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mikelogan · 3 months

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Hi, I love your blog and your edits. I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on how you combine multiple gifs into one in the first gif of yours MIKELOGAN’s 5K FOLLOWER CELEBRATION || GET TO KNOW ME MEMEFAVORITE ACTORS [2/10]Colin Firth (September 10, 1960) set? Thank you for reading this and helping me.

thank you so much, that's so kind!! this is the post in question (which was inspired by this gorgeous set) and i'll break down how to do it step by step below the cut!

i ended up saving this gif as a psd because i remember it taking me so long and being really frustrating, i just wasn't sure why. for reference, i posted that set back in september, just over four months ago. looking at the psd, i can see just how far i've grown as a gifmaker bc that thing is a hot mess. i made it about 3x more complicated than it needed to be, so let's do this the right way lol note: i was still using 0.07 frame rate at this point. i have since switched to 0.05 for smoother, quicker gifs.

what we're going to do is create all of these gifs separately and put them together at the end. in total, there are 6 individual gifs. let's start with harry.

i gif by importing video frames to layers, but if you prefer to screencap, load those in instead. because this ends up being a pretty large gif, both in size and length, i kept it to 20 frames per clip.

once you're satisfied with the frames you've chosen, crop your canvas to 540px x 540px. this is what i'm left with

this is when i sharpen my gifs. everyone's process is a little different. i created my own sharpening action, which converts my frames to video timeline and then sharpens.

the next step is to color your gif. if you're going for the overall look in mine, here were my layers:

a brightness/contrast layer with brightness set to 31 and contrast to 5. this will depend on the scene you're working with

a levels layer using the black and white eyedroppers. the top one is your black eyedropper. to use it, click it and select the blackest part of your gif. do the same with the white eyedropper and select the lightest part of your gif. you may need to play around with selecting different points depending on your scene and the original coloring

finally, a simple black & white gradient map layer on top

now we're going to add the thin rectangular border in the middle of the gif. i use the rectangle shape tool for this (press U on your keyboard) and these are my settings (x and y coordinates don't matter):

to center it perfectly, i use ctrl+T and drag it until it snaps into place with both the vertical and horizontal guides.

next, let's add the "choose your gentleman" text that goes at the top of the border. here is the font i chose and its settings:

once again, press ctrl+t and drag this to the vertical center of your gif and to the center of the top of the border. you should feel and see it snap into place. this is what we have now:

now, we're going to use a layer mask on the border so we can read the text. select the rectangle layer and click the layer mask button

with the layer mask selected (as shown in the second image), use the rectangular marquee tool (M on your keyboard) to draw a rectangle around your text, taking care to keep it just a little larger

as you can see, you'll know when you're perfectly centered through your text layer and vertically on the entire canvas. select your brush tool without deselecting this rectangle (B on your keyboard) and paint the selection with a black brush. this masks that part of the border!

let's add the small square gif that goes at the bottom of the border now. i think the easiest way of doing this is to use the rectangular shape tool (U) again. the size of this gif is 110x110, so create a black square of that size with no stroke. Use ctrl+T to drag it to the center of the bottom of the border (the x and y coordinates don't matter):

now duplicate your original gif layer (ctrl+J) and drag it to the top of the layer panel. right click on it and create clipping mask. this will make it so the gif only appears within the confines of the square we just created. resize your gif by using ctrl+T and, making sure the proportions are locked, drag the corners to the edges of the square.

this gif is not colored at all as we only duplicated the gif itself and not the coloring layers. i duplicated those as well and dragged them on top of our small gif, but it's important to make sure those are using the clipping mask as well. you can click this on the properties layer of each adjustment layer to make sure they do.

you'll know you've been successful when you see the small arrow next to each of your coloring layers. this keeps them from affecting the coloring of the larger, main gif.

we're going to change the gradient map adjustment layer from black & white to black & lime green (or the color of your choosing). click on that layer and then on the map. this will bring up the gradient editor. click on the small white color stop at the far right end of the gradient and then on the color picker, choose a new color.

the hex code i used for the lime green is #00ff0c

our last steps are the angle brackets on either side of the gif and harry's name in the center. here are the settings i used for those (angle brackets on the left and harry on the right):

the layer styles for harry's name (double click on the text layer to call up this menu OR right click > blending options):

and for the angle brackets:

by now, you know how to utilize ctrl+T to move these layers where you'd like them. harry's name is centered horizontally and vertically and rotated at a bit of an angle and the angle brackets are centered horizontally and i just eyeballed where to put them in relation to the space between the border and the edge of the gif.

this is the complete first gif. what i would do for your own sanity since you have two more of these two create is 1) save it as a psd just in case something crashes and 2) don't convert it to a smart object until you have all 3 gifs completed and are ready to put them together.

the nice part about having the first one done is you've ultimately done the hard part. create your two other gifs, but you'll be using at least roughly the same coloring and all the same text, just with the colors adjusted, so you can drag those layers from your completed first gif to your others as you work on them.

once you have all 3 gifs completed and still on 3 separate canvases (and saved as psds bc this is adobe friggin photoshop and shit breaks all the time), convert all layers on all the gifs to smart objects. this will simplify the final gif and make things much easier.

then, bring gif #2 and gif #3 both onto gif #1's canvas. this is what it will look like at first on the timeline and in your layer panel:

(full disclosure, i'm not making the other two lmao, i'm lazy and i already did it once in a way harder way 😂)

to get the gifs to play after one another rather than simultaneously, you just have to drag them after one another on the timeline!

a little bit hard to show the actual process, but you're just clicking the bertie layer and dragging it down to harry's line after the harry layer. then do the same with the jamie layer, dragging it down to the harry layer after bertie. when you're done, it should look like this:

btw, the little slider i circled is what enlarges or shrinks the timeline view, so if you need to see something broken down a bit more/slower, drag it to the right. if you need to zoom out, drag it to the left.

and that's it! export and save your gif!

if you have any questions or anything is at all unclear about this, please let me know! i'm happy to help!

#answered #Anonymous #gif tutorial #my tutorials #gifmakerresource #completeresources #dailyresources #LISTEN. the way i did this 4 months ago was SO FUCKED #i made it SO SO much harder than it needed to be #you know what that is? growth.

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bryce-bucher · 1 year

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Basidia Post #1

Introduction:

The Winds of Basidia is an adventure roleplaying game that I am co-developing alongside Modus Interactive. It's a sequel to his previous game The Snow of Basidia. Our main inspirations for this project include the n64 Zelda games, Fallout: New Vegas, Nausicaa, and Pathologic.

Tha Plot:

The kingdom of Basidia faces an apocalypse in the form of an extremely deadly, infectious basidium storm that is set to hit by the end of the next three days. Luckily, following an assassination of the king, the protagonist (a lowly nobody) chances upon an ancient artifact that was lost during the altercation. With this artifact they can relive the last three days of this beautiful, dying land over and over in order to try and find a way to save it.

Tha Factions & Misc. Basidia Politics:

There are three major factions in Basidia that are all trying to realize their own solution to the storm. Through their actions, the player can aid and join them on their respective quests. These factions include the Basidia Military, the Basidia Church, and the Rebellion (note: these are all working titles). The military and the church are in the process of fighting for primary control over the kingdom following the king's assassination. The military feel as though they have the majority of power and resources, so they should be able to take charge. On the other hand, the church feel as though they were second to the king in terms of closeness to God, so they have a right to be in charge. The military would prefer to just eliminate the church, but they cannot. The church is extremely important to the citizens of Basidia, and the military cannot risk losing that support. Operating in the background of this tension is a relatively small, organized anarchist-rebellion group. They were responsible for the king's assassination as a means to cause infighting in the kingdom. They operate through a horizontal hierarchical structure, and they are made up entirely of any Basidia citizens that believed in the cause. I'll leave it at that for now. Maybe I'll go into more detail with these factions and their motivations another time.

Tha Mechanics:

So this game is taking a while to develop due to how many interworking mechanics we need to build (as it turns out making a whole rpg is a lot of work). We want to emphasize player freedom (shocker ik), so we have to account for things like the player being able to kill whoever they want and go anywhere they want. This game has a timeloop, open-ended world, murder, infected areas, gliding, resource gathering, a weird marble lock system, a bomber's notebook type thing, etc. Maybe I should go into detail about the gliding since the game is kinda named after it. The player is going to be placed in a fairly vast world that takes a while to traverse on foot; however, as the game progresses the player will acquire various different types of gliders that they can equip and use. With these gliders the player can, well, glide freely to get around quicker, access new areas, and generally get more stuff done within the time limit. Sorry this section is poorly structured and rambely, but there are so many details I could go into for each mechanic that its probably best I just save a lot of it for individual development posts.

Conclusion:

There is a lot going on with this project, and I can't wait to share more of it. I'll see you next week when I probably talk about the marble lock system and/or the journal system that I am currently developing. Also go follow Modus and play Snow of Basidia if you haven't.

