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starkeristheendgame · 3 years ago

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Inspired by 9-1-1 (on Fox), which is my current obsession. I highly recommend checking it out and it’s spin-off series 9-1-1: Lonestar. If you already like 9-1-1 and Buddie (Buck and Eddie) then you should check out my new main account @therogueheart. Liberty has been taken with protocols and practices here, but the land of fiction knows no rules.

Firefighter!Tony x Civilian!Peter.

TW: Age difference | Under-negotiated sexual content | Unrealistic practises

“NYFD! We’re evacuating the block!”

“NYFD, are any residents present?”

Peter jerked awake to loud yelling and incessant pounding on his door, flailing blearily in bed for a moment before he fell off the side of in a heap of limbs and bedding, scrambling to get upright.

He shrugged on a hoodie and tripped into a pair of combat boots, stumbling his way sleepily to the door. He was operating on barely five hours of sleep and felt every hour he was sorely missing - though his midterms were a good enough reason to burn the midnight oil.

He wrenched the door open just as a firefighter on the other side went to swing the breach ram into it, letting out a squeak of panic as it stopped mere inches from his belly. The man wielding it was huge; with short blond hair and shoulders that could fit a person comfortably on either side.

“That was close, I could’ve ruptured your entire torsal cavity and killed you!” the firefighter boomed cheerfully, straightening up with a broad, dazzling smile. Peter let out a faint noise and did his best not to pass out, sagging against the doorframe and gripping it.

He was wide fucking awake now, that was for sure.

“My name is Thor, I’m with the NYPD, Manhattan division. We’re evacuating the block, there’s been a gas leak on the lower and mid levels and there’s risk of combustion,” the man ordered, slinging the ram over his shoulder and gesturing to the hallway. Peter could hear other voices, all similar conversations amidst the yells of NYPD, open up!

“Uh,” was all Peter got out before he was being ushered out of his doorway. Firefighter Thor nudged him several steps forwards before Peter’s brain finally came online and he jerked to a stop.

“Wait! I need my Adderall and my phone! If I don’t call Aunt May she’s gonna kill me and if I don’t take my meds I’m gonna be screwed!”

Thor looked undecided, brows pinching. “You shouldn’t-”

“It’s okay, Thor. Move onto the North quadrant; I’ll stay with this one,” came a voice from behind them and Peter turned, shrinking in on himself a little.

Illuminated in the crappy hallway lighting was a man who looked like he’d stepped straight off a movie billboard. He wasn’t as tall or the same brand of clean-cut Hollywood handsome that Thor was, but he was just as attractive. More so, if Peter was going to acknowledge his tendency to lust after men twice or even thrice his age.

The man had black hair swept into a neat side-leaning quiff, a hint of salt and pepper at his temples. His facial hair had been styled in a way that ought to look ridiculous but only served to give him a unique, sharp look, accentuating the shape of his jaw.

The man winked at him and Peter realised he’d been staring. When he glanced to the side Thor had already moved off out of sight and the firefighter left behind gestured to Peter’s door, which was thankfully still open ajar from where he’d been rushed out.

“Uh, thanks. Thank you...Sir? Officer?” he cringed at his own awkwardness, shuffling past. The man looked amused, quirking a brow and pursing his lips a little, even as something indescribable flashed in his eyes.

“Sir works just fine, if that’s your thing. But for the record - I’m Captain Stark. Pretty boys get to call me Tony, though,” the man winked again, teasing seeping into his voice as Peter flushed and beelined for his bed, grabbing his phone from it’s charger and scooping up his bill box and keys.

He lamented not being able to grab anything else, but he knew better than to put himself (and someone else) at risk by lingering. Tony ushered him out of the door with a hand on the small of his back, guiding him towards the stairwell. Peter could hear noises and voices on the lower levels but realised with surprise that they were the only two left on the topmost floor.

“You were dead to the world, kid. Thor was banging on your door like crazy. We almost gave you up for not in,” Tony voiced, seemingly understanding his realisation. Peter flushed again and mumbled something about studying, hurrying down the stairs as quickly as he could, Tony a close and solid presence at his back.

It wasn’t until the cool, outside air hit his legs that he realised he was still only wearing a thin hoodie and the shorts he’d gone to sleep in. He shivered in dismay, wrapping his arms around himself. He wasn’t the only one who’d clearly been dragged out of bed - there were people milling around in robes and pyjama sets.

One poor man was even shivering in a ratty blanket, suds dripping from his hair and into his eyes.

“What happened?” he asked, doing his best to stop his teeth from chattering.

“Residents on the lower levels reported strong smells of sulphur and gas. We think it’s a line rupture or faulty heater somewhere. Full evac is protocol until we know for sure and can get started on a fix,” the fire Captain answered, steering him a little away from the main crowd and to one of the trucks.

“Take a seat, kid,” Tony offered, gesturing to the step-up of the truck. Peter did, flinching as his bare skin met the icy metal. The man left him there, turning away to resume his role as he barked orders and disappeared off into the fray. Peter busied himself with his phone, only looking up when Tony’s voice boomed out over the crowd sometime later.

“Alright, everybody listen up!” the man yelled, clapping his hands. “We’ve located the source of the gas and the good news is that it’s a relatively easy fix. The bad news is that it’ll take a minimum of four hours. In the name of safety, none of you can return to the building until it’s deemed safe to do so. Your landlord and building technicians will get in contact as soon as they’ve been given the okay for you to return home. In the meantime, I suggest you go visit friends, family, or find a nice coffee shop while you wait!”

An immediate chorus of groans, complaints and angry remarks bubbled up, the firefighters all doing their best to marshal the situation and contain the displeasure. Peter shuffled where he sat, chewing his lower lip in frustration.

Aunt May was half a city away and on shift; Ned was visiting his Grandma and MJ’s girlfriend had stayed the night, meaning if Peter valued his eyes he couldn’t show up at her door.

Which meant he was probably going to spend the next four hours shivering at a Starbucks and studying on his phone.

Great.

“You good, kid?” the voice was joined by a pair of turnout clad legs and Peter looked up, tossing his phone between his hands. Out in the natural light Captain Stark was even more handsome, a strange mix between rugged and polished.

“Um, yeah. Just...Trying to decide which coffee shop I’m gonna move into,” he sighed, offering a weak smile. The Captain looked thoughtful.

“Little thing like you, Mom and Dad weren’t just out getting milk?” his tone was teasing but curious. Peter shook his head.

“Uh, no. I don’t...I did live with my Aunt. But I graduated highschool early and got a scholarship for the Manhattan Institute of Advanced Sciences. That shitty little studio is all mine,” he rattled the keys in his pocket and shifted. His butt had warmed the step some, but it still wasn’t exactly comfortable.

As if sensing his discomfort the man shifted, peeling himself out of the huge, heavy turnout jacket. “Here, sit up a little,” the man coaxed, crouching down. Peter found himself enveloped in the jacket as Captain Stark wrapped it around him and tucked it under his ass and thighs, pulling it shut so it cocooned him in the heat.

It smelt of soap and aftershave and maybe a little bit of sweat, and Peter found himself relaxing immediately, giving a hum of pleased satisfaction.

Tony was smiling at him when he opened his eyes again and he flushed, saved from embarrassment by a tall, lithe man approaching.

“Cap, we got ‘em all squared. Company is on the way for the fix. The one-five-nine offered to stay and play babysitter. We’re clear to move out.” The man had a purple band-aid on his right brow and did a double-take when he looked down at Peter. “We get a new recruit, Cap?”

Captain Stark looked thoughtfully between Peter and the man, fingers curling around his waistband.

“Alright. Barton, round up the others, call to move out. Have the one-five-nine use radio line six if they need us. We’re bringing back a station puppy.”

‘Barton’ glanced at Peter again, eyes raking over him before he did something between a smile and a smirk. “Copy that,” he confirmed, spinning on his heel and jogging off.

“Huh?” was all Peter could think to say.

“You’ve got nowhere better to go and you’ll freeze without getting changed. I’ve got some spare clothes at the station and you can hole up on the couch until we get the go-ahead to send you home. Rogers can cook, so let’s see if we can’t put a good breakfast in that belly,” Tony responded, nudging him up and out of the way so he could open the truck door.

And that was how Peter found himself wedged into the truck with Clint Barton, Thor Odinson and Steve Rogers. They crammed a spare headset on him and grilled him on student life as they drove, Captain Stark chiming in from the front of the truck.

The station they pulled into was huge, newly renovated and vast. Firefighter Thor set two hands on his hips, lifting him out of the truck easily and setting him down on the floor, ruffling his hair before dogpiling onto Steve, both of them stumbling and grappling away, arguing in snippets about door breaches.

A little dazed, he startled when a hand fell to his back again and turned, flushing when Captain Stark smirked at him and nudged him towards the locker room. The others were already there, stripping out of their turnouts and talking animatedly.

Peter was divested of the jacket but was given a thicker, warmer hoodie emblazoned with ‘NYPD’ and ‘Stark’, the older man rooting around in a locker for a moment before producing a pair of sweats.

They were baggy but he double-tied them and rolled up the ankles and found them more than comfortable, shyly thanking the man. Tony was watching him, eyes dark again with that hidden thought, before he seemingly shook himself out of it and herded Peter towards a set of steps.

Upstairs was a kitchen space and a small common area with two couches and a TV. Barton immediately handed him a steaming mug of herbal tea and Captain Stark ushered him to the table and after several minutes of sitting in their midst and listening to firefighting stories, Steve placed a plate of toast, beans, bacon and eggs under his nose.

“Eat it before Barton mauls you for it,” Steve advised with a grin, sinking into the seat opposite him and stretching out, one arm slung around the back of Thor’s chair. Peter took the warning and dug in, shamelessly moaning at the taste. The eggs had been seasoned and there was something in the butter on the toast that made it rich and almost a little salty.

“Better than sex, huh kid?” Tony teased from his side and Clint gasped, throwing his hands over Peter’s ears.

“He doesn’t know what that is yet!”

After breakfast he was bundled onto the couch, handed a mug of tea to keep his hands warm and the remote to the TV as the others stomped down the staircase, citing organising their gear.

The alarm blared out as he was watching a nature documentary and he leaned over the balcony rail just in time to watch them leaping into the truck, flushing as the Captain shot him a wink before shutting the truck door, it’s sirens wailing and lights flashing as it pulled out of the bay.

They weren’t gone that long, but when the truck pulled back into the bay it was covered in dust and dirt.

He padded down the staircase, pulling on the sleeves of his hoodie as he watched them all descend from the vehicle. They looked a little dusty and grimy, but otherwise unharmed.

“Winch rescue up on the hiking trails,” Clint informed him as he jogged past, beelining for a room just past the lockers. “I’ve got dust in places it doesn't belong!”

The worst of them all was Steve, who’d apparently tripped over the winch line and gone tumbling down the hillside. He was largely unhurt, but he was also the last one out of the showers thanks to needing some extra scrubbing.

“C’mon, kid. Time to earn your keep,” Tony teased once they were clean and dressed in LAFD shorts and shirts. They were filling buckets and bringing out plastic boxes full of soaps and polish, and he almost whimpered when he realised they were going to clean the truck.

He was practically living a piece of fanfiction.

Or torture. Either one was applicable.

It took exactly ten minutes for someone to lose their shirt. Peter didn’t know if it was fortunate or unfortunate that it was Steve, who flexed his pecs with a wink when he caught Peter staring. As if not to be outdone, Thor immediately tugged his shirt over his head, baring an even bigger, beefier torso that fed the red flames burning up Peter’s cheeks.

“Alright, show offs. Stop preening and get cleaning,” Tony barked at them good-naturedly, rolling his eyes as he handed Peter a sponge and flicked suds at the two taller blonds, who pulled faces but dove into the work with vigor.

In an attempt to cool down his embarrassment he turned his attention to the truck, scrubbing gently in broad circles to match what the others were doing. He’d never realised just how big firetrucks were and he wondered idly how often they had to do this.

“Hey, shortstack, you wanna be on top?”

“Excuse me?” Peter squeaked, rounding on Captain Stark, who smirked at him and gestured to the roof of the truck and the little side ladder.

“On the roof. Tends to get gritty up there,” the man drawled, eyeing him in thinly veiled amusement. It had to be on purpose, Peter realised. Especially when he moved to the side ladder and a set of rough hands wrapped around his hips, boosting him up several rungs.

He settled down to scrub, listening to the soundtrack of the station and the men below, peering over the edge now and then to watch them or to join in the conversation. It was dizzying - having them all grinning up at him, sunny and sparkling and half-naked.

Mercifully, there wasn’t too much more teasing as they scrubbed and buffed and wiped. He wasn’t sure his cheeks could take getting any hotter - but then, where safer to combust but in the middle of a firehouse?

Captain Stark helped him down from the roof again with the same hold around his hips, thumbs rubbing brief circles along the ridges of the bones before the man stepped aside with a quirked smile.

“Hungry, kid?”

“If I don’t get fed soon I might start chewing off my own foot,” he harrumphed with a grin, ducking his head when Clint barked a laugh and ruffled his hair.

“Kid after my own stomach,” the man drawled, taking the steps three at a time in a way that Peter and his short legs watched enviously.

Lunch was buffet bits like potato chips and little sponge-cake fingers and fruit, which Peter didn’t mind at all. He threw grapes into Clint’s mouth and arm-wrestled Steve and deliberately paid no attention at all to where Captain Stark’s leg pressed against his own under the table.

In the grand five hour total that he was there they got called out twice more, once for a tree rescue (a man who’d tried to save money by cutting his own yard tree, not a cat, much to Peter’s disappointment) and a small kitchen fire that left them bitching for a full hour afterwards about how people needed to stop trying to be Gordon Ramsey when they could barely cook packet ramen.

And then, just when the others were beginning to get shift about nearing their time to come off rotation, Peter’s phone rang.

It was his landlord, sounding gruff and disinterested as he informed Peter the apartment had been deemed safe to re-enter, although all aparts were going to be required to keep their gas appliances off for the night and their windows open.

