#also without getting into it the installation of a safety measure after losing his brother is so fucking sad

[omnipresent-menace]

Working on my fic and just noticed while looking at a scene from the Tale of Two Stans episode that Ford didn't install the 3 key mechanism that Soos, Dipper, and Mabel activate in Not What He Seems. Ford only had the big lever. STAN installed the keys. So that begs the question, who did he think would be there to help him start the portal? He'd been mostly alone up to the point before Dipper and Mabel.

So there's a few likely options.

1. He installed the mechanism after meeting Dipper and Mabel. He planned to explain and have them help at the end with the last step, but then the CIA shows up and throws his plans off balance (could be likely, but he only planned to explain right before being arrested. If that was always the plan it wouldn't have felt so impulsive narratively)

2. The mechanism was meant for Soos. Soos had been close to him since he was 11 years old, basically a pseudo father figure. The mechanism only TECHNICALLY requires 2 people since one person can use 2 hands. So I think that Stan mightve told soos if the kids hadn't shown up. (Seems like the more likely candidate)

3. Stan has a 3rd arm we've never seen.

[meetmy2dboyfriends]

Despite Myself (Seven x MC)

Below is a re-imagining of the the day (day 6 or 7?, I believe) that Seven comes to the apartment to work on the Special Security System during his route.

Contains Spoilers for Seven’s route. 

We’ve always wondered what Seven was thinking when he was at the apartment working on the Special Security System. What went through his mind when he was pushing us away? Were his feelings true, or was he working against himself?   

-----

“How could you do this to me? 

I trusted you, Seven.

Why would you purposely put me in danger?” 

Seven’s eyes flashed open. He had once again had another bad dream; normally, he was plagued by memories and scenarios from his past. His dreams were the only place he could still see his twin brother Saeran, but as he grew older, his few memories became more twisted and upsetting. He hadn’t seen Saeran since they were both children, but lately, he had been thinking more and more of what his brother was like now and how his life had been. Was he happy? Did he still think of Seven? Did he still look up at the sky with the same wonder in his eyes like when they were kids? 

Seven closed his eyes and brought his hands to his face, placing both palms over his eyes in frustration. This morning’s dream, however, had been different. He had dreamt of her, of MC. 

It had only been six days since MC had mysteriously wandered into Rika’s apartment and onto the RFA server. How the hacker who had sent her there in the first place had been able to bypass his security measures was still beyond Seven, but regardless, the RFA found themselves in the midst of a new member. Since that day, he had been using the security cameras around Rika’s apartment to monitor MC’s comings and goings. She was beautiful; her long brown hair perfectly framed her face. Her eyes were piercing. Sometimes she would unknowingly look at the camera, and when she did, his heart would stop beating for the briefest moment. When she smiled, he imagined what it would be like to be enveloped by her warmth, by her kindness. 

He had only seen video images of MC and pictures of her that he had found on social media, and yet, he knew he felt something for her, more than he had felt for anyone in such a long time. Those feelings alone were dangerous in more ways than one. 

Unbeknownst to MC and most of the RFA members, there were secrets concerning both the organization and Rika’s apartment. Rika was the founder of the Rika’s Fundraising Association (RFA), an organization made to hold charity fundraising parties. While she was a wholesome and kind person; she was also very particular and protective of the private and valuable knowledge of the guests that attended these parties. In her efforts to protect this valuable information from hackers, Rika had requested for Seven to install a bomb at her apartment. While Seven was no stranger to risky situations and danger, he was reluctant to acquiesce such a request, even from Rika. Nevertheless, she managed to convince him and promised him that she would not return to the apartment in order to keep the records safe and to avoid creating a situation where she might be harmed by the bomb. 

But now, MC was living in Rika’s apartment. She was living in the most dangerous situation possible and had absolutely no idea. 

  The thought of something happening to her and it being his fault was almost unbearable. This dread, this frustration, this ball of anxiety had been the cause of his nightmare. Not only did Seven fear losing MC through something disastrous, but also an even larger fear loomed on his heart. What will she do when she finds out that he’s been hiding this secret? What will she do when she figures out that this isn’t the only secret he’s been hiding? It was odd that after only six days, MC had enough of a hold on him for him to fear what it would be like without her, for her to reject him.  

He finally moved his hands from his eyes and rolled onto his side with a huff. It was hard not to feel frustrated and overwhelmed with his nightmare still so fresh on his mind. It was hard to do anything at all these days with the threat that something might happen to MC. As of late, she had been on his mind more often than not, and it was starting to cause him to lose focus when working.  

 Ping.

Seven shot up. That was the sound of the messenger going off. Seemed like everyone was finally waking up and jumping into the chatroom. Before he knew it, he was out of bed and sitting in his computer chair. His computer booted up to show the usual data code for the chatroom, and finally the chat layout popped up. He scanned the app, seeing the notification that MC and Yoosung were in the chat. Inadvertently, he smiled and joined the chat. 

Minutes later, Yoosung left the chat, claiming he was late to class - something that occurred more often than not with the young college student. 

MC: “How’s your day going, Seven?”

707: “Well, I actually just woke up from one of my power naps. 

Can’t keep GOD707 down for long! ^^ 

I have to maintain my status as the Defender of Justice!   

MC: “Haha, GOD707 to the rescue!”

707: “Did you have breakfast yet?”

MC: “Yes, I did! I made myself an omelette. How about you?”

707: “No, I haven’t. 

I’ll probably have some Honey Buddha Chips and some PhD Pepper.

Fuel for all the mind and soul!”

MC: “Lol, Seven. I don’t think Honey Buddha Chips and PhD Pepper are good for you all the time.  

I wish you would take care of yourself too. You can’t defend justice on an empty Stomach! Plus... I worry about you.”

Seven froze for a moment; his heart skipping a beat. She was worried about him? His eyes drifted to the second computer monitor, farther away on his desk. He pressed the ‘On’ button and the screen flashed to life. On it, he saw MC sitting on the couch inside Rika’s apartment, staring at her phone. Staring at her phone. Oh crap.. She was waiting for his reply.  

707: “Worry not, MC! GOD707 can handle anything that is thrown at him!

I will always come to you as your knight in shining armor. ^^”

MC: “Oh Seven! My Hero!”

707: “For more cutesy phrases that will make your heart beat faster, please subscribe to our messaging service. For only $9.99 per month, you too can receive daily cutesy phrases. Just reply “Yes Please”, and you will be automatically subscribed”   

MC: “Yes Please!”

707: “Thanks for your subscription! We will begin billing our monthly fee in 3... 2...”

Ping.

His eyes searched the screen for the notification. Something was happening with the messenger. It looked like the hacker was making a move once again. 

MC: “Seven?” 707: “I’m sorry, MC. Something just came up. I’ll be back later.” 

He clicked out of the chatroom and returned to the main screen, searching for traces of the hacker and attempting to undo what was being done. 

--- 

Seven had been working for several hours when finally the hacker’s trace seemed to disappear. He sighed with relief and leaned back in his chair, raising his arms to stretch them. He stood from his chair and looked around the room. “What a mess...” He thought to himself, making a mental note to ask Vanderwood, his ‘maid’, to help him clean up later. Heading toward the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of PhD Pepper. He walked over to the nearest cabinet and took out a bag of Honey Buddha Chips. 

Breakfast of champions. He thought with a sigh. It was hard to worry about eating healthy with so much on his mind. He still had no leads on the hacker. He hadn’t been able to find any traces of the hacker. He could only see when something had been messed with in the chatroom but not who had done so nor when the coding had been modified. He let out a frustrated sigh and plopped down in his computer chair. Swiveling in his chair, he faced the largest monitor with all intentions of continuing to track down the hacker. His eyes drifted to his second monitor. MC was once again sitting on the couch, watching television. He leaned forward in his chair, crossing his arms and propping his head up to watch the screen intently. 

