#Corona in the top update

[werindialive]

“Alarming COVID -19 Situation in China Govt must suspend all flights” Congress leader Manish Tewari

Covid-19 cases are again surging in China, and WHO has expressed its concerns. Amid the information, Congress leader Manish Tewari has urged the government to suspend all flights coming in and going out of the country as soon as possible. “Given the alarming COVID -19 Situation in China Govt must suspend all flights to and from China ASAP. Given the spike in the US, Japan & South Korea & possibility of a new lethal variant emerging India should consider reintroducing COVID-19 protocols", tweeted the Congress leader.

Apollo Hospitals Managing Director Dr. Sangita Reddy has also asked the government to act quickly to the situation and re-establish policy regarding air travel to and from China.

“Given India's extensive Covid Vaccines drive with effective vaccines there is no need for public panic on the surge in COVID-19 cases in China. However, having said that there is no place for inertia. We must act swiftly on our policy regarding air travel to & from China," Dr. Reddy tweeted.

Earlier, Covid data analyst Vijayan expressed his thoughts on the situation and said that India must not fear the outbreak in China as the variants currently found in the country are Omicron Sublineages BA.2.75, BA.5, BQ.1, XBB all these variants have been found in rest of world.

A meeting was held by the union Health minister with a team of experts in Delhi. secretaries of health and Ayush ministries, the Department of Pharmaceuticals and Department of Biotechnology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Rajiv Bahl, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog V K Paul and National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) Chairman N L Arora and other senior officials were also in attendance.

For more national news India in Hindi, subscribe to our newsletter.

[cinnudelx]

Do think I can have a Natasha romanoff x fem reader fluff fic? Pls

of course! thank you sm for your request!! 🤍

Drinks n’ Confessions 🎀

pairing: natasha romanoff x fem!reader

summary: nat finally came back from her solo mission. her first instinct was to come to your apartment. you guys had drinks at your balcony; unbeknownst to the fact that you were mere seconds away from a confession that changed your life.

warnings: nothing but fluff and a kiss x

a.n: guys i think im allergic to proof-reading my work 😭😭 this was kinda rushed bc im hopping on a plane soon and i wont have wifi for another few hours! also, thank you so much for you guys’ support on my posts! i love you guys soosososososos much 🩷🩷🩷

you were worried. worried sick. it’s been 2 weeks since you’ve heard from Nat after she had gone out for a mission. you sent her a text everyday, asking — no — begging for her to give you any updates.

it was no use. you threw your phone on your bed, running your hands over your face in frustration. this is… until you received a ding.

you almost fell off your bed reaching for your phone. your eyes lit up at the message.

i’m so sorry, only got to my phone now. on my way back. i’ll be at yours in an hour?

your heart fluttered, thoughts racing but most importantly — she was okay.

you responded almost immediately, scrambling off the bed and trying to make yourself look a bit more presentable, even though she wouldn’t be here for another hour so you decided you might as well clean your apartment.

the two of you had been best friends for 2 years, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that there might be something more. but of course your deluded mind told you it was just one sided and she could never think of you that way — only as a friend. though one thing you did know was that she, too, is into girls.

finally after about an hour, there was finally a knock on your door. your heart soared as you raced to the door, opening it swiftly. there she was, still clad in her suit and her luscious, red hair braided over her shoulder with two little strands framing her face.

the two of you smiled in unison, though your smile was more of a relieved, excited smile before you hugged her tightly. “gosh, i missed you so much.” she sighed softly, her chin on your shoulder as she squeezed you tighter.

“i missed you too, nat.” your smile was hurting your cheeks at this point before you reluctantly pulled away from the hug to look into her eyes. “i was so worried…” you said, letting her inside.

she winced at that, “i’m so sorry. my phone broke and i was basically on the other side of the world. i had no way of communicating with anyone.”

you shook your head with a soft smile, “it’s okay. at least you’re okay.”

she nodded, smiling back. the two of you searched each others eyes for a moment and you could’ve sworn there was something there. a hint of longing, maybe? or… love.

you cleared your throat, “uh… you wanna change? you can take whatever you want outta my wardrobe.”

“yeah, uh, that’d be great. thank you.” she smiled, walking into your room. although you still wanted her to stay in that suit that hugged her curves so perfectly, you knew she needed something more comfortable and clean.

you smiled back, running a hand through your hair as you leaned against the doorframe. “when you’re done, meet me at the balcony. i’ve got drinks.”

her brows raised with a smirk, “you know me so well.”

you chuckled, pushing yourself off the doorframe and heading out to the balcony with two bottles of corona’s. after about a minute, natasha met you at your balcony, dressed in a black tank top and leather jacket, paired with black jeans, her boots still on.

you handed her a bottle with a smile, “cheers.” she clinked her bottle against yours, grinning.

after a couple sips, nat spoke up.

“you know… while i was away,” she looked into your eyes, her expression unreadable, “i thought about a few things.” she paused a few moments, looking out into the distance as if she was trying to come up with the right words. “life is too short. anything can happen and put anyone out in a split second, right? especially in my line of work…”

you swallowed down your nervousness, completely oblivious about what she meant. “nat, did something happen when you were gone…?”

nat smiled to herself, shaking her head as she placed her elbows on the balcony railing. “y/n… you know that i’m a very… forward person. i don’t shy away.”

you nodded, listening intently and forgetting how to breathe.

she sighed after a couple moments before finally turning her head to look at you, a small smile on her lips. “i like you, y/n. not as friends. i just-“ she sighed again, frustrated as she couldn’t find the words, “i just wanted you to know that. you don’t have to say anyth-”

“me too.” you replied instantly, eyes wide, blush forming on your cheeks and the beer bottle in your hand completely forgotten. searching her eyes, you took a deep breath, “i like you… too.” the words came out just above a whisper.

she smiled softly to herself in relief, turning her body to fully face you. looking down at your free hand that wasn’t holding your beer, she hesitantly reached for it, carefully intertwining her fingers with yours. “i was trying to figure out why i felt so miserable while on missions and i now know why…” she looked at you, searching your eyes. “it’s because i’m not with you.”

your heart almost exploded at the confession, instinctively squeezing her hand gently.

she continued, “you know i’m never really good at this… stuff. but i’m trying. i really want to be with you. you make me feel so happy.” she almost whispered out the last sentence.

“nat…” you breathed out with a soft smile, bringing your hand up to caress her cheek. “you make me the happiest person ever when i’m with you.”

she smiled back, her eyes watering ever so slightly. she’d never felt like this with anyone—let alone had the confidence to get out of her shell and explore her sexuality.

she reached up to cup your hand the caressed her cheek, leaning in to hover against your lips. you closed your eyes the moment you felt the contact, your free hand immediately wrapping around her hip to pull her closer, the beer bottle still clinging from your fingers.

the kiss was one of a kind, filled with so much sincerity, adoration and love.

after a few moments, the two of you pulled away, her forehead against yours.

[aghoststorycomic]

A GHOST STORY HAS UPDATED!! AND A CORONA LIGHT

TODAY'S UPDATE: HERE START THIS CHAPTER: HERE START FROM THE TOP: HERE

SUPPORT A GHOST STORY ON PATREON

[hell-is-a-teenage-girll]

HEALTH UPDATE

Well.. Guess who finally got Corona.

On top of everything this was exactly what I needed. I joke that I'm just always late for the trends 💅.

But seriously, I'm in so much agony. Before ending up at ER last night, my heart had been going 130bpm + whole day. (my watch literally congratulated me on my fitness) it went up to 161bpm. When I went to the doctor my blood pressure also was way to low. My fever was climbing close to 40°. (sorry for all my Americans on here, I'm European so I'm not converting it haha)

So they send me there.

I never felt in so much agony. I think mixed with my already existing illnesses and disabilities it's just a mixture for disaster.

I've cried from pain, and I don't do that normally. Or atleast not infront of someone, not even my partner, now I been crying with her. She's also positive btw.

I'm also already dealing with the disappointment of most likely not being eligible to be helped by the state for paying for an implant in my brain.

It would cost me 20.000 and after 5 years to replace the battery again 15.000. I don't know how to place this. As this implant was for me always my safety plan, my dream plan, and the one with the most succesrate to reduce the pain.

Now I don't know anymore how to live like this.

I also went to England recently with my gf and a friend, and I have never realised more that I'm disabled. And that things are getting worse and God. It feels terrible and the reality is hitting me HARD.

I must say they were so helpful to people with accessibility at the airports and all. I had never experienced that ❤️

[hanafubukki]

Gothel and Lilia Parallels/Tangled & Cassandra 

I was talking to Mumble ( @/081314) and Amy ( @/the-knaves-world) and how Lilia has a lot of elements from Gothel (From Tangled)

Gothel

Lilia’s new title from the 3rd Anniversary update has been Seeker of Cradles. We know that Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel because she has the healing properties/ablility to reverse age from the flower.

Rapunzel is also the kidnapped princess and with the theories that Silver could be a descendant from the Knight of Dawn, that could make him royalty.

Then we come to the age aspect. Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel so she can use her to become young again. Who else do we know that is old and lacking magic? Lilia Vanrouge, who can’t use his magic and is dying.

On top of that, Lilia has been hiding many secrets especially from Silver. As can also be seen with Gothel and how she hid Rapunzel’s background from her.

If Silver has symbolisms from Rapunzel, then he might also have her abilities as well. The power to heal. In the movie, Rapunzel brought back Eugene with her tears...and who else do we know has been crying? Silver. Maybe it is his tears that heals Lilia? Maybe returns his magic? It would make sense and is in parallel with the live action Maleficent 2 Movie. Since it was Aurora’s tears that brought back Maleficent. If that is the case, that means that Lilia can then help bring down Malleus’ OB.

Most of the Flowers that Lilia has been associated with recently has had healing properties to them, so hoping (please) that means that one way or another Lilia will be healed (or have more time with his sons).

We know that Silver and Lilia lived far away from other villagers, but we don’t know why. Mumble and I assumed it could be because Silver has so many qualities of the Knight of Dawn. Time will only tell why that is so. Gothel kept Rapunzel away so she can keep the child to herself and use her powers.

