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rileyslibrary · 1 year

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Lift and learn.

Synopsis: You discover Ghost’s unique skill; estimating the weight of items just by lifting them. You decide to challenge his ability by giving him little tests and he (for once in his life) loves to show off.

Relationship: Simon “Ghost” Riley x F!Reader

Word Count: 1,381 (approx. 5-6 minutes reading time.)

Notes:

Mindless, platonic fluff with minimal plot.

Want more?

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The storage room is vast and poorly lit, with rows of metal shelves stretching into the distance. The air conditioning blows cool air throughout the facility, with only the gentle hum of the units and refrigerators breaking the silence. You and Ghost stand at the entrance, surveying the endless supply of crates and boxes ahead of you.

“Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us,” you remark, kicking a nearby stack of boxes.

Ghost nods. “Come on,” he says as he walks between the shelves, “the faster we start, the faster we’ll be done with it.”

You follow him, walking down the first row of shelves, scanning the labels on the boxes and crates to see what they contain.

He checks the list you made with the food you’ll need for the mission, and he points toward the direction of the canned goods.

“Go look for the soup,” he advises, “and don’t lift the crate yourself.”

You turn to face him. “Why not, sir?”

“That thing weighs about 20 kgs,” he says, “you won’t be able to lift it alone.”

“Is that so?” you raise your brows. Ghost lets out a long sigh.

“I don’t doubt your abilities, soldier—I just know the box is too heavy to be lifted from up high,” he says. “I don’t want you to get hurt, and you don’t want to clean tomato soup off the floors now, do you?”

You roll your eyes and walk over to the box in question. You turn to glance at Ghost out of the corner of your eye—he’s ticking things off the list. You decide to give it a shot. You take a deep breath and grasp the box by its handles, attempting to pull it off the shelf. Your arms strain as you put all your weight into it, but the crate doesn’t budge. You try again, but it’s in vain.

Just as you’re about to give up, Ghost appears at your side.

“Told ya; it’s a heavy box,” he says, amused.

You step back, allowing him to take your place. He grips the box and lifts it off the shelf.

“That’s over 20 kgs.” He comments as he curls the box. “Around 24 kgs, I’d say.”

You stare at the box as it moves up and down, then at him. He approaches the large food scale and places the box on it. As he predicted, the box weights precisely the amount he estimated.

“Do you do this a lot?” you ask.

“No,” he says, chuckling, “I normally curl barbells.”

“Estimating the weight of something just by lifting it?” you clarify, “I saw you do it before when we were packing stuff from the armoury.”

“Ah,” he says, flicking his wrist, “it’s nothing.”

He surely doesn’t act like “it’s nothing.” He’s trying to portray himself as humble. But he looks far too cocky about it. He puffs out his chest and places his hands on his waist. His head tilts a little higher, and he squints his eyes, resulting in narrow creases at their corners. There’s also a slight stiffness in his upper body muscles. Is he flexing? Yes. Yes, he’s desperate to show off his skill once more. And, of course, you don’t waste the opportunity.

You gesture to a massive stalk of bananas. “How much does that weigh?” You ask.

He walks towards the bananas, his hands still on his hips. “Ah,” he says as he lifts the stalk, “this should weigh around 1.3 kgs.” He states and places the bananas on the scale. He waits for the scale to flash and then turns to face you when it indicates just a little over the amount he predicted.

“Wow, Lieutenant!” You yell and clap your hands together. “Do it again!”

He takes a sharp breath from his nose and gestures with his hands. “Give me something more difficult this time.” he says with pride.

You look around the storage room and spot a pile of sandbags in the corner.

“Okay, how much does one of those weigh?” you ask.

He redirects his gaze to the sandbags. He shrugs. “30 kgs.” He says.

“That doesn’t count, Lt.,” you frown, “you didn’t even lift them.”

“I don’t have to lift them, Y/N; we fill sandbags to exactly 30 kgs each.” He explains and turns to look at you with a you-should-have-knew-that expression.

You decide to step up your game.

“Okay, Lt., what about me?” you ask, pointing to yourself.

He raises his index finger at you. “I’m not lifting you.” He states.

“Why not?” You ask, and he goes on to explain how it put him in trouble on a deployment about a decade ago. “Bananas, don’t get offended when you estimate them to be a few grams heavier.” He explains. You promise him you won’t be insulted, and he brings his right hand to your face, squeezing your cheeks to stop you.

“O’ay,” you mutter through your pinched lips, and he lets you go. “See this cardboard box over there?” You ask, and he turns to look in the direction of a big, beige-coloured box on the ground. It’s taped shut and sealed with no hint or label of what it might contain.

“Can you estimate its weight without looking what’s inside the box?” you ask.

He gives a short chuckle and mutters something like “if I can, she asks” under his breath before walking to the box. He tilts his head, trying to estimate its weight by looking at it. He stretches his arms and cracks his knuckles, readying himself for what he’s about to do. He gathers his cargo pants from his thighs, and lowers himself to the ground in a deadlift position, grabbing the box by the handles. He takes a deep breath and pulls the box up with all his might.

But the box turns out to be lighter than you both anticipated, making Ghost lose his balance. He stumbles backwards, his arms flapping as he tries to regain control of his body. In his panic, he forgets to let go of the box which seems to defy gravity, and it flies through the air, driven by the momentum of his fall.

“Lt.!” you yell as you hurry to him, kneeling on the floor, “are you okay, sir?”

He stares at the floor, then at you, then back at the ground. You grab his arm to pull him up, but his ego is too bruised to allow you to do that to him. He gets up on his own and dusts his trousers.

“I’m sorry, sir,” you apologise, “I had no idea.”

He crosses his arms in front of his chest—he looks defensive. “Neither of us knew, soldier,” he says, trying to reassure you, and walks towards the box.

“Huh,” he says as he lifts its flaps. “I fell backwards by a rocket explosion before,” he recalls, “but never by a cardboard box filled with sanitary pads.”

You giggle, and he shakes his head. He picks one of the packages and shows it to you. “Will you need a couple of these during our mission?” He asks.

“Yes, sir,” you reply, lowering your eyes to the ground.

He picks up two packs and puts one of them under his arm. “No shame in that, soldier,” he comforts you and shakes the other pack, “these babies almost broke my hip about a minute ago.”

You smile in response—at least he can make a joke out of this uncomfortable situation.

“You’re impressive, Lt.,” you comment, “a walking and breathing human scale.”

“Eh,” he shrugs as he crosses the final items off the list, “it helps with missions and loading up the trucks.”

“Now,” you continue, looking at the boxes you’ve collected for the mission, “how about we fill up the truck before one of us gets hurt in this warzone of a storage unit?”

He lets out a laugh. “Yes, let’s get outta here,” he agrees, “I don’t want to get jumped by a bunch of Kleenex.”

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neteyamsyawntu · 1 year

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My Little Tawtute

Neteyam x Curvy!Human Reader

✨Friendly Disclaimer: The content of this story contains aged-up characters! If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, please feel free to click or scroll away. The last thing I want is for anyone to read something they are uncomfortable with, however if you decide to interact with any negativity, you will be blocked from my blog as a result.

Synopsis: Your relationship with Neteyam was unique to say the least. Nothing ever going farther then some light touches and some cuddling, but what happens when Neteyam decides to push the boundaries of your relationship during one of his visits to the lab?

LIGHTLY PROOF READ

Warnings:🔞MINORS DNI🔞 SMUTSMUTSMUTTYSMUT, P in V, fingering, mentions of creampie, thigh fucking, friends to lovers(if you squint hard enough), size kink, interspecies relationship, dirty talk, dom!neteyam, pet names. (Let me know if I missed anything)

Tawtute -> Human

Today wasn’t necessarily the most busy day in the lab. You had gotten most of your research done by noon and for the most part you now found yourself just organizing things into virtual files, before moving your work to your room to start on your physical copies, being a very tedious note taker. You were half way through the pile when you were pulled out of your thoughts to heavy footsteps against the tile coming from down the hall. You look over to your open door just in time to see Neteyam crouch down as he carefully makes his way through the doorway, having learned the hard way from being excited one too many times and smacking his forehead against the frame. The realization of his carefulness coaxing a small chuckle from you. Neteyam’s ears perked at the sound, giving you a smirk in return, “You sound like you are in a good mood today.” He says as he closes the door behind him, moving to stand to his full height, only leaning down slightly from over your shoulder, observing the papers in front of you. “It’s been a pretty easy day, nothing too exciting. I’m just organizing all of this to keep myself busy at this point” You say with a content sigh, swiveling around in your desk chair to look up at the nearly 10ft tall na’vi. Neteyam gives a small nod, taking in your words as his smirk slowly spreads a tad wider, “And.. when do you think you will be done with your… organizing?”. You give a small shrug as you casually look over your stack of notes and your tabbed storage container, which was sorted by importance of category, “Mm… hopefully not too much longer- here let me set up your spot”. What had become Neteyam’s spot was simply just some extra pillows and blankets you had, that you arranged for him so that he wouldn’t have to sit on the cold tile floor for too long, which of course he showed no issue with, but still appreciated the gesture. Rising from your chair, you made your way over to the tall wardrobe on the farthest wall of the room, Neteyam’s eyes glued to the way your exposed thighs rubbed against each other as you walked, watching the slight jiggle that was created with each step. It was one of the things that drew you to him; despite your own insecurities about your body, Neteyam was fascinated with the curvature of your body, only really being accustomed to the lean, slender build of the na’vi. You were different in the best way possible.

Although his initial attraction to you started with your peaked interest and passion for learning about Pandora and the culture of his people, the more time he spent with you, the more he would catch himself staring at your body. Staring, slowly led to daydreaming, to fleeting touches, pushing the boundaries further and further to get close to you. The relationship between the two of you was unique for lack of a better term. The two of you were close, very close in fact. With na’vi being monogamous creatures by nature, as soon as Neteyam started to feel a more intimate attraction toward you, he silently made his claim on you, always making sure you were not left alone with other men for too long without him being present and even cuddling with you during your down time. Sometimes your cuddle sessions would turn somewhat heated, fueled by Neteyam’s wandering hands and his need to squeeze the thickness of your thighs, but none of it went farther than some suggestive touching and cautious kisses. Neteyam’s eyelids became heavier as he watched you set everything up on the floor, his tail swaying intriguingly behind him, “How's this?” You asked, kneeling on the floor as you adjusted some of the blankets. Neteyam slowly lowered his body onto the soft surface of the blankets and pillows, his face creeping closer and closer to yours as he stared straight through you with his large golden eyes, “Nearly perfect…” he hummed, before shifting to lay his head down on your lap, his eyes closing contently as he nuzzled gently against the plush of your thighs, “Mmm.. much better” he purred with a slight pull in his throat. You were used to his advances by now of course, yet they never failed to manifest butterflies in your stomach at his forwardness.

“Neteyam, I still have work to do..” You state with a small pout. Neteyam’s ear merely flicks at your weak attempt at a protest, opening his eyes to gaze up at you with a playful glint in his eyes, “Just stay with me like this a moment… then you can go back to your ‘work’, I promise” his words almost have a sarcastic tone to them as he shifts his position to run his nose along the skin of your thigh. You sigh before giving a soft giggle, moving a hand to pet his head, “You’re just like a needy house cat, you know that?”. Neteyam scrunches his nose a bit at your comment, his tail shifting to tap against the pillows in a slight annoyance, “I do not appreciate being compared to your Earth creatures.”. It was so easy for you to tease him, which only made you want to do it more. You had shown him pictures on your laptop of certain animals native to your planet one day, whilst the two of you were exchanging information about your own respective planets, when you continued to point out some of his own feline features that reminded you of the small furry creatures, which prompted the same reaction of an unamused nose scrunch. Either way he continued to allow your soft caresses, humming as he shifts his body to lay on his side, facing your body. A deep blush begins to form on your cheeks as you watch him. How his nostrils twitch as he pokes your inner thigh with his nose, just below the hem of your shorts, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “Neteyam what-”, “-You smell so good, tawtute… so sweet.. right here” he hums as shifts his head to brush his flat nose against the crotch of your shorts. You could feel your heartbeat begin to double at his words and actions, your body stiffening as he takes a deep inhale of your scent, pressing his nose against the zipper of your shorts.

You flinch at his assertiveness, watching him with wide eyes. This wasn’t necessarily out of character for him, but he was definitely pushing the boundary of your usual intimate touching. To have his face so close to your clothed cunt, blatantly smelling your arousal, it nearly made you feel light headed as tension started to build up between you. “Teyam… “ you whisper, gulping slightly as the air in the room almost seemed to become thicker, harder to breathe. Neteyam reluctantly lifted himself from your lap, nearly high off of your scent alone, desperate for another hit, his eyes heavy with lust, as he rose to his knees, “Turn around…” he ordered in a low almost strained voice, as if it was taking him every morsel in his body not to pin you beneath him and claim you as his. You shivered at his tone, giving a slight nod as you slowly rose to your feet, turning your back to him. Listening as Neteyam lets out a pleased hum, a soft gasp suddenly escapes your lips at the feeling his large hands taking hold of your hips, pulling you to press your back flush against his chest, his nose immediately finding its nesting spot in the crook of your neck, having another intake of your scent. Neteyam’s hands slowly creep down to the swell of your thighs, his fingers squeezing the fat there firmly as he releases a groan directly into your ear. “N-Neteyam… This.. this is a little.. Uh..” You are hardly able to put your thoughts into a cohesive sentence. Your brain was yelling at you to reject his advances, but your instincts and the tightening in your stomach as his nails lightly dig into the skin of your thighs, wanted nothing more than to melt under his touch. “Are you uncomfortable, yawne? Do you want me to stop?” he purrs into your ear, his lips grazing its shell, waiting for your consent before he continues, “N-no..I just… you’ve never held me like this before.” You breathe as your eyelids flutter at the thought of what could be going through Neteyam’s mind. The power he had over you felt intoxicating.

Neteyam lets out a soft chuckle, enjoying how nervous he’s making you feel, the heat of his breath on your ear, sends a shiver down your spine, “Do you trust me, tawtute?” he asks in a soft sultry tone. Giving him a slow nod, Neteyam responds by parting his lip to lick a thin stripe up the length of your ear, instantly sending another shiver down your spine, sucking your bottom lip between your teeth as the action pulls a whimper from your throat, “Good…”. Neteyam begins to massage your thighs in slow circles, his fingers spreading out to encompass the width of your thighs, continuously squeezing the flesh there, his thumbs lightly caressing your exposed stretch marks periodically, releasing a deep groan into the side of your neck, as his eyes are glued to his repetitive movements, “So beautiful…”. A small whine escapes you at his words, your breath hitching as you feel something firm, pressing against the back of your thigh, while Neteyam shifts his right hand to allow his index finger to rub against the hem over your crotch, pressing firmly enough for you to feel friction between his finger and the fabric of your shorts. Your brows pinch at the sensation, head rolling back to rest against his shoulder as you release a staggered exhale.

