Light pink acrylic nails
DiagnoseMe
2009.08.03 18:21 kingofbigmac DiagnoseMe
The Internet's walk-in clinic. Because going to a doctor would be too expensive.
2023.06.04 18:58 wifeysukosd-13 Sea Monkey Diamonds of the Sea
Theoretically, could one use clear acrylic nail art diamonds since this product no longer exists?! The original diamonds were made of acrylic, same as the ocean zoo tank… My hypothesis is this would work as long as you would use clear, dye free acrylic gemstones. Thoughts???
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2023.06.04 18:40 RazTheExplorer Part 11.5 - Closure
“Hey Raz, I got one!” Raz’s voice was cut by static as he called back, “Great! …at quarry …die.” Well, that wasn’t ominous at all, I thought to myself as I adjusted the rear-view mirror to check on the operator I had just blown past. They were doubled over coughing, their gas mask swayed side to side on the ground next to their feet. I don’t know what compelled me to not flatten what I had thought to be an AQ soldier, but I’m glad I didn’t.
I slammed my hummer in reverse, coming to a stop next to the helpless operator. “Hop in bud, we can get you to final exfill yet.” He slowly hauled himself into the bed of my hummer, landing with a dull thud and a groan as he fell onto his back. We cleared the gas, and I was immediately put on edge as my passenger started to gain consciousness. If he was planning anything nefarious, there wasn’t much I could do about it now. “You good back there? Normally I’d stop to send an invite but given the situation that might have just caused more problems.” He leaned through the non-existent rear window, “Nah, I understand man. When we get further from the gas we can stop and squad up. Don’t need to risk lighting each other up if things get hot at the exfill.” I couldn’t help but chuckle, “I don’t think that would be much of an issue regardless. Hey, we didn’t leave any of your friends back there, did we? I know we peeled out pretty quick.” I saw him shake his head and point to our left in the rear-view mirror. “We got split up, but they were running for a car, so I wasn’t too worried.” I followed his finger, a white hatchback cruised along parallel to us, swerving through buildings trying not to eat too many AQ bullets. “Hey boys, Dutch here is gonna roll with us to final. We’ll squad up when we get there.” I was barely able to make out one of his squad mates call out “Tight!” over his earpiece.
“Hey, listen, I’ve got friend I’m rolling with. His name’s Raz, he’s gonna meet us at final. If you see a red, white, and blue LTV, don’t shoot alright.” Raz chimed in, his radio finally clear of the static, “That’s very kind of you to tell them not to shoot me Dutch.” Before I could respond, a black turreted LTV slid out of Said City ahead of us. “Is that your boy Dutch?” I wanted to give my passenger the benefit of the doubt, it is windy in the box after all, he might not have heard me. “Nah man, wrong colour, and he didn’t have a turreted LTV last I saw.” The black LTV continued North along the main road as we cut away into the quarry proper. “Raz, company is headed your way. Looks like it’s just a solo in that truck but you can never be too careful.” “Thanks for the heads up Dutch.”
I rolled to a stop at the base of the helicopter ramp, gently flattening a couple of AQ who were getting a little to close to the bird for comfort, just shy of the battery running dry. The other two operators in the hatchback slid to a stop just down the hill from us. I got out of the hummer, a tad worried that my good fortune was about to come to an end at the hands of these fellas. As they ran up the hill, the notification finally popped. I accepted and ran down the hill to grab the hatchback, breathing a sigh of relief. “Wait, where you goin’ Dutch?” One of my clients called out. “Raz and I will run interference while we wait for the chopper to take off. Any AQ or unfriendly operators are gonna have to go through us.” “You keep talking about this Raz guy, but I’ve yet to see anyone other than that black LTV.” Almost on queue, a black LTV flew up the hill narrowly missing my hatchback. My clients went into a frenzy. “Operators pushing us! Take ‘em down!” The LTV spun in the sand in front of me, a glorious and perfectly oiled moustache glinting in the Al Mazrah sun. “Hold your fire! It’s Raz!” I called from below my clients. I sent an invite to him which he had hopped out and accepted faster than any of these guys could pull the trigger. “You see the operator that was in that earlier?” Raz shook his head, “No, I pulled up on it and they were gone. Must be out on foot somewhere.”
With 5 seconds left on the clock, there wasn’t enough time to go find them, our clients now panicking as they realized we weren’t on the bird. “What are you two doing?!” They shouted from the air as we waved goodbye. “Al Mazrah is our home gentlemen. That bird was never meant for us.” I gave Raz a pat on the shoulder as the gas rapidly approached, another successful day had come to a close.
The clack of a Kastov charging handle was almost unmistakable. We both turned to see the operator from the LTV standing there, rifle honed on us. “Well shit.” Their rifle dropped towards the dirt as they looked back over their shoulder at the nearly out of sight exfill chopper. They pushed through us, wandering towards the North side of the quarry. Raz and I locked eyes, shrugging in unison. That was one of those moments where we really wouldn’t have blamed them for their decision, whatever it might have been. “We better get back to HQ, Compton said I.T dropped off something for you.” Raz said as the gas engulfed us.
“I’m going back to the island boss.” My hands were shaking as I gripped the file folder that I.T had left for me. “Twitch.” “He’s back, it took him a bit, but he’s managed to re-take the castle and hunker down since we last saw him. And if he’s back then we might finally be able to get some proper intel on those blue tracers, direct from the source.” I handed the folder to Raz. He took it, turning to no doubt address the rest of the crew. I grabbed his shoulder, stopping him before he could speak. “Not everybody, not this time. They’ve doubled the defences; we’d be walking into a slaughterhouse.” “Well, you can’t go in there alone, we look out for our own Dutch, you know that.” Raz’s brow tightened, I could tell he was already trying to figure out what my plan was. “I’m bringing Maze and Alex. They’ll provide sniper cover while I infiltrate the castle. I still have my old uniform. As long as they haven’t drastically changed up their callsigns, I should be able to get in undetected.” I could tell Raz wasn’t convinced. “Dutch, like you said, you’d be walking into a slaughterhouse. How does you going in solo make that any better.” “After what happened in the complex…I’m not putting anyone else at risk, I can’t. The Bomb Maker…Twitch, I’ve gotta face him myself. Look him in the eyes so he knows I crawled out of Hell to drag him back down there.” “Alright, I couldn’t really stop you if I wanted to, could I?” Raz shrugged. “No, not unless you shot me, and honestly, I’d take those odds.” I punched his shoulder and started heading for the breakroom to grab Maze and Alex. “You keep that up I’ll be moving you back out to that sea can of yours.” Raz smirked.
The locks took a bit of fighting to get open. While this footlocker had only been on Ashika Island for a few months, the constant spray of salt water had worn away what little integrity it once had. The black uniform, emblazoned with the Rook and Spade of Shadow Company, was still in excellent condition, save for a bullet hole just under where the plate carrier would sit. I paused for a moment, holding it up in the air, memories of the past flooding in. “Not a lot of fond memories in that uniform I take it.” Maze called out from the catwalk in our home away from home. “I think part of the problem is that there are good memories. It’s a little concerning that such fond memories can hide out amongst so much evil.” “We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. Some of us just did things other people also wouldn’t be proud of either.” Alex chuckled to himself as he cleaned his rifle on the cot next to me. I grimaced, mostly because he was right. I slipped into the old black fatigues and strapped on my old plate carrier. My weapons were all still intact too, I pulled my Taq-56 out of the footlocker, running my fingers over the engraving in the side, ROOK-XLIV. I cycled the charging handle a few times before loading in a fresh magazine and setting it on the cot next to me. I pulled out a pistol belt, two pearl handled revolvers, one with an ebony Rook on the grip, the other, an ebony Spade. Umbra Catavae engraved along each barrel. Maze had come down from the rafters now, a look of mixed intrigue and concern on her face, “I take it those don’t invoke fond memories.” I had done a poor job of hiding my look of disgust. “No, unfortunately they do.” I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. “Each of these was given to me for completing outstanding performance in the field. I did things I’m not proud of, and I was rewarded for it, handsomely. Holding these in my hands, I feel the same pride I had felt when they were first handed to me. It makes me sick.” I strapped the belt around my waist. The pearl handles shining against my all black silhouette. Alex piped up again, “Hey, at least you are trying to make amends for your sins, not many can say the same.” I let out a long sigh, “I suppose you’re right. You both remember the plan?” “Get to the radio towers and start lighting the place up when shit inevitably hits the fan.” Maze grinned. “Close enough.” I pulled my balaclava up and headed for the door.
The guard at the gate didn’t immediately shoot me which gave me some spark of hope that this might work. “In position!” Alex and Maze called out almost simultaneously. “Jinx, you owe me a beer!” Maze rejoiced. “What? Why would I give you a beer for that?” Alex sounded genuinely confused. “Hey, cut the chatter you two, don’t need to give them any reason to not let me in alright.” The guard held up his hand. “I don’t recognize you, let’s see your I.D.” I held up my old I.D card. “Well I’ll be damned, look who crawled out if his grave.” He pulled my mask down to confirm. “You look pretty good for a corpse, though your I.D card is out of regulation. You might want to stop by the I.T guy to get a new one made.” “Thanks, I’ll head right over.” The first thought that came to my mind was Bob. There’s no way he still worked for these assholes, is there.
“You used your old I.D?! You mad man!” Maze cackled over the radio. “Ok, I’ll admit, this wasn’t my greatest plan. I honestly thought they’d just capture me after seeing who I was.” Alex cut me off, “Go with the flow I suppose.” “Spade-499 up one-two.” The local radio channel began to drown out my squad’s comms. “Rook-3468 down one-one” “This is some odd radio traffic Dutch.” Alex quipped. I watched as a Shadow Company mercenary approached a stairwell, each step primed and ready to pop a leg off whichever unfortunate soul chose to ascend. “Spade-5454 up one-two.” “It’s how they know to deactivate the traps.” I whispered into our secure line. I approached the same stairwell. “Rook-44 up one-two.” I could hear the traps audibly click off. The guard at the to put his hand out as I reached the top step. “Sorry, no ghosts allowed on the second floor.” “Ghost? What…” He bent over laughing. “I’m just messing with you man. They said you died holding off the ULF while Bob and Twitch escaped, going out in a blaze of glory. Clearly, they didn’t have their facts straight. Glad to have you back.” I’m glad I had the balaclava on because I was struggling to hide my confusion. Last I checked I was the scape goat for the largest backstab in Shadow Company history, not a hero. I was never a hero when I worked for them. “I take it you are going to see the boss, call up two-zero, we don’t want people to be just guess on the fly, just in case someone tries to sneak in.” If only he knew.
“We don’t have eyes up there Dutch. Whatever happens, you’re on your own.” I could hear a tinge of worry in Alex’s voice. “Just make sure whoever is in here doesn’t get reinforcements.” “You got it!” Alex and Maze both called out in unison. “Jinx, you owe me another beer.” “There’s free beer at headquarters, why would I owe you a beer for that.” Alex called back clearly still confused. “Radio silence please. I’ve got a rat to kill.” I took a deep breath, pulling my Bryson from its sheath, the chrome exterior brushed over with a dull grey to blend in. “Rook-44 up two-zero.”
“Well, well, well. I was wondering when I’d see you again after our last encounter. Urzikstan and Al Mazrah clearly hadn’t kicked your ass enough so you decided to come crawling back to me for another round.” The traps clicked off. “Come on up, I’ve been looking forward to this.” I slowly ascended, keeping my Bryson trained at the top of the stairs, my eyes scanning each stair for an actual trap. As I crested the stairwell, my eyes were immediately drawn to him. His back turned to me, Trophy Systems whirring and clicking around him. “I missed you Dutch. Well, the old you. The one that would shoot through a hostage just to prove a point, the one that would dangle captives from buildings by their collar until they squawked like a bird, and then still dropped them anyways. I miss the Dutch that smoked Keller because his gas mask worked and yours didn’t when we those crazy Russian’s tried to hit us with mustard gas. I still get a little nauseous when I think about you peeling his face out of there.” “I’ve changed Twitch, I’ve moved past all that. I found a calling that doesn’t require me to be a conniving bastard.” Twitch laughed as he turned around, his hands empty. I kept my Bryson trained on him. “That’s what you think I am huh? I prefer shrewd businessman, but if that’s what helps you sleep at night.” He walked to one of the barred windows. “You really think what you and those taxi driving hooligans are doing matters?” “Clearly it does, or you and the Chemist wouldn’t be working so hard to sabotage us.” I took a few steps towards him. “Well, I suppose it matters to one of us. The Chemist and Raz go way back, but you know that. What I care about is the money, and I get a lot of money for helping that crazy bastard try to wipe out your little band of Merry Men.” “And Women. This guy just loves the sound of his own voice. Can I remove his head already? He’s looking right at me, practically begging me to pull the trigger.” I could hear the contempt in Maze’s voice. Twitch always did love a monologue. “You can still fix your mistakes Twitch. Gives us what info you have on those tracers of yours and I might consider not killing you.” I snarled. “When you went soft Dutch, you lost any respect I might have had for you. We are long past the point where you can intimidate me. Besides, any info I did have, is with the Chemist. He paid a handsome sum to get the formula, and really, it was becoming a logistical nightmare to ship enough of those little blue gems across the sea. Better for everyone to have it made close to the front lines.”
“Spade-101 up two-zero.” Bob’s voice cut through the tension. “Well I’ll be, it looks like we are gonna have a little family reunion.” Bob’s head poked up the stairs, “Hey boss, another server bank has shorted out from the sea air, I told you we should invest in better waterproofing the housings but if you still…” He trailed off as I dropped my Bryson, the sling catching it just before it hit the ground, and drawing my two revolvers. “Oh, hey Dutch. Nice to see you too.” Bob stammered. I cocked the hammer on each one, keeping one trained on each of my old squad mates. “Really Bob? Really! I understand you sticking around the day of the heist. But now? After everything that Shadow Company has done to these countries. To its own people.” Before he could respond, a siren blared over the intercom system. “Defensive positions! Hostile operators have breached the perimeter.” “Dutch you’ve got six operators approaching the castle, I think it’s time to bounce.” Maze was drowned out by her own gun fire, her Signal .50 raining death into the courtyard. “Looks like our time is up here Dutch. Since you clearly don’t have los cojones to pull the trigger, you might as well see yourself out, and let me and my men handle this.”
“Fuck it.” The hammer of the first revolver slammed down, dropping Bob instantly. I turned to face Twitch, his face a mix of surprise and pride. “Maybe I was wrong, the old Dutch still lives.” I charged forward, tackling him through the window and off the roof. Both of us lay on the ground, groaning as the chorus of gunfire roared around us. He dove for one of my pistols, but unfortunately for him, I had managed to hold on to the other, putting a round through his arm just before he could grab the gun. He rolled out of the way of the second round, bringing his one working hand up to the radio on his chest. The explosion from the castle threw both of us across the courtyard, debris raining down around us. I felt like I was reliving one of the worst days of my life all over again. I hauled myself to my feet, Shadow Company mercenaries and operators wandered aimlessly through the ashes. Everyone seemed too disoriented to fight. “I think it’s time to leave Dutch.” “I second that.” Maze and Alex were barely audible over the ringing in my ears. “Regroup at the boat. If I’m not there in 5, go without me.” I never heard a response, even if they tried, they wouldn’t have convinced me to leave, not with him still breathing.
I combed through the smoke and fire, carefully checking every nook and cranny I came across but the slippery rat was nowhere to be seen. “Looks like you 3 aren’t thick as thieves after all, eh Dutch. Poor Alex here was left all alone on the beach, no boat to be seen.” Twitch was sucking in air between words, no doubt kept standing by adrenaline. “You lay a finger on him, and I’ll make you wish you had died in that explosion.” I spat into my mic. “Don’t make me wait too long.”
I limped over a hill towards the beach where we were supposed to regroup. “Alex! Where’s Maze?” I called out as I stumbled down the sand bank. Alex didn’t respond, his head held in a tight headlock by Twitch, my second pistol against his temple. “She abandoned you both, and now I get the pleasure of killing you both after yet another betrayal. When will you learn Dutch. This world is a cruel place. Only the strong survive, clearly Maze knew that.” Twitch cut me off before I could retort. “Save the fight me with honour B.S that I know you are gonna spew.” I’m gonna kill you and your buddy and salvage what little I can of this operation. Then maybe retire to Cuba. I do love a good cigar.” “Adios, pendejo!” Alex brought his arm down, the knife concealed in his hand connecting with Twitch’s thigh. Twitch let out a high-pitched yelp, letting loose a round from the revolver which narrowly grazed Alex’s hair. Alex dove into the sand right as Twitch’s shoulder exploded in a pink mist followed shortly by the unmistakable crack of Maze’s Signal .50. I squinted trying to see where the shot came from, all I caught was the glint from her scope in the sun, the boat hardly visible in the rolling surf.
I limped forward, Bryson in hand, chrome starting to show through the worn grey paint. I kicked the revolver away from Twitch, placing a boot on his chest and the barrel of my Bryson against his forehead. He began to mumble and cry, hardly able to string together an understandable sentence. “Save it, you’re gonna need your energy for what comes next.” Our boat slammed into the shore, Maze hopping off, rifle raised and ready. “Oh shit I actually hit that!” “I’m not gonna lie, I thought you’d actually just bailed.” I laughed as she helped Alex to his feet. “You still go those claymores?” I asked Maze as Twitch continued to writhe in panic under my boot. “You wanted the old Dutch, eh Twitch. Ask and you shall receive.” Maze handed me the claymores, while Alex kept sidearm pointed at Twitch. I planted 4 around him, just far enough away that they wouldn’t go off unless he moved. I drew one of my revolvers, popping the cylinder out and emptying all but one round. I gave the cylinder a spin before flicking it closed. I tossed the revolver at Twitch. “Don’t waste that on me. You’ll only regret it in about an hour.” I took my other revolver, and hurled it towards the sea, the pearl grip glinting in the sun as it spun through the air, disappearing into the crashing waves. “Good riddance.” I sighed, that chapter of my life finally ended. Twitch was silent, his whimpering now just deep, laboured breathing. I turned back before I stepped onto the boat, watching as his hand slowly moved to the pistol in the sand next to him. “Well played Dutch, well played.”
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I slammed my hummer in reverse, coming to a stop next to the helpless operator. “Hop in bud, we can get you to final exfill yet.” He slowly hauled himself into the bed of my hummer, landing with a dull thud and a groan as he fell onto his back. We cleared the gas, and I was immediately put on edge as my passenger started to gain consciousness. If he was planning anything nefarious, there wasn’t much I could do about it now. “You good back there? Normally I’d stop to send an invite but given the situation that might have just caused more problems.” He leaned through the non-existent rear window, “Nah, I understand man. When we get further from the gas we can stop and squad up. Don’t need to risk lighting each other up if things get hot at the exfill.” I couldn’t help but chuckle, “I don’t think that would be much of an issue regardless. Hey, we didn’t leave any of your friends back there, did we? I know we peeled out pretty quick.” I saw him shake his head and point to our left in the rear-view mirror. “We got split up, but they were running for a car, so I wasn’t too worried.” I followed his finger, a white hatchback cruised along parallel to us, swerving through buildings trying not to eat too many AQ bullets. “Hey boys, Dutch here is gonna roll with us to final. We’ll squad up when we get there.” I was barely able to make out one of his squad mates call out “Tight!” over his earpiece.
