#I would get the expansions (I have generations) I had as a kid but…holy expensive

[skyblueartt]

Big things happening in the sims 3

Btw Henry and Charlie Emily are their neighbors lmfao

[yes-i-am-happyaspie]

We're just over half-way through @sicktember and I'm really enjoying all of the awesome fics that have come out of it! I hope everyone else is enjoying them as well. And with that being said, here's my contribution for the day. Happy reading!

The Motion of the Ocean- happyaspie

No Archive Warnings Apply || Rated G || Word Count 2811 || Tony Stark, Peter Parker

Summary: Peter is invited to go to an educational seminar that was being hosted by Stark Industries and taking place on a cruise ship! Needless to say, he was pretty excited about it. That is until a storm rolled in, causing his stomach to roll along with it.

Sicktember Prompts:

- Ginger Ale and Crackers

- Motion Sickness

- 'Stay'

[Excerpt Below the Cut]

As part of the Stark Industries Environmentally Conscientious Operations Initiative or ECO Initiative, the company had decided to conceptualize what they hoped would be the world’s most eco-friendly cruise ship. They spent several years consulting and collaborating with the nation's top naval engineers, world-renowned ecologists, and highly respected marine experts and had eventually decided to combine their arc reactor technology with wind generators to create a zero-emissions engine design. But of course, that had been just the beginning. They had also condensed and implemented an onboard water treatment facility that was capable of treating the ship's wastewater and reusing it to irrigate the large expansive greenhouse that provided up to forty percent of the fruits and vegetables that would appear on the menu.

The entire design had ended up being quite an accomplishment. Though Stark Industries had no intention of getting into the tourism business. Rather their goal had been to inspire large cruise ship chains to take steps to lessen their carbon footprint. That and, of course, manufacture and sell the parts needed to accomplish that. But in order to do both of those things, it had been suggested that they take the ship they had put together and allow it to sell itself. They hired a crew and invited the top names in the business to come aboard for good food, a good time, and multiple presentations on everything from how the eco-friendly engines worked to cost-effective ways to source environmentally friendly supplies.

And that is how Tony ended up walking down a nautically themed hallway alongside his favorite wide-eyed kid. “This is us, Kiddo,” he said as he used the magnetic key to unlock the door.

“Whoa, Mr. Stark, this is insane!” Peter exclaimed as he and Tony walked into the spacious room they would be sharing for their next four nights at sea. He’d not even seen the space in its entirety, and it had already exceeded his expectations.

“This is actually a fairly standard stateroom for a luxury ship, Kid,”Tony replied while taking a visual inventory of the bags that had been carried up ahead of them. Just to make sure nothing had been misplaced. “I had to downgrade so that we could share a room with two beds. You should see the veranda side suites.”

“Really? But this is already so much bigger than I thought it would be,” Peter replied, as he walked through the small sitting area and past the bathroom that separated the sleeping quarters from the entrance. It was almost like a tiny studio apartment, minus the kitchen. “Like I thought cruise ship cabins were supposed to be tiny and have little fold down bunk beds or something,” he said, flopping backward onto one of the two plush double beds only to pop right back up again. He'd spotted a recycled helm that had been repurposed to create wall art and really wanted to investigate it.

After watching the kid smile with glee when the wheel turned as he touched it, Tony shook his head. “Have you never been on a cruise before?” he asked with amusement.

Peter paused just short of pulling the curtains back and rolled his eyes because of course, he’d never hand the opportunity to go on a cruise. Cruises were expensive and unlike Tony, he’d not been born into a ton of money. He was lucky if they got to spend a night or two at a cheap hotel near the beach during the summer. “The closest thing to a cruise ship that I have ever been on is the Staten Island Ferry,” he deadpanned.

Tony chuckled lightly at the comparison. “Kid- that’s not even close-”

“-exactly,” Peter happily interjected, finally pulling back the heavy drapes to look out over the busy water that surrounded the port. “This is amazing! I mean, holy cow! Look at the view!” he shouted, waving his hand haphazardly towards the open sea and all of the small boats that were moving around them.

Tony looked out the window and smiled because they hadn’t even left the port yet. The best views were yet to come. “Yeah, kiddo,” he said softly. “You just wait until we’re in the middle of the ocean and you can watch the sunrise over the horizon.”

[Continue Reading on AO3]

[spectraspecs-writes]

Tatooine - Chapter 55 (HK-47)

Link to the masterpost. Chapter 54. Chapter 56.

@averruncusho thank you for reading, you get a tag

I just got a bad feeling. Something’s coming. Or we’re getting closer to something. Dark. And it’s close. “Hey, Mission?”

“Yeah?”

“You have your stealth field generator on?”

“Always.”

“Would you do me a favor - turn it on and just look around the corner.”

“Is something wrong, Rena?” Bastila asks me.

“Bad feeling,” I say, “I want to confirm.”

“Does this bad feeling involve me cracking some skulls?” Canderous asks eagerly.

“I’ll go check it out,” Mission says, and she activates her stealth field. We wait about a minute or so before she comes back. “Three Dark Jedi,” she says, “Mean looking. They got face masks on.”

“They were probably sent by Lord Malak,” Bastila says, “Is there any way we can get past without fighting them?”

“Not without tripping the poison mines I set in front of them,” Mission says proudly.

Canderous beams, laughing. “Smart kid!” he says. (And he gets away with calling her kid - I love their friendship so much.)

“Well done, Mission,” Bastila says, and I expect a “but” coming, “Although in the future I would advise against taking such risks.” Not a “but”, an “although.” How surprising.

“You’re welcome,” Mission says. God, I love her. “We should probably go say hi before someone else triggers the mines.”

“Good idea,” I say, “Ready everyone? Let’s go fight the Sith.”

