#3888 ways of the dragon

[pookapics]

Sugar, Butter and Flour - A CEO!Steve Rogers x Baker!Reader (Christmas Series) Chapter 4~ Just a walk in the park

Warnings - MOSTLY FLUFFY AND SO SWEET IT’LL ROT YOUR TEETH BUT DOES MENTIONS :- Divorce, Depression, Family breakups and Sadness.

Word Count -   3888

A/N - This series will be completed by the end of January! Sorry for the delay! December was extremely busy due to university deadlines I had due!

Masterlist - https://protectthelesbians.tumblr.com/post/189337379588/are-you-wanting-a-heart-warming-fan-fiction-just

_____________________________________________

*3 DAYS BEFORE THE PARTY*

A sweet warmth was filling the bakery entirely as you were in the midst of preparing for the Avengers Christmas party, trays upon trays of sweet treats were laid around the kitchen. Cinnamon, lemon and peppermint were a small selection of scents which filled the air around you, it was almost overwhelming. Heading out of the kitchen, you opened the windows, letting the cold breeze into the bakery a little, clearing your nose with the smell of the crisp winter air. The bakery was closed today, but that did not mean you had a day off. Preparations needed to be completed by tomorrow so that you could have a day to organise the catering and of course, to prepare yourself for attending the party yourself.

After taking a small breather from the kitchen to clear your head and nose, you decided you needed to head back in to see if your shortbread had finished cooling off, you’d dusted them with a sugar beforehand. But before you could fully enter the kitchen, a knock came to the locked door of the bakery which made you jump a little “U-Uhm who is it?” thinking it may be one of shop-owners from next door. Wiping your hands against your apron quickly before pulling back the curtain that covered the front door, you usually kept it drawn when the bakery was closed. 

Steve

Steve was just standing there on the other side of the door, he was still dressed in his work attire with his suit jacket and tie with a long coat gracing his shoulders which swept down to near his knees, standing out against the colourful setting of the cul-de-sac of shops on the street. With a raised brow, you unlocked the door and ushered him inside “Come in!” Steve breathed out gently as he was hit with a gust of warm air which was emanating from the kitchen, he rubbed his hands together to warm them up. After gently closing the door gently, you turned to look at Steve.

“Hi.” Steve adjusted his tie gently, looking at you with a smile, his cheeks had been reddened by the cold winds which had been hitting his face outside. Hands in your apron pocket, you grinned “Hi Steve! What brings you to my part of the neighbourhood?” wiping your brow which covered in sweat from the heat of the kitchen “If it was a delivery you would have just texted.” Leaning back against the front desk gently “Well I was driving in the area so I was wondering if you’d like to maybe go and get some coffee with me, a little break from the kitchen?” 

You blinked and looked at Steve “You do remember that this is a bakery & coffee shop?” Steve flushed, which you just put that down to him just coming in from the outdoors “Oh. Well! How about just a walk in the park?” Pointing towards the door, your own cheeks flushed now “I guess a small break would be nice, fresh air too.” Steve nodded and smiled “I’ll return you to your work after the walk, I promise.” Grinning as you took your apron off and hung it up on the peg on the kitchen door, grabbing your day-to-day bag on the way over to Steve. Snatching up your coat and colourful patchwork scarf, wrapping yourself up happily, keys in hand “Passes time before I have to put the filling in the Black Forest Gateau.” Exiting the bakery with Steve following behind, taking the time to lock up the bakery securely and making sure the windows were locked as well. Shoving the keys into your bag, the wind gently blew through your hair as you turned to Steve “To the park?” Steve held his arm out for you which you took happily, the two of you walking down a few blocks, rushing across some crosswalks to reach the park. 

The trees were dusted with snow, it looked as light as powdered sugar being dusted on a beignet or some other sweet treat, the pathway had mostly been cleared by park staff but that didn’t stop you from stepping on some crunchy patches of snow on the path, making Steve laugh but at the same time roll his eyes. 

The two of you walked together through the park which had people littered in all areas, some kids making snowmen and others building dens out of the large heaps of snow which had fallen in the park. Letting out a happy sigh, your breath looked like a dragon’s breath, making you smile “Hey look Steve, I’m a dragon.” doing it again and looking at Steve this time, making him laugh and in response, Steve breathed out heavily through his nose, his breath immediately imitating a dragon’s breath “Okay you win!” A burst of laughter breaking out between the two of you as you continued walking through this part of the park side by side. 

When you took a moment to glance away at some other people walking through the park, you felt Steve shudder which made you snap your head around to look at him “Are you cold?” asking him as you looked him over. 

His coat had only one decorative button which held it closed but clearly this jacket was not designed to keep the wearer warm, more or less to make them look fashionable. A design feature that did not work well with the current climate of the city. Steve’s neck was exposed to the elements and would definitely be sending a chill down his back “No I’m not cold, I promise.” Steve tried to retort but you were not going to let him get sick in your company “Steve, your neck is completely exposed to the cold! Let me give you my scarf!” Unwrapping your scarf from around your neck and zipping up your green winter coat to the top to keep your neck covered as you held your scarf in hand. Steve held his hands up in defense “Hey Hey! No! Now you’ll get cold. You don’t need to give me your scarf (YN).” He insisted but you were not giving in. With a hand around his tie, you gently pulled him down so he was hunched down, making it easier for you to coil the scarf around his neck at this height “I’m not letting you get a cold on my watch, Mister Grinch.” 

Your hands worked quickly to coil your scarf around his neck, his breath on your face as he watched you. Adjusting the scarf for a second, you pulled back to look at him “There.” Smoothing out his tie for him “Much better. Nobody wants the boss ill before the Christmas party now do they?” Smiling at Steve who’s just smiled “I guess you’re right.” Your arm interlocked with Steve’s once again “Come on” ushering him to keep walking on through the path.

Soon enough a scent began to waft through the air which immediately made you perk up excitedly.

“There’s a mulled wine stall!” You spotted it in the distance, a small stall resembling an ice cream or hot-dog stand was positioned further ahead in the path “Mulled wine?” Steve’s brows furrowed in confusion at the words which made you gasp “You haven’t tried mulled wine?! Then I have to get us some!” Breaking the hold of your interlocked arms to scuttle up the path towards the stand. Chuckling, Steve watched from afar as you chatted with the gentleman running the stall, smiling to himself as you chatted so freely. You ushered Steve over with a wave of your hand “Grab yours, Steve! I’ll snatch us a table so we can sit and enjoy these!” Saying thank you to the owner as you held your decorative cup of mulled wine in hand, searching for a bench which wasn’t completely iced over, making Steve smile fondly.

“You’re a lucky man, your girlfriend is such a kind soul. I saw the two of you walking up the path and I haven’t seen two people so happy to be in each other's company in such a long time.” The older gentleman served up Steve’s cup of mulled wine to him and held it out for Steve to take from him. 

The words made Steve go pink, this time not from the cold weather 

“U-Uhm she’s not my g-” He stuttered out before turning his head to see you sat on a bench waiting for him, a smile on your face which made him feel seventeen again. He turned back to the owner, taking the warm mulled wine in hand.

 “Yeah. I’m the luckiest man alive.” 

Steve sighed and smiled, speaking the honest truth in that moment before thanking the owner for the drink and taking his time walking over to where you were sat. With one hand holding the mulled wine, you pat the space beside you “Saved you a spot, Mr Grinch.” making Steve chuckle “Why thank you, Mrs Claus.” which made you giggle in response. Steve glanced down at you before speaking up “(YN), can I ask you something?” you finished taking a sip of your mulled wine to look at him “Yes of course, ask away!” You placed your mulled wine on the seat, putting it beside you as your focus was singled in on Steve and this question which he seemed to be pondering.

“Why do you love Christmas so much? You just breathe out all this jolly-ness and I just don’t know how you do it.” Steve’s baby blues watching you intently, this seemed to be a question which Steve had, had on his mind for some time, “The music, the decorations, the mulled wine.” He motioned towards the cup in his hand and then turned to you again “How are you so jolly?” 

This question stumped you for a second and made you quiet as you thought back on how you viewed the holidays, unlike other people. Steve, immediately concerned he’d overstepped, broke the quiet “You don’t have to explain, I understand if its personal.” You held your hand up before he finished “It is personal but… I trust you. You seem like someone I can talk to about it.” you fiddled with the zipper on your coat out of nerves, breathing out “I never had ‘good’ Christmas experiences as a kid. My parents were at odds most of my younger years, tension was always lingering, especially during the holidays.” Looking down at your feet as you kicked a rock which was on the ground, thinking back to those Christmases you had growing up. 

“My mom was tired and stressed and my dad was severely depressed, they were divorced by the time I was 6.” Feeling Steve’s eyes on you as you revealed this personal side to you, this sadder side to you which you mostly never let anyone see “I would see my dad cry, he loved my mom but they just weren’t good for each other.” 

Memories flashed of being only young when you heard your dad cry, sobbing in his bed which he had shared with you at your grandmother’s place, not enough rooms or space for the two of you to have separate rooms. It was the night before Christmas eve and there you were comforting your father, a man who needed help, who needed someone to pull him out of the darkness during this time. That was the hardest Christmas for the family which was once 3 and now 2, but during that time, you put on a smile for your dad, none the wiser to the deeper feelings he was experiencing, but doing anything you could to make him smile. 

