#* seek those who fan your flames = wildfire *

[flightofaqrow]

tag refresh, relationships ( ‘+’ is platonic, ‘x’ or ‘ship name’ is romantic/sexual, ‘branwen twins’ is face value lol )

[hopeandharmonizing]

🧲(can't help it)

positive energy

Briar could smell everything Barty’s about from the moment they met and has been burning hot for him ever since, and that much stronger the more she gets to know him. She lets many in her heart, but very few light the flame of her soul up the way he does.

His hair is beautiful. His body is beautiful. His attitude is beautiful.

That look. You know the one. It gets to her every time. 

He’s proud of his work without boasting, only demanding due respect. He’s confident in his skills without shoving them in your face. He’s a little awkward, but comes out of his shell easily, just like she is. Again, his attitude is beautiful.

He is gentle at the right times and rough at the and frustrating at the right times - with her, and with other people, and with situations of the world. He picks the same battles and hills to die on that she would. Basically she is just the biggest fan of his way of life. Stares at him in awe sometimes. He keeps her on her toes, surprises her, and that isn’t easy.

Great taste in music!!!

He takes his time with her and she absolutely soaks it up. She would would be unspeakably nasty with this man and loves to build him up to feeling the same. 

She can goof around with him like no one else she knows. He comes up with the craziest things and she adores that creativity.

Did qrow mention his mouth? Briar agrees.

Basically, please give her babies, Barty. She’s begging.

[my-weird-news]

🔥 Wildfires Rage as Canadian Officials Slam Facebook's News Ban! 😱

Facebook vs. Wildfires: A Comedy of Errors So there I was, sitting in my cozy Canadian igloo, sipping on my maple syrup-infused tea, when suddenly the whole city of Yellowknife decided it was time for a mass evacuation. Oh, sure, wildfires were closing in, but instead of just shouting out the window, "Hey, grab your moose slippers and let's get outta here!", they turned to their trusty pal, Facebook. Now, you'd think this would be a straightforward situation, right? I mean, how hard is it to post a link to some serious news about impending wildfires? Apparently, as hard as convincing a beaver to take up knitting. The city's brilliant idea? "Hey folks, instead of making things easy and posting the news directly, let's make everyone play a game of digital hide-and-seek! Step 1: Open Google. Step 2: Type in 'CPAC Canada' or visit www.cpac.ca (just remove those pesky spaces). Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's like an online scavenger hunt, wildfire edition! Oh, but wait, there's a plot twist! You see, Facebook, being the drama queen it is, decided to give news articles the cold shoulder in Canada. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, our friendly neighborhood lawmakers passed a law that's all like, "Hey, Meta, pay up for the news, will ya?" And Meta was like, "Nah, I'd rather eat poutine flavored with sorrow." So, they decided to just delete all the news from Canadian feeds. Meanwhile, the Online News Act is waiting backstage, ready to make its grand entrance in December. But Meta, oh no, they're waving their hands in surrender like a hockey player who just lost a tooth: "We can't do this, eh? We're shutting down the news, buddy." Now, I get it, it's a bit tough. But honestly, this is like your pet moose deciding to moonwalk when you're facing a stampede. Canadians love their Facebook and Instagram, you know? Especially the folks in the middle of nowhere who rely on them more than they do on their hockey sticks. And who better to add a dash of maple-flavored sarcasm to the mix than good ol' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? He's like, "Hey, Facebook, we're drowning in wildfires up here, and all you care about is your Tim Hortons order." I might've added the Tim Hortons part, but you get the idea. So, what's a Canadian to do? Well, some have become internet ninjas, typing out full URLs, taking screenshots like it's a selfie spree, or just giving Facebook and Instagram the cold shoulder (like they haven't seen enough of that already, eh?). Then there's Ollie Williams, the news editor at Cabin Radio. He's like, "Facebook, you're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine." They've thrown in the towel and are doing the news tango somewhere else. But hey, there's a silver lining to this cloud of digital chaos. Cabin Radio's audience has stepped up like a beaver building an extra-strong dam. They're screenshotting news like it's the latest meme and spreading the word like hockey fans at a winning game. Turns out, in the battle of news vs. Facebook, the audience took the puck and scored. But not everyone's riding this comedy train. Melissa David, founder of Parachutes for Pets, is trying to save animals from the wildfires. She's all like, "We need Facebook for verified info," but Facebook's playing hard to get. Without a news article, her announcement got lost in the digital tundra. So, she's recruiting extra volunteers, because, you know, the more the merrier when dealing with flaming furballs. And let's not forget Trevor Moss, head honcho at the Central Okanagan Food Bank. He's like, "Come on, Facebook, we're in a food crisis, not a social media drama." But alas, Facebook's ghosting news, leaving them hungry for both bites and bytes. So there you have it, the great Facebook news blackout of Canada. It's like a sitcom where Facebook's the quirky neighbor who's decided to wear a paper bag over its head, just when we needed information the most. Will the Online News Act swoop in like a superhero to save the day? Will Canadians continue to outsmart Facebook's shenanigans? Stay tuned, eh? # Facebook vs. Wildfires: A Comedy of Errors So there I was, sitting in my cozy Canadian igloo, sipping on my maple syrup-infused tea, when suddenly the whole city of Yellowknife decided it was time for a mass evacuation. Oh, sure, wildfires were closing in, but instead of just shouting out the window, "Hey, grab your moose slippers and let's get outta here!", they turned to their trusty pal, Facebook. Now, you'd think this would be a straightforward situation, right? I mean, how hard is it to post a link to some serious news about impending wildfires? Apparently, as hard as convincing a beaver to take up knitting. The city's brilliant idea? "Hey folks, instead of making things easy and posting the news directly, let's make everyone play a game of digital hide-and-seek! Step 1: Open Google. Step 2: Type in 'CPAC Canada' or visit www.cpac.ca (just remove those pesky spaces). Can you feel the excitement in the air? It's like an online scavenger hunt, wildfire edition! Oh, but wait, there's a plot twist! You see, Facebook, being the drama queen it is, decided to give news articles the cold shoulder in Canada. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, our friendly neighborhood lawmakers passed a law that's all like, "Hey, Meta, pay up for the news, will ya?" And Meta was like, "Nah, I'd rather eat poutine flavored with sorrow." So, they decided to just delete all the news from Canadian feeds. Meanwhile, the Online News Act is waiting backstage, ready to make its grand entrance in December. But Meta, oh no, they're waving their hands in surrender like a hockey player who just lost a tooth: "We can't do this, eh? We're shutting down the news, buddy." Now, I get it, it's a bit tough. But honestly, this is like your pet moose deciding to moonwalk when you're facing a stampede. Canadians love their Facebook and Instagram, you know? Especially the folks in the middle of nowhere who rely on them more than they do on their hockey sticks. And who better to add a dash of maple-flavored sarcasm to the mix than good ol' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? He's like, "Hey, Facebook, we're drowning in wildfires up here, and all you care about is your Tim Hortons order." I might've added the Tim Hortons part, but you get the idea. So, what's a Canadian to do? Well, some have become internet ninjas, typing out full URLs, taking screenshots like it's a selfie spree, or just giving Facebook and Instagram the cold shoulder (like they haven't seen enough of that already, eh?). Then there's Ollie Williams, the news editor at Cabin Radio. He's like, "Facebook, you're about as useful as a screen door on a submarine." They've thrown in the towel and are doing the news tango somewhere else. But hey, there's a silver lining to this cloud of digital chaos. Cabin Radio's audience has stepped up like a beaver building an extra-strong dam. They're screenshotting news like it's the latest meme and spreading the word like hockey fans at a winning game. Turns out, in the battle of news vs. Facebook, the audience took the puck and scored. But not everyone's riding this comedy train. Melissa David, founder of Parachutes for Pets, is trying to save animals from the wildfires. She's all like, "We need Facebook for verified info," but Facebook's playing hard to get. Without a news article, her announcement got lost in the digital tundra. So, she's recruiting extra volunteers, because, you know, the more the merrier when dealing with flaming furballs. And let's not forget Trevor Moss, head honcho at the Central Okanagan Food Bank. He's like, "Come on, Facebook, we're in a food crisis, not a social media drama." But alas, Facebook's ghosting news, leaving them hungry for both bites and bytes. So there you have it, the great Facebook news blackout of Canada. It's like a sitcom where Facebook's the quirky neighbor who's decided to wear a paper bag over its head, just when we needed information the most. Will the Online News Act swoop in like a superhero to save the day? Will Canadians continue to outsmart Facebook's shenanigans? Stay tuned, eh? Read the full article

[vonbaghager]

just throwing my ideas onto my blog so they’re not buzzing around in my head anymore. DBD fan-killers: The Barber, the Abomination and the Ignited.

