#Projector Screen Industry

[marketinsight1234]

Projector Screen Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2023 – 2030

Projector Screen Market Size Was Valued at USD 45.2 Billion in 2022, and is Projected to Reach USD 53.46 Billion by 2030, Growing at a CAGR of 2.12% From 2023-2030.

The projector screen market has witnessed significant growth in recent years due to the increasing adoption of projectors in various sectors such as education, corporate, entertainment, and home theaters. With advancements in technology, projector screens have evolved to offer enhanced features such as high-definition display, motorized operation, and compatibility with different projector types. Moreover, the rising demand for large-screen displays for presentations, gaming, and immersive viewing experiences has fueled the expansion of the projector screen market globally. Key players in the market are continually innovating to cater to the diverse requirements of consumers and to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving landscape.

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Updated Version 2024 is available our Sample Report May Includes the:

Scope For 2024

Brief Introduction to the research report.

Table of Contents (Scope covered as a part of the study)

Top players in the market

Research framework (structure of the report)

Research methodology adopted by Worldwide Market Reports 

Moreover, the report includes significant chapters such as Patent Analysis, Regulatory Framework, Technology Roadmap, BCG Matrix, Heat Map Analysis, Price Trend Analysis, and Investment Analysis which help to understand the market direction and movement in the current and upcoming years. 

Leading players involved in the Projector Screen Market include:

Da-Lite Screen Company (US), Stewart Filmscreen(US), Draper Inc. (US), Elite Screens, Inc. (US), ACCO Brands Corp. (US), Elite Screens Inc (US), Pyle US Sound Around Inc (US), Screen Innovations (US), Severtson Screens (US), Silver Ticket Products (US 

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Segmentation of Projector Screen Market:

By Screen Type

Portable Screens

Wall/Ceiling Mounted Screens

Fixed Frame Screens

Electric/Motorized Screens

By Material

Matte White

Pearlescent

High-Gain

Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR)

Tab Tensioned Fabrics

By End- User

Education

Media and Entertainment

Healthcare, Government and Defence

Commercial, Personal

Market Segment by Regions: -

North America (US, Canada, Mexico)

Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Rest of Eastern Europe)

Western Europe (Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Western Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of APAC)

Middle East & Africa (Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Israel, South Africa)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SA)

What to Expect in Our Report?

(1) A complete section of the Projector Screen market report is dedicated for market dynamics, which include influence factors, market drivers, challenges, opportunities, and trends.

(2) Another broad section of the research study is reserved for regional analysis of the Projector Screen market where important regions and countries are assessed for their growth potential, consumption, market share, and other vital factors indicating their market growth.

(3) Players can use the competitive analysis provided in the report to build new strategies or fine-tune their existing ones to rise above market challenges and increase their share of the Projector Screen market.

(4) The report also discusses competitive situation and trends and sheds light on company expansions and merger and acquisition taking place in the Projector Screen market. Moreover, it brings to light the market concentration rate and market shares of top three and five players.

(5) Readers are provided with findings and conclusion of the research study provided in the Projector Screen Market report.

Our study encompasses major growth determinants and drivers, along with extensive segmentation areas. Through in-depth analysis of supply and sales channels, including upstream and downstream fundamentals, we present a complete market ecosystem.

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[technotale]

Projector Screen Market Analytical Overview and Growth Opportunities by 2030

A projector screen is a large, flat surface on which images or movies projected by a projector are displayed. It is usually made of a white or light-colored material that reflects light and allows the images to be seen by a wide number of people. The screen can be mounted on a wall, ceiling, or stand, and it is available in a variety of sizes to meet varied projections and room sizes. Some projector screens are retractable and may be stored when not in use. A projection screen is frequently used in classrooms, conference rooms, home cinemas, and other presenting contexts.

The projector screen market is the part of the audiovisual industry that produces screens designed expressly for use with projection systems. These screens are intended to improve the quality of the projected image by providing a smooth and uniform surface on which to display it. Conference rooms, classrooms, home cinemas, and outdoor events are among places where projector screens are employed. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and aspect ratios, and can be portable or fixed. The market for projector screens is likely to expand as the need for large-scale display solutions grows.

Read more @ https://techinforite.blogspot.com/2023/02/projector-screen-market-analysis-key.html

[hsmleindia]

Vertical Profile Projector-150

Vertical Profile Projector -150 are widely used in manufacturing, quality control, and metrology applications. They are particularly suitable for inspecting parts with vertical or axial features, such as gears, shafts, threaded components, and cylindrical parts. These projectors provide a non-contact and efficient method for measuring dimensions and profiles with high precision and repeatability. The optical system of a vertical axis profile projector includes a light source, lenses, mirrors, and a projection screen. The light source illuminates the part, and the lenses and mirrors project a magnified image of the part onto the screen.

The workpiece is placed on a stage that moves vertically, allowing for easy positioning and measurement of the part. The stage may have fixtures or clamps to securely hold the part during inspection. Vertical Profile Projector-150 offer different levels of magnification, typically ranging from 5x to 100x or more. They may have interchangeable lenses or a zoom lens system to adjust the magnification level based on the size and details of the part.

Vertical axis profile projectors include measuring scales or digital encoders that allow for direct measurements of distances, angles, radii, and other dimensional features on the part. Digital readouts or computer interfaces can display measurement results and perform data analysis.

[theoldkyokodied]

Introducing: The Adventures of Spider-Reel and Vinpool #1 - A collection of doodles and concept art for my friend Kaths Spidersona Spider-Reel and my very own deadpoolsona (deadsona? sonapool??) Vinpool :)

More info on them under the cut because i love all the ideas kath and me came up with:

Spider-Reel: In a universe where streaming services didn't kill the video rental business, after being bitten by a radioactive spider while changing out the film reel in a projector at their monthly secret cinema screenings of LGBTQ films, Spider-Reel begins their career as wise cracking and movie recommending protector of the city! Fighting not only cinematic villains but also the replacement of practical effects with awful looking CGI, bad working conditions and everything union-opposed in the film industry.

their appearance is an homage to old movies, sepia colored and flickering (as well as having the iconic burned in cue marks appearing from time to time) and you can always hear a projector running in the background when they are near. they also are animated slightly faster, to give the sort of old silent movie vibe of being shot with fewer frames but played at normal speed

Vinpool: their real origin story is not know to many, especially since it seems to be vins mission to have as many contradicting stories out there as possible. I'm not even gonna tell you the real one since it's pretty unremarkable. Basically if you know Wade, you know Vin. Except for when you don't! Hope that helps <3 Anyway, vinpool keeps everything pretty close to their chest and coats it in a thick layer of jokes and being puposfully annoying, cus we all know it hurts less to be called annoying when you are playing a character than when you are being genuine!

Spider-Reel & Vinpool: Together they host the annual "Golden-Spider" festival, where various CCTV Footage taken on the Spider Societies Premise gets nominated in different categories. The only one officially refusing to participate in this harmless little fun day activity is miguel of course, but lyla gladly accepts any award in his name

[emberglowfox]

you should infodump about your ocs

i'm going to talk abt a bit of the worldbuilding in steelheart redux bc i am a nerd. you'll get a pinch of arthur at the end though

holograms are pretty common tech in the SHR-verse, and at the time of the story, most are polychromatic (aka full-color, though like real-life televisions Just How Many Colors depends on model and price and whatnot) but that wasn't always the case! when holographic technology was first really figured out, holographic displays were only capable of projecting in one color, using opacity to differentiate value. early holographic phones (H-phones, or whatever lingo i come up with later to describe them) accepted this limitation in exchange for being able to just. project a big honking screen (though said big honking screen was not physically interactable in any way.) they looked kind of like this:

and since suddenly people could just whip out their phones and project a wall-sized display, a section of the entertainment industry scrambled to capitalize on this by making films and graphics For these phones (and the legion of projectors that also emerged) that were essentially black and white films, as stipulated by the holograms' display limitations. these movies were called monofilms (or just monos), and shortly separated into two categories: standard monofilms, produced for dark environments, and inverse monofilms, produced for bright environments.

(when discussing the categories of monos in relation to each other, the terms 'additive' and 'subtractive' are often substituted.)

this led to a brief, albeit fiery race for various cinematographers to become the "master" of monofilmography, which involved different lighting setups and considerations than normal filmography. it was also popular among indie filmographers, as shooting in black and white was far less expensive than shilling out for top-of-the-line, industry-standard but Fucking Pricey full-color cameras.

eventually, polychromatic holographic displays were invented and standardized, and the short golden age of monofilms passed. still, despite the major film studios that had dabbled in monofilmography returning to the standard, monos remain a staple of indie film production and enjoy a niche but dedicated fanbase.

such as arthur steele, who inherited a love and appreciation for them from his late father.

[snaggie-t00th]

SURPRISE SHAWTYYY

secondest one shot ever. echo's been growing on me recently icl y'all.

Brake Check

gif credit :)

rating/cw: teen, irl swears/star wars swearing, vague mentions of drugs, canon violence

3.6k words, gender neutral pronouns, zero use of y/n

i might keep this one going if i think up anything else. may or may not be based on my experiences at my own gig.

reblogs are always appreciated :)

The sun shone fiercely over the city, baking the industrial landscape in amber and gold. It was the closest that the durasteel and brick would ever get to being a part of nature, and in a way, the old buildings seemed thankful. Thankful to be unmoving against the planet’s own turmoil. To stand straight, stiff, and unforgiving against the gales that whipped through the streets like wind tunnels.

You very much wish you could be a building right now.

Contrasting to your surroundings, you were very much bothered by the sun in your eyes and wind in your hair. You squinted and kept a hand over your eyes as you puttered through the streets, gauging movement and distance by the tiled stonework on the ground. Your hair whipped at the corners of your face, always just out of reach when you went to swipe them away, giving way to a mood that the sun beating down on your neck was not helping.

Just a few more paces, a lock, and an alarm. You thought to yourself, mentally calibrating for the tasks following.

You were opening your store. At least, that’s what you’d tell anyone if they bothered asking. In reality, you were opening a store you were hired to manage. You were hired as a friendly, trustworthy face that was more or less just responsible for making sure nothing got stolen. The real owner, on the other hand, rarely could bother to make an appearance. So, by all customer accounts, it’s your store. The thought of this brought warmth to your chest.

Pride, albeit in fake ownership, but pride in your work nonetheless.

You found yourself at the front of the store. Large, ornate marble slabs stacked up to the door. Marble steps that were once a hallmark of the city, that dotted every home, now lay cracked, chipped, and closer to oyster gray than marble white.

You trudged to the front glass door. Opening it with a whine, the door found purchase on your hip as you flipped the plastic door sign to “Open”. You glance over at the keypad, and punch in your door code - 0501.

Immediately upon stepping into the small, darkened room, you’re greeted with shrill chirps. The piercing tones shot through the still air and bounced off the walls.

“Yeah yeah, I know, I’m coming.” You gripe, talking to the ancient security system that by no means would actually respond. You walk towards the corner of the small shop, eyeing a white panel with a dimly lit green screen. You grimace as you punch in your security code, trying not to become overstimulated by the alarm.

“Disarmed. Ready to arm.” A feminine robotic voice declares, and you hum in content as you turn around and begin to open up your store.

Flip those lights, plug that in, unlock the window guard, count the cash.

The mental list flashed through your mind, though it was almost immediately pushed out by a myriad of other thoughts. Your mind was abuzz, just like any other day. You glanced around at the small, cramped storefront. Your eyes raked the shelves, not looking for anything in particular, simply cataloging with your eyes. Your store sold mainly spaceship parts, among other things; though judging by the dust collecting on the deflector shield projectors, you’d almost be led to believe that no one on the planet had even scraped the sky.

You rounded a counter to make way to the register. The counter was an upside down L-shape, clear glass panes encasing a durasteel frame with sliding doors on the seller side. A smaller, similar-yet-straight case sat parallel on the right, making a perfect little square entrance for you to swing around. Such large display pieces seemed comically out of place in the small store front, as they essentially divided the room in half. Inside, the three rows that spanned the length of each side of the L were cluttered. Cluttered with trinkets that toppled over one another, as well as a handful of dubiously legal recreational products and their respective accessories. Those, along with the cigarettes in cartons behind you, were probably the only reason the lights above you were even on, albeit flickering occasionally and making a rather unfortunate buzz. You shook your head, and unlocked the small, dingy cash register in front of you.

Methodically counting cash, your eyes wandered to the bay window at the front of the store. Outside of it laid sun-bleached stone streets, with few inhabitants venturing out this early in the morning. Those that did, moved sluggishly from the heat or in a feeble attempt to resist it. Most of them looked familiar, usually having come in and bought something in the past. Or the odd few who follow a stricter morning routine than you do, seeing them stroll by every morning since you’d arrived however many cycles ago.

