#Thus making this move possible strategically :D

[soft-serve-soymilk]

Tried my hand at a pkmn TCG duel against a real person in Pocket for the first time, and it made me very nervous, but I won ^^ It was extra scary too because they had a whole deck of rare and EX cards 😭 and me, the lowly f2p player who’s Very Much New To This, didn’t initially seem to stand much of a chance… but Bruxish came through for me :) I have a new appreciation for that mon now ☺️

[shinobus-unbreakable-spirit]

Hi there! I heard you wanted requests. How about if Tengen's or Kyojuro's(or maybe Shinobu, your preference)S/O got captured by a demon they had been tracking? 👀 How do you think that would pan out?

Hello, anon! I want requests indeed, so I appreciate you sending one in!

Ooooh. Very interesting scenario. You said Tengen or Kyojuro or Shinobu, but what about option D: all three? Let's do it!

Well, Tengen already had this happen to him once, but let's say it happened again with a S/O he aspired to make his fourth partner (it can be you if you're into Tengen!) Upon first finding out, I think he would be struck with memories of what happened at the entertainment district and the trauma would cause him to have an emotional breakdown. He would be absolutely struck with PTSD from the same thing happening to him yet again. Angry, he would punch a hole in the wall and then collapse to the ground, shaking.

Minutes later, he would look in the mirror and give himself a pep talk, "Snap out of this, Tengen! A reaction like this is so unflashy of you... You're a hashira! Think of Kyojuro, what would he focus on? Or Gyomei? Or Shinobu? Or Mitsuri? What would they focus on? That's right, saving others... You have to be a flashy hashira about this!" From that point on, he would put his emotions aside and focus on one thing only: saving his S/O.

Tengen is a very strategic man, so I believe the first thing he'd do is figure out an intelligent way to save his S/O. He wouldn't involve any of the other hashira, as he believes that it's his responsibility alone to slaughter the demon that captured his S/O. Even if it's an upper moon, Tengen doesn't care, he'll stop at nothing to save his S/O.

He would go into the mission with death in mind. He knows there's a good chance he'll die to this demon, but maybe, just maybe, he can save his S/O first. That's his only goal, as he feels somewhat at fault for them being dragged into this mess to begin with.

Kyojuro would have an optimistic outlook from the beginning. Upon finding out his S/O was captured, he would smile, surprising everyone nearby, and say something along the lines of: "No matter. We will just get <their name> back!" In his mind, there is no doubt whatsoever that he will save his S/O. Thus, there's no point in being afraid, he will handle this mission like usual and things will end as they always do, with 0 innocent casualties. The only ones dying will be demons.

Kyojuro's confidence and nobility would inspire multiple other demon slayers to want to take up arms and help him, but he would refuse to let any lower ranked demon slayers join him on such a dangerous venture. However, he would happily let other hashira accompany him, but only those fast enough to keep up, as you best believe he will move like a flash to reach the demon holding his S/O captive. Thus, Shinobu, Obanai, Mitsuri, and Giyu would be the ones joining him.

During the mission, the other hashira would notice an intensity in Kyojuro they had never seen before. He would be slaying each demon as quick as possible, as each one is a mere stepping stone to get closer to his S/O. In his eyes, there would be a burning determination as he marches closer and closer to his lover.

Despite not expressing any discontent on the surface, deep inside he would be extremely angry towards the demon who had taken his S/O. However, Kyojuro is a man with strong emotional discipline who recognizes that he must reserve all of his anger for the demon in question. Thus, around his peers, he would wear a brave face and hide how mad he really is.

Then, when the group finally reaches the demon in question, Kyojuro would fight spirited and with no smiles at all. He would neglect all dialogue with the demon, no matter how much it tried to talk to him. He would simply try to dispatch with it as quick as he possibly could. Inevitably, he would succeed, and it'd all be because of the fiery love he has for his S/O.

In Shinobu's case, I'm going to go a different route and say that she actually witnessed her S/O being captured, but was simply unable to stop it at the time. Perhaps she was busy fighting another demon when it happened. At first, she would give her all to catch up to the demon that has her S/O, but upon realizing that the demon was already too far away, she would stop, collapse to the ground, and yell out.

Her feelings of inferiority would flare up: Why am I so weak? Why was I given such a weak and frail body, which can't even stop the demon taking my beloved? Why can't I be better? She would fall into an emotional pit, leaving her feeling too incompetent to do anything more to save her S/O. The trauma of all the loved ones she had lost before would lead her to believe that this one would inevitably be lost too.

Years and years of rage towards demons would culminate at this very moment. They took her parents, her beloved sister, her tsuguko, and now her S/O. A little like Tengen, she would break down in anger, except she'd take much longer to come out of it. She would seethe in rage and go on a killing spree of every demon nearby, slaughtering them all and forcing them down until the sun rose, unless they could tell her something about where her S/O was being taken.

It would take Gyomei to snap her out of this fit of rage. He would find her the next day, on her knees, covered in demon blood, with a furious look on her face. Then, she would see him and those kind eyes, and begin to cry. He would embrace her, softly, and say, "It's okay, my child..." He would console her as she sobbed.

After Gyomei calmed her down, she would finally be able to tell him what happened and that one of the demons she killed throughout the night confessed to her where her S/O was being taken. She would ask, desperately, if he would help her save her S/O. He would agree, and the two of them would head off, doing their best to save <their name> and at least avenge them if they're already gone.

Shinobu would fight with ferocity and passion at this point, doing everything she can to try and get her S/O back. To finally save one person important to her, and to prove to herself that she isn't inferior; that she is a hashira for a reason.

And, Shinobu would succeed. Showing incredible bravery and fighting spirit, the love she has inside would drive her to the demon that had her S/O captured and she would kill it with a brutal dose of poison before Gyomei even has the chance to help. He would cry, amazed by the incredible woman Shinobu had grown up to be. Then, Shinobu's S/O would be saved. She would sob as she held them close, so happy to see them still alive, saved from that despicable demon.

----

Whew that was so much fun to write! I really hope you enjoyed, anon! ^^

[hereforthefanficsandromance]

Fan Prize Story #3: Finding the Way Back Chapter II

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Chapter Summary

You must battle to save Cal.

Rating: 18+

Words: 2.3K

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You move through the thick jungle, equally grateful and terrified that the creatures living here have left you alone thus far. Unfortunately, suspicion remains and burrows further in your mind. The danger in the trees remains uninterested, surely for a sinister reason. 

Your past lover bode his time too. His choice was careful and calculated, waiting to report your secret. He was right to wait or you would have fled before the Empire got its blood-soaked hands on you. 

Instead, he loved you, provided you with a home, kissed you, made empty promises, and waited for your walls to go down. Then he showed his true nature, betraying your relationship. You barely escaped with your life, shaken and confused. 

You glance at the treetops, silently pleading with the foe from high above to come down and fight. The reassurance in immediate malicious intent would soothe your anxieties, but the attack never comes. 

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You continue your journey, aiming for where Cal should have been, hoping to track him. Cal is much stronger than you, which improves his chances of survival, easing your worry. 

If he’s hurt, the return journey will prove challenging. Meaning a longer trek alone and uninterrupted with Cal. 

You’ve been trying to avoid alone time with the obscenely attractive man. It doesn’t stop Cal from cornering you when you’re exiting the refresher, standing all too close, trying to have an entire conversation before you head to bed. 

Anymore, you time your showers, waiting until Cal is meditating or locked in conversation. Most time you shower and return before he’s noticed, but sometimes he’s faster. You want him so badly, but after what happened…you won’t risk getting too close again. 

Cal is oblivious to how his nearness affects you, making your brain cloud with the possibility of leaning in and raising your chin, silently asking him to slot his body against yours. But you stay true to yourself, not chancing the pain of love again. 

Thoughts of kissing him enter your curious mind, wondering what he might feel like, how he might hold you. Would his full lips be as soft as they look? Would he pull you firm against him or encapsulate your body against the wall, showing his strength and size? 

You squash the unnecessary fantasy. “It’s fine…we just work together. It’s better that way.” 

You remind yourself this is a dangerous retrieval mission, not a date. “Get in, grab Cal, get out, easy.” 

There’s bent flora at the edge of the path, the remnant of an alternate and freshly created trail leading south. Cal passed through here, you’re sure of it. 

You charge forward a few steps, then stop dead, reminding yourself to stay vigilant. Creeping forward, looking for each suggestion of Cal’s traversal. In only a few steps, you approach an enormous drop, peeking over the deadly edge. 

There are deep gashes in the soil. Someone fell here, grasping at the loose dirt: Cal. You celebrate having kept a level head, grateful you did not join him at the bottom. 

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Strategically, you pick your way down a different and less steep path until you stand at the base of the cliff. You hear something, something huge, moving through the jungle to your right. Then you hear a yell, Cal’s voice. 

Despite your restraint, the pain in his cry shuts off your own need for self preservation and you run straight towards the sound. Entering a clearing and seeing a huge white wyyyschokk bearing down on the man. He’s fighting with only one blade activated. His left hand pressed firmly against his thigh. 

Cal swings his saber, trying to ward off the giant beast, but it seems to know who has the upper hand. 

You run forward yelling as you activate your lightsaber. “Kriff, Cal!” 

Cal looks up, but the wyyyschokk does not. You leap into the air, aiming for the round abdomen of the creature. Time slows down as you attack, watching your weapon draw closer to mortally injuring the enemy. 

But something tugs at your mind, telling you to abandon the maneuver. You have the upper hand here. The wyyyschokk focuses on Cal, and you are so close to killing it. Cal yells something but you can’t hear him. The sound of blood pumping in your ears deafens you. 

The disgusting creature turns suddenly, two of its legs pinching you between them and throwing you hard against the forest floor. “Ah!” 

Its horrid mouth snaps at you, moving towards your neck. Your pinned arms make your weapon useless. You try to escape its grasp, wriggling to no avail. 

It’s over, you’ve lost. 

The filthy thing lurches toward you, only there is no pain of a bite. It collapses down, dead, onto your body, its legs curling, enveloping your lower half. Cal kicks it onto its side and you wiggle away, terror pricking at your spine from the encounter. 

“Are you okay? Please tell me you aren’t hurt too!” 

You look up at Cal and see red blood pour from an open wound on his leg. BD jumps from Cal’s back and scans the albino wyyyschokk as Cal offers you his hand, grunting as he pulls you to your feet. 

You dust yourself off, suppressing a shudder. “I- I’m fine. Are you okay?” 

You face heats; you were trying to save Cal, but he ended up saving you. Shame gnaws at you, but the fear of Cal’s injury redirects the negative feelings. 

Cal shrugs. “I’m not great, but I’ll make it. BD ran out of stims.” 

BD returns to Cal’s back with the help of an outstretched arm. The little droid boops sadly at the words. 

Cal turns his head to look at BD. “It’s okay buddy, you did great out there.” 

You glance at Cal’s hand, pressing tight against the wound. “How bad is it?” 

He gives you a half smile. “I’m not sure I can stand much longer.” 

You run forward to support his weight as he slips an arm over your shoulders. “Oh! Let me help you.” 

Cal takes the weight off his leg and you help him hobble to the base of a humongous trunk. He leans against the bark, sliding down until he sits, his legs outstretched. 

He closes his eyes. “I just need to rest a bit. I’ll be able to walk again soon. Just might be slow.” 

You sigh, throwing down the supply bag. “It’s getting late, we probably don’t want to be wandering Kashyyyk’s forests at night…” 

Cal presses his lips together. “Yeah, you’re right. If you help me, I can probably walk.” 

He moves to stand and you press him back down. “No, Cal! It’s okay, we’ll camp here. I brought supplies.” 

Cal looks at the giant corpse. “Here?” 

You grimace. “It’s creepy, but yeah, the body will probably keep predators away, think something bigger killed it…” 

Cal doesn’t pull his gaze from the spider. “True…but it’ll attract scavengers…” 

You nod. “Right. I’ll move it to the edge of the clearing. You know, two stormtroopers, one shot…” 

You work on using the Force to push the spider to the far edge of the clearing. Along the way, you spot what you suspect are eggs, and dispose of them with your lightsaber. 

As you return to Cal, you open the supply bag, pulling out what you need to treat the wound. “Here, let me bandage it.” 

Cal smiles, his jade eyes sparkling. “Thanks.” 

You hesitate. “It’s not…you weren’t bitten, were you?” 

His eyebrows furrow. “By the wyyyschokk? No. No, this is from falling. I slipped and fell into its territory, just fall damage.” 

You let out a breath. “That’s good news…because I don’t have anti-venom.” 

Cal chuckles. “Let’s try not to get bit by anything, then.” 

You pour antiseptic over the wound and he winces. “Agreed.” 

After bandaging Cal, and trying with all your might not to look up into his face, you stand. Your face feels hot from the feeling of his eyes on you the entire time. 

“Um…stay here. I’ll gather some wood to start a fire.” 

Cal’s face pinches, restraining laughter. “You sure? I was planning on going for a little stroll.” 

You both laugh, and you shyly look away. The laughter subsides and you head off into the forest to find wood and clear your mind. 

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Cal looks over at you. The warm glow from the crackling fire reflecting off his eyes. “You know, I’ve cleared out this base before, for Saw Gererra a few years ago. It’s disappointing that the Empire moved back in.” 

You give him a sympathetic smile. “Maybe after losing twice they’ll give up…” 

“The Empire never gives up…” 

“Yeah…” 

You stare into the flames, struck by his words. There is a beat of silence as you both digest the same knowledge. 

Cal breaks the silence first. “I know we’ve been traveling together for a few months, but I don’t really know your story. I don’t think we crossed paths before the Purge.” 

Your eyes widen. “Oh! Sorry about that!” 

He matches your mild panic. “Don’t be! It’s hard to talk about the past. I don’t want to pressure you.” 

You speak too fast. “No, you’re fine.” 

You wish you would have thought out your response better. Speaking about your past feels worse than having lived through it. But you’ve been too eager to appease him, and now you have to speak. You draw in a long breath through your nose, setting aside the anxiety of sharing, then sigh out the air. 

“I was older than you when it happened. I had barely been knighted when they attacked.” You close your eyes and wince. “Managed to escape with a few others, but they were killed off one by one.” 

Cal’s voice is soft. “I’m sorry…” 

You open your eyes. “I tried to protect them…the younglings and padawans…” Tears gather. “But…” 

Cal’s eyes burn into your peripheral. “It’s okay, I know.” 

You meet his gaze. “But you made it, and you were only a padawan.” 

“I got lucky.” 

You gesture around. “Is this lucky?” 

You both share a chuckle, no longer watching the other, but staring into the flames. 

“We’re making a difference.” 

“It doesn’t feel like it.” 

Cal lowers his voice. “No, but every little bit helps. If we stop fighting, then we aren’t paving the way for others to succeed.” 

You don’t respond immediately, weighing the next words. “There was a time I stopped fighting.” 

“What happened?” 

“It was after a few years of being on the run. I, uh, tried to settle down.” 

You offer a silent prayer that he won’t ask follow-up questions. But as with your previous prayers, the heavens ignore it. 

“What do you mean?” 

You wrinkle your forehead, eyes closed, as though not seeing his reaction will prevent the shame. “I met someone…I know it’s against the Order to form attachments, but I was so tired of being alone and scared.” 

“The Order doesn’t exist anymore…what happened?” 

His nonchalant response startles you. “It was good for a few years, very, uh, domestic.” 

He smiles, though it looks like he’s biting back laughter. “After seeing you in action, I have a hard time picturing you being domestic.” 

Neither of you can restrain yourselves, friendly laughter making the jungle feel less threatening. You sober first, remembering the good parts of your old relationship. “It’s easy when you’re in love.” 

You look down at Cal’s touch: his hand rests atop yours, giving you a gentle squeeze. “What happened to him?” 

“He’s dead.” 

Cal squeezes tighter, offering support to your pain. “I’m so sorry that-” 

You cut him off, your voice cold and venomous. “Don’t be. I killed him.” 

His grip loosens a tiny amount, alerting you he isn’t sure how to respond. You continue, voice soured from the words that pour out of your mouth. “He seemed to forget that he ever loved me. We were poor, and he became greedy. He saw a ransom for Jedi, and…” 

Cal pulls his hand back to his body in a flash, as though he might hit something. Rage painted onto his features. “He turned you in? For credits?” 

A few tears fall from your eyes, and you wipe them with the pads of your fingers. Cal looks like he might either pull you into a hug or run off to kill your ex-lover a second time. “How could he do that to you? Claim to love you…then-”

“It’s my fault, I-” 

“That’s not true!” 

Silence follows the angry outburst, something screeches in the distance, both your heads turn in anticipation. Nothing comes into sight. 

“Cal…I missed all the signs.”

“You were in love, you couldn’t be expected to-” 

You raise your voice to be heard over his protests. “That is precisely why the old Order didn’t allow attachments. I became blind to the truth.” 

“You trusted someone who you thought cared for you. That isn’t a crime.” 

“Maybe…but I was meditating daily then, and the Force didn’t inform me…” 

Cal thinks for a moment. “Is that why you don’t meditate anymore?” 

“I can’t trust in the Force anymore. Not after…everything.” 

“I see…” 

You know now that your lack of trust in the Force is hurting him. He has always been so loyal to it, meditating at all opportunities, focusing himself on becoming a good Jedi. You won’t try to tear down his beliefs. He doesn’t need to be brought down to your level. “I’m kind of tired. We should call it a night. We have a long walk back tomorrow.” 

Cal nods, laying back on his sleeping pad. There is a look of sorrow in his eyes. “Right, goodnight.” 

You roll, facing away from him. “Goodnight.” 

You both lay there, a few feet apart, listening to the forest and the sound of the other breathing. “It wasn’t your fault for not knowing.” 

You don’t respond aloud, but your eyes react, tears streaming down your face until sleep overtakes you. 

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Next Chapter

[kiyonoa1blog]

Olympic Games legacy

For the Olympic legacy to be achieved, a vision must be developed. For people, cities and territories, and the Olympic Movement, it encompasses all intangible and tangible long-term benefits associated with hosting the Olympic Games or sports events (IOC, 2017). Legacy is very important to make strategic plans in order to host any sports events. Especially, Olympic games are the biggest sports event in the world. Thus, the process of developing the legacy is significantly important and interesting things. It has become increasingly important for bid committees, event governing bodies, and host governments to focus on the long-term legacy of hosting large-scale sports events (Thomson et al., 2019 as cited in Leopkey & Parent, 2016, Veal, Toohey, & Frawley, 2012, Preuss, 2007, Ritchie, 2000). It may be possible to benefit future generations from positive social legacies like skill building and volunteering in the host community (Dickson & Darcy, 2022 as cited in Dickson et al., 2020).

IOC

Hosting Olympic Games could give a big impact and opportunities for the host country. For example, new job opportunities, meeting new people, economic effects and new buildings and transport systems. Events venues, transportation services, road upgrades, sports facilities, and accommodations are among the new infrastructure communities benefit from, as well as potential new business and tourism opportunities (Griffith University, n.d.).

Globalization, digitalization, and mediatization have caused the Olympic Games to grow into a massive event that incurs significant operating costs (Seung-Jin, 2022). There would be a huge cost in preparation for the Olympic Games but worth it. Also, as Kim stated that Mega-events have motivated countries and cities to host them because they are expected to bring positive changes, and their legacies are actively investigated (2019).

The Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in 2032. Queensland Government starts preparation for the Olympic Games. It is based on the results of the national Hopes and Dreams survey and the discussion at the Legacy Forum with 500 of Australia's smartest, brightest and bold minds. It will provide a framework for public and private sector cooperation to plan and make decisions in the years ahead under the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Plan (Queensland Government, 2023). According to the Games Master Plan, 84 per cent of venues are existing or temporary. By using this model, Brisbane 2032 will be delivered with significant cost savings and will provide a precedent for future Olympic and Paralympic Games in mid-sized cities (Queensland Government, 2022).

References

Dickson, T. J., & Darcy, S. (2022). Next Steps in Mega-Sport Event Legacy Research: Insights from a Four Country Volunteer Management Study. Event Management, 26(8), 1849-1854.

Griffith University. (n.d.). Legacy: Before, during and after. Future learn. https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/sport-inclusion/0/steps/41656#:~:text=Legacy%20is%20the%20term%20we,a%20major%20sports%20event1.

International Olympic Committee. (2017, December). Legacy strategic approach moving forward. https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Documents/Olympic-Legacy/IOC_Legacy_Strategy_Full_version.pdf?_ga=2.203412370.2032941517.1683451763-1122605148.1683451763

Kim, H., Choe, Y., Kim, D., & Kim, J. (2019). For Sustainable Benefits and Legacies of Mega-Events: A Case Study of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics from the Perspective of the Volunteer Co-Creators. Sustainability, 11(9)

Queensland Government. (2023, 3 May). Legacy. https://www.qld.gov.au/about/Brisbane2032/legacy-program

Queensland Government. (2022, 5 October). Brisbane 2032 Master Plan. https://www.qld.gov.au/about/Brisbane2032/brisbane-2032-master-plan

Seung-Jin, H., Lee, W., So-Hee, K., Yoon Sang-Hoon, & Hyunwoong, P. (2022). Assessing Expected Long-term Benefits for the Olympic Games: Delphi-AHP Approach from Korean Olympic Experts. Sage Open, 12(4)

Thomson, A., Cuskelly, G., Toohey, K., Kennelly, M., Burton, P., & Fredline, L. (2019). Sport event legacy: A systematic quantitative review of literature. Sport Management Review, 22(3), 295–321.

[mystybelle]

This is pretty close to the perspective I had before, and is what prompted me to suggest redefining RPGs with terms like; Immersive story games (ISG, a lot of "JRPGs" and most modern AAA digital rpgs) for games with unresponsive plots and worlds, and RPG (immersive sims, most pen and paper rpgs) for games that focus on the ways in which player actions change the plot and world of the game.

But while I already had a solid breadth of knowledge on the history of digital rpgs when I was still made of flesh and sinew, I didn't have the same breadth of knowledge about pen and paper ones. Now I've been learning more about ttrpgs, and analyzing their development alongside and from before the dawn of the digital game, it's been gotten harder and harder to see distinct differences.

The dnd that gave rise to Rogue's first build, wasn't that different from Rogue. Rogue, and rogue likes & roguelites are a very limited version of the pen and paper rpgs of today. But there was, and still exists weird resentment for the digital rpg from some older sectors of the pen and paper era, because they were almost literally the same thing. As I read through old scans, this very moment, I feel like I'm reading an expanded instruction manual for a digital game from my childhood.

At least D&D, specifically so far, was built in a way where the emergent gameplay- the actual roleplaying, affecting the plot and world around them- would constantly set the proverbial cpu of the system on fire.

The immersive sim was custom built for more expressive options by comparison. In the sense that, it was built to actually provide interesting consequences for all the options made available to its players.

The original pen and paper RPGs had more options technically, but only because there were no literally hard coded limitations. The "invisible walls" of the original RPGs were lack of content restrictions; if the players walked off the edge of the world's loaded zones, the town they were supposed to visit would get a slight reskin and appear in a different location if the DM had nothing else prepped for that day. Or a completely harmless NPC might suddenly become a horrific monstrosity as a hilarious, and oft panicked improvisation, to avoid making players feel as if their time is being wasted. Only for that monstrosity to conveniently drop a plot relevant item, in hopes of steering the players towards content that's actually prepped for the night. For less experienced tables and DMs, the cpu often overheats and the game crashes in the process of trying to both create new assets and events, and then render them in real time.

