#B-747

[greenbagjosh]

Day 1 - 9 November 2003 - Flight to Hong Kong from SFO terminal "A"

Sunday 9 November 2003

Konnichiwa, Ni Hao and Ola!

Today marks fifteen years since my visit to East Asia, particularly the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions of China, plus a partial day at Tokyo Narita airport. Actually I would not stop at Narita until Thursday 13th November 2003. This would be the first time in my adult life, and so far it is the only time, that I would cross the international date line. You may have heard in the news about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge that was opened recently. When I visited in November 2003, this was not even an idea (at least to most US citizens) that this could be built. Without crossing into the PRC, the only way to go between Hong Kong and Macau, was by boat.

I would like to break up my visit into four parts as there is so much to tell.

- 9th to 10th SFO to HKG nonstop, coach from Chek Lap Kok airport to hotel via Kowloon, 7 Eleven at Queen's Road West near Hill Road (Shek Tong Tsui district).

- 11th Breakfast at hotel, Hong Kong to Macau ferry, lunch on Coloane, St Paul cathedral, and ferry back to Hong Kong, with a journey on the MTR subway and tramway back to the hotel.

- 12th Breakfast at McDonald's, bus to Central, Repulse Bay, Stanley Market and Aberdeen, MTR to Sheung Kwan O, Tung Chung and Kowloon

- 13th Minibus to HKG airport, flight to Narita, afternoon and "beef bowl udon", flight to SFO, arrival the "same day"

Let's start with why I went to Hong Kong and Macau and back via Narita. Instead of my usual journey to Europe as I did in August of that year, I was suggested to give Hong Kong a try, and not worry that I speak very little Mandarin or Cantonese. United Airlines at the time, had a special package of roundtrip airfare to Hong Kong, three day's accommodations and offers of touristic interest for a good price. I had to renew my passport from 1994 as it would expire in any case.

Sunday 9th November was my flight, nonstop from San Francisco Terminal A to Hong Kong. It was in a Boeing 747 and in the economy class when economy class at least had decent legroom. Before the flight, I wanted to try some "congee" with shrimp. Congee is a savory rice porridge, about the same consistency as an average bowl of Quaker Oats. A little soy sauce can give it a nice flavor.

I think the flight departed around 1:10 PM Pacific. It would not arrive in Hong Kong until at least 8 PM the next day (Monday 10th November), so that makes the flight about 15 hours long, not quite as long as a flight from the US west coast to Auckland, New Zealand. On the plane, you cannot automatically perceive crossing the international date line. At the time, the 747 did not have individually controlled entertainment in economy class as a 777 would, it was all centralized, I have no idea about the situation in business or the still-existent first class. I remember watching four films in total, including "Whale Rider" from New Zealand, I remember distinctly that traditional Chinese subtitles were on-screen for that film. During the flight there was a snack and then supper. At some times, the flight attendants would serve Chinese tea, where you would not add sugar or anything else, just tea leaves and hot water.

It seemed like for the most part, the day went on "forever", until the plane approached Japanese airspace - and then the 9th turned into the 10th, kind of like it's 4:30 PM on the 9th, and then suddenly it's 4:31 PM on the 10th, that's what crossing the international date line westward sort of feels like. The sun was getting low, and the plane made a southwest turn, to just touch the eastern Chinese coastline for the next two hours. As the plane approached Hong Kong, the sun set and the sky was getting dimmer. The plane touched down about 7:30 PM. Everyone alighted the plane to be processed by Hong Kong SAR customs.

If you remember Autumn 2003, you might remember the SARS epidemic. SARS was defined as "severe acute respiratory syndrome". The epicenter was Hong Kong, and Macau also was taking precautions to minize the effects. At passport control, you had to make a declaration that you had to state your health condition, namely stating any health symptoms if any, in addition, there were body temperature sensors, to make sure that travellers did not have a fever. The Hong Kong entry passport stamp allowed US Citizens a visa-free stay of 90 days, I think Macau it was down to 30 days. After passport control, I had to go to the baggage claim and meet the tour bus that was booked in addition to my hotel stay. While the tour bus had not yet arrived, I went to the MTR sales booth to buy a subway pass. It was called the "Octopus Card", and allowed three days of unlimited subway travel, plus a HK $200 stored value for bus and trolley rides. It even could be recharged at the local 7 Eleven stores for cash. I withdrew about US $ 100.00 to start, and I think the rate was around US 1= 8.20 HK. The Macau Pataca, I would find out, would be at par with the Hong Kong dollar, and local banks would be reluctant to exchange Hong Kong dollars for Patacas. More on that in the following chapter.

The bus came around 8:30 PM and the bus dispatcher had to tally up who was staying in Kowloon and who was staying in Hong Kong Island. The bus drove along Route 8 which passed through Tsing Yi, Disneyland Hong Kong, Tsing Yi and ended up in Kowloon. The bus dropped a few people off somewhere along Nathan Road or some side street closeby. Then the bus went under Kowloon Bay in tunnel to Queen's Road West, though the bus made a stop after leaving the tunnel. I did not arrive at my hotel until at least 9:30 PM. I was staying at the Novotel in the Sai Wan district, which currently now is the Hotel Jen. There was a McDonald's and a 7 Eleven store close by. For maybe $ 6 US, I bought a couple of curry buns (pulled chicken or pork) and a can of Sprite and a bottle of Lucozade. And I topped up my Octopus Card for bus fare if needed later.

My room was on the 22nd floor, and I think the outdoor pool was on the 25th floor. My room did not have the best view but it was okay. I had a room looking at the ramp of Hill Road, leading to Connaught Road. The room had a remote control to control the radio, TV, alarm clock, and many things imaginable. The bathroom was pretty much similar to those I knew in the US, Canada and Europe. Electricity was the same as in the UK, namely the "G" type plug. I found the next day that Macau also uses the "G" plug. I did not watch TV but I had my Aiwa HS JS 479 and could listen to and record the local stations, most of them were in Cantonese, there was also the BBC World Service in English.

I think I went to bed about 11 PM after enjoying my curry bun and Sprite. The bed was firmer than most that I remembered, was not too bad. Somehow or other, I thought, if the hotel has a free shuttle to the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal, why not go? I did not plan to visit Macau but thought, as long as I am in that part of the world, there was no better time to go. Looking back 15 years on, I am glad I did.

So that was all for the 9th and the 10th November 2003. Next chapter, ferry ride to Macau, and views of its Portuguese past.

Thank you and good night!

謝謝，晚安！! (Xièxiè, wan'an!)

Obrigado e boa noite!

ありがとう、おやすみなさい! (Arigato, oyasuminasai!)

[nocternalrandomness]

Stopover at Barksdale AFB while en route to Kennedy Space Center

[anza-redstar]

I have been thinking about Miss USA Miss-Universe-national-costume-contest costumes all day, and listen: I think we should lean into aviation more. Maybe get together with Brazil and do an Inventors of Flight co-costume, our contestant dressed as a sexy Wright brother and theirs dressed as sexy Santo-Dumas?

Thank you for posting about the Miss Universe costumes, I love them very much and I think I might make designing a better USA costume a design assignment for my middle schoolers. I’m thinking I would like to see a Gee’s Bend quilt inspired one!

Also, I just realized I met you at the Baltimore oddities convention last year, gotta visit your store some time!

Oh cool! hello again, and I actually have some posts about past Miss USA costumes and potentially better future ones under my “miss universe national costume” tag.

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

When Their GF Is Followed Home

Pairing : ot8 (separately) x f!reader TW : reader getting followed ; reader panicking ; honestly it's fluffy ; major anxiety though ; might be anxiety inducing or triggering ; Word Count : Bangchan (745) ; Minho (847) ; Changbin (747) ; Hyunjin (1370) ; Jisung (1396) ; Felix (1114) ; Seungmin (1564) ; Jeongin (1645) -TOTAL : 9.4k AN : this is entirely self indulgent and I will write my requests, this is kind of a coping mechanism for me. Thank you for being patient with me and for everyone who commented on my post about what had happened and I really do appreciate and love all of you. I won't tag my perm. tag list in this one because it isn't really a request or anything, it's just for me, but I'm gonna post it here just in case anyone else needs it or wants to read it.

You should have been home 5 minutes ago, he knew exactly the amount of time it took for you to get from your job to the house, and even if traffic was bad, it would only tack on an extra 3 or 4 minutes. It’s been 20 minutes since you told him you got out of work, and now he was starting to worry. Did you have to stay late? It wasn’t unlikely, but you’d usually tell him these things so he wouldn’t wait up for you at night. 

His phone started vibrating, and when he saw your name as the caller ID, he let out a little sigh of relief… Until he answered and he heard the sound of the car running, which wasn’t what he was used to considering you were a strict advocate of not using your phone while driving at all. Then he heard your heavy breaths and your sniffling. You were crying. “Channie…” You whispered, the sound of his name shaky when it left your lips. “I’m being followed… I don’t know what to do…” 

The panic that he initially felt came back tenfold, he felt like he couldn’t breathe, and the worst part was that there was nothing he could do. It’s not like he’d tell you to stop the car so he could get to you, he didn’t know what the person following you was capable of or even what they planned on doing. “Call the cops… Okay? Call the cops and go back to your work. Stay in your car… Lock the doors and keep the windows up.” 

You gasped before he heard the loud sob, he was terrified just hearing about it, he couldn’t even begin to imagine how you felt right now. “O-Okay… Bye… I… I love you…” You stammered, and the way you said it only had him freaking out even more. It sounded like you were saying goodbye to him, not like you normally would, but like a final goodbye. 

He knew where you were going, and he couldn’t, he just couldn’t sit at home and wait. He needed to know right then that you were okay, so he grabbed his keys, not even bothering to change into his shoes, running straight out the door and climbing in his car, racing towards your work. His own hands were shaking as his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, his entire body was trembling as his head filled with the worst thoughts of what could have happened to you. 