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aenslem · 7 months

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a very foking detailed GIF tutorial you asked for and how I color my gifs

However, I color them individually, so there will be explanation of tools I choose instead of showing what settings I used for this specific gif in this tutorial.

I will go through entire process of how I create gifs, the process of gifmaking can be different for others and there is no obligation of how to create a gif. Basically, do it however you like and enjoy the process.

this is part I, part II is here\in reblogs.

First, you will need to prepare everything, you choose the moment you want to gif and make screencaps. I use mpv player to create them, here is a great tutorial on how to install it. So I won't go over it, just follow it and or use another player which allows to make screencaps, such as kmplayer.

Once you make screencaps go to photoshop - file - scripts - load files into stack - browse - select screencaps and upload them.

At this point I will also add that I use keyboard shortcuts a lot, you can set them up to your preference, that is much easier for me and might be for you too, and I am so used to them that I forget where are some settings. You can do it from edit - keyboard shortcuts, you may set up anything there.

You will have all screencaps uploaded into one file. Once I have it I change canvas/image size, I also remove 10 pixels from each side, because I hate that some files have that weird black line which looks awful on gifs. But that's up to you. Use proper dimensions for tumblr, that is important since your gifs will look 'not good' when you upload them. I will go with 540x500px this time. (correct dimensions for tumblr are 540px for big gifs, 268px for two gifs along each other and 177-178-177px for the three gifs together)

Go to images - image size (crtl+alt+i) and change the size.

After that I make animation, because without it we would not be able to convert all the screencaps into smart filters. Go to windows - timeline

you will have something like this by default

click on create frame animation - then on 4 horizontal lines which will open menu - make frames from layers

click on convert to video timeline (that 3 horizontal lines and 1 vertical line or whatever it is, right under the first layer) you will get something like this.

now, this will be animated. If you choose convert to video timeline right away it will not be animated.

Now, select all the layers - filters - convert to smart filters

You will have something like this, and if you play it - it will be animated anyway. That way you can edit ALL the screencaps at once.

I usually start with sharpening, settings may change according to the files I have, for some you will need more sharpening, for some less. I go with filters - sharpen - smart sharpen and usually that's enough

but I sometimes add more sharpening, just change radius to 0,2. So, repeat the action.

You will have it like this

and at any point of making gif you will be able to change settings for it, if after coloring it will look not as good as you wanted to.

I will not go into a lot of details about coloring for this gif, because does not matter how good the coloring on this gif will be, it won't work as good on another gif.

There is no right way to start coloring, you may start with curves, levels or selective colors depending on the screencaps you want to edit.

Well, this time I did start with layer - new adjustment layer - curves. (yeah, i guess by the end of the day we all do lmao) (Always use 'layer - new adjustment layer'. That's the only thing I suggest to remember when you color. ) Just to brighten gif a little bit, but you also can change colors with it.

those are not settings I used for this gif!

Curves have option to edit colors, just press RGB and you will see options for RED, GREEN, BLUE. Upper slider adds the said color, the slider at the bottom removes it. That's a great tool if you have a very red\yellow\blue\green scene, with those settings and moving sliders here and there you will be able to add the color you want, for red scene I suggest to use more green and blue, as well as for yellows but with less green. Just move them to see what fits your gif better.

there are also eyedrop tools which will help you to edit picture, with the first one you need to find the darkest part of your gif and click, it will adjust your picture according to it. If there's too much red, it will make it bluer, etc. The middle one is the one I use the most out of them, cos it changes the midtones, it's great if you have very yellow picture, just press the yellow part and it will make it bluer\greenish, depends on the picture, and then you can adjust it to make it look better. And the last one you can use to lighten picture as well, just find the brightest part of the picture and press it. It will adjust other colors accordingly.

I like to play with settings, I could add more darkness to the gif by levels, by selective colors making dark colors even darker, but sometimes I just use layer - new adjustment layer - black & white. Putting it on soft light blending mode and changing opacity. Idk, I like the effect :D Also, by using these, you will be able to darken part or lighten specific colors

so yeah, play around and figure out what is the best way for you.

after that I used layer - new adjustment layer - selective colors. I think this is one of my favorite tools out there, I love it, I usually end up with 30 selective color layers if I make a super complex gif :D

You can change colors with it, make them more vibrant, or less.

for each color you will have 'cyan, magenta, yellow and black' and by dragging sliders you can change colors, make them darker or lighter for the lovers of those paster gifs :D

But don't worry, that's not where I will go with the gif, so it will look better, i promise.

You know how much I love making blue even more blue. So I go with more selective color layers to enhance it.

You do not have to use just one, and you won't be able to make it with just one sometimes. So add as many as you like to get the result you want.

next is one of my favorites - layers - adjustment layers - levels

with it you can darken colors or lighten them, there's also auto, as well as on curves, which will find the most suitable settings for your picture.

I hardly ever change the middle slider, cos

nope.

so, we are at this part of the gif by dragging sliders.

next one I used is layers - adjustment layers - color balance. right now I will stop adding directory, this tutorial is already long enough, so most of the things are there in layers - adjustment layers.

Absolutely love it, most of settings do the same things but a little differently, this one changes colors but also entire picture, not just part of it. You have shadows, midtones and highlights

Each of them is really great when you have a yellow\red\blue\green picture to edit. And each of them has 3 sliders cyan\magenta\yellow.

You see, if you drags sliders the other way it will make picture more yellow.

END OF PART I

since tumblr

#photoshop #tutorial #gif tutorial #dailypsd

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barry-j-blupjeans · 1 year

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If you're still accepting '101 ways to Say I Love You with Actions' prompts then 36. "Letting them lay across your lap to read." with anyone who takes your fancy would be wonderful!

36. "Letting them lay across your lap to read."

Lucretia has accepted a lot of things by now. She's accepted the fact that they don't (yet) know how to defeat the Hunger. She's accepted that she will probably never have a normal young adulthood. She's accepted that she's stuck rooming with Merle for now, who snores like an entire ogre in his sleep. She's accepted that she's probably gonna fuck up her wrists real bad with all this writing.

And she's accepted the fact that Magnus has decided that her legs specifically are the best place to read.

She's not complaining! Well, not out loud. Lucretia loves Magnus like a brother, but sometimes she does get the Cain Instinct. Magnus is big- much bigger than her, both vertically and horizontally. And he likes to read out loud. Never super loud, but if Lucretia was trying to read herself, Magnus's attempts at whispering under his breath were incredibly distracting. Lucretia was the type of person who could work in pretty much any environment if she gave it her all. That didn't mean she wanted to be in said environment, though.

It's never really been a problem before now. That being said, they had never been in a world with the largest library Lucretia has ever seen before now. This plane was completely devoted to learning and documenting new discoveries. In return for letting them study the Light alongside the crew, they had been granted full access to the library's services, including the books regular citizens were not allowed to borrow. Lucretia was consuming them at a lightning pace.

For the past few weeks, she'd come into the library first thing in the morning and start right where she left off. Often, another crew member would come with her. Barry and Lup, usually, if they had time between their work with the Light. Davenport preferred to check out books to read on the ship, and Merle had a temporary ban for tracking mud inside on three separate occasions (when it hadn't even been raining. Lucretia would have asked questions but by now she knew how Merle was.). Taako made a huge show of telling her that "reading was for nerds" and "I have better things to do", so Lucretia was content not bringing it up every time they came across each other on the shelves.

Magnus was kind of touch and go. Getting him to focus on something like this had always been a challenge, but with a world focused mainly on studies and books, he didn't really have anywhere else to turn. He had taken to setting up shop near Lucretia, and then next to her, and then quite literally on her. She had to move over to one of the couches because sitting at the table was not going to support both of them.

"Luce," Magnus said, poking the back of her hand. Lucretia blinked, looking away from her book.

"Huh?"

"I asked if you think they've invented fun on this plane," Magnus said.

"You're awful," Lucretia said, bringing her attention back to her book. Magnus squirmed.

"This is awful," Magnus said. "Do they even have sports? Is sport a thing? Is there a book about, I don't know, some physical activities or like, punching someone, or?"

"I'm sure there is somewhere," Lucretia said. Magnus groaned.

"I don't wanna read about it," he said. Lucretia was beginning to think she wasn't going to be allowed to read anymore. "I wanna do it."

"Who's stopping you?" she asked.

Magnus paused. He had his Considering face on, which was never a good thing. Lucretia might have just caused a terrible thing to go into motion. But after a long, tense second, Magnus rolled his eyes and said,

"I don't wanna right now."

"Fantastic," Lucretia said. "Great reason. Keep reading."

