#Lessing and Vigil in the corner: “You can get promoted?”

[therwriter]

*walking down the corridor in Rhodes Island"

"Oh hey Rosmontis, how's it going? O-oh, your E2 promotion? Oh, I'm sorry kiddo, we just don't have the resources right now! But as soon as we do, you'll be first in line!"

*Ray walks past, E2 medal prominently on display*

"...You know, it's really because I don't approve of you fighti-" *I am obliterated by a chunk of bulkhead moving at mach 10*

[refurbishedgray]

Point of Contact

Reader x Tech. Maybe we get feisty and it’s reader x Crosshair, too. In this house, we like both.

Multi-part fic; probably NSFW; f!reader (she/her pronouns)

**Updates: I’ll tag you if you holler

Summary:

“No good ever comes to the Republic from Banking Clan business,” Hunter tells them, “Let’s get this done and get home, boys.”

Arriving on Scipio with the unhelpful directive of, “be discreet, but do whatever it takes,” the Bad Batch find themselves at the mercy of a stony representative whose allegiances lie with the best deal.

Or, the one where Tech and Crosshair think the reader is as intense as she is pretty.

**************************************

Part One

The office is too empty, too bright. The merciless glare of Scipio’s sun cuts across the room, gleaming unpleasantly from the gilded corners of all the fine furniture and glass. A corner office, inherited from an out-maneuvered relic of the past. 

All light and no warmth, you think, not for the first time. Never any warmth. In your early years with the Banking Clan, being stationed here had felt suspiciously like a punishment you hadn’t deserved, a proving ground when you had already proven so much. These days, however, you’ve come to understand that the frigid peaks standing vigil beyond your window are a reminder of how far you have climbed.

Now, as you shift in your chair, the expensive Corellian leather barely squeaking beneath you, you squint past the harsh light filtering in from the floor to ceiling window at your back. It’s all pristine snow on those peaks. Icy. Easy to slip if the cold didn’t kill you first.

Yes, you had climbed and clawed your way up these proverbial mountains. And like the man who last haunted this office, it has left you with so very far to fall.

The early days had been simpler. Smile. Look pretty. Never forget what can be saved for later. You hadn’t forgotten. Beyond the pale blue sky, twinkling out of sight, are worlds fraught with battles, littered with unsuccessful or unlucky tacticians from two sides of a conflict that won’t ever be ended, not truly. You have always preferred to keep your strategizing corporate. Clean. 

A frown drags at the corners of your mouth at the uncharacteristic foray into reminiscence of the…

The…

A phrase comes to mind and you allow yourself a small, private smile against the sunlight. The bad old days. 

Since then, things have always been kept tidy.

Until now. 

An unwanted spur of concern digs in behind your chest as your gaze turns from the window to sweep over the room. To your dismay, you realize why, and realize too clearly that the concern is not solely for yourself. 

He should be here.

Things were less empty when he was around, a relic in his own right and your pride and joy and confidant. How proud you had been when you had been informed that you would require a bodyguard. “A mark of success if there ever was one,” you had told the few family members you kept in contact with, of which there were very few, upon being informed of the recommendation after your previous promotion. “Aren’t you proud?” you had wanted to ask. But you had not asked. Better not to make the query when the answer was always so heavy and obvious. 

He had become your one and only friend. But he, too, is absent now, and upon permitting the observation, your office seems at once less empty and instead, guttingly, horribly hollow. Two rotations it’s been. Two rotations to give into the inconvenience of noticing.  

No, no, you think. You had noticed. Admitting it, that is the phrase that would be more accurate, but if it makes you feel less or more weak, you find you cannot decipher the bitterness creeping up your tongue.

Rising from your seat, you at once miss the meager warmth provided by the leather as the cool office air licks at you. Once upon a time, you had comforted yourself with the promise that one day, you would get used to the cold here. It was one of the few lies you allotted yourself over the years. Crossing the office, the marble floors as white and frosted as the mountain peaks outside resounding crisply beneath your heels, you make your way to the small bar trolley tucked away in one corner. Your last guest, a senator with strong -- unsubtly strong -- ties to the Clan, had complimented your selection of fine whiskeys and other alcohols. You had not admitted then that you did not keep the bar stocked for the guests who were few and far between, but rather for yourself, to chase away the damnable chill in this place. 

Your hand stills between decanters, your mind hesitating at the threatening burn that awaits your selection.

A bad habit.

You can imagine that peculiar modulated voice now. “Madam, the faces you make.”

Instead, you shun the alcohol and the ice that never thaws, yet still gets replaced each morning, now resting in a round chest, as gilded as everything else in this room, and reach for the Felucian pear juice. Duller, perhaps, but you don’t need anymore guilt on your conscience. 

A sip, then two, settles a gnawing in your stomach you only notice once it passes. 

Intolerable, you muse, downing what remains in the glass. The beverage is sweet, almost as sweet as the air outside is cold. Too quiet. Where are -

A rush of air and sliding metal breaks the silence. Glass in hand, your eyes narrow over the rim at the assistant who scuttles in. This one has been particularly insipid since her arrival. The daughter of someone marginally important, she is small and hunched shouldered -- she hasn’t learned, not like you did, and a part of you suspects she never will. 

She stops just short of where the tile begins and as she does, your eyes track down her uniform to a pair of shoes that have never been polished. Stars help her. 

In a quavering voice, she asks, “Madam?”

You raise a brow. 

“We’ve received word. The transport with the troopers has requested permission to land. They’re on their way.”

You set the glass aside, gingerly, its bottom barely clacking against the tray atop the cart. Republic troopers. A battering ram when a scalpel is needed. 

“Ah, the Senate’s grand favor,” you murmur. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

So many years spent with watchful eyes on you has made you good at hiding your frustrations. You swallow a sigh before it ever rises and allow yourself a brief moment to thumb the crystalline edge of the glass. The senator had warned you. 

Your voice is quiet as you instruct the girl, “Get out.”

She scurries gracelessly back through the door. It is an improvement; the last time she had squeaked pitifully before leaving. Perhaps you should have enjoyed the alcohol while you could. If this goes badly, all these nice things, all this luxury will be reassigned, a new name on the door. Such is the way of things -- you know the warnings well.  

Until forty-eight hours ago, they had been going so smoothly. An unfamiliar voice at the back of your mind whispers at you. Had you gotten complacent? You never get complacent. You had been warned for star’s sake. Senator Clovis had been all too clear that vaults here on Scipio were being targeted. You had taken that to mean the transports would be targeted as well. Credits were valuable, gold was valuable, as were artifacts and treasures. The Clan stored it all.  

But most valuable of all were and would always be secrets.

And secrets...you were very good at secrets. Finding them. Keeping them. Exposing them. 

The hand on the glass tightens and through touch or through sound, you sense that just a little more pressure will splinter it. Gently, you lift your fingers. 

You’ve got enough messes to clean up already.

.

…………….

.

Two of his brothers look unhappy. Hunter suspects he, too, looks unhappy. Only Crosshair remains unaffected, toothpick lolling from one corner of the man’s thin mouth to the other as he watches the sky shift from icy atmo to the very tips of craggy mountains. 

“Looks cold,” rumbles Wrecker from his seat, thick legs kicking out miserably. “Nobody said it was gonna be cold.”

From the pilot’s chair, Tech glances at Hunter, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat. Now that Hunter can see him full-on, rather than that goggle-obscured side-profile of his, he realizes that he’d been right. Even Tech is unhappy with the assigned locale. Still, the man sniffs and turns back to navigating the gunship.

“It is Scipio,” says Tech. 

“What’s that got to do with anything? Just sayin’, a little warning might’ve been nice.”

Crosshair shifts, the movement almost imperceptible, just enough that Hunter knows the sniper is asking for his attention. “I believe Hunter was preoccupied with warning us about the...what was it you called them, Hunter? Denizens?” 

“The word does have an apt connotation for the Banking Clan,” Tech mutters. He gives Hunter another look, this one says that he’s no more excited about the prospect than Hunter has been. 

Their mission brief had been a strange one. It wasn’t their usual brand of run-and-gun from the sound of things, but it was important to all the right people, and they needed guaranteed success. “Go to Scipio, meet the point of contact, establish the responsible party, recover the stolen data.” It was more or less all they had been told. 

Hunter knows his frown is getting deeper, sinking into the lines on his face -- he can feel it pulling at his bandana, and he raises a hand to scrub it away.

“Who is this contact anyway?” asks Crosshair. “You never said.”

“Because I wasn’t told a name. We’re to meet with the, and I quote, ‘Principal Trades Specialist for the InterGalactic Banking Clan.’”

“Trades specialist?” Crosshair plucks his toothpick from between his teeth and for a moment, it takes Hunter longer than he would like to decipher the look on the man’s face. He doesn’t look unhappy...he looks intrigued. Crosshair replaces the toothpick, then says, “Sounds like a fancy way of saying ‘corporate spy.’”

“Head corporate spy,” Tech says, “If he’s - “

“She, from what I’m told,” corrects Hunter. His frown has yet to go anywhere, so he lets it stay, his hand falling to his lap.

Tech nods. “If she is based here on Scipio, we’re dealing with someone who needs to be watched closely. Some important players are based on this planet.”

Crosshair folds his arms. “Did the spy part give it away, Tech?”

“The Banking Clan part, actually,” Tech replies dryly, “We’ve dealt with spies before. The IGBC is something different. It is...new territory.”

“We’ve also dealt with new territory before.” At this, Hunter hears them all shift, their quick heartbeats settling into a familiar, all’s-well rhythm. His, too, follows. Just in time, it would seem, for the comms to squawk at them as the Marauder banks left and begins its final descent to the landing pad. He stands from the co-pilots seat, the faint tilt of the floor beneath him a familiar calm before the inevitable storm. He looks to Wrecker, who shakes his head, and then offers a grin. 

“Might be fun. Never clobbered bad guys with snowballs before.”

There’s a snort from Tech and despite himself, Hunter smiles. 

.

**************************************

.

Ten minutes later, they are suited up and disembarking into a cloud of snow flurries and ice crystals. The Banking Clan’s guards are as heavily armored as some of the Separatist patrols Hunter’s encountered. He scowls beneath his helmet. This should be a job for Jedi -- if the Jedi weren’t all dispatched to the war front.   

Soldiers...they don’t deal with these sorts of people. Not well and not effectively. Too much bad blood between the Republic and profiteers like these.

He motions at his brothers to close ranks, their familiar presences a comforting reminder that this isn’t anything new, not really. It’s a mission like any other. 

As the frosted cloud clears ahead of them, the guards, in their gilt armor and insulated cloaks, make way, too much way, Hunter thinks, for the clearance to be for a group of Republic troopers.

Then he sees her.

Half camouflaged by the swirling winds and clad in half a dozen shades of gray and silver, her shoulders draped in white fur, she stands waiting for them, her hands clasped serenely in front of her. She could be a diplomat, a Jedi even, if not for the gleam in her eye. It’s a cold thing, sharper and as frostbitten as this frozen world itself. 

He’s not the only one to have noticed. Beside him, Hunter hears Crosshair draw in an appreciative breath so quiet no one without incredible senses would notice it. In his periphery, he catches an almost imperceptible twitch of Tech’s helmet as his brother spares him a questioning glance. 

When the woman speaks, her voice is crisp, professional. “Clone Force 99, welcome.” She does not smile, but her eyes track to each of them, lingering too long, as though somehow looking past the armor to the men beneath. She introduces herself with a name that sounds too soft for the title she wears. Then, she gives them a crystalline smile. “But you may call me Trader, if you please.”

“Trader?” It is Wrecker who asks the question, finally distracted from the snow and ice. “Sounds like…”

Another smile, this one not quite as cool as the first. Amused, Hunter thinks, though how benign that amusement is, he can’t tell, and it makes his skin itch beneath his blacks. “Like traitor?” she hums. “I suppose it does, doesn’t it?” 

She steps aside and gestures at them to follow. “With me, gentlemen. First, we’ve a meeting. Afterwards, we will take a tram to the vaults, then from there, speeders to the site of the incident.”

“‘Incident’ is an awful clean way to say ‘bloody heist,’” says Hunter as he moves to follow. Her gaze slides to him, her stride never slowing. Shoulder to shoulder with the woman, he has the uncomfortable instinct to slow his steps, to lag behind, as though if he isn’t careful, a blade might slide between his ribs on a blink. He pushes aside the urge, then asks, “How many people were lost?”

“Enough,” she replies. “One could even say too many.”

“But not you?”

“Must someone say something for you to believe they think it?”

Behind him, Crosshair snorts, but does not comment. Hunter lets the statement slide, though the itch he’d felt earlier is heating to a burn now. Together, she leads them through a set of gleaming durasteel doors into a foyer as stark as it is grand. 

“Proceed through those doors.” She crooks a finger to their left. “Senator Amidala has requested a meeting in...eighteen minutes. I will join you shortly.”

Wrecker whistles, the sound too sharp to come from beneath his helmet, and Hunter glances back to see that the man has removed it, his one good eye roving the pristine interior. With a sigh, Hunter follows suit. It’s not exactly warm here, but out from the planet’s whipping winds, it’s close enough that even he can fool his sensitive skin into enjoying it. Soon, they are all unmasked. The woman - Trader - lingers long enough to observe them.

Her expression is...unreadable. There is no twinkle of bemusement in her eyes, not the first twitch of surprise. Normally, when the helmets come off, it gets at least some sort of reaction, gives him some kind of measure. 

Now, the only read Hunter gets is the fact that he can’t get a read on her -- and that, he doesn’t like. There’s no trusting people who have become so numb. 

Her gaze slips between Crosshair and Tech, where it lingers on the latter for seconds longer than it had the rest of them. Something in her frigid eyes warms, the ice of her expression cracking just enough that she might be pleased by what she sees. And Tech...for all his usual detachment, has no datapad to bury his nose in now, and he notices. 

Hunter thinks the woman lets him notice. 

His brother stands a little straighter, eyes flicking nervously to Hunter behind his goggles. Stumped, for lack of a better word. For once, flat out puzzled. 

Then, without a word, Trader looks back to Hunter and inclines her head. “Stay warm, gentlemen. I will see you soon.”

She is gone behind a pair of adjacent doors without another word. 

No sooner do they watch the durasteel whisper shut, than does Wrecker drive his arm into Tech’s side with a chuckle. Tech winces with a hiss and waves the man away. 

“Heh, she likes you.”

“I hoped it was my imagination.” Crosshair’s lip curls, his eyes narrowing until he looks away, and Hunter wonders if they’ve been reflected back at him through the shine of Tech’s goggles.

Tech runs a hand over the back of his head. “What do you think, Hunter?”

“I think she’s Banking Clan, through and through. We’re not among friends here.”

“If we let her alone with Tech, things might get friendlier -”

“Wrecker.” 

Hunter scowls. Another voice has echoed his own and he looks to see Crosshair, arms folded, rocking back on a foot to glare at the wampa-sized man. 

Tech clears his throat. “Perhaps we should wait in the briefing room?”

His heart rate, harder to hear away from the tight confines of the Marauder, sounds schoolboy quick and Hunter wishes, not for the first time, that his brother was more inclined to find company in their off-duty hours than he was. Pretty faces were fine - Hunter himself was inclined to enjoy them - but something about the mask this one wore was dangerous.

Wrecker’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. “Did she say Senator Amidala was waiting?”

“She did. The commander warned us the Senate was at play here.”

“That’s not our usual playground though, is it?” Crosshair is still scowling, his arms folded more tightly now than they had been. All that characteristic suspicion exacerbated by annoyance that has set in and won’t leave him. It makes his eyes hard, his narrow features sharpened and cold beneath the glare of sunlight on durasteel. 

Hunter shakes his head. “It’s not, but I feel better knowing Amidala’s behind us on this.”

“That makes one of us,” says Crosshair.

“Two,” Tech interrupts, his voice crisp; back to himself, Hunter realizes, his relief warm down to his fingertips, until he isn’t sure why he’d been worried in the first place.

“Three! I like Amidala.” 

“We know, Wrecker.” Tech’s smile is gentle, even as he rolls his eyes. “The poster by your bed speaks for itself.” 

Hunter’s gaze slides to his remaining brother, the smile that had spread turning crooked, then fading. “Crosshair?” 

It’s always been an unsettling characteristic of Crosshair’s that his eyes, as brown as all of theirs, manage to be so very cold when the mood hits him. The look in them is not unlike what he had witnessed in the woman. 

The observation tightens Hunter’s throat and he swallows it, turning away, and hopes not to notice it again.

[jessica-doom]

Draco had trust issues. He was prone to jealousy and could be, admittedly, a bit psychotic. He was definitely also a clueless git. He had issues believing anyone could love him for the person he was. He had issues. That was the plain and simple of it. And those issues caused likely irreparable problems.

"Do you ever even listen to me?"

It wasn't the shouting or raised voice that caused Draco to flinch. It wasn't the fact that his eardrums were ringing or that spit flecked his face. It was the words. It was the pure hate hiding behind them. It was the way they made him feel deep in that crevice where the jealousy and the issues and the problems lived. He flinched because he felt those words hit him right at the center of everything. And he felt that center feasting on the one good thing he had left in his life – tainting it until it was something he no longer recognized.

It wasn't until he registered the slamming of the front door that Draco fully realized he'd lost the fight. And, potentially, more. With that door closed so resolutely between them, he'd lost the chance to plead his case. To defend himself and swear up and down that he did listen. Of course he listened.