The ride to your work was actually quite short, just a couple blocks, but right now it felt like it took forever to get there, but once he was finally in the parking lot, he could see that you were parked right out front. He pulled his car around to park behind you, quickly climbing out to run over to yours. 

It was heartbreaking to see the way you jumped when he got up to the window, the way your body was still shaking and your one hand still wrapped around the wheel in a vice grip as if you were ready to speed off if that person did come back. Once you realized it was him though, you rolled your window down, and then he really saw you. 

Your eyes were bloodshot and you were practically hyperventilating. “I-It’s my b-boyfriend…” You said to whoever it was on the phone, and when he glanced at it, he could see that you were still on the phone with the police. “I’ll hang up now… Thank you…” You whispered before ending the call and then looking up at him with the glassiest eyes, the saddest eyes, and all he wanted to do was hold you, to tell you that everything would be okay. “An officer is… on the way… right now…” 

“I’ll stay here with you, I’m not leaving you.” He assured you, grabbing your hand through the window and leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I promise I won’t let anything like that happen ever again.” And now he was crying, you both were crying as you sat in the parking lot, but that promise that he made was one that he’d stick to and keep forever. You were the most precious thing in his life and he’d make sure that you never have to go through something like that ever again.

It was a late night in the practice room, another comeback and he wanted this one to be just as powerful as the last so he was practicing his dances as much as he could. He was taking a small break, resting against the mirrored walls of the room when his phone started vibrating on the floor beside him, the sight of your name and picture on his screen had all of his exhaustion washing away and a smile spreading across his face. 

“You know I love you… Right…?” Was the first thing you said as soon as he answered the phone, and the question alone had his heart sinking, but the way you said it, the way you sounded, he knew that something was wrong. “I’m headed back up to my work right now… I just wanted you to know that I love you so much… Give the cats kisses for me. I gotta go though… I’ll text you when I can…” 

The call ended before he was even able to say anything, but it was all so cryptic, it scared the hell out of him. Whatever was happening, he could tell that you were beyond scared, and for some reason you were saying your final goodbyes, and that had him pushing himself up off the floor and rushing out of the practice room and down the hall to the elevators. 

He was pissed at himself for staying at work so late, the building was on the complete opposite side of town, there was no way in hell he was going to make it to you. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, and all of the texts that he was sending didn’t seem to be going through because you weren’t answering any of them. He felt physically sick, like the entire room was spinning and his knees felt weak and he couldn’t breathe and he really just wanted to hear from you, to know that you were okay. 

“You shouldn’t be on your phone while you’re driving, you could cause an accident, Min.” He remembered the way you’d scold him from the passenger seat if he even reached for his phone while his car was in motion. That little memory only scared him more because he heard the sound of your engine running in the background of the call, you were on your phone while you were driving… Or maybe… Maybe you weren’t driving… Maybe it was someone else… His stomach sank deeper at the thought. There had been so many stories coming out recently about things that happened to unsuspecting people… You were so nice, so naive… He needed you to answer him, he needed you to text him back. 

20 minutes had passed since the initial phone call, he had sent you so many texts, and you finally answered him. “Heading home now… I’m sorry.” He was standing at the front door, waiting for your car to pull up, and when it did, there was an officer driving behind you. His heart was racing as he ran out of the house barefoot, not even caring as he ran out into the street to pull open your door, sighing heavily when he saw you sitting there. “What happened…?” He whispered, his hands landing on your shoulders as you climbed out of the car, and he couldn’t not notice how puffy and red your eyes were, but instead of answering, you fell against his chest, your arms wrapping tightly around him. 

The officer had to take some information, and once Minho had thanked him for escorting you home, he walked you into the house, pulling you down on the couch beside him. You told him what had happened, and he went through an array of emotions. Anger, sadness, panic, but most of all, he felt downright awful. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that’s what was happening?” He questioned as you laid against his chest, your fingers gripping tightly onto his shirt as your body continued to tremble. The fear that you had felt still hadn’t left, and he was sure it would be there for a while, and rightfully so. 

“Because I didn’t want you to get hurt trying to race to my job… I know how you are. I just wanted you to know that I love you…” You whispered back, your voice cracking as you started to cry once again. “I know that you love me, and I love you too, so much. I’m gonna drive you to and from work now… I can’t have anything happening to you… I’ve never been so scared in my life.” He murmured, his hand running soothingly up and down your back. Now that he knew you were safe, that fear and desperation that he had felt subsided but quickly turned to anger. He wanted nothing more than to hunt this guy down, to find out who it was and make him feel the same way you felt. You’re his everything, and he was going to do right by you no matter what it takes.

He was in the studio with Chan and Jisung, his phone muted so as to not ruin the recording process. Maybe he had just become complacent in the fact that nothing had ever happened before when you were on your way home, but he never felt the need to have his phone turned on when you were at work or while he was at the studio and you knew that. You’d text him at some point if you had the chance and vice versa, but you both knew that once the two of you were home you’d have so much to talk about it would keep you up for hours. 

“I’m gonna head out now, Y/N should be home by now.” Changbin said, getting up from his chair and stretching his arms above his head. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He was always the first to come in and get things started so that he could be the first to leave, not wanting you to be at home alone for too long. 

On his venture to the elevator, he finally pulled out his phone, noticing that his lockscreen was filled with missed calls from you from over an hour ago, and then a text from you from 25 minutes ago. You would never call him that much when he was in the studio… Unless there was an emergency… But there were never any emergencies. You worked right down the street from the house, what could possibly happen in that short amount of time? Unless there was an emergency in your job and you were trying to call him. 

Before even checking the text, he called you back, opting to take the stairs just to get out of the building faster as he held his phone up to his ear, waiting to hear your voice. “Binnie… I’m sorry I called so much… I’m okay now.” You whispered into your phone, and there was nothing truly relieving about what you said. You being okay now meant that you hadn’t been okay before and he wasn’t there to help you or even answer your calls when you needed him to. 

“What happened?” He urged, pushing through the exit door on the side of the building and coming out into the parking lot, slightly breathless from the amount of stairs he had just sprinted down in a matter of minutes. “Did you get hurt? Are you home? Where are you right now?” He needed more answers, but all he could hear were your shaky breaths over the line. “Baby… Talk to me, please.” 

He was getting more panicked the longer you stayed silent, and he could hear you softly sniffling as if you were crying. “I’m home… Not hurt… An officer escorted me home. I’ll tell you about it when you get in… Okay? I don’t want to talk about it when I’m by myself…” 

When he finally made it home and came through the door you were waiting for him right beside it, your cheeks stained with tear streaks, and you crashed into him as your body shook with uncontrollable sobs. “Shh… It’s okay… I’m here now…” He cooed, rubbing his hand soothingly over your back, although he still wasn’t sure what had truly happened, it must have been awful for you to be like this. “Tell me what happened…” 

As he sat and listened to you, all he could imagine was how scared you must have been. You were still shaking and you were already home, it must have been downright terrifying to be going through it at that moment. He wanted to know everything about what you possibly could have seen, what was the make of the car, what did the driver look like… He wanted to know every single detail. “Don’t try to find him… It’s not worth it…” You said shakily, holding tightly onto his hand. “It’s over now…” 

But it wasn’t over… Because you hadn’t seen the plate numbers, and all you could go off of was a vehicle description, and whoever this guy was… He was still out there. He could do it to someone else, he could come back and do it to you again… Changbin didn’t want to take those chances. For now though, he agreed, because he wanted to take care of you and make sure you were alright and make sure you felt safe. One thing he was certain about though… He’d never put his phone on silent again.

“I’m in my car now, I’ll text you when I get in the house. I love you!” The text came in and Hyunjin read it quickly, smiling to himself as he sank deeper into the couch at the dorms. You hadn’t been together very long, at least not long enough to take that step to moving in together, but he liked to know exactly when you got off work and exactly when you made it home. The second text that he had gotten used to, that he had timed almost perfectly to come in at least 7 to 10 minutes after the first text meant that you were safe and he’d finally be able to call you on the phone and hear your voice. 

When it went past 15 minutes and that second text didn’t come in, his initial thought was that you had just forgotten. Maybe work was just really tiring today and you ended up laying on the couch and passing out… But that didn’t make sense either… You’ve had days like that before and you still texted him to let him know you made it home safe… You just weren’t able to call him because you had gone straight to bed right after. 

“Hey honey… Did you make it home? Text me as soon as you can… I’m getting worried.” He quickly typed out the message, dropping his phone onto his lap as he nervously watched his screen. There were some nights that you’d stop at the store or the gas station on your way home, but even then, you’d text him beforehand that you planned on going there before going home, and then you’d text him when you made it to whatever destination you were headed to. 

After 5 minutes of you still not responding he couldn’t take it anymore, dialing your number quickly and heading to the front door. You had never gone this long without answering him, and you certainly wouldn’t have ignored a phone call from him. He even had his own special ringtone in your phone so you’d know it was him. Something must have happened, and his mind immediately jumped to the worst. 

“What’s going on?” Chan asked as he turned the corner from the kitchen, watching Hyunjin pull on his shoes. “You’re heading out?” Hyunjin never left this late at night, he’d usually already be in his room talking on the phone with you, his giddy voice heard through the walls, giving Jisung and Changbin perfect ammunition to tease him with the next morning. 

“Y/N hasn’t texted me to let me know she made it home… She didn’t answer my text or my call…” Hyunjin said, frantically looking around the room as if he was missing something, but it was just his phone which was still in his hand. He felt like a chicken running around with his head cut off, but the panic seemed reasonable at this point. “Can you drive me to her place?” Hyunjin asked, his eyes silently pleading with his hyung to say yes. 

“I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably just stuck in-” 

“No! She lives in a residential area… Her work is only a couple blocks away… She doesn’t have to go through traffic! Something happened!” Hyunjin shrieked, running his hands through his hair. “Look, if you’re not going to take me to her house, fine… I’ll catch a cab or something. But I need to be there. I need to make sure she’s alright.” 

