#digital scanner for slides

[ihcprs]

Digital slide scanners-IHC-PRS

[alinagomez2508-blog]

Thinking About Going Digital in Your Lab? The Digital Pathology Revolution

In the age of rapid technological advancement, traditional laboratory practices are getting a digital makeover. The adoption of digital pathology is gaining momentum, transforming the landscape of medical diagnostics and research. If you're thinking about going digital in your lab, this blog will explore the reasons behind this paradigm shift, the benefits it offers, and the considerations you should keep in mind. Read more: https://www.optrascan.com/the-digital-pathology-revolution

[medprime]

Digital microscopes are considered a relatively new type of inspection and measurement technology. The image collected by the camera is shown in real-time on a built-in display. Their ability to cover a vast magnification range makes them valuable tools for R&D activities across many fields, quality and failure analysis and manufacturing-based applications.

Visit https://ext-6117811.livejournal.com/334.html

[tinydefector]

Hi!! 😆

Can I have Soundwave x human reader (smut pls (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง)?

People didn't write him much, my husband need more love 😔🤌❤️✨

Thank for reading this!!

Stress relief

Soundwave x human reader

Warnings: Smut, Oral, Cockwarning

Word count: 1.5K

Request and ask open, read pinned post

Soundwave masterlist

__________________

"Soundwave can you re-check that scanner for me, I can't reach it to recalibrate its systems from here" the human's voice calls out to the intelligence officer, as they move around Soundwave desk in a scattered fashion trying to find maps and energon signals.

 Soundwave helm tilts slightly at the request as he turns to observe his human.he runs his own diagnostics, clearly indicating the scanner does not need recalibration. Soundwave almost uncanny mix of voices patch together speak:  " assistance not required. Scanner functioning adequately."  He remains standing quietly, typing away at the large computer with his servos while his tendrils rearrange scattered data pads. 

Their eyes meet his visor, looking up at him slightly frazzled. "Are you sure they are?" 

 With a sigh, he re reviews the scanner readings again, analysing more closely given the human's evident fatigue. His displays flash as data is processed.  "Confirmation: scanner calibration within normal parameters. However, you appear in need of recharge." The mixed voices of Knockout, Starscream and their own voice echoes back at them as He awaits a response, sensors attuned to subtle cues that could indicate the depth of exhaustion and other issues requiring assistance. 

"I'm fine soundwave" they call out while moving back to continue working, soundwave wraps his digits around them, pulling them back against his form, his visor tilted down to look at their eyes, he knows full well they are exhausted and Fatigue was catching up to their smaller frame. "I promise soundwave, I'm fine"

Soundwave detects elevated stress levels and the possibility of accident or harm at the current state of exhaustion. Soft ventilations cycle through his frame as his digits gently but firmly enfold the human in a protective hold.  "Statement: physiological indicators suggest otherwise."  His visor dims softly. Forcing the issue would risk negative impact, not only on his work but their work too.  

"I'm not gonna win this argument with you am I?" 

 Soundwave's visor remains dimmed calmly as the human speaks. He processes their words carefully before responding.  "Negative." They sigh softly and press their head against Soundwave's shoulder plating, each of his steps echoing throughout the halls.   "Are you going to stay with me tonight, or does megatron have you working even more?" Soundwave processes the question, sensing his partner's wish for company while recharging.

 A brief comm link check confirms he has no urgent tasks requiring his attention for night's cycle. "Megatron: aware of mission status. No tasks assigned to Soundwave at this time. I will remain for your recharge cycle"  he responds as the doors to his quarters slide open upon their arrival.   

A soft nod comes from his little lover as they lay against him. Their body is exhausted, but their brain isn't willing to shut off. After laying against soundwave for another ten minutes with no luck with falling asleep, they sigh, fidgeting around while trying to get comfortable.

 His vocalizer hums a deep, resonant tone, One digit begins tracing lazy circles on the back, slowly tracing their spinal column, "Systems are monitoring. Please attempt to rest,"  comes another of his recordings.

"Not tired," they whisper while looking up at Soundwave, leaning into his touch, enjoying having him focus on them instead of work. They had both been overrun with work as of recent.

helm tilting minutely as nonverbal concern radiates through his plating.  " Do you require distraction from responsibilities through additional stimuli?"  

They sit up resting on Soundwave's lower torso, hands spread out across the Decepticons chassis. "I am tired, horny and frustrated, soundwave, and with  everything happening, when we get even a small amount of time together, you get called away," they mumble. 

 Soundwave cycles a calm ventilated sigh, processing their words. His field pulses with understanding and care for their concerns. "Your doubts are logical. However, my function is to maximise efficiency of all personnel. A brief interface encounter now could provide valuable recharge. I will ensure we are not disturbed."  His field and plating radiate gentle invitation. 

 A soft gasp escapes their lips as soundwave pulls them further up his body. The Decepticon's digits caressing their body. Leaning in closer, they press their lips to his visor.  A low hum resonates from Soundwave's vocoder. One digit trails tenderly down a flank as another cradles them, holding their form against plating of his chest as a loud purring sound vibrates from him.  

A small squeal leaves their lips as Soundwave discards their clothing quickly with nimble digits. Dimming the lights, Soundwave carefully lowers his battle-mask with a soft hiss, His purple optics glow softly in the darkness, as a talon traces down his lovers form, tracing patterns into their skin.

Leaning close 'til his ex-vents whisper against skin, Pressing a gentle kiss to willing lips in silent promise, he commits this moment to memory. A soft content sigh falls from the human's lips as they kiss him back. It's slightly awkward but neither cares at that moment.

Soundwave runs soft kisses along their neck, chest, and hips as he brings them closer.

At the human's content sigh, gentle pulses from his plating as cooling ex-vents whisper against sensitised skin, his touches trailing softly yet deliberately to relax tense muscles and ease away lingering worries. 

As Soundwave’s glossa finds its way between their legs, soft moans fall from their lips. Small hands move to grip his helm. "Soundwave." At the human's soft calling of his name, Soundwave rumbles acknowledgment against flesh, his servos gripping hips to hold them steady as he runs his glossa across their needy sex. drinking in their essence, committing every hitch of their breath, and fluttered responses to permanent memory files saved only for him. 

As warmth spreads within the human's pliant frame, Soundwave's field surges in adoring pulses, lips, and glossa blessing willing flesh in turn as his devotion shows through electronic hums and tender strokes. Their head rolls back as their back arches, soft whines leaving them with each stroke of Soundwave’s Glossa as it presses into their sweet form. "Soundwave, please," they whine out, their hands attempting to pull the mech's face closer. 

At their breathless plea, Soundwave rumbles acknowledgment, Talons gently part willing thighs as his glossa delves with new focus, oral prehensors savouring each hitching gasp and soft cry his ministrations draw forth. As warmth peaks within the willing human, Soundwave dedicates all sensors to saturating their body. It doesn't take long for them to reach release, so much pent up energy, stress and frustration slips away as they go boneless in the Decepticon's hands. Soft pants leaving their parted lips as soundwave cleans up the mess with his mouth. Gentle affectionate rumbles leave him, field swelling with pulses of devotion and gratitude as he cleans every trace of pleasures with care. His glossa traces tender after-touches as their body goes lax in his hold. 

Optics remain darkened as he simply dedicates sensors to monitoring each slowing ventilation and relaxing muscle, wishing only to ensure their full tranquillity. Soundwave raises his helm to cradled hips,kissing it lightly and nuzzling farewell against flushed skin beneath laboured breaths, inhaling the musk of their sex and skin. 

A final hum resounds through his plating, and powerful yet delicate digits stroke through human hair with utmost care. his array's interface plaque shifts aside, hisses open and pressurises his spike.Optics flare softly to gaze upon at his lover's relaxed features. Secured in cradling servos and pulsing field, the human's lax yet willing frame I'd slowly pressed against his body, content simply to maintain sensory contact,

soft whines fall From his human's lips, as they take him in their body stretching with a loud moan. A few soft thrusts are all it takes for Soundwave to settle into them, cradling their body close, At his lovers soft sounds of pleasure, Soundwave rumbles gentle reciprocation, cradling their sated form securely against his form with one arm as his other arm retrieves a datapad

Ever once in a while his optics flicker down to monitoring his partner's relaxation even as his digits skillfully operate the pad's controls. Data streams across the display - ship schematics, translation algorithms, delicate encryption sequences - yet his true focus remains solely on the human resting atop his array. 

Here in isolated peace, all doubts dissolve. His frame supports theirs. Tired eyes slowly drift closer as soft breath even out, indicating they had fallen asleep, small hands are spread out across his chassis, their body moving slightly with each breath they take. This was true contentment. At the human's soft, steady ex-vents and relaxing muscles, Soundwave's field cycles in waves of tranquil pulsations, a digit gently strokes their hair, back and shoulders as his embrace holds them securely. 

“rest well little one” his voice mumbles softly for no one to hear but himself. 

[avocadoguru]

He was staring at her in a way no one had in her entire life. She couldn’t read anything in his eyes - not surprise, not fear, not malicious intent - nothing. (wolfrry, werewolf!harry, alpha!harry, ranger!y/n)

Lupus Noctis- Masterlist, Author’s Note & Warnings

Chapter 1 / alternatively, read on wattpad

Chapter 2 (word count: 7k)

Inside the station, Y/N put the pup into a crate and gave it water before locking up and putting her rifle away safely. She took a few deep breaths to center herself as she was still a bit shaken up. She needed to regain her sense of control and so she decided to busy herself to get her mind off things.

Pulling out everything she’d need to examine him, she realized the little guy also appeared to be done for the day, but she took advantage of its even drowsier than normal state, since it was already such a calm animal in general, and took it out of the crate in order to further inspect it.

Placing it on the disinfected metal table they used for inspecting animals, Y/N’s heart still pounded loudly in her chest - she was a bit shaken up after that encounter. What had just happened? That man had really gotten under her skin. The way he was looking at her, dissecting her appearance, almost reading her thoughts. It left an unsettling feeling inside her chest. But there was something so unusual about him as well. Dangerous even. She didn’t buy his story but she didn’t want to deal with bringing him to the station and further questioning him. Though she had a rifle, the man was far larger and clearly stronger than she was. Even in his heeled, velour chelsea boots, and jeweled fingers he could certainly take her. No question. She didn’t want to push it to find out.