"I don't get why people enjoy it, is all!" Magnus said. "Like, the letters keep jumping around and it hurts my brain. And all of these are non-, uhm. Fiction? Non-fiction? Or is it-"

"Non-fiction is right," Lucretia said. "Also, is it like a dyslexia jumping around thing or like a, you can't focus jumping around thing?"

"I don't know what dyslexia is," Magnus said. "The letters are just wrong."

Okay. No. Lucretia wasn't going to be reading anymore. She put her (new, very fancy) bookmark on the page she was reading and shut the book, setting it aside. Magnus had already closed his book. He looked up at her expectantly.

"Okay," Lucretia said. "Tell me about the letters."

#magnus burnsides #lucretia #taz #taz balance #mine #ise cube writing #asks #noodyl-blasstal #thank u noodyl !!

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animehouse-moe · 9 months

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Link Click Season Two Episode 3: Two Funerals

After the initial two episode fare of this season, episode three certainly feels like it slows things down. Which is not a bad thing. It gives the story time to establish itself, to provide mystery and unspoken curiosities to the world, to allow for exploration of the new characters and their roles in the story, and it gives Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi time to work their magic. So certainly quite a bit to chat about with this episode!

I think the first thing that really tickles my brain is the oddities of the production for Link Click. Not that it's a bad thing, but that it's just decidedly different when compared to anime. Stuff like the letterboxing and the camera movement leave it very telling that this is a donghua rather than an anime. Bit hard to explain over words, but check out this panning shot. Feels.... wrong, right? Well, that's because of how it's shot. The way that the pan stops during the scene is different than what you'd normally see with anime, which continue the pan right to the end typically (or at the very least have it slow down before coming to a stop).

Similarly, the production vastly prefers depth to breadth, which is an interesting idea. Considering the share of horizontal to vertical space, you might have thought the latter, but instead they choose the former. Detail doesn't come from side to side, rather it likes to appear from front to back. Take this layout for example.

Typically, if you're operating on breadth instead of depth, you'd be more inclined to place the focus (the older characters in track suits on the right) towards the center of the frame, while placing the supporting characters and details on either side of them. Focusing on depth first however allows for far more different shots that feel more grounded in 3-dimensional space.

Anyways, the episode itself. We start with the older characters and/or masters of Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi waiting around in a hospital. Nothing too special, just establishing their characters and why they showed up to help Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi. Though I have to admit, some of the pieces through their short time here are comical as they have a run in with an incredibly drunk person.

Of course, the trio of elderly leave this hospital and arrive at Lu Guang's (in style, obviously) to take on the mob that has surrounded Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi. I was really looking forward to some crazy action, but I also wasn't surprised when they kept things simple and skipped most of it. They gave two crazy action sequences back to back, so I think they can afford a bit of a break. Still, they delivered some cool and interesting sequences and a fun impact frame or two.

Also, fun little detail here. During this sequence, and before the impact frames, the father of the other two actually disappears in frame for a brief second. Fun little bit to give to people paying close attention.

Also also, this gif provides an excellent example of that depth-first approach for the production. Rather than the left to right or vice versa you might usually see, they place the camera at an arbitrary spot in 3D space, and have the mob of characters run through the camera. Pieces like this really help establish Link Click's visual style.

A similar example can be found in a follow-up scene of Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi after the fight. It really does look good, it's just that it might take a bit to get used to because of the letterboxing. Certainly makes me curious about the choice for it to be a consistent visual restraint considering how much they might be able to accomplish with a full scene.

I haven't really talked about the story, have I? Well, up until this point it hasn't been anything super crazy, truthfully. The bad guys got beat up and are being interrogated, and Xiao Li comes to apologize to Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi. There's nothing crazy or important yet. That is, until Liu Min's father and entourage show up and butt heads with our current trio.

The back and forth is more performative than substantive, but Qian Jin's interactions are most certainly the focal point. Establishing his prior history as a police officer, and the past that he shares with Xiao Li, an odd rivalry brews between him and Cheng Xiaoshi.

It makes you really curious as to what led Qian Jin to his current station in life, and what it was that happened in this flashback we're shown by Xiao Li.

Anyways, the arguments come and go, and Qiao Ling ends it all with an incredibly satisfying slap that gets the first reaction out of Qian Jin in the whole conversation.

It's an incredibly subtle difference, but his default grin does widen a bit after the interaction. I think it adds a good deal to the sort of slimy and snake-like personality that Qian Jin wields so far. Very curious to see how his role plays out given that his lackey is being detained.

We move forward, and into Chen Bin's funeral. They do well with it as an emotional moment and bring out the best in Chen's now-widow to help give Cheng Xiaoshi the push he needs to solidify his desire to go back and prevent Chen Bin's death. I do think the emotional beat is well done, it's just that I'm not really one to be "all-in" on this sort of stuff myself, so I don't have too many words to say about it.

What I do have words to say about though is how Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang interact as the latter goes back in time. Also, just more of that whole Black and White/Ying and Yang theme here.

Anyways, the biggest thing is how Cheng Xiaoshi asks Lu Guang for his help. He says that he wants to help the pair, which appeals to Lu Guang through the guilt they share for being the cause of Chen Bin's death. It's a great moment that establishes the hesitation the pair have in the use of their powers currently, and their overall intent in their reasoning for using them. A solid shift from their original purpose through season 1, though of course the natural conclusion of their experiences with it anyways.

Of course, we end the episode on a cliffhanger though. That red-eyed guest from the prior episode? They didn't come to take over Lu Guang, they came to deliver a picture. Are they the same person that inhabited Qiao Ling at the end of S1/start of S2? It's hard to say, but the idea of the red eyes does beg quite the question.

The back of the photo is even more interesting when you know what it says. "Don't Die, Good Brother". Specifically "Gege" which is elder brother. Together with the drawing on the back of the young girl in the photo with an older brother, does it really mean what viewers might think it does? Is Lu Guang related to this pink haired girl somehow? Does she expect him and Cheng Xiaoshi to use the photo and learn something from it?

A far more intriguing ending than the episode itself might let on, this third episode works very hard to slow things down and draw them out so that viewers can have time to get attached to and understand the stories and characters that appear within. Of course, the quality is still way up there in terms of animation and direction, so it seems overall we've settled in for the long haul with a long term story compared to the more episodic approach of season 1. Really interested to see what they do with more time.

#link click #time agents #shi guang dai li ren #shiguang dailiren #时光代理人 #cheng xiaoshi #lu guang #qiao ling #donghua #shiguang daili ren #anime recommendation #anime review #anime and manga #anime #shiguang #link click spoilers

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jonnysinsectcatalogue · 2 months

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Bed Bug Diagram - Family: Cimicidae | Based on Cimex spp.

I don't plan on encountering this insect live during my lifetime (can't rule it out, however), but they are still important insects to acknowledge, prepare for and learn about. Furthermore, in a panic other insects can be misidentified as this one. As such, I've drawn a diagram of a traditional Bed Bug form (primarily based on the Cimex genus; they are commonly associated with humans) for the purposes of insect identification and to highlight some key Bed Bug information. To make this diagram, I examined macrophotography and pinned specimens to give this insect as detailed a glow-up as possible. In the real world, they are tiny Bugs around the size of pepper grains while nymphs and they average 6mm in length after the adult molt (size varies across species). With horizontally flattened bodies, they can tuck into safe locations and hide until a warm-blooded animal settles near them, signaling them with body heat. With that curved rostrum, you would be right to think that they are biters and bloodsuckers! They need nutrient-rich sustenance in order to provide for their eggs. As they feed, their abdominal carapace gradually goes from flattened to engorged! How fortunate that their wing pads are not functional, drastically limiting their dispersal and pursuit of hosts (but in fairness, it's better to let the host burn its own energy by moving).

While Bed Bugs may leave their host after they feed, they will apparently remain close by to visit the host again if more blood is needed. Since female Bed Bugs (depending on the species) can lay several eggs a day over their lifetime with blood meals, a handful of Bed Bugs can rapidly create large infestations in a nest, den or mattress. Humans bitten by Bed Bugs tend to discover itchy red spots where the skin has been pierced, but they aren't the only mammalian host. Bed Bugs are reported to select a preferred host such as a rodent, lagomorph, bat or bird and stick with them. Problems arise, however, when a better host presents itself and the Bug can transfer to that host, reaping benefits such as a communal host environment, lack of acclimated defenses and/or access to more nutritious blood. With that considered, it's remarkable that only 2 species of Bed Bug are consistently associated with human hosts (that being C. lectularius and C. hemipterus). With their feeding habits, small size and propensity for infestation, it's no wonder why Bed Bug sightings elicit fear, action and discomfort. Confirmed sighting should be handled swiftly! However, always keep in mind that they are small, and in the heat of the moment other insects may be misidentified as Bed Bugs. For me, I've had many a text message over a supposed Bed Bug, only for it to be a Carpet Beetle or its larvae, a slightly "more pleasant" insect to find in the home.

