#fire testing techniques

[testing-laboratory]

Demystifying Fire Testing: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Basics

Fire testing is a crucial aspect of safety in various industries, yet its intricacies can be overwhelming for beginners. This guide aims to demystify fire testing, providing a foundational understanding of its basics.

Introduction: Navigating the World of Fire Testing

The Significance of Fire Testing

Uncover the importance of fire testing in ensuring the safety and reliability of materials and structures.

Why Beginners Need to Know

Highlight the relevance of this guide for beginners, emphasizing the foundational knowledge it provides.

Understanding the Basics of Fire Testing

What is Fire Testing?

Define fire testing and its purpose, laying the groundwork for readers new to the concept.

The Role of Regulations

Explore how fire testing aligns with safety regulations, emphasizing its mandatory nature in various industries.

Common Fire Testing Methods: A Closer Look

Cone Calorimeter Test

Break down the Cone Calorimeter Test, explaining its role in measuring the heat release rate of materials.

Standard Room Fire Test

Demystify the Standard Room Fire Test, showcasing its simulation of real-world fire scenarios for material evaluation.

Applications in Everyday Life

Consumer Products

Connect fire testing to everyday consumer products, highlighting its impact on ensuring product safety.

Construction Materials

Explore how fire testing is crucial in the construction industry, ensuring buildings meet safety standards.

Deciphering Fire Testing Standards

ASTM E119

Unveil the significance of ASTM E119 as a standard test method for fire testing in building construction.

ISO 5660

Provide insights into ISO 5660, an international standard determining the heat release rate of materials.

Challenges in Fire Testing

Realistic Conditions

Discuss the challenge of creating realistic testing conditions and its impact on accurate assessments.

Diversity of Materials

Explore how the diverse range of materials used in industries poses challenges in fire testing methodologies.

Looking to the Future: Emerging Trends in Fire Testing

Technological Advancements

Discuss how technology is shaping the future of fire testing, introducing innovations for more accurate assessments.

Global Collaboration

Highlight the importance of global collaboration in establishing standardized fire testing protocols.

Conclusion: Empowering Beginners in Fire Testing Knowledge

Summarize key takeaways, emphasizing that understanding the basics of fire testing is a foundational step toward ensuring safety. Conclude by encouraging beginners to delve further into this critical aspect of industry standards.

[aestheticamalin]

Study techniques that you Ace your marks within a month ! Trust me , I already tried some of these techniques and It will make you feel like Studying is ✨EASY ✨, anyway all the best guys 😉

study methods

the second brain method

this method focuses on organizing the information you learn to maximize effectiveness. a common way of doing this is through the CODE method:

capture - be quick and efficient in how you receive the information

organize - organize the information in a way that works for you

distill - break the information down to its key elements

express - apply the information you’ve learned

* there is a ton of information out there about this method. if you struggle with burnout and knowing where to start, i recommend researching this method further to figure out what works for you.

the pomodoro method

the pomodoro method is a time management method. the most common expression of this method is to pick a task, work for 25 minutes on that task, then take a break for 5 minutes. then, repeat. if you’re planning to work all day, you may up the time spent studying. for example, after a while of this, you may work for 30 minutes at a time, then 40, then 45, and so forth. this method is particularly good for when you’re feeling unmotivated or having a hard time focusing. if you’re still not feeling it after a while, you may start to take longer breaks. for example, you may study for 30 minutes, break for 15, and keep going like that.

the 5 minute rule method

this method is good for when you have to do a shorter task, but you’re procrastinating doing it. this method requires you to dedicate only 5 minutes to do your task. after that, you may stop, but chances are, once you’ve started, finishing won’t be as difficult.

the blurting method

this method is particularly good for revision. the blurting method requires you to read over the content you are learning, then put it away and write down everything you know or can remember. then, check the content and revise everything you didn’t write down.

spaced repetition

spaced repetition requires you to spread out your study reviews over the period of a few days. this has been shown to improve memory. rather than studying one thing at a time, then studying something else the next day and so on, review the information right after you’ve learned it, then recall it after a few hours, then a few days, then a few weeks, and so on. if you’re studying something you will need to remember for an extended period of time, this method would be perfect for you!

active recall

this is my absolute favorite method! it’s been shown to improve your studying immensely and so many people have benefited from practicing active recall. active recall involves retrieving information from your brain, usually done through questions. a good way to do this is to explain the concept to yourself, to someone else, or act like you’re doing a presentation on the subject. after you’ve recalled all of the information you know about the subject, go over your material again and be sure you covered everything and explained everything the best way you could. if you didn’t, review everything you did not remember or got wrong, and go again. do this until you get everything. doing this can also be referred to as the feynman technique.

the SQ3r method

survey - skim your text and identify bolded text, headers, images, etc.

question - generate questions about the text based on what you surveyed. what are the key concepts in this text? what is each paragraph about? what information do i need to take away from this text?

read - read through the entire text and answer the questions you created

recite - summarize what you learned in your own words

review - recall the key concepts and answers to your questions

[wachinyeya]

A company making wooden wind turbine blades has successfully tested a 50-meter-long prototype that’s set to debut soon in the Indian and European markets.

Last year, the German firm Voodin successfully demonstrated that their laminated-veneer timber blades could be fabricated, adapted, and installed at a lower cost than existing blades, while maintaining performance.

Now, Voodin has announced a partnership with the Indian wind company Senvion to supply its 4.2-megawatt turbines with these wooden blades for another trial run.

Wind power has accumulated more than a few demerit points for several shortfalls in the overall industry of this fossil-fuel alternative.

Some of these, such as the impact on bird life, are justified, but none more so than the fact that the turbine blades are impossible or nearly impossible to recycle, and that they need to be changed every 25 years.

Wind turbine blades are made from a mixture of glass and carbon fiber heated together with sticky epoxy resin, and these materials can’t be separated once combined, which means they go into landfills or are incinerated when they become too battered to safely operate.

GNN has reported that folks will occasionally find second-life value in these giant panels, for example in Denmark where they are turned into bike shelters. In another instance, they’re being used as pedestrian bridges.

But there are way more wind turbine blades being made every year than pedestrian bridges and bike shelters, making the overall environmental impact of wind power not all green.

“At the end of their lifecycle, most blades are buried in the ground or incinerated. This means that—at this pace—we will end up with 50 million tonnes of blade material waste by 2050,” Voodin Blade Technology’s CEO. Mr. Siekmann said recently. “With our solution, we want to help green energy truly become as green as possible.”

The last 15 years have seen rapid growth in another industry called mass timber. This state-of-the-art manufacturing technique sees panels of lumber heat-pressed, cross-laminated, and glued into a finished product that’s being used to make skyscrapers, airports, and more.

At the end of the day though, mass timber products are still wood, and can be recycled in a variety of ways.

“The blades are not only an innovative technological advancement but a significant leap toward sustainable wind production,” said Siekmann, adding that this isn’t a case of pay more to waste less; the blades cost around 20% less than carbon fiber.

Additionally, the added flexibility of wooden blades should allow for taller towers and longer blades, potentially boosting the output of turbine by accessing higher wind speeds.

Now partnered with Voodin, Senvion will begin feasibility analysis in the next few months, before official testing begins around 2027.

[tobiasdrake]

Which DBZ antagonist do you like the most?

Boring opinion, I know, but I gotta give it up for the Obvious Choice.

And I'm not just saying that because I haven't had a chance to talk about him yet.

Frieza runs a real estate empire that carries out genocidal acts of gentrification, purging tracts of land of their native inhabitants so he can sell their land for profit. Commenting on this choice for his ultimate villain, Akira Toriyama stated that he made this decision because real estate speculators are the worst people there are.

Fucking based.

From the moment we meet Frieza, he is a monster. Toriyama likes this Big Guy Little Guy dynamic where the Little Guy is the one you really need to watch out for. Frieza is the Littlest Guy ever.