At 9’o o'clock that night, you helped your dad find a smile, though the pain wasn’t gone, he could be strong for you. Strong for the little girl who needed him in this moment of time.

“My dad, after battling his demons, decided to go to receive help for his depression, he always told me that I was so important to his journey to healing. That I pushed him to find peace again, to find a place where he could experience the happy times with me.” Eyes becoming glassy at the thought. With your head turned towards Steve, eyes watering as you reflected on the past, you started trying to wipe your eyes with the side of your hand slightly “When my dad started to get better, he promised to make Christmas the best time of year. To make-up for the years before.”

“Has he? Made up for years gone?” Steve asked, eyes trained on you and full of concern as he listened. You nodded and smiled faintly “My dad and I have such a strong bond now. Closer than ever.” Heart beating fast as emotions ran high, you tried to continue your words “I learned to appreciate Christmas because even though it originally caused such pain for my dad and I, it now brought us closer together... I love Christmas because it helped a little girl and her dad feel like a family again.” A tear gently trickling down your cheek which you tried to wipe away, Steve quickly wiped it away gently with his own hand as you broke out into a soft smile “So in turn, I try to spread Christmas cheer because I know that someone may be feeling how my dad was feeling, how I was feeling and I would do anything to make sure someone didn’t feel alone during the holidays.” Steve reached to hold your hand which had begun to shake as you spoke.

“So whether it’s my cakes or even a small conversation, I just want to make people smile.”

The air was quiet for a moment, Steve holding your hand and squeezing it gently for a moment before he began to smile at you “Oh (YN). You do. You make so many people happy. Sarah, Sam, Bucky and me. You make the Grinch smile.” He tried to lighten the brevity of it all, it helped and made you smile. It felt as if your silent mission was being recognised and appreciated. You helped people smile, even though it was the smallest thing to other people, spreading a little joy around was still important. 

You giggled faintly and sighed  “Thank you Steve, for listening to all that, I’ve never really talked to someone about it all.” Steve nodded and picked up his mulled wine “Now. Let's enjoy the rest of this moment. Living in the now.” which you nodded to, picking up your own cup of mulled wine, which was still warm to the touch. 

“Cheers.” The two of you clinked glasses and took a sip, Steve took a small sip to test the waters. You watched, hoping he liked it as it was his first ever mulled wine. Steve brightened up “This is so nice, it just warms you up from the inside out.” He took another sip, his happiness making you feel light inside. The pair of you just sat on that bench for a little longer, finishing off your cups of mulled wine contently in the serenely quiet path which you were on, the bench overlooking the large expanse of trees which littered the park. With your cups no longer being filled with mulled wine, you put the empty cup into your bag, keeping it for the memory of today. 

You wanted to remember this day when you saw the decorative cup of mulled wine on a shelf.

Steve glanced towards you as he too finished off his own cup “Shall we head back to the bakery?” He asked, you agreed and rose to your feet. The wind was much colder now and the sky turning slowly more grey above the two of you. Steve held his arm out to you once more, which you took, starting to make your way back through the park towards the bakery. The park was becoming more and more deserted as the weather grew colder, people exiting the park. Suddenly, as if coming out of nowhere, a patch of ice on the ground was exposed and your feet immediately went sliding as you stepped on it. Your body couldn’t recenter and with your grasp on Steve’s arm, the world began to spin and twirl before gravity pulled you downwards, no longer on the cleared pathway, closing your eyes as you braced for impact.

Letting out a squeak as the world stopped spinning, you kept your eyes clenched shut but blinked as you felt hot air close to your face and something brushing against your nose. Peeking one eye open slowly, you squeaked again. 

Steve was atop you, one arm trapped under you as if trying to cradle you close, probably from when the two of you took a tumble down. The other hand was close to your face, implanted into the snow. His nose brushed against yours, your mouth was suddenly very dry as you stuttered, staring into his eyes which resembled the clearest blue waters you’d only seen in photographs. Steve seemed to not have any words but neither did you, eyes locked in a trance for a moment before you let out a tiny

 “Whoops...” 

Steve and you broke into hysterics, laughing as your noses were brushed against another's, laughing at the situation you’d dragged Steve into. With a smile on his face, he helped you sit up from the ground, removing his hand from the snow, the two of you realising how far you’d tumbled. People were looking from the path concerned that the two of you were hurt, but looked away when they noticed you two were laughing hysterically. You looked over to Steve, his suit was awry, his tie was halfway off his neck and his jacket was covered in snow, the scarf you’d let him borrow had fallen off during the fall. Steve’s normally swept back and styled hair was covered and caked in snow and so was his beard, meaning he’d gotten a face full of snow on the way down, he reminded you of a jack frost-like character with the hair so full of snow and ice. 

You knew by how your body felt cold and somewhat wet, that you too were covered in snow and that your clothes would be soaked through soon enough. You reached a hand up to swipe the snow out of Steve’s hair, he looked at you confused for a moment “Forget the Grinch, you look more like Jack Frost now.” Steve now understood and sniggered “Well you’re no better, Mrs Claus.” He brushed back a snow-covered strand of your hair away from your face. Glancing up at the sky, you saw more snow was starting to fall “We better get back to the bakery, we’re going to be soaked with all this snow.” Pointing to yourself and Steve’s clothes as snowflakes landed on your nose, Steve quickly rose to his feet and held his hand out to you, grabbing the scarf which had fallen off during the tumble, it now covered in snow. 

As soon as the two of you were up, the snow began to fall heavier. Yeah you needed to get back to the bakery as soon as possible. Steve and you tried to make it up the hill and back to the path you’d been walking on fast, trudging through snow which was leaking into your boots slowly but surely but Steve’s business shoes were probably not faring any better at this moment in time. Reaching the path, you and Steve rushed along and tried to get to the exit as the snow cascaded downwards, your footprints that you left were being covered up seconds after you’d laid them down, the snow piling on thick. The city was shrouded in snow as you made your way across crosswalks with Steve following close behind.

The bakery was within sight, though the snow was growing even more blustery and was pushing you around. But Steve’s arm came to wrap around you and helped you through the blustering wind. Cars were completely covered in snow and the wind kept piling more and more on, completely covered in white. With Steve’s arm around you, the two of you pushed on through the wind till you reached the bakery, your cold hands shakily handling the keys and trying to push the door open. The door had become so cold that the metal of the hinges and door handle were starting to freeze, Steve reached over and with joint effort, the pair of you pushed the door ajar. Stumbling into the still-warm bakery, the warmth hitting the two of you in the most comforting way. Steve closed the door, trying to keep all the warmth inside the shop, rubbing his hands together to try and warm them up “This is the worst winter I’ve seen in a while.” Steve admitted, he’d seen the city during many of its worst winters in his childhood, but this was something else. Sighing, you ran your hands through your hair “At least we still have electricity and gas.” the lights of the bakery were still beaming and the heating still going, this was a good sign. Steve glanced out to the street, his car completely covered by the snow outside, it was thick snow and would take forever to break off right now. You decided to put on the radio, checking the road news, concerned about Steve and how he’d get home to Sarah.

“All Weather sources recommend that if you are still in your homes, to stay there till morning and not to venture out onto the roads. The streets are a hazard due to the heavy snowfall and on-coming storm. Stay in your homes and stay warm, folks.”

The woman on the radio spoke, the radio signal was slightly fuzzy but the two of you got the message loud and clear. Everyone was being told to stay inside and that no one was going anywhere. 

That left Steve Rogers stuck with you for the night, practically snowed in with you till morning came and the storm moved onwards. The two of you turned to look at each other as the radio went silent, you gulped and broke the silence. 

“I guess you’re staying here tonight by the looks of it.” 

Steve looked at you and gave you nod  “I suppose I am, aren’t I?” he peeled his snow-covered jacket off of him and placed it on one of the tables and before turning to look at you “What shall we do to pass the time?” arms crossed gently across his chest and immediately when he said that, he could almost see on your face that you knew exactly what the pair of you could do to pass the time.

“I guess this is the perfect opportunity to prove that I’m right.” Making Steve Rogers ponder for a moment what you’d meant, he paused and rose a brow “Prove yourself right about what?” making you grin like the Cheshire cat as you walked over to him, determination on your face.

“Well. You see…”

You were now face to face with Steve, a smirk on your face

“Tonight. I’m going to prove that you, Steve Rogers can bake.”

____________________________________________

END OF CHAPTER 4 

TAGLIST! - @chuckennuggets1213​ @imsonick​ @nervousstrangersandwich​ @justthatfangirloverthere​ @sheadre​ @125bluemachine125​ @giggleberts​ @kind-sober-fullydressed​ @fluffyirwinie​ @kaithezaftig​ @ilovesupersoldiers​ @royale-skeleton-key​ @mcuwillbethedeathofme​ @https://coldmuffinbanditshoe.tumblr.com/ @amberkay284​ @willowtree42095​ 

[ao3feed-dramione]

Capture the Stars

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3gxNeVR

by honeysweetcutie

[Sequel] Harry is dead. Voldemort is king. Sent to the Dark Lord's palace to receive his judgment, Draco and Hermione must find a way to navigate his web of shadows. Without Draco's dragon, Tom Riddle cannot be defeated. The tools they need are as scattered as the stars, but Hermione refuses to give up until she's captured them all. Part Two.