EDIT: And a new one, the Faceless.

The Barber, spawned entirely from a single mental image in which I imagined a killer that uses a straight razor as a weapon, cleaning it off by grinding it against a sharpening strop tied to the other arm.

Short lore blurb: Was an Old Time-y Barber, the ones that did both haircuts and surgeries. His own failing health had him search for occult methods to keep himself alive, using drawn blood as sacrifice. Eventually dove deep enough into occult lore to find out about the Entity, and became enamored with both the idea of eternal life in its realm, and with the creature itself. Strove to catch its attention by using the surgical prowess he’d learned to craft “masterpieces of agony” on unwitting victims, hoping that their pain and terror would draw the creature to him. Eventually, he received an anonymous gift: An immaculately-crafted straight razor that grew sharper as it cut flesh and bone until the victims didn’t even realize they had been cut until a single solid blow or attempt at exertion blew open all of their wounds at once.

Eventually fucked up and caught the attention of an Angry Mob, but by then had earned his place in the Entity’s Realm and fled into a foggy night, never to be seen again.

Base stats: 115% movespeed. 32 meter terror radius. Medium height (Freddy height).

Active Power: Masterpiece of Agony. Base cooldown: 5 seconds. Enter a special animation with a 1.5 second charge time, during which the Barber cannot make a normal attack but gains speed, up to 130% for up to 5 seconds. Lunging out of this state causes the Barber to madly swipe the razor out, striking every Survivor in the path of the lunge, afflicting them with a special status effect: Agonized. The Barber is greatly slowed for 1 second after the ability ends, whether he lunges or not.

An Agonized survivor’s bloodstains and grunts of pain are magnified until the status effect ends. If an Agonized survivor performs any strenuous action, such as fast-vaulting, dropping a pallet, or missing a check when repairing a generator, the Agonized state ends and the Survivor becomes injured while screaming in pain, potentially alerting the Barber. Being struck by Masterpiece of Agony while already Agonized harms the survivor as if they were attacked, meaning performing a strenuous action will drop them to dying. Agonized can be cured in the same manner as Deep Wounds.

Passive power: Sadist. The Barber’s movement speed and lunge distance is increased for every Survivor currently Agonized, hooked, or dead.

Unique Perks:

A Shrine to my Love: Your adoration for the Entity brings you comfort when you are closest to it. The cooldown of your missed attacks is reduced by [25/30/40]% while within 13 meters of the Basement. The wiggling of a survivor in your grasp has a [moderately/greatly/tremendously] reduced effect on your movement while you are within 13 meters of the Basement.

Serrated Hooks: You’ve made creative additions to the Basement, increasing the hold it has over its victims. A survivor on a Basement hook has their chance of escaping it on their own reduced [greatly/tremendously/completely], and is painfully aware of this fact*. A survivor pulled off a Basement hook is affected by both Hemorrhage and Broken for [16/20/24] seconds.

*the survivor receives a notification about the Serrated Hooks upon being speared on one, which lingers until they’re freed. Survivors rescuing their fellows from the Basement are also alerted to the Serrated Hooks.

Grasp of the Shrike: Yes, they will do. They will do nicely. The diamond atop the ring, as it were. You and the Entity become Obsessed with one survivor, clinging to them tightly and never letting go. The Obsession takes [0.5/0.8/1.0] extra seconds to unhook. Whenever the Obsession dies, another random survivor becomes the new Obsession after 13 seconds.

---------------

The Abomination, based on the video game archetype of “really fat guy with a grappling hook” that’s really just Blizzard but leaks into other games now and then.

Once a gluttonous ruler in the past, he wished for his feast to never end, sparing no expense to have food brought to him from all over the world even as his subjects starved in the streets. When death came for him, he fought with every fiber of his being to remain in the world of the living, tearing his soul free from death’s grasp and forcing it back into his bloated body. He continued to live, but did not belong, beginning to rot and decay even as he brought in the greatest doctors and surgeons to restore him, using the very people he neglected as replacement parts for his increasingly aberrant body.

Never one to waste food, the remains of those slain to restore him were added to his menu, and soon he discovered a love of the taste for the humanity he became further and further divorced from. Ironically, he became a much better ruler the more monstrous he became, if only because the healthy and fat citizens made for better parts and better plates, but eventually it was found out just where the criminals of this prosperous land were disappearing to, and the hideous ruler was threatened with a second death.

Knowing death would not let him escape a second time, he fled from his prosperous land, but soon encountered a problem: he had not stopped rotting, and without a supply of fresh parts, he would succumb sooner or later. He spent his every last coin and gemstone seeking a cure for this condition, slaughtering those he met upon the lonely roads as he fought to remain whole, and eventually he found a solution. He would never again taste the succulence of the world he was leaving behind, but the new world held a banquet for him that would never grow dull. He wished for a feast that would never end, and the Entity granted it.

Base stats: 110% movement. 44 meter terror radius. Large size (Plague height)

Active Power: Glutton’s Grasp. Base cooldown: 8 seconds. The Abomination is slowed as it lets down a lengthy meat hook and begins loudly twirling it around. Any survivor that comes too close to the Abomination in this stance interrupts it but is damaged by the hook as if attacked. Attacking while in this stance flings the hook up to 10 meters outwards, which is blocked by terrain. If a survivor is struck by the hook, they scream and are pulled 5 meters towards the Abomination and become slowed for 2 seconds. If the survivor is pulled directly adjacent to the Abomination, its middle splits open to unveil the Great Maw, which bites into the survivor, damaging them and causing them to become Mangled for 1 minute.

The hook can also interact with certain props. Striking a partially repaired generator stuns the Abomination for 0.75 seconds as a current runs through it but damages the generator as though it had kicked the gen, causing it to regress. Striking a dropped palette stuns the Abomination for 2 seconds as it pulls the wood into the Great Maw, chewing it to pieces.

Once per trial: The Abomination can stand over a survivor who has been hooked at least twice and use the Great Maw to swallow them whole, sacrificing them instantly and becoming hasted for 2 minutes.

Passive: Corpulent Corpse. The Abomination is considerably wider than other killers, making it difficult to sneak or dash past it if it’s in a narrow enough area.

Unique Perks:

Varied Diet. Even the most luxurious banquet can grow boring without variety. Each time you strike a survivor with your basic attack, gain a token, to a maximum of 4/6/8 tokens. Each token grants you 1/2/3% increased movement speed and vaulting speed. Striking the same survivor twice in a row causes you to lose 2 tokens. 

Hex: Abattoir. This Hex turns the lockers within the trial into deathtraps for your victims. An injured survivor hiding in a locker bleeds profusely, creating a noticeable pool of blood. If a survivor lingers in a locker for 20/15/10 seconds, they become injured, or are pushed into the dying state if already injured.

Starved Rush. The scent of their flesh, the smell of their blood, it calls to you, driving you into a frenzy the longer you go without it. You enter Bloodlust [slightly/moderately/considerably] faster and do not immediately lose it if you break a pallet.