So Chan relented, grabbing his keys off the hook and following Hyunjin out the door, trying his best to keep up with the younger guy who seemed to be racing against time as he ran down the hall to the stairs. 

In Hyunjins hurry to leave the dorms, he had forgotten to grab the key you had given him to get into your house, but he knew you weren’t home yet. The lights weren’t shining through the blinds in the window, there were no lights on at all. Your dog was still barking at the front door as he and Chan sat on your front porch. But what really gave away that you weren’t home was the fact that your car wasn’t parked out front. 

Every single set of headlights that came around the bend had Hyunjin standing up, checking to see if it were you only to dejectedly sit back down as the car sped past. You still hadn’t texted him back and his heart continued to sink deeper and deeper into the pit of his stomach the longer the silence lasted. 

Two sets of headlights came around, both of them lighting up the street, and this time Hyunjin didn’t even bother to stand up, his head dropping back down to stare at his phone screen as he expected them to drive right by like the other cars did… Until the car in front parked right in front of your house, and he realized that the car that had been driving behind was a cop car. 

He pushed himself up off the stairs, tripping over his feet as he ran down to meet you outside of your car, practically pulling you out of it once your seatbelt was unlatched. “Oh my baby… What happened?!” He cried, his eyes already welling up as he looked you over, checking for any sign of injury or harm, but all he could see was that you had been crying, you were still crying. “Baby…?” His voice lowered a little more as he looked at you with worry filled eyes, his bottom lip jutting out. 

“I am going to need some information. Your license and your phone number.” The cop said, and Hyunjins eyes widened. Did you get into an accident? Your car didn’t look damaged or dented, and you’d have surely called him if something like that did happen. He watched as you handed over your license to the officer, your hands trembling and your breaths shallow and uneven. “If something like that ever happens again, if you see that car or the driver, just call that number…” The officer handed you a tiny white card and gave you a sympathetic smile. “You’re okay, everything is gonna be okay.” 

He was more confused than ever now as he watched the officer climb back in his car, but he didn’t take the time to watch him drive away, quickly grabbing your bag and then leading you up to your house. “I’m sorry… Sorry for worrying you…” You croaked out as you kicked your shoes off and dropped down onto the couch, fresh tears spilling down your cheeks. 

“No… Don’t apologize…” Hyunjin squatted down in front of you, grabbing both of your hands and giving them a light squeeze. “The cop followed you home… What happened? Why?” He questioned, kissing the back of your hands before cupping your cheeks, brushing away your tears with his thumbs. 

“I was… followed home… I had to go all the way around… And they kept following me. They blinded me with their high beams and… I called the cops. I didn’t know what to do… I drove back up to work…” You explained, your breaths coming out more heavy, your words broken up by loud sobs as your head fell forward. “I was so scared, Hyunjin…” 

He didn’t say anything, instead he scurried up onto the couch, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you onto his lap, his hand moving up to the back of your head to bury your face in the crook of his neck. Hot tears fell against his skin as he rocked you, whispering I love you’s as he held you close against him. 

There wasn’t much he could do, it had already happened, it’s not like he would have been able to stop it. Now all he could do was try to fight that fear, to make you feel safe again. It wouldn’t be easy, but nothing worth fighting for was ever easy. “I’m moving in… I don’t want you to be alone. Text me when you get off work and I’ll get a ride down there just so I can ride with you back home. This’ll never happen again, I swear.”

The problem with being out of the country for tours was the fact that he couldn’t bring you with him. Not only was it protocol from his staff members and management themselves, but your work didn’t really allow you that much time off. Whenever he was away, the two of you depended on texts, calls, and video chats to talk to each other, and with him being so far away, he liked to know everything. He wanted minute by minute updates on how your day was going and whether you made it to and from work safely. The guys would always tease him and say he’s being a little redundant, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make sure the person you love is okay. 

Your work schedule was never consistent either, which sometimes made it hard for Jisung to relax. Sometimes you’d get off work at 8pm, and other times you wouldn’t even be leaving the building until 11pm. It just depended on how much you had to do, and that would leave him restless, waiting for your text to come in to let him know you were on your way home. 

Tonight seemed to be a late night, and even though he wasn’t back at the house waiting for you, he couldn’t help but anxiously look over at his phone every couple seconds to see if your text had come in. He was about to start a live stream, it was already 10:40pm where you were, and there hadn’t been a single text yet, so he decided to text you. 

“Hey pookie bear, I’m about to start the live. You can still text me to let me know when you get off and please let me know when you get home. I love you so so so much!! I can’t wait to be back home with you!” He quickly sent the text before setting his phone down to the side to start the stream, trying his best to shake the nerves so he could turn on the camera. 

15 minutes into the stream his phone started vibrating. It wasn’t a text, it was a phone call coming in, and one glance over had him reading your name. Maybe you hadn’t read his text, but you usually didn’t call him during a stream, and you rarely ever called him when you were on your way home, and he still hadn’t texted him… Something must be wrong. He looked to the staff member who seemed just as confused on what to do, but he decided to answer it anyway. He wasn’t going to just let it go to voicemail. 

“Sungie… Baby…” Your voice came through softly, slightly muffled by the sound of the car engine humming in the background. “I love you so much… You mean the world to me, and you’re so special, you’re so amazing at everything you do… And I’m just… I’m so lucky that you’re my boyfriend, and I really wish I could spend the rest of my life with you… I just wanted you to know that. I have to go now though… I’ll text you if I can… Love you…” 

Now, Jisung was rarely ever stunned into silence, but this call had him staring blankly at the staff behind the camera who hadn’t heard anything. The call ended so quickly, but you were clearly panicking, you were crying, and he had never felt so hopeless in his life. He was thousands of miles away, and now you weren’t answering any of his calls. “The fans are wondering where you went…” The staff member said, but how was he supposed to worry about the fans when you were clearly in trouble, or hurt, or both. 

“I don’t know if I can… I…” Jisung stammered, running his hands over his face, feeling his palms get dampened with the tears that had started to fall. “Y/N is in trouble and I really need to try to get a hold of her… I can’t get back on like this… I’m scared.” He explained, but the staff member rolled his eyes, coming over with a box of tissues and setting it down in front of Jisung before flicking back on the camera. 

He didn’t have a choice it felt, but once the camera was off and the stream was over, he’d be having a long talk with the managers about the staff member who clearly wasn’t concerned with anything but himself. For the time being, he pretended to read comments off his phone as he stared at the text screen, waiting for you to say something, anything, to let him know that you were okay. 

It felt like forever, but in actuality, it was only another 10 minutes before another one of your texts came in. “I’m home now… A cop followed me home to make sure I’d be okay. I don’t want to worry you, it’s over with now, but I know that you’ll still ask, but I was followed home… I’ll explain everything when I get the chance to, but right now I just want to take a shower and go to bed. I love you… I can’t wait to see you either.” 

The text wasn’t in any way helpful, it actually made him feel nauseous, knowing that he wasn’t there when you had clearly been through something so traumatic that it made you feel like you had to call him just to say goodbye. The stream was still going, but he couldn’t be bothered to focus on it anymore, his attention solely on his phone screen as he continued to read and reread the message. He couldn’t keep up the act though, and once he had fully processed what he read, he looked to the camera. “I have to go now, there’s an emergency. I’m sorry… Please be safe, STAY. I love all of you.” 

As soon as the camera was off and the live stream ended, the staff member was pissed, but Jisung was just as angry. He was angry at himself, angry at the guy who was now coming closer to grab the laptop who had selfishly forced him to continue to live stream. “This is ridiculous. I’m sure the managers are gonna be real happy, especially ending a stream like that. I can only imagine the rumors that’ll come up.” 

Jisung didn’t care about any of that though, all he cared about was you. He pushed himself up out of the chair and headed to his hotel room door, pulling it open and motioning for the staff member to leave. “There is an emergency, and my girlfriend being terrified after being followed home when she was leaving work isn’t ridiculous. She’s terrified and I’m not there to physically comfort her and the last thing I want to do is a fucking live stream pretending that everything is all sunshine and rainbows. So get out, I have to call her.” 

Since you were okay, Jisung couldn’t exactly use your fear as a reason to leave the tour early, much to his disappointment. He wanted you to come out to be with him though, even if only for a couple days to help get your mind off of what had happened, but of course, you were still needed at work and your job really didn’t care that you had gone through something like that… Which again, made Jisung hate your job more than he already did. 

The distance seemed to feel so much further after what happened though, and there was nothing that would make him fully relax until he got home. For now though, you both agreed to stay on the phone with one another whenever you were driving, even if he was on a stream or in the middle of a concert, he’d stop everything he was doing to make sure you made it work and back home safe without something like this happening for a second time, and that agreement carried on even when he got home from tour… And now when you got home and he was there, he’d be waiting for you at the front door with open arms. That fear wouldn’t just stick with you, but it stuck with him too… The fear of losing you, of not knowing what to do… He never wanted either of you to feel that way again.

Your schedule was erratic to say the least, there was never a set time to you getting off, and Felix, being the sunshine that he is, trusted that you’d get home safe without any problems every single night that you did work. That’s why he didn’t expect you to call him or text him, he just believed that everything would be fine, and when you did get home, you’d let him know all about your day as he sat beside you on the couch. 

Tonight was no different, other than the fact that he was staying at the dorms because he had to head out early for a music video shoot the very next morning. You knew about this, and while you both hated being away from each other, you understood that his work was demanding, and sometimes it demanded that he be away from you for long periods of time. Instead of talking about your days in person tonight, you both had agreed on video calling each other, which was something that he was excitedly awaiting. 

When his phone started to buzz, he jumped off the couch and ran to his bedroom, shutting the door and locking it before answering and flopping down on his bed, a smile spread across his face as he waited to hear your usually cheerful greeting. “Felix…” You gasped out his name, and the happiness that he had expected to hear wasn’t there at all. He immediately went into panic mode, sitting upright on his bed and holding his phone closer to his ear. “I…I’m being followed, I don’t know what to do… I already drove past the house and… They’re still following me. They almost drove right into me… Felix I’m scared… What do I do?” 

