#They did this through an application on a mobile phone

[r0semaryt3a]

Domestic Facade

Chrollo x (f) OC

A/N: so I started this as a little break from revision and to mess around with writing tropes I hate, but now I’m really into the idea and need feedback on the initial extract. I was going to post this directly onto Ao3 but want to increase my changes of writing more by having a few characters under my belt.

NOT PARTICULARLY PROOF READ

Feeback would be appreciated <3

CW: non applicable

Word count: 1,193

- Content bellow read on -

The early hours of morning began to arrive, sun trickling through open windows, seemingly drawn by the sizzling of eggs. Days like this were nice. Curtains drifting slowly in the breeze, everything at peace. The thought of work -as pleasant as she found it- not weighing heavy on Nirami’s back.

One of her few days off.

Nirami stood beside her kitchen counter, watching as steam billowed from her soon to be breakfast. She loved cooking. Always had, it was so fascinating watching atoms at work.

Sat, ogling, at the way her egg whites puffed up.

The things swayed in her pan with every small movement, don’t play with your food, a familiar voice rang in the back of her head. Her father always did hate this habit of her’s. Counted it a waste of food as stubby legs would dangle idly from her chair, fork prodding at the food she’d left to go cold with a pout. ‘I don’t want it.’ she’d whine, only for a firm voice to barter with her, holding the prospect of desert like a carrot on a stick. Inevitably causing her to cave. At the time, she’d looked at him as if he was the worst person in the world. However, now, standing in a kitchen of her own, she began to appreciate that he placated to her antics.

Slumping the eggs onto a plate, Nirami moved to check on her hashbrowns (an equally as interesting phenomenon to watch as her eggs.), she’d have to pay him a visit, get something to replace the flowers she’d given last time. He always liked Chrysanthemums, it wouldn’t hurt to pick some next time she went out.

A single churn of her salt shaker signaled the dinner bell; she sat down to eat. Tearing her food apart with an almost abnormally meticulous care.

Through her chewing, Nirami turned her attention to the flurry of plants climbing up her walls. A colleague had once suggested the idea of a simple houseplant, to keep her occupied during her parents' passing, a few years ago. A part of her had scoffed at the idea. And now here she was, all sorts of flora scattered around her apartment.

Nirami wouldn’t particularly say it had elevated her grief, but it was certainly a pleasant development. A particularly burnt piece of potato cut through her idle thoughts, maybe she should’ve focused a little more on ensuring her food was edible…The food itself was nice, it always was, for all her slip ups Nirami was a good cook. Eggs oozed; she eagerly wiped up their contents and around fifteen minutes passed before she’d finished. Raising to put her plates in for the wash. A sigh left Nirami as she went about her daily drivel, it was always like this, just as she liked it. The routine had brought solace in times of distress and kept her grounded for her line of work. Never changing, forever trudging along.

Life was simple like this.

Life was good like this.

Life was–

–buzz

The light of her phone flooded the room, its artificial hue reminded her of work. Placing her plate back into soapy water, her eyes scanned the screen’s surface. Unfortunately for her, it had already faded. Forcing Nirami to dry her hands and wander to the side, picking up her mobile, a smile split through her lips. Perhaps changes in her routine were good every once in a while, he was proof of that. Chrollo.

The two had met at her place of work, he’d been dressed to the nines. At the time, she’d taken his attire and assumed he was there to grieve a loved one, offering her condolences. Once he’d revealed he was simply there for an appointment, she’d found herself stumbling over her words. He was kind and quite the charmer, winning her over with ease (and a little coffee).

Since then the two had grown quite close, Chrollo had slotted himself neatly into Nirami’s schedule. Quite the feat indeed. He wasn't around much anymore, had to head back off to work, he’d told her. And so, anytime his name popped up on her phone, it filled her with nothing but euphoria.

The text was simple enough, morning love, yet she still found it hard to respond.

He always did have that effect on her.

Chrollo was far more composed than Nirami. Every word he ever said was picked with poise. She settled for an equally simple response (one most would’ve considered second nature.) morning. The words ‘delivered’ looked back up at her. No doubt he’d take a while to respond, he usually did…

With a sigh, Nirami set back off to do: something. A pleasant hum leaving her as she did. Her apartment was fairly small yet held a large range of activities. She settled for reading.

Plucking one of the many books from its neat place upon her shelf, she didn't particularly know what it was she’d picked. Nor did she care. Everybook in that apartment had been picked apart more times than she could count. Most of them were gifts. Small reminders of Chrollo’s many stays. He’d often send them over, classics and historical pieces, far beyond the ages. A few of them had been in languages Nirami had never even heard of, forcing her hand in learning all sorts of new tongues.

She’d taken to her sofa, swinging her legs onto its surface and brushing her fingers against the pages. Turning to the cover she was finally met by its title: Wuthering Heights. She was familiar with this one, had been when Chrollo had bought her this particular copy. The conversation of that ordeal lay sweet on her tongue.

“Ah, this one’s a particular favorite of mine.” A chuckle rang out as fingers grasped a hard worn cover, moving with almost criminal precision. Finally holding it in view Nirami’s eyes were alight with curiosity before her eyes met the title. “Fitting, a man of nuance, attracted to the definition of it.” A slight look of surprise overtook Chrollo’s features, the act so minute Nirami missed it by a mile. “You’ve read it?” The question wasn’t raised in a way of shock, more admiration, “mhm, a few times over actually. My father used to give me all his mother’s old books.” The conversation spanned for what felt like hours, every answer Nirami gave seemed to give way only for another question. All perfectly eloquent and all perfectly crafted to garner the exact responses he seemed to crave.

It had been like watching a thief at work, the thought was almost enough to elicit a small laugh from Nirami. Her Chrollo, a man who’d shown her nothing but compassion, a thief? Such juxtaposition was a thing of Shakespeare. The idea in itself seemed laughable…With all the ruckus in her life, Chrollo had come as a pleasant break, thoughts of him often flooded her head nowadays. Though she tried her best to filter them at work, he always loomed in some deep recess of her mind. In a way, Nirami guessed he was a thief: he’d stolen her attention in such little time.

Bzz.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #fanfic #writer #ficlet #extract #hxh chrollo #chrollo #chrollo lucilfer #chrollo x oc #oc #original character #x oc

[mariacallous]

If you have push notifications turned on for sensitive apps, you may want to reconsider your settings.

The United States government and foreign law enforcement can demand Apple and Google share metadata associated with push notifications from apps on iOS and Android, according to a US senator and court records reviewed by WIRED. These notifications can reveal which apps a person uses, along with other information that may be pertinent to law enforcement investigations.

US Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, highlighted the government surveillance technique in a letter sent to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) today. Wyden is specifically asking the DOJ to allow Apple and Google to discuss government requests for push notification records with their users, which Wyden says the US government has required them to keep secret thus far.

“In the spring of 2022, my office received a tip that government agencies in foreign countries were demanding smartphone ‘push’ notification records from Google and Apple,” Wyden wrote in the letter, which was first reported by Reuters. “My staff have been investigating this tip for the past year, which included contacting Apple and Google. In response to that query, the companies told my staff that information about this practice is restricted from public release by the government.”

App developers deliver push notifications using Apple’s Push Notification Service on iOS or Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android. Each user of an app is assigned a “push token,” which is transferred between the app and the mobile operating system’s push notification service. Push tokens are not permanently assigned to a single user, and new tokens may be generated when a person reinstalls an app or switches to a new device.

To identify a person of interest and whom they may have been communicating with, law enforcement must first go to an app developer to obtain the relevant push token and then bring it to the operating system maker—Apple or Google—and request information on which account the token is associated with. This puts the tech giants in “a unique position to facilitate government surveillance of how users are using particular apps,” Wyden writes.

According to Wyden, the records that governments can obtain from Apple and Google include metadata that reveals which apps a person has used, when they’ve received notifications, and the phone associated with a particular Google or Apple account. The content of push notifications is not included in this information, but, for at least some apps, law enforcement could obtain information about the content of specific pushes through additional requests based on the information from the push tokens.

While Wyden’s letter says that governments outside the US have requested people’s push notification records, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has done so as well. A February 2021 search warrant application submitted by an FBI agent to the US District Court in Washington, DC, requested details for two accounts controlled by Meta (then Facebook), specifically citing a request for push notification tokens. The search warrant request related to an investigation into a person accused of taking part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request to comment. A spokesperson for Signal, the popular encrypted messaging app, also did not respond. The DOJ declined to comment.

Although Wyden is asking the DOJ to allow Apple and Google to discuss government requests for push notification records, the senator’s letter appears to have enabled them to do just that.

An Apple spokesperson tells WIRED that the company has updated its Law Enforcement Guidelines in its transparency report to reflect government requests for push notification records. The company will also begin to detail these requests in its next transparency report. Apple's updated rules for police requests say push notification records “may be obtained with a subpoena or greater legal process.”

“Apple is committed to transparency and we have long been a supporter of efforts to ensure that providers are able to disclose as much information as possible to their users,” Apple says in a statement. “In this case, the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information and now that this method has become public we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.”

Google confirmed to WIRED that it receives requests for push notification records, but the company says it already includes these types of requests in its transparency reports. The company says requests from US-based law enforcement for push notification records require court orders with judicial approval.

“We were the first major company to publish a public transparency report sharing the number and types of government requests for user data we receive, including the requests referred to by Senator Wyden,” a Google spokesperson tells WIRED. “We share the senator’s commitment to keeping users informed about these requests.”

A WIRED review of Google’s most recent transparency report for the period between December 2019 and December 2022 found that it does not specifically break out government requests for push notification records, and Google confirmed that it aggregates this data in its transparency report.

Google’s transparency report shows that the US government requested Google Cloud Platform data from enterprise customers 175 times during the period, and of those, used a search warrant 13 times. It is unclear whether any of those requests for user data included push notification records—details that may, following Wyden’s letter, be revealed in the future.

[1997thebracket]

Round 1D

First Cell Phone Photo: Imagine a time when you carried a Nikon CoolPix in a protective case to capture your most momentous occasions... now count how many pictures of sandwiches are in your phone's camera roll. On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn captured a historic moment using his Motorola StarTAC mobile phone, his laptop and a custom software application he had developed. The photo was of his newborn daughter, Sophie, and it was sent to friends and family to share the joyous moment. This pioneering act marked the birth of "instant visual communication" through mobile phones, laying the foundation for the proliferation of camera phones and the way we share images in the modern digital age. Kahn's invention and the "first cell phone photo" it produced hold a significant place in the history of photography and mobile technology.

Wu-Tang Clan's Wu-Tang Forever: Wu-Tang Forever is the second studio album by the American hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, released in 1997. This double album is a seminal work in the realm of East Coast hip-hop, renowned for its dense lyricism, gritty production, and intricate storytelling. It features all nine original members of the Wu-Tang Clan, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah; the album's production, largely handled by RZA, is characterized by its distinctive blend of soulful samples and martial arts-inspired sound bites. The album not only solidified the group's status as one of hip-hop's most influential acts but also expanded the boundaries of the genre, offering a complex and multifaceted exploration of themes like street life, spirituality, and the struggles of urban existence. While sales did not match their late peers Tupac and Biggie, critics were largely more favorable to Wu-Tang: Melody Maker wrote "It had to be this big. It didn't have to be this good. Every single track is a detonation of every single pop rule you thought sacrosanct. Wu-Tang Forever is one of the greatest hip hop LPs of all time."

#motorola #90s technology #wu tang clan #wu tang forever #1997

[awakeningking]

Awakening King | Chapter One: Gyroaxia Reborn

Finally, it was time.　

Near Susukino Station sat a small underground studio. In front of the studio’s heavy metal door, Sakaigawa Miyuki took several deep breaths. His handsome face became tense with nerves.

“I feel like I’m breaking into someone’s house and challenging them to a duel,” Miyuki thought to himself. He wasn’t entirely wrong either. Today, he had come to test his power and talent.

Just thinking about how Gyroaxia, one of Sapporo’s increasingly popular bands, was practising right behind that door was enough to excite him. Especially when he considered that he could very well be joining them as a member today.

His friend had invited him along to one of Gyroaxia’s lives where he promptly became a prisoner to their explosive style of performing music. He wanted to be a part of the vocalist’s melodies, his lyrics and the intense, dominating outlook of the world they formed through their vigorous performances. Fortunately for Miyuki, the band’s line up hadn’t been fixed into place just yet. As of late, they had been going through a number of substitute drummers and when Miyuki heard that they were accepting applicants, he did a mental air pump. It was fate, he thought.

Miyuki had picked up drumming as a means to gain popularity with women. He had formed a band with some of his seniors at university and while the fun had lasted a while, it no longer felt like enough to him. Something was missing, and it was Gyroaxia who had been able to fill that gaping hole in his heart and show him what he needed. With a sound brimming with ambition and passion, it was clear to him that they were aiming for endless heights. Like them, Miyuki wanted to see how far his ability and music could go.

Consequently, he was there that day to see whether or not he had what it took to become a member of Gyroaxia. With the amount of practice he had packed in, there wasn't anything to worry about. Reading himself, he took one final deep breath and like ripping off a bandaid, he quickly grabbed hold of the door knob.

“I’ve got this!” 

Miyuki opened the door to his fate.

It seemed that he had entered the room right as they were having their break.

Nayuta stood in front of the microphone, scribbling away at a sheet of music with a knitted brow. He recognised him as the genius vocalist that mesmerised crowds with his overwhelming skill and charisma. 

Further back, tuning his guitar was their rhythm guitarist, Reon. Time and time again he would fascinate people with his thrilling ad libs during live shows.

Simultaneously using both a laptop and a mobile phone was the lead guitarist, Kenta. He didn’t show off as much as Reon did, but some would say that his unparalleled accuracy during performances was vital to their songs.

Their bassist, Akebono Ryo, was counting something on his fingers while staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. His deep sounds supported Gyroaxia’s strong performances and his reputation said that he'd practically been born to play the bass.

Miyuki felt a thrill seeing what the members were like off stage. Gyroaxia was really right before his eyes. As he stepped foot into the room, everyone’s gaze turned to Miyuki.

“Who’re you?”

The vocalist, Asahi Nayuta, turned to him with daggers in his eyes. Miyuki tried covering up his nerves with a friendly smile.

“I’m Sakaigawa Miyuki. I hear you guys are looking for a drummer? I’m pretty sure I spoke to your leader, Satozuka-kun, about it.”

“...Hmph.”

Instead of returning the smile, Nayuta slumped down in a chair and crossed his legs. Taking his place, Kenta approached him with a greeting.

“Ah, yes of course. I’m glad you could make it Sakaigawa-kun.”

“Sorry for showing up late. It seems I got the times all mixed up.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sakaigawa-kun. If you’d have gotten here earlier we would’ve been in the middle of practice.”

“You woke me up this morning and told me to be here in five minutes! That’s just crazy,” Reon said with a pout. Nayuta shot a glare at him.

“If you’ve got complaints then you can leave at any time.”

“Something like that’s not enough to make me quit!”

“Then shut up.”

A dangerous atmosphere grew between Reon and Nayuta. Averting his gaze, Reon silently stepped away. Unlike their unity on stage, it seemed that they didn’t get along in ordinary life. Breaking the cold air the two had created, Kenta addressed Miyuki.

“Sakaigawa-kun, you were in a band with some other university students, correct? I’ve seen some of your performances. Your drumming was quite powerful.” 

“It’s an honour to hear that coming from the leader of Gyro.” 

“Your band...what happened to it?” Reon asked with a puzzled tilt of his head. 

“Most of the members were third years. We disbanded so that they could search for jobs. Well, originally we actually formed a band to try and get more popular. I still want that but...more than anything, I want to start being more serious about music,” Miyuki explained with a charming smile.

“You’d definitely become more popular being in this band.”

“Leave.”

The temperature in the studio dropped within an instant.

“Woah woah, Nayuta! You’re making a decision way too soon?!” Like second nature, Reon rebutted Nayuta’s immediate rejection. However, he turned to Miyuki with a displeased look.

“But, if that really is your motive then you honestly should just leave now.”

“I’ve never heard that before. That’s why you want to join Gyro?” Even Ryo, whose voice rarely portrayed much emotion, carried a hint of irritation to it. Regardless, Miyuki refused to give up and lightly waved the drumsticks in his hand.

“I’d never gain popularity if I sucked. I’m quite confident in my skills.”

Reon and Ryo still seemed unconvinced. Nayuta had quickly lost interest and began fiddling with his music sheets. Seeing the member’s attitudes, Kenta shrugged his shoulders.

“I’d still like to see how you play. You had me convinced so you’ll deliver what I expect of you, won’t you?”

“Of course!” Miyuki responded to Kenta’s question with a confident nod.

“What do you think, Nayuta? Our next live will fall through if we don’t have a drummer,” Kenta asked, turning to Nayuta.

“...You get one try. No second chances,” Nayuta said, carelessly throwing the score Miyuki’s way. That was his cue to begin.

After hearing that Gyroaxia was looking for a drummer, he had begun practising with more enthusiasm than ever. He stopped attending parties and cut back on the number of dates he went on.

The song he had been given was one he’d seen them perform live. He’d thought that the drums had been lacking but he’d be able to play the song, even if it was only for his trail. Miyuki thought about the sound he heard that day as he swung his drumsticks. 

Finishing off with one powerful final strike, Miyuki lowered his arms, body dripping with sweat. He’d never felt so nervous about a performance before, not even at his old band’s first live show. Regardless of how confident he claimed to be, he had played with every ounce of his power. Now, he just had to see what the other members thought.

A silence so heavy that a pin drop could be heard fell over the studio. No one uttered a single word. As the silence dragged on, Miyuki grew more and more antsy. Had he failed? Just as he was about to reach that conclusion, Reon hesitantly opened his mouth.

“So…”

“Be quiet,” Nayuta immediately cut him off with a glare. Reon looked like he was about to protest but held his tongue. They were apparently the same age, yet it appeared that Nayuta held far more power over Reon. Miyuki unconsciously straightened out his posture as Nayuta turned to him with a calculating gaze. 

“...Take this music sheet. Get into place, everyone,” Nayuta angrily hissed .

“At least tell us what you think first! I thought you didn’t like this guy!”

“Shut up. Stop yelling,” Nayuta coldly replied to Reon who was stammering like a puppy. Ryo abruptly plucked a string on his bass and the deep sound momentarily echoed throughout the studio.

“I can see the day when I return to the stars just on the horizon.”

The stars? Taken aback by Ryo’s words, Miyuki made a noise of confusion. Well, Ryo was said to be a genius bassist, so he was bound to be a bit of an oddball.

“You’re always acting like this, aren't you? If you could just be less confusing…”

“Hurry up and get ready.”

“Do you even listen to anything anyone says!?”

Nayuta and Reon were in another quarrel. Or rather, it was more of an one-sided argument on Reon’s half.

“Uhh…”

Miyuki had still yet to hear how his tryout had gone. Amidst his confusion, he tried to get a grasp on the situation when Kenta gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Looks like you’ve passed. Good luck from here on out,” he said with a pleasant smile.

For a moment, Miyuki didn’t comprehend what he was saying.

It was only when Nayuta stood before his microphone and said, without even looking his way, “Hurry up and get to it. We’ll do the same song as earlier,” when Miyuki was able to understand.

It finally hit him—he’d made it.

“Alright!” Miyuki said, raising his drumsticks above him and punching the air.

Gyroaxia proved to be more demanding than he thought.

“...Drums, do it with more power.”

“G-Got it.” 

After two weeks of being in the band, Miyuki had become accustomed to Nayuta solely addressing him as ' drums' . However, in all that time, he was still unable to deliver the sound that Nayuta asked of him.

“No, you went overboard this time! You can’t play without restraint!”

“M-My bad.”

It wasn’t like Miyuki was inexperienced, in fact, he was quite confident in his abilities. He wouldn’t have knocked on Gyroaxia’s door in the first place if he didn’t think he was capable. Yet every time he tried to keep up with Nayuta, he was reminded of how much he still had to learn.

“I think it sounded fine. The stronger the sound is, the bigger of an impression it’ll leave,” Reon interrupted.

“Are you deaf?”

“Excuse me!?”

Another argument began to brew as Nayuta shut down Reon’s opinion. Miyuki intervened between the two, feeling guilty for being the inciting factor. 

“Hey, calm down you two. I’ll hold back a little more next time so let’s just give it another go.”

“Fine. Hurry up and start,” Nayuta ordered, grabbing the microphone. With deep concentration, Miyuki began to count.

Exhausted and full of nerves, Miyuki lowered his arms once the song ended and waited to hear Nayuta’s verdict. The vocalist slowly looked over his shoulder with eyes as cold as ice.

“If you’re going to get in the way anymore, then quit.”

“...!” 

He’d messed up again. They didn’t have much time left until the day of their live performance. He’d made a show of flaunting his confidence when he first joined so he knew he couldn’t start falling behind now. In the end, he still couldn’t produce the sounds Nayuta demanded from him. 

“Satozuka, I have no intention of delivering half-assed music. We might have to cancel the live,” Nayuta said, looking at Kenta.

“Wait!” Reon interrupted. Naturally, he refused to stay silent in the face of such tyranny. “You want to cancel…? That’s so irresponsible! Isn’t Sakaigawa-san good enough for the time being!?

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I won’t settle for just ‘good enough’, ” Nayuta said, throwing a cold glare at Reon. “If you have complaints then get out. It’s not like your guitar is irreplaceable.”

“What…?” 

“You’ve got time to be worried about others, do you? My songs aren’t an opportunity for you to mess around with the guitar. Don’t get in my way.” 

Reon stared dumbfounded as Nayuta bluntly shut him down. The tense atmosphere gave Miyuki chills. Shit, this was all his fault.

“Alright, let’s leave it here for today” Kenta said with a clap of his hands before Reon could lash out at Nayuta again. “We can see if the venue will allow us to cancel another day. For now, let’s switch over to some individual practice.”

“But Kenta-san, isn’t the live coming up soon? We won’t be able to get everything in sync if we don’t practice together.”

“Reon, you made some mistakes during the second verse. Have it perfected next time.”

“That’s because Nayuta goes too fast…”

“Didn’t you agree to the change in the current arrangement? Is it too hard for you after all?”

“No, I can do it! I’ll have it down perfectly next time!” 

Grumbling to himself, Reon put down his guitar and began looking over the marked spots on his music sheet while Ryo and Nayuta started packing up. 

“Sorry, I’ll be sure to have everything polished up by next time,” Miyuki remorsefully apologised to Kenta.

“Please do. It’ll be a pain if we have to cancel,” Kenta encouraged him with a light pat on the back. Miyuki could sense the crushing weight beneath his touch.

Nayuta and Kenta didn’t stick around once they’d left the studio.

“Well then, I’ll be accompanying Nayuta to his vocal training.”

“Satozuka, let’s go already. I haven’t got time to waste.”

“Okay okay, we’ll get going. I’ve booked the usual studio.”

Nayuta walked off in a hurry with Kenta following after. They looked like a master and his loyal servant. Reon looked at Miyuki, sensing his unease.

“So, should we head to the train station?”

“Y-Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Their usual practice studio in Susukino was about a twenty minute walk from Sapporo Station. When practice ended, Ryo, Reon and Miyuki would often walk back to the station together. At the station, the three of them would head to the bus terminal and catch a bus home. There was also an underground train that went from Susukino to Sapporo but it was too much trouble to catch the train for just two stops.

Miyuki had always enjoyed exercise but Ryo and Reon both had their own reasons for favouring walking over riding the train to the station. Ryo, for example, liked looking at the sky so he preferred walking above ground rather than under. Occasionally, Nayuta and Kenta would join them but it seemed that today Nayuta was off to another studio with Kenta in tow.

“Let’s go, Ryo-san.”

“Okay,” Ryo looked up from where he was crouching on the ground, playing with a stray cat. Ryo stood up and the three of them silently set off down the narrow alleyway, side by side.

Although they were in Hokkaido, the nights during July could get a little warm but despite that, there seemed to be a cold air between the three. Usually, Miyuki would talk to Reon and he, in turn, would indulge in his small talk but there was none of that today. Nayuta’s words from earlier haunted Miyuki’s mind.

“If you’re going to get in the way anymore, then quit.”

Nayuta was completely serious. He hadn’t known him for long, but he'd learned enough to get a good grasp on Asahi Nayuta's character. No one took music more seriously than Nayuta. He was always the first one at the studio and never sounded anything short of flawless. On top of that, he had no problem doing a piece over and over again if he wasn’t happy with it. Even if everyone else agreed upon a sound, if Nayuta wasn’t satisfied with it, they’d do it again. ‘Compromise’ wasn’t a word that existed in the Emperor of Music’s dictionary. That’s just how Asahi Nayuta was. 

Despite joining Gyroaxia full of confidence, Miyuki had yet to receive Nayuta’s approval even once. In truth, he was beginning to question why they even let him in in the first place. Was it just on a whim? No, it couldn’t have been. Nayuta wouldn’t do that. He had certainly approved of his performance when he initially tried to audition. Even if it was just barely, a pass was still a pass. It pained him to think that he was betraying the hope that Nayuta had held for him.

“...Hey, Sakaigawa-san? Do you want to grab something to eat?”

Before he’d realised it, they had arrived in Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and were surrounded by several signs for various bars. Pointing towards a more suitable restaurant, Reon shyly looked at Miyuki.

“Ah...I’ll pass. I’m not that hungry.”

“...Alright then.”

With his head crowded full of thoughts on how to produce a sound that Nayuta would approve of, his appetite had escaped him.

“Oh, but don't worry about me, Misono-kun, Akebono-kun. You guys can go get something to eat if you want. We can just part ways here,” he quickly followed up when he noticed Reon's embarrassed aversion of his eyes.

“No, I’m honestly not that hungry either… By the way, you don’t have to address me so formally. Just Reon is fine. You’re older than me anyway, Sakaigawa-san.”

“You’re a third year in highschool right? Two years isn’t much of a difference. Besides, you’ve been in the band way longer than I have, which makes you my superior in a way. You can just call me Miyuki too.”

“Then...I’ll call you Miyuki-san.”

“...You can call me Ryo too. I’m younger than you, Miyuki-kun,” Ryo said, jumping in on Miyuki and Reon’s conversation.

“S-Sure. Ryo...you’re a first year in university right?” Miyuki asked, ever confused by Ryo’s peculiar behaviour.

“Yep. I came to Earth when I was nineteen.”

“Earth?”

“I’m a criminal, so I joined Gyroaxia to atone for it.”

“O-Oh…”

Miyuki was only trying to make small talk but he felt like he’d just heard something he shouldn’t have. Reon patted Miyuki on the shoulder as if to say, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t think about it too much, Kenta-san is the only one that gets Ryo-san anyway.”

“Kenken...my friend.”

“O-Okay then.” 

Like Nayuta and Ryo, Gyroaxia had many strange members. He was honestly impressed that Kenta managed to act as their leader.

“It feels like he favours Nayuta a bit much, though…”

Kenta never disagreed with Nayuta. While he had pushed discussion of cancelling their live show to ‘a later date’, he ultimately didn’t have any objections. Perhaps if Miyuki couldn’t meet Nayuta’s standards then Kenta really would cancel the live. The pressure felt like enough to drown him.

In Gyroaxia, there was no regard for healthy relationships between the members. Miyuki began to realise that from Nayuta’s continuous angry outbursts during practice. He knew that to some extent, the band was entirely focused on Nayuta. If they couldn’t produce music that passed Nayuta’s judgement then they couldn’t stay in Gyroaxia. 

He couldn’t shake the urge to get back to the drums. He knew it was impossible, but he wanted to run right back to the studio and start practising again. 

“Hey...don’t worry about it too much.”

“Huh?” Miyuki lifted his head, meeting Reon’s concerned gaze.

“Nayuta’s always like that. I mean, he does go a bit far, doesn’t he? We’ve finally found ourselves a drummer but he’s still being a shithead,” Reon complained while kicking at the ground. It was clear he held a lot of resentment towards Nayuta.

“No no, I’m still a newbie in Gyro so I’m gonna be a problem until I can get in sync with everyone. I’m sorry for causing so many arguments and interruptions during practice...”

