#CAMS initial public offering

[triviareads]

ARC Review of The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera

Rating: 4/5 Heat Level: 4.5/5 Publication Date: April 16th

Premise:

An MMF poly romance set in the 1920s; when the ship she's hiding in is hijacked by bootleggers, Rosalía is willing to do anything to get in the good graces of bootlegger Cam and gangster Enzo in order to secure her passage to New York City.

My review:

This is a revised, expanded version of the short story Adriana Herrera wrote for the Villain I'd Like to F... anthology in 2022. I had a lot of fun reading this queer, poly romance that not only has racially diverse characters and an interesting setting we rarely see in historicals (the Caribbean), but it was also SUPER hot. There's nine chapters plus and epilogue, and it doesn't take the characters very long to act on their attraction towards one another.

This story was initially a part of an anthology about villains so obviously Cam, our bootlegger and kidnapper, has few qualms about accepting Rosalía's offer to have sex with him in exchange for passage to New York City. And Enzo, my favorite bratty nepo baby gangster and bane of Cam's existence, has only a few more scruples. But Rosalía isn't passive in all this; she isn't afraid to express her wants and desires, and she keeps pushing when she doesn't achieve her ends. I loved the dynamic between the three of them— there's this great mix of dirty moments peppered with sweet. And while the book is relatively light on external plot, it does build up to a quick, final heist before the three of them can settle together once and for all.

The sex:

There are multiple sex scenes, all high heat and on the rougher end. I loved the initial instances of voyeurism (particularly Enzo tragically jerking off when he hears Cam with Rosalía early on lol) and a sex act near the end when they're all together that's relatively rare even in poly romances.

Rosalía is a woman who knows what she wants and I do appreciate when an fmc gives as good as she gets in terms of dirty talk. And the dirty talk is BONKERS HOT all around; the degradation, the praise, plus immaculate use of pet names, from Cam calling Enzo "boy" (derogatory) and "brat" (mostly affectionate) to Enzo's tender use of "belleza" for Rosalía.

Also, I love that Enzo is a *brat* and tbh so does Cam even if he doesn't want to admit he's into it until after multiple up-close-and-personal confrontations. Between Enzo and Rosalía, they keep Cam on his toes, like, the vibe there definitely "I can't leave you two alone, can I?" (He can't, and he shouldn't).

Overall:

I really enjoyed this book! I'd recommend it to any romance reader looking for a a quick, high-heat read that is refreshingly diverse as far as historical romances go.

Thank you to Adriana Herrera and her team for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[bookish-monster]

BOOK REC

Exodus 20:3

by Freydís Moon - find them on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok

the storygraph link for this book contains information such as page count, publication date, and community-created content warnings.

Exodus 20:3 is a standalone love story centered around Diego, a Mexican-American trans man, and the relationship he forges with a Brazilian angel named Ariel as they refurbish an abandoned church in New Mexico together. It’s a beautiful blend of queerness and religious eroticism that comes in at around 100 pages on my Kindle edition, and has been recently updated with a new cover (see above) that is absolutely gorgeous. There is prayer, body worship, divinity kink where the divinity is no fantasy, hemipenes, and more eyes and teeth and wings than humans are used to experiencing in their love affairs. I absolutely loved it.

A note about body terminology for trans readers: Diego’s genitalia (he has had top surgery but not bottom surgery) is referred to using feminine terms such as “cunt” and “clit.” Some trans readers might find this dysphoria-inducing or otherwise upsetting.

Diego is what many people would call “troubled.” He does camming out of desperation for money, has recently quit using opiates illegally, and is struggling to deal with his mother’s disappointment once she found out about the latter through Diego crashing a car and getting sent to jail once the cops found said opiates inside the car. Basically, he’s not having a fun time as the family disappointment, so he reluctantly agrees to his mother’s plan for him to earn enough to pay her back for his bail money via refurbishing the church in New Mexico.

Ariel is the church’s caretaker. Diego is attracted to him from the jump, but that attraction is tempered with the wariness of a prey animal who has been hunted down and abused one too many times. Diego isn’t used to tenderness or genuine love from his sexual partners, and he isn’t interested in getting mixed up with someone and used in ways that don’t make him happy in the long term. I really loved how complicated Diego is—he��s tough as nails because the world hasn’t treated him gently, but also desperate for real affection because of how love-starved he’s become over the years. 

Ariel isn’t smothering when offering that affection, nor parental in caring for his new laborer. Initially, he comes across as enigmatic and perfunctory, reclusive and emotionally distant. But as he insists on digging into Diego’s past, so too does Diego start putting the pieces together and realizing that Ariel isn’t quite the man he seems. During their first sexual encounter with each other, consent is kind of iffy, but it gets talked about later between the characters. The sex scenes are lavish and drawn out, abstracted by Freydís’ beautiful prose into things elegantly rendered yet primal in their intensity.

The writing in this novelette is exquisite, by the way. Freydís has a command of language that I’m nakedly envious of, and there were multiple points where I stopped to re-read certain passages just to savor the taste of them, as well as the beautiful wordplay and turns of phrase. I keep a list on my phone of 1-2 sentence snippets I read in various places that are too good not to write down, and that list gained several entries from this book.

Finally, I really liked Exodus 20:3’s frank discussions of trauma and oppressive systems. As a Mexican-American, Diego is no stranger to the violence constantly forced upon brown bodies by the United States government, and as a trans man he’s equally familiar with transphobic violence from cis people. Although Freydís makes absolutely zero attempts to gloss over or divert attention from real-world issues inherent to their characters’ identities, nothing ever felt hopeless. Diego is initially very cynical, but as his relationship with Ariel evolves so too does he undergo a change of heart toward the nature of faith. You can get a side of religious philosophy with your steamy monster fucking in this book, if you choose to accept it. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot recommend it enough to anyone who’s in the mood for queer Latino romance stories. I can say with confidence that nobody who chooses to pray at Freydís’ altar will be left unsatisfied.

find this book on Amazon Kindle (US)

[reasoningdaily]

Two Florida cops — a lieutenant and a detective sergeant — allegedly handcuffed and jailed their 3-year-old son to “discipline” him for having difficulties with potty training.

Daytona Beach Shores police Lt. Michael Schoenbrod told a Department of Children and Families caseworker that he took the boy to headquarters in October and put him behind bars, the News-Journal reported, citing body-cam video.

The child was jailed twice, the first time on Oct. 5 and again the following day, when he was also cuffed, according to the outlet.

“He was crying. I was getting the response I expected from him,” Schoenbrod told the caseworker, the footage from a Volusia County sheriff’s deputy reportedly shows.

He said his son promised to never poop in his pants again after his time in the slammer.

Schoenbrod admitted that he also had resorted to the jail tactic about nine years ago, when he disciplined his then-4-year-old son for hitting a girl in preschool, the newspaper said. Lt. Michael Schoenbrod and Detective Sgt. Jessica Long, of the Daytona Beach Shores Police Department in Florida, allegedly placed their 3-year-old son in jail twice after he had potty-training accidents.Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety

“I took him to the jail and he sat there. And I watched him … and he was crying and everything, and to this day, if you mention, like, that incident, he’s just like, ‘I would never do that again.’ It was effective,” Schoenbrod told the caseworker.

“So that’s why I did it with this. He didn’t hit anybody, but I figured the same thing, discipline. And he didn’t want to go back, so …,” the lieutenant added, according to the report.

It was not immediately clear whether Schoenbrod and Detective Sgt. Jessica Long faced discipline, according to the News-Journal, which said it obtained copies of memos from Public Safety Director Michael Fowler informing the couple about a probe.

The top cop told the paper he would consult with the city attorney before commenting.

Schoenbrod and Long — who live together and have the child together — and their attorney, Michael Lambert, have not responded to the paper’s requests for comments. A Department of Children and Families rep acknowledged a request for comment but did not offer one.

“It’s just disgusting that somebody would drag our family through the mud like this,” Schoenbrod said in the video, while Long could be heard calling the investigation “insane,” the News-Journal reported. Detective Sgt. Jessica Long, the child’s mother, also reportedly faces a professional standards investigation.LinkedIn / Jessica Long

Meanwhile, City Clerk Cheri Schwab said a judge has sealed the records in a March 24 case that lists Schoenbrod “et al.” as plaintiffs and the State Attorney’s Office “et al.” as defendants.

The couple also filed a separate case against State Attorney R.J. Larizza on May 18, but the initial filing and several subsequent motions have been marked as confidential, according to the News-Journal.

Antonio Jaimes, an attorney with the Volusia County Clerk of Court’s Office, told the outlet that the cases “are confidential due to motions for confidentiality filed within the cases.”

But Michael Barfield, director of public access initiatives for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, argued that the internal-affairs documents should be made public.

“A pending motion to determine confidentiality of court records does not have any impact on the city’s IA (internal affairs) investigation,” Barfield told the News-Journal in an email.

“A party cannot make a record that is subject to production under Chapter 119 (of the state public records law) confidential by merely filing a lawsuit requesting confidentiality and then not setting a hearing on the motion,” he added.

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said she has forwarded a request from the paper about any completed investigation to the public records department for processing. The Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety building.City of Daytona Beach Shores

Former city attorney Lonnie Groot also has reportedly sought records about any officer placing a child in a jail cell, as well as investigations into “alleged child abuse by an officer.”

“This whole matter just does not pass the basic smell test from a transparency and governmental openness perspective,” he wrote City Attorney Becky Vose, the outlet said.

And a former South Daytona police officer who describes himself as a civil-rights activist said that when he requested the findings of the professional standards probe, he was provided an estimate of $3,398.40 − about 40 hours of work at $84.96 per hour — to review and redact the documents. 

“It’s a severe matter of public interest when you have strong allegations of that kind,” Dickinson told the paper. “Rumors are being brought to you by fellow law enforcement … and you want to make sure the stuff they’re saying isn’t true.”