You were audibly crying which had his own tears on the brink of falling over the edge, his fingers gripping the sheets tightly as his leg bounced over the side of the bed. “Hang up, angel… Call the police. You have to call the cops, right now… Okay?” He urged, or, moreso, demanded you to do. He hated the fact that he told you to hang up, but he knew that there was nothing he could do from where he was at right now. 

“Y-Yeah… Okay… I love you.” Was how the call ended, not even having the opportunity to say it back. He couldn’t sit still, adrenaline was coursing through his veins, and he wanted to go to you, he wanted to go to your apartment and wait for you there just to know that you made it home safe. The worst part was that he didn’t even know where you were going right now, he should have asked, but he didn’t want to waste anymore time which was essential to you and your safety at that moment. 

He couldn’t even stand to be cramped in his room that felt a little bit too small right now, walking out into the main room where the guys were sitting, and as if his emotions were like a cloud that had hit all of them at once, their heads lifted to look at him, questioning the tension that was radiating off of him in waves. “Y/N is being followed… Fuck! I don’t even know where she’s at right now… And she’s on the phone with the cops… I can’t call her…” He ranted, his hands running anxiously through his hair. 

“Do you want to drive out there to her apartment to make sure she makes it home? I can drive you there.” Minho offered, and Felix looked around the room once before nodding his head in agreement, shuffling over to the door and pulling on the first pair of shoes he could find. “I’m sure she’ll be okay. She’s a smart girl, she probably went back to her work.” His hyung tried his best to instill comforting thoughts, but Felix couldn’t stop thinking the worst. 

“Why would anyone follow her? Why would someone try to scare her like that? They could have caused her to get in an accident! What if they were trying to hurt her?!” Felix continued to ramble, and there was truly nothing that anyone could say to get him to think otherwise, not until he saw you again and made sure that you were truly okay. 

Just as Minho pulled up outside the apartment building, you were pulling into your parking spot, followed by an officer who parked a little further away. You seemed to be in a daze when you climbed out of the car, not even noticing that Felix and Minho were right there. Your keys jingled at your side from how much you were shaking, and he hated seeing you this way. He hated to know that someone, some stranger, had caused you to get like this. 

“Angel…” Felix blurted out, causing you to jump and drop your keys, which he rushed over to pick up off the ground before you could even begin to bend over to grab them. “You’re alright?” He questioned, holding you at arms length to check you over, and once he saw that you were okay, other than the crying, he pulled you against his chest. “You’re alright. You’re safe now…” He cooed, not even wanting to let you go for a minute to get out of the street and walk you into the apartment. 

“It was awful… I’ve never been more scared… My hands were shaking… I never use my phone while I’m driving… I couldn’t even focus… I thought I’d crash…” You choked out, your face still buried in his shirt as he continued to pet his hand over your hair. “He… He flashed his headlights at me… And I wasn’t going to stop… I just kept going… And I was scared my gas would run out and…” 

Felix shushed you, not wanting you to continue reliving those moments, at least not right now. You were safe with him, you were okay, although the mention of the headlights had him remembering a news report he had seen a while back about what that sometimes meant and it made him sick to his stomach. “You’re such a smart girl, angel… You did great. I’m gonna stay with you tonight, and all day tomorrow. I’ll head to the set the next day. I’m gonna get you one of those dash cameras… I gotta make sure my angel is safe, always.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead, giving you a soft sympathetic smile. “Let’s get inside, get you something to drink, and then we can lay down and cuddle for the rest of the night… How does that sound?”

“What time do you think you’re getting off tonight?” Seungmin asked from the back room, the stylist working around his phone that he had held up to his ear. Hearing your voice always helped calm his nerves before he did an interview, although he’d never tell anyone else that. 

“Not sure… It’s a late night tonight. I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do when I finish actually working.” You answered dejectedly. Seungmin hated how much your job seemed to overwork you, and it wasn’t just that, but they didn’t even show any sort of appreciation for the things that you did. There was no raise in your near future, although Seungmin would always be the first one demanding that you get one whenever you brought it up. No one even thanked you, it’s like they simply expected it of you, which pissed him off. 

“You know that I’d take care of you. You don’t have to stay there.” He reminded you, and he heard your tired chuckle, one that usually meant that you wanted to take him up on the offer, but you couldn’t take him up on the offer either, and that’s why he never pushed the issue any further. “I’m doing an interview, but you know the number for the staff if there’s an emergency, right?” You hummed in agreement, and he sighed quietly. “Text me as soon as you get off work and as soon as you get through the front door. Okay?” 

“Alright. I love you.” You whispered, and you couldn’t see it, but his cheeks raised and turned a light shade of pink, his heart fluttering at those three words. You were the only person that could ever make him get like this. “I gotta get back to work. I can’t wait to hear about the interview tonight.” 

“Mm… I’ll tell you all about it. Don’t overwork yourself… And don’t play your music too loud in the car, you won’t be able to hear anything.” He preemptively scolded you, and he knew that you were rolling your eyes, but you always played your music a little bit too loud… Something that worried him when he knew you were driving home alone at night. He wished that he could be there waiting for you when you got home, but he’d be there soon enough, and that’s what was going to get him through the interview. 

About 30 minutes into the interview, Seungmin saw one of the staff members bring their phone up to their ear, their mouths immediately falling as they listened to whatever it was that was going on. Seungmin was observant, but he wouldn’t have thought anything of it if the member didn’t make direct eye contact with him before walking further away from the interview set. 

None of the other guys seemed to notice, and neither did the interviewer, they were all still talking and goofing off, making it harder for Seungmin to even try to hear what was being said. “I’m not feeling too well, can I have a minute?” He said, still staring at the staff member who seemed to be on the phone still. The guys all turned to look at him, but he didn’t have time to answer their questions, not when he had his own that he needed answers to. 

By the time he got up and made his way over to the staff member, the call seemed to be over, but the girl who had answered the call seemed to still be a little shaken up. Whatever it was, it must be bad. Once she noticed he was standing there, her head was already shaking, her mouth opening and closing as if she didn’t know what to say, which only annoyed Seungmin. If it was serious, he wanted to know right now. “She called… Y/N called… She was crying and panicking and… She said she was being followed and… She said she’s on her way back to her work now and she’s calling the police… I told her to call them…” 

Seungmins mind was immediately going through different scenarios, a multitude of different reasons for something like this to be happening. He was trying to be as rational as possible, which was quite hard to do when the worry was setting in and he felt absolutely helpless as your boyfriend. “Good… Good… That’s good…” He rambled, his eyes squeezing shut as he tried to think of what to do. “Let them know that I need to go… I need to get up to her work right now…” 

There was only a short list of people that would follow you and have you panicking so badly. It was either a crazed fan that wanted to get to Seungmin or wanted to hurt you for being with him, or some absolute psychotic stranger. Crazily enough, it would be better if it were a fan honestly, at least Seungmin would know the motive and knew that most of them were hopefully not dumb enough to do something crazy in a public space such as your work. If it were a stranger… He didn’t know what they were capable of, and that scared the hell out of him. 

It felt like he was racing against time, and in that race, the staff member that was driving seemed to catch every single red light. It was aggravating, it was infuriating, and what was worse was the fact that you still hadn’t answered any of his texts which he had been sending out every five seconds, and the only reason it was taking that long was because he needed to type them out. 

By the time he got to your work, the cop was just pulling up. You had been sitting out in your car in front of the store for that long just waiting for an officer, and that too bothered him to no end. What if something bad had happened? Why didn’t the officer come quicker? He didn’t even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before jumping out and running over to your passenger door and knocking on the window. 

“Excuse me!” The officer shouted, rushing over to Seungmin, but you quickly rolled down the window, exclaiming that he was your boyfriend and unlocking the door so he could climb in. Of course, the officer needed to take down some information which seemed to take even longer when all Seungmin wanted to do was get back to the house with you and comfort you. 

“I didn’t want to ruin the interview…” You murmured as you put the car in drive, slowly taking off and heading back down the street. “I didn’t think they’d tell you… I’m sorry for making you leave.” If you weren’t driving, Seungmin would have kissed you to get you to stop thinking that way. An interview definitely wasn’t more important than your safety. “Are the guys mad?” 

Seungmin sighed, his head leaning back against the headrest but turned in your direction so he could look at you. Your knuckles had turned pale from how tight you were gripping the steering wheel, and your body was still shaking. You shouldn’t be driving like this. “This would be quite a stupid thing to get mad about, wouldn’t it? If you need me, I’m always going to run to you, before anything else. You’re my priority first and foremost.” He explained, and you nodded your head slowly, shakily sniffling as your bottom lip began to tremble. “I love you… That’s why I ran to you. She didn’t even have to tell me what was going on… As soon as she looked at me and I saw that look on her face, I asked her what happened. I’m so sorry you had to go through that by yourself… But never again…” 

You shook your head, your face scrunching up as you gasped sharply. “I still have to drive at night to get home from work. I… I don’t know if I can… Just the thought of it…” Your head dropped as you came to a stop sign, your hands quickly wiping the tears from your cheeks, and he wished he could have done it for you. “I’ve never… I don’t ever… God… Seungmin I’m so scared… What if they do it again?” If it were to happen again, if the same person were to come after you… Seungmin wouldn’t hold back. They were messing with the most precious thing in his life, and the fact that they had gotten away with it now, they should count themselves lucky. But Seungmin wouldn’t allow it to happen again, he wouldn’t allow you to be put in a situation where it could happen again. “I know you, for some reason, feel like you need to stay at your job. I’m not going to take that away from you… But I don’t want you driving at night by yourself again… Ever again. I’ll have one of the staff members come pick you up. Or I’ll have them drop me off so that I can ride with you. Either way… If you truly want to keep working there on that shift… You’re not driving alone at night anymore. I love you, and I don’t think I’d be able to live if anything ever happened to you. I’m going to make sure you’re safe. Always.”