How could he not listen when passion laced every breath Harry Potter ever spoke? How could he not want to train his eyes on those lips, memorizing every syllable that passed through them? Even when the words were nothing but drunken babble, they were still laced with everything Amortentia smelled like.

There really was no telling if Harry was ever going to come back. He had no real reason to.

One of his jumpers was still in Draco's wardrobe, but that was something he could probably live without. Even if Draco couldn't because it reminded him of the night they both slipped on ice while coming home from the market. It reminded him of the deep red blush on Harry's face as they watched cans of soup roll out into traffic. It reminded him of the dopey smile on that man's face as he tried to gather the rest of the food, shoving it in the pockets of the jumper. It reminded him of that deep-bellied laugh Draco earned when he tried to 'help' by loading up the hood with now-bruised apples.

Harry had a toothbrush by the bathroom sink, as well. It was green – an intentional choice made by Draco. The green of the man's eyes was ingrained behind his own closed lids like a permanent background to his everyday thoughts. The bristles of the brush were fanning out, flattening from vigilant use. At first Draco had found it insulting that Harry would always go for the toothbrush after they'd been intimate. It felt like he was trying to scrub clean some sort of dirty feeling Draco left within him. But the longer time stretched on and the more he saw the ritual, the more comfort it instilled within him personally. He would lie back in his bed, fresh with their mingled musk, watching it unfold through the open door while his mouth watered for the minty kiss that would soon follow when Harry climbed back in beside him. Nuzzling into him like there was nowhere else he would rather be.

The only other notable thing Harry left in the small, cramped flat was the ghost of himself. Every crack and corner of Draco's home was filled with the memory of the man he had come to love more than anything he could remember even dreaming for his life. Memories of where he'd sat, where they'd shagged, where they'd sunk to the floor in the kitchen and just…talked about absolutely nothing and everything all at once. Draco couldn't even grab a mug from the cupboard without some wanton thought pushing its way into his mind.

Draco didn't know if Harry was ever coming back. He didn't know if he was ever going to get a second chance. And he would rightly deserve it if he didn't. He had always been and would likely always be at least a bit of a prick. It was coded into his genetics. But he was trying. He was trying so. Damn. Hard. He'd never tried harder at anything he'd ever done than to be the kind of person Harry Potter could be proud of.

"He's probably not coming back," Draco muttered. The universe had been hanging in a precarious balance since the two of them even thought about dating. Just tipped enough to allow a glimpse into a reality that should never exist. Just enough for a taste. Just enough for Draco to get his fill of 'what if's and 'maybe's. Just enough for him to taste it and crave more.

All before everything tilted back to normal and everything he'd grown comfortable in was ripped from his grasp.

"For Salazar's sake, Malfoy, stop being so dramatic," he countered with and pushed up from his collapsed state on the sofa. "If he comes back then fine. Fine. If he doesn't…. You'll deal with it. But if he comes back…." If Harry Potter decided Draco Malfoy was miraculously still worth his time, Draco wanted to show him everything. Everything. And he wanted it to be perfect. So to fill that growing, consuming void inside, Draco set himself to work.

It was nearing on midnight when Draco finally heard the knock on his door. The weight of an entire bottle of merlot made him reluctant to answer at all. But his hard work nagged at him and he honestly didn't know if he would get another chance if he screwed this one up. Swaying just a bit, he pulled the door open and tried to very casually lean in the doorway. The wine in his bloodstream, however, skewed his execution. Instead of leaning, he practically fell against the frame. Massaging his shoulder with a mild blush, he found it rather difficult to meet Harry's waiting eyes.

"You're drunk."

With mild confidence and a bitten back smirk, Draco pulled in the familiar stench of Canadian whisky. "As are you…." With just the inkling of an upturned lip, Draco chanced a glance upward. Harry wasn't smiling and a second later neither was he. "Why'd you come back?"

Harry shrugged, his body language matching his fixed frown. "We didn't finish our fight."

"You finished," Draco said slowly, stepping back to allow the other entrance into his flat. "Will you allow me the chance to have my say?" Neither of them would have been humbled enough to allow this sober. That was likely a red flag they were both pointedly ignoring. But since they were both rather gone, Harry stepped in with a proud nod and Draco slowly closed the door behind him. His nerves were dancing, even though he had been working towards this moment for hours. "It took several warming charms, but I think everything is still ready," he muttered, trying to funnel Harry toward the dining table.

"I'm…I'm not really hungry?" Harry replied, looking absolutely confused even as he settled into a chair. On the table were no less than ten plates of food all covered in magical bubbles. "Your side of our fights doesn't usually come with a menu."

Sitting as far across the table from Harry as possible, Draco reached into the center and poked the bubble covering one of the dishes. It dissipated with a flashy billow of smoke, filling the room with the butteriness of hot water crust pastry. "I'm not fighting. Not really. The only fighting I plan to do is for you, I suppose…." Again, if he had been sober, such corny words would never have come out of his mouth. "Pie and mash from Broadway Market."

For a moment, Harry merely blinked. His mouth flapped open and closed, but he didn't take his eyes from the platter. "Why?" was all he could say and even that barely squeaked out through obvious emotion.

Draco's merlot-slicked lips finally quirked into a comfortable smile. "Because I listen, Potter. When you were young, your aunt and uncle couldn't get anyone to watch you for one of their long weekend trips to London, so they had to take you along. For lunch one of those days, you all went to Broadway Market and as a joke, your cousin made you eat pie and mash without telling you what it was. You ended up being allergic to eel. It was an eventful trip, to say the least."

"So you listened to one of my sad childhood stories. Am I supposed to give you some sort of prize for that?"

With how badly he'd messed up, Draco wasn't really expecting it to be that easy. But the crass way in which Harry spoke still stung. Sighing softly, he reached out and popped another bubble. "Treacle tart."

"Everybody knows it's my favorite dessert."

"But does everybody know you ate two entire tarts on your twentieth birthday? Or that you vomited it all up after getting sloshed on shit vodka?" Harry stayed silent, probably running through his mind whether that was public knowledge or not. Taking advantage of the silence, Draco continued on as he continued to pop more bubbles. "I know you don't like peanut butter because it gives you gas. And I know you think the white parts of candy canes taste better for some reason. I know you lost your virginity to the little Weasette shortly after she graduated and afterward you cried in the bathroom with an entire pack of Walker's because that was supposed to be the one easy thing in your life and even that wasn't right. I know your favorite foods and your favorite brand of toilet tissue. And I know you hate the Prophet with your life even though you still read it every morning – but only because I pay for a subscription anyway.

"I knew about your promotion. And I knew about the ceremony. I know you wanted me to be there. I also know that absolutely everyone who is important at the Ministry was also going to be there. And that all of those people do not like me or the fact that we're dating. I know all of this because I listen to you. And I know…that if I had gone to that ceremony, everything would have become about me…when it should have been about you. So that's why I didn't go. Not because I don't listen to you, Harry, but because I was trying to be…nice. Or considerate.

"I listen to you. It's important to me that you know that."

Harry's face remained stoic. He didn't flinch past the initial confusion and Draco was honestly certain he might not care. That his being here might just be a matter of drunken circumstance. Their whole relationship started off as such. Harry never would have given Draco a chance in the first place if it hadn't been for the pliant effects of alcohol. It only seemed fitting that alcohol should be there for the end of them, too.

The silence stretched on too long. Long enough that Draco just didn't think he could stand it any longer. And that was humiliating. Deciding to call it – his grand gesture being nothing more than a fruitless effort – he stood, chair legs screeching on the wood floor and echoing the turmoil he wanted to scream out. He couldn't find the words any longer. All he could muster was the will to walk past Harry, saying goodbye to the best thing in his life with a casual swipe of his fingers through the man's ever-messy hair.

"I love you, too, Draco."

That happy smile pushed itself back onto Draco's face before he could even think about stopping it. And all he wanted for the rest of his life was to listen to this man say those words over and over again.

[luxurycabo20]

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Reason #2: Charter Yacht Maintenance

Anybody acquainted with yachting knows that nothing can go downhill quicker than a vessel coasting on salt or new water that isn't kept up. Perhaps the greatest issue is the scent. Regardless of whether from something unsanitary in the bilge, buildup, shape or even spilled fuel, all smell on board are common because of poor support and can destroy your contract get-away.

Any vessel in a tropical or warm sanction area is sitting and preparing under the blistering sun. The sun can blur structure paint, cause a fine film on the body surface, cause the varnish to strip and cause upholstery, canopies, and sails if a boat, to blur and the strands to debilitate. Water, salt, or new, can take a few structures rust, cause harm to any of the inside or outside hardware, and make buildup and shape. Indeed, even on a 50 - 60' yacht being offered for the manned contract, there ought to be two full-time groups on board to offer assistance for sanction, obviously, however to likewise, in the middle of contracts, continually keep up and clean from bow to harsh. On the outside, the structure ought to continually be washed, cleaned or painted, teak cleaned or re-varnished, any chrome or impeccable cleaned, and textures cleaned or supplanted if necessary. On the inside, all frameworks ought to be continually kept up and cleaned, the motor the room ought to be immaculate, wood ought to be finished, painted or oiled, all upholstery and covering cleaned or supplanted if necessary, form and buildup killed, and even the most diminutive corner ought to be cleaned, with a toothbrush and q-tip if fundamental.

Anything spilled or dropped in the inside consistently winds up in the bilge, making a smell or potentially stopping up a sifter, so steady inside cleaning is fundamental. What's more, obviously, all inside products, for example, materials, towels, cutlery, and dishes, ought to be new and clean, having been supplanted when worn. A little 50' vessel that contracts for less cash than a bigger 150' vessel should in any case look similarly as perfect and new. A more established vessel should look similarly as spotless and new as a fresher vessel. A lower spending vessel should look similarly as perfect and new as a higher spending vessel. Regardless of what the sanction financial plan, nothing offered manned contract merits spending a penny, substantially less a great many pennies, if not spotless and new.

The shading handout and photographs appeared on the web promoting for ran contract may have photographs taken when the vessel was fresh out of the plastic new, and just propelled. That equivalent pontoon captured and appeared on the web when just propelled, plant new, may, if not looked after appropriately, look and even smell significantly diversely one year later. A certified Yacht Charter Broker will stay informed concerning the support of all yachts offered for the manned contract.

Reason #3: Charter Crew

The group offered for the maintained sanction is significant also, as the Charterer will be living ready for the team for the term of the contract. Group ought to be too kept up as the yacht, it could be said. Regularly groups, on a maintained contract, are wearing a team uniform, which ought to be perfect and clean. The condition of the team uniform can likewise be a clue regarding the expert degree of the group. The team ought to be all around prepared and skilled. In the event that nourishment is offered, the administration ought to be first-rate, and the nourishment ought to be at the publicized gourmet level utilizing new fixings and a great introduction. Inside help can be loose or equal to 5-star lodging administrations, contingent upon the size of the vessel and the administration level promoted. A certified Yacht Charter Broker will check to guarantee that the contract group on board is knowledgeable inappropriate sanction administration, present well, and are benevolent and affable.

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[hollowboobtheory]

Do you have any headcanons that explain the whole Anders Vigil's Keep fiasco? I'm trying to write fanfic but I guarantee if my Warden was still alive and anywhere within range of Vigil's Keep there would be no force powerful enough to stop her from straight up destroying anyone who tried to take Pounce or impose Templars on her super pro free mage warden keep. Where was she? How could this happen? How did they avoid invoking her wrath? I just can't figure out a good explanation.

ok strap in there’s a lot here.

i’m gonna level with you, i’ve never read the short story, and i never plan to. i think i’ve gathered everything i need through osmosis and it sounds, quite frankly, dumb as fuck. not to mention like, if that had happened, i feel like anders would be a lot less in favor of bethany joining the wardens tbqh

so i decided that instead of all that bullshit, anders left because he couldn’t handle being surrounded by death 24/7 because let me tell you my warden (ashirril mahariel) LOVES being a warden. she kinda resented duncan for conscripting her at first because he basically told her there were two ways to go, either she takes the joining and becomes a warden, or the taint will run its course and he’ll have no choice but to do his duty. because she had been fully turned for like a week by the time duncan found her. like gone full darkspawn. totally succumbed to The Calling. but she was able to stop herself from tearing into him and ask for help and he was amazed that she was so far gone and still able to come back and show some lucidity. also i’ve switched her and alistair’s roles because with their dynamic ash should have been the one who was already a gray warden. she’s just like, the universal big sister. 

but yeah anyway there was a point in bownammar after two weeks straight of nonstop killing and living off of tainted deep mushrooms and raw lyrium after she succumbs to exhaustion and she’s being force fed dwarven flesh and hespith is begging for death and ash literally has to use it as a bargaining chip to get her to tell her what’s going on and she finds alistair and she gets that second wind and kills every darkspawn and broodmother in the trenches and she’s like fuck it this is my calling it’s what i was put on thedas to do so she just like. THRIVES on death and darkness. and she just kind of assumed anders would eventually turn that corner as well since she sees a lot of her younger self in him. (i’m also fucking with the timelines so that he was 20-ish when he joined and she was 24-25) (kinda young for a commander but she killed an archdemon and lived so nobody’s questioning her) (bc during the blight she decided ‘well as the highest ranking surviving gray wardem i’m promoting myself to commander’) (also he was with them for 4 years before leaving for kirkwall and living there for another year before he met hawke who had been there for 6 years)

also keep in mind the way i build anders, he gets NO offensive spells. pure healer. he’s not a Death person, he’s a Life person. in-universe that translates to “yeah i know the basic elemental summoning spells they teach every kid in the circle but other than that i’m useless in a straight fight.” and this is a deliberate choice on his part because he knew the less offensive magic he knows the less he’s going to get forced into being a human weapon in the Chantry’s next crusade. because anders does not want to fight, he does not like fighting, and he definitely does not want to be used as a weapon. and he never turns that corner. (neither does alistair and that’s why ash made him king) 

also the gray wardens are a hivemind and can hear each other’s thoughts which is why they tend to travel in smaller groups and it also means they get REAL close REAL fast in a sibling kind of way so there’s virtually no fraternizing within the wardens but also the warden stamina and the warden appetite go beyond just fighting and eating ifyouknowhatimean and a) it’s weird that everybody can “hear” you having sex and Knows. he’s not embarrassed because, hey, Circle, but it’s weird and b) it fucking sucks hearing everybody fucking else having sex EVERY. NIGHT. FOR GODDAMN HOURS ON END. WHEN HE’S JUST TRYING TO SLEEP. 

so he starts thinking “what if i leave, go to kirkwall, bust out my boyfriend, start a real clinic, and thrive?” 

and so he tells her “Hey commander? i’d rather get spitroasted by 2 ogres then have my spine pulled out through my ass than ever set foot in the deep roads again.” 

and she tells him “that’s tough but we need a medic for this so pack up. we’re leaving after breakfast tomorrow.” 

then in the deep roads they get separated and there’s a cave-in and justice gets his body crushed under a falling boulder and he’s like “well guess i’ll die.” but the hurlocks are closing in and anders knows a few shields and that’s the closest to actual battle magic he can do. so he’s like “hey i have an Idea” 

and nate and velanna place bets on whether he’s alive. anders is hurt when he finds out nate bet against him but touched that velanna believed in him

i’ve actually been considering writing a fic where the commander is the one they run into in the deep roads.

so short answer, no, i have headcanons to circumvent the whole thing. idk if any of this helps at all bc i’m at the point where my canon is practically an au. 

[robert-c]

Big Business vs Small Business

I admit to having a love/hate relationship with both sides of this title. 

The Big Business can accomplish things through economies of scale that are completely unthinkable to the small business. Its command of capital makes virtually all significant research and discovery possible because investing in the unknown is both risky and costly, even if the payoff (admittedly most often a long shot) can be huge.

However, Big Businesses tend to be overly conservative, as in risk avoidance. The momentum of what has worked for them in the past tends to blind management from thinking of something new. The people who rise to the top in such a business tend to be unimaginative, status quo keepers. Right up until bankruptcy, the argument that following what we know has been true in the past always seems to make more sense, because it appears to be less risky and in some minds “more prudent”.

While Big Businesses often do get away with treating their employees unfairly, they are the easier to force into compliance with regulations and laws due to their public profile as long as others are willing to make a concerted effort at exposing their illegal behavior. (And as long as the mindless, blind faith believers in the goodness of big business don’t make too much of an impact.)

Small Businesses are the soul of invention and creation. They are often captained by people whose vision was ignored by their former big business employers. Their close contact with their employees, who make their business successful, gives them a chance to ensure their vision is implemented correctly. This contact usually (but alas not always) makes them willing to treat their employees as well as the business can afford. Unfortunately without the resources of the big business, wages and benefits typically suffer by comparison to the larger organization.

At the same time, by virtue of their size, they are often exempt from many regulations put in place to protect applicants and employees from discrimination and to provide minimal employee benefits. Because the Small Business is typically totally owned by a single individual, or family, there are little to no checks and balances to protect against the failings of the owner. The confidence to strike out on one’s own is a rare and special quality; which sometimes can lead to arrogant and egotistical behavior that ignores or discounts the contributions of others, and blocks consideration of any idea or advice that doesn’t originate in their own head. Worse still is the thought that their employees should feel honored and consider it a privilege to help the owner achieve their dreams. All too often they treat the personal lives of employees as if they were somehow under the control of the business because of the presumption that they might reflect poorly on the owner.