[thebusinessmagnate]

John Henry Harris: Transforming the Automotive Manufacturing Industry with Commercial Medium-Duty EVs

We are seeing quite a lot of electric vehicles all around us. People are becoming well aware of and are encouraged to shift to a green technology world, where the future of transportation is present. In simpler terms, electrical mobility or e-mobility is the use of electricity in vehicles in place of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are finite natural resources that are decreasing rapidly in quantities, and therefore fostering the electrification change can benefit the Earth and its inhabitants. Striving and driving towards adopting and establishing initiatives in sustainable transportation is essential. 

Global warming, climatic changes, pollution, increasing diseases and illnesses, deforestation, contamination, increasing non-biodegradable waste disposals, increasing use of natural resources, etcetera., pose detrimental consequences that can cost many lives. The introduction to the electrification of vehicles is the new automotive industry disruption that is currently taking place on a global scale. Being one of the many industry transformations with innovation, creativity, and smart technology, the ever-evolving clean energy solutions will continue to be ideated and released to the world for a bright future – today and tomorrow. 

We have electric cars, bikes, trucks, and scooters. But not before long medium-duty and heavy-duty EVs for commercial and specialty purposes weren’t available yet. These electric vehicles weigh more than 10,000 pounds or 4,540 kilograms, such as – school and public transport buses, freight, fleet, etcetera. Statistics and data share that in the transportation sector of The United States of America alone, medium to heavy-duty vehicles account for over 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and a staggering 417.1 million metric tons of CO2e annually. This is why the country and other nations around the world are pushing and throwing away traditional uses of fossil-fueled vehicles and opting for cleaner and greener electric vehicle adoption alternatives for medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. 

Therefore in this article, we will cover the journey and story of one such company – Harbinger Motors, which was co-founded by a talented trio with John Henry Harris heading and leading as the CEO. Harbinger Motors is building futures with electrical mobility and electrification of commercial and specialty one-of-a-kind electrical vehicles.

John Henry Harris – Co-founder and CEO at Harbinger Motors:

The Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Harbinger Motors is John Henry Harris. When co-founding Harbinger Motors, John and his two co-founding partners – Phillip Weicker (Chief Technology Officer) and William Eberts (Chief Operating Officer) banded together from a shared passion and vision to be the changes in the world and to establish a revolutionary foundation. Harbinger Motors was founded in 2021 – as an automotive manufacturing industry company that focuses on transforming commercial and specialty vehicles into electrically powered transports.

Mission Statement – “To modernize the medium-duty vehicle market…. Harbinger delivers an EV platform offering best-in-class performance and durability”.

Having a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering, both from Cornell University – John has displayed exceptional talent, skill, workmanship, dedication, passion, and leadership qualities in everything that he does and everywhere he goes. Being an engineer, John has worked in fields and industries that require working up, close, and personal with battery, hardware, and mechanical engineering alongside other equally talented people. 

“A Car Guy at Heart” – John’s knowledge and awareness in the field have provided him with the opportunities to work in various demanding roles such as – from CAD-CAM Engineering Intern to Research Associate, from Aerospace Structure Design Lead, and Mechanical Engineer at Boeing to Product Design Engineer and Mechanical Engineer at The Walt Disney Company, from Senior Mechanical Engineer to High Voltage Battery Systems Manager, from Principal Mechanical Engineer to a Hardware Engineering Consultant, and finally the co-founder of Harbinger Motors. 

For more insights into interesting articles, visit The Business Magnate.

Harbinger Motors:

The Co-founders at Harbinger Motors founded and established the company in the year 2021, and is headquartered in Gardena, California, USA. As the phrase and word “Harbinger” entails – “a forerunner of something”, Harbinger Motors is surely living up to its name. Being the forerunner in the automotive and manufacturing industry, the company is – “dedicated to bringing electrification to every segment of the commercial and specialty vehicle industries”. 

“Familiar Form. Revolutionary Foundation.”

Having a familiar form of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, the type of revolutionary foundation established drives toward the electrification of fossil-fueled vehicles. From incorporating a dynamic and versatile Stripped Chassis designed to integrate perfectly with the body curves of our modern autos and motors, each vehicle is manufactured, engineered, and designed to grapple with the robustness of commercial trucking giving its durability here. With solutions in smart charging, a battery-powered pack that runs 35kWh powers the electric vehicles ensuring smooth and sustainable mobility in an autonomous-ready and premium drive-by-wire steering experience. 

As one of the Co-founders and the CEO of the company, John states – “We are building the future of electric mobility. There is a huge variety of vehicles built on medium-duty platforms, and by taking on electrification in this segment, we are delivering a better solution for the backbone of an entire industry.”

Harbinger Motors is built on three fundamentally important values that are integrated into the very core of the company. Delivering solutions on a cleaner planet, Delivering solutions that prioritize the protection of communities’ health, and lastly Delivering a smooth zero-acquisition premium for cleaner transportation and improved performance by changing the game for commercial medium and heavy-duty vehicles. In the 2nd half of 2023, Harbinger Motors successfully saw a secure Series A funding of over 60 million dollars from investors such as – Ridgeline and THOR Industries. Electrifying the future through sustainability initiatives, Harbinger Motors sees a bright future where the world can see them making revolutionary changes and disrupting the industry for the better.

Visit More : https://thebusinessmagnate.com/john-henry-harris-transforming-the-automotive-manufacturing-industry-with-commercial-medium-duty-evs/

[musicarenagh]

Echoes of Time: Giant Killers Unveil “Songs For The Small Places” The recent release from Giant Killers' "Songs For The Small Places" emerges like a time capsule unearthed from the indie-pop ethos of the 90s, offering not just nostalgia but an ensemble of tracks that are both hauntingly timeless and refreshingly sincere. Nearly three decades in waiting, this album by Jamie Wortley and Michael Brown is a triumph over adversity, a reminder that some stories demand to be told regardless of how much time has passed. https://open.spotify.com/album/43MD3XjVKjf3r3B2jWTfex?si=uI2bhbsNT86e4tc0Spa4vQ Right off the bat, it's clear that "Songs For The Small Places" straddles worlds; on one hand embracing the swaggering confidence seen in bands like Oasis or Blur during their heyday, while on another channeling more introspective spirits akin to Elliott Smith or early Radiohead. This duality gives the album its distinct vibe: vibrant yet reflective, full-bodied yet incredibly intimate. Lyrically gritty with universal themes at its core—love lost and found again, moments captured within mundane realities—the record offers listeners not just songs but experiences wrapped within melodic frameworks. Their voice has aged like fine wine; there’s an emotional gravity to it now which perhaps couldn’t have been achieved if this album had dropped when initially intended. The duo crafts narratives evocative enough to transport listeners to those small places where life truly unfolds. [caption id="attachment_54097" align="alignnone" width="833"] Echoes of Time: Giant Killers Unveil “Songs For The Small Places”[/caption] A significant charm lies in how naturally '90s influences meld into modern sensibilities without sounding out-of-date. Far from mere emulation, Giant Killers inject contemporary soul into vintage bodywork—a challenging task they execute flawlessly across all ten tracks. Production-wise, "Songs For The Small Places" benefits immensely from its delayed genesis. It stands as evidence that good music remains timeless—untarnished by trends or temporal shifts. While polished enough for discerning ears accustomed to digital clarity, there's also an organic rawness preserved within each chord progression and lyric line reminding us of analogue authenticity. [caption id="attachment_54098" align="alignnone" width="722"] Echoes of Time: Giant Killers Unveil “Songs For The Small Places”[/caption] Beyond creating compelling music imbued with pathos and resonance worthy of critical acclaim itself is Giant Killer’s noble commitment towards social change—with £2 from every Bandcamp sale donated towards suicide prevention charity CAM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). It speaks volumes about who Wattley and Brown are as people beyond musicianship—a gracious touch confirming why sometimes art is destined only for poignant seasons despite when penned down. "Songs For The Small Places" isn't merely about bringing unexplored archives into public domain—it encapsulates journeys traveled personally by our artists and collectively via societal evolution since those recording sessions nearly three decades ago. For anyone previously unperturbed by pop-rock dynamics or veteran enthusiasts looking for depth beyond chart-toppers' sheen will find something intriguing here—a sonic amalgam equipped equally with tears for past reveries as smiles anticipating future reminiscences. Follow Giant Killers on Facebook, Bandcamp, YouTube and Instagram.

[maplefudge]

Transforming Smiles, One Visit at a Time: Dentistry in Tucson

Dentistry in Tucson represents a dynamic blend of modern innovation, compassionate care, and commitment to oral health excellence. With a plethora of skilled practitioners and state-of-the-art facilities, Tucson's dental landscape offers comprehensive services tailored to meet diverse patient needs. From routine check-ups and preventive care to advanced restorative and cosmetic treatments, dentistry in Tucson prioritizes patient comfort, satisfaction, and long-term oral well-being. Tucson's dental professionals leverage cutting-edge technology and evidence-based practices to deliver personalized treatment plans that address individual concerns and goals. Moreover, the dental community in Tucson fosters a supportive and collaborative environment, where patients receive education, empowerment, and compassionate support throughout their oral health journey. With a focus on quality, accessibility, and patient-centered care, dentistry in Tucson continues to set new standards for excellence in oral healthcare.

Innovative Technology Driving Tucson's Dental Care

Tucson's dental practices integrate the latest advancements in technology to enhance patient care and treatment outcomes. From digital radiography and intraoral cameras to CAD/CAM systems for same-day restorations, innovative tools empower dentists in Tucson to provide precise diagnoses, efficient treatments, and superior results. By embracing cutting-edge technology, Tucson's dental community ensures that patients receive the highest standard of care in a comfortable and efficient manner.

Comprehensive Services for Every Dental Need

Dentistry in Tucson offers a wide range of services to address diverse dental needs and concerns. From routine cleanings and exams to complex restorative procedures and cosmetic enhancements, Tucson's dental professionals provide comprehensive care tailored to each patient's unique oral health goals. Whether it's preventive maintenance, orthodontic treatment, or dental implants, patients in Tucson can access all-encompassing dental services under one roof, ensuring convenience and continuity of care.

