It's Groovy.

(You might know me as groovyphilia. ) [CURRENTLY IN UNI'S HELL MONTH/S. This means scarce fic from me, but plenty of recs.] I am so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat in me for a month. I am so hip I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis. I also write things here. Most of it is silly. This is a List of Everything I've Ever Written. Icon from one of gingerhaze's drawings. NOTE: Apparently there's a ceilingcharles on LJ; no relation to them, I'm afraid.

[groovyphilia]

pairing: cherik | song lyric: COME ON AND SLAM AND WELCOME TO THE JAM

you shitmonkey. you wanna know what I’d do. i’d write a sequel to your goddamn jam donut fic featuring charles as a slice of bread and erik as jam that’s what id fucking do

Charles gave a start as something sugary and sweet was spread across his surface. “Erik Lehnsherr,” the jam offered, as his cool stickiness dripped over Charles’ crust.

From that moment, Charles knew he was toast.

welcome to the jam bye

[howtofightwrite]

Control Points: The Head

Disclaimer: The material present in this article is meant for academic study and writing only. It is not meant for instructional use in your everyday life.  This information will not be useful without physical instruction from a qualified instructor. If you are interested in this information within the context of self-defense, please seek out a martial arts school or self-defense program in your area. We are not liable for the harm you do to yourself or others with this information. We are also not liable for the legal ramifications that come with those actions.

In this article, we’ll discuss the weak target points on the head in order to help your fight sequences become more detailed.  The conventional martial arts advice is “where the head goes, the body follows”. The body has an instinctive desire to protect the head and face from attack, a clever fighter can trigger these instincts in a less (and even sometimes more) competent one by understanding how to use the body’s protective instincts against an opponent. A character can make these instincts work for them if they realize that they are there, they may learn to trigger them intentionally against someone else. They may not know on a conscious level or scientific level that they are doing it, they may simply be working off their combat experience or techniques that were taught to them by a more experienced instructor. They may not know how it works, just that it does. You, the author, need to know because you are the one who must relay these actions to the audience in your story. There is a vast difference between what an author must know and what a character may know, you are the deciding force behind the character’s actions and you must be able to communicate to the audience what happened in the scene. Fighting is, at its heart, a very sophisticated and scientific animal. To communicate it effectively requires a functional understanding of human behavior, bodily reactions, an understanding of the body’s physical form, and a good solid sense of physics.

So, today, we’re going to talk about the vulnerable places on the head and how they can be exploited in a multitude of different ways to distract a target and create openings in the guard that allow for finishing strikes. This won’t cover everything, but it should be enough to get you thinking.

Control Points:

The Skull: On the top of the forehead, there are dents in the skull where the plates are fused together. By placing pressure on these dents, one can effectively force the head to move in any direction (preferably backwards). The skull is made up of around eight different bone plates that are fused together. The places where they are structurally weak can be exploited. However, for the untrained or even general martial artist, these can be difficult to find in the confusion of combat.

The Hair: We covered a lot about the hair in a few articles, including Hair Pulling. The hair can in certain cases provide a good grip for fingers, be used to drag the head back or slam it forward. The hair follicles are all nerve endings which can cause pain (distraction) when pulled. If the brain is thinking about something else (ouch, ouch, it hurts!) it is less able to muster up the necessary concentration in order to fight back.

The Back of the Head: The bone in back of the head is actually much softer than the front. While it’s not a good striking point for hands, it is a common one for blunt force trauma using an object or by driving the head (when controlled using a control point, such as the hair) into something solid such as a wall or concrete. To abuse the back of the head in hand to hand, one must be facing their opponent. This usually only comes into play if they are close to a wall or on top of them when on the ground.

The Bottom of the Skull: The bottom of the skull, where the spine joins with the skull and the brain. It’s difficult to affect with hand to hand, but a strike from a knife, a sword, or a bullet can kill.

The Temple: The temple is an open gap and soft point that can provide direct access to the brain when struck. Pinpoint strikes may go here such as with the knuckles (in Taiji Chin Na), with the heel of the foot, or with a knife. Striking here will cause a loss of equilibrium and balance

The Forehead: The forehead is the densest and hardest point on the human body, which means that while a frontal assault is usually a pointless endeavor, bouncing the brain off it can get interesting. Much like the back of the head, the forehead can be a focus point for blunt trauma strikes (baseball bat, crowbar, tire iron, piece of wood) or be driven into a wall. Since the head must go back to go forward, someone driving the head into the wall or ground will have to be behind the individual. And in tips from Contemporary Knife Targeting by Michael Janich and Christopher Grosz: “Some traditional edged weapons systems such as Japanese iai-jutsu (sword drawing and cutting), purposefully target the forehead because it is highly vascular and, when cut, will bleed into the eyes, obstructing vision.” (20)

The Eyebrow: The eyebrow can be easily split or cut to bleed into the eyes, which is why it is such a popular one in professional boxing. Doing this with bare hands is not recommended because the forehead is so solid and one can cut their knuckles, which allows their opponent’s blood to mix with theirs, but it could be a priority target for someone wearing armor, brass knuckles, or using a knife.

