#web wire mesh

[webwiremesh]

Copper wire mesh quality control from web wire mesh Web Wire Mesh has a professional inspection team that checks the quality of copper wire mesh before delivery. We test the material, wire diameter, hole size, mesh width, length, and other details. The copper wire mesh is 100% tested in our factory.

[billionneuronscurious]

   Urban Web.

These aren't kite strings, they are wires running from here to there.

Wires, Lines everywhere.

So many connections we have today, 

still we remain disconnected. 

Disconnected with nature, with happy life, 

with people.

[mortal-kingss]

for once, for once in life, i finally felt that someone needed me…

[ID: A fully rendered piece of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood dancing. The background is stark black, and the main lighting source is warm, coming from slightly below the camera. Jon has his back facing the camera and his face turned to the side, and Martin has his body facing the camera and face also turned to the side. Martin is a tall, fat white man, with vitiligo, and is an avatar of the Web. He has brown hair with white streaks, square glasses, and eight entirely black eyes. He’s smiling with fangs peaking through slightly, and scars in the patterns of cobwebs on his cheek. He’s wearing a brown suit with a white shirt and brown tie. There is a small web design on the collar of the suit with a pendant of a spider, made out of wire and amber. He’s wearing a belt and dark grey pants that fade slowly into a light grey. His left hand is holding Jon’s, and his right hand is pressed against her back. Jon is a shorter, thin Indian person, wearing a dark green satin dress with a small amount of black mesh material on the upper back. Her dark brown and grey hair is long, and is tied back in a loose ponytail, with a gold hairpiece in the shape of an eye, connected by small chains with green gems, to Jhumka earrings. He has multiple eyes on his face, and all are green, looking up at Martin, except for the normal placement of eyes which are closed. He’s wearing gold arm jewelry with eye patterns on them, and his right arm has a henna design and a ring on his finger. His left arm is perched on Martin’s shoulder. End ID]

[revelboo]

Loving the idw tarantulas content, but any update for his sweet earthspark counterpart?

Sure! 🔞 Mass displaced mech 🌶️

Disappear Pt 14

ES Tarantulas x Reader

• Groaning as you stretch and whatever you’re lying on swings slowly, your eyes open and you stare at the ceiling of Tarantulas’s home. And the thin strands of webbing holding you up. Heart racing, you try to struggle upright and only end up swinging more. Sprawled in some weird little spidery hammock, webbing around your waist, crossing over your bare thighs, and around your wrists, you can’t sit up. Can only turn your head slightly at a soft scrabble, realizing Tarantulas has torn down his old nest and is busy rebuilding it into something far more complex that’s taking up a whole side of the crypt’s ceiling. That’s going to give some poor groundskeeper a nightmare, you decide. But then, no one’s been here the whole time he’s had you, so maybe no one really bothers with this cemetery. Maybe that’s why the judge had assigned you public service out here cleaning up? “Tarantulas?”

• Head turning at your voice, he swings upside down out of his bigger, reinforced nest. Momentarily distracted by your thighs spread wide and stained with his dried release as you lazily swing cushioned in his webbing. “Are you hungry?” He asks, swinging so he’s right side up, dangling from his extra limbs. Still can’t believe you’re his, his little mate. Already started on a bonding gift, working to take slivers of his living plating and melt them, painstakingly reforming them into wire, then a delicate mesh of chains reminiscent of his webbing. Because you look amazing with his silk on you and nothing else.

• Tensing when he draws his legs up right before he throws himself at you and you scream, sure those thin strands are going to tear and you’re both going to fall, but the two of you just spin until you’re dizzy instead. And his mandibles flare, his mouth crashing against yours. His glossa slides against your tongue when you let him in and you feel his sharp denta as the spinning slows and then you’re unwinding to spin the other way until he almost absently webs your weird little hammock to the wall. Laughing breathlessly when he finally lets you come up for air, you squeeze your eyes shut, face against his neck at the dizzying rush. Feeling his extra limbs plucking at the webbing supporting you and the heat of his spike against your inner thigh. “Hi,” you whisper, trying to lift your arms again and unable to, aware that you should be self conscious.

• Hanging by his extra limbs, he presses inside you with a growl, feeling your thighs tremble as he stretches you. “Hello, little mate,” he replies watching your lips part when he rolls his hips, settling against you with his spike buried deep. Likes you dangling, suspended in his silk as he lazily thrusts to make the web swing slightly. Loves his slick dried on your thighs, those smiles you give him so freely, the warmth and softness of you against him. “I’m building us a better nest,” he adds, hips pumping.

• “And you still had time to make a sex swing,” you manage, voice hitching when he begins moving faster, the wet sound of his spike inside you scandalous in the hush of the crypt. “So industrious,” you gasp, hips bucking and wanting free so you can move the way you want. “Untie me.” Feel a tug as his extra limbs slice through the webs binding you while leaving the one around your middle. Probably a good thing as the nest swings and bounces as he ruts against you and you hang onto him. You hear him snarl as his hips snap against you, extra limbs hooking under your hips to lift you slightly and you cry out as you shatter, nails scrabbling as his plating as he keeps going, hips pumping before he overloads to fill you. And his head brushes yours as he vents raggedly, a mandible sliding against your jaw. ‘Food. Then I’m claiming you again,’ he growls, the unexpected, dominant hunger in his voice stringing you tight. ‘If you want to?’ He adds a little less certainly and you press a kiss against his mandibles trying not to laugh at him. He really has to ask?

Previous

[bluemoon1331]

Net/Seashell

Day 3, here we go! This one is a bit longer. Tbh they're all gonna wildly vary in length lol. @daycarefriendpickup

 A lazy afternoon sun warms Sun's casing as he travels along the beach, humming a pleasant tune. Flip flops kick along wet sand, khaki shorts and Hawaiian floral top allowing his free moments. His boonie hat shields him from his namesake's harsh glare, head lifting to peer at the cloud-speckled sky that his eyes seek to match in its brilliance.

He had truly needed a day like this. It's been far too long since he's been to the beach, between Moon's nagging and Eclipse's stoic nature. Breathing in the whipping wind, Sun exhales his worries. Surely nothing could bring such a perfect excursion down!

Trailing further and further along the cliff side, Sun's merry attitude only builds. Several small trinkets and water-smoothed minerals present themselves to him, but he leaves them where they lie after an admiring look. It never did feel quite right to him to snatch something from nature where it was minding its own business.

Rounding a bend as he muses, Sun perks in place at a rocky curvature, brimming with water, dipping below his sight. Oh! A tide pool! There must surely be some fish or other ocean creature sitting inside, waiting for the tide to come back in.

Excited, Sun scurries forward, processor gushing at what he might discover.

Only...

When he gets a certain distance, Sun becomes aware of a loud crash upon the water. Head swiveling toward the ocean, his brow pinches, bewildered, but hopeful. Was he about to seeing an otter, perhaps? They were known to frequent the area.

Except, the next splash, which comes a minute later, and far more subdued, reaches him from where he was headed. Startling, Sun's focus whips about, and his hesitant steps bring him forward. Whatever might be in the tide pool, he didn't want to scare it.

Reaching the rim, Sun carefully peeks over.

His systems freeze in utter shock.

Several feet down, the sand bottoms into a deep but small bowl. The water is little more than calf deep, certainly enough for the schools of tiny minnows and crabs that normally find shelter there.

But that's not what's in the tide pool. Not this time.

A tangled, messy web weaves over flesh, pressed so wire-thin tight and taunt in some places that it slices through scale and skin. An intricate tail flops uselessly, bent at an uncomfortable, curving angle. Beneath his feet, Sun's distress builds to match the mer ensnared and trapped inside the pool, clearly weakened by struggle, fighting to breath properly, collapsed on its side halfway in and out of the saltwater.

A gasp slips from him, and he watches the mer jerk. Round, frightened eyes, tinged by a hint of fire, find him. Reality stops, Sun's processor threatening to fry under the assault as his mind screams at him in jerky, disorganized coding. Do something!

