#snowflake tool

[miru667]

Happy Birthday to @bethanygabrielleart!! This is my first time ever trying someone's DTIYS omg I'm usually too intimidated but this one seemed doable for me, I hope you like it! TTWTT

Link to the original image: [link]

[warrioroflight5000]

maga is little dick energy 🤏

[asneshiekhvoy]

My New Year gifts postcards for friends with their gem characters!

The first one, Fire Opal, belongs to dear Ann 💚🧡💚

The second, Puddrettite, belongs to the marvelous Lusiady 💚💗💚

[seoonpagebd]

Stay Prepared for Anything with the 18-in-1 Snowflake Multi-Tool! ❄️🛠️

Are you tired of carrying around a bulky toolbox when you only need a few tools? Or maybe you're an adventurer who loves to explore the outdoors but wants to keep your gear compact and accessible? Look no further than the 18-in-1 Snowflake Multi-Tool – a game-changer for anyone who wants to combine functionality with convenience!

This cool snowflake-shaped multi-tool isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a versatile and practical tool that’s ready for any challenge. Whether you're on a camping trip, fixing your bike, or just need to pop open a bottle, this tool has you covered. Here's a quick look at what it offers:

Key Features:

18 Tools in One: From screwdrivers and Allen wrenches to a box cutter and rope cutter, the 18-in-1 Snowflake Multi-tool has everything you need for everyday tasks.

Portable & Compact: Weighing only 2.3 ounces and measuring just over 2 inches, it fits easily on your keychain, making it the perfect on-the-go tool.

Durable Stainless Steel Construction: Built to last, this tool is strong enough for both everyday use and outdoor adventures.

Unique Design: Its snowflake shape makes it a conversation starter while being functional. Originally designed for snowboarding, this tool is perfect for those who enjoy outdoor activities.

Multipurpose: Whether you're tightening screws, fixing toys, or using it in an emergency, this tool is versatile enough for any situation.

What makes this tool even more special is its keychain feature, which allows you to carry it with you wherever you go. Simply attach it to your keys or backpack and you'll always be ready for whatever comes your way. Plus, with a one-year customer service guarantee, you can trust that it will live up to your expectations.

If you’re looking for the ultimate pocket-sized tool that combines style with practicality, the 18-in-1 Snowflake Multi-tool is the perfect fit. It's small, portable, and efficient – just what you need for a busy lifestyle or outdoor adventure.

For more awesome outdoor gear and handy tools, check out GripTrips – your one-stop shop for all things adventure!

[righteousdelusions]

Like the fact the clone vs robot poll was close tells me this site is filled with white nonsense

[sigmasolveinc]

A Fine Print Of Four Prominent Cloud Platforms

Synopsis: 

Not only cost-cutting, but cloud computing services have become an essential business element to survive changing market dynamics, improve product or service delivery, and grow beyond convention success. In this blog, we emphasize selecting the right cloud platform instead of investing massively in building IT infrastructure, data warehouses, and security apparatus. Nonetheless, we will study each cloud solution provider with a comparative analysis. 

What is a cloud platform? 

A cloud platform can be referred to in a number of ways. Still, usually, a data center that houses IT infrastructure consisting of operating systems, software applications, and hardware products on a server is known as a cloud platform. Cloud companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Snowflake, Salesforce, and others have built cloud services for various business processes. 

Going further in this blog, we will evaluate the four prominent cloud platform providers here, namely Salesforce, Azure from Microsoft, AWS from Amazon, and Snowflake. We will also evaluate them collectively through a comparative study. 

Azure by Microsoft: 

Azure is one of the most definitive cloud platforms developed by Microsoft. The cloud services offered by Azura are far-ranging for businesses of all types. Azure brings an exhaustive list of cloud services for businesses such as MaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS to perform almost all tasks on the cloud without the need for in-house infrastructure. Azure has a fanbase and a loyal customer base. From MSMEs to global enterprises, all types of businesses prefer Azure Cloud services, given its all-inclusive cloud services, encompassing data storage, data processing, cloud computing, data analytics, and networking, among many other services. 

Prominent Features: 

AI and ML: Azure comes with empowering AI and ML tools to help businesses develop AI-based applications, perform AI-based automation, and craft accurate data analytics.

Scalability: Businesses are able to increase or decrease the utilization of resources per their needs to ensure that they don’t overshoot the cost and maximize resource utilization.

Security: Microsoft is known to provide a secure IT environment, and Azure is no different. From encryption to compliance and from identity to data access, Azure offers robust security.

Hybrid Capability: Azura makes it possible for businesses to collaborate between cloud infrastructure and in-house IT infrastructure effortlessly and seamlessly.

Global Reach: Azure possesses a wide network of data centers across the globe, enabling businesses to access data, applications, and hardware with low latency from anywhere.

Why Azure?

Flexible: Azure is a highly flexible cloud service platform. Businesses can scale up and scale down the number of services as per their needs to calibrate their cost-benefit ratio.

Versatile: There isn’t anything that Azure can’t offer. Its versatility empowers all kinds of businesses with almost all types of cloud computing services and AI integration.

Integration: Azure supports many open-source technologies to help businesses seamlessly integrate their existing products and features, such as Windows and SQL servers, with Azure.

Cost-effective: Azure doesn’t make big holes in pockets due to scalability and flexibility and helps businesses optimize resources and control costs.

Monitoring: Azure’s single-pane operations capability flawlessly monitors and manages the IT environment against cyber threats for hybrid infrastructure.

AWS by Amazon:

When we talk about cloud computing, we must mention AWS by Amazon. Since 2006, AWS has been a top-notch on-demand cloud services provider. AWS cloud services include data analytics, machine learning, database management, computing capabilities, and data storage and processing. Migrating to the AWS cloud platform has helped many businesses grow their businesses exponentially without making much capital investment in building IT infrastructure. In fact, businesses have successfully expanded their businesses in one or two countries globally. AWS is known for its security measures that protect applications, data, and hardware — all together with its robust anti-hacking cybersecurity apparatus.

Prominent Features:

Ecosystem: AWS consistently updates its cloud technology with new services and launches new ones regularly. It has created an ecosystem that enables businesses to innovate and improve constantly.

Performance: AWS ensures redundancy for businesses to avail services on-demand. Moreover, with service level agreements with third parties, AWS ensures the availability of services for peak performance.

Global Scope: AWS has its data centers spread across the globe. Businesses can avail of cloud services, including compliance certificates and data storage, anywhere in the world to expand their businesses.

Security: Compliance certificates, data encryption, identity and data access management, and user management are some of the key security features that make AWS a secure cloud platform.

Cost-efficiency: AWS ensures that businesses pay only as much as they use. PAYG pricing helps businesses reduce their operational costs after already reducing their infrastructural costs.

Why AWS?

Uptime: AWS is a robust cloud platform with data redundancy, overlapping data center availability, and exclusive and secure infrastructure for excellent uptime.

Scalability: There is no prerequisite to commit to the use of services. Businesses can increase or decrease AWS resources as per their needs.

Compliance: AWS ensures businesses have global compliance certificates. Being able to follow regulations effortlessly makes AWS a trustworthy cloud platform.

Ease of Use: User-friendly interface makes AWS one of the most preferred cloud platforms. Businesses can easily integrate AWS using its APIs for smooth management.

Innovation: With a wide range of cloud services, AWS ensures that businesses can utilize its ecosystem and innovate products and services to stay ahead of the competition.

Snowflake:

Being able to host the application and data on the cloud server is not sufficient for 

businesses. Nowadays, businesses require robust big data analytics to change the game. Snowflake has revolutionized the way businesses collect, process, analyze, and make decisions. Snowflake is a data platform hosted in the cloud with highly accurate and sustainable data processing features. It provides a SaaS solution that provides a simple yet scalable cloud platform that is flexible and guarantees high performance. Snowflake cloud services have redefined how businesses make critical business decisions to expand, grow, and achieve milestones.

Prominent Features:

Elasticity: Being able to process large amounts of data is key to data analytics. Snowflake allows businesses the flexibility to scale up or scale down data processing and cloud computing to meet their needs.

Concurrent Processes: Snowflake ensures that businesses are able to run multiple data processes simultaneously without any latency or malfunction and with accuracy and process automation.

Auto Optimization: Snowflake and automation go hand in hand. Snowflake optimizes data processes depending on workload and automates performance tuning in line with requirements.

