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In the Purple Dark
Al-RB on Patreon donated to a lovely LGBT shelter, and asked for a bit of Taji and Nadir together after Nadir gets out of his medical coma?
Content tags: Spoilers for the end of Taji from Beyond the Rings. Physical injuries and recovery. Some sex talk. Torture obliquely mentioned. PTSD-type mental health issues.
In the Purple Dark
Nadir paced back and forth in front of the small garden in the center of the embassy’s first floor, and then, to mix it up, went to the kitchen before coming back to his small, well-worn path. The kitchen light was on, but Nadir was mostly using the dim purple glow from the skylight above the garden to navigate. Not that there was much to navigate. He’d walked this path for a while now, night after night, and knew it well. And anyway, Lin, currently the ranking officer with Trenne more or less on leave, wouldn’t have allowed anyway to leave any gear lying around to get in the way of a quick exit.
They were supposedly safe now, but Lin clearly didn’t think so and Nadir didn’t either—though he was perhaps biased. A doc would have something to say about it, certainly, but if the doc wasn’t on this fucking planet, then the doc’s opinion didn’t matter as much as Lin’s did. Paranoia wasn’t wrong all the time.
Nadir passed the plants Rodian was so fond of, then shuffled around to make another pass. Back and forth. Again and again. For miles, maybe. Each pass had to add up. He should tell Nev so Nev could stop trying to pressure him into physical therapy exercises, but telling Nev meant mentioning this, and Nev would have questions. Angry ones.
Nadir had been in that Pre-C bed long enough that he should never need to sleep again but that wasn’t why he was up now, or why he’d been up last night or the night before. He wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew that, and that what was in his head was bad, because he’d gone through something like this before. That was how he also knew that this was worse. This time would be worse. This was ugly and waiting for it to get uglier was only making him more restless.
Restless wasn’t even the right word. Mouth—Taji—would know the right word, but he was upstairs for the foreseeable future in shehzha la-la land getting fucked and treasured and who knew what else, and nobody was supposed to bother him because it was sacred and all that.
A good deal. And Mouth had been through it and deserved the rest. And the dicking. So did Trenne when it came to it. Lin and Trenne stayed promoted. Nadir was probably going to get a patch he wouldn’t wear until Lin forcibly sewed it onto his nicer blacks, and also maybe, maybe, the smallest bump in pay. Everybody got what they deserved.
They didn’t though, did they? “They don’t say his name anymore” Emperor Fuckface was dead, his feet apparently cut off and displayed somewhere while Nadir had been sleeping. But nothing else was different. Same guards around him. Same people in charge, and IPTC considered the matter closed unless Nadir would like to schedule mental health talks with a doctor the next time he was anywhere close to any such doctor, which would likely be years from now unless Nev got tired of giving him worried looks and declared him unfit.
That was maybe as close as Nadir would get to a vacation. He should take it, if that happened.
Or take care of himself now, and down whatever pills Nev had left for him and maybe actually sleep.
He didn’t want to, didn’t want idle thoughts. Didn’t want dreams. Didn’t want to wake up alone and in pain.
That was a stupid thought. Mouth was in pain all the time and he didn’t bitch nearly as much.
Mouth didn’t wake up alone anymore, though. He might have, in his time in that place. Lin and Trenne’s reports were there, waiting for Nadir to read them and write his own. Taji’s, of course, would have to wait until he was in his right mind again, however long that would be. But he might have spent several nights in that place, just down the hall from Nadir, from what Nev had told him. Close enough to hear Nadir and…. Close enough to hear, but unable to do anything about it.
Once the shehzha business was over—or as much as it was ever over with however that stuff worked, Taji was going to have to deal with whatever happened to him, the same as Nadir was. Even when he got a break, that’s all it was, a break. Then right back to the shit mines.
Nadir’s legs wobbled, and since his cane was in the kitchen, he sagged against the wall for a moment of rest. His breathing was so loud he nearly didn’t hear the quiet hum of the lift, but he caught it in time to straighten from the wall, although he couldn’t do anything for his pallor or the sweat in his loose clothes or whatever was going on with his hair.
He tried to sneak off in the direction of the kitchen but he was too slow.
“Nadir? Oh.” Mouth said both words in nearly the same breath.
“Apologies.” Trenne broke into the silence as Nadir reluctantly turned to face them. “Do you require help?”
“You ought to be telling me to stay away from your shehzha.” Nadir was joking but was also serious because Dead Fuckface Larin and the others had broken that rule and someone ought to remember that.
Then he got a good look at the two of them and understood that rule a little bit more.
Taji was… Taji was wearing less than Nadir in his athletic shirt and loose pants, and what he was wearing was probably due to Trenne. Taji had an oversized robe… or maybe part of a soria, open to reveal no shirt, and sleep pants hanging off his hips. But maybe that was due to some weight loss, unless Nadir was imagining it.
Trenne was in sleep pants and only sleep pants, his hair down and free, his feet bare. Nadir automatically looked away from both of them together, but didn’t let his gaze fall to the floor again either.
He had kept his gaze down, then, so no one would see his face, and there had been countless bare feet in that room.
“Nadir,” Trenne said, even and calm like he always was although he could probably hear Nadir panicking. “Taji is tired. Will you sit with him while I get food for him?”
Taji did look tired. He was also staring at Trenne as if he could ride him right there under the skylight, whether or not Nadir was there.
Which might have been a good show, if Nadir had been in the mood.
“I’m just heading to bed,” Nadir lied. He was still sacked out on the first floor, in their makeshift med bay.
Taji’s dreamy gaze left Trenne. He looked at Nadir and frowned. “You should be sleeping. Nev said you don’t sleep much the last time I… when I last talked to Nev.” He probably couldn’t recall when that was.
Nadir was surprised he’d spoken to anyone. “And you should be upstairs,” he reminded Taji lightly, “doing things Shavians don’t mention in public, but here you are.”
