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shiny-armin · 4 years

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“Legend has it that a deep, pure affection filled this ancient garden, creating the Luhua Pool as it is known today.”

The two Gods of Geo and Dust took their daily nature stroll around their realms, until arriving at a waterscape with turquoise and yellow shades.

The goddess with sand coloured hair sure had wandered off this time. They used to take walks across the plains they ruled over, never venturing beyond what was usual to him. If offered a map, it would have taken a while for the Lord of Geo to find his whereabouts. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been that difficult, since they were approaching a vast and shimmering lake, which could be easily spotted on a map after all.

Anyhow, it was the first time he laid eyes on that waterscape and was enthralled by it right away. So enthralled, he hadn’t noticed his horns getting entangled in a tree. He yanked his head free, earning a shower of leaves. Guizhong turned around at the creaking sound, and chortled when she discovered her friend grimacing as he shook off the foliage.

“Not even Moon Carver has as much trouble as you do where trees are concerned,” she teased with a grin, resuming her walk. The taller Archon only sighed at her words, since it happened more frequently than he would like to admit. It was true that the stag Adeptus, despite his large antlers, didn’t struggle while walking through the mountain forests, unlike him. In his defense, the Geo Archon had the greatest stature out of all of the Adepti, but he could shrink to a human-like size if desired. Amidst nature, he didn’t bother to adopt a less threatening appearance, and he took pride in his golden horns, too.

They made their way down through the rocky hillside. Although the land was deserted and swallowed up in the undergrowth below ginkgo trees, there was a clear trail among the wildness. A trail made by something, or someone, who certainly frequented the place.

“It is plain to see you’re acquainted with this area,” the dragon Adeptus pointed out, his eyes observing how the fabric of her coral coloured hanfu brushed over the vegetation as she walked.

“Oh? Yes. In fact, under this lake lies the entrance to a secret sanctum of mine. Not so secret anymore, for you already know,” she gave a sly chuckle, while pointing at a ring of stone where pillars gathered around in the middle of the lake. “My research hideout of preference, as I like to call it.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up in intrigue, wondering if that was where she ran off to whenever she was out of sight. Sometimes, Morax didn’t set foot in their residence for days, but that didn’t startle the Goddess of Dust in the slightest. Eventually, he would show up with a blank but bloodied face, framed by branches, foliage and other gifts of nature dangling from his contorted horns. Often, he would also bring some weapon snatched from the dying enemy’s hands, as a present for his dear goddess. She would describe him as a lead wolf returning to his pack after hunting the meal of the day. “Is this device of your liking, Guizhong? ” he would ask. With concern written all over her face, she’d chide, “What on Earth have you done this very time? ” and after caring for his wounds, she would passionately unravel the war artifact and use it as inspiration for future inventions of her own.

Other days, it was all the way around. Guizhong disappeared, not before leaving a reassuring note on a table, since Morax would be the one to silently panic due to his overprotective nature.

They left the lush greenery behind to walk on white sand, their shoes sinking in the shore. “I see, this is where you are always scheming and plotting behind my back,” he said, not a sign of resentment in his voice.

“My dear Morax,” she laughed. “I have the urge to always keep my mind full. Can you blame me?” There was no answer from him, he just kept walking beside her like an overly attached guardian. She averted her amber eyes and fixed them on the crystal clear water. “Actually, I had some plans for this place.”

“Plans?” the man inquired, looking at her with interest. She spun and glanced at a clear spot among the wild grass, and with a swift movement of her hand, lines were traced at her will across the soft dust. A scale-like pattern appeared on the ground.

She sighed in resignation. “I wish to shape the lake this way, however…” she bit her lower lip. “Stirring up dust and sand is never sufficient, it seems.”

The God of Geo set his piercing eyes on the lake which spread before them and crossed his arms, eyebrows knitting together in thought. The ground under their feet began to tremble ever so slightly, then a wall of stone emerged from the shallow waters, creating a miniature dam.

From the corner of his golden eye, he saw his friend’s face light up like a firework. “Oh my! That’s splendid, I cannot believe I had not thought of you for this task earlier,” she exclaimed, hands clasped together while admiring the work she had yearned to accomplish on her own. Alas, she was not a powerful goddess, but she made for it in brilliance. That lack of strength, plus her sympathetic nature, allowed Guizhong to understand and feel closer to human beings.

The rigid Lord of Stone, on the other hand, struggled to find even a single trait that could put him and mere mortals on the same level. It was not as if he despised them, on the contrary. He just never seemed to figure out their motives and ambitions. Hence, he admired how his long-time friend could blend in the common folk, leaving her godhood behind to seem as one of them.

“All you had to do was ask,” he said in a calm but firm voice, arms crossed while drumming a finger on his sleeve.

“Hmm… Do you think you could make some more for me, oh, Great God of Stone?” she asked with a playful smile, some dimples making an appearance on her face.

The man answered only with a low hum of acquiescence. The Lord of Geo would not take orders from anyone other than Guizhong, although it had been a long way since he had come around to listen to her demands. He had forcibly found out that good things came to him – to them – whenever he acted as she wished. She was a far-sighted and wise woman, after all.

He then spread his arms, the long sleeves of his hanfu and untied hair fluttering in the late spring breeze. The ground rumbled once again, and all kinds of lifeforms – terrestrial, aquatic, or flying – fled from their nearby shelters. The crystalline waters sloshed about, new rock walls appearing on the surface next to the already created pool.

“Oh… Try to move that one… a little to the left,” she said, a crooked finger on her chin. He then proceeded to do as she had said. Several scale-shaped pools piled up in different levels, adding to the tranquil beauty of the lake. “Good, good.” A smile of satisfaction appeared on her rosy lips.

When it came to her and their people, but especially her , the savagery and ruthlessness that characterized the renowned God of War disappeared, becoming relatively meek and indulgent instead. And yet, he would not let it completely show in front of their worshippers, coming off as distant and indifferent about many matters, which Guizhong took over. All in all, both gods were equally loved since each one took care of the village in their own way. As if it were their child, Morax provided the Guili Assembly with unwavering protection and stability, while Guizhong nurtured it with wisdom, values, and affection. Both of them took great pride in seeing how their creation blossomed into a lively city.

“What is its purpose?” His draconic eyes searched for hers, sparking with curiosity.

She arched a confused eyebrow. “Purpose?”

“The pools.”

Upon hearing his answer, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. His obliviousness was entertaining at times. She loved seeing his puzzled expression whenever she talked about the most mundane things. “Purpose! They don’t have one. Well, except for visual aesthetic, of course,” she explained, linking their arms together and admiring the landscape.

“What you mean is… They are supposed to be beautiful, and naught else?” he asked once again, the lower tips of his dark hanfu soaking on the shore.

“Is being merely beautiful not enough for you, Morax?”

“I suppose not. I think everything should have a deeper meaning.”

She chuckled. “Well then. You appreciate flowers almost as much as I do. How can you explain them?”

His forehead furrowed in confusion, as if she had given him a riddle to solve. “Flowers,” he began with his deep voice. “Are not there just for their beauty. They feed animals and humans, and some of them have a commercial interest, such as for creating perfume. Moreover, you like to play with them and put them in my hair. They have a further purpose.”

She shook her head, fair locks blowing in the breeze. His opinions were as immovable as the boulders he created, and could only be eroded with continuous discussion. “Morax, your stubbornness is as limitless as Barbatos’ wine supply. Let’s just accept these pools are beautiful and nothing more,” she said, a warm smile tugging at the corners of her lips. As much as she enjoyed their lengthy debates about the world, she knew when it was pointless to push further. Someday, he would appreciate things just the way they were, without looking for any logical explanation. Someday. “Now, what shall be your reward for this marvellous job? Let’s see…” She shifted her weight from one leg to another, still grabbing his arm and a thoughtful expression on her face.

“You are not to reward me, Guizhong. It is my greatest joy to do you a favor. We are committed to helping one another in our weaknesses,” Morax declared, mentally revising the first contract to ever be made on that land.

“Do you need me to file down your horns?” she suggested, purposely ignoring what he had said. The man refused her offer with a shake of his head.

“I can take care of it on my own,” he answered with a half-smile. She hummed pensively.

“Oh, I know. You will pay me a visit to the Realm of Clouds. I will show you my weapon collection,” the Lady of Dust gushed excitedly, her amber eyes shimmering with anticipation while tugging at his arm. Morax shifted a slightly surprised gaze to his friend as they started to walk back.

“Am I allowed to enter?” he asked, a sheepish yet small smile touching his lips. He felt happy he could get to see the place where she created all these sophisticated gadgets, where her beautiful mind was unleashed.

She pondered with a long hum, teasing him with all that hesitation. “Hm… Just this time, I suppose. We do not want you swishing your tail around my exhibition tables,” she joked with a coy grin, but he couldn’t see it as she was walking in front. The God of War peeked at his rear, suddenly self-conscious.

“I… I have got no tail at this time. I will not hurt anything, upon my word,” he promised a bit crestfallen by her accusations.

Guizhong pivoted on her heels and stretched her hands to cup his face, catching him off guard. She had an expression of fondness on her face. “I know you will not. You can come whenever you please. You can even help me, too.”

He cherished her so, so much. But he would not say it. Sadly, he didn’t know how much he would regret all these unsaid words centuries later. He took her hand in his, her clothing then matching the color of the evening sky. They skirted the shore until Guizhong’s secret palace, their most recent joint creation lying peacefully behind their backs. The Luhua Pool.

A/N: not me creating even more Liyue lore!! Btw, that quote in the summary is from the game itself, the Luhua Pool viewpoint description /cries/ I hope you enjoyed it.

#genshin impact #genshin impact fanfiction #zhongli #guizhong #guili #fawn writes #i love them so much idk #/teleports myself to guili plains/#/cries on the computer/

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silverhammersims · 5 years

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🍁🍂 Fall Magic Pack 🍁🍂

This is probably the biggest project I’ve ever done (64 items!). I just got so excited about it, and now I’m so excited to share it with all of you.

I first described this project to @artsymcrafty and @missrubybird as “Something kinda witchy/garden-y/autumn-y" and “low-key garden witch/Hufflepuff-y vibes” and that’s basically what it is! It’s meant to coordinate with @plumbobteasociety‘s Cottage Garden pack and @mlyssimblr‘s Pufferhead Stuff pack.

All the clothes, accessories, and build/buy stuff shown in the previews are either EA, from Cottage Garden or Pufferhead (just a few things) or downloadable below!

Download and detailed descriptions below the cut!

Everything is either base game compatible or requires only the free Holiday Celebration pack except:

The Crookshanks and Fang pet sweaters, which require Cats & Dogs

The Ollivander wand rack, which requires Realm of Magic

The recolor of @brazenlotus‘s Garlic Doormat, which requires Vampires

Some items require meshes:

Tucked & Comfy Sweater by @leeleesims1

Iya Dress by @onyxsims

Pinafore Your Thoughts by @nolan-sims converted to kids by @cowversions

Overall Dress by @storylegacysims

Garlic Doormat by @brazenlotus

Other notes:

The Sprout Planter is meant to go with modular plants like these, these, and these by @aroundthesims, these by @teanmoon, and these, these, these, and these sets by plasticbox on Mod the Sims. The Sprout Planter box fits the Sprout Planter, the potted herbs from Cottage Garden, and anything else that uses that base game plant pot

Palettes used are by @missrubybird, @citrontart, @diannalysims, @purrsephonesims, @wildlyminiaturesandwich, @mlyssimblr, fawnhollow (deactivated), @pinkpxls, and @renorasims

I used @mlyssimblr ‘s Pufferhead icons and constellation patterns on several items here; she is a goddess. that is all.

