#him and his security <3 and the care packages for new players <3 and the way he Craves Violence but absolutely refuses to hurt anyone who

[mishapen-dear]

thinking about the elections tonight... bad, cellbit, baghera, and forever are four candidates who are devoted to the island- more specifically, to the residents of the island. They care for the eggs, and they care for each other, and the way they exhibit that care through their primary presidential strategies is fucking fascinating.

Bad is who I watch the most, so I know him best. He's a classic mother hen. He doesn't like to take risks with the eggs, and he likes to prepare. If there's any sort of variable that could hurt an egg then he wants to control it. They have a stable relationship with the federation right now- it's not great, but they know the parameters. Don't trust cucurucho. don't follow cucurucho. send the eggs to NINHO every time there's a threat. the time of day changing means you need to run. Other than that they're p okay and roughly safe. But adding a president could potentially change everything. What if the president makes a rule that makes it easier to kill the eggs? And what about the way a president could cause tensions between the players to rise even higher? The dynamics of the island could change drastically. It's safer to neutralize that threat before it ever becomes a threat. It's easier to stop a war before it can start.

Baghera's primary concern is the way the election is designed to pit the residents against each other. All of them know that the Federation is a threat and she, like Bad, is focused on not letting them hurt more people. But, unlike Bad, she's less resistant to change. If the power is spread to multiple players rather than just one, it will be harder for the Federation to corrupt any one of them. Each time before the Federation has gotten to someone it's done so by isolating them. Felps, Cellbit, Jaiden- they've all spent a lot of alone time with Cucurucho. A council isn't just to consolidate the ideals of the island; a council would protect the players themselves. Sure, there might be disagreements and arguments, but they've had those before (and they're having them now!) and there's no reason to think they wouldn't be able to get through them again.

I hit a bit of a wall with Forever and Cellbit's pov here. Everything I know about their plans are from the debates and paraphrased discussions that have been translated here on tumblr, I'm going to talk less about their explicit plan and more about what the result will entail- a single president who takes responsibility for the island. It seems to me like they've recognized the presidential seat as the powerful opportunity that it is, and they want to take advantage of it. Here's some extra personal speculation but, adding rules, adding or removing mods, proposing public works, enforcing laws- those are just the abilities that are listed. Those are incredible opportunities to make the Federation take action, which is more than they've had before. We've seen before that the Federation isn't perfect; the Federation makes mistakes.

By working with the Federation, by making them take action (in a semi-controlled, semi-predictable way) you open them up to more opportunities for them to fuck up (while benefiting you). And, maybe, one of those fuck ups will be the key to taking them down. Maybe they could reopen ender chests. Maybe they could open the nether. Maybe they could learn why the Federation is holding an election in the first place. It's possible to do all these things with Baghera's plan, sure, but that's not a guarantee and, if someone like Bad is on the council, there's absolutely no way to be sure it would get done. And, if there's a council, then that opens up everyone on the council to the Federation's wiles. If there's just one president, then that's where the Federation's focus will be. By using a single person to build a relationship with the Federation, they only risk that single person. By electing ministers instead of a council, they can ensure that the island residents' needs are being heard while placing the federation's focus on that one person. A point can be made that they've done that before- with varying results. like kidnapping. selling your soul. etc. But! overall, I think they've gained more than they've lost by singling out one person. Because of them, we know that Cucurucho can't be trusted. We know that the Federation has a series of tunnels underneath the island. We know that the Federation not only has some sort of cryo technology, but had some unknown reason to use it. We know that there was another person working with Cellbit to take care of Felps (theorized to be ElQuackity), so we know there's at least one more Fed that isn't Cucurucho + blank-faced workers. There's been risk, but there's absolutely been rewards. This is just a very long meandering way to say that their plan to sacrifice Forever to the presidential seat reminds me very much of Cellbit's plan to sacrifice himself to the federation. They're saving their friends by potentially damning themselves and I, for one, think that is cool as hell.

they all care about each other so much. bad's plan means taking on no more risk. baghera's plan means spreading that risk evenly to stand strong together. and cellbit and forever's plan means taking the risk onto themselves so they can reap the rewards for others. am i reading too much into things? no this is tumblr and this smp is about LOVE and i really genuinely think that their election plans are a fantastic example of just how much they love each other

#qsmp elections #qsmp #qsmp analysis #again i haven't been following cellbit and forever's exact plan too closely but i've gotten the sense that their pushing of public works is #just to get people to vote for them and the true reason they want forever to be president is to infiltrate the federation #if that's not it tho feel free to let me know i'd love to know these cubitos reasonings #but with my interpretation i like the silly little extra headcanon of mr cell “sold his soul to the cops” bit #subconsciously sacrificing forever to the feds and pushing him into corruption #which ALSO makes the forever-killing-cellbit-to-kick-him-out-of-the-running plan Even More Tasty #'what if i let you kill me. what if destroying me destroyed yourself. what if i have already destroyed you on purpose and you forgave me #now what if i dont mean it when i do it again' #if anyone wants to examine the other candidates (or these same ones) and figure out how their election strategy is an example of their love #please do #i don't know enoguh about the others #but i know that gegg is love-turned-grief burn-the-world-down #and foolish is love for Item. love for cloud. love for being a silly #i don't know etoiles' plan for if he gets elected but i know he also deeply loves the island and the residents #him and his security <3 and the care packages for new players <3 and the way he Craves Violence but absolutely refuses to hurt anyone who #doesn't deserve it. most guy of all time #personally i want foolish to win because i think it would be really fun #but i think that any of them (even the candidates i don't know) would be a Fantastic president #we're going to get some good roleplay any way it goes so ill be happy :3 #the only mechanic thing i want is for them to open the nether but that feels like a given for anyone so im not worried about it tbh #ty for coming to my tedtalk #hello if you're reading this tag. i see youre just as un-normal about these characters as i am. or you just like to read. respect either wa

[marvel-mistress-padawan]

Lady Fair

Darcy Lewis was more than a little nervous for her first day working as Tony Stark’s assistant. She had only met Mr. Stark two weeks ago for the interview and it had gone terribly, or so she thought, and then she had been hired. Maybe Thor had influenced his hiring decision or maybe Tony Stark just wasn’t thinking so clearly without Pepper there to assist him anymore. No one was thinking clearly after Thanos...Darcy only hoped she didn’t mess this up. This job was the only hope she had of getting her life back together.

Darcy parked her car at the big parking lot next to the complex, shouldered her gypsy style oversized purse, and made her way to the double doors. She swiped her security badge, entered the code that she had written on a post-it note, and entered the building. Her instructions said to take the elevator to the third floor and look for the room marked 3-C. She stepped off the elevator, passed 3-A then 3-B. She could see 3-C ahead when a noise further down the hall got her attention. Darcy followed the sound to an open doorway and found herself on a balcony overlooking a gymnasium. Below her, several of the Avengers were training. She watched them for a few minutes and then turned and went back to the room that was to be her office.

The office was sparsely decorated. She tossed her purse into and empty desk drawer, plunked down into the wheeled chair which she spun in a circle a few times before turning her attention to the DVDs on the desk marked, “New Hire Orientation Packet.” With a sigh, Darcy put the first disc into the player.

By lunch time, Darcy slipped out to watch the Avengers train yet again.

“Darcy Lewis!” Thor caught sight of her a called out. “I was not aware you would be here today! Come down and I will introduce you to my friends!”

She found a set of stairs to her left and soon crossed to where Thor stood. It was good to see him again. It was good to see someone familiar, and safe. The past few months had been anything but safe and that had nothing to do with Thanos and everything to do with Ian. After everything she had suffered in childhood Darcy had always had a weakness for men who would “rescue” her. Ian had not been what he seemed, not once he got drunk. Taking a job in another state had been the simplest way to leave him but she hadn’t officially broken it off yet. She’d been too afraid he would show up at her door drunk when she did. The anxiety of knowing what was coming had been following her for three days since she moved out. Now, as she approached Thor, she felt safe for the first time in months.

“Darcy this is, Steve Rogers, Nebula, Rocket, Bruce Banner, Natasha...Darcy used to work with Jane Foster. Now she works for Tony,” he told them after he had listed off their names. Then he turned to Darcy. “I thought you would not arrive until next week. It is good to see you here today.”

“I wasn’t gonna be here until next week,” Darcy admitted. She had done everything she could to get there sooner, or rather to get away from home. “But I made some calls and Mr. Stark let me come early.”

“Well I am glad he did. It is good to see you,” Thor said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s good to see you too,” Darcy leaned into his touch just slightly and had to force herself not to start crying. “You changed your hair. It’s a good look.”

“Are you moving into the complex?” Natasha asked her. “Or are you commuting?”

“I’m moving in. I have a few bags in my car and the rest of my stuff is getting sent at the end of the week.”

“Then let us assist you with carrying in your bags,” Thor offered. It was not a request.

“Thor she’s gotta eat lunch,” Nat protested. “We can help her with her bags this evening.”

“Or I can order lunch while you guys grab the bags,” Bruce offered.

Darcy led the way out to her car, followed by Thor. He could manage her four bags easily enough. She reached her car and realized she had forgotten something. “Shit. I don’t have my keys. They’re back inside at my desk.”

“Then I will go get them for you,” Thor said.

He took only one step away before Darcy grabbed his arm. “Wait!”

Thor stopped moving and looked down at her with concern and curiosity. “You seem on edge,” he commented. “Is everything alright or do you have something to fear?”

“I don’t really know,” she said. She was on edge every moment wondering when Ian was going to realize she had left for good and knowing there was a very good chance he would take up stalking her. He fit the profile anyway. Then she looked down at her hand and realized she still had a tight grip on Thor’s arm. She made herself let go. “I’ll go with you to get the keys.” She headed in the direction of the facility entrance but Thor didn’t follow her.

“Darcy?” he called after her.

She stopped walking but didn’t turn to face him for fear that if she did she’d just fall apart. She wished she had a bag of skittles about then. A candy rush might be enough to get through the next few hours without a meltdown. Thor approached her and stood at her side. He reached over to her arm and pushed aside her long bell sleeve revealing a bruise she had been careful to keep hidden, apparently not careful enough.

“Who gave you this bruise?”

“My boyfriend,” Darcy admitted.

“You have left him behind and you fear he is searching for you?” Thor asked, understanding her situation more quickly than she had expected.

Darcy nodded again, this time unable to stop a few tears from escaping.

“If he finds you, he will not harm you,” Thor said firmly.

Darcy let out a sob and then impulsively she turned and threw her arms around Thor, hugging him tightly. He quickly got over his shock and hugged her in return. She didn’t really cry. Darcy wasn’t one for tears very often. Life had been too hard for too many years for her to be bothered with crying. But she did hold on tightly. Thor could protect her but more than that, he wouldn’t hurt her. Not ever. He couldn’t have been worthy of the hammer of he had been that kind of person. The fact was that for the first time since she was eight, she was hugging someone who truly wouldn’t harm her. It made her unwilling to let go anytime soon. It wasn’t that she was attracted to Thor. Sure, he was hot, but she had set aside her crush on him when Jane started dating him. No this was something more basic, a need for a protective family that she’d never had before. Or maybe it didn’t hurt that he was hot. She couldn’t be sure. She only knew that they needed to go back inside and get her keys, and she just couldn’t let go.

“Darcy?” Thor spoke up after what must have been three minutes.

She shook her head, still holding onto him. “Nope. I think this breaks the record on the longest safe hugs I’ve ever had. Can’t let go now.” She rattled off the words.

“Safe hugs? Are there other kinds?” Thor asked, a little confused.

“Sure there are. There are hugs from your creepy stepfather who only wants to hug you because he’s a pervert. And hugs from your real father only when your mom is watching just so he can prove he’s not a deadbeat. And hugs from three boyfriends as an apology for beating the shit out of you.” Darcy told him more than she’d meant to but she couldn’t help it.

She felt Thor sigh on hearing her words and his arms tightened around her a little more firmly. “Then stay a while longer. I have plenty of time.”

Darcy only stayed another minute and then she made herself pull away from Thor and return to her office for her keys. They went back to her car and carried her bags to her new apartment within the complex.

“Yours is right across the hall from mine,” Thor pointed out as she unlocked the door.

“Are you gonna be one of those neighbors I can like borrow baking ingredients from because I always forget to buy stuff?” Darcy asked him as she dropped the smallest of her bags, the only one she had carried, into a nearby recliner.

“You may borrow from me whatever you wish if I have it.” Thor offered generously. “If there is something I should keep a supply of…”

“I don’t actually do that much baking. The only supplies I need are stuff like gummy bears and skittles.” Darcy said, leading the way back out of her apartment to join the others in the lunch room. They had almost reached the others when Darcy stopped once more to say something to Thor. “If you could...not say anything about what I said about Ian and hugs…” she began.