Were feelings like this normal? 

The front door opened. Seven jumped up as he heard footsteps approaching his desk.

“Ah, Madam Vanderwood. I see you’ve dropped by to check on me.” He said with a smirk.

“I told you not to call me that. Now, how’s the work coming along? You know how impatient the boss can be.” The man huffed. He crossed his arms with impatience and leaned back on one foot.

“Yeah, yeah. I told you I was working on it.” Seven said calmly, turning his chair back to the monitor. 

In truth, he hadn’t been making much, if any, progress with his assignment from the agency. MC and the growing anxiety that came with worrying for her safety had been consuming most of his thoughts. Vanderwood tapped his foot in annoyance. 

“Well, you know the deadline is coming up. It’s tomorrow, and we need to be sure this gets done on time. You know what happened to the last agents that were late turning in their work.” Vanderwood stated, then turned on one foot to head towards the kitchen. 

“Madam Vanderwood, if you wouldn’t mind. I would appreciate it if you would help me clean up a little.” Seven said, facing toward the monitor. He could hear Vanderwood scoff from the kitchen. 

“I don’t know why I put up with you!” Vanderwood shouted from across the house. 

Seven grinned and set his focus on continuing his assigned hacking work for the agency. The agency was all Seven had known for so long, and he knew the danger that came with each assignment. Though he volunteered his time providing security for RFA’s online servers and in helping to plan parties, his main source of income came from his career as a hacker. It was hard for him to imagine having any other life at this point; he had given up so much to get where he was. He had always been careful and meticulous about keeping people at arms-length and making sure he had no personal connections. From the outside, it looked like he had wonderful and caring friends in the RFA members, but Seven knew that all of his connections could be and should be able to be easily severed. It was safer for the members if they didn’t know much, if anything, about him and if they thought he was much like the persona he showed them - happy go-lucky 707. In reality though 707’s personality and quirkiness were a part of him, they were a very small portion of who he truly was. Growing up he was Saeyoung. Then he was born again as Luciel. Today, he was Seven. Who would he be tomorrow? This question always hung heavily over his head, and the imminent danger anyone who entered his vicinity took on left him distant and cold in real life interactions. So why, he wondered, was he so drawn to MC. What was so different about her that he would even consider putting her and himself in danger? His eyes drifted to the CCTV footage of the apartment; MC had fallen asleep on the couch. She was so still. He almost imagined he could hear her quiet breathing. He closed his eyes for a moment, pretending he was in the same room with her, that he could take her into his arms and they could fall asleep together. 

          Error. Error. Error.

His eyes flicked to the RFA’s chat screen. The chatroom screen changed. And an unknown user appeared. 

Unknown: “I hope you’re ready for me to make my grand entrance, MC.”

Seven’s breath caught in his throat. 

Unknown: “I’ll see you soon. ^^”  

Quickly, he began typing on his keyboard, attempting to backtrace the hacker’s connection. No sooner had he started than Unknown left the chatroom. Seven’s heart began to race. What did he mean by that? He would see her soon? On the screen, the coding began to change at a rapid pace.

“No wait. What’s happening? How is he doing this? He’s- He’s trying to hack the special security system.” Seven whispered to himself, watching the hacker’s actions closely. Normally he took solace in the fact that he was one of the best hackers in his agency. His work was constantly requested due to his expertise, so he knew how valuable his skills were and felt a small sense of pride when he thought about it. But this. This hacker was something else. He was fierce and unyielding when it came to what he wanted. 

Special Security System Offline. His computer announced with a note of finality 

“What? What?!”  Seven whispered to himself, searching the screen. How could he have known the hacker would go after the security system? To activate it, Seven had sat in Rika’s apartment for days creating a code that was nearly impenetrable. Any yet, the hacker was able to disable it in minutes from a remote location.  

“Oh-,” Seven’s voice caught in his throat; he tried to swallow but the lump of realization in his throat wouldn’t go away. The bomb in Rika’s apartment was set to go off if anyone other than an RFA member entered the room, which both endangered and simultaneously kept MC safe. But if this Unknown was planning to break into the apartment... MC was in danger and had no form of protection. And even worse, she was asleep at the moment with no inkling that danger was looming ahead. 

Seven worked to erase Unknown’s messages from the chatroom. He didn’t want MC to find out about Unknown’s threat or about the bomb. He could protect her. No, he would protect her. He just needed to drive over to Rika’s apartment and turn the Special Security System back on. He would fortify the system after he knew the initial danger was gone. Seven jumped out of his chair, and ran to his bedroom, quickly changing into his favorite outfit: jeans, a red tank top, and his favorite black and yellow jacket.

Picking up his phone, he dialed in MC’s number. He would let her know that he was coming there to work on the security system but nothing else; he couldn’t afford to let her know something was up. The phone rang, but MC didn’t pick up. He left her a voicemail to let her know that he would be at the apartment soon. 

“Vanderwood!” He shouted as he began packing a bag. He knew he needed his laptop but what else? 

“What?” Vanderwood’s annoyed reply came from the other room. 

“I’m heading out. I’ll be back.” He grabbed connection cables, his data scrambler. What else? He searched under a nearby pile of clothes. There was one last thing he needed. Keyboard? Mouse? No, he had already grabbed that.. Oh wait, there it was. He crouched down and picked up his crucifix. Putting the necklace on, he grabbed his bag and began to head toward the door. 

“Wait, where are you even going? You can’t just leave. We have to finish that work for the boss.” Vanderwood popped his head around the corner.

“I know; I just have to go take care of one thing for the RFA. I’ll be back before the boss notices I’m gone.” He said with a grin, trying to play off the severity of the situation. 

“You and I both know that you won’t. Seven, you don’t want to force my hand on this. You know I’ve already been covering for you up until now; I won’t keep making excuses for you, and I won’t put my life in danger for some charity organization.” Vanderwood rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Seven turned toward the door. He knew the position he was putting Vanderwood in, and he knew the situation he was creating for himself. However, he knew that no one could deal with the bomb at Rika’s apartment except him, and realistically, the hacking job would take five or six hours to complete once he sat down and could actually concentrate. 

“Vanderwood, I already told you-”

“Seven, I’m serious. If you go, I will report this.”

“Then, do what you have to, Vanderwood. I have to do this; I’m the only one who can.” He said quietly. With that, Seven adjusted the bag on his shoulder and walked out the front door. He stopped for a moment to let out the breath he had been holding in. Now he just needed to make it to Rika’s apartment and deal with the security system. Then, he could stop worrying about the bomb, and maybe he could finally get MC off his mind long enough to work. 

--- 

Seven pulled up in front of Rika’s apartment. After parking the car, he paused to rest his head on the steering wheel. This really wasn’t the time to be dawdling, but he was nervous. This would be the first time seeing MC in person. In his heart, he knew what he wished would happen. He wanted to be the one who would make her smile, who would be there to cook her breakfast in the morning when she woke up, who would comfort her when she was having a hard day. But. He knew these were unrealistic dreams; falling in love and living in domestic bliss were not part of the equation when it came to his life. He knew what he had signed up for when joining the agency. He could have no familial ties. He could never have close friends. He could never fall in love. Everyone he made ties with ran the risk of becoming a casualty. He knew all of this, and yet, here he was contemplating risking it all. 

No. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Sitting up, he resolved to do what he knew he had to do.  He would avoid MC; he would keep his conversations with her to a minimum. He could play everything he said to her in chat rooms and phone calls up until now as being part of a flirty but unserious nature. He wouldn’t acknowledge his feelings; he would even push her away if he had to. Grunting, Seven held onto his head. This was all speculation; maybe he was freaking out over nothing. Maybe MC didn’t even have feelings for him. Maybe she was flirty and unserious about having a connection with him. 