Diagram drawn with pencil and paper February 22-24, 2024 with detailing and touch-ups made on the 26th.

#jonny’s insect catalogue #ontario insect #bed bug #bedbug #insect diagram #art #insect art #true bug #hemiptera #heteroptera #insect #february2024 #2024 #toronto #nature #entomology #insect schematic #not to scale #invertebrates

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heretherebedork · 10 months

Note

[06th June, 2023.]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. #PrideMonthSeries

Let me talk about BL content creators today.

We have often discussed about BL Series, the technical aspects of Filmmaking, and perhaps to a fair extent the controversies surrounding the BL industry. But I'm not sure if we have ever discussed about the kind of BL content made by fans from around the world.

I'm sure we have our own liking, depending on the kind of the content that's made, and how it interests us. Be it FMV (Fan Made Videos), Clickbait Videos, Reviews, or anything else,...thanks to every form of Social Media, every content creator has an audience.

Unfortunately,...most of the audience lean more towards "Clickbaity" videos, that are purposely made to generate more views, rather than focussing on the content. I can take examples of various channels that would purposely make videos on either controversies about the BL actors, or their sexuality. And strangely,...fans too watch these kind of content, and give views to videos that isn't going to be helpful to the BL community in way possible,...but makes the content creator rich for sure.

Not sure how many content creators take these things seriously,...but they can be sued for damaging the reputation of actors if ever the videos comes into their notice. And with Mew and Build's case,...it's been made pretty evident that actors do take things seriously, and can initiate legal actions against toxic fans, who instigate hatred for their own personal benefit or gratification.

So,...my questions to you are as follows:

What kind of BL videos you prefer to watch that's made by a content creator?

What is your view on those channels, the sole purpose of which is to only make "clickbait" videos (no matter the content), and generate money through views?

What percentage of BL content creators do you think are serious about the kind of content they make, and how it influences the minds of the audience?

Do you like the usual "Robotic Voice" used by many, or would you prefer a natural voice of a "Voice Over Artist"?

What do you expect from a BL channel that makes BL content?

Which BL channels would you recommend to your followers through this question? And why?

If you are given an option to suggest something to a BL content creator, what would your suggestion be, based on your viewing experience?

As a BL fan,...do you like watching short-form vertical videos or long-form horizontal videos

And,...what kind of topic intrigues you as an audience, that you really want a BL content creator to make a video on?

Thanks!

xoxo

Arjuna

Honest answer? I don't watch any BL content creation that isn't by the studio. I don't. I really, really don't. And I am absolutely not looking at any of the stuff that would clickbaity about the actors because I don't want to know anything about the actors except what they choose to share because that is their life.

What kind of BL videos you prefer to watch that's made by a content creator?

I mean, I guess the closest I get to this are the occasional edited music videos?

What is your view on those channels, the sole purpose of which is to only make "clickbait" videos (no matter the content), and generate money through views?

I mean... that's just what the internet has become. There are people doing that all over for every fandom, every trend, everything. Who am I to judge a part of the web I don't totally understand? People are gonna people and capitalism gonna capitalism.

What percentage of BL content creators do you think are serious about the kind of content they make, and how it influences the minds of the audience?

No clue. None. I have no idea. I don't watch them and I don't know anyone who does watch them so... no idea.

Do you like the usual "Robotic Voice" used by many, or would you prefer a natural voice of a "Voice Over Artist"?

Don't watch, don't know, don't care.

What do you expect from a BL channel that makes BL content?

To not watch it.

Which BL channels would you recommend to your followers through this question? And why?

I think y'all have figured this out by now.

If you are given an option to suggest something to a BL content creator, what would your suggestion be, based on your viewing experience?

Don't ask me for advice.

As a BL fan,…do you like watching short-form vertical videos or long-form horizontal videos

None of the above.

And,…what kind of topic intrigues you as an audience, that you really want a BL content creator to make a video on?

Analysis of the actual media? Even then, I'd rather read it than watch it.

I also absolutely support the actors in this and believe that anyone, content creator, media, or just fan, who makes public assumptions about actors should back the fuck off.

#asked and answered #sort of #i don't go here #i don't plan to go here #i don't watch video essays or care about actors

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smbhax · 2 months

Text

Quick plays of a bunch of Neo Geo Pocket and Neo Geo Pocket Color games in Mednafen!

Kikou Seiki Unitron JP-only RPG sequel by SNK 2nd party Yumekobo. My old notes say this came bundled with a Japanese "slim" NGPC I wanted, that I had only played the first game, Biomotor Unitron, very briefly, and that I wasn't impressed with the "Pokemonesque" gameplay here, greatly preferring the likes of Card Fighter's Clash. That will probably still be the case. Nice presentation though. Translation patch from romhacking.net only does 1st few minutes of intro, and menus. Could be a decent RPG.

Neo Turf Masters Saurus' (SNK 2nd party?) version of Nazca's Neo Geo golf game. Doesn't have RPG stuff like Mario Golf but I was getting into the actual golf part. Some wild course stuff like being atop a huge waterfall. Can't save mid-course in-game? Emulator solves that I suppose. Want to play this more. Waitasec, I have MVS/AES version from the Humble Bundle NEOGEO collection. Well now I gotta try that (I think I thought at some point MVS/AES ver had flashing FX? Not seeing them at the moment).

The King of Fighters: Battle de Paradise Your avatar hops around a board triggering King of Fighters-themed button mash minigames, most of which aren't very fun. (There's a pretty fun hidden game if you put the cart in a b&w NGP, haven't done that yet, need to use an older emulator.)

Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams Amusingly drawn cutscenes with a silly young witch; boring horizontal shooting.

Faselei! Rather lovely solo mech tactical strategy by Sacnoth. "Program" your mech's next series of moves by socketing action-specific, upgradeable "chips," then watch them play out alongside the enemy's moves. Lush presentation.

Neo 21 The card game in slightly jank graphics.

NeoGeo Cup '98 Plus Initial, b&w version of…

NeoGeo Cup '98 Plus Color Kinda cute national team tournament soccer w/ absurd clothing stat-boost items to collect (don't get too attached--thieves will steal them). Gameplay's a bit maddening as it seems nearly impossible to pass to your CPU teammates, who a) are usually offscreen and b) always seem to run the other way than you'd expected; meanwhile, the CPU always has 2-3 players right on you. Back in the day I found a spot to shoot from pretty far out and to the side that goalies couldn't block; darned if I remember where it was. ; )

Dynamite Slugger Seems like a pretty good baseball game by ADK and I am terrible at them, specifically here the very streamlined pitching, and the fielding where I always press the wrong base button to throw to. Not as flash-screen heavy as the "Baseball Stars" games (Saurus did the NGPC version of those), but there is a strobing effect for a home run. : P Nice graphics. Maybe some day I'll have an inning where I hold the CPU scoreless…

Pocket Tennis Earlier, more challenging version with fewer characters and less animation--more challenging because serving is touchier and your character has a shorter reach. : P

Pocket Tennis Color By Yumekobo. Movement feels good until you try to coordinate it with hitting the ball, at which point I encounter mysterious whiffs, dives that take me away from the ball, and hits that often don't go in the direction I wanted. Feels more like ping pong than tennis a lot of the time. Some weird courts with hard-to-read nets. : P My old notes point out that the CPU doesn't move on defense, so you just hit it past them.

Of these, the games I have marked to come back to are Neo Turf Masters (the MVS one, at least, and possibly this one to compare), KOF:BdP for the b&w hidden game, and Dynamite Slugger.

Session: https://youtu.be/NXEMPA2eMR0

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kfanopinions · 1 year

Text

Park Jihoon - Ideal Type (Astrology)

i'll be looking into his moon and venus signs. i haven’t found a birth time so please take this with a grain of salt. if a birth time is found and provided i’ll edit this at that time. hope you enjoy ^^

scorpio moon || cancer venus

sweetness is not overrated he may want someone who is sweet, soft, and warm in their aura/personality/appearance

traditional traditional...conventional? in terms of appearance he may want someone who is more on the traditional side (conventionally attractive) with a simple style. nothing gaudy/flashy/too girly...just right ^^

"we must we must we must increase our bust" lol okay not really. with his cancer venus he may like someone with more of a fuller chest area. though it is preferred to be natural

"hopelessly devoted to...[ me :) ]" he will want someone who is devoted to him inside and out and does not cheat. his scorpio and cancer placement both DO NOT LIKE cheaters (especially the scorpio side so no no no no cheaters ^^)

tender loving care (tlc) with his cancer placement just like the warm/soft/sweet type he may want someone who is not aggressive/loud/too confident. it's all about the right mix with him

E.S.P. ...help me! he'll want someone who can just look at him and know what's going on in that head of his lol

uhhhh mommy? O.o jkjk he'll want someone who is probably known as the mom of their group. someone nurturing who takes care of the people who they love. this is super strong with his cancer venus

trustworthy

"emotions taking me over" seriously, his scorpio moon likes to feel all the feels and then some. he'll need someone who can handle all that. i do know they say fire moons go well with scorpio moons -- so there's that

"why you walking away jihoon?! i said i liked you!" this lil bish will probably run away if someone confesses sorry not sorry lol so someone who is persistent but not in a pushy way. that would just make him want to actually flee and never return

in other words a person who shows up and demonstrates through actions and words how much he means to them

unconditional love...towards him XD

he loves me...he loves me not...he's...indifferent again -_- so with his scorpio moon there are going to be moments where he'll shower his partner in affection but then he'll seem cold as ice. so jihoon needs someone who can handle these ups and downs of his mood

*cough* horizontal mambo anyone? *cough* his scorpio moon likes to have the good ole s*x so he'll need someone who likes it too XP

#park jihoon #jihoon ideal type astrology #jihoon ideal type #park jihoon ideal type #park jihoon astrology #jihoon astrology

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that-bl-bitch · 11 months

Note

[05th June, 2023.]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. #PrideMonthSeries

Hi! My first ever A2A for you. Hope the questions are sensible and intriguing.