“I will not speak of it,” Thor told her.

***

The knock on her door at well past 11PM startled Darcy. She put aside her pint of ice cream and went to the door. Thor stood on the other side.

“Your light was on. I brought you this,” he held up packages of gummy bears and skittles.

“Wow,” Darcy said. “The god of thunder is bringing me gifts now?”

“Even gods can use a few friends. Besides, you know I am only an alien and not truly a deity.”

“I know...you wanna come in? I’m just watching My Fair Lady for the fiftieth time..”

Thor entered a little hesitantly and then joined her on the sofa, surprising her by taking the seat in the center so he was sitting next to her. Darcy couldn’t say that she minded that. “I am not familiar with this, My Fair Lady. Is it an important movie that you’ve watched it forty-nine times?”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve watched it really. Only that it was a lot. It’s probably not that important to most people but it is a classic. I just happen to like it a lot.”

As the film wore on, Darcy leaned a little closer to Thor, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Some part of her hoped that he would put an arm around her. He didn’t. Even so, it was enough to sit as they were.

“Why did Eliza return to Higgins in the end? It seemed he was rather harsh with her while he taught her,” Thor said as the film came to an end. “Or what I mean to say is, why do you like this film?”

“You think I like men who are controlling?” Darcy asked, a little defensively.

“I did not say that,” Thor replied.

Darcy sighed, “You didn’t have to. It’s probably true. It’s not like I do it on purpose though. But it’s like Eliza. She cared for Higgins because he offered her new possibilities. She got to wear fancy dresses and not have people look down on her anymore. She got to dance at the most beautiful parties. People can say that’s shallow but a life of poverty with a dad who would sell her out is pretty crappy too. Higgins was an upgrade. Maybe I just look for guys who have something better to offer.”

Thor remained silent for a short while and Darcy was afraid it was going to start getting awkward.

“I am sorry Darcy, that I frightened you on the day I arrived on earth. I frightened you enough that you felt you needed to use your taser on me. I had not realized the significance of that until now.”

“And what exactly is the significance?” Darcy wasn’t sure what he was trying to say.

“Only that you have not been treated with the kindness you deserve and I did nothing to help you when I could have.”

“I don’t...I don’t know that there’s anything you could have done…” Darcy said.

“I might have at least checked in on you when I was with the Avengers these past few years. You were Jane’s closest friend and it never occured to me that you could be in danger.”

“If I was in danger it was my own fault because I make stupid decisions,” Darcy said bitterly.

Thor turned towards her just slightly. “Darcy, you bear none of the blame for what others have done to you. None. The fault is theirs alone.”

“Thanks,” she said in a near whisper. “Maybe I needed to hear that...and maybe if it’s not too much trouble I’ll need to hear it again sometime.”

“Then I will tell it to you again and if you wish it, I will offer you a hug from time to time.”

“Yeah…” Darcy said, emotion in her tone. “I wish for that.”

He moved his arm so that he could put it around her and she leaned closer and rested her head against his chest. The hour was already late enough that she might have fallen asleep alone but this time Darcy was more than thankful that she didn’t have to. Thor stayed where he was and let her sleep in his hug.

#marvel #darcy lewis #thor odinson #fanfiction #fluff #crush #hugs hugs hugs

[suwya]

Till the Stars Had Run Away - Chapter 4

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Summary: Killian Jones was a voyager. Actually, he was many things, or at least he had been - a lieutenant, a brother, a loving boyfriend - until everything had turned upside down and his life had hit an all time low. So, he gave up. Aboard his spaceship he abandoned Arcadia, his planet, navigating the stars and other solar systems in search of... well, he still didn't know what he was searching for, but his rule was "never remain in the same place longer than necessary."

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Rating: M

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Prologue; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

AO3

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A/N: Thank you @thisonesatellite​ for being the best beta I could ever ask for . And thank to all of you who are reading this.

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Chapter 4 . .

But I, being poor, 

have only my dreams; 

I have spread my dreams 

under your feet; 

tread softly because 

you tread on my dreams.

(W. B. Yeats)

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Days passed quietly. Emma and Henry went back to their usual mother-son relationship sooner than Killian had expected and he enjoyed all the domestic moments with them. Especially at night. Not that he didn’t care about the boy, Henry was always a ray of sunshine, and Killian felt he was starting to bond with him deeper than he could have ever imagined. But at night, after Henry had gone to sleep, Emma always spent some time in the main cabin, sitting next to Killian: sometimes just staring silently at the starry sky, other times listening to him explaining all the different constellations they passed through, even though Killian wasn’t sure whether she was interested in his knowledge, or she was too well-mannered to stop his blathering. 

Emma Swan. This beautiful and somehow mysterious woman had invaded his life and had fascinated him since their very first meeting. 

More exactly, she had tormented his nights and thoughts from that moment on. A bittersweet obsession that had accompanied him for years. He had almost convinced himself that he was over her, during his reckless years with his friend Robin. But that wasn't entirely true, and he couldn't lie to himself. She used to appear in his dreams when he least expected and left a hollowing feeling in his soul for the rest of the following days whenever it happened as if he wasn’t entirely complete without her.

The night he had found her again, thanks to Henry, his heart had skipped a beat and he had known he was in trouble. But it was a cross he was willing to bear. It was not only a physical attraction he felt towards her, even though he couldn’t fool himself, she was a very good-looking woman; but he was also determined to discover every single detail of what she was, no matter the effort. From that moment on, he cherished every minute, every second spent with her.

When they finally arrived at their destination, permission to land on the new planet was easily granted. Nevertheless, the day was coming to an end and they decided it was better to sleep inside the ship in the hangar than to find an available place to spend the night. 

The next morning, from one of the lockers in the entrance of the spaceship, Killian retrieved the package that he needed to trade in exchange for the item he had to recover for his client.

It was still early and Killian was surprised to see Henry coming out of his cabin, still wearing pajamas. “Are you already going?” The boy asked him, trying to suppress a yawn.

“Aye, but I will be back soon.” He assured the lad.

Henry threw a glance at the closed door behind him and stepped closed to Killian. “Mom is still in the shower. May I ask you a favor?” He whispered, conspiratorial. 

Killian made a great effort not to linger on the thought of a naked Emma under the shower jet, he breathed deeply and concentrated on the boy in front of him. “Sure, lad.”

“Today is my mom’s birthday.”

“Is it, now?” Killian was both surprised and amused by this piece of information.

“Yes. We have this tradition, my mom and I,” the boy explained. “When it's my birthday she tries to celebrate it with a cake... or something… It's not always a big thing, I remember once we just had a couple of biscuits with frozen spicy cream on them.” After a small pause, he added, “mom doesn't want to make me worry, but I can see she’s in some kind of trouble. I’d like to make a little celebration for her this time. But she won't let me wander around an unknown planet all by myself.”

Killian nodded in understatement. “You want me to purchase something sweet for your mother.” 

“I know you have your job to do, but if it's not much of a problem, could you look for something?” He asked hopefully.

“Not a problem. At all.” 

Henry's grin widened. “Of course mom doesn’t have to know anything about it. And we are going to need a name!” 

“Come again?” Killian couldn’t follow the boy’s thoughts.

Henry extended a hand to shake with the man in front of him “Operation Candlelight is on!” He exclaimed. 

Killian chuckled and retrieved his hand just in time to see Emma appearing from another door, fully dressed for the day.

She was wearing a pair of stretched dark blue jeans and a thin white v-neck blouse with a skinny light brown leather vest over it. Her hair was still damped and Killian had to swallow a groan when his eyes followed a drop of water running down her cleavage. 

“Oh, Henry, you’re already awake.” She said surprised.

“I was just saying to your boy…” Killian came in help to a puzzled Henry, who wasn’t so quick in thinking of a good excuse why he was already out of bed. “I've heard there's a fair in town.” 

He turned to Henry “Maybe you and your mother could have a look while I’m attending my duties.” And then back to Emma “What do you say, Swan?”

The boy looked hesitantly at his mother. 

"I think it's a good idea," she agreed and was rewarded by a big grin on Henry's face.

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~·~·~·~

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.    The trade went smoothly as predicted, which gave Killian enough time to deal with the assignment that Henry had sent him on.

Finding something sweet to celebrate was more difficult than expected, it took him a few rounds through narrow streets and alleys and after asking a few passers-by for information, he finally found something that in his opinion could serve as dessert. But the hardest part was to discern the right thing to buy as Emma's present. Henry hadn’t mentioned anything about a gift, but Killian thought it could be the right excuse to surprise her.

The problem was that he had no clue what she would like. 

Killian tried to think about the time the two of them had spent together. All right, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to linger on the memories of their first encounter. And maybe it wasn’t good either to think about their second one. But since Henry entered his life things had changed. When the boy was in the same room with them, she seemed more relaxed, more condescending, less closed up inside her inner barriers. Killian would say she even seemed happier. 

And the moments shared at night in his cabin had been... well, some had been carefree and others had been intense, very intense. In the short amount of days they’d spent together, Killian had already revealed to Emma too much information about his past, something he had never done before with anyone, not even his best friend Robin. And that was alarming. He knew he had a soft spot for her, but to which extent? 

Bloody Hell, man, you’re so screwed-up! He said to himself. That Lady Swan is going to be the death of you. Killian sighed and passed a hand through his hair as if that simple gesture could be enough to clear up his mind. Swan. He thought and realized that he never asked her why she chose exactly this surname while changing her identity. He assumed that it had to mean something of significance to her. And there it was: the perfect idea for a gift.

When he went back on his spaceship it was already late evening and he found his guests sitting at the table in the entrance playing hologram chess. 

“Who's winning?” He asked, securing the locks of the main gate.

“Henry is a much better player than I am,” Emma admitted.

Killian took a seat next to her and whispered something in her ear. After that Emma studied the board. “Oh. That's an interesting move,” she exclaimed carrying out what Killian had just suggested.

“It's not fair. That's cheating.” Henry complained. 

“Come on, lad, your mother is at an evident disadvantage. Let me give her some advice.” But when Henry made an unsure face, “just this time?” Killian added winking at the boy.

“Ok...but only this once.” Henry surrendered.

Emma looked at them perplexed, sensing that something was brewing between them, but didn't ask for further explanations.

Dinner passed by telling how their days had gone. It was clear that Henry had enjoyed the fair quite a lot, especially some storytelling he’d had the opportunity to attend. “Have you ever been to the NTH-Confederates planets, Killian?”

The NTH-Confederates planets belonged to a very far galaxy and they were shrouded in layers of fabulous legends. Killian had always had problems discerning the truth from the myth, but he knew the large hand of The Industry had touched them somehow, and they had succumbed to it, dark times awaited those planets. “I've heard about them but never had the luck to land over there. From what I know, it's a very different place now than what it was in its glorious days.”

“This man, he told us of so many fantastic creatures he saw!”

“I wouldn't believe every word the storyteller said, kid. They are just stories.” Emma tried to rationalize.

“Yeah. I suppose. But it would be cool if a place like that actually existed.”

“One can always dream about marvelous lands and wish they exist, right? Talking about dreams and wishes…” but Killian didn’t finish his sentence, he stood up from the table and went to rummage in some of the kitchenette lockers. When he turned to face his guests, he was holding a sort of a brown whole cupcake with colorful cream and a single lighted candle on top. He deposited it in front of an astonished Emma with a grin on his face, and he sat down again on his chair. “Sorry, it was the only sweet food I’ve found on this planet.” He said apologetically.

“Killian...?” Emma started to say, but Henry was faster: “It's perfect!” The boy was wearing a matching grin to the man in front of her. 

“How...? What does it mean?” Was the only thing she was able to put into words.

“Well, some fleeting rumor told me that today is some sort of anniversary. Correct me if I’m wrong.” Killian explained. Before she could answer him, he lifted a hand to stop her.  “Before blowing out the candle, don't forget to make a wish!”

She looked up at her son, then at Killian for a brief moment, then she closed her eyes. When she opened them again there was resolution and something Killian identified as hope in them. She blew out and the candle went off.

Cheers and applause rang out. Henry was glowing, hugging his mother fiercely, while Killian smacked his forehead, as if he was suddenly remembering something, and then he retrieved a little package from one of his pockets. He offered it to a puzzled Emma. 

She extricated herself from her son's arms and took the wrapped item Killian was giving to her. “What is this?” She asked cautiously. 

“Customarily, a surprise is part of the fun of gift-giving.” He answered smiling. “Open it.” He urged her. 

Opening the paper wrapping Emma found a small dark swan pendant made of polished meteorite rock.  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered with shiny eyes, close to tears.

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~·~·~·~

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Later that night, Killian was resting on his hammock with his arms behind his head. The door opened and closed and Emma entered his cabin as she had always done the last few nights while they were flying. But tonight was a bit different. He wasn't sitting at the controls, but already lying on his bed.