"You poor dear," he softly tuts, forcing his limbs out of auto lock. The mer tenses, teetering on the edge of fight or flight, even though there's obviously no way for either. Their arms are among the most entrenched, ichorous liquid oozing into the water.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Sun lowers himself and hunches in. "It's okay," he whispers in the softest tones he can muster. "I'm going to get you out of this."

The mer stills once more, regarding him critically, seeming to calculate. Sun tilts his head slightly, unsure what to make of its current expression. Did it...understand him?

Akin to a melting glacier, the sea creature relaxes itself, going fully limp in the water. Its fleeting strength leaves it. Whatever Sun plans to do, it fully falls to his mercy.

Every movement is measured and calming as Sun creeps closer, examining his patient, awaiting motion, as well as taking in the damage. The net is made of a fine mesh, that which your, Sun notes, wicked claws might easily be able to severe, if not for the stretchiness built in. The smallest, sturdiest cords are what chain you, threatening to slice muscle as if it's butter.

Sun realizes quite immediately that this is not going to be an easy process. One wrong move, an unintended snag, and you could very well lose a limb, or fingers. If he were able to, Sun knows there would be sweat building upon his brow. His code fizzles as is, and he considers the idea of calling Moon and Eclipse.

Gaze skimming you again, Sun dismisses the thought as soon as it arrives. Trying to guide them here, to this remote spot, would take far too long. A sickening sensation in his wires did not like how much you fought to simply breathe. Not to mention bringing more people here might push you into panic again. No, he needed to act, now.

Reaching into the folds of his shorts, Sun withdraws a thin-bladed pocket knife. Moon would scoff at him for carrying such a thing when they were literally made of metal, but Sun couldn't help how much of a boy scout he is. One never knew when such a tool might be needed, and he is more glad than ever that he didn't let Moon's teasing discourage him. He didn't know what else he might've done to help you in this moment if he didn't have it on him.

Crouching close, Sun eases it open, a display to assure you as you watch though slitted lids that he isn't going to move too fast and stab you.

When it clicks in place, Sun lowers it at an equal pace to catch beneath one of the net's wires. Keeping his knife perfectly sharpened, it manages to slice it with little resistance. One down, a bajillion to go.

As Sun works, he's aware of your tired gaze boring into him. The last of your efforts seem to go into keeping your lungs functioning and filled, eventually even your eyes closing through your strain. There are parts where he has to set aside the knife to unspool it by hand, not able to work the blade underneath without further cutting you, and he winces at seeing your faint flinching.

The task takes him far longer than he would have liked, but he gets to the last bit holding your tail in place as the blazing sphere above descends near the horizon.

A low noise, caught between a groan and a whistle, escapes you at your freedom. Mustering the will to pry your lids apart once more, you regard him thoughtfully. Again, Sun recognizes a burning touch of intelligence in your scrutiny.

Whatever conclusion you reach, you abruptly twist and writhe, a mutilated arm lashing out to grab at the sand and heave yourself forward. The action is laborious, beginning to drag yourself toward the ocean, which Sun now realizes is swiftly encroaching on the sand. So deep was his concentration, he nearly missed the incoming tide.

Still, for a close as it was, it was clearly too far from reach for you. Jolting at that unmistakable fact, Sun mentally berates himself and scampers into action. "Here, let me help," he insists, kneeling in his haste to aid you once more.

A shudder of revolt comes at the unexpected contact, lashing around to glare at Sun. Said animatronic freezes, it sheepishly dawning on him that he probably moved too fast for your liking. Ducking his head apologetically, bearing a strained smile, Sun immobilizes his limbs, already halfway through scooping you by your tail and shoulders.

"Sorry," he mumbles, unsure if it would be wise to withdraw suddenly and risk jarring you, or if he should just wait for you to resume your stubborn crawl.

Instead, an awkward silence settles between you both, interrupted only by the blustering wind. Confused, Sun dares a peek at your expression, discerning your next bout of musing. At a snail's pace, you dip you head in a nod. Elation zips through Sun's frame at your continued trust, and he resumes lifting you, treating you like glass as he does.

You are heavier than he expected, joints groaning at the pressure, but he straightens his spine and marches for the waterline.

Sea foam washes around his knees as Sun carefully returns you to the brine. There's instant relief to your posture, someone returning home after a harrowing ordeal. You admire the water dripping from your claws, a small smile peeking through, before shooting a glance his way. Sun offers a tiny, shy wave, your focus flicking from it back to his face.

Then you're gone, vanishing below the waves so fast Sun hardly catches a glimpse of your tail, blending in to the deep blue.

Warmth at his good deed fills him, yet he can't resist a tinge of disappointment. There was so much to unpack about this encounter, and the fact he would likely never see you again sent chagrin rippling.

It was for the best. He wouldn't have dared to ask or take more time from you, when you were in such distress. At least it had happened, and he could keep it with him for as long as he remained online. A special moment, for himself. He doubted his brothers would believe him anyway.

Turning, Sun starts sloshing his way toward dry land, only to jump when a firm grab wraps around his ankle. Head swiveling, his optics widen fully to see you, claws an iron vice despite your fleeting strength moments ago. For a brief second, it hits Sun that you, an obvious predator, could easily drag him down, defenseless in his metal design that would sink him.

To his immense relief, all that happens is your other hand ascending, presenting a cupped palm to Sun. Saltwater flows past your fingers, glinting with grains of sand.

It takes a moment, but Sun spots the object in your hand. A conch shell. The colors spiral together in beautiful golden browns, pinks, and ivory, a single, strange strip of jagged powdery red marking it from tip to tip, swirling deeper inside.

Mesmerized, Sun gently retrieves it. Your hand lowers, lingering while he examines it. The shell almost seems to emit its own soft glow, outshining the fading rays above.

Call. If you need.

The melodic cord echoes through him, sending his system into overdrive, threatening to crash. A lightning bolt of shock courses across his body, gaze flying up to meet yours. There is no indication that you have spoken, yet the intense look you give makes him unable to deny the voice in his head.

Observing his baffled acknowledgement, you whirl around one last time. Sun's hand begins to raise, voicebox processing a call that does not leave him. In a blink, you are truly gone, and Sun is left cradling your gift and message, staring, mystified, out to sea.

[preservationofnormalcy]

I found a weird USB drive recently and uh I plugged it into a computer I don't use anymore, and it's not connected to the internet, but the speakers started leaking black ooze when I opened the audio file on it ...there's 4 more files on it and honestly I'm scared to open them now, who can I turn this into? Both the computer and the drive

Hey gang, it's me;

I'm fine, just doing some filing. It's tricky when I can't move the files but that's why Jenny's here.

So, first of all, don't open any more files and unplug the USB. That's probably obvious, but you'd be surprised.

You're going to want to wrap the whole machine in chicken wire or copper mesh if you can get your hands on it. I swear, faraday cages are the most useful thing in the world.

The computer is probably not salvageable, unfortunately.

You've had the particularly bad luck of finding a drive with a cognitohazard on it. Probably someone's web page design gone awry. You're probably going to be hearing dial-up noises in your sleep for a few days.

As for disposal, if you see one of those mundane electronics disposal drives that office stores and local governments hold every so often, stop by, tell them you have a "special item," and they'll direct you to an OPN representative that can help. We usually have people at those who are equipped to help.

[animxpossessed]

Who is I?

Can’t find an anchor I wonder why?

I can only question who is I.

Tangled web of emotion within.

Do I only want to kiss the sky?

What am I beyond my flesh and skin?

Where does identity end and begin?

For what should I aspire and so tire?

For what race do I so wish to win?

My heart like a confused mesh of wires.

Which mask or pursuit will fuel my fires?

Sometimes all I desire is higher.

And yearn to feel forever inspired.

[the-loveliest-lotus]

Kloktober 2023: Day 3 - Mordhaus Costume Ball

I have had the intrusive thought of Vater Orlaag dressed as Black Beard loosely based off of the version of Black Beard from Our Flag Means Death for two or three weeks now. This is probably rated about Teen and as usual includes my OC Lucy. 1,711 words below the cut. <3 Also wanted to mention that Charles' costume description was inspired by this post by @chordsykat

“Master, you’re certain that I’m the best choice for this?”