He was performing tonight on Music Bank, and you had told him that you’d try to make it home in time to catch his performance. Of course, he told you it would be okay if you didn’t, and that he didn’t want you rushing to get done and potentially getting hurt trying to get home too fast. He already had your TV set up to record their episode just in case you weren’t home in time to see it. 

Your break managed to come at just the time that he was getting done up by his stylist, sending you silly little selfies to try to make you feel better after you had told him about how awful and busy your day had been. “I’m hoping I’ll be done soon, and then I can get home and change into my pajamas before the show starts.” 

Even though it made him beyond happy to know that you so eagerly wanted to see him perform, he wanted you to be safe, and he appreciated you regardless of whether you caught the show or not, just the fact that you wanted to rush so you could catch it was enough for him. “You have time… So please, take it. You won’t miss anything anyway, you’ve already seen us perform it multiple times in the practice room.” 

He could sense your eye roll just from staring at his phone screen, the way his message was left on read a couple seconds before the three dots appeared to show you were typing back. “Yeaaaah…. But I still want to watch it. I’m ending my break early just so I can get done faster. I love youuuuu. Hugs and kisses mwah mwah!!” 

How could you be so cute even over text? God, he loved you, and now it only made him worry more about how fast you’d be driving to try to get back home. He quickly typed out his last response. “Please drive the speed limit. I love you most. Seriously… Be safe.” 

15 minutes before the show was about to start, he got another text, and he quickly grabbed his phone from off the vanity table, his heart swelling when he read your message. “I’m fast as fuck baybeeee!!! I’m gonna make it home in time to see your performance. I might not catch the interview before hand though :(“ 

He chuckled to himself, hiding his phone from the guys as he texted you back. “That’s alright, but now that I know you’ll be watching, I’ll do so much better. Get home safe baybeeee! I love you a bunch!” He never thought he’d be this sappy, but with you, it didn’t even make him cringe. He just loved you so damn much, it was like you alone were making his earth spin. 

It didn’t take you that long to get home, he knew the drive from your work to your house by heart, and he was sure that you’d be able to make it home just by the end of the interview. His mind was soaring, thinking of ways that he could do facial expressions or certain moves just for you, things that only you would recognize that you’d know were for you only. It was one of his favorite things to do, giving you something to look for while he was dancing, and then coming home to hear from you if you actually caught it. 

As he stepped out on stage, he found his camera and smiled at it, giving a small wave to the lens before getting into place. This performance would be for you, entirely for you. He couldn’t wait for you to see it. 

He was sweaty, breathless, but excited as he rushed back off to the dressing room, grabbing his phone off the vanity and getting even more giddy when he saw the missed phone call and voicemail from you. It was probably you telling him just how amazing he was and that you had caught the little hand sign and wink that he had done for you. 

Dropping down into his seat, he played the voicemail, full volume because honestly, he didn’t care if the guys heard. You’d probably be complimenting all of them as well in the message. “Jeongin!” Your voice sounded through his speakers, and he wasn’t used to you saying his name like that, especially with that tone, and he immediately perked up in his seat. The sound of your voice had already gotten the attention of the other guys in the room and they had all begun to crowd around Jeongins chair as they listened with him. “Fuck… Fuck fuck… What do you want?!” You whimpered, the sound of your obvious crying and clear panic had Jeongin on edge, his eyes widening as he looked up at Chan. “I love you… And I’m really sorry I didn’t get to catch your performance but I know you and the guys did amazing. Uhm… Shit… Okay… I’m being followed and… And I have to go but… I just wanted you to know that I love you, okay? Don’t forget that.” The kissy sound at the end of the call wasn’t how Jeongin remembered it sounding, but he couldn’t even focus entirely on that. 

You were being followed, and instead of calling the cops first, you called him. Why would you call him? How bad was it? The call came in almost 10 minutes ago. “Call her… See if she answers.” Chan urged, but Jeongin couldn’t seem to get his fingers to move, he couldn’t even seem to breathe evenly as his mind went into a frenzy. “Someone call her! Minho, Changbin, you get him to Y/N’s apartment, someone go find one of the security and go see if they can find out where she is.” 

Minho was on the phone in seconds, dialing your number as he and Changbin ushered a seemingly shellshocked Jeongin out of the room. He was shaking, his phone still tightly gripped in his hand as he robotically followed behind the guys. “Everything is gonna be okay. I’m like… 99% sure she’s okay.” Changbin said, patting Jeongins back as he climbed into the back seat of Changbins car. 

“What about the other 1%?” Jeongin whispered anxiously from the back as Changbin climbed into the car. The two older guys both turned to look at Jeongin, confused about the question, but his hand slapped against the seat beside him. “What about the 1%?! You said you were 99% sure that she’s okay… So what about the other 1%?!” 

Changbin took a deep breath, looking to Minho who only shook his head as he continued trying to call your phone that was going to voicemail as well. “Don’t think about the other 1%. She’s fine. Okay?” 

Jeongin was completely zoned out the entire ride to your house, unable to think of anything except your voicemail. He had never heard you sound so scared and that fear was contagious, he was terrified for you, with you. He didn’t even realize how long Changbin had been driving until the car came to a stop, and he finally looked out the window to see that it was parked right outside of your house. 

The light from the TV was flickering through the blinds, and without a word or a look back, he climbed out of the car and ran to your door, his fist coming down harshly against it. He immediately regretted it though, wondering if the sudden loud knocking would frighten you more, but the door swung open and he saw you, illuminated by the light of the room behind you, already dressed in your pajamas, but your eyes were still puffy and your nose was still sniffling. You had been crying still. 

“Innie…” You croaked out his name, and he quickly pulled you into his arms, inhaling the scent of you, simply wanting to hold you after being worried for so long that he had lost you. “I’m sorry I missed it… I was watching it though… Just now…” 

He sighed softly, shaking his head as he tilted your back with his finger, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “I’m not worried about that. God… I’m just… I’m happy that you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if something had happened to you…” But he cut himself off, biting his bottom lip to keep from pessimistically rambling about all of the awful things that could have happened. “You’re okay though? Not hurt?” 

You shook your head in response, giving him a small smile. “Just a little shaken up… You’re here now though… I feel a lot better.” You were acting so strong, and he knew that you were only doing it because you could see how scared he had been. “I shouldn’t have called you and worried you like that… It was a… Just in case call… So that you’d know that-” 

He kissed you again, stopping you from continuing that thought. “I’m glad you called me…” He kissed you again, his hands cupping your cheeks now as he brushed his thumbs along your dampened cheeks. “But I want you to call the police first if anything like that happens again… I really want you to move to the morning shift so that nothing like that happens again…” You nodded your head slowly as your sniffles subsided until they weren’t heard anymore. “And I’m gonna get my permit… I’m gonna learn how to drive, I’ll have the guys teach me… I don’t want you driving by yourself anymore. I’ll be your personal chauffeur. Until then… I’ll just ride with you and wait up at your work until you get off.” You scoffed, but he wasn’t joking, and you quickly realized that. “You don’t know how worried I was… I wouldn’t be able to live anymore if you were gone.”

[h50europe]

Some funny know it all doesn't believe dear Tommy could be part of saving Athena. I did a little write up.

Pilot's daughter heads up. How do pilots train flying an airliner? Imagine, Boeing has so-called flight simulators of different plane types and models. Let's say Athena's plane is a 747, there is a flight simulator with the exact same cockpit. If B*die edits weren't the only thing you watch, you'd know videos/movies, where pilots sit in these simulators and talk civilians with no clue through the process of flying a plane. They go through it step by step while simulating the situation on the ground. You can simulate anything, weather, daytime, nighttime, instrument failures, even a plane crash. Meanwhile you have flight simulators for Xbox or PlayStation. But I go with the real ones. The basic instruments are the same in every plane. Like altitude, speed, horizon. Plus there is also the autopilot you can use, if working. Landing nowadays is mostly fully automated. So yes, Tommy sitting in one of these, supervising Athena is a thing. And that is only one scenario out of many for 8.02+03. You can also fly parallel to the airliner and talk her through, or sit in the tower with a manual of the airliner... Anything is possible in 9-1-1. And no, I don't do videos. I prefer old-school writing.

[cityof2morrow]

CDK: Company Cafeteria

Published: 9-25-2024 | Updated: N/A SUMMARY Cubic Dynamics by John B. Cube and Marcel Dusims forged the future with furnishings that were minimalist in design and maximalist in erudite pretension. Generations later, the company continues to produce edge-of-cutting-edge designs. Use the Cubic Dynamics Kitbash (Simmons, 2023-2024) collection to set up corporate, exposition, and office environments. Envisioned as an add-on to the Cubic Dynamics set (EA/Maxis, archived at GOS), it features minimalist and retro-futuristic objects. Find more CC on this site under the #co2cdkseries tag. Read the Backstory and ‘Dev Notes’ HERE. The COMPANY CAFETERIA set includes edited versions of the Focus Kitchen (Tolli/Simgedoehns) which are now linked to the recolors/textures in the #co2cdkseries. Use it to set up a cafeteria, breakroom or food court in your businesses.