“Hey, listen, I’ve got friend I’m rolling with. His name’s Raz, he’s gonna meet us at final. If you see a red, white, and blue LTV, don’t shoot alright.” Raz chimed in, his radio finally clear of the static, “That’s very kind of you to tell them not to shoot me Dutch.” Before I could respond, a black turreted LTV slid out of Said City ahead of us. “Is that your boy Dutch?” I wanted to give my passenger the benefit of the doubt, it is windy in the box after all, he might not have heard me. “Nah man, wrong colour, and he didn’t have a turreted LTV last I saw.” The black LTV continued North along the main road as we cut away into the quarry proper. “Raz, company is headed your way. Looks like it’s just a solo in that truck but you can never be too careful.” “Thanks for the heads up Dutch.”
I rolled to a stop at the base of the helicopter ramp, gently flattening a couple of AQ who were getting a little to close to the bird for comfort, just shy of the battery running dry. The other two operators in the hatchback slid to a stop just down the hill from us. I got out of the hummer, a tad worried that my good fortune was about to come to an end at the hands of these fellas. As they ran up the hill, the notification finally popped. I accepted and ran down the hill to grab the hatchback, breathing a sigh of relief. “Wait, where you goin’ Dutch?” One of my clients called out. “Raz and I will run interference while we wait for the chopper to take off. Any AQ or unfriendly operators are gonna have to go through us.” “You keep talking about this Raz guy, but I’ve yet to see anyone other than that black LTV.” Almost on queue, a black LTV flew up the hill narrowly missing my hatchback. My clients went into a frenzy. “Operators pushing us! Take ‘em down!” The LTV spun in the sand in front of me, a glorious and perfectly oiled moustache glinting in the Al Mazrah sun. “Hold your fire! It’s Raz!” I called from below my clients. I sent an invite to him which he had hopped out and accepted faster than any of these guys could pull the trigger. “You see the operator that was in that earlier?” Raz shook his head, “No, I pulled up on it and they were gone. Must be out on foot somewhere.”
With 5 seconds left on the clock, there wasn’t enough time to go find them, our clients now panicking as they realized we weren’t on the bird. “What are you two doing?!” They shouted from the air as we waved goodbye. “Al Mazrah is our home gentlemen. That bird was never meant for us.” I gave Raz a pat on the shoulder as the gas rapidly approached, another successful day had come to a close.
The clack of a Kastov charging handle was almost unmistakable. We both turned to see the operator from the LTV standing there, rifle honed on us. “Well shit.” Their rifle dropped towards the dirt as they looked back over their shoulder at the nearly out of sight exfill chopper. They pushed through us, wandering towards the North side of the quarry. Raz and I locked eyes, shrugging in unison. That was one of those moments where we really wouldn’t have blamed them for their decision, whatever it might have been. “We better get back to HQ, Compton said I.T dropped off something for you.” Raz said as the gas engulfed us.
“I’m going back to the island boss.” My hands were shaking as I gripped the file folder that I.T had left for me. “Twitch.” “He’s back, it took him a bit, but he’s managed to re-take the castle and hunker down since we last saw him. And if he’s back then we might finally be able to get some proper intel on those blue tracers, direct from the source.” I handed the folder to Raz. He took it, turning to no doubt address the rest of the crew. I grabbed his shoulder, stopping him before he could speak. “Not everybody, not this time. They’ve doubled the defences; we’d be walking into a slaughterhouse.” “Well, you can’t go in there alone, we look out for our own Dutch, you know that.” Raz’s brow tightened, I could tell he was already trying to figure out what my plan was. “I’m bringing Maze and Alex. They’ll provide sniper cover while I infiltrate the castle. I still have my old uniform. As long as they haven’t drastically changed up their callsigns, I should be able to get in undetected.” I could tell Raz wasn’t convinced. “Dutch, like you said, you’d be walking into a slaughterhouse. How does you going in solo make that any better.” “After what happened in the complex…I’m not putting anyone else at risk, I can’t. The Bomb Maker…Twitch, I’ve gotta face him myself. Look him in the eyes so he knows I crawled out of Hell to drag him back down there.” “Alright, I couldn’t really stop you if I wanted to, could I?” Raz shrugged. “No, not unless you shot me, and honestly, I’d take those odds.” I punched his shoulder and started heading for the breakroom to grab Maze and Alex. “You keep that up I’ll be moving you back out to that sea can of yours.” Raz smirked.
The locks took a bit of fighting to get open. While this footlocker had only been on Ashika Island for a few months, the constant spray of salt water had worn away what little integrity it once had. The black uniform, emblazoned with the Rook and Spade of Shadow Company, was still in excellent condition, save for a bullet hole just under where the plate carrier would sit. I paused for a moment, holding it up in the air, memories of the past flooding in. “Not a lot of fond memories in that uniform I take it.” Maze called out from the catwalk in our home away from home. “I think part of the problem is that there are good memories. It’s a little concerning that such fond memories can hide out amongst so much evil.” “We’ve all done things we aren’t proud of. Some of us just did things other people also wouldn’t be proud of either.” Alex chuckled to himself as he cleaned his rifle on the cot next to me. I grimaced, mostly because he was right. I slipped into the old black fatigues and strapped on my old plate carrier. My weapons were all still intact too, I pulled my Taq-56 out of the footlocker, running my fingers over the engraving in the side, ROOK-XLIV. I cycled the charging handle a few times before loading in a fresh magazine and setting it on the cot next to me. I pulled out a pistol belt, two pearl handled revolvers, one with an ebony Rook on the grip, the other, an ebony Spade. Umbra Catavae engraved along each barrel. Maze had come down from the rafters now, a look of mixed intrigue and concern on her face, “I take it those don’t invoke fond memories.” I had done a poor job of hiding my look of disgust. “No, unfortunately they do.” I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. “Each of these was given to me for completing outstanding performance in the field. I did things I’m not proud of, and I was rewarded for it, handsomely. Holding these in my hands, I feel the same pride I had felt when they were first handed to me. It makes me sick.” I strapped the belt around my waist. The pearl handles shining against my all black silhouette. Alex piped up again, “Hey, at least you are trying to make amends for your sins, not many can say the same.” I let out a long sigh, “I suppose you’re right. You both remember the plan?” “Get to the radio towers and start lighting the place up when shit inevitably hits the fan.” Maze grinned. “Close enough.” I pulled my balaclava up and headed for the door.
The guard at the gate didn’t immediately shoot me which gave me some spark of hope that this might work. “In position!” Alex and Maze called out almost simultaneously. “Jinx, you owe me a beer!” Maze rejoiced. “What? Why would I give you a beer for that?” Alex sounded genuinely confused. “Hey, cut the chatter you two, don’t need to give them any reason to not let me in alright.” The guard held up his hand. “I don’t recognize you, let’s see your I.D.” I held up my old I.D card. “Well I’ll be damned, look who crawled out if his grave.” He pulled my mask down to confirm. “You look pretty good for a corpse, though your I.D card is out of regulation. You might want to stop by the I.T guy to get a new one made.” “Thanks, I’ll head right over.” The first thought that came to my mind was Bob. There’s no way he still worked for these assholes, is there.
“You used your old I.D?! You mad man!” Maze cackled over the radio. “Ok, I’ll admit, this wasn’t my greatest plan. I honestly thought they’d just capture me after seeing who I was.” Alex cut me off, “Go with the flow I suppose.” “Spade-499 up one-two.” The local radio channel began to drown out my squad’s comms. “Rook-3468 down one-one” “This is some odd radio traffic Dutch.” Alex quipped. I watched as a Shadow Company mercenary approached a stairwell, each step primed and ready to pop a leg off whichever unfortunate soul chose to ascend. “Spade-5454 up one-two.” “It’s how they know to deactivate the traps.” I whispered into our secure line. I approached the same stairwell. “Rook-44 up one-two.” I could hear the traps audibly click off. The guard at the to put his hand out as I reached the top step. “Sorry, no ghosts allowed on the second floor.” “Ghost? What…” He bent over laughing. “I’m just messing with you man. They said you died holding off the ULF while Bob and Twitch escaped, going out in a blaze of glory. Clearly, they didn’t have their facts straight. Glad to have you back.” I’m glad I had the balaclava on because I was struggling to hide my confusion. Last I checked I was the scape goat for the largest backstab in Shadow Company history, not a hero. I was never a hero when I worked for them. “I take it you are going to see the boss, call up two-zero, we don’t want people to be just guess on the fly, just in case someone tries to sneak in.” If only he knew.
“We don’t have eyes up there Dutch. Whatever happens, you’re on your own.” I could hear a tinge of worry in Alex’s voice. “Just make sure whoever is in here doesn’t get reinforcements.” “You got it!” Alex and Maze both called out in unison. “Jinx, you owe me another beer.” “There’s free beer at headquarters, why would I owe you a beer for that.” Alex called back clearly still confused. “Radio silence please. I’ve got a rat to kill.” I took a deep breath, pulling my Bryson from its sheath, the chrome exterior brushed over with a dull grey to blend in. “Rook-44 up two-zero.”
“Well, well, well. I was wondering when I’d see you again after our last encounter. Urzikstan and Al Mazrah clearly hadn’t kicked your ass enough so you decided to come crawling back to me for another round.” The traps clicked off. “Come on up, I’ve been looking forward to this.” I slowly ascended, keeping my Bryson trained at the top of the stairs, my eyes scanning each stair for an actual trap. As I crested the stairwell, my eyes were immediately drawn to him. His back turned to me, Trophy Systems whirring and clicking around him. “I missed you Dutch. Well, the old you. The one that would shoot through a hostage just to prove a point, the one that would dangle captives from buildings by their collar until they squawked like a bird, and then still dropped them anyways. I miss the Dutch that smoked Keller because his gas mask worked and yours didn’t when we those crazy Russian’s tried to hit us with mustard gas. I still get a little nauseous when I think about you peeling his face out of there.” “I’ve changed Twitch, I’ve moved past all that. I found a calling that doesn’t require me to be a conniving bastard.” Twitch laughed as he turned around, his hands empty. I kept my Bryson trained on him. “That’s what you think I am huh? I prefer shrewd businessman, but if that’s what helps you sleep at night.” He walked to one of the barred windows. “You really think what you and those taxi driving hooligans are doing matters?” “Clearly it does, or you and the Chemist wouldn’t be working so hard to sabotage us.” I took a few steps towards him. “Well, I suppose it matters to one of us. The Chemist and Raz go way back, but you know that. What I care about is the money, and I get a lot of money for helping that crazy bastard try to wipe out your little band of Merry Men.” “And Women. This guy just loves the sound of his own voice. Can I remove his head already? He’s looking right at me, practically begging me to pull the trigger.” I could hear the contempt in Maze’s voice. Twitch always did love a monologue. “You can still fix your mistakes Twitch. Gives us what info you have on those tracers of yours and I might consider not killing you.” I snarled. “When you went soft Dutch, you lost any respect I might have had for you. We are long past the point where you can intimidate me. Besides, any info I did have, is with the Chemist. He paid a handsome sum to get the formula, and really, it was becoming a logistical nightmare to ship enough of those little blue gems across the sea. Better for everyone to have it made close to the front lines.”
“Spade-101 up two-zero.” Bob’s voice cut through the tension. “Well I’ll be, it looks like we are gonna have a little family reunion.” Bob’s head poked up the stairs, “Hey boss, another server bank has shorted out from the sea air, I told you we should invest in better waterproofing the housings but if you still…” He trailed off as I dropped my Bryson, the sling catching it just before it hit the ground, and drawing my two revolvers. “Oh, hey Dutch. Nice to see you too.” Bob stammered. I cocked the hammer on each one, keeping one trained on each of my old squad mates. “Really Bob? Really! I understand you sticking around the day of the heist. But now? After everything that Shadow Company has done to these countries. To its own people.” Before he could respond, a siren blared over the intercom system. “Defensive positions! Hostile operators have breached the perimeter.” “Dutch you’ve got six operators approaching the castle, I think it’s time to bounce.” Maze was drowned out by her own gun fire, her Signal .50 raining death into the courtyard. “Looks like our time is up here Dutch. Since you clearly don’t have los cojones to pull the trigger, you might as well see yourself out, and let me and my men handle this.”
“Fuck it.” The hammer of the first revolver slammed down, dropping Bob instantly. I turned to face Twitch, his face a mix of surprise and pride. “Maybe I was wrong, the old Dutch still lives.” I charged forward, tackling him through the window and off the roof. Both of us lay on the ground, groaning as the chorus of gunfire roared around us. He dove for one of my pistols, but unfortunately for him, I had managed to hold on to the other, putting a round through his arm just before he could grab the gun. He rolled out of the way of the second round, bringing his one working hand up to the radio on his chest. The explosion from the castle threw both of us across the courtyard, debris raining down around us. I felt like I was reliving one of the worst days of my life all over again. I hauled myself to my feet, Shadow Company mercenaries and operators wandered aimlessly through the ashes. Everyone seemed too disoriented to fight. “I think it’s time to leave Dutch.” “I second that.” Maze and Alex were barely audible over the ringing in my ears. “Regroup at the boat. If I’m not there in 5, go without me.” I never heard a response, even if they tried, they wouldn’t have convinced me to leave, not with him still breathing.
I combed through the smoke and fire, carefully checking every nook and cranny I came across but the slippery rat was nowhere to be seen. “Looks like you 3 aren’t thick as thieves after all, eh Dutch. Poor Alex here was left all alone on the beach, no boat to be seen.” Twitch was sucking in air between words, no doubt kept standing by adrenaline. “You lay a finger on him, and I’ll make you wish you had died in that explosion.” I spat into my mic. “Don’t make me wait too long.”
I limped over a hill towards the beach where we were supposed to regroup. “Alex! Where’s Maze?” I called out as I stumbled down the sand bank. Alex didn’t respond, his head held in a tight headlock by Twitch, my second pistol against his temple. “She abandoned you both, and now I get the pleasure of killing you both after yet another betrayal. When will you learn Dutch. This world is a cruel place. Only the strong survive, clearly Maze knew that.” Twitch cut me off before I could retort. “Save the fight me with honour B.S that I know you are gonna spew.” I’m gonna kill you and your buddy and salvage what little I can of this operation. Then maybe retire to Cuba. I do love a good cigar.” “Adios, pendejo!” Alex brought his arm down, the knife concealed in his hand connecting with Twitch’s thigh. Twitch let out a high-pitched yelp, letting loose a round from the revolver which narrowly grazed Alex’s hair. Alex dove into the sand right as Twitch’s shoulder exploded in a pink mist followed shortly by the unmistakable crack of Maze’s Signal .50. I squinted trying to see where the shot came from, all I caught was the glint from her scope in the sun, the boat hardly visible in the rolling surf.
I limped forward, Bryson in hand, chrome starting to show through the worn grey paint. I kicked the revolver away from Twitch, placing a boot on his chest and the barrel of my Bryson against his forehead. He began to mumble and cry, hardly able to string together an understandable sentence. “Save it, you’re gonna need your energy for what comes next.” Our boat slammed into the shore, Maze hopping off, rifle raised and ready. “Oh shit I actually hit that!” “I’m not gonna lie, I thought you’d actually just bailed.” I laughed as she helped Alex to his feet. “You still go those claymores?” I asked Maze as Twitch continued to writhe in panic under my boot. “You wanted the old Dutch, eh Twitch. Ask and you shall receive.” Maze handed me the claymores, while Alex kept sidearm pointed at Twitch. I planted 4 around him, just far enough away that they wouldn’t go off unless he moved. I drew one of my revolvers, popping the cylinder out and emptying all but one round. I gave the cylinder a spin before flicking it closed. I tossed the revolver at Twitch. “Don’t waste that on me. You’ll only regret it in about an hour.” I took my other revolver, and hurled it towards the sea, the pearl grip glinting in the sun as it spun through the air, disappearing into the crashing waves. “Good riddance.” I sighed, that chapter of my life finally ended. Twitch was silent, his whimpering now just deep, laboured breathing. I turned back before I stepped onto the boat, watching as his hand slowly moved to the pistol in the sand next to him. “Well played Dutch, well played.”
2023.06.04 18:37 Impressive_Draw_1 18M Seriously stressed about this line in my nail
Had this line in my nail for exactly a year. Hasn't changed at all but I looked it up and it said cancer. You can barely see it and it's light brown. Very very thin from the base to top of my nail
submitted by Impressive_Draw_1 to AskDocs [link] [comments]
2023.06.04 18:33 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.04 18:27 Soft_Turn_ Normal bruising after blood draw?
30 Male 205lbs No prescription medications; taking supplements that may act as blood thinners
For context, please see image.
Had to get a blood draw for a physical on Friday (June 2nd) and by the end of the day there was some slight bruising around the area the needle was used which is the bruise on the left.
Saturday, another bruise appeared higher up on my arm for no reason at all. I haven't had any impact to that arm at all and there shouldn't be any reason for it to exist. The only thing I could think of was that maybe the injection site is still bleeding? Was also concerned that parts of both bruises seem pretty dark as if it's still currently bleeding. Obviously not an expert so came here for advice. Is it normal to have secondary bruises after getting blood drawn?
The injection bruise(left) has mild, dull pain to the touch. The other bruise (right) has less pain, but seems to have a small lump under there when pressed. At times I can feel a slight ache in both of them without applying pressure. No other symptoms. Not feeling lightheaded/dizzy, or numb anywhere. Google says to look out for discoloration of the hand which I'm not too sure what this discoloration to look out for would be. I'm pretty pasty and regularly get blotches of light red/pink on my skin
Thanks in advance
submitted by Soft_Turn_ to AskDocs [link] [comments]
For context, please see image.
Had to get a blood draw for a physical on Friday (June 2nd) and by the end of the day there was some slight bruising around the area the needle was used which is the bruise on the left.
Saturday, another bruise appeared higher up on my arm for no reason at all. I haven't had any impact to that arm at all and there shouldn't be any reason for it to exist. The only thing I could think of was that maybe the injection site is still bleeding? Was also concerned that parts of both bruises seem pretty dark as if it's still currently bleeding. Obviously not an expert so came here for advice. Is it normal to have secondary bruises after getting blood drawn?
