#Reset Network Settings

[isanyonetoknow]

Can iPhones die

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

Oh yeah! Reblogging to add my friend's tags:

#if you set your computer to a metered connection it can't update without your consent (:

This works on Windows 10, not sure about 11 yet though. (It's in the Settings menu, network settings, and I think you have to go into the settings for the specific network you're connected to. If you do a network reset, it removes that setting, so be sure to set it back afterwards!)

Also I believe no piece of software except for internet browsers should have always online internet connection. In fact, if you have something like an multiplayer game, you should go and click a very visible, very noticeable button that allows it to connect to the internet. If there is an update to an application, even your own OS, it should be in a very, very visible notification and only start with your express consent. You should be able to tell when something in your computer is connected to the internet. If you update your program in the background you should be shot.

[techdriveplay]

How to Troubleshoot Common Wi-Fi Issues

In today’s hyper-connected world, a stable Wi-Fi connection is essential for everything from remote work to streaming entertainment. Yet, despite advances in technology, Wi-Fi issues remain a common frustration. Whether it’s slow speeds, frequent disconnections, or devices failing to connect, understanding how to troubleshoot common Wi-Fi issues can save you from a lot of headaches. Wi-Fi…

[ceaselessbasher]

LORD WIFI HAS RETURNED TO MY HOME

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: Top "Glow Up" Tips & Habits To Become The Best Version of Yourself

Prioritize the Holy Trinity: Nutrition, Movement, & Sleep. Following a whole-foods, plant-based diet with vegetables and/or fruit at every meal and limiting processed foods is one of the simplest ways to improve your overall health. Drink plenty of water, have any necessary supplements (like vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega 3s, etc.), and reduce your consumption of sugary, alcoholic, or caffeine-loaded beverages. Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of walking and/or a simple 15-20 workout into your everyday routine. Make getting a full night's rest (usually 7-9 hours for most people) a non-negotiable in your life.

Practice Radical Self-Acceptance. Fully embrace your personal values. Get comfortable with your authentic desires. Define and set goals for yourself in every area of your life.

Nourish Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Consistently. Eat a healthful diet (enough food without overstuffing yourself), sleep and move enough throughout the day, and continue learning and educating yourself on current events, your industry/career field, art, culture, history, world languages, etc. Practice mindfulness and self-care activities. Honoring your sexual needs. Giving yourself at least one rest/reset day per week.

Cultivate Sustainable (and Personally-Fulfilling) Routines. Your sleep schedule, work/school schedule, workout schedule throughout the week, social and self-care time, date nights, time for your hobbies, errands, cleaning, and relaxation. Make appointments with yourself to empower you to fulfill all your daily tasks and activities to ensure you can work and play without burning yourself out in the process.

Set Boundaries. With your friends, family, work-life/professional network, romantic and sexual partners, and yourself. Understand your emotional, physical, and energetic limitations. Communicate them clearly, compassionately, and unapologetically. Cut toxic people out of your life. Avoid codependency like the plague. Nurture your healthy and supportive interdependent relationships regularly.

Learn What You Enjoy. Ensure To Incorporate These Products, Routines, and Relationships Into Your Day. It can be a piece of dark chocolate and a favorite T.V. show, a long evening phone call with a loved one, a hot bubble bath, or any other small luxury that gives you genuine pleasure and adds some necessary joy to your day.

Check In With Yourself Regularly. Pivot When Necessary. Self-improvement, goal setting, relationship building, and cultivating unshakeable self-love/life satisfaction takes time, experimentation, trial and error, and tons of self-reflection before you get it right in any area of your life. Be honest with yourself on what's work, what's not, where to remain consistent, and what areas of your life would benefit from a change.

[reality-detective]

BREAKING! The American Economy Is About to Crash Harder Than We’ve Ever Seen And It’s All by Design

The American economy is on the verge of a catastrophic crash, and it’s not by accident—it’s all part of the elites' plan to tighten their grip on your life, your money, and your freedom. The crash that’s coming will make the past recessions seem like child’s play. This is not a natural market correction, it's a deliberate financial bloodbath orchestrated by those in power, and YOU are the target.

They’re not just after your money—they want complete control over every aspect of your life. And the worst part? Most people are asleep, unaware that their entire existence is about to be turned upside down.

This collapse isn’t incompetence; it’s a calculated attack. The elites are burning down the current system to rebuild one where they own everything—and they want total control. Every dollar, every transaction, your freedom, your future—all under their watchful eye.

Look around—inflation is skyrocketing, the housing market is becoming impossible, and debt is exploding. This is no accident. The economy is being primed for a collapse, and when it happens, the 2008 crisis will look like a joke in comparison.

What’s their real agenda? It’s simple: control. When the economy collapses, the elites will roll out their "solution", and that solution will be your worst nightmare. Total control over every aspect of your life—that's what they want, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking your gold and silver will save you. The elites have already set traps for that too. When this crash hits, precious metals won’t mean a thing in their new system. They’ve already planned the next era of control with digital currencies and total surveillance.

There is no power vacuum coming, only new chains being forged. The collapse will only pave the way for a new, even more oppressive system. They’ve been planning this for decades, and when the dust settles, the elites will hold all the power.

Every major crisis—from 9/11 to the 2008 crash to COVID-19—has been used to tighten their control. The American economy is just the next domino to fall, and the solution they offer will rob you of your freedom.

Wake up to the reality. This crash is coming fast, and it’s by design. Resist their narrative. Prepare yourself, build local networks, and start thinking about how to survive without their system. They want you blind, but you have a choice—fight back or be crushed.

The Great Reset is happening right before your eyes. Are you going to be a pawn in their game, or will you wake up and fight for your freedom? 🤔

The time is now!

[genshin-impact-updates]

"Teyvat's Special Delivery" Genshin Impact 4th Anniversary Web Event Now Online

With the festival approaching and a surge in deliveries, come and help Kirara deliver packages to share heartfelt wishes to everyone~

There's a special package waiting for you too!

