), and Bofuu (Skydancer). He's a very loud and jolly man who loves his wife and daughters. Raiha's the one responsible for Raiden's missing eye as the elder he attempted to attack was Raiha's own father.

Tobio Akiyama | Sky High - Raiha's older brother and the late father of Aether (Tobiko Akiyama) and Fujin (Hiten Akiyama). He was the only one of his family to take his spouse's surname. Tobio unfortunately lost his life in the line of duty (or did he...?👀) when Aether and Fujin were in middle school.

Fuyuko Yukimura | Ice Angel - The mother of Adlartok and Arashi Yukimura. She is apart of the newer generation Yukimuras to marry someone with similar powers to hers, having met her husband Aput while on a mission in the United States.

Byakuya Yukigumo | White (K)Night - The father of Fubuki and Shiroyuki Yukigumo. Byakuya's the hard ass of his family and is known to be pretty stubborn and rebellious. He met his wife Pauletta when he went to America during a rebellious phase.

Koyo Yokoshiro | Sun King - The father of Jayda and Jayden Yokoshiro. Just as arrogant and overconfident as his son, it's no wonder that Koyo is considered insufferable by some of his family members.

Oya Mejia | Stormchaser - Oya is the daughter of Hirosora and his wife Sunstar (Uche Amarai). She works as a Hero and journalist. She lives with her husband Chargeman (Chuso Mejia) and daughter Tenki.

Raimori Kumosuku | Skybolt: Nephew of Nimbus and ex husband of Stellara (Esther Desciel). He's returned to the public eye after a series of tragic events including his divorce. He shares two children with the heroine.

Raiterasu Amarai | Thunderwave: Raiden's granddaughter and Raihan's daughter. She's made it her life's mission to rejoin her family and reclaim their place among them.