“Ah, no actually...we’ve always been like that.”

“Really?”

“It’s because of Nayuta’s massive ego! I practiced really hard on a guitar riff for the hook of that song we’re working on, but then he cut it out! Don’t get me started on what else he’s done…” Reon grumbled, his brow creasing. 

“Nayuta is a first magnitude star,” Ryo muttered to himself, walking a little ahead of the other two.

“He’s a first magnitude star…?” 

In a way, Ryo’s comment was awfully fitting.

The night sky peered through the glass panels in the roof of the shopping arcade. The bright lights of downtown Sapporo drowned out much of the starry sky but… there was one star that outshone the city lights. It shined as brightly as Nayuta did.

“I get what you mean. I wanted to join Gyro after hearing Nayuta’s music, after all.”

“I thought you joined to become more popular?”

“If I can be part of a performance like that, I’ll be popular regardless.” Miyuki looked up at the sky and reached out towards the lone radiant star. If only he could be like it too. “So I’m going to give it my all to get Nayuta’s approval.”

“Wow, this has to be the first time ever that someone normal has joined Gyro...” Reon clamped a hand over his mouth and trembled with emotion. Reon enthusiastically grabbed Miyuki’s hands, clasping them in his own. “Miyuki-san! Please don’t ever leave Gyro! I’m rooting for you!”

“S-Sure. Thanks”

Through that burst of passion, Miyuki felt like he could see what Reon’s position in Gyroaxia had been until now. He must have gone through a lot.

He was still unsure of how he could improve his abilities to meet Nayuta’s standards…he didn’t have the answer yet, but for now he’d fight tooth and nail to keep his place Gyroaxia.

“I’ll put in everything I’ve got into some extra practice until our next rehearsal. I can’t give up yet.”

“I don’t think any extra effort is necessary,” Ryo said, having appeared beside him without him noticing.

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

Miyuki grew irritated by Ryo’s carefree advice. He always had a cool aura to him and played with an incredible accuracy so he was rarely ever the subject of Nayuta’s anger. While hard to understand, Ryo was undoubtedly a genius, although a different kind than Nayuta was.

Miyuki felt that despite all the sweat, blistered hands and hard work, he still hadn’t done enough to please Nayuta.

“I thought I was listening closely.” 

Maybe there was something Ryo knew that Miyuki didn’t.

“Then you’re already doing enough,” Ryo said, seemingly having lost interest and walked off with his eyes glued to the sky. “A constellation can’t be made with only a first magnitude star.”

Miyuki titled his head, growing annoyed by Ryo’s way of speaking in riddles.

“What’re you even trying to say!?” Miyuki pressed, hurrying after him when Ryo tripped over something. In a panic, Miyuki rushed to catch him by the arm.

“Thank you.”

“Ryo-san, I’ve told you how dangerous it is to stare at the sky while you’re walking! You walked into a telephone pole just the other day,” Reon scolded with a heavy sigh. Unbothered, Ryo took one last look at the sky before lowering his gaze down to the ground.

“I see…if you only look at the stars, you’ll miss what’s at your feet,” Ryo said, staring with unreadable eyes. Miyuki wondered if that was also meant to be advice.

“At my feet…? Is that something else I should be taking another look at?” Miyuki asked, eager to know what Ryo meant. However, Ryo slightly tilted his head and pointed towards the train station.

“We’ve arrived at the station…”

Amidst all their talking, they had reached their destination.

“Ah, I’ll be catching the bus. I’ll see you later then! Good luck with everything!”

“Me too… see ya.”

The pair ran off towards the bus terminal. Left on his own, Miyuki stared at his feet.

“There’s nothing there…?” 

Kenta may be able to decipher the meaning behind Ryo’s words but he couldn’t disturb him while he was at Nayuta’s vocal training. He couldn’t see an answer yet but if he sat around twiddling his thumbs until the next practice, he’d only disappoint Nayuta even more.

“For now, I should head home and work on my training.”

He couldn’t play on his drum set at home because of how loud it was, so he’d just have to practice using a drum pad. For now, all he could do was grow stronger, little by little. It was how he’d always gotten what he wanted. He’d gained popularity with women, his appearance, muscle and drumming skills all from continuous hard work and it’d be the same with his current situation. He’d do whatever it took to get Nayuta’s approval. 

Miyuki walked away with clenched fists, the stars twinkling overhead as if cheering him on.

The blue punching bag swung with a loud bang as Miyuki slammed his toned leg into it. He exhaled deeply and slowly lowered his leg. With his brows furrowed in displeasure, he readied himself once again. This time he’d aim for several lighter, continuous kicks. A rhythm began to form from the sound of the short and repeated bangs.

Kickboxing—like music—was a hobby that Miyuki had picked up for the sake of gaining popularity. Even when he began focusing on band activities, he still went to the gym near the north exit of Sapporo Station three times a week in order to maintain the stamina and physical strength needed to be a drummer. In his wireless headphones, he listened to Nayuta’s singing, matching up his kicks to the punching bag with the rhythm. He was growing impatient.

Gyroaxia had a rehearsal that afternoon. He wondered whether he’d be able to play to Nayuta’s expectations that day…his problem still hadn’t been resolved but he was confident in his skills. He’d even gone over his music sheets so thoroughly that they’d been tattered with his writing. On top of that, he’d booked a studio the day before and spent all day practicing.

But...it still didn’t feel like enough. Nayuta was going to reach far away heights and Miyuki wasn’t sure he’d be able to follow him.

Plagued with anxiety and impatience, Miyuki had come to the gym. He felt awful not indulging in his usual habits and besides, if he missed one day of training, he’d have to do three times the amount of work to make up for it. His muscles and endurance required a lot of work and he couldn’t give up on them. Despite his flirtatious appearance, Miyuki was self-disciplined and had the will-power to put in the hard work. However, he felt that he’d reached a dead end. 

“What am I supposed to do...dammit!”

Overcome with frustration, Miyuki violently kicked the punching bag. He felt a dull aching in his leg and Ryo’s perplexing words from the other day echoed in his mind.

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

 “A constellation can’t be made with only a first magnitude star.”

“If you only look at the stars, you’ll miss what’s at your feet.”

Ryo would often say strange things like, “I can hear the sounds of space,” or, “I want to return to the stars,” but what he said that day felt different somehow. Miyuki wanted to know the truth behind Ryo’s advice so he tried asking Kenta about it, however his reply wasn’t of much help.

“...I see. I know what Ryo was trying to say, however, I wouldn’t want anyone that can’t understand that to be a member of Gyroaxia.”

“Huh...?”

“Find the answer before our next practice session. It’ll be too much trouble if we have to cancel the live. Nayuta isn’t listening to my suggestions.”

That was the jist of what he’d been told.

“That bastard...he thinks I’m just a tool that can be replaced whenever he sees fit,” Miyuki thought to himself. 

To be truthful, Miyuki wasn’t the only one the sentiment extended to. In fact, he’d say it was likely that Kenta saw everyone but Nayuta that way. It was aggravating. Miyuki felt himself flaring up with anger.

“I won’t be thrown away like all their other drummers!” Miyuki thought, violently swinging his leg in time with Nayuta’s shouts.

“Ah, shit…!”

With all his focus honed on kicking his leg, he'd neglected his pivot foot. He lost his balance, almost falling over, but managed to regain his footing. It was against Miyuki’s aesthetic values to show himself in such an unsightly manner.

“No matter how much I’ve been thinking about it, now’s not the time. I know this stuff like the back of my hand, right?”

The pivot foot was essential during a kick. Without firm footing, a kick would have no power. You’d make a fool of yourself if you lost your balance and risked a tumble to the ground like Miyuki just had. In a band, the pivot foot could be compared to the rhythm unit, like the bass and drums. With a sturdy foundation, you could achieve incredible feats and aim for greater heights.

“...Oh.”

He felt everything click into place. He’d been so intent on playing to gain Nayuta’s recognition that he’d made a huge mistake.

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

The true meaning behind Ryo’s words seeped into his heart. Nayuta didn’t need a sound that would overcome him, he needed one that would support him. His duty was to uplift a genius like Nayuta so that he could soar as high as possible.

The moment he realised that, he couldn’t stay put. Right away, he contacted a member from his old university band.

“Hey, it’s me. Sorry about this, but do you think you could lend me your studio? I’m itching to go drum.”

After ending the call, he recklessly wiped off his sweat. With one last flowing, clean, roundhouse kick to the punching bag, Miykui left the gym.

“...Don’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m just saying you could make it a little easier to understand!”

“It’s your fault if you don’t get it. Are you really that stupid?”

“You littleー This is what I’m talking about…!”

Nayuta and Reon were already arguing when Miyuki arrived at the studio.

“Sorry for being late.” Reon shook his head at Miyuki’s apology.

“You're not late. Nayuta just always comes early.” 

From the looks of their light sheen of sweat, it seemed that they had already begun practising. Kenta shrugged his shoulders as he tuned his guitar.

“Well, the studios here are quite reasonable with allowing us additional use of their space.”

“Kenta-san, you pamper Nayuta way too much!”

“It’s not that I’m pampering him, I’m only ensuring that he can deliver the best performance possible.”

It hadn’t been long since Miyuki joined Gyroaxia, however he’d witnessed this kind of exchange more than enough times. As always, if it was for Nayuta’s sake, nothing was too much trouble for Kenta. To Miyuki’s knowledge, he’d even negotiated with several studios, including the one they were currently using, so that Nayuta was free to use them whenever he felt like practising. On the outside, he came across as a good guy who’d go to the effort of negotiating with live houses for them, butー

“More importantly, Reon, haven’t I reminded you plenty of times that we’ve cut that guitar riff out? Instead of talking back, do as you've been told,” Kenta said to Reon, indifferent and cold. 

While always addressing people in a composed manner, there was something about the way he treated all the members save Nayuta that pissed Miyuki off. He didn’t view them as anything but replaceable tools. All that he was concerned with was having people to follow Nayuta.

“But…”

“It’s unbearable to listen to. Quit it,” Nayuta interrupted, cutting Reon off before he could argue any further.

‘Huh…? If that’s the issue, then I’ll just work on it until it sounds better!”

“That’s not the problem.”

“You’re the only one who doesn’t like it!! The crowd from our last show loved it!”

“...Then do it alone. It has no place in my music.”

“Why don’t we just give it one more try and see how it sounds? I’d like to hear it too,” Miyuki intervened, never one to simply stand by. 

“No, Nayuta made his decision so there will be no further discussion. Cut it out, Reon. We’re wasting valuable practice time,” Kenta retorted before Nayuta had the chance to.

“Come on now, don’t be like that. We’re all in this band together. Performing a live is a group effort amongst all the members, so…”

“...Shut up,” Nayuta interrupted Miyuki. “If you’re going to waste any more of my time with useless things then I’m leaving.”

Reon reluctantly stepped down, knowing he was on the verge of losing his patience. “...Fine. Sorry, Miyuki-san. Let’s start rehearsal.”

“I’m always ready to go,” Ryo said, raising his hand from where he was scribbling on a music sheet. Miyuki wanted to check in with Reon but ultimately decided that any further conversation would have been futile. Besidesー

“More importantly, don’t you have something to say? The answer, did you find it?” Kenta asked, cutting straight to what Miyuki had been worried about. “Do your best today. It’ll pose a problem if we don’t begin arranging ticket sales soon. Whether it be finding a substitute drummer or even cancelling the show, we have a lot of work to do.”

Miyuki felt the pressure piling onto him with every second that Kenta’s heartless gaze sat on him. That feeling of being viewed as nothing but a tool returned. He could sense the calculation behind those eyes, evaluating whether or not he was useful.

“I won’t waste anymore of your time.” 

As irritated as he was, Miyuki didn’t leave the house that day without any hope for success.

“Let’s get to it. We don’t have enough time as is,” Nayuta ordered, pointing his chin towards the drum set with a scowl.

“Understood.”

“...Will you be alright?” Reon whispered to him with a worried look.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be getting a gold star today,”  Miyuki replied with a reassuring nod. Truthfully, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he’d pass. What if the answer he had come to was wrong…? His hands sweated with nerves at the thought. 

Besides...he couldn’t give this position up to anyone else. He didn’t want to give it up. There was nowhere else that he could watch Nayuta’s back and uplift his music in such a way.

“Hurry up,” Nayuta snapped, quickly growing impatient. There could be a thousand meanings behind the look Kenta gave Miyuki. It irritated him being stared at with such a condescending expression.

“Just you watch. I’ll knock that deadpan look off your face!”

With a deep breath, Miyuki started counting and the song that would determine his fate began.

Reon caught on as soon as he started to play—there was something different about Miyuki’s drumming. Not being a drummer himself, it was difficult for Reon to put his finger on how he’d managed to completely alter his sound. 

But…it was easier to play alongside, more so than Miyuki’s previous self—or any of Gyroaxia’s drummers—ever had been. Bouncing off of his rhythm felt incredible. Rather than harshly dragging them along, it felt like he had laid out a firm road for them to run endlessly upon…with this play-style, no matter what arrangement they settled on, he knew Miyuki would be just fine.

The strength of Miyuki’s drums remained prominent and their powerful sound remained alive and healthy, but somewhere in that thundering, something had changed. 

It was full of intensity and vigour…but mingling within was a gentle sound that provided an unbreakable support for both the ferocity and delicateness of Nayuta’s voice. 

That’s when Reon heard it. Swept away in the rhythm, Nayuta’s voice flooded the room like it never had before.

As soon as the song came to a close, Miyuki cast his head towards the ceiling and was overcome with a wave of drowsiness. After releasing his stress, even his lower body that he had always been so attentive towards formed a warm, dull pain. He felt a throbbing heat in his calves and the top of his thighs.

It wasn’t the arms that would give the audience a performance that was easy to follow, but the legs. He had changed the way he stepped on the bass drum to better comply with Nayuta’s voice. He wondered if Nayuta had noticed…or if that sound had met his expectations.

Body tense with nerves, he awaited Nayuta’s verdict. Without ever looking back at Miyuki, Nayuta slightly raised his hand.

“We’re not wasting anymore time. Do it again.”

Again. 

He hadn’t been terminated. Miyuki’s heart beat faster at what he considered high praise from Nayuta. Finally, he had gotten his approval. As he trembled with overwhelming emotion, Nayuta turned around and shot a glare at Miyuki.

“Didn’t you hear me? We don’t have time to waste. We’ll run through that last one three more times and then start work on the other songs.”

In the euphoric aftermath of earning Nayuta’s approval, the merciless decree made his cheeks twitch. He had just played with everything he had. Without having amassed much practice with his new play-style, perfecting it was still a nerve wrecking process. While he was confident in his physical strength, that wasn’t the part of him that consumed so much of his energy. If he was being honest with himself, he could really do with a break, but—

“Show us that you don't just run on luck,” Kenta challenged, killing off any complaints he had.

“Yeah, I’ll show you why Gyroaxia’s only drummer is me,” he flung back and pushed up his sleeves. Looking at Miyuki, a triumphant smile broke out across Kenta’s face. 

“I’m sure you will. Now then, why don’t we get all the songs on the setlist finished off by the end of the day, hm?” 

…He’d make that bastard cry someday.

As his temples twitched with fury towards Kenta, Miyuki raised his drumsticks.

Finally, the day of their live show arrived.

In their green room, Miyuki looked over their set list for the day while the other members of the band killed time in their preferred ways before the performance started.

Nayuta had his eyes closed and listened to music with his earphones, Reon was busy perfecting the tuning on his guitar, while Ryo looked at a picture book on astronomy… As for Kenta, he was occupied elsewhere, meeting with the staff of the live house. From the sounds of it, they were doing amazingly on ticket sales and could expect a full house.

Miyuki’s thoughts drifted to the practice he had dedicated himself to everyday. With a big stretch, Miyuki let out an emotional sigh at how far he had come. Once Nayuta had approved of Miyuki’s performance, they had undergone days of hellish rehearsals. Even though Nayuta hadn’t called for the live to be cancelled, the tensions remained tight and even the smallest of mistakes would lead to shouts of anger and a complete restart. 

He’d say that he and Reon received an equal share of grating critiques but in Reon’s case, he wouldn’t take the criticisms without lashing back at Nayuta, often leading to the two of them arguing amongst themselves. Kenta was also the subject of Nayuta’s anger a fair amount, but he would only ever obediently follow his orders, never once talking back. Whenever Reon and Nayuta got into fights about music, to a fault, Kenta would always take Nayuta’s side. Miyuki would often take it upon himself to intervene and comfort the sulking Reon. Although he could understand in some respects why Kenta held Nayuta in such superior regard, it still gave him a weird feeling.

Nayuta had an undeniably sharp sense for sound but his relentlessness when pointing that out could hurt even someone as mentally strong as Miyuki. The ever tranquil Ryo potentially wasn’t bothered by any of it…but in Reon’s case, it seemed that he had been hampered with a great deal of gloom. 

“It’s not balanced at all…”

Kenta had a pleasant facade that he used with people outside of the band—such as studio or livehouse staff—and he didn’t think it was unreasonable to wish he’d show even a little of that to his fellow bandmates, or to wish he’d at least check in with the people that had been slashed apart by Nayuta’s blade. 

Nayuta was a sword that had been sharpened beyond comparison, and that was just a part of his charm. But that sword had to be sheathed by someone, a feat that Kenta wasn’t capable of. Instead, he was a whetstone whose only goal was to sharpen Nayuta’s blade even further.

“There’s nothing I can do, I just have to keep trying my best.”

If he could just make it through this live show, he’d officially be able to call himself Gyroaxia’s drummer. What followed after would depend on his own efforts but he had no intentions of handing over the position to anyone else. 

He liked Nayuta. Despite his arrogance, sharp tongue and curtness, his musical talent made for ample compensation. No matter his personality, Nayuta was still young. Along his journey to becoming a pro, the people he’d meet could lead him to change. They were sure to hit some bumps along the way but Miyuki would be there to patch things up. Kenta…wasn’t very reliable, in that aspect. 

“Well, that’s my job as an adult, isn’t it?"

Miyuki’s train of thought was suddenly cut off and he turned his head with a look of suspicion. Ryo was braiding Miyuki’s long hair.

“...Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I call it the Bellatrix Parade. I did a good job, I think.”

A look in the mirror revealed that his hair had been done up in some kind of strange hairstyle, with twin tails and a generous amount of colourful clips.

“You little~!! Why’re you doing this when we’re about to go on stage!? Are you serious!?”

He rushed to undo it all but the braided portions had already formed into subtle waves.

“Wax, I need wax…”

“...But all my hard work.”

“Shut up! I can’t go out there with hair like that!”

Miyuki ignored the way Ryo’s shoulders sagged with a look of disappointment and continued looking for his hair wax. Although he’d been thinking about taking over for Kenta and supporting the other members himself…Ryo might be a lost cause. He never had a clue what that man was thinking.

Reon held out a towel and hairdryer to Miyuki.

“Miyuki-san, wouldn’t it be faster to wet your hair a little and then dry it?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go with that.”

Miyuki took the items from Reon’s hands but the moment he stood up to rush to the bathroom—

Suddenly, the door to the green room was violently flung open. 

For a moment, he thought that Kenta had come back—but he was wrong.

“Nayuta…”

Even after being addressed, Nayuta made no move to raise his head. Just as Miyuki was about to do something, thinking there must have been a mistake, Reon uttered a name.

“Shinya-san…”

The man standing before him was one Miyuki didn’t recognise. He seemed to be around the same age as him and bore a plain face.

“You know this guy?”

Reon met Miyuki’s question with an affirmative nod.

“He was one of the first members of Gyroaxia…or I mean, we used to be in an old band together, but he dropped out as soon as we became Gyro…”

From Reon’s vague explanation, he gathered that he had been driven out in usual Nayuta fashion. Reon casually put himself between Shinya and Nayuta.

“S-Shinya-san, did you come to watch our show? It’ll be starting soon so please go wait in your seat. Hey, Nayuta, he was nice enough to come see us so the least you could do is say hello!”

Nayuta cracked open his eyes and without even removing his earphones, he addressed him with a hellishly cold voice.

“...You’re being a pest. Leave.”

“Oi…”

Reon’s expression changed, but it paled in comparison to the way Shinya’s mood shifted. He looked at Nayuta with a look of absolute despair.

“...Why? Even though I chose you. Even after I dropped out, this whole time I’ve been practising all so that I could earn your approval. I sent you all those clips of me playing, right? Why won’t you even reply to me!?”

“...”

“How many drummers have you gone through? After this, you’re just gonna kick out the one you have now too anyway, right?  So just put me back in again! I’ll do exactly as you say this time! I’ll become a drummer worthy of you, Nayuta!”

Miyuki’s chest ached seeing Shinya desperately ramble on. Shinya had the hands of a drummer—of a man that had undergone endless practice. Like Miyuki, he had poured out all of his efforts for Nayuta’s sake.

Shinya was a reflection of a person Miyuki could have been. Just another discarded tool.

But still, he had refused to give up.

Nayuta could have at least offered him a response. Of course, Miyuki had no intentions of stepping down as their drummer, but just a word or two couldn’t hurt. At the very least, he could mention those videos he sent—

“Don’t make me repeat myself…get out.”

“But…I’ve gotten better…”

“Don’t care. Out.”

It was hopeless. Shinya’s face was as white as paper and until the end, Nayuta never even spared him a glance.

“I’ve been through so much, all for you…!”

Shinya tightly clenched his fists.

“NAYUTAAAAAAA!!” he yelled, and raised his fist. Without a second thought, Miyuki rushed to put himself between Nayuta and Shinya.

“I’m not going to let you do that!”

Before his fist could make impact with Nayuta, Miyuki kicked his long leg towards Shinya. He gasped as the precise kick headed towards him and within an instant his body had frozen solid. Miyuki’s foot had stopped right before his eyes.

“Ah…” 

Miyuki started at Shinya, who was scared stiff. 

“Stop it. Hitting him won’t change anything. Don’t hurt your precious fingers like that.”

Miyuki’s words made Shinya’s face contort, as if he was about to burst into tears.

“Why are you saying this…? You stole my place from me…so why…”

Shinya slumped to his knees. It seemed that someone had called for help, as the clamorous sound of staff rushing down the hallway headed towards them.

“Wonderful work.”

Miyuki shot a glare at Kenta’s unconcerned face as he clapped him on the shoulder. After receiving a message from Ryo, Kenta and the live house staff had quickly made their way to the scene. The staff had restrained both of Shinya’s arms and with no will left to resist, he rose to his feet without objection. With eyes filled with a lingering remorse, he turned to Nayuta.

“Nayuta, I’m sorry…but…if I could play with you…just one more time…”

Fed up, Reon grabbed Nayuta’s shoulder and pulled out his earphones.

“Nayuta! Fucking say something! He used to be our comrade, dammit!”

With a look of irritation, Nayuta shook off Reon’s hand and snatched back his earphones, not even attempting to hide his awful mood.

“...Don’t tell me what to do. You’re ruining my focus.”

“Nayuta, you prick…”

Even Miyuki, who had only just met Shinya, couldn’t stand to watch from the sidelines and jumped in to intervene. 

“Can’t you just quickly say something to him…?” he wanted to say but was stopped by Kenta before he had the chance. 

“Let the grudge go. Nayuta doesn’t need to say anything to you.”

Miyuki was outraged as he watched Kenta nod at the staff as if to signal for them to take Shinya away.

“This isn't right! I know Nayuta’s tough to convince but can’t you just—”

“...No, it’s fine,” Shinya himself interrupted, “I couldn’t become what Nayuta deserves. I’m sorry for causing a scene right before you go on stage.”

Parting with those final words, the staff took Shinya away. Reon accompanied him, perhaps unable to leave things as they were. A heavy atmosphere dominated the room as Miyuki turned to question Kenta, hit abruptly with an unpleasant hunch. 

“Don’t tell me you had something to do with those videos he was sending Nayuta…”

“I disposed of them. They weren’t anything worth troubling Nayuta’s ears with.”

With such a cruel response, the blood rushed to Miyuki’s head.

He understood now. Miyuki and the other band members weren’t the only ones that Kenta viewed as tools, but Nayuta too. He didn’t see Nayuta as a human—all he saw was his music. 

He would never mediate between the members of the band. It was Nayuta alone whom he worshipped, and Nayuta alone who he obeyed. Nothing else mattered as long as Kenta had Nayuta’s voice.

“I can’t stand that part of you…!”

Without thinking, Miyuki grabbed Kenta by the collar of his shirt. Kenta remained perfectly composed and readjusted his glasses.

“It’s time to go on stage. The audience is waiting for us,” he replied plainly. He was right. There was nothing in that moment that Miyuki could have said to change Kenta. 

“...Just you wait. I’m not going to let you just do as you please.”

“As long as it doesn’t hinder Nayuta in any way, you’re welcome to act freely. All I want is for Nayuta to create only the most supreme music.”

Miyuki released his hold with a sour look. At that moment, Reon returned with some members of the staff in tow. 

“Are you ready?” one of the staff asked with concern.

“Yes. We’ll head out now,” Kenta replied. His gaze shifted to land on Nayuta. “Nayuta, there’s no problems, right?”

Nayuta raised an eyebrow and slowly rose to his feet.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Obviously there’s no problems.”

Throwing on his jacket, Nayuta made his way over to the door.

“This is my moment now.”

He walked away with arrogance in his stride, as if he hadn’t nearly been hit just minutes before. It was the presence of a king.

Miyuki’s worries began to set in once he stepped foot on stage. Although it wasn’t a large venue, there wasn’t a single seat that hadn’t been filled. The only thing reflected in his eyes was Nayuta’s back as he faced their audience.

From what he could tell, the situation that suddenly broke out earlier hadn’t affected him at all. Nonetheless, Nayuta was still only seventeen years old so it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had been even a little taken aback. It was possible he was only putting up a front of strength but regardless, he was furious with Kenta for sending him on stage without checking in on him first. What was up with his attitude of, “It’s Nayuta, he’ll be fine,” ? 

He would make Kenta cry one day. He would absolutely make him cry. 

As his rage towards Kenta burned inside him, Nayuta quickly glanced in Miyuki’s direction. With that signal to begin, Miyuki’s readiness settled in. They were already on stage, he didn’t have time to be caught up in his anxieties. 

Miyuki raised his drumsticks and began to count. The moment the first lyrics left Nayuta’s mouth, Miyuki’s worries vanished.

“Damn…I actually made it this far!”

During their rehearsals, he thought he had a good understanding of Nayuta’s excellence but it was clear to him now that when Nayuta took the stage, he became something entirely different. The strength, intensity and element of delicacy that the core of his voice held teemed with passion. That passion infected the audience and lit up the small live house like a smothering fire. The wild enthusiasm intensified with each passing song, dragging in not only the audience, but the other members of the band too.

Higher and higher. Further and further.

With Nayuta beside them, accompanied by his voice, there was nowhere they couldn’t go.

Caught up in the frenzy, Miyuki frantically rushed to regulate himself, concerned that his own sound was demanding too much attention. He couldn’t allow himself to lose control. He knew his job was to support Nayuta’s sound but the fire in his body refused to simmer down. 

Nayuta had a voice that turned people mad. That sound, that voice, it fed him an illusion that even he could grow wings. Even if the Sun turned him to ash, he wouldn’t stop soaring across the skies with Nayuta.

Gyroaxia existed for Nayuta. He thought he understood that sentiment, but his naivety became all too clear in that moment. He realised why no matter how many times Reon had been beaten down, he had never once quit—and why Kenta prioritised Nayuta to such an extreme extent.

 He knew that all kinds of people had been wounded by Nayuta’s blade. Shinya certainly wasn’t the only one with a grudge against Nayuta.

But it was hopeless. There was nothing that could be done. Once you heard that voice, you had no choice but to worship the vocalist Asahi Nayuta. 

Nayuta’s songs couldn’t be sung by anyone but him. No one but Nayuta could make that kind of sound. To the lone God of Singing, Miyuki, Reon and Kenta were entirely mundane. As for Ryo, he might be a slightly different case.