Let me talk about BL content creators today.

We have often discuss about BL Series, the technical aspects of Filmmaking, and perhaps to a fair extent the controversies surrounding the BL industry. But I'm not sure if enough is discussed about the kind of BL content made by fans from around the world.

So,...my questions to you are as follows:

What kind of BL videos you prefer to watch that's made by a content creator?

What is your view on those channels, the sole purpose of which is to only make "clickbait" videos (no matter the content), and generate money through views?

What percentage of BL content creators do you think are serious about the kind of content they make, and how it influences the minds of the audience?

Do you like the usual "Robotic Voice" used by many, or would you prefer a natural voice of a "Voice Over Artist"?

What do you expect from a BL channel that makes BL content?

Which BL channels would you recommend to your followers through this question? And why?

If you are given an option to suggest something to a BL content creator, what would your suggestion be, based on your viewing experience?

As a BL fan,...do you like watching short-form vertical videos or long-form horizontal videos

And,...what kind of topic intrigues you as an audience, that you really want a BL content creator to make a video on?

Thanks!

xoxo

Arjuna

First off thanks for all the really good questions and I’m gonna try my very best to give you some really good answers, also I really appreciate all the the context and information given before hand :) so to begin.....

1. Personally my favorite kind of of BL videos to watch are typically only FMV edits of BL characters/ couples

2. I think the channels whose sole purpose is clickbait are fine I suppose as long as they are not Blatantly lying and spreading insane rumors because I worry of some people taking it and running with it, I like to assume most people who watch these videos don’t take a lot the information to heart maybe do some of their own looking around but I’m sure there is certain amount of people who just take it at face value

3. I’m not sure of an exact percentage but I definitely believe there are some people who hear one rumor or read one thing and make a whole video off that alone (especially the short form vertical ones) so like very little research is being done but I also think there are people do extensive digging to try to find out of the actual information to put out to their audiences and I think people like that are really thinking about how it may influence their followers

4. I think I would prefer a natural voice over artist because I trust it more for some reason, I guess it just feels more personable that way

5. What I expect from BL channels are more information based stuff like upcoming shows, or rumored shows, or rumor casts, or when shows wrap or begin to film, stuff like that, I don’t care about actors sexuality rumors or who they’re dating rumors that’s gossip and I’m just not in it for that

6. I really don’t have a go to channel to recommend because I have VERY RARELY watch these sort of videos

7. I suppose my suggestion is that they are Just making sure they are getting all the facts and information and that they’re are thinking critically how what they are saying are going affect the minds of their audience

8. I prefer a long form horizontal video because I feel like I just get more from that

9. Personally I would want less actor/rumored based and more based on shows and stuff that has to do with the shows and I guess a little controversy based as well because I suppose it is good to know if an actor did/ is doing something problematic but I just hope it to be based in truth and well research, I guess I just have a hard time fully believing solely on a video

Ok I hope that all my answers are to your liking and I hope I made sense lol, feel free to ask me anything else or for any clarifications, have a wonderful day!💛 :)))

#thai bl #Pridemonthseries #Bl series #Ql series #japanese bl #korean bl #Pride

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xoxo-maeve-xoxo · 7 months

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⚠️ WARNING !! : This shit is LONG, I don't know what happened and I'm so sorry.

୧ Hello ! I don't know you and you don't know me, but I saw that you were doing TOH match-ups and, after going through some of you work, I've decided to give it a shot ! ! :}

I'm omniromantic and (possibly) genderqueer, any pronouns but I'm more used to being referred to by she/her since I'm afab and closeted,,

Appearance-wise, I'm 172cm tall (which means I'm always the tallest of my friend groups, for some reason), have light olive skin, curly dark brown hair and eyes and . . . I wear glasses! (unfortunately) and if I take them off I basically can't see lol.

(Not joking, everything gets so blurry it's absurd).

Fashion sense is based a lot on silhouette and that twenties trend of looking girlish in a boyish manner. My iconic look is a horizontally black white striped cropped (the white lines are really thin and it's not really a cropped but I tie the back of the collar so it acts like one) and baggy dark grey military pants. Looks way nicer than it sounds ! And also my Saint Benedict necklace, mum gave me before I came back to my dad's house after recent holidays.

Personality-wise!, I’m, like, chronically tired and always have to take a deep breath out of sudden because I forgot how to breathe, haha! ^^” I feel this need to know everything about everything and to be smart and have a library installed in my brain, but I don't really have the motivation to do so . . .

I do know some trivia facts tho! If I remember it, I'll say them when it calls and I also think a lot about stuff, so I like to try to share my thoughts (which range from video essay material to philosophical discussions to sounding like I'm high) with my friends, if I feel like they're forcing a reaction I'll just stop talking and ask them about something I know they like talking about.

So in general I know quite a bit of stuff and my Dad told me that I'm very observant and have an interesting brain wiring (thought process) but I'm awful academically-wise and am almost failing four classes. Generally I’m too tired to things, so if I don't have a topic in my brain that I need to talk about I'll just let the other person start the conversation and make an effort to not make my answers seem forced.

My best friend told me that I'm sarcastic and mean and stuff but that I just pretend to be like that and that I'm actually a gigantic softie and I pretended to gasp offendedly in response. So I’m like the ‘comic relief’ of my friend group, I laugh at things that are not funny and I laugh out of nervousness and I just laugh a lot period. I'm really empathetic so I try to be patient with people, but if they're being stupid in my conception I'll make an ironic comment about it and then make sure they know I'm joking. I'm being sarcastic but if I realize the other person is uncomfortable I stop on spot— I also work a lot on people's patterns!! So like, if I see someone doesn't like something or reacts badly at something I'll never do that again.

My humor ranges from dad jokes to DHMIS humor and I'm (surprinsingly enough!!) the mom friend of my group even though I'm not the most responsible one. I (silently) look out for my loved ones while being awful at comforting others and call anyone and everyone by pet names just like a stereotypical elderly woman. I also hold grudges and have my Dad's temper, so that's something.

In terms of likes!!! I prefer animation to live action, but if the live action has pretty colors or figurines or stuff, I'm totally eating that shit up. Movies from the 90s-2000s too ! ! I loved period dramas and romances or slice-of-life books, but I'm also a big fan of horror and sci-fi. I can't watch a movie without shuttting up about composition, and figurine, and soundtrack, and dialogue, and— I had a filmography phase and it's still stuck in my brain wiring. I adore people who can produce good movies or shows and think they're integral to society.

I also like video essays on stuff I know and don't know about, drawing, reading a bit, writing, blasting music on my earphones and getting my whole family mad at me, watching the same shows and movies I've already watched 172836281627 times before since I'm scared of watching something knew and it being bad. I like collecting ! ! I have a space in jewelry music box (a gift from my stepmom’s mom) that is exclusively for my little trinkets and a pinecone in my wardrobe ! I still sleep with the same bunny plushie from when I was four, no one knows who gave me that bunny.

I would also like to be either an engineer or a fashion designer! But since I'm horrible at math, Dad is thinking about enrolling me in a fashion school when we move . . . 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Hmmm, I feel like I had more stuff to say but I can't remember now . . . Favorite artists are Mitski, Cosmo Sheldrake, Lana del Rey and Florence + The Machine ! ! By the way ! ! Thought you should know.

Also, I hate using abbreviations and most slang, could you tell. Also ny sleep schedule is so weird, I go to sleep 9pm and wake up 4-5am like what is up with that.

Okay, WOW, that was longer then I thought I’d be 💀 but that also means I have plenty of information

I had a hard time deciding between two characters, so I matched you with both of them, hope you don’t mind!

Amity Blight!

Despite her character development, I think that Amity would still be sarcastic and a bit mean (but not in a bullying way)

Also a softie!