The others had stopped milling around in the locker room and listened in with thinly concealed interest, offering nods and smiles when it was revealed Peter was safe to hit home.

“Just on time, huh?” Steve beamed at him, ruffling his hair.

“Aw, man. Do we have to give him back?” Clint whined in protest, swooping down to wrap himself around Peter like a clingy mink shrug. Peter giggled, tucking himself into the hold and putting on a pretend pout.

Truthfully; he didn’t want to leave. At first he’d been apprehensive about being stuck in a building with a bunch of strange men, but over the course of the day he’d come to cherish their family dynamic and the easy, comfortable companionship.

“You knew he was on loan, you layabouts,” Tony chastised them fondly, rolling his eyes. When his crew had been bullied into resuming their prep to leave, Captain Stark sank onto the bench next to Peter.

“You want a ride back, kid? I live past that area anyway and it’s my fault you’re so far out from home,” he noted with a warm smile, tugging on a boot and stooping to lace it.

Peter bit at his lower lip. Technically; he should say no. He didn’t actually know this man, and being a firefighter meant nothing for how trustworthy he was.

But…

“You don’t mind?” he asked lightly.

“It would be Captain’s honor,” Thor assured him with a wink. And that was that, the others finished dressed and they moved out to the parking lot as a herd, Peter trailing awkwardly along behind Tony towards a sleek, red and gold Audi.

He was hugged and ruffled and treated to a sizable farewell from the others, each of them pointedly telling him not to be a stranger as they piled into their vehicles and drove off in a cloud of muted music and squealing tyres.

When he turned around Tony had slipped over to the car and stood with the passenger door open, stooped into a half bow.

The interior was crisp and clean and smelt like fresh linen when he sank into the seat, tucking his legs in carefully. Tony slid into the driver’s side like he lived to be behind the wheel of a flashy car, slipping on a dark pair of shades and letting his window slide down.

Tony switched radio on to a smooth rock station and Peter let himself relax in the seat, phone still clutched carefully in hand just in case, but thoroughly enjoying the rumble of the car and the way Tony looked behind the wheel.

They didn’t speak much on the way but Peter snuck several glances at the other man, shivering through a bolt of unsteady heat each time Tony caught the motion and tipped his head, smirking at him from behind those shaded lenses.

The apartment building loomed up on them far too soon, signalling the end of a day Peter was confident he’d keep in his memories right up until his last breath.

(And if it tempted him to maybe one day set fire to his kitchen a little bit, well.)

Tony pulled the car to a stop in the parking lot, leaning casually back in his seat.

“Maybe you should, um, check my apartment?”

It took Peter a moment to realise he was the one who’d spoken, mortified as Tony pushed down his shades to peer at him over the rims with an arched brow.

“To, uh, um…” Peter squirmed on his seat, doing his best not to think about how it was the other man’s clothes he was wearing. “Make sure it’s safe. I mean, I’ve built up a little trust. With you. Who knows if the other guys missed something?”

And what he wouldn’t give for a sinkhole to just swallow him up right then.

But to his surprise Captain Stark just peered at him for another moment, then smiled. “Sure thing, kid. The other’s’d never forgive me anyway if I let you die off in the night.”

With cheeks hot enough to sear a steak, Peter slipped out of the car and practically ran for the building, hyper aware of Tony’s presence beside him as they ascended the steps. God, he was so fucking stupid. Tony was probably going to poke around the apartment a little, open the window then skip on back home and tell his wife all about the strange kid he’d had to babysit all day.

His hands were shaking as he unlocked his door but if the man noticed he said nothing, stepping in behind him and pushing the door gently shut. Peter toed off his boots by the door and turned, watching the man roam the apartment, sniffing here and there and opening the window in the kitchenette.

“Hey, come here,” Tony’s voice called when he was plugging his phone in. Jamming the cord into the device, he bounced out of the room and slid to a halt next to Tony, who held a hand out to steady him. “Do you feel that?”

“What?” Peter asked in confusion, head tilting.

“Sexual tension,” Tony grinned at him, winking terribly.

“Wha-- Oh,” Peter rocked back on his heels, cheeks blazing.

“You’re not subtle, kid. I got ribbed the whole day out over it,” Tony teased him, reaching out to ever so gently tuck one of Peter’s mahogany curls behind his ear.

“Sorry?” Peter tried, fingers curling around the cuffs of his - Tony’s - hoodie.

“I know a way you can make it up to me,” the only man purred, leaning in a little closer. And then all at once he softened, head tilting a little. “Only, of course, if you want to.”

“Aren’t you… Married?” Peter asked hesitantly, even as his heart kicked up a notch and heat gave a lazy spark between his lips. Tony’s brows shot towards his hairline.

“Not since I last checked, no,” Tony answered, sounding terribly amused. “Where did you get that thought?”

And oh, no. The last thing Peter was going to do was tell Tony he thought the man was so attractive it was feasibly impossible for him to not be taken. His ego would get so big he’d float off to space and then where would Peter be?

Instead of answering he shifted, bracing his hands on Tony’s chest and rising onto his tiptoes so he could press a chaste kiss to Tony’s mouth, the man’s stubble tickling the corner of his mouth before he pulled away, shrinking in on himself and rubbing at his lower lip.

Tony blinked down at him for a moment. Then he shifted, leaning down to wrap his hands around Peter’s thigh and hip, lifting him up with a flex of work-honed muscles. Peter clutched at his shoulders, legs automatically wrapping around Tony’s waist.

It was a new kind of novelty; to feel thick, corded muscle beneath his palms, to feel the cut of it between his thighs, to feel the scrape of stubble over his jaw and his mouth. All of Peter’s other partners had been close to his own age and relatively close in terms of build and body.

A few strides had Peter’s back pressed against the wall where he let his head fall back with a thump, mouth falling open on a whine.

“Look at you having your five minutes of bravery,” Tony teased him, shifting one leg so his thigh helped to hold Peter’s weight, fingers flexing against his skin. “What happened to the quiet little kid who burnt up anytime he looked my way?”

Peter had nothing to say, shivering through a hiccupped sound when something thick and hard rode the crease of his thigh and hip, hot between the layers of fabric that separated them. Instead of answering he pawed at the man’s shirt, desperately wanting to see the carved flesh beneath it.

“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll give you what you want,” Tony soothed him, adjusting them both before he helped to tug on the fabric, muscles shifting and bunching as he worked it over his head and threw it off somewhere to the side.

“Oh,” Peter choked, setting his palms down on the plane of Tony’s stomach. He was beautiful; tanned skin marred with a smattering of scars that stood out pink and pale. He knew better than to focus on them but he couldn’t help running his thumb over a half-moon scar at the bottom of Tony’s pectoral.

“Emergency field incision,” Tony murmured, nipple peaking at the close touch. “Had to mesh-wall my heart.”

Peter had no words for that, either. In all the fun of the firehouse he’d almost forgotten the reality of such a dangerous job. He ran his thumb gently over it again, as if to kiss it, and tightened his legs to bring Tony into him again.

It made them press together in a delicious, warm friction, Tony’s pupils dilating further when Peter tried to stifle the noise the touch prompted. He was squeezed back into the wall as Tony leaned down, catching his mouth in a slick, gentle kiss.

“Hey, kid,” Tony murmured against his mouth, leaning back just enough to speak, teeth scraping over his swollen lower lip.

“Hm?” Peter whimpered, trying to tilt his head to reach him again.

“You wanna see why they call me Captain Firehose?”

Peter’s lashes fluttered as he looked up, mouth dropping open for a moment of pure, unadulterated suspense.

“That was awful,” he groaned with a giggle, tickled by the cheesy line and rendered pink-cheeked by the soft, fond look at Tony fixed him with.

“Made you smile, though,” Tony purred, adjusting his hold as he ducked down to press a kiss to Peter’s cheek, lips trailing over the warm skin before he pulled back and away, muscles flexing as he held Peter up without the support of the wall.

Blushing harder, Peter wound his arms around the man’s neck. “Okay, Captain. Show me how to handle your hose,” he whispered, yelping and laughing when Tony spun them around towards the bedroom with a grin.

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threewaysdivided · 3 years ago

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I was screaming when I saw the update notification in my inbox! (And I might have done a little embarrassing dance, too). Every part of this chapter was well worth the wait! The tone and plot read like something you would find in S1 of YJ, and I loved every minute of it! I have to say, one of my favorite moments was when Phantom accidentally gave everyone a brainfreeze 🤣 That was unexpected, but definitely added some levity to the situation haha! Thank you for the excellent chapter dear author!

Thank you so much! The number of people who've told me they yelled/ gasped/ jumped or otherwise went absolute wiggly bonkers on seeing the update note for Deathly Weapons Chapter 18 has been utterly delightful. After so long I was mostly expecting to be met with a mix of crickets and "oh huh. guess you're not dead then. cool".

Hopefully 21K worth of mission is sufficient apology for my frankly overlong absence.

There was a time when this fic had a regular upload schedule but these days I feel like I've evolved into an odd sort of cryptid. The Loch Ness monster's saltier cousin who occasionally whale-breaches out of the lake to canonball novella-length updates into the water before disappearing back down into the murky depths of container gardening and writing analysis from whence I came.

I've been really gratified to hear so many people say the Black Gold mission felt like it could be a proper YJS1 episode. Arc II is definitely where YJ:DW swings more Young Justice story-wise and it's sort of my little love letter to Season 1 so it's nice to know that I'm coming somewhere within swinging distance of capturing that style.

I'm also glad this one seems to be carrying itself pretty well as a semi-self-contained plot - I was kind of worried that it was going to be a bit of a wet fish to drop after 2 years of silence. Don't get me wrong, Chapter 18 is doing important structural things but (to me, at least) it's not as significant to the characters or long-term plot as the missions I have planned to follow it (ironically contributing to the catch-22 of it taking so long to write).

One of my favorite moments was when Phantom accidentally gave everyone a brainfreeze

Fun fact: that odd little scene of telepathic tomfoolery came about mostly because I wanted to set up Wally calling Phantom "an actual headache to work with" in a later chapter. Behold the lengths I am willing to go to for absolute nonsense!

While I wouldn't call Black Gold an especially funny chapter on the whole there were definitely some little bits that were just plain fun to write. Top picks include:

Sphere rattled her plates in a way that made it clear she felt she was being babied.

“Uh, yeah, just… have you ever cut through a construction yard after dark?” - the Boy Wonder’s affirmatory noise was echoed by Artemis - “Well now imagine it’s full of people who want to kill you.”

Wally attempted a suave lean as the men slid to the ground. “These guys bothering you?”

Just for a moment, he considered that he might be insane.

“Wasn’t he tied to a table?” “Yeah, and?” the speedster gave a magnificent shrug. “He still is.”

“Besides,” Kid Flash shrugged the item on experimentally, colour eye-watering against his stealth-suit, “you know me: moves like a shadow.”

Can you tell that I just really, really like writing Wally?

also this one:

“Maybe you should re-re-count. You know, make sure you’ve got your facts straight?”

which isn't all that funny but tickles me because oh the shade, the backhandedness of it all.

In somewhat related news, I am very excited now because Chapter 18 being done means I get to move onto Chapters 19 - 21, a trinity which astute readers may recognise as Flashpoints, Combustion and Equilibrium aka that Wally-heavy trinity whose outline I've been going nuts over for literal years.

And also: it's already got a rough outline! Which, with luck means I might take less than 20% of a decade to get it to you. Golly, imagine that!

Hope you'll come along to see 💜

#young justice: deathly weapons #young justice #danny phantom #Chapter 18 #Black Gold #anonymous #doodly-doop #3WD Answers #I had so many crises of confidence writing Chapter 18 #there were so many elements that had terrifyingly botch-able potential #glad it turned out well for everyone #feels kind of silly in hindsight but there you have it #I am so hyped to get to the next three chapters you have no idea #despite what they might lead you to believe Wally is actually one of my favourite characters #he has an amazing capacity to carry absolute narrative nonsense without it ever feeling out of place #this is a boy with his heart on his sleeve his foot perpetually in his mouth and absolutely NO capacity to pull off suave-on-purpose #I love one (1) wildly irritating redheaded child

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yandere-daydreams · 5 years ago

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Hello! I'm new to your blog but I have very much enjoyed your work! Esp your Dabi w Deku's darling series, you write Dabi in a way that makes my heart soft and it's a nice way to see him written. I was curious if you may share headcanons or a drabble following up the last part of their interactions, so further healing of the two of them moving on/coping w their respective past traumas? Maybe even some fluffy romance if possible! Hope this finds you well and best of luck with your writing! 💖💖💖

While I will leave the nature of Dabi and his Not-Darling’s relationship ambiguous, I figured I might as well give him the birthday present he deserves. Here’s a link to the Masterlist for this series, but it’s easier to take fluff for what it is, honestly.

TW: Past Abuse (Physical and Emotional), Guilt Over Abandonment, Panic Attacks, and Mentions of PSTD.

“Do you have a lighter?”

Dabi couldn’t help but chuckle, watching as you sloppily threw together another round of shots with ingredients you had spent far too long looking for. Kurogiri had given up trying to limit the League’s alcohol consumption hours ago, instead turning his attention towards Shigaraki and the boy in pink he was sitting next to, Toga and her own guest having been deemed a lost cause as soon as they noticed an old dartboard hung on the back wall, Twice still attempting to edge his way into their game without ending up on the wrong side of half a dozen knives. “I am the lighter,” He replied, reaching out and letting a small, blue flicker of a flame form in his palm for emphasis. “Don’t say you’re trying to replace me, dollface.”

You pouted, batting his hand away, your elbow throwing a spare bottle of tequila off-balance. Dabi caught it without thinking, only earning another huff and a glare on your part, but the grin tugging at your lips betrayed you. “When you start letting me dip my fingers in your drinks, I’ll let you stick yours in mine.” Again, you ducked down quickly, pawing at something under the counter for a moment before you came back up, a dusty box of matches in hand and a renew glint in your eyes. “Besides, it’s your birthday, you’re not allowed to do any work. It’s, like, birthday law.”

