#Rack and Stack Project Management.

[florencemtrash]

Hummingbird: Chapter Three

Miguel O'Hara x Reader

What if the Earth-1610 (Miles’s universe) version of Miguel’s wife was actually Miles’s AP Art teacher?

Masterlist

Warnings: Terrible science jargon

It was almost silly how quickly the world returned to normal.

Alchemax was splashed on every local newspaper, website, social media account, and TV channel for a solid week before complaints shifted to the neverending construction on the streets of New York. The subway somehow got tighter, packed bodies grumbling about the thirty minutes added to their commute after ten subway cars had fallen through a spot and landed in the Hudson river. 

But the events never faded away from your consciousness. The only way you could fall asleep was by leaving all the lights on. It racked up your electric bill like hell, but you couldn’t stand seeing the shadows creep along the wall as nighttime descended on the city - it reminded you too much of the Spot’s blank face and how he managed to stare into your soul without eyes.

Then there was the growing problem of your forgetfulness. You’d never been the best at keeping track of belongings - Mamá always blamed it on your creative brain - but now everything was being misplaced. The alarm clock would disappear from the nightstand and appear in the kitchen, your sock collection was dwindling every day and never making it into the dirty hamper, for Christ’s sake you still hadn’t found your favorite yellow sneakers and it was irritating you to hell and back. 

I’m losing my goddamn mind. You often found yourself thinking.

You threw yourself into work, staying in the classroom late to grade and lesson plan until the night crew got used to vacuuming around your feet. You took on extra projects at the Academy, signing up to run after-school detention and volunteering for props and set design for this year’s spring musical “The Addams Family.”

Anything to stay out of your apartment. Anything to keep you from being alone.

Three empty coffee cups mocked your bleary eyes as you sat hunched over the sewing machine after hours. Cheap black lace trailed off the table, slowly shortening as you incorporated the material into Morticia’s dress.

“Fuck!” You hissed in pain and stuck your thumb in your mouth, sucking away the blood from your fourth needle prick of the night. At this rate you’d have more holes punched into you than swiss cheese.

It was time to give up for tonight.

Before you could forget you slipped the stolen Brooklyn Visions Academy uniform from your bag and hid it in the bottom-most cubby in the storage room. The sleeping bag and pillow from your apartment were also stuffed there, ready for Miles to use whenever he needed an extra break from being a superhero. You suspected Gwen had also been sneaking by to visit Miles now that she had more freedom to explore the multiverse - hence the spare uniform.

“How’s he doing?” You’d asked Miles earlier that day. Miguel’s unspoken name had lingered on the tip of your tongue, forcing the color to rise into your cheeks. Luckily Miles knew exactly who you were talking about.

A knowing grin grew on his face, “Not too bad. He seems more on edge than usual, but I hear he’s working on his temper.” 

“He’s not body slamming any more teenagers?” 

“Not that I know of.”

“Good.” You paused, “If he gives you any more trouble, send him my way. I’ll give him a piece of my mind.” 

Miles saluted you, “You got it.”

You meant it as a joke… but you also wanted a reason to see him again.

You were just about to switch the light off in your classroom when a flash of yellow caught your eye. Tucked behind a stack of newsprint, the vine charcoal rubbing away on your fingers as you carefully lifted the papers, was your prized pair of yellow converse.

It was too late to think about how they’d ended up so far from home, so you tossed them in your bag, threw out the coffee cups, and saved your muddled mind the trouble of figuring it out tonight.

The midnight subway car was filled with the usual Friday-night suspects - overworked nurses, loners just killing time, drunk party goers covered in more glitter than a kindergartener’s Valentine’s day card, and you.

You didn’t miss Richard, not really. What you really missed was coming home to someone and the feeling of another body weighing down the right side of the bed. More recently you’d been imagining what it would be like to come home to Miguel.

You kicked off your shoes at the bottom of the landing, shuffling up the steps and pulling off your clothes as you went, modesty be damned. By the time you face planted on your bed, hair still damp from the shower, it was nearing 2am and Miguel still hadn’t left your mind. He’d planted himself in your thoughts like a spider too high up on a wall for you to squash and too large for you to ignore.

Mercifully you didn’t have to endure the pains of a schoolgirl crush for very long. Sleep dragged you under and you welcomed it as your mind finally went quiet.

You awoke with a start, suffocating under the heavy blankets that you’d buried yourself in last night. You’d been dreaming again about the collider. You’d been dreaming about Miguel - this time in a feverish haze that left your mind in a puddle on the floor. 

How was it possible that a stranger could occupy so much space in your mind? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he’d held you like you were everything and then left without saying goodbye.

But you weren’t complete strangers…

“Aren’t you his wife?” 

Miles had asked the question so innocently and Miguel hadn’t said anything against it, so it must be true. Somewhere, in some other universe, you’d been married to one another. 

Are you thinking about me too? You wondered, opening your eyes in hopes of chasing the memory of him away.

…Maybe you were still dreaming, because the last time you checked you hadn’t fallen asleep under a tree in Central Park. And even if you had, you highly doubted you could have lugged your mattress and bed frame with you all the way from Brooklyn.

Oh por el amor de Dios.

The glorious thing about New York City is that everyone knew how to mind their own business. So when people saw a high school art teacher in Star Wars pjs leap for joy upon finding a $5 bill on the ground, they didn’t question it.

You were so ecstatic about saving yourself the two-and-a-half hour walk back to Brooklyn that you didn’t remember a highly important piece of information until after you hopped off the subway - you didn’t have your keys or your phone.

Joder. 

Your forehead knocked against the front door of your apartment building with an audible clunk.

“Por el amor de la mierda, ¿por qué mi vida es así?” You muttered under your breath. 

“Y/n?” Your landlord, Mrs. Fleming, pushed her tortoise-shell glasses higher up on her face, the thick lenses magnifying her eyes to bug-like proportions. “Oh it is you, my dear.” 

You groaned, color rushing into your cheeks as you turned around sheepishly. “Good morning, Mrs. Fleming.” 

The elderly woman gave you a once-over look, crocheting needles clicking together as she rummaged around in her bag for her keys, “The old walk of shame, I see.” 

“What?! Wait, no-this isn’t-I’m not-”

She patted you on the back before unlocking the door and holding it open for you, “I only use the turn of phrase because that’s what you young folks call it. Ain’t nothing shameful in it. It’s good of you to get out there. I never did like Richard much.”

You were at a loss for words.

Mrs. Fleming, sprightly as she was for her age, followed you up to your apartment with her extra set of keys jingling merrily in her hands.

“Now, you have a good rest of your weekend, dear.” She said once you’d been graciously let into your apartment, “And don’t forget your keys next time!” 

“Thanks Mrs. Fleming.” You said. Her amused chuckle echoed through the air as she shuffled off to her own apartment.

You sprawled out on the ground where your bed should have been, trying to even out your breathing as the reality of the morning’s events crashed down around you like a house of cards. 

This can’t be happening. ¿Qué diablos me pasa?

You rolled onto your stomach, repeatedly banging your face into a spare pillow to muffle the sound of your aggravated screams. 

The pillow accepted your frustration with little complaint until something in you just snapped. 

All at once the pillow disappeared from beneath you and then blinked into existence by the closet allowing your face to crash into the floor unprotected.

You grabbed at your burning nose, eyes swimming with tears of pain as you registered what had happened. 

“No… oh no.” 

>>>

The rain beat down irregularly, fluctuating back and forth from being barely a drizzle to a torrential downpour. 

You gripped an empty to-go cup in your hand, the tea you’d hoped would calm your nerves long gone. 

It took you three hours to make it here. First you kept teleporting your keys away every time you touched them, futilely chasing them around the apartment. Then you’d nearly gotten hit by a taxi and teleported yourself to the bathroom of a tea shop on the Upper West Side. Miraculously your powers had quieted after that, allowing you to get on the subway and here without incident.

A familiar figure made its way down the block, hood up to protect from the rain.

“Miles!” You leapt up from your seat, racing across the street to the annoyed honking of two taxis. 

“Miss Y/l/n? How’re you doing?” Miles narrowed his eyes in worry, seeing the way your fingers nervously pulled at a loose string from your sweater, “What happened to your face?” The flesh around your nose was red and tender, slowly transforming into a purple bruise.

“I’m sorry for bothering you like this, but I didn’t know where else to go.” You looked around carefully before lifting the cup in the palm of your hand.

You furrowed your brow in concentration, willing that same power within you to snap into place again.

“What’s supposed to-” 

“Just-just give me a minute.”

A minute passed, and nothing. Your heartbeat quickened as you grew more and more flustered.

“Miss Y/l/n are you sure you’re ok?” Skepticism and genuine concern laced his voice.

“I’m fine!” 

Snap!

The cup blinked out of existence like an old-school television that had been turned off. Miles saw it reappear over the park across the street and land on a dog walker’s head. The man in question looked up at the sky bewildered, like he expected to find God there.

Miles’s wide eyes met yours.

“Oh shit.” 

He pulled you into the empty alleyway behind his building, using his spider webs to straighten the trash cans that rolled around on the ground and clear out a space large enough for the two of you to comfortably stand side by side. 

He hung close to the street, Gwen’s face shimmering to life above his wrist as he spoke with his back turned to you.

“Hey, Gwen. I’ve got a situation.” He whispered into the watch.

You caught snippets of their conversation, shrinking in your coat as you tried to suppress the anxiety growing in your chest. If there was anything you’d learned about your powers it was that they tended to flare up with your emotions.

“Do you think we can trust him with this? I don’t want anything to happen to her… Yeah, yeah. No, I understand. I’ll bring her in. See you later.” 

Miles turned back to you, a strained smile on his face, “Sorry about that.”

“Miles, what’s going on?” “I got to bring you into Spidey HQ. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but Miguel might.” 

He unzipped his raincoat and hoodie, exposing the black and red spider-suit beneath and tugging on his mask. 

Your heart gave a flip at the mention of your husband’s name (could you even call him that?). Would he be happy to see you again? Would things be awkward between the two of you?

A familiar watch flashed on his wrist as he began pressing buttons on the orange holographic screen. You’d seen it happen before, a portal of wild glitching colors pulsing to life in front of you, but that didn’t make it any less impressive. Miles stepped into it, dragging you along with him like he was just passing through any regular doorway.

He swept his arm outward, smiling at the expression on your face.

“Welcome to Spidey HQ, Miss Y/l/n.”

Your jaw dropped as you passed through the portal - an actual portal - to Miguel’s dimension. 

Hundreds, no thousands, of Spider-People roamed the open air halls, some on two legs, some on four, some on wheels, and some just preferred to swing through the air on webs, catching and releasing the nimble strings with practiced grace from the walkways that crossed overhead like… well like a spider’s web. 

Miguel certainly hadn’t wasted the spider concept when it came to their headquarters.

“I didn’t know there was a universe composed entirely of Spider-Men…Spider-People?… Spider…” A cat hissed at your feet when you nearly stepped on its tail as you blindly followed Miles through the crowd, “Spider-Things?” 

“Sorry Spider-Cat!” Miles said as the feline grumbled, tail high in the air as it calmly leapt onto the wall and continued on its way as though gravity were only an inconvenience. 

“Actually, every world has only one Spider-Person, but the Alchemax explosion last year ended up opening holes into other universes. Miguel created this place as a hub for Spider-People while everyone tries to fix the anomalies.”

“Anomalies?”

“Yeah, beings that have accidentally gotten stuck in another world.”

“Oh�� yeah that makes total sense..” Your words trailed off as a roaring laugh caught your attention, “Is that… is that a dinosaur?” 

You pointed at the group crowded around a cafeteria table howling with laughter. Burgers bounced on trays as the T-Rex doubled over to slap the table for dramatic effect.

“AY YO, REXA!” Miles shouted over your head, throwing his arms up wildly. 

Rexa exposed razor sharp teeth in a grin and waved one short arm towards you. You returned a meek wave in return. 

“That’s Rexa. She’s super funny. Just uh…” he covered his mouth before whispering in your ear, “Maybe don’t mention anything about her arms. She gets a little sensitive.”