The only difference between pen and paper RPGs and digital ones, is that a digital RPG might not always have procedural generation built in. So instead of getting new content and story when you run off the edge of the world, if your CPU is experienced enough at improv, you're simply incapable of leaving the existing limits of prepped content at all. Even then, bugs are little more than content that wasn't written robustly enough to handle the uncertainty principle that is a player. Glitches like winding up stuck in the floor in an ARPG is usually only possible because a player moved somewhere that the developers didn't expect them to visit, and thus accidentally stumbled upon a path of ground that wasn't properly rendered for some reason, because the developer didn't debug a location they didn't expect anyone to travel. Those moments, in my opinion, are as funny or nightmarish as the blips in the system that can occur in a pen and paper RPG.

An RPG is always more concerned about it's specified gameplay loop. In the original RPG and dungeon crawler, that gameplay loop is... Dungeon crawling. It was literally in the name after Chainmail. In Kingdom Hearts it's fundamentally identical, you're just vastly stronger than your party members, your "stats" are mostly non-numerical, the strategic aspects of your play are beat into you as muscle memory over time, and the plot is too involved to be told around a campfire sans gameplay, but would make a great book or manga. In Skyrim, the dragonborn is supposed to do dragonborn things. The world around you is an exceptionally well built sandbox based on the setting of Skyrim compared to something like Kingdom Hearts' more utilitarian design, but you have a very clearly intended path forward. In something like Pokemon, or Genshin Impact, the rule is very much the same. You as the player are there to accomplish a set task with a specifically controlled set of tools, and only actions related to that specific task are ones that affect the current state of the game as it is available to you.

Something like Deus Ex, Fallout, or Ultima (that's a new game to me) grant the player a backstory for their character and make the world around them as clearly defined as their given consoles and artistic directions can make possible, and then set them loose with the tools given to them.

Of course the Immersive Sim is still a video game and thus physically limited to the pre-planned content that a developer(s) wrote(code or story)/drew/composed/acted/etc. But to say that makes them fundamentally the same as something like Dungeons and Dragons (or its superior younger sister, Pathfinder), an out and out Dungeon crawler by design, simply because additional content in a pen and paper game can be improved in a shorter time frame than DLC can be shipped for something like Elden Ring, felt like a deep misunderstanding of the genre now that I've been thinking about it for longer.

Of course now I have the wonderful task of trying to convince mortals to pick up what I've realized is a pen and paper Immersive Sim srd, instead of an ttRPG srd, when even I've only just realized what I've made.

The more I learn about the details of pen and paper rpg's history, specifically D&D's roots, the more I realize that the "Immersive sim" genre that appeared in video games, is actually more of an aberration from the rule of RPG than I thought they were.

That almost makes me sad honestly

[aegor-bamfsteel]

hello, I love reading your blackfyre metas! they are a treasure, I have a hypothetical? question regarding dragonstone. idk if you watched the show but basically at the end of it there’s no targs or baratheons anymore (which makes me glad but poor shireen). now if this scenario happens, do you imagine a blackfyre descendant (even after the name die) being interested in taking dragonstone after everything? it’s a volcanic island and described as dark and grim,but it’s the original seat of house targ. there’s a fic that makes fun of D&D writing(and the political situation in Westeros after show! ending, very fun) and it has house velaryon taking dragonstone ,that is, aurane waters and his nephew lord monterys. but what do you think of the idea of a blackfyre taking dragonstone instead in this scenario? will they even think that it’s worth it to take it and rule as lords/ladies?or it won’t matter to them considering how long it has been and that they are living well and happy in Essos and have no intention of moving to Westeros?

I’m glad you like reading my metas! It’s always great to hear positive feedback.

I did watch the show, and I am familiar with the ending (didn’t think too highly of it, although at least House Targaryen’s name dying out makes sense thematically). I actually hadn’t thought about who would get Dragonstone now that there are no more Baratheons or Targaryens. Bran is the king by acclamation and would thus would be able to dispose of it as its overlord, probably to Davos Seaworth (he’s a named important character with some history with Dragonstone, he knows the sea, he was loyal to the Starks and in the show wasn’t given the Rainwood). But should Bran for some reason offer a Blackfyre descendant rulership of the island, would they be willing to be a guest on This Old House: Dragonstone?

It does seem unlikely, but not impossible. Dragonstone is a gloomy island that smells like smoke and brimstone, but it’s rich in obsidian/dragonglass which is highly useful in Westeros as jewelry, magically enhanced weaponry, and glass candles (plus in the show, it seems obsidian mines were opened, but it’s unlikely all deposits were mined in such a short time). Tyroshi make fine armor and possibly jewelry, so it could be of interest. There’s also a port town with taverns and inns and a shipyard, which might be fixed up if the owner is willing to invest in it (which has happened with Hull and Spicetown under Corlys Velaryon, or Tumbleton under Sharis Footly). The island has a strategic location for controlling trade in the Gullet, though I don’t know how much an advantage that would be with King’s Landing destroyed, House Velaryon as competitors, and Bran/Tyrion as a higher authority to which to complain if the tolls ever get too high. I don’t think any one Blackfyre scion would have the funds to fix up Dragonstone, its town, and mines, but we know there are several trading cartels and a bank from which to borrow money. They could sell stakes in the obsidian mines or the shipyards, essentially spreading out the massive cost between several merchant princes, or even some adventurous commoners. Something similar happened in the mercantile era that led to the establishment of many of America’s 13 original colonies (ex: Massachusetts, Virginia, New Amsterdam aka New York).

However, it would be a massive project to make Dragonstone successful, one that would probably fail once the obsidian runs out (an economy based on a single luxury item is heading for disaster in a few decades, such as Peru’s in the time around the Chincha Islands War over guano). There’s also the distance. Tyrosh to Dragonstone is 700 miles by water, so it’d take about 100 hours or 4 days 4 hours at the fastest to get people there, or about 7-8 days on average. Hardly insurmountable, but definitely uncomfortable and expensive to keep going back and forth, especially when it comes to fixing up the town. Consider also that the Blackfyre descendants are in this scenario Essosi merchants taking over a symbolically important castle right after Dæny burned King’s Landing and the Unsullied killed surrendering soldiers for revenge; Essosi have never been viewed favorably in Westeros and tolerance toward them is probably at a low. Given the different political systems of Westerosi feudalism and Tyroshi plutocracy, its also possible they wouldn’t initially know how to govern the people. Without the motivation to attract backers, the long distance, the lack of experience, and cultural prejudice, even in the unlikely event that the Blackfyre descendants are offered Dragonstone rather than a Westerosi supporter of the new regime, I don’t think they would take it. Maybe they might try to sell the rights, or ask for a stake in the obsidian mining/shipbuilding, but I doubt it’d go further.

A long lost heir suddenly being called to inherit a volcanic lair from a foreign country’s new wizard-king and having to sell the idea of getting rich quick off mining magic volcanic glass to a bunch of adventurous merchants in order to make the lair‘s port town more habitable does sound like a decent plot for a fanfic, though.

[tundrainafrica]

Title: Lovebug (11/14)

Summary:

“It might be a bug.”

“A bug?”

“Sometimes the developers of this application make mistakes. This is our first time meeting I’m sure so…Isn’t it a bit weird that we just met for the first time and it rings like this? And for two strangers to coincidentally ring each other’s alarms?“

Levi is the developer of the Love Alarm App and Hange is married to Zeke.

Link to cross-postings: AO3

Other Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Notes: Feedback is very much appreciated :D

Levi could only be grateful that Petra had taken charge.

He was in no mood to do much but sit down, maybe get the gears of his brain moving when questions on coding or troubleshooting were directed to him. When the questions were on expected behavior of application, on known bugs, the motions in his mind were automatic, the responses that followed were second nature.

In that particular role, he was certain he’d be functional at the least.

There were questions about the overall testing process though that required more consideration, more planning and maybe some drawing. They weren’t formulaic. They required an overall different approach, a different part of the brain and Levi was only further convinced of that as he watched Petra draw over the floor plan with pencil.

He didn’t make sense of it at first and maybe all he needed was just a little push in the right logical direction.

Petra’s explanations were a godsend. “With the size of the gym, we can manage thirty tests at once…” She drew circles over the gym, evenly spaced. “We do it all at once, then we have them exit through here. ” She continued to trace the path from the front of the gymnasium to the back. “Then they answer the questionnaire over here, then one of the facilitators will submit it to the moderator’s table.”

The line that weaved efficiently through markers was a sign enough that she had put much thought into the overall planning process.

The moderator's tables was strategically positioned on one corner of the gym, angled in such a way to be inconspicuous.

Levi looked back for a second, noting, it's almost invisible presence next to the stage and the stored sports equipment.

And all I have to do is sit here, listen and answer questions right? Levi wished he could have asked it out loud. What kind of head engineer would he seem like if he did though? He went for the less desirable option of just keeping quiet, instead letting whatever questions in his brain out as one raised eyebrow.

“We want to make the most of our resources here so Eld, Oluo, Gunther, can facilitate. Make sure that none of the Love Alarms are on silent, that all the questionnaires are answered then mark on the box if it did ring. And Levi…” Petra turned to Levi. “I recommend you stay in the moderator’s table, encode the data, and stand by for any issues that may come up.”

Levi nodded. “That sounds like a plan.” He forced those last words out of his mouth while brushing off the almost guilt inducing relief at the confirmation of his own job and soon after that, the painful awareness of his own strange disconnect from the overall testing process

Petra though, had proven more qualified to take over. She had taken it upon herself since even the planning stages, coordinating with the logistics team, coordinating with the marketing team. Thus, she was in a better position anyway to brief people.

More importantly, she was admirably calm and professional about the whole process of presenting a plan in front of one of the biggest investors of the company. A very glaring reminder why she had been assigned to front office work since the start.

It wasn’t at all difficult to admit that Petra deserved to manage it.

So he let her take free rein. Levi leaned back on the wall, arms crossed as he watched the hand drawn lines darken under Petra’s delicate motions. He was tempted to doze off and a few times he did, especially when Petra took some time out to mention the specific responsibilities of facilitators.

When she mentioned the data encoding process, Levi forced himself to listen. Moments after that, when Petra shifted to other topics, he found himself darting his eyes across the small crowd, letting his eyes land on Zeke. The view of Zeke standing on one side of the table, looking deep in thought sent a rush of urgency through him, a very natural reaction to money, corporate obligation.

And something else.

Something unfamiliar and unwelcome. Sadness? Before Levi could even pin down the emotion, he was already following Zeke’s gaze.

Those blue eyes were tracing the plans on the table. Levi observed for a while, making quick guesses of what Zeke had been watching on the table, maybe to get a glimmer of what the man could have been thinking. Just behind the table though, on their side, there was something that had caught his attention more quickly than some overly detailed plans and some notes he had seen too many times already.

There were two hands clasped together and before he even noticed it himself , Levi was staring, tracing the thumbs with his eyes. Soon, he concluded, the grip of one of those hands was all too familiar.

Levi looked up, only to confirm what he already knew.

Hange could have known he was watching but Levi liked to guess that she didn’t. After all, she didn’t meet his gaze, instead, her head shot up, her eyes shifted towards Zeke.

It felt like an unspoken rejection.

A very out-of-place feeling of rejection.

Why would she look at me? Levi looked back down at the plan, letting the mood whiplash that followed rush through him. In those few moments, nothing much had changed. The markers were just a little clearer, the black ink a stark contrast to the white paper but he only found as he continued to follow it, that he couldn't make much sense of it anymore.

“Are you okay with this plan?” Petra asked.

Levi wasn’t looking so he couldn’t be too sure who she was talking to. Her voice was careful, gentle, and her tone was very respectful. He took the risk of making eye contact.

“Boss, are you okay with it?” She repeated. “If you have any feedback…”

Out of instinct, Levi nodded. “Yes, it looks like a great plan.” He could only thank whatever god, or whatever natural forces had made his voice naturally toneless and uninterested. That was the most he could have feigned anyway in such an unexpectedly tense situation.

Petra nodded and moved on from there. And whether or not the others had been looking at him, Levi couldn't tell too much. Their eyes fell back on the table in front of them, Petra continued to prattle on about logistics and upkeep.

Soon, Levi decided, he could probably just learn along the way. All he had to do was keep watch on the moderator’s table and encode data anyway.

Right? “I’ll go to the toilet first,” Levi whispered from behind Petra.

Petra saw him off with a subtle eyebrow raise.

With that bout of freedom, Levi broke away from the small crowd and made his way out of the gym. There probably was a toilet inside the gym but he didn’t bother to search for it. The point of the toilet break was the break more than the actual toilet.

Over the long drawn orientation, Levi realized he was tired, unmotivated and maybe a little desolate. Everything had the potential to tick him off and he just needed some time to breathe.

Maybe a long walk could help. Maybe pretending Hange didn’t exist for just a few minutes would help.

His emotions were a mush and he found himself in some strange in-between state as he strolled aimlessly through the campus. He was looking for a way to get lost while at the same time, he was looking for the most efficient way to make it to some empty toilet.

After a good number of unproductive minutes and a not-too-comforting toilet break had passed, Levi conceded. He might really have to do a quick search to even find his way back in such a big campus. After opening the maps app and confirming location, Levi made one last check on one certain application to satisfy his curiosity.

Purple. His emotional alarm confirmed. He was going to have to be productive despite being very purple.

Levi pocketed his phone and made the familiar trek back to the gym.

**

The gym exploded into a cacophony of rings from that familiar alarm and very annoying echoes that never seemed to end, both sounds Levi was all too tired of hearing already.

It didn't help at all that booting up his laptop and opening the sheet had been also an excruciatingly slow.

When he organized the stack of questionnaires into a pile next to his desk, he was just a little disconcerted. Disconcerted enough that it took him some time to notice that someone had settled onto the seat next to him.

Recognition came quickly, the first question came out instinctively. “Why are you here?” They were still close enough at least that Hange seemed to have gotten his question even with the little effort he put into speaking over background noises.

The flash of surprise in her eyes, beautifully framed as Hange furrowed her brows was very telling of Levi’s tone. Was he too abrasive? Well, they had a pretty good send off yesterday. Right? He eventually concluded, he probably could have been a little nicer.

Hange was a distraction. When Hange was next to him on the moderator’s table, it felt like a carrot was being dangled in front of him. When it was him and her, in front of hundreds or other people, some of them people who could potentially ask about Hange, he couldn't even act naturally around Hange.

Levi could only entertain the possibility that it would have been easier if she wasn't present.

It didn’t help at all that Zeke was just a few feet behind Hange. Sometimes, the blonde was rattling on about possible investment plans with some very irritating enthusiasm. Sometimes, he was talking to some other school official and sometimes he was on the phone with god-knows who. And every now and then--- No, not every now and then--- In very regular intervals, Levi would notice the way Zeke would stare at the both of them for just a few seconds.

Not infrequently enough for Levi to blame his own paranoia, yet too often for Levi to have noticed some pattern.

Hange though, hadn’t been very helpful. She started to type on her laptop much louder. “I volunteered to help encode data. Petra said during the briefing that you wouldn't be able to do it alone. Weren't you listening?"

Maybe he hadn't been listening. That didn't mean he had to admit it. “Only one person needs to do it,” Levi responded.

“We’re looking at hundreds or even thousands of data points.”

“I’ve dealt with worse.”

Hange turned to him, her eyes observing. “And you seem tired.”

“Do I?” That last syllable came out as a croak. Hange’s own conjecture had left Levi thinking, then he was suddenly more aware of his own vulnerability.

When she stared at him for a while longer, her lips curling up into a soft smile, Levi had to acknowledge her ability to just see through him. He cleared his throat, swallowing that crack in his voice from a second ago.

“How are you feeling?” Hange asked. She continued to type, sometimes she shifted to clicking with the mouse, maybe preparing a spreadsheet.

The question had come out of nowhere and in the air between them, it seemed almost out of place. What could he expect though after their last encounter?

He silently stumbled upon the answer. Nothing. There was no well-backed formula to navigate such complex circumstances.

Levi didn’t answer immediately, allowing himself a few minutes to at least come up with something fair. He leaned back on the metal chair and stared up at the ceiling. He dug into his pants, searching for anything to hold onto, dryer lint, a few odds and ends to distract himself with. He was a naturally fastidious person and consequently, digging into pockets had left him empty handed. With no choice but to answer, He opened his mouth slowly, before he could even come up with something. “Purple,” he eventually whispered.

It was still loud enough for Hange to hear. She responded soon afterwards. “I’m feeling green, very green.”

Happy sad? Or sad happy? Those questions never left his mouth. Maybe he was a little terrified to know the answer. Maybe he just didn’t trust himself to function if by some chance she said something he didn’t want to hear.

Besides, this was a professional relationship. They were colleagues, business partners.

And once again, Levi reminded himself. Why should she think of him as anything more than that?

“You’re not joining testing?” Levi asked.

They had been silent for a while, long enough for Levi to get tired of staring at Zeke and Erwin who had been engaged in some other conversation on a table towards the corner of the gym, some area concealed by some makeshift stage. From the moderators table situated right beside the stage. Levi couldn’t make out conversations but he could make out some of the gestures and mannerisms

There was another man, someone Levi didn’t recognize. A School Official?

It didn’t seem necessary for him to think too much of it. After all, it had seemed like a more casual conversation. Zeke though, always seemed to be having a relaxed conversation while Erwin never looked like he was having one.

“I left my phone...” It had felt like ages before Hange replied.

He didn’t even notice he had been waiting for her reply until he turned back, and returned her gaze. Until he found himself unable to respond, possibly out of shock.

She continued. “Back in the house…” Her words came slowly. Maybe she had been too engrossed in something else in her laptop to tell.

We have test devices. The suggestion seemed almost automatic

Levi’s mouth was already halfway open when she interrupted. “I’d personally rather I didn’t test the Love Alarm today. He might insist we test it but I thought it worth a shot to at least not have my phone with me, to make it less convenient.” She shrugged then gave him a knowing look.

You know why… Those had been the silent words between them. And there could have been a silent conversation after that, or a silent moment of comprehension. Something only two people whose love alarms rang under the mercy of the most complex of circumstances could have ever understood.

In the silence that followed, Levi kept himself busy encoding some of the data that had already come in. He was grateful there were still parts of the spreadsheet that needed fixing. He managed to prolong his busy-ness and as they continued, he was committed to keeping both of them occupied.

The answered questionnaires came more quickly, in thicker stacks and Levi only got enough to seem productive, leaving Hange with a slightly bigger stack. The unsynchronized clacks of the keyboards were enough to fill the air of the room, for a good long hour.

He tried to take control in his own way, maybe find rhythm with Hange's typing.

A part of him was desperate to fill the air between them with some casual conversation but when he opened his mouth, nothing much else came out. They were doing what they were supposed to do but Levi felt like a fish out of water.

With time and the right prodding, his thoughts flew back to Hange’s words just yesterday. Maybe she had been right. They were at the mercy of circumstances.

An hour or so could have passed before Zeke sauntered back into their table with Erwin trailing behind. Zeke slammed both hands on the table in some strange greeting. "Did you have our chauffeur pick your phone up?"

Hange looked up at Zeke, her expression unreadable. "No, I didn’t.”

Zeke had the face of a wounded monkey. “So you really don’t plan on joining the testing?”

Hange shrugged. “I’m fine just helping out here. I’ve done enough testing with the app already.”

“I want to test it with you,” Zeke said.

Hange returned Zeke’s look with her own consoling one. “We could always try it together another time?” She suggested.

Zeke didn’t seem satisfied. “I’ll call someone to bring it over.” He pulled out his phone.

Hange put her hands up in defense. “No need, besides, there might be something wrong with my phone. I plan on having it checked.”

“You could use one of the test devices here?” Erwin suggested.

A very unwelcome suggestion. Levi was tempted to look at Erwin, shooting daggers with his stare. Instead he bent over, just a little hiding his face behind the laptop screen.

“No no, don’t trouble yourself, other people might need it more,” Hange said.

"We could always buy a new phone?" Zeke seemed pretty certain about his suggestion. He had pulled out his phone as he spoke.

If Levi had been drinking then, he could have spit it out. Instead he had to settle for choking on his own saliva. What?

Erwin raised both eyebrows in shock. "Mr. Jaeger, do you mean buying a new phone for testing? We have a few test devices here. You shouldn't put yourself thought the trou--"

Zeke shook his head. "Believe me it's no trouble." He started to type. "Leave the test devices for people who actually need them. Buying a phone is no problem for me.”

Hange had opened her mouth to protest. Something could have caught at her throat and she looked back down at her laptop. She started to type faster, much faster than a while ago. The quick and off rhythm clack of the keyboard mixed with Zeke’s very firm orders at whoever poor sap was on the phone.

“Any particular model you’d like?” Zeke asked.

Hange shook her head. “You know my stand on this Zeke.”

“It’s a quick test,” Zeke justified. Seeming unbothered, he turned to Levi. “What type of model does the love alarm work best in?”

Erwin had been looking at him expectantly then and Levi found himself dropping a typical model, muttering it under his breath.

It hadn’t done much anyway. Zeke acted as if he hadn't been listening to Levi in the first place. Maybe he hadn't, his focus completely on whoever he was talking to on the phone. “Just buy the best model available and get it down here stat... Money won’t be a problem.”

Still, it was a total waste of money. Levi snuck a glare at Zeke from just above his laptop and a part of him was hoping he had gotten the message.

It was just like Erwin to find a diplomatic way to make his own thoughts known. “You really didn’t have to go through the trouble. We have some working phones which Hange could have borrowed.”

Zeke put one finger up as if to silence Erwin. “I think it’s a fair price for convenience. Besides, if your phone is broken, better to replace it right?" He turned to Hange with those last words.

To Levi, it seemed almost like a challenge.

A challenge to what? There were too many things running through his brain, useless things like estimations of phone prices and a price that would have meant installments to most people, so casually dropped by someone as insufferable as Zeke Jaeger.

He didn't trust himself to speak. So he encoded the last few papers in front of him onto their electronic sheet, slowly yet very carefully, willing his eyes to run through each number multiple times.

His brain was barely moving though.

When the new stack of papers came, care of Eld, Levi was an odd mix between grateful and exasperated.

When Zeke invited Hange out for lunch, he was an odd mix between relieved and just slightly offended.

By what? Of course Zeke wouldn't invite him.

Still, maybe it hurt just a little bit to have the seat next to him empty.

***

Levi settled for a lunch of a sandwich and whatever drink he got his hands on first. Nutrition facts and long term consequences to his overall health could wait another few decades.

Just like with toilet breaks, Levi went for the farther convenience store for no specific reason. Maybe to see a little more green or to allow himself some brain space to think and walk.

And maybe to run into Hange and Zeke again. He found himself thinking back to Hange at the hotel restaurant. It had happened only last Friday but somehow, it had felt like ages ago.

He shifted his gaze, looking subtly through cafe windows, searching for a mop of brown hair or maybe the well kept golden blonde. He came up with nothing.

With time, he gave up, and turned back to the school, passing through one of the nearby entrances, quietly looking through the map on his phone for assurance that he was still on the right path back.

The uniforms were the first sign he was on the right path. The students that had strolled purposefully through the characteristic red brick roads of the school were another sign.