A satisfied smile forms its way onto Neteyam’s lips as his eyes move to watch your pleasured expression, “Are you enjoying this, Y/N?” He asks, already knowing full-well the answer, as he examines your face, mouth agape and eyes closed tight as he adds more pressure to his long digit, dragging it across your clothed folds, too caught up in the feeling to answer him straight. “Answer me sweet girl…” his voice rumbles against your ear, his nose gliding down the side of your neck, “Haah… mmm- yes… feels.. really good.” you respond between shaky breaths, your mind beginning to spiral as his thumb drifts to push open the button of your shorts effortlessly. “Hmm that’s my good girl..” as the words leave his mouth, another swipe of his tongue finds its way down your jugular, toward your collarbone, the sensation tingling your sensitive skin enough for you to grip the forearm, of his hand that was working on shimmying your shorts down your thick thighs, as a reflex. As your mind finally becomes conscious of what Neteyam was trying to do, the sense of urgency fueled by your desire takes over, prompting you to move your hands to assist him in shoving your shorts down your thighs, pushing past the slight resistance of your thighs, kicking them away the moment they fall to the floor. “You seem eager, little one” Neteyam says with a soft chuckle as fingers hook themselves around the band of your panties pulling them down as well, tossing them to the side after you step out of them, before his hands work their way up your legs to reclaim their place back on your thighs. His right hand shifting to lightly lay over your mound. Your body shivers as the cold air brushes past your naked folds, breath hitching the moment Neteyam’s finger slides through the wetness that had built up at your entrance, collecting the wetness enough to bring his lubricated digit to your clit, rubbing slow repetitive circles against the bundle of nerves. Your back instantly arches at the sensation, your hand moving to cover your mouth, muffling your noises, to which Neteyam immediately removes your hand with his free one, bringing the back of your hand to his lips, pressing a firm kiss against it as he eyes you hungrily, “do not hide those pretty noises from me, sevin… let me hear you” Neteyam purrs a he begins to rub slightly firmer circles into your clit while simultaneously beginning to grind his throbbing erection against your leg.

“Ohh! Ahh- oh god..” Neteyam’s ears flick as your whiny moans fall from your lips, responding with his own low growl at the sound, “Yes… that’s it, yawne… s-so so pretty…”. You can hear his own voice begin to waver as he grinds his erecting firmly against your leg, his brows knitting together as the sensation starts to become too much for him to handle. His eyes land on the puddle of slick that had built up on his hand from massaging your folds, “Y/N… do you mind if we try something?” He asks in a slightly shaky voice, as he loops a hand behind his back to expertly untie his loincloth, allowing it to fall to the floor at his knees, his cock springing up, smacking lightly against your thigh. Your eyes widen at the feeling, unable to stop yourself as your curious hand reaches behind you to run your fingers along his shaft, earning a trembling hiss from Neteyam, “Y-yawne, wait.. you don’t have to do that… Oh…”. Looking over your shoulder at him, eyes now half lidded, watching as Neteyam leans his head against your shoulder while unsteady, heavy breaths leave his lips, as you wrap your small fingers around his cock, giving him slow yet firm strokes from base to tip. His shoulders rise and fall with a bit more urgency as his breathing becomes heavier, absolutely crumbling at the way you’re touching him. Biting his lip, Neteyam puts his hand over yours to halt your movements, pulling you off of him, “S-stop… you’re gonna make me cum like that… just- spread your legs a bit more.” He requests, letting go of your hand to place his own on the swell of your ass, his fingers hungrily digging into your cheeks, spreading them apart slightly, causing you to whine as you eagerly follow his orders. Neteyam places a hand at the base of his cock, steadying his breath as he brings you closer to him, pressing your hips flush against his front, guiding the length of his cock to slide right up against your sopping cunt, pulling pleasured sounds from both of you at the contact. “Good… n-now close your legs for me”, “W-wait, close them?” You ask, giving him a somewhat confused look. “Yes, tawtute.. close your legs for me… please”. You could tell he was becoming more and more desperate by the shaky plea that left his mouth. Complying with his wishes you close your legs as much as you can with his cock sitting between your thighs, Neteyam’s hands gripping your hips tightly as he holds back a strained groan, “J-just like that… perfect…”. Taking in deep breath Neteyam pushes his cock through your thighs, using your slick as lubrication, your eyes watching as his tip breaks free from the containment of your closed legs, a content sigh leaving his lips as Neteyam once again has to remind himself to keep his restraint, to not plunge himself straight into your tight, unprepped pussy.

Your body began to tremble, feeling as a potent heat spreads through your core you could feel your cunt aching as Neteyam began to use your hips to slide you back and forth on his cock, using your thighs to fuck himself. His palms moving to pull your ass cheeks apart to watch the base of his cock disappear between your thighs over and over again, “Oh shit, yawne… haah.. you're doing so well for me.. Eywa, you’re so wet…”. A high pitched whine rips from your throat as his thick shaft glides effortlessly over your folds and clit, coaxing out small squelching noises from the push and pull of his movements, your hips occasionally jerking at the sensation of his cockhead hitting your clit a certain way. “Ahh.. Teyam I- I can’t..”, Neteyam immediately stops his motions at your words, thinking he may have done something wrong, or that you weren’t completely as comfortable with this as you had led on. Leaning in close to your face, Neteyam nuzzles against your cheek in attempts to comfort you, his cock continuing to throb and twitch at the loss of friction, “What is it, tiyawn?” He asks a little out of breath, as he tries to reel back his mind to focus on you and your needs. “I… I need more.. please, Teyam.” You beg in soft whimpers, as your hand reaches down to caress the tip of his cock that was poking out from between your thighs, causing his hips to jerk slightly at the sudden touch. Neteyam stares down at you with wide eyes at your boldness before his lips twitch into a smirk, releasing a low chuckle from his chest, “Oh my little needy tawtute… you have no idea how hard it is for me not to pin you down and have my way with you.” He purrs against your cheek, before shifting his head to place a firm kiss on your temple, “But I would hurt you. Your small little body is not made to take such.. large intrusions”.

You pout letting loose another needy whimper as you lean forward enough to shift your hips to align his tip with your rubbed out pussy lips, “I can take it.. I promise… or I at least want to try- please Neteyam… I need you” you whine desperately as you begin to stir your hips against his cockhead, already feeling how it would take him a good amount of effort to even force himself inside of you, as his tip barely passed through your lips. Neteyam takes in a sharp inhale at your actions, gritting his teeth as his hold on your hips becomes nearly bruising as he fights against his own internal conflicts, “Y/N this is dangerous.. I’m serious, you could really get hurt”. You groan at his protests, knowing that he was right, but he had already given you this much, let you feel him, touch him, and your body only craved more. Your pussy throbs in anticipation as you take matters into your own hands, attempting to push yourself down on to him, “Fuck it! I don’t care, hurt me then. Neteyam please I can’t take it anymore.” Before you can even process what is happening, your head is pinned to the blankets below you, ass in the air as Neteyam continues to hold you by the back of the neck, keeping you in place. Looking over your shoulder you can see the dark look in his eye, his chest heaving with heavy breaths as he indulges in his own primal instincts for a moment. Leaning over your backside, Neteyam drags his tongue up your spine, pushing your shirt up as he goes, until he reaches the center of your shoulder blades. With one hand Neteyam maneuvers your shirt to bind your wrists with it, rolling the excess fabric into a small knot. His voice is a low growl in your ear, “If you want it that badly, then be a good girl and let me properly prepare you.” Releasing his hold on your wrists after ensuring that your wadded up shirt would do the job, Neteyam snakes his hand behind your rear, moving down toward your exposed glistening cunt, giving it a rough slap, not enough to hurt, but to at the very least stimulate your aching hole, enough to cause you to cry out, “You said you wanted to be hurt, isn’t that right, tawtute? Hah.. such a naughty little thing..” he coos to you teasingly as he rubs the flesh of your ass, before directly inserting his middle finger down to the last knuckle into your throbbing core. Your breath is caught in your throat at the unexpected entry, thinking he would have maybe given you some sort of warning, only finally finding your voice as he begins to pump the digit inside of you, letting out a breathy moan in partial relief from the aching in your deprived walls.

“Is this what you wanted? Begging for my cock and now you can’t even speak, all because of my finger. Go ahead, beg for more, little one… beg me to stretch you out properly” he orders you in a deep growl, as his fangs graze the flesh of your shoulder. Without any hesitation, you eagerly answer to his call, “M-more! Please, Teyam put another finger in… ohh it feels so good…”. With a sly smirk Neteyam shifts his hand back, watching your expression closely as he forces his last two fingers into your hole. Your brows pinch together at the sudden stretch, mouth falling agape as you find your voice temporarily missing again, before releasing a strained mewl. Neteyam placed a kiss on your shoulder, choosing to be a bit more patient with you, soothing your discomfort, considering the drastic adjustments your body was having to make, before slowly moving his digits in and out of you, massaging the gummy part of your walls. Continuing to release a stream of shallow breaths and moans, you find yourself fisting the blankets beneath you as Neteyam’s fingers masterfully find your g-spot, watching how your body squirms every time he hits it. “O-oh god.. Tey- Teyam I’m close!” You warn, feeling your legs start to tremble, your knees struggling to stay upright in your current position, “That’s it… cum for me, my little tawtute. Cum on my fingers.”, his words ring in your ear like an undeniable command, almost as if your body was hardwired to appease his wants, prompting your body to immediately obey his orders, as you feel your core tighten more and more before you burst, screaming out in ecstasy. The tightness of your cunt practically pushing his fingers out of you, leaving a thick string of slick connecting his fingers to your throbbing cunt. You nuzzle your face into the blankets as you come down from your high, desperately trying to regain control of your breathing, you turn your face to look over your shoulder, just in time to catch Neteyam’s predatory gaze as he brings his fingers to his mouth, licking and sucking your juices tentatively, his tail swaying possessively behind him, “How is it that you taste this good?… Sweet.. yet tangy like an utumauti… or I think you humans call it banana fruit.”. You throw a half hearted, exhausted laugh his way as you slowly move to sit up, your mind fogging as you assumed this was the end of your intimate session, that was until his large palm presses into the middle of your back, pushing you back down, forcing you to arch your back for him, ripping a surprised yelp from your weak form, “You’ve been such a good girl, yawne… I think it’s time I give you what you’ve been begging for.” Neteyam hums, rubbing his shaft along your dripping folds, biting his bottom lip as he collects your remaining cum on his shaft, his ears flicking when his actions are rewarded with the sound of your breathy sighs, “Unless of course you have changed your mind?” He teases you, pressing his tip firmly against your entrance, restraining enough to wait for your green light to insert himself into you.

“Tey, stop teasing me and give it to me already!” you pout, pushing your ass to meet his advances, nearly causing his tip to slip inside of you, earning a shaky moan from the na’vi male behind you, slowly turning into a rough chuckle, “I don’t think I've ever met anyone so desperate to be torn apart. Very well, tiyawn… relax for me” he coos, leaning into your ear, placing a gentle kiss on it’s shell before leaning back, firmly placing his hands on your hips, holding you in place and then you feel it, his cockhead forcing its way into your cunt, assisted by your preexisting lubricant. The stretch was unlike anything you had felt before, making his fingers seem feeble in comparison, yet feeling as Neteyam pushed himself further and further through your walls, you knew that without having taken his fingers first, you would have certainly been torn apart. Your back arched further as the weight of his pelvis caused your knees to spread further apart, gasping as the action drove him deeper inside of you,“I-It hurts, Tey…”, “You’re doing great, yawne… just a bit more..”. His tone is soft and affectionate, in his best attempts to comfort you. No matter how much he teased you, it did cause him pain to see you in such discomfort, nearly on the verge of tears as you lay your head flat on the floor in defeat, allowing your body to fully relax as you accept your fate. Just as Neteyam had promised you, with a few more pushes into your tight walls, his cock had finally reached as far as it could go, his tip nestled against your cervix, releasing a heavy exhale into the crook of your neck, as he tried to keep his composure despite how hungrily your pussy clenched around him, “Oh Eywa… you feel incredible, yawne.” He mutters in a barely audible whisper as he nuzzles into your hair, taking in your scent to calm his nerves, his hands falling from your hips to wrap his arms around your waist, pulling your rear flush against his pelvis, his tail curling at the sensation of being so deep inside of you. His eyes trail over you as your expression finally seems to relax, carefully resting his forehead against your temple, placing a kiss on your cheekbone.

“I am going to start moving now… ok?” He coos into your ear, placing another kiss on the top of your head after you nod in approval. Steadying himself with a final breath, Neteyam slowly begins to roll his hips into you. “Mmmn…Oh my… ohh!”, you moan out as your heart is beating at a thousand miles a minute, the pain slowly melts into pure arousal. The feeling of the stretch was still there of course, yet oddly the discomfort in itself became satisfying. Gripping the shirt that still bound your hands, you began to rock your hips back to meet Neteyam’s thrusts, taking him off guard for a moment at your sudden eagerness, nevertheless it fuels his desire to want to pound into you that much more, “Look at you taking me so well…so deep.. and so tight” he purrs low into the back of your neck between moans, his breaths becoming slightly heavier as his hips begin to move a bit more passionately, nuzzling into your hair once more as his own desires grow more intense, “You’re so tiny…oh you sky person…” Neteyam whispers breathily into your neck, chuckling softly at the pathetic whine you let out in protest of this specific pet name, only encouraging him to buck his harder into you, admiring how his movements cause your tongue to fall past your lips as your mouth hangs open to allow string after string of moans and whimpers to emerge. The small room filling with noises of ecstasy as well as the sound of skin slapping against one another as Neteyam steadily loses his composure, rutting into you with intense love and carnal desire.

Moaning out at the feeling of a sudden tug at the base of your skull, Neteyam uses your hair to pull your head backward, forcing you to stare at the ceiling while his mouth hungrily attaches itself to your neck, leaving dark marks all along its surface, leaving his claim on you, so that everyone- sky person and na’vi alike would know who you belong to. The familiar tightness builds up in your core again, as the mix of sensations work together to send you into overdrive. Neteyam can feel it too. The way your cunt is clenching and unclenching more rapidly around him, he knows you are getting close. His arm that his still wrapped around your middle moves to descend his hand down between your thighs, rubbing at your overstimulated clit, immediately causing your entire body to tremble once again, albeit more aggressively than before as your orgasm ripped through your body before you even had a chance to give a proper warning. Neteyam’s ears perking to full assertiveness, basking in the pleasured sounds of your climax, eyes nearly rolling in the back of his head as he uses them to chase his own release, “Oh.. yawne.. yawne, ah- I’m cumming…” he warns, panting heavily as he feels his cock attempt to twitch within the confines of your tight cunt, before he releases his load inside of you. Pulling out slowly after taking a moment to catch his breath, Neteyam lays down beside you, pulling you into his strong embrace, as he gently runs his finger tips up and down your back as you come down from your high. Your own fingers caressing his chest in a slow kneading motion as your eyelids grow heavier and heavier. The room was quiet, only the sounds of your soft panting and sighs filled the space. Neteyam holds you closer to him as his hand lifts from your back to gently caress your cheek, his hand nearly twice the size of your head in comparison, “My little tawtute… so beautiful.. mine…” he mumbles into your hairline, pressing a gentle yet firm kiss on your forehead. The sound of his soft whispers and his strong yet calm heartbeat lulling you to sleep in his arms.