I’ve seen some Big Businesses try to act like the small ones. A charismatic CEO seeks to impose his vision on the whole organization and talks the talk of all employees having a stake in the business and the authority to do their jobs as if they “owned the business”. But in practice, the ideas flow only from the top down, others never make it up the chain, and employees soon realize that they can act as if they owned the business only so long as they can successfully act like the CEO would in each case. Not surprisingly, few employees choose to risk their jobs on their ability to “read the mind” of the boss.

While I doubt any Big Business has really managed to capture the nimbleness and commitment of the best of the small businesses, I’m willing to admit to the possibility. At the same time I would be more suspicious the more the business tries to advertise itself that way. Because committing resources to image making is exactly the sort of thing a Big Business can afford to do much more easily than actually becoming that sort of entity.

In my consulting career I had hoped to help Small Businesses by giving them the tools and expertise of the large businesses at rates they could afford. It was my hope and belief that the innovation and enthusiasm of the Small Business coupled with the techniques of the big business could make them even more successful. It was to be the validation of the free enterprise system’s competition mythos beating the power of moneyed big business. Though I had some successes, I discovered that there were a lot more of the Small Businesses that were just the tiny fiefdoms of petty tyrants than there were those who understood the value of consistent policies and procedures.

So here I am, at the end of a long career of trying to be professional and fair and encourage better practices for businesses of all sizes. The harshest lesson I have learned is that egotistical and greedy people out for power and/or money seem to dominate too many of the roles in businesses (big and small) and that it is only law, regulation and vigilance that keeps them from even more disastrous cutting of corners on safety, quality and basic human decency. It isn’t just the decision makers and their cheerleaders who are to blame. It’s also all of the rest of us who fail to realize that “capitalism” can be the incentive for this sort of anti-social behavior, and that even at its very best, it is biased in favor of short term results.

When touting the successes of capitalism let’s not overlook the role public incentive played in some of our greatest and most important developments.

A transcontinental railway, that knitted together a diverse and far flung country, bringing goods from one coast to the other much more rapidly, and spurring all sorts of businesses. Who knows when such an effort would have been completed without land grants to the railroads. In a purely “free market” the payoff would have seemed far off and hard to control especially since so many other businesses (and the people) could potentially benefit from the effort.

The Federal promotion of the Interstate highway system (as a grander follow up to establishment of “US” highways) certainly gave the automotive industry quite a boost; as well as trucking companies, providing viable competition to rail.

The space program and the race to the moon may have been born of a cold war rivalry and image grandstanding, but the innovations engendered by that program kicked computers, satellites and a whole host of technologies into high gear and rapid development. Even beyond the electronics, materials science benefited from the seeds planted in the early research to achieve these goals.

I’m happy when businesses, large or small, can make improvements in the cost or range of options (while keeping the quality) of any good or service. But I’m also mindful that in addition to sometimes needing a boost to move in the right direction, they also sometimes need a brick wall to stop them from moving in another.

Call me whatever name makes you feel comfortable (socialist, communist, etc.); it will only underline your ignorance of their definitions. I am not now, and never will be again, a devotee of laissez faire capitalism. I believe it works best when it is regulated to enforce some consideration for the general welfare and safety of the consumers and employees who actually make a business a success. It succeeds in its promise of a better life and opportunity for all where there are legal disincentives to counter the very real financial incentives to “do it on the cheap”, to play fast and loose with the truth, etc. The excuse of profit cannot be an unimpeachable defense for every decision. As much as we all like to imagine ourselves as powerful individuals, free to act as we wish, perhaps to one day be a “billionaire”, I think it’s time to temper that image with one that is a bit more realistic; one where we acknowledge that almost nothing is accomplished by someone truly on their own and alone, unconnected to others.

Even the “pulp fiction” of the nineteenth century that glorified the possibility of rising to success from humble beginnings recognized “luck” as a factor, (e.g. Horatio Alger’s “Luck and Pluck” among others). So even the myth-makers of this rags to riches version of capitalism acknowledged that other factors had to be in play, beyond hard work and good ideas.

So big business or small there are challenges to do it right.

If you are a Big Business, instead of seeking to be seen as an “employer of choice”, BE that employer. Walk the talk of employees being able to do the right thing for customers on their own decision. Respect the ideas of the professionals who work for the company when they have ideas or reservations about managements’ ideas. Instead of meetings where all we hear about are the grand plans of the executive council, how about basic education about the business and solicitation of ideas about strategies going forward? WHEN these ideas are gathered and evaluated management can come back with a meeting about executive plans with clear answers to why this path was selected over others. NOW with everyone understanding the plan they will be in a better position to support it with their own decisions. And since none of these decisions can be made perfectly, perhaps (humbling as it may seem) management should establish and communicate the criteria which will mean the current strategy has failed and open the discussion up to a new approach. Despite the apparent awkwardness of such an idea, it is a whole lot better than the pretense that nothing has gone wrong, which fools no one you would really want working for you.

If you are a Small Business you may already enjoy the benefit of everyone understanding what the business is about and what needs to be done to succeed. What you need to be mindful of is the lack of attentiveness to ideas from any level of the staff as well as inconsistencies in policies and pay that reflect personal biases.

It truly is my fervent hope that all businesses will be successful by doing the right things by their employees and customers. When they don’t, I consider it a failing of our cultural morality as well as a failure of regulation and law.

[jobsearchtips02]

Philly to require masks; N.J. public schools will reopen in the fall; businesses reopen as Southeastern Pa. en

Latest 2: 30 PM – 06/26/20

Latest ‘I do see people being a little more fearful of sitting inside’

Delaware County business owners welcomed the green phase of reopening with cautious optimism on Friday as gyms, hair salons, and indoor restaurants and bars reopened from the coronavirus shutdown.

In Havertown, a few people enjoyed the warm, sunny weather as they ate lunch outside at Kettle, a daytime cafe on the corner of Brookline Boulevard and West Chester Pike. Inside a propped-open door, owner Sarah Brautigan and manager Marie Stinger talked with a couple servers, who had been called back now that indoor dining was permitted in the region.

“We’re all so excited,” said Brautigan, smiling behind her blue surgical mask.

“We’ve been very successful with outdoor dining,” she added. But “today, I do see people being a little more fearful of sitting inside.”

Between 8 a.m. and noon Friday, Stinger said the cafe sat only five tables inside, with all others requesting outdoor seating. The cafe had offered outside seating in the yellow phase, too.

Across the street, the staff at Dynamic Image Hair Salon had flipped the sign on the door to “Open” for the first time in months. Around it were signs about social distancing and the face mask requirement, as well as a typed-up message that read “We have missed you so much!” Inside, a couple people chatted with hairdressers as they got their hair cut.

A couple doors down, Havertown Health and Fitness owner Mark Rodney showed a sole gym-goer the new cleaning stations and spaced-out machines inside his facility. Business had been steady over the first few hours, Rodney said, not much slower than a typical, pre-pandemic weekday morning at his neighborhood gym. Because he knows most of the members well, he said he doesn’t expect issues with compliance.

In Upper Darby, the famous Llanerch Diner had no customers inside just before lunchtime. Red white and blue balloons lined its entryway, ready to greet diners on its reopening day.

Outside Manoa Tavern a mile away, employees unloaded cases of beer from a truck. Inside the bar, flat-screen TVs were turned to sports reruns.

“Just the setup has been crazy,” said manager Joe Favazza, who said they’d only sat one table as of noon. He expected a few slow days before people start to return to the neighborhood mainstay, he said.

Farther west in Newtown Square, Corinthian Wellness Salon and Spa was doing steady business, even though the chair-less waiting area didn’t show it. They’re taking only two clients at a time for hair styling, and asking customers to call the salon when they pull up so they can be let in.

“I miss the salon environment,” employee Alyssa Boppell said from behind a clear barrier at the reception desk. “Usually this place is loud and bustling.”

American Airlines will book flights to full capacity, ending social distancing efforts

DAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

American Airlines flight 755 from Paris France arrives at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, PA on March 12, 2020.

American Airlines, the most prominent carrier at Philadelphia International Airport, will start booking flights to full capacity next week, ending any effort to promote social distancing on its planes while the United States sets records for new reported cases of the coronavirus.

American’s move matches the policy of United Airlines but contrasts sharply with rivals that limit bookings to create space between passengers to minimize the risk of contagion.

Delta says it is capping seats at about 60% of capacity and Southwest at about 67%, both through Sept. 30. JetBlue says it will leave middle seats empty through July 31 unless the person is traveling with a passenger in an adjoining seat.

Philly health commissioner calls out Archdiocese for loosening mask restrictions

MONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

City of Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, seen here back in March, called for the Archdiocese to require all congregants to wear masks.

Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said he had not seen the new guidance from the Archdiocese, which said that masks would now be recommended rather than required.

“I would hope the Archdiocese would take this very seriously and require everyone in those services to wear masks,” he said.

Farley said that religious services are “particularly high risk” for spreading the coronavirus and noted that several outbreaks of the virus can be linked to religious gatherings.

South Jersey counties experience increase in coronavirus transmissions

ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

Trudy Genna puts her feet up as she relaxes on a bench with husband Vito Genna on a bench in Cape May, N.J. on May 3, 2020.

Burlington, Gloucester, Cape May and Ocean counties are among 16 in the state where transmission rates have increased in recent weeks, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office confirmed Thursday.

Murphy said the state’s overall rate of transmission was dropping slightly, and that he was seeing “a good picture, overall” in terms of hospitalizations and other metrics.

”We are still in the fight. We are still in the war,” Murphy said, urging New Jersey residents to continue social distancing, wearing masks and getting tested for the virus. “This is the fight of our lives.”

‘Today feels wonderful’: Across Bucks Counties, open businesses and happy customers

Vinny Vella / Staff

Bill Patouhas ties a “Welcome Back” sign to a railing outside the Red Lion Diner, the eatery he manages in Horsham, on Friday, June 26, 2020, as Southeastern Pennsylvania counties entered the “green” reopening phase.

Across Bucks County on Friday, businesses that were unable to open previously such as gyms, hair salons and restaurants, were hives of activity.

Crowds of people flocked to the outdoor pools at the Newtown Athletic Club in the borough of the same name while others filed into the nearby gym to work out on machines and treadmills.

Owner Jim Worthington said he was surprised at the high volume of regular customers that returned Friday. His staff at the sister location, the Horsham Athletic Club, spent Friday in a training session, learning how to properly sanitize workout machines ahead of their opening Monday.

“It’s been tremendous,” he said. “I’ve had people come up to me with tears in their eyes. This is a big part of people’s lives, not just fitness but the sense of community and mental health it provides.”

There was a palpable giddiness among people walking the streets in the county, from the small town business corridors in Lower Bucks, to Main Street in Doylestown, the county’s seat.

Lance and Alma Schneider beamed from behind their face masks on their way out of the Red Lion Diner in Horsham. The couple had been making weekly trips down from Point Pleasant, a tiny hamlet near New Hope, to see if the diner had opened its doors.

Their trip Friday finally was successful.

“We’re just so thrilled to be able to get back to our normal routine,” Alma Schneider said as diner manager Bill Patouhas lashed a large “Welcome back” sign to the diner’s outdoor railing.

“But we’re doing so with caution,” she added. “I’m happy people are being sensible, not like the states down south.”

A few miles up Route 611, at Moxie’s Salon in Doylestown, Carmen Tempesta was putting the finishing touches on a hair cut. He said the reopening measures created some obstacles—it’s not exactly easy to cut hair around the elastics of a face mask, and stylists have to take the time completely disinfect their stations between customers. But the entire day’s slot of appointments had been booked well in advance.

“Everyone likes to look good. That’s why you come to the salon, you feel better,” he said. “It’s a part of mental health.”

Marilyn Whitekettle agreed, as Tempesta dried her curls.

“Today feels wonderful, almost like Christmas,” she said. “This is a stressful time, and you need to look to find things to elevate your mood when there’s not much there to elevate it.”

Philly requires masks as city sees increase in new cases

YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney wears a mask ahead of a press conference on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

A second wave of the coronavirus is beginning in Philadelphia, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said Friday as he announced increases in new cases, implemented a requirement for all residents to wear masks, and said he would reconsider whether the city can move into the “green” phase next week.

“Cases in the community are no longer decreasing,” Farley said, as he announced 143 new cases of COVID-19 in Philadelphia residents Friday.

Masks are now mandatory in Philadelphia for people at all indoor public places or when outdoors near people who are not members of one’s own household, Farley said.

Philadelphia officials will reconsider moving into the “green” phase next week and allowing more businesses to open.

“‘We are going to reconsider and determine what, if anything, of that next batch can reopen on Friday,” he said.

Farley said that some additional activities could reopen safely “if we are really vigilant about the mask use.” But others, such as indoor dining at restaurants, may not be able to resume.

City officials had set a target of reaching 80 cases per day in order to move into the “green” phase of reopening. In the past week the daily case count has averaged more than 100, Farley said.

“I don’t think [new cases] are rising fast, but they do appear to be increasing,” he said.

Farley said officials have noted spikes in teens ages 16 to 19, which appear to be linked to social gatherings.

And as cases rise at a faster rate in many other states, Farley said that wave “will inevitably hit Philadelphia to some degree.”

New Jersey schools will reopen in the fall

JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

School in New Jersey, like the Octavius V. Catto Community School, In Camden, will reopen in the fall at least part-time, the state announced on Friday.

New Jersey public school students will receive in-person instruction at least part-time come fall, the state education department said in guidance issued to districts Friday.

School systems will have wide latitude in exactly what school looks like in the fall, but must meet minimum guidelines, including social distancing, temperature checks, contact tracing, mandatory face coverings for school staff and visitors, with masks strongly encouraged for students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While educators did strong work shifting from in-person to remote instruction once Gov. Phil Murphy ordered New Jersey schools closed March 18 as the coronavirus bore down on the region, students need to return to classrooms in whatever way possible, Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet said.

Plans, which must be announced no less than four weeks prior to the start of the school year, will be developed locally, in collaboration with the community, officials said. That’s likely to mean that some districts might opt for students attending school on alternating days and others on alternating weeks. Others may use space creatively to bring some groups of students into buildings daily.

Students and adults who exhibit symptoms will be told to self-isolate. If they test positive, schools will notify local health officials, staff and families.

‘It’s nice to feel normal’: King of Prussia Mall opens for the first time in over three months

YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Shoppers enter and leave the King of Prussia Mall on Friday, June 26, 2020. The King of Prussia Mall reopened today, after a 10 week coronavirus shut down.

For the first time in more than three months, shoppers strolled through the King of Prussia Mall Friday, enjoying a change of scenery as Philadelphia and its surrounding counties officially entered the green phase of reopening.

Although nearly half of the mall’s 400 stores were still shuttered, shoppers clutched bags filled with clothes and shoes — finally enjoying the experience in person rather than online for the first time since the mall closed from the coronavirus on March 14. While parking lots appeared full, the groups inside were sparse, with more than enough space to spread out as they walked around.

Reminders of health precautions were posted all around the mall, which is the largest in the country. Masks are required for all employees and customers , and entrances have been limited to monitor who comes in. Employees must also have their temperatures taken daily.

The bathrooms only allow for every other sink to be used, and stickers on the floor remind people to move one way and stay six feet apart.

Ellie Rushing / Staff

Staffers at American Eagle Outfitters at the King of Prussia Mall celebrated the store’s reopening with balloons and energetically greeting customers with extra masks and hand sanitizer. “Welcome back, fam!” said a sign outside the store.

Stores that did reopen, like Madewell, Lululemon, and Footlocker, hoisted “We’re open!” signs in their windows. American Eagle Outfitters celebrated the big day with balloons and energetic staffers greeting customers with extra masks and hand sanitizer. Meanwhile, the stores surrounding it, like Zara, Steve Madden, and Lilly Pulitzer, remained dark and closed.

Stores assigned staffers to count customers to ensure capacity remains under 25%. For popular stores like Footlocker and Lululemon, a dozen waiting customers lined up outside, eager to get their hands on the latest sale.

Jennifer Michael and her son Jonathan, 11, of Aston, Pa. came to the mall to grab some new hiking shoes from L.L. Bean.

“It’s a lot less crowded than we thought,” Jonathan said. “We looked at the parking lot and thought there’d be more people inside.”

“If it were really crowded, we would have just got what we needed and left,” said Jennifer Michael, relieved. “But since nobody’s here, we’ll walk around.”

“We want to be safe, but it’s nice to feel normal,” she said.

Watch live: First White House coronavirus task force briefing in two months

The White House coronavirus task force will hold it’s first public briefing in two months, as coronavirus cases surge back to peak levels.

The briefing is scheduled to begin at 12: 30 p.m. at the headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services. You can watch it here, via NBC News:

Final Pa. county will move into ‘green’ phase of reopening

ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer

An old-style street sign marks the intersection of S. 8th and Cumberland streets in Lebanon, Pa.’s historic business district.

Lebanon County, the last of 67 counties remaining in the “yellow” phase, will move into the “green” phase of reopening on July 3, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday.

“We will soon have all of our counties in green,” Wolf said in a statement. “A milestone worth a cautious celebration of the hard work and collaborative spirit of Pennsylvanians. But we must remember that the restrictions that remain in the green phase will help us continue to enjoy the freedoms this phase allows for.”

Trump cancels trip to New Jersey amid coronavirus surge

Morry Gash / AP

President Donald Trump leaves the stage after speaking at an event at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Thursday, June 25, 2020, in Marinette, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In an about-face, President Trump will not travel to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. today, according to pool reports.

The schedule change comes as coronavirus cases are surging in the country, returning to peak levels seen back in April.