“Out of anyone here, you’re the best at masking yourself.” At least, he was the best at it other than Salacia, but Salacia couldn't exactly go to the Ball even disguised, the Dead Man would recognize him immediately.

Vater Orlaag nodded, but internally he felt the equivalent of a long-suffering sigh.

~~~~~

The Mordhaus Costume Ball was, in a word, opulent. The room that the band typically used to put on performances for new Klokateers was cleared out and decorated with Victorian Gothic décor, and they were calling it the “Mask of the Red Deth” Costume Ball. It was mostly other celebrities who had been invited, metal musicians and musicians that the band had simply met with throughout the years, but there were also some actors milling about and a few high-ranking Klokateers who were in attendance as guests, a reward for their service to the band.

Everyone in the band was dressed to the nines: Nathan was wearing a black ruffled shirt and leather pants that tied rather than buttoned up. His mask was a leather skull in metallic gold. Murderface wore something more period accurate for nobility that had actually made him feel attractive when he looked in the mirror, a black and red mask complimenting the outfit. Toki wore something that looked almost like a dark Viking outfit in blacks and greens with a mask that had long golden horns as part of it. Skwisgaar looked elf-like, opting for a more androgynous costume in whites and golds, and accented with silver elf ear jewelry combined with a wire wrapped mask.

Pickles looked, in a word, stunning. His dreads were up, and he was wearing tight leather pants, knee high boots, and a black shirt underneath a black and red leather trench coat with pointed shoulders. His mask looked like a black and red skull, emphasizing the theme of the Ball. Lucy was in a corseted black and blood red ball gown with spider web mesh sleeves and a traditional French style corset top, straight lined at the top allowing for what most would consider a minor wardrobe malfunction, something that she had convinced Charles to allow her to get away with because she was “in her own damned ‘haus and the French used to do this as a fashion statement.” He had only agreed because the look genuinely was elegant, if not distracting. The front of the skirt only just covered her, showing off the same spider print mesh on her legs, and the back of the gown trailed slightly. She held a fan in her hand all night, and her leather mask was an intricate black cat with red, silver and gold detailing, matching the elegant collar that she was wearing with rose details tooled into the leather. Her hair was down, but there were two braids that started near her forehead and met and the back of her head like a crown, her bright rainbow hair juxtaposed with her outfit, yet somehow meshing with it perfectly.

Dick was wearing something that could be better characterized as steampunk than anything else, playing up his cybernetic eyes almost as though they were part of his mask. Even Charles was dressed up, his outfit featuring a sleek black corset that emphasized his form and a mask that looked oddly like a darker version of Facebones.

The party was in full swing, and everyone was in bright spirits, mingling, dancing, and socializing. Lucy was having a relatively in-depth conversation with Pickles, when he walked into the room. Lucy happened to glance over at the door just as he was coming in, her hand stopping mid-fan. She lost any semblance of what her best friend was saying in that moment, her eyes drinking the man in. His mask was simple black leather, only covering around his piercing blue eyes that looked like they had thick black eyeliner around them. His long, flowing wavy hair and beard were midnight black, almost as though he had dyed it just for the event, and it looked as though there was smoke coming out of the intricate braids on his beard that were curled outward. The outfit that he wore was entirely made of leather, tight leather pants hugging thick, strong thighs that left nothing to the imagination, a leather jacket that was missing one arm revealing an arm that was toned and strong, leather half gloves, and several belts, one of which had a holster with a dagger in it. He must have stood at almost 7 feet tall and he was buzzing with an intense energy.

Lucy was so busy ogling the man that she hadn’t noticed that Pickles had followed her gaze and had gone silent, now ogling him himself. “Holy shit, dood. Look, I know ya gaht first dibs, but if ya strike out er if he’s down fer a little Double Trouble, come get me, ahlreet? Fuck.”

Lucy nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. “Yeah. Gods, that’d be hot… Who the fuck is he?”

“I don’t know, but if ya don’t get over there, someone else will.”

She was already turning to start walking over to him, “You sure you don’t mind if-“

“Luce, that someone else is gahnna be me in about 5 seconds, go.”

Pickles did not need to tell Lucy twice. She was walking at a speed that indicated any semblance of dignity and restraint had already gone out the window. When she got closer, she made sure to walk with a confident stride, walking right up to him with a wicked little grin on her face.

Vater had seen her walk over, and was currently doing his absolute best not to openly stare at her chest. It didn't help in the slightest that he had an irritating attraction to this woman since the first day that she popped up on the Tribunal's giant screen during a meeting. He didn’t want to allow himself to get distracted, but part of the success of his mission of getting the information that Salacia had wanted was blending in, and that meant social pleasantries. Even still, he was hoping that she wouldn’t prove to be too much of a distraction.

Lucy stopped in front of him, her eyes full of Devilish promise and offering her hand to shake his. “I couldn’t help but notice you coming in from across the room and I had to come over to compliment your costume and introduce myself.”

He didn’t get where he was without knowing how to be charming, so when she offered her hand, Vater took it and brought it to his lips, kissing it and nibbling the knuckle slightly all while looking her in the eyes with a gaze that could have been hypnotic. Lucy bit her lip and visibly shivered, her pupils dilating from the sheer intensity of the moment, making him grin at her reaction. “Your costume choice is rather stunning as well.”

"Holy sweet Jesus, his voice." She had the thought that he could read her the period table of elements and she'd still listen without complaint. Lucy blushed and stepped in a little closer to him, reaching out and running her hand slowly and deliberately down his exposed forearm, “Why don’t we go get a drink and chat, maybe get to know each other before I inevitably drag you out of here with me?”

He chuckled darkly. She was wonderfully brazen. Perhaps he could find all the information that Salacia had needed from her. There was some distant part of his mind telling him that he was lying to himself and not to allow himself to get distracted by the slip of a woman, but that part was being loudly drowned out by the warmth of her body now very close to him and the sound of her sultry laughter.

The two of them talked for a while, Vater finding out absolutely nothing that Salacia needed and forgetting about the mission entirely after about two minutes of being in her presence.

When she finally officially invited him back to her room, Lucy raised a playful eyebrow at him, “What’s the chance you swing both ways?”

He looked at her inquisitively, and then saw her look over at Pickles, following her gaze. The Drummer was in rare form tonight, the man cleaned up well. It certainly wouldn’t be Vater’s first time with a man. There was a predatory smile on his face that made Lucy’s pupils dilate and her body shiver. From across the room, Pickles glanced up at the two of them, and seeing the look on the tall man’s face it was a wonder that he didn’t bolt across the room at them.

Pickles had a cocky smirk on his face as he approached them, walking straight up to Vater with an unholy amount of confidence, “Well, hey d’ere, tall, dark, an’ dangerous. Yah ready fer a little Double Trouble?”

There was a dark little chuckle that had Lucy and Pickles weak in the knees as the three of them walked out, one of them to each of his arms, barely making it to Lucy’s room and not coming out until sometime the next afternoon. Lucy and Pickles practically limped down to the kitchen, using each other to keep themselves upright, grinning like idiots, and Vater left with two phone numbers and very insistent “call me’s” and “get home safe’s” from the two of them.

~~~~~

When Vater arrived back at the bunker, he went immediately to see Salacia, knowing that he was hours late for the previously planned private debriefing. He was still in costume and looked as though he had got no sleep.

“What did you manage to find out?” Salacia asked him, already having the needling feeling that the mission had been a failure.

Vater looked at him, wondering if he could bullshit his way through the fact that the mission itself had failed before it started. “I was able to determine that the band can be… very persuasive… when they want to be Master.” He kept the fact that he now had two of their phone numbers to himself.

Salacia eyed the love bites on his servant’s neck and scowled.

Bonus vibe:

[boxeboxer]

more miscellaneous writing.. this time Samy’s fun time in dreamland

She thinks of it. In the throes of half-sleep, tossing, turning, she dreams of it.

It forms a heady curtain just behind her eyes, dark and deep, like the smell of mahogany at the back of the throat: Deepali’s fingers kneading circles into her palms, the squeeze of their hands intertwined, held together as tightly as old roots. It sends electric pulses up through the marrow of her bones, even now, even at just the thought. Her stomach clenches again in that awful way.