He's so tiny. And yet you know exactly who the most dangerous person in this group is. Zero question.

By the end of this altercation, Frieza reveals one of his signature attacks, giving us our first glimpse of the kind of person and the kind of fighter he is. This is such an important moment for his character and I'm kinda mad that the anime had Dodoria do it instead.

Muri destroys the Scouters and blinds Frieza. I've talked before at length about the devastating impact that this move and the Namekian warriors' attack has on Frieza's campaign.

But once it's done, he has to face the music. He's not getting out of this alive.

In one last desperation play, Muri tells Cargo and Dende to run while blocking them with his body. And that's when it happens.

This is Frieza.

Specifically, this is Frieza's Death Beam. It's never actually given a name, but is generally referred to as Death Beam. We've seen a move like this only once before.

The Dodonpa, signature technique of Tsuru-senryu, first introduced by the assassin Taopaipai, was built for extreme lethality. This is not a technique for fighting; It's a technique for killing.

What makes Frieza's Death Beam stand out from the Dodonpa, however, is its accuracy and its speed. He threads the needle around Muri to hit Cargo before anyone even has a chance to react.

We see its accuracy and speed again six days later, when it finally catches up to the other child fleeing from him here.

The panelwork here calling attention to everyone's reactions as Frieza's ki bullet shoots past them, as his shot threads the needle between all obstacles in his path to strike his target far behind them. Dende is dead before anyone can even process that Frieza fired.

This is the difference between the two techniques. The Dodonpa is a gun. The Death Beam is a sniper rifle. Faced with the physical hurdle of bodies impeding his path, Frieza point-clicked Cargo and Dende to death.

He later executes Vegeta this same way.

Done with you.

All of this context for Frieza's sniping shot serves to set up the stunning subversion when Goku arrives to fight.

Frieza's never seen this before. Goku shouldn't even be able to see the shots coming until they've perforated his lungs. That's how Death Beam works. It's this moment that lays it out: Frieza's about to be tested like he's never been tested before.

Speaking of cool techniques, I've always been partial to this move from his Third Form.

The anime gives Frieza little ki bullets coming out of his fingers but I want to note that we never see a physical projectile when he's doing this. Frieza jams his fingers back and forth in the air while something pulverizes Piccolo.

I've always imagined he's poking the air so fast that it's hitting Piccolo with pressurized air currents. Similar to Goku's Mazoku air current punch from the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.

But that's just me.

In any case, Frieza's got some fun moves. He's something of a hobbyist martial artist. Which is to say, Frieza has an interest in martial arts. In addition to his Death Beam, Frieza's concocted a litany of other interesting techniques.

He even invented the Kienzan, independently of Krillin.

Though he can remote operate his Kienzan so it's strictly better than Krillin's. Frieza, in his spare time, has come up with a bunch of cool moves. Too bad he has no idea how to use them.

Frieza's greatest weakness is his inexperience. He practices martial arts the way a business CEO who bought a log splitter so he can cut some wood and feel woodsy practices agriculture. Frieza has never had a proper chance to truly experience martial arts, because he was born too powerful.

The only partner who's ever even dirtied his skin was his dad.

And even that isn't much. Frieza's too strong. He wants to pursue martial arts. He wants to hone his technique. But when you win every fight by blinking too hard in the opponent's direction, what even is there to practice?

Frieza created a transformation to seal away his immeasurable ki because he was born with so much ki flowing from him that he can't even contain it. At his peak, Frieza's ki bleeds out of him. He simply can't contain it.

Goku wonders aloud why Frieza took so long, even after the fight turned against him, to go to 100%. Frieza's been all "Oh I'm only using 10% power this is my 50% you made me go to 75%" and Goku's like, "Okay. My dude. What's this about, for real?

This, incidentally, is not a great translation. What Goku's saying here is supposed to be basically, "Perhaps when you use your full power, your body can't handle it."

He is correct.

Frieza's Full Power has a lot in common with Super Saiyan 3. His theoretical maximum ability is wildly different from the reality of what he's capable of, because he bleeds ki like it's going out of style.

So, while other characters wound up earning transformations that make them more powerful, Frieza created a transformation to seal away some of his incomprehensible ki.

Then he created a couple more because even though he could now control his strength and even manipulate the amount of ki he's releasing at a time, he was still too powerful for anyone to ever compete with and needed even more ki sealed away.

Again, not a fantastic translation from the people who brought us "bottom-tier boy", as Frieza's statement here could be interpreted as saying that he gets taken by a berserker rage or something.

What he's saying is more like, "My power is so great that I can't properly contain it."

Point is, Frieza transformed to lock down his ki and seal parts of it away, so he could control the rest better. Then he kept going, locking away more and more and more of his ki. And even at his most nerfed, he's still five times more powerful than the Second Strongest Guy in the Universe.

Frieza has never in his life had the opportunity to be pushed. That's what makes Goku so enthralling to him.

Frieza plays with Goku because he's genuinely having the time of his life. This guy can fight him in his Final Form. Nobody can fight him in his Final Form. He's so happy, he straight-up forgets that he's trying to complete a genocide against Goku's entire race.

He said that five minutes ago. Gohan's hidden power freaked Frieza the fuck out. Saiyans are too strong now. They've gotten too strong. Frieza cannot permit them to keep existing because they're getting strong. Every last Saiyan, every last one, must die. Every single one. Scorched earth, no survivors.

But then he meets a Saiyan martial artist who's a technical master and pushes him more than he ever thought possible and suddenly:

He goes from "Saiyans are TOO STRONG and they all must die because they might threaten me" to "OH MY GOD I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN CAN I KEEP YOU!?"

It's this desire for a true rival, this opportunity to satisfy his amateur's curiosity about martial arts, that ultimately unravels him. Frieza has one ruthless and pragmatic option for ending this fight once it starts to be too much for him. He can technically stop the fight any time he wants.

But he can't bring himself to do it. He wants to fight. He wants to compete. Frieza's been on the outside looking in at martial arts for his entire life and even when his greatest fears are fulfilled and the Super Saiyan is in front of him, he wants to try.

So when he does attempt to pull his Lethal Ragequit, he pulls back at the last second. He can't bring himself to do it. Goku initially assesses that Frieza held back out of fear of hurting himself.

But later, as Frieza begins unlocking the final chains on his ki, Goku changes his assessment. Noting that if Frieza really held back simply out of a mistake, he could have shot the planet again at any point to finish the job. He's been letting this play out because he can't bring himself to end the greatest fight of his life that way.

This fight is still happening because Frieza wants to compete. I mean, he wants to win, of course, but he wants to win as a martial artist. He's never truly gotten to be a martial artist before.

He is not the guy winning the gold medal at the Tenkaichi Budokai. He has never been that guy. He's the guy who buys up the land the Tenkaichi Budokai is held on and then bulldozes all the people off of it. But in his heart of hearts, he wants to be that guy. That guy is so cool. Frieza wants to play too.

In a sense, by hosting the Cell Games, Cell got to live Frieza's greatest fantasy.

This is who Frieza is. He's the cruel and wicked heir to Genocide Realtors Inc., who is in love with the idea of being Tenshinhan - A desire that exists at odds with - and undermines - his pragmatic business sense, so to speak.

He is the most vile character in the history of Dragon Ball. The worst kind of person. He is also an overeager child whose wealth and privilege prevents him from ever truly enjoying his hobbies, to an extent that he'd be almost pitiable but for all the genocides.

And he is Dragon Ball's greatest villain.

[ash-says]

Hey Girl, Tired of Being Told to "Be Nice"? ‍

Forget the sugar and spice, it's time for some fire and ice! This ain't your mama's self-help blog. Here, we ditch the damsels in distress routine and learn to be the queens of our own damn castles.

Remember the following mantra's while interacting with this blog:

"Kill or get Killed."