“Hungry,” Taji admitted, with a fleeting expression of surprise. “I’m actually hungry,” he told Trenne, who did not seem surprised, so Taji must have said it before and forgotten. Taji turned back to Nadir. “Which is either a sign I really need to eat or maybe that the longing has faded a little.”
It would have seemed wistful but then he watched Trenne head to the kitchen and ran his gaze over Trenne’s body, and Nadir suspected that hunger had just temporarily won out over his body’s other needs. He probably didn’t realize he was making grabby hands.
“I can be out,” Taji said, slowly continuing the conversation. “Trenne isn’t like….” Taji shook his head. “It’s less embarrassing at night. When it’s just whoever is on duty in the comms room and whoever else might be up. It’s, you know… I don’t feel shame the way the Sha do over it, but it is embarrassing.”
Nadir was too tired to manage a kind smile but he did at least nod. “Well don’t let me keep you. Go let the sergeant major feed you and then you can get back to it.” He winked. That, he could do.
Taji stared at him, then moved on wobbly legs to the small center garden. He plopped down onto the short stone wall around it. “I think he’s going to bring something for you too.”
“Not a shehzha,” Nadir said immediately, loudly, for some reason. “Not his shehzha.”
For a second, the old Mouth there with him, studying Nadir with too much interest. Then he was gone and Taji was sighing dreamily. “I’m his shehzha.”
“Good for you.” It came out a bit sour but Nadir was tired and Taji probably didn’t notice anyway. Nadir waved it off just in case. “I mean that. Good for you. You should get to have that, all the things they say it is. And, Trenne’s a great fuck.” Nadir winced, then glanced down to Taji’s still, pretty face. Nadir was clearly exhausted beyond reason because, all joking aside, he wouldn’t have volunteered that otherwise. Not to their bright-eyed Mouth. “You know how it is,” he added quickly and dismissively, “lonely, bored, sometimes off-duty and drunk. You give a friend a hand. Et cetera.”
Taji gave a slow nod. “And very few on this planet would touch him.”
Nadir raised his head, although even his neck was achy and sore now. Like holding his head up all day had taken effort. “But now he has you.” That was kind. Good. Someone should have some.
He expected more dreamy shehzha talk but he got silence. Which… ah fuck, meant the Mouth was thinking. He wasn’t supposed to be able to think right now.
The starry eyes landed on him. “Has Talfa Emperor been here since the last time I saw them?”
“Fuck.” Nadir walked back and forth and didn’t care if Taji saw. Whatever Ameyo was implying was a mistake on his part. Shehzha brain imagining things. “People say all kinds of shit in desperate situations, Mouth. It’s fine. I’ll go see Nev. Nev’ll give me something, I’ll sleep like a baby. Which is a weird expression because so many babies do not sleep. Shit, now I’m talking like you.”
“Has IPTC said anything to you?” Taji remained on his stone seat, gazing at Nadir with soft interest.
Nadir was tired. He used his own wobbly legs to get the garden and fell into a space not far from Taji. He was shaking. He’d probably been shaking.
“It’s harder to recover if you don’t rest.” Taji at least looked away to say it, gazing at the violet light above. He really was pretty. If Trenne hadn’t been all over him from day one, Nadir would have considered it. Probably made a fool of himself there too, as usual.
Taji carried on. “If you don’t like the meds, you should… well, what I used to do to help me sleep was….”
What nearly everyone did to try to sleep.
Nadir cut him off. “You can get Trenne to do that for you if you want. I’m sure he’s listening anyway.”
Taji faced him again. “No friend here to lend you a hand now?”
Nadir was not going to think about how there really wasn’t.
He grinned. “Try to resist having me for yourself. I know shehzha are greedy and sex-starved, but you’ll have to make do without me.” He didn’t check to see if Taji was amused or frowning. “Anyway, you’ll probably start a trend. Maybe all the Sha will start cruising for human lovers.” It had certainly looked that way when they’d come back from their hunt and several of them had been eyeing Taji—and Trenne for that matter—like the hunt wasn’t over. “Maybe some noble Sha will want to keep me as a status symbol.”
Except he’d never know which ones had been there to witness….
He shuddered and couldn’t hide it.
Taji took his hand.
Nadir sucked in a breath, genuinely shocked. “You aren’t supposed to—”
“Trenne doesn’t mind. Not like that.” Taji looked across the space, and oh, there was Trenne, holding a tray loaded with food in one hand, and a steaming cup in the other. He stared at Taji, and then at their hands, and then at Nadir. His ears flickered. “Humans bond through touch. It is that sort of hand you need?”
Aw fuck. Nadir turned his face away from the both of them. He hadn’t even pulled his hand away. “You two should really get back upstairs,” he said in a horrible voice, choking and sad. “You get a vacation, you take the vacation. Anyway, I know you showered but you reek of sex, and that’s just mean to someone in my current state.”
Trenne stopped in front of him.
“Hold this,” he directed, putting the cup in front of Nadir’s face. As though that was an order, Nadir took it. Then, with only a small pause, a large, Shavian hand landed gently on the back of his neck.
The cup was very warm and smelled of tea. Lin’s tea. She was going to be furious.
Taji curled his fingers to keep Nadir’s hand beneath his. Nadir’s throat was so tight he could barely swallow.
“Really,” he finally managed, too quiet. He had no idea how much time had passed and those two were probably eye fucking by now. He took a breath. “Go on up, and don’t worry…” when was the last time anyone had really worried about him?
That cellar… basement… dungeon from hell came to mind.
“…Don’t worry about me,” he finished. “I’m going to go to bed. Maybe not to sleep, but I’ll go.” He gestured with the cup of tea without quite meeting Trenne’s eyes. “Thank you.”
He pulled his hand away from Taji’s and then stood up.