“Oh…yeah, of course. No problem.” 

Miles continued to lead you through the building, periodically taking breaks for you to catch up as you kept your eyes trained on everything except the path he’d carved in front of you. At one point you simply disappeared from view, reappearing four stories up in a psychiatrist’s office.

A tweed-suited Spider-Man jumped in his seat, dropping the box of tissues he’d been preparing to throw to his client. 

“Oh! I… I’m so sorry.” You said, flustered at the sight of a sandy haired Peter Parker variant sobbing his eyes out into a spider plushie. You inched along the wall towards the door, “I’m just-I’m just going to make my way out.”

You closed the door as quietly as possible, turning around and coming face to face with Miles again. You jumped and snapped, this time landing on Rexa’s table, foot squishing her burger into roadkill.

You groaned and tilted your head up, watching Miles sail out the office window and swing his way down. 

This was going to take a while.

There was no shortage of Spiderpeople to steal your attention, but finally after a few (uninterrupted) turns down pristine white hallways and an elevator ride into the belly of Spidey HQ, it was just you and Miles again.

From his lair, Miguel traced your figure with his eyes. When you caught sight of the camera in the elevator, its red pupil narrowing in on you, you smiled sheepishly and waved. The small action made his stomach flip like a schoolboy who’d been given his first kiss. 

He needed to pull himself together before he saw you face to face again.

“I’m just saying, I think this is a good thing, Miguel.” Peter B. said, swinging up to the platform and wrapping an arm around Miguel’s broad shoulders. Mayday crawled out and onto the control board, pressing buttons haphazardly and closing half the screens. She clapped her hands in wonder and Miguel grumbled half-heartedly. 

Once she started walking, all bets were off. She’d be an absolute menace to Spider Society. Already she liked to treat Miguel like her personal playscape, crawling onto his shoulders and tugging at his brown curls. 

Her antics almost made him smile… almost.

“If she’s here then that can only mean something’s wrong.” Miguel said, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen and ignoring Mayday as she slumped over his back, slowly sliding down his chest and into his waiting arms with a dramatic sigh. 

You looked tired and nervous, fingers tugging at the strings of your raincoat. A purple bruise spread out from your nose, moving with the curve of your cheekbones. Had someone hurt you? 

Miguel’s blood began to boil.

“Or,” Peter bumped his hips against Miguel’s, “it could mean she wants to see you again.” 

“Stop that.” Miguel growled.

“Stop what?”

Stop giving me hope.

Miguel was about to bite back at Peter and wipe the mischievous grin on his face when the doors slid open. Miles’s voice rang through the empty space. 

“These are all those anomalies I was telling you about. Doc Oc, Rhino, Sandman, Mysterio. I don’t even want to know who that is.” 

“Why is it so dark in here?”

“Miguel likes to brood. I think he’s part vampire.” 

Miguel tossed Mayday into her father’s arms, swiftly turning around and busying himself at the control panel to distract from the pounding of his heart. A dozen screens flashed to life above the control board and Miguel concentrated on none of them.

Peter grinned like a madman. This was going great. 

“Miss Y/n!” He shouted out, throwing his hands in the air before hopping off the platform. Mayday squealed in delight and copied his actions. Miguel only cursed under his breath and rubbed his temples. Leave it to Peter to be the cause of 90% of his headaches.

“Looking good, teach!” 

“Ummm… thanks?” You responded as Mayday grabbed at you with chubby fingers. You didn’t have much choice but to hold her as Peter thrust her into your arms. Fear jolted through you like a lightning strike and you quickly handed her off to Miles, the poor girl frowning and continuing to make grabbing motions at you. The last thing you wanted was to make Mayday disappear from your arms.

Peter tipped his head to the side but for once made no comment. He continued to chat you up, pulling small smiles from your lips and ignoring the way you kept glancing at Miguel as his platform slowly lowered to the ground. 

He had his hands on his hips, bright red and blue Spider-suit cutting a striking silhouette against the dark background. 

If he’d noticed you walking into the room, he didn’t show it and you tried your best not to deflate at that realization. 

“Don’t worry. He just likes to make an entrance,” Miles whispered in your ear. And some entrance that was. He stepped off the platform, back tight and straight as he moved forward with measured, even footsteps. 

Miles took one step forward, angling his body in front of you with a weariness in his eyes. 

Miguel stopped, face betraying nothing as he looked you up and down once.

“I never thought I’d see you again.” The words would have sounded romantic coming from someone else’s lips, but from him they just sounded dry and clinical.

“Same here.” You said. The words came out breathlessly.

“What’s happened?”

His hand hovered in the air between you two before he swiftly dropped it to his side. He wanted to reach out and touch your face. He wanted to tilt your chin upwards so he could take a good look at the damage done to your nose and make sure you were ok. Perhaps if you’d been alone he would have allowed himself to do it, but as it was, they had company. 

“We need your help, Miguel.” Miles cut through the tension, “Something’s up with Miss Y/l/n. She’s got powers now - teleportation similar to the Spot’s.” 

His heart stuttered in his chest.

“Is that true?” he said, desperately looking to you for answers. The Spot’s powers had made him unstable in more ways than one and Miguel shivered to think about anything happening to you.

You nodded, “Things keep disappearing when I touch them. Sometimes I accidentally teleport to places when I’m frustrated. I didn’t realize what was going on until I woke up in Central Park last night.”

Miguel turned around, muttering under his breath as his mind raced a thousand steps ahead of him. 

Of all the people this could have happened to, it had to be you. He thought he’d done the right thing by leaving you alone, forcing himself not to portal to your dimension every night. His multiversal travels had taught him a thing or two about the ways things operated. Some figures, like Peter Parker’s Spider-Man were well represented across worlds. Some figures, like himself, were harder to come by. 

As for you? He only knew of three worlds where you existed - in one world, his actions had led to your death and the death of your daughter. In the second, Spot had murdered you in his quest to figure out Spider-Man’s identity. 

And in this one… 

Well he thought he’d been keeping you safe. 

Teleportation was a dangerous ability - unpredictable and difficult to control. Left unchecked you could find yourself in front of a car speeding down the highway or at the top of Mount Everest or in a different dimension altogether, constantly glitching as your molecules broke apa-

“Wait,” Miguel stiffened, back tightening as he swiveled around on his heels, “Where’s your watch?”

“My watch?” you glanced at your naked wrist, “I mean I usually just check my phone for the t-”

“No, your day pass watch. The thing that stabilizes you in this universe.” 

Miles’s eyes blew open. “Mierda. Sabía que había olvidado algo.”

“How long have you two been here?”

“Maybe two hours.” You guessed.

“And nothing’s happened?”

“Is something supposed to happen?” 

Even Peter B. looked concerned. Panic rose in your chest and you threatened to snap. Miguel reached out and grasped your wrist, palm sliding down until you felt the weight and warmth of his hand wrapped in yours. He led you to the med bay, Peter and Miles following closely behind.

The paper atop the padded examination table crinkled as you took a seat, watching Miguel’s broad shoulders flex and stretch as he dug an extra watch out from the back of a cabinet.

“Lyla, run a scan of Y/n.”

The woman flickered to life in front of him. “What’s the magic word?” She fluttered her eyelashes.

“Lyla.” He was in no mood for games today

“Ok, ok. Don’t be testy.” Lyla appeared in front of you, an orange scanner materializing in her hands that swept across your body with a cool touch. “Scan complete.” 

“Here you go,” Miguel felt some relief pour back into his body as he fastened the watch around your wrist, hand lingering against your pulse like he wanted further confirmation that you were alive and well.

“Hey, why does she get one of the fancy ones?” Miles protested. The watch, identical to the ones worn by Miguel, Peter, and Miles flashed its face at you. It was far too elaborate and expensive to be just a day pass.

Miguel ignored him, walking over to one of the monitors and skimming through the output data.

“It took six months for Miguel to give me one of those bad boys,” The paper crinkled again as Peter hopped onto the table beside you, whispering, “Looks like someone’s got a favorite,” and earning a glare from Miguel. 

Peter winked suggestively.

Miguel scowled.

Your cheeks turned a rosy red, your coat disappearing from around your shoulders and landing in a rumple at Miguel’s feet like the world’s worst suggestive gesture. Peter howled with laughter.

“No puedo creerlo.” Miguel whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Lyla, am I looking at this right?”

“You sure are. Y/n’s DNA is perfectly stable. Not a trace of multiversal quantum poisoning to be found. And! Her radiation signature matches that of more than a thousand different universes. Bet you’ve never seen that before.”

“How is that even possible?”

“Hmmmm, let me think.” Lyla spun around in a digital office chair, waiting for her moment to break the dramatic pause. Miguel groaned - he would need to improve her code and tone down the dramatism. “Looks like packets of quantum energy from across the multiverse were released during the Alchemax hypercompact fusion explosion and merged with the only unaltered sentient lifeform in the vicinity.” 

“Dios mio.”

At the end of her explanation she bowed gracefully, arm and fur-lined coat sweeping off to the side.

“Did you get any of that?” Peter asked out of the corner of his mouth.

“Peter, I took forestry as my science gen ed in art school and barely passed so… no.”

“Uhhh, can you repeat it for the rest of the class?” Miles piped up. 

Lyla leaned forward, one hand on her hip and the other tipped her heart-shaped sunglasses onto her head. 

“Y/n absorbed energy from a ton of different universes so as far as the multiverse is concerned, she doesn’t register as an anomaly. No glitching. No dying outside of her universe without a watch. No predicted multiversal collapse.” Lyla smiled. “Predicted.”

You looked less than pleased. The last month had been filled to the brim with life-altering events from finding out Miles was a superhero, to getting kidnapped and nearly dying, to finding out your variant’s husband was an all-too-attractive, brooding Spider-Man. It was getting to be too much - you were a teacher for crying out loud! Maybe you’d have handled it better if you were a crime-fighting detective, or a fancy scientist, or a millionaire with access to the latest tech and weapons. Instead you were just… you.

“Can you fix it?” 

Miguel flinched at the look on your face. You were looking to him for help and for answers, but he couldn’t provide them in any satisfactory way. He’d never encountered anyone with your abilities. 

The confusion and fear that came with discovering your powers - that was a journey all Spider-People went through, and they usually went through it alone.

Miguel sighed, “There’s nothing to fix, Y/n.” He said the words with a softness no one had heard from him in years, perhaps ever, “This is who you are now.” 

“So I’m just going to be stuck like this forever?”

“Having powers isn’t so bad.” Peter chimed in with a small smile. “From time to time, it can actually be pretty awesome.”

You allowed a small, empty smile to grow on your lips. It was a smile Miguel was well acquainted with - the kind of smile that said I’m not fine, but I want you to believe that I am.

“I have some tests we could run.” Miguel offered up, “I can’t reverse what’s happened but maybe I can come up with something to help you control your powers, at least while you’re learning how to use them.” 

You nodded, the smile turning into something real, “I would like that. Thank you.” 

Peter was practically vibrating with excitement when he caught the look that passed between the two of you and the hint of hope on Miguel’s usually stony face. 

He clapped his hands down on Miles’s shoulders, “Well would you look at the time? I need to put Mayday down for her nap and grab some food. You’ll learn this soon enough, but being a superhero does burn the calories.” 

He hopped off the table, waltzing all the way to the door before he noticed that Miles was missing from his side. “Miles! Come join me.” 

“Actually, I was going to wait with-”

“Miles.” Peter coughed into his fist, bug eyes burning into Miles until he got the hint.

“Oh? Oh! Yeah, sorry Miss Y/l/n, I forgot I told Gwen I’d meet up with her.” 

You waved him off, “I’ll be fine, Miles. Thanks for everything.” 

“I’ll show her how to use the watch and send her home when we’re finished.” Miguel said, pulling on a lab coat that had been draped over his office chair. He rarely had time to work in the lab, more focused on his primary duty of maintaining the stability of the multiverse, but the familiar glide of the fabric over his skin did help to relax him. It reminded him of the old days when Spider-Man didn’t exist and the multiverse was just a fun theory tossed around at company lunches. 