--------------- 

The Ignited. Had the mental image of someone undergoing an Oni-style rage transformation, except they burst into flames.

There’s not much of a story for this one tbh. Probably someone who was burned at the stake and called down horrific vengeance for their unawful destruction, becoming what they were accused of (a vampire, a witch, a werewolf, etc). The alternate tale that I like more is that they were just a pyromaniac that finally decided to burn down their own house with them inside so they could feel what their victims felt.

Base stats: 105% movement. 16 meter terror radius. Medium size (Blight height)

Active Power, Kindling form: Choking Smog. Base cooldown: 20 seconds. Unleash a cloud of black smoke the Ignited can perfectly see through, but which is completely opaque for survivors. The smoke spreads outwards to cover a 11 meter radius, choking survivors inside of it, causing them to loudly cough. Survivors in the smog are Exhausted and slowed. The cloud lingers for 6 seconds.

Passive power (Cinder Form): Building Inferno. The Ignited is unaffected by the trial’s fog. The Ignited can interact with piles of tormented kindling that spawn throughout the trial, gathering energy from each of them. The Ignited can also gather energy by damaging generators and survivors, and hooking survivors. At maximum charge, the Ignited can activate the secondary power to explode into their Wildfire Form. All the survivors receive a notification when the Ignited enters Wildfire Form as it shrieks in agony and rage.

The Ignited in Wildfire Form has a terror radius that covers the entire map, moves at 130% speed, and becomes taller than the Plague. A pillar of fire and smoke travels up from its body to signify its position at all times. Wildfire Form lasts for 1 minute, after which it drops back to Cinder Form.

Active Power (Wildfire Form): Pyroclasm. The Ignited charges up briefly and then blasts an incredibly wide cone in front of it (roughly equal to its FOV but only 6 meters in length). Survivors in the area are damaged, generators in the area begin regressing, and dropped pallets in the area begin burning and will be fully destroyed after 5 seconds unless a survivor slides across them. Survivors injured--but not downed--by Pyroclasm gain a unique status effect: On Fire! Survivors who are On Fire glow softly with flame and their auras are revealed to the Ignited, shouting and screaming as long as they remain On Fire. On Fire lasts for 1 minute, until the survivor is put into the dying state, until they vault a pallet or window, or until they stop moving and spend 3 seconds patting themselves down.

Unique Perks:

Smokesight: The fog thickens in your presence, though it’s no impediment to you. The trial fog is [slightly/moderately/considerably] thicker, though you see through it as if it were two stages lighter.

Hex: Fear of Failure: To build a tower so tall just to see it fall before you, it is a feeling that can invoke despair in any, and one this Hex enhances to self-destructive levels. If you kick a generator that has been repaired above [75%/50%/25%] progress while your totem still stands, the last survivor(s) to work on that generator shriek in frustration and are highlighted for 3 seconds if they are within [24/32/40] meters.

Hex: Trap in the Blaze: Lock them inside. Seal the windows, bar the door. Let them burn. Let them burn. Let them burn. When the exit gates are powered, this Hex flares to life if there is a dull totem for it to inhabit. The switch to the gates is partially infested by the Entity, slowing all attempts to touch it. Interacting with the switch takes an extra [3/4/5] seconds. Abandoning the exit switch causes it to slowly regress.

--------------- 

The Faceless. what if there was a stealth killer even more humanoid than the pig?

Not sure of a backstory here. Either a member of an ancient species trying to avoid total extinction, or an envious human who altered their own bodies with strange chemicals, vile magic, and horrible operations until they could look like anyone they wanted. 

Base stats: 110% movement. 32 meter terror radius. Large size (Demogorgon height in true form).

Active power: Assume Guise. The Faceless loudly and grotesquely reshapes its body into the shape of a random survivor in the trial, letting all survivors within the terror radius hear the cracking and squishing just before the terror radius abruptly vanishes. The noises are noticeable enough to be heard a short distance outside the terror radius, akin to the Wraith or the Spirit vanishing. Any survivor within a 15 meter radius is briefly highlighted by Killer Instinct after the transformation is complete. While disguised, the Faceless has no terror radius and is treated by the game as though it were a survivor. If its aura becomes revealed by any perk or item, it appears as though it were a survivor, even if the perk or item reveals the killer’s aura only.

While it can crouch and sprint as a normal survivor, the Faceless cannot interact with props like a survivor can, with the exception of vaulting pallets or windows. It cannot open chests, repair generators, or sabotage hooks. When it assumes a survivor’s shape, it cannot copy any items they hold, nor can it pick one up or use them. If the survivor its copying is injured, it is not. Its voice as a survivor is ever-so-slightly distorted.

Assuming its true form is a horrid affair, stunning the killer for 2 seconds as it bursts from its former body. After transforming back, the Faceless is hasted for 4 seconds and Assume Guise is placed on a 10 second cooldown.

Active power (disguised form): Backstab. If the Faceless performs the healing action on a survivor using the secondary power button, it acts as though it’s healing them for 5 seconds, after which it suddenly strikes, afflicting the target with Deep Wounds and Hindered and beginning its transformation back.

Unique Perks

Hex: False Friendship. This Hex confounds and distorts your aura, leading your prey to blunder into your grasp. While the totem stands, any time your aura would be revealed, it appears as though it’s a survivor aura, and the survivor(s) reading your aura are highlighted by Killer Instinct for [8/12/16] seconds if they’re within 40 meters of you.

Subtle Sabotage: Your machinations are much more insidious than that of your brutish kin. After kicking a generator, the generator becomes Sabotaged for [60/80/120] seconds, regressing continuously even as it’s being worked on, effectively halving the speed it’s repaired at. A sabotaged generator loses this status if it fully regresses, or if the survivors working on it succeed [2/3/4] Great skill checks on it without abandoning it. Sabotaged gens are highlighted to the survivors, and survivors working on a sabotaged gen are aware of how much longer the status will last and how many skill checks are required to undo it.

Calming Emanations: Let them have their hope, if only so it’s more spectacular when it shatters. Each uninjured survivor reduces your terror radius by [18/20/22]%.

[otonymous]

Duality (MLQC Kiro - NSFW)

Description: Kiro introduces you to some hot club bangers Warnings: NSFW/18+: Explicit/graphic language — reader discretion is advised. Trigger warnings: extremely slight (barely there) breath play Word Count: 1365 words (~7 mins of mystery & smut) AO3: read here Author’s Notes:  Baby boy’s about to show you he’s full grown 😂Ok, cheesy tag line aside, to everyone who requested a smutty Kiro fic, thanks a million for waiting so patiently!  Please note the potential trigger warning listed above, and happy reading!

All characters & Mr Love: Queen’s Choice owned by Elex

“I wonder…”

Blue eyes captured your gaze, preternaturally bright as if lit from within by its own luminous star — brilliant even in the dim corner of the club where lithe yet muscular arms pressed against the wall on either side of your head, the sleeves of an oversized hoodie shielding you from view.

“…if your lips still taste of cotton candy?”

Pupils expanded as they approached, the sight calling to attention every nerve in your body like matches waiting to be struck, the heat simmering beneath your flesh threatening to burst into flame for want of his hands on your skin.

“Think I could find out…”

That voice which dominated charts the world over now dropped to a low register to whisper in your ear — message loud and clear despite the booming bass line reverberating in the room.

“…Miss Chips?”

Your nickname, so often spoken in light, cheerful tones, was now imbued with smoke and velvet as Kiro’s breath danced along the line of your jaw to send electricity up your spine.  And when azure irises trace an unhurried path over your features to rest at your lower lip, tucked under the bite of teeth, all you can manage is a nod in response.

Suddenly, that smile —  radiant sunshine as it flashed over the face known to millions — and Kiro is caressing your cheek, the black metal of his ring cool against your skin as he slips his thumb between your teeth, pink tongue darting out to trace the contour of your lower lip before sucking it into his mouth.