>> Click to Take Part in Event <<

〓Event Duration〓

2024/09/27 – 2024/10/07 23:59:59 (UTC+8)

*Rewards cannot be claimed after the event ends. Please claim them in time.

〓Eligibility〓

Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 10 or above can participate in this event.

〓Event Description〓

Travelers can obtain packages by completing tasks and choose the corresponding recipient to deliver the packages to different areas. When delivering the packages, you will also receive a gift from the recipient.

Complete all the package deliveries to unlock your anniversary gift, which includes a reward of Primogems ×40 and an exclusive fourth anniversary recipe!

〓Obtaining Packages〓

1. There are a total of 6 packages that need to be delivered to different areas, with each area receiving only one package.

2. Travelers can obtain packages by completing the following tasks: perform corresponding actions in Genshin Impact, such as daily logins or claiming commission rewards, or outside the game by watching Natlan trailers, visiting official social media, etc.

*Packages obtained from completing tasks need to be collected manually in the event page. Packages earned through daily tasks that have not been collected will also be reset when daily tasks are refreshed the next day, so remember to collect them!

*Daily Tasks will reset daily at 04:00. If Travelers try to visit the event around this time, they may encounter a brief network error. Please refresh the page if you encounter this error.

*After completing the package deliveries for all areas, you can continue to complete tasks and still receive packages, but you will no longer be able to make additional deliveries.

〓Delivering Packages〓

1. After obtaining a package, Travelers can click on any area to make a delivery. Based on the recipient information on the package slip, select the correct recipient to start the delivery.

2. After delivering the package, Travelers will receive a gift from the recipient.

3. After completing all the package deliveries, Travelers will also receive a mysterious gift and an anniversary card. Sharing any anniversary card will earn you Mora ×20,000.

*If the recipient is selected incorrectly, the system will provide a prompt, and Travelers can choose again.

*Each area can only receive one package delivery.

*After successfully starting a delivery, the number of deliverable packages will be automatically deducted. Travelers can enter the delivery area repeatedly until the package is delivered.

〓Event Rewards〓

1. The first time Travelers deliver a package to each area, they will receive in-game item rewards.

2. The full set of rewards include: Primogems ×40, exclusive 4th Anniversary Recipe "Delights of Wondrous Wanderings" ×1, Mystic Enhancement Ore ×5, Hero's Wit ×3, Sanctifying Unction ×3, Candied Ajilenakh Nut ×1, Rainbow Macarons ×1, Sprayfeather Gill ×3, and Mora ×20,000.

*The fourth anniversary event-exclusive recipe "Delights of Wondrous Wanderings" can only be obtained through this web event and is not available through any other means.

*The in-game rewards will be distributed via in-game mail. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the rewards in time.

*This web event is provided purely for entertainment. It is not indicative of any related gameplay features in Genshin Impact.

[vebbex]

even funnier little update: i spent 4 hours troubleshooting ol' reliable last night and gave up only to wake up the next day and it fixed itself. i don't know what happened or what it did but thank god.

funny little update: ol' reliable (my computer) is having network issues so i can't draw anything until i figure out what's going on

[fans4wga]

[September 1] Don’t Fall For Hollywood Bosses’ New PR Spin

'Today marks the 122nd day of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike and 48th day of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike. The dual work stoppages have brought Hollywood to a standstill, with production halted on films and television programs, and premieres and other promotional events either scaled back or canceled. Both guilds are striking over demands that are more than reasonable, particularly given studio executives’ record pay. These demands include fair compensation for streaming media (particularly better residuals, which currently pale in comparison to what they are for network and cable broadcasts), robust studio support for health and retirement funds, and safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence. (For more on why WGA and SAG-AFTRA are on strike, read the excellent reporting of Jacobin’s Alex Press). 

In a move that has shocked…pretty much no one, Hollywood bosses don’t want to share their earnings with the very storytellers responsible for generating them. At the same time, they’re happy to make workers pay the cost for their own miscalculations about streaming.

The major Tinseltown studios – organized under the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) trade association – remain stubbornly opposed to striking a fair deal with either guild. Under the leadership of AMPTP president Carol Lombardini, studios have employed brutal tactics to bust the strike, including threatening to drag things out until writers lose their homes and using management-friendly trade publications to pressure the guilds into accepting lowball offers. These tactics have backfired spectacularly: not only have they failed to end either strike, but they’ve also turned the public overwhelmingly against the AMPTP. A new Gallup poll finds that Americans back the WGA over the AMPTP by 72% to 19%, and SAG-AFTRA over AMPTP by 64% to 24%.

Aware of their reputational damage (but willfully ignorant of the anti-worker attitude that caused it), the AMPTP announced a “reset” to its approach this week – not by negotiating in good faith or meeting the guilds’ demands, but by hiring a pricey crisis-management PR firm to revamp its image! According to Deadline, the AMPTP has hired The Levinson Group – a D.C.-based PR shop best known for representing the U.S. Women’s  National Soccer Team in its campaign for pay equity – to “reframe the big picture for studio and streamer CEOs who have been characterized as greedy, imperious and out of touch.”

If you’re feeling like you’ve seen this movie before, you’re not wrong. During the last WGA strike 15 years ago, studio bosses hired former Clinton comms strategists Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane to revive the AMPTP’s flagging public image. The revolving-door duo were paid a jaw-dropping $100,000 per month by the AMPTP to strike-bust, deploying campaign-style spin attacks designed to break the WGA’s resolve. 

