#Price Comparison Engine

[catenary-chad]

As much as I want to write Electra whump with them being accurately old and worn down, it’s not easy to find nitty gritty maintenance info on electric locos and my mind demands things be based in reality.

(Ironically I’ve worked on diesel locos and actually have a really good conceptual understanding of steam engines… it’s just my mechanical knowledge is VERY inversely correlated with which characters I’d want to write)

[dailynewztimes]

25 km का दमदार माइलेज और 8.34 लाख की कीमत के साथ Maruti Brezza बनी भारत की Best Selling SUV

देश में कॉम्पैक्ट एसयूवी का बाजार तेजी से बढ़ रहा है, और इसका सबसे बड़ा उदाहरण है Maruti Brezza Best Selling SUV बनना। मारुति सुजुकी की इस एसयूवी ने अगस्त 2024 में धमाकेदार प्रदर्शन किया और बिक्री के मामले में सभी को पीछे छोड़ दिया। तो चलिए जानते हैं कैसे Maruti Brezza Sales August 2024 में टॉप पर पहुंची और इसका मुकाबला किन-किन एसयूवी से है। Maruti Brezza Best Selling SUV Maruti Brezza ने कैसे…

[phonemantra-blog]

The Battle of Luxury: Lexus GX vs. LX Lexus is renowned for its luxurious and high-performance vehicles, offering a premium driving experience. In this article, we will delve into the comparison of two of their esteemed models, the Lexus GX and LX. We aim to provide you with a comprehensive analysis to help you make an informed decision based on your preferences and needs.  Exterior Design [caption id="attachment_62947" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Lexus ex vs. lx[/caption] When it comes to exterior design, both the Lexus GX and LX exude elegance and sophistication. The overall design language of the GX portrays a sleek and sporty look, while the LX showcases a more robust and commanding presence. The GX incorporates a modern and aerodynamic silhouette, with clean lines and a stylish front grille. Its compact size gives it a more agile and urban appeal. On the other hand, the LX boasts a larger and more muscular stance, featuring a bold grille, prominent wheel arches, and striking LED headlights. Key design elements in the GX include its sleek LED taillights, integrated roof rails, and rear spoiler. The LX, on the other hand, offers a distinctive chrome-trimmed grille, LED fog lights, and a power moonroof. While the GX's design emphasizes versatility and agility, the LX's design focuses on power and presence. Ultimately, the choice between the two models comes down to personal preference and the desired aesthetic appeal. Interior Comfort and Features Lexus is known for its commitment to providing luxurious and comfortable interiors, and both the GX and LX live up to this reputation. The GX offers a spacious cabin with seating for up to seven passengers, making it an ideal choice for families or those who require ample passenger space. The LX, on the other hand, provides seating for up to eight passengers, making it a great option for larger families or those who frequently travel with a group. Both models feature high-quality materials throughout the interior, including premium leather upholstery, wood trim accents, and soft-touch surfaces. The attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the interior design. Comfort features in both models include multi-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats, and a quiet cabin with excellent noise insulation. These features ensure a comfortable and serene driving experience, regardless of the weather conditions or road noise. When it comes to technology, both the GX and LX are equipped with advanced infotainment systems, including touchscreen displays, smartphone integration, and premium audio systems. Navigation systems and voice control functionality are also available in both models. Overall, the GX and LX offer exceptional interior comfort and a wide range of features to enhance the driving experience. The choice between the two models depends on the desired seating capacity and specific features that are important to individual buyers. Performance and Handling Both the Lexus GX and LX deliver impressive performance and handling capabilities, although they cater to slightly different driving preferences. The GX offers a 4.6-liter V8 engine, producing ample horsepower and torque for a smooth and powerful driving experience. It is equipped with a capable suspension system that balances comfort and off-road capabilities. The GX's body-on-frame construction and advanced four-wheel drive system make it a capable off-road vehicle, allowing it to tackle challenging terrains with ease. Additionally, it has a respectable towing capacity, making it suitable for hauling trailers or recreational equipment. On the other hand, the LX takes performance to the next level with a robust 5.7-liter V8 engine, delivering even more power and torque. Its adaptive variable suspension system provides a comfortable ride on various road surfaces while maintaining stability and control. The LX also features advanced off-road technologies, such as Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control, which enhance its off-road capabilities and make it a formidable vehicle in challenging off-road conditions. It boasts an impressive towing capacity, making it suitable for heavy-duty towing needs. In terms of fuel efficiency, it's important to note that both models are not known for their exceptional fuel economy due to their powerful engines and larger size. However, advancements in technology have improved their efficiency to some extent. Ultimately, the choice between the GX and LX in terms of performance and handling depends on whether you prioritize off-road capabilities or a more refined on-road driving experience.  Safety and Technology Lexus prioritizes safety in all its vehicles, and the GX and LX are no exceptions. Both models come equipped with a host of standard and available safety features to ensure the well-being of occupants. Standard safety features in both the GX and LX include a comprehensive airbag system, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. Both models also offer advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rearview cameras. These features provide an extra layer of safety and help prevent accidents on the road. When it comes to technology, both the GX and LX offer advanced infotainment systems with touchscreen displays, Bluetooth connectivity, and smartphone integration. Navigation systems are available in both models, providing real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn directions. Additionally, premium audio systems deliver exceptional sound quality for an immersive driving experience. Pricing and Value for Money When considering the pricing and value for money, it's essential to evaluate the features and capabilities offered by the Lexus GX and LX. The GX generally has a lower starting price compared to the LX, making it a more affordable option for those seeking a luxury SUV. However, it still offers a wide range of standard and available features, ensuring excellent value for money. The LX, being the flagship model, comes with a higher starting price but offers additional luxury features and advanced technologies. These include features like a Mark Levinson premium audio system, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a more sophisticated suspension system. When considering long-term ownership costs, both the GX and LX have a reputation for reliability and durability, which contributes to their overall value. Lexus vehicles are known for their high resale value, which can help offset the initial cost of ownership. FAQs What are the main differences between the Lexus GX and LX? The main differences between the Lexus GX and LX lie in their size, design, and available features. The GX is smaller and more compact, offering seating for up to seven passengers, while the LX is larger and can accommodate up to eight passengers. The LX also offers more advanced features and a higher level of luxury compared to the GX. Which model offers better off-road capabilities? Both the Lexus GX and LX are designed with off-road capabilities in mind. However, the LX is generally considered to have superior off-road capabilities due to its more advanced suspension system, Multi-Terrain Select, and Crawl Control features. The LX is better suited for tackling challenging off-road terrains. Are there any significant differences in terms of reliability and durability? Both the Lexus GX and LX have a reputation for reliability and durability. Lexus vehicles, in general, are known for their exceptional build quality and longevity. However, it's important to note that the LX, being a flagship model, may have more advanced technologies and features that could potentially require more maintenance over time. What are the key technology features unique to each model? The Lexus GX and LX share many technology features, including touchscreen displays, smartphone integration, and navigation systems. However, the LX may offer additional features such as a Mark Levinson premium audio system and a rear-seat entertainment system, which are not available in the GX.  How do the GX and LX compare in terms of fuel efficiency? Neither the Lexus GX nor LX are known for their exceptional fuel efficiency due to their powerful engines and larger size. However, advancements in technology have improved their efficiency to some extent. The GX typically has slightly better fuel economy compared to the LX, but both models prioritize performance over fuel efficiency. Which model offers better value for money? The choice between GX and LX in terms of value for money depends on individual preferences and budget. The GX generally offers a more affordable starting price and still provides a luxurious driving experience. However, the LX offers additional luxury features and advanced technologies, making it a more premium option for those willing to invest in a higher-priced vehicle.  Is the GX or LX more suitable for families? Both the Lexus GX and LX can be suitable for families, but the choice depends on the size of the family and specific needs. The GX offers seating for up to seven passengers, making it ideal for smaller families. The LX, with its seating for up to eight passengers, is better suited for larger families or those who frequently travel with a group.  Can the GX and LX be customized with additional features? Yes, both the Lexus GX and LX offer various customization options and available packages that allow buyers to add additional features to their vehicles. These options can include upgraded audio systems, advanced safety features, and luxury enhancements.  What are the available safety features in both models? Both the Lexus GX and LX come equipped with a comprehensive set of standard safety features, including multiple airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. They also offer advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rearview cameras. How do the GX and LX compare in terms of driving experience? The driving experience in both the Lexus GX and LX is exceptional, offering a smooth and comfortable ride. The GX focuses on versatility and agility, with a balance between on-road comfort and off-road capabilities. The LX, being the flagship model, provides a more refined and luxurious driving experience, with advanced suspension systems and additional features that enhance comfort and handling. Conclusion In the battle of luxury between the Lexus GX and LX, both models offer exceptional features, comfort, and performance. The GX appeals to those seeking a compact and versatile SUV with off-road capabilities, while the LX caters to those who desire a larger and more luxurious option. It's important to test drive both models and consider personal preferences and needs to make an informed decision. Whether you choose the GX or LX, you can be assured of a premium driving experience backed by Lexus' commitment to quality and reliability.

[enginetrust]

Hyundai Engines for Sale, Price Comparison, Replacement Hyundai Engine Sellers | Engine Trust

[geweke-ford]

A Close-Up Look at the 2023 Ford Bronco

Performance

Among the 2023 Bronco’s impressive engine options is a 418-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, though if that’s too much power for you, there’s also the 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that generates 330 horses, as well as a 300-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder.

When leaving the pavement, the vehicle’s standard four-wheel drive and rugged H.O.S.S. suspension system make it easy to tackle tough terrains, though there’s also a standard terrain management system called G.O.A.T. modes for times when you need a bit more responsiveness and traction.