The injection bruise(left) has mild, dull pain to the touch. The other bruise (right) has less pain, but seems to have a small lump under there when pressed. At times I can feel a slight ache in both of them without applying pressure. No other symptoms. Not feeling lightheaded/dizzy, or numb anywhere. Google says to look out for discoloration of the hand which I'm not too sure what this discoloration to look out for would be. I'm pretty pasty and regularly get blotches of light red/pink on my skin
Thanks in advance
2023.06.04 18:22 SavingsSpare8104 FIBERGLASS NAILS: EVERYTHING YOU DESERVE TO KNOW
 | Back in style are fiberglass nails. It makes sense because they provide nails a manicure that looks natural and causes less damage to them. Even if pretty nail art there aren't many salons that provide this service, you can still do them at home. Everything you need to know about fiberglass nails will be covered in this post. submitted by SavingsSpare8104 to u/SavingsSpare8104 [link] [comments] DO FIBERGLASS NAILS OUTPERFORM ACRYLIC NAILS?The fact that fiberglass nails are less harmful to natural nails than acrylics and don't require as much skill to apply is one of the factors contributing to their rising popularity. They are also a lot simpler to get rid of.However, acrylic nails will endure longer than fiberglass nails. They cannot be used to construct an arch on flat nails, which is another downside. However, you can simple nails art form the points into a curved shape using clamps. IS SILK WRAPPING BETTER THAN FIBERGLASS NAILS?The strength and longevity of fiberglass nails are superior to those of silk nails. They are therefore perfect for people seeking a compromise between lightweight extensions and long-lasting wear.DO FIBERGLASS NAILS LAST LONG?These nail extensions have a two-week lifespan after application. Additionally, if fiberglass nails are exposed to water often, they may chip, lift, or even develop mold. If you're going to be doing the dishes or other comparable tasks, it's a good idea to wear rubber gloves.WHAT BENEFITS DO FIBERGLASS NAILS OFFER?The resin in fiberglass nails dries by air, thus they don't need a nail lamp to cure. The adhesive also has a milder scent than acrylics, making it more enjoyable to work with.There is no need for a drill when shaping fiberglass nails once they have dried; just use a nail file. Then, they can be painted in an infinite number of different styles and designs using acrylic or gel polish. On the other hand, they can resemble a natural nail if they are simply finished with a top coat. A short dip in acetone will remove fiberglass nails when the time comes. No need to spend a lot of time grinding. APPLICATION OF FIBERGLASS NAILSApplying fiberglass nails properly involves the following steps:To guarantee a suitable fit, it is essential to first compare the sizes of the fiberglass wrap to those of your natural nails. Before anything else, complete this. The following step is to get ready by cutting, shaping, and lightly buffing your nails to take off the sheen. Eliminate any oil, polish, or dirt that is already present. After that, use a nail wipe or rubbing alcohol to remove any leftover residue from the nail surface. It's time to apply the resin simple nail ideas after your nails are ready. In order to ensure consistent covering, apply a thin coating of resin to the nail surface. Before the adhesive base dries, press the fiberglass wrap into position while making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles in the wrap. Trim the fiberglass to the required length once the wrap is in place. Use a good pair of scissors. Apply more resin next to ensure a smooth finish and to shield the fiberglass from harm. While the resin dries, gently curl the nail with nail-shaping tweezers or clips. This method gives your nails a natural-looking form and increases their structural durability. File the nail augmentation to perfect its shape and smooth any rough edges after the resin or gel has completely dried. yournailsupplier ARE GLASS NAILS SAFE TO USE?Any nail augmentation, if not done and removed properly, could weaken the natural nails. The good news is that fiberglass nails only need a minimal amount of preparation before use. Acidic primers and extensive filing are not necessary. Additionally, they can be quickly removed with an acetone-based polish remover. The greatest risk is being exposed to water. Fungus may grow there if moisture becomes trapped between the fiberglass and the nail.WHAT'S A SIMPLER OPTION THAN FIBERGLASS NAILS?Press-on nails are without a doubt the simplest, quickest replacement for fiberglass wraps. The majority of brands include adhesive in the package, giving you the option to select between nail glue or double-sided sticky tape depending on how durable you want your manicure to be.Additionally, press-on nails can be painted to beautiful nail designs 2022 seem like fiberglass nails. The only drawback is that, unlike fiberglass wraps, standard press-ons are opaque and do not resemble genuine nails. Soft gels are the next most straightforward solution. They come in clear covers or transparent nail extensions. |
2023.06.04 18:08 PowerHungrySheDemon Husband growing increasingly concerned for my sanity 😂 IRL drapes this time, let’s see what you all think!
Natural hair color: ashy light brown Eye color: hazel Skin: fair, burns easily, takes forever to tan
Analysis apps say either cool summer or cool winter. Cool summer I can believe, not so much winter. It did say deep autumn in one picture when I had red hair, but otherwise it’s always some variation of summewinter.
Thanks in advance for helping a tired mom work on her wardrobe and self-confidence!
skin/veins/jewlery
Greens
Neutrals
Pinks/Reds
Blue/Purple
Yellow/orange
submitted by PowerHungrySheDemon to coloranalysis [link] [comments]
Analysis apps say either cool summer or cool winter. Cool summer I can believe, not so much winter. It did say deep autumn in one picture when I had red hair, but otherwise it’s always some variation of summewinter.
Thanks in advance for helping a tired mom work on her wardrobe and self-confidence!
skin/veins/jewlery
Greens
Neutrals
Pinks/Reds
Blue/Purple
Yellow/orange
2023.06.04 18:07 Successful_Sundae906 Update on those atrocious acrylics
 | Hiiiiii. So I took y’all’s advice and went somewhere someone had got exactly what I wanted. submitted by Successful_Sundae906 to Nails [link] [comments] The problem last time I think was going to get acrylics from a person who typically does natural nails :( Thanks everyone for the fervent support. Happy girl sharing pretty nails. Peace ☮️ |
2023.06.04 17:52 RevoHits US PC Chernarus "~Escape The Night~ PvE w/PvP ZonesWIPED3PPHelisAI-BossesRaidingBBP100kNoobsKeycardsAirdropBunkersParty-SystemTraderBlackmarketBankingDrugsBedRespawnSpawnSelectVehicles+Guns+Loot+"
~Escape The Night~ PvE w/PvP ZonesWIPED3PPHelisAI-BossesRaidingBBP100kNoobsKeycardsAirdropBunkersParty-SystemTraderBlackmarketBankingDrugsBedRespawnSpawnSelectVehicles+Guns+Loot+
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Join Our Discord https://discord.gg/2EQPEZ8
Server Restart Intervals Are At 5:40AM PST - 11:40AM PST - 5:40PM PST 11:40PM PST
BASE BUILDING: AT THE MOMENT TRADERS DO NOT SELL NAILS/FOOD/ARMOR, for a more survival feel we made base building a little more grindy than other servers for a better experience (MOD: BASE BUILDING PLUS), THERE IS NO BUIDLING NEAR PVP ZONES, HIDEOUTS, OR TRADERS (500m from Hideouts/Traders, 300m from PVP zones). Get your grind on and have fun with more of an immersive pvp building system. We have BasicTerritories/PVEZE Flag Zones. You need a flagpole to make a base & you need a flag fully raised on your pole to enable PvP. Since we use PVEZ the flags help in case you need to defend against a raid. The flag also helps keep all your items secure from poofing away. Sadly bases can be raided even with your flag pole lowered. So it’s recommended that you keep your flag pole raised.
ALL BASES HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THEY CAN POSSESS! Each base can have a max of 3 Land Vehicles & 2 Helicopters (This Is To Help Prevent Lag)
PVP ZONES/PVE: All PVP Zones contain either a military spot on the map, or Custom Keycard areas, Custom Key Cards spawn randomly around the map or in airdrops/military bases/bunkers.THERE IS ABSOULETLY NO KILLING OUTSIDE PVP ZONES, what ever damage you afflict on another Survior, that damage will come back to you, this a noob/pve setting of a server so show some respect.
KEYCARDS: There many different keycards you can get but they all are different. Some have different loot, some have mixed loot. Rare keycard rooms give 10x better loot than normal military/bm loot. There Is 2 Red/Black/Violet/Green Rooms. 1 Yellow/Blue/Med Lab/White Rooms.
Right Now The Keycards Ranging From Best To Worst Are Red, Black, Yellow, White, Violet, Green, Blue, Med Laboratory. There will probably be more in the future. Red Keycard Loaded but is suuuper rare.
(NOTE: Right now please don't fly into keycard areas. We recently added helis again and some areas are possible to fly into (AI will probably shoot them down but still we want keycards to be used to access keycard areas. ALSO When you open a keycard room it will stay open until server restart because the loot crates wont reset until after restart)
THE BUNKER: Right now there is currently 1 bunker on the server. You need a White Keycard to enter it & when you enter it turns to total darkness. You'll need a light or nvgs too see anything after entering. This place is worth checking out but be careful of possible chances of Zombies/AI. The bunker is really nice for finding blackmarket items and chances decent/guns/armoammo.
TRAVEL TRADER: We recently added a trader that can change locations and also change what they Buy/Sell! The Travel Trader Can Spawn At Any Keycard Locations (Based On When I Move Them) & Trades Rare Items Other Traders Might Not Sell Or Might Buy/Sell At A Discount!
TRADERS: Traders are all around the map and they only sell certain items there. Very high powered weapons cannot be bought a civ traders, they will most likely be purchasable at Blackmarket or not purchasable at all, you will need to scavenge your way around the map if you want to be the best, there are no handouts. Normal Civ Traders will have the essentials there to survive.
AI/BOSSES: AI spawn at all keycards/hideouts except Blue/Green Keycards. They have a chance to spawn anywhere else. There are 3 Bosses on the server. Killa, Zryachiy, the Goons. Killa spawns at Red/Black/Yellow Keycards. Zryachiy spawns at Prison Island. The Goons can spawn at Red/Black/White/Med Lab. The Goons are the rarest Bosses to run into right now while Killa and Zryachiy are about the same. Killa and Zryachiy can have guards.
submitted by RevoHits to DayZServers [link] [comments]
IP: 51.81.221.168:7915
Join Our Discord https://discord.gg/2EQPEZ8
Server Restart Intervals Are At 5:40AM PST - 11:40AM PST - 5:40PM PST 11:40PM PST
BASE BUILDING: AT THE MOMENT TRADERS DO NOT SELL NAILS/FOOD/ARMOR, for a more survival feel we made base building a little more grindy than other servers for a better experience (MOD: BASE BUILDING PLUS), THERE IS NO BUIDLING NEAR PVP ZONES, HIDEOUTS, OR TRADERS (500m from Hideouts/Traders, 300m from PVP zones). Get your grind on and have fun with more of an immersive pvp building system. We have BasicTerritories/PVEZE Flag Zones. You need a flagpole to make a base & you need a flag fully raised on your pole to enable PvP. Since we use PVEZ the flags help in case you need to defend against a raid. The flag also helps keep all your items secure from poofing away. Sadly bases can be raided even with your flag pole lowered. So it’s recommended that you keep your flag pole raised.
ALL BASES HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THEY CAN POSSESS! Each base can have a max of 3 Land Vehicles & 2 Helicopters (This Is To Help Prevent Lag)
PVP ZONES/PVE: All PVP Zones contain either a military spot on the map, or Custom Keycard areas, Custom Key Cards spawn randomly around the map or in airdrops/military bases/bunkers.THERE IS ABSOULETLY NO KILLING OUTSIDE PVP ZONES, what ever damage you afflict on another Survior, that damage will come back to you, this a noob/pve setting of a server so show some respect.
KEYCARDS: There many different keycards you can get but they all are different. Some have different loot, some have mixed loot. Rare keycard rooms give 10x better loot than normal military/bm loot. There Is 2 Red/Black/Violet/Green Rooms. 1 Yellow/Blue/Med Lab/White Rooms.
Right Now The Keycards Ranging From Best To Worst Are Red, Black, Yellow, White, Violet, Green, Blue, Med Laboratory. There will probably be more in the future. Red Keycard Loaded but is suuuper rare.
(NOTE: Right now please don't fly into keycard areas. We recently added helis again and some areas are possible to fly into (AI will probably shoot them down but still we want keycards to be used to access keycard areas. ALSO When you open a keycard room it will stay open until server restart because the loot crates wont reset until after restart)
THE BUNKER: Right now there is currently 1 bunker on the server. You need a White Keycard to enter it & when you enter it turns to total darkness. You'll need a light or nvgs too see anything after entering. This place is worth checking out but be careful of possible chances of Zombies/AI. The bunker is really nice for finding blackmarket items and chances decent/guns/armoammo.
TRAVEL TRADER: We recently added a trader that can change locations and also change what they Buy/Sell! The Travel Trader Can Spawn At Any Keycard Locations (Based On When I Move Them) & Trades Rare Items Other Traders Might Not Sell Or Might Buy/Sell At A Discount!
TRADERS: Traders are all around the map and they only sell certain items there. Very high powered weapons cannot be bought a civ traders, they will most likely be purchasable at Blackmarket or not purchasable at all, you will need to scavenge your way around the map if you want to be the best, there are no handouts. Normal Civ Traders will have the essentials there to survive.
AI/BOSSES: AI spawn at all keycards/hideouts except Blue/Green Keycards. They have a chance to spawn anywhere else. There are 3 Bosses on the server. Killa, Zryachiy, the Goons. Killa spawns at Red/Black/Yellow Keycards. Zryachiy spawns at Prison Island. The Goons can spawn at Red/Black/White/Med Lab. The Goons are the rarest Bosses to run into right now while Killa and Zryachiy are about the same. Killa and Zryachiy can have guards.
2023.06.04 17:42 gntotoy There's something wrong with my acrylics
I just bought a Light Gray & White Tamiya Acrylics. The problems are when I brush them
The Tamiya Arcylics are both brushed straight from the bottle, heavy shaked to mix, but same result. Also tested with or with out Tamiya Retarder & Thinner in many different rations, same results.
Anyone any idea what happened?
submitted by gntotoy to tamiya [link] [comments]
- The white doesn't want to hold on to the gunpla piece that I'm working on. And when I leave it to set to surface of the Gunpla it turns blotchy.
- The light gray also doesn't hold to the Gunpla piece. It does wet the surface like water like I brushed water on it, but the brush is freaking gray.
The Tamiya Arcylics are both brushed straight from the bottle, heavy shaked to mix, but same result. Also tested with or with out Tamiya Retarder & Thinner in many different rations, same results.
Anyone any idea what happened?
2023.06.04 17:38 BipolarMindAtNotEase My latest acrylic set inspired by @nails_and_soul on IG
 | submitted by BipolarMindAtNotEase to Nails [link] [comments] |
2023.06.04 17:36 Jana_talbot My growing scuba collection 🤩 strawberry milkshake, lipgloss, dark lavender, kelly green, pink clay, heathered core ultra light grey, heathered speckled black
 | 2 more on the way & more that I want LOL… it’s an obsession. I’m going to share my ISO list here in case someone on here has any of them!! submitted by Jana_talbot to lululemon [link] [comments] • ISO (XS/S only & no funnel necks please) blue nile, silver blue, wild mint, green jasper, wild indigo, pomegranate, dew pink, fleece faint lavender, lavender dew, ripened raspberry, graphite grey, wisteria purple, grey sage, spiced chai, ancient copper ✨ |
2023.06.04 17:34 zanvisneon Sleigh With Gifts Christmas LED Neon Acrylic Artwork
 | Step into the enchanting world of the Sleigh With Gifts Christmas LED Neon Acrylic Artwork. This captivating piece weaves together tradition and whimsy, featuring a meticulously sculpted acrylic sleigh adorned with festive gifts. The vibrant LED neon lighting brings the artwork to life, casting a warm and inviting glow that embodies the spirit of the holiday season. Embrace the magic and joy of Christmas with this captivating centerpiece that will transform any space into a festive wonderland. submitted by zanvisneon to u/zanvisneon [link] [comments] https://zanvis.com/products/sleigh-with-gifts-christmas-led-neon-acrylic-artwork https://preview.redd.it/1v4ws79ws04b1.jpg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ff5deb57391d40a8ec6ffb137086df510e51dbb |
2023.06.04 17:31 elle_kay_are Is the way I treat headaches dangerous?
F39 5'6" 175lbs Meds: levothyroxine and cytomel
I have what I call my "three day headaches". They come up every 4-10 weeks. I have not been able to pinpoint a trigger. They start with pressure on one side of my sinuses and pain in my shoulde neck on that same side. It turns into this pulsing sharp pain that feels like a nail is working its way out of my brain through the back of my eye. It also makes it hard to see. It's like someone flashed a bright light in my eyes. Sometimes my eye will even get puffy and my nose runs. All on that one side. I've brought it up with doctors before and since I'm not experiencing the headache at that time they kind of shrug it off. One doctor gave me migraine medicine but it didn't help and due to insurance issues I couldn't go back to see him. When the headache starts, I use Afrin, aspercream on my neck and shoulder, then take Ibprofen and Tylenol together. I'll do this every 4-6 hours until the headache is gone. They usually last 2-4 days. My mom thinks that the "cure" is worse than the headache. But it's the only thing I've found to take the edge off. It doesn't make the headache completely go away but at least I'm not curled in a ball hiding in my room. So, am I doing more harm than good? Should I just ride out the pain? I've had these headaches since I was a teenager and this is the only thing I've found that works. Just using Tylenol or Ibprofen didn't help.
submitted by elle_kay_are to AskDocs [link] [comments]
I have what I call my "three day headaches". They come up every 4-10 weeks. I have not been able to pinpoint a trigger. They start with pressure on one side of my sinuses and pain in my shoulde neck on that same side. It turns into this pulsing sharp pain that feels like a nail is working its way out of my brain through the back of my eye. It also makes it hard to see. It's like someone flashed a bright light in my eyes. Sometimes my eye will even get puffy and my nose runs. All on that one side. I've brought it up with doctors before and since I'm not experiencing the headache at that time they kind of shrug it off. One doctor gave me migraine medicine but it didn't help and due to insurance issues I couldn't go back to see him. When the headache starts, I use Afrin, aspercream on my neck and shoulder, then take Ibprofen and Tylenol together. I'll do this every 4-6 hours until the headache is gone. They usually last 2-4 days. My mom thinks that the "cure" is worse than the headache. But it's the only thing I've found to take the edge off. It doesn't make the headache completely go away but at least I'm not curled in a ball hiding in my room. So, am I doing more harm than good? Should I just ride out the pain? I've had these headaches since I was a teenager and this is the only thing I've found that works. Just using Tylenol or Ibprofen didn't help.
2023.06.04 17:29 zanvisneon Sleeping Monkey Led Neon Acrylic Artwork
 | Discover the mesmerizing charm of the Sleeping Monkey Led Neon Acrylic Artwork. This captivating piece blends tranquility and playfulness seamlessly. Featuring a serene sleeping monkey against a vibrant neon backdrop, it effortlessly grabs attention. The sculpted acrylic and soft LED neon lighting create an enchanting three-dimensional effect, transforming any space into a serene oasis. Customizable and energy-efficient, this artwork adds a touch of wonder to your surroundings. Experience the serenity and allure of the Sleeping Monkey Led Neon Acrylic Artwork—a truly unique addition to elevate any space. submitted by zanvisneon to u/zanvisneon [link] [comments] https://zanvis.com/products/sleeping-monkey-led-neon-acrylic-artwork https://preview.redd.it/oz4dpyx4s04b1.jpg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8699857357730514016e4f2885489c5e357a9310 |
2023.06.04 17:28 Jus17173 The Assassin.