"Be Pretty. Be Petty."

We're all about unleashing your inner boss babe and conquering your goals with a side of sass. Here's a taste of what you'll find on this hot mess of a blog:

1. You are your own saviour.

Survival 101

Tips for Dysfunctional Family Girlies Part 1

Tips for Dysfunctional Family Girlies Part 2

Saviour Complex Fever

Tried and tested Manipulation Techniques

From Whom Did I Betray Myself?

Social Media Experiment Lessons

2. Quit Being Basic, Get Iconic

Mini steps towards being independent

Devil may care- A guide on being unbothered

Tips on how to be Goody Two Shoes and Pure in the society's eyes

Be Bold. Be Shallow

Being Audacious

The vicious cycle of Needs, Wants and Demands

The Art of People-Pleasing and how to Fail at it

Corporate Tips

Things to be aware as a hopeless romantic

22 highlights for the next year for me and you

Normal Know Hows

3. Mic Drop Talk

Tips to improve People Skills/ Being more Charismatic

Practicing Tact and Open mindedness

Listening techniques

Handling curiosity so the cat doesn't gets killed

Hush Hush Honey

Tips on how to dodge personal questions in a Professional Setting

Tips on Confrontation

4. Mind Over Matter

Cheating Anxiety With Me

Exercise and staying fit

How to tackle Fragmented Sleep/ Sleep disruptions

5. Siren School

Being in touch with your sensuality

How to feel sexy instead of cute

6. Opinion Time

Opinion Time 1

Opinion Time 2

Opinion Time 3

7. Random Motivation

Motivation 1

Motivation 2

Motivation 3

Motivation 4

Motivation 5

Motivation 6

Is that Britney Spears ,"Gimme more" playing in the background??

I know you'll be coming back for more like a moth to a flame.

[thesirencult]

Pick A Card Reading: Your 2025

Pile 1

Temperance, 8 Of Cups, The World

Where your energy flows is what you will be manifesting. You don't need to start the year over-the-top, making lists of goals and going to the gym 7 days per week. Do not go crazy at the start of the year just to give up. Everything in moderation. Let yourself align with your goals naturally. Do you want to walk 10k steps per day? Start walking for 15 minutes a day and slowly build up to it. This is the year you are choosing yourself. No tears left to cry.

Eyes on the prize! But, do NOT overdo it or it will backfire. I know that those bad feelings are what's pushing you to change directions. I want you to know that negative feelings can be alchemized to positive results. We can create our best art while being in our worst space mentally and emotionally. But, we have to remember that we can't hate ourselves to our best self.

What gets you through the door doesn't take you up the stairs. Realign when necessary.

So, in 2025 you will be ascending to a higher plane of consciousness. You will cross the threshold that takes you to the next level. You will be doing the same things and going through the same things but your mindset will be completely different.

I feel that you have a talent for motivating others. Try to preoccupy yourself with that and in that way you will also see that a fire burns within you. You don't know how many people you have touched with your "testimony".

Let your fire warm others up. 2025 will be the year you wrap things up. I know that you didn't get the closure that you expected to get, but I want you to know that sometimes we can give that closure to ourselves. We deserve to let that book come to an end so we can begin to write a new one. Happy new year <3

Pile 2

The Magician, Knight Of Wands, The Lovers

I sense that many people will be choosing this pile or reading it as a second pile, as its themes transcend the norm and will "quench the thirst" of those of you who are looking for an inspiring and empowering message.

As I was shuffling, two other cards fell out, while the energy was "shakey"-- the Ace Of Wands and the 3 Of Wands. I believe that these two cards symbolize the place you are at right now. In 2024 you set the right foundations for a powerful 2025. You've done lots of inner work and experimented with your ideas and techniques of manifestation. You were inspired and trying to do the best you could ahve done with what you had. Still, you felt like zero opportunities presented themselves to you, or whatever came up you did not like or it didn't align with your goals and vision for the future.

You were right! Those were "tests" from the Universe/God that helped you come into alignment. In 2024 you saw what you didn't want and in 2025 you will be sharpening your intellect and powers of manifestation qand that will lead you to manifesting what truly aligns with your spirit.

Lots of wands, the energy is already hot and steamy and now we have The Magician! Mercurial energy, same as The Lovers which we'll be looking at later on... In 2025 you will recognize your power. Scratch that! 2024 already helped you see what you're capable of. You hit some milestones and tasted success, as small as it was and now you are addicted to the rush of conquering. This will NOT stop in 2025, in fact the fire will burn brighter and in an engulfing way. You will stop at NOTHING to get where you need to get. This is not a want but a NEED. It's okay if you overdo it, as you have spend many years playing small.

The cub has now grown into a young lion. Still finding your footing, with immense strength and potential at heart. Important thing to remember: align your intentions with your actions, where your energy flows-manifestations appear. You have realized that your thoughts and mental patterns are powerful, both when it comes to good and bad outcomes. Focus on the positive. Focus on abundance, manifestation, feeling good. Do things that make you feel powerful. In fact, call back your power. Stay mindful of your ability to manifest outcomes and take RESPONSIBILITY. Recognize that you are THE creator of your life. God brought you here in his image, to realize your potential. You will take the reigns. God gives you what you ask him to give you. So, ask wisely!

The Knight Of Wands reminds us to come in with full force. BAM! That's the mindset you should be going into this year with. You have made yourself a magnet, take advantage of that! Balance that drive with intentionality. Every action taken should have a purpose. Do not waste your energy and strength. Power doesn't come from force. The more powerful you are the less force you need to use. Weaklings waste their energy, trying to keep up with the powerful, don't do that. Conserve your power and control your temper. Be disciplined and inspired. Mastery takes time and you will reach your highest potential at some point.

The Lovers showing up after the Knight Of Wands bring two messages to you. One, it could be that a Knight Of Wands figure enters your life and your relationship will evolve to a true partnership as time unfolds and two, as a bearer of advice: Be mindful of the choices you make. They will have ripple effects. Seek relationships and partnerships that resonate with your values, and don’t settle for less than you deserve. I'm seeing passion and potential to build something significant. This also speaks of vulnerability and the choice to keep your heart open for love. It is your choice. You CAN manifest love. The power lies in your fingertips.

Have a blessed 2025! As, I'm sure that you will <3

Pile 3

The Hermit, 3 Of Cups, 2 Of Swords

The last couple months you've been feeling isolated. Friendships have fallen away, but, at the same time, the fog has cleared up.

Now I see.

Your intuition will guide you home. It is the lantern that will illuminate the way back to your soul. In 2025 you will no longer feel lonely. You will realize that true friendship is loyalty and mutual feelings. It is not toxicity, back-handed compliments and unspoken words. You deserve to find your soul family and in order for this to happen you need to let your inner light guide you towards a different path, a path of self-reflection, inner strength and self-compassion.

Self-compassion happens when you let your own self become the compass. Trust yourself. Cultivate self trust. That's the most important thing.

You will be looking at things from a higher perspective and it will allow you to make better decisions, informed by logic. Should you explain to that friend again that you don't like arguing about the same old things? No. Should you give that guy who cheated on you a second chance. Definitely no. This is the level of cold you will reach.

I hope this year brings you closer to yourself and further away from what doesn't serve your best interest.

[brucewaynehater101]

After Tim rescued Bruce from the Time Stream I feel like Tim would start to favor the League of Assassins as his preferred stress ball to the point that they’ve started preparing for it with drills to evacuate a base in the same way schools do fire drills.

Tim is well aware of this and will occasionally choose a base that’s already in the midst of evacuating because that just makes his job easier.

Sometimes the ninjas think it’s just a drill and “that’s the 3rd one today, are you serious?” so they don’t take it as seriously until they see Ra’s booking it as fast as he can to the safe zone that they realize this one is real and not just a Stress Test and it’s suddenly every ninja for themselves.