“No, I have to stop.” He thought to himself. There was no use in all this. Feelings didn’t and wouldn’t matter. 

With that final thought, he got out of the car and began to head upstairs. He stopped in front of the apartment door, his hand raised but hesitating to knock. The door swung open to reveal MC’s face. Surprise registered on her face before turning into a smile. 

“Seven! Come in.” She said warmly. He studied her face for a moment. She was even more breathtaking in person. 

“MC. Uh, thanks.” He said quietly, shifting his eyes to the floor. He moved into the apartment; everything was the same as it had been when Rika was living here. It gave him an eerie feeling to be back here. Moving toward the living room, he set his bag on the table and began pulling out his equipment. Rika’s living room consisted of two couches facing each other with a small table in the middle. He could still recall sitting and talking with Rika in this exact spot less than a year ago. He watched as MC sat on the couch across from him. He busied himself by turning his attention to his computer. 

“I got your voicemail. I didn’t think you would get here so quickly; I was actually getting ready to run to the convenience store. I don’t really have much here for guests to eat.” MC said as she followed behind him. Her voice was soft and comforting and made Seven long to hear her speak more. He watched as MC sat across from him on the opposite couch.

“I won’t be here long. I just need to make some adjustments to the security system.” He said, angling his body away from hers. 

“Oh, how long do you think it will take? I was thinking maybe I could make some lunch, and we could eat together.” He didn’t need to look at her to know she was smiling; he could hear the thoughtfulness in her voice. 

“No. I can’t. I have other things to do once I’m done.” He said shortly. The more she talked to him, the more his resolve wavered. He needed to keep things short and concise and maybe she would quit trying to initiate conversation. 

“Oh, okay-”

“MC, I need to focus. I need to be alone.” He bit his lip, making sure to avert his gaze. He picked up his headphones from the table and placed them around his neck. He hated this already. His heart caught in his throat as he watched her stand up to leave. 

“Um, okay. Yeah, sorry. I know you need to concentrate, so I’ll go read in the other room.” MC’s voice was quiet as she walked out of the room. 

Seven felt like curling into a ball; this was already emotionally taxing, and he had only been here for all of ten minutes. Despite the gnawing feeling in his gut; he took solace in the idea that he could protect her now that he was here. He no longer needed to watch her through the CCTV. If Unknown was going to show up, Seven would be here to stop him.He slid his headphones on, turned on his favorite playlist, and began working on the coding for the apartment. 

--- 

After about three hours, Seven heard the front door close. He jumped up, nearly knocking his computer off the table. Had she left? Where had she gone? What if that wasn’t her?

“MC?” He called out. The apartment was quiet. He searched for his phone frantically, and dialed her number. 

“Seven?” She answered the phone quizzically. 

“Where are you? Did you leave the apartment?”

“Yeah, you looked entranced by your work, so I didn’t want to bother you. I’m on the way to the story... I wanted to cook lunch, and I figured maybe if I made something to eat, you might be hungry too.” 

“MC, come back to the apartment. It’s not safe for you outside right now.” 

“Not safe?” 

“Yes, not safe. We still don’t know what the hacker wants with you-” 

“Seven.” She laughed. “I’ll be fine. I’ve left the apartment plenty of times. I’ll be back soon.” 

“MC.... Okay, please call me if anything happens. Please.” He said reluctantly. He didn’t want to acquiesce; she didn’t know how much danger she was actually in. It made him extremely anxious to think she was out in public by herself right now. 

“I will. I’ll be home soon.” She said happily before hanging up. Seven stared at his phone. He needed to work faster; once the security system was up, he would feel better about her being her alone; he could go back to watching her from a distance. And maybe he could finally get her off of his mind. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his computer; his fingers hovered over the keys, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to actually focus on his work until she came back. He leaned back on the couch, pressing his hands to his face in frustration. Sitting up, he grabbed his phone and logged into the RFA chatroom. If he couldn’t focus, maybe he could distract himself. 

After about thirty minutes, Seven heard the door to the apartment open and saw MC walk in with three bags in her hands. He resisted the urge to offer assistance, knowing now was the time to get back to work.

“I’m back!” She announced. Seven breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his computer. 

“Welcome back.” He said, pulling his headphones on to give the appearance that he was occupied and uninterested. He did not turn any music on; instead he chose to listen to the sounds of MC in the kitchen. These small moments, he decided, would have to be enough. Turning his attention back to the matter at hand, Seven began working again to restore the apartment’s coding. 

Once he was able to concentrate, the work began to flow, it was easy to zone out and lose track of time. Before he knew it, MC was beside him with a bowl in hand. She leaned over in front of him to place the bowl beside his computer. He was briefly taken aback. MC was so close to him. She was so close that he could reach out and touch her with ease. He could take her hand and enjoy lunch with her; it would be so easy. 

“No. No. No.” He stopped himself. These were dangerous thoughts. She turned to look at him and smiled. He saw her mouth something but was too absorbed in fantasy to register what she had said. Snapping back to reality, he realized that inviting conversation would only lead to trouble. He pointed to his headphones and said,

“Sorry, couldn’t hear you. Thank you for the food, but I need to work now.” 

He watched MC’s face drop slightly as she smiled again and turned to walk away. Once she was out of earshot, he felt himself breathe out heavily; he hadn’t realized that he had been holding his breath. He looked at the bowl of pasta that she had been kind enough to bring him. He wished he had an appetite, but the current situation left him with a deep pit in his stomach. He needed to focus; he just needed to focus. If he could finish by nightfall, she would be safe, and he could go. Turning his attention back to the system once more, he resolved to work faster. 

When Seven looked up again, the sky outside had darkened. He heard footsteps behind him; MC was moving around the house, perhaps looking for something. Over the course of the day, Seven had spread out his things around the living room and the dining room table behind the couch. Notebooks and devices were scattered around, a result of him trying to remember how he had set up the security system in the first place and trying to figure out how to improve it. Behind him, MC had gone quiet. What was she doing? Was she looking through his things? He turned to glance behind him. MC had taken a seat at the dining room table and was looking through one of the books he had brought with him. His heart sank in his chest; it was the storybook he had brought with him, the one that held the floppy disk with the only photos Seven still had of Saeran. He removed his headphones and rose from his seat. He quietly walked up behind MC, and leaning over her, grabbed the book and floppy disk from her hands. 

“Do you enjoy going through other people’s things? This isn’t yours.” He said curtly; his emotions were already running high today. Why had he even brought this book with him? He could’ve left it at home, sure. But what if someone broke in and found it. This one singular floppy disk was the only thing in the world that proved he had attachments. Of course, it put Saeran’s life at risk to hold onto it, but Seven had already given up so much in his life; he wasn’t willing to give up this last attachment to his brother. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just curious about what you were doing-” She stuttered out, but he interrupted her.

“You were curious about what I was doing? I told you what I was doing, and I told you to leave me alone.”  He watched as MC turned toward him with a hurt look. 

“I... I know that. I just - I don’t understand, Seven. You’re different from how you were in the chat rooms. I guess I thought... I don’t know - that maybe you liked me.” 

MC’s voice was quiet as she met his eyes. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and confusion. He was sure his expression mimicked hers. Why was she doing this now? Why couldn’t she just leave him alone like he had requested. 

“That I liked you? Why would you think that? Because I talked and joked with you? Did it even occur to you that I was just being friendly because you were a new member of the RFA?” 

He watched her eyes as she desperately searched his face for answers, pleading for what he was saying to be different from what he felt. Her gaze weighed on him heavily. He averted his gaze, knowing he couldn’t keep meeting her eyeline if he wanted to maintain his composure. MC’s face scrunched in confusion, and looking up at her, Seven saw tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill over. His heart wrenched at the thought of making her cry. He wanted to be the one who held her when she cried, but instead here he was purposely hurting her with the intent of saving her. It was an ironic concept when he really thought about it. He would hurt her to save her. It seemed so laughable to think of the juxtaposition of how he felt and how he had to act. He turned from her, getting ready to return to the couch and put the final touches on the restoration of the security system. 