The Eyes: The sense a human being relies on most is their sight, they cannot block what they cannot see. You know that instinctual reaction you have when you see something coming towards your face and know you can’t get out of the way; you squeeze your eyes shut? This is why. The body knows the eyes must be protected. Blind someone, temporarily or permanently, and they will have difficulty fighting back. This can be anything from blood in the eyes, to thrown dirt or sand, waving a knife blade near the eye, to faking out the peripheral vision by forcing someone to protect high when the attacker is actually going low. Moving towards the eyes will cause someone to flinch, while covering the eyes may cause them to panic. Strikes to the eye can be distraction based or lead to permanent injury, deep enough strikes to the optic nerve can cause unconsciousness, they can even kill by puncturing the brain (most commonly with a #2 pencil or a pen).

The Nose: We can go round and round about whether or not a palm strike to the nose can kill but, either way, the nose is a vulnerable target. Striking the nose, even if it doesn’t break, will cause swelling which can obstruct an individual’s vision, cause their eyes to water, and on impact to close. Placing the knuckle of the index finger directly under the nose and above the upper lip can be used to force the head back and the eyes up, creating openings for escape from grabs.

The Cheek: The cheek is a good control point because it can be used to drive the head sideways using the flat of the hand and create openings. A strike from an elbow coming in from the side can cause someone to bite their cheek hard enough to require stitches. Strikes to the cheekbone can lead to swelling and bruising, which can obscure vision.

The Mouth: We normally think of the mouth for biting, but the truth is getting knocked in the teeth really hurts. Knocking the head around can lead to someone biting through their tongue, biting their cheek, losing a tooth, all of which results in blood in the mouth. Enough blood in the mouth is a choking hazard and a hard enough bite can require a trip to a hospital, try to imagine how your characters would feel about spitting out their front tooth in the middle of a fight (or worse, a piece of their tongue).

The Jaw: The soft point at the back of the jaw where it connects to the skull is a vulnerable point that when struck can cause a knockout. However, the jaw has other uses too. Striking it specifically can lead to the jaw becoming unhinged or forcing it to clench (bite down), which means that it can chew into some of the mouth’s vulnerable places. This is why all sparring involves wearing mouth guards and why I side eye books that fail to mention mouth guards very hard. Most professional fighters will clench their teeth reflexively when they fight, those who spar will be practiced at breathing through their nose. They may or may not exhale through their mouth when fighting (mostly not).

Under the Jaw: Striking up under the jaw can cause the head to knock backwards, this is where some of the traditional palm strikes and uppercuts come in. However, a persona can also grasp under the jaw to control it (fingers should avoid the mouth or be bitten). The hand and forearm can also wrap around from behind and press up under the jaw to force head backwards, characters may do this when taking hostages or forcing someone else to look. A common way professionals will avoid taking a head butt from someone knocking their head backwards is to control the skull this way, allowing the neck no freedom of movement and pressing their cheek to their enemies’ ear.

The Ear: The ears, through sound, can control someone’s sense of equilibrium. Disrupt that and they may experience vertigo. The human being is very sensitive to sound and one of the best ways to screw with the brain is by hurting the ears. The ear is vulnerable to being boxed (two fists or palms come in on either side to strike inwards against the outside of the ears), they may be stabbed with a knife, or someone may scream into or use a blowhorn at close range (pressed up against the ear) to force a person to respond in a predictable manner (loss of balance, stumbling, falling over, etc).

Under the Ear: under the ear, there is a pressure point that when pressed can cause a substantial amount of pain. This pressure point is commonly taught in self-defense courses. A person who is familiar with this pressure point may also use it to stimulate response and keep themselves awake when tired.

This is by no means a comprehensive list and individual styles will all have their own methods and techniques of making use of these things.

Recommended Reading:

FightWrite: The Only Unfair Fight is the One You Lose Pt 2 (Brutality)

On Hair Pulling

Pulling Piercings

If you have a strong stomach:

Contemporary Knife Targeting by Christopher Grosz and Michael Janich is an interesting read. However, because the discussion is knives, it’s gory.

Taiji Chin Na by Doctor Yang, Jwing-Ming discusses the seizing art of Tai’chi and could be useful for those of you looking to learn about joint locking systems outside of Japan.

[groovyphilia]

Rating: Mature (for now)

Pairing:Charles Xavier/Erik Lehnsherr, and others.

Summary: Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr had been living content and very separate lives. Charles didn’t ask to become Professor X, Zombie Expert and Researcher. Erik didn’t ask to become Magneto, Zombie Hunter Extraordinaire. It goes without saying that neither of them asked for a zombie apocalypse.

Still, what better place for romance than a groaning, shambling, undead world?

Warnings: Character Undeath, Moderate Violence

Holy shit, I posted something! A completely ridiculous zombie apocalypse AU from yours truly.

[pangeasplits]

hello friends I am home at last and I return to you with a fic rec

we all know charlie is a huge fuckin loser but I assure you that this fic is A+ excellent, take it from me, kids, I’ve been reading pieces of this for over a year now and let me tell you it’s gr9

[ceilingcharles]

A call for fic recs!

yashaharkness submitted:

do you know any cherik au movie fusion fic with ”yours, mine and ours”? or if there aren’t any would you please maybe consider writing one? it works so many ways, beach divorce or no (the lighthouse could be called the cuban beachhouse!! XD) and the idea of charles and erik as single dads taking care of their respective children!teams is soooo amazing.. Please?