Design

The interior of this edition is an impressive one that offers plenty of different seating fabric options, including moisture-resistant marine-grade vinyl, cloth, and leather trim, as well as multiple color schemes, like Dark Space Gray, Black Onyx, Navy Pier, and in the special edition Heritage and Heritage Limited models, a retro plaid design.

Technology

Calling contacts from your smartphone with your hands still on the wheel, tuning into SiriusXM satellite radio channels, or getting turn-by-turn navigation instructions are all possible with the Bronco’s SYNC 4 infotainment system. Connecting to the Internet is easy as well with the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and once your smartphone’s battery needs to recharge, You can simply place it on the wireless charging pad.

To help you maneuver in and out of tight spaces while driving off-road, Trail Turn Assist reduces the vehicle’s turning radius, and if you pair it with the Off-Road Hero Switches, you can activate it and many other off-road features with the push of a button on your dashboard.

Safety

This edition’s safety features for sure to amaze, like Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking. These two features can help you avoid collisions by notifying you when you’re at risk of one and stopping the vehicle if you can’t respond quickly enough.

If you’ve ever forgotten to turn your high beams off while approaching vehicles driving in the opposite direction, you’ll love the Auto High-Beam Headlamps, which can automatically do this for you when lighting changes are detected.

With its strong performance, stylish cabin, and a wide array of off-road-ready features, this SUV is ready for whatever adventures or road trips you have in mind. Come test-drive the 2023 Bronco by reaching out to us today at Geweke Ford, and we’ll look forward to seeing you when you get here.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1958 Packard Hawk Sport Coupé

The interior was full leather, with full instrumentation in an engine-turned dash. As on early aircraft and custom boats, padded armrests were mounted outside the windows, a rare touch.

The styling was definitely controversial, often described as 'vacuum-cleaner' or 'catfish' by detractors. The styling has come to be appreciated more today than in its debut. Only 588 were sold, with Packard's impending demise a likely contributing factor. Most were equipped with the Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission. Approximately 28 were produced with the B-W T85 3-speed w/overdrive manual transmission. Studebaker-Packard was the first manufacturer to popularize the limited slip differential, which they termed Twin-Traction. Most Packard Hawks came with TT. It was certainly the fastest Packard ever sold, since it shared the majority of its components with Studebaker's Golden Hawk. The price was $3995, about $700 higher than the Studebaker model, but with a more luxurious interior. Electric window-lifts and power seats were optional extras.

Its rarity and status as the best-regarded of the 'Packardbaker' final-year cars have made the Packard Hawk quite collectible. Values are roughly double those of the equivalent Studebaker, although they are still low by comparison with Corvettes and Thunderbirds. Because a Studebaker drivetrain was used, mechanical parts are more readily available, although body and trim parts are more difficult-to-impossible to find. While it is a unique car, current restoration costs almost always exceed the selling price.

[alistairsmonstercafe]

SFW 141 With a Dolphin Hybrid Reader

NOTICE; GN/Male Reader

ADDITIONAL; I don't mind Fem/Fem aligned readers reading but don't feel insulted/complain that I strictly don't do Fem reader, not my cuppa tea mate.

INSPIRATION; @/Bluegiragi Monster AU on Twt and Tumblr

NOTE; To them you probably sound like a person who gets high off poison lets be honest.. Fuckin' Dolphins.. (I love them)

When Price first recruits you, he instantly knows you'll be a fucking great swimmer with those tail and fins, and marvels at the fact you're able to still breathe out of water.

Price takes notice of both your playful or reserved nature, and while he doesn't mind it, it'll be hell once you meet Soap.

Price is sure to train you for more on land situations, after all, there aren't as many missions in the water compared to the land, and he hopes you don't catch him smoking. He isnt sure how well your lungs could handle it on top of being on land.

Although Price gets a little concerned when you get a little too close to the pufferfish nearby on tropical missions..

Soap takes notice of you pretty early on, his nose is sharp when he smells the ocean on you, and gets excited at such a unique scent. And if you're as fast as you say, you know you'll both be racing around the militarys pool. (You, often win of course, but Soap still attempts it.)

Soap hears of the way you consider your family a pod, as he considers the 141 a pack. Purring at the thought of possibly hunting together for the group sometime!

Soap isnt as vocal with his sounds like Gaz in comparison to Price or Ghost, but still loud enough. He sounds like a motor engine, purring and cooing at your little clicks, whistles, and squeals.

Soap who also notices you have like, no fucking body hair. Like hello? You dont seem to have much of an odor and not much hair, lucky bastard is all he can grumble out, but he doesn't mean it to much to heart.

Its Gaz who's able to almost mimic your sounds back, he's trilling and chirping to you happily while the other guys watch in mild interest at your little chirp fest. It's only unless they get interrupted that Gaz returns a little more reserved with a grin on his face after what just happened.

Gaz who admires your personal whistle, its sharp and keen, almost like his own call, and you two are both quick to use it during missions.

Gaz who notices how much you eat, and hell is amused compared to concerned and even urges you to eat more, unaware of your second stomach. Its until you tell him that hes surprised that one stomach is for storage and the other, actual consumption.

Gaz who notices your echolocation in the water, marvelling at the sharp and precise echo as you maneuver through the water quickly and cleanly.

Its Ghost who obviously, takes time to watch you, you're the kind of lad who needs a team to function. He can respect such a thing, after all a majority of 141 is created of hybrids who work together, and surprisingly well.

Although Ghost's a little surprised at your horrible sense of smell compared to, say, Soap, or even Price and his old nose.

But Ghost appreciates your sense of logic. After all Dolphins are considered smarter, and he puts that to the test at times with quick questions on the battle field of what to do next. If he deems it a good answer he may apply it to the battle tactic.

In the end, the 141 loves their local dolphin.

[cainvstheworld]

The Phlebotomist by Cain Birch

This is a persona poem from the perspective of my phlebotomist (person who draws my blood). It's a bit different than what I normally post on here, but I wrote it for my creative writing class and liked how it turned out.

[Text ID: The Phlebotomist by Cain Birch. The youngest tremble more than the graying, the grayed. Some of the children beg, barter with their parents, howl at the sun as I borrow their blood with a slender needle, but I offer every flavor of lollipop, so their pain is not fruitless. My heart breaks most for the ones whose fathers extract crumpled doctor’s orders from their jangling pockets, whose mothers offer tight smiles as their child squeezes their eyes shut, stilling, accustomed to the burn of the needle. I call out girls’ names into the waiting room and choppy-haired boys follow me into the sterile room, let me slide silver into the tender crooks of their elbows, measuring the hormones in their budding bodies. I call out a man’s name, and a woman with a five o’clock shadow coating her cheeks holds her arm ramrod straight for me. I don’t know how to ask her  what she’d like to be called, whether the “Samuel” in her chart should spell “Samantha” instead, perhaps “Iris” or “Rose.” Instead, I make small talk about the prices of gas, of chicken. I don’t tell her that the fried chicken my husband brings home grows cold by the time I arrive, that I do not turn on the heat in my hatchback even though my car’s engine sputters into the frigid night as I turn the key. I don’t tell her that I chew the tough meat without the microwave’s aid, so my husband’s breath, his still body is molten by comparison when I slide into the sheets next to him, drawing warmth into my bones, pretending the fire between us is more than a fading flicker. He wakes me up before dawn, before leaving to fill in the northeast's endless potholes, fills me up for a few minutes, catches his breath as he slides on his belt, his dirt-caked boots, kisses me with a closed mouth. I lay in the nest of blankets, let my mind slither off to hopeful gardens. In a few weeks, I will call a child’s name for the last time, his ailments healing, his parents glowing with quiet optimism. In a few months, I’ll call a woman’s name, Heather, and she’ll stick out her arm, ramrod straight, beaming. I won’t know what to say, but I’ll smile back at her. /End ID]

[octuscle]

Blonde by FaceTime

Alec has always had a bit of a crush on his friend Van. Actually, ever since they played together in the sandbox. But even then, Alec was the little chubby one. And Van the sweet heartbreaker. Van went through the usual stages to captain of the football team of an alpha career. And now he had his MBA cum laude and was about to embark on a stellar career.

Just to be close to Van, Alec had also studied business. At the same college. Although with his grades, he could have gone to a much better college. And even though he had always wanted to study medicine to become a pediatrician. And now it was all for nothing. Van had moved to Chicago a week ago to become a product manager for an online platform. And Alec had gotten an offer to go to work for an engineering company from their hometown to their branch in the Czech Republic. Alec had paid a high price for his hidden, never-expressed love. Getting a great georgraphic distance from Van now was probably the best solution.

Even now, when Van had become almost unattainable, Alec held on to him. He had gotten a deer, Van's nickname since childhood for some reason, inked on his forearm. And he started running to get closer to his own ideal, Van's athletic body. Today was the first fun run he participated in. He had already lost a few pounds. He was proud of that. So he had a colleague take a picture of himself and sent the Van "Miss you pal" was the caption.

Almost immediately his phone rang. Facetime video call from Van.

"Hi bro, damn you look good! How's life over in old Europe? It's still the middle of the night here, I was just getting in a quick work out before work."

Van turned the view and showed a picture of himself from the mirror. Alec had to swallow and got a dry throat. He didn't know what he was doing. The devil was riding him. So an "I love you" came out of his mouth.

For a second there was silence. "Dude, you better keep your massive cock under control. I would never be able to tame your monster" Van replied laughing. Alec laughed along with him. He was relieved that Van had taken it that way. Yes, the dick comparison had been the only contest with Van in which he had regularly won.