“Seven, I don’t understand. I don’t believe you; I don’t know what this is or why you’re pushing me away, but I know that you must feel something for me too.” Her voice was hoarse as she spoke.

“I’m not feeling anything. I can’t afford to feel anything. I’m a dangerous guy, MC. Anyone who gets close to me is in danger.” His voice was deep and angry; his hands were clenched by his side. 

“But Seven-” She stood from where she was sitting. Taking a step, she grabbed his right hand. Seven turned to look at her. 

“MC, just leave me alone.” He said shortly, shaking her hand away. He wanted to scream; he wanted to thrash around in frustration. He wanted to run away from everything he had ever known; he wanted to throw away everything for MC, and yet, here he was pushing her away, lying to her. But instead, he forced himself to turn and moved to take a seat on the couch. He slid his headphones back on and unpaused his playlist.  

“Finish the task. Finish the task. Finish the task.” He thought to himself; he couldn’t afford to focus on MC’s feelings or his own. Her safety came first, and maybe she would heed his warning and leave him alone. He didn’t deserve her feelings anyway. Maybe now she would realize that. 

About thirty minutes later, Seven had finished getting the security system back online. He removed his headphones just in time to hear the system chime:

Special Security System Online.

He stretched his arms above his head, looking at his computer to see the time. It was 11:30 P.M. Where had the day gone? He listened intently to hear if MC might still be awake. But then again, he thought to himself, what did it matter if she was awake. He had been so mean to her earlier; he couldn’t imagine her wanting to speak with him again. No, he would go ahead and pack his things and leave without a word. Gathering the books from the dining room table, he moved to begin packing his bag. 

He heard movement in the kitchen and assumed MC was still awake. He thought about going in to see her, maybe to apologize. No, that wasn’t wise. He needed to maintain his boundaries with her. Then, he heard a glass break in the kitchen. A glass? No, that was the sound of a lot of glass breaking. An alarm began to sound in the apartment. 

Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert. Identifying Intruders, Non-RFA Member. Bomb Sequence Will Begin in 5 Minutes.   

Seven dropped everything and ran toward the kitchen. MC was backed against the wall, her eyes wide in fear. In front of her, he saw a man. The man was standing amongst the broken glass from the window. Seven noted the bleached color of the man’s hair and his piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in black, an intricate tattoo was visible where his jacket fell off his shoulder. How could he have come in here? They were a couple of floors off the ground. Breaking through the window shouldn’t have been possible. 

“Are you the hacker?” Seven asked the man. 

“Am I the hacker?” The man asked in a mocking voice and then laughed. 

“Who are you really? What do you want with MC?” Seven asked more insistently, taking a step forward to position himself between MC and the hacker. At the moment, he was too far to be able to protect her if the hacker acted in an aggressive manner.  

“Now MC, you’ll be coming with me.” The hacker, ignoring his question, stepped toward MC brandishing a knife.

“No, I’m not going anywhere with you. Seven, help me!” She said, stepping back and bumping into the wall behind her. She shot a fearful look toward Seven. He took another slow step, attempting to move without alerting the hacker.

“Not another step, Saeyoung.” The hacker said threateningly. Seven’s eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. How could he know that name? Who could he be to know that name? Seven’s eyes searched the hacker’s face, noting the odd familiarity. 

“Seven, do you know him?” MC asked him, but he was frozen. Seven’s eyes were glued to the hacker’s face. He looked familiar, eerily familiar. Could it be? No, of course it couldn’t. Rika had promised that Saeran was safe and living a happy life; she had sent him pictures. There was no way...

“Saeran?” The name fell from his lips before he could think twice. The hacker whirled around toward him. 

“Don’t call me that! You don’t deserve to call me that!” Saeran screamed at Seven.

“Oh my God..” Seven’s voice trailed off. How was this happening? How was his brother here? Why was his brother here? His head began spinning.

“Seven!” MC managed to cry out as Saeran grabbed her, placing one arm around her waist and a knife at her throat. 

“No wait, please, don’t hurt her. Please.” His mouth was dry. MC was in danger, and his brother was here and was the one responsible for attacking the RFA. What did it mean? His thoughts were interrupted by the security system’s alarm:

Scanning for Intruders. Identifying Intruders, Non-RFA Member. Bomb Sequence Will Begin in 1 Minute.   

Seven could see the fear in MC’s eyes. He had to do something. The bomb wasn’t going to scare Saeran away was it. He watched as his brother began to slowly back towards the window with MC in tow. 

“Seven! I love you!” MC shouted; it seemed like a final desperate plea. Did she think that he wouldn’t be able to save her and wanted to die with him knowing her true feelings? His head spun. God, MC, now wasn’t the time to profess your love. Not when he had been desperately trying to push her feelings away all day. For the briefest moment, he thought to himself that he loved her too. But he knew now wasn’t the time or place to sort through these mixed emotions. He had to stay in the moment; any hesitation could result in losing MC forever. 

“I know.” He replied quietly. Saeran continued to edge toward the window, his eyes darting wildly around the apartment. It appeared that things weren’t exactly going to plan for Saeran. He had probably planned to attack MC while the security system was disabled, so he wouldn’t have to worry about the bomb going off. 

“Shit.” Saeran mumbled under his breath. Seven watched as his brother weighed the options. With the timer ticking quickly, did he still take the chance to kidnap MC, knowing there was a possibility that he would die in the process? Did he make his escape with the intention of coming after MC at a different point in time? 

“Saeran, listen. You don’t have time to escape with MC. Just let her go. There is less than a minute before the bomb goes off; if you’re still in the apartment when the time is up, we’re all going to die.” Seven said calmly, maintaining eye contact with Saeran. 

Frustrated, Saeran grunted and threw MC forward. He moved toward the window and looking over his shoulder said, 

“This isn’t over, Saeyoung. I will be back.”

With that ominous threat left hanging in the air, Saeran disappeared out the window. MC stumbled forward, and he caught her in his arms.

Scanning for Intruders. Scanning for Intruders. No Intruders Identified. Bomb Sequence Deactivated.   

Seven sighed in relief. His legs felt weak, like he could just collapse from exhaustion right then and there. He brought MC down to the floor with him. His hands cupped her face. His eyes searched hers, looking for an answer. 

“Are you alright?” He asked urgently. 

“I’m alright. Seven, are you okay?” She asked him. A wave of relief washed over him, and despite himself, he hugged her. She was so close to him now; he breathed in her scent, a mixture of what he could only describe as sunshine and citrus. He closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying the warmth of her embrace and the relief that came with knowing she was safe in his arms. She returned the embrace, burying her face into his shoulder, and the two of them sat like that for a few minutes. Seven pulled away first, knowing that there was more that needed to be dealt with; no matter how much he might want to, he couldn’t hide in her arms forever. Moreover, he knew she deserved an explanation. For so long, he had held onto so many secrets, and now with Saeran added into the mix, he felt like he was going to collapse from all the weight on his shoulders. 

“Seven...” MC met his eyeline. He resisted the urge to look away. He knew he couldn’t keep the facade up much longer. 

“MC, look, I-” 

“Seven, I-” 

They both began speaking simultaneously, which brought a bit of laughter from the two. Seven gestured for MC to go first, and she was quiet for a moment. She looked at the floor for a moment then back at him, steeling herself. 

“Seven, I meant what I said back there. I do love you.” 

“MC, I don’t know that I can return your feelings. I told you; I’m a dangerous guy. I work in a field where I have made and continue to make many enemies. Being with me is a massive risk. I can’t put you in harm’s way just because of the way I feel.” His voice trailed off. He looked away from her again; he wouldn’t put her at risk. He couldn’t. 