As I wrote for The American Prospect in May:

“Fabiani and Lehane created a website with a live tally of the millions of dollars in income that guild members and on-set crew had purportedly lost by striking. They urged studio CEOs to publicly refer to WGA representatives as “organizers” rather than “negotiators” because the former “sound[ed] more Commie.” Lehane even told the press at one point that striking writers were “making more than doctors and pilots,” cynically arguing that the strike was harming “real working-class people” like below-the-line workers who had lost income from struck late-night talk shows […] Fabiani and Lehane were [also] the brains behind a “strongly worded and downright menacing” AMPTP press release breaking off negotiations with the WGA in December 2007. This move allowed the studios, which cited a protracted strike as an “unforeseeable event,” to invoke force majeure contract clauses and cancel multiple writer-producer deals worth tens of millions of dollars, severely demoralizing the WGA’s rank-and-file members.”

The parallels between 2008 and today are striking. Like Fabiani and Lehane (who have worked for scandal-plagued clients like Gray Davis, Bill O’Reilly, Lance Armstrong, and Goldman Sachs) the Levinson Group has no qualms about representing greedy and unsavory characters. Over the years, Levinson has done PR for predatory student lender Better Future Forward, reviled monopolist Live Nation/Ticketmaster, a talc mining company linked to the Johnson & Johnson baby powder cancer scandal, and Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. 

And just like the ex-Clinton spin doctors, the Levinson Group boasts close revolving-door ties to powerful politicians and the news media. The firm currently represents President Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer and previously represented John Podesta’s family lobbying firm. Levinson partners have previously worked for an array of influential politicians, including former President Bill Clinton, Senators Jon Tester and Amy Klobuchar, Representatives Maxine Waters and Ted Lieu, and former and current Los Angeles Mayors Eric Garcetti and Karen Bass. The firm’s founder and CEO Molly Levinson spent eight years working for CNN and CBS, while two of the Levinson Group’s top managing directors are alumni of CNBC and The Wall Street Journal. With a web of strong connections to power players in the entertainment industry’s twin capitals of LA and New York, along with the nation’s capital, Levinson could help the AMPTP tilt the regulatory and media scales back in the bosses’ favor. 

Though this may sound demoralizing, striking writers and actors shouldn’t lose hope. For one, consider a surprisingly uplifting parallel between 2008 and 2023. Fifteen years ago, after Fabiani and Lehane took the AMPTP’s contract, the SEIU and other unions that had previously worked with the duo severed ties with them for trying to bust the writers’ strike. Fast forward to this week: the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Players Association (Levinson’s star client!) publicly rebuked the firm for doing the AMPTP’s dirty work and voiced support for the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. If history is any indication, it’s only a matter of time until other pro-union Levinson clients – like the majority SEIU-owned Amalgamated Bank – follow suit and sever ties with the firm. 

There is also one crucial way in which 2023 is thankfully not like 2008: The Levinson Group is bad at their jobs. 

Consider an August 27th New York Times article about AMPTP President Carol Lombardini*, which was almost certainly pitched or otherwise molded by Levinson flacks. The article goes to ridiculous lengths to rehabilitate Lombardini’s image:

The article passively describes Lombardini’s tenure as “marked by labor peace until now” (a peace that she has now broken) and shifts blame for her unpopular decisions to anonymous AMPTP members (how convenient!).

Article co-authors Brooks Barnes and John Koblin quote a 2014 email from then-WarnerMedia CEO Kevin Tsujihara praising Lombardini’s negotiation skills and recommending she receive a $365,000 bonus. Curiously absent from the article is any mention of Tsujihara’s high-profile 2019 resignation from WarnerMedia for pressuring actresses into non-consensual sex.

Barnes and Koblin attempt to paint a “she’s just like us” picture of Lombardini (who reportedly earns a $3 million annual salary), mentioning her upbringing in a “working-class town outside Boston” and love for Red Sox and Dodgers games.

Barnes and Koblin paint a rosy picture of the AMPTP’s “sweetened proposal” (their words) to the WGA, describing the studios’ August counteroffer as “including higher wages, a pledge to share some viewership data and additional protections around the use of artificial intelligence.” Barnes & Koblin never quote the WGA’s well-founded reasons for turning down this lowball offer, saying only that the WGA is “holding firm to demands related to staffing minimums and transparency into streaming-service viewership.”

Bizarrely, the core issue of underpaid streaming residuals (the main reason writers are demanding greater streaming transparency) is never mentioned in the article.

Barnes and Koblin frequently imply that criticism of Lombardini is unfair, describing her as an “easy target” for the “grievances of striking workers” and singling out a tweet purportedly “mocking [Lombardini] as a fuddy-duddy who hangs out at chain restaurants”.

Barnes and Koblin quote a pre-strike September 2022 Deadline interview with Teamsters organizer Lindsay Dougherty to claim that Lombardini has the “grudging respect” of union leaders who see her as a “fair individual.” They did not quote more recent statements from Dougherty, who last month tweeted that the “greedy” AMPTP had “declared war on Hollywood Labor” by refusing to negotiate in good faith with WGA and SAG-AFTRA.

In one unintentionally eyebrow-raising line, Barnes and Koblin state that Lombardini was “inspired to become a lawyer by reading articles about F. Lee Bailey.” Neither Bailey’s sordid clients (like OJ Simpson) nor his multiple disbarments are mentioned in the article.

And it’s not just me who finds the Levinson Group’s efforts laughable. Discussions of the NYT story on Reddit and Twitter are dominated by comments tying the story’s blatant reputation laundering for Lombardini to the AMPTP’s concurrent hiring of Levinson. A recent New Yorker puff piece on Warner CEO David Zaslav has been met with similar ridicule – with many commenters also pointing to Levinson’s potential influence. So too have recent stories from management-friendly trades like Deadline – all of which have failed to make a dent in strong public support for WGA and SAG-AFTRA. This is a good sign: not only is the public more inclined to side with striking workers than it was in 2008 – it’s also seemingly more attuned to the role of corporate PR flacks in shaping the media narrative. If studio bosses think they can remake the same movie and end another strike with flashy spin-doctors, they’re sorely mistaken. 