It took him a moment to process what you’d said, no one had mentioned his birthday in years. He might’ve told you the date in passing, but that had to be ages ago, and the fact that you remembered somehow surpassed the shock that he’d forgotten. Still, he tried not to let you see that, only slumping forward and propping himself up on the bar-top. “When you’re seven, maybe,” He countered, trying to steal one of the now-finished B-52s, only to have you move them out of his reach. “What do you want me to do, bring in cupcakes for the class?”

“I want you to relax for once, but cake wouldn’t hurt.” You were only half-focused on him, now, sparking up a match and letting it brush against the drink’s surface, not pulling your hand away fast enough to out-run the combustion. But, much to Dabi’s relief, you shook it off in a few seconds, your fingertips hardly even reddened. He had to remind himself that you were capable, these days. More than he was, at least.

Not that he’d set the bar very high.

“Besides,” You continued, your voice quieter than it’d been before. You didn’t seem reluctant, no traces of hesitation breaching your tone, you were just… quieter. Calmer, in a way that sobered Dabi as much as it sobered you. If only slightly. “You… you made my birthday really nice, after you took me in. I don’t think I told you, but it was the first time I went outside. For more than a few minutes, I mean.”

Dabi didn’t have to think, he knew what you were talking about instantly. It’d been a struggle to get you to do anything on your own, back then. You’d had tears in your eyes as you’d stepped out of his apartment building, and you hadn’t said a damn word the entire day, only clinging to his arm and shaking your head whenever he asked a question, not unlike Shoto on his first day of school. But, he’d been in kindergarten. You’d been in a pervert’s basement. “I can still feel your fucking nails digging into me, sometimes,” Dabi commented, no real force behind the statement. “I’m going to make you take me out somewhere nice one day, to make up for it.”

“Put on a decent shirt first, and we’ll see.” The shot was shoved in front of him unceremoniously, a drop or two spilling over the side in your eagerness. You weren’t trying to stop yourself anymore, laughing at nothing and beaming as he blew it out, his narrowed eyes enough to make what would happen if you sung graphically clear. It was still smoldering as he swallowed it, singing at his throat and leaving a sickeningly sweet aftertaste, but the fruits of your labor went down easily. You seemed content too, slamming your glass back down on the counter, if only to giggle at the sound of wood against metal.

With a sigh, Dabi stretched, leaning back on his stool. “Is that all? I’m an old man now, (Y/n), and I’m not sticking around here long enough to see Spinner fist-fight Handjob in the stockroom. I’m not cleanin’ that shit up unless I get to punch one of the bastards myself, either.”

You groaned, already fed with his social aversion, but your resolve lessened at the threat of more whining. “There’s… there’s one more thing,” You admitted, reaching into your back pocket. He recognized the game advert you’d stolen from Shigaraki last week, but hadn’t expected to see it wrapped around a small, nearly flat container. You weren’t careless with this one, placing it delicately in the hand he offered. Like you were afraid he’d break it just from holding it too tightly. “Happy birthday, Touya.”

He opened it hastily, tearing through the thin paper without reserve. The box underneath was unmarked and unlabelled, and the inside wasn’t much better, just a scrap of paper with a few numbers and a street name messily scrawled across its length. All he could do was glance up at you, expression somewhere between entertained and utterly confused. “What the fuck is this supposed to be?”

“The address to a soba shop down the street, one that stays open until the sun rises.” You shifted awkwardly, clasping your hands in front of you. “It’s where your siblings hold a memorial every year. Just the three of them. I think Rei’s going too, but I’m not sure.” With a sigh, you glanced up, meeting his eyes and steeling yourself, if only to keep from looking away. “I thought you might want to see them.”

He didn’t hesitate, crumpling the note in his hands and letting it fall back into the box, pushing himself to his feet. “I can’t do that.”

“You don’t have to,” You assured, already walking around the bar. He could’ve left, he could’ve ran, but his pulse was suddenly beating in his ears, his heart pounding against his throat, the idea of speaking becoming as impossible as executing any plans he had to flee. A soft touch on his back made him jolt, shoulders squaring into a defensive position, but the look of pure concern etched into your face was enough for a forming attack to dissipate. “I’m not going to make you. I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to, either.” There was a pause, and you pulled away. Dabi wished he could say how desperately he didn’t want you to. “But, your siblings miss their brother.”

“Fuyumi’d never forgive me.” It wasn’t an opinion, to him, the thought as objective as any other fact. “Natsuo wouldn’t, either. Not a single fucking one of them should. I’d be lucky if Shoto doesn’t arrest me on the spot.”

You shrugged, but you didn’t correct him. “I don’t think you’re right but… neither of us really know, do we? You’ll have to go if you want to find out.”

He didn’t respond, and you lowered your head, taking his silence as a signal to leave him alone. It hurt, seeing you walk away, a thousand pins and needles driving themselves into his lungs, something as simple as taking in air becoming an act of resistance. It felt like he was trying to inhale smoke, like everything around him was ash and debris and crumbling, and he was stuck in the middle of it, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. As helpless and as weak as he was back then.

But, there was something he could do, even if it limited the damage. One thing that was within his reach, or… half a block away, rather.

He caught your hand tentatively, stumbling forward to reach you. He could hear the others muttering, whispering amongst themselves, but he didn’t care, focusing on what was in front of him as you stared over your shoulder. It took another hitched stutter before he could spit something coherent out, but you waited patiently. He wondered if he’d ever be able to tell you how much he appreciated that. “I’m not embarrassing myself alone, idiot.”

For a moment, he thought you would be the one to break down, your eyes fogging over as you brought up your free hand to rub at them. But, he was able to let go of the breath he’d been holding in as you smiled, then laughed, intertwining your fingers with his as tears began to flow openly. He couldn’t tell whose they were, at this point.

He knew he was smiling, though, and he knew he couldn’t stop as you started to tug him towards the door.

“I don’t know why I ever expected you to.”

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sasorikigai · 4 years ago

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@yetremains continued from here (🔥)

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ 🔥 || Once one loses something or someone, it is never exactly the same person who comes back. How the world had robbed and drained, ripping apart the veil of Hanzo Hasashi’s thinning happiness. For mirth is a mirage in this loveless, vicious pandemonium as Scorpion’s magmatic hellfire becomes manifested liquid sorrow creeping in at the worst of times. There is a catatonic state in his mind, but no words cut through this catastrophic silence, but as the azure depth of his gaze silently dreads, full of candor insights, full of sinking disbelief that silently dreads, as the unforgiving earth riddled with fleshy viscera and moribund stretch of death’s paroxysmal damnation burning in its fiery, fervid intensity. How Scorpion’s own heat ravages and incinerates, not only through the disarray of war-torn corporeality of his own, as a ruthless bliss mounts and exacerbates; stuck in a captivated trance of sheer admiration, in which the same sentiments summoned when he was finally liberated himself by the spilled descendent’s blood, its weeping sanguine caressing his heart to breach through centuries of tormented damnation as a devout devotee of his seared heart revivified in its resplendent revival.

Fire-strung and serrating despair becomes a sinking downward spiral of familiarity, as glancing bursts of visions and memories become an inevitable onslaught, painting him in hopelessness and cruel, jeering agony. This must be a wildly-crude joke, enacted at the vengeful hands of restless, taunting world, always celebrating his presence, sharing his tenebrous, pessimistic perspective of life riddled with madness and disarray. The once-inscrutable, unfathomable depth of his cyanic eyes dilate and widen, letting the onslaught of ferrous sanguine taint the very sanctuary of Hanzo Hasashi Compounds once again in a cruel, brutal overlap. The sharpened metal blade of his kunai presses deep into his roughened palm, drawing clear line, which causes him to bleed in searing hotness. The pain is ephemeral, but the scorching power and potency of his Arcana is imbued within, as it joins Yang’s blood in thickened drops.

“You may be equipped with such indomitable will and strength, but you cannot defy the current of your mortal nature and cheat death as I have done with my life,” in the sharpened gravel of his timbre, there is exuding tenderness, emanates from the scorching flames still contained in the fisted ball in his fingers. As he lowers himself, as such extraordinary energy reverberates through the puddled squelch of their shared blood, Scorpion feels as splitting sunshine radiance drenches into the pores of Yang’s being, sinking with imagined tastes and illusive, indulgent touch of healing stream, which will cauterize the flesh, and transferring the combusted excruciation of Yang’s pain to his own expanding ribs, which sharpens and intensifies the fissured crevasse of Scorpion’s already etched despair and gut-sinking howl as viscous fluid and matter wring out of his muscles and sinews. “No one... is destined nor allowed to face such terrible things alone. I will become the vessel for such great exertion.... to flush out the pains that hold you captive.” ▬▬ι═══════ﺤ 🔥 ||

#✗ the ineffable testimony of spawned hellfire (scorpion)#✗ hellfire fibrillating beneath his skin (iv)#(mortal kombat 2021)#(relationships; yang)#yetremains

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ashchromium · 4 years ago

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Item: SCP- 7534 "C.I.D.R."

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-7534 is contained in a 2x4 meter room coated in flame retardant material and a pyroceramic barrier covering the front of the room, unsealed for the chosen observation hours with a black curtain.

A fire blanket is supplied as well as objects of engagement such as drawing supplies and a small campfire. Further dieting of human food is given 3 times a day, and a restocking of items daily when SCP-7534 is outside of their cell.

Oxygen is secured via ceiling vents that control the entity's oxygen intake to maintain stabile levels of influx.

Daily maintenance of SCP-7534's braces on the neck, arms and boots are mandatory to gauge future causes of a breach of containment. Further security is needed when transporting SCP-7534 outside of their cell due to past breaches when unsupervised. Further caution is taken when interacting with SCP-7534 as they are sensitive to interaction with strangers.

Description: SCP-7534 is a humanoid figure at 5"6'. It has dark grey hair, a bright red long sleeve and dark brown shorts. The lower face is covered with SCP-7534-1 that leaks from it's eyes in small outputs.

The entity's behaviour is very human-like, but instinctual on social interaction. It's behaviour is primarily on seclusion, with most of it's time used for independent activity and creativity.

Addendum: SCP-7534 secludes most subjects and is hostile to any form of negative motion directed to it. This has formed in several incidents from site██, site███ and site███ to name the worst cases. A total of 13 sites have been critically breached from SCP-7534's trigger to conflict, the recapturing process proving difficult with each new breach. Their powers derive from an unknown source of ignition located around their right side of the chest but nothing was found in a heavy inspection of it.

7534 has been relocated to site███ for a different approach in containment and a better hope in research.

Major incidents are described as large amounts of ignition and flames scorching the former sites to rubble.

SCP-7534-1: A black petroleum based fluid that sustains SCP-7534 as a form of blood. SCP-7534-1 was originally reported from an anonymous source of an oil spill in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. The method of SCP-7534 finding the same fluid is unknown.

Any form of conflict will trigger an influx of SCP-7534-1 to coat their body from their eye sockets, that creates luminescent red eyes for their vision. Any form of power influx comes from the leakage of SCP-7534-1 coating parts of the body it wants to summon it's combustion from.

There are theories that SCP-7534 can manipulate wind and oxygen but has not been confirmed as of yet. A deeper analysis will be surveyed later.

First encounter with SCP-7534 after first recapturing of the entity:

Interviewer: Dr. ███████

An auditory interview of SCP-7534 after being found in the oak woods located nearby of [REDACTED], after being sedated for transportation for site███. The microphone set inbetween SCP-7534 and Dr. ██████. Recovered from the debris of site ███.

SCP-7534 : So, I'm never getting out of here. Ever.

Dr. ██████: Affirmative. Would there be any reason to want to go back? Considering how you left the place.

SCP-7534: I was trying to calm down. You have your own way of dealing with things, that was just a small irritation. I needed an outlet. And I'm sure you wouldn't want me to let go of some steam in a more populated place, would you?

Dr. ██████: [Long pause, followed with a sigh and a ruffling of notes being heard faintly] You aren't ever going to see a place like that anyway since you're here.

SCP-7534: [a giant gust of wind is heard, followed by a crackling of the walls of the room] Try me.

[Loud screaming and harsh flames are heard in the backgrounds with loud alarms blaring until the audio cuts off]

#cinder #yep SCP cinder #this has been on the backburner so I'm posting the info now #I'll draw the design someday for it #I've got one I just haven't got a good drawing for it #creatorverse au

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phinnsyreads · 5 years ago

Audio

Item #: SCP-081

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Only those with Level 4 clearance and written permission from ███████ may have access to SCP-081. Full hazard gear including suit, gloves, and an oxygen tank must be worn at all times when in the containment area. Suits must be sprayed with a disinfectant shower before leaving the containment area. If containment is breached, the entire area must be exposed to ultraviolet light and then bleached. Those who are suspected of being infected must be quarantined for at least ten (10) days. If no symptoms manifest after the tenth day, then quarantine can be lifted.

Description: SCP-081 is a contagious virus that appears to be a mutated version of the ███████ virus, but with █ segments in its RNA instead of █. The virus is human specific, but is spread by rats who act as passive carriers. SCP-081 can also be spread through sexual intercourse and exposure to infected blood.

SCP-081 infects adipocytes and leukocytes, inducing both to absorb nutrients at a vastly accelerated rate. As the nutrients are absorbed, infected B-Cells produce and secrete large quantities of a modified human antibody. Adipocytes expand and proliferate and the organism's caloric intake increases. When the concentration of adipose tissue reaches a critical point, the viral antibodies instigate systemic cell lysis, followed by an unknown process leading to the spontaneous combustion of the infected individual.

There is a one (1) week incubation period before initial symptoms begin to occur. The duration of the symptoms depends entirely on the body fat percentage of the infected. Infection proceeds through four (4) distinct stages.

Stage 1: During the first week there are no major symptoms, though subjects may report being slightly tired.