“I can take care of myself, Seven. I know that there are risks that come with being with you, but I know that what I feel for you is worth any risk.” MC’s voice was soft, but he could hear the sincerity in her words. 

“I- I don’t know that I deserve such feelings. My life has been a mess thus far, and I have done some terrible things. I’m not worth your time or your love.” His head hung low; MC reached out and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers. 

“I know for a fact that you are worth my time and my love. I trust you to keep me safe, and I know-” 

“MC..” He cut her off; he released her hand and brought both of his up to cup her face. His thumb caressed her cheek, and after a moment, his lips met hers. Her lips were soft against his. He pulled away to make eye contact with her. 

“I love you too.” He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers for a moment, a smile playing on his lips. 

“I’m sorry about my behavior; I-” 

“Thank you for apologizing, but I know that you did what you felt like you had to.” MC cut him off mid-apology. 

He was taken aback slightly. How could he have gotten so lucky to have met someone who understood his intentions, who was willing to look past the dark spots in his life? He felt both awkward and grateful; this feeling of putting trust in and of giving an intimate part of yourself to someone else left him with an uneasy feeling. But he knew this was what he wanted. Consequences be damned. He would deal with the fallout of everything tomorrow. Standing up, he offered MC his hand to help her up. Once she was on her feet, she wrapped her arms around his neck and caught him in a kiss. Seven turned, so that MC was between him and the wall. This time, he wasn’t willing to pull away so easily. Pushing her against the wall, his lips met hers with a hunger that was unfamiliar to him. He wanted more of her. He had spent so long telling himself that he couldn’t have her, that he wasn’t worthy of love. But in this moment, those feelings didn’t matter. He loved her. He loved her dearly. He broke from her lips to trail kisses slowly down her neck.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” He said as he moved between spots. Her soft moans made him smile. She buried her head in his shoulder and giggled. 

“What?” He asked coyly.

“Nothing, I’m just so happy. I’m happy that I can be with you like this.” She said, looking up to meet his eyes. She smiled at him, and he returned her smile.  

“I’m happy too, but you know what would make me even happier?” He asked with a demure smile on his face. 

“What?” He watched her eyes, watched how her eyebrows furrowed when she asked a question. He watched her expression change from moment to moment. Her smiles were cute. Her voice was comforting. She was so beautiful to him. He loved everything about her, and he knew he wanted to remember this moment with her. He would imprint this memory in his mind, so he would have something to look back on if things were different tomorrow. 

“This.” He said as he picked her up; MC laughed and wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He laid her softly on the bed and crawled over to lay next to her. She snuggled up to him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. For a few minutes, he quietly listened to her breathing next to him; when her breathing dropped off and became slower, he knew she had fallen asleep. His mind still raced with all the prospects of the day. His brother was working as a hacker against the RFA. How had that happened? Wasn’t V supposed to be watching over him? Why hadn’t V said anything to him about his brother’s actions? And then there was the agency. He was now a fugitive from the only job he’d ever known. While he and MC were safe here for now; it wouldn’t take long before the agency found the apartment. Vanderwood was a cruel mistress and wouldn’t show him any mercy. He knew he still had a lot he needed to fill MC in on too, but all of this could wait until tomorrow. Though this really wasn’t the time to be engaging in downtime, he wasn’t going to let this moment go to waste. He pulled MC closer, and she responsively mumbled his name in her sleep. He closed his eyes and focused on her breathing until it eventually lulled him to sleep too.

[battlemaiden13]

What if the ut uf sf Bros s/o was kidnapped? And there was a ransom demanded

PapyrusWhy would they do this to his datemate! He is having a full on panic attack he has no idea how to respond to this or what to do or why humans would do this. He asks his brother for help since he doesn’t know what to do he’s been in tears ever since the ransom note was found and he is just so torn up inside. Sans will know what to do though sans always does. They get some other monsters to help out like Undyne and Alphys and get the cash for the Ransom. Of course after your safe in Papyrus arms the culprits are arrested and taken in thanks to Undyne and a little bit to Sans he was the one who prevented them from running, he just hates seeing his bro so torn up. Sans He would put on this calm facade. His smile would look as casual as ever as he arrived at the wear house with the duffel bag full of the money your kidnappers requested. Of course you can tell that his oh so casual smile is strained and doesn’t quite meet his eye sockets which appear cold and dead. He talks calmly to you as if nothing is wrong but as soon as the gun they had pointed at you is lowered you feel a tightness in your chest before being flung back your head connecting with something hard causing you to black out. When you come to Sans is holding you. The wherehouse is in ruins and crawling with police, you recognize a few of the monsters in the force. When you look up at Sans his eyes are still cold and distant as the survey your surrounds, they spark to life however as the land on yours and notice that you are awake. He hugs you tighter and makes a promise to never let anything like that happen again. EdgeHis first instinct is to get mad. How dare these pathetic humans try to threaten him! Do they think his scared? Do they think he’s going to turn away from this obvious challange? Then they are sorely mistaken. Of course his concerned for your safety but being driven by his pride he probably does something stupid. Like turn up alone without the money and get into a stare down with your kidnappers. Edge would never do anything he thought would cause you injury though he does have a habit of over estimating his own abilities. RedOh he’s mad, like the ransom note burst into flames in his hands and he doesn’t even know magic. He’s worried about your current safety but being the anxious ball he is he’s more worried about your reaction when, yes when there is no other option, your back in his arms. His worried you won’t trust him anymore that you might even break up with him because he couldn’t protect you. Of course it’s not true but there’s just that nagging feeling at the back of his mind that your going to hate him after all this is over because of this fear and wanting to make sure you stay safe he becomes more clingy and even more protective when you are freed from your captors. BerryHe is visibly upset by this but he is at a bit of a loss of what to do. He doesn’t want to ask for help because he is terrible and malificent and doesn’t ask for help, however he is also not very subtle so Syrup picks up that something is wrong almost immediately. Berry pays the ransom straight up and brings you home. He would of loved to smash some skulls but would rather just get you home as soon as possible. Not that he ended up losing any money however as his brother went on a little hunt of his own. No one is going to mess with his brother. SyrupHe’s smart. Like really smart and if these morons didn’t think Syrup had a way to track down his kitten then they’re stupider than he originally thought. He has tracking devices in all of your clothes, on your bags, hats and jewelry as well as installed on any electronic devices you carry around. If you’ve been taken your not gone five minutes before he finds you. And any kidnapper with the nerve to try to steal his kitten are going to have to pay with their lives in the most brutal of fashions. Of course he’s going to have to put up some extra security measures to make sure nothing like this happens again.

[itsfinancethings]

Lori Alhadeff is haunted by the fact that she did not send her 14-year-old daughter to school with a bulletproof backpack. The mother of three had wanted to buy one but never got around to it. By Feb. 14, 2018, it was too late. Her first child, Alyssa, was fatally shot trying to hide under a classroom table at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “I wish to this day that I did give that protection to Alyssa. It could have saved her life,” Alhadeff says. “Obviously, I regret that.”

After the massacre, which killed 16 others, Alhadeff bought bulletproof backpacks for her two sons, who are now 14 and 12. “I have peace in my heart for my two boys, at least, that I’m doing everything in my power to protect them,” says Alhadeff, who won’t let her sons go to school without the backpacks.

With more than 69 people killed so far in mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019, thousands of Americans like Alhadeff are seeking security through an explosion of products marketed to those scared of being shot or of losing loved ones to gun violence. Backpacks that double as shields are sold by major department stores, including Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond. There are bulletproof hoodies for children as young as 6; protective whiteboards and windows; armored doors and anchors designed to keep shooters out of classrooms; and smart cameras powered by artificial intelligence that alert authorities to threats. In Fruitport, Mich., officials are building a $48 million high school specially designed to deter active shooters, with curved walls to reduce a shooter’s line of sight, bulletproof windows and a special locking system.