Lilia, despite becoming weak in the sun, has been in many sun related events. The sun symbol is the main design in the kingdom of Corona. Not only that, but Gothel literally became dust out the window when she fell out of the tower. It was bright and sunny outside, despite the cold and dark inside the tower. Not saying that will happen to Lilia, but he is weak and dying is he not?

Bringing back the point that Eugene got stabbed and then healed by Rapunzel, who got hurt recently in Chapter 4? Protecting Silver no less? Do you see where I am going with this? It points that someway somehow Lilia might get healed and Silver might be the reason. (Love heals all, does it not?)

Back when I was really into Tangled, I read this post that talked about how Rapunzel was raised not to show emotions. We have seen how Fae have trouble expressing themselves, verbally and emotionally. We have seen how Lilia’s role in Malleus’ and Silver’s life has affected them so. Malleus having to act and always keep the image of a king. Then we have Silver, who expressed how he has trouble showing how he feels and how that troubles him (Silver Dorm SSR). That is until we get to book 7 and he breaks down in front of Malleus which ends up cascading to the whole OB event. All of this to say, Gothel raised Rapunzel not to show physical affection and when it was needed, Rapunzel would seek comfort from her and no one else. Just like how Silver can only seek comfort from those he is close with. (though, to be fair, those he is close with know him better than anyone else and we have seen how NRC reacts to how chivalrous Silver is)

Sun Drop/Moon Drop Symbolisms & Cassandra 

Elements from the animated series can be seen as well.

We know that Silver and Malleus have traits that are the same and yet opposites as well,

Silver gives off light vibes. He always had his animal friends even when Lilia was away. Malleus gives off dark vibes. He has always been alone despite being surrounded by people. Silver has lived in a cottage out in the forrest with plenty of sun while Malleus (if we go by animated movie vibes and aesthetics and what we have learned from him) probably lived in a dark atmosphere at the castle, only escaping to visit the others.

There's also the fact that Lilia, Malleus, and Sebek are a type of Dark Fae. Silver is not Fae and could be a descendent of Knight of Dawn. You know dawn, which is the light before the sun rises.

The Sun drop has healing properties. Silver has symbolisms in pastels (which is of course in correlation with Sleeping beauty as well).

The Moon drop is destructive, causes death, decay, ruin, and destruction. It can also drain the life force and vital essence from living things, such as plants and people. Which we know is what's happening with Malleus’ magic as it expands and destroys the nature around him. How people can die if they don't get rescued from this dream world soon.

The moon drop can summon black rock spines...which in instances can look like thorns. The Moon drop can also keep track of the sun drop, as it always knows its location.

Gothel played a role in the animated series as well. She neglected her daughter, Cassandra, and then abandoned her once she kidnapped Ranunzel. To condense what happened in the series, theres misunderstandings which eventually leads to Rapunzel and Cassandra butting heads. In short, Malleus and Silver are currently butting heads. 

Cassandra and Silver has parallels too. Lilia often went traveling leaving Silver behind. (We don’t know to what degree the Zigvolts took care of him nor how often Malleus visited). Silver had to fend for himself and do chores in the cottage. Cassandra would often get left behind while Gothel would got about doing her own business, leaving Cass to fend for herself. 

Cassandra repressed her memories of Gothel and grew to be a mature, intelligent, and skilled fighter. She had the dream to become a Royal Guard just like her adopted father. Who else do we know that shares those same ambitions? Silver who’s adopted father is the General of the Royal Family.

Cassandra is loyal to the King and Queen but was willing to break rules  and lose her job to make Rapunzel happy. Silver is willing to to go against Malleus so Lilia can do what he wished despite his actions hurting all three of them. Silver is also willing to go against his King to stop him knowing that it is wrong and Malleus is not in his right mind and knowing that Malleus is suffering while OB.

Reuniting the two stones are said to bring ultimate power, but what if in this case, Humans and Faes getting along brings peace? (Its not like we can yeet Silver and Malleus to space lol)

Alternatively, we have seen how Malleus has used his powers to fix the stage in Book 5. We have seen how Malleus healed Vil. Maybe, once Silver helps brings Malleus back, both Malleus and Silver can heal Lilia. The ultimate power is the love they share for Lilia, the sun and moon, which ultimately heals. Like how Cass died, but Rapunzel used the two stones to bring her back. (Malleus magic does deal with nature and we have seen how connected to nature and magic the Fae are and Silver has always also had a connection to animals/nature).

Fun Fact: Hikaru Midorikawa was one of the singers in “I see the Light”... I bet Lilia is seeing the light alright--okay, okay, I’ll stop 😂( I know a few people who are going to give me looks for that lolol)

(Disney really out here saying we should focus on the movies and the animated shows 😂, I did not expect to delve into Cassandra as much as I did but it all makes so much sense).

[friendamedes]

locked tomb fic, to be updated whenever possible.

ao3. alt.

RATED T:

the same mistake: campal slice of life, 2k.

drama in the library consumes palamedes, and camilla gives him a manicure to make up for it.

my love, i am the speed of sound: campal relationship study, 15k.

In which Camilla is upsettingly prone to injury; Palamedes experiences his first fictional crush; wounds are tended; childhood honor is defended; research is conducted; and baths are taken. (Or: a 5+1 exploration of Camilla's various scars, from Palamedes' perspective).

leftovers: corona pov campal, 4k.

Coronabeth Tridentarius observes, waits, and wants what she can't have.

hold close & snug: campal fluff, 1k.

Unfortunately, Camilla has morning plans.

intricate rituals: campal slice of life, 5.7k.

Palamedes attempts to convince Cam to pierce his ears.

the hands that beckon: cam-centric campal, 3k.

Camilla Hect takes a bath, thinks about the Warden, and has an awkward conversation with Nona.

some moments last forever: pyrrha pov musing on cam's suicidality, background campal, 3k. part one of a series.

A post-Nona no-Paul AU.

a white and soundless place: nona pov campal fluff, 2k. part two of a series.

Nona has a nightmare and seeks Camilla and Palamedes' comfort.

as in a mirror, dimly: campal, 2.5k. part three of a series.

Some time after his resurrection, Cam wakes Palamedes in the middle of the night.

grasping organ: griddlehark post-canon AU, 3.7k.

Gideon and Harrow discuss her newfound state of being (dead), the weather (rainy), and their relationship to each other (honestly, who knows).

something about mouths: campal pre-canon fluff, 2.6k.

An attempt is made.

snip snip: gideon/cam university AU, 2k.

“Uh,” she says. She traces her fingers down the curve of her own skull, brushing through her neglected undercut. It's getting way too long. “If you have time this afternoon.” “I do.” “Could you—if you’re down—” Cam quirks a single impatient eyebrow. “Shave my head?” finishes Gideon, her words running into each other anxiously. “Please?”

RATED M:

not quantum physics: campal demi4demi headcanon, 4.6k.

It becomes obvious to Palamedes that he approaches relationships differently than his cavalier. Cam entertains a lady friend. Juno hosts office hours. Internal Affairs does not yet secure their comeuppance.

introductions: reader/abigail/magnus with a healthy helping of worldbuilding, 4.8k.

Your relationship with Abigail changes. You can't help but get a little nervous.

kissing lessons: campalnona That NTN Hand Kiss But On The Mouth, 16k.

PALAMEDES SAYS A BAD WORD - NONA VISITS THE LAUNDROMAT - CAM DOES A CROSSWORD - EXPERIMENTING WITH BRAIDS - SOME KISSING - PYRRHA FINDS OUT - THE JOYS OF ICE WATER

Consensual Workplace Relationship: campal pre-canon fluff, 2.8k.

Tipsy closet makeouts. That's it. That's the fic.

put your sweet lips (on my lips): jodybeth pre-canon practice kissing, 4k.

Judith attends Coronabeth's eighteenth birthday party. Coronabeth tells her a secret, and together, they do their best to remedy her problem. Judith is repressed. Coronabeth is not.

Curtain Call: whumptober campal & campyrrha, 2k.

The Sixth's Grand Lysis goes wrong. Pyrrha Dve is left to pick up the pieces.

RATED E:

move (like grey skies): campal dom/sub, 10k.

“I have been,” says Palamedes crisply, the minute Camilla enters the apartment, “a very bad boy.” Cam spares him a side-glance, a flick of brown eyes toward him as she sets down her bag on the kitchen chair. She looks unimpressed. Her bangs are glued to her forehead with sweat; her tank top clings to her skin, soaked through the back. The line of her sports bra is clearly visible through the fabric. “All right,” she says.

taste your beating heart: campal somnophilia, 5k.

Cam is still asleep when Palamedes wakes up. He takes the opportunity to adore her.

A Titty Nature: camgideon, 1k.

Kissing, et cetera.

Standard Procedure: campal medical kink, 3k.

In the end, Cam doesn’t wear a nurse’s outfit: she borrows a white lab coat from some unspecified department, ties up her hair into a short, bobbing ponytail, and clips a pen to her breast pocket. She is wearing a pair of reading glasses that sit low on her nose—Kiana’s, Palamedes thinks, but he’s not certain. The whole of this does more to him, vis-a-vis the situation in his trousers, than he’s willing to admit.

Look At This Photograph: camgideon, 10k.

Cam's other girlfriend, a hobbyist photographer, enjoys taking erotic photos of her when she gets the chance. Gideon wants in.

C. familiaris: harrow/alecto petplay, 4k.

“Yes,” says Alecto. She speaks with a strange cadence, a sort of half-nervousness that sparks somewhere beneath Harrow’s sternum. “I have been an abomination, and I have been a human girl—I would like to be a dog.”

fearful passage: kiriona/ianthe necrophilia roleplay, drabble.

Ianthe and Kiriona play a game.

What the Doctor Ordered: campal genderfuckery, feat. transmasc pal in a femme nurse's outfit, 5k.

Palamedes gets a package.

Good Girl: tridentariicest petplay, 1k.

Coronabeth is Ianthe's big dicked bimbo puppy. Ianthe's into it.

the soft animal of your body: camnona omegaverse, 3k.

Nona goes into heat.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Marcia Dunn

Updated 9:45 PM, 11 May 2024

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of color in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere early Saturday, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated.

The effects of the Northern Lights, which were prominently on display in Britain, were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.

Many in the U.K. shared phone snaps of the lights on social media early Saturday, with the phenomenon seen as far south as London and southern England.