“Playing music alongside this voice is something I’ll never be able to give up.”

Dammit, his body was already moving on its own. He couldn’t stifle the euphoria of being able to perform alongside Nayuta’s voice. After discovering this exhilaration and incredible sensation, he lost all interest in playing for any band that wasn’t Gyroaxia—he felt that more strongly than ever now. He vowed that he wouldn’t give this spot up to anyone else. He couldn't give it up.

Reon strummed his guitar like he had been overwhelmed with emotion. Ryo’s base resonated pleasantly in the core. As much as he hated to admit it, Kenta’s guitar was…flawless.

The audience’s frenzy climbed to its apex. The band’s instruments melted perfectly together with Nayuta’s voice to give life to an unparalleled sound. Miyuki was entirely drunk on the sensation.

“Shinya…I’m sorry. No matter how hard you try, the position of Gyroaxia’s drummer belongs to me.”

He wouldn’t give it up to Shinya, or to anyone else.

“It’s me…Gyroaxia’s drummer is me!”

To make his declaration known, Miyuki hit his drums with strikes full of power.

“I’m totally beat…”

After their live show came to a close, Miyuki had found a place to lie down in their green room when a towel suddenly landed on his face.

“...Huh?”

Miyuki raised his head to find Nayuta looking back at him. He must have been the one who threw the towel at him then. Miyuki dried off his sweat, albeit puzzled by the strange gesture. The towel was a piece of merchandise Gyroaxia was selling in commemoration of their live, but it was surprisingly soft and absorbent.

“...Play a little better next time,” Nayuta said as he wiped off his own sweat and averted his gaze, “I don’t care what happens before a live show. I won’t tolerate a messy performance.”

Nayuta’s unforgiving comment caused Reon to bite back immediately.

“This stuff only happens because you go around making enemies!”

“...Don’t care”

As Reon loudly yelled his complaints at Nayuta, Miyuki felt slightly moved. It felt like…Nayuta throwing a towel at him was his own way of expressing his concern…but that could just be his imagination. Besides, that ‘next time’ Nayuta had mentioned meant that he’d been approved of as Gyroaxia’s drummer. He hoped that was the case. 

He knew that the character Nayuta had developed over the past seventeen years wouldn’t change overnight…but a force like Kenta that only further enabled that personality was out of the question.

Miyuki raised the towel in celebration and finally let out a laugh.

“Next time, I’ll show you a flawless performance.”

“Good.”

“But I’ve gotta say, I’m kinda worried about what happened today. Please try not to get on anyone else's bad side from now on. You’re our precious vocalist, and all,” Miyuki warned nonetheless. By no means did he expect an immediate change but every marathon begins with just a single step.

“Even if Nayuta is a king, he’ll still face danger. I’ll support him in those areas too, not just in music.”

After all, Kenta certainly wouldn’t.

In exchange for the towel, Miyuki threw a water bottle Nayuta’s way. A suspicious look flashed across Nayuta’s face before he gave in and gulped it all down in a single go. 

Kenta smiled faintly watching Nayuta drink the water that Miyuki had given him. It seemed that their drums had finally been stabilised. Now, they would be able to progress.

Gyroaxia’s rule had only just begun.

Back | Next

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 4

Episode 4: Danger Games Part 1

~Somewhere over Swellview~

Doctor Minyak had kidnapped Captain Man and Miss Danger and trapped them in a glass cage with a bomb, oh my! Don't panic. The whole situation was secretly under control; Ray and (y/n) were happily sat in their tiny prison, thousands of feet up in the air over Swellview as Minyak's hijacked cargo plane took them to the location where the evil doctor would enact his heinous plan. Or so he thought.

The couple wouldn't be nearly as relaxed as they were if they thought they were in actual trouble. (y/n) had her back to Ray's chest, his arms and legs curled around her form, trapping her in an embrace that made the villain turn up his nose at how annoyingly adorable they were, and in his hands, was his phone. He insisted that they play some new mobile game called Sky Whale and they couldn't really care what Minyak had to say or evilly laugh about when they were breaking their new high score. Or rather, Ray was breaking it, (y/n) was just there to giggle and kiss his jawline when he did something clever. 

The spiky, ball, bomb thing next to them wasn't alarming either, not when they knew they had superpowers to protect them and another sidekick waiting to make his move. Henry was hiding in a box of cargo, poised to sneak and take out Minyak's goons, but he had to wait for the opportune moment, which wasn't now 'cause Minyak was busy monologuing.

"Hahahahahaha, yes! Oh, yes! Lock that box, lock it hard!" The criminal victoriously screeched at his minions as they sealed the see-through box tightly shut, not that Ray or his girl were interested. Yeah, space was limited and they really had to squeeze in to both fit, but they weren't complaining. It was nice to be wrapped up in each other so completely and Sky Whale was so addictive, it made any prospect of danger seem irrelevant.

"Aw, poor Captain Man and his little girlfriend, Miss Danger. You've got to start thinking outside the box!" Doctor Minyak chuckled, loving his pun and how sassy it made him seem. He'd finally done it, he'd captured his greatest enemy and was sending his dumb girlfriend down with him like two birds with one stone. His plan was coming along perfectly, but he had imagined a little more attention from the heroes as he captured them and they waited for their doom.

"Uh, uh, wait, uh, we just need to, uh, hang on a second..." Ray mumbled, taking a thumb off his phone momentarily to just tell the man to shut up whilst he concentrated. It was hard enough trying to focus with his girl pressed against him and the scent of her perfume filling the box, driving him crazy, he didn't need this dummy blabbing in his ear. They were so close to a new high score and just seeing how excited (y/n) got as he played spurred him on even further (the kisses were a huge bonus).

"Wha—are you playing a game?" Minyak snapped, peering through the glass so he could see over their heads and he instantly noticed the brightly coloured, saturated pixels of some mobile application doohickey. He was more of a chess man and had no idea what they were up to, he was just pouty that they thought some weird, flying whale was better thanks him and his evilness.

"Yeah, it's called Sky Whale! Captain Man is amazing at it and I have to say, whoever made this game must be geniuses." The young woman gushed, turning her head to press yet another kiss to her boyfriend's cheeks so he'd know how impressed she was. Who knew Ray would be good at a game for kids? She wasn't particularly good at navigating the whale on the clouds, but that didn't mean she couldn't take pleasure in sitting back and watching him play instead.

"Oh, oh! I'm up in space, sweet girl!" Ray laughed as his character moved higher, his mood lifting even more when (y/n) pecked him on the lips this time since a bigger achievement deserved a bigger reward. Well, if his skill brought him kisses, then perhaps he'd just have to keep ignoring Minyak and snuggle up to his girl instead. He wouldn't complain, not when those pretty eyes crinkled when she giggled. "I am having a good time!"

"Stop it! You will stop playing that game and kissing him this instant!" Minyak ordered them like they worked for him, meaning his rude tone just washed over them. He couldn't boss them around and little did he know, trying to stop these lovebirds from smooching and cuddling was like trying to lick the back of your head - impossible. The only thing he didn't know was that Henry had decided enough was enough and upon hearing how all attention was on the couple's affection (seriously, couldn't they give it a rest for one minute?), he took out his multi-utility knife and began slicing through the leather of whatever container he had hidden himself in. 

"Yeah, no can do, Minyak. My boyfriend, my rules and I'm gonna kiss him all I want." (y/n) gave the doctor her driest tone and Ray smirked when she deliberately kissed him again just to prove a point, and to taste his bubblegum-mint flavour, but he didn't need to know that. She'd waited ten years to date Ray and no one was gonna stop her now she had him, not even some lunatic who'd trapped them on a plane.

"You have even had the courtesy of to ask me why I trapped you both in this transparent box." Minyak sneered, hoping his subtle prompting would make the heroes ask him. It was part of the whole villain thing, explaining your plan to the hero after you've captured them because it took so long to plan and carry out, which explained why the body guy was getting so moody. He just wanted to show off how much of an malevolent genius he was, was that too much to ask?

"Oh, well, we would ask, if we cared." Ray retorted, making his girl snigger when Minyak's lips turned into frown. They had this whole operation in the bag and let's face it, did the bad guy ever win? No, Captain Man and his sidekicks had an excellent track record and it was highly doubtful that someone like Minyak was going to tarnish it. He just didn't have the nerve or a knack of succeeding, he always flopped in the end.

"All right, I'll tell you! You see, exactly eleven minutes from now, this aircraft will fly directly over the Swellview Dam!" Minyak started, him nor his thugs noticing how Kid Danger had poked his head through the material and was slowly creeping out. It was smart to move when Minyak was monologuing, it meant that he was too lost in his ego to notice any of his surroundings, so the boy was free to carefully sneak around.

"Hey! Watch your language." (y/n) scolded the doctor, even though she knew what he meant. She was no innocent angel, no matter how many arguments Ray made, she used bad language and innuendo because she was an adult, but come on! There was an unknown child present, even if he'd heard it all and much worse before. 

"I was using the word "dam" to indicate a concrete wall that that retards the flow of water!" Minyak growled at her, his eyes bulging creakily as she smirked at his overreaction. Someone had swallowed a thesaurus and even if she had set herself to look a tad dumb, it was just too funny to see how annoyed the doctor got. She wouldn't be laughing when he dropped her from the plane and watched her pathetic body crash on the cliff side so harshly, no super-regeneration would be able to heal her. Or that was the plan, he had no idea how her power actually worked.

"Oh, dammmmm! Not like, damnnnnn, my girlfriend's fine!" Ray nodded, making his girl's cheeks darken as he slipped in the compliment just to see her blush and Minyak gag. He'd do the same if he had a girlfriend, not that he ever would; he was weird, evil and no one ever as beautiful and kind as (y/n) would go for a guy like him. (y/n)'s much preferred strong, indestructible doofuses.

"Yes! Now, do you see that glowing orb next to you?" The doctor tried to move the conversation on, hoping to get back to his master plan, but Sky Whale was too good to just put down, even for Henry, who had taken a mini-break in his stealth operation so he could continue his game. It was a little thing he and Ray had going on, to see who could get the highest score because both of them worked better under a competition and despite not having his own little cheerleader like Ray did, Henry was a decent player.

"Oh, here we go, sweet girl, yeah!" Ray chuckled in the woman's ear, feeling her squirm as his hot breath hit her neck, but it just encouraged him to tease her and ignore Minyak. She was so small against him and so adorable it made his heart soar, whilst he was like a giant around her, and so damn hot it made her stomach burn with desire, so they didn't hear the villain's question, just their inner desire to feed off of their love.

"Do you see the glowing orb?!" Minyak squealed, stamping his foot like a petulant, little girl when they giggled into each other's ears. He couldn't believe it, his nemesis wouldn't leave the girl alone, it was like their were in their own little world and Henry understood how he felt. Welcome to the club, everyone has jackets and shares a mutual adoration/annoyance for how Ray and (y/n) are so right for each other, it's revolting. Just try and take the other away and you'll face serious consequences or a lot of whining, pouting and pining, two situations that were equally intolerable. Suckers in love, that what they were.

"Oh, right, orb."  "Fabulous, well done, you." They replied half heartedly, sparing the flashing object only a glance since Ray couldn't let his whale drop. He was so close to the record and orbs didn't bother him, glowing or otherwise. 

"That is a plasmatonic boom-sphere!" Minyak exclaimed, swirling his hand around to signify his inventions mystifying danger. This thing was big news and could tear the plane and almost everyone in it to shreds, but looking at Ray or (y/n) you wouldn't think that they were the ones sat right next to it. The man was usually so protective over his girl, stemming from years of thinking that even if she didn't want him, he was the only one who'd ever keep her the safest and most cherished women on the planet, and even though though she was tucked up in his arms, the possibility of death or serious injury was there. Why wasn't Captain Man freaking out? "Great." "Terrific."

"Now, if you'll direct your attention to the screen..." Oh, for fuck's sake. Why couldn't he just tell them succinctly like a normal person? Why did Minyak have to create a whole ass presentation about his plan? Henry took another "break" since he was gonna be a while and (y/n) awkwardly scooched her butt as she and Ray turned to see the monitor. Stupid Minyak, ruining their nice, comfy position, now, Ray had an elbow on his bent knee and the woman was forced to semi-squat on her heels so they wouldn't touch the bomb and holy shit, the position was uncomfortable.

"Okay, when we fly over the damn, my goons will open those rear doors, then push out the box, containing you, your beloved Miss Danger and my plasmatonic boom-sphere—" Ray rolled his eyes at that. True, she was his beloved, but neither her, him or this bomb thing were going anywhere, 'cause Henry was back on the move, pausing his game, sticking his phone in his mouth and stalking towards the unsuspecting guards. 

"And then, you'll fall until you impact with the Swellview Dam, at which point, the dam will burst and then billions of gallons will flood Swellview, thus upsetting everyone!" Minyak screamed and laughed manically at the thought of the terrified screams of the citizens below, but he still hadn't noticed the hero of the hour; Kid Danger.  Nudged Ray subtly, nodding ever so slightly in the boy's direction and they geared up for battle as he gave them a nod and held his special gadget between the goons' heads. It was one of Schwoz's newer inventions and the boy realised tow needles from the barrel before tapping a pressure sensor on the side, silently blasting both minions in the head so they'd simultaneously fall to the ground in a state of unconscious. They'd have to thank Schwoz for that one.

"So, too bad you, Captain Man—-Kid Danger!!" Minyak turned around with a smirk, expecting to see the scowls of his nemeses from behind the glass as they seethed from his schemes and how they were powerless to stop him, but it was quite the opposite. He paled at the sight of yet another superhero around, one that had taken down his minions and could easily hurt him. 

"Sup?" Henry smiled briefly at the doctor, spooking him he took out his controller and fired a melting laser at the shitty lock holding the box together. Minyak didn't stand a chance, his minions were unconscious, Captain Man and Miss Danger were free, or they would be when they paused their game and he had not ability to fight by himself.

"What did you do to my goons? Robert! Trevor! Wake up, we're almost over the dam!—" The doctor clapped his hands, drawing (y/n)'s focus from Ray's phone and the way he was nuzzling his nose into her neck. Okay, staying like that was tempting but they had a job to do, so she prodded him and looked up at the lid, waiting for him to use some of that muscle to get them out. The man sighed, knowing that their lovey-do very time was up, so he paused his game, dreading the loss of any progress on his record and abruptly stood up, pushing the heavy glass lid like it was nothing. He grabbed onto some of the cargo nets above their heads and use them to pull himself up and free of the box, landing next to Henry with a smirk.

"Me next." (y/n) grinned and mimicked his actions, using the netting like she was a monkey and Ray grabbed her waist as her legs cleared the box, pulling her down and into his awaiting arms. God, it felt good to stand up, even if they had lost their snuggle time, but then again, a cramped box was nothing compared to the couch or mattress they had waiting back at home. Yeah, they could wait.

"Hey."  "Hiya, kid." The couple smiled at Henry, glad to see that he'd survived being bundled into his hiding place and waiting until they were airborne to rescue them. It wasn't like he'd been bored, he had been playing Sky Whale for the last hour, much like they had, so all in all, the trip hadn't been bad.

"Hey, look, I almost broke five-thousand." The boy bragged to his friends, showing them the fairly impressive score he'd managed to rack up. For anyone else, it was pretty decent, but this wasn't some playground game, this was a battle between him and Ray to see who was the best Sky-Whaler and five-thousand was pathetic compared to what Ray had achieved with his girl's kisses as motivation. 

"Yeah, well, check out your buddy who's about to break six-thousand!" Ray smirked, showing the kid his phone. Henry couldn't believe it, why was he so much better? He must've cheated or something, 'cause a score like that legendary and no offence to Ray but, he was a bit old to be that good at a kid's game. (y/n) frowned at her boyfriend's use of a singular term, hoping that she'd done something to help boost the score and not just sat there, giggling in his ear. Sure, she loved giving him kisses, but not if they had been a hindrance and not a help. "What?"

"Well, I had my girl cheering me all the way and she gave me kisses. Hard lines, kid." Ray patted the boy on the shoulder as he kissed (y/n)'s forehead, banishing any doubt from her head. She'd been a massive help and the proof was right there onscreen. If you want to win at Sky Whale, get a hot girl to kiss you every time you do something good, something someone should've told Minyak.

"Shut up! You will not chat about some silly, mobile game while I'm talking about my dam plan!" The villain shouted, thumping his fist against his chest with every syllable like some pissed off gorilla, ready to charge. He hadn't planned for this, he hadn't seen it coming and was furious to find out that once again, Captain Man had found a way to get one up on him, but that didn't mean he was powerless yet.

"Your plan is over, Minyak!" Ray growled, pointing a stern finger at the man. Of course, he knew the criminal too well to know that he didn't have a few more lines of defence up his sleeve, but with him and his sweet girl out of the box, plus Henry, the plan was as good as over. Now, it was just a case of dealing with the last few rats on the sinking ship.

"Ha! I think not! Billie! Jean! King!" Minyak shouted into the cockpit, drawing three of his tougher, more musclier goons to come and fight on his behalf. They were mysteriously named after some famous tennis player and each carried a racket that was intended to beat the heroes to nothing. Yeah, right, Ray shield (y/n) slightly as each minion stalked towards them, he and Henry more concerned about their phones now that their favourite young woman was under their protection. She could fight, sometimes she bested even Captain Man, but it was Ray's little rule between him and Henry, they took on the brunt of a fight since he was fast and Ray had fists like iron. 

"Um, Captain Man, they're very big..." (y/n) murmured into her boyfriend's ear, gulping as she saw one man with titanium teeth glare at them wickedly. His arms were like tree trunks and stood at least two feet above Ray, who was already at an impressive six foot and a bit stature, so (y/n) must've looked like a mouse to the goon, so breakable, like a toothpick. He'd have to get through Ray first though, and despite being smaller and surprisingly less bulky, he wasn't worried; what he lacked in physical prowess, he made up for in experience.

"Oh, hey, what'cha need?" "Oh, hey, big dog." Ray and Henry greeted the thug casually, still too focused on their Sky Whale games to care that this guy was in front of them and intimidating (y/n) a bit. Just because she could fight, didn't mean she thought she was invincible and on her own, she wouldn't stand a chance. Good thing she wasn't.

"Billie, help Captain Man and Kid Danger set their phones to airplane mode." Minyak snarled, glad to see that at least the girl had the sense to "cower" in his presence, but the boys needed a bit more persuasion. Billie grinned manically at them, showing off his titanium-capped teeth and gently took the heroes phones away, which confusion them greatly until his crushed them with his bare hands. Well, that wasn't very nice.

"Okay..." "You didn't have to do that!" Henry and Ray groaned at the destruction of their PearPhones and the annoyance of having to buy new ones when they got back to the Man Cave. At least they were backed up to the cloud, still, it was such a dick move and it made (y/n) grow angry when she realised that the cost of two new phones would come out of their crime fighting budget. 

"Hey, you freak! Airplane mode was under settings!" She hissed, stepping forward to sort the man out and he was ready to crush her, only for Ray's outstretched to stop her. It was stupid to let her fight this guy and whilst he understood her need to throw the first punch, she needed to get back. He guided her away with Henry, giving the kid a look to tell him that he was to keep her safe whilst he was occupied with taking down the toughest thug. With a calming kiss pressed to his girl's forehead, Ray turned back around and glared at Billie, ready to crush him for even contemplating touching her, a mistake that would cost him if Captain Man had anything to do with it.

"Hey, can you spell fist?" Ray asked as the minion twirled his racket in his hand and the question caught him off guard. It was one of Ray's tricks, fooling the bad guy into thinking and distraction so he could strike, plus, it gave him a chance to sound witty, which was always a bonus when a certain pretty girl was listening.

"Uh, W—" Billie started with the completely wrong letter, but it didn't matter; Ray's fist collided with his face in a brutal swing, knocking the dazed man onto the controls that operated the plane's rear door. An alarm blared as the ramp opened, revealing the terrifyingly far ground below them and how unfortunate it would be to fall without a parachute. Captain Man immediately grabbed (y/n)'s hand as the door dropped, wanting to ensure that she wouldn't fall if they hit turbulence or something, despite the fact that they'd have to let go for the oncoming battle. 

"No, no, no! Get them!" Minyak bellowed at the remaining minions, Miss Danger smiling quickly at her boyfriend as she let go of his hand and lugged a woozy Billie to the floor and kicked him in the ribs with her steel toe. He smiled at the way she dealt with him so calmly, appearing like a true hero as she dragged a man twice her size and Henry started on the rest. They turned around to give him a hand, the boy already getting busy by swinging on the cargo nets and kicking Jean and King in their faces. He jumped down from the glass box, (y/n) going to help him since it was two against one there and Ray could cover Billie. 

The man blocked each racket swing with a metal case, shoving it into Billie's stomach and kicking him back down the ramp, where he stumbled but failed to fall completely. Ray would have to try harder to get rid of this guy. Meanwhile, Henry was kneeing a guy in the stomach, twisting his arm into a painful position as (y/n) jabbed King in the nose and shoved him harshly into a wall. Captain Man was back at it with his dude, he grabbed the racket before it could whack his side and hit him in the nose, then using a large tub to beat him again. Henry and (y/n) were kneeling on the box, kicking away Jean and King when they came running, preferring to work together since that way, they could double their firepower.

Well, that was the plan anyway. Jean saw a gap in their defence, storming forward and seizing (y/n)'s throat as Henry was preoccupied somewhere else, making her squeak and thump against his chest as he dragged her from the box and held her squirming body in the air, her eyes watering as her superpower compensated for the loss of oxygen. 'Okay, thumping not working, Henry not noticing, think about what you have, think about what you have, you have...a hot, superhero boyfriend!' 

"Captain Man...Captain Man, help!" She squeaked, using the last reserves of her strength to raise her voice above the noise of the roaring engines and wind so that Ray looked in her direction. He glanced across at his sidekicks when he heard the quiet begging of his title and his eyes widened when he saw his sweet girl being maliciously attacked by some idiot who thought he could hurt the girlfriend of the fearsome Captain Man and not receive a beating. He dashed forward, jumping, grabbing and swinging on the netting so he could kick the man away and free (y/n) from his tight grip. 

"You okay, sweet girl?" He asked, helping her up from her slump on the floor and brushing his gloved finger against her cheekbone. He looked into her eyes for any sign of injury or fear, smiling when she leaned up to kiss him and then frowning when her eyes widened in horror and she shoved him away. Was it something he'd said? 

"Duck!" The woman told him, not wanting to push him away so abruptly when she craved the taste of his lips just as he did, but when she saw Billie creeping up behind him, ready to grab her lover and throw him from the plane, she just had to act. Ray instantly dropped to the floor, dodging the thug's punches thanks to his girl, who returned the gesture by slinking under his arm, striking him in the ribs and then smashing his jaw in an uppercut, causing her boyfriend to subtly fan his cheeks at how hot she was. Henry was still kicking and throwing steel boxes around as Ray and (y/n) double-teamed Billie, only to be distracted when the kid slugged Minyak, who was getting too cocky for his liking. 

"Come on, let's bail!" The goons exclaimed as they swiped some of the only parachutes on board, not wanting to take the heat for Minyak when Captain Man and co inevitably whipped his ass and dragged him to jail. They didn't want to be a part of that, not for their pitiful wages, and made to bail before their faces were rearranged or they were sat in cells wondering where it all went wrong. 

"You punched my face! How dare you?!...Hey! You cowards! Are you running away?" Minyak screamed when he saw their mutiny and the pain in his face from Henry's punch disappeared that without them, he truly had failed. 

"No! We're jumping away!" Billie yelled back and all three men shuffled down the ramp and jumped for their freedom, the parachutes strapped to their back opening and saving their lives as they glided away, leaving Minyak in the shit, alone and defences against three superheroes. Right, no goons, no means of fighting back, there was only one thing for it, for the villain to dive after his minions and abandon ship. Sure, it was pure cowardice, but sometimes it was better to make a strategic withdrawal then stand and get slaughtered.

"Well, Kid Danger, Miss Danger, looks like we defeated Doctor Minyak—" Ray smirked, the three of them standing on the ramp, watching the minions leave, but with Henry admiring their handiwork and Ray pausing to give his girl a gentle kiss, they didn't see their enemy gearing up to follow suit, taking one of the last three parachutes. Great, that meant there wasn't enough for them now.

"Ha! I think not! This is the second-to-last parachute!" Minyak laughed, and steamed forward, sprinting down and out of the airplane, thinking it wasn't over for him yet. It was though, despite him believing that he was leaving them in limbo, Henry and Ray slammed their feet down on a trailing cord from the parachute, ripping it from the man's back so it stayed with them and left Minyak falling towards the Swellview Dam. He'd hit the water or hitch a ride with one of his men...hopefully.

With all the bad guys gone, (y/n) dashed to the back of the plane to grab the parachute left by Minyak, bringing it back to give Ray a worried look. They only had two to take them safety, which presented a real problem since Captain Man had two sidekicks.

"He dropped his parachute!" Henry yelled to the woman as she brought the backpack over for her and Ray to share. In theory, it should take their weight just enough to allow them to float down to the ground and it made sense for Henry to stay safe by himself. He wouldn't survive if something went wrong and he plunged hundreds of feet to the ground, they would.

"Yeah, there he goes! Think he's gonna land on a—Hey! That's one of the last parachutes, why do you get it?" Ray frowned as he saw Henry securing the straps and and tightening everything for his descent. This had to be one of the craziest things he'd ever done, but skydiving seemed better than crashing or landing a plane and he didn't particularly like Ray's tone when he saw that he was preserving his life. He was the soft, squishy, vulnerable one, why shouldn't he stay safe? Hey, he could tightly strap himself to (y/n), why was he complaining?

"'Cause he won't survive the fall without it! Come on, put this on and hold onto me! We can share!" The young woman passed the last parachute to her boyfriend, who looked at her with the the utmost concern and fear as his fingers curled around the bag she passed him. No, no, that was too dangerous, they couldn't do that, what if he slipped up and she fell? He'd never forgive himself, not when he knew that she could've taken the safe option and he could just drop and deal with the consequences when he hit the ground. No, she had to take it.

"Sweet girl, you gotta take it. What if I drop you?" He mumbled, pushing the parachute back to her chest like he didn't want it. (y/n) sighed, expecting this reaction from him and turned to Henry so he could get gone and get safe. She could deal with Ray, she practically wrote the book.

"Kid, get out of here. We'll be right behind you, just remember to pull the chord to release the chute." She nodded to the boy, who took a few steps forward before growing nervous and hesitant. Did he really want to do this alone? And if he did go alone, would they be okay? He didn't want either of them to fall, but if his deep knowledge of their relationship was right and it usually was, Ray would never let (y/n) fall and she wouldn't let him jump solo, so..."You sure?" 

"Go, we'll be fine. See you on the ground." She nodded, making the boy gulp and and run down the ramp, screaming and laughter as he fell through the air before pulling the chord, instancing feeling the pull of the breeze catching the nylon fabric. Well, gliding was actually quite nice and the view was fantastic, he wondered why he was ever nervous, not to mention that he was hot on Minyak's tail so he'd be able to nab him or minions when he touched down. Now,where were the lovebirds?

"Absolutely not. You take it, get down safely and I'll just take it easy for the next few days. I'm indestructible, you're not." Ray argued as the couple stood on the door, debating whether they should share or let him take the fall so she'd certainly be safe. They had to make a decision quick, Henry was on his own and staying on a pilotless plane wasn't the safest place to be, so (y/n) bit her tongue and pushed the parachute to his chest and used all her might to hold it there.

"Yeah, but if we share, we can both land a little roughly and come out of it fine. Come on, it's a big chute and I know that you won't drop, you're Captain Man and I trust you." Her arms stopped pushing and his head dropped to rest his forehead on hers as he stopped fighting and listened. He knew she trusted him, he just didn't fully trust himself; he was known to fuck up in crucial moments, he didn't want to drop the most precious person he'd ever known, not when her ring finger was still empty. Where would the trust go if something went wrong?

"I love you, but I can't put you in danger like that...it's too risky." He whispered, moving to put the parachute on her back for her, but she'd thought of that and knew that an ultimatum was the last resort she needed. 