[ceilingcharles]

Ooooh man, I’m actually not familiar with that movie - I dunno if I’ll give it a shot, I only very recently popped back into fandom! Though from your description (single dads taking care of their respective children!teams), I am absolutely certain there are a bunch of fics like that. I can’t seem to find them at the moment - but if someone could help me out?…

[alwaysnightsomewhere]

There’s a popular fic that’s a “Parent Trap” AU, where Erik and Charles split their kids between them and they meet at summer camp. That’s the only one that I know of of that style, if that helps at all? http://archiveofourown.org/works/253846/chapters/394576

[ceilingcharles]

A call for fic recs!

yashaharkness submitted:

do you know any cherik au movie fusion fic with ''yours, mine and ours"? or if there aren't any would you please maybe consider writing one? it works so many ways, beach divorce or no (the lighthouse could be called the cuban beachhouse!! XD) and the idea of charles and erik as single dads taking care of their respective children!teams is soooo amazing.. Please?

Ooooh man, I'm actually not familiar with that movie - I dunno if I'll give it a shot, I only very recently popped back into fandom! Though from your description (single dads taking care of their respective children!teams), I am absolutely certain there are a bunch of fics like that. I can't seem to find them at the moment - but if someone could help me out?...

[ceilingcharles]

slowly opens fic WIPs

[ghostflowerdreams]

The Ultimate Survival Guide

INTRODUCTION:

Maybe you’re interested in knowing this information for yourself? Or maybe you’re a writer? You might have a character that is stranded on an island, wilderness or anywhere else and they need to survive using their mind, and the things around them. If not that, maybe your character comes from a world where things are done the old fashion way? Or there’s an alien invasion, a zombie apocalypse (or anything else that can cause end of the world), and you want to know how to survive using little to no tools; or how to use the things around you.

Whatever it is, I will make this a very thorough survival guide. Originally I had each section as it’s own post (and I still do for those that want it that way) because I thought it would be too much for one post, but I got a lot of requests to put it all in one. 

WATER:

Water is essential for survival, especially fresh water. 

Your body is about two-thirds water and it uses water to help circulate blood, process food and assist other internal processes. If you don’t drink enough water dehydration sets in. Severe dehydration can start as soon as six hours of not having water, and more than a full day without water is cause for serious concern. The human body can only live about three days without it.

Your main goal is to find a source of water. It could be a river, a lake, springs, snow, rain, plants, and so on. Just be sure to avoid dirty water, such as water that has algae growing in it, discolored water, water in marshes and swamps. It’s important to find the freshest water source you can because it’ll be safer to drink. But lets say you’re somewhere that finding water is difficult. You’ll need to keep in mind of plants that contain water within them, set up rain collectors or condensation traps, whichever is more fitting for your survival.

Once you have a source of water you’ll need to purify it in order to remove the bacteria, contamination, or parasites in it. To purify water there are many methods but none are perfect. Often the best solution is a combination of methods.

Wilderness Survival - Water Sources

Wilderness Survival - Water Procurement

Wilderness Survival - Water Purification

How to Find Water (Finding Water in the Wilderness)

At Home In The Wilderness Part II: Water

Autonopedia - Water in the Wilderness

Survivor Magazine - Water from Condensation

Red Cross - Water Treatment

Boiling Times For Safe Drinking Water

FOOD:

Food is the second (the first being water) most essential thing for survival. 

Your body requires food to function properly and the duration of a person’s survival without food is influenced by factors, such as body weight, genetic variation, other health considerations and, most importantly, the presence or absence of dehydration.

A person is able to survive without food for 30 - 40 days, as long as they are properly hydrated. Severe symptoms of starvation begins around 35 - 40 days and death can occur at around 45­ to 61 days. Death from starvation is because of organ failure. So long as a person has water they can survive quite a while without food, but without water they would die (from dehydration) before starvation even sets in. That is why water is so important.

There are many cases in which people have survive without food for a long time by only having water, a famous example is Mahatma Ganhdi. He ate absolutely no food and only took sips of water for 21 days, and survived.

Anyway, even though food doesn’t sound as important it is still needed. Food is a source of energy and it helps you to maintain a normal body temperature. Like I said before, you’ll need food (not just water) in order to function properly. Now that you know why food is important too, you’ll need to learn how to make the tools to catch food, how to hunt, how to gather and prepare them.