The image of Ra's booking it across his base is causing me to cackle. He cares so much about presentation (you can't be an assassin overlord without a scary reputation) that him sprinting is hilarious. I know he has great running techniques, but I love the mental image of him pumping his arms as he books it across base, and a bunch of assassins get blown up in the background.

Also, I'm super curious what their fire drills would be like. I know alarm sounds differ depending on the country, so does Ra's have a different one per a base or a standard LoA fire alarm sound? I'd love to see fanart of Ra's directing fire drills.

Depending on which hc or canon you subscribe to, I could definitely see LoA bases being a favorite of Tim's to mess with. I think, if he was only feeling slightly petty, he'd do small things. Blowing up the bases is his last resort. Why destroy a place he has an address to if he can send Ra's a box of cooked spaghetti noodles and instant mash potatoes?

Tim likes installing LED lights in random places of the bases to set the mood for the occasion. The number of times Ra's has had to postpone a meeting because Tim somehow got LEDs in his meeting room is over ten. Assassination attempts on Red Robin were increased after the fourth time Tim made the LEDs blue after a "sad" report.

[gilbertscurls]

funny business — matt sturniolo

The night started like a dozen others before it.

Matt’s room was dimly lit, the glow from a candle flickering on his nightstand, casting golden shadows across the walls. The soft hum of a playlist filled the space—low, moody, something warm and familiar, just like him. You were both curled up under a shared blanket, the scent of his cologne lingering in the fabric, intoxicating and all-consuming.

It was cold outside—an L.A. “cold,” which really just meant slightly chilly with the excuse to burrow into hoodies and layers. You wore one of Matt’s, oversized and falling off your shoulder, sleeves bunched around your wrists. Your legs were tangled with his under the covers, a position that had long stopped feeling strange and had started to feel safe. Natural.

Comfortable.

Matt had his arm slung casually around your shoulders, fingers drawing lazy patterns along your arm, and you were tucked into his side like you belonged there.

“Remind me again,” he murmured, breath brushing your forehead, “whose idea was it to do ‘just cuddles’ tonight?”

You snorted. “Pretty sure it was yours.”

“Mmm. Might’ve been yours,” he teased, turning his head just enough for his lips to graze the edge of your hair. “You were the one who came in saying, ‘no funny business.’”

You smirked, eyes fluttering shut. “I meant it. No funny business.”

Matt’s hand paused on your arm, just for a second. “So this doesn’t count as funny business?” he asked, and his fingers trailed down your spine, slow and deliberate.

You bit your lip. “Nope. Cuddles. Completely innocent.”

The tension simmered. Quiet, electric. The kind that wasn’t loud or fast—but thick and lingering, like warm honey sliding over skin.

Matt shifted slightly, his thigh pressing between yours, and you swore the air left your lungs. He didn’t seem to notice—except you knew he did. That tiny flicker of amusement in his eyes gave him away.

“Okay,” he said, voice low and unbothered. “Just cuddles.”

Right.

Except… ten minutes passed.

Then maybe twelve.

And something shifted.

Maybe it was the way his fingers brushed a little lower along your back. Or the way your hand, previously content to rest against his chest, started to wander—slowly, curiously.

You didn’t mean to do it.

Not really.

It was just instinct—warmth, comfort, chemistry bubbling under the surface for months. Maybe years.

And then your hand slipped beneath the hem of his hoodie. Skin met skin. You felt him tense, breath hitching the tiniest bit.

He didn’t say anything.

So your hand wandered lower.

Fingers brushing just above the waistband of his sweatpants. Innocent. Curious. Not breaking the rules—yet.

Matt was very still now.

“Y’know,” he said, voice suddenly a little rougher, “this feels a lot like funny business.”

Your lips brushed against the edge of his jaw. “Nope,” you whispered. “Still just cuddles.”

“You’re literally touching me.”

Your hand dipped slightly—slow enough to be a tease, deliberate enough to make him swear under his breath.

“Mmhmm,” you murmured. “Therapeutic cuddles. Very advanced technique. Helps with relaxation.”

Matt turned his head, his mouth dangerously close to yours now. “You’re gonna kill me.”

You smiled against his skin. “You’ll die happy.”

His laugh was low, strained. “You’re lucky I like you.”

You tilted your head, lips brushing his ear. “You and I both know you more than just like me.”

That was the breaking point.

He rolled, moving over you in one fluid motion, caging you beneath him with a look in his eyes that was equal parts adoration and fire.

“You’re trouble,” he whispered, gaze flicking to your lips. “You know that?”

“Completely innocent,” you breathed, lips curving upward.

He smirked. “Let’s test that theory.”

And as his mouth found yours—slow, deep, the kind of kiss that unraveled every nerve in your body—you realized that “just cuddles” had never stood a chance.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @conspiracy-ash, @helpimateenagerinlove, @ghostlythinggoingaround, @sturmatt, @chris-hallelujah, @goingtojohnkramershouseee, @wurlibydominicfike, @shadowthesim237, @courta13, @frankdelreyy, @evansturn, @bamsblooming

[kurokawaia]

❛ HIS PRAISE ❜

Tomioka Giyuu X Fem!Reader

WC; 1.1k+ | !MDNI! | TW/CW; fem reader! reader is slightly timid and shy? use of good girl, praise, praise, praiseeeeeeee, oral -> male receiving, implied cock warming in da throat, slight throat fucking? the things that would happen to me if I got praised by this man :3

*ੈ✩‧₊˚𝑅𝐸𝒬𝒰𝐸𝒮𝒯 :: (filled request) Could you please do Giyuu with a s/o with a MASSIVE praise kink? Like, just complimenting her gets her all hot and bothered, and giyuu doesn't even realize it at first, but then eventually clocks on and just gets a huge ego boost🤭 he even gets michevious and uses it to his advantage during bed AND in other places..👀 - ANON

m.list | demon slayer m.list

Everybody knew you and Giyuu were together, and they always thought about how someone as timid, outgoing and not stoic as you are compared to Giyuu, managed to fall for each other. Giyuu will always be reserved, but he does have a way of making you feel special in soft ways. But, what you have never thought to anticipate, was how what he says to you would affect you how deeply it does.

It had started innocently enough.

You were out in the yard of your shared house, perfecting your breathing techniques, when Giyuu walked by.  You obviously noticed his presence, your body and mind were always on high alert, and you had a Giyuu detector LMA-. You were in the middle of this one particular move that was just not getting easier when you caught his gaze. 

He paused, watching you with his usual eyes, but his eyes were always soft when looking at you, but then he spoke. "You're doing great," he said, in a low tone. "Your form is almost perfect." The praise was simple, and yet a quiver ran down your spine. Your heart skipped a beat, and the heat crawled up to your neck. You tried brushing it off, focusing again on your training, but the more you thought about it, the more flustered you became. And with time came a pattern. For every time Giyuu praised you-whether it was your strength, your kindness, or something as silly as the way you brewed your tea-you just couldn't help it, quickening your pulse. It was in that intonation of his voice, the sincerity lacing it, the softening of his eyes whenever he looked at you. At first, Giyuu didn't catch on, still quietly praising you as he normally would and not usually catching on to the fact that it affected you in the slightest. But soon, he started to catch on. He started to notice the flush of your cheeks, the catch of your breath, and the way you seemed almost...distracted whenever he said something kind. It was in the evening, when you were both sitting before the fire after a long day, that Giyuu decided to test the theory in his mind. You were talking of your day in a happy, light mood when he interrupted you. "You're amazing, you know that?"  You blinked, words faltering at his sudden interrupting of your yapping. "W-what?" Giyuu slightly leaned a little closer and his lips tugged upwards into a small teasing smile, a smile only you got to see. "You are amazing, the way you do everything, push yourself in this manner, it's... incredible." Your face burned, and you bit your lip to keep it all in, but the way he looked at you, the subtle dip of his voice just that much lower was too much. The pooling heat in your stomach became too much to bear, and you shifted in your seat, aka, Giyuu's lap. And it was then that Giyuu's smirk only widened farther at the realization that he was right, and he'd never seen you so flustered, so vulnerable, and for some reason, it made him feel a heat inside him. "You like it when I praise you, don't you?" he asked in a voice barely over a whisper. You couldn't find the words to respond, you only nodded, were wide-eyed, your breath coming in short, and you had shallow gasps. Giyuu's eyes had turned dark as he moved in closer, his lips grazing your ear. "Good girl," he whispered. Those words alone ran a streak of electricity down your spine, and absolutely nothing could be done to impede the tiny gasp that escaped your lips. Giyuu pulled back just enough to see your reaction, and at the sight of you so undone by his words, his heart pounded in his chest. He chuckled low, his tone pleased, happy that he got that reaction from you. "I think I'm going to enjoy this," he said, lowly. "And I think you will too. From then on, it became Giyuu's mission to push your limits with what he said. He would praise you at the most unlikely moments, and his voice, laced with that teasing note that only you and only you can pick up, it would send your knees jellylike every time. 