She gets worried whenever you forget how to breath, and will probably ask if you’ve breathed yet 💀 she just does want you to faint on her, if you do she’ll have a panic attack 😭

I think she’d be very interested in how your thought process works, and how observant you are!

She also feels the need to know everything, and she’s a bit of a control freak as well (personal headcannon of mine)

I feel like Amity also likes collecting things, mostly cute trinkets or some jewelry

LOVES Mitski and will gladly listen to her with you, she also collects her music vinyls (or whatever they’re called idk 😭)

I hc that Amity sleeps with plushies as well, but mostly a little black cat plush that Ghost is strangely jealous of and has tried to assassinate it 💀

Amity doesn’t really care about live action stuff, but she’s probably watch them with you on movie nights if you really wanted too!

—————————————————————————

I also match you with….

Hunter Deamonne!

He is also chronically tired

Have you SEEN his eyebags?

He would LOVE to listen to you info dump about the amount of knowledge that’s stored in your brain

He just thinks you’re so cool, you know?

I feel like he LOVES live action movies, and also LOVES figurines

This guy LOVES sci fi too, he’s literally dressed up as a character from a sci fi show, cmon now!

He’s also scared of watching new things, which is why he sticks to cosmic frontiers, Amphibia, and Gravity falls, but he also watches a few other sci fi movies as well

I feel like he’s like horror, just nothing too gory!

This guys sleep schedule is fucked up too, he’ll go to bed at 12am and wake up at 6am

—————————————————————————

Sorry if this was too short :( but I hope you liked it!

#the owl house #hunter x reader toh #hunter noceda x reader #amity blight x reader #amity x reader #amity blight #toh x reader #toh matchup

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starriva · 2 years

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Character of your choosing, 1, 8, 18?

I'll being doing this for Alfred. 1.) What’s the worst thing they’ve done for revenge? The worst thing Alfred has done for revenge is his on and off ongoing of denial of who his family is particularly for his younger siblings. While Alfred has done a lot of bad things, I'm thinking of revenge as something exceptionally personal. It's one thing to constantly deny who his father is and to deny him of a father-son relationship Arthur has rightfully wronged him over the centuries but to involve his younger siblings to the degree he has over the years is him taking revenge on a family for the actions of mostly one man. I think he held off on even referring to Jack and Zee as his siblings, until late 1990's. Matt could of written him a letter asking him to take care and watch over their younger siblings in the pacific during WW2 and he would write back that, ' your' siblings are fine and can handle themselves, he's doing most of the work anyways! Not to say that he hates Jack and Zee he actually really likes them but he doesn't want any more siblings and not siblings who actually have a mostly healthy relationship. Even in the modern day he prefers to refer to them as friends to any one outside of his family. Everyone knows they are siblings but ' jack is a friend he likes to surf with and the 'perfect' sibling duo will go rock climbing with him and Matt. He is definitely jealous of their good relationship, seeing how emotionally invested and reliant they are with each other can often cause a mean snippet come out of his mouth if he and Matt had a recent tiff.

He will also weaponize his relationship to Matthew if Matthew's been causing him enough problems or Matt's been sending him enough passive aggressive articles about the damages of climate change. In general Alfred weaponizes his relationships to people, even the ones he's closest too if it's for his benefit and he'll hold onto grudges to give reason for any mean action he does.

8.) Do they have any scars? If so, where and why?

one head canon I have for Alfred and his scars is he has a nasty thin one going horizontal across his torso. Representative of Shermans march to the sea and the effects and aftermath of the civil war. It's less noticeable in the modern day but when he tan's the more noticeable it gets. 18. )Favorite kinds of kisses (cheek, forehead, etc.)? Alfred's favorite type of kiss to receive by non family is an American kiss lol. However, his favorite to give out are neck kisses particularly if they turn into hickeys and love bites. However, by family his favorite to receive (which is rare) is a forehead kiss. Theres something incredibly innocent about it that takes him back to his childhood where he would get a kiss on his head at bedtime. The only type of kiss that he'll give is towards his younger siblings is also a forehead kiss, but only if they are terminally ill or injured. And even then he might just hold their hand and wait till they died before placing a kiss on their temple and closing their eyes.

It's important to note that my man will completely refuse to give or receive a European greeting kiss. He did it once with France and thought, never again. MF will dodge a greeting kiss .

#hetaila #hws #hws america #aph america

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hexfloog · 2 years

Text

06/05/2022

Overarching content warning for graphic violence. Conan gets pretty mean in this one.

Also on AO3 if you prefer to read on their platform~

It was late.

Haibara rolled onto her side. With a grimace, she cracked an eye open to meet the sharp red of her digital clock display, on which she sleepily interpreted the blurred lines of 02:03.

Her mouth tight around the edges, she sat up and bunched the blankets over her knees, rubbing her eyes as they accustomed to the dark. She caught a glimpse of Hakase's vacant bunk, black skies being reflected off the equally voidlike screen of the bedroom TV just above, and audibly exhaled through her nose. Except for the gentle sounds of her own mortality, the house was silent. She was alone.

Alone… and restless. She kicked off her blankets and wandered downstairs, stubbornly refusing to turn on the lights as she felt her way down the first flight of steps. When the fog cleared, silhouettes blurred into more focused shapes, and she found her way in the ambient light alone.

She made a quick stop in the kitchen to make some tea. As she put on the kettle, something beckoned a careful eye towards the front door. Her skin prickled with foreboding and against her better judgment, felt compelled to investigate.

Cautiously, she approached the front door. It was locked, but it wasn't the door she was worried about—underfoot, the carpet squelched beneath her slippered feet, soiled with mud and rainwater.

And there were tracks. Fresh. They beelined from the front door to the second flight of steps and down… down into the lab.

Haibara sucked in a breath, and became acutely aware of her elevated pulse. It drummed in her ears like a muffled siren. Had she left these behind? No, too new. She crouched to her knees and waved a hand over one. The tracks were small, obviously child-sized, and revealed the clear imprint of the horizontal lines of a sneaker sole. Could it be…?

She was pulled from her thoughts by a crash from down below. Instinctively, she jumped and grabbed for the nearest blunt object that could pass for a weapon. Still navigating through the dark, she crept towards the mouth of the stairs and listened, trying not to coax too much noise from the ruined carpet.

There weren't any voices, but there was another clang–louder, this time–which nearly provoked a compromising yip out of her. Someone was in the lab, rifling through drawers, haphazardly shoving equipment to the floor as they turned the place inside-out looking for… something.

Haibara swallowed, curling her fingers tightly around the marble head of Hakase's latest accolade. Her fingernails ground against its shoulders as she deliberated her next course of action. It briefly crossed her mind that she was, perhaps, simply being hysterical—overthinking things, as she tended to do. It was just Kudo-kun… right? Right.

Except… it wasn't. She knew, with grim resolve, that it wasn't.

Common sense whiplashed her back to reality as her fingers brushed across the shape of her phone in her pocket.

Edogawa-kun's in tge house, she tapped hurriedly, her fingers shaking over the keys. I don'y knoe what he wants. Come quivkly.

Send.

Sent.

Well, at least now she was guaranteed not to die alone if things went south.

For her own sake, she kicked off her slippers, steeled her nerves in silent grit, and finally began to descend the cold steps to the basement, expertly stealthing on the balls of her feet to meet the thing she had known, for some time, was not what it seemed.

She felt as if she were approaching something immense.

Every step she took had weight to it, each more taxing than the last. And it was more than just a physical sensation, each step prompted her to reconsider her… frankly uncharacteristic doggedness until it was too late to take it back and she landed at the bottom.

Here—especially at two in the morning—was the coldest, darkest room in the house, somewhat menacing even in the daylight hours, and she had willingly chosen to traipse into its maw like easy prey. Here, she could just barely make out the shapes littered across the gloom, impressively disordered and visual noise to her tired eyes. She quietly wondered what it would take to get her to square off like this with her typical inclinations to discretion again.

Aware of her heart rate elevating for a second time, she squinted into the dark. Beyond the worst of the mess, near her workstation, was the hunched silhouette of Edogawa-kun pillaging a tool chest.

"Oh, Haibara," he acknowledged her coolly, not once turning to meet her. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Her fingers clenched around the marble accolade, sweat forming on her brow.

"Kudo-kun…" she breathed, trying to mask her shock, "...this couldn't wait until morning?" Her voice was thin on the night air, cautious as she surveyed the damage he had done to the lab thus far.

"No," came the reply. "No, I'm on a time constraint."

"What for?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does when you break into Hakase's house in the middle of the night to ravage my lab," she dared.

Conan glowered over his shoulder at her. "It doesn't matter," he repeated.