All he had to do was follow the signs to make it back to the gym.

And as he walked on, he noticed other signs, like people with their phones held up, as if looking for an app, maybe? He couldn't be too sure. That was until he noticed two people hunched over, screaming obscenities about love, relationships and some ridiculous app, to surmise he must be nearby.

"Why the hell did it ring?"

"Relax Connie, it's just an app."

"Just in case you forgot, you're in a relationship. Niccolo could kill me for this."

Levi looked back fast enough to catch the nonchalant shrug of the brunette.

"He won't," the brunette continued. "Besides, who cares about what an app says. I already committed to a relationship with him ----”

“I care!”

“Okay then,” She looked dumbfounded or maybe that had been her natural face. She paused for a second, looking upward, seeming deep in thought before she spoke up again. “Why are you so worked up over this?”

There was a bench nearby and for a good few seconds, Levi was eyeing it, especially while the two young students continued to chatter on about his application. The conversation got a little more interesting and it had been all the easier to decide to take a moment to settle on the bench and scroll through his own phone.

“Sasha, tell me… What did you put in the questionnaire.” Connie asked, only confirming the girl’s name for Levi.

“Isn’t that confidential?” Sasha challenged.

Technically it was confidential. Levi had to note and the two were talking in such a recklessly loud manner and even Levi a good few feet away was within earshot. Just to seem less like a peeping Tom, he put both earbuds on.

“I said I trusted you, that I’m happy with you. I think about you a lot. Maybe that’s why it rang for me.”

Levi noticed it from his peripherals, the way the girl named Sasha tensed up and froze on the spot. He found himself cheering silently for the young boy.

Connie, that’s his name right?

“Connie, we’ve been best friends for years… Of course I’d feel the same way about you.”

“So… If the alarm rang for both of us…” Connie never finished his sentence. Or maybe he did, his voice had slowly deadened into murmurs and in response.

Sasha’s jaw dropped, reminiscent of only Hange’s face just yesterday when they separated by the boarding gate.

In shock? In confusion? There were only too many reasons for that expression but Levi was feeling conservative with his guesses. They were a bunch of teenagers, what did they know about love and relationships?

Sasha’s expression softened into a kind smile. “We’ve been best friends for years...even if it is true…”

Their voices had softened to a whisper as the conversation only got more and more serious and Levi was starting not to make out most of what they were saying. He did notice though how she mentioned something about a man named Niccolo, something about a choice to date someone.

And he concluded, maybe it was for the better that he left the two alone to discuss their problems.

He silently scolded himself for even getting invested in that conversation in the first place.

***

Whatever results Connie and Sasha gave were completely anonymous and as Levi scrolled through the datasets on the sheet, he felt almost guilty for prying so deeply into some stranger's personal business. Embarrassingly, it had reached a point where he had been invested enough to guess which of the results were theirs based on the conversation a while ago.

After half an hour of fruitless searching, he let the guilt take over and he stopped himself. Instead, he turned back to the stack of papers that needed encoding.

Maybe one of the papers is there. Levi guessed then he mentally slapped himself for that bout of desperation.

“You should put a minimum age on this Love Alarm app.”

Levi looked up to see Hange had pulled back the seat and settled down next to him. “Why?” he asked. The question seemed more for posterity. Levi was starting to guess the answer himself.

“On the way back from lunch, we ran into a few students fighting.” She chuckled, her voice was light, her tone almost mischievous. “It looks like the love alarm might have started some drama.”

Levi wondered how she could even manage such a conversation when there were more pressing matters on hand. Still, he decided to engage. “I ran into two kids outside too. They were talking about their results with the love alarm.”

Hange raised one eyebrow in interest. “Oh?”

“And one of them’s in a relationship already.” Soon after those words leaked out, Levi wondered if he should have even admitted it. They seemed too painfully familiar.

“So, it just proves, even in a committed relationship, it could ring. Right?” Hange asked.

“Of course it would. The love alarm wouldn’t be able to tell if you’re in a relationship right?” Levi responded. “All the app measures is…” Love. He was careful that second time around. “Compatibility. Unable to multitask at that moment, he dropped his hand right next to the laptop. He looked to Hange, only to notice she hadn’t even started on the second stack yet.

Her eyes were on him and she was still looking very much invested in the conversation. “And I told you, I think your app is working fine.”

Levi continued. “But they’re high school students.”

“Are you saying high school students aren’t capable of love?”

Levi almost choked on his own saliva. “What? No, I never said that.” He took a deep breath. “But there are nuances when considering compatibilities right, something people wouldn’t figure out for themselves early in life.”

“Your application is able to detect those nuances even if people aren’t aware of it themselves then. Going back to those two kids you ran into, let’s assume the love alarm was correct and those two really were compatible with each other. Explain the situation Levi.”

Levi had to pick at his brain. He had to do and undo knots from inside him so maybe it had taken him a bit longer to get those words out. He stared in front of him, trying to find organization in the way Petra had guided the new set of volunteers in.

Luckily, Hange had been patient.

He didn’t spend too much time wondering how long he had made her wait, he looked up at her, and leaned his cheek further into the palm of his hand. He spoke up. “One of them is in a relationship already. Her name is Sasha. The other one—I think his name is Connie— is a childhood friend.”

“Oh, childhood friends to lovers huh?” Hange gestured playfully for him to continue speaking.

Levi had momentum in the conversation, so he willed himself to continue. “And it rang for both of them, and they were talking about it. I couldn’t tell too much from the conversation but---”

“Do you think Sasha would leave her boyfriend just because the love alarm rang?” Hange could have been a mind reader and it was just like her to go straight to the point. Her voice was a little louder. At that point, she leaned back on her chair, and stared straight ahead. Her expression was painfully unreadable.

That had shortened Levi’s tirade by minutes, maybe seconds. That unexpected query left Levi frozen for a while.

“Should a love alarm ringing be worth two people reconsidering long term relationships?” Hange pressed.

Even if he didn’t have an answer for himself. Levi bit his lip and stared straight ahead. It was an easy enough question to answer, a very logical one. All he had to do was look back at whatever snippets he got of the conversation back in the schoolyard to grasp for some right answer.

Even if it is true, we made our choices. And a high school student admitting that of all things, should have been a glaring sign that maybe Levi had been a little immature, having been bothered by the prospect of ‘love being a choice’ for so long.

No, a love alarm shouldn’t be worth it. Levi had opened his mouth, ready to answer it with a simple and most objectively correct answer.

Even if the love alarm was correct, we made our choices. He had accepted it already weeks back, a sad kind of happiness.

Acceptance. But why was a part of him still resisting? He was looking for something. He looked back at Hange who sat, unmoving, he continued to search for it, studying whatever features his eyes would land on, from her cold eyes right until her pursed lips.

Acceptance. Levi repeated to himself. That had been enough to quell the drive to search within him

“Is a loving alarm ringing, really worth it?” Hange asked again. She had more to say, it was very much apparent in her cold professional demeanor. He could have sworn he saw something else, something that made him reflect on whether that question had been rhetorical or whether Hange really expected him to answer.

Worth throwing our lives away? Levi finished the sentence for her in his head and he almost regretted it. His heart ached, he found himself almost unable to breathe. It had been a miracle he managed to continue speaking.

Acceptance. He had accepted it a long time ago already. Maybe that had been the reason he had still managed to look her in the eye then. Levi took a deep breath. “It isn’t,” he admitted.

Hange dropped her shoulders and leaned back on the chair. She closed her eyes and let out an exhale.

A natural response to the thick tension between them. Still, something inside him was desperate for an inkling of her truth and he continued to search.

Hange looked back at him. In those few seconds, she had managed to compose herself and Levi was just having a much harder time reading her.

She spoke up again. “Are you okay?”

“No I’m not,” Levi admitted.

“Is there anything else you wanna talk about?” Hange was once again cold and professional.

Brushing away disappointment, Levi shook his head. “No. Let’s go back to work.” It looked like that 'casual' conversation had taken some turn for the worse and he was just a little tired from that.

***

After an hour or so, Levi had attempted again to loosen whatever tension blanketed both of them with another light conversation topic.

The few times he tried, he was interrupted. Events were only happening one after the other and he was starting to realize how difficult it was to keep a calm and disconnected conversation. Every other few minutes, they were coming at him with new reports, new stacks of paper, new developments.

“This is the last time we’re testing on high school students,” Levi muttered. He was almost relieved their last conversation had ended on an abrupt note. Maybe that wasn’t a conversation they should have been reaching in such a hectic situation.

“I’ll tell Zeke about this,” Hange responded calmly.

A huge chunk of Levi’s attention was on the scene in front of him just a few rows back There were, two girls, a small blonde and a dark lanky brunette a few inches taller, right next to them was a burly blond man. The blond man seemed almost devastated, the brunette seemed defensive and it looked like the small blond girl was trying to pacify both of them with a rattled Oluo in tow.

“How did you even convince a bunch of high school students to volunteer to test the app?” Levi asked half heartedly. That seemed like a casual conversation starter. He kept a good amount of his focus to his side, just in case Hange spoke up, he wouldn’t miss it.

Hange put one finger to her chin. "Zeke was pretty smart about it…” He pointed out something. "Teenagers are very simple minded yet very cynical at the same time. Just put the right bribe in front of them, concert tickets, front row tickets to a game in exchange for testing some product which seemingly tests their status with love? Most teenagers took the bait. " She grinned and spoke up again, her tone a little higher. “What can a simple phone app say about something as complex as love? Besides, the love alarm is a pretty harmless app right?”

She didn't really believe that right?

I mean, technically it is. Theoretically, all it did was measure compatibility. Most people should have chalked it up to something similar to horoscopes, superstitions or fortune telling. That information was on a nice-to-know basis but not necessarily life changing.

Levi only had to look ahead again to be reminded, maybe the Love Alarm just had that effect on people. Maybe users were underestimating their own ability to be unaffected by some reading on an application. The success of the Love Alarm was enough of an answer. The proliferation of app usage in the dating sphere was another hint. And the love alarm and the emotions alarm having some reign over Levi’s moods lately should have been another huge, visceral hint.

Levi set aside that last hint as soon as he articulated it in his mind. Instead, he turned his thoughts to an exhausted Oluo who was making his way to the table.

"This is a good lesson boss. We really should put a minimum age restriction on this," Oluo said as he sat back down on the chair next to Levi, seeming completely spent.

"You're not the first one to tell me that," Levi responded.

"You see that couple there? That small girl and that brown haired girl are in a relationship already. And that big guy, he has a thing for the small girl," Oluo explained. It looked like he had tried to keep a facade of disinterest, a shoddy one.

Levi saw easily through it. "I can see that." He kept his own tone seemingly unaffected. He wondered if it showed.

Either way, Oluo seemed too invested in whatever love stories he was speculating. "And the love alarm just made things slightly… complicated."

Levi narrowed his eyes, following the trio that only a while ago had been fighting.

He focused then on the brunette and the blonde, the subtle way they held hands, the wide eyed, seemingly permanent smile on the small blonde’s face. The brunette on the other hand seemed to wear a permanent scowl on her face. That was, unless she was staring at the smaller girl. He then looked down at the two hands, held close to each other.

He shook his head when he realized he had been staring at it for a little too long. He looked back at the burly blonde man, who stepped back, seeming disappointed, almost embarrassed.

"It helps articulate emotions. That’s the point of the Love Alarm because some people don’t even know they’re feeling something until someone—or something points it out right?" He turned almost instinctively back to Hange, only to feel a slight drop in his stomach.

Hange didn’t look back at him, seeming focused on whatever was in front of her. Her concentration made it difficult to see what had caught her eye.

Oluo continued. "There are two blondes over there. I think their names were Aaron… Arnie…? Anyway they have almost similar names." He subtly pointed towards another pair.

Still, it had been easy for Levi to trace the view to the two blondes next to each other, seeming nervous as they made their way through the crowd then to the table with the questionnaires. There was an awkward air about them, but he couldn’t help but notice the subtle smile plastered on both of their faces.

It only pushed Levi to look more closely at the papers as they were submitted to Petra. Petra had conveniently piled them on top of the stack and Levi followed it all the way until the mods table.

He looked over the answers.

All Yes boxes were ticked. Did they trust each other? Yes. Did they think about each other a lot? Yes. Levi double checked the question on the remarks filled up by a facilitator.

Did the love alarm ring? The ‘Yes’ box was ticked on both papers

"It looks like the Love Alarm can tie up romantic loose ends," Hange commented.

Levi only noticed when she had spoken up that she had craned her neck to read the questionnaire next to him. It looked like she had been listening the whole time. She gestured towards the exit of the gym where the two blondes seemed to be deep in conversation. From the distance, he noticed the red tint in both of their cheeks.

Then one raised their hand slightly, the other clutched it. Then Levi conceded, there was some truth to Hange’s comment. But he was tempted to challenge it. "Maybe because they mustered the courage to confess," Levi suggested as he encoded the numbers onto the spreadsheet. “They allowed themselves to feel whatever they were actually feeling.”

"Well, circumstances were in their favor right? I'm sure there are a lot more cases where just admitting would be slightly more complicated than that, like those two kids you mentioned a while ago."

Levi turned towards Hange, keeping his face as serious as possible. "I wanna know, why would admitting it be hard?"

Hange hummed "Rejection maybe?" Her face seemed innocent, mockingly innocent.

A little ticked, Levi was uncharacteristically in the mood for a little back and forth. "You've been talking about reading and acting on circumstances so many times this past weekend, I'm sure you know it's not always about rejection."

For the first time in a while, Levi was raring to talk. From the messy facade of disconnect, Hange’s expression shifted to that of hesitance, nervousness. For a good few moments, she was frozen on her seat. And he started to realize why he had been so strangely talkative since a while ago.

He was in a strange state of mind, he desperately wanted answers to questions he couldn’t yet articulate. Was he just not satisfied? Or was Hange just deliberately not giving them?

"Do you think it's embarrassing to feel something for someone?" Levi broke the silence with one question he managed to forage from the back of his mind.

Hange answered with a quick sentence. “No, it’s not.”

"Of course it's not, but when you think about your situation and you realize you’re not supposed to be feeling a certain way... Should you be ashamed about feeling that way?" He pressed.

"We can't assume how we feel right? Before we even delve into that, we have to consider whether or not we really feel that emotion right?"

"But when we’re sure we already feel it,” Levi clarified.

"But if you allow your emotions to play a part, all you do is muddle your own ability to analyze. I think everyone should analyze the situation first with a very cal—"

"I think that's pride," Levi said firmly. "I think pride is refusing to let yourself feel it in the first place."

Hänge hummed. "Well, then assuming that circumstances are so simple that you can just feel whatever you want… that's prejudice right? You only get past initial prejudice when you learn to analyze what's beyond the situation. The more you know, the more you understand, the freer you are."

"But you're only free if you let yourself feel, then after that, you let yourself understand," Levi said. So maybe just letting go, enough to let yourself feel, maybe that's freedom?"

Hange shook her head. "Thinking while letting your emotions run free? It's not that easy. You’re just gonna end up a slave to your emotions."

“Well, would I rather be a slave to my cold calculating brain or to my emotions? We can’t control emotions. We can’t control circumstances either. So what now?” Levi said, looking pointedly at Hange. He only realized then when the hoarseness of his throat caught up to him, that somewhere along the way he had raised his voice.

Hange’s eyes were wide and when she spoke up again, her voice was notably softer. It looked like she had raised her voice as well. “I assess the situation, and then I decide what to feel, what to do.”

Levi sighed. "Hange, I have another theory,” he started. “What if freedom is acting logically and objectively despite emotions?" He only noticed it soon after, he had adopted Hange’s mannerisms with those last few sentences.

Hange seemed unsurprised. She shook her head. “You can take control of your emotions more easily than your circumstances.”

"I don’t agree with that. No one can control how they feel. So I don’t think anyone should be ashamed of how they feel? Why do people have to stop themselves from feeling?" Levi asked. "Connie, that guy I ran into, the love alarm rang... They're best friends...there's acceptance there… isn't what's important is what we do with the feelings? I understand the circumstan—"

"Do you really understand it Levi?" Hange asked. She gestured with her face towards what was in front of them. The voices, the background noise became somewhat clearer as he watched the scuffle in front of him.

Levi huffed. “I understand that the Love Alarm isn’t enough reason for anyone to switch up their relationships…”

Sasha’s words echoed in his head. We’ve been best friends for years...even if it is true…

He continued. “But if the love alarm was correct, if the love were true, real… shouldn’t the users just accept these feelings for what they are?” Levi only noticed it a second later, when his eyes had locked on Hange that he had mimicked her position, leaning back on the chair. “Is it really so wrong to just accept sometimes, that love is an emotion and sometimes we just can’t control how we feel right? Maybe there is still a lot we can learn from an unrequited love.”

Hange furrowed her eyebrows. “We?”

“‘We’ as in every single person, who ever had to deal with an unrequited love.”

Hange didn't respond to that, she made some other excuse about how they had to work on the next set of results conveniently stacked in front of them.

Another attempt at some light conversation had left Levi winded. The words on the paper then on the screen were starting to blur amongst one another. His head was starting to throb. He found himself lowering the screen of his laptop just a bit and staring straight ahead, just for a break from the soft white glare.

He snuck a glance at Hange, who seemed just a little exhausted as well, her shoulders dropped, her wrists falling more recklessly onto the table as she typed.

The more people that filed in through the entrance, the more Levi realized it was a busy day. They shouldn't have been spending too much time discussing the relationships of people they would never see again. They shouldn’t have spent too much time discussing some useless philosophy on love when there were more pressing things to deal with.

Levi couldn't help but wonder. How the hell did all of their light conversation topics end up so heavy?

Or maybe he was the only one feeling that way. It looked like Hange had recovered first from that casual conversation turned deep. She looked up in one swift movement and spoke up, breaking the ringing silence between them. "That's Eren, Zeke's brother," she subtly pointed her thumb towards the side and Levi had to crane his neck to see behind her.

It wasn't too hard to pick him up. Eren was a tall teenager and he was followed by a young girl with chin length hair and an almost demanding presence despite being a little shorter.

"And that's Mikasa, his best friend,” Hange added.

Levi followed Eren with his eyes to see that he had gone to that corner just to talk to Zeke. Whatever they were talking about, he couldn't tell much from his end.

He looked to Hange for answers.

There was a flash of excitement in her eyes and she looked very much like she was holding in some interesting story, torn between speaking and watching the developments closely.

"You wanna tell me about them?" Levi asked when the anticipation finally became unbearable.

Hange seemed particularly focused as she watched Zeke and Eren talk. Levi even guessed that she may have heard that hushed conversation between them.

"He and Mikasa have been best friends for years… You know it's funny, her last name is Ackerman too. Are you related?" She commented

Levi never had enough bougie connections to have any cousins in swanky private schools so he brushed that question away. "Okay, what about them?"

Hange tapped one hand on the space between them on the table then pointed their way as Mikasa and Eren started to tap at their phones, with Petra looking like she was explaining something on her own phone.

They were downloading the app.

A young boy, a few inches taller than Eren joined the crowd. Levi followed the taller boy's gaze as they landed on Mikasa.

He tried to make sense of the conversation. Lip reading had never been his forte though.

"I don't recognize the taller guy," Hange admitted.

It was someone else who answered the question. "That's one of Eren's friends, Jean."

Levi turned behind him to see Zeke, the latter making his way to the seat on the other side of Hange. And just like that, Hange had turned away from him and started to engage with Zeke. When Hange willed it, it looked like she had a way of just making her voice unintelligible to him. Levi considered craning his neck, just to pick up some of the conversation, yet it seemed almost intruding.

That was Zeke and Hange’s conversation not his.

So he stared at the trio in front of him. When he had nothing else to do but encode the stack of papers next to him or make some mental detour about how they should automate such an archaic process, he found it easy to remember the names of the three kids, all an even distance away from each other, their eyes all on their phones.

Eren, Mikasa and Jean. Levi leaned back and watched the events in front of him unfold.

The gym was a constant slew of echoes and alarms and he couldn’t really tell the exact alarm that could have been from any of the three of them. He had to rely on expressions.

Jean turned a bright red. Mikasa had made a seemingly apologetic look at Jean. Then at Eren?

Eren didn’t blush, but he had seemed a little uncomfortable at the turn of events, apparent in the way he had tensed up, the way he turned his head sharply towards Jean.

Mikasa walked in between both boys, holding her hands up as if to separate the two. Maybe the dark glare she had given both boys had done the trick. The tension remained but there seemed little to no threat of a scuffle anymore.

Somewhere along the way, Eld had appeared next to the three with six sheets of paper and three pens. Eren came from behind Mikasa, walking notably nearer to her than a while ago.

They were whispering. Mikasa turned behind her to Jean who was following behind, a wide eyed look on her face and soon after Eld left, Zeke appeared next to Eren. He looked like he was pacifying the young teenager while the latter had gripped at his two sheets a little too hard.

Talking to him? Advising him? Levi didn’t ponder for long. He decided he didn’t want to think about Zeke.

“Zeke filled me in.” Of all things, that had been Hange’s conversation starter.

Levi didn’t know if he should be grateful or just irritated that of all things Hange had to mention him. “Go on,” he said as if just speaking would be enough to get rid of that twinge of irritation.

“It looks like Eren doesn’t know yet that he likes Mikasa. Or that’s Zeke’s speculation. So Zeke expected it to ring.”

“Wow, your husband takes the time out of his busy schedule to actually speculate on the love life of his younger brother.” Levi attempted not to lace his tone with sarcasm. As it turned out, even a sentence like that sounding emotionless or even friendly would seem sarcastic.

If Hange did notice it, she ignored it. “With the looks on their faces, I’m guessing it did ring.”

“For both of them?”

“For both of them maybe,” Hange said.

Another stack of papers were dropped in front of them, a few greetings were exchanged care of Gunther and once again, Levi was sifting through the pile for the more crumpled papers.

There were no names but he could make an intelligent guess. The crumpled papers were Eren’s definitely.

Did the alarm ring with your partner? Yes.

Just under it were two more papers.

Did the alarm ring? Yes.

Did the alarm ring? Yes.

“That looks like Eren’s hand writing, and that one’s Mikasa,” Hange pointed out. “I knew it.”

“So this means, Mikasa’s alarm rang with both Eren and Jean,” Levi said as he ran his hands over the papers.

Did the alarm ring? Yes.

“Then maybe, Jean’s alarm rang with Mikasa?” Hange guessed, giving him an expectant look. “Jean is one of Eren’s close friends from school apparently, and according to Zeke, he has the hots for Mikasa too.”

Levi looked at Hange. Her eyebrows were raised, her mouth played into a wide grin and for just a second, Levi could have felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Well who do you think Mikasa will pick?”

“That’s her choice right?”

“Zeke told me, one reason he wanted to test the love alarm here was to get his brother in one place with all the others who were crushing on Mikasa. He wanted Eren and Mikasa to realize something. Something that only the Love Alarm can prove maybe?"

"Love? Yearning?" Levi was spouting all too familiar emotions, or more specifically, he was spitting them out, like they were laced with poison.

Hange shrugged. "The love alarm causes chaos but sometimes it can tie loose ends."

Something inside him snapped. "Then why the fuck bring it up if you're just gonna answer with something vague."

Hange didn't seem surprised at all, and the more Levi stared, the more he realized he would have been annoyed either way.

