#uranium concentrates

[colitcollp]

Marmota Advances: Breakthrough in Saffron Deposit Review - Unveiling High-Priority Drill Targets

In a significant milestone for the Junction Dam Uranium Project, Marmota has successfully completed the initial review stage at the Saffron deposit. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in our relentless pursuit of unlocking the potential of uranium resources.

Through meticulous exploration and analysis, Marmota's expert team has pinpointed four new high-priority drill targets strategically located in the north, east, and south of the Saffron deposit. This discovery not only expands our exploration scope but also amplifies the potential for substantial uranium reserves in these targeted areas.

The success of our exploration efforts is underscored by the detailed stratigraphic modelling undertaken at the Saffron deposit. The geological analysis has revealed an environment exceptionally favorable for uranium mineralization. This not only substantiates our optimism but also positions Marmota at the forefront of leveraging strategic opportunities in uranium extraction.

[crishayle]

Uranus in the houses

Disclaimer.Here I describe only one specific placement, always take into account all your other placements when reading your natal chart, because they can have a greater influence on you than Uranus (in this case)

Uranus in the 1st house:

1.There may be rebel traits in a person's character. He can be straightforward, honest, and sharp-tongued. He will say what others are afraid to say. They are cardinal and categorical in their thoughts.

2.They are really kind. These are people who can help not only their loved ones, but also strangers. They do not tolerate injustice, rudeness and arrogance.

3.Most often they are of medium height, less often tall. Their eyes stand out very much in their appearance, there may be unruly or curly hair (or wavy)

4.They are brave. I will not say that they are not afraid of anything. They can talk about their fears and problems, but they can really pull themselves together and be courageous at the right moment

5.Personally, it seems to me that they are a little nervous and restless. It's just that they literally don't stand still during times of stress. They twitch their legs, bite their nails or pencils, bite their lips or cheeks. If something has offended them, then this thought will torment them for a long time

Uranus in the 2nd house:

1.It's hard for such people to save money. It's as if their money should always move (be spent or invested). At the same time, they damn always find money! They don't have a rainy day stash, but they manage without it

2.A person has a strong, rather restless energy. I wouldn't say it's crazy energy, but people feel this rush when they communicate with you

3.I noticed that such people can see beauty in chaos. For example, they may like disheveled hair, wrinkled or faded clothes. I'm not saying that they are dirty, but negligence plays the role of charm for them. They may have chaos in their bag, makeup bag, closet, etc. They are used to chaos, for them this is the most convenient storage system :)

4.He takes care of the equipment, it can be stored in good condition longer than other people

5.Most often they choose an unusual job. For example, it requires great endurance, dexterity or patience. They don't really like the 5/2 schedule (but consider your 6th house and Mercury)

Uranus in the 3rd house:

1.Personally, it seems to me that they have strange but funny jokes. I can't say that all people laugh at their jokes, but people with placements in Sagittarius/Gemini/Aquarius will be on the same vibe with them

2.They can make long pauses in their speech or quickly change the topic of conversation. They are good conversationalists, because they can discuss anything

3.They don't like big texts, lectures, or a huge amount of information. They prefer concise and more specific texts. I noticed that they choose books and movies very carefully so that watching or reading is really interesting.They may also dislike long films. My friends with Uranium in the 3rd house recently fell asleep on a 3-hour movie. Well, sleep is useful

4.Most often there are problems with concentration. Such people can solve very difficult tasks, but blunt on the easiest ones

5.They are quite independent in terms of learning. Their brains are practical, creative, and NON-STANDARD. Sometimes I'm really shocked by what they can come up with. Scary and cool lol

Uranus in the 4th house:

1.They may not look like their parents, or they may look like distant relatives (but you need to consider whether you have aspects of the sun/moon to the ascendant)

2.Strange relationship with parents. They're not bad, but they're not that close either. Or it can be like a roller coaster, from love to hate(but I would recommend considering your moon as well)

3.Independent and matured early. Their minds are much older than their bodies. A person is not used to listening to advice, likes to make decisions on his own and does not tolerate control

4.Not always, but this is one of the signs of a single-parent family or a person's childhood could have been spent with grandparents

5.There is one caveat. Such a person may be inclined to take too much responsibility and control. Literally bring himself to panic and a state of emptiness when he is not able to help even himself

Uranus in the 5th house:

1.One of the indicators of attractive appearance. You may feel the stares and attention of strangers. There is something memorable about their appearance

2.With tense aspects, it may indicate an unwillingness to have children, or a late pregnancy. Sometimes it also indicates problems with the reproductive system (but you need to take into account the 8th house)

3.This is a person around whom there is always some kind of drama and adventure. I do not know how it happens, but there is always something interesting going on around them, even if they do not want to

4.Girls, if you see a man with Uranus in the 5th house with a bunch of squares/oppositions (ESPECIALLY TO THE MOON), run and don't look back. It's not worth it. They are not suitable for serious relationships, especially for family ones

5.A person who has his own style of clothing or image. They like to focus on details and accessories. They try not to wear the same look every day

Uranus in the 6th house:

1.An unpunctual person. He may often be late or not come to work/study/meeting. A flexible work schedule is more suitable for him

2.If they have inspiration and motivation, then they can complete 1000 tasks in a day, but if they are not in the mood, then they will not do anything. They are literally mood people. I wouldn't say it's always a bad thing. This situation is often found among writers and creative people.

3.Their main advantage is physical endurance. I will not say that they are jocks, but their body can withstand a load that will break any other person. They may not sleep/eat/work/walk longer than ordinary people

4.Such a person may have special esoteric rituals, for example, to attract good luck or money. They also notice the signs of fate well

5.They also don't like talking to someone not on the same level. Status, salary, gender, etc. are not important to them, they will communicate with you like with everyone else

Uranus in the 7th house:

1.Well, there is 100,000% something unusual in the sphere of human love. There are long-distance relationships and a long 10-year relationship without marriage and a relationship with a friend and a divorce and a strange acquaintance with the second half and an annoying ex. It can be anything but a normal relationship

2.A person may avoid romance and love (but consider your Venus). A person prefers to be loved rather than loving someone

3.Such people like emotionally sensitive people. Only people with stressful aspects of Uranus can choose people with mental problems. They may think that their partner is a mysterious and interesting person, but he just has depression or social phobia

4.With the harmonious aspects of Uranus, such a person values his independence in relationships. He clearly defends personal boundaries, while respecting his soulmate. He can immediately break off a relationship if he understands that they are harmful to him

5.Such a person knows how to find an approach to anyone. His circle of friends may consist of completely different and dissimilar people

Uranus in the 8th house:

1.Such a person had a case when he had an accident/was severely electrocuted or burned/was in a fire, etc. Simply put, there was a case when he miraculously survived

2.He understands other people well. Literally can feel other people's emotions. He's good at spotting lies.This is from the indicators of a psychologist/tarologist/astrologer

3.VERY GOOD INTUITION!!!!!

4.Such a person has few close people. He may seem distrustful and cold from the outside. His friends are being tested by time

5.To be honest, people in this position always make an impression after a conversation. Their life experience and worldview are so interesting and unique that their advice can be really useful. I'm not joking or exaggerating.Imagine,even I(Capricorn)listen to their advice

Uranus in the 9th house:

1.This person is like an eternally half-empty vessel. No matter how much knowledge and experience he receives, it is always not enough for him. They are not stubborn in their opinion and can really look at the situation in 360 degrees

2.In combination with a strong Mercury, it may indicate moving to another country or learning another language to the level of a native speaker

3.These are the very people who jump from topic to topic in conversation and forget what they were talking about. Their attention is chaotic, so they can reread the same page a thousand times because they are thinking about something

4.Moral issues are often raised in conversation. They can often discuss justice, honesty and mercy. In general, they believe in humanity and they are really kind

5.They are very harsh and rude when they notice disrespect or lies in their direction. Even if they are silent, they will make such a face that you will blush with shame. They clearly set their personal boundaries

Uranus in the 10th house:

1.Good logical thinking and imagination. It is often found among workers in the field of IT, engineering,design

2.Such people almost always rise rapidly through the career ladder and professional development. They really strive to be a master of their craft, they are considered an authority and are asked to teach beginners

3.By the way, good teaching skills. Such a person can explain very complex things in understandable language.

4.They try to live by the principle of let everything go as it should. They strive to make the most of what they can and try not to worry about problems that are beyond their control. They are quite stress-resistant

5.Most often, they do not work in their specialty. They could change a lot of jobs, and in each they developed quite successfully. They like to try and learn something new

Uranus in the 11th house:

1.Most of the time, his friends are creative and unusual. I would even say crazy a little bit. Such a person is attracted to cheerful, energetic and fervent people

2.With tense aspects, it may indicate dependence on other people's opinions and low self-esteem

3.Good leadership and organizational skills. Such a person is energetic and creative, knows how to communicate with a crowd of people and hear everyone's opinion. Many of them are activists at school or university

4.Such people rarely lose their virginity before the age of 18. They prefer to carefully look for the very person with whom they will feel not only a physical, but also a spiritual connection (for them this is a mandatory point)

5.With tense aspects, it may indicate social phobia or fear of loneliness. A person literally cannot be in silence or alone with his thoughts

Uranus in the 12th house:

1.Very good intuition, but there may be neurological problems (sleep problems, seizures, nervous tics, etc.)

2.Very kind and even too kind. They tend to put their own needs below those of others. They do not like to quarrel and will rather keep silent so as not to create unnecessary noise (but also consider the Sun and Mercury)

3.From the outside, such a person gives the impression of an educated and calm person. They are like your beloved grandfather, to whom you can always come for hugs and interesting stories.They are very comfortable!

4.On the other hand, people with this placement claim that because of their social flexibility, it is difficult for them to understand who they really are. The influence of other people is so strong that it is difficult for them to hear their inner voice

5.They prefer oversize clothes in calm tones(but also consider your Venus). Loose or wavy hair suits them very well. Sweaters or cardigans fit them best!

[mamsieur]

Don't mess with the Storm | Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Summary : Sometimes, Cyclone could live up to his call sign. Especially when it concerned you, his youngest daughter, his little Storm.

TW : slight violence, mention of alcohol, family/domestic fluff

Length : 6753 words

AN : You can't make me believe that Beau Simpson isn't a family man with lots of kids. That's what he radiates.

posted on AO3 August 21, 2023

Your mom always said you took after your dad, but if he was a Cyclone, you were a Storm ; smaller and less destructive. Storm has always been your nickname. 

It described you quite well as much in your way of doing things than in your personality. You were passionate about everything you did and you often left a mess after you.

Being a Vice Admiral, Beau managed to control himself for his work but when it came to you and your well being, he could literally destroy everything on his way. Not that your father was in any way abusive or violent, but he sometimes could over react.

You were your parents’ precious little baby.

You were the youngest of four children; you had three older brothers, all in the military. Two of them, Nathan and Jamie, were naval aviators, like your father, and one, Aaron, was a Marine Officer. 

Needless to say, you were well taken care of ; you liked to think that you had a small ‘army’ for yourself.

But as much as they thought of you as their little princess, they never treated you like one, and you never wanted to be. You were tough and very capable of defending yourself. Your father always encouraged you in whatever you wanted to do. 

You wanted to join the soccer team? Let's go. Switch to boxing lessons? Done. A new passion for karting? He had your back. An interest in mechanics ? He bought you your first tool box.

As long as you put your heart and soul into whatever you did, your family would support you.

So when you told them you wanted to work for the Navy after your engineering degree, they were as supportive as they could be.

You were a genius engineer - your mom’s word, not yours - and you loved working on jets, inspecting them, gathering as much data as possible to make them as efficient as they can be. Working at Top Gun was heaven. Since the pilots were supposed to be the best, you loved pushing them and their machines to be better and better.

Of course, the fact that you were working on the same base as your father had raised some eyebrows. But neither of you cared, and he got you no special treatment.

After the uranium mission, you were assigned to check the status of the Dagger Squad's F-18s. Everything seemed to be in good shape, and while your computer analyzed the flight data, you inspected the engines. You liked to work alone when you could, it helped you stay in your bubble of concentration.

The sun was slowly setting as you finished diagnosing the last jet. Being alone in the hangar, you took the opportunity to put on some music. You hummed and swayed a little while you waited for the analysis to finish on your screen and inspected the engine.

Your head was - quite literally - in it when you heard footsteps behind you. They stopped a few feet away from you to let you finish what you were doing.

"I'll just be two minutes," you muttered and then shrugged, getting no response. You finished inspecting the seemingly defective part and stood up. Your face was covered in dust and motor oil, and your hair was starting to fall out of your ponytail.

You sighed and turned to your mysterious guest.

"Oh! Good evening Lieutenant Bradshaw. May I help you?" you smiled a little and wiped your forehead with the back of your hand.

"Good evening Second Lieutenant Simpson, to tell you the truth, yes, you may..." he grinned charmingly, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the plane, "I was wondering if you'd forgotten our date? It's 7:20, and we agreed to meet at 6:30 ?” 

You stopped smiling and looked at the clock. Crap! You hadn't seen the time.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I was servicing the jets and didn't realize what time it was! I should have set an alarm, I'm sorry. Jesus, how could I be so stupid?"

You were starting to mumble excuses as you gathered your things when you felt his hand on your wrist.

"It's okay, I know how you get when you're focused on something. We’ll find another day for that. I'll wait for you at the bar, okay?" he reassured you with a grin.

"Uh yeah, yeah okay! I'll be quick!" you nodded and smiled back at him. He tucked a strand of your wild hair behind your ear, a few inches from you, making you blush slightly. His thumb stroked your cheek. He had that cheeky smile he always had when something was on his mind. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, his beautiful brown eyes never leaving yours.

" Or , I can also wait for you in the changing-"

" Lieutenant Bradshaw, Second Lieutenant Simpson, what are you two still doing here? "

Your father's stern voice echoed through the hangar, taking you by surprise. Bradley took a quick step back and straightened his posture to greet him.

"I, uh-"

"Lieutenant Bradshaw forgot his keys, sir, he was out. I got carried away with the diagnostics, I'm almost finished here," you replied quickly as Cyclone’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Bradley then at you.

"Hm. You better hurry then, Second Lieutenant, overtime is not allowed. You're free to go Lieutenant Bradshaw."

"Yes sir!" you said in unison and Bradley left as quickly as he could, flashing one last smile in your direction before disappearing down the corridors.

As you started to clean up the mess you'd made, you heard an amused sigh.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. You're still living up to your nickname."

"Ha ha, very funny Dad," you rolled your eyes and closed your toolbox, "Don't wait for me, I'm going out tonight."

"Mmh. Is Bradshaw involved?" he asked as he helped you carry your stuff to the storage room.