DETAILS All EPs/SPs. §See Catalog for Pricing | See Buy/Build Mode You need the Company Expo (Mesh Pack) set (Simmons, 2024) for TXTRs to show properly in game. ALL files with “MESH” in their name are REQUIRED. You may need “move objects” and “grid on/off” cheats to place some objects to your liking. When placing partitions/floating shelves and tables/desks/counters on the same tile, place the partition/shelves first. I recommend using this set with Object Freedom 1.02 (Fway, 2023), which includes Numenor’s fix for OFB shelves (2006), for easier use overall. ITEMS Counter 001 (747 poly) Counter 002 (963 poly) Cupboard 001 (90 poly) - bookcase Dining Chair (1703 poly, HIGH) Dishwasher (1014 poly) Fridge (315 poly) Microwave (280 poly) Microwave Cupboard (450 poly) Oven Hood (516 poly) Sink (1036 poly) Stove (1520 poly, HIGH) Table Element (14 poly) Table Legs (Right/left) (24 poly) Trash Compactor (1872 poly, HIGH) Wall Cabinet 001 (Deco) (132 poly) Wall Cabinet 002 (110 poly) Wall Shelf (Functional) (126 poly) DOWNLOAD (choose one) CAFETERIA MESHES from SFS | from MEGA CAFETERIA RECOLORS from SFS | from MEGA COMPATIBILITY AVOID DUPLICATES: The #co2cdkseries includes edited versions – replacements - for items in the following CC sets: 4ESF (office 3, other 1/artroom, other 2/build), All4Sims/MaleorderBride (miskatonic library, office, postmodern office), CycloneSue (never ending/privacy windows), derMarcel (inx office), Katy76/PC-Sims (bank/cash point, court/law school sets, sim cola machine), Marilu (immobilien office), Murano (ador office), Reflex Sims (giacondo office), Retail Sims/HChangeri (simEx, sps store), Simgedoehns/Tolli (focus kitchen, loft office, modus office), ShinySims (modern windows), Shoukeir via Sims2Play(reverie office, step boxes/shelving), Spaik (sintesi study), Stylist Sims (offices 1,2, & 3, Toronto set), Tiggy027 (wall window frames 1-10), Wall Sims (holly architecture, Ibiza). *The goal is link the objects to the recolors/new functions in the #co2cdkseries without re-inventing the wheel! Credit to the original creators.

CREDITS Thanks: EarlyPleasantview/EPV, Panda, Soloriya, ChocolateCitySim, HugeLunatic, Klaartje, Ocelotekatl, Whoward69, LoganSimmingWolf, Gayars, Ch4rmsing, Ranabluu, Gummilutt, Crisps&Kerosene, LordCrumps, PineappleForest. Sources: Any Color You Like (CuriousB, 2010), Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik). SEE CREDITS (ALT)

[boeingboingboing]

Oh yeahh, also the 747's name has been decided! It's Atlas. Thanks to @sashathedoge for recommending it!

Here they finally are! The airliner trio. Some sketches I made recently, and did not want to postpone their introduction because drawing them takes time unlike sketching.

First up, here's the Boeing 787-8, Julian, with his wife who is Boeing 747-8 heh. He works for American airlines where as the 747 works for UPS.

-> I uh need some help in naming the 747 so I am open to suggestions.

Second is Charlie! He works for Delta airlines and is an Airbus 350-900.

Last one is a 777-300ER who works for United. His name is Austin :)

P.S: sorry for shitty camera quality as always lmao.

[pandemichub]

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Please advocate for evacuation of incarcerated people, homeless people, disabled people, those in care settings, immigrants and animals (pets, wild life and farm animals). Don't leave people behind ❤️

ID: The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies @disasterstrat

Disability and Disaster Hotline 800-626-4959 linktr.ee/disasterstrat

Disability-Led Response Supporting @FightForRightUA

disasterstrategies.org

ID: New Disabled South@DisabledSouth

Working to achieve liberation and justice for disabled people in the U.S. South | 501c3 nonprofit | Check out our 501c4 arm @DisSouthRising newdisabledsouth.org

Also visit hcbssouth.org

Fight for prisoners to evacuate:

Insta caption screenshot

anthony.depice @arianajasmine__: Thank you @fighttoxicprisons for all of this information - please give them a follow.

Jails Not Evacuating-

Manatee County Central Jail- Mandatory Evac Zone A Ran by Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells-

**Twitter- @ ManateeSheriff

**Instagram - @manateecountysheriff

Phone- **General Line- (941)-747-3011

****Extension 2222 - Office of the Sheriff ****Extension 2915 - Central Jail Information ****Extension 1549 - Public Safety Communications Center

Lee County Jail- Mandatory Evac Zone A

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno-

**Twitter- @ SheriffLeeFL Llll

**Instagram- leesherif

Phone- **Main Headquarters - (239) 477-1350 **Main Jail - (239) 477-1500

Tweet elicia donze @eliciadonze. 28m

FREE SHUTTLES TO SHELTERS IN THE TAMPA EVAC ZONE.

CALL 800-729-3413 FOR ASSISTANCE. FL Division of Emergency M... • 18h

Tomorrow, 10/8, there will be free shuttles operating in Pinellas, Pasco & Hillsborough counties assisting with #Milton evacuations to shelters.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 FREE EVACUATION SHUTTLES Free shelters and free transport assistance available

PINELLAS PASCO HILLSBOROUGH

Call 800-729-3413, 7 am - 7pm for Evacuation Assistance

Visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates for times & locations

Tweet Art Candee @ArtCandee

It's sad how many people don't know that there are shuttles that will pick you up from your home and take you to a free shelter during Hurricane Milton. The fact that people still push the "poor people can't afford to evacuate" line is really sad.

Please help combat this and spread the phone number to request a shuttle, and let people know Uber and Lyft are also offering free or discounted rides to evacuate the storm and get to a shelter.

Also important to note that there are shelters who are specially equipped for people with special needs.

UBER AND LYFT TO PROMO CODE: miltonrelief

SHUTTLE #FOR EVERYONE EVACUATION ZONES: 1 (800) 729-3413

UBER AND LYFT TO EVACUATE CODE: miltonrelief SHUTTLE

#FOR EVERYONE EVACUATION ZONES 1 (800)729-3413

ID: Erin Regan Animal Sanctuary IF YOU ARE EVACUATING FROM FLORIDA AND HAVE NOWHERE TO GO OR CANNOT AFFORD A HOTEL...

We have 40 acres in Picayune, Mississippi where you, your horses, farm animals, and pets can ride out the storm. We are about 9 hours from Tampa.

Tents and RVs welcome.

Please email tracypaula@erinregananimalsanctuary.com for assistance.

Tweet elicia donze @eliciadonze

PET FRIENDLY SHELTERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TELL YOUR FRIENDS Hillsborough County @HillsboroughFL.

Quoted tweet

Hillsborough County will open nine emergency storm shelters at 2:30 p.m., today, Oct. 7 for residents in evacuation Zones A and B, and those whose homes are vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, and wind damage....

Hillsborough County Florida EST. 1834 Hillsborough County to open the following emergency storm shelters at 2:30 p.m., today, Oct.7:

Hillsboro county Florida graphic.

Hillsborough county to open the following emergency storm at two therapy today, October 7

Burnett middle school 1010 N. Kingsway Rd., Seffner, FL 33584 pet friendly

Middleton high school 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa, FL 33610 pet friendly.

Durant High school 4748 Cougar Path city, FL 33567 pet friendly.

Sickles high school 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL 33626, pet friendly

Shields middle school 15732 Shields Way, Tampa, FL 33626 pet friendly

Pizzo elementary school 11701 Bull Run Drive, Tampa, FL 33617 general population, not pet friendly

Erwin technical College 2010 Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33610 special needs only, pet friendly

Sumner high school 106050 County Rd. 672 Riverview, FL 33579 special meets only, pet friendly

Strawberry crest high school 4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover, FL 33527 special needs only, pet friendly

hcl.gov/stay safe

Dr. Serena Arnold

You don't necessarily need to leave the state or drive hundreds of miles. Sometimes 5 or 10 mile difference will make all the difference.

Deadliest part of a hurricane is the storm surge.

If you live 20 feet of elevation or lower these are the people who need to evacuate.

Find out your elevation if you don't know it at WhatIsMyElevation.com. Compare it with the storm surge forecast at NHC.NOAA.gov.

Summary

"Number 1, shelters cannot and should not ask for your ID in order to access them. You have a right to seek shelter regardless of your immigration status, regardless of your citizenship status and regardless of whether or not you have a government ID on you.

Number 2, well undocumented immigrants may not qualify for FEMA assistance, their children with citizenship do.

Number 3, ICE should not be operating at this time as it is a state of emergency.

Absolutely nobody should be deterred from being safe during a natural disaster."

[mrsniallhoran505]

Good Morning Austin Girls!

Theme 747: you are good enough

GMAG! Tag List:

Sometimes tags work sometimes they don’t!

If you want to be added to the tag list, please send me a message.

@ilovemycrayons @blurredcolour @dre6ming @slowsweetlove @pennyroyalcreep @austiebuttbutt @lisathewife101 @jojam10 @xxindiglow @crackerbarrelslut @katsukis1wife @purejasmine @feral-fae-writes @eliseinmemphis @klizzie93 @scarlet-sunsets @austinbutlermischief @dazzledbycarrie @sunset-striptease-too @chasingwildflowers @justafangir1 @kctj82 @alikaheroes @xanatenshi @b-bradshaw @armoredbutterfly93 @auvis @ifuckindontknow @imjustheretoreadsmuthaha @thenatallie @cynic-spirit

[todaysdocument]

Letter from J. B. Densmore to the Secretary of State Regarding the Number of American Citizens Who Had Sailed for and Returned from Europe from August 1 to August 12, 1914

Record Group 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization ServiceSeries: Subject and Policy FilesFile Unit: European War - German Refugees - Deportation of Italians - Alien Deportations

53854/39 August 14, 1914.

The Honorable,

The Secretary of State.

Sir:

In reply to your telegram of the 12th instant, requesting information as to the number of American citizens who have sailed for Europe since August 1st and the number who have returned to America from Europe since that date, I beg to inclose a table, prepared by the Bureau of Immigration, giving the desired data for the period from August 1st to 12th, inclusive.

Respectfully,

[stamped in blue] EXACT COPY AS SIGNED BY J. B. DENSMORE MAILED BY [/stamped in blue]

Acting Secretary.

[8/14 and illegible letter written over the stamped information]

SWM-F

Inclosure No. 1070.