She’d said nothing then, watching with still, touched silence. But it had swelled at the edges of her skull, begging her to form the words: I want to take in every bit of you. I want to eat you whole.

Her heartbeat manifests itself at her temple, her inner thigh, the soles of her feet. She rolls her ankles and rubs her knees together, and imagines it—a body so cold it forms dew where the skin meets, tracing with its form the invisible line from sternum, breast, to hip. Her voice is against her ear, gentle as it always is, catching on the hitches of her electrolarynx like birdsong. Samya wants to hold onto her so tight it breaks her spine, gather her up in her arms and pull, pull, pull, ‘til there’s nothing left of either of them, just and only dust and the feeling.

When she had reached up through her ribcage, past the wires and the mesh, what had been there? Her fingers brushed past the rigid shape of the battery, the plastic hot, damp with condensate sweat, radiation scoring her arms with its minute, star-like particle shower, the gentle tic-tic-tic of the engine somewhere within, only separated by a millimeter of steel beneath her fingertips—if she had closed her eyes, she’d think she had fed herself to a hungry mouth, teeth pressed eagerly to her skin as it ate and chewed, holding fast onto its beating heart. Then there was the wetness of something bleeding onto the webbing of her thumb. It smelled of an overripe fruit, thick like sap but free of its grit or stickiness. It flowed as smooth as oil. She’d closed her hand over the opening where it spilled. Summoning clairvoyance, she fused the frayed pieces back together. The heat of it had singed her fingers.

In that breadth of a moment, threading fieldline through the eye of a needle, she’d heard it—a voice, or maybe several. And casting stygian silhouettes against her retinas was that familiar red sky, the bloodied river, exactly the way she described it to her so many times before.

“A mirror… a name…”

“Dirty, dirty, dirty…”

“I can’t jump that far…”

A face presented itself to her—Deepali’s face, distant, clouded. It was just beyond her reach, like her image upon a reflected surface. She could make out the outline, the curve from her neck to shoulder, the bending of her arm as she took her outstretched hand and held it. Cold, amphibian skin it was. It was like touching glass. She grabs hard and pulls.

They’re in the water again. The frigidness of it forces a gasp between her teeth, every nerve ending alight like she’d touched a live wire. Their hands, still together, slip apart when the current overpowers them. It’s taking her away, pushing her further no matter how hard she kicks.

“Samya!” Deepali cries. Not Amari, not ma’am, not lady, not missus, not Doctor—Samya. At first, she thinks she’s calling out for someone else. “Samya, help me, I can’t swim!”

Her clothes are weighing her down, caught in the tide as if wind to sails. All she can see is Deepali’s hair above the waves, an orange flame fighting against the white water, before it’s extinguished when it disappears below.

Samya dives. Her ears are drowned with hydraulic sound, the rushing of her own blood and the pressure of the water heavy on her jaw. A chasm has opened below them, rendered as only a gradient into darkness with no bottom. Deepali’s disappearing into it, an eruption of air coming from her mouth and nose before her body begins to sink, dropping like she had been tied to stone. Samya swims down, down, fighting the buoyancy of her lungs, parting the water with her hands as if she could manipulate it as easily as she moved air. She tries to manifest thread, to expand what little nitrogen is left in Deepali’s circuits, to force her own brain to release the adrenaline to make her faster, stronger, but down here she is as helpless as everyone else.

How could it be true, that she was so sought after, so treasured—endowed with clairvoyance so rare, so alien? It hadn’t saved her, or her mother, or the world. Now, as Deepali drifts further and further away, she realizes she can’t save her either. They all keep slipping from her hands—she just can’t hold on tight enough. It’s never enough. She keeps fighting but it’s never, ever enough.

A memory, Deepali’s voice against the roar of the sea: “Even a machine is better than that.” They had felt like the same person right then, a shared soul, entangled across just a short distance in the sand. Let me be you. Let me live in you. I am you. Her lungs take in water.

She feels herself on the cusp of waking, the small of her back brushing blankets and warm sheets. Instead of the water, her eyes open to see hands treading fabric, fingers pulling at the fibers of a folded shirt. The sunlight, casting unfamiliar shadows over the bed, causes her to spring forward and put her weight onto her palms. Her lips are dry, the cracked skin rough against her tongue when she goes to lick them, but her skin is damp with sweat under her arms and in the space between her neck and clavicle. She calms her breathing and lets her heartbeat lower from its place lodged in her throat.

[only-lonely-stars]

Halloween Drabble 8 (Cobwebs)

[1 - Carving Pumpkins] // [2 - Trick-or-Treating] // [3 - Vampirism] // [4 - Scary Movie Marathon] // [5 - Halloween Party] // [6 - Sugar High] // [7 - Costume Fight] – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

A collection of drabbles, all to do with Halloween!

Prompt:

Cobwebs. (@/skoopoficecream)

Strings of silk came from every outcropping, draping gracefully. Tens and hundreds of shining lines, misted with dew. They created a lovely mesh, a web of the softest, stickiest, strongest wire. It was a perfect cradle, and in it sat…

Adam.

Slowly waking up, Adam smiled- that is, as much as a spider could. He clicked his pincers a few times, as if to announce his wakefulness. His eight eyes opened slowly, taking in his surroundings, and he stretched his eight long legs.

Click… click… He sounded out his area. The familiar echo was comforting, and he snuggled into his silk bed a little more. Sleep seemed to descend easily, like a blanket of comfort. Unfortunately, not a minute later, a great shake nearly threw him off his cobweb.

Adam's eyes flew open. He clung to the strands, chittering in alarm. What had happened? Wildly, he searched around himself…

Eventually, his eight eyes landed on the source of the shaking. A fly-like creature had flown into his web and gotten stuck, and now it thrashed against the stickiness of Adam's silk.

Adam chittered again. His breakfast had arrived! Slowly, gently, he picked his way up the web to the spider, and began to unspool silk. His legs made quick work of wrapping up the struggling insect, and then…

It was time for breakfast. He chattered happily. The fly no longer struggled against its fate.

First, a bite. Then, delight! Afterwards… maybe he'd go hang out with Plundar.

[webwiremesh]

As market demand changes, wire mesh companies are moving from "weaving" to "smart manufacturing." Wire mesh companies adopt smart production lines. Using IoT and big data, we can fully digitize production control. This will greatly improve efficiency and product quality. Smart weaving machines accurately control mesh size, and AI inspection systems detect defects in real time.

[roselungs]

the giving tree

after #ddpalestine

at the core of suffering, there is always a door, a wall. the knob shouting, they came in violently. before the sun rose, there was an Israeli flag

posted outside. Beit Hanina, Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah. They came in violently for her home, her dignity or both, veins on a grandmother's wrist pleading over a stove that fed

the faces around it, rusted faucets cleansing tired hands and rinsing cauliflower, potatoes, carrots. picture frames of memories smiling back to her, knocked down.

doors arrest the body, walls are everywhere. if her wrinkles could speak, they'd say: is there a country where humans will find refuge? her dimple would follow, Here

is my grandson, Muhammad, a poet. Please bring him. there is killing all around, blood thirsts the ground, land littered by weeping olives, a boy in Galilee demonstrates, runs

as soldiers chase after, they strike Asel with the base of a rifle. he trips & falls, a seed of peace, face down in an olive grove. they shoot him—execution-style—his parents cannot rid

the image of when he first discovered his toes out of their bodies, the baby they brought home together, now a young man, feet fumbling out of the rubble. witness a child die,

and quickly descend into a realm of demons. witness your child die, and you become the demon, hurled to the earth, manacled everlasting to who you are after—They came in

violently. every Sunday is bloody, every mouth is a house of prayer. They came in violently, every hand is a God who heals or hurts, heals and hurts. twenty-nine foreheads

kneeled to worship the ground and never rose again. there was no flag, no supper. one hundred and twenty-five open wounds wail the last fast, dawn to sunset—an offering? what sort of God

murders during invocation? in their own home? what God murders at all? tongues torn from praise, mourn. we cried loudly for who we were before, knowing we could not unknow

what was felt. we listened loudly. still, violently. our laughter startled their grimaces. we came with our joy, our heartache, our pain. shoved through checkpoints with passports

music customs beliefs faith protest song artists activists visions

in Hebron, a web of wired mesh flickered above us, shards of bottled threat, and scraps of garbage thrown by settlers, we were welcomed by Umm Yasin for a meal of maklooba. They came in violently, she says, while placing a pile of plates and utensils on the table, even a fetus is not protected. tear gas thrown in her courtyard, soldiers stomped down the door. she was

brought to the hospital. its heart. its heart stopped beating, she says she serves us olives she stole from her own trees and we huddle in the bone-clinging cold, witnessing the want

to belong, flung foreign through a door. They came in violently, she says. we came in violently. displaced, black, and american. still, still. she fed us.