He sounded tense. Haibara didn't push it further. She thought it was a reasonable line of questioning, but clearly he didn't think so. As he moved on to an untouched box, she drank in what she could see of him and noticed he seemed… unkempt. It was hard to fully tell in the dark, but his appearance seemed to match his attitude, for once—a fact that was strange enough in itself that it prompted her to speak again.

"What exactly are you looking for?" she pried.

"Don't tell me you plan on lending a helping hand?"

Once again, she took in the state of the lab.

"...Maybe."

Conan lifted his head from his latest four-sided victim. This time, when he looked at her, there were no glints of light to catch his glasses and instead she saw the pinpricks of red in his eyes beyond them. She was briefly reminded of her digital clock display upstairs and swallowed as he came near.

"You surprise me," he mused, with a buttery cadence which made her skin crawl. "You're right, though, the quickest solution here is to simply ask for your help. So, Haibara…" he crooned, "where's the antidote?"

The antidote…?

"Don't play coy with me," he frowned. "Cough it up. I know you finished it."

Who told him that.

She knew where it was, yes, but the request felt less like the idiotic wheedling he often tried to get info out of her and more like an overt demand. The aggression was already rather unlike him, and there was an unnerving promise of violence in his voice that she didn't like.

"Kudo-kun…" she exhaled, still clinging to composure, "we've been over this. You know you can't just take the antidote whenever you want."

He seemed not to hear her, and instead held out his hand. "Where is it?"

She tried to usher it away. "Kudo-kun, I'm serious."

"Where—"

"Safe," she cut him off. "Whatever it is that's so urgent that you chose to trespass for it can—"

"The antidote, Haibara."

It alarmed her that he was pressing this hard for it. His behavior reminded her of the addicts the organization sometimes put in front of her for human testing. She sighed and, after moving some emotional mountains, summoned the monumental effort to will herself not to scramble back up the steps and put as much distance between them as possible. "No."

He seemed to hear her this time and tilted his head at her like a deer in the headlights. Haibara almost laughed. Had he really expected her to simply smile and nod and hand it over?

"You heard me," she reiterated, for emphasis. "No."

With noticeable restraint, Conan slowly withdrew his hand and raised both over his head in apparent surrender. "Okay, okay," he relented, his aggressive sense of urgency apparently having evaporated on a dime. "Sorry. I know better, I know. You don't have to tell me."

Apparently not. She relaxed her shoulders a little. "Then what came over you, Kudo-kun," she frowned. "This isn't like you."

His gaze drifted with a suggestion of guilt. The unnatural, red color still disturbed her. "No," he conceded. "It isn't."

She didn't have time to process what happened next. Before she could blink, his hand constricted around her throat and she slammed into the wall with the force of a car, the statuette she'd nabbed for self-defense clattering to the floor. The world blurred by in muddy greens and blues, the haze broken only by those grotesque eyes of his, lighting the high points of his face in a dim, grisly red glow.

"Wh—"

"Shhhh."

"K-Kudo-kun—!"

"Shhhh, shh…"

She cried out, pawing uselessly at his wrist as he calmly adjusted his fingers around her neck. On top of everything else, she felt points digging into her skin and didn't know what to make of it. Even worse, the floor pulled out from under her and just as suddenly as this had started, she was suspended in the air.

"Haibara…" he scoffed, "do you really think that, after months of inaction, you are in any place to stop me now?"

"Wh…what are…" she rasped.

"Did you really think I hadn't noticed you were onto me?" he laughed, lifting her higher so she wriggled harder. "Did you think you were being clever by pretending it didn't bother you?"

In the back of her mind, where she still had the freedom for defiance, she quietly wished he would shut up.

"What are you."

He paused for a moment, appearing surprised—if not contemplative—then pushed a little further into her throat, relishing the strangled gasp which was forced out of her as a result. She caught the evil shine of a fanged smile as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Well," he leered, rolling his shoulders, "that has yet to be seen, doesn't it? Tell you what—if you give me the antidote, we can answer that question right here and now."

"You… You're not getting the antidote," she choked, kicking wildly in an attempt to find a moment's leverage. She never found it, and suddenly became hyper-aware that her final moments were creeping up fast if she didn't change course soon. Instinctively, her gaze landed on her workstation, visible over his shoulder and so far undisturbed.

His face twisted. She thought he might tighten the squeeze around her throat again, but to her surprise he erupted into a hideous cackle instead.

"I expected as much," he laughed. "Your resolve has never been stronger than when dealing with your perverse little formula. I imagine you won't give it up even if it costs you your life."

She whined in his clutches, shuddering as she swore she felt something slither beneath his skin. She finally noticed the claws decorating his other hand as he inspected them under the glow of his own eyes.

"They say imagination is more important than knowledge," he chuckled, "and whether—" he saw the want to protest tremble on her lips and squeezed harder to snuff it out— "whether that's true or not, what is true is that human imagination is limitless—and indeed, where would I be if there were limits to the fantastical mind of Kudo Shinichi?"

In her state of peril, her surroundings seemed to flicker like the light from a bad bulb. Conan cycled through distortions before her eyes like a dancing flame - completely normal one moment, then something unrecognizable the next. Too big. Too tall. Too… monstrous. She didn't know what to believe.

Eventually her bewilderment found a voice.

"So… as I thought… you're… you're not…"

"Correct," he giggled, cricking his clawed fingers at her. "If you want someone to blame, you can blame Kudo-kun. But… let's not forget you had a hand in this too, no…?"

She twitched, and that familiar knot of guilt she had tried so hard to placate since arriving at Hakase's weighed heavy in her bosom again.

"Yes, of course you did," the Kudo-thing sneered. "Consider yourself lucky, mad scientist. Consider yourself lucky you have my thanks rather than my ire."

He wagged a forked tongue at her in mock gaiety.

"Truth is the penultimate achievement for a scientist, no?" he chuckled. "In that case, be at peace. You can die a martyr for your contribution to it." He reached up and flicked the collar of her pajama top, dusting away whatever shook loose from the fabric. "Be grateful," he snickered. "Be grateful that you have the option of choice. Ayumi didn't."

For better or worse, Haibara didn't hear him. Instead, she once again found herself wishing he would just shut up.

"Now," he continued, fixing his attention back on her suffering. "The antidote."

"What have I told you?" she rasped almost immediately, her eyes flitting across the room. "You c-can't have it."

He smirked back. "Doesn't matter anymore," he shrugged, shifting slightly until her desktop came into view. "For all your efforts to dissuade me, you're not very good at suppressing hints. You keep looking at your workstation. Could it be… you've hidden them there…?"

He caught the flicker of panic in her eyes and grinned.

"If you won't tell me outright, fine. I'll play your games."

To her shock, the vice grip around her throat released and she tumbled to the floor, landing gracelessly on her elbows in the throes of an equally graceless coughing fit. The gulps of air burned on the way back in. Through teary, half-lidded eyes, she spotted him rummaging through her desk and felt a lump rising in her throat.

She'd hidden it better than that, but with enough time…

The pit in her stomach knotted into more than just regret. Arguably one of her biggest fears during her time at the organization was the inevitable misuse of her research when it had reached its apex. But at least she knew who would be abusing it; never had she thought she'd have to fight to keep it out of Kudo's hands.

A new wave of helplessness washed over her as he came alarmingly close to the false panel where she kept the stash.

She thought of Ayumi.

'I don't want to run away., Ai-Chan. I don't want to run away.'

Her muscles aching, starved of oxygen, she clambered back onto her own two feet and lunged. Instinct clumsily slapped her hands around his face, buried his shoulders under her arms, and dug her knees into his spine as she wrangled him back, back, back and away from her desk.

Predictably, he retaliated. He caught himself on her equipment before she managed to tug him out of arms' reach, but not before he got his claws under the false panel. He stumbled, unsteady but still standing, shouting when he could get a word out, and thrashed in all directions trying to shake her off.

Haibara wanted him on the ground. Her fingers snagged a corner of his mouth and when she wrapped her arm around his ear for more leverage she hooked his nose, too, a move that was met with a frustrated, wolf-like growl.

It startled her, but encouraged her to squeeze harder in equal fervor. Again, she thought of Ayumi and tried to control her labored breathing as she imagined the poor girl in her place on the eve of her disappearance.

'If I keep on running away, I'll never win! And neither will you!'

When her elbow slipped beneath his jaw and caught his throat, he really began fighting back. All at once she felt knives on her skin, ten individual daggers tearing at anything and everything within reach, shredding her clothes to get to the vulnerable patches beneath and pulling her hair in an attempt to level the playing field. Now she shouted, too, screwing her eyes shut for her own protection as she continued to wrestle him blindly.

But he simply refused to go down quietly. In their tussle, his hands came near the false panel again, this time knocking it from its perch to reveal a tiny space just large enough for the blister pack of small, white pills behind it.

The sight of these suddenly prompted her to invoke the strength of gods, and she threw her weight backwards as if she meant to tear his head from his shoulders.