Same old, same old, huh? You thought to yourself. Monotony creeps up on the best of us, I suppose. You silently laugh to yourself, a quick huff of air leaving your nose.

As if the universe was listening in on your internal monologue, a speeder comes careening down the block, the engine body screaming as the bike chewed through the brake disks like meringue. Atop this banshee was a young girl, cream blonde hair whipping behind her as she screamed with delight. You had hoped it was delight at least, though you’d never heard someone giggling with fear. Immediately following her was another speeder, albeit in much less disarray and in much more control. The pilot was a tall, slender, pale man with some form of plating on his head, covering his ears.

“Omega, you HAVE to brake before you turn, you can’t just hit every corner like Tech does!” The man called out, though it was muffled from the glass.

You placed the cash back in the register and paced towards the door. Curiosity was your main driving factor, although if something happened to a child and you didn’t do anything… Well, you were sure your brain wouldn’t let you live it down.

You cracked the large door and peered out through the smaller glass door in front of it. You breathed out in relief, not realizing you were holding it in, as you saw the girl almost entirely unharmed.

“Echo, I’m fine! Plus, you said it yourself before we grabbed them that they looked like ‘hunks of junk’.” The girl made air quotes at her companion to emphasize her point. He, presumably named Echo, sighs in response, barely audible through the door but recognizable by the way his shoulders slumped. You couldn’t see it, as his back was to you, but the clone took his one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Wait, one hand?

You had seen your fair share of clones, both on your home planet and where you now found yourself. However, with his back to you, and with your eyes zeroing in on his scomp, you were none the wiser of the man outside your shop’s origins, other than his name probably being Echo.

The girl, which you assumed was named Omega, noticed you standing in your doorway.

“Maybe we can ask them for help” She spoke aloud, looking past her companion to look directly at you. You respond in part by opening the door and poking your head out.

“So, you crash in front of stores often?” You call out to the girl, smiling softly. Her companion turns around at the sound of your voice.

Hello there.

The man, now recognizable to you as a clone, was much more muscular than you had anticipated. With broad shoulders causing his pauldrons to peek out just a hair more. His hair was a buzz cut, the deep blue-black hue of his just-barely-there hair contrasting against his pale skin.

He waved his hand at you.

“I’m trying to not let her make it a habit but someone was recently taught what drifting was. Do you happen to sell speeder parts?” He punctuated his statement with a playful jab to the girl’s ribs, which elicited a giggle.

“As long as you don’t mind wiping dust off of them, I’m sure I can find something for y’all.” You replied, and you stepped out on the porch to open the door and let the two in. They quickly followed suit and headed towards you.

“I’m Omega by the way, and this is my big brother Echo.” The girl chirped as she walked by.

You smiled and gave your name in response. “Pleasure, it’s been a while since I’ve had real customers”.

“What’s a real customer?” She said, spinning around to look back at you once she filed into the small room.

“Someone actually buying parts, instead of what’s in the case.” You reply, as you turn your back and begin parsing the shelves for speeder brake parts. Immediately you regret this decision.

“What’s in the case?” Omega piped, and before you can turn around her face is pressed to the glass, memorizing its contents.

“Oh!—Uh, adult stuff, Omega. You really shouldn’t worry about it.” You said sheepishly, and you began to walk over to try and find something else for her to look at, but before you could Echo interjects.

“They’re right Omega, you have no business with this kind of stuff. Let’s just focus on the parts we need so we can get back to the ship before too long” He says, before clasping her on the back. She huffs, but obliges and stands up.

“So I have the parts you’re looking for, however the brakes come as a complete set. So you may end up with extras if you didn’t break the entire thing.” You explain, and waggle a box in the air.

“Judging by the sound when we came in, I’d imagine we’ll probably use the whole kit. I hope we don’t scare off too much foot traffic with the repairs.” Echo quipped, accompanied by a soft smile. If you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought the man was flirting with you.

“Foot traffic?” You fake gawk. “Ain’t from ‘round here huh?”

Echo chuckles, and his eyes shone a little bit lighter. The bright honey-brown was rather stark against his skin, making it even more difficult not to get lost in them. The normally-dull blue hue of the overhead plasma lights made them pop out a bit more now that you were inside.

“Well, in any case, we’ll be out front for a bit. Appreciate the help.” Echo nodded and began to take his leave with Omega in tow.

“Last I checked the sign out front didn’t say charity.” You spoke, holding back a laugh with your teeth on your bottom lip.

Echo stopped dead in his tracks, and paused for a moment to reflect on what you meant. He sighed when it finally dawned on him.

“My apologies. Omega, take this out front and start taking the speeder apart while I pay for this.” He handed the box to the girl, and she skipped out the door.

Echo walked up to the counter, albeit awkwardly. Like his hips were too heavy. That’s when you noticed his legs. Or rather lack thereof.

“The heat and humidity makes my joints lock up sometimes.” He stated, noting your staring. Your eyes went wide.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I had only noticed your scomp earlier when we were outside.” You said quickly, trying to alleviate any awkwardness. You had just met the man, you weren’t trying to immediately make a handsome stranger hate you.

“It’s nothing new for me, though I did appreciate the lack of disgust in your face” He joked, self-deprecatingly.

Your eyebrows shot up, a mixture of quizzical and confused. “Everyone in the galaxy has or knows someone with augmentation at this point. What makes yours so gross?” You replied, emphasizing ‘gross’ with a sarcastic voice.

The man shrugged. “Most clones don’t look like me.”

You nodded. “Not exactly a GAR approved clone preset, I gather?”

“Sort of, I guess? I got placed with an experimental clone unit during the war, seeing as how I didn't fit in with the regs anymore.” He responded, now talking with his hands and relaxing his posture. You typed in the total for the engine kit into the register.

“Regs?” You ask, not looking up, but still very much invested in the conversation.

“Regular clones. The ‘approved presets’ as you called them. My unit is nothing of the sort, so I saddled up with them.” He replied with ease, while fishing into one of his waist bags for his credit pouch.

“I see. Well, your total’s gonna be 635 credits.” You chirp, looking up at Echo’s face, only to watch it drop.

“Six thirty five?” He half whispered, somehow going a shade paler. He had about 350 credits left in his pouch after the sorely needed supply run. However, if he couldn't fix the speeder, it wouldn’t matter.

Sensing his trepidation, and also using the moment to steal a few glances at how his biceps push against his armor with his arms crossed, you got an idea.

“Tell you what. Give me what you got, and I’ll smooth over the rest if you take me to dinner” You said in a joking tone, testing the waters.

Echo’s ears tinged pink and his cheeks warmed up at the thought. He pretended not to notice the way you sized him up when you met a few moments ago, but something about your attention on him at that moment made his stomach trip over itself. That feeling piqued his curiosity, but his response was laced with trepidation.

“I honestly don’t even know where we’d go. I’ve never been planetside here, and I’m sure you don’t want to eat the ration bars let alone smell what’s on the ship”

You shrugged. “Beats the stale air here. Plus for as many parts as I carry, I’ve never actually been on a ship.” You felt rather sheepish at your white lie, your eyes scanning the floor.

“The Marauder it is. What time were you thinking?” Echo asked. You couldn’t see it, but his fingers were twitching against his thigh, and the back of his neck was bright red. He hadn’t been on a date since he was still with the 501st, and even then it was usually a random one-off with someone he met at 79’s. By then the alcohol would be long gone and he would realize he’d spent the previous night with someone with bantha-shit for brains.

“Honestly? I could help you with repairs and we could head out. Not like I’d be missing out on any money.” You reply coolly, trying your best to have a ‘we can do whatever’ attitude as you leaned your weight onto one hip and cocked your head.

Inside, you were having ironically the same conundrum as Echo. You hadn’t been on a date in Force knows how long, your work clothes weren’t exactly date material, and holy kriff how did that actually work? You said it on a whim, ready to laugh it off to him and sob into your pillow about it later. Your brain had finally caught up to what you were up to, who you were now going on a date with, what you were doing, how you got there, and how his kid little sister wrecking outside your store was the best thing that could’ve happened.

“Are you gonna help me put this bike back together or are you two gonna flirt all day?!” A shrill voice called from outside.

Right, Omega, kriff.

Both you and Echo flinch and sigh at the sound of her voice. The temperature in the room also seemed to rise a few degrees, even if only for the two of you. You sigh, grabbing the credits Echo left on the counter and lock up the register. You make your way around the counter, and join him as he makes his way towards the door.

Once again faced with his back, your eyes wander down to where his hips meet his metal lower half. Somehow, his blacks tuck neatly into them, or maybe they’re clipped somewhere, you don’t know. You stifle a small laugh at the thought.

As you make your way outside, the thought crosses your mind of Echo’s legs having built in shirt fasteners. Then, before you can stop yourself, you let out a giggle at the thought of Echo having garters for his blacks underneath the armor and over his robotic legs.

Echo turns around at the sound. His eyebrow is raised quizzically, but his eyes betray him. He looks a little sad, worried that you’re laughing at him or Omega or their situation.

Noticing his composure change, you are now forced to have your queries answered.

“How do your blacks stay on if you don’t have them on your lower half? I thought it was like a jumpsuit?”

Echo was bewildered at the question. He cocked his head, and then settled on a response.

“They just .. fit? Like the shirt sits where it’s, supposed to? And it doesn’t move.” He shrugged, never having put much thought into it. “What about that made you laugh?”

“I imagined you having little garters or fasteners on the legs underneath.” You quietly replied, looking at the ground, mildly embarrassed.

Now it was Echo’s turn to laugh. His nose crinkled and he squeezed his eyes shut, and you made a mental note of the sound that came out of the sweet man’s mouth.

“Very funny. Echo can you please put this brake back on?” Omega piped up, exasperated. She loved her brother dearly and was very amused to see him interacting with you in such a manner, however she didn’t anticipate this would require her soloing her speeder rebuild.

“Sorry kiddo, I got you.” Echo crouched down and rested his hands on his knees, surveying what work Omega had done in his leave. She had actually finished about ¾ of the work, and Echo made a mental note to thank Tech profusely for his tutelage when they got back to the ship.

While he made quick work of what was left of the speeder, Omega busied herself with getting to know you. She plopped herself on your front stoop, and materialized some Mantell Mix from inside her jacket pocket. She threw a handful in her mouth, but before proceeding to chew she primed you with one of soon to be dozens of questions.

“Why’d you set up shop here?”

You frowned slightly, as there was no fun answer to this question. The Siege drove everyone off of Mandalore, if they survived. This planet just happened to be in the same section of The Rim and was taking refugees. Setting up a shop was never in the cards on your home world, but despite your utter lack of knowledge of retail, you relished the opportunity to do something different. Start completely anew. Though a part of you balked at sharing your past, this young girl seemed wiser than she let on and you enjoyed actually talking to someone outside of the usual “How are you” “Good, thanks” “Your total’s 45 credits” “Have a good day”. So, against your better judgment, you indulged her.

“Well, Mandalore doesn’t really exist, at least in its full capacity,” You sucked in your teeth. “And I didn’t trust that old Coruscanti freighter to leave the star system. Plus, the owner of the place doesn't like people too much and would rather just collect a paycheck.” You shrugged.

Upon mention of Mandalore, a thunk came from the speeder. Not loud enough to draw your attention over, thank Force, but enough to be heard. It was Echo dropping a tool. While Kamino wasn’t as much of a home to him as he imagined you would regard Mandalore, it was a similar weighty feeling. If all else failed, there was nowhere for either of you to go. There was no home. Sure, The Marauder and your little studio apartment were where the two of you resided, but that’s not where you’re from. Plus, it’s kind of difficult to compare a ship and a box room barely bigger than the storefront to an entire planet.

“This isn’t your store?” Omega replied, sensing it easier to focus on the latter half of your statement. You shook your head.

“For all intents and purposes, it’s mine. I run the day to day, order the products, harass people to actually get it delivered, everyone knows it’s me who runs it. But I don’t own it, no.”

Omega nodded in understanding, and was immediately buried in thought. Her dark brows knitted together as her brain formulated questions faster than she could ask. She nodded once more, seeming to have landed on a fitting one. But before she could ask, Echo piped up.

“The brakes are fixed up. We should be able to head back to the ship” Echo began to get up, but before he turned around he shot a question that you were dreading. Well, more of a statement.

“I thought you said you’ve never been on a ship?”

You gawked at him and then trained your eyes to the ground, suddenly very interested in the species of weeds that had taken hold in the cracks of the ground. You didn’t have any good excuses, and you’d already been caught in one lie.

“Got you to say ‘yes’ to the date, didn’t it?” You muttered weakly, knowing that this could very well end in him cursing you out and leaving you to your lonely little shop.