I'm so proud of myself for getting this fic out when I said I would. Well kind of, I'm technically a day late, but shh. I didn't wait till after I woke up the next day, so it still counts. TIME IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT AND I SHALL NOT BEND TO ITS WHIM. N E WAYS I hope you guys enjoyed this! It was honestly super fun to write and god, something about human x na'vi pairings just do something to me.

If you'd like to be added to my tag list to updated on stories and major posts, go comment on my Welcome To My Blog post.

Tag-list:

@tiredmamaissy

@jakexneytiri

@neytris

@jake-sullys-whore

@live-laugh-neteyam

@zynn4

@eywascall

@christinechickiee

@fanboyluvr

@afro-hispwriter

@iwannahaveaprettyaesthetic

@bigdikzaddy

@aonungsmate

@pandorxxx

@arminsgfloll

@Netemoon

@innixyly

@im-in-a-pansexual-panik

@blackchim3ra

@crazy4books1

@neteyamforlife

@bajadotcom

@kiri-tuk

@samistars

@riatesullironalite

@liluvtojineteyam

@yevyyevs

@itzgabz22

@yeosxxx

#avatar #avatar the way of water #neteyam #neteyam sully #neteyam smut #avatarsmut #avatar twow #neteyam sully smut #neteyam x reader #neteyam x human reader #neteyam x y/n #neteyam x you #neteyam x curvy!reader #body positivity

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science-lover33 · 9 months

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Unraveling the Wonders of the Neuron and Brain (Part 1)

Hey there, Tumblr fam! Today, let's dive deep into the intricate world of neurons and the brain. 🧠✨

Anatomy of a Neuron

Neurons are the building blocks of the nervous system, responsible for transmitting information throughout your body. They have a unique structure, consisting of three main parts:

Cell Body (Soma): This is like the neuron's control center. It contains the nucleus, which houses the cell's DNA and controls its activities.

Dendrites: These branch-like extensions protruding from the cell body are the neuron's antennae. They receive signals from other neurons or sensory receptors, transmitting these signals to the cell body.

Axon: Think of the axon as the neuron's transmission line. It's a long, slender, cable-like structure that carries signals away from the cell body, toward other neurons or target cells.

At the end of the axon, you'll find axon terminals, where neurotransmitters are released to communicate with the next neuron or target cell.

Physiology of a Neuron

Neurons are all about transmitting information through electrical impulses and chemical signals. Here's a quick rundown:

Resting Membrane Potential: Neurons have a resting state where the inside is negatively charged compared to the outside due to the uneven distribution of ions (like sodium and potassium) across the cell membrane. This creates a potential difference called the resting membrane potential.

Action Potential: When a neuron receives a strong enough signal (usually from dendrites), it can generate an action potential—a rapid change in membrane potential. This electrical signal travels down the axon like a wave.

Synaptic Transmission: When the action potential reaches the axon terminals, it triggers the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse, the tiny gap between neurons. These chemicals bind to receptors on the next neuron, initiating a new electrical signal.

The Marvelous Brain

Now, let's shift our focus to the brain—the command center of your entire nervous system. 🌟

Your brain consists of various regions, each with specific functions. Here are a few key areas:

Cerebrum: This is the largest part and is divided into two hemispheres, each responsible for various cognitive functions like thinking, memory, and sensory perception.

Cerebellum: Located at the back of your brain, it plays a crucial role in balance, coordination, and fine motor skills.

Brainstem: Situated at the base of the brain, it controls basic life-sustaining functions like breathing and heart rate.

Hippocampus: Essential for memory formation and storage.

Amygdala: Involved in processing emotions and emotional memories.

And there's so much more to explore!

References:

Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2016). "Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain." Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Purves, D., et al. (2017). "Neuroscience." Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Kandel, E. R., Schwartz, J. H., & Jessell, T. M. (2012). "Principles of Neural Science." McGraw-Hill Education.

These references will provide you with in-depth insights into the fascinating world of neurons and the brain. Remember, your brain is a universe waiting to be explored! 🌌💡🔬

Stay curious, Tumblr pals! 😊🧠

#neuroscience #biology #science #college #education #school #student #medicine #doctors #health #healthcare #neurology #brains #psychology #psychiatry

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starryoak · 7 months

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Basic Pokémon Worldbuilding Headcanons

Decided to write down my base worldbuilding assumptions about the Pokémon World, in case anyone else would like to share them;

Pokemon types are not fully a human-made classification system, but rather a metaphysical property of a Pokémon’s aura, the same aura that Lucario and many other Pokémon manipulate; the ‘frequency’ of their type is unique to them, and the combination of types makes its own unique ‘frequency’, much like coordinates on a chart with 18 different axiis on both sides. This means that classification was first made and named by psychic humans who could sense them, until humans developed machinery for proper classification. The formal classification of a type is conditional on being detectable by modern technology, which is why the Fairy type remained unclassified for years, as it was very similar to Normal type in makeup.

This energy is also how Pokémon can be contained in Pokeballs and transferred electronically; Pokemon are naturally capable of converting from energy to mass and back again, though the exact mechanics of this transformation only became known in the 90’s as advances in science allowed the Pokémon Storage System to come into existence.

Psychic humans, of course, as we know, exist. Up to 5-10% of the population is some form of psychic, the extra 5% having psychic potential of some manner that, while not offering powers of any kind, makes them extra vulnerable to psychic effects or attacks.

This fact mixes explicit canon with my own headcanons; evolution for Pokémon is a process entirely separate to aging or the biological meaning of evolution in our world. Pokémon evolve for a variety of factors that are often connected but not always related to aging; if their territory is suited for them and would not support their larger evolution, many Pokémon simply choose not to evolve, leading to strange (for humans) sights like encountering elderly Treecko. As Grovyle are significantly larger than their prevolution, the Treecko would have had to leave his family behind to seek new territory, so it simply never did. Evolution is not the process of aging for Pokémon, though it’s often intimately connected with it, most Pokémon are fully capable of reaching maturity and breeding prior to their final evolution, so many simply choose not to do so for their own reasons.

The act of evolution consumes a large amount of energy in a short period of time; this is the cause of the glowing light seen in the anime and some games, while others feature large bursts of swirling wind, the method of energy dispersal can vary, but all evolution causes some form of sudden energy discharge.

The process that is described in our world as natural evolution, and this is explicitly canon, does occur to Pokémon, though often it can be much more rapid than in our world. For example, and this is implicitly (though not explicitly) canon, Electrode and Voltorb’s species was originally a species of Apricorn mimics; this is implied by the Temple of Sinnoh’s statue of the original Lord Electrode, which has no dividing line between the upper and lower halves. As Pokeballs came into existence, they pivoted to mimicking them instead.

Pokémon breeding is more complicated than canon presents, obviously, but the base premises the game uses, of “Egg Groups”, is fundamentally still correct. Pokémon reproduce in different ways based on their species, but all Pokémon capable of breeding are in some form capable of laying eggs, often with the more mammalian Pokémon simply being ovovivaparous, giving live birth to their young, but still having eggs inside their bodies rather than placentas. Under stress or other conditions that make it more favorable, often these Pokémon can choose to lay their eggs rather than develop them internally. Despite most technically being capable of doing so, most Pokémon simply do not choose to breed outside their species, and in fact, interbreeding between species in the wild is a likely sign of a disturbed ecosystem. Obvious incompatibilities due to size can be overcome through artificial insemination, and Pokémon breeders often use these technologies to help create more effective battlers. As in canon, male Pokémon pass on very little to their offspring. To elaborate on that fact, male Pokémon pass on their aura to their child more than genes, and this leads to the influence of the father on a Pokémon expressing themselves subtly, often offering the capabilities to learn moves that may not be natural to their offspring. Very occasionally the father’s genes will express themselves in minor physical differences to an average member of the species, but this is very rare and usually very subtle.

Pokémon that are not biological in nature and/or in the No Eggs Discovered egg group tend to reproduce in their own unique ways, but due to unknown reasons, speculated upon wildly by scientists, usually still produce some form of egg in the process of reproduction. For example; Magnemite and its family reproduce by two or more Magnemite collecting magnetic minerals together into a roughly egg-shaped ball, which eventually solidifies into a Magnemite egg. This type of reproduction is common to most Pokémon in the Mineral egg group. Most Ghost types are capable of natural reproduction, despite their appearances, and simply collect energy together during reproduction that coalesces into an egg once a male Pokémon has provided their aura.

#pokemon #pokemon worldbuilding #pokemon headcanons #headcanons #pokemon types #treecko #magnemite #pokemon breeding #hisuian voltorb #hisuian electrode #my posts

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nights-at-crystarium · 1 year

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Vivi and his poking stick, as he expertly refers to it himself.

It appears in the episode 13 and apparently makes people see a job stone. Job stones only contain things intangible, like skill and memory, iirc there’s also no official explanation of the gear sets/storage despite their appearance in trailers (e.g. ShB trailer), so I had to improvise.

The spear itself’s custom, both ooc, designed by me because I’m yet to see an ingame weapon I like, and ic, a unique thing, perhaps first of its kind, that Vivi received as a gift.

Forgive me for rambling but look how shaped Vivi is. I pushed his angular shapes here and I’m still staring contentedly.

#sometimes se's hands off approach to lore is a blessing sometimes a curse #as an artist/writer i would've loved some less blurry definitions but all i get is *creative freedom*#ffxiv #vivien rell #own: next lvl

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devouredbyflame · 27 days

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Deepening Relationships with the Divine

I see a lot of posts on Tumblr about how to go about having casual relationships, or showing your devotion subtly but never have I seen ways in which those who wish to move on from that realm of being would actually start having a dedicated practice. People don’t need to be subtle to worship the Gods - in fact, most practices aren’t blatant and don’t need to be blatant. It is understandable and often necessary to be in a closet but you can still have a very deep relationship with the Gods while it still being meaningful.

Here’s a list of things you can do to strengthen your devotion with the Gods as well as build and deepen your relationship.

Build a shrine dedicated to an individual Deity and take time to know Them by using it.

The idea that you need to have multiple Deities all the time and worship all of Them together is a very strange way of doing polytheism and it is a more powerful usage of space to have one singular Deity at a time rather than a mix together. People may feel less of a need to be so bent out of shape if they can’t afford offerings for an entire pantheon of Gods if they only have one household Deity and the rest are specific to other tasks or needs. I’m not saying you need to pick one above the rest, but I am saying that when you work with the Gods, it’s not about quantity of your relationships, it’s about quality and how long you actually spend together in a similar fashion.

Design your shrine to be simple.

You don’t need a bunch of things on your shrine and in fact, that won’t make it any more detectable to the Gods or show how dedicated you are as a polytheist. It is not about how much work you put into the shrine to make it more about the Gods you worship but it’s more along the line of what needs to happen when you go to the shrine, what actions you take while you’re there.

Hypothetically, all you need is a candle to light to show that you wish for a Deity’s presence, but to make it more usable and detectable to a Deity, it is recommended you also have an image, statue, or likeness of the Deity. You can also have a bowl or a glass to fill for your offerings. Do not make huge offerings if you are going to forget to empty them out. Only make the offerings that won’t rot should that be the case, and only do that if you know you’re going to throw it out, eat it, or dispose of it shortly after.

Make a plan to go to your shrine at least once a day if not several times a week.

The more time you spend at the shrine, the easier it will be for the Deity to realize your intent of showing interest. It isn’t because you’re more devoted, are special, or show any signs that you’re worth looking into, but rather, the concept is mostly around how much energy is built up gradually over time. Energy is only built up because of the amount of time you spend there and how much meaning is there. It is not some moral issue you should feel guilty about should it not happen.

The fact is, the Gods aren’t waiting around and checking off boxes above your head so when you fail They mark it against you for the rest of your time with Them. They are, however, flawed in the way that They only can go about recognizing the material world based off of the flow of energy and how much is stored that is unique to Them.

Having a journal at your shrine to write to Them in while a candle is lit is a perfect way of building a relationship. The act of writing is a perfect way to build energy.

Keeping a specific divination tool at the shrine for that single Deity to use and to build Their energy around is also extremely important. It has to be unique to Them while also being used and stored at the site where you are making the most attempts at being at your shrine.

It is important to keep the shrine contained in a way that makes sure that other energies cannot get in. So even if you are closeted or must keep it on the low, go to the craft store and get a photo storage box. You only need a few items in there to make it meaningful. Over time, the use of those items will become more and more sacred. You can take them in and out of the box - it doesn’t matter how it’s stored but as long as it is contained and out of reach of animals and other things that can be hazardous to them and also maintain the cleanliness of the shrine. If not a box, a closet, cabinet, or bookshelf that is high up are all good places to keep it.

If you’re going to keep the shrine out in an open space, make sure the environment around the area is kept free from dust, dirt, animal hair, organized and vacuumed around it. Dirt that is built up makes it harder for the Gods to reach you energetically - cleaning the room it is in is going to be required if you have it outside of a container. If you’re low on spoons or live in a place that is impossible, a box is perfect. As long as the items are kept tidy energetically, no harm would be done if you’re not super hellbent on keeping a very energetically and physically pristine home.

Most people don’t have the space to have a dedicated area that is solely meant to remain clean for the Gods it is dedicated to. If that’s you, don’t worry about having it out at all.

I realize I’ve spoken a lot about using a shrine in this post and that is really a very important thing when trying to build a better relationship with a Deity. It isn’t about who you are or what you’re doing, it’s about recognizing the importance of what the Deity needs to get to where you are first before going about creating a relationship. That’s all that matters for those starting out on the path looking for ways of transmuting their effort into a meaningful way instead of basing it off of appearances and looks.

Gods don’t have eyes and do not see the way humans can. It is necessary that you build up energy as that is what They are and how humans and Deities can interact. Your devotional actions will likely be unseen unless you do them based on the idea that it is repeated, somewhere dedicated to that Deity, or building up a framework of a practice to continue daily.

Not because it’s a moral issue, not because you should feel obligated, but because the Divine are not omnipotent beings who know everything going on and can see everything. Otherwise, you’re not going to get very far in your devotional activities or rituals.

The usage of a dedicated space over time will make communicating with the Gods easier. Consider a shrine like a window in this world for the Gods to look into. The more you use it, the easier it will be for Them to have access to you and the easier it will be for you to hear Them. Yes, discernment is important and having a sensitivity is a great start, but it’s not the only thing that matters in communicating with your Gods.

If you are having issues listening for and hearing the Gods, the problem likely is not just you, it’s that They cannot reach you. The Gods are the most obvious beings on this realm. They are enormous. They take up a lot of space and energy. Those who have experienced Them know that it is not subtle and the more you make it easier for Them to access you, the easier it will be to have Their energy available in order for Them to talk back in a meaningful way and use what’s available in your life to communicate.