"Yes? I mean the whole Dagger team is, I need to get to know them to understand how they work."

That was only half a lie. You knew they most likely were all at the Hard Deck, you'd met them there a few times. You got along well with them, especially Natasha, Bob and Mickey. And of course, Bradley... But it was different with him.

You'd known him for years and your very first assignment had been with him. Your friendship had evolved over the years into a kind of friends-with-benefits/fuck-buddies relationship until a few weeks ago. Since the uranium mission, he wanted more than that, and so did you. You two tried to keep your relationship secret because you suspected it could jeopardize either of your careers, and mostly because you knew your father would not approve.

He always thought the guys you dated were not good enough for you. And as annoying as it was, he was always right. He scared away some of them and when you thought back about it, it's a good thing he did.

Truth be told, you have been in love with Bradley for so long that sometimes it hurted. 

You had tried to tell him so many times in the past, but you were afraid of losing what little intimacy you had with him. So when he asked you out, first thing after the uranium mission, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. The hope that your feelings would be reciprocated had invaded your heart and mind, and you felt like it was the first time you were in love. It wasn’t of course, but you were all giddy about it.

You didn’t like to lie to your dad, he knew you too much to know everything in just one look. 

But it was worth it, wasn’t it ?

You hoped it was.

After a well-deserved shower, you changed into clean, comfortable clothes that actually suited you. You put on your helmet and rode to the bar with your motorbike. Your mother hated when you used that ‘death machine’ and your father wasn't really fond of it either. It reminded him of Maverick. He wasn’t fond of Maverick. It always made you laugh watching your dad trying to remain calm in front of the Captain. You’ve never seen a man getting on his nerves that much.

The Hard Deck was already busy when you parked ; a totally normal Friday night , you thought. Looking around, you spotted Natasha’s, Javy’s and Bradley’s cars.

Penny nodded at you with a smile as you entered. The Daggers were in their usual places and Bradley seemed to be winning the pool game against Jake. In a desperate attempt to break his concentration, Jake chuckled, "Your girlfriend's here, Bradshaw”.

The whole team had discovered your relationship, of course, but swore to keep it a secret. You were grateful to them, but Jake being himself, he couldn't resist taking a dig at you. 

You rolled your eyes and took a seat next to Bob, watching the two eternal rivals finish their game. You caught up with Mickey and theorized with him on the last episodes of Kenobi then made your way towards Penny at the bar to buy your round of beers. As you waited for your drinks at the counter, you felt two hands around your waist.

"You're late, Second Lieutenant ."

"Had to fix your teammates’ jets, Lieutenant , tell them to be more careful," you grinned, leaning your back against your boyfriend's torso. You heard him chuckle softly as he whispered that you were an ‘idiot' and kissed the top of your head.

"Sorry about our date, I'll make it up to you."

"You bet your sweet ass you will," Bradley snickered at the squeal you let out as he spanked you a little, “But right now, you owe me a dance to celebrate my victory against Hangman.”

He took your hand as you rolled your eyes but followed him. Your whole body pressed against his, arms around his neck, the room faded away. All you could feel and see was him; one of his hands on the small of your back, the other on your hip, guiding you. The warmth of his body was like a spell that kept you close, not wanting to let go.His hands roamed down your back making you shiver. It felt like you belonged there.

You couldn’t let go of his eyes, hypnotized. He had such beautiful eyes ; those hazel brown orbs were magnetic, so infuriatingly charming. 

One of your hands gently stroked his scarred cheek and he leaned into your touch, smiling like an idiot and humming the song you were slow dancing to. His smile always sent butterflies to your stomach and heat to your cheeks. It was almost annoying how easily you fell for his charms.

The two of you danced until the song ended and you pulled him by the collar to kiss him. You felt his hands slip into the back pockets of your jeans, shamelessly squeezing your ass, and his proud grin against your lips. You bit his as you pulled away from the kiss.

"Okay, lovebirds , get a room," Jake complained and you flipped him off, still in Bradley's arms.

"Don't be jealous Jakey, your time will come," you teased, making your partner chuckle.

"She's right Seresin, just wait till you're a big boy."

The evening continued quietly, with one beer after another, a few games of darts and pool, and a few songs on the piano for Bradley. 

You watched him from the bar, mesmerized, an affectionate smile on your face. You still wondered how you'd managed to get his attention; this man could have anyone he wanted with his smile combined with a little song, the sweetness with which he spoke, his sarcasms, his eyes so soft and intense at the same time, his stupid, stupid, cocky grin... God, you were definitely and undoubtedly under his spell, mind and heart.

Your eyes never left his form for more than five seconds. You looked at him as if you wanted to learn every aspect of his physique; but to be honest, you already knew him by heart. 

You could locate every beauty mark, every scar - and tell its story - and where his birthmark was. You could describe every shade of brown in his eyes, depending on the light or his emotions. You knew every expression on his face; when he was angry, frustrated, sad, or playful. You knew exactly where and how to touch him to make him putty in your hands, every positively sensitive area and those to avoid.

And yet, every time you looked at him, behind the piano, laughing with his friends, you discovered a new detail that made you love him even more.

The way he cared for all of them - even Jake, his "archenemy" - and knew just what to do to make them feel better and laugh. How he always listened to what they had to share, good or bad, and offered to help. How he'd always protect them as if they were his siblings, his rather hazardous family.

Speaking of hazardous family, it always made you laugh how Bradley could be so like Pete and like your dad. It was sometimes a mixture of arrogance and calm, defiance and seriousness. Part of you was sure that if they tried, your dad and Bradley would get along. But were they willing to ?

As you were lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice a man, a little younger than you, sitting next to your stool. He started talking, trying to flirt, but you didn’t really pay attention, still absorbed by your boyfriend’s silliness, until he clicked his fingers in front of your face.

“Hey, ‘m talking to you doll. You should really pay attention when someone is talking to you, got it ?”

You sipped your beer and looked at him out of the corner of your eye. He continued his flirtatious attempts, bragging that he was one of the best in his class at Top Gun. He kept trying to get your attention by snapping his fingers or grabbing your arm. His breath was clearly too close to your face and stinked a mixture of beer and chips. 

It really started to annoy you, so it was your turn to snap your fingers in his face.

"I'm not interested,” you snapped your fingers again, “If a girl ignores you, it's because she doesn't want to talk to you, got it ?"

You got off your stool, ready to join the Daggers by the piano. But a hand gripped your wrist and the man pulled you close to him. You could see a hint of anger and annoyance in his eyes, but it didn’t scare you. You were used to guys like him, thinking they own every woman they see. 

“Listen doll, I was nice until now. Give me your number and I’ll forgive you,” he grinned, his buddies sneering behind him, as if they were proud of him. You couldn’t help but giggle at the scene. What kind of bad joke was that ?

In one swift motion, you released your wrist and pinned his arm behind his back. You bent him violently over the bar and locked him in that position, pressing down just enough to hurt and immobilize him. 

"One false move and I will dislocate your arm," you threatened in his ear as a few glances turned in your direction. "Now listen to me carefully. This is the last time you'll talk to me or any woman like that. Understood?"

He grunted and struggled a little. You pressed harder and repeated, "Understood?"

"Okay! Okay, I understand! Get off me!"

The man growled again and you finally let go. Penny gave you a look that you understood as a warning and you smiled innocently to her. The man and his group walked away with a grunt, giving you one last murderous look. You smiled broadly and made a mocking curtsy. 

Bradley raised an eyebrow as they passed him, muttering that you were a "crazy bitch". You joined him with two beers, one for him and one for you.

"What happened?"

"Nothing to worry about, just some big macho guy. He didn't like that I wasn't paying attention to him. I just put him in his place."

You shrugged with a smile and Bradley shook his head, laughing a little, knowing exactly what you meant. He put his arm around your waist and kissed your temple. 

"I know you can defend yourself, but don't get yourself in trouble, Stormy."

"Don't worry, if I get in trouble, my knight in shining armor will come and rescue me, won't he?" you teased. He chuckled but nodded before taking you on his lap at the piano. He started a new song that had the remaining customers singing and dancing.

***

The end of the evening was a bit hazy.

You'd had too much to drink to get back on your bike, so it was Bradley who drove you home. You pulled your boyfriend into your small house - he offered no resistance - and kissed him as if your life depended on it, as if that simple contact made your heart beat. His hands roamed your body with hunger, and yours tore his Hawaiian shirt from his back. You thought of nothing but Bradley, his soft lips devouring your jaw and neck, leaving a few marks where he passed, his hands so warm on your skin, his breath making you shiver. 

You wandered back to your room, kicking off your shoes, and your clothes ended up in a pile at the end of your bed. 

You loved doing it with Bradley. He gave you everything you wanted and so much more. You'd never been as fulfilled as you were with him. It was as if he knew everything about how your body worked, that it held no secrets for him. 

Your nightly activities have drained you both of what little energy you had left, and you fell asleep hugging each other, as if afraid the other will evaporate.

The next morning, it was not your massive headache that woke you, but the sound of several cars and children laughing outside your house. What day was it? Was it Saturday? It was Saturday!

You jumped to your feet as Bradley mumbled something unintelligible.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" You shook your boyfriend and wrapped yourself in a blanket as you heard the sound of a key turning in the front door lock.

"Bradley, get up!"

"Mmh, five minutes..." he mumbled, burying his face in the pillow. You heard the door open and small footsteps running toward your room. You panicked and shook him harder.

"We don't have five minutes! Get your ass up!" 

You grabbed the first thing you could get your hands on: panties and Bradley's tank top. You stumbled to your bedroom door to get out before one of your nephews’ innocent eyes discovered their aunt and a man they didn't know naked as worms in her bed. You tried to look as natural as possible as you quickly closed the door behind you. Standing in front of you was Jack, your three-year-old nephew. He was Nathan’s, your oldest brother, son. He laughed as he threw himself on your legs to give you a hug.

"Oh my God, hi sweetie! You're early!"

"Dada said we'd surprise you, Auntie! And Pop-Pop is here too!" the little boy laughed.

"What a nice thought!" you tried not to sound too ironic as you picked him up to give him a kiss and rearrange his wild blond hair. "Auntie needs to get dressed, okay? Go wait with your dad in the living room!"

You gave him one last kiss and made sure he ran to the living room before storming back to your bedroom. How could you forget that your brothers were visiting today? You were so screwed! A million thoughts went through your head and one thing made you snap out of it; Bradley yawning and taking his sweet time getting up. You grumbled and attacked him with a pillow.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"We're in deep shit Bradley! My whole family is here! They weren't supposed to be up this early!"

"What?" he blinked and narrowed his eyes, trying to process what you'd just told him. You started to rattle on about how your brothers got their permission for your mom's birthday, but your brothers were here super early with their wifes, their kids, and your mom and dad. Bradley had trouble following what you were saying because you were talking really fast. 

“Babe,” he tried to interrupt you, but you kept mumbling and pacing next to the bed, “Y/N, baby, calm down!” 

He grabbed your wrist, pulling you to sit in front of him. His free hand cupped your cheek tenderly as he guided you into breathing to calm yourself down.

“Okay… mind explaining slower what is happening here ?”

You sighed and nodded before re-explaining the whole situation to him. “But they weren’t supposed to come here this early ! The surprise lunch for my mom was supposed to be at home, not in my flat ! And my dad is here. My dad ! What are we going to say ?”

You cursed again, rubbing your temples. Bradley took your hands in his to make you look at him and stole a kiss from you. You sighed against his lips, your tension going away slightly. He then pressed his forehead to yours, stroking your cheeks to soothe you.

“How about we get dressed and just… join them in the living room ?”

“You really want to face my dad ?” you raised one eyebrow, surprised but really relieved that he didn’t propose to just sneak out.

“Yeah ? I mean, the man already has doubts, you’ve said it yourself… and it’s your mother’s birthday, your whole army of men won’t be able to kill me. Not today at least.”

You chuckled at his joking tone and at the silly smile he has on his face. You pecked his lips with a grin. “Okay then Lieutenant , let’s get dressed.”

“Yes ma’am!” 

He gave you one last tender kiss, and when the two of you went to get up, a little giggle made you both freeze.

“Auntie who that ? And why he nakey ?”

Your nephew’s voice asked. He was standing by the door, a playful smile on his chubby face, and his little finger pointing at your embarrassed boyfriend. Bradley quickly covered himself more, lifting the sheet at his chin, and you ran to get little Jack in your arms.

“How did he get here ??” Bradley scream-whispered at you, hiding himself while trying to get dressed.

“I don’t know !” you scream-whispered back before turning your attention back to the toddler who was babbling in your arms, “Jack, honey, why aren’t you with your dad and pop-pop ?”

Before he could answer, your sister in law was by your bedroom, apologizing. She didn’t notice Bradley right away, but when she did, a small cheeky smile curled on her lip.

“Hi there, sorry to have him interrupted you two.”

“Annie, it’s not what it looks like-” you blushed when you understood what she implied but Bradley interrupted you by presenting himself and shaking her hand with a wide smile. They chat while you put on a pair of jeans, keeping on Bradley’s tank top. Never in your life had you been this embarrassed.

Little Jack looked at your boyfriend with wide-eyed wonder. He loved meeting new people, and Bradley seemed fascinating to his young eyes. It was no wonder when every time Annie spoke to you, Bradley would make faces at the little boy and make him giggle. 

Bradley already had him in his pocket, so that was a good thing. Annie seemed to like him too, at least you thought so from the mischievous looks she gave you. 

As you crossed the hallway to join the rest of your family, a wave of nervousness ran through you. You grabbed Bradley by the sleeve of his Hawaiian shirt and turned him toward you. You pulled him into a hug to relax and to give yourself courage.

"Promise you won't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They'll probably try to impress you, my brothers I mean... and my dad... you know how he can be..."

"Oh honey... It takes more than that to scare me. I'll be fine."

He kissed your forehead and you walked into the living room.

You greeted everyone, your father not immediately aware of Bradley's presence. You introduced him to your brothers first, Nathan, Aaron and Jamie, and they didn't do anything strange at first; they were probably waiting for you to introduce him to your father to see what sauce to cook him in.

Beau and Vivian, your mother, were too busy admiring your niece, five-month-old Juliet, to notice Bradley's presence. She was fast asleep in the arms of Jamie's fiancée, Alice. She greeted you with a smile when you waved.

"Awake at last, Stormy?" your father asked before freezing and losing his smile at the sight of your boyfriend, " Lieutenant Bradshaw. ".

His cold, hard tone made you sigh a little as the two men shook hands in greeting. 

“Good morning Vice Admiral Simpson.” 

They were way too formal, it was ridiculous. Your mother had the same reaction as you and introduced herself to Bradley with a warm smile and a hug.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Simpson."