She approached him with a serious look.

“Everything alright, Swan?” He asked as she stepped closer biting her lower lip.

She seemed to consider the situation for a few seconds before climbing into the hammock and lying next to him: her head on his chest and an arm resting across his torso. “Thank you.” She spoke so quietly that Killian wasn’t even sure he had heard correctly.

He didn’t know how to react, he felt paralyzed. But when it seemed she was feeling comfortable with the proximity, he put his left arm around her back and released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

They spent a few moments like that, neither of them wanted to break the spell of silence. Killian’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Of all the questions he would have liked to make her, to help him solve the puzzle this incredible woman represented, one came out of his mouth without really thinking about it “What happened the day we met? I mean after I left.”

She kept quiet for a few minutes, and he began to believe that she was in no mood to speak, but then she started with a soft voice almost audible: “Just after you left the room, that man, Neal Cassidy, he entered declaring that it was his right to… you know. He just wanted the reward money. I haven’t heard from him since. He’s probably not interested in his son at all. He just used me for his benefits.”

Killian clenched his jaw; if he had that Cassidy guy in front of him right now he would have punched him in the face. “Did he hurt you?” He asked, trying to control his rage.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly an expert in that matter, given that I was raised in strict privacy and all.” She sighed. “I knew I had to relax, but my mind wasn’t on the same path as my good intentions. So I’m not sure it was entirely his fault.”

“Son of a bitch.” Killian couldn't repress a curse. 

“If it makes you feel any better, that wasn’t even the worst day of my life.” She stated. “The night you found me on the shore… I was so furious with you. I went back to the Palace to talk with my lawyers, to see if I could banish you from the planet, or put you in jail, or something like that. But it was late and I didn’t find anyone in their office. What I did find were some papers about me, ready to be signed. You were right. The King and Queen of New-Tolemac wanted full authority on my child, they weren’t interested in me or my future.” 

“I should apologize for the horrible things I said to you that night.”

“Don’t. At least you were the only one who never lied to me.” Her gaze seemed lost in the memory of those days. “I also found a document, an old one. I discovered I was adopted, or rather, I was sold. My real parents gave me away when I was only a few days old. They probably needed some money and they used me, as so many others did.”

After a small pause, she added: “Henry is the only person in my life that cares about me for who I am.”

“I never intended to use you.” Killian assured, but he soon corrected himself: “All right, maybe I did. But that was before meeting you.”

She seemed to ponder her next words. “I know. This is why I told your name to my son when he first asked me about his father.” 

“If there's anything I can do for you…” She had told him the night Henry entered his life. 

But Killian dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “No problem.”

“Thank you for bringing him home.” Her tone was genuinely thankful.

“It was the right thing to do.” And when she didn't reply he felt it was the moment to say goodbye. 

He started stepping back but suddenly stopped and turned around facing her again. “Uh... now that I think about it. There is a thing you could do for me.” He tilted his head arching an inquiring eyebrow. “I have one question,” he said, emphasizing his words lifting one of his fingers, “why does your boy believe that I'm his father?” 

At those words, she lifted her gaze to look straight into his eyes. “I wanted Henry to believe his father was a good man.” Emma had answered, staring at him with sincerity before entering her house and closing the door behind her. 

.

#cs ff #cs au #Till the Stars Had Run Away #alternative universe - science fiction #space au #My writing

[kitanumi]

A story of how one of my player’s thinks back to his embrace while heading to the meeting point his sire has instructed him to go to. This also has a tiny jab at the fact my brothers are playing as more established vampires, due to them being my only players that have played Vampire before. So, this also touches upon their more established vampires meeting the newbie player/kindred that will be their coterie.

Day 3: Where The Undead Gathers

It was one of the better rooms at the JW Marriot. “Zero”, as he liked to go by these nights, was just finishing prepping for his night when a call rang in on the hotel phone.

“Sir, your associate, Mr. Mamun has left a parcel for you at the front desk, “ Zero heard the staff on the call inform him. He thanked them and hung up the phone.

With a sigh, Zero headed to the lobby. Jamal Mamun. It seemed like only yesterday he had met the Banu Haqim. Back then his alias had been Bob. Secret Agent Bob of the FBI. He had been in Indianapolis tailing a vampire target. Turns out he had been closer than he thought. It had happened at the nearby Embassy Suites hotel right here in downtown Indianapolis. What he now knew as the Sabbat had sent a raiding party into the city. One had busted into his hotel room and he had taken it out with ease. He looked up to see Jamal standing in his doorway. The fleetness of foot Jamal had to pounce on him was ungodly. Next thing he knew, he was a kindred. Jamal had chosen him because of his swift disposal of the Sabbat kindred. Turns out it was Jamal's coterie’s job to wipe out Sabbat threats in the capital.

That had been so many years ago. Zero had put his days as a hunter behind him now. As he made it to the front desk, he received Jamal’s package. It was a badge to the local gaming convention and an event ticket? What was Jamal playing at? He read the note:

Zero, 

Come to room 243 in the Indianapolis Convention Center. I have included a badge and ticket for entry. It’s time for you to make some new friends. 

Jamal

Zero groaned as he left the shining blue monolith of the JW Marriot. So, the time has come that Jamal felt he needed a coterie of his own. Great. It was a leftover from his hunter days, but he didn’t care for other licks much. Jamal was fine. They have had each other’s back for years. Jamal’s coterie was tolerable. But, now a bunch of other blanks that probably don’t know next to anything. Just great. When he arrived, Zero was surprised at the security for the event. Then he went inside to find a temporary Elysium. Everywhere he looked was kindred from Indy. It didn’t take long to see Jamal with his normal compatriots. Hennessey Jack the Gangrel redneck. Adelaide the Hecata that looked like a 14 year old school girl. Marisha Starglitter the Nosferatu bandaged up debutante. Daphne the Tremere ghost hunter. The “fearless leader” of the Coterie of The Iron Rose was missing, but Zero was glad to not see Caleb here. Then there was a familiar sight. The only other childe of this coterie. Marisha’s childe Borga, the big ex-military muscle head.

Atleast, he thought him and Borga were the only childer of this coterie. That's when he noticed very confused wide-eyed fledglings around the other members of Jamal’s coterie.

Jamal looks up and says with a smile, “Come meet your new friends. They could learn much from you, Zero.”

Zero groaned inwardly. When he thought they were probably blanks that knew next to nothing about being a kindred he was joking. Wonderful...

#vamptober 2021 #vampire: the masquerade #vampire the masquerade #World Of Darkness #Indy by Night

[moonchildsaurora]

The social butterfly of a Tech Genius

»»—— Crew Member #6 of Space Pirates ATEEZ ——««

all aboard The Perihelion, welcome to the co-pilot’s log system! here you’ll be able to access the crew’s profiles should you wish to read about their journeys: (no nsfw content)

[CAPTAIN] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

an underestimated intellect with huge love for the cyber world and technology  

you hear him before you see him in a crowd

a Drex’un who was born and lived his life in the technology-thriving city of Vollurn up until he was invited to join Hongjoong and Seonghwa on their journey

[database file: Drex’uns are often described as demon-borne even though not all bloodlines are derived from infernal ancestry. Purely for the fact that prominent horns protude from their heads, a prehensile tail that’s used for grabbing things and will coil around their legs when upset/nervous, sharp canines and eye colours that cover the entire sclera. Depending on bloodline, some Drex’uns have elemental abilities]

Mingi isn’t sure about his bloodline as he never knew his parents, though his intelligence goes far beyond that of an average being’s. Not only does he process knowledge extremely fast, his memory is remarkable; able to recall even the tiniest details and his ability to analyse/break codes allows him to have free reign in the cyber networks

his teal-coloured horns and tail have onyx gradient tips, adorned with a few gold jewellery (his actual ears are also pierced with hoops) to complement his molten gold eyes

making heads turn, be it for his energetic presence or fashionable attire; “just because I grew up on the streets doesn’t mean I have no pride for my looks”

learnt to be resourceful and street-smart at a young age, knows all the short cuts and side alleys of the city like the back of his hand (he’s had a lot of time to wander around). Also found out that he had a knack for by-passing security systems whenever he needed shelter for the night

frequents the ‘Merripalace Arcade’ where it’s both an underground hangout for tech whizzes and the cyber battlegrounds for competitive players. The first visit gave him a taste of a different kind of freedom and an introduction to the world of hacking. It’s probably one of the few places he’s felt a part of a community; no judgement of your species nor your background but rather your digital reputation is more valued and the sort of technological talents you bring to the network

if there’s one thing Mingi is a natural at it’s socialising, he could walk into a club alone and come back out later with a new social circle if he so wishes

“ok who DON’T you know here?”

“just look at that face, how can you say no to him?” – Mingi is walking proof that Drex’uns can pull off the puppy-dog face and get away with it

he was gifted a second-hand mirage drive by Einux, a Nagzoid [database file: a reptilian humanoid being with serpent ancestry so they tend to have more snake-like features] who became a shot-term mentor figure after Mingi unintentionally helped crack a system code for a database Einux was commissioned to work on (because Mingi thought that guy was just really bad at math on first glance)

[database file: a mirage drive is pretty much a miniature tablet with a hologram touch-screen and every tech whizz would protect theirs with their lives; especially when were layers of secret activities and programs stored into it]

“you remembered to wipe clean the data trail and replace the originals with the dud files right?”

“yeah of course...does planting a virus in the system that will cause ‘Time Warp’ to play every time they try to click open a file counts?”

“Mingi, I…….”  

Einux introduced Mingi to his network of contacts and helped set him up with his first commission, safe to say Mingi was at a loss for words when he got his first pay up front (and that was just the deposit)

by the time Yunho had come across Mingi at the Tech Institute, he had been in the cyber scene for 4+ years already and never once had to deal with someone catching him in the act  

Mingi.exe has stopped working

he’s met a couple of Sheirzois before but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t lowkey checking out the blue-haired giant whilst panicking on the inside, he’d argue there’s always time to appreciate beauty

two options popped into his mind then and there; either he bribed his way out (as his mentor taught him) or he attempted to maybe throw some punches and then make a getaway

(expectation) looks like he’s intimidating & can fight vs. (reality) he’d probably cry if he hit someone & is just a soft boy all-round

extra trivia: ironically for an infernal being, Mingi doesn’t deal well with anything supernatural/ghosts-related. Once Woo and Yeosang pranked him, Yunho helped a little but he doesn’t need to know, and convinced him that the basement storage hanger was haunted after totems started appearing in odd places along with ominous noises. Mingi was so ready to abandon ship before Hongjoong did damage control & Jongho promised he’d fight all the ghosts for him 

was already metaphorically weeping at the thought of having to empty his money pouch but turned out that Otis (his multi-coding bot) had somehow manage to win the Sheirzoi over along with an invite to drinks

“I’ve got many questions for you regarding your efficiently adorable bot”

“…and I to you as well, BUT first do you have a name? And secondly have you been to ‘Le Apollon’? Coz if not they make some really mean Northern Drops there!”

Yunho turned out to be one of the most chilled individual Mingi has met and he didn’t mind the other’s enthusiastic discussions about all technological inventions, and was even just as enthusiastic to share with Yunho about his own passion for cyber tech

one too many drinks later Mingi was accidentally spilling secrets he definitely wasn’t meant to and even ended up dancing on the table at some point, all while Yunho hyped his new friend up on the side

was forever grateful that Yunho never ratted him out to the authorities and consider him shook for the 2nd time in that day when he was offered a roof over his head, a more permanent one too

“do you want to be the big spoon, or is it my turn? We can rotate!” 

thus the bromance of all bromances was born

living with Yunho not only meant Mingi would wake up to good vibes, but more than often would wake up to either the screeching of the smoke alarm or “HOLY SMOKES WHERE ARE THE WATER PODS? DID WE RUN OUT OF THEM? AGAIN?!”

putting out accidental fires became second nature to Mingi, initially he’d aggressively fret over Yunho but now he’s come to accept such is the life of a chaotic bright inventor and this is fine

in fact when Hongjoong and Seonghwa came across their humble abode (thanks to Yunho’s cleaning bot) it was an iconic first meeting over smoke. Yunho did most of the talking when Hongjoong pitched his desire to recruit a crew for space voyage, Mingi too busy sitting there staring at the two new-comers with shooting stars in his eyes and hearing about the prospects of an adventure. Within that day the crew had gain 2 more members, because Mingi and Yunho are a combo package deal

“oh has the system be glitching? If you don’t mind, would you like me to have a look at it?”

Hongjoong did a happy dance on the spot knowing that not only did he now have a talented inventor on his ship but also a gifted tech genius, he put Mingi in charge of managing the mainframe systems along with intel collecting this decision that Hongjoong would later semi-regret because (at times) the word “self-control” doesn’t seem to exist in Mingi’s vocab

Seonghwa adopted him and Yunho pretty easily and space mum’s cooking is Mingi’s fave, occasionally using his puppy-dog face he’s perfected over the years to his advantage in gaining extra midnight snacks (being everyone’s baby, no one’s really immune to this)

“Hwa you’re supposed to be the one disciplining the kids!”