So here’s my advice to the AMPTP (and it won’t cost you six figures per month to hear it): the way to fix your reputation problem is to end the strike by giving writers and actors what they want. No strike-busting comms team can rescue you from the hole you’ve dug yourself into. 

As the LA Times’ Mary McNamara recently put it, “You’ve lost the war. The best thing to do now is negotiate the terms of surrender.”'

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I changed my name because people are overusing the nickname privilege?

2 years ago, I (29, transmasculine) changed my name. For the sake of this ask, since I don't want to use my real name, a decent equivalent is James, so I'll be using that instead.

I originally told my mom and my roommate/close friend (Alex, 29, agender) I was okay with the nickname Jamie, but I'd prefer to mostly be called James, especially when it comes to people I don't know well.

I tried to set this boundary because the nickname feels a little feminine, even if it's technically gender neutral. I don't pass very often, so it makes me uncomfortable to think people who don't know me might misunderstand, and think I am simply a woman with a gender neutral nickname. So I envisioned Jamie being reserved for the people closest to me because of that.

Both my mom and Alex opted to call me Jamie immediately. They introduced me to friends, family members, and even strangers as Jamie, put my name in their phone as Jamie. My mom sends me packages addressed to "Jamie [lastname]". Just the other day, Alex's grandma sent us chocolates in the mail and the note inside said "Merry Christmas Alex and Jamie!" and I am not close to her by any means, I am positive Alex must have told her that's my name. Just tons and tons of little things like that.

It took me a while to catch on - at first I thought people simply decided to call me Jamie on their own, or heard Alex or my mom talk to me and figured it was okay. I'm autistic, so it takes a while to figure out the best way to approach a problem involving social skills. I didn't want to immediately jump in and say "hey, don't call me that, you don't know me well enough," because I think that's a bit callous. And I thought I was dealing with just a few acquaintances - not literally everyone Alex or my mom talks to.

I confronted both of them about a year ago, when I finally put it together. They said they're not intentionally disregarding my feelings, but "Jamie suits you so much more" so they forget and it just slips out.

(I could be wrong, but I think this is probably because Jamie can be a girl's name and I still look like a girl. So, yeah, of course they'd feel that way.)

I begged them to stop and call me James if they're talking to people about me. My mom promptly "forgot" again. Alex has gotten better about it, but still slips up. Even if they were perfect, I feel like the damage is done after 2 years of this.

To further complicate things, Alex actively avoids using pronouns to refer to people in speech. They will say things like "I've been told that the flight was canceled" instead of "he said he canceled the flight". This is due to anxiety because they're not great at remembering pronouns & doesn't want to accidentally misgender anyone. So there is a lot of general confusion about my pronouns amongst the groups that are connected to Alex. (I don't really use social media, so informing people of my pronouns is more complicated than just putting them in my bio and calling it a day. I've asked Alex to please just say he/him, but they're so resistant and weird about it because of their irrational fears, which...honestly just feels transphobic now).

Now I've started to ask them to drop the nickname entirely, even privately. Call me James and nothing else forever. Jamie has been thoroughly ruined for me, I just feel nauseous when I see or hear it. But at this point, since I lost my job & most of my social network is through Alex, everyone calls me Jamie, and it's exhausting to correct them over and over when it's such a small, seemingly pedantic thing. I don't mind a little confrontation or advocating for myself, but this...this is beyond what I can handle without getting severely stressed out.

So I've been considering changing my name to something else that doesn't have such a common gender neutral/feminine nickname. Just start over. Reset.

But this would be the third time I've changed my name. The first time was like 6 years ago, and it only lasted a few months before I decided it didn't fit, and went back to using my deadname while I figured myself out. My family remembers this well, and 2 years ago when I told them I go by James now, expressed their frustration because I "keep changing things and it's confusing". I'm worried that if I change my name again, nobody will bother to take it seriously, they'll just assume I'll change it again, so why bother using the correct name at all.

Plus I do see how it could be considered petty or immature. It took years to settle on the name I have now. I put a ton of thought into it. I used to love it. I might be TA for letting something as unimportant as an overused nickname sway me to the point where I feel like I need to throw the whole name away.

I mean, I understand why younger trans people might do that, since they have less of their life established and are figuring out who they are, but I'm nearly 30, so I feel like I am getting too old for this. It's just tiring.

Idk, I probably won't make any decisions based on the results of this, but the feedback would be helpful to consider. WIBTA?

What are these acronyms?

[seafoamreadings]

week of may 5th, 2024

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: this week's new moon is a money and resources moon for you. if you are having any trouble in that arena or just want a boost, this is a perfect time to set related intentions. live in accordance with your highest personal values to complete the magic.

taurus: the entire week's astrology is broadly pretty supportive for you but especially the new moon. use it to reset or reinvigorate your self concept or any aspect of your appearance or personality.

gemini: focus this week on soul work as much as you can. anything to do with integrating your shadow, healing traumas, or building a healthier life are auspicious; bonus points if you can volunteer in a hospital or prison, or with marginalized people of any kind.

cancerians: homebody though you may be this is a good week for socializing, networking, making new friends, and encountering helpful people and spirits. it's ok to sit around a bit but if you need something, don't expect it to simply fall into your lap. it's much less work if you just put yourself in the right places. your intuition can guide you to them.

leo: the new moon this week is great for your public image and reputation. do job applications, get recommendation letters, take professional photos, and if you have a brand, give it a polish around this time.

virgo: an auspicious taurean new moon occurs this week giving you a boost if you are an academic or a traveler or a spiritual person. but perhaps more of a focus for you is the mercury-ceres square shortly thereafter; that cardinal tug of war can feel like you have to rush into starting something, but it's better to wait a week or so. try not to do anything that feels like too much of a chore, unless it is truly urgent. carefully avoid lending or borrowing.

libra: a recent lack of air sign activity might have you feeling a little wilty but the venusian/taurean quality of the time can also be quite supportive to you. don't expect too much from external validation but put a lot of time and care (not necessarily hard work) into yourself, your health and your happiness.