We round the corner, and right on cue, three Sith. Three mines. “Lord Malak was most displeased when he learned you had escaped Taris alive!” one of them says, but I can’t tell which one because of the masks, “He has promised a great reward to whoever destroys you.”

“Why don’t you come collect that reward, you pack of hairless banthas?” They step forward - and have their faces flooded with poison gas. And in the chaos, Canderous gets off a shot at each of them. When the gas clears, they hit the ground dead.

Canderous sighs. “This is getting too easy,” he says, “Have the Jedi lowered their standards or do the Sith just let in anybody with a chip on their shoulder and an axe to grind?”

“I assure you, it’s the latter,” Bastila says. Is… is she smiling? Is she smiling at Canderous? And he’s smiling back - oh, my God, this is so cute!

“Oh?” Canderous says - oh, wow, he’s making a move, is he? “So if I ever went up against you, you’d give me a good fight?”

He’s trying to flirt, but Bastila is working more the friend angle. “If it ever came to that.”

Canderous backs off the flirting angle, but that doesn’t stop Mission from saying, “Sheesh, get a room, guys!”

Canderous - holy hell, Canderous blushes. Bastila says, “I hardly know what you’re talking about, Mission.” She brushes her hair away from her face. “We should get moving. I know Rena is especially eager to see this droid.”

“I am, yes,” I agree, sifting through what the Dark Jedi dropped, including some lightsaber crystals and a datapad from Malak with a description of me and Bastila. Seems like these guys won’t be the last Dark Jedi we face. “But the cantina is also around the corner and we should ask about your mom.”

“Rena, we really don’t have to,” Bastila says, stammering a bit, “If it takes time away from the mission…”

“I’ll take care of it,” Mission says, “I’ll ask around, you guys go see the droid.”

“No arguments here,” Canderous says, “I’ve spent more than enough time in cantinas for one lifetime.”

“I agree,” Bastila says, “I see no point in waiting there if my mother is no longer on the planet.”

“Yeah, you guys go have fun,” she says, “I’m going to hustle some nerf-herders out of their credits.”

“Don’t bet too much,” I say, and we head off to the droid shop.

Already I’m skeptical. There’s a droid out front with sand in his vents, still functioning somehow. You don’t store droids outside, dude, come on. We step inside, and there’s nobody out front to sell us anything. Wonderful service. I only see the one functional protocol droid, must be the one we’re looking for - may as well ask it to sell itself.

Wait, hang on -- “This droid has sand shields!”

“What?” Canderous says, because he wasn’t part of yesterday’s conversation.

“I thought you said you developed those?” Bastila asks.

“I thought I did.”

Then the droid activates. “Greeting: Hello to you, prospective purchaser. I am referred to as HK-47, a fully functional Systech Corporation droid skilled in both combat and protocol functions. Query: Would you be so kind as to purchase this model from Yuka Laka? It would serve my purposes to be removed from his ownership.”

“Certainly talks like a protocol droid,” Canderous scoffs.

“I’ve never heard of Systech Corporation,” Bastila says.

“No, neither have I,” I say, “but they seem to make good droids if this model is any indication.” The sand shields are still throwing me off; they look just like the ones I made for T3 yesterday. I look back at the droid. “What else does Systech make?” I ask him. 

“Answer: With the restraining bolt in place, I do not have access to my memory core. I suspect, however, by the fine quality of my manufacture that they are a prestigious company, indeed. I suspect I am of unique construction,” the droid says, “…or perhaps I was intended for a very specific customer. How I ended up here I can hardly say. It is sufficient to say that I am a fully capable translator and cultural analyst, and I am also proficient in... personal combat.”

I pull out my microspanner and make a quick inspection of the restraining bolt. “Yeah, that thing’s on there good,” I say, “And it’s restricting access to your memory?”

“Statement: Indeed,” HK tells me, “It is possible that the Ithorian Yuka Laka placed the restraining bolt on me to prevent my return to a previous owner. It is also possible that the removal of the bolt will not restore memory functions. Without my memory, I do not know if I know the answer.” Yeah, that would certainly put a damper on things. “Do not interpret this as a reduction of my worth, however. My capabilities are quite expansive.”

“I can tell,” I say, still examining him with my spanner. 

“What are you seeing, Rena?” Bastila asks.

“Well,” I say, “to be honest I’m not completely sure. I’m more familiar with utility droids. But I can tell this droid has everything a utility droid has and more. There’s a lot going on in here.” I tuck my spanner away. “Not much in the way of computer interfacing, but a droid like you, I’m not sure you need it,” I say to HK, “You said you’re a translator and a cultural analyst. I understand most languages pretty well myself, why would I need you?”

“Extrapolation: Intuitive language comprehension? That would be the result of recognition and training of Force sensitivity.”

“Smart droid,” Canderous comments. 

“Your kind have little use of translation droids,” he says, “Of course, your kind also encounters danger on a far more frequent basis than the average citizen. You would do well to have me work for you, then, before someone else makes use of my… more exotic functions.”

Sounds like a low-key assassin droid to me. But I doubt anyone else knows that. “Well, I’m sold,” I say, “Is Yuka Laka around? I’ll see about purchasing you.”

“Statement: The fool Ithorian has decided I am to be an expensive purchase. He does this out of greed and not out of knowledge of my true capabilities.

“Advisement: I have observed him. He is a coward, and will be responsive to… aggressive bargaining.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, then I call out, “Is the proprietor in?”

There is a very large metal clamor out of sight, followed by a garbled series of beeps and whistles and some swearing in Ithorese. When the Ithorian comes out of the back room, it is on a small wave of droid parts. “What is this?” he says, “A customer I don’t recognize? Perhaps you bring off-world credits to Yuka Laka?”

“Talk to me about HK-47.”