A thin silence stretched between you two after Miles and Peter left, and you contented yourself with watching Miguel as he busily typed away at his monitor, labeled vials, and prepared the syringes. Every movement was practiced and controlled like he’d done this a million times before.

Miguel was screaming on the inside. You were close enough for his heightened senses to pick up on the honey lemon shampoo you used tinged with the woodsy scent of linseed oil. He was powerless under your gaze like an insect trapped under a microscope.

“I just need to collect some blood samples.” Miguel said, gently holding out his hand. You offered your arm up without complaint, distracting yourself from the pinch of the needle by reading the faded name tag printed on his lab coat.

You whistled low to break the tension, “Dr. O’Hara. That’s impressive. What kind of doctor are you?”

“I was a geneticist. Not the medical kind though. I worked in research at Alchemax.” 

“Is that how you got your spidey powers?”

He rolled his eyes, “They’re not spidey powers, they’re acrachno-humanoid genetic augmentations.” 

“Qué estúpido. Just call them spidey powers. You scientists just like to give things complicated names to feel superior.” The corner of Miguel’s lips quirked up every so slightly. The thrill of seeing any emotion on Miguel’s face lightened the feeling in your chest.

“Was it hard becoming Spider-Man?” You asked.

Miguel shrugged, wiping away the small bead of blood on your arm. “I had it easier than most. I was already looking into the possibility of combining human and arachnid DNA and I had the resources to study my powers.” Miguel paused. It had been a long time - too long - since he’d had a conversation like this with anyone. He could cast his mind back to talks with you his wife, but those had always been domestic in nature.

“The hardest part was not having anyone to talk to.” He said, finishing his thought.

“Sounds lonely.” You remarked, accepting the q-tip from him and swabbing the inside of your cheek. He collected the sample in a vial of greenish liquid and gave it a thorough shake, “Do you have people now that you talk to?”

“No.” His answer was short and to the point. 

You’d touched a sore spot and you decided to prod it. “Would you like someone to talk to?” 

Again, the corner of his lips twitched, “Are you offering?”

You copied his shrug from earlier, “Maybe.” 

He took a few more cheek swabs and then a strand of hair. His hand lingered by your cheek, frowning as he took in the bruise on your face. 

Now that you two were alone he dared to gently tilt your head to the side.

“You never told me what happened.” 

Your hands flew up to your face in embarrassment and Miguel saw the tips of your ears grow red. He liked it.

“I may or may not have teleported my pillow away right before smashing my face into the floor.” 

The breath left his lungs in a quiet chuckle. That sounded like something you’d do.

“But no one’s bothering you?”

“What? Oh no. No, it’s nothing like that.” 

He nodded, the tightness in his chest unraveling with that knowledge. He knew you weren’t his wife and he knew that you didn’t know him well enough yet, but that didn’t stop him from caring. The truth was he liked you from the moment you slapped his shoulder and cursed at him, and it wasn’t just because you looked like someone from his past.

“This will take some time to work through.” He tilted his head towards where the tabletop machines whirred and spun, “But if I’m right, I may be able to adjust your watch to stabilize you in a specific place, not just a specific universe. It’s not a permanent fix but you won’t be waking up in Central Park again anytime soon.” 

“That would be preferable.” 

You moved to take off the watch and hand it over to Miguel but he stopped you.

“Keep this one. In case anything happens you can contact me or the other Spider-People,” He said, walking her through the steps of using the watch, “Headquarters is always open so if anything happens, come here.” 

You nodded. With an encouraging look from Miguel you punched “Earth-1610” into the locator and then your home address. 

Just like last time the portal bloomed open beside you, scattering a few loose papers on the ground. Through the portal you caught a glimpse of your living room, citylights flashing outside your window.

“Come back next week. Until we have a better understanding of your powers it would be good for us to monitor you and check that you’re stable.” 

And it would be good for you to see her again. 

Miguel squashed the thought as soon as it popped into his brain in Peter’s voice. He really needed to stop spending so much time with him. 

You stepped through the portal and were embraced by the familiar smell of your apartment. It made you feel better about what was to come. You turned to smile at Miguel, his tired eyes lighting up ever so slightly.

“I’ll see you next week then.”

<- Previous chapter Next chapter ->

_________ Author's note: Here's the next chapter! Let me know what you guys think of the writing and where the story is going. I'm hoping to dive more deeply into Y/n x Miguel's relationship in the coming chapters so get ready for angst and fluff!

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[boiwab]

Zoey Triptych, Station Engineer.

Finally finished my ref sheet for the space engineer lizard woman I've spent 550 hours playing as in Space Station 14. She was the first character I made, and she is still my favorite and the one I play most by far. I made her character a continuation of the one I used to play in Barotrauma. I mean, how different is a pressure vessel in a dark high-pressure sea from a pressure vessel in a dark low-pressure sea?

OK uh un-organized rambling about her:

Its super fun to play her on servers where NanoTrasen-Syndie conflict is a major RP focus. Most people's characters have a shred of Silverhand in them or some other degree of understandable anti-corporate sentiment. Not her. She is brainwashed to shit, because NT has provided her entire education and has deep control over media on Europa. NT is interested in Europa because everyone who lives there is basically already living on a space station, meaning they have great pre-existing experience.

Her husband (my irl boyfriend's character) is an uploaded cortical stack engram that switches between three bodies. He's either a mothman, anthro wolf, or anthro rat. She thinks he can do that because of regular money and good insurance. In reality, he's a carefully-tuned experimental sleeper agent from a rival company, Gorlex. There's rumor that a Synidcate of rival companies conspire to destroy NT property, the most outlandish claims being of nuclear-armed terrorists that could atomize an entire orbital facility with stolen launch codes. Zoey thinks that's just a myth. Unfortunately for her, Grey is one of them, patiently waiting for encoded orders via needlecast. His feelings for her are genuine though, and Syndicate high command permitted Grey to keep the relationship for the purpose of further entrenching his identity. He gives her pins of pretty flowers. Only other Syndies know that the three petaled purple plant is a dogwhistle for their organization's hydra logo. He hopes it will spare her from being harmed by clandestine activity, but sometimes syndies are ordered to kill other syndies.

Depending on what job I am playing, I RP differently. I imagine that as station engineer and technical assistant, she still fully believes in the American-dream style path for herself. She thinks that she can get all the comforts she lacked as a child by working harder than everyone else.

By the time she becomes an Atmospheric Technician, she has worked a couple years and seen the machine of NT's management mulch people up and throw them out. She still firmly, confidently believes that SHE could never be worked to death and left behind, since she is infinitely tough and doesn't need breaks. She's been working with machines since she was twelve, and she finished a 250 ton cargo run in the aphotic plains after getting her arm crushed in a coilgun loading rack at the age of 15. Generations before her survived the Forever War or still lie preserved in their icy trenches, refusing to even rot. She has a golden opportunity, war's over, company's here, coalition's gone, tuition is free*. I don't see her living far past this point due to the danger of the station and her low sense of self-preservation. She wants to burn as bright as possible until the gods of astrophysics snuff her out in spectacular fashion. She follows the rules exactly and cares a lot about safety, but the happiest place she can be is inside a vac-rated bunker suit fixing pipes while a 20KiloKelvie plasmafire screams around her. Other than corporate advancement, she has made one promise to herself. She has to die in space. Not under buried the crust of europa, not in a stasis bed on an aristocrat's venusian metrosat, but frozen and able to watch the bare stars forever.

When I'm Chief engineer, she is middle aged, and at this point I play her as jaded completely and muted, staying only out of a care for the people under her and finding tiny sparks of the joy that left her years ago with tinker projects and unusual setups. She has made all the corporate advancements she ever wanted, but other than that, she has nothing.

[breelandwalker]

Witchy Things Update

So despite all the doom and gloom and Soldiering On that's become routine of late, I've actually managed to get some things Accomplished on a witchcraft front.

I've been chipping away at a cleanout project in my office/workspace that's really beginning to show results. It's been a lot of decluttering and reorganizing, but every time I take out another bag of trash or break down a stack of boxes, the space feels a little brighter. It's also making it much easier to work on my projects, pack orders, and make stuff for the shop. There's even a hanging rack with the storage jars for the various powders, which is VERY satisfying to look at. (And lots better than trying to keep them all under my desk.)

I also cleaned out the corner of the living room where my altar lives and WOW, the difference in energy in the space was immediate. Like unplugging a clogged drain and suddenly there's an empty sink where there was grungy water. I still need to clean and reorganize the altar itself and the bookcase it sits on. That's a project for another day, but progress is progress.

Our yard has started producing early wildflowers thanks to a couple of warm days here and there. I picked a big bucket of purple deadnettle, corn speedwell, and chickweed and laying it all out in a drying tray was VERY satisfying. I also chopped down the hardened basil twigs I'd been wintering since last year - they'll make GREAT cauldron kindling!

I'm looking forward to getting a seed starter tray and starting my garden next month. I found a LOT of seed packets while I was cleaning, enough that I'm not allowed to buy seeds for a good long while (unless it's something I know for certain we don't have and will be planting immediately). I also finally found my old gardening box, which I thought had somehow been lost in the move, so I have all my tools back and the packages of heirloom seeds that I'd been saving for when we bought a house.

And yes, this means I'm making plans for the side yard as well. Husband wants to pick out some kind of flowering bush for the corner where we removed an overgrown arbor vitae, and he's been making good progress with the repairs to our fence and siding. (Neighborhood kids just will not get it through their heads that our house and fence are not a backstop for their baseball/football/soccer games.)

In the words of Audrey Hepburn, who famously spoke out about her experiences during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

And I believe.

[neon-kazoo]

A Misunderstanding

[Context: A vigilante and a villain have an arranged, cooperative deal between them. That is, until something goes wrong, much to the vigilante’s confusion. This story takes place from the POV of the vigilante, beginning in the middle of an unrelated mission/project that the villain is unaffiliated with.]

(Warnings: threats, kidnapping, gun mention, knife violence, blood, fairly descriptive cut/stab wounds, interrogation/torture, helplessness, self-harm kinda, more language than usual, sexual harassment mentioned with implied past experiences)

Note: Technically these are ocs of mine, so if you catch any unexplained details that’s where they’re from. This whole snippet was intended to develop their dynamic, but at this point it’s really just whump lol. I just realized I had over 4000 words written that would otherwise never see the light of day so I made some tweaks to post it. If I missed any name replacements you saw nothing; there was a lot of words ok?

This is extremely long and heavier than most of my snippets, so be careful!

———

“Vigilante, grab some tubes from that room down the hall. I think it’s the third door on the right.”

I left the room to grab the materials for the project. Walking down the hall I lazily counted: one…two..

I reached the third room, and I could see the PVC from the doorway. Eyes locked on the stack at the back of the room, trying to figure out how I was going to carry so many large pieces, I missed the uninvited guest lurking beside the open door, allowing him an opportunity to catch me off guard and shove me into a wall. I opened my mouth to yell for the team but my eyes processed faster than my mouth and stopped me in my tracks.

What was Villain doing here?

I must’ve looked shocked- because I was. A personal appearance from this man could mean nothing good.

I racked my brain for any reason he might have to come find me. I came up empty. I certainly didn’t remember doing anything to him worth wall-slamming me over.

The slight ease I had at identifying the familiar face disappeared when I looked closer at his expression. There was a subtle anger painted on his usually-carefully-blank features.

“I’d suggest coming quietly,” he stated in his signature effortlessly-menacing tone. He spoke easily, like he executed an impromptu abduction every Tuesday morning.

“Come where?” I questioned, immediately suspicious. What was this?

“Somewhere to answer some questions,” he replied. His words were vague. Empty. His tone suggested I wasn’t going to get anything more out of him, but I felt the urge to press.

(Why not here, why now, what was so important?)

I knew better than to argue, but I hadn’t quite grasped the gravity of my situation yet. I shifted, ready to plead that I was in the middle of something rather important, when a knife appeared at my throat, pulling me right back down to Earth.