She laughed to herself when the pup kept slipping and sliding on the table and eventually let it just lie there like a deflated pancake while she conducted her thorough examination. She inspected it closely and found nothing to suggest foul play, the animal appeared to be well nourished, its fur was shiny, if a bit unruly for a cub its age, its eyes were bright, if sleepy, and its teeth and gums were also healthy. Since it still had its baby teeth, she couldn’t tell whether it was a wolf or a dog, but there were some indicators of the former. And perhaps the most obvious one was the way it had howled in response to the wolf they’d heard just when they were getting back to the station. Its eyes were also indicative of the species, the golden hue quite apparent. And finally, the man had gotten something right at least - it was a male. He never did mention the name, though. 

Which led her to another idea. If this animal really was the man’s pet, then surely it’d been microchipped. She took out the scanner and starting from the head, she ran it down its body side to side until she reached its tail, but it read nothing. She repeated the process again, but still, the scanner wasn’t picking up anything.

“Sorry, boy. Couldn’t find out your name. Nor your owner’s, for that matter.” She rubbed her palm gently down its back and lightly scratched. The eyes were the most interesting part. They looked almost human. This little guy was by far the most interesting-looking creature she’d ever encountered. The paws were more jointed than that of a canine too. Like it had digits. The curve of the spine and neck were odd as well.

She tried to determine the age. It didn’t seem like a newborn. It didn’t react in the way a newly born pup would. The muscles were well-formed and it had a keen sense of awareness. Perhaps she could say it was a year old based on these characteristics but the size was a touch too small to be aged at a year. Most wolves at one year were almost fully grown. This thing was the size of a typical wolf pup.

The cub closed its eyes and looked to be on the verge of falling asleep, and that’s when Y/N decided she should just microchip it now that it was naturally drowsy, since it had to be done anyway. Legal owner or not, the man had the obligation to microchip his pet. And if it really was a wolf that belonged in the forest, then she’d just log it into their inventory later on. She’d wait for the man to bring proof of ownership the following day, and if he could prove it was his, she’d just log in his info along with the pup’s name.

But Y/N was fairly certain she was looking at a wolf, not a dog. She’d have to run it by the vet the following day to be certain, of course.

The procedure was straightforward enough, and she’d seen the vet do it many times. The wolf cub barely budged when she grabbed the loose skin between its shoulder blades and inserted the needle, effectively microchipping it. She then scanned it and took a mental note to finish logging it into the system the following day, when she’d hopefully have all the remaining necessary info. 

She still had hours left on her shift. The pup wouldn’t eat what she tried to give him, so she gave up. Not only was he at what appeared to be a healthy weight, but it was also probably stressed so she wasn’t going to force it to eat. She noted that it was looking directly into her eyes when she was checking it over and mumbling to herself. It was odd. Unusual. Only domesticated dogs would be likely to make that kind of eye contact. Dogs that were used to humans. Maybe this was just a pet. She’d see soon enough if the man returned to prove ownership in the morning. But she doubted every word he spoke.

She then took the little guy into her arms and watched it snuggle into her chest and she allowed herself this tender moment. It wasn’t every day that you could snuggle up with a wolf pup. Granted, this one was a peculiar one, because, as Nick had mentioned, even the young could prove to be quite feral. Their claws made up for what they lacked in the fangs department if anything. But this little guy was as docile as a rabbit, even more so. It was endearing. She placed it back into the crate and gave it a fluffy towel to snuggle up against, then secured it, pulling a blanket over the crate to make it feel as if it were in a den, and turned off the lights to the medical room. 

Being a forest ranger came with certain perks but most of the perks were combined with some annoying aspects. Such as an old Jeep that smelled peculiar and creaked over bumpy roads. Or hot days with sunscreen melting down into her eyes. And bugs. Lots of bugs. But there was nothing like being in nature. Silver Wolf Preserve National Forest was gorgeous and expansive. She’d never tire of the views and the feeling of being outdoors under the canopy of the tall trees. But tonight? Tonight was not something she ever expected of her job. That man had her hackles raised and her head on a swivel. She kept hearing strange sounds coming from outside of the station.

Normally these sounds wouldn’t bother her so much but they did tonight. The radio wasn’t working at all. None of the stations would come in clearly still. She tried to enjoy the book she’d brought along but her mind kept wandering. To the wolf cub and how unusual it was. To that man. Tall and lean, dressed like he was going to a house party or a semi-fancy restaurant ready for a date. She tried not to let her mind wander too far about his appearance. Because sure, anyone could see that he was well-built and very handsome. But he was weird. Wasn’t he? And intimidating. His nonchalant attitude was also frustrating. She sort of hoped he’d come back to claim the cub in the morning so she could give him a piece of her mind. Tell him she wasn’t scared and that she wasn’t dumb. That she was onto him. She’d put him in his place if he came back around while she was there.

And his hands too. God his hands were so big and his fingers were long with an array of rings on them… She couldn’t go there. That is quite enough Y/N. Stop.

She watched out the window and sighed as she looked up into the sky. The moon was already hidden behind the trees so she couldn’t see it anymore but she knew it was still a full moon. And her night had been so strange but she was feeling absolutely exhausted. She figured it would be wise to sleep a bit.

Changing out of her work clothes, she slipped into her oversized t-shirt that she’d brought for this purpose, and got into the small one-person bed the station provided for watch duty. She had to be able to pull her pants back on rapidly in case she would be needed throughout the night. The bed was awful, the mattress was a joke, and she really doubted she’d get any sleep in.

But when she flinched awake in the middle of the night, checking the digital clock that read half past 3, she realized she’d been more tired than she’d initially thought. She couldn’t figure out what had woken her up, but then she heard the pup whimpering and she relaxed. It was probably frightened, having woken up in a strange place, locked up in the crate, with a blanket obscuring its view. Y/N decided to go check on it, and maybe leave a light on for it this time around.

She only slipped her boots on, forgoing tying up the shoelaces, and made her way to the medical room. She could’ve sworn that she’d shut the door before going to sleep, and the blanket was lifted from the cage but the wolf cub was still inside. Though he was standing and looking at her, very awake, and looked like it wanted to play.

“Poor fellow. You probably miss your siblings in your litter, don’t you? Way too young to be separated from your family. Wonder was that man thinking parting you from them…”

She took the pup out of the crate and slipped the lead back around its neck, deciding to step out the back and hopefully get it to relieve itself outside. She was happy to see it do just that the moment she placed it on the ground, and after letting it sniff around for a bit more, she took it back inside and placed it back into the crate, giving it a chew toy to keep itself occupied until it fell back asleep.

“Good boy. Don’t wake me up again, though, else you won’t be getting any treats come morning,” she warned and, careful to leave a lamp on in the medical room, she closed the door behind her and made her way back to the spare room where she was sleeping. 

A very pleasurable whiff of something hit her as she crossed the hallway and she made a mental note to ask the cleaning lady whether she knew what type of air freshener they had in there. It smelled amazing!

She kicked off her Doc Martens and climbed under the cover, happy to resume her sleep, and glad that she was able to sleep at all.

Seemingly 5 minutes had passed since she’d gone back to bed, but her alarm proved otherwise, the clock read 7am. She begrudgingly got out of bed, stretched her sore limbs (that mattress really needed to go), and dressed herself back into her ranger uniform. 

She was meant to wait for the cleaning lady, usually, the first person to turn in, before she could leave for her day off so that the station would not remain unoccupied in between shifts. 

She debated making a cup of coffee and waiting for the vet to come in before she left for the day, though. She wanted to run the whole thing by her, regarding the microchip and why she’d installed it when she did (as to not unnecessarily have to anesthetize the pup), and also inform her about this strange man that was due to come in and provide proof of ownership over the cub.

She was gonna leave out how she’d happened upon them since that wasn’t standard procedure and she could get in trouble for having not called in reinforcement when she suspected poachers. She figured telling the vet was the easiest way to dodge having to explain to a fellow ranger what had gone down.

After all, she couldn’t afford to risk getting into trouble only 2 months into this job.

But when she opened up the door to the medical room only to find the crate wide open and the cub missing she froze in place for a long moment.

“Fuck!” She groaned loudly and in a panic began to look all around the station to see if it had gotten loose from the cage but it dawned on her what had happened as she slowly woke up from the fog of sleep. 

The pup had been taken. By the man she couldn’t get out of her head.

She put her hands into her hair and closed her eyes, “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” she couldn’t believe she let this happen on her watch.

She paced from the break room with the bed to the tiny medical room and back in thought. How had it happened?

Then she remembered waking up to check on the wolf pup and how the blanket had been moved, and the unfamiliar scent lingering in the air. Retracing her steps she could see a little better with the daylight falling through the windows and illuminating the space.

The medical room was tiny. She pushed the door wide open and investigated. There was no room for anyone to hide under anything. She popped her head into the hallway and then back into said room.

This time she closed the door behind her and realized then there was a perfect spot for a large man to stand right behind the door as it swung inward into the room. He had been standing there the whole time, smelling delicious and waiting for her to leave so he could finish what he’d started. 

The fucker. It was him. He was there, only feet from her and she had no clue the whole time.

After stuffing her pack with things she’d need for her search and unlocking her rifle from where she’d safely stored it (she still had her handgun with her this whole time - thankfully, as it was quite apparent now that this man was a lot more dangerous than she’d originally assessed), she grabbed the GPS scanner they used to track the wildlife they could successfully tag and ran the microchip data through it in hopes of getting a read. She was hoping they were still on forest premises since the GPS could only cover so much ground, and when she got a ping she wasted no time and hopped straight into one of the jeeps. She was determined to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant sacrificing part of her day off.

She parked at the trail on the southeast entrance of the forest. The one the man said he’d parked at. She didn’t know if it was true that he came in from that end but not only was it far enough away from the station that it was very unlikely she’d cross paths with anyone she worked with, the GPS was showing her that she’d have a good chance of finding the pup if she began on that side.

She began the search on foot. She was able to follow the trail into the forest for about a mile until the location led her outside of the boundaries of the safe path. But she was prepared. At first.

Soon the path became difficult to navigate. There were down trees and slopes to climb. She passed through a stream, needing to remove her boots and put on her water socks to safely cross. But the ascent became sharper the further into the woods she got. She was glad she had a GPS device because it would have been easy for even someone as skilled as herself to get lost.

Y/N needed to sit for a bit and drink her water. She was out of breath. She was in good shape because her job required it but the elevation was getting to her. She figured she must have climbed a thousand feet. But she was headed in the direction on the map.