scorpio: the taurus new moon breathes new life into any committed partnerships you are in, especially romantic ones. if you're not in one it might bring one to you, or the first stirrings of one.

sagittarius: if you've felt even the slightest nudgings towards a new routine or workout plan or day to day work, try to follow that inkling! the new moon this week is auspicious for turning the mundane into sacred but daily rituals.

capricorns: the academic or religious among you benefit a lot from the new taurus moon this week. and if you are not particularly academic or religious you might find yourself having a philosophical revelation, or making extensive travel plans.

aquarius: it may be good to spend a little extra time at home this week, really caring for your body and the building or room in which you live. give it its fundamental care, and then also lovingly decorate to boost your mood and strength.

pisces: it is easier to make new friends this week than usual, or simply to make helpful connections with groups or institutions. if you've been looking for a new circle of friends, a new job, or a new organization, start networking and see what the new moon in taurus brings your way.

[typewritingyip]

The Arcturus Missions

Part Five - Rust and Rain

Part Four

———

Sending organics through a space bridge without the proper shielding wasn’t just dangerous or deadly, it was simply reckless. They could pop or worse and spread their bacteria across the universe in a single second, so why did it keep happening? Greed primarily. It was handled in time by some intergalactic agency somewhere, but those things took time and the organics weren’t getting anymore dead or alive in that moment. Reports like those were shuffled to the bottom of the stack with ease. Cybertronian technology should be watched over by the cybertronian’s, especially when the incidents are happening so deep into their space.

Besides, no one should be entering intergalactic space without the proper shielding for radiation, organic or not.

—

With the first few hours, hours? None of their watches were working anymore and they all had removed the internal digital clocks from their suits, a waste of energy and something that caused unneeded anxiety during a fight. Those first few hours were spent getting nowhere as exhaustion tried to take them down. Feet dragging and sliding along the solid but damp ground, unable to really get the typical footing that they’d have in dirt or sand, where their feet would just about sink in. The choice to return to the Odyssey had been made after around four hours, they hadn’t made much progress and the exhaustion was weighing them down literally. It hadn’t taken long at all really, Hound made up his mind when Sideswipe had to prevent Sunstreaker from falling over for the fifth time; they’d needed to rest and recharge before making the trek to the town or whatever was causing the artificial lights.

They were drained, they were sick, and just that morning when they’d been in space; they’d been fine so whatever brought them close to this planet had likely caused it. Sitting back against the Odyssey, Hound powered down his visor and closed his eyes; they’d been walking for hours even before they had gotten back together and now they were all almost too weak to move. His head was pounding painfully and even though there was nothing in his stomach for the moment if there was, it wouldn’t be sticking around. Everything on the ship had reset not long after they’d entered the atmosphere and now was giving them fits, or more specifically Breakdown as he had re-attached his suit to go inside and get some sleep not in his piloting chair. The twins had slumped down together and fallen right to sleep, so even though Hound was technically on watch he had his scanners going with proximity alarms set up to go off should anything other than the mechs around him show up, it would wake him.

Dreams or more so nightmares plagued them all, of Jazz and his mutilated corpse, of his destroyed mech filled with blood and the damned aliens laughing their horrific laugh through it all. It was gruesome and grotesque, but not abnormal. Part of becoming completely compatible with the suits was to hand over part of yourself to your government, company, or even just a hand full of scientists to prepare you to drift. It left its scars and one of those scars was the connection between you and your suit, sometimes between you and your suits network.

Hound woke with a start, jumping up as an alarm went off, alerting him to something approaching and fast, above them. Standing on shaky legs, his gun comes up as his visor comes back online, desperately trying to track the supersonic object above them. One second there, the next gone, “What the hell.” It certainly didn’t resemble any of the objects that had the capability to fly supersonic on Earth, looking around, there was a glow to the horizon that resembled a sunrise. Taking slow and deep breaths, Hound looks to the twins, who were still sound sleep and leaned against each other. Activating his comm, he connects to the shuttle first, “Breakdown, you up?” Pacing a bit, he walks a bit away from the Odyssey before walking back, no answer. Switching to the common channel of all mech suit users, Hound sighs before queuing his microphone, “This is Pilot 1124, Harold Jackson, callsign Hound. Anyone listening out there?” Hound’s hand shook slightly with nerves, waiting.

Sunstreaker was the next up, groaning slightly as he turned down the volume on the main channel, “Hound, not so loud, please.” Shoving Sideswipe off him less then gently, it took him a second to gain his footing, slipping slightly on the damp ground. “Damnit,” his mech stretches as he does, looking far too human for any non-pilots comfort, “I forgot where we were for a second.” Sunstreaker looks around slowly and sighs, rubbing his jaw carefully, “Feeling any better?” His gaze turns to Hound, who was still looking towards the glowing horizon, “Hey, Earth to Hound.” Walking over, his hand lands on the older mechs shoulder, “You listening to me?” “Huh, uh, yeah. Yeah, sorry.” Hound clears his throat a bit, shaking his head, “I’m feeling more alive if that’s what you mean.” Sunstreaker smiles a bit, patting his shoulder, “Yeah, me too.”

They both looked at the horizon as, whatever star they were orbiting on the planet began to rise in the distance, “Any word from home?” Sunstreaker kept his voice quiet, watching the sun rise, “None, but I haven’t check in the Odyssey, wanted to wait for Breakdown to be up before attaching.” Sunstreaker nodded, watching as the gently glow turned to a shine on the somewhat metallic surface of the planet. Though a great deal of it was orange and red, as if rusted, “Beautiful sunrise.” Hound hummed, staring at it for a while.

—

Breakdown was in fact the next one awake and quick to contact Hound, “You might want to get in here.” Words you never wanted to hear from anyone, especially in that tone.