"There were sightings from top to tail across the country,” said Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, Britain’s weather agency.

He added that the office received photos and information from other European locations including Prague and Barcelona.

NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to take precautions.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, NOAA said.

But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of color normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh said.

He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

"Snap a picture of the sky and there might be actually a nice little treat there for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center.

The most intense solar storm in recorded history — in 1859 — prompted auroras in central America and possibly even Hawaii.

“We are not anticipating that but it could come close," NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said.

This storm poses a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, Dahl told reporters.

Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.

An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA.

But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted.

The sun has produced strong solar flares since Wednesday, resulting in at least seven outbursts of plasma.

Each eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection, can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.

The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, NOAA said.

It is all part of the solar activity ramping up as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle.

NASA said the storm posed no serious threat to the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The biggest concern is the increased radiation levels, and the crew could move to a better shielded part of the station if necessary, according to Steenburgh.

Increased radiation also could threaten some of NASA’s science satellites.

Extremely sensitive instruments will be turned off, if necessary, to avoid damage, said Antti Pulkkinen, director of the space agency’s heliophysics science division.

Several sun-focused spacecraft are monitoring all the action.

“This is exactly the kinds of things we want to observe,” Pulkkinen said.

[silverraes]

My Top 9 albums of 2023

tagged by @mysterygrl20 tysm <3

my taste in music is kind of all over the place so prepare yourself for a wild ride, although I also listen to a lot of kpop (I've kinda been slacking on keeping up with releases over the past year tho oops) and we definitely have some overlap in favorite albums

I apologize in advance for how long this post is going to become but you're really opening the floodgates by letting me talk about music lol

(it's been a very dry year for my favorite metal bands or this list would've been even more chaotic lmao)

1) Dear Insanity... by DPR Ian

while I struggled to rank most of these, there was absolutely no question about my #1 album of the year. I only just discovered DPR Ian in 2023 and he very quickly became my favorite artist ever. you might have even seen me talk about this album an unhealthy amount of times already lol. he's just such an insanely good artist and every single song on this album is just soooo damn good.

part of why I love him so much is also the story he tells throughout his music videos and just how insanely good all of his MVs look and how well the visuals fit the music so I feel obligated to link the MV to my favorite song off this album:

(some flashing lights in this one, folks, be warned)

2) The World Ep.2: Outlaw by Ateez

everything Ateez releases is immediately getting added to my favorites, what can I say. I didn't have the money to go to their 2023 tour but I did see them live in 2022... absolutely worth the one and only time I ever caught corona. not a single bad song on this album, they're all absolute bangers.

3) Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

I only just discovered Sleep Token in 2023 but I absolutely fell in love with this entire album and their style in general. almost got to see them live but then I ended up getting surgery on the exact day of their concert... :')

4) OO-LI by Woodz

I am a Woodz stan first and a human second. I'm convinced this man is incapable of releasing bad music, everything he does is just so damn good and I love how he explores a bunch of different genres while still making all of his music just sound like him y'know

also honorable mention to Amnesia which is only a single album so it didn't make the list but if you like more eerie stuff and the general vibe of his music, definitely check it out, I love it so much

5) On My Youth by WayV

WayV will forever have me in a chokehold. they've been my favorite NCT unit since their debut and honestly also the only unit I managed to properly keep up with over the last year ashgasj. I just really love their style of music and how they've actually been sticking to it

6) The Name Chapter: Temptation by TXT

It's truly been a TXT kinda year for me, I've been listening to them a lot. there aren't many songs on this album but I still love it so so much, all of the songs are great and Sugar Rush Ride is such a unique title track

7) Dark Blood by Enhypen

honestly Enhypen are part of the reason why I might have to update my top 3 kpop groups to a top 5 lol. all of their albums so far have been great and this one was no different, I still listen to a lot of the songs on it on repeat

8) RUSH! (Are U Coming?) by Måneskin

well what can I say, Måneskin have had me in a chokehold ever since they won the Eurovision and I actually got to see them live in 2023! drove all the way over to Berlin for them and everything, great album with great songs. I love both their more rock-ish songs and their slower songs and this album has a great mix of both (although I wish there would've been some more Italian songs on here)

9) MONO by K.Flay

K.Flay has been one of my more underrated faves for a couple years by now and I'll take any chance to gush about her music. there's just something very unique about K.Flay's music and this album certainly didn't disappoint. honestly, the only reason why I ended up putting this one on the "last" place is that I haven't listened to it as much as the other albums on this list

Honorable mentions!

bc once I start talking about music, I just simply can not stop at only 9 albums and this list isn't quite chaotic enough yet to properly describe my taste in music lmao

ODD-VENTURE by MCND

this is a rather recent one so I haven't listened to it enough for it to make the list, but I love everything MCND put out and this is definitely also a great album! (plus the title track is yeehaw kpop which is incredibly creative of them and I didn't know I needed that in my life)

HAPPYPILLS by Utsu-P

and this is where I expose the true chaotic nature of my taste in music lmao. Utsu-P's music is the perfect clash of world's between teen-me's obession with vocaloid and current-me's love for metal. I didn't include this album bc I still haven't gotten around to listening to all of it, but the songs that I did listen to, I absolutely loved

Phantomime by Ghost

oh you thought you made it through an entire post of me talking about music without mentioning Ghost? Hah, fool. jokes aside, this is an album full of cover songs so I didn't include it but it's still full of bangers. I reached audio cap now but I'll include their Jesus He Knows Me cover bc this was an absolute treat to witness live:

if you've made it this far without getting whiplash: congrats!

tagging (as always, no pressure, feel free to ignore this): @negrowhat @fallsouthwinter @spicypussywave @thisisworsethanitlookslike @supanuts @buddhamethods @alienwlw and anyone else who wants to do it!

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

One year of living here

[and what it looked like when I moved in]

Gremlin update: supplemental

Well it has officially been a year since I moved in here and maybe I should do a year end review...

Last year on June 1st the situation was this:

I had recently been pushed to tell my landlord about my roommate assaulting me because my other roommate was threatening consistently to move out and leave me alone with him, and in response, within the month, my landlord decided to sell the house we were renting, to a private family, prompting our immediate eviction [a decision he claims is unrelated]. So after a struggle to find a place at all and agreeing to pay 1000 of my 1200 pension in rent to finally secure a place, and another 1000 in moving expenses, I found myself standing in the entry to what looked like a tightly packed storage unit with my cat in his carrier and a narrow passage to the bathroom door.

And I mean so full of stuff there were things pushing up the tiles of the drop ceiling, the kitchen was fully buried, you could not tell it was an apartment. Imagine everything in a 3 story house and garage packed haphazardly into a 10X15 space... Or imagine a can of sardines. And the shelf had been partially ripped off the wall between me viewing the place and me stepping in the door...

And despite an outlet right at the door, one in the kitchen, and an explicit request not to bury my freezers because it was all of my food and I wanted to be sure they were plugged in and have access to food to eat... The movers insisted the only outlets they could find were all the way at the back of the apartment, so all I had -that I could conceivably unbury- was the can of beans and hot sauce that the previous tenant had left sealed in the nearest cupboard... Which I only knew was there because I had just enough time to drop off my plants and move anything left in the cabinets to the cabinet over the stove before having to lock the place back up. I hadn't even had the time and energy to wash down the apartment before the movers crammed everything in there.

And they had done other things like leave all my book cases empty and facing the back of the apartment so I couldn't put things in them to clear space. They had put my dresser facing the back with the drawers pulled out and stacked on top in a random pile so I would have to be able to unbury the whole thing with elbow room to condense the drawers back into the frame. They left a pile of my things outside next to the building, including things I explicitly told them not to. They had moved me in like they hate me personally for some deeply unforgivable crime and wanted me to fail and then charged me 1000$ after having quoted me 300.

I had to sleep on top of a wooden chest that was crammed at an angle through the bathroom doorway for the first week while I had to puzzle my way out of it...

Here are some photos, the way the movers left it [It doesn't look like this now, to be sure]:

And how I had to set up my phone charging, music player and a source of light in my bathroom... I cannot stress enough that this was all tidily arranged in boxes, totes, bags and a taped up clothing rack for them when they took it from the house. Yes that is my Piccolo plushy and jacket with my cane at the door where I had to put them... And 2 brooms, not some huge handled contraption, just 2 brooms... And my crutches because OH YEAH I MASSIVELY re-fucked up my ankle during the apartment searching and was back to being in a boot and crutches because I could barely fucking walk...

At this point I had been super run down by apartment hunting all over the place in a desperate scramble to not be homeless for even one night because Corona meant shelters are unsafe for me, a near guarantee of dying every night I would have to stay in one... It had already been stressful 3 months, and expensive. I have cfs, I had just gotten over the worst of a bunch of long covid bullshit when this all started going down.

So I am standing there in the 2 square feet at the door, looking at this, and thought to take a photo at least, anxious about trying to fit in the rest of my stuff from outside before someone started stealing something expensive and important or before it all got utterly ruined by rain, or before the landlord got pissed off... Having just paid 2000 for first and last and another 1000 on moving expenses, trying to tell myself I will probably get CHOB and if not I can make 200 and a food bank work...

I had no one to help me and even if I did it wouldn't have been safe due to corona. For years now I have been 'on my own' financially and in terms of help with anything, usually even despite having friends or family that I helped out when they need it... But losing everyone I had left due to corona complicating my ability to go out, and my new found inability to safely meet new people means I had, well the apartment, and no extra space or vehicle to work with... Just the storage box in front of me and myself [and Pumpkin to worry about]...

I think most people would have cried. [I'll cry about it later]

I think a lot of people would have given up.

Some would have done a violence. [still time to do that maybe]

I have this amazing ability to:

a) Not process stress or distress while I am actively experiencing it, leaving me open to critical thinking [I'll have my breakdown after the danger has passed and when I am alone and feel safe]

b) never feel bad about myself for having ended up in a shit situation thus removing guilt or same or low self esteem from the equation

c) Tell myself, after years of experience and -repeated- practice, that I have the capacity to dig myself back out of problems, physical energy permitting, speed variable

These are the bruises and injuries, some of them, I got in the first week climbing over under and around furniture, carrying other boxes and furniture to try to organize my way into having room to move.