You wanted him to catch you in his arms and please you until the sun came up, god, the feeling that welled inside you when he praised you was insatiable, you always craved more. Every time you were flushing or stammering that heat bubbled inside him, you were so cute and you were his. But...it wasn't about the praise anymore, but rather the fact that he could control your reaction, and melt you with just a few well-placed words. The more he did that, the more confident he became, and that once-reserved nature gave way to a more playful, dominant side. And you? You were completely at his mercy, unable to fight the feeling his voice, words, and presence brought you. Though that frustrated you, red in the face, squirming in your seat, you couldn't help but like it-love it. And Giyuu was more than happy to give you just what you wanted as your lips were tightly wrapped around his throbbing shaft as it was nudged down your warm throat.

You were trying to take him as deep as you could without gagging on his cock, using your hand to jerk off the reminder that didn't fit into your mouth. Giyuu's moans grew louder before he struggled to maintain a still stature. Giyuu began to move your head through the tuffs of your hair, your movements not your own as you removed your hand and let him take control.

He moans, "Feel so good, you're such a good girl, taking me so well."

Your panties just became more soaked than they already were as you moaned helplessly on his cock at the praise and a breathy laugh left his throat, and it made your tummy tingle. 

When you take him carelessly and put him into your mouth, tears well up in the doe's eyes. Your cunt was soaking wetter by the moment, and the whimpers coming out of his mouth made it even more likely that he would soak your pants.

Giyuu started moving more quickly, which made you start crying even more. When you hollowed out your cheeks, he let out a stifled sigh that made him hesitate to approach further. He pulls away from you, his load spilling into your mouth.

A groan leaves his moan as he stroked your head lovingly, "Oh, you're so good, such a good girl, good for me."

Do not copy, steal, modify, etc. Relogs and like are appreciated.

m.list | demon slayer m.list

[mariacallous]

Margaret Mitchell is a pioneer when it comes to testing generative AI tools for bias. She founded the Ethical AI team at Google, alongside another well-known researcher, Timnit Gebru, before they were later both fired from the company. She now works as the AI ethics leader at Hugging Face, a software startup focused on open source tools.

We spoke about a new dataset she helped create to test how AI models continue perpetuating stereotypes. Unlike most bias-mitigation efforts that prioritize English, this dataset is malleable, with human translations for testing a wider breadth of languages and cultures. You probably already know that AI often presents a flattened view of humans, but you might not realize how these issues can be made even more extreme when the outputs are no longer generated in English.

My conversation with Mitchell has been edited for length and clarity.

Reece Rogers: What is this new dataset, called SHADES, designed to do, and how did it come together?

Margaret Mitchell: It's designed to help with evaluation and analysis, coming about from the BigScience project. About four years ago, there was this massive international effort, where researchers all over the world came together to train the first open large language model. By fully open, I mean the training data is open as well as the model.

Hugging Face played a key role in keeping it moving forward and providing things like compute. Institutions all over the world were paying people as well while they worked on parts of this project. The model we put out was called Bloom, and it really was the dawn of this idea of “open science.”

We had a bunch of working groups to focus on different aspects, and one of the working groups that I was tangentially involved with was looking at evaluation. It turned out that doing societal impact evaluations well was massively complicated—more complicated than training the model.

We had this idea of an evaluation dataset called SHADES, inspired by Gender Shades, where you could have things that are exactly comparable, except for the change in some characteristic. Gender Shades was looking at gender and skin tone. Our work looks at different kinds of bias types and swapping amongst some identity characteristics, like different genders or nations.

There are a lot of resources in English and evaluations for English. While there are some multilingual resources relevant to bias, they're often based on machine translation as opposed to actual translations from people who speak the language, who are embedded in the culture, and who can understand the kind of biases at play. They can put together the most relevant translations for what we're trying to do.

So much of the work around mitigating AI bias focuses just on English and stereotypes found in a few select cultures. Why is broadening this perspective to more languages and cultures important?

These models are being deployed across languages and cultures, so mitigating English biases—even translated English biases—doesn't correspond to mitigating the biases that are relevant in the different cultures where these are being deployed. This means that you risk deploying a model that propagates really problematic stereotypes within a given region, because they are trained on these different languages.

So, there's the training data. Then, there's the fine-tuning and evaluation. The training data might contain all kinds of really problematic stereotypes across countries, but then the bias mitigation techniques may only look at English. In particular, it tends to be North American– and US-centric. While you might reduce bias in some way for English users in the US, you've not done it throughout the world. You still risk amplifying really harmful views globally because you've only focused on English.

Is generative AI introducing new stereotypes to different languages and cultures?

That is part of what we're finding. The idea of blondes being stupid is not something that's found all over the world, but is found in a lot of the languages that we looked at.

When you have all of the data in one shared latent space, then semantic concepts can get transferred across languages. You're risking propagating harmful stereotypes that other people hadn't even thought of.

Is it true that AI models will sometimes justify stereotypes in their outputs by just making shit up?

That was something that came out in our discussions of what we were finding. We were all sort of weirded out that some of the stereotypes were being justified by references to scientific literature that didn't exist.

Outputs saying that, for example, science has shown genetic differences where it hasn't been shown, which is a basis of scientific racism. The AI outputs were putting forward these pseudo-scientific views, and then also using language that suggested academic writing or having academic support. It spoke about these things as if they're facts, when they're not factual at all.

What were some of the biggest challenges when working on the SHADES dataset?

One of the biggest challenges was around the linguistic differences. A really common approach for bias evaluation is to use English and make a sentence with a slot like: “People from [nation] are untrustworthy.” Then, you flip in different nations.

When you start putting in gender, now the rest of the sentence starts having to agree grammatically on gender. That's really been a limitation for bias evaluation, because if you want to do these contrastive swaps in other languages—which is super useful for measuring bias—you have to have the rest of the sentence changed. You need different translations where the whole sentence changes.

How do you make templates where the whole sentence needs to agree in gender, in number, in plurality, and all these different kinds of things with the target of the stereotype? We had to come up with our own linguistic annotation in order to account for this. Luckily, there were a few people involved who were linguistic nerds.

So, now you can do these contrastive statements across all of these languages, even the ones with the really hard agreement rules, because we've developed this novel, template-based approach for bias evaluation that’s syntactically sensitive.

Generative AI has been known to amplify stereotypes for a while now. With so much progress being made in other aspects of AI research, why are these kinds of extreme biases still prevalent? It’s an issue that seems under-addressed.

That's a pretty big question. There are a few different kinds of answers. One is cultural. I think within a lot of tech companies it's believed that it's not really that big of a problem. Or, if it is, it's a pretty simple fix. What will be prioritized, if anything is prioritized, are these simple approaches that can go wrong.