"Oh, please, just call me Viv!" she laughed a little, waving her hand. Then she turned to you, discreetly gave you both thumbs up and winked at you. 

Good. Bradley seemed to have charmed your mother with just a smile.

Still, you could feel your father tense up behind you as Bradley got to know everyone. He remained very polite and smiled, even letting Jack, Oliver and Tommy - Aaron's twin sons - pull him out to play in the little garden. Your father grabbed your arm. "Kitchen. Now. We need to talk." He seemed a little upset, and you could understand; you'd lied to him.

"Care to explain yourself?" He crossed his arms on his chest, a stern look on his face. 

You didn't like that look. He used to have it when he scolded you when you were a teenager, when you would sneak out of the house to go to a party or to meet up with your then-boyfriend. For a moment, you were 16 again, caught in the act.

You sighed at his insistent and questioning look.

"I uh... He’s... we’re... we've been seeing each other for… a few weeks..."

"A few weeks? So you've been lying to me for weeks?"

"I haven't lied! At least not completely..." you mumbled, biting your fingernail.

"Y/N. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Seriously Dad? You've made it pretty clear that you don't really like him, I mean outside of work."

"I never said that."

You widened your eyes, shocked at his bad faith. 

"Are you kidding me? You've made it clear that you don't want me around him because he's too much like Maverick! Every time I mentioned him, you made your… disapproving face. The same one you made every time I mentioned my old boyfriends, or when I wanted to get a motorcycle, or when the boys tried to bleach their hair in high school !"

"I don't have a disapproving face," he grumbled, "and it's not because he’s like Maverick that I don't want you around him, it's because he can be called back on a mission at any time. I don't want that to break your heart."

"Oh ! But it's okay for Nathan, Aaron, and Jamie to break the hearts of their partners? Of their children? It was okay for you to risk breaking Mom's heart and ours? What kind of cardboard argument is that, Dad?" You raised your arms in disbelief as you started to walk out of the kitchen, but you stopped and turned back to face him. "I know you want to protect me, but... you can't do that about things like that. I know you know better than anyone the risks of this job, the sacrifices it requires. But Bradley knows them as well, if not better, than you do. And as much as it scares me, as much as it scares us... we want to try… And even if you don't like it, we'll give it a try. Because I almost lost him once without really being able to be with him..."

Your father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. From the kitchen window you could see Bradley playing with your nephews, under your mother's and in laws’ amused and tender eyes. A small smile crept across your lips as the little ones called you over to help hold Bradley down. You hurried to join them, and your mother joined your father.

"Our boys and the little ones seem to like this Lieutenant…”

“Seems like it…”  

“He reminds me a little of you when we first met..." Vivian chuckled to Beau as she hugged him. 

"Really?" the man wondered, "and how?"

"Well, he has that same sparkle in his eyes... the one that calls for adventure, that gentle and loving look when his eyes land on our Storm... and he's also very good with children," she laughed at his slightly embarrassed expression, "You should give him a chance... our princess looks so relaxed with him... look at her… look at her smile…"

He lifted his head and watched the two of you having fun with the three little boys and sighed. His wife was right. You looked so happy in Bradley's arms, waltzing and laughing with the kids. He'd never seen you look so radiant, as cliché as it sounded. Your brothers also seemed to have accepted the newcomer without too much fuss. So Beau seemed to be the only one who was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

He nodded and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Okay, I'll try... but I'm not promising anything."

Vivian rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. She knew for a fact that your father would quickly accept Bradley as well.

Lunch went off without a hitch, Beau swallowing his pride not to be as awkward with Bradley as possible, although he did draw a few murderous looks from your father when he put his hand a little too high on your thigh or lower back. After dessert, he helped your brothers put the kids down for a nap and let them share the convertible bed in your little study. Your sisters-in-law and your brother-in-law, Evan - Aaron's husband - helped you with the dishes. They gently teased you that Bradley was a very handsome young man and that you had chosen well. 

"I know I did. Look at you all, we Simpsons always have good taste," you sniped back with a wink and a teasing smile, making them laugh.

"Wait, wait, wait... So he was your regular booty call after your first assignment?" Evan seemed to realize. You shushed him and made sure that your parents didn't hear him say that. Annie laughed a little and grabbed your shoulder, making you look into her eyes. 

"I can see why you qualified him as the best sex of your life after the upper body I saw this morning," she teased you again, making your face completely flush. You practically begged her to stop talking about your sex life, very embarrassed. But the three of them could be little bullies and they loved to tease you sometimes.

"Guys, please stop. If my father hears you-"

"Hear what, Stormy?"

You turned and paled a little under your father's cold gaze and tight smile. Your sister-in-law and brother-in-law took the opportunity to run off like teenagers, and of course Bradley arrived just then, smiling carelessly. 

"The three cataclysms are finally asleep. Is everything okay in here?" he asked as he joined you in front of your father. He immediately wiped the smile off his face when he saw the look on Beau's face.

"You're lucky it's my wife's birthday, Bradshaw," he growled, his eyes staring straight into your souls, "but if I hear one more detail about your... nocturnal activities, I'm going to make sure that the two of you are as far away from each other as possible, even if it means sending one of you to Japan or Korea. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," Bradley replied promptly, "Clear as day.”

"For God's sake, Dad, aren't you being a little extreme? I'm a responsible adult-"

"I'm warning you, I don't want another grandchild too soon. Keep it in your pants."

"Dad!!"

Just when you thought you couldn't get any more embarrassed, your dad had the right words. He left the two of you in the kitchen, muttering that he was getting too old for this. 

"Oh my God..." You cursed as you hid your face in your hands and turned towards the sink. Of all the weird things that could happen, you'd really hoped no one would mention your sex life. You felt a little angry, but more than that, you were extremely embarrassed. You let out a shaky breath, your hands gripping the counter as you lowered your head. You felt the warmth of Bradley's body enveloping you as he wrapped his arms around your waist, his front against your back and his chin resting on your shoulder.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing, babe? I told you it would take more than that to scare me off... Maybe your dad hasn't fallen for the Bradshaw charm yet, but I'm working on it..." he tried to cheer you up, "And now I have an army of kids who love me, I can order them to defend me."

You smiled, amused at his silliness. "You're really good with kids, but I think it's them who will command you..."

"Maybe you're right," he laughed a little and kissed the hollow of your neck, his mustache tickling you, "but your mother has already adopted me. I'm protected."

You laughed with him, your embarrassment and anger disappearing. You leaned against him, enjoying the hug he offered you. These simple gestures were so comforting that it was almost frightening how quickly he could soothe you. You closed your eyes as he hummed and softly danced with you in the kitchen. It was so cliché, right out of a rom-com, but you couldn’t care less.

After a few minutes, you regained enough courage to join the rest of your family in the living room. Your in-laws gave you apologetic looks, and your brothers were a little lost, but didn't dare ask. 

For the rest of the afternoon, Bradley learned every little anecdote your mother had to share; whether it was about your brothers, you, or even your father, she was more than happy to share with him. Jamie and Alice had fallen asleep in the garden, making your mother smile in awe. Nathan laughed a little with Aaron. "We warned them that a newborn was exhausting, but they insisted on coming here their own way...". 

You laughed a little too, it was true they looked exhausted. But little Juliet was so cute that they forgot how tired they were. 

Speaking of her, the baby phone warned everyone that she was waking up. You volunteered to warm her bottle and Bradley went to get her. Alice had put the travel crib in your room so the other three children would not be disturbed if Juliet woke up. 

When the milk was at the right temperature, you joined Bradley in your room. Your cheeks flushed and you felt butterflies in your stomach when you saw him holding the little one. He rocked her gently, stroking her cheek with his index finger. He seemed so natural that it made you fall even more in love with him. 

You shook your head, your father's voice echoing in your head: "No more grandchildren for now.”

You joined him and let him gently place the baby in your arms. You smiled and fed the hungry five-month-old in your arms. Bradley leaned against the doorframe and watched you with a soft smile. You, too, were a natural with children. Juliet seemed so comfortable in your arms and you seemed so relaxed. He found himself daydreaming about the two of you having children together. He blushed as he imagined you pregnant with his baby... and Nathan giggled behind him. "Calm your horses Bradshaw, you're not putting a baby in my sister anytime soon."

Bradley's face turned as bright red as yours. "Nathan, shut up!" you yelled-whispered at him, careful not to disturb the eating baby in your arms.

“What? You heard our old man, "No more grandchildren for now!”” Nathan grinned and put his arm around Bradley's shoulders.

"I can't promise that..." Bradley mumbled softly, mesmerized by the sight of you holding Juliet against you as you burped her after she had finished her bottle. Nathan's eyes widened and he tried his best not to burst out laughing. "What did you say, Brad’ ? I think I misheard you?"

You blushed as you realized what your boyfriend had just said.

"I... Nothing!" Bradley defended himself weakly, very embarrassed. Nathan teased him until your mother told him to stop, threatening him with no cake after dinner. He immediately stopped and went to get his son after whispering to Bradley that he wouldn't forget what he had just said. You decided not to talk about it, feeling a little embarrassed as well.

It wasn't long before dinnertime arrived, and your father was relaxed and talking with Bradley. You even caught them laughing together. This interaction was reassuring for the rest of the evening.

As usual, your mother had cooked for a regiment, and your refrigerator was full of leftovers. She made Bradley promise to stop by the family home and look at the family albums and your childhood bedroom. He laughed a little but agreed. 

You walked everyone back to their cars, helped them with the kids' stuff, and your dad gave you one last hug and said good night. He said goodbye to Bradley with a slight smile and a quick hug. 

When everyone was gone, you collapsed on your sofa, drained of all energy. Bradley joined you with a smile and pulled you right into his arms.

"That didn't go so badly after all..."

You nodded, yawned and put your arms around him. You thought back to the day that had just passed, to that roller coaster of emotions, and laughed a little.

"So... eager to put a baby inside me Lieutenant?"

"Oh my God Y/N!!" Bradley blushed, hiding his face behind his fists in total embarrassment. You laughed and teased him about it. You preferred to take it as a joke because neither of you were anywhere near ready to have children of your own, you both agreed on that. Or did you?

He turned to you, a serious expression on his face.

"And what if I am? Would you... would you be on board to have kids with me? Not right now, of course, but... I... I can't imagine a future without you in it, and I'd like to have kids with you. I know we haven't really been together that long, but we've known each other for a long time... and oh my God, I'm rumbling," he groaned, rubbing his face before looking back at you. "What I mean is that I love you and I don't want to live without you. Maybe it's rushed, maybe you-"

You interrupted him, pulled him by the collar and kissed him. You didn’t know what came over you; maybe it was the fact that he had just admitted his feelings, or the fact that he was already planning a life with you. Maybe both. Certainly both.

"I love you too," you whispered between two kisses, "and I don't want to be without you either... and I would love to start a family with you someday, Lieutenant Bradshaw..."

You smiled, your forehead pressed against his, and he chuckled in relief.

"Today was really like you... a storm..." he sighed, smiling and stroking your cheeks.

"I know... are you sure you can keep up with my family?" you teased, "Now that you've messed with the storm, the cyclone will never be far away."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Stormy."

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Weaponize anything

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)  

Alien: Is that a sword on your back? Human: Why yes it is. Alien: How stupid are you? Alien: We have literal laser guns, and you think a sword will stop us? Human: Normally no. Human: But that was until we put lasers on these as well. Alien: Wait, what? Human: *Rushes alien with space laser sword* ----------------------

Alien: What is that lump of metal in your hand? Human: A weapon. Alien: What kind of weapon? Human: Sonic. Alien: You use sound as a weapon? Human: And a torture device some times. Alien: What? Human: Trust me. Human: If I play the baby shark song fifty times you’ll be begging me for death. ------------------------- Alien: Do I even want to know? Human: Lightning cannon. Human: It shoots random streaks of concentrated electricity in the direction you point it in. Alien: Wouldn’t that make it highly inaccurate? Human: When you fire a weapon this cool does it really matter if you hit what you want? Alien: Yes. Alien: Yes it does. ----------------------------

Human: Want to see my magnet gun? Alien: What could possibly be deadly about a magnet? Human: *Points it at random nearby alien and fires it.* *Target alien begins convulsing violently as all the microscopic metal fragments in their body are ripped out and pool together in a ball of gore* Human: I like to call it the “Therapy Gun” myself, because once you use it you just know you’re going to need some serious treatments to get over these mental scars. ---------------------------

Alien: Did your sword just twitch? Human: Huh? Oh yeah. Human: *Pulls out sword* Human: I made this by forging sentient metal into a blade. Alien: Sentient metal? Human: We ran into these rock like aliens a while ago and one of them was made literally of metal. Human: So I used a shard of them to forge this blade. Alien: Is it also sentient? Human: Not sure. Human: Although when I hold it I can hear a voice in my head telling me to kill everyone. Alien: I think you’ve had enough fun with the magic death sword. ------------------ Alien: Please stop inventing weapons. Human: But we just made time altering ammunition. Alien: Oh gods. Human: By using some unstable particles, when you get hit by these it’ll reverse age you backwards by a random amount. Human: One second you’ll be fighting a thousand year old matriarch and the next you’ll be watching a child break their collarbone when the weapon recoil damn near takes their arm off. Alien: I’m not even surprised at this point…. Human: Really? Guess we aren’t trying hard enough. Alien: Wait, NO! --------------- Alien: Our weapons are useless! Alien: We fire at those ghostly beings but our bullets just pass right through them! Human: Use these. *Tosses custom made weapon* Human: They fire concentrated energy beams at randomized frequencies, meaning that the entities won’t have time to alter their bodies fast enough to allow the projectiles through them without causing damage. Alien: Why do you have these on hand? Human: You’d be surprised how often we’ve had to kill ghosts on our home planet the same way. Alien: Your people have killed….ghosts? Human: Well, some people wanted to humanly capture and release them so we had to do that for a while. Human: They had a catchy theme song and logo. -------------------- Human: Fire in the hole! *Chucks grenade* Aliens: *Braces for explosion* *No explosion* Alien: What kind of grenade was that? Human: Pheromone grenade. Alien: What do those do? *Hears loud screaming coming from enemy and alien looks up* *Enemy are covered in swarming insects that are slowly devouring them* Human: Mostly provide nightmare fuel or a crazy weekend in vegas depending on the strain. -------------------------- Alien: I see the enemy are very afraid of that new cannon you brought. Alien: What does it fire exactly? Human: *Shrugs* Depleted uranium canisters mostly. Alien: What in florps name!?! Human: I know, right? Human: Either the sheer kinetic force will kill them, or the still radioactive shrapnel that’ll cover them after these canisters burst against their target. Alien: Are you not concerned about the horrific environmental damage you are doing? Human crew: *Looks at each other and shrugs* Human: It’s not our planet.