Wilderness Survival - Edibility of Plants

Wilderness Survival - Animals for Food

Wilderness Survival - Traps and Snares

Wilderness Survival - Killing Devices

Wilderness Survival - Fishing Devices

Wilderness Survival - Preparation of Fish and Game for Cooking and Storage

Wilderness Survival - Clubs

Wilderness Survival - Edged Weapons

Wilderness Survival - Other Expedient Weapons

Wilderness Survival - Cooking and Eating Utensils

Wilderness Survival - Venomous Fish and Invertebrates

Wilderness Survival - Fish with Toxic Flesh

Wilderness Survival - Poisonous Snakes and Lizards

Wilderness Survival - Dangerous Insects and Arachnids

Wilderness Survival Food

List of Edible Bugs

Animal Tracking

Tracking Animals — How To Read Animal Tracks

The Simplest Hunting Tool Since the Spear

Making the Bow And Arrow

How to Make and Use a Survival Fish Spear

Skinning and Cleaning Animals

Hides Being Prepared (Includes Photographs)

Snares

Tips, Tactics and Technics for Trappers

Snaring Rabbits and Hares: Prepping to Eat (Includes Photographs)

Skinning and Cleaning a Deer

Preparing a Wild Turkey

Ice Fishing Tips & Techniques

After the Shot: Moose Skinning and Care

Tanning Deer Hides and Small Fur Skins (PDF)

Discovery - Guide to Common Edible Wild Plants

Wilderness Survival Skills - Foraging and Harvesting

The Survivalist - How To Build A Stone Oven

The Survivalist - How To Get Water And Syrup From Trees

The Survivalist - Avoid Winter’s Poisonous Plants 

The Survivalist - Finding Wild Edible Plants In Winter

The Survivalist - Can You Really Eat Tree Bark?

The Survivalist - Make Your Own Jerky

The Survivalist - How to Use Skewers and Spits

The Survivalist - How to Cook in a Steam Pit

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Animal Tracking 101

The Survivalist - How To Grow A Survival Garden

The Survivalist - Survivals Skills - Cooking On A Rock Frying Pan

Jackie’s Tips for Hardcore Homesteading

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide

Pick Your Gardening Tool

How to Build a Chicken Coop

Home Canning Techniques

How To Make Vodka

Smoking Meat & Making Jerky

Food Storage: Storing Herbs and Spices for Long Term Storage

Primitive Survival Weapons for Acquiring Food

Clean Your Cooking Gear With Wood Ashes

8 Foods For Pain Relief

Wildwood Survival - At Home In The Wilderness Part VI: Survival Cooking

Wildwood Survival - Wild Teas

Wildwood Survival - Steam Pit Cooking

Wildwood Survival - Cooking with Rocks in a Birch Bark Wok

It’s Tactical - Cooking Around the Campfire: 9 Easy and Delicious Foil Packet Recipes

FIRE:

Whether it be for warmth, cooking, light, or a sense of security, humans need fire. There are very few, if any, environments on the Earth where humans can survive (over the long term) without it. In the days before we had matches, lighters, electricity, and various other means of providing ourselves with heat, cooking, and light, people had invented a myriad of ways to make fire.

Wilderness Survival - Fire

Wilderness Survival - Site Selection and Preparation

Wilderness Survival - Fire Material Selection

Wilderness Survival - How To Build A Fire

Wilderness Survival - How To Light A Fire

The Survivalist - How to Make Fire With a Hand Drill

The Survivalist - Can You Really Light a Fire with a Bow and Drill?

The Survivalist - How To Make A Torch

The Survivalist - Finding Tinder Part One — Tinder From The Wild

The Survivalist - How To Build A Dakota Fire Hole

The Survivalist - How To Build A Fire On Snow

The Survivalist - How To Keep A Campfire Under Control

Making Fire with a Bow and Drill

Primitive Fire Making: Using Flint and Steel

Wildwood Survival - Magnifying Lens

Wildwood Survival - Two Stone Fire Starting

Fire From the Sun

Seven Ways To Light a Fire Without a Match

The Art of Manliness - How To Build a Roaring Campfire

How to Build & Hide a Campfire from Your Enemies — The Dakota Fire Pit

How to Make Smoke Signals

Smoke Signals

Wilderness Survival: How to make a Pine Knot Torch for emergency light

2 Tricks to Spit-Roasting Small Game Over an Open Fire

How To Build A Survival Fire In Bad Weather

How To Start A Fire In The Rain

How To Make A Fire In Wet Conditions

Locating And Using Rocks to Start A Fire (Video)

FIRST AID:

It’s essential that you have some basic principles of wilderness first aid and know how to apply them, even under stress. Even knowing how to treat minor injuries can make a difference in a emergency situation. Although there are innumerable injuries and ailments that could affect you, as long as you learn the basic principles of first aid, you can apply them to almost any situation.

Wilderness Survival - Plants for Medicine

Wilderness Survival - Edible and Medicinal Plants

Wilderness Survival - Bone and Joint Injury

Wilderness Survival - Bites and Stings

Wilderness Survival - Wounds

Wilderness Survival -  Environmental Injuries

Wilderness Survival - Cold Injuries

Medical Reference - Food Poisoning

Medical Reference - Insect Bites and Stings

Medical Reference - Frostbite

Medical Reference - Cough

Medical Reference - Sprains and Strains

Medical Reference - Burns

Medical Reference - Wounds

Medical Reference - Common Cold

Medical Reference - Insomnia

Medical Reference - Menstrual Pain

Medical Reference - Broken Bones

Medical Reference - Dislocation

NY Search & Rescue - Snakebite Emergency First Aid Information

The Survivalist - How To Survive A Gunshot Wound

The Survivalist - How To Make Splints And Crutches

The Survivalist - Field Remedies For Poison Ivy

The Survivalist - Backwoods Hygiene Tips

A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine (PDF)