A surprised Hange meant she probably didn't care. An expectant Hange meant she was hiding something.

"Levi…" Hange started. She took her time saying his name but she didn't say much else afterwards as if she was at a loss for words.

"We've been talking since a while ago. " Levi asked. "I wanna know, what are you trying to tell me? There must be a point to all these conversations."

"There's a point to this."

"Then, What. Is. It." Levi challenged.

"I told you, I don't want to rely on this love alarm to tell me how to feel. I want to decide how to feel."

"Want?"

"I will not allow it to tell me how I feel."

"Then I guess we won't agree. Look, I don't care about changing our circumstances right now. I don't give a fuck if after all this you leave." Levi mustered up some courage to look up at Hange.

She seemed lost in thought, yet at the same time, she seemed to be staring straight into him.

Levi only saw it as opportunity to continue but he was a little more careful that time, letting his voice soften into a whisper. "The most I want out of you is just some proof that this love alarm thing wasn't a sham. You said it yourself, it's not a bug right? Why did you say that? Why did you say that and now you're suddenly pretending that nothing happened?"

Hange opened her mouth to speak and she couldn't have gone any slower. He would have liked to blame the anticipation at first, the thick heavy tension that only made it harder to move.

When a box dropped in between both of them with a thump, Levi concluded, Hange had just been slow, fucking slow.

"We have a new phone. Download the app in, let's test," Zeke ordered. Who the hell was he ordering at that moment? Levi and Hange both couldn't tell.

Yet, their responses were surprisingly coordinated. Hange went for the box, quickly unwrapping it. Levi went for his laptop, pulling credentials from the system and a download link to be sent to the new phone.

It was only halfway through, when he was sending over the link did he notice it. Reciting the log-in details, he was only silently and peacefully walking to whatever chaos awaited them at the end. Yet, somehow he couldn't stop. Hange had seemed accepting too, overly professional about the whole process of testing and possibly inadvertently exposing her strange yet very personal love alarm results.

Around the time when Hange was going through the biometrics, Levi thought it polite to resist just a little. "You sure you wanna go through with this?"

"Who said I wanted to?" Hange asked.

"You know what I mean."

"Well, what do we tell Zeke then?"

Levi couldn't think up a response to that so he kept quiet. He let his mind wander. Then he agreed it wasn't a matter of Hange wanting to do something.

It was a matter of Zeke getting what he wanted.

Levi couldn't sit still. He couldn't bring himself to even get past the first paper on his new pile. His eyes were on the screen in front of him but he had snuck glances just above him towards the crowds of people so often that he might as well have just been looking ahead.

Eventually, he dropped the pile, gave up on getting any more done. He lost all self consciousness and just looked straight ahead.

It felt like he was watching an execution. It could have been his own execution, Hange’s execution or maybe even the whole company’s in slow motion.

He couldn't answer that particular question yet. With time, maybe he could. All he had to do was get past the few minutes that seemed like years, even decades.

Zeke was taking his sweet time, murmuring sweet nothings to Hange and Hange had taken her sweet time double checking those fucking biometrics. To the point where Levi actually spent a good amount of time brainstorming how to streamline the whole registration process.

The build up had been unbearably slow. Fucking slow. Petra stood next to them, preparing two sheets of paper and Levi found himself passing the time trying to answer it in his head.

The climax came very anticlimactically.

There were less people in the gym already, especially so late in the day. So when Levi craned his neck to hear it, he could almost pick it out, that one ring on their side of the gym. He only surmised that Hange's alarm rang when he noticed the way Zeke had wrinkled his nose and furrowed his brows.

Hange's back was to the moderator's table so Levi couldn't make out her face, as desperate as he was to know.

He wasn't that desperate yet. In fact, his own reaction to the chain of events didn't come as quickly as he had wanted to. Of all things, it had been Erwin’s expectant stare, the uncharacteristic panic in his eyes that had Levi standing.

“Levi could you check up on them?” It was Erwin’s order that had Levi making his way to them.

It had been the look of panic in Petra’s face that had him speeding up. And the closer he got, the more he realized how much he had wanted to see Hange’s face.

But business came first. “It looks like there’s still something wrong with the app.” Zeke’s words had surprisingly been polite. Levi’s first instinct was to search for the venom and the sarcasm and maybe he had sensed some.

For a mainly back office employee, diplomacy had seemed like the hardest part. There were only two things Levi would have been most comfortable doing then: turn to Petra and have her do the speaking or step forward, look back and take a peak at Hange who had stood unmoving since the alarm rang.

A sense of obligation was all he needed to meet Zeke’s eyes. He had to clench his jaw, he had to narrow his eyes just to keep some grip on the situation.

And it might only get worse.

He stepped forward, a few more steps then past Hange and it was only getting harder not to look back.

Zeke’s presence was domineering. His money, his power over whatever work Levi was doing was an unignorable reality. “It looks like the Love Alarm might not be working as expected," he said calmly.

Levi had his months worth of research and testing to look back to. And one thought, one long split second later, one deep breath later, he let it out, not confidently but just professional enough to at least get his point across.

“It’s working as expected,” Levi mustered. How many ways could he say something like that without insulting a billionaire? He wondered what Erwin would have said, what Hange would have said, what crazy lingo their marketing or public relations team would have come up with. Levi though had been the one who had slaved for years over that application. He would have been the only one to know the gravity of such a statement. “The love alarm is working as expected,” he repeated, just in case the message didn’t come across.

Maybe it didn’t. Zeke narrowed his eyes. “How can you be sure? Have you done the proper testing?”

“We’ve been testing this for months. Mr. Jaeger, it’s working as expected,” Levi repeated. He willed himself to keep the tone at the least, emotionless. At that moment, when he was also resisting the urge to look back at Hange it had been almost an impossible task.

Zeke let out one exhale. Then, his voice was soft, almost deathly cold. “Would you like to test again Mr. Ackerman?”

Test? Levi let his mouth drop just half way down. “Here?”

“You've taken a liking to Hange haven't you? I heard about it, if I've not noticed it myself.

Heard from who? Asking questions, Levi knew he would be only delaying the inevitable and a part of him wanted to delay it.

“Levi go turn on your Love Alarm,” Erwin ordered.

At the least, he had an excuse to look back. He caught Hange behind him for a split second. Her face was a strange mix between utter acceptance. The more Levi looked though, the easier it had been to pick out something else. A hint of pleading, too small that it could have been his imagination.

Levi looked away.

And Erwin wasn’t allowing him a second look. “Levi, is something wrong?” It wasn’t a question of concern. Levi had know Erwin enough to guess, it was merely a nice way of telling him to hurry.

Levi pulled his phone from his pocket, navigated to the application and activated in one quick motion. If he spared any more time, he might just hesitate.

There were three separate rings that filled the dead air between the four of them. At first, Levi had attributed the profundity, the implicit ringing in his ears to just the weight of the moment. Time was moving at a snail’s pace and by the time he had come to his senses, by the time Zeke had brought out his phone turning the empty screen towards him, Levi was suddenly aware that there were only three rings that graced the whole gym.

The gym had gone silent. All eyes were on them and the ringing of the three arms only continued, supplemented by whatever echoes followed.

And it would only continue unless someone moved to turn off their love alarm. Even in complete shock, Levi surmised that much.

Erwin had been the first to have composed himself. He took one to step back, then a few more. Then he was completely out of range of the love alarm.

The three alarms continued to ring.

Zeke was next to move. His face was completely unreadable and he had bent his head down, his eyes seeming glued to the screen.

From that angle, Levi could never be too sure of Zeke’s reaction.

Zeke eventually looked up, his face cold, almost expressionless. He held his phone up, only dangling it from the ground by three fingers.

The contents though were what had Levi still struggling to move. It had been expected, but to see it in the silence, when the air around them was heavy, when they were under close watch by tens if not hundreds of people, that had only served to make his stomach drop.

Zeke deactivated the alarm, and the alarm, barren of any hearts, shifted back to the title screen.

One sound disappeared. Two were left. And when everything else was silent, Levi couldn’t help but grovel silently at how annoyingly loud the ringing actually was.

He looked back at Hange. She had stood quiet and unmoving those few moments that seemed to last an eternity. When Levi looked back though, their gazes locked almost instantly.

Hange’s eyes were wide, her mouth pursed into some lopsided line and when Levi looked closer, he could have sworn he saw that flash of pleading again.

Pleading for what?

In such a fast paced world, on a Monday of all days, there was not much time to ponder. He had felt almost guilty staring, finding some way to placate her with his eyes alone. Eventually they were escorted out. Hange and Zeke went ahead and Hange as usual, had Zeke’s strong protective arm around her.

“Levi, we’re going to have to discuss this,” Erwin said. He walked ahead, gesturing for Levi to follow behind.

As always, Levi followed, slowly and sluggishly. It took him a minute more to realize he had almost forgotten to turn off the alarm.

***

“There’s no bug,” Levi repeated again. He attempted to compose himself but there was only so much he could do when he was the only one standing in the small conference room.

Zeke had settled on the sofa and as expected, no one protested. He put one hand to his chin, in mock surprise. “I could have sworn it had been working a few months ago.”

“We had a test build.” Hange spoke up from next to him, her voice was soft. It lacked the melody it usually had. “We needed the funds to continue digging into that bug so we created a build… for extra testing.”

“And I would have gladly given the funds either way,” Zeke said. “The burning question is, did you even find the bug?”

“There’s. No. Bug.” Levi kept his tone firm and professional. He wondered if the venom had made it out of his mouth.

“You gave up pretty fast,” Zeke commented.

And that was the moment Levi realized, there were things Zeke might never understand about the testing process. It was a complete waste of time explaining the difficulty of labor to someone who treated an ordinary person’s full time job as just another vessel for investment.

“Tell me, Mr. Ackerman. If there’s no bug, can you explain to me the reason behind the strange behavior of the application?” Zeke said.

The question had come as a challenge, something Levi was in no mood to take. When Erwin was giving him a long side eyed glance, he knew he’d have to make something work.

“It tests compatibility,” Levi said. “How well people would probably make as a pair, the potential to… get together.” He found himself dancing around definitions, avoiding the word ‘love’ like a plague.

But that wasn’t love. He would rather it wasn't love. Then and there, he almost considered applying for a name change.

“Zeke, love is a choice,” Hange said. “Whatever result the application gives is never going to affect this relationship. I wouldn’t let it.”

“Can you explain then why you have so much faith in this application then?”

Hange turned to Levi and nodded. “It has potential.”

“Potential for further research. You told me that before,” Zeke’s voice was only getting louder. “But can you really trust this application, this developer, after he inadvertently confesses, after your own application rings for him. And he refuses to admit to a bug.”

“Because it’s not a bug,” Hange said. “I was testing with him, I know.”

“So are you saying you’re in love with Mr. Ackerman?”

Hange dropped her shoulders, then looked straight ahead. “In another life, maybe we could have been compatible. If things didn’t end the way it did, maybe Levi and I could have gotten together and we would have been happy. I think that’s what the love alarm meant to say. Circumstances are different though. I’m married to you. I am committed to you.”

“But, are you in love with him?” Zeke pressed.

Hange shook her head. “I don’t think the Love Alarm measures love. It measures emotions, compatibility. Zeke, this thing between is, it's something we built overtime, something we grew together?”

Zeke narrowed his eyes at Hange and Levi followed his eyes back to her to see that pleading expression once again. Hange was still pleading, that time that expression was directed towards Zeke.

“Is it, Hange? Is love something which grows over time?” Zeke pressed.

Levi noticed Hange's face had fallen, her eyes widened but the pleading in her expression only grew. Then Levi made a silent yet outrageous guess.

Hange was pleading. Pleading for answers?

Zeke turned to Erwin then to Levi, his eyes once again cold and serious. "Can you give me and Hange some space first? We need to discuss something."

Maybe Zeke had guessed something similar and as Erwin led Levi out of the room, he was starting to accept that he might never know. Levi’s legs were heavy. The glass door had difficult to pull close and when he had shut the door behind him with a click, he felt like he had been lifting weights.

Or maybe he was just finding an excuse not to leave. There was that in between, something similar to the desolation of rejection and another pathetic emotion.

Denial. There was more to their circumstances for sure. Hange’s strange expression, the wide eyes, the almost seemingly curious glimmer and the pleading that never seemed to fall away.

Out of curiosity, or even desperation, Levi ended up waiting outside for a second longer, positioning himself somewhere where he wouldn’t so easily be seen.

The door was an orderly combination of frosted glass, wooden frames and transparent glass. When Levi sat on the sofa just in front of the doorway, burying himself into some social media timeline, he still had enough headspace to crane his neck up, and just make out positions just behind the frosted class.

Behind the portion of clearer glass, Levi could see Hange was still sitting on the sofa but her posture had shifted into something strangely uncharacteristic. She rested her forehead on her palm and she was bending over, staring at something at the palm of her hand.

The familiar silver of Zeke's phone. What was she staring at?

It felt almost intrusive asking, so Levi ended his own mental reflection there. Instead, he focused on how Hange had looked back up, a look of panic, concern. She was calling out to Zeke maybe?

In a few swift movements, Zeke had come right beside her, he pressed her towards the clear glass.

And he kissed her.

Head empty, thoughts elsewhere, Levi didn't feel it immediately. But eventually it did come. It was a strong wave and for a while, Levi was bombarded.

A second later, he was drowning.

Over a small view? Something between the slits of glass? When he got his grip back on reality, he let his eyes wander over the intricate design of the door and to to the only part of Hange that was reflecting some glimmer of protest.

The fingers of her right hand were pressed on the doorway and Levi continued to watch that less painful view from the one just above it. Hange’s hand continued to twitch, then it went back up and gripped Zeke by the waist. Then suddenly her arm had snaked over Zeke's back then pulled him into one tight embrace.

One tight embrace in front of him and Levi started to think it almost laughable that he had even searched for some rebellion in that intimate moment.

Why would she rebel? She told him herself, she loved him. Yet, why was he still searching for something? Why did he hyperfixate on such a subtle movement that could have meant nothing in that grand scheme of things.

And when Levi mustered the courage to look away from the hand, back up to the view of their heads pressed against each other, he noticed Zeke was looking in his direction. When their eyes met, Zeke narrowed them and raised his chin up in some strange indignance, some vague threat. Then his curled up into a small smile, not wide enough to have ever been genuine.

And the overall expression had Levi dropping his shadows in some cruel realization. Why did he feel like he had lost something? Not just someone but some game.

Had he even been playing?

With that strange expression directed towards him , Levi deemed his very small yet personal search useless and suspended it altogether.

Something pricked at his eyes, his lips trembled and by god, did he want to call it a day. His legs were jelly, deadweight at the same time. His hands didn't feel like his. Still, he moved mechanically to nothing, one step at a time towards the door.

Suddenly aware of social graces, he shook his head and scolded himself once again for getting in the way of such an intimate moment.

He met Erwin outside and by the time Erwin had asked why he had taken so long, Levi had already found ways to compose himself. “Just had to check something on my phone.” It didn’t make much sense but at that moment, sense was the last thing on Levi’s mind.

"I'm going to have a long talk with Zeke about that contract."

"Do you need help?" Levi asked.

Erwin shook his head. "No, this is between me and Zeke. Focus on the alarm."

"I will… No, Hange and I will." Adding her name had only made the prospect of bouncing back from such an ordeal almost stomachable.

But it had worked for only just a few minutes. When Hange and Zeke had left the office, it backfired magnificently.

And all he needed was that one-sided exchange to bring him back to that point of utter desolation.

"Hange, I'll see you tomorrow?" Levi asked.

Hange didn’t respond. Notably, she had been walking faster towards the exit of the gym, only trailing behind Zeke.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Hange…" Before he knew it, he had followed her through the campus grounds. Before he even felt it, he had clutched a shaking hand.

'Levi, let me go, will you?" Hange didn’t seem at all angry. Hell, she had been smiling since even before their eyes locked. Her manner of speaking, her words, then that last expression before she turned her back on him, they all seemed to have a calming effect.

It was easier to let go of her hand, easier to watch silently as she and Zeke turned the corner towards the open parking lot.

But her final parting words burned into even the recesses of his mind. And those words stayed there, the whole train ride home, the whole trek back up to his small studio apartment.

For the first time, Levi went straight to sleep. Of course he would, it had been a long day, too many things happened and he was fucking tired.

But extreme exhaustion was never just exhaustion. Sometimes, he even forgot how much control emotions had over the physical.

Out of curiosity, he opened his alarm to make sense of that strange exhaustion. He noted the blur that came with his own bleary view.

Then the colors and contours settled. Then he noted a pale sky blue.

***

Levi had always been a stickler for cleanliness.

Hange's writings on the whiteboard was a nagging antithesis. They were a conglomerate of careless scribbles, some parts faint other parts dark. Hange never bothered to write over them, never bothered to write on the white board with the same pressure every time.

And she never even wrote in a straight line.

Wingsoffreedom123

Wingsoffreedom213

Wingsoffreedom231

Wingsoffreedom321

Wingsoffreedom312

Wingsoffreedom132

The lines only bent, fell over or climbed as she wrote them and they only acted as some sort of distraction especially when Levi was in a constant process of organizing and reorganizing both his thoughts and his actual belongings.

Yet somehow, Levi couldn't stop staring at the lines of used emails and the check marks next to them. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to erase it and write over it, despite the codes, the plans running through his mind, demanding to be let out.

Maybe he could ask her for permission, maybe scold her for not cleaning up.

At around ten that Tuesday morning, he called, only to receive a dial tone. And he listened to that dial tone for a few minutes longer, while staring at the messy white board on front of him.

Hange was an utter mess. He thought loudly to himself. Then he found himself a little more ticked to have a whiteboard with shitty scribbles on it.

The eraser was right under the board. Yet as easy as it would be to erase it, somehow he couldn’t.

He turned back to his computer, opened his workflow tracker and started a new project just for both of them. He added the resources, the codes and the latest build of that birthday present he had created just for her.

He opened a virtual drawing board on his tablet, drawing plans for new colors, plans to quantify emotions and plans to connect a phone to some desktop view dashboard.

He didn’t know what Hange would need, what Hange was envisioning or however way he could make sense of numbers or assign them into each emotion just yet.

If he just created a few formulas, suggested a few codes, Hange would give her feedback anyway. He booted his phone up and opened his chat with Hange.

11:00 AM

Hey, you’re going to the office today?

Lunch break passed without any hitches so Levi decided to stare at the whiteboard again just to annoy himself enough to want to message Hange again.

2:26 PM

Are you done with the whiteboard? I’m gonna erase what you wrote.

She didn’t reply.

He sent over those same questions, those same threats multiple times a day over the week and every time, the result had been the same.

No response.

As week turned into two weeks, then three, he realized he had never planned on erasing it in the first place. Somehow, he wanted that antithesis, that glaring reminder that it hadn’t just been his office space anymore.

Work and responsibilities had become some sort of a solace, a godsend in their own little way. With enough post release questions to answer, with enough data from the testing to make some sense of, Levi was constantly busy. With bugs constantly rearing their ugly heads, demanding to be solved, Levi had at least managed to pretend he wasn’t always thinking about her.

[irispublishersmedicaljournals]

Iris Publishers - Current Trends in Clinical & Medical Sciences (CTCMS)

Executive Functions: Definition; Contexts and Neuropsychological Profiles

Authored by Dott Giulio Perrotta

Definition and clinical context of executive functions

The term “executive functions” (E.F.) refers to a complex cognitive construct in the form of a system organized in functional modules of the mind; where a series of processes necessary to maintain an appropriate; organized and flexible planning mode are included. resolution (or problem solving); control and coordination; aimed at a purpose [1-3].

To simplify; the executive functions are those abilities that answer the question << Who is in charge? >> and concern mental processes aimed at the elaboration of adaptive cognitive-behavioral schemes; at the base of planning; decision making; working memory; corrective response to error feedback; predominant habits; mental flexibility.

This complex construct thus implies:

a. An ability to inhibit a response or to postpone it at a later and more appropriate time.

b. A strategic and flexible planning of behavioral sequences.

c. A mental representation of the task that includes both the relevant information encoded in the memory and the future objectives to be achieved.

There are several possible definitions; from a theoretical and organizational point of view [4]:

1) The executive functions represent a system of abilities that allows to create objectives; to preserve them in memory; to control the actions; to foresee the obstacles and to reach objectives (Stuss 1992).

2) Executive functions represent the set of abilities that allow the person to successfully implement independent; intentional and useful behaviors (Lezak 1993).

3) Executive functions are higher-order cognitive functions that make it possible to formulate objectives and plans; remember these plans over time; choose and start actions that allow us to reach those goals; monitor the behavior and adjust it so as to arrive at those goals (Aron 2008).

It therefore appears evident that the executive functions are not easy to define; since this term does not refer to a single capacity but rather to a set of different sub-processes necessary to perform a specific task. They are superior cortical functions responsible for the control and planning of behavior; they are processes that allow the person to plan and implement projects aimed at achieving a goal and are necessary because they guarantee the monitoring and modification of their behavior in case of need or they adapt it to new contextual situations.

They consist of six steps:

1) Analyzing the task.

2) Plan how to achieve the task.

3) Organize the steps needed to carry out the task in question.

4) Develop a timeline to complete the task.

5) Adjust or change steps; if necessary; to complete the task.

6) Complete the task in a timely manner.

They are therefore executive functions surely:

a) The inhibition; or the ability to focus attention on the relevant data ignoring the distractors and inhibiting inadequate or impulsive motor and emotional responses with respect to stimuli.

b) Flexibility; or the ability to move from one set of stimuli to another based on information from the context.

c) Planning; or the ability to formulate a general plan and organize actions in a hierarchical sequence of goals.

d) The working memory; or the ability to activate and maintain the plan and the work area at a mental level; to have a mental reference set on which to work mentally.

e) Attention; or the ability to maintain concentration on a given element.

f) Fluency; or the ability of divergent thinking and ability to generate new and different solutions with respect to a problem [5].

Although those most investigated for information on cognitive functioning are the basic functions of working memory [6] (or updating; the ability to maintain; update and process information in mind in time for the resolution of a task); of cognitive flexibility (or shifting; the ability to pass from one mental operation to another by controlling the mutual interference between the two actions) and inhibition (or inhibition; the ability to control automatic responses that interfere in achieving of a purpose); the executive domain does not end with the only cognitive processes listed above; but also involves mechanisms that play a part in the regulation of emotions; behavior and motivation.

A dichotomous distinction has been formulated in recent years between “Hot” executive functions and “Cool” executive functions [Zelazo 2004]:

a) The “Cool” executive functions represent those functions based on a complex; cognitive; controlled and slower processing; which are activated when the subject is dealing with abstract and decontextualized problems. The neurophysiological area used for these functions is the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex [7].

b) The “Hot” executive functions are linked to an automatic and emotional processing of the stimuli; or a simple and rapid programming that intervenes in situations of stress; these functions are required in significant situations and involved in the regulation of emotion and motivation. The neurophysiological area used for these functions is the ventromedial prefrontal cortex [8].

The “Hot” executive functions and the “Cool” executive functions; according to this theoretical construct; work synchronously in order to guarantee an ideal functioning; but neuropsychological studies suggest a double dissociation between the two types of functions; documenting injuries on load Hot in the absence of problems against the Cool and the Cool in the absence of Hot.