Echo sighed. He didn’t like lying, but the reason for it warmed his cheeks. He realized you just wanted an ‘in’. To hang out with him, of all people. He wasn’t used to someone, anyone, making that kind of effort to spend time with him.

“It did, though I’d have probably said yes otherwise.” It was his turn to reply coolly and pretend that his heart’s not in his throat for even uttering the words. He coughs in a feeble attempt to clear it. “Either way, are you two ready?”

You nodded and looked at Omega, who responded by excitedly getting up and hopping on her speeder. Echo walked a few feet, and grabbed his own by the handlebars. Before you could ask who you were riding with, he re-parked the bike in front of where you were standing so you could easily step off of the curb and onto the back.

“When’d you get smooth?” You chide, grabbing Echo’s shoulder for leverage as you kicked your leg over the side. Your feet found purchase above the altitude controls, gripping the cargo compartment with your legs to maintain balance. You brought your hands down and let them rest in your lap as Echo kicked over the ignition.

“Since I found a reason to be smooth.”

[venusvity]

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     PRE-RELEASE SINGLE - DRAMA!

DRAMA is one of two pre-release singles for VENUS' fourth full studio album. DRAMA will be promoted for TWO WEEKS until the next single is released.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     MUSIC VIDEO AESTHETICS.

The DRAMA music video received 45 MILLION VIEWS in 24 hours and would remain number one on the Youtube trending page for 6 days. The video follows the girls through a technicolored cyberspace as they fight against a virus only known as "DRAMA" which is depicted as a dark and rapid-moving shadow.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     DRAMA LINE DISTRIBUTION.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  … BAEBI = 28.20 SECONDS

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  … BLISS = 19.26 SECONDS

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  …  CHLOE = 49.15 SECONDS

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  … SENA = 17.29 SECONDS

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  … JIAH = 38.12 SECONDS

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     PROMOTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS.

The girls were promoting DRAMA consistently for two weeks. For a solid two weeks, the girls were at music shows or other schedules promoting their upcoming album, which they revealed the name of at the end of their promotional period for DRAMA.

The album is called "VENUS VICTRIX" and will have 11 tracks. The creative direction for the album will be handled by long-time VENUS creative director Adrian Reyes. This differs from their last comeback, Burn The Witch, which was fully controlled by Venus themselves. While on Knowing Brothers, Chloe admits the girls experienced a lot of stress from handling all aspects of the album. "It was too much. We would be up until 5 AM almost every night trying to get everything to work, and we agreed that for this album, we want more rest!" which earned laughs from the hosts and from fans alike.

During an episode of "Visting Venus," they had Adrian come on to explain the lore of the album to them in a classroom-like setting with the girls at desks and him at a chalkboard, pointing with a stick and aggressively writing with a red piece of chalk.

"It's basically, like, Venus' Victory. The girls are trapped in a harsh cyber world but manage to break out and transform the landscape into something habitable," Adrian would explain, drawing a loosely thrown-together professor-esque outfit and round specs. Klara, drawing a school uniform and thick-rimmed classes, would raise her hand. "And how will we break out from this world?" "Easy," Adrian starts, pulling down a projector screen that has three big words on it in comic sans font, "Dance, music, and friendship."

The video was a massive hit with fans and had them on the edge of their seats waiting for the album's release.

Though they gave it their all at every performance, it was clear the girls were tired and being overworked. In most vlogs, you'd often see members sleeping on one another during their breaks at music shows or expressing how sore they were from all the performing they were doing. The Venus members, with the exception of Klara, would assure fans they were fine and liked working especially. Klara, however, would go on to post a singular mirror selfie of herself at 3 AM on her Instagram story with the caption, "just got back. can't wait for my powernap before i have to go back lol" but the story was quickly deleted and followed by a video of the maknae laughing and apologizing.

"That was meant for my close friend. My bad, my bad! Stop worrying. I'm just complaining! I swear to God if y'all mass email Flowerbank I'll have a tantrum. Don't worry about me!"

While this moment went viral on stan Twitter, constellations couldn't help but to worry for the girls. However, their worries were seemingly quelled once they got another stage of DRAMA to entertain them.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  ...     LOOK BOOK.

.ﾟ۪ ♡ ۫  … LEFT 2 RIGHT: BLISS, BAEBI, CHLOE, SENA, AND JIAH

The girls wore wigs during their promotions, concealing their actual hair colors. While sometimes the wigs looked natural, especially Sena and Jiah's, there were times when the wigs looked straight from Party City. Due to their status in the industry, people called this style choice "camp" and praised them for it.

YOU CAN GET YOUR DRAMA PHOTOCARDS HERE!

[beefromanoff]

Tempting Fate Ch. 2

summary: another flashback, Evie's first day at Stark Industries, and a run in with our two favorite Super Soldiers.

author's note: on my frequent updating gameee! let me know what you think, thanks for reading, xo!

masterlist

tag list: tag list: @yiiiikesmish @sunflower1290 @barnescamboy @thedisc0spider @bitchy-bi-trash @kulteule @kandis-mom @i-mushi @unknown-writings

1940’s, Brooklyn

The marquee lights of the local theater cast a warm glow over the bustling street. The smell of popcorn wafted through the air as people milled about, eagerly awaiting the next showing of the latest blockbuster. Among them, Ginny, Steve, and Bucky stood, their faces lit with excitement.

"Come on, guys, we have to be quiet," Ginny whispered, stifling a giggle. She glanced around, making sure no one was watching as they approached the side entrance of the theater.

Steve, ever the cautious one, hesitated. "I still don’t think we should be doing this," he muttered.

"Relax, Stevie. We’ve done this a hundred times," Bucky replied with a grin. He gently pushed the door open, revealing the dimly lit hallway beyond.

"Yeah, live a little, Steve," Ginny teased, taking his hand and pulling him inside. Bucky followed, closing the door quietly behind them.

They tiptoed through the narrow hallway, stifling their laughter as they approached the back of the theater. The sound of the movie projector filled the air, and they quickly found three empty seats in the middle row, slipping into them as quietly as possible.

The lights dimmed further, and the movie began. Ginny sat between Steve and Bucky, the box of candy they’d snuck in resting on her lap. As the picture began to play, she glanced at the boys, a wide grin on her face.

"Another successful mission," she whispered, scrunching her nose in excitement.

As the movie progressed, the trio found themselves engrossed in the story. They shared the candy, their hands brushing against each other occasionally, each touch sending a jolt of awareness through them.

At one point, a particularly funny scene caused Ginny to burst into laughter, her head tilting back to rest on Bucky’s shoulder. He looked down at her, a soft smile playing on his lips, his eyes lingering on hers longer than necessary. 

Steve, noticing the intimate moment, shifted slightly in his seat. Slowly, tentatively, his hand found its way to Ginny’s. She responded without hesitation, her fingers intertwining with his in the folds of her skirt’s fabric. He squeezed her hand gently, his gaze fixed on the screen but his mind far from the movie.

A few minutes later, Ginny adjusted her position, leaning more comfortably against Bucky while still holding Steve’s hand. The close proximity and casual touches weren’t unusual, but there was also an undeniable undercurrent of tension, slowly growing stronger every day they refused to acknowledge it.

Bucky lifted his arm to rest it along the back of their shared seat, brushing against Ginny’s neck and sending a shiver down her spine. She tilted her head slightly, meeting his eyes in the dim light.

Steve, feeling the shift in the atmosphere, glanced at them from the corner of his eye. His jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing, choosing instead to focus on the comfort of Ginny’s hand in his. He ran his thumb across the back of her hand. Her smooth, perfect skin.

As the final scene of the movie played out, Ginny let out a content sigh, squeezing Steve’s hand and leaning further into Bucky. She felt safe and cherished in that moment, surrounded by the two people she cared about most, seemingly indifferent to the way they each squirmed in their seats. The way their lips each curled ever so slightly when her attention turned to the other. The way they both itched to grab her and pull her towards their own body, away from any shared contact.

When the credits rolled and the lights began to come up, she untangled herself from the hands and limbs draped over her. 

"Well boys, that was fun," Ginny said with a smile, standing up and stretching. "We should do this again sometime."

Bucky chuckled, running his thumb over her chin. "Whatever you want, Gin."

Steve grabbed each of their arms, pulling them towards the door. "Let’s just get out of here before we get caught."

______

Present Day, New York City

Why the fuck were high heels invented in the first place? 

Evie glowered as she rounded the final block to Stark Tower. I mean, it’s not like men even like tall women. They like short, petite, feminine women -- women that make them feel big and strong and manly. Fucking idiots. These are a torture device. 

Mentally vowing that heels were a one-time thing, reserved for her first day, she sipped her coffee and started up the steps to the front doors. The towering glass structure of Stark Tower loomed above her. Evie felt her agitation slip away as she walked through the revolving doors, greeted by the sleek, modern interior. She’d been here before, but never as an employee. It never lost the ability to take her breath away. After allowing herself a second to marvel at the high ceilings and the hum of the building, alive with technology, she started towards the elevators, tugging her badge from her purse. 

Since she’d been consulting for them, she was given an access badge to the upper levels of the building, the ones containing the laboratories and conference rooms. This one still featured a photo of her from her sophomore year of college and read “consultant” across the front –– but Pepper had assured her they’d get an updated version made on her first day. For now, this would get here where she needed to go. 

A few polite smiles and exchanges of pleasantries later, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Evie stepped into her new domain. The lab was a haven of cutting-edge technology. Every surface gleamed, holographic interfaces projected into the air, screens showing algorithms the likes of which the world had never seen. Evie’s eyes sparkled as she took it all in. 

This was what she’d worked her whole life for. This was her life. 

She made her way to her designated workspace, a pristine corner equipped with every tool and gadget she could dream of. On the metal surface, a small yellow sticky note was the only thing not electronically powered. 

Good thing you sat front row

TS

Grinning, Evie set her bag down and began to organize her space, carefully tucking the sticky note into her notebook. She wasn’t usually the sentimental type, but this was different. It felt like this was the first day of her life, everything prior to this just a prerequisite. MIT, the keynote speech she’d shown up embarrassingly early just to get front row at…it had culminated in this. Her own workstation inside Stark Industries. Maybe if I keep saying it over and over, it’ll finally sink in, Evie thought to herself, pulling her laptop of out her bag. 

"Can I help you with something?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Evie turned to see a young man in a lab coat, his expression a mix of confusion and irritation. He had the look of someone who spent more time with machines than people.

"Just getting settled," Evie replied smoothly, her lips curving into a small, enigmatic smile.

"Are you lost? This is a classified area." His tone was dismissive, and he glanced pointedly at her, clearly not having been briefed there was a new engineer starting today.

Evie raised an eyebrow, debating whether she should correct him or play along. Widening her eyes, she shook her head. "Oh, I must have wandered off. This place is a maze."

The engineer snorted. "Well, you'd better find your way back downstairs before Stark finds out one of his...guests is snooping around."

"I’d hate to see what he’d say if he saw me here, around such…" Evie picked up a small piece of machinery, wires poking out of each end. “...expensive technology.”

"Look, just—"

Before he could finish, Mr. Stark Industries himself strode into the lab, his presence commanding immediate attention. He paused, taking in the scene with a smirk. Tony looked as effortlessly cool as ever in a Van Halen shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Much more casual than her slacks and heels. He’d made it abundantly clear that there was no dress code, even emphasizing that she could wear as little as she was comfortable with, but she’d been in STEM long enough to know that if she wanted to be taken seriously — she needed to dress the part. At least for the first week, until her inevitable all-nighters started to catch up with her. 

“There she is! The prodigy herself,” Tony called out, his arms open wide in mock applause.

Evie rolled her eyes, but couldn’t suppress a grin. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Stark.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Tony narrowed his eyes. “Now, what was I hearing? Something about my guest snooping around?” 

The engineer paled, realizing his mistake. "Mr. Stark, I—"

Tony held up a hand, cutting him off. "I’m gonna go ahead and stop you right there, Napoleon Dynamite, before you dig yourself an even deeper hole. Evie here is one of the few women on God’s green Earth to ever turn me down. While I’m sure she found me both wildly charming and devilishly handsome, she said she didn’t want there to be any question as to why she was offered a gig at the most prestigious technology conglomerate in the world."

Silent, the engineer’s eyes darted between them.

“That being said, she not only holds over a dozen patents for new technology––some of which you’re using in this lab––she graduated top of her class at MIT and has been consulting for us for two years now. E. Langston that you’ve been emailing, troubleshooting why you can’t get your proton reactor to bond effectively? This,” Tony gestured to Evie. “Is E. Langston.”