[odinsblog]

Roads in Florida could soon include phosphogypsum — a radioactive waste material from the fertilizer industry — under a bill lawmakers have sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Conservation groups are urging DeSantis to veto the bill, saying phosphogypsum would hurt water quality and put road construction crews at a higher risk of cancer.

The Environmental Protection Agency also has a say in the matter: The agency regulates phosphogypsum, and any plan to use it in roads would require a review, the EPA told NPR.

Is it dangerous?

"Phosphogypsum contains appreciable quantities of uranium and its decay products, such as radium-226," according to the EPA. And because the fertilizer production process concentrates waste material, "phosphogypsum is more radioactive than the original phosphate rock," the agency notes.

"The radium is of particular concern because it decays to form radon, a cancer-causing, radioactive gas," the EPA adds.

(continue reading)

[donniesexceptionalmind]

U

is for ✨uranium✨

GASP, I DIDN'T KNOW! /s

Have some facts about my favourite element:

Uranium occurs in most rocks in concentrations of 2 to 4 parts per million & is as common in the Earth's crust as tin, tungsten & molybdenum! Uranium also occurs in seawater & can be recovered from the oceans.

It was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist, in the mineral called pitchblende. It was named after the planet Uranus, which had been discovered eight years earlier.

Uranium was formed in supernovae about 6.6 billion years ago. While it is not common in the solar system, today its slow radioactive decay provides the main source of heat inside the Earth, causing convection & continental drift.

The high density of uranium means that it also finds uses in the keels of yachts & as counterweights for aircraft control surfaces, as well as for radiation shielding. It's 18.7 times more dense than water! Not to forget that its isotope U-235 is used for transforming thermal energy into electrical energy.

Uranium has a melting point of 1132°C.

Thank you for your inbox, I know you like my chemistry infodumps @jelluu ✨

[sweetwhispersofchaos]

Mornings of Gold

I'm so far behind its not even funny, but I have FINALLY finished my second entry for @roosterforme Top Gun Rocktober event. I used my all time favorite song to create this completely self indulgent romance piece and I have zero apologies for it. ;) Pairing: Phoenix and Bob Words: 5433 Warnings: fluff, mild smut (no grave detail), kissing, did I mention fluff? *I do not own the Top Gun characters.*

Lightening illuminated the windows while rain tap danced across the glass. A deafening crack of thunder shook the entirety of Bob’s apartment, rattling some of his frames on the wall and causing both he and Phoenix to jump in their seats. They were deep into their third round of Go-Fish and a lunch wager was riding on the winner of this last bout. It was serious and they both were concentrating so hard on their cards that the storm jolted them out of their haze.

“I hope the power holds.” Bob said while studying the dwindling stack of cards in his hand.

“And if it doesn’t, we light some candles and keep going.”

“Phee, I don’t have any candles.”

“Floyd. I thought you were a Boy Scout?”

“I didn’t say I was a good one.” he whispered with a sheepish shrug.

“Thank goodness for flashlights.”

“I don’t have those either.”

Phoenix let out a huff “Guess I should plug my phone in, just in case huh?” she said exasperatedly as she stood to grab her charger from her backpack.

Phoenix loved being back in Lemoore with Bob, despite returning to their original squadrons. She missed flying with Bob, but their weekly meet ups for movies and card games helped. After the uranium mission they seemed to gravitate to one another, no one else able to understand the weight of what they went through together, especially since it was top secret, and they weren’t allowed to speak of it. Between the bird strike and the mission, both of them had changed and they were thankful they had each other to lean on. Bob had suffered nightmares for a while and Phoenix had trouble enjoying things outside of work in the “real world” like she used to. Their friendship carried them through those foggy first few months post mission.

Things had started to feel warm and fuzzy to Natasha about three months after their return to Lemoore. She was spending a lot of time with Bob, and they had become relaxed with each other. Movie nights now consisted of Bob wrapping his arm around her while she leaned into his side or Phoenix running her hands through his hair when he laid his head in her lap on the couch. Card games now include occasional rubs of one foot on the others under the table. Trips into town might find them holding hands and the one Saturday they drove out to the coast Bob held her hand on the gear shift of his truck the whole way. Neither of them spoke of the closeness they were experiencing; it was comfortable and comforting and neither seemed to find issue with it or the need to discuss.

Phoenix returned to the small dinning nook where Bobs card table and folding chairs were set up. He was quite a minimalist, but she didn’t mind, up until now anyways. She plugged the phone in then flopped on to her backwards chair, straddling it in her plaid pajama pants and eyed Bob mischievously. Another rumble of thunder rattled the walls, and her grin grew in feigned innocence.

Bob looked up at her over his glasses with a furrowed brow, then back to his cards.

“Got any eights?”

“Go fish”

He grunted and picked up a card from the pile between them. “Phee, how is it possible you are so good at everything right down to child level card games?”

She giggled at her bespeckled best friend.

“What can I say? It’s a gift.” She winked at Bob, and he shook his head with a boyish grin.

“I’m pretty sure I’m a few cards away from owing you sushi.”

“I think you might be right.”

And he was. Moments later Phoenix won and jumped out of her chair, fist pumping the air victoriously. Bob just smiled at her then cleaned up the pile of cards.

“Movie time! What do you want to watch?” she asked, flitting into the living room, and flopping down onto the couch.

Bob called from the kitchen where he was cleaning up their snack mess from the table.

“I chose last week. It’s your turn.”

“Ok let me see what I can find.”

Bob joined her on the couch, pulling her legs into his lap as he sat next to her.

“My feet probably stink, Bob.”

“I don’t smell anything, so you’re good.”

She smirked and went back to scrolling through the movies on the streaming service app on Bobs tv.

Suddenly Phoenix sat up quickly, her legs flying out of his lap.

“OH!” she shouted, causing Bob to startle. “This is my favorite movie ever!”

“I thought Die Hard was your favorite?” He asked.

“That’s my favorite Christmas movie.”

“Phee. Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.”

“I’m not having this argument with you again for the hundredth time, Robert.” she said as she gently popped his chest with the back of her hand.

Bob put his hands up in defense then looked up at the screen to see a picture of a heavily made-up David Bowie surrounded by furry characters.

“Labyrinth? What’s it about?”

She whipped around on the couch to look at him with complete disbelief on her face.

“You’re joking? You’ve never heard of Labyrinth!? I know you’re a baby and all but it’s only one of the most amazing cult classics of the 1980’s. David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, and a host of Jim Henson puppets.”

He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I am not that young and no, I haven’t. I’m gonna to be honest Phee, this surprises me.”

“What? Why?” she asked frowning.

“Your idea of a top-notch movie usually involves heavy gunfire and a string of cuss words throughout. Not Muppets.”

Phoenix rolled her eyes then pressed play. She shifted her legs around so she could lean into his side and Bob instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they settled in to watch the fantasy movie.

“Yeah well, this one is special from my childhood and my favorite song on the planet is in it.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’ll tell you which one when it pops up.”

The opening refrains of Bowie began to trickle through the surround sound as they relaxed together on the couch. Somewhere along the way Bob began to rub small circles on Nat’s bare arm and her head came to rest on his shoulder.

Later in the movie, the main character of Sarah bit into a laced peach and Natasha whispered up to Bob.

“This is it. The dream sequence has my favorite song.”

The light melody of As the World Falls Down by David Bowie began to serenade the masked dancers on screen and Natashas eyes lit up. She had always loved this part as a child. The stunning attire, the soft lullaby of the love song. As she grew up, she began to realize the whole movie was a euphemism for coming of age and the song gained all new meaning for her. The lyrics started to take the shape of her journey out into the real world. College, commissioning, flight school, and traveling the globe. She missed her picturesque childhood, but it was time to grow up, whether she wanted to or not. The only thing she hadn’t found along the way was the magical love story she thought she would have when she watched the costumed actors waltz around the dreamscape as a young girl.  What she considered the last card in the grown-up deck. She had relationships over the years, but nothing that swept her off her feet the way she thought would happen. No one had promised her mornings of gold or Valentine evenings like the song said, but she was hopeful that might change, sooner or later.

Once Sarah shattered the walls of the fancy ballroom, ending the pretty scene, Bob reached over to grab the remote from the coffee table and paused the movie. Phoenix didn’t move other than to pick up her head and look at him questioningly.

“Phee. The movie is weird. But that song is beautiful. I can see why you like it. It’s sort of sad too.”

She gave him a gentle smile. “It really is. And this scene has always been magical but also sad for me. Romantic and whimsical. Sarah’s caught between being a child and a woman and all the things she thinks she wants but also the things she doesn’t realize yet she will miss about being a kid. I relate to the song and the themes of the movie.”

“You do?” He questioned.

“Sure. I had a normal, happy childhood, but like most kids, I couldn’t wait to grow up. I wanted the adventure, the freedom, the uh” she hesitated, lowering her eyes to his chest, “um, love, found only in the grown-up world. Now though, I wish I could go back sometimes. I love my life, but I miss the, um, innocence of being a kid. The tough stuff like top secret scary missions didn’t exist yet.” She nudged him with a knowing look, and he grinned.

“Good at kid’s card games and carrying philosophical conversation about children’s movies to boot. You’re not as scary as people think you are.” He mused.

She snickered and lightly elbowed him in the ribs. “Yes I am.”

Bob grunted on impact, then blew out a heavy breath. “Fine. You’re not as scary as I thought you were. You’re just a big softy.” And he winked at her.

Another bang of thunder rolled through the skies above and they both jumped.

“We better finish this before the power goes out.” She said and he mumbled his agreement, pressing play on the remote again.

The storm began to clear out as the movie came to an end. Phoenix stood and stretched her arms over head while Bob turned the TV off.

“Final verdict?” She asked when he stood up next to her.

“I still say weird, but Bowie’s music is brilliant and it’s definitely a unique way of portraying the transition from child to getting older. 4 out of 5 stars.”

She smiled at him adoringly before patting his cheek and heading for the entry way.

“I’m glad you liked it. I think our friendship would be over if you hadn’t.” she said with a laugh as she scooped up her backpack from the floor and started rummaging for her keys.

“Nat?” she turned to face Bob while shimmying into her sneakers.

He seemed nervous, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “Were you planning to go to Captain Holloways wedding next weekend?”

That wasn’t what she was expecting. They both received invitations, but they hadn’t really talked about it.

“I don’t know, you?”

“Well. I was thinking.” He ran his right hand through his hair, stalling. “That is. Do you want to go with me?” He rocked back and forth from his toes to his heels like a rocking horse, his shoulders all the way to his ears as he waited for her to respond.

“Oh! Why Robert Floyd, are you asking me to be your date?” She crossed her arms with a questioning smirk on her face.

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Well, ah, Yeah, I guess I am. But” he put both hands up defensively and his words rushed out. “I get it if you don’t want to go. Or go with me. We can just meet up there if you want. Or do something else? Shoot. I bet you already have a date. Or I don’t have to go at all if you want to go with someone else or go alone. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been presumptuous. You know what? Let’s just forget I asked.” And he let out a nervous chuckle.

Phoenix had not changed body or face position through his little freak out. She found him absolutely adorable when he was nervous. Inside a plane he was steady as the driving rain outside, but on the ground, he was shy, and it was endearing.

“Bob” she said, then she took the three steps across the entry way to stand in front of him. Phoenix placed her hands on his biceps, rose up on her tippy toes, and lightly pecked him on the cheek. “I’d love to be your date for the wedding. Pick me up at 6?” Then she gave him a brilliant smile.

Relief washed over his face. This sweet man was really starting to create warm feelings in her that she wasn’t expecting but didn’t hate.

“Oh, ok. Great. I’ll pick you up at 6 then. You be careful out there going home, ok?” She removed her hands from his arms then slid them around his midsection to hug him. He wrapped his long lanky arms around her and gave her a light squeeze over her backpack.

“I will. See you tomorrow.” And with one last sweet smile she grabbed her umbrella from the porch, popped it open, and darted out into the muggy drizzle, an extra bounce to her steps as she made a beeline for her car.

 Several days later, after a busy week at work, Phoenix was staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror in her bedroom. It had been a long time since she had attended a wedding, or any sort of formal event, that wasn’t for the military and didn’t involve her dress uniform. The ceremony was going to be outside overlooking a vineyard, the reception in an open-air barn, and it was quite warm for May in southern California. Many of her coworkers would be in attendance, including her very special date, so she knew she was never going to hear the end of it when they caught sight of her in something other than a flight suit for once.

 She spent the afternoon before at a local department store trying on dresses. She honestly didn’t even own an appropriate dress for an evening summer wedding. The few dresses she owned were tiny, black, and were rarely donned. She must have tried on at least 25 dresses, looking for the right one. If she was honest with herself, she was a little nervous. Yes, she and Bob had been friends for a while now, but this felt different. It was different. The little butterflies in her stomach told her things were changing and that thought both scared her and thrilled her. He was so different from anyone she had ever been with before. His strength wasn’t in his brawn or bravado, it was in his quiet determination, unyielding devotion, and his rarely shared dry wit. He was handsome in an old Hollywood sort of way, and he never tried to make her feel small, obviously not scared of a female leader. She could admit that their friendship was based, at first, on trauma bonding but had since evolved into something she trusted. She just hoped he felt the same way. He did ask her out after all, so surely, he felt the shift in their relationship too.

The dress she settled on was a pale pink satin draped dress with spaghetti straps. She purchased a simple shawl in an even softer pink shade and nude kitten heels to go with it. Her hair was always up in the regulation bun so tonight she put a little curl in it and left it down, her grandmother’s pearl earrings completing the ensemble. Natasha ran her hands over the smooth fabric as she studied herself in the mirror. She felt one hundred percent confident until it came to her feminine side. She loved being a woman and pretty things, but she was more prepared to fly an F/A-18 in drab green flight suits and kick back for beers with the guys after work than step out for a night on the town in a slinky pink dress. Just as she was preparing to talk herself out of going, she heard a knock at her front door.

Shit. Bobs here. Too late now.

Giving herself one more glance in the mirror, she hesitantly tucked a small strand of hair behind her ear, placed her phone in her small clutch, and headed for the door. With one last deep breath, she opened the door and watched the pool-blue eyes on the other side grow exponentially in a matter of seconds.

Phoenix watched Bob swallow hard and begin to stammer but bless the man no actual words came out at first. She managed a small smile at him and his large grin in return made her heart flutter.

He cleared his throat then tried again. “Wow, uh Phee, you look, um, just wow.” His cheeks were bright red.