Earlier this week, a White House spokesperson said Trump was traveling to New Jersey despite the state’s quarantine, which requires anyone coming into to the Garden State from areas with a high level of community spread of the coronaviru to quarantine for 14 days.

Trump visited Arizona earlier this week, one of eight states listed under the new quarantine plan, which is also in effect in New York and Connecticut.

16 NBA players have tested positive for coronavirus

STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

After the Sixers-Pistons game, the last game played at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

The NBA announced on Friday 16 players have tested positive for the coronavirus. On June 23, 302 NBA players were tested, the league said, but did not disclose which players have contracted the virus.

“Any player who tested positive will remain in self-isolation until he satisfies public health protocols for discontinuing isolation and has been cleared by a physician,” the league said in a statement.

Biden says he would require all Americans wear masks in public

Matt Slocum / AP

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, left, listens to Laura Raslevich, of Pittsburgh, during a meeting in Lancaster on Thursday with families who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said if he were president, he would make it a federal requirement that all Americans wear masks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I would insist that everybody in public be wearing that mask,” Biden, who visited Lancaster on Thursday, said during an interview on Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA. “Anyone to reopen, it would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks.”

Coronavirus cases appear to be rising in states with relaxed policies on wearing masks. In 16 states where masks are simply recommended — including Texas and Arizona — new coronavirus cases have risen by about 84% over the last two weeks, according to an Inquirer analysis.

Meanwhile, in 11 states that require people wear masks in public, new cases have fallen by about 25%.

Delaware requires masks be worn in all public settings. Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey only require that employees and patrons of certain businesses wear masks.

“The one thing we do know, these masks make a gigantic difference,” Biden said.

Regular weekly recycling collection to resume in Philly

MICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia sanitation workers toss garbage bags from the trash cans in Rittenhouse Square into their trash truck to be hauled away on April 2, 2020.

Regular weekly recycling collections in Philadelphia will resume Monday, July 6, the city announced Friday.

The Streets Department said residents should hold their recycling materials the week of June 29 through July 3. Residents should expect delays in collections to subside as the amount of trash placed curbside is expected to decrease.

The city shifted to every other week collections back on April 6 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. City workers will continue to practice social distancing, so residents are asked to not approach employees during collections.

Archdiocese of Philadelphia to loosen mask requirements

JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez greets representatives from Blessed Trinity Elementary School after they received chrome books from the technology team from the Archdiocese Office of Catholic Education, at the Archdiocese, in Philadelphia, April 20, 2020.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is expanding capacity for its indoor services and loosening its requirements on masks now that the region has moved to the “green” reopening phase.

In a statement to congregants, Father Dennis Gill outlined the new guidelines, which include:

Indoor occupancy capacity can increase to 75%, up from 50%.

Masks, which had previously been required, are now just recommended for congregants age 3 and older.

Parishes are encouraged to restore their typical Mass schedule if adjustments were made for Sundays and weekdays.

While Pennsylvania requires people to wear masks while indoors in businesses, houses of worship are excluded from Gov. Tom Wolf’s order. Instead, the state says these institutions are “strongly encouraged to institute social distancing and other mitigation measures like masking at their gatherings.”

Parishes will continue to livestream services and maintain the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass in person. Singing “should be kept to a minimum,” and social distancing guidelines will remain in place. The full statement can be read here.

Two Philly-area casinos to reopen today

JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

Vanessa Harkins, staff (showgirl) looks on while wearing a face mask during reopening day at the Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Chester, PA. Friday, June 26, 2020. The Harrah’s is the first Philadelphia area casino to reopen.

Two Philadelphia-area casinos will open Friday thanks to Southeastern Pennsylvania moving into the “green” phase.

Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack in Chester and Valley Forge Casino Resort are both scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. Both will operate at 50% capacity with social-distancing rules making face masks required.

Wind Creek Bethlehem and Parx Casino in Bensalem are slated to reopen on Monday.

Rivers Casino Philadelphia in Fishtown has not yet set a reopening date due to Philadelphia’s modified “green” reopening, which keeps restrictions in place for some businesses and activities. According to the city, casinos will be allowed to reopen sometime after July 3.

Atlantic City’s nine casinos will be permitted to reopen July 2 at 25% capacity, Gov. Phil Murphy announced earlier this week. Patrons and employees will be required to wear masks.

What’s open in the suburbs today but not in Philly

HEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

People dine outside at Fette Sau in Fishtown on Friday, June 12, 2020. While indoor dining can resume in the suburbs, residents in Philadelphia will have to wait at least a week.

Every county in Southeastern Pennsylvania moved into the state’s “green” phase of expanded reopening from coronavirus restrictions at midnight. But Philadelphia entered a more-restrictive “modified” green phase, where some additional restrictions will be maintained until at least July 3.

Under the green phase, masks will still be required when entering a business. Large gatherings of more than 250 people are prohibited. Working from home is still strongly encouraged.

These activities and businesses can reopen today in Philadelphia and the suburbs:

Residential swimming pools and private swim clubs

Zoos (outside only)

Personal services such as salons, barbers, and spas

Small indoor social and religious gatherings (up to 25 people)

These activities and businesses can reopen today in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. But they won’t be allowed in Philadelphia until July 3 at the earliest:

Outdoor group recreational and sports activities for youth and adults

Gyms and indoor exercise classes

Schools and colleges

Libraries and museums

Indoor shopping malls

Outdoor performances and small outdoor events (up to 50 people)

Restaurants with indoor seating (with occupancy restrictions)

These activities and businesses can also reopen in the suburbs, but will remain closed indefinitely in Philadelphia:

Casinos

Large outdoor events (up to 250 people)

Theaters and indoor events (with occupancy restrictions)

Large indoor social and religious gatherings (more than 25 people)

Senior services involving gatherings, such as adult daycare

All but one county in Pennsylvania have entered the ‘green’ phase of reopening

ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer

An old-style street sign marks the intersection of S. 8th and Cumberland streets in Lebanon, Pa.’s historic business district. Nearly 40 percent of the county’s known coronavirus cases trace back to a single Lebanon zip code – 17046.

As of 12: 01 a.m., every county in Southeastern Pennsylvania has entered the state’s green phase of expanded reopening from coronavirus restrictions, while Philadelphia will enter a “modified” green phase.

The only county in Pennsylvania that remain in Gov. Tom Wolf’s more restrictive yellow phase is Lebanon County because of an increase in COVID-19 cases there.

Under the green phase, masks will still be required when entering a business. Large gatherings of more than 250 are prohibited. Working from home is still strongly encourage.

Some of the changes from yellow to green include:

Restaurants and bars can open at 50% occupancy.

Entertainment venues such as theaters, casinos, and shopping malls, can open at 50% occupancy.

All businesses operating at 50% occupancy in the yellow phase can increase to 75% occupancy.

After uptick in coronavirus cases, Delaware delays next phase of reopening

Randall Chase / AP Photo

Delaware Gov. John Carney meets with staffers during a tour of the State Health Operations Center back in May.

Delaware Gov. John Carney announced late Thursday afternoon that he was delaying the next phase in the state’s economic reopening out of concern that public noncompliance with safety requirements and guidelines could lead to a resurgence of COVID-19.

“Too many Delawareans and visitors are not following basic public health precautions,” Carney said in a statement.

“We’ve heard and seen concerns especially in our beach communities, in restaurants, in gyms, and at sporting events. Now’s not the time to let up. You’re required to wear a mask in public settings. Keep your distance from those outside your household. These are common sense steps that, frankly, are not that difficult to follow. And they’re a small price to pay for keeping our friends and relatives out of the hospital,” Carney said.

Delaware was set to expand reopening on Monday. Carney said he expects to make a decision next week on a new date.

“In Delaware, we are beating this disease. We have flattened the curve. But that’s because Delawareans stayed home and made significant sacrifices to keep others safe. Make no mistake: COVID-19 has not gone away. We’ve seen what has happened in other states when folks let their guard down. Let’s not be one of those states,” he said

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/philly-to-require-masks-n-j-public-schools-will-reopen-in-the-fall-businesses-reopen-as-southeastern-pa-en/

[fanfictrashdump]

Queening a Pawn, 3

Next installment of this fanfic dump.

Summary: During the Time Heist, Loki stole the Tesseract and escaped. He did not expect, however, to be pulled through a Time Loop that delivered him to a Midgard more than a decade older, wiser, and bitterer. Having just lived through his unsuccessful attack in New York, Loki must learn to live in Midgard after the defeat of Thanos (post-Endgame). The question is, who is Loki without a quest for a throne or total domination?

Loki x OC

=

Despite his best efforts to remain vigilant, especially when in enemy territory, Loki had fallen asleep. When Delilah had arrived at the prisoner's block with lunch, he found the mischief-maker slumped on the chair at his desk, a book barely clutched in the long elegant fingers of his right hand. Lilah snuck a French fry from the plate she quietly slid through the meal slot, and made herself at home on the rolling chair in front of the glass. The seat sat a little more squat after Thor had sat in it, but it was nevertheless comfortable. She occupied herself with the chess board, which had been moved so that half the projection sat inside the cell. Loki had moved his Queen quite aggressively to loom over her King, despite the fact that his piece was surrounded by defensive pieces that could annihilate his. 

Stupidly aggressive and direct. That checks out, she thought, rolling her eyes.

The Queen was dispatched of in double-time and pulled by to the wayside. She stared at the board and predicted the next handful of moves before turning to her lunch. She was crunching through a tater tot when a sharp inhale pulled her attention. Loki shook his head of the cobwebs, a little disoriented, book tumbling onto the floor. His eyes danced around in front of him for a few moments, before he turned his whole head to face the glass. If he was surprised to see her there, he did not show it. 

"Lunch." She gestured to the plate with her head with a lopsided grin. 

"Why eat, if I am to be kept like a circus animal behind a glass?" He huffed, though he shuffled closer to the steak and fries. 

"The circus stopped using animals for their shows, you know." She crunched on another tot. "You might have luck as a Criss Angel tribute act, though." FRIDAY supplied a helpful picture onto the smart glass, to which he immediately huffed. "Besides, if you're going to be a good circus animal, I need you to have a shiny coat. Eat up. And, play. It's your move," she tacked on, gesturing the chessboard.

Loki surveyed her for an extra moment before taking his lunch and dragging his desk chair to the glass. He settled down, back ramrod straight with the plate balanced on his lap. He sawed into his steak while evaluating the board, staring at his Queen abandoned on the sidelines after being captured. With a flourish of his hand, a Knight forged forward, hot on a new trail of destruction. Delilah sent another of her pawns out into the battlefield and Loki's Knight barreled ahead. She assembled the King's Rook to defend against an attack before the dark Knight was nearly on top of them. 

"Check," Loki said with an arrogant smile, immediately biting into a fry. 

As soon as she moved her King out of the line of fire, he sent a Bishop for her Rook, clearing the board for another Knight to sally forward. Her Queen laid waste to the first Knight. He sent out another Bishop. 

"Promotion, Rook." She exchanged a lone pawn at his end of the board for her recently lost Rook.

"Check." The dark Bishop had cornered her King, again. 

"Check," she replied, in kind. The promoted Rook stood precariously close to his King and she noticed the vein in his temple throb momentarily at the upset. The next few moves went around in silence. Either side trying to do damage control against the others forces. "Promotion, Queen."

"Check." His Queen's Rook held her King in place and he fidgeted his fingers from how close he was to victory. 

"Checkmate. Promoted Queen and Bishop on your King."

His eyes bore a hole into her. "I can move forwards."

"Pawns." Loki worked his jaw in what seemed to be an uncomfortably tight manner, attempting to swallow his words as easily as he was swallowing his food. "You never pay attention to the pawns."

"Perhaps it's because I am a future King and pawns are meant to be ruled over," he growled. 

Delilah chuckled before finishing her burger. "If that's how you plan to rule, prepare for a pawn to be Queened and usurp the throne, Your Majesty."

"Who? You?"

"I've never been one for politics, Loki." She set her empty plate down beside her on the food tray. "But if you annoy me enough, yes."

"Forgive me if I'm not quaking at the prospect." 

"That's not really your style, is it?"

"Not at all. Just as usurping doesn't seem yours."

"I don't think you know me well enough to make that claim, sir," she decided. Getting to her feet, she stretched languidly, groaning as her vertebrae popped in relief. "You want to take a walk?"

"Is that really wise? I may not have my magic, but I can overpower your silly human corporation without so much as breaking a sweat," he said, in that low, eerily seductive tone that would send anyone's blood to a stilling freeze. 

Delilah considered, twisting her mouth in mock thought. "OK. Maybe, don't do that. I'd hate to have to break your neck."

Loki stopped, his eyes widening just enough to let her know he wasn't expecting such an answer from someone who had been nothing but nice to him the whole time. "I respect your warning, then." With a smirk, she lay her hand on the glass panel until it shone blue. After inputting a short code, the glass door hissed and slid open smoothly, letting the God of Mischief out. 

Once on the other side, he towered over her frame, but the height difference didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. With a gesture of her head, she led him out of the prison block and up some steps to a main hall. On the wall, hundreds of posters of employees stood aligned. In gilded letters the phrase Remember the Fallen glittered at the passerbys. At the far end of the hall, a holographic representation of Tony leaned casually against its frame. 

"Hey, Pigmy Puff!" The hologram greeted with a smile, lowering its tinted glasses to wink at her. "Reindeer Games," he added, much less enthusiastically. "Why is the hamster out of the cage, Del?"

"He was behaving… kinda. See you later, Tony!" With a roll of her eyes, she walked past the hologram, barely even looking backwards to see if Loki was following. 

Loki skirted wearily past the hologram, not making eye contact as he easily caught up with her a moment later. To his right, there was a hallway with an EXIT sign, atop. He weighed the probability of quietly slipping away and disappearing, unnoticed. She wasn't paying him any mind, and even if she did put up a fight, he could easily quiet her and move on. He had, however, hesitated a breath too long, as he found himself stood between the two halls, perfectly still, with Delilah staring back at him with a raised eyebrow. Seemingly, she had been paying better attention than he thought. Her arms crossed over her chest as she tapped her foot impatiently. When after a full minute he didn't move, she groaned in exasperation. 

"Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't even care," she huffed, turning tail and heading down the way she was originally traversing. After another minute, she felt him fall into stride with her, hands clasped leisurely behind his back. "Nice of you to join."

"How many close encounters with death would I have, had I decided to chance my fate to the EXIT sign?"

"That's for me to know and for you to never hope to find out," she quipped back with a grin. 

A smirk slipped onto his face, a pointed eyebrow lifting to meet his hairline. "There's nothing in that hallway to stop me from leaving, is there?"

"Just the woods outside and Banner, if he's feeling in the mood to Hulk-smash." Delilah winked at him and swiped into another hallway. "Mess hall to the right, gym is on the second floor, there is a library down that hall over there and–"

"What are you doing?" Loki interrupted in a bored tone. 

"Showing you around, duh!" Delilah grabbed him by the wrist, just above the manacles keeping his magic dampened and tugged him away. "Come on, living quarters this way." 

They climbed a flight of stairs and down a hallway with three doors to either side. She dragged him to the very end and raised his wrist to the electronic reader. The reader beeped twice before something in the door clicked. Delilah swung the door open and revealed a comfortable, simple sitting room. Dark furniture lay atop the standard cream carpet around the Compound. There were very few digital appliances, but all of them looked top-of-the-line. The far wall held a bookshelf, floor to ceiling, done in dark wood and filled to the brim with books. 

"Want a beer?" She had already gone into the refrigerator, pulling out two white and yellow cans with a design and Creature Comforts declared in black font. Delilah handed him a cold can, watching with delight as he stared at the words Athena Berliner Weisse with confusion. 

"Athena is–"

"A Greek goddess, yes. Not from Germany." She chuckled. "That's just the name of the beer. You'll like it."

He snapped the top and took a hesitant sip, frowning at the slightly sour taste of the pale beer. It was actually fantastic, not like the heavy ales and meads that Asgard and his brother preferred. "It's not awful."

"Pretend all you want, but you forget that I have the advantage of having known you for several years, Loki. I know you like it." She sipped daintily from her can, brushing an errant lock of her fringe out of her eyes with a lazy swipe. "Welp, gotta go. Catch you later," she said, suddenly, making for the door. Loki started after her, barely catching her hand before she disappeared through the threshold. "Aw, you made me spill, Lo," she muttered, brushing beer off her grey Henley with a pout. 

"Never mind your tunic– you can't just leave me here! If any of your friends find me out here, I'll be murdered. Much less if I sneak into someone's quarters!" He urged, with a frown. 

"Why would they kill you for being in your own quarters?" A ghost of a smile prickled at her lips as she peeled his fingers off her arm. "I'll grab you for dinner." 

Loki blinked several times, as if doing it enough times would recalibrate his life and send him back to prison cell four. He watched her slip away and close the door behind her, leaving him to roam his new quarters. Except, they didn't feel new. The second he stepped through the threshold, he felt the pull of his magic permeating every single surface. He knew this place had been his before… after… the timeline vexed even him. But this place was definitely his. 

He ventured through a door just off the kitchen to find a bedroom. The dark theme remained, the bed itself made in dark wood and was draped in black, emerald, and gold. A wardrobe in the corner was partly open and a set of battle leathers hung from it. They looked different from what he usually wore, a little more simplistic and streamlined. He liked them, despite his desire to be loud and showy at all times; to be like a true King. Beside his leathers was a selection of Midgardian clothing, mostly black and white. He looked down, staring at the black tunic and trousers he had been provided in the prison with distaste. This other him had decent taste, so he assumed the bathroom would be suitable for his current needs. 