“Or we can skip the questions.”

Questions it was.

I walked obediently when prompted and he held solidly to my arm. We exited the building via fire escape (how did he know I was here?) We reached the doors of a black SUV parked conveniently in an alley a block over from my operation. As slowly as I could manage, I worked my fingers up into my sleeve. PSAs about the odds of surviving being taken to a second location flashed in my head but were interrupted by the introduction of a gun at my side.

“Press it, and you’re dead.”

Well, fuck.

On second thought, I actually adored second locations. I dutifully climbed into the back and used my remaining energy trying to stay calm as my hands were secured to the seat and a bag placed over my head. My bracelet was, of course, removed.

I love car rides. I tried to imagine this was just another trip, it was just….dark out. At 9 in the morning. Yeah, and I had no idea where we were going. I would be trying to think of how I was gonna play this—whatever this was—but I genuinely didn’t think I had ever risked pissing Villain off. As a result, I was painfully unprepared for whatever was about to happen. I wanted to say how unnecessary this all was, that I would come willingly if asked, but something stopped me.

Fear. Something was wrong.

It was probably just a misunderstanding.

Probably.

I lost track of time and turns, instead just counting my breaths. In for four, hold for four, out for four, repeat. I successfully held my panic at bay and was able to stand on my own two feet when I was finally pulled out of the car and led to who-knows-where. I blindly shuffled all the way through somewhere to a chair in front of a table to which my ankles were secured. My hands were left free and the blinding sack was removed.

The ceiling was covered in fluorescent lights that my eyes struggled to adjust to. I dropped my gaze to the floor, which was clean white tile with a silver disk in the center. Villain stood by the door, and apparently the ride had given him enough time to re-craft his careful features back into a perfectly smooth slate. The air in the room was uncomfortably cold, enough to raise goosebumps on my arms if it weren’t for my jacket.

A proper interrogation, but for what.

“Empty your pockets onto the table.”

He was all nonchalance now, and it was extremely off-putting. He studied me closely, and I barely refrained from squirming under his gaze. In the spirit of cooperation(survival), I obeyed the order, laying out a substantial array of multi tools, first aid, gadgets, and more onto the table top. When I finished, Villain strolled over to the table, studying the items before swiping them into a bag which he settled by the door. All but a switchblade, which he left sitting closest to his side, out of my reach.

He rounded the table to my seat, gesturing for me to slide off my jacket—which he threw by the door, much to my chagrin—and kneeling to pat the rest of me down. He found nothing.

He was silent as he returned to sit in the chair opposite me across the table.

Logic told me to copy his stare and his silence, but my anger and confusion made me reckless. The urge to speak overrode my rational mind.

“Dude, what the fuck.”

Hopefully, that statement would confirm my innocence, as it was definitely designed to do. I was not at all pissed about the deliberate jacket move, or being dragged out of an important mission against my will. Humanizing myself. That’s good, right?

“What? Are you surprised your actions have consequences? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” His voice dripped with condescension.

He placed his hand over the switchblade and I came to the sickening realization that there was a drain in the floor.

“I thought you were smarter than this, I really did.”

“What the fuck,” I repeated slowly, “are you talking about?”

He stood, and the knife was open. I ignored the blade and kept my eyes locked on his.

“I cannot defend myself if I don’t even know what you think I did.”

“You do not play dumb with me. I do not give second chances.” His voice entered a register that I had never had the misfortune of hearing before.

This was not the man I knew. This man was somehow more dangerous, and he wasn’t making sense. He wasn’t listening.

“I wonder if you keep your knives sharp,” he spoke aloud with mock curiosity, twisting and turning the tip of the blade against his fingertip. He advanced around the table and I could do nothing to stop him. This stubborn, arrogant man was about to hurt me over nothing.

I had my hands, but they could not reason with him. They could only hold tightly over his wrist as he held the knife close to my skin. Rapid acceptance flushed through my brain as reality finally registered like a heavy weight descending upon my shoulders.

If he could be stubborn, so could I.

“Fuck you, Villain.”

The tip of the blade pierced the skin of my arm and I held my mouth firmly taut. He was cutting right above where the foundation and concealer covered the tattoo on my upper arm. The leaking blood was going to ruin my careful color correcting.

Blessedly, he skipped over the rest of the upper arm and focused his efforts on my lower arm instead, which he now held in an iron grip. I hated the feeling of being grabbed but I wouldn’t show it. He did not need any more power over me.

“You’ll take a lot for that man,” he noted incorrectly as he traced down my skin with the metal.

I was at a loss.

“For who?” The pain made my words fierce. I was angry and there wasn’t anything I could do about it except let it leech into my mouth.

“I am not an idiot, [real name].” He leaned in, and fuck him.

I seethed, “Apparently, you are, since you’re spending your time cutting up someone who doesn’t know shit about what you’re on about.”

The knife plunged deep into my forearm, and I gritted my teeth hard.

“Is he worth it?” Villain taunted.

“WHO?” I demanded, still trying to guess, to figure it out before I got diced like a vegetable but the pain made my brain foggy and I just couldn’t concentrate. The knife twisted slightly, and with it brought heat and a sickening pulling sensation.

This was not what I signed up for.

The blade came up to my face, mixing blood with sweat and the salt of involuntary tears as it slid across my cheekbone.

“To think, all this time, you were just [Politician]’s bitch,” he whispered.

Affronted was an understatement, but my offense was overridden by confusion.

“Who the fuck is-“ I stopped as the gears in my brain finally started to turn, greased by the crimson dripping across my skin.

“Are you talking about that asshole counselman?”

The gears were rusty but- what was his name? CM [Olitic]? [Politi]? [Politici- Politician]! CM [Politician]. The man I blackmailed into tipping me off about low-profile cases because he couldn’t keep his hands off interns? I was getting scored like sourdough dough with my own knife for HIM?!

Villain didn’t react, just continued to drag the knife down my neck and lined it up at my collarbones. He had to cut and pull my tank top down slightly for better access.

“You’re his spy. What have you told him?” He hummed, and I took a second to gather myself despite the biting pain.

“His WHAT. Where the fuck did you get that from because let me tell you I would not kill an ant for that man let alone spy for him-”

The knife slashed over my other collarbone, and I raged.

“ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF A CIVIL CONVERSATION? LISTEN, YOU ARE WRONG. Wrong. Use your fucking words.” I wanted to spell it out. One more cut and I would be sent over the edge. “You absolute. Mother. Fucker.”

“Just a loyal. Little. Dog.”

He punctuated his dig at my supposed obedience with a hand wrapped around my throat. Possessive.

Oh, so he was trying to make me angry. I really should have seen the angle earlier because damn him it was working.

I couldn’t keep giving him the satisfaction. I took one deep breath and then another, ignoring the sting it brought up across my chest, and the restriction around my neck.

“Ask me a question, and I’ll answer it.” I looked him dead in the eyes when I continued, “or kill me and go fuck yourself.”

“What is your deal with him?”

A silent sigh of relief. Finally, something productive.

“He tips me off for counsel cases,” I explained-rather graciously might I add, given the circumstances. “He didn’t ask me to do shit for him, nor would I. I am not his personal spy. I keep the association off his back, and that is it.”

I reserved a few more choice words about his questioning techniques and waited while he absorbed my response. I sounded far more civil than I felt.

“And why would he do that for you?”

I thanked every god I knew that he seemed to finally be playing ball. Words I could work with, knives I could not.

“Blackmail,” I answered simply.

“Explain.” He raised an eyebrow, and also my knife.

“The association opened a case on him for sexual harassment. I have evidence that would prove rather unsavory for him, I hold on to it in exchange for his information. Basically, he tells me shit and I don’t bury him.” I looked to Villain expectantly. I had nothing else to say on the matter.

He tilted his head. He wanted more, or worse, he knew I had more.

My lips stayed shut.

He had a dangerous glint in his eyes when he spoke, “You don’t withhold from me.”

“Since when. That was not part of our deal.” Anger, deeper and older, burned cold inside me.

“It is now.” It was not that simple.

“I gave you enough,” I told him. I intended my words to be final. He had no right to ask anything of me anymore.

“You don’t get to decide.” Like Hell I didn’t.

“It is none of your business,” I spit back.

“I’m making it my business.” He just kept going. What I wouldn’t give to wipe that self-assuredness right out of every cell in his body.

“Cut me again and I swear you’ll never hear another word out of my mouth,” I blustered. With every fresh drop of blood, he was taking a middle finger to our entire arrangement, everything I had built.

“I highly doubt that.” He flipped the knife around in his hands. He ran his eyes along each of my new, bloody, decorative lines. Fine, maybe I was all talk. But he definitely didn’t need to know that.

“Put the knife away.” I smiled sweetly, but I was getting angry again, and I was losing the will to stop it. My self control spilled out of me in the streams of crimson blood that ran down my face and chest and arms to where it would ultimately flush down the drain and leave me defenseless. Still, that was exactly what he wanted. I couldn’t let him win.

“Or are you too scared of an equal conversation?” I challenged. Two could play at the angering game.

Unfortunately for me, Villain was focused elsewhere and didn’t take the bait. He had found a thread and he intended to pull it.

“Tell me the proof.” Impressively, he just didn’t know when to stop.

“No.” Welcome, Villain, to the hill I was willing to die on. “You cut me up for being a spy, which I’m not. I didn’t break our deal, but you just did. I owe you nothing. I will give you nothing.”

I wanted to tell him that he would never see another cooperative action out of me for as long as I lived, that he should watch his back, that he should expect to see me again soon, but I still needed to live through this and threats were definitely not in my best interests. I wouldn’t betray myself like that.

My skin burned and my arm throbbed. My heart beat aggressively against my rib cage but my adrenaline was crashing. I hurt and I was tired and I just wanted this to be over.

All that trust, and all for nothing.

Villain did not get the hint that I was done. For real this time.

When he brought the knife back, I grabbed it. I pulled it towards me to catch him off guard, sinking it inches into the flesh of my hip before ripping it from his hand and flipping the blade back towards him. He must not have thought I would do it, because he stayed close enough for me to be able to sink the blade into his stomach before he wrestled my arms under control.

A second later, I couldn’t move and I knew it was over.

“I hope it fucking hurts,” I spit coldly, blinking away my burning tears.

A flash of something–maybe surprise?– passed briefly over his face. I hoped it was fear. I needed the win. Before this all got worse.

My wrists got strapped to the chair and Villain was out the door quickly, knife still sheathed in his abdomen. I rolled my head towards the ceiling, eyes unfocused and blinking out tears. I felt satisfaction, then something darker tried to push its way to the surface.

I paid it no mind, just breathed and let it pass. That wound would not be fatal.

Exhaustion soon sent me into a state that was a pitiful excuse for rest. My head rolled forward and the burning faded into the background. I floated for an indeterminate amount of time.

The door opened, closed. A prick. I didn’t care.

I dreamt in flashes of hands and grabbing and helplessness. Fingers, digging into my arm, pressure, where there shouldn’t be-

When I awoke, I was on a cot covered in a thin layer of sweat. I was confused by the freedom of movement and the light smell of laundry detergent. I must’ve slept like a rock, because my cuts were cleaned and my forearm bandaged. I was also bundled in my freshly-clean jacket.

What on Earth-

Was this a motel?

No sooner than thirty seconds after I sat up did the door open and none other than the devil himself appear.

“I figured we’d try again,” the ghost of a grimace passed over his face as his eyes landed on me. “…differently.”

I blinked.

Unconsciousness had returned a bit of my clarity, and if I looked closely, Villain appeared…sheepish. A slight hunch, face pained like he was trying hard not to avert his eyes. Was he…remorseful?

I almost laughed at the thought, but managed to maintain a plain face.

“Uh huh,” I sounded cautiously, shaking off the last of my sleep-induced disorientation. What exactly did that mean: differently?

I gathered something had changed, but I did not voice this, knowing the man in the doorway would never bother to explain himself to me.