And I ate a lot of cold sandwiches in the first couple months because I had no kitchen and OH YEAH IT WAS 50 DEGREES IN HERE [120F]... I have pots, which is made infinitely worse by being too hot... And the one tiny window that opens I couldn't even open because my neighbour wouldn't stop smoking right under it out out his front door that is right next to it and I am allergic.

One of the first things I did after making the place survivable and setting up everything Pumpkin needed in the bathroom, was start digging out my book cases so I could -at some point- unpack all my book boxes into them and get them out of the way. Having my book cases makes me feel slightly more sane and grounded. Usually they are the first thing I unpack, that was NOT the case this time.

Usually when I move I get the keys as early as I can to go over and do preliminary cleaning of shared spaces and my own space. I take measurements during the interview process and have a floor plan mapped out, and so by the time I get there everything is in the right room and roughly not horridly arranged and everything under my stuff has been cleaned of other people... Not this time.

But I did, before long, set up my book cases so I could feel like a person again... and have somewhere to put my tea. It took me till the 17th of June -last year ofc- to get this far:

Here is they, with nothing else pictured because nothing else looked like anything but pile of storage.

The first thing I had to do was dig out my freezers, confirm they were plugged in and get them halfway across the apartment, and dig out the kitchen.

And I did, one grueling and stupid step at a time.

... But yeah, that's what June a year ago looked like.

I think one of the first things I did, maybe in June idk was stack 18 or so totes into a platform in the corner and get my mattress up on it so I had somewhere to sleep... Okay actually at first the platform was in the middle of the room and a whole row higher [the artist sleeping on a stack of things about 2 feet from the ceiling was foreshadowing for my own actual life something fierce]. This platform would spend most of the next year slowly collapsing in on itself until I finally accepted failure and set up the bunk bed properly.

And then I spent July, August, and September organizing things one at a time into the next better arrangement. Then I had to rush to get all my winter groceries done before I had to shut myself in here without leaving for 6 months on account that I can't get my cart through the snow and can't get in transportation with other people due to corona...

And then I spent the winter recovering and organizing.

I should have taken more pictures of the various hellish and unconventional between steps, for sure.

June of 2024:

This place looks so different.

I can't even clearly remember how I got from there to here, it was just so much finding the next thing to move and moving it, for just months.

I can't get you pictures because my phone's cord won't stay connected to the computer long enough to transfer anything and I need to buy a new one... But Imagine it looks like there is less than 1/3 as much stuff, simply by being better arranged. And imagine it arranged in a way that looks organized.

And it looks livable.

It looks like an apartment and not a storage unit! [Or it will once I move the chairs again]

I took apart one whole desk, got rid of that green drawer plastic unit, and someone stole my bike [not the trike] is mostly what I got rid of but I also brought -in- everything from outside.

The next time I get you pictures you will actually be able to see the layout of the apartment, for one, there is mostly just one tidy stack of storage near the door and the rest is pretty well arranged. I still need to downsize but I am now in a position to safely go through everything at my own pace and actually decide what to get rid of. Also in a position to repair things to actually use them, and getting to a point where I can focus on finishing projects to downsize the scraps that are left when I am done them.

The situation now is more:

-The hair I lost from stress [or potentially being poisoned] is all growing back at various rates and I have baby bangs again at 36... But also bangs and a lot of hair that's 1-10 inches long that's all fresh growth.

-The smoking neighbour moved away or something

-I got CHOB after all -it was not a super certain thing- and am now back to 'securely' having finances to manage instead of scrambling to make 200 work for food and supplies [and I am very good with money so I have savings again].

-I'm a full day of work away from having this place in shape enough I wouldn't consider it a disaster if the landlord had to come over [and they have to give 24 hours notice]

-I have my health card and ID renewed and I am sure they were already expired by last June, so that's new

-I have an air conditioner and inclusive rent and I don't have to worry about roommates being stupid with it and running up bills.

-I have been marveling all year at just how much roommates were making my life hell and how amazing it is to live alone. My dishes are done! When I clean it stays clean! No one fucks anything up or breaks anything! There's no FLIES! There's no bugs! There's no old food! There's no mold problem! There's no icky little fly spots on everything! [I don't have to deal with Fine just letting her cat pee everywhere and not cleaning it up because she's too dense to realize the yellow staining is bleaching from urine and not "puke" or leaving things on the floor by the door which is the one way Pumpkin will pee on something]

-I haven't had a severe allergy attack or been infected with anything since having my own place and my physical health is steadily recovering to the point where I can now tolerate being a little hyperthyroid without it destroying me

-I have a switch now so I can play BOTW and TOTK to my heart's content and find all the koroks... [silly but we need whimsy]

-I have a neighbour who keeps checking to make sure I'm alive

Maybe it seems silly but the last offline friend I had and my mother both, when I asked them to check in on me with a daily phone call because I was having heart attacks -that the hospital wasn't taking seriously because they were cardiac spasms and not from clots- and I was worried I'd lose consciousness and die on my floor before someone found me, couldn't be bothered to actually do it, they both called or texted me 1-2 WEEKS later with a passive aggressive "So are you still alive or what >:("... And Yeah, I don't speak to them anymore, I don't have friends or family in my life at all anymore because everyone kept treating me like that...

So to lose everyone the moment I have to ask them to do something as simple as check in on my when I know I am in crisis [which is a very rare thing for me, most people are convinced I don't know how to ask for help]... To have my roommate/'friend' hear my book case fall over on top of me when she knew I was having heart problems and not bother saying anything or checking in on me for a whole week either... I can sit here and know it's not a reflection of my objective value all I want, but it doesn't change the fact that I had no one in my life who could be moved to act like they gave one iota of a fuck about me...

And now I have a neighbour who just noticed I was unusually shut in and alone and worries when she or her partner don't see me or Pumpkin after a while. She tries very hard to do things like text me compliments about my weird little garden [that I know is very sad actually, I haven't really gotten to the flower part more than just the green part... but she is very sweet]. Having a stranger go very out of their way past me being cranky and reclusive to respect my boundaries and leave notes in my box and text me as requested, in order to make sure I am okay is good for my mental health. I needed this. I needed it from my friend and family, really, but getting it from a complete stranger is so much better than not at all.

This week I started getting to repairing things with epoxy that had broken and getting them put in place.

I'm not as productive in winter as i tend to be in summer months in part due to SAD, not so much outright depression but just being lower energy due to a lack of sunlight, and usually being too cold, though this year it was due to being too warm due to old heating controls, but now I am set up for a summer of not overheating with the apartment looking like it's in a good starting point. I'm set up to be able to take out and address one thing at a time while I have a clean and relatively nice apartment to do it in, without overheating and having to stay laying down.

There are wildflowers in a vase on the counter! I have little packages on the way! I have a little man screaming at me for his gravy meats!

I'm starting to put up decor as I find and repair it. I'm starting to be able to decorate.

I have a full kitchen to cook for myself now! [I did not in the last place because I was isolated to the basement]

There's empty open floor space!

Everything is clean on a regular-ish basis or daily!

This summer I will undoubtedly make so much progress.

This fall I should be able to do the winter shopping at a leisurely pace.

This winter I should be 100% set up to start batch cooking and baking again, but also with the AC unit I can cook in here in the summer and fall without dying.

Still not talking to any family and I don't really have offline friends, but I have a neighbour who notices when I am too quiet or when I decorate my door or garden, or window.

I'm going to get a full sized recycle bin and organize my paperwork!

This year I am probably finally going to get a decent graphics card!

I have my noise machine and Myst music on on a regular basis now, I took out my candles and incense this week because it's safe now!

I am still so tired but nothing looks daunting anymore and the more I get done the more approachable everything looks.

By the end of this summer I should know what my "new normal" looks like and get to enjoy it.

Maybe I'll check in again June next year to recap everything I got done? I have a regular-ish blog anyway...

[imanalbertross]

Updates-a-go-go!

I return from my convalescence at my mom's following my top surgery! (I'm doing great. Everything is healing well and my grafts took, in case you wanted to know.) Now I've got all my fab updates to give you.

Discomfiture:

Hugo get's his casts off and the boys return to Corona.

Chemistry: Law and Chaos

(I very nearly typed law and chairs and now I'm wondering what that shit'd be about.) Nuru and Thomas finally perfect their scrying spell and after teaching it to Hugo, the boys touch base with the fam.

And Scientia Aeterna

Arvin, Olric, Pi'loc, and Pyotr arrive at Pyotr's home, where Olric remembers the world he came from and everyone gets to relax.

[lefemmerougewriter]

The Corona Blues: Cass the Space Pirate, Her Blue-Eyed Pirate Girlfriend, and Raps' Momentous Choice

Summary: After a mask mandate and lockdown are imposed in the Kingdom of Corona, in response to a contagious "invisible" virus spreading, citizens are restless and hostile toward Raps, as their sovereign. Varian vows to stay behind and help the citizenry, while Raps leaves. She wants to clear her head. Later, while her sketchbook dries, she wades into a stream and falls in thanks to tremors from a nearby spaceship landing. A decorated lieutenant, and accomplished space pirate, comes to save her. The woman has a familiar face, with her mahogany pigment shining in the sun. Its none other than Cass. After meeting Cass's new pirate girlfriend, the captain of a massive spacefaring vessel, Raps makes a far-reaching decision which will impact not only Cass and her girlfriend, but herself and the people of Corona thereafter.

Characters: Marika Kato, Rapunzel, Cassandra, Varian, Eugene Fitzherbert, Misa Greenwood, Kane McDougal, Coorie, Hyakume, Schnitzer, San-Daime, Luca

Friendships: Rapunzel & Pascal (former?)

Romantic pairings: Rapunzel / Cassandra (former?), Cassandra / Marika Kato

Words: 4000+

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/36110716/chapters/136737880

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1425409282-the-corona-chronicles-cass-the-space-pirate-her

Quotev: https://www.quotev.com/story/14508344/The-Corona-Chronicles/2

A/N: Sorry that it's been over two years since my last update! I really wanted to publish this a while ago, but a lot was happening in my life. There were preparations for a trip to Italy throughout 2022, even as I still wrote eight fics (like those in the High Guardian Space series) primarily at the beginning and end of the year. And then I moved into a new place in March 2023. With that on top of job stresses, it took until the end of last year for things to settle down. When I wrote the first chapter in December 2021, I had no idea about what was going to happen in the years ahead. I may end up writing a third part. This chapter sets the stage for a possible third part. As a reminder, in this story, Cass is a Black woman.