In 2017, U.S. schools spent at least $2.7 billion on security systems, and that’s on top of the money spent by individuals on things like bulletproof backpacks, the IHS Markit consulting firm reported. Five years ago, in 2014, the figure was about $768 million, IHS said. But school shootings haven’t decreased in frequency, and critics of the growing industry in bullet-resistant items say the only beneficiaries of these so-called security measures are the people making money off of them.

“These companies are capitalizing on parents’ fears,” says Shannon Watts, a mother of five who founded the gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action following the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre that killed 20 first-graders and six educators.

In September, as students were returning to school, Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention nonprofit led by family members of Sandy Hook victims, released a video that used biting satire to highlight the bulletproof industry and the country’s failure to prevent mass shootings. It shows cheerful children returning for classes and using their new clothes and back-to-school supplies to save themselves and others from a shooter. One boy shows off his new skateboard, then uses it to smash a window and escape; a girl demonstrates how her new socks can be used to tie a tourniquet; another uses her jacket to lock a set of double-doors. The message is clear: these shootings should be prevented before kids get to the point of using tube socks to save classmates from bleeding to death.

Survive the school year with these must-have #BackToSchool essentials. https://t.co/9KgxAQ0KGz This PSA contains graphic content related to school shootings & may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel this subject matter may be difficult for you, you may choose not to watch. pic.twitter.com/5ijYMtXRTy

— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019

But with efforts at gun control legislation stalled as the Senate refuses to take up a House-passed bill that would require background checks for private gun sales, even critics of the booming security industry concede it’s unlikely to slow down. “There’s not a parent in the country who isn’t worried that their child will be the next victim of gun violence,” Watts says.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 330 mass shootings—in which at least four people other than the shooter were injured or killed—so far this year in the United States. This summer alone, 31 people were killed in back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio and another 10 died in attacks in Gilroy, Calif. and Odessa, Texas. In the aftermath of each tragedy, companies saw striking growth in profits. “It’s a business fueled by fear,” says Sean Burke, president of the School Safety Advocacy Council, which works with school districts and police departments.

TuffyPacks, an online retailer selling ballistic shields that are inserted into backpacks, reported up to a 500% increase in sales after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton in early August, which coincided with back-to-school shopping season. “Every time shootings occur, we see spikes in sales,” says TuffyPacks CEO Steve Naremor, 63, of Houston, Texas, who insists his company’s $129 inserts are no different from other safety equipment, like fire extinguishers and bicycle helmets. Guard Dog Security, a competing company that sells bulletproof backpacks that weigh up to 4.5 pounds and can cost up to $299, couldn’t keep up with the orders. “They were selling out faster than we could get it back in stock,” says Yasir Sheikh, its 34-year-old CEO. Sheikh—who like Naremor declined to disclose revenue figures—launched his company in 2009 but didn’t see a huge demand until Sandy Hook.

The demand that follows mass shootings prompted Vy Tran, 25, to quit her job and use $100,000 in savings and retirement funds to start selling homemade bulletproof hoodies. Her company, Wonder Hoodie, began as a side business, which she launched after her next-door neighbor, a mother of two, was shot dead in their Seattle neighborhood during an attempted robbery in 2016.

Panicked after the killing, Tran says she searched online for body armor to protect her mother and younger brother, but the products she found were either too expensive or too heavy. So Tran, a health and safety consultant, decided to make them herself, using Kevlar that she ordered online. Tran was making an average of one or two hoodies a week until 58 people were killed at a Las Vegas music festival on Oct. 1, 2017 in the worst mass shooting in modern history. Sales spiked, and there were suddenly 10 to 15 requests pouring in every day.

Courtesy: Vy TranVy Tran in one of her bulletproof Wonder Hoodies

“I couldn’t keep up with the orders,” says Tran, who hired a team to help her. Wonder Hoodie has since fulfilled almost 1,000 orders for hoodies that cost up to $600 and weigh up to 9 pounds.

It’s not just young and new CEOs leaping into the growing field of gun safety products, and the merchandise isn’t all body armor. Chris Ciabarra and Lisa Falzone of Austin, Texas, launched Athena Security, a smart camera system, after they sold their first tech startup for $500 million in 2017. Athena’s software detects 900 different types of guns and can send an alert and video feed to law enforcement if it senses a threatening movement, like someone pointing a gun, according to Ciabarra. More than 40 schools, malls and businesses in the U.S. use Athena’s software, which charges $100 a month for each camera it monitors. Since schools and malls typically have 100 cameras building-wide, Athena could make more than $100,000 a year monitoring just one school. The weapons detection program has been installed in one of the two New Zealand mosques where a suspected white supremacist opened fire in March, killing 51 worshippers. After the massacre, New Zealand’s prime minister banned assault weapons. But that’s not likely to happen in the United States, says Ciabarra. Even presidential candidates during the fourth Democratic debate Tuesday night couldn’t seem to agree on how to manage assault weapons. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg clashed on the best way to get the weapons off the streets, whether by banning the sale of assault weapons or also instating mandatory buyback programs.

“We’re not going to change the law and forbid guns. It’s not going to happen,” Ciabarra says. “People will have weapons.”

Jason Connolly—AFP/Getty ImagesAA teacher takes part in an active shooter drill during a firearms course for teachers and administrators in Commerce City, Colorado on June 28, 2018.

When Mike Lahiff, a former Navy Seal, launched ZeroEyes, a competing gun-detection system based in Philadelphia, he and his team of fellow veterans saw it as a continued service to the country. Lahiff, a 38-year-old father of four, hopes the U.S. will find a way to reduce gun violence and put him out of business. “If the active shooter problem goes away, and that’s the end of the company, then great,” he says, “that’s a win for me.”

***

While mass tragedies spark surges in sales, most of the bulletproof products on the market today, including backpacks and hoodies, would not withstand the force of the assault-style weapons commonly used in high-casualty attacks. Killers used assault-style weapons in the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings, as well as in El Paso and Dayton. The products would, however, protect against most handguns—the weapon of choice in the majority of U.S. gun murders in 2018, according to newly released FBI data. Handguns were used in nearly 65% of the roughly 10,000 gun murders that year, while rifles were used in about 3% of the cases, statistics show.

But spending hundreds of dollars on a hoodie or backpack is not a viable option for many people, particularly those living in lower-income neighborhoods plagued by gun violence. In St. Louis, for example—which has the highest murder rate among major cities in the nation, according to FBI data—more than 65,000 people are living below poverty, and the median household income is about $44,000, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Even across the nation, many Americans are not prepared to handle a sudden expense of $400 or more, like replacing a broken car engine or visiting an emergency room without insurance, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve. Nearly 30% would have to borrow or sell something to pay for the expense, and 12% would not be able to cover the expense at all, the report says.

NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty ImagesBulletproof whiteboards and backpack inserts at the Hardwire factory in Pocomoke City, Maryland, on March 1, 2018.

Bulletproof products may make consumers feel safer, but they may be putting people in more danger, according to school safety experts like Michael Dorn, a former police chief for the Bibb County School District in Georgia who’s now the executive director of Safe Havens International, a nonprofit that advises schools on security. Dorn worries that in a shooting situation, students with bulletproof backpacks may expose themselves to greater risk by standing in place and holding up their packs for protection instead of running away. “A focus on the armor could result in death because people don’t focus instead on things they need to do like lock a door,” says Dorn.

The products may also be distracting officials and parents from focusing on long-term solutions to gun violence, like adequate training and stronger gun laws, critics say. School districts investing in these products are doing so, in many cases, knowing they’re not real fixes, according to Ken Trump, a school safety expert and president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services. “They rely on the hardware, the technology, the gadgets, so they can focus less on the human side,” he says.