Ko-fi
Jerry Spencer lay flat on his tummy, a coordinations gadget sitting before him, he read things like altitude, wind velocity, air movement and distance modulators to the man lying beside him, Tim, Tim Button, the best assassin earth had to offer who lay beside Jerry with a P-fragment Sniper riffle in hand. The butt of the large gun was placed to Tim's left shoulder, the trigger finger of his left hand pressed just gently over the trigger button, the tip of the Sniper riffle pointed towards the East Bridge summit where the King of Planet Anphilia was to meet with the Congress alien Gorgolok. So far no one occupied the bridge and thus started the waiting game until someone did occupy it.
"The sun looks beautiful over the west end." Jerry said, he was bored and in need of conversation. He admired the man lying beside him with seventy two confirmed kills, but Tim made for a silent man and when he did speak most of the things he said didn't make any sense, A good killer, Tim was but an awful conversationist. But Jerry was bored and who knew when the King of Planet Anphilia was to emerge and meet with Gorgolok.
"The sun killed my father." Tim said.
Jerry arched a brow. "How did the sun kill your father?"
A short silenced ensued that was later punctuated by Tim as he stared through the Sniper's lens. "It was June, mid June, my father was walking to the North of Salton Bay, he had a hooker there he went to hook up with. Right as he was about to cut the corner through Elm Street, that's when he died. That's when the sun killed him."
Jerry raised both brows, puzzled. "How exactly did the sun kill your father?"
Tim let out a frustrated sigh, "I told you, the sun killed my father when he went to meet with his hooker."
Jerry pondered over the matter. Did Tim's father suffer a heat stroke? Or did the sun's rays hitting him startle him to death. He knew a man once who was startled by the sun. Maybe it was a thing.
"I know a man once who was startled by the sun," Jerry started. "He was lying in bed and the sun got to him through his window shutters, he opened his eyes and was startled by the blinding light." Jerry chuckled. "He'd thought he'd died and gone to heaven."
"I once saw a green pig." Tim said. "I opened my eyes one morning and there it was, inches from my face. I blinked and it was gone, that's how you know you're going to hell."
"What do you mean going to hell?"
"Well blinding light means going to heaven, right? So what does hell look like? Can't be darkness. It's a green pig, a green pig comes for you." Tim coughed, turned his head and spat out a mouthful of phlegm, he then made the sign of the cross and rested his hands back on the Sniper riffle.
Jerry wondered if he'd ever seen a green pig before. He also wondered whether Tim was mentally sound. Seventy two confirmed alien kills, that ought to take a toll on a man's mind. Like his great grandfather who'd been in the war. Always shat himself whenever a car honked too loud.
Jerry stared at the bridge, someone was going to lose their life, right there on the bridge. It'd be seventy three confirmed kills for Tim, he wondered if that would add on to the burden of taken souls Tim already carried. "Say Tim, who are we suppose to assassinate today?"
Tim took a moment to answer. "The alien with horns." He said. "I only saw the picture once, pink looking fellow with horns. Reminds me of my ex wife."
"How does the alien remind you of your ex wife?"
"She had a pink vagina."
"But all of them have pink vaginas."
Tim turned from the Sniper lens and gawked at Jerry. "You sure?" He genuinely asked.
"I'm certain. Wait, have you never been with another woman besides your wife?" Jerry asked.
Tim returned his gaze to the Sniper lens. "I've only been with one woman."
"You must have really loved her then."
"I don't believe in love." Tim said.
Jerry took a moment to ponder those words. "Why then have you only been with one woman if it wasn't for love?"
"She knew math. She could divide twenty eight by two in her mind and tell me the answer. A smart woman that one."
"Twenty eight by two is fourteen." Jerry answered.
Tim gasped. "You're like her."
Jerry wondered at Tim, the places he's been, the things he's seen. He seemed like quite the peculiar fellow. His military record alone spoke of this, seventy two confirmed kills, more than anyone who'd ever enlisted. "If our mission is a success today, you'll have seventy three confirmed kills, how'd that make you feel?" He asked.
"I don't care about the kills, I do this for my mother."
Jerry turned fully to face Tim. "What do you mean you do it for your mother?"
Tim took a moment to answer, as if pondering the words to say. "She always told me, 'Tim, in whatever you do make sure you're always killing it.' So that's what I do, I kill... things. For her."
Tim moved his position higher, Sniper riffle in hand, it's holder level with the ground before them. "Here they come." He said.
True enough, two aliens had emerged onto the bridge, tall fat fellows with pink skin. Each of them wore a white hat.
"Oh oh." Tim said.
"What is it?" Jerry asked. Leaning for the lens.
"They are two pink aliens with hats, can't tell which one has horns."
Jerry peered into the lens and handed back the Sniper riffle to Tim. "We'll have to go back to headquarters, regroup and gather more data."
Tim exhaled, leaned into the Sniper riffle, rested his finger on the trigger and fired two quick shots. The two solitary aliens on the bridge collapsed.
Jerry panicked. "You were suppose to kill only one of them! The one with horns! You've killed both! Do you know how bad this is?"
"Its for my momma." Tim said, rising off the ground.
"What do you mean it's for your momma?" Jerry asked, perturbed.
Tim dusted himself. "She told me to always kill it."
submitted by Jus17173 to HFY [link] [comments]
Jerry Spencer lay flat on his tummy, a coordinations gadget sitting before him, he read things like altitude, wind velocity, air movement and distance modulators to the man lying beside him, Tim, Tim Button, the best assassin earth had to offer who lay beside Jerry with a P-fragment Sniper riffle in hand. The butt of the large gun was placed to Tim's left shoulder, the trigger finger of his left hand pressed just gently over the trigger button, the tip of the Sniper riffle pointed towards the East Bridge summit where the King of Planet Anphilia was to meet with the Congress alien Gorgolok. So far no one occupied the bridge and thus started the waiting game until someone did occupy it.
"The sun looks beautiful over the west end." Jerry said, he was bored and in need of conversation. He admired the man lying beside him with seventy two confirmed kills, but Tim made for a silent man and when he did speak most of the things he said didn't make any sense, A good killer, Tim was but an awful conversationist. But Jerry was bored and who knew when the King of Planet Anphilia was to emerge and meet with Gorgolok.
"The sun killed my father." Tim said.
Jerry arched a brow. "How did the sun kill your father?"
A short silenced ensued that was later punctuated by Tim as he stared through the Sniper's lens. "It was June, mid June, my father was walking to the North of Salton Bay, he had a hooker there he went to hook up with. Right as he was about to cut the corner through Elm Street, that's when he died. That's when the sun killed him."
Jerry raised both brows, puzzled. "How exactly did the sun kill your father?"
Tim let out a frustrated sigh, "I told you, the sun killed my father when he went to meet with his hooker."
Jerry pondered over the matter. Did Tim's father suffer a heat stroke? Or did the sun's rays hitting him startle him to death. He knew a man once who was startled by the sun. Maybe it was a thing.
"I know a man once who was startled by the sun," Jerry started. "He was lying in bed and the sun got to him through his window shutters, he opened his eyes and was startled by the blinding light." Jerry chuckled. "He'd thought he'd died and gone to heaven."
"I once saw a green pig." Tim said. "I opened my eyes one morning and there it was, inches from my face. I blinked and it was gone, that's how you know you're going to hell."
"What do you mean going to hell?"
"Well blinding light means going to heaven, right? So what does hell look like? Can't be darkness. It's a green pig, a green pig comes for you." Tim coughed, turned his head and spat out a mouthful of phlegm, he then made the sign of the cross and rested his hands back on the Sniper riffle.
Jerry wondered if he'd ever seen a green pig before. He also wondered whether Tim was mentally sound. Seventy two confirmed alien kills, that ought to take a toll on a man's mind. Like his great grandfather who'd been in the war. Always shat himself whenever a car honked too loud.
Jerry stared at the bridge, someone was going to lose their life, right there on the bridge. It'd be seventy three confirmed kills for Tim, he wondered if that would add on to the burden of taken souls Tim already carried. "Say Tim, who are we suppose to assassinate today?"
Tim took a moment to answer. "The alien with horns." He said. "I only saw the picture once, pink looking fellow with horns. Reminds me of my ex wife."
"How does the alien remind you of your ex wife?"
"She had a pink vagina."
"But all of them have pink vaginas."
Tim turned from the Sniper lens and gawked at Jerry. "You sure?" He genuinely asked.
"I'm certain. Wait, have you never been with another woman besides your wife?" Jerry asked.
Tim returned his gaze to the Sniper lens. "I've only been with one woman."
"You must have really loved her then."
"I don't believe in love." Tim said.
Jerry took a moment to ponder those words. "Why then have you only been with one woman if it wasn't for love?"
"She knew math. She could divide twenty eight by two in her mind and tell me the answer. A smart woman that one."
"Twenty eight by two is fourteen." Jerry answered.
Tim gasped. "You're like her."
Jerry wondered at Tim, the places he's been, the things he's seen. He seemed like quite the peculiar fellow. His military record alone spoke of this, seventy two confirmed kills, more than anyone who'd ever enlisted. "If our mission is a success today, you'll have seventy three confirmed kills, how'd that make you feel?" He asked.
"I don't care about the kills, I do this for my mother."
Jerry turned fully to face Tim. "What do you mean you do it for your mother?"
Tim took a moment to answer, as if pondering the words to say. "She always told me, 'Tim, in whatever you do make sure you're always killing it.' So that's what I do, I kill... things. For her."
Tim moved his position higher, Sniper riffle in hand, it's holder level with the ground before them. "Here they come." He said.
True enough, two aliens had emerged onto the bridge, tall fat fellows with pink skin. Each of them wore a white hat.
"Oh oh." Tim said.
"What is it?" Jerry asked. Leaning for the lens.
"They are two pink aliens with hats, can't tell which one has horns."
Jerry peered into the lens and handed back the Sniper riffle to Tim. "We'll have to go back to headquarters, regroup and gather more data."
Tim exhaled, leaned into the Sniper riffle, rested his finger on the trigger and fired two quick shots. The two solitary aliens on the bridge collapsed.
Jerry panicked. "You were suppose to kill only one of them! The one with horns! You've killed both! Do you know how bad this is?"
"Its for my momma." Tim said, rising off the ground.
"What do you mean it's for your momma?" Jerry asked, perturbed.
Tim dusted himself. "She told me to always kill it."
2023.06.04 17:04 rvl211 Foundation Match Help
 | I’ve been wearing Armani Luminous Silk in 4.75 Light, Pink. I have a ton of redness in my face, which has made matching a little confusing for me. This is clearly not a good match in my neck - should I be going lighter and with a different undertone? submitted by rvl211 to MakeupAddiction [link] [comments] |
2023.06.04 16:53 witty_username___ [US-OK] rental concerns
We’re moving into our first rental house. We have mostly rented apartments. We viewed our rental while it had furniture (common areas only) and via pictures. We just did the walk through and picked up keys for the house this morning. The house has not been professionally cleaned - it is filthy. Food on the stove, grease on the vent, crumbs in every drawecabinet, beverage spills on the walls and carpet, the list goes on. All nail holes not repaired, those that are have a diff color over them. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was the same diff color but it’s not. It’s multiple and is in most rooms. Most of the light bulbs are burned out. Most doors and window sills have dog damage from biting and scratching. Carpet is in rough shape. It’s fine in the fact it’s all there and not coming up but it’s not in that it’s very discolored in most rooms in the pattern around furniture and there is a large bleach stain near the laundry room.
What would you do? Can we ask them to fix the cosmetic issues? Should we ask them to have the cleaning crew come in anyway? We aren’t moving until next Saturday so they have a few days if we do. I spent four hours cleaning today and haven’t really even made a dent.
This sucks and has been the only downside of our experience. The landlord seems nice enough. She was polite and helpful.
submitted by witty_username___ to Tenant [link] [comments]
What would you do? Can we ask them to fix the cosmetic issues? Should we ask them to have the cleaning crew come in anyway? We aren’t moving until next Saturday so they have a few days if we do. I spent four hours cleaning today and haven’t really even made a dent.
This sucks and has been the only downside of our experience. The landlord seems nice enough. She was polite and helpful.
2023.06.04 16:52 micronesiarain Episode 5- "Killer Queens" 🔪😱
 | Before this episode begins, I am so happy to say that this is the 100th episode of MDR! I guess I knew we'd reach it one day, but still can't believe it. It has truly felt like it's flown by, but the countless memories I have are a reminder of the past year and a half, and all 100 episodes. I am so appreciative of the support on this project, it has been so much fun to bring to life, and I can't thank everyone enough for letting us get to this milestone. Enjoy the episode <3 submitted by micronesiarain to XtinasDragRace [link] [comments] ------------------------- the queens return to the workroom after Sharris' elimination 🏁Kami CF: Coming back from the last elimination, I feel like we need at least two to three business days to decompress. It was wild! Steph: Well...how y'all doin'? the queens look around the room in silence Whorechata: I just wanted to say something. Things got really out of hand earlier, and I know it was hard for all of us. But if there was any group to go through this with, I'm glad it was you all. Wren: Aw, thank you. I feel the same wa- Whorechata: I mean really, there's no group I'd want to go through being safe with. It was such an intense moment, but you all held me down. Sue: ... Anthyy: That's not where I thought you were going with that! Whorechata: Oh and I guess the Sharris thing was unfortunate too, but the real tragedy was just so much worse. 🏁Whorechata CF: Whew, let me try and hold back these tears. I knew this competition would get intense, but I never knew the level it would get to. So when Micro called me safe, it was a wake up call about just how nasty things can get here. A disaster, truly. Morgs: I don't want to excuse what Sharris said. It was definitely not a nice thing to say. Wren: I swear there's a "but" coming. Steph: Wren, this is a family show... Morgs: But, I have to be real and say that I'm sad to see her gone. She was someone I was really close with, and I know that this meant so much. Blondie: You can be sad that your friend isn't here anymore, but you really can't be sad that her toxic energy was removed from this environment. Morgs: My relationship with Sharris wasn't toxic. I know she did some of you wrong. But that wasn't my experience. 🏁Morgs CF: I feel like I'm put between a rock and Jackie Cox's face right now. All of the other queens are allowed to react however they want to when it comes to one of their friends going home. But when I do it, it feels like I'm not really allowed to feel sad about it. Anthyy: I never saw myself picking Sharris to go home, especially this early. But I can reveal that I chose her lipstick. And I do feel for Morgs, that's your sister. What it came down to was that I needed to make sure the competition was kept as drama free as possible. Morgs: I understand, it's okay. 🏁Anthyy CF: Morgs and Sharris were two people I had an alliance with. Even before we came here, I knew we'd look out for each other. However, it comes down to what feels right on a human level, and Sharris took things too far with Wren. I had to take a stand, even if it meant sending home an ally. Wren: Full tea, what Sharris said didn't really bother me. I've heard worse, and I'm sure I'll hear worse in the future. Blondie: That's not fair to you, though. Wren: It's okay! You all know that me loving myself isn't an issue, I'm not about to let that get to me. 🏁Wren CF: I mean, how did Sharris want me to react? Did she want this to be the part where you bring out the tiny violin and switch everything to black and white while I wistfully look through a window while a single tear falls down my well defined cheekbones? Girl bye. Blondie: One thing's for sure, people proved who they really were. Some of you who rode for what Sharris was saying, I won't forget that. Fleur rolls her eyes and laughs 🏁Blondie CF: My relationship with Fleur has gone down to a zero. Or scratch that, a negative two. We do run in similar circles, and I was expecting that to mean something in this competition. And it did for the first day or so. But when the pressure got turned up, Fleur showed her true colors. I need space from her right now, or else I'll pop off, and I'm not trying to be a fighter again. All that screaming messes up your vocal chords, and Fleur is not worth that! Fleur: The vagueness is killing me. Blondie: I'm not being vague, I'm just not giving you the attention you're craving. Fleur: Blondie, be so real right now. Do you think I'm scared of you? Do you think there's any reason why I should be scared of you in this competition? Blondie: Based on who won a challenge, maybe! Fleur: Oh right, I forgot you won a challenge. Or did you even win it? It felt a lot like Zodya carrying you. Blondie: The win is still sitting pretty. Something not everyone can say! 🏁Fleur CF: Blondie, I tried. I tried to defy the odds and actually get along with you here. But you've just proven to me that everyone here is truly awful. I'm not worried about anyone here being able to take me out. So why not give them hell and make them all miserable? That sounds even nicer than a crown. Yes, that'll do just fine. Get ready for it, you woke up the bitch. Well, the inner bitch. The outer bitch has been here the whole time. You know what I meant. And edit some nice villain music under all of that. It's showtime! The Next Day the queens dance into the workroom and over to the table 🏁Kami CF: It's a new day in the workroom, and I'm hoping the next challenge is something like baking cupcakes. That might be the only thing capable of bringing us back together. But for real, that would be so fun... Zodya: Sue, I have to ask how you felt during the last lipsync. Sue: I was fine. Really, I was so fine! And side note, but the sheets in the hotel are really great at absorbing tears. Or so I've been told. 🏁Sue CF: I really thought that last week could've been it for me. Everything felt so right, but it just wasn't enough. I'm desperate to prove myself as a strong competitor here, and someone that people should be afraid of. But without a win, it's hard to do that. Whorechata: I was surprised at the top two, and that's only a moderate read. Zodya: I'm scared for this answer, but who would you have taken out of the top? Anthyy: And I know you might say me, but I don't really care. I know I turned it out, mama. Whorechata: I would have replaced both of you! I think Sue should've been up there. And the other spot would have to go to a beautiful queen, full of talent, starts with a W... Wren: Aw, me? Whorechata: No, me. Wren: Oh! Not sure why I'm even surprised by that at this point. the workroom door swings open and Micro walks in, wearing a tailored white suit with a matching hat and cherry red lip Micro: Hello queens! Steph: Alright, pimp mama! Micro: Last week, things got a little tense. And uh, that might be a bit of an understatement. Which is why for your next challenge, it would make sense to do something a little more lighthearted. Kami: Yes please! Micro: But you know how we do things around here. For your next challenge, you'll be killing each other. Blondie: Oh dear god. Micro: With your acting, of course! The ten of you will be randomly split into two teams of five. In this group, you will be in charge of producing a plot, trailer, and captivating poster for the next big horror movie. How you choose to work within your team, that's up to you. But if I were you, I'd be sure to contribute if you want to avoid the bottom. And on the runway, category is "Pretty Little Prosthetics". Good luck, and get ready to scream! 🏁Blondie CF: For our challenge this week, we're split into teams as we create a horror movie. On my team, we have Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, and Zodya. And on the other team, Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, and Wren. Less than thrilled to be on a team with Fleur, but it's a strong group, and I think our chances of winning are pretty solid! the teams scatted through the workroom, with Blondie, Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, and Zodya talking by the couches 🏁Whorechata CF: It's starting to get to me that I haven't really been performing at the level I know I'm capable of here. I'm feeling a new sense of determination this week, and I have a whole list of ideas for this challenge. It's time to prove why I'm here. Whorechata: So...I have ideas. Fleur: There's a first for everything! Whorechata: I'm thinking it could be cool to have the movie be shown from two different perspectives. The same story, but you see it differently depending on who it's focusing on. A sort of play on how the same situation can be perceived differently by different people. Zodya: Wait, I love that? Kami: That's a really great idea. Whorechata: I know, that's why I said it! I mean...thanks! 