Work Text:

Back in the castle, Raps was pacing once again. She had locked the castle building and prohibited anyone from entering. She made a snap decision she'd go out into the city, among the people. She couldn't be cooped up forever. Varian wanted to know if she really wanted to pursue this course of action or not. "Are you sure about this?" She nodded. She needed to hear what the people had to say. She was their sovereign... after all. This made Varian very afraid. He had heard people's anger toward her. He realized she had to experience it first-hand. Both put their handmade masks. Varian wore a black cloth mask, with black straps. Raps wore a purple and yellow mask, with intricate designs, that she had colored herself. She would not be content with a single color, as she liked vibrancy.

As she walked out of the castle, and locked the door behind her, she got a taste of this anger first-hand. One onlooker heckled her. "Boo!" he shouted. He then pointed. "YOU got be the virus!" Unfazed by this clear lie, she continued moving forward. Varian used his alchemist staff to trap the person in amber. No dissent to the royalty would be allowed. Most in the town followed the posted ordinances, but some did not.

Those who refused to abide by the regulations had started to come together, loosely, into a grouping they called the Anti-Rapunzel Alliance, or ARA for short. Those who led the organization did not believe in any governmental system, state, or anything like that. They didn't even think of themselves as leaders, claiming the group was "leaderless," another lie that anyone could see through very easily. They called themselves anarkhists. They would always be a thorn in the side of Raps, especially after the passing of her parents a year prior from old age. The ARA had been annoying Raps for years. She was aware of their violent activities. She did not worry about them. She did not see them as representative of the people. That sentiment was accurate, even though their support was growing every day.

She was jeered and booed as she walked through the city. People did not feel she had done enough to protect them from what was being dubbed the "Corona-Ailment," or ca for short. She shared their sentiments since she did not know if she had done enough or if more could be done. She wracked her brain with these questions every day. The ca crisis was always at the top of her agenda. She was exhausted, tired of running the city, and the kingdom, almost entirely by herself. She wished that Eugene had been there, as he had gone on a voyage to one of their allies across the sea, specifically to Avalor. Instead, she had to do this without him. She sighed.

The viciousness and nastiness toward her by those in Corona had deeply affected her. Varian expected this would happen. This is why he hoped she'd decide to stay inside the castle. This belief was misplaced. If he had known Raps as well as he thought he did, then he'd be aware that she liked to take risks, no matter the costs. Some people in her position would cry. Her emotional strength allowed her to weather heavy criticism, at least in this case. Sometimes Pascal would help her through this. She couldn't even rely on him this time. She had left him in her room, letting him sleep away without bringing him with her.

She turned to her trusty confidante, her royal science advisor, and royal scientist. "You can go back to the castle, Varian. I want to be alone." He didn't want to leave. He felt obligated to help her, especially since he had caused so much trouble for her in the past. Back then, he almost overthrew the government. Even still, she justified her response, at the time, noting that she only pushed away his pleas for help because of pressing demands on her as the royal queen of Corona. She couldn't spare anyone back then. "I…want to stay," he remarked. She shook her head. She wouldn't let him do that. "LEAVE!" she shouted and pointed back at the castle. She glared into his eyes. He cowered and turned around. He did not want to cross her. He realized that giving her some space was the right thing to do.

As he crossed the bridge and walked toward Corona, and the royal castle, Raps went the opposite way. She had to clear her head for a bit. She wanted to sit by the stream and watch the water cascading across the rocks. That always calmed her down, even when times were tough. It made her feel better about herself. She found a nice spot: a rock which overlooked a bubbling stream. She then pulled out her watercolor paints and sketchbook. Every day, week, and month, she believed that her art had improved.

In the past, she had disguised herself as "Robin Rap," putting on a mask, fake wig and beard, and a robe with a hood. She secretly set out art displays in the street during the night. This led to curiosity and excitement from those across Corona and the nearby lands. However, since ca had begun spreading, she hadn't taken on the persona, perhaps contributing to lower spirits among the populace. It made them more prone to feelings of utter despair, hopelessness, and anger toward her. Not everyone in Corona liked her as the monarch, in part due to her gender. Others saw it as a step forward to have a break from a line of male rulers which went back eons.

She yawned and stretched, leaving the sketchbook out to dry. If she put it away now, it would ruin not only the page she had sketched but also others inside the book as well. She walked into the stream bed and sensed the cold-water coursing through her toes. She wished she could stay here all day. This place of bliss would not last forever. Out of nowhere, tremors from something far away, shook the ground. It caused her to shake. The reverberations came ever closer, becoming so strong that she lost her balance and fell into the streambed.

She complained. "Fuck! My dress is all wet now…UGH!" she yelled. Trying to regain her balance, she slipped on a rock, and hit the stream with a thud. She began to cry. Even a queen could be taken down by something as small as a rock with moss on it. "Help! Won't someone please help me!" she shouted into the distance. She half-believed that no one would lift a finger for her. She resolved to give it five minutes, then she'd crawl out of the stream on her own. It was a time like this that she wished Eugene had been there, or anyone else who could be just as loving. The latter seemed very unlikely.

She sat as the water passed around her, through her soaked clothes. She grumbled and had given up. Suddenly, a woman dressed, in a what looked to be a fancy lieutenant's uniform, with epaulets on the shoulders, and a sword on the belt, approached her. She outstretched her hand, its mahogany pigment shining in the light. "Let me help you, Ma'am," the voice bellowed. Raps looked up. It was none other than Cass, whose mahogany skin almost sparkled. She blushed. She was surprised that Cass was there and even more embarrassed that she had to be helped out of this... unfortunate situation. Perhaps they could start again, with a healthier relationship. After all, Cass was an independent woman now. Raps had no power over her, unlike in the past, when she has been employed as a lady-in-waiting, a servant, and handmaiden all-in-one. It was a master-servant relationship. Cass had obliterated that when she subsumed the Moonstone's power into her own body, wanting to determine her own destiny. Although her motives were justified, her actions could be extreme and destructive, thanks to Zhan Tiri's mental manipulation.

"Cass…is that you?," Raps asked inquisitively. She nodded. "Yes, and I'm here to save you…princess, I mean...queen." She pulled her out of the riverbed and onto the dry land. Cass chuckled. "I didn't know you’d get so wet before you saw me…that must have been quite an experience." Shamefaced, Raps pounded against Cass, clearly annoyed. Her face was the color of a ripe tomato. "Come on, that’s not fair…," she said. They had a good laugh together and Cass helped Raps get up. Looking at her clothes, she remarked, "That's quite a look for a member of the royalty…what would the people of Corona think if they saw their queen drenched to the bone?" This comment got to Raps too, who pouted in response.

She quickly regained her composure. She grabbed her now-dried sketchbook and smiled. Before she could say anything, Cass interjected. "I'll bring you to my ship…there's some dry clothes there." She nodded curiously. Her...friend now had…a vessel…under her command? She thought that Cass would be some lone wanderer, or something. At least that's what she expected. Even so, she did not know what was in store for her. Originally the plan had been to bring a fleet of medical ships to the surface. Marika had called them back to the starship, saying that she and Cass would survey the situation first, then report back.

They reached the dinghy, sitting in a nearby field, with the cockpit closed, so no miscreants got inside. She saw a pinkish orange-haired woman dressed in space pirate regalia leaning against the ship. "Hey, Cassie," she began. Pointing at Raps, she asked, "who's that you have there?" Raps started to say something. Cass spoke first. "This is my friend…Rapunzel Fitzherbert, you know, from Corona, whose distress call we got on the Bentenmaru." Marika understood but was confused. Was this woman really a queen? She didn’t get the vibe from her at all. Perhaps it was the wet clothes. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Fitzherbert. I'm Marika Kato, the captain of the Bentenmaru…and I’m Cass’s friend." Cass rolled her eyes. "Girlfriend. She's MY girlfriend." Raps was surprised. In a year's time she had gotten a girlfriend and...her own ship to command! Cass had been busy... in her estimation.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Kato. You can call me…Rapunzel or Raps. I'm not really about all these formal titles." Marika chuckled. She shook Raps' hand. "Nice to make your acquaintance too. Cassie told me about you…in fact, she's the one who pushed us to come here." That was only half-true. Cass and Marika had jointly agreed to come there, not one of them deciding it on their own. Knowing that Raps probably had feelings for Cass, she thought it would be better this way, since it could allow them to reconnect better. Although Cass knew that Marika wasn't being entirely truthful, she let it slide, this time. "Yeah, that’s what happened," she said sheepishly. After that, Cass opened up the cockpit of the dinghy, and showed her where the spare (and clean) clothes were. She even got her a bag for her wet clothes, which she'd dry later. Since Cass had left, Raps had started doing more tasks by herself, without servants.

It's awkward to be with a girl you once loved and... their new girlfriend. So, she tread very carefully. She didn't want to cause any problems for Cass or for herself, for that matter. Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from blushing. And Marika noticed. She watched Raps like a hawk. Although she had only been with Cass for about a year, she could be somewhat jealous, especially since Cass was her first girlfriend. Surely, at the academy, girls had fawned over her, like no one's business. Once she helped her friend get together with her lover, also a girl, on a mission that involved the entire Bentenmaru crew. It was a huge endeavor, to say the least. All of this colored what was happening at the present.

Raps eased the tension pretty quickly. She decided to confide in them about what was going on. "I'd like to get away from here, away from it all...things are not going well in Corona." Cass was surprised. What could have gone wrong? She was unsure. "There's this contagious virus that’s spreading...and people are getting restless. No one is helping me combat it...at all." Her latter statement was somewhat untrue, as Varian had done his part to help her. This made Cass and Marika even more curious. Rather than Cass getting in a word, Marika asked a question. "So…can we catch this virus?...I don't wanna make my crew sick." Raps moved her head from side-to-side. She had to tell the truth. "I guess so. The number of cases have been rising...it's not that many yet. I mandated a lockdown and that everyone wear cloth masks to protect themselves. It has made people very angry at me. Even Varian refused to leave."