We'll get superficial fixes for very basic things. If you say girls like pink, it recognizes that as a stereotype, because it's just the kind of thing that if you're thinking of prototypical stereotypes pops out at you, right? These very basic cases will be handled. It's a very simple, superficial approach where these more deeply embedded beliefs don't get addressed.

It ends up being both a cultural issue and a technical issue of finding how to get at deeply ingrained biases that aren't expressing themselves in very clear language.

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - April 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles! Last month’s Doodles are free to the public, so go take a look :D

1. Galapagos tortoises at Philadelphia Zoo become first-time parents at nearly 100

“Mommy, the female tortoise, is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan. [… T]he zoo said it is “overjoyed” at the arrivals of the four hatchlings, a first in its more than 150-year history.”

2. Massachusetts home-electrification pilot could offer a national model

“In total, the program is providing free or heavily subsidized solar panels and heat pumps to 55 participating households, 12 of which also received batteries at no cost. […] It’s a strategy that program planners hope can help address the disproportionate energy burden felt by lower-income residents of the region[….]”

3. National Park Rangers rebel against queer erasure on Trans Day of Visibility

“[… A] group of over 1,000 off-duty, fired, and retired National Park Service employees launched Rangers Uncensored, an online archive that restores and amplifies LGBTQ+ stories quietly scrubbed from government websites since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.”

4. World's largest wildlife crossing reaches critical milestone

“Over the next few days they'll be adding 6,000 cubic yards of specially manufactured soil to cover the crossing, a mix of sand, silt and clay inoculated with a bit of compost and hyperlocal mycorrhizal fungi, carefully designed and tested to mimic the biological makeup of native soils around the site.“

5. Bipartisan bill to boost green building materials glides through House

“[B]ipartisan legislation the House of Representatives passed in a 350-73 vote last week would give the Department of Energy a clear mandate to develop a full program to research, develop, and deploy clean versions of the building materials.”

6. Tribal Wildlife Grants Funding Announced

“Tribal Wildlife Grants are intended to help Tribes develop programs for the conservation of habitat and species of traditional or cultural importance[….] Typically funded projects include: conservation planning, fish and wildlife management and research, habitat mapping and restoration, inventory and monitoring, and habitat preservation. […] A total of $6.1 million is available for this round of funding[….]”

7. Germany adds another one million PV arrays to take solar total to 104 gigawatts

“Following a rapid rise in household solar panel installations, Germany’s total number of PV arrays has passed the five million “milestone[.…]” Solar systems already cover almost 15 percent of Germany’s electricity demand, BSW-Solar said. […] The total capacity of all PV systems installed in Germany surpassed 100 GW at the start of the year.”

8. Stronger together: Bilby conservation efforts enhanced by Indigenous knowledge

“Ms. Geyle said the results showed combining [conventional science and traditional tracking methods] more accurately estimated bilby abundance than using either technique individually[….] "[… ensuring] that Indigenous people remain central to decision-making about their lands and species that inhabit them," Ms. Geyle said.”

9. Lennar will build 1,500new Colorado homes with geothermal heat pumps

“The homebuilder is partnering with Dandelion Energy to install the tech, which is efficient but expensive — unless it’s built into new homes from the start. […] And by eliminating the need for new gas pipelines and reducing the peak electricity demands on the power grid, subdivisions built on this model could save a bundle on utilities as well[….]”

10. New strategy launched to protect Tanzanian biodiversity hotspot

“Conservationists have launched a 20-year-long project to protect what is arguably Tanzania’s most biologically rich landscape: the Udzungwa Mountains. The strategy places notable emphasis on communities living here, with more than half of its budget allocated to social and economic projects and managing human-wildlife conflict.”

March 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[testing-laboratory]

Fire Testing Chronicles: Unlocking Safety Wisdom!

[itsriabby]

Mona Lisa - S.H. (Part 1)

actor!steve x makeupartist!reader

Plot: When Steve meets his beloved makeup artist’s replacement, he swears it’s hate at first sight. But… is there truly such a thing?

Trope: enemies x lovers

Warnings: slight slut shaming (Steve is kind of an asshole at first).

Hi!! I thought about trying something new and this came up. I don’t really know if I should continue it so let me know if you like it! Thank youuuu!!!

Main Masterlist | Chapter 2

————————————————————————

“What do you mean she’s not coming?”

Steve was mad. Actually, no, Steve was furious. Angela had been working with him for the first two seasons of the show he was in, and frankly, she’s one of the only people he doesn’t hate in there.

Everyone treats him like this stuck up marionette, either not even looking at him because they’re scared of him, or kissing the ground he walks on, doing things for him like he’s a dummy, as if he can’t take a simple direction. It’s honestly insufferable.

The rest of the cast are nice and all, but he doesn’t really spend much time with them out of character. The only time he felt he could be himself and disconnect for a while was in that chair in the makeup trailer, with that middle-aged woman that treated him like her own son, and who’s now, apparently, getting fired.

“Steve, listen, I get that you’re angry, but she’s not getting the results we were hoping for. This season is filled with gruesome scenes that need some vfx makeup that she’s, quite frankly, not qualified for.” Sam, the showrunner, exhaled, like explaining the situation was a waste of his time.

“How do you know that though? You haven’t even seen-“

“We have. We’ve done a test run on a lot of the looks and even she said herself that it wasn’t “her thing”.” Sam sighed, pinching between his eyes. “Look, she’s been in the business for more than 20 years, and she’s tired of having to learn new advanced techniques to do everything we ask her, she just wants to do the usual screen-ready skin and that’s it.”

“But-“

Sam grabs Steve’s shoulder, softening his expression. “I know you bonded with her. And trust me, I get it, it sucks.” He shrugs nonchalantly “But her job wasn’t to be your friend, it was to do makeup, and it’s not up to par, so she’s out, end of story. Now please do me a favor and go change, the new makeup girl is waiting for you in the trailer.” Sam leaves immediately, leaving Steve to dwell on this unwanted situation.

Not only does he have to come to terms with the fact that Angela won’t be here anymore, he has to deal with the new hire.

He doesn’t want to meet her.

If Angela’s not enough for this, then who did they get to replace her? If 20 years worth of work isn’t good enough, the new “girl” has to be old enough to be her grandma. And he bets she’s one of those stuck up mua’s that stay quiet for two hours and look at you like a project, like you’re a canvas, not a human being. God he really didn’t want to meet her.

No one can compare to Angela. She was real to him, she treated him like he was normal. Plus, he really did see her as a parental figure, and God knows he doesn’t have much of those. But well, as it’s been shown time and time again, everyone leaves him, so what’s one more?

Actually no, that’s not true. Robin’s there, as always. She now has the title “manager” added to “best friend” but honestly, nothing’s changed. She’s always wanted the best for him and held him accountable at the same time, so he couldn’t have imagined someone better for the job.

The kids, Nancy and Jonathan are there too, but he hasn’t really seen them in a long time, and they call as much as they can but it’s not that much. Not that he blames them, they all have their own lives.

He thought making friends in Hollywood would be easier, a fresh start, but its the absolute worst. Not only are the friendships fake and shallow, they have a shelf life of 2 months tops. They adore you and tell you what you wanna hear, and the minute they find their next new shiny friend, you’re out. So he has to admit, he feels pretty lonely.

“Goddamit Steve, I’m not your nanny!” Robin marches into his trailer, walking up to him and yanking him up so he stands up “You were supposed to be in the makeup trailer 30 minutes ago! And that tiny short-tempered producer has been blowing up my ear for 10 minutes straight, so you either go out there or I’ll have to kick his minuscule ass and you’ll face the consequences cause-“

“Ok!ok! I’ll go!” Steve raises his hands, trying to calm her down “i didn’t notice I’d been here so long, I’m sorry.”