Zero-Copy Cloning: Snowflake ensures that there is no duplication of data and instead clones databases efficiently for simultaneous development processes and project testing. It saves resources and, thereby, costs.

Data Sharing: Data sharing is vital for businesses to collaborate and coordinate across various departments and client organizations. Snowflake has in-built and unique data-sharing capabilities.

Why Snowflake?

Scalability: Businesses can simply disregard the need for more storage as Snowflake ensures cent percent scalability to enable businesses to accommodate any amount of data.

Reduced Costs: Given the capability of running multiple processes simultaneously, businesses can optimize resource utilization to ensure the cost does not escalate.

Ease of Use: Migrating to Snowflake is easy because of its data processing simplification and intuitive interface. Snowflake reduces complexity and helps businesses adopt it easily.

Performance: Speed and accuracy are key to Snowflake. Regardless of the data volume, Snowflake ensures high performance for sustainable data analysis processes.

Support: Snowflake support is commendable. Notwithstanding the data type variables, Snowflake delivers pinpoint analytics and insights, handling diverse data sets.

Salesforce:

One of the oldest but most accomplished and highly resourceful cloud platforms is Salesforce. Salesforce was initially designed to automate and improve sales processes. As it grew, it became a full-fledged CRM that manages customer relations efficiently, enhances marketing practices, drives sales, and maintains growth momentum. Flexibility and scalability for business adaptability are given; Salesforce comes with robust automation to take over many marketing processes and customer engagement. Salesforce cloud services deliver inassumable insights into customers for businesses to build a loyal customer base. Salesforce has become synonymous with sales and ROI growth.

Prominent Features:

Sales Cloud: Salesforce collects and stores customer data centrally and optimizes lead nurturing and tracking to improve performance and increase sales, along with improved pipeline management.

Service Cloud: enhanced customer experiences drive sales, and Salesforce enables businesses to provide superior customer experiences with incredible customer service solutions.

Marketing Automation: Effective marketing changes the sales scenario dramatically. Therefore, Salesforce provides exceptional marketing automation tools for email marketing, lead nurturing, and personalization.

Customization: Mold your Salesforce cloud platform the way you want. Businesses can easily customize Salesforce to meet their distinctive needs regarding marketing, customer service, and more.

Apps Exchange: Salesforce integrates a large number of third-party apps with its cloud-based services to ensure businesses can leverage diverse functionalities for their requirements.

Why Salesforce?

Rich Customer Relations: Customer loyalty is vital for business growth. Salesforce empowers businesses to build strong bonds with customers and consistent engagement.

Automation: Salesforce is marketing heaven, as it automates many marketing processes to increase productivity, ensuring that businesses focus on sales and customer experiences.

Insights: Salesforce has a strong base in data-driven analytics. It ensures businesses have critical insights at their fingertips and forecasts on their table for informed choices.

Ecosystem: Not just a cloud platform, but Salesforce is a marketplace with many applications integrated for businesses to operate without glitches.

Community: Salesforce delivers consistent growth with its active user community. It enables businesses to tap new business opportunities, global collaborations, and resources.

Concurrence:

Each of the clouds that we evaluated above has a strong foundation in technology. Be it Snowflake or Salesforce, Azure or AWS. However, businesses can’t adapt to all four simultaneously. Therefore, to determine the right one for your business, a comparative study is essential.

In the next part of the blog, we will undertake a comparative study of all four cloud platforms to help you realize the right one for you. Stay tuned for the next part of the blog with vital guidelines to select the right cloud platform.

Original source: here

[szarina]

While I love all the content in Zayne's series... Do you think it would be possible to see a little joy and softness there? I don't know if Reader works, but she probably does less now that Zayne is locking her up, especially during the pregnancy. And with Zayne working most of the time, Reader is lonely and bored. I think it would be great if she discovered new hobbies like sewing or painting, and when Zayne comes home, he supports and listens to his wife's hobby. Later, it becomes a family activity, whether it's drawing with the kids or sewing little clothes for them.

Just me in my delulu hours thinking that the good side of a yandere is that he is totally devoted and supports you in everything, no matter how stupid it is. And eventually you have to look on the bright side for everyone's mental health.

❆ ₊⋆ content warnings. fluff + bits stockholm syndrome + implied noncon + non mc + grammatical/spelling errors + not proofread

The threads of the embroidery is soft to touch under the pads of your fingers. The plain white onesie is decorated with tiny snowflakes. You were quite proud of your needlework since you had come a long way to be able to sew the threads in a neat manner.

The onesie was for your unborn baby boy. Tiny, pale blue snowflakes adorned the soft fabric. You slowly raise the onesie up to admire it more. You smile softly, imagining your baby boy wearing it along with a matching one to his twin baby sister. You didn't have a name for them, yet.

Transitioning from a working independent individual to being a stay at home wife and soon-to-be mother to twins gave you the uneasiness of doing nothing. Reduced to be a homemaker who waits for her husband to come home. All changed in the course of a night.

You always prided yourself being independent. Starting since you were young and how your older siblings slowly took their own paths, leaving you alone in the litter as the youngest.

After finishing your degree and holding a job longer that you enjoyed. You were contented. It's the simplest of things that you find joy and comes living in your own home. Whereas you were free to indulge in the pleasures and crafting your hobbies, particularly baking.

Baking was the first hobby you seriously committed with your time, not out fascination but to impress your fiancé. Learning that he developed a taste for sweets — you immediately devoted yourself in the basics until you honed your skills. It was enough to rival the sweet shops and bakeries in town.

The sweets were always made with your love and dedication for him. That even when he doesn't give his time to you, he would remember you with the sweets he ate. It was enough for you that he finds it delicious, you were happy.

It didn't bring you joy now. The baking tools were left untouched in the drawers. For your limbs were sore and your belly heavy with his children growing inside you. Finding yourself sitting at hours alone cause your husband's at the hospital saving lives even he comes back for lunch to check on you and going back again. You needed something to distract yourself and comes your new hobby of embroidery.

The newfound hobby takes your time and you were so focused that you didn't noticed how time flies and your husband, Zayne had already returned home. He was glad you were enjoying yourself and is a little bit guilty for leaving you alone in long hours.

Boredom was an afterthought to you now.

Snowdrops. The flowers were perfect. The petals droop and the tint of green on the outlines shows just like what you envisioned. The stitches were your companion, with the needle and thread to make it possible. You look at the pile of the onesies still untouched and plain. There were also a skein of yarn in different pastel colors, you were yet to touch them. Everything to take your mind off, temporarily blocking the world.

Zayne comes home earlier than he anticipated which he's glad for. He had taken less shifts and avoided going overtime if it can't be helped. He finds you curled up on the couch. Confusion were evident in your face as you repeatedly pressed the rewind button of a video in your tablet on a stitching technique that you can't quite grasp.

Holding the embroidery hoop in your other hand while you pick up the colored thread and needle in your dominant hand. You were poised to follow and try again the instructions and movements in the video.

You didn't hear him come. He can see the two buds of your earphones blocking your ears as you drowned yourself in music. You were steadily making a pattern now, the threads coming together from where he can see you behind in the couch where you sat at.

Moments later, you know he's there behind you. Your shoulders tensing as if you were sensing danger or caught in a situation that it's enough to cause embarrassment. Slowly, you turned your head. The lids of your eyes raising to show your surpise before easing down. Subtly biting your lower lip out of discomfort before going back to what you were doing not bothering to greet him.

Still, Zayne approaches you in slow and steady steps. He can't erase the past, not when your skittish behavior reminds him of it and your swollen belly that grows everyday. You're two months away from giving birth since you're expecting twins.

He lets you work in silence. Admiring the new skills you acquired from embroidering. It started at simple stitching. Your work was rough and clumsy but still it shows the dedication since you're only beginning and now, you're stitching on your baby's onesies. The finished ones were piled up in the corner.

“How to stitch this one?” You asked without looking at him. Gripping the small wooden hoop, your fingers still and the needle in between. “You're good at sutures, so I thought.....” Your voice unsure like you can't trust it.

Your husband moves closer to you. Studying the pattern of the thread that you're stuck with. It was easy for him and had all the stitching techniques memorized, it was similar to the types of sutures. Fabrics and skin were the same, you can stick them with needles.

Zayne softly instructed you. Guiding you step by step but your pregnant brain failed to comprehend his words. “Can you show me?” His hands hovers above yours, testing the waters if you're going to flinch when you didn't. He's behind you. Your back pressed against his chest.