She stamped her foot on the ground and gritted her teeth. This situation had brought back her fears about being a ruler. She didn't think there was anything else she could do. Perhaps it would be better if she wasn't there at all. She grabbed Marika's hand. "Can you please take me with you into space?" she pleaded. "I really don't want to be on this planet anymore. I have to get away." Marika wasn't sure this was a good idea. She looked toward Cass. She needed her approval before agreeing to Raps' request. Cass asked Raps directly, "Are you sure you want to do this? If we take you with us, we might not be back for a while." She nodded.

They all packed themselves into the dinghy's cockpit. Although most dinghies were single-person, this one had seats for up to three people. Marika closed the visor and told everyone to strap themselves in. Raps and Cass easily followed her instructions. Pressing some buttons, the engine began to roar, and the ship quickly took off. The landing wheels retracted and they went soaring through the sky. Raps was amazed. As they flew up through the air and above the trees, their ship passed by the island kingdom of Corona and over the Bay of Corona. A small schooner arrived in the island’s port. A young twenty-six year-old man, with light skin and short brown hair, was aboard.

Cass turned to Marika. She asked, "you wanna play THAT song?" She smiled. That was fine with her. Pressing a button, a tray came out of the console. She pulled out a transparent plastic case, adorned with a paper cover of a black-haired and pink-skinned woman wearing a black t-shirt, black-pants, and holding a guitar with a black strap around her body. A black heart was behind the woman and two words stood out on the cover: "Bad Reputation." This three-part case, made from a synthetic polymer, had liner-notes, and a back card. The two sides were hinged together. She carefully pulled out a reflective thick thermoplastic disk. It was adorned with images of the same woman, but in a circular fashion. The disc itself the following words: "Bad Reputation – Joan Jett – 2012 Re-Issue." Cass had picked it up when she and Marika went to a flea market, as some called it, during their travels.

Putting the disc in, she pressed another button. The tray retracted. She pressed a third button, looking like a small rightward facing arrow. It had one small word: "Play." Like magic, the music began playing out of speakers, although Raps wasn't sure from where, as any speakers seemed invisible. Cass and Marika began singing along. Raps started to get in the mood of it too.

"I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation / You're living in the past, it's a new generation / A girl can do what she wants to do / And that's what I’m gonna do!"

As the song began playing, they all sang along. Their voices were so loud that people could hear them on the island below. One of those people was the brown-haired man whose boat had arrived on the island's docks: Eugene Fitzherbert. His light brown eyes spotted the dinghy flying through the sky. He saw a woman with blonde hair inside. He was taken aback. "Blondie?" he asked confusedly. He wondered why the woman he loved was speeding away from the planet at a high rate of speed. He didn't even recognize Cass, nor he did know who the other woman inside the ship (Marika) was. People across Corona, including Varian, looked up at the sky in amazement.

In no time at all, the dinghy made its way through the atmosphere and into outer space. It came close to a massive starship, which was painted in a mix of black and magenta colors. The vessel had a cylinder-shaped main body and a coned bow, a design often used with rockets. The ship's emblem and name were on the side: Bentenmaru. There were four fins on the rear. As they came closer, Marika spoke into a receiver. "We’re coming back. Our mission has concluded. No need to bring any additional ships at this time. And we have one new passenger." A woman with little tone in her voice answered: "Affirmative."

This was Luca. She often did not interact with her fellow crewmates and only commented on her work. Her voice's tone usually remained the same unless when she was really stressed out. At times, she could irritate crewmates by saying she saw something but when she was asked about it, she wouldn't reveal it. Other times, she claimed she saw something but when asked, she said she told them nothing. Her attitude differed from the friendly and supportive medic (Misa), the laid-back and friendly helmsman (Kane), the fairly friendly and often amused radar/sensor specialist (Hyakume), and the fairly relaxed electronic warfare specialist (Coorie).

Soon after docking, Marika jumped out of the ship, followed soon by Cass and Raps. She brought them to the vessel's bridge, which had two levels. They entered through the upper level. The lower level had the steering wheel and consoles where crew members could steer the ship; examine radar, sensors, and engines, or conduct so-called "electronic warfare." During battles, the upper level lowered, and shutters blocked out the windows, with the view outside the ship shown on a visual display on the ceiling. That wouldn't be happening... this time. Marika spoke first. "I'd like to introduce our honored guest, Queen Rapunzel of Corona." Misa smiled. Kane remarked, "this might be nothing like your home, Miss...however, we'll treat you well, don't you worry." Hyakume laughed. He was just as friendly toward her as Misa and Kane. "This isn't the first time we’ve transported royalty, but hey, why not another royal?"

Coorie looked up from her screen. She turned toward Raps in a friendly manner. The other crew members were unsure about their new guest. Schnitzer remained stern and serious as always. San-Daime, often worrisome and pessimistic, was anxious. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Won't someone come to get her...and we'll be in trouble?" Cass put them at ease. They listened to her. After all, she was the lieutenant and she was close to Marika, who they deeply respected. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. This was her choice to come here and we should honor that." Everyone seemed to accept that reasoning. Raps interjected jubilantly. "Thanks everyone. I'm glad to be here." She had one more thing to say, something which would surprise them all.

"I have two more requests, if you'll indulge me." They were listening intently. This would be hard to explain. "I assume you have weapons on this vessel, right?" They nodded in agreement. "Well, I'd like you to destroy a stone bridge for me. It''s the last thing I'll do for Corona. Then, I'd like to send a message to Corona...through that radio thing." They agreed to both requests. They seemed easy enough to execute her requests. Walking down the stairs, she came close to Hyakume, skilled at radar and sensors. After guiding him to exact location of the target, he sent her over to Schnitzer, the ship's tactical officer. He was standing-in as the gunner. Usually they had other gunners, but not on this mission. He maneuvered the front-pulse weapon into position. He pressed a button and a powerful blue laser beam fired from the ship’s nose. It traveled at supersonic speed. It hit the bridge's middle with almost exact precision.

The weapon unintentionally ignited dynamite which some angry citizens had set as part of their plan to overthrow the government. The bridge exploded into a million pieces, with stone flying every which way, including into the island kingdom. Some people could barely escape the falling stone. Even the ARA, undoubtedly seen as the culprits whether they were involved or not, was worried about the results of this explosion.

A static crackle filled the air. A voice began speaking to the surprise of the citizens:

"Hello, this Queen Rapunzel. As you can see from the recent explosion, I am cutting off the kingdom of Corona from the mainland. I cannot let this virus spread any further. This is for your own good. As my last act as sovereign, I am appointing Varian as my successor. I believe in him and hope that you all put your trust in him. Thank you."

Everyone in Corona was surprised. Wasn't Eugene next in line? Has she abandoned them? Did she have any loyalty to her subjects? All these questions, and others, rattled in the minds of the citizens as a riot began to break out. People grabbed torches, pitchforks, and any weapon they could find, throwing them in royal buildings. They approached the castle in huge numbers. This unorganized demonstration was not the work of the ARA. It stemmed from the fury of the citizens. The royal guards tried to hold people back. They could barely hold the line. Varian came out of the front doors. Although he knew the citizens were angry, he remained dumbstruck in this situation. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Eugene stepped forward. He believed this was the time for a strong-hand, decisive leadership. He wasn't sure Varian could do this. Coming close, he whispered into Varian's ear, "kid, let me take this." He responded in a low-pitch that only Eugene could hear. "I didn’t want this responsibility anyway, so take it." He closed the door and walked back inside. Eugene addressed the hastily assembled crowd. "I talked with Varian. I'm the one in charge now. I’m sorry that Rapunzel left us behind. I will lead us back to glory." What he said next he came up with on the spot. It was totally spontaneous, at least it appeared. "As my first act, the mask mandate and lockdown are hereby ended. Let us make Corona great again!" The crowd cheered wildly. Masks were pulled off and burned by their torches. People began chanting "Eugene! Eugene! Eugene!" He did not know what he was getting himself into.

Back on the Bentenmaru, Cass led Raps to a spare cabin. "You can sleep here, Raps. See you tomorrow morning." She smiled. Everything was going as she had hoped. While she would have liked Pascal there with her, she wanted to start fresh, at least this time. He would be better without her. In fact, he would have questioned her rash decision. Perhaps her view would change in the future. For now, she needed to get away from it all, and that included Pascal. She was ready and willing to become a space pirate, just like Cass had done years ago. However, there would be some awkwardness since it had been so long since she and Cass had been together.

It was hard to say what remained next for Corona or for Cass, Raps, Marika, and other crew members on the Bentenmaru. But it would surely be written in the stars.

[magicbench]

~*A small update !*~

[copy/paste from KS’s update]

Hello everyone !

How are you doing these days ? Spooky season is past behind us and soon will be the holidays for those who are celebrating.

In the meanwhile, I have some update and a message from Cirro the writer for you :

"Hello everyone! This is an update by Cirro, the writer for Colors of Fate.  Unfortunately the last roughly 2 months have been pretty rough for me, as I contracted Corona in October and dealt with horrible exhaustion as a lasting after-effect, even after I had already recovered from Corona itself. This led to me falling asleep on the couch after work routinely, to the point that anything outside of the most essential tasks, nevermind engaging in fun hobbies like watching shows or playing video games, fell to the wayside. Unfortunately, this included the writing for CoF. I simply did not have the energy to do anything. My life consisted of work, getting home, eating dinner, falling asleep while watching TV on the couch and then going to bed. The weekends were spent on recovery, chores and what little socialising with family and friends I could manage to do.

On top of all of this, my work situation has gotten worse to the point that while all of this was keeping me exhausted and sick, I was (and still am) actively looking for a new full time job. Negative stress like the one I am currently facing daily at work is not something that helped improve my already pretty bad health (due to Corona) overall, and I spent a long time just trying to figure out what my next course of action should be.  The good news is that I am no longer suffering from my Corona after-effects. It took way over a month to recover from them, but I am no longer held back by exhaustion.  And while I have not found a new full time job yet, I have the support of my family and have prepared everything for new job applications, etc.   Since I have a better outlook overall right now, and my health is continuing to improve, I have started writing scenes for CoF again. The goal is still to finish both Teen Phase paths (Maid and Princess) this year. I have hope that I can reach this goal, even if it may only happen at the end of December."