Instead, I added humorously, “be a shame if I didn’t believe you.”

I rubbed my eyes and smiled ruefully and he actually looked away. Villain, the original Big Scary Man, was unable to make eye contact with me. Instead, he pointed out a bathroom and said he’d be back in five minutes. The win was too good to be true.

It wasn’t until I made to slide down my waistband that I remembered the self-inflicted wound on my hip. It had also been tended to, a medium size gauze pad taped over the opening.

Now that I was once again aware of its existence, I noticed certain movements did send a shooting pain along the skin and into the fat that had been cut. I wondered how I didn’t notice it earlier. I suspected I would find stitches if I removed the patch.

Carefully pulling the elastic back over the medical tape, I stood in front of the sink, cupping my hands under the faucet and drinking until it no longer burned to swallow. Water drenched the front of my tank, but I didn’t care.

I checked my bandages and studied the open cuts in the mirror. A few had the skin held together with butterfly closures, the rest slathered in Vaseline or Neosporin. I ran my fingers gingerly along the cut on my cheek and wondered if it would scar. Keeping still had worked in my favor though, it didn’t seem too deep.

My left arm took the brunt of the damage. The rose on my upper arm was uncovered and wiped clean, and I thanked several deities it was untouched. I opened and closed my fist to make sure the hole in my forearm didn’t take out anything too important. I was no doctor, but I determined it was probably fine. Villain knew what he was doing, after all.

I studied my reflection one last time, shrugging my jacket back over my arm carefully. I took in my face, discarding the uncertainty and anger and leaving my features assured and closed. The Villain special. I walked out the door.

Villain was waiting.

He didn’t touch me, instead we walked side by side back into the room I had woken up in, which now had an apple sitting on a table to the right when we walked in. Ignoring all of it, I went straight to sit on the bed. I didn’t know what to make of his complete 180, so I drew one knee up to my chest and waited. I let a little hope trickle into my thoughts.

Maybe it just took a good stabbing to force some common sense into Villain.

He paid my refusal to sit at the table no mind and just casually tossed the apple to me after taking his own seat. The hunger I felt must have been built over many, many hours because I did not hesitate to take a bite. And another. And another. The juice dripped down my chin and I didn’t bother to catch it.

Villain respectfully waited until my more ravenous bites had passed before he spoke.

“I propose a trade.”

I just about spit out my apple. Pushing past my knee-jerk response of dignifiedly telling him to “eat shit,” I studied the man to try and determine if he was being serious. His gaze was unwavering. He seemed to be waiting for me to respond, but I wasn’t exactly in a talking mood. I felt clearer but also…off.

“Information for information,” he continued.

Wow this was a really good apple. I turned it over and studied it in my hand. A gala, maybe?

He clarified, “I want your evidence on the counselman.”

Yeah, no shit. So he does know how to use his words after all.

My apple was reduced to just a core. I supposed I had to speak sometime, lest the knife make a reappearance.

“Do you slice, dice, and drug every person you want to make a deal with, or am I just special?” I cocked my head but cast my gaze past the table towards the door.

In my peripheral, I caught his face still impassive.

“I acted on bad intel.”

Villain? Explaining himself? And I thought anger-inducing Villain was scary. Remorseful Villain was straight up terrifying. I was probably reading too far into it, just telling myself what I needed to hear, but—if I squinted—I could imagine it was an apology.

But on further evaluation, I accepted that it was all an act. Every moment I’ve spent with him carefully crafted. This was just another angle.

But what could I do about it?

Knowing didn’t make it better. The cuts were real, my fear was real, my pain was real.

In the end, I still put myself into this world, and I wasn’t going to stop.

“And what do I get out of this?” I questioned. My life? To leave? Some negotiation that would be.

“What do you want?”

Putting the ball in my court is new. Concerning. Is this a trick? How badly does he want to bury this guy?

A terrible, horrible idea hit me. I wouldn’t. I shouldn’t.

I couldn’t resist.

“Apologize.”

I stood up, walking over to the table and taking a seat, looking him dead in the eyes, and waited.

It was his turn to blink.

For what I presumed to be the first time in his life, the man in front of me had been stunned to silence.

Because of me.

Joy flooded me with the thought.

“I-“ he coughed, and I smiled with a sweetness that would send anyone without a functioning pancreas scrambling for insulin.

“My apologies,” he started, and to his credit, it didn’t sound too forced.

“For?” I pushed, and the look in his eyes suggested I was seriously pushing my luck.

I didn’t care.

“For,” he forced out, “the ‘slicing’ and ‘dicing’. The drugging, I believe, was justified.”

“You stabbed me first,” I shrugged nonchalantly, adding, “You got a pen?”

He held my gaze for a moment, before slowly getting up to retrieve a branded notepad and pen from the nightstand across the room.

He slid them towards me, and I clicked open the pen with a motion that jolted my forearm. I hid my grimace and somehow refrained from dropping the writing utensil onto the carpeting. I wrote down the number with a degree of difficulty. I pushed it towards him, but kept my fingers on it for a second.

“Wait 24, then call it.”

I could tell he wanted to ask for more details, but he wisely considered this ordeal to be over and my civility worn out.

I walked right out the door, and he didn’t stop me.

I thought about trying to get word to the team, but decided against it. I wasn’t integral to the plan. They could go on without me, and most definitely had considering the importance of the mission and the estimated time I had been gone. If they even knew I had been taken—I seemed to remember the building we were using having cameras—the chances that they would interfere in my business were limited.

So I probably had about 12 hours, give or take. Long enough for a natural nap and a rushed processing session with fuzzy pajamas and ice cream. I would have also indulged in a nice warm bath, but unfortunately I was correct about the stitches, making the whole watery adventure ill-advised.

After I had totally-effectively self-cared the whole experience away, I went out on the town.

I was making a round up City avenue when I spotted a shadow trailing behind me.

Round two, baby. Let’s go.

I stopped, and the shadow closed in.

“What kind of game are you trying to pull?” The shadow confronted angrily.

“You didn’t call the number,” I stated plainly.

“I traced it. It comes back to one [full legal name]. Do you think this is funny? We had an arrangement.” I couldn’t say why, but his words just didn’t seem as scary.

“You’re one to talk about the sanctity of arrangements. We did have one. One that you spit on. Or have you already forgotten?” I could tell he wanted to advance on me, but he was hanging back. “Speaking of which, I don’t really know when to take these stitches out.”

“So you think you can just walk away from this?”

It didn’t seem like he really believed that. It didn’t really seem like he knew what to believe.

“‘I am not an idiot’, Villain.” I threw his words back at him. It was the least he deserved. “I don’t work with people who break my trust. I made an exception. Do I need to take it back?”

He’s smarter than this, isn’t he?

He took a single step forward.

“Wow, you are thick lately. I gave you exactly what you asked for but you just can’t open your eyes and see it.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” he held the scrap of paper up in a tight fist. “I asked for evidence, and if you’re not gonna give me what I clearly asked for-”

“Put your threats away and use your brain for once. Dust off the cobwebs and whatever the fuck has you so messed up and just think.”

I wasn’t angry, just exasperated. I knew my words were entering dangerous territory, but I felt they had to be said. This was not what I was used to dealing with. A brick wall would be more reasonable.

“If I was trying to trick you, I’d give you the number of the local pizza place. If you can’t get this I can’t help you.”

A pregnant pause.

“You,” he breathed.

Finally. A connect-the-dots champion.

“Me,” I confirmed.

“Witness?”

So close.

“Victim.”

I could almost hear the click. His whole demeanor shifted, his walls building back up, self-assuredness back in place.

“I see.”

He looked me up and down one more time with newly-appraising eyes before abruptly turning around and walking away. He melted back into the darkness, disappearing without so much as another word.

Asshole.

[elisela]

Soft Fic 17 Sterek - absentmindedly fixing clothes

workday mornings

“Then we have the thing at six,” Stiles calls out, setting his coffee cup on the island before hastily removing it and wiping the ring of coffee it had left behind before it sinks into the marble and caused a permanent stain. He glares down at his damp hand, sets the cup on a dish towel he probably should have hung up the night before, and crosses to the sink.

“Five,” Derek corrects. He’s fiddling with his cuff as he walks in, and Stiles takes a moment to admire the sexy professor look he has going on—and also to wish fervently that he could manage to look that good in the morning.

Stiles pumps soap into his hand and uses his wrist to push the water on. “It was definitely six.”

“It was, and Lydia changed it to five. Early meeting the next day, she didn’t want to be out late.” Derek’s hand squeezes his hip as he walks by, and Stiles shakes his hands and turns off the water as the espresso machine starts up. “You want one?”

“Only always, babe.” He’s already had two cups of drip, but he’s also heading into the world’s most boring meeting and could probably use all the caffeine he can get. “Is it still—”

“—at Homegrown, yes,” Derek says. His voice is closer than Stiles expected, and when he turns it’s almost directly into his husband’s chest.

“I hate that place.”

Derek’s smile is gentle as his hands reach out and brush down Stiles’ shirt, and Stiles leans into it, pressing a kiss against the corner of Derek’s mouth before resting their cheeks together. “I know.”

The fabric of his shirt slides across his chest as Derek adjusts it. “Let’s ditch her.”

“Sure,” Derek says agreeably, likely because he knows Stiles wouldn’t dare.

“Call Jordan and get him to change it.”

“Sure,” Derek says again; Stiles believes it this time. The soft scratch of Derek’s beard brushes against his cheek and Stiles finds himself wishing they could both call out as Derek moves away. “I’ll have to meet you there, I have office hours until 4:30.”

Stiles checks the time on the clock above the stove and squints, thinking. “I have time to drive you,” he offers, “if you want to put those in travel mugs.”

Derek gives him a look over his shoulder and Stiles knows he’s been feeling the same way—they’re like two ships passing in the night lately, with Stiles’ project ramping up and the semester winding down for Derek. He doesn’t say anything but he doesn’t need to; Stiles sees him stack the small espresso cups back in their holder.

They rush through getting ready—Derek brushes his teeth while Stiles messes with his hair in the mirror, Stiles takes their shoes off the rack by the door while Derek gets their coats. He allows Derek to palm the car keys and slide into the driver’s seat even though it makes more sense for him to drive, and understands why when they climb out of the car in front of the BCU Humanities building and Derek snags his wrist and pulls him into a hug.

“Cabin this weekend?”

Stiles pulls away first—he hates to, but cross-town traffic is only getting worse. “I can … probably swing it,” he says, mentally reviewing his to-do list while smoothing the slight crease in Derek’s collar, “if you don’t mind me working at home tomorrow night.”

Derek pulls him back in and kisses his cheek. “Grading night it is,” he says. “Don’t forget to pick me up.”

Door halfway open, Stiles lets go to throw both hands up. “It was one time!” he yells at Derek’s retreating back, then scrambles to set an alarm on his phone just in case.

[lessapander]

The journey has just begun ...

But no, really, I feel like every time I make progress on cleaning out my sewing room, I've only started another step of the process.

Mid process on the following things:

Fabric I have sorted all of the major lengths of lace and fabric into the Kallax bins now, but I haven't even started on my many mid-project scrap piles. Do I want to? Do I want to just throw them out? Are they worth keeping anymore?! Many of the projects in question are finished, and the scraps were kept "in case I made a mistake" or similar, so should I just yeet them? Or keep them as stuffing for the bum roll I still haven't gotten around to making (lol). This also begs the question, what do I do with my interfacing and other yardage-based notions? I don't have room left in the Kallax for that; some of them are too large for bins, anyway. Should I put them on some kind of rack???

Yarn I moved the yarn I organised from the actual Kallax bins to the cheap Kallax-knock-off bins and shelves that I got from Kmart first, which are not nearly as sturdy or large. I still need to finish sorting a bag of donated yarn (gifted by a relo) to decide if it's worth using. Two Kallax bins managed to fill three and a half of the Kmart bins, whoops. I thought I might balance the (lightweight) yarn bins with some heavier books and such at the bottom levels, and use the top for ironing tools (water, cleaning stuff, etc.) in a little basket, but now I'm wondering if I should devote those four remaining cubbies to something else, like sewing notions?