Part Two of the Scattered Starlight series.

Words: 3888, Chapters: 1/25, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Scattered Starlight

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/M

Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Astoria Greengrass, Theodore Nott

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass/Theodore Nott

Additional Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Dragons, dub-con, non-con, Master/Slave dynamics, potion making, Protective Draco Malfoy, Possessive Tom Riddle, Strong Hermione Granger, Crucio torture, HEA, draco and hermione do NOT die, Smut, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Lithuanian mythology, Magical Artifacts, seelie court fae, Vampires, Werewolves, Faeries - Freeform

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3gxNeVR

[sofiaashkana-blog]

Play Online Slots from Best Providers at EMPIRE777

EMPIRE777 Casino Online Slots

Empire777 online casino is one of the most diverse online slot games Malaysia. While many other online casinos use a single game provider software, Empire777 uses a whole lot more. All of our game providers are top-rated, they have an excellent reputation and history on the industry, all of their games are regularly updated and maintained. They are also licensed and verified by 3rd party agents and agencies.

From over 10 game providers, Empire777 online casino Malaysia offers 1000 games divided into different rooms. Many of these games are progressive jackpot, offering the player the best gaming platform. To play the games you won’t have to download any apps or software, just a browser will do just fine. To top it all, they offer 24/7 customer support.

Let’s have a look at the Game Providers and some of the most fascinating Online Slots each of them offer for EMPIRE777.

Play’n GO

Founded all the way back in 1997, Play’n Go has emerged to be one of the top players in the software game providers industry. The Company started its humble Journey in Sweden, and now has businesses in 38 countries. They have published over 200 games, and have won several awards like Mobile Supplier of the Year, Best Casino Supplier of the year, etc.

Big Win Cat

A cat-themed 3- reel slot machine. It has got 5 pay lines, and they are fixed; you can’t bet on them separately. The icons include precious pigs, flowery fans, gleeful goldfish, and more. You can earn as much as 4000 coins per round, and it has got multipliers! The RTP of this online slot machine is at 96%.

Reactoonz

If you want to bet on the aliens, this is your game. This slot machine, though, does have only 1 pay line, but have max win exposure of whopping 91406 coins. The game is highly animated and is of 7×7 grids. The return is above the industry standard at 96%.

Pragmatic Play

Pragmatic Play is an even newer company, yet one of the fastest-growing ones. Founded in 2015, they are based on the wonderful island, the Republic of Malta. In such a short period, they have already published more than 240 games. Pragmatic Play had thus rightfully won the Software Rising Star Award in 2017.

Wolf Gold

Wolf Gold is a 25-pay line slot and has an RTP of 96%. You can set the coin size between 0.01 and 0.5 while the number of pay lines is fixed. You can win 5 free spins, and the slot has got multipliers and wild symbols.

Master Chen Fortune

An Asian themed slot machine, with a rich red background and oriental music. Master Chen Fortune has 5-reels and 9 pay lines. You can set the bet between 0.09 and 45 coins per spin. It has got a good turnover of 96.48% and can gift up to 555.5 times of your bet.

Gameplay

Gameplay Interactive specializes in 3D gaming. The Company has built 3D video poker alongside numerous 3D slots, all with surprising depth. Besides online slots, they also have Live Dealers Casino, Lottery, Sportsbetting, multiplayer Texas Mahjong, etc.

Fu Lu Shou

Fu Lu Shou means luck, prosperity, and longevity. It is an ancient Asian themed online slot with 5-reels and 20 pay lines. Bet per line starts from 0.1 to max 150 coins. This machine does not have any multipliers or bonus rounds.

Gem Forest

Packed with all the over top features like free re-spins, bonus rounds, wild cards, multipliers, Gem Forest has 27-ways to win. It is a Vegas-style slot and has got 3 reels. The slot supports coin size of a maximum of 300 credits and a total maximum bet of 3000 credits. You can expect regular payouts as it has an RTP of 96.27%.

QUICKSPIN

QUICKSPIN prides itself as an innovative leader in the online slots industry. They are based in Sweden, founded in 2012. All of their games feature different, new thematic designs. For their constant strive for innovation and development, Quickspin won Innovation in RNG Casino Software Title award in 2016.

Big Bad Wolf

This online slot is based on the prominent fable, Three Little Pigs, and is one of the best-looking slots out there. The graphics and the surrounding environment is quite impressive. The 5 reels slot has 25 pay lines, and you can win up to $5,000. There are wild symbols, but no multipliers. You can also expect a lot of free spins.

Sakura Fortune

A Princess themed video slot. It has got 5-reel and 40-pay lines. The payout is around 96.58%, and you can expect a maximum of $800 cash jackpot. There are no multipliers, but you can expect to win free spins.

Genesis Gaming

Based in Nevada, United States Genesis Gaming has made its name with the Casino Management Software. Their BRAVO Poker Application is being used by many casinos. They operate in 32 countries and have a 2nd office in the United Kingdom.

Orion

Orion refers to the constellation and Greek Gods. This video slot merged the two and made an interesting theme. Orion is a 5-reel slot with up to 50 pay lines. You can set the bet at 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10 or 0.20 coin. The slot supports scatter, and thus you can expect payout at any position.

Savanna King XL

This one is the improved version of the Savanna King. The slot has 5 reels and 1024 pay lines or ways for you to win. You might win up to $10,000 jackpot with its multipliers, wild cards. The betting range is $1.25 to $500, and 1.25-12.5 coin size. You can set up to 40 coins per line in this Savanna King XL slot. It supports scatter-symbol, and gifts you with free spins.

Red Tiger

Red Tiger is an exciting name in the Online Casino Industry. They started their journey back in 2014 and has already become famous for its excellent user experience. Since 2017 the Company has managed to win awards each year. They have won the EGR award for innovation in slots provision in 2017, 2 awards in 2018. One, for the much-coveted “Rocket Man,” and in 2019, they earned Best Innovation in Mobile Gaming Software.

Dragon’s Luck Power Reels

A huge video slot with the chance to win up to 3888 times on a single spin. The slot has got 5 reels, 30 pay lines, and has a payout of 96.1%. You can win up to $3,888 in cash jackpot. Sadly though, the slot doesn’t offer any extra features like free spins, wild or scatter symbols.

Flaming Fox

The theme is quite modern and futuristic, with a pleasant outlook around the slot. For the slot, it has got 5-reels and 10 pay lines. Here, you can set the bet as low at just $0.20 and stand to win 3,333 times of the bet. The payout of the slot is at 95.06%

iSoftBet

iSoftBet took a different, unique approach to make its game exciting and popular. Their slots mostly have the theme of a popular TV Show or Film, and all of their slots have 5 reels. Their journey started back in 2010. Till now, they have over 200 slots to their name and have expanded its operation to 38 countries.

Cloud Tales

Cloud Tales offers a unique theme that you don’t see every day, kid-friendly characters. The slot is beautiful and colorful. There are 5-reels and 9 pay lines. You can bet between $0.45 to $9.00 and win up to 4000 coins. It has got multipliers and wild symbols also give out bonus games.

Shaolin Spin

Bruce Lee popularized the whole Shaolin culture to the entire world. As a matter of fact, Shaolin Spin has been built using different Asian symbols and Bruce Lee himself. The online video slot with 5-reels has 243 ways to win, and more, you will get frequent free spins to try out your luck more on the slot.

Among the thousands of games Empire777 offers, we have reviewed the select few. Most of these reputed games with rich backgrounds and eye-catching themes, also offer a free version for you to try out. As it is obvious, you won’t earn any real money from the free versions. If you want to try out your chances, play the slots in one of the casinos like the Empire777.

[shadowynnn]

among the dragons | part one |

a song of ice and fire / game of thrones 

synopsis: When you left for the Harrenhal tourney, the last thing you expected was for Rhaegar Targaryan to ask you for your hand in marriage. With a betrothment to the prince, you have no choice but to leave the safety of the North and become a vital piece in the war to overthrow the Mad King once and for all. (eventual au) 

part one synopsis: With an invitation to the Harrenhal tourney, the Starks discuss plans of going south while Rhaegar Targaryan furthers his plan to overthrow his father from the iron throne.

pairing: rhaegar targaryan x Stark! reader

words: 3888

a/n: name and hair color will be written in with this series, but it’s not too terribly important, so feel free to change if you want :)

“Stop. Going. Easy. On. Me.”

You peered up from the book you had been reading at the sound of your sister and eldest brother in the middle of a mock fight, wooden swords cracking with each deafening blow. A small smile crossed your lips as you observed the large scowl currently covering your sister’s face. Your grin only continued to grow as you faintly heard the obscenities which fell from your sister’s lips and the chuckles those words caused your brother to emit in return.

“What’s that, Lyanna?” Brandon Stark taunted. “I can’t seem to hear you.”

“I...said...you’re...a...bastard!” Lyanna managed to bite out between breaths with an icy glare to match her growing annoyance.

While these words simply fueled Brandon’s amusement, Lyanna was able to take advantage of his slightly distracted state and swung her wooden sword with a newfound ferocity. Catching him off guard, she managed to clip Brandon on his side causing him to stumble back ever so slightly, not at the force of the hit, but rather at the shock of her managing to blow a reasonable strike against him. If Lyanna was as surprised as he was, she didn’t show it and instead attempted to take advantage of his falter. To her dismay, Brandon was quick to regain his balance and deflected her next strike just in time.