Take care, Cirro ! It's glad to hear you're doing better✿

As for tasks on my side, I'm done writing the french version of the compendium. I'm rewieving it and translating it this week and hopefully I'll be able to take care of all the drawings starting next week. If all goes well, I'll be able to add Cirro's work in the script early January and to finally release the compendium in both french and english toward mid or end of February 2023 ~

And I think that's all for now ! Take care and see you all next time, you got this !✦

Hello tout le monde !

Comment vous allez ces derniers temps ? La saison d'Halloween est derrière nous et ce sera bientôt les Noël pour ceux qui célèbrent.

En attendant, j'ai une mise à jour et un message de Cirro l'écrivaine pour vous :

"Bonjour tout le monde ! Ceci est une mise à jour de Cirro, l'auteure de Colors of Fate. Malheureusement, les deux derniers mois environ ont été assez difficiles pour moi, car j'ai contracté Corona en octobre et j'ai fait face à un horrible épuisement qui a duré, même après avoir déjà récupéré de Corona lui-même. Cela m'a amené à m'endormir régulièrement sur le canapé après le travail, au point que tout ce qui n'était pas des tâches les plus essentielles, sans parler de s'adonner à des passe-temps amusants comme regarder des émissions ou jouer à des jeux vidéo,  a été mis de côté. Malheureusement, cela incluait l'écriture pour CoF. Je n'avais tout simplement pas l'énergie de faire quoi que ce soit. Ma vie consistait à travailler, rentrer à la maison, dîner, m'endormir en regardant la télévision sur le canapé, puis me coucher. Les week-ends ont été consacrés à la récupération, aux tâches ménagères et au peu de socialisation que je parvenais à faire avec ma famille et mes amis.

En plus de tout cela, ma situation de travail s'est aggravée au point que, même si tout cela m'épuisait et me rendait malade, je cherchais (et je suis toujours) activement à la recherche d'un nouvel emploi à temps plein. Le stress négatif comme celui auquel je suis actuellement confrontée quotidiennement au travail n'a dans l'ensemble pas contribué à améliorer ma santé déjà assez mauvaise (due à Corona) dans, et j'ai passé beaucoup de temps à essayer de comprendre quelle devrait être ma prochaine ligne de conduite. La bonne nouvelle est que je ne souffre plus de mes séquelles Corona. Il m'a fallu plus d'un mois pour m'en remettre, mais je ne suis plus ralentit par l'épuisement. Et même si je n'ai pas encore trouvé de nouveau travail à temps plein, j'ai le soutien de ma famille et j'ai tout préparé pour de nouvelles demandes d'emploi, etc. Comme j'ai une meilleure perspective générale en ce moment et que ma santé continue de s'améliorer, j'ai recommencé à écrire des scènes pour CoF. L'objectif est toujours de terminer les deux parcours Teen (Maid et Princesse) cette année. J'ai bon espoir de pouvoir atteindre cet objectif, même si cela n'arrivera qu'à la fin du mois de Décembre."

Prends soin de toi Cirro ! Je suis contente de savoir que tu vas mieux, courage✿

Quant aux tâches dont je m'occupe de mon côté, j'ai fini d'écrire la version française du compendium. Je le relis et le traduis en anglais cette semaine et j'espère pouvoir m'occuper de tous les dessins à partir de la semaine prochaine. Si tout se passe bien, je pourrai ajouter le travail de Cirro dans le script début Janvier et enfin finir et sortir le compendium en français et en anglais vers mi ou fin Février 2023 ~

Et je pense que c'est tout pour le moment ! Prenez soin de vous et à la prochaine ! ✦

[handsofdarkness]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Releases New Single 'The Fire Within'

Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released a new single, "The Fire Within". The band stated about the track: "Back in 2019 we wrote 'The Fire Within', but it's never made its appearance on an album. However, to brighten up your festive December mood some more, we've decided to release it as a standalone song! Enjoy!"

Speaking to Riff X's "Metal XS", WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel elaborated on how "The Fire Within" came together. She said: "We recorded it during corona times. And we release it now for the game with IRON MAIDEN, [our collaboration with] the 'Iron Maiden: [Legacy Of The Beast' mobile] game. This is a song that didn't make it for the next album. So we like the song, but it has a different kind of vibe to it. And it's about keeping things real. 'The fire within' [is] the thing that drives you, the thing that you feel the most. That's what the song is about."

"The Fire Within" seven-inch single features both the single version and instrumental version of the track. Due on January 20, 2023, it is available for pre-order as a limited edition of 666 individually numbered copies on orange-colored vinyl at the WITHIN TEMPATION music store.

In recent years, WITHIN TEMPTATION shifted its focus from releasing albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves in their creative processes thus delivering freshly inspired music. The group has released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that have all thrilled their fanbase, had great critical reception in Europe, peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. In July, WITHIN TEMPTATION also released the official Jeb Hardwick-directed music video for the band's most recent single, "Don't Pray For Me". It was the fourth single of the band's independent releases and will lead up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's next studio album.

In an interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, Den Adel spoke about WITHIN TEMPTATION's new approach to making its music available. She said: "We already decided before we had the pandemic to do it this way. A lot of music scenes already do this — music genres, actually — but in the rock [world], we still do a lot of the traditional way of releasing albums. And we just wanted to try this out. And then the pandemic happened, and everybody started doing the same thing. Which is a good thing, because you live in the moment and you write something and you release it… So this is really how we feel at the moment, and it's what we re reflecting with our music, I think. It's a good thing."

Regarding the differences between recording and releasing singles and concentrating on making full-length albums, Sharon said: "We put a lot of time extra now into every single, where normally this is the maximum of singles that we release, and we're gonna release more. So I think there's more time spent to it. But it's scattered all over a time, so it's really sometimes difficult to get back into the flow of writing again; that's the negative side of it. So it has its positive and negative sides. And with a whole album, it takes sometimes two years when you've written a song that it finally gets released, and it already feels outdated sometimes. So now it's really [easy to give each track] a fast release."

This past August, Den Adel told EMP about the WITHIN TEMPTATION songwriting process: "The thing is we've been around for such a long time that we try to be inspired by new bands that we hear and implement it with our own kind of sound and try to stay updated with the sound that is sounding more modern nowadays and what is more 'in' nowadays. Not to be going along with new sounds but something that sounds refreshing and inspiring to us. And that keeps us going and makes it fun for us to make still music. We've been around almost for 25 years, even longer — now I really feel old — but, anyway, you need it; you need to evolve. So there's no formula, but it's more every time looking what inspires you. And it can be anything."

WITHIN TEMPTATION's last album, "Resist", was released in February 2019 through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.

"Resist" featured guest appearances by PAPA ROACH's Jacoby Shaddix, IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén and ARID's Jasper Steverlinck.

[black-arcana]

WITHIN TEMPTATION Shares 'The Fire Within' Music Video

Dutch heavy rockers WITHIN TEMPTATION have released the official music video for their new single, "The Fire Within". The clip was filmed during the band's recent "Worlds Collide" European tour with EVANESCENCE.WITHIN TEMPTATION stated about the track: "Back in 2019 we wrote 'The Fire Within', but it's never made its appearance on an album. However, to brighten up your festive December mood some more, we've decided to release it as a standalone song! Enjoy!"Speaking to Riff X's "Metal XS", WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel elaborated on how "The Fire Within" came together. She said: "We recorded it during corona times. And we release it now for the game with IRON MAIDEN, [our collaboration with] the 'Iron Maiden: [Legacy Of The Beast' mobile] game. This is a song that didn't make it for the next album. So we like the song, but it has a different kind of vibe to it. And it's about keeping things real. 'The fire within' [is] the thing that drives you, the thing that you feel the most. That's what the song is about."

"The Fire Within" seven-inch single features both the single version and instrumental version of the track. Due on January 20, 2023, it is available for pre-order as a limited edition of 666 individually numbered copies on orange-colored vinyl at the WITHIN TEMPATION music store.

In recent years, WITHIN TEMPTATION shifted its focus from releasing albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves in their creative processes thus delivering freshly inspired music. The group has released "Entertain You", "The Purge" and "Shed My Skin", singles that have all thrilled their fanbase, had great critical reception in Europe, peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. In July, WITHIN TEMPTATION also released the official Jeb Hardwick-directed music video for the band's most recent single, "Don't Pray For Me". It was the fourth single of the band's independent releases and will lead up to WITHIN TEMPTATION's next studio album.

In an interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, Den Adel spoke about WITHIN TEMPTATION's new approach to making its music available. She said: "We already decided before we had the pandemic to do it this way. A lot of music scenes already do this — music genres, actually — but in the rock [world], we still do a lot of the traditional way of releasing albums. And we just wanted to try this out. And then the pandemic happened, and everybody started doing the same thing. Which is a good thing, because you live in the moment and you write something and you release it… So this is really how we feel at the moment, and it's what we re reflecting with our music, I think. It's a good thing."

Regarding the differences between recording and releasing singles and concentrating on making full-length albums, Sharon said: "We put a lot of time extra now into every single, where normally this is the maximum of singles that we release, and we're gonna release more. So I think there's more time spent to it. But it's scattered all over a time, so it's really sometimes difficult to get back into the flow of writing again; that's the negative side of it. So it has its positive and negative sides. And with a whole album, it takes sometimes two years when you've written a song that it finally gets released, and it already feels outdated sometimes. So now it's really [easy to give each track] a fast release."

This past August, Den Adel told EMP about the WITHIN TEMPTATION songwriting process: "The thing is we've been around for such a long time that we try to be inspired by new bands that we hear and implement it with our own kind of sound and try to stay updated with the sound that is sounding more modern nowadays and what is more 'in' nowadays. Not to be going along with new sounds but something that sounds refreshing and inspiring to us. And that keeps us going and makes it fun for us to make still music. We've been around almost for 25 years, even longer — now I really feel old — but, anyway, you need it; you need to evolve. So there's no formula, but it's more every time looking what inspires you. And it can be anything."

WITHIN TEMPTATION's last album, "Resist", was released in February 2019 through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.

"Resist" featured guest appearances by PAPA ROACH's Jacoby Shaddix, IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén and ARID's Jasper Steverlinck.