He expected them to hurry back to the lift and their midnight meal and fucking and cuddling and all that good stuff, but had a feeling they both stayed to watch him shuffle away. They were probably being polite in the few moments of clarity before Taji started in with the begging, but it was nice of them. Friendly. Kind.
What they thought he deserved, Nadir suspected, and held the warm cup close to his chest as he moved slowly through the purple dark of their sad little embassy at night.
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The New Sony Alpha 9 III Review: Expert Insights and Key Features
The highly anticipated Sony Alpha 9 III has arrived, and it promises to be a game-changer in the world of professional photography. Sony has pulled out all the stops, delivering exceptional autofocus capabilities, impressive shooting speeds, and remarkable low-light performance while maintaining impressive ISO performance and dynamic range. Additionally, Sony's engineers have meticulously designed the layout and functions of this camera to cater comprehensively to photographers' needs.
Alongside the impressive capabilities of the Alpha 9 III, Sony has also introduced firmware updates for their full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Alpha 1 and Alpha 7S III. These updates bring in some of Sony's cutting-edge imaging technologies, such as the highly requested Focus Breathing Compensation feature, along with enhancements in IPTC and FTP workflows. By releasing the Alpha 9 III alongside these updates, Sony continues to demonstrate their unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries in photography.
The Alpha 9 III boasts a staggering 20fps burst shooting speed with full autofocus and auto-exposure tracking, making it a formidable choice for capturing fast-paced action and fleeting moments with unparalleled precision. Additionally, the camera's advanced subject recognition and real-time Eye AF capabilities ensure that subjects remain in sharp focus, even in challenging lighting conditions or when they are partially obscured.
Moreover, the Alpha 9 III incorporates a newly developed 35mm full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor and an updated BIONZ XR imaging processing engine, which work in tandem to deliver exceptional image quality, even in low-light scenarios. This combination allows photographers to capture stunning images with minimal noise and incredible detail, expanding their creative possibilities.
In line with Sony's commitment to user-friendly design, the Alpha 9 III features an improved grip, redesigned menu system, and customizable controls, ensuring a seamless and intuitive shooting experience. Additionally, the camera boasts enhanced weather-sealing and a durable magnesium alloy body, making it a reliable companion for professionals working in demanding environments.
As photographers and industry experts eagerly await their hands-on experience with the Alpha 9 III, it's clear that Sony has once again raised the bar for professional-grade mirrorless cameras.
Click for All Details
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Meta signs AI image generators from tech firms
AI image generators for virtual reality
As a firm that’s been at the forefront of AI research for over a decade, it’s been inspiring to see people’s creativity explode with new generative AI tools like the Meta AI image generator, which lets people draw with simple text instructions.
People want to know the line between human and synthetic content as it blurs. Users like clarity surrounding AI-generated content, which they typically see for the first time. Meta must inform viewers when photorealistic material is AI-generated. Meta applies “Imagined with AI” labels to photorealistic photos made using the Meta AI feature, but they wish to do this with material created with other technologies.
Meta has been working with industry partners to establish technological standards that indicate AI-created content. They can categorize AI image generator posted to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads by detecting these signals. This functionality is being built today, and in the following months they will apply labels in all app-supported languages. They will continue this strategy during the following year, when many major elections are held worldwide. They want to learn more about AI content creation and sharing, transparency preferences, and technology evolution throughout this period. What they discover will guide industry standards and their strategy.
A New Way to Label AI-Generated Content
Meta AI creates lifelike photographs with visible markers, invisible watermarks, and information encoded in image files to let people know AI is involved. This combination of invisible watermarking and information strengthens these marks and helps other systems recognize them. This is crucial to their responsible approach to generating generative AI features.
Due of the prevalence of AI-generated material online, they are collaborating with other organizations to set common criteria for detecting it via venues like the Partnership on AI. IPTC information and invisible watermarks for Meta AI image generator follow PAI best practices.
They are building industry-leading tools to identify invisible markers at scale, specifically “AI generated” information in the C2PA and IPTC technical standards, to label images from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Adobe, Midjourney, and Shutterstock as they implement their metadata plans for their tools.
firms are beginning to integrate signals in their AI image generator, but not in AI systems that create audio and video at the same scale, so they can’t recognize and categorize material from other firms. The industry is introducing a feature to allow users to identify AI-generated video and audio while working toward this capacity. They may penalize those who fail to utilize this disclosure and label tool when posting organic material with photorealistic video or realistic audio that was digitally made or changed. If they believe digitally made or changed picture, video, or audio materials is likely to substantially deceive the public on an important topic, they may include a more prominent label to provide additional context.
This method pushes the limits of technology. It’s not feasible to identify all AI-generated information, but users can remove invisible marks. They are exploring several alternatives. Their goal is to build classifiers that can automatically recognize AI-generated material without invisible marks. They are also trying to make invisible watermarks harder to erase. Meta’s AI Research unit FAIR has revealed research on Stable Signature, an undetectable watermarking tool. Some AI image generators embed the watermarking technique directly into the AI image generator production process, which might be useful for open source models to prevent watermarking to be deactivated.
In the future, this arena may grow more antagonistic, making this work crucial. People and organizations who aim to mislead using AI-generated material will circumvent detection systems. They must constantly innovate in the business and society.
Meanwhile, consumers should examine the account sharing the material for trustworthiness and search for strange features when assessing whether it was made by AI.
The proliferation of AI-generated content is early. As it grows more popular, society will dispute how to recognize synthetic and non-synthetic content. Industry and regulators may authenticate AI-created and non-AI-created material. Today, Meta will outline the stages they believe are acceptable for platform content. They will observe and learn, reviewing the method as they go. They will collaborate with industry colleagues. They will continue communication with governments and civic society.
AI is both a sword and shield
The Community Standards apply to all platform material, regardless of creation. Most importantly, they must be able to detect and remove hazardous information, independent of AI generation. AI in integrity systems helps us catch it.