Arrivals of United States citizens from Europe August 1 to 12, 1914, inclusive:

Port First Second Third Total

Class Class Class

New York 2265 2136 1076 5477

Boston 144 460 63 667

Philadelphia 2 150 46 198

Canadian Seaports 494 413 310 1217

Total 2905 3159 1495 7559

Departures of United States citizens for Europe August 1 to 12, 1914, inclusive:

Port First Second Third Total

Class Class Class

New York 284 595 747 1626

Boston 8 62 12 82

Philadelphia 73 29 102

New Orleans 4 4

Total 296 730 788 1814

Departures via Canadian Seaports are unreported.

[blackdollette]

hi i haven’t seen too many rory fics so i was wondering if u could do one where he’s getting ready at 7 in the morning for an interview and reader wakes up to him in the bathroom getting ready but she’s like extremely horny (like morning wood but for girls ;)) but she’s also like extremely tired cus it’s rlly early

and rory sees her and is like really sweet and goes to kiss her head say gm and give her a hug but when he tries to pull away he realizes that she’s like gripping him not letting him go and he’s like “babe i gotta finish getting ready” but she’s just holding onto his waist and rory’s all confused until she like looks up at him with eye bags and red shot doe eyes (but rory still thinks she’s beautiful ofc ;)) and is like “can you help me?”and rory’s confused at first but then realizes what she means when she slowly starts to take her panties off and then he’s like “you’re so tired tho” kind of laughing at her neediness but she’s like begging like “please?” with doe eyes n shit basically still half asleep but he gives in but is like “we hv to go quick cant b late” and he fucks her good and hard and like he’s holding both her legs up giving her a so much pleasure from the angle and he’s a little rough with her like grabbing her face and choking her and whispering dirty things into her ear and she’s like so tired but she’s staying up thru it and right after they cum she like falls asleep and he finds it really cute and is like “gn baby” and gives a her sweet goodbye kiss. :3

(dis is so much im so sorry)

ask & you shall recieve :))

"i need you." | rory culkin

off to the races. - lana del rey

female!reader x rory

word count: 747

contents: unprotected sex, p in v, creampie

p.s. i didn't write this with the intention of directing any disrespect towards rory's relationship :))

you rolled over as you felt the morning sun hitting your face. you slowly opened your eyes, letting them adjust to the light. you glanced at the alarm clock on your bedside table. it read 7:02am. you got out of bed, slipping on your robe and stumbling to the bathroom, seeing rory getting ready through the crack in the door.

you opened the door and walked in, wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug. he gave you a soft kiss on the forehead before trying to brush you off, but you kept a tight grasp on him. you were so sleepy, but all you wanted was to be with him right then. you’d woken up feeling so needy for pleasure, so you weren’t ready to let him leave.

he looked at you, still trying to get you off of him. “i’ve gotta get to work, baby. i have an interview at 8 and i don’t want to miss the train.” you put your head on his shoulder and groaned. he lifted up your head and made you look at him, looking into your eyes. it was clear that you hadn’t had the best night.

your soft was soft and a little raspy. “i need you, baby. please. don’t go yet…” you looked at him, your big pleading eyes staring into his soul. and he noticed how your hips were just slightly grinding on his legs. he looked at your body in your robe, seeing as it revealed some of your cleavage. he looked down as you fiddled with your lacy panties, and he knew exactly what you were getting at.

you were making his mind wander. he surely couldn’t go to work without settling this matter, so he sighed as he reached his hands down to his belt, unbuckling it quickly. he pulled you into a passionate kiss, running his hands down your body as he picked you up and set you by the sink, helping you take off your robe. 

he tossed it onto the ground and stared at your body for a moment, fully taking in your beauty. he pulled himself into you, starting to kiss your neck softly as he took off your soaked panties. you ran your fingers through his hair as your body grew warmer. your tongues started dancing together as he slowly rubbed your clit.

you whined as he teased you, but you both knew that you’d have to be as quick as possible. so he lined up his cock with your entrance before pushing it in. you moaned loudly. it felt so good to finally be filled up like this. he wasted no time thrusting into you. you wrapped your arms around his body as he pushed himself in and out of you. 

deep groans were coming out of him. it was clear that he’d wanted this too. he kept your legs apart and circled your clit with his thumb. the room filled with your noises, them surely being loud enough to wake up the entire neighbourhood.

he gently grabbed your face and started speaking to you in between groans. “you feel so good, baby. just wanna make you feel good…” he started going faster with his movements, syncing his fingers with his thrusts. you were a moaning mess, tugging at his hair and feeling yourself losing control.

you started bucking your hips into his touch, feeling your body finally getting the relief that its been craving. he made sure to hit that perfect spot everytime, feeling as your pussy clenched around him. his groans became raspier the more frequent he got. you were both painfully close to such a satisfying orgasm.

his chest heaved up and down with each breath. “cum with me, baby… ” and that was all you needed to hear before completely letting yourself go, releasing all your cum on his cock. he looked down at the white ring around his length as precum started shooting from his tip. with one final thrust, he came inside of you. there was so much that when he pulled out, you were connected by a thick string of cum.

time was running short, so he didnt have to time take care of you like he usually did. so he carried you back to bed, you almost instantly falling asleep as your head hit the pillow. he smiled and pressed a loving kiss to your forehead. then he walked to the door and walked out without a sound.

author's note: this has been sitting in my drafts for a while. so sorry for the delay but i hope you enjoyed it :))

[benkaden]

Ansichtskarte

Rostock-Warnemünde Hotel Neptun Snak-Bar [sic]

Reichenbach (Vogtl): BILD UND HEIMAT REICHENBACH (VOGTL) (V 11 50 A 1/B 747/75 01 01 31 293)

Foto: Bild und Heimat ([Heribert] Darr)

1975

[fourchuu]

Day 19: Palette 3

Character(s): Vivienne

wc:  747

The sand was hot but it was as soft as ever. Back home in Playa, Vivienne was fond of laying in the sand. Feeling the sun tan her skin as her family played in the water. Here, it was more dangerous but it felt the same. Warm and comforting. It was dryer here than in Playa, a plus. But it lacked that smell. The salt, the fresh seafoam that washed over the shores.

But Vivienne can't complain, the people here are nice and there are far more of them than Playa.

Walking outside, she threw on her thin shawl and began walking. Her job wasn't far, but it was a good walk away. Enough to see the scenery everyday. The nude-ish orange buildings decorated with bold teals and pinks. The dark green cacti with bright pink prickly pears blooming from the arms.

Women and their children sitting outside talking to neighbors, occasionally waving to Vivienne as she passes by.

Vivienne walks to a pale yellow building, it's a two story, squat but full of everything one needs. Inside is the town curandera, a wise older woman well practiced in her herbal medicine. Walking through the wooden door, Vivienne is greeted with the soft scent of sandalwood.

"Ah, Vivienne." She smiles, sitting on a stool putting together sachets of herbs.

"Come here, it's a slow day."

Vivienne walks over, sitting across from her. She picks up some sachets and begins filling with each herb displayed on the table.

"How are you?"

"I'm good, Gloria, how are you?"

"Same as always." She laughed.

They continued packing things together, a bit of anise, some nettle leaves, a few pieces of clove.

"We got a shipment this morning, could you unload the boxes?"

"Of course." Vivienne stood and walked over to the back room, there were glass canisters of herbs, spices, even some glasses of lye water. But along the back door there sat three large crates of products Gloria ordered.

Vivienne began the process of opening and paying out the contents of the crates, carefully putting them out before stocking some of the product onto their counters and shelves.

The two heard the bell of the front door open.

"Hello?"

A stranger, a young woman probably in her thirties.

"Hello, welcome to our curanderia." Gloria said.

"Do you do readings?"

"Yes! Vivienne, could you give her a reading upstairs?"

"Yes, follow me." She led the lady up the stairs and into their reading room.

Upstairs the floor as four rooms separated with sheer drapes. Vivienne led the woman into the room with the bright orange sun drapes. A warm sunny room with the light shining into the room.

Vivienne began shuffling her deck of cards.

"We use loteria cards, but we can use a tarot deck if you'd like." Vivienne says to the lady.

"That's fine. I'm-" She stops, thinking of what to say.

Vivienne continues shuffling her deck as she waits for the woman to give her the question she's wording.

"I want to know if I should choose route a or b. Route a has a handsome man, a future with love. Route b as a change of scenery, an uncertain future."

Vivienne takes in this dilemma. She picks out two cards for route a and another two cards for route b.

Flipping them over, route a has la sandia and el diablo, roube b has el tambor and la pera.

Vivienne collects her thoughts before telling the lady.

"While he may be sweet, he may have devilish intentions. Route b has sweetness too, and the drum tells you to see this route through. It may not be what you initially want, but it can be trusted far more than the other."

She nods and listens intently to Vivienne's words.

"Thank you. I will ponder on this more, if I need further readings can I come back?"

"Of course!" Vivienne smiles, "We are always open to new people and familiar faces."

"Thank you, here." She hands Vivienne some money for the reading.

"Thank you."

They walk downstairs as Gloria continues packing sachets.

"She's a good reader, huh."

The lady smiles, "Yes."

"If there is any further help we can provide, don't worry about asking."

She walks around, looking at their wares.

"If I need any, I won't hesitate." She smiles at Gloria.

She picks up an herbal bath sachet and walks over to the counter. Vivienne checks out her items, getting the correct money before waving her goodbye.

[bekolxeram]

Sorry to bother you, but I thought maybe you could answer a question I have since I saw episode 2 :

For context, I have never been on a plane and all I know about them legit comes from all of your post 😶

But I didn't know a plane could fly and especially people in it could survive if they were a hole in the plane ?

I know it's probably a stupid question but if a plane can fly and people survive then why can't we open the windows during a flight ?

Is the hole in the show unrealistic or is there a perfectly reasonable reason for us to not open the windows ?

Thanks for your answer 😊

Yes! This one I know how to explain.