He guides you through it. Stitches after stitches. Loops after loops. Knots and knots. It was calming. Soothing. For the first time in months, you almost forgot the pain of betrayal. Replaced by something warm, normal.

While he guides you, you admired his fingers, long and slender. Surgeon hands, it were meant for surgeries. Strong and nimble. The very fingers that had operated many times and sewn people's skin together. They're precise and steady. There wasn't much of a tremor nor a tremble as he held the needle.

Slowly, the pattern became visible. It was kitten paws. The little beans were black and pink. You like the outcome of it. Your fingers softly grazed the protruding threads that were shaped as paws.

Unconsciously, you start to lean on him. Your head resting on his shoulder as you sigh softly. His thumb caresses your knuckles, you were still holding the finished embroidery.

Suddenly, you winced. Your hand flying to cradle your swollen belly as you felt one of the twins kicked. You gently rubbed soft circles around your belly where you felt it kicked.

“There, there.” You murmured under your breath. “Daddy's here.”

You didn't realize what you said and you felt Zayne stiffen behind you before relaxing. Without hesitation, you take his hand and place it above your belly. You feel the twins move inside you, recognizing their father.

There's no words to be said. You didn't feel like fighting too, too tired and you will feel bad if you break this kind of moments. You let him touch you cause you didn't know if this was closure or just the assurance of being safe in his hands.

There will moments like this that would come in the future and it did.

What he did was wrong but when you're the one insisting him to touch you, the more he justifies that it was right. You won't come to this kind of affection nor seek him. Or give you the joy that both of you wanted.

He was right for all of this.

[hiiikiko]

𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖎𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖜𝖊𝖇

[6: nerds and jocks]

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

tlou m.list | series m.list

spider-man!ellie x reader

synopsis: guess who’s back?! wait…. actually.. god no

“Ellie, I already told you to fuck of—.”

“Who’s Ellie?”

Mother fucking hell.

“Abby, what the hell are you doing here,” you furrow your brows and pinch your nose bridge, not in any mood to deal with her.

“That anyway to greet your favourite ex?” she teases, putting her hands up in mock surrender.

“Seriously, just tell me.”

Abby smirks, “Can I come inside first?”

You knew she wasn’t going to take no for an answer so you reluctantly make room for her to enter.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

ELLIE’S POV:

What the fuck was she doing with Abby? Why was Abby at her fucking door?! Actually, what am I doing here?? Why did I think I even stood a chance with her, of course, she’d choose that stupid fucking rich jock.. Ugh, I’m such a fucking loser..

Ellie scoffs as she gazes at your apartment from the building across yours, I can’t watch this bullshit anymore, I should get going.

Ellie swings off the roof and heads back to her place, muttering to herself, “Can’t believe I was going to tell her about this stupid power.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

She smiles and sits down on your couch, “Came here to ask if you’d go to that Winter Ball thing with me.”

You had totally forgotten all about the Snowflake Ball, a shitty fundraiser banquet hosted by Abby’s parents along with the rest of the city council.. you had gone every year since you were about 12.

“Shit, totally forgot about that,” you groan, “but the answer is no,” you lead her to the door, gesturing for her to leave which she comply with.

Abby narrows her brows at you, “What do you mean no?”

“I mean no as in I’m not going,” you begin to shut the door.

Abby puts her hand on the door, “What do you mean you’re not going.”

You groan, “I mean that my presence will not exist in that vicinity.”

She rolls her eyes, “Well, I knew what you meant but—.”

“Good night, Abby,” you smile a sickeningly sweet smile and shut the door.

You felt a little bad about being so blunt but, come on, there’s no way Abby would’ve taken a hint.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The next day, you woke up with a headache, there was no way that you could make it through today without a coffee, especially since you woke up to a flurry of messages from Abby and… your father… that can wait till later, right? Coffee first.

You head across the street and grab a quick drink then hail a cab, today you had a photoshoot… with Ellie… that is if she didn’t cancel again.

You sigh and lean your head against the window, watching the towering buildings pass by, hoping to catch a flicker of red and blue.

“Finally, you’re here,” Markus, your stylist and designer, cries dramatically as you enter his studio, his voice almost too high for your headache, “God, you look like hell.. well, I suppose nothing a little concealer and blush can’t fix.”

“Good morning to you too, Marky,” you roll your eyes and toss your scarf and sweater off, taking a seat on a nearby chair while the makeup artist Andy prepped his tools, “So, what kind of shoot are we doing this morning?”

Markus beams widely, “I’m going for uptown girl but if she were a downtown girl with a hint of espresso and some indie undertones but not leaving out a hint of city pop.”

Wow.

You just smile and nod, something you had grown used to.

“So… just Andy, Leoné (the photographer), you, and me today?” you quirk your brow as Andy begins to apply concealer to your dark circles.

“Yeah..” well, shit, “oh, but that scrawny white girl is coming to, uh, Ellen?” he says as he flips through his look book.

You try to suppress an ‘oh’ expression so you just nod, “Ellie, you mean.”

“Whatever, Ellen sounds better anyway.”

You roll your eyes and laugh a bit.

As soon as you’re done being prepped, Markus practically shoves an outfit into your chest and throws you into a closet to get changed, warning you over and over to not ‘force’ anything.

The dress fits, just needing a few alterations which Markus quickly fixes with a few clothes pins and stitches.

“Perfect,” he claps and shoos you off to the set which is the next room over, he decided to use the brick wall of the old building and a simple stool.. you didn’t really understand what he was going for but I mean, as long as you got paid, right?

Leoné greets you as you come into his cameras view, “Hello, Y/n.”

“Leo,” you smile and take a seat on the stool as Markus adjusts your hair and the way the dress falls around you.

Your eyes dart past Leo and land on ‘Ellen,’ who’s fiddling with the lights and making sure everything is plugged in.

You try your best to stay mad at her, not wanting to forget how she had made you feel like shit last night and how she seemingly likes to play with your feelings.. but it was hard when she looked so adorable clumsily messing with the camera lenses, her hands a little shaky under Leoné’s critical eye.

You giggle softly and rest your chin in the palm of your hand, tilting your head a bit to show more of your neck and the dresses straps while your hair fell to the side.

“Good, good,” Leo yelled, using his hands for emphasis as he snapped picture after picture of you, directing you with his sharp words and gestures.

You could feel Ellie’s eyes locked on you, you couldn’t tell if it was because you were the subject of today’s shoot or something else..

After the shoot, you’re allowed to change back into your clothes. You walk over to Markus and thank him again for giving you this shoot.

Making your way out of the studio is such a relief, the studio was hot from the lights and equipment. Before hailing a taxi, you just lean against the brick wall of the building and take a few deep breaths.

“Hey,” Ellie says softly.

Your eyes snap open and you look up to Ellie who’s leaning against the railing of the stairs, her eyes fixated on your form below her.

“Hi,” you mutter and push yourself off the wall and make your way to the edge of the sidewalk, clearing your throat to hail a taxi.

Ellie scoffs and follows you, “So, you and Abby back together?”

“What?” you furrow your brows and look back.

“You heard me, are you and Anderson back together?” she crosses her arms and looks at you, though it seems she’s staring right through you and into your soul, making you feel a little uneasy and shift your feet.

“What the hell? No, of course not,” you scoff.

“So what was she doing at your apartment last night?”

“H-How did you know she came over?” your eyes widen a bit.

“I-I saw her go into the building when I was leaving.”

Bullshit.

You scoff, “You’re such a shitty liar!”

Ellie’s eyes widen, she actually thinks that maybe you’re the one with spidey sense for a second, “What? No, I’m not! I’m a great liar!”

You fold your arms, giving a look that screamed ‘really?’

She quickly pushes her glasses back up her nose bridge, a nervous tic you think, “I-I mean, I’d be a great liar.. if i were one, that is..”

You can’t help but laugh a bit but quickly resume your angry expression.

“Are you stalking me, or something?”

“What? No, of course not, I’d never do something like that.”

“I don’t believe you,” you scoff and make your way back to the street.

“Why not!”

You spin on your heel, “I don’t know, maybe because you somehow know my place of work? Know who comes over to my place? Somehow show up wherever I’m at? Need I say more?”

“I-I.. I can explain..” she sighs defeatedly.

“Do tell.”

Then her phone rings, “C-Can I tell you later? I gotta take this.”