The effort seemed to pay off. The animal noises strangled in sputters and, finally, after seconds which had ticked for far too long, Conan at last faltered. He swayed unsteadily and, with arms falling lazily at his sides, toppled to the floor with a mighty crash.

As the dust settled, only a grim silence hung over them.

But she didn't let go.

The silence rang loud in her ears—the screaming of a deep gash in her temple, she knew—but she didn't care. All that mattered was that, past the sound of her own, rattled breathing, Edogawa-kun was still. Maybe he hit something on the way down, too, she hoped. Maybe hard enough to… to…

She gulped. Maybe not. And what of the promise of violence she'd detected in his voice?

Trembling, she continued to squeeze against his windpipe and traced desperate prayers into the ceiling with damp eyes.

She didn't know how long they sat there. One minute, five minutes, ten. It was long enough for time to become a tangible concept. Seconds melted over her like butter, warm on her skin but cool in her lungs—a mystifying sensation no doubt propagated by her wounds—but at least her breathing had calmed.

She glanced down at Conan again without moving her head. He seemed unconscious, but she didn't risk making any sudden moves that might wake him.

As slowly as she dared, she unraveled her arm from around his throat and tried to wriggle out from under him unnoticed. Inch by inch, she scooted on her hip, gradually maneuvering her legs free, all the while never blinking once, terrified that the moment she even considered looking away, he'd spring to life and seize her in his clutches again.

Eventually there was enough distance between them for her to safely roll onto all fours. As she crawled away, her gaze drifted towards his hands, landing on the inch-long talons he had used to assault her.

Only then did it fully dawn on her that she had no idea what she was dealing with. Where did she even start? The Kudo-thing had claws and on top of everything else, she suddenly found herself utterly unequipped to process the absurdity of her situation.

Her blood ran cold. His eerie, red eyes pierced the dark fog in her mind like spotlights.

What in the hell had she created.

Thankfully, it didn't wake to answer her even by the time she had reached the desk. Her gaze flicked upwards and, with considerable effort, she carefully pulled herself up onto her knees, her vision vignetting to the rhythm of her pulse as she peered into the drawer.

There was only one thing on her mind now, and that was to take the antidote and run. But was it even still there? Had it survived the scuffle?

The relief which crashed into her was so intense it hinged on pleasure. The blister pack was right where she expected it to be, nested in the space behind the false panel. Haibara exhaled, releasing a breath held too long, and took it safely in her grasp, pausing to make sure none of them had come loose. Thank god.

. . .

She suddenly became aware that the silence had shifted.

"...Haibara…you…"

Conan's cold, clammy hand locked around her ankle from the abyss. All she could do to resist him was defiantly cling to the edge of her desk and scream. There was a particularly loud, plastic creak as she grabbed at some cables for leverage and inadvertently dragged her monitor and computer chassis from its cradle.

"You bitch," it hissed, climbing up her leg when she wouldn't fall back. She couldn't suppress her horror as its claws dug into her like a trowel in the dirt, wailing as they raked across fresh wounds. "I'll kill you."

She dared not look. Its hands felt slimy on her bare skin and the sheer venom in its hideous voice gave her a mental image worth snapshotting for a visit to the confessional.

But Conan wouldn't give her that choice. When it had come far enough up her legs, it hooked into her back as if she were an obstacle to be scaled, and her strength stole away in a dizzying haze of pain and renewed terror. She dropped from the edge of the desk and crumpled to the floor, pulling the workstation another few inches.

Immediately, it seized its bloodied hands on her face, grabbing for her mouth and nose.

It leered hungrily at her from a face slicked in red, wild eyes bulging behind wet bangs—a Kudo-thing from nightmares she would never admit she'd had, but properly feared regardless. And maybe it knew her secret, too, for the noise it made when she shrieked sounded a bit too much like a laugh to her.

With its elbows in her ribs and the brunt of its weight on her torso, her thrashing didn't amount to much. If anything, it seemed amused, snarling with the conceit of a predator that had cornered its prey. Its disguise had been lost in the tussle and now there was nothing to distract her from looking into the devil's eyes.

Something slithered in the pit of her stomach and tickled her insides if she stared for too long.

"I'll kill you," it repeated, baring its fangs at her sustained resistance. It was close now, close enough for her to feel its breath on her cheeks, close enough to feel its tongue near her eyes. Its breathing was a steady, rumbling growl in its throat, eerily composed in spite of itself, and each time she grabbed at its wrists or flailed in her binds, she seemed outmatched. With each attempt to free herself, exhaustion crept just that much closer to her horizon.

Still, her flame hadn't burnt out yet. Pawing at the ground for something useful, her fingers found the head of Hakase's statuette.

She tried to get its attention.

"Ed—Edogawa-kun…!" she pushed out.

It seemed not to hear her.

"You c— You— Edogawa-kun! The antidote!!"

That seemed to work. It let up a little—long enough for her to repeat herself.

"Th… the anti… The antidote…" she wheezed.

It snorted like it was pleased. Greedy eyes shining with malice, it followed her vague sprawl up towards the blister pack which had fallen under the desk and started towards it as soon as it noticed.

To her incredible relief, its hands left her face. The gulp of air which followed was so rich she saw spots.

But she didn't get comfortable. The second it allowed her an inch, she took the mile.

The statuette connected with Edogawa's temple with all the strength she had left in her. It squealed like no animal she had ever heard as marble corners collided with hair and softened bone.

Her weapon clattered to the floor for the second time that night. In one clumsy, but unbroken movement, she hooked him around the neck again and swung him to the floor, pinning him to the ground with the combined force of her knee and both hands around his throat.

Now what?

It sputtered frantically in her chokehold, writhing as it clawed up her arms in search of freedom. Each new scratch in her skin cycled her through another crisis of conscience. She was at her wit's end. The pretender's likeness to Kudo rattled her to the core and there was a part of her which kept begging to stop because of it. But she knew he'd make good on his promises if she didn't… if she didn't…… well, if she listened.

The strangled cry that filled the room wasn't his, but hers. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to do.

Briefly, she contemplated the very real possibility that she'd have to… to…

She whined.

The statuette was right there.

Ultimately, however, the choice was made for her. The next thing she knew, she had a full view of the floor again. A tremendous something weighed her down by her back, creeping at the edges of her periphery.

Now it was Conan's turn to slip away. Unlike her, he risked nothing by hitting her where it hurt and delivered a nasty kick into her stomach. She screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him twist, reach, and snatch up the pills she had only intended to use as bait. As he gathered himself to rise to his feet, she saw him turning them in his hands. Shit.

What the hell had hit her, anyway? Her ears rang and there was fresh moisture pooling under her jaw. Oddly, she felt inclined to take a nap. She groaned and tried in vain to shift onto her side, but was met instead with the alarming, plastic creak of her computer contending with the scraps of strength left in her shoulders.

Oh.

Then, the Kudo-thing turned its gaze back onto her. Evidently, he had regained enough of his composure to resume pretending he wasn't the hissing, sharp-toothed demon from her nightmares, but they both knew the civility was merely performative. His temper flared and she whined in anticipation from beneath the chassis.

He wiped one of his hands across his face. If he'd meant to clear away some of the blood, it only had the effect of smearing it. Tauntingly, he wagged the antidote at her. "Are you happy now, Haibara?" he growled through clenched teeth. "Look at what your insolence has cost you. This could have aaalllll been avoided if you had just given this up when I asked nicely."

Something slammed down on her fingers and it was impossible for her not to howl in agony. At this point, more than just her fingers broke under his sneakers, and to add insult to injury, an additional force yanked on her scalp, sending new cricks down her spine as he grabbed a fistful of hair to get a clear shot to her mangled face.

She blanched when she felt his claws on her throat again. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her lungs refused to take in any more air.

A sob hitched in her chest. He responded by pressing harder into her skin, still not enough to draw blood but more than enough to summon tears. She knew it wouldn't take much effort at all for him to slice her to ribbons. He only needed to pull and it would be the end for her.

But he let go. The threat hung only until he was satisfied with her compliance. She became reacquainted with the floor and this time, there was nothing to deny her the freedom to weep, her last vestiges of dignity stolen away from her.

He checked his watch. "I think you'll remember I said I was on a time constraint," he hissed, snatching up his glasses nearby. "Idiot girl. Count your blessings that I don't have time to finish this."

There was no relief when he finally stepped off her fingers. The pain didn't go away. But she heard his footfalls marching through the debris, the cold slap of rubber soles on the tile steps as he ascended back to ground level and, somewhere in the distance, clouded by the fog, the sound of the front door slamming.

There was no relief when she lost her grip on the world and took that nap she'd been thinking about, either.

. . .

At least she was alone again.

It was late, after all.

#writing #dcmk #fanfic #haibara ai #edogawa conan #evil conan au #one off #snippet

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