She prayed she could solve this unscathed, not only for her safety’s sake, but for her job’s sake. She was sure to get in big, big trouble if anyone were to find out about this. It was bad enough that she’d left with the station’s jeep, a rifle in her possession when she was supposed to be off-duty. But this? Wandering off into uncharted, off-limits territory, not having told anyone where she was going at the very least, not to mention without a partner - it was all in violation of all of their safety codes. She would lose her badge for sure.

It had already been a couple of hours since she began her trek. She kept track in her mind of how long it would take her to return to her car. She still had hours upon hours of daylight. But she’d need to be careful to turn back after hiking for another four hours. 6 hours in and 6 hours out. That would give her the right amount of daylight and be able to return before the sun was down.

After another hour of hiking, she found more level ground and the temperature was considerably cooler. There were more openings in the trees allowing more sun to shine on her. The GPS had her very close to the supposed spot the pup was in but there was no sign of anyone or anything that could indicate human or canine. She continued into the geo-location and even past the spot identified on the map, thinking perhaps she could make a large circle about twenty yards around the perimeter of the marked area.

Having to hold up her rifle was definitely slowing her down as well. There was plenty of wildlife roaming freely along these parts, she couldn’t risk a single step without it aiming to shoot in case it came down to it. She was hoping this was not gonna be the day she’d see more of those bears she was complaining about lack of to Nick the other day.

That, paired with continuously having to check her GPS to make sure she was staying on track, made her feel as though she was advancing with the speed of a slug, but after a few jumpscares that proved to be just a couple of deer, she stumbled upon something even more surprising than the scene she’d happened upon the day before.

Directly in her line of view was nothing less than a… cabin.

Certainly unaccounted for, she’d never heard of its existence, and she was certain no one at the station had any inkling as to it being there- she blinked her eyes a few times, as though she couldn’t believe her eyes.

How was it even possible? It was so deep into the forest, making it so wildly dangerous to live in, not to mention it had no way of generating electricity or running water…

Why would anyone want a cabin there? She couldn’t think of a single reason. It was literally insane.

It wasn’t just a shack, either. It was a proper cabin, far nicer than the ones the administration provided for visitors that were going to camp out during the nights and needed shelter from the elements should the weather turn bad, or in the eventuality of straying off course and not being able to make it out in time before nightfall- which, if they logged in at the station, the rangers would know to organize a search party to find them in order to avoid having to even use these so-called cabins anyway. She’d even sent the man to go spend the night in one of those amenities, not wanting to take him into the station all by herself.

This was getting weirder and weirder. But the cabin matched the ping on the GPS. The pup was definitely inside. The whole time she’d tracked it, it had stayed put, so it would account for the animal not moving.

She hadn’t really gone over how she’d handle it in her head. She’d just have to confront the man and find out what was happening. Of course, now that she was just about to come face to face with him, she was doubting any of this had been a good idea. None of what she’d done was safe or wise and she was probably going to get her ass fired. 

If she even made it out alive, that is.

She circled the cabin, inspecting it from every angle. 

She expected to hear the man inside, or the pup, or both, but the coast was eerily clear.

“Hello, the house!” she shouted, making her presence known in customary fashion around those areas. This wasn’t legally anyone’s property since it was government land, but she didn’t know who was living in it and what delusional ideas they had about it. Probably pretty far-fetched ones since they thought it wise to build a cabin in the middle of the wilderness.

Never lowering her rifle, she began advancing towards the entrance, having not gotten any response to her greeting. Very carefully, she inspected the windows up close, and since whoever lived there had goddamn lace sheer curtains and she couldn’t see a thing inside, she made her way towards the door. 

Opening it just as carefully, she took in the open space whilst making her presence known again “Hello? I mean no harm. Please come out so we can talk.”

But again, there was no answer. She listened very carefully but she couldn’t hear anything. Finally, a noise caught her attention, a sound she’d grown familiar with.

It was a whimper. 

Looking to her right, she saw the little guy sitting right next at the doorway to another room. 

It was wagging its tail and seemed happy to see her and not at all afraid. 

Y/N whistled, beckoning it over “Come here, boy!”

The pup obeyed her, which led her to believe its owner truly wasn’t there, since it wouldn’t budge from next to him the previous night. But then again, maybe now she’d earned its trust.

“There’s a good boy. Is your daddy home?”

The cub tilted its head which earned a chuckle from Y/N. She could use a break after all that amount of adrenaline. 

She walked around the cabin, inspecting every room, not that there were many. Actually as far as she could tell there were just the two. There was no bathroom, but that was to be expected since there was no sewage system and running water. Plenty of candles scattered around in a safe manner, no kitchen either. Just the bigger, open space area in which you stepped in going inside, and the other room the pup had come out of to greet her, with a bed. 

Little furniture, but still it was incredibly surprising there was any. How in the hell did he get it there? Just imagining the distance he’d have to carry it from the nearest point to which you could drive up. A couch and a coffee table. A bookshelf that actually had books in it. Quite an extensive collection of spirits. The place had lots of animal furs as carpets too. A huge bear skin rug, complete with the head, that was preserved eerily well.

And then in the bedroom, a surprisingly large bed, with lots of pillows and expensive-looking blankets. Lots of rabbit skin furs. There was also an armoire in there, and opening it up she found a collection of very expensive-looking shirts and, surprise surprise, even more heeled chelsea boots. Not that there was any doubt in her mind anymore regarding who was the owner of this cabin, but this just confirmed it. She couldn’t help being nosey, and on a closer inspection, she saw the items were designer labels. Mainly Yves Saint Laurent, but others too.

How the hell did that make any sense? This guy obviously had money and a lot of it at that. Yet here he was, living in a cabin in the deepest, most secluded part of the woods, with no access to facilities to live a half-decent life.

That only meant he didn’t live there at all, of course. He probably only used it in passing. But why would he need it? What use could he possibly have of it, so far away from, well, civilization? It’d taken her hours to get there. And she still needed to get back before sundown, or at least back to a more forgiving trail that she could navigate easily.  

Something was definitely off about all of this. 

She needed to get to the bottom of it, but maybe she needed to think it over more carefully and make an actual plan. She’d lucked out this time around, seeing as he wasn’t there, but this could’ve gone terribly wrong. And it still could, if she wasn’t careful. 

She had to make her way back.

She crouched next to the cub and petted it. She noticed lots of plush toys scattered around the cabin, a food bowl that was now empty, and a water bowl that she refrained from topping off. She didn’t need him knowing she’d been there.

She was careful to leave everything intact and looked around for mud tracks, but thankfully, she’d been wise enough to wipe the soles of her boots on a patch of greenery just before entering.

There was no way he could tell she’d been there, and she intended to keep it that way and play it to her advantage.

At least the little guy was safe, it was very clearly used to being there, it wasn’t afraid, and didn’t even try to leave out the door when she stepped out of its way. He was apparently content to be there. That put her at ease tremendously, happy she didn’t happen upon the horrific scenarios she was imagining, where the strange man had performed blood sacrifices on it in the middle of the woods and left it for dead (the only other explanation as to why the GPS wasn’t monitoring any movement).

Whatever this man was, she at least knew he wasn’t cruel toward animals. He obviously cared about the well-being of the wolf pup and for some reason, it mattered a great deal to him.

She petted the cub again, scratching behind its ear, and took her leave just as carefully as she’d approached the cabin, then began her trek back to where she’d left her jeep, mindful of how dark it’d already gotten.

*

Days had gone by sans incident. Y/N felt like she’d been lucky to make it out of that dangerous situation unscathed. She had time to ponder every little aspect of everything she’d learned about this man ever since their encounter that full moon, and it all pointed to him being a very dangerous, if mysterious man.

It made no sense for him to have that cabin so remote, so deep into the forest. Everything indicated to him not staying there long (there was no bathroom, no electricity, no running water), but the trek there was so long and hazardous that it just didn’t make any sense to go all the way up there just to stay for a day or two at most.

Why did he need that cabin there, then? It just wasn’t adding up regardless of how she looked at it.

Being a ranger also meant she was a sworn officer of the law, so wasn’t it then her duty to shed light on this whole thing? The man had built a cabin there. Illegally. She’d checked all their logs at the station, there was no entry on any cabin in that area. He’d deliberately picked an area that not even rangers patrolled. He had clearly chosen such a hard-to-reach area to ensure it would be highly unlikely to ever be found.

Why was that? What was he hiding? 

Was he a fugitive? Was he a wanted criminal?

But then, how would that work? He clearly didn’t use the cabin to live in, he just kept it as shelter from the elements mostly, in passing. Also, what kind of criminal owns designer clothes?

Actually - scratch that. Lots do.

But clearly, he had money, so this wasn’t a question of him having nowhere to go and hide from the law.

She was well aware this was way over her head and she needed to tell her colleagues about it. This was something illegal this man was doing, and the longer she knew about it and did nothing about it, she was becoming an accomplice to it by keeping her silence.

But, she didn’t know how to go about it. She knew what she’d done was in no way compatible with her keeping her job at the station. And she loved this job. She really didn’t want to give it up. But if it came to choosing her freedom over her job…

Maybe if she found out what he was up to, she could have a better idea of what the right move would be. If it turned out that the man was indeed an outlaw (aside from his little cabin in the middle of government forest), she’d have to turn him in and say goodbye to her job there.

But if this proved to be just a silly man with a silly cabin… which made absolutely no sense… then why would she risk her job over it?

She was contemplating all this in her little oasis of peace and quiet. She’d found this spot pretty soon after securing the job there, it was off-trail and so she didn’t have to worry about hikers walking in on her. Well. She would hope so, at least, but she was fairly certain nobody would venture off track since it wasn’t an easy trek there. However, it was worth it to her, because she knew what awaited her once she’d made the journey.

It was a small, but deep freshwater lake at the center of the wetlands of the mountain. The water was crystal clear, filtered as it ran through the crags and rocks. Beautiful old pines, hemlock, and cedar lined the shore and rose upward as the mountain sloped higher for a breathtaking backdrop. A literal lake in the mountains. A true refuge.

There were a few bodies of water in the preservation, including a waterfall, but none were quite as lovely and secluded as this spot. She considered it her little hiding place. She knew she could come here and be all alone with her thoughts, and the sounds of the forest and the occasional wild animal (none that would present any harm though, since those tended to inhabit the deeper parts of the forest).