They have protected consumers using AI for years. AI helps us discover and handle hate speech and other policy violations. This helps explain how they reduced Facebook hate speech to 0.01-0.02% (Q3 2023). They estimate one or two hate speech views per 10,000 content views.
They employ AI to enforce regulations, but generative AI is restricted. But they believe generative AI might help us remove hazardous information quicker and more precisely. It might also help enforce regulations during high-risk events like elections. They are training Large Language Models (LLMs) on the Community Standards to detect whether material breaches standards. These first testing imply LLMs outperform machine learning algorithms. LLMs are also used to delete material from review queues when they are sure it doesn’t breach rules. This lets reviewers concentrate on rule-breaking material.
Independent fact-checking partners mark disproved AI-generated material so users may get proper information when they see similar disinformation online.
Meta has led AI development for almost a decade. They understand that growth and accountability must coexist. They think that open and responsible development of generative AI tools is achievable and important due to their immense potential. They want to let people know when AI has made lifelike AI image generator and be honest about the boundaries of what’s feasible. They’ll keep learning from users to enhance the tools. They will continue to collaborate via PAI to build standards and guardrails.
Read more on Govindhtech.com
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Simple Image Gallery Extended v5.0.0.0 - галерея изображений для Joomla - kubik-rubik (2023)
Simple Image Gallery Extended v5.0.0.0 - галерея изображений для Joomla
kubik-rubik
Simple Image Gallery Extended v5.0.0.0 - предлагает динамическую платформу для плавной интеграции изображений в ваши Joomla статьи. Его отличительная особенность заключается в универсальности - каждым параметром можно управлять напрямую через вызов синтаксиса. Ключевые функции SIGE включают, среди прочего, прямой вызов параметров, функцию водяных знаков, чтение данных IPTC, хранение...
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Подробнее на https://eground.org/threads/simple-image-gallery-extended-v5-0-0-0-galereja-izobrazhenij-dlja-joomla-kubik-rubik-2023.112333/
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The More Powerful Search Bar In ON1 Photo RAW 2024
If you are trying ON1 Photo RAW, the ON1 plug-ins like ON1 Effects or ON1 HDR, or upgrading your ON1 software to a newer version, please consider using my affiliate link. There is no extra cost to you and it helps support ON1 tutorials like this one. Ready to buy? Use the offer code SDP20 at checkout and SAVE 20%!
The search experience is much improved in ON1 Photo RAW 2024. The Browse module now has a search bar across the top so you can build your search rules and see the results right away. The layout of the search bar helps you answer three questions:
Where do you want to search?
What do you want to find?
How do you want to see the results?
Approach searching in Browse with these questions in mind and the search experience is very intuitive. You select a folder of images to search, set the properties and criteria for the photos you want to find, and the sort the results.
Selecting A Folder To Search
First, choose the folders you want to search using the Search option in the upper left of Browse. You can search any folder on your computer using the Current Photos choice. You can also search all of your cataloged folder, cloud synced folders, or a combination of both. You can also search individual folders in your catalog.
Pro tip: Use the Lock Search Across Folders option with the Current Photo search to make the search criteria “sticky”. As you move between folders, the search options don’t reset.
Setting The Search Criteria
Next, tell Browse what photos you want to find by setting search criteria. There are four different categories of criteria you can set.
Text: Enter a word or two and let Browse search common text fields in your photos for matches. The text search scans a few characteristics of your photo, including the file name, description, and title. You can also limit the text search to just one of those fields.
Attribute: Limit the search results by rating, likes, color label, and/or file type (photo, version, or video). Star rating search can be a range, such as greater than or equal to 3 stars. You can also select multiple color labels.
Faces: Browse uses AI to find portraits. The search bar can filter by the number of people in the photo, their age, and their gender. The results are generally good, though the AI is not infallible.
Metadata: Scan the EXIF and IPTC metadata. There are a lot of options in this area, everything from camera information, date ranges, technical aspects of the photo (aperture, ISO, shutter speed, focal length), as well as some AI-inferred information like seasons. The Metadata search also allow you to define multiple match rules, and if a photo must match all rules to be included in the search or just one rule.
Pro tip: Set properties for several categories for more complex searches. You can quickly whittle down the set of images in your catalog to just the group you are looking for.
Sorting The Search Results
Finally, you can sort the results by a variety of attributes with the sort icon toward the right side of the search bar. I’m a fan of sorting by date captured and putting my newest photos first. There are many options by which to sort your search results.
What Else Can I Do With Search
Save your searches for future use using the icon at the far right of the search bar. If searching cataloged folders, use the Create Smart Album icon to make an album with the search results. The Smart Album is created using the current search rules. As you add new photos to your library, if they match the search rules, they are automatically added to the Smart Album.
ON1’s Smart Organize also lives in the search bar. Smart Organize can help you group similar photos, find sequences taken at the same time, and find duplicates. Learn more.
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Digital Footprint Examples | Tech lazy
This is only for those who own an iOS device. Metapho is an image-cleaner only for iOS phones. You may see and update the metadata that is connected with your images using Metapho, including the EXIF, IPTC, and GPS information. Moreover, you can change this metadata to include or remove data for digital footprint. For more details, please visit our site.
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Photo Credit: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/man-kneeling-down-begging-love-347277599?utm_campaign=image&utm_medium=googleimages&utm_source=iptc
SILENT LONGING
One-sided passion,
Hoping for a glance from you,
Silent longing grows.
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All Talk and a Big Nose
@felixjoyful kindly donated and asked for something about Nadir! Nadir! the precious!!
However, since I have not read the book in uh... since it came out so like 4 years? I had to do some refresher skim reading and I might have missed a few details. (Like how to spell Laviias? ha)
Anyway, this is the "written in a day" version of the scene I have thought of for the sequel that I really need like.. to win the lottery even a little so I can take the time to write it.