Stage 2: In the second week of infection, subjects will begin to experience “hot flashes” and an increased appetite.

Stage 3: Infected subjects demonstrate extreme polyphagia. They will do anything in their power to obtain food or anything edible. During this stage, metabolism slows down significantly and weight gain proceeds rapidly. There is no set time that will elapse before the fourth and final stage. In order for the virus to complete its life cycle, the victim must be composed of 55% body fat.

Stage 4: Once the subject reaches 55% body fat, the urge to eat will stop, though subjects report increased instances of "hot flashes." Soon afterward the body will go through an extremely violent version of widespread cell lysis. As cells burst, the modified antibodies catalyze the ignition of fatty compounds through unknown means. The body is incinerated from the inside out via the wick effect, with the additional fat serving as a fuel source. Because stage 4 is largely asymptomatic, subjects are never aware when combustion will occur and the exact timing is apparently random.

Addendum 081-1: The first recorded incident of SCP-081 was reported in 1763 by Frenchman Jonas Dupont. In his book De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis, he wrote about a case in Paris where a man was acquitted of killing his wife as the jury agreed that the wife died due to spontaneous human combustion. It should be noted that the woman was incredibly overweight at the time of her death. It was not until the death of Mary Reeser on July 2nd 1951 that SCP-081 was brought to the Foundation’s attention. Despite the Foundation’s best efforts, this information was leaked to the national media along with pictures of the incident. It is believed that most reported cases of spontaneous human combustion are caused by SCP-081.

Addendum 081-2: SCP-081 is estimated to have existed since the █th Century and thought to have originated in █████████████. Because of widespread poverty and malnutrition present in many European countries at the time, instances of third and fourth stage infections were rare. North America has experienced the most cases of SCP-081 in the last century, but because of cleaner conditions and active rat population control, SCP-081 cases have dropped significantly. Fewer than ███ people a year die from late-stage SCP-081.

Addendum 081-3: Due to the United States' current obesity epidemic, it is crucial that wild SCP-081 be eradicated. The exposure that would result from a wide scale epidemic would be disastrous to successful containment efforts. ---Dr. ██████████.

Addendum 081-4: During testing, it has been discovered that people who have diabetes have a natural immunity to SCP-081. This has not helped in the development of a treatment for the virus, and it remains incurable. Wild infections [DATA EXPUNGED] and an alternate cause of death provided.

Addendum 081-5: It was discovered by Agent █████ that SCP-081 can spread by exposure to the ashes of a deceased victim. Containment and epidemic contingency protocols are being amended, and emergency services personnel who responded to Ms. █████████'s call have been detained for evaluation. ---Dr. ██████████.

===

[The voice of Dr. ██████████ was provided by @navox-the-weary.]

===

[Enjoy the podcast? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Patrons get access to bonus Joke episodes, outtakes, and can even request episodes on specific SCP objects.]

[Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected]]

#phinnsyreads #scp foundation #scp 081 #reading #reader #voiceover #sci-fi #horror #folklore #urban legend #fiction #podcast #virus

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architectnews · 4 years ago

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Grenfell Tower in West London: Fire Inquiry

Grenfell Tower Fire London News, Inquiry, Building Photos, Property Development, Expert Witness, Review, Architect

Grenfell Tower Fire West London

Hackitt Interim Report: Block of Flats Development in North Kensington, British Capital City, England, UK

post updated 13 May 2021

UK Government community consultation about Grenfell Tower demolition

The British government is due to begin consulting with bereaved families, survivors and the local community on whether to take down Grenfell Tower.

In a letter to residents and families in the community, officials said: “Following important advice from structural engineers about the condition of the tower, we need to consider this summer if, and when, the tower should be carefully taken down to maintain safety.”

The letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said that before any decision is made, advice from engineering experts will be shared with the local community, who will also be allowed to put questions to the engineers.

“I want to reassure you that it will be at least a year before we begin to implement any decision, which means there will be no change to the tower before the fifth anniversary in 2022.

“The work of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry will continue during this period,” the letter continued, signed by Alistair Watters, director of the Grenfell site and programme at MHCLG.

MHCLG will be holding online meetings between 17 May and 21 July.

It will ask the community about their priorities and preferences. It will also share information from engineers about the condition of the tower, and about its consultations with the Metropolitan Police and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also noted, “The independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission is developing a community-led vision for a memorial, and their work is progressing. Bereaved families, survivors and the local community will continue to be at the heart of determining what the future memorial will be.”

25 September 2020

Grenfell Tower inquiry: combustible insulation product

The inquiry heard that safe mineral wool product was ruled out because ‘aspirational’ efficiency target would not have been hit.

A Mechanical and Electrical systems consultant (M&E Engineer) on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment project recommended the use of combustible insulation on the outside of the block as a way to meet an “aspirational” thermal efficiency target.

30 July 2020 Grenfell Tower inquiry: combustible insulation

Rydon’s refurbishment director on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment, Stephen Blake, has admitted to being “haunted” by the lack of scrutiny of the ill-fated project’s cladding and window designs.

Stephen Blake said that in hindsight key elements of the tower block’s refurbishment had been presumed to be correct when they were not.

He also advised that he believed it had been original project architect Studio E’s responsibility to arrange – and pay for – any specialist fire safety advice required, even after Rydon was appointed main contractor on the project and Studio E novated to it.

Fire specialist Exova was hired by the client (Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation) and produced an outline fire safety strategy for the refurbishment in 2013.

However the firm was not novated once Rydon was appointed in 2014.

23 July 2020 Grenfell Tower inquiry: combustible foam boards

The refurbishment specification was to pack the gaps around the windows with non-combustible Rockwool insulation fibre, but Mark Dixon’s company, SD Plastering, instead used combustible foam boards apparently.

The Rydon manager in charge of the project, Simon Lawrence told the inquiry that he didn’t read a bill of works that showed SD Plastering planned to use Celotex panels, at odds with the safer specification. This was in breach of building regulations. The inquiry has already concluded that the foam insulation in the window surrounds “contributed to the rate and extent of vertical flame spread”.

When Simon Lawrence inspected the works in 2015, there were missing finishes and gaps. Emails at the time showed he thought it was “a disaster”.

Simon Lawrence received an email from the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) – which ran the tower in North Kensington – seeking clarity on whether the new cladding would resist a fire.

There is no evidence that he or anyone from Rydon replied to that email.

22 July 2020 Grenfell Tower residents branded as “rebels”

The builder in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment branded residents who questioned the quality of works as “rebels” and complained that they were “persistent and aggressive”.

Evidence has exposed the toxic atmosphere between contractors and occupants of the west London council block. The inquiry also heard there were allegations of harassment and threats by employees of Rydon and of the K&C tenant management organisation (TMO).

Rydon manager Simon Lawrence admitted in an internal email that the site was “poorly performing”. He also apparently noted they were using “cheap incompetent sub-contractors”.

Neil Reed, head of project delivery at the landlord’s agent, complained: “I have never worked with a contractor operating with this level of nonchalance.”

11 July 2020 Grenfell Tower inquiry: Lead fire consultant ‘ignored’ cladding email

The lead fire safety consultant of the Grenfell Tower refurbishment ignored documents outlining proposed cladding and insulation materials.

Terry Ashton, of fire engineering company Exova, said he did not read an email from Studio E architects detailing a planned cladding system because he was not the “primary recipient”.

He also failed to read the architect’s progress report.

The inquiry has concluded that cladding fuelled the 2017 fire in west London.

Grenfell Tower cladding – for top and bottom of the building, the principal cladding appears to be noted as ‘3’ (medium grey, ACM) and ‘5’ (white, rainscreen) in the top left key, ie ACM panels: elevation courtesy of architects via planning portal

The email from architects Studio E on 23 October 2012 included attachments containing details and drawings of a planned cladding system.

Asked why, he told the hearing that people are often copied into emails on big projects in “a sort of scattergun approach”.

He also did not read the architect’s progress report which he was sent on 31 October 2012, and failed to mention plans to cover the tower block in cladding in his first fire safety report published on the same day.

He had no formal training as a fire engineer, despite working as a fire consultant for 25 years.

7 July 2020 Grenfell Tower inquiry: Fire ‘inextricably linked with race’

The inquiry returned this week after a four-month break due to coronavirus.

Leslie Thomas, who is representing survivors and bereaved families, said the 2017 fire was “inextricably linked with race”.

There were 72 victims.

Grenfell Tower floor plans, assumed to be earlier proposals from 2012: Drawing-952258 – plans courtesy of architects via planning portal

Legal submissions made to the inquiry explain there were 4 visitors to the tower among the dead and also a stillborn baby and then adds: “Of the remaining 67, 57 were from BAME (black, Asian and other ethnic minority) communities.

On Monday, a senior fire safety engineer advised the inquiry he did not think putting cladding on Grenfell Tower would pose any “issues” for safety.

30 & 29 Jan 2020

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Immunity

Grenfell Tower Firms Request Immunity Over Evidence

Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry Part Two

Grenfell Inquiry Expert Witness Controversy post in BD

6 Jun 2018 Grenfell Tower Refurb Architects Attacked

Studio E Architects is among a number of firms accused of attempting to derail the Grenfell Tower Inquiry with a wall of ‘corporate silence’ after it failed to provide an opening statement to the hearing, reports the Architects’ Journal.

Many of the 19 ‘core participant’ firms involved in the £10m refit of the tower on the Lancaster West estate have refused to comment on their work until they have full disclosure of documents, the inquiry heard yesterday.

They face a barrage of criticism from lawyers representing survivors and the bereaved, for failing to set out their position, especially on the key question of compliance.

In a blistering attack on the companies, Stephanie Barwise QC said: ‘these corporates have no desire to assist this inquiry, even though their participation could save lives in the immediate future.’

e-architect approached Studio E Architects for comment shortly after the fire but never received a reply.

18 Apr 2018 Grenfell Tower Hackitt Review

18 Dec 2017

Grenfell Tower Fire Interim Report

Dame Judith Hackitt’s Review of the Building Regulations and Fire Safety

Association for Project Safety (APS) fully supports the interim report of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Review of the Building Regulations and welcomes the next phase.

In response to the interim findings of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of fire and building regulations, Bobby Chakravarthy, President of the Association for Project Safety said:

“The Association for Project Safety agrees with Dame Judith Hackitt that safer buildings start with good design and ensuring corners are not cut and clear regulations are established and consistently applied. But, for this we have to untangle the mare’s nest of complex and sometimes competing regulations, critically ensuring everyone involved in the design and risk management process is equipped with the relevant and up to date skills and education to build safe.”

Interim findings of Grenfell Review

A review of building regulations ordered after the Grenfell Tower fire has found the system is “not fit for purpose” and open to abuse by those trying to save money, reports The Guardian today.

Dame Judith Hackitt’s interim report into building safety called for an overhaul of the construction industry to put safety above cutting costs.

In a foreword, Hackitt said she was shocked by some of the practices she had uncovered. “The mindset of doing things as cheaply as possible and passing on responsibility for problems and shortcomings of others must stop,” she wrote.

Her report highlights concerns about increased privatisation of the building inspection regime leading to safety being compromised and a reduction in expertise within local authorities.

Grenfell Tower Fire Interim Report in The Guardian

18 December 2017 RIBA responds to Hackitt Interim Report

RIBA responds to Interim Report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has welcomed the publication of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Interim Report but has highlighted the need to go much further, specifically in terms of making real and meaningful change to the core building regulations guidance covering fire safety, which is needed as a matter of great urgency.

Immediate Past President of RIBA and Chair of the RIBA’s Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety, Jane Duncan says: “I’m pleased that Dame Judith Hackitt recognises the current regulatory system is not fit for purpose and that there is a lack clarity of roles and responsibilities in the construction industry. The RIBA’s Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety strongly recommends that the final review should require a named person or organisation to hold prime responsibility for the oversight of fire safety in the design and construction of any building project. It is disappointing that the interim review has not called for an immediate prohibition on the use any combustible materials in the external wall construction of high-rise buildings. This means we continue with this grey-area in regards to fire-safety”

The RIBA welcome that the report seeks:

• Better definiteion and allocation of roles and responsibilities within the building and fire regulatory system, with defined duty holders. The RIBA hopes that the final report will require a named person or organisation with prime responsibility for oversight of fire-safe design and construction on any building project • Increased independent oversight of the quality of construction work • Stronger compliance and enforcement of building control • Raised levels of competence and accreditation of those involved in design, construction and maintenance of higher risk buildings

It is also good to see a recognition by Dame Judith of the importance of the ‘golden thread’ of original design intent, the integrity of which must be maintained in any building project or subsequent refurbishment – in order to avoid fragmentation of design responsibility with risks poorer quality outcomes.

However, it is disappointing that whilst the report recognises the complexity and lack of clarity in the current building regulations guidance, it shies away from introducing immediate and effective changes to the current fire safety guidance, Approved Document B.

The RIBA would like to see:

• An immediate prohibition on the use any combustible materials in the external wall construction of high-rise buildings • A greater role for sprinklers as an active life safety measure in residential buildings • Requirements for at least two staircases, offering alternative means of escape in high-rise residential buildings

Interim Report of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety

To read the RIBA’s evidence and recommendations to the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety visit: Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety – RIBA

8 Aug 2017

Kensington Stories Documentary Film

Ladbroke Grove Youth Charity Focus on four local buildings

Kensal House, Trellick Tower, Stanley Gardens and Lancaster West

Young people look at West London’s skyline through the lens of a documentary

SPID Theatre Company, an award winning youth charity based in Ladbroke Grove, is looking at West London’s skyline afresh following the Grenfell Tower fire.

The result is Kensington Stories, a new documentary film made as part of SPID’s Living History project. SPID Theatre Company has achieved National Press on multiple occasions for their work, specialising in engaging hard-to-reach audiences with heritage, the arts and with each other. The project will build on their previous Living History Projects: Kensal Voices, Kensal Voices Reloaded, In Transit, Trellick Tales and Reimagining Goldfinger.