The engineer’s face turned bright red. "I—I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t realize—"

"Relax," Evie said, waving off his apology. "You’re not the first person to think hot and smart are mutually exclusive. Let’s just start fresh." She extended a hand. “I’m Evie Langston.”

“Christopher Parr,” He stammered, shrinking before her eyes. 

Tony chuckled, clapping the engineer on the shoulder with a little too much force. "Now that you’ve met your new boss, hopefully you’ll be able to make it through the day without pissing her off. She’s here to whip this place into even better shape, and if you ever disrespect her again, you’ll be looking for a new job. Got it?"

The engineer nodded fervently and scurried away, leaving Tony and Evie alone.

Tony grinned. "That’s the spirit. Now, get back to work, and make sure you show Evie the respect she deserves."

"He seems charming," Evie said, leaning against the counter behind her.

Tony shrugged. "You’ll get a lot of that around here until they realize just how much smarter you are than all of them combined. Pepper dealt with a ton of shit like that when she took over as CEO."

“How did she handle it?” 

“Her philosophy is ‘kill them with kindness’, so usually a polite warning.” He raised an eyebrow. “But, on the second offense, they got canned.”

Evie laughed. "Do I have firing authority?"

“Let me be clear. I don’t care if you fire every engineer that works here, spray paint the entire lab baby pink, and install a snow cone machine. If you produce half of the innovation I know you’re capable of, you’ll turn our next closest competitor from a grain of sand to an atom.”

“Deal,” she grinned, opening her laptop. The itch to start was getting the best of her.

Tony leaned against the counter. "So, what’s the first project, wondergirl?"

"I’m thinking of starting with the security systems. Enhancing the encryption algorithms, integrating some new biometric scanners... you know, fixing the previously sloppy work." She winked.

"Sounds overdue. Just don’t make it too hard for us mere mortals to get in.”

"I’ll try to keep it user-friendly.”

Tony's phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. "Duty calls. I’ll check in later. Remember, no detonations in the building, please!”

With that, Tony left the lab, and Evie turned her attention back to her work, her mind already buzzing with ideas. She felt a thrill of excitement, knowing this was just the beginning.

She plugged in her laptop and activated her workstation, the multiple screens flickering to life with a soft glow. As the interface booted up, she reached into her bag and pulled out a sleek, customized tablet. Her fingers danced across the screen, bringing up schematics and blueprints she’d been working on in preparation for this day.

Before she knew it, several hours had passed. Her coffee cup, half empty, was long forgotten on the counter. She’d found several weak points in the security programming, and had spent the morning rewriting the code to eliminate them. By the time Tony returned, she would have sworn it had only been a half hour. 

“Good lord, Langston, I can hear your stomach growling from the rooftop.” 

“I’m not hungry, I don’t usually eat breakfast,” She didn’t look up from her computer. 

“Be that as it may, breakfast time has come and gone. It’s 2:27pm.” He set a hand on her desk, drawing her attention. “It’s time for a tour. No debates. Let’s go.” 

She reluctantly stood, locking her computer behind her, stepping back into her shoes and slipping her phone into her pocket. After snapping out of her work stupor, she became suddenly aware of the headache from her tight ponytail and the rumbling in her stomach. “I hope there’s a lunch break on this tour.” 

“Oh, look who’s changing her tune.” Tony swiped his badge and gestured for her to step into the elevator. “Here I was thinking you’d found a way to deprogram your own hunger.” 

“I’ll start on that tomorrow.”

After touring the first few floors, making rounds and shaking hands, Evie was once again regretting her choice to wear heels. She’d been banking on the privacy of her own lab where she could kick them off and work freely all day — not this psuedo-press tour around this massive fucking tower. There was a whole floor dedicated to Tony’s cars and the mechanics that worked on them, three floors occupied by SHIELD as their base in the city, a whole floor as a gym, one floor housing all Stark Industries corporate employees, one floor dedicated to his nonprofit organization that cleaned up the inevitable damage left behind by saving the world, and that was just the lower half of the tower. 

“Next few floors are for the team,” Tony explained, swiping his access card to press the button.

Evie raised an eyebrow. “By the team, you mean…?”

“Right, the Avengers. I’m sure you got out of the lab long enough to know who that is, at least once over the past four years?”

“It might ring a bell.” She pursed her lips.

“Well,” The elevator door slid open and Tony gestured for her to step out first. “This is the training floor. It’s nothing compared to what we have upstate at the compound, but the team uses it when they stay here. Floor above this one is intelligence, briefing rooms, and weapons HQ. Almost every field weapon engineered by us is tested up there. Unless, of course, it poses a major risk to the integrity of the building. We’ve been advised not to test those here anymore.”

“Bummer,” Evie muttered, marveling at the massive space, the sheer size of the weight equipment. It was definitely not designed for humans, judging by the 300 lb dumbbells she walked past –– and that was just on the smaller end.

They finished touring the training floor before spending another hour in the weapons section above it. She hadn’t had a ton of experience developing weaponry, something about safety regulations that MIT had been incredibly clear about. After seeing Tony’s work and his demonstrations — she had little interest in developing anything else. 

As they stepped out onto the designated floor, Evie was met with the sight of two men she’d known about her whole life, but had only seen in history books and news footage. Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. The classically handsome blonde and ruggedly charming brunette striding through the hallway towards her.

They were laughing about something, walking side by side, distracted. Coming from a run, by the looks of it. They both wore faded t-shirts with sweaty rings around the neck, shorts just long enough to tip someone off that they might not be as young and trendy as their faces indicated. Clearly, the trends today hadn’t been published in Super Soldier Weekly.

“Hey, Dynamic Duo!” Tony called out, his voice a trademark blend of sarcasm and nonchalance. “Get over here for a sec.”

Steve turned first, his face still slightly flushed from exertion. His blue eyes, striking even from a distance, were friendly yet cautious, taking in the new face with polite curiosity. His golden hair, damp with sweat, clung slightly to his forehead, adding a boyish charm to his chiseled features. Despite his casual attire, he stood with the natural grace and confidence of someone used to commanding attention. Seeing his posture, Evie straightened up, suddenly conscious of her own. She pulled her shoulders back, tilting her chin slightly higher. Damn, that jawline should be criminal, she thought to herself.

Beside him, Bucky was a study in contrasts. His dark hair, longer than Steve’s, was slick with sweat, falling in disheveled strands around his face. It gave him a rugged, almost dangerous edge. His steel-blue eyes, intense and scrutinizing, widened slightly as he took in Evie’s appearance. It was as if he’d seen a ghost, and for a moment, he looked shell-shocked. The infamous vibranium arm, visible through the short sleeve of his t-shirt, glinted subtly in the fluorescent light. The shine tempted Evie’s eyes to look, but she resisted, keeping her eyes on his. He stayed slightly behind Steve as they changed course to approach Tony and Evie, his posture relaxed but alert, as if on guard. She wondered if that was his permanent state. 

“Evie, meet Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Guys, this is Evie Langston, our newest engineering genius and second most brilliant mind in the building, behind yours truly,” Tony announced, making a sweeping gesture over her body.

Steve and Bucky exchanged a quick, bewildered glance. Evie stood, grinning, waiting for them to utter whatever first words she’d undoubtedly remember forever. She wondered if they remembered her grandmother. She wondered if all the stories she’d heard over the years would do them justice or pale in comparison. Don’t meet your heroes, people always said. Yet, here she was, standing before two men she’d heard more about than just about anyone besides Jesus Christ himself. She’d waited twenty five years for this moment, she could wait all day for them to find their voices. 

Steve was the first to recover. He strode up and stopped right in front of her. “Nice to meet you, Evie. Welcome to the team,” he said, his voice warm and sincere, his smile the same.

Bucky nodded at her, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Hey,” he muttered, his voice a deep, gravelly rumble.

Evie felt her heart rate spike as she met their gazes, eyes flicking back and forth between the different shades of blue, refusing to break eye contact. Through the years, she’d learned the effect she had on men. She’d grown up watching her mother command a room, watching necks nearly snap as she walked through a crowd. The older she got, the more she resembled her mother. The more she resembled her mother, the more difficult it seemed to be for men to keep their eyes –– and hands, at times –– off of her. She knew she could hardly fight it, so she might as well learn to make it work to her advantage. 

So this part came naturally.

“Nice to meet you both,” she replied, shaking Steve’s hand first, then Bucky’s. The contrast in their grips was fascinating—Steve’s was controlled power, while Bucky’s, though also strong, had a rougher, more unrefined feel. She tilted her head down ever so slightly, looking up at them through long lashes. “It’s a real pleasure.” A coy smile following carefully chosen words. Two sets of eyes watching her glossed lips pressed together. 

A shrill tone rang through the air, startling all of them. Tony tugged his phone from his pocket,  glanced at the screen and rolled his eyes. “Sorry, it’s Pepper. Probably calling to remind me of a meeting I’m already late for.” He answered the call, turning slightly away. “Hey, Pep… Yes, I know… of course I’m on my way, it’s this damn elevator –– hey, did you make sure we got the good catering again?” He covered the receiver with his hand and gave the trio an exaggeratedly regretful look. “Gotta dash. Rogers, Barnes, can you finish showing Evie around? Thanks, you’re the best.” And with that, he was off, striding down the hallway with his usual brisk efficiency.

Steve chuckled softly at Tony’s hurried departure. “Looks like it’s just us,” he said, slowly turning back to Evie with a reassuring smile. “So, engineering genius, huh? What’s your specialty?”

“Robotics and AI, mostly,” Evie replied, smiling shyly, despite being anything but. “But I dabble in a bunch of other areas. I can’t seem to narrow it down.”

“That’s uncommon, right?” Steve furrowed his brow, his eyes flicking to Tony’s retreating figure before settling back on Evie. “Engineers typically choose a specialty, don’t deviate?”

“Some. I think I would get bored if I had to choose just one.” She grinned and let her eyes linger on his, feeling a small sense of accomplishment when he tore his eyes away first. 

Steve and Bucky exchanged another glance, a silent conversation passing between them. It was clear they were both still sizing her up, but there was also an undercurrent of something else—something she couldn’t wait to unearth.

“Well, welcome aboard, Evie,” Steve said again, his smile genuine. “We’re glad to have you here.”

“Why thank you, Steve. I’m looking forward to working with you both,” she replied, meeting his gaze with steady confidence.

“So,” Steve cleared his throat. “Clearly, we aren’t exactly dressed to make a great first impression. I apologize for that. We can give you the rest of the tour and hopefully the next time we’re acquainted, we won’t be so ––” 

“Damp?” Evie finished for him. 

“Right.” He gave a sheepish grin.

She nodded, holding her hands out. “After you, Cap.” 

Steve smiled at her response, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Right this way."

As they walked down the hallway, Steve fell into an easy stride beside her, while Bucky lagged slightly behind. Evie let her hips swing just a little extra as she walked. The atmosphere was a mix of professional courtesy and underlying tension, the latter mostly emanating from Bucky’s wary presence.

“So, Evie, where did you study?” Steve asked, trying to break the ice as they navigated the maze of corridors.

“MIT,” she replied, her tone light. “But I’ve been working with Stark Industries since my second year. Consulting, mainly. Tony likes to poach young talent early.”

Steve chuckled. “Sounds about right.”

Bucky remained silent, his eyes locked on Evie, studying her with an intensity that made her skin prickle. Never one to shy away, she decided to engage him directly, whirling to face him as she walked.

“And you, Bucky? How do you find working with Tony?”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “It’s…an experience. But he knows what he’s doing. Most of the time.”

Steve shot Bucky a sidelong glance, as if to silently reprimand him, before turning back to Evie. “Tony can be a handful, but he’s the best at what he does. We’re lucky to have him on our side.” 

As they covered the next few floors, they talked about little else besides the purpose of each one. Evie nodded earnestly, smiled warmly, ooh’d and ahh’d at all the right times. Truthfully, she couldn’t give less of a shit about the uses of the building. The vast majority of her time would be spent in the lab, and if she had to choose a second way to spend her time, it was standing right in front of her.

“Here we are, back at your new playground,” Steve said, gesturing around the lab. “I wish I could give you a more in-depth run down, but unfortunately, that’s above my pay grade.”

Bucky, who’d been silent the past two floors, finally spoke up. “So what’s your first project?” 

“So far, beefing up security protocol, detecting weak zones, things like that,” Evie waved a hand, turning to face him. “Tony mentioned a few more pressing needs, so I guess I’ll see what they have in mind.” A smirk. “Or what needs the most help around here.”

Steve nodded. “Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll do great. Tony wouldn’t have brought you in if he didn’t think you were the best.”

“That,” She winked. “...I am.”

He smiled, looking down before meeting her eyes again. “Well, it was very nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” He offered her his hand. 