Stumbling out of the tunnel into the Odyssey, Hound made his way over to Breakdown at the comms terminal, resting his hand on the mans shoulder, “I’ve got Sunstreaker keeping watch.” Breakdown grunted, “Watch, while we’re being watched maybe. There is so much overhead traffic, I can’t tell if it’s satellites or space debris.” He sighed and knocked his knuckles on the terminal, “That’s not why I called you in here though. These are.” It worried Hound, looking to the comms logs and staring at the screen there, their out going messages to Mission Control on Earth were not getting a shorter receiving range, but a longer one. Ticking over the seven years mark already and still counting up, wherever they were, it was far from Earth; “Fuck.” Nodding, Breakdown clears the screen briefly before pulling up received audio logs, “My thoughts too, then I found these.” The dates ranged, with the largest bunch being from five years ago. Sharing a glance, Hound pulled up the first one.

“1061 on the comm. In case there’s any way you can hear me… ah shit. You guys wont believe what happened…”

They stood there together, listening to the first log for over ten minutes. Looping it at least once, just listening to Jazz’s voice as he talked about finding other mech suits out here. Hound’s hand lightly covered his face, staring at the screen, he was alive, he was alive as recently as a year ago. He could be alive right now.

Then Hound’s blood began to boil, whoever Jazz had run into was probably what brought them here, for who knows what reason and sharing a look with Breakdown said enough. Whatever those people were, they certainly weren’t defending Earth and had hold of Jazz, whether he really realized it or not. “Load these into everyone’s suits and get supplies, we’re heading for the artificial lights, if it’s a civilization then we figure out where we are and where Jazz is. Then what direction we need to head to finish our mission.” Breakdown nodded, saluting briefly before pulling the main comms drive and heading for a different part of the Odyssey. Hound moved over to their make shift kitchen and got out water pouches along with food packets, they had enough for a significant amount of time but their mission just had a wrench thrown into it so who knows how long it would actually last.

Turning around, Hound moved to climb back into his suit as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe climbed from theirs, faces red with anger.

There would be hell to pay and it would be paid in spades thanks to four pissed off mecha pilots.

—

It was raining when they got back into their mechs, adjusting the setting to keep the cameras and scanners clear, preparing their weapons and adjusting comm frequencies to avoid the disturbances from the rain. Hound’s suit was the first to alert to the fact that the rain was not made entirely of water, a rather small amount of it actually, “It’s acidic.” Sideswipe was holding out a hand, sensors and scanners checking over the rain, “Oh that’s just great, acidic rain.” Sunstreaker puts his hands on his head and paces away for a second before untying his parachute from his mechs shoulders, “Think this will protect my paint job?” He sounded so hopeful, turning to look at Hound, who was using his chute to cover the Odyssey, “I doubt it, but it would be better suited to protect the Odyssey, since it will be sitting out here in the wet.” Sunsteaker clutched the chute, like a small child holding a blanket before groaning and moving over to help, “It’ll be fine Sunny, I’ll fix the paint later.” Sideswipe tried to sound reassuring, hiding his laughter, “Better your mech than your own body.”

Once the Odyssey was covered, they fell back into position DC-19, one on point, two just behind to the left and right, then one at the back. Hound was on point, gun up and splashing through the acid rain puddles. The surface of the strange planet was smooth, though as the rain continued to fall it felt more brittle with each step. It was rather obvious to them at this point that wherever they had ended up, it was not like Earth, not at all.

Out of all their suits, Breakdown’s was probably the best equipped to deal with the worsening conditions, the dense armored plating was less painted and more sealed than anything else so a great deal of the acid rain was slicking off. The others weren’t as lucky with their fancy upgrades and lighter armor, streaks of where paint was coming away went down the arms and shoulders, leaving marks of green, red, and yellow in the puddles. Their feet were experiencing the worst of it unfortunately, but tread replacements were stored back aboard the Odyssey, along with printers for temporary replacement parts. Hound kept throwing his head, to get the worst of the rain off his visor and visual feeds, the entire area turning into a hazy red mess as if caught in a dust storm instead of a rain storm.

“I can’t see a thing.” Sideswipe shifts his sword some and wipes at the cameras nearest his face, “How far have we traveled Hound?” Light conversation was good, important even, “Right around 43 miles,” Sideswipe hummed, “So we’ve been walking for around an hour or so?” Hound glanced up at the sky, but the sun was no longer visible with the dense clouds, “It’s more than likely, yes.” There was a pause, “Our systems are out of alignment, it took you hours to walk thirteen miles yesterday and now it’s fine?” It hung in the air for a moment, “The Odyssey’s trajectories are fried.” Breakdown’s voice almost wavered, “Hound, check to see how far you actually walked yesterday. Whatever sent us here might have messed with the cockpit systems.” So Hound checked, swearing once the actual number came up, “That bad?” “Worse.” They walked in silence for a minute, “We need to get our suits on the same page, we can worry about the Odyssey later, it’s not going anywhere any time soon regardless.” “But the systems in the main bay seemed to be working fine, the comms array,” Sunstreaker looked to Hound, “Is better shielded, better tech than the shuttles navigational systems for certain.” They all sighed, Sideswipe worried his lip, Sunstreaker rubbed his jaw, Breakdown looked up at the sky and Hound shook his head, “We need to stay on focus, finding answers.” A hum went through the comm line in acknowledgment.

It was still incredibly hazy, orange and red, but the rain was starting to finally let up. 93 miles of walking, almost two and a half hours, roughly, as a best estimate. When the first signs of the artificial lighting appeared. Sideswipe was the first to trip on it, a strip inlaid into the ground before a field of shifting solar panels. They were dusted in a red paste, that would be the best way to describe it. Hound frowned down at Sideswipe’s prone form, “You are in a several ton, multi-million dollar mecha suit. And you’ve fallen over.” Sunstreaker found it the funniest thing in the world, laughing almost painfully loud, bet over and nearly falling onto more of the solar panels. “It’s not funny! Help me up!”