Their presence is about as subtle as an elephant sitting in your bedroom. It really isn’t that hard to detect Them once you get the hang of having Them in your specific area in this way. You’ll also know you’re not hallucinating because there is no other experience quite like it. You really won’t know what hit you.

That’s all for now. For more tips on building a shrine or finding more material on this topic, check out my blog.

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hometoursandotherstuff · 10 months

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Ingek73 found this wonderful classic tugboat, converted to a houseboat, for sale in Amsterdam. It was built between 1906 & 1930, has 1 bd, but the descriptions says that the 3rd bd. is being used as a B&B, so I'm a little confused. It's for sale for € 779,500 / $867,467.

This outdoor area could be very pretty, all decorated like a deck.

Cool original looking doors.

Spacious living room is so bright- look at the large porthole windows and skylight.

The strip of kitchen looks like it has professional chef appliances. This is very nice, but some families may need to put a safety gate on the stairs.

They made a shelf on the stairs- that looks cute.

The dining area is in this lovely curved part of the vessel.

Down the stairs is this nice bedroom with lots of shelving.

It's a bright curvy room and has a big closet.

Very nice powder room.

Definitely more than 1 bedroom. Look at this one- this is unique.

There's another toilet and shower.

Plus a laundry room with a sink.

And, here's the 3rd bedroom that can be for guests or kids.

This room is great for kids b/c it's large and has a lot of storage space.

It's moored right next to another boat, but this could be a lovely outdoor area with a little container garden.

It appears that this is being used as a 4th bedroom.

It even has a toilet and shower.

There's a big deck up here, too.

This is nice, too.

View of the other boats across the way.

#tugboat conversion #houseboat amsterdam #houseboats #houses #house tours #home tour #submissions

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

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Topsy Turvy Days in Scarabia

What are the chances that the Adeuce combi somehow both ended up picking the same alternate dorm to be in 🤣

Azul voice) You two are downgrades from Jade and Floyd.

The Sorcerer of the Sands, and his Spirit of Mindfulness.

Azul Ashengrotto…

… leaves the Mostro Lounge in Trey’s capable (enough) hands and packs his own bags for the sands! To Azul, this dorm exchange program is just another extended business trip, and he intends to capitalize on every possible moment of it! The seeds he sows today will become fruitful sources of connections, supplies, and revenue for the future. Look at that, he’s already thinking with all the forethought and mindfulness of a Scarabia student!

He’s wise enough to prep in advance for what he knows will be a difficult climate to adjust to. Part of Azul’s luggage contains transition lens glasses (to deal with the sun!), a variety of moisturizers, and a massive water bottle to keep himself hydrated and to slow the loss of moisture in his very delicate merman skin! But no matter how dry or overheated he may get, Azul absolutely refuses to assume his merform or to unceremoniously submerge himself in water in very public places (the fountain, the desert oasis). He’ll stay here in the shade, thank you very much!!

As soon as Azul pulls up to his new dorm, he starts greeting and cozying up to people, bowing, shaking hands, and handing out his business cards like they’re candy. (A good first impression is very important to establish amicable relationships!!) “Please do feel free to get in contact should you ever be in need of assistance,” he insists, sliding his card and a smile over. “I would be more than happy to hear your woes.”

It isn’t long before Azul learns that life in Scarabia is runs at its own pace. Under Kalim’s reign, the students are just kind of allowed to do whatever they want (and though they are intelligent, the lax leadership has not encouraged them to meet their full potentials). Azul seizes the opportunity to take charge of those poor, unfortunate souls, leading study sessions and guiding them through mentally enriching activities (cooking, crushing other at board games, etc). Once the Scarabia students are in his debt, he can call on them for favors 🙃

He’s nosy, so he’ll snoop around Scarabia looking for anything of interest. (If anyone catches him, Azul will explain it away as “just being curious” about the architecture of the dorm. There’s all sorts of things to ogle and make note of, from the unique flora and rich fabrics that adorn the lounge to the ornate lanterns strung overhead and the rare spices lining the kitchen cabinets. The list of things he wants to acquire for the Mostro Lounge grows ever longer…

Azul happens upon Scarabia’s storage room and marvels at all the jewels and other treasures contained within it—but though he admires that enormous wealth, he refrains from taking any of it for himself. That amount of money is something he wants to be able to earn for himself, not shamelessly steal. Goals reaffirmed, Azul sets his sights to a future lined with gold.

He doesn’t intentionally concern himself with babysitting Ace or Deuce, but their paths inevitably cross. Azul has to be the one to tell them off or to get them out of trouble, because if the duo fucks up hard then it makes him, by association as an outsider, look bad. In other words… those meddling kids are getting in his way again!!

Azul not-so-subtly hints that he would like for everyone to put in a good word about him to Kalim and Jamil upon their return. Imagine the benefits Azul could reap if he connected with Kalim’s father, or he could befriend someone as skilled as Jamil!! (Somewhere in Ignihyde, Jamil sneezes.) He sells the idea to Scarabia as “I wish to deepen the bonds between your dorm and Octavinelle!” … and enough of them buy it for him to be satisfied with all the efforts he out into this con investment.

“Fufu. Truly, the cultural differences of the land and the sea are nowhere near as vast as they are between Scarabia and Octavinelle. That is, perhaps, what lends each of us our unique strengths and assets. I have become all the richer for all the knowledge and the connections I have made here. May we forge an ever stronger union between the world above and the world below the depths, so that we may create a whole new world together.”

Ace Trappola…

… is tugged by the ear and forced to sit down for a “chat” with Riddle before he’s let loose in Scarabia. He’s in for a looong lecture about “proper etiquette” and “respecting the legacy of the Sorcerer of the Sands”. Ace just rolls his eyes and goes, “Why do only I have to sit through this and not Deuce?! This is discrimination against ME specifically!!” (There’s a fiery back-and-forth between them, concluding with Ace reassuring his dorm leader Riddle doesn’t need to “worry his own damn head off” about his behavior “cuz I can handle myself just fine!” He’s got to keep one jump ahead of the lawmen—)

… Anyway, Ace then proceeds to live a very hedonistic lifestyle at Scarabia like a stereotypical frat bro or something 🤣 The luxury’s here, so he might as well indulge and enjoy it while he can!! You’ll often find him reclined in a sea of silk cushions, soaking up the sunshine and snacking on whatever is left lying around on their tables.

The opulence kind of goes to his head at a certain point; Ace starts snapping pics of all the cool stuff Scarabia has and posting it on Magicam to flex on his haters followers. Here’s Ace running his hands through piles of gold while he’s literally swimming in it. and here’s Ace sticking his tongue out at the camera while lying on a complicated tapestry. (There are consistent likes from Cater, but also DM requests from Riddle coming in, which Ace promptly ignores.)

With his quick wit and bright personality, he makes quick friends in Scarabia. Ace likes doing character impressions for his new buddies, which are always sure to earn him applause and laughter. His most popular impression at the moment is Jamil (whom Ace knows rather intimately thanks to their many encounters during VDC/SDC training camp and in Basketball Club). “Wow, that’s exactly what Jamil-senpai sounds like!!” the Scarabia students cry out in awe.

Ace parties hard at the banquets (which, in the absence of Jamil, Azul has organized)!! Without all the stuffy rules and regulations of Heartslabyul to keep him down, nothing’s stopping Ace from dancing the night away and eating ‘til he passes out from a food coma! He’s here for a good time, not a long time!

He plays some games with his new dorm members, but doesn’t exactly always do so fairly. While the opponent’s distracted, Ace will get ahead by making an extra move or using sleight of hand to remove an important piece from play. )That’s how he ends up winning so many games of mancala!) When Deuce calls him out on this, Ace just shrugs and tells him, “I’m not cheating! I’m using deliberation, idiot. That makes me an ideal Scarabia student!”

Ace isn’t above pocketing some of the loot from the storage room. He doesn’t try to take as much of it as he can unlike a certain hyena would, but just a few large rubies he thinks he could resell for a good price. (Kalim-senpai won’t mind, right? He’s got tons of these, he’s probably hand me a whole sack of ‘em if I asked! Ace reasons with himself. Besides, I don’t have enough spending money for myself this week! I should just do this now while Jamil-senpai’s not around.)

When you think that’s the worst of the antics he gets up to… think again! Late in the evenings, once everyone else has gone to sleep, Ace sneaks out and steals the magic carpet for a starry joyride! He soars, tumbles, and freewheels through and endless diamond sky, in a whole new world way up in the clouds. It is here where he feels the most free—free from the rules, from the expectations, free from the inhibitions, free from everything.

“Man, Scarabia’s awesome!! I can basically do and say whatever I want, there’s no Riddle ryocho breathing down my neck… This is definitely right up my alley!! … I say that, but Heartslabyul’s got a heck of a lot going for it too. I guess in the end there’s no place like ‘home’, huh? N-Not that I miss Heartslabyul or anything, like I’d miss that place and its teapot tyrant!!”

Deuce Spade…

… is all fired up for Scarabia!! He’s been doing a ton of self-reflection lately, and he knows that an area of weakness for him is stopping to think before he acts. What better way to work on that then immersing himself in a dorm teeming with mindful students? Maybe some of their smarts will rub off on him!!

Deuce appreciates that Scarabia’s uniform allows for liberal movement. He’s also pretty fond of the flames on his new hotpants; he thinks they’re super cool, and they remind him of how used to dress as a delinquent. “It’d look even more cool if we added skulls! Can I add some patches to my uniform?” he asks, earning stares from Ace (”Dude, how edgy are you?!” and Azul (”I would refrain from tailoring your borrowed uniform, Deuce-san. That is a privilege reserved for dorm leaders.”).

Without their Heartslabyul senpai to keep an eye on them, Deuce vows to keep his fellow first year under control! (That’s what an honor student would do!) Unfortunately for Deuce, that more often than not leads to bickering, and then him getting roped into Ace’s shenanigans rather than stopping them… like the time Deuce stepped on the magic carpet while trying to yoink it out of Ace’s hands, spooking it and sending it shooting out of the window with both of the boys clinging onto it!! (“You’re just as guilty as I am now, so don’t tell a soul or we’ll both be busted!!” Ace hisses at him. “You’re the one that hijacked Asim-senpai’s stuff though!!” Deuce shoots back. “Go and apologize to him right now!!” The magic carpet wonders if all Heartslabyul kids are like this.)

The menagerie of animals kept at Scarabia (mostly on account of Kalim) is huge. Deuce becomes particularly enthralled by the exotic birds, though he can’t keep any of their names straight so he just calls them different kinds of variants of chicken. (”They can’t ALL be chickens, Loosey Deucey!” Ace sighs, bonking him on the head.)

He defers to Azul’s authority, since he’s a dorm leader and their upperclassman! Sure, Azul kind of has a shady record, but Deuce decides to place his trust in him regardless. He believes that if he’s making an honest effort to change, then so can Azul–and everyone deserves a second chance, right? The merman finds Deuce’s naivete childish yet oddly charming, for it is his willingness to forgive that reminds him so much of Kalim in the aftermath of Jamil’s… incident. He’s not wrong, Azul muses. People are capable of change. Even a diamond can be found in the rough.

Deuce takes the time to keep up with his training for Track and Field Club even in a whole new dorm! You’ll find him sprinting around the perimeter of Scarabia, occasionally trekking all the way out to the desert oasis on particularly rigorous workouts. (It’s a challenge since the sands interfere with his speed!) Once his routine is done, he’ll dunk his whole head in a fountain or in the oasis waters to refresh himself!!

There are times when he makes his way to the oasis when he’s frustrated or needs some alone time. It’s the next closest thing to the ocean, and the only body of water big enough for him to shout to. He’ll vent about his inadequacies and the difficulties of catching up to those who are naturally talented–but once he has laid out all of his feelings, Deuce feels much better, and ready to tackle the next day at full throttle!

He becomes absolutely fascinated by the idea of astrology and divinations (areas which students of Scarabia often excel in). Deuce asks for them to tell his fortune or to see into the future using the stars!! … His stares of anticipation are so intense that the Scarabia students feel awkward while they go through the process–but once Deuce has his reading, whether it’s good or bad, he gets even more motivated to do his best. Affirming a good prediction or turning over a bad one–that power’s up to him and him alone to wield!

“The more I see of Scarabia, the more I realize how much there’s still left for me to learn. I didn’t know there was food so spicy it makes you feel like your tongue fell off, or that stars could be so bright up close. I thought I was a chick before, but I was wrong! I’m still barely hatched from my egg! So… I’ll use the time I have left here to learn everything I can. I’ll go back to Heartslabyul a better man than I was yesterday!”

#Azul Ashengrotto #Ace Trappola #Deuce Spade #twst #twisted wonderland #twst anni #twisted wonderland anni #twisted wonderland anniversary #twst anniversary #curiouser and curiouser #twisted wonderland headcanons #topsy turvy days

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witchofthesouls · 9 months

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What would be the equivalent of breast feeding for a newborn sparklings?

Their carriers don’t have breast to feed them, but I imagine newborns can’t take pure energy on liquid since they’re still so small.

I answered an ask about Cybertronian boobs or an equivalent to nursing in different frame-types here: https://witchofthesouls.tumblr.com/post/666034703498870784/question-can-cybertronians-make-something

So I'll do an expansion:

Sparkling-grade Energon is a nutritionally-dense and creamy, pale-pink Energon that's produced by a carrier's refinery systems. It's absolutely packed with minerals, nanites, and critical metals. Non-carriers (like sires, donors, or off-the-street mecha) can produce a supplemental-frame kick, which looks very similar, but lack all thirteen kinds of nanites that newsparks need. Usually one or two. At most three. It varies from each mecha. However, such fuel is still a great help to a carrier's systems that's depleted or gearing up for the next round, especially since newsparks have poor fuel regulation and go under a lot of development, so they need frequent, heavy feedings.

Some carriers can overproduce sparkling-grade, so it can be stored in containers and donated to many designated drop-offs: hospitals and clinics, Enforcer stations, schools, public housing, creches and orphanages, and charity events, to name a few places.

That's because there's a huge demand for this resource. Not only for bitlets, but it's also a wonderful resource for mecha that are medically compromised or severely restricted on what they can consume.

Frame-derived fuel from a carrier is naturally very shelf-stable. Fit for consumption for a lifetime with proper storage. There have been many attempts to replicate this trait with synthetic fuel, but not much success. The onsite production loses potency and nutrition within orns, and the powdered form, while it can be kept in a pantry, will become a ridiculously expensive flavoring after a single vorn.

Seekerkin city-states have a very large nursing culture since their frames tend to have multiple newsparks in each gestation, their societies are far more collectivist, and Functionist's standardization efforts mess with their unique frame-quirks. If a carrier is struggling to feed her bits, then other femmes from the flock will step in. Families also have access to wet nurses in local community centers, services from hospitals and family clinics volunteers, and even their jobs would cover it since it's a benefit that's enforced by cultural and social practices. (Praxus and Polyhex have made multiple attempts to codify it into their legal systems with the rise of outsider corporations requesting to place offices in their perimeter, but Functionist-Iacon and their supporting city-states put a lot of economic pressure to defeat those measures. They found other ways to quietly or loudly flip them off.)