The film focuses on community, the management of buildings and the event of the Grenfell Tower fire that happened earlier this year. From recording oral history interviews, led by Rib Davis, SPID has worked with filmmaker Susanna Fasciolo and producer Ioana Constantinescu to create a fifteen minute film about four local buildings: Kensal House, Trellick Tower, Stanley Gardens and Lancaster West, where Grenfell Tower is situated. Each of these buildings is listed and protected, except Lancaster West.

Despite not being listed, Grenfell is extremely significant to the work that SPID is creating, work that champions local voices and shared histories. SPID itself is based in one of West London’s very own listed buildings, adding relevance to this year’s project. The oral history testimonies given by residents who live within each of these estates compose the soundtrack for the film; their own stories and opinions colouring the background to this documentary.

The entire project has been influenced by local young people aged 13-25, who participate in weekly workshops researching the history and architecture of the borough. This project is a combination of historical and architectural knowledge, enriched by personal stories about an area of London with extremely diverse buildings.

The Kensington Stories film will premiere on 9th December at 3pm at Kensal House, followed by a Q and A with the young people and makers of the film, and accompanied by food from the Goldfinger Factory, a café near Trellick Tower.

“I just love living in this Borough…when the rain clouds come in and you can see the shadows over the various parts of London, it all makes sense” – Lou D’Arcy, Trellick Tower Resident

“Based in West London’s Kensal House estate, SPID shares a landlord with Grenfell. This project champions local estate voices and makes the case for listening to and empowering them” – Helena Thompson, Artistic Director

The Film Screening is free entry, but places are limited, so book your ticket by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0208 969 4570

8 Aug 2017

Grenfell fire Criminal Charges

Criminal charges carrying lengthy prison sentences not ruled out by DPP

The UK Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not ruled out possible criminal charges carrying lengthy prison sentences against individuals over the Grenfell Tower fire, report The Guardian.

In her first public comments since the disaster, Alison Saunders said investigations were at a very early stage. All options remained open, but it could take months before charging decisions can be made, she said.

Gross negligence manslaughter is among offences prosecutors could consider if police find sufficient evidence. The offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison for those found to have high levels of culpability.

Alison Saunders, in an interview with the London Evening Standard, said: “All of us want to see justice done … It is one of those tragedies where everybody will want to do as much as they possibly can in order to help both those who continue to be residents and those who died in the fire.

The DPP’s comments follow the publication of a Scotland Yard letter which said there were reasonable grounds to suspect that corporate manslaughter offences had been committed by Kensington and Chelsea council, and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, the latter of which ran Grenfell tower.

Read more in The Guardian article – Grenfell Tower Criminal Charges

27 Jul 2017

Grenfell Tower Fire Update

Police Investigation Update

Police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire say they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect that corporate manslaughter offences may have been committed, report the BBC.

It means senior executives from the council and the tenant management organisation that ran the block are likely to be interviewed under caution.

A letter from the Met Police to residents said officers had “seized a huge amount of material”.

Organisations guilty of the offence of corporate manslaughter are liable to an “unlimited fine”. Individuals cannot be charged with corporate manslaughter, an offence which is intended to work “in conjunction” with other forms of accountability.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenancy Management Organisation have been notified that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that each organisation may have committed the offence of corporate manslaughter.

However Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy, said the punishment for corporate manslaughter, a fine, would not represent justice: “Gross negligence manslaughter carries a punishment of prison time, and I hope that the police and the CPS are considering charges of manslaughter caused by gross negligence”.

More positively the Justice 4 Grenfell campaign group, said the development would help increase levels of trust between the police and the community.

10 Jul 2017 Police confirm 255 residents escaped blaze

Investigators say 350 people lived in the west London block but 14 were not there when the building went up in flames, report The Independent.

Police said they do not expect the death toll to rise much further.

Detectives also revealed the tower was made up of predominantly one and two bedroom flats, which would account for the lower than expected occupancy.

Previous estimates put between 400 and 600 people living inside the tower.

source: Grenfell Tower Fire Update

8 Jul 2017

Grenfell Tower Publc Inquiry

Grenfell Tower inquiry public hearings in September

The Grenfell Tower fire inquiry hopes to hold its first public hearings into the cause of the disaster in September as it prepares to seize council planning archives, report The Guardian.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the chairman, is expected to hold further meetings with bereaved relatives, local residents, survivors and interested organisations next week in order to agree terms of reference.

Until those terms are approved by the prime minister, Theresa May, and lodged with parliament, investigators cannot begin taking evidence.

source: Grenfell Tower Publc Inquiry

29 Jun 2017

Grenfell Tower Planning Conditions

Samples of Grenfell Tower Cladding

An interesting article by Ian Abley, focusing on two of the planning conditions, 3 & 4, and how they were processed by the architects, but also on a critical change to the window position half a year after planning:

Grenfell Tower planning application PP/12/04097 was determined by delegated powers.

ACM Panels

Samples of the ACM panels were requested and should be in the council’s stores. Apparently the responses to the Conditions note the panel outer surface but crucially do not identify the core material.

The most recent of two references to the ACM panel specification is apparently the Studio E “Material Palette” dated 25 September 2014 and uploaded as Drawing-Approved-1332326 prescribed the ACM face as “Smoke Silver Metallic Duragloss 5000”

Our brief research shows this is an Arconic product: Duragloss 5000

The link to ‘DURAGLOSS® 5000 Technical Data’ goes to a ‘Content Not Found’ page.

Design Change Made in January 2015

Then there was a Non-Material Amendment made to approval PP/12/04097 after CON/14/04024. On 2 January 2015 proposed changes to the design by Studio E and planning consultants IBI Group were accepted by RBKC planners as NMA/14/08597. The design changes appear very material in that they re-position the windows, out from the existing concrete into the (rainscreen) cladding zone.

Ian notes that the planned separation of the window from the concrete meant that interfaces – “window, head and cill extrusions, foams, perimeter filler insulation, water, air and vapour barrier, and lining boards” – became technically critical for fire safety.

The several materials and products within the interface gap became the only construction stopping a fire inside a flat from reaching the cavity and cladding.

In other words, the late change to the window position, moving it out from the solid concrete structure, meant it was weak due to the ‘filled gaps’ around the sides where fire could break through.

Ian goes on to warn, “Planners should know something about the existence of such fire risks. But if the planners were not technically aware of this potential problem at the interface gap at every window opening, and had not asked for Building Control advice at the planning application stage, IBI Group and Studio E should have been aware.”

Tangentially, the title block on the architects’s detail drawing, references an adjacent school building, why is this? –

Approved Document Volume 2 of Part B Fire Safety in the Building Regulations for England and Wales

Finally, Ian questions the wording of Paragraph 12.7, subtitled “Insulation Materials/Products”:

‘In a building with a storey 18m or more above ground level any insulation product, filler material (not including gaskets, sealants and similar) etc. used in the external wall construction should be of limited combustibility.’

He cautions that it is badly worded.

The “not including” list is open to abuse as products and materials “similar” to gaskets and sealants may be combustible – such as membranes, tapes, sealants and adhesives – combining to form a dangerous level of fire load.

source: Grenfell Tower Planning Application Details

29 Jun 2017

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Chairman

The new chairman of the Grenfell Tower inquiry said he is doubtful the process would be as wide-ranging as some residents hope after meeting survivors, many of whom were sceptical about his appointment.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick said his inquiry would look at “basic factual questions” about what caused the fire rather than broader problems.

“I’ve been asked to undertake this inquiry on the basis that it would be pretty well limited to the problems surrounding the start of the fire and its rapid development, in order to make recommendations as to how this sort of thing can be prevented in the future,” he said.

23 Jun 2017

Grenfell Tower Building Cladding

Grenfell Tower manslaughter charges

23 Jun 2017 – Grenfell Tower fire: police considering manslaughter charges.

Detectives say building’s insulation and cladding tiles failed fire safety tests and they are establishing if use was illegal, report The Guardian.

Officers had established the initial cause of the fire was a Hotpoint FF175BP fridge-freezer and that it was not started deliberately.

“Preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the tests started. The initial test on the cladding tiles also failed the safety tests.”

“What we are being told at the moment by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) is that the cladding and insulation failed all safety tests.”

The Police are reviewing every company involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, and have seized documents and materials from a number of organisations.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the government would fund tests on up to 100 towers a day. the DCLG estimates that about 600 high-rises across the UK have been clad.

Grenfell Tower Police Report

Grenfell Tower Cladding Exposed

23 Jun 2017 – Were the horizontal and vertical fire-stops installed correctly at Grenfell Tower?

A photo on Studio E’s website shows one facade of Grenfell Tower.

click on photo for large size, 5824 pixels, left in super-large format to aid viewing, save and zoom in:

Grenfell Tower Cladding – a spin-off post from this page focused on the cladding

photograph : Metropolitan Police

Grenfell Tower Building Safety

The Truth about Grenfell Tower Event

Architects for Social Housing using Eventbrite to ticket The Truth about Grenfell Tower on Thursday 22nd June in Stockwell.

Please join Architects for Social Housing and share what we collectively know so far about the technical and political decisions that led to the Grenfell Tower fire; reassure residents about the safety of post-war tower blocks against the fear being spread by the media; and discuss how to can counteract this disaster being used by politicians to promote the demolition of London’s council estates for profit.

Everybody welcome, residents, architects, engineers, fire-safety specialists, planners, housing campaigners. Please share widely and invite your friends.

The Truth about Grenfell Tower Event

Thu 22 June 2017 19:00 – 21:00 BST

Residents Centre, Cotton Gardens Estate, Kennington Lane, SE11 4HW

Architects for Social Housing (ASH) was set up in March 2015 in order to respond architecturally to London’s housing ‘crisis’. ASH are a working collective of architects, urban designers, engineers, surveyors, planners, film-makers, photographers, web designers, artists, writers and housing campaigners operating with developing ideas under set principles.

photograph : Metropolitan Police

Grenfell Tower Campaigners for Safety

20 Jun – In an open letter to the UK Prime Minister, London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised May’s decision to open a public inquiry, but urged her “to ensure, in the terms of reference of the Inquiry, that an interim report is published this summer, at the latest, and that the terms of reference include all aspects of fire safety standards and inspection in high-rise towers.” He continued, “I would seek an assurance that if the Inquiry or police investigation finds any individual or organization to have been negligent in their duties, then they will be prosecuted.”

“This issue is not limited to the type of cladding fitted; the material it is attached to and how this has been achieved are also critical factors. It is crucial that other risks from renovation works are urgently and properly investigated, for example protection between floors. And we need to strengthen standards and recall processes around white goods, given the fire risk they can present.”

19 Jun – death toll rises to 79.

Of the 18 people in hospital 9 are in critical care, report the BBC.

Selection of photos released by the Police:

photograph : Metropolitan Police

18 Jun – Two women feared dead in the Grenfell Tower tragedy were allegedly threatened with legal action after they campaigned for improved fire safety.

Mariem Elgwahry, 27, and Nadia Choucair, 33, may have received letters ordering them to stop their campaign for improved safety.

Both women were fighting the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation for building improvements, with help from the Radical Housing Network (RHN), The Mirror reports.

RHN told the newspaper: “The TMO’s response was to threaten tenants with legal action and send out letters. Nadia and Mariem would have received them too.”

Last night British Prime Minister Theresa May said she had ordered councils to complete urgent safety checks on all high-rise buildings.

Grenfell Tower elevation and section of a typical floor: Revised Drawing-952306.pdf?- image courtesy of architects via RBKC planning portal

Grenfell Tower section through window of a typical floor: extract from Revised Drawing-952306.pdf?- image courtesy of architects via RBKC planning portal

A summary of those believed to be involved in the refurbishment works (comments welcome):

– Client: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea TMO – Client’s Agent: IBI Taylor Young

– Architects: Studio E – Consulting QS: Appleyards

– Main contractor: Rydon – Building facade sub-contractor: Harley Facades UK – Reynobond PE cladding supplier: Omnis Exteriors – Insulation manufacturer/supplier: Celotex

Grenfell Tower floor plans, assumed to be proposals, we suggest the key plan is bottom right labelled ‘Typical Residential Floor’, it shows lifts, stair and apartments all share a single lobby. Footage from early on the 14th of June appears to show this lobby filled with smoke when a resident opened the door on an upper floor: Revised Drawing-1094410.pdf – image courtesy of architects via RBKC planning portal

We posted the link to the refurbishment planning drawings on the morning of the 14th but some readers maybe missed it, so here it is again, we suggest you scroll down to the latest draiwngs dated 2013:

Grenfell Tower refurbishment planning drawings

17 Jun 2017

Grenfell Tower Building Faliure

Grenfell Tower Fire Building Failings At least 58 people are presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower disaster Police confirmed. It is an increase of 28 on the number of confirmed victims.

The building refurbishment is now part of a criminal investigation.

We are trying to focus on building-related issues here, to try to learn from this awful incident and prevent it ever happening again. There are various strands to discuss:

1. analysing what went wrong with the building, from cladding type, cladding fixing, to smoke-filled single stair, fire lobbies, fire doors and the fire alarm.

2. drawing some tentative conclusions, if we wait months until a massive hard-to-digest inquiry report the media focus will have gone and some opportunities for change with it.

3. some suggestions about what needs to happen with other high-rise buildings around the world, but focused on UK council housing in towers.

We certainly don’t have all the answers, therefore welcome expert input from other professionals.

Grenfell Tower Facade Section Build Up on Typical Floor

In more detail:

cladding type – typical floors have 3 main components: windows, rainscreen and ACM panels. It is the latter that seem to exhibit the most combustion. from outside face inwards: Aluminium sandwich panels appear to have a flammable core, with small air gap allowing chimney effect, and flammable foam insulation behind applied to concrete facade from 1974.

cladding fixing – metal brackets shown on planning portal section, unverified reports of flammable timber battens

single stair – obviously inherently dangerous, but why did it fill with smoke?

fire lobbies – lift and stair share a lobby with flats, see plans

fire doors – if working then should have been negligible smoke in stair (just from when self-closing door is opened for egress)

fire alarm – reports suggest it didn’t go off, why?

