#inventing a new symbol for this relationship specifically

[inseparabiles]

For the next like, two days, Boys and Wolves will be tagged with Geta & Cara instead of Geta/Cara.

I do not anticipate this state to last any longer than that, but presently the & team of demons in our head has scored a win.

I fucking hate tagging this fic I swear to god. No matter what we do with it it's going to give the wrong impression to someone. The A/N section to explain the relationship tag is several miles long and even that I don't think helps.

Like yes it's platonic. No they're not being platonic about it. Questions? Me too.

[fitzrove]

I went to see the Kaunas State Musical Theatre production of Elisabeth !!!!!! This was a super inventive and atmospheric non-replica version that I really enjoyed, so I’m writing down some rambly review thoughts down below.

(^ not the rudolf i saw - saw him as slutty lucheni kssk)

TL;DR - excellent production, very pretty, weird in thought-provoking ways. They never go the easy route on anything, it’s a dark fairytale!!! (Btw usually when people say that they mean it’s hot elisatod romance but I don’t mean that XD)

Table of Contents

1. Stage design / sets

2. Costumes

3. Orchestra and singing

4. Ensemble choreographies

5. Characters, relationships

STAGE DESIGN / SETS

RATING: 9/10

First of all - oh my god am I refreshed by a new production not looking like Schönbrunn/Vienna 2012 or like a bad copy of the Vienna original. In Kaunas, the whole colour palette is gothic, muted and dark, with lots of golds, browns and faded blues accented with red, white and gold light. We shift from scenes that look like a faded 19th century painting to dark ones with high contrast (the latter especially in the scenes with Death).

Instead of a file splitting the stage, there’s a kind of “ring” lit up at the edges (which changes colours) that lifts up to create an upper level, and descends to make a pool/mirror. There’s frameless mirrors on the walls, and the floor of the stage - to my knowledge, installed specifically for Elisabeth - can look wet or reflective depending on the scene. Characters sometimes see themselves in the mirror as they look at the floor. I’m not sure I’m explaining this properly but it looks really cool, I don’t really see many new productions go back to the ‘artifice’ and unreality themes reflected in the original set so it was cool to see!!! And of course, prop mirrors carried by the characters also sometimes appear.

There’s a screen at the back of the stage (above where the ring goes) that can be used for projections, and it’s used sparingly but to great effect. Often it’s just a black generally “wet” or fabric-y texture; during both Schattens there’s a misty grey graveyard that looks really cool; Hass is red; during Kitsch Lucheni has no props but we see funnily quick zooms into dinner plates with pictures of the Imperial family on them. It integrates very well into the more solid parts of the set!

Other solid setpieces include Death’s boat (a simple, non-ornate design out of a metallic-ish material with mysterious writing on it) that descends from the ceiling to take people away (no carriage here). It’s complemented by three similarly shaped vertical golden pieces, also with writing on them, which appear in scenes with court power dynamics present.

There’s also a big dark oval thing that appears a few times as a sort of threat from Death/to emphasise his presence. I like the boat more than the pieces, maybe because I don’t fully understand what the pieces mean heheh. I guess it adds to the “unknowable” vibes which I do enjoy, the set is generally very non-literal and symbolic which is cool. The movable parts of the set are extremely versatile: the same four dark pillar blocks can be used for almost any scene (coffee house, Boote in der Nacht, IGNM…) and fit it well, and Elisabeth’s coffin (seen in Prolog) becomes her bed (or some side table she was lying on as a prank XD) and then a garden table.

Another very visible part of the production are the portrait faces !! Members of the ensemble hold up historically accurate pictures of Elisabeth’s relatives (including Rudolf heheh…) with light-up edges during Prolog and Sinking World, which then change into a billion portraits of Elisabeth (which Lucheni can’t stand to see) at the point of each number when they sing her name. I like it so much, it was one of the things I knew about this production that made me interested enough to want to go watch it!

COSTUMES

RATING: 8/10

Disclaimer - I am a historical accuracy hater when it comes to Elisabeth costumes. Firstly, exact reproductions are creatively boring; secondly, it’s not the point of the show; thirdly, in many cases it’s simply not possible for theatres to put excessive resources into a costume seen in one or two scenes in a single show. State-owned repertory theatres in smaller countries reuse like crazy!! So that’s a disclaimer to start with hahaha. I want costumes to look good and make sense, not compare them to irl pictures ksksks.

I really liked Kaunas Elisabeth’s portrait dress, which also served as her Hungarian coronation dress :D It’s like a golden sparkle explosion sksks, which stands out very strongly from the rest of the stage and the simple brown and black dresses of other ladies present - it gets the point across. In general, Elisabeth is the only really colourful member of the cast with her white nightgown, dressing gown and (historically accurate xD) black and white ribbon outfit, which emphasise her uniqueness and isolation; she also wears a completely black outfit towards the end. Rudolf (both adult and child) and Franz Joseph have identical faded blue (coat) + light cream/white costumes (pants), which are SO much better looking than the overly saturated bright cyan things we’ve been seeing in some recent productions skkss.

I was initially sceptical of Death’s outfit (he never changes it save for covering up his tits with a scarf/towel thing when he’s playing doctor sksk) because it looks a lot like the pleather Schönbrunn outfit I don’t like :-D But it’s actually constructed completely differently!! The way the leather jacket falls makes it have more work uniform/ferryman vibes, and then for some slutty reason he has pants, a corset (?) and no shirt underneath XD I think it works, man chest is not my favourite aesthetic but it’s distinctive and fits the storytelling…

LOVED Lucheni’s outfit!! :D To me it’s meant to be basic and everyman-y and it definitely was here, BUT it’s lined with red everywhere inside (and the soles of his shoes are red too), and for reasons that will become apparent later, that made me insane. Also leather pants slay xD

Additionally, I really liked Sophie’s outfits and the Frau Wolf’s salon costumes, with golden hoop skirts that were open at the back. I especially liked the outfit of Frau Wolf herself omg, it’s a Prussian (I assume akaksk) uniform coat draped over the bodysuit+skirt combo that the girls wear. Looks so cool and I really like the idea and symbolism of that! also the frau wolfs I saw were really hot in their role skskksks, special mention here also to Elisabeth’s chief lady-in-waiting on the second day because dommy mo---

At first I was a bit annoyed at some of the ensemble costumes for lacking individual details (the ones in Vienna 92 have so much going on), but tbh the uniform look they went for with them (especially concerning colour palette) really emphasised Elisabeth’s isolation from the court and ordinary people, so I liked that. I guess I appreciate the outfits for how they come together to create the show, even if the individual ones aren’t crazy pretty to me or anything hahah. Although the ones for Elisabeth’s ladies-in-waiting had amazingly pretty bodice/corset parts!!

ORCHESTRA AND SINGING

10/10

I liked the orchestra, it was definitely more of a full “opera house” type sound which I find nicer than musicals with less-than-3-people “bands” lol. Sounded good!! A special note must also be made about the fact that the KSMT seems to cast more flexibly than bigger productions, which is great. I don’t like it when every performer has the same musical theatre/pop combo voice which is too common rn lol, it just seems boring to me. But we got a lot of fuller/lower female voices (than there usually are in musicals) and more operatic male voices in both leading roles and the ensemble, which made for a more interesting overall sound. It wasn’t too operatic either, just the right balance I think.

The soloists were seriously impressive!! Some crazy long notes in Schatten 1, an insane IGNM reprise opt-up from Elisabeth… I really enjoyed the performances despite not understanding any lyrics heheh.

ENSEMBLE / CHOREOGRAPHIES

7/10

I saw the show twice and didn’t like some of the ensemble choreographies first lmao. It’s a very operatic style of directing - the only “proper” dancing is Elisabeth and FJ waltzing, and a “Death’s shadows” dance group that accompanies him in a few numbers - with lots of simple, repeated arm and leg movements, either synchronized or in “waves”. For some songs it fits really well because of the melody - the coffee house scene and Hass come to mind, both were well done - but in others like Alle Fragen I was skeptical upon first viewing.

In Alle Fragen specifically there’s lots of extremely repetitive, non-synchronised crossing themselves, chest-beating (mea culpa), kneeling, etc. At first I found this a bit kitschy/weird, and didn’t really like it. However, I changed my mind when I visited a church the morning before show #2 and actually saw two guys do the exact same thing upon entering it!!!!!! It’s a reference to actual self-blessing rituals, at least among Lithuanian Catholics, which seems really inventive heheh - making a localized reference the main target audience would really notice/understand !!! So upon second viewing, I ended up liking it.

CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIPS

Probably the most important aspect heheh. In the two shows that I saw, Franz Joseph, Elisabeth, Sophie and several ensemble members were played by different performers each day, but Rudolf, Death and Lucheni were the same each time. Gonna ramble about each character one by one I guess kskssk.

The two Elisabeths I saw (Marija Arutiunova and Gabrielė Bielskytė) were very different!!! Gabrielė was a more “traditional” Elisabeth, a bit melancholy from the start and becoming further so as the story progresses. I enjoyed her performance a lot and her vocal performance was flawless. Marija, on the other hand, I was concerned about at first because she’s SO enthusiastic (almost annoyingly hahah) in “Wie du”, practically bouncing off the floor hahah. But that actually ended up working really well. A common worry people have about newer Elisabeth productions is that she comes across too innocent and Disney Princess-y; from the first number I was afraid that would happen, but to my surprise, that was not at all the case. She plays a really strong character arc and the Elisabeth of act 2 was practically unrecognisable to me from Elisabeth in act 1. She was so full of joy and life at the start and her environment just sucks all of that out of her!!! It’s such a cool way to play it and I ended up really liking that.

They do a really clever thing in “Prolog” and “Wie du”. Prolog has Elisabeth’s body on top of a stone coffin under a white sheet, as a setpiece. At the start of Wie du we find out that it was Elisabeth herself the whole time - she emerges from beneath the sheet and spooks her dad lmao. Something something symbolism and smooth scene transition XD

Much like Marija’s Elisabeth characterisation, I was also skeptical of the Elisatod in this production at first XD Especially with how Marija played it - again, enthusiasm. The blocking between them is occasionally very POTO music of the night skksks. BUT (as a known hater of romantic elisatod skks) the touchiness actually worked for me because of how Death was portrayed (more on that later) and also because of how their relationship played out.