He ambles over to me. “It's a fine protocol translator. I think it's been modified. It claims to understand the Sand People dialect, and also has some armor mounts. Combat ready, perhaps?”

“I’m interested,” I say, sparing a glance back at HK, “Let’s talk price.”

“It's a very solid machine,” he says, considering a price, “in good shape. I can't let it go for less than 5000 credits.”

Yikes! “If that’s the price, you can keep it.”

“4000!” Yuka Laka quickly amends, “Not a credit less!”

HK was right, he is a coward. “That was quick. Desperate to sell?”

“Ah, no, not really,” he says unconvincingly, “but the first figure really was a little high. You never know, the occasional person bites right away.”

It’s still a bit high. “Perhaps I can convince you to go lower?”

“Lower?” he repeats in disbelief, “How low are you expecting me to go? These are difficult times.”

“Listen,” I say, trying to be charming - I’ve never had much luck with Ithorians when it comes to feminine wiles, but when it comes to business sense, they’ve always been receptive to me, “I’m a Republic droid tech. This war with the Sith has been moving farther and farther out to the Outer Rim. There’s been a greater and greater need for parts and capable droids, and yours is the only place to get them in Anchorhead.” I think I see him softening. “Now, when I go back to my superiors and they ask me about the business in Anchorhead, I can tell them one of two things. I could either tell them that Yuka Laka sells substandard tech at exorbitant prices, or that he’s a sharp-minded Ithorian with a keen business sense who’s willing to make a deal that will do him better in the long run.” Almost there, almost got him. “Which do you think will convince my bosses to come to your store?”

He’s so close. “And you think your superiors will listen to you?”

Bastila catches on. “Sir,” she says, “As a member of the Jedi Order, I can assure you that the Republic has the utmost trust in this woman.”

“You--” Yuka Laka says with a bit of a laugh, “You can’t expect me to give you the droid for nothing.”

“Of course not!” I say reassuringly, “That’s bad business. But it would also be bad business to quote me a price that I can’t take back to my superiors.”

Got him. “2750.”

“2500 even, and I’ll throw in a top-notch microspanner.”

“Done.” I hand him my microspanner - not even my good one but it’s still in good shape - and transfer him the 2500 credits. (Some credits come right back to me - Mission must be doing pretty good at Pazaak.) “Well, thank you very much. Just go on over and talk to it. I'll deactivate the restraining bolt when you take possession. It's a good purchase, especially if it actually speaks a Sand People dialect like it said. Now,” he says, “you’ll be sure to tell the Republic about this business deal?”

“Most definitely,” I say, “Next time the Republic fleet is in the area, expect an increase in profits.”

“I look forward to it,” he says.

“HK!” I call to the droid, “Let’s go.”

Yuka Laka pops off the restraining bolt. “Statement: I will enter into your service now, master. I am certain you will make adequate use of my primary functions. My gears are practically quivering with anticipation.”

When we step out, Bastila - I should have expected some disappointment from her - says to me, “Why did you lie to that man?”

“It wasn’t a complete lie - and you helped.”

“I did not lie!” she protests, “The Republic obviously has trust in you if they recruited you. You were lying - you certainly have no intention of informing your ‘Republic superiors’ of this transaction, do you?”

“If someone asks, sure.”

“And to expect more business the next time the Republic fleet enters the system?”

“Of course - economies get a bump whenever the fleet rolls in.” She’s still not satisfied. “You want long-term? I’ll give you long-term. We get a droid who can speak the Sand People dialect, we make peace with the Sand People, we find the Star Map, we leave, destroy the Star Forge and end the way. Instead of making a better life for one merchant, we make a better life for the galaxy. Now, is that an acceptable trade for you, or are you going to make me give back the droid, which will hinder the peacemaking?”

She tries to argue, but only stammers. Then she just gives up: “You are becoming a horrible influence on me.”

“Yeah, I like you, too.”

Just as we’re on our way back to the cantina for Mission, she finds us. “Okay, two things. Well, three things,” she says, correcting herself. “First off, they won’t let me play Pazaak in there anymore - “

“You hustler, I love you,” I say, and she smiles.

“Second, it didn’t take much asking to learn about Bastila’s mom. She’s there most days and yells at everybody.”

“That sounds like her,” Bastila comments.

“She wasn’t there just now, but tends to come later in the day according to the bartender. And third, apparently there’s a sandstorm coming and Czerka told all their miners to either come back or stay put.”

“Guess we’re not hitting the dunes today,” I say.

“We should return to the ship,” Bastila says, “We can continue our search tomorrow.”

“I tend to agree,” I say, “I want to look over HK, anyway.”

“Objection: Look over? I assure you, master, I am in prime condition!”

“I know,” I say, “but I’d like to know what ‘prime condition’ entails.”

“Statement: As you desire, master.”

[tearuntold]

POSITIVITY TAG 🌻

I was tagged by my love @holy-jinsus to write 10 positive things that happend in 2017. I am pretty sure we all can agree on the fact that 2017 was just the shitty expansion pack of 2016, thank Jinsus it’s over! So I am even happier to see that, even though your year was probably the worst so far (same btw), I could make it a little bit better! I love you 💕💕

Rules: Write 10 positive things that happened in 2017, then tag several people that you hope have an amazing 2018!!

I don’t want to flood anyone with this long ass storytimes, so everyone who wants to can read below the cut. 🌺

1. So the best thing by far is my new job! In the beginning of the year I isolated myself a lot and didn’t really leave the house, but eventually I decided that I need a job, because I want money (who doesn’t) and some people around me. Fortunately the first shop I went to and asked if they need someone accepted me after a day of trial work. I really wanted to work there since I love being there, and it ended up being a truly wonderful job that I still love doing now!