"Hehehehe, it's tough with all the hot studs here at the start."

Indeed, the bulge in his tight running shorts was scary. Many participants in the run, as well as spectators, had already been staring at him and whispering.

"That's what I think, bro! Is your stay successful then? What is the news on the market of nutritional supplements? Can't wait for you to bring back some cool new stuff."

Arec talked a bit about the fitness trade show here in Brno. In fact, there were a few things he wanted to include in the lineup of his fitness startup. He could use a little breath of fresh air for his business. True, he was a genius when it came to marketing and app development. And in theory, he knew everything about crossfitting and bodybuilding. But he just didn't have the body to make it believable. Fortunately, Van was regularly available as a model. When he posted something on Instagram, his sales went straight up.

Van replied that he had seen videos from the show on YouTube. "Dude, you did great on stage. Arac laughed and held the phone so that you could see as much of his biceps as possible. "Bruh, it was just a spontaneous idea. Several people had approached me. Actually, I don't feel in shape for competitions at all" "Honey, I don't think you need to be fishing for compliments right now. Come on, make your tits dance for me!" Arac didn't have to be asked twice. He loved this. The moment when Van had shown him how to do it was just awesome. Today his pecs were almost bigger than his friend's. A few people around him applauded. He had almost forgotten about the conversation with Van that he was standing in the middle of the fair among all the other visitors.

"Did you read the comments on your performance. They called you 'the blond angel'. Suits me, bro." Arac stroked his hair. He loved his blond hair. He had been blond since he was a kid, unlike Van. In pictures of the two of them from kindergarten, Van had always been the one with the darker hair. Today there was hardly any difference between the two.

"Bro, did you write down what all you are supposed to bring. I mean, we both know you can't remember anything with that birdbrain stuck in that hot skull of yours."

"Bruh, i may not b as smart as u, but i can still read ur emails" Arad laughed boomingly. A few guests at the fair took pictures of him. As best he could while talking on the phone, Arad did them the favor and struck a few poses. In his head, he frantically went over what all his duties here were. Fuck, he just forgot everything. And a few tasks, if he had to be honest, he didn't understand at all. He'd graduated from college with difficulty and on an athletic scholarship. He was glad he had Van as a mentor, Van had always been the smart one of the two. "Fuck, bruh! day all speak czech or german here. N english with uh nasty accent. I'm really lost here without uh brain like you!" "Goldilocks, you should have used your head for something other than growing a Viking mane for the last few years." Van laughed. "Don't worry about it, as long as you come back safe and sound!" "Wait uh minute, deer! I've got some selfies to take right now." A couple of the local bodybuilders and a bunch of chicks had already lined up. Arad let them take their selfies with him and turned back to Van.

"Deer, I miss you! When will I see you again?" "Dumbass, I'm already in the locker room. I'll be on the training floor in a minute. Did you clean up and tidy the gym properly? It would be cool if you could at least get this job done."

Brad looked around. Yes, he had carefully worked through the piece of paper with his work instructions. Damn, there sure were a lot of things he had to do in the morning before the Gym opened. He had already secretly let Van in before he officially opened the doors right away. On the one hand, Van could work out before the others, and on the other hand, he had someone to check if he had done everything right. Brad wanted to do this job well. Van earned enough for the two of them, but he didn't always want to be just the decorative accessory. Oh what was he kidding himself. He had turned Van into a fellow who was almost as hot as Brad himself. And now he was making sure they both ate the right diet, that the apartment was tidy. And that Van got to work out before the others. He looked around him. All set, he could open the doors. The door opened and Van came out of the locker rooms grinning.

"Honey, you already know you're not allowed to work bare-chested" "Hehehe, it's not just me who would be happier with that." Van laughed and threw him the T-shirt with the club logo. Before putting it on, Brad gave Van a passionate kiss. Something he had to do now…. Right, unlock the door and let in the members who were waiting outside.He was so glad he had Van.

[ladytauria]

Pairing: Tim Drake/Jason Todd Rating: Explicit (and please mind the tags) Chapter Wordcount: 4.9k

Jason tries to sell off his first heat to make ends meet for the upcoming winter. When he’s taken by traffickers instead, he’s sure that’s the end of him—until he’s rescued by a mysterious alpha. That “rescue” comes with a price: Jason’s heat hits shortly after, and… one thing leads to another, and now Jason and Tim are bound together by a fledgling mate bond. It’s not the first time Jason’s had to make the best of things, but… he finds it a little bit easier this time, especially as he grows to genuinely like Tim. Unfortunately, just as Jason is starting to settle into mated life, Tim’s ex-pack starts getting involved, and they don’t exactly approve of Tim’s choice in mate...

i was going to wait longer to post this, but... i've been dying to share it, lmao, so i'm doing so as a birthday gift to myself <3

under the cut is a preview of the first chapter, as well as chapter content warnings. i hope you enjoy <3

CWs: underage prostitution, kidnapping, non-consensual touching, non-consensual medical exam, non-consensual pelvic exam, antiquated sexual education, degrading comments, humiliation, dehumanization, non-consensual photography, hurt no comfort, (it's coming, i promise)

tumblr is being rude and not letting me upload my divider image so take this purple text instead

Jason hasn’t stood on a street corner in over a year. He'd hoped, deep down, that he never would again. But...

Here he is, dolled up in a pair of tight shorts and a t-shirt, the combo doing nothing to protect him from the chill. Even mild as it is, the cold cuts straight through his skin.

A cigarette, unlit, dangles from his lips. He turns a lighter around and around in his palm, but doesn't light it yet.

Luckily for him—or maybe unluckily, not even an hour passes before a car sidles up to the curb. Jason's no expert, despite his brief stint at a chop shop, but he knows enough to know this one is nice. Not top of the line, exactly, but good. Shiny. Sleek. All black chrome and tinted windows, the engine purring like a content house cat before it cuts, the car rolling to a stop.

The tires would fetch a decent price. Too bad his guy is laying low, with the rest of the shop.

The man who steps out is tall, with broad shoulders and thick arms emphasized further by a leather jacket. He's bald. Despite the darkness of the hour, there are sunglasses perched on top of his head.

Jason’s grip gets a little tighter around the lighter. He forces it to loosen as he lights his cigarette. The flicker of warmth at his fingertips makes the rest of him feel folder in comparison. He takes a long, slow drag before letting the smoke pour from his nose. It dissipates in the night; the wispy cloud getting lost in Gotham's smog.

He envies it, a little.

The man's gait isn't quite a swagger. His steps are slow. Confident. The size of him is intimidating. His scent, when Jason catches it, doesn't help matters. It's thick with alpha musk, both natural and artificial. Under that is the sharp scent of burning wood. The part of Jason that's purely omega, that cares only about the safety of pack and getting fat with pups and milk, perks up. There's a low, steady heat in his blood, something that's been building for weeks now, that grows a little warmer.

Jason keeps his scent tucked tight.

The alpha leans against the wall next to him, pulling out his own smoke.

“Got a light?” he asks, casual as you please. Like they’re just two work buddies on break together.

“Yeah,” Jason says quietly.

The man doesn’t do much more than bend his head down, forcing Jason to rise onto the balls of his feet to light it. The alpha’s hand rests on his waist, above his hip, steadying him. Under his shirt, Jason’s skin crawls. He hates being touched almost as much as he craves it, these days.

The alpha blows the smoke out, into the night, and says, “Thanks,” thumb rubbing circles into Jason’s hip.

Jason lets himself shiver. Knows it’ll be interpreted as desire; not a reaction to the dread settling in his belly.

Last chance to back out, Todd, he tells himself.

He thinks about his squat. About his nest, if you can call it that; assembled from old paper and cardboard, and things he found in the very bottom of lost and found bins. About the thin blankets, the creeping cold.

About the way the absence of his pack bonds grows harder and harder to bear with each passing day; the empty spaces aching like phantom limbs.

He won’t survive a heat on his own. Even assuming no one finds him, or that the difficult-to-reach location keeps him safe… He just. He won’t. Not with what he has.

Some of the men who have picked Jason up like to make small talk. Even flirt a little, like… Like it’s something real, and not a sick perversion. This guy doesn’t. “How much’re ya askin’, kid?” He’s still rubbing Jason’s hip.

“Depends on what you want,” Jason says back. He licks his lips, and then looks up at the man through his lashes as he takes another puff, hoping the move comes off as sensual, and not stupid. “My mouth…” Jason shrugs, exhaling smoke. “Fifty. But…” He leans back, tipping his head back, exposing a little of his throat.

The alpha watches with interest; greed in his gaze.

Jason keeps tight control of his scent—but he loosens it now. The milky scent of his puphood is an undertone now; slowly being overpowered by a more adult, omega scent. It’s thick and sweet, with just a hint of spice. The lure of impending heat floats between them.

The alpha’s grip tightens on his hip. His breath has caught in his chest.

Jason stubs the cigarette out on the wall and lets it fall from his fingers. It pains him to waste one like that—but it was only ever a prop to start with. He presses against the alpha’s side, wrapping his arms around the barrel of his chest, head tipped back. “If you want to make a proper omega outta me… I think a thousand is fair. Don’t you?”

God. He wants to ask for more. Heats are usually around three days. Alphas… Alphas may not be able to match an omega’s stamina in that time, but there are no shortage of other ways for them to touch him. To violate him. But he’s pushing it already, asking for a thousand. He’s a crime alley street whore, not a pretty little O with a silver spoon in his mouth and gold on his throat.

The alpha’s hand slips to Jason’s lower back, just above the swell of his ass. It— It’s a fight not to let revulsion sour his scent, his expression. His skin crawls. His stomach rolls.