Download the whole set as a .zip or merged file on SimFileShare or Patreon (free and ad-free), or browse the item index here to download individual items

TOU:

Don’t reupload, claim as your own, put behind link shorteners or paywalls, etc etc you know the drill. Check out my full TOU here

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syaovu · 6 years

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Hriban Set - Three Head Accessories

(available for child and toddler)

This set serves the purpose of making ribbon and headbands fit on many hairs (as possible), especially hairstyles that tuck hair strands behind the ears. The template for three of these is based on certain hairstyles, so if there is any hairstyle that goes beyond that looks, the accessories won’t look good.

Three Accessories: Big Ribbon, Small Ribbon, and Headband

Base game compatible

Female

For all ages

Found in Hat - Brimless Category

There are merged files for all, adult only, child only, and toddler only for preference.

30 swatches include 18 swatches in Cottage Garden Pallete, and my custom colors, plaid pattern

Proper LODs

Custom Thumbnail

Feel free to recolor but just link the mesh back to me

Don’t claim it as yours

Hope you guys like it, let me know if anything glitch or issue.

DOWNLOAD : SFS

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countryshitposts · 5 years

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You’re Shooting Your Bullet The Wrong Way

Pain, I Let The Bullets Fly Oh Let Them Rain

Trigger Warnings: Rape

Also whoever gets the symbolism i made TELL ME

AO3 Link

Name Guide:

Sulian- Soviet Union

Choson Inmin- North Korea

Renmin/Jung-gug- China

Minguo- Republic of China

Nippon Koku- Japan

Nippon Teikoku- Japan Empire

New Zealand thrusts a newspaper underneath America’s nose at seven in the morning, rudely interrupting her morning coffee and general mood for the day. She can already feel an incoming headache, resonating deep inside her as her blue eyes skim the pages, resting on the featured headline. Normally she would not care for headlines and news stories, believing that she’s updated herself every so often, on cold lonely nights with a mug of steaming tea in her hands, looking down from her balcony and into the wild, breeze flowing down at her hair as she checks her phone for new inquiries and to see if there is anything that can potentially be useful to her; either for entertainment or for her job.

She furrows her brows as she reads the headlines again and again, clutching the smooth surface of the newspaper, acting like it has done something wrong to her when in reality, she was the one missing-in-action, out of the game, because she was busily fixing that god-awful broken television that kept bugging her due to the fact she could not watch all of her weekly shows last night in a bathrobe.

“What do you think of this?”, New Zealand asks his sister, quirking a brow at her direction, like she was the boss and everyone has to follow her orders.

(Technically, she is the boss- from taking care of this whole department while the others had gone to their free periods and such, or to the point where her hair is in a bun and looking over at the files in alphabetical order, hoping for the morning to go easy on her.)

“I don’t know; how do you think I should react?”, she replies to her brother, who shrugs a little.

“This might be our one chance on getting into Teikoku’s lair once and for all”, New Zealand replies, and he points at the picture of a man in his late thirties, dark brown eyes staring at the camera, smooth dark hair shining from the light. Manchukuo, it read. “This guy was one of his bodyguards, and now he’s got a vacant position that one of us can occupy.”

“You can take care of this; I’ll be watching.” She leans back onto her swivel chair, legs on the reception desk, boredly looking at the lights blinkering above her, the ceiling plain white and she reminds herself to actually paint this whole dull station to look more entertaining than the pieces of paper scattered around her office day and night.

“You’re going to participate in this”, Canada speaks up from where he was sitting, Vietnam in front of him, possibly talking about something important. “We need you on this case, America. Because I feel like this Teikoku case will spiral out of control due to the diabolical plans he has up his sleeve.”

America groans- Canada was using his ‘older brother’ voice (despite the fact America is older than the bastard by a few years); at times Australia would mimick his tone of voice whenever they were alone to make Kiwi and America better, but now she handles the lamp on her desk, feeling its metal surface underneath her warm palms, wanting to throw the object right at Canada’s face, wanting to hear him shout in surprise as the lamp will collide with his face. She doesn’t, though; she’ll have fun torturing him during practice.

The front door opens and like fishes swimming their way to where the food is, they turn their heads towards the swinging doors, to reveal Philip (two hours late, like he always is), with an even more eyebrow-raising surprise; he was holding a vase full of white orchids, its petals flowing softly in the rising sun before he rudely closes the doors, his face looking utterly exhausted like he’s ran a marathon, dark circles over taking the space under his eyes like it was a cosmic deity of space and his hands were trembling, perhaps forcing them to work to death and in excruciating pain, leaving them immobile as he tries to carry the light-weight vase with visible difficulty. His hair was messy and standing on ends, like he had just woken up from the soft and sweet tendrils of sleep just this morning, put on his shoddy attire (it doesn’t even look ironed; the ruffled creases is obvious) and walked from hell to work.

But everyone’s eyes weren’t on Philip looking the slightest bit ghastly or sleep-deprived despite drinking down three cups of coffee based on how rushed and fast he walks, no; their eyes were on the pale white orchids, the wind inside of the room making them bow down obedient and willing to listen to their master. The colors were ghostly, touched by a spirit from another realm, like someone had just died.

The silence was broken by Philip, who, in his coffee-blazed haze, glares at everyone. “What?”

Canada was the first to recover, a smirk playin on his lips, light eyes staring at the orchids. “So, who is it?”

“Whose what?”, Philip snaps, walking towards his desk and harshly placing the vase on the table- America sees the orchids bounce, its only fluid movement of life before becoming silent once again.

“Uh, ya know”, Aussie eyes the vase again, “the orchids.”

Philip glances at the orchids, like it was the first time he acknowledges their presence as he raises a brow. “These? A friend gave them to me this morning.”

Canada’s smirk grows wider, his brows wiggling. “A ’friend’, hm? Or perhaps… a secret admirer?”

Philip rolls his eyes, sighing. “Look, it’s not like that okay? Just… drop it.”

America blinks at the tone of curtness Philip had in his voice, especially when he starts to curse the god above to why the coffee machine is empty and who wasted the favorite flavor of his, mumbling something incomprehensible before resolving to go outside, away from the eyes, to go buy somewhere.

As he opens the door to the outside world again, the sun and electrical lights made America catch on to something she did not notice a while ago.

There was a golden ring on Philip’s finger, a pattern of small words deciphered into it, its golden gleam and glow reflective throughout the sun.

“America, we really need your help in this case”, Canada pleads with her again, voice soft and literally like a small boy, but she scoffs.

“Ya’ll can do that on your own”, she replies, examining her gleaming and polished nails in the light. “I’m going to be here. Watching.”

“We need you more than as a watcher”, Canada argues back, his voice becoming impatient as his strings of kindness start to loosen. “We need you on our team, to spy on enemy eyes.”

“What makes Teikoku so special anyways? He kidnap a boy’s mother- big deal. Does that make him different from other mobs that also kidnap people?”

“Well, no, not really-”

“Well you have my answer. I’m not helping, you’re on your own.”

“Will this change your mind, then?”, Philip intervenes from the end of the table, holding up a small slip of paper. He walks up to America, giving her the brittle piece of evidence to why she’d volunteer onto this crazy cuckoo quest her brother had just started because he’s too compassionate to a child. She reads and rereads it, the messy and garbled writing surely belonging to Teikoku, due to his harsh lettering and vocabulary. She could just imagine him writing this message with a small smirk on his face, loving the way he would toy at the people he would crush under his shoes when the time comes.

Her eyes tell the story all by itself. Absolute boredom once she starts reading the words and language written in the letter, slowly widening in surprise and panic, the words and letters slowly murdering her on the inside, one hand letting go of the letter to hold on to her throat, as if the words are latching onto her, suffocating her with a pillow. America’s eyes of terror stare from Canada’s concerned expression to Philip’s furrowed brow.

“Where did you find this?”, America asks the one who gave her the letter, him fiddling with his pen.

“I decided to look into someone else’s files for the Teikoku case”, he says, eye averting from the audience, expression unreadable, lines clearly well-rehearsed like he has heard this question one thousand and one nights and his mouth of silver would answer words golden, words of promises, showering jewelry onto the person he is speaking to. “Tokyo, his brother.”

“He wrote his plans to his brother? Then how did it end up in Tokyo’s file?” Canada asks with a suspicious look on his face.

Philip sighs, “Look, sometimes I can hack into others’ documents; Tokyo’s letter history wasn’t secure at all, which is how I got the letter.”

“Philip asks full permission to search out the files for Teikoku’s family”, Aussie intervenes, raising his hand.

“Apparently Teikoku’s letter to Tokyo was hidden beneath another sheet of paper to the point we haven’t even noticed it”, Kiwi adds.

Philip was distractedly playing with the ring on his finger, eyes full of longing… before turning back to America. “So- are you in this or not?”

America looks back at her audience, eyes expectant, monitoring and watching her evert move. It was a choice of a lifetime; to stop Teikoku’s evil deeds before the seeds of malevolence he had planted grow over night, into a tree deep in the gardens, standung still, swaying to the beat of the winds and its leaves will become darker, shaping the forbidden fruit that Adam and Eve had eaten due to a snake’s evil treachery. America looks at the tables, its metallic state replicating her face but more distorted and highly surreal, everyone’s eyes are now melded into one being. She sighs, defeated.

“Fine, I’ll join.”

Koku stands outside of Teikoku’s office, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms at the same time carressing his bruise. He winces once his fingers brush the wound on his forearm, once a gash from last night now bandaged but he can still see the traces of crimson blood when he dares look at it. He’d bit his lip during the whole process of tending to his wound, trying not to glance at it because he knows that it is quite a gruesome sight, clenching his eyes closed, feeling the nurse’s hands near the wound and even above it, making him wince ever so slightly. Teikoku was there, encouraging him that everything will be fine, it was just a gash he had earned from the shattered chandelier glass.

It was obsessively itchy in the bandages, and he tries to resist scratching his forearm because goddamn it the whole bandage was itchy, like hands trying hard to find his sensitive spot but ultimately failing because he is both angry and irritated. It was much better than the obliterating pain he felt when he realizes he actually has a wound on his arm.

Koku inhales and exhales; whatever the reason, he dislikes the sight of blood.

He hears his brother in his office, talking to someone on the phone in a hushed voice, always knowing when someone is at the door. Koku decides to spend his time waiting for Teikoku by rehearsing his words, clouds of words and letters forming in his head like precipitation is going to drown them all. He tries to pick his words carefully, walking on a tightrope that once he looks down he sees a dark abyss opening its mouth to engulf him wholly. He forms a coherent sentence in his mind, a cloud to his clear-headedness; he hears the squeak of a door and Koku snaps out from his thoughts.

“Koku”, comes the voice of the elder, actually tinged with surprise as he finds his younger brother, “what brings you to my room?”

Koku bites his lower lip, opening his mouth and trying to remind his brain not to stutter. “W-well, Manchukuo’s dead.”

Teikoku’s face clouds over, but instead of white cotton clouds blocking out the sun his whole face looks like a thunderstorm is brewing. “I am aware of it.”

“He has three children”, Koku continues, “I believe that they need to be notified of their father’s…”, he swallows down bile and the word ‘dead’, “passing.”

Teikoku nods, his face still settled into a deep frown. “Is that all you wish to talk to me, brother?”

Koku shivers a little, like Teikoku’s stare is stabbing into him, and he has never felt this feeling before, like the whole surrounding is now covered in ice, freezing him until he cannot move, eyes searching for a way of warmth before dying in fiery cold.

“No”, Koku fixes his hair awkwardly as a way to compose himself, “since Manchukuo is… dead, I feel like what he left - aside from his children - is a vacant position for a job.”