“I’m looking forward to it.” She returned his smile before turning to Bucky, holding her hand out. “Sargeant.” 

“Welcome to the team.” His face was stoic as he shook her hand. 

As they turned to walk away, Evie couldn’t fight the grin that fought its way onto her face. Dream job, kickass lab, insane salary, and she’d just met Steve fucking Rogers and Bucky fucking Barnes. 

Life was about to get oh so sweet.

____

Steve and Bucky stood in the elevator in stunned silence, the echoes of their brief encounter with the new girl lingering in the air.

“Did you see that?” Steve finally broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper.

Bucky nodded, his expression a mix of disbelief and awe. “She looks exactly like Ginny.”

“I heard she had a granddaughter, but I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect this.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck, trying to process his emotions. 

Bucky leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. “Seeing her brought back so many memories. It felt like Ginny was standing right there in front of us. It fucked with my head.”

“Yeah. It’s uncanny. But she’s not Ginny, Buck. She’s Evie, she’s a completely different person.”

Bucky shook his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts. “I know. It’s just… damn, it’s a lot to take in.”

Steve leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “We have to be careful, Buck. We can’t let our past interfere with the present.”

Bucky’s jaw tightened. “I get it, Steve. But seeing her… it’s bringing up a lot of stuff I thought I’d buried.”

Steve glanced at him, his expression softening. “We’ll figure it out, Buck. We always do.”

Bucky nodded slowly, his mind racing. “Yeah. We will.”

[lensman-arms-race]

Titans' core ambiences

I made some little soundscapes of what each Titan's core might sound like if you stepped inside! Each clip begins with the sound of your footsteps entering the core chamber, then shortly afterwards you'll hear the sound of you pet-patting the inside of the core chamber, followed by the Titan's reaction.

I used royalty-free sound effects for these, plus a couple of bits I recorded myself. Check under the readmore for all the sources.

Titan Camera

Reaction to being petted: thumbs-up (sound of leather glove being made into a fist).

Other sounds: the two film cameras on either side of their main lens. TCam doesn't really 'say' much so they get some generic robot metallic sounds.

Titan Speaker

Reaction to being petted: claps, then buzzes amplifier.

Other sounds: softly-distorted amp, guitar and bass sounds.

Titan TV

Reaction to being petted: degausses screen.

Other sounds: extends then retracts the claw arms on their back. Plus general robotic drone sounds.

Bonus: infected Titan Speaker (oh no!)

No footsteps or pet-pats for this one. You don't want to go inside that! This one's shorter than the others because it's not very pleasant to listen to, and I was starting to feel really sorry for Titan Speaker!

Sources

Most sound effects came from: FilmCow's royalty-free sound effects pack on itch.io Freesound.org

Many of them I changed pitch/speed on, and/or added a bit of reverb.

A few sounds were recorded by me! The initial footsteps (before they step onto the metallic surface) are me walking in socks on a doormat. The core chamber pet-pat sounds are me petting an oven tray. I just couldn't find any ready-made sounds that were what I wanted.

All 3 Titans

Janitor's bedroom ambience by tomlija

coal pit mine, machinery, grabber, from short distance by be_a_hero_not_a_patriot

Titan Camera

Steps:

Metal steps by phil25

Ambient drone:

Industrial doors piezo by klankbeeld

Misc sounds:

Krasnagorsk-3 16mm film camera motor by pantax

Super-9 camera motor by pantax

From FilmCow's pack:

glass sliding

lever big

rusty oven

metal cup on metal tray

office chair movement

plastic case slid onto shelf

power on

Reaction:

Leather grip by 32cheeseman32

Titan Speaker

Steps:

Walking on metal 1 by hello_flowers

Ambient drone:

Rumbling drone by nielsvdb

Misc sounds:

1969 Teisco E-110 VS Pioneer SR-60 by johnlavine333 (really good fun, this one! I ended up cutting many parts out of it and layering them over each other)

From FilmCow's pack:

big distant thump

ping pong paddle placed down

plastic cascade

Reaction:

Metal hit by alegemaate

Glove hit by gareth_h

Amplificador by gabrielino

From FilmCow's pack:

punch

punch soft thud

Titan TV

Steps:

Walking on metal by sanderboah

Ambient drone:

Cosmos by pointparkcinema

Misc sounds, all from FilmCow's pack:

gun hit

gun movement

laser gun

metal device extended

metal sheath

metal sliding

projector screen extended

sci fi bell

space presence

Reaction:

CRT-ON- Deg- off by nlm

Infected Titan Speaker

Ambience:

Playing with guitar cord by x172

Reactor room by strangehorizon

Misc sounds, all from FilmCow's pack:

atmospheric noise

big shelves rotated

feedback

space horn

space metal

[marketinsight1234]

Projector Screen Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2023 – 2030

Projector Screen Market Size Was Valued at USD 45.2 Billion in 2022, and is Projected to Reach USD 53.46 Billion by 2030, Growing at a CAGR of 2.12% From 2023-2030.

A projector screen is a specialized surface designed to enhance the visibility and clarity of projected images from a projector onto a larger viewing area. Typically utilized in settings such as home theatres, classrooms, boardrooms, and auditoriums, a projector screen serves as a reflective or translucent medium that optimizes the projection of images and videos.

Projector screens are designed to have an even and uniform surface, ensuring that projected content is sharp, vibrant, and accurately represented. Technological advancements in projection systems, such as the development of ultra-short throw projectors, higher resolution capabilities like 4K and 8K, and smart functionalities, have increased demand for advanced projection surfaces.

Get Full PDF Sample Copy of Report: (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, Chart) @

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/request/12303

The latest research on the Projector Screen market provides a comprehensive overview of the market for the years 2023 to 2030. It gives a comprehensive picture of the global Projector Screen industry, considering all significant industry trends, market dynamics, competitive landscape, and market analysis tools such as Porter's five forces analysis, Industry Value chain analysis, and PESTEL analysis of the Projector Screen market. Moreover, the report includes significant chapters such as Patent Analysis, Regulatory Framework, Technology Roadmap, BCG Matrix, Heat Map Analysis, Price Trend Analysis, and Investment Analysis which help to understand the market direction and movement in the current and upcoming years. The report is designed to help readers find information and make decisions that will help them grow their businesses. The study is written with a specific goal in mind: to give business insights and consultancy to help customers make smart business decisions and achieve long-term success in their particular market areas.

Leading players involved in the Projector Screen Market include:

Da-Lite Screen Company (US), Stewart Filmscreen(US), Draper Inc. (US), Elite Screens, Inc. (US), ACCO Brands Corp. (US), Elite Screens Inc (US), Pyle US Sound Around Inc (US), Screen Innovations (US), Severtson Screens (US), Silver Ticket Products (US 

If You Have Any Query Projector Screen Market Report, Visit:

https://introspectivemarketresearch.com/inquiry/12303

Segmentation of Projector Screen Market:

By Screen Type

Portable Screens

Wall/Ceiling Mounted Screens

Fixed Frame Screens

Electric/Motorized Screens

By Material

Matte White

Pearlescent

High-Gain

Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR)

Tab Tensioned Fabrics

By End- User

Education

Media and Entertainment

Healthcare, Government and Defence

Commercial, Personal

Market Segment by Regions: -

North America (US, Canada, Mexico)

Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Rest of Eastern Europe)

Western Europe (Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Spain, Rest of Western Europe)

Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of APAC)

Middle East & Africa (Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Israel, South Africa)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of SA)

What to Expect in Our Report?

(1) A complete section of the Projector Screen market report is dedicated for market dynamics, which include influence factors, market drivers, challenges, opportunities, and trends.

(2) Another broad section of the research study is reserved for regional analysis of the Projector Screen market where important regions and countries are assessed for their growth potential, consumption, market share, and other vital factors indicating their market growth.

(3) Players can use the competitive analysis provided in the report to build new strategies or fine-tune their existing ones to rise above market challenges and increase their share of the Projector Screen market.

(4) The report also discusses competitive situation and trends and sheds light on company expansions and merger and acquisition taking place in the Projector Screen market. Moreover, it brings to light the market concentration rate and market shares of top three and five players.

(5) Readers are provided with findings and conclusion of the research study provided in the Projector Screen Market report.

Our study encompasses major growth determinants and drivers, along with extensive segmentation areas. Through in-depth analysis of supply and sales channels, including upstream and downstream fundamentals, we present a complete market ecosystem.

If you require any specific information that is not covered currently within the scope of the report, we will provide the same as a part of the customization.

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About Us:

We are technocratic market research and consulting company that provides comprehensive and data-driven market insights. We hold the expertise in demand analysis and estimation of multidomain industries with encyclopedic competitive and landscape analysis. Also, our in-depth macro-economic analysis gives a bird's eye view of a market to our esteemed client. Our team at Pristine Intelligence focuses on result-oriented methodologies which are based on historic and present data to produce authentic foretelling about the industry. Pristine Intelligence's extensive studies help our clients to make righteous decisions that make a positive impact on their business. Our customer-oriented business model firmly follows satisfactory service through which our brand name is recognized in the market.

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[rabbitcruiser]

Model T Day

Model T Day is a lively celebration of the iconic car that changed the way Americans traveled. This day is all about honoring the Model T, which was the first mass-produced automobile that made car travel affordable for many people.

The Model T, introduced by Henry Ford, symbolizes innovation and the start of modern personal transportation.

It’s a day to appreciate how this car transformed society by making it easier for families to own a vehicle and travel freely.

The significance of Model T Day lies in its celebration of technological progress and affordability in automotive history.

Henry Ford’s introduction of the moving assembly line revolutionized car manufacturing, significantly lowering costs and making cars accessible to the average American.

This shift not only boosted the economy but also changed everyday life, allowing people to travel farther and faster than ever before. Celebrating Model T Day reminds us of these advancements and the impact of innovation on our daily lives.

Model T Day also inspires inventors and innovators, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and make lasting impacts on the world.

Additionally, it fosters a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for historical advancements, highlighting how far technology has come and its role in shaping the modern world.

History of Model T Day

Model T Day started as a way to honor the revolutionary car created by Henry Ford. This day was first celebrated to recognize the impact of the Model T on society and transportation.

It officially began in the early 2000s, initiated by automotive enthusiasts and historical societies. They wanted to highlight the importance of this vehicle in American history.

The celebration acknowledges how the Model T made car ownership possible for many people. Before its introduction, cars were a luxury few could afford.

The Model T’s affordability and Ford’s innovative assembly line changed that, allowing millions of Americans to own a car. This shift played a significant role in shaping modern transportation and industry.

Henry Ford’s vision and dedication to making cars accessible to everyone is a core reason for this celebration.

The Model T wasn’t just a car; it was a symbol of innovation and progress. Celebrating Model T Day reminds us of the transformative power of technology and the importance of making advancements that benefit everyone​.

How to Celebrate Model T Day

Host a Vintage Car Parade

Picture a parade, but instead of floats, imagine vintage cars! Enthusiasts can line up their cherished Model Ts and drive them through town.

Neighbors will cheer, and cameras will click as these historic vehicles roll by, showcasing their charm and elegance.

Organize a Model T Quiz Night

Quizzes aren’t just for pubs! Gather friends and family for a fun-filled trivia night focused on the Model T. Prepare questions about its history, fun facts, and quirky details.

The winner gets bragging rights as the ultimate Model T expert!

Plan a Picnic with a Twist

Pack a picnic and head to a local park, but with a twist – everyone dresses in early 1900s attire! Enjoy sandwiches, lemonade, and a game of horseshoes.

Bonus points for anyone who arrives in a Model T, of course!

Create a DIY Workshop

Turn your garage into a Model T workshop for the day. Invite friends to learn about basic car maintenance, especially those with vintage car models.

Share tips, tools, and tales while tinkering with your beloved automobiles.

Film Screening Under the Stars

Host an outdoor movie night featuring documentaries or films about the Model T and Henry Ford. Lay out blankets, set up a projector, and enjoy learning about automotive history under the stars. Popcorn is a must!

Teach the Young Ones

Share the Model T magic with kids and teens. Organize a storytelling session about how the Model T changed the world.

Use photos, videos, and even toy models to make history come alive for the younger generation.

Visit a Local Museum

Plan a trip to a nearby car museum. Many museums feature classic cars, including the Model T. Walking among these historic vehicles provides a tangible connection to the past and inspires appreciation for automotive innovation.

Decorate Your Model T

If you own a Model T, get creative! Decorate it with period-appropriate accessories like old luggage, picnic baskets, and vintage clothing.

Then, take it for a spin around the neighborhood to share your creation with everyone.