—aja monet

[rjalker]

Okay. May as well.

American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) identification guide

Tumblr version! Shared August 2nd, 2023. It will have as much of the guide as tumblr lets me add.

Oh darn, I reached the limit for photos :( Damn it, tumblr.

You can read and download the full guide here on the web archive.

Make sure you click through the available files to pick the one with the newest date!

You can also buy it as a physical book!

The prices for the physical book are set so that I get $20.

(Archived read-more link. Photos may or may not load.)

A note from the author:

I am transgender and nonbinary, which means in my case that I am neither a man nor a woman, and use it/its as my personal pronouns pronouns, which means if you are referring to me when telling others about this guide, you should refer to me as “it” rather than ���he”, “she”, or “they”. EX:

“It wrote a guide on how to identify American persimmons,” or

“We can ask it if it thinks this is a persimmon or a pawpaw.” Ect!

If you're talking to me online or IRL, it's still fine to use the pronouns “you” while addressing me :)

Now lets get identifying!

Starting from the ground up, with the seeds.

American persimmon seeds are large, almost flat, and brown, with a slightly bumpy texture. Viable seeds should be a bit puffy in the middle, and the ones with the best chance of growing will be larger. The following photos show seeds that were collected on October 8th, 2022, in Savannah Georgia, from the three mature trees at Mohawk Lake.

Over four hundred seeds were collected, with plenty more fruit on the ground for wildlife, and even more still up on the branches of the tree waiting to ripen and fall. When collecting native fruit from the wild, always leave behind more than you take! The wildlife relies upon it, and will help the species to spread further.

[Image description start: A photo taken with flash, showing a white hand holding sixteen American persimmon seeds. The seeds are all light brown, shiny in the flash from the camera, and are mostly flat like a coin. The seeds are shaped generally like ovals, with small points on one end where the taproot will emerge. Image description end.]

[Image description start: Hundreds of persimmon seeds sitting together on a black wire basket with thin mesh, in different shades of brown. Some are tan, some are medium brown, some are dark brown. Image description end.]

Seeds can be collected from ripe fruit, or collected from the ground after the fruit has been eaten or rotted away.

If you find a persimmon tree in the wild, look around on the ground for the seeds. After you find a few, you'll be spotting them easily.

[Image description start: A photo of four persimmon seeds sitting on the ground, which is covered in dead twigs and dried leaves of various types. The persimmon seeds are all dark, warm brown, and shine slightly in the sun. Two are together in the bottom left of the photo, one in the center top is partly below an oak leaf, and one in the top right sits on top of a leaf. Image description end.]

Next up: Seedlings!

First, here's a germinated seed, though not the healthiest example! The whole root should be healthy white. I forget why this one got this way.

(Edit: Nope, I've since been told it's normal for their roots to turn black, so it's not an indicator of poor health :))

[Image description start: A photo of a germinated persimmon seed held in a white hand. The seed is dark brown and covered with dirt, with a white taproot emerging from the pointed end, curving up and then straight down. The taproot turns black halfway down and becomes shriveled. Image description end.]

Next, a seedling germinating in the soil. Persimmon seeds will all start out with a red or pink stem, which usually will form a curve above the soil, with the taproot on one end, and the seed still attached to the other.

If the seed above had been left in the soil, the white curve of the root would have moved upward and turned red, like this one:

[Image description start: A photo of a persimmon seedling growing in a plant pot with shredded wood for mulch. The seedling's stem is curving up above the surface of the soil, and is solid pale red, pushing the mulch out of its way. Image description end.]

Sometimes, the seedling will get its leaves stuck in the seed if it was buried to shallowly, or the soil has dried out. If this happens, the seed will lift above the soil with the trapped leaves.

If you're gentle, you can usually use your fingernails to help split the seed open and release the leaves. Find the edges where the leaves begin, and gently pull away.

You can also mist the seedling with water, or pile more soil up to once again cover the seed.

[Image description start. A photo of a persimmon seedling surrounded by shaved wood mulch, with the red stem above the soil, held by a white hand, with the seedling leaves stuck inside the original persimmon seed, which is dark brown and spotted with dirt. Image description end.]

When the seedling has properly emerged above the soil, it will start out with two light green or yellowish, very long seed leaves which will first start out looking like needles:

[Image description start: A photo of a persimmon seedling with woodshaving mulch, with a white hand behind it to provide more contrast. The seedling's stem is bright red, with the tip pointed to the side, where two yellow, needle-like leaves that are almost longer than the stem are positioned. Image description end.]

Very young seedlings will usually start out with the leaves sideways like above, since they've just emerged from the seed and are still getting their bearings.

After a few days, the little needly leaves will uncurl and begin to look like proper leaves. These seed leaves will still be very long and skinny compared to the leaves it will form as it grows.

These will also be the only leaves a persimmon will grow that will be directly opposite eachother on the stem. All new leaves will be alternating, which means if the first starts on the left, the next will be above it on the right, then the left, then right, and so on, forming a zig-zag up the stem.

Here's one seedling from the side and above, showing the opposite seed leaves, and the first alternating leaf that is just starting to form.

[Image description start: Two photos, side by side, of a persimmon seedling, first shown from the side, then from above, with a white hand behind it to add contrast with the dark soil. The seedling's stem is red, and it has two light green, long leaves, emerging directly across eachother on the stem. In the center, a much smaller leaf is starting to grow. Image description end.]

As the seedlings get older and grow more mature-style leaves, you'll begin to see differences between individuals, which might make identifying them a little confusing if you've only ever had one example to compare to.

With plants grown from seed, like most wild plants are, every individual will be subtly different, and unique in their own way. This is where most cultivars come from of fruit varieties, especially apples – a tree grows from seed with positive traits that make it popular, and that individual is cloned over and over again so that everyone can grow it for themselves.

This is also where cultivars of Japanese persimmons came from! The original tree grew from seed, people really loved it, so they cloned it and grafted it onto other trees, and now you can buy them for yourself and know you'll get the exact same fruit!

Here are two seedlings growing next to each other, whose seeds were collected from the same parent tree. You can see the specific differences, and the general similarities.

[Image description start: Two photos, side by side, of two persimmon seedlings growing next to eachother in a plastic shoebox. The first photo is from the side, showing that they have bright red stems, several inches tall, their original seed leaves, and above them, alternating rows of new leaves. The second photo shows them from above, showing the one on the left has rounder leaves that are tinged red, while the one on the left has skinnier, longer leaves that are solid green. Image description end.]

Some characteristics that will always be the same are: Leaves with smooth edges, without any serrations at all. Serrations are when the edge of a leaf is jagged, like the teeth on a saw, or a knife.

Another feature is that the central vein on the leaf will stand out compared to the rest of the leaf's surface, and in persimmons, might be red, pink, yellow, or sometimes white.

Sometimes the new leaves will be red in color, and that's perfectly normal, you don't need to be alarmed! It depends on the individual, some have it, some don't.

The next picture shows many seedlings older than the two shown above, grown in a larger plastic shoebox. You can see that some have red-tinged leaves, while others have plain green.

[Image description start: A photo of dozens of persimmon seedlings growing in a deep, clear plastic shoebox, each several inches tall and covered with leaves. Some of the leaves are red, some are green. All the visible stems are still red. Image description end.]

If you are growing persimmons from seed, the deeper the container you can start them in, the faster and healthier they'll grow! This plastic container was wide enough to sow forty seeds in, and deep enough that they could all form good starter roots before being transplanted elsewhere. Most of these I've planted in the woods or other suitable wild areas.