Teikoku lifts a brow, suddenly intrigued. “A job.”

Koku nods, “For um… as a bodyguard for the family.”

Teikoku’s frown transforms to a thoughtful look, seemingly considering what Koku says, before looking back at his brother with a small smile on his face. “I’ll consider it; but you do the job interviews, hm?”

Koku’s face lights up, ultimately nodding- he had never received a serious responsibility before, and he now feels eager to do as his brother says. “I will, not to worry Teikoku.” Before he turns to leave, however, he looks back at him. “Where was Palau, during the dinner?”

Teikoku smiles mysteriously, hiding a secret, the snake inside of him trying to jump out. “She had a dinner date in another restaurant; she didn’t want us to disturb them, so I didn’t invite her to eat dinner with us.”

(Palau had been thoroughly as shaken as Koku was when she comes out of her car, pale as a ghost, shielding her body from her father, eyes swivelling from he to Koku. She doesn’t look like she even ate, as thin as she had once was, no joy in her body and replaced by fear clawing at her alive.

Koku had asked what happened to her date, and, her eyes flinging to Teikoku, she smiles a little before saying, “I enjoyed it.”)

Koku nods, telling his brother he will see him later during lunch, walking away from his brother and his room, hearing the door close behind him. As if the cost was clear, as if his third eye tells him that the threat has now long gone, his smile fades and turns into a small frown. His fingers linger on his wound before the little pinch of pain becomes too much for him to handle, his pacing becoming faster, shuffling his feet across the smooth tiles of floors like he is now being lifted by an angel with wings. His train of thought goes from his request to his brother to what happened last night.

Koku thinks about the catastrophe that was last night: how an unruly gang knew Teikoku’s name and wants his blood; how Manchukuo seemed to recognize one of the members; how that man was seen dragging away another boy away from Teikoku; he doesn’t get why that gang targetted his brother, of all people. Perhaps of his money, he assumes, because they are one of the richest families in the city, and Teikoku’s charming grin while handling his well-tailored suit can tell him that they wish to smear his blood on his own fortune, to claim it as their own. But there was something else- the way the boy with the eye-patch tries to aim his pistol on Teikoku, wishing vengeance as he tries to shoot the bullet ready to kill him. The way Teikoku did not flinch nor look casual when he sees Manchukuo’s body, blood dripping from the hole in his head, like he expected this outcome and expected his death.

Maybe there is more to Teikoku and he is only scratching the surface.

America sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, tying her hair up in a bun, looking at her reflection in the bathroom’s mirror. When she tells them she actually wanted to join this wild case against Teikoku, they give her a job where she wouldn’t sit back and watch this whole disaster play out. At the very least, she isn’t going to disguise herself as a prostitute to seduce her clients, like what Canada is doing now. She takes out her compact mirror to try add a little splendor to her face, then dabbing herself with perfume to somewhat impress her brand new 'boss’, as Australia so elegantly put it.

(“Looks like you’re the one being ordered around now”, Australia snickers as he gives her a bunch of uniforms to sort out through to see which suits her the best.

America gives her brother a glare before picking out one from the pile, “I’ll have fun removing your lunch time privilages.”

Australia goes pale.)

America looks back at her reflection again, cerulean eyes making contact with its duplicate, steeling herself for what was about to come, rehearsing the words in her head and trying hard not to let Teikoku get the best of her. Of course, she reminds herself to never be nervous of Teikoku, that he is the worst of them all, a single demon escaping from hell to create an all new spawn of monsters lurking around every dark corner, a shadow to one’s eye. She takes a deep and sharp breath, applying lip balm on her lips and she gives herself a small smile, to look like nothing is wrong and everything is fine, and that she isn’t infiltrating a bastard’s home every time he isn’t looking.

America replays her role in her head, trying to clear her mind.

Be hired as one of Teikoku’s bodyguards.

Find evidence in his files.

Arrest him.

Sounds like an easy enough plan, America thinks to herself, the problem is whether Teikoku is smart enough to see through her.

Another reason why she did not join this whole goose chase in the first place: she indisputably is aware that Teikoku is a conniving and perceptive man- one wrong move he’ll put a bullet through her skull or do something much worse than a quick and painless death. She had met him, once; during a party by one of the highest officials in the city, intent to become allies with the richest of businessman and highest of officials.

Teikoku was the least talkative out of everyone she has ever interacted, crossing his arms and never inviting anyone to his personal space unless he is called by someone else, putting on anelegant and charming smile that wins the entire population, disregsrding his eyes; grey orbs that swirl with absolute evil and lust for power, his hands conjoining as he looks towards the surroundings with intent and ambition painted across his face, waiting for the right moment to strike like he was a lion waiting for the prey to be surrounded to jump out from their hiding and tear its food apart, piece by piece, grinding its teeth to their flesh as they squeal and scream and kick but the grip is firm, until their screams die and their hearts will stop, knowing that this was the end of their existence.

America refuses to remember the way he looked at her, the way he looked at the other women from a distance, smiling wickedly ever so slightly, a smirk on his face, glass of wine in his palms, studying its contents.

America looks back at the mirror, giving herself another confident smile, before stalking out from the bathroom and into the fatal situation that she has gotten herself into, with no way back unless it’s through Teikoku’s head.

Canada has never been to a brothel before.

(Well, if he counts those times his father tried to get him to loosen up a bit and lose his virginity to strangers unknown to him. He declined his father’s offers, knowing that he should save his virtue for someone special, but later that night he made the mistake of letting someone into their house in a drunken haze, his room smelling of honey and lemon for days.)

He opens his phone to send Aussie and Kiwi a message, that he was already in front of Teikoku’s very own brothel and house for prostitution, ’The Comfort Zone’, as he so elegantly put it.

(He can see why it is called like that; providing comfort and sweet sweet lust to the clients paying for a cheap fuck or two, but for the prostitutes being forced to work in this place they are stuck in the deepest pits of hell, forcefully playing the game of lust with their customers, knowing they don’t enjoy it, and never will.)

Canada takes his time pacing at the entrace, trying to make himself look unrecognizable and obscure from the cameras littering around the place, covering himself, trying to look unrecognizable through the blur of the mobitoring and predating cameras littered around the whole place, fixing his hair, making himself look less more of an officer and more as an awkward and newcomer looking for a quick fuck like their stored lust has now been unleashed.

But for the first time in his life, he isn’t looking forward to get laid.

He needed answers and evidence to destroy Teikoku and his family once and for all, ridding the world once more of life that taints blood with inklings of darkness, first small drops like a rain before the storm hits, before the thunder claps and the lightning flashes and strikes across the sky, until it becomes a downpour but instead of drying once their old enemy the sun is shining ever so brightly and radiantly, they dry until nothing is left but their ghosts.

Taking a deep breath, he walks in.

Renmin wakes up feeling warm, either from the sun escaping through the barriers that is the windows and curtains, the soft blanket covering his waist down, or Sulian’s warm arms wrapping around him. He can feel Sulian’s breath on his neck, the way his lover’s chest rises and falls like the beat of his heart, eyes closed and lips parted, as if expecting a kiss from the deepest tendrils of sleep, waiting for someone, anyone, to wake him up with a touch on the lips. Renmin just smiles, of course; nothing had ruined his peaceful morning with Sulian, their night ecstatic and amazing, each of their kisses giving them more and more warmth until it burnt on their skin and lips like forging the flames of a dying sun. He carefully carresses the man in front of him, his lover, on the cheek, feeling the softness of the skin from a hardenned man, always in for battles, but never displaying affection.

Except for him.

The warm arms enveloping him pushes his bare body, only flesh and no clothing, closer to Sulian’s chest, shirt ruffled and tattered from last night’s latest game for naught. Renmin sighs once again, putting his arms around Sulian’s much larger and bulkier body, cuddling himself closer in his chest.

They can stay like this forever; time standing still, stopping them from doing anything, no one disturbing them, an unbreakable glass dome around the couple, serene and sturdy, letting them rest until they grow old and die, thus ending their small string of love, cut by fate.

Of course, nothing can last forever- he hears Sulian groan, a sign he has roughly been disrupted from his peaceful sleep and is brought back to the nightmare that is his life, and his dream that is Renmin, smiling back at him. He opens his amber eye, taking in his surroundings like he was in an unfamiliar setting with no way back, until his eyes find Renmin’s, body entangled in a mass of blankets and his arms, smiling a little back at him. Sulian smiles as well, feeling his day become better just by looking at the star near him, brightening like a damned solar flare, until burning out and becoming mortal like the rest of the universe.

Renmin feels a kiss on top of his forehead, a kiss of love burning through his head like the bullet he embedded on his own brother’s forehead, no sense of remorse, and no time for such rushed reunions.

All he needed was Sulian, and that is the objective that makes his heart melt.

“Zaoshang hao”, he greets, as he feels the arms around him stretch and Sulian yawning. He feels another kiss on his forehead, then on his lips, short but brilliant, making him feel at home.

“Morning, lyubov”, Soviet greets back, still entranced from sleep. Renmin chuckles as Sulian once again puts his arms around him, bringing him closer. “I have been dreaming about you.”

Renmin smells the sweat and blood on his shirt, sighing a little. “As you should.”

They stay like this once again, the entire world against their union and against their love for one another, but they too, hate what the world has given them and wish to correct the perspective given to them. Minguo had made the same mistake, trying to tear them apart to keep his younger brother loyal, but in the end he lost one ally to another.

He can feel old grudges rising inside of him, remembering Minguo’s red face once he says he was in an alliance with Sulian’s gang, remembering the way his older brother’s hands were up on his throat, choking and suffocating him, depriving the boy of needed air to sustain himself and one hand crawling up until it reaches his eye, and as Renmin cries and screams and kicks and pleads with Minguo, begging for forgiveness, but like a doctor’s scalpel digging into one’s flesh to draw out blood, the fingers plunging into his sockets and ripping his eye out like it was nothing but a toy stuck and wedged into the wall, the hands stubbornly never giving up on its onslaught until at last they finally meet their goal. A hand unconsciously comes towards the wounded eye, a raw flavor on what those wars have done to him.

A sigh comes from Sulian- not one of disappointment but a pitying one. “Thinking about Minguo again?”

Renmin snuggles a little more into him, “Well, sort of. It’s been a decade and I still haven’t found him.”

Amber eyes melt into gold. “Is it because of your meeting with Manchukuo last night?”

Renmin fixes his hair, staring at the ceiling. “Well, yes; we’re all aware that he works for that bastard man now, but to see him again… it just made me feel strange.”

“Perhaps from the fact I murdered your own blood?”

Renmin snorts, “Oh please- I’d care less about family who’s rejected me lying down in front of me dead.” He kisses Sulian again, feeling a hand on his back to elongate and deepen their passion, until seconds later Sulian lets him go, light in his eyes.

“Let’s go eat breakfast, then”, Sulian says, getting up, his waist below covered by the covers until he stands, looking for his clothes, leaving Renmin to monitor his back, feeling his skin prick with more passion.

They were late for breakfast, of course; breathless and messy hair, clothes absolutely falling down like they had a small quick fuck (of course they did) before walking out of the hall and in absolute bliss, the members of their small mob knowing what they’d just done but never commenting, preferring to be as silent as the lambs than scarring themselves with what the couple does in bed. Breakfast, like all other periods of feeding members, were quiet, hushed voices the only one trying to tap on the window of silence, as everyone clinks on their plates, eating in small and rhythmic bites to savor their meals and their energy for another day. Some were not eating and instead having a conversation with their friends; some were smoking outside with a cup of coffee as their meal; and some - like Inmin - were busily scheming silently.