The advances in the methodological field and in particular the conception of experimental tests with motor; linguistic and memory requirements; compatible with the level of competence of the child in early childhood; have allowed us to observe how the development of executive functions begins earlier; compared to what was previously assumed; this applies to both the Cool and the Hot ones. As far as the Cool is concerned; we have already seen how at 12 weeks the child is able to preserve the memory of the objective structure of an event in which he was the protagonist to reuse it in similar situations; from seven to eight months the first signs of working memory and inhibitory control begin to appear; regarding the Hot; some observations seem to suggest difficulties in the control of this executive domain in the first two years of life; although the processes of cortical development seem to affect these regions before those involved in the Cool: the child would indeed have difficulty in regulating the emotions and in postponing rewards/gratifications and presenting a way of relating to the self-centered world. Between the ages of three and five; the child succeeds in tasks that require maintaining information in the mind and at the same time the capacity for inhibition; between three and four years the ability to generate concepts develops; between four and five years the attentional control matures and there is an improvement in cognitive flexibility and in the ability to formulate strategies; at five years there is an increase in working memory and therefore in the ability to temporarily preserve and manipulate information online.

With preadolescence some executive skills reach maturity. Between seven and eight years and between nine and twelve years there is an increase in sensitivity to feedback in problem-solving; in the formulation of concepts and in the control of impulsiveness. At the age of seven; considerable progress has been reported in the speed of execution; in the ability to use the strategies; in the ability to maintain information in the mind and to work with it. Between the ages of eight and ten adult levels are reached in cognitive flexibility and at ten years the ability to maintain the set; the verification of hypotheses and impulse control is manifested; there is an improvement in the inhibitory control; in the vigilance and in the attention sustained between the eight and eleven years; period in which besides is assisted to an improvement in the performances tests that conjugate inhibitory competences and working memory; this last one suffers further efficiency improvements between nine and twelve years.

An improvement in the ability to understand emotions; intentions; beliefs and desires is noted in this period. Between thirteen and fifteen years there is an increase in memory strategies; in its efficiency; in time planning; in problem-solving and in the search for hypotheses. Furthermore; verbal fluency and the ability to plan complex motor sequences mature at the age of twelve. The changes of this period; both on the cognitive and the executive side; allow the person to cope with the new and growing demands that the physical and social environment put on him; experiencing a sense of independence; responsibility; and social awareness.

At fifteen years there is an improvement as regards attentional control and processing speed as well as maturation in inhibitory control. Between the ages of sixteen and nineteen; progress is made in working memory; problem-solving and strategic planning. From an executive point of view; Hot improves the ability to make decisions in the presence of rewards and losses. Between the ages of twenty and thirty; working memory; planning; problem-solving and the ability to implement targeted behaviors reach higher levels of functioning.

As regards the Hot Executive functions; the achievement of mature decision-making levels is achieved. With aging there is a gradual deterioration in some cognitive areas including the Executive Functions; although some changes are not evident before eighty years even though the brain degenerative process begins in the third decade of life. Between the ages of thirty and forty-nine; there is a decrease in information storage and temporal sequencing skills; the ability to formulate concepts; organization; planning and attentional shifting worsen between the fifty-three and sixty-four years. Starting from the age of sixty-five; memory difficulties are reported [9-11].

It is good to underline however that even today we think of the executive system and the attention system as separate entities: attention would act on sensory information and on internal representations while the executive system on behavior. If the attentional aspects allow the executive functions to mature; the executive system is seen as a form of attention directed towards oneself. Therefore, the development of E.F. involves a consolidation of intellectual cognitive abilities; learning and memories.

The Neural Correlates in Eating Disorders [12]

If neuroscience has been trying for decades to associate specific brain functions with specific brain areas; with the relative recent advent of functional neuroimaging and brain mapping; this commitment seems to have become dominant; however; the debate on the selective localization of complex faculties remains open; despite their historical location; identified in the so-called frontal lobe syndrome; even preceded the formulation of the construct (Galati; Tosoni; 2010); in fact; traditionally; they were classified as executive disorders those following damage in the prefrontal cortex.

Recent studies of neuroimage (Galati; Tosoni; 2010); carried out on healthy people through classical neuropsychological tests for the examination of E.F. reveal; however; also the activation of the posterior parietal cortex and of various subcortical centers; in addition to the areas of prefrontal cortex; whose functional subdivisions; however; still remain difficult to identify; due to its anatomy and its heterogeneous functionalities. In particular; the studies show that the frontal lobes are functionally connected with: the posterior parietal cortex; which appears to be involved in the reconfiguration of the responses and in the behavioral modifications (Sohn et al; 2000; Barber and Carter; 2005); the basal ganglia; the anterior cingulate; which seems particularly involved in situations of control of cognitive conflicts between environmental stimuli or behaviors and in the selection of agent responses in case of uncertainty (Carter and Van Veen; 2007; Rushworth and Beherens; 2008).

The scholars of the Executive Functions; therefore; remain cautious about their specific localization; preferring to believe that they are implemented in multiple distributed circuits; each of which includes connections with some portion of the prefrontal cortex (Galati; Tosoni; 2010; p. 36.). The same Luria (1962) who; on the basis of numerous clinical observations; first theorized the existence of a central control system for some higher order functions; such as planning; monitoring; self-regulation; involved more involvement interconnected cortical and subcortical areas: prefrontal cortex; cerebellum; some subcortical nuclei.

Therefore; the study on the functions performed by the prefrontal cortex remains open. It is believed that the executive functions are anatomically related to different areas of the prefrontal cortex; and to the associated cortico-subcortical circuits:

a) The dorso-lateral prefrontal area would be particularly involved in the abstraction and planning of actions.

b) The orbital-frontal area would be involved in the regulation of emotions and decision-making processes.

c) The anterior cingulate area (especially in the dorsal part) would be involved in the control of motivation and interfering stimuli.

The empirical evidences derived from the neuropsychological approach and from the neuroimaging show however that the executive functions connected to the orbito-frontal cortex mature early with respect to the executive functions connected to the dorso-lateral pre-frontal cortex [13]. An interesting review of 2006 takes in detail; albeit dated; the cognitive; affective and behavioral correlates of brain maturation that occurs during adolescence. This maturation; due to phenomena of myelination and synaptic pruning; is particularly accentuated in the prefrontal cortex; the main site of decision-making processes. If the executive functions and the decision-making processes are based on the functioning of prefrontal areas; which change considerably during adolescence; it can be hypothesized that the decision-making abilities of adolescents are still immature, and this may explain their risky behavior. This hypothesis is discussed; also, in relation to the onset of psychopathological disorders in this age group [14].

The Clinical and Strategic Approach in the Management of Executive Function Deficits [15]

Following an injury or dysfunction in the frontal lobes; due for example to a head injury; a degenerative pathology or a neoplasm; the patient can show the symptoms of what is called “frontal syndrome”. Frontal syndrome is a clinical picture characterized by cognitive deficits and / or behavioral; emotional and motor disorders.

Studies on adult patients with lesions in different areas of the prefrontal cortex show; in fact; partially different neuropsychological pictures:

1) Lesions in the anterior orbital part; in general; cause personality modifications and disinhibition.

2) The lesions in the orbito-frontal part; also because it is closer to the amygdala; to the hippocampus and to the hypothalamus; areas that mediate between internal states and environmental stimuli; generally present inattentive; impulsive behaviors; difficulty in problem solving and in taking of decisions; serious antisocial conduct.

3) Lesions in the medial part; including the anterior cingulate gyrus; cause poor motor control and difficulty in maintaining focused attention.

4) The laterals of the prefrontal cortex present action planning disorders; especially related to the management of mental representations useful for achieving a purpose and the difficulties related to written and spoken language are understood.

The lesions of the frontal cortex; caused by expansive processes of tumor; vascular or hypoxic origin; or cranial traumas or degenerative processes of the nervous system; therefore, lead to deficits in executive functions; in particular problems:

a) In planning and problem solving: the person has difficulty planning and executing a sequence of actions to reach a goal; but also in the planning of sequences of movements.

b) In cognitive flexibility: it has a rigid; non-flexible behavior and puts into effect perseverances; always giving the same answer or using the same strategy even when it proves inadequate.

c) In the working memory: the memory disorders that can be classified in the frontal amnesic syndrome are characterized by the inability to retain new information; greater distractibility and confabulations; difficulty in using memorization strategies; inability to know how to use the new acquired data; incapacity to memorize voluntarily.

d) In the inhibition of automatic behaviors not congruent with the situation: it is the case of the “environmental syndrome” or “dependence of use”: placed for example in front of objects that it is used to use; the person uses them without any invitation and without any reason (for example; a patient who in front of a bottle of water placed on the examiner’s desk; takes it and drinks it).

e) In decision-making: the difficulty of deciding in an advantageous way for oneself and of respecting social norms is understood (Bechara et al. 2000; Rolls; 2000). Patients with this disorder are more likely to make risky choices and develop; for example; a gambling addiction.

f) In the regulation of emotions and behavior: we can have a patient who shows a picture of disinhibited type symptoms characterized by euphoria; restlessness; sexual disinhibition; inappropriate social behavior; poor interest in others; uninhibited behavior; with little impulse control; easy irritability and aggressiveness; euphoria; emotional lability; or an apathetic type symptomatology with a “pseudo-depressed” personality; therefore with modifications characterized by indifference; apathy; decreased spontaneity; reduced sexual interest; reduced expression of emotions; decreased verbal productivity (including mutism); decreased motor behavior.

g) Low self-criticism and judgment: the person have a deficit in judging reality; especially when the situation is new or complex and a lack of critical attitude towards the actions carried out. It also shows difficulty in correcting its errors and inability to modify or schedule new behaviors.

In some syndromes then there are deficits in executive functions; such as in autism and dyslexia; Executive deficits have been detected in attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); schizophrenia and conduct disorder. It is thought that many mental disorders are associated with this type of deficit; although in every disorder it is likely to change the degree to which each component of executive functions is involved. Deficits related to executive functions can be manifested in behavioral symptoms such as: environmental dependence syndrome; with use behavior; that is; as soon as the subject notices an object that he is used to using in a certain way; he uses it; even if the context would require a inhibition of this behavior (eg the subject goes to the doctor and as soon as he notices the window opens it; without a precise reason); and imitation behaviors; that is; the subject spontaneously imitates the gestures of the person in front of him; hypoactivity; such as apathy or anhedonia (in which the person does not perform behaviors that would also give him gratification (such as activities related to food or affective activities); hyperactivity; ie distractibility; impulsiveness; disinhibition. In general; the behavior may appear disorganized [16].

Compared to the diagnosis; however; one must rely on a series of neuropsychological tests; including the Trail making test (versions A and B). The other tests that are most used for the evaluation of the executive functions are: the Tower of London that proves the ability of planning; problem solving and inhibition; the dimentional change card sort test; which is a task that evaluates flexibility; the matching familiar figure test that evaluates the use of visual search strategies; control of the impulse response and interference [17].

Conclusion

The E.F. they represent an important field of research and clinical work in the field of cognitive developmental neuropsychology. There are numerous attempts to summarize the common characteristics of the skills related to E.F.: the ability to inhibit overbearing responses and to organize behavior based on arbitrary rules [18]; the ability of the “central executive” to select the appropriate schemes of action from a repertoire activated by specific inputs [19].

The hypothesis of the multidimensionality of FEs [20-22] is increasingly accepted and several studies are highlighting the evolutionary trajectories of the different subdomains in the typical development; starting to outline a staged process with a complex hierarchical organization. In the clinical field the impairments of the E.F. they are related to numerous cognitive and behavioral difficulties: limited sustained attention; perseverative responses; impaired initiation of actions; poor use of feedback; difficulties in planning and organization; problems related to the storage and manipulation of mental representations. Furthermore; studies on the impairment of E.F. in neurodevelopmental disorders.

These include autism and DGS; in which the E.F. they appear to be pervasive in different domains; severe and pre-existing over time. Other developmental disorders seem to show a more specific profile; with the impairment of some subdomains: the A.H.D.; with the deficit in inhibition; represents one of the most studied cases. For other disorders the research results are more controversial. The differences in the profiles of the E.F. in these disorders they support the hypothesis of a fraction ability of E.F. in subdomains; at least partially independent. It should also be specified that the various subdomains have not been fully studied in all the disorders. Despite these limitations; at least partially specific “executive profiles” of various disorders are emerging [23].

A greater knowledge of these profiles and their evolutionary trajectories; combined with an attention to “ecological validity”; can allow us a greater understanding of the mental functioning of children with typical and atypical development; with potential relapses in the diagnostic and therapeutic-rehabilitative field [24- 26].

To read more about this article: https://irispublishers.com/ctcms/fulltext/executive-functions-definition-contexts-and-neuropsychological-profiles.ID.000507.php

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[anetherealsoul]

Between the Lines: A Volley Blog

SEA Games 2019: Philippines VS Vietnam Volleyball Women's Opener

A Sports Blog

December 3, 2019, the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City was filled with excitement and supporters cheering for their favorite teams. The competition began with the introduction of the officials and the players together with their positions. Before entering the court, the team members show their support by giving the players high fives, this can also be interpreted as saying “good luck”. The court measures 18 meters long and 9 meters wide, net height at 2.24 meters for women.

As soon as the game started, the Philippine team got the first score for the match. We can notice that after winning a point, the players huddle and congratulate each other to keep the momentum and keep the players’ spirits up as volleyball is just as much as a physical game as it is a mental one. Vietnam held off a comeback by the Philippines in five sets, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 15-8. With every score comes a hand signal by the referee to clearly indicate wo gained the point. Alyssa Valdez being an absolute team player, played all throughout the five sets without rest. Meanwhile in Team Vietnam, Thi Thanh Thuy Tran, never failed to give us a strong serve and spike.

Vietnam continued to keep their scores close and almost equal with the Philippines. Keeping up with their steady plays to keep the Philippines at bay to take a 2-1 set edge. Not to be outdone, the national team would fight back in front of their screaming hometown fans to force a deciding set. Alyssa Valdez carried the scoring load for the Philippines in the fifth set, but it just wasn’t enough as Vietnam just came more prepared to snatch this event’s win.

In-Depth Details:

Court Dimension

The indoor volleyball court measures 18 meters long and 9 meters wide, net height at 2.24 meters for women. It is surrounded by a free zone. The free zone refers to the playable area outside of the boundary lines – both sidelines and end lines – of the court. For FIVB official competitions, the free zone must be a minimum of 5 meters and a maximum of 6 meters from the side of the court and the end lines (Sports Feel Good Stories, n.d.).

Equipment

Volley Ball- For indoor volleyball, it should have a circumference between 65 and 67 cm when fully inflated to an inner pressure between 4.3 and 4.6 lbs. Once inflated, the ball must weigh between 260 and 280 g. During FIVB competitions and world events, three balls are used and must meet the same standards as the other balls before being approved for play (Haas, 2018).

The Net- The standard measurement is 2.24 meters. The net extends to each of the sidelines on the court and should be the same height at both sidelines. The net itself is 1 meter wide (Haas, 2018).

The Antenna- Placed at either end of the net, it measures 10 mm in diameter and extends 1.8 meters above the net. These antennae are considered part of the net and are used to delineate the vertical crossing space (Haas, 2018).

The Poles- Volleyball poles should be set at 36 feet apart, 3 feet further out from the sidelines (Wood, 2008).

Team Uniform- The uniform should be lightweight to allow maximum flexibility and breath-ability. It should be made of a material that absorbs sweat and keeps skin dry. Spandex shorts are a good option, since they are flexible, and absorb odor (Crowe, 2019).

Volleyball Shoes- Arch and ankle support is key when choosing a volleyball shoe. The ideal shoes for players are lightweight, allowing you to be faster on your feet, as well as bearing good shock absorption on your toes (Crowe, 2019).

Knee Pads- Knee pads should be sturdy enough to protect your knees from falls, slides and dives, but flexible enough to allow you to bend comfortably. Your volleyball knee pads must be made of fabric that breathes and manages moisture (Crowe, 2019).

Additional:

Tape on their Fingers- offers more strength when playing. Hitting the ball can be intense on the fingers and without the tape, players are more exposed to injuries.

Basic Skills

Blocking- Used to stop the ball from crossing the net as a result of an opponent's attack.  A block is effective if it immediately places the ball back into the opponent's court. The fundamental action of blocking is to stand facing the net with feet shoulder width apart, arms nearly extended above the head, ready to jump above the net to deflect the ball back into the opponent's court (Flo, n.d.).

Digging- The first contact made after an attacker from the other team sends the ball over to the defensive team is said to be a “dig”. Digs can be made with the forearms, open or closed hands or any other part of the body (Volleyball Terms and Definitions, n.d.).

Forearm Pass- This is used when you want to receive the ball from your opponents, as in service, or as a technique to accurately control the ball in a way that eliminates lifting or carrying the ball (Flo, n.d.).  

Passing- The first contact after a serve is considered a “pass”. The player who passes the ball is called the “passer”. Usually a pass is made with a player’s forearms but can also be made overhead with two open hands (Volleyball Terms and Definitions, n.d.).

Serving- The first contact that starts every rally is called a “serve”. Usually a server uses one, open hand to swing overhead and send the ball over the net from behind the end line. Less experienced players may serve underhand with one closed fist (Volleyball Terms and Definitions, n.d.).

Setting- Used to receive a teammate's pass in order that the play may continue by passing the ball overhead to an attacker.  the fundamental action of setting is to contact the ball with the finger pads momentarily at the forehead and following through with arms fully extended to the hitting target (Flo, n.d.).  

Spiking- is when a player jumps up and hits the ball with a one-armed overhead swinging motion, contacting the ball squarely with their slightly open hand. The intent of a hit is pure power – jumping helps generate more power and momentum (Irena, n.d.).

Technical and Tactical Skills

Although most of the time the players just focused on attack and power, these are some of the Technical and Tactical Skills I have observed from the game:

Agility- The players were very quick to move whenever the ball was approaching their side. They’d dive, dig, or do whatever they could to save the ball from hitting the floor.

Faking a Hit- This is a tactic used by both teams to trick the opposite team that this particular player will be the one to hit the ball, thus, they will be focusing on blocking her hit. But instead, another person spikes the ball and the other team is thrown off guard.

Communication- plays an important role for attacking and defending. Communicating allows your team to be informed as to who will be taking the shot and whose ball it is. Therefore, it makes the game much easier.

Roll Shot- rolling their open hand over or underneath it. This gives more control in placement, and also in timing. This again is similar in technique to a hit, but instead of powering through the swing and contacting the ball as hard as possible, the hitter focuses more on placing the ball strategically, and swinging a bit more slowly.

Volleyball Hitting Angle- The angle or cross court hit is when the volleyball hitter hits the ball across the court. The cross court attack is often very difficult to defend when the ball is placed in the deep corner. It's difficult to dig because of the trajectory the ball travels. This is a tactic that Jia Morado occasionally used.

Tip- a player uses one open hand to send the ball over the net it is called a “tip”. The player uses the pads of their fingers to contact the ball and control the direction it is sent. Tips are usually sent short in the court but can also be sent deep. A tip is in contrast to swinging the arm to hit the ball over the net.

Float Serve- A type of serve in which the ball does not spin is considered a “float serve”. This serve often changes direction and floats in unexpected trajectories, which make it very hard to dig.

Rules of the Game

a. There should be 6 players on each team.

b. Maximum of three hits per side

c. A player may not hit the ball twice in succession (block- not considered a hit)

d. Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve

e. A ball hitting a boundary line is "in"

f. A ball is "out" if it hits an antennae, the floor, completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, or the ceiling above a non-playable area

g. It is legal to contact the ball with any part of a players body.

h. It is illegal to catch, hold, or throw the ball.

i. If two or more players contact the ball at the same time, it is considered one play and either player involved may make the next contact (provided the next contact isn't the teams 4th hit)

j. A player can not block or attack a serve from on or inside the 10 foot line

k. After the serve, front line players may switch positions at the net

l. At higher competition, the officiating crew may be made up of two refs, line judges, scorer, and an assistant scorer

m. When serving, stepping on or across the service line as you make contact with the serve

n. Failure to serve the ball over the net successfully

o. Contacting the ball illegally (lifting, carrying, throwing, etc.

p. Touching the net with any part of the body while the ball is in play. Exception: If the ball is driven into the net with such force that it causes the net to contact an opposing player, no foul will be called, and the ball shall continue to be in play.

q. When attacking a ball coming from the opponent’s court, contacting the ball when reaching over the net is a violation if the ball hasn't yet broken the vertical plane of the net.

r. Crossing the court centerline with any part of your body. Exception: if it's the hand or foot, the entire hand or entire foot must cross for it to be a violation.

s. Serving out of order.

t. Back row player blocking (deflecting a ball coming from their opponent), when at the moment of contact the back row player is near the net and has part of his/her body above the top of the net (an illegal block).

u. Back row player attacking a ball inside the front zone (the area inside the 10 foot line), when at the moment of contact the ball is completely above the net (an illegal attack).

Courtesy of Strength and Power for Volleyball (Basic Volleyball Rules, n.d.)

Positions

Outside Hitter- is the player that plays on the left side of the court in the front and back-row. The player’s main job is to attack and pass. If this player will play back-row as well, they will also need to be a strong serve receive passer, server and defender.

Middle Blocker- is the player that plays in the middle of the court in the front. The player’s main job is to attack and block. Typically, this player hits well and can move along the net as well as get their hands over onto the opponent’s side of the net while they are blocking.

Setter- the player in charge of the second ball. This player’s main job is set a “hit-able” ball for their teammates and allow the hitters to do the work to score.

Libero- the player who wears a different color jersey and only plays in the back-row, usually this player is the shortest among her team but is quick and agile. This player’s main job is to serve receive pass, play defense and step in as the backup setter.

Opposite/Right Side- the player that plays on the right side of the court in the front-row and back-row. This player’s main job is to attack and block and is less involved in play at lower levels because of the difficulty of back setting to them.

Defensive Specialist (DS)- the player that subs in for another player just to play back-row. This player’s main job is to play defense and pass on serve receive. They are typically subbed in before their teammate serves to serve in their place or after their teammate serves to start on serve receive.

Serving Specialist- the player subbed in only to serve for their teammate.

Wing-Defender- the right-back and left-back players

Wing-Blockers- the right-front and left-front players

Off-Blockers- the player or players that don’t block on a particular play. They should move to 10×10 (10 ft off the net and 10 ft into the court) to defend against the tip. If all 3 players choose not to block, they should split the court evenly between the side lines.

Courtesy of Gold Medal Squared (Volleyball Terms and Definitions, n.d.)

Officiating Officials

Referees- is the individual at the center of the court. A referee’s duties include signaling when a rally begins and ends. The referee is responsible for officially recognizing team requests, substitutions, time-outs and communicating with the coaches at the appropriate times. There are often multiple referees in a match.

Scorekeeper- creates official records of volleyball games. Before play begins, the scorekeeper records team and player information. Once the game begins, scorekeepers not only track points, but also player substitutions, sanctions and time-outs. The scorekeeper keeps an eye on the individual serving the ball to track the rotation and notify referees of potential lapses. At the close of the game, the scorekeeper records the final score of the game.

Assistant scorekeeper- is responsible for updating the scoreboard and keeping an eye on the libero. This individual records changes in the libero rotation, notifying referees when problems occur in the rotation.