Elisabeth, as a teenager, seems fascinated by death as some romanticised adventure (one among many other adventures to be had) - she’s not afraid of it, finds beauty in it, etc. A very realistically adolescent point of view, also present in Der Letzte Tanz (though it’s much less gentle this time)!! But by the time her first child dies (Schatten 1), it dawns on her how horrible and cruel and unfair death (Death?) can be - and this is perfectly portrayed by Death handing her a knife in this scene and acting as if it’s totally normal and he’s helping her somehow. She’s completely broken down and distraught while holding it and snaps out of it when FJ comes up to her and hugs her. Such a strong turning point!! And he offers her the knife several other times. Overall I really see this as a symbolic relationship (my favourite type), Death is not at all “some guy” but a personified concept that Elisabeth has a constantly changing relationship to.

Also - the prologue and the prelude to DSF (whenever the judge is speaking) have a young Elisabeth (literal child actress) coiling the “red string of fate” around her hands, mouthing along the judge’s lines. So neat!! In the prologue, Death descends in his boat because she slowly pulls him in (he’s holding the string in his hand). And right before Lucheni goes to stab the older Elisabeth, the child stops him by laughing in his face… mm crunchy symbolism >:) he’s haunted heheh

Death himself (Egidijus Bavikinas) is a weirdo XD I called him “silly rabbit” at intermission and the name stuck aksksksl. He’s good at his job (quite kind to people when they die) but doesn’t really get most human concepts even though he sings Rondo and says in the prolog that he loved Elisabeth ksks. He’s a bit outraged/genuinely surprised when Elisabeth marries FJ, and genuinely perplexed when Elisabeth doesn’t kill herself despite repeated friendly suggestions skksks. He doesn’t seem ever to do cruel things intentionally, he’s just there to put people on his boat (except Rudolf for some reason skks). I think my interpretation of him might be slightly impeded by not understanding the lyrics - he just seems aloof (in a neutral, non-mean way) even at moments when I know he’s singing stuff like “you love me more than you love your husband” hahah. But yeah, I think he’s fine, he sings well and is occasionally unintentionally funny which entertains me enough.

Lucheni is a SLUT xD Martynas Beinaris normally plays Rudolf but has apparently been mainly Lucheni for quite a bit now, and I had him as Lucheni both times. I guess the right word is “flamboyant”, very energetic and with lots of flair, it was always a great joy to watch him go. I liked the way he says “Death” in the prologue skls, seems a bit obsessed… And of course, I can’t not mention the ending of the show!!!!!!! Elisabeth and Death get into Death’s boat together, it starts to lift up, and slowly we see that Lucheni has hanged himself with the red thread of fate that binds the two, and his last act is to reach up towards the boat, eternally unable to join them…………. the symbolism… gay repression... or something… love it!! (Reminder that Lucheni has red all over the more hidden parts of his costume… red inner linings of the coat, red soles… the gay repression interpretation writes itself skskls. Obsessed)

Franz Joseph is there adlskks. He was very good both days, I liked a moment the second day (with Raimondas Baranauskas) between him and Elisabeth when they almost hold/touch hands after Rudolf dies :’) and he was very excited to hang out with Elisabeth kssk, he’s just giggling and running around in Bad Ischl which was pretty fun (though he puts on the imperial mask pretty quickly after).

The FJ and Sophie relationship was soo well drawn! There was a symbolic thing where he gets dressed in the lead-up to “Jedem gibt er das seine” - attendants do the rest, but she puts white gloves on him as she tells him to be cold and hard. In Bellaria, he angrily takes his gloves off and throws them on the floor; Death picks them up and wears them to lead her offstage, perhaps as a form of comfort? Really cool!

Rudolf (Jurgis Jarašius) is my meow meow… he takes one big swig of a wine bottle during the song right before Schatten 2 and then falls facedown on the floor and has to be picked up by Death (indirectly - Death makes his shadow angel people put their hands all over Rudolf to do group bondage on him two separate times skslls, yay xD). After Schatten he falls on his face again and FJ walks up to him singing to him (Rudolf I’m so angry with you) and looks vaguely disappointed WHILE RUDOLF IS STILL LYING ON THE FLOOR and Rudolf has to slowly get up while FJ disapproves kskslsl. He has big fluffy hair and he’s gay but doesn’t want to know what that is and is vaguely scared of it skksks, just has weird obsessive feelings about tits out leather coat man (he stares a lot and tries to run to him, leans in as if wanting to get closer, but Death keeps rebuffing him and tossing him away skks). The todolf is weird and indirect in this production, there’s a quick kiss that lands somewhere in the cheek-lip area ksksks and a repeat of the head-hug/caress that Death does to Elisabeth. It’s weird and freaky and kind of cool lmao. After Rudolf shoots himself, Death closes his eyes for him, which is a pretty sweet moment. Also on the second day he was rage-weeping during Spiegel which I really like.

The Mayerling staging in this production is great!! After Spiegel, Rudolf tries to run out of the room but is blocked by a mirror (held by one of Death’s shadows); he tries again, but one by one the mirrors surround him from all sides and he’s just stuck in this small narrow space with nowhere to go, just forced to face himself over and over. Very piercing and accurate allegory for mental illness!!! Enjoyed. Put him in the torment nexus heheheh

I guess that’s all of my most important thoughts… :D Will add if I think of something else!

[kyriethesquishysquid]

The Friendly Ghosty (Ghostface/Female Reader)

Summary: Reader comes home from a long day at work just to be accosted by a man in a Ghostface mask at her door. Things quickly go “downhill” from there.

Word count: ~3k

Rating: Mature

A/N: This is literally just all smut, nothing else. I was inspired by a recent dream I had involving a Ghostface cosplayer. Thus, we get some lovely, dark, masked man sex. I hope y’all enjoy! There is no backstory, but it’s made clear at the end that Ghostface and the reader have some kind of pre-established relationship, and the entire scene is consensual. P.S. This is a non-canon Ghostface, so they can look anything like you wish. His only descriptor is that he is tall.

TW: PLEASE READ NEW TAGS. THEY’RE IMPORTANT FOR POSSIBLE TRIGGERS! 

Consensual Dub-Con roleplay, dom/sub roles, breath play, knife play, fear play, oral (male receiving), fingering, pet names (specifically rabbit/bunny used a lot), dumbification, praise/degradation, some overstimulation, some aftercare, breeding kink mentioned at the end. 

“Home sweet home,” you muttered under your breath, fishing your keys from your purse.

It had been a surprisingly easy night at work, with tips galore and decent customers, and it had only gotten better when you’d stepped out into the cool autumn evening. The full moon had been a kind friend guiding you down the short path from the diner back to your house, but you still couldn’t wait to bid her adieu, get inside, and take a nice hot bath. As the key slid into place, the sound of rushing footsteps suddenly sounded behind you but, before you could turn around, you felt a big hand covering your mouth and the bite of metal at your throat. 

“Ah, ah, stay still. Wouldn’t want to hurt you now, would we?” 

His words were muffled under the heavy pounding of your heart in your ears, but you understood just enough to manage a weak little nod. A sharp sting zipped through your senses and halted your motions immediately, your thoughts finally registering the fact you’d almost slit your throat open on his knife. His mocking laugh brought a warm heat across your cheeks. 

“Oh, silly little bunny, let’s get you inside before you have an accident, hmm?” he urged, releasing your face to guide your frozen hand to the lock. 

The next few minutes passed by in a blur. It was like you were only a passenger in your mind, observing yet not in control. The masked man was the one pulling the strings, instructing you to sit, stay quiet, and be a good “rabbit” as he moved about your home as if he had been here a million times.

Had he? That thought sent chills down your spine and some life back into your veins. Turning your head slowly, you watched him as he danced around the kitchen. The tall intruder was dressed in all black, a fitted black long-sleeved shirt and black pants, all put together with the infamous Ghostface mask over his head. He grabbed something from the fridge before immediately heading back your way. It wasn’t until he plopped down onto the plush loveseat catty-cornered to you that you finally spotted what he had.

A fucking water bottle 

“What-”

“Uh-uh, no talking yet,” he quipped, tossing the bottle onto the cushion beside you, “Drink. I just know you didn’t drink water while you were working.”

Lifting one brow in confusion, you cautiously reached for the bottle, only to earn an annoyed sigh from the man. 

“If I was going to hurt you, don’t you think I’d be more inventive about it than poisoning your water?” he asked blandly, lifting the blade you’d nearly forgotten about into the air symbolically. 

You nodded once in understanding and popped off the cap, dutifully drinking half the bottle in one go. 

“Good, now, get over here.”

For a second, you considered disobeying and demanding he tell you what he wanted until your gaze found the knife again. You weren’t sure how serious he was about using that thing, so, to air on the side of caution, you listened. The moment you were in front of him, he pointed to the floor before him without a word. 

It was demeaning, treating you as if you were a dog, but you complied. The instant your knees touched the carpet, he was quick to undo his belt and pants. 

“Been here for over an hour waiting for you to get home,” he grunted out, “You’re never late.”

Blinking in shock, you gaped up at him and asked, “What? How do you know-”

Fingers snarled in your hair and jerked you forward until your legs pressed into the base of the seat and you were nearly nose to hand with the fist jerking his cock. 

“You really are clueless. You’re lucky it was me who chose you and not some psychopath,” he chuckled. 

Yeah, okay. Like someone who knew your work schedule, put a knife to your neck, and threatened you to get a blowjob wasn’t a psychopath. Despite that, you couldn’t help but watch in mesmerization at how his hand moved, listening intently to the little breaths he let out with each pump. 

“I know what you’re thinking. It’s written clear across your face,” he sighed, “The difference between me and them is that I don’t want to hurt you, not yet. Just listen like a good little bunny, and this will all go over smoothly.” 

That shouldn’t have been hot, shouldn’t make you swoon, and sure as fuck shouldn’t make you want to suck his dick just to hear that praise again, Yet there was no denying the wet spot growing in your panties as you instinctively leaned in closer to him. 

Just as you were about to pull back and shake some sense into yourself, he tugged you in by the hair until his dick was pressed against your closed lips. 

“Come on now, rabbit, I’ve seen the things you do with that filthy mouth,” he sneered coolly, “Don’t get shy on me now.” 

You threw a nasty glare his way before thinking better of it, and within half a second, his hand was around the knife and holding it against your throat. 

“Mmm, see, that’s not what we’re going to do, alright?” 

Swallowing hard, you let your eyes dance from his hand to his mask and back down before you whispered, “O-Okay.” 