And you forget.

Forget about the crowd of Kiro fans who grew rabid upon spotting their idol in public, giving chase during your date and making you drop your cotton candy in the process.

Forget the confusion you felt to see Kiro’s seemingly haphazard twists and turns through side streets and back alleys suddenly lead to an underground club operating in the middle of the day, electronic refrains hitting your eardrums hard as soon as the reinforced steel door swung open.

Forget about your intention to ask Kiro how he knew the access code to the locked door in the first place.

Because in the moment your breathless laughter mingled together under the cover of din and darkness, hearts bursting from excitement as much as the prospect of danger, you were already hopelessly caught up in the sun and moon that rose in the depths of Kiro’s eyes.

“Hmm!”

Your exclamation is swallowed up by the growing urgency of his mouth on yours, Kiro’s tongue deftly exploring as smoothly as the lyrics that left his lips.  And as desire spread like wildfire in your veins, propelled by every thunderous beat of your heart, you surrender to the hungry hands that roved over your body — caring not for discretion nor propriety in the packed club.

“You taste so sweet, Miss Chips...so good.  But you know what?  I bet you feel even better.”

That million-watt smile again, except this time, his eyes are hooded with the shadow of some unfathomable deviance.  The contradiction in his expression makes every hair stand on end — your body awaiting the revelation of some earth-shattering secret.

But with the music so loud you can barely hear your thoughts, you defer instead to your hands; fingertips seeking truth as they run through flaxen hair hidden beneath a hood, trace over a silver cross nestled between firm pecs, then finally…reaching down to cup the growing bulge straining against black denim.

Perhaps it was the darkness that pervaded the corner where Kiro had you pinned.  Or perhaps it was the manner in which he assured you with uncanny certainty that no one would be passing close enough to see you huddled together.  But the yearning in your body left no room for hesitation, and as waves of pulsing beats swept all objections from your mind, you turned within the circle of his embrace to face the wall, hands slowly lifting the hem of your skirt as you looked at him over one shoulder to ask:

“Care to find out for yourself?”

Kiro’s tongue sweeps out to moisten his lips as he studies you, and for a split second, you swear you see a glimmer of gold diffuse into the blue of his eyes, trained on you with desirous intensity before crinkling at the corners.

“I knew you’d be down to play.  Such a good sport, Miss Chips.”

Turning again to face the wall, you try to anticipate the movement of Kiro’s hands — long, tapered fingers electric as they slide down the small of your back, trace the swell of your hips, splay along the supple flesh of your buttocks before firmly squeezing in an assessing grip.

“I’ll get you new ones, okay?”

His voice is husky in your ear, and before you could even ask for clarification, you gasp to feel your panties slip away, satin and lace ripping clean apart before being tucked into the back pocket of the superstar’s jeans.

“Make it wet for me, Miss Chips?”

Index finger lightly traces the outline of your lips before pushing past them to draw circles on your tongue.  And by the time Kiro’s middle finger is introduced, saliva has already run down to his knuckles, coating his ring and your chin as he continues to fuck your mouth.

“Ah, Kiro!”

Bracing yourself harder against the wall to feel him slide those fingers between your legs, the moisture on his hand merges with that of your arousal as he strokes the length of your slit, gentle but insistent.  And when they finally slip inside you to press and curl — expertly eliciting that tension until your pussy is clenching to pull his hand deeper still — Kiro whispers soothingly in your ear,

“Scream if you want, baby.  No one can hear you over the music.”

But you could barely breathe by the time his cock teased at your entrance, the superstar taking the time to meticulously coat himself in your arousal before finally pushing into your wet heat; slick head stretching delicate skin.

Kiro fucks you.  Hard.  As if the vitality of his entire being was now transferred into the hips that pounded against your backside, keeping time with the fast tempo of the music.  The force of his passion is unyielding as he dives so deeply you swear you feel it in your throat — right before he reaches to wrap his hand gently around it.

At the brush of his fingers on your pulse, you fall apart, moans swallowed up by the swell of an electronic chorus just as Kiro said it would.  And from behind, his breaths grow increasingly erratic as you clench around him, your legs barely holding up against the renewed onslaught as he chased his own release until you feel him spill hot within you.

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“The coast is clear now, Miss Chips!”

Kiro tugs on your hand, ducking out of the alleyway onto a residential street, his steps light with barely disguised mirth.  And when he looks back to flash you a smile, it is so bright you think to ask for the sunglasses he is slipping onto his face.

Sweet.  Warm.  The Kiro you knew and loved.

But the man in the club — shrouded in darkness with danger in his eye — excited you, and the thought of him moving within you made you quiver still.

“Look, you can see the moon!”

Your gaze follows Kiro’s index, pointing to the moon hanging in the blue sky, its outline faint but discernible: day merged with night, like the man before you.

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Thanks for reading!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

[newstfionline]

Headlines: Saturday, September 26, 2020

Largest California wildfire threatens marijuana-growing area (AP) California’s largest wildfire is threatening a marijuana-growing enclave, and authorities said many of the locals have refused to evacuate and abandon their maturing crops even as weather forecasters predict more hot, dry and windy conditions that could fan flames. The wildfire called the August Complex is nearing the small communities of Post Mountain and Trinity Pines, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento, the Los Angeles Times reported. Law enforcement officers went door to door warning of the encroaching fire danger but could not force residents to evacuate, Trinity County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Nate Trujillo said. “It’s mainly growers,” Trujillo said. “And a lot of them, they don’t want to leave because that is their livelihood.” The area is in the Emerald Triangle, a three-county corner of Northern California that by some estimates is the nation’s largest cannabis-producing region. People familiar with Trinity Pines said the community has up to 40 legal farms, with more than 10 times that number in hidden, illegal growing areas. Growers are wary of leaving the plants vulnerable to flames or thieves. Each farm has crops worth half a million dollars or more and many are within days or weeks of harvest.

Things to avoid during your Zoom session (Reuters) An Argentine lawmaker has resigned after being caught on a live camera caressing his wife before appearing to partially pull down her top and kiss her breast during a virtual session of the country’s lower house of Congress on Thursday. The lower house of deputies said in a statement on Twitter early on Friday that it had voted to accept the resignation of Juan Ameri, a representative from the northern province of Salta in the ruling coalition. Virtual meetings amid the coronavirus pandemic have tripped up lawmakers before. In June, Ireland’s Luke Ming Flanagan appeared to be wearing no trousers as he discussed policy matters with his European Parliament peers.

Queen Elizabeth II to trim costs as COVID-19 hits income (AP) Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her family are facing a 35 million pound ($45 million) hit from the coronavirus pandemic, partly due to a shortage of tourists, the monarch’s money-manager said Friday. Releasing the royal household’s annual accounts, Keeper of the Privy Purse Michael Stevens said a lack of income from visitors to royal buildings was likely to bring a general funding shortfall of 15 million pounds ($19 million) over three years. He said the impact of the pandemic is also likely to cause a 20 million-pound ($25.4 million) shortfall in a 10-year, 369-million-pound program to replace antiquated heating, plumbing and wiring at Buckingham Palace, the queen’s London home. Stevens said the royal household would not ask for more government money but would “look to manage the impact through our own efforts and efficiencies.”