Lower floor plan layout (ie not typical residential floor), existing on left, proposed in colour on right with new entranc lobby: image courtesy of architects via planning portal

Grenfell Tower Building materials from outside in – not fully confirmed as a whole but identified in various cross-referenced reports:

a. Aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding (‘3’ in key – Reynobond PE

note ‘5’ in the elevation key, aluminium rainscreen (white panels) make up about half of the cladding).

In the cropped photo below note how the white rainscreen panels appear more intact than the grey ACM panels, logical as the latter have a greater fire load: cropped photo by Natalie Oxford, courtesy of wikimedia commons

Further info on cladding regulations in other Western countries:

– German construction companies have been banned from using plastic-filled cladding, such as Reynobond PE, on towers more than 22 metres high since the 1980s.

– US building codes restrict the use of metal-composite panels without flame-retardant cores on buildings above 15 metres.

b. air gap, probably criss-crossed by brackets holding outer ACM panels.

c. Celotex insulation applied to existing concrete walls, assumed to be 150mm of Celotex FR5000 and / or RS5000, no backing substrate shown on planning portal section.

Product datasheet: https://ift.tt/3eLyq7s notes it is tested with both 12mm fibre cement panes and 2×12.5mm plasterboard. But the section (planning portal) and reports suggest it was installed on the tower without a substrate. If no substrate then the fire test approval appears meaningless.

The reasons it passes the test are therefore different to the product used in the 72-storey The Address, Dubai – where the testing flaws were exposed: meaningless ACM fire test

It seems the Celotex material may be non-FR PIR. Nevertheless the product is certified with reference to BS8414-2 via the performance criteria of BR135 (product datasheet).

There is some suggestion of a leak from the gas riser, there is not enough information on it to discuss at this stage in our view.

photo courtesy of SE9

Link ref. tests (BS 8414-2, BR 135 see commentary by Sarah Colwell on pp 13-16 of this IFP magazine issue: Fire Performance of external cladding systems.

The article linked above suggests there are around 5000 blocks of flats in England representing around 300,000 homes, a lot of people especially if extrapolated to the rest fo the world.

Grenfell Tower Fundraising page on justgiving.com

Grenfell Tower Fire West London Building News

Grenfell Tower Fire Updates 16 Jun – 30 confirmed killed, including one person who has died in hospital.

The death toll could rise above 100.

More than 70 people have been named by relatives as missing, and also 12 people remain in critical care.

Protesters entered Kensington town hall this evening demanding justice.

Grenfell Tower News – updates at The Guardian

We welcome architectural information regarding the aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding panels – info(at)e-architect.com

An informative well-researched article about the Grenfell Tower aluminium composite cladding in The Guardian:

“Cladding for Grenfell Tower was cheaper, more flammable option. Omnis Exteriors asked to supply cladding £2 cheaper a square metre than fire-resistant type, investigation finds.”

Omnis had been asked to supply Reynobond PE cladding, which is £2 cheaper per square metre than the alternative “fire resistant” Reynobond FR, to the companies that worked on refurbishing Grenfell Tower.

Evidence seems to be mounting of problems in so many aspects related to this fire, from building mismanagement, cost-cutting, equipment failure to bad design. These multiple failures are unacceptable and viewed overall suggest a disrespect to the council tenants.

German construction companies have been banned from using plastic-filled cladding, such as Reynobond PE, on towers more than 22 metres high since the 1980s when regulations were brought in to improve fire safety at residential blocks.

US building codes also restrict the use of metal-composite panels without flame-retardant cores on buildings above 15 metres.

Grenfell Tower fire, approximately 6 a.m. on 14 June 2017: photo by Natalie Oxford, courtesy of wikimedia commons

The Fire Protection Association (FPA), an industry body, has been pushing for years for the government to make it a statutory requirement for local authorities and companies to use only fire-retardant material.”

Clearly the UK needs to revise the Building Regulations and commence remedial work on all affected tower blocks.

It is imperative lessons are learnt as soon as possible.

The construction industry knows about problem cladding and should have done so much more to clean up its act.

Combustible core cladding usage should be heavily controlled after all of the lessons, notably from UAE.

Grenfell Tower fire, 4:43 a.m. on 14 June 2017: photograph by Natalie Oxford, courtesy of wikimedia commons

Grenfell Tower used aluminium composite cladding with thermal insulation.

There is controversy and lobbying surrounding the use of combustible insulation systems.

Also, towers with a single stair should be demolished, there is always a chance the stair will get blocked or smoke-filled.

The refurbishment was overseen by Studio E Architects, and undertaken by Rydon Ltd. As part of the project, in 2015–2016, the concrete structure received new windows and new cladding.

What remains unclear is the system section and detailing: was there a gap behind the cladding, and if so why not fire stopped at every floor? Cavities are closed at each floor per building regulations but is there some weakness or loophole that allowed the ‘chimneys’ to form?

The work was carried out by Harley Facades of Crowborough, East Sussex, at a cost of £2.6 million.

This fire feels like it will become a sad, major milestone like Ronan Point was for an earlier generation. Ronan Point was a 22-storey Modern tower block in Newham, East London, which partly collapsed in May 1968, killing 4 people. It led to a “complete loss of public confidence in high-rise residential buildings, and major changes in UK building regulations resulted.”

The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has released a statement which is worth noting:

“The tragic fire that occurred on Grenfell Tower must never be allowed to happen again. The lessons of Camberwell, Shepherd’s Bush and Southampton have not been learned, and it is the responsibility of government to provide solutions.

The government must now as a matter of urgency lift the housing revenue account borrowing cap to free councils to undertake the urgent retrofitting work required on all existing housing stock found not to meet required safety standards.

Councils must also be given the power, as Labour’s housing manifesto pledges to do, to borrow to invest in council housing on the scale necessary to allow all those living in homes deemed to be unsafe to be properly rehoused.”

The Grenfell Tower refurbishment architects posted a statement on their news page:

“We are deeply shocked and distressed over news of the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower. Our thoughts are with those that have been affected by this tragic incident, together with all of their relatives and friends. It would be inappropriate for us to comment or speculate on events on Wednesday morning. We will be available to assist the relevant authorities as and when we are required. Our website was temporarily shut down yesterday as a result of the number of requests received.” source: Grenfell Tower refurbishment architects – Studio E, London (website now offline)

BD magazine notes two Italian architects from the Veneto region are believed to have died in the Grenfell fire: Gloria Trevisan and Marco Gottardi were both working for London architecture practices, they lived together on the 23rd floor.

Radical Housing Network, a London-wide alliance of groups fighting for housing justice, said the Grenfell fire was a tragic consequence of systematic disinvestment in council housing alongside disregard for council tenants safety and their concerns – and called for #JusticeforGrenfell. source: Radical Housing Network London

Radical Housing Network is a London-wide network of campaigns fighting for housing justice. Grenfell Action Group is a member group of RHN.

15 Jun 2017

Grenfell Tower Fire London Building News

Grenfell Tower Cladding

15 Jun – It emerged the cladding used in Grenfell Tower was behind a rapidly spreading blaze at a tower block in Melbourne in 2014, reports The Guardian. An eighth-floor fire raced up 13 floors to the roof of the 21-storey building in 11 minutes. The spread was “directly associated” with the external cladding, said the fire brigade.

The rapid spread of the Lacrosse building fire, which was sparked by a cigarette on an eighth-floor balcony and raced up 13 floors to the roof of the 21-storey building in 11 minutes, was blamed on flammable aluminium composite cladding that lined the exterior concrete walls. Surely it is time for the construction industry to clean up its act and ban combustible aluminium composite cladding panels.

14 Jun 2017

Major London Building Fire

Grenfell Tower Fire

Massive blaze engulfs 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington, west London.

More than 200 firefighters tackled a massive blaze at a block of flats in west London, with people trapped in their homes. Reports very sadly confirm 12 people have died, with many more injured.

Forty fire engines rushed to Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate, north Kensington, shortly after 1.15am.

Location: Lancaster West Estate, Latimer Road, North Kensington:

Blazing since around 12.45am GMT, reported the BBC. e-architect posted at 5am GMT and our thoughts are with all affected; the page will be updated once any architectural issues come to light.

The construction industry will need to learn from this fire, and why it happened. The 2009 Lakanal House tower block fire occurred in 2009 in Camberwell, South London. Six people were killed in this twelve storey tower block.

A residents action group report warnings went unheeded by relevant authorities: “we have posted numerous warnings in recent years about the very poor fire safety standards at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere in RBKC.

ALL OUR WARNINGS FELL ON DEAF EARS and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time.” Grenfell Action Group

A building fire expert advised that floor-to-floor fire spread occurring over full height suggests malpractice has occurred.

The London Mayor has declared it a major incident.

Grenfell Tower Fire in West London

Floors: 24 Date built: 1974 Residential units: 120 Architecture firm: Clifford Wearden and Associates Lead architect: Nigel Whitbread

Grenfell Tower comprises 20 storeys of residential flats and four storeys of community/office spaces at podium level.

It is roughly square in plan and the residential floors are identical: 4no. 2-bed flats – one on each corner –and 2no. 1-bed flats – one facing east and the other west. The north and south elevations are almost identical, as are the east and west.

youtube

Main contractor Rydon appear to have submitted for a £8.7 million renewal over 66 weeks, focused on an internal reconfiguration of podium levels and external recladding. This work was carried out in 2015-16.

source: Grenfell Tower London – skyscrapercity.com

Refurbishment was applied for in 2012 of existing Grenfell Tower including new external cladding and fenestration, alterations to plant room, reconfiguration of lower 4 levels to provide 7 new residential units, replacement nursery and boxing club facilities, external public realm works, redevelopment and change of use of existing garages to refuse collection area.

The building facade, photo references Harley Facades UK: photo courtesy of SE9

Scope of work: ACM rainscreen over-clad, replacement windows, curtain walling, louvres, feature metalwork Client: Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Architect: Studio E

“The upgrade work includes new windows, insulation and cladding, and a complete upgrade to the heating system. A new entrance and new flats will be created within the podium levels.” source: Grenfell Tower facade cladding architects – Studio E (website now offline)

The UK has stringent Building Regulations so the extent of the blaze is surprising. Lessons will have to be learnt – a resident suggested the new external cladding might be partly to blame for extent of fire spread – but for now our thoughts are with the people involved.

image courtesy of architects via planning portal

source: Grenfell Tower West London – planning submission for the renewal works

London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: “Major incident declared at Grenfell Tower in Kensington” and urged people to follow London Fire Brigade on Twitter.

Location: Lancaster West estate, North Kensington, London, England, UK

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0 notes

floramodus-archive · 7 years ago

Text

begin disaster ==>

floramodus fuckfuckjfuck DAVE!!!!!!

clockworkkatana what whats up

floramodus my microscpe exploded i cant see theres glass and blood everywhere i dont wanna die again but i cant SSEE!!!

clockworkkatana whoa fuck wait what

floramodus the nuclear reactor battery in my scope combusted and i couldnt contain it all in time and it blew out my retinas and i think shattered my lens i dont know i dont know!!!!!!

clockworkkatana um fuck okay hold still ill be there in just a second

floramodus be careful i dontt know how b a d the glass went

clockworkkatana dont worry ill put on shoes just stay still a second okay? dont move

floramodus ggot that covered i kinda stopped trying when i got a shard of goddamn GLASS in my hands!!

clockworkkatana ill take care of that too just keep breathing for now im on my way

clockworkkatana "Keep breathing" is advice both to her and yourself, and you try best to follow it as the transportalizer warms up, dumping you unceremonious on the receiver pad a universe away. You swear to fuck, if another friend dies (or even is badly injured) you're going to have to break something. A fundamental force of the universe, maybe. You'res still workshopping.

"Flo?" you say, voice steady as you please, slowly opening the door to her room. You hear the crunch of glass underfoot and know you've found the right place. "It's me. It's Dave. Talk to me, Flo."

floramodus Even blind and panicking you can't help but hiccup a laugh at his voice. God, your a mess. "I know its you, Dave. It's not-" You spit out another mouthful of blood, voice wavering as you take off your glasses to cover your mangled eyes with your equally bleeding hand.

"It's not like I was expecting anyone else," you finish, twisting your body to face where you heard him enter. As casual as you tried to look you felt like you could scream; Thank fuck the explosion hadnt of hurt your ears, because seeing nothing but red and black reminded you too fondly of your time in the horrorterrors. You fumbled to find the chair with your other hand, gripping the leg when you found it. "I hope you werent working."

clockworkkatana You wince at the blood - fuck, there sure is a lot of that, huh? - and fail to summon a reassuring smile you know she can't see. "I don't know what your life's like," you counter, taking careful steps towards her, avoiding as much glass as you can manage, "best to make sure you knew it's me and not some rando, yeah?"

She turns to face you and oh good lord you think you've actually had this nightmare once or twice. How about fuck. "Jesus," you murmur under your breath before clearing your throat and raising your voice for her to hear: "Nah, don't worry about it. Not a lot's more pressing than this, don't stress about me." You reach out to place a hand on her shoulder, kneeling down beside her.

floramodus The contact snaps you farther back into reality, or breaks the overall shock. What ever the case, your still left with the throbbing pain actually hitting you for the first time. Fuck. You spend a minute trying to level your breathing. Maybe think of something witty and cool to respond with. You fail, but you'd doubt he'd give you shit for it.