“A thousand,” the man repeats, rolling the words in his mouth. Then his lips quirk up at one corner. “Yeah, kid. I think a thousand’s fair.” He stubs out his own cig before pulling out his wallet; a beat-up leather trifold.

Jason’s teeth catch on his lip. He watches him count one, two, three—five hundred dollar bills, folding them in half and offering them between two fingers.

“Half up front.”

He’s sure the alpha must be able to hear the way his heart thunders. If he does, though, he gives no indication. Jason takes the money, pushing it into the pocket of his shorts.

Then he lets himself be guided to the car. Just before Jason steps off the curb, the alpha grabs him, yanking him against his chest. His arm locks around Jason’s chest like a vice. Jason claws futilely at the arm around him. Though the alpha growls, scent sharp with pain, he doesn’t let go.

Jason twists. Kicks. “Let me go—“ He’s lost all control of his scent now; his terror is thick and sour in the night air.

The alpha covers his mouth—Jason takes his chance. He sinks his teeth into the meat of the alpha’s palm, clamping his jaw down as tightly as he can. Blood floods his mouth.

“Fucking bitch—“ The alpha snarls, dropping Jason.

Jason doesn’t think—he just runs, stumbling before righting himself.

Unfortunately, the universe has never been kind to Jason Todd, and she’s not about to start now. He’s not even sure what he trips on, only that one minute, he’s running, and the next—

He plummets.

He manages to avoid face planting, catching himself on his hands. Before he can push himself back up, though, the alpha reaches him—his boot slams into Jason’s side, knocking the breath from him.

The alpha kneels beside him, hand closing roughly around the back of Jason’s neck. He scruffs him roughly; thumb and middle finger pressing down on his scent glands, palm pushing at the back of his neck. Submission floods Jason’s veins. Unwillingly, he slumps into the concrete, all the fight leaving him.

He lets out a pup’s call—not for pack but for anyone. It’s small and helpless and immediately cut short by the alpha hauling him up and over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

Tears pool in his eyes.

He’s not strong enough to resist it. Not strong enough to do anything but twitch as the alpha carries him into the car. He drops him in the trunk, securing his limbs with zip-ties, rendering Jason utterly immobile.

Baldie slams the trunk shut, trapping Jason in the dark.

[hae-yeon]

344.It's Peaceful For Now, But (2)

일단은 평화로운데 (2)

“I’ve done a bit of homework, you see.”

I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the face looking down at me. He continued on, soft-spoken words a persistent tickling sensation in my ears.

“Back before I met hyung, I thought that Hunters were individuals of such admiration. But the truth is, it’s nothing but a lie, as it turns out. High-rank Hunters wreak havoc as they please, and it’s all covered up so that ordinary folks are none the wiser.”

“That’s…….”

It was true. This was especially worse in the case of S-rank Hunters–because they were individuals of such national importance, a blind eye could be turned to almost anything they did. Were an S-rank Dungeon to go unmaintained, it could result in the casualty of hundreds or thousands of people, maybe more; and so, when their actions were contextualized within such a framework, the comparatively ‘minor’ transgressions they made were clearly considered a price worth paying, if it ensured the retention of an S-rank Hunter.

“Like the time when hyung ended up hospitalized, from getting caught up in those S-rank Hunters’ affairs.”

“I didn’t get ‘caught up in it,’ though. I was the one who initiated things. If anything, it was the S-rank Hunters that ended up ‘getting caught up in’ my own machinations.”

But Bak Hayool didn’t appear to be convinced by my rebuttal. Then again, from an outsider’s view, it would seem as though I were the one getting flung this way and that by a bunch of S-ranks, after all. Who’d believe that it was the F-rank that was actually ordering the S-ranks about, as things stood. And I’d intentionally engineered things so that it would appear to be the case, too.

“And an un-Awakened isn’t even worth the time of day, much less. That’s the stance the Rearing Facility held, too. Even though all I wanted to do was ask after hyung, to see if you were doing okay.”

“I… Sorry, it’s because my stats are so low that, for security purposes…….”

“Why should hyung be sorry, though. Those S-rank Hunters are the ones treating hyung as though you’re not entitled to basic human rights.”

“I told you, that’s not the case.”

“Yet that's how it was, even during the Seseung Guild Leader’s cruise party.”

Bak Hayool replied, pity lacing through his words. Wait, ‘cruise’? But they should’ve made sure that no details had leaked from that incident.

“...how do you know about that.”

“I heard through the grapevine. From this insider I know. That hyung was derided as the S-ranks’ lowly tagalong, and then, as if that wasn’t insult to injury enough, violently dragged off and knocked unconscious by the Seseung Guild Leader.”

He was correct on that count, at least.

“Don’t you feel aggrieved, hyung? Being on the receiving end of that sort of treatment?”

“Well–I do get provided with benefits, too.”

“He’s known for toying with people for a brief while, before unceremoniously throwing them away.”

…so you knew about that too, huh. Though it was apparently leaned more towards a loss of interest continuing relations, rather than outright tossing aside. Clearly troubled, Bak Hayool let out an agitated sigh. Seeing him react in such a way, I felt a reciprocal bitterness crawling up my throat. 

“Him being ‘nice’ to hyung right now is simply a perpetuation of that dynamic, after all. Then again, I suppose it should come as no surprise, considering how ruthless he’s said to be even towards high-rank Hunters–someone with F-rank stats must feel far more insignificant.”

“...he really hasn’t been so terrible.”

“Hyung, if someone were to forcibly drag a dog around by its leash and mistreat it to the point of unconsciousness, they would be reviled and reported for abuse.”

“Y-yeah, but.”

When I imagined a dog undergoing the same treatment I’d been put through, suddenly, Sung Hyunjae felt about fifty times more deplorable. If you took into account the difference in our stats, then yeah, such a comparison would be fairly apt. And he’d gone so far as to drop me into the water, too. I needed to call Section Chief Song-nim and rep… Ah, but Section Chief Song-nim had likewise laid his hands on me before, too. Though I was a person, in any case.

“Why do you say things like ‘he really hasn’t been so terrible,’ when you’ve been treated in such a way. That’s a symptom of Stockholm syndrome, hyung. It’s because the S-ranks are far too powerful for you to even consider fighting back against them, that hyung’s been conditioned to think that way. Since you couldn’t do anything to resist, hyung, no matter what they did to you. Not if you wanted to live.”

What other reprehensible acts have they subjected you to? asked Bak Hayool, his voice a low murmur. Even as I wanted to push him away, my body refused to move.

“‘Subjected’–that’s, not it. That’s all in the past now, they’re not like that anymore.”

“Ah… Hyung. You might always end up being subjected to that sort of violence again. And in particular, the Seseung Guild Leader is especially dangerous. A high-ranked Hunter might be able to protect their own body at least, but hyung couldn’t do the same, right. That person is exceedingly ruthless. And because it’s already been a while since he’s taken an interest in hyung, his regard towards you is likely already waning. He’s famous for his short flings, after all.”

“...I’m already aware. I’ve heard about that as well.”

Telling him his warning was unnecessary when I knew as much, I made to turn my body away, but Bak Hayool reached out to grip my shoulder. He was stronger than he looked, it seemed. I was still an Awakened, though, despite being an F-rank, and I’d even raised my Level a bit too. Had my body actually deteriorated that much.

“It makes you feel anxious, doesn’t it hyung, feeling forced into a position where you have no choice but to depend on those S-ranks.”

If it was about feelings about anxiety, well. It was true that my ongoing interactions with Sung Hyunjae had continually left me feeling uncomfortable and uneasy, in all honesty. I had confidence in my value, of course, but that wasn’t due to any innate ability I possessed… A large portion of the apprehension I felt in revealing that I’d Regressed was owing to that fact, as well. 

Since I hadn’t been anything special, originally. ‘Actually, I don’t have anything of merit’; to confess something like that, it was.

“Don’t you feel scared? Of when you’ll be cast aside.”

“Who’d cast me away, as long as I have my Skill.”

“Perhaps that would be the case with anyone else, but the Seseung Guild Leader is surrounded by an abundance of extraordinary people, isn’t he.”

It’s only natural that you’d feel inescapable dread, Bak Hayool said, patting my shoulder consolingly. I flinched, unconsciously shrinking in on myself.

“Even ordinary people struggle with the fear of ostracization too, don’t they. Because of that, they force themselves to attend after-work dinners, fixate on trends, and take up smoking and drinking they otherwise wouldn’t do. So it must be even more difficult for hyung, who’s being forced to accommodate S-ranks, while only being an F-rank yourself. And to be juxtaposed against the person who’s supposed to be the pinnacle of the S-rank Hunters–anyone would be cowed.”

“...yeah, he’s certainly highly lauded. That person.”

“Then they draw up comparisons that tear you down, all for daring to exist as an ordinary being.”

Bak Hayool sat down next to me. A chill ran up my spine, despite myself.

“A large number of people speak scathingly of you, jeering that you’re ‘a pathetic F-rank hanger-on who clings to S-ranks without knowing your place, just because you happened to get lucky with your Skill.’”

“I don’t, really look at that kind of stuff.”

“That’s for the best. They only go around picking on hyung because they see you as the easier target, since they’re too afraid to speak badly of the S-ranks. Your only worth lies in ‘being a good little ‘Item’ for them,’ they say–that there’s no way they acknowledge you as a fellow Hunter.”

So it wasn’t too different from how things had been pre-Regression, the amount of trash talk being directed my way. Despite the media moderation that had been implemented now. Then again, all you could do was delete the hate comments being circulated online; it wasn’t as though you could go around blocking people’s mouths to keep them from speaking.