Warnings: mention of past torture, mention of past summary executions, brief mention of a shitty family, spoilers for Taji From Beyond the Rings, Sha culture's ableist attitudes
Characters and settings belong to R. Cooper. All Rights Reserved etc etc
All Talk and a Big Nose (which is a terrible title but my brain is dead)
Nadir was not technically back on any kind of duty, but he was in his blacks, and he was walking alongside the others. Lin had held helped him dress, holding out a short formal coat she must have taken from one of the others, since Nadir’s formal coat had been destroyed or taken from him or merely ruined after his capture.
He’d never liked it anyway. The IPTC version of flash was a stiff coat covered in patches to honor events Nadir either barely remembered or didn’t want to. Lin would have dressed him in that if she’d had it, and was after more patches for him from the sound of it. She and Trenne had sent off the records of what had taken place at Laviias and then in the capital afterward. Both of them had reported Nadir’s actions in terms Nadir had glared at Lin for, if not quite daring to glare at Trenne.
The reports would possibly net Nadir the tiniest raise and maybe a promotion, if he stayed on active duty.
Which he wasn’t thinking about, because potentially career-ending injuries were for when a career was much farther along, and really ought to happen closer to planets or hubs with real medical equipment and staff—if reports were filed to convince IPTC to pay for more than the minimum repair or replacements, decisions about which could take forever even when not out here on the far side of the known universe.
Knowing that IPTC would be slow to act was probably why both Trenne and Lin, as the now-ranking officers here, had filed what they had as early as they had; they knew they needed to argue to the I.P.T.C. that Nadir was worth the investment of the care and not just a bonus packet in his ‘retirement’ file.
In the meantime, Nadir could hobble along until Nev cleared him for any sort of duty while waiting for the decision. Then maybe contest it, maybe not.
Nadir was facing retirement early, and in the meantime, his team was down another member in a situation that only seemed more stable than before because Nadir hadn’t been out of bed to view the capital for himself.
It was a good thing Nadir was used to stuffing down panic until he could ignore it and IPTC bullshit wasn’t anything new.
He’d had no plan when he’d joined up with them, except to get away, see things. The same as most, he imagined. Very few joined with something like the I.P.T.C. looking for adventure or a chance to stomp some heads, and those that did tended to burn out or die early on.
Not much lost there.
The rest got trained and shipped around. Investment was what the Mouth called it—back when the Mouth had been in his right mind and available to talk to, which he currently was not, and Nadir wished him well in that. Trenne deserved the break, if it was one, and the Mouth was a good catch for anyone with a taste for danger. Nadir would have made a play for that himself, back in the early days, if it hadn’t been obvious to everyone that Taji had stars in his eyes for Trenne.
Trenne was slightly less obvious, except to Nadir, who knew him pretty well, and maybe to Lin, who had probably spotted the Sha version of adoration long before the rest of them, whatever that was.
Nadir thought of them Trenne and Taji with a small, inward sigh, but also some trepidation. The team was essentially down Trenne as well, for the foreseeable future, and their translator. For a sacred honeymoon fuckfest that apparently half the Sha would kill for.
Fucking was nice, and Trenne was considerate and good at it, but the shehzha thing wasn’t about that. Not really. Not according to what Taji had said… and what else Nadir could remember of whispers in the dark.
But life or death situations fucked with people, and Nadir’s memory from Laviias onward was full of holes. Thankfully, IPTC might heal his body but had no interest in his mind as long the body was functional and he did as he was told.
If they did step in, it would require Nadir going off-planet for a while. Maybe for a long time. They might send replacements for the team.
He should take comfort in that, but anxiety had settled under his skin after he’d woken from his nap in the pre-C bed and he hadn’t been able to banish it. He didn’t want to. Anxiety could be useful, save a life, if not his because he was usually ignoring it for one fool reason or another.
They weren’t family. They were teammates. They were roommates, of a fashion. But thinking of them as family was dangerous. The Mouth would have something to say about that, about pack bonds and humans and connections, probably furiously yelling about how Nadir had nearly died for them and been happy to do it. How they had come back for him.
They had come back for Taji, Nadir would point out should Taji ever say such a thing. But he thought, deep down, that if they had expected to find him there, they would have searched for him too as his actual family would never have done. The moment Nadir had been well enough, Nev had punched his arm. That said more than Nadir wanted to deal with now with so much else to think about.
He almost preferred the pain and the exhaustion already making his limbs heavy. Tight-lipped and furious, Nev had tried to fill him up with the most protein-dense Sha foods available that morning and Nadir really should have thought about why. He was tired and they hadn’t even made it through the final arch in this endless hallway of high arching doorways leading deeper and deeper inside the Koel estate in the capital.
The estate and all the buildings on it were very old, according to Taji’s notes, which Nadir had read out of boredom during his constant days of rest—necessary constant days of rest, it turned out—and not at all in the style of the last estate of a Sha noble Nadir had been in.
He was unexpectedly grateful for that difference.
And it meant something to be escorted into the deeper spaces of someone’s home. He’d gathered that even without scrolling through Taji’s haphazard notation system.
Taji had been overworked, that was obvious. His work for Tsomyal had been one thing, his gathering information for the next group of IPTC types to come here another, and then he had taken it upon himself to correct and amend the preliminary translation work his predecessors had done.
Which was very Mouth of him, but Nadir could admit, having had a translation device in his ear feeding him chunks of stiltedly translated ‘Sha, that the original translations had missed a lot.
Right now, for example, his translation device wasn’t telling him much, and his limited ‘Sha wasn’t helping. But whatever it was that the servants had said to themselves after watching Nadir disembark from the flier using the walking stick—barely disguised crutch—that Rodian had carved for him, he knew it wasn’t flattering.