As Virus Cases Surge in Europe, Hospitalizations Lag. (NYT) In Munich, normally brimming with boisterous crowds for Oktoberfest this month, the authorities just banned gatherings of more than five people. In Marseille, France, all bars and restaurants will be closed next Monday. And in London, where the government spent weeks urging workers to return to the city’s empty skyscrapers, it is now asking them to work from home. Summer ended in Europe this week with a heavy thud amid ominous signs that a spike in coronavirus cases may send another wave of patients into hospitals. But just how imminent is the peril? As they weigh actions to curb a second wave of the virus, European leaders are dealing with a confusing, fast-changing situation, with conflicting evidence on how quickly new cases are translating into hospital admissions—and how severe those cases will end up being. In Spain, where new cases have surged to more than 10,000 a day, hospitals in Madrid are close to capacity and the government said it was preparing to reopen field hospitals in hotels and in the city’s largest exhibition center. Yet in France, which reported 66,000 new cases over the last seven days, hospital admissions and deaths, while also rising, are going up more slowly. There is a similar divergence between infection rates and hospitalizations in Germany and Austria. And in Britain, which reported 6,178 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday—the highest figure since May 1—just 134 patients were admitted to hospitals on Monday, barely a tenth of those admitted in early May.

Pope to UN: Use COVID crisis to come out better, not worse (Washington Post) Pope Francis urged world leaders Friday to use the coronavirus emergency as an opportunity to reform the injustices of the global economy and the “perverse logic” of the nuclear deterrence doctrine, warning that increased isolationist responses to problems “must not prevail.” Francis laid out his appeal for greater involvement and influence of the United Nations in protecting the poor, migrants and the environment in a videotaped speech Friday to the U.N. General Assembly, held mostly virtually this year because of the pandemic. Francis said the world has a choice to make as it emerges from the COVID-19 crisis and addresses the grave economic impact it has had on the planet’s most vulnerable: greater solidarity, dialogue and multilateralism, or self-retreat into greater nationalism, individualism and elitism. “The pandemic has shown us that we cannot live without one another, or worse still, pitted against one another,” he said. “This is why, at this critical juncture, it is our duty to rethink the future of our common home and our common project.”

Migrants accuse Greece of pushing them back out to sea (AP) Shortly after reaching the Greek island of Lesbos, a group of Afghan migrants say, their hopes for a new life in Europe were cut short when Greek authorities rounded them up, mistreated them, shoved them into life rafts and abandoned them at sea, where they were rescued by the Turkish coast guard. Turkey, which hosts about 4 million refugees, accuses Greece of large-scale pushbacks—summary deportations without access to asylum procedures, in violation of international law. Greece, which lies on the EU’s southeastern border and has borne the brunt of migration flows from Turkey, denies the allegations and in turn accuses Ankara of weaponizing migrants. In March, Turkey made good on threats to send migrants to Europe, declaring its borders with the EU open. In what appeared to be a government-organized campaign, thousands headed to the Greek border, leading to scenes of chaos and violence. Turkey’s border with EU member Bulgaria was largely unaffected. Greece shut its frontier and controversially suspended asylum applications for a month. Uneasy neighbors Greece and Turkey have been at loggerheads for decades over several territorial issues, and asylum-seekers have found themselves caught up in the geopolitical conflict.

Taliban entrepreneurs (Foreign Policy) For decades, Afghanistan’s untapped mineral wealth has been touted as the country’s trillion-dollar El Dorado. But while the Afghan government has never been able to monetize mountains of copper, iron ore, gold, and gemstones, the Taliban have—and are ramping up their mining operations as just-started peace talks aim to shape the future of a postwar Afghanistan. In recent years, the Taliban have deliberately moved to secure control over regions of Afghanistan rich in mineral deposits, from lapis lazuli mines in northern Badakhshan to gold, lead, and zinc in Helmand and vast talc and marble deposits in southern Nangarhar. The Taliban, who already control most of the country’s mineral wealth, are banking on further developing the sector to make it the bedrock of the country’s postwar economy—or theirs, at least.

The Indian navy and China (WSJ) India’s border conflict with China is pushing New Delhi to look for an asymmetric response: flexing its naval might as it deepens cooperation with other democracies that seek to counter Beijing’s global ambitions. India, which operates one of the world’s largest navies, sits astride shipping routes in the Indian Ocean that connect China to its main sources of oil and gas in the Middle East and to its key markets in Europe. Though growing fast, China’s navy still has only limited ability to operate in a region far from its home shores—and has to contend with the U.S. in its own backyard. “On the northern border, the best we can hope for is to achieve a stalemate. But at sea, we have an advantage over the Chinese,” said retired Adm. Arun Prakash, a former head of the Indian navy. “A show of force at sea can send a message to China that you are vulnerable, that we can interfere with your shipping and with Chinese energy supplies. Their economy would be shaken up.”

‘Tis the season for travel in China. But virus fears cast a shadow over festivities. (Washington Post) Zuo Weiwei has been stuck since February in her hometown Wuhan—yes, that Wuhan—and the problem now is that the city is overflowing with tourists. Wuhan’s government, like many across China, has been offering free tickets to tourist attractions to try to salvage economic growth. For better or worse, it appears to be working, as China approaches its first major holiday season since tamping down the coronavirus. The “Golden Week” holiday is one of the largest annual human migrations, with upward of 700 million people on the move. This year, it will be a crucial test of China’s efforts to regain normalcy and prevent new coronavirus waves. The holiday season begins with China’s National Day on Oct. 1, marking 71 years of Communist Party rule. The period also coincides with this year’s mid-autumn festival, a one-day holiday that falls on the night of the fullest autumn moon. With borders closed around the world, those in China itching to travel have had to look closer to home. Around 408 million highway trips are expected to be made this Golden Week, slightly up from last year, China’s Ministry of Transport said on Thursday. But the flood of travelers will make social distancing difficult and brings the risk of new virus outbreaks that could spread rapidly across the country.

Tunisian migrants (Washington Post) The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is propelling thousands of Tunisians to make the perilous Mediterranean journey in search of better living conditions, with the largest wave in nearly a decade reaching Italy’s shores. The strict lockdown Tunisia imposed in March was largely successful in containing the outbreak, but the measures devastated the country’s already ailing economy. During the first eight months of this year, nearly 8,000 Tunisians crossed the Mediterranean to Italy, six times as many as last year.

Palestinian elections (Foreign Policy) Fatah and Hamas, the two largest political factions in the occupied Palestinian territories, have agreed to hold elections for the first time in almost 15 years. The last elections, held in 2006, resulted in a landslide victory for Hamas, leading to bloody clashes between the two sides and a de facto split within Palestine, with Hamas taking control of the Gaza Strip and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) retaining control of the West Bank. Leaders said a vote will be held within six months. The move follows an unprecedented show of unity among Palestinians in opposition to recent moves by several Arab states to normalize diplomatic ties with Israel.

[ngno-closed]

you were never loved. your name invokes unbridled fear so they whisper ridiculous monikers in its place. chaos follows you like the ribbons of smoke that billow from your lips. you are sharp edges and so they always expect to be cut by you. rightly so. you will strike those that stand in your way and toy with the rest. tartarus could never contain you. now, you ride the neon lit streets with a deathly stare beneath your jet black helmet and the desire to cause unceasing chaos amongst mortals and gods alike.

NAME Alekto

ALIAS Virgil (and others)*

APPEARS 37

PRONOUNS They/them

PANTHEON Greek

OCCUPATION Bruiser

THE GODDEX THEMSELF

Anger burns for Alekto as stars burn; eternally, and incomprehensibly hot. This destructive power could consume them, but like a star, anger can be nurturing, well directed. Alekto was always the most impulsive of their sisters, Tisiphone was quiet, judgemental, their guide, while Megaera was cold-hearted and deadly. They inspired them, kept their passion for justice strong and true by igniting and fanning the fire of righteous anger that each sister was capable of. Together, they were unstoppable. 

Being apart was hell. Alekto descended early, alone, lost without their sisters. They could have imploded under the weight of their anger, the white heat of it. What they needed was a target, and Tezcatlipoca was only too happy to supply them with one, or many. Alekto became Tezcatlipoca’s wildfire, a flash of rage and anger powerful enough and controlled enough to strike terror in those they came across. With Tezcatlipoca they could intimidate their enemies, or allies as they saw fit, and Tyr was the cold-hearted hitman that came after if they continued to disagree. 