You couldn’t help but laugh at your sister’s frustration though you were quick to smother it with one of your hands. Lyanna might have paled in comparison to their older brother but Lyanna almost always beat you when the two sparred and you didn’t quite feel like adding any more bruises to the ones she had given you a few days ago because she had caught you laughing.

“They’re still at it?”

You turned away from the fight as one of your other brothers, Eddard, sat down on the stone bench beside you. You smiled warmly at him before nodding your head and sending your dark curls bouncing. Ned was nearing the end of his fostering at the Eyrie under Jon Aryn and had returned to Winterfell for a short visit much to your excitement.

“I feel as though the two will be the death of each other,” you sighed settling your chin to rest in your hand, though a small smile remained on your face as you turned your attention back to the fight. Brandon and Lyanna were too alike to get along and were consistent with their taunting of one another.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing that they will both be marrying before they have time to kill each other.” 

Ned had meant his words in a playful manner but quickly realized his mistake when he saw your stature deflate and your smile leave. While Brandon’s engagement to the eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully had been arranged weeks ago, it was Lyanna’s recent betrothal which upset you most as it signified it was finally time for the two to part ways. Even if the two of you were different in many ways, there was no denying the strong bond you shared with your sister. You had shared your mother’s womb, after all, and had hardly ever been separated in your sixteen years.

“What’s he like? Robert, I mean.” Your voice was soft as you questioned Ned on his close friend and Lyanna’s betrothed. 

The announcement of Robert and Lyanna’s engagement had been made just a few short days ago and you could still clearly recall when Lyanna had come weeping to you about it. It had broken your heart to see your twin so torn up over her impending marriage to a man she had yet to meet and had offered al the emotional support you could muster that night and had let Lyanna voice all that weighed heavy on her heart as they shared in her sorrow.

But as torn up about Lyanna’s engagement as you were, you didn’t know what caused you more grief: seeing your sister so discouraged over her future or knowing your own betrothal was already in planning. You knew you only had a few more weeks, at most, until your own fate would be decided and you would begin preparations to leave the halls of Winterfell and join another in matrimony. The only reason it was Lyanna who had been matched with the Baratheon and not you was because Lyanna had been born just a few short minutes before. While this was a fact Lyanna had often liked to boast and you often grew frustrated in, you had never been so thankful to be the younger twin.

“Robert...oh, Robert.” Ned shook his head as he thought back on the boy who was a ward of Jon Arryn with him back at the Eyrie. “He’s a brilliant fighter and...how should I put it...quite charismatic, I suppose, but I’m certain our father made a wise decision when he accepted the Baratheon’s request for her hand in marriage.”

“I heard he’s already sired a bastard up at the Vale.” Your jaw was set and you refused to meet your brother’s shocked expression at your brazen statement to his description of the man.

“And where, pray, may I ask you heard that?”

You snorted. “Does that mean it’s true then?”

While her father’s household was careful to gossip around the Starks and the other highborn in Winterfell, it didn’t stop you from hearing the scarce rumors running around shortly after Lyanna’s betrothment. Unfortunately, this also meant Lyanna had heard of Robert Baratheon’s fondness of ale and women.

Ned sighed at your bitter tone. “I won’t deny that Robert has his...faults, but I stand by Father’s decision. I think the two might just meld well together.”

Your features softened at Ned’s words. Out of all the Stark children, Ned was the most like your father with his thoughtful and patient nature and you had come to respect his advice and opinions more highly than those of others. You didn’t like what you had heard about the sort of man Robert was, but if your father and Ned both approved of the betrothment then you knew it couldn’t be as awful of an arrangement as you had believed it to be.

“Does that mean we can safely assume Lya won’t be the death of him, then?” you asked, a twinge of a smile appearing on your face as you turned your gaze back towards your twin who was still hacking away at Brandon. Lyanna had never been one to take orders from those she deemed didn’t deserve it, a list which included most of her brothers right at the top. You could only imagine Lyanna’s future husband would surpass all three of them in no time at all and you prayed your sister would come to no harm because of her stubbornness.

It was at this moment Brandon finally managed to knock Lyanna off her feet with a graceful sweep of his blade, and she landed harshly on her back while her own sword dropped from her hand and came to rest a few inches from her reach. Before she could even think about reaching for her fallen weapon, the tip of Brandon’s wooden sword came to rest against her neck.

“Yield,” Brandon commanded, ripping off his helmet from his head and dropping it to the ground beside him. His chest heaved at his lack of breath and he was dripping with sweat, but you could still see his haughty smirk from where you were watching.

Lyanna refused to speak at first, her own grey eyes glaring daggers at Brandon as she found herself beaten once more.

“Fine, I yield.” She spit the words out as if they were poison when the tip of Brandon’s sword was pressed ever-so-slightly harder against her neck.

Taking Lyanna’s words for agreement, he removed the blade from her neck before extending a hand to help her back on her feet. But to everyone’s surprise, except for you who saw your twin’s cunning move from the moment she had ‘yielded’, Lyanna took Brandon’s hand and pulled him on the ground beside her causing the two to begin wrestling it out on the ground both wildly reaching for their weapons as Brandon began spouting off obscenities at Lyanna’s ‘cheating’ move.

“I guess we’ll still have to wait and see about that.” Ned shook his head as he watched the two struggling on the dirt in front of them.

You couldn’t help but let out another soft giggle at Ned’s words which you quickly attempted to smother with your hand once more. Perhaps you had better start praying for Robert’s wellbeing instead of your sister’s. The gods knew he needed it if he would have to put up with Lyanna’s streak of wildness.

“Did you hear the news? We’re going South!” 

Your giggling was cut short when your youngest brother, Benjen Stark, came running out of a door of one of the halls towards them, a wild smile on his face as he approached his siblings breathlessly. You assumed he had run all the way to where you were gathered in his excitement to share his news, but while he seemed overjoyed by the news he had brought, his other siblings were not quick to share in his feelings.

A stab of unease fell in your stomach as you cast a wary glance towards the brother beside you. The northern lands of the Starks spread across almost half of Westeros and you had only ever left them once in your life, though you had been too young to clearly remember it. At an earlier point in time, you would have shared in your brother’s excitement in venturing south, but that age had since past. Turmoil was growing steadily in the South and news of the king’s growing madness had traveled even to the coldest corners of the North. And while your father’s men were careful to talk ill of the king who lived leagues away in King’s Landing, even you had heard of how many in Westeros had begun to call him “The Mad King”. 

You felt Ned reach for your hand in an attempt to still your unease, but you hardly paid him any mind as your focus stayed on Benjen’s lean figure, eager to hear what they might be going south for.

“What?” Brandon was the first to speak. At the mention of going south, he and Lyanna had ceased their fighting and were sitting up side by side on the dusty ground. Wiping a sweaty piece of hair out of his eyes, Brandon cocked an eyebrow at his younger brother. “What would we go south for?”

“A tournament, of course!” Benjen replied as though the answer was obvious. Oblivious to his siblings’ apprehension, the youngest Stark rocked on the balls of his feet as he spoke. “Lord Whent of Harrenhal is holding one for his daughter’s name day and we’re all expected to attend.” Benjen’s words came out in a rush as his excitement grew. “The whole royal family will be attending as well, which means the Kingsguard will be-”

“A tourney for Lord Whent’s daughter?” Brandon cut off Benjen’s wild rambling and began to gnaw at his bottom lip in deep thought. “What’s she done to garner our attendance?”

You shared your brother’s confusion. The last significant tournament to be held was in Lannisport by the King’s Hand to celebrate the birth of the king’s second son, Prince Viserys, but only your father, Brandon, and a few of his men had ridden to the tourney. Lyanna and yourself had both begged your father to let you attend as well, but he had claimed them too young much to their disappointment. Four years had passed since then and you still very much desired to attend one of the tourneys you had heard so much about. You longed to see the famed men of Westeros ride against each other on their gallant mounts and shared her younger brother’s interest in seeing the mighty knights of the Kingsguard, particularly Ser Arthur Dayne who had managed to defeat Prince Rhaegar in the last tourney to be crowned champion.

“Perhaps its to do with the prize money. Father said the rewards are three times the amount offered by the Lannisters.” Benjen shrugged his shoulders, clearly uninterested about their wanted attendance. “All the great houses are expected to be in attendance though! Can you believe it? We’ll get to see-”

“I take it Benjen has already broken the news, then?”

It was their father who interrupted Benjen this time, approaching from the same direction his youngest son had appeared from moments earlier. A smile was set upon his face, but it was a grave one. He seemed to have taken their summons in a similar manner as you and the rest of your siblings had.

“Does Benjen speak the truth, Father? Are we to ride for Harrenhal?” Brandon asked as he stood up from the ground before extending a hand to help Lyanna. She took her brother’s hand honestly this time and began to brush off the dust still clinging to her riding leathers as she stared curiously at her father.

“The matter is still being discussed; there must always be a Stark in Winterfell, but I do believe it is high past time my children attend their first tournament, perhaps even ride.” His deep grey eyes glanced at his eldest son.

Your brow scrunched up as you began to mull over your father’s words. How would a Stark remain if he wished for all his children to attend? Did this mean he would not be attending himself? Or would one of them be expected to remain? You didn’t think highly of either option. If you were to ride south to Harrenhal where the royal family would be in attendance, you did not wish to have neither your father or all your siblings at your side.