Line Judges- there are usually two line judges, one at either end of the court, usually in opposite corners. They work with the referees, signaling to assist in making judgment calls. These officials often use flags to signal when a ball is in or out, hits the antennae of the net, or when the server commits a foot fault, or steps outside the line as they serve.

Courtesy of April Bamburg (2010)

Bibliography:

Bamburg, A. (2010, June 13). Officials & Their Duties in Volleyball. Retrieved from Sports Rec: https://www.sportsrec.com/officials-duties-volleyball-6624015.html

Basic Volleyball Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved from Strength and Power for Volleyball: https://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/basic-volleyball-rules.html

Crowe, B. (2019). Basic Equipment Used in Volleyball. Retrieved from AZ Central: https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/purpose-soccer-shoes-5428.html

Flo, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from Mr. Flo Volleyball Training: https://sites.google.com/a/frco.k12.va.us/fcvball/skills

Haas, R. (2018, December 5). Sports Rec. Retrieved from https://www.sportsrec.com/217691-how-big-is-a-volleyball-court-in-feet.html

Irena. (n.d.). 7 Basic Volleyball Skills for Beginners. Retrieved from Pro Rec Athlete: https://prorecathlete.com/7-basic-volleyball-skills/

Sports Feel Good Stories. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sportsfeelgoodstories.com/volleyball-court-dimensions-size-diagram/

Volleyball Terms and Definitions. (n.d.). Retrieved from Gold Medal Squared: https://www.goldmedalsquared.com/coaching-resources/volleyball-terms#:~:text=of%20the%20third.-,Serve,underhand%20with%20one%20closed%20fist.

Wood, R. (2008).Volleyball Equipment and Facilities. Retrieved from Topend Sports Website: https://www.topendsports.com/sport/volleyball/equipment.htm

Photo Credits

https://images.app.goo.gl/EFW7zF3y37ugABzX7

https://www.sportsfeelgoodstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/volleyball-court-dimensions.jpg

https://images.app.goo.gl/ivoV6kCgQG9pUidd6

https://images.app.goo.gl/eVxViJC41MqUompHA

https://pin.it/6rU1ibc

https://images.app.goo.gl/Yx5SpnF81jAZrgyJ7

https://images.app.goo.gl/WxbWeEjDPHodAnzD9

Video Reference

https://youtu.be/Gm4kGC_d-i8

[mitcorerbarshi]

Why You Should Opt For A Career in Railway Engineering

Railways are an integral part of people's life. It not only acts as a boon for the people but also a backbone of the Indian economy. It is the chief source of income for the country as well as the greatest source of employment - especially for the Railway Engineers. 

The railway engineers look after the works like bridge construction, permanent way development, signal and interlocking, Fittings and fastenings, etc.. They are the one who maintains and develops efficient engineering systems and solutions in an integrated manner. Only a few know about the facts that Railway engineering jobs are nowadays gaining momentum in the private sector also due to the introduction of the public-private partnership projects (PPP). 

What is Railway Engineering?

It is the branch of science in which there is the application of the engineering principles to maintain, function and develop the railway machinery and assets. The overall responsibility for the passenger's safety totally resides with the railway engineer, as on a single misconception, the loss could be incredible.

Thus, on the basis of the functioning, railway engineering can be classified in many ways:

 Permanent Way Engineer- Branch of the railway engineering to develop, maintain and functioning of the permanent way, simply called the track development. This is one kind of basic branch of railway engineering.

Signal and Interlocking Engineer-  Signal and interlocking engineering as the name suggests deals with the signalling system of the railways, their maintenance, and developments. Similarly, interlocking is to develop the locking and assembling of the tracks.

Carriage and Wagon Engineer-  This is the engineering branch of the railway that deals with the carriage and wagons like wheels, axles, SLR coaches, and locomotives.

Electrical and Train Lighting Engineer- This branch of railway engineering deals with the Electrical profile of the railways, either it may be station lighting or it may be train-lighting.

Site Engineer- The site engineer in railways is responsible for managing the detail of a construction project and ensuring that nothing is overlooked. The job of a site engineer involves checking up on each element of the building work to ensure that it meets all the proper standards. This means a site engineer needs to pay great attention to detail and have a meticulous approach to their work each day. Some of their tasks include providing a daily diary of work completed, doing detailed drawings of work that has actually been completed, especially where it differs from the plan, and managing subcontractors.They also need to liaise with the client and share responsibility for health and safety issues during construction.

Section Engineer- It’s the job of a section engineer to translate the plans for a railway construction project from the page to the ground – in other words, making sure that the building or vehicle is built as closely as possible to the plans. This means mustering all the resources, from building materials to finding subcontractors, and monitoring the work to make sure it’s done properly.Day to day tasks of a section engineer involve doing the setting out – placing markers for different elements of the build like platforms or lift shafts, setting out a weekly program for the works to be done,  and carrying out inspections of work done so far.

Structural Engineer- Structural engineering jobs involve designing the framework that holds together a building or structure like a locomotive or railway carriage. Sometimes this would simply involve analysing existing structures to see if they can be repurposed – for example, establishing whether a bridge might support a heavier train, or if a section of the track might be able to cope with the stresses of a high-speed train.The tasks of a structural engineer often focus more on design than the building, so they need to be able to design using a wide variety of materials, produce accurate drawings and provide reports showing the specifications of the buildings or vehicles they are designing.

Civil Engineer- A civil engineer is responsible for planning, designing or maintaining railway track and stations, or structures such as bridges or tunnels. This is typically a more generalized or strategic role in the rail industry and civil engineers would often parcel out specific tasks to specialists like structural engineers, section engineers and site engineers.A civil engineer may start a job by discussing the requirements with an architect and the client. They move on to analysing the site, drawing up blueprints, assessing risks, costs and time required, before moving on to manage the construction work, including dealing with contractors.Rail engineering is a complex field which deals with all the different facets of a railway, from designing and building railways and stations to operating and maintaining the rail systems.Rail engineers are focused on the challenges of trying to improve the existing railway network and trains while using advanced infrastructure technologies. As seen above, there are several different roles that fall into the category of a railway engineer, with some focused on maintenance while others are more about improving the rail network.

Surveyor- Railway engineering works are totally based on the surveys conducted by the surveyors. Thus surveyors in the railways are assigned the tedious tasks and hence are highly paid with other railway facilities.Apart from the technical part, if you feel like challenging your intellectual abilities then you are welcome to get involved in the research branch; where you can proudly address yourself as a research geek. Railways offer you tremendous job opportunities which not only have a good salary perspective but also the facilities and prestige. Those who are about to take Railways as a career option or those who are new to this line should start their work from now onwards to grab the opportunity as soon as possible.

Benefits of a B.Tech Course in Value Added Railway Engineering-

1.  All-in-one Course-

You have heard about the engineering degree courses having specialization in Civil, Mechanical, Computers, IT, Marine, Aviation, etc. Well, what separates Railway Engineering courses from the others is that it is an amalgamation of the civil, mechanical, and computer subjects and this is what makes it so demanding.

When you gain knowledge of various significant streams at a time, the result is always rewarding. This makes you confident while competing in the long run for making a bright career.

2.  Ample Career Options-

When you opt for a railway engineering course, you rest assured that your future is bright. Yes, you read it right! With the massive scope including opportunities in Indian Railways, foreign rail companies, R&D centres, consultants, you do not have to worry at all about your future. Indian Railways each year has huge openings for railway engineers at various grades with attractive perks. Also, you open the gates to work with foreign rail companies and widen your knowledge-base as well as increase your earnings.

You can work in research centres of many companies and get the opportunity to implement your skills and knowledge to bring out something called fresh in the railways; in order to make them more efficient and cost-friendly. You can also work as a consultant by helping rail companies hire your services to make their business grow. 

The railway network is very vast and is spread around the globe; which confirms that you have opportunities showering from all around the world.

3.  Research Opportunities-

It is always a dream for many scholars to bring out something new that will not only be innovative but a remarkable invention and which can be implemented worldwide. Railway engineering is one such faculty that supports that one dream, to be unique and unconventional.

Once you are done with the bounds of conventional education, you have a wider window open for R&D. You have opportunities to become the next pioneer of railways through exceptional research. Although, you can join as a research assistant to fuel the development being done. You can also work on the designing part of the railways where new innovation and efficiency is widely appreciated.

You can also work on researching the engine part of the railway. You can try and test various new forms of the engine, its design and make it more compact, energy-efficient with maximizing its speed.

Besides, you can integrate it with new digital technology so as to make rail transport easier and well-organized saving time and money at the same time. One can also research the safety of rail transport. Researching in railways is just limitless!

4. Management-

If you are more interested in Human & Resource Management, organizing things is a plus to you ‘ then you can choose your career as a Railway Engineer Manager. Here you will be introduced to activities like Human Resource Management, Supervision, Rendering the entire rail system, managing the capacity, management of freights, management of fittings and fastenings, signals and interlocking, mitigate the potential risks, etc.

This may or may not require being present on the site and everything can be handled from your office through digital mode.

5. Teaching-

If spreading the word is the best charity, embracing the liberty and sharing the same with people is more of your thing - then you can nurture yourself as a pioneer to shape intellectual minds towards Rail and technology. You can join in as a faculty member of a reputed college or university and pass on your knowledge to the would-be engineers.

If you have a strong urge to learn new things, being a professor has one biggest advantage that you are kept updated with the new advancements in the field constantly along with your current knowledge. This also helps to know the thought-process of the students and enjoy dynamic discussion sessions.

Despite the existing hoards of opportunities worldwide in the railway industry, the biggest attraction is towards the Indian Railway and is the most sought after career destination. 

Now, before we end, just a fact check about the Indian Railway market: The Indian Railway is one of the largest recruiters of India. 

Believe Us!

[the-house-of-the-nine]

In Mind of Misery: Manipulation, Part 5

[ And so the journey begins.  Three Separate stories to tell here all happening Simultaneously.  Attacking from three fronts, is this the beginning of the end for The Nine?  Please Like, Share, and Follow us!   We are hoping to get new people coming our way, and could use the love! Thank you everyone!!!!! ]

Cast:

[ L.K ] -  Lazarius Kashebahl, Marseille, Raelyndia Duskhollow

[ P.K ] - Kretus Dark

[ V.D ] - Verzatea Duskflame, Pame Myl’Brin

[ J ] - Jursol, Jimba, Mawa

[ T ] - Talisin aka The Boy

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[ J ]   Jursul was pleased as some started to wake up, see the damage and run. The hunt was on. Her prey ran for their lives, with her and the raptors close behind. There was no hiding from these hunters. No mercy.

The raptors screeched and made god awful sounds as they hunted. Screeching and screams filled the air more as one, two, three met their end to them. Raptors were hungry.

One poor man ended up being caught in a deadly tug of war. His body ripped in two by the beast. Jursol used her clawed scaled hand to rip the heart out of one. Holding it up in the air as she laughed, squeezing it tightly till it burst.

Reaching to grab the dead body with her strong arms, she then tossed it into another one. Her screams seeing her dead heartless friend sent a wave of fear though her. Jursol snarled as she pointed a finger at her. Before the poor women knew what was happening, the larger raptor was on her. It’s claws ripping her cloths and flesh. The more she struggled the more the raptor enjoyed the kill.

Once all seemed dead, Jursol sent the raptors to sweep the area again. Making her way back to the others. Jursol could hear the last of the scouts scream as the raptors gleefully ate most of their flesh. They returned to her side making what seemed to be purring sounds.

[ V . D ]   They all truly had come a long way from what was originally the worst day of Pames life. Now she felt more at home than among the apostate hunters society; Though even then home and comfort was in the company of her brother. So where she lacked in kin, she found friendship.

A strange concept, but it helped Pame break away from a mold she was forced to fill out; Isn't it funny how the worst thing to ever happen to her ended up making her more conscious of the lives around her?

A man she once would have intended to slaughter without so much as a greeting was a man she craned her neck for, to gently bump her forehead against his in a show of respect-- Whilst consciously pointing her blade backward so as not to drip blood onto the Inquistors traveling attire or boots.

Once he released her and moved away to bellow for the zandalari -- whom Pame would look out for to determine if she was in need of aid -- the woman straightened herself and cast a wary glance to the top of the hill where last Verzatea lay in wait.

After considering the well being of those three, Pames silver irises leer from beneath her dark hood toward Marseille. With strictly her lips being the most visible aspect of her facade, she'd offer the shaldorei a small smile before bending low to clean her blade off on the robes of the last individual she beheaded.

“I'm fine," she remarks briskly, though her tone wasn't harsh.

After such statement the woman stands at her full height and sheathes her sword, a hand coaxing her hood to pool around her broad shoulders whilst reviewing the area for any other threats.

  The distant screeches of raptors and their play things roused Verzatea to stand, her arms slipping beneath the legs and back of the boy she'd been requested to guard.

With some struggle -- and a lot of panting - the woman manages to stand at full height whilst carrying her unofficial student in her arms. The tall lanky woman wasn't much in the ways of strength, she was an agile fighter who manipulated her opponents strengths and weaknesses while also using the environment of their brawl to her advantage; Strategic and calculated.

Her stamina was her greatest ally now, clutching the child close whilst watching the woods around her. She'd make haste to cross the distance between her and her companions, flustered in the cheeks by the time she does. But certainly not defeated.

"An entire spire, Lazarius?"

Tea muses slyly, shaking her head, soon to eye everyone once she was closer. It was then her concern would pull forth, the destruction surrounding them much more severe than it looked from afar.

"Is everyone well? Must we stop to recuperate?"

[ L. K ]   “...an entire spire Lazarius?”.

He turned his attention to his dear Verza and offered her a grin despite the blood that was splattered across his face from Pames executions.  He would watch the Huntress as she and her companions hunted, and then motioned for Marseille.

“Take the boy..”.

And of course the shade would move toward the confessor to relieve her of her burden.  Easily taking the boy and shouldering him once more.

“No, no rest.  When the Shadowhuntress returns we move.  We are close to the lair now I can feel it...”

[ V . D ]   With the relief of not having to carry anyone Verzatea would excel a shaky breath, her grateful smile most genuine. Gently she smooths her robes down and smooths her hair down, her eyes soft whilst admiring the handy work. Morbid as it may be, a swell of pride always filled Tea when she looked upon the horrors and havoc reaped by her kin; Such a magnificent force of devastation.

"Perhaps we could salvage goods from this camp, unless tainted by the poisonous touch of the Old Gods."

Pame lifted her eyes to review Verzatea, the woman's words rousing curiosity in the kaldorei as she turns to marvel what was left of the camp. In truth, many tents that were further from the fallen spire remained standing. A possible treasure trove laid before them, ripe for the picking.

"Well," Tea falters, "If you don't mind being a grave robber.”

"Its only grave robbing if you're stealing from the honorably laid to rest,"

the apostate hunter snorts, kicking aside a slain bodies arm to clear the path for Verzatea as the Confessor began to wander through the camp.

[ L. K ]   “Anything we take from here would be a waste; we have more than we can carry as it is...”.

Lazarius said motioning to the stalwart Shaldorei who was busy carrying their new baggage.  

“Besides, we have hit two...three if you count our guest; delays already.  I - want- this - thing - off...”.

His words were punctuated by his desire to rid himself of the eye on his side. Lazarius wouldn’t humor the idea of looting when it was made and slowly kicked through the beheaded enemies and burning piles of what remained of their homes.  

He was cross, and equally not getting any more pleasant the longer this went on.

“His mind is heavy; weighed down by the burden he carries...if you would like to stay and look I will follow him...”.

Marseille said as he shifted the boys body on his shoulder and peered toward both Pame and Verza.

[ V . D ]   Lazarius's haughty attitude drew the attention of both sindorei and kaldorei, the two women watching the Inquistor closely now with different levels of concern. Pame knew Lazarius to be ill tempered in high stress moments, she knew that from the hours he'd spent torturing her and breaking down her walls when she was a prisoner.

But Verzatea saw Lazarius's temper in many different lights, in many different situations. Pame remained silent, the unspoken command to remain true to their course had shook the Kaldoreis curiosity. Straightening her posture the woman resumes with reviewing the distant horizon, searching for anything of concern.

Verzatea, too, had been effectively silenced. Her desire to rifle among the junk and find what diamonds lay in the rough was abandoned, along with her spirited smile. Twisting atop her heels the woman marches back to the group, her eyes sweeping the area for Jursol and her hungry hungry raptors.

"Then we must move swiftly. Anything that stands between here and there will be dealt with swiftly. Stop for nothing."

[ L. K ]   The group would remain silent for the rest of the mission as they trudged on heading toward their destination; an unknown laboratory that was somewhere on the western coastline of the one rich and fertile lands of Quelthalas.  The Ghostlands to be more precise.  This place was hidden to even the original Council of The Nine when they were formed centuries ago, and now even to this day; Lazarius had no idea what to expect going there.  

The only reason why he even came across it was because during his hunt for information at the former Kashebahl Estate; he had located some information leading to its discovery.  Thus, they were here. The dark sky above them loomed with the sounds and sights of hundreds of worm like beings and tubular creatures that were hunting.  Hunting for them no doubt.  

But this was not something they could prevent at the moment; they needed to address the true problem here; and that was Lazarius' cryptic message from Raelyndia that manifested itself as a great and powerful eye on his body.

Along the coast line they would find many things that would give them a fair warning of the death that was always near.  Boats and their crew that had shipwrecked and been devoured by undead; plenty of animals that were never lucky enough to make it, and even sea creatures that had beached themselves due to the insane amount of old god tainted beings that were popping up all over.  They walked on though; their destination nearly in sight.

"It should be somewhere near here. . ."

Lazarius said as they reached the edge of the mountain range that would lead into the Plaguelands and on the opposite of that was Stratholme.

"The ledger wrote about 'where the land and sea no longer kiss' and 'having to do with the . . .'"  

Lazarius paused as they came to a complete stop along the beaches.

"It's here. . ."  

He said suddenly and his eyes began to dart along the area above them.  He would peel his vision toward the coast, then back up to the mountains as if he was hearing something that wasn't there; but no, it was his brain going into a frenzy.

"Its here. . .right here. . ."

Lazarius began to pace back and forth with his foot dragging across the ground in a pattern like he was trying to trace over something.  He would cease for a moment while he looked toward the mountains once more.  

"There. . ."  

He said pointing upward toward a rock face that seemed to be in the shape of a leaning hand pointing.  His eyes would follow it over and he would begin walking toward the area that was on a forty five degree angle from it and the sun.  

Converging on where his position would be he peered around.  It was on the part of the grass where the beach and the shore line were almost as one. What was there? Nothing of coarse; he was just standing on a pile of sand looking down at it.  Until he began to roll up his sleeve, past his elbow to get to the part of his flesh that was exposed.  

Once he was above the bandages he would draw the part of his razor blade ring across his arm and pinch on both sides of the cut trying to pool some blood to the surface.  Only a drop or two would spill out due to its thick coagulation, but once it fell onto the sand a sudden surge would begin to quake below them.

As the thick blood slowly pooled against the sand; it would begin to stretch and grow as if it was being pulled in several directions all at once.  The circumference of the circle that it was forming was nearly as large; if not larger than a standard Mages tower.  Woven across the center and face of the circle were several strands that branched out like small webs while others began to form word like shapes, clearly in Shath'yar.  

All of this from just two little drops and soon the entire ground was covered in his blood as it formed this elaborate work of art which was summoning something. Slowly the ground that was shaking would begin to cave in, revealing unto them a great staircase that seemed to spiral down deeper and deeper into the earth without any rhyme or reason.

It was as if it was slowly going down into the depths of the earth below without anyone knowing what was down there or where it could go. Lazarius peered at the stairwell leading into the depths; then back at the rest of them.

"Well. . .I suppose we should let ourselves in. . ."

[ V . D ]   Whilst Lazarius endlessly searched and mapped out the area with his eyes and cryptic rhyme, Pame remained fully alert-- quiet ever still. She'd not speak unless spoken to, her insertions of tid bits and remarks was an unnecessary waste of breath in her eyes; Thus she made use of herself through further observation of the area. She'd be searching for runes or spell booby traps every step of the way, her inquisitive silver eyes burning with concentration.

Being an ex-apostate hunter required being vigilant around enemy territory, abandoned or not. Even the most dormant of hidden locations could be the most dangerous, and from everything she gathered on this Raelyndias woman... They needed to be fully alert, or they were doomed from the get-go.

An unspoken agreement between Pame and Verzatea, it seemed, given the latter watched closely as Lazarius brilliantly solved the riddle and, with such minimal effort, unleashed the grandeur display of everyone's mortal enemy. "Stairs,"

Tea breathes out, chuckling wryly before moving to stand at the edge where the steps meet sand, leering into the ominous darkness with great uncertainty. She had never missed her wand more than now-- there was always great certainty in her abilities when she had her wand and magic at hand without restraints.

Her swords were equally effective in protection, but charms and counter spells to protect her kin were a better bet when it came to an equally damned sorceress like Rae. Alas... They'd all have to brave fate.

[ J ]   Jursol seemed to not mind the risk they were about to take. Her and her raptors silently stood looking and watching. This was not something they see every day! Jursol was a bit excited after everything. The hunt and the kill make her thirst for more. Plus she may have taken a few, samples, off some of the victims.

One can never have enough blood samples now can they. Looking down at the stairs as she peered to the others. She was well aware there could be traps still active. That was a risk she was willing to take for the Nine. Her eyes had a determination in them at this point. Her life has become far more exciting now with them in her life. She liked this very much.

“We must do as we must. Dis be our time, no one else. We be strong together. I not be leaving dis elf to suffer any longer. We end dis now. Answers await is in dis place.”

She said nodding as she waited for orders to enter.

@siidaraykashebahl

@zandalaridruidofgonk

@frompage112

@whatadarkbitch

@pyravari-kashebahl

@thebladeitself

@miss-irascible

To be continued in “In Mind of Misery, Manipulation, Part 6″

[shizukateal]

Magical Girl Fashion- The 3 Basic Rules

They’ve done it, people. The genie is out of the bottle. Someone  has requested me to talk about magical girl fashion, so lets get into it.

The person in question ( @d-rklights​ ) has asked me, specifically, to talk about Sakura Kinomoto’s outfits from Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Arc. However before I eventually do that, I’d like to make a starting post that states my criteria on judging the outfits, but I also don’t want to overwhelm everyone’s dashes with an excruciatingly long post, so I’m gonna briefly describe this “3 basic rules” that says there on the title and then I’m gonna put a read more under which there will be a more detailed explanation with provided examples.

Ok so, here are the rules. They are in no way absolute, they are heavily subjected to my own arbitrary taste, and they probably don’t even capture the full extent of what a good outfit is, but for all our intents and purposes, they are a good guideline so, in no particular order, without further ado:

Rule 1: The outfit must look appropiate to the user’s body and viceversa.

Rule 2: The aestethic of the outfit must be concise.

Rule 3: The outfit must look comfortable to move/fight with/ appropiate to the user’s combat style.

There. I think I wrote them in an pretty clear, easy to understand way, but if you care of some technicalities keep reading.

Rule 1: The outfit must look appropiate to the user’s body and viceversa.

Aka. the user must look good on what they’re wearing, and the outfit has to feel like something the user would wear.

 For example, the Madoka Kaname looks better than Momozono Love even though their outfits are incredibly similar because the first actually looks like a young girl who would use that cutesy, fairytale aestethic, while the latter has a bit too much of a barbie bodytype and it creates a subtle dissonance (although, just to be clear, I still think Momozono looks fine).