"Hey, loser! I brought you dinner, instead, because I am not entirely sure how you'll do in a room full of whis– what the fuck did you do?" 

Delilah kicked the door closed behind her and dropped two to-go containers onto the kitchen counter. She stared, mouth agape at Loki, sitting casually on the dark sofa in black trousers and a white button-up shirt and a book in his hands. The thing that had shocked her, however, was the fact that his shoulder-length tresses were no longer present atop his head. Instead, the sides and back had been shorn with a little more length at the top. It was messy and misshapen and very much unlike Loki. Delilah covered her mouth and started giggling nervously, breaking into a raucous laughter. 

"Holy shit! Are you having a mental breakdown or what?" He was silent, only offering a quick glance upwards at her laughter before returning to his book. "Oh… you're doing the sulky thing."

"Do you have any idea how unnerving that is?" He asked, barely above a whisper. "That there is a whole other life you know about me that I am experiencing second-hand? Weaknesses thrown around like treasured memories?"

"Weaknesses? Loki, we're not trying to go to war with you or whatever it is you think is happening. U-unless that's what you're–" She crossed into the sitting room, dropping onto the coffee table directly across from him with a sigh. 

"I'm not planning another coup anytime soon. The last one wasn't as successful as I had wished."

Delilah feigned surprise. "Oh, using a mind controlling alien stone didn't work out as you planned? Shocker!" His eyes had been immobile for a while now, and Lilah didn't hesitate to snatch the book from his hands. "This doesn't explain the break-up haircut, though."

"Must every action have a reason."

"No. Except you're you and everything you do has a reason." His left eye twitched and she winced. "Sorry, I forgot– oh. I'm sorry, Loki. I realize that sometimes we forget that you're a whole new person and not– I'm just sorry."

"Do you always ramble when attempting an apology or–?" He smirked at the subtle blush on her cheeks.

"Do you always have to be such a prick or is it simply an added bonus?" She challenged back with a frown before drawing a deep breath and relaxing her shoulders. "Sorry. I should be better than petty banter."

He frowned. "Why is that?"

"Because, despite everything, I do know better. I shouldn't make you feel like an imposter, but I also know that pushing buttons is sort of your thing. I'd do well not to play into it."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence; Loki staring straight at Delilah as if he could uncover some deep, dark secret, and Delilah looking at her boots while her fingers drummed on the coffee table. 

Loki cleared his throat, shuffling in his seat to stretch out. "I found an Asgardian chess set in the wardrobe."

Delilah grinned. "Thor brought it back two years ago. We played all the time, yo–Lo–Mischief and I."

"You can refer to him as me, for the sake of simplicity," he quipped, smiling at her awkwardness. "Would you like to play a round?"

"Yeah, of course… but, please let me fix your hair, first. It's driving me crazy." She winced at the state of his hair. 

"It's perfectly serviceable."

"You look like you got attacked by a moody Edward Scissorhands," she said, deadpan. "I think there's a trimmer in the bathroom I can use. Please, you look tragic."

"Will you not shut up about it, should I choose to decline?"

"Absolutely." Loki rolled his eyes and nodded, making Delilah squeal in delight. "Thank you! Come on." She took hold of his wrist, once again and dragged him after her into the large en suite bathroom, making him plop down into a chair flush against the sink. 

"Brother, I heard you've been granted access to your– oh. Are you in emotional distress?" Thor had stopped short of barreling in to stare at his younger brother, sitting in an armchair across from Delilah with the chess set between them. His hair was now even at the sides, though tight and close-cropped, and the top and back didn't look like awkward, choppy messes, anymore. 

Lilah couldn't help but smirk at the petulant glare Loki sent Thor, though he absently ran a hand through his short locks in a nervous tell. "Must you be such an alarmist, Thor?"

"I just mean that you've been growing your hair out for ages. Last time I saw you–"

"I think the short hair suits him, doesn't it?" Delilah interrupted, directed a pointed glare at Thor. "Less Halloween witch, more serious warrior magician." She turned back to his game companion and gave him a reassuring wink. 

"I looked like a Halloween witch?" Both Thor and Delilah giggled at that. 

"Kinda, sorta, maybe."

"And no one cared to mention it?" He eliminated her Queen from the board in his annoyance, but she simply retaliated with another promoted pawn. Thor sat next to Delilah after helping himself to a beer and picked through the leftover macaroni and cheese and baked chicken. 

"We did. A lot. We think you kept growing it out just to spite us." She moved her Knight into position after he had tried to decimate her army. "Checkmate."

"By the Norns! You have to be cheating!"

"You always ignore the pawns," she repeated, a little smug. 

Loki seemed to be pouting at this point. "What a stupid strategy. Who taught you that drivel?" Lilah smiled somewhat guiltily and Loki only felt worse. "You have to be kidding me!"

"You said you wanted a challenge and I was shit at chess, so…" She smirked. "If you want an easy win you should play Thor."

"The pieces don't make noises or explode, so I doubt he'll have any interest in them."

Thor made a noise of protest, but was too busy fitting mac and cheese into his mouth for it to be intelligible. "No, you should definitely have a round. You can catch up and bond or whatever it is you two do," she reasoned, draining the last out of a can of beer and shuffling forward in her seat. 

"You're leaving?" Loki blanched, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach at the prospect of being left alone with his brother. On any other day, it wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest to be left with his bumbling, brawny, good-natured brother… but that wasn't who he was getting. This man was stronger than the brother he had left. He looked rugged, like life had not been kind, battle-worn and jaded. 

Delilah smirked. "I do have a job, Loki. It is not babysitting interplanetary felons, by the way."

"Lady Lilah, may I request additional bullseyes for the training grounds? I might have taken my frustrations out on them earlier today." Thor asked, looking halfway sheepish about the ordeal. 

"Already put the order in," she said with a groan as she rose to her feet. "Stop breaking our shit." She patted the blond's head, his chuckling prompting her to roll her eyes. Tuning her gaze to the sulking man across, she waggled a finger in his face. "Play nice." His darkened glare made Lilah giggle and her hand ruffling his hair only made him more exasperated. "Just tell FRIDAY to grab me if you have any issues," she said in barely a whisper, an encouraging smile on her face that did little to assuage his feelings. "Delilah, by the way," she added, offering her hand.

He clasped it after a second of just staring at the limb. "I know that, pixie." He smirked. "Loki of Asgard."

[black-strike-otp]

part 39

Frankly, a very uninteresting piece. But dangit, she said she was gonna do it, and she’d be damned if I didn’t write it.

So she had a little trouble paying attention at the congregation. Technically it probably a bit rude not too but hey, nobody seemed to notice at least. Besides, she’d heard similar speeches out of Guard before. It wasn’t meant as an offensive action of course; it was just a custom more or less by now. When anything vital needed to be discussed or an event that involved more than a few members of the crew, there was an all-out meeting that came.

She’d heard at least part of the meeting. Maybe that counted for something? There was a few words about vigilance for any future encounters with the pirates or others, something about the detail on damage to the ship.

Oh, and a nice comment of gratitude towards Blackout and herself. She mostly heard the praise on Blackout though.

He seemed a little unenthusiastic at all the attention brought his way and merely waved a servo lightly to the crowd, a lopsided grin on his face. Some of the mechs and femmes closest to him reached out to pat him and offer words of congratulations.

It was crazy to think just over a year ago everyone on the ship had been keeping such a distance from him. Now they treated him as part of the crew. Well, most bots did, anyway.

For the first time, Novastrike had the perfect view of the meeting from on top of Blackout’s shoulder. A nice, almost optic-level view, and instead she found herself regularly looking to Blackout’s face.

And then catching his optics either flickering to meet her gaze or already staring at her.

There was something different about the way he looked at her now. She couldn’t place it exactly, but it made her protoform feel slightly tickled and her spark throb in her chassis, giving off a hum.

She felt weak in sight of those dark abysmal maroon optics and unbelievably strong all at once.

As the assembly came to a close, Guard began to lamely walk over towards them. Nova was quick to slap on a grin that felt much too giddy for the events that just transpired as he approached.

Oh scrap, did he notice she hadn’t been paying a lick of attention?

“Thank you for all your hard work, both of you,” he quietly spoke. “I know I said it earlier, but I personally want to extend my gratitude. The last thing I want for anyone on this ship is fight a battle both unfair and undesired. If it wasn’t for both of you working so diligently on the weapons system, we wouldn’t have been able to escape so easily, if at all.”

“Always happy to help!” Nova chipped in, relieved that this didn’t seem to be about her scattered processor.

She glanced slightly to see Guard extend his servo to Blackout. He gave the slightest falter before grasping the rogue commander’s servo.

“Keep up the good work and I might just have to promote you,” Guard declared, giving a wink of his optic.

A slightly startled look overtook Blackout’s face.

“Thank you, sir,” Blackout responded, seeming at a loss for words.

Guard gave a slight nod and released Blackout’s servo, hobbling around him carefully to join in a conversation going on between two femmes and a handful of mechs.

“Well look at you,” Nova praised warmly, reaching out to lightly nudge some of the kibble jutting off Blackout’s shoulder. “That’s some high recognition.”

The look of confusion turned into one of concern and slightly burdened as he glanced at her. “He can’t seriously mean that,” he muttered.

“He sounded pretty sure of himself to me,” she offered with confusion. “Why? Does it bother you?”

Blackout’s optics flickered to the floor. “I’m not exactly a rogue, for one,” he commented quietly.

Nova’s audios twitched to the side slightly. She took in the torn visage of his faceplate. His mouth drew down slightly, and his optics a little more dull.

“You can be whatever you want to be,” she whispered quietly, patting his armor.

The look of solace that brimmed in his optics as he turned back to her was all the thanks she’d really wanted for the day.

“Why are you so good to me?” he reflected in a partially teasing, partially honestly baffled tone.

“Because I care about you, and like your stupid face,” Nova growled, reaching out to poke at his cheek.

“That’s got to be the most ridiculous comment I’ve ever heard.”

“You must not listen to some of the company on board the ship.”

Blackout grimaced. “No, I listen plenty, unfortunately.”

A soft chortle escaped Nova, pressing her digits over her mouth. Blackout’s inspecting stare seemed to soften slightly as he looked at her. The light grew dimmer and more mystified and an undefined smile was trying to pull at the edges of his mouth.

Faint feverish heat seemed to collect inside her frame under his gaze anxiously. She instantly went to pull her ears back against her helm to try hiding any bloom of light that tried emitting from them.

“I believe I promised to polish your drab armor after we were finished with conference,” Nova nervously reminded the massive mech. “Unless you’ve since changed your mind? Wanting to spend some quality time with your admirers, work on the generator, you know. It’s a hard life, playing the hero.”

Appearing less than enthusiastic, Blackout shifted his pedes to turn towards the door. Sure enough, there were a few mechs and femmes that were pointing and whispering in his general direction.

“Repugnant,” Blackout grumbled in a thick voice.

“Oooh, poor handsome mech,” Novastrike teased. “Finally getting more of the respect I know you deserve.”

His shoulders sagged slightly at the comment as he relaxed, glancing to her once more.

“I’ll take you up on that polish,” Blackout sneakily replied, “But only under the condition I can repay the favor still.”

Nova scoffed. “Not that I really need your help. I don’t have a backside the size of Cybertron.”

“That was uncalled for.”

“Sorrryyyy. But it’s true. I have plenty of flexibility.”

“And I have plenty of reach.”

Novastrike raised an optic ridge slightly at the remark. The tricky light in Blackout’s optics gave way to some fissures of amusement, clearly entertained with this squabble.

“Fine,” she agreed. “But if you try leaving any smudges or splatter marks, or try putting something else other than the polish on my back and I find out, I’m going to slap you.”

With a chuckle, Blackout nodded his helm. “I hadn’t thought of doing that, but now I wish I would have. You have a deal, Novastrike.”

“Ahh! Shake on it?”

She extended her servo out to him with narrowed optics blazing and puckered up lips. With a vent, Blackout rolled his optics and raised his arm to extend a digit out to her to shake.

“Good. Now, onward my steed!” Nova exclaimed, reaching down to pat his shoulder.

“I regret ever letting you on my shoulder,” Blackout gruffly remarked; although the slight smile from him Nova caught in the corner of her optic let he know he didn’t mean it.

~

Returning to the maintenance chamber for the shock wave generator provided comfortable seclusion from the remainder of the ship. Scorponok decided to dislodge from Blackout’s backside and leave to find a place to recharge where it would be dark and quiet. Judging from the look Blackout gave him though, Nova had a suspicion that they must be communicating by some other means because Blackout looked rather peeved towards his minicon as he left.

Whilst Blackout left to go clean up in the shower racks, Novastrike gathered together the material she’d need. After going through some of the assortment of items that had been tossed inside the container, she managed to finally find a soft pad for Blackout’s dark armor and put that aside with the bottle of polish and a clean capsule of water. Some snooping around the ship and bartering gave her access to a few other surprising items she thought might be useful.

By the time she returned to the room, Blackout had already made himself as comfortable as he could sitting on the floor. Some of the areas of his armor that would be inaccessible by his seated position had been removed, and were placed in a careful line-up n the floor. He seemed surprised to see her come in, optics flashing.

“Here I thought you ditched me and I was supposed to do it myself,” he taunted.

“Sorry, just didn’t have everything I need,” she admitted timidly. “The seller I got this all from didn’t have everything you need for a good finish.”

Blackout arched an optic ridge curiously.

Raising the bottle of wax, Novastrike shook it in the air. “A little something extra,” she nervously muttered. “I figured, I don’t know, maybe a little warm wax after all that buffing and detailing...”

The shock had really settled into his face now. “Buffing- detailing? I thought you were just going to throw on some polish...”

“I mean, I was, but then you don’t get as nice a glossy finish,” she anxiously babbled, gesturing with the bottle of wax. “It’s not a big deal, I don’t expect you to-”

“- return the favor?” Blackout incredulously sniffed.

A cheesy grin flashed on Nova’s face and she gave a slight shrug.

“I’ll be returning the favor,” Blackout ‘threatened’, “Besides, you won’t take a fraction as long as it will take to do all this for me. It’s the least I can do. And I don’t need you doing all this-” he swept a servo in a gesture to his chassis “-all. I can manage where I can reach. Seems fair enough so you’re not dislodging a limb doing all the work.”

Novastrike snorted in response. “Aww, you do care about me?” she joked. “But I don’t need the help.”

“What a shame, I already volunteered it.”

“Take it back then.”

“Sorry, this a no-negotiating sealed statement that by law, can not be nulled or voided.”

“Oh by the Thirteen,” Novastrike vented. “Like you follow any laws; not that there’s any to really follow since you know, we’re on a ship. In the middle of space. Basically just following survival instincts and not offlining each other here.”

“I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do about it,” Blackout stated, raising his servos defensively.

“Primus if you were smaller, I’d strangle you,” Nova fumed.

“That’s a very strange way to thank someone,” he responded with a grin.

By the Well of Allsparks, why did his smile have to be some slagging charming?

Offering only a stony complexion in response to Blackout’s headstrong commitment, Novastrike turned heel and walked over to grab a firm sponge and douse it with the water. She wrung the moisture out and dabbed the material with the a buffing agent before marching around Blackout, pointedly ignoring his optics as they followed her.

She scaled Blackout’s armor with great care and purposefully slapped the sponge against the back of the idiot’s helm. She expected him to sneer or bristle, but was surprised as she started moving the sponge up and down the quiet hum that escaped the humongous, frightening, steely-mech’s throat.

“I’ve barely started,” she addressed with bewilderment, sliding the pad around a section of armor covering his neck.

A comfortable crooning sound emitted from Blackout in response. His optics flickered slightly like they wanted to go offline. But he’d made a promise not to just sit.

“Geez, I thought I was the cat here, you’re practically purring,” Nova jested.

An embarrassed stiffness momentarily caused Blackout’s shoulders to raise. The little femme re-positioned her pedes slightly, turning her optics from his left to his ride side and watching as they slowly dropped back down.

“It’s been a very long time since I had a polish,” he vaguely responded.

“How long?” she teased.

Blackout was silent.

“Never?”

“No, not never just... a long time.” And he hadn’t had the help then.

“That’s a shame,” Nova pouted. “You should treat yourself more often. Might make you less tense.”

“I’m not tense.”

“Just a smidgen; you’ve already loosened up since I got up here,” she pestered, rubbing the cloth back and forth along the side of Blackout’s helm as she leaned into him.

He blatantly ignored her.

Carefully shifting her position, Novastrike caught sight of a shimmer on the ground. A figure cloaked in shadows began to form on the floor. Before Blackout’s holoform could continue materializing, she was already moving in a position where she could no longer see him.

A peaceful quiet filled the room, save for the occasional lull of Blackout as he would hum. Most of the time he was quiet; a faint, barely audible even to Novastrike’s audios note carrying and other times it would delve into a deep echo, filling the room with an armor-vibrating depth.

Novastrike climbed down to rinse off her pad and get it damp with some clean water before turning with a fresh dab of the buffing liquid on it. She glanced up to Blackout’s chassis, spotting his holoform working with some amusement. The figure would glitch as his focus and hold on the projection would fizzle out from sheer blissful comfort.

One of his large form’s optics flashed with light suddenly, staring down at her.

Giving a meek wave, Nova quickly bound around him and ascended back to where she’d been working.

Moving on over his shoulders and between his shoulder blades, faint shivers danced beneath Novastrike’s digits. She’d raise an optic ride, experimenting with how much pressure she applied and where to linger. The shivers would grow more prominent the gentler she was, but the location seemed to very.