“Let us not further ponder these matters here as it is not the right place for them,” Lord Rickard spoke before you could question what he meant. “Brandon, Eddard, come with me and we may discuss them further with the other men in a more private setting.” Both of your brothers nodded their heads in compliance while Benjen’s brow furrowed in annoyance at being left out. 

“Lyanna, Lyella, I believe I heard Septa Mordane was searching for the two of you sometime earlier, something about not arriving for needlework?” 

While his words were meant to sound chastising, you didn’t miss the amused smile working its way onto his face as he spoke. This, however, didn’t stop your face from scrunching up in distaste or the annoyed groan to come from Lyanna. If there was one thing you shared with your sister, it was your hatred for needlework. 

“Go on,” Lord Rickard continued when he saw neither of his daughters made a move to find the Septa and begin their lessons, “it won’t do to keep her waiting any longer.”

Knowing it would be better to oblige to your father’s wishes while he was in a good mood, you closed your book and stood up to wipe the dirt clinging to your own riding leathers. You didn’t bother dusting them off too much, the Septa was already bound to scold both you and Lyanna for wearing them. She would be too upset about the leathers to notice any dust or dirt clinging on them.

“This isn’t fair,” Lyanna huffed when they were far enough away from the others to not be overheard. “Brandon and Ned get to go with Father and discuss the upcoming tourney and we’re stuck doing needlework.”

“Do you think we’ll get to attend?” you asked in return. You were just as frustrated with the matter as your twin was, but your mind was too focused on the impending journey to complain.

While the news had come as a frightful shock at first, the more you began to ponder over it, the greater your desire to attend. This would finally be your chance to see all the important men and woman you had learned about throughout the past years in your lessons with the Maester. And while you were terrified at the thought of being near the king, a part of you was excited at catching a glimpse of him to see if he looked as mad as everyone claimed he was.

“Well if Father states we’re too young to go again, I’ll simply tell him I’m too young to get married. The gods know one’s wedding night is more scaring than a tourney could ever be.” 

“Lya!” You scolded at your sister’s risque statement, but your chiding was betrayed when a giggle escaped your throat and was quickly followed by more. You may have believed her statement a bit too bold, but you wouldn’t deny that what your sister had said was true.

“There you two are!” 

Their giggling fell to a quick stop when you heard the voice of the new Septa calling out from behind them. Turning around, you found the broad woman quickly approaching them, one hand clutching her scarves as they billowed behind her and the other hitching up her skirts. Her lips were set into a scowl and her face flushed red, from exhaustion or anger, you couldn’t tell, but your twisting gut told you it was the latter.

Septa Mordane had entered the Stark’s household a few months ago after the death of their former Septa, much to both of the twin’s distaste. While you had been able to get away with skipping lessons for swordplay or archery and wear their riding leathers to your hearts’ content with the former Septa, the new one was not quite so lenient. She was hardly five years older than them, but you would never have been able to guess it with the way she reprimanded you daily about your lack of proper ladylike behavior. 

“Where have you been? Lessons began an hour ago, ladies!” She began to scold as she stood breathless before the two of you. “And what have I said about the pants? It’s not proper for a lady to parading around in them for any man to see!” Taking a hand from each of you, she began to pull them along behind her as she continued to scold the two for their behavior. “I thought it was an honor when they assigned me to Winterfell, only now I see it was because no one else wanted to deal with two wildlings in disguise of Lord Stark’s daughters!”

You exchanged an exhausted look with your sister behind the Septa’s back as she continued her ranting. If she kept this up, which you were certain she would, you were in for a long next few hours. And while you found comfort knowing you would have your sister by your side, you couldn’t keep the frown from crossing your face at remembering how little time together you had left.

Closing your eyes momentarily, you sent a silent prayer to the old gods; one for your sister and Robert Baratheon and then a selfish one for yourself. 