“You know that I’m great at keeping mum, right, hyung. If there’s anything that’s bothering you, please feel free to confide in me at any time. Yeah?”

Bak Hayool said, giving me a soft smile. My head nodded without my conscious input. But even if that was the case, there was too much I needed to hide, for me to be able to be completely transparent with him. Some things, I really couldn’t divulge.

“Getting a bit of fresh air might do you some good, and help improve your mood too. And you have that stealth Skill, hyung. Is today really out of the question?”

“Yeah… Not today.”

“Even if it’s just three hours–no, maybe just two–of a quick jaunt outside, before it’s discovered you’re gone?”

Well, if it was just for two hours. What time would Yerimie be returning from school today, again. When I sent her a text, I got an almost instant response.

[ I’m supposed to go check out a new café with my friends afterwards, sir–why do you ask? ]

[ No, it’s nothing. ]

More importantly, wasn’t her class supposed to be in session right now. Was she actually allowed to be texting? Did they not confiscate their phones?

“I should have some free time once I’m done with lunch, I think.”

“Really? Then I’ll head over straight away, after I hear from you!”

Bak Hayool said excitedly, apparently delighted. He cautioned me once more to not let anyone else find out about it as well. It made sense, seeing as how I would probably get off scot-free even if I was found out, but Bak Hayool would likely be banned from accessing the Rearing Facility from then on. …it all felt a bit ridiculously constraining. Even if I knew why it had to be that way, I felt a bit stifled all the same. 

A brief outing should be perfectly fine. I would only be out for a couple of hours, after all.

Bak Hayool left after telling me he’d see me later, and presently, I was contacted by Yoohyunie. Apparently, he’d had to drop by the Association due to matters related to the Japanese Dungeon, and so, suggested that we have lunch near the area. But when I went out to the parking garage to look for the car he’d sent to collect me, I encountered a completely unexpected person instead.

“...don’t tell me that you work at Haeyeon now, sir?”

“A transfer to the Rearing Facility, I could consider, perhaps.”

Sung Hyunjae replied, eyes crinkling in a smile. Casting my gaze around, I searched my surroundings, but the Haeyeon Guild member Yoohyunie was supposed to have sent was nowhere to be seen. The parking garage was completely empty.

“I’m afraid I already have a prior appointment, sir.”

“I recall advising you to exercise additional measures–so why might you be out on your lonesome, I wonder.”

“That’s…….”

Why had I ventured out on my own, now that I realized. Since the personnel Yoohyunie sent wouldn’t have been an S-rank, I should’ve been accompanied by Noah-ssi or Peace, at the very least. That’s what Yoohyunie would have expected, too. Suddenly, Sung Hyunjae strode forward until he was standing before me. Reflexively, my face twisted in a scowl.

“In any case, you mentioned being busy, sir.”

“Not so occupied that I cannot allot time for a lunch, mind.”

“I’ve already made plans to eat with Yoohyunie, as it happens.”

I felt an unsettlingly acute sense of discomfort from being in Sung Hyunjae’s presence, and so, took a few steps backwards. Or attempted to, rather. Before I could even move, my arm was caught in a vice grip. My body was dragged forward, and golden eyes looked down at my face with a surveying air. 

“The young master will be preoccupied for a fair bit longer, I’m afraid. I do wonder if it would not be the best course of action to preemptively dissuade him from leveling the meeting grounds, before he takes drastic measures, lest his cherished hyung be kept waiting.”

Instead of answering, I pulled out my cell phone. After contacting Seok Shimyoung to verify Sung Hyunjae’s comment, I texted Yoohyunie to let him know that I would just be eating at home. As soon as I sent the message, my phone lit up with an incoming call.

[ Hyung, I’ll be done in a minute. The meeting’s almost over. ]

“Don’t lie. I already heard that they’re planning on providing a meal there afterwards, too. Make sure to eat properly, okay.”

[ But……. ]

“I’ll send you a picture of me eating lunch. You send one, too.”

Though clearly reluctant, Yoohyunie obediently replied with an affirmative. Hanging up the call, I tried to pull away the arm held in his grip. Of course, it didn’t budge an inch.

“I’ll be departing to take my lunch at home then, sir.”

“As your engagement has been called off, I shall escort you, in that case.”

“I assure you there’s no need.”

Hearing my words, Sung Hyunjae feigned disappointment. 

“My, such a cold-hearted reception from my ‘Partner’ today. Despite disclosing to me that there’s something you wish to impart, at that.”

“...there’s nothing of the sort, sir. It’s no longer relevant.”

“Han Yoojin, dear boy.”

“Hurry up and unhand me, sir. Or do you plan on dragging me away anyway, perhaps? Since you know very well that I wouldn’t be able to put up a figh…….”

I cut myself off, mouth snapping closed. I felt all twisted up inside. I seemed to be feeling a bit nauseated, too. As my brows furrowed together, a faintly chilling voice cut through my consternation.

“What might be the meaning of this, pray tell.”

“I don’t know what you mean, sir. It’s actually been peaceful for once, lately.”

I’d been reunited with the people I owed a debt of gratitude towards from pre-Regression, gotten to speak candidly with Noah-ssi, and finally confided in Yerimie about my past. Everything was going well. And my body was doing fine, too. I’d gotten into some hot water with Myungwoo, sure, but it had all worked out in the end. Plus, there was a Transcendent I could depend on now, and he’d even agreed to mentor Yoohyunie as well. 

Things were finally looking up.

“Nothing out of sorts has occurred.”

“Yet, in light of–”

“Do mind that you don’t overstep your place, sir. I’m already aware that you’ll cast me aside before long, in any case. Your interest will wane soon enough, so please refrain from wasting our time like this.”

If only because of Crescent Moon, I’d need to come clean to him about everything too. So that should be the end of things, at least. And since he was planning on leaving Korea anyway, it actually worked out for the best. ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ after all. At my words, Sung Hyunjae’s expression hardened slightly. 

“Was it yesterday? Or today, perhaps?”

“What are you talking about, sir.”

“Has the System come back online.”

“It’s yet to reestablish itself, I’m afraid.”

“Then it must be a person. But who.”

Sung Hyunjae pressed, persistent in his questioning. Just what was he trying to–. Suddenly, my phone rang. When I started to take it out, Sung Hyunjae deftly plucked it from my grasp.

“Give that back!”

“The young master, I see.”

The call connected with the tap of a button, and Yoohyunie’s voice rang out.

[ Hyung, where you’re at right now– ]

“I shall ensure that he takes his lunch properly, so fret not.”

Before Yoohyunie could reply, Sung Hyunjae hung up. And then, he extended the phone out towards me.

“Kindly unlock this for me, lad, would you.”

“...do you actually think I would, sir.”

“Then, seeing as I’ve been left with no choice.”

파지직, with a shower of sparks, my phone became charred to a crisp. Even the SIM card was probably a goner. What remained of my phone crumpled like tinfoil in Sung Hyunjae’s grip, and scorched pieces of debris scattered down to the ground. I was so dumbfounded by what had transpired, it took a beat before my voice burst out of me in a fury.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”

“I thought to hold my housewarming party today–and so, what say you to an overnight stay, lad.”

“Well, unfortunately, sir, I don’t think I’ll be able to receive your housewarming invitation on account of my phone being completely obliterated at the moment! Not to mention, I haven’t even prepared any toilet paper.”

“Toilet paper?”

Sung Hyunjae tilted his head in puzzlement. Huh, had it actually flown right over his head(1). In any case, hurry up and release me. Just what did he think he was doing, out of the blue.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this, sir?”

“As a pest has apparently seen fit to attach itself to my treasured ‘Partner,’ clearly I must intervene.”

“‘Pest’–what ‘pest’ are you talking about?”

“Han Yoojin, my dear boy, are you not cognizant of the current deviation you display in your usual behavior.”

‘Deviation,’ what ‘deviation.’ Face twisted in a sneer, I scowled up at Sung Hyunjae. He’d called me out as being ‘cold-hearted,’ earlier. Typically, I would have deigned to at least hear him out if he suggested having lunch together, I supposed. …so what, he was throwing a tantrum right now because I wasn’t being as accommodating to him? And thought it was fine and dandy to destroy someone’s phone just because of that? Fucking hell, I actually might end up cursing him out. 

“Yes, of course. Your royal highness, S-rank-nim. Why don’t you go ahead and beat the defiance out of me like you did before, then, if you’re so displeased. Until I’m forced to produce the answer you want to hear, you asshole.”

“.......”

Sung Hyunjae pressed his lips together. And then, just as it seemed like he was about to say something.

- Krrrnng!

“Peace-yah!”

Body enlarging to full size in a blink of an eye, Peace hurled himself forward. Sung Hyunjae quickly released my arm and retreated backwards, to avoid being caught in the claws that savagely tore through the air. A low growl emanating from his throat, Peace pressed his body tightly against my side.

“How did you know to come find me?”

[ Hyung, are you alright? ]

Peace, talking…! was clearly an impossibility, particularly when it was Yoohyunie’s voice. It was the phone, hanging around Peace’s neck. He must’ve called Peace, once it was evident that my phone had been bricked. But even if the portal was designed to let him freely pass through, how had he opened the front door of the house, I wondered. Had he just smashed through.

“I’m okay. It’s only my phone that got damaged.”

[ I’ll be there soon, too. ]

So he’d taken his leave after forcibly ending the proceedings, after all. Swallowing a sigh, I turned to look at Sung Hyunjae. Our eyes met. His gaze and face were both locked into a frosty expression. Was he angry with me, perhaps. Or maybe he felt he had been disappointed by me, once more. 