When their sisters’ finally descended Alekto was angry, a spark of hurt that caught flame anew. They blamed them both for leaving them alone, and when they dared to be judgemental about who they had worked for in the interim, they nearly burned through them. It was Megaera who suggested that they go their separate ways, spend this descension apart. Alekto was only too happy to agree, spurning their sisters for Tezcatlipoca’s gentle embrace.

The only fleck of goodness in their life was Brynhildr. The valkyrie knew anger as well as Alekto, but they could control it. At first Bryn was their trainer, but soon they became something more. Capricious Alekto never let Brynhildr too close, holding her at arm’s length. Whenever they got too close Alekto would seek out Tezcatlipoca’s latest delight, would fall into the arms of their on-and-off again lover Pan. The night before the murder of Pan, Alekto went once again into his arms. They were never the softest of lovers, anger and madness, and they stumbled into Bryn’s house high as a satellite and covered with bruises. They disappeared shortly after his death, and hasn’t been seen since. 

DID THEY MURDER A GOD?

Alekto and Pan have been intertwined one way or another for an eon. Alekto says it’s just Pan’s orgies they’re interested in, which is partly true. But there was a kinship in the unruly nature of them both. They would fight, fuck, smash whatever Tez was cooking up and then do it all over again. It was always going to be a recipe for disaster.

WHO DO THEY LOVE, HATE AND DESIRE?

Bryn Bryn is the one good thing in Alekto’s life, and still they manages to fuck it up. Bryn lets them come back every time, despite the fact that each time is worse than the last. Sometimes Alekto thinks they should leave Bryn for good, but they is too selfish to deny themself Bryn’s company.

Tyr Besides Perun, Tyr is the one person who doesn’t judge Alekto, given he’s fallen further. Tyr was a god of justice and is now no more than a hired hitman. At least Alekto started off as a curse. Given that they both work for Tez, it’s handy that they both enjoy each other’s company.

Tezcatlipoca Tez took Alekto in when they was alone, and for that Alekto will always owe her something. Alekto doesn’t try to think about what Tez might be planning, why they has been told to trash someone’s house. They works in the moment and doesn’t ask questions, making them one of Tez’s favourite employees.

Perun An eon ago Alekto detested the shithead. He was as lawful and power-hungry as Zeus. They didn’t need another man like that in their life. But something has shifted in the last thousands of years. This particular descenion Perun is unrecognisable from his past. Much more palatable and a companion in chaos for Alekto. Perun fills the void left by their sisters’ absence. Together, they are motherfuckers unlimited.

Tisiphone & Megaera Sisters, bound by blood (that is if immortals have such a thing), but at odds with one another. The furies rarely descend from the underworld and when they do it's always together. This time, Alekto came first and it caused a division between the three. One that has been boiling over for a millennia. They’ve gone their separate ways and Alekto is determined not to be seen as reliant on their sisters. They refuses to be the first to crack.

FC Asia Kate Dillon RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY LEVEL Middle AVAILABILITY Taken by Admin Dion

Resources

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Erinyes.html http://www.mythindex.com/greek-mythology/E/Erinnyes.html

Notes

Alekto is the fury of unceasing anger. They works with their sisters as their inspiration, energising them in their hunt and task.

Other aliases include: Speaking the names of the erinyes is never intentional, by whispering their true names you seek to invoke them and their vengeance. Even the fellow gods are not immune from their punishments. As such their names typically go un-spoken even amongst the gods. Alekto especially, whilst their sisters have found allies, Alekto has few friends that dare to speak their name. The rest call them what they like. Of which there have been plenty of nicknames even in this descension – Virgil (don’t say they doesn’t have a sense of humour), Darcy, Kieren, Ellis, the list goes on. 

Pronouns: Alekto goes by they/them predominately in this particular descension, but as with most of the gods gender is not all that important. In their immortal form they go by they/she.

[pixelproductions]

How Do You Rebuild Brand Reputation After it’s Taken a Hit?

Even the best of brands get their fair share of bad reviews, but for smaller brands it’s harder to rebuild brand reputation and trust, find out how.

If a brand possesses a strong reputation, it can enjoy a whole host of benefits. There’s an increased level of trust, the ability to attract better talent, and a higher chance of turning over a healthy profit.

For a business on the opposite end of the reputation scale, those advantages can feel like an impossible dream.

The problem is that any business could potentially see their reputation plummet in an instant. Warren Buffett summed it up with this famous quote:

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

In this day and age, the fragility of reputation is even more pronounced. Bad feedback can spread like wildfire across the internet and social media, and this can quickly lead to a company’s standing being left in tatters.

Has your brand’s reputation taken a hit?

This could be caused by anything from a social faux pas to an angry customer spreading barefaced falsehoods. While there are many ways in which you can end up with a tarnished reputation, the result is always the same: a decrease in trade.

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to repair the damage before it’s too late. Here is a guide on how you can rebuild your brand’s reputation.

Monitor the situation

Monitoring your online reputation is imperative when it comes to preventing damage. When you stay ahead of any negative feedback and stories, you are in a stronger position to quash the negativity before it develops into anything more serious.

There’s only one issue: how do you accurately monitor what people are saying about your brand?

Fortunately, there are various tools at your disposal. As a starting point, keep track of your social media. Regularly check your notifications to see if customers are getting in touch, and also view your branded hashtags to see if there’s any chatter about your business.

Along the same lines, regularly check Google Analytics to spot if there any anomalies with visitor numbers to your website. If there’s a sudden spike in traffic for no obvious reason, this is a possible red flag that something has gone wrong.

For a more thorough way to monitor your online reputation, there are tools available such as Google Alerts.

Have a plan in place

When you have discovered a problem, it’s time to work on developing a solution.

In an ideal world, your business will already be in a strong position and had the foresight to anticipate any reputation-themed concerns. You should possess a well-thought-out strategy if a crisis rears its ugly head.

As for the strategy, there are certain gaps you can only fill once you become aware of the issue. With that said, you can have a general outline and certain protocols in place. You can know the marketing avenues to go down, the staff members responsible for the response, and the tone of voice to take with your message.

When it comes to those gaps that need filling, ensure you collect all of the facts. The last thing you want to do is send out an unclear statement that doesn’t actually address the problem. A haphazard approach will only cause further troubles and turn the rebuild into an even bigger job.

Own up to any mistakes

When you receive a negative review or bad press, it can be tempting to try and avoid the issue. Yet hoping the issue will simply disappear is the wrong approach to take. In most cases, this could place your business into serious trouble – to the point where it might cause unrepairable damage.

Simply sending out a simple response isn’t enough, either. When you do reply to criticism, it’s essential that you do so with humility, honesty, and transparency. If you feel any comments aimed at your brand are unjust, it can be tricky to refrain from retorting in a brash manner.

Just remember: your comments will be in the public domain. The more compassionate and professional you come across, the more likely others will appreciate your methodology. In addition, if you’re responding directly to a disgruntled customer and demonstrate how you will effectively deal with their issue, they’re likely to forgive you – essential for stopping their negative feedback from spreading any further.

Be quick to respond

In this social media generation, people expect instant responses. If a negative comment is fired in your direction, it is important you respond within 24 hours – preferably even quicker, if possible. Not only will this appease the commenter who is seeking answers, but it will also stop the fans from being flamed and the problem becoming an even bigger one.

Even though time is of the essence, you still need to respond with care. Never rush into sending out a message without at least giving it plenty of consideration. After all, you only get one chance with that initial reply, and you don’t want the issue to escalate because of a thoughtless comment.

On the odd occasion, the best course of action is to simply not respond at all. For instance, say the negative comments about your business are hosted on a small website. This website, and their comments, might only gain traction due to your rebuttal. If you hold off responding, fewer people will see their adverse observations.