Mingi and Yunho were known to be the chaotic fun duo, but with Wooyoung is just chaotic – not to mention he got his Yunhogizer confiscated by Hongjoong for almost a week after, “I thought we were all comparing assets, Wooyoung sent his to the group chat so I figured this was some kind of crew bonding”

also was one half of the reason that the ‘whatever happens at the Tav/clubs, stays at the Tav/clubs’ rule got implemented and one-night sexytimes were banned aboard The Perihelion after Jongho witnessed a random still semi-nude humanoid trying to sneak out of Mingi’s room without being noticed (Hwa went on parent-mode and panicked yell whilst covering Jongho’s eyes)

Jongho avoided Mingi (out of sheer embarrassment) for a few days and that was pretty devastating, considering how close the two became in their friendship that Mingi was one of the very few people in the crew whom Jongho was openly clingy with at times

no one can argue about Mingi’s loyalty to his crew/new family, and under his care-free flamboyant exterior he’s a genuine listener and will not hesitate to offer his shoulder for his family to lean on whenever they need it

recently he’s created new software to enhance Seonghwa’s cybernetic lenses (as a birthday gift) that’d allow him to see clearly miles ahead, in the dark and lock-on tracking function. What Mingi failed to let Hwa know was that he still hasn’t disconnected the sync link to his mirage drive and therefore if, for example, an image was sent through it’d appear in the other user’s field of vision

“wait for it, wait”

“what exactly are we waiting for Mingi? And why are you giggling over a screaming pink…starfish?” (that’s Patrick Star by the way)

seconds later there was a clamouring from the bathroom, the solid sound of someone falling before, “MINGI!”

“that my good lads, is what we were wa-oh whoops gotta go!”  

(moodboard made with love, by @s1ardusk​ ♡)

#ateez headcanons #atzinc #atinyforatiny #aurorateeznet #ateez scenarios #pirate ateez #pirate ateez au #ateez au #ateez imagines #ateez drabbles #ateez blurbs #song mingi #ateez mingi #ateez writing #ateez fic #Perihelion Crew #pyx writes

[official-michael-afton]

Made a tier list of FNaF media!!! Not counting the activity book or the security survival log because those don’t really add anything, they’re just neat activities or summaries of game info

I explained the choices under the cut, equal parts personal bias and objective opinion, so if you think differently then hey, good on ya!

Going down to up XD

F

The Silver Eyes Graphic Novel: Do I even need to explain this one? Rushed art with countless mistakes, horrid coloring, samey designs, the important scenes come off as bland and even goofy instead of impactful. It’s clear Pinky wasn’t used to drawing humans, the colorist had no idea what they were doing, and no one on the team made a graphic novel before. It’s laughable how bad this was XD

E

The Fourth Closet: Does anyone really know what happened at the end? I... really don’t like what they did with Charlie in this one. I don’t like how William was able to get out of his Springtrap- it was SUPPOSED to trap him, and yet he just... is out of it... I think the whole thing with Baby being like this hot clown girl instead of what she is in Sister Location is very... ... it exists... Tbh I respect the bold direction it took, but I honestly felt it was too much of a stretch and just didn’t work.

D

FNaF AR, Special Delivery: Not bad! The character models and voice acting is where the game shines most. Other than that, there isn’t really much substantial to the game other than some lore with Vanny/Ness and Luis. The gameplay can get frustrating sometimes(I cant collect remnant, read my mail, or even work on my own animatronics without DING DONG SOMEONES HERE every 5 seconds), and all you do is spin in a circle until you get glitchy, look away if they get glitchy, or zap them when they run at you. Some people probably love this game and good on them for that, but I find myself not touching it for weeks at a time.

Freddy In Space 2: GREAT game for charity, great art, great music! ... That’s all it has going for it, though. It was clear that this was a quickly made game designed to be beaten in one sitting, and it did exactly what it needed to do! Other than being amazing how it was for charity, the game doesn’t have that much going for it(except introducing Lolzhax aka BEST ROBO), so overall not bad but also did almost nothing outside of being for the Charity Livestream XD

Fazbear Frights, Into The Pit: Again, not bad! A nice collection of short stories, almost like goofy campfire horror you’d tell to kids... like goosebumps! I felt each story was REALLY lacking in some areas, but I liked the general idea they were going for. That being said, they’re moreso neat scary stories with the name FNaF attached than anything else(except maybe the first of the three). It hints that they have an overarching plot that will be covered in future books, but as of right now, I feel no one’s missing out by not reading them.

C

FNaF 3: A satisfying end to the original trilogy story! Purple Guy gets justice, everything gets tied together with a neat bow, and the first arc in the series comes to an end. Also Springtrap, aka my favorite. This game is riddled with neat 8-bit minigames and bits of lore, but the gameplay itself is where I find it not as good as the S A and B tiers. The new setup with the system reboots are def really interesting, but other than that, each night is just... the same thing but harder. Most other games introduce different characters on different difficulties per night, but since Springtrap is the only deadly one, it’s just... him more aggressive each night and systems failing more often. Makes the gameplay pretty repetitive and frustrating after Night 3 or so.

FNaF 4: The beginning of what I like to call the Afton saga(4, SL, FFPS, UCN)! This is when the lore began to get REALLY good... and also really confusing. Props for it taking such a bold direction by taking place in a child’s bedroom instead of in an office with cameras, its a neat change of pace! That being said, the gameplay can get frustrating and there’s a high learning curve for needing to listen to each sound the anmatronics make. Also lore wise... there really isn’t much! Just mainly focuses on what happened to this poor kid. Also the box still being a loose end... yeah.

The Twisted Ones: I enjoyed this one! It had a very interesting direction that kinda kept me guessing on what was going on, and this is when Scott really started nailing in the foreshadowing for the reveal in TFC. The Twisted animatronics are SO cool, and the introduction of those little alteration chips provided new context to games like 4 and SL! That being said, I don’t remember it being... that memorable? I also didn’t like how Charlie’s and John’s relationship was... so awkward... It was neat, but honestly nothing to really go crazy over, in my opinion.

B

The Silver Eyes: Honestly, I adored this book when I read it back in 2016, before Sister Location happened. At the time I wasn’t trying to connect it to any lore, so it was really great just to see a sort of retelling of the FNaF story. A lot of people complained about how long it was... I might agree if I reread it but tbh it never bothered me before. It was delightfully creepy, yet had a simple plot and wasn’t NEARLY as out there as TTO and TFC. Especially TFC. I felt this book didnt need 2 sequels and would’ve been just fine on its own, but whatcha gonna do. Carlton is forever my fav, and it’s the first time we really learn about Henry AND it was the first time we got a name for our Purple Guy: William Afton!

Sister Location: I like this one for just how bold of a game it was. I’m also including SL’s Custom Night wrapped into this package. Jam packed with lore, our first (main) game with VOICE ACTING, and honestly the humor has no right being as good as it is. I love how this not only expanded on the crying child from 4′s story, but also gives us so much Elizabeth and Michael content. The gameplay has a lot of unbalanced features and feels a little too over the place at times, but I appreciate where it was going with it!

FNaF World: ... This one is pure personal bias. A lot of people don’t like it. I adore it. Honestly I love the cute overworld, I love beating up enemies as my favorite animatronics, I love the horror, nihilism, and lore shoved into this game alongside SO MUCH humor. Update 2 was nothing short of an absolute delight and... wait, no!!! FNaF World had our first voice acting!!! So many endings and nods to other games Scott’s made, a cool scene with Desk Man/Henry and Baby, just... muah. Good content. Also Scott 57 <3

A

Ultimate Custom Night: Name a better way to end the Afton Saga, I’ll wait. It’s so obvious how much time, thought, and care went into this one. I love how the game rewards you with funny cutscenes the higher scores you get, and I just! So much voice acting! I love how each preset- no, each character has their own moves so every time you do a certain mode, you need to learn to manage them all and get a good strategy. I like how it’s way more strategy and skill than the RNG that many previous games had. Also, Scott!!! You managed to put this into the LORE by making it William’s hell, MUAH, couldnt have done it better!!!

FNaF 2: This one might have bias for being the peak of the fandom, but it was one of the greatest times to be in that fandom. Freaking out over the trailers, theories galore, prequel vs sequel, and just... so good. 1 didn’t have much plot, 2 DID. 2 had more mechanics and strategy to it than 1, and gave us over twice as many characters! We finally got a “face” to our killer, Mr. Purple Man, and how could I ever complain about more Phone Guy~? This one also introduced the 8-bit minigames, which became a HUGE staple for the series! Perfect expansion of the first!

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator: The PERFECT blend of old and new gameplay. The salvage scenes are intense, the nights had a great balancing mechanic of juggling doing tasks while also avoiding animatronics, multiple endings, and a neat tycoon segment to give the player a breather... but with LORE!!! Midnight Motorist is easily one of the best tracks in the series. Also has a GREAT canonical ending, when(with paired with UCN), ties the plots of 1-6 SO nicely with a neat bow. 

S

FNaF 1: Okay. From a personal and gameplay standpoint, I was going to put this much lower. Like B or C. That being said... this has to go in S. Yes, it has the least lore and arguably the worst gameplay(too much RNG for 4/20 mode), but this was the game. I can’t even exaggerate when I say just how much FNaF changed not only the gaming community, but especially the horror and indie communities. So many names got big from this: Markiplier, Dawko, Game Theory, The Living Tombstone, DA Games, SCOTT HIMSELF, just to name a few!!! And to think, this was originally going to be Scott’s last game! FNaF changed gaming HISTORY, and I think that alone makes this title deserving of S.

FNaF VR, Help Wanted: Okay, personal bias time, but I truly think VR deserves this S. Seeing Glitchtrap for the first time incited a panic in me that I hadn’t felt since FNaF 1 and 2. You get FNaF 1-4 in one, all in VR, WONDERFUL character models that you can WATCH MOVE!!! SO many minigames and fun challenges to play, so many neat knickknacks to collect, the Halloween update is FANTASTIC. The introduction of some great characters, such as: Glitchtrap, Vanny, Tape Girl, Dreadbear, Grim Foxy, etc!!! There’s also just- something so nice about being able to see every office and the pizzeria in 3D spaces where you can look around! Just from a gameplay and environment standpoint, this was an AMAZING addition and deserves the S.

... Thanks for listening to me ramble XD If you disagree... then good for you! I won’t fight anyone on this, I’m aware that this is a lot of personal bias. But if you made it this far... thanks for hearing me ramble!!!!

#fnaf #infodump #fnaf tier list #five nights at freddy's

[mygreatleap1]