Researchers have found some evidence that so-called red flag laws, which allow courts to take guns away from potentially dangerous people, may help stop mass shootings. A recent study by the University of California Davis School of Medicine cited 21 cases in which such a law in California was used to help prevent potential mass shootings in the state. The measure exists in 16 other states and Washington, D.C.

Rather than buy body armor or conduct active shooter training drills, school officials and parents should focus more on early intervention strategies, including student-threat assessments and better student supervision, according to gun control advocates and safety experts. Dorn, who has an 11-year-old son, says he wouldn’t let his child carry a bulletproof product to school, even if it was free. “I teach him how to be alert and react rather than rely on something that’s so statistically unlikely to do any good,” he says.

Alhadeff knows the backpacks she bought for her sons are only the last layer of protection. To improve safety in other ways, she launched a national nonprofit, Make Our Schools Safe, and won a seat on the local school board, where she’s pushed for legislation to make schools safer. In February, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy enacted “Alyssa’s Law,” named for Alhadeff’s daughter, which requires every public elementary and secondary school in the state to install a silent panic alarm button. When pressed, the alarm would immediately alert local law enforcement, reducing emergency response times. On Oct. 4, a bipartisan version of the bill was introduced in Congress.

“Before the shooting, my biggest fear was whether my children would do well on their tests,” Alhadeff says. “It’s sad and unfortunate that our society has come to this.”

[cladeymoore]

Real Estate Investing and Expecting the Unexpected

The following is a guest post by Riley from Young and the Invested. 

Real estate investing often meets unexpected pitfalls, such as acquiring a money pit, handling overly needy tenants, or buying in an area which did not measure up to your expectations. These are all the nature of the business and should be accounted for before you enter the market.

In my case, I am a landlord who encountered two unexpected, yet informative experiences early in my real estate investing career. In a classic cause and effect scenario, one major instance of damage led to the discovery of a safety hazard in need of immediate action.

While both put my tenant at risk, the latter led to a replacement mandate for every owner in the building. This led to a complex-wide special assessment you come to loathe as a condo owner. But like all things in life, unexpected expenses crop up and hopefully you have been smart enough to budget accordingly.

The subject of this post will be the trying time I had the pleasure of experiencing early in my real estate investing career. It is fitting the story takes place at my condo, the investment property I felt most certain would present the fewest problems.

Clearly, there was an expectations gap and reality had other things in store.

My Real Estate Investment – A Condo in a 14-Story High Rise

When I started my real estate investing adventure, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, I knew being a property owner would present its challenges. This did not dissuade me from venturing out, but rather served as a caution I needed to observe for myself and fully recognize.

When I bought my condo in New Orleans, I lived there for almost 3 years. The unit presented a great location near my job, offered me my own space, and most importantly, represented a great value in a rapidly improving area of town.

During my stay, I was fortunate only to encounter one clogged drainage pipe from my air-conditioner compressor. Otherwise, the unit never gave me a problem and led me to believe the maintenance and upkeep would not be a hassle. Expectations can be a dangerous thing.

When I moved out, I decided to lease the unit and thereby enhance my return on the real estate investment. Initially, I thought I would use any free cash flow to pay off my mortgage faster, but first I decided to build up a reserve to guard against unexpected repairs or unit vacancy.

My experience of requiring little maintenance, when combined with a property manager on site, made leasing the unit a foolproof decision in my mind.

In many ways, the arrangement paid off and was ideal as an investment. However, despite budgeting for repairs, I hadn’t fully prepared myself mentally for them. In my building, those responsibilities fall solely on the unit owners' shoulders and will crop up whether you expect them or not.

And when stuff breaks or requires attention, I've come to learn some repairs can be managed with less urgency while some require immediate attention. This is the story of the latter.

The Emerald City

My trying real estate investing story starts not in New Orleans, where I live and own the condo, but 2,500 miles away in the Emerald City, Seattle, Washington.

In late 2017, my family decided to visit my brother in Seattle for Thanksgiving. He had recently moved there after a lifetime of pining for the Pacific Northwest and found his place amongst his friends who had moved there ahead of him.

We planned to stay for the 4-day weekend and see what the city had to offer. After visiting Gas Works park, the Space Needle, Chihuly’s Glass Museum, and Pike Place Market, our health took a turn.

Seattle, famous for its wonderful fall weather (sarcasm), got my wife and I sick. It’s unfortunate because our health in no way reflected our time spent in the city. I can’t wait to go back.

Little did we know our health was soon to be the least of our problems.

100 Hours of Exhaustion and Desperation

Having trouble sleeping with congestion and all the ailments associated with a cold, the last thing we needed was a 3 AM phone call from my tenant in New Orleans. She called to tell me the bathroom ceiling had collapsed, and the debris had fallen all over the bathroom and hallway floors.

Partly groggy from the cold medication and partly delirious from the time of night, it took me a few moments to assess the situation and what needed to be done remotely.

After talking through the situation with my tenant, I immediately offered to pay for her to stay in a hotel until I could get this repaired. Almost serendipitously, she had other accommodations available through her work, a nice hotel downtown.

She remarked how she had intended to use her free stay benefits but never found the time. When life closes a door, it opens a window. Or, in this case, when life collapses your bathroom ceiling, it books you a free room at a luxury hotel.

Fortunately, we didn’t need to change our plans to leave Seattle early because we were headed home later that day. We would be able to assess the damage that same day and decide how best to proceed.

When we arrived, my tenant had already cleaned most of the debris and managed to secure the suspended light fixture to a wall. My 400 square foot efficiency suddenly had 20% of its ceiling in trash bags.

As it turns out, the cause of the ceiling collapse was a leaking pipe from the unit above mine. Apparently, over the course of 10 years it had slowly dripped onto my bathroom ceiling.

Much like the straw which broke the camel’s back, the final drop tipped the weight of the ceiling and forced it to collapse. The strangest part was the lack of visible water damage prior to the event.

Knowing I could not repair this myself, I was able to hire a contractor through a recommendation of the building manager. Within 36 hours, he was on site and ready to begin his repairs.

He removed the metal grating left behind from the formerly-attached sheetrock ceiling, ran fresh wire to the new lighting fixture, and replaced the new ceiling and walls which had been damaged.

Compounding Problems

In the process, he discovered a major malfunction with my electrical box housed in the bathroom. When the company designed the box in the 1950s, it had a design flaw which could result in a short-circuit and starting a fire.

As you can imagine, this tendency to short-circuit would only increase when exposed to condensation (i.e., from water damage which had accumulated over the previous decade).

My contractor offered to refer me to an electrician, but we soon found out he wouldn’t be available for at least a week. He also quoted me a price I couldn’t believe was accurate.

After speaking with my father, an electrical engineer, he said this would be something we could handle ourselves. However, we would need to replace the circuit breaker box before the contractor could finish the wall replacement around the box.

Otherwise, we'd have to re-replace the wall. That would be more time, more money, and more inconvenience for my tenant. The contractor told us it needed to be replaced within the next 24 hours or he'd have to return to make the wall repairs in 2 weeks, which was unacceptable.

Facing a tight schedule, my dad and I had to size, buy, remove, replace, and rewire the box ourselves.

Working with urgency, we worked all night to install the new box in time for the contractor to replace the wall in the morning.

Exhausted, still sick, and working under the cover of darkness (no power and no daylight), we managed to remedy the entire situation in a little over 100 hours.

We also saw a way to save money by doing the circuit box replacement ourselves. As for the ceiling, the unit owner above me assumed full responsibility and paid the contractor in full.

Later that day, my tenant was able to move back into the unit. I never thought such a small condo could lead to such a big problem.

Lessons Learned from Real Estate Investing

From my story, I hope to convey the following lessons:

Be prepared for anything as a landlord. Anything can happen. Try to keep a level head because losing your cool in situations like this can lead to poor outcomes. If you can roll up your sleeves and put in the work necessary to maintain your real estate investments, they can make a lot of money and prove to be worthwhile in the long-term.