This was not a culture that liked to see such things, such people, in public. Something they had all noticed on days when Taji’s limp had been more pronounced, but it was another thing to experience. Already a human outsider from a feared and disliked entity and now this.
It might have been why, one of the reasons why, Trenne, downstairs gathering food and getting reports from Lin, had asked if Nadir was truly intent on going with the ambassador and their guard today.
Of course, Trenne would know about the whispers and stares. He received lots of them in his time here.
Nadir had grown up with them, just been for different reasons.
Tsomyal had merely regarded Nadir for several moments, then said, “There will be no place to sit except a cushion on the ground, and then not unless the emperor is seated. That’s not a law but it may as well be.”
And at those words, for no reason at all, Nadir had had to stuff down panic again. He’d given Tsomyal a grin and a wink. Tsomyal had given him no reaction whatsoever.
Lin had not been, and still was not, amused by Nadir’s decision to be here today. But she hadn’t tried to talk Nadir out of coming along as part of Tsomyal’s protection detail despite him not being back on duty. She also had not come to see him last night thinking Nadir was intent on proving himself to his former captors the way that Nev had.
Lin seemed to know more than the others, enough to say, “Taji shehzha is for emperors. We are not.”
Nadir had kept his smile in place, but only just.
“Some things have to be confronted quickly,” he had answered after a while, meeting her eye to say it. Then banished, he’d added silently. Like dreams.
Dreams were healthy and good and fine, but they had to be acknowledged as dreams alone.
Thinking like that kept him alive.
Of course, it also meant Nadir had no idea what sort of life he would lead without IPTC, but that was an anxious thought he could have when he was back in bed, out of pain meds and unable to sleep.
He made himself look around at the artwork that went all along the walls and all the way up to the ceiling, some looping like calligraphy, others showing vivid scenes in styles that must have changed over a vast span of time.
Above were what he thought of as skylights, letting in violet light that made the art seem to glow. The colors in the art had probably been chosen for that effect.
The others had been to this estate before, or part of it. Not this part, Nadir guessed, since Tsomyal was also glancing at the walls and the other decorations with interest.
The greenery—so to speak, since none of it was green—the home, or palace, had been built around was lovely but to be expected. It was the architecture and the skill of the artwork, commissioned over centuries, that was there to be admired.
This part of the estate meant to be shown off, he supposed. The Koel had been emperors before.
Nadir hadn’t looked up more than that. Partly because he suspected he didn’t need to hear more tales of Shavian political violence, and partly because Taji’s notes on the subject were largely recordings made during some Shavian political violence, and Nadir definitely didn’t want to hear the worry and fear in the Mouth’s voice.
He should probably also stop thinking of Taji as the Mouth since the ‘Sha word kahne was sort of derogatory, but it was also what he was, and was proud of being. Taji had a way of saying it, or had had, during Nadir’s last short visits with him. Taji shehzha, as a title of honor and blessings.
Shehzha, someone cared for and tended to. Shehzha to be loved after a lonely, pain-filled life.
And when that—the longing, his translation device would say stiffly and possibly incorrectly—wore off, Taji would still have Trenne. There wasn’t even a betting pool on it. It was a fact everyone had recognized long before the Mouth had.
Must be nice. Must also be the kind of thing that had to stay a dream.
That was for people like Taji, just as Lin had said.
Nadir faced forward and raised his chin like he was waiting for an inspection and focused on walking straight and upright. Swagger would have been too much to try with the stick. A grin, though, he could manage that. Shavians wouldn’t know what it meant, but he would. He even winked at one of the tall, gray-clad Imperial Guard members who stopped them beneath one of the arches.
This guard might have been one of those to escort Nadir to his questioning. This Guard might have been friends with some of the Guards Nadir had killed. His heart beat faster at just the sight of the gray uniform but he had no idea if they held his actions against him or considered his duty comparable to theirs. It was as though any of them had spoken to him before, or during, any of the things they’d done.
He gripped the head of the walking stick harder, willing for his hand to be sore later when the rest of him would be anyway.
He could admit, after reading Lin, Trenne, and Rodian’s report of events, that he was a little confused by the behavior of the Imperial Guard, and how they were meant to be trusted now, by anyone. Taji’s report would have the answer, but it would be some time before Taji could make it.
Nadir made himself stare at the nondescript gray fabric worn by the next Guard, then raised his head.
This Guard had no response to his wink, not that the Sha knew what winks meant, either, unless they had their version of Taji Ameyo somewhere to tell them.
Nadir turned his focus elsewhere without any relief from the tension in his shoulders. The pain was nothing, everything, familiar and everywhere, dulled only slightly by meds. Nerves were the danger. Fear blocked sense. He inhaled and looked around for threats he couldn’t possibly deal with as he was.
The Guards hid their weapons, so he assumed they had some on them, just like most everyone in the room they entered, including Nadir himself. The members of the team had taken to wearing the knives in their gear the way the Shavians did… and also carrying quite a few more of them, sometimes hidden, sometimes not; Nadir wasn’t the only one having sleepless nights.
He kept to his space slightly behind and to the left of Tsomyal—not in guard position, not outright behind her as Taji might have done—and wished that he scanned the room the way Markita and the others were doing. But his attention went to the tall—tall, even by the standards of giants—dark figure in a midnight blue soria with embellishments or paint or embroidery that looked identical to some of the artwork they had just passed.
He didn’t know if that meant something. Everything was a message as far as Taji’s notes were concerned, but Nadir was barely more than a mercenary. He could tell what piercing placement meant for flirtations on several planets and what the make and model of Rodian’s favorite long guns said about him. But political messaging was Tsomyal’s area, with Taji’s assistance.
And with no Mouth, they would have to make do, and guess like their lives depended on it.
Because they did.