Emphasis on Preventive Dentistry in Tucson

Preventive dentistry is a cornerstone of oral health in Tucson, focusing on proactive measures to maintain healthy teeth and gums and prevent dental issues before they arise. Tucson's dentists prioritize patient education, regular check-ups, and preventive treatments like dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, and sealants to safeguard against decay, gum disease, and other oral health concerns. By promoting preventive care, Tucson's dental community empowers patients to take control of their oral health and enjoy lifelong dental wellness.

Patient-Centered Approach to Dental Care

Dentistry in Tucson revolves around the patient, with a commitment to delivering personalized care and exceptional experiences. Tucson's dental professionals prioritize open communication, active listening, and patient involvement in treatment decisions, ensuring that each individual's unique needs, preferences, and concerns are addressed with compassion and respect. By fostering trusting relationships and providing compassionate support, dentists in Tucson create a welcoming and supportive environment where patients feel valued, empowered, and confident in their dental care journey.

Education and Awareness Initiatives Promoting Oral Health

Tucson's dental community is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of oral health and promoting preventive strategies within the community. Through educational programs, community outreach initiatives, and public health campaigns, Tucson's dentists strive to empower individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to maintain optimal oral health and prevent dental issues. By promoting oral hygiene habits, dietary choices, and regular dental visits, Tucson's dental professionals work to improve oral health outcomes and enhance overall well-being for residents across the city.

Collaborative Care Networks Enhancing Treatment Outcomes

Dentistry in Tucson emphasizes collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork to optimize treatment outcomes and provide holistic care for patients. Dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and other specialists work together seamlessly, sharing insights, expertise, and resources to develop comprehensive treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique needs and goals. Through collaborative care networks, Tucson's dental professionals ensure that patients receive coordinated, multidisciplinary care that addresses all aspects of their oral health and enhances overall treatment success.

Commitment to Accessibility and Affordability

Dentistry in Tucson is committed to making quality dental care accessible and affordable for individuals and families across the community. Tucson's dental practices offer flexible scheduling, convenient payment options, and affordable treatment plans to accommodate diverse financial circumstances and ensure that cost is not a barrier to oral health care. By prioritizing accessibility and affordability, Tucson's dental community strives to ensure that everyone can access the dental services they need to achieve and maintain optimal oral health.

Continuing Education and Professional Development in Tucson

Tucson's dental professionals are dedicated to lifelong learning and professional development, continuously expanding their knowledge, skills, and expertise to deliver the highest standard of care to their patients. Through continuing education programs, advanced training courses, and participation in professional organizations, Tucson's dentists stay abreast of the latest developments in dentistry, emerging technologies, and innovative treatment modalities. By investing in ongoing education and professional growth, Tucson's dental community remains at the forefront of dental innovation, delivering exceptional care and achieving superior outcomes for patients.

Conclusion

In conclusion, dentistry in Tucson represents a harmonious blend of innovation, compassion, and commitment to oral health excellence. With state-of-the-art technology, comprehensive services, and a patient-centered approach, Tucson's dental community ensures that individuals and families receive personalized, high-quality care tailored to their unique needs and preferences. Emphasizing preventive dentistry, education, and collaborative care, Tucson's dentists strive to empower patients with the knowledge and resources they need to achieve and maintain optimal oral health throughout their lives. Moreover, by prioritizing accessibility, affordability, and continuing education, Tucson's dental professionals remain dedicated to delivering exceptional care and enhancing the overall well-being of the community. With a focus on excellence and innovation, dentistry in Tucson continues to set new standards for oral healthcare, ensuring healthy smiles and vibrant lives for generations to come.

[storyspothub]

10 Reasons Why Aesthetic and Implant Dental Arts is the Best Cosmetic Dentistry Clinic in New York

Are you considering cosmetic dentistry to enhance your smile? Look no further! Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts, a leading Cosmetic Dentistry Clinic in New York, offers top-notch dental care services to help you achieve your dream smile. In this post, we will explore ten compelling reasons why they have earned the title of the best in the business.

Aesthetic and Implant Dental Arts Clinic

1. Expert Team of Dental Professionals 

Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts is home to a skilled team of dental professionals, including accomplished cosmetic dentists and dental hygienists. Their expertise and experience ensure that you receive the highest level of care.

2. Comprehensive Range of Services 

The clinic offers a wide range of cosmetic dentistry services, including teeth whitening, dental veneers, Invisalign, dental implants, and more. Whatever your dental concern, their team is equipped to help you achieve your desired results.

3. State-of-the-Art Technology 

Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts uses the latest and most advanced dental technologies, such as digital x-rays, 3D dental imaging, and CAD/CAM systems. This enables the clinic to provide accurate diagnoses and deliver efficient and effective treatments.

Advanced Dental Technology

4. Customized Treatment Plans 

Understanding that every patient is unique, the dental team at Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts works diligently to develop a tailored treatment plan for each individual. As a result, their approach ensures the best possible aesthetic and functional results for you.

5. Comfortable and Relaxing Atmosphere 

The clinic's serene and inviting environment allows for a comfortable and calming dental experience. From the moment you walk in, the cozy lounge and warm lighting set the scene for a stress-free visit.

6. Patient Education 

A well-informed patient is a happy patient. Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts prioritizes educating their patients on all aspects of their treatment, ensuring that they are equipped with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions.

7. Flexible Financing Options 

Achieving your dream smile shouldn't be hindered by financial obstacles. Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts offers flexible financing options, enabling you to undergo treatments without financial stress.

8. Excellent Track Record 

With [insert number of years] years in the industry, Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts boasts a proven record of providing high-quality cosmetic dental treatments. Countless satisfied patients are a testament to their commitment to excellence.

Happy Patients Smiling

9. Convenient Location 

Conveniently situated in the heart of New York City, Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts is easily accessible by both public and private transport.

10. Exceptional Customer Service 

Last but not least, the dedicated team at Aesthetic And Implant Dental Arts is committed to offering outstanding customer service. From the initial consultation to post-treatment support, you can expect a truly personalized experience.

[omkarpatel]

Dental Chair Market is Estimated to Witness High Growth Owing to Rise in Dental Diseases

Dental chairs are specialized chairs used by dentists for various dental procedures and treatments. They are ergonomically designed chairs for both patient comfort and provide easy access to dentists for conducting different types of oral examinations, procedures such as cleaning, filling and extracting teeth.

Market Dynamics:                                                                                            

The growth of the global dental chair market is driven by the rising incidence of dental diseases across the globe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is one of the most common diseases affecting people in both developing and developed countries. For instance, according to the data published by WHO in 2018, approximately 2.3 billion people suffer from caries of permanent teeth.

Moreover, increasing demand for dental aesthetics and rise in disposable income are also fueling the adoption of technologically advanced dental chairs worldwide. However, high cost of dental treatments and procedures limits the market growth to some extent.

Major Drivers                                                                                              

 Influencing Growth of the Dental Chair Market Increasing Awareness about Dental Care and Hygiene The growth of dental chair market largely depends on demand for dental treatment. There has been an increased awareness about dental care and hygiene among general public worldwide. Factors such as availability of dental insurance, government initiatives to promote oral healthcare, and rising disposable incomes have made people more conscious about visiting dentists regularly. This has significantly driven the demand for advanced dental chairs that offer comfortable experience during dental procedures.

Technological Advancements in Dental Care Equipment

The dental chair market is witnessing major technological advancements. Manufacturers are developing smart and digital dental chairs integrated with advanced features to provide better patient care and experience. Features such as integrated light source, automated chair positioning system, improved ergonomics, and touchscreen control have enhanced productivity and workflow of dental practitioners. Introduction of innovative dental practices like CAD/CAM dentistry, laser dentistry, and intraoral cameras have further boosted adoption of technically advanced dental chairs.

Major Restrain Hindering Growth of the Dental Chair Market

While technological upgradement has increased functionality of modern dental chairs, it has also increased their prices significantly. Advanced features such as automated control systems, digital X-ray sensors, and touchscreen interfaces have made premium dental chairs highly costly. This acts as a major restraining factor, especially in price-sensitive and low income regions. Many small dental clinics and hospitals in developing countries find it difficult to afford high-end dental equipment due to budget constraints. This limits the scope of market expansion.

Major Opportunity for Growth in the Dental Chair Market

With improving economic conditions and increasing healthcare expenditures, many emerging nations are expected to provide lucrative growth opportunities for dental chair manufacturers. Rapidly growing middle-class population, rising awareness about oral health, and government initiatives to develop dental infrastructure in countries like India, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia are driving the demand. Moreover, these regions still have lower equipment density and lack modern dental facilities. This offers significant potential for uptake of new dental technology including adoption of advanced dental chairs. By expanding distribution network and developing low-cost product variants, manufacturers can tap into the vast untapped markets in developing Asian, Latin American, and African countries.

Key Trend

Shaping the Future of Dental Chair Market Increasing Adoption of Dental Chair-Mounted Units A major trend gaining popularity in the dental chair industry is integration of dental equipment and instruments directly on dental chairs. Mounting intraoral cameras, lights, dental handpieces, and other accessories on the chairs frees up floor space in dental offices and clinics. This optimizes workflow and allows seamless multi-tasking without requiring additional armamentaria. Key manufacturers are innovating advanced mounting accessories and systems for chairs. They are also providing upgrade options to transform existing chairs into chair-mounted units. This trends is expected to drive significant future demand as more practitioners prefer all-in-one comprehensive chairs.