Field Bandage For A Cut Finger

Survival Skills 101 (PDF)

Carry An Injured Partner With One Rope

Treat An Injured Ankle

First Aid Without The Kit, Part 1

Skin Lacerations: How to Treat a Cut, Scrape, Gash, Stab Wound

When to Get Stitches

Honey As an Antibiotic Ointment: Sweet Treatment for Wounds

How to Treat 4 Types of Gunshot Wounds

Stitching Wounds: How To Suture

64 SHTF Medical Tips That Work

Military Survival - SHTF Medicinal Plants

Better Health - Rib Injuries

Bruised Ribs: What You Need to Know

All About Eye Injuries

Concussions: What You Need to Know

How to Know If You Really Have a Concussion

Johns Hopkins Medicine - Head Injury

Important Tips for Scorpion Sting First Aid

Be Your Own Nurse First

Chapter 2: Wound Management (PDF)

Chapter 3: Wilderness Wound Management (PDF)

Sterilizing Equipment for Medical/Dental Use

How To Sterilize A Wound In An Unsterile Environment

SHELTER:

A healthy human can survive for several weeks without food, and a couple of days without water, but in many cases only several hours without proper shelter from the elements. It’s not just the elements that you have to worry about, but shelter also shields you from other things. Such as it hides you from wildlife intruders and provides the psychological comfort ­you need in order to remain calm and in control. Depending on the survival situation you find yourself in, there are several different ways to build a shelter — each one with a particular purpose. 

Wilderness Survival - Shelter Site Selection

Wilderness Survival - Types of Shelters

Wilderness Survival - Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties

Wilderness Survival - Build An American Log Cabin

Wilderness Survival - The Building of the Log House

Wilderness Survival - The Navajo Hogan, Hornaday Dugout, and Sod House 

Building A Log Cabin

Basics of Wilderness Survival Shelters

Debris Hut Construction

How to Build a Survival Shelter

Nature Skills - How to Build a Survival Shelter

Outdoor Action Guide to Snow Shelters

Practical Survivor - Wilderness Survival Shelter

Field & Stream - Primitive Survival Skills: Part 1, Shelters

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: How To Make An Evergreen Bough Bed

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: How To Pick The Right Camp Location

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Build a Perimeter Alarm for Your Camp

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: How To Protect Your Camp From Wild Animals

Improvised Early Warning Systems

How To Make A Glowstick Perimeter Alarm

OTHER IMPORTANT SURVIVAL SKILLS & INFORMATION:

Here’s more survival skills and knowledge that can save your life or your character’s life. 

Basic Rules If You Are Lost And Alone In The Wilderness

Basic Wilderness Survival Skills

Celestial Navigation & Land Navigation - Navigation without a Compass

Finding True North Without a Compass

Telling Time Without A Clock: Scandinavian Daymarks

Wilderness Survival - Field-Expedient Direction Finding

Wilderness Survival - Contact With People

Wilderness Survival - Clouds: Foretellers Of Weather

Wilderness Survival - Camouflage

Wilderness Survival - Sea Survival

Wilderness Survival - Cold Weather Survival

Wilderness Survival - Tropical Survival

Wilderness Survival - Desert Survival

Wilderness Survival - Field-Expedient Weapons, Tools, And Equipment

Wilderness Survival - Psychology of Survival

Wilderness Survival - Signaling Techniques

Morse Code

The Survivalist - Survival Gear: Make Your Own Signal Whistle

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Signal Whistle Codes

The Survivalist - Survival Gear: How To Make A Compass

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Folk Wisdom Weather Predictors

The Survivalist - How To Make Rope From Natural Fibers

The Survivalist - Tying Knots That Work

The Survivalist - More Knots That Work

The Survivalist - How To Make Your Own Tick And Bug Repellent

The Survivalist - How To Make A Toothbrush In The Field

The Survivalist - Insulate You Clothes To Survive The Cold

The Survivalist - Paracord Bracelets: 10 Practical uses (Other Than Fashion)

The Survivalist - Blaze Your Trails, Never Get Lost

The Survivalist - Survival Skills: Find Natural Toilet Paper

Going To The Bathroom In The Woods 101

How To Go In The Woods

Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

One Green Planet - DIY Natural Insect Repellent

Preventing Bug Bites In The Woods

Homemade Natural Bug Spray Recipes

Bushcraft Camp Hygiene

Wilderness Hygiene

Preparing For Your First Year Trip — Wilderness Living

Camping and Cramping: How To Handle Your Period While You Enjoy The Great Outdoors

Hiking While Menstruating?

What Did Women Use For Menstruation In Europe and America From 1700 - 1900, And Probably Earlier?

Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene and Woman’s Health in Ancient Egypt

Survival: Animal Attacks

How to Survive Wild Animal Attacks

Be Ready For Your Next Wildlife Encounter

Animal Encounters: A Survival Guide

US Spider Indentification Shart, Including US Locations

Survival Swimming

Hypothermia, Drowning and Cold-Water Survival (PDF)

How To Handle, Clean and Operate Your Henry Lever Action Rifle (PDF)

How to Clean, Lube and Protect Your Firearms Cheaply

The Ultimate Survival Gun Resource Guide

Survival Gun Selection

Gun Safety For Dummies

How to Make Wilderness Survival Knives

How to Survive a Forest Fire

U.S. Army Hand to Hand Fighting & Other Combats

It’s Tactical - Dealing with Armed Opponents

It’s Tactical - Dealing with Violent Confrontations

How To Escape From Zip Ties (Video)

It’s Tactical - How To Escape From Zip Ties

How To Escape From Handcuffs (Video)

Lock Picking

How To Pick A Lock (Video)

It’s Tactical - How to Make a DIY Lock Pick Set from a Windshield Wiper

Lockpicking 101

It’s Tactical - Lock Picking 101

How To Hot Wire A Car

Break Into Your Car Safely with a Door Stop and Metal Rod

Prepper Tips for Bartering Post Collapse

40 Items to Barter in a Post-Collapse World

Priceless Bartering Chips: Part 1

The Essentials Of Rock Climbing

Leave No Trace Beach Walking

[art-of-swords-deactivated201705]

A Beginner’s Glossary of Terms for Swords

Arms of the Hilt

Part of the sword hilt extending on each side from the cross guard (or quillons) toward the blade and having the form of a small arc. The arms of the hilt are known to have been in use from the 15th century but they had probably made their appearance in the 14th, protecting the forefinger when it gripped the ricasso. They represented an important step in the development of the guard. In the swords of the 16th and 17th centuries the arms of the hilt served as a support for loops and rings of the guard, as well as for bars of the counterguard. 

Basket

An arrangement of bars, plates, and rings that form a “cage" around the sword hilt, creating a protected guard (or “basket") around the wielder’s hand. 

Blade

The cutting and/or thrusting part of edged weapons, excluding the hilt. 

Blade Length (BL)

A unit of measurement representing the length of a weapon’s actual blade; generally measured from the tip to the end of the guards.

Blunt

A term applied to an unsharpened sword or dagger that has had its edges rounded for safe sparring activities. 

Button

A raised piece on the pommel of swords, daggers and knives, to which the tip of the tang of the blade was peened. It usually formed part of the pommel, but could also be a separate piece; it was sometimes made of a different material. Since the 19th century the button on military weapons has had a threaded hole inside to be screwed onto the threaded end of the tang. 

Center of Gravity (CoG) or Point of Balance

The Point of Balance on a sword is simply the point on which the center of gravity is located. In other words, it’s the spot along the blade’s length that has equal mass on either side of it. The PoB will vary widely between sword types and their intended functions. 

Center of Percussion 

The Center of Percussion of a blade is the measured value along its length that produces the least amount of vibration upon hitting a target. It’s the area able to deliver the most efficient, powerful blow and is often called the blade’s “sweet spot".

Counterguard

Also called inner guard, a system of rings, loops, and bars in a sword guard that was developed in c.1500 to protect the inner side of the hand and body. Bars or branches of the counterguard usually joined the knuckle-guard and arms of the hilt. 

Cross (Cross-guard)

A part of the furniture of edged weapons, positioned crosswise to the blade and the grip. As the simplest form of guard, it has been known since antiquity. In some swords of the 16th to 18th centuries, cross guards were extended forward and backward to form the fore and rear quillons. Cross guards can also be seen on some staff weapons, on which they served the same purpose of protecting the hand. 

Cruciform

A term describing a sword with a simple cross-guard, that when inverted point up, forms the profile of a crucifix. 

Edge

The sharpened cutting portion of a weapon’s blade.

False Edge

In single-edged weapons, a sharpened portion of the back near the point; it is also called the back edge. It served both for better thrusting penetration and for cutting strikes carried out from the same position of the sword (without turning the hand).

Ferrule

A ring or cap reinforcing the grip of an edged weapon or the shaft of a pole arm. The term is also often applied to scabbard bands.

Finger Ring (Finger Guard)

The portion of a sword’s guard that is a semi-circular bar laying in the plane of the blade, attached to the root of the quillons and curved round to touch, or nearly touch, the edges of the blade. Finger rings are also called the Arms of the Hilt.

Foible

The upper third of the blade, ending in the point. The division of the blade into forte, terzo, and foible is attributed to the Italian school of fencing, which enjoyed a fine reputation in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Forte

The lower third of the blade of a sword, nearest the hilt, which is the strongest section of a blade and does most of the parrying. 

Fuller

The grooves running lengthwise on some blades of edged weaponry, designed to both lighten and make flexible the weapon. Compared with the various other structural modifications made to blades, the fuller appeared relatively late and only after considerable technological advances had been made in metalworking. In the Bronze Age there were opposite forms, with various angling and ribbing methods designed to reinforce the blade.

During the “barbarian" migrations, we find swords with blades having a wide, shallow groove running down both faces. At a later stage the first signatures or marks of the craftsman appeared in these grooves. Through the centuries the fuller became an even more integral part of the blade until, in the 16th and 17th centuries, it also became a demonstration of the craftsman’s skill.