3 Ways outsourcing could help you to achieve your Business Goals ..! Many corporate used outsourcing as a tool for cost cutting and improve the bottom line of the financials when they struggled to generate profit. This worked well when back end process outsourcing was started almost 30 years back. This happened from developed economies where the employee cost is high to a lesser developed place where the employee costs are cheaper compared to the other side. While this formula is still working in the SME sector in many types of outsourcing, lets analyze how can we use outsourcing as a tool for business growth in the SME sector. Outsourcing in SME sector happens majorly at the same geography and to another SME organization. Its more of a local tie up with some organization which is known by person. Many times, it happens in regulatory, tax and technical matters. Now there is a clear trend change in the SME segment and organizations are willing to come forward in outsourcing their back-end operations such as Payroll, Collections and in some cases the customer care as well. Let’s see what’s the benefits of outsourcing an activity for a Small or Medium player in the industry. 1. Business Continuity Every business needs to deliver on a continuous basis and when it comes to SME sector finding the right employee, training them on it and making him or her delivering what is expected is typically takes 3-6 months of time. Since the right talent is scarce in the industry, he can be offered a better package or position at any time from another organization. Once the trained employee leaves, the entire burden comes to his manager again. It’s not the burden of hiring, the first headache is to deliver his deliverables continuously till the next employee comes to the same level. This cycle continuous and it happens in every 18 months as one employee typically stays 12-24 months in a small organization which will work negative and in the reverse direction of your growth potential. You as a business owner or your first level manager, who has the primary responsibility for growth has to step in to solve this issue and stay in back end affairs. Outsourcing companies takes this burden and they are in a contract to deliver irrespective of their employee availability. These companies keep enough back up for these kinds of uncertainties. The best part is their teams are doing the similar kind of work for many other clients and its easy for them to bring one for your work. 2. Expert Services Efficiency comes with experience and focus. With the introduction of e-commerce, online selling platforms, digital marketing, robotics etc. the business becomes more competitive. It used to be more of relationship in the local market rather than many other measurements in the services to drive sales. The technology has changed the environment where there is a clear need of efficiency in whatever we do. The word focus gets attention here, until & unless you are that big. Hotels & Restaurants are focusing on specific cuisines and dishes, Traders on very niche products and Service businesses are also drilling down to the very specific areas. If we analyze the success of many businesses in the SME sector, they have succeeded in defining the customer group and creating a strategy only for that group rather than being generalists. When the business focus on a very specific activity, the supporting functions should also work with that level of expertise. In this situation, outsourcing is the best solution rather than bringing, training & managing a team for your operations and waiting for them to generate efficiency. When you outsource to a niche market player in that particular area of service, he has already built up an expertise and system with his own focus. What you outsource here as your secondary and non-revenue generating operations, is his front end, highly focused and revenue generating activity. You might take years to get that level of expertise in between. Your busy schedule of your core business might never take you there also. Making your business load light by outsourcing the non-core activities is the very first step to grow. The prudence is the realization that, if you need to fly high, you need to make it light. Let’s take learnings from Uber, Ola, Swiggy, OYO, Alibaba, Amazon, Flipcart, etc . Just with a platform with a completely new level of outsourcing they scaled up the business to multibillion levels in months rather than trying to do it themselves. The same is true for L&T where they act as supervisors and managers in their project execution, Telecom companies outsource the active & passive infrastructure to other experts, IT companies do this in their network and server security, the examples and success stories are countless in this strategy. If you try to do it yourself, you will reach there by next week, where you could have reached by next minute. 3. Cost Efficiency The history of outsourcing starts from cost efficiency and this formula is still true. The difference here is, you get a lot more extra along with cost efficiency. When we think about costs, there are different aspects and the top position goes to management costs. The management costs are the cost of the time, resource and thought process to be allocated to manage the activity inside, compared with doing it outside. I give the highest priority is the space it occupies at the brains rather than any other aspects. Given the fact that, one person can think only one think at a time and we all have only 24 Hrs in a day, the direction of our thought process matters. Businesses in the SME sector are supposed to be always in a hurry to grow which requires significant amount of “Time to Think” on “How to Grow” rather than “How to Manage”. When you do something inhouse, you spend more time on How to Manage where as you could have spent same amount of time and energy on How to Grow. Many business owners trapped into this at one level and even without their knowledge, they spent every day, hour and minute on How to Manage. Many of us subconsciously believe that, our job is to manage all aspects of business by ourselves. With outsourcing, we can create a self-policing system in the business which makes sure the growth is automatic. The management costs are intangible but it is realistic atleast up to the current revenue earning capacity of the business. The other costs which should be considered along with this is the costs to set up the process internally. Rent for additional space, System, Utilities, Hiring & Firing Costs, Costs of two resources when the resignation happens, training costs, Employees long term costs etc. are still some of them. The research shows that the cost of managing the employee is almost 200% of the salary of that employee. The third aspect of cost efficiency is the entry and exit costs when you are trying for a scale up. Putting all your capital to build the system is not prudent for a business man when you are scaling up, rather, you can focus on business side and test the depth of the water.

[houghtonfagan40-blog]

This Is Just what Occurs When You Order Ridiculously Affordable Clothing Coming from Singapore.

The Huawei P8 possesses all the correct ingredients for a top smartphone, however something's not gone to prepare in the baking phase. Ever since December 15, 2016, our company Android users have actually been actually loathing on iphone players as they gleefully appreciated Super Mario Run, the very first original Mario game from Nintendo for smartphones and tablet computers. In a style saturated with romance and searching for 'beloved' at 17, Operate is actually a refreshingly realistic exploration from the absolute most vital connections in most real adolescents' lives: their loved ones as well as relationships. In addition to the size, among the functions you ought to look of a really good travel alert clock is actually mobility. Every month or so I gain sufficient to acquire some flicks, applications, and purchase content in Clash Royale. Microsoft is actually hanging back in the amount of Apps this needs to provide in its Microsoft window Retail store as well as is recorded in between programmers which are actually hanging around to see if the Area 2 will certainly capture buyers' passion, and individuals that are actually hanging around to view if designers will certainly agree to supply top quality Applications. The extending energy key rests below a much bigger raised region which house the G5's double cam lens along with the LED flash as well as laser automotive concentration. These units possess Windows 10 pre-installed, however as you'll uncover, that is actually possible to both run as well as mount flavours from Linux on all of them. Considering that 2007 this has actually modified to a world wide web news televison broadcasting internet site along with regional news in text, photos, and also online videos. It is actually harder to check the Women's Globe Cup 2015 schedule without built-in tool coming from Google in the search results page and also no other way to incorporate the Women's Globe Mug routine to your Google.com Schedule with the press from a button, however we'll assist you estimate this out at the same time. These folks operate extreme proximities, and they bump into old age, when the rest of the world surrenders to shaking seats. He has also only turned 20 and as the crystal dental implanted in his palm blinks off red to dark, he decides to spend the last 24-HOUR of his life searching down the legendar The year is 2116 and also Logan 3 is actually a Sandman; a blend of policeman and also executioner charged with the obligation of uncovering and also eliminating anybody who commits the horrendous unlawful act of would like to reside beyond their 21th special day. 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On an edge note, there are actually simply around 1500 Porsche Carrera GT on the roads everywhere on earth. The Imaginative Noise Gun Rumble 2 is the successor to the much-loved Sound Blaster Rumble SR20 and bands this at a feeling free to song of $169/ ₤ 149, or about AU$ 235. If you are planning to run bodily hosting servers, you are going to likely maintain the bodily components for around five years before a components refresh. In this way they see to it they possess the cash to resolve financial debts as well as pay off health care bills without any concerns. I've seen threads concerning this kind of things as well as the overall consensus seems to be to be that getting these are normally a significant regret as they definitely do not market or even something mistakes with the cargo. The Chinese agency has improved on the still-new OnePlus 3 to provide a greater electric battery, much better cpu and also strengthened front-facing cam. In fact, there was actually a lot regarding Huxley's planet that in fact seemed interesting me, and it was the absolute most scary truth of all. And yes tbh I neglected the sexism in this book (all the women characters are bimbos-not-bimbos-but-they-are-in-the-end #ohwell) since I read that as a microcosm in itself on/off over a duration from 8-months which simply really thrust swiftly to my focus in the past 3 weeks or so. Sometimes I assume individuals are receiving far also delicate (or even am I getting much too unresponsive). You may find where creator Wargaming is actually mosting likely to earn some money coming from Globe from Tanks lovers. In purchasing check this link right here now as a photocopy machine, you run the risk of obsolescence; there may be restricted re-sale value from your copier. Character Operate is actually rather an excellent unlimited jogger with popular graphics and excellent controls. Due to the fact that every person gets riled up and also the capturing might start, he will not read all of them local headlines. The intro from modern technologies like Wii games has gained a huge market allotment. Full of pristine tale strings that promise one thing interesting yet hardly ever delivers (the VP has Alzheimer, militias are actually bent on execute the prospect, the candidate's wife is actually a bigwig in the CIA, there is actually dust on the candidate - all for naught) The Run is a great instance from a political mystery for individuals which perform not really follow politics. Simply be sure to review this. While I'm so happy that I received a development copy of Shade Operate I right now have to hang around with patience for the follow up. If you are actually an enthusiast from LG, the X Screen may properly be the greatest product you'll be able to purchase at this moment if you don't intend to pay on a front runner phone like the G5. At that point incorporate ~ 2 mL from starch sign and titrate until heaven colour vanishes.

[kawsofhobi]

Lost Souls

|| Pairing: none ||

|| Genre: Angst // Gaming!au ||

|| Word count: 4,421 ||

|| Warnings: There’s gore, horror, sketchy situations, please take heed ||

[A/N]: So I did a thing at the beginning of this year. This took a lot of debate for me to post it as you can tell considering I began this in January. Take notice of the warnings. A lot of sketchy stuff goes on in the backstory of this, so please take heed.

Part 1 || Part 2

In many people’s eyes, Jungkook had always seemed to be detached whenever it came to reality. His eyes were constantly dark and soulless, expression blank despite the occasions where it twisted to a wince from his pondering. Many categorized him as mute, not one person having heard his voice in years, the move to a new city adding to his mysterious and unapproachable persona. No one knew the story behind the mask he hid himself behind. Not even his family could provide insight as to why their loved one had suddenly barricaded himself from the world around him.

The story behind it all began when the once lively boy reached the golden age of 18. The day was full of joy and excitement accompanied by a celebration with his friends. The evening took off with a party. Music, dancing, popping bottles of champagne; what more could he have asked for? As the night ended, he left his friend’s house, walking to his apartment that was a decent twenty minutes away.

1:00 a.m.

Footsteps behind Jungkook bring his head to glance over his shoulder, a girl around his age trotting in high heels down the sidewalk. She looked to be in somewhat of a hurry, his legs moving him to the right to clear her way. As she draws nearer, she begins to speak, “excuse me?”

Jungkook diverts his gaze to her, concluding she seemed sober much like himself. “Yes?” He answers, slowing his stride, her own replicating his.

“Do you know where Sunset apartments are located?” She questions, not meeting his gaze.

His nose scrunches at how off the situation seemed, though he once again answers her, “at the end of this block, take a right and it’ll be on your left a few buildings down.”

“Do you mind showing it to me?”

His brows furrowed before he shakes his head once, “I’m sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be. Just turn up ahead, you can’t miss it.” Resuming his stride, he crosses the street, wanting to get distance between him and the girl. Had the encounter been during the day, he wouldn’t have questioned it too much, but at 1:15 in the morning? He made sure to check his surroundings every so often, glancing over at the girl to make sure she turned down the street he said. She follows his directions, however, Jungkook notices her hesitate and stare in his direction, as if trying to watch what street he would take. Feeling paranoid, he skips over the block he should’ve turned down, taking the longer route to ensure he’d return safely, but also to confuse the girl if she were to follow.

1:27 a.m.

Fumbling with his keys, Jungkook quickly opens his apartment door, slamming it shut then locking it. He checks the lock three times to make sure it’s secure, going through his living space and inspecting every nook and cranny. His heart was pounding as he’d bolted down the street to escape the girl’s following eye. What did she want anyways? He told her what she asked, didn’t he? What more could she have wanted from him?

3:56 a.m.

A knock to an apartment door had Jungkook jump from his sleep. He’d finally stopped stressing over the situation and dozed off, though the sleep was light. He listened closely as the neighbor’s a few doors down answered the door, telling off whoever was standing there before slamming the door. The process repeated until it reached his door, Jungkook’s stomach doing a flip. “Please,” he whispered, sinking beneath the blankets as the knocking on his door sounds again, “please, just go away.” With his eyes squeezed shut, he waited for the knocking to stop. Once it did, he snuck over to the door, glancing through the peephole to be met with the girl turning to go across the hall to the door in front of his, continuing to knock on every door. Some of the residents answered while most kept their doors shut, either yelling from behind the door or ignoring her altogether. “Why did she follow me here?” Tears began to stream down his face, his breathing quickening its pace as he lays back down, struggling to sleep with his frantic thoughts about the random girl.

1:12 p.m.

“Mom,” Jungkook says in a shaky voice, having called her three times that day, she was beginning to worry over her youngest son.

“Jungkook, what is it?” She asks with desperation in her voice, “you’ve never called me so many times within a four-hour period. What’s wrong?”

He chokes on a sob as he whispers, “can I please come home for a while?”

“Sweetheart, you know you’re always welcome to come home, but please tell me what’s upsetting you,” she begs, though he’s unable to respond through his sobs. “I’ll have your brother come get you,” she told him before hanging up, his brother arriving at his apartment in what seemed like it took ages. Jungkook refused to answer as to why he was crying nonstop, it wasn’t until his mother returned home that he felt comfort and was able to rest after being drained to exhaustion.

3:01 p.m.

Time away from his residency gave Jungkook time to relax his mind. His paranoia had somewhat dissipated, however, he didn’t let his guard down. Upon returning home, he’d received a package, though he hadn’t ordered anything in weeks. Reluctantly picking it up, he pushed open his door, closing and checking the lock before placing the small box on the kitchen table. The box didn’t have a label saying where it’d come, the 18-year-old assuming it was hand delivered to the landlord and left at his doorstep. Carefully opening the box, he’s met with a note and a phone, his face contorting. “This has to be for someone else,” he mumbles to himself, looking over to the note. It was folded, perfectly creased, and sealed with a gold sticker. Above the sticker was written, “open me,” Jungkook’s curiosity leading his finger to slip beneath the fold to lift the sticker with care, avoiding leaving a mark in case the package truly wasn’t for him.

If you’re reading this, congratulations, you have been recruited to join the experience of the new game “Road 8,” brought to you by indie developer Kim Namjoon.

