Your Average Banana Is About 150 Cubic Cm, But That’s Too Complicated For The Math I Want To Do, And

i reread the commentary on Finrod Athrabeth and Andreth a while ago and I just “ Elves could die, and did die, by their will; as for example because of great grief  or bereavement, or because of the frustration of their dominant desires and purposes.” 

I see… so that’s why Feanor let Maglor go to music school lmao.

ATLA writers, let’s talk about steel ships and what can go wrong with them

So, I live on a steel boat. It’s pretty cushy for the most part because it has a permanent mooring on a canal (so no currents and no tides), but guys, there are things to consider when you write your Zuko’s crew fics.

In no particular order, bearing in mind that I am not an engineer:

Steel + water = rust; steel + salt water = super fast rust.

Boats like mine are traditionally lifted from the water or put in dry dock to be painted with bitumen every 2 years to prevent that.  And that’s with fresh water and only the occasonal bump against another boat to worry about.

Anywhere water pools on the deck can have a rust issue (we don’t see any drainage holes on that deck with its solid walls.  Let’s pretend they exist.)  Anywhere that can get hit with salt spray can have a rust issue

The deepest pitting (rust pockets) will be around the waterline, places that get both water and oxygen. If one of those gets deep enough it can actually rust through and you are in a world of hurt.

Coal smoke is acidic. That’s also not great for steel.

Chimneys are another place that rust through pretty quickly, which can put you in a world of hurt because smoke kills, and so does carbon monoxide.

The second deepest pitting  on a boat is generally found on the steel close to the chimney.

If water (rain or salt spray) can get in your chimney you’ve just accelerated that process.

Talking of coal fires…

Anywhere you’ve got a source of fire you’ve got problems if it isn’t well ventilated.  Where is the boiler room? Does it have windows? Does it have vents in the door? How do they control air flow to the coal (and hence the temperature of the resulting fire)?

Where you have coal you have ash. Leave ash sitting too long and it will choke your fire. Leave hot ash in a confined space and you have another carbon monoxide problem.

They’re probably having to chuck ash into the ocean like, every day.

Historically there have been chemical carbon monoxide detectors, which is one possible way you might stop your entire crew dying of a deadly undetectable gas – if Zuko has access to it.

Let’s also talk propulsion

The engine is typically the heaviest part of your boat or ship. It’s normally positioned closer to the stern, which as a result will sit lower in the water than the prow.

Fire nation ships use propellors, which we know because Hakoda’s stink & sinks targeted them.  Where the prop shaft exits the ship is another point where water can get in.  There’s a thing called a stern gland which prevents this by forcing grease into the  area where the prop shaft comes through the hull. This minimises the amount of water that can get in.

Minimum water is still not no water though! There will be a wall to contain water that gets in like this, and modern boats have a bilge pump next to the prop shaft to get rid of it.

This is another point particuarly at risk from rust! Break out the paint again.

If the bilge pump breaks and doesn’t get fixed you quickly have big problems (a neighbour actually sank because of this).

Dark paint + steel + sunlight = surfaces too hot to touch.

Also, interior temperatures that are way, way too hot for comfort.

However, the temperature drops rapidly below the waterline. I spend six months of the year wearing thick woolly socks and legwarmers and the other six months wanting to lie on the floor all the time. And I only have a 2 foot draft.

Cold water + hot boat interior = condensation, which represents guess what? – another rust risk!

Talking of bitumen paint? That stuff gives off fumes that stink and aren’t great for human health.

More to follow when I think of it and have time. I’d love to hear from actual ocean goers on this one because that’s the side of things I know absolute zip about.

Elven Fashion Week

Nandor elves- wear rich and vibrant earth tones, complimented with a silvers and turquoise. Nandor clothing is sturdy and easy to move in, but ornamentation is not sacrificed for functionality. Their hair is almost always a shade of brown and is worn either very long and braided or styled short and manageable.