Furniture

A generic word used to describe the accessories and fittings on various types of weapons. It refers, in particular, to everything built onto the tang of any edged weapon to facilitate its use and any decorative mounts on the handle, blade, or scabbard. It is also used in a general sense, when referring to attachments, fittings, and accessories of armor.

Grip

The part of edged weapons that is gripped by the hand. In the Stone Age it was made by rounding off and smoothing the part held, then binding it with leather or fabric. In the Bronze Age, because of the greater possibilities offered by this metal, the grip became markedly different from the rest of the weapons and added some sort of protection for the hand.

From the late Middle Ages, the wooden shaft was predominately used, covered with colored fabrics, sheets of decorated precious metal, polished leather, or twisted and braided wire. In order to provide a firm hold, the grip almost invariably had a spindle-like form, was fairly rounded, and trimmed and grooved.

Guard

In edged weapons, a device or a part designed to protect the user’s hand.

Hilt

The whole of the grip and the guard in a bladed weapon, generally consisting of the pommel, grip, and cross guard.

Knuckle-guard (or Knuckle-bow)

An important part of the hilt of swords and sabers in the form of a bow extending from the cross guard toward the pommel. As can be adduced from several English swords, it appeared no later than the mid-15th century, first as an extension of the cross guard strongly bent upward to protect the hand from cutting blows. Later the knuckle-guard became a central piece of the sophisticated system of side bars forming the guard of swords and rapiers.

Although it gradually lost its importance with the introduction of light thrusting smallswords in the second half of the 17th century, some examples of this weapon preserved the knuckle-guard as a traditional pattern up to the 20th century. In most types of military swords and sabers, the knuckle-guard has always retained its role of protecting the hand from cuts, and it is still a feature of fencing sabers and of swords of historic form worn with full dress uniforms. 

Langet

In staff weapons, the langet consisted of an iron strap, usually straight but sometimes zigzag shape, extending from the socket down the wooden part of the shaft and attached to it by nails or screws. There were usually two langets, in line either with the cutting edges or with the flat faces of the head. They carried out the dual task of increasing the strength of the attachment of the head to the staff and of protecting the most exposed part from blows.

In hafted combat weapons, therefore, the other two sides of the wood were sometimes protected by “false langets," with one end fitted into the socket or into a square ring under the socket, thus protecting the other two sides of the wooden staff. In sabers, and less often, in other swords, the langets are extensions of the cross guard going symmetrically from its center into the grip and over the shoulder of the blade, on both faces of the blade.

In most cases, there is a small space between the blade and langets, which tightly fit the locket of the mouth of the scabbard, thus preventing an accidental unsheathing. There is a possibility that strong langets were also used by experienced swordsmen to stop and catch an opponent’s blade at a sliding lateral strike.

Overall Length (OL)

A unit of measurement representing the complete length of a weapon from tip to end.

Pas D’ane

A term of French origin, used fairly widely but incorrectly since the 19th century to describe the arms of the hilt. In the 17th century, it was used to describe one of the oval shells forming the sword guard. 

Point

A term referring to the sharp tip or end of a sword blade at the opposite end of the hilt.

Pommel

The end of the grip in swords and daggers, which served either to give a better hold on the weapon or to balance it. 

Port or Side Ring

Also called ring guard or port, a part of the guard of swords and daggers for protecting the hand during parrying actions, first seen in the 15th century and particularly widely used in the 16th and 17th centuries. The side ring was positioned at the center of the cross guard, at right angles to the blade. It was made of a solid piece of steel welded or brazed to the cross guard and was sometimes fitted, for additional protection of the fingers, with an openwork metal plate.

Occasionally a smaller side ring was placed inside another, both meeting at the cross guard. In other types, one side ring projected from the cross guard and the other from below it, both being linked by the arms of the hilt. The latter construction is frequently found on rapiers and two-handed swords.

Quillon (or Quillon)

An extended cross guard of swords and daggers designed in the 16th century to parry or entangle the opponent’s blade. The quillons extended from a base, the quillon block, below the grip, and were either straight, recurved in S-Form, or bent toward the blade (especially in parrying daggers). In some types of hilts the forward quillon was curved toward the pommel, serving as a knuckle-guard.

Quillon Block (or Quillon Block)

Part of the guard of edged weapons consisting of a small block of metal with the tang passing through it, acting as a support for the shoulder of the blade and the base of the cross guard. This feature was absent throughout most of the Bronze Age, appearing in antiquity as an intermediate element between the grip and the blade, being slightly broader than the latter. With the appearance of quillons and other elements of the guard, its form and function became more defined; in fact, the quillons extended from it, as did the knuckleguard and the arms of the hilt. The quillon block was also called the ecusson. 

Ricasso

The unsharpend section of the blade near the hilt and usually within the guards in front of the quillons. One purpose of the ricasso was to allow a user to curl a finger over a quillon, allowing for better point control. Often times, longer swords would have an extended ricasso, allowing the gripping of an entire hand onto the blade past the cross guard for more leverage.

Scabbard

A rigid sheath made of wood, metal, or leather-often cuir-bouilli (hardened leather)—used to enclose and carry the blade of an edged weapon, both to protect the wearer and to keep the blade clean and sound. In the protohistoric period, it was often made with plaques of cast bronze; later it was made with small wooden plaques that were covered with leather or fabric and then fitted with bindings and metal mounts.