“Since you’re due to leave Korea behind in any case, sir, let’s endeavor to end things on a positive note, shall we. We’ll have little reason to see one another going forward, after all. So, instead of leaving a blemish on our final interactions–”

“Truly, how incredibly trying.”

“...what do you mean, sir.”

“As, presently, I presume it best to pry the pertinent information from you, by resorting to force if necessary–and yet.”

I find that I do not wish to do so, he said, prompting a huff of disbelieving laughter from me. Yeah, sure. Just then–a trail of fire suddenly blazed into being from the entrance of the parking garage. Hurtling forward like a speeding lance, the advancing flames enveloped Sung Hyunjae’s car in an instant. With a thunderous explosion of sound, the sleek-looking vehicle was reduced to the same sorry state as my cell phone.

A prime illustration of ���what you put out comes back tenfold(2),’ I’d say.

- - - - -

(1) TP as housewarming gift:

also see: second footnote in ch332 about not showing up empty-handed / what constitutes ‘appropriate’ gifts for certain contexts, and why such a thing ‘going over sung hyunjae’s head’ is supposed to inform his ‘foreigner/outsider’ position vs yoohyunie’s ‘korean ideal’ position

(2) 되로 주고 말로 받는다 → literally translated, it’s closest to the saying i used in-text, but it also falls somewhere between ‘what goes around comes around’ / ‘you reap what you sow’ in that it’s primarily used in a negative context for things backfiring spectacularly on you when you try to do someone an ill turn

working on this chapter rn was triggering as fuck lmao o7 

thanks for the well wishes )b

+(Q&A)

Q) how did soyoungie and sung hyunjae’s first meeting go? A) kang soyoung ambushed sung hyunjae and demanded to know if he was a dragon, and sung hyunjae found it entertaining. his interest in her was short-lived, but as dragon riders are a rarity to begin with, and the immunity trait that allowed the a-rank to not shrink back in front of a born s-rank garnered his approval, sung hyunjae ended up extending a scouting offer to her.

+(Q&A) 

Q) it’s said that not very many people have had the opportunity to dine with sung hyunjae; in han yoojin’s case, would he just call on sung hyunjae out of the blue when he happened to be passing by seseung to have a meal together? A) in the first place, as they are the dodam rearing facility director and the seseung guild leader, and han yoojin is a high-profile f-rank, it would be difficult to casually call on one other while just passing by, from the standpoint of the novel. when they do end up dining together, it’s always over business, even if only as a formality. as sung hyunjae does not wish to additionally be forced to engage with others when faced with the already tedious business of eating, unless it’s with han yoojin or song taewon, he does not enjoy dining with others. from a post-series standpoint: since he was able to break free from the stifling circumstances, and (one-sidedly) thinks that he meshes well with the young chaos, he’s quite enjoying looking after chaos ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) this is really just… something i’m personally interested in, but… at some point… once enough time has passed… will… peace be able to speak, just like chirpie? A) as he’s become an inhabitant of the world after coming outside of the Dungeons, as long as he continues to mature, it’ll eventually be possible^^

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Unity

Unity just pulled a WotC and acted like they were the only game in town - changing their payment/service structure in a way that suggests they think they've got a monopoly - and much like WotC they've been politely informed by the game development community and Reality At Large that no, actually, they are a business with competitors who are only too happy to snap up the free market share and show off their own development engines to anyone who is suddenly looking for a new one For Reasons.

Like, the announcement about Unity's pricing change hit the news blogs a day or two ago and as of today every blog I follow that does game development is like, "Let's do a quick comparison of Godot and Unreal Engine to see which would be the better dev environment for switching your game to!"

[phonemantra-blog]

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However, it's important to note that driver-assistance systems are not a substitute for attentive driving, and it's always crucial to remain focused and alert while behind the wheel. Pricing and Trims When it comes to pricing, the Ford Edge generally has a higher starting price compared to the Ford Escape. The Edge offers a range of trim levels, including SE, SEL, Titanium, and ST. The higher trims come with additional features and performance enhancements. On the other hand, the Ford Escape offers trim levels such as S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. Each trim level builds upon the previous one, offering more features and technology. It's important to consider your budget and desired features when choosing between the two models. The Ford Edge, with its larger size and more powerful engine options, maybe a better fit for those seeking a more premium SUV experience. 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Are the Ford Edge and Ford Escape suitable for off-road driving? While the Ford Edge and Ford Escape are capable of light off-road adventures, they are primarily designed for on-road use. The Escape offers optional features like intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) and a terrain management system, which can enhance traction and stability on various surfaces. However, for more rugged off-road experiences, Ford offers other models like the Ford Bronco or Ford Ranger that are better suited for such activities. What is the warranty coverage for the Ford Edge and Ford Escape? The Ford Edge and Ford Escape come with similar warranty coverage. They both offer a basic warranty of 3 years/36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of 5 years/60,000 miles. Additionally, Ford provides roadside assistance for 5 years/60,000 miles. How do the Ford Edge and Ford Escape compare in terms of fuel efficiency? The Ford Escape generally offers better fuel efficiency compared to the Ford Edge due to its smaller and more fuel-efficient engines. The Escape's turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine and hybrid powertrain provide excellent fuel economy, making it an economical choice for daily commuting. The Edge, with its larger and more powerful engines, consumes more fuel but still offers decent efficiency for its class. Can I customize the Ford Edge and Ford Escape with additional accessories? Yes, both the Ford Edge and Ford Escape offer a range of accessories and packages that allow for customization. These accessories include options such as roof racks, cargo organizers, towing packages, and appearance packages. You can consult with your local Ford dealership for more information on available accessories and customization options. What are the available financing options for the Ford Edge and Ford Escape? Ford offers various financing options for the Ford Edge and Ford Escape, including traditional auto loans and lease options. Financing terms, interest rates, and promotions may vary, so it's advisable to reach out to your local Ford dealership or visit their website to explore the current financing offers and incentives. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Ford Edge and Ford Escape are both impressive SUV models from Ford, each with its strengths and advantages. The Edge offers a larger size, powerful performance, and a more upscale interior, making it suitable for those seeking a spacious and refined SUV. On the other hand, the Escape provides a compact and fuel-efficient option with nimble handling, making it ideal for individuals or smaller families. When deciding between the two models, it's essential to consider your specific needs, preferences, and budget. We recommend test-driving both the Ford Edge and Ford Escape to experience their features and capabilities firsthand. Additionally, consulting with a Ford dealership can provide further assistance in finding the right SUV that meets your requirements.

[nintendowife]

It's game over for 2023. Time to talk about the best games I played during the year. I finished many enjoyable titles on various platforms, crossing genres and time to visit even decades old games. I finished a total of 38 games this past year. And because I apparently didn't have enough choice for devices to play all these games on, we got an Xbox Series X to our household on Christmas week.

Anyhow, here are the winners of my personal Game of the Year 2023 awards. *drumroll*

1st place: Vampire Survivors (PC)

My addictive substance of choice. Doesn't shine in the graphics department with modern tech. Doesn't try to impress with thought-provoking narrative. The incredibly simple yet satisfying gameplay however is engineered to perfection. A true masterclass of game design.

+ Infectiously fun, action-filled reverse bullet hell roguelike gameplay. Just one more run! + Bold artistic identity. + Humorous touch in character/enemy design and fun nods to other videogames. + Superb soundtrack. + Tons of quality content for an incredibly cheap price. Free updates and paid DLC with even more content. - The flashing effects can go a little overboard and cause discomfort. - Later stages of game can lag even decently powerful hardware.

See my posts about Vampire Survivors

2nd place: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Wii U Virtual Console, originally on Game Boy Advance)

A classic Castlevania that holds up nicely even 20 years from release and on a big screen. With a bit more memorable music and a small quality of life improvement, Aria of Sorrow would have earned the coveted 5/5 stars in my book.

+ Balanced and fun gameplay with a good sense of progression. + Top tier level design with a concise map. + Nice art style in environments, sprites and character portraits. Great animation and enemy design. + Fitting music and audio. + Good story. - Lacks item to warp to last save room or outside castle.

See my posts about Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

3rd place: Touhou Mystia's Izakaya (PC)

Chill vibes managing your restaurant, gathering ingredients and talking to characters by day turn into frantic cooking and serving action by night. This game got its recipe right.

+ Fun, rewarding gameplay loop mixing leisurely action and challenges testing your attention. + Enjoyable story with funny events. + Wonderfully cute pixel art. + Catchy music. + Lots of content for a low price. - Starts slow, even a bit boring in the beginning before you get special customers and unlock more recipes. - Final battle had annoying RNG. - English translation could use a little polish.

See my posts about Touhou Mystia's Izakaya

Honorable mention: Crimson Shroud (Nintendo 3DS)

This surprisingly challenging table-top RPG inspired game impressed me with its quality and satisfying gameplay. This is a hidden gem worth visiting.

+ Challenging gameplay with long and brutal battles make for a rewarding experience. + Good, well-written story with two endings. + Cool art direction with 3D models mimicking table-top RPG figurines, pretty illustrations. + Great music. + Game's length is just right to keep player invested. - Overall difficulty is higher than usual for JRPGs and Game Over wasn't a rare occurrence on my playthroughs. Slight frustration ensued due to having to retry the long battle from the beginning. - Confusing equipment UI (comparison of current vs new gear).

See my posts about Crimson Shroud

Honorable mention: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Nintendo DS, played on 3DS)

Unique experience with tricky chain reaction puzzles and fantastic characters. Prominently fluid and amazing animations - I can't believe it's a Nintendo DS game! This is no trick - it's a treat.