She went there when she had her days off, or when things were particularly slow and she could take a longer break. She especially loved going there towards the end of the day, so she could enjoy her unobscured view of the majestic sunset.

And since she was alone and she knew none of her colleagues would be patrolling that area, and no hikers would walk in on her, she would skinny dip.

Walking into the water she slowly got deeper and sucked in a sharp breath when the water reached her waist. Holding her breath she bent her knees and ducked herself under the water to cover her head and then rose from the water quickly and laughed loudly. She loved the feeling of the cold water covering her limbs and shocking her system.

She waded deeper and began to swim, kicking her legs and propelling her arms as she glided in the water, already feeling her stress melt away.

She loved swimming, having grown up doing this as a pastime in her hometown, and ever since she moved to the big city she’d missed it.

She floated peacefully after doing her usual rounds, taking note of how the sky was beginning to change to her favorite hues of purple and orange as it was approaching sunset. She loved this part of the day the most but especially loved watching it all unfold while she was floating blissfully in the lake. 

She was done for the day and was off-duty, so since she was heading back home after this, she could afford to get her hair wet and deal with it later. Whenever she would come there for short breaks in her schedule, she’d make sure not to get it wet though. She didn’t want her colleagues to find out about her little secret and accuse her of slacking on the job. 

It was getting a bit chilly though, so she decided to get out of the water and watch the sun go down from ashore. 

Turning in the water, she began to swim back in the direction she came from but paused with a jolt and gasped when she saw the man. 

It was him.

He was right there, in front of her, his head barely visible atop the waterline, with only his eyes and nose breaking surface. 

How long had he been standing there in the water? Watching her. Preying on her.

Did he know? That she’d been to his cabin. Did he know she was onto his secret? Was that why he was there? Was he going to harm her?

She couldn’t believe she hadn’t heard him get into the water. Or seen him, even. He must’ve done it while she was doing her laps. 

Suddenly, she was reminded of her nakedness and she felt her whole body flush furiously in embarrassment, despite how chilly it was getting by the minute.

They kept staring at each other until she realized he was slowly making his way toward her in the water. It was barely noticeable that he was moving at all. This guy really gave her the creeps, but for some reason, she couldn’t look away. She could barely see half of his face but his eyes were mesmerizing, they had a strange hold on her. She just couldn’t look away.

She should’ve made a run for it while she still had the advantage, being close to the spot she’d dropped her belongings. She wasn’t armed, since she was off duty for the evening, but she did have her swiss knife and it was definitely better than her bare hands. 

Her bare everything. 

That was what was keeping her from doing just that - her state of undress. She knew he’d likely seen every bit of her, especially with the way she’d floated toward the end, but she couldn’t get herself to snap out of it. She was risking her life for the sake of her modesty, and even that was a thing of the past.

He eventually got within an arm’s length of her and began circling around her ever so slowly. He reminded her of crocodiles, with their eyes poking out of the water and the eerie, slow way in which they move before suddenly launching at their prey. She was expecting him to pounce on her in a similar fashion, drowning her maybe. 

But she wasn’t gonna go down without a fight. She was going to stand her ground and use every tactic in the book she’d learned in military school to try and turn this around in her favor.

She wasn’t gonna show him how scared she was. She wasn’t gonna let him see how he intimidated her. She needed the upper hand. So she broke the silence as she watched him circle around her, making sure her voice didn’t waver.

“Why did you steal the pup back?”

She saw a glint of mischief in his eyes just before he pushed himself out of the water to his shoulders. Her eyes landed on that big, luscious mouth of his again, and sure enough, she saw the hint of a smirk there before his deep voice wiped it off his lips, “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, officer.”

“I warned you that if you didn’t come to provide proof of ownership it’s considered a criminal offense. Not only did you not follow through, but you broke into the station and stole the pup back.”

“Am I under arrest then, officer?” He batted his eyelashes at her innocently and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. He was infuriating. Did he think this was funny? 

“I have every right to arrest you. You’re breaking more laws than I can count, sir.”

“I’m sure you’re smarter than you give yourself credit.”

She squinted her eyes at him for that little jab, “I’m warning you.”

“Or else, what?” He came impossibly close, rising slightly above her in the water. She could now see he was inked. Quite heavily so. She couldn’t stop her eyes from roaming over his torso, water droplets chasing down his tattoos. Her eyes took a quick inventory of two swallows, one atop each of his pecs, small ones that she couldn’t decipher, and further down, the top of what she could only assume were butterfly wings. “Go ahead. Take me in.” He teased, his voice low.

The innuendo wasn’t lost on her, even in her state of panic. She willed her eyes off his body, but looking straight into his eyes wasn’t any easier. A strand of his slicked-back, long, wet hair was falling over his face, his eyes were piercing right through hers and his heavy panting was accentuating his masculine nose. Just everything about him made her feral. She couldn’t deny her body’s response to him, and it infuriated her to no end to know she was allowing herself to feel this way when her life was in literal danger.

“I know about the cabin.”

It was just a split second, but she didn’t miss the look of surprise on his face. He didn’t know, then, that she’d been there. He didn’t know about the microchip she’d planted into the pup. He couldn’t have known, she’d made sure not to leave any tracks, but then why was he here, stalking her like this, if he didn’t know? 

He searched her eyes, probably in an effort to figure out somehow just how much she knew about his dirty little secret, but her shivering seemed to snap him out of his train of thought.

“The temperature is dropping fast; go put your clothes on. You’ll freeze to death.”

She stared at him, taken aback. She hadn’t expected that.

“I’ll do no such thing!”

“Nothing I haven’t already seen,” he raised an eyebrow at her and she furrowed hers.

“You get out first, and turn away.”

“Oh? So you can shoot me when I’m not looking? Not very heroic, is it, officer?”

“Don’t play dumb. I know you know I’m unarmed. Who knows how long you’ve been stalking me.”

He lowered his gaze in between them “Can’t promise the same for myself.” And with that, he proceeded to make his way out of the water. Stark naked, of course. She expected nothing less.

And when he made it to the shore and turned towards her, on full display, she bit her tongue. She definitely had expected less, as it turns out; nothing could’ve prepared her for that. 

Whatever happened to cold water shrinkage?

“It’s not polite to stare.” 

“Then put some bloody clothes on!” Her voice came off way higher than she’d intended it to.

The man shrugged and, to her dismay, he walked over to her pile of clothes and picked up her ranger hat, placing it on his head.

She couldn’t help but to let out an incredulous laugh.

“I meant, cover up!!”

Harry looked down at his crotch, seemingly completely unaffected by his state of undress. It was as if it was perfectly normal for him to just roam around naked like that in front of a literal stranger. He then grabbed the hat from atop his head and placed it over his groin, holding it there for a beat before letting it fall to the ground.

Y/N’s mouth fell agape, and then the man just shrugged again “Come out, and I’ll make it stay on this time. I promise you.”

Y/N was blushing profusely, so she turned around, more in an effort to keep him from seeing just how much he was affecting her than to give him privacy. “Sir!… Please!”

She heard him chuckle and waited a considerable amount of time for him to get dressed. When she thought it was safe to turn back around, she froze. 

The man was gone.

She hadn’t heard him make his way through the greenery at all.

She looked around, but the coast was clear. If she couldn’t see him, it was very unlikely he could see her.

And just as he’d reminded her, it was nothing he hadn’t seen before.

She finally emerged from the lake and rushed to her clothes. Her swiss army knife was still there, nothing was missing.

Except for the mysterious man, who was now aware she knew about his secret. And that sent shivers down her spine, and not from how cold it was getting.

Chapter 3

A/N: (@fkinavocado and @gurugirl here) ladies and gentlemen... wolfrry 🥵

please remember to like & reblog if you enjoyed this, and most importantly, come share your thoughts on it with us here 💌

if you feel so inclined, you can buy us a coffee here☕

🐺follow us on wattpad to get notified whenever we post something new/update!🐺

[subterraneanna]

Restored film frame, Star Trek: The Original Series, "Patterns of Force"

This frame was in good condition and only needed minor dust and scratch removal -- not exactly an exciting before and after comparison so I'm omitting it. I'm not sure why this was printed b&w. Perhaps it was more cost-effective to print b&w dailies/rushes and/or workprints. This is just a guess so if anyone knows more feel free to chime in. Also, I've gotten a few questions about the process and realized I should mention that I digitize my film with a film scanner. The photos of me holding the slides are purely for illustrative purposes in case anyone wants to see the whole thing. My phone isn't involved in the process.

[mariaofdoranelle]

URDAD - part 5

Lonely TCGTATGG would like to pair up with congenial AGCATACC

Warnings: mentions of kinky times? Maybe light nsfw idk

Words: 1,4k

A little recap because it’s been so fucking long: Rowan’s the father of Aelin’s bestie, Imogen. He kept it distant until he found Aelin a job at his hospital. She works with the machinery and he’s allergic to technology so she helps him out a lot. They grew close. Aelin planned to break up with Chaol, the boyfriend she lived with, and then become roomies with Imogen. But then she finds out that Chaol and Imogen have been sleeping together and oh no she’s homeless now! Rowan feels bad and offers her a place to stay out of the pureness of his heart, but she fucks him to get back at her friend. Now they’re fucking like bunnies but no one knows yet.

Also, Anne Jausten is Rowan’s most treasured digital slide scanner.

Now let’s fucking goooooo

When Aelin invited Rowan to visit apartments with her again, she was expecting incisive views from a more experienced person, not incessant bitching that ended up being a pain in her ass.

She stomped down the hallway leading to her “office”—the medical equipment maintenance room—and Rowan followed hot on her heels, refusing to take the hint.

“I’m sorry,” he said for the millionth time. “I didn’t mean to—“

“Swear it.” She turned around and crossed her arms. “Swear on Anne Jausten that you didn’t act like this on purpose.”

He silently stood with a pleading look in his eye. Maybe because of the two nurses eyeing him curiously, or because he didn’t have anything good to say for himself.

What bugged Aelin the most is that she couldn’t understand why he was trying to sabotage her apartment hunting. Why would he bother to visit the places with her just to talk trash about them. Yes, she was well aware that those apartments weren’t near as nice as his fancy two-story home, but they were nice enough, especially when the deadline she was given to leave was so close.