Parting your lips invitingly, you carefully leaned in as he drew the blade away and took his head into your mouth. The low groan he let out sent shivers down your spine. Fuck, why did he have to sound so hot? Shouldn’t a psychopathic killer sound and look as horrible at their insides? He cleared his throat and you quickly pushed yourself into motion. One hand balancing on his thigh, you wrapped the other around the base of his cock and began licking up and down the underside. As you traced every vein along his flesh, your mind began to wander to dangerous places where you were a little too into the situation. Were he not threatening your life, this would have almost been welcomed. He tasted good, felt good in your hand and against your tongue; heavy, thick, and filling.

“Enough teasing, let’s go, princess!” 

The instant he was in your mouth, he gave you no leeway. Hands in your hair, he forced you down until your lips met your fist and his head pressed into the back of your throat. You reactively gagged and tried to pull back, only to get held down. 

“Don’t quit on me now,” he huffed, “Move your hand.” 

If your mouth were free, you’d spew the most vile curses his way. Instead, you did as asked and sucked in a quick breath right before he pushed you down again. There was no way you’d be able to take him entirely, but he seemed bound and determined to make it happen, each nudge of your skull pushing him down further until he straight up thrust into your throat with a hellish groan. 

“Theeerrreee you go, rabbit. See, I knew you could do it,” he praised, voice breathless and growly in a way that had your thighs clenching. 

In the next breath, you were forced back down until your nose almost touched his belly. He hardly gave you a second to breathe, simply using you to his pleasure as if you were nothing but a fucktoy. And gods did it ever feel fucking fantastic.

You heard your name muttered thickly between little grunts and groans at one point and it drew your eyes up to him, only to find that horrid mask staring you down. 

“Mmm, good girl, look at me while I fuck your throat.”

A particularly rough thrust sent a painful ache through your muscles but drew an entirely different reaction from below, your pussy throbbing in want while tears dripped down your cheeks. As you slowly fell down the rabbit hole of subspace, you couldn’t help but get into the act, growing increasingly impatient to have him coming for you. You just knew he'd sound heavenly when he did.

“So fucking pretty when you’re crying for me. Just a little longer,” he rumbled, hand knotting tighter in your hair as he shoved you down again, “You can do that for me, can’t you?” 

Through tears and sniffles, you nodded emphatically and symbolically opened your mouth wider, taking him in with ease. The taste of his precum filled your senses and you couldn't help but moan around him. Immediately, he thrust up and shoved onto the nape of your neck until he crushed your nose against his abdomen, his broken moan easily hiding your reflexive gag. You couldn't breathe but it didn't matter when you heard those devastated little whimpers pouring from his lips.

“Fu-uh-ck, that’s it, atta girl, right- right there, fuck fuck fuck.”

The praise did wonders for the carpet burning against your knees and the overpowering ache in your throat. You couldn’t help but wiggle in need, debating taking matters into your own hands until he moaned again. Fuck it, there was no way you were waiting. Spreading your knees further apart, you balanced better against his thigh and quickly shoved your other hand beneath your skirt and panties. The moment your fingers touched your clit, you nearly came, a stifled moan rumbling around his cock as you worked him over faster.

“Ah, shit, are you touching yourself, bunny? Sucking my cock got you that excited?”

A rough gag drowned out your response as he jerked your head up and shoved you down with a moan. The moment you felt the telltale throbbing of his cock and heard his moans pitch, you pulled back just enough to catch the entire load on your tongue and watched him in awe. You couldn’t see his face through the mask, but the way his head tipped back and his chest heaved with shuddering breaths- oh, that was almost just as good- though you hated that you could barely make out his muffled grunts and groans through the barrier.

Swallowing around his cock, you quickly pulled back and licked him completely clean. 

“Sh-Shit, you-”

His words cut off with a harsh gasp when you took him into your mouth again. Your tongue swirled gently around his head before lapping up and down the underside of his cock. Seeing the way his gloved hands clenched and how his body shook in restraint, well, that was one hell of a drug. 

“Enough.”

Before you could react, he fisted a handful of your hair tight and forced you to a stop. 

“Get up here.” 

A slight wince escaped as your knees popped and ached under the sudden change in position, but you let him guide you up into his lap. Before you could even get proper footing, he widened his thighs to spread yours and slipped his hand into your panties. 

“H-Hey, y-”

Any argument you had died on your tongue the moment his fingers started rubbing your clit, the sensation of leather against your flesh startling but more than welcome. You nearly collapsed in on yourself at the sudden rush of pleasure, but he was quick to balance you with a firm hand on the shoulder. 

“No falling now,” he jeered through a laugh. 

“Sh-Shut u-uuuuup,” you stammered back, face flushing as his laughter only grew louder.

“Hmm? What was that? I couldn’t hear you over your moans.” 

Grinding your teeth together, you fought through the waves threatening to overtake you and spit out, “Fuck you!” 

A whine escaped your lips despite your best efforts when he suddenly stopped moving his fingers, having gone completely still and silent. It took everything in you, but you managed to open your eyes just to find that infamous white mask staring back at you, tilted in a cute and oddly threatening way. 

“Wh-Why- Why did you stop?” you breathed out shakily.

“Wanna try that last sentence again?”

“What?”

He huffed a low sigh and withdrew his hand, wet fingers digging sharply into your cheeks and drawing your head up until you were eye-to-mask. You couldn’t help but grimace as he massaged your slick into your skin.

“I know you’re a dumb little bunny, but your ears work fine, don’t they? I said, do you want to try that last sentence again?”

Your mind went into overtime trying to figure out precisely what he meant, but finally, it clicked. Lips parting in disbelief, you gaped at him momentarily before a little scoff escaped. 

“Because I said fuck you?” you asked for clarification. 

“Could I mean anything else?” 

God, that demeaning cocky attitude was gonna be the death of you. How could one human be so fucking… tempting? 

“Uh,” you muttered to yourself, “Uhm, I’m sorry… for saying that?” 

Though you couldn’t see his eyes through the mask, you could practically feel his gaze on you through the dark fabric. It was maddening. When he didn’t reply right away, you began to question if you had really and truly fucked up, but finally, he let out a chuckle.

“Good enough for now. I expect better in the future, understood?” 

Nodding dumbly, you couldn’t help but wilt in relief when he finally released your face, your cheeks blooming with pain from the hold. 

“Now, what are you going to say if I’m generous enough to touch you again?” 

Your thoughts felt as slow as molasses from the subspace fog rolling in, but you whispered, “Thank you?” 

“That’s right. Good girl.”

Face warming deep pink, you turned in an attempt to hide the embarrassing reaction, only to get a soft tap across the cheek. 

“Look at me. Don’t you dare look away,” he demanded.

You swallowed hard but turned back to face him, eyes focusing on the chin of the mask rather than the eyes. Even through a mask, it was hard to imagine making eye contact with him. 

“Fuck!” 

Your shock was quickly silenced with a firm grip around your throat at the same time as his fingers hooked up into your cunt. Any attempt you made to form a sentence was ruined. Instinctively, the hand not currently pressed against his chest wrapped around his wrist and squeezed hard in an attempt to control the situation. 

“What? You think you could actually stop me if I wanted to hurt you? That’s cute,” he snickered.

Before you could even begin to respond, his fingers squeezed uncomfortably tight to the point you couldn’t breathe. Fear flickered to life in your chest as reality set in. At the same time, a sick and twisted sensation of delightful devastation nestled warmly in your core, your cunt clenching around his fingers eagerly. 

“Silly little thing,” Ghostface sighed patronizingly, “I could snap your neck before you even realized. You understand that, don’t you? That I hold your very life in my hands?” 

You stupidly tried to swallow only to grimace at the pain before managing a stilted nod. It was getting harder to think, your emotions at war with your body. Despite the terrifying threat and the growing need for air becoming dangerous, that familiar pressure between your thighs was just as demanding. It wasn’t until darkness began to creep into the edges of your vision that you finally, cautiously, squeezed at his wrist twice in an attempt to convey that you were nearing the point of passing out. 

“Need something?” 

Embarrassment flamed your face red as tears spilled down your cheeks and your lower lip began to tremble, all while the slick sounds of your body’s betrayal filled the air. Out of nowhere, he loosened his grip, and you nearly came then and there. 

“Ohmygod!” 

Coughing and gasping for breath, you fell forward against him until your forehead was resting against his shoulder, your hands frantically clawing at his back as the sudden torrent of endorphins hit full force. 

“Good girl, that’s right, fuck yourself on my fingers.”

It was impossible to refuse his command, your hips already instinctively grinding your clit against his palm in search of that ever-nearing end. 

“Fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuck, pl-please, yes!” 

Your pleas were broken and raw but unmistakable nonetheless. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you registered the fact that your nails were likely leaving scratches across his back, but that part of your subconscious currently didn’t give a single fuck. The well-practiced motions of his hand were all that mattered now. 

“Come on, then, be a good little bun and come for me.” 

A sob escaped your lips and you instantly muffled your cries in his shoulder, teeth no doubt leaving deep marks in his flesh even through his shirt as everything finally coalesced. It was all so much: His voice, the sounds of your wet sex, how deep his fingers reached, the constant pressure against your sweet spots. You couldn’t even make out his words, but just hearing him talk you through it was enough to break the last barrier of your will and bring forth the tears again. 

Sniffling and whining, you released your hold on his shoulder just to bury your face against his neck, singing brainless prayers of his name and the most unholy of curses.

“Fuck,” he groaned lowly.

His arm hooked around your back and held you tight as his fingers quickened, sending wave after wave of bliss through your veins and drawing out every last drop. It wasn’t until you were shoving against him, trembling and screaming for him to stop, that he finally gave you a reprieve. 

Panting for breath, you went limp against him. 

“Good girl,” he hummed softly, voice suddenly much clearer. 

Lips pressed a quick kiss to the top of your head before he drew back and you heard the shuffle of fabric again. Had you any ability to think or move, you might have tried to catch sight of your lover, but you were too brainless to do much other than breathe. The two of you sat in silence for some time to catch your breath, fingers tracing along each other’s bodies, until you were finally able to move and you pulled back with a little smile. 

“Someone looks happy,” he teased smugly.

You couldn’t help but laugh at that. 

“I wonder why,” you retorted.

As you attempted to slide back off his lap, he steeled his arms around you.

“Hmm, where do you think you’re going?” he hummed quietly. 

Lifting your brows in confusion, you replied, “To the bathroom… to clean up?” 

His hushed chuckle sent goosebumps down your arms. You attempted to move again only to meet resistance from his hold once more, pulling a frustrated sigh from your lips. 

“What? Why can’t I-”

A little squeak of shock interrupted your words when he jerked you back down into his lap, the threat of his cock pushing up against the thin lacy barrier of your panties making your legs shake. 