But it’s not only about the bodytype of the character, the rule can also be influenced by the character’s personality or rather, how they wear the costume:

See this bitch over here? She’s wearing a furry sexy halloween costume, whip included... and she’s making it work. Even with those puffy sleeves that should look out of place in a sexy outfit like this, but they don’t. Because she just doesn’t give a fuck about what you think. You go on ahead and make that kinky fanart about her, greasy 30-year-old dudes, she won’t even blink or turn her head. This outfit is not about titilating the audience, it’s not about making her your waifu, or even about making it sexually appealing. This outfit is about looking cool as fuck, which she does, and she knows so.

Meanwhile...

There isn’t much wrong with Lettuce’s outfit, but it just... doesn’t fit her. Her exposed legs contrast too much with her shy personality, especially while she’s holding that pose with her head down, shoulders hunched, and a hand almost hiding her face. It would work if she changed from shy to confident in her transformation, but she doesn’t, so the choice to present herself in this way feels... weird.

All in all, every element of the character’s body will be judged with this rule: artstyle, color pallete... hairstyle...

Rule 2: The aestethic of the outfit must be concise.

But what does “concise” mean?

In this case, I’ll sumarise it with the words “clear” and “uncluttered”.

I’m of the opinion that a magical girl outfit can be anything. It can be a frilly dress with ribbons and tigh-highs, or some jorts, sneakers, and a really cool jacket, I don’t care, it just has to have an aestethic, a theme. I mean, just look at  the girls from black rock shooter:

While, yes, there’s a common design thread among them, their clothing is very varied, not only limited to the hyper-femenine idea of what a magical girl outfit should be. Because at the end of the day, Magical Girls are just a brand of female superheroes. And while we’re on the subject of female superheroes, let me use a western example to further explore my point:

In the comics, Scarlet Witch’s costume is as generic as they come. Sure, the headpice is distinct and clearly her thing, but nothing about her general attire says anything about her personality or about being a witch, in fact if I didn’t know her name and you showed me the first picture I’d assume she was a demon. By contrast, while I’d still make a few changes, personally speaking, the mcu’s version with the corset and longcoat are much more connected to the witch aestethic, and thus, the outfit has more personality.

“Uncluttered”, meanwhile is just that. No excess. Too many people think that “magical girl outfit” means “just put more unnecessary ribbons, and frills, and shit that doesn’t even look good but, you know, femenine”

Sadly, Precure is often an offender on this category:

The first one especially looks like it was a hell to animate.

To sum it all up: a magical girl outfit has to make it’s point as eloquently as possible.

Rule 3: The outfit must look comfortable to move/fight with/ appropiate to the user’s combat style.

Obviously this is the more flexible of the rules since the whole appeal of magical girls is fighting bad guys in the coolest, cutest clothes you can imagine, but still, there’s nothing more bizarre than watching the Go! Princess Precure! girls giving kicks and pirouettes in their big, impractical outfits, no matter how well animated the fights are.

 (I’m not trying to shit on Precure, I swear. I respect everything they do to keep the magical girl genre alive without succumbing to the “madoka wannabe” trend)

The exceptions are obviously the “God Tier” magical girl outfits, in which the magical girl is so powerful that movility doesn’t matter or girls whose powers allow them to fight more strategically or have long-range attacks that don’t require them moving around to much.

...Or if you’re the Princess of the Crystal from Mawaru Penguindrum who, to my incomplete knowledge from not finishing the show yet, doesn’t actually fight and just stands ordering others around.

Aaand, I think that’s all for now! If I come up with something else then I’ll add it, but for now this is it. Now I have to actually cash in on my promise of judging Sakura’s outfits, which should be fun! Hope it doesn’t take me as long as writing this. I’ll probably split it into parts.

[thegaitguys]

Gait and Climbing: Part 1

Lucid Dreaming is the name of a rock in the Buttermilks of Bishop, California. This is no ordinary rock. It is a V15. Summiting this rock is basically only 3 moves off of 3 holds, from your fingertips. The remainder of the climb is sliced bread. If you can do the 3, you can get to the top. The problem is, only a handful of people in the world can do it. How hard can this be, after all you start sitting down.

Strength, stability, mobility, endurance, skill, experience, movement patterns … . it is all here, today, on The Gait Guys blog.

Author: Dr. Shawn Allen

There are things that other people can do in life that rattle your brain. These are tasks that these individuals make look fairly simple, but in actuality are nearly impossible to the average person. The honest fact is that many of us could do many of these things to a degree if we would dedicate a portion of our day to building the engine to perform these tasks, but the truth is that many of us would rather sit down and be entertained than get up and struggle.

Here on The Gait Guys blog, bipedal and quadrupedal gait has been discussed for over 5 years. Discussions have gone deep into the strange quadrupedal gait of Uner Tan Syndrome and have delved into the critical neurology behind CPG’s (Central Pattern Generators) which are neural networks that produce rhythmic patterned outputs. We have gone on and on about arm swing and how they are coordinated with the legs and opposite limb in a strategic fashion during walking running gaits. Today I will look briefly at the interconnected arm and leg function in a high functioning human arguably one of the best new hot shots in climbing, Alex Megos. This year the German, as seen in this video link today, managed to summit Lucid Dreaming, a V15 in the Buttermilks of Bishop, California. Hell, you can say that this is just a big boulder, but there are not many V15s in the world like this one. Only a few of the very best in the world have even tried this rock, and you can count even fewer who have reached the summit. So, what does V15 mean to you? “virtually impossible” just about sums it up. Watch the video, this V15 starts from a “sit-start”, many folks wouldn’t even get their butts off the ground to complete the first move, that is how hard this is. Watch the video, if this does not cramp your brain, you perhaps you don’t have one.

Are there possible neurologic differences in climbers such as Megos as compared to other quadruped species? Primarily, there is suspect of an existing shift in the central pattern generators because of the extraordinary demand on pseudo-quadrupedal gait of climbing because of the demand on the upper limbs and their motorneuron pools to mobilize the organism up the mountain. We know these quadrupedal circuits exist. In 2005 Shapiro and Raichien wrote “the present work showed that human QL(quadrupedal locomotion) may spontaneously occur in humans with an unimpaired brain, probably using the ancestral locomotor networks for the diagonal sequence preserved for about the last 400 million years.”

As we all know, the interlimb coordination in climbing and crawling biomechanics shares similar features to other quadrupeds, both primate and non-primate, because of similarities in our central pattern generators (CPG’s). New research has however determined that the spaciotemportal patterns of spinal cord activity that helps to mediate and coordinate arm and leg function both centrally, and on a cord mediated level, significantly differ between the quadruped and bipedal gaits. In correlation to climbers such as Megos however, we need to keep in mind that the quadrupedal demands of a climber (vertical) vastly differ in some respects to those of a non-vertical quadrupedal gait such as in primates, in those with Uner Tan Syndrome and during our “bear crawl” challenges in our gyms. This should be obvious to the observer in the difference in quadrupedal “push-pull” that a climber uses and the center-of-mass (COM) differences. To be more specific, a climber must reduce fall risk by attempting to keep the COM within the 4 limbs while remaining close to the same surface plane as the hands and feet (mountain) while a primate, human or Uner Tan person will choose to “tent up” the pelvis and spine from the surface of contact which narrows the spreading of the 4 contact points. Naturally, this “tenting up” can be reduced, but the exercise becomes infinitely more difficult, to the point that most cannot quadrupedally ambulate more than a very short distance. I will discuss this concept in Part 2 of this series on climbing. If you study childhood development and crawling patterns, you need to be familiar with UTS (search our blog, save yourself the time), the flaws in the neurology behind the "Bird Dog” rehab pattern, and crawling mechanics … and of course, study climbers. Some research has determined is that in quadrupeds the lower limbs displayed reduced orientation yet increased ranges of kinematic coordination in alternative patterns such as diagonal and lateral coordination. This was clearly different to the typical kinematics that are employed in upright bipedal locomotion. Furthermore, in skilled mountain climbers, these lateral and diagonal patterns are clearly more developed than in study controls largely due to repeated challenges and subsequent adaptive changes to these lateral and diagonal patterns. What this seems to suggest is that there is a different demand and tax on the CPG’s and cord mediated neuromechanics moving from bipedal to quadrupedal locomotion. There seemed to be both advantages and disadvantages to both locomotion styles. Moving towards a more upright bipedal style of locomotion shows an increase in the lower spine (sacral motor pool) activity because of the increased and different demands on the musculature however at the potential cost to losing some of the skills and advantages of the lateral and diagonal quadrupedal skills. Naturally, different CPG reorganization is necessary moving towards bipedalism because of these different weight bearing demands on the lower limbs but also due to the change from weight bearing upper limbs to more mobile upper limbs free to not only optimize the speed of bipedalism but also to enable the function of carrying objects during locomotion. The take home seems to suggest that gait retraining is necessary as is the development of proper early crawling and progressive quadruped locomotor patterns. Both will tax different motor pools within the spine and thus different central pattern generators (CPG). A orchestration of both seems to possibly offer the highest rewards and thus not only should crawling be a part of rehab and training but so should forward, lateral and diagonal pattern quadrupedal movements, on varying inclines for optimal benefits. Certainly I need to do more work on this topic, the research is out there, but correlating the quad and bipedal is limited. I will keep you posted. Be sure to read my 3 part series on Uner Tan Syndrome, here on The Gait Guys blog. Some of today’s blog is rehash of my older writings, naturally I am setting the stage for “Part 2″ of Climbing. - Dr. Shawn Allen

References:

Shapiro L. J., Raichien D. A. (2005). Lateral sequence walking in infant papio cynocephalus: implications for the evolution of diagonal sequence walking in primates. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.126, 205–213 10.1002/ajpa.20049

Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Oct;21(5):688-99. Idiosyncratic control of the center of mass in expert climbers. Zampagni ML , Brigadoi S, Schena F, Tosi P, Ivanenko YP

J Neurophysiol. 2012 Jan;107(1):114-25. Features of hand-foot crawling behavior in human adults. Maclellan MJ, Ivanenko YP, Cappellini G, Sylos Labini F, Lacquaniti F.

[yourarmynoona]

Red Light District || Chapter 1

(Moodboard by Me)

Description:  [Sex Worker!AU] [DomTae!AU] You were young, naive, and oh-so desperate to keep your head afloat in the big city. Working in the Red Light District was easy. Until he came along.

Rating: M

Pairings: Taehyung x Reader; Jungkook x Reader; Jimin x Jungkook x Reader; Taehyung x Jimin x Reader

Themes: S-M-U-T. Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, and mentions of abuse.

3.5k+ Words

Notes: Find the music for the dance scene here. This is the SECOND piece I’ve ever written for BTS AND THE LONG AF. I’m hoping to keep it to 5 chapters, though who knows. I get carried away.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

It was Friday evening and the city streets were beginning to fill with the sounds of patrons laughing and stumbling drunkenly about from one establishment to another. As the golden and lavender painted skies began to fade into a deep midnight blue scattered with glimmering orbs and the moon’s luminescence illuminating the glowing city skyline, a neon red glow begins to creep onto the damp asphalt and pavement of a familiar set of streets deep within the concrete jungle. The air is cool and damp, the familiar echo of footsteps following groups of men and women who cast shadows as they walk between the red hued lights filling large windows with scantily clad women and men in seductive poses or swaying their hips to the low thrum of music emanating from within their establishments.

Like any other Friday evening, your shift at Euphoria began as soon as the sun disappeared beneath the city skyline at 8pm sharp. Tonight was a special night, however. You had been working and dancing at Euphoria for almost 4 months since you had started going to college almost a year ago. Despite having excellent grades and doing well in High School, financial aid was barely enough to cover the tuition for your classes and your family could barely afford to send your younger brother to the private schools you had attended for the best education possible. It was tough at first. You had moved into a seedy apartment because the cost of housing was so high in the city and had spent nights unable to sleep between the domestic fights of your neighbors to your right, the loud drug-filled parties upstairs, police sirens, and the multiple part-time jobs you took to eat, pay your tuition, and not end up on the streets. After half a year of sleepless nights, tired and aching muscles, and struggling to not fall asleep in class, you had decided you had had enough. Searching through the various “Now Hiring” ads online in job forums, you had seen a tempting ad for weekend work with incredible pay and no experience required for women only. Normally, you would have been sketched out by the requirements for the job however, you were beyond exhausted and had made up your mind to toss your pride (and dignity) aside and take a chance on the job.

That was how you ended up at Euphoria as a dancer and server. Euphoria, compared to many other clubs and “hotels” in the area was higher-end with most clients and patrons paying thousands a night to see the most beautiful men and women dance at their feet or make their deepest, darkest fantasies come true. It was a large, spacious establishment with a large vaulted and mirrored ceiling that encompassed a central stage with two go-go cages at either end and three, iridescent poles, all illuminated by neon red and magenta lights surrounding the stage. There were various leather-clad booths with rich-wooded tables and private niches filled with large velvet cushions, inset leather couches, and weighted privacy curtains along the far wall with smaller pole platforms for entertainers strategically placed throughout. 

Euphoria dripped wealth and luxury for its patrons from the surroundings to the expensive top-shelf spirits that filled the enormous magenta-illuminated bar staffed with multiple bar tenders and bar backs shaking up the newest mixology creation or wiping down crystal glasses that hung from racks between the library of spirits that spanned to the ceiling. The venue began to glow with various shades of crimson and pink as a sensual playlist selected by the resident DJ began to play in the background. In addition to the vast stage and dancefloor, there was a long hallway between the VIP booths guarded by a singular man of abnormal size and musculature. One didn’t get to know what resided down the long, red-lit hallway. Unless they paid the right price, that is.

The night had only begun and men in crisp, dark business suits were filing in group by group as they checked with the resident bouncer to ensure their favorite booth or table had been reserved. There were attractive men and women beginning to sit beside patrons that were slowly becoming inebriated by alcoholic creations that would equate to a week’s pay for the average person. Girls with their perfect eyeliner, false eye lashes, and scarlet lips wearing revealing outfits laughing at haughty businessmen attempting to make small talk with them and muscled young men in tight fitting jeans with shirts unbuttoned to expose their finely chiseled chests serving refined older women with their legs neatly crossed in plush seats became a part of the highly orchestrated nightly activities that filled Euphoria.

At the moment, you were leaning over the bar requesting a drink for one of your regular patrons, Mr. Bong. Mr. Bong came in every Friday night and requested to be seated in your section and though he never requested services beyond perhaps the occasional private dance, he could be a handsy man. However, you most often didn’t mind because paid more than the average wealthy patron. From what you knew, he was the Chief Operations Officer for some major conglomerate, but the name currently escaped you. As you leaned over the bar to yell the order, the hem of your black bandage dress riding up your backside, a young bartender with a defined nose and large doe-eyes came over with his familiar bunny smile.

“___! Mr. Bong again? Is he having the usual Dalmore ’64?” he asked giving you a brief glance before sliding over a rolling redwood ladder that slid along the bar and reached the highest tiers of the library of liquor stocked at Euphoria.

“Yup! I swear, Jungkook, he should just buy the bottle. He has all this money and he just buys per glass. He knows we reserve bottles here” you kicked your legs off the bar, your breasts pressed to the bar and threatening to spill over the low neckline of your dress.

Jungkook just smiled as he quickly climbed up and down the ladder, bottle in hand. “You would think but eh, he can waste whatever money he wants here as long as he keeps tipping me good.” Jungkook grabbed out a cleanly wiped crystal glass, a round frozen whiskey stone, and began to pour the liquor carefully into the glass before recapping the oddly shaped bottle. You could only roll your eyes in response.

 Jungkook was only a year younger than you but he had come to the city with the dreams of becoming a singer and dancer. His family was much like yours in that they were not wealthy and he was having to pay his own tuition, thus he ended up becoming a bartender at Euphoria about the same time you started. The both of you shared a unique bond since you were the youngest of the staff and he was the only male on the crew who hadn’t made a pass at you in some way. Though you weren’t sure if it was because you had a special friendship or it was his naturally shyness around women. Even though the bar was illuminated by bright red and magenta, you could definitely see the times a heated blush rose to his cheeks when he glimpsed your breasts in a revealing outfit or a woman would touch his arm flirtatiously.

“You got that straight. I’ll be back soon for more so store the bottle. Don’t want you having to go up and down all night unless you’re getting paid for that” you laughed, your magenta lips peeled back into a smile as you laughed at the innuendo. Sliding the glass filled with the deep golden liquor in your direction, Jungkook just shook his head. You had to admit, he was finely muscled and extremely attractive with his pierced ears and the few tattoos you had glimpsed on his chest and upper arm. Maybe if there was a time you were both lonely one night, you wouldn’t say no. You gingerly grabbed the glass, giving Jungkook a final wink, and sauntered off back to Mr. Bong with a seductive smile. 

The next hour you spent in conversation with Mr. Bong, touching his arm delicately and speaking about the things you were familiar with, ushering him to perhaps seek a private dance with you before you were to go on stage. However, tonight he was far too inebriated and simply paid you a rather large tip from his Black AMEX card before you had to say your polite goodbyes.

The club was now packed and filled with not only the business types, but the young and wealthy socialites who were heirs to family companies and had come to blow off steam from their duties or education. There was an assortment of men and women of all ages who were in attendance as you made your way from the VIP booth with Mr. Bong, past the stage, and towards the back to get ready. Jungkook was extremely busy with a group of young men who looked like they had stepped out of a runway magazine and you could see the DJ, Yoongi who went by the alias AGUST D, was head bobbing as he began to mix a faster and more upbeat set of songs for the remainder of the night.

“Hey, _____! You look positively gorgeous tonight” you heard a voice call. It was Jimin. He, like you, was a server and entertainer. Jimin, however, was the most in-demand dancer at Euphoria. He had grown up and danced for most of his life, which had afforded him a lean and muscled physique that looked as if it was sculpted by the gods. Jimin had been dancing at Euphoria for the last year and was known by his stage name, “Christian”, after a drunken night where he had gone from his sweet and cheeky demeanor to straight Dom, pushing down and spanking poor Yoongi who was just trying to get him to sober up. Jimin had regal and princely features with his jet black hair parted neatly down the center, plush lips, and the copious amount of silver rings and earrings he wore. He walked the line of androgyny quite well and both men and women loved him.

“Thanks Jimin! I’m going to try something new tonight and hope I don’t bust my ass” you said sarcastically, slipping on your black silk robe.

“Oh? Something new you say?” Jimin remarked with his best acting.

You giggled, placing one foot up on a nearby chair as you strapped your patent leather platform heels on.

“Duh, I’m going for this new ‘Subby Leather Vixen’ vibe. I feel like I’ve been playing it too sweet this entire time.”

Jimin opened his mouth in an ‘O’ in understanding. He was a very seductive dancer and naturally good at it. You however, had to adjust and become comfortable before exploring the direction you wanted your stage personal to take. There were a handful of girls and guys in the coed dressing room currently other than you and Jimin who were chatting and laughing as they applied copious amounts of makeup or changed into their outfits for the night. Untying your robe and slipping it down your shoulders to take a look in the full-length mirror of the dressing room you heard a whistle from behind and a catcall coming from Jimin.

“Ah ____ I love it!” Jimin cheered grasping you in a rather large hug from behind, his chin resting on your bare shoulder. “You know, I’d totally be down to fuck one of these days if you wanted” Jimin said seductively, his dark hooded eyes meeting yours in the reflection of the mirror as he gently rocked your body in his arms. You blushed as you laughed out of his grasp, your nose scrunched at his comment. Jimin was indeed shameless.

“Jimin! I thought you were all over that Min-booty last time we were out? And hey, what about Jungkook? I could have sworn you said you were going to get in his pants by the end of this year?” You said jokingly, your hands adjusting your faux-leather bra-top and your faux-leather thong that had an “X” of tiny chains across the front. Jimin simply laughed and clicked his tongue. Bingo.

“Yoongi, maybe if I was super drunk again and Jungkook clearly has a thing for you. Not stepping on toes there ____. Though I wouldn’t mind jumping in on some action between you two so-“

“Foxx on in 3!” the stage manager called, promptly interrupting Jimin’s comment and much to your satisfaction.

“Gotta go Chimchim, see you in a few!” you scampered out of the dressing room, your platform stilettos clattering across the hardwood of the dressing room and into the crimson lit hallway as you laughed at Jimin’s displeased expression. You just had to love his brashness. Jimin was pretty much your best friend and even though he joked about sex with you from time to time, you wondered how much truth there was to it. A part of you really wouldn’t mind. After all, the night Jimin had gone total Dom on Yoongi was also a night you had made out with him and if his kissing was any inclination as to how he could fuck, you were probably down to do it. It was better fucking a friend by choice and having a good time than someone you had met five minutes prior.

You were waiting patiently for the girl before you to finish her routine, her body sliding to the floor in rhythm with the end of the heavy guitar riff and the lights cutting out. As men cheered for her and the lights dimmed up only slightly, you could see the bouncer assist her in gathering the wads of money that she had been writhing in only moments earlier right before the stage manager approached her. She was going to get lucky tonight. One of the men in the audience was intrigued enough to pay for her private services.

In just under a minute, that was going to be you.

Removing your loose silk robe and hanging it on the doorhanger in the hallway entrance behind a heavy velvet curtain, you did a series of hops to shake off your nerves. It wasn’t the first time you had gone out there but the nerves never seemed to go away.

“You’re on!” the stage manager called from behind you.

You put on your best act and sauntered out from behind the curtain, a brilliant spotlight on you. It followed your form as you crossed one foot in front of the other and walked up the stairs to the platform, the pulsating rhythms creeping into your body, making your body fill with a passion and desire that even the most heated lover could only hope to give you. Your song, “Wicked Games” was playing and it never failed to turn you into the vixen men dreamed of.

You walked slowly, seductively, your hips exaggerating a drop with every cross of your black stilettos before you. You worked your hands over the bare flesh on the outer part of your thighs and drug them hashly, sensually across the curve of your hips and the swell of your breasts, running them behind your neck to raise your hair up in unison with the beat and the slow, passionate sway of your hips.

You swayed your hips side to side, creating an infinite pattern you were slowly losing yourself in. Your hands wandered from behind your neck and crossed around your throat with your thumbs running along your plush, magenta lips before sliding back down your breasts, stomach, and along your thighs as you dipped down low to the ground, spreading your knees outwards and swinging your hair around. Slowly you brought your thighs together and slid forwards onto the floor reaching outwards on the black reflective stage.

That’s when you saw him.

He was a man of about your age, dressed in a plum silk shirt and dark slacks, his legs crossed elegantly as he reclined deep into the velvet of a VIP couch. Something about him was alluring and his ash brown hair was doing little to hide a carnal stare of dark eyes following your every movement. Your eyes met his and you beckoned him forwards from his seat with a long, elegant curl of your fingers before turning around and laying down onto the stage, writhing as if in pure ecstasy. With your arms above your head, you kicked your legs straight upwards, making small languid circles before letting them fall open and down, bringing them to an angle to which you swiveled your hips as if seeking pleasure from a lover.