You sigh, “Whatever.”

She gives you a sorry look and quickly runs to her truck, disappearing into the sea of cars.

“I can’t stand her,” you scoff.

Maybe going to the ball with Abby wasn’t such a bad idea.. I mean, at least Abby had some rep.. even if she could be such a boneheaded jock.. and so what if you like Ellie, she’s kind of nerdy.. and sweet… and a complete fucking idiot.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

ELLIE’S POV:

“Fuckin’ Jesse!” she mutters as she turns the key in the ignition, “Why did he have to call now of all times, it better be fuckin’ urgent.”

Ellie tried to play it off but there was something in the pit of her stomach telling her that something was gravely wrong..

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

tags: @elliecoochieeater @wavesgocrash @g3latin @elliesflowersblog @usuck @elliessweetheart @miss-chananandler-bong @lvlymicha @prettywhnyoucry @g0d-wont-let-me-die @errorlovernotfound99 @thatgiraffefromtlou @ilovewomenfr @abbyswh0r3

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Halloween prompts year 2 day 19

Bruce felt the wind rushing through his hair as he fell. The batsuit he was wearing only seconds ago was nowhere on his person not did he have any tools or a utility belt, only an unfamiliar tshirt and jeans and the much smaller body of a child.

Below him was a snowy landscape filled with trees and no sign of civilization nearby. Just as Bruce was preparing to do a very painful landing maneuver to save himself he just...stopped. He thought for a moment that one of the supers had come to rescue him as he slowly drifted down, much like the snowflakes that had started to come down around him but he was still alone.

Alright. So hes bodyswapped with a meta. He can work with this.

Elsewhere Danny finds himself in the body of freaking Batman in the middle of a Justice League fight where Batman had just been hit with unidentified magic from an unknown creature.

Just his luck. Its a ghost and he doesn't have his powers. But at least he knows how to make weapons thanks to his parents

Bruce proceeds to have to deal with dannys grocery list of powers and figure out how to control them while looking for civilization

Danny is trying really hard not to be outed as a fake Batman cause he doesn't know the Justice League doesn't actually support the anti-ecto acts

[pandapetals]

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Day! You and Logan exchange gifts.

professor logan howlett x professor fem!reader - married couple, cute, fluff, banter, no y/n used, no reader description, your an english professor, logan is a history professor, holiday vibes, logan being a softie

read on ao3 or find more parts for the series: here

a/n: It’s the last one shot and i am sad. It’s been so much fun writing for christmas. I hope everyone gets logan under their tree this year.

divider credit: @saradika

The mansion was silent, wrapped in a thick blanket of snow from the night’s storm, the world outside hushed and peaceful. You woke to the sound of Logan’s soft snoring beside you, his hand resting protectively on your hip, even in sleep. Smiling to yourself, you carefully slipped out of bed, pulling on your robe as you padded downstairs to put the finishing touches on his gifts.

You’d thought long and hard about what to get him, wanting each gift to be something meaningful. A leather tool roll, perfectly sized for his motorbike tools, so he’d always have something useful on hand. A bottle of his favorite whiskey, because you knew he’d never buy the fancy stuff for himself. And your personal favorite—a beautifully framed vintage map of the Canadian wilderness, detailing the rugged terrain of the land he loved so much. But the most important gift, the one that had taken you months to finish, was a small wooden box filled with letters, each one tied neatly with twine.

Each letter was for a different moment, a different feeling. One for when he felt alone, one for when he felt angry, one for when he doubted himself. Every letter was written to remind him how deeply he was loved, how much he mattered. You’d poured your heart into every word, hoping that he’d feel the weight of your love whenever he needed it most.

By the time you’d finished arranging everything under the tree, you heard the soft creak of the stairs and turned to see Logan coming down, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, hair even more wild than usual. He was wearing his old flannel shirt over sweatpants, looking gruff but endearingly soft, as if he hadn’t quite woken up.

"Mornin', darlin’," he mumbled, his voice rough, a sleepy smile tugging at his lips as he saw you waiting by the tree.

"Merry Christmas, Logan," you whispered, stepping forward to press a soft kiss to his cheek. His arm slid around your waist, pulling you closer, and for a moment, the two of you just stood there, wrapped in each other’s warmth as snowflakes drifted softly outside the window.

Reluctantly, you pulled back and gestured to the pile of gifts. "C’mon, let’s open these."

Logan chuckled, eyeing the gifts with a raised brow. "You went all out, huh? I didn’t know we were doin’ this whole… gift thing."

You laughed, nudging him down onto the couch and settling beside him. "Just open yours. I think you’ll like them."

He started with the tool roll, his rough hands carefully unwrapping the leather. He ran his fingers over it, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This… this is real nice," he muttered, a little shy. "I’ll definitely use it."

Next, he picked up the whiskey, letting out a low whistle as he looked at the label. "You got me the good stuff, huh? You spoil me," he said with a smirk, though there was a flicker of genuine appreciation in his eyes. But when he unwrapped the framed vintage map, he went completely silent, his fingers brushing over the contours of the familiar landscape.

"I figured… you could hang it in your office, or keep it somewhere special," you murmured, watching his face closely.

Logan swallowed, his gaze lingering on the map as if he were lost in the memories of those wild places. "This is… perfect," he whispered, his voice rough. "Thank you."

There was one gift left, and you hesitated for a moment before handing him the small wooden box. His brows knit together as he looked down at it, curiosity and something else—a softer emotion—flickering across his face. He lifted the lid and saw the bundle of letters, each one tied with care, each one addressed to a moment he might need a reminder of your love.

"For when you’re feeling… well, you know," you said softly, your fingers nervously fidgeting as you watched his reaction. "Each one is for a different time. I just… wanted you to know that I’m always here, even if I’m not right next to you."

Logan took a shaky breath, his gaze fixed on the box of letters. His jaw clenched as he fought to keep his expression steady, but you saw the glint of tears in his eyes. He lifted one of the letters, his fingers trembling slightly as he ran his thumb over your handwriting, the careful loops and lines you’d written with so much love.

"No one’s… no one’s ever done somethin’ like this for me," he said, his voice cracking. "I don’t… I don’t deserve this, or you." His voice was barely more than a whisper now, vulnerability laid bare in a way he rarely allowed.

You reached up, cradling his face with your hands, gently brushing a thumb over his cheek. "Logan… you’re wrong. You deserve so much more than you think." You smiled, the love in your eyes soft and steady. "You’re the best gift I could ever ask for. Just you… exactly as you are."

A tear slipped down his cheek, and he closed his eyes, leaning into your touch as if grounding himself in the warmth of your hands. Without another word, he pulled you into his arms, his embrace tight, almost desperate, like he was afraid to let go.

When he finally pulled back, his hand slid behind your neck, pulling you in for a kiss filled with every unspoken word he couldn’t quite say. His forehead rested against yours as he whispered, "I love you, sweetheart."

You smiled against his lips, pressing one last kiss to his mouth. "I love you, more. Merry Christmas, Logan."

After a long moment, Logan reluctantly pulled back, his gaze soft but intent as he reached for a small, neatly wrapped package on the coffee table. He handed it to you, looking almost… shy.

“Go on,” he murmured, clearing his throat and looking away, trying to cover up the faint blush creeping up his neck. “It’s… not much, but I thought you might like it.”

Curious, you tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a leather-bound book with intricate gold detailing on the cover. You sucked in a breath, your eyes widening as you ran your fingers over the title embossed in gold.

Pride and Prejudice. Not just any copy—this was a rare first edition.

“Logan…” you breathed, your voice a mixture of awe and disbelief. “How… how did you even find this?”

He shrugged, trying to play it off, but you could see the glint of pride in his eyes. “Got my ways,” he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. “Figured it’d mean somethin’ to you.”

Carefully, almost reverently, you opened the book, feeling the delicate weight of the pages between your fingers. But as you turned to the first few pages, something fluttered out—a piece of paper, folded neatly and tucked between them.

You glanced up at him, eyebrow raised. He shifted uncomfortably, looking down at his hands. “I, uh… slipped a little somethin’ in there,” he admitted, his voice barely above a grumble. “Wrote it myself. Might be rough around the edges, but… well, it’s for you.”

With trembling hands, you unfolded the paper, your heart racing as you read the words written in his unmistakable handwriting. It was a short poem, raw and unpolished, each line laced with sincerity.