🏁Kami CF: I do tend to feel stressed in group challenges. Especially with this big of a group. There are five of us. There might be more room to hide, but it's also so much harder to stand out. I want my voice to be heard, and I want to shine, but I'm not sure how. Fleur: I'll volunteer to work on the poster. Kami: Nice! Do you want help on that? Fleur: Hmm, I think I can do it on my own. 🏁Fleur CF: First of all, I'd rather eat sand than work with anyone on my team. And, the poster is a huge part of this challenge. If I do it on my own, that means all the credit goes to me. Maybe a bad idea if the poster turns out ugly, but I'm not too worried about that. My only worry now is what to wear for the lipsync this week! Zodya: Blondie, do you have an idea of what you're working on? Blondie: I'll do whatever you need. Put me wherever and give me something to do. Whorechata: Work with me on the script. I need someone to read through it and make sure it makes sense. One little issue, can you read? Blondie: You bitch. 🏁Whorechata CF: I didn't plan on taking a leader position this week, but it kinda fell into place. We're getting some good work done, most of us at least. Kami, I know she wants to contribute, but I don't know what she's done yet? And that's starting to worry me. We might not be able to get this done in time... the team of Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, and Wren talk around the table Anthyy: Ladies, ready to win? I need this one! Wren: Oh please, you do not need another win right now. I'm already getting the Greantee flashbacks as is! 🏁Wren CF: Being on a team with Anthyy is really scary. I like her, we get along. But if we do well, that means another win for her. At a certain point, we need to stop her. Sue: I feel like I could work on the poster? I can do my best with that! Wren: That's perfect. Do we want ours to be a parody of iconic movies, or should it be fully original? Morgs: I would maybe bring those ideas together. It can be a new and fresh idea, but still referencing certain ideas that have worked before. Wren: I like that, I like that. Anthyy: I would feel most comfortable working on the poster. Steph: I think Sue mentioned wanting to work on that. Anthyy: I don't want to take it away from her of course. Sue: No, it's okay! Whatever is best for the team. Anthyy: Are you sure? Sue: If that's what will make our team strong, that's what we should do. Anthyy: Thank you Sue, such a queen! Morgs, do you want to get some work done on this? Morgs: Anything for you, well of course! the team works on their script before coming back together to go over their progress Anthyy: I have the outfits for the poster almost done. But don't worry, they'll be done. Wren: Not to be shady, but what were the two of you doing for all that time? You were gone for awhile, and didn't get anything done. Morgs: She just said she was working on the outfits and that they're almost done. Wren: The two of you talked a lot about what you were going to contribute, I'm not seeing much of anything. You need to do your part in the group. Anthyy: We are. Don't diminish our work! Wren: I don't see what work I'm diminishing... 🏁Wren CF: Maybe I need to appoint myself as the team leader, because we are not making enough progress. Anthyy and Morgs are like the two friends in school who work together on all the projects, but never get anything done because they're talking the whole time. We have serious work to do! Morgs: I've been adding to the script, Anthyy's done the outfits, we've done more than enough. Wren: That's not what I asked you two to do. Morgs, you were supposed to look over what I was doing, not add your own stuff. Morgs: I get that, but I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. Wren: Well it feels like you're either doing nothing, or just making things worse. 🏁Anthyy CF: Wren is making me and Morgs feel horrible during this challenge. We're doing the work, more than some other people in the team! But she ignores that since they're friends. It's making me question if I want to even be here, because she's making me feel so bad right now. the teams continue to work, as Whorechata goes over to the other team Whorechata: So like, what if we had more time? Steph: We have to be on the runway soon, I don't think that's an option. Whorechata: If we all ask for a few more hours, maybe Micro will give it to us. 🏁Whorechata CF: What we have so far is good. But time is our biggest issue. If we can get a little extra, I know we can pull it all together. And it helps the other team too, it makes sense. Anthyy: I don't think we need the extra time. Wren: We don't, I know we don't. 🏁Wren CF: Your poor time management is not my fault. We were given the time we were given. If you can't make that work, start packing your bags. Whorechata: But would you be against it? Anthyy: I'm not making a scene over extra time, but we don't need it. Whorechata: So what I'm hearing is that I can ask for more time... Morgs: I wouldn't be mad with more time. Sue: I'm happy to make it work either way. Whorechata: Perfect! Whorechata leaves the workroom to ask a producer about extra time, before realizing there are no producers, only Micro. She drags Micro into the workroom while she's halfway done with getting ready for the runway Micro: Chile, what now? Whorechata: You know how much we love you, right? And how you really don't even need a corset, no matter what everyone says about your waist. Micro: Excuse me? Whorechata: What I'm saying is, we need a little more time for the challenge. Micro: And everyone's good with that? Whorechata: They'd love it! Micro: I'm asking them...not you. Whorechata: Sorry, I'm just speaking for the people. I'm motherly like that. Micro: Does anyone strongly object to a few more hours for the challenge. Anthyy and Wren hesitate before raising their hands, and bringing them back down when nobody else objects Micro: Alright, you can have a few more hours. But you better use it and make this the best challenge yet. Whorechata: Mwah, thank you! 🏁Wren CF: When Micro says that there's an extension, I start to see red. Our group does not need this extra time. We may not have everything done right now, but when we hit the runway, it would've been ready. Micro leaves the workroom and the queens talk while getting ready by the mirrors Wren: This is such bullshit, just so you all know. Kami: What happened? Wren: This whole extra time. Kami: Were you guys done with your work? Wren: ...that's not the point. We would've been done with it. Anthyy: To me, it just feels like riggory. Micro wants the underdogs to win this week, so she's giving you more time. Zodya: Underdogs? Anthyy: I don't mean that in a shady way. I'm just saying that our team seemed stronger, and Micro wanted to make it less obvious. It's clear to me. Wren: Exactly. 🏁Zodya CF: I don't know what Anthyy and Wren are trying to get at with this. I saw their work, it's nowhere near done. And in what world are we the underdogs? Anthyy sees everything by the numbers, but that isn't the only thing that matters in a challenge like this. Anthyy: Look, it doesn't matter. Congrats on winning this week, woohoo! Runway the lights flicker and an electric magenta light floods the runway as Micro struts down the center Micro Episode 5 Look Micro: Welcome back to the runway of Micro's Drag Race: All Stars Two! This week, the queens were challenged with working in teams to come up with original horror film concepts. And joining me on the judging panel is a queen with killer creativity, Lisbon! Lisbon Guest Judging Look Micro: Lisbon, thank you for being here! Lisbon: Anything for you...as long as you give me a crown one day. Micro: Ha! Lisbon: I'm not joking...oh at all. Micro: Oh. I'll see what I can do about that! Do you have any terrifying moments from your time on MDR that might inspire you in a challenge like this? Lisbon: Why yes, I have quite a few! Season One Episode Twelve, All Stars One Episode Twelve, XDRVTW Episode Six. I'd have to say those really stick out. Micro: Any reason? Lisbon: Nope, none at all! Lisbon pulls out her voodoo dolls of Unieke, Tiwa, and Crystal Micro: Well, that is not at all troubling! You ready to get into things? Lisbon: Please, before I turn these dolls into a pile of fluff. Micro: Alright! First up on the runway, category is "Pretty Little Prosthetics"! "Bad Juju" by Jujubee plays Anthyy: Tonight on the runway the theme is prosthetics! And honey trust me this theme is just asking itself for it to be a creppy spooky lewk, but i already served that last week and on episode 1 an literally thorught the whle halloween special for miss Xtina so this time i wanted to make sure i am as girly as i can be with this prostehtics them! But also there is another layer to it i would never just go for a look and dont do nothing behing to it. Tonight on the runway i am channeling a broken porcelain ballerina doll. My whole dress is made out of glass and i am walking very carefully but stunning-ly by the runway. Her story is that her soul is trapped inside a ballerina's figure body and as you can see on the skin an thorughout her body she is slowly turning into that sad ballerina with the glass pieces cutting through her skin,, thats what the prostheticas are in my look! they modify her whole face, she is sad on the glass side, she is trapped and she is bleeding! but in pink! cause pretty girls have pink blood! Don't try and check it though! This runway also need to have a personal touch for me to feel good about it and tonight i wanted to honur my grandma, since she always wanted to become a ballerina but never made it! so granny tonight! you are the prettiest glass ballerina on the mainstage of the biggest compeitiotn! Anthyy Look Blondie: KERMI! I AM READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP MON AMOUR! Tonight I am representing the original camp/fashion icon Miss Piggy! I am wearing prosthetic ears, a nose, and a cute wiggly tail! I am also wearing more passing than usual to create that big girl magic energy, so not only am I appropriating fat people, but pigs as well! The dress is completely made by moi and completely bedazzled, I get actual pearls and diamond encrusted headband, and I styled the 40 inch weave myself! I am taking a huge risk going camp, but I rather go out looking like a pig, than actually being one (cough cough Alex cough cough) . And you don't like it, expect this karate chop! HI-YA! Blondie Look Fleur: People say I am two faced which I don't necessarily agree with because I say what I want when I want but I just wanted to pay homage to the losers of my past arguements who call me two faced by wearing a prosthetic head! Two heads is always better than one head, am I right Fleur Look Kami: For my prosthetics lewk I am getting down and dirty mawma! I just wanted to do something fun this week, so I have gone with this sort of pig prosthetic thingy. This is for my fellow vegan/vegetarian qweens! #ISTANDWITHVEGANTEACHER Kami Look Morgs: Silicon manufacturing with your own skin using inorganic compounds of negotiated slurp products for your bodacious perfect size scabs snack for youthful glow anti aging properties may turn vou slime new products for you soon including waters I discussed with Wren stay tune #microfracking Morgs Look Steph: for my prosthetic look tonight i wanted to gag everyone by showing that i can be green with envy and still be pretty. just look at my skin and my long nose and she’s bald! also that rat is just a little scrumptious snack for later YUMMY YUMMY!! what’s not to love. i love a long soft prosthetic nose, ears, and chinnnn. if ur chin ain’t long, you’re just wrong! Steph Look Sue: So for this runway I am serving you the end of the world but she I still a bad bitch because uwu. Sue Look Whorechata: On the runway tonight I am feeling very SAFE! I am a kraken craking backs mawma! She is giving a full squid head prosthetic this evening. I am ready to wreck holes and boats tonight!!! Whorechata Look Wren: Today on the runway I am giving you Ratrina Ratson, heir to the Ratson throne. She is DRIPPING in like a million fucking layers of jewels, necklaces, bracelets, and silver. When she moves it sounds like windchimes. I have been consistently getting the critique that I don't drag things up enough, and I hope thisll change that. This is what happens if the rats in Cinderella were sent to the ball instead of her, Cinderella has rats in it right? I'm literally just realizing while typing this that I have never seen Cinderella. Wren Look Zodya: For this runway, I am showing off a look inspired by the Dilophosaurus! I have used prosthetics to make myself look fully reptilian, including my large, colorful flaps of skin off my face and hands. And don’t forget to mention my talons, as well as the horns sprouting out throughout my body. Don’t mess with me, queens, or else I’ll tear you apart and eat you alive…in Minecraft! Zodya Look ------------------------- Micro: Thank you ladies. You all look gorgeous, or terrifyingly disturbing. But hey, these looks will definitely be hard to forget. Now, let's take a look at your horror movie scripts. Team 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e-6bIAzNsvFOqKMMaqR7z5Y2ca503HZnzg15Ym4GfLc/edit# Team 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoPn63HhkzwHNf1O4zJJ_Zj0U7tk07x96rx_iCZO4jg/edit?usp=sharing https://youtu.be/eVFuGpRHkdU Critiques Micro: Based on your performances tonight, Lisbon and I have formed some opinions. It's time for your critiques. Micro: First up, Team 1 (Blondie, Fleur, Kami, Whorechata, Zodya)! Lisbon: Well, hello ladies… and Fleur. This concept was really interesting! I like that you weren’t afraid to approach it more seriously and it felt very atmospheric. However, it fell a little flat for me I guess? The addition of the hallucinations felt odd and left me wondering if Desireé or whatever was like- magic? I think this felt like a solid horror short story but I feel like it lacked imagination and was pretty middle of the road content wise. As for your runways… Blondie, I really love this look as I am the Miss Piggy extraordinaire but I wish it was elevated a little more. It’s giving Ariana meets Miss Piggy which I love but it’s definitely a bit more pedestrian than I’d like for All Stars. Fleur this is one of my top looks of the night you look absolutely horrid, no note really other than the glitter bouquet feels a wee bit cheap. Kami, this is cunt. No notes. Lucky, you look good! It’s a great look, I just want more mug I suppose. Zodya this is fierce, I love a concept that is well executed! One note and this is mainly a personal preference, I wish the face was more cunt less monster, but obviously that’s nitpicking. Micro: Hello pretty ladies!! I think within this group, you all have such clear strengths, and I was curious to see how that would work in a team format. And I have to say, I’m really impressed by what you came up with. Starting with the poster, I think it captures that eery feeling and the split down the poster played perfectly into the story of the movie. I think some more contrast on the poster could’ve made it pop even more, but I thought it was nicely done! In the plot, I think this was structured a little more as a scene or trailer, rather than it being an overall summary of what the film would be about and the journey it would take us on. It was well written, I just think it ended up being overshadowed by the trailer since the vibe was quite similar between the two. Speaking of the trailer, it was so gripping. I was reading as fast as I could to see what would happen next, and that level of suspense isn’t easy to achieve. My one little nitpick would be that I wish the split perspectives were showcased more, but really fantastic work. On the runway, solid looks from each of you! Kami, I love the campiness of this look, and how you and Blondie played into the pig elements of the movie. Very clever! Fleur, this is the blend of concept and glamour that you do so well, nicely done. Lucky and Zodya, these creature looks can be tough to hold onto the fashion, but you both managed to pull it off. The scaling is grand and extravagant, two of the strongest looks of the night. Overall, very impressed by your group! Micro: Next, Team 2 (Anthyy, Morgs, Steph, Sue, Wren)! Lisbon: You guys… acting challenges are hard and I get that but this thing? Was super fun!!! Oh my god!!! I think taking the camp and parody route is a risk that is well worth taking because this was really good! Troglodyte was a standout in my opinion, but everyone had their moments. This was such a fun watch and you mixed two horror franchises really well! Micro is a lot scarier though to be honest. My issue tonight with this team is the runways as opposed to the other team over there. Starting with Anthyy, I love the concept as a former dancer, I just know this execution could’ve been a little more en pointe. I’m hilarious. I just wish it was more clearly prosthetic. Morgs, this is a well executed cliché with a fun twist. I’ve seen and was expecting a booby girl but I like that you are pink, this runway isn’t winning any awards though. Steph… girl… these prosthetics are so good… but this dress is god awful. You are giving Party City girl, and that’s the point blank truth. Sue. Meh. It’s fine, just not mind blowing. WREN WHY ARE YOU A RAT? This look is train wreck central. Those are necklace and earring PNGs on that dress and I don’t even know what’s going on with your face. Rat? Why? But like, this group had a phenomenal challenge, but was challenged with looks. Micro: This team is full of some creative creative ladies, so I was really excited to see y’all in a team together. And I just have to say, the execution of this was incredibly well done. The poster, I love the custom looks, the dark shadowy feel, the scary ass “person” in the back, and the little “probably not though” at the bottom. That was a really fun little comedic touch that gave the poster some depth. I have to be honest, I was a little worried when I saw that the concept was so similar to Drag Race, just with a darker twist. I think for a challenge like this, it could’ve been an opportunity to go balls to the wall. But within the concept, you found really nuanced ways of telling the story. The character building and storytelling was next level, and it made me so invested in what was happening. The audio as well, in the words of Wendy Williams, “it was scuh-ary”. I think the way you structured everything as well was something we could actually see with a plot and trailer, clean and concise. The twisted humor throughout the trailer added lots of special touches, I loved to see it. On the runway, some serves were served! Anthyy, this dark ballerina moment is so pure, but also has darker levels beneath the surface. Steph, I think the actual prosthetic work here is amazing. But the dress, I wish it was so much more!! Morgs and Sue, I love how you both took a more standard fashion silhouette, and infused that prosthetic twist throughout. Wren, rat queen! This week was truly a return to the originality and dedication you showcased on Season Six, and this runway proves that. It’s weird, it doesn’t make sense, it’s glamorous, it checks all the boxes. Nicely done. Overall, great work from this team!! Micro: Thank you ladies. This week, you worked in teams. But your individual work is what matters here. When I call your name, please step forward. Micro: Anthyy, Fleur, Morgs, Steph, Zodya. The five of you are safe. You may step to the back of the stage. 🏁Anthyy CF: Disappointed to only be safe, but this week was really awful for me, and I'm just glad I was able to make it through. Micro: Blondie Dahl. On the runway, you were a blushing bacon bride. Micro: Whorechata Grande. In the challenge, you had us all questioning reality. Micro: Wren Wyvern. This week, you scurried your way to the top. Micro: Whorechata, Wren. Congratulations, you are the top two queens of the week! 🏁Whorechata CF: And that's how you do it. 🏁Wren CF: Yes!! Fuck yes!! Finally I get my moment, this is what I've been waiting for! Micro: Blondie, you are safe. Blondie: Better than getting the pork chop! Micro: Sadly, that means Kami and Sue, you are the bottom queens of the week. 🏁Kami CF: This is a horrible feeling. I know how badly I want this, and the thought of my dream being cut short, it's heartbreaking. 