[spookysaladchaos]

Global Top 15 Companies Accounted for 38% of total Manual Pruning Saw market (QYResearch, 2021)

A manual pruning saw that has a usually tapering straight or curved blade and either a closed or an open and sometimes folding handhold and that may or may not be attached to a pole. They are intended to help trim larger shrubs and smaller tree branches.

According to the new market research report “Global Manual Pruning Saw Market Report 2023-2029”, published by QYResearch, the global Manual Pruning Saw market size is projected to reach USD 0.14 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period.

Figure.   Global Manual Pruning Saw Market Size (US$ Million), 2018-2029

Figure.   Global Manual Pruning Saw Top 15 Players Ranking and Market Share (Ranking is based on the revenue of 2022, continually updated)

The global key manufacturers of Manual Pruning Saw include Bahco, STIHL, Stanley, Fiskars, Corona Tools, ARS CORPORATION, Wilkinson Sword, Samurai Saws, Komelon, G-MAN Tools, etc.

In 2022, the global top five players had a share approximately 38.0% in terms of revenue.

About QYResearch

QYResearch founded in California, USA in 2007.It is a leading global market research and consulting company. With over 16 years’ experience and professional research team in various cities over the world QY Research focuses on management consulting, database and seminar services, IPO consulting, industry chain research and customized research to help our clients in providing non-linear revenue model and make them successful. We are globally recognized for our expansive portfolio of services, good corporate citizenship, and our strong commitment to sustainability. Up to now, we have cooperated with more than 60,000 clients across five continents. Let’s work closely with you and build a bold and better future.

QYResearch is a world-renowned large-scale consulting company. The industry covers various high-tech industry chain market segments, spanning the semiconductor industry chain (semiconductor equipment and parts, semiconductor materials, ICs, Foundry, packaging and testing, discrete devices, sensors, optoelectronic devices), photovoltaic industry chain (equipment, cells, modules, auxiliary material brackets, inverters, power station terminals), new energy automobile industry chain (batteries and materials, auto parts, batteries, motors, electronic control, automotive semiconductors, etc.), communication industry chain (communication system equipment, terminal equipment, electronic components, RF front-end, optical modules, 4G/5G/6G, broadband, IoT, digital economy, AI), advanced materials industry Chain (metal materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, nano materials, etc.), machinery manufacturing industry chain (CNC machine tools, construction machinery, electrical machinery, 3C automation, industrial robots, lasers, industrial control, drones), food, beverages and pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, agriculture, etc.

[equestrianempire]

The Weekend Update: Carolina Prep and More at Pine Top, Three Lakes, Full Gallop Farm

Another weekend of eventing is in the books, with plenty of horse and rider pairs out and about in the southern states. We’re inching closer to warmer weather for the spring season, as well as some upcoming competitions, like the Carolina International CCI4* in just a few weeks!

We caught up with some of the riders aiming for Carolina, and took a look back on this weekend and celebrate our Weekend Winners! Congrats to all on successful outings, with an extra shout out to the winner of our Unofficial Low Score Award, Priscilla Pignatelli and Dittos Gold En Fury, who scored 20.7 in the Starter Rider division at Three Lakes!

Full Gallop Farm Mid February H.T. (Aiken, SC) [Website][Scoring]

Preliminary/Training: Alexandra Knowles and Fernhill Mac an Bata (29.8) Training: Tracey Bienemann and Silver Bop (29.6) Training/Novice: Margaret Schneck and Islandwood Border Patrol (31.7) Novice: Cole William Horn and WillOMoor Pathfinder (24.7) Beginner Novice A: Christine Hryzak and Sheeran (27.7) Beginner Novice B: Fylicia Barr and Master Of Illusion (23.8) Starter: Sophia Perry and Corona With Lime (29.7) Pre-Starter: Katherine Thornton and Carlingford Finegan (28.0)

Pine Top Advanced (Thomson, GA) [Website][Scoring]

“I’m very pleased with how my horses went at Pine Top this weekend,” says Advanced B winner Ariel Grald, who reflected, “I’m based in Ocala for the winters, and although we have several great venues to choose from, I always make the trip to the Pine Top Advanced HT with my upper level horses… The cross country courses are fantastic and are a good evaluation of where the horses are at at the beginning of the season.”

We’ll see Ariel at Carolina in just a few weeks, with Anne Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan (Master Imp xx – Ardragh Bash, by Cavalier Royale) in the 4*S, Annie Eldridge’s Diara in the 3*S (Diacontinus – Lady Revens, by Colon xx), and Annie Eldridge’s Adagio’s Nobility (Adagio De Talma – Noble Lady I, by Heraldik xx) in the 2*S.

Andrew McConnon won the Advanced A with Jeanne Shigo’s Ferrie’s Cello (Chello III – Karelza, by Wolfgang). “I’m thankful to have my horses starting off the season looking and feeling well! I had different goals for each horse and I’m pleased with all four of them. We’re really fortunate to have Pine Top Farm on our spring calendar, I’ve been going to Pine Top for nearly 20 years. I’ve had many firsts at Pine Top, including my first Advanced many years ago. It’s always been a special event to me!”

Coming out of the winter, these early spring events have been helpful in bringing Andrew’s horses back from their breaks and in utilizing their training. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from William Fox-Pitt in England the importance of a long winter break and several weeks of long hacking before starting back into work. Most recently with the help of the USEF I’ve had the opportunity to train with Leslie Law, well as my long time coaches at home who have helped me step up my game. While I’m not on the development list this year, the opportunities over the last several years from Nations Cup teams, European tour, and access to training in that program has made a huge impact to myself and my program.”

With a recent move out onto his own, Chris Talley sought out Pine Top as an important stop in his spring for his horses and program: “This year after stepping out on my own and starting my own business I came up from Ocala, Florida and came to the second Pine Top specifically because they have the Advanced division which I wanted to target with the Allison Pratt’s FE Marco Polo (Arko Junior Pms – Elfe II, by Exorbitant XX) and my own Loughtown Cici (Cc Captain Cruise – Castlelawn Diamond Clover, by White Clover) that recently stepped up to [the level].”

“The cross country at Pine Top is why I chose to come here every year. It’s big and bold and really requires positive riding. The courses offer fair questions for this point in the season and also offers a bit of terrain which in Florida you don’t get much of.”

“It’s been a very good start to the season and all the horses finished Pine Top full of confidence so I’m excited for some big spring plans… Since establishing my own business I’ve been really happy with how the horses are going. I have an amazing group of horses and wonderful owners who have been incredibly supportive. This year I really wanted to find the fun in it again. I wanted to enjoy my personal life as much as I enjoy the horses and I’ve found the perfect work/life balance which I think the horses and their performance and reaping the rewards of,” Chris commented.

Having just moved her business back to the states from her time in England, Kimmy Cecere enjoyed her first time at Pine Top. “What a fantastic event to start the season! Both the cross country and show jumping courses were strong and rewarding.”

“Jacqueline Mars’ Landmark’s Monaco (Formula One – Glamour) had a fun and easy canter around the Intermediate. [Her own] OS Hermintage (Indoctro – Elvira), who has just stepped up to the level, gained confidence throughout all three phases. The rolling hills and variety of questions set both horses up to continue on to Carolina in a few weeks,” Kimmy reflected.

Kimmy’s horses seem to be making the transition to their new base in Southern Pines well. “The horses traveled super well and they love our new base in Southern Pines,” Kimmy commented. “I have developed some great new relationships, and I’m looking forward to expanding my business!”

Advanced – 2022 USEF Advanced Test A: Andrew McConnon and Ferrie’s Cello (36.5) Advanced – 2022 USEF Advanced Test B: Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan (29.5) Intermediate Rider: Sara Beth Anton and Legionnaire (37.2) Open Intermediate A: Allison Springer and No May Moon (27.0) Open Intermediate B: Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye (27.2) Open Preliminary A: Ariel Grald and Adagio’s Nobility (26.1) Open Preliminary B: Boyd Martin and Kolbeinn (27.2) Preliminary Rider: Carlin Keefe and Point Nemo (26.6) Modified – Open A: Fylicia Barr and Quantum Cooley (26.5) Modified – Open B: Chris Talley and Fast Forward (25.8) Modified – Rider A: Heidi Grimm Powell and Finntastic! (28.0) Modified – Rider B: Molly McLaughlin and Top L’Amour WV (34.0) Open Training A: Kim Severson and Cooley Consort (26.9) Open Training B: Andrew McConnon and Connery Cooper Z (22.8) Open Training C: Jane Jennings and SF Vancouver 2 (25.3) Training Rider: Harrison Chang and JVK Fionn MacCumhaill (34.3) Junior Novice Rider: Samantha Sibley and RHS Casallco Star (35.4) Open Novice: Erin Kanara and Captain’s Lady (24.4) Senior Novice Rider: Alexis Shrum and Anchorman (29.7) Beginner Novice Rider: Nina Celeste Braun and Lagoon Macaroon (33.5) Open Beginner Novice: Maddie Lichten and RF Luminati (28.8)

Three Lakes Winter II H.T. at Caudle Ranch (Groveland, FL) [Website][Scoring]

Open Preliminary: Elisabeth Halliday and Newmarket Cooley (29.7) Preliminary Rider: Victoria Sudkamp and Woodstock Rio (32.6) Open Modified: Jordan Crabo and Cooley Pot of Gold (27.9) Open Training: Stephanie Goodman and HSH Clever Z (25.5) Training Rider: Hannah Fatehdin and Things To Ponder (26.9) Novice Rider A: Kirsty McLeod and Celtic Sapphire (27.5) Novice Rider B: Coco Fiorita and Oskar (22.5) Open Novice A: Arielle Aharoni and Veni Vidi Vici (30.6) Open Novice B: Lauren Nicholson and Sir Prize (22.9) Beginner Novice Rider A: Sarah Alexander and Lambrusco W (21.6) Beginner Novice Rider B: Jean McNamara and Pavoratti’s Soul (35.0) Open Beginner Novice A: Lauren Nicholson and Tennyson (25.3) Open Beginner Novice B: Macy Clark and Bailando (21.9) Open Starter: Kristen Ayers and Counting Stars (26.7) Starter Rider: Priscilla Pignatelli and Dittos Gold En Fury (20.7)