"Look, if you don't put on the damn parachute and glide me to safety then I'm taking my chances and jumping. We'll see how long it takes me to heal every bone in my body." (y/n) stepped away from him, her arms folded so that he wouldn't be able to strap her in. His fists clenched and for a good few moments, he was deep in thought weighing up the pros and cons before deciding that taking the chance was a million times better than seeing her broken body on the concrete or washed out from the dam. Damn her, she was too smart for him and with a reverberating growl, he jerkily tugged on the parachute, tightening the straps across his muscular chest as she smirked victoriously.

"Shall we dance?" He sighed, returning her growing grin as they wrapped their arms around each other as if they were starting a waltz. At least he wasn't angry, although that could have something to do with how she took a safety line from her belt and clipped it to the chute. Well, if he'd known she was gonna do that then he wouldn't have made such a fuss.

"We shall...and I love you too, by the way. Always." She smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek for luck before they jumped. Boy, did he feel lucky; he had her by his side, telling him she felt the same yearning he did and that it would last forever, that was a fucking good feeling.

"God, I love you. Now, five, six, seven eight...." Ray grinned, leading their steps as they ran down the ramp, his arms curling around her waist as they became airborne, her hair whipping in the wind as they drifted down, aiming for the dam wall. They could see Henry a mile in front of them and they decided to freefall a little first to catch up to him before pulling the chord, laughing and giggling at how normal couples didn't even come to close to having what they had. "CROSSOVER!!!"

Huh, wonder what that means. 

~The Swell View Studio~

Well, news spread quickly about the heroic actions of the three superheroes and almost immediately after getting home from the dam, an eager invitation for an interview came in. It wasn't a full-on, camera-in-face interview, it was just an appearance on Swellview's most popular daytime chat show. Every women in the city watched it, even if they didn't like it, because everyone just had to be in the know, especially when Captain Man, Kid Danger and Miss Danger were the special guests. Oh, wow, Miss Danger, every woman wanted to be her, she had the most gorgeous boyfriend, hair, figure, smile, she was the person everyone wanted to be, so when she sat down at the table with the hosts, her boyfriend and Henry, it was nerve-wrackingly thrilling. 

So, there they were, sipping coffee, smiling brightly and putting their best feet forward, because the praise was delicious and (y/n) would be a liar if she said she wasn't fangirling about being on the show like some glamorous star, which she kinda was now.

"Welcome back, female viewers. So, Captain Man, Kid Danger and of course, Miss Danger, how'd you guys defeat Doctor Minyak this time?" The lead host, a pretty, blonde lady who seemed to be glued to (y/n)'s side as she sipped her milky coffee with Ray's hand on her thigh, asked. She was a huge fan of everything the superheroine did and thought it was a huge honour that she'd graced herself and her colleagues with her presence, despite it being the opposite way around for the young woman. She really was quite normal underneath the mask, red satin and loaded blasters.

"What did you do?" A little girl also questioned. She was a regular on the show, a bit young in many people's opinion, but her sass just made her a part of everything.

"Uh, well, Miss Danger and I were on this cargo plane, y'see..." Ray began to explain, his hand brushing up and down his girl's leg like he could feel her soft skin under his fingertips. Just hearing her laugh at the story made his heart flutter and he was glad that the adventure hadn't left her nervous or fearful, particularly the skydiving. Everything had been fine, of course, just a bumpy landing and the annoyance that Minyak had escaped, but they could laugh about it now and feel proud that they'd saved the city from flooding. Plus, any successful mission ended with the most sinful nights spent behind their locked bedroom door.

"And Doctor Minyak, he had us locked in a box." (y/n) told the women, making them grin and exclaim in wonder at how intriguing the couple were. They were couple-goals, the most gossiped about and idolised pair in the entire city, everyone wanted to know the ins and outs of how they met, how long they'd been dating, what were their juicier secrets, how could they get a Captain Man of their own... They'd never tell, what they had going on was unique, pure and too precious to share with everyone and risk getting spoilt. No, this relationship could stay and thrive in the Man Cave, where it could just stay between Ray, (y/n) and their special family and grow without scrutiny or malicious rumours.

"Yeah, well, you know. These days, Doctor Minyak is kinda like a joke!" Henry laughed with the hosts and his friends, feeling free to laugh about the doctor since he was sure he was somewhere licking his wounds and definitely not watching. Oh, how wrong he was... Minyak had crawled out of the dam and had returned to the grimy hideout where he and Nurse Cohort took shelter from the world, and it was safe to say that hearing the boy's ridicule pissed him off.

"He's always like I'm Doctor Minyak! Listen to the stupid way that I speak!" Ray mocked him, making the women roar even harder with laughter when he mimicked the villain's British accent and it got even worse when they turned around to cackle at his dumb face on the monitor behind them. It was a snapshot of Minyak snarling with fury, meaning his lips were pursed and his eyes were wide, therefore he looked like a maniac and it was hilarious. Well, it wasn't to the man himself.

"Poor Doctor Minyak..." "What is he even a doctor of anyway?" "I know! Failure!" The comments from the howling panellists went back and forth, tickling the funny bones of everyone in the studio and everyone at home. No one could understand why Minyak didn't just give up or put his knack for technical invention to a better cause, but the again, his incompetency at being a criminal did make for good entertainment, something that infuriated him as he fumed from the humiliation on the TV. He swore revenge...

~Later that day~

Life in the Man Cave wasn't normal, not when there was a handyman who lived there and had a talent for creating the whackiest of gadgets. For once, Charlotte, Jasper, Schwoz, (y/n), Ray and Henry had found themselves in the Man cave with nothing to do; no calls, no emergencies, no responsibilities. So, what do you to when you've got a few hours to kill before the crime rush starts in the evening? Do you find some task to complete that you've been putting off for ages like fixing the stupid elevator? No, you go absolutely fuming crazy.

Schwoz was testing out his newest invention out on Jasper, (y/n) and Charlotte, some kind of ray gun that looked deadly, but only shot an energy at an opponent that rendered them incapacitated from tickling. It was perfect for teasing and playing a game with them, especially since it gave the small guy a chance to be the one in power for once. The woman and teens tried to scramble away from the beam, their nerves and bodies tired from the ticklish assault, but deep down, they liked the game too much to tell him to seriously stop. 

Ray and Henry were making their own entertainment too. With the Sky Whale bet on hold, they were competing in a race, the "Who could get down the tube, run, press a bell on the computer and get back upstairs?" race. It was going well so far, both of them neck and neck, zipping up and down the tube as Schwoz, (y/n) and the other kids laughed their asses off. What a completely normal afternoon. 

"Oh my god, Schwoz, stop! I'm gonna pee!" (y/n) wheezed, holding her stomach as she collapsed on the sofa, her hands holding onto her aching belly as she sat down to rest. Okay, her old(ish) body couldn't take this anymore and she rested against the couch as Schwoz shrugged and continued chasing Charlotte and Jasper. She could just watch Ray run, yeah, she could just watch her boyfriend's incredibly hot body flex and stretch, just for a little while...

~The next day~

"Holy shit! Double G's doing a livestream!" (y/n) squealed as she flicked through the news and saw that one of the best rappers in the world was about to go before the press and everyone stopped what they were doing, some sharing her excitement and others completely confused. The entire Man Cave team were in work that day, just doing some general tasks when the news flash came in and instantly, it grabbed their attention.

"Double G?" "Oh my god, I love his music!" "No way!" "Really?!" "Who?" Schwoz had no idea what they were on about or why they were interrupting their work for something so trivial. After ignoring their responsibilities yesterday, they had a lot of stuff to do today, so he was eager to get on with it all, mainly to avoid Ray's wrath, but they were all distracted. He wasn't much of a rap fan, more like Taylor Swift and whatever weird music came from his homeland, but even so, his lack of knowledge about who the legend was irritated his friends. Even (y/n) liked Double G, and she wasn't completely "down with the kids" and those "hip-hop rap newfangled tunes".

"Oh, come on, Schwoz. You must know who Double G is." Charlotte grumbled, rolling her eyes at how she worked with such fossils. Well, Ray and (y/n) weren't too bad, but this guy was huge, like one of the biggest stars on the planet, how could Schwoz live in the modern world and not know?

"No, I don't think so. Is he famous?" And, cue the groans. Famous was an understatement; everyone and their mothers knew Double G, well, everyone but Schwoz. The rapper was in magazines, on billboards, on TV constantly and he'd recently invested in some games company. He was huge and well-loved for his quirky, adorable personality and killer tracks. 

"He's, like, a huge rapper. I can't believe you don't do know who he is. He's everywhere!" Henry exclaimed, his friends nodding along as Charlotte dumped a box of Barbie dolls on the table and the boy, herself, Ray and (y/n) sat down to sort them out. They had no idea why, but apparently, their heads needed removing and separating into a box, so that's what they were gonna do. The four slid into the crescent, Ray immediately pulling his girl in close and turning the computer on for the livestream. They could behead the dolls, watch and snuggle simultaneously, no problem.

"Well, sorry!" Schwoz rolled his eyes and scuttle off through the sprocket when he saw them starting the task, Jasper putting two boxes on the computer's console so they could throw the heads and bodies in each. He couldn't stick around for long, his services were needed back upstairs in Junk-N-Stuff and playing with Schwoz's tickle gun thing was just part of his break. Still, he could listen to what Double G had to say on his phone.

"Shhhh! Just put it on, it's about to start!" (y/n) shushed them all, Schwoz and Jasper leaving to go and watch the video elsewhere. The genius wanted to see this amazing musician with his own eyes and figure out what all the fuss was about. Jasper hurried into the elevator and whipped out his PearPhone, content to watch at the counter (he'd adopted/stolen a son, don't ask), so that left Henry, Charlotte and the cuddling lovebirds alone to make their own judgements as they ruined the toys.

"Recently, my good friend, Snoop Dog, had a charity concert, but unfortunately, only raised two-hundred and twenty-seven million dollars. But twenty-five of those dollars were from me, so actually,Snoop Dog only raised two-hundred and twenty six million, nine-hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred and seventy-five dollars. Do the math. I did!" Double G started the press conference in his own peculiar way and caused a stir amongst the journalists and reporters picking up his every word. The four started pulling the heads from the dolls, each one making a pop before they aimed for the boxes. Some went in, some didn't, but all the while they listened intently and Ray trailed his lips up and down (y/n)'s neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms as his nose nuzzled the hair behind her ear.

"Now, I am proud to announce that on Friday night, I, Double—Bunny, will you get your paw outta the Frittle sack?!" Double G snapped when his faithful bodyguard, Bunny, just so happened to nibble on a chip, asking a loud, crunching noise that put him off. He slapped the bag of Frittles from the man's hand, causing the bag to drop to the ground as his entourage and the reporters gasped at his outburst. Yep, that was Dub, always crazy. "Now, on Friday night, I, Double G, will be performing my own charity concert with a target goal of three-hundred million dollars! And my charity concert, that will help needy kids, will be televised around the world to one-hundred and ninety-three countries, which incidentally, is three more countries than Snoop Dog had! Now, drop that like it's hot!"

Well, that was something. Everyone could get behind a charity concert, especially if it was for the greater good. Three-hundred million dollars was a hell of a lot of money and would help countless kids, but when someone does good, it often draws out the worst in society...Doctor Minyak.

He'd been watching just like everyone else and when he heard about how the rapper was gonna do something explosively generous and beneficial for the needy, he couldn't help but squeal. What was good could be ruined so very easily, but if he could pull it off, he'd land himself in the history books as the best villain of all time, as well as the biggest bastard.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh, Nurse Cohort, did you hear that?!" The man asked his assistant, clearly expecting her to have the same evil idea as he did. If he could ruin the concert, then he'd be admired, revered, idolised, and he will have finally triumphed over Captain Man whilst also bringing misery to untold millions. Oh, he was heinously good.

"Yes! I can't wait for the concert!" She replied, thinking the same as the rest of the population. Yeah, she was evil, but she wouldn't stoop as low as to steal from vulnerable kids, that was just sick. She just wanted to see Double G perform in an epic concert, she didn't see any correlation. 

"Oh, you'll have to wait, 'cause I have a new plan. I'm going to ruin Double G's charity concert." Minyak growled, shocking Nurse Cohort, sending a bolt of fearful confusion through her black heart. That was extreme for her and she normally loved his mean plans, but not when it was this mean. What about the children? What about Double G? What about her? She wanted to get down and dance along to the songs, she didn't want that spoiled. "What for?"

"What for? Don't you understand?!" The villain exclaimed, flabbergasted at how she wasn't picking up on how this was the perfect opportunity for some troublemaking. They could ruin the day of millions of people worldwide and tell every other supervillain watching that they were capable of "great" things and here she was, asking why.

"If I did, I wouldn't have said what for." Nurse Cohort hissed, not appreciating how he was getting all cocky with her. She was the one who cooked, cleaned, shaved his back (weird, but true), why was he being rude? He needed her, he fancied her, he should take a lesson from Captain Man and learn how to treat a lady right.

"By stopping Double G's concert, I'll be depriving a charity from receiving three-hundred million dollars for needy children! That's really evil!" He squealed, getting more and more high-pitched as the excitement got to him. His assistant turned her nose up at him, not believing that he'd stoop so low, just because he was pissed off that he'd been beaten again. Captain Man's prowess impressed her to no end, but now he mentioned it, maybe Miss Danger would finally be put in her place if this charity concert failed and then the handsome hero would be free from her nasty clutches. Maybe she could ignore the stealing from children thing, just this once.

~That afternoon, Henry's house~

Piper had done something crazy, nothing new there. The day before, she'd had some dumb argument with her dad about needing money for some prince, an obvious scam if he'd ever seen one. But Piper was convinced it was real and since he wasn't going to lend her one thousand dollars for some conman to steal, she had to earn it, which was how their house ended up on some AirBnB site and why some kids were on their way over that very moment. Her parents and brother were clueless to her scheming, of course; they'd have something to say about letting their house out to strangers, but she needed that money and because their guests were, like, five minutes away, she needed to get her dumb parents out before they arrived, so she was dragging their suitcases from the bedroom.

"Hey, mom, dad, I'mma go to the movies—" Henry walked through the house, telling his parents about his plans to go out. He didn't want them to worry, but he stopped mid sentence when a suitcase nearly landed on his head, something which scared the bejesus out of him. Piper wasn't watching where she was throwing them, she just wanted an empty house, pronto.

"What was that?" "What's going on?" Mr and Mrs Hart spluttered as they heard all the commotion and saw their son go pale. He walked up to the small, purple case, wondering where it had come from, when Piper through the second one down and this time, it bashed him right on the head, knocking him to the carpet. Well, that hurt and it sent his parents into a panic.

"What the mustard?" "Henry! Are you okay, baby?" They cried, dashing over to their groaning son and helping him up as he felt his head throb. Something warm was trickling through his hair, but he'd be okay. He'd suffered much worse working for Ray and he could toughen it out; he was a superhero, for god's sake, not that they knew that as they helped him limp along.

"Hey, bring those suitcases to the front door, would ya?" Piper asked her family, not caring that she'd almost killed her brother, she was too busy looking at her plans and contract for the guests. Her uncaring tone didn't go down well with her mom and dad, who were particularly fond of Henry since he was their favourite son, so kind and caring.

"Piper, explain." "Right now." They demanded, glaring at her as Henry's vision cleared up and he felt the injury on his scalp. Why did it feel warm and wet? And why did he have to have her as his little sister? She was so mean and annoying sometimes, and he could just tell that she was up to something. His family had good instincts and his were rarely wrong.

"Okay. I needed to make money to give to Prince Fa'ard, so, I listed our house on Air Be My Guest." Piper explained simply, watching innocently as her parents' mouth contorted into horror and shock. There house was going to be filled with strangers? The nerve of this girl, how could she do this without their permission? They hadn't cleaned, prepared any rooms, bought in any food, they were completely unprepared and completely pissed off. This sort of thing needed discussion before hand. "What for?!"

"You guys, yeah, this is blood. I'm gonna go upstairs and wipe my head." Henry groaned, showing his bloody finger after he brushed it against the gash, wincing at how much it stung. It wasn't bad enough to need stitches, but he couldn't walk around with bloody hair and if (y/n) taught him anything, cleaning the wound up a bit would stop it from getting any worse. 

"Gross." "Don't use our good towels." Mr and Mrs Hart told him, not very concerned to say that their son had just sustained a head injury and was bleeding. They didn't check or ask if he was all right, they just let him walk up the stairs to go sort it out himself, and Henry was really feeling the love. What if he had concussion? "Thank you all for caring."

"They're here! Take this, it's your hotel confirmation number!" Piper gasped as she heard the doorbell and quickly passed her mom the printed sheet she'd prepared just for them. She wasn't going to kick them out completely and make them sleep in the car or something, she wasn't that cruel. She'd booked them into a nice hotel and in her opinion, they could treat it like a short break, just the two of them, all romantic and stuff. It was a favour really.

"You booked us rooms as the Staines Hotel?" Mrs Hart gasped, looking at the suite that was apparently in her and her husband's name. It didn't look too bad, it was a decent place, actually scratch that, it was the best hotel in town, very elegant, but she wasn't about to be order out of her house by a twelve-year-old, especially when that twelve-year-old was her bossy daughter. She wasn't going to win though, Piper's guests were here and everything was ready, they just needed a final shove

"Yeah, I packed you guys' bags. Now, get out!" The girl told them, feeling the pressure since the people paying her were still waiting around on the doorstep, or at least she thought they were. This prince guy promised to make her a millionaire, why were they being so stingy and stupid? This was their chance to be rich! 

"We can't afford the Staines!" Mr Hart argued and it was true. That place was five stars, pure luxury inside and out, soft, fluffy and free bathrobes and slippers in every room, room service at any hour, en-suites in the en-suites, an indoor pool, a spa, a gym, king-sized beds in every room, a Michelin Star chef, the lot. It was literally the shining jewel of the hospitality sector in Swellview, but also a sure-fire way of crushing your bank account from the extortionate prices. Maybe the indulgence of the honeymoon suite was what drew Ray there for his and (y/n)'s anniversary or just any time he wanted to treat her; silk sheets and her breathless pleasure were just his vibe.

"Please, you guys, just get out!" Piper begged them as the knocking continued. Whoever was out there was getting confused and impatient, but they weren't about to just leave with no questions asked or an inspection of these strangers.

"No!" "No, we want to meet these people you rented our house to." Mr Hart and his wife stated, defying Piper and her bratty ways. For once, she wasn't going to have it all her way, and the prospect of her parents meeting the cool kids she'd invited over and embarrassing her in front of them made her eyes widen in fear.

"NO! What if they think you're weirdos then leave and don't pay me?" She asked rhetorically, thinking the abstract situation was a real possibility when it came to her mom and dad. Kris was fine, it was Jake who was the weird one and she needed that damn money, like hell was he going to ruin her chances with his stupid face and dumb dad jokes.

"I am not going to be called a weirdo in my own house!" Mr Hart exclaimed, rejecting her insult, but his wife didn't like how he was rising to her taunting. They just needed to stay calm and deal with her like adults because that's what they were. "Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not a baby. I'm thirty-eight-and-a-half-years-old." The man grumbled, looking like a baby as he pouted and Piper couldn't take it anymore. She just wanted to greet her guests, but when she opened the door, to her shock, no one was there. There was only one explanation for this, her dumb parents' questions must've made them think that they weren't wanted so they left for someone else's house. There went her money. 

"Aw, great. You scared them away! You owe me a thousand dollars!" She growled at them, not realising that the cool kids she'd invited weren't that dumb and had gone round the back to see if they could get in the house that way. And they were cool, super cool, the coolest; they were the Game Shakers, also known as the hottest game production company in the world, including Sky Whale, not that Piper knew that. She just thought they were some kids from New York, not some celebrities who were sponsored by Double G of all people. 

"Uh, hello?" Kenzie, a cute, highly intelligent girl with glasses said tentatively, wondering if these people were their hosts, but her sudden voice scared the wits out of Piper, Kris and Jake, making them back up against the wall like they were zombies coming to attack. A bit of an overreaction, but they did sneak up on them.

"Why do they seem terrified?" Triple G, or just Trip for short, whispered to his friends, eyeing the Harts suspiciously. They were in the right house, they were sure of that, maybe Swellview wasn't the normal, uneventful place they had thought it to be. Well, they'd obviously not done their research, any place that needed three superheroes on the city's official payroll immediately suggested that they had trouble of the weird and wonderful kind.

"I got this." Hudson, a well-meaning, dapper but dim-witted boy, announced, pushing his friends out of his way since he was certain that he could handle these Swellviewians. It was probably some kind of culture shock for them, seeing four stylish, uptown kids from New York in the quaint, little city and despite his friends' protests, he sauntered up to the shocked family. "Helloooo, weeeeee are from New Yoooorrrkkk." It was painful to watch.

"Um, sorry we scared you but, uh, nobody answered the door, so—" Babe, a sassy, confident, tough girl from Brooklyn, apologised to the family after batting Hudson away. She could see that they'd just been spooked and felt like they needed to say something after barging their way into the living room unannounced.

"So, we went around back and—" Trip explained further, just as Piper snapped out of her daze and smiled warmly at the kids. They were the kind of people she could be friends with, especially since they were offering her one thousand dollars and for that price, she'd be nice to anybody.

"Well, you're in the right place. I'm Piper and this is your home for the next three days." She told them all, shaking Babe's hand as she gestured to the Hart's family home, something that broke her parent's from their shock too. Three kids in their home for three days? Yeah, no, that's just asking for the place to be trashed and the cops to be called to a wild house party when they were out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on." Mrs Hart stopped her daughter before she got carried away and the Game Shakers looked at the adults in confusion. They had no idea that their arrival was unexpected, but they could sense some tension and that made it awkward.

"What? You're gonna say no? You're gonna throw four children out in the street?" She hissed at them, trying to play on their kinder sides since it often made them break. It wasn't like that, and the husband and wife tried to tell her so, that they weren't being cruel, they just didn't want to leave her and her reputation for trouble alone with four unknown kids for three days. If only they knew someone responsible...

"Um, we don't mean this to sound awkward—" Babe started, trying to slide in the fact that Piper had agreed that their stay would include no adults, just her supervision. It wasn't the best time, but it was part of the deal and they were paying for privacy and peace, two things they weren't gonna get if this girl was gonna argue with her parents all the time.

"—But the deal I made says only one resident at the house, Piper Hart, can be present during the rental term." Kenzie finished, reading out the exact words from the contract so they couldn't be misinterpreted. Come on, this was for a thousand dollars, they didn't want to be cheated and the idea of parents hanging around sounded crap.

"Yep, they're right." Piper nodded, smirking at her mom and dad like she'd won, but they still weren't convinced. Contract be damned, if they couldn't figure out a way to be comfortable with the kids staying in the house, then they have to leave and rent from someone else. Their house, their rules.

"Listen, girls, my husband and I can stay in a hotel, but we would feel more comfortable if someone a little older like our son stayed here with Piper and you guys." She told the girls, knowing that if Henry was with them, he was smart enough and responsible enough to preserve the house and their belongings. He was very nearly an adult and knew how to deal with Piper, plus he was polite and kind, he could treat their guests properly without doing anything stupid.

"Oh, okay, I see, I get, no, that's not acceptable, we really need to focus on work." Babe and Kenzie replied in one big mumble, thinking that Henry was some stuffy, dopey brother who'd just cramp their style and tell them what to do all the time, and that was a huge Nono. They needed space to breathe, not weird sons annoying them and Piper had promised that they'd be on their own, they could have any exceptions—

"Hey, what goes on?" Henry appeared at the top of the stairs, his hair and head all cleaned up and for the teenage girls, it was like time stopped. This was their son? He wasn't nerdy, ugly or pretentious, he was cute, suave and drop-dead gorgeous, a teen's ideal crush. He floated down the stairs like a goddamn Adonis, clearly a few years older than them and Babe and Kenzie couldn't help but drool. Okay, yeah, he was Piper's brother, but Henry was a good-looking lad and those blue eyes, blond hair and bright smile did wonders on the girls as he casually trotted down. Even Hudson and Trip could appreciate his handsomeness, just not as much as their friends who had already lined Henry up as their future husband. And all he did was walk down the stairs. 

"Dude's bringing it!" Hudson mumbled to Trip, who was inclined to agree. They'd never seen the girls melt like that before and understood why; this guy was awesome.

"Um, he—he's your son?" Babe asked on behalf of herself and Kenzie, praying that the answer was yes. Sweet cheese, he was perfect, tall, blond, blue-eyed and so gentlemanly when he smiled. She just knew they were destined to love each other forever and ever.

"Uh-hmm." "Yes." Mrs Hart and her husband nodded, obviously not being affected by Henry coming down the stairs and didn't recognise the girl's sudden change of heart. Well, he could boss them around all he wanted and they wouldn't complain, in fact, it was an absolute must that he stayed in the house whilst they were there, to send him away would be a real shame because damn, he was fine. "We've reconsidered." "We've changed our minds. It's best that he stays."

"Kinda needs to happen." They told the woman dreamily, each girl flanking Henry who was confused as to what was going on and why they were giving him goo-goo eyes. It had been a while since he'd had any kind of romantic interest in anyone, so he was kinda rusty and these girls were easily two years younger than him, he didn't want to seem weird. Staying chivalrous, that was the key, even if it was slightly odd when they gave him shy, flirty smiles and looked away blushing. He was Kid Danger and no stranger to girls having crushes on him, but not in his house. This was going to be interesting.

~Later that night~

Well, Mr and Mrs Hart took the bait. Knowing that Henry was going to be around to keep an eye on things settled their nerves and once they'd gotten past their anger from Piper's actions, they hurriedly drove off, heading for their break at the Staines. It was already paid for, so they might as well make the best of it.

Piper had immediately taken control of the situation, saying that her house was their house and that they should make themselves comfortable whilst she and Henry went out to get some Chinese food. They had four hungry mouths to feed, and a couple hundred dollars left by her mom, so off they went with a foot-long order list, which left the Gamer Shakers with ample time to get started on their work, or just mess about or find out more regarding a certain cute boy.

"Hey, Trip, last month, didn't one of us pitch a game about, like—?" Babe started, flicking through some of her notes as she tried to come up with some ideas for their next success. It was the whole reason they'd left New York, to rest, relax and recharge their batteries away from the stressful Big Apple, but so far, they'd done nothing, just sniffed around the Hart's possessions, including the display shelves, which were highly entertaining for Trip and Hudson. Did they not have those in New York? "—Trip! You guys, we came here to work, okay? I mean, come on, you don't see me and Kenzie being—"

Babe spoke too soon. Normally, her best friend was a stickler for focus and used her high intelligence to get stuff done, but Henry had left his backpack lying around in the living room and well, with him out, it was too much of a temptation for her to ignore. To her horror, Babe watched as Kenzie rooted through the bag, checking every pocket for anything that could tell her about the boy she was crushing on or maybe she could find something she could sneakily slaver over. "Kenzie, what are you doing?"

"Going through Henry's backpack." She answered simply, not even phased about how wrong it seemed or how much judgement she was receiving right now. You can tell a lot abut a person from what they keep in their bag and boy, she was learning a lot about Henry and what he liked, what he study, whether he had a girlfriend or not.

"You are setting a really bad example for the bookshelf buddies over here, so maybe you wanna—" Babe started to lecture her, knowing that if the smart one started misbehaving then, Trip and Hudson would follow suit like they were in some sort of pack hierarchy. It was wrong and what would they do if Henry and Piper came back and saw their guest rummaging through his stuff, obsessing over his tissues and textbooks? Well, at least babe thought it was wrong, until Kenzie pulled out an intriguing item that sent their teenage hearts racing.

"I found Henry's lip balm!" She squealed, twisting the tube around in her fingers like it was sacred. This small, tubular hunk of beeswax had touched Henry's lips, it had ran across them so many times and if they tasted it, they'd know what it would be like to kiss him, something that even for Babe and her morals, was too much. "Bring that over here right now!"