Rowan had previously told her she could stay for ‘one or two weeks’, and in the meanwhile he fucked her numerous times. Aelin’s experience said it was time for her to go. Not that this kind of behavior applies to all men, but it does to most of them—especially the hot and chronically single ones, like Dr. Whitethorn.

Aelin unlocked her office—not quite, but it was a space for herself of sorts. The room was spacious and almost as well-lit as an OR, but it felt cramped from the amount of broken and old machines waiting for her to repair, along with a few lost causes the hospital had yet to discard. Rowan followed her inside, so she leaned against a broken anesthesia machine with crossed arms and said, “I have work to do. Are you explaining what happened or not?”

Rowan wrapped both arms around her waist and gave a string of pecks on her neck.

“Can’t we just forget about it?”

“No!” She immediately unwrapped herself from him. “You’re not touching me until you explain why the fuck you’re acting so weird!”

Rowan immediately took a step back, both hands up in surrender. Good to know. From what she’s heard, not all doctors in this hospital would.

“You’re serious?”

Aelin crossed her arms again and nodded.

A sigh. “I’m not lying to you. I really don’t like the apartments we’ve visited. I care about you and Fleetfoot, going from my place to that would be a huge downgrade.”

Aelin threw her head back and laughed. Loudly. His confused expression made her want to explain things, but the hilariously of this took all the breath from her lungs.

“Rowan, I won’t be able to afford a place like yours at all within the next 10 years.”

“That’s why you should stay with me. At least for now.”

That took the amusement out of her face. Aelin’s thoughts were blank as she examined his apprehensive pine green eyes. There was only one chair because no one ever visited her down there, so she sat while Rowan leaned on a machine near her.

“You’re serious? Like, roommates till a better rent do us part?”

Rowan tilted his head, waiting for her answer—confirmation enough for a quiet guy like him. Still, things weren’t looking good. She probably could afford half the cost of his place, but if she paid for all that, she would barely be able to afford food.

She finally answered, “The only way I can afford my part of the rent is if it’s split based on income.”

Rowan bit his bottom lip in a poor-piss attempt to not laugh, which earned him a slap on the bicep.

“Aelin, I don’t pay rent myself. I won’t ask that of you.”

He was offering her a home for free?

Aelin never doubted she was a good lay, but holy rutting Mala.

But this was too good to be true. “What about house chores?”

“Not your concern. Just look after yourself and Fleetfoot.”

Aelin got up from her chair, rounding Rowan with her eyes narrowed at him. This was too unreal. He had to have an ulterior motive.

“No sexual clauses?”

“Not at my request.” His eyes darkened and he added with a suggestive tone, “But I can be very compliant if you add one.”

A beep interrupted their conversation—she was needed her in the ER.

Knowing what the sound meant, Rowan raised both brows in question. What do you say?

“I still don’t know,” she said while putting her lab coat on.

This feels too good, too easy. Aelin would live as a guest in his house, for free, after hooking up for a week and a half. What it he gets bored of her? What happens to her when he regrets it? What if he changes his mind after his daughter finds out and inevitably throws a tantrum?

As if reading her thoughts, Rowan took a step closer, carefully tucked her hair behind her ear, caressed her jaw with his thumb before he murmured, “I just want to see you safe and taken care of, that’s all.”

Aelin closed her eyes, a little overwhelmed. He might be the most thoughtful situationship she’s ever had. She tucked her head on his chest and chuckled, and he pulled her closer, letting her feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he caressed her hair.

Rowan slipped a strand of Aelin’s hair behind her ear, his carefree expression morphed into something else. “Will you at least think about it?”

Aelin tried to plaster a earnest face, but the corners of her lips kept tugging up. “You won’t make this easy for me, will you?”

His eyes widened. “I’m already making this as easy as I can!”

Another call urging her to go to the ER broke them apart.

Aelin took a step back and squeezed his hand. “See you at dinner?”

“See you at dinner.”

It was hard to stop her mind from racing as she took the elevator to the ER. Rowan’s offer got more tempting each time she thought about it and, to be honest, Aelin didn’t want to stop the late-night sex followed by morning cuddles either, even if she knew this wouldn’t be permanent.

It’d be good. She could save some money for her masters while staying with him. Aelin knew her place, so falling in love with Dr. Whitethorn was nothing more than a fleeting thought in her mental ‘cons’ list about living with him.

˜˜

Aelin expected to give him her final answer over dinner like any other person does, but when he texted her saying he’d be late because he was needed on a late surgery, the idea she had was too good to pass on.

The sound of his car pulling up made her put her phone down and run to the kitchen, wearing nothing but his favorite apron.

Aelin sat on the dinner table between two trays: one with freshly-cut fruit—strawberries, mango, banana, cherries—and another with little bowls of more liquid stuff, such as honey and chocolate sauce.

The thud of the front door being shut. Slow footsteps. Her heartbeat being the loudest of them all.

“Baby…” Rowan carefully stepped into the kitchen, still with his scrubs on, bewildered eyes aflame as he studied her mostly naked body. “What’re you doing?”

“Accepting your offer.” Aelin crossed her legs and tilted her head in a saucy, near predatory manner while still keeping an innocent tone when she explained, “You said you want me to stay. I thought I’d earn my keep.”

“You know you don’t have to—“

Rowan cut himself off when Aelin slid just the top of his apron off her body, exposing her breasts.

He cleared his throat and corrected, “How so?”

Aelin gave him a sly grin, a little brownie point for playing along.

“Dinner.”

She thrust her chest out and suggestively dipped her middle finger in the bowl with the honey, eyes trained on him as she slid it from her upper chest to her shoulder.

And waited until Rowan’s brain restarted so he could lick it off.

You can get notified when I update by either turning notifications on for @mariaofdoranelle-fics or entering my (sometimes glitchy) tag list!!

TAG LIST

@aelinchocolatelover

@autumnbabylon

@bookcide

@booksandteaonarainydayislife

@cookiemonsterwholovesbooks

@courtofjurdan

@dreamer-133

@elentiyawhitethorn

@elizarikaallen

@emily-gsh

@empress-ofbloodshed

@fangirlprincess09

@goddess-aelin

@gracie-rosee

@leiawritesstories

@lululululululuop

@renxzs

@rowanaelinn

@s-uppertime

@sarahjswift

@staghorn-mountains

@superspiritfestival

@swankii-art-teacher

@thegreyj

@throneofus7

@violet-mermaid7

@wishfulimaginings

[attyattlaw]

heyyy I'm new to digital art, would you mind sharing some tips regarding programs and tutorials and etc? also on how to turn a real life piece into a beautiful and clean digital piece... really love your art

oh good luck with your art journey! my experience with digital art is pretty dated (as in a decade + levels dated) and i might be too out of touch to give beginner tips but regardless, allow me to attempt

Programs: it would help to know which hardware you have for digital but ill put down some i have experience in 1. Clip Studio Paint Pro - PC/Android/ipad/everywhere i think? unfortunately they betrayed humankind and its now a subscription everywhere but on PC. i bought a one-time license years years years ago on sale and its probably the best available on my end. I also got it on subscription on android so i can sync works between my PC and tablet. its very flexible in a way that you can draw with it in the most basic way single layer sketches or whatever but they have so many features and keep adding more.

2. procreate - ipad only never been an apple user but my friend is, and he's been a procreate user forever. he recently tried CSP on ipad though and he still claims he likes procreate better for ease of use and compatibility with tablet ergonomics and apple pen

3. medibang paint - pc/android/ipad

free forever. and out of all the free programs i recommended my other digital art newbie friend this is what he liked best.

4. adobe photoshop - dont even look at this the only reason i have one is im leeching off company license. its still unfortunately the industry standard tho but CSP is much cheaper and has the same controls and most of the basic functions 5. Paint Tool SAI - my first art program but i haven't tried it again. honestly still think this has the best brush flexibility and pen pressure control ----- As for tutorials, i find digital art has such a steep and high skill ceiling and its a challenge im still tackling and probably will forever tackle haha. I'm trying to osmosis painting techniques from splash art painters from League of Legends who most of them post complete timelapses (my favorite being Bo Chen) where you can study not just their techniques but like, art directions that make their pieces striking. Anyway, I also promised a friend I would make a simple coloring tutorial so maybe after inktober hustle, I would look for a piece there I'd use for the guide.

---- Traditional to digital is never a satisfactory process to me but if you can, invest on a scanner. I use an epson v39, had it for years.

scanned vs edited. the goal is to at least get the white of the paper as white as possible and the blacks the blackest, without whitewashing/burning the rest of the colors. Level correction function is your best friend here and most art programs have that.

Then i just clean dust and errors and slide the contrasts around until it looks as close to the original piece

If you have a decent phone camera, you can get away just posting instagram aesthetic pics with materials framing it or smth and just edit as usual. natural light tends to be a lot more forgiving than the harsh light of scanners anyway.

Anyway I hope this helps and have fun learning!

[ihcprs]

Immunohistochemistry procedure -IHC-PRS

We provide all primary antibodies for your immunohistochemistry procedure requirements at 50% of your purchase cost, with maintaining equal or superior affinity

[alinagomez2508-blog]

Understanding the Various Applications of Brightfield Microscopy 

The brightfield microscope is an essential tool used in pathology labs on a worldwide scale. It offers a simple yet detailed scope of examining tissues and identifying abnormalities. While overshadowed by more sophisticated techniques in some cases, the histology slide scanner remains an irreplaceable workhorse for pathologists due to its versatility, affordability, and ease of use. 

The Working Principle of Brightfield Microscopy 

The process of Brightfield Microscopy begins with a tissue section. Sliced to a near-transparent thinness, this delicate specimen is positioned on the stage of the microscope, directly in the path of a bright light source.  A condenser lens in the mechanism polarizes the light into a focused beam, like how a spotlight illuminates a stage in the intended space.  

When a concentrated beam of light interacts with tissue, it produces intriguing effects. Tissues contain components with different densities, influencing their interaction with light. For instance, denser regions like cell nuclei absorb more light, appearing darker in the resulting image. At the same time, you can monitor less dense areas like the cytoplasm which permits more light to pass through, resulting in brighter regions. 

This interplay of light absorption and transmission creates a map of contrasts within the tissue. Pathologists act as interpreters of this map, using their trained eyes to decipher the variations in darkness and brightness. 

These variations reveal a wealth of information:  

Cellular Morphology: The shape, size, and arrangement of cells come into sharp focus. Are the cells plump and healthy-looking, or do they appear shrunken and distorted, hinting at potential abnormalities?  