Seedlings will retain their red stem for a few months after they germinate, then it'll turn brown, then, as winter approaches, it'll turn into an actual woody stem. At this point in the tree's growth, you'll be able to see the way the stem literally forms a zig-zag, sometimes subtle, sometimes stark, with a leaf node at each point.

Now for...teenaged plants! No longer a baby seedling, but not yet so tall it's way above your head.

If branches are within your reach, look for a twig:

If it's winter, you will look for dark grey or black, teardrop shaped leaf buds at each point in the zig-zag of the stem:

[Image description start: A cropped, close up photo of a dormant persimmon stem held in front of a white hand. The twig is grey-brown, with dark, pointed buds at the corner of a bend, and at the tip. Image description end.]

If it's early spring, around March, you might find some where the buds are starting to open:

[Image description start: A cropped photo of a persimmon twig, with light grey bark, and light green, folded leaves starting to emerge from the dark buds at each node. Image description end.]

If it's later in Spring, usually late March, you should start to look for small, light green, rounded leaves like this:

[Image description start: A photo of a persimmon twig held up by a white hand, with sunlit trees in the background. Many small, light green leaves emerge from the grey twig on light green, new-growth stems, branching off as they grow. The leaves closer to the twig are deeper green, and those at the very end of the new growth are almost translucent, and slightly yellow. All have smooth edges, with light green central leaf veins. Image description end.]

Unlike seedlings, the new growth on persimmons over a year old will start out light green until it turns to wood later in the season.

As the season progresses, the leaves will take on more even shapes, always alternating on the left and right side of the stem, forming the zig-zag we talked about earlier.

Here's a new-growth stem from April:

[Image description start: A photo of a persimmon stem held up by a white hand ,with dried leaves and sticks covering the ground in the background. The leaves on the plant are all light green, with smooth edges, and shaped like a pointed oval. The leaf-stem on each leaf is pale pink, fading to yellow, then to white, on the central leaf vein. The new-growth twig is light green. Image description end.]

And here's one from June with red central leaf veins. Each individual is different, so you should be prepared to see different color variations, though they'll always keep the smooth edges, central leaf vein that is visible, alternating zig-zag pattern, and pointed buds at the base of each leaf.

This plant was growing in more shade than most of the other individuals shown in photos here, so its leaves are darker green.

Persimmons can thrive in full sun and part shade, and even grow in full shade, and their leaves will change to be lighter or darker depending on the levels of sunlight, and depending on the individual. Plants in full sun don't have to work as hard to photosynthesize, so they'll usually be lighter green, reflecting a lot more away. Those growing in shade, though, want to grab as much light as they can, so will tend to be darker so they can absorb more light.

[Image description start: A close up photo of a persimmon stem, held against a white hand. The stem is dark brown, with dark brown pointed buds at the base of each leaf, with slightly reddish tips. The leaves are dark green, with the leaf-stem dark pink, and the central leaf-vein fading from pink to yellow. Image description end.]

The trunk of the tree at this point will usually be a light brown or grey, with lighter raised lenticels, which are how the tree breathes. On persimmons, they look like little dots or dashes.

[Image description start: A cropped photo of the trunk of a young persimmon, with dried leaves and some brambles in the background. The trunk is very light, grey-brown, with lighter tan, small lenticel lines scattered over it. Image description end.]

As the trees get older, their bark will become craggier and craggier, until it forms the very distinctive “alligator skin” that mature persimmons have.

Here's a photo of a young adult tree, old enough to flower, but still small enough I can put both my hands around the trunk:

[Image description start: A cropped photo of a young-adult persimmon, with a white hand at the bottom partly wrapped around it. The bark is very light grey-tan, with deep fissures running up and down and across, forming square-ish raised sections, with orange in the fissures between them. Some serrated leaves of Virginia creeper is next to the hand. Image description end.]

This tree is, for future reference, a male.

Here's another tree of similar age, though this one is female. But

we'll get to those details later! Sex does not determine the type of bark, I just thought I'd mention it.

Remember that each individual is different, so even if you have a male tree with X kind of bark and a female with Y kind of bark, that doesn't mean that's a real pattern! It's just up to the genetic lottery.

[Image description start: A photo of a young-adult persimmon tree. Its bark is light grey, with deep vertical fissures that are red-orange in the center, most of them running up and down, and a few shallower ones running left to right, giving the bark a craggy, ropey appearance. Image description end.]

The older the tree gets, the craggier the bark will become! The raised sections will form more square-like shapes rather than stripes or ropes.

Here's one example, by kent_ozment on iNaturalist.org:

[Image description start: A cropped photo of an adult persimmon tree in the daytime, with the ground behind it covered in brown dried leaves. The bark is grey, with deep fissures running between and around large chunks of bark. Image description end.]

And now, we can talk about telling male trees from female!

Both trees produce flowers, which are great for pollinators, but only females produce fruit.

Male trees produce pollen, which is then carried by insects to the flowers of a female tree, pollinating the female's flowers and allowing it to form viable seeds that will grow into the next generation.

Lets start out with flower buds.

Like leaves, flower buds emerge at each node on the stem, or each point on the zig-zag.

The flower buds start out green, and can blend in with the leaves, especially if they're higher up in the tree.

Here's a zoomed in photo of female flower buds, high up on an adult tree, just starting out, on April 30th. Note that there's one bud per node.

[Image description start: A zoomed photo of a persimmon's stems, backlit by the sun. The leaves are still small and light green in their new spring growth, and at the base of each leaf is a small darker silowet, like a teardrop. Image description end.]

(Yes, I am spelling it silowet. I am officially staging a one-othran revolt against the overly complicated accepted spelling.)

And here's some male flower buds, and note that there are several buds per node.

Male trees form more flowers per part of tree than females do, because the male puts all its energy into producing as much pollen as possible, to attract insects that will carry that pollen to a female tree.

This photo is from April 17th.

[Image description start: A zoomed photo of persimmon stems overlapping against a bright sky, casting them into shadow. The leaves are still small, in their spring growth. At the base of each leaf are small, darker flower buds like pointed ovals, with anywhere from one to three at each node. Image description end.]

Later the buds will turn white and yellow, then start to open, and become more recognizable as flowers.

Here's a female flower bud that's closer to opening. The green cap behind it is called a calyx, and is what you see when the flower bud is still fully closed. This calyx, or cap, remains on the fruit even after it falls, and will dry and turn black.

[Image description start: A zoomed photo of a persimmon stem with larger, spring-green leaves, with the focus on a female flower bud, which has a square-like calyx behind it, and its white petals still shut, pointed outward like a small pyramid. Image description end.]

Here's some female flowers at eye level, with the photo by kcthetc1 on iNaturalist.org

[Image description start. A close up photo showing two female persimmon flowers, each at the base of a different leaf. The flowers have four yellow rounded petals, with large green leaf-like caps clasping the base. Image description end.]

That large calyx is also a way of telling female trees from males, since it's much larger on females.

And here's some male flowers, along with some still-closed flower buds:

[Image description start: A zoomed photo of several persimmon twigs, with light green leaves, each with several flowers or flower buds emerging from the same node. The open flowers are thin, shaped like vases, with four pointed petals at the opening. Less mature flower buds are yellow-white, and pointed. Further back can be seen more flower buds that are still green. Image description end.]

And some male flowers at eye level, with the photo by kcthetc1 on iNaturalist.org.

[Image description start: A close up photo of several male persimmon flowers, with two or more hanging from the base of each leaf. The flowers are shaped like skinny, upside-down vases, with white sides and short, curled yellow petals, with small green bases holding them onto the stem. Image description end.]

And a great photo showing just how many male flowers can crowd onto a small section of branch:

[ID: A photo of a male persimmon tree's branch at eye level, with several dozen open white flowers and closed green flower buds crowding the wooden stem below the leaves all the way up until the branch leaves the frame of the photo. Image description end.]

The flowers are very popular with native bees like bumblebees, carpenter bees, and more. All the flowering-age trees near me have their flowers at least 20ft off the ground, so I haven't been able to closely observe any of the visiting species.