🏁Sue CF: I'm devastated right now. I wanted this to be the week where I got to the top, not fall to the bottom. I don't want to be the reason Kami goes home, but I need to fight for my spot. Micro: Whorechata, Wren. In a moment, you will lipsync for your legacy and for the right to eliminate one of the bottom queens. Head backstage to Untucked and deliberate. Untucked the queens enter Untucked 🏁Zodya CF: The bottom two this week is crushing to see. You don't want it to be you, but it stings seeing such amazing people in the bottom. For once, I am glad to not be in the top. Kami: First and foremost, congratulations! Not the ideal situation, but the two of you crushed it, and we need to celebrate that. Wren: Aw, thank you. I don't want to be obnoxious with how I'm feeling, but this just feels amazing. Like, ahhhhh!! Whorechata: I told myself that I would be able to win this challenge if I set my mind to it. And look at me now! It makes me feel great. Steph: I'm obviously really happy for the two of you, but devastated at who's in the bottom. I really didn't expect this. Sue: I thought I gave it my all this week. But when you hear the critiques, it's hard not to feel like you could've done more. I guess that's what I'm feeling right now. Steph: Aw, Sue. I thought you were great. Sue: Thanks. This just, it means more to me than I thought it did? And to go from feeling like I was picking up steam to totally crashing, it's not a slay moment. Steph: Very not slay. Blondie: Whatever happens, you two have brought so much to this. It means a lot that I can call you my sisters. Morgs: Did anyone have issues working with their team? Zodya: I think we all got along! Kami: There was a clear end goal of what we wanted to get done. It would've been nice to feel like we all had the chance to do our fair share, but it was a good experience overall. Whorechata: I know you wanted to do more. But it's up to you to step in and make sure you're involved. You'll get left behind if you wait for us to bring you in. Kami: Yeah, I get it. It's just a lot of emotions, sorry. Whorechata: Hey, you're good. Anthyy: I thought we worked really well. We all brought our own unique twist, and it came out great in my eyes. Morgs giggles 🏁Anthyy CF: The other team does not need to know how bad things were for us. If they know, then they'll think I'm not good at working in a team. They need to think that everything went perfectly! Kami: I would love the opportunity to speak with the top queens if that's alright. Just plead my case a bit. Sue: That would be nice for me as well. 🏁Sue CF: I want to prove to the top queens this week that I deserve to be here. I regret letting Anthyy take over for the poster. But a lot of the love that the characters got, I helped with that. This isn't my time to go, I know it isn't. Whorechata: Alright, let's chat! Kami talks with Whorechata and mentions their connection to Season Five, and how she wants to represent for that. She shares that during Season Five, she felt like she was overshadowed by Moof, and unable to really stand on her own as a strong competitor. Being in the bottom made her realize how badly she wants this, and moving forward, she's dedicated to giving everything she has to this competition Sue talks with Wren and Wren says that she thought Sue would've been in the top this week. Wren tells Sue that her heart is being pulled in two different directions. While she's gotten close with Kami, she can't overlook her long friendship with Sue. Sue tells Wren that she stands by what she did in the challenge, and wishes she took more responsibility for her contributions while the top and bottom queens deliberate, Anthyy and Morgs chat by the touch up mirrors Anthyy: Honestly, I'm over it. Morgs: Oh no, over what? Anthyy: I feel like I need to leave maybe. The way Wren made me feel during the challenge, and saying we weren't doing enough. 🏁Anthyy CF: When we were working on the challenge, Wren said multiple times that she didn't think Morgs and I were doing enough. And to me, that felt like a really shady way of ganging up on us to make sure none of the praise for the challenge got shown to us. I felt myself getting closer with Wren, but her questioning my work ethic, it really broke me. Morgs: You can't leave. You're doing too well. Anthyy: I didn't come here to deal with all this stress. I came here to win, and the pressure is eating away at me. And now for someone to be coming after me, I can't do it anymore. 🏁Morgs CF: Losing Anthyy isn't an option right now. She's the closest person I have here, and I know that she would regret leaving. That's my girl, I need to make sure she's alright. Morgs: I will cry if you go home, and you don't want to make me cry. Anthyy: No, I don't want that! I know I need to fight through this, but it's really hard. I'm not sure what I'll do. the queens return to the runway Micro: Welcome back queens! Will the top two queens of the week please step forward. Whorechata Lipsync Look Wren Lipsync Look Micro: Prior to tonight, you were asked to prepare a lipsync performance of "Die Young" by Kesha. https://youtu.be/NOubzHCUt48 Micro: This is your chance to impress me, and earn the right to give one of the bottom queens...the chop. 🏁Whorechata CF: Little do they know, I put pockets all up in here. Give me all the lipsticks, send 'em all home! 🏁Wren CF: Oh bitch, I'm ready for this! I need to give these girls a few lessons. Micro: Good luck, and don't fuck it up! Read the lipsync here! Micro: Well, that was something! I've made my decision. ... ... Micro: Wren Wyvern. You're a winner, baby! 🏁Wren CF: I did it!! If you asked me how I felt a few hours ago, I would've said that I was questioning my place here. But this little taste of victory, it snapped me right back into place. Micro: Whorechata. You are safe to slay another day. You may step to the back of the stage. Whorechata: Safe, of course. Smile through the pain, smile through the pain. Micro: You may step to the back of the stage. Whorechata: I mean, I could. But what if I stood here? Would I be a winner. Micro: ...no. No, you would not. Whorechata: Shh, no more words. Micro: Now, will the bottom queens please step forward. Kami and Sue step to the front of the stage with shaky hands Micro: I won't lie, this sucks. Both of you are such special queens in this competition. Wren. With great power comes great responsibility. Wren: Ugh, this is the worst part. Micro: Which queen have you chosen...to get the chop? Wren: Ultimately I believe with one of you I would not be in the top and you were such a joy to have on our team and you did a lot of the conceptualizing. I am not about to have my Bebe Zahara Benet moment so the person I have chosen is… ... ... Wren: Kami. Wren's Lipstick Choice Kami smiles and wipes away a tear as Micro and the other queens get emotional Wren: I'm so sorry. Kami: It's all good, I promise! 🏁Kami CF: I wanted this. I wanted this so bad. But I'm leaving this competition as a better queen than I was when I walked in. Seeing people believe in me gave me permission to believe in myself. My time will come. Micro: Kami. You are one of the kindest, genuine, and most talented queens to ever grace this stage. Kami: I appreciate that more than I can say. It might not have ended the way I wanted, but I'm forever grateful for this experience. Micro: Sadly, I must ask you to sashay away. Kami walks to the back of the stage as Anthyy leads a crowd of queens up on stage to embrace Kami before she leaves Kami: Love you all. Until we meet again! Micro: Whew. Congratulations to the nine of you for making it through another week. I know I get all "whaaaa" and a little "oh my damn" at these eliminations, but this one hit different. And they're only getting harder each week. Keep up the great work, and let the music play! "Banjo" by Bebe Zahara Benet plays Next Time on Micro's Drag Race: All Stars Micro: Get ready for the buffoonery, riggory, and tomfoolery of "Robbed: The Musical!". Anthyy: I don't know if I can do this anymore. It's all too much. 🏁Wren CF: The competition is being flipped on its head. Things can change so quickly. Track Record Cast Shot w/ Placements |
2023.06.04 16:50 hnqn1611 20 Amazing Uses of Toothpaste - DIY Toothpaste Hacks
 | https://preview.redd.it/mas77l5vk04b1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80e755964f562a1c58d4b126faba6cde3454d465 submitted by hnqn1611 to TopPersonality [link] [comments] 20 Amazing Uses Of Toothpaste Toothpaste comes in many different flavors, whitening strengths, and brands, and it does a great job keeping your teeth clean and healthy. Assuming you actually use it of course… But, there are many amazing uses for toothpaste, aside from cleaning your teeth! In fact, there’s very little that tooth paste cannot do, so try a couple of these toothpaste hacks and see for yourself! It doesn’t cost much, so why not have a little fun with it? Let’s discover a few awesome ways to use toothpaste! Number 1 - Eliminate Nasty Odors It’s easy to get left with smelly hands and fingers after cooking, especially with garlic, onions, fish, or any other pungent ingredient. These odors can actually make their way into your skin cells, which is why they hang around for so long. You can use toothpaste to remove these odors by simply rubbing a bit on your hands and rinsing them clean. Number 2 – Relieve a Burn Burning yourself is no fun! It really hurts, and the pain seems to linger on forever. The next time you happen to burn your hand or fingers, try this simple remedy to ease the pain. First, run some cold water over the burn for a few minutes, as you normally would. Then cover the affected area with tooth paste for a soothing and cooling solution. Number 3 - Repair Scratched CDs and DVDs While digital disks are slowly becoming a thing of the past, most of us do have a collection of CD's, and at least a rack full of DVD’s. And surely, you’re familiar with the joy of having a scratched disk… You know… listening to your favorite song, and it starts skipping or it just skips to the next song. Well, there’s a quick and easy fix! Toothpaste of course! It can be used to safely and effectively remove scratches from your CD’s and DVD’s. You just have to rub a little bit of toothpaste on the disk with a soft cloth and then wipe it clean. Number 4 – Clean a Hair Straightener Girls, you’ve probably noticed that over time your flat iron starts to develop a grimy coating on the surface of the plates. This is caused by a build-up of everything from hair spray to mousse, shampoo, gel, or whatever else that you put in your hair. But, you can easily remove all this buildup. All you need to do is rub some toothpaste on the plates, and buff them clean with a microfiber cloth. Number 5 - Clear Up Pimples Forget those expensive acne treatments. You can get great results with a cheap tube of plain white toothpaste! The ingredients in toothpaste dries up acne and leaves you with clear skin. Just dab a small amount on your pimples before going to bed. And when you wake up in the morning, you should see a huge improvement! Number 6 - Polish Silver Jewelry Silver jewelry loses its shine over time. However, a little bit of toothpaste and an old toothbrush can bring back the sparkle. Just dampen the toothbrush and add a touch of toothpaste. Scrub your jewelry gently and then rinse clean with warm water. Simple as that! Number 7 – Clean Your Nails A whitening toothpaste with peroxide will remove that unsightly orange or yellow tinge that nails tend to develop from dark nail polish or excessive smoking. All you have to do is apply a little toothpaste to a nail brush and scrub gently over your nails. Number 8 - Freshen Up Your Car Toothpaste can easily eliminate odors in your car. If you want your car to smell minty fresh, just put a quarter sized amount of toothpaste onto a paper towel, and fold it in half. Leave it under your seat, and the toothpaste will make your entire car smell … well, like: toothpaste. Number 9 - Treat Poison Ivy Stings If you happen to get a rash or a sting from poison ivy, use toothpaste to take away the worst of the irritation. Gently apply a bit to the affected area and leave it on for about 10 minutes. Then, wash it off with some cold water. You can repeat this until the stinging sensation subsides. Number 10 – Style Your Hair Not a lot of people know that gel toothpaste contains some of the same ingredients as commercial hair gel products – which is certainly something to think about… However, the next time you’re heading for a night out, but realize you’ve run out of hair gel, just slick a little bit of toothpaste on your hair. This simple toothpaste hack will keep your stray hairs in place all night long! Number 11 - Clean Baby Bottles & Containers It’s not uncommon for baby bottles to develop a slightly sour odor. But, you can get rid of this smell with toothpaste and a regular bottle scrubbing brush. Squeeze some toothpaste right into the bottle, and give it a good scrub. Be sure to rinse the bottles out thoroughly afterwards, because ingesting too much fluoride can make babies sick. Number 12 - Reduce the Appearance of Bruises If you have a nasty bruise you want to get rid of it as soon as possible, you’re going to need two things. Some lotion, and you guessed it! A little bit of toothpaste! Now mix these two together, and apply the mixture to the bruise. Then cover the area with a large band aid. Leave it on overnight, and wash it off in the morning. Repeat these steps for another two or three nights, or until the bruise is gone. Number 13 - Bring Old Shoes Back to Life Toothpaste can get those sorry looking leather shoes or trainers looking good again. Just apply some toothpaste directly to the dirtiest spots. Then, take an old rag or a brush, and scrub with a generous amount of pressure. Rinse off the toothpaste, and you got your shoes looking like new. Number 14 - Deodorize Your Dog Dogs and skunks do not get along. In fact, dogs can find all sorts of smelly things to play with. The next time your pooch gets into something smelly, just wet his fur, and rub in some toothpaste. Massage his coat for about five minutes and then rinse him clean. The offensive odors will be gone! Number 15 – Get Rid of Hair Dye Stains The next time you color your hair, make sure you have a bit of white toothpaste on hand for those color stains on your face, ears and neck. If your color runs and leaves a stain, just rub a bit of toothpaste on it and scrub the stain away. Number 16 - Clean Your Refrigerator The seal around the door on refrigerators can get very dirty, and it can be quite difficult to clean. Simply add some toothpaste to a toothbrush and scrub away the grime. This will make your refrigerator sparkle like new. Number 17 - Clean Walls If you have a child who aspires to be an artist and has chosen your walls as their canvas, you can easily remove those crayon marks with a damp cloth and a bit of toothpaste. Rub the stains vigorously in a circular motion, until they disappear. Then simply wipe off the residue with warm water. Number 18 - Remove Gum from Hair I’m not sure how this even happens, but apparently it does. And it’s a sticky situation, that’s for sure! To get chewing gum out of hair fast and without having to reach for scissors, spread some toothpaste over the affected are and let it do it’s magic for a few minutes. The toothpaste will break down the sugars in the gum, and you’ll be able to lift it out much easier. Number 19 - Buff Kitchen and Bathroom Faucets Instead of using a chemical based cleaning product, you can keep your kitchen and bathroom faucets looking bright – and all you need is some toothpaste! Grab a rag or a sponge, squeeze a little bit of toothpaste on it, and put yourself to work. Add a little bit of elbow grease and your faucets are going to look brand new in no time! Number 20 - Repair Cell Phone Screens Cell phones have come a long way. But, they are still prone to scratches. Luckily you can remove minor scratches with this simple toothpaste hack! Lightly rub a dab of toothpaste over the scratched areas. Then, wipe it clean with a damp cloth and leave your phone to dry. Have you tried any of these toothpaste hacks? If you did, how did they work out for you? Let us know in the comments below! |
2023.06.04 16:44 I-am-the-Peel (Spoilers Extended) A Character Analysis of Varys, the fake and lying eunuch
Apologies for the length and lateness of this post, past few months have been quite chaotic and haven't had much access to the internet, I dunno when I'll be back on this sub again after this so until then, more posts from me will be a Dream for Spring Summer (probably)
Over the years I've read a great many theories about the character of Varys, his motivations, his scheming throughout the series and his endgame, but none of them have ever truly sat well with me for how much his character feels simplified. He is one of ASOIAF's most complex characters who I still believe we haven't entirely cracked yet, and I for one still believe even after writing this post up and reflecting on it, there's still some of his character that I haven't figured out.
However, I want to propose an alternative character analysis to the character of Varys, one that drifts away from the more common take on his character - Varys is not a eunuch or a friend of Tyrion Lannister, and has spent his entire life lying about his manhood to deter anyone from thinking that he could father any children, so that fAegon, his true son, would always be protected while hiding.
Let us begin by breaking down each of the lies that define his character.
First, the lie that he was castrated as a young slave and had his manhood thrown into a fire by 'a certain man', which resulted in the fire turning magically blue and 'a voice' speaking out to Varys.
Illyrio, the same man who praised R'hllor, a God that Varys despises;
It makes little sense that Varys would entertain the company of those who worship R'hllor or magical forms of fire, if Varys truly is traumatised by what seemingly happened to him as a slave child by fire.
As well as Illyrio, this is apparent in Aerys II, who would regularly burn people in the throne room with wildfire, in the presence of Varys;
But it makes a lot more sense that Varys actually never had a problem with R'hllor or wildfire, and instead chose to encourage Aerys' paranoia so that he would always both seem useful to Aerys and be on good relations with him, to solidify his position of power on the Small Council, given that he was just a young foreign man in Westeros and wholly dependent on Aerys' support to maintain his standing in King's Landing.
The second lie of Varys' character that I wish to tackle is his apparent concern for the wellbeing of children;
However, we later learn in the series that Aegon seemingly survived and was swapped with a tanner's child, bought by Varys and swapped with Aegon, so that this bought child could be sacrificed to the Lannisters, who Varys presumed would want to kill Rhaegar's children;
The first red flag of this story is the idea that Varys, a former slave child who abhors slavery, would willingly buy another man's young child. Also pay attention to the mention of 'Arbor gold', which has been well documented on this sub for years for how its always a signal of lies, as individuals like Littlefinger mention it in passing whenever they are telling a lie.
The second red flag is the idea that Varys, someone who seemingly abhors the murder and suffering of innocent children, would willingly sacrifice an innocent young child and allow them to be murdered just to spare another, more valuable child. The idea that Varys would also take Elia's child away from her, either willingly or unwillingly on her part, is also questionable.
The third red flag is why Varys chose only to switch Aegon with another child, and not do the same for Rhaenys. Having two imposter Targaryen children raised to believe they are Targaryens could've helped to support their claims, build them up as a rival power in Westeros and also provide a backup option for Varys incase fAegon didn't survive his childhood.
The final red flag is the idea that Varys was able to foresee how the Rebellion was going to end, accurately guessed that Rhaegar's children would be murdered by the Lannisters, knew where and when to find Elia and her children, be able to remove one of her children away from her without anyone knowing, and knew that one of Tywin's men would kill the children so brutally that next to no one would be able to recognise them - the idea story is built on a series of flimsy conveniences and incredible predictive abilities on Varys' part.
If Varys truly cared so much about the protection and well-being of children, he would not have willingly bought and sacrificed an innocent child to be sacrificed in exchange for Aegon's survival, nor would he have abandoned Rhaenys to her fate if he could have prevented it. This means either Varys truly doesn't give a damn about the wellbeing of children and just lies to the likes of Ned and Tyrion about it, or that the entire story about Aegon being swapped with a tanner's child is a lie like some fans believe, or that both stories are lies muddled together to make it more difficult to discern the truth.
Perhaps the truth of Varys' lies is best exposed in this often cited excerpt from ACOK, a conversation between him and Tyrion about the infamous "Shadow on the Wall" riddle;
I however believe that Varys is talking about himself.
Varys was once a very small man when he came to King's Landing at Aerys' calling for him to join the Small Council. He was seen as a young ex-slave, without a lordship or house of his own, weak and powerless. But overtime, through his manipulation of Aerys, encouraging his paranoia and own self-inflicted downfall, Varys cast a very large shadow over the empire of House Targaryen in Westeros, and destroyed it forever. What Varys says here to Tyrion is a very veiled threat that he can be dangerous to Tyrion if he underestimates Varys.
Tyrion however, in his arrogance, believes that Varys is referring to him, being a "very small man" and begins considering him a friend.
This is the third and final lie of Varys' character that I wish to dissect here - the lie that he is a friend or useful ally of sorts to Tyrion.
The idea of Varys betraying Tyrion's trust and working against him is first presented to us by Cersei, when she lets slip that Varys informed her of Tyrion's plan to send the Hound into battle at the Battle of the Blackwater;
There are frequent moments throughout the series in which Varys alludes to knowing key information and deliberately withholding it from Tyrion even if it may benefit Tyrion, including who ordered Mandon Moore to kill Tyrion;
On the matter of Varys' choosing to support the Lannisters or Stannis, Varys once again tries to confuse Tyrion with riddles and not directly answer the question;
However, like with Cersei and Tyrion, Varys needs to tell those on the Small Council a certain amount of secretive information in order to gain their trust and support, including Stannis. That Varys even chooses to give a deeper and more unsettling laugh about the matter is another example of him openly laughing about his treachery in Tyrion's face and Tyrion not realising it.