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] Amazon held its annual fall hardware tournament on Tuesday. It is too dangerous the corporate did not circulation the court cases to the general public as it used to be jam-packed with bulletins. We noticed the whole thing from new Echo gadgets to an Alexa-powered robotic. However concern now not, we have now you lined. This is the whole thing the corporate introduced these days. Astro Amazon In an tournament full of offbeat merchandise, Amazon stored its maximum abnormal one for closing. In Astro, the corporate has created an Alexa-powered robotic that may transfer round your house. It has 3 number one purposes. It can give house safety, check-in on family members and pets and be offering Alexa capability at the cross. When it turns into to be had later this 12 months, Astro will value $999.99 sooner than it sooner or later will increase to $1499.99 at a later date. Echo Display 15 Amazon Amazon is including but every other fashion to its Echo Display circle of relatives. Its newest addition includes a 15.6-inch 1080p show that the corporate envisions you mounting at the wall in areas like your house’s kitchen. New to the Echo Display 15 is a redesigned house display screen that emphasizes Alexa widgets. The sensible show additionally includes a digicam and a brand new characteristic that can regulate the contents of the house display screen to you when the tool acknowledges your face. Gross sales of the $250 Echo Display 15 will get started later this 12 months. Halo Amazon Amazon had two primary bulletins associated with its Halo health product. First, the corporate offered its new Halo View health band. In brief, Amazon necessarily added an AMOLED colour show to its Halo wearable and made the ensuing tool inexpensive. It doesn’t include the tone-detecting microphone that made the corporate’s first foray into health wearables so debatable, however what it might do is monitor your center price, pores and skin temperature, steps and extra. Halo View isn’t to be had to buy simply but, however it is going to value $80 when it does grow to be to be had. Outdoor of recent hardware, the corporate introduced Halo Health and Halo Diet, two new options that can come integrated with its every year $80 Halo subscription. The previous is a substitute for Apple Health+ and different equivalent products and services. The latter, in the meantime, contains customized recipes and meal making plans. Halo Health will roll out later this 12 months, whilst Halo Diet will arrive initially of 2022. Ring and Blink Amazon Amazon’s Ring and Blink house safety subsidiaries had a complete phase devoted to their merchandise. Highlights from that phase come with Ring Alarm Professional, a safety device that incorporates Eero Mesh WiFi integration, and Blink’s new $50 video doorbell. Ring additionally introduced it’s beginning to settle for sign-ups to check its All the time House Cam safety drone, which it first introduced this similar time closing 12 months. Glow Amazon The award for the second-most offbeat tool Amazon introduced at its annual tournament is going to Glow. It’s a teleconferencing show the corporate designed for youngsters. Glow features a projector that may create a 19-inch touch-sensitive playspace for the entire video games and actions integrated with the tool. Glow will value $249.99 when it is going on sale in the following couple of weeks, however Amazon stated that is simply an introductory worth. All of the relaxation Amazon Amazon wouldn’t be Amazon if the corporate weren’t seeking to create extra reasonably priced variations of one of the most best-selling merchandise on its market. So it will have to come as no wonder it introduced an Alexa-enabled sensible thermostat that simplest prices $60.  Outdoor of recent hardware, Tuesday’s tournament noticed the corporate announce more than a few updates for its Alexa. Briefly, the corporate labored with Disney to make a voice assistant that will likely be to be had on Echo gadgets and Walt Disney Global Lodge lodge rooms.

It additionally offered a characteristic referred to as Alexa In combination that turns an Echo speaker or sensible show into an emergency fortify tool to your members of the family. Finally, the corporate is including offline voice fortify for Alexa gadgets. Practice all the information from Amazon’s fall hardware tournament proper right here!All merchandise advisable through Engadget are decided on through our editorial staff, unbiased of our guardian corporate. A few of our tales come with associate hyperlinks. If you purchase one thing via this type of hyperlinks, we would possibly earn an associate fee. [ad_2]

[newsupdated]

Computer Age Management Services IPO Opens For Subscription. Key Things To Know Computer Age Management Services has fixes the price band at Rs 1,229-1,230 per share.. Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) initial public offering (IPO) opens for subscription on Monday i.e.

[trendingjagat]

Computer Age Management Services IPO Opens For Subscription. Key Things To Know Computer Age Management Services has fixes the price band at Rs 1,229-1,230 per share.. Computer Age Management Services (CAMS) initial public offering (IPO) opens for subscription on Monday i.e.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

CTRL+ALT+DECEIT

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape; oral, fucking, stalking, hacking, threats, implied violence.

This is dark!Jake Jensen x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Synopsis: You find your pictures on someone else’s Insta but that’s not the only thing he’s stolen.

Note: Yay, another Jensen fic at last. I’m probably gonna try to work in more one shots between my series. I’m looking at Andy Barber, Ransom Drysdale, or Lee Bodecker right now for next week but we’ll see.

Thanks to everyone for sticking around and putting up with me and thanks in advance for all your feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

The chirp of the chat pierced your eardrum once more as you ignored it for the spreadsheet of dates on your other monitor. Working from home could be both peaceful and distracting but the third bing had you muting and pushing your headset to your neck with a grumble. You switched windows as the chat box blinked.

‘So why didn’t u tell me u had a bf?’ Zia’s bubble blipped up followed by impatient emojis.

“Wat r u talking bout?’ you typed back and clicked back to the spreadsheet to update the status of each course. That noise came again and you flipped back.

‘I’m not stupid! Come on. He’s far away but he’s cute.’

You frowned and tapped the space bar lightly. You were utterly confused. The only activity in your daily life were the general notifications from Tindr. You repeated the question and she sent an emoji rolling its eyes.

‘I’m serious.’ you replied.

She sent a link and then a laughing GIF attached to another bubbled response, ‘I’m not buyin it.’

You clicked on the hyperlink and a new tab opened. You scrolled down on the Insta as the air was knocked out of you at the sight of your own face. Not only were their pics taken from your public profile but several you’d never even posted. Your skin crawled and the bing sounded again.

‘So… an online thing huh.’ Zia pressed on.

‘I gotta work.’ you closed out of the window entirely but stayed on the Insta.

You scrolled through about a dozen or so selfies of you, each labeled as ‘missing my lady’ or ‘she’s so sweet, sending me pics to keep me company’. Your stomached roiled with mortification and the unsettling sensation of intrusion. It was easy enough to guess you’d been hacked but to think this was what the creep did with it was even more startling.

You changed the password on your Insta and went through the process of doing so with all of your accounts and ran a scan on your PC. You would likely have to file a ticket for a proper inspection with a specialist. You couldn’t help but shake as you went back to the profile after checking your bank account and PayPal to make sure it wasn’t worse than just pics.

You went back to the profile and found photos of the culprit. His spiky blond hair and glasses were unsurprising and his comic book tee shirt was even less. Your disgust was quickly replaced with anger as you hit the chat icon above his info.

‘Hey, jackass, care to tell me how you have my photos on your profile?!’

The read icon appeared almost and you saw him typing. It stopped and then started again.

‘You’re so beautiful, I wanted to share it with everyone.’

You scoffed at the message and cringed at the screen. ‘Are you nuts? Like actually. You stole my photos! You hacked me. Creep.’

You blocked him immediately after hitting send and logged out. You opened Excel again and tried to focus on the coloured cells. You could hardly process what you were doing as your phone began to vibe on the corner of your desk. It didn’t let up and you couldn’t focus past the incessant buzzing.

You snatched it up and several messages covered the screen as you unlocked it. ‘You really think that’s gonna work’; ‘You can’t block me’... several in a similar vein that you deleted before blocking the number. You silenced your phone and turned back to your monitor.

Suddenly the screen went black and you blinked. You hit the keyboard and clicked, assuming it fell asleep. It lit up again but all you saw was yourself staring back. Your mouth fell open and you ripped the clip-on cam from atop your monitor. You disconnected it as the notepad opened and typing flicked up across the white space.

‘I didn’t want it to be like this.’

You could move the mouse or backspace. All control was lost and you sat there helplessly watching the scrawl.

‘I think we’d be really good together if you only gave me a chance. Can’t you see I worship you?’

Your phone began to shake constantly and a private number flashed. You picked it up and hollered into the speaker, “leave me alone”. You hung up but it kept on and your screen turned to black once more. Your PC was still on but there was no reaction from the machine.

Fuck, you sat back and looked at your phone. You couldn’t even call work to tell them because the damn thing wouldn’t stop ringing. You put your head in your hands and grunted in frustration. How the fuck did all this happen?

🖱️

After your initial panic died down, you disconnected your tower and shut off your phone. You left your cell behind as it was just as useless. You hauled the PC down to IT at your work and filled out the ticket without giving intricate details on everything the weirdo had taken.

You left with a borrowed laptop. You wouldn’t sign into your personal accounts and stick to the company portal. You were embarrassed but happy to have a temporary solution. You got home and set up the new computer and reconfigured your wi-fi. You finished the last of the day’s work and ended the day with a glass of wine.

When you dared to turn your phone on again the next morning, it was filled with notifications from all platforms but each one you clicked on errored and prompted you to sign-in. All your new passwords were wrong and you knew it was him. 

You checked the Insta and found a screenshot on his profile from the day before, your mouth agape in horror that could easily mistaken for surprise.

‘Her face when you pop the question on the call’. The caption made your stomach curdle and you nearly flung the phone away. You couldn’t comment without logging in or message. So you created a shell account with a throwaway email you used on Reddit.

‘Why won’t you stop?’ you sent the message through as you waited for your coffee to brew.

‘Stop what?’ he added a winky face with his reply and you growled.

‘You know who this is! Why are you doing this?’

‘Hmmm…’ he let the message hang there and you sat down with your mug and listened to the birds outside. ‘Imagine what someone else would do with everything I have.’

‘Look at what you’re doing. You’re ruining my life.’

‘Ruining? Sweetie, I’m watching over you. Protecting you.’

Your nostrils flared and you burnt your tongue on the coffee and planted it on the table so it sloshed over the sides.

‘Love you, sweetie. See ya soon.’

The chat box turned grey as you realised he blocked you. That pissed you off more than anything and you lobbed your phone away with a shout of anguish. This guy was fucked!  

You were shaking so much you couldn’t even drink your coffee. You got up and paced until you could think straight. You dialed into work and told them you were taking the day off for a personal emergency and shut down your phone. You were too afraid he would find a way onto your work laptop and you didn’t want to have to explain that to IT too.

🖱️

Zia showed up on Saturday and she wasn’t happy. She buzzed up and banged on your door impatiently. You let her in and she crossed her arms over the strap of her purse as she crooked her hip.