Hopefully in a few years when my seedlings are old enough to flower, I'll be able to tell you more about the species that visit them :)

The male flowers will drop to the ground below the tree once they're too old, and you can find them if you look carefully, or if there's a convenient sidewalk:

[Image description start: A slightly blurry photo of a dark sidewalk, covered with many brown, shriveled male persimmon flowers, with their smaller, clasping calyxs still green. One single fresher flower sits near the center of the photo, the petals still white, not yet baked by the sun. Image description end.]

Beneath female trees, you'll be able to find unpollinated flowers, as well as aborted fruits. These ones were from July:

[Image description start: A photo of nine unripe persimmon fruits of various sizes sitting on a paved sidewalk next to a white hand for scale. The largest fruit is smaller than a golf ball, the smallest is about the size of a marble. Most of them are green, but two are brown, and one has turned almost black. Most of them still have their green calyxs attached on the top, still green on some, and brown and dry on others. Image description end.]

There's a lot of reasons a tree might drop some unripe fruits, like improper pollination, insect damage, and simply strong winds. Don't be concerned or disappointed if you find some dropped fruits under the tree, they'll usually be plenty more that will fully ripen!These fruits absolutely cannot be eaten at this stage of unripeness, so don't try unless you want to taste something absolutely disgusting. You can, however, dissect them with a knife, or just squishing under your shoe, to see if they've got seeds in them so you can see what they look like.

Here's another handful of early-dropped fruits from the same group of trees in August. See how they've gotten bigger overall?

[Image description start: A photo of a white hand holding nine unripe persimmons, with green plants visible on the ground in the background. The smallest fruit is the size of a gumball, the largest is about the size of a golf ball. Most of them are green, one is yellow-green, and a few are brownish. All but two still have their calyxs attached, now shriveled and black. Image description end.]

Any time you find unripe fruits on the ground, you can look up (or maybe slightly to the side, if you're on a hill or there have been strong storms recently) and see if you can spot more fruit on the tree.

Here's some fruits still attached to the tree, from the same tree and day as the photo above. Please also note the webworm moth nest, and the leaves that have been eaten! Webworm moths love persimmons, and can help you identify them!

[Image description start: A zoomed photo of a persimmon's top branches against a clear blue sky. Many of the twigs are missing leaves, with some of the leaves visibly missing sections from caterpillar bites. On the very top fork of branches is the grey web of webworm moths. Scattered on the branches in front and below the web are unripe fruits, which are dark green against the sky. The leaves that have not been eaten have black spots on them. Image description end.]

And you notice those black spots?

They're another great way to identify persimmons later in the year! You don't need to be worried or try to get rid of them, the trees do just fine on their own.

Persimmon leaves will start to change color for fall in late October, going from green to yellow while the fruit continues to ripen, and starts to fall properly.

If the persimmon tree is growing near evergreen species, or species that hang onto their leaves longer, it will stand out very nicely against the green.

Here's a photo of one of the persimmon trees with its leaves turning yellow, with several species of southern oaks on either side, which keep their leaves longer. In front of the persimmon is a large shining sumac, which are the red leaves you can see.

[This is the part where tumblr won't let me add any more photos. RIP]

Imagine a photo of a persimmon tree in a line of otherwise green trees, with its canopy mostly yellow. Below it is a sumac tree with green and red leaves.

And now please imagine a close up of some of those yellow leaves, with fruit, and another webworm web!

Imagine a zoomed photo of over a dozen persimmons in various stages of ripeness hanging from a persimmon tree, whose leaves are yellow or green, covered in red or black spots. A web with dead leaves inside sits in the center of the frame behind the fruits. The fruits range in color from yellow, to orange, to deep pink.

And finally...

Ripe fruits!

Imagine a photo of a white hand holding up two ripe persimmons. Both are orange and slightly transluscent, with their caps shriveled and black.

These will start to fall usually in October, but can cling to the tree for a while. If you're able to, laying a tarp below the tree to catch them will help keep them clean. If not, make sure to rinse them well before eating.

The skin is edible, but the seeds and cap are not.

The fruit should be very soft to the touch, almost like goo. If it's hard, don't eat it yet! It'll still be astringent. Let it sit in the sun until it ripens more.

If you are collecting lots of fruits, plan ahead if possible, and save your egg cartons! Put one persimmon in each spot that holds an egg, and it'll keep them from getting squished while you're moving them.

The ripe fruits will be eaten by many species of animals, including deer, raccoons, and even black bears if you have them in the area!

Unless the tree is on private property where wildlife can't get to it, always make sure to leave behind more than you take! Wildlife need the food too, and they'll help the species spread through their scat.

If you're growing the tree in your own yard, do whatever you want, lol.

You and your friends and family can also help persimmons spread by planting the seeds in suitable wild areas, or in containers to cold stratify over the winter, as you collect them from the fruit.

And if you don't want to grow the trees yourself, don't throw the seeds away! They're easy to clean after you eat the fruit. Simply allow them to dry once they're clean, and next time you go out hiking or walking near wild areas, shove some in your pockets and throw them as you go!

You can also see if anyone in your local community would like them, or even sell them online.

Persimmons can be eaten whole (spitting out the seeds), or made into jellies, jams, and a lot of other stuff.

Recipes!

I don't have any persimmon-specific recipes, but here's a good recipe for cheesecake that even I like, and tastes amazing with added fruit!

If I find more recipes that work well with persimmons, I'll add them here in later updates for this guide!

Easy Cheesecake:

Homemade Cheesecake Crust:

At least 1 1/2 cups of cinnamon gramcrackers, crushed as small as you can get them. We usually just do one pack of crackers rather han measure.

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla (and yes, we use the cheapest vanilla extract we can get.)

1 stick of salted butter, melted

Step 1 of 1: Mix all prepared ingredients in a large bowl, then press into pie dish.

You can also just buy a premade crust, but they don't have as much flavor. With this recipe, the crust is half the delight.

Cheesecake filling:

Two eight-ounce packages of cream cheese, At Room Temperature.

Sit them out hours ahead of time if it's cold in your kitchen. They need to be warm if you want the cheesecake to be smooth. If they're still cold, it'll be lumpy, which isn't as good of a texture. You can technically melt them slowly in the microwave but that's a lot of effort.

2/3s cup of powdered/confectionier's sugar...or just regular sugar if you're lazy like we are.

2 large eggs, at room temperature

One teaspoon of vanilla

However much fruit you want to mix in. You can literally add as much or little as you want as long as it'll fit in the pie crust.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or 176 Celsius

Step 1: Mix the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.

Step 2: Add eggs and vanilla, and combine.

You can either add fruit now, mixing it in, or put a layer directly on the crust, with the cheesecake filling on top, or reversed!

Bake for 30 minutes, remove to wire rack and cool. Keep, covered, in refrigerator until ready to serve, and refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

[silhouettecrow]

365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 193

Adjective: Delicate

Noun: Web

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Delicate: very fine in texture or structure, or of intricate workmanship or quality; (of a color or a scent) subtle and subdued; (of food or drink) subtly and pleasantly flavored; easily broken or damaged, or fragile; (of a person, animal, or plant) susceptible to illness or adverse conditions; (of a state or condition) easily upset or damaged; requiring sensitive or careful handling; (of a person or an action) tactful and considerate; skillful and finely judged, or deft; (of an instrument) highly sensitive

Web: a network of fine threads constructed by a spider from fluid secreted by its spinnerets, used to catch its prey; a filmy network spun by some insect larvae, especially communal caterpillars; a complex system of interconnected elements; the World Wide Web or the internet; a membrane between the toes of a swimming bird or other aquatic animal; a thin flat part connecting thicker or more solid parts in machinery; a roll of paper used in a continuous printing process; the endless wire mesh in a papermaking machine; a piece of woven fabric

[sngl-led-auto-lights]

Is it better to restore foggy headlights or just get new headlights?

The choice of repairing fogged headlights or replacing new headlights depends on the degree of damage to the headlights, budget, and vehicle usage scenarios. The following is a detailed comparison and decision-making guide:

I. Applicable scenarios and advantages of choosing repair 1. Situations suitable for repair

Mild to moderate oxidation (surface fogging, fine lines, light transmittance ≥50%).