Inmin was one of their youngest members- recruited at the mere age of thirteen just to find his mother in the darkest corners, going through desperate measures to find her. He was a young and naïve boy, once upon a time; a small smile on his face, amber eyes full of fractured innocence, ready to be used for one’s advantage, to be played with until his innocence shatters. He had lived happily with his family from beyond, but his desperation to find his mother made him and his twin drift apart, a single dust speck in the winds. Madness came to him like a swift wind dealing with a tree trying to stand during a storm- an explosion had racked the boy’s nerves one day, and a shard had scarred him for life, maming contact with his eye. When he wakes up from his slumber, he was hysterical, blaming his family and everything for what has happened to him.

Inmin remains silent but at the same time vocal to this day.

Sulian tells Renmin that he was going to get them breakfast, and Renmin swivels around towards Inmin’s table, only one person sitting on it, never eating, thin but able, holding a newspaper, and, judging by his face, once again exercising himself to read the printed words. Once he senses Renmin near him, however, he stops trying to read.

“Joh-eun achim, Jung-gug”, Inmin says with a small voice, hoarse from last nights shouting and screaming and crying about how they were close, so close to getting Teikoku. He turns back to the newspaper. “I’ve reread the same page over and over but the only thing I can understand is - well - your brother’s death.”

Renmin nods, taking the newspaper from Inmin’s hands and reading the section of Manchukuo’s death. His eyes skim the page, paragraph by paragraph, until he freezes, his eyes flying wide as his entire blood runs cold. If Sulian had given him a cup of coffee earlier, he would’ve spat out the bitter and hot liquid before dropping it on to the floor.

Inmin seems to sense his discomfort, and he blinks and asks, “Are you alright?”

Renmin does not reply, looking at the last paragraph about Manchukuo’s death, the photo of his dead older half-brother haunting him, like he came back just to mock Renmin.

The death of Manchukuo was hard for his boss, Teikoku, who says that Manchukuo was a loyal friend in the end, and to his three children, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, who were waiting for their father to come home until Teikoku breaks the news to the three orphaned kids.

“He had children”, he says in a small voice, barely a whisper. He can feel the whole world once again laughing at him, noticing his horrible decision when he let Sulian go in for the kill. Of his brother. Of a father. A father of three small children, oblivious to the matters of death and are now paying their father’s price.

“Do you feel guilty of the fact that I murdered someone with three children on his shoulders?”, Sulian asks from behind, making Renmin jolt from surprise as he turns and faces Sulian, two pairs of plates with meals and two cups of coffee, juggling them in each hand. His eyes were on the printed words, while Renmin’s were on his shoes, feeling ugly guilt churning inside of him, a feeling he had not felt ever since he sees Nanjing being dragged by Teikoku but never doing anything about it, because that was Minguo’s responsibility but he did not see him look for his wife, having disappeared to thin air. His hand shakes a little, like the whole world had gone cold, creeping up from the wake of the warmth of the fireplace until it catches him by surprise, freezing him alive. A little sprinkle of sadness, then of guilt, was enough for him to suffocate of his deeds.

But he sucks that up; he did not have any time to cry or mourn Manchukuo’s death, knowing he is nothing but a hindrance now gone from his life. He looks at Sulian straight in the eye, who was trying to test his composure, wanting to see him cry.

There is less time for humility and more time for pride.

He smiles pleasantly, “No, not even a bit.”

America makes her way through Teikoku’s halls, being escorted by his half-brother - Koku, she reminds herself - who was waiting for a flood of people coming to their home for a new job but only she arrives. She remembers the way Koku was fidgeting in the entrance, pacing back and forth, rehearsing speeches to himself all the while fixing his hair to look nice in front of an audience. The way he smiled at her as she approaches, was like the sun had become brighter and stronger, flares scorching from his veins but instead of malevolence the smile is genuine and happy, unlike Teikoku’s. The way he shook her hand, like he was eager to meet her, as if he has been closed off from the world and has only ever interacted with his family.

(According to his records, Koku was home-schooled by Teikoku; maybe that is why he seemed so happy yet awkward to interact with someone outside his family.)

The halls were lit by small lamps on the walls, giving the white paint a sort of radiant yet looming energy, a candle dancing with the flames on its head to give their surroundings a better light. She looks at the floors, patterned tiles sounding as she steps on them with her heels, looking at Koku who was humming to himself as he busily stares ahead. She keeps her head low, but looking at the long halls until they reach the intersection where the halls end into dozens of rooms, railways of patterns around them.

“Just continue following me, we’re almost there”, Koku tells her, and she looks back at him, dark hair smoothed out, gray eyes sparkling and glinting.

She thinks that, despite the fact they are half-brothers, their resemblance is uncanny, and not even Tokyo can be compared to how similar they both are. Perhaps the only difference is the air around them; Teikoku presents himself as a meteor that is slowly looming closer out of the naked eye until its impact cannot be stopped and it shakes the entire world, while Koku was a small comet, passing by in a wink of an eye.

Even his voice enchants her a little, just a little- she reminds herself he is just like his brother, his innocent demeanor a ruse to let her guard down until he leaves her to rot in a hole.

She is wary of how unusually calm and somewhat bright behavior is odd for someone who was caught in a crossfire last night. She eyes the bandaged wound on his forearm, a red crimson hue surrounding the gauze. She and Koku go through the dark hallways again, seeing the entire house so… huge yet monochrome, blank walls as if eyes can escape through its blank stare, looking at her suspiciously, knowing of her intentions of goal. Koku stops at a large door, mahogany penetrated for patterns as he unlocks it and ushers her in.

Like the walls from the hallways, this was painted a lonely white, sorrow surrounding her, eating her whole slowly but surely, and she turns back to her guide who was busily arranging some things out of the way.

“Sorry about this room, it’s the only vacant one in the house”, he finally says after a while of arranging chairs. He looks back at her, tilting his head, “well, if you accept or get this job, you can have this room.”

America shakes her head, plastering a small smile, “No, I’d rather stay with my family.”

Koku nods, no malice or grudge hidden in his eyes. “I’d understand; I wouldn’t want to be separated from my family as well.”

With a content smile on his face, he asks, “What’s your name and do you have any family members?”

“My name’s America”, she replies coolly, leaning back on her chair like it’s the end of the world, “my father was England, I don’t know my mother, and I have three brothers.” Her eyes turn from the windows featuring the blue skies to Koku’s thoughtful face, magnetized by how the creases of his brow fade whenever he raises his eyebrows, the tongue sticking from the edge of his lip like a small child trying to make something out of his own sweat and tears, determined to impress their parent.

Koku’s gray eyes meet hers and he gives her a small smile and her cheeks color, heart beating just a little faster than it was before. She shakes herself out of it, playing on a strand of her hair, averting her gaze from Koku like a dazed school girl. Her mind reminds her smitten heart that he is a mission, bait for her demise, knowing he’s only pretending to be her companion until she makes the wrong move.

“Why do you want to apply to become a bodyguard?”

“The news last night was quite a surprise, to be honest.” She picks at her words on the platter, calmly choosing them with one finger to lead her on until she gets the job. “An experienced bodyguard, of one of the most powerful businessmen, killed by a lover of a mob boss… I don’t like mafia mobs, you see. They took my father away and they, well…” She leans closer to him, getting the boy in front of her, just a teen, invested. “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, of course.”

Her cerulean eyes meet with Koku’s gray ones, her fingers lingering on his larger but smoother hands a little, playing with him, even if it means seducing him to get this job because at the very least, he is not his brother. She blinks at him, trying to look innocent, a damsel wanting to save him from the bandits who’d run his castle dry. He goes entirely red, America feeling his hands shake.

“I-I…”, he sputters, hormones raging deep inside him whilst America smiles at him, a devil in Eve’s clothes. “I a-appreciate your concern, but I don’t need protection.”

America feigns surprise and hurt, her eyes twinkling more with pure unaldurated lust and desire for Koku. “Oh? Even if you say you’re protected by Teikoku, he’ll never be always there for you, always busy and away for his work.” They are now a small distance apart, their lips almost touching if America would lean a little more, looking at Koku’s lips, entranced before going back to her job. “I would always be there.”

Koku gulps, slow and short. “I…”

America smirks a little, licking her lips, “The choice is entirely yours, of course; if you’d like me to work undeterred in your home, or you can kindly send me on my way.”

Koku hesitates; his hands fidget as his gray eyes go from her then to the window and then back to America, her legs crossed and owning a straight face, lips tingling. It was as if the entire world has gifted him a mysterious box, letting him decide whether he should open it without knowing the cost, or if he should ignore it, trying to disregard the feelings of temptation and curiosity burning up inside of him and live through another day of debating whether he should or should not open the box. America wants to laugh; Koku’s face looks like a mix of a small child and an old man facing a choice that will decide his fate, but her heart is still beating in a fast pace, but she assumes it was from hoping he’d accept her than how completely cute he was in that expression, hair covering a small side of his face.

The silence between them was a cloud of wisps, blowing ever so hard in their direction, in love with teasing the both of them, making the both of them feel antsy outside of their own comfortable space.

“My brother did say it was up to me whether or not I should hire you”, Koku finally says, making America perk up. “So… I feel like hiring you would be a good choice.”

America smirks deviously, but she turns back to him who was smiling brightly and holding out a hand. She hesitantly takes it, warmth suddenly surging up from the hand touching her hands and into every part of her body, energizing her to continue with this tomfoolery they had assigned to her. She gasps a little, like this sensation is always there, she just refuses to search the inner depths of her mind for this beautiful yet bamboozling feeling. Her mind is jumbled, playing a sweet and soft melody, her eyes seeing the stars.

But once Koku retracts his hand from her grasp, she feels the warm walls around her, making her as cozy as she is in a fireplace, crash into her with cold arms, her mind goes back to the plan.

“You’ve made the right choice”, America assures Koku, who chuckles a little, making the woman in front of him - once again - frozen in place, time standing still as she awkwardly fidgets with her hands; why is she so… awkward whenever Koku does one small move of happiness? This is normally what a lot of people do, laugh whenever there is something funny to laugh at, but for Koku, his laugh… it was like the stars were twinkling above her, showing her the way.

“You should come with me, I’ll break the news to my brother about your hiring.”

Her blood runs cold.

The whole city was cold during the night- it had just rained the afternoon before the sun’s flares had died and gave the light to the moon, now glaring down at her with its soft light, not guiding her into beyond but watching her with its eyes, the craters all seemingly moving like they are irises. She breathes in a little, shivering from the cold, and how horribly revealing her clothes are for this temperature. She shudders as another gust of wind blows out of nowhere, like a kiss on her skin growing to become prickly thorns. Her heels were worn from walking around the city too much, holding the satchel the stranger had given to her tightly before she was freed from the infernal pits of hell, the room more like a prison cell despite the fact that it looks more like a suite than anything she has seen in her entire life.

She can still remember the arms, searching her, roaming on her small figure as they try and take what they want from her, pinning her to the soft matress of the bed, becoming her worst enemy, back flat against its soft yet sharp underneath her. She used to kick and scream, trying to get them away from her, that this wasn’t the job she wanted and that she used to be so much more, so much valuable than being one prostitute on Street Number Sixty-Three. Shanghai recalled those disgustingly fake sweet voices, calling her petnames as they touched her, their voices lingering before disintegrating; she has been called those and hated every single one of it.

But that was before.

Before she decided to play their game, become Teikoku’s sweet little seductress, meek and submissive while retaining her seduction, charm and wit, easily making her a fan favorite.

Shanghai did not want this, nor did she care becoming a different person from who she was, but Teikoku made her like this. He broke her apart, piece by piece, putting out the only shards that he liked on her. He broke her, bones and mirrors and all.