The edged weapon has always been something of a status symbol, and the scabbard was therefore of great importance to keep the weapon in good order. The ways in which scabbards have been made down the ages vary a great deal, but they have been generally simple for weapons of war, and richly decorated and ornate for weapons carried by leaders and royalty, and for presentation and ceremonial weapons. 

Shell Guard

A type of the sword guard, often round or oval in shape. It appeared in the early 17th century and was used in various swords, such as the Pappenheimer or the Walloon sword. By 1630 it had assumed the hemispherical shape and was widely used in Spanish and Italian swords. Shell guards were also fitted to smallswords and to various hunting and naval weapons.

Tang

The stem of the blade, which extends into the handle and serves to attach the hilt. Its form varies depending on the system that joins the handle to the blade. If pointed, the tang is driven in like a nail, a very simple system still used for tool handles (e.g., files, chisels, etc.). In order to achieve a stronger join, the tang is usually shaped like a tapering cylinder that slightly exceeds the length of the handle and is peened onto the pommel or button. In the 19th century the end of the tang was often threaded, and the button was screwed onto it.

Terzo

The middle section of a blade, between the forte and the foible. 

Turk’s Head

A modern nickname for rings made of twisted-wire braid sometimes used to finish off both ends of the grip of swords and daggers. It is so called because of its resemblance to a turban, a type of headdress typical of some Moslem peoples.

Wire-wrap

A form of covering and finishing the grip of a weapon, consisting of twisted or braided wire spun round the handle. Often the wire was of alternating types (iron, bronze, copper, etc.) or alternating patterns (twisted clockwise, counter-clockwise, straight, etc.), forming complex visual patterns. Wire wrapping was employed both to increase the security of a weapon’s grip as well as of a means of decoration. 

Source: All contents © Copyright 2003-2012 myArmoury.com

[theletteraesc]

Who wrote the guinea pig AU.

[ceilingcharles]

oh god

Pan look

[ceilingcharles]

Office Secrets.

(I went into my drafts to check what WIPs I have and found this, to my surprise - I forgot I had written it omfg. Since it's clearly going nowhere I figured I'd published it, what the hell.)

Mildly inspired by this and also a conversation with Pan (as usual).

***

There was a cardboard box in the coffee room, decorated generously with stickers, correction fluid, and to Erik's disapproval, old performance reports. A ballpoint pen was helpfully attached to the side. 

According to Angel, the entire ordeal was supposed to promote co-worker cohesion and inject a bit of interest in their otherwise dreary office lives. It was a simple idea: one was free to write their confessions on a slip of paper and drop it into the box. At the end of each month, the box would be opened and the secrets revealed, and all of Erik's employees would eye each other suspiciously for a week.

It was trivial, Erik thought, and most likely fodder for unwanted drama and gossip. He was fully prepared to shut down the operation after its two-month trial period - or, at least, he had been prepared.

He had been prepared until that one slip of paper that changed his life.

'I wear thigh-highs and lacy lingerie under my suit whenever I see Mr. Lehnsherr for performance review. He may detest me, but I always feel pretty. Oh, so pretty.' 

[typewritingly]

Names

Fake name generator

Another name generator

Worldbuilding/Setting

Magical World Builder’s Guide

I Love the End of the Word

Worldbuilding 101

Creating a Believable World

Rhymes

Rhymer

Unscramble

Kenn Nesbitt

Writeexpress

Families

Family Dynamics

Family Tree

Hair

Describe Hair

Hair Colours

200 Hair Description Words

Eyes

Describe Eyes

Common Eye Colours

Eye Colour Chart

Drugs

Substance List

Fact Sheets

Alcohol

List of Alcoholic Beverages

Health Effects of Alcohol

Relationships

Healthy Relationships

More Healthy Relationships (Be sure to follow Kris!)

[epees]

Some resources for those writing medieval-type stories:

list of medieval jobs

more medieval jobs

lords of the manor

ladies of the manor

medieval ladies

medieval weapons

medieval names

more medieval names

guide to medieval terms

more medieval terms

how to write sword-fight scenes

armor

[writerswritecompany]

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) - Resource for Crime Writers

SOURCE

[ceilingcharles]

Renton6echo did a podfic for the ridiculous thing that is crabfic! Thank you so much!

[ceilingcharles]

pangeasplits replied to your post: Hello! Just wondering, are you continuing the...

NO

[ceilingcharles]

Hello! Just wondering, are you continuing the Aladdin AU? :)

All right. Deep breath. The answer is...

Yes.

And now everybody officially has a license to kick me repeatedly in the rear if I don't honour this promise.

[jellicleoverlord-deactivated201]

For the Writers out there: Common Injuries And How To Treat Them

In my experience, RPers and Writers alike enjoy one thing: Making characters suffer. This little guide is supposed to help you with keeping injuries and the First Aid - in case you want to patch your character back together - realistic.  I am no medical professional, but I dare say I picked up a thing or two during my First Aid school-medic training ;)

Under read more for length! Also, trigger warnings for blood, I suppose?

Read More