Gun fire erupted from over head, “Take cover!” Hound was quick to grab hold of Sideswipe and pull him back towards the dense haze, raising his own gun while his targeting systems came online. Breakdown was directly behind him, his mounted canon going from a hum to a deep whine before firing through the haze, the advanced targeting system seeming to tag something through the fog, Sunstreaker was right on their tail, grabbing hold of Sideswipe, “Hound, I’ve got Sides, you help Breakdown.” Nodding, Hound was quick to join Breakdown at the line, his targeting system coming online.

There were several targets within his range, more gun fire came over their heads, he leveled off his gun and started firing.

———

A/N

Wow, the last few days have been actually insane with this story. Never in my life, or all my years of writing have I gotten responses like this. Whether in comments or tags, it’s been such a motivator for me.

Now, I plan to write my little section for Arcturus Two soon, I promise, but I’m so invested in Arcturus One at the moment.

I’ve also started posting these over on my archive, if anyone was curious or had their preference. I have it linked in the master post.

How many parts of this are there going to be? I have no idea, however many I can manage before my inspiration dies on me.

Tags! I love being able to tag those who seem to be enjoying the work, it’s the least I can do with you showing support.

@lunarlei68 @whirlywhirlygig @loop-hole-319 @pixillandjester @alek-the-witch @not-a-moose-in-disguise @goddessofwind8water @neurologicalglitch @dersereblogger

And of course thank you @keferon for inspiring us all in this crazy AU.

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: daily transit 5/7 TAURUS NEW MOON

This New Moon in Taurus is particularly significant, offering a positive and supportive energy that aligns with the recent Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. Here's a detailed summary of its key features:

Exalted New Moon: The Moon is exalted in Taurus, a sign associated with stability, peace, and sensual gratification. This sets a positive tone for the entire lunar cycle, emphasizing harmony and ease in various aspects of life.

Alignment with Jupiter and Venus: The New Moon occurs in Jupiter's bound and is accompanied by Venus, which is also in its domicile in Taurus. This alignment further enhances the positive and supportive qualities of the New Moon, suggesting a period of growth, abundance, and harmony.

Venus's Combustion: While Venus is technically entering the combustion range with the Sun, indicating a period of transformation and renewal for Venusian themes, its position in Taurus, its own domicile, suggests that this transformation will be supportive and not overly challenging.

Jupiter's Synodic Reset: Jupiter, however, is going through a synodic reset, being under the beams of the Sun. This indicates a period of transformation and renewal for Jupiterian themes, but with the support of Venus and the overall positive energy of the New Moon, this reset is seen as a positive development rather than a setback.

Sun's Influence on Jupiter and Uranus: The Sun's conjunction with Uranus and subsequent conjunction with Jupiter further amplifies the energy of the recent Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, bringing positive momentum and support for change and growth.

~RISING SIGNS~

❤️‍🔥 Aries Rising (Taurus in the 2nd House): - Focus on financial stability and material security. - Opportunities for increasing income or acquiring valuable possessions. - A time to reassess your values and priorities regarding money and possessions. - Potential for new sources of income or a shift in financial circumstances.

🐐 Taurus Rising (Taurus in the 1st House): - A period of personal growth and self-improvement. - Emphasis on self-care, self-image, and personal development. - New beginnings in how you present yourself to the world. - Opportunities for enhancing your physical appearance or expressing your unique identity.

🌬 Gemini Rising (Taurus in the 12th House): - A focus on spirituality, introspection, and inner growth. - Time for retreat, reflection, and connecting with your subconscious mind. - Potential for healing and releasing past wounds or limiting beliefs. - Pay attention to your dreams and intuition, as they may provide valuable insights.

🦀 Cancer Rising (Taurus in the 11th House): - Emphasis on social connections, friendships, and group activities. - Opportunities for expanding your social network and joining new groups or organizations. - Focus on your hopes, wishes, and aspirations for the future. - Collaborative projects or teamwork may be highlighted during this time.

🦁Leo Rising (Taurus in the 10th House): - Focus on career advancement, professional goals, and public image. - Opportunities for recognition, success, and achievement in your career. - Time to reassess your long-term goals and ambitions. - Potential for new career opportunities or a change in your professional direction.

🌾 Virgo Rising (Taurus in the 9th House): - Emphasis on higher education, philosophy, and spiritual beliefs. - Opportunities for travel, exploration, and expanding your horizons. - Focus on personal growth through learning and new experiences. - Potential for gaining new insights or perspectives that broaden your worldview.

⚖️ Libra Rising (Taurus in the 8th House): - Focus on shared resources, intimacy, and transformation. - Opportunities for deepening your connections with others on a profound level. - Time to address issues related to trust, intimacy, and shared finances. - Potential for personal transformation through letting go of old habits or attachments.

🦂 Scorpio Rising (Taurus in the 7th House): - Emphasis on relationships, partnerships, and cooperation. - Opportunities for forming new partnerships or deepening existing ones. - Focus on harmony, balance, and mutual understanding in your relationships. - Potential for significant developments in your personal or business partnerships.

🏹 Sagittarius Rising (Taurus in the 6th House): - Focus on health, work, and daily routines. - Opportunities for improving your health and well-being through lifestyle changes. - Time to reassess your work environment and daily habits. - Potential for new job opportunities or a change in your work situation.

🐐 Capricorn Rising (Taurus in the 5th House): - Emphasis on creativity, self-expression, and romance. - Opportunities for pursuing creative projects or hobbies that bring you joy. - Focus on developing your unique talents and skills. - Potential for new romantic relationships or a deepening of existing ones.

⚡️ Aquarius Rising (Taurus in the 4th House): - Focus on home, family, and emotional security. - Opportunities for creating a more nurturing and supportive home environment. - Time to address any issues related to your family or personal history. - Potential for making changes to your living situation or finding a sense of emotional grounding.