As the Septa continued to drag you along one of Winterfell’s many corridors, you could only hope that they heard you.

~~~

“How is he?” Ser Arthur Dayne asked Westeros’s crowned prince as he entered the latter’s private chambers though he sensed the answer to his own question as he saw the prince’s worn stature.

“He’s getting worse,” Rhaegar murmured, his eyes never shifting from the dark night in front of him. “If we don’t finish this soon, someone else will.”

Arthur grimaced at the prince’s words. It was hard enough for him to secretly take action about the king’s growing madness as a sworn member of the Kingsguard, but he couldn’t imagine the mental toll it was taking on the king’s own son. Rhaegar was a good man, and while it pained him to go against his father, he knew it needed to be done for the good of Westeros.

”Does he suspect anything?”

“No, he thinks it a means for the Whents’ to boast their wealth and an opportunity for me to choose a suitable bride.” Rhaegar sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Which brings up another matter in itself. I have to find a bride before the tournament ends.” 

“Have you given it any thought, your grace?”

While King Aerys had been on to Rhaegar over his lack of marriage for a while now, most of Rhaegar’s recent time had been consumed by planning the upcoming tournament with Lord Whent and not over the trivialities of finding a bride. 

To Arthur’s surprise and relief, Rhaegar nodded his head. The last thing they needed was for the prince to have to worry about a betrothment while his attention was focused on overthrowing his father.

“Tywin Lannister has made it obvious he wishes for me to choose his daughter, but the Lannisters’ have never been trustworthy. They crave power and do not care in which manner they receive it. It would be impossible to know if Tywin would remain loyal to the king whether I was married to his daughter or not.

“The more reasonable choice would then be the Dornish princess, and while I have given it earnest thought, I don’t see it being a wise decision. I can see marriage gaining us the loyalty of the Dornishmen, but how much would a few Dornishmen be against the rest of Westeros? Furthermore, I don’t doubt we wouldn’t be able to get their support through Ser Lewyn.”

Rhaegar’s words left Arthur confused, yet curious. While little thought or planning towards the prince’s betrothment had been broached, the Dornish princess and only daughter of the House Lannister had been the two significant choices for the prince. While he agreed with Rhaegar’s words so far, he couldn’t think of an option with a better outcome than the Dornish princess.  

“If we truly wish to utilize my marriage to overthrow my father, then the wisest choice would be with the Starks.”

The Starks’ lands extended far across Westeros, taking up nearly half the country and hardly ever left the confines of it. While the Starks were a powerful Great House, they often slipped Arthur’s mind with their lack of interaction outside their vast lands.  

“Ah, the Northern Lords of Winterfell. Lord Rickard has two daughters, does he not?”

“Twins,” Rhaegar nodded his head, “though the eldest has already been promised to Robert Baratheon.” 

“Thus, if you were to marry the other, you could succeed in gaining the Baratheon’s fealty as well as the Starks.”

“With Lord Rickard’s eldest betrothed to one of Lord Hoster’s daughters and then his second fostering in the Vale with House Arryn, we could potentially secure an alliance with four of the Great Houses.” Rhaegar paused for a moment looking at Arthur for the first time, a hopeful glint shining in his violet eyes. “With Winterfell’s fealty, we could easily take the throne and put an end to my father’s mad reign.”

Rhaegar’s statement left Arthur speechless. If the prince was right, and they could secure fealty of the Tullys, Baratheons, Arryns, and Starks through a single girl, then her hand in marriage would be crucial to their plan.

[isoftbet]

3888 Ways Of Dragon slot – Menurut namanya, 3888 Ways Of Dragon menawarkan kemakmuran bukan hanya dengan satu angka keberuntungan, namun juga dua angka keberuntungan, yaitu angka 3 dan 8. 3888 Ways Of Dragon adalah game yang berjanji untuk memenuhi  mimpi slot-gaming para player. Ikuti jalan sang naga untuk menemukan kombinasi kemenangan ketika kamu bermain game ini.

[centrumlumina]

Now presenting the fifth annual AO3 Ship Stats Top 100!

This list shows the 100 pairing tags with the most fanfics posted on Archive Of Our Own as of August 3 2017. There are 68 M/M pairings, 20 F/M, 4 F/F, 5 Gen and 3 Other. (Please note that on AO3, ‘Name & Name’ indicates platonic relationships (Gen), while ‘Name/Name’ is used for romantic pairings.)

Of the 200 names on the list, 28 belong to women and 3 to characters of indeterminate gender, down from 34 and 5 respectively in the 2016 list. There are 41 POC and 10 racially ambiguous characters, compared with 27 and 15 last year.

For more information on this project, please see the FAQ post. You might also want to check out the Top 100 pairings of This Year or the Top 100 Femslash Pairings.

A text-only version of the list is given below the cut.

Edit: Fixed race category for Otabek Altin.

Rank Change Pairing Fandom Works Type Race 1 0 Castiel/Dean Winchester Supernatural 66148 M/M White 2 0 Sherlock Holmes/John Watson Sherlock (TV) 52232 M/M White 3 0 Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 47528 M/M White 4 0 Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson One Direction (Band) 29338 M/M White 5 0 James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 27854 M/M White 6 0 Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester Supernatural 22797 M/M White 7 2 Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 22402 M/M White 8 -1 Steve Rogers/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 19859 M/M White 9 -1 Merlin/Arthur Pendragon Merlin (TV) 17565 M/M White 10 1 Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Sherlock (TV) 14453 Gen White 11 -1 Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel Glee 14059 M/M Whi/POC 12 N Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) 13902 M/M Whi/POC 13 0 Levi/Eren Yeager Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 11702 M/M White 14 -2 Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) 11683 M/M White 15 4 Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Hannibal (TV) 11262 M/M White 16 -1 Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki Supernatural RPF 11242 M/M White 17 N Keith/Lance (Voltron) Voltron: Legendary Defender 10614 M/M Amb/POC 18 -4 Rodney McKay/John Sheppard Stargate Atlantis 10445 M/M White 19 2 Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 10137 M/M White 20 -2 Gabriel/Sam Winchester Supernatural 10060 M/M White 21 15 Dan Howell/Phil Lester Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) 9938 M/M White 22 32 Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Shadowhunters (TV) 9734 M/M Whi/POC 23 -7 Clint Barton/Phil Coulson The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 9606 M/M White 24 -7 Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 9421 F/M White 25 -1 Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak Arrow (TV 2012) 9258 F/M White 26 -1 James T. Kirk/Spock Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) 9127 M/M White 27 0 Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 9071 F/F Whi/POC 28 3 Harry Potter/Severus Snape Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 8818 M/M White 29 -1 Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich Shameless (US) 8707 M/M White 30 -8 Enjolras/Grantaire Les Misérables - All Media Types 8701 M/M White 31 -5 Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams Hawaii Five-0 (2010) 8657 M/M White 32 7 Clarke Griffin/Lexa The 100 (TV) 8535 F/F White 33 -3 Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin The 100 (TV) 8506 F/M Whi/POC 34 -14 Zayn Malik/Liam Payne One Direction (Band) 8481 M/M Whi/POC 35 -12 Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield The Hobbit - All Media Types 8305 M/M White 36 1 Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Once Upon a Time (TV) 8061 F/M White 37 20 Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 8022 M/M White 38 -6 Frank Iero/Gerard Way My Chemical Romance 7823 M/M White 39 -10 Pepper Potts/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 7709 F/M White 40 -7 Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones Torchwood 7475 M/M White 41 49 Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin Bangtan Boys | BTS 7150 M/M POC 42 -2 Mycroft Holmes/Lestrade Sherlock (TV) 7125 M/M White 43 0 Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold Once Upon a Time (TV) 6985 F/M White 44 11 Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru Haikyuu!! 6964 M/M POC 45 -10 Allison Argent/Scott McCall Teen Wolf (TV) 6937 F/M Whi/POC 46 N Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V Bangtan Boys | BTS 6832 M/M POC 47 -13 Loki/Thor Thor (Movies) 6740 M/M White 48 -7 James T. Kirk/Leonard McCoy Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) 6598 M/M White 49 -1 Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper Sherlock (TV) 6506 F/M White 50 0 Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 6490 F/M Whi/Amb 51 -13 Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg The Sentinel 6446 M/M White 52 -3 Castiel & Dean Winchester Supernatural 6444 Gen White 53 -7 Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford Dragon Age: Inquisition 6405 Other Whi/Amb 54 -3 Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio Haikyuu!! 6391 M/M POC 55 14 Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Miraculous Ladybug 6307 F/M Whi/POC 56 -11 Arthur/Eames (Inception) Inception (2010) 6096 M/M White 57 -15 Loki/Tony Stark The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 6091 M/M White 58 30 Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph Twenty One Pilots 5886 M/M Whi/POC 59 -12 Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 5746 M/M White 60 -16 Clark Kent/Lex Luthor Smallville 5630 M/M White 61 -9 Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler Doctor Who (2005) 5583 F/M White 62 -9 James Bond/Q James Bond (Craig movies) 5267 M/M White 63 -4 Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester Supernatural 5249 Gen White 64 N Kim Namjoon | Rap Monster/Kim Seokjin | Jin Bangtan Boys | BTS 5152 M/M POC 65 N Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin Bangtan Boys | BTS 5077 M/M POC 66 -1 James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers Captain America (Movies) 5021 Gen White 67 1 Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 4971 F/M White 68 -12 Mary Morstan/John Watson Sherlock (TV) 4900 F/M White 69 4 Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) 4863 F/M White 70 7 James Potter/Lily Evans Potter Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 4842 F/M White 71 -11 Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein Carmilla (Web Series) 4729 F/F White 72 -8 Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy 4700 M/M Whi/POC 73 7 Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 4661 F/M Whi/Amb 74 -9 Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester Supernatural 4491 F/M White 75 9 Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski due South 4481 M/M White 76 -18 John Egbert/Dave Strider Homestuck 4463 M/M Ambig 77 -5 Inquisitor/Solas Dragon Age: Inquisition 4436 Other Whi/Amb 78 N Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens Hamilton – Miranda 4409 M/M POC 79 -17 Jane Foster/Thor The Avengers (Marvel Movies) 4350 F/M White 80 -17 Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins 4326 F/M Whi/Amb 81 -10 Levi/Erwin Smith Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan 4289 M/M White 82 -21 Niall Horan/Harry Styles One Direction (Band) 4218 M/M White 83 N Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi Haikyuu!! 4164 M/M POC 84 -2 Harry Hart/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) 4121 M/M White 85 12 Fox Mulder/Dana Scully The X-Files 4097 F/M White 86 -19 Carlos/Cecil Palmer Welcome to Night Vale 4053 M/M Amb/POC 87 -9 America (Hetalia)/England (Hetalia) Hetalia: Axis Powers 4030 M/M White 88 N Dean Winchester/You Supernatural 4027 Other Whi/Amb 89 -13 Nanase Haruka/Tachibana Makoto Free! 3964 M/M POC 90 5 Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto Naruto 3942 M/M POC 91 -17 Sebastian Moran/James Moriarty Sherlock (TV) 3926 M/M White 92 -7 Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski Teen Wolf (TV) 3900 M/M White 93= N Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou Haikyuu!! 3888 M/M POC 93= 1 Poe Dameron/Finn Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) 3888 M/M POC 95 N Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga Bangtan Boys | BTS 3887 M/M POC 96 N Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) 3852 M/M Whi/POC 97 -27 Niall Horan/Zayn Malik One Direction (Band) 3795 M/M Whi/POC 98 N Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor Supergirl (TV 2015) 3793 F/F White 99 N Katsuki Yuuri & Victor Nikiforov Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) 3782 Gen Whi/POC 100 N Peter Parker/Wade Wilson Spider-Man - All Media Types 3770 M/M White