2. Due to my job I met a lot of amazing people and found new friends who I really appreciate. First of all, all my coworkers are angels and I get along with everyone really well. Even our chef is the most adorable bun ever so we are a little bit like family. Adding to that there are a lot of regular costumers who I chat with every time they come over and even found some friends in them.

3. Okay, so this might sound weird, but I went to IKEA (not sponsored lmao) with my dad. And it was the first time that I ever went there to buy a bunch of stuff for my own, with my own money. You know as a kid when you go to any kind of store you always have to ask your parents if they can buy you something, or if you need a new bed whatever, they decide wich one you take, because they can say ‘no’ if they think it’s too expensive. So this time I went there and bought some new bookshelfs, plants and other stuff to redecorate my room and organize my stuff better. And when we got to the checkout I was the one with a full cart who paid over a hundred euro and my dad was the one who got himself like a 5€ plant. I don’t know, it just made me really happy.

4. My grandma got 80 this year so she invited a lot of people from our family and her closest friends for a bigger birthday party at her favourite cafe. And I really like her and most part of that family so I was happy to go there. Fortunately I ended up sitting with all the old people, my greatuncle, greataunts and some childhood friends from my grandma. They told a lot of fun stories from their childhood, how it was growing up together like family during the war and so on. I could listen to these stories for days, it just makes me so happy to see them so full of joy telling how it was even though times were rough. Before we left I talked a bit more with my greatuncle alone and as we had to leave he told me how happy he is to see me smiling and talking so lively with people, because I used to talk only rarely and just...sit there. This just really made me realise that I changed, in a good way.

5. I visit my angel Linda aka @holy-jinsus every few weeks for a day or 5 and we just chill, watch videos or do nothing together which is always wonderful, but I remember one day in particular. I am not sure when it was exactly but we just casually watched some yt videos at 3am and randomly this weird looking BTS video was recommended where they just put this filter over the video, where everything in the middle is zoomed in, like a bubble. I am sure if you ever watched any kind of crack or meme video you know what effect I am talking about. Anyways, we ended up laughing so god damn hard, that we felt like dying and even though this video probably wasn’t even that funny, it was to us in that moment. And I just love laughing with her you know.

6. Late november I finally had my appointment at the tattoo studio to get, who would have guessed, some new tattoos. I waited 8 months for this and I was just so happy as it was done! They were my biggest ones so far, so I was a little bit concerned how I would handle getting stabbed for hours, but it was way better than I expected. And the result is everything I ever wanted!

7. This Tumblr blog happened! I started it late december, but it still counts to 2017. Even though I’ve been on this website for I don’t know how many years, it’s the first time that I really invest so much time and effort into creating content and posting it. And actually it’s the first time for me to interact with people here that I don’t know in real life. This ‘mutual thing’ was always something I didn’t really understand, but OH LORD THIS GIRL MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING. Now that I am in this community of people who share so much love and positivity I can’t help but feel better and every time I see someone new tagging or messaging me my heart just explodes, because I am still too shy to message someone on my own.

8. BTS had their most successful year ever, and that is literally all I could have asked for. It just makes me so proud to see them getting all the awards they deserve for their unbelievable hard work. I think I don’t have to say more regarding this topic since I am sure you all feel the same way and know exactly what I mean when I say that I can’t form my feelings for them into words. And please let them rest, good lord have mercy!

9. Over the year I also fell in love with so many new artists and groups that sometimes I couldn’t even decide what I want to listen to because there were just too many good songs! Music in general has always been the best way for me to express my feelings, so when I find something that represents what emotional state I am in I feel complete. Two albums that really saved my life the last year were ‘Muggle’s Mansion’ by Code Kunst and ‘We’ve done something wonderful’ by Epik High. I recommend these to literally everyone. Really.

10. Finally, to end this hell of a year I went to Linda aka @holy-jinsus to celebrate new years eve. I brought her favourite cookie dough so she could form them and another friend ouf ours made some heavenly delicious food (and cocktails). So we just had a relaxed evening, enjoyed the selfmade food and waited for this god damn year to finally end. The best part was definetly that we turned on ‘Mic Drop’ at an exact time, so that the “Mic Mic Bungee” part was exactly at 0 o’clock. Then we just continued to blast out the classic BTS party songs and it was so healing to just weirdly dance and scream the vocal and rap parts together, starting 2018 in the best way possible.

This was a lot, I am sorry, but I just wish all of you a wonderful 2018. We’re still at the beginning so even though it still might be shit right now it can definetly get better! So I would like to tag @namjoon-moon, @amaryllistae, @crunchtrash, @taehyungiesvalentine, @taeshik, @slutdropjin, @j1nsgf and @taetaez. Of course you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to! 💞

[itbethatwaysometime]

Uncharted - Chapter 3

Warnings: Nothing in particular

Word Count: about 2.4k

A\N: Hey guys! I’m back with a new one :) This is definitely a filler chapter. The plot doesn’t really move forward, but there’s a lot of details and descriptions of your surroundings. I really want you guys to have an image in your head, since i am quite visual. I am currently working on a few things so stay tuned !