Figures I have put all "small" figures (S.H. Figuarts, Nendoroids, Figuarts Minis, Pardoll/Parfom, Cu-Poche, etc.) onto the shelves in the new cabinets that they're going to be displayed in. I have not figured out how to store the "large" figures (Figmas, Play Arts Kai, Polynian, etc.) much less display their asses, so they're just scattered around in boxes or stacked on top of the Kallax right now. Most of the issue is their boxes being so much more irregularly shaped and so much larger than the "small" figures, which still have some variety, but are much easier to deal with. Aghh. Contemplating moving things around more to see if I can fit my vintage Polly Pockets or Littlest Pet Shops in somewhere, but don't even get me started on where I'm going to put the Monster High stuff.

[chicagocomputersupplyus]

Power-Packed Performance with Cisco C1300-8P-E-2G – 8-Port PoE+ Switch

In today's fast-paced small office and branch network environments, compact yet capable networking gear is essential. The Cisco C1300-8P-E-2G delivers all the features you need—reliable Gigabit PoE+, versatile uplinks, and flexible deployment options—packaged in a sleek, fanless chassis that fits perfectly in any space.

Key Features of the C1300-8P-E-2G

8× Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ ports: Provides up to 30 W for devices like IP cameras, Wi‑Fi access points, and VoIP phones. With a total PoE budget of 67 W, this switch handles edge deployments easily.

2× 10/100/1000 Mbps combo uplinks (RJ‑45/SFP): Offers flexibility to connect via copper or fiber, extending your reach across the network backbone.

Fanless and whisper‑quiet: Ideal for noise-sensitive offices or retail environments, its silent operation ensures a discreet presence.

Stackable design: Supports stacking of up to four units, allowing network growth without replacing existing infrastructure.

Rack- and desktop-mountable: Installation in standard 19″ racks or on desktops is equally simple and fast.

Why the C1300-8P-E-2G Stands Out

Small to medium-sized networks often need to balance high performance with budget constraints. The C1300-8P-E-2G hits that sweet spot, supporting Power over Ethernet without the bulk and high cost of larger enterprise switches. The combo uplink ports give you copper-based convenience or fiber flexibility—with a future-ready mindset.

Being fanless, it runs silently without moving parts, improving reliability in places where conventional switched fan units would be a distraction. The stackable capability extends your network seamlessly: add more switches as your setup grows, and manage them all as a single logical entity for simplified configuration.

Ideal Use Cases

Edge office or branch locations: Enough PoE ports to support wireless APs and phones without over-provisioning.

Retail environments: Compact form and silent operation make it perfect for store shelves, kiosks, or behind-the-wall installations.

Temporary or remote setups: Lightweight and easy to install, ideal for pop-up offices, events, or project sites.

Distributed networks: Combine with fiber uplinks to bring connectivity from central hubs to satellite offices or outdoor kiosks.

Conclusion

The Cisco C1300-8P-E-2G is a thoughtfully engineered networking solution—compact, quiet, flexible, and scalable. It delivers essential PoE+ power alongside adaptable uplink options, making it a go-to switch for edge deployments, small office setups, or noise-sensitive environments. Fast to deploy, easy to manage, and ready to grow—this switch is built to scale with you.

[cargolashing]

Complete Lashing & Packaging Solutions in Dubai: Why InnovationLine Leads the UAE Market

When it comes to moving heavy-duty, oversized, or fragile cargo, there’s no room for error. Improper securing or substandard packaging can lead to costly damage, delays, and safety hazards. That’s why businesses across the Emirates trust InnovationLine — a leading lashing company in the UAE — for professional-grade industrial packaging and cargo lashing services in Dubai.

From multi wrapping to wooden box fabrication, our team offers custom-engineered solutions that meet international safety standards and logistical requirements.

Why Professional Lashing Solutions Matter

Whether it’s heavy equipment, steel coils, machinery, or delicate components, cargo must be properly lashed before transport. As an experienced provider of lashing solutions in Dubai, InnovationLine ensures secure movement across sea, road, or air.

Our lashing services include:

Flat rack and open-top container lashing

Break bulk and oversized cargo lashing

Dynamic tensioning and dunnage placement

IMO/SOLAS-compliant securing systems

🔒 We combine technical expertise and premium materials to ensure your cargo arrives safely — every time.

Multi Wrapping Services in Dubai: Extra Protection for Delicate Cargo

Sometimes, one layer of protection just isn’t enough. Our multi wrapping in Dubai uses layered packaging techniques to cushion, seal, and shield sensitive or high-value cargo.

This includes:

Bubble wrap and foam underlays

Vacuum sealing and shrink wrapping

Moisture barrier aluminum foil

Heat-sealed industrial plastics

🛡️ Ideal for electronics, auto parts, medical equipment, and export-sensitive goods — our multi-layer approach prevents impact damage, moisture exposure, and oxidation.

Custom Wooden Box Services in Dubai

For industrial cargo that requires both containment and structural support, InnovationLine’s wooden box services in Dubai are the go-to solution. We build custom crates and enclosures for local and global shipments.

Key features:

ISPM-15 heat-treated wood

Heavy-duty skid bases and bracing

Vibration-resistant padding and interior lining

CNC-cut dimensions based on cargo shape

📦 Whether it’s a fragile device or a multi-ton component, our wooden packaging delivers unmatched durability.

Your One-Stop Industrial Packaging Company in UAE

As a comprehensive industrial packaging company in UAE, InnovationLine doesn’t just offer isolated services — we handle the full cargo preparation cycle. That means packaging, wrapping, labeling, compliance, and securing, all under one roof.

We serve:

Oil & gas firms

Power and energy sectors

Heavy engineering

Maritime and logistics companies

Aerospace and defense operations

With both in-house production and mobile teams, we respond quickly to project demands anywhere in the UAE.

Expert Container Lashing in UAE: Stability at Sea & On Land

Containerized cargo, especially when oversized or unevenly loaded, demands precise lashing to remain stable during transit. InnovationLine offers container lashing in UAE using steel chains, tensioners, belts, and load binders that meet global transport requirements.

We specialize in:

Open-top & flat rack container securing

Overheight/overwidth cargo management

On-site supervision and safety documentation

Load weight balancing and route assessment

🚢 We protect your cargo on vessels, trucks, and rail — from port to final delivery.

Dedicated Pipe Lashing Team in UAE

Pipes and cylindrical cargo present unique challenges. Rolling, vibration, and surface damage are constant risks during transit. That’s where our pipe lashing team in UAE delivers safe, reliable solutions using custom-built saddles, steel strapping, and vibration-absorbing supports.

Our approach includes:

Pipe nesting and stacking

Chocking and side blocking

Welded securing and anti-slip mats

Custom crating for short or coated pipes

🔧 For energy, construction, and infrastructure sectors — our pipe lashing is the smart choice.

Why Businesses Trust InnovationLine

✅ Decades of Experience — We’ve handled everything from single machines to massive project cargo across the globe. ✅ Global Standards, Local Execution — All lashing and packaging is done according to IMO, IMDG, SOLAS, and ISPM-15. ✅ Rapid Turnaround — Mobile lashing units and fast production allow for quick deployment across the UAE. ✅ Custom Solutions — No one-size-fits-all — every project is assessed, designed, and delivered with care. ✅ End-to-End Support — From packaging to port clearance, we manage the process efficiently.

Conclusion

Your cargo’s journey begins long before it hits the road or sea — it starts with the right preparation. Whether you need multi wrapping in Dubai, custom wooden box packaging, or expert container and pipe lashing services in the UAE, InnovationLine has the tools, team, and technology to protect your cargo from every angle.

📞 Ready to secure your next shipment? 👉 Visit https://innovationlineintl.com to request a quote or speak with a logistics expert today.

[jimitjain]

Slip On Flange Weight Chart: An Essential Guide for Industrial Sourcing and Logistics

Before you go further, be sure to view my in-depth Weight Chart post online—it’s stocked with precise stats and helpful resources.

In today’s connected and fast-paced industrial environment, procurement teams, project managers, and engineers all need reliable tools and trusted partners to source critical components effectively. Pipex.ai is a Global B2B Marketplace that bridges this gap by connecting buyers with verified suppliers, offering detailed product catalogs, and providing essential technical data to support confident purchasing decisions. One such vital resource is the Slip On Flange Weight Chart, which ensures accuracy in freight planning, installation logistics, and overall project budgeting.

What Is a Slip On Flange?

A Slip On Flange is a type of pipe flange designed to slide over the end of a pipe and then be welded in place both on the inside and outside. This dual-welded connection provides strength and leak-tight performance while being easier to align than other types of flanges. Slip on flanges are widely used in low to moderate pressure applications such as water supply systems, oil and gas distribution, chemical processing, HVAC, and general industrial piping networks.

Manufactured in materials like carbon steel, stainless steel, and various alloys, slip on flanges are valued for their cost-effectiveness and flexibility. However, their weights can vary significantly depending on their size, pressure class, and material, making weight charts indispensable tools for planning.

Why Is the Slip On Flange Weight Chart Important?

Accurate weight data is essential throughout the entire supply chain:

Freight and Shipping Costs: Shipping heavy components can be expensive. Knowing the precise weight of flanges helps optimize container loads, avoid overweight charges, and plan transportation budgets accurately.

Installation Planning: Onsite rigging, cranes, and manpower requirements all depend on understanding the weights of components being installed.

Storage and Inventory Management: Warehouses must plan shelving, stacking, and racking systems that can handle expected weights safely.

Cost Estimation: Knowing the weight is key to estimating material costs, especially when buying metal components priced by weight.

Procurement Accuracy: Reduces errors and unexpected costs by ensuring that specifications are clear before purchase.

For large projects involving hundreds or thousands of flanges, even small miscalculations in weight can quickly lead to significant cost overruns and logistical challenges.

Detailed Explanation of Slip On Flange Weight Chart

Slip On Flange Charts in kg and mm typically organize data by:

Nominal Pipe Size (NPS): The standardized diameter of the connected pipe.

Pressure Class: The rating (e.g., Class 150, 300, 600) that affects flange thickness and therefore its weight.

Material Type: Carbon steel, stainless steel, or alloy grades each have different densities, affecting overall weight.

While exact weights vary slightly by manufacturer and design standards (ASME, ANSI, DIN, etc.), below is a general description of typical weight ranges for carbon steel slip on flanges in Class 150, one of the most commonly used pressure ratings.

Typical Weight Ranges for Class 150 Carbon Steel Slip On Flanges (Approximate)

1" NPS: ~1.5–2 kg

2" NPS: ~3.5–4.5 kg

3" NPS: ~6.5–8 kg

4" NPS: ~10–12 kg

6" NPS: ~20–24 kg

8" NPS: ~35–42 kg

10" NPS: ~50–60 kg

12" NPS: ~70–85 kg

For higher-pressure classes, such as Class 300 or 600, flange weights increase significantly due to thicker designs needed to withstand greater pressure. For example, a 4" Class 300 Slip On Flange may weigh around 18–22 kg compared to 10–12 kg for Class 150.

Stainless steel and alloy versions will also weigh slightly more due to higher material densities, which buyers should account for during planning.

How the Weight Chart Supports Buyers and Engineers

Weight charts are more than just numbers; they’re planning tools that help stakeholders make smarter, safer, and more cost-effective decisions. Logistics planners can estimate shipping costs more accurately. Engineers can specify appropriate lifting and rigging equipment. Procurement teams can forecast total order costs with confidence.

These weight charts also support better supplier communication, ensuring that everyone in the supply chain is working from the same, clear data set. This reduces errors, rework, and costly surprises down the line.

Conclusion

In industrial sourcing, details matter. A reliable Slip On Flange Weight Chart in PDF empowers buyers and engineers to make informed choices about freight, storage, installation, and cost management. Combined with a robust, trusted B2B Portal, this data-driven approach transforms procurement from a risky, manual process into a professional, efficient, and cost-effective operation.