"I didn't think I was doing anything dangerous," you whimper, taking your hand off your face as you try to push yourself up onto your knees. Your rewarded with surprise! More glass in your knees and the sensation of shards tangled in your tail. Keeping you head low trying to spare him more imagery then he has to see, you find his arm to touch something not laced with goddamn glass. You cant even feel yourself crying but you have an inkling you are. "I was just updating some information and I still managed to fuck up. I dont wanna die again.How else am I gonna fix this?"

clockworkkatana You are so bad at bedside manner. You take a breath and swallow down the discomfort, though, you have more important things to worry about. "We're gonna figure it out," you say, and you can almost believe yourself, saying it. "Just. Okay. First things first, we're gonna get you out of here and get you cleaned up. Sound good? Leave the worrying about to me, I can handle that."

You're still mumbling what are supposed to be reassurances when you rise slowly to your feet, sliding her arm around your neck. "Just relax and keep to breathing, yeah?" you say, carefully picking her up off the broken glass. "I got you from here." Your apartment hasn't needed to double as field hospital since Briar came back, but you've kept the kits well stocked just in case. "You don't have to fix this," you reassure. "Leave it to me. You're not gonna die again. You didn't fuck this up. S'not your fault. I'll handle this. Just let me do that, alright?"

floramodus "Don't you ever get tired of being the one to handle everything Dave?" you mumble, hissing through your teeth. Helpful as getting off a floor coated in glass was the urge to crawl right back into a ball was almost too tempting. Instead you grip tighter to him, trying to keep most of the blood off. From the smell alone you doubt its worth the work. Doesn't stop the worry from needling physical responses out of you.

"You spend so much of your time fixing things. Things that werent your fault and shouldnt be." You lean your head against him, ears flicking as you listen to him try- and fail- to appear as composed. "You can handle alot but do you ever ask if you should?" Before you even let that tangent fully settle you bring up your defense, with a breathy laugh. "I know this pickle I've gotten myself into isn't the time to question your motives I much appreciate not being a pin cushion till I expire. Your much warmer than the floor anyway."

clockworkkatana Don't you? But, then, if you won't, who will? (Or, you suppose, if you don't handle things, what are you supposed to do? Stand by and watch things happen? Never seemed your style.) "It's worth it," you reply, and you suppose it's answer enough.

It's difficult, carrying a goddess in your arms and scrolling through transportalizer coordinates to find the one that leads back home, but somehow you manage, face dour as Flora laughs. "I'd rather bear the brunt of it if it means you lot don't have to. And - don't talk like that. You're not expiring. We don't have expiration dates and you're hardly that far out if we did."

floramodus You'd roll your eyes if they werent throbbing with the rest of your skull. A classic Dave response, one you expected, but it had to be said. No use to argue with a knight after all. Instead you yawn, it twisting into a sigh. You were tired in many many ways. "I won't argue with the Time player about death dates but you know what I meant! I'm just saying being with you is a much better alternative than was my other options were."

You jump hearing the transportilizer whirring to life, having lost your awareness of your surroundings. It made you shiver, knowing where the thing was in the map in your head but not being able to pinpoint it visually. Especially when the smells switched in an instant, throwing your generally clear sense out the window. You shook your head, trying to stamp down the shaking. "And considering it feels like the horrorterrors are gonna tear me apart again, I don't particularly wanna see my other options if thats alright with you."

clockworkkatana You guess you smile at that, a lip curling with a huff of breath. "Yeah, I guess you got me there." Artemis and company give a chorus as you step inside, watching as you carrying Flora through the apartment towards Briar's room.

You still think of it as hers, anyway, and you've hardly touched it since she left, but she won't be back today or tomorrow or maybe ever so you guess it's alright to use it for its intended purpose when you rented this place. That is, a place to not bleed all over the floors and ruin your deposit. "Fine by me," you say, depositing her very gently on the bed. Talos appears in the doorframe, and you get him to go grab the medkits while you focus on getting her sorted. "Don't worry, alright? I'm right here and I got you. You're gonna be fine."

floramodus "I think at this point your saying that more for yourself than me," you chuckle, despite still shivering. Smooth, almost like you weren't having a panic attack so bad your chest felt like it was collasping. Like you couldnt feel your own pulse in between seizing pain. Tucking yourself close once you were set down, you cocked your head trying to pinpoint where you were in Dave's house. You have been here a million times but this place smelled like Briar and stale iron more than the usual scents.

"This is Briar's old place isn't it," you murmur, wiping the collecting blood off your face with the back of your hand, clenched tight enough you felt your nails digging into the cuts on your palms. Normally you wouldn't even breach that subject if you could help it but he could throw you a bone here. He could have taken you to Briar's for all you know. Though you think you couldn't have paid him enough to do so.

clockworkkatana You scowl and shoot her a scathing glare that she can't see. "I might be," you reply, taking the hint and slowing yourself right the fuck down. "Doesn't mean I don't mean it, though." Talos returns, setting down a heavy bag and rifling through supplies you've had kept safe as a just-in-case ever since you got your own place. Thank your upbringing for that, you guess.

"Oh, uh. Yeah," you falter for a moment before you shake yourself and find the bandages to wipe away the blood. You cough, finding some tweezers to start plucking the shards of glass from her skin. "Her, ah. Old room, from when she crashed with me. Yeah, why?"

floramodus It takes you a minute to get coherent enough to reply to his discomfort, due to the fact as soon you heard metal you jerked yourself back on the bed. Of course when your arm doesnt want to take your weight you fall onto your side with a hiss. Right, at Dave's. Not a doctor. Doesn't stop your pulse from trying to escape your mortal coil.

"Uh, nothing, I just smelt her is all. I just wanted to know where I was." You hated how pathetic that sounded, how pathetic you were at the moment in general. "I just smelted blood and Briar and I know thats not something I've smelt here before. Ive never gone in here, haven't had to." You didn't have to ask if this is where she had been when she came back. You could smell it. Even coming to the internet after the aftermath you could almost picture the disaster from the mosaic the smells made. It was uncomfortable almost, not organic.

clockworkkatana Ah. Right. You'd been trying not to think about how the air in here was still a little stashed with the weight of her. "Oh. No, yeah. This is her room. I haven't gone in here much since she moved. Not for like a set reason or anything I just haven't. Really had a reason to I guess." Do you sound as pathetic as you think that sounds? Eesh. Maybe stop thinking about it and focus on the task at hand.

"But no, yeah. We're still at my place." You spare a glance at her eyes when you dab at the blood with another bandage, wince at the red film that sort of leaks from her ducts. "At risk of asking maybe the dumbest question ever, how, uh. How are you feeling? How's the pain? I have stuff for it. Advil, oxycodone, morphine, the works. I'm working on the glass right now but. Talk to me, Flo."

floramodus "You say risk like theres a chance it wasn't dumb, Dave," you huff in a good natured way, glad for a segaway over you two trying to fumble over a charred bridge still smoldering with embers. You were never good at that. Which is why you guess the bridge of how you ended up like this is still left dry rotted. At least you had enough answers to satisfy your morbid curiousity. "It hurts. bad. I'm cold and i cant stop shivering. I want go to bed. I'm sleepy. It hurts. Did I mention it feels like I shot myself?"

You try sit up but get as far as shoving yourself up an inch before your slip back down. The more tired you got the more sitting still made you nervous. Like every second that crawled past was gonna drag you with it. "Whats the diagnosis doc? Am I gonna have to go to the rainbow bridge to fix this?" you said, yelping at the last few words as he pulled out a sizable chunk. Note to self: bulletproof glass.

clockworkkatana "Do you want these fucking drugs or not," you fire back, cracking a grin as you reel back from potentially dive-bombing into angsty horseshit again. "But. Yeah. Okay, I can work with that. Just let me get the rest of these shards out-" the words are eclipsed by a particularly tricky sliver that feels bad just to watch abscond from her skin, nevermind how it must feel on the extraction, "-and I'll let you rest. I can give you something for that, too. I'll even let you borrow my good blanket, alright?"

She shifts as you drop another shard into the little bowl you're containing them all in, and you put a hand on her shoulder to ease her back down. "Don't move, alright? You're gonna be just fine. I'm gonna patch you up and you'll be right as rain, no rainbow bridge required."

floramodus "I've never had pain meds in my life but at this point I'll take anything- it'll keep me from BITING you at least," you growl, the irony of your bared teeth not lost on you even as you fight the urge to snap his hand. "I'm doing my best here ok," you continue, as if your hands werent aching from tension, "But you know damn well I'm not gonna take anything of yours unless were sharing it Dave." Were you afraid of being alone and blind? Maybe. He didn't have to know that. He probably already did. Your friendship was infuriating like that.

You tried to think of a conversation that would fit in between the silence and not sound stupid, but really, what wouldn't? Sure lets talk about the weather while your laying here, blind as a bat, whimpering as you scratch at your own eyes because they felt like goddamn sandpaper. Real casual.

"It's hell actually caring that you exist," you finally say, turning you head to look at him. "Before I made such progress when I didn't care if each time I died it could end up just. Now? its so frustrating that every option is a dead end! Even with all the knowledge and equipment I have I'm failing Bec again and again just like I failed David, Rose, John.........All of you when I couldn't just find a goddamn solution and be able to stop!"

Another piece, another panging spasm. "The saddest thing is theres solutions all around but guess what? I don't want any of you hurt. Not if I tried to play the game again, you using that damned book of yours. Why can't that be solace enough to quit? Why do I still do this? I've probably learnt too much from you." you conclude, turning your head back around with a sigh.

clockworkkatana “I know, I know,” you begin, though she beats you to the punch and drops you with a couple of bombshells that have you sighing and silent. The morphine is right where you left it from last time, and you rattle the bottle a little in your hand, toying with the cap. “I don’t need morphine.”

The hand on her shoulder cups her face - you don’t know anything about anything but you don’t think scratching at her eyes is going to help things - for a moment before pulling away, and you match her sigh with one of your own. “You aren’t failing anyone,” you say, and you mean it, really you do, but even to you the words sound tired. “The game just fucked you, straight up. You shouldn’t have to torture yourself over reworking and reverse-engineering this fucking. Planet-ending crock of eldritch horror straight from a Sims-addicted serial killer’s fantasy fever dream to try and undo what basically amounts to fate bullshit and destiny /fucks/. That shouldn’t be on you, Flora.”

You pluck what you think is the last shard of glass and drop it unceremoniously into the bowl, waving your hand in the air in a gesture she can’t even see. “Don’t even talk about playing again, dude. I know you’re hurting for answers but for real. Don’t mess with that. I’ll take the stupid book and whatever it did to Briar over you going back in there any day of the week.” At the mention of the tome, you glance over to see it resting on the cleared-out space of Briar’s desk. As though it’d been there all along, beckoning. “What could it do to me, anyway.”

floramodus You crack a small smile at his colorful tangent, knowing realistically he was right. It wasn't your choice to play. It wasn't your choice to die. And yet, here you were. Fumbling with your hand, you wave it like an unsure dog until you make contact with his arm, gripping it. "It could do a hell of alot to you Dave and you know it. You don't what it does you've said it yourself. Do you think I could live with myself if it did something?"

You let go, moving your blood stuck bangs off your forehead, wincing at the pang of pain that radiates up your forearm. "I survived losing everyone I care for Dave. I thought that was the worst that could happen. I know I'm wrong about that. If something hurt you id easily find something just without thought. You don't know how much you've made this life worth living. It's an option, yeah, but you've got to look at yourself and know that."

You lay your arm back down on your stomach, sucking air in through your teeth. Who knew being covered in glorified papercuts would sting so much? "But don't worry, I won't play the game again. That I can leave in the past and not be discontent."

clockworkkatana You shrug to that. Hypothetically, from what you know? It could do a great fucking deal of a lot. Briar’d only used it as last resort, and look what she had to show for it. Then again, so had you, and you’d seen no adverse side effects, aside from the one where she moved out. “It wouldn’t kill me,” you reply. “Besides, I’ve used it before. How do you think I brought Briar back?”

You wince in empathy, shaking out the morphine pills and pressing them gently into her hand while Talos exits to grab her a drink. Then you wince again, when her words process. “Come on, Flo,” you begin, a pang of guilt racking you as she carries on. “I care about you too, you know that. And that’s exactly why I’m bringing it up: I want to fix this, and the book is… it’s good at fixing things. You wouldn’t lose me for that - no one would.”

You make a hum of appreciation at the appeasement of that particular nightmare. “We don’t have to do anything right now. We don’t have to make any decisions yet. But we’ll figure something out. Maybe it’s the book, maybe it’s another way. But we’ll find a way to fix this. I promise that.”

floramodus You let the tension ebb out of your shoulders at his affirmations, but still let a frown creep through. Yeah, he had brought her back, but you knew things like that, never worked the same way twice. However, if he insisted everything would work out, you were inclined to believe him. Many drunken and wounded nights in the past year had proven his words correct; Everything would be ok if you believed him.

"Not like I'm in the right place to be making any important decisions" you joke, giving the pills a tentative sniff. Dave could have given you cyanide for all you care, but the sharp scent of sulfate and stale wrongness still sent a shudder down your spine. Gross. "But your right, nothing we can do tonight anyway. I just-" you pause, trying to prop and pull yourself up so you could take these pills without choking, and manage to pull yourself up just enough to be able to slump your weight on your elbow. You take By then you didn't know how to finish that statement, so you throw the pills in your mouth and chase them down with the water Talos brings a few minutes later into your pondering. What did you wish for? To be able to be better at being the powerful god you wanted to be? Or that he would have been David, giving you someone that actually cared enough to try? "I just care too much, but thats always been my problem hasn't it?"

#action #plot #clockworkkatana #blood /#eye horror /#gore /#injury /#suicide mention /#death mention /#drugs /#literally ask to tag theres so much #but heres what shes been up too #long /#really goddamn long /

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elapsed-spiral · 2 years ago

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OFMD fics (so far)

Time to update my fic list again (again, again), check it out under the cut.

Currently posting:

Restructuring: modern AU where Stede loses his fortune before meeting Ed, but Ed's still got more money than you can shake a fucking stick at. Only problem is, Stede lies and says he's wealthy and Ed lies and says he isn't. Like the show, it's a romcom about trauma. Explicit

Cool collaboration(s) you should read immediately:

Work Experience: what if Ed went to meet Stede when the Revenge ran aground? And what if Ed became a member of Stede’s crew? And what if things kept escalating and… Canon AU. Mature. Co-written with Shearwater.