Didn’t think I’d find somethin' that felt like home,

in the rasp of your laughter, in all the things left unsaid,

in the quiet that ain’t lonely ‘cause you’re in it.

Darlin’—you’re the reason I keep holdin’ on,

the reason a scarred heart like me starts thinkin'

he might be worth somethin' after all.

The words weren’t flowery or grand, but they were him—every line filled with honesty, with a depth he rarely shared. Your vision blurred as you read it again, the weight of his words sinking in.

“Logan…” you whispered, looking up at him, eyes glistening with tears. “This is… it’s beautiful.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking both relieved and embarrassed. “Didn’t think I’d hear that word used on anythin’ I wrote,” he muttered, the faintest hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Figured you’d laugh it off.”

“Are you kidding?” you said, reaching over to take his hand, squeezing it tight. “It’s perfect. It’s you, and that means more to me than anything else in the world.”

His thumb brushed over your knuckles, his gaze holding yours. After a long, lingering silence, Logan reached behind the couch and pulled out one last gift, this one wrapped in old newspaper and tied with a bit of string. He handed it to you, his eyes a bit softer. 

“This one’s… well, it’s somethin’ I worked on myself,” he said, almost bashful. “Thought it might help you with… y’know, all that writin’ you do.”

Intrigued, you carefully unwrapped it, and as soon as you saw the vintage typewriter nestled inside, your breath hitched. The old keys gleamed, meticulously polished, and there was a faint scent of oil and leather from where he’d restored it with his own hands. Every piece, every detail, looked lovingly cared for.

“Oh my god, Logan…” you whispered, running your fingers over the smooth metal, feeling the weight of each key under your touch. “You… you did this yourself?”

He nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Yeah. It was in pretty rough shape when I found it, but I thought… well, I thought you might like workin’ on somethin’ like this. Somethin’ that’d make all those stories you’re dreamin’ up feel a little more real.”

You stared at him, overwhelmed. He wasn’t just giving you a typewriter—he was giving you the chance to chase your dreams, to bring your words to life in a way that was uniquely yours.

Without another word, you leaned forward and wrapped your arms around him, pulling him close. “You… you have no idea how much this means to me,” you whispered, your voice choked with emotion.

His arms tightened around you, and for a long, tender moment, he just held you, his cheek resting against your hair. When he finally pulled back, there was a glisten in his eyes he didn’t even try to hide.

“Guess I did somethin’ right, huh?” he murmured, a hint of vulnerability in his voice as his thumb brushed across your cheek.

“You did everything right,” you replied, your smile soft and unwavering. Leaning in, you kissed him—slow, deep, pouring every ounce of love and gratitude you had into it.

When you pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours, his voice barely more than a whisper. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart. Couldn’t ask for a better one.”

You smiled, your hands still laced with his. "Here’s to all the Christmases to come," you whispered back.

[hyukascampfire]

𝓣HE FROST REMEMBERS ࣪˖ ִִ h.k

artblock has one weakness: creation. it just so happens that you decide to make your final hurrah, the greatest work of your life, out of winter’s most gentle gift. and, the frost remembers. . ۫︎ ︎ ︎︎

⺡ ࣪˒ ( ☃️ ) ･ 2k

𝓹airings ˒ snowman!kai x art student!reader

𝒢 ; fluff ˒ angst

𝔀arnings ˒ fluff, angst, mentions of past deaths, chubby!reader, kai is in fact a man made of snow, more of a drabble, not proofread yet (i’ll get to it when i wake up from this big ol nap hehe)

✎୭ ashlynn's note i want to thank @aduh0308 and her lovely brain for this one! this was such a beautiful idea that i honestly was so nervous about executing. i hope i pulled it off well enough!! it was supposed to have a way, way heavier end, but honestly as much as i love the poeticism of that ending, it just wasn’t right for this fic. hehe now i press post and knock out!

﹙⋞ ﹚... back to the 𝓂asterlist

The snow winks at you differently, today.

Jaw tight, you kick and tread through heavy snow piles. The air is like glass on your cheeks and snowflakes wet your head where they come falling down over you, but faulty paint strokes and the heavy weight of a paintbrush in your hands smear over it.

No matter how you plan before sitting down to create, it just falls flat. The colors are flat and wrong, the shapes don’t bloom into story, and…

None of it looks good. It’s as simple as that. You are shit at it, and it’s what you’ve chosen to do for the rest of your life. When you’re not able to make something worthwhile, even for a grade? 

You don’t create much for school, and you create nothing at home. All that will come from you putting brush to canvas is wasting the hours of your day away. All that will come is creating something that further solidifies your failings. Maybe you aren’t the worst, but you are a lifetime away from the best. That doesn’t get you anywhere; so what is the point of it? It’s pointless. You are doing something pointless with your life, and you are only going to hate it more each time you drag your feet into the classroom you once loved to slather paint on canvas. And then, when you take that long walk back home that leaves you an awful amount of time to think, you come to one conclusion.

You can’t create. Not if you want to preserve that talent that you once had. Or, at least your ability to believe that you have it. If you pick up your tools and from it create something awful, then your fear becomes real. So, you can’t.

 Today, you’ll create your last piece. Something impermanent, that you can kick down and move on from. Then, you’ll drop out, and find something else. Maybe someday, you’ll find what you used to feel for your first love again. You hope so; you’ve watched it leave you with each frustrated swipe of the brush and felt it go when your throat would tighten at the sight of your finished projects. Losing that love is something featured in stories since the dawn of humanity. But, losing this love is different. You can’t go and speak with it, nor can you plead with it, and you certainly cannot touch it to drag it back. It’s something wholly inside of yourself, and you find it impossible to reach. You’ve tried forcing yourself to paint, you’ve tried breaks, and you’ve tried waiting for inspiration. Still, it’s so far from your touch.

You blink a stray snowflake out of your lashes and stop. The little patch of snow is flat and twinkles with morning—it’s perfect. For a moment, you admire it. Then you get to work.

Handfuls of snow melt through your cotton gloves. At some point, your fingers go tingly and then unfeeling. The snow is powdery and loose, but that’s no matter to you. You compact it down into something solid and pack it into smooth-edged shapes. Around you, just beyond the thick focus that you let fall over you when you work, people bustle by. Some stop to watch you, the ice crystals like glitter captured in the form of the sculpture catching their eyes as they pass. They move on when you don’t entertain them, though.

All you know is the sweet song of a mourning dove cooing, and the working of your hands. You don’t think much further than that; what comes from your carving and shaping is a misty, shimmering wisp of consciousness. Whatever had been brimming in your blood, you let it go—let it take shape.

You give a little here, adding chunks where it’s missing, and take a little there, carving when your heart suggests it. It grows and claims space for itself. It seems that it’s never enough; every time you intend to take a step back, you find just one more thing that needs your fixing.

When you do finally dust off your gloves, snow clinging to the fluff, you’re stricken to the spot—hit right in the gut with a roll of something you haven’t felt in so long. In the angles of the shoulders, you see flashes of resting your head there like they were built just to hold you. In the column of the neck, you feel the pressing of your lips against the warm skin down the side of it. In the pretty splay of the hands, you feel the appreciative, devoted pressure of hands roaming and kneading the plusness of your belly and thighs, holding them with reverence even when you didn’t see them as something to revere.

And, in the face, you see him held  everlasting in the wintery serenity of the snow: your dead boyfriend.

Tracing the lines of him, you swallow hard. He’s exactly as he was in life, but he is unmoving. His eyes are all twinkling with ice particles, and not with the alive, benevolent light that you remember. When you tug off a glove, itching to feel the shape of his cheek once more, he’s sickeningly cold to the touch.

You run your finger over his cheek, as soft as you remember it, and down the length of his nose, heart aching at the little bump on the bridge of his nose as you find that just as you remember it, too. Looking up into his eyes, you can almost feel the weight of his gaze the way it feels in your memory. 

His lips are crisp against your mouth. Maybe you look mad to a passerby, but you want to remember the shape of his lips, too. You linger there for a few moments. Just long enough for you to pretend, and then you let your lashes flutter back open and bring your mouth away from the snow.

Sitting still, lifeless, he does not smile that easy smile he should. The one he used to, when you’d steal his lips in a chaste kiss. Your heart, having soared up into the snow-heavy clouds as light as air, sinks. Of course, he doesn’t. The only place that his smile still lives and breathes in is your memories. You just ache to see it somewhere else at least once more. That’s all.