Part One

https://myfandomsbeatcancersass.tumblr.com/post/164836616473/uncharted-chapter-1

Part Two

https://myfandomsbeatcancersass.tumblr.com/post/164981543348/uncharted-part-2

The floor was made out of grey tiles that glinted in the iridescent moonlight, the walls were white and gorgeous light fixtures were emanating a soft glow. You entered a wide hallway that opened up to a kitchen and a living room to the side. The kitchen itself left you speechless. The counters were dark grey granite with cabinets a sleek cold light grey colour. Appliances lined the far wall with beautiful ovens and stoves, a built-in microwave and a fridge that could store enough food for a restaurant. There was an island with a sink and a dishwasher, a wine cellar, a mini-fridge and so many drawers with what you could only guess was every single culinary gadget on the face of the planet. Bar stools lined the exterior side of the island and a modern french mahogany dining table stood to the left. You felt like a kid on Christmas day. You turned to your right and found the living room. An enormous L shaped couch that probably costed a fortune was placed in front of a giant flat screen TV with an over the top sound system that was placed strategically around the room to have a certain in-theatre feel. “This is absolutely crazy.” you huff to yourself. This entire apartment screams rich, but that’s one of the things you get when you live with a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. You make your way out of the living room and into the bedro— Holy shit THis iS nOt a bedROOM. This ‘bedroom’ is twice the size of your old apartment. The window at the far end of the room was ceiling height and lined the entire wall. The bed was a king sized with crisp white expensive silk and a mountain of well placed pillows. A fireplace was placed off to the side lighting up the room in a warm glow. It looked thoroughly inviting but you weren’t done exploring the premises. To the far end of the bedroom there was a beautiful glass desk with a chrome chair. On the desk there was a Macbook and an Ipad. Was he nuts? You had just moved in and your net worth just went up a couple thousand dollars. There’s a door about ten feet to the left of the bed, one that you could only assume was the closet. You opened it and it was just… wow. It wasn’t just the grandness of it all, it was the sheer elegance of it. It was a long corridor with cabinets and closets lining each side. The materiel was a warm toned brown that was sleek. Each storage compartment seemed to have it’s own purpose. I don’t even have enough clothes to fill one of these! The closet opened to the bathroom and that really just blew your mind. The floor was an immaculate white. Straight in front of you was a bath large enough for more than one person. (A/N: obvious foreshadowing for something in the future) You turned to your left and there was a counter that reached from wall to wall. Large mirror panels were placed right over the sink that had a faucet made out of a circular piece of glass and a lever to turn it on and off.  On the counter was numerous beauty products that were probably way too expensive, cotton pads, q-tips etc. The shower to the right was a cubicle made purely out of glass and the hose was a spotless chrome stainless steel with beige tiles that lined the floor. This really was over the top. You walk back to the kitchen, dropping your bag next to your bed, you’ll get back to that later. Ah, yes, the kitchen. Probably your favourite part in every house. You could make things, bake things, cook things. You opened the enormous fridge and see it empty except for a couple of water bottles and sodas. You’ll have to go to the grocery store. Again. The last time you got a bit interrupted. Miss (y/n), may I suggest I order some groceries for you. I can have them delivered in an hour, F.R.I.D.A.Y says. You jump at the sudden intrusion, almost hitting your head on the shelf. “Um, yes, thank you?” you respond, not sure how long it’ll take to get used to speaking to nothing. She was an artificial intelligence, but it still was very… different. You started listing items that you’d like to have in your fridge and pantry. It took you a good half hour seeing as you have ten times more storage than you had before. And then, you realized something, how the hell are you supposed to pay for all of this. You walk over to your jacket and pull out your wallet. You see the pathetic couple of five dollar bills and coins, including a credit card you didn’t dare use unless an emergency was to occur. No one wanted debts. You sigh. Miss (y/n), Tony left a message for you, he says,: “Hey kiddo, I bet right now you’re thinking about the whole money thing. Haven’t you noticed who you’re staying with baby cakes? I’m Tony Stark, go crazy, I don’t mind. Have fun, kid.” “F.R.I.D.A.Y, could you help me get to Tony’s lab?” You asked ‘the air’, this is so weird. Of course, Miss (y/n), follow the illuminated arrows on the floor, they will lead you to his lab. I am afraid Tony might be a little busy, so give him some time, she responds. Alrighty, then. You walk out of your apartment, taking your phone and your keycard. (a freaking keycard). Soft white lights shaped in arrows start showing up on the floors, you follow them and find yourself in front of the elevator once again. You slide in wondering what to do now. The number 62 illuminates and the contraptions started moving up. I’m glad I didn’t have to guess that, imagine if you ended up on Clint’s floor, or Sam’s? You pinch your nose imagining the embarrassment. Before you know it, a familiar mechanical ding echoes in the metal box. You exit, following the arrows until they just disappear. You look around, black tiles following the expanse of the room. You see a large staircase surrounded by glass fixtures. You walk towards it and open the surprisingly light glass door. You walked up the beige granite stairs holding onto the metal rail, the walls were surrounded by beautiful paintings that you mentally reminded yourself to ask about later. Once you hit the top, you walked through two glass sliding doors to be greeted with quite a sight. Four large and long tables surrounded one main square table. The entire lab was littered with metal contraptions, advanced machines, a considerable amount of blueprints and a metal arm that seemed to be moving at it’s own free will. To your right, there was another lab, from the outside, looked pristine clean. Inside there was Bruce who looked extremely concentrated on whatever formula he was inspecting under the microscope. You turned your attention back towards Tony who was… well, gently put, a mess. Streaks of grease were on his face, his arms and his clothes. He was wearing a dark grey tank top with a pair of comfortable looking pants. Sweat dripped off his forehead and his neck was glistening. “Dum-E, I swear to God, if you break the blender again I’m going to sell you to the local science fair.” he says pointing at the mechanic arm that was just quietly waving around. He looks up. “Oh, hey kid, what’s got you up at this hour?” Obviously surprised to see you here. You can tell he’s starting to treat you more as a daughter, but you didn’t mind. You never really had a father figure in your life. Your biological dad died when you were really young, you loved him with everything you had.. (Also, note the fact that it’s not even midnight yet and he’s acting as if you had a curfew on your first day here) “Uh, ya. F.R.I.D.A.Y suggested that I fill up my pantry, and I saw the total,” He looks at you with his arms crossed,” and I know you left me a message, but I just wanted to make sure it was ok? Since I am new and stuff, I didn’t want to look like I was taking advantage of you, or the Avengers in general…” you trail off and reddening realizing that you were rambling. Great, you’ve made a fool of yourself. “(Y/n), come sit here for a second.” He pats a small chair beside him. You hesitantly pace your way behind the desks and onto the chair he pulled up. You were now surrounded by incredibly advanced equipment and you were scared to move because you didn’t want to knock anything over. “It’s ok, you can take a look.” he says kindly from behind you. You turn your head around, with your brows furrowed. Is he serious? “Ya, go ahead.” Tony’s POV God, her brows were scrunched up in the most adorable way. He honestly couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. He’d never, ever let anyone in his lab, unless it was Bruce or Pepper, or there was some incredible rare, unfortunate, life-threatening situation. Then, he would maybe let them in. This was his private play-ground, he knew what the majority of these things did, well, he knew enough, sometimes things don’t always tend to go as planned. His gaze turns towards (y/n) once again. Her wide (e/c) eyes roaming over every inch of the tables, her hands itching to touch something, but remaining firmly by her sides. He could see the curiosity ooze out of her, finally, someone who understands. (Except for Bruce) Someone who understands the burning need to know more, see more and learn more. Her gaze hungrily eating up all this new information, it’s quite amazing to watch. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, would you kindly Vac U Form a digital wire frame, I want her to have a manipulatable projection.” He told the AI. She tears her gaze from the arc reactor prototype and turns to him. A blue light scans over all five tables and lifts up into the air, showing an exact replica of everything that was on display. “Woah” She gasps, that was cute too. “Can I?” She asks pointing at the floating blueprint. He nods his consent. She waves her hand around and makes it turn, pinches her fingers together to minimize it and flings her arms wide open to zoom in. She starts giggling, like actually giggling, like a schoolgirl in kindergarten who just sold girl scout cookies for the first time. “This is SO cool.” She zooms into one thing in particular, the new arc reactor prototype. “Is that the thing in your chest?” she asks bluntly. She pauses, and then covers her mouth realizing how blunt she was. “Oh my, I’m sorry Mr.Stark, I didn’t mean to say it like that, I read about it in the papers and I may or may not have hacked into your mainframe and found some plans. Wait- I’m not supposed to tell you that.” She stares at him with wide eyes. He just starts laughing, an honest chortle rumbles his chest. God, it’s been a long time since he's laughed like that. “God, that’s funny, and cute. Hahahaha, I can’t believe this,” he keeps laughing, he’s not sure if she’s terrified, but she certainly looks like it. “HEY, BRuce! She hacked into F.R.I.D.A.Y and she doesn’t speak to me like I’m a ticking time bomb, I think she’s a keeper.” He shouts towards the other side of the lab. Bruce just looks at him unimpressed, but with a small smile on his face. “Ok, first of all, stop calling Mr. Stark, that was my dad. Call me Tony,” she nods furiously,” and second of all, do you see all of this?,” he opens his arms wide, “this costs more money then you can imagine, so what I’m trying to say is, go crazy. I don’t care. Spend a thousand dollars on food, go ahead.”. And.. Wait a minute. How did you hack into F.R.I.D.A.Y?” Your POV I mean at this point you could start crying. You were never rich, you’ve been poor before, you know what it feels like to be hungry, thus your appreciation for cooking. “Thank you.” Was all you said. He smiles sweetly at you and pulls you into a hug. At first you aren’t sure what to do, but slowly you relax into his embrace. He pushes you away and holds you in front of him at arms length, starring at your shirt. “So you like AC/DC and Black Sabbath?” An infectious grin spreads across his face as you nod vigorously. You ask F.R.I.D.A.Y to go through with your grocery list. For the next two hours, all you do is listen to music, occasionally go full on karaoke, have Tony discover your singing ‘talent’, (as he likes to call it) and discuss some science stuff. He kindly walks you back to your apartment at around one in the morning and apologizes for keeping you up. How sweet of him? You never thought he could be so nice, most rumours involving him depict him as a rude, arrogant and incredibly egotistical person. Maybe he was, just not with you. The groceries were neatly organized in your kitchen, by who? It didn’t matter, you were too tired to care. You fell swiftly onto the crazy soft bed and succumbed to sleep like candles being blown out on a birthday cake. 