"Shall we try it?" Kenzie asked her friend as she dragged the bag over and sat down on the couch like they were whispering and giggling at a sleepover. It was a bit creepy to try on someone else's lip balm, not to mention highly unhygienic, but the brain of a teenage girl rarely works when it comes to a boy and they just wanted to get a glimpse into what kind of flavour he was wearing. Oh god, his lips must be so damn soft if he used lip balm...

"Are you insane?! Of course, we're gonna try it!" Babe exclaimed, forgetting about her worries from earlier and grabbed the tube from Kenzie's hands, unscrewing the cap and rubbing it along her bottom lip for a few seconds. Her friend snatched to back almost immediately, also craving the idea of rubbing it onto her lips, 'cause if it had been on Henry's lips and now hers, it was sort of like a kiss? A preschool idea, but a heartwarming, toe-curling one nonetheless. "Don't hog the balm!"

"Okay, fine, take it." Babe sighed, releasing it from her fingers since she could faintly taste the strawberry goodness. It was a bold choice for a guy, something that (y/n) had given to Henry when he'd been complaining about his rough lips, and her favourite quickly became his when it worked its magic, transforming his skin into a smooth, totally kissable surface. Hudson and Trip watched on with screwed-up faces, wondering if it was a girl thing as they licked at their lips and decided that they wouldn't mind to try it on their owner, who, incidentally, just so happened to walk through the door as Kenzie smeared it around her lips. 

"Hey, we're back." Henry smiled, shocking the girls into a frenzy as they rushed to shove the lip balm back into the pocket where it had been found. Luckily for them, Henry didn't seem to notice, he was too busy watching Piper as she dashed up to the porch, a heavy bag of Chinese food in her hand as the girls floundered with his backpack, shoving it on the floor like they'd never touched it when Henry casually walked over. What a fucking close call.

"Oh, look who's back! Hey, Henry!" "Hi, Henry, you came back! You were gone for so long..." "Yeah, we were getting worried about you, boy..." Babe and Kenzie squealed, practically drooling over the boy and the way his hair flopped into his eyes when he checked his watch, their fanning going over his head. How could they get him to notice them? He was, like, the perfect boy and god, the way the veins in his arms flexed, they could've fainted right then and there.

"Uh, yeah, I was only gone for fifteen minutes." Henry frowned. The Chinese place was only down the road and whilst it was flattering, he couldn't understand why they were worried about him when he was practically a stranger to them. Geez, he really was useless at this, someone would have to point it out to him or point with a massive, flashing arrow surrounded by love hearts to get him to finally understand. They had two, ginormous crushes on him and it was bad, like, instantaneously falling for him, puppy-love at first sight.

"Fifteen minutes to win it." "Yeah, bae." They flirted with him, Kenzie putting a hand on his arm tenderly, another gesture that went right over his head. Bae? The hell did that mean? He looked at the hand in confusion, wondering if it was a New York thing, or maybe if he should ask Ray or (y/n) about some dating stuff later on, 'cause was getting a lot of mixed signals and his brain couldn't take it. Thankfully though, Piper came through the door, ending the awkward moment as she brought in the rest of the food.

"Hey! More Chinese food coming up!" She announced, holding up the bag, drawing cheers from the hungry teens, so they all skipped to the kitchen. Babe started pulling some plates out from the cabinets and Henry took his matching bag over to the counter so they could start serving the piping hot goodness. Hudson started pulling everything out, eager to get to the eating part, but Trip, having survived their little, weird, squealing, crush moment, turned to the girls and returned to what they had travelled for; work.

"Uh, I thought you girls said we were supposed to focus on work. Trip mentioned, pulling out cartons with Hudson, who as usual, had a lot of suggestions, just not very good ones, but this time, he came through for them. Henry and Piper were curious too, they wondered what kind of work they were in, and they were in for a huge shock.

"Well, why can't we eat Chinese food and think of a new game at the same time?" Hudson suggested, which wasn't actually a bad idea. Food and thinking went hand in hand with each other and they could relax a little too. It wasn't totally about work, with Henry around, Babe and Kenzie were willing to bend the rules just a little bit. "Yeah, we can do that."

"New game?" Piper frowned, wondering what they were on about. Honestly, she had no idea who they were, apart from where they lived and that they'd give her a shit ton of cash if they could stay in her house. When they said game, did they mean board game, online game, playground game? It wasn't a typical Bobbie, well, not in Swellview anyway.

"Yeah, we make video games." Babe smiled at her, setting out some glasses for everyone since the food was gonna be deliciously salty and they'd need to keep sipping throughout it. It was weird, "make video games" seemed like an oversimplification; they earned millions from the games they designed, entertained players all over the world, but no one knew who they were, not by looking at their faces any way. They were just the geniuses behind the scenes, content to just kick back and have fun with their work, even if some praise would be nice now and again.

"We have our own company." "Game Shakers." "Super successful." Kenzie and Babe elaborated further, the former smirking and winking at Henry when she mentioned how they weren't just some nerds sat programming until the late hours of the night, they retained some glamour, some wealth, hell, maybe even some fame from what they did and upon hearing their name, a synapse twitched in Piper's brain. She'd definitely heard of them now they'd dropped the name.

"Game Shakers?! Wait, didn't Game Shakers make that game, Sky Whale?" Piper gasped, her mouth dropping over as Kenzie brought over a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and that caught Henry's attention. They made Sky Whale?! The game he played in every hour of free time he had, the game where he was like a master, flopping the whale about like he was born to do it? Their grins confirmed it and he was instantly walking over to them, throughly gobsmacked at how the creators of the most downloaded game on the PearStore were in his house. Holy shit. "Oh, yeah." "We did."

"What?" Shut up!" He gasped, making the girls quickly do as he said. They do anything for him, even if it did seem a bit weird to be silent upon his orders. Eh, they were dumb, young and crushing, they were bound to lose their common sense a little bit. "Okay..."

"No, it's just...I love that game. When did you—" Henry was cut off from asking them all about it when he phone started buzzing and ringing in his pocket and he already knew who was calling, judging by the little jingle. "Oh, hang on, it's my boss." He nodded, silently apologising to the girls for the interruption before walking away to take the call, not that they minded. He had a job? That was hot.

"Boss?" "Hmmmm, he's got a job." "A working man..." The girls sighed over how he was now literally perfect, he could pay for things, he was like an adult, so cool, so smooth, so damn hot and cute and god, why couldn't they have him now?! Was it really so wrong to want a guy they'd known for five minutes, even if he was a little older? He looked so good holding that phone, his fingers gripping the device, his soft lips curling into a smile...if this was love then they wanted all of it, all of him.

"Hey, Hen, it's us. Will you please come talk some sense into Jasper? He's being silly and he's doing our heads in." It was (y/n) who spoke through the speaker, Ray's phone nestled behind her and her boyfriend's head as they stood in Junk-N-Stuff with Jasper, Charlotte and some little boy Jasper had found in the street. 

It was a weird predicament; the curly-haired boy insisted that he had a newfound son because according to Swellview law, if no one claimed the child, whom he'd named Barfield, after fourty-eight hours, he could legally adopt him, which was crazy for numerous, obvious reasons. 

Firstly, this boy had parents, who were probably worried sick and searching the streets for him, so Jasper not doing everything he could to reunite them was a bit...horrible. Secondly, he was way too young to be a father, there was responsibility, time, effort, money, a promise to care for another person until they were eighteen, he wasn't ready for that, he could barely look after himself, not that he'd listen to anyone who told him that. And finally, he was insisting that because he was a "new father", he was entitled to parental leave to look after the child, that meant Ray would have to pay him to not be at work, something (y/n) was all in favour of, normally. She knew that paternal leave was necessary for a lot of new parents, but that didn't apply to Jasper. He was getting carried away and her motherly instincts came out when he brought the boy in for a bath, but he didn't belong there. He had a family.

"I'm not silly, I'm a parent." Jasper argued, thinking that she would've been the one to support him on this. She was already quite fond of the kid, who was busy splashing in a bubble bath as Charlotte sponged him down, but she flat out refused to support him in keeping him as his son. It was admirable that he was taking care of him whilst he was still lost, but also dumb that he thought he'd be okay just becoming a dad at the drop of a hat. What about his education? How would he support the kid? Feed him, clothe him, buy him toys, get him into school, where would they live? He'd thought of none of this.

"You're apparently silly. Bam, word play! You lose." Ray growled back it him, his anger clear to Henry as he glanced at the child. Yeah, watching (y/n) play with him, hold him, feed him bits of mashed banana and rock him to sleep was cute and something he loved more than he should've, something that just made him want to marry her more, but this was borderline child endangerment. He couldn't let this happen and if there was one person Jasper might listen to, it would be his best friend.

"Guys, what's the problem?" Henry asked, worried when he heard how agitated they both were. He knew about Barfield, and had told Jasper to let the police reunite him with his parents, but he had no idea how far it had really gone. Jasper was serious, if no one claimed the kid, he was gonna be Barfield Dunlop very soon.

"Jasper's trying make me give him paternity leave." Ray snapped, which made Jasper scoff. He was feeling fatherhood and the minute he saw Barfield walking the streets alone, he just knew he had to take him in and he couldn't understand why no one was supporting him. Charlotte also thought he was stupid, even as she scrubbed the boy, covered in suds from his splashes, but not even her advice could change his mind. He was just too damn stubborn.

"I have a son, his name is Barfield and I found him in a bush. And according to state law...when a person becomes a new parent, that parent is entitled to three months of paid vacation, so that he or she may have quality time to bond with his or her new child." Jasper read the law straight from the book, forcing the couple out  from behind the counter so they could drive the fact that he was being a moron home. It was about being stingy, well, maybe a bit on Ray's side, but more about doing what's right; Barfield needed to go home and Jasper had to protect his future. He'd be a dad one day, just not now.

"Jasper, for the love of god, you are not a parent!" (y/n) groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as Ray put arm around her shoulders to try and offer her some comfort. He knew this bugged her, because she knew how hard being an adult was and hell, if they, a couple twice Jasper's age, with financial security, with a place to live, with jobs, with a stable, secure relationship, weren't ready for a child, then he definitely wasn't. They knew what he was going through, he felt the urge to protect him, to nurture a little one, they had also felt like that at one point, like they could raise a child no matter what, but they also knew that now wasn't the right time. Soon, yes, right now, no.

"If no one claims my child by tomorrow night, I sure am! And, state law says that you gotta give me paternity leave!" Jasper retorted, waving the paper in front of Ray so he could see the text, and the man couldn't help but snatch it from his grip. He stood on a drum, his height towering over Jasper as he tried to get it back, and (y/n) remembered why she was still childless at thirty. Her boyfriend was a child and she still had to keep the peace. "Maybe you're too short to be a parent!"

"Okay, let's just calm down. Jasper, I know you want to do this, but looking after a child is hard, really damn hard and you're gonna be on your own. Parenting is a...heroic act when done right, but you're not in position to do what's best for Barfield. He probably has a family waiting for him and even if he doesn't, you won't be able to give him everything he needs. You're still a child yourself." The woman reasoned with the boy trying to appeal to his sensible side with her own maturity. She just wanted him to see how insane the whole thing was. 

"(y/n), for the last time he's my son, I love him. You'll understand too one day, when you and Ray have kids together." Jasper replied, making the adults gulp subtly at the thought of having their own children running around the place. Yeah, they wanted that, but that didn't mean that they were gonna say fuck it and ruin their financial and relationship status because of a passing fancy when they thought a child would be a fun change to their crazy lives.

"Hey, you leave us out of it, you're not a parent!" Ray stressed again, still stood on the drum as he looked down at his girlfriend with fond eyes. He'd do anything for her, but again, if he, a thirty-six-year-old man felt terrified of fatherhood, then where did that leave Jasper? Marriage was barely on their doorstep, babies were a long way off, Colin the Bunny was the right level of caring for a living creature that they needed right now.

"You know you're still on the phone with Henry?" The boy snapped, holding up Ray's new PearPhone after his old one was crushed. It was the same model as before, but (y/n) wasn't happy at him buying another one, believing that he needed to be more careful with them. Anyway, the mention of his youngest sidekick made Ray panic, as he remembered who he was originally chatting to.

"Oh, sweet mother, I forgot about Henry." He mumbled, getting down from his drum and holding the phone between his and his girl's ear so they could bother listen, plus it give them a great excuse to get all cosy in each other's personal space. They heard something on the line, Henry muttering to someone in his house, although out of context, Mushu sounded real weird.

"Why do you need new shoes?" (y/n) asked the kid, wondering what the hell he was talking about and her brain rationalised the words into something sensible, sort of. It sounded sensible to her, although she was sure that he'd gone shoe shopping not too long ago. What was he doing that meant he needed new ones already? Her inner thoughts were interrupted by Charlotte screaming as Barfield made a break for it, running buck-ass nude from his bath and out of the shop. He must've liked it outside, but even so, Jasper ran after him, scared that he might lose his newfound offspring.

"Oh, he's out the door." Ray groaned, dropping his head down to rest on his girl's shoulder as he watched the boy run away. Normally, they'd go after him, scared that he'd hurt himself or get run over or kidnapped or just something awful, but they figured they'd let Jasper learn the hard way. He was the "parent", it was up to him to control and keep his child safe, alone.

"Barfield! Come back, son! Irresponsible!" Jasper screamed after the boy, stopping briefly to snap at Charlotte about it was her fault that Barfield took off, even though she was just doing him a favour and had no authority over the child. Again, he was the parent, it was his responsibility to teach him safety and to not run away, so Charlotte's pissed off look was very well-justified.

"Ray, (y/n), you there?" Henry's confused voice came from the phone again, him being at bit concerned from all the shouting he could hear and then when he got no answer, it just got even weirder. What was Jasper's new kid up to now?

"Yeah, it sounds like you got people over." Ray replied, (y/n) practically cheek-to-cheek with him so she could hear what was being said too. It would've been better to put the call on speaker, but years as a secretive superhero had left the man cautious about who could be eavesdropping and he just liked having his girlfriend in one arm, almost lifting her off the ground so she could reach his ear. Picking her up was an easy feat for him and having her so close was a beautiful, little bonus.

"Oh, yeah, some kids are renting our house for a couple days." Henry told them, making the couple frown.

"Isn't that a bit weird? I mean, strangers in your house, it's like my worst nightmare." (y/n) replied, exaggerating a bit.

"No, it's pretty cool 'cause, they're the Game Shakers." The kid bragged, expecting the adults, who self-admittedly, were huge fans of their games, to cry out in amazement, but they didn't have a clue. Yeah, they knew the games, but they didn't have any idea who made them, they were over thirty, for god's sake, they had better things to do. Like paying taxes, planning a proposal, watching crap romcoms, caring for a rabbit and having sex. A lot of sex. They didn't have time for trivial things like game designers.

"We don't know what that means." Ray told him, (y/n) shaking her head to agree with him. Were they some young, cool group they were too old to understand? 'Cause it sure sounded like that, but Henry was about to blow their minds, well, Ray's anyway.

"They're these kids who create a bunch of cool games, including Sky Whale." He smiled as he admitted it, hearing the faint gasps on the end of the line as he gave Babe and Kenzie a thumbs-up. Yeah, he'd impressed them, but he didn't know the extent of it. (y/n) could feel the way Ray's body tensed as it pressed against her own and the arm crossed across her waist clenched as something dawned on him. The makers of his favourite game were just down the road and presented him with the perfect opportunity, one that his childish heart could help but latch onto and tuck into the tiny cavity where it kept everything he loved the most; his ego, Sky Whale, corn dogs and of course, (y/n). She took up most of the room in his heart, owning nearly all of it.

"Wait, are you saying that the people who created Sky Whale are at your house, right now?!" Ray asked, waiting for the all important confirmation with baited breath. If it was true, then he was ready to run, his hand grasping (y/n)'s wrist tightly so he could pull her along since this was something she couldn't miss and he just loved having her around. His legs were ready, his heart was pumping, (y/n) was still a bit confused, but he could explain on the way, he just needed Henry to say the magic word. "Yeah... Isn't that cool? Ray? (y/n)? Isn't that cool? Hello? You guys there? Dude, am I dangling?"

The kid was left to splutter and eventually, hang up, because Ray was off like a shot, tugging his girlfriend behind him as they made for the Hart's family home, the woman completely unprepared to meet new people in her worn jeans and t-shirt, but it didn't matter. Ray had a plan, but it didn't involve Ray Manchester or (y/n) (y/l/n), they couldn't get the same privileges as Captain Man and Miss Danger.

~

(y/n) could barely keep up with Ray as he dragged her through the streets, her keen, observant mind, plus the phone call telling her that they were heading for Henry's house. His strides were twice as long as hers, his body moving like an impenetrable wall of muscle steaming down the road, and her little legs struggled to keep up as the grasp on her wrist changed. He slipped her fingers through his, joining them in a much sweeter way as his pace finally relented once they were pulling up to Henry's drive, which gave the woman a chance to catch her breath and ask what the hell was going on.

"Raymond Manchester, you better—you better explain to me why we're at Henry's house, right now, before I pass—out." She wheezed, her hand clutching at her chest as she tried to steady her breathing. Jeez, she really needed to start doing some cardio or stamina training, or perhaps Ray should've not allowed such a trivial thing to excite him so much. They stumbled onto the porch, the man suspiciously checking left and right as they hid in the shadows and something about the way he pushed her further into the wall like they needed to hide was...illuminating.

"We, you sweet little thing, are gonna go in there and meet the Game Shakers." Ray grinned, excitement bleeding through into his voice as his hands cupped her face and his nose judged hers. It was like he was waiting, teasing her as she pondered his words and why he hadn't kissed her yet like he normally would. It was evident to everyone, Ray loved his girlfriend's kisses and was a strong believer that he didn't get enough, so him not taking this perfect opportunity for a hot, pinned-against-the-wall, desperate kiss was unusual and made (y/n) pause.

"Why would they want to meet the bosses of some kid they've only known for five seconds?" She questioned, standing on her tiptoes to try and get closer to his lips, only succeeding in getting the slightest brush. He was turning her into the needy one, especially when one hand rested on the wall behind her and the other roamed down to her collarbone and soft neck. It was hard to tell what was in his head, it was all a big jumble; on one hand, he wanted to go see the genius kids who made video games, but on the other, he had this absolute angel of a woman quivering in his arms and a solid wall behind her with nowhere to go but straight into his embrace. What's a guy to do?

"'Cause they're not gonna be meeting us, they're gonna be meeting Captain Man and his hot girlfriend, Miss Danger." He replied, a smirk painted across his face as he gave her a tidbit of his plan. No one wanted to see Ray Manchester, well, apart from her, but everyone loved a superhero, even better, two superheroes and he was certain that if they waltzed in there and played their cards right, they'd be coming back out having just received an offer about a Captain Man and friends game. It was written in the stars in his eyes, but then the voice of reasons piped up and even though she didn't want to, she started shooting stars.

"Ray...what have I told you about using our secret identities to get what you want?" (y/n) sighed, getting the feeling that they were walking into trouble. It wasn't like these kids were criminals, far from it, but it felt wrong to deliberately use their fame and status and just expect people to do stuff for them, and surely, they'd have better things to do. This was just an ego thing, her boyfriend's big head ruling his actions again, although that head of his also knew how to rub her in just the right way.

"I know, I know, sweet girl. You always know what's best for me, but please, just go in there with me and play along, just this once. Please? I'll love you forever and forever..." God, those puppy-dog eyes could melt butter and they certainly melted her heart. Ray was already sure, one-hundred per cent, concrete certain that he'd love her, always, that was just him being sappy, but he really wanted to do this. No messing, just a straight conversation, that's all he wanted and the way their breath mingled from their proximity and his fingers trailed down her chest seemed to seal the deal.

"Okay, fine. Whatever. But I want you to kiss me first, right here, right now, against this wall." She relented after a moment's hesitation, seeing in his eyes that he was desperate and who was she to deny him? And vice versa? He wasn't going to just stand there when she'd made the most delicious counteroffer, so his fingers curled around her throat gently and his frame hung over hers, pressing her further into the nook until her back was scraping against the brick.

"That can be arranged..." Ray mumbled, finally capturing her lips with his own as her hands fisted the material of his shirt, dragging his chiselled torso closer to hers as they expertly moved against each other. It was like it was imprinted in their minds now, neither was shy or clumsy, they'd long since mapped out their shape, taste and depths of each other's mouths so they could recognise the honeyed bubblegum clash in an instant, but that didn't mean they craved it any less. It wasn't as painful, but the same longing from their years of mutual pining was still there and knowing that the other was there, waiting, ready to give and receive love, just made the need greater.

"Y'know, we could go home, do this in our bed rather than on Henry's porch. Who knows where I might let you put your hands or if you're lucky, your co—" The woman's teasing, sultry words were short-lived and worked against her favour as Ray pulled away from the kiss moments before his brain told him to drift his lips down the column of her neck. He wasn't backing out now, not when the Game Shakers were behind that door and he'd learnt that two could play at the teasing game and just because she was better at it, it didn't mean he couldn't have his fun too.

"Suit up. We're going in" His voice growled, frustration colouring his tone as he used every ounce of restraint in his body to pull away and fish for his gumball tube. Shit, when she whined, he felt cruel and wondered if he should've screwed his big plan and just dragged her back to the Man Cave where a king-size mattress was waiting for them, but no. This was how he wanted to play and if she was going to be a brat, stamping her feet and pouting, then he'd treat her like one. "That'll teach you to stop running your pretty mouth when we've got a job to do."

"It's not even a job, doofus. And you better fuck me when we get home, it's freezing out here and changing into my supersuit ain't gonna help that." (y/n) grumbled, also taking out her tube as she realised that this was a fight she wasn't going to win. How much did he want that game? There she was, a soft, sultry figure waiting to be ravished and he just pulled away like it was nothing, talk about priorities. And it was cold, chilly, well below zero, something that exposed her suit's greatest weakness, it came with a skirt and bare thighs. Maybe she'd have to develop a winter version, 'cause even though the cold couldn't harm her anymore, she still felt it and it sucked having to walk around in merely a bodice and skirt. Not her brightest design by any means.

"'Course, sweet girl. Anything for you." Ray smirked, chewing his gum before blowing a glowing bubble. Their suits materialised around them, leaving Ray to think about how he literally would do anything for her. He'd throw caution to the wind and get down on one knee for her, forgetting about his fears because she was worth it, a life spent with her would be so damn worth it. "Let's go."

Inside, Henry, Babe, Kenzie, Trip and Hudson were all chilling, casually nibbling on Chinese food and sharing the fortunes from their cookies. Piper had stormed off back to the restaurant when she'd read out some crappy prediction that was just a random sentence and nothing meaningful. That left Babe and Kenzie to use their fortunes for some good, old-fashioned flirting and Babe was laying it on thick, staring into Henry's eyes dreamily and wondering what her next move should've been when Ray decided to ignore the doorbell and just punch through the glass pane next to the handle. 

The teens and (y/n) watched in shock and horror as he wiggled his hand through the hole, flipped the lock from the inside and opened the door to let them in, ignoring how Henry's parents were gonna be mortified. The Game Shakers were mystified by the sudden appearance of two superheroes in all their glory, immediately tittering over why and how they were there, but Henry, he was less impressed. He just gave them both an annoyed expression, to which (y/n) offered a minuscule wince to try and apologise without raising too much suspicion.

"All right, now, where's that burglar?" Ray stated, looking around the room with shifty eyes and tense muscles, (y/n) copying his actions so she could play along at "catch the fake burglar". He should've told her the plan before he broke in there, but hey, he got distracted by her lips, what could he do?

"Whoa, it's Captain Man and Miss Danger!" Hudson exclaimed, pointing at the couple with wide eyes. Even though they weren't from Swellview and New York had plenty of celebrities to keep them occupied, Captain Man was still a big deal for them and so were his sidekicks; they had international reach, it was pretty sick.

"Shut up." Babe gasped, her emotions buzzing as Miss Danger stood there, poised and elegant next to her powerful boyfriend, shoulders back, head straight, looking like everything the girl dreamed she could be. She was an idol for lots of girls, all of whom waned to know what she wore, how she did her makeup, how she got her hair to look so perfect everyday and how it felt to be the coolest, prettiest, smartest superheroine out there.

"Call window repair guy..." Henry mumbled to himself, entering the reminder into his phone whilst they all screamed about his dumb boss and friend. Seriously, why did he ever tell Ray? He should've known that he'd overreact and do something impetuous, but he wouldn't have thought that (y/n) would come too. Oh, he must've promised her food, another rabbit or something gross. Yeah, probably something gross.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. That can't be the real Captain Man and Miss Danger." Kenzie reasoned, thinking that the heroes were way too famous and busy to come to see them. It had to be some kind of joke, a guy and a girl in costumes, pretending to be crimefighter, because why would they take time from their hectic schedules to hang out with them. And, the chances of them meeting were stupendously low, it just had to be a prank, statistically,it was more likely.

"If I wasn't the real Captain Man, could I do this?" Ray decided that he'd put an end to their doubt right then and there, so he picked up a pretty, pink vase from the mantelpiece, debated how he should go about it and then just smashed it over his own head, the shards cascading down his body as agonising paining splintered through his skull for a second. It evaporated quickly, making the smirk worm its way back onto his face after a slight grimace and the kids all loved how he showed off his superpower. "And then say, I'm okay?" 

"And if I wasn't Miss Danger, would I be able to do this?" It was (y/n)'s turn next to prove her identify and rather than trashing things that weren't hers like her boyfriend had just done (they'd be having words later), she just plucked a piece of glass that had caught in his collar and held it up to her neck. Inhaling sharply, her teeth gritted as the glass pierced a straight line through her skin, a trickle of crimson running from the wound which left the kids slightly squeamish. However, their amazed gasps soon returned when her skin immediately stitched itself back together, the blood vanishing too and the cut disappeared into nothing, not even a scar, which was pretty damn cool to watch. "And have no scar afterwards?"

"That's them! I know it!" Trip cried as his friends gasped and chatted at the amazing feats they'd just whispered and Ray couldn't help but pull his girl closer to his body as she brushed away the last of the glass on his suit, a feeling of pride washing over him. Yeah, his power was cool and he loved being the centre of attention, but seeing her so powerful yet so shy under their applause was so damn endearing and knowing that he had her as his lover, his possible future wife, it just made him thank whoever made her and put her in his fate.

"I bought that vase for Mother's Day." Henry grumbled, dumbstruck at how they just walked in and started smashing the place up. His mom loved his gift, how was he gonna be able to tell her that Captain Man smashed it over his head? His parents would never believe that. And things were about to get weirder. A kid came through the door, following the heroes' path after he had seen a faint flash of red and blue on the porch and instantly, he had known who it was. He had to go check out if his eyes were telling the truth, so he just barged right in and saw the smirking man and his girlfriend stood there before him, just like he had been told.

"Whoa, Captain Man, Miss Danger! I thought I saw you walk in this house." The boy stated, playing along to Ray's little plan. The hero hadn't quite told (y/n) everything about what they were doing and needed a third party to strengthen his argument about needing a game, so he'd paid a little boy to do it for him. How he'd done it was incredible and almost unbelievable. 

"Hey, who's this kid who I've never seen before until just now?" Ray asked stiffly, Henry instantly picking up on how he was lying by the tone of his voice and his weird posture. The guy's hands were on his hips and he just sounded flat, rehearsed and clearly, something was up, and even (y/n) couldn't help but point it out.

"I don't know, but why are you talking like this?" She retorted, her hands resting on her waist as she mimicked him. She made sure to go along with whatever he did as per his request, but even so, she couldn't help a little tongue-in-cheek tease, not when his acting skills were so horrendous. 

"Captain Man?" The boy piped up, stealing Ray from his semi-annoyed look at his sweet girl, who was suppressing a smile at how she'd rumbled him. He'd very nearly broke character as his fingers twitched to pinch her chin and make those laughing eyes look into his, but then he fell back into reality and remembered that he had to keep his cool, even if he was still reeling from the porch kiss. "Yes?"