You may be wondering why you’ve been selected. Road 8 has been in development for many months. By letting real players test our product, we’re able to receive feedback and make changes as needed to provide an enjoyable playing experience. If you have any questions or feedback, which would be much obliged, simply text r8-help to 4886-road-8 and one of our developer assistants will communicate with you shortly.

Thank you for being part of our experience, proceed to unlock the given phone for further instructions.

- Developer Kim

“What?” Jungkook shakes his head, baffled by the situation, though his body still acted out the directions that were given. Picking up the small device, he presses the home button, the screen lighting up. The words “press home to unlock” glow at the bottom, his finger applying pressure to the button once more. “Please set up your new phone,” Jungkook whispers, sighing heavily as he goes through the process. He sets his time zone, the phone soon being set up properly, a welcome screen showing before the apps and home screens display as any other phone would.

3:24 p.m.

A chime goes off as the boy’s phone receives a notification from an app. He taps the banner, being rerouted. The screen shows the developer’s name before fading into large font that resembles a typewriter. Jungkook scoffs, “nice font choice.”

Road 8. Tap to continue.

He taps the screen, selecting new player, entering his name, and the new phone number he’d received. He waits for the game to load, tapping his fingers against the table.

A new update has been detected. Update game?

Tapping confirm, the game begins its update, another window popping up soon after.

Please confirm you have read the terms and conditions along with our—

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jungkook checks the box, pressing the agreement, “no one reads those.”

Are you sure you have thoroughly read and agree to the terms and policy?

The young boy rolls his eyes, tapping confirm once more, “yes, oh my god.”

Loading…

Loading…

Load complete!

Welcome to Road 8!

“What’s this even about?” As if on cue, the screen fades to begin the storyline, Jungkook leaning back in his chair as he watches.

“When I was 16, there had been talks of utopias during my art class. You know, places like El Dorado, Arcadia, Atlantis? Everyone talked about leaving to these utopias to escape school, their parents, bullies, the world. The stories of these mystical places were like fairy tales; things you see in sci-fi and action films. The one that interested me the most was the newest of the list.

Road 8.

I’d heard quite a few things about “Road 8.” I was told it was the best utopia, while others voiced it was made up. A false utopia that was created by some seniors. I believed the former, however. After school, one day, I met with the upperclassmen to discuss the utopia. As if I hadn’t believed it enough before, after that day I was positive Road 8 existed.

“We can show it to you!” They’d told me, “meet us at the city line of Atlas and we’ll take you there on Friday after school.”

I went and never came back.”

“Huh,” Jungkook furrows his brows as he ponders over the story. It wasn’t that intriguing. Although his interest was depleting, he tapped the screen to continue.

Your selected character is Ren. Would you like a different character? Pick random or keep.

“I never chose one in the first place,” Jungkook taps randomize, a girl’s name popping up.

Play as Sarah?

Tap.

Loading…

Play as Sarah?

Tap. 

Loading…

Play as Sarah?

Rolling his eyes, Jungkook presses keep, “that’s one complaint.”

Loading profile…

Name: Sarah

Age: 18

Location: Atlas

Skills: High agility, perfect aim

Weakness: Loses stamina quickly

Level: 1

View how to play? Yes, or skip?

“Yes.”

The route of your adventure is dependent on the choices you make. You will receive questions from your player throughout their quest, each having a consequence. Choose wisely. Not all questions have a time limit, however, choosing within a respectable time is encouraged.

Have another question? Text r8-help to 4886-road-8.

Begin your quest for Road 8?

Tapping yes, the phone immediately receives a text, Jungkook tapping the banner.

4886-S: Hello? Someone please respond.

Yeah, I’m here.

4886-S: Who are you?

I’m wondering the same with you.

4886-S: Sarah.

Jungkook.

4886-S: An actual player?

...Yes...what else would I be?

Jungkook changes the name to her own, going back to their conversation.

Where are you anyways?

Sarah: Someplace dark. I can barely see anything, but I think I’m in a room.

Turn on the flashlight on your phone.

Sarah: Right...

Sarah: It’s an abandoned house. The windows are broken and there’s a bunch of things thrown on the floor.

Can you leave?

Sarah: I can try, but there’s so much stuff.

A notification banner from Road 8 appears, the words reading, “remember to be aware of your surroundings! Your choices matter!”

Are you alone?

Sarah: Seems like it. Even if there was someone else, there’s no place for them to hide or stand. Whoever lived here was a hoarder.

[Sarah sent a picture]

Sarah: Filthy, isn’t it?

You can send pictures?

[Sarah sent a video]

Hitting play, Jungkook observes the room that’s indeed cluttered with broken furniture, clothes, broken dishes and glasses. As she attempts to move, shards of glass crack beneath her shoes and he can’t help but wince. The video ends, another being sent. Sarah had gotten further through the room, zooming in on a wardrobe that rested in front of the door.

Sarah: Houston, we have a problem.

Jungkook chuckles at her humor.

I can see. Be careful when you walk on the glass. Try to avoid it.

Sarah: Hard to when it’s everywhere, but I’ll try, sir.

Sarah: You are a sir, right? How old are you?

Yes and 18.

Sarah: Oh, cool, same. The age part. I’m definitely a Miss.

He closes his eyes as he chuckles faintly, shaking his head. “Cute,” he says under his breath.

[Sarah sent a video]

Her boot kicks the wardrobe, a groan leaving her. Jungkook snorts as she kicks it over and over, attempting to push it with her foot. Letting out a deep sigh, her voice is soft, hints of defeat behind it, “you win this time, wardrobe.” She moves towards the window, humming, “you think if I clear some of the glass I could get out through here?”

I’m sure of it. Careful not to cut yourself on the glass. Check the sill for rust, first, though.

Sarah: It’s rusty.

Be super careful.

Sarah: I’ve got it, I’ve got it. I’ll be a moment.

“Sarah has left the house,” Jungkook reads as the notification shows, a few others appearing. He pulls down the notification screen, glancing over them all.

[Sarah has left the house]

[Sarah’s shirt has been torn. Protection has gone down]

[Sarah’s been hurt. Health drained 2%]

What part of “be careful” aren’t you understanding?

Sarah: It’s just a little cut on my hand, calm down, sir. That stupid branch caught my shirt and tore it!

Sarah: Where to now?

Sarah: It’s cold.

Sarah: I’m hungry.

What’s around you?

Sarah: Trees, briars and vines, bushes...it’s eerie.

[Sarah sent a video]

“I don’t like it here, sir,” Sarah’s voice is shaky, her camera work being just as unstable. She starts walking straight, panning the camera around the woods. “I found a flashlight,” she shakes the light, “batteries, too.” She shines the light to the left, forward, then the right, “please, tell me which way. It’s getting very cold.”

Can you hear anything?

Sarah: Besides the wind shaking the leaves, no.

Go straight.

Sarah: Okay.

Watch your footing and check around you.

Sarah falls silent for a minute.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Where was she?

He hadn’t received a text or a notification, worry filling him. Had he reached a game over that quickly?

8:46 p.m.

[Call from Sarah]

Jungkook answers immediately, asking frantically, “are you okay?” All that comes from the other line are pants and soft wheezes. “Sarah—”

[Sarah has low stamina. Rest to recover]

[Sarah’s health has dropped 30%]

“I got lost,” she finally breathes out, “something started chasing me and turned me away from where I was.” She coughs, “I kept running, but I didn’t know how to get back to where I was. It seemed like when I got close to being in the right direction, it would chase me.”

“What was it?”

“Not human,” she swallows hard, “it had me turning constantly and I scraped my arm against a tree. It had briars on its side and it hurts so bad.” She whines quietly, taking a few deep breaths, “it can't climb. I'm thankful for that.”

Jungkook winced as she hisses, “send me a picture of your arm. Stay on the phone with me.” The line goes silent before his phone chimes.

[Sarah sent a picture]

Jungkook holds his breath as he sees her bloody arm. A few scratches were deep, others merely at the surface. Tree bark and dirt were caked with blood and her skin that had been peeled back. “What about that cut on your hand?” Jungkook asks, Sarah responding with another photo. It's less gruesome than her arm, though it too was caked with dirt. “You fell?”

“I tripped,” she sounds embarrassed, Jungkook quick to reassure her it was okay.

“Is it still around you?”

“I don't think so, but I could be wrong.”

“What time is it there?”

“3:58 a.m.”

“Camp out in the tree until daylight.”

“I'm an owl now?” She chuckles, “I'll do my best.”

9:45 p.m.

[Sarah’s energy has gone down 34%]

[Sarah’s warmth has gone down 50%]

Jungkook goes back to the app, searching through the different icons at the bottom that led to different tabs. He presses the first one, the icon resembling a profile, fitting the stats that popped up for Sarah. His eyes flicker to a button labeled “see character,” his fingertip touching it lightly. There were three photos total, Jungkook smiling softly at the first. Her navy-blue hair was a bob, freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. Her smile was big and lively, dimples indenting her cheeks. Swapping over to the second, it’s one of her with an archery bow. “They did say her aim was good,” he whispers, going to the last one. Its date was of today’s, the boy assuming that was her attire now. A long sleeve black top, black skinny jeans, and combat boots. On her left forearm rested an arm guard, her right wrist having a fitted band around it.

[Sarah has fallen asleep. Energy has gone up 1%]

Jungkook ignored the notifications, allowing her to rest after having been attacked prior. His eyebrows crinkle as he recalls he hadn’t received any kind of warning from her nor the game itself. It told him when she’d fallen asleep and torn her shirt, but why had it taken hours before he’d been informed she’d suffered damages and her stamina was lost? He closes the app to go to his messages, texting the game developers for help.

4886-road-8: Hello! Thank you for contacting us! Would you like to leave feedback?

No.

4886-road-8: Do you have a question?

Yes.

4886-road-8: Please wait while we connect you to one of our assistants. This could take a few moments.

4886-road-8: Redirecting…

4886-road-8: Thank you for waiting. My name’s Eli. How may I be of assistance?

The game isn’t sending me notifications when in danger or combat. It took hours before I was updated on my player’s health.

4886-road-8: Eli is typing…

4886-road-8: Oh no! We apologize for the trouble. Many of our players have been experiencing this and it is typically resolved through an update which fixes any bugs the game may have developed. Please check for an update in settings. If issues persist, please contact us once more.

4886-road-8: Assistant has disconnected.

Jungkook sighs, opening the app and following his instructions. He checks for an update, the window popping up that there was one available, however, updating the game would disconnect him from Sarah for the duration. Switching back to messenger, he sends her a quick text letting her know that if there’s no response, the app is updating, before letting the bug fixes be resolved.

[Sarah’s energy has gone up 20%]

[Disconnecting with Sarah…]

[Disconnected]

[Sarah is now open to danger until Jungkook returns to the game]

“Please be safe,” Jungkook whispers, “just stay where you are.”

[Update…23/100% complete]

[Update…56/100% complete]

[Sarah’s energy has gone up 34%]

[Update…88/100% complete]

[Update…99/100% complete]

[Update complete!]

[Reconnecting with Sarah…]

[Reconnected!]

[You have several new notifications. View?]

Jungkook drags down the notification tap, the ones from the app resembling what he’d already been told. The messages were different, though. There were videos and audio messages, each a minute apart. Beginning in order, he starts with the audio messages. “Jungkook,” Sarah whispers, the crunching of leaves beneath her boots sounding every so often hinting she was trying to make minimal noise, “there’s something following me. Every three steps I can hear it move quickly behind me. I don’t know what to do.”

Tap.

Hurried breaths sound through the speaker, growls and snarls in the background. Sarah lets out a squeak, the tearing of clothing reverberating. She cries in pain and terror, “why aren’t you answering me! Jungkook, help me, I don’t know where to go!”

Jungkook’s breathing becomes strained as though a hundred-pound weight was pressing against his lungs. He braced himself for the videos that came next, feeling guilty even though it was the game’s fault and not his own. He wouldn’t have left her alone to defend for herself, especially not if she was at a blank due to horror.

Tap.

“Oh my god,” Jungkook drops his phone from the sight of it. The thing that had been chasing Sarah was exactly what she said: not human. It was dark and ominous, it’s build being oversized and muscular. It lacked eyes, a thick, black substance dripping from its missing optics down it’s “face,” if it could even be called one. Its right cheek had a gashed hole, it’s teeth razor sharp, resembling that of a shark’s. Whatever it was, was something the young boy could only identify as a demon, but even that term couldn’t explain how terrifying of a sight it was. He could only imagine how it felt to have it chasing after you and not be able to deem it as any other “nightmare.”

Taking his phone back into his hand, he plays the video, Sarah kicking and screaming as she struggles to get its grip off her boot. Her strained wails and shrieks have Jungkook pause the video, his head placed in the palms of his hands, “I should’ve made her stay.” He sighs, tapping the next video, the camera on her arm before it shows her boot. It was still intact, luckily, his heart rate slowly slightly. She sobs softly, her hands shaking. He notices the height of her from the ground, seeing she climbed some ways up. His thumbs type hurriedly upon remembering she was asleep.