She huddles around the jacket the stranger had given her once more, as she fusses with the satchel, feeling the rolls of money he gave to her, the canned goods enough to last her a week or two if she rationed it just enough. The jacket was her only layer of clothing from the cold and protecting her body due to only wearing lingerie once he ushers her out from her window and into the bustling city she had not touched but only watched for years. Shanghai would remember sticking her head out of the windows to feel the breeze and wind of being free, having freedom she used to have before she was locked up in a cage with no return to the wilderness. She had seen - with her very own eyes - everything change, innovations and technology happening here and there, the shapes on her eyes becoming taller, wider, larger, but even then, when the entire world is on the brink of collapse, she can find solace at the fact that nothing is changing, even if they are forcing her eyes wide open to the surroundings around her.

Shanghai steps on a puddle, immediately soaking her heels much to her grimace, looking at the lamposts littered around the street, luminating small pieces of the concrete road, as if they are trying hard to battle the darkness during the night, yet they are failing because of course they are. She decides to think of where to stay, but her mind comes up blank.

The police department? Absolutely not. She had her fair share of clients boasting that they are in high-ranking positions such as catching crime and putting them in jail. How can they be good men when even they clutch the treasures of corruption, perhaps even wanting to undress her as they work with their higher-ups and telling them they can handle her, but instead they’d put her in the backseat of the car and drive her back to the brothel and take advantage of her and her body-

She shakes her head, shedding a single tear in her eye.

No to the police department, then.

Shanghai tries to remember the old house she and her old members used to share, either dead or had gone through the same fate as she did, becoming slaves for Teikoku, grovelling and begging for him to feed them, even the tiniest bit. The house must probably only be standing in their own minds now, ever since Minguo vanished into thin air one night, no news of where he went, but she knows he is a coward who never became their saving grace. He chooses to hide his wings of darkness in favor of running away, never to come back because he is now just a mortal with nothing on his shoulders.

She frowns a little, thinking about the last time she saw Minguo, exchanging fires with his own brother before she is knocked over the head.

She then feels a tap on her shoulder, and she lets out a small shriek that pierces through the whispering night, jumping and stumbling until she trips on the road; thanfully the jacket was soft enough to land on and act as her cushion.

“Oh dear; I am so sorry.” A man’s voice says from behind her, and panic rises from her chest as she knows she will now have to deal with another man being shoved into her life and for her to play games. She feels the damp road beneath her, and she gets up, slipping a little before a hand catches her wrist.

Shanghai freezes up from the sudden touch and she inches away from the newcomer and sees that it was a man, business suit and smooth dark hair, blue eyes full of concern.

(She does not know whether it is genuine or he is feigning concern- she has learned never to trust anyone again.)

“Are you lost?”

#mine #writing #you're shooting your bullet the wrong way #countryhumans #countryhumans america #countryhumans new zealand #countryhumans canada #countryhumans australia #countryhumans philippines #countryhumans china #countryhumans soviet union #countryhumans north korea #countryhumans japan #countryhumans japan empire #countryhumans kpg #tw: rape #rape tw

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scapegrace74-blog · 6 years

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Seventeen: Mandie (866-TOP-GRLZ)

A/N You ever make a list? A way to compile all the missed opportunities, the transgressions, the warning signs telling you that you’re on the wrong path? Of course you have. Part 13 in the series. Part 1 and links to other parts are here. Rated NC-17.

13.

He’d been visiting his father in Washington in 1969, and the driver took them through a bad part of town. Even in daylight, the street corners and stoops were populated by women the likes of which he’d never seen before. Garnished in go-go boots, flimsy lace and kohl, he wondered aloud if they were going to a costume party.

Bill Mulder chuckled. “Those are whores, son.”

“What’s a whore?”

“A prostitute. Men pay these women to... please them.”

He’d stared then, wide-eyed, at these women who sold pleasure to the wise and powerful, like his father. Maybe this was what kept him away from home. It would certainly explain the frosty unpleasantness of his parents’ marriage.

As though guessing his thoughts, his father clarified, “Not us, son. The Mulder men don’t debase themselves by paying for sex.”

***

He thought of that long-ago conversation as he sat in the gloaming of his apartment, a telephone number on a worn scrap of paper lying on the coffee table before him. His professional duty was to uphold the law, and his personal inclination was to protect the vulnerable. AIDS was rampant in DC’s sex work industry. And if he wanted to get laid, he could wander into any bar or club of his choosing, and likely find someone willing to go home with him.

So why was he considering calling an escort service?

After Jade’s death and Diana’s departure, he’d sat himself down and performed a thorough self-analysis. His conclusion: his track record with women sucked. From the first, he’d stumbled into one relationship after another, pinballing off heartbreak and into empty sexual gratification. He’d assumed that with time, he’d meet someone who offered some tenuous foothold on middle ground, but that hope withered and died with each passing year.

His life didn’t invite stability, and he was tired of feeling guilty that he didn’t love the way the greeting card companies said he should. Love was like a mirror, he’d told Elizabeth once, and every one of his attempts at it had shown him something ugly inside himself that no-one else deserved to see.

But his body still ached to be touched. Restful sleep had always been elusive, and the mental stimulation of the X-Files often saw him still awake at dawn, researching and piecing together tenuous strings of conjecture, certain that the answer to his sister’s abduction lay hiding in the deep well of arcane mysteries into which he’d inadvertently fallen. Physical release was one of the few things that calmed his mind and allowed him to slip temporarily into oblivion.

And there was something else. Something so dark and disgusting that his thoughts sheered away from it every time it crept out from under his strict regulation. But if was going to court degradation by paying for sex, why not open that portal and find out, once and for all, where the filthy rot inside him resided? A hooker in Washington DC would be well-used to taking those kind of secrets with her to the grave.

***

He waited on hold, a synthesized version of Must Have Been Love causing him to smile grimly. A musical prescription for the lovelorn. Finally a surprisingly matter-of-fact female voice picked up.

“Welcome to Top Girls, Washington DC’s premiere companionship service. My name is Elisa Covington. How may I assist you today?”

His hand shook. His heart pounded heavy in his throat. Hang up, Fox. Some things are better off not known. Just hang the fuck up.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

His fish tank gurgled, the last of Jade’s mollies swimming aimlessly in circles under the false sun of its bulb. It was Friday evening - another sixty hours before he spoke to anyone not expecting a gratuity. Fuck it.

“Yes, hello. Sorry. I was... I’m calling about a... date.”

***

It was a surprisingly business-like transaction. He answered a series of questions about his preferences: height, build, hair colour, manner of dress. Then the service took his credit card information. Two hundred dollars for an hour, which included the cost of the hotel room and a recent clean blood test. He’d be charged, whether he showed up and got off or not. He’d wear a condom, provided by the service. Saturday evening at seven, at the Marriott just south of Capitol Hill. Room 1013.

***

He wiped his sweaty palms down the front of his jeans, inhaled deeply through his nose, and knocked. The door opened into a dimly lit and innocuous hotel room and he stepped inside.

The agency had done better than he’d dare dream: she was about 5′8, slim and athletic with shoulder-length dark brown hair that fell in loose waves. Instead of the stereotypical spandex and mesh, she was dressed as he was, in jeans and a loose-fitting top. She extended her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Fox. My name is Mandie. Thanks for being punctual.” She had a nice voice; melodic, with no hint of a regional accent. Her hands were clean and unadorned. A perfect blank canvas on which to paint one’s desires.

“Well, it’s my dime, whether I’m here or not, right? And please call me Mulder.”

She laughed lightly and sat casually on the dark green loveseat that faced out the window towards the glowing lights of the Capitol building. He glanced at the bed, then joined her, keeping a prim distance between them.

“I gather this is your first time with my agency. I like to start with a few questions, if that’s alright. But first, can I get you something to drink?”

It was his turn to laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“I feel like I’m here to buy life insurance, not to...” he tapered off, not wanting to be vulgar.

“Not to fuck me? Well, in either situation, you’re my customer, and your satisfaction is based on how well I give you what you need. Which may not be the same thing as what you think you want, by the way.”

“That’s a pretty progressive approach, Mandie, but I see your point. So, what would you like to know?” He found himself relaxing a bit, shoulders sinking back into the upholstery.

“Tell me a bit about your previous lovers. What about your previous sexual experience have you enjoyed, and what hasn’t worked for you?”

“So I’m paying two hundred dollars an hour to talk to you about my past? Some of the best therapists in town don’t bill that high.”

“I hate to break it to you, Mulder, but no-one hires an escort to fuck her for sixty minutes straight. Given how tightly you’re wound, I give you ten minutes, tops. So either we talk beforehand, or we talk afterwards. But if we talk beforehand, I can try to make them the best ten minutes of your week. Think of it as fornication with a side of therapy.”

He shook his head, bemused. “Fair enough.”

He didn’t feel comfortable spilling his guts or naming names, but he closed his eyes, remembering aloud some of his past encounters: the thrill of discovery with Nicole, in another hotel room, a million miles away; the unbridled kinky sex with Ava in a damp English garden; the unexpected discovery that he liked it when Diana took control and made him submit.

As he spoke, his cock tingled and hardened, pressing against the seam of his jeans. A warm hand that wasn’t his own covered its prominent ridge, rubbing languidly as moist breath painted his neck. He opened his eyes to see Mandie’s dilated pupils hovering nearby.

“Enough talking?” he asked hoarsely, as she started to unpop the buttons of his fly.

“Yes, I think I have enough information to work with. Now stand up.”

He obliged, feeling light-headed as she knelt and slid his pants down to his ankles. Free of his clothing, he was stepping towards the bed when she halted him with a hand over his hip.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Bed’s over there.”

“You don’t want me to fuck you on that bed. Beds are for comfort. For peace and solace and permanence. You want me to fuck you right here, on this couch. This might be your first time paying for it, but for you, sex has always been a transaction, and you’ve never felt like you could afford to pay the price. Put on that condom - I’m about to show you just how good it can be when your debt is cleared.”

And that was how, on an otherwise normal Saturday night in 1992, Fox Mulder spent his first two hundred dollars on therapy, with a side of ejaculation.

***

“You’re distracted tonight,” Mandie observed. He was leaning against the cheap veneer of another hotel headboard. His cock extended half-erect from the fly of his underwear and she was absently painting filigree patterns on its loose sheath with her tongue.

“Yeah. I just flew back from Iowa today, and I guess my mind is still on the case.”

“You seem to travel a lot for work. It must get lonely, always being the stranger from out of town.”

“I’ve actually got a partner now. So she and I are lonely strangers together.”

“She, huh? Have you two ever....?” she looked up at him with a cheeky smile.

He laughed at the thought. “No. No way. That would be disastrous. Don’t shit where you live, a friend once told me. And she’s way too...” he stalled, trying to think of the right word to describe what kept Scully on one side of an impenetrable wall, and his fucked up sex life on the other.

“Too ugly?” Mandie guessed, before bending her head to nip and suck on his ball sack through the thin cotton of his briefs.

“No. Not ugly,” he gasped, rising to fullness under her expert touch. “Just not for me. Jesus, Mandie, that feels amazing. Keep doing that.”

***

“In quarantine? I’ve heard a lot of excuses for breaking a date in my day, but that’s a first.” He’d missed their last three appointments, and he was quivering with need, shaking and pulsing with want.

“It’s true. We were released just yesterday.” He was already peeling his clothes away like molted skin, breath loud in the close confines of the hotel room.

“Your partner was quarantined too? Oh, that must have been fun.”

“Mandie, with all due respect, shut up and get naked. I’m starving for it.”