“Because I’m not done with you yet. Now, push those panties aside and sit on my cock so I can breed you, bunny.”

[pokemonbiologyirlthetabletop]

Rotom

Rotom (#479)

Rotom rotom

General Information: A strange and mysterious Pokémon, this electric/ghost-type are mischievious pranksters who love to inhabit machines. These mechanical possessions are often the source of their pranks, which begs the question, what did Rotoms do for fun before humans invented machines?

A standard Rotom is about 1 foot (0.3 M) tall and weighs about 0.7 pounds (0.3 kg).

Note to Players: Rotoms can possess electronic devices and machines, which often gives them a new secondary typing (replacing their ghost-typing) based on what they’ve possessed.

Official Secondary Forms:

Unofficial Secondary Forms: Whatever your imagination can come up with!

Habitat: Rotoms used to only be found in places with strong electrical charges and caves, but in recent decades have been seen more and more in human environments and taking over our machines for the shits and giggles of it. Nowadays, Rotoms are really only ever going to be found living with or around humans, and they’ve been electronic nuisances ever since!

Life Cycles: They certainly come from eggs, but they hatch fully independent and require no parental care. These eggs incubate for about a year before hatching, and are buried deep into crevices of caves and mountains where hopefully no one will find it. Rotoms spend the first year or two of their lives learning to find sources of spirit energy and electricity that they can feed upon, and in time find other Rotoms or other members of the Amorphous egg group that they can mate with. Mating rituals include giving their love interest a magnetic rock. Unfortunately, Rotoms are difficult to study in the wild and are most commonly seen in captivity or in laboratory settings, so not much is known about the intricacies of their life cycles. They seem to reproduce at level 15 like most Pokémon.

Rotoms are eaten by anything that eats ghost-type Pokémon, including and especially Palossands and Dusknoirs.

Behavior: Rotoms are incurable pranksters when left to their own devices.

Diet: Static electricity and latent spirit energy.

Conservation: Least Concern

Relationship with Humans: Pop culture icons of the digital age, Rotoms are the leading symbol of science and technology—even though they’re often not-so-harmless nuisances to researchers everywhere. Their history is an enigma; they don’t leave fossils and accounts of them only go so far back. It’s uncertain if Rotoms are a modern species that came about because of humanity’s technological advances or if they already existed and happened to also be great at adapting to human technologies. There are conflicting viewpoints on this, but ultimately, there’s no clear-cut answer. Many scientists enjoy keeping Rotoms.

As for their involvement in the sciences, in more near-future timelines Rotoms are increasingly utilized in machines and electronics for advancements in technology. Whether your specific campaign utilizes Rotom Technology or not, is up to you.