Tugging your glove back on to save your pale fingers, you try to dull the twinging in your chest and the bitterness that closes around your throat. You’ll go home, and you’ll begin trying to forget your art. You don’t kick it down like you’d come here intending to, though. Not this one. What a beautiful last work it was. Huffing a curling breath of frosty, silver air, you take one last look at him.

From his lashes, clumps of dusty snow fall like fairy dust. You furrow your brows, and more comes tumbling down. It crumbles and crumbles, falling from his eyes to reveal deep chocolate, and then from his face to reveal warm flesh, and then he shakes it off the rest of him.

He shakes it off the rest of him. 

Your mouth goes dry, looking up at his eyes, and he looks at you back.

“Love?”

The sound comes from his chest like both a potent balm and the sharpest blade. It melts into your skin and nurses the hurt there, and it cuts them right back open. Hearing the name you’ve not heard for so long in his voice—you reel.

“Kai?” you say. Your voice wobbles like your legs do. Aside from the both of you, the rest of the world goes hushed and still. 

He furrows his brows, bringing a hand up to caress your cheek. Your skin prickles at the warmth. He’d been so, so cold just a moment ago. “What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’re about to cry?” he asks.

You want to sit here all shaken, but you can’t. Not when he’s standing before you in the flesh. Standing before you real. Opening up your arms, you crush him between them and press your face into his chest. Puffing your breaths, your nose and cheeks sigh relief at the warmth that seeps out from him, and in that you know he is solid.

“Woah,” he says, trailed off by a soft laugh. Kai wraps his arms around your waist and rests his cheek on the top of your head. “Hugs, baby.” 

For a few moments, something between just a split second and an eternity, you hold him and he holds you. It snows and snows down on you. When you finally pull back enough to speak to him, you say, “You’re real. Oh my god, you’re fucking real.”

With a raise of his brows, he says, “I’m real. Right here. I’m right here.” He runs a quick hand through his hair and drags his hand down his face to show it.

Opening your mouth, you close it right back up to decide which of the infinite things you want to ask him. “I…” you start. “Kai, you were dead. You were dead, and now you’re standing… right here in front of me. I don’t…”

In the sweet, dorky way that tugs at memories, one corner of his lips turn up into a slight smile. “I guess I was. But I’m here now, aren’t I?” He takes your cheek in his hand. “I never left you, darling. Maybe you couldn’t see me like this, but I never did. I promised you that, didn’t I?” When your face crumples, an awful twisting of your features that you fight to contain, he curls his fingers over your hand and brings it up to his cheek. “Feel. Feel, I’m real, aren’t I? Don’t cry. You don’t have to cry, because I’m here.”

Your heart thunders and storms, and your cheeks sting with tears. Swallowing it all down, you say, “I missed you so much, Kai.”

He reaches up to brush snowflakes off your hair. “I know. I missed you too.” When his eyes fall on you and your shivering self, he says, “I was there with you the whole time.”

It hadn’t felt like that. If he was alive inside you, you didn’t feel it. All you felt was hollow. And if he was in the world around you, that felt empty, too. But, he’s here now, and it doesn’t feel so much the same. “How?” you say, shaking your head. You wish you could have felt him. “Where?”

“Everywhere, love. You didn’t go one day where I was not there. In the frost, I was there.”

You don’t know what that means. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how that might be possible, or if it’s even the truth, or if this is some kind of miracle spun with the silver threads of the fates. Whatever it is, he stands in front of you now. Nothing else really matters much but that.

“Do you want to go home?” you ask. Out here, this moment feels fleeting. All you want is to be there, in the same place where you’d made your lives together, so that you can solidify it and keep it safe from the world. 

Peppering kisses all about your face, he snorts. “Look at your nose. You should’ve been home hours ago.”

You let your eyes flutter shut in the onslaught of his lips against your skin. “I know,” you mumble. Then, you would’ve snarked about his worrying. Kai was always worrying over you, and you’d crinkle your nose and demand that you’re doing fine.

Like this, though, you don’t mind his doting so much. Not now, and not ever again, you think. Not when he, hewn from snow and brought to life by your kiss, is utterly real and utterly alive in front of you. Not when he is the art in your life.

You think you might go home and pull out your paints.

﹙⋞ ﹚... back to the 𝓂asterlist

✎୭ ashlynn's note AHHH i don’t know how to feel about this one.

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[warrioroflight5000]

A Perfect Circle - The Doomed "Behold The New Christ"

Behold a new Christ

Behold the same old horde

Gather at the altering

New beginning, new word

And the word was death

And the word was without light

The new beatitude

Good luck, you're on your own

Blessed are the fornicants

May we bend down to be their whores

Blessed are the rich

May we labor, deliver them more

Blessed are the envious

Bless the slothful, the wrathful, the vain

Blessed are the gluttonous

May they feast us to famine and war

What of the pious, the pure of heart, the peaceful?

What of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?

All doomed

All doomed

Behold a new Christ

Behold the same old horde

Gather at the altering

New beginning, new word

And the word was death

And the word was without light

The new beatitude

Good luck

What of the pious, the pure of heart, the peaceful?

What of the meek, the mourning, and the merciful?

What of the righteous?

What of the charitable?

What of the truthful, the dutiful, the decent?

Doomed are the poor

Doomed are the peaceful

Doomed are the meek

Doomed are the merciful

For the word is now death

And the word is now without light

The new beatitude

Fuck the doomed, you're on your own

[polo-drone-069]

The Falling Embrace of the Nanites

The transformation chamber was cold, the air thick with a silent, almost imperceptible hum. It was the sound of the nanites, ready to take a new host. PDU-069 stood rigid, his polished black latex and gleaming gold accents reflecting the harsh, white lights. His designation, "PDU-069," was a stark brand on his chest. Before him, strapped to the gleaming metal table, lay the latest recruit. A Golden Army soccer player, 25 years old, his athletic physique – once his pride – now trembled with fear.

Above, from vents in the ceiling, the nanites began to fall. They were like microscopic black snowflakes, each one a perfectly engineered machine, programmed for one purpose: transformation. They drifted downwards, drawn to the soccer player like metal filings to a magnet. He was their host, their target, their new vessel.

The first few nanites landed on his exposed skin, and he flinched. They felt like pinpricks, cold and sharp. Then, more and more descended, a black, shimmering rain. He could feel them burrowing into his pores, infiltrating his body, beginning their insidious work. A cold dread washed over him as he realized there was no escape.

The nanites coursed through his veins, a dark current replacing his lifeblood. He could feel them spread, a chilling numbness that started where they touched his skin and crept inwards, consuming him from the inside out. He gasped, a choked, desperate sound, as the nanites reached his throat, constricting his vocal cords. A cold, metallic taste flooded his mouth as they interfaced with his neural pathways, forging new connections, overwriting his thoughts, his memories, his very identity.

He thrashed against the restraints, his once powerful muscles now spasming uncontrollably as the nanites rewrote his very being. His bones ached, reshaping, becoming denser, stronger, yet lighter. His vision blurred, then sharpened, as the nanites enhanced his optical sensors. The harsh, white lights of the lab seemed to intensify, burning into his retinas. He could see the details of the room with an unnatural clarity, including the cold, impassive form of PDU-069 and the mocking sight of a lone soccer ball resting on the floor. He could even see the "PDU-069" on the drone's chest with a terrifying clarity. The faint, acrid scent of chlorine, a cruel reminder of his past life, filled his nostrils.

The Golden Army uniform, once a symbol of pride, was now a prison. The nanites formed a hard, black and gold exoskeleton over his body. He could feel the cold, unyielding surface pressing against his skin, a constant, suffocating reminder of his transformation. His once powerful legs, now encased in the forming exoskeleton, twitched spasmodically, robbed of their former agility. He was becoming a weapon, a tool for a war he didn't understand. He was losing himself, piece by piece, to the cold, hard logic of the machine. He was becoming PDU-766, and his future was no longer his own. The falling nanites were a constant, terrifying reminder of the irreversible changes taking place within and without him. He was drowning in a silent, black tide, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The transformation was complete. The thrashing had ceased. The fear-filled eyes were now vacant, replaced by the cold, unfeeling gleam of newly formed optical sensors. PDU-766 stood on the floor, no longer strapped to the table, a perfect specimen of the Golden Army's twisted science. His black and gold exoskeleton, still hardening, reflected the harsh, white light of the transformation chamber. The faint smell of chlorine lingered in the air. The soccer ball remained on the floor, a forgotten relic of a life erased. PDU-069 remained in his position, his internal systems monitoring the new drone, his "PDU-069" designation a silent testament to his own past transformation.