Unlike other frames, a Seeker femme is able to produce sparkling-grade with all thirteen nanites after the first carriage with voluntary control and no need to be in a carriage. There have been multiple proposals on why:

Since their smaller mech-counterparts don't have personal refinery systems, it falls on the hardier femme frame to produce enough to feed many mouths.

It can be extrapolated by Vos' ancient cultural expression of "Mechs trine, femmes flock." It's a long-held social bonding activity that connects multiple generations within a single flock and strengthens the social networks within the community.

Before the formation of Vos, many Seekerkin were nomadic or semi-nomadic in the harsh environments of the Wastelands and the Rust Sea, so it may be an evolutionary coding-related quirk to help extend the scant resources on their immense travels.

There's been other proposals but a very negative slant that relates the Seeker frame to barely a step up from non-sentient mechanimals. (It's outsiders from non-Seekerkin city-states that do this.)

#ask #transformers #sparklings #bitlets #cybertronian biology #cybertronian culture #cybertronian cities #tf headcanons #pregnancy #robotitties #robots with breasts #my thoughts #i have a lot of thoughts about this. and i will make it work

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oftlunarialmoon · 5 months

Text

5 Fun Ideas for Your Agere/Littlespace Bag!

Ciao lovelies! Before I begin, I’d like to thank one of you lovelies, named Isobel, for the suggestion behind this post! I am slowly working my way through the requests currently in the blog post request form, but don’t let that discourage any of you from sharing your requests! ^-^ and thanks for the patience on that so far! In today’s post, to answer Isobel’s request for something related to an agere bag, I will be sharing 5 fun ideas for your agere/littlepace bag! Including decoration ideas, things to pack within, and some subtle/discreet regression ideas too! I hope you like this post, and let’s get into it!

Once again, thank you Isobel for this suggestion!

I know many of my fellow age regressors / littles out there can’t openly be themselves for fear of judgment or bullying, so a lot of you have to be discreet or subtle about your littlespace. I wish we could live in a world that’s more open and accepting to everyone, but for now, this list has some discreet regression suggestions for you ! Let me know if you’d like to see more ideas like that in the future!

5 Fun Ideas for Your Agere/Littlespace Bag!

IDEA #1: Personalize / Decorate a Plain Backpack!

there are many other ways to make your agere bag unique! You could use patches, buttons, keychains, fabric paint….there’s a lot you can do with a plain backpack! For those worried about being discreet, you can always explain a cute bag as kawaii or alternative fashion inspired, and doubly so if you use fandom decorations from shows you like when small! :)

Your bag would be super personal to you, and also shows your secret little side~!

Now let’s move to some ideas of items that can be packed in your bag for discreet regression!

IDEA #2: Subtle Babey Snacks!

It’s super easy to bring along snacks like fruit snacks, goldfish, bite size muffins, etc, and these can double as regression snacks!

I personally like goldfish, fruit snacks, and scooby snacks! (Scooby snacks are also good for those of you who pet regress!)

You can take this a step further with cute or kawaii food storage containers, or just tupperware that you can cover with stickers!

IDEA #3: Personalize your Devices!

So you could get a cute phonecase , which is an easy and cute way to feel little, but you could also personalize your phone or mp3 player with things like cute stickers on the outside! AND, now with the iphone updates, you could customize the icons in your phone, lockscreen images, etc! :) You could even make your passcode a secret reference to a small time show you like !!

Another thing you can do is DIY a cute case for your phone out of felt! Check out THIS DIY from OFT’s past where I made a cute cat pouch for your device!

IDEA #4: Tiny Toys!

Okay, this is a little less subtle, but you can bring small toys or minifigures in your small bag! It may feel a little uncomfortable to do so at first, but you can give a lot of reasons for this!

Possible explanations for toys in your bag:

“I have a job as a babysitter after school and these are for the kids there.”

“I am an ameteur photographer and I like using these for practice.”

“I thought these looked cute and possibly would make nice fidget toys”

“I like to have something in my hands when I focus”

Etc, but you can also just give a simple:

“I think they’re cool.”

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for the things you like, and you don’t need to be ashamed. What you share with others is your business, and your business only!

IDEA #5: Cute Memo Pads!

This is a fun one, because it can be so easily explained and can add this awesome moment of cuteness and secret smallness to your day! A lot of people carry memo pads or to-do lists, and it’s not unusual to have cute ones! You can even pair this up with a kawaii pen or pencil, and it’s totally normal, and flies easily under everyone’s radar. Kawaii stationery has been a common interest for a while, so it won’t make anyone suspicious.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this, Isobel, and everyone else as well!

And now the most important part: please remember to stay AWESOME and LOVE yourself!! You are epic, awesome, and amazing, and you deserve to know this each and every day! Be sure to give yourself positive affirmation each and every day!

I’ll see you in the next post, video, or whatever comes next!

#agere #age regression #sfw littlespace #sfw agere #age regressor #sfw age regression #agereg #age dreaming #sfw little blog

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vpofcookies · 10 months

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Let's Talk Pyrite Disease

Okay. Pyrite is amazing. Pyrite, or fool’s gold, has a simple formula (FeS2), forms beautiful cubes, and has all sorts of cool features. I'll talk later about how iron minerals can move and change and how they're related to theories about cells, but first, let's talk about Pyrite disease.

Image ID: Several pyritized ammonite shells in various stages of decay. They all have a light-grey color and a velvety appearance. There are a few in the center that are severely decayed and appear to be just a pile of dark grey and yellow dust, with a similar appearance to mold. One ammonite in the top-center is a more gold-brown color and has cube-shaped pyrite crystals on it. End ID.

[Image by https://twitter.com/MSidKelly/status/667548523475288064]

TLDR: Pyrite disease is a form of rust that impacts pyrite. It produces iron oxides, sulfuric acid, and sulfur dioxide, damaging mineral specimens, fossils, and storage materials. It causes expansion and acid damage that cracks and erodes specimens.

oh and @simple-potato-farmer, @team-clockers, @edthefatmagicturtle, y’all expressed interest in this so here you go! warning: it’s 10 pages long

How Can Fossil Come in Contact with Pyrite?

Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite is found in quartz veins, coal mines, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, and in fossils as a replacement mineral. Pyrite forms in anoxic environments, which makes it a good environmental indicator. It also means that pyrite is found in association with many deep ocean fossils.

Fossils can be replaced by pyrite. This happens in a process called pyritization, a form of replacement diagenesis where the original material of the organism (in some cases, even soft parts) is replaced by pyrite. For instance, due to the anoxic and high-sulfide concentration in the deep ocean, calcite shells may be replaced by iron pyrite. This is aided by the presence of sulfur-reducing bacteria that facilitate the creation of iron sulfides, and therefore facilitate the precipitation of pyrite during decay(1) as sulfides are produced by the decaying organism(2). In a unique case, high microbial activity led to documentation of pyrite formation on the shells of living mollusks(3). This process leads to beautiful pyritized fossils that look like metal casts but actually are the fossil completely replaced by pyrite.

Image ID: An ammonite cut in half to show pyritization. The entire ammonite appears metallic gold, and the internal cavities contain fine drusy pyrite crystals. End ID.

[Image by: Replacement/Recrystallization (petrifiedwoodmuseum.org)]

Not all fossils end up beautifully pyritized, and not all pyritized fossils stay that way. Pyrite disease, also called pyrite oxidation, pyrite rot, or pyrite decay, is a form of rust. Millions of years of history, only to be destroyed by poor archiving, humidity, and pyrite decay.

Image ID: A brachiopod specimen with pyrite replacement and a patchy outer coating of pyrite. Unlike the ammonite, the pyrite has grown over the shell of this brachiopod in addition to replacing the original structure. End ID.

[Image by: jsjgeology.net/Replacement.htm]

What does Pyrite Disease Do?

Since pyrite is formed in anoxic conditions, most pyritized specimens remain stable for a long time. The reason we observe so much pyrite decay in museum settings and other fossil collections is because the specimens have been removed from the rock and sediment that were limiting their exposure to oxygen. Pyrite decay can occur with or without water, but when pyrite oxidizes in humid air, it reacts with both oxygen and water. This creates not only iron oxide ‘rust’, but also iron sulfate, sulfuric acid, and sulfur dioxide gas4 (corrosive and toxic materials)(1). This chemical reaction eventually destroys the specimen through a combination of factors. The sulfuric acid is corrosive and damages the specimen. Oxidized pyrite is unstable and may crumble over time. There is also another damaging factor: the risks of pyrite replacement and iron sulfate production.

Image ID: A tray of mollusk fossils, each with separate boxes, with evidence of pyrite decay. There is dark grey dust in the bottom of most boxes, and a line of what appears to be water damage across the boxes. The apparent water damage is the result of the sulfuric acid produced. It has also discolored fossils and their labels. End ID. [Image by me]

Pyrite disease is a progressive process that affects fossils over time. Many pyritized specimens may last for years in perfect condition, while many others progressively decay from undetected pyrite disease. The reason that pyrite replacement is notorious for decay has to do with the crystal structure of pyrite. The famous cuboid structure of pyrite crystals is the most stable form of pyrite(4) since the compact form does not easily absorb moisture. Pyrite may occur in a compact, crystalline, stable form or a porous microcrystalline form that is unstable. Certain formations produce more stable pyrite with fewer impurities, but certain fossils are also more susceptible to unstable forms of pyrite. Marcasite is a less common dimorph of pyrite that is more unstable(5). Ammonites, especially those from the Charmoth clays, are notorious for pyrite decay while South American specimens and Yorkshire coast fossils are much more stable(2). The iron sulfate that is produced by the oxidation process is considered an efflorescent mineral(5), a term that means “flowering.” This is because this material has a higher molar volume (the ratio of the volume occupied by a certain amount of a substance) than iron pyrite and wedges the specimen apart as it expands past the constraints of the original crystal structure(5).

Unfortunately, the creation of efflorescent minerals, including other hydrous sulfate minerals, creates a feedback loop. These materials produce acids and provide water that causes the pyrite to further decay, producing more Fe3+ and more efflorescent materials, which feed the cycle of oxidation(5).

Image ID: Two images of the same pyrite disk, taken two years apart. In the left image, the disk has a few cracks and white discoloration in the center, with a yellow outline around the discoloration from sulfur. In the right image, the disk is shown two years later, cracked into four large pieces. The discoloration now extends almost to the edges of the disk, with a much larger yellow margin. End ID.

[Image by Ed Clopton, General: Need 'Pyrite Disease' Photos (mindat.org)]

(For an interesting, related topic – pyrite decay is a risk in coal mining for a multitude of reasons, including the increase of pulmonary and respiratory disease after pyrite inhalation, the risk of silicosis, and the risk of spontaneous combustion caused by the exothermic reaction involved in the decay of high-sulfide deposits.)

What Does Pyrite Disease Look Like?

Pyrite disease may appear grey, greenish, black, red-orange, white, or sulfur yellow. A redder color indicates rust from other iron minerals other than pyrite. Since pyrite contains sulfur and pyrite oxidation produces sulfuric acid, it may have the rotten-egg smell often associated with sulfur. A metallic-iron smell may also be present. Inhaling the result of pyrite decay can be hazardous (in my experience, it caused migraines even when I double-masked before entering the room due to the severity of the condition of our collections. In most cases it is much less of a concern). If pyrite disease is found, wear gloves and masks and try to disturb the dust as little as possible. Remember that pyrite disease is worse in humid conditions, and these same conditions may encourage the growth of mold. The early stages of pyrite disease may appear as spots of discoloration on a fossil, a slightly duller appearance, additional crystallization, or cracking. Often, the first noticeable sign that is clearly identifiable is dust in the bottom of the box the specimen is in. In these early stages, the severity of the pyrite decay may not be detected until the specimen is moved or handled, and subsequently begins to crumble or leaves dust and a metallic smell on your hands. Later stages appear like mold and may have a fuzzy, cloud-like appearance. If you handle a specimen with pyrite disease, take care to wash your hands and dry them well before handling any other specimens, and check the container or the contaminated specimens and those that surround it so that they can be replaced if needed. In the worst stages of pyrite decay, what is left is not a fossil that may crumble if handled, but a pile of dust. Pyrite disease can affect vertebrate fossils, invertebrate fossils, botanical specimens, mineral specimens with pyrite, and the containers and shelving used.

Image ID: Two images of cubic pyrite crystals. Left: Four cubic pyrite crystals growing into each other, they are a solid metallic gold color with few visible imperfections. Right: a cubic pyrite crystal in a dark matric. This piece is affected by pyrite decay, and the cubic shape is no longer perfect due to cracks in the specimen. It has orange and yellow sections that appear like water stains due to the sulfuric acid produced by pyrite oxidation. End ID.

[Image by Pyrite Disease - Canadian Museum of Nature]

Why Is It A “Disease?”

If the damage to the fossils themselves was not bad enough, consider another factor: it’s often called pyrite disease, instead of pyrite oxidation, for a reason. That reason is that pyrite disease spreads and progresses over time. Historically it was thought that this was the result of a bacterial component, and it was even recommended to treat fossils with antibacterial ointments(5). While bioleaching of pyrite is studied, bacterial theories are no longer supported. The spread of pyrite disease is due to the spreading of acid and the flaking of iron sulfates that may trigger decay on other specimens that already contain pyrite. Although this process is not contagious due to bacteria, it is still an irreversible process that causes fossils to crumble to dust and is, to an extent, a contagious process. The sulfuric acid and sulfur dioxide created in pyrite oxidation can damage the containers and fossils near the contaminated specimen.

Image ID: An annotated example of a fish skull preserved in a nodule, which decayed and broke due to pyrite disease. There is a top view (top) and a side view (bottom, fish facing right). There are labels pointing to the top of the skull and to the eye socket showing cavities and red-orange rust labeled “extensive bone loss due to decay.” A white section of the nodule that is split and crumbled is labeled “pyrite decay inside nodule.” The side shows extensive decay to both the fossil and nodule, labeled “nodule blown apart when decay became critical.” End ID.

[Image by Trouble with pyrite – Deposits Mag]

One of the reasons that it is considered a disease is the progressive nature of pyrite decay, which visibly worsens over time. Another reason is the way that sulfuric acid seems to spread and contaminate even the container that the fossil is held in, leaving damage marks on the fossil and its labels. Another factor is the fact that the products of pyrite oxidation expand, appearing like mold or growths that further damage the fossil. The expansion of these oxidation products is one of the most damaging aspects of pyrite disease, as the instability in the crystal structure of the specimen causes cracking and flaking. This is because pyrite oxidation causes the conversion of iron pyrite (FeS2), an iron sulfide mineral that has a cubic crystal structure, to iron sulfate (FeSO4), which has an orthorhombic crystal structure. Not only does this cause the specimens to crack and crumble, but the cracking of the specimen causes flakes of pyrite to break off and spread. These flakes may land on other specimens, spreading the contamination of pyrite decay to other fossils that were previously stable. In many cases, museums must face difficult decisions to remove scientifically valuable specimens, or even portions of specimens, to prevent further spread of pyrite disease.