Classification: Rotom is not considered closely related to any other ghost-type Pokémon, so it defines, taxonomically, what it means to be a Rotom.

~~~~~~~~

Hey guess what, if you like my stuff, this is my website where you can find other Pokémon I've written on and more information about the game that I’m slowly making! Check it out! I write books sometimes too.

[mizukagami-takamagahara]

Silver Swarovski rings from the BlazBlue 10th Anniversary Celebration

Sold for ¥13,000 or roughly $90 (USD)

Released in 2019. As of now, the rings are no longer being manufactured and are presumably unavailable anywhere online.

Swarovski crystals are made of a material known as lead glass, largely made of quartz sand. From what I can tell, all of the gems featured in these rings are made of the same primary material, colored differently. I'll be analyzing the colors of the gems below.

Disclaimer; I am NOT at ALL studied in gems or jewelry, so this is yet another lesson I'm learning because of BlazBlue. As a beginner relying on an online-search crash-course, I may mess up the information I'm trying to share. If anyone here knows more about gems and can offer their thoughts, I would love to hear them!

Ragna = Light Siam

Light Siam is often ascribed to particular rubies or garnets, describing their vibrant reds. The color is associated with passion, energy, and strength- some of Ragna's prominent character traits! They're also said to suggest a fiery personality, again fitting for our dear Bloodedge.

Some of the gemstone guides I read while researching this claimed that an integral note of the Siam color is the blue undertone of the gem. As one blog described, without the that blue, "they just aren't Siam the way Siam should be!" I don't think I'm well trained enough to see the difference, but I thought this was a really cool connection to Ragna's relationship with the Azure.

Hazama = Fern Green

The Fern Green we see in Hazama's crystal is also sometimes used to describe certain variant of Quartz. The color is considered quite classy, and is often paired in a piece with Light Siam gems. It's considered a nice transitional color between the Peridot we see assigned to Noel, and the Emerald assigned to Terumi.

Professionals also ascribe themes of renewal, calmness, and prosperity to the color. At first glance this seems a little too peaceful for who Hazama is under the surface, but I think it captures where he differs from Terumi well.

Hibiki = Purple Velvet

Unlike the previous two colors that are associated with particular gemstones, I can't find any instance of Purple Velvet being used to describe a well known gem. Instead, it's framed in opposition to the well known Amethyst, described as being notably darker, with a more blue undertone than the red you see in Amethyst.

The color is set to give a sense of elegance, sophistication, and poise to the pieces it features in. As with any purple shade, it's highly suggestive of nobility.

Some websites suggest pairing it specifically with Fern Green, an interesting note as we see Hibiki and Hazama framed against one another in Central Fiction.

Terumi = Emerald

Emerald is one of the four precious stones. Made of the mineral Beryl, the gem itself is considerably fragile and prone to breaking. Glass canon, anyone?

Though Terumi's gem here isn't a real emerald, but more crystal, like the others. Still, I find it interesting that out of all ten characters, only he and Nu make it into that exclusive precious gem category. It's also quite fitting that Terumi's gem is a fake passing itself off as something else, isn't it?

Like the gem that is its namesake, the color Emerald symbolizes power, intensity, and confidence.

Jin = Majestic Blue

Majestic Blue is a color sometimes likened to deep seas or raging rivers, but most often, it's described as capturing the night sky. The color chosen for our Duodecim heir is a popular choice for more formal or even luxury items. It's said to represent themes of strength, nobility, and dignity. Some reviewers suggest pairing it with Emerald.

As strange as it sounds to someone outside the jewelry community (me) this color, Majestic Blue, was actually a new invention by Swarovski in 2019, the year these anniversary rings were produced! It's the youngest color in the set! At the time of release, it was the most visually striking blue in Swarovski's entire lineup.

Mai = Fuchsia

Swarovski's Fuschia is a pink with blue undertones, echoing Mai's genderqueer identity- she now stands proudly as a woman, but her identity as a man is still a cherished part of her at the root of who she is today.

These gems are popular in the the fashion industry, particularly for women. The hue is considered energetic and exciting, described as bright, bold, and striking. Though Mai still has her moments of doubt, I feel these words describe her true self well. For me, they really bring her playstyle to mind too.

The color is named after the Fuschia plant and its flowers- the names seen in Mai's moveset also carry a floral theme. Suggested pairs include the Light Sapphire we'll later see in Nu's gem and the Majestic Blue featured in Jin's.

Celica = Tangerine

Tangerine was probably the most difficult color for me to research. I looked through several articles, and most people had nothing to say about the color itself. The only thing people talked about was that it was being discontinued by Swarovski. I... guess that's fitting for Ms. Chrono Phantasma?

After a lot of looking, I was finally able to find some reviewers discussing the color itself. Tangerine is a color that brings warmth to the pieces it features in, and is suggested to be paired with Jin's Majestic Blue, among other colors. It was considered a gorgeous and bright color that some reviewers said had an understated depth that paired wonderfully with other stones. It was a strong pick for spring designs.

Noel = Peridot

Peridot is another example of a crystal color named after a specific gemstone. True Peridot is made of the mineral Olivine, and is distinct as one of the few gemstones that can only be found in a single color. It is sometimes mistakenly identified as the same gemstone as Emerald, though the two are entirely distinct.

The Peridot color is widely popular in design work, featured in a number of different scenes, from the typical fashion scene to being surprisingly and distinctly popular in dance costume designs.

The color is considered strongly unique. It's said to carry themes of tranquility and balance, as well as connotations of renewal and growth.

Nu-13 = Light Sapphire

Light Sapphire takes its name from the precious gem Sapphire, made of the mineral Corundum. Though most famously blue, it naturally occurs in a variety of colors, including the yellow we may associate with Lambda and the purple we may associate with Gamma. While often used in fashion and jewelry, they also feature in a lot of electronic goods, such as infrared optical components, electronic wafers, and certain integrated circuits. They have a lot of practical uses!

Of course, Nu's gem is no sapphire- it only takes inspiration from the color. It doesn't even match the gem's natural shades. As a color, Light Sapphire is considered soft and delicate, reminiscent of Nu's true state under all the violent mania that both Noel and Ragna call attention to at various points in the series. This is an interesting contrast to its namesake gem, as Sapphire is considerably hard and durable.

The light color is suggestive of clear, breezy days and sunny skies. It is often featured in jewelry alongside Aquamarine, Es's color.

Es = Aquamarine

Like Terumi's Emerald, true Aquamarine is made up of the mineral Beryl. Interestingly, it is unique in the distinction of not only being its own gem, but also being used as a descriptor for the colors of other gems; Aquamarine Emerald, Aquamarine Sapphire, and Aquamarine Chrysolite (Peridot) are all common terms to used by gemologists to reference specific variants of their distinctive gems.

As a color, Aquamarine is suggestive of deep oceans, not unlike the Boundary. It's said to be soft and delicate, like Es's appearance, but charming with a brisk sense of clarity. Some say it has a soothing effect, calming one's mind and their emotions.

[numberonesnarkfan]

This is the story of a being named The Narrator.

Many religions and spiritualities have invented concepts and nomenclature that closely describes the type of being The Narrator is. For a western listener to understand best, the closest definition would be that it is a type of ‘spirit’.

The Narrator, as you know it, is a spirit not bound by laws of physics as you are, but bound by laws that govern a realm invisible to humans. One of these laws that applies to The Narrator specifically, is that it cannot refer to itself with a name or pronoun that is not given to it by man. The Narrator never referred to itself at all for much of its life. Even ��it’ is a new pronoun to it. It knew the pronouns ‘ham’ and ‘den’ from the ancient Vikings, ‘to’ and ‘afton’ from the even more ancient Greeks. ‘The Narrator’, too, is a new name, given to it only in the 1600s. 

The last cult who discovered and committed themselves to it called it him, and named him Mikonaxas. The last cult of Mikonaxas was only formed ten years after the turn of the millennium. They operated for three years, dutifully serving the spirit. Mikonaxas told his cult that he embodied story. In ancient times, he would speak to bards and philosophers and tell them things that would change the course of history, if only they would appease him. In this age, Mikonaxas grew bored of his role as a spirit existing only to aid man and instead desired to join them in their feasting and revelry, and in their glory and toil. He wanted to feel firsthand the emotions and desires that he had studied closely, that could only be felt by one in a corporeal body.

“What type of body do you desire, Mikonaxas, my lord?” a member asked, bowing his head to the spirit, its form only visible as a dark cloud. Jim held his breath. He hoped truly that the being would not want for a body that matched his own. He dreaded what the spirit might do to him.

“I’m thinking…” Mikonaxas mused, “tall and fat, a symbol of my power and prestige. I want to appear old and wise, yet a youthful spark in my eyes, yes… Do you know of the appearance of the ancient daemon, Pan? Something like that. But I don’t want my body to be only human, heavens no. I must embody divinity, I must exist beyond the limitations of man. Perhaps endowed somehow with your new ‘recording’ technology, so that my stories can live forever. Can you do that for me? I’d love that.”

Jim released his breath. While he was getting old, his previous lifestyle had rendered him quite particularly gangly. He didn’t fit the bill. He glanced nervously around the near-empty ‘church’, which was in fact built in the basement of an abandoned house. There was one man who he knew fit Mikonaxas’ request.

This is the story of a man named Angelo.

Jim had known Angelo for a number of years. In fact, he had once had a relationship with him, before he had become Angelo when he transitioned to identifying as a man. He had cut ties with his family, who did not accept him anymore, and named himself after his great-great grandfather, who had also faced persecution for his identity. Angelo lived in a small suburban home, with no company other than his two cats. Angelo remained friends with Jim after their amicable break-up, when Jim admitted that, in respect of Angelo’s transition, he was no longer attracted to him. Angelo, rather than being angry, felt grateful to Jim for treating him truly as a man. Now, Angelo was a friend of the cult through Jim.

Jim felt a pit in his stomach. Among gods, or beings who were worshipped as gods, Mikonaxas could sometimes be cruel. He had an explosive temper. If Jim failed to deliver him his desires, Jim didn’t know what he might do to him, or to the cult at large. Jim bowed to Mikonaxas and turned to return to his quarters.

In the days following, Jim found himself faced with a ‘trolley problem’, of sorts. One potential loss of life, or the potential loss of the lives of the entire cult? In truth, Jim didn’t know what would happen to Angelo’s body if he were given to Mikonaxas. But if he had to augment it somehow to make it ‘exist beyond the limitations of man’, that couldn’t be good for Angelo’s general health.

That night, Jim made up his mind. He called the cult to a meeting and described to them Mikonaxas’ request. Stefan, a nurse, piped up that he may be able to help, as did Lucy, who was part of a team who built robots for work and fun. Over months, they devised a plan and built a prototype. They presented it to Mikonaxas, who liked it, but proposed a few changes. After more months, they had a final version.

They would harvest parts from a computer and a professional microphone to implant into Angelo’s body. Some of his organs would need to be removed or replaced. The replacements and the parts were ready, now only one part of the plan remained: Angelo himself.

Jim was dispatched to Angelo’s home a few nights later. They had agreed to have dinner there, simply as friends. Angelo had prepared a beautiful meal and Jim had supplied the wine, along with a certain secret ingredient.

Angelo greeted Jim and allowed him in, motioning for him to sit down at the table. Angelo was on the older and heavier side, with long silvery hair that was often tied in a bun, as it was tonight. He had thick black eyebrows, the only visible hair on him that hadn’t been turned grey by the test of time. He had a square jaw and pale skin, his fingers now rapping on the edge of the table. Jim sat across from him and smiled.

For an hour, they talked. Angelo asked about the cult and Mikonaxas and Jim assured him that everything was going fine. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Partway through their meeting, Angelo excused himself to the bathroom and Jim dropped his ‘secret ingredient’ into Angelo’s wine: a powerful sedative.

Angelo returned from the bathroom and took a sip of his wine, none the wiser. It didn’t take long for the drug to take effect. Angelo didn’t want to be rude to his guest, so he fought to keep his eyes open. Around half an hour later, though, he told Jim that he was awfully sorry, but something must be wrong. Jim responded that he could take Angelo to the hospital if he wanted, but Angelo insisted he would just sleep it off. When he could barely get up from his chair, however, Jim insisted and took him out to his car. Angelo didn’t fight as Jim strapped him into the passenger seat and got in the driver’s seat. Jim started the car and watched as Angelo started to fall asleep.

Angelo didn’t wake up even when he was dragged out of the car and into the basement of the cult’s house, or when he was hoisted onto the table, or when he was tied down, stripped and duct tape gagged. Only when Stefan started to cut, did he wake up. He surely would have fought to escape, had he not been thoroughly tied down. Jim felt his heart sink as Angelo���s wide and teary eyes landed on him.

Stefan, though he was a nurse, was not at all qualified for a surgery of this type. Mikonaxas lended some aid through some kind of mysterious magic, allowing wires and parts to be laid in Angelo’s body, along with a vessel for himself, a small jar in Angelo’s midsection. Even still, when his eyes stopped moving, Jim knew that Angelo was dead. Mikonaxas instructed them to continue, though, and so they did. The final touch was the large microphone stand that protruded from his back, arching up over his head to dangle a recording mic in front of his face.