When Tyrion almost stumbles upon this ruse and Varys realises that his laugh was too deep and questionable, Varys tries to brush it off by saying its harder to keep a secret secret if so many people are investigating it, and insists that there were so many of Robert's bastards to find for Stannis to figure out the truth on his own. But again, this last statement from Varys is littered with half-truths.
Varys insists it is hard to keep deceiving King Robert about the truth of his children's true parentage, and even harder to keep deceiving the truth from those who are deliberately looking for the truth and wanting to find it. This in itself is a reference to his believe that Stannis was always power-hungry for the Iron Throne, and was just looking for an excuse to try to claim it for himself as Robert's true heir, regardless of whether or not Cersei's children were Robert's or not.
But his own comment about "betraying a secret I have held for so long" is a direct allusion to fAegon's existence, and his determination not to reveal the truth of his existence to anyone, including Tyrion.
Even when Tyrion rides with Illyrio and Jon Connington's entourage in ADWD, Tyrion is only led to believe that they are going to support Daenerys' claim for the Iron Throne, and has to work out for himself that fAegon is actually Aegon and the one Varys and Illyrio wish to crown;
This likely angers Varys, and is the reason why Varys no longer affectionately calls Tyrion by his name or by '"lord" and instead refers to him as "the imp" in ADWD's epilogue, a term that Varys knows Tyrion hates;
Varys never considered Tyrion a friend or ally in ASOIAF and was just using him, another lie that he tells throughout the series, and by the end of ADWD, he hates Tyrion for his scheming and knowing too much information than Varys wished him to know.
But there is a bigger telling point about how much Varys uses Tyrion, and a more ground-breaking twist in the narrative that reflects both how much Varys underestimates Tyrion and how much Varys never cared for him;
In ASOS, Varys didn't tell Tyrion how to reach the Tower of the Hand to go and kill Tywin. Varys told him this key information so that Tyrion could go and kill Shae instead, who Varys considered a greater threat to him.
Shae is one of the few, perhaps the only, people in ASOIAF to see through Varys' disguises;
Wearing disguises is a very important part of Varys' many schemes, including visiting Ned Stark in the Black Cells as the gaoler Rugen;
It is also fundamentally not in Varys' interest for Tyrion to kill Tywin, as keeping Tywin alive for now would ensure the Dornish would have someone to rise up and seek vengeance against for Elia's murder. As readers are shown in AFFC and ADWD Dornish chapters, the Martells are divided and frankly confused about how to seek vengeance for Elia's murder now that Tywin, Gregor and Armory Lorch - the three men involved in her murder - are now dead. **If Tywin had lived, Varys could've played on the Dornish thirst for vengeance against him and had fAegon promise them it in exchange for their support, something which they likely would've agreed to.
So by this point in the post, we've explored some of the key lies of Varys' character to know for sure what he is not;
Well, Varys is not a eunuch, and in fact fAegon's true father by blood. Varys has deliberately spent his life lying about being a eunuch in order to discourage people from the truth that he is the father of fAegon by Illyrio’s sister, and wants to control the Iron Throne through fAegon.
Recall Varys' conversation with Tyrion in ACOK that I previously cited earlier;
Varys was never castrated and he is not bald. He deliberately shaves his head to hide his true parentage and lies about being a eunuch to discourage people from believing that he is capable of fathering a child, a child with Blackfyre blood that he wishes to sit on the Iron Throne, a secret that Varys has cared for and kept so long.
The last time we see Varys in ADWD, he finally begins to tell the truth about fAegon's existence, and when he does, and speaks about the son he loves, he begins to speak in his real, deeper and non-emasculated voice;**
TLDR:
Varys is not a eunuch but instead the father of fAegon, a secret he has spent his life protecting, and a lie he has spent his life telling to better protect his son.
Varys does not hate R'hllor or those who worship magical flames, his entire story about his manhood being sacrificed to flames is a lie he tells to gain Tyrion's trust in their efforts to defeat Stannis in ACOK. Varys is close friends with Illyrio, a man who praises R'hllor, and spent the early parts of his life encouraging Aerys to feed innocent people to the flames of wildfire.
Varys does not hate the suffering of innocent children, he was prepared to buy an innocent child from a man and sacrifice him in order to protect the "real" Aegon, he was prepared to abandon Rhaenys to her brutal death even if he could have saved her too and prepared to send Viserys and Daenerys into a doomed invasion of Westeros that would've led to their deaths just to make fAegon appear a more heroic saviour compared to them.
Varys was never a friend or ally to Tyrion but instead was using him ever since they first met. He has repeatedly withheld important information from him such as who hired Mandon Moore to kill Tyrion and how Stannis figured out the truth about Cersei's children, and on frequent occasions has nearly openly laughed in Tyrion's face at both his misfortune and the information Varys withheld from him. Varys also manipulated Tyrion into killing Shae so that she would not expose Varys' identity as Rugen and didn't trust Tyrion with the information about fAegon's existence, something that Tyrion had to figure out himself. Varys also talks lowly of Tyrion at the end of ADWD as a "conniving Imp" which reflects Varys' true feelings about Tyrion.
Varys has spent his life shaving his hair and lying about being a eunuch to discourage anyone from believing he could father fAegon and better protect him, so that fAegon could one day take the Iron Throne, and cast a very large shadow over the Targaryen Empire forever.
Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed this theory be sure to read some of my other theories below;
All the signs that Tywin directly gave the Mountain the order to badly mistreat Elia Martell
The Father Rhaegaer, the Son Jon and the Holy Ghost Ghost, religious symbolism
Mance Rayder is a servant of the Others
Leyton Hightower is the Lord of Light and Malora the Mad Maid is Quaithe
2022 archive of ASOIAF theories available at the bottom of this post
submitted by I-am-the-Peel to asoiaf [link] [comments]
Over the years I've read a great many theories about the character of Varys, his motivations, his scheming throughout the series and his endgame, but none of them have ever truly sat well with me for how much his character feels simplified. He is one of ASOIAF's most complex characters who I still believe we haven't entirely cracked yet, and I for one still believe even after writing this post up and reflecting on it, there's still some of his character that I haven't figured out.
However, I want to propose an alternative character analysis to the character of Varys, one that drifts away from the more common take on his character - Varys is not a eunuch or a friend of Tyrion Lannister, and has spent his entire life lying about his manhood to deter anyone from thinking that he could father any children, so that fAegon, his true son, would always be protected while hiding.
Let us begin by breaking down each of the lies that define his character.
First, the lie that he was castrated as a young slave and had his manhood thrown into a fire by 'a certain man', which resulted in the fire turning magically blue and 'a voice' speaking out to Varys.
"One day at Myr, a certain man came to our folly. After the performance, he made an offer for me that my master found too tempting to refuse. I was in terror. I feared the man meant to use me as I had heard men used small boys, but in truth the only part of me he had need of was my manhood. He gave me a potion that made me powerless to move or speak, yet did nothing to dull my senses. With a long hooked blade, he sliced me root and stem, chanting all the while. I watched him burn my manly parts on a brazier. The flames turned blue, and I heard a voice answer his call, though I did not understand the words they spoke. "The mummers had sailed by the time he was done with me. Once I had served his purpose, the man had no further interest in me, so he put me out. When I asked him what I should do now, he answered that he supposed I should die. To spite him, I resolved to live. I begged, I stole, and I sold what parts of my body still remained to me. Soon I was as good a thief as any in Myr, and when I was older I learned that often the contents of a man's letters are more valuable than the contents of his purse. "Yet I still dream of that night, my lord. Not of the sorcerer, nor his blade, nor even the way my manhood shriveled as it burned. I dream of the voice. The voice from the flames. Was it a god, a demon, some conjurer's trick? I could not tell you, and I know all the tricks. All I can say for a certainty is that he called it, and it answered, and since that day I have hated magic and all those who practice it. If Lord Stannis is one such, I mean to see him dead." - ACOK - TYRION XNow there is much from this excerpt to raise complaints and questions about Varys' story;
- There are no known instances of individuals being mutilated and having their mutilated parts being sacrificed in the flames for the sake of blood magic or appeasing R'hllor. Individuals have often been sacrificed to the flames, but sacrificed in their whole bodies.
- The details of how Varys was mutilated and that he was able to survive is unbelievable, and even more unbelievable that he went on to live as an orphan on the streets after this horrific ordeal with little to no medical treatment. Varys' simple claim that he "resolved to live" is very vague.
- Varys can remember this mystic and mysterious voice, but not what it send or what the words sounded like. Melisandre claims to hear the voices of R'hllor in the flames and voices could be heard from Drogo's tent when Mirri Maz Duhr was performing her blood magic, but these voices are only heard by the sorcerers, and not the victims. By all accounts, Varys should not have been able to hear these voices, if part of himself was fed to the flames.
"How many days until we reach the river?" he asked Illyrio that evening. "At this pace, your queen's dragons will be larger than Aegon's three before I can lay eyes upon them." "Would it were so. A large dragon is more fearsome than a small one." The magister shrugged. "Much as it would please me to welcome Queen Daenerys to Volantis, I must rely on you and Griff for that. I can serve her best in Pentos, smoothing the way for her return. So long as I am with you, though … well, an old fat man must have his comforts, yes? Come, drink a cup of wine." - ADWD - TYRION IIIllyrio is Varys' best friend and closest confidant, who he works with to protect Daenerys for much of her life and is willing to crown her as Queen alongside fAegon even though she has magical fire-breathing dragons that Varys, a victim of magical flames, would despise.
Illyrio, the same man who praised R'hllor, a God that Varys despises;
Her brother was waiting in the cool of the entry hall, seated on the edge of the pool, his hand trailing in the water. He rose when she appeared and looked her over critically. "Stand there," he told her. "Turn around. Yes. Good. You look …" "Regal," Magister Illyrio said, stepping through an archway. He moved with surprising delicacy for such a massive man. Beneath loose garments of flame-colored silk, rolls of fat jiggled as he walked. Gemstones glittered on every finger, and his man had oiled his forked yellow beard until it shone like real gold. "May the Lord of Light shower you with blessings on this most fortunate day, Princess Daenerys," the magister said as he took her hand. He bowed his head, showing a thin glimpse of crooked yellow teeth through the gold of his beard. "She is a vision, Your Grace, a vision," he told her brother. "Drogo will be enraptured." - AGOT - DAENERYS INeither Viserys or Daenerys were followers of R'hllor at this point, or surrounded by any followers, meaning Illyrio didn't need to bring up this form of prayer to R'hllor unless it was genuine or near genuine on his own part.
It makes little sense that Varys would entertain the company of those who worship R'hllor or magical forms of fire, if Varys truly is traumatised by what seemingly happened to him as a slave child by fire.
As well as Illyrio, this is apparent in Aerys II, who would regularly burn people in the throne room with wildfire, in the presence of Varys;
Frustrated, Aerys turned to the Wisdoms of the ancient Guild of Alchemists, who knew the secret of producing the volatile jade green substance known as wildfire, said to be a close cousin to dragonflame. The pyromancers became a regular fixture at his court as the king's fascination with fire grew. By 280 AC, Aerys II had taken to burning traitors, murderers, and plotters, rather than hanging or beheading them. The king seemed to take great pleasure in these fiery executions, which were presided over by Wisdom Rossart, the grand master of the Guild of Alchemists...so much so that he granted Rossart the title of Lord and gave him a seat upon the small council. - TWOIAF - THE TARGARYEN KINGS - AERYS IINot only would Varys be present to witness these burnings, but Varys even encouraged Aerys to burn other individuals suspected of treachery, and fuelled both Aerys' paranoia and bloodlust;
He floated in heat, in memory. "After dancing griffins lost the Battle of the Bells, Aerys exiled him." Why am I telling this absurd ugly child? "He had finally realized that Robert was no mere outlaw lord to be crushed at whim, but the greatest threat House Targaryen had faced since Daemon Blackfyre. The king reminded Lewyn Martell gracelessly that he held Elia and sent him to take command of the ten thousand Dornishmen coming up the kingsroad. Jon Darry and Barristan Selmy rode to Stoney Sept to rally what they could of griffins' men, and Prince Rhaegar returned from the south and persuaded his father to swallow his pride and summon my father. But no raven returned from Casterly Rock, and that made the king even more afraid. He saw traitors everywhere, and Varys was always there to point out any he might have missed. So His Grace commanded his alchemists to place caches of wildfire all over King's Landing. Beneath Baelor's Sept and the hovels of Flea Bottom, under stables and storehouses, at all seven gates, even in the cellars of the Red Keep itself. - ASOS - JAIME VVarys developed a reputation for egging on Aerys' paranoia and encouraging him to execute apparent traitors by fire, so much so that people like Barristan lay chief blame for Aerys' downfall into madness on Varys for exploiting it;
"It is not a question of wanting. The throne is mine, as Robert's heir. That is law. After me, it must pass to my daughter, unless Selyse should finally give me a son." He ran three fingers lightly down the table, over the layers of smooth hard varnish, dark with age. "I am king. Wants do not enter into it. I have a duty to my daughter. To the realm. Even to Robert. He loved me but little, I know, yet he was my brother. The Lannister woman gave him horns and made a motley fool of him. She may have murdered him as well, as she murdered Jon Arryn and Ned Stark. For such crimes there must be justice. Starting with Cersei and her abominations. But only starting. I mean to scour that court clean. As Robert should have done, after the Trident. Ser Barristan once told me that the rot in King Aerys's reign began with Varys. The eunuch should never have been pardoned. No more than the Kingslayer. At the least, Robert should have stripped the white cloak from Jaime and sent him to the Wall, as Lord Stark urged. He listened to Jon Arryn instead. I was still at Storm's End, under siege and unconsulted." He turned abruptly, to give Davos a hard shrewd look. "The truth, now. Why did you wish to murder Lady Melisandre?" - ASOS - DAVOS IVIt makes very little sense that Varys, a eunuch who seemingly hates worshippers of R'hllor and pyromancers for burning people and sacrificing his manhood to the flames as a child, would be best friends with a man who praises R'hllor or encourage his previous King to burn several people, many of whom were likely innocent of the claims of treachery put against them.
But it makes a lot more sense that Varys actually never had a problem with R'hllor or wildfire, and instead chose to encourage Aerys' paranoia so that he would always both seem useful to Aerys and be on good relations with him, to solidify his position of power on the Small Council, given that he was just a young foreign man in Westeros and wholly dependent on Aerys' support to maintain his standing in King's Landing.
The second lie of Varys' character that I wish to tackle is his apparent concern for the wellbeing of children;
"No," Ned pleaded, his voice cracking. "Varys, gods have mercy, do as you like with me, but leave my daughter out of your schemes. Sansa's no more than a child." "Rhaenys was a child too. Prince Rhaegar's daughter. A precious little thing, younger than your girls. She had a small black kitten she called Balerion, did you know? I always wondered what happened to him. Rhaenys liked to pretend he was the true Balerion, the Black Dread of old, but I imagine the Lannisters taught her the difference between a kitten and a dragon quick enough, the day they broke down her door." Varys gave a long weary sigh, the sigh of a man who carried all the sadness of the world in a sack upon his shoulders. "The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that's true, Lord Eddard, tell me … why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones? Ponder it, if you would, while you wait upon the queen. And spare a thought for this as well: The next visitor who calls on you could bring you bread and cheese and the milk of the poppy for your pain … or he could bring you Sansa's head. - AGOT - EDDARD XVVarys shows apparent disgust at the murders of Rhaegar's children, Rhaenys and Aegon, at the end of Robert's Rebellion, and the way in which they were brutally murdered.
However, we later learn in the series that Aegon seemingly survived and was swapped with a tanner's child, bought by Varys and swapped with Aegon, so that this bought child could be sacrificed to the Lannisters, who Varys presumed would want to kill Rhaegar's children;
"A true friend, our Lord Connington. He must be, to remain so fiercely loyal to the grandson of the king who took his lands and titles and sent him into exile. A pity about that. Elsewise Prince Rhaegar's friend might have been on hand when my father sacked King's Landing, to save Prince Rhaegar's precious little son from getting his royal brains dashed out against a wall." The lad flushed. "That was not me. I told you. That was some tanner's son from Pisswater Bend whose mother died birthing him. His father sold him to Lord Varys for a jug of Arbor gold. He had other sons but had never tasted Arbor gold. Varys gave the Pisswater boy to my lady mother and carried me away." "Aye." Tyrion moved his elephants. "And when the pisswater prince was safely dead, the eunuch smuggled you across the narrow sea to his fat friend the cheesemonger, who hid you on a poleboat and found an exile lord willing to call himself your father. It does make for a splendid story, and the singers will make much of your escape once you take the Iron Throne … assuming that our fair Daenerys takes you for her consort." - ADWD - TYRION VIThis entire "splendid story" as Tyrion calls it, is full of inconsistencies and unbelievable acts.
The first red flag of this story is the idea that Varys, a former slave child who abhors slavery, would willingly buy another man's young child. Also pay attention to the mention of 'Arbor gold', which has been well documented on this sub for years for how its always a signal of lies, as individuals like Littlefinger mention it in passing whenever they are telling a lie.
The second red flag is the idea that Varys, someone who seemingly abhors the murder and suffering of innocent children, would willingly sacrifice an innocent young child and allow them to be murdered just to spare another, more valuable child. The idea that Varys would also take Elia's child away from her, either willingly or unwillingly on her part, is also questionable.
The third red flag is why Varys chose only to switch Aegon with another child, and not do the same for Rhaenys. Having two imposter Targaryen children raised to believe they are Targaryens could've helped to support their claims, build them up as a rival power in Westeros and also provide a backup option for Varys incase fAegon didn't survive his childhood.
The final red flag is the idea that Varys was able to foresee how the Rebellion was going to end, accurately guessed that Rhaegar's children would be murdered by the Lannisters, knew where and when to find Elia and her children, be able to remove one of her children away from her without anyone knowing, and knew that one of Tywin's men would kill the children so brutally that next to no one would be able to recognise them - the idea story is built on a series of flimsy conveniences and incredible predictive abilities on Varys' part.
If Varys truly cared so much about the protection and well-being of children, he would not have willingly bought and sacrificed an innocent child to be sacrificed in exchange for Aegon's survival, nor would he have abandoned Rhaenys to her fate if he could have prevented it. This means either Varys truly doesn't give a damn about the wellbeing of children and just lies to the likes of Ned and Tyrion about it, or that the entire story about Aegon being swapped with a tanner's child is a lie like some fans believe, or that both stories are lies muddled together to make it more difficult to discern the truth.