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

Tag List 

@wantingtobekorra @the-avengers-initiative99 @i-love-superhero @carefullyawake @ipaintmelodies @bexboo616 @sophiealiice

[alltotallytrue-blog]

The Unlikely Story of Barrow, Alaska

Not too long ago, I was looking at a map of killings by police in the US (as one does), and noticed a dot at the very northernmost point of Alaska.  “Wow,” I thought, “that suspect just could not get away”—but then I noticed the name of a town:  “Barrow.” Barrow, Alaska?  Now, admittedly, there have been times in my life that I’ve said “screw everything, I need to get away from other people,” and seriously considered up and going to Alaska, but holy cow.  Just plain Alaska wasn’t cold and remote enough for these people that they had to continue all the way to the tippy top?  Obviously, the explanation for the existence of such a community is that indigenous peoples have populated the Alaskan region for thousands of years.  Yet, the name “Barrow” doesn’t sound like it came from a native language, which would seem to indicate that, at some point in time, non-Eskimos made the conscious decision to relocate there (it’s actually just been officially renamed to Utqiaġvik, which I insist other people learn to pronounce correctly).  I decided that I couldn’t let a police shooting be the only thing I knew about this place, so I learned a bit more.  Unsurprisingly, the city (yes—“city”) is an amazing place.  It’s only really accessible via an expensive plane ride, which is even more expensive to take you back out of town (just kidding), and it’s so cold that scarcely any plant life can survive.  It has a grocery store where you can pay $68 for a case of Gatorade and also pick up some furniture, although some citizens often prefer hunting aquatic mammals for food. On the off chance you’re still not inspired to pack up and move there, the location is also in 24-hour darkness for much of the year due to its latitude.  I’m going to call the following “the history of Barrow, Alaska” because it’s only the white man’s history there, and therefore only a piece of Utqiaġvik’s history.  This is the unlikely story…