[lakshmiglobal]

Why Choose Smart Hands for Remote Technical Support?

Here’s a clear, professional breakdown of why businesses choose Smart Hands services for remote technical support, especially in today’s hybrid data center and multi-cloud environments.

🚀 What Are Smart Hands?

Smart Hands are on-site, on-demand technical support services performed by trained engineers or technicians at your data center, colocation site, or branch office. They act as your “remote hands and eyes”, executing tasks that require physical presence, but under your remote guidance.

✅ Key Benefits of Using Smart Hands

🔄 1. Minimize Travel & Operational Costs

No need to fly your internal teams to distant data centers or branch offices.

Avoid expensive last-minute travel or overnight stays for routine tasks.

💰 Result: Reduce T&E (travel & expense) costs while maintaining operational control.

⚡ 2. Faster Issue Resolution

Immediate on-site troubleshooting: cable swaps, power cycling, module replacements.

Many providers guarantee 4-hour or same-day response, reducing downtime dramatically.

⏱ Result: Stay within SLAs, avoid costly outages, and restore services faster.

🧑‍💻 3. Extend Your IT Team Globally

Gain skilled technicians wherever your infrastructure resides — without maintaining a permanent local team.

Ideal for companies expanding into new regions or managing multiple colocation sites.

🌐 Result: Unified operations with local expertise, 24/7.

🔒 4. Secure Hands-On Tasks

Handle sensitive hardware operations (like replacing drives, securing racks, adding security seals) under your remote direction.

Avoid unauthorized access by relying on certified, background-checked engineers.

🔐 Result: Maintain data center compliance and audit readiness.

🗂️ 5. Support for Routine & Complex Tasks

Smart Hands can assist with: Task Type Examples

Physical: Rack & stack, cabling, patch panel tracing

Maintenance: Swap hot-spares, clean filters, replace fans/PSUs

Validation: LED/light checks, serial number captures, asset tagging

Testing: Loopback testing, console connections, firmware USB loading

Decommissioning: Secure drive removal and shipment, recycling prep

🏢 Typical Use Cases

Managing servers & storage in colocation or third-party data centers

Supporting branch offices without local IT staff

Handling rollouts, migrations, and hardware refresh projects

Coordinating remote compliance checks or audits

Providing 24x7 emergency coverage

⚙️ Why It’s Better Than Just Remote Monitoring

Remote Monitoring: Smart Hands

Detects issues: Resolves them physically

Alerts you to failures: Can power cycle or replace hardware on-site

Purely software-based: Complements with hands-on expertise

🏆 Choosing a Smart Hands Provider

Look for partners who offer:

✔️ Multi-vendor hardware expertise (Dell, Cisco, Juniper, HPE, NetApp, etc.)

✔️ Guaranteed SLA response times (like 2-hour or 4-hour on-site)

✔️ 24×7×365 availability

✔️ Strong compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2)

✔️ Transparent hourly or monthly pricing

💬 Need Help?

I can help you:

Build a checklist of Smart Hands tasks for your environment

Compare providers and SLA packages

Create an RFP template for Smart Hands services

Just tell me your locations, vendors, and typical support needs, and I’ll prepare a tailored guide!

[ashiprogoez]

Modular Defense: Stackable Aluminum Flood Barriers for Scalable Protection

As flood threats become more intense and unpredictable, property owners across the U.S. are turning to smart, adaptable solutions to safeguard their homes, businesses, and infrastructure. One of the most effective innovations in this space? Stackable aluminum flood barriers a modular, high-strength solution that offers flexible and scalable protection when and where it’s needed most. Whether you're facing a seasonal storm surge, flash flooding, or rising groundwater, these barriers provide a reliable and customizable defense system designed to meet evolving climate challenges without compromising on usability or aesthetics.

What Are Stackable Aluminum Flood Barriers?

Stackable aluminum flood barriers are modular panels made from corrosion-resistant aluminum that interlock vertically to form a watertight wall. Designed to fit across doors, windows, garages, storefronts, and even full property perimeters, these barriers are:

Lightweight yet strong

Reusable and durable

Easy to store and deploy

Customizable in both height and length

The stackable design allows users to adjust protection levels based on flood severity or local topography—making them a go-to solution for everyone from residential homeowners to industrial site managers.

Key Benefits of Stackable Aluminum Flood Barriers

✅ Scalable Protection

Add or remove panels as needed to respond to changing water levels. Start with low-level defense and increase the height in minutes as conditions evolve.

✅ Tool-Free Assembly

Most systems require no tools to install and can be deployed by one or two people. This is critical for quick response during emergencies.

✅ Durability

Aluminum is naturally corrosion-resistant, making it ideal for long-term outdoor use in flood-prone environments.

✅ Space-Saving Storage

Panels stack neatly in compact storage racks or cases, minimizing space requirements when not in use.

✅ Custom Fit

Barrier systems can be tailored to fit almost any opening or contour. Corner units, angled sections, and custom mounting tracks are available to accommodate unique layouts.

Where Can Stackable Aluminum Flood Barriers Be Used?

These barriers are incredibly versatile and can be deployed in a wide range of settings, including:

Residential homes – protect doors, garages, and walkways

Commercial storefronts – shield entryways and windows from water damage

Warehouses & industrial facilities – guard loading docks and service bays

Public infrastructure – defend pump stations, transit hubs, and government buildings

Temporary flood zones – use for events, construction sites, or mobile operations

Real-World Example: Adaptability in Action

Imagine a coastal business with a storefront that floods during tropical storms. Instead of relying on sandbags, the owner installs permanent tracks on either side of the entry. When a flood warning is issued, staff quickly slide the aluminum panels into place—stacking as many as needed to match the expected water level. Once the threat passes, the panels are removed, wiped down, and stored for the next use. Faster deployment, stronger protection, and less cleanup after the storm.

Things to Consider Before Installing

Mounting options: Determine if you’ll need embedded side channels, surface-mounted tracks, or freestanding posts.

Water tightness: Look for systems with high-grade rubber gaskets and tested sealing systems.

Compliance: Ensure the system meets FEMA, ANSI/FM, or local building codes if required.

Professional help: While installation is user-friendly, professional consultation is recommended for custom fits and large-scale projects.

Final Thoughts: Flexible Defense for an Uncertain Future

Stackable aluminum flood barriers represent the next generation of flood protection—strong, modular, and designed for real-world use. In an age of increasing climate volatility, scalable defense isn’t just smart—it’s essential. Whether you're securing a single doorway or an entire facility, this flexible system ensures you're ready for the next storm, surge, or flood—no matter the size.

[kelownajunkremoval]

Boost Your Business Image with Commercial Junk Removal Services in Kelowna

In today’s competitive business landscape, first impressions matter more than ever. Whether you’re operating a retail store, office, warehouse, or rental property, the cleanliness and organization of your commercial space reflect directly on your brand. If you’ve been dealing with old furniture, unused office equipment, packaging waste, or construction debris, it’s time to consider professional support. Commercial Junk Removal Kelowna by Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. offers the perfect solution to declutter your business environment, enhance visual appeal, and improve daily operations — all while saving you time, energy, and resources.

Why Junk and Clutter Hurt Your Business

A messy, cluttered business space doesn’t just affect appearances — it impacts productivity, safety, and client confidence. Here’s how leftover junk can silently hurt your business image:

Client Perception: Customers and clients associate clutter with disorganization and poor management.

Workplace Safety: Stacks of unused equipment, boxes, or debris can create tripping hazards and fire risks.

Employee Morale: A clean and functional workspace promotes a positive work environment, improving focus and satisfaction

Compliance Issues: In some industries, cluttered or improperly disposed waste can lead to compliance violations.

Keeping your space clear isn’t just about cleanliness — it’s about credibility and professionalism.

What Is Commercial Junk Removal?

Commercial junk removal is a specialized service that focuses on clearing out and responsibly disposing of unwanted items from business properties. Whether you’re relocating, renovating, or just doing a seasonal cleanup, commercial junk removal takes the burden off your team and ensures efficient, eco-friendly disposal.

At Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd., commercial services are tailored to meet the unique needs of:

Offices and corporate space

Retail stores and shopping centers

Property management firms

Real estate agents

Warehouses and storage units

Hotels and hospitality businesses

Construction and renovation projects

From removing outdated furniture and electronics to hauling construction debris or retail displays, their team handles it all — quickly and discreetly.

Top Benefits of Commercial Junk Removal Services

1. Professional Image Boost

Customers, tenants, and clients notice the little things — like how tidy your entrance is, how organized your interior looks, and how well-maintained the surroundings are. Clearing out old items immediately boosts your professional image.

2. Efficient Use of Space

Junk takes up valuable square footage that could be used for productive purposes — extra desks, inventory storage, or even breakroom space for staff. A clean space is a functional space.

3. Safe Disposal and Recycling

Certain types of commercial waste — like electronics, appliances, or construction materials — require special handling. Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. ensures that all items are either responsibly recycled, donated, or disposed of according to municipal and provincial regulations.

4. Saves Time and Labor

Instead of asking your team to spend hours sorting, lifting, and hauling junk to the landfill, professionals handle the job efficiently — allowing your staff to focus on core tasks.

5. Flexible Scheduling

Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. works around your business hours to ensure minimal disruption. Early mornings, evenings, or weekends — they adapt to your schedule.

What Types of Junk Are Removed?

Common Commercial Items Include:

Office chairs, desks, and cubicles

Filing cabinets and shelving units

Electronics (printers, computers, monitors)

Packaging materials and cardboard

Renovation debris (drywall, tile, wood)

Retail display racks and mannequins

Old signage and promotional items

Commercial appliances and kitchen equipment

No matter the scale or type of business, Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. can customize their services to handle your specific needs.

Who Can Benefit from Commercial Junk Removal?

1. Small and Large Businesses

From one-room startups to large corporate offices, junk removal frees up workspace and helps you maintain a clean, organized environment.

2. Real Estate Agents & Property Managers

Preparing a property for sale or rent? A thorough cleanout improves presentation and helps close deals faster.

3. Renovation Contractors

Construction and renovation generate tons of waste. A professional crew handles the heavy lifting and proper disposal, saving you hassle on the job site.

4. Retail Stores

Seasonal resets, store closures, and display changes leave behind clutter. A clean, open floorplan enhances customer experience and increases foot traffic.

Eco-Conscious and Community-Focused

Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. doesn’t just throw everything in a landfill. They’re committed to sustainable junk removal by:

Donating gently used items to local charities and community organizations

Recycling electronics, metals, plastics, and paper whenever possible

Reducing their carbon footprint through efficient routing and waste management strategies

Their eco-friendly approach ensures your business isn’t just clean — it’s also contributing to a cleaner community.

How the Process Works

Getting started with Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. is simple:

Request a Free Quote Call or fill out their online form to schedule a free, no-obligation estimate. A team member will assess your junk and provide upfront pricing.

Set a Schedule That Works for You Choose a date and time that fits your business needs. They offer flexible options, including after-hours service.

Efficient Removal and Cleanup The team arrives on time, loads the junk, and leaves the space clean and ready for use — no extra work for your staff.

Responsible Disposal Your items are sorted, donated, recycled, or safely disposed of according to the city’s regulations.

More Than Commercial: Full-Spectrum Services Available

In addition to their trusted commercial services, Kelowna Junk Removal Ltd. proudly serves homeowners and tenants throughout the area. Whether you’re moving, renovating, or spring cleaning, their team is available to help with efficient and affordable residential junk removal Kelowna residents rely on for clutter-free homes and properties.

[businessrelocationlondon]

Disaster-Proof Moves: Building Business Continuity Into Your London Office Relocation

Picture this: crates are stacked, servers are powered down, and vans are revving when a protest blocks the street, the lift fails, or half your staff call in sick with the flu. Suddenly that carefully-timed schedule collapses—and the financial fallout escalates by the minute. When you partner with specialists in Business Relocation London, contingency planning is baked into every stage, turning worst-case scenarios into minor hiccups instead of mission-critical disasters. Below you’ll learn how to weave business-continuity principles into your next move so productivity never skips a beat.