Source

[hsmleindia]

Vertical Video Profile Projector

Vertical video profile projector is a precision measuring instrument used for the non-contact measurement of 2D profiles of objects. It is specifically designed for measuring the height and width of flat objects such as printed circuit boards, machined components, and stamped metal parts. Its consists of a high-resolution camera mounted above a vertical projector screen. The object being measured is placed on a precision stage that allows for accurate positioning and movement of the object. The camera captures an image of the object and projects it onto the screen, magnifying it for easier inspection. Double closed-loop motion control, embedded modules developed to control motor with precise positioning performance. Surface light formed by 24 groups independent light source , each group are constant current source driver and 200-step continuous variable. Optical measurement system can measure point, line, circle, arc and oval, rectangular with the multi-point positioning function,combination of measurements, center structure and the intersection of structure, the midpoint of construction, line structure, a round structure. High Accuracy CNC optical measurement machine has various functions of data processing, display, input and output, Measurement data output Word,Excel and AutoCAD directly to conduct statistical analysis,particularly, the work piece straightening function is very useful. Macros will be faster and more convenient to measure the same spare parts, for the improvement of measurement efficiency.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Well that was a hell of a Taskmaster episode, wasn’t it? Episode 8 might have been my favourite so far of season 16. Brilliant performances across the board, I thought. I haven’t written liveblogs for most of this season because I’ve been watching it on these rich people’s giant wall-sized projector, like a private movie theatre, which is cool as fuck but means I have my computer across the room and hooked up to the thing, rather than on my lap where I can type. But I have to say a few things about this one after the fact.

So, first of all, remember how I made a post a few days ago about how it seems like comedians can’t focus much on anyone else when they’re asked to talk about a group of people that includes Sam Campbell? I find it funny that this episode confirmed that this rule applies even to his fellow Taskmaster season 16 contestants, as three of the four of them picked his name when asked to yell one.

I mean, I find it funny now, as we know the points worked out evenly. At the time, I was yelling at the giant screen like it was a major sports game, saying, “No! Come on, stop it! Pick someone else! Okay, Sam, I think everyone else is out to get you so you really need to be the first to find it. No! No, don’t leave the room it’s in! Come on, man! Look around you!” Because his victory in the season seems pretty assured at this point, but the sort of thing that could fuck it up would be some task where he not only doesn’t win, but ends up down by five points.

Luckily it didn’t matter, because he was so popular that he got picked to lose five points but also to gain five points. Because of course he did! Because of course if you ask a bunch of comedians in England in 2023 to name what comedian comes to mind when they think of someone who might be doing too well and will therefore be a threat to them, they’re going to say “Sam Campbell” and then try to think about other people.

Guys, I think the industry might be looking at him. Like some sort of one-eyed pigeon. But he’s just glad people are talking about him.

Anyway, the rest of the episode. What a good episode. The prize task, as Ed Gamble pointed out on the podcast, was pretty much just “bring in a thing”. But it gave everyone a chance to shine. Julian’s jacket has to be one of the Taskmaster prizes that I’d most like to own. A top quality Lucy story, one so absurd and so well delivered that it overcome the way I have been slightly put off by learning she genuinely believes all this stuff and it’s not just a schtick, and I didn’t even care, because this one was so funny. Every word made the story funnier. And Sam made me choke on my water from laughter when he revealed that his prize has nothing to do with his story, he just wanted to tell a story. I’d argue that he should have been given more points based on the fact that cobalt is objectively pretty and does look impressive after a drum roll, but then, I am biased by the way I back him like a sports team.

Then we have the secret task, which… I wasn’t sure what I wanted, whether I wanted this to pay off in some big way, or whether I thought it would be funnier to build it up and have it turn out to be nothing at all. I have to admit that this seemed slightly less interesting than either of those options – just make it a regular task. But I think that was made up for by Sam Campbell’s reaction to learning this. As Ed also pointed out on the podcast, all the way along, when Alex has brought up the secret task, most people have sort of rolled their eyes and ignored it. Except Sam, who’s looked interested and distracted and like he knows they’re playing some sort of trick on him and desperately wants to figure out what it is.

And after all that time and all that wondering, Alex just drops on him that it was only a normal task all along. And they’re about to just get on with things, with no mention of the fact that this task has been foreshadowed for ages, but then Sam stops them and says wait, wait… has this task been available to find all along? Like… was the secret task scavenger hunt ever even real? And Alex says it’s just been on his mind. And the look of disappointment on Sam’s face is funny enough to be worth more than whatever other payoffs I was hoping for.

Okay, this brings me to another point, which is that Ed Gamble on the podcast has been constantly saying that he’s surprised by how well Sam is doing, because he knew Sam Campbell had the creativity and talent, but thought he might just go out and mess around and not care about winning. So he’s impressed that Sam seems so competitive. But I don’t think Sam is really competitive, the way someone like Mae Martin was. He’s not arguing points in the studio or anything like that.

I think Sam Campbell has the same type of competitiveness that Hugh Dennis had, which is a weird comparison because that’s probably the only thing in the world that Sam Campbell has in common with Hugh Dennis. Hugh Dennis didn’t use to care about the points specifically, he was never bothered if he got robbed in the judging, but he did work really hard to do as well as possible in every task. Which might be slightly less fun than full-on Mae Martin (or, for that matter, Ed Gamble)-style competitiveness, but it’s still pretty good (as I’ve said before, I’m not too bothered by the lack of Gamblian argumentative competitiveness in season 16, as all rumours point to it coming back next season).

Part of why I called Sam Campbell as the winner is you can see in his comedy an ability to do the lateral thinking while keeping track of a bunch of other things at once, the videos and the props and everything else that’s going on. Most people who’ve done Taskmaster talk about how they fuck things up because it’s hard to remember all the rules and all the resources when you’re under pressure, and just do one thing at a time but will forget something else and then everything’s fallen down. Sam Campbell keeps not doing that, which is so cool to watch. Right from the first task, lying down after putting a can on the tower to avoid making any further mistakes. And you see it in all these little things. Like in that one live task where they were all cooperating by putting balls on each other’s hats for them, a move that Ed Gamble or Mae Martin simply wouldn’t have done at all. Sam does it, but when he has a ball ready and sees that Lucy already has two balls in her hat so putting one more there will win her the task, he turns away from her and puts one in Susan’s hat instead. Whimsical cooperation but still with an eye on accomplishing the set task. I love watching that kind of thing on Taskmaster. I love watching him plan things and do stuff deliberately while everyone else just panics under a time crunch.

And all that makes it extra funny when it just blows up in his face completely. Like when he did so well in the fish-mouse task, thought quickly and creatively enough to draw extra mice for extra credit, only to learn that it wasn’t a real task. Or when he’s the only contestant who’s able to keep the hunt for the secret in his mind at the same time as everything else, only to be told there wasn’t a special secret at all, it was just a task that everyone would do. And I have chosen to blame this disappointment for his uncharacteristically poor performance in the task, not looking in a fairly obvious place.

Oh, sorry, am I focusing on Sam Campbell too much? Look, at this point I’m developing enough of a SamCam obsession so people are lucky if I can have a conversation with them where I don’t mention Sam Campbell even if the topic isn’t Taskmaster. I’m certainly getting stuck on him when I am discussing Taskmaster. But it’s okay, because that’s something I have in common with all British comedians.

Though having said that, I do need to mention how funny Lucy Beaumont playing the horn was. And obviously Team Sue running around like preteen best friends at summer camp. And the JLS dynamics, with Julian wearily giving out advice about something he doesn’t care about, while Lucy is off in her own world. Great way to showcase all those dynamics, a task like this where they’re all in the same place but working separately.

And then we have the task that was stolen from Taskmaster NZ, which is a bit weird because they make a bunch of jokes that suggest it wasn’t stolen from Taskmaster NZ. Like Greg saying a “fortune trail” is something Alex made up, when it was clearly made up by Sam Smith (the guy who writes the tasks from TM NZ, not – you know, the other one of those). I was surprised they used an adapted task like this one, one that has a secret way to make it much easier, so if any of the contestants had seen Taskmaster NZ season 3, they could instantly crack this task. Of course, it turns out that famous comedians and actors have a busier schedule than I do, so none of them had time to sit around watching every episode to TM NZ season 3 as it came out. More’s the pity, they all missed out on Josh Thomson, whose frantic, intense hyper-competitiveness have made him one of my favourite contestants from any Taskmaster season. And his total meltdown in the fourtune trail task was one of my favourite parts of the season.

I wasn’t surprised that none of the season 16 contestants had seen it, though I was slightly surprised that apparently Ed Gamble hasn’t seen it, as he made no mention on the podcast of it being originally an NZ task. I see why they brought it over, and I liked it – I’ve enjoyed almost every NZ task that’s been used on Taskmaster. And while nothing in this task quite matched the beauty of the original task with Josh’s breakdown, this was still quite good. The way several of them found the lucky penny but none thought to use it. The way they were all so sure of themselves all the way along. Julian somehow winning just by not caring at all. Again, obviously, I was yelling at the screen when I realized Sam had pocketed the lucky penny instead of using it for coin tosses.

And then… look, I wanted to try to tone down the Campbell focus in this post, but how can I do that when the last filmed task was the sleeping one? Yeah the others were funny, but who’s going to come away from that focusing on anything besides the bribing of a small child?

Actually, to be fair, I think the star of that task was Flossy. I don’t know where they got her, but she was perfect. Her face might have made me laugh more than anything else in that episode. Especially her dismissiveness of Lucy and her incredulity about Sam’s promise.

Obviously we’ll get answers, right? I’d hoped we’d get an extended version of that scene, but they just released new outtakes yesterday and none of them included an explanation of whether Sam paid the eight-year-old child. Ed Gamble did, however, promise on the podcast that he will look into it and deliver us an answer. Also, obviously Sam will be back on the podcast, since each season’s winner is the guest for that season’s finale episode. So Ed can ask Sam about it then.

The other stuff was funny too. Julian actually doing an okay job of seeming to sleepwalk, until for some reason he then walked back into bed. Lucy being ludicrously awful at it. Susan’s genuinely good acting, I think she’d have fooled me. Sue building contraptions like, as they said on the podcast, someone out of Home Alone or Ferris Buller. All of it was funny. But obviously Sam stole the show again. Credit should go to the editors on that one too, I loved the way they showed it. A Kumar-with-the-basketball-style backtrack and reveal.

What a fucking great idea. I will no longer consider any Taskmaster contestant sufficiently committed to the bit if they go a whole season without bribing a single small child.

And then they ended on a game of charades, which was also funny. Just a top quality episode. I’m sad that we’re getting into the last couple of episodes already, this season has been so much fun. Maybe the oddest group they’ve had, in there doesn’t seem to be a single person in the “straight man” role.

[mieeiraa]

Performance Art with New Media Technology [ASSIGNMENT 1]

For this assignment, I was tasked to do a case study on international and local artists who incorporated the use of new media technology with their performances. From these artists and their chosen work/performance, we can observe how the technology used improves the performance and how they can be improved in the future.

International artist chosen: PLAVE

PLAVE is a five-member virtual idol group operating under a virtual entertainment company, VLAST.

They are known for using game engines and motion capture technology to track each member's gestures and facial expressions, similar to the concept of virtual YouTubers or Vtubers in short.

On March 12, 2023, PLAVE made their official debut. Focusing on music production in the Korean pop or K-pop music industry, they periodically release music albums and singles just like any other idol group.

Performance chosen: Hello, Asterum!

The concert took place over two days, 13th - 14th April 2024 with the first day being a fully physical performance and the second day being an online performance that was simultaneously aired live online for international viewers.

Domestic fans in South Korea were able to purchase tickets to enter the concert venue during the performance day. Meanwhile international fans were given the option to purchase online tickets for the online streaming scheduled for the second day via Weverse, an entertainment platform originated from South Korea.

They performed live on both days as seen by the clear discrepancies when comparing the two performances side by side, with the pre-recorded videos or VCR being filler segments played in between singing performances.

Technology used:

Motion capture

3D Assets

LED Screens

Stage special effects (pyrotechnics, smoke and haze machines, confetti and streamers, bubbles, drones)

Sound system

Local artist chosen: Abdul Shakir

Known by his stage name "Grasshopper," Abdul Shakir is a multidisciplinary multimedia artist and one of the co-founders of Filamen, a company that specializes in interactive installations, light installations, and projection mapping.

He has experience working in production and post-production agencies and has completed a range of design and art-related projects, including interactive installations, motion graphics, graphic design, and projection mapping.

His projects have transcended Malaysia and are now being shown in China, Hong Kong, Spain, and the United States of America. He has shown his art in a number of prestigious exhibitions, including the George Town Festival, Rainforest in the City, Urbanscapes Art Festival, and LAMPU Festival.