Bob looked incredibly attractive in a tailored three-piece grey suit with a white shirt and a striped tie in darker shades of blue. Phoenix felt a little flustered as well, not just from Bobs reaction but her own attraction to the handsome WSO in front of her. She stepped out of the apartment, locking the door behind her, then turned back to Bob’s still wide eyes. With a small giggle she pecked his cheek.

“You’re pretty wow yourself. Ready to go?”

Bob shook his head, seeming to clear fog from his mind, letting out a small chuckle as he offered his elbow for Phoenix to take. “Yes mam.” And they took off for the evening.  

The ceremony was nothing short of spectacular. The sunset showed gorgeous hues of purple and orange as the couple said their vows and exchanged rings. Somewhere in the middle of the captains’ vows while he spoke of feeling whole and complete by his soon to be wife, Bobs hand slid over and picked up Phoenix hand, wrapping his fingers between hers and moving it until both of their hands came to rest on his leg, his eyes remaining transfixed on the alter ahead. Phoenix tensed briefly, her eyes shifting sideways then quickly to their joined hands and finally back to the service. Was she sweating? Between the heavy emotions of the wedding, the story book surroundings, and Bobs large, calloused hand gripping hers, Phoenix skin was prickling warm, and her heart fluttered in her chest.

Once the groom kissed his bride and the procession was completed, the guests made their way to the outdoor barn for the cocktail hour and reception. Bobs hand slipped to Phoenix lower back as he gently guided her along the brick path toward the glowing string lights twinkling above the tables of the party area. Soft music played from the DJ stand as they gathered drinks from the bar and made their way to the seats at a round table labeled with their names on dainty gold embossed cards. Before she could say or do anything, Bob pulled her chair out for her with a gentle grin. Phoenix returned the smile and thanked him as she took her seat amongst some fellow aviators from various squadrons at Lemoore and their dates.

Once seated, Bob leaned over and whispered low in her ear “Thank you for coming with me. You’re so beautiful Phee. I’m honored to have the prettiest date here.”

Phoenix turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting his glowing blue orbs, and the butterflies in her tummy began to dance all at once. She could feel warmth creeping up her cheeks. He was too sweet for words, and she knew she was falling hard.

“Thank you for asking me. I’m having a wonderful time. And you’re not too bad yourself.” She said as she reached up to straighten his tie.

He smiled at her, a full, toothy smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle and she returned the smile wholeheartedly.

All through dinner and the initial formalities such as a toast and first dance, Bob continued to land gentle touches to Phoenix, sending chills along her body even through the warmth of the Southern California evening. At one point he wrapped his arm around the back of her chair and began rubbing tiny circles on her bare arm while he carried an idle conversation about something work related with the pilot sitting next to him. They didn’t speak out loud to each other much, choosing to just relax and enjoy the joyous atmosphere around them as their tablemates came and went. An hour or so into the event, the party really kicked up when the dance floor opened, and the DJ began turning various tunes from slow country to club beats.

Bob and Phoenix decided to find the Bride and Groom to give them their congratulations then mingle amongst their friends and colleagues. Phoenix ended up surrounded by several ladies she knew, some from work and some the spouses or girlfriends of other aviators. The gaggle began praising her looks, asking questions about her dress and shoes. Phoenix was so wrapped up in the conversation, trying not to appear as uncomfortable as she felt, that she didn’t notice her date slip away.

A soft melody began to float through the air, and she recognized the early refrain immediately. It was her song. The one she loved so much from her favorite movie. Phoenix excused herself quickly, turning to search for the person she knew had to be responsible. Standing a few feet away, next to the dance floor, was Bob, his outstretched hand beckoning her to join him. She closed the distance between them and slid her hand into his, allowing him to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

He spun her slowly under their joined hands then wrapped his empty arm around her waist, pulling her in close to his chest, their joined hands coming to rest over his heart. The movements took her breath away. The whole thing was straight out of her childhood dreams. They swayed to the melody under the twinkling lights and her heart all but burst. Bob pulled her so close that her head came to rest sideways on his chest and she heard his dulcet tones begin to sing the song quietly into her head.

I’ll paint you mornings of gold

I’ll spin you Valentine evenings

Though we’re strangers until now

We’re choosing the path

Between the stars

I’ll leave my love

Between the stars

She looked up at him with surprise. “You learned the words!?”

His soft smile matched the gentle look in his eyes. “I listened to it on repeat for the last three days.”

She didn’t know what to say, this was something straight out of a fairytale. Out of her dreams. He requested her song. He made her imagination come to life. Phoenix knew nothing in her life could ever overwhelm her emotions like this beautiful moment with her Bob. As she began to fight the tears pooling in her eyes, she laid her head back on his chest and continued to sway as the song came to an end. Even after the tune changed to another slow song, they just stood still, holding each other. Phoenix could feel Bobs heart pounding through his chest, and she knew her own heart matched his rushing rhythm.

She barely heard his whisper above the sounds of the party around her. “Wanna get out of here?”

Not trusting her voice as she still fought back tears, she shook her head in affirmative. His hand still holding hers moved to raise her chin and their eyes met, his looking slightly wet like hers. “Your place?” he asked nervously, his cerulean eyes searching hers.

Phoenix released a small gasp, understanding the implications of his question, then nodded her head yes as she let out a breathy “yes.”

The ride back to her small two-bedroom bungalow was quiet, Bobs old truck rumbling down the road with tender tunes on the radio and his hand holding hers on the gear shift. They didn’t look at each other, nervous tension instead filling the cab. He pulled into her driveway and hurried out of the truck, practically sprinting around to the passenger side to open her door. He offered his hand, and she took it, not ever saying a word as they walked hand in hand up to the small wooden porch. She began to open her small clutch to pull out her keys but his large hand reached up and brushed the back of her hand, stopping her movements.

“Phee” he whispered, and she looked up at him, watching his eyes cloud over. Bobs hands worked their way across the slippery fabric covering her hips and he pulled her in impossibly close. Then their lips met, slowly. Stars exploded behind her closed eyes, blinding her in white light that felt warm and inviting. His lips were smooth and moved hesitantly at first. With her ears ringing she pushed into his lips slightly and he understood her nudge, deepening the kiss assuredly. Phoenix wrapped her arms under his and around his waist as she opened her mouth slightly, allowing him entrance. So many words unspoken poured into their kiss, and the world fell down. Her walls slipped away and she realized all at once that this was the love she had been hoping for.

All at once she broke the kiss, her eyes watching his flutter open confused. She was a little breathless but she gave him a soft smile.

“Stay with me?” she asked, feeling extremely shy and vulnerable.

The almost startled expression his face shown caused her to giggle, but he managed to shake his head yes before she opened the door and led him into her dark house by his hand. Bob barely got the door closed behind him as she walked him through the house to her tiny back bedroom. Once they reached the door, she dropped his hand to enter the room and turn on the bedside lamp. He remained in the doorway, and she looked over her shoulder with a smile at him, dropping her shawl and clutch on the bedside table before she began to remove her earrings. It was like an intimate dance. His eyes were on her as she removed small articles, a show she was putting on just for him. A way of saying thank you for the special night and that she wanted this with him. She hoped she wasn’t coming on too strong to scare him away. If she really admitted the truth to herself, she had wanted Bob in this way for a long time.

Just as she was about to tell him they could just watch a movie if he wanted, she watched him strode into the room, coming to stand behind her. She was just placing the second earring on the bedside table as she felt his hands slide around her waist from behind. Her hands came to rest on his and then her body shuddered when his lips met the bare skin of her shoulder.

“Phee.” He barely said above a whisper. Then he kissed slightly higher, sending a chill straight down her spine when his warm lips met the sensitive skin where her shoulder met her neck.  “Look at me.”

She turned in his arms until they were eye to eye, her head craned back to look up at him. Bobs large hand ghosted across her cheek and into her hair, tucking a few strands behind her ear. Then that hand cupped the side of her neck, and he pulled her in for another languid kiss. Her skin felt on fire, everywhere. Phoenix had never felt this way before and she couldn’t believe what was happening, but in the best way possible. She broke the kiss with a small pop of their lips and once his eyes were open and on her she all but blurted out “I love you, Bob.”

Embarrassment at her hasty declaration was coloring her cheeks and he let out a chuckle that made her squirm with further mortification. But if Bob noticed, he didn’t say anything. He simply guided his other hand to the other side of her neck and smiled the most brilliant smile before returning her words. “I love you Natasha Trace.”

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes again as she found her words again. She felt bold as she stood up straighter and asked, “Stay with me?”

He kissed the tip of her nose then said through a smile “As long as you’ll have me.”

The next few moments were a blur of touching and kissing. Her hands worked the buttons of his vest and undoing his tie while his slid the zipper of her dress down her back. Once the tie and vest were off, she guided the straps of her dress down her arms, letting it drop to the floor. There she stood in nothing but her white strapless bra, a thin white thong, and her heels. She felt exposed and unsure of what to do as his eyes looked down her body then back up, taking her in.

“God Phee, you’re stunning. I’m, uh, I’m.” He hesitated as his eyes met her again. “I’m honored that you trust me like this.”

There was the confidence she loved hidden under the shyness. His appreciation of her was nothing she had ever experienced before, and she suddenly didn’t feel so uncertain anymore. She knew she wanted to share herself with him and in turn, take him in. Her damp eyes remained on his as her hands swiftly worked the buttons of his dress shirt open, practically ripping it off of him. Then her eyes grew wide.

“Robert Floyd, you’ve been keeping a secret.” She rasped with a mischievous look on her face. He began to blush under her scrutiny, and she giggled. Phoenix ran her manicured fingernails down his chiseled abs as she reached for his pant button.

After that, all clothes removed and his glasses discarded by her pearl earrings, they slid slowly onto her bed, a tangling of hands and kisses full of love and admiration. He worshipped her skin with his lips and touches, leaving no spot untouched. Phoenix felt like she was going to melt away, the heat of her body searing with each feather light kiss he left. He worked his way down her body, then back up, her chest now rising and falling quickly with pants of lust. She had never needed someone so much in her life as she needed Robert Floyd at that very moment. While he nibbled on the juncture of her shoulder and neck, she turned her head toward his and whispered into his ear.

“Love me. Please? Make love to me?” she asked with assurance.  

Bobs eyes met hers, looking a little surprised at first, then they relaxed, a dazed grin crossing his lips. He lowered his head to kiss her as he moved himself between her legs.

It was slow and burning and passionate and beyond any of her wildest dreams. Their bodies rocked in tandem as he whispered his love onto her lips. He filled her body and spirit with everything they had been feeling for months and she couldn’t pull him close enough to her. They became one. It overwhelmed her, made her feel desperate on a whole new level she didn’t know she could feel.

The feelings overtook her, and she began to whimper as she met the most beautiful sensation she had ever felt before. Hot and freeing. She found what she had been missing. Her new favorite song became the pants of her name on his lips over and over again his own finality was reached.

A mess of hot breath, rapidly rising and falling chests, and wet eyes lay stilling in the hazy lamp light. A single tear escaped her eye, and he caught it with his finger as it ran down her cheek. Bob rolled them over and tucked her small frame into his side as their breath slowed. She felt him gently kiss the top of her head.

“Thank you.” He said through ragged breaths.

She sat up on her elbow and looked at him, trying to convey with her face all the love she felt in that moment.

“No. Thank you. For making my fairytale come true.” They smiled at each other before she moved back to his side, and she realized Bob was the morning of gold she had been waiting for. Her world was no longer falling down, and she drifted off to sleep feeling he had placed the moon within her heart. She wanted to follow a path between the stars with him forever.

[portraitoftheoddity]

Don't Drink The Paint Water

Ok, the title is a little misleading since a lot of the paint I'm gonna talk about in this post would have been tempera or oil, and not water-based acrylic, so there would be no paint water. But as someone who worked in acrylic and definitely accidentally drank their paint water more than once, the warning is what rings in my mind every time I think of this topic.

Art is great for the soul. Art supplies, however, are not always great for the body.

Humans love smearing ourselves and our stuff with pretty colors made of shit that will kill us. Lead facepaint in Queen Elizabeth's court; Arsenic Green Wallpaper in Victorian parlors; uranium in glassware and wristwatches. And of course, all kinds of heavy metals in paints.

I talked in my post about Caravaggio about how a lot of his balls-to-the-wall batshit insane behavior may have been a result of chronic poisoning from his paints. Many artists through that whole era of history suffered from lead poisoning, to the point that "Painter's Colic" was a term for the intestinal constipation caused by chronic lead poisoning.

Now let's talk about that a little, and the various toxins that some of your favorite historical painters may have had in their systems from the creation and application of their paints...

White Paint: Lead

Lead white has been used as far back at the 4th century B.C.E. by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, and was THE white pigment in western art up through the nineteenth century (and also appeared in works from China and Japan). It's important to note that through much of history, you didn't just go to the store and buy a tube of paint -- you made your own by grinding up pigment and adding it to a medium such as oil. To make lead white paint, artists would grind a block of lead into powder, releasing toxic dust particles into the air. The pigment's popularity largely stemmed from how thick and opaque it was, allowing for dense applications of radiant, warm white.

Lead poisoning resultantly affected a great many artists who worked extensively with lead white paint, with gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, and neurological symptoms. Chronic lead poisoning resulted in abdominal pain, nausea and constipation, as well as neuromuscular issues such as tremor, loss of coordination and numbness. Neurologically, sufferers could experience loss of short-term memory or concentration, depression, fatigue, headaches, stupor, slurred speech, and difficulty with emotional regulation, which may have contributed to the enduring stereotype of artists as erratic tortured geniuses.

Lead white would eventually be replaced by zinc white and titanium white.

Vermilion Paint: Cinnabar (Mercury-Sulfide)

Cinnabar is a form of mercury sulfide (HgS) that can range in color from bright scarlet to brick-red. It is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury-- and from both its mined form and creation via synthetic alchemy was used to create a range of red 'vermilion' pigments. Cinnabar was used decoratively dating back to antiquity due to its color, appearing in fine craftsmanship and artworks ranging from China to South America, and was the primary source of red pigment in European painting from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

And of course; it came with the fun fun experience of mercury poisoning! While ingesting cinnabar isn't nearly as toxic as other forms of mercury since the chemical composition is less reactive, cutting and grinding cinnabar to create paint pigment would lead to inhalation of particles, and the more it was ground, the brighter the red it would produce. Plus, heating cinnabar would result in the release of highly toxic mercury vapor which would damage the lungs. Long term cinnabar use would lead to renal failure, and likely other symptoms of mercury poisoning such as damage to the brain and nervous system.

Vermilion would eventually be replaced with the less-toxic cadmium red.