Perhaps the truth of Varys' lies is best exposed in this often cited excerpt from ACOK, a conversation between him and Tyrion about the infamous "Shadow on the Wall" riddle;
Varys smiled. "Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.""So power is a mummer's trick?" "A shadow on the wall," Varys murmured, "yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow." Tyrion smiled. "Lord Varys, I am growing strangely fond of you. I may kill you yet, but I think I'd feel sad about it." - ACOK - TYRION IIThe question of who Varys refers to in this conversation has been debated for years on this sub. Some believe that Varys was alluding to fAegon, that if people believe he is the real Aegon then he will have power, even if he doesn't truly have power as a common non-Targaryen child. Others have suggested Varys was alluding to Littlefinger, who was once a young small man who rose very high in King's Landing and cast a large shadow over the realm by starting the WotFk through his schemes.
I however believe that Varys is talking about himself.
Varys was once a very small man when he came to King's Landing at Aerys' calling for him to join the Small Council. He was seen as a young ex-slave, without a lordship or house of his own, weak and powerless. But overtime, through his manipulation of Aerys, encouraging his paranoia and own self-inflicted downfall, Varys cast a very large shadow over the empire of House Targaryen in Westeros, and destroyed it forever. What Varys says here to Tyrion is a very veiled threat that he can be dangerous to Tyrion if he underestimates Varys.
Tyrion however, in his arrogance, believes that Varys is referring to him, being a "very small man" and begins considering him a friend.
This is the third and final lie of Varys' character that I wish to dissect here - the lie that he is a friend or useful ally of sorts to Tyrion.
The idea of Varys betraying Tyrion's trust and working against him is first presented to us by Cersei, when she lets slip that Varys informed her of Tyrion's plan to send the Hound into battle at the Battle of the Blackwater;
"Varys says so." The swan was too rich for his taste. A line appeared on Cersei's pale white brow, between those lovely eyes. "You put too much trust in that eunuch." "He serves me well." "Or so he'd have you believe. You think you're the only one he whispers secrets to? He gives each of us just enough to convince us that we'd be helpless without him. He played the same game with me, when I first wed Robert. For years, I was convinced I had no truer friend at court, but now . . ." She studied his face for a moment. "He says you mean to take the Hound from Joffrey." - ACOK - TYRION XIIOn a first read, we are quick to dismiss Cersei's claims for how much she is built up as an antagonistic and untrustworthy character, but in later understanding her motives in her own POV chapters, we realise there may be an inkling of truth in her claims. In the case of the Hound, Varys has no reason to inform her of Tyrion's plan, however innocent and insignificant in the grand game of thrones they may be, other than to maintain some level of trust with her and to invoke conflict between the Lannister siblings, which benefits Varys.
There are frequent moments throughout the series in which Varys alludes to knowing key information and deliberately withholding it from Tyrion even if it may benefit Tyrion, including who ordered Mandon Moore to kill Tyrion;
Bronn had turned up all he could on Ser Mandon, but no doubt Varys knew a deal more . . . should he choose to share it. "The man seems to have been quite friendless," Tyrion said carefully. "Sadly," said Varys, "oh, sadly. You might find some kin if you turned over enough stones back in the Vale, but here . . . Lord Arryn brought him to King's Landing and Robert gave him his white cloak, but neither loved him much, I fear. Nor was he the sort the smallfolk cheer in tourneys, despite his undoubted prowess. Why, even his brothers of the Kingsguard never warmed to him. Ser Barristan was once heard to say that the man had no friend but his sword and no life but duty . . . but you know, I do not think Selmy meant it altogether as praise. Which is queer when you consider it, is it not? Those are the very qualities we seek in our Kingsguard, it could be said—men who live not for themselves, but for their king. By those lights, our brave Ser Mandon was the perfect white knight. And he died as a knight of the Kingsguard ought, with sword in hand, defending one of the king's own blood." The eunuch gave him a slimy smile and watched him sharply. Trying to murder one of the king's own blood, you mean. Tyrion wondered if Varys knew rather more than he was saying. - ASOS - TYRION IIWhen Tyrion presses Varys for information about Mandon, Varys deliberately skims over Mandon's life and offers vague beliefs about the perfect Kingsguard to try and derail Tyrion's line of questioning, and when Varys pretends not to have known about Mandon trying to kill Tyrion, he watches Tyrion "sharply" to try and gather how much Tyrion himself knows, whether or not Tyrion will seek retribution for it from the anger on his face, and almost openly mocks him for the smile he gives. Tyrion briefly considers the idea that Varys is deliberately holding information back from him, but chooses instead to talk about other matters, which is what Varys wanted.
On the matter of Varys' choosing to support the Lannisters or Stannis, Varys once again tries to confuse Tyrion with riddles and not directly answer the question;
"He accuses my brother and sister of incest. I wonder how he came by that suspicion." "Perhaps he read a book and looked at the color of a bastard's hair, as Ned Stark did, and Jon Arryn before him. Or perhaps someone whispered it in his ear." The eunuch's laugh was not his usual giggle, but deeper and more throaty. "Someone like you, perchance?" "Am I suspected? It was not me." "If it had been, would you admit it?" "No. But why should I betray a secret I have kept so long? It is one thing to deceive a king, and quite another to hide from the cricket in the rushes and the little bird in the chimney. Besides, the bastards were there for all to see." - ACOK - TYRION IIIWe know for certain that Varys didn't want the WotFK to start so soon or for the truth of Cersei's children to come out in AGOT because he wanted more time for Viserys' forces to grow in strength and come closer to Westeros in order to invade, either to take the throne for themselves or be the ones to kill the beloved Robert Baratheon and paint themselves as villainous usurpers to make fAegon more heroic and not taint him with Robert's blood on his hands.
However, like with Cersei and Tyrion, Varys needs to tell those on the Small Council a certain amount of secretive information in order to gain their trust and support, including Stannis. That Varys even chooses to give a deeper and more unsettling laugh about the matter is another example of him openly laughing about his treachery in Tyrion's face and Tyrion not realising it.
When Tyrion almost stumbles upon this ruse and Varys realises that his laugh was too deep and questionable, Varys tries to brush it off by saying its harder to keep a secret secret if so many people are investigating it, and insists that there were so many of Robert's bastards to find for Stannis to figure out the truth on his own. But again, this last statement from Varys is littered with half-truths.
Varys insists it is hard to keep deceiving King Robert about the truth of his children's true parentage, and even harder to keep deceiving the truth from those who are deliberately looking for the truth and wanting to find it. This in itself is a reference to his believe that Stannis was always power-hungry for the Iron Throne, and was just looking for an excuse to try to claim it for himself as Robert's true heir, regardless of whether or not Cersei's children were Robert's or not.
But his own comment about "betraying a secret I have held for so long" is a direct allusion to fAegon's existence, and his determination not to reveal the truth of his existence to anyone, including Tyrion.
Even when Tyrion rides with Illyrio and Jon Connington's entourage in ADWD, Tyrion is only led to believe that they are going to support Daenerys' claim for the Iron Throne, and has to work out for himself that fAegon is actually Aegon and the one Varys and Illyrio wish to crown;
Young Griff hesitated. "Lannister? Your father—" "—is dead. At my hand. If it please Your Grace to call me Yollo or Hugor, so be it, but know that I was born Tyrion of House Lannister, trueborn son of Tywin and Joanna, both of whom I slew. Men will tell you that I am a kingslayer, a kinslayer, and a liar, and all of that is true … but then, we are a company of liars, are we not? Take your feigned father. Griff, is it?" The dwarf sniggered. "You should thank the gods that Varys the Spider is a part of this plot of yours. Griff would not have fooled the cockless wonder for an instant, no more than it did me. No lord, my lordship says, no knight. And I'm no dwarf. Just saying a thing does not make it true. Who better to raise Prince Rhaegar's infant son than Prince Rhaegar's dear friend Jon Connington, once Lord of Griffin's Roost and Hand of the King?" "Be quiet." Griff's voice was uneasy. - ADWD - TYRION VAfter Tyrion works out the truth and manipulates both fAegon and Jon Connington into riding for Westeros instead of joining forces with Daenerys, he disappears and goes off to seek her out.
This likely angers Varys, and is the reason why Varys no longer affectionately calls Tyrion by his name or by '"lord" and instead refers to him as "the imp" in ADWD's epilogue, a term that Varys knows Tyrion hates;
Ser Kevan tried to rise, but the strength had left him. He could not feel his legs. "I thought the crossbow fitting. You shared so much with Lord Tywin, why not that? Your niece will think the Tyrells had you murdered, mayhaps with the connivance of the Imp. The Tyrells will suspect her. Someone somewhere will find a way to blame the Dornishmen. Doubt, division, and mistrust will eat the very ground beneath your boy king, whilst Aegon raises his banner above Storm's End and the lords of the realm gather round him." "Aegon?" For a moment he did not understand. Then he remembered. A babe swaddled in a crimson cloak, the cloth stained with his blood and brains. "Dead. He's dead." - ADWD - EPILOGUEVarys chooses to frame Tyrion for Kevan's murder, **deliberately and intentionally further putting his life in danger by Cersei's wrath, already knowing that Tyrion has a large bounty on his head because of her, and talks lowly of Tyrion by calling him an "Imp" and referring to his "connivance" in a very scorned tone.
Varys never considered Tyrion a friend or ally in ASOIAF and was just using him, another lie that he tells throughout the series, and by the end of ADWD, he hates Tyrion for his scheming and knowing too much information than Varys wished him to know.
But there is a bigger telling point about how much Varys uses Tyrion, and a more ground-breaking twist in the narrative that reflects both how much Varys underestimates Tyrion and how much Varys never cared for him;
In ASOS, Varys didn't tell Tyrion how to reach the Tower of the Hand to go and kill Tywin. Varys told him this key information so that Tyrion could go and kill Shae instead, who Varys considered a greater threat to him.
Shae is one of the few, perhaps the only, people in ASOIAF to see through Varys' disguises;
A whiff of something rank made him turn his head. Shae stood in the door behind him, dressed in the silvery robe he'd given her. I loved a maid as white as winter, with moonglow in her hair. Behind her stood one of the begging brothers, a portly man in filthy patched robes, his bare feet crusty with dirt, a bowl hung about his neck on a leather thong where a septon would have worn a crystal. The smell of him would have gagged a rat. "Lord Varys has come to see you," Shae announced. The begging brother blinked at her, astonished. Tyrion laughed. "To be sure. How is it you knew him when I did not?" She shrugged. "It's still him. Only dressed different." - ACOK - TYRION XThis catches Varys off guard, and any chance of seeing him being angry or looking threatened is waved away from the reader when Tyrion laughs it off and turns his attention again to his paramour Shae.
Wearing disguises is a very important part of Varys' many schemes, including visiting Ned Stark in the Black Cells as the gaoler Rugen;
"Wine," a voice answered. It was not the rat-faced man; this gaoler was stouter, shorter, though he wore the same leather half cape and spiked steel cap. "Drink, Lord Eddard." He thrust a wineskin into Ned's hands. The voice was strangely familiar, yet it took Ned Stark a moment to place it. "Varys?" he said groggily when it came. He touched the man's face. "I'm not … not dreaming this. You're here." The eunuch's plump cheeks were covered with a dark stubble of beard. Ned felt the coarse hair with his fingers. Varys had transformed himself into a grizzled turnkey, reeking of sweat and sour wine. "How did you … what sort of magician are you?" - AGOT - EDDARD XVHis disguise as Rugen is very important to Varys' plans after Tyrion's disappearance from King's Landing, as Varys seeks to frame Rugen as a Tyrell puppet who broke Tyrion from imprisonment on the Tyrells' behalf, to sow division and further paranoia between Cersei and the Tyrells;
Gold, yes, but the moment Cersei took it she could tell that it was wrong. Too small, she thought, too thin. The coin was old and worn. On one side was a king's face in profile, on the other side the imprint of a hand. "This is no dragon," she said. "No," Qyburn agreed. "It dates from before the Conquest, Your Grace. The king is Garth the Twelfth, and the hand is the sigil of House Gardener." Of Highgarden. Cersei closed her hand around the coin. What treachery is this? Mace Tyrell had been one of Tyrion's judges, and had called loudly for his death. Was that some ploy? Could he have been plotting with the Imp all the while, conspiring at Father's death? With Tywin Lannister in his grave, Lord Tyrell was an obvious choice to be King's Hand, but even so . . . "You will not speak of this with anyone," she commanded. - AFFC - CERSEI IIBut this ploy to incite conflict between the Lannisters and Tyrells would have failed if Shae had lived, as she had seen through Varys' disguises and could've warned Cersei of it, something which Varys could not allow, especially given that he considered her one of Cersei's pawns after Tyrion's trial.
It is also fundamentally not in Varys' interest for Tyrion to kill Tywin, as keeping Tywin alive for now would ensure the Dornish would have someone to rise up and seek vengeance against for Elia's murder. As readers are shown in AFFC and ADWD Dornish chapters, the Martells are divided and frankly confused about how to seek vengeance for Elia's murder now that Tywin, Gregor and Armory Lorch - the three men involved in her murder - are now dead. **If Tywin had lived, Varys could've played on the Dornish thirst for vengeance against him and had fAegon promise them it in exchange for their support, something which they likely would've agreed to.
So by this point in the post, we've explored some of the key lies of Varys' character to know for sure what he is not;
- He is not the victim of slavery or a sacrificial victim to magical fires, nor does he abhor those who worship R'hllor or magical flames
- He does not hate the killing and suffering of innocent children, and has actually sought to profit from it in the past
- He has never been a friend or ally to Tyrion Lannister but has instead used him, and even manipulated him into killing Shae to protect one of Varys' own future schemes
Well, Varys is not a eunuch, and in fact fAegon's true father by blood. Varys has deliberately spent his life lying about being a eunuch in order to discourage people from the truth that he is the father of fAegon by Illyrio’s sister, and wants to control the Iron Throne through fAegon.
Recall Varys' conversation with Tyrion in ACOK that I previously cited earlier;
"He accuses my brother and sister of incest. I wonder how he came by that suspicion." "Perhaps he read a book and looked at the color of a bastard's hair, as Ned Stark did, and Jon Arryn before him. Or perhaps someone whispered it in his ear." The eunuch's laugh was not his usual giggle, but deeper and more throaty. "Someone like you, perchance?" "Am I suspected? It was not me." "If it had been, would you admit it?" "No. But why should I betray a secret I have kept so long? It is one thing to deceive a king, and quite another to hide from the cricket in the rushes and the little bird in the chimney. Besides, the bastards were there for all to see." - ACOK - TYRION III"Why should I betray a secret I have kept so long?" is the biggest hint towards fAegon's existence and Varys' own true motivations in the entire series. Varys makes this spur of the moment claim after being caught off guard by Tyrion and doesn't think it through before saying it and letting Tyrion realise there is more to him.
Varys was never castrated and he is not bald. He deliberately shaves his head to hide his true parentage and lies about being a eunuch to discourage people from believing that he is capable of fathering a child, a child with Blackfyre blood that he wishes to sit on the Iron Throne, a secret that Varys has cared for and kept so long.
The last time we see Varys in ADWD, he finally begins to tell the truth about fAegon's existence, and when he does, and speaks about the son he loves, he begins to speak in his real, deeper and non-emasculated voice;**
"Aegon?" For a moment he did not understand. Then he remembered. A babe swaddled in a crimson cloak, the cloth stained with his blood and brains. "Dead. He's dead." "No." The eunuch's voice seemed deeper. "He is here. Aegon has been shaped for rule since before he could walk. He has been trained in arms, as befits a knight to be, but that was not the end of his education. He reads and writes, he speaks several tongues, he has studied history and law and poetry. A septa has instructed him in the mysteries of the Faith since he was old enough to understand them. He has lived with fisherfolk, worked with his hands, swum in rivers and mended nets and learned to wash his own clothes at need. He can fish and cook and bind up a wound, he knows what it is like to be hungry, to be hunted, to be afraid. Tommen has been taught that kingship is his right. Aegon knows that kingship is his duty, that a king must put his people first, and live and rule for them." - ADWD - EPILOGUEThis is who Varys truly is - not a eunuch, not a victim of slavery or castration, not a man who weeps for the suffering of children, not a friend of Tyrion Lannister, but a loving father who wishes to cast a very large shadow over the greatest empire the world of ASOIAF has ever known.
TLDR:
Varys is not a eunuch but instead the father of fAegon, a secret he has spent his life protecting, and a lie he has spent his life telling to better protect his son.
Varys does not hate R'hllor or those who worship magical flames, his entire story about his manhood being sacrificed to flames is a lie he tells to gain Tyrion's trust in their efforts to defeat Stannis in ACOK. Varys is close friends with Illyrio, a man who praises R'hllor, and spent the early parts of his life encouraging Aerys to feed innocent people to the flames of wildfire.
Varys does not hate the suffering of innocent children, he was prepared to buy an innocent child from a man and sacrifice him in order to protect the "real" Aegon, he was prepared to abandon Rhaenys to her brutal death even if he could have saved her too and prepared to send Viserys and Daenerys into a doomed invasion of Westeros that would've led to their deaths just to make fAegon appear a more heroic saviour compared to them.
Varys was never a friend or ally to Tyrion but instead was using him ever since they first met. He has repeatedly withheld important information from him such as who hired Mandon Moore to kill Tyrion and how Stannis figured out the truth about Cersei's children, and on frequent occasions has nearly openly laughed in Tyrion's face at both his misfortune and the information Varys withheld from him. Varys also manipulated Tyrion into killing Shae so that she would not expose Varys' identity as Rugen and didn't trust Tyrion with the information about fAegon's existence, something that Tyrion had to figure out himself. Varys also talks lowly of Tyrion at the end of ADWD as a "conniving Imp" which reflects Varys' true feelings about Tyrion.
Varys has spent his life shaving his hair and lying about being a eunuch to discourage anyone from believing he could father fAegon and better protect him, so that fAegon could one day take the Iron Throne, and cast a very large shadow over the Targaryen Empire forever.
Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed this theory be sure to read some of my other theories below;
All the signs that Tywin directly gave the Mountain the order to badly mistreat Elia Martell
The Father Rhaegaer, the Son Jon and the Holy Ghost Ghost, religious symbolism
Mance Rayder is a servant of the Others
Leyton Hightower is the Lord of Light and Malora the Mad Maid is Quaithe
2022 archive of ASOIAF theories available at the bottom of this post
2023.06.04 16:43 eviscereee stray cat
hi, yesterday a cute stray cat followed my brother home and it came back this morning as well. The cat was very friendly and nice and I played with it a little. It had soft fur and acted very domesticated (like it listened to us when we would forbid it from coming inside the house) but it had quite long nails and a few ticks in its fur (we live next to a meadow so I suppose being away for even 1-2 days could have resulted in these ticks). When I was playing with it it scratched me a bit THROUGH my trousers and I think it tried to bite me lightly once (tho i am not sure if it was a successfull bite -- there was no blood) and now I am paranoid whether it could have had rabies and spread it. I am really axious -- especially about the light bite attempt. One thing to notice though is that the cat drank a lot of water and wasn't drooling or anything.
submitted by eviscereee to rabies [link] [comments]