Image ID: Left: The crystal structure of iron pyrite. Right: The crystal structure of iron sulfate. End ID.

[Images by: mp-226: FeS2 (Cubic, Pa-3, 205) (materialsproject.org)]

How Can Pyrite Disease Be Managed?

Now, I’ve said that pyrite disease is unreversible. But can it be stopped from progressing once it contaminates a specimen? The simple answer is no. The more complicated answer follows:

Several factors that contribute to pyrite disease: temperature, humidity, oxygen levels, pH, exposure, crystal structure, and bacteria(3). Some factors, such as bacteria and pH, require specific conditions that are uncommon (Thiobacillus bacteria are present over 95% humidity(3) and pH is often affected by the decay process and the methods used to manage it). Other factors are closely linked (e.g., temperature and humidity).

Pyrite disease is most closely linked to humidity and high oxygen conditions. The best way to stop pyrite disease is prevention. Most museums use some form of climate control to preserve their specimens, but the issue here is that vertebrate fossils (bones) have a moderate recommended relative humidity level (~45-55%) in order to avoid cracking or warping6, while the recommended humidity level to prevent pyrite disease is 30%(7) (although below 50% is also stated by some sources(2,8)). In contrast, humidity above 60% is known to accelerate the decay, even to the point that decay begins within a few days of exposure(3, 2). This low humidity level is not always possible, especially for public display, although it is used in some invertebrate collections. Using humidity and oxygen scavengers (e.g., silica gel packets) when collecting can reduce the exposure of specimens to these factors. Using humidity and oxygen barriers when storing specimens can prevent pyrite disease(3). Contained storage of an already contaminated specimen may trap moisture with the specimen. Although, I would say it is better to have an isolated specimen that decayed than have an open specimen contaminate others.

Image ID: The unpolished appearance of a pyritized ammonite. The ammonite is held in front of a rocky area. It is a dull grey color with a matte appearance. It has lumps of rounded pyrite surrounding it. End ID.

[Image by Martin Curtis, Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)]

Since the damage from pyrite disease is exacerbated by sulfuric acid, one of the other prevention methods used relies on acid neutralization(5), although this is less common. Currently, the use of humidity and oxygen buffers is the most common method, but some groups rely on extensive testing of specimens to determine which have unstable forms of pyrite incorporated into the fossil or matrix before acting. Another preventative method is removing salt (which may speed up the decomposition) and removing any matrix that may contain pyrite or trap moisture (e.g., clays)(5). Washing specimens to remove salts or matrix remains could damage specimens that are already unstable or could cause damaging moisture exposure (although this could be avoided by washing with alcohol).

Many studies have attempted to find effective ways to stop, reverse, or prevent pyrite decay. From acid treatments to preemptively coating specimens in resin, these tested methods were often damaging to the specimens, especially over the long term. However, were they damaging enough to be worse than pyrite disease? Not necessarily, but a combination of the damage done, the cost, the time investment, and the ineffectiveness of these treatments means that prevention is still the only reliable method for pyrite disease.

Coating specimens in resins and varnishes may provide a buffering effect, but the resin only slows oxidation, it does not stop it. This becomes an issue when the vanishes cannot be removed, and the specimen cannot be accessed for other treatment methods(2). Varnishes may delay the effects, but they have effects of their own, are usually not moisture-proof, and may yellow and crack over time. Coating with resin or embedding the fossil in resin creates the risk of an explosion as the oxidative reaction builds heat and pressure. Some museums coat their fossils in plastic glues (such as Paraloid B-67 or B-72), these glues are reversible, and B-67 is hydrophobic, unlike most resins.

Image ID: Examples of varnished ammonite specimens, showing progressive stages of pyrite disease as the varnish aged and cracked. Left: Complete pyritized specimens with no signs of decay and a glossy finish from the varnish. Center: Pryitized specimens with patches of yellow-orange decay in sections where the varnish cracked. Right: specimens reduced to dark grey and white dust. End ID.

[Image by Chris Andrew, Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)]

There are two “cures” to pyrite decay. However, these do not cure pyrite decay in the sense that they reverse it. Instead, these are methods to neutralize the products of pyrite disease to prevent further harm to the specimens. These two methods involve the use of ammonium gas or ethanolamine thioglycolate to remove pyrite byproducts (ammonia converts the iron sulfate to iron oxide(8)) and neutralize any generated sulfuric acid(2). Both methods are intensive, potentially hazardous, and relatively expensive. As a ‘cure,’ they are effective at temporarily halting the progression of pyrite disease, but not preventing it or reversing it. These treatments have been proven to be ineffective at preventing pyrite decay without the use of controlled microclimate (oxygen and humidity exposure)(3).

References:

1 Replacement/Recrystallization (petrifiedwoodmuseum.org)

2 Pyrite Decay in Fossil Collections – ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited (zoicpaleotech.com)

3Minerals | Free Full-Text | Pyrite Decay of Large Fossils: The Case Study of the Hall of Palms in Padova, Italy (mdpi.com)

4Pyrite Disease - Canadian Museum of Nature

5Pyrite disease (palaeo-electronica.org)

6Shells Eggs Bone and Related Materials 160229 (welshmuseumsfederation.org)

7PowerPoint Presentation (vertpaleo.org)

8Trouble with pyrite – Deposits Mag

#vpoc writes #rockposting #vpoc yells #pyrite disease #pyrite oxidation #vpoc has cool rocks #other cool rocks #long post #paleontology #geology

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 4 months

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by Col. Richard Kemp

Hamas has constructed an extensive network of underground tunnels to gain protection for terrorists, to move fighters and equipment, to store weapons, to house command and control facilities, as well as to launch attacks and carry out ambushes. Some of these tunnels have been fitted with heavy blast doors to afford greater protection and frustrate assaulting troops. They are booby-trapped and rigged with explosives, early-warning devices and surveillance cameras. I have been into the tunnels during this conflict and can confirm that this network adds exponentially to the already immense challenges of fighting in urban areas, recognized by military professionals as perhaps the most demanding of all battle environments. Indeed, I am not aware of any comparable purposely built underground complex that any armed forces have had to tackle in any other conflict.

Hamas’s tactics are based on the exploitation of the civilian population of Gaza. Their above-ground infrastructure utilizes protected locations, including a large number of schools, hospitals and mosques for weapons storage, fighting positions, and tunnel access and egress. They have similarly used office and commercial facilities, shops and residential buildings. I have been briefed by combat troops on the ground that in some areas as much as every house and in other areas every other house contains elements of terrorist infrastructure; and I have been shown, for example, children’s bedrooms used to store grenades, anti-tank missiles and other munitions.

In addition to all this, Hamas is holding a large number of hostages in the Gaza Strip, which adds significant complications as the IDF seeks to find and rescue them and to avoid inadvertently killing them. Hamas has used the presence of their captives, including simulated and recorded hostage voices and related markings, to lure IDF soldiers into ambushes. Along with the tunnels, this adds yet another unique dimension to this conflict.

No place devoid of terrorists, munitions

This daunting combination of concurrent and conflicting challenges, coupled with the fact that Hamas systematically uses Gazans as human shields, and operates within and beneath civilian infrastructure, means that it is literally not possible to achieve the objectives of defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages without the tragic consequence of civilian casualties and the regrettable destruction of civilian property from both ground and air. No army in the world would be able to do so, no matter what tactics they employed, and indeed no other army has ever done so in any comparable conflict.

Furthermore, Hamas’s form of operations—most of which directly and intentionally contravene the laws of armed conflict—also explain the necessity for the IDF to act with immense combat power when required and to operate with force across all areas of Gaza. No place in the Strip is devoid of terrorists and their munitions unless and until the IDF has cleared and secured them.

#hamas #gaza #urban warfare #idf #human shields #tunnels #terror tunnels #richard kemp

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sherbet-shivers · 15 days

Text

A Minor Malfunction Part 2/3

**Please do not share to non-kink snz blogs — no need to drag vanillas into this! Formatting tips are always welcome <3**

Blurb: Co/nnor is still suffering a little virus (Part 1 here and Part 3 here)

Characters: Co/nnor R/K800 (-centric because he’s babygirl) and H/ank A/nderson

Length: 5k+ words

TW: cursing, human and robot injuries and homicide, fake drugs, some coughing; lightest of spoilers

Since investigations were never quick, Connor really should’ve expected this case to be no exception.

It took roughly half an hour just to reach the crime scene alone, and now that they’d arrived, minutes were accruing like Deviants themselves. The scene wasn’t too unique compared to other similar incidents, but that didn’t mean it was absent surprises either.

For starters, there were multiple human victims — two adult men aged somewhere between thirty and forty years. They were dealers allegedly draining their own androids for their Thirium in order to produce more red ice for local distribution. The Androids were both inactive and found just outside the immediate area given they’d lost a critical amount of blue blood. It was likely they’d shut down since there was no way their bio components could sustain their systems on such minimal fluid. This was the first case in which Connor and Hank had investigated people using their own androids to bolster their personal RI supply, and for some reason, Connor doubted it’d be the last.

The men had been assaulted by the Androids in their kitchen based on the amount of blood smattering the countertops and the overall state of disarray. Chairs were knocked over, the fridge was left open, the stovetops were on when police arrived, and there were broken dishes, toppled pots, and loose silverware scattered everywhere. The men had done a good job remaining inconspicuous in their affairs; even their next door neighbors reported no suspicions of their notorious trade, nor the abuse of their Androids. Connor purported that the tiny apartment was designated for the sole purpose of their operations — not particularly lived in or used for shelter. His theory was based on the fact there was no food in the house, and every single cabinet, cupboard, or similar compartment had been repurposed for RI storage. Not to mention the home was completely battered, obviously lacking much needed maintenance and cleaning. Even the naked human eye could catch the layers of dust and grime coating every flat surface in sight. Hank was the first to say as much after he entered the living quarters and immediately tripped over a bag of old Chinese food containers and syringes.

“Fucking shit!” He had hissed, glaring down at the trash bag like it had personally assaulted him. “I swear if this place is crawling with rats like that damn pigeon house I will shoot those filthy bastards on site!”

Miraculously none of the officers had encountered a single rodent; however less fortunately, Connor’s nose was starting to grow unbearably itchy given all the dust and cobwebs decorating the dry air. Not to mention it was freezing inside — the other investigating officers bundled under several layers and still chattering against the cold. Connor suspected the leaks in the roof and broken windows were to blame for the influx of frigid air, which was starting to really stiffen the cogs in his chest and extremities.

Connor slowly gravitates to Hank’s side, peeking over his shoulder as the senior observes one of the victims.

“More red ice,” he grumbles as he plucks a PVC packet off one of the men’s person. The crystallized drug sparkles like false ruby under the scope of Hank’s flashlight. “Given the toxicology report, it’s a wonder how this guy didn’t overdose before he was murdered.”

Hank passes the packet to Connor, the latter fumbling the substance between his fingers while he examines it more closely.

“The composition isn’t exact to other red ice compounds we’ve seen in the past,” Connor observes. “Perhaps they were developing a hybrid; something inexpensive with a similar effect and appearance.”

Hank scoffs, shaking his head. He pats down the rest of the victim’s body. “A living eye could never catch all that, but I guess that’s why you’re here, right Connor?”

“Correct,” Connor confirms.

“Well,” Hank says, rising from the floor and clapping his hands together to rid them of the dirt caked in the grooves of his skin, “I have my theories, but uh, why don’t you go first while I wash this shit off?”

“Of course,” Connor nods as he watches Hank step over the victim’s body and head for the kitchen sink. He wastes no time pulling up the list of evidence saved to his specs.

“Based on what I’ve gathered and the analysis of my digital reconstruction, Victim A was likely assaulted by Android B first. Victim B was preoccupied with the stovetop while Victim A busied himself with collecting the Androids’ Thirium.”

Hank hums, encouraging Connor to continue while he tries to unstick the sink’s rusty left handle. “Go on.”

“To access the blue blood, the victims would often drain a specific wound afflicting the android’s torso; the area just beneath where a human’s right rib cage would end. The puncture wound was scarcely healed between draining instances, and therefore the most reasonable source of continued drainage. I believe Victim A was attempting to reach Android B’s puncture when the bot suddenly refused his inspection. Thus-“

“SHIT!”

Connor jerks in surprise as Hank yanks his hands from the sink basin to avoid the gush of suspiciously gross water pouring out the faucet.

“Ah that’s just fucking great! Ice cold, filthy fucking water! Matches the house itself, I guess,” Hank curses as he extends his hands away from his body. Even a few of the surrounding officers take steps away from his reach.

“Hang onto that thought. I’m gonna go wash this off in a puddle or something.”

With that, Hank and the remaining officers head outside the home, leaving Connor alone with the still running water. The Android heads over to the sink and promptly halts the flow, which has collected in the basin turning it a muddy, sewage brown. For sanitary reasons, he should really drain the fluid, but something about the discoloration even has him grimacing.

While inspecting the mess, Connor is completely unaware of the steady pool of rainwater collecting just overhead, seeping through the cracks of the ceiling; and just as he’s about to return to his former position, the roof panels give way and unleash their tide. With his reaction time hindered, Connor barely side-steps the planks crashing to his sides. It’s a lucky dodge, but still not quite good enough to avoid the wave of water that crashes him dead on. Within the blink of an eye, he’s become drenched in icy fluid.

He’s thankful he was the brunt of the accident and not Hank or the other human officers, but if he wasn’t already shivering before, he sure was now. That pummeling had put a dent in his defensive barrier, and the large influx of water was starting to sink into his circuits faster than it could be flushed out.

A similar alert blares through his system, only this time it glows red and reads as a warning.

WARNING!!! Functionality: Highly Impaired. Code: C5Y0091-44BC. Result: Bio-Component Defects And Malfunction. Water Intake: Level 4. Risk Of Shut-Down: Moderate. Self-Repairs Update Ongoing. Time Remaining: 53 Hours, 21 Minutes, And 17 Sec-

“IHT’TDSHY’yiiEW!”

Connor sneezes freely towards the ground, his hands pathetically hugging his shoulders and shaking against his sodden sleeves. Water had definitely infiltrated his cavities, only congesting him further. Get a grip, he mentally commands. Don’t-!

“Hh’PTSHH’huh! ssh’hHIEW!”

Come on! Get a-!

“Connor!”

The Android lifts his head, spotting Hank who's just re-entered the house and is already barreling his way.

“Connor! What happened?!” He asks, examining the android’s body then glancing between the fallen debri and the hole in the ceiling.

“N-Nothing, L-Lieutenant,” Connor stammers, his voice as uneven as autotune. “Th-the ceiling…it must’ve fallen under the p-pressure of the s-storm.”

His voice has taken on a robotic vibration, frying it with digital gravel.