Prior to 1867, when the US acquired Alaska from the Russian Empire, neither country knew much about the territory.  The price that the US paid for it worked out to only 2 cents per acre, which Russia later admitted was because they had no idea and didn’t care about how much land they were actually giving away. On Western maps, Alaska had been represented as an amorphous blank space of varying sizes, always simply labelled “The Orient,” just like over 80% of the globe. At various times, explorers were sent there, but each expedition returned after venturing less than 30 miles from the coast, having decided that they “got the idea.”  Some lied about having explored the whole region, on the belief that no one would ever know the difference, and filled in their maps with generic illustrations of mountains, grizzly bears, and snow.  These illustrations would later prove to have been astonishingly accurate.

The US quickly forgot that it had made the purchase, until one day, 92 years later, it decided to dig through some old drawers, and unearthed the legal documentation declaring ownership of Alaska.  At this time, President Eisenhower was looking for something to spice up his legacy before his second term was up, so he decided to tout Alaska as “the US’s latest and greatest state,” paying for TV advertisements in which a clown waved his hand and pitched, “c’mon up to Alaska, our biggest state ever, where there’s more oil than a deep-dished pizza!” (without actually knowing either claim to be true).  In November of 1959, citizens rushed en masse northward to claim their own towns, which they were allowed to do as part of a Black Friday special.

One of these people was a Mexican-born man named Juanito de la Peda, who founded Juneau in the state’s south.  People asked why he didn’t explore more before settling down, and his response was said to be, “I don’t know, I guess I’m just happy here, ‘ju know?”  Others were not so easily satisfied.  A man by the name of Larry Barrow led a party of jaded college students who were determined to prove that they didn’t need their parents’ wealth, and could survive the Alaskan wilderness without any survival skills.  

The group trekked further and further north, carrying everything with them they deemed necessary to build a town, resolute in the idea that eventually they would encounter a more habitable area.  However, with each mountain they climbed over and each earthquake they survived, the land only became more inhospitable.  They pushed on nonetheless, until it was so cold that their spit would freeze before it hit the ground.  They trudged even further, until the spit started freezing before even leaving their mouths. The same phenomenon began to make relieving themselves very painful.  All the while, though, Larry Barrow, from the front of their procession, remained obnoxiously brimming with optimism.

“C’mon!” he would shout, “just one more mountain!  They say it’s the biggest state yet, so there’s just got to be a paradise somewhere!  We’re getting close now, I can feel it!”

Anyone who complained was denounced by Larry as “harshing the vibe” and “bringing unconstructive negativity,” resulting in that person being ostracized until he or she once again met with Larry’s level of forced enthusiasm. Eventually, the group realized that they had accidentally crossed onto the polar ice cap, so they doubled back until they arrived at what looked like a giant expanse of dirt parking lot, which was to become Barrow.  After Larry’s party pitched their tents and began making plans for a music festival, a group of native Inupiaq people discovered them.  When they learned that Larry was planning to establish a town in their territory, they kicked him in the groin so hard that he had to be pushed around in a wheelbarrow for the next few days.  The natives laughed at this, and decided to call the area “Barrow” from then until 2016.

[hermanwatts]

Sensor Sweep: E. C. Tubb, Bernie Wrightson, The Professionals

Horror (Skulls in the Stars): I would draw some attention to my friends at Valancourt Books, who have been doing such an amazing job reprinting classic works of horror. In particular, I thought I would mention the great job they’ve done in bringing some of the best haunted house books back into circulation!  When I first started blogging about horror, I wondered why there seemed to be so few “classic” haunted house books around.

  RPG (Walker’s Retreat): Wizards of the Coast wants to turn D&D–and, by extension, all tabletop RPGs–into lifestyle brand extensions. To that end, they have to change how D&D is perceived, and that’s what all the changes with 5th Edition is about. The rule changes correspond to changes in the game’s brand narrative; Critical Role and other well-publicized Let’s Play series such as every single one on the Official D&D Channel are as much a part of this scheme as the rules changes themselves.

  RPG (Empire Must Fall): This small corporation has had an outsized influence on both gaming and fantasy fiction since it acquired TSR Inc. in the late 1990s. Because its fiction publishing and its games publishing, Wizards of the Coast has had a massive influence on what is considered “fantasy” in most of the world- and especially so in gaming. Tropes that it, or TSR, originated are memes that both employees and customers spread globally and are now prominent in properties such as World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy.

  Fiction (Pulp Rev): There was nothing routine about Goshawks over Babylon. Fast, stealthy, armored, each dropship could ferry a platoon of troops. It was the military’s heavy-lift aircraft of choice. The STS used them for long-range deployments, or to transport vehicles and armor. BPD most assuredly did not have any in their inventory. These specimens had to be here for the Black Watch. The only question was which organization they belonged to: the military, the STS, or the New Gods. Regardless of the answer, Fox did not want to fight them.

    Games (Niche Gamer): Following the pro-Hong Kong protest statements from professional Hearthstone player Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai and Blizzard Entertainment’s suspension of the player, many have wondered how much influence Chinese investors or profits from the region have influenced such a decision. The truth is, very little. According to both The Daily Beast and PC Gamer cite that Chinese tech giant Tencent own a mere 5% of shares. As stated on PC Gamer.