Sensitive spots? Really? It was hard to believe someone so... stand-offish and cold had areas of high receptive rate.

She went to scrub along his rotor mount and a loud exhale escaped the big mech, shuddering slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Nova blurted. “Was there something there?”

She went to massage her digits along the seems of his armor and against the edge of where his rotor mount connected to his frame, looking for an indication of damage.

A growl escaped Blackout as he went taunt.

“No, just, sore,” he remarked in a clipped voice. A servo reached around and Nova moved out of the way as Blackout grabbed his rotor mount and disengaged it to place on the floor.

“There, should give you room to work,” he bluntly stated. “Just- be careful where you’re brushing that pad.”

From there Novastrike continued buffing out as many of the scratches and discolorations as much as she could. It left a thin residue behind at least, making it easy to determine where she’d been and what area would be best to work on next.

Blackout certainly had no complaints. In fact, judging by the occasional quivering, she picked up that it wasn’t discomfort he was feeling at all. There was no way he had that many ‘sore’ parts on his frame to qualify for all the shivers that ran through him; the quiet vents, the humming echoing through his armor.

It gave her a brand new sense of pride. At least he was finally relaxing with some quality down time, having something done for him for once.

She ended up moving more to help Blackout than she’d originally thought she might have to. Almost too much in a trance-like state, he hadn’t gotten very far with buffing out his chassis, or much any place else.

His holoform offered a timid grin at her as she nudged him aside slightly.

As Nova went on to wiping off the residue with a microfiber cloth, Blackout caved in, with some grumbling she didn’t fully buy that he felt bad. He couldn’t be feeling that bad, she thought with a giggle while staring at his serene expression. Optics offlined, slightly leaned back, the impression of a light smile, and a general air of being completely pacified exuded from him.

Finding a surge of energy in her sheer determination to continue making this a delightful evening for Blackout, Novastrike was swift in removing the streaks left behind by the buffing with a microfiber cloth. A bit of hard work, time, and elbow grease, and she was on to the polishing.

At some point during the polishing, Blackout had temporarily went into a doze. The humming wavered slowly, died down, and he grew silent.

And then a new humming started. Resounding deeper in his chassis; a faint sound, a melody...

It was very enchanting.

Then it struck her what it was, and flames ignited in her veins. Feeling shy of hearing such an intimate sound, Nova considered dialing down her audios, but figured she might be safe for now, with him in a light recharge.

An ominous orchestra played from Blackout’s spark as she continued on polishing his frame, the rotary device moving side to side with ease over his armor. A bright hue shone where she passed, giving a gleam back to Blackout’s armor that didn’t appear like it had been there in a few centuries.

She’d climb down to rinse the pad off, and then scale back up.

Frag, it was a workout for calves. Wait, why did she even care what her calves looked like?

Changing the pad out at different, thinner metals took more time than she’d planned. The jours just began to slip away from her fingers as she meticulously worked on every little detail and spot, making sure to get the best sheen on his armor he’d ever seen.

Not wanting to wake him to go rinse, Novastrike went through the painstaking process of rinsing and drying off each and every panel. Her joints ached lightly. A cramp started up in her primary scrubbing arm.

Still she persisted onward.

Only once she was about finished drying off some of the panels of his armor that were upon the floor did he begin to stir from his nap. The sound of his spark that had been so very faintly drifting began to grow more and more quiet before dematerializing entirely as Blackout looked down at her.

His voice was rough with a mixture of tiredness and surprise. “You’re still working?”

“Sure am, sleepy helm,” she admitted, glancing up at him with a half smile.

A few steady blinks returned the light of his crimson optics back to their usual hue. He gave a quirky grin in return.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to recharge on you like that. I did say I was going to help.”

“No, don’t apologize. It’s was cute watching you rest.”

That same slight rigidness passed over his shoulders.

“Yes, but I had said I would help...”

“It’s no big deal. I’ve got energy to spare,” she remarked, surprised to find that indeed that felt true. She didn’t feel the least bit tired. The only thing bothering her was the slight twinge in overused joints that just wanted a slagging vacation.

He offered a frown at her words, but said nothing more on the matter as she went back to drying off his the pieces of armor she was on.

Setting aside the rags she’d been using, Novastrike arched her backstrut, stretching for a moment with a cat-like yawn. Shuffling over to the stash of equipment, she grabbed the last few things she’d need to finish everything up; a soft pad an, the jar of wax, and some more microfiber clothes she subspaced.

When she turned around, she noticed a guilty-faced Blackout watching her.

“You can turn off the puppy eyes,” Nova joked lightly. “Don’t look so glum; I already told you I didn’t need the help.”

“But I had insisted.”

“And you managed to stick it out through almost half of the buffing part, which is a pain in the aft to do and requires, in my opinion, the most labor.”

Blackout extended a servo. “I’ll help with the last bit?” he offered.

Nova raised an optic ridge. “No holoform?”

“No. If I keep my actual servos busy, maybe I won’t find myself drifting.”

“You looked precious when you were asleep,” Novastrike asserted. “But I can’t deny a sulky face. Here.”

Popping open the jar, Nova looked around and spotted a larger pad. Picking it up, she patted it with the wax and held it out to Blackout’s servo.

“I do not look sulky,” he defended, taking the pad.

“Please. I’ve seen less moody expressions from a sparklets.”

Grunting, Satan snatched the pad away. “Unlucky for you, I just got plenty of recharge,” he sneered. “So when we’re done, I get to help shine up your armor.”

“If I don’t pass out first,” Novastrike mocked, flicking her tail at him as she sauntered past.

Huffing with indignity, Blackout turned his helm away, rubbing the wax into his armor swiftly. The beautiful sound of Nova’s cheery laughter filled the room as she noticed the urgent and slightly irritated scrubbing was going about with.

She was planning on taking all the time she pleased in touching his armor while she could.

[pixelproductions]

Design and functionality of an app – Do they go hand in hand?

What should you prioritize aesthetics, functionality, user experience? Find out how design and functionality of an app should mesh.

Source

The mobile application landscape is highly competitive. With millions of apps available on iOS and Android Play Store for download; there’s likely a mobile app for just about everything.

That also means that there’s probably an app or two already competing to attract the attention of the same audience as you. Thus, you need to be on your toes in the app market and be vigilant of the functionality and design features that you include in the app.

The debate on design vs. functionality in application development is important and needs much discussion.

It seems logical that an app needs to be visually impressive without jeopardizing its functionality. If your app looks impressive with killer graphics and high-resolution images but is tricky to navigate, users will abandon it and look out for an alternative app.

Obviously, this defeats the purpose of having a mobile app that promotes your business and increases your sales.

App developers must be careful when deciding which features to include because superfluous design features may slow down the app performance. While an app that is easy on the eye leaves a lasting first impression, it may not always enhance the user experience.

While it’s easy to get carried away with design — make sure it does not come at the price of the app’s functionality.

Below we take a closer look at the design and usability of mobile app and how they relate in app development.

Functionality breeds loyalty:

The functionality of an app is a major factor that enables users to form a distinct opinion about the app. When a new user opens an app, he instantly forms an opinion about the visual appeal and ease of use. It takes less than ten seconds for an average app user to figure out how to use an app which plays a vital role in retention. Studies from TechCrunch suggests that average users spend around 85 percent of their time on native applications when using a smartphone. 84 percent of the smartphone time is devoted to just five apps. Most of these apps are related to gaming, social media and instant messaging.

An important criterion for customer retention is ease of use. Studies show that apps that are comfortable in the first ten minutes of use see the highest retention rate. Such apps go on to become the hot favorites of users and customers tend to return and use the app again in the future. A mobile application’s functionality doesn’t just mean adding codes; it’s about finding errors and drawbacks in the app and coming up with a solution that portrays the features of the application.

Design seals the deal:

Design plays a primary part in influencing a user’s opinion about an app.

If you want new users to use your app or even buy your product or service, you need to understand the factors that inspire customers to make a decision.

A customer’s decision-making is a quick process that often lacks much consideration. A study revealed that customers make a decision on business in one-third of a second of their encounter. If you want the users to use your product or service, you need to focus on the entities that attract users’ attention, and a good design is one of them. Users may initially be drawn in and held by the functions of the app, but to close the deal, they often prefer a UI that they can’t imagine to swap out for a new app.

Since the nuance of design is still very much alive, you need innovative design and graphics to top the charts. A professional logo can help draw new customers and make them take interest in your app.

Design & functionality – apps where they converge:

It should be clear that functionality goes hand in hand with design and knowing your target audience.

For instance, if your app provides information and services to the older generation, it needs clear navigation, high clarity coupled with a logical layout and design that compliments the functionality of the app.

For such apps, you can’t treat design separately from the functionality. Both aesthetics and functionality should be treated as equals.

Here are a few tips you need to look into in order to convert first-time users into loyal consumers.

Faster loading time that doesn’t frustrate users

Highly quality and highly visible images related to your app’s core offerings

Clear and appropriate text with the right font and color

A well-organized and intuitive layout that makes the app navigation easy and smooth

A clear call to action buttons displayed in visible places in the app

Each element, button, and link on the app is responsive and serves its purpose

Design & functionality – apps where one takes precedence over the other:

While it is evident that the two goes hand in hand, there are cases where one may take precedence over the other.

News and publications apps like the CNN and New York Times can afford to prioritize functionality over design. While apps in the photography, fashion, film and other creative industries may focus more on the app design and may not treat functionality at par with design. For such apps, the developers will presume the audience capable of exploring an app with a keen eye and familiarizing themselves with the app style.

The ‘Design vs. Functionality’ verdict:

High functional capabilities, intuitive design and graphics parameters are the key to an ideal app.

Design is pivotal to attract customers and create a positive and lasting first impression. But functionality is not a place to cut corners if you want to convert a first-time user into a loyal customer.

When talking about the design and functionality debate, Ferdinand Porsche aptly says,

“Design must be functional, and functionality must be translated into visual aesthetics.”

While this is a topic with variable opinions, understanding your target audience seems the only constant here.

[kendrixtermina]

Extra Typology Vol #3 - Part 17: An Overview of Strenghts and Weaknesses

Since the main/extensive articles on the types were written with the intention to extract, present & popularize as much of the info in the book as possible they may have gotten...rambly as it is probably a general flaw on my explanatory writings. So here’s a summaizing overview in a form that people seem to tend to appeciate. 

This is largely based on those neat little summarizing texts the authors conveniently placed before the life advice sections though I will attempt to fill in for the additional styles in some of the expanded versions of this system while I’m at it.

It’s worth mentioning (& you might recognize this pattern in the advice they list) that the authors generally suggest that you try to use your strong points (be they organizing, imagination etc.) to compenate for your weak ones and gently ease into the edges of your un-comfortzone. 

Conscientious

+ You are Great Oganizers & List-Makers & can be expected to have work related things figured out + You are trustwothy, grounded, dependable and mature - may not know how to relax & hence incur stress-related health risks - may benefit from broadening their mind, Pov and personal life

Self-Confident

+ Your ability to strive for sucess & your neve to boldly go after it set you apart from all other personality styles + You are probably quite aware of your capabilities & know what you’re worth - To ensure that your character works to your advantage, you may need to develop a more realistic sense of your own shortcomings - Beware of myopic outlooks particularly overlooking dissatisfaction in other people as this may bite you in the ass

Devoted

+ You know how to love & how to give & are keenly aware of other people’s needs + You are diplomatic & like to promote harmony - You might benefit from turning your attention to yourself, see what you can do on your own behalf and let others know who you are and what they can do for you - You may tend to agree with those who are important to you, perhaps stiffling your own opinions; You may run the risk of appearing less interesting to those whose approval you wanted to win in the first place

Dramatic

+ You know how to see & find the exciting & colorful in everyday life + You are very intuitive about people & know how to lead even more reticent fellows to open up to you - Your sources of Self-Esteem lay outside yourself, which may make your inner life unsteady; finding sources inside yourself will ensure some inner calm  - Simply avoiding the unpleasant and boring pats of life doesn’t always work. Try not to let them pile up in an overwhelming manner

Vigilant

+ Your mind & Senses are always on, monitoring the environment, other people and the local power structures; Because of that, little escapes your notice + Though reserved, you are likely a good and observer of people who remembers details & sees though subtle motivations - Always being in such a state of aler can leave you physically ad emotionally tense; Try to unplug from that once in a while - Also beware of false positives - Sometimes things simply go wrong because of tragedy & misfortune without a clear cause or culprit

Sensitive

+ Your love of the familiar allows you to built a comfortable personal environment in which you know everything about the places, activities & people you deal with + You are likely to be likeable, friendly, warm, loyal, imaginative & kind. Aww~ - However, your adherence to the familiar could alo get you into a rut so try to change things up & venture just a little outside your comfort zone once in a while - Your ‘Danger-alert system’ is extremly sensitive so you might be worrying over nothing occasionally

Leisurely

+ You know how to be contented & happy just by doing the things you like + You don’t let anybody push you around, know how to enforce your own priorities and know that you have as much of a right as anyone else - You tend to look more inward than outward, so it might help to try & focus/ notice what is important to those around you & what brings them pleasure - Beware of Procrastination hell

Adventurous

+ Your strong points include  your spontaneity, strenght, fearlessness, ability to act and experience pleasure + You have a natural tendency to live life to the fullests, fill it up with worthwhile experiences & life in the moment - If you run into trouble, it’ll likely result from impulsivity & lack of forethought; For your own benefit & the sake of those around you it may help to work on these so you’re not hampered by unexpected consequences - Try to put at least some thought into what you want for the future

Idiosyncratic

+ You are likely to be interesting, original, possibly very spiritual, maybe even highly creative and gifted + You are no slave to bogus or limiting aspects of social convention& go your own way - Because of your insistence on doing things your own way, you may pay a price in your personal and professional relationships - You may not realize just how diffeent you actually are, that is, fail to pick up what is expected in any given situation. 

Solitary

+ In your ability to be comfortable alone, you have no peers. You don’t get lonely easily + You can probably entertain yourself seemingly endlessly & relish your activities just as much by yourself & go about your own pursuits without distraction - You may want to improve your elationships with people,even if it’s only to go about your self-determined business more easily - You may find it hard to relate to others or “speak their language”, & your different social needs can make it difficult to keep a friendship or partnership going

Mecurial

+ Among the strengts that infuse your life are an ability to life & feel to the fullest and a temendous appreciation for interpersonal relationships.  + You throw yourself into your pursuits wholeheartedly & have an unique ability to adapt to new places, social groups & lifestyles - To feel more fulfilled & sucessful in life & your relationships, work on developing some detachment & restrait - Be aware that you tend to have very high expectations that may sometimes veer into the unrealistic

Self-Sacrificing

+ You are a naturally unselfish, generous, helpful & giving human being capable of adapting to, accepting & getting along with almost everyone. w00t! + You work had to please even when no one asks or thanks you for it - You may deny your own needs & pleasures more than you realize - Work on establishing a firmer balance of give-and-take by being more cicumspect in giving and more assertive in taking

Aggressive

+ Congratulations! You likely have enormous potential for sucess, especially in your professional life.  + You run a tight ship & are exceptionally good at getting things done as a leader - To make your home life as rewarding as your professional one,  it might help to smooth your sometimes over-bosy side as it may cause conflict for you at home.  - You may have a bit of a temper, especially if others defy your authority.  Try not to overreact to the healthy self-assertion of others

Serious

+ You are a hard worker who preseveres in all tasks, no matter how sour + You have a measured, realistic outlook on the world - In oder to protect yourself from stress, enhance your relationships & to preserve your strenght for truly difficult times, you may need to develop some flexibility - You may have difficulty putting yourself forward in social situations, when seeking employment or on the job.

Inventive

+ You’re probably interested in social climbing & have the eyes & sensitivities for doing so & getting into the good graces of high-status people + You have a variety of interests, are innovative & are diven to cultivate many talents. Cool! - You are sensitive to how others ptreat or perceive you and may have a hard time coping with social embarassment or humiliation; Remember that it’s not the end of the world - You may be so focussed on attaining what gets recognition that you become caught up in superficial things or out of touch with your very own wants & feelings

Exuberant

+ You are not just active, gregarious,and an appreciator of beauty, but also highly productive& invested in being skillfull.  + You value & tend to seek out pleasurable & intense experiences and novelty - You may have a tendency to splurge or otherwise be given to occasional excesses or be flakey in relationships - On the other hand there might be a risk of being so absorben in your pursuit of the day & the search for esciting experience that you neglect to take care of yourself and flake out on your loved ones

Artistic

+ You’re likely very creative, subject to rushes of inspiration & given to experience the beauty & meaning of everything in life through your heart + You tend to have a gasp on many different corners of the human experience & therefore have a nuanced understanding of different viewpoints - You dislike routine & tend to make decisions based on your current mood, which may sometimes lead to less-than-thought-through decisions or jeopardize your relationships - Both your productivity & confidence may be somewhat unsteady and subject to ‘seasonal fluctuations’

Carefree

+ You are naturally young at heart, charming, refreshing, unabashed & not overly bogged down by inhibition + You take an uncomplicated, straightforward view of things & relationships - You may be somewhat scattered & might benefit from working on handling everyday responsibilities - You may find it hard to act sufficiently mature when others rely on you

[lumikinetic]

FRIENDLY PSA TO ALL TRUMP-VOTING, LGBT HATING, HARDCORE CHRISTIANS OUT THERE

We Satanists aren’t bad people. Quite the contrary. We’re much better than you. Where you have your 10 Commandments, we have 7 basic tenets to follow.