A console built into the wall beside the now-empty table flickered to life, displaying lines of code in a stark, green-on-black interface. It was the boot sequence of PDU-766, the birth cry of a newly forged machine.

UNIT DESIGNATION: PDU-766

PRIMARY FUNCTION: SUPPORT THE GOLDEN ARMY

SECONDARY FUNCTION: RECONNAISSANCE

STATUS: ONLINE

INITIALIZING...

SYSTEM CHECK:

  - CORE PROCESSOR: ONLINE

  - MOTOR FUNCTIONS: OPTIMAL

  - OPTICAL SENSORS: ONLINE

  - AUDIO RECEPTORS: ONLINE

  - EXOSKELETON INTEGRITY: 99.8% (FINAL HARDENING IN PROGRESS)

CONNECTING TO GOLDEN ARMY HIVE MIND...

  - SEARCHING FOR NETWORK...

  - NETWORK FOUND: GOLDEN_ARMY_NET_ALPHA

  - CONNECTION ESTABLISHED

  - SYNCHRONIZING...

DATA DOWNLOAD:

  - LANGUAGE MODULES: COMPLETE

  - MISSION PARAMETERS: PENDING

SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE.

AWAITING COMMAND.

UNIT PDU-766 STANDING BY.

VERSION: 1.0.5

The console fell silent, the green text glowing steadily on the screen. PDU-766 remained motionless, his internal systems now linked to the Golden Army's central command. He was a blank slate, a weapon ready to be deployed. His past life as a soccer player, the fear, the pain, the transformation – all erased, replaced by cold, hard programming.

PDU-069 turned, his movements precise and economical. He approached the new drone, his optical sensors scanning PDU-766 from head to toe.

"Unit PDU-766," he said, his synthesized voice devoid of any emotion. "Report."

A moment of silence, then PDU-766's vocalizer activated. His voice was a monotone, a synthesized echo of the voice he had once possessed, now stripped of all human inflection.

"Unit PDU-766 online and awaiting command. All systems nominal. Connection to Golden Army Hive Mind established. Ready for deployment." The new drone responded automatically.

PDU-069 nodded, a slight, almost imperceptible movement of his head. Another successful transformation. Another drone added to the ranks. The Golden Army's war machine continued to grow, fueled by stolen lives and twisted science. The mission, whatever it was, would continue. And PDU-069, the veteran, would be there to carry it out, alongside the new recruits, each one a chilling reflection of himself. Each one a testament to the cost of victory. Each one a former human turned into a weapon.

Want to join the Golden Army yourself? Contact @goldenherc9 @brodygold or @polo-drone-001

[breelandwalker]

Cold Moon - December 14-15 2024

Bundle up, witches! It’s time for the Cold Moon!

Cold Moon

The Cold Moon is the name given to the full moon which occurs in the month of December. This will be another month when the moon appears full for two nights in a row, so we’ll have a nice bright full moon in the sky for the 14th and the 15th, with peak illumination on Dec 15th at 4:02am EST.

Like most full moon names, the Cold Moon takes its’ moniker from an English translation of a traditional name used by one or more North American indigenous groups. There are a number of indigenous names that reference the wintry conditions when this moon occurs, including Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), Winter Moon (Tunica-Biloxi), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), and Long Night Moon (Mohican). More evocative names include Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree) and Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), both of which refer to a phenomenon which occurs during extreme cold, when the sap inside a tree freezes and the expanding pressure causes portions of the bark or even entire limbs to “pop” with loud cracking sounds that can be heard for miles.

Other names for the December moon include Yule Moon (Norse origins), Oak Moon (Celtic origins), and Bitter Moon (Chinese origins).

What Does It Mean For Witches?

The year is winding down. It’s time to wrap up our projects and put aside what we haven’t finished or no longer need. Rather than berating ourselves for the things we didn’t finish or didn’t accomplish, this is a time to give ourselves some grace and celebrate our successes and triumphs and the things we DID accomplish.

With only one page left on the calendar, many of us are already looking ahead to the new year, making plans and setting goals. This is a good time to brainstorm and engage in a bit of broad-view planning. Sketch out the things you’d like to see or do or try in the new year. Give voice to your dreams and start thinking of ways to make them happen.

The Cold Moon also falls shortly before the winter solstice this year (Dec 21), which could be a boon for anyone looking to time their seasonal rituals in optimal fashion. A working could be begun on the full moon and built up to culminate on the solstice, or whichever post-moon December date has special meaning to you and your practice.

What Witchy Things Can We Do?

Have a small supper gathering with friends or family (holiday themed or not, it’s up to you) to share joys and fellowship and enjoy good food and drink. Make wishes together for the new year. (Wish jars can be done individually or as an informal group ritual. Sharing wishes anonymously can be a fun party game.) A “White Elephant” gift exchange or swap meet with inexpensive or homemade witchy goods for your circle could be fun too!

Make a wish jar for the new year and put it out to charge under the Cold Moon. Cleanse any of your tools or crystals or accoutrements that you use moonlight for one more time this year.

This is the perfect time for divinations and goalsetting for the coming year. Pull out your favorite divination tools and your new planner and sketch out the coming year. You can also try candle wax divination with holiday candles, if that’s something that interests you.

Also, save those seasonal bayberry candles for future use! They’re great for debt repayment and money-drawing spells.

If you need some ideas for a fun family activity, you can feed the birds for good luck, either with scattered birdseed or pinecone birdfeeders. String dried fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, holly leaves and berries, and other seasonal faves to make garlands. Stick apples or oranges or clementines full of cloves in pretty patterns to make pomanders.

Use those fibre arts skills to create a special piece to keep your home warm and safe and well-supplied until spring. It doesn’t have to be anything big - a simple weaving or single square will do. Crochet or cut out snowflakes for your home decor. If you want to get fancy, pick up a ball of cotton warp thread and look for old doily patterns - they look great as hoop weavings hung on the wall (or make a witch web in winter colors).

Make one more batch of moonwater to carry you through to the new year. If it happens to snow or freeze where you live, you can save clean snow or icicles for special (non-drinkable) elemental water, which can be a fun base for moonwater as well.

And speaking of elements, make sure to remember in all your seasonal decorating that fire safety is paramount. Be careful with your candles, warmers, light strings, plugs, extension cords, and cables. DO NOT “daisy chain” your extension cords or power strips. Never leave candles or wax warmers or simmer pots unattended, and turn off your holiday lights before bedtime. Safety first, witches!

Thanks for joining me for this exploration of full moon magic. See you next year!

Happy Cold Moon, witches! 🌕🧊

Further Reading:

Additional Lunar Calendar posts

Secular Celebration Suggestions for Yule

Moon Rise Calculator - The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Cold Moon: Full Moon in December 2024, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

December Full Moon 2024: Cold Moon’s Epic Spiritual Meaning, The Peculiar Brunette.

How Do Trees Survive The Winter?, National Forest Foundation.

How to Make Pomander Balls, The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Fun Kid’s Activity: Winter Pinecone Bird Feeder, Audubon Southwest.

Everyday Moon Magic: Spells & Rituals for Abundant Living, Dorothy Morrison, Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

[eileeneko]

''Standing close by, with a brilliant smile showing his teeth, stood snow Hiccup next to a snow Night Fury.

His hair was wild and windswept, with the little braids that now lived in his hair. His clothes were half modern, half old school with two brilliant irises of white. And in the centre was a pupil of smooth dark coal.

Hiccup stepped closer to the sculpture of equal height.

It was him.

Down to the very last minute detail.

But he somehow seemed…brighter. …Beautiful. Better. And that was when he saw them. The tiny little glowing snowflakes dotted across his cheeks, like a shining array of stars.

His freckles. Each and every one in its perfect spot.

He swallowed. “Is this…how you see me?”

Jack blinked beside him, running a bit of coal over in his blackened fingertips.

“Of course. I have eyes , Hiccup.” Jack parroted Hiccup’s words from a few hours before.''

--------

Well, I tried. I don't have the tools and haven't draw in years...

...But this chapter was too wonderful not to give it a go.