"Well, you're such an awesome superhero and your girlfriend, Miss Danger, is so hot..." Okay, yeah, he was definitely getting paid. Henry scoffed at that and even (y/n) rolled her eyes as a blush spread across her face at how Ray had obviously told the kid what to say because it stroked his ego way too much to be just a personal opinion. Yeah, he was awesome and yeah, his girlfriend was hot, two things that made Ray feel so good about himself that he couldn't help but forgo any modest and just wholeheartedly agree. "Well...go on."

"I just wish there was a video game about you." The kid finally said it and then it was confirmed for Henry. That sneaky, little...so that was his motive for coming to his house and smashing his property, it wasn't a damn burglar, it was his stupid inflated head and his obsession with Sky Whale. He could've been a lot more subtle about it, especially when he laughed off the suggestion like it shocked or embarrassed him like it did to (y/n), who hadn't expected him to be so...so...fucking obvious. "A video game about me? Come on..."

"I'd play it. I think all people would play it." The boy added, finishing off Ray's pre-planned sales pitch for the Game Shakers and to his delight, they glanced at each other and shared some nods. They could work with that, Captain Man was hugely popular and it benefitted them too, they'd get loads of money from the purchases and Ray would get his ego boost. It was a win-win situation and with them all seemingly convinced, it was time to cough up his investment.

"Well, you're probably right. Take care." Ray smiled and sneakily gave the kid a backhanded two dollar bill for his service, something that Henry nor (y/n) missed, making the woman prod him sharply as she raised an eyebrow. This was what they did now? Bribed little kids? The boy studied the note for a few seconds, satisfied with the money he'd received, but Ray still hadn't let up on all his promises, he was in it for just two measly dollars.

"You said I could play with the laser." He mentioned, making Ray tense as he practically felt the disappointment radiating from his girl. They could've stayed in Junk-N-Stuff, but no, he was giving a highly dangerous weapon to a child who would use it like a water gun. What a joke.

"Shhhh! Bring it back in ten minutes." He mumbled, unhooking the alarmingly big gun from the back of his belt as (y/n) facepalmed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. He played it off like it was nothing, grabbing her waist and cooly turning to look at the teens as the boy ran off to start shooting, his heart hammering as he thought about how his girlfriend would be chastising him later. Oh well, that was future Ray's problem.

"So, Captain Man and Miss Danger. Why are you here...in my house?" Henry stepped forward, forming a little group with his touchy boss as the man cuddled up to (y/n), clearly trying to win her affection again after giving his biggest laser to that kid. Ugh, so gross, but he couldn't wait to hear his excuses and was curious as to what the woman's reaction would be too. He wouldn't have thought that lying and endangering minors were her kind of fun, evening activities, but then again, now that he thought about it and took in her body language, she looked just as miffed as he did.

"To stop that burglar, would you believe it?" She replied, her arms folded to portray her distaste for the situation, but she still allowed Ray his little wants and longings for touching her, she could never deny him that, unless he'd really pissed her off. Henry could see that she wasn't part of this, not really; she was playing along, sure, but if it was up to her, she'd be at home with a bowl of ice cream, watching her favourite romcom and making Ray watch it with her. That sounded like heaven and suddenly, she longed to go back home, but once the mask went on, she wasn't (y/n) (y/l/n), girlfriend of Ray Manchester, she was Miss Danger, sidekick to Captain Man. Going home wasn't an option until he said so. "Uh, well, there's no burglar."

"Well, we can't be sure." Ray argued, moving to push past Henry so he could guide his girl over to the celebrity teens and really get to know them. No matter what the kid argued, his boss wouldn't listen, not when it was his cocky nature ruling his brain and with the love of his life on his arm, Ray often thought he was invincible, despite having a very human soul underneath all that brash exterior. Trip was the first kid they sauntered up to, the couple expecting him to freak out and he did, just not in the way they were hoping.

"Hey, where's Kid Danger?!" He asked excitedly, prompting his friends to ask the same in a rush of eagerness that made Henry freeze. Shit, he hoped that Ray still had his bullshitting head on, 'cause he couldn't give an answer. That would give him away, but luckily, his friends were just as keen to protect him as he was and had enough experience to come up with something.

"Oh, uh, he's getting his nails done. He goes to the same place I do, but he likes the bolder colours and manicures." (y/n) smirked, knowing that the teen behind her was prickling at her words and how blatantly untrue they were. Like he'd ever go get his nails done with her, that just ruined his image, plus, Charlotte normally went with her and all they talked about was boys, makeup tips and baking recipes. Did she want him to throttle her? 'Cause he would do that, if it didn't mean that Ray would separate his head from his body. Still, he could try and tell them that he/Kid Danger would never be seen in a nail salon, not even for a hundred bucks, but the way Ray was strutting around like a peacock, it meant that his words were just white noise. "Uh, y'know, guys, I really don't think that Kid Danger would do something like that, but okay."

"Clever girl." Ray mumbled into his girlfriend's ear as they stopped strolling so he could press a kiss to her temple. It was a sweet moment and the teens internally melted at the sight of the heroes, thinking that for adults, they were kinda cute together. Babe, though, had something to say and tentatively approached the couple, hoping she wouldn't butt in on the moment too harshly as her friends encouraged her to ask the big question.

"Um, hi, Captain Man, Miss Danger. Um, we're from New York, we run a mobile game company." she explained, gesturing to the group as they were all responsible for something in their business. Babe brought the sass, Kenzie brought the brains, Trip brought the fame (and his dad's money) and Hudson, well, he brought a pleasant optimism.

"It's called Game Shakers! Super successful." Kenzie repeated the same phrase from early, flipping her hair over her shoulder and smirking at Henry as she said that last part. She was really trying to impress him and her winning smile wasn't lost on (y/n), neither was the blush that spread on her face when he smiled back. Well, well, well, what did they have here? It seemed like the kid had only gone and gotten a couple of girls pining after him and she was here for it, it was so damn cute.

"So you're the Game Shakers?" Ray asked in an clueless tone, like this was all new information despite it having been established on the phone back home. He really was trying it on and his am moved to wrap around his girl's shoulders whilst the teens nodded furiously. "Well, I wish I'd known."

"Yeah, well, if you want to talk with us about making a Captain Man game, I mean, we'd be totally into the idea—" Babe carried on, the smile growing on her face as she told the heroes that they'd be honoured to produce a Captain Man game, maybe one that included his sidekicks too, but just before anyone could agree to anything, (y/n)'s phone began to ring against her utility belt.

"Oh, sorry, hold that thought, just gotta take this." She smiled at the kids briefly, taking the cell from her belt and flipping it horizontally when she noticed that it was a video-call with no caller ID. That struck her as odd and she looked up at Ray with a concerned expression to steady her nerves before swiping the screen to answer the call and boy, did the concern grow to disgust. 

"Aloha from Hawaii! Captain Man. And your silly, little girlfriend, Miss Danger." Ray's arms immediately wrapped around (y/n)'s waist and pulled her close in a protective embrace as he realised who had made the call; Doctor Minyak. That guy never gave up, he just came back thirsty for revenge and the fact that he'd had the nerve to call Miss Danger's phone and not his just showed how he was ready to toy with his nemesis once more, going after the one thing that Captain Man refused to bargain with, the woman he loved, even if it was just a phone call. He knew what he was doing, but Ray wouldn't give him the satisfaction, his girl was with him, in his arms, safe, where he knew he could protect her from scum like him. "Well, well, Doctor Minyak."

"What? How is he alive? We watched him jump out of that cargo plane without a parachute..." Henry growled, standing up to voice his disbelief at hearing that their enemy had managed a miraculous escape from their fight a few days previous, but then he saw Ray's pale face and (y/n) frantically shaking her head in minuscule snaps and then he remembered. He wasn't Kid Danger at that moment, he was just a normal guy, who shouldn't have any idea about the dealings of Captain Man and who he'd fought or when, and the confused looks of the Game Shakers made his mouth run dry and he had no way of explaining how he knew that, but then...

"Hello? Hello? HELLO?" Minyak shouted at the screen. All he could see was Captain Man's chin, his beefy arms stretching around Miss Danger and the top half of her face and his narcissistic self hated that the attention wasn't on him in his big moment. He'd just dramatically rang the sidekick of his greatest enemy, why weren't they paying attention?

"What do you want, Minyak?" (y/n) snapped, losing her patience with the villain as he started shouting. She had confidence and ferocity in her voice, not only stemming from her intense hate for the man and her trust in her own power, but also from the feeling of her love all around her and how she could feel his muscles tense when Minyak did or said something he didn't like. She didn't need to worry about being vulnerable with her arms stretched out with the phone so they could both see, he had her covered, literally.

"Oh, not much. I just thought that since I'm here, relaxing in Hawaii, I'd tell you about my newest plan." The doctor replied slowly, rolling his hips as he pretended to be on a sunny beach that was not unlike one (y/n) had pictured in her perfect honeymoon. He even had a Piña Colada in his hand and a flowered shirt to match the tropical setting, one where (y/n) was so desperate to end up, a golden ring on her finger and a tall, adorable doofus stood next to her with a similar band on his. 

"What plan?" Still, the sound of Ray snapping back broke her out of the daydream and she remembered that her fantasy was probably a long way off. Just because she was ready to get married, so damn ready, it didn't mean Ray was and she was okay with that. They'd come this far and were happy, she could wait if he needed that, the last thing she wanted to do was start talking about a solid, almost unbreakable commitment that would tie him to her forever and scare him off. It hurt to admit, but her boyfriend was scared of commitment, marriage was probably the last thing on his mind right now. Oh, how wrong she was...

"Well, I'm sure you've heard of this popular celebrity, Double G." Minyak dipped below the camera line for just a second, popping back into frame with a photo of the famous rapper and Trip instantly panicked as he heard the name roll off of the villain's tongue.

"Hey, that's my dad. I'm Triple G." He exclaimed, the Game Shakers scooting closer to the superhero couple since now that Dub's name had been mentioned, it was personal. No one was gonna threaten the best music artist in the world and get away with it, not on their watch.

"We're kinda in the middle of a meeting right now with some people that wanna make a video game about me, so..." Ray groaned, hating that Minyak was cutting into his discussion with the Game Shakers time just to whine at him about some lame plan that wouldn't work because he was an idiot and he was awesome, not to mention the fact that the longer this took, the longer he and his sweet girl had to wait before they could go home. And he was still counting her to still be in the right mood.

"Look, just tell us your dumb plan before his head gets so big that he can't walk out of the door." (y/n) groaned, knowing that her boyfriend was itching to get on a developmental stage for his game, but she didn't know how desperate he was for her too, nor did she know how all her thoughts on marriage were reciprocated and how he had the whole thing covered, right under her nose.

"Quiet, stupid girl, why do you think I called you and not your boyfriend from Hawaii?—Oh..." The doctor spat and (y/n) could feel Ray's body starting to harden with anger as the criminal dared to insult her, but the menacing tone he was trying to create crumbled when he accidentally whacked the paper screen behind him, showing the group that he wasn't in paradise, he was still in his dingy hideout and it had all been a pathetic set up.

"Yeah, I would feel scared, but I think your Hawaii fell down." The young woman quipped, feeling Ray's smirk next to her ear as Minyak tried to remain calm, Nurse Cohort scrambling to fix the screen even though the damage was already done. His hips pressed into hers more and she pressed further into his body, not in a sexual way, no, there were way too many kids around for that. It was just their way of reminding one another that they were still there and together, they were always stronger.

"Now! Perhaps you've heard that Double G is giving a huge concert for charity in New York City." Minyak growled once his background was back up, if slightly wrinkled and his mention of the concert sets nerves off in everyone's stomach. He wouldn't bring it up for nothing and whatever he was planning it wasn't good.

"Yeah, everybody knows about that, so?" Ray replied, the grumbling in his chest reverberating against (y/n)'s back as she fought the temptation to just throw her head back and rest fully against him. She was getting tired of the evil guy drawing stuff out, but luckily for her, home wasn't a place, it was a person and she always had him to lean back on, in more ways than one.

"Well, that charity concert is not going to happen, because I, Doctor Horacio. T. Minyak, am going to stop it! Le sabotage! And there's nothing that you, your pathetic excuse for a girlfriend or that punk, Kid Danger, can do about it! Ah, mahalo!" And just like that, Minyak was gone, he hung up before anyone could spit one last clever comment at him and Ray, (y/n), Henry and the Game Shakers were left with their skin crawling and a terrified feeling in the bottom of their guts.

"Oh my god!" "Who was that mean man?" Babe and Kenzie exclaimed, looking to Captain Man and Miss Danger for answers, both of whom were still snuggling into each other, albeit with frowns on their faces, and Henry took it upon himself to explain, forgetting once again that right now, he was Henry Hart, not Kid Danger. "Doctor Minyak... Um, is—is what they call him...on the news."

"Well, what's that freak got against my dad?" Trip asked, concerned for his father since he meant the world to him and with his mom elsewhere, he was the only family he had around him. He couldn't let him get hurt or his reputation get tarnished, it would break him. There had to be something the superheroes could do, that was their job, right?

"Don't worry about Minyak, kid. His plans literally never work." (y/n) soothed his worries, using her calmest voice to try and stop his worrying, but Trip was on full alert mode and fearing for his dad after the freaky phone call, so nothing she said helped, even though she, and more so her boyfriend, had loads of experience that told them that Doctor Minyak was a pathetic villain, especially against them.

"Well, what if this plan actually—" Trip argued, but he was cut off when Ray removed a hand from his girl's waist and smushed his finger into the boy's lips, stopping him before he could lose it.

"Shhhhhhh, listen to Miss Danger, she's real smart. Now, this mobile game you're gonna make about me... Imagine me! Captain Man, fighting giant moon robots with my sidekicks, a female chihuahua and a talking parrot." Ray walked around dramatically, setting the scene as he described his ideal game and (y/n) and Henry choked when they heard how they were being replaced. Despite not having a drink like the kid, (y/n) still had to clear her throat at hearing the ludicrous suggestion and she didn't know what was worse, being thought of as a dog or a bird; the connotations of both weren't great.

"I love it!" "I like it!" The Game Shakers' praise came flooding in making Ray smirk as Henry and (y/n) stewed in their anger, immediately tapping the man on the shoulder so they could ask him/protest about his ridiculous idea, but it fell on deaf ears as Ray's were already filled with admiring applause. He so wasn't getting any tonight, female chihuahua or talking parrot indeed.

#ray manchester #ray manchester x reader #captain man x reader #reader insert #danger force #x reader #henry danger #chapa de silva #dangerverse #fanfiction #ray manchester smut #ray manchester fanfiction #x ray #captain man smut #captain man #cute #kid danger #henry danger smut #danger force season 3 #cross posted on wattpad #cross posted on ao3 #long post #mutual pining #established relationship #drawing #love confessions #lovers #kisses #kiss #reader x character

[atlanticcanada]

A terminally ill federal inmate wants to be released so he can die outside of prison. He's been refused, so he's applying for MAID

After more than four decades in a federal prison, Ed Speidel is fighting for a compassionate release so he can die outside, in a halfway house, rather than in his jail cell.

But after being rejected for parole and refused an appeal, he now fears he will die a painful death, struggling to breathe behind bars.

"My biggest fear is dying in jail. I don’t want to die in jail," said Speidel in a phone interview with CTV News from an office in the Matsqui Institution, a medium-security prison in Abbotsford, B.C.

The 62-year-old suffers from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) along with chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Tests show his lungs have only 19 per cent function compared to healthy adults.

"I have days where I have a real hard time breathing and it's like choking, like you're starved for air," said Seidel.

He requires oxygen 24 hours a day. Yet just prior to his phone interview with CTV, he said he had to struggle to get staff to provide him with a portable oxygen unit to make the trip to the room where the interview would take place.

Speidel, who uses a walker and spends most of his time in his cell, says he is in no way a threat to the public.

"I was a s**thead. (I did) robberies. But I didn't hurt anyone," he said. "I have done 41 years. I’ve done my time. Nothing is being served by keeping me here."

At a parole hearing in July 2022, he asked for parole by exception – more commonly referred to as compassionate or geriatric parole – due to his failing health, age and time served. He was not represented by a lawyer and was turned down.

He obtained legal support early this year. Lisa Crossley, who works with Prisoner Legal Services in Vancouver, says the case is bolstered by a note from a doctor in the institution, recommending that the parole board consider compassionate release for Speidel given his progressive health condition.

But the motion on for an expedited hearing of his review on July 8 was rejected. Speidel is now working through an application for a medically assisted death, though he says it's not really his preference.

"For the vast majority of people, if you are terminally ill, what risks do you really pose? I think that should be asked and there should be more options for people for some type of release," Crossley told CTV News.

Still, Crossley says, she will continue to push for an expedited regular parole hearing, and for another appeal for a compassionate release. She believes it is the first case of its kind in the country that will highlight the plight of older prisoners who are ill.

"It is a matter of public importance that affects many people in federal prison," said Crossley.

AGING AND AILING INMATES

Of the 6,886 prisoners now in federal jails as of 2023, more than 1,700 (25.6 per cent) are 50 and older and are classified as aging offenders. 

Surveys show that prisoners age more rapidly due to their past lifestyles, high rates of substance abuse and the stress of imprisonment. 

There are higher rates of diseases that come with age including cancer, diabetes, lung disease and dementia.

Ivan Zinger, the correctional investigator of Canada, says a review, conducted in 2019 worried him.

"We saw an inordinate amount of prisoners who were either terminally ill or had dementia or Alzheimer's, who had severe mobility restrictions, who were bedridden. And all these individuals, you scratch your head, saying, 'What are they doing in a prison setting?'" he said in an interview from his office in Ottawa, Ont.

"Prisons and penitentiaries were never designed to be nursing homes or long-term care facilities or hospices. And this is what they've turned out to be. And it's just not acceptable," Zinger added.

In a statement sent to CTV News, Correctional Service of Canada officials said they could not comment on specific inmates or their cases, but wrote that the agency "acknowledges that challenges exist in addressing the multiple needs of aging offenders, but remains committed in its efforts to continue to develop strategies in meeting those needs.''

The Parole Board of Canada, meanwhile, is responsible for making decisions about exceptional paroles and when offenders don't pose a risk to the public. In an email to CTV News, PBC officials wrote that the board granted 29 paroles by exception to all age groups between 2019 and early 2023. Of those, 13 were prisoners aged 60 and older.

That amounts to about four compassionate releases per year and proves, says Zinger, that the corrections system is not offering enough medical compassionate releases.

"Each year, up to 40 incarcerated individuals die in Canadian penitentiaries of 'natural causes,' usually terminal illnesses,” he noted. “The fact of the matter is none of these individuals benefited from a compassionate release, even though their death was expected or imminent.”

Meanwhile, studies show the cost of keeping a geriatric offender in prison can be two to four times higher than housing them in a halfway home with medical support.

Zinger points to other jurisdictions, like in the U.S. and Europe, which are building secure nursing homes for inmates, where they can be transferred after they turn 65 or develop chronic or fatal illnesses.

In Canada, there are at least five secure halfway homes that accept or are just starting to accept aging inmates, with about four dozen beds. Haley House, in Peterborough, Ont., has 10 beds and is hoping to open a second home with 10 more beds this fall. Still, the case manager, Jeff Morgan, writes that existing facilities don't "come close to meeting the needs of aging offenders that are coming out of federal institutions, or are due to be released."

COMPASSIONATE PAROLE OR MAID?

With no indication he will get out any time soon, Speidel has applied for medical assistance in dying (MAID), and is awaiting a medical assessment. The process usually takes three months or less.

He says he'd much prefer dying a natural death in a supervised halfway house. But his next regular parole hearing could be in 2024.

"What it looks like is that it's easier to kill myself here, with their (medical) help, than it is to try and convince them to let me back out. And I don't understand why," Speidel said.

CTV reported earlier in 2023 that there has been a small but noteworthy increase in MAID deaths among inmates, at rates higher than those in most other countries that allow assisted death.

The 2019 report by the Zinger also warned that without better planning for aging and ailing prisoners, there would be a surge of requests for MAID.

"Canada’s correctional authority should not be seen to be involved in enabling or facilitating any kind of death behind bars. It is simply incongruent with CSC’s obligation to protect and preserve life," he wrote.

Yet Speidel’s case suggests this is exactly what is happening.

He wants parole to die on his own. But the road to approval for MAID may come more easily – a problem his lawyer says needs to be addressed.

“Are we comfortable with it being the case that people can apply for made and be granted it within a month?” said Crossley. ”If you're eligible for MAID, you meet all those requirements, do you really pose such a risk to the community that you shouldn't be eligible for some kind of release as well?” she added.

For Speidel, it is a simple, binary choice.

"I sure hope I get out because if I don't, I will take MAID. I'm not going to sit here, unable to breathe, until I'm laying on the floor choking," he said. 

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/wQad7ns

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

[shallowsfm]

RUTH WILSON. SHE/HER / have you ever heard of 911 by lady gaga, well, it describes CLAIRE BAUDELAIRE MCCLAIN to a tee! the forty year old, and CONDUCTOR / COMPOSER / PRODUCER (OWNER OF MCCLAIN STUDIOS) was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she is more ostentatious or more DEDICATED instead? anyway, they remind me of black roll neck sweater paired with a gold medallion necklace, discarded and empty vintage wine bottles, being the epitome of ardour when working only for fatigue and irritability are welcomed just moments after, the feeling of being overwhelmed and turning off the mobile phone when someone calls more than twice yet feeling hurt when your own calls aren’t picked up, maybe you’ll bump into them soon!

tws: infertility, infidelity, divorce, anxiety, panic attack, anxiety

early life:

claire was actually born in york, yorkshire (but lies that she’s a southerner and that’s what’s on her wiki page!). she’s the eldest of four siblings but the middle child always stepped up and outperformed her in every single way. her mother was a music teacher and her father a chemist. although she was inspired by music, she never decided to take up a music hobby like her siblings and was part of a swimming club instead.

claire had always been conscientious. a student, she’d get easily upset if she did anything wrong and would want to avoid any repercussion from it, even if it was as simple as a note being jotted down to say she’d forgotten one of her workbooks, she’d cry about it.

at school, she was the person who would sing in front of her peers in assembly and be bullied by people because of it. she had always been in a choir and had a good voice but children were cruel and that knocked her confidence massively.

she was around 10 when she decided she wanted to take up some music classes, however, the only one available was in choral conducting. she went from being in the choir to conducting it and she preferred her back to the audience.

conducted her first orchestra when she was 12. was a big of a child prodigy in that respect and went to study in zurich. there was a sense of being a phony considering she'd never played an instrument herself but she'd frequently leave that part out. she understood them through analysis and theory - that was impressive so why was she so embarrassed by it?

there was always an interest in composition, the application of what she considered to be truth.

career:

it was her 'messing around’ in a band that would lead her become a world-renowned composer, with a few oscars and grammys below her belt. it was the perfect amount of being seen but not swarmed as if she were famous and she had got lucky on that front. a very private person, there was only so many red carpet walks she would do.

when it comes to her profession, claire is an obsessive person and does let it consume her from time to time. it does worry her parents but she’s on a lot of money ( ~ £2m per score and she now pays for her parents’ retirement and holiday home so everything must be going great, right? not only would she work her way up to chief conductor for the bbc symphony orchestra, claire would also continue her work as a composer. she's obsessed with music and does find it difficult to switch off.

think of her discography as that of someone like hans zimmer, it’s that style and she can be both impactful and experimental, electronic along with traditional orchestra.

she has also got disney composing and conducting credits for various scores and has been involved in the soundtrack recording of various blockbusters.

earns a couple million upfront for her scores and then any royalties on top of that.

personal life / break down of her marriage:

claire met her now ex-husband when she first moved to london and assumed her role four years ago. she was renting out a small apartment, one that she could easily afford but some of the larger apartments didn’t give her such flexibility when it came to short-term rent. a successful investor, he was incredibly charming. they had a lot to talk about and seemed to appreciate each other’s pace. they were married within the year.

while he seemed to be smitten by her, his parents and friends seemed to be a little harder. she wasn’t from upper-class society (though she had kept her fake london accent when she moved over from london) and although she could hold her own, she was different. she was polite as she had run with these types of crowds, for years, in her line of work but it was never something she was truly happy with.

problems started to arise when he wanted children. claire wasn’t opposed to it and they did try but there were issues, more so on her side. she knew that he definitely felt pressure from his family to carry on the legacy and that pressure was also taken on by claire.

they started the ivf process and it made her feel terrible. while her sick days didn’t increase, the woman didn’t look well throughout it. a couple of months in, she collapsed on the street and was hospitalised.

she had reached her limit. she was in pain and she chose to stop the treatment. her husband was crushed by it and did attempt to change her mind but it didn’t work. the woman was afraid that he’d leave her seen as having a child was something he wanted but he stayed.

there was an obvious rift between them after that. he did look after her, they continued as normal but then he stopped asking her more and more about her work and he seemed either flat or angry when she asked him the same. . she felt like there was something going on and she did feel guilty for it.

around eight months ago, he sat her down after work and gave her the news that he was leaving her. at first, she didn’t believe it but he was serious. he had been in a relationship for the best part of six months and she was pregnant. she tried to convince him that they could work it out but it wasn’t what he wanted.

the aftermath:

he had moved out of the penthouse (rightfully so as it was his fault) but claire's name wasn’t on it. everything felt like it was going to be taken away from her, apart from mcclain studios which she had set up, using his surname, but with only her name on companies house. he had moved in with this new woman, who was slightly younger than her and from an affluent family.

it wasn’t her finest moment when she tried to beg him to come back and after being met with hostility when he used to be the one to comfort her, she stopped trying.

everything felt like it was her fault, that she could have prevented this all from happening if she ‘pushed herself’ to give him what he had wanted. she was so confused as to why he had chosen to stay with her and go behind her back rather than just tell her then and there. unknown to claire, one of her friends found out and said if he didn’t tell her, they would.

anxiousness seemed to follow her wherever she went. she kept the divorce a secret from everyone, scared of being one of those statistics and not wanting to be the brunt of gossip. she hadn’t even told her parents and that caused issues when he took it upon himself to ring them and when they were talking like they were still together, he broke the news. this has caused a lot of contention with her folks back in england.

one morning, claire experienced a panic attack on the subway. someone realised what was happening and attended to her before getting her off at the next stop. it was them who called her work and explained the situation.

she took a few days off her more than busy schedule (distracted herself by perhaps taking on too many projects) but then went back like nothing had happened. the same happened again and it was at that point, she contacted a professional and is currently in therapy.

the woman seemed to completely disappear from society as she isolated herself. three years ago she had won a grammy, the year after than an oscar - what on earth had happened to her life? the divorce was done, she had been given the penthouse in south london, a decision she didn’t quite know the meaning of, and then she was preoccupied with selling it. she’s not managed to find a buyer yet but is renting it out as she lives in nottinghill, closer to her friends.

claire is currently on a leave of absence from her role at the bbc symphony orchestra after she collapsed during a performance.

she's unsure if they'll renew her contract. they've given her no indication that they don't want her back but she feels her professionalism has slipped with her personal issues and she never wanted that to be the case. claire is respected for her crafts and the role that she has but at what cost?

the other bits:

a few months ago, she graced the red carpet again after composing the soundtrack for a hit blockbuster and awaits nominations for that, almost like nothing happened... yet again...

claire really hates going on trains due to her recent experience with them so won’t take them. instead, she gets the bus as she finds it relaxing??? doesn’t want to be that person booking taxis every day or with a private driver. (let’s stop this rich lady taking the bus, yeah?)

her divorce is not yet public but anyone with eyes can see something’s happened there.

she has over 9 million subscribers on spotify.

always playing around with her work, even when she’s not working. whether it be on a laptop or phone. currently remixing her work into club tracks and feels like the urge to dj is her mid-life crisis.

listens to heavy metal/heavy rock and watches documentaries, loves to hate horror.

if she hears her breakout song (her first song that won an award) she cries as it reminds her of a very together part of her life and she feels like things have totally changed.

keeps her awards locked in a safe and not on display.

there will probs be more but this is all i can think of at this moment in time.