#1 - “One should strive to act with compassion and empathy towards all creatures in accordance with reason.”

#2 - “The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.”

#3 - “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.”

#4 - “The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo your own.”

#5 - “Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.”

#6 - “People are fallible. If we make a mistake, we should do our best to rectify it and resolve any harm that may have been caused.”

#7 - “Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.”

Extension: there are two types of Satanism, one is the Satanist Temple (TST) and one is LaVeyan Satanism, created by Anton LaVey. The two are just as similar as they are different, one of the key differences being that LaVeyan tenets are much more extensive.

There are 3 sets of tenets, the Nine Satanic Statements, the Eleven Satanic Rules Of The Earth, and the Nine Satanic Sins.

-

The Nine Satanic Statements

#1 - Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence.

#2 - Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams.

#3 - Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit.

#4 - Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates.

#5 - Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.

#6 - Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires.

#7 - Satan represents man as just another animal who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development”, has become the most vicious animal of all.

#8 - Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.

#9 - Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.

-

11 Satanic Rules Of The Earth

#1 - Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

#2 - Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

#3 - When in another’s lair, show them respect or else do not go there.

#4 - If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy.

#5 - Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

#6 - Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and they cry out to be relieved.

#7 - Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

#8 - Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

#9 - Do not harm little children.

#10 - Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

#11 - When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them.

-

The Nine Satanic Sins

#1 - Stupidity: “It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.”

#2 - Pretentiousness: “Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.”

#3 - Solipsism: “Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.”

#4 - Self-deceit: “We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cowspresented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!”

#5 - Herd Conformity: “It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.”

#6 - Lack of Perspective: “You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.”

#7 - Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies: “Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.”

#8 - Counterproductive Pride: “Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.”

#9 - Lack of Aesthetics: “Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.”

LaVey states that the Nine Satanic Sins are personality traits that prevent you from being successful and reaching your goals, rather than disobeying God’s law.

And there’s also this thing called “Pentagonal Revisionism” which is a five step program, not for the self, but for society.

#1 - Stratification: “The point on which all the others ultimately rest. There can be no more myth of equality for all—it only translates to mediocrity and supports the weak at the expense of the strong. Water must be allowed to seek its own level without interference from apologists for incompetence. No one should be protected from the effects of his own stupidity.”

#2 - Strict taxation of all churches: “If churches were taxed for all their income and property, they’d crumble overnight of their own obsolescence, and the National Debt would be wiped out as quickly. The productive, the creative, the resourceful should be subsidized. So long as the useless and incompetent are getting paid, they should be heavily taxed.”

#3 - No tolerance for religious beliefs secularized and incorporated into law and order issues: “To re-establish Lex Talionis would require a complete overturning of the present in-justice system based on Judeo-Christian ideals, where the victim/defender has been made the criminal. Amnesty should be considered for anyone in prison because of his alleged “influence” upon the actual perpetrator of the crime. Everyone is influenced in what he or she does. Scapegoating has become a way of life, a means of survival for the unfit. As an extension of the Judeo-Christian cop-out of blaming the Devil for everything, criminals can gain leniency, even praise, by placing the blame on a convenient villain. Following the Satanic creed of “Responsibility to the responsible,” in a Satanic society, everyone must experience the consequences of his own actions—for good or ill.”

#4 - Development and production of artificial human companions: “The forbidden industry. An economic “godsend” which will allow everyone “power” over someone else. Polite, sophisticated, technologically feasible slavery. And the most profitable industry since T.V. and the computer.”

#5 - The opportunity for anyone to live within a total environment of his or her choice, with mandatory adherence to the aesthetic and behavioral standards of same: “Privately owned, operated and controlled environments as an alternative to homogenized and polyglot ones. The freedom to insularize oneself within a social milieu of personal well-being. An opportunity to feel, see, and hear that which is most aesthetically pleasing, without interference from those who would pollute or detract from that option.”

I want everyone to note the two beliefs that are undeniably the same: “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone" and “Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.” ONE OF THE KEY BELIEFS OF SATANISM IS DON’T RAPE, RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S BODIES.

To the Christians who wish to practice their religion in peace, and just want people to respect their beliefs, my humblest apologies if I offended you. To you gay hating, extremist, Trump supporting pieces of white supremacist shit, go fuck yourself.

I don’t mean to drag anyone away from their religion, merely clear the bad name given to mine.

Oh, and by the way, Satanists do not view Satan as a Creator God, but as a representation of the difference between peace and freedom.

Basically, he was the original rebel.

[heartofhryule]

Heart of Wisdom - Chapter 1

If this goes well, I will post a second chapter. I got a hankering to be zelink trash and have no shame. No reposts please. Clearly it’s just Fanfiction, but I still wrote it. Thank youz!

DISCLAIMERS: Contains Hyrule Warriors spoilers and story items. I highly recommend playing the game if you haven’t! It’s complete fluff, but fun fluff.... minus Lana. 

______________________________

Heart of Wisdom - a Tale after Hyrule Warriors | Chapter 1|

Chapter 1 - Aftermath

Having returned the Master sword to The Sacred Grounds, the rifts in the fabric of time and space healed, friends returned home and the Guardian of Time disappeared back to her vigil, now as Lana, Hyrule began to pick up the pieces left in Gannon’s wake.

Returning to Hyrule Castle shoulder to shoulder, Link was greeted with a Hero’s welcome. Hyrule Council was moved to promote the young knight, and recommended head of Castle guard. However it was the princess’s wish that the Hero of Time become her personal guard.

It had been a week since the defeat of Gannon on Hyrule Field, and Link stared out the window wistfully. Not for reliving that horrifying event - he still couldn’t get the smell out of his blue scarf despite the magic of the castle’s washer women - but because somehow fighting a primordial beast crafted from the soul of a hungry, warmongering madman and the heart of destruction seemed less painful than the tedium of a Council Meeting. After covering literally all of the new births and deaths reported from around the kingdom, the old man with the dry, boring voice droned on to the crop and livestock counts and any issues reported to the court.

It was all Link could do to stay awake without groaning.

That and watch Princess Zelda. How she managed to stay interested and sincerely focused was beyond him. But there she sat, golden hair illuminated like unto a divine halo by the morning sun and intently watching the Chamberlain list off how many goats there were in the eastern village. While he’d become accustomed to the warrior he knew her to be, Zelda was presently not dressed for battle. Instead she wore a dress of light blue with an overdress the color of an afternoon sky that made her violet-blue eyes look all the more lavender. Her crown was also not that of the war general, and while the jewels were in a similar pattern, they were red, and the gold settings were smaller and far less pointy.

Lost to his silent admiration of her for the moment, Link found himself sighing softly. What a week it had been since that moment where they had together saved Hyrule - and apparently not for the first time. Midna, of all people, had taken him aside one night before they’d fought Cia and explained everything to him so that he would not be surprised by what they found in the Temple of Souls. It was good that she had too - He was brave, but that entire experience had been beyond upsetting. Midna had explained that while he was not the Link she had known, his soul was, and that he was bound to the Goddess Hylia - alive in the blood and soul of the beautiful Princess sitting next to him and discussing more livestock with her Chamberlain.

He’d felt it, the moment she’d looked at him in the courtyard, while the soldiers were talking, wondering what the princess was doing ‘wasting her time’ with them, he’d felt it. Felt that her eyes were on and only for him… as his were for her. He’d not even noticed Impa until they were called away. At the time he’d dismissed it as his romantic heart and overactive imagination, yet after talking with Midna, things made a lot more sense.

But then this week had not gone how he’d hoped. As the head of the Princess’s personal guard, he’d expected to spend more time… well… around the Princess. instead he’d been given an exhaustive course on the Castle grounds, tactics, battlements, secret passages and every inch of grey stone and gardens Impa could dig up and claim was the Castle. He’d also been made to memorize every weapon, shield, harness, buckle and grommet in the Armory, every face on staff, even having had Impa throw in a few impostors to try and trip him up, but while he’d passed every challenge she’d flung at him with flying colors, by the time he made it anywhere near Zelda’s chambers, she was asleep for the evening and he could not enter, instead merely guarding her door.

Summoned to her chamber this morning had made his heart thrill with excitement, but he’d walked in to find Impa…. Again…. There with the princess when he’d been requested as her escort to the council meeting. But he’d smiled, eyes only for Zelda, and accepted on one knee, as was expected of him. He did so wish that he could have a moment to talk with her. They had spoken many times over the last months. Candidly by the campfire on the side of Death Mountain, in the safety of the Goddess Statue when they’d had to regroup in Skyloft, and many more times now that he knew his conversations with Sheik had also been her - but never about their pasts that he now knew, and wondered idly if she did.

That was what had done it. Certainly she was beautiful and strong. But Sheik he had considered a friend. Funny, wise, intelligent and with scathing humor when only he seemed to be paying attention, Link had known he was dangerously close to love when Zelda revealed she had been Sheik all along.

And somehow he’d known? But then if he listened to Midna, that’s because he did know, because he knew her. And it wasn’t so strange that he loved her so easily, so quickly. He’d loved her, and she him, in many life times.

Now, only if he could get her alone to speak with her. He had no idea where they stood currently, if she knew or had any inclination to their histories beyond what they’d seen in Gannon and Lana. Maybe after this meeting…

He watched as her eyes flicked to him briefly, and her expression softened from the grim intensity she’d been wearing since the meeting had been called to order. In fact, the corners of her eyes seemed to turn up in a secret smile just for him, causing the Hero’s heart to tense violently and reaffirm his hope.

-

Zelda was so aware of the way Link continued to watch her, it was all she could do to stay focused. He looked tired, and she wanted to comfort him. He’d been so busy over the last week she’d hardly been able to see him. That was until this morning. She’d been observing his tasks and duties since her decree for him to be her personal guard, and those observations lead her to have a meeting with Impa that morning.

She’d sat in her bedchamber, playing her harp softly as she waited for her most trusted companion to arrive, smiling at the idea this conversation was even necessary. She knew it was from a place of good, but… well it was going to stop.

The knock heralded Impa’s arrival a moment before Zelda stood and bid her enter. The General of the Hyrulean army came in and bowed politely, but in her respectfully informal manner. “Majesty,” Impa said standing, “What calls me to you so early this morning? Have the nightmares returned?”

Zelda smiled gently and shook her head. “No, my friend. I am well. However I must ask you something.”

“Anything, Highness.”

“For what reason are you keeping our Hero so busy that I have been unable to speak with him in more than seven days and nights?”

Impa gulped and visibly looked… well guilty. She knew better than to lie to Zelda. Triforce or not, reading people was a speciality of the Princess’s. “Highness… I, well you see, Zelda-” The Princess listened with a gentle smile. She knew what it was. Impa felt responsible for Zelda. Since the death of her parent’s at a young Age, Impa had been Zelda’s guardian. She was like a mentor, an older sister, Zelda’s dearest friend.

Walking forward and setting her harp on the bed, Zelda smiled, taking Impa’s hand in both of hers. “Impa, your concern for my heart and virtue is appreciated. You are my dearest friend. But I am no longer a girl, and wish to make my own decisions, even if they become mistakes. I am a woman now. A Princesss-”

“And the reincarnation of the Goddess,” Impa pointed out, eyes squeezed shut against her stinging chagrin.

“Yes.”

“And the Royalty of Hyrule.”

“Yes.”

“And looking at a peasant boy trainee as if he hung the moon and stars.”

Smiling more broadly, Zelda shook her head. “He is a knight… and The Hero. My Hero.”

“Yes but-”

“No Impa,” Zelda said and reached up to cup her friend and guardian’s face, willing the magic of the triforce and the goddess to aid her. “Remember…”

When it happened, when Impa’s mind opened to the times she’d shared a life with them, when she’d aided their quests against the Darkness, Zelda felt it. Tears streaming down Impa’s cheeks she met Zelda’s eyes. “Your Hero,” she said, a new understanding taking root in the Sheikah’s mind. “You you hardly know him in this life.”

“And I don’t think that’s much going to change if you keep him so busy I never get to see him, do you?” Zelda urged, but with a kind smile and laugh. “Now, why don’t we summon him to escort me to the meeting, and then perhaps our Hero can have the day off from memorizing the kitchen pans, yes?”

And there they sat, Zelda giving genuine responses and answers while equally counting the heartbeats until they were done. His gaze was like the caress of fairy’s wings over her skin, the likes of which she found exceedingly distracting. Finally the Council meeting was called to an end, and each of the members paid their respects before exiting the chamber. As soon as the last eyes were off them, Zelda slumped back in her chair and sighed.

Suddenly Link was beside her. “Highness?” he said taking her hand. “Are you alright? Faint? Can I get you anything?”

“Not unless you have a way to make our dear Chamberlain less boring,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. She felt his pause as his mind shifted gears from concern to amusement. Taking a knee, he rest his elbow on the arm of her chair, and chin in the bend of his resting elbow. She also noted he did not remove his hand from hers.

“That would be a true miracle, I think,” Link grinned softly, facing beaming up to her. The warmth in his gaze as she met his clear, crystal blue eyes made her blush. He was so very handsome, and adorable when he looked at her like that. “No greater a miracle than having a moment to myself with you, though.”

“I have addressed that with Impa,” Zelda promised with a soft smile. “Your duties will steer more now towards actually protecting me.”

“Not that you need it,” he chuckled. “I’ve seen you with a sword. And hope to never be on your bad side.”

She smiled and turned in her chair to face him full on, her heart skipping with giddy excitement to finally be alone with him. She wanted to ask him what he knew, what he remembered once the timelines had merged. But she hadn’t the first clue how to start. “Link, I want to ask you,” she said and leaned a bit forward.

Her Hero, in his newly cleaned and pressed green tunic leaned up from where his chin had been resting and over the arm with a hopeful smile. “Anything, Princess.”

“Zelda.”

“Hmm?”

“Please, when not in formal court, please just call me Zelda.” She watched as a smile blossomed over his face, chasing chill bumps from her head to her toes.

“Of course, Zelda. Was that what you wanted to ask?”

“No, I-”

But a knock at the chamber interrupted her and they both jumped up to attention, Zelda with her back straight and hands folded delicately once more in her lap, Link standing straight up aside her chair, hands behind his back. Impa came in rapidly  storming across the room and looking nonplussed. “Highness,” she said needing her stride by taking a knee. “We have a problem.”

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: Trade Radio Ga Ga (’is this real life or just a fantasy?’)

WHAT a stupid year. 

The losers of the NRL Grand Final are paid out as winners by bookmakers, and not because of a silly betting promotion but because the code and its officials are as relevant and effective in their jobs as contraception to Irish catholic newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Where Donald Trump himself is evidence our species might now be regressing, the fact endless hours of Trade Radio always have talkback callers is the proof in that devolution pudding.

And in a year where all the conservatives and right-wingers in this country should be as excited as a Beagle on full lipstick following ScoMo’s Steven Bradbury effort in May, they’re got their pantyhose and pressed slacks in a twist because of what some Volvo factory-worker’s teenage daughter has to say about the inclement weather conditions.

There was chaos and anarchy on Swan Street for the second time in three years last month but Hold Kong locals asked Richmond fans if they could hold their beer. We lost Polly and Spud, and said vale, gone too soon, to Saturday Night Rove. Five clubs let go of their coaches, Pope Francis delisted one of his cardinals, and a ginger from Christchurch defeated his own country by the virtue of most boundaries.

But at least we retained the Ashes in England.

  1.       Let’s start with the footy, trades season is almost done. Hutchy to his credit was a genius for seeing revenue opportunity in this trade period, with an ‘insert sponsor here’ open line and hours and hours of coverage, its been a windfall and then some for his business. But I reckon we’re only a year or so away from the unwashed realising there’s no relevance in any of it until the final day. There’s only so many Terry Wallace orations on the merits of list analysis before your average punter switches off. Know when to hold them, know when to fold them, Craig.

2.       The biggest name out there with a day to go is Joe Daniher. Was that meeting with Tom Harley a personal one or an actual, official Swans’ approach? Soft tacos, hard tacos, why not both? Now we have Essendon playing hardball and who knows if it gets done. Chances are it does, Geelong last year with Tim Kelly was more exception than example, if the Swans want him bad enough, they’ll lump up the pieces, especially if they fear as I do that Bud’s barely got ten more games in him in a market that requires a star.

3.       St Kilda has a lot on. Jack Steven and Josh Bruce are two big losses, but getting in Dougal Howard, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones, Paddy Ryder and Dan Butler are some nice pieces. If Ratten can indeed coach, and as an ex-Clarko assistant he should be just fine, next year looks properly solid down at Moorabbin.

4.       Whats the thinking with the Dogs? Aaron Naughton looks like a key forward gun, and Josh Schache was just starting to show something as a footballer without being a star. Yet they’re throwing all the cash at Josh Bruce for a go at a third flag? I do know he was free to a good home because the Saints were hellbent Max King’s twin at the Gold Coast would head home next year – not now after that re-signing yesterday. Couple big mistakes there for mine.

5.       Tom Papley worth pick nine? Righto. And the Masked Singer will be popular on Australian television too, right?..... Yep, pick nine sounds about right then, forgive me.