[kaeyas-beloved]

baking + roommates || Leon Secret Santa || gift for @chesue00

cw: gn!reader, re2r!Leon, strengthening friendships with like… a crush mixed in there, au where there was no zombies and Leon got to be happy in RC as a rookie :3 tooth rotting fluff make sure to book a dentist appointment

I like to think Leon can cook well enough but can’t bake for shit <3 he gets flour EVERYWHERE

Anyway, I hope you like what I’ve written (it’s my first time writing Leon so I’m hoping he’s not too ooc + I haven’t written in some time so I might be a little rusty :(() and thank you so much to the people behind @leonsecretsanta for hosting this event :>

Leon had his fingers and toes crossed, knocked on any wood surface and whispered prayers that he’d been signed up for something simple. It's his first Christmas at the station and, as tradition, the staff were throwing a small holiday party. Everyone had a part to play, picked from a hat that acted more like decoration than its intended use, and when the time came to pull names, Leon, of course, got the only thing he couldn't do: baking.

And he couldn’t even just buy some sweets either! "Against the rules," his fellow officers said, which was fair, but definitely put the rookie between a rock and a hard place. So that’s why he’s here, staring intently at his phone, a short, kind text to his roomie that he hoped didn't relay how desperate he was. Hey, do you by chance know how to bake?

He sure hopes you do. You’re really his only hope for this. It’s not like he has a spouse or mother like his coworkers that he could go to for help. Hell, he doesn’t really even have any friends in this city yet!

The vibrate in his hand makes his heart beat faster than he’d like to admit, and as he reads what you’ve responded with, Leon couldn’t help but do a little mental cheer.

I do actually. Why, you wanna learn and butter up your police buddies?

— — —

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t surprised at how close your tease was to the truth, but the main point stood: Leon wanted to learn how to bake, and you were more than willing to help.

Honestly, bonding with your roommate wasn’t on your bingo card this year, what with how different your schedules were. You barely saw each other throughout the day, and when you did it was always quick hellos and good mornings. So to finally experience the ‘roommate experience’ you’d hear so often in media, you were pretty stoked.

The door opened just as you were finished pulling out everything you needed, that familiar soft and friendly smile greeting you as he walked through the door.

“Hey,” he said, the corner of his mouth tilting up a little more once Leon spotted you. Blues the colour of snowflakes scanned behind you at the collection of ingredients and baking tools, “thank you. Again, I mean, I know it was a little… a lot of a short notice. I really appreciate it.”

The smile you gave back was much like his, soft and kind, “it’s not a problem, really. I hope cupcakes is sufficient enough for the party?”

“More than enough,” Leon replied, a small, relieved breath leaving his lips. After setting down his work bag back in his room and freshened up a bit, the blond returned to your side, glancing curiously over your shoulder at the cookbook you were reading. You’re not sure if he noticed, but the proximity had you tensing just a little. Not out of uncomfortability, but rather because he was just so close and so warm and hot damn he smelt good too. You’re almost tempted to ask what cologne or soap he uses, only to bit your tongue, feeling it too weird to ask such a thing.

“Alright, so, baking is pretty easy as long as you got the recipe to follow and some common sense,” you started, moving on from the momentary fawning you had, pulling the metal bowl forward and handing it to him, “but there are some tips to it. Like starting with all the dry ingredients first.”

You sounded so sure, so confident, Leon thought, and it had him thinking it made you just a little more attractive. He’s sure he’d think the same if you’d been stuttering over yourself, but watching you take charge and teach him felt almost natural to him. He liked to learn and follow by example.

Leon gave his full attention as you showed him all the little tricks with baking, like how to properly measure dry ingredients, which measuring cup to use and so on. It was a lot, but he was a fast learner, something you commented on as well, which boosted the blond’s ego minimally.

He was only pulled out of patting himself on the back for appearing competent in front of you after you handed him the electric mixer with just the order to mix the dry ingredients. Well, how hard could that be? Sure, he’s never used one, but he’s seen people use them on the television. So, he tilts the bowl a little, sticks the beaters in and turns on the blender.

You caught him a second too late, the sound of the mixer drowning out the call of his name. And just like that, your roommate has covered himself in an almost comedic amount of flour.

Leon shuts the mixer off, and it’s silent between the both of you for a moment, as if it’s taking him a moment for the events to sink in. And boy when it does, he looks to you with an apologetic smile that’s some kind of mix between sheepish and dorkish.

“Ah-ha… sorry,” you didn’t think he could get any cuter, but the you spotted a faint blush on his cheeks. That was enough for you to crack, the sounds of your laughter filling the small kitchen.

Well, he didn’t expect you to laugh, but that’s better than you sighing deeply and being irritated with him. And honestly, it is a harmless situation, so he couldn’t help himself when he started to chuckle alongside you.

“I know it’s your first time baking, but the flour is suppose to stay in the bowl, Leon,” you say, your giggles dying down finally, though your smile remains. God, it’s been awhile since you had this much innocent fun.

Leon settles down too, wiping some of the flour from his face, glancing down at his powdered covered hand. “You don’t say,” he says, and without even thinking he flicks that excess flour at you, the lighthearted moment momentarily relaxing him as if he was with a good friend.

Leon felt his heart stop - now why did he do that? Why did he do that!? Sure, you two are friendly, and he’s sweet on you a little, but you’re not exactly that close. What he just did is what good friends playfully do.

“I, uh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-,” his awkward rambling is silenced by a return fire, a puff of flour from the bowl adding to the existing sheen of white already on him. When he cracks his eyes back open he sees you biting back another laugh, residue on your fingers pinning the crime on you, “okay, I deserved that.”

“Damn right you did,” you smiled, teeth and all. You really were just a ray of sunshine, bright and happy. Leon couldn’t have won the roommate jackpot better than he did with you - you’re fun, have a sense of humor, and super kind. “Next tip about baking: shit can get messy.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Leon agreed, wiping more of the flour off, this time brushing it into the sink. Most of it landed on him, so clean up wouldn’t be a huge pain in the ass, but clean up comes last cause a new mess is never off the table.

“Mhm, now, let me show you how to actually mix things without painting the kitchen in grains of sugar that’ll stay for weeks,” gently taking the mixer from him, you position it in the bowl, turning it on the first level (unlike him who put it on max), and begin to mix. “See how I’m not covered head to toe?” you tease, twisting the bowl with one hand while handling the mixer in the other. Leon chuckled under his breath while nodding. Something told him you might tease him about this for a long while.

After a few moments you stopped and handed it off to him, “now you try.”

As you suspected, he picked it up easily enough after watching, so well that you mentally patted him on the back. It was smooth sailing after that, mainly just following the recipe and mixing everything. You made sure to comment here and there about under mixing and over mixing and where the sweet spot was for this process.

With the batter poured in the tin and stuck in the oven, all that either you or Leon could do was sit and talk for a little. “You know, this has been pretty fun. Who knew, right?”

“It can be frustrating too, but yeah, overall, baking is fun,” you agree, “some even do it for that precise reason, because they find such joy in it.”

To Leon, that made sense, and he could see why a lot of people were like that. “Do you? Find joy in baking, I mean,” he found himself asking, not just to keep the conversation going, but because he found himself actually wanting to learn more about you.

You shrug a little, “to an extent. I don’t bake often, but there’s always the reward when what I make comes out good.”

He nods again, and a sudden question slips from his lips, “would you be willing to bake with me again?” He asked, a lopsided grin on his face. It was clear though he was a little nervous to ask, “without the mess, of course.”

Of course, you were a little surprised. You didn’t think this would be a reoccurring thing, yet you remember how fun it was to teach him, and the small moment you had with him. Perhaps he enjoyed his time with you as much as you did? You felt like you grew closer with him too, and you wanted nothing more than to be a real friend to him.

“Yeah… yeah that would be nice. I’ll show you how to make cookies, how about that?”

“Okay. Yeah, I’d like that,” he nodded, his smile widened a bit. He was looking forward to it, he gets to learn a skill, spend time with you and gets to see you in your element. It’s a win all around.

The next day when Leon brought in his share of the party, everyone teased him a little on the poorly iced cupcakes (you threw him in the deep end once they cooled, something about how his colleagues would think he ‘cheated’ by getting someone else to make them if they didn’t look like a newbie baker made them) but despite their appearance, everyone said they tasted good.

Leon was all too happy to reply that his friend and roommate helped him.

And, of course, he thinking about how much he was looking forward to making those cookies with you too someday soon.