As I've said before, fixed wing aircrafts fly by directing airflow around their wings.

The higher pressure air stream naturally wants to move up into the lower pressure region, but because the wing is in the way, it pushes the wing upward as well, together with the rest of the plane.

At lower altitude, you have denser air, so more lift, but also more air resistance (we call it drag), so the engines have to work harder and use more fuel to just fight against the incoming air.

If your goal is to get from point A to point B as fast as possible while using the least fuel (it's expensive and not eco-friendly), you'd want to fly in thinner air at higher altitude, just enough air to keep the plane afloat, but not enough to slow it down too much.

The typical cruising altitude for a commercial jet airliner is between 31,000 to 38,000 feet. As comparison, Mount Everest has a height of 29,035 feet, so a bit higher than that. You see climbers at the Himalayas struggling to breathe at higher altitude, some even suffer from altitude sickness that can leak fluid into your lungs and brain. Planes flying that high are pressurized, keeping the air condition in the cabin close to that on the ground, so that the passengers can breathe comfortably.

If there's suddenly a hole in the plane at high altitude, the high pressure air inside the cabin will immediately starts rushing outside to the lower pressure environment. Anyone not wearing a seat belt (like Captain Dominguez) will be blown out of the plane, and those who are still on the plane will soon experience hypoxia due to the oxygen rapidly leaving the cabin (hence the oxygen mask). It's not a comfortable experience. Standard procedure in case of such rapid decompression for pilots is to make an emergency descent to below 10,000 feet, so that there's enough air to breathe for everyone, before they come up with a plan to land the plane.

A plane can fly with a hole in its fuselage, as long as you don't have passengers in it that need to breathe air. NASA used to have a 747 with a window at the back for a telescope, called SOFIA.

The window frame itself needed special reinforcement so that it didn't fall apart mid-flight, but it flew like a normal plane otherwise. The frontal half of the plane was pressurized though as a work space for scientists.

As for the survivability of being on a plane with a giant hole on its roof, it's possible, as long as the plane doesn't completely fall apart and there's no major damage to flight controls. Aloha Airlines Flight 243 in 1988, a Boeing 737, lost a sizable section of its fuselage skin, but it still managed to make a successful landing, with only one fatality (a flight attendant was blown out of the plane when the roof came off).

It's not comfortable or fun, but we've seen bigger holes in aviation history.

[wlw-webcomic-bracket]

Group Stage Stats and Standings

With two out of three rounds of the group stage complete, here's a summary of where things currently stand. Remember, there are two ways to qualify for the championship bracket - winning a group (10 characters), and having the most total votes without winning a group (6 characters). By receiving enough votes, any character in the tournament could still technically qualify for one of the six wildcard slots.

First, these tables show standings by group. Purple indicates the group leader (by number of wins; ties broken by number of votes) and red indicates a character who has been locked out of winning their group. Note that since Rain Flaherty and Lucas in Group A have been in three matches rather than two, their vote totals are multiplied by 2/3 to allow a fair comparison.

Next are standings by total number of votes. Group leaders are in purple, and the leaders for the six wildcard championship slots are in blue.

The last batch of group stage polls will go up later this week. Until then, if you're interested in more stats, I've put them beneath the cut because there are Many.

The main reason I decided to have this tournament start with a group stage is that I think it's fairer to the characters (more on that later), but I'd be lying if I denied that More Stats was also a contributing factor. To begin with, here are the total number of votes by group (Group A adjusted as noted earlier):

Group H - 6,573

Group B - 2,653

Group J - 2,081

Group F - 2,002

Group E - 1,254

Group C - 1,196

Group D - 968

Group G - 950

Group A - 785

Group I - 485

These are the individual matches with the most votes and the most notes:

Dainix vs Zhusen (Group H) - 3,674 votes, 1,139 notes

Eddie Kaspbrak vs Lucy Marlowe (Group B) - 1,869 votes, 314 notes

Dainix vs White Chain (Group H) - 1,401 votes, 239 notes

Carla Rutten vs Davepeta (Group J) - 1,118 votes, 155 notes

Penny Spender vs Gaueko (Group F) - 985 votes, 239 notes

Zhusen vs Lupe Jara (Group H) - 824 votes, 109 notes

Vote totals in the remaining matches were distributed as follows:

600-699 votes - 1

500-599 votes - 1

400-499 votes - 4

300-399 votes - 4

200-299 votes - 11

100-199 votes - 14

0-99 votes - 1

The widest margins of victory (by number of votes, not by percentage) - all four matches from Group H are in the top four:

Zhusen vs Lupe Jara (Group H, 724-100) - 624

White Chain vs Lupe Jara (Group H, 605-71) - 534

Dainix vs White Chain (Group H, 946-455) - 491

Dainix vs Zhusen (Group H, 1,999-1,673) - 326

Carla Rutten vs Fleet (Group J, 396-81) - 315

Eddie Kaspbrak vs Fenic (Group B, 375-112) - 263

Eddie Kaspbrak vs Lucy Marlowe (Group B, 804-1,065) - 261

And the narrowest margins of victory (again, by number of votes):

Merlow the Rose vs Chau Le (Group G, 128-130) - 2

TIE Rain Flaherty vs Luck (Group A, 92-98) - 6

TIE Lucas vs Luck (Group A, 75-81) - 6

DIFFERENT TIE Bacon vs Julie (Group D, 113-102) - 11

DIFFERENT TIE Tedd Verres vs Merlow the Rose (Group G, 145-134) - 11

Rain Flaherty vs Elle Argent (Group A, 95-110) - 15

Maggie vs Sulla Pinsky (Group E, 79-97) - 18

In two groups, the current group leader and the group member with the most votes are not the same:

Group F: Gaueko (2-0 record, 747 votes) and Penny Spender (1-1 record, 810 votes)

Group J: Davepeta (2-0 record, 743 votes) and Carla Rutten (1-1 record, 916 votes)

All four characters are currently set to advance to the championship bracket - Gaueko and Davepeta as group winners, and Penny and Carla via wildcard slots.

Something interesting I noticed the other day is that the nine top-ranked characters by vote count all got there in part by facing each other:

In Group H, Dainix (#1) faced Zhusen (#2) in the first round and White Chain (#5) in the second round

In Group B, Lucy Marlowe (#4) faced Eddie Kaspbrak (#5) in the first round

In Group J, Carla Rutten (#6) faced Davepeta (#9) in the first round

In Group F, Penny Spender (#7) faced Gaueko (#8) in the second round

These are the same five matchups that had both the most votes and the most notes. All five of them were reblogged by at least one of their characters' creators. And all but one of the nine characters received more votes - often several times more - facing their highest-ranked opponent than facing their lowest-ranked opponent:

Lucy Marlowe - 8.3x (1,065 vs 128)

Davepeta - 4.1x (598 vs 145)

Gaueko - 2.3x (522 vs 225)

Zhusen - 2.3x (1,673 vs 724)

Eddie Kaspbrak - 2.1x (804 vs 375)

Dainix - 2.1x (1,999 vs 946)

Penny Spender - 1.3x (463 vs 347)

Carla Rutten - 1.3x (520 vs 396)

White Chain - 0.8x (455 vs 605)

This seems to indicate popular characters actually benefit from facing each other, especially taking into account that the championship bracket will be seeded by total number of votes. Of the six characters currently holding a wildcard qualification slot, five of them are ranked in the top seven qualifiers overall.

On the flip side, these are the characters with the most nominations who don't currently qualify for the championship:

Cheryl (Group E) - 8

Rain Flaherty (Group A) - 8

Teige Carroll (Group I) - 7

Lucas (Group A) - 6

Of the fourteen characters who received five or more nominations, ten are currently slated to advance. The remaining six current qualifiers received either three or four nominations each.

These characters have received the most votes so far without winning a match:

Merlow the Rose (Group G) - 262

Cheryl (Group E) - 244

Rosemaster (Group D) - 235

And these are the characters who have the fewest votes while winning both of their matches:

Yoshi (Group I) - 156

Luck (Group A) - 179

Vaarsuvius (Group I) - 200

Elle Argent (Group A) - 285

Group A and Group I are the only groups with two undefeated characters who will face off in the final round, and the only groups in which number of votes had to be used as a tiebreaker to determine the current group leader.

Vaarsuvius has the lowest number of votes of any character currently winning their group. While there's only a difference of 85 votes between Elle Argent and Vaarsuvius, there are quite a few characters between them - Elle is ranked 15th, while V is ranked 27th. V is the only character currently slated to advance over other characters with more votes.

One of the dangers of a round-robin format is a match in the final round between two characters with a 0-2 record, both of whom have already been locked out of winning their group. That will only happen once here, between Teige Carroll and Eri McCure in Group I.

Finally, here's a piece of etymology I learned while preparing for the tournament: The "robin" in "round robin" has nothing to do with the bird or with the English given name. Instead, the term originated from the French phrase "ruban rond," meaning "round ribbon," but over time "ruban/ribbon" was idiomized to "robin."

[kittytiddycommittee]

Lovely collection of toys - and since you invited inquiry I will ask two questions - you don't seem to have too many outsized realistic toys in your drawers. Is that because you are not a fan favorite of having outsized realistic toys in your drawers?

Now as to the Hitachi Wand - if it didn't sound like a Cessna I'd use one way more often. And, just for the record, I actually used it on my shoulder. One time. Cheers!

I knew I should have included a banana for scale.

The dildos are actually bigger than they might look. I'd probably invest in something bigger if a sub wanted it, but the pegging set has been working well thus far on that particular front. The other dildos are for me, but I don't use them as much because the lovense toys serve me better. And to be honest, it's been a while since I bottomed and I'm small to begin with, so I can't take as much as I could back when I bought them. That was during covid when I was practically clawing the walls and as close to an a/b/o omega heat scenario as one can get.

I don't care if it's as loud as a 747 engine, you'll pry the plug-in Hitachi from my cold dead hands. I need to get some of the attachments to test out on a sub.