Naples Yellow Paint: Lead + Antimony

Here's a two-for-one poisoning deal! Naples yellow -- a saturated, thick yellow that could range from pinkish orange to an almost green lemon-yellow -- is derived from lead antimonate. Inorganic and synthetically created, the pigment itself dates back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, making it one of the oldest synthetic pigments (it was predated by the Egyptians' use of the yellow pigment 'Orpiment' which was made with arsenic, for even more fun!) It was first referred to as Naples Yellow in the 17th century, and became particularly popular in European painting from the mid 1700s to mid 1800s, used by artists such as Délacroix, Jacques-Louis David, and Goya.

In addition to the joys of lead as discussed above, Antimony can cause vomiting, headache, dizziness, and sleeplessness, with effects similar to arsenic poisoning.

While there were a number of holdout artists who continued to use Naples Yellow up to the 20th century, Naples Yellow was largely replaced by Chrome Yellow and Cadmium Yellow by the late 19th century.

--

These are just a few of the more popular culprits in western art history -- and not counting fabric dyes such as Scheele's Green which experienced brief and deadly popularity in the Victorian era (made with Arsenic), or Uranium Yellow pigment used in ceramics and glass, which... I think you can guess where the problem with that lay.

All of which is to say, Art Was Hazardous, and a lot of artists through history quite literally died for the dyes, sacrificing their health, sanity, and years off their lives, knowingly or not, for the colors in their masterworks.

[thinkingimages]

Sigmar Polke (1941 – 2010) counts among Germany’s great pictorial innovators and most important painters. His works live off organised coincidence and harbour mysterious surprises. They are marked by a playful way with words and images that transcends any attempts at categorical stringency.

The exhibition in Museum Frieder Burda concentrates on two essential characteristics of Polke’s works. Under the aspect of alchemy, it focusses on the random or even chaotic appearances of his paintings, which are created by the use of unusual materials, which in turn leads to idiosyncratic colour patterns. Alchemy is juxtaposed with the aspect of arabesque – ornamental line patterns, which Polke took, for example, from the wood-cuts of Dürer and Altdorfer. However, he also painted his own palm lines or generated random lines.

Sigmar Polke pursued these apparently random, yet deliberately chosen patterns in other materials and media, for in-stance filling slits in asphalt with molten gold, documenting the squiggly growth of vines or photographing radioactive uranium rock. He filmed chemical colour experiments and collected fluorescent uranium glass. He also took an interest in distorting mirrors. In addition to high-calibre paintings and works on paper, the exhibition presents the “gold pieces” Polke made in the US in 1991, as well as a large number of photographs, two films, photos of uranium rock, along with Polke’s own collection of uranium glass objects.

Exhibition curator: Helmut Friedel.

Museum Frieder Burda Lichtentaler Allee 8 b 76530 Baden-Baden Germany

www.museum-frieder-burda.de

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Discovery of uranium-contaminated soil purification material without secondary environmental pollution

Nuclear energy has long been regarded as a next-generation energy source, and major countries around the world are competing to secure cutting-edge technologies by leveraging the high economic efficiency and sustainability of nuclear power. However, uranium, which is essential for nuclear power generation, has serious implications for both soil ecosystems and human health. Despite being a key radioactive material, uranium poses significant health risks due to its chemical toxicity to the kidneys, bones, and cells. As a result, both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization recommend allowing and advocating for uranium concentrations in wastewater to be below 30 μg/L. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) has conducted research on a nano-material-based adsorption process to efficiently remove uranium wastewater extracted from actual radioactive-contaminated soil. They have also proposed its applicability to prevent secondary environmental pollutions.

Read more.

[ohtobeleah]

B.o.b Bob being such a softly for Radar in complete domestic bliss. 🥺

Summary: When Rooster comes to visit, Bob vents his frustration about the night Jake Seresin showed up on his doorstep.

Warnings: Robert Floyd x Jake Seresin Angst. Bob x Reader Fluff.

Word Count: 3.8k

Author Note: Realistically you could probably read this one as a stand alone fic. 

The B.O.B Series

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes. And try to convince me otherwise that Bob doesn’t have Heaven by the Walkman playing from the TV— I won’t listen. He’s concentrating, trying to untangle the purple Halloween lights that you said would be easy to untangle when you shoved them into a ball and threw them into the seasonal decorations box last year. His eyes peering over at you every once and a while while you worked to stick the window decals up. A spooky orange pumpkin with ten or so small gel-like bats.

“You should be doing this, you’re the one who tangled them!” Bob sighed. You couldn’t help but to chuckle at his childishness. Concentrating on making sure the pumpkin was somewhat straight.

“Robert—you literally fly fighter jets for a living, please tell me a bunch of seasonal lights aren’t going to be the death of you sweetheart.” You teased Bob lovingly. Turing as you rubbed your belly gently. A protective hand sitting over your belly button. Six months pregnant. “Honeslty–.” dropping the tangled mess of lights Bob sat on the couch, his hands instinctively coming to your hips as you came over to stand between his legs. Gentle butterfly-like kisses littered your stomach over your shirt. An old T-shirt you'd fished out from the bottom of Bob's side of the wardrobe. Comfortable and comforting.

“I don't fly them–” Bob mumbled as he spoke to your stomach, harboring his unborn child. “No, I don't, mums just bullying me, isn't she?”

“You can't keep doing this either.” You chuckled. Admiring the sight before you. “They won't automatically take your side more often than not just because you try and persuade them to be a daddy's girl or boy.”

“It's worth a shot.” Bob sighed as he leaned back on the couch, bringing you with him gently as you straddled his waist the best you could at six months pregnant. The space between you getting bigger and bigger with every passing day. “Gonna need a wingman.”

“Wingwoman–” You were quick to correct him. The pair of you on opposite sides of the fence. You were sure you were having a baby girl. Bob was positive you were having a baby boy. Either way? Bob didn't really mind, he was excited to be a dad regardless, but it was nice to discuss. “And you’ll be fine.”

“Not if they love Halloween as much as you do, I'll go insane.” Kissing you softly and every so gently, Bob smiled against your lips. His hands lingering on your waist, keeping you as close as he possibly could. Doing his best to savor the time he had with you. He’d been fortunate enough to be stationed stateside, active but non combatant. Working out at the Lemoore airfield while you enjoyed some much needed Paid Time Off. It was the best of both worlds. Bob got to stay home with his growing family while he worked through the Post Traumatic Stress, anxiety and depression he had been riddled with after the uranium mission. There were still nights he couldn't breathe, couldn't sleep and there were nights where the nightmares were almost unbearable. But the important thing was he was getting the help he needed to be the best he could be for you and his child. But God was Bob thankful to have someone so loving and understanding while he worked on his mental health. “Our house looks like a haunted fun house.” Bob pulled back. Squeezing your hips as you smiled bright right back at him.

“Your point?” You questioned as you looked around the living room. Decorations ranging from pumpkin spiced candles to ceramic ghosts and fun decorative pillows. “It's Halloween, try to have a little fun, besides, I’ve already picked out my Halloween costume!” Pulling out your phone out from your back pocket—you flicked to the picture of some lingerie-clad woman. A generic photo from google images. Bob was quick to scoff as you turned your phone around. Throwing his head back as he squeezed your hips.

“Over my dead body—“

“What? Why?—“ You tried to play dumb. The joke almost too good with Bob's response. “I’m wearing it.” You beamed, rubbing your nose playfully against Bobs.

“Radar—“ Something about Bob using your call sign when it was just the two of you really made your heart swell. It was a part of you. “You ain’t wearing that.” Bob’s southern accent always seemed to spike whenever he got defensive. It made your core throb. Always had always would.

“Okay well I am, but I do have another option.” Clicking through your phone you landed on option two, another set of lingerie. Another generic photo.

“Nice try sweetheart—not happening.” Bob shook his head as he lazily looked at you. His hand rubbing unidentifiable objects into the small of your back, his hand snaking under the shirt you wore.

“Bob, I’m wearing it—it’s for Halloween! A once off.” You tried to keep the joke going, your smirk giving it away.

“Get a grip mate, you ain’t wearing that.” Bob pulled you close to his lips. Mumbling against you as he smirked. “You won’t even see Halloween if you think you're putting that shot on.” He was quick to take your lips in his—his tongue running across your bottom to ask for more as Bob’s hands moved to cup your cheeks. Before things could get too hot too heavy too quickly you pulled back. Forehead resting on Bob’s.

“Rooster will probably be here any minute now so we gotta get this stuff up before—“ A gentle knocking sound coming from the front door interrupted you. You beamed at your husband as he gave you one more kiss before you scurried off his lap. He liked the little waddle you had developed, Bob knew the larger you got the more dramatic the waddle would be. “Roosters here!” You clapped just before you answered the door, revealing a very civilian like Bradley Bradshaw with his duffle handing over his shoulder. That damn Hawaiian shirt he seemed to love a little too much, holding a bunch of flowers. He beamed at you—completely mesmerised by your pregnancy. He hadn’t seen you since the Leyte Gulf.

“Holy shit you look—“ Rooster couldn’t take his eyes off your pregnant stomach. It looked almost unreal. He couldn’t quite connect all the dots. You were gonna be a mother, you were Radar though. Rooster struggled with the concept, he thought it was weird. The idea of you and Bob Canoodling also gave him the heebie-jeebies.

“Gigantic? Engorged?” You teased, rubbing your stomach as you chuckled. Stepping aside to let Rooster in. His eyes wandered around the home you and Bob shared. Taking notice of the pictures that hung on the hall to the Halloween decorations still being hung. It was most definitely the season in the Spencer-Floyd home.

“I was gonna say great, glowing even, how far along are you again?” Rooster dropped his duffel as he handed you the flowers. “Congratulations by the way, I’m absolutely stoked for you guys.” Kissing your cheek softly, Rooster let his hand fall to the small of your back in a small but friendly embrace. Pulling away as he walked towards Bob.

“Six months and four days, honestly I can’t believe it’s been six months already.” You were honestly just happy to be taking it day by day. Ever since your scare on board the Hammersley, you’d treated every day of your pregnancy as a blessing. Both the good days and the not so great days. Rooster smiled softly as you over his shoulder as he made his way over to Bob, shaking his hand before pulling him in for a hug.

“How you doing man? Radar here tells me it was pretty touch and go for a while there huh?” Bob sent you a look of caution, how much had you divulged? Sending him a look of comfortability, Bob cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah—“ Rubbing the back of his head nervously, Bob’s therapist had said it was good to talk about it, let people in who’d understand. “Just working through it, day by day, just got hit outta nowhere with it.” Rooster noticed how Bob down played his PTSD, the anxiety of it all, the depression. Sending him a gentle hand to his shoulder. Understanding what it could be like to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. “I’m doing okay though, really.”

“Thanks for letting me crash by the way.”

Rooster beamed as he turned back to you. “It’s good to be back on steady ground.”

“Oh yeah, how was Australia?” You asked, fishing out a vase for your bunch of flowers. Rooster and Bob having both followed you into the kitchen. Watching as they both leaned over the kitchen island on their forearms. “Bob and I have always said we’d move there, in another lifetime.” Rooster chuckled softly.

“It’s nice, the people are nice, the food is great, it just took a while to understand the lingo.” Rooster explained. Rooster had been in the land down under for the past four months. In that time he’d managed to find love and break his heart three times over. “But nothing beats home—“ Rooster couldn’t get a connecting flight back to his hometown till Wednesday. He’d reached out to see if he could crash a couple of nights at yours on his way home. It was something you didn’t have to think about saying yes to. You always had an open door for anyone who’d helped keep your husband safe.

“You want a beer?” Bob asked as he walked around to the fridge. Rooster raised a questioning eyebrow. Accepting the offer.

“Sure, but I thought you didn’t drink?” Bob handed Rooster the crisp can of bud light. Taking out his own can of lemonade. “Ah—“

“Still don’t, but good company is good company, always have some handy for those who do.” Bob and Rooster cracked their cans respectfully. “Cheers.” You were in your own little world for a while while you organised your flowers in their new home. Stop the island bench. A small card sitting next to them which the chicken scratch writing most men had.

(It’s good to know Bob knows where to put it after all, congratulations mother hen, with love from your favourite Rooster) it was the humour you’d missed the most about Rooster.

“So what else is new? I heard Hangman got a promotion to Lieutenant Commander? What’s that all about?” Rooster questioned as you joined the boys back in the living room. Sitting around the coffee table. Rooster with his beer, Bob with his lemonade, you with your water—gotta stay hydrated. “That’s kinda crazy”

It was a touchy subject. The whole Jake Seresin thing. Rooster noticed how your face fell at the mention of Jake. Bob's shoulders squared slightly as he cleared his throat. Rooster knew only what Bob had briefly mentioned via text. But there was more to the story, Rooster was sure of it. “What am I missing here?”

“Jakes kinda gone MIA on us, on me?” You looked at Bob because it was still all too confusing for you to comprehend completely. You wanted to believe so badly that Jake Seresin was a genuine guy. But the more time that passed? You knew it would take you a long time to truly believe that. “I don’t really know what I did but uh—yeah I just haven’t heard from him much since I told him everything was okay with the baby.” Rooster could see the sadness in your eyes, the disappointment you felt in yourself for letting a friendship fail. He didn’t press further after that. Nor did Bob.

Things settled down soon after that. You excused yourself to have a shower, waddling down the hall as Bob's eyes lingered on you. His love, his best friend. Moving out the the front porch to talk—Rooster saw no better time.

Does she know?” Rooster asked under his breath, he was sure he already knew the answer, but he thought he’d play it safe and get confirmation. Bob let his head hang low, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers intertwined. “About, you know? Seresin showing up?”

It was two in the morning. Bob just so happened to be up trying to clear his demons. A nightmare startling him from his sleep after he’d tossed and turned. Deciding it was probably for the best, Bob grabbed a pillow from his side of the bed and a throw blanket—heading for the lounge down stairs. You were out like a light. This pregnancy really had your energy levels drained and Bob wasn’t about to wake you. You needed as much rest as you possibly could get. He’d talk to you about it in the morning and schedule another therapy session. He’d do everything right. For you, for himself, for the baby.

A gentle knock came from the front door, Bob couldn’t figure out who would be knocking on his door at two in the morning. Grabbing the baseball bat he kept beside the door tucked up against the shoe rack, Bob peaked through the peephole. Noticing the soaked sailor on his doorstep was none other than Jake Hangman Seresin. Worried, Bob opened the front door, deciding to step out before letting Jake inside. Shutting the door behind him. He was worried but he had a family to protect as well.

“What the hell are you doing here man it’s two in the morning?” Bob questioned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I uh—I just wanted to talk.” Jake paused for a moment. “I wanted to talk to Renee.” Jake had encountered a close call on the Hammersley mission. So close he evidently ended up losing his wingman—he couldn’t get the images out of his head. The sounds, the fact everything everyone had said about the fact Jake had a tendency to leave others behind, hang them out to dry was true. He couldn’t take it. But he had you? Right?