“I know I shouldn’t have snooped but if you’re mad at me, you should’ve just said so. I would’ve backed off,” she scowled.

“I’m not mad,” you said as you backed into the front room and dragged your feet over the rug.

“Sure, you’re just ignoring all my messages by accident,” she stayed at the other side of the room.

“Not exactly, no,” you shrugged, “it’s a long story.”

“And you couldn’t shoot me a message to say that at least?”

“Look, I’m stressed the fuck out. I’m sorry but the only reason I didn’t answer you is because I can’t.” 

“You can’t?”

“I can’t even turn my phone on anymore.”

“What--”

“Just--” you touched your temples, “I don’t even know how to explain--”

“Jesus, are you okay?” her anger slaked away as her voice softened.

“No, I’m not,” you sniffed, “I’ve been trapped in this apartment and I can’t think straight and I can’t even talk to anyone because my phone and my life is totally fucked.”

“How about we get a coffee and you can tell me once you’ve calmed down,” she said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so worked up.”

“You don’t know how bad it is. I really fucked up,” you whined, “I don’t even know how it happened.”

“Is this about the boyfriend?”

You huffed and shook your head, “I told you, he’s not my boyfriend-- Let me get dressed.”

After you felt presentable enough to leave the apartment, the thought of getting away ushered you down the winding stairwell and onto the sidewalk. You and Zia walked down to the cafe on the corner where you always overspent on their specialty drink and caught up.

You ordered but when you tried to use your card, the machine beeped in rejection. You tried again but still no luck. Zia offered to pay and you promised you’d pay her back. Anxiety pitted deep in your stomach as you sat. You’d have to call the bank and figure out why eight dollars would bounce.

“So,” Zia said as she shaded her eyes against the sunlight streaming onto the open patio, “he’s not your boyfriend?”

“I don’t even know the dude,” you hissed as you almost overturned your cup, “Zee, those pictures, they were all on my phone. I never sent them to anyone. I don’t even know his real name and when I confronted him, he crashed my whole system and blew up my phone. I haven’t been able to log into anything because of him.”

“You’re shitting me,” she chuckled.

“Zee, I’m not fucking kidding,” you blinked, “don’t you think if I was dating some dude out in who knows where, you’d be the first to know? You think I’m wasting my time with the idiots on Tindr for fun?”

“No way,” she scoffed.

“Zia, look me in the eye,” you said as you gave her a stern look, “I’m freaking the fuck out.”

“Did you call the police?” she asked.

You sat back and closed your eyes. You were so swept up in the panic, you hadn’t even thought. You could report it to the police, just get a record of it even if they didn’t do anything else. You heard horror stories of hackers and how little could be done but you had to at least try.

“I guess I should go down to the station today,” you ran your fingertips along your chin, “I don’t know, I felt so alone, I thought--”

“And call your bank right now,” she slid her phone over, “figure out what’s going on with your accounts.”

You took her cell and dialed the number on the back of the card. You dragged your finger down the side of your cup as you listened to the automated message and hit the buttons to direct you to customer service. The hold song bubbled in your head and finally picked up as you finished the last of your mocha.

You explained the issue after giving your information as Zia sat patiently across from you. She watched the other patrons and looked out across the street as you waited on the representative on the other end.

“Looks like your account has been locked. Your savings and checking have been placed on hold citing possible fraud,” the woman explained.

“Well, can’t you unlock them? Why would they be flagged?”

“Hmm, well I see no suspicious spending so possibly… it could be due to an external lock, not us.”

“What does that mean?”

“I can’t speak to that. Have you received any communications from the Revenue service?”

“Revenue service? I don’t--no,” you gulped.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can tell you,” she said, “you should consider contacting federal services.”

You hung up and handed Zia her phone back. “Apparently, I’m under investigation for fraud? I don’t know.”

“Shit,” she took her cell, “are you sure?”

“It sounded like it but-- I gotta check my credit card,” you stood and grabbed your empty cup and your purse.

You stormed down the street to the ATM at the corner and inserted your card. LOCKED the machine made a hideous noise and you pulled out your card in irritation. You put your wallet and touched the sides of your neck as the heat swelled through you.

“I don’t understand--”

“Um, you should see this,” Zia said.

Zia turned her screen towards you and your heart dropped to your toes. There was a picture softened by a blush Insta filter and the caption read, ‘just got into town, surprising bae with flowers’. Over the cluster of petals at the bottom of the image were you and Zia sitting at the cafe patio.

You spun and searched around for any sign of the man and the bouquet. You could hardly breath as it felt like you were being squished between invisible walls. You clapped your hand against the wall and steadied yourself as Zia gently rubbed your arm.

“Let’s go to the station,” you croaked as tears welled in your eyes, “please.”

🖱️

The police told you everything you expected. Even as you showed them the photos and explained how you never met that man in your life, they only offered you words on a piece of paper. They’d file the report and follow-up in case of any further escalation. It was a non-answer, a cold shrug.

Zia went home with you as she offered to stay the night. You gladly accepted and the two of you cozied up on your bed and spent the night watching early 00s rom coms. You found it hard to relax even with her there. You couldn’t stop thinking about how close he’d been without you even knowing.

You at last began to doze off as Reese Witherspoon triumphed and exhausted by the endless maelstrom of dread, you slipped into a deep but perilous sleep. You were locked in limbo between waking and slumber, almost as if you could hear everything around you but remained blind and unknowing all the same.

You woke with a start as you felt like you were falling. You sat up and reached to the other side of the bed. Zia was gone. She must have got up to get water or use the bathroom. You took a breath and turned your legs over the edge. You got up groggily and lumbered across the room, your mouth dry and head aching. Some tylenol and water would do you well.

You hesitated as you noticed the bloom of light just around the corner from your doorway. Zia must be having trouble sleeping, you guessed as you kept on. As you came in sight of the front room, you heard a whimper and you backed up against the wall as tall figure stood before the coffee table. The flowers laid across the wood, slightly crumpled from a struggle.

As Zia whined, he jabbed her with his foot and she grunted around the rag tied around her mouth. Her arms and legs were bound behind her as the man loomed over her. You recognized his blond hair and glasses, the menacing blue eyes as he raised his chin and crossed his arms.

“Been waiting on you,” he stepped over her, “I was disappointed when I realised it was her. Good friend though, hanging around…”

“Don’t hurt her, please. What do you want?”

“You can’t figure that out?” he taunted, “huh, I’m sure you can guess what it will take for me to leave her in one piece.”

Zia wiggled and received another boot. You pushed yourself forward and he stepped closer, predatory as he dropped his arms and clenched then unclenched his fists. He chuckled as you stopped short and gaped up at him.

“She’s cute,” he said, “she can join us if that makes it easier for you.”

“You’re disgusting,” you snarled and winced as he reached out to touch your cheek. You fought not to shove him away, your eyes on Zia’s bound figure.

“Play nice and I will,” he warned, “every time I hurt her, that’s on you. I wish I didn’t have to do this to show you how much I love you.”

You shook your head as your lip trembled. He pressed his palms to your cheek and ran his thumb along your lips. He leaned in and you cowered as you realised how big he was. You didn’t expect that looking at him from the other side of a screen.

“Do we put on a show for her or did you want a little privacy?”

“You won’t get away with this,” you hissed.

“Oh yeah? I locked you out of your social media, your pc, your bank… do you really want to see how far I can take this?”

He smothered your murmured answer with his mouth and kissed you gruffly. He pulled away and looked you in the eye. He bit his lip and hummed.

“So, do we do this here?”

“You’re sick,” you grabbed his hand and wrenched it away from your face. You yanked him and directed him to the bedroom, “you monster.”

“Now come on,” he twisted his wrist around and grabbed your elbow, “I could’ve killed her. Don’t think I won’t.”

You quivered as he forced you back into your bedroom, the street lights casting shadows between your curtains. He flung you ahead of him, as strong as his thick arms would suggest. You stumbled and caught yourself on the side of the bed. You turned as the door slammed and he prowled towards you like a wild cat.

“Well,” he threw his hands up and you caught a glint of light against the lens of his glasses, “you want me to undress you or you think you can handle that, sweetie?”

You puffed in repulsion and looked away from him. Even in the dark, you could feel his eyes on you. You jittered as you reached to the neck of your loose tee and slowly raised it over your head. You dropped it to crumple on the floor and you touched the top of your shorts. You heard him moving around and shied away as he flipped the switch and light shone across the room.

You pushed down your shorts as you heard a thump from the next room. His jaw twitched as his eyes lingered on you and he reluctantly glanced away. He swung the door open and stormed out into the front room. You went to the door and heard his snarl.

“Stop fucking moving,” he rasped, “every time I have to tell you, I’ll pop another out.”

Zia gave a muffled sob as you heard a sickly crack and you hurried to look around the wall into the room. He blocked your sight with his broad chest and pointed you back to the room.

“I didn’t say you could leave the room,” he spun you and slapped your bare ass, “fast, fast, fast… before I lose my patience.”

Your skin stung from the strike and you tripped through the doorway as he followed quickly. Another slam and he poked you further into the room with his knuckle. You stepped away from him and tried to cover yourself as you faced him in horror.

He quickly swooped his shirt over his head and revealed a buff chest thick with blond hair. He kicked off his shoes and fumbled to undo his fly. He tilted his head as he looked you over and groped himself through his jeans.

“You know what to do,” he said, “I’ve seen the way you touch yourself… cyber security 101, cover your webcam.”

You shuddered as he beckoned you closer. He stopped you and put your hands on the waist of his jeans. He leaned in and nuzzled your temple as his hot breath seeped into your goosebumped skin.

“My turn,” he pushed on your hands until you pulled down the denim on your own strength.

He stepped out of his jeans and snapped the elastic of his boxers. You stood and latched onto those shakily. He ran his fingers along your arms as you pulled them past his erection and they fell to the floor with a whisper. You didn’t look down, instead staring past him as his hand swept up to cup your tits.

His fingers crawled up your chest and his hands wrapped around your neck. He squeezed and turned you so that your back was to the bed. He marched you backwards as you felt his dick bobbing between your bodies. You gasped as he pushed you down onto your mattress, your legs dangling over the edge as he came up to straddle you.