Wake up.

Sarah, wake up!

He checks her stats, seeing she’s still resting. Her energy had gone up dramatically, stamina having been replenished. Settling on calling her, he waits anxiously for the ringing to stop and her voice to start. She doesn’t answer the first time, the boy calling her again and again and again.

[Curious about your player?]

A banner pops up, three of the same appearing before the game finally says.

[Oh no! Sarah’s injuries have been infected. Health is critically low. 20% remaining]

Jungkook’s sent into panic, his mind going to a blank as he tries to find something to help Sarah.

4886-road-8: Thank you for contacting us! Would you like to leave feedback?

I need help!

4886-road-8: Redirecting…

4886-road-8: Hello! My name’s Erin! How may I be of assistance?

How do I restore my player’s health?

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

4886-road-8: First aid boxes are located throughout your journey to Road 8. Though they are hidden in caches, they’re relatively easy to be located. Guide your player through and find them.

I can’t contact my player because she’s resting.

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

[Sarah’s in critical condition! 15% remaining]

It says she’s in critical condition. Please, hurry.

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

[Sarah’s in critical condition! 12% remaining]

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

4886-road-8: When in critical condition, player’s will rest to recover health. If the player’s health continues to drop even with rest, a mass of blood loss or infection could be the affecting issue. The player’s partner, or controller, has many options when such situations occur. You can a) force wake up your player and get to a cache, however, you risk losing health more rapidly; b) force wake up your player and dress the wound; c) buy a first aid to be sent to your player; or d) reach a game over and retry with another player.

Can I replay as the same player?

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

[Sarah’s in critical condition! 6% remaining]

4886-road-8: I’m sorry, once players reach a game over, they are permanently deleted from Road 8.

Why are they deleted? Shouldn’t they be available again?

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

4886-road-8: A player dies when they’ve run out of health, thus, they’re not able to be played again afterwards.

How much is the first aid?

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

4886-road-8: $3. Prices go up as purchases continue.

I’ll take it. Just please don’t let her die.

[Sarah has been sent a first aid pack! 5% remaining]

Wake up Sarah, please.

4886-road-8: Erin is typing…

4886-road-8: Please enter your password to confirm your purchase.

Wake her up, now.

[Sarah has been forcefully awakened]

Jungkook enters his password, calling Sarah immediately after. “Jungkook?” Sarah answers. She sounded weak, her health barely hanging on.

“Disinfect your arm, apply the ointment, and wrap your arm. I need you to work swiftly,” he instructs, voice low as he tried to remain calm.

“What’s happening?” She whines, Jungkook paying close attention to her stats and heart rate.

“Sarah, listen to me and do as I say. Tell me when you’ve finished doing each task. Do not stop talking to me,” her heart rate slowly starts to spike, Jungkook doing his best to soothe her.

“I’m so dizzy.”

“You’re okay. Everything’s going to be okay,” reviewing what was in the box, it was everything she desperately needed including something to snack on and drink. “Rinse your arm with the water, not too much, though.”

Her breathing gets heavy, “stings.”

“Pat it dry, ointment, then wrap it.”

[Sarah’s health has gone up 4%]

“I have to put the phone down,” fatigue drips off her voice, her words slurred and smushed together.

“No. Keep it pressed against your ear. You can do it,” he encourages, and she hisses, the line becoming muffled every so often due to the mic brushing against her shoulder.

“It’s on.”

“Do the same to your hand, then eat something,” he listens carefully for the tear of a wrapper, watching her health slowly rise. “Take the medicine in the box, please,” he whispers, a hum drawing from her throat, “how long until sunrise?” She’s quiet for a good ten seconds before humming weakly. “Sarah, I need you to focus. How long until sunrise?” Jungkook struggles to keep her alert, the girl’s eyes drooping shut.

“Three more hours,” she mumbles.

“I want you to rest until then. As soon as the sun comes up, we’re leaving, okay? We need to get you somewhere safe.”

“Mhm.”

“Tell me what I just said.”

“Sleep and then go home.”

“Close enough,” he sighs, “go to sleep. Make sure you’re secure.”

“Sleepy,” she whispers.

“I know.”

[Sarah has fallen asleep]

[Sarah’s no longer in critical condition! Health has risen 24%]

10:23 p.m.

[Jungkook has signed out. Sarah is now open to danger until Jungkook returns to the game]

#poor jungkook and sarah #they didn't deserve this #not sure if i'll keep posting this or not #we'll see #jungkook #bts #bts jungkook #bts scenarios #bts au #jungkook scenario #jungkook scenarios #bts jungkook scenarios #bts jungkook scenario #jungkook au #bts angst #jungkook angst #bts imagines #bts reactions #my works

[junker-town]

7 winners and 3 losers from Week 3 in the NFL

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

Matthew Stafford is out here playing the best football of his career.

One of the more curious stories of the offseason was the behind-the-scenes feeding frenzy around Matthew Stafford. Teams furiously made calls to Detroit as soon as it became clear the Lions were ready to rebuild and let him free. The Panthers, Broncos, Colts and 49ers all made attempts, but in the end it was the Rams with the firepower to make the deal.

It’s not that Stafford was bad, obviously far from it, but when you have so many teams eager to get a 33-year-old quarterback it’s clear the entire league is thinking the same thing: This guy has plenty left in the tank, and desperately needs a change of scenery.

Three weeks into the season it’s not just the best trade of 2021, but one of the best in YEARS. Stafford is playing better than he ever has before, and the now 3-0 Rams have a much-needed statement win against the Buccaneers, which was billed beforehand as a battle between the NFC elite.

I really hate projecting stats this season, because it just feels wrong. In a few years we’ll get a better sense for benchmark numbers, but as it stands I’m still in favor of normalizing projection for a 16 game season, just because it feels right. So, just know that the following numbers would be bumped up even more.

As it stands, if Stafford keeps up this pace he would finish with:

5,024 yards (highest since 2011, 2nd highest of career)

48 touchdowns (career high)

5 interceptions (career low)

78 percent completion (career high)

10.12 yards-per-attempt (career high)

130.63 passer rating (career high)

To be clear, this would not be a good season by Matthew Stafford standards, it would be the greatest quarterback season of all time. Saying this will all hold is like predicting a game of Jenga after the first move, but outside of touchdowns (which he’s still within striking range of) Stafford’s 2021 would eclipse Tom Brady’s 2007 and Peyton Manning’s 2013 in every other statistical area.

I think it’s been far too easy to overlook Los Angeles this season, as tends to be the case with a lot of west coast teams. They get forgotten in the discussion and it’s not until the end of the season everyone gets surprised they’re really good.

It’s time to start paying attention to what’s happening with the Los Angeles Rams. Beating Brady and the Buccaneers will go a long way to earning some attention, but beyond that Stafford might finally get the credit he’s deserved for a long time.

Winner: Justin Herbert

The Chargers have been the bridesmaid in the AFC West for as long as I can remember, but it’s starting to feel like things are turning, and the biggest force of chance is Justin Herbert.

I had the game between the Chargers and Chiefs circled as one to watch, and I’m glad I did — because dang it was fun to watch Herbert play. He finished the day with 281 passing yards and four touchdowns, spreading to scoring love to three different receivers.

Herbert is showing no signs of dropping off following his record-breaking rookie season, and in fact he’s getting better. While he’s on pace to throw more interceptions than a year ago, he’s also upped his passing yards, completion percentage, yards-per-attempt, and touchdowns.

It helps that Los Angeles has done a great job putting weapons around their rookie, and it’s paying huge dividends. On any given play Herbert has no fewer than three significant receiving threats to find, and they can be swapped out for a diversity of players to give defenses really tough looks to manage.

With the Chiefs struggling so far we could be seeing a power shift in the division. Even if we don’t quite reach that zenith it’s clear the Chargers are close, really close.

Loser: Expecting a rookie QB to carry you

It really felt like we were turning a corner after Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert changed their team’s fortunes in their first season. That came off 2018 and 2019 when Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray got the job done respectively. Now we’re learning in the glorious, charred remains of hubris that quarterbacks stepping into the NFL and excelling is really, really difficult.

It’s no so much about Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones struggling, as much as it’s a testament to the fact that the NFL, despite best guesses, as not been “solved.” Sure, college offenses are more advanced than ever, and rookies better prepared than at any point in modern football — but still they walked out onto the field Sunday and all got their asses spectacularly kicked.

Trying to decide who was the worst of the crew is a fool’s errand. Like eating five variants of earwax ice cream and deciding which is the most palatable. Let’s just instead combine the rooks into a cerberus of mediocrity. If all four were one player, here’s the stat line:

77-of-140 (55 percent completion), 717 yards (5.1 yards-per-attempt), 2 touchdowns, 7 interceptions — 51.2 passer rating

If you match that up to the closest modern era player you get ... Jimmy Clausen. I’m sure at least one of two of these guys will be good when the dust settles, but goodness right now these teams are not benefitting from starting a rookie who has that deer in the headlights look. It brings us to ...

Loser: Pass blocking

If you follow along the league you’d see roughly 20 fanbases complaining about not having a good offensive line, and it comes with cause. The league’s lack of good QB protection is remarkably pronounced this season.

Part of this comes from there being so many first and second year quarterbacks still adapting to the league’s speed and what they can get away with under center, but nonetheless the result has been absolutely staggering.

From 2010-2020 the average number of pass rushers who finished the season with 10+ sacks was 20. As it stands there are currently 39 players on pace to finish with double digit sacks.

In addition, six players are on pace to finish with 20.0+ sack seasons (reduced for a 16 game schedule). That’s a mark only 21 players have achieved in NFL history, and over a quarter could be added to this list by the end of the year.

In short: The league is in dire need of more pass blocking, and there’s a serious brain drain at the position.

Winner: Justin Tucker

You need to do something pretty special to get a nod as a kicker, and, well ... Justin Tucker did something pretty special.

This angle of @JTuck9's record-breaking kick is incredible. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/H1udG62DFi

— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2021

Tucker drilled the 66-yard field goal with a little assistance of a bounce, but I don’t give a crap about how this happened. It wasn’t at elevation, there was no tailwind to benefit — just a dude with a leg that didn’t fly off when he obliterated the ball into the next century.

Winner: The Tom Brady Adele promo

Oh, this was bad. It’s a winner though because I am a huge fan of terrible movies. Just enjoy this work of art.

pic.twitter.com/FN4Wf0TuUg

— clips for con (@clips2021) September 27, 2021

The entire overwrought package was so bad it left Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth speechless — which is no easy feat. I know everyone really, really wants to make Brady vs. New England a thing in Week 4, but it’s looking like it’s just gonna be sad.

Winner: Changes of scenery

We’ve already talked about what Matthew Stafford has done for the Rams, but Sam Darnold is balling in Carolina, Teddy Bridgewater is surging in Denver, and heck, even Jared Goff is finding his footing on a Lions team that’s much more competitive than anyone gave them credit for.

The major QB shuffle that happened this offseason is paying some serious dividends, and adding another layer of fun to an already wild season.

Loser: Pittsburgh Steelers

This was a 12-4 football team a year ago! Now they’re losing to the Bengals inside their division. That’s not supposed to be a knock on Cincinnati, it’s just, like, nobody in Pittsburgh should be happy with how this team is playing. At 1-2 they can definitely still turn the season, but the AFC North is such a rough division and now the Steelers hit a rough stretch against the 3-0 Broncos, the 1-2 Seahawks who are in a similar position of desperation, and then return to the divisional slate with the Browns.

The wheels really could fall off this soon.

Winner: Jaguars accepting their fate

I watched a really fascinating documentary last week on the benefits of psychedelic drugs being used in therapeutic settings, and how researches are struggling against lingering stigma from the 1960s to secure funding.

Inside this one of the most fascinating elements was the use of psilocybin mushrooms by terminal cancer patients. To make a long story short, using the drugs was shown to have significant mental benefits to those facing death, making their acceptance of mortality and peace as their condition worsened much, much easier.

So when I saw this tweet, it reminded me of that.

Jaguars WR Marvin Jones with a message for everyone: “go home and drink some wine”

— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) September 26, 2021

Acceptance is such an important part of the process.

Winner: Football fans

I don’t care which team you support, three weeks in this season has been spectacular. On Sunday another five games were settled by a single score, taking the league total this season to 21.

If you want to be cynical about the league, fine ... I get it, but when you have over 20 percent of games being close it means we’re in for a wild ride. Furthermore, I don’t know if anyone has firm feelings about who is good, and who isn’t. It feels like there are as many amazing teams with losing records as paper tigers with winning ones, which keeps the intrigue flowing for the next 13 weeks.