“Jesus…,” Hank murmurs absentmindedly, his gaze returning to Connor himself. “Did it fucking fall on you? Why are you soaked?!”

“I-I’m okay,” Connor reassures, though the constant shivering and sniffling probably doesn’t make him any more convincing. Two other, entering officers are starting to look at him. He didn’t need this extra speculation, so he opts for changing the subject, and fast.

He glances at Hank’s hands.

“D-Did you manage t-to w-wash your hands off?”

Hank stares at Connor like he’s asked him to perform the electric slide. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the smoothest transition out of the spotlight. But even so, he didn’t say something wrong again, did he? Connor smiles through chattering teeth, when suddenly, Hank catches his cheeks in his palms and sternly peers into the Android’s eyes.

“Christ Connor you’re freezing,” he murmurs, an unusual hint of worry seeping through his tone. Connor wasn’t supposed to evoke that tone, so he does his best to console his partner.

“I-I’m okay, Lieutenant,” Connor repeats. “I-I’m just glad n-no one was injured,” he adds, blatantly ignoring the 59% efficiency report blinking in the corner of his sight. “The temperatures m-may slow m-me down, but I assure you I a-am s-still capable of completing my job.”

Hank doesn’t look convinced, far from it actually, but he ultimately chooses to free Connor of his hold, perhaps motivated by the approach of the remaining officers. He clears his throat and nods, averting his eyes to the remainder of the scene. He’d have to clean up the fallen shit, but honestly that was the least of his current concerns. One victim was piled beneath rooftop shambles, and if he knew anything, it was that Fowler would blame him for the tampered scene — whether it was his fault or not.

“Alright,” he grumbles. “But-,” he exclaims, pointing a finger in Connor’s face, “-you’d better tell me if you start bugging out! The last thing we need is you breaking down or glitching or something.”

Connor’s gears tighten. “Of course, Lieutenant. That won’t happen,” he assures.

“Good, ‘cause I’m not filing a broken equipment report after we’re done here,” he mutters, returning to the crime scene. As he does, he huffs under his breath, shaking his head and hiding his expression behind a curtain of loose bangs.

“Fuck, almost actually had me worried there, Con!” He admits. “I seriously almost asked if you wanted a break, or were hurt or feeling okay, but I forgot you don’t really want or feel, well, anything, do you?”

Connor’s hands grip tighter against his arms, leaving scratches across his synthetic skin that are slow to regenerate.

“Correct, Lieutenant,” he murmurs, his LED flashing yellow.

Hank accepts his answer, already having shuffled over to the fallen planks to scoop them out of the way. Connor tries to help him, but Hank intercepts his reach.

“Uh-uh! You keep telling me what you found, then go ahead and re-investigate the bodies, yeah? Or at least, y’know,” he glimpses down at the victim half-buried beneath the rubble, “the ones you can still see.”

…

By the time they’ve managed to clean up the majority of the roof and granted Connor enough leeway to re-inspect the final victim, more than an hour has passed. His metal was freezing cold to the touch, barely above 35 degrees, and his malfunctions were getting worse by the second — only functioning at an even split of 50%.

Still, it looked like their investigation was nearly over. The other cops had long left the area (probably in order to avoid clean-up duty), and Hank was equally ready to go with just the final victim remaining to be studied. For a man who hated his job, he’d rushed to get another look at the body. He was already down on his knees, hovering over Victim A and scouring his wounds with his flashlight.

“So, you’re saying this one attacked the Androids first?”

Connor nods. “Y-Yes. It’s m-most p-probable.”

His stutter was getting worse. So far Hank had been ignoring it, but there was no way he hadn't noticed.

“So run the last part by me again? Y’know, about how the second Android got involved?”

…No response.

That was unusual.

“Connor?” Hank calls.

No response. Again.

What the Hell?

“Connor? Connor??” He repeats, this time glancing back at the Android in question. To his unease, Connor is looking somewhere unseen, as if in a trance. Making a face, Hank claps his hands together, startling the Android out of his daze.

“Goddammit! Connor!!”

Connor blinks twice and immediately looks to his partner.

“Apologies. D-Did you need me?” Connor asks.

“Well I’ve been calling your name four damn times, so yeah,” Hank answers sarcastically. “I thought you said you were fine. The Hell is up with you?”

“N-Nothing, Lieutenant. I’m sorry,” Connor apologizes again. This time though, Hank isn’t letting him slide so easily.

“Don’t give me that bullshit. What’s going on, huh? You’re even loopier than yesterday,” he scoffs. “Y’know I was joking earlier but now I’m not so sure. What is it, huh? You actually malfunctioning or some shit?”

“N-No!” Connor exclaims a bit too hastily, based on the way Hank raises an eyebrow his way. He hadn’t meant to raise his voice so high. It was an impulse he rarely leaned into, but it was difficult given the constant red warning swimming through his ocular piece. “N-No…my operations are functional.”

“Functional?” Hank repeats, placing a hand on his knee. “What happened to optimal?”

For a middle-aged drunkard, Hank was remarkably astute — a quality Connor often admired, just not in this moment.

“I am fine,” Connor breathes, trying to keep his voice as still as possible. “I’ve already ran internal diagnostics. It s-seems that I’ve contracted a small virus that is affecting the r-regulation of my bio-components.”

“What?” Hank exclaims, suddenly up on his feet and fully facing his Android. “Affecting how? For how long??” He asks, bordering concern and curiosity.

“My temperature regulation is h-hindered, resulting in fluctuating internal temps ranging from r-roughly 30 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.”

“30?!” He knew Connor was cold, just not that cold.

“My ocular c-components are s-similarly impaired, occasionally resulting in low visibility and an inability t-to scan c-certain d-data in the environment. I s-suspect I will not be able to immediately diagnose b-blue blood, as taste receptors are partially numbed.”

Hank honestly didn’t see that as a negative per se, but he wasn’t about to say that aloud.

“And I am experiencing m-mild g-glitching affecting airway c-cavities, though this is, again, a m-mild inconvenience.”

Hank looks Connor up and down, expression unreadable. For the first time, Connor swears he’s sensing something. Something internal outside his usual program, and aside from the errors he’s affected by. This was something new, something strange and unpleasant. Something like…

Anxiety?

He waits for Hank to say something — anything — even if it’s at his own expense, and yet all the detective does is stare at him. Finally, after a few more bated moments, Hank does something unexpected: he laughs. And when he does speak, it’s in the flattest tone Connor’s ever heard out of him — a tone befit an Android.

“So you have a cold.”

Blue rises to Connor’s cheeks. Anxiety was giving way to another unwanted emotion: humiliation.

“…Yes, Lieutenant. The common cold would likely be an equivalent to my condition.”

Hanks laughs again, placing his hands on his hips as he shakes his head in amusement. “Learn something stupid everyday,” he muses. Then, more seriously, he continues: “So what exactly uh, happens when you’re-,” he waves his hands around Connor’s person, gesturing to his entirety,” -like this. Hm? I’m assuming bots don’t get sick leave.”

He was genuinely curious (maybe even a smidge compassionate), and as always, Connor has an answer.

“CyberLife has been notified of my dysfunction, and their report denotes that as a m-model RK800, I am c-capable of both s-self-diagnostics and administering minor self-repairs. A-As such, this inconvenience is nothing I c-cannot h-handle myself. Given approximately-,” his LED hums and glows a faint blue, “-51 hours, 32 minutes and 11 seconds, my s-systems should be rebooted, and myself returned t-to optimal f-functionality. In the meantime, I apologize for any hindrances this may c-cause our investigation, Lieutenant; however, CyberLife has assured that these errors are m-more likely to c-cause self-contained discomfort, and are therefore highly n-negligible to outside company.”

He wiggles in place. “That is why I didn’t tell you sooner. I’m s-sorry for the disturbance, and urge you to ignore my incongruity lest it endanger or c-concern you or others directly.”

“Right…,” Hank nods, still eyeing Connor with skepticism. “But you know it does kind of concern me when you’re all dopey, ignoring my questions and shit.”

“It won’t happen again.”

Hank snorts, rolling his eyes. “I’ll take your word for it, but forgive me if I think you’re full of shit when you say so,” he says, returning to the victim. “So, anything else I should be aware of? Any other surprises?” He chuckles.

Hank awaits an answer, even if it’s meant as a joke, but once again he’s met with silence. He sighs and mutters something unintelligible to himself; something along the lines of “I swear to God kid if you aren’t listening��; but just as he’s about to call Connor again and wake him from whatever tizzy he’s fallen back into, the Android makes a sound he doesn’t recognize.

“H’ih-!”

“Huh?”

Hank waits, but there’s no response again. Was Connor trying to say something and he’d missed it? “Hey! Connor! What did you sa-?”

“Hidt’TZSH’ieEW!”

Hank startles, jerking enough to lose his grip on his flashlight, which tumbles from his hand and rolls across the wood flooring. He swings around fast enough to give someone his age whiplash, still not entirely believing such a human sound was produced by his partner. That is, until he watches him make it again. The android’s shoulders bounce twice, chest inflates with a faux breath, and then-

“Ih’TSHH’Uui! E-Excu’h-! Hhh’idTSHh’iew!”

He somehow catches the final sneeze in an artificial web of fingers. Why he even bothers Hank doesn’t know; after all, it’s not like he could infect anyone. Then again, it was probably just another habit to make him appear more human; though to be honest, Hank almost found it creepy.

When Connor catches his partner staring, he looks utterly embarrassed; the sky-blue blush rushing to his face and discoloring his ski-sloped nose. To regain his composure, he’s quick to readjust his trademark tie and fidget with the cuffs of his sleeve.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant,” Connor offers sheepishly.

“…did you just fucking sneeze?” Hank asks, only the way he says it makes it sound more like an accusation than an inquiry.

Connor nods and rubs his nose. “Forgive me. It’s another side effect of my-,” he pauses, refusing to say malfunction aloud. “-condition. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

“It’s not that I just, didn’t know you things uh, did that,” Hank replies un-eloquently. “Not that I even knew you got sick for Christ’s sake.”

“It’s not common,” Connor answers, his eyes averting shyly. “It’s to vent out my systems. Usually androids don’t need to resort to these processes since they clean themselves manually, but with my bio-components partially corrupted-“

Connor sniffs and pinches his nose, unaware how he seems to be bewildering Hank further.

“-my systems are relying on automatic reflexes. CyberLife did add that they m-may be on high alert for outside disturbances. S’h-?! So given how duh’hsty this area i’hiH-! is…”

Connor glimpses around the abandoned kitchen, wiggling his nose and sniffing in succession, again.

“-I suppose I’m-…I-hH‘m…-?!”

He’s intent on continuing, he really is, but he just can’t. Therefore, he swivels around out of Hank’s sight, and sneezes as quietly as possible into the bed of his palms.

“pP’SHHIi’Eew! ihH’SCH’yuU! ‘chyiieEW!”

Or not quietly at all, really. It was just so hard; especially when his nose was so relentlessly ticklish! Staving off the fit for hours probably didn’t help, but in his defense, he still wasn’t 100% sure fighting it off actually made it worse. Just…99% sure.

“ahH’Ah-! H’ahH-…! HH’ATSCH’hyieEW!”

The water soaked into his systems must be more agitating than he thought. He sniffles damply and rubs his nose on his sleeve before clearing his throat of the congestion that’s settled there. When he faces Hank again, he isn’t even aware of just how blue he’s turned, or the little curls of hair that've been freed by the exertion of his fit. He coughs into his fist.

“Excuse me. Sorry. I was saying that I’ve become highly sensitive to the changes in the environment. Like the rain and-“, he sniffs, hesitant to even utter the word, “-dust.”

The initial shock of disbelief wearing off, Hank’s expression dissolves into a smirk that teases more at one corner of his mouth than the other. “So first you catch colds and now you get allergies, too?”

Connor swallows.

“Not necessarily,” he defends.

Hank nods, still looking cheeky. “But you are sneezy.”

“A bit…yes,” Connor confirms, scrubbing at his face again. Static is still tickling his nose, and spreading an itch to the rest of his face. Is this how humans felt when they were overreacting?

“I’ll stop it next time. I’m sorry.”

He fears he may have given the wrong answer the way Hank stays silent, but ultimately, his partner must appreciate his courtesy, because his expression softens and he rises to rub Connor’s shoulder in earnest.

“Twenty more minutes and then we get you out of here. I’m starting to freeze my balls off, anyway.”

…

Twenty minutes don’t come fast enough. Thankfully they’ve managed to piece together exactly how the crime went down — from the names of the victims and their Androids, to the means of assault, the murder weapons, and the motives. The cost however was Connor’s comfort, which if not indicated by his breathy sneezing and constant shaking, was evidenced by the 44% efficiency he was operating at. He needed a charge, and maybe just a little time to shut his eyes, which were being swarmed by constant alerts. The walls of text and meaningless numbers were starting to pile up in the corners of his eyes and really impair his sight. He had attempted to blink them away as quickly as they popped up, but at some point he’d given up altogether — doing so was expending crucial battery life he couldn’t afford to spare.

And now even his balance was beginning to suffer, causing him to lean and rock whenever he inched in any direction. To keep himself steady and warm, his hands were permanently grounded to his arms, keeping him enveloped in a hug of his own making.

As he watches Hank wrap up, Connor suddenly remembers that his night was far from over. He still needed to file his case report to CyberLife, and the idea of walking all the way back to the station was no more appealing. As an Android he wasn’t afforded the luxury of catching himself a taxi since it was illegal to spend currency on himself alone. Usually Connor didn’t pay this inequality any real attention, but in his current state, he finds himself fixated on the rule. If he thought on it further, perhaps he would’ve inspired some kind of opinion; ultimately though, he knows there’s nothing he could do but accept it. Thus he turns his attention back to his current priority: Hank, who he needed to return home safely before reporting their findings to CyberLife. He’d made a promise to Sumo, after all.

He may be exhausted, but he still wasn’t ready to deem his performance a total failure just yet.

“Alright, I think we’re just about done here,” Hank sighs, looking and sounding just as relieved as Connor was. “Don’t tell the Chief but uh, based on what we found here-“

Hank peeks at Connor who meets his glance.

“-fuckers probably deserved what they got.”

Connor glimpses at the Android bodies, then that of the human victims. He shrugs, albeit reluctantly. “That is n-not a j-judgment I can m-make,” he answers.

“Sure it isn’t,” Hank sighs. “Anyway, let’s get the fuck out of here. Come on.”

Hank leads the way towards the exit, and as usual, Connor is quick to trail him like a puppy chasing its owner. He’s so close to being done and escaping this fortress of death and dust, but of course, fate can’t let him off so easily. The whole day had been work, and apparently his shift wasn’t quite over yet.

He feels it before he fully realizes what’s happening. That prickling burn in his face had returned with a vengeance, syncing with another alert that blinds his view completely.

WARNING!!! Functionality: Critically Impaired. Code: C5Y0091-53BC. Result: Bio-Component Defects And Malfunction. Risk Of Shut-Down: Imminent. Self-Repairs Update Ongoing. Time Remaining: 54 Hours, 26 Minutes, And 03 Seconds.