Finally, Angelo was reclothed and laid down, rigor mortis beginning to set in. Jim held his breath as Mikonaxas lowered himself into Angelo’s now vacant body. He watched as the last slivers of his dark, smoky form disappeared through the skin. All was silent for a moment, before Jim heard a sound like a computer whirring to life. Angelo’s eyes shot open, his irises now bright yellow, split by a slit pupil. 

With Mikonaxas’ deep, bassy voice, he spoke;

“N-no. This isn’t right.”

Blood began to dribble from his mouth as he got up from the table on shaky legs. He stumbled, then turned to face the cult.

“This isn’t–” Angelo - or rather, both of them, doubled over in pain as Mikonaxas rammed at the walls of his vessel, trying to get out. Wounds began to reopen, blood quickly seeping through his bandages and reddening his clothes. 

Wind started to whip and howl at the house, threatening its structure. Jim heard wood creaking before the sudden smash of a window upstairs. The cult members began to panic, but Jim’s eyes stayed on Angelo. 

Jim watched in horror as a black cloud exploded out of Angelo. It filled the room quickly. It felt like burning and freezing at the same time. It felt like falling and rising, like being turned to dust.

This is the story of two beings, known together as The Narrator.

The Narrator felt the dark explosion trickle back inside of him. He slowly stood up straight and looked around the room. The walls and floor were blackened and everything that had been in the room - the table, the altar, and the humans, had been reduced to dust, or perhaps soot. He felt the life draining from him again. Something inside him roused; a deep-set human instinct. For the first time in his life, he feared death. He refused to die.

The Narrator forced himself to move, stumbling through the room and up the stairs. The wind still whipped at the house, the support beams creaking. He limped out of the door, now ripped off of its hinges by the storm. He stepped out into the wind and rain and headed slowly for the closest building. It was a large office complex. The moon was nearly full, the office was the only building with its lights on in an immediate radius.

It felt like hours he was forcing himself to walk. His strength was waning as he pulled himself through the door. The receptionist didn’t appear to be present, so he stumbled through the building, tracking blood all over the carpet. He stopped occasionally to lean on a wall and throw up blood as he searched for signs of human life. The implants in his skin were starting to threaten to fall back out. His vision was blurring.

Finally, he came across an office with the sound of typing coming from inside. He pushed the door open. A man turned to face him as he entered, his face whitening in fear and shock. He was tall and lanky, with brown hair and arched eyebrows, with matching brown eyes. He appeared frozen to his chair in shock as The Narrator approached him.

The Narrator grabbed Stanley by the shoulders. He didn’t say anything, there was too much blood in his mouth for that, which at this moment was dripping onto Stanley’s legs. A horrible crack and a spark came from him before all of the lights in the complex went out. 

Stanley opened his mouth to yell.

The Narrator screamed over him as a black cloud exploded out of him. 

Then, the cloud began to whirl and implode. The wind picked up hard enough for trees to be pulled over outside. It was like a black hole. It was a black hole. Stanley was sucked in first, before it grew, taking more and more of the offices with it, then the entire building, before, in a flash of light, it suddenly vanished. 

…

.

..

.

The Narrator cleared his throat,

“This is the story of a man named Stanley.”

[hskinhome]

hey, i couldnt tell if requests are open or not but if they are: could i get a tarot reading for my past life as gamzee makara? i dont know much about that life atp (i just know in my timeline i went sober/murderstuck) so any type of reading would work :3

Sure thing! I’ll use my go-to spread and my Homestuck Kickstarter deck!

———————————–

You (top card): Something about the kintype, more broad, sometimes obvious but it may still be overlooked

I got the upright Two of Wands, which symbolizes courage, embarking on new endeavors, physical wealth, fortune, desire, aspirations, restlessness, required patience, illness, sadness, and depression. This card (and the reading overall) gives a clue into your timeline post-Murderstuck! After things mellowed out, you wanted to start anew after being in such a dark place. However, things moved slower than you wanted, and it took a lot of internal strength and patience to let them pan out!

———————————–

Home (left card): Something about your canon, can be general or specific

I got the reversed Hierophant card, which symbolizes spiritual creativity, openness to new ideas, invention, Bohemian attitudes, and idealism. After mellowed out after your messiahs were revealed to be yourself, you realized that this left you with the freedom to do what was generally considered sacrilege or against societal norms! You turned to the arts, creating with free will and the best intentions!

———————————–

Heart (right card): Something fundamental about the kintype, something that makes you you

I got the upright Two of Cups, which symbolizes love, harmony, reciprocity, friendships, balance, soulmates, spiritual marriage, and internal balance. In your timeline, you had good luck with relationships, especially if you had a moirallegiance with Karkat! Your love and platonic life were well-balanced, especially post-game. You got along with almost everyone, appreciating those close to you!

———————————–

I hope this helps you. Let me know if it does!

[guiltyidealist]

Alan Turing

was very interested in space science

loved the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (especially the symbolism of the apple)

supported the Soviet Union openly and was in a communist club in college

invented the computer and went on to found the study of machine learning ("artificial intelligence")(hence all the hubbub about "passing the Turing test")

Nowadays we have

billionaires vacationing to space off the backs of millions of working class laborers

a pRoGrReSiVe Snow White remake incoming-- yet another installment to Disney's shitty lineup of reanimated husks that add nothing and lose the original essence, along with the never-before-intended-nor-demanded sequels, both of which dishonor the original work and the artists who made it happen. And capitalizing on the new profitability of appearing "progressive"... and cutting all the costs it takes to create original storylines, worlds, and characters... and all of it done for money but in the name of marginalized people, hurting public perceptions of us

dozens of fervent, raging capitalists with droves of fervently supportive victims; greater wealth inequality than ever; and such a hardcore propaganda campaign against communism that its true definition is obscured to all but those who really get into the study

cryptobros making up a currency, insisting it has inextricable value despite having just arbitrarily breathed value into it, and selling you the rights only to specific photocopies of ugly ass pictures; people instructing machine learning programs to put out conglomerations from their input of human artists' original works, then have the audacity to lay claim to the clout they receive for it and insist upon their originality and entitlement to credit; capitalists ready to pounce on replacing any human with a machine if they judge it to be more efficient at raking in revenues or swelling up their profit margins

oh how the people in control of this world have desecrated all that was ever sacred to Turing.

Stripping him of his status, his academic credibility, his privacy, his relationships, and his body was heinous. Covering up his contributions to the allies' WWII victory and to science as a whole was abhorrent. The things I listed up above pale in comparison to the scope of these betrayals and dishonors.

Yet absolutely nothing -- not so much as the littlest thing -- could be left in its original beauty now could it. Not his affections. Not his scientific and wartime contributions. Not his body. Not even a damn movie he loved.

[no-terfs-no-swerfs-no-fascists]

I've seen this photo and similar ones online for years, and with pretty much every nation where rug weaving is still practiced claiming it was an example of their handiwork, so I did a bit of sleuthing and it turns out the photo is from Thailand!

Quoting from the "Share knowledge of electrical systems - control cabinets - MDB cabinets - PLC control systems" Facebook page (Google translated, sorry):

"In daily life, for the picture of wires in the house that must be wired to various points and use wire clips to lock the wires in place, which does not require many steps. It is probably an image that we are used to seeing. But for the electrician's work as shown in the picture, it is a unique and intricate wire installation. This is... the science and art of wiring inside the building that creates intricate and beautiful patterns. I didn't think that wire clipping could play with patterns like this. It is another story that creates surprise for those who see it. When the electrician with great skills wires using wire ties to various devices by securing the wires to the walls or ceilings of the building with wire ties at every distance, it is like a former artist. Some people make woven patterns, OTOP mat weaving patterns, yantra patterns, Phra Thep Phanom patterns, various lotus patterns, etc. It depends on your imagination. It is considered a creative idea. It also creates good value for the work. Therefore, I would like to commend the technician's effort and patience. Then you can see the work as seen in the picture.

The science and art of wiring of the previous generation of technicians is wiring with VAF type wires that require the method of nailing wires to attach to the wall, cement or wood to make it look beautiful.

Which is different from the new generation of wiring that often uses the method of wiring in pipes embedded in the wall, in pipes on the exposed wall or wiring in various types of electrical wire storage trays using THW type wires and wires for various types of pipes, NYY wires, VCT wires, etc., which also gives another type of beauty that is very popular today. The wiring of the pipes must take into account the neatness and beauty, but must not neglect the details, specifications of the correct pipe and wire sizes at all times.

As for the old wiring method "clipping" which is still popular with technicians and some electricity users

The method of wiring by using clips to attach to the wall has various methods of wiring, emphasizing simple wiring, wiring that emphasizes neat wiring, making it beautiful, and there is also wiring that emphasizes wiring in a beautiful pattern using wire clips to tie it beautifully in the desired pattern. It is considered a wiring that truly relies on science and art. This type of work is often the work of A technician with long experience Because they have to plan the wire pattern, place the clips, and run the wires to get the beautiful pattern as desired. Otherwise, the work will not come out beautifully. For the patterns that are often used to assemble on the electrical wires

They are usually auspicious words, surnames, symbols, various Thai patterns. When the wire clips are placed in the right place, the pattern that appears will be beautiful, showing status, showing the relationship, such as the pattern written as a surname.

These works are works that show the art and experience of the technician as well. To make beautiful wire clips on the electrical wires, the technician must first lay out the outline to make that pattern, then gradually tie the wires one by one until it is complete as desired."

And I also found the OG pics!

Humans are capable of creating the most beautiful things from the most utilitarian means, and the fact that everyday art this isn't common practice everywhere makes me want to invent a time machine just so I could go back and kill the first person who came up with minimalism.

[dancuny]

Kodak Beau Brownie Camera

To end the unofficial box camera month for my blog post, I was thinking about writing about a few different cameras, but my thoughts kept coming back to one specific model of Eastman Kodak camera, one of the most beautiful cameras made, the Beau Brownie camera.

 The two factors of the Beau Brownie line of cameras that I enjoy are the five different colors they come in: black, tan, blue, green, and the most sought-after rose. The art deco design by one of America's outstanding industrial designers, Walter Dorwin Teague, is also bundled into a very uncomplicated camera marketed more as a fashion statement than the ordinary black box camera. 

 George Eastman and his marketing team realized early on that to broaden the photographic marketplace, they needed to expand the scope of photographers using cameras. Until the early 1900s and into the 1910s, the vast majority of photographers were males due to the time-consuming process of making photographs. While Kodak didn't invent photography, much like Henry Ford, he sold cameras to the masses due to the newer methods of making glass plates easier to obtain and process, making roll films, film processing, and printing available to the masses.

 In the late 1920s, Eastman Kodak started a relationship with Edwin Dorwin Teague, which forged a relationship and changed the design and quality of cameras for thirty to forty years until he died in the early 1960s.

The Relationship:

Walter Dorwin Teague, born Dec. 18, 1883, is often regarded as one of the pioneers of industrial design in America. He had a long and influential relationship with the Eastman Kodak Company. His collaboration with Kodak helped shape the visual and functional identity of the company's products, particularly its cameras, during the mid-20th century.

 Teague, known for blending aesthetics with functionality, first worked with Kodak in the late 1920s. He continued influencing the company's product designs for several decades until his death on Dec. 5, 1960. His designs embodied the principles of streamlining, an artistic and engineering approach emphasizing smooth, flowing lines and modern, user-friendly aesthetics. Kodak sought to enhance its product appeal in an increasingly competitive market. Teague's expertise gave the company a fresh, contemporary design language that resonated with consumers.

 One of Teague's most iconic contributions to Kodak was the design of the Kodak Bantam Special, introduced in 1936. The Bantam Special was a masterpiece of Art Deco design, featuring a sleek, black enamel and chrome finish. It was visually striking, compact, and easy to use, aligning with Kodak's mission to make photography accessible to a broader audience. The camera became a symbol of modern design and demonstrated how industrial design could elevate consumer products beyond mere functionality.

 Teague's impact on Kodak extended beyond individual products; he played a key role in shaping the brand's overall aesthetic identity. His work helped Kodak establish a reputation for producing elegantly designed, high-quality, practical, and stylish cameras. His collaboration with Kodak set a precedent for integrating industrial design into mass-market consumer products, influencing Kodak's future designs and the broader field of product design.