I think we’re still holding to have a very special season.

[boutiqueload725]

Torq Conectiv Driver

Acclaimed audio interfaces, studio monitors, and keyboard controllers.

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Torq Conectiv with Control Vinyl and CDs Specifications: 4 x 4 USB 1.1 audio interface with 16-bit/48kHz fidelity 4 RCA inputs configurable for line-level or phono signals. While M-Audio will continue to field questions about TORQ software, we will no longer promote or sell TORQ software globally. We encourage TORQ customers, as well as all customers interested in DJ products, to visit m-audio.com, akaipro.com, and numark.com to learn more about our premium DJ products and brands. For more information please contact [email protected].

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Departments >Pro Audio & Recording >DJ >DJ - Software >M-Audio >Torq Conectiv w/Control Vinyl and CDs

Model: #

TORQ CONECTIV

DJ Performance/Production system with 4 x 4 USB audio interface, control vinyl and CDs, and software. Conectiv, developed by M-Audio's SynchroScience division, is the world's first bus-powered 4 x 4 USB audio interface designed for DJs who perform and produce tracks with a laptop. Together, Conectiv and the included Torq software form the ultimate DJ toolhigh-fidelity audio, all the right kinds of I/O (including dual phono preamps), and the ability to mix, beat-match and cue digital files with ease. Use them as a completely digital solution and leave the heavy stacks of vinyl or bulky wallets of CDs at homeor process your vinyl and CDs on the fly. You can even create a hybrid digital/vinyl DJ rig by using Conectiv and Torq with specially encoded control vinyl discs or CDs. Torq supports popular formats such as MP3, WAV, WMA and AAC files and is configured to automatically work with Conectivno messy set-ups. And unlike most digital DJ systems, Conectiv works with other third-party software as well. SynchroScienceDesigned for Real-time Performance M-Audio's new SynchroScience product development group is all about providing DJs with the tools they need as evidenced by the portable and powerful Conectiv interface. With two pairs of stereo inputs and outputs, easy USB connectivity and included Torq DJ software, Conectiv can turn any compatible Mac or PC into a powerful DJ rig. The two large knobs allow you to seamlessly mix between the incoming audio from a turntable or CD player with the output of a connected Mac or PC. Conectiv also includes standard DJ cueing capabilities, so you can listen to any track in your headphones before sending it out to the house system. The included Torq DJ software is a dual-platform application that allows you to mix, beat-match and cue a variety of digital audio file formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, WMA and AAC. The first time you boot up the software, it automatically configures itself to work with Conectiv. Furthermore, the software itself can be controlled via mouse, keyboard, MIDI controller or control vinyl/CDs. And unlike traditional DJ set-ups where you're forced to carry around heavy crates of records or CDs, Torq organizes all of your digital files into a quickly searchable database on a compact, convenient hard diskit can even interface directly with your iTunes library for truly effortless setup. And if that's not enough, Torq supports third-party VST effect plug-ins and includes both a dedicated 16-cell sampler and performance recorder. For the DJ who chooses to work with vinyl or CDs, Conectiv can turn a laptop into the most versatile DJ effects unit ever conceived. By routing the output of a connected turntable or CD player into a program like Torq or Ableton Live, you can process your tracks with tons of plug-in effects. Imagine the possibilities of stacking multiple distortion, EQ, reverb, chorus or bit reduction effects and using the knobs on Conectiv to blend the dry and processed signals. And by using industry-standard CoreAudio and ASIO drivers, Conectiv delivers low-latency operation on both Mac and PC. Are you eager to embrace the world of computer-based DJing, but not ready to give up the feel of your favorite turntable or CD player? Not a problem. Simply break out a pair of control vinyl discs or CDs, and spin digital files loaded in Torq using a traditional DJ setup. And unlike mostmore expensivedigital vinyl systems, Conectiv is also compatible with other third-party DJ and DAW applicationsyou can even use it as an audio interface for Pro Tools M-Powered. While laptop systems have long offered conveniences like portability, unique effects, world-class editing options and instant access to downloadable music, many of these devices don't deliver the same output volume as traditional DJ products. Conectiv changes all of that. With a maximum output level of +2dBV, Conectiv gives you more volume than you need and can go to toe-to-toe with any DJ product on the market. M-Audio interfaces are known for their recording quality and Conectiv is no exception. With switchable RCA phono/line level inputs and 1/4' mic input, you can easily record a wide variety of sources with most DAW software titles, including Pro Tools M-Powered, Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, Digital Performer and more. Features *Use as a self-contained digital system, multi-effects processor or slave from control CDs/vinyl totally flexible *Designed by M-Audio's SynchroScience group built by DJs for DJs *4 x 4 USB 1.1 audio interface with 16-bit/48kHz fidelity CD quality and beyond *4 RCA inputs configurable for line-level or phono signals connects to all standard DJ mixers, turntables and CD players *4 RCA outputs with high +10dBV peak output level rock the house *2 mix knobs for blending audio inputs and USB output mix vinyl and digital tracks with the same interface *Torq DJ software included instantly turn any Mac or PC into a powerful DJ rig

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[keywestlou]

MORNING POST #49

Spent yesterday morning from 8 to noon undergoing some medical tests and blood work. Part of my annual heart check up. No time for the blog. By the time I researched and wrote it, it would have been 5 or 6 in the late afternoon.

Ergo, today a Morning Blog. My attempt to cover 2 days in 1. No order. You get my notes in the order they are stacked on my desk.

Enjoy!

Monopoly seems to have lasted a lifetime. Still ongoing. Remember from my youth. Played the game for generations with friends, my parents, my children, and my grandchildren.

The game will never die. Some variations have come out over the years. A new Key West Monopoly set will be available for purchase in the fall. In time for Christmas.

Casey Arnold is a Key West businessman. He came up with the idea of a Key West game. He contacted Hasboro Gaming who owns the rights to the Monopoly game. He received permission to proceed.

The new game is basically the same as the old. It will reflect Key West, however. Tokens will include a Kino sandal, slice of Key Lime pie, rooster, conch shell, manatee, and fishing boat.

No question. Most of us will be playing Monopoly again. For me, with Robert and Ally.

A South Beach update.

First, a possible murder. Two North Carolina men and a Pennsylvania woman. The two men raped the woman. She later died in her hotel room. It is claimed the two men gave her a pill before raping her.

The men were aged 21 and 24. The woman 24.

The men have been arrested.

I received a call yesterday from a friend. She wanted to share what she was seeing in South Beach.

Tons of people. Thought City government did the right thing in imposing the 8 o’clock curfew. Things were getting out of hand. A riot was inevitable.

The surprise was that the partiers were not college kids alone. Most were young adults. Those already out of school. Described to me as “young professionals.”

Interesting.

Filibuster. Biden has to get rid of it. I keep repeating myself.

He will have to crawl before he walks. First, a return to a Senator having to stand and argue his position for hours.

A few months later, a better way. Get rid of it in its entirety. By that time, Biden will have secured the support of the two recalcitrant Democrats or picked up some Republican Senators.

Biden and he country need the filibuster gone. Otherwise much needed legislation will move. McCullough will have succeeded “in scorching the earth.”

The word filibuster is derived from a Dutch reference to pirates. Evidence of its evil beginnings.

Filibuster became popular in the U.S. in the 1850s. I suspect because of the slavery issue at the time.

It has been used since in order to prevent action on a bill on the Senate floor.

There was a time when U.S. budgets were in the hundreds of thousands. Then millions. Followed by billions. Now, trillions!

Wow!

The recent stimulus package which has become law was $1.9 trillion. Talk now is of a $3 trillion infrastructure bill.

The condition of the U.S. economy today requires America to spend overwhelming dollars. The only way to stave off a recession.

Infrastructure is the best way to proceed. The money will create tons of jobs. Employment will rise dramatically. People will have money in their pockets to spend for items not necessary for survival/basics.

Biden has an immigration problem of magnitude on his hands. Especially involving children without parents. Now in excess of 3,000.

He thus far has played the game of blocking out news re the problem. I don’t blame him. However not healthy for the U.S. nor Biden.

The press have been a problem. They want access and ability to obtain news re the immigration children. Biden has been polluting press access. His conduct not one of transparency.

Critical though I am, I believe he will turn the problem around. Access however should be available even before he achieves his goal.

Mask wearing continues to be a problem. Many did not and do not want to wear them. Thank you, Donald. Government officials cater to their desires. The laws re masks are generally permitted to be flouted.

DeSantis advised last week he was not only opening Florida to businesses, he was also exempting old and new fines re failure to wear a mask.

Prior to DeSantis’ remarks, the Key West police were doing a better job re the masks. Giving out tickets. They stopped however based on DeSantis deciding the fines were not collectible.

Now no  one wears a mask. Not quite accurate. A mere handfull at any given time.

The Citizens’ Voice carried an interesting comment re the situation in this morning’s newspaper: “It appears that on the one-year anniversary of the lock down, St. Patrick came and drove the masks out of Key West.”

Last week, 8 killed in Atlanta. Yesterday, 10 in Boulder. A gun problem unquestionably. I continue to wonder if we as a people are ever going to get the gun issue under control.

I thought progress was being made. The NRA had been weakened. However, then came January 6. Even I who have never handled a gun or cared to, wondered if maybe this was the time for me to carry.

If January 6 was reflective of what is to come, then I need to protect myself. The issue of personal survival now part of the mix.

A thought concerning the Asian women murdered in Atlanta.

Respectfully, I thought any Asian problem in the U.S. ended with World War II. Never heard of any since, except those Trump motivated against China.

With the shootings, groups, organisations, and individuals have come out of the shadows and advising how horrific it has been for Asian women. The racism ran deep.

Glad they were there to tell us who were unaware. They should have been more vocal, if at all, before the Atlanta deaths.

Such is not the point I wish to make however. It is with the massage parlors themselves. Generally advertising Asian women inside. Publically known Asian women were the workers. Most if not all knew or suspected the massage parlors were dens of inequity.  Whore houses. Brothels.

A parlor provides “massage services for a fee.” As early as the 19th century, it became common knowledge the massage parlors were being used as a “euphemism for a brothel.”

In 2019, the Polaris Project estimated there were 9,000 massage parlors in the U.S.providing sexual services. “Full services” and “rub and Tug” available. The latter referring to only hand jobs being offered.

A 2011 study in New York city reported the “house fee” paid up front to the “mama-san” was $60 to $100 per visit. An extra $40 was required to be paid to the sex worker for a massage and “happy ending.” Oral and full service required an additional fee on top of the $40.

The massage parlors run like the whore houses in days old run by the Mafia. Girls are moved from one massage parlor to another for variety and safety purposes. A raided massage parlor reopened within a few days under a new corporation. The corporate trail made it virtually impossible to trace ownership.

My criticism once again is simple. Those now arguing in support of their Asian sisters should have been out there years ago arguing that their people were being used as prostitutes in the slave trade. Why weren’t they?

Their may be one explanation. They knew these women were working in the trade because they needed the money. To support themselves and their families. The apple cart was not to be turned over less the ladies not have a source of income to provide a somewhat decent life.

Key West has 2 Asian type parlors that I am aware of. I mentioned this 2 years ago in a blog. All of a sudden 2 appeared in Key West. One on Duval and the other on the corner of U.S. 1 and Eisenhower. Still there. Names Asian Massage Key West and Island Massage Spa.

On this day in 1775, Patrick Henry before the Virginia Provincial Convention spoke, “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

Syracuse, my Syracuse! I spent the season crying and moaning how terrible we were doing. Kept saying the best material ever player wise, but not getting it together.

Richard Nixon when discussing an election, said the campaign must peak as election day is reached.

Syracuse seems to be peaking. Wow!

First, I was shocked the team even got into the NCAA Tournament. Further shocked when I saw they were a #11 seed in the Midwest Region. Not bad.

Syracuse’s first game was against # 6 seed Sand Diego State. Syracuse won.

The next game this weekend pitted Syracuse against #3 seed West Virginia. Syracuse won.

Syracuse plays in the Sweet Sixteen this weekend.

They look terrific. Especially Buddy Boeheim. He has really come out. His shooting fantastic. He has scored 30 and 25 points in the 2 games mentioned.

I became irritated before the West Virginia game sunday night. In the pre-game show, the sportscasters analyzed the pending game. Gave all of 15 seconds to Syracuse. Spent several minutes thereafter talking about how good West Virginia was, that they should have been the #1 seed rather than #3, etc. Syracuse forgotten.

I do not know where Syracuse is going from this point forward. I hope their peaking continues. It would be nice to go to the Final Four once again. Even better, to win the whole thing.

I have tons more of notes. Blog already too long. I may be able to use some in tomorrow’s blog.

Tonight my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Join me. I rant and rave. Love it! www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

MORNING POST #49 was originally published on Key West Lou