Avari elves- don’t see the light all that much and both their collective complexion and clothing traditions reflect that. Like the Nandor they prefer long braided hair or short and sleek styles. They prefer the darkest clothing of all the branches of elves, which they accent with deep blues, rich purples and sometimes irredescent hues. They never wear anything shiny or flashy, but they are fond of embroidery as long as it’s subtle.

Teleri elves (Sindar & Falmari)- are almost the same people aesthetic wise. Clothing, adornment and hair styling are all practically the same save color schemes. Sindar adore darker blues and greens, while the Falmari are into pastel, or lighter colors, namely sea foam green and teal. Falmari elves absorb themselves in pearls, shells and corals, while their cousins the Sindar prefer silver and precious gems. All Teleri elves have varying shades of blue eyes. Silver hair is common in the Falmari while Black hair is more common in the Sindar.

Vanyar- long golden hair, amber eyes and sun kissed skin are the main features of this branch of elves. Each vanyar has a fondness/devotion to a specific Vala which they model their personal clothing after. Embroidered golden feathers or jeweled vines for Manwe or Yvanna, a radiating headdress for Varda or flowing robes that dance and shimmer like fire for Aule.

Noldor- unless they are busy crafting, their hair is worn free, very long and unstyled. Almost all of the Noldor have green eyes and black hair, with red hair being very rare (they are the only group that has redheads). Noldor will wear all the colors on the spectrum in a variety of styles. They have the most ornate clothing of all the elves, and are famous for their intricate embroidery and stunning jewelry which is always worn with tremendous pride.

*adds another neurodivergent label to my bio as if I'm adding stickers to a laptop*

ID: Katara and sokka in swimgear. in the first image, sokka is searching for something in the water. his hair getting wet. katara leans over to him saying "don't you think, its time for a haircut?" in the second image sokka rose form the water, a dog-shark creature in hand, swinging his hair in Katara face splashing her. smugly he says "no <3". End ID

i know its winter! i know it likley snowed by now on the northern hemilsphere! but... on the southern side is summer time right??? so... its fine.... this is fine!!!

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!!! please do not use or repost this artwork without permission!!!

‪happy christmas to my favourite story of all time‬

[ID: a digital painting of Finduilas, princess of Nargothrond. She is facing towards the viewer, standing by a floor to ceiling window through which golden light is flowing into the room. Finduilas's head is tilted down and to her left, as she looks away from the window at something below her eye level in the interior of the room. Her left hand rests below her jaw and her right at her waist; her expression is pensive. She is dressed in a floor-length, light yellow dress with light blue embroidery at the neckline, bottom hem, and ends of the short sleeves. The dress is belted about her waist with a thin, tassled ribbon of the same light blue. She also wears a purple shawl draped over her right shoulder and arm, a golden or bronze bracelet on her left wrist, and white gemstone earrings. Her golden hair is pulled back from her face but left loose and curling down past her waist. End ID.]

Finduilas for moynal ⭐

Me: why do my intestines hurt?

Me: *remembers that I drank a large milk tea and I'm lactose intolerant*

Me: oh

Maeglin and Idril in Uzbek Gondolin

Thank you to @the-quiet-fire-of-defiance​ for helping me work out how to do this and for writing an image description

Image description: an edit with nine images. 1: a headshot of an Uzbek man. 2: A photo of some stone buildings. 3: a photo of a city from above. A large pale tower, lit up with warm lights from inside, is surrounded by smaller stone buildings including what looks like a mosque. 4: a sketch of Gondolin by FelixSotomayorArt on DeviantArt. 5: a photo of an Uzbek knife next to its beautifully detailed sheath. 6: a photo taken between two blue buildings covered in geometric designs. 7: a sunrise/sunset over a cluster of stone buildings, dotted with archways and domes. 8: an Uzbek woman in brightly coloured clothes holding a pomegranate. 9: a banner reading “Gondolin” in white text, with a moon and star symbol on either side.

Ko-if link is on my page

As is my commission info