The beauty of their association was that he didn’t have to think about whether he was offending her or whether she needed something from him that he wasn’t able to provide. As long as his credit card didn’t decline, he was living up to his end of their bargain.

She eyed his erection, taut against the tender skin of his abdomen. “Yes, I can see what you mean. What are you hungry for, Mulder? Do you want to pretend I’m her?”

“Her?” For a breathless instant, he thought she meant Samantha. But he’d never mentioned his sister to Mandie, and he realized in that moment that the wires in his brain were so tangled that even the best therapy wouldn’t make a difference. He was broken. Hopelessly and fundamentally broken.

“Your partner. What’s her name?”

He shook his head, thoroughly confused and softening, despite the proximity of Mandie’s naked body.

“No, I don’t want to pretend I’m fucking my partner. But there is something you can do for me,” he said, positioning her to bend over and clutch the back of the couch, her dark hair obscuring her face.

“Anything,” she gasped as he slid into the hot crucible of her body, where he put his secrets for safe-keeping. “You know you can ask me for anything.”

“Call me Fox.”

***

“Yes, hello Mr. Mulder. This is Elisa Covington. We haven’t heard from you for some time, and understand that you may be out of the country. As I’m sure you understand, we cannot guarantee your usual appointment without a certain amount of... regularity to your visits. We’ll be closing your file. Rest assured that all your personal and credit information will remain encrypted and secure. Please do not hesitate to contact us, if we can be of service to you again in the future. Beep.”

“Mulder, I need your helllllllp.... Beep.”

Go to Seventeen: Kristen.

#my writing #x-files #seventeen #wip

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martinafrancula · 6 years

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The packaging design process

Remember how you want your packaging design to tell a story? The choices you make in the design process are what’s going to help you tell that story.

1. Understand packaging layers

There are three “layers” of product packaging: outer packaging, inner packaging and product packaging. Your product may need one or all three of these.

Outer packaging is the first thing a customer is going to see. It’s what protects your product from the elements. This could include the box that the product is shipped in or the shopping bag the item is placed in at the store.

Inner packaging is what keeps your product nestled safely in the outer packaging. This might be packing peanuts or tissue paper that stops something from getting jostled or scuffed. Or it might be a sealed bag that acts to preserve freshness.

Product packaging is what most people think of when they think of packaging: it’s the box the toy comes in, the bottle with a label, the tag on a garment, the wrapper of a candy bar.

Each one of these layers of packaging gives you a chance to tell a part of your story.

2. Choose the right type of packaging

There are many different types of packaging available for your product:

Choosing between a box and a bottle may sometimes be a no-brainer. But sometimes it’s not. Here are a couple of things you need to think about when selecting the right type of packaging for your product:

The product Everything always comes back to this! If you are selling something liquid, that’s going to limit your options. (Though don’t let this stifle your creativity! Look at Capri Sun: they turned the juice-box industry on its head by creating a juice-sachet. Or Go-Gurt, which took yogurt from a spoon-required snack to one you could suck out of a packet.)

The competition Does everyone else put their soup in a can? You’re going to want to think really hard about putting your soup in something else. On one hand, it will make you stand out, which could help set you apart. On the other, consumers are used to cans of soups, and grocery stores are setup to stock cans in their soup section, which may mean your box of soup is fighting an uphill battle.

The budget You may have an awesome idea on how you’re going to sell your astrology charms in a star-shaped box. But if your budget is $0.50 per piece, that’s probably not going to be possible. Remember to always keep the ideal customer in mind: if your charms are going to sell for $12 each, a simple, inexpensive box is probably your best bet. But if they’re hand-crafted, gold keepsakes that you are selling for $100, you may be better served to up your budget and go for that luxury star-shaped box.

3. Line up your printer

Printing is not something you’re going to do until after the design is complete. But you should think about it way before you get to that stage! Not only is connecting with a printer going to ensure you’re solid on the costs of printing, but they’ll be able to give you specific information that can help your designer prepare files.

A couple things you’ll want to ask about:

Dielines If you’re going with a standard-sized box or label, printers should be able to provide dieline templatesthat can be shared with a designer.

File-format requirements Your printer will need a vector file. Does it need to be a layered file? Should you include cut-lines or not? Your designer should supply a print-ready file (usually an Adobe Illustrator (.ai), Photoshop (.psd), PDF or EPS). You may not be able to open these files if you don’t have the right software, but your printer will be able to. The designer will also supply visual mockups in a PNG or JPG format (which everyone can open). Make sure you understand which file types are what so you can supply them to the right people.

Color options Some printers are going to be able to color-match to any Pantone color. Others (especially less-expensive options) are going to have a limited color palette for you to work with.

Digital vs. offset printing Which type does your printer use? If they do offset, what is the minimum order number? How do the costs scale?

4. Create your information architecture

Think back to those 3 questions, specifically who’s buying your product and where are they finding it. You’re going to use that to create the information architecture for your package.

You may have beautiful photos of your product in action, a brilliant testimonial from a customer, a witty tagline that explains how you’re awesome, and a great graphic showing customers how to use your product. But when a shopper looks at your packaging they’re probably only going to remember one thing. What do you want that to be?

Pick the one absolute most important thing you want customers to know about your product. That should be the centerpiece of your design.

You can then add 2-3 things you want to show once they’ve picked up your product (or clicked on your link) that will close the deal. Let’s look at an examples:

5. Evaluate a packaging design

You’ve got some great design ideas! Now it’s time to give some feedback. Here are a few things you’re going to want to think about:

Is it clear what your product is? When you look at the package, is it clear what the product does and who it’s for? Buyers are only going to spend money on things they understand. Make sure your packaging doesn’t look like something else (unless it’s very intentional). You definitely don’t want to confuse your consumer.

Is the packaging an honest representation of your product One of the worst things you can do is misrepresent your product in your packaging. Make sure any photos on the packaging are actually photos of the product. Of course you can and should put your best face forward, but if you show a picture of muffins filled with raisins and there’s actually only 1 raisin in each of your muffins, a customer is going to feel cheated (and probably won’t buy from you again).

What will this package look like in 3D? A good designer should provide a mockup of your design both print-ready (flat) and in 3-dimensions. You can also create your own mock-ups by printing something out on white paper and constructing it into a box or tube. This will help you notice things you wouldn’t otherwise. Sometimes an image will look great when flat, but terrible when constructed (or vice versa). Make sure you understand the difference.

What will this package look like in stores? Shelf-impact is very important for products that are sold in-stores. You’ll want to consider:

How much of the packaging will be visible? When products are lined up next to each other, you can usually only see one-face. Make sure your most-important info is front and center.

What will it look like when these products are stacked next to and on top of each other? Is there a pattern that’s created? Do you want there to be?

What will this look like compared to the competition? Go to one or more stores where your product will be sold and figure out where your product would be placed. Are most products one color? How will you make yours stand out and get noticed?

Is this design versatile? You may only have one flavor of Aunt Miranda’s Famous Hot Sauce at the moment, but in the future you might want to create Aunt Kelsey’s Infamous Buffalo Sauce and Aunt Sasha’s Secret Caesar Dip. Is your design going to be easily modified to accommodate new variations of your product?

Is your packaging reusable? This may not be important for every product, but you may want to consider if your packaging can be reused (and if you want it to be)! For example, can your bag be repurposed into a grocery tote? Free marketing! If you sell gardening gloves, can your box be reconfigured into a planter? That’s clever and functional!

6. Collect feedback

Before you 100% decide on your packaging design, make sure to run it by both key stakeholders and people who have never heard of or used your product.

Even if it’s just your neighbor across the street, people not closely associated with your product will notice things you never did. Consider asking them:

What does this product do?

Who is supposed to buy this product?

What is the one key message you get when you look at this packaging?

Their answers to these questions will help you determine if the packaging is communicating what you want it to. If it’s not, go back to your designer and figure out what you can change.

#research #packaging #designprocess

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foxai607 · 3 years

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Architectural Shingles Hatch Pattern Autocad

Free Hatch Patterns

Shingle Hatch Pattern Autocad

Diamond Hatch Pattern Autocad

Autocad Roof Shingle Hatch Pattern

To download these free AutoCAD hatch patterns, simply right click on the patterns you want and choose Save Link As, then place the PAT file in a path included in your AutoCAD support paths.

If you select the hatch pattern preview pop down menu you can scroll down to view all the new hatch patterns previews that you just added to your hatch patterns library. Every time you open your AutoCAD now you will have all 350+ hatch patterns available to use for your projects.

The following are technical drawings that Shakertown has made available for use, free of charge. To preview a drawing, simply click on the description below. If you would like to download a drawing in a DXF format utilized by most major CAD programs, or a DWG drawing for AutoCAD, just click on the appropriate file name. These hatch patterns will be listed in the 'Hatch Creation' tab - Patterns. There are CAD hatch patterns for roofing materials, flooring, siding, and landscaping. Hatch materials include: tile, asphalt, wood, slate roof shingles, wood lattice, and chain link fence. AutoCAD brick patterns, concrete block patterns, wood grains. AutoCAD natural. Another useful hatch pattern from Watson Kilbourne, ASPHALTS.PAT draws architectural shingles (figure 2). Copy and paste ASPHALTS.PAT to your ACAD.PAT file. Be sure there s an empty line immediately following the end of the code.

Rules of Usage

You may place these patterns on your system and use them in your drawings.

You may not distribute these patterns in PAT form, instead refer associates to this page.

You may not post them online (including web sites, ftp sites, bulletin boards, and other online services) for public downloading.

PreviewNameDescription24x4824'x48' Ceiling Tile with 1' Wide T-Bar2H-STONETwo-Height Split Stone MasonryASPHALTSAsphalt Shingles with Architectural CutBUTTEDHBButted Herringbone ParquetryC-STONESCoursed 3',6',4' & 5' Random Length StonesCHAINLNKChain Link FencingCROSSLOKCross Locking PaversFQ-TILEFrench Quarter Modular Ceramic TileGRAVEL2Gravel StonesHERRINGBHerringbone Parquet, 1' x 5'METROMetro Tile Pattern

PreviewNameDescriptionMAZEBLOCMaze Pattern Cement BlocksMUDSTONEGeologic MudstonePARQUET2Parquet FlooringPATHWAYInterlocking Artistic Garden PaversPINWHEELPinwheel, 1 & 2 Unit SquaresROOF-1Cedar RoofingSCRNBLOCScreen BlockSPANTILESpanish Tile RoofingSTAGGERStaggered Paving BrickWEAVE-2Weave Pattern Grouted BricksWIREMESHWire Mesh or Weave

Credit: Watson Kilbourne of CompugraphX produced the highest quality hatch patterns available anywhere. Watson has donated these hatch patterns to the AutoCAD community.

Hatch Pattern Compatibility

The good news is that the hatch pattern format hasn't changed since it was first introduced years ago. Any hatch pattern you find should work with any previous or future version of AutoCAD!

2005 Hatch Pattern Snaps

There has been a change in behavior in AutoCAD 2005 regarding the object snaps on its geometry. In previous releases osnaps would honor hatches, in 2005 they are ignored by default. To turn on the snap to hatch, access the OPTIONS dialog (Tools menu), go to the Drafting tab, and in the lower left you will find the toggle.

Also there is a command line system variable OSNAPHATCH, set to 0 for off (no snap), 1 for on (snap).

Adding Hatches

This procedure will walk through the process of adding a hatch pattern to your system, all the way through the final step of adding the pattern to the AutoCAD BHATCH dialog.