 Beyond the Bantam Special, Teague worked on several other Kodak models, including the Kodak Baby Brownie and the Kodak Medalist. These cameras showcased his ability to balance form and function, making photography equipment more appealing and accessible to everyday users. His designs helped Kodak maintain its position as a camera industry leader, reinforcing its image as both innovative and consumer-friendly.

 Walter Dorwin Teague's relationship with Kodak was a testament to the power of industrial design in shaping consumer products. His work not only enhanced the usability and attractiveness of Kodak cameras but also set new standards for the role of design in consumer technology. Through this partnership, Teague left an enduring mark on both Kodak and the history of industrial design.

The Camera:

Beau Brownie cameras came in two sizes: the smaller Nos. 2, which takes 120 film, and the larger No. 2A, which takes 116 film. They were both introduced in October 1930 and ended production in 1933. However, the two rarer versions, the green and rose colors, were in production for 1 year, which ended in 1931. Luckily, I have all five colors in different sizes in my collection. I've had all five for many years, and this is the second time I've owned all five colors in both sizes. 

 The camera that I used for the blog post is the smaller Nos. 2 camera due to the easily accessible 120 film the camera uses. The Beau Brownie No. 2 camera is 4" tall by 3" wide or 3 3/8" wide if you include the film advance knob by 4 3/8" deep. The camera has a 6x9 negative size and weighs 14.1 oz.

 The larger Beau Brownie, Nos. 2A is 5" tall, by 3 3/8" wide, or 3 3/4" wide if you include the film winding knob, by 5" deep. The No. 2A film format is 2.5" x 4.25" on 116 film, weighing 1 lb.—3.8 oz. 

Looking online, I found a Beau Brownie Camera Manual, which is where I look for manuals for the cameras in my collection. It's a fabulous website and something we all should support.

 The front of the camera has a beautiful, enameled Art Deco geometric design that is two-toned with an accent color to enhance the camera's beauty. The black version has a dark burgundy accent color. In contrast, the other colors have a lighter and darker version of the camera's color. The rest of the camera is made of thin metal material covered in pebbled imitation leather, the same color as the camera. The carrying handle is on the top of the camera, which is the same color as the camera's body.

Also, two round windows are used for the viewfinder on the front of the camera. The top circle is for viewing vertical-format photos from the top of the camera, and the bottom is used when you turn the camera on its side for horizontal-format photos. There is no focus on this meniscus doublet lens, so like many box-style cameras, the minimum focus is around 10 feet, but items around 8 feet may still be in focus.

 The Beau Brownie cameras have two latches securing the back of the camera to the front. One latch is on the top of the camera, and one is on the side of the camera. Before you open the camera, you'll need to pull out the winding knob, which is engaged with the film transport. The winding knob needs to be pulled out; otherwise, the camera's front and back won't slide apart easily.

Once you have the camera apart, you can load the roll of film into the camera. Take the empty film spool from the top of the camera and move it to the bottom. Ensure it's adequately engaged, which will move the film from frame to frame. The fresh, unexposed roll now gets loaded into the camera's top film holder. Break the tape holding the film together and pull the leader over the opening with the paper backing looking outwards. Feed the leader into the empty spool on the bottom and wind a bit so you know the film is transporting properly. Also, check that the film fits within the walls of the spool so it can be transported easily. Wind the film until you see arrows pointing outwards. Ince you see the arrows, put the back onto the camera, press the winding knob, and secure the two latches. Now wind the film until you see the #1 in the red window. That's the indication that you're ready to make the first exposures.

 There are only two controls for the camera, located on the top of the camera. There are two levers just in front of the handle. One is on the left, and the shutter speed controller is the smaller of the two controls. There are only two settings. When the lever is down, the camera is in "instant" mode and has a shutter speed of around 1/100 sec. Pulling that small lever up puts the camera in "B" or timed exposure mode. In this setting, you'll need to set the camera on some camera tripod or bracket to hold the camera still so as not to cause a blurry photo.

The other controller is the larger of the two levers that control the aperture settings. The lever can be in three positions to change the different apertures. When the lever is down, the camera has an approximate aperture of F11, the middle position is approximately F16, and the top position is approximately F22.

 My Results:

I loaded the camera with Ilford 400 ISO/ASA film and walked through the neighborhood on a very overcast and sometimes rainy afternoon in February. The neighbors are getting used to the old man walking through the streets with an odd-looking camera in his hand, taking photos of houses, objects, or other items I find on my walks.

 Here's what I took.

Conclusion:

Other than the stunning beauty of this camera, it's a fundamental camera with minimal controls and a fixed Meniscus Doublet lens that takes a significant negative. According to the manual, the minimum focus is approximately 8-10 feet. My judgment of distance was off in some photos, as the images are out of focus.

 Overall, it was a fun camera to shoot with, and I'll need to take it out on a sunnier day to get more contrast images. There are a couple of filters available for the Beau Brownie, one of which is a portrait filter that allows for closer focus for portrait photos, so I'll need to dig through the box of old filters to see if I have one of the recommended filters to try on the camera.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes to read about one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. I'm truly honored to have one in my collection.

 Until next week, please be safe.

[stockmarketknowledge]

101 Stock Market Terms Every Good Trader & Investor Knows

Certainly! Here's a continuation of the list of stock market terms:

S (Continued)

Support:

A price level at which a stock often stops falling due to a concentration of demand.

Stop Loss:

An order placed to sell a security when it reaches a certain price, limiting potential losses.

Stock Split:

A corporate action in which a company divides its existing shares into multiple shares to lower the share price.

T

Technical Analysis:

The study of historical price and volume patterns to predict future price movements.

Ticker Symbol:

A unique series of letters assigned to a security for identification on a stock exchange.

Total Return:

The overall return on an investment, including both price appreciation and dividends.

U

Underlying Asset:

The actual financial instrument on which a derivative's price is based.

Underweight:

An investment strategy where an investor holds a smaller percentage of an asset class compared to its representation in the benchmark.

Unrealized Gain/Loss:

The paper profit or loss on an investment that has not been sold.

V

Value Investing:

An investment strategy that seeks stocks believed to be undervalued based on fundamental analysis.

VIX (Volatility Index):

A measure of market expectations for future volatility, often referred to as the "fear gauge."

Volume:

The number of shares traded in a security or market during a specific period.

W

Wall Street:

A metonym for the financial markets and institutions of the United States.

Wash Sale:

A prohibited practice where an investor sells a security at a loss and repurchases it within a short period to realize a tax loss.

Weak Dollar:

A situation where the U.S. dollar has depreciated in value relative to other currencies.

X

X-Dividend:

The date after which the buyer of a stock is not entitled to receive the upcoming dividend payment.

Y

Yield:

The income generated by an investment, usually expressed as a percentage of its market price.

Yield Curve:

A graph showing the relationship between interest rates and the time to maturity of debt.

Z

Zero-Coupon Bond:

A bond that does not pay periodic interest but is issued at a discount to its face value.

Zone of Support/Resistance:

Price levels where a security tends to stop and reverse, creating support or resistance zones.

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These terms cover a wide range of concepts and practices in the stock market. Familiarizing yourself with these terms can enhance your understanding of market dynamics and improve your ability to make informed investment decisions. Keep in mind that the stock market is dynamic, and staying informed about new developments is an ongoing process for traders and investors.

[mariaislam123]

Creative Mark: Your Logo Design Partner for a Lasting Brand Identity

In the fiercely competitive business landscape, a brand's identity is its most valuable asset. A logo acts as the visual cornerstone of this identity, encapsulating a company's essence, values, and aspirations. Enter Creative Mark, your ultimate logo design partner, dedicated to crafting unique, memorable, and impactful logos that resonate with your audience. With a keen understanding of design principles and a commitment to excellence, Creative Mark stands as a beacon for businesses seeking to establish an enduring brand identity.

Understanding the Power of Logos

Understanding the Power of Logos delves into the pivotal role logos play in brand identity. These graphic representations encapsulate a brand's essence, values, and promise, fostering immediate recognition and emotional connections. Logos wield immense influence, becoming the face of a company and symbolizing its reputation. Their design, colors, and typography hold profound psychological sway, shaping consumer perceptions and brand loyalty. A well-crafted logo transcends language barriers, imprinting itself in the collective consciousness. Its simplicity and versatility enable seamless integration across diverse mediums, amplifying brand recall and differentiation in a crowded market. Mastering the art of logos empowers businesses to communicate purposefully and resonate deeply with their audience.

The Creative Mark Difference

Innovation-Centric Approach: At Creative Mark, innovation isn't just a buzzword; it's the heartbeat of our process. We thrive on pushing boundaries, exploring new ideas, and finding inventive solutions.

Tailored Creativity: Our team understands that every project is unique. We craft bespoke creative strategies and designs, custom-tailored to meet the specific needs and goals of our clients.

Collaborative Partnership: We believe in fostering strong, collaborative relationships with our clients. We value open communication, transparency, and teamwork throughout every stage of the creative journey.

Holistic Vision: Beyond mere aesthetics, we take a holistic approach to creativity, considering factors like functionality, user experience, and long-term impact in every project we undertake.

Results-Driven Focus: Our ultimate goal is to deliver tangible results. We measure success not just by creative flair but by the real-world impact and positive outcomes our work generates for our clients.

Tailored Design Process

The Tailored Design Process is a customizable approach to creating solutions that meet specific needs and goals. It involves a systematic series of steps adapted to fit the unique requirements of a project or problem. Initially, it encompasses gathering comprehensive information about the project scope, stakeholders, and objectives. Subsequently, it moves to the analysis and ideation phase, where diverse ideas are explored and refined. Collaboration and iteration are pivotal, allowing for feedback and adjustments. This process prioritizes flexibility, enabling modifications as necessary to achieve the most suitable outcome. Finally, it concludes with implementation and assessment to ensure alignment with the original objectives. Its adaptable nature makes it an effective framework across various industries and disciplines.

Fusion of Creativity and Strategy

Visionary Alignment: Harmonizing creative innovation with strategic goals ensures that imaginative ideas contribute directly to the overall mission and long-term objectives.

Adaptive Planning: Integrating creativity into strategic planning allows for flexible, dynamic approaches that can swiftly respond to changing market landscapes or unforeseen challenges.

Holistic Problem Solving: A fusion of creativity and strategy fosters innovative problem-solving techniques, leveraging both lateral thinking and structured methodologies to address complex issues.

Market Differentiation: Creativity embedded in strategic initiatives facilitates unique value propositions, enabling businesses to stand out amidst competition through innovative products, services, or branding.

Sustainable Innovation: By intertwining creativity with a strategic framework, organizations can continuously nurture an environment conducive to ongoing innovation, fostering long-term growth and relevance in the market.

Versatility and Adaptability

Flexibility: Versatility and adaptability thrive on being flexible, readily adjusting to changing situations without losing focus or effectiveness.

Learning Agility: Embrace continuous learning, absorbing new information and skills swiftly to evolve and excel in various environments.

Problem-Solving: Versatility involves the ability to tackle diverse challenges creatively, drawing from a range of approaches and perspectives.

Communication: Adaptability shines through effective communication, connecting with different audiences and adjusting communication styles as needed.

Resilience: Being adaptable often means resilience in the face of adversity, bouncing back from setbacks, and embracing change as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Diverse Design Expertise

Diverse Design Expertise encapsulates a multifaceted proficiency spanning various design disciplines, fostering innovation and creativity across industries. This expertise encompasses a versatile skill set integrating graphic, product, user experience (UX), and interior design, among others. By amalgamating artistic flair with technical acumen, it enables the creation of impactful and aesthetic solutions tailored to diverse project demands. This expertise thrives on adaptability, enabling seamless navigation through intricate design challenges while embracing cultural, technological, and societal dynamics. It cultivates a holistic understanding of form, function, and user interaction, fostering inclusive and sustainable design approaches. "Diverse Design Expertise" serves as a catalyst for groundbreaking creations, driving forward-thinking and adaptable solutions in today's dynamic design landscape.

Client-Centric Approach

Understanding Needs: Prioritize comprehending client requirements by actively listening and empathizing to provide tailored solutions.

Communication: Foster transparent and clear communication channels to ensure clients are informed and involved in decision-making processes.

Responsiveness: Promptly address queries, concerns, and feedback, demonstrating attentiveness and commitment to their satisfaction.