1. Run a Pre-Move Business-Impact Analysis (BIA)

A good BIA answers one question: “How long can each department tolerate downtime?”

Identify Critical Functions – Finance, sales, and customer support usually top the list.

Set Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) – Define maximum acceptable outage for each function.

Tag Dependencies – Note which apps, files, or hardware each team needs to hit its RTO.

Armed with that data, your Business Relocation London lead can sequence the move so the longest-tolerant teams shift first, protecting revenue generators until the very end.

2. Create a Dual-Site Operations Plan

Even a six-hour broadband outage can cost thousands. Reduce exposure with a split-site approach:

Shadow Servers in the Cloud – Spin up temporary IaaS instances that mirror on-prem data.

Remote-First Workflow – Equip staff with VPNs and collaboration tools weeks before the move.

Pop-Up Command Centre – Reserve desks in a co-working hub as an emergency fallback.

Providers of Business Relocation London routinely manage dual-site logistics, ensuring data and staff pivot gracefully if anything stalls the physical transfer.

3. Build a Layered Communication Matrix

Silence breeds chaos. Keep every stakeholder in the loop via three parallel channels:

SMS Alerts – Instant updates if the timetable shifts.

Real-Time Dashboard – A shared link tracking crate counts, vehicle GPS, and room-by-room completion.

Daily Stand-Ups – Ten-minute video huddles for department heads to flag risks or needs.

Your Business Relocation London project manager should orchestrate this matrix so information flows even when Wi-Fi doesn’t.

4. Harden the Tech Move Against Failures

Redundant Power – UPS units ride through brownouts; generators cover multi-hour gaps.

Flight-Case Servers – Shock-mounted racks safeguard blades against pothole rattles.

Serialised Asset Tracking – Every device gets a barcode; nothing “goes missing” in the shuffle.

On-Site IT Engineers – Certified pros reconnect gear and run test log-ins before staff arrive.

These safeguards come standard with premier Business Relocation London packages, sparing you from Monday-morning meltdowns.

5. Keep Compliance & Insurance Front-of-Mind

A relocation exposes you to fresh legal and financial risks:

GDPR Chain-of-Custody Logs for any crate holding personal data.

WEEE-Compliant Disposal for obsolete hardware.

Goods-In-Transit Cover that matches the true replacement value of your tech stack.

Contractual SLA Penalties that compensate if the mover misses critical deadlines.

Seasoned Business Relocation London consultants will review policies and paperwork to ensure no loophole swallows your claim later.

6. Stress-Test With a “War-Game” Rehearsal

One week out, run a tabletop drill:

Simulate a van breakdown, lift malfunction, or DNS failure.

Walk through the playbook: who calls whom, which fallback activates, how progress is logged.

Note bottlenecks and patch them before the real move.

This dress rehearsal turns theory into muscle memory—another hallmark of robust Business Relocation London planning.

7. Post-Move Recovery & Review

The job isn’t done when the last crate is emptied:

48-Hour Hyper-Care – Extra technicians on site for surprise bugs.

Performance Benchmarks – Compare page-load speeds, call-centre latency, and ticket volumes pre- vs post-move.

Lessons-Learnt Report – Document wins and misses to refine the process for future expansion.

Your Business Relocation London provider should deliver a comprehensive dossier proving targets were met—or exceeded.

Final Word: Move With Confidence, Not Luck

Disruption is inevitable; disaster is optional. By embedding business-continuity safeguards into every crate, cable, and calendar slot, you transform relocation risk into competitive resilience. Ready to disaster-proof your next address change? Partner with the experts in Business Relocation London and enjoy the calm that comes from knowing every “what if” already has an answer.

[news24-amit]

Technological Innovation Catalyzes Growth in the DC-DC Converter Market

The Global DC-DC Converter Market Outlook 2031 report reveals that the market, valued at USD 7.4 billion in 2022, is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2023 through 2031, reaching USD 13.3 billion by the end of 2031.

Market Overview: DC-DC converters are essential for managing power distribution across myriad electronic systems, converting input DC voltages to regulated outputs with high efficiency and minimal noise. From automotive and telecommunications to aerospace and renewable energy, these converters ensure optimal performance and reliability. In 2022, the global DC-DC converter market was valued at USD 7.4 billion. With surging demand for energy-efficient electronics and rapid electrification of transportation, the market is on track to achieve USD 13.3 billion by 2031, growing at a steady 6.8% CAGR.

Market Drivers & Trends

Energy Efficiency Imperative: As industries pursue greener operations and lower operating costs, high-efficiency DC-DC converters reduce energy losses and extend battery life in portable and off‑grid applications.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption: Rising EV sales necessitate reliable DC-DC converters to step down high‑voltage battery output for auxiliary loads such as lighting, infotainment, and safety systems.

Technological Advancements: Innovations in wide‑bandgap semiconductors (e.g., SiC, GaN), digital control algorithms, and higher power density architectures are driving performance improvements and miniaturization.

Power Density & Integration: The trend toward compact, integrated power modules that combine control, protection, and conversion functions is reshaping customer expectations and creating new design opportunities.

Key Players and Industry Leaders

The global DC-DC converter landscape is highly fragmented, with numerous specialized and diversified vendors competing on quality, innovation, and customization:

ABB Ltd.

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

Bel Fuse Inc.

Delta Electronics, Inc.

FDK Corporation

FLEX Ltd.

Infineon Technologies AG

MEAN WELL Enterprises Co., Ltd.

Meggitt PLC

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

STMicroelectronics N.V.

TDK Corporation

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Vicor Corporation

XP Power

Other Key Players

Each company’s profile in the report includes an overview, financial performance, R&D focus, product portfolio, and strategic initiatives.

Download to explore critical insights from our Report in this sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=57555

Recent Developments

October 2023: Bel Fuse launched the 700DNG40-24-8, a liquid‑cooled 4 kW DC-DC converter for EV and HEV auxiliary systems.

September 2023: FLEX Ltd. introduced the 300 W PKU4317D series for telecom/datacom applications, featuring comprehensive protection against over-temperature, under-voltage, and short circuits.

March 2023: Bel Fuse rolled out the RDT-6Y series for railway applications, offering a 12:1 input range (14–160 VDC).

November 2021: Eaton eMobility secured a contract for a 24 V-to-12 V DC-DC converter in heavy‑duty battery-electric vehicles, emphasizing noise reduction and interference rejection.

November 2019: Delta Electronics debuted its B70SP series (500 W, 91.5% efficiency) for industrial and off-road electric vehicles.

Latest Market Trends

Isolated Converters Dominate: In 2022, isolated DC-DC converters commanded a 73.1% share, driven by safety isolation, noise suppression, and ground‑potential flexibility. This segment is forecast to grow at 6.2% CAGR through 2031.

Data Center Electrification: With the explosion of high‑performance computing, data center racks increasingly rely on dense DC-DC modules to manage power in space-constrained environments. The data center segment held an 18.5% share in 2022.

Modular, Scalable Architectures: Vendors are offering plug-and-play power blocks that can be paralleled or stacked to meet variable load demands, enhancing scalability and reducing development time.

Market Opportunities

Renewable Energy Integration: As solar and wind installations proliferate, DC microgrids and battery storage systems require efficient converters to balance generation, storage, and consumption.

5G & Edge Computing: Telecom base stations and edge data nodes demand high-reliability, compact converters to support continuous operation in diverse environments.

Industrial Automation & IIoT: Smart factories and robotics applications benefit from precision power control, enabling predictive maintenance and higher uptime.

Future Outlook

Analysts anticipate sustained expansion of the DC-DC converter market, underpinned by global electrification trends and stringent energy regulations. Innovation in digital control and AI‑driven power management is set to unlock further efficiency gains. By 2031, next‑generation converters will support higher voltage battery systems (>800 V), bidirectional power flow for vehicle‑to-grid (V2G) applications, and advanced fault‑tolerance features for critical infrastructure.

Market Segmentation

By Type

Isolated DC-DC Converter

Non‑isolated DC-DC Converter

By Power Range

Up to 100 W; 100–500 W; 500–1 000 W; 1 000–1 500 W; 1 500–2 000 W; Above 2 000 W

By Input Voltage

Up to 20 V; 20–40 V; 40–60 V; 60–100 V; Above 100 V

By Output Voltage

Up to 12 V; 12–24 V; 24–48 V; 48–72 V; 72–100 V; Above 100 V

By Brick Size

1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 Brick; Full Brick

By Mounting

Chassis, Through‑Hole, SMD/SMT, DIN Rail, Others

By Application

Data Centers, Industrial Automation, Automotive, Aircraft/Spacecraft, Smartphones, Home Appliances, Computing Devices, Solar Inverters, Others

By End‑use Industry

Automotive & Transportation, Aerospace & Defense, Electronics & Semiconductor, IT & Telecom, Industrial, Energy & Utility, Others

By Region

North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa

Why Buy This Report?

Comprehensive Analysis: Global and regional market sizing, historical data (2017–2021), and detailed forecasts (2023–2031).

Multi-layered Segmentation: Cross-segment insights by type, power range, voltage, mounting, application, and end‑use.

Competitive Landscape: In-depth profiles of 15+ key players, market share analysis, strategic initiatives, and recent developments.

Strategic Tools: Porter’s Five Forces, value chain analysis, and trend mapping to guide investment and product development.

Rich Data Package: Electronic report (PDF) plus Excel database for customized analysis.

About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information. Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. Contact: Transparency Market Research Inc. CORPORATE HEADQUARTER DOWNTOWN, 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 USA Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

[computer8920]

How to Store and Manage Bulk mSATA SSDs for Long-Term Use?

Purchasing mSATA SSDs in bulk is a smart move for businesses and tech enthusiasts, but proper storage and management are crucial to ensure their longevity and performance. Whether you’re stocking up for future projects or managing inventory for a data center, here are some essential tips to store and manage bulk mSATA SSDs effectively.

1. Use Anti-Static Packaging mSATA SSDs are sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage their internal components. Always store them in anti-static bags or containers to prevent ESD. Avoid handling the SSDs directly without proper grounding, as static electricity from your hands can cause harm.

2. Maintain Optimal Environmental Conditions Storage conditions play a significant role in preserving the integrity of mSATA SSDs. Store them in a cool, dry place with stable temperatures, ideally between 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). Avoid areas with high humidity, extreme temperatures, or direct sunlight, as these can degrade the SSDs over time.

3. Organize with Inventory Management Systems Organization is key when dealing with bulk SSDs. Use inventory management software or tools to track your stock. Label each SSD with relevant details like capacity, purchase date, and batch number. This helps you quickly locate specific units and monitor their usage.

4. Implement a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) System To ensure older SSDs are used before newer ones, adopt a FIFO system. This prevents older units from sitting in storage for too long, reducing the risk of performance degradation or obsolescence. Regularly audit your inventory to maintain this system effectively.

5. Avoid Physical Damage mSATA SSDs are small and delicate, making them prone to physical damage. Store them in sturdy, shock-resistant containers or racks. Avoid stacking heavy items on top of the SSDs, and handle them with care during transportation or relocation.

6. Test SSDs Periodically Even in storage, SSDs can experience data degradation over time. Periodically test a sample of your stock to ensure they are functioning correctly. This helps identify any potential issues early and ensures your SSDs are ready for use when needed.

7. Keep Firmware Updated If you plan to store SSDs for an extended period, check for firmware updates before putting them into storage. The updated firmware can improve performance and compatibility, ensuring the SSDs are ready for future use.

8. Plan for Long-Term Scalability As technology evolves, your storage needs may change. Regularly assess your inventory and adjust your storage strategy to accommodate new advancements. This ensures your bulk SSDs remain relevant and useful in the long run.

Conclusion Proper storage and management of bulk mSATA SSDs are essential to maximize their lifespan and performance. By following these tips, you can protect your investment, maintain organization, and ensure your SSDs are ready for use whenever needed. Whether you’re a business or an enthusiast, these practices will help you get the most out of your bulk purchase.