“Look, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for her, really man I do.” Bob stood between Hangman and his front door, protectively. He’d thrown hands for you before, if made to again he’d do it in a heartbeat. “But she’s sleeping, this pregnancy really has her drained, I’m fighting battles right now too but I’m gonna let my wife sleep, because that’s what she needs.”

“Bob—“ Jake tried the push past Bob. Bob didn’t hesitate as he shoved at Jake, watching as he stumbled back.

“Okay so, we’re not doing this.” Bob hissed through gritted teeth. “You don’t get to come to my house demanding to speak to my wife and when you’re told no—“

“You really don’t wanna do this with me Floyd, just let me talk to her, and I’ll go.” Jake stood a little taller then Bob a few inches on his height, but Bob didn’t back down, if anything he stood his ground.

“Try your luck, but I’ll be damned if you're getting past the foyer.” Bob threatened. The rain fell a little heavier as Jake sighed. Pushing his hair back off his forehead. Something wasn’t right and Bob knew that, he could see it in Jake's eyes. They were clouded and misguided. He was fighting something bigger than himself. Something had happened on the Hammersley. Bob didn’t want to know because he knew he couldn’t be the one to help. Not now. Not with his own turmoil threatening to pull apart everything he had worked so hard to achieve. “If you need to talk, you talk to me.” Jake paced up and down the front deck. Bob stood just watching. “But I can’t help you right now, it’s two in the morning.“

“You know what?” Jake began, shaking his head because he’d tried to do it. Be a friend, be the other guy. But he couldn’t be. He wanted everything or nothing. “I used to think love was just something idiots thought they felt, but this woman—“ Jake pointed up into nothingness, hoping he was pointing in the right direction as to where you were sleeping. “Has a hold on my heart I cannot break even if I wanted to.” Jake admitted. It made Bob's blood boil but he knew he had to let Jake vent. “And believe you me, there have been times that I’ve wanted to.” Bob knew what Jake was alluding to, that would have to be a conversation for another day. “It has been overwhelming and humbling and so fucking painful, but I can’t stop loving her any more then I could stop breathing.” The pause that fell between Bob and Jake was toxic. But the look in Jake's eyes told Bob he was hurting, he was in pain. “I am hopelessly, Irretrievably, in love with her, more than she could ever know.” Bob let himself take everything in, he couldn’t say he didn’t already know. But what he didn’t know was how much of a hold, how much of an effect you had on Jake Seresin.

“So don’t tell her, walk away.” Bob replied. “You know just as much as I do that she’ll never love you back.” Bob walked a little closer to where Jake stood on the front deck. “It’s hard to hear, but she’s married, Hangman—I’m her husband, she’s my wife.” Bob reminded Jake who stood silent. “But if you can’t accept her as a friend and be happy with having her in your life with whatever version of herself she’s willing to give you? Then that’s it, you don’t deserve her at all.”

“It’s all so easy for you isn’t it.” Jake snickered. “You've got everything you want of course it’s easy for you to say, you’re not the one out in the damn cold watching the love of your life love another man.”

“You don’t even know the first thing about her?” Bob raised his voice. “How can you show up at my doorstep like this claiming to love my wife so much when you don’t know her at all.”

“That’s the thing, I haven’t had the time and it kills me, every day.” Jake admitted as Bob stood his ground. This had become an infuriating situation.

“No, okay we’re not doing this, I’ve played the long game! I knew from day one I’d be thankful to just walk on the same earth as her, let alone be given a chance to love her!” Bob raised his voice. “I have seen her at her darkest and I have been blessed to be present for her finest.” Bob shoved Jake's chest, sending him stumbling back down the set of four stairs. Into the rain as Bob followed. “I have beaten men who have taken advantage of her and I will with no hesitation do it again because she’s my wife, do you understand that? She’s MY WIFE!”

“YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD EVERYONE YOU WERE MARRIED!” Jake shouted. Bob hoped to god you didn’t hear him. Tackling him to the wet grass below. Rolling around as the two men fought for dominance. Bob found his way on top. Striking Jake once to the side of the jaw.

“I don’t owe you anything!” Bob spat as rain fell even heavier. “You came here, thinking I’d stand by so you could confess your love to my wife or something? In what world did you think I’d do that?” Bob hissed before Jake got the upper hand, spinning around as he pinned Bob on his back, sending a fist straight into his right eye. Groaning as he did so.

“You pathetic little piece of shit! She’s the best part of you!” Jake spat as he repeated his punches. Bob's face throbbed as Jake laid punch after punch. Bob's mind flashed back to when he saw you all those years ago on the bathroom floor of Woody's tavern, how angry he was. Using that rage Bob managed to throw Jake from on top of him. Pinning him down once again before head butting him.

“Get the hell off my property before I call the cops.” Bob sat back. Panting as he spat blood from his mouth. His head spinning as he grabbed Jake's soaking wet duffel bag. Throwing it at him as he stood over him. “Get your head clear, get some help for whatever it is you're going through, then and only then will I consider letting you talk to my wife.” Bob hissed as Jake laid on his back in the pouring rain on Bob’s front lawn. “She wants to believe in you so damn much, this shit would break her heart, so I won’t say anything—if you just stay the hell away.”

“No idea, and I don’t keep things from her Rooster.” Bob explained. “But this? I’m not not telling her because I’m scared she’ll run off and start a new life with him? God she wouldn’t do that, I’d bet my life on it.” If Bob knew anything to be true in this world it’s that you’d never leave him. Through thick and thin you’d be by his side. “I just don’t want her thinking she’s just something disposable, Jake decided it was too hard to have her in his life if she wasn’t his. He eventually couldn’t settle for just having her around.” Bob scoffed. “The first time I told her I loved her, she was—not herself.” Bob paused, if he thought hard enough about it he could still feel the throbbing in his knuckles. “And I knew that there was a real possibility I’d have to settle for just having her in my life as a friend and because I loved her so much, still do! always will, I'd settle in a heartbeat.” Rooster listened as Bob explained his reasons. The two men sitting on the front steps looking out into the front yard of Bob's Lamoore home. “In my opinion he doesn’t understand what love is, he’s just selfish and it’s cruel to cut her off knowing damn well her recommendation is what got him where he is now.”

“How’d you hide the black eye?” Rooster asked as Bob sighed. Cringing as he sat back.

“I didn’t hide it, I just told her I smacked my head in the corner of my bedside table in the middle of the night after a killer nightmare.” Rooster could help but to laugh a little. Bob was a good guy, a good friend. A bloody good WOS. “Just wish I didn’t have to keep this from her.”

“Ah well, maybe you should just tell her man? I mean what’s the worst that could happen?” Rooster asked. Neither of the men had heard you step out onto the front porch. You didn’t mean to overhear, you just did. Smiling as you came to sit down beside Bob. Scaring the living Christ out of him.

“Tell who what?”

+++++++++++++++++

Tags: @kkrenae @lexhalstead3 @justanothermagicalsara @luckyladycreator2 @milesrooster @a-serene-place-to-be @marantha @red-undead-raptor @shanimallina87 @sarahjoestewy-blog

[thelostdreamsthings]

The Berlin Conference of 1884 divided Africa between the European empires, green-lighting rampant imperialism and genocide. As popular military rebellions devastate France’s neo-colonial grip on Africa, a reminder of how African resources were divided among colonial powers to build up the capitals of Europe, while Africa was kept in poverty, depravation and colonial domination.

One out of three lightbulbs in France is powered by uranium from Niger, where 90% of the people lack electricity. The Nigerien people are rising against neo-colonialism. Africa is progressing, and the era of European parasitism is fading...

Africa is embracing revolutions against neo-colonialism. That’s a good start, but…

What happens next is critical. The military power that freed the country needs economic smartness.

How to create jobs, grow the economy, boost trade, educate people, provide healthcare, build infrastructure etc. require very different types of skills and human resources.

Hopefully, China and Russia can guide them in these transformations.

The revolutionary belt over the last few years — Mali, Chad, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger…

France: Genocides, erases as much of African culture as it can, imposes the French language, and robs the resources of African countries to build France during the colonial period.

Continues robbing African countries in the neo-colonial period, keeping African countries poor and overthrowing any leader which dares to oppose France.

Forces African countries to pay a colonial tax and use the CFA Franc

Discriminates against Africans who leave former French colonies to come to France to escape poverty and depravation

Also France: …"Why would Africans hate us now?"

“My generation does not understand this: how can Africa, which has so much wealth, become the poorest continent in the world today?” - Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso

This is why Western thieves seek to maintain their control over resource-rich Africa

Most people in the West don't know about the Algerian War of Independance (1954 to 1962).

One million Algerians gave their lives in the war to kick the French out. During the war, various war crimes were perpetrated, such as the massacre of civilians, instances of rape, and torture. Additionally, the French forces were responsible for demolishing more than 8,000 villages and forcibly relocating over 2 million Algerians to concentration camps.

[saberdeity]

could i request for hangman x reader where you’re going through a rough patch as a couple before the uranium mission. he raises his voice in front of the squad and you just run off embarrassed and angry. with a nice fluffy apologetic ending pls!

Of course!! Thank you so much for requesting and I really hope you like it! This is my first hangman pic so hopefully I do the idea some justice 💗

𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 》 𝑱𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒏

pairings - Jake Hangman Seresin x Reader

summary - After a straining week Jake finally snaps and regrets it instantly

warnings - some angst, angry Jake, some strong language

a/n- thank you for requesting anon! I really appreciate the support and I hope you like It !! 💗

Everyone warned you about Jake the minute they suspected something was going on between the two of you. You'd never been one to listen to people or rules for that matter especially when you saw the side to Jake that nobody ever rarely got to see.

He was the softest, angel you'd ever met. All he needed when he came home from a tough day at work was back scratches and his hair played with and he was content for the rest of the night.

You'd been together for almost 9 months at this point and everything was perfect apart from these past few weeks before the mission. Jake explained that him and the rest of the squad had been given a mission, one that it was more than likely they wouldn't return from and the second he said those words your heart dropped. You felt like someone had ripped your heart from your chest and continued squeezing it right in front of you. The thought of loosing Jake made your skin crawl. You honestly couldn't imagine life without him especially as for the last 9 months of your life all you knew was him. You didn't even want to think about it but unfortunately It was just where your brain instantly went when he said the words.

This made the week ahead very difficult. You didn't want to put more worry and anxiety on him especially when he needed to concentrate on the mission ahead but the feelings were eating you up and frustrating from the two of you not communicating with one another were beginning to show. You ended up getting into a disagreement every day almost although no one ever raised their voice, the tension in the air could have been cut by a blunt knife.

This particular day Jake had forgotten his jacket which he needed for a presentation with the important people as you called me which meant you had to make the journey to take it to him.

When you arrived he was talking with the squad, just a casual conversation so you didn't quickly interrupting no matter how much you hated doing it. You were in a little rush but it was nothing that couldn't wait just for a little while longer.

"Jake..." you said the first time as soft and sweetly as you normally would, as you did the second and the third but by the fourth you were getting a little annoyed so you said it a bit louder.

"Will you give me a fucking second" he snapped, turning around and glaring daggers at you. He instantly regretted it when he noticed the shift in your body language.

This was the first time he's ever raised his voice at you, the first time ever. You body instantly froze, your body instantly tensing as you flinched at the sudden volume and annoyance in his voice. You couldn't help the angry tears that began to fall as you threw his jacket at him and ran out. You made your way to the only spot nobody was which was by Jake's locker. You knew you weren't meant to be here but it was the only place you knew you would be alone.

After the shock of what happened had passed your feelings instantly turned to embarrassment and shock. You couldn't believe he'd spoken to you like that in front of his friends let alone his colleagues after all you were only here because of his lack of organisational skills. You knew he was stressed with the mission and all but it was no excuse for the way he acted back there.

"Babe?" You heard Jake call softy as he peered round the door.

"I don't wanna talk right now Jake" You replied, wiping your eyes quickly to try and hide the angry tears you had stupidly let fall.

"Look I know you don't but I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you back there" He said kneeling down in front of you and placing both his huge hands on your knees.

"No you shouldn't have not in front of them and especially not as I'm only here because you needed something" You replied angrily as you finally looked up to meet his gaze. You could see the guilt behind his gorgeous green eyes as he looked up at you.

"you're completely right, I'm so sorry" He whispers softly, rubbing his thumbs over your knees sweetly.

You expected more of a fight back from Jake but it made you love him even more that he accepted responsibility for his wrongdoing

"No I'm sorry, I've been so anxious lately and I should've just waited for you to finish your conversation instead of interrupting" you replied, looking up at him with a sorry expression also.

"I would've done the same thing darlin' its okay, why have you been anxious?" He asks, moving to sit next to you, of course wrapping his arm around your waist bringing you impossibly closer to him.

"Because of the difficult mission ahead, I know it sounds stupid but I can't loose you Jake and I'm scared shitless that's going to happen. its got nothing to do with your skills because I know you're the best fighter pilot out there but there are some things you can't control" You explain as Jake listens to your every word.

"No it's not stupid at all sweetheart, I can't promise you I'll make it back because I cannot guarantee that but I will do everything in my power to come back to you because I cannot loose you either. This objective of this mission is just another task the main thing I'm focused on is coming back to you, I love you okay?" He says softly, placing a soft kiss to your lips.

"I love you too, now kiss me like you mean it Seresin" You smirk as he pulls you onto his lap, kissing you with every ounce of passion and love he could muster up.

[walpu]

Some Primis Worldbuilding:

It is a spherical-shaped planet, due to its extremely slow rotation. It is almost perfectly spherical.

Primis' internal structure is mostly made of metal, and because of this it has a very high density. It is formed from the core of a larger planet that lost its outer layers thanks to Propagation.

During formation, the heat generated by accretion and radioactivity caused the denser materials (metals) to sink to the center while lighter materials dispersed and some were expelled.

Due to the high density, the planet's artificial gravity is very high.

Primis also has a molten core, generating a very strong magnetic field due to the movement of the liquid metal. This protects Primis from solar and cosmic radiation (like Earth's does).

In addition to deserts, Primis also has vast metallic plains, mountains composed of metallic minerals, and some large deposits of metallic oxides.

The habitability of Primis is extremely hostile to humans, due to the scarcity of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. The humans there survived using specialized breathing masks and domes that produced oxygen.

Primis's energy comes from radioactivity, generated by the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium, thorium and potassium that are found in abundance on the planet, or through differentiation heat, which is the heat that was generated as the heavy metals sank to the core and which is still inside the planet.

With an internal heat source, Primis ends up suffering from “metallic volcanism” due to geological activity where liquid metal is expelled to the surface in the form of gasses.