🐠 Pisces Rising (Taurus in the 3rd House): - Emphasis on communication, learning, and local community. - Opportunities for improving your communication skills and connecting with others. - Focus on short trips, siblings, and neighbors. -Potential for new learning experiences or intellectual pursuits that stimulate your mind.

follow for more astro insights like this and support me over on yt @quenysefields or instagram sensualnoiree

[thevoidstaredback]

My phone broke. Don't know what the hell happened to it, but it's saying that I have no SIM card n it when I very much do have a SIM card in my phone. It was working perfectly fine, and then I put it in my pocket to go upstairs and get my mom's laundry for her. When I got back downstairs, I sat back down, turned it on and it said NO SIM - EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY at the top. I've tried restarting it twice; removing, cleaning, and replacing the SIM card twice; turning on and off airplane mode twice; reset the network setting twice; basically everything but a factory reset, which is only a last resort under threat of death. (you think I exaggerate, but I have so many notes for my writing on that damn card, I will jump off the Golden Gate Bridge before I reset that phone without pulling the data from it) The last thing to try is turn it off for a bit and see if that helps. If not, then I'm stopping by AT&T tomorrow to get a new SIM card before work tomorrow

[thescarletnargacuga]

I’ve been waiting for this moment….

Human au where it’s Caine and Pomni’s anniversary, but somehow, someway, they can’t give each other the gifts they want, so they trade their most important item so that they could buy a gift for their spouse…..(basically gift of the magi if you know what that is)

A/N: I am familiar! It's a classic romantic dilemma!

GIFT OF THE MAGPIE

A HUMAN SHOWTIME ONESHOT

WARNING: none

~~~

Pomni double checked her calendar. Her and Caine's wedding anniversary was tomorrow. She needed to get him a gift! But what? It wasn't a landmark anniversary, so it didn't have to be something super fancy. Neither one of them were really materialistic. She stood thinking as Caine entered the room.

He kissed Pomni on the cheek. "I gotta run. Love you!" On his way out the door, a light chime came from his pocket. At first he checked his phone, but then remembered he had something in his other pocket. He took out a beautifully engraved, gold pocket watch and reset it. "Oops, forgot I had it wound."

A light bulb went off in Pomni's head. She knew exactly what to get him. She went down to the jewelry store and browsed their chains. "Do you have anything for pocket watches?"

The jeweler arches a brow. "Pocket watches? Bit old fashioned, but yes, I believe we have a few related accessories. Let me check." A few minutes later, he brought out a few different chains. Some made of gold, some made of platinum, all very shiny.

"I'll take that one." Pomni picked out a simple solid gold chain. It would go well to match the antiquated watch Caine had bequeathed from his grandfather.

~

Caine had time for a quick stop before going to work. A local antique shop that always had interesting bits and baubles from time gone past. Pomni wasn't much of a jewellery wearer but there was one thing in particular that she treasured. A simple silver necklace with a magpie charm. She loved magpies.

In his search to find other magpie related gifting ideas, he found out that the necklace Pomni owned was part of a set. A very old and rare charm jewelry collection that included a bracelet and a set of matching earrings.

The antique shop was kind enough to reach out and do some networking for him to help find a missing piece. All they could get was the bracelet. It was in astonishingly good condition for it's age. It looked brand new.

~

Pomni went to pay for the chain, but her card was declined. She nervously tried a different card. Declined. She knew funds had been tight this year, but she didn't realize she was already out or overdrawn. She put away her useless cards and apologized.

Before she walked out, the jeweler mentioned that they accept trades. She felt the magpie charm around her neck. She couldn't possibly... Then she thought of the look on Caine's face when he would receive such a well meaning gift. His watch was everything to him.

She took off her necklace and gave it to the jeweler.

~

Caine gawked at the cost of the antique bracelet. It was FAR more expensive than he had anticipated. He knew he didn't have the money. He tried to haggle the price, but the shopkeeper wouldn't budge. The bracelet has been difficult to find and purchase legitimately. The price was the price.

Caine only had one item in his possession that could possibly counteract the cost of the bracelet. He took out his grandfather's pocketwatch and set it on the counter. How often had he really used it? Pomni receiving the gift of a lifetime was more valuable to him.

It still hurt when the antique shopkeeper accepted the watch.

~

The next day, Caine and Pomni took their morning slowly, cuddling in bed long after dawn. Only to be interrupted by Bubble getting the morning zoomies and trampling them both. After that wake up call and coffee, it was time to present their gifts.

Caine gave his first. "You're going to love this. You know your magpie necklace..?"

Pomni felt her bare neck. "Uh...yeah?"

"Well, I found another piece of the set."

Pomni gasped. "You...you what?" She opened her box to see the pristine antique bracelet with magpie charms. She teared up. "Oh my god...Caine. This is amazing, but... I don't have the necklace anymore."

"Wait, what?"

"I traded it for your gift. It was expensive and my cards were declined and-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay." He pulled her into a hug. "You can still wear the bracelet."

"But it's just one piece again. Square one. That's not fair to you."

"That's fine. It doesn't undermine the gift. The magpies just migrated." Caine joked.

Pomni huffed, wiping a tear. "They did. Thank you. Here. This is what I got you."

Caine opened his box and his heart sank. "A pocket watch chain...thank you, Pomni. It really needed one. There is just one problem. I don't have the watch anymore."

"WHAT!?" Her shout startled Bubble.

"I traded it for the bracelet. Turns out those old magpies cost quite the penny. It was all I had to get it for you."

"That was your-!"

"I know." Caine said softly. "I didn't really use it that much anyway. It needed a good home with someone willing to take care of it." He put the bracelet on her and held her hands. "I would give up my last dime, the very shirt on my back, for you. The most valuable thing in my life, is you."

Pomni threw herself and Caine and kissed him hard on the lips. "I love you."

Caine smiled and kissed her again lightly. "I love you too."

"....we're getting that watch back." She said determinedly.