Work chosen: Rimbun

“Rimbun” was showcased during the Singapore Night Festival exhibition back in 2023. This work is basically a form of organic projection where he experiments with the mapping process on living things, including trees and leaves.

For this exhibition, it is focused on projection mapping of cultural Malay designs personally created by Abdul Shakir himself on plant leaves of different plants during the night time.

Featuring seven distinct motifs inspired by plants like Starfruit, Nutmeg, Common Fig, Jujube, Sugarcane, Citron, Cocoa, and Guava, these motifs reflect his personal interpretation of these plants and their significance during Singapore's role as an entrepôt between east and west.

Technology used:

Projector

PC computer

Rendered plant motifs via TouchDesigner

How does New Media Technology Improve the Concept and Stage Performance?

From the implementation of new media technology in performances which are the usage of motion capture technology and projection mapping, they offer the possibility to enhance their storytelling and visual graphics as a whole for a more enjoyable experience.

Visual elements prepared using computer graphics, not limited to pictures and videos but including various multimedia elements such as motion capture and projection mapping allow performers to creatively express themselves and their artworks while being able to captivate the audience.

For example, in “Hello, Asterum!” PLAVE and VLAST were able to utilize the visuals in 3D space effectively, resulting in their performance to look like a projection of a hologram while they were in fact only using a flat screen.

Another instance is the ability to manipulate the space to fit each member’s solo performance, creating environments that fit the genre of the songs being performed.

Being able to manipulate 3D space with their virtual models allows PLAVE to showcase an alluring and captivating stage performance in real time, suitable with their concept of being virtual idols.

As for the idea of organic projection mapping as seen in “Rimbun”, I would say that it promotes the idea of seeing mundane things in our lives in a new light.

As Abdul Shakir mentioned that the patterns and motifs being projected were inspired by plants, it shows a connection shared between the man-made motifs and the plants being associated with, subtly showing the beauty and inspiration from nature.

In my opinion, it is a unique way to show how one element may be related to the other and a great medium for an entrancing storytelling since the audience will need to approach the installation in order to fully immerse themselves with the artwork.

How can it be innovative in the future?

Simply put, stage performance visuals are no longer limited to 2D space as they can be manipulated to be shown as 3D regardless of the projecting medium.

Organic projection can introduce a new method to showcase one’s creativity in storytelling, ensuring that the message conveyed can be understood.

Synchronized light projections via light sticks held by the audience in a large crowd may increase the immersion and elevate the experience during a stage performance.

Conclusion

As technology advances further with time, we can expect to see more implementation of new media technology in future performances.

Taking the opportunity to include and utilize them in stage performances especially may help to increase immersion for the audience and deliver a comprehensive and meaningful performance.

Hopefully, with new media technology, artists and performers are able to experiment with their creative freedom and in the end, bring forward inspiring and innovative works of art for us to understand and appreciate.

[alexbraindump]

501-B - Chapter 1: Descent

“With the introduction of the brand-new line of Fysi-Apomi hyper-resilient plant life, even those of you out in the most remote corners of the galaxy may create your own little garden! Stuffed with all the nutrients one could need and capable of producing up to quadruple the fresh oxygen of regular plants, our new line of greenery can help improve your life on any industrialized planet.”

A holo-television. A simple piece of technology, light suspended in the air between two strips of projectors. Colors of such depth and motion of such smoothness to suggest reality unfolding right there before oneself. Upon this particular holo-TV, the visage of a well-dressed human woman in a lush greenhouse. Flowing blonde hair and a silky suit to build the impression of one to be trusted.

“As you can see here-” She took hold of a pot. From it grew a little berry bush. “Our wonderful plantlife is capable of sprouting all the food one could need!”

The view panned outwards into a wide shot of the greenhouse. There were trees bearing fruit and bushes bearing berries and sprouts from the ground bearing vegetables. The woman walked backwards to follow the camera panning.

“With Fysi-Apomi, you can-”

Ring-ring. There was a shrill sound across the room. A remote was picked up and pointed at the holo-TV. With a press of the power button, its display dissipated into thin air. A few floating particles of light lingered for seconds. Ring-ring. The remote was tossed down onto a coffee table dotted with empty soda cans, cups of microwave noodles and the disassembled mess of a gadget or two. From the couch arose a bipedal vulpine. He pulled a hood over his face, obscuring all but the end of his snout. Ring-ring.

Dusty boots clacked against metallic flooring as he made his way across the room. It was enclosed, made of metal all around. Piping and exposed wiring ran in bundles along the ceiling and walls. Opposing ends of the room terminated in doors, one of regular size and one of a cargo bay.

Ring-ring. The fox stood before the source of the ringing. A phone mounted to the wall. On its ID screen were the words “CALL FROM: MR. B.” He pulled the phone from its terminal and held it to his ear.

“Where in the name of the gods are you, Cade?!” squawked a shrill voice. “My contact is waiting for you!”

“None’a your business, man,” Cade bit back. “You’ll get everything you need, don’t you worry.”

“Scrapbots could be encroaching upon that ship as we speak-”

“Off my back, B, goddamn. I’m just about there.”

“Define ‘just about.’”

“Close enough that I’ve gotta hang up and get ready for entry now now. Byeeee!”

“We need that part, Cade! Don’t let this end up like-”

Cade slotted the phone back into its terminal. It was followed right up by another call from Mr. B. He removed the phone, slammed it back into place and then shut the terminal off completely. Both the terminal and holo-TV having gone blank, the only sound to accompany the room was a slight, electronic droning. Cade strode off back towards his TV.

Between the TV and the wall was an empty space. Just about enough to house a person. Cade stepped into it. He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a watch underneath. Upon lifting it towards the wall, a small chime of approval sounded off. The wall creaked for a moment, hissed out a puff of air and then slid open. Its movement was staggered and jittery, but upon completion a roomy compartment was revealed within.

Green. Lots of green. Plants lined the back of the compartment, blossoming vines spread up the walls and around the corners. There was a row of synthetic sunlight strips above them, flanked on either side by watering pipes. Droplets of water dripped from the nozzles. Cade reached in and began shuffling around the plants. His clawed paws tended to the plants with gentle grace. Branches were nudged back into place, dying leaves were snipped off.

On the compartment’s floor sat multiple leather pads. They were a dark shade of brown that mirrored Cade’s own fur. Next to them laid a handgun - contained in a leather holster. Five spare magazines were scattered around it. And off in the corner was a backpack propped up against the wall. Cade took a hold of it and set it down on the floor outside before continuing on tending to his garden.

Centralized amidst all the plants was a single flower, sat in a pot of its very own. Its pedals burned a bright red, a standout look amongst the green surrounding it. Cade investigated it with movements gentle enough not to wake a sleeping mouse. He pushed it around with as much ease as his paws could muster until finding a single wilting leaf on its stem. With a grumble, he snipped the leaf off. It fluttered down into a pile of dead plant matter gathering on the compartment’s floor.

Cade swiped a few bits of debris off the leather padding. A sigh escaped his lips as he took hold of the largest piece. It was a set of straps, ones that he fastened over his torso. They made up a belt around his waist and a slash that crossed his body diagonally. Another piece - surface marked with a burn - affixed onto the strap over his left shoulder. Cade stretched and flexed his body around, allowing the upper armor to slide into place.

The handgun and its holster clipped right onto Cade’s belt. Pockets stitched on the opposite end served as perfect housing for the magazines. And with that, Cade removed the last leather plate and hit a button on the compartment’s wall. Its door came hissing shut as it returned to an airtight seal with a satisfying little click, all the while Cade began on his way across the room.

The smaller of the doors opened as Cade approached it. Beyond it was a small cockpit. A whole array of windows lined the walls. Through them a planet could be seen straight ahead. Trailing wisps and puffy blots of gray filled the atmosphere and shadowed out the surface. A central chair swiveled itself around just as the door had finished opening.

Cade tossed himself into it, setting the chair off to turn back around and present its pilot with the ship’s controls. Display panels ignited with green light in response to the fox’s presence. Each screen was pure black with nothing but green text displayed on them. A central terminal beckoned Cade to begin inputting commands, but the fox instead opted to lift his right leg and rest it on the dashboard. The final leather pad fit snugly around his thigh. He gave it a little pat, lowered his leg and sat back up.

A keyboard was situated below the central terminal. Cade reached around the ship’s control stick and typed a command. A list appeared, a long one. Each entry was a string of random letters and numbers. Cade deliberated over the long list until settling upon one of the latter choices with a click of the enter key. 076-RDMPTN24.

The control stick’s position allowed Cade’s paws to slide right off the keyboard and take hold of it. Its ergonomic design slipped into one of his paws with ease. He flicked a switch on the base of it and then began tilting it forward. One of his feet applied light pressure to the rightmost of two pedals beneath the dashboard. His free paw reached off to the side of the cabin and flicked a handful of switches. The ship angled forward, ramping up the speed of its descent.

A small crackling sounded off beside Cade, prompting an ear to perk up and nearly push his hood off. He took his paw to a dial above him and began to twist it ever so slightly. The crackling came in and out, pulsing between loud and quiet. His movements became finer and finer until the sound had plateaued out into a consistent buzz. A voice was peeking through the haze, small glimpses given of something resembling words. Syllables struggling to coagulate into complete statements.

“W..elcome to…” A robotic twang drenched the voice. “BZZT… an industrial outpost… Now welcoming trad- BZZZZT… Quality index of- BZZT… Safety equipment… nearest arrival station- bzt…”

Silence. The signal died off with one last whimper of a beep. Cade attempted to twist the dial further, but got nothing but varying degrees of static in response. A small beep here and there maybe, but nothing of substance. A lost cause, he reasoned to himself as he gave his attention back to that which awaited outside the window.

Speed was building from Cade’s planetary approach. The white-speckled blackness of space vanished from the corners of his view, replaced by writhing clouds of gray. They only seemed to darken as his approach pressed on. Cade gave a check to the gauge cluster. Dials were increasing across the board, all except for planetary surface distance.

BOOM! 

A crack of lightning caused Cade to jump in his seat. Storms announced their presence with great booms and thuds. Cade tightened his grip on the steering stick and allowed himself a deep breath. As if in response, turbulence jutted itself into the equation. Cade reached for his central dashboard and turned up a slider that was jury rigged into the wall and labeled “compartment stabilizer.” with a piece of tape. The ship was putting up its best attempt to level out, though even its best could generously be described as rocky.

Rain began speckling the glass. Cade flipped a lever and a pair of wipers began swiping in vertical motions. Almost like it was fighting back, the rain grew stronger. It grew stronger to the point that the default wiper speed failed to keep up. Cade clicked the speed up a notch. Not enough. Two notches, getting there. Three notches - as high as it would go - and they were hardly keeping the windows clear, though they offered just enough downtime to see through. Not that there was much to see beyond the whirling gray abyss of storm clouds.

Cade reached across his seat, grabbed the seat belt, and clicked it into place. His ship rattled and creaked, its computer systems beeping and crying in distress. The control stick was jolting around, necessitating Cade wrap his other paw around it. Yet even the strength of both his arms wasn’t enough to keep the ship under control. A particularly close arc of lightning sent his ship careening to the side. Cade yelped, the seatbelt barely managing to keep the fox from being flung across the cockpit. It was more than enough to break his grip on the control stick, though.

The ship was sent into a spiral. Even a hearty set of internal gravity generators couldn’t save Cade from growing dizzy. He struggled to reach out with his body being wretched in circles over and over. His eyes put up a fight to stay open, the contents of his skull feeling more akin to a stew than a solid brain. And - as if matters couldn’t get any worse - the clouds began to thin…

Cade’s mind struggled to register the fact that he had broken the cloud layer. A spinning mass of gray had been replaced with a spinning mass of green. His head was caving in, a pounding headache giving way to his eyes shutting. One last desperate bid to grab the stick, one last strained reach of an arm, one last chance…

Synthetic leather, in his paw. A rejuvenating burst of energy pulsed through the fox. Through a scrambled mind he managed to wrangle the stick back into some semblance of control. Enough to thrust his other paw onto it. What little strength he had left was invested right into yanking the stick into place, opposing the terminal roll his ship had been sent into.

Spinning colors of the planet’s surface slowed. Hazy green and obscured blots of dark brown. Cade yanked harder, hard enough to have instilled fear of breaking the steering system in any other situation. The death spin began to slow. Cade’s eyes managed to pry themselves open and the pure adrenaline pumping through his veins gave him the final sliver of energy required to bring the ship out of its spin. Relief poured into Cade’s clouded mind.