“Such a good girl,” he taunted, “look at you… I bet you’re wet already.”

He pulled a hand away and stroked his length as he raised himself on his knees. He clung to your neck as he leaned over you and planted his hand on the bed above you. He hovered his dick over your head and you closed your eyes.

“Put it in your mouth,” he ordered, “now, or I’m putting it in your ass.”

You reached up blindly and angled his tip against your lips. He dipped his hips down and you choked as he prodded at your throat. Your legs twitched as he forced his cock past your gag reflex and your whole body tensed at the intrusion.

He balanced on the hand above your head and the one on your neck. He thrust harder and harder as sloppy sucking reverberated around the room between his dark groans.

“That’s it,” he purred, “look at you taking my cock. I can only imagine how tight that cunt of yours is.”

Your eyes welled and you flicked your lashes as you tried to bat them away. You kept your hand at the base of his dick as you tried to ease his motion. He ignored your reluctance and only delved deeper as he brought himself to his limit, your lips touching the fuzz along his pelvis.

When you couldn’t breath, you slapped his hard stomach and he reared out of you abruptly. You coughed up spit as he sat back on his heels and released you. He huffed as he looked down at his glistening dick and climbed off of you.

“Stand up, turn around,” he snarled as his eyes flashed. 

His glasses were low on his nose and he slipped them off entirely and folded them up on your night table. He squinted as he watched you stand and turn stiffly. He smacked his hand in the middle of your back and pushed you over impatiently. He stepped closer and tapped his tip against your cunt as you were exposed to him.

He bent his legs and poked along your slick folds. You were wet enough for him to glide in and fill you up completely. He was so big it was painful and you arched your back as you tried to take it. He pulled back and slammed into you harshly. You let out a garble and he repeated the motion, taking you off your feet.

He leaned over you and grabbed your knees, lifting them on the bed as he urged you forward. His hand brushed up over your ass and he pressed between your shoulder blades until your face was flush to the mattress, your arms bent around you like a broken doll.

He thrust again and the loud slap made you wince. He jerked his hips roughly until he found his motion, rutting into you with hissy breaths as his other hand groped your ass. He hummed as your body shook before him, ruled by his touch as your walls clenched him.

He pushed his thumb down between your cheeks and circled your asshole. You strained and lifted your head in alarm. His other hand quickly stretched over your crown and pinned your face to the bed. He felt along your cunt and slickened his thumb before trailing back to your puckered ring.

He pushed lightly at first and as he broke through you gasped and whined. You gripped the blankets as he moved his thumb in and out of you, his hips still rocking steadily into you. He slid his thumb out entirely and prodded with two fingers instead. Before you could react, he forced them inside and you cried out in surprise and pain.

“I know you want it, sweetheart,” he groaned, “I can feel…” he kept fucking you, “I can fucking hear it.”

Your holes tightened around you as he carried the pace. A new pressure began to bloom inside of you, unlike anything you’d felt before. The burning in your ass and the stretching of your cunt mingled to an agonized bliss. You sobbed into the blankets as you came uncontrollably around him, shamed by the unwanted release.

“Fuck,” he drew out the word as both his hand and his hips sped up, “look at you cumming for me. Cumming for this creep.”

You moaned and curled your fingers around the duvet tighter. You felt the same knotting deep inside and you came again as he reached a tantamount. This time, you gushed around his cock and felt the deluge down your thighs as the noise grew wetter and louder.

“Look at you, sweetheart, you can’t handle it, can you?” He snorted as he sucked in a breath suddenly and his hips staggered.

He pushed his fingers deeper and kept them there as he fucked you as hard as he could. He slammed into your cunt over and over. Your hips throbbed with each tilt of his pelvis and you smothered your cries as you felt him coat your walls in his release. 

He stopped just as suddenly and dragged his fingers out of your ass. He leaned against you until your legs collapsed and fell onto you with a sigh. He covered your body with his as his shallow breaths hazed around you. 

Your own heart raced as you stretched your arms out stiffly and quivered. You tried to pull yourself from beneath him. He kept you pinned under his weight and jolted you with a cruel thrust.

“Oh, we’re not done, sweetheart,” he muttered along the shell of your ear, “not even close.”

[barnesandco]

Little Hands (II)

Series Masterlist

You, Bucky, and Anastasia pay Bruce Banner a visit. 

This is an entry for @star-spangled-bingo 2021. Word count: 1836. Square filled: “You don’t wanna know.”

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: More Sad Child. Needles, fear of. So much overthinking.

A/N: Gosh, I’m so glad I got this chapter edited in time. I hope you like it and I’m sorry for skipping out on y’all last week! To make up for it, there’ll be two updates this weekend, so look out for the next chapter tomorrow! Lmk what you thinkkkk

The Avengers Compound is every bit as spectacular as you could have possibly hoped, and yet you’re unable to fully appreciate it because of the sheer absurdity of the situation. Your hand is in the vice-tight grip of the supposed daughter of your neighbor, who happens to be an Avenger.

Said neighbor is pacing back and forth in front of you as you sit in Bruce Banner’s laboratory, with Anastasia beside you while you wait for Bruce to arrive. Ana is remarkably calm, her young features – the round cheeks, still-wet eyes – made mature by her abnormal silence. Something about her makes you think she’s used to this kind of tension. Something about her screams war-child. Perhaps this grip she has on you is the first demand she has made in a long time, the only tantrum she has ever been allowed to throw.

While you aren’t particularly experienced with children, you think you want her to feel safe with you, because it seems she hasn’t been elsewhere. Ana’s eyes flit around the room in the only behavioral indication of her youth – a childlike curiosity, shining in the face of this fancy, new place that gleams like a toy store. Every now and then, her gaze jumps back from the alien appearance of the lab to her father (?) who seems intent on wearing a hole in the tiles with his pacing.

It is beginning to wear on you: both Bucky’s pacing and Ana’s steadily increasing anxiety. He hasn’t said a word to her since he opened the envelope, only asked that you accompany him to the Compound seeing as Ana won’t go alone with him (You would have gone with him even if that hadn’t been so. Though the nature of your relationship is ambiguous at times, the strength of your friendship is not. You’ll figure this out. You won’t leave him alone). Clearly, there is some unspoken memory that has him convinced the claim in the letter is plausible. Neither of you would be here if it wasn’t.

Bucky doesn’t talk too much about his past. He has offered a few of the shattered shards of his past reflection to you in the few night-caped moments you have hammered on his door upon hearing shouts across the hall. Between that, and what you know thanks to Black Widow’s file dump, the big Avengers’ in-fight in Europe last summer, the consequent resolution to the Accords, and Bucky’s publicized pardon, you can guess at the traumas that lurk in the depths of him.

They’re traumas that are closer to the surface of his eyes now, pulled forth by this new life, this little soul that has no business with such dark things, and the implication that this holds. Ana, innocent as she may be, is an insinuation of what else might have been unwillingly torn from Bucky.

You don’t want to think about it, because it hurts to do so, because you care for him, in many, many ways. It seems that Anastasia is also starting to tire of it. With every step Bucky takes, her hand tightens on yours. Fortunately, soon, the door to your left opens, and Bruce Banner enters his lab.

He's appropriately disheveled for this hour in the morning. Under his pristine lab coat, one of his shirt buttons is done into the wrong buttonhole, but his eyes are alert, frantic even, though you get the feeling that this is a man always on the edge of escape.

Bucky lets out a breath he seems to have been holding at the same time as his shoulders tense. “Thanks for coming so early, Doctor Banner. I wouldn’t have called if—”

“You never call, so I know it must have been important. But it looks like I’ve kept you waiting anyways,” Banner says, his eyes widening as they move from Bucky, to you, to the little girl at your side. “What’s the matter? You know I’m not a medical doctor, right?” He asks, putting a work bench between himself and his visitors.

Bucky clears his throat, and doesn’t quite know how to say what he needs to. After a few more seconds of hesitation, in which Banner waits patiently, Bucky extracts the envelope containing the fateful letter from his pocket, and hands it over.

The furrows in Doctor Banner’s brow multiply spontaneously, and when he looks up, Bucky gestures with a subtle nod of his head to Ana. He has yet to explain your presence, but you think Doctor Banner is a smart man. It won’t take more than Anastasia’s tight hold on you for him to put two and two together. Sometimes, a scared child is just that, no matter how unusual.

Most of their ensuing conversation is held at a lowered volume, set by Bucky, probably out of courtesy for Ana. You can hear snatches and phrases, most of them confirmations of things you had expected and some, not so much. Lobby security cam footage… fingerprints… paternity test… serum… blood sample…

By the end of it, some facsimile of a plan seems to have evolved between the two men, because Doctor Banner turns away with a smile and you, taking it as a welcome, stand and approach him. He rounds his desk and shakes your hand, exchange introductions though he hardly needs one, and then, he crouches, the way Bucky had, and offers Ana his hand.

“Hi, I’m Bruce.”

“Ana.”

Bucky steps forward. “Anastasia—” the name is clumsy on his tongue, because he’s scared. You can see it, and you hope he knows you are, too, but you’ll stand with him regardless, “—Bruce is going to check that you aren’t sick.”

“I’m okay.”

“We need to be sure.”

“Okay.”

Banner pulls out a chair, and you’re about to sit Ana down on it, when she pushes you gently into it, and sits on your lap. You can do nothing but wrap your arms gently around her, so she doesn’t fall. The apology in Bucky’s eyes is melted with a sympathetic smile. It’s alright. A child developing an inexplicable affection for you is not the worst thing to ever happen to you.

Ana is warm and a comfortable weight on you, and you hold her as loosely as you can, feel the movement of her chest against your arms with each breath. Her hair is a mix of wool-thick and silk-soft against your chin, smelling faintly of the sugar-sweet strawberry scent found in children’s shampoos. Someone took care of her.

Someone she isn’t asking for. What kind of child doesn’t ask for their mother, past the initial, momentary heartbreak? How has she come to terms with the apparent change in custody, when the new custodian hasn’t?