+ Inventive gameplay and mechanics, perfect fit for touch screen. + Interesting story that definitely doesn't forget humor despite the grim subject. + Memorable characters (Cabanela and Missile were my favorites). + Awesome art style and marvelous animation quality. + Great music throughout the game. - I almost lost interest at some point and got impatient to finish the game. - I guessed one of the key plot twists but luckily that didn't put a dent on the ending.

See my posts about Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Honorable mention: Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360, played on Xbox Series X)

Entertaining cover shooter with varying missions. The game never had a boring moment and the length of the single player campaign was just right. I'm looking forward to playing Gears of War 3 next!

+ Fun gameplay that sets expectations for other shooters. + Interesting setting and story with some cool events. + Fun dialogue that made me chuckle many times. + Good music and great English voice acting. + The challenge on Normal difficulty was just right for me. - AI controlled companions got stuck occasionally, leaving you alone in dangerous enemy territory. - I didn't always understand the mission objectives in the hectic situations. - Cutscenes can't be skipped (thankfully this is not a Kojima game).

Honorable mention: Signalis (PC)

Atmospheric sci-fi survival horror paying homage to older games. Puzzles are different from usual and require attentive skill and logical thinking to solve. This game deserves a sequel.

+ Intriquing sci-fi story with an impactful ending (there are multiple endings too). + Great art direction, appealing PS1 era inspired retro graphics with skillfully crafted pixel art. I very much enjoyed the nod to Ghost in the Shell. + Unique, well-designed puzzles and good level design. + Great atmosphere. - A bit clunky combat. - Tiny inventory space forced me to backtrack more than I would have liked. - Annoying design choice to not include a map in a couple of areas.

See my posts about Signalis

Nominees for my personal Game of the Year 2023

Only games I have finished in 2023 have been included (looks like I played a lot of games starting with the letter T).

An Arcade Full of Cats (PC) Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (3DS) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3) Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea DX (Switch) Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Wii U Virtual Console - GBA) Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (3DS) Crimson Shroud (3DS) Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch) Dordogne (PC) Fitness Boxing (Switch) Gears of War 2 (Xbox Series X - Xbox 360) Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (3DS) Immortality (PC) Kuru Kuru Kururin (Wii U Virtual Console - GBA) Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (PC) Liberation Maiden (3DS) Need for Speed: Most Wanted U (Wii U) Piofiore: Fated Memories (Switch) Pokémon Art Academy (3DS) Pokémon Rumble World (3DS) Scorn (PC) Shadows Over Loathing (PC) Signalis (PC) Sticky Business (PC) Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) Tekken 7 - Definitive Edition (PC) Toem (PC) Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction (PC) Touhou Mystia's Izakaya (PC) Toukiden 2 (PS Vita) Trinity Trigger (Switch) Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (PC) Umurangi Generation Special Edition (PC) Unpacking (PC) Vampire Survivors (PC) Volcano Princess (PC) We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie (PC) Ys: The Oath in Felghana (PC)

Wishing you all a fabulous New Year 2024 with happiness, health, success and cool gaming experiences!

[canmom]

the unity thing is a hot mess huh. they will probably find some way to walk back some of it in response to backlash, clarify the install fee if they do commit, and solve some of the cases where it's prohibitively expensive (mostly f2p mobile games), maybe delay the Jan 1st deadline because their 'install detection' tech obviously isn't there - but 'retroactively changing the license' part is the really scary one. especially since this goes against some of the on-record promises made by Unity in the past.

it's kind of impressive how like... one of the cornerstones of the entire modern game dev industry can completely evaporate its trust overnight. this has apparently has to do with the company's IPO, the loss of most of the founders, the ex-EA CEO etc. but regardless of motivation, it's extremely horrible from a game preservation standpoint if we start to see games getting pulled from stores to shield against the new install fee.

this means everyone's going to start looking for Unity alternatives. the obvious one that comes to mind is Godot, which has the advantage of being lightweight and open source. however, Godot's got significant performance issues baked into its architecture, especially in comparison to Unity's DOTS and Burst compiler. by contrast, Unreal is a beast in terms of grahpical performance (not so much CPU-side, it's beaten by DOTS there), but it's anything but lightweight - on my old laptop the editor had a bit of a tendency to swallow up my 1050Ti's VRAM and crash. still, this will probably be a real shot in the arm for Unreal lmao

Bevy is the engine with the most promise imo (pure ECS with the power of the Rust compiler underlying it), but Bevy is immature, and lacks a lot of features you depend on in Unity (which is to say, Unity has some really great tools for profiling and debugging which Bevy lacks, plus Unity has a lot of good built in systems for VFX, shader authoring etc.) particularly the rendering side needs a lot of work. if anything good comes of this, it might be a whole lot more interest in developing Bevy.

for my line of work in VR, if Unity becomes toxic, this is pretty devastating. nearly every game for standalone VR is made in Unity - I feel like I can count the non-Unity games on the Quest 2 on one hand. almost all the pedagogical information out there is written for Unity. so I can only speculate what's gonna happen there. it may be that Unity is able to stay on as the default for Quest 2/3, since Meta has made it so most games are sold on a flat one-time price rather than f2p. of course it does rather depend whether Unity's secret proprietary install-counting tool starts counting pirate installs.

all in all I guess we see how this shakes out but it's kind of a rough thing to happen less than a year after I become a game dev working in unity ^^'

[redwryvernwrites]

TRAINTOBER | Day 31 - Lights Out

Flying Scotsman meets the City of Truro for the first time. It doesn't go well. 

~~~

“The LNER bought the City of Truro?” The young Jubliee class at the other platform was stunned. “Did the Great Western not want to save such a special engine?”

“He wasn’t even bought, he was donated to the museum,” the B12 next to her responded to her. “The Great Western didn’t want to spend money to preserve them.”

“Oh that’s a shame, Truro’s such a pretty engine!” The Jubilee cooed sweetly but there was a humph from the platform across the way. The Jubliee and B12 looked over to find a Gresley Pacific A3 with a sour look on his face.

“What’s the matter Solario? Can’t handle the fact that your twin got beat by a pretty little Great Western,” The B12 jeered and Solario snorted in response.

“City of Truro’s record is a fraud, the only official record is held by Scotsman,” he snapped annoyed. “We should never have allowed that engine into the museum.”

“You Gresley engines are all the same pompous snot-nosed gits," The B12 scoffed and Solario smirked. 

"Our arrogance is not without precedence," Solario preened. "If even a wimpy engine such as my brother could outclass the rest, then what does that say about the rest of you?"

"Such a horrible thing to say about your own brother! He’s your twin! You should be close!" The Jubilee exclaimed horrified. 

Solario rolled his eyes at her. The LMS engines and their undying loyalty to family did not breed success, it was childish and it was absurd.

“My brother is a foolish and weak-willed engine,” Solario scowled. “He does not deserve the time of day from me or our other sibling and especially Sir Gresley.”

The Jubilee was about to retort when the loud wheesh of an engine departing the station suddenly echoed through the station. The engines looked several platforms over the find the one and only Flying Scotsman departing the station, his expression unreadable and blank.

The B12 smirked but the Jubilee looked back at Solario angrily.

“For ones who pride themselves on being hospitable to your passengers, you’re real pieces of work you know that!” She snapped at them and Solario just huffed steam in response.

“The price of success demands it so, as Great Northern says,” Solario snapped back and without another word the Gresley A3 was gone, following his twin brother out of the station.

“Great Northern is a fool, everyone knows that!” The B12 sneered at his retreating tender but there was no response, the A3 long gone.

~~~

Flying Scotsman made his way to the museum. He didn’t really know why or what he was doing but he just knew that Solario’s words had stung him quite badly.

He had heard of the City of Truro. Great Northern railed at length against the engine, considering him a fraud, a phoney for even daring to try and claim ‘their’ record. Scotsman frowned, it wasn’t North’s record, it was his record. It certainly wasn’t that boastful child that was Papyrus’s record. 

Scotsman rolled his eyes at the thought of his sister. She was boastful and entitled and demanded respect yet failed to have it because of the way she acted. A horrid and cold engine who found complaint in anything anyone did. She made even Great Northern seem like a saint by comparison.

Scotsman was the judge of who and what could lay claim to his record and it surprised him that after all this time he had never met the Great Western’s famous engine.

Solario’s words had spurred him on. He had met Great Western engines before, the wonderful Pendennis Castle whomst they had hosted on their railway for the exchange trials. Then again he had met him in person at the Empire Exhibition. Pendennis had been nothing but lovely and charming. 

Scotsman found himself admiring and befriending the Castle Class. He wished he could see more of the handsome and beautiful engine.

He hoped that Truro would be the same. 

He liked the Great Westerns, admired them even. Their smart green and gold lined liveries. They appeared delicate yet strong and powerful. He liked that. He liked that a lot. 

He knew that Sir Gresley appreciated them too. Although he didn’t agree with certain aspects of their design, he remember Sir Gresley being very pleased and gave his approval to Pendennis Castle, a high appraisal indeed.

“Is something wrong, my good engine? May I assist you in any way?” A voice asked and Scotsman jumped and looked down to find a Steamworks engine, barely as tall as the average man.

“No, why do you ask?” Scotsman eyed the little engine, slightly annoyed at being startled.

“Your cheeks are red,” the little engine mumbled, Scotsman huffed embarrassed and glared at the engine who then seemed to notice his nameplate and squeaked. “I meant no offence Mr Flying Scotsman sir!”

“It’s okay,” Scotsman gave the little engine a comforting smile. “What’s your name little one?”

“Hendrick, sir! Hendrick the Steamworks Engine! If you have any faults come to me and I’ll get them fixed just like the day you rolled out of the works!” the little Wren peeped and Scotsman chuckled. 