Really no excuse for how stupid these ones are:

Watch Out, Here I Come: what if Stede had been intentionally seducing Ed? Teen

Once More, With Feeling: what if Frenchie just fixed the season 1 finale fiasco because he’s the most capable guy on the ship? Teen

Talent Show: what if Ed was crass about his sexual preferences? Explicit

Capsize on Your Thighs: what if Ed rebounded onto Calico Jack at the end of season 1? Ed/CJ and Ed/Stede (but Ed/Stede is endgame, natch). Explicit

Your Feedback is Important to Us: what if Stede started holding open cabin hours to allow the crew to air their grievances (but was also very repressed and horny over Ed)? Explicit

Oh no Ed’s working through gender/class stuff (but make it funny):

Finery: Ed gets to wear a dress, Stede spontaneously combusts. Explicit

Tell More Tales: Stede isn’t the only writer aboard the Revenge. Explicit

Lovers and Madmen: Ed is hellbent on marrying Stede. Explicit

AUs no-one asked for:

Conflict of Interest: lawyer!Stede/businessman!Ed (read: gangster). Modern AU. Explicit

Intergalactic Tango: Space Waltz AU. Mature

Trade Descriptions Act: bailiff!Ed/estate agent!Stede. Identity theft but make it meet cute. Modern AU. Teen

Baddy Zaddy: Bridget Jones’s Diary style, former porn star turned sex shop owner!Ed/still unfortunately landed gentry!Stede. Novel length modern AU. Explicit

Prize Every Time: You’ve Got Mail-y secret pen pals but also business rivals. Novel length modern AU. Explicit

Your Favourite Song: locksmith!Ed/museum curator!Stede. Kinktober fill that somehow isn’t E rated. Modern AU. Teen

Draft Letter to Restaurant Downstairs: Google Docs AU with a (slightly) interactive element. Modern AU. Teen

Blind Date: Stede and Jeffrey Fettering go on a blind date at Ed’s restaurant. I think you know where this is going. Modern AU. Explicit

Different Dimension: ficlet that crams four and a bit AUs into 850 words. Modern AU. Teen

Stuck Still: British holiday resort AU feat. events manager!Stede and bartender turned fairy!Ed (it makes sense in the story I swear). Modern AU. Explicit

On the Job: “kidnapping” meet cute (but not actually. Again, I swear it makes sense in the story). Modern AU. Teen

Starring Jason Statham: another weird meet cute, courtesy of Jack and the Fast and Furious franchise. Stede/Jack, Ed/Jack and Ed/Stede (Ed/Stede is once again end game). Modern AU. Teen

West Ham Is for Lovers: Lucius has a new job. It's going fine. Completely, totally fine. A meet cute fic about meet cutes. Ed/Stede but also Lucius/Pete, Lucius/Fang, Lucius/Izzy and Lucius/Olu/Jim. Modern AU. Teen

Oh no there’s been a containment breach (aka non-Blackbonnet fics):

We Do What We Like (and We Like What We Do): A brief history of Ed and Jack. Explicit (Ed/CJ)

Fealty: Stede and Izzy make one another even more miserable. Mature (Stede/Izzy)

Contra Proferentem: Ed is a high powered lawyer and Professor of Law at the University of Cambridge. Lucius is not a high powered lawyer but he is a lecturer of English Lit at the University of Cambridge. Stede own a very nice cafe. Explicit (platonic Ed/Lucius, Ed/Stede, no cheating involved)

#ofmd #ofmd fanfic #my fics

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theeverlastingshade · 5 years ago

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Bitte Orca- Dirty Projectors: 10th Anniversary

At the end of the last decade indie music was undergoing a momentous shift that resulted in many bands successfully fusing left-leaning, avant-guard approaches with increasingly populist sensibilities. Aside from the emergence of chillwave, the only prevailing trend seemed to be that a multitude of eclectic bands that sounded nothing like each other were getting poppier while still embracing their inherent strangeness, managing to come shockingly close to breaching the mainstream while following nothing but the whims of their own devices. Among the incredible creative and commercial breakthroughs that emerged at some point throughout 2009 was Bitte Orca, the ambitious, genre-agnostic magnum opus from Dirty Projectors. Following their previous release, a chamber-pop reimagining of Black Flag’s Damaged titled Rise Above, Bitte Orca was an unprecedented creative triumph. The band gelled as a cohesive unit that tempered the worst of frontman David Longstreth’s pretentious impulses, and he finally had an ideal backing band perfectly poised to help execute some his best compositions to date.

The DP records that preceded Bitta Orca ran the gamut through art rock, indie folk, experimental pop, and chamber music, beginning solely as the work of Longstreth and quickly including the participation of Hank Miller, Liz Tung, Lucy Greene, and The Orchestral Society for the Preservation of the Orchestra, among others. Although each release from DP found the project becoming more collaborative in nature, the early albums understandably still sounded like the tinkering of one idiosyncratic voice guiding the talents of others to help achieve his vision instead of the work of a proper band. The guests are used effectively, but sparingly, and there are no illusions about those records existing as true collaborations. Longstreth’s earlier albums are frequently brilliant, but are just as often frustrating, indulgent, and dull in spots, far easier to admire than they are to enjoy. All of this changed with Rise Above, the first record that Longstreth recorded and toured with a proper quartet. All of a sudden Longstreth had a capable, dynamic band with sharp chemistry behind him, and the music that they were making together sounded shockingly playful, spontaneous, and bursting with color.

Thankfully, Rise Above was just the beginning. Most of the musicians that recorded Rise Above went on to record Bitte Orca, and new additions to the band included Angel Deradoorian who joined the Rise Above tour contributing vocals and bass, and Haley Dekle who provided additional vocals for the record. The band sounded tighter and sharper on Bitte Orca than they did on Rise Above but without loosing any of the jovial spirit that animated the prior record. Their presence renders Bitte Orca a much sunnier, and far more approachable album than any of the records that Longstreth had done beforehand, but with the complex arrangements, unorthodox structures, and meticulously ornate production that one could have reasonably expected from a band that was still dominated by Longstreth’s presence. Though tempered by the freewheeling sensibilities of his bandmates, Longstreth’s avant-guard instincts are still plentiful throughout. It’s the disarmingly seamless fusion of the sun-kissed harmonies from Longstreth, Coffman, Deradoorian, and Dekle over the consistently mesmerizing art rock/chamber pop instrumentation that allowed Bitte Orca to stand out so starkly when it was released.

When Bitte Orca initially came out, there was nothing in music that even remotely sounded like this. Unsurprisingly, that hasn’t changed in the slightest throughout the years since. The idea of fusing chamber pop, art rock, indie rock, indie folk, and r&b still seems arrogantly ambitious, and despite “Stillness Is the Move” being a major force in r&b dominating the independent music conversation throughout most of this decade, nothing has come close to replicating it since. The braininess of Longstreth’s earlier compositions continued to bloom, but these songs don’t aimlessly meander, or drag, or combust. Each song is meticulously constructed with knotty baroque arrangements that unfurl like puzzles, but the band don’t ever come off like they’re challenging the listener simply for the sake of it. The mixes are dense, but the instruments have plenty of room to breathe. It’s still remarkable just how much DP managed to pack into relatively tight, lean songs. No idea overstays its welcome, and the band move on from motifs that most bands would kill just to build entire songs around without seeming to give it a second thought. The rhythm section of DP has never taken such command within Longstreth’s compositions, and no matter how complex the guitar work gets, it never threatens to overtake the grooves that are laid down throughout. Longstreth’s music was always impressive, but the idea of any of his songs having legitimately tight grooves was laughable before Bitte Orca.

No other album from DP is as consistently engrossing as Bitte Orca, and there are plenty of highlights here that rank as the best songs that they’ve ever written. Opener “Cannibal Resource” explodes with shimmering harmonies from Coffman, Deradoorian, and Dekle over jangly acoustic strums, and perfectly sets the tone for the record. The percussive avalanche over the back and forth between Longstreth’s tender vocal leads and the female harmonies on “Temecula Sunrise” renders it as an immediate highlight, while the funky r&b rhythm alongside Longstreth’s chiming guitar riffs on “Stillness Is the Move” would be ridiculously infectious even without Coffman’s stunning vocals. Immediately following “Stillness Is the Move” is “Two Doves”, and “Useful Chamber”, the two best songs on the album, and the best 1-2 punch in their entire discography. The former begins with dexterous finger plucked acoustic guitar that swirls around Deradoorian’s mesmerizing vocal lead while a string quartet dips in and out of the mix periodically. Even better is the latter, which begins with a slurring synth line over a lumbering drum and bass groove that builds slowly with strings, acoustic guitar, and those lush female harmonies. Eventually the song lapses into a funky breakbeat that chugs along patiently with some spoken word chants from Longstreth before exploding into a glorious, low-end led release. It’s strange and spectacular in equal measure, and sums up the appeal of this band better than anything they’ve done before or since.

Poptimism as we know it in 2019 had yet to really take hold when Bitte Orca was initially released, and the album set a remarkable benchmark for just how far elements of pop music could be twisted and warped to fit within music that initially scans as inherently adverse. What really elevated Bitte Orca from being just another impressive, and far more accessible, record from DP, were the harmonies of Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle. They bring wide swathes of color, personality, and dimension to these already rich compositions. Longstreth has a great, versatile voice that he wields with piercing emotional clarity, but it’s far more effective in contexts where it has others to work with. It still feels like a stretch to neatly label Bitte Orca as an experimental pop record, or as any one thing, really, but there’s no question that it eagerly demonstrated what experimental music could learn from pop music. To hear Coffman, Deradoorian, and Dekle burst through the gates with their angelic call and response on “Cannibal Resource”, or to hear Coffman deliver a show stopping, career defining performance on the swaggering “Stillness Is the Move” or to hear Deradoorian deliver the album’s sublime, string-quartet assisted acoustic reverie “Two Doves” is simply breathtaking. The female vocal performances make the difference between a record that would have been simply great, and the classic that it is.

As with any other DP record, the lyrics to each song contain multitudes of references, and are never quite as straightforward as any meaning might suggest. The songs here seem to suggest being open to new beginnings and possibilities, entertaining the unpredictable, and allowing yourself to grow with new experiences. “Temecula Sunrise” was inspired by a drive down Temecula, California as Longstreth fantasized about McMansions being overtaken by art kids “I live in a new construction home/I live on a strip behind the dealership, yeah/I live in a greenhouse and I am getting baked, wasted yeah”. “Stillness Is the Move” examines the overwhelming possibilities that life throws our way, and leaning to trust yourself in navigating it in the best way that you’re capable of without shying away from doing so with someone that you love by your side “After all that we’ve been through/I know we’ll make it, I know the way/The question is it true/There is nothing we can’t do/I see you along the way, baby/The stillness is the move”.

“No Intention” examines Longstreth’s perfectionist mentality, and describes how he’s only truly comfortable when laboring over his art “When I am full with endeavor/Nothing can stop gestalt/The freshness of my reality/Makes me feel tingly and hot” while on closer “Fluorescent Half-Dome” Longstreth fantasizes about escaping somewhere away from the anguish of modern society “When I’ve had enough, when I’ve heard enough from police and pretenders/When I’m ready for my whole world to open up and surrender/I’ll look for you/I will be searching the garden and the street/I will look into the eyes of everyone I meet”. These songs are romantic, idealistic, and inspiring, full of passion and excitement, and the thrill of stumbling into something exciting and uncertain with a youthful desire for new experiences, and love in your life. You can hear the other band members slowly but surely lowering Longstreth’s guard, and provoking him into indulge his vulnerabilities like never before.

Bitte Orca was the last time that it seemed like the possibilities were endless for DP. While the 2012 follow-up, Swing Lo Magellan, is still the last great record that they released, there was a weariness that had set in by that point. It was the sound of a band seeming to acknowledge that they had taken their sound as far as it could go, and were deliberately pairing things back to focus on texture, rhythm, and melody without really trying to radically shift their approach. The songs are great, but they work neatly within the parameters that the band had already built for themselves. Angel Deradoorian left the band before recording on Swing Lo Magellan began, and after the subsequent tour the band remained dormant for several years without any hint of their future plans. It was later confirmed after Longstreth returned with the single “Keep Your Name” in the fall 0f 2016 that he and Coffman broke up towards the end of 2012, and it wasn’t until early 2017 that Longstreth, having resurrected DP as a solo project, released the follow-up to Swing Lo Magellan in the form of a self-titled album that chronicled their messy breakup over glitchy art pop and r&b.

While a refreshing, much needed sonic overhaul, the self-titled record pales in comparison to the full-band LPs preceding it, and the most recent record from the project, Lamp Lit Prose, which was recorded with a new band that includes Nat Baldwin who played bass from Rise Above through Swing Lo Magellan, is a fairly lackluster, watered down approximation of what they had already accomplished superbly on Bitte Orca. There are a few bright spots, and some welcome featured vocal performances from Robin Pecknold, Rostam, and Syd, but while the band have undeniably strong live chemistry the songs pale dramatically to the previous heights that the previous full-band iteration of DP accomplished. It doesn’t seem likely that DP have another great record in them, but it would be a mistake to completely write Longstreth off so easily. Though he has nothing left to prove at this point, if he ever felt so inclined or inspired, greatness could be within reach for him once more. And if not, thankfully, 10 years from its release Bitte Orca still sounds fresh, exciting, and revitalizing. While it seems kind of unfathomable that something so idiosyncratic and unabashedly forward-thinking could gain the kind of adoration in today’s critical landscape that it did in 2009, the album gleefully avoids feeling like a relic of the trends of that time. Bitte Orca simply exists as a classic, inimitable work of masterful collaboration and ambition.

Essentials: “Useful Chamber”, “Two Doves”, “Stillness Is the Move”

#dirty projectors #bitte orca #domino records

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