Whether Bucky is to be the new guardian has yet to be determined. You can see Bruce pulling out a syringe and preparing a vial. You wonder if she’s scared of needles. Bucky flinches at the sight of them, even now. He’s said that his disdain for the cold clinicism of medicine dates back to long before Hydra. Medical equipment reminds him of worrying that his best friend was going to die. It’s the fear he has harbored longest, longer than his fear of war, of gunshots in the dark, of blood on his hands.

Ana shares it. When she sees the needle, she screams, and Bucky lunges forward to help you hold her in place. She’s so, so much stronger than you thought and while you can hold her limbs, her head thrashes about, and so does her torso, making it impossible for Bruce to get to the inside of her elbow.

In the chaos, your eye lands on a trinket on a nearby desk, sitting there like a peace offering, literally beckoning to you. “Hey, Ana,” you whisper-yell, trying not to get hit in the jaw by her head. “Do you like animals? Cats? I have a friend who has lots and lots of cats, and I could take you to see them.” It’s working. You’re out of breath, but she’s quieting. Most little kids love cats. You love cats. “I think Bruce has a toy cat. See, over there?” You dare to lift an arm to point at the maneki-neko on the table. Ana stills. Her eyes follow the hypnotic movement, and the syringe at Ana’s elbow does its job.

When the bandage is put on, you and Bucky let go with twin nervous chuckles of relief and disbelief, and Bruce puts the vial in a machine. Ana hops off to approach the desk, and bats at the paw waving at her like a mirror of it.

“We should have the results soon. I think the others are starting to wake up, if you want to say hi,” Bruce says, taking off his glasses and wiping them on the corner of his lab coat.

“Maybe later,” you say, seeing that Bucky is hardly in any position to converse casually with his teammates right now. Not to mention, it’d be a lot of work to explain Ana, especially before having any sort of confirmation of who she is.

Bucky pulls out a chair next to you while Bruce opens a laptop a few counters away, and an x-ray machine lifts its head behind Ana, who has moved on from the lucky cat, and is stroking the leaves of a flowering plant.

“Peace lily,” Bucky says, startling you. You look at him, the bags under his eyes, the way he almost looks his age right now, and fight the urge to hold his hand. “It’s the first flower I bought for my apartment. I put it in a community garden after a nightmare about the war. Didn’t feel right for me to have it.”

He's talking about the Second World War. The war always refers to his first war. You think he’s talking about peace, and not the lily, after what he’s done. After what he was forced to do.

“It’s not your fault,” is an automatic response, and never enough, especially for the war, because at least he was in his own senses, even if he was drafted. It always elicits a self-deprecating laugh, but right now, he’s too tired for even that.

Right now, he can only watch as the x-ray camera follows Ana around the room, from the peace lilies, to an Amazon elephant’s ear, to a strange sculpture made from Coca-Cola cans glued together by what looks like spider-webs.

Too soon, Bruce calls you over to his work station. You follow Bucky, one eye on Ana.

“She’s yours,” Bruce says, and Bucky inhales sharply. Now, you do take his hand, stroke the metal ridges with your calloused thumb. “But she has disproportionately more of your DNA than her mother’s.”

“What does that mean?”

Bruce wrings his hands. “She’s not a complete clone, but nearly a genetic copy. 80% of a clone, if you will.”

Bucky is growing increasingly uncomfortable, shifting next to you. “How’s that possible?”

“You don’t wanna know.”

[dailyniallnews]

Niall Horan: Live at The Royal Albert Hall

While some may argue that too few artists have done their bit to raise awareness for the people of the music industry who since March 2020 have been forced to stop practicing their profession, one artist who has stepped up to the plate is singer-songwriter and former One Direction star, Niall Horan. Joining forces with the crew-led organisation, We Need Crew, on 7 November 2020, the singer welcomed fans from around the globe to bear witness to a one-off performance from the eerily empty Royal Albert Hall, with all profits going to his touring family and technical entertainment charity, Backup.

In the lead up to the livestream, Horan could be found on almost every television network, promoting the show and explaining why the performance required the attention of all music lovers. In his own words: “I’m putting on this gig to raise awareness of the immense value they bring to an industry enjoyed by so many and do something to help them and their families. I ask all my fans to support them with me and buy a ticket if you can, and I encourage all artists to do the same.”

With several weeks passing since both artist and crew took over the RAH, TPi caught up with the crew behind the project and to get their thoughts on this very special event.

PRODUCTION ORIGINS…

“I remember it was a Monday morning when I got the call from Karen [Ringland] and Alice [Martin], who explained the concept of We Need Crew,” reminisced Ant Carr, Head of Production for Modest! Management. Both founders of We Need Crew explained to Carr that the goal of We Need Crew is, in association with #WeMakeEvents, to raise money for touring professionals who have fallen on hard times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What really appealed about their organisation was that it was created by crew, for crew,” Carr said. “Around the same time, I was having conversations with Niall, who had already seen a few peers doing livestream performances, and we discussed the idea of performing in an iconic venue to raise awareness for the plight of the industry.”

With these two conversions in mind, Carr began to pull the pieces of would become Horan’s streamed performance together, as well as a big launch for the We Need Crew campaign. Carr and the rest of the Modest! team got to work reforming his touring family, whose album cycle had been stopped prematurely in March 2020.

“We were in LA when everything began shutting down,” stated Carr, who explained how he and the rest of the crew were in their last few weeks of promo before heading into rehearsals for Horan’s world tour. “We were finishing up a week on James Corden when the announcement came that the borders were due to be shut, so we all had to head back to the UK pretty quickly.”

After several months with no work, both Carr and the rest of the crew were all enthusiastic about getting back together to put on a very special performance. “In many ways, it was like we had never been away,” explained Production Manager, Andy Colby. “There was a part of me that thought it might have been a bit strange with it being so long since we worked together, but 30 minutes into the first rehearsal at SW19, it was like we had just got off the plane from LA.”

Colby was one of many familiar faces from Horan’s touring family who got the call to help with the livestream, alongside several technical suppliers including Wigwam and midnight:lights. KB Event provided a Megacube Artic for rehearsals in SW19 along with a Tech Kit for the show, oversaw by Lead Driver, Steve Crawley. Pulse Films and promoter, Driift were brought into the fold to make the event a reality.

In total, some 127,000 tickets for the performance were sold to 151 countries. “The response we had from fans was fantastic,” enthused Carr. “The funds raised are going to be able to help a good number of touring crew and their families and we kept this in the forefront of our mind in all aspects of the show.”

Carr was also quick to complement the attitude of the man in front of the camera. “Niall was very involved in every step of the process. He really gained a full grasp of the situation and during the promotion of the show, he really wanted to educate the public, and his fanbase, about what was going on in the sector.”

SETTING THE STAGE…

A few weeks from the broadcast date, a small group visited the Royal Albert Hall to make a start on planning how the show would come together. Lighting and Show Designer, Emma Bull and Director, Paul Dugdale led the creative vision. The livestream began with Horan performing a song on the piano on the venue’s stage, before walking down to the centre of the room to play the rest of the show in 360° in the centre of the hall. A top priority for the visual team was putting both Niall and the venue in the spotlight.

Bull elaborated: “Although several dance shows utilise the centre of the room, Paul’s Dugdale’s suggestion to do this for a music act felt fresh and was a strong starting point for the design,” she noted. “Having Niall and the band in the centre gave us a few options to really show off the building and take advantage of the fact the whole space was empty.”

One of her design ideas to make use of the space was to fill the empty boxes of the hall with lights. “It really ‘shined a light’ on the fact that there was nobody in the space,” she commented.

Aiding her in both the programming and running the show was Richard White of midnight:lights. “In total, we built 114 bespoke plinths for the audience boxes,” he stated. “On these sat a combination of Robe LED Beam 150s and Robe Spiiders.” The arrangement of these fixtures and boxes created a 360° backdrop of the central stage, with fixtures focussed into the room as well as back on themselves to flood the boxes.

The other key lighting elements included three Robe BMFL Robospots for keylight, which were placed in the venue’s gallery level. “We kept most of the control of these at the console with it being a 360° shoot,” stated White. “We were then able to shift the keylight/backlight across the fixtures as the camera tracked.” Around the central stage, the lighting team deployed SGM Q2s to provide some glowing footlights, along with Litepanel Gemini Softlights for Niall’s microphone position. “From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want there to be any rigging or trussing in the shot,” explained Bull. “We didn’t want anything to distract from the key elements of the shot – Niall and venue – to produce a clean look.” This is also why the visual department moved away from the idea of a backdrop and instead showed off the immensity of the famed venue.

Aiding both Bull and White in their endeavours was Lighting Programmer, Dan Young. In the lead up to the show, both Young and White spent several days in the previs suite at midnight:lights using Syncronorm Depence² to plan the show. “I have worked with both Dan and Richard several times and they have a great understanding of my aesthetic,” praised Bull. “I like things to be quite static in terms of colour palette with refined looks.” During the show, White oversaw the key lighting with Young programming all the moves. This gave Bull the freedom to act as a go-between between both the lighting and the stage to ensure the integrity of the design for the broadcast.

“The main challenge for this show was to provide consistent lighting over the different shooting styles,” mused White. “On one hand, we needed to have soft beauty lighting for close-up shots and steadycam work, but we also needed to make sure that the stage was physically as clear as possible for all the wide room shots and overhead wire-cam.” To add a level of accuracy, most of the live show was programmed to timecode because the visual team were situated outside of the room during the shoot.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, LIVESTREAM…

Jim Parsons was brought in by Pulse Films to assume the role of Producer. “By the time I got involved, the concept had already been fairly well developed by Emma Bull and Paul Dugdale,” Parsons began. “From my side, it was a case of getting all the video and visual elements and working out some of logistics of how we’d get the event to the finish line.”

Parsons has collaborated with Horan several times over the years. “The fact he came from the TV world means he has much more of a grasp than many of his peers of what goes into this style of performance and how to connect with fans through a camera,” he enthused.