As the saying goes, do not feed the flames.

Display your human side

Regardless of what has happened to cause your brand to become tarnished, remember to always display your human side. Vague, corporate-like responses will struggle to get anyone on your side during the rebuild job.

If you have made a mistake, quickly own up to it. Apologize for the inconvenience caused and pledge to solve the problem. Never just go with a simple ‘we’ll look into it’ type of message. It’s imperative you are empathetic in your approach. Express your deep regret about what has gone down and how committed you are to making everything right.

The more you demonstrate your human side, the easier it will be to rebuild your brand’s reputation.

[theconservativebrief]

A wildfire raging in Northern California has left 63 dead, and upward of 600 missing. And now, because of the smoke, many, many more people in the region are breathing in some of the worst air quality in the world.

You can see in the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitoring map below how widespread the air quality problem is for the state.

Javier Zarracina/Vox

The brown shaded area is where the EPA says the air is truly hazardous. If you live in this area, the EPA recommends that “people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low.” And that “everyone else should avoid all physical activity outdoors.”

The air quality index in Sacramento, California, is currently at 316. That’s hazardous. Breathing in that air for a day is roughly equivalent to smoking 14 cigarettes.

A much greater swath of Northern California has “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy” air, meaning everyone in the air may feel some effects of pollution. This area includes the densely populated San Francisco Bay region.

The air quality is expected to get a little better over the weekend. But the situation can change quickly. If you live in California, you should check back on the EPA’s Air Quality Index page for California, and see what warnings and hazards are being listed by your local branch of the National Weather Service.

According to air quality monitoring network Purple Air, Northern California’s air quality is currently the worst in the world.

Google says searches for smoke masks are at the highest level in company history. pic.twitter.com/DZ4Dd83XHA

— scott budman (@scottbudman) November 15, 2018

The problem with wildfire smoke is that the particles in it are so tiny, they can find their way into the smallest nooks and crannies of your lungs. Particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (one micrometer is a millionth of a meter) factor heavily into the EPA’s assessment of air quality, and are a dangerous pollution component of smoke.

“These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis,” the Environmental Protection Agency warns. “Fine particles also can aggravate chronic heart and lung diseases — and even are linked to premature deaths in people with these conditions.”

People in these areas seeking protection from the smoke should consider N95 respirators or P100 masks. These face masks have filters that can block out most (but not all) of the pollution that’s smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (often called PM 2.5).

EPA

Much of the smoke in Northern California is coming from the Camp Fire, named after Camp Creek Road in Butte County, where the blaze began. The fire is the most destructive and deadly in California’s history. One town of 26,000, called Paradise, almost entirely burned down. Sixty-three are dead, and the Sacramento Bee reports that more bodies are expected to be found.

Also unsettling, 630 people are still missing. The list is compiled from friends and relatives who have not been able to contact people living in the fire-stricken areas. “The level of chaos we were dealing with was extraordinary,” Kory Honea, the sheriff and coroner of Butte County, told the Bee. Many people had to flee their homes with not much time to prepare. Some people fleeing the fire have been displaced from a tent city set up in a Walmart parking lot, “and many of them are unsure of where they will go next,” the Chico Enterprise-Record reports.

Why did this happen? Umair Irfan explained for Vox:

As climate change pushes temperatures up, vegetation like grasses and trees are dying out. This creates ample fuel to burn. Outside of Chico, where the Camp Fire began burning, the flames were then fanned by northern California’s Diablo Winds with gusts topping 70 mph. The fire at one point gained about a football field in area per second.

Though the Camp Fire resulted from a perfect set of extreme fire conditions that all coincidentally came together at the same time, some of those conditions were years in the making.

It’s an example of how forces in the climate that build up over decades can act on the scale of days, even hours, creating a terrifying scenario the likes of which we have never experienced before.

Around 142,00 acres, or 221 square miles total, have burned in the blaze, and it’s only 45 percent contained. (There are also fires burning in Southern California. More on those here.)

Forecasters are hoping that a change in the winds and a chance of rain next week will help contain both the fire and the smoke. Here’s a forecast map for the smoke that will update in real time. But, for now, it’s dangerous out there.

Original Source -> Wildfire smoke has made California’s air quality some of the worst in the world

via The Conservative Brief

[flightofaqrow]

ship tag dump 

for tweaks and additions and bc it makes me happy

“+” denotes platonic dynamic “x” or ship name denotes romantic/sexual dynamic

canon but non-fandom ship names:

earth and sky / event horizon - qrow x Oobleck

right hand witch and left hand familiar - qrow x Glynda

feathered bandits - qrow x Robyn

double down  - qrow x Qrow

oc and polyship names

starry skies - qrow x @hvithale

songbird - qrow x @hopeandharmonizing

pack mentality - qrow x @hopeandharmonizing x @hvithale

calamitous harmony  - qrow x @hopeandharmonizing x @charmedglass

wildfire - qrow x @hopeandharmonizing x Oobleck ( @erudite-rebel )

[flightofaqrow]

tag refresh, ships

(reminder that ‘+’ denotes platonic dynamic)

[hopeandharmonizing]

There are clattering sounds coming from the kitchen, and the sounds of mild bickering as Qrow and Barty dispute crepe flipping techniques. There's a decidedly sweet scent in the air, along with fresh brewed coffee and fried bacon. To their credit, no fire alarms have sounded yet. There's a single post it on Briar's scroll - 'kitchen is off limits!'

Briar’s favorite holiday!!

❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦

Briar knew when they both woke up early that something must be in the works. But she trusts, she loves, she went heckin’ back to sleep because this woman works hard to spread both of those things to those who need it most, and she needs her gosh darn beauty sleep no matter what halfcocked plans those two have cooked up.

When she finally wakes with a stretch and gaping yawn, and sees the note on her scroll, and smells sugary batter and meat and fruit and frying oil in the air, she realizes how literal that thought was. 

And how sweet her beautiful, thoughtful boys are.

She’s usually the one making breakfast, but today they spoil her. Her tail wags, and she hasn’t even seen their faces or feasted upon their work. It will be a delight, so long as they don’t burn the place down in the meantime.

“ILOVEYOUBESAFE!!!” she howls with barely contained excitement down the hallway, already planning a little serenade, erotic mating song and dance for them both in return. She may not have feathers, but she certainly has a collection of shiny things to adorn her body with, and give a good shake.

[newstfionline]

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Virus’s impact (AP) The eruption of COVID-19 last year caused the proportion of people working from home in the U.S. to nearly double. The share of employed people working from home shot up from just 22% in 2019 to 42% in 2020, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was among the striking findings of an annual government survey that documents the far-reaching impact the viral pandemic has had on Americans’ everyday lives since it struck in March of last year. Because of the pandemic and the widespread social distancing it required, people on average spent more time last year sleeping, watching TV, playing games, using a computer and relaxing and thinking—and less time socializing and communicating in person—than in 2019. Adults also spent more hours, on average, caring for children in their household. The survey also lends support to concerns that the pandemic worsened isolation for millions of Americans. With people working from home or attending school online, the time they spent alone increased. Among Americans ages 15 and over, time spent alone each day increased by an average of an hour. For those ages 15 to 19, it rose 1.7 hours per day.

Medical debt (NYT) A new study put the amount of unpaid medical bills held by collection agencies at $140 billion last year, up from $81 billion according to a similar analysis carried out in 2016. The analysis looked at 10 percent of all TransUnion credit reports and found that about 18 percent of Americans have medical debt that has been sent to collections. Over the period from 2009 to 2020, the largest source of debt owed to collection agencies became medical debt. The $140 billion, to be clear, is not an estimate of medical debt; that figure is far higher, as the $140 billion is merely the debt that has been passed along to the vultures.