[rfbet99com]

Mana nih suaranya yang Menunggu- Nunggu EVENT terbaru dan seru di RFBET99, Nah sudah ada kabar baik sekarang kawan

Di game STARCITY88 Kami lagi mengadakan Sebuah EVENT November 2019, Yaitu "SINGLE'S DAY PROMO" Yuk mainkan sekarang dan Kumpulkan Point kamu sebanyaknya

Game yang berpatisipasi adalah The Fortune Pig, 3888 Ways, Shaolin Spin, Mystery of LongWei, Pearl of the Orient, Imperial Wealth, Tree of Fortune, Red Dragon Wild, Mystic Ming Zhi

Nah ayo buruan main sekarang!

Informasi & Pendaftaran : ☛ LiveChat : Rfbet99(.)com ☛ Whatsapp : +6694-438-6003 ☛ Whatsapp 2  : +6661-507-0273 ☛ Line : RFbet99 ☛ Wechat : RFbet99

[youbetcash]

Hai kawna semuanya, yuk mari bermain di YOUBETCASH, Rasakan kenikmatan Bonus-Bonus yang luar biasa dan Sangat menarik pastinya

Nah kini Ada TOURNAMENT Loh kawan, Yaitu SINGLE'S DAY PROMO, Aayo buruan ikuti dan mainkan, Jangan buang waktu mu untuk hal yang tidak penting

Game yang berpatisipasi adalah The Fortune Pig, 3888 Ways, Shaolin Spin, Mystery of LongWei, Pearl of the Orient, Imperial Wealth, Tree of Fortune, Red Dragon Wild, Mystic Ming Zhi

Main dan kumpulkan point nya, Dan menangkan hingga 150.000.000

Daftar Sekarang Juga : ☛ Website : Youbetcash.cc ☛ Line : Youbetcash ☛ Whatsapp : +66-806-807-928 ☛ Wechat : Cs_Youbetcash

[slsolaire999]

Hallo guys, ada kabar gembira nih untuk kamu member SOLAIRE99, Ada Tournament terbaru nih dari game terbaru kami STARCITY88

Yaitu "SINGLE'S DAY PROMO" Nah ayo  main sekarang dan kumpulkan point sebanyaknya, Game yang berpatisipasi adalah Sebagai berikut: The Fortune Pig 3888 Ways Shaolin Spin Mystery of LongWei Golden Tiger Pearl of the Orient Imperial Wealth Tree of Fortune Red Dragon Wild Mystic Ming Zhi

Menangkan hadiahnya hingga 150.000.000, Wow buruan daftarkan diri kamu !

Informasi & Pendaftaran : ☛ LiveChat : Solaire99(.)com ☛ Whatsapp : +6663-462-2578 ☛ Line : Solaire99 ☛ Wechat : Cs1_Solaire99

[fastbet99club]

Hallo guys, ada kabar gembira nih untuk kamu member FASTBET99, Ada Tournament terbaru nih dari game terbaru kami STARCITY88

Yaitu "SINGLE'S DAY PROMO" Nah ayo  main sekarang dan kumpulkan point sebanyaknya, Game yang berpatisipasi adalah Sebagai berikut: The Fortune Pig 3888 Ways Shaolin Spin Mystery of LongWei Golden Tiger Pearl of the Orient Imperial Wealth Tree of Fortune Red Dragon Wild Mystic Ming Zhi

Menangkan hadiahnya hingga 150.000.000, Wow buruan daftarkan diri kamu !

Informasi & Pendaftaran : ☛ LiveChat : Fastbet99(.)club ☛ Whatsapp : +6687-557-9082 ☛ Whatsapp 2 :+6698-492-5275 ☛ Line : Fastbet99 ☛ Wechat : Cs_Fastbet99

#hot2019 #terbaik #agenbettingonline #agenjuditerbaik #nohoax #daftar #main #hadiahluarbiasa #tournament #bandung #pekanbaru #kalimantan #surabaya #semarang #bali #palembang #makassar

[empire777thailand]

สล็อตใหม่ ชนะง่าย แจกบ่อย แจกจริง 3,888 วิธี | EMPIRE777

3888 Ways of the Dragon 🐉 เกมใหม่ เล่นง่าย แทงสบาย ขึ้นต่ำ 6 บาทเท่านั้น 🤩 รองรับระบบคอม 💻 และมือถือ 📱

🎉รอบโบนัสมีโอกาสซุ่มเพิ่มสัญลักษณ์ Wild ให้ง่ายขึ้นไปอีก ยิ่งเล่นยิ่งลุ้น ยิ่งรวย 💰

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️ ✔สมัครฟรี รับฟรีเครดิต คลิก https://goo.gl/dpuq4p 😘

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️ EMPIRE777 เกมคาสิโน เล่นทุกวัน ก็รวยทุกวัน ✔เล่นบนมือถือ ✔ไม่ต้องดาวน์โหลด ✔ถอนเงินได้จริง 100% การันตีจากผู้เล่นจริง!!

#EMPIRE777 #เครดิตฟรี #สล็อต

[cyberparse]

Comodo Firewall 10

http://cyberparse.co.uk/2017/01/09/comodo-firewall-10-2/ https://i0.wp.com/cyberparse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/security-binary-pd-898757.jpg?fit=3888%2C2592

The firewall component in modern versions of Windows is quite effective, so the market for third-party personal firewall utilities is shrinking. Paying for a personal firewall seems especially silly when Windows has one built in.

Comodo Firewall 10 is free, and it does a lot more than the basics. In addition to protecting your PC against attacks from the Internet and controlling how programs utilize your Internet connection, it includes a secure browser, sandbox-style virtualization, a Host Intrusion Protection System, and more. It performs all expected personal firewall tasks, but not all of the bonus features worked

Comodo’s main competition is Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2017, and there are quite a few similarities between the two.

Both companies also offer a free antivirus, for starters.

And you can also get a combined firewall and antivirus from both. With ZoneAlarm, you can convert either the antivirus or firewall to the combined product with just a click. With Comodo, you upgrade to the free edition of Comodo Internet Security.

Shared with Antivirus

The majority of Comodo Firewall’s features are also found in Comodo Antivirus 10. I’ll refer you to my review of the antivirus for full details on these features. Here’s a summary.

Both Comodo products offer a new, attractive user interface with two similar themes named Lycia and Arcadia.

These two feature a big status panel at left and four button panels at right; they just use slightly different colors and icons.

Those who prefer the previous edition’s look can choose the Modern theme. If you’re nostalgic for really old editions of Comodo, the Classic theme gets you that look. In addition, the main window for both products can display either a Basic View or an Advanced View; the latter puts more statistics and action items in easy reach.

While both Comodo products are free, they also both push you to pay in one way or another. Unless you carefully read all screens and popups, you’ll find that without realizing it you’ve agreed to change all of your browsers to use Yahoo as home page, new tab, and default search engine. You’ll see messages offering help from the GeekBuddy tech support system, and indeed a GeekBuddy agent will happily chat with you. However, if you want the tech to perform any kind of remote repair or remediation, you’ll have to pay.

Comodo Firewall does not in itself include an antivirus component, but its File Rating component checks files against Comodo’s cloud database when you access them. If the database identifies a process as malware, or as a potentially unwanted program, Comodo terminates the process and pops up a notification. You also get a popup offering GeekBuddy services.

File Rating is also a feature of the antivirus, but in testing I found that other protection layers always kicked in before File Rating had a chance.

Both the firewall and the antivirus can automatically sandbox programs that aren’t recognized by the database. However, this feature is enabled by default in the antivirus, disabled in the firewall.

A sandboxed program runs in a virtual environment, unable to permanently change important system areas. When you empty the sandbox, all virtualized changes vanish. You can actively launch any program in the sandbox, or open a fully virtualized desktop, isolated from the regular desktop. It’s similar to the SafePay desktop in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017.

The main feature of the virtualized desktop is the Comodo Dragon browser.

By virtualizing your online transactions, you protect them from manipulation by other processes.

The Dragon browser includes a useful collection of bonus apps, among them a media downloader, a price-comparison tool, and a tool for quickly sharing or searching text from Web pages.

Both Comodo products include a Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS), but it’s disabled by default in the antivirus, enabled in the firewall.

This is not a tool for foiling attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system and popular programs. Rather, when it detects suspicious behavior by a program, it asks you what to do. You can allow the behavior, block it, or choose to treat the program in question as an installer. I tested it with a collection of utilities that share certain behaviors with malware.

Comodo only blocked the installer for one, and when I opted to treat it as an installer, I had no further problem.

The HIPS quite reasonably cast suspicious on a test utility that launches Internet Explorer and forces it to open malware-hosting URLs.

It’s worth noting that ZoneAlarm’s OSFirewall feature functions in much the same way. When I fully enabled the OSFirewall feature, ZoneAlarm flagged behaviors by both good and bad programs.

While Comodo Firewall isn’t an antivirus itself, it includes the option to create an antivirus rescue disk, and the process of creating this disk is quite easy. You can also use it to launch Comodo’s cleanup-only tool to wipe out persistent malware.

Firewall Features

As you can see, this product has a lot in common with Comodo Antivirus, but don’t worry; there are plenty of firewall-specific functions too.

Each time you connect to a new network, it asks whether it’s a home, work, or public network. When you’re connected to a public network, Comodo puts all the system’s ports in stealth mode, meaning they can’t be seen from outside. It’s true that Windows Firewall also accomplishes this feat, but Comodo does it just as well. Unlike Windows Firewall, Comodo lets enthusiasts get an alert on each unsolicited connection attempt.

As noted earlier, Comodo’s HIPS feature does not try to block attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the OS or critical files.

The same is true of ZoneAlarm. Symantec Norton Security Premium is the champ in this area. In testing, it blocked more exploits than any other recent product, and it did so at the network level, before the exploit even reached the test system.

When the firewall detects an attempted network connection by a new program, it asks you what to do about it. You can choose to allow the attempt, block it, or treat the suspect program as a browser or FTP client. If you choose to block access, you can also terminate the program, or terminate it and reverse its actions.

Testing Comodo with my hand-coded browser, I found the firewall query appeared only after three distinct warnings from the HIPS. I also tried a few leak tests, programs that attempt to evade firewall control by manipulating or masquerading as trusted programs.

These triggered plenty of HIPS warnings, as well as firewall warnings. I had to turn off the File Rating component for this test, because it terminated them as potentially unwanted programs.

While Comodo’s HIPS and firewall popups aren’t as overwhelming as they were a few versions ago, they still give the user a lot to consider. Most user really won’t know whether a program should be allowed to access the DNS/RPC Client service, or access a protected COM interface.

The firewall components in Norton and Kaspersky Internet Security track suspicious behaviors, but perform their own internal analysis rather than expecting the user to make complex security decisions.

ZoneAlarm pioneered the concept that a personal firewall must defend itself against attack. If malware can disable firewall protection programmatically, the protection isn’t worth much, right? I couldn’t find any Registry entry that would serve as an off switch for Comodo Firewall, and when I tried to terminate its process I got an Access Denied message.

Security products typically rely on one or more Windows services as well—Comodo has four. I found that I could stop three of them, but not the fourth, the most essential one. However, I managed to set its startup mode to Disabled. On reboot, Comodo offered to fix the problem, after which it was fine. Still, I’m happier with a product like ZoneAlarm or Norton that simply prevents all modification of its Windows services.

Website Filtering

Many antivirus products include a browser-protection component that helps steer users away from malicious or fraudulent URLs.