And relief was blown away nigh instantaneously. Saving himself from the spin hadn’t changed a thing about the fact that Cade was hurtling towards the surface at a speed so high that the dials of his gauge cluster went beyond their highest numbers. The surface was close. Too close, so much closer than it should’ve been. With the same hold that managed to save himself from the spin, Cade tugged the stick back towards him hard enough to slam it into his chest.

There was a near-deafening screech. Both the ship’s engines and frame screamed in protest to the sudden motion. Cade clenched his sharp teeth. A metallic tearing sounded off somewhere from the rear of his ship. His foot came slamming down onto a pedal and he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Mere moments to spare, the ship managed to straighten itself out. The whole thing rattled as its bottom side clipped a rusty smokestack. Cade almost fell out of his seat again. Industrial structures flew by in a blur around him. Whatever was left of the ship’s momentum had been sent to hurtling it forward instead. It grazed between smokestacks and long catwalks, missing some by mere inches.

Adrenaline flowing like water through his veins, Cade’s sweat-laden hands struggled to keep hold as he weaved between metal structures. With his attention darting from side to side, he hardly managed to notice the wall of piping he was hurtling towards. But when he did, he screamed out a curse and instead directed his arms to pulling back up once more.

A metal plate flung off the ship and slammed into the wall of pipes as Cade managed to pull the ship up into clear sky. Or, as Cade would come to realize as he collapsed back in his seat, an especially cloudy sky.

Stretching for miles in front of him was a vast expanse of metal and haze. The air was thick, tainted sickly green. Rain poured down and ran through the fog as if carrying it down to the surface - where it coagulated into a thicker mist. Old factories expanded into a horizon rendered near by fog, a complex dwarfing all else in scale. Cade’s weary eyes danced across it all. Not a single smokestack seemed to be in operation - some had even broken and collapsed. Everything was packed so dense as to disallow any comfortable ship landings.

Ring-ring. A screen off to the side lit up. CALL FROM: MR. B. Cade groaned and hit the accept call button.

“Our contact saw that pathetic entry of yours, Cade. You’re making an awful first impression.”

“As if they could’ve done any better,” Cade grumbled. 

“You’ll be meeting them at clearing J-11,” Mr. B chugged on without skipping a beat. “It’s taken you long enough to arrive already. Get there quick, lest you taint the reputation of this organization even further. And clean yourself up, you look and sound like a mess.”

“Because our reputation is spotless as is.”

“Maybe it would be without inconsiderate units such as you.”

“Ouch, that burns,” Cade sneered. “Get your ass out here and enter an unregulated atmosphere through a pollution storm. Shouldn’t be a problem for a bird brain like you, yeah?”

“My job here-”

“Is to get me my money after I get this done for you.”

The hang up button received a hearty press. Bzt. Cade glanced around the area. From the edge of the fog, an abrupt cutoff in all the industry revealed itself. A big red sign jutted out from it, J-11. He directed his ship towards it.

It expanded down several stories. Down and down it went until terminating in a lengthy parking lot. Almost all of its spots went unfilled, minus the select few which held the corpses of long abandoned cars at rest. Coffins lined with faded white paint.

In the furthest corner stood out one vehicle in particular. A ship in pristine condition. Comparatively pristine, at the very least. Its design was sharp and bulky. A fighter. Wing-mounted cannons larger than a person and paint bearing its fair share of scorches and chips. There was a figure standing outside of it, doing some kind of work made unrecognizable by distance.

Cade reached to the side of his cockpit and flipped a lever down. With some loud cracks of opposition, the ship’s engines rotated to face upwards. “Hover mode engaged, landing gear deployed” was printed on the center console. A press of the left pedal ensued and the ship began to lower as Cade maneuvered it to hover a few spaces away from the fighter. He depressed the pedal with as much ease as he could, but then the ship’s engines sputtered a few feet from the ground.

The ship jolted and hit the ground. One of the legs of its landing gear failed to deploy. Cade grunted and stumbled out of the cockpit, his legs taking their precious time growing steady once more. He ran a double check over himself as he entered the main room. Gun, check. Ammo, check. Armor, check. Bag… Unchecked. Cade took a small detour across the living room, over to the holo-TV. His backpack wasn’t in the space he left it, instead having been tossed into the nearest corner.

He stepped over and kneeled in front of it. Inside was an array of little devices, gadgets and rations that he shuffled through. Though their arrangement had been scattered, none of them had broken. Cade breathed a sigh of relief, shut the bag and slung it over his back. But as he stood, a sudden flash of panic lit upon his face. He turned to the wall compartment and its door, flush with the surface around it. A step was taken towards it when-

Clang-clang!

Knocking on the ship’s cargo bay door. Cade looked back at the compartment only for the knocking to sound off again. Clang-clang-clang! Even harder that time. He bit his lip, cursed under his breath and took off towards the cargo door. An empty noodle cup caught itself under his foot and put him into a stumble, one he only stopped by reaching out and catching himself on the wall. One of his paws had hit a panel next to the cargo door, causing it to begin lowering.

A rush of noxious air came flooding in. Its presence spurred a cough out of the vulpine the instant it came in contact with his windpipe. His lungs were made ten times heavier in the blink of an eye. He fell forward against the wall and propped himself up with an arm. Tears welled up in his eyes. There was a knock on the outside of his door that only barely registered to his ears.

“You’re late.” A gruff voice, clouded behind a digital filter. “Didn’t even listen to the arrival broadcast, did you?”

Cade looked up through tear-filled eyes and bore witness to a tall, human man. Face concealed behind a bulky gas mask and body clad in heavy metal armor, he was near double the size of the small fox. Another gas mask hung from one of the man’s hands. It wasn’t as bulky, seemingly a standard model lacking in any advanced additions.

“Boss didn’t-” Cade tried to speak, but was wracked by another coughing fit. “...Didn’t warn me about this air, fuck!”

“Your eyes should’ve.” The man tossed the mask over to Cade, who fumbled and nearly dropped it. “Call me Steel.”

With shaky hands, Cade shoved the mask over his face. A deep breath through its filters allowed a wave of relief to wash over his lungs. The mask was loose on his face, though a seal around its edges adhered to his fur. Fresh air gave Cade the energy needed to regain his posture and step out from his ship. Rain pelted against the top of his hood as he did so.

“One hell of a name,” the fox said. “Real subtle.”

“Codename, smartass. What’s yours?”

“Cade. Something that sticks to the whole ‘normalcy’ shtick. Not tryin’ too hard to sound all tough-”

“Shut it.”

“Pfft. Struck a nerve there, huh? Noted.”

Steel gave nothing more than a growl before facing himself towards the open space beyond the lot. A train station stood a short distance away. Holes in its walls revealed that a passenger train - though rusted - remained idle within. Perpendicular to the tracks stretched a vast expanse of what used to be roadway, now reduced to mere fractured chunks of color-bleached concrete.

Alongside the road was a whole forest of dead trees, their colors muted to a similar degree. A good lot of them had been felled. Those that remained standing were either stripped bare or covered with dead branches like veins that clawed towards the sky. Deeper and deeper into the fog the road winded, the only sense of termination provided by a large structure obscured in fog. 

“Ship’s out there,” Steel said. “According to my trackers.”

Cade nodded. “And is there any particular reason we had to land all the way out here, or was it just to get your steps in for the day?”

“Locals.”

“People live on this shithole?”

Steel let out a sigh. “The fuck did I just say?”

“It was a rhetorical question. Hell, you really are what it says on the tin.”

“That being..?”

“Dense.”

Though the lenses of his mask were tinted to the point of acting as shiny black walls, Steel’s glare burnt a hole into Cade. The fox opted to laugh it off. Steel, though unamused, directed the fox to follow him. Cade bent over to grab the door of his ship and slid it shut. It hissed as it sealed itself.

The duo set out on their way down the road. Steel drew a weapon from his back, a lever action laser rifle. Cade’s eager eyes affixed right onto it and he fell a pace or two behind. Slick black metal ending in sharp corners, its form invaded with duct tape and bundles of wires. An ejection port and feeding tube were present, though the latter had a charge package taped and welded into it. A rack holding three extra charge packs had been affixed to the side of the weapon.

Cade glanced down at the handgun on his hip and grumbled to himself. Instead of letting his eyes lock onto the other weapon once more, he forced himself to take a gander at the scenery. What little of it there was, at the very least…

Every now and then a road would splinter off and venture off into parts unknown. Or there’d be a road sign, or a billboard. Cade gave the billboards particular attention. Most had been worn by the elements to the point of illegibility. There were a select few that managed to stay just barely on the cusp of being comprehensible, though.

NixCo Cybernetically Enhanced Lungs!

Breathe better, live better with NixCo!

Ask about your local installation clinic today!

Bright colors - though dimmed by the elements - and a peppy cartoon human taking a nice, deep breath of air drawn so fresh Cade could almost feel it in his lungs. The pulsing inhales and exhales of the fox’s gas mask grounded him right back into reality, out of the ad’s own imitation of it. The reality where even reading the ad’s fine print was somewhat difficult from the noxious fog in the air. A shiver tickled his spine…

Miles dragged by. Steps faded into each other and became a blur of forward movement into swirling clouds of death. Steel hadn’t a word to say, and Cade’s head was still throbbing just enough to dismantle the idea of casual conversation. All their ears had was the booming of thunder overhead and the steady drone of rainfall. Their boots splashed in cloudy puddles of water. The monotony of it all kept Cade’s mind just as fogged as the planet he had found himself on.

“Snap out of it,” Steel barked, his voice shattering the glass of Cade’s focus like a hammer. “We’re just about there.”

The fox blinked and shook himself awake again. His paw pads were sore and his mouth yearned for a drink from within the confines of his mask. But one sign of tangible progress crammed itself into the forefront of his mind, pushing all else aside in the process.

Great walls of scrap metal. They were fashioned around something, but were tall enough to obscure vision inside. Light emanated from behind them and peeked through unsealed holes in the aged metal. Dotted along the walls were a handful of watchtowers. Spotlights shone down from them, swaying from side to side in rhythmic fashion. Banners had been hung atop each of the towers. They were tattered near the bottom, colored in a faded purple. Some royal-looking golden star was planted in the middle. There were stitches across each of the stars, the pattern of them uniform across every banner.

Cade stopped in his tracks. Steel kept walking a few paces forward before taking notice - at which point he too stopped. The man gave Cade an annoyed grunt. Cade grunted right back, only in an exaggerated mock fashion.

“Hold your horses, jackass,” Cade said. “How about we don’t walk right up to their front door?”

“Are you tired or something, wanna set up a picnic back here? Make the boss wait even longer for this godforsaken job to get done?” Steel bit back. “Hope you packed some sandwiches then, because I didn’t pack for a pleasant afternoon getaway.”

“No, I wanna make sure we know what we’re getting into before we go storming in.”

Steel huffed, but stayed in place. Cade shook his head and removed his backpack, placing it on the ground in front of him. He rummaged through it for a moment and took a pair of binoculars out. They were a bit awkward to press against his mask and didn’t provide the best view of things, but he made it work just enough to observe the towers ahead.

Within each tower was an armed individual. All of them carried aged bolt-action rifles. Too old to be laser weapons, Cade reasoned. Scrap metal armor adorned their bodies, painted a knightly shade of silver. They weren’t operating the spotlights, those moved on their own. Cade trailed the binoculars downward with the beam of one, down to the base of the walls. The main entrance was hard to miss. A large set of double doors. About as ornate as scrap possibly could be. Guards stood post outside it, armed with… swords?

Cade removed the binoculars from his eyes. “Lots of guards.”

“Lots? Let me be the judge of that.” Steel snatched the binoculars from Cade’s paw and began examining the place. “Hmphf, odd choice of weapons this lot uses.”

“Old ones, doesn’t seem like they get out much.”

Steel held the binoculars down, but didn’t gesture them out towards Cade. The fox took it upon himself to swipe the pair back for himself, tucking them in his bag right away. Steel responded by drawing his rifle and aiming it towards a tower.

“I’ll take out the guys in the towers, you move in and-”

“That’s stupid,” Cade interrupted. “Are you stupid? Shoot one of ‘em and the rest can trail that laser back here and shoot us both, bonehead.”

“Not if we take them out fast enough.”

“Okay, yeah. You’re stupid.” Cade sighed. “How about this; you stay here and cover me. Just - get behind a tree or something. I’ll head in and talk to those guys at the gate, see what’s goin’ on. And then, if they shoot me, you can do all the blasting your little heart desires, yeah?”

Steel groaned. “Gotta make a problem out of everything… Fine. But let it be known I’m not risking myself to save you if you get in over your head, fox.”

“Trust me, big guy,” Cade teased. “I got this~”

[Stay tuned for Chapter 2, hopefully coming within the next few weeks. Feedback is welcome & encouraged, this is my first time ever posting an original story I've written :3]