Tells of Trouble: Darker regions might indicate areas of inflammation, where immune cells have amassed to fight infection. Opposed to that, very bright areas could point towards necrosis, a form of cell death.  

Unearthing Pathogens: In some cases, the keen eye of a pathologist can even directly visualize certain pathogens, like bacteria or parasites, within the tissue.  

Applications Of Brightfield Microscopy in Pathology  

The applications of brightfield microscopy in pathology are extensive:  

Routine Histopathology: This forms the backbone of diagnosis. Tissue biopsies stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) are examined under the histology scanner to assess cellular and architectural features, aiding in the identification of various cancers, inflammatory diseases, and infectious processes.  

Microbiology: While not ideal for all organisms, a brightfield slide scanner can be used to visualize some bacteria, fungi, and parasites in tissue sections, especially in conjunction with specific stains.  

Cytology: Examination of body fluids like blood or cerebrospinal fluid under the microscope helps diagnose infections, malignancies, and other abnormalities. Brightfield microscopy plays a crucial role in these cytological examinations.  

Frozen Sections: In urgent cases, a rapid diagnosis might be needed. Brightfield microscopy is vital for examining frozen tissue sections, providing valuable information for guiding surgical procedures or treatment decisions. 

However, certain limitations exist as well:  

Limited Contrast: Certain cellular features or subtle changes might be difficult to visualize, especially in unstained specimens. 

Requirement for Stains: Staining can introduce artifacts and may not be suitable for live specimens.  

Lower Resolution: Compared to electron microscopy, brightfield microscopy offers a lower resolution, limiting the visualization of very fine structures.  

Despite the emergence of advanced techniques, brightfield microscopy remains an often-used tool in pathology.  Its simplicity, affordability, and speed make it ideal for routine examinations, providing crucial insights into disease processes.  While other techniques might offer higher resolution or specific advantages, brightfield microscopy will likely continue to be a workhorse in pathology labs for years to come. 

OptraSCAN is a provider of top quality brightfield slide scanners, hailed as a leading pioneer within the equipment development field. Reach out to them today to explore their digital histopathology solutions and discover how your laboratory can achieve accurate results with minimal time investment, while also facilitating collaboration with other medical professionals. 

[birdy-the-tweet]

❄️•Nexocember•❄️

Day 4 - Tech

I’m starting to really enjoy these writing prompts and the consistency of their release. Sorry for missing yesterday; I was exhausted and couldn’t come up with anything, and even now I can’t really decide on a good story for this one. Which is why I’ve decided to instead share a snippet from Nexo Knights S1 E1! It’s got a perfect scenario just for this prompt, so I hope you enjoy!

————————————————————————

Time Stamp: S1 E1 - The Book of Monsters Pt. 1

Once Clay realized the collisions of metal and hologram were ahead of him and drawing closer, he abandoned his reliance on the signs and quickened his pace to the only room with light illuminating faintly through its translucent doors, farthest door to the right he put together. He didn’t need to open it to know his companion was on the other side, but he hadn’t gone searching for him just to cement a theory. Welding his pride to the back of his head and plastering his best “relaxed” smile, he tapped a sensor panel on the wall and didn’t have to wait long for the double doors to slide downward into the floor.

The Fabricator was one of a few machines only certain places in Knightonia had access to due to its complexity and intake of power. He was proud they had even one in the academy; it made training more versatile and flexible to each knight’s resumé of presented skills. It was a large, slightly noisy machine, first invented twenty years prior by a team of academy mechanics who wanted to reduce the amount of wooden dummies and demolished sets of armor being thrown into digitization scanners. Knights could upload a 3D model of any object or enemy program of their choice, and the device’s RAM would fabricate it into a pixelated hologram solid enough to be damaged and destroyed without harming anything truly physical. If it was a more complex array of coding clipped onto a model, it would analyze the commands and play it accordingly until the hologram is destroyed. He didn’t want to think about all the times he begged Ava to design monster models for the machine they had on campus. One of his composition notebooks was filled to the brim with sketched-out ideas and lists for functions.

Within this room, the ones that had been summoned were flocks of agile primates that used relatively short wings to hover and shield themselves from attacks. Skyslicer chimps, nasty creatures in the southeast whose teeth could crunch through stone and acute climbing skills fit for scaling the hazardous Stormscrapers. Just one of them possessed the mischievous spirit and strong arm to throw travelers off the cliffs, but a swarm of them spelled trouble for even the mightiest of knights. It came to no surprise there were models of these in the Fabricator, nor did it shock him they were chosen for training.

One by one, they circled around a single figure, a hulking humanoid that stood well over seven feet tall and completely unarmed. Yet it didn’t stop him from taking a defensive stance and swerving around each slash of their claws easily. Their unpredictability added a preferred challenge to the evasive maneuvers he took, feet sliding across smooth metal flooring as if lathered in grease. It was more like an improvised dance than it was a dangerous game against the odds, a performance Clay couldn’t admit was pleasing to watch.

A primate perched on a parked hover horse stole an opportunity to glide into the scene from behind the training knight and land a strike against the spine, but the last thing it would see was a single side glare from within the mask of the man. Halting the assault at the last second, he swiveled on his heel and struck his fist square into the chest of the smaller beast, and it dissipated into a flurry of pixelated pieces. A cry of disapproval rang through the troupe of chimps after the fall of their colleague. Many slammed their fists on the ground or snarled at the martial fighter for his success, hostility only responded to with even more violence.

While a smaller monster was still gawking at the horror they would have to live with, its agony was silenced as the knight rushed forward at bone chilling speed and punched straight through the skeleton animation of its design. Only when two more were taken down in a similar fashion did the enemies realize they couldn’t sit around any further, but even that hardly saved them from their inevitable fates. A pair was grabbed by their prehensile tails and slammed into each other with the force of an armored truck. A third would be seeing stars for the next week after an elbow to the chest and a fist to the face. Another ate the heel of his steel plated boot and disintegrated instantly from the cold taste of defeat. And the rest, well, they were all vanquished in a similar manner to the rest: quick and simple.

The last one’s data returned like a gust of wind into the vacuum of the Fabricator, and the screen displayed a checkmark signaling the end of the program. Straightening himself from his fighting position and flexing gloved fingers, the masked knight contemplated starting another round of combat with the machine in what little time he had remaining. His armor was mostly donned save for the breastplate and his choice of weapons. It wouldn’t take more than a minute to secure both in his custody and server connection. But as he marched lazily to the machine, his thought process was interrupted by another pair of feet approaching from his left.

Clay, graced with his first genuine smile of the evening, tucked his hands politely behind his back in the presence of a folk hero. “Hey Dauntless.”

“Clay. Pleasure as always, old friend.” It never failed to amuse him how awestruck the Cobalt Knight would always appear after mere, measly moments of observing an independent training segment with code. His eyes were like Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving, jolly and warm for the arrival of the higher god that was St. Nicholas.

Upon arrival at the Fabricator, Dauntless switched the power off and made sure its digital cord was disconnected from the outlet in the wall. The thread of golden light slithered back into the base of the machine, and a final purr died down into blissful silence only seconds after. The other knight saw it as his chance to resume conversation. Or, well, start it to begin with. “I trust you’re ready for the Battlebration tonight?”

“Well I must be, now shouldn’t I? It would be pretty embarrassing if I wasn’t, don’t you know,” the masked knight mused to himself mostly. He relied on the ancient piece of training equipment to support his weight in the minute he would spend planted in place, a foot nestled against its side as he folded his arms nonchalantly over his chest. “And you?”

The vex laced in the brunette’s heavy breath spoke greater than his next words. “I sure hope so. I had a whole spreadsheet made this morning so everyone would have a layout of what they should present at the ceremony, but… Lance broke the tablet.”

“Really,” buzzed his sardonic smirk. “Sounds to me he broke more than just that.”

He’d be right. Clay’s disgruntled pout only seasoned the flavor of his triumph, childish enough to spark a laugh off the larger male’s chest. “That’s beyond the point.”

“No but I sure am right, aren’t I?”

“Ugh- look.” He clawed the air and strangled an invisible Lance between his palms. “I just need everyone to concentrate today. That’s all I ask.”

“Yes, among the other fifteen things you’ve asked for this week.”

“Dauntless.”

“What. I’m right,” he reminded the swordsman. “You can’t expect everything to be perfect, you know. Every knight has their own definition of that.”

“Yes, I know. But for today, at least today, I just want things to go according to plan. So far Lance hasn’t even shown a grain of care for the ceremony.”

“He cares.”

“Tell that to the tablet.”

Dauntless rattled a tinge of irritation off his head like a maraca. “Clay, do understand. Half of your classmates could care less about the knighting itself. This has been a tradition that’s persisted in Knightonia for centuries, long before even technology was a thing. And while it is a treasured event in the lives of the people, it is all but routine as well. A display in the late afternoon followed by the knighting, a break for everyone to eat and prepare for the evening, and a performance of battle at the crack of dusk. It hasn’t changed in… I don’t even want to know how long. Longer than I’ve been around, sheesh…”

“So what does that say about your age, grandpa-”

“Not important.” He hoisted himself off the Fabricator and made his way over to where Clay stood, dwarfing him within seconds. “The point is, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither should you. Your education as a knight does not end once you walk out those gates. Field work is the most extensive, pain-staking form of study to any student no matter their age or expertise. Your real celebration will commence the moment you realize that. So today… Just focus on what you’ve learned so far, and don’t obsess so much over being flawless. Nobody likes a walking statue.”

Though the swordsman listened like a groundhog to the first mourning dove of spring, his eyes were stitched in a furrowed pattern across his troubled face. “And the others-”

“So what? The other classmates have a tendency to act on their own accord. Don’t worry about it. Focus on your own performance and your ability to adapt to whatever chaos happens out there. I trust you know how to do that.”

“...yeah, I do. I can do that at least.” Clay could never find the right words to thank the traveling warrior for his skill of words and wistful perception, not even if it took him a thousand years to formulate a thesis around his wisdom. He already wasted four of those years dragging himself into this same ballroom waltz over and over again, rushing to Dauntless for advice and never knowing how to return the favor. The masked man had years – in theory – of experience as a helping hand and protector of the realm without the need for a Nexo shield, and he offered his accelerated education of the world and its lessons freely like a guest speaker in a school assembly. And yet, he couldn’t ever do the same for him, or perhaps it was never needed. He couldn’t tell anymore.