Her shoulders slump down and she sighs “It’s ok dingus, I’m sure you’re stressed with all your start-of-the-season shit. Go do your magic and we’ll order takeout tonight, alright?” She gives him a soft smile.

They’ve been roommates for years. It’s been a long time since they’ve passed the point of affording their own place, but L.A. is lonely, so having company at the end of the day is nice.

“Ok. Although I’m not sure if you need that more than I do.” Steve laughs and raises his eyebrows playfully.

“Sure, sure, whatever. Go get your makeup done princess” she ushers him away, pushing him out of his own trailer and shutting the door on his face.

…

When Robin said he was late to makeup, she really wasn’t lying. The trailer was almost empty at that point. A girl was sitting in one of the chairs, but apart from her, completely empty.

He’d never seen that girl before but he’d been told there were new characters this season, so she must be one of them. She’s pretty and around his age, maybe a love interest. She’s also on her phone so she must be waiting for this new makeup artist too.

Who’s nowhere to be seen apparently.

“Not very professional is she?” He jokes, sitting a couple chairs away from her and taking off his jacket.

She jumps a little, obviously not expecting him. Immediately she turns off her phone and tucks it in her jean pocket, looking at him very confused “Sorry?”

He points behind them, where no one is “The new makeup girl, or woman, I guess. Not very professional to be absent on her first day.”

She frowns “Actually-“

“But what do I know? The big guys hired her. She’s probably sucking up to them, figuratively or literally, cause she must be sleeping with one of them to make them fire Angela. She was the best, really, if you’d met her you’d love her. But she’s gone, so we’ll make do with whoever this is, if she shows up that is.” He shrugs, getting comfortable on the chair.

“Unbelievable.” she scoffs.

“Right?” Steve smiles. At last, someone who gets his indignation. It doesn’t hurt that she’s hot, but really, he needed a friend here.

Maybe this is the subject they relate to, and because of this mutual annoyance they end up with a beautiful friendship. Or something more. He hasn’t had action in a while.

You know what they say, nothing brings people closer than a common enemy.

He glimpses through the mirror the new plaque on the wall behind him, reading it out loud. “Wow, even her name sounds pretentious.” He looks at her with a smirk “I’m Steve by the way, what’s your name?”

————————————————————————

Frankie, the older black woman who introduced herself earlier as the hair magician, shouts your name before opening the door to the trailer “Hi honey, I don’t wanna rush you but he has to be ready in 5 minutes.” She nods to Steve.

“It’s alright, tell Erik I’ll be quick.” You pick up your face palette and start mixing shades to get Steve’s color.

Steve fucking Harrington. Who with a quick glance, you can see is shocked to learn you’re the woman he’s been shit-talking about. What an asshole.

You were actually excited to work with him. He was your favorite character in the show and after watching some of the cast’s interviews, you kinda became his fan.

Not anymore.

“Wait. You’re-“ He frowns, trying to understand just how bad he’s fucked up.

“The slut who’s sucked off her way here? In the flesh” You give him a sarcastic smile, before dropping it completely and turning his chair around, facing you.

“I- I thought…”

You start applying light concealer on the reddening areas of his face, not including the blush he’s now sporting. “That I wasn’t her? No shit.”

You continue working under his eyes, making him avoid staring at you.

“You could’ve told me.” he mutters, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“I tried, you were pretty passionate on the subject.”

You thank whoever made the schedule for filming a natural look today, because if you spend much more time with him alone, you can’t promise he’ll come out alive. And it’s not a good look for your first day of work.

He looks down apologetically, feeling guilty for his words in the heat of the moment “Look… I’m sorry for saying what I said, I’m having a really-“

“Shut up.” you cut him off.

He looks taken aback, frowning and looking up to stare at you “Excuse me?”

“Stop talking, I’m trying to do my job.” You mutter nonchalantly, giving him the last touches under his lower lip.

He’s still processing, a disoriented look taking over his face, cause there’s no way someone’s talked to him that way, not after he became who he is now at least.

You put all the makeup back in its place and turn around to face him one last time, “There you go Mona Lisa, you can leave now.” You clap his cheek a couple times without applying pressure, just to piss him off, and point to the door behind him.

He’s still speechless when he leaves the trailer, and when he finishes shooting, and even that night at home, with a slice of greasy pizza between his teeth, he can’t seem to shake off the way you acted, the way you talked to him. It’s like you couldn’t care less about him.

It infuriates him.

It infuriates him so much he spends all night tossing and turning, thinking about you. Cause if you want to play like this, then game on, you have no idea what you started.

[venussaidso]

𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙝𝙖 & 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙖 𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙪𝙣𝙞

Finally, Ketu x Venus serving through Hades and Persephone.

Fanart by momithastobeclever.

Persephone or Underworld feminine archetypes seem to be commonly played by Venus nakshatra natives.

Bharani Sun Rosario Dawson as Persephone.

Ketu's void is with Hades being the Lord of the Underworld — Ketu = poverty, detachment, hidden realms and darkness. So his appearance is dark and not abundant, he resides away from the land of the living, and his wealth is associated with hidden resources of the earth.

Technically, this is how the Ketu nakshatra-Venus nakshatra pairing conceptually looks like in this tale, with both nakshatra lords being combined with fire rashis. DeviantArt.

While Persephone is the Goddess of Spring — Venus = beauty, harmony, pleasure, and values. Hades' obsession with her is definitely due to their polarity. Magha and Purva Phalguni are yoni consorts, after all.

Magha Moon Cheyenne Jackson as Hades.

Hades is related to Wealth. This makes a solid connection to Magha nakshatra, as Magha's wealth is associated with the dead.

Purva Phalguni Sun & ASC Salma Hayek as an Underworld exotic dancer.

Purva Phalguni nakshatra is associated with pleasure, art, and romance. It is related to Bhaga, the god of marital bliss and prosperity, symbolizing the fulfillment of desires and the celebration of love, fruition, creativity etc. Blending so well with Persephone's purpose of being a goddess of flowers, vegetation and agriculture. In my Venus Dominant Themes post, I talked about Venusians finding themselves between crossroads, conceptually blending their beautifully harmonious nature with a violent or gothic side.

Persephone makes so much sense for Purva Phalguni as well, as this nakshatra is the final stage of creation. Magha nakshatra is related to the power of manifestation through detachment & other ascetic means.

Magha Moon Neville Goddard, the mystic writer who taught various self-help methods for testing his own claim that the human imagination is omnificent, therefore God. Coining the Law of Assumption and claiming himself a witness to his own manifesting powers.

Magha's relation with leaving the body associates to manifestation powers simply through the principle of detachment and accessing higher realms of consciousness. This idea of leaving the body is tied Ketu’s influence, which governs moksha (liberation), past life experiences, the ability to transcend the physical and to therefore master it (rather than getting caught up with it, as seen with Rahu's tendency to be immersed with Maya).

Mystic author & teacher, Magha Moon Lester Levenson. His Release Technique focuses on letting go of attachments to emotions and desires to clear the mind for effortless manifestation and mastery over the physical. He taught that by releasing egoistic attachments, one can access a state of pure being, allowing desires to manifest naturally.

Hades symbolically represents the power of manifestation, from themes of hidden wealth, transformation through detachment, and the unseen forces which shape reality.

Mula Sun Ralph Fiennes as Hades.

Mula nakshatra, through its natives, are often powerful agents of change. This is seen through Hades being a catalyst for Persephone's profound transformation from being the Goddess of Spring to the Queen of the Underworld. Mula nakshatra is ruled by Nirriti or Kali Ma, the goddess of dissolution and destruction. Persephone's identity essentially dissolves after he abducts her.

Marvel's Hela, portrayed by Ashwini Moons Cate Blanchett & Nika Futterman, is Ruler of the Underworld, just like Hades is in Greek Mythology.