Important Note: Autodesk changed the behavior of the BHATCH dialog beginning in version 2000. As a result of this change, the BHATCH dialog completely ignores the hatch slide contained in the slide libary. It choose instead to create a very small (nearing unreadable) swatch on the fly, which takes a significant amount of time if you have hundreds of patterns. As such this procedure may not be applicable unless you intend to compile your hatchs into a IMAGE menu.

Preparing the Pattern: The first step is to obtain or create a hatch pattern that you would like to add. For terms of discussion we will use the GRAVEL.PAT found floating on the web. I have no knowledge of the author. Note that this pattern does not have sufficient precision to properly display in large coordinate mapping, but should work well in most other applications. It has been reproduced here.

*GRAVEL, gravel pattern 228.0128, 0.720,1.000, 12.041365,0.074329, 0.134536,-13.319088 184.9697, 0.630,0.900, -12.041517,0.043315, 0.230868,-22.855925 132.5104, 0.400,0.880, -14.865942,0.061430, 0.162788,-16.116032 267.2737, 0.010,0.630, -20.024928,0.047565, 0.210238,-20.813558 292.8337, 0.000,0.420, -12.999910,0.048507, 0.206155,-20.409373 357.2737, 0.080,0.230, -20.024928,0.047565, 0.210238,-20.813558 37.6942, 0.290,0.220, -16.401180,0.035968, 0.278029,-27.524849 72.2553, 0.510,0.390, 23.086761,0.038097, 0.262488,-25.986321 121.4296, 0.590,0.640, 15.264264,0.047405, 0.210950,-20.884073 175.2364, 0.480,0.820, -12.045049,0.083045, 0.240832,-11.800763 222.3974, 0.240,0.840, 16.278789,0.032108, 0.311448,-30.833375 138.8141, 1.000,0.620, 9.219065,0.094072, 0.106301,-10.523844 171.4692, 0.920,0.690, -13.152853,0.049447, 0.202237,-20.021511 225.0000, 0.720,0.720, 0.707107,0.707107, 0.141421,-1.272792 203.1986, 0.650,0.840, -5.383564,0.131306, 0.076158,-7.539615 291.8014, 0.580,0.810, -3.156821,0.185695, 0.107703,-5.277462 30.9638, 0.620,0.710, 3.601470,0.171499, 0.174929,-5.656023 161.5651, 0.770,0.800, -2.213594,0.316228, 0.126491,-3.035787 16.3895, 0.000,0.810, 10.440154,0.056433, 0.177200,-17.542845 70.3462, 0.170,0.860, -11.704507,0.067267, 0.148661,-14.717408 293.1986, 0.770,1.000, -5.383564,0.131306, 0.152315,-7.463458 343.6105, 0.830,0.860, -10.440154,0.056433, 0.177200,-17.542845 339.4440, 0.000,0.190, -5.383893,0.117041, 0.170880,-8.373124 294.7751, 0.160,0.130, -12.082844,0.069843, 0.143178,-14.174643 66.8014, 0.780,0.000, 5.383564,0.131306, 0.152315,-7.463458 17.3540, 0.840,0.140, -13.601340,0.059655, 0.167631,-16.595424 69.4440, 0.290,0.000, -5.383893,0.117041, 0.085440,-8.458564 101.3099, 0.720,0.000, 4.118439,0.196116, 0.050990,-5.048029 165.9638, 0.710,0.050, -3.152963,0.242536, 0.206155,-3.916950 186.0090, 0.510,0.100, -10.049739,0.052342, 0.191050,-18.913923 303.6901, 0.620,0.620, -2.218801,0.277350, 0.144222,-3.461329 353.1572, 0.700,0.500, 17.117197,0.039715, 0.251794,-24.927563 60.9454, 0.950,0.470, -8.061673,0.097129, 0.102956,-10.192674 90.0000, 1.000,0.560, 1.000,1.000, 0.060000,-0.940 120.2564, 0.490,0.130, -8.061936,0.071982, 0.138924,-13.753520 48.0128, 0.420,0.250, 12.041365,0.074329, 0.269072,-13.184552 0.0000, 0.600,0.450, 1.000,1.000, 0.260000,-0.740 325.3048, 0.860,0.450, -12.206392,0.063246, 0.158114,-15.653274 254.0546, 0.990,0.360, 4.120817,0.137361, 0.145602,-7.134508 207.6460, 0.950,0.220, 21.470869,0.042182, 0.237065,-23.469474 175.4261, 0.740,0.110, 13.038344,0.039873, 0.250799,-24.829074

We could place this code into the file GRAVEL.PAT, place it into a search path, and refer to it at the HATCH prompt. However since our final goal is to have this pattern available in the BHATCH dialog, a little more work is required.

Adding the pattern: To add the pattern code to the ACAD.PAT file, it is first recommended that the existing ACAD.PAT (AutoCAD support directory) be backed up. In the event that something goes wrong we can restore without having to reinstall.

Open the original ACAD.PAT in a notepad or other ascii editor. It is a good idea to do a search to make sure that the pattern definition you are about to add does not already exist. If you do not care about the order that your pattern appears in the BHATCH list, then simply paste the contents of the pattern definition at the end of the file. If you would like to maintain alphabetical order, carefully find the appropriate position in the middle of the list and insert your pattern there.

Be sure to save the ACAD.PAT file (ascii text only).

Preparing a slide: The next step is to prepare a slide representing the appearance of the pattern definition. The following steps can be used to create a hatch representation in R14. For users other than R14, you may need to generate a polyline (with the same coordinates), hatch the polyline, then erase the polyline.

Command: HATCH Enter pattern name or (?/Solid/User defined) <ANSI31>: GRAVEL Scale for pattern <1.0000>: 5 Angle for pattern <0>: <ENTER> Select hatch boundaries or press ENTER for direct hatch option, Select objects: <ENTER> Retain polyline? <N> <ENTER> From point: 0,0 Arc/Close/Length/Undo/<Next point>: 16,0 Arc/Close/Length/Undo/<Next point>: 16,10 Arc/Close/Length/Undo/<Next point>: 0,10 Arc/Close/Length/Undo/<Next point>: C From point or press ENTER to apply hatch: <ENTER>

The reason for the particular rectangle coordinates of 16x10 is to maintain the 1.6:1 ratio that the other hatch slides in the ACAD.SLB are created with.

Before we prepare the slide however, it is recommended that we enter paper space and create a viewport to represent the slide. Slides are clipped at the viewport boundaries, and it would be difficult to maintain this without the viewport.

Command: TILEMODE New value for TILEMODE <1>: 0 Command: MVIEW ON/OFF/Hideplot/Fit/2/3/4/Restore/<First Point>: 0,0 Other corner: 16,10 Command: ZOOM All/Center/Dynamic/Extents/Previous/Scale(X/XP)/Window/<Realtime>: E Command: MSPACE

Finally we are ready to prepare the slide. However before doing so it is recommended that you create a unique directory/folder to contain this and other slides. We will need to add more slides to this directory to rebuild the ACAD.SLB. For terms of this discussion, will use C:SLIDES.

Issue the MSLIDE command, when prompted in the dialog enter C:SLIDESGRAVEL.SLD for the filename.

At this point we have our slide in the directory and ready to rebuild the ACAD.SLB.

Preparing to rebuild the ACAD.SLB: Just like we backed up the ACAD.PAT file, it is a very good idea to backup the ACAD.SLB file. You will also find this file in the AutoCAD support directory.

Since the SLIDELIB.EXE tool supplied with AutoCAD cannot simply append your slide to the SLB file, we will need to rebuild it from scratch containing the contents of the original SLB along with your slide.

Rebuilding the ACAD.SLB: Since SLIDELIB.EXE is an MS-DOS based tool, open an MS-DOS window and change to the slides directory.

C:WINDOWS>CDSLIDES

The easiest way to supply input to SLIDELIB.EXE is to prepare a file using the DOS DIR command. In this case we are also using the /ON switch to order by name, and the /B switch for bare (no size, date) listing. Finally with the > sign we are redirecting the output to create (or overwrite) the file SLIDE.INP.

Shingle Hatch Pattern Autocad

C:SLIDES>DIR *.SLD /ON /B > SLIDE.INP

Now that we have an input file for the SLIDELIB utility, we can call it from the AutoCAD directory. For the most convenience, you may want to move or copy the SLIDELIB.EXE from the AutoCAD directory to the slides directory to eliminate the cryptic DOS path.

The Calling Command: C:SLIDES>C:PROGRA~1AUTOCA~1SUPPORTSLIDELIB ACAD.SLB < SLIDE.INP

If SLIDELIB.EXE was copied/moved:

C:SLIDES>SLIDELIB ACAD.SLB < SLIDE.INP

Overwriting the original ACAD.SLB

Use your preferred method to copy the new ACAD.SLB from the slides directory to the AutoCAD support directory, overwriting the old one.

The changes will be in effect immediately, simply issue the BHATCH command and see the rewards for your efforts.

Additional References:

The process of adding the hatch SLD file to the ACAD.SLB can be significantly improved with the use of our Slide Manager software.

Free Hatch Patterns

To download these free AutoCAD hatch patterns, simply right click on the patterns you want and choose Save Link As, then place the PAT file in a path included in your AutoCAD support paths.

Rules of Usage

You may place these patterns on your system and use them in your drawings.

You may not distribute these patterns in PAT form, instead refer associates to this page.

You may not post them online (including web sites, ftp sites, bulletin boards, and other online services) for public downloading.

Credit: Watson Kilbourne of CompugraphX produced the highest quality hatch patterns available anywhere. Watson has donated these hatch patterns to the AutoCAD community.

Hatch Pattern Compatibility

The good news is that the hatch pattern format hasn't changed since it was first introduced years ago. Any hatch pattern you find should work with any previous or future version of AutoCAD!

2005 Hatch Pattern Snaps

Also there is a command line system variable OSNAPHATCH, set to 0 for off (no snap), 1 for on (snap).

Adding Hatches

This procedure will walk through the process of adding a hatch pattern to your system, all the way through the final step of adding the pattern to the AutoCAD BHATCH dialog.

Be sure to save the ACAD.PAT file (ascii text only).

The reason for the particular rectangle coordinates of 16x10 is to maintain the 1.6:1 ratio that the other hatch slides in the ACAD.SLB are created with.

Issue the MSLIDE command, when prompted in the dialog enter C:SLIDESGRAVEL.SLD for the filename.

At this point we have our slide in the directory and ready to rebuild the ACAD.SLB.

Preparing to rebuild the ACAD.SLB: Just like we backed up the ACAD.PAT file, it is a very good idea to backup the ACAD.SLB file. You will also find this file in the AutoCAD support directory.

Rebuilding the ACAD.SLB: Since SLIDELIB.EXE is an MS-DOS based tool, open an MS-DOS window and change to the slides directory.

C:WINDOWS>CDSLIDES

C:SLIDES>DIR *.SLD /ON /B > SLIDE.INP

The Calling Command: C:SLIDES>C:PROGRA~1AUTOCA~1SUPPORTSLIDELIB ACAD.SLB < SLIDE.INP

If SLIDELIB.EXE was copied/moved:

C:SLIDES>SLIDELIB ACAD.SLB < SLIDE.INP

Overwriting the original ACAD.SLB

Use your preferred method to copy the new ACAD.SLB from the slides directory to the AutoCAD support directory, overwriting the old one.

Diamond Hatch Pattern Autocad

The changes will be in effect immediately, simply issue the BHATCH command and see the rewards for your efforts.

Additional References:

Autocad Roof Shingle Hatch Pattern

The process of adding the hatch SLD file to the ACAD.SLB can be significantly improved with the use of our Slide Manager software.