“Good. Now then, now that you mention the others,” the Hooded Knight drawled, the optics of his mask drifting like dandelion fluff to the door. “Where are they, Macy and Lance?”

He’d much rather chew his own hand off than answer that. With a gruff groan that strained his throat, he dragged himself to an aimless waltz around a ten foot diameter in front of the other. “Macy’s still dealing with her parents, I think. She’s been arguing with them all morning about the battlebration, and I don’t think I need to know the finer details after the seven dozen angry messages she’s sent me all day, all in caps.”

“Will she be able to graduate?”

“Oh I hope so.

[all-rock-and-roll-is-homosexual]

Exciting things ahead! I was able to splurge and buy a slide scanner so I can start buying and digitizing old 35mm slides.

[minervadashwood]

Daryl Dixon x NB!Reader (afab, plus-size) 🏹 Daryl x Reader x Rick 🛡️

The Cop and the Criminal - Chapter 16

~~~~~~~~

Series Masterlist |Masterlist | Taglist

~~~~~~~~

Summary: according to @livingdeadblondequeen "Foreplay." This chapter contains: Omega heat symptoms, protective Merle Dixon, retail therapy. Word count: 3K Note: Thanks to the DDC for encouraging me and always listening to my unending self doubt.

You left the OmegaGYN office in a daze, and with enough reading material and supplies that it would take you hours to sift through it all. Your doctor was relatively new to you, since you’d been transferred to her care when you moved to Atlanta. But she had looked over your records and noticed that you hadn’t had a natural heat in ten years.

So she and the nurse had treated you as if you were a teenager again, cautioning you against being alone without scent blockers (even though you were already wearing the ones Rick had given you). She told you to find an alpha for your heat. They’d been quite relieved to learn about Daryl and his intent to claim you. Once you were claimed, your future heats wouldn’t be as worrisome: his mark and scent on you would deter other alphas.  And since he was your true mate, your connection to him would be strong and stable.

Everything looked normal on your checkup, and after getting Daryl’s contact information, the doctor let you go.

In your car, you rolled down the windows and sat in the parking lot. You felt like calling Daryl, wanting to recount the entire appointment with him, but you had class in thirty minutes and he was likely busy anyway.

…

Halfway through your first class, you broke out in a cold sweat. Thinking it must have been something you ate--or just the sheer shock of getting out of bed before ten A.M., you drank plenty of water and went on with your day.

That afternoon, you were digitizing a farming pamphlet from the Dakota territories when the cramping started, like something was twisting your belly painfully.  Ro was in the research suite, too, going through some microfilm slides from an old Chilean newspaper. He’d recently become obsessed with natural disasters across the world.

“Ro,” you said, your voice weak. “I’m not feeling so great.”

He clicked away on the microfiche machine. “Hmm? What’s up?” 

Your scanner beeped, and you took a minute to start the scan for the next pamphlet.

“I must have a bug or something. Fever, maybe?”

Ro spun in the stool he was sitting in, and he looked at you, smirking. “Are you serious right now?”

“I’m not, Ro! I’m sweating and it’s like 68 degrees in here!” The department kept the room cool for all the machines and manuscripts stored within.

He rolled himself over to you, and turned off the scanner. “Well, you see y/n, when an alpha and omega love each other--”

You rolled your eyes. “What about a beta and a beta, huh?”

He leveled you with a glare, and shoved your stool over to the table where your laptop and books were spread out.

“Okay,” he said. “How about this one: When a poor, defenseless rabbit feels the urge to have little bunnies of their own, they must find a big, strong wolf to help them.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned. The tale of the rabbit and wolf was one told to school children to teach them about alphas and omegas. (The fact that separate species could not produce offspring was a detail society liked to ignore, in favor of keeping mating habits as cute as possible). The story annoyed you immensely.

Still, if the world were giving out rewards for absent-mindedness, you’d have a blue ribbon pinned to your jacket. Just that morning you’d been told the early symptoms of your heat, and had been experiencing them most of the day.

Your embarrassment quickly gave way to excitement.

Hurriedly, you said, “I have to email student affairs, and check in with my professors. This should be excused--it’s in the student handbook--but I’m still going to miss a lot of class. Dear god, it’s Monday, too!  What if this lasts all week?”

Yeah, what if it lasts all week? 

A week at home, in your nest with Daryl. Nothing on your mind but taking his knot, again and again. What if he went in a rut and really took control? Commanded you and pounded into you, hard and unrelenting? Fuck. You wanted that. You needed that. You needed your Alpha desperate for you, so desperate he wouldn’t stop fucking you until you’d passed out from pleasure.

Dampness flooded your cunt, and suddenly you couldn’t get out of that room fast enough.  With Ro calling your name, you shoved your laptop and books into your bag. You could walk to your car in fifteen minutes, then it was another thirty minutes to Daryl’s. Thankfully, the overwhelming need to be filled with his cock hadn’t hit you yet, it likely would tomorrow. Yet, you only wanted to be with Daryl, to share your eagerness with him, to kiss and cuddle him until it was time, to let him hold you and scent you for hours.

You zipped up your bag and nearly tripped over your feet walking to the door. Ro grabbed you by the shoulders and steadied you.

“Slow down, for fuck’s sake, huh?” he said. “You just can’t head off on your own like this.”

“Huh?” you asked, thoughts clouded and frantic.

“You’re about to go into heat. Even with those scent blockers on, a desperate alpha could still smell you. For now, let’s go to the dorm, where it’s safest, and then call Daryl.”

Your hormones were at war with your good sense. You wanted to be behind the wheel of your yellow Bug, pedal to the floor, speeding to King’s County in the fast lane.

But Daryl wouldn’t like that. He’d want you to be careful and patient. Waiting was not one of your strong suits, but for him, you’d try. For Ro, too. Your friend had a calming presence and because he was a beta could talk rationally to your hormonal thoughts.

“Okay,” you breathed. “Let’s go.”

Daryl’s phone rang just as he’d finished unclogging Mrs. Miller’s sink. The woman had six kids and a wayward husband Daryl had only seen once. The youngest, Terry, pestered Daryl the whole time. “Why’s it called a snake? Will it get the snake out of there? I petted a snake at school once. It had a tongue that went like this--” The kid kept tapping Daryl on the shoulder until Daryl looked at him. Then Terry slipped his tongue in and out, looking like some electrocuted lizard.

Safe to say that Daryl was relieved to hear your special ringtone--the theme from Psycho--playing in his pocket just as he got back to the main office.

“Hey, Bubbie,” he answered, lowering his voice reflexively. “Ya doin’ alrigh’?”

“I’m good, Alpha,” you replied, sounding a bit winded. “But I just got home--not home--but my apartment. Maybe I walked too fast. It’s fucking hot in here--Ro, turn down the thermostat please…thank you.”

“Yer appointment go alrigh’?” Truth be told, Daryl wished he’d gone with you this morning, especially since you’d never called him about it. All day he’d been worried about you, worried that they’d find something wrong or that you’d decide to stay on suppressants after all.

“Oh, it was fine…it’s just.  You know when you asked I said a couple of weeks, but…I guess with the nest and everything…it’s here sooner than expected.”

Daryl put the phone on speaker and started stripping out of his overalls.  “Here? Now?” he exclaimed.

“Just the early stages, Alpha. We still have time.  I just…” your voice softened. “I want to be home with you as soon as I can. Buuuut, Ro says I shouldn’t be alone.”

Ro was right, Daryl’s instincts told him. You alone and about to go into heat was a thought he could not bear.

“So, do you think you could come and pick me up? Or Ro says Merle’s close by, too.”

Daryl grabbed his phone and ran upstairs to the kitchen. In a drawer he had a list. It grew a little each day, but he was sure he’d have another week to actually buy everything on it.

“Jus’ hol’ up for a second,” he told you, thinking quickly. If he went to get you, it would actually take much longer than if Merle brought you here. If Merle picked you up, while Daryl was shopping--well maybe that would let Daryl see you sooner.

“Bubbie,” he spoke, trying to keep his voice calm. “Is it okay if Merle brings ya? I got some things to do, but then I’ll be home for good. Jus’ you an’ me startin’ tonight.”

Your voice was breathy in his ear. “That’s okay. I’m sorry to spring this on you all of a sudden.”

Daryl smiled at your considerate nature. But you weren’t a bother to him at all. Quite the opposite. Everything he did these days was for you. Even unclogging kitchen sinks and talking to annoying pups. For you, Daryl would do just about anything.

“Ya listen to me, ‘Mega. Ain’t nothin’ more importan’ to me than takin’ care of ya. Doesn’t matter when, where, how, I wanna do it, alrigh’?”

He heard you sniffle. “Oh Daryl, you’re so sweet.” You took a deep breath. “I’m going to pack a few things and send out some emails. See you at home? Soon?”

“It’s a date, Bubbie.”

Merle sighed as you pulled out yet another space saver bag. He sure as hell didn’t remember you having all these when you moved in. You stripped the rest of the sheets from your bed and shoved them in the thick, plastic bag, then you managed to squeeze two knitted blankets in there, too.  That was when Merle did what he’d been doing for the past half hour: vacuum all the air out of the bag and stow the shriveled dick looking thing in a large suitcase.

Jesus poked his head out from the kitchen. “Y/N how many bags of popcorn do you want?”

Popcorn. What the hell were you packing for, anyway?

“Peanut,” Merle said, gritting his teeth. “We gonna get outta here sometime today?”

You bit your bottom lip and glanced around the room. “Sorry, Merle. I just…nevermind. That’s…enough.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. Normally you didn’t test his patience much, but Merle had shit to do tonight, and none of it involved watching after you or having Jesus hovering over his shoulder.

The things he did for his brother.

Merle could see you were nervous, didn’t take a damn college degree to notice. The old Merle wouldn’t give two fucks, but you’d wormed his way into his life, and apparently that meant coddling you like a newborn pup.

He made to move into the bedroom, to coax you out the door, but then Jesus slipped past him, a wily thing--as usual.

Jesus put his hands on your shoulders. “What’s up, buttercup?”

Merle rolled his eyes.

You smiled, however slightly. “I’m good.”

Merle had his doubts.

Jesus said, “You just need to be with Daryl. That’s why you’re all worked up. Physical touch with him will calm you down.”