#nottinghillintro #infidelity tw #infertility tw #anxiety tw #panic attack tw #divorce tw

[mearastec]

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): A Key to Success in the Mobile Age

In the ever-evolving modern workplace, where employee productivity, convenience, and personalization are paramount, the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has emerged as a transformative paradigm. BYOD represents a departure from traditional IT practices, encouraging the workforce to bring their personal devices to work, such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, or USB drives. This transformation acknowledges the ubiquitous presence of personal technology in our daily lives and seeks to harness its power to improve efficiency, encourage creativity, and establish a more flexible and employee-centric workplace.

What is BYOD?

BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device,” which refers to a workplace policy that encourages employees to make use of their personal devices to connect to their organizational networks and access enterprise systems and data. Personal devices could include mobile phones, laptops, tablets, or USB drives. BYOD policies are a great way to boost employees’ productivity and morale, allowing them to use the devices they are most comfortable with for both personal and professional tasks. According to Market Research Future, the global BYOD market was valued at US$70.83552 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$235.450767 billion by 2032.

The driving belief behind BYOD adoption is that organizations save money on capital expenses since employees don’t need to be provided with computers or associated software. However, BYOD fails to demonstrate a clear cost savings advantage when additional cost heads are counted to support the usage of personal devices in a business environment. According to a report by Capgemini, only 9% of organizations that deploy some kind of BYOD program were able to cut expenditure, while 67% saw no difference in expenditure. The BYOD benefits, instead, appear to lie elsewhere, and that is employee satisfaction.

So, why should organizations continue to adopt BYOD?

The major advantages of BYOD are enhanced enterprise mobility, increased employee productivity, employee retention, improved employee convenience and satisfaction, and increased agility. Below, we have discussed the benefits of BYOD in more detail.

Improved employee satisfaction: Since employees have the choice to use personal devices with which they are more comfortable, this increases employee satisfaction. According to a survey by Capgemini, 19% of businesses thought BYOD was a way to improve employee satisfaction, while 17% felt it could increase productivity. Another report from Cisco’s own experience states that the company saw a 33% increase in employee satisfaction with implementing the BYOD concept, even though the company did not pay for these devices or service plans.

Improve business productivity: With the BYOD model, employees can complete their basic tasks or pending tasks after working hours or during ‘out of office’ periods, thereby reducing wait time and resolution of action items. Thus, quicker response times and seamless business operations lead to increased business productivity.

Greater mobility: BYOD promotes greater mobility, as it allows employees to carry and use their device wherever they go. Furthermore, expanded connectivity and remote access to corporate networks through mobile devices enable employees to collaborate in real-time and execute tasks efficiently regardless of their location or time zone.

Flexibility and boost morale: BYOD allows employees to choose the device they are comfortable with and also boosts employee morale by sending the message to the workforce that the organization trusts its employees about how they work.

Increased agility: With managed personal devices and application virtualization, BYOD enhances business agility, allowing employees to work from various locations and adapt to different work scenarios.

Therefore, improved employee satisfaction and enterprise mobility and agility remain the two biggest productive endeavors of BYOD. However, BYOD is not a simple IT project, as it exposes companies to increased costs, security risks, and operational issues. To define a successful customized device-agnostic BYOD strategy, organizations need to analyze key factors essential in drafting an effective BYOD strategy, such as security policies, delivery models, IT solutions, and support structures.

BYOD challenges and consideration

While offering numerous benefits, BYOD comes with challenges and considerations:

Data privacy concerns: BYOD often faces data privacy concerns as many employees do not want IT to have control over their personal data, and thus, they feel uncomfortable installing IT-mandated software on their personal devices.

Therefore, it becomes difficult for organizations to balance the need for data access with employee privacy. Thus, BYOD policies should focus on how organizations handle personal data on employees’ devices.

Security issues: Security is a primary concern for BYOD, as personal devices are becoming a greater target for cybercriminals. Additionally, many times employees may not always follow cybersecurity best practices such as strong password hygiene and physical device security on their personal devices, even with BYOD security and device management solutions. This leaves hackers, malware, and data breaches accessible.

Device management concern: Sometimes managing a diverse array of personal devices can be challenging for organizations. Implementing a Mobile Device Management (MDM) or Mobile Application Management (MAM) solution can help address this challenge.

Regulatory compliance issues: Companies in healthcare, banking, government, and other highly regulated sectors may not be able to allow BYOD for some or all of their employees due to strict regulations and costly penalties associated with handling sensitive or confidential data.

Network compatibility issues: It is essential to seamlessly integrate personal devices with the organization’s network infrastructure. Compatibility issues can hinder productivity.

When carefully implemented and supported by appropriate regulations and security measures, BYOD can be a valuable strategy for organizations looking to foster workforce mobility, innovation, collaboration, and empowerment in the digital age.

BYOD is Essential!

It is now clear that Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) marks a significant shift from traditional working, fostering a more dynamic and adaptable work environment. This shift from traditional work culture towards the BYOD trend is mainly attributed to the increase in adaptation of mobile devices, demand for cloud-based technology, and digitalization.

Also, the benefits of BYOD, such as increased productivity, improved mobility, agility, employee satisfaction, and retention, are evident. From medium to large and small enterprises, organizations are adopting the BYOD model to embrace a new way of working and shape the future, where technology seamlessly aligns with individual choices and organizational objectives.

If you would like to harness the power of data mobility to support the BYOD model, which provides employees with the ability and flexibility to seamlessly move and access data across devices, simply reach out to [email protected]. We, Mearas Tech, have come up with a special plan for your business to maximize your workforce and business productivity.

FAQs on BYOD

Q1. How does BYOD contribute to mobile growth in the workplace?

A1. By encouraging the use of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops for work-related tasks, BYOD contributes to an increase in mobile device usage, mobile applications, and the adoption of mobile-first strategies.

Q2. What are the challenges with a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy?

A2. Protection of sensitive or confidential corporate data on personal devices, regulatory compliance issues, data privacy, network compatibility issues, the risk of unauthorized access, and potential exposure to malware are some of the challenges associated with BYOD.

Q3. Why is BYOD important?

A3. BYOD is important for providing flexibility to employees, increasing productivity and efficiency, and improving work-life balance.

Q4. How can organizations ensure data security in a BYOD environment?

A4. By implementing clear policies and security measures such as encryption, secure authentication, and Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions, organizations can ensure data security.

Q5. What role does Mobile Device Management (MDM) play in BYOD?

A5. Mobile Device Management (MDM) plays a vital role in BYOD as it provides a secure and controlled BYOD environment. It also helps enterprises enforce security policies, monitor and protect personal devices, and guarantee adherence to organizational standards.

[cricutguide]

How to Connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone: Full Guide

Hey, Cricut enthusiasts! Do you know how to connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone? No? That’s all right! I am here to teach you everything from system requirements to simple and quick steps to connect your Cricut Explore model to your iPhone.

Last year, I got my first iPhone 15, and being the DIY enthusiast that I am, I wanted to use my Cricut using my new iPhone😁. Seriously, I have been crazy about iPhones ever since I got them. But what did I do to use my Cricut with my iPhone? Do we need to connect it to Cricut? If so, then how can we do that? Don’t worry. I have answered all these questions in this blog. So, what are you waiting for? Dive deeper into this blog and connect your iPhone and Cricut together in no time! Let’s get started!

System Requirements for iPhone to Connect to Your Cricut Machine

Now, let’s learn to connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone. But wait! Have we done everything required? Well, no! I need to tell you the system requirements for the Cricut Design app.

This Cricut software runs on compatible devices only. For this, you should know the basic needs we need in our devices. Since we are going to connect our Cricut to an iPhone, we will only check the requirements for this device.

Operating System: iOS 15 or later

Internet: Minimum 2 -3 Mbps for download & upload

Offline Feature: Cricut can work offline on iOS devices

Compatible Devices: iOS 17, iOS 16, or iOS 15

Now that you have understood the basic requirements, you need to look into your iPhone. Now, let’s dive into the steps to connect your Cricut Explore Air 2 to your iPhone 15.

Connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone via Bluetooth

Since I got my new iPhone 15 machine, I have wanted to connect it to my Cricut machine so that I can use it easily. For this, I had to connect my Cricut to my iPhone. Below, I have described the steps completely in stepwise:

In the beginning, navigate to your iPhone 15 smartphone.

After that, you have to open the Settings app.

Now, it’s time to turn on the Bluetooth. To do this, you can go to the toggle button and enable it from there.

Afterward, you will need to wait for a while.

Then, let your iPhone 15 find your Cricut cutting machine.

Once your mobile phone has detected your Cricut machine, click on it to pair.

Now, you have learned to connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone. Since you have connected it with an iPhone, I will walk you through the steps to teach you the uses of this machine. Let’s jump into it.

How to Use Cricut Explore Air 2: 3 Easy Steps

As I have taught you to establish a connection between your Cricut and iPhone, let’s learn to use this machine.

After connecting to Cricut, I will move to the next step, i.e., downloading and installing a Cricut application on my iPhone. Below, I have described the simple steps for the same:

Step 1: Download the Cricut Software

First, you need to use the App Store on your iPhone device.

After that, go to the search bar and type Cricut Design Space.

Then, you will need to find and select the Cricut software from the shown results.

Next, tap the Get tab to install the Cricut app on your iPhone.

Once you have downloaded the app, you can launch the software to setup the machine.

Step 2: Setup a Cricut Cutting Machine

Setup is necessary for the new cutting machine. Let’s see how to setup a Cricut before using it:

Once you have paired up and downloaded the Cricut, you need to launch the Design Space app on your iPhone.

You need to sign in to the Cricut account by following the instructions on the display.

Following this, select the Cricut model from the given list.

You need to complete the setup by following the on-screen commands.

After completing the setup, you have to perform a test cut, which we will learn about in the next step.

Step 3: Perform a Test Cut on Cricut

By performing a test cut, you will learn how to use a Cricut machine. Let’s dive into it:

First, put the materials on your cutting mat.

Second, you will need to load the mat into the machine.

Select the material that you are using in the Cricut software.

Then, you need to click on the Make It button.

Now, select the tab Test Cut.

You will notice that your machine has cut a small square in the corner.

In the last step, unload the mat from the machine.

Congrats! You have learned how to use a Cricut Explore machine. I also taught you how to connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone in simple steps.

FAQs

Question 1: Why is my Cricut Explore Air 2 not connecting to Bluetooth?

Answer: Below are the reasons why a Cricut Explore machine is not connecting to your Bluetooth:

The Cricut is not turned on or placed too far away from the computer/mobile.

The Windows Firewall or antivirus software interrupts the device.

The software on the Explore Air 2 is outdated.

The computer doesn’t meet the minimum system needs for Bluetooth connectivity.

Question 2: Why do I need to connect my Cricut to my iPhone?

Answer: You will need to connect your Cricut to your iPhone because you will want to set it up. Crafters who have bought a new Cricut machine need to setup the machine. You will need to connect the machine first for setup. Only then can you begin the setup procedure.

Question 3: What do I need to connect my Cricut Explore Air 2?

Answer: In order to connect your Cricut Explore Air 2, you will need to have a Bluetooth connection or USB cord. You will also need the Cricut software: Cricut Design Space. It is necessary to download this to a device. Whether you are using a desktop or phone, you can easily download this software on those devices.

Source: Connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone

Visit here For More Information: Cricut.com/setup

You tube

Pinterest

#Connect Cricut Explore Air 2 to iPhone #Cricut.com/setup #Cricut Explore AIr 2 #Cricut Design Space

[pomonajuju]

apol blogs #1 - life using technology .ᐟ

Technology, smart devices, digital services, and even software applications have become prevalent in this generation, changing everyone’s lives, including mine. Thanks to these recent developments and advancements, life has become lighter and easier for everyone these days.

So, for this blog, I will be sharing which technologies, devices, and software applications I use, and how they help me go about my daily and college life. Let’s go! ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

⠀⠀                             ₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊

#1 Smart Phone

There’s not a day that goes by without me using my smartphone. It has become a vital part of my daily life to the point that the first thing I do upon waking up is to check this device, making sure that I am up to date with various matters (chika & chismis!)

Using smartphone also helps me stay connected with my friends and family. To communicate with them, I use Messenger, an application that is installed here on my phone where I can do chats and videocalls to whoever I want.

Moreover, whenever I come home from school and I happen to have a class while travelling, I use my cellphone to join the meeting, ensuring I won’t be late for our class and can catch up on the discussion because it is really convenient. However, it depends on whether I have a mobile data and a good signal.

I also use this phone to capture beautiful pictures and videos such as capturing a wonderful scenery, a special person, a precious moment with my friends, adorable pets, and even myself. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

⠀⠀                              ₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

#2 Laptop

Another technology I frequently use is my laptop. Although it’s used among all members of my family, I’m the one who use it the most.

I use laptop to accomplish tasks especially academic related ones. It’s a lifesaver for someone like me who finds it challenging to complete tasks solely on a smartphone due to its limited screen size. With my laptop, I can effortlessly do multiple tasks at once, which saves me time. Furthermore, whenever we have online classes, I use this device to join meetings through Google Meet.

But my laptop isn’t just for academics; it’s also my ‘home cinema’ since our TV broke down and I can’t afford to go to the local cinema. Through this device, I indulge myself in watching various shows and movies such as Young Sheldon, One Piece, Marry My Husband, and so on via Netflix, Youtube, and Fmovies when I have free time.

⠀⠀                              ₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

#3 Facebook, Tiktok, and Instagram

Now, these are social media applications that I mostly use!

Starting with Facebook—. I use this on a daily basis, especially when I want to watch random videos. My favorites include summaries of movies and shows, bakers making and designing their cakes, some funny videos or memes, and vlogs!

Next on my list are Tiktok and Instagram. Tiktok has been the most used application on my phone. There isn’t a time when I’m not using this. Just like facebook, I enjoy watching random videos on my for you page and also sends it to my friends for a good laugh. 

As for Instagram, I use it to post pictures and videos of myself or what happened during my day or throughout the month. Additionally, I use both applications to keep up with my friends and see what’s going on in their lives. I show support for their posts by liking and commenting.

 ⠀⠀                             ₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

That wraps up my list of technologies and applications that I use in my daily life! As I end this blog, I want to express how the continuous development and innovation of technologies have significantly helped me in accomplishing tasks more easily and efficiently.

Did you enjoy reading my blog? What technologies and applications helped you in your daily life? Share your thoughts on the comments below!

 ⠀⠀                          — Apol‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

[mariacallous]

In today’s digital world, injustice lurks in the shadows of the Facebook post that’s delivered to certain groups of people at the exclusion of others, the hidden algorithm used to profile candidates during job interviews, and the risk-assessment algorithms used for criminal sentencing and welfare fraud detention. As algorithmic systems are integrated into every aspect of society, regulatory mechanisms struggle to keep up.

Over the past decade, researchers and journalists have found ways to unveil and scrutinize these discriminatory systems, developing their own data collection tools. As the internet has moved from browsers to mobile apps, however, this crucial transparency is quickly disappearing.

Third-party analysis of digital systems has largely been made possible by two seemingly banal tools that are commonly used to inspect what’s happening on a webpage: browser add-ons and browser developer tools.

Browser add-ons are small programs that can be installed directly onto a web browser, allowing users to augment how they interact with a given website. While add-ons are commonly used to operate tools like password managers and ad-blockers, they are also incredibly useful for enabling people to collect their own data within a tech platform’s walled garden.

Similarly, browser developer tools were made to allow web developers to test and debug their websites’ user interfaces. As the internet evolved and websites became more complex, these tools evolved too, adding features like the ability to inspect and change source code, monitor network activity, and even detect when a website is accessing your location or microphone. These are powerful mechanisms for investigating how companies track, profile, and target their users.

I have put these tools to use as a data journalist to show how a marketing company logged users’ personal data even before they clicked “submit” on a form and, more recently, how the Meta Pixel tool (formerly the Facebook Pixel tool) tracks users without their explicit knowledge in sensitive places such as hospital websites, federal student loan applications, and the websites of tax-filing tools.

In addition to exposing surveillance, browser inspection tools provide a powerful way to crowdsource data to study discrimination, the spread of misinformation, and other types of harms tech companies cause or facilitate. But in spite of these tools’ powerful capabilities, their reach is limited. In 2023, Kepios reported that 92 percent of global users accessed the internet through their smartphones, whereas only 65 percent of global users did so using a desktop or laptop computer.

Though the vast majority of internet traffic has moved to smartphones, we don’t have tools for the smartphone ecosystem that afford the same level of “inspectability” as browser add-ons and developer tools. This is because web browsers are implicitly transparent, while mobile phone operating systems are not.

If you want to view a website in your web browser, the server has to send you the source code. Mobile apps, on the other hand, are compiled, executable files that you usually download from places such as Apple’s iOS App Store or Google Play. App developers don’t need to publish the source code for people to use them.

Similarly, monitoring network traffic on web browsers is trivial. This technique is often more useful than inspecting source code to see what data a company is collecting on users. Want to know which companies a website shares your data with? You’ll want to monitor the network traffic, not inspect the source code. On smartphones, network monitoring is possible, but it usually requires the installation of root certificates that make users’ devices less secure and more vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks from bad actors. And these are just some of the differences that make collecting data securely from smartphones much harder than from browsers.

The need for independent collection is more pressing than ever. Previously, company-provided tools such as the Twitter API and Facebook’s CrowdTangle, a tool for monitoring what’s trending on Facebook, were the infrastructure that powered a large portion of research and reporting on social media. However, as these tools become less useful and accessible, new methods of independent data collection are needed to understand what these companies are doing and how people are using their platforms.

To meaningfully report on the impact digital systems have on society, we need to be able to observe what’s taking place on our devices without asking a company for permission. As someone who has spent the past decade building tools that crowdsource data to expose algorithmic harms, I believe the public should have the ability to peek under the hood of their mobile apps and smart devices, just as they can on their browsers. And it’s not just me: The Integrity Institute, a nonprofit working to protect the social internet, recently released a report that lays bare the importance of transparency as a lever to achieve public interest goals like accountability, collaboration, understanding, and trust.

To demand transparency from tech platforms, we need a platform-independent transparency framework, something that I like to call an inspectability API. Such a framework would empower even the most vulnerable populations to capture evidence of harm from their devices while minimizing the risk of their data being used in research or reporting without their consent.

An application programming interface (API) is a way for companies to make their services or data available to other developers. For example, if you’re building a mobile app and want to use the phone’s camera for a specific feature, you would use the iOS or Android Camera API. Another common example is an accessibility API, which allows developers to make their applications accessible to people with disabilities by making the user interface legible to screen readers and other accessibility tools commonly found on modern smartphones and computers. An inspectability API would allow individuals to export data from the apps they use every day and share it with researchers, journalists, and advocates in their communities. Companies could be required to implement this API to adhere to transparency best practices, much as they are required to implement accessibility features to make their apps and websites usable for people with disabilities.

In the US, residents of some states can request the data companies collect on them, thanks to state-level privacy laws. While these laws are well-intentioned, the data that companies share to comply with them is usually structured in a way that obfuscates crucial details that would expose harm. For example, Facebook has a fairly granular data export service that allows individuals to see, amongst other things, their “Off-Facebook activity.” However, as the Markup found during a series of investigations into the use of Pixel, even though Facebook told users which websites were sharing data, it did not reveal just how invasive the information being shared was. Doctor appointments, tax filing information, and student loan information were just some of the things that were being sent to Facebook. An inspectability API would make it easy for people to monitor their devices and see how the apps they use track them in real time.

Some promising work is already being done: Apple’s introduction of the App Privacy Report in iOS 15 marked the first time iPhone users could see detailed privacy information to understand each app’s data collection practices and even answer questions such as, “Is Instagram listening to my microphone?”

But we cannot rely on companies to do this at their discretion—we need a clear framework to define what sort of data should be inspectable and exportable by users, and we need regulation that penalizes companies for not implementing it. Such a framework would not only empower users to expose harms, but also ensure that their privacy is not violated. Individuals could choose what data to share, when, and with whom.

An inspectability API will empower individuals to fight for their rights by sharing the evidence of harm they have been exposed to with people who can raise public awareness and advocate for change. It would enable organizations such as Princeton’s Digital Witness Lab, which I cofounded and lead, to conduct data-driven investigations by collaborating closely with vulnerable communities, instead of relying on tech companies for access. This framework would allow researchers and others to conduct this work in a way that is safe, precise, and, most importantly, prioritizes the consent of the people being harmed.

[wendellcapili]

Very sad to learn that Dr. Raul Pertierra (2 July 1941-7 April 2024) has passed on. From Macquarie University, where he was educated and taught initially, to the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he taught for many years, he was pivotal in pushing for Australia-related studies in the Philippines and is one of the pioneering figures in promoting Philippine Studies in Australia. In 1992, with Mark Turner and Lulu Respall-Turner, he co-organized the International Philippine Studies Conference in Canberra. It was unprecedented because participants were culled from experts in and out of Australia, many from Southeast Asian and North American universities.

Over two decades ago, he introduced me to Australian Studies and guided me through my Ph.D. application at the Australian National University (ANU). He was thrilled when I received the ANU Vice Chancellor's Ph.D. Scholarship at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies (renamed College of Asia and the Pacific), thanks to his foresight and direction. The night before I left for Canberra, he treated me to dinner and gave me a list of names, emails, and phone numbers of his friends across Australia. The list served me well when I did archival and field research in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Through him, I was introduced to Michael and Leny Pinches at the University of Western Australia, Mina Roces at the University of New South Wales, Deborah Ruiz Wall and her involvement with aboriginal communities at Red Fern, and Mark and Lulu Respall-Turner at the University of Canberra.

More than these, Raul was prolific. His works include The Filipino Migration Experience Global Agents of Change (2023), Anthropology and the AlDub Nation: Entertainment as Politics and Politics as Entertainment (2016), Reflections on the Relevance of the Social Sciences in the Philippines (2014), We Reveal ourselves to ourselves: the new communication media in the Philippines (2013), The new communication media and their effects on Filipino culture and society (2008), The role of everyday culture for a scientific orientation in Philippine society: are the youth any different? (2006), Transforming Technologies Altered Selves: Mobile Phones and Internet Use in the Philippines (2006), Cultural Diversity and Cultural Exchanges in the Framework of Globalization (2004), Science, Technology, and everyday culture in the Philippines (2003), Txt-ing selves: cellphones and Philippine Modernity (as co-author, 2002), The globalization of culture: possibilities and threats (2000), Emancipation within culture (1998), Explorations in social theory and Philippine ethnography (1997), Philippine localities and global perspectives essays on society and culture (1995), and Religion, Politics and Rationality (1988).

In his later years, Raul furthered his teaching, archival, and field research as a Visiting Professor at The Centre for Asian Studies Amsterdam, a joint center of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Free University (VU), and at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore. In the Philippines, he taught sociology and anthropology at the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippine Women's University, and the Asian Center, UP Diliman. More than twenty years ago, he problematized the breadth and scope of the digital age on the lives of Filipinos. He believed that Filipinos were shaping their social world through new information technologies. This included generating, distributing, and consuming information as a crucial part of the order of things. He foreshadowed specificities of what became an AI future where technology would play a more significant role in shaping society. His insights into the digital age have proven to be accurate over time.

Maraming Salamat Raul. Many of us will remember the legacy you have left behind.

#Raul Pertierra

[jacobsendoherty16]

Build Customers And Profits Through Mobile MarketingHave you used mobile marketing before? Have you made a marketing plan? Does your plan need improvement or refinement? Is your marketing approach enhancing your bottom line effectively? Are you confident that you are utilizing your plan in the best manner? If you need mobile marketing answers, take a look at the following tips.<br/><br/>Work to understand your customers. If you don't know what your customers want, find out! If you are unable to determine what consumers want, you are unlikely to win their business. Learn about their wants and needs, this will lead you to success.<br/><br/>To reach the truly tech-savvy consumers, use QR codes in your printed ads. Anyone who has a smart phone can use the QR code to access your site or coupons. You should include the QR code on everything - catalogs, brochures, business cards and posters. If a customer wants to know more about your business, a QR code is a way that they can do that instantly.<br/><br/>Having a mission statement can help keep you on point with your mobile marketing message. Sticking to <a href="https://agenciacaprone.com.br/">agencia de marketing digital</a> will keep you on the proper path.<br/><br/>Learn how mobile devices work so that you can design your site and ads accordingly to be an effective mobile marketer. Visit the stores that sell these devices and try them out so you will know what your customers are dealing with when they receive your mobile marketing communications.<br/><br/>You probably know that you can offer some free apps to your customers, but did you know that applications are actually easy to create? When your business offers a specialized app, your mobile marketing efforts will really take off. Research all the features that are available to you.<br/><br/>Although many mobile users actively send text messages and use their phones to check their email, not everyone is familiar with popular acronyms. If someone cannot understand your advertisement, they will not look at it and you will lose a potential customer.<br/><br/>Cross-platform compatibility is essential in attracting more customers when taking on a mobile marketing campaign. If not, you risk losing customers due to technical problems.<br/><br/>Be sure to optimize your mobile sites for search engines. Most mobile devices use Google to search, so that would be a wonderful place to start with search engine optimization.<br/><br/>Implement an A/B testing routine to find the most user friendly mobile page. Mobile pages need to be tested for usability, just as much as any other web page. Create two different landing pages (A&B) to see which is more effective for conversions. Keep whichever page is more successful.<br/><br/>Location is important in traditional marketing, and can be even more important in mobile marketing. Mobile marketing is unique in its ability to report exact locations. These location-sensitive selling opportunities are unique to mobile marketing. By remembering this fact, you can take your advertising to the next level.<br/><br/>Be relevant with your campaign. Don't forget the purpose of your actions when you start mobile marketing. Be sure that prospective and current customers are getting information that is relevant. If your content is responsive to your customers' desires, they will buy stuff from you.<br/><br/>Before formally launching your mobile marketing campaign, conduct thorough usability tests among your target market. Sending out ineffective messages will be a complete waste of time. First, send it to your coworkers to see what they think.<br/><br/>You can advertise a mobile marketing campaign as a good way for consumers to receive exclusive deals and offers. Mention it on your website, in other adds, and on social networking sites. They will be more likely to join your campaign if they are going to benefit. Position your campaign as a fun, interactive way to find out about upcoming offers.<br/><br/>Your mobile marketing campaign should be compatible for use with a multitude of hand-held devices. Keep up with technology and know what people are using. Learn how to streamline your mobile marketing campaigns, so uploads are quick and information. In order to maximize revenue, you'll need to use code that all major phones browsers can interpret.<br/><br/>Are you more informed when it comes to mobile marketing? Do you have a new plan or a better plan now? Can you now use things that work with your business? Do you know how to properly apply your plan? With any luck, the tips above should have created better answers.

[nathjonesey-75]

Memories Of An Xpansive Day: 25 Years Later

“Sometimes you will never know the value of something, until it becomes a memory”

Dr Seuss

As we age, we are constantly reminded of “special” dates. Those pieces of history which relate to ourselves, our families and friends – yet more often, nowadays have nothing to do with us individually, more so with the domination of information via the daily torrents of technology’s titbits. So, it’s perhaps more so satisfying when an actual special date occurs to the mind via simple, pure memory rather than the swathes of nudges regarding famous, renowned dates, which are mostly repeated “oh yes – that again” scenarios, from social (and the desperate need of a more appropriate word to “social”) media.

For this reason, the value of this particular date which arose in my eroding mind archives a couple of weeks ago, holds such a sparkle over time, for me. While I believe time merely continues rather than loops in any way, it’s a rare speciality to be able to connect two periods of time – for context and value. Plus, this was the most unlikely combination of elements, linking to form a day: an elderly grandmother, rugby union and late-night raving. Hardly linked, in the mind of a young nineties graduate.