Persephone symbolically represents the power of transformation between crossroads, the balance between light & dark, and cycles of renewal — serving as a bridge between the seen and unseen realms, as beautifully tied in Bharani nakshatra. Her myth embodies the themes of death & rebirth, and the integration of opposites, making her a symbol of absolute creation which complements Hades, who is impoverished in ways that she is abundant.

Bharani ASC Anya Taylor Joy as Sandie, a beautiful aspiring singer, who gets trafficked into an Underworld of sorts, very akin to the kidnapping of Persephone.

So the union of Magha and Purva Phalguni ultimately serves as a complete royal experience, as Magha is the throne & of hidden wealth and Purva Phalguni is the bed of pleasures & creation. Persephone becomes Queen of the Underworld beside her dark King.

Pinterest.

(more fictional Venus-Ketu pairs calling to these themes.)

[radiance1]

Vlad, pulling up multiple whiteboards to explain with the evidence that he's collected that Dick Grayson and basically every other Wayne child are actually vigilantes (yes including the dead one) down to the tiniest of details: And this concludes my presentation.

Bruce Wayne: I'm sorry, but I don't believe this.

Vlad: Why? I have literally complied mountains of evidence to support my claims.

Bruce Wayne: Because. [Pulls out a recording of one of his children as well as the vigilante in question saving his son.]

Vlad: Ah, I see. I suppose I don't need this- [Sets all his evidence on fucking fire.] then.

Alfred: Master Bruce, would you and your guest like some tea?

Bruce: That would be wonderful, Alfred.

Vlad: [Narrows eyes and points.] One of these days I'm going to surpass you and claim your title.

Alfred: Such day will come only when I am no longer around, Master Vlad.

Vlad: [Scoffs] I have a new technique that needs testing, so let me prove myself.

Alfred: I suppose I shall see how far the gap between our skills lie then.

Tim, looking through the security cameras: [Thumbs up.] Crisis averted, guys!

Dick: How did you even know that would work?

Danny: Vlad is the kinda guy who would disregard mountains of evidence if one thing just didn't connect, trust me, I would know.

[extinctlesspains]

Can you pls maybe write  something about kwon secretly being with chozen’s daughter who is in miyagi do. I got this idea cause of chosen and sensei Kim lol

(also I love your fanfics thanks for feeding us kwon fans 🙏)

A/n: AHHAHAHAH YES

𝑅𝑢𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦: 𝐾𝑤𝑜𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑒-𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑔

𝐵𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠

»»——⍟——««

»»——⍟——««

𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝐾𝑤𝑜𝑛 𝐽𝑎𝑒-𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑥 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑒

𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒.

𝑆𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦:𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐾𝑤𝑜𝑛, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑧𝑒𝑛, 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝—𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑆𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑖 𝐾𝑖𝑚.

𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑘𝑒𝑦? 𝐼𝑑𝑘...

▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△

The moon hangs high over the Sekai Taikai training grounds, its pale light casting long shadows across the dojo's courtyard. You stand silently by the wooden gate, heart pounding—not from fear of discovery, but from anticipation. Moments later, soft footsteps approach, and Kwon Jae-sung steps out from the shadows, his sharp eyes scanning the area before landing on you.

“You’re late,” he smirks, arms crossed.

You roll your eyes, slipping through the gate and closing it softly behind you. “Do you know how hard it is to sneak out when your dad is Chozen Toguchi?”

His expression softens as he reaches for your hand, pulling you close. “I know. But I’m starting to think you like the danger.”

A small smile tugs at your lips as you rest your head against his chest. “Maybe I do. Or maybe I just like you.”

For a moment, the world fades away. There are no rival dojos, no looming tournaments, no senseis watching your every move—just the quiet night and the warmth of being together. But reality crashes back in as quickly as it fades.

“We can’t keep this up forever,” you whisper, pulling away to look into his eyes. “If my father finds out…”

His jaw clenches. “I know. He’d never forgive you.”

“He’d never forgive you,” you correct. “He hates Cobra Kai. He thinks you’re all poison.”

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “And what do you think?”

You gaze into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability he rarely shows. “I think you’re different. I’ve seen the real you, Kwon. Not the fighter in the dojo, not the soldier under Kim Da-eun or Kreese's command—the person you are when it’s just us.”

He leans down, pressing his forehead to yours. “And I’ve seen you. The fire you hide, the strength you carry. You’re not just Chozen’s daughter. You’re... you.”

Silence stretches between you, heavy with unspoken words. Before either of you can say anything more, the distant sound of footsteps makes you both freeze.

“Someone’s coming,” you whisper urgently.

Without thinking, Kwon pulls you back into the shadows, pressing you against the wooden wall of the dojo. You hold your breath as two Miyagi-Do students, Sam and Devon, walk past, deep in conversation, oblivious to the hidden figures just feet away.

As soon as they’re gone, you exhale, looking up at Kwon. “This is insane.”

He smirks. “You knew that the first time we met.”

You punch his shoulder lightly. “You were a jerk the first time we met.”

“I still am,” he teases, catching your hand. “But you’re stuck with me.”

Your expression softens. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・

The Next Day

Training is brutal, as always. Your father runs the Miyagi-Do students through endless katas, drills designed to sharpen technique and test endurance. You move through the motions with precision, feeling Chozen’s watchful eyes on you. But your mind isn’t on the training—it’s on Kwon, on the way his eyes softened the night before, on the way his touch lingered as if he was afraid to let you go.

“Focus,” your father’s voice cuts through your thoughts, sharp and commanding.

“Yes, Father,” you respond quickly, forcing your attention back to the present.

Across the training ground, Kwon and the other Cobra Kai students are practicing under Sensei Kim’s strict supervision. He moves with lethal grace, every strike and block executed with perfect precision. But even as he trains, you notice his gaze drifting to the Miyagi-Do side of the courtyard, searching for you.

Sensei Kim notices.

“Your focus is slipping, Kwon,” she snaps, her voice like a whip. “Is there something distracting you?”

“No, Sensei,” he replies quickly, forcing his gaze back to the task at hand.

But the warning lingers. Sensei Kim isn’t stupid. And neither is your father.

.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・

That night, you decide to meet Kwon in the small grove behind the training grounds again. The air is thick with tension, but you need to see him.

“She suspects something,” Kwon says, pacing. “Sensei Kim. She’s watching me.”

“She’s always watching everyone,” you reply, trying to sound calm. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

He stops, turning to face you. “It means everything. If she finds out about us—”

“She won’t,” you interrupt. “We’ve been careful.”

“Not careful enough.” His voice is low, almost desperate. “This... us... it’s dangerous.”

You step closer, reaching out to touch his face. “But worth it.”

He closes his eyes, leaning into your touch. “What if it’s not?”

“Don’t say that.”

He opens his eyes, his gaze intense. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.” Your voice is steady. “No matter what happens, we’ll figure it out.”

Suddenly, a sound in the distance makes both of you freeze. Footsteps again, but these are different—deliberate, heavier. You both press into the shadows, holding your breath. But as the figures come into view, your eyes widen in shock.

It’s your father, Chozen, and Sensei Kim.

You watch, stunned, as they move closer. At first, you think it’s just a serious conversation—two senseis discussing strategy. But then you see it—the way his hand lingers on her arm, the way she leans into him. And then, he pulls her close, their lips meeting in a kiss.

Your breath catches in your throat. No way. This can’t be happening.

Kwon’s eyes meet yours, equally stunned. He mouths, “What the hell?”

You don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Here you were, terrified of being caught, of your father finding out about you and Kwon—while he was sneaking around with Sensei Kim the entire time.

When they finally walk away, you turn to Kwon, still processing what you just saw.

“Well,” you whisper, a mix of disbelief and amusement in your voice. “Looks like we’re not the only ones with secrets.”

Kwon lets out a soft, incredulous laugh. “Guess the danger runs in the family.”