“But it’s not even time for that yet.”

“You need those alpha pheromones. Right now, your body doesn’t know you’ll see him soon. It’s worried you’ll go into heat alone.”

You took a deep breath, nodding.  “Let’s get the hell out of here. “

Watching Jesus calm you down did something weird to Merle. His gut tightened and he made fists at his side. Merle’d been about to give you a talking to that involved guilt tripping you about not trusting Daryl enough. But Jesus had simply spoken in that relaxed voice, using all that damn schooling he had to talk sense into you.

Merle himself had been on the receiving end of one of those talks, when Jesus was trying to convince him to ditch the synthetic pheromones and go out into the world all exposed and shit. Wasn’t about to happen. Merle didn’t mind washing the stuff off when he visited the kid, but peddling drugs without it? Never going to happen.

At the store, Daryl bought all manner of supplies. The supermarket even had a display stand that read “Beat the Heat,” and it was filled with packs of snacks, drinks, protein bars, each pack a different variety of food and drink. One pack should last a whole heat cycle. Daryl bought four.

He also bought a new cooler, a bag of ice, and a bunch of cooling packs, too. At the big box hardware store, he grabbed a home alarm system. It was a simple setup. It came with two devices that he would put on each wall of the stairway. If someone crossed the threshold, it would alert his phone. No one should ever come in there without his permission, but he wanted the house as safe as possible.

As he traveled to and fro, he called up his boss, Randy and explained the situation.

“Well, hell’s bells Dixon! Ya don’t worry ‘bout a damn thing the rest of the week! I’ll just call up my nephew Jimmy and pay him for some overtime. Ya be sure to lock up the office and put my number on the door, ya hear?”

Randy was a trip and a half, but he’d been good to Daryl, taking a chance on hiring him and even gave him a raise that was due to kick in by Christmas.

Finally, Daryl got home.

Laden down with grocery bags--and determined to do it all in one trip--he walked into the downstairs office and found Merle sitting at the bottom of the steps, a gun resting on his lap.

“‘Bout time ya got here! My ass has gone numb waitin’ for ya!’

“Well no one asked ya to wait, did they?” Daryl grumbled back.

“Ya said to protect ‘em and get ‘em home, didn’t ya?” Merle grumbled as he hid the gun under his vest.

“Didn’t ‘spect ya to still be here.”

“Well I was! You jus’ remember that next time I need somethin’, little brother.”

Merle shoved his way past Daryl and left without another word. Typical.

When Daryl got home with enough supplies for a year’s worth of heats, all the anxiety you’d felt since this morning withered away to nothing.

He went about the house doing all manner of things, from stocking the shelves of the headboard with snacks, to filling up a cooler and wheeling it to the bedroom. Then he got the drill out and spent about 20 minutes setting up something in the stairwell.  The whole time you just followed him around telling him he was going overboard. But it was like talking to a stone--a very sexy and reliable stone--so you contented yourself with simply basking in his presence.

Your inner omega was soothed just having him at home. While you waited, you’d made your nest, using a few things from your apartment, some of Daryl’s clothes from the hamper, his sleeping bag, and a couple of your knitted afghans. It was technically the second nest you’d ever made, but much better than the first one. You’d been through that heat alone, kept in an isolated room at the hospital, while given a cocktail of drugs through an IV.

This nest was much better.

“I think that’s ‘bout it,” Daryl sighed, standing in the kitchen. 

“You sure?” you asked, “We might run out of food in a couple of years. Maybe you should go back to the store just in case.”

He leveled you with a glare and stalked toward you. He wrapped an arm around your waist, and pulled you flush against him. “Gonna have to do somethin’ ‘bout that smart mouth of yers.”  He licked his lips.

“You could kiss it. That might shut me up.”

“Mmm,” he hummed, and ducked his head to press his lips to yours. His kiss was sweet, yet demanding. One hand stayed on the small of your back while the other gripped the base of your head, angling you so he could deepen the kiss.

Eventually, he left your mouth to trail kisses along your cheek and jaw, and to the crook of your neck. 

“Gonna put my mark righ’ here,” he kissed and gently suckled your skin. “Every time ya wear one of them tank tops, everyone’s gonna see it.”

“Guess I’ll have to get some more tank tops,” you sighed. “Or steal them from you.”

He nibbled your ear. “Take all ya want.”

He kissed you some more, slow, pointless kisses. Kisses with no urgency to them, just languid and warm and soft. Hands exploring, appreciating each other, stopping at favorite places along the way. Daryl really liked the small of your back and trailing his hands over your backside. You savored the shape of his arms and the strength in his shoulders. You both ended up on the couch, simply enjoying each other as the evening wore on.

A bit later, you made a quick dinner, then you invited Daryl to the nest.

The bed was piled up on all sides, but you left a shallow opening on his side of the bed. You’d set up your laptop on a folding table nearby, just in case you felt like putting on a movie or playing music. Once things started in earnest tomorrow, you knew you wouldn’t want to go anywhere except to the en suite, as needed.

Daryl got undressed before following you in. Once he was on the bed with you, you heard him make a sound you’d never heard before. He was purring. He sat up against the headboard and pulled you to rest against his chest. The vibrations from his purrs had you relaxed instantly, and you closed your eyes, burrowing into his chest.

“Get some sleep, ‘Mega. Save up some energy. Yer gonna need it.”

Both a threat and a promise. You smiled and let sleep take you.

Next chapter.

==

If you want to be on the taglist, fill out this form.

@livingdeadblondequeen @phoenixblack89 @green-eyedladywrites @in-this-minute @takeabreathdeath @ravendixon @gypsytraveler86-blog @xojdmasf @daisy107 @angelrenee239 @sleepyamaya @no-tresspassing @carol @taintedxkisses @bl4ckt00thgr1n @glitch0o0 @micheleamidalajedi @lonelywolfheart @jad3djay @catholicraisin @harringtonstudios @brittney69 @littlelovebug98 @aureolinb @aeriean

[knightvision1228]

Over the past few months I've been collecting some beautiful press kit 35 mm slides from ebay. Thanks to my friends Maria, Aimee, Andrea, and Meg I have now done over 170 scans as they were kind enough to let me digitize theirs too. I used a high end film scanner to digitize and then restore these in photoshop. I even removed a lot of the dust/scratches by hand. I think they came out amazing. :-)

There are some slides out there I couldn't collect from ebay. I hope whoever purchased them will share their scans with everyone or perhaps let me borrow them to digitize for everyone's enjoyment. This was a lot of work, but a true labor of love. It is exciting to see these images in glorious high resolution after all of these years.

Here is a link to the full collection so far and you can even download uncompressed png copies of the scans. Most are over 5000-6000 pixels and also blow up great as posters. I did a few for fun. :-)

Enjoy!

Kristin

[mintymemesandrpshop]

Tips from a grocery worker/foodsafe certified waiter!

The temperature 'danger zone' for food and drink is 40-140F, with 2 hours being the limit without refrigeration/cooking.

Open container, Public Intoxication, and Driving Under Influence are all separate broken laws. Establishments that serve alcohol in the US are required to cut you off the moment you are visibly drunk. 'Open container' can also be a misnomer and vary by state- bottles and cans in anything less than a glued blox may need to be in a bag.

Raw flour has E. Coli bacteria, factory farmed eggs will have salmonella due to poor hygiene (sitting in their own shit).

Speaking of eggs, grocery eggs are 2 weeks old due to needing to properly settle to a baking standard. Eggs from a local farmer may be safer, but will also be somewhat different and not have enough air for baking until they are also that age.

Steak is safe to eat rare due to its thickness and proximity away to any nasties in the body waste; hamburger is not. Burger is ground up with various cuts and intestines so needs to be cooked properly well done. Chickens are too small to have this effect, so salmonella is a risk no matter what. Pork is somewhat in between, as there is a risk for trichinosis, but the larvae are much easier to spot, making this start to go extinct in domestic pigs.

Dogs and Cats in general cannot have spices or seasonings, grapes, chocolate, or milk.

Most creatures are lactose intolerant due to the fact that they will not grow up into 1000 lb animals. Goats however, are closer to human size so their milk and cheese is more digestible. Smaller animals will need dilluted goat's milk, into a custom formula. (your grocery store may have this in a can, powdered.)

Pasta noodles mainly exist to hold sauce flavor in proportion; thicker noodles like rotini are usually recommended for thicker sauces such as tomato/marinara.

It is safer for pizza chefs to not wear gloves, actually! Gloves cannot be washed, only changed, and they are trained anyways to not touch someone's food once cooked. Cooking trays/pans, industrial sized knives, spatulas, and boxes all make this possible.

Humans are very dense and weighty creatures proportionally, that they can essentially tank a lot of poison damage that other animals cannot. This is one of many reasons we are not picky eaters as a whole!

Kids instinctively dislike bitter foods due to not having grown up into this said tankiness; vegetables and things that may be good for them can taste like poison, and they cannot tell the difference yet.

Electric Kettles are more efficient at boiling water than stovetops. I'll let the video guy speak for himself, but they boil water directly rather then heating a pot/pan which then heats the water. This is great for things such as small meals, partially unclogging drains, or heating bathwater.

Keurig or similar machines do not boil the water for your coffee! They heat to 100 degrees, so if your town has a boil order up, do not pour unboiled water into their tanks!

Large packs of water and soda often have bar codes on the top- you may not have to lift them if a laser-gun can get involved!

chicken nuggets from the golden arches are beer battered, the way fish are. They're fish-fried chicken.

Grocery Register Belts can have some really dumb design- with the computer /register itself taking up half the width of the goddamn belt. Keep your food safer by loading the belt heavy to light if you can- or light to heavy. Also, putting your food in a straight line towards the checker. You cannot trust the infared camera to stop the belt unless your items are opaque- your beer will crush your bananas in front of them unless they can slide over the scanner zone. You will prefer a fixable scan error until we can perform alchemy.

Fruits and Vegetables have 4 digit international trade codes! unless you know what breed your apple is or are bad with numbers, these are probably easier to input if you happen to be ringing these up yourself. It is perfectly possible for a self-check system to sell you the wrong kind. Same thing with the numbers on a bar code- they also work, if your code is faded or corrupted. (or, for whatever fucking reason a brand decides, light colors like silver, or cute shapes. those suck. looking at you, bud fucking weiser with your fucking ribbon.) The laser guns are a bit more accurate than the belt as a second resort.