Comodo Antivirus does not. However, the firewall adds a component called Website Filtering. My contact at the company explained that Website Filtering blocks access to URLs found in Comodo’s malicious URL database, but does not attempt to block phishing sites.

To evaluate this component’s efficacy, I launched the malicious URL blocking test that I apply to each antivirus.

This test uses a feed of very new malware-hosting URLs supplied by MRG-Effitas. I use URLs discovered in the last day or two, so they’re very new. I launch each one and note whether the product blocked access to the dangerous URL, wiped out the malicious payload, or completely ignored the danger.

Normally I keep at this test until I have data for 100 malware-hosting URLs. However, after processing 50 without any response from Comodo, I quit. I suspect that Comodo’s blacklist database of malicious URLs isn’t updated frequently enough to detect the most recent dangers.

By contrast, Avira Antivirus blocked 93 percent of the URLs in this test.

Does the Job

Comodo Firewall 10 does everything a personal firewall should do, stealthing ports against outside attack and preventing betrayal from within by programs misusing your Internet connection. In addition, it offers sandboxing, a secure browser, HIPS, reputation-based file rating, and more. However, some of these bonus features are too techie for the average user, and they don’t all contribute to the task of a personal firewall.

Our Editors’ Choice in the dwindling collection of free personal firewalls is Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2017. It, too, handles all the basic tasks, and it resists direct attack better than Comodo. It does offer a collection of bonus features as well, but most are easier for the average user to comprehend.

For the tech expert, Comodo can be great, make no mistake.

But ZoneAlarm is better suited for the average user.

Back to top

PCMag may earn affiliate commissions from the shopping links included on this page.

These commissions do not affect how we test, rate or review products.

To find out more, read our complete terms of use.

Source PCMag.com Latest Articles

[cyberparse]

Comodo Firewall 10

http://cyberparse.co.uk/2017/01/09/comodo-firewall-10-2/ https://i0.wp.com/cyberparse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/security-binary-pd-898757.jpg?fit=3888%2C2592

The firewall component in modern versions of Windows is quite effective, so the market for third-party personal firewall utilities is shrinking. Paying for a personal firewall seems especially silly when Windows has one built in.

Comodo Firewall 10 is free, and it does a lot more than the basics. In addition to protecting your PC against attacks from the Internet and controlling how programs utilize your Internet connection, it includes a secure browser, sandbox-style virtualization, a Host Intrusion Protection System, and more. It performs all expected personal firewall tasks, but not all of the bonus features worked

Comodo’s main competition is Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2017, and there are quite a few similarities between the two.

Both companies also offer a free antivirus, for starters.

And you can also get a combined firewall and antivirus from both. With ZoneAlarm, you can convert either the antivirus or firewall to the combined product with just a click. With Comodo, you upgrade to the free edition of Comodo Internet Security.

Shared with Antivirus

The majority of Comodo Firewall’s features are also found in Comodo Antivirus 10. I’ll refer you to my review of the antivirus for full details on these features. Here’s a summary.

Both Comodo products offer a new, attractive user interface with two similar themes named Lycia and Arcadia.

These two feature a big status panel at left and four button panels at right; they just use slightly different colors and icons.

Those who prefer the previous edition’s look can choose the Modern theme. If you’re nostalgic for really old editions of Comodo, the Classic theme gets you that look. In addition, the main window for both products can display either a Basic View or an Advanced View; the latter puts more statistics and action items in easy reach.

While both Comodo products are free, they also both push you to pay in one way or another. Unless you carefully read all screens and popups, you’ll find that without realizing it you’ve agreed to change all of your browsers to use Yahoo as home page, new tab, and default search engine. You’ll see messages offering help from the GeekBuddy tech support system, and indeed a GeekBuddy agent will happily chat with you. However, if you want the tech to perform any kind of remote repair or remediation, you’ll have to pay.

Comodo Firewall does not in itself include an antivirus component, but its File Rating component checks files against Comodo’s cloud database when you access them. If the database identifies a process as malware, or as a potentially unwanted program, Comodo terminates the process and pops up a notification. You also get a popup offering GeekBuddy services.

File Rating is also a feature of the antivirus, but in testing I found that other protection layers always kicked in before File Rating had a chance.

Both the firewall and the antivirus can automatically sandbox programs that aren’t recognized by the database. However, this feature is enabled by default in the antivirus, disabled in the firewall.

A sandboxed program runs in a virtual environment, unable to permanently change important system areas. When you empty the sandbox, all virtualized changes vanish. You can actively launch any program in the sandbox, or open a fully virtualized desktop, isolated from the regular desktop. It’s similar to the SafePay desktop in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2017.

The main feature of the virtualized desktop is the Comodo Dragon browser.

By virtualizing your online transactions, you protect them from manipulation by other processes.

The Dragon browser includes a useful collection of bonus apps, among them a media downloader, a price-comparison tool, and a tool for quickly sharing or searching text from Web pages.

Both Comodo products include a Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS), but it’s disabled by default in the antivirus, enabled in the firewall.

This is not a tool for foiling attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system and popular programs. Rather, when it detects suspicious behavior by a program, it asks you what to do. You can allow the behavior, block it, or choose to treat the program in question as an installer. I tested it with a collection of utilities that share certain behaviors with malware.

Comodo only blocked the installer for one, and when I opted to treat it as an installer, I had no further problem.

The HIPS quite reasonably cast suspicious on a test utility that launches Internet Explorer and forces it to open malware-hosting URLs.

It’s worth noting that ZoneAlarm’s OSFirewall feature functions in much the same way. When I fully enabled the OSFirewall feature, ZoneAlarm flagged behaviors by both good and bad programs.

While Comodo Firewall isn’t an antivirus itself, it includes the option to create an antivirus rescue disk, and the process of creating this disk is quite easy. You can also use it to launch Comodo’s cleanup-only tool to wipe out persistent malware.

Firewall Features

As you can see, this product has a lot in common with Comodo Antivirus, but don’t worry; there are plenty of firewall-specific functions too.

Each time you connect to a new network, it asks whether it’s a home, work, or public network. When you’re connected to a public network, Comodo puts all the system’s ports in stealth mode, meaning they can’t be seen from outside. It’s true that Windows Firewall also accomplishes this feat, but Comodo does it just as well. Unlike Windows Firewall, Comodo lets enthusiasts get an alert on each unsolicited connection attempt.

As noted earlier, Comodo’s HIPS feature does not try to block attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the OS or critical files.

The same is true of ZoneAlarm. Symantec Norton Security Premium is the champ in this area. In testing, it blocked more exploits than any other recent product, and it did so at the network level, before the exploit even reached the test system.

When the firewall detects an attempted network connection by a new program, it asks you what to do about it. You can choose to allow the attempt, block it, or treat the suspect program as a browser or FTP client. If you choose to block access, you can also terminate the program, or terminate it and reverse its actions.

Testing Comodo with my hand-coded browser, I found the firewall query appeared only after three distinct warnings from the HIPS. I also tried a few leak tests, programs that attempt to evade firewall control by manipulating or masquerading as trusted programs.

These triggered plenty of HIPS warnings, as well as firewall warnings. I had to turn off the File Rating component for this test, because it terminated them as potentially unwanted programs.

While Comodo’s HIPS and firewall popups aren’t as overwhelming as they were a few versions ago, they still give the user a lot to consider. Most user really won’t know whether a program should be allowed to access the DNS/RPC Client service, or access a protected COM interface.

The firewall components in Norton and Kaspersky Internet Security track suspicious behaviors, but perform their own internal analysis rather than expecting the user to make complex security decisions.

ZoneAlarm pioneered the concept that a personal firewall must defend itself against attack. If malware can disable firewall protection programmatically, the protection isn’t worth much, right? I couldn’t find any Registry entry that would serve as an off switch for Comodo Firewall, and when I tried to terminate its process I got an Access Denied message.

Security products typically rely on one or more Windows services as well—Comodo has four. I found that I could stop three of them, but not the fourth, the most essential one. However, I managed to set its startup mode to Disabled. On reboot, Comodo offered to fix the problem, after which it was fine. Still, I’m happier with a product like ZoneAlarm or Norton that simply prevents all modification of its Windows services.

Website Filtering

Many antivirus products include a browser-protection component that helps steer users away from malicious or fraudulent URLs.

Comodo Antivirus does not. However, the firewall adds a component called Website Filtering. My contact at the company explained that Website Filtering blocks access to URLs found in Comodo’s malicious URL database, but does not attempt to block phishing sites.

To evaluate this component’s efficacy, I launched the malicious URL blocking test that I apply to each antivirus.

This test uses a feed of very new malware-hosting URLs supplied by MRG-Effitas. I use URLs discovered in the last day or two, so they’re very new. I launch each one and note whether the product blocked access to the dangerous URL, wiped out the malicious payload, or completely ignored the danger.

Normally I keep at this test until I have data for 100 malware-hosting URLs. However, after processing 50 without any response from Comodo, I quit. I suspect that Comodo’s blacklist database of malicious URLs isn’t updated frequently enough to detect the most recent dangers.

By contrast, Avira Antivirus blocked 93 percent of the URLs in this test.

Does the Job

Comodo Firewall 10 does everything a personal firewall should do, stealthing ports against outside attack and preventing betrayal from within by programs misusing your Internet connection. In addition, it offers sandboxing, a secure browser, HIPS, reputation-based file rating, and more. However, some of these bonus features are too techie for the average user, and they don’t all contribute to the task of a personal firewall.

Our Editors’ Choice in the dwindling collection of free personal firewalls is Check Point ZoneAlarm Free Firewall 2017. It, too, handles all the basic tasks, and it resists direct attack better than Comodo. It does offer a collection of bonus features as well, but most are easier for the average user to comprehend.

For the tech expert, Comodo can be great, make no mistake.

But ZoneAlarm is better suited for the average user.

Back to top

PCMag may earn affiliate commissions from the shopping links included on this page.

These commissions do not affect how we test, rate or review products.

To find out more, read our complete terms of use.

Source PCMag.com Latest Articles