Games (Jon Mollison): The game so nice, it’s already been banned by OrcaCon despite not being funded, printed, or on the market.  Thus proving the point of the game in the first place. What can I say?  As I type this, the campaign is just over $30K at the post.  The world is hangry for this kind of satirical take at the scolds and schoolmarms who patrol our thought places for badthink.  My guess is that the “Alt Right” expansion set will be received by its targets with the opposite reaction as the core game.

Pulp (DMR Books): Such tales are characterized by sword-swinging action focused on personal battles rather than world-shaking events, with an element of magic or the supernatural and sometimes one of romance as well.  Tros of Samothrace has all those ingredients and was serialized a number of years before REH’s work; doesn’t that mean that it is Sword & Sorcery too? Well, not quite but the distance that separates the two is much shorter that you might think.

Horror (Thomas McNulty): Joseph Payne Brennan fans will be pleased to learn that Dover Publications have reprinted Brennan’s quintessential anthology, The Shapes of Midnight, originally published by Berkley in October 1980. That Berkley paperback, with Stephen King’s introduction, is a now a highly sought-after collector’s item. However, there is a caveat to this Dover edition. This edition does not faithfully reproduce all of the stories from the Berkley edition.

Fiction (Karavansara): In the recent evenings, I’ve had a lot of fun with Heroes of Atlantis & Lemuria, recently published by DMR Books. The volume collects the five stories of Kardios of Atlantis, originally written by Manly Wade Wellman in the 1970s, and that we meet at the opening of the book as he’s washed ashore after Atlantis sank. Kardios, lone (maybe) survivor of the lost continent, is actually the one that caused the sinking of Atlantis (or so he says), and he takes it from there, exploring the world beyond and generally getting into a whole lot of trouble.

Science Fiction (DMR Books): Earl Dumarest is one, grim, deadly space-traveller. He’s seen a lot of hard light-years as he’s followed the star-roads and he’s been burned by many an outworld sun. According to Michael Moorcock—who knew Tubb and described the Dumarest series as “excellent”—Earl Dumarest was a “conscious and acknowledged imitation” of Leigh Brackett’s Eric John Stark.

Sword & Sorcery (Adventures Fantastic): Wagner considered himself more of a horror writer than a writer of fantasy or sword-and-sorcery (a term he hated).  As a fiction writer, he was all of that and more. His work, if you can find it, and if you can afford it, is worth reading.  He’s out of print and getting harder to find (and more expensive) all the time. He was also an editor to the top rank.  He edited DAW’s Year’s Best Horror anthologies for years.  They are worth seeking out for the introductions and essays alone, never mind the great stories.

Comic Books (Tentaclii): I’m pleased to see that Marvel are producing beautiful crisp reprint print-books of their black-and-white Savage Sword of Conan magazines and its precursors. The first 1000-page volume is out now, with Vol. 2 due in mid November, and Vol. 3 in January 2020. According to the reviews Marvel have done an excellent job here, apparently marred only by some copyright trolls who are preventing the reprinting of stories featuring certain of R.E. Howard’s supporting characters.

H. P. Lovecraft (The Westerly Sun): The life and work of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, Providence’s best-known fantasy and horror author, will again be at the center of a popular walking tour and film series conducted by the Rhode Island Historical Society and presented as part of the Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Film Festival known as “Vortex.” The festival continues this year from October 19-27, with the Lovecraft Tour returning for four very special days.

Arthur Machen (Wormwoodiana): In Arthur Machen’s 1915 wonder-tale “The Great Return” we hear of marvelous lights, odors, bell-sounds, Welsh saints, the Rich Fisherman, and healings, as the Holy Graal is manifest, briefly, in Wales in the 20th century. The story needs no detection of “sources” to be reasonably well understood and enjoyed. However, our enjoyment of it may be enhanced if we see it – or recognize it – as a “sequel” to one of the great medieval Arthurian works.

Comic Books (Broadswords and Blasters): I first encountered the works of Bernie Wrightson as a kid decades ago in the 1980’s. Back in those days, before I had access to a proper comic shop, my local supermarket carried shrink wrapped bundles of comics, usually (if I remember correctly) four to a pack. There was no rhyme or reason to the packaging of these bundles, it was purely luck of the draw; you could just as easily land an issue of Simonson’s Thor as you could Moench’s Aztec Ace.

History (The Lost Fort): Archbishopric, seat of the Teutonic Knighs, and member of the Hanseatic League – Riga’s Old Town has plenty of churches, a castle, and lanes and squares with pretty old houses. I spent a day there and managed to snatch a nice collection of photos to go with a post about Riga’s Mediaeval history. Settlement at a natural harbour 15 kilometres upriver from the mouth of the Daugava river (also known as Dvina; in Old Norse as Dúna ) dates back to the 2nd century AD.

Science Fiction (M. Porcius): In his essay in praise of Leigh Brackett, “Queen of the Martian Mysteries,” Michael Moorcock tells us that E.C. Tubb’s Dumarest books are “excellent,” and were inspired by Brackett’s own planetary romances about Eric John Stark.  So when I saw Tubb’s Derai at a used bookstore (the 1968 Ace Double, combined with Juanita Coulson’s The Singing Stones) I picked it up.

Science Fiction (Matthew Constantine): Way, way, way back when I was first scoping out tabletop role-playing games at a local shop, I remember flipping through some Tekumel book or another.  Along with Skyrealms of Jorune and a few others, it really stuck in the back of my brain.  As I went on to create my Conquest of the Sphere setting, elements of those games (mixed with countless other things) informed me.

Westerns (Paul Bishop): The Professionals is second only to The Magnificent Seven as my favorite Western film. Watching Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster relish chewing the scenery together while trying to out macho each other in The Professionals is sheer late night viewing entertainment. The movie led me to the book, and to the discovery of the sheer Western storytelling power of Frank O’Rourke.

Sensor Sweep: E. C. Tubb, Bernie Wrightson, The Professionals published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/