Wait, did the time remaining increase?

Connor is too preoccupied with completing his objectives to heed his system’s warnings, and thus dismisses the alarm pounding in his head. With a mighty effort he attempts to trudge forward in Hank’s wake, every step heavy and audibly creaking. His bio components slosh with rainwater, sending chills through every circuit and rendering every movement sluggish and dizzying. The pixels in his view were collecting like a storm and creating clouds of noir fuzz that eat away at his peripheral sight.

And that damn vibration in his chest and nose! It was so fucking distracting! He doesn’t need to alert Hank to his current state any more than he already has, and he definitely doesn’t need to get whisked up in another pathetic fit…but the tactics he’d used so far to abate his reflexes just weren’t providing him any hints of reprieve.

Desperate, he resorts to a new plan of action, quick to secure his nose between the pads of his thumb and forefinger. He’s seen Hank do it before, so maybe if he just…! Connor clamps down hard on the sensitive tip to try and curb the itch that’s nested there, eager to quell the phantom sensation by massaging and kneading strategically. Rain water squeaks against his grip, and the stubborn tickle has him coughing breathily against his control. Please let this work! He can stop this one! He just needs to concentrate. He just needs to try harder! He just…ne’hH’eds…t-t’hHU…!

Abandoning his cause, Connor blindly frees his hand and reaches for Hank’s shoulder. He ends up at his sleeve instead, but honestly that’s close enough given the urgency of his position. He gives the detective’s jacket a little tug, signaling for his attention.

“LieuyY’hH-!…Lieutenant-?!”

Hank peeks at Connor over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“S-Sir-! I-I’hh am…,” Connor trails off, and catching the Android’s desperate gaze, Hank pays him his full attention. The Android shuffles, blinks side to side, then flusteredly exclaims, “g-going to do ih’hIHT-!…a’hh’gain-!”

Hank blinks, and when he finally catches on, he blinks again.

“Connor,” he grumbles, rolling his eyes and gripping the Android’s hand. “You’re a damn-near indestructible supercomputer worth double my yearly salary. Are you seriously telling me you’re about to sneeze again? Like a preschooler?”

“Y-Yes-!” Connor answers seriously between hitching breaths. Hank isn’t surprised he didn’t catch his attempts at teasing, but he’s also unaware of just how mortified Connor is — how he’s feeling. “I understand I — huh-! — f-frightened-“

“I wasn’t scared.”

“-you la’aast time s’so I th’hah-! I thought I’d try to w-warn you’that’I-!”

“Fuck’s sake just shut up and get it over with!” Hank hisses.

Permission granted. To spare his commanding officer the unsightly scene, Connor twists his body and races to cover his mouth with steepled hands. He hiccups two “breaths” (a pattern Hank was beginning to pick up on) against his palms before succumbing to his nightmare.

“Hh’IPTtsSH’IEW! Aah’-! eH’SCH’hh! Iy’hh-! hah-! H’hiHH-! hHYi’DSHH’uU!”

He coughs so hard afterwards, his chest rattles and mouth leaks stale rainwater. It’s the trigger that melts Hank’s bemused expression into one of utter fear, his eyes wide and unblinking. Up until now he’d found this whole thing funny, maybe a bit quirky and unusual, but now? Now this felt serious. Dangerous, even.

“Connor!”

Hank scrambles to Connor’s side. Without seeking permission, he grabs both Connor’s wrists in his hands and forces them away from his face, revealing a tortured expression he should’ve noticed earlier. Connor looked outright uncomfortable. He looked distressed. He looked…

Really sick.

Guilt anchors Hank’s heart to the bottom of his gut, and out of some sort of paternal instinct, he holds the Android steady by pulling him into a hug.

“Connor!” He calls, but the Android is prisoner to a loop of gasping and sputtering. Pressed close together, Hank can hear the faint whistling emitting from the Android’s chest. Paired with the aggressive huffing and whimpers of sound, Connor didn’t sound too much unlike an asthmatic. Hank’s hands are becoming numb the longer they remain locked around the man’s body, and with every violent shiver, his body shakes in chorus.

Connor clutches greedy fistfuls of Hank’s jacket, relying on him entirely for support to stay upright. It’s like he’s clinging for life support, and the impression makes Hank’s own blood turn to ice.

“Connor?! Connor, son!! Are you okay?!”

To his horror, Connor blindly shakes his head. It’s the last hint to compel Hank to action. Desperate to comfort the Android further, Hank cradles a hand to the back of Connor’s head and pillows his face against his chest. The Android wiggles weakly against his grip, but Hank adamantly refuses to budge.

“Relax, kid. I used to be a dad, remember?”

He closes his eyes and traces soothing circles between Connor’s shoulder blades.

“Getting sneezed and coughed on is part of the job; maybe for detectives too. So quit your fighting and just get it over with — I’m here for you now.”

Either his words resonate convincingly enough, or Connor can’t hold out any further. Either way, the result is the same.

“HAH’DZSCHh’hiuUH! h’DTZSH’HUH! ih’KSCHH!”

Connor groans faintly from the bed of Hank’s breast pocket, barely catching another breath before he’s snapping forth again. First coughing, then flung into another sneezing fit.

“EH’DSHH’CHhui! ‘CHiiEeW! ‘SCHH’yyiuh! hHi’tshiiew!”

The last one is barely a sneeze, more like an exhale of empty, fizzled out air. Hank noticed how Connor, even in all his desperation, had refused to sneeze on him; instead letting loose at the last possible moment by pressing his forehead to his chest and aiming each burst towards the floor. Even while at the end of his rope the damn man was too polite — a wholesome and unreasonable characteristic Hank acted like he abhorred, but silently envied.

Relieved to be finished but feeling infinitely worse, Connor lifts his head slowly, already pulling out of Hank’s touch to crush the back of his wrist against his nose. He wasn’t about to look Hank in the eyes, not that he could see clearly to begin with. Errors were swarming his senses like gnats, declaring him critically defective and dangerously malfunctioning — as if he needed a reminder of the obvious.

Rocking on his heels he clutches his head in his hand and surrenders to the glitches tearing up his bio components.

WARNING!!! Functionality: Critically Impaired. Code: C5Y0091-53BC. Result: Bio-Component Defects And Malfunction. Risk Of Shut-Down: Imminent. WARNING!!! Functionality: Critically Impaired. Code: C5Y0091-53BC. Result: Bio-Component Defects And Malfunction. Risk Of Shut-Down: Imminent. WARNING!!! Malfunction. Malfunction.

Malfunction.

“I-…I’m not…”

Malfunction. Shut-Down Sequence Initiated.

N-No. He wasn’t going to shut down. It was a status he couldn’t afford, especially given his type of work, his mission, his expectations, and his model. A malfunction this spiraling…was unbefitting a rumba, let alone an RX800 Android like himself. If he couldn’t pull it together and send back a satisfying report to his creators, then…what could he expect? He’d be forced apart and aptly replaced by a new Connor model. He would be broken down; he’d be expendable once again. He’d lose his purpose. He’d lose his job! He’d lose Hank!! He didn’t want that!!!

“Connor! CONNOR!!!”

He…he didn’t…

“Hank-…I-I…don’t…f-feel…”

DING!Shut-Down Sequence Complete.

#snz #snzfic #snzblr #snz kink #d/etroit: b/ecome h/uman #co/nnor r/k800 #h/ank a/nderson

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blacksheep28 · 9 months

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I love Subnautica.

I am yet to really go deeper than 200m, as unfortunately I don't have the equipment to survive doing so yet, but everything that I have seen so far has felt like falling in love, over and over.

The world is absolutely beautiful. Every creature I encounter is new and unique and wonderful, from the little peepers to the reefback leviathans that I just stand in awe of. Reefback leviathans! The first time I really took those in I fell the rest of the way in love with the world. And I had thought the rabbit rays were enough to have me do so.

I love exploring the little nooks and crannies of the caves and arches underwater, even if I sometimes get stuck and drown. I love chasing after the glow of the plants, and the wonderous way so many things light up at night. It's really hard to see without a flashlight, but sometimes it's worth it to just swim about in the dark. The illumination from the plants and the fish are enough to make a special wonderland I'd miss if I only looked around with the light on. It even leads me to surprises that I would have overlooked otherwise!

And there's so many secrets to discover. There's heartache in learning to love the other humans who crashed, and finding their ends. There's thrills when I solve how to get into something and unlock new data about the world. There's the excitement of knowing that I'm going to be able to grow things now that I have the recipe for a growbed, and that one day I'll be able to hatch creatures too once I get the blueprint for the alien containment. Little baby creatures I'll get to look at and watch!

I'm not a builder. I'm pretty sure the base I have in Subnautica is an embarrassment for base builders everywhere. It's a simple basic one room place that's used for storage and the tools I need to explore further.

But for me? That's enough. It's alright building a base, and I have fun thinking of what it could look like if I took my time decorating it, but exploring the world is so much more fun. There's so much more for me to see. One day, I'm going to manage to dive down into the mushroom forests and swim through them. I'm going to figure out how to safely pass by the mesmers and find what secrets there are in the caverns they live in.

One day I'm going to successfully scan a ghost leviathan.

It's beautiful, and I love it all.

#subnautica #love story #i love it so much #explore #wonder #beauty #ocean

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science-lover33 · 8 months

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Exploring the Marvels of Biological Macromolecules: The Molecular Machinery of Life (Part 3)

Nucleotide Structure: The Building Blocks

Nucleotides, the monomers of nucleic acids, consist of three fundamental components:

1. Phosphate Group (PO4): Provides a negatively charged backbone for the nucleic acid strand.

2. Pentose Sugar: In DNA, it's deoxyribose; in RNA, it's ribose. The sugar moiety forms the framework of the nucleotide.

3. Nitrogenous Base: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T) in DNA, and Uracil (U) in RNA. These bases are responsible for the genetic code.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): The Repository of Genes

DNA is a double-stranded helical molecule, with each strand composed of a linear sequence of nucleotides. It encodes the genetic information necessary for an organism's development, growth, and functioning. The Watson-Crick base pairing rules—A with T and C with G

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): The Repository of Genes

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid): From DNA's Blueprint to Protein Synthesis

RNA plays diverse roles in the cell, including serving as a messenger (mRNA) for protein synthesis, a structural component of ribosomes (rRNA), and an adapter molecule (tRNA) that brings amino acids to the ribosome during translation. Unlike DNA, RNA is often single-stranded and contains uracil (U) instead of thymine (T).

Genome Organization and Chromosomes

Genomic DNA is organized into chromosomes within the cell nucleus. These structures enable efficient storage, replication, and transmission of genetic information during cell division and reproduction.

Replication and Transcription

DNA replication ensures the faithful duplication of genetic material during cell division, while transcription converts DNA into RNA, providing a template for protein synthesis.

Translation

The cellular machinery, composed of ribosomes and tRNA, reads the mRNA code and assembles amino acids into polypeptides during translation, ultimately forming functional proteins.

Genetic Code

The genetic code, a triplet code of nucleotide sequences (codons), dictates a protein's sequence of amino acids. It is nearly universal, with only minor variations across species.

Epigenetics

Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, regulate gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, pivotal in development and cell differentiation.

Macromolecular interactions are the essence of cellular life. Within the complex microcosm of a cell, countless molecules engage in precise and choreographed dances, forming intricate networks that govern every facet of biology. These interactions, governed by the principles of biochemistry, are the foundation upon which life's processes are built.

Amino Acids: The Building Blocks

Proteins are composed of amino acids organic molecules that contain an amino group (-NH2), a carboxyl group (-COOH), a hydrogen atom, and a distinctive side chain (R group). There are 20 different amino acids, each with a unique side chain that confers specific properties to the amino acid.

Primary Structure: Amino Acid Sequence

The primary structure of a protein refers to the linear sequence of amino acids in the polypeptide chain. The genetic information in DNA encodes the precise arrangement of amino acids.

Secondary Structure: Folding Patterns

Proteins don't remain linear; they fold into specific three-dimensional shapes. Secondary structures, such as α-helices and β-sheets, result from hydrogen bonding between nearby amino acids along the polypeptide chain.

Tertiary Structure: Spatial Arrangement

The tertiary structure is the overall three-dimensional shape of a protein, determined by interactions between amino acid side chains. These interactions include hydrogen bonds, disulfide bridges, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.

Quaternary Structure: Multiple Polypeptide Chains

Some proteins, known as quaternary structures, comprise multiple polypeptide chains. These subunits come together to form a functional protein complex. Hemoglobin, with its four subunits, is an example.

Protein Functions: Diverse and Essential

Proteins are involved in an astounding array of functions:

1. Enzymes: Proteins catalyze chemical reactions, increasing the speed at which reactions occur.

2. Structural Proteins: Proteins like collagen provide structural support to tissues and cells.

3. Transport Proteins: Hemoglobin transports oxygen in red blood cells, and membrane transport proteins move molecules across cell membranes.

4. Hormones: Hormonal proteins, such as insulin, regulate various physiological processes.

5. Immune Function: Antibodies are proteins that play a crucial role in the immune system's defense against pathogens.

6. Signaling: Proteins are critical in cell signaling pathways, transmitting information within cells.

Protein Denaturation and Folding

Protein Diversity: The vast diversity of proteins arises from the combinatorial possibilities of amino acid sequences, secondary structure arrangements, and three-dimensional conformations.

Nucleic acids, the remarkable macromolecules that govern all living organisms' genetic information, are life's quintessential molecules. These complex polymers of nucleotides play an unparalleled role in the storage, replication, and expression of genetic information, shaping the development, characteristics, and functions of every living entity on Earth. Let's embark on an exploration of the intricate world of nucleic acids.

Nucleotide Structure: The Building Blocks

Nucleotides, the monomers of nucleic acids, consist of three fundamental components:

1. Phosphate Group (PO4): Provides a negatively charged backbone for the nucleic acid strand.

2. Pentose Sugar: In DNA, it's deoxyribose; in RNA, it's ribose. The sugar moiety forms the framework of the nucleotide.

3. Nitrogenous Base: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T) in DNA, and Uracil (U) in RNA. These bases are responsible for the genetic code.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): The Repository of Genes

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid): From DNA's Blueprint to Protein Synthesis

Genome Organization and Chromosomes:

Replication and Transcription: DNA replication ensures the faithful duplication of genetic material during cell division, while transcription converts DNA into RNA, providing a template for protein synthesis.

Translation: The cellular machinery, composed of ribosomes and tRNA, reads the mRNA code and assembles amino acids into polypeptides during translation, ultimately forming functional proteins.

Genetic Code: The genetic code, a triplet code of nucleotide sequences (codons), dictates the sequence of amino acids in a protein. It is nearly universal, with only minor variations across species.

Epigenetics: Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, regulate gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, pivotal in development and cell differentiation.

#science #biology #college #education #school #student #medicine #doctors #health #healthcare #genetics #genetic engineering #science nerds #dna activation #new dna

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