Despite this, Primis does not have tectonic plates because of its composition that makes their creation difficult.

Primis has a surface that wears and fragments, forming small metal particles, creating metallic “sands”. These particles are carried by atmospheric winds forming the dunes and deserts of Primis.

Water is scarce on Primis, but it can still be found in the form of ice at the poles and in shaded regions protected from heat, due to the considerable distance that Primis has from its star.

The equatorial regions are where deserts are located, and are characterized by very hot days, while the nights are drastically cold.

The polar regions, as they receive less radiation, are naturally cold and have extremely strong winds.

Between the equator and the poles they have more moderate climates, but they are still subject to extreme changes thanks to the high reflectivity of the metallic surface. And the most important thing is where the storm zones are.

In the storm zone, metallic vapors undergo precipitation, changing into something similar to rain, but composed of metallic liquids or oxides instead of water. During these phenomena, lightning and high concentrations of static electricity are common.

Primis has long days and long nights

The slope of Primis is low, meaning there is no seasonal variation, making temperatures uniform throughout the year. That is, equatorial regions are always hot, poles always cold and a moderate temperature between the two.

Primis has three moons: a metallic moon, a rocky (Earth-like) moon, and a volcanic moon. These moons are respectively called: Lafia, Odu and Remi.

Lafia is the largest moon, while Odo and Remi are two smaller moons. The orbits of the three moons are in resonance, that is, the orbit of one influences the orbit of the other.

Any questions feel free to ask. 🌺 anon

THIS IS GENUINELY SO COOL I ADMIRE YOUR DEDICATION TO DETAILS also no wonder Adesina wants to leave 💀

What about flora and fauna 👀 I image finding food must be hard af, considering the climate, lack of water and the fact that everything is metallic

[honey-dew-woo]

Top Gun Second Gen | Chapter Seven

Gah! This took me so LONG to get out! Special thanks to @specialbrewbutterbeer for helping me figure out the timeline so I could finish this bit. I hope you enjoy (;

Masterlist | Chapter Six

---------------------------------------------------

I wish we could dogfight football every day. That would be heaven. Not having to worry about the mission. But no, that is exactly what we are all doing as we sat in the debriefing room, a pen twirling in the fingers of Phoenix, who sat with Bob across the aisle from Rooster and I. 

We all looked to the front to find Bates, Simpson, and Maverick. The three looked grim as I bit my lip in anticipation. "The mission time has been moved up. The uranium plant will be operational before we had anticipated." Simpson informed, as Bates nodded, Maverick didn't meet our eyes, but rather opting to stare at the ground.

"How long?" I heard Yale ask from behind me. 

Glancing from the Admirals before me, my eyes found themselves on the man sitting next to me. Analyzing Bradley's face as his brows furrowed, his gaze somehow even more intent- his jaw fixed- how did his jawline get that sharp?  "One week." My father's voice broke me from my haze, as my eyes snapped back to the front. Oh shit. Eyes widened around the room, my own included, and I tried not to let my jaw drop from this. "Due to this, the Admirals and I have decided to up your training. We will be trying the full course today, even with the steep climb out." "Yeah more life coffin corner." I mumbled to Bradley, my eyes not moving from where my father stood in front of the podium, Admiral Bates and Simpson walking out to let him instruct us. 

Rooster flashed me a grin, glancing from the corner of his eyes before we both gave our attention back to Captain Mitchell. "Alright, up first is Payback and Fanboy," He spoke, reading off of a clipboard before looking back up to us, "alongside Rebel." He finished, placing his clipboard down before motioning for us to the hit door.

"Goodluck." Bradley nodded, as I gave him a warm smile in return before following the duo who was called with me to the runway. Grabbing my helmet on the way out of the building before eventually hopping in my plane took less time than expected, and soon I was up in the air with Payback and Fanboy on my six. 

"Alright boys, how fast do you wanna take it?" I teased, as we approached the mission area. 

"I can keep up, Rebel." I heard Payback's voice return, as I smiled to myself.

"Then it's showtime." I responded, taking my jet up to 800 knots as we navigated the cavern.

It was smooth sailing until Fanboy's voice broke Payback and I's concentration from our flight. We were approaching the straight away before the inverted dive. "Rebel, Payback, we got company. Bogie is 1,000 yards out, approaching at 700 knots."

My brows furrowed, taking my bottom lip between my teeth as I narrowed my eyes. "It's your call, Mitchell. You're mission lead on this." Payback sounded as we continued the flight path.

"We can't go after him. We have to do the mission faster. Upping speed to 900 knots." I decided. That's what I'd do if there was a real mission. My face scrunched as I underwent the g-force of the inverted dive. We approached the target as I could faintly hear Fanboy telling us Maverick was getting even closer.

Despite the Captain approaching on us, Fanboy was still able to lock on the laser, and I took the shot. "It hit!" Fanboy cheered, as Payback and I smiled in excitement. Now, here comes the hardest part. My eyes glanced to the counter on my left.

5 G's.

6 G's.

"Payback, Fanboy, That's a kill. Level out." I heard my dads voice as I became determined to complete the climb.

7 G's.

8 G's. 

Come on, just a little more. I narrowed my eyes as my vision began to get spotty.

9 G's.

"Y/N, that's a kill. Level out." I heard my dad's voice as my vision began to fade more. I have to complete this. I have to get his climb out.

10 G's.

"Level out!"

And that's when it went black.

"Pull up! Pull up!" My jet's inner coms blared at me, as the dead-tone of a missile lock broke me from my blackout. 

"Oh shit!" I yelled, grabbing the controls and pulling my plane up from where it was nose diving in a cliff. I heard sighs of reliefs over coms, accompanied by my own. "Well. That wasn't so bad, was it?" I joked, out of breath, trying to fight my hands from shaking.

"Rebel, I swear to god." Fanboy's voice was heard over coms, causing a few of us to laugh. 

I smirked into my mask before responding. "Sorry, sorry. You know I have a flare for the dramatics." I teased, trying to shake off the post  G-Lock anxiety.

I directed my plane back to the base, Maverick and Payback flying behind me. "You've always had a flare for the dramat- oh shit! Bird strike! Watchout!" Payback's voice sounded, as my jet once again started to yelling at me.

You've got to be fucking joking. "Right engine is out, gaining altitude!" I yelled as the birds flew around us. Of course it had to be my plane, right? "Extinguishing- shit left engines out." I spoke, as my jet began to  fall.

"Eject Rebel!" Maverick's voice sounded as my own plane began to agree with him, also screaming 'eject' at me. 

<*>

'Oh shit' was the last thing I remembered before pulling the handles. Now, I was in a room in the hospital wing of the Top Gun base, or at least what I think is. I could hear voices around me as I blinked open my eyes, watching Bradley and my father arguing at the end of my bed. It seemed serious, so I flitted my eyelids back down, allowing the two some privacy, I suppose as they seemed as though they were fighting.

"My dad believed in you. I'm not gonna make that same mistake." Bradley's voice shattered the room as I watched my dad's harsh gaze soften. I bit my bottom lip, my eyes now opened. 

A knock at the door broke the two's staring contest, as Admiral Bates entered the room. He briefly looked between the males before turning to me. "It's good to see you're awake, Lieutenant Mitchell." 

I smiled warmly, trying to hide the fact that I had been up to hear the argument between the two most important men in my life. The two were now looking at me in shock, perhaps also hoping I didn't witness that. "Thank you, Admiral Bates." 

"Maverick, can we talk outside?" He asked, as my father nodded. Bates moved fully into the hallway as my dad smiled at me, patting my leg before following the Admiral outside.

Bradley smiled at me, taking a seat by my bedside. "What's wrong?" He asked, observing me. 

I opened my mouth for a moment before responding. "Nothing."

"Bullshit. You've always been a terrible liar." He informed me, a small smile still evident on his face as I chuckled.

"Touchè." I smiled softly, before continuing. I broke my eyecontact with Bradley, and was staring at the bed before me. "You still blame him, don't you?" I sighed out, still not looking at him as he placed a hand on my leg. "For what happened." I finished ,looking to him as his eyes met mine. 

He shook his head, "No. I don't." He spoke, now it was his turn to break eye contact as he stared at the floor before continuing. "I still blame him for pulling my papers, yes but that- no." He shook his head, looking back to me. A look in his eyes intensified the conversation as I returned his gaze.

"I don't blame him for that. I'm trying not to blame him for this." He motioned to me in the bed. "I know it wasn't his fault but God, Y/N. It was so hard. When you hit G-Lock it took everything in me not to go get in my plane to go to you." He confessed, as I opened my mouth to respond before quickly closing it again.

He wasn't done talking. "It took Coyote and Phoenix to hold me back from rushing to you when you ejected. I- I just wanted to be there. To help you." He spoke, his eyes now wandering to the bed I laid on.

"Bradley." I whispered, cupping his face with my hand, as his gaze travelled back to my eyes.

His hand moved to my arm, holding my wrist as he swiped his thumb across my forearm. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Y/N." He confessed with a soft smile.

I smiled myself as I swiped my thumb across his face. "I love you." It was now my turn to confess. "I have ever since we were teenagers, Bradley. God you don't know how much it hit when you took fucking Jessica to prom." I teased, pulling back my arm as we both laughed at the memory.

"Yeah, well you took Kyle." He returned, a critical pointed gaze of judgement at me caused both of us to break out into another fit of giggles. "I love you too, Y/N. And you don't even want to know how I felt about you taking him to prom." He spoke, once again lightening the mood as we both grinned at each other. He leaned in first, and I followed as our faces became close. "Is this okay?" He whispered, his breath hot on my face. 

"God, yes." I returned, his lips enveloping mine. It felt as though a spark ignited through my body as I smiled, him pulling back. "Hey Rooster." 

His head tipped up, his eyes meeting mine. "Yeah, Rebel?" He responded the callsign. 

"Take me to bed or lose me forever." I winked, he opened his mouth in shock, a smile still evident on his face through his eyes.

He tilted his head before responded. "Show me the way home, honey." 

---------------------

(i'm doing whoever comments on the last post as a taglist, that way it's just easier [and hopefully smaller] sorry! hope you all understand<3

Taglist:

@marie115 @1lellykins @ben-hothauser @starkleila @evans-dejong @sarahstar11 @n3ssm0nique @hobbit-historian @lucky-lexie99 @apollo-naire @lilpbj @foreverchasingtime @thatchickwiththecamera @americaarse @jonginvlog @hummusxx @mapleleafeater @the-key-to-me-myself-and-i @mads-weasley @levylovegood @itscheybaby

[argyrocratie]

“On a technological as well as a policy level, the instruments for reducing global warming are a part of the problem, rather than the solution. Because emissions reductions are designed to enable the continuous economic growth on which capitalism is predicated, “going green” means, more than anything else, a shift from fossil fuel energy to renewable energy on a massive, industrialized scale. But renewable energies on an industrial scale are also extremely destructive.

Hydroelectric power is currently the foremost renewable energy source. Hydroelectric dams are extremely destructive to build. They require a huge amount of concrete, production of which is one of the main greenhouse gas emitters, they cause the loss of huge amounts of forest and farmland, they kill off riverine species such as salmon, they disrupt natural flooding cycles necessary to many ecosystems, and their reservoirs emit large quantities of methane.

Photovoltaic cells capturing solar energy—solar panels—frequently use toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, gallium, and lead in their construction. On a localized scale, houses in most climates could be heated, cooled, and provided with warm water through efficient design capturing solar energy. And if people were willing (and able) to alter their daily habits and limit their electricity usage, photovoltaics free of heavy metals could play a role in this. Many of the problems arise when we take the current energy economy and assume we can keep on operating in the same way, but with different inputs. To meet current energy usage, huge swathes of land would need to be appropriated, denuded, and fenced off for solar farms. And since photovoltaics are only productive during sunlight hours, we would have to construct an enormous infrastructure for energy storage and global high-voltage direct current power lines, meaning more toxic mining, more land grabbing, more energy expenditures, and more cancer and other illnesses. Solar panels also present a waste problem, as the typical panel only lasts 25 years. At current growth rates, by 2050 we could have 78 million metric tons of junk panels, and there is currently no good way to recycle them at an industrial scale.25 Andrea Brock and other researchers argue that, far from a “paradigmatic break,” solar energy “is merely the latest iteration of an industrial growth model” characterized by “undemocratic and unsustainable industrial processes, the concentration of corporate power and profits, and externalized waste and pollution.”26

Geothermal energy, aside from having a low efficiency, requires extensive drilling that can contaminate groundwater. The technology uses pentane, a highly toxic, flammable liquid. Geothermal plants release small amounts of methane and the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide, which causes acid rain. In accidents, geothermal plants can release large amounts, such as occurred at a single Hawai’i geothermal plant during a drilling blowout in 1991, in 2013 after an equipment malfunction, and later in 2018 when the plant was damaged by a volcanic eruption.27

Nuclear power is not a renewable energy, given that it expends its fuel source, uranium, though there is a huge lobby seeking to promote it. Countries began adopting nuclear energy in the first place not for its energy benefits, but because it advanced their nuclear weapons programs. Nuclear plants come with a constant risk of meltdown, releasing large amounts of deadly radiation into the atmosphere and potentially making the territory uninhabitable for millennia. In the West, pop cultural representations of the Chernobyl meltdown ascribe the disaster to Soviet incompetence, but meltdowns and near meltdowns at Fukushima, Japan, Three Mile Island, United States, and Loir-et-Cher, France, shine a light on Cold War propaganda and show that no regime is immune to disaster.

In fact, over one hundred nuclear accidents have occurred since 1952, the largest share of them in the US. But the daily, effective operation of a nuclear power plant may be even worse than a meltdown. In 2011, 75 percent of US nuclear power sites were found to be leaking radioactive tritium.28 Depleted plutonium rods have a half-life of 24,000 years, which, for reference, is far longer than agriculture or wheels have existed, more than 40 times longer than the longest lasting state survived, and roughly 500 to 1000 times longer than your typical nuclear storage site goes without experiencing a major leak. Nuclear proponents argue that the rods constitute a small volume of toxic material compared to mine tailing from coal production, for example. They tend to leave out the millions of tons of radioactive uranium mine tailings (11 million tons from a single site in Utah) and the 1.2 million metric tons of depleted uranium produced by uranium enrichment.29 This radioactive byproduct has a half-life of 4,400 million years (or, roughly the current age of the Earth). Inexcusably, those who developed nuclear technology invented no way to safely store all that waste for the amount of time it will pose a lethal danger to all life, and no such storage technology is even on the horizon. Many nuclear waste storage facilities have been found to leak radioactive compounds into the environment.“

- Peter Gelderloos, “ The Solutions are Already Here”