Nadir assumed the simple yet dramatic soria with possibly a link to the history lining the walls leading to this room was some sort of reminder. The notes on the Koel were maybe something Nadir should have forced himself to deal with. The family was old. Larin—the Sha did not speak his name now, but Nadir would do as he fucking pleased with his memories of Larin—had executed some of them.
Larin had been about messaging too, when he’d had Nadir in his throne room or whatever he called it. A message to the I.P.T.C., and a message to the others around him. A stupid message, as far as the I.P.T.C. was concerned, since they wouldn’t care about Nadir’s life in any personal way and would likely just use what had happened as justification to do as they pleased.
As for the others… Nadir couldn’t remember any faces or names, which he thought of as a lucky break. All he had let himself think of at the time, when he could think, was keeping his mouth shut and wondering if Sha nobles were supposed to scream when questioned, or if that was somehow shameful.
Sometimes, Nadir had let himself think of something else. That was one thing dreams were good for.
But that was a blur too, indistinct and better that way. Words that slipped away the second he woke up. Fragments of stories that made no sense but made his heart pound.
It was why he was here, even though he could barely stand and he would be stuck in bed for days to recover from just this.
The tall figure, their dark soria startling when surrounded by so many in much more colorful choices, was barefoot, ears forward to listen intently to whatever the one next to them said.
There was really nothing about the Shavian setup to indicate who was emperor. No throne or silly hat or fancier dress to give it away. Only the deference shown them and the number of Imperial Guards nearby. That, and the fact that everyone was forced to visit the Koel estate if they wished to see or consult their emperor.
There did not seem to be too many Sha elite there today. Nadir didn’t know the reason for that, didn’t particularly care. He had no desire to look into their faces and wonder which ones had been present for his questioning or which ones had spoken calmly as it happened. He didn’t know their fates, and honestly, if he had, he wasn’t sure what he would do. He wouldn’t endanger his team. So ignorance was best, whatever the Mouth would say about it.
In that respect, Nadir and the Imperial Guard had something in common, a thought to make him smile again and toss another wink at the Guard nearest the emperor.
Nearly as stone-faced as Trenne, the Guard didn’t even twitch an ear.
That happened only when the Guard escorting them moved swiftly ahead and spoke softly, too softly for human ears, to presumably both that Guard and the emperor, and the Guard returned full attention—a bit sharply, Nadir thought, back to Tsomyal and the IPTC guards around them.
Markita clucked his tongue, then flicked his fingers in an “Easy” gesture, meant to calm Nadir, as if a room full of the Guards who had tortured him and the people who had watched were enough to send Nadir running.
The sound Markita made had been quiet—to human ears. To Shavian ears, to one particular set of ears tipped with silky looking black fur, the unfamiliar sound must have been loud as a shout.
Talfa Emperor turned their head to track the noise, dark eyes landing instantly and correctly on Markita as the source.
That gaze, interested, sparkling, not unfriendly, far more revealing than any of the Guards’ around the emperor, then moved to Tsomyal.
Nadir leaned hard on the handle of his walking stick, knowing he was ashen and sweaty, too aware of the weakness in his legs and how he was going to have to rest soon, and what the Sha would think of that.
He directed his grin elsewhere, sideways, toward Markita, who wouldn’t see it now that he had to keep his eyes on all the threats in the room, of which there were many, then to Lin, who startled him by looking back, impassive and Sha.
Nadir took is as a question, and dropped his smile before giving her a small nod. He had done what he’d come here to do. The rest was just bearing it, like anything else.
He looked back to the emperor.
Talfa Emperor.
Who had at least taken the feet of the last emperor. Which was symbolic and meant to shame Larin’s memory, according to Taji. Nadir supposed he ought to find some pleasure in that.
Koel Talfa. A lover of tales and, usually, brighter colors. That was really all Nadir knew of them.
A stranger, if one who had once said things that teased Nadir’s memory as he woke up and who, according to others, had been to see Nadir as he’d slept in that fucking coffin bed, but not since.
Because this was not a tale and Nadir was no Taji shehzha. He was a soldier of a disliked foreign force, and now, weak enough to show it through the use of a crutch. And, if Nadir were honest, not at all the starry-eyed gift to a bed that someone like the Mouth would be. He was all talk and a big nose. A mid-sized cock the Sha would hardly notice. And no skills outside of doing what had to be done.
This was why he’d joined the others today, and he was glad.
He even raised his head to offer the room another grin.
At the movement, the emperor turned.
Their eyes widened.
“Saya,” Talfa exhaled, sweet and surprised.
Nadir’s heart was pounding.