Though your eyes were closed, you could feel his eyes on you, his heated gaze ready to set your skin alight. Bringing your legs together, you swiveled them together to position your body on all fours. You were going to make sure to give him a show he’ll never forget. With the bass pulsing deep inside your veins, your rolled your body upwards, your hands grasping a chrome pole before you. You could see his lust. Bringing your hands to your top, you leisurely unzipped your top, letting your naked breasts free. His tongue ran leisurely across his wonderfully plump lips as you tossed your top aside and grasped the pole, walking gracefully around before pulling your body upwards, your legs tightly wrapped around the pole as it spun. You closed your eyes and let go.

You bent back with your arms outstretched before grasping the pole and splaying your legs open as the pole carried your magenta and crimson illuminated figure delicately in a circle. As you spun, you lowered your body, grasping the pole lightly and letting your legs carry you around before they met the floor. His searing gaze fueled your desire. With hands holding tightly, you grasped the pole tightly and flipped yourself onto the pole, your thighs tightly clamping to the slick metal so that you could reach outwards, as if beckoning him to come to you. Your body was feeling hotter than normal as the cold metal of the pole stung at the flesh of your thighs as you slid to the floor and crawled on all fours one last time towards the edge of the stage.

Your veins were coursing with desire as you noticed he was waiting for your attention, his teeth with a firm grasp on his lower lip. With a swing of your hair and roll of your hips, you brought your hands to his face, running a thumb across his bruised lip. Your breath quickened when you felt him take a thumb into his mouth and suck it harshly as he stared into your eyes as if trying to penetrate the darkest depths of your soul. Your thumb slid out from between his lips and your hands worked down his throat and to his chest before you brought them to the floor. He grimaced at the loss of contact and you could tell he desperately wanted to reach out and touch you.

The music began to fade as you sauntered back to the pole to grind passionately on it, your hips swiveling back and forth and into circles. His eyes were hungry for your body and you wanted him to know exactly what you would do with him if he was willing to pay the right price. As the music dissipated and lights dimmed low, leaving only the neon glow of the stage, you left the stage, giving one last glance in his direction.

By the time you had left stage, cheers and whistles erupted from above the music and the MC made his announcements about how to meet with you.

When you got back stage and grabbed your robe. You could feel your heartbeat in your throat.

Your fingers were aflame.

Your core was throbbing.

You prayed desperately that he was going to have you tonight. If you didn’t get a chance to fuck him, you thought you would end up having to finger-fuck yourself into oblivion to relieve the tension his gaze and mouth had created.

“Oh my God ____! That was SO HOT! I’d sell my firstborn to get a chance with you tonight! I haven’t seen you perform that way in ages. Who got you horny?” Jimin was shouting excitedly as you made your way down the hallway.

“Oh my God Chimchim!” you blushed, “I was just feeling it tonight is all.”

“Lies, all of it.”

You smirked and held back a laugh.

“Okay maybe. There’s this guy out there, he looks like a fucking model. He’s wearing this dark purple silk shirt and dark slacks. He’s sitting right in the front VIP area and-“

“WAIT. Oh my God, ____! That’s V! He’s a famous model and actor! He’s pretty much the hottest thing out there right now. You’re so lucky ___! I’d kill for a guy like him.”

“V? Like, the V from that one period drama series?!”

“YES FROM THE PERIOD DRAMA SERIES!”

Jimin was grabbing your hands and leaning close as he excitedly explained just who the VIP in the front row was. V was his stage name but apparently he was an international model for GUCCI and also acted in a new show on TV. You didn’t get to watch television much but if Jimin knew who he was, he must be big. Jimin was a pop culture aficionado who knew everything and anything current about celebrities not simply from TV, but because he had habit of befriending anyone and everyone who was of some importance. He had a way with schmoozing his way into ritzy parties and taking you along for the ride. And you thought that part of him would never come in handy.

“___, I have a request to meet with you. VIP in booth #7. Willing to paydown big bucks for a night. Come out when you’re ready” the stage manager called out to you and you felt your heart stutter.

“___ THIS IS IT. You’re going to get to fuck the one person guys and girls only dream of!” Jimin was cheering as you rolled your eyes and walked off, slipping your bandage dress overhead and leaving the dressing room. Jimin was too excited for his own good.

And you were more nervous than you had ever been.

[enchantingvoid]

FPSO Market Trends and Dynamic Demand by 2030

Global FPSO Market: Snapshot

The global FPSO market is estimated to register growth at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period, 2019 to 2024. Thus, the market is projected to gain a valuation of US$ 26.0 Bn by 2024. The market for FPSO was valued at US$ 19.5 Bn in 2019.

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Floating production storage and offloading, or FPSO, finds a wide application in oil and gas production and exploration activities carried out in shallow water. Generally, the cost related to production and exploration of oil and gas is lower in the shallow water in comparison to ultra-deep and deep water. The FPSO market is prognosticated to expand in the upcoming years on the back of surge in the exploration in ultra-deep and deep water.

In recent years, the need for FPSO is being increased in several nations such as Mexico and Brazil. This factors is fueling the sales opportunities in the FPSO market. Furthermore, the market is being driven by rise in the focus on offshore production and exploration activities across the globe.

Companies operating in the global FPSO market are increasing cash in-flow toward R&D projects in order to advance the quality of services they offer. Moreover, companies in this market are increasing participation in different strategic moves including mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures in order to maintain their leading positions in the market for FPSO.

Several enterprises operating in the global FPSO market are increasing focus on the use of technological advancements such as topsides, high-pressure swivels, marine solutions, and turrets in order to develop advanced FPSO solutions. Moreover, companies are focused on the development of low carbon energy products. Such efforts are estimated to bolster the global FPSO market in the upcoming years. Besides, growing focus of players on their regional expansion is anticipated to favor the overall market growth in the years ahead.

The global FPSO market is likely to be driven by the expansion of the oil and gas industry. FPSO refers to a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel that is utilized in the oil and gas industry for the purpose of storage and processing of oil. It is also used for the storage and processing of various other hydrocarbons that have been collected from offshore. It is possible that an FPSO vessel could itself make these hydrocarbons  or it might even gather it from the subsea wells.

Quite frequently, FPSOs are made from converted oil tankers. In this, the ship fitted with hydro-processing equipment just above the deck and the storage facility for the hydrocarbons installed below the deck of the ship. In addition, it is possible to install a mooring system in the ship that enable the ship to stay at one particular place as and when needed. Such facilities in the vessel benefits the global FPSO market  over the assessment period.

Based on the parameter of type, the global FPSO market is split into

Redeployed FPSO systems

New-build FPSO systems

Converted FPSO systems

In present times, the segment of converted FPSO systems is estimated to spearhead the global FPSO market.

FPSO vessels are extremely useful for the oil and gas industry as they enable processing and storage of hydrocarbons even in extremely remote areas. Once processed, these hydrocarbons could then easily be moved to a pipeline or shuttle tanker so as to carry it easily to an offshore facility. The mobility of these vessels is estimated to offer immense growth opportunities for the global FPSO market throughout the tenure of assessment.

A floating production, storage, and offloading unit is considered as a vessel that is being used widely by a large number of gas and offshore oil industries. These vessels are used for the purpose of manufacturing and processing of hydrocarbons and further for the storage of oil. The use of FPSO vessels helps in storing oil and transporting it through a pipeline, which saves time as well as resources of the oil and gas companies. As a result, the global FPSO market is anticipated to witness a robust growth in the next few years.

A significant rise in the number of exploration activities across the globe is one of the vital factors projected to fuel the growth of the global FPSO market in the next few years. The rising focus of key players on research and development activities and new product development are predicted to generate promising opportunities in the coming years. In addition, the rising number of oil and gas exploration sites in order to cater the rising demand from consumers are projected to accelerate the growth of the global FPSO market in the near future.

Among the key regions, the developed economies, including Europe and North America are expected to experience a steady growth in the next few years. At present, the global FPSO market is growing at a rapid pace and is likely to witness a high level of competition in the coming years. The increasing number of mergers and acquisition is expected to enhance the competitive scenario of the FPSO market in the near future, encouraging the expansion of product portfolio. As a result, the overall market is likely to supplement the development of the market in the near future.

Global FPSO Market: Overview 

A floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit could be a newly constructed vessel or converted oil tanker which is equipped with oil and gas processing and production facilities. An FPSO is able to carry out all the activities for which the term stands for. It is a commodious vessel which resembles the shape of a ship and finds extensive usage in extracting raw hydrocarbons from sea beds. With processing facilities provided onboard, it can also transport processed oil and gas to desired onshore locations using a shuttle tanker. 

With more number of countries producing their own FPSOs and higher sales achieved by manufacturers, the world FPSO market is anticipated to rack up a staggering amount of revenue until the end of the forecast period. 

Global FPSO Market: Key Trends 

The substantial degree of growth witnessed in the FPSO market is predicted to be augmented by the soaring demand for enhanced productivity and controlled capital spending. With a view to achieve this, companies are looking to convert tank vessels into FPSOs. The very nature of FPSO to be able to operate at any depth, relocate to any location, and offer high return on investment is deemed to be a strong reason for its incrementing demand. 

The redeployed FPSO market is prognosticated to rise above freshly converted or newly built vessels with the capability to minimize project execution timeline. Suitable for operation in medium and small offshore fields, converted FPSO poses a lesser capital cost compared to new built products. 

The rising exploration activities in ultra-deep offshore fields led by maturing onshore oil and gas reserves are expected to provide an aggressive boost to the global FPSO market. More opportunities are envisaged to take birth as the need to counter difficult conditions in ultra-deep and deep sea reserves surges the demand for integrated compact systems. 

Global FPSO Market: Market Potential 

Iran is all set to install its first ever FPSO named ‘FPSO Cyrus’ near South Pars in the Persian Gulf. The vessel is expected to employ pipelines to draw hydrocarbons from subsea wells. On an average, the Iranian FPSO holds the capacity to extract 30,000 barrels per day in the first production phase, which could be increased to a whopping 55,000 to 60,000 barrels per day in the second production phase. 

On similar lines, Keppel Offshore & Marine will be delivering its first FPSO unit named ‘John Agyekum Kufuor’ to Yinson Production (West Africa) Pte. Ltd. in 2017. The vessel will be engaged by ENI Ghana Exploration & Production Limited for oil and gas processing at the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) positioned in Offshore Ghana. The unit is studied to boast a 58,000 barrels per day processing capacity and 1.7 million barrel storage capacity. With an approximate 15,000 ton topside weight, it has the potential to be moored in a standard 1,000 meter water depth. 

Global FPSO Market: Regional Outlook 

With ample of support furnished by the government of Brazil, the country is predicted to stand out as a chief FPSO market in the South America region. The prominence of the Brazilian market could also be accredited to the elevating number of oil and gas activities. The oil field discoveries in deep water and latest offshore exploration and production developments of East Africa and South America are envisaged to help the regions register growth at a significant rate. 

However, regions such as Europe and North America of the FPSO market are foretold to grow at a stagnant rate but secure a valuable share on account of their mature oil and gas reserves. 

In order to curb its dependence on imports of energy resources, China is forecasted to offer profit-making opportunities for vendors in the FPSO market. Besides this, the development of offloading technologies, production advancement, surging area of ultra-deep and deep sea reserves, and maturing shallow water and inland oil and gas fields are envisioned to help China take precedence in the global market. 

Global FPSO Market: Competitive Landscape 

With mergers and acquisitions and fast building of product portfolio, key players in the international FPSO market are foreseen to take charge of a leading share. Some of the tough competitors in the global market are Sembcorp Marine Ltd., COSCO Shipyard Group Co. Ltd., PetroleoBrasileiro S.A., MODEC, Inc., TOTAL S.A., SBM Offshore N.V., and Samsung Heavy Industries Ltd.

  Key questions answered in this report

What are the diverse growth parameters influencing the market?

Which regions will contribute largely to the growth of the market

What are the recent innovations and technological advancements in the market?

What are the emerging trends across the market?

How has COVID-19 affected the market?

What will be the post-pandemic scenario of the market?

What are the major threats that will dent the growth prospects of the market?

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[dunamanticarchivist]

The Munchkin Nein - Falconet Fjord

Explaining this series

Wew real life is pretty time consuming, my week of travel has been kicking my arse in time management, barely had time to catch c2e23 on thursday. Nevertheless, here I am with today’s episode of the Munchkin Nein.

A falconet is a smaller falcon (and also has the same number of letters as falchion). It is also used to refer to a type of early cannon mounted on ships for combat. I was a bit indecisive over Frigatebird or Fregatidae but those sound a little too bland or esoteric, so I settle for falconets. 

Fjordy the Texblade is a level 5 warlock. One of the most surprising thing about him is that his patron is not, the Great Old One that the Cthulhian seeming entity that appears in his dreams, but instead a sword possessing spirit. Not entirely sure how this works out in the lore, but just like Fjord himself, there is a whole ton we don’t know yet.

What we do know is the ass-kicking our Texan accented warlock can dish out on a regular basis. First off, he wields the magical Wastehunter falchion (barnacles and creepy eye included). It does d8 slashing damage one handed, d10 for two. Fjord does hold a standard shield, giving him +2 AC. Not sure on how they play the rules with regards to 2 handing the sword in one turn and having the shield bonus in the same turn. Does Fjord have to spend his interaction stowing the shield to 2 hand the falchion? Or is the shield more like a buckler that can be brought to bear at anytime? I believe atm it is the latter case and Travis not exploiting the ruling to max out all the time, and instead using 2 hands whenever RP dictates.

As a Hexblade, Fjord adds his CHA mod of 4 rather than his puny STR mod of 0 to attack rolls and damage. Additionally, the Wastehunter adds d8 (i believe from ep22) damage against monstrosities and big creatures.

Finally, at level 5, Fjord chose the eldritch invocation Thirsting Blade, giving him an additional attack, bringing him nearly up to the melee capabilities of the other melee fighters of the Nein (molly, beau, yasha)

Crucially, this melee capability is equalled by the ranged power given by the cantrip Eldritch Blast. With a comfortable 120 feet of range, Fjord constitutes a vital part of the Nein’s reliable ranged output, doing d10 force damage. Being level 5, Fjord issues two such blasts every time he casts this cantrip. He has also augmented the output with the invocation Agonizing Blast, adding his CHA mod of 4 to the damage roll. He can even cast it while wielding his falchion and shield thanks to the War Caster feat (q.v) [google that i just learnt this notation today]. Can’t wait for the day Travis plays the double eldritch blast like a double quick draw with a pair of finger guns like them Texan cowboys do.

Now back to the crunch, the above are the regular things Fjord can always do, leaving him a dangerous threat even after prolonged combat. As a half-orc, his criticals are more dangerous, giving an additional dice roll (d10 or d8 for eldritch blast/2hand falchion or one hand falchion respectively). And he doesn’t go down easy. Once each day, if he is reduced to 0 HP, he instead stay at 1 HP allowing him to disengage if his turn comes up next, or Jester’s to heal him. I believe concentration on his spells is not automatically broken if he uses this racial ability. Also, I think its worth mentioning that half-orcs have advantage on Intimidation checks. Considering Fjord’s charisma is 18, its worth a go scaring enemies into submission, flight or just for the fun of it. But Fjord seems more into charm than fear tactics. For now. 

Now speaking about spells, warlocks have a more unusual economy in that they have far fewer slots, all at the highest level available, and are recovered on a short rest. At the moment, Fjord has 2 Level 3 spell slots. Just 2. Thus he has to be pretty tactical and careful with his spell choice, not hurl them willy nilly like Jester and Caleb can. 

Choice wise he has 6 to choose from, on top of his other cantrips of Minor Illusion and Booming Blade.

Minor Illusion allows Fjord to get creative in combat, though with his existing combat options he doesn’t really need to, to gain the edge. Booming Blade’s effectiveness can be in question. It costs an action and allows a single melee attack to be made. At level 5, a successful hit causes the target to suffer the usual d8/d10 + 4 slashing, as well as d8 thunder damage. In addition, if the target moves willingly after being struck, it suffers 2d8 thunder damage. The trade off between the cantrip and the two melee strikes is as follows:

Cantrip: 1 attack roll, d8/d10 +4 + d8 + 2d8 (conditional upon target moving willingly).  Min damage if hit: 6

Average if conditions met, attack hits (assuming one hand strike): 22

Average if conditions met, attack hits (assuming two hand strike):  23

Average if conditions unmet, attack hits (assuming one hand strike): 13

Average if conditions unmet, attack hits (assuming two hand strike) : 14

2 attacks: 2 attack rolls, 2 x (d8/d10 +4). Min damage if both hit: 10

Average if one attacks hits (assuming one hand strike): 8.5  

Average if both attacks hit (assuming one hand strike): 17

Average if one attacks hits (assuming two hand strike): 9.5  

Average if both attacks hit (assuming two hand strike): 19

Therefore, Booming Blade is best utilized if for some reason, Fjord can only make a single attack (slowed, opportunity attack etc). It would obviously be very helpful if the monster will obligingly shift its arse after being struck (intimidation maybe? does that count? idk) It will also depend on how easy the target is to hit. In summary I think one could say Booming Blade is higher risk, higher reward than two straight attacks. 

Someone has helpfully pointed out that the spell Blink works wonderfully in conjunction with this cantrip, since phasing out into the Ethereal plane generally forces the enemy to re-position in the material plane, triggering the bonus damage from the cantrip. If not for Thirsting Blade, Booming Blade would be the staple of Fjord’s melee routine. 

Onto the very important spells. I will discuss these spells at level 3, since at the moment (and up till level 7) all of Fjord’s spells will be cast at this level. 

Armor of Agathys  Gives 15 temporary hit points and does 15 cold damage to the attacker on being hit in melee. This makes Fjord a tank. A very spiky tank on the level of the venom troll faced in ep 21 and 23. In fact, that damage is nearly the maximum of what the troll puts out (though only triggered by melee attacks) The additional 15 HP can come in clutch. The only drawback is that the spell only lasts an hour, so Fjord can’t really prep it at the start of the day, rest up to regain the spell slot and wade in. It will take much more precise planning or signalling to read that flow of the story, almost to the point of metagaming. Or unless Fjord is raring for a fight. 

Hex One of Fjord’s bonus action possibilities, it gives additional d6 necrotic damage on Fjord’s successful hits. Also, one of the ability scores of the target is chosen. An ability check made with the chosen score is made at disadvantage for the duration of the spell. Which happens to be 8 hours. Though Fjord must maintain concentration for that duration. With a range of 90 feet, that could be a good way of initiating combat. Note, it is ability checks that are at disadvantage, not saves which are more often used in combat. However, checks do still occur such as STR checks for grapple contests, WIS for perception for the hiding Nott maybe? This could lend it to a more non-violent, yet hostile approach. Also, if the target is reduced to 0 HP, Fjord can use a bonus action to transfer it to another target.

Witch Bolt Not a very impressive spell in my personal opinion, save perhaps for the raw damage. 3d12 lightning damage on hit (avg 19.5). On following turns, if concentration is maintained, Fjord can use his action to automatically inflict 1d12 lightning damage. Not doing so ends the spell. Whose range is 30 feet and must be maintained. And the target must stay out of total cover. In terms of damage trade off it would win against Eldritch blast for the first round, then never again, unless the target is nigh impossible to hit and auto hits are valuable. Against the other spells that compete for the precious spell slots.....the medium run utility can be questionable. Unless its raw damage you’re looking for. 

Crown of Madness Pretty useless against a single target. Can be useful against enemies that attack in concert. A humanoid must make a WIS save, or suffer the charmed condition, using its action before moving to make a melee attack against another creature (excluding itself and Fjord). If it does not, it can act normally. At the end of its turns, it can make another WIS save, and Fjord has to spend his action maintaining control, on top of concentration. Thus only when the creature has adjacent enemies (of the Nein) to attack and can deal more damage than Fjord, will this spell be mechanically valuable. However, for most humanoids, having an ally turn against them can play a very strategic role in combat, sowing mistrust and scattering them. They could even egg on the infighting to gain a further advantage. 

Hunger of Hadar Thar’ be Cthulhu! Or Hadar as D&D calls it. Concentration, 150 feet range, 20 foot radius void of darkness and tentacles. Nasty voices audible within an extra 30 feet. Within this 20 foot void, creatures are blinded, insufficiently magically powerful light cannot illuminate it or dispel the darkness. Also, is difficult terrain. Starting the turn in it causes 2d6 cold damage. Ending the turn inside forces a DEX save (on DC 15) or else 2d6 acid damage. Range wise it is the longest option available to Fjord, and also acts a way of terrain control. The damage is....alright, not stellar but the tune of 14 damage a turn sounds decent if lumbering or CC’ed foes are kept penned in the area. Probably more useful in isolating targets than actually killing them. 

Blink  A very well RP’ed spell by Travis. When I first read the spell, I almost dismissed it as non-combat viable. But then someone on reddit pointed out the defensive value of disappearing between your turns, with 10 feet of teleportation to boot. The need to roll 11 and above makes it a little unreliable, but if the dice are hot like Fjord’s on his first use in ep22, it can really take the heat off. Therefore, it should not be used in conjunction with Armor of Agathys, since that rewards being hit. 

I left out Wrathful Smite as listed on critrole stats since Fjord could only have gained a second level 3 spell at level 5 by exchanging one of his previously known spells. Also, we have never seen Fjord use it, nor should he since it isn’t particularly effective. I may have to speculate on which spell he will trade off in his next level up, but I’ll leave it till then. 

Also, all the spells bar Blink and Armor of Agathys requires Fjord to maintain concentration. Which his War Caster feat greatly helps with, giving him advantage to CON saves to maintain it. With a CON mod of +2, he has held on in many crucial situations. The final part of the War Caster feat allows Fjord to cast a single hostile target spell in place of an opportunity of attack, enabling Booming Blade, Witch Bolt or Crown of Madness to be used as a reaction. 

If you think that’s all for Fjord, nope! His subclass grants him yet another feature. Hexblade’s Curse is a bonus action, 30 feet. 1 min duration. Not concentration, but ends if target dies or Fjord dies/incapacitated. This gives the bonus of proficiency (+3) in damage rolls against the target. Crits are 19s and 20s instead of just 20s (Fjord’s crits are also nastier than most). If the target dies, Fjord heals 9 HP. Once per short/long rest, so basically a specific extra spell slot that he can be relatively liberal in using. 

Finally, it should be mentioned that Fjord is a contender for the tank-iest of the Nein with 51 HP, AC 17 with a shield due to his cloak of protection. Armor of Agathys brings him up to an impressive 66 HP at level 5, while Hexblade’s Curse if activated by the death of an enemy turns them into a helpful health potion (9 HP of healing). (thanks to ehdubyah for reminding me HBC can’t be transferred on death, unlike Hex)

Mechanically, Fjord is a very well rounded character. Comfortable both at range and in the thick of it, he has the sustainability and versatility to engage with the many possible situations the Nein will run into during their adventures. This possibly leads to Fjord being a natural leader, as some have suggested, due to his adaptability and ability to do something in any given situation. Although, his WIS mod is -1, which makes him as wise as Yasha is charming (awkward aasimar that we all love). Also, I have to constantly remind myself he is STR 11, instead of Travis Willingham STR 20++.

Love yall, and we are on the Internet today cos Talks Machina with Matt and Sam! Interestingly July 3 and 5 they’d be off; with 4th of July they’ll be able to take a well deserved holiday. And if I’m not mistaken isn’t Laura and Travis’ baby coming in the first week of July? What a strange coincidence of timings. Still, super hyped for their new studio.