Limited budget (repair cost is usually 10%-30% of replacement).

Short vehicle age (such as new cars within 3 years, the original lampshade is of good quality).

2. Advantages of repair solutions

Low cost: DIY repair (toothpaste/professional kit) only costs ¥50–300; professional repair service is about ¥200–800.

Environmental protection: Reduce plastic waste (a pair of headlight assemblies ≈ 2kg of non-degradable materials).

Keep original parts: Avoid compatibility issues with aftermarket parts (such as mismatched wiring harness plugs).

3. Repair steps and tools

Surface cleaning: Use isopropyl alcohol to remove oil stains.

Sandpaper polishing (wet grinding):

800 mesh → 1500 mesh → 3000 mesh (eliminate scratches step by step).

Oxide layer removal: Spray chemical solvent containing dichloromethane (such as 3M 39008).

UV sealing: Apply polyurethane coating liquid (such as Meguiar’s G2970) and cure with ultraviolet light.

4. Repair effect and lifespan Repair method Transmittance restoration Durability (without sealing) Durability (with UV sealing) DIY toothpaste 20%-40% 1-3 months 3-6 months Professional repair kit 60%-80% 6-12 months 1-3 years

II. Applicable scenarios and advantages of choosing to replace new headlights 1. Situations where replacement is necessary

Severe aging (transmittance <30%, yellowing inside, cracks penetrating the substrate).

Circuit or reflector bowl damage (such as water ingress short circuit, reflective coating peeling off).

Vehicle resale demand (original new lights can increase the valuation of used cars by 3%-5%).

2. Advantages of replacement solutions

Once and for all: The life of new headlights is usually 5-10 years (original parts) or 2-5 years (aftermarket parts).

Improved safety: restore 90%+ original lighting performance to avoid failure of annual inspection.

Functional upgrade: can be upgraded to LED/matrix headlights simultaneously (must be compatible with BCM system).

3. Cost and accessories selection Headlight type Original parts (single) Branded aftermarket parts (such as TYC) Unbranded aftermarket parts Ordinary family cars (such as Toyota) ¥1,500–3,500 ¥800–1,500 ¥300–800 (high risk) Luxury cars (such as Mercedes-Benz) ¥8,000–20,000 ¥3,000–6,000 ¥1,500–3,000

Notes:

Aftermarket parts may not have UV protection coating and are prone to aging again.

Need to verify whether the accessories have active steering/adaptive function (coding matching).

III. Decision tree: Repair vs. Replacement

Check the extent of damage:

Light transmission test: Press the flashlight of your mobile phone against the inside of the headlight at night. If the outside transmits light evenly, it is slightly oxidized.

Crack detection: Use UV light to irradiate. If there are spider web-like cracks inside, it needs to be replaced.

Evaluate the budget and vehicle value:

Vehicle residual value < ¥50,000 → Prioritize repair or choose aftermarket parts.

Vehicle residual value > ¥100,000 → Original factory replacement is recommended.

Usage scenarios:

Short-distance in the city: Repair + sealing is sufficient.

Long-distance/high-speed driving: Replace to ensure optimal lighting.

Fourth, recommended solution

Mild fogging (transmittance ≥ 60%):

Use professional repair kit (such as 3M 39070) + Cerakote ceramic coating (less than ¥300), the effect will last for more than 2 years.

Moderate aging (transmittance 30%-60%):

Professional repair service (including UV sealing) → cost about ¥500-800, life span 1-3 years.

Severe damage:

Choose branded aftermarket parts (such as HELLA, DEPO) → cost about 40% of the original parts, warranty 1-2 years.

Five, pit avoidance guide

Reject "permanent repair" propaganda: any repair cannot reach the life of new parts, and regular maintenance is required.

Be wary of low-priced aftermarket parts: uncertified cheap headlights may cause circuit failures (such as BCM burnout cases).

Annual inspection compliance: After repair, the transmittance must be > 70% (GB 7258), otherwise it still needs to be replaced.

Summary:

Economical choice: Mild oxidation repair + maintenance every 2 years.

Quality choice: Choose professional repair for moderate aging, and directly replace the original parts for serious damage.

Balanced solution: Aftermarket new lamp + installation of UV protective film (such as XPEL), taking into account both cost and durability.

[orbisetuphelp]

Setup Orbi Mesh Network Using www.orbilogin.com

Orbi devices are widely used to create a robust network at home or offices by the people. Orbi networking devices are very popular among users. The devices are known for their performance. You can easily create orbi mesh network setup using orbi router & satellites. Buying orbi wifi systems & setting up the device at home will convert your home into a WiFi hub. Let’s check out the installation and setup of orbi mesh network using www.orbilogin.com web address. In the further segment of this article you will find the breakdown of the process into easy to understand steps. Read the article till the end to do the configuration by yourself. 

Orbi Mesh WiFi Installation

Orbi mesh WiFi system installation is a very simple process. You just have to follow the below specified steps of hardware installation. 

Begin with the orbi router device setup. Firstly unplug the modem device and place the router closer to the modem. Use the yellow ethernet cable you got with the router device and connect it with the modem. Then power up your modem device. Also connect the router device with the power and begin the router setup. 

Once the router device setup is complete, you can start adding satellites into the network. Place the satellites closer to the router to configure them. Power up the satellites and begin to add them into the network. 

Orbi Mesh WiFi Setup

Initiate the orbi mesh network setup using the www.orbilogin.com. Before initiating, make sure you have a modem device with working internet, computer/ laptop with the latest browser installed in it, and ethernet cable. If you have all, you can initiate the setup process. Setup process is divided into four parts which are further splitted into steps to let the user understand it better. 

Access Web Interface

Start with connecting your computer/ laptop device with the router network. You can connect it using the ethernet or wireless method.

After that, launch the web browser to get access to the web interface. 

In the URL bar mention www.orbilogin.com web address and hit enter key on your keyboard. 

As the site opens, you have to enter the login credentials. Default login credentials are admin for username and password for password field. 

Further click on the login option and then you will get access to the login page. 

While typing the login credentials be careful, any mistake in the credentials lead to failure. 

Configure Router

Configure orbi router by choosing the language and then move ahead to change the admin login details. 

Thereafter create SSID & password for your router’s wireless network.

Complete the configuration and then add the satellite to the network. 

Add Satellites

There are three ways to add the satellites into the network. You can connect the satellites using a wireless sync button, using ethernet cable or using a switch. 

Wireless Method: To add the satellite into your home network without cable, you have to press the sync button if you purchase satellites separately. In case you got the satellite with the wireless system then you need not to do anything except powering them. 

Wired method: To create wired setup there are two ways to connect a satellite with a router. First and primary way is to take the ethernet cable and connect the satellite directly to the router. Secondly, you can connect the primary satellite to the router and then second satellites to the primary satellite and so on. 

Switch: You can also connect the satellites with the router using switch. For this connection you need to use the ethernet cable and connect the router with the switch first. After that connect the satellites with the switch using the ethernet.  

Finalize Setup & Optimize. 

Once all the satellites are added, you have to make changes in the other security settings and then setup guest network. Also you have to enable or disable WiFi Multimedia Quality of Service, daisy-chain topology, implicit beamforming, MU-MIMO or fast roaming feature. Once you optimize all the settings and secure the network you can leave the web interface. Last step of the setup process is testing the network. For testing you have to use a wireless enabled device. Connect to the new network and browse the internet. Play online games and watch videos to check the network speed. In case required then place the satellites strategically to new locations. 

Conclusion

From the crux of the above description it has been concluded by me that the setup of orbi mesh wifi system is not a hard task using www.orbilogin.com. By following the steps mentioned in this article anyone can easily configure the system. You can enjoy seamless network coverage at your home after the orbi mesh network setup. Whether you are living in a multi story house or in a big home, you will get network coverage everywhere. From the basement area to the top of your house, you can enjoy a high speed network everywhere. In case you got stuck somewhere while performing setup and don’t know how to proceed further then you can take help of technical experts.