Twenty-five years ago, on the 6th of March 1999; I was living in Cardiff, at a bit of a standstill rather than at a progressive time of my life, at twenty-three years old. Sharing a house with three Cardiff University final year students – with very little in common – two were younger than myself, one older as a “mature” student. Although, again a crassly inaccurate describing word, mature – regaling tales of his mates mooning in bars on nights out - was always his weekend’s highlight, at the age of twenty-seven. One of the two girls living there made more money than me each month – and she wasn’t even working. Had she been a part of recent generations, she would no doubt have been an applicant for – if not a regular face on a “reality show” based in Chelsea. Silver spoon and all that…

Thankfully, looking back – it may have been the beginning of the end of the most testing two years of my younger life. A near life-threatening accident during my final year at university which resulted in late graduation, but the first really challenging experience of mental health difficulties from the head injury. Living in a twistedly imperfect house share, not earning a great deal of money, but making connections. Valuable connections, through one of the part-time jobs I held at that time.

I worked part-time at one bar, Bar Essential - just before the swift gentrification of the capital’s high streets began over the following two years; then part-time at a British Gas call centre. It was there which the links were formed – and as what I would designate myself as “a pretty shitty networker”, it helped me over the following two years while I lived in the city.

Me, Circa 1998-99

Having been a DJ for all of fifteen months, my Soundlab Belt Drive decks had become my best friends and my own miniature bedroom family at the smallest room in the house on Robert Street. We weren’t a loud bedroom family – my house “mates” made sure of that – in fact, retrospectively I should have had a sign on my bedroom door with “The No Charisma Bypass Room”. In other words, I connected with my records, turntables, speakers and guitar – more than I did with the other human members of the household. In the days before most people had mobile phones (mine came a year later in the new century) and certainly way before smartphones, we continued to make our own entertainment. Or not - as while I worked evenings, the excitable “evenings with Titanic, cheese and biscuits” was a consistent thrill for the others. In the adapted style and words of the period’s new television comedy icon, Jim Royle; “Titanic, my arse.”

However, what I was so far unaware of – was an undercurrent of rave culture bubbling among the desks and offices at British Gas; or “Gas” as many called it – the high-rise administration centre on Churchill Way. Over the remainder of the year, as I left the bar job and moved from part-time to full-time there, I joined what was memorably a collective of party animals who looked rough on a Monday morning, giving one another knowing smirks in the lift to the upper floors about the crazy nights on the tiles at either The Hippo Club or The Emporium (or both, or one of a few other clubs) over the weekend. So, to be invited to Gatecrasher at the Que Club in Birmingham on the evening of March 6th – by my own line manager, Suzanne (and a few others), was exciting. The complication was; that I was also going from Cardiff – to Llanelli, my home town, that day – for my grandmother’s eightieth birthday.

       Music Week, February 6th 1999                         

    

Maybe it’s the realisation that – at my current age of forty-eight – that the proposition of now going that fifty miles to West Wales, then back in one afternoon, then another hundred-and-twenty miles to Birmingham, then dancing until dawn – would be as preposterous an idea as thinking at that time; that Wales – who lost 0-51 at home to France the previous year in the old 5 Nations tournament – could possibly win at the new Stade De France in Paris…on the same day…

The thing about memory is that it can be one of the most rewarding and powerful assets left in the body when you’re nearly hitting a half century in years on this currently deranged little planet. That era; that decade, a golden time for music; one for which I’m eternally grateful for having been alive and old enough to live (and survive – in more ways than one!) through. I can’t honestly say the same for Welsh rugby as far as linking it to the word “golden” in the same decade. Nevertheless, another possible turning point, this could become for what was then seen as the national sport. Those who were there would surely argue so.

March the sixth. I’m sure that the selective memory process in my mind has muffled the dreariness and cramp of the late morning shuttle bus to Swansea, then the connecting Swansea-Llanelli bus (or maybe on that day there was actually a Cardiff-Llanelli shuttle, we all know how inconsistent public transport has always been, especially across South Wales). The highlights and fondness of that day’s fragment would have begun with sandwiches and tea, which would have coincided with the 2pm kick-off at Stade De France. Even the faint memories of chatting with my then-only remaining grandparent on her eightieth, while the previous year’s whipping boys – produced an astonishing, astonishing win in France – in the days where international comebacks away from home were far less frequent as they have become since those early few years of the professional rugby union era.

   France vs Wales, Saturday March 6th 1999

   

Dynamically, that day was just about to shift up a gear, as the unglamorous nature of reaching the next target – rushing for a bus or train, often in wet conditions in South Wales – was the next step. As I bade my grandmother a happy birthday in a common early twentysomething “hi, bye” fashion, then a happy farewell to my family under the smiles of a shock Wales win in France (the first since the year of my birth in 1975), it was game on; round two – let’s have it!

I reached Cardiff and Robert Street Glowers (for “Towers” would be the most undeserved word of all undeserved words so far in this anecdote), with a scant hour in which to get to my cave, sharpen up, have a “livener” drink and reach the pickup point (which I think was somewhere on Newport Road) and join Suzanne, her friend Rhian and a chap whose name I have sadly forgotten – in the petite Ford Ka on the rainy road to Brum. Here is the sharp contrast which has been a quite definitive feature of my life. Day, versus night. The escaping from Llanelli and its narrowing shackles, “tout-suite” and the running to a city where a rebellious, darkened culture emanated from post-rave antiestablishment gave me more of an identity. A culture which was so synonymous with the nineties, the music and nightclubs of that time – and one I learned ever so gradually over the years, was the sanctuary (remember that word for later) for neurodivergent people. More on that after the dance.

Anyway, Gatecrasher at The Que Club. A majestically used ex-church, which became legendary for dance music events – and a lineup epitomising the sounds of the near-millennium. Sasha, Judge Jules, Scott Bond, Guy Ornadel and Seb Fontaine formed the main amphitheatre’s DJ arsenal. While the second room was also a quality ensemble of more funky house music DJs – the first two hours under the massive dome of the main room became seminal for me, without knowing its powerful longevity, at that time. This meant that the majority of my time was spent between open and close, 11pm until 6am; either on the principal auditorium or dancing among the seated area to the right of the stage. Even looking at the picture of it now, the seated area felt considerably bigger twenty-five years ago!

                                   

The sublime personal connections for me around the whole day, coming from a strictly devout religious family and going to The Que Club, which was originally built as a Methodist Church. As many have professed, music has become a form of worship or a place where folk have found their own souls in different statures. This evening, then into early morning and beyond – for me was seminal in three ways. Not only was it the first time I had seen Sasha (who was already an icon to me, but would become a greater icon of electronic music and DJing inspiration for me over the years) DJ live, but added to him actually opening a main room; playing first on the bill, between 11pm and 1am – and exactly what he played in that slot - and its legacy. Once again, the value of a memory – and the relevance and personal value of that moment; reached an ecstatic and transcendent high (or trance-cendent) – here.

In The Que by Birmingham Music Archive

After the previous twelve hours of zipping cross-country, meeting and greeting family; followed by excitement, time stopped – in the middle of the giant open, yet bustling dancefloor at Que, sometime around 11:45 to midnight. What…was I hearing? A breakdown, which although inebriated, I may have been – now ethereally-entranced, something wonderful just hit me. A moment which has stuck me forever. Xpander. When serotonin is passed like an adrenaline shot through the body, you feel like you’re in outer space – this was the pinnacle - of the sixth of March. Forget the heroics of the men in red at the Stade De France, this (also unbeknown at the time) Welshman behind the decks – along with his studio wizards behind the scenes, Charlie May and Duncan Forbes (and the engineering of Andy Ford and Gaetan Schurrer) – had created a track which became one of the tracks of the club era – and I’d just heard it for the first time. For the rest of the night, I was in dreamland.

Sasha - Xpander

Five to six years previously, I had been playing rugby with - and against some of those victorious players in Paris for Wales. But the game, its politics and its sewn-in machismo which I’d always lived around but never felt part of; increasingly unfulfilling. For someone completely in the dark about a condition such as ADHD which in parallel continued to affect daily cognition, while thinking there was an inherent problem with themselves. It’s a positive change that professional sport now does support mental health issues in a more open manner.

France v Wales, Stade De France 1999

Yet, in the famous words of a dearly departed poet of these nearby parts of South London where I write, as Maxi Jazz of Faithless said:

“This is my church, This is where I heal my hurt It's in natural grace, Or watching young life shape”

Only released six and a half months before this event, the words of God Is A DJ hold more value for me now than they did at the time - and no, I never subscribed to the Mixmag poster boy ideology of Sasha being “Son Of God”, just an incredible influence and musical force for me as a DJ and producer. The fact he’s also Welsh is a bonus. Now, for me as a faithless man – the inspiration as much as healing on a regular basis for me, over the last twenty-five years for me has been mostly via music, having lived in varied, distant parts of the world and learnt a Bible-sized volume about life, but still not quite any closer to understanding much.

I couldn’t remember a heap of tracks played after 1am, other than the final track before Sasha departed into the shadows of the Que Club – a Perfecto remix of Grace’s Not Over Yet. Probably the first time many inside the venue would have heard it. After dancing with vigour, enjoying the company of my travelling troupe until the event closed at 6am, Seb Fontaine played the final track. A track which – at that time, if you had it, it was gold dust among the DJ fraternity. I’d just happened to purchase said 12” vinyl a few days beforehand, as a limited release on the LCD label at Cardiff Queen Street’s HMV. It was called Sanctuary, by Dejure. It wasn’t released for wider purchase until the following year on Fontaine’s Spot On Records label, so when I played my first respectable gig in Cardiff at a decent venue, Po Na Na in July or August 1999, I had a supportive crew from British Gas with me. I played what I would happily call “a blinding set”. Be that as it may, what I learned that night was one identical thing Sasha learnt via a proverbial “bollocking” from Hacienda maestro DJ Jon Da Silva around a decade previously. DO NOT PLAY YOUR BIG TUNES WHEN WARMING UP FOR THE MAIN DJs. I was told. Almost in a Michael Caine in The Italian Job voice when he blasted “You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”

It was one lesson I may have learnt via a verbal slap around my face at the wrong time regarding my record-spinning naivety – but it stood me in good stead for the years to come as a DJ. Meanwhile; when I played Sanctuary during the set, I was suddenly offered an unlimited amount of money for it, while seeing a wallet opening figuratively like the Red Sea from Moses’ arms. Bank notes, like waves rippling with the flick of the thumb and parting the leather on either side. By one of the resident DJs who then became a clubbing and DJ mate for my next few years in Cardiff and beyond in my music affinity circle, whose name I shan’t mention. I’m glad I kept to my guns that night, despite my low income and bank balance. “Nope”, said I. “Not for sale”.

One feeling which stuck with me from just after 6am on the seventh of March 1999 – I do have the taste to choose the right tracks, even if I haven’t really started the performing journey yet. I have had the night of my stumbling young life, at an incredible construction, in a community of people who want feelings of liberation and identity. I left the magnificent, although by then, dishevelled expanse with the echoing words from Sanctuary’s sampled breakdown playing, ringing in my ears as we stumbled through the morning damp-dark of Digbeth’s streets. I knew when I’d reach my cave I’d have to listen to it immediately. Quietly, but immediately.

“Something for your mind, your body and your soul”

Dejure - Sancutary

#1999 #March 6th 1999 #Birthday #France vs Wales #Gatecrasher #Que Club #Birmingham #Clubbing #Sasha #Xpander #Sanctuary #Mental Health #ADHD #Depression #Anxiety #Memories #Rugby Union #Change In Times #Grandmother #Social Change

[papriakter240]

Chunjiang Plumbing Duck Prophet: Insight into AIGC technology trends and seize the opportunity of content industry reform

In April this year, I attended the AIGC (Artificial Intelligence Generated Content) Creators Conference in Shanghai and shared some trends at that time. For details, please refer to the article "AIGC Revolution: The content industry has reached an inflection point, how to win the opportunity of the times".

The storm is about to come, and nearly half a year has passed. How will the trend change now? What opportunities does technological iteration bring us?

1. Axioms

Nowadays, short video platforms HE Tuber such as Douyin, Kuaishou, and WeChat video accounts have risen rapidly. The information cocoon constructed by short videos and recommendation algorithms has made it difficult for many people to let go and extricate themselves.

There is a general consensus in the Internet industry: "The value of video far exceeds graphics, text and audio." Because video can convey more dimensions of information per unit of time, it not only brings a rich sensory experience, but also makes it easier to establish emotional bonds, thereby achieving higher participation, stronger social communication and higher commercial conversion.

For example, the monetization value of Youtube’s pre-roll ads and the interactive value of Bilibili’s barrages are unmatched by traditional graphics, text and audio content.

Based on this, we can draw the first axiom: "In unit time, the value of high information density content is much greater than the value of low information density content."

However, the popularity of Internet video content did not happen overnight. In 2007, the number of Internet users in my country was 162 million, and the Internet penetration rate was only 12.3%. By 2023, the number of Internet users in my country will reach 1.079 billion, and the Internet penetration rate will reach 76.4%, with mobile Internet users becoming the main force.

Just as every quantum leap releases huge energy, the popularization of emerging technologies will also bring huge dividends. With the performance improvement and popularization of mobile networks and smartphones, the PC Internet era has jumped to the mobile Internet era, releasing a huge incremental market and giving birth to new content creation and consumption scenarios.

In the PC Internet era, due to limitations of the network environment and equipment, the main population is limited to students and white-collar workers who use computers daily. UGC (user-generated content) is mainly in the form of graphics and text, such as Renren, Tianya Forum, Sina Blog and Weibo wait. Due to the high production threshold of video content, it is mostly produced by professionals through PGC (professionally produced content).

Today, ordinary people can create videos and share content anytime and anywhere with a mobile phone. Such a low-barrier approach has triggered explosive growth in UGC content. At the same time, the rise of mobile social networks has also provided a new platform for content dissemination, further promoting the frequency and diversity of video content consumption.

As the saying goes: "In the old days, kings and queens flew into the homes of ordinary people." It is precisely because of the transformation from PC Internet to mobile Internet that the transformation from PGC to UGC has led to the prosperity of today's content industry.

From this, we can draw the second axiom: "The popularity of technological innovation has greatly lowered the threshold for ordinary people to create and consume content, thereby releasing huge incremental market value."

Today, powerful generative AI has once again put us at the forefront of reshaping the content industry landscape. Large generative AI models such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion are constantly being introduced, and new AI applications are also overwhelming.

When we understand the two axioms of "content information density" and "technological innovation penetration rate", we can have a better insight into all these changes and make judgments on trends with subtle insights.

2. Insight

With the popularization of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion technologies, making AIGC images has become a hobby for many creators. But now just generating static images of “1girl” can no longer meet the growing creative needs. In the Stable Diffusion ecosystem, new methods, papers, and models are constantly emerging, and ABC's creative methods are also evolving rapidly.

We have insight into several new trends: first, the innovation of AIGC workflow represented by ComfyUI, which brings unprecedented convenience to personalized content creation; second, animation generation led by AnimateDiff shows the infinite possibilities of dynamic content creation; Finally, the 3D content generation demonstrated by DreamGaussian is opening up a new field of visual art. These trends herald the coming of a more prosperous and diversified AIGC era, which will also bring more opportunities.

1. AIGC workflow revolution

In the Stable Diffusion project, the currently popular WebUI, such as Automatic 1111, lacks flexibility, making it difficult for ordinary users to build a complete creative process according to their own ideas, and also restricts users from trying new methods and models.

The newly launched ComfyUI is changing all that. It allows users to combine different models, algorithms and parameters by dragging nodes and connecting lines to form their own workflow, thereby weaving more creative AIGC content.

This means that even users with no programming background can use Stable Diffusion to create with a high degree of flexibility and personalization. ComfyUI's method of loading modules on demand not only ensures flexibility, but also greatly reduces the consumption of system resources, allowing computers with mid- to low-end graphics cards to run smoothly.

AIG C's creativity is important, but AIGC's workflow is even more valuable, because this is the true embodiment of human creativity. What’s surprising is that ComfyUI can also share complete workflow information through PNG images. That is to say, users can not only create colorful works, but also share their creative flow very easily.

This directly promotes the popularization and dissemination of excellent AIGC workflow skills in the community, and will also bring more creative content.

ComfyUI not only brings a more advanced creation experience to Stable Diffusion, it also reveals to us the huge potential of AIGC workflow, indicating that we are entering a new stage of more efficient, more shareable and innovative AIGC creation.

2. AIGC animation is about to rise

Because creators are not satisfied with the generation of 2D static images, AnimateDiff came into being. Its goal is to extend Stable Diffusion's static image generation capabilities into the field of animation generation. This tool seamlessly transforms text or static images into high-quality, personalized animated images, eliminating the need for complex model fine-tuning.

AnimateDiff is remarkable because it draws prior knowledge of motion from a large amount of video, not only ensuring smoothness, consistency, and diversity of animations, but also achieving unparalleled smooth transitions with virtually no flicker. The following is the content I shared on my video account a few days ago, which received a large number of reposts and views within 24 hours.

The advantage of AIGC animation is its higher degree of freedom and fault tolerance. Creators can unleash their unlimited creativity and create works of art that transcend reality. Moreover, it changes traditional animation's reliance on professional skills and resources, making it easy for non-professional users to participate.

This is not only a huge advancement in technology, but also marks an innovation in creative expression. Now, everyone has the chance to be Hayao Miyazaki and create amazing animations.

AIGC is leaping from the picture field to the video field, indicating that a new wave of content creation is coming. Just like the animated short film I shared on my video account a few days ago, using AIGC technology, creators can not only attract more viewers, but also gain huge traffic and commercial value from the video. This is difficult to achieve in traditional graphic media and is an opportunity that all content creators should not ignore.

3. AIGC moves from plane to three-dimensional

Also because they are not satisfied with 2D image generation, many AIGC creators are also exploring how to convert 2D images into 3D images and scenes, because 3D has higher flexibility and controllability than 2D. However, traditional text or image generation 3D algorithms are time-consuming and have low accuracy, which seriously hinders the in-depth application of AIGC in the 3D field.

Recently, DreamGaussian came out, which implements an efficient 3D algorithm for text and image generation. It can reconstruct a high-quality textured 3D mesh from a single-view image in just two minutes, ten times more efficiently than existing technologies. What's even more commendable is that despite its extremely fast processing speed, it does not compromise on the quality of the output model. The following figure is a comparison of the rendering efficiency of the old algorithm and the new algorithm.

DreamGaussian can accurately build 3D models by using innovative 3D Gaussian spray technology to simulate the natural movement of particles in virtual space. This technology not only restores the geometric shape of the object, but also captures the subtle texture and color of its surface, showing an amazing level of detail and restoration.

Although this technology has shown great potential, its journey has just begun, and there is still room for optimization in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and application scenarios.

Combined with Stable Diffusion, DreamGaussian enables content creators to produce high-quality models with unprecedented speed and creativity, dramatically accelerating the creative process. More importantly, 3D content generation technology will open up new application paths for various industries.

Whether it’s rapid content creation for the film and gaming industries, or visual prototyping in product design and architecture. AIGC 3D will optimize existing workflows, reduce costs and inspire new forms of creative expression.

I believe that in the near future, content consumers will be able to see more and more AIGC 3D video content on content platforms, enjoy more realistic and high-quality 3D environments in VR and AR experiences, and achieve unprecedented immersive experience and interaction. sex. As this technology continues to mature, we foresee the arrival of a richer, more sophisticated, and more interactive Metaverse.

3. Opportunities

AIGC is still developing rapidly. As the so-called "spring river water warms the duck prophet", front-line AIGC creators have been keenly aware of these trend changes. AIGC's workflow optimization and content format iteration are opening up a new world for creators, investors and entrepreneurs. Specific industrial opportunities are mainly concentrated in the following aspects:

New wave of content creation: AIGC technology is lowering the technical threshold of content creation, making it easier for individual creators and small studios to create differentiated and personalized content. Even creators without a strong artistic background can produce professional-grade animations that satisfy the market's desire for high-quality, diverse content.

Innovation in advertising and marketing: In the field of advertising and marketing, AIGC allows brands to create personalized content in an unprecedented way and quickly produce high-quality advertising materials. Currently, some well-known brands are already using AIGC to create creative advertisements, gaining market attention by creating more vivid and engaging advertising forms.

Diversification of entertainment content: AIGC is pushing the entertainment experience to a new level, especially in the fields of live interaction, games, and VR/AR. Currently, the game industry is using AIGC to quickly generate game environments and characters to provide players with a richer and more immersive experience.

AIGC education and training needs: The rise of AIGC technology has not only changed the traditional content production process, but also brought revolutionary changes to CG education. How to master and use AIGC technology to create more and better content has become a required course for every creator. More and more educational institutions have begun to provide AIGC-related courses.

Demand for algorithms and computing power: The increasing complexity and refinement of AIGC content creation has also created an urgent need for algorithms and computing power. Small creative groups such as creators and studios also have to deal with the rapid increase in energy consumption and hardware costs, which will also create more demand for algorithms and computing services.

4. Outlook

In the future, a more prosperous and diversified content industry will emerge. In this industry, individual creators can express their creativity more freely, and audiences can enjoy richer and more personalized content. The demand for AIGC creation and services will also usher in new growth points due to technological iteration and popularization.

I made a conclusion in "AIGC Revolution: The Content Industry at the Turning Point, How to Win Opportunities of the Times": If you can help more people cross the gap, you can also achieve great success in the process.

At present, AIGC technology is still rapidly iterating, and the threshold for using AIGC technology is still relatively high, but this is where the huge market opportunities lie. Those companies and individuals that can build bridges and help the public cross this technological gap will be at the forefront of value transformation. But bringing cutting-edge technology to the mass market is no easy task.

"How to find the easiest value lever to leverage based on your own ability, and how to run a sustainable business model with the least resources" ? It is still a difficult problem that tests every entrepreneur.

Remember this: Find what your customers want most and what you can do best, and focus on the intersection of the two.

I believe that whether they are building more user-friendly creative tools or lowering the threshold for AIGC by providing education and training, these pioneers will reap the dividends of this technological revolution.

For all creators, entrepreneurs, and investors, now is the perfect time to learn more about this trend, actively participate in, and lead this technological revolution. Let us bravely embark on this new journey together!

#HETuber #Music #Gaming #Entertainment #Sports #Science And Technology

[landryreece74]

The Killer Of The Bearer Of Bad News Quickly Joins The Ranks Of The Uniformed

You can get the tan and stay active. Many experts advise beginners to learn about the team before betting seriously. With this touch screen mobile phone, you get an additional mobile application. Divisional: Teams playing a divisional game can be a hardest games to forecast, knowing the history, injury report, trend and latest statistics are key factors in continues reading of the. This is all it takes to get the free sports television channels you can view on your computer. Many are putting aside their late evenings and weekends capture some rest and watch a good game website. See how you can watch live sports TV online through my television blog. Lich Bong Da There a variety of website which give useful information helping sports picks. Generate give good quality information, news, matchups,trends and stats which will you handicap the upcoming football video game titles. There are many committed people who give the best information and researches and numerous handicappers who help you're making money by betting. In addition provide free picks in order to help realize your techniques and to get an estimate of what steps you are ahead in making money onto the real sports. Lich Thi Dau Bong Da Hom Nay

LỊCH THI ĐẤU BÓNG ĐÁ HÔM NAY There are blogs everywhere on the internet; but not all niche blogs are fetching in money for the pet owners. Blogging has in itself become a way of self employment and bloggers are employing a stone to kill two birds giving quality content the idea meet the needs of their readers and at once generate revenues by themselves. I tried a associated with online bookmarkers but difficult to do really be employed by me. Tend to be either slow to access or troublesome to setup. I ended together with Yahoo Book marking. You can install Yahoo Bookmark as a toolbar in your browser however, you will 't be able to find your bookmarks anywhere such as unless possess to your portable applications. By setting up My Msn!, you can have Yahoo Bookmarks as a module. The football team on the The University of South carolina is represented by the South Carolina Gamecocks. In order to the Gamecocks, the team has been called simply "Carolina" for most years. Subjected to testing a person in the NCAA Division I college football and compete in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. The Gamecocks currently play house games the particular Williams-Brice Athletic field. Their latest head coach is Steve Spurrier. When my son Evan was in first grade, we had an incident where we became associated with bad a news flash. He personally still did not share it with us at first, and our challenge was how manage the problem. If you are a parent, you will get a kick from the this story and hopefully it will demonstrate my point also. Unlike the elite league like EPL, for the smaller divisions, there aren't any powerhouses who dominate the league for multiple periods Soccer, footbal . There are no so-called Big Three. This gives the lower leagues another level field and creates more opportunities for value betting. Whether you might have missed any particular part within the game or wish to share a special move with friends, family, colleagues one more football fans, you are able to enjoy the highlights at your own convenience. You a lot more have to wait patiently to view tv highlights. Essentially the most effective part being you can replay your football videos as frequently as you would like. What's even better is there's ample football news regarding all major leagues right here on one blog. There's news and updates with regard to the Bundesliga, Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, Euro 2008 nicely course the English Premier league. You have a pursuit in football find all related news and updates right in the following. Different team owners need differing approaches, often depending upon their own beliefs and expectations. For some, there a willingness to stick with an employee, even when many outsiders feel that success can be a long way away. Is such an approach an indication that proprietor is too stubborn? Possibly, but it might also be influenced this particular belief that stability may be the key to winning matches and medals. His radio app a person the opportunity to listen in order to about any sports show in america! There's a healthy report on stations which can be covered and i literally NEED this app when I am going on traveling. Heaven forbid I'd be out from my sports talk show for several days, haha. It's also a great app if you're living distant from your hometown or your favorite club. Lich Bong Da

In this rainforest of recruiting college student athletes do stats really matter much? Now these days with so many message boards, websites and blogs you can get the latest facts and information on just about any high school player's games as well as stats sometimes written up minute by minute in real time. Even though there greater level of sites claiming to have satellite TV software, all of them Soccer, footbal are usually poor from my sensation. Some examples of poor software would be those that broadcast really poor image quality, whilst may quit able start at nearly all. Of course you perform. After all, you can work hard, you play strong. You deserve your 15 minutes of popularity. Well now purchase get it and the carpeting need to embarrass yourself by transpiring a reality tv show or spend total hard earned cash on over-priced designer clothing. Be seen in essentially the most Sex Drugs and Sausage Rolls Tee shirt. Bring Products. It is very important that you simply remain properly hydrated in the daytlight. You should have a few water bottles per person to ensure that you do not run the risk of severe dehydration. I think maybe those apps that relate to football are essentially the most. It is the first one i want to say something near. It is a tool that simply and quickly shows newest news about Europa League, including fixtures, results, standings, top scorers and top assists. Top scorers and top assists' names and which teams they behave like also displayed. Lich Thi Dau Bong Da Hom Nay There additionally some news blogs available to choose from that offer live upgrades. So this means in case a game will run, you can plan to get these updates via your phone may also be internet. If this is actually the case, the next sound you hear get the coffin closing on fair-minded journalism in The states. And for that reason alone, the government should vote to end all funding to NPR Radio, simply like a a few principle. Confident this shows up up on Congress' agenda after the new year. It has to be interesting to observe how they vote on this matter. And who votes for and on. LỊCH THI ĐẤU BÓNG ĐÁ HÔM NAY It is crucial for NHL fans. This is usually a handy tool for you to search the schedules and results by date. Besides, you can also read RSS news about ice hockey matches. So please don't put good deal hope on it, which only an easy tool that provides you some useful info about NHL. Lich Thi Dau Bong Da Hom Nay Football games can be really tough calls especially as it gets later in 12 months. The better teams are showing just how strong they are and the spreads can be right on target. You've some help that can help you in maneuvering through this mine field unscathed. Getting help from handicappers with inside knowing of working an argument spread will make those wins happen for you more often. Some of the top handicappers will even offer free picks on some of your headline games of the week to demonstrate the strength of their knowledge and also handicapping computer. They will tell you about many of the locks they may have and you have the opportunity to test them out for on your. Williams' comment was made on a Monday day. But it wasn't until he got a message on Wednesday afternoon, that he knew he previously had been because of ax. To your phone, a high level manager told Williams he was being fired because his remarks on The O'Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with NPR's editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility for a news analyst with NPR. Williams sought a face-to-face meeting, but was told that the decision already was indeed made and nothing he could say would make them change their minds about his firing.

#Lich Bong Da