Speaking a few weeks after the event took place, Parsons reflected on what he and the team achieved with the livestream. “We always knew we had an opportunity to do something different with this show,” he commented. “The end resulted was big and beautiful, but it was still ‘live’.  It had the feel of a real show and didn’t come across prescriptive or dull.”

Parsons went on to describe the collaboration between himself and Driift, having worked together several times during 2020 on shows for Kylie Minogue and Sleaford Mods. “Ric Salmon and the rest of the Driift team are the kind of broadcasters I really like collaborating with in that they just let you get on with your work,” stated Parsons plainly. “They were obviously interested in the initial conversations and in the creative, but once it was all in place, they left us to it.”

Driift CEO, Ric Salmon offered his two cents on the project. “The fact that Niall ended up selling 127,000 tickets for the event is such a huge achievement, made all the better as it was all for such an amazing cause,” he stated. Unsurprisingly, 2020 was a busy year for Driift as the company offered livestreaming solutions for several artists. “There are almost too many benefits with this format of show,” stated Salmons while discussing the progression of livestreaming solutions that have only expanded in the past few years. “As we move forward, I think you’ll find more people opting for this style of event over, say, music videos,”

Parsons described what it was like working in the RAH. “It’s a beautiful venue, but we have all seen it thousands of times and there’s no denying that making it look different is quite a challenge. So, hats have to go off to the visual team for making this livestream look so unique.”

A Luna Remote System Junior 5 Telescopic remote compact dolly on a circular track along with a Dactylcam Pro point-to-point wire camera system captured the magic of the livestream. The spanned the periphery of central stage to present virtual audiences with a 360° view.

Camera Supervisor and joint Owner of Luna Remote Systems, Dean Clish discussed what it meant to be involved in such a prestigious show. “It was an honour to be involved in Niall’s show,” he commented. “It was for such a great cause and it’s always good to be in the Royal Albert Hall – you can’t go wrong with such a beautiful location.”

He continued to discuss why the camera selection was ideal for this type of performance. “The Junior 5 and the Dactylcam Pro are perfect for this kind of shoot because of the need to socially distance and, of course, with this sort of intimate production, they are both really unobtrusive and discreet systems,” he explained. “We’ve rigged the Dactylcam in the Royal Albert Hall before. It’s a brilliant system to use in there as you can really capture the essence of the hall from a height, in flight, in a way that you can’t with static systems.”

SOUNDING OUT…

The production brought back the audio double act of FOH Engineer, Matthew Kettle and Monitor Engineer, Joe Campbell to oversee the mix for the livestream and the band on stage. Having started working with Horan on his first solo album cycle, Kettle gave an overview of his time with the artist. “I didn’t really know what to expect before I’d heard the debut record and, as I was more known for working with rock music, I wasn’t sure I’d be the right fit,” he commented. However, with Horan’s solo music citing influences including Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen, the Engineer explained how it had been a fruitful partnership over the past three years. “Niall is really quite involved with the audio production and often during rehearsals will listen to the mixes to get a feel of what is being produced.”

Having been put on a hiatus since the tour’s cancellation in March, Kettle described what it was like to pull the pieces back together for the tour. “It’s really quite a different process producing a mix for a livestream compared to a live show,” he mused. “I have always had massive respect for broadcast engineers as it is such a different craft. When you’re mixing live in a venue, if anything goes wrong, you can fix it for the next performance. However, with a broadcast, everything is under much more of a microscope and under a great deal of scrutiny. Not only that, but you only have one shot at a show.”

Kettle explained that once he and the team entered rehearsals, they soon found their rhythm. “The approach to mixing was not too dissimilar to what we had already been working on for the tour. Just like the visual department, we didn’t want the production to be too flashy, aiming to simply reflect the intimacy of the performance without too much embellishment,” he commented.

For this reason, both Kettle and Campbell virtually replicated their audio setups they had planned to use for the world tour, featuring two DiGiCo SD5 consoles for monitors and FOH, along with Shure Axient Handhelds with Sennheiser 2000 Series IEMs, d&b audiotechnik wedges and a V-Series for side fills.

The console setup was not significantly different from the touring configuration, with multiple inputs from various SD-Racks in different parts of the stage and performance areas going to the broadcast SD5, all connected by an Opticore loop and shared with Campbell’s SD5 in monitor world. “The SD5 is my favourite console in the world,” said Campbell. “I love it and, because DiGiCo products are well proven and rock solid reliable, we rarely have to include them directly in what we do.” Cambpell was initially concerned in the lead up to the show, having not touched a desk since March. “Thankfully, Wigwam had kept the desks in pristine condition – so much so that our show files were even still loaded on the desk from the tour. This saved a great deal of time in rehearsals and certainly made it easier to get back into the saddle.”

Campbell was keen to replicate the same stage setup for Niall and the band. “During the tour, although he uses IEMs, I still have a wedge and side fills just in case he wants to take out his ears to hear the crowd,” he explained. “Even though it was a livestream with no audience, I wanted the show to feel as familiar as possible for him and the band.”

Despite a relatively “meat and potatoes” band setup, Campbell had just under 100 inputs on his desk – the result of several reverb returns and an elaborate talkback system. “Each one of the band members have a talkback mic so throughout the performance they can talk to one another and me,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Kettle’s ‘FOH’ position was slightly further away, setting up in a corridor off from the main hall. “Wigwam prepared an acoustic treatment kit so I sat at the desk with several studio monitors to mix the show and then sent my audio feed to the Pulse team,” stated Kettle. “Before going into the RAH, I was concerned with how the room would react with no audience in there to dampen the sound, but from the first sound check it sounded fantastic.”

Discussing Wigwam’s involvement with the project, Tom Bush commented: “We were all extremely proud to be supplying Niall’s livestream, especially as it was addressing the We Need Crew and #WeMakeEvents funds and highlighting what goes into putting on a production with the unseen and behind-the-scenes rolls.”

Bush went on to explain the approach to this type of performance: “A slightly different thought process can be needed – the standard positions for mixing, for example. The package wasn’t too dissimilar to the one we had ready for the world tour, so we had a good starting point. A few additions and tweaks were needed to adhere to the show setup, but Matt and Joe’s attention to detail made sure the process was smooth. The need for trucks full of PA hasn’t been required yet, but soon hopefully. We currently have a few livestreams pencilled in that we’re all looking forward to.”

#WENEEDCREW…

Looking back at the slew of 2020 livestreamed performances, Niall Horan stands out among the crowd, not only for its aesthetic, but because of everything it represented – not to mention the sizeable pot of funds it raised for the live events industry.

As we enter a new year with the live events sector entrenched in the clutches of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hope is that more musicians will follow in Horan’s footsteps to shine the spotlight on hardworking crew members that are so often out of sight and mind to the average live music lover. In the meantime, more information regarding the We Need Crew initiative can be found on www.weneedcrew.co.uk

[neurodiversebones]

For the ship thingy what about Cam and arastoo from bones😘

who is the most affectionate: in public? arastoo, 100%. but cam is definitely the clingy one in private (though neither of them would ever say it). they're so cute :'-)

who initiates the hand holding: tbh it depends on the day, it's about 50/50 between them. arastoo did it the first few times though, so when cam initiated the first time he thought it was very sweet :-) <33

who worries more for the other: okay this one is hard- cam worries all the time about everything, but arastoo is always concerned specifically for her. i think they're both worriers and somewhat protective of each other, it's just in their nature.

who is more likely to ask for help: once again, everyone here is terrible at asking for help 😭 arastoo is only marginally more likely to admit that he needs help with something though. cam is too stubborn and not only will she not ask for help, she'll deny it when someone offers

who is the one always losing the keys: arastoo misplaces them constantly, cam keeps three sets on her at all times. but they always turn up in the randomest places when he loses them- pockets of clothes he hasn't worn in weeks, on top of the fridge, one time even in the dishwasher which is something neither of them can explain

who leaves little love notes for each other: arastoo ofc !!! weaponize those poetry skills (/ref) <33 but fr, cam melts every time he leaves her a little note, and she never gets rid of them. she thinks he doesn't know that she's kept them all, but he found the little collection of one of them one afternoon while looking for something and is just keeping it a secret that he knows

who can't sleep unless the other is there: arastoo definitely- knowing that cam is there is a huge comfort to him and it's incredibly off-putting when she isn't- the two of them always have some sort of physical contact while sleeping, even if it's just their hands touching when it's too hot to cuddle

who is more likely to propose to the other: i mean ,,, they've both proposed to each other in canon so it's both of them GSDJFHKJ

who introduced the other to their family first: in canon it's arastoo and i think that's fair !!! cam isn't all that close with her family (until the end of the series), and also definitely wouldn't bring someone to meet them unless she was 2000% sure of it.

who is more likely to play with the other's hair: hmm, i feel like they'd both do this? arastoo would just absentmindedly stroke cam's hair, and cam would run her fingers through his as a comfort thing (for both of them)

who makes sure the other has meals/stays hydrated: cam knows how to worry about everyone but herself so she's constantly reminding him while completely ignoring her own needs to eat/drink 😭 arastoo realizes that she's just. completely forgotten to eat and ends up just placing food in front of her because reminders won't work

who is more likely to stand up to anyone for the other: oh they would both kick ass for the other- whoever says anything slightly mean about one of them is fucked bc the other is already coming after them (arastoo with words, but cam fully has to refrain from having like. a detailed murder plot the second anyone is unkind to the man she loves)

who is more likely to prepare a surprise for the other: when it comes to big romantic gestures, it's arastoo. he's a hopeless romantic and a sucker for anything cheesy, and it shows. but small, day to day surprises are cam's arena- surprising him by bringing home his favourite takeout, small gifts, the like. they both just love to make the other happy all the time !!!

who makes the other pinky promise not to do things: arastoo does it as a joke tbh and cam rolls her eyes so hard (but it does stop her from doing whatever chaotic thing she was planning on doing)

who puts a blanket over the other when they fall asleep on the couch: arastoo would do that and just have. such heart eyes for how cute cam is (and he's RIGHT)

[newsupdated]

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