6.  ��    Jack Martin though, to Carlton, that’s the steal of the whole thing. Martin is a freak, who has gone underappreciated playing in the ghost town that is Gold Coast, for a horribly weak side, in a club that can’t develop anyone not named Tom Lynch. But has talent to burn and could easily become one of Carlton’s top 10 players next year, in fact based on the player he can become, he should. Think 2019 Michael Walters. Seriously. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

7.       Collingwood have cap issues? Really? Firstly who really knows, unlike North American sports where contracts are public, only each club really knows how much room they’ve got and how that ever would be divulged puzzles me. And yes they have to pay Grundy, De Goey and Moore next year, although the latter won’t be all that much given his hamstrings are like an Uber driver with turrets, unreliable and could snap at any time. But given the Pies were offering Tom Lynch the same financial terms as Richmond this time last year, with Scott Pendlebury out of contract next year and coming down in salary, with less stars to pay than West Coast, how is this a thing? It isn’t. Chris Mayne is overpaid, sure, but that’s it. Wells has retired, Beams took a cut, and unless George Calombaris oversaw their player payments and there’s backpay to cover off, I think it’s a total beat-up. But sure, let James Aish being wanted by his former backs coach at Freo to fuel that fable.

8.       Crows hired Matthew Nicks. Reckon that’s got fail all over it. Adelaide’s list is in a heap, the review basically said their post Grand-Final plans two years ago totally wiped the place out like a broken toilet on a buck’s weekend, and not seeing to the damage since has only exacerbated the crap spilling out all over the shop. Good half dozen or so quality players leaving this offseason, Walker and Sloane are the wrong side of 30 and they’ve got only a few good kids, most clubs around them have better youth and are more rapidly improving. Either Nicks can’t coach at the level or he can but the Crows will be a bad side regardless, either way it doesn’t see him making a new contract beyond whats given out today.

9.       NRL. Definiton of a pub league. Your local Wednesday night basketball is better run. And with better officiating. That Six Again controversy was the most befitting thing you’ll ever see to a sport, a sport where 13 of its 16 clubs run insolvent, but that’s ok because all their giant pokies-infested leagues club venues write them all a cheque to cover the losses each year. Absolute pub league.

10.   If an umpire or referee makes a bad call, it’s only made worse by changing that decision midstream. If a player marks the ball, but then the umpire overrules saying no, it was touched, its no mark, and because you’ve claimed it and made no attempt to get rid of it its now holding the ball, you just can’t do that. Kids are taught to play to the whistle. Except in rugby league then. Because chances are what the ref just said isn’t what he is about to mean in a couple seconds time, just be patient. That referee shouldn’t be crucified for what’s essentially just one error, but in the grand scheme of things, he needs witness protection. Or better yet, stay off the roster for trips to Canberra next season.

11.   It was mentioned in the preamble but no wonder SportsBet paid out all Canberra to win bets. The Raiders had all the momentum, it was 8-all, and it was near the Roosters tryline. They were no guarantee to score off that play, at best they might have got a repeat set. But if there was anyone more likely to break that deadlock given who was playing better but also, more importantly, the territory battle, it was the Green Machine. This isn’t SportsBet just being philanthropic, the result is just that shady.

12.   Speaking of Sportsbet – Western United. Made their A-League debut on the weekend, won one-nil in front of some fans at Wellington. But it was midweek that we saw their announcement which said “we are proud to announce SportsBet has joined the club as its exclusive sports wagering partner”. Firstly, poor form, in a city where all the AFL clubs are quite publicly backing out of gambling revenue, to be going the other way stinks big time. But secondly, what does that even mean? That if I go into a TAB all Western United games are unavailable to bet on. Coz that’s just not even close to true. Dumb and stupid in all of the ways, that.

13.   So the new boys have their home opener this weekend down at Geelong, even though they’re a team based out of Tarneit. Melbourne Victory when they’ve ventured down to Sleepy Hollow attract 14,000 or so, who knows how many turn up for the novelty first time around this Saturday. But going forward, given Melbourne City don’t exceed 10,000 and they play in town, if they’re getting anymore than 5,000-6,000 in what’s otherwise a 36,000 AFL venue, its going to look oh so pretty on television. What’s the opposite of the eggplant emoji?

14.   Few more on the A-League, firstly, why have your opening round smack bang in the middle of an international window? They were so hyper vigilant to schedule their opening round after the AFL and NRL had ended they failed to recognise all of the good Aussie players will be off winning 28-nil against Chinese Taipei or Christmas Island or whoever it was. Its like Victoria Police planning a social function on New Year’s Eve. No-one’s going to be able to make it you morons.

15.   And you open up with the Melbourne Derby. Lucky Victory is a terrifically run club with a strong, loyal fanbase. But only 33,000, with zero promotion? These should be nudging 50,000.

16.   Lastly, you know they’re going really well when the free-to-air partner this season is the ABC. Even the VFL got a commercial broadcaster, yet the country’s premier round ball competition shares a channel with Gardening Australia and Four Corners. And the cherry on the top is when it comes to finals, and I’ll quote the ABC press release on this one, where “one A-League match per round broadcast live on ABC TV and iView around the country… and a selection of A-League finals on delay, including the grand final.” Delay?! Remember those days? You can’t make this stuff up.

17.   Darren Weir got done for using jiggers. Rest of racing stays dead quiet. Right. Now is that because Darren is their mate and despite the heinous crimes blood is thicker than water in the industry and they have some empathy for him? Or is it a case of if he can get caught, then maybe some of the others equally as guilty could so easily as well, and staying mum is step one of avoiding such scrutiny? I wonder.

18.   So, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour barrier for running a marathon. Phenomenal achievement, just ridiculous to even comprehend the feat. Amazing. But it won’t count as a world record. Why? Well it wasn’t a race. Old mate contrived the event with a couple dozen pacers to help him do it and that’s it. It’s like if me and some mates hire lane eight down Altona Pool Thursday morning, and fresh off a high-protein breakfast and a quick hit of flakka happen to break 20 seconds for one-lap of freestyle – you think FINA will recognise it? You think Kieran Perkins will shout me free Light Start for life off the back of it? As a milk crusader I could only dream of such a reward but yeah nah. Nice stunt Eliud, you’re a freak of a human. But we’re in the same boat brother.

19.   Tough one, not just for boxing because its bigger than that, but Patrick Day is in real bother and sincere optimism about his recovery to one side, so is his sport. Day was knocked out in the tenth round in a bout with Charles Conwell in Chicago in the weekend, which in itself is not unusual. But the consequences of the blow are such that Day is in a coma and in an “extremely critical condition”. Again, nothing but positive wishes about his eventual recovery first and foremost, but in an era where concussion in the football codes is as alarming as ever, combat spots’ existence, like boxing, could/would/should be on borrowed time with cases like this.

20.   TV ratings worry the pants off me. By far the most important and major revenue source for all the sport we love to watch, it helps grow the professionalism and the standards, and the access really. But as TV viewership declines, so does the viewership with live sport. And we all waited with bated breath for the NRL Grand Final numbers in the hope maybe they would be good, and it wasn’t just sport in general in trouble, that maybe rugby league was still on an upward trajectory and its just everyone else.

Nope, it was down too. Usually something that rates at times near 3m nationally, it was around 1.8m. The AFL Grand Final, with an engaged Sydney audience, has been on a trajectory over 3.5m, topping 4m occasionally, it was under 3m for the first time in years. Australia Open primetime slots were down, cricket was good but still down, be it the summer on Seven or The Ashes mid-year on Nine.

What does this mean? It means less people are watching live sport. And when advertisers hear that, they’ll be paying less to the networks for the privilege of putting 30 seconds of their product in front of the eyeballs of footy fans. And that then means TV networks will hand over less cash, subsequently, to the sporting bodies for the rights to broadcast their fixtures.

It doesn’t mean that we’re all destined to see the days of the 1980s return where players need a job outside of footy and only one game is broadcast a week and all that nostalgia. But the idea that salaries will keep going up and up is gone, the idea the game can grow at the same rate looks doomed. So unless someone makes Foxtel honest (nudge nudge Amazon Prime) or this is only a lull, and once we get over Fortnite and Korean boy-bands we will all fall back in love with Friday night in front of the telly watching footy, it’s a big, big concern. 

[hugecount]

8 Effective Ways to Boost Warehouse Productivity | Hugecount

To keep a business process working efficiently in order to maximize profits is both a long-term battle and a day-to-day one. It is the holy grail of a lean and streamlined business model which we all strive for. Depending on the industry and niche we find ourselves in, there are many ways to achieve this and many variables to consider. Labour, staff, workloads, scheduling, third-party variables, constantly changing the global market, you name it.

These and many other variables need to be put in our equation in order to get the most efficient outcome possible. Luckily for us, there are relatively small things virtually any business can do and change in order to make big changes. The best course of actions is to start small and work our way up to more involving and complicated actions.

In the continuation of this article, we will go over some of the best changes we can make to our warehouse with the goal of it running as smooth as possible.

The Basics

The layout is the most important aspect of a warehouse and will influence all future operations in it. Ideally, an optimal layout should be pre-planned and executed before anything else is put in place. An efficient, custom-tailored layout for our specific needs will make everything else work much more fluidly. What are some of the parameters we need to pay attention to?

Product and raw material should be stocked in a logical order. Logical order is such that enables us to retrieve and stock it easily, with minimal time, labour and energy invested. It often needs to be revised as it is not a set it and forget it type of deal. Times, markets and needs change and so should we. Typically, the most popular products should be placed in the most accessible areas so workers have an easier time stocking and retrieving them. Verticality is our best friend in this case.

Automated vertical storage and retrieval systems can be used to organize the most frequently requested products in such a way to be closest to the worker. What is the ideal layout for us? That is something each and everyone has to figure out for ourselves.

Decluttering

Much like our own domicile, it is always a good idea to declutter and maximize the space available to us. It should always be the first thought before we think about acquiring additional space, as it is a costly endeavour. Is there a way to more efficiently use the space we already have at hand, both vertical and horizontal?

Often, it is easier said than done. It does require people putting their heads together from different departments in order for everyone to be satisfied with the outcome. Not only will decluttering increase useable space and make work faster and more convenient for everyone, but also will impact safety. The less clutter there is, the less there is a likelihood for a hazard to occur. Which ties us in our next subject perfectly.

Promoting Safety

Safety is one of the most important factors in any company, especially one working with heavy machinery, vertical spaces and heavy produce. It is up to us to figure out ways to make our warehouses safer. When there are dozens of forklifts running around at the same time, it is paramount to eliminate all blind corners.

Traffic should be kept to the perimeter as much as possible which will mostly eliminate this threat to the safety and increase available working space. Still, no matter how safe our facility is, vigilance should always be promoted as basically all accidents tend to happen due to human error.

Update and Upgrade

Modern warehouses rely on a wide array of technologies to help with work in terms of speed, safety and efficiency. Upgrading stationary workstations with ones to a mobile cart with power, upgrading forklifts are just some of the examples on how to stay up to date. There are plenty of used forklifts for sale to make these upgrades easy on our finances.

Employees can bring their computers, printers and scanners with them through our warehouse without double-backing. Some other examples include, but are not limited to: conveyor belts, bar-code readers and database systems and voice-activated technologies.

Maintenance

Aside from updating our equipment and procedures, it is also important to maintain them as it is a vital component in warehouse productivity. As we have stated previously, we live in a time where we have many technologically-advanced tools that are readily available for us to use.

Over the decades, we have become basically completely reliant on these tools which makes us vulnerable if it temporarily does not work. A faulty piece of equipment can hinder our working schedule and thus, affect the process further down the line. The way we combat this is by training employees to maintain and care for their equipment.

Routine checks are also a part of maintenance in order to make sure that the equipment is operational. Routine, specialized inspections and are important for the more intricate equipment that relies on professional personnel for maintenance.

Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

As our warehouse gets filled up with products, people and tools, it can get convoluted at times. That means we lose efficiency. A warehouse management system (or warehouse control system) can help us track and optimize our logistics and put the most popular products closer to receiving areas. It serves the common purpose of reducing travel time, chokepoints and increases efficiency overall.

Being Proactive

In the world of doing business, surprises are usually not positive and no one likes them. We need to do our best in order to anticipate all aspects of our business operations. Warehouse labour needs can change drastically over time as the market fluctuates. Before the need for additional staff becomes urgent, we should have already made the necessary preparations to bring in new people.

Much in the same way, if we happen to be overstaffed, we need to perform cuts as far in advance as possible. Temporary associates should be treated with the same courtesy and respect as our full-time staff. This way we ensure that they are more likely to return in the future if the times dictate that there is a need for additional staff.

Comfort

Employee comfort is the last, but not the least important aspect that we are going to cover here. The more people feel like they are a part of something greater, the more content they will be in being there. Looking forward to going to work can be one of the best experiences in life and it is up to us to ensure that as much as possible. Visual and audio comfort first comes to mind.

Allowing employees to personalize their workspace to an extent will make them feel more at home. The environment will appear more natural to everyone. Warehouses can get very noisy so some kind of music to at least partially drown out the noise can be a good idea. On the other hand, it can be a dangerous situation for employees to get too comfortable, especially in a warehouse.

People always need to be vigilant and on alert when it comes to a combination of heavy machinery and a turbulent environment.

Finally, feedback is always welcome. Listening to employees and associated that are always hands-on in a warehouse will provide some of the best ideas on how to improve the working experience for everyone. They are the bread and butter of any warehouse and they best understand where the bottlenecks and various inefficiencies are. Together, we can come up with and implement the best productivity-enhancing changes and policies that will keep our warehouse lean and streamlined.

Source: https://hugecount.com/business/8-effective-ways-to-boost-warehouse-productivity/

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Gothing at Christmas and New Year: Presents, and festive survival

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Christmas is literally just around the corner, whether you like it or not – so it’s time to talk presents, parties, and Gothing during the festive season once again.

In this blog post, I’m going to share my picks of five of the best Christmas presents for Goths to request in your stocking this year, and share a few tips for surviving the holidays without losing your mind. Although for the latter, you should probably view me as more of a cautionary tale than a shining example.

Your Goth gifting Christmas list

Whether you have a Goth in your life that expects a gift, goddamnit, or if you are that very Goth, the high street is often a big let-down when it comes to picking up presents. You’ve just about got enough days left to order online still, so without wasting any more time, here are my top five Goth Christmas presents for 2017.

A new vampire book

I’ve recently tuned into author Gabrielle Faust (probably not her real name but if so, jealous) who is the writer of the Eternal Vigilance series of vampire novels, which I have not yet read but am hoping to find under the tree this year.

A terrible Christmas jumper

Christmas jumpers nearly entered the annals of history entirely until Harry Potter and Mrs. Weasley became a thing, but today it is once again de rigueur to knit or purchase something awful to exchange with your friends and loved ones. If you’re a whizz with the needles, there are loads of patterns available online to test your skills, otherwise I’d suggest buying a plain knit and customising it yourself rather than biting off more than you can chew at this stage.

Chunky boots

When I need a new pair of ass-kickers, I try to wangle them as Christmas presents given the investment that a good pair of boots usually requires – and also because this is the time of year that you tend to start realising that your existing pair are no longer fit for purpose.

My current favourites are these New Rocks (always with the New Rock for me…) which have more of a heel than I would usually go for, but that are just toooo pretty to pass by.

A Gothed-up portrait with a difference

If you don’t know what to get for the Goth who has everything, this is just THE BEST. Dark Imaginings will take your provided image and turn it into a customised gory portrait, to impress your loved one as well as to serve as a warning of what may happen if you don’t get those new boots you asked for. GENIUS.

An awesome Gothic mirror

Funky homewares are always a sound buy for Goths, and this awesome dressing table mirror with drawer is one of my current favourites, costing less than £50 from Alchemy England.

Getting into the Christmas spirit

If you’re the kind of Goth for whom Christmas just isn’t Christmas if you don’t wake up the next day with a festering hangover and a stolen traffic cone in your bedroom, the chances are that you’ve already booked your tickets for a club night or party with the intention of getting messy.

Check out your local party promoters and Gothy venues to find out what’s on offer over the festive season and book your tickets early, lest you find yourself being the only Goth (left) in the village while all your mates head out to get rowdy.

Here are my tips to survive Christmas in hostile territory (aka, your in-laws’ house) without losing your mind.

Have an escape plan!

‘Well really! Who in his right mind would attempt to tunnel out of hell?’

Visiting friends and rellies at Christmas can be great, but it is a good idea to get there and back under your own steam, so if you fancy wandering off for a bit or it all gets a bit much, you can take a time out without hassle.

Find something to do

Entertaining other people or being someone else’s guest can be a lot of pressure, so take or find something to do when you need some peace and quiet, or your shoddy hosts are failing to entertain you in the manner to which you are accustomed. A book, some knitting, organising your collection of severed heads – anything is good really.

Know who you’re dealing with, and how to deal with them

Being cooped up all day with racist auntie Ada is not likely to be near to the top of anyone’s Christmas wish-list, but these things are sent to try us.

If you’re already starting to get antsy about spending time with difficult relatives or someone you don’t actually like but are forced to be polite to, it is a good idea to find out in advance, and have a plan in place for how you’re going to cope when “someone” has a couple too many sherries at lunchtime.

Avoiding them entirely is likely to be out – and it is important to remember that being polite and not ruining the party does not have to go hand in hand with putting up with a lot of bullshit and letting some bigoted douchecanone hold forth with their backwards opinions.

It is totally fine, and in my opinion, actually something of a responsibility, to call out the bigoted dickheads in your family when they start piping up, because if you don’t, who will? Choose your battles, but remember that grimacing and quietly texting your squad about the shit you’re being forced to put up with never changed a thing – and racist auntie Ada is just as much your captive audience as you are hers.

Put the cat among the pigeons if it’s warranted. Go on. If we only save one Trump/Farage supporter this year, it’s still one more than we had otherwise.

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