Crews make progress on huge Oregon blaze (AP) The nation’s largest wildfire raged through southern Oregon on Friday but crews were scaling back some night operations as hard work and weaker winds helped reduce the spread of flames even as wildfires continued to threaten homes in neighboring California. The Bootleg Fire, which has destroyed an area half the size of Rhode Island, was 40% surrounded after burning some 70 homes, mainly cabins, fire officials said. The fire, which was sparked by lightning, had been expanding by up to 4 miles (6 kilometers) a day, pushed by strong winds and critically dry weather.

Thousands of bullets have been fired in this D.C. neighborhood (Washington Post) Markeith Muskelly, a barber who has spent half his 52 years cutting hair in Southeast Washington, has seen people get shot on the street outside the shop where he works. Last fall, he saw a man die there. The shop is tucked into a corner of the Benco Shopping Center, a mainstay in the Marshall Heights neighborhood for six decades. Its plate-glass window has long offered a view of one of the most dangerous streets in the District. In the neighborhood where Muskelly works, gun violence has affected generations, bringing a sad realization that, for some, that the danger may never end. A Washington Post analysis shows that in a recent period of a little more than three years, crime scene technicians found 2,759 bullet casings—byproducts of shootings involving rifles, pistols and shotguns—in about a one-square-mile area that includes Benning Road in Marshall Heights, with Benco between them. Bullets have struck people, pockmarked parked cars, embedded in walls of homes and shattered windows of businesses filled with patrons. Patrol officers carry “quick clot gauze” used by troops in war.

Volunteers hunting for Mexico’s ‘disappeared’ become targets (AP) The mainly female volunteers who fan out across Mexico to hunt for the bodies of murdered relatives are themselves increasingly being killed, putting to the test the government’s promise to help them in their quest for a final shred of justice: a chance to mourn. Those who carry on the effort tell tales of long getting threats and being watched—presumably by the same people who murdered their sons, brothers and husbands. But now threats have given way to bullets in the heads of searchers who have proved far better than the authorities at ferreting out the clandestine burial and burning pits that number in the thousands. Two searchers have been slain the past two months. Fear has always accompanied the searchers. They go to wild, remote, abandoned places where terrible crimes have been committed. But up to now, they mostly shrugged it off.

Cuba’s communist authorities have long feared change. Street protests show the risk of resisting it. (Washington Post) On a farm not far from the town where Cuba’s protests first erupted this month, police investigators last summer carried out a major sting operation. Their target was not a dissident activist, but a dairyman nicknamed El Rey del Queso: The King of Cheese. His offense? Operating a clandestine factory that produced tire-sized hunks of cheese for private sale in Havana. Authorities arrested the King, confiscated hundreds of pounds of yellow queso and produced a news report about the bust on Cuban state television depicting him as a villain. Cuba’s communist authorities have for decades treated private entrepreneurs as a threat to be contained, not encouraged. Long after China and Vietnam embraced market reforms, using material prosperity to buttress authoritarian rule, Cuba has clung to an economic model based on centralized planning and state control. The July 11 protests that shook Cuba’s rulers showed that model might be their biggest vulnerability, as its weak foundation is further eroded by the decades-long U.S. embargo, additional Trump-era sanctions and now the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s economy contracted 11 percent last year, according to government data. Cubans are spending hours in lines to buy basic goods they can barely afford. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by covid patients, and medicine is scarce. Power outages are turning stifling summer heat into an explosive fuse. “Unless the government makes profound changes, I think people will take to the streets again,” said Camilo Condis, a Cuban entrepreneur and business advocate.

Haiti leader’s slaying exposes role of ex-Colombian soldiers (AP) As the coronavirus pandemic squeezed Colombia, the Romero family was in need of money to pay the mortgage. Mauricio Romero Medina’s $790 a month pension as a retired soldier wasn’t going far. Then came a call offering a solution. When Romero answered the phone on June 2, another veteran, Duberney Capador, offered what he said was a legal, long-term job requiring only a passport. But Romero had to make a decision fast. “Talk about it with your family and if you are interested, see you tomorrow in Bogota, because the flight is the day after tomorrow,” Romero’s wife, Giovanna, told The Associated Press, recalling the conversation. A month later, Romero and Capador were dead and 18 Colombians were reportedly in custody, accused of taking part in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. It’s a case that dramatizes Colombia’s role as a recruiting ground for the global security industry—and its murkier, mercenary corners. Colombia’s Defense Ministry says about 10,600 soldiers retire each year, many highly trained warriors forged in a decades-long battle against leftist rebels and drug trafficking cartels. Many—including a number of those involved in Haiti—have been trained by the U.S. military. Those soldiers make up a pool of recruits for companies seeking a wide range of services—as consultants or bodyguards, in teams guarding Middle Eastern oil pipelines or as part of military-like private security in places like the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan. The UAE paid Colombian veterans to join in the battle against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Italy makes health pass mandatory for many leisure activities, in bid to pressure the unvaccinated (Washington Post) Italy on Thursday significantly ramped up pressure on its unvaccinated population, announcing that a digital or printed health pass would be necessary for accessing a range of everyday leisure activities, from theaters to indoor dining. The decision puts Italy in a rare category along with France among Western nations that have been willing to leverage certain freedoms and equalities now that vaccines have become widely available. Italy is essentially betting that it can revive its slowing vaccination campaign—and avoid future, onerous restrictions—by creating heavy incentives for inoculation, in the kind of step that would be politically unthinkable in the United States. Italy is looking for ways to avoid a new round of closures and curfews. For now, every Italian region is “white”—meaning that life proceeds almost as normal, and people can stay out as late as they want. That has made for a joyful Italian summer.

‘Messy’ fight (Washington Post) KUNDUZ, Afghanistan—Around 3 a.m., a small team of elite special forces were halfway through an operation to retake a sliver of territory along the city’s northern edge when a police unit assisting them refused to advance. Hours later, the police fled, ceding the territory back to the Taliban. For weeks, the Afghan military has struggled to hold provincial capitals such as Kunduz after a surge of Taliban attacks that came as U.S. forces withdrew and U.S. air support dropped. Afghan ground forces are increasingly used to fill the void. Their capabilities are uneven, however, resulting in government advances that often rapidly evaporate. Experienced and motivated elite units are leading the battle to retake territory. But the troops called up to secure those gains—army, police and irregular fighters—often have little training and are less inclined to fight. First Lt. Abdullah Ansari, 30, led the elite unit retaking territory house by house in Kunduz earlier this month. He said the debacle on Kunduz’s northern edge made him miss working with U.S. troops. “Now everything is just messy,” he said.

Death rates soar in Southeast Asia as virus wave spreads (AP) Indonesia has converted nearly its entire oxygen production to medical use just to meet the demand from COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe. Overflowing hospitals in Malaysia had to resort to treating patients on the floor. And in Myanmar’s largest city, graveyard workers have been laboring day and night to keep up with the grim demand for new cremations and burials. Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks the three Southeast Asian nations have now all surpassed India’s peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave, fueled by the virulent delta variant, tightens its grip on the region. The deaths have followed record numbers of new cases being reported in countries across the region which have left health care systems struggling to cope and governments scrambling to implement new restrictions to try to slow the spread.

Typhoon to bring heavy rains to Taiwan, China over weekend (AP) A typhoon is forecast to bring heavy rains to Taiwan and coastal China over the weekend, days after the worst flooding on record in a central Chinese province caused at least 51 deaths. Forecasters say Typhoon In-fa is moving toward China and expected to make landfall in Zhejiang province either Sunday afternoon or early Monday morning. Zhejiang’s bureau of emergency management said on its microblog Friday that it is raising its risk warning to the second-highest level and calling on all localities to take preventative measures. Those usually include recalling fishing boats to port and relocating people living in vulnerable coastal communities. Fujian province to the south has issued similar orders. On its current track, the eye of the typhoon is expected to pass north of Taiwan while still bringing considerable rain to the island.