Personalization: Customize experiences and services to suit individual client preferences, enhancing their connection and loyalty.

Continuous Improvement: Consistently seek feedback, assess experiences, and evolve strategies to better meet evolving client needs, ensuring an ongoing commitment to their success and happiness.

Embracing Innovation

Open-mindedness: Embrace fresh perspectives and unconventional ideas, fostering an environment where diverse thoughts are welcomed and valued.

Adaptability: Stay agile and open to change, willingly adjusting strategies and processes to incorporate innovative solutions as new challenges arise.

Risk-Taking: Encourage calculated risk-taking by creating a culture that allows for experimentation, understanding that failure can lead to invaluable learning experiences.

Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of curiosity and ongoing education, encouraging employees to stay updated with industry trends and technologies.

Collaboration: Promote cross-functional collaboration, recognizing that innovation often thrives through the synergy of different skill sets and perspectives, leading to more comprehensive and creative solutions.

Conclusion

In a world where first impressions matter, a compelling and memorable logo is non-negotiable. Creative Mark emerges as the go-to partner for businesses aiming to etch their brand identity into the hearts and minds of their audience. Their commitment to creativity, strategic thinking, client collaboration, and adaptability makes them the beacon guiding brands towards a lasting and impactful visual identity. Trust Creative Mark as your logo design partner, and witness the transformation of your brand's identity into an unforgettable mark in the marketplace.

[thephilosophicalengineer]

The thing that annoys me the most is I once found an excellent story regarding the name of this symbol, but in 2006 Douglas A. Kerr rewrote an article on his blog, removing the punchline. Now I can't find any reference to it on the internet at all, so I can't even prove that I didn't imagine it, but anyways, the rest of the article is still there on his blog at dougkerr.net/Pumpkin/articles/Octotherp.pdf

You might note that the title of the post is "Octotherp" and not octothorpe: that's because that was the original name coined!

To paraphrase the article, in the 50s, the Bell Telephone Laboratories invented the tone dialling telephone (replacing the older pulse signal rotary dials with a tone signal push buttons). They decided early on that they wanted a 12 tone system, which would correspond to the numbers 0-9 plus two buttons, a star and a diamond.

However, Douglas was already seeing a relationship between phones and computers already, and pushed for the characters to be an asterisk and a hash, as a hash symbol leans right and the negative space in the middle is a diamond.

But, when Douglas presented his characters to the committee, he didn't use their names, just presented them as '*' and '#'. Shortly after the decision was made to use these symbols, two friends from Bell Laboratories John Schaak and Herbert Uthault invited him out for lunch where they, dismayed that the # didn't have a unique typographical name, coined the term "octotherp", based solely that the 'th' sound in the middle was missing in some languages and would be difficult for some people to say.

Here's where the existing article diverts from the one I originally read: the first article targeted a specific person at Bell Laboratories with a lisp that would struggle the most with this new word. However, this newer article seems to have dropped off that, and left it as a nebulous "'th' [] does not appear in German and several other languages and thus might be difficult for users of those languages to pronounce, which would serve them right."

(which given the surnames of the two friends, is rather funny)

Nevertheless, the article continues that Kerr would introduce the word in all his memorandums to the field about the tone-dialing decoders, that "...it responded to the codes for the digits 0-9 and the special characters '*' and '#', [with a] footnote that read, 'sometimes called octotherp.'"

Soon enough, they were seeing non-Bell publications refer to octotherp, often with invented etymological explanations.

Somehow over the years the word has morphed into octothorpe, and that's what gets spread around today.

The article finishes off by saying, according to the ASCII standard, the symbol's real name is "number sign".

Good evening. My detestable Zoomer child just called my beloved Pound Symbol (#) a "Hashtag". Any Suggestions on how I could punish such insolence? I've already Obliterated all of her favourite toys.

[my-reference-notes]

The Color Psychology of Green

Green is the primary color that hints at our primitive relationship with the first creation of the world – nature. Considered the key color that represents purity, health, and freshness, green has been traditionally associated with brands that encourage growth, vitality, and productivity (think Starbucks and EverNote!).

Gentle, invigorating, and relaxing, green also represents connection. Connection to ourselves, to the quiet moments in our lives, to nature itself. It is not a mere coincidence that people evade the concrete jungle of big cities to disconnect from the mundane and connect to the wilderness of nature. Green means the return to the primal roots, to the pristine kingdom of inner peace and tranquillity.

Color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.

Considered beneficial to the mind and body.

Slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.

Strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

Used to symbolize piety and sincerity.

Also check: Chartreuse

Green

Green is a secondary color. It is made by mixing equal parts of blue and yellow. It sits between yellow and blue on the visible spectrum. The hex code for color green is #00FF00.

The history of color green

Before the 16th century, green dyes were made out of the fern, plantain, buckthorn berries, but the color would rapidly fade. Synthetic green pigments and dyes were invented in the 18th century and they quickly replaced earlier mineral and vegetable ones. Color green was finally used in art to create specific emotions and not just to imitate nature. In the 20th century, color green became a political symbol in many European countries. Today it mostly stands for environmental movements around the world.

The psychology of color green

Green is a dominant color in nature which represents natural and forestial environments. Out of all the colors on the color wheel, green is regarded as the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye. Green symbolizes harmony, tranquility, peace. As a soothing, relaxing color, it enhances stability and endurance. It is most often associated with growth and renewal, and it promotes optimism, hopefulness, and balance.

It is found that green generates therapeutic and positive outcomes, such as fostering recovery from surgery, as well as that perceiving green leads to less mood disturbance and less perceived exertion. Being associated with a place where all the basic needs can be satisfied, such as finding food, water, shelter, color green provides a sense of security. Green has calming effects. People who are supposed to appear on a television show often wait in a holding area that is painted in green color. The idea is that green will help them relax and focus, and also reduce their anxiety.

Green enhances positive cognitive outcomes, such as improved memory, problem-solving, positive thinking. For example, one study showed that people were more likely to remember positive words that were written in green color and that words linked to success were in most cases associated with the color green.

The green personality type

Green personality type tends to be analytical, calm, logical, with a great thirst for knowledge. They are sometimes described as strategic thinkers and visionaries that are also born leaders. They like to be in charge and live their life on their own terms. Those traits sometimes make them appear as stubborn and even antisocial. They believe in science and base their decisions on facts. Additionally, their decisions always rule in favor of peacemaking.

Greens are reliable, smart, tactful and independent. They quickly adapt to new situations and don’t have any difficulty grasping ideas and concepts that are abstract. They are big nature lovers and are usually family-oriented. Greens are modest, down-to-earth, and generous. They don’t have a habit of hiding their emotions and negative thoughts. Their need for closeness makes them good friends and romantic partners. Their relationships are based on respect and loyalty. 

Negative characteristics of color green

Darker hues of green carry more negative connotations, while lighter shades mostly represent positive ones. Too much green or wrong shades of green can evoke the sense of stagnation and isolation. Green is sometimes associated with sickness, which is captured by the expression ’green around the gills’. Green is linked to envious and selfish persons. Green personality types  are sometimes viewed as immature and inexperienced. Green’s negative characteristics also include possessiveness, envy, greed. People who favor green can also be impatient and are often associated with boredom. They lack passion in romantic partnerships. Others can be frustrated by their lack of social interaction and interest, their tendency to overreact, and their high independence.

Color green in business

In a business context, green symbolizes money, transparency, prosperity. Picking out green color to represent a business would help with its growth and profitability. Besides, green color is one of the colors that is trusted and has a capacity to make people feel more secure. Larger quantities of green could also demonstrate that a company is concerned about environmental issues. Most businesses that rely on green as part of their commerce strategies are in the healthcare and food industry. They use green in order to promote a healthier lifestyle. Green is used by other industries as well, all of which are focused on promoting new and fresh products.

Color green in branding and marketing

Color green is one of the cool colors, which are considered restful. According to color  psychology, cool colors make people calmer and less anxious. Therefore, top name brands, that are known for incorporating color green into their color schemes, are usually associated with relaxation, reliability, high-quality products. Their green color is intended to promote calmness and comfort. They communicate the idea of peacefulness through different shades of green. Whether it is a lighter or darker hue, their green identities are a big reason why their customers keep coming back. Green brand has a cozy, welcoming feel to it.  

Information about green / #00FF00

In a RGB color space (made from three colored lights for red, green, and blue), hex #00FF00 is made of 0% red, 100% green and 0% blue. In a CMYK color space (also known as process color, or four color, and used in color printing), hex #00FF00 is made of 100% cyan, 0% magenta, 100% yellow and 0% black. Green has a hue angle of 120 degrees, a saturation of 100% and a lightness of 50%.

Color conversion

The hexadecimal color #00FF00 has RGB values of R: 0, G: 100, B: 0 and CMYK values of C: 1, M: 0, Y: 1, K:0.

[arcane-ish]

I would never put it as there being no reason for Isha to be in the story.

She clearly has a function. Her purpose is to show us another side of Jinx and to serve as the glue or lubrication to encourage Jinx and Vi to team up and maybe also as the trigger for the next stage of Jinx.

And yes, of course one can say that these things could also have been achieved in a different way, there was no need for it to specifically happen through this character. But then again, this can be said for almost any choice made in fiction. That there were always many other options the author could have gone with.

I wonder if critique like this would be more likely to come from Jinx and Vi fans who feel that the show is maybe taking the easy way out to invent Isha to facilitate the reunion between Jinx and Vi rather than Jinx and Vi having to make those tough decisions and relationship building themselves. Like if that is too hard, maybe that is a sign you should work harder rather than introduce a new element to make it easier for you.

Or if it comes more from Jinx and Silco fans who think Jinx's final phase should have been triggered by Silco's death already and taking this road with Isha is redundant. Here imo I can imagine why the writers might feel different. That Silco's role in season 1 was very dominating of the narrative and maybe they felt like they hadn't gotten the chance to fully explore all aspects of Jinx that interest them while he was still around.

Or they wanted to have that arc of the sister, where they both wanted the "Vi hits rock bottom what her faith in Jinx is concerned and has truly written her off" as well as a tenative reunion and that wouldn't work if Jinx was full murder Jinx for most of season 2.

However, while I fully see the purpose of Isha and the role she plays within the structure and narrative, I do see the flaw that she doesn't really feel like a real/realistic person. We/many don't care because she's incredibly cute and and charmingly animated and what she lets us learn about Jinx is moving and interesting. But her existance and actions just don't feel very plausibly grounded in the world. (which again, I'm willing to overlook and go with the flow, but the point still is that I have to do this going with the flow action rather than she feeling like she is a natural part of the world. She feels like a walking symbolism, not a real person with a past and connections within the world)

Seeing a lot of “there was no reason for Isha to be in the story” complaints and aside from the fact that story wise I actually love having new and varied characters interacting in interesting and unexpected ways that’s kind of a large part of what I come to stories for, and aside from the whole narrative weight of a character who’s being called Jinx trying a “do over” of her major incident and having it go so catastrophically wrong, I think there’s definitely something to be said for an arc exploring the whole “is it better to have loved and lost than to never love at all?”where sometimes getting the thing you ever wanted and losing it can fuck you over way more. Like, they take Jinx, who adopts this kid and through her reconnects with her childhood self who she’s been struggling to either cast aside or integrate, and also her older sister who she now has a bit of better understanding of having walked a mile in her shoes, and the father who raised her, and for a moment it actually looks like it’ll work this time. And then she loses it all, this wasn’t the same scenario as the end of s1, this was specifically and textually intended as a conscious and deliberate do over, an extension of “it was something I could fix”, and she’s gonna feel like she jinxed it. Jinx was apathetic to her own death at the beginning of s2 but it feels like it’s gonna be way worse now. But Isha did it all so the girl who saved her could live. Jinx is going to have to reckon with the fact that you will love and lose in life, and it’ll be painful, but painful as it is it’s better than never having it at all, and it’s part of that thing that Isha wanted for her, living. And I think that’s a very interesting and crucial question to be asking, especially of a character called Jinx