“I’m certain I will if the need arises,” Scotsman smiled. He glanced around at the museum, searching for the engine he was looking for. “Is- is City of Truro here?”

Hendrick gazed at the big engine suspiscously. 

“I don’t want to start anything, I just want to meet him,” Scotsman assured the engine. Hendrick didn’t look convinced but he wasn’t exactly about to talk back to the railway CME’s favourite engine. 

“This way, Flying Scotsman,” the little wren lead the large engine deeper into the facility where other engines sat. Some unnervingly had no faces which irked him. 

"Why do some of these engine not have faces? What happened to them?" Scotsman asked and Hendrick seemed scared. 

"I don't like to talk about it Mr Scotsman sir," Hendrick explained. "But those engines suffered from Cold Iron Sleep and died from it."

"What is-"

"No more questions please, I'll get into trouble with the engineers!" Hendrick begged the Scotsman and the A3 Pacific pressed no further. 

They came to an alcove where a shining, polished Great Western engine sat, proud and glossy. The gold on its trim reflected the lights upon it, giving it a dazzling glow. 

"This is the City of Truro!" Hendrick squeaked as the said engine turned its attention to the Flying Scotsman. 

Scotsman looked the engine up and down. Though he was very impressed with the look of the engine, he found himself… disappointed. 

"You are quite the handsome engine I must say! Though, I apologise if I sound rude but I thought that you would be larger," Scotsman remarked quietly and the City class turned a disapproving eye to Scotsman. 

"Ah yes, another one of Gresley's fat, cumbersome engines come to try and pick a fight with me I see," City of Truro snapped at him and Scotsman was taken aback. 

"Fat? Cumbersome?" Scotsman was deeply offended. "I am neither of those things!"

Truro eyed him disparagingly with distaste in his gaze. 

"You are clunky and don't think I didn't hear you squeaking! An engine like this steals my record from me, how appalling! How embarrassing!" Truro hissed and Scotsman blasted steam in anger. 

"I did not steal your record! You never had it in the first place!" Flying Scotsman snapped back, incensed by this engine. 

Truro's eyes widened and he glanced down at Scotsman's number, painted on his buffer beam.

"Ah," Truro's expression turned sour. "So it's you. My rival."

"Rival? Rival!" Scotsman thundered furiously. "You? You! A simple goods engine?! You are NOT my rival I assure you! I'll have you find that Pendennis Castle is my rival, not some riff-raff like you!"

"This 'riff-raff' made 100 mph before you were even drawn!" Truro spat back angrily. 

"You don't even deserve the dignity of being melted down to be the tracks under my wheels!" Scotsman snarled. 

"Good because your heavy lard ass would just stress the rails so hard that you'd flatten them to sheet iron!" Truro shrieked. 

"Stop calling me fat!" Scotsman exploded. "You are an uncouth and nasty little engine!"

"ENOUGH!" A voice suddenly shouted and they both turned to find one of the LNER directors striding towards them angrily, his face a picture of fury. "Scotsman! You are usually one of the best behaved and gentlemanly of engines! I am surprised at you, acting like a child!"

Scotsman looked at his buffers shamefully. He didn't know how or why but Truro had somehow antagonised him. He did not like it in the slightest. 

"I am sorry sir. This is not like me, I know," Scotsman apologised profusely. "I just wanted to meet City of Truro. I had no intention of-"

"Stop. That's enough excuses. Sir Gresley will hear about this," the director snapped. "You will go back to your shed and you will not pull any trains for the rest of the week."

Truro chuckled and the Scotsman threw a glare at him. 

"But sir!" He implored but he was ignored. 

"Go!" The director snapped, pointing at the exit and Scotsman took his leave, feeling humiliated as Truro laughed at him. 

Hendrick’s basis - a 0-4-0T Beyer & Peacock ‘Wren’ 

~~~

The City of Truro was displeased to find that he had been taken out of the shed at the last minute to stand in for a failed rail tour engine. There is something about a lack of maintenance on one of the Stanier 8F’s and its replacement also failing.

Truro was displeased. Not because he had been pulled out of the sheds but because he knew that the Stainer 8F deserved so much better. They were one of the hardest working engine classes in the British Isles, nay, the entire world. The fact that it’s replacement had failed was even more of a concern to Truro.

It saddened Truro greatly, the lack of respect towards the working iron horses these days. It was depressing. 

“Thank you for saving our skins, City of Truro!” The Heritage controller thanked him. “It’s unprecedented that two engines would fail simultaneously.”

“Perhaps you need to keep a closer eye on maintenance,” Truro advised. “We Steam Engines are fussy things. We demand a lot more than a diesel or an electric engine.”

The controller seemed offended that Truro had chastised him but said nothing. Truro winched, wondering if he was turning bossy and pedantic like Coppernob. Maybe that was just what happened when one got to this age.

“Well, the Stainer 8F had a good maintenance record but Flying Scotsman did just return from Australia so we’re unsure what her condition is,” The controller remarked and Truro was surprised. 

“Flying Scotsman is here?” He asked and the Controller nodded. 

“You can see her if you like,” he offered and Truro thinning his lips in contemplation. 

“I’ll think about it,” Truro finally spoke and the controller nodded before offering a parting word.

~~~

The rail tour itself went smoothly and Truro found himself in a pleasant mood. Maybe it was a good thing that both engines had failed that day. He so rarely got to do a proper run these days and he felt good for it. 

He thanked the 8F and paused in the yard, contemplating whether to both his ‘rival’. Of course, Flying Scotsman never saw him as a rival, that position was reserved for Pendennis Castle. 

A dark cloud darkened his mind and he frowned. He didn’t know why but seeing Pendennis and Scotsman together made him angry, it had always made him sad. 

It shouldn’t have. Pendennis was a close friend, and he wanted to be happy for him and yet… when Scotsman had broken off the relationship, Truro had felt a sort of sadistic glee that made him feel ashamed.

He glanced over at the sheds and found the doors to Flying Scotsman’s berth closed. He contemplated leaving, he didn’t want to start a fight with her but he, despite himself, really wanted to see her.

Why? He had no clue.

Biting the bullet he approached her berth and waited for the crew to open the doors. Inside he found Flying Scotsman, asleep, her face pale and not looking all that well.

He was about to change his mind a leave her to rest when she stirred, groggy and extremely lethargic.

“...City… Truro?” She weakly croaked as she laid her eyes on him.

“You need your rest, I apologise for waking you, I’ll be going,” Truro tried to beg her pardon but Scotsman seemed to shake her frames to wake herself up in response.

“No, no, it’s alright, stay,” Scotsman gave him a weary smile. “I’m awake now anyway.”

“Quite,” Truro murmured and focused on her appearance. “You don’t look at all well.”

“I feel even worse,” Scotsman chuckled. “The Australian Outback did a number on me I think. I’m not used to such a harsh environment. What are you doing here?”

“Covering for you,” Truro smirked. “Did you enjoy Australia at least?”

“That I did,” Scotsman smiled. “Pendennis sends his regards.”

“Oh,” Truro looked away with a huff. “Are you two still, you know, together?”

“We talked about it,” Scotsman hummed to herself. “I decided not to pursue a relationship any longer. I didn’t see a future with him, even if we were still in England.”

Truro suppressed the sudden smile that came to his face.

Why was he glad that they had broken up?

“I’m going to wait a while before I consider a relationship with anyone else though,” Scotsman continued. “I need to get my smokebox in the right place first.”

“Of course, of course,” Truro mused. “No need to rush into anything. But if you were, did you have anyone in mind?”

Scotsman raised an eyebrow. 

“Didn’t think you would’ve cared about my love life, City of Truro,” Scotsman smirked. 

“I just want to know if you’re going to chase any of my colleagues,” Truro retorted and Scotsman gave a snort of mirth. 

“So you can chase them away and claim me for yourself?” She sneakily suggested and City of Truro turned bright red. Scotsman smirked at his reaction.

“What on Earth makes you think I would do something like that?” Truro scoffed a bit too quickly.

“No reason,” Scotsman smirked but the look in her eyes suggested that she very well knew the reason. “No reason at all.”

Truro felt his face burn with heat and he jolted himself backwards in a hurry to leave. 

“Right, well, I best be going,” Truro cleared his smokebox. 

“Of course, of course, good talk, Truro, good talk,” Scotsman’s expression became conceited and smug, she had the audacity to give him a flirtatious wink.

Truro humphed in response. He knew exactly what she was insinuating and he had a very good idea that Scotsman and Pendennis had discussed him at length in Australia.

“You are appalling,” Truro huffed and Scotsman laughed. “You and Pendennis both!”

“Oh, we know,” Scotsman extolled. “But I’ll come to you first when I'm ready to date again, yes?”

Truro turned completely red.

“Is that a threat?” He scoffed, flummoxed.

“No. It’s a promise.”

With that, Scotsman seemed to grow weary again, her eyelids growing heavy.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to rest," she murmured and Truro took the hint that she wanted to be left alone.

"Very well, rest easy, Flying Scotsman," he wished as the crew flicked the lights back off in her berth.

"I'll try," Scotsman smiled and gave him a wink.

Truro felt his cheeks burn red hot but before he could answer, the doors to her berth shut in his face.

~~~

Flying Scotsman departs Kings Cross, 1967.

The City of Truro and the AUDACITY of this bitch. 

Scotsman has a type and that type is Great Western 👀 He thinks they’re pretty.

The little Wren, Hendrick is Dr Hendrick who appears in Young Iron and deals with Gold Dust issues and problems. Great Northern brought him back as a Gold Dust construct to be his assistant however Hendrick decided to study medicine and became a certified Doctor.