#gays in space#taji from beyond the rings#nadir needs a tag#that scene with nadir that i would love to do#one of them anyway#all talk and a big nose#nadir btw is absolutely as unreliable as taji
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VARUNA นำเสนอเทคโนโลยีอัจฉริยะฟื้นฟูพื้นที่สีเขียว ในงาน IPTC 2023
VARUNA นำเสนอเทคโนโลยีอัจฉริยะฟื้นฟูพื้นที่สีเขียว ในงาน IPTC 2023 นางสาวพณัญญา เจริญสวัสดิ์พงศ์ (ที่สามจากขวา) ผู้บริหารด้านธุรกิจและผู้ร่วมก่อตั้ง บริษัท วรุณา (ประเทศไทย) จำกัด นำเสนอเทคโนโลยีอั… อ่านเพิ่ม
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جامعة الملك سعود ومؤسسة صالح عبدالله كامل الإنسانية توقعان اتفاقية دعم تنفيذ مشروع الشهادات الدولية المهنية في التدريس
جامعة الملك سعود ومؤسسة صالح عبدالله كامل الإنسانية توقعان اتفاقية دعم تنفيذ مشروع الشهادات الدولية المهنية في التدريس
وقعت جامعة الملك سعود ممثلةً في معهد الملك عبدالله للبحوث والدراسات الاستشارية ومؤسسة صالح عبدالله كامل الإنسانية اليوم الثلاثاء في مقر الجامعة بمدينة الرياض اتفاقية لدعم تنفيذ مشروع “الشهادات الدولية المهنية في التدريس (“(IPTC. وبموجب هذه الاتفاقية تقدم جامعة الملك سعود الدعم العلمي للمشروع الذي يهدف إلى تبني نمط جديد في التطوير المهني لمنفذي المنهج التربوي ومطوريه من المعلمين والمتخصصين…
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🔊 On October 12, Google added support for image credits to the Image Metadata structured data documentation. Previously, you could only provide image credit information with IPTC photo metadata. 🤔 Don't know what Image Metadata is? No worries. Keep reading 🔎 Image metadata is text information about an image file that is embedded in the file or contained in a separate file associated with it. Image metadata includes details relevant to the image and information about its production. 🪄 Now Google has added three new structured data properties to be used with the ImageObject type to add support for credit, copyright, and image creator information via structured data. 💡This means when you specify image metadata, Google Images can now show more details about the image, such as who the creator is, how people can use an image, and credit information. For example, providing licensing information can make the image eligible for the Licensable badge, which provides a link to the license and more detail on how someone can use the image. This is what the new structured data types are for, according to Schema.org: 🎯creditText Text that can be used to credit person(s) and/or organization(s) associated with a published Creative Work. 🎯creator The creator/author of this CreativeWork. This is the same as the Author property for CreativeWork. 🎯copyrightNotice Text of a notice appropriate for describing the copyright aspects of this Creative Work, ideally indicating the owner of the copyright for the Work. Was this helpful? Follow @theamlibrahim for more! #marketing #digitmarketing #seo #googleupdate (at Alexandria, Egypt) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjs9nsysm60/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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ON1 Photo RAW 2024 Is Coming And Brilliance AI Is In Fact Brilliant
If you are trying ON1 Photo RAW, the ON1 plug-ins like ON1 Effects or ON1 HDR, or upgrading your ON1 software to a newer version, please consider using my affiliate link. There is no extra cost to you and it helps support ON1 tutorials like this one. Ready to buy? Use the offer code SDP20 at checkout and SAVE 20%!
My friends at ON1 announced Photo RAW 2024 today and its marquee feature, Brilliance AI, definitely lives up to its name. This new adjustment in the Develop module will streamline your workflow - and I love how ON1 has delivered AI-powered ease of use without the sacrifice of control. I share more of my thoughts about the Brilliance AI tool in this video and also highlight several other new features and improvements coming in Photo RAW 2024.
And if you’re confused about ON1 Photo RAW vs. ON1 Photo RAW MAX … read on. I break it down for you in very simple terms.
My top 3 features coming in ON1 Photo RAW 2024 are:
Brilliance AI
The Brilliance AI tool in Develop harnesses the power of AI editing yet keeps control in the hands of photographers. I love the way ON1 has implemented this new tool. Not only does Brilliance AI make a great first edit of your photo, it also analyzes the elements in your image and offers individual control over the various regions. Brilliance AI also taps into NoNoise Ai and the Portrait AI modules to apply appropriate levels of noise reduction and portrait retouches automatically.
And it goes one step further by creating Local Adjustments for each of the detected regions. If your photo calls for some fine-tuning, Brilliance AI has made it easy for you to make your tweaks.
Brilliance AI delivers quick, easy AI-powered edits without the sacrifice of control and fine-tuning photographer want.
Unified Masking Controls
Prior versions of Photo RAW have multiple masking tool groups - Mask, Faces, Local, and Refine. There is a lot of overlap and frankly it’s been confusing to many users. ON1 Photo RAW 2024 unifies all of the masking tools into a single Mask tool group. Huzzah! Commence rejoicing.
A single tool bar with all the masking tools and the refine tools covers all your masking needs. Whether you are masking an Effects filter, a face or skin in the Portrait module, a Local Adjustment, or a Layer, you’ll work in a single, familiar Mask tool group. No more bouncing among tool groups to create and refine masks.
Search
The search experience in ON1 Photo RAW 2024 is so much better that prior versions. In older releases, searching was kind of clunky, with a search window that took up a lot of space on the screen and got in the way of the search results. ON1 Photo RAW 2024 has a search toolbar at the top of the Browse window. Search with freeform text, by attributes like star ratings or color labels, or by EXIF, IPTC, and other image metadata. The search bar also taps into AI power to search for photos with one or more faces and filter by gender or age. And the entire search sits above the main display area in Browse. The search results are always visible.
And there is, of course, more features and improvements in this release.
ON1 Photo RAW Or ON1 Photo RAW MAX?
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 has two offerings, Photo RAW and Photo RAW MAX. Both have the same editing features. Everything from Browse, Develop w/ Brilliance AI, and Effects through multi-photo merges like panoramas and HDR blends, to layered workflows, portrait retouching, and Resize AI.
The key difference with ON1 Photo RAW MAX is that MAX is able to run as a plugin to other photo editors. If your image workflow begins in another software package like Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop, Affinity Pro, Capture One, or another editor supported by ON1, you can round-trip to ON1 Photo RAW MAX directly using a standard plugin workflow. Use ON1 Photo RAW MAX as a single super-plugin instead of the individual ON1 plug-ins. If you’ve been missing the plugin function of Photo RAW since 2021 … MAX is what you want to look at. Send your images to ON1 Photo RAW MAX and add style in Effects, retouch people in Portrait AI, upscale with Resize AI, manage noise with NoNoise AI, and leverage all of the editing features of ON1 Photo RAW.
Pricing & Availability
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 will be available in the fall of 2023. And don’t forget to use the offer code SDP20 when you buy and SAVE 20%!
ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024 with plugin capabilities, $149.99 upgrade or $179.99 for new users
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 for standalone use, $79.99 upgrade or $99.99 for new users
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