0 notes

infiniloading30 · 3 years

Text

Kutumb Marathi Movie 2006

Kutumb, a musical Gujarati film to be released this Jan. Lucknowites are so loving: Hiten Tejwani Hiten Tejwani to shoot in Sector 18 and 67 for upcoming. Swapna Joshi debuts as director in Marathi films.

Kutumb The Family is a Hindi movie released on 26 May, 2017. The movie is directed by Amit Shree Yadav and featured Rajpal Yadav and Alok Nath as lead characters.

Kutumb Marathi Movie 2006 Movie

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MarathiBoli is website for all Articles in Marathi language, Information related Marathi Movies, Marathi Music, Marathi Books, Marathi Culture, Marathi Kavita/Poem Marathi Movie Kutumb By Mahesh Manjarekar, cast Jitendra joshi and others. Ramp walk music hindi. House line in palmistry.

Manjrekar at Education Awareness Event

Born16 August 1958 (age 62)(1) Occupation

Film actor

director

screenwriter

producer

Years active1975–presentSpouse(s)Medha ManjrekarChildren3

Mahesh Vaman Manjrekar (born 16 August 1958)(1) is an Indian film director, actor, writer and producer.(2)(3) He is credited with directing the critically acclaimed films Vaastav: The Reality (1999), Astitva (2000) and Viruddh.. Family Comes First (2005). He has won a National Film Award and two Star Screen Awards. Besides direction, he has acted in several films, including some of his own productions. He was first seen in Door darshan Marathi series named Kshitij in which he played a leprosy patient. He first gained acclaim as an actor for his performance in the 2002 film Kaante, and later played negative roles in the Tamil film Arrambam (2013), Telugu film Okkadunnadu (2007) and as the gangster Javed in the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). He played Shivaji in Marathi film Me Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy. He also played the negative role of Harpeez Dongara in the Aakhri Chunauti series of episodes in C.I.D.. Manjrekar was acclaimed for the negative role as inspector D.R. Talpade in the movie Wanted.

He was a MNS candidate from Mumbai North West in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections but lost to Gajanan Kirtikar of Shiv Sena.(4)(5)

Filmography(edit)

Actor(edit)

YearFilmsRoleLanguage1999Vaastav: The RealityAs himself in SongHindi2001Ehsaas: The FeelingMichaelHindi2002KaanteRaja 'Balli' YadavHindi2003Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na JayeMunna Bhai HatelaHindi2004PlanSultanHindi2004RunGanpat ChowdhuryHindi2004MusafirLukkaHindi2005It Was Raining That NightBrij BhushanEnglish2006ZindaJoy FernandesHindi2006Jawani Diwani: A Youthful JoyrideChappu BhaiHindi2007Dus KahaniyaanHindi2007OkkadunnaduSona BhaiTelugu2007Padmashree Laloo Prasad YadavAdvocate Prasad Pritam PradyumanHindi2007Deha2008Meerabai Not OutManoj Anant AchrekarHindi2008Slumdog MillionaireDon JavedEnglish2008HomamDaddyTelugu2009Me Shivajiraje Bhosale BoltoyShivajiMarathi2009WantedInspector TalpadeHindi200999AGM (Aatmaram Gyanshekhar Machve)Hindi2009Fruit and NutKhandar ZalaHindi2010AdhursDon Baba, the main villainTelugu2010Teen PattiDagdu SethHindi2010DabanggHaria (Rajo's father)Hindi2010Don SeenuMukesh Duggal / Duggal SaabTelugu2011ReadyRam Kapoor (Prem's father)Hindi2011Fakta Ladh MhanaBababhaiMarathi2011BodyguardRanjan MhatreHindi2012Tukkaa FittHindi2012OMG: Oh My God!Lawyer SardesaiHindi2012Jai Jai Maharashtra MazaMarathi2013HimmatwalaSher SinghHindi2013Shootout at WadalaInspector BhindeHindi2013Once Upon a Time In Mumbaai DobaraLocal gangster RawaHindi2013ArrambamMahadev RaneTamil2013RajjoBegamHindi2014Jai HoAuto-Rickshaw DriverHindi2014RegePradeep SharmaMarathi2014Singham ReturnsChief Minister Vikram AdhikariHindi2014Ardhangini by Abhishek MukherjeeBangla2015Bajirao MastaniShahuji Raje BhosaleHindi2015AkhilDivya's fatherTelugu2016Guntur TalkiesJakieTelugu2016Badsha - The DonShyam VhaiBengali2017FU: Friendship UnlimitedChilly's fatherMarathi2017VelaikkaranMadhav KurupTamil2018SanjuHimselfHindi2018Take Care Good NightInspector PawarMarathi2019Mard Ko Dard Nahi HotaAjobaHindi2019Vinaya Vidheya RamaChief Minister of BiharTelugu2019Total DhamaalChinnappa SwamyHindi2019SaahoPrinceHindi Tamil Telugu2019Mulshi PatternGanpatMarathi2019Dabangg 3HariyaHindi201966 SadashivMarathi2020Kesari(6)Vastad MehmanMarathi2020Taxi No. 24Hindi(7)2021Boss

(with Pawan Singh)

TBABhojpuri

Director(edit)

Aai (1995)

Vaastav: The Reality (1999)

Astitva (2000)

Kurukshetra (2000)

Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai (2000)

Nidaan (2000)

Ehsaas: The Feeling (2001)

Tera Mera Saath Rahen (2001)

Hathyar (2002)

Pitaah (2002)

Pyaar Kiya Nahin Jaatha (2003)

Rakht (2004)

It Was Raining That Night (2005)

Viruddh.. Family Comes First (2005)

Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! (2005)

Matichya Chuli (2006)

Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho (2010)

City of Gold (2010)

Ami Shubhash Bolchi (2011)

Fakt Ladh Mhana (2011)

Kaksparsh (2012)

Koknastha (2013)

Natsamrat (2016)

FU: Friendship Unlimited (2017)

Me Shivaji Park(2018)

Bhai: Vyakti Ki Valli (2019)

Producer(edit)

Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye (2003)

It Was Raining That Night (2005)

Shala (2012)

Television(edit)

YearShowRole2006Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 1Contestant2009Monica MogreCriminal in Case File No. 12009Specials @ 10Director of Har Kadam Par Shaque2009Arre Deewano Mujhe PehchanoHimself (contestant)2010Maharashtracha SuperstarHimself (Judge)2010C.I.D.HD (Harpeez Dongra)2015Agent Raghav - Crime BranchDilip Chauhan2018Bigg Boss Marathi 1Host2018Selection DaySir Tommy2019Bigg Boss Marathi 2Host2019Kaale DhandeAnna Bhai2019TVF CheesecakeMirza

References(edit)

^ abMultiple sources:

'Mahesh Manjrekar'. BollywoodMDb.

'Mahesh Manjrekar celebrates his birthday'. mid-day. 18 August 2012.

'5 things you did not know about birthday boy Mahesh Manjrekar|The Times of India'. The Times of India. 16 August 2014.

'Mahesh Manjrekar celebrates his Birthday | Indian Photo Agency'. indianphotoagency.com. 17 August 2012.

^'Mahesh Manjrekar'. IMDb.

^'The day my work suffers, I'll retire'. Rediff.com. 12 November 2001. Retrieved 21 August 2011.

^'Mahesh Manjrekar was MNS Candidate from Mumbai North West'. IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 9 March 2014.

^'Celeb politicians: who won and who lost'. Hindustan Times. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.

^Matkari, Ganesh; Matkari; 2020; Ist, 23:21 (28 February 2020). 'Kesari Movie Review'. Pune Mirror. Retrieved 3 March 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

^Adarsh, Taran (25 September 2020). 'FILMING BEGINS.. #MaheshManjrekar commenced shoot for thriller #TaxiNo24 in #Mumbai.. Costars #JagjeetSandhu and #AnangshaBiswas.. Directed by Saumitra Singh.. Produced by Saviraj Shetty'. Twitter.

External links(edit)

Mahesh Manjrekar on IMDb

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Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mahesh_Manjrekar&oldid=992249866'

Director: Sudesh Manjrekar https://infiniloading30.tumblr.com/post/654215800404819968/rivala-matha-song-mp3-free-download.

Producer: Great Maratha Entertainment

Writers: Mahesh Waman Manjrekar (Story and Screenplay) and Raveen Tarade (Dialogues)

Cast: Jitendra Joshi, Veena Janmkar, Gauri Ingawale, Mihir Soni, Siddharth Jadhav, Manasi Naik, Vaibhav Mangale, Bhalchandra Kadam

Kutumb Marathi Movie 2006 Movie

Music: Ajit-Sameer & Abhijeet Kawthalkar

Rating: * * ½ Paretologic data recovery pro 2.2 0.0 crack.

Kutumb Marathi Movie 2006 Full

Plot: Even though they struggle to make ends meet, Namdeo (Jitendra Joshi) and Ganga (Veena Janmkar) live a peaceful life with their children Laxmi (Gauri Ingawale) and Subhan (Mihir Soni). Namdeo, who works as a gardener, will go any heights to fulfill the wants of his family. He even does some extra work and bears all pains with a smile. However, their simple life turns ugly when they are faced with a number of obstacles.

Namdeo receives unconditional family-like support from his friend Magic Mamu (Siddharth Jadhav) and his wife Saira (Manasi Naik).

(For more reviews and information on Marathi cinema, click here.)

Review: Parents are always expected to work hard to present a better or a comfortable life to their children. But how acceptable is when children take up the responsibility to better the lives of their parents? Such an unusual yet interesting question is explored in Sudesh Manjrekar’s Kutumb. The characters and some of the events surely succeed in moving the audience but due to the writing and execution (in some parts), the film turns out to be just a one-time watch.

During the initial moments, the writers and the director use the visual medium very intelligently. The nature of the four characters, the love between them, their problems and their everyday life is described without much use of dialogues. And once Siddharth Jadhav’s character is introduced, the proceedings get a booster. But there was no need to include two songs without any gap to prove the dancing skills of the two kids. Despite that, the first half manages to lay a decent foundation.

Kutumb Marathi Movie 2006 Watch

The events that follow are appealing alright. But now the film starts treading on predictable lines. An over-emotional scene (not possible to reveal more), involving one of the main characters, appears silly. But what hurts the most is how the audience is made to watch a dance reality show for a long duration later on. The pre-climax and the climax should have been framed in a way that it gets the audience rooting for the kids.

A very interesting fact is observed in a number of Mahesh Manjrekar’s films including Kutumb. The main protagonist receives tremendous help from a supporting character who is Muslim by religion. Apart from Kutumb (where Jadhav plays Joshi’s friend), this is seen in his earlier films Kurukshetra, Viruddh, Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi!, Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy and Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho. Co-incidentally, in three of the six films mentioned, Jadhav has played the concerned character.

Technical aspects like cinematography (Ajith Reddy) and background score can be included in the plus points. The editing is fine but it should have been tighter during the dance reality show scenes. Ajit-Sameer and Abhijit Kawthalkar’s music suits the film. Dialogues (Pravin Tarde) are effective and moving.

The performance area is the biggest plus point. Jitendra Joshi is brilliant as he pours his heart out while playing a caring father and husband. He is on a roll this year. Vena Janmkar too gets into the skin of her character with perfection and presents a realistic act. Gauri Ingawale and Mihir Soni deserve huge applause for not only giving mature performances but also showing some terrific dancing skills.

Siddharth Jadhav presents a lovable act. Manasi Naik is likable too. Vaibhav Mangale plays the bad guy well while Bhalchandra Kadam, his sidekick, is not bad either.

Overall, Kutumb can be seen once if you prefer emotional family dramas. The film will need positive word-of-mouth to succeed at the box-office. It will face opposition from next week’s awaited No Entry Pudhe Dhoka Aahey.

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