Always keep your tenant’s interests in mind. I want to provide my tenants a high-quality living experience in exchange for fair rent. When I think of my tenants, I think about how I would want to be treated by a landlord. Thinking this way guides me not to cut corners and always keep their interests in mind.

No investment is without risks. Despite this investment providing a good return, it still comes with risks. Much like investing in index funds, there are still ebbs and flows with how your returns accumulate. The importance is to own and maintain the property over the long-term to see true results.

from Money 101 https://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2019/03/real-estate-investing-and-expecting-the-unexpected.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

[maxwellmmeyers]

Real Estate Investing and Expecting the Unexpected

The following is a guest post by Riley from Young and the Invested. 

Real estate investing often meets unexpected pitfalls, such as acquiring a money pit, handling overly needy tenants, or buying in an area which did not measure up to your expectations. These are all the nature of the business and should be accounted for before you enter the market.

In my case, I am a landlord who encountered two unexpected, yet informative experiences early in my real estate investing career. In a classic cause and effect scenario, one major instance of damage led to the discovery of a safety hazard in need of immediate action.

While both put my tenant at risk, the latter led to a replacement mandate for every owner in the building. This led to a complex-wide special assessment you come to loathe as a condo owner. But like all things in life, unexpected expenses crop up and hopefully you have been smart enough to budget accordingly.

The subject of this post will be the trying time I had the pleasure of experiencing early in my real estate investing career. It is fitting the story takes place at my condo, the investment property I felt most certain would present the fewest problems.

Clearly, there was an expectations gap and reality had other things in store.

My Real Estate Investment – A Condo in a 14-Story High Rise

When I started my real estate investing adventure, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, I knew being a property owner would present its challenges. This did not dissuade me from venturing out, but rather served as a caution I needed to observe for myself and fully recognize.

When I bought my condo in New Orleans, I lived there for almost 3 years. The unit presented a great location near my job, offered me my own space, and most importantly, represented a great value in a rapidly improving area of town.

During my stay, I was fortunate only to encounter one clogged drainage pipe from my air-conditioner compressor. Otherwise, the unit never gave me a problem and led me to believe the maintenance and upkeep would not be a hassle. Expectations can be a dangerous thing.

When I moved out, I decided to lease the unit and thereby enhance my return on the real estate investment. Initially, I thought I would use any free cash flow to pay off my mortgage faster, but first I decided to build up a reserve to guard against unexpected repairs or unit vacancy.

My experience of requiring little maintenance, when combined with a property manager on site, made leasing the unit a foolproof decision in my mind.

In many ways, the arrangement paid off and was ideal as an investment. However, despite budgeting for repairs, I hadn’t fully prepared myself mentally for them. In my building, those responsibilities fall solely on the unit owners' shoulders and will crop up whether you expect them or not.

And when stuff breaks or requires attention, I've come to learn some repairs can be managed with less urgency while some require immediate attention. This is the story of the latter.

The Emerald City

My trying real estate investing story starts not in New Orleans, where I live and own the condo, but 2,500 miles away in the Emerald City, Seattle, Washington.

In late 2017, my family decided to visit my brother in Seattle for Thanksgiving. He had recently moved there after a lifetime of pining for the Pacific Northwest and found his place amongst his friends who had moved there ahead of him.

We planned to stay for the 4-day weekend and see what the city had to offer. After visiting Gas Works park, the Space Needle, Chihuly’s Glass Museum, and Pike Place Market, our health took a turn.

Seattle, famous for its wonderful fall weather (sarcasm), got my wife and I sick. It’s unfortunate because our health in no way reflected our time spent in the city. I can’t wait to go back.

Little did we know our health was soon to be the least of our problems.

100 Hours of Exhaustion and Desperation

Having trouble sleeping with congestion and all the ailments associated with a cold, the last thing we needed was a 3 AM phone call from my tenant in New Orleans. She called to tell me the bathroom ceiling had collapsed, and the debris had fallen all over the bathroom and hallway floors.

Partly groggy from the cold medication and partly delirious from the time of night, it took me a few moments to assess the situation and what needed to be done remotely.

After talking through the situation with my tenant, I immediately offered to pay for her to stay in a hotel until I could get this repaired. Almost serendipitously, she had other accommodations available through her work, a nice hotel downtown.

She remarked how she had intended to use her free stay benefits but never found the time. When life closes a door, it opens a window. Or, in this case, when life collapses your bathroom ceiling, it books you a free room at a luxury hotel.

Fortunately, we didn’t need to change our plans to leave Seattle early because we were headed home later that day. We would be able to assess the damage that same day and decide how best to proceed.

When we arrived, my tenant had already cleaned most of the debris and managed to secure the suspended light fixture to a wall. My 400 square foot efficiency suddenly had 20% of its ceiling in trash bags.

As it turns out, the cause of the ceiling collapse was a leaking pipe from the unit above mine. Apparently, over the course of 10 years it had slowly dripped onto my bathroom ceiling.

Much like the straw which broke the camel’s back, the final drop tipped the weight of the ceiling and forced it to collapse. The strangest part was the lack of visible water damage prior to the event.

Knowing I could not repair this myself, I was able to hire a contractor through a recommendation of the building manager. Within 36 hours, he was on site and ready to begin his repairs.

He removed the metal grating left behind from the formerly-attached sheetrock ceiling, ran fresh wire to the new lighting fixture, and replaced the new ceiling and walls which had been damaged.

Compounding Problems

In the process, he discovered a major malfunction with my electrical box housed in the bathroom. When the company designed the box in the 1950s, it had a design flaw which could result in a short-circuit and starting a fire.

As you can imagine, this tendency to short-circuit would only increase when exposed to condensation (i.e., from water damage which had accumulated over the previous decade).

My contractor offered to refer me to an electrician, but we soon found out he wouldn’t be available for at least a week. He also quoted me a price I couldn’t believe was accurate.

After speaking with my father, an electrical engineer, he said this would be something we could handle ourselves. However, we would need to replace the circuit breaker box before the contractor could finish the wall replacement around the box.

Otherwise, we'd have to re-replace the wall. That would be more time, more money, and more inconvenience for my tenant. The contractor told us it needed to be replaced within the next 24 hours or he'd have to return to make the wall repairs in 2 weeks, which was unacceptable.

Facing a tight schedule, my dad and I had to size, buy, remove, replace, and rewire the box ourselves.

Working with urgency, we worked all night to install the new box in time for the contractor to replace the wall in the morning.

Exhausted, still sick, and working under the cover of darkness (no power and no daylight), we managed to remedy the entire situation in a little over 100 hours.

We also saw a way to save money by doing the circuit box replacement ourselves. As for the ceiling, the unit owner above me assumed full responsibility and paid the contractor in full.

Later that day, my tenant was able to move back into the unit. I never thought such a small condo could lead to such a big problem.

Lessons Learned from Real Estate Investing

From my story, I hope to convey the following lessons:

Be prepared for anything as a landlord. Anything can happen. Try to keep a level head because losing your cool in situations like this can lead to poor outcomes. If you can roll up your sleeves and put in the work necessary to maintain your real estate investments, they can make a lot of money and prove to be worthwhile in the long-term.

Always keep your tenant’s interests in mind. I want to provide my tenants a high-quality living experience in exchange for fair rent. When I think of my tenants, I think about how I would want to be treated by a landlord. Thinking this way guides me not to cut corners and always keep their interests in mind.

No investment is without risks. Despite this investment providing a good return, it still comes with risks. Much like investing in index funds, there are still ebbs and flows with how your returns accumulate. The importance is to own and maintain the property over the long-term to see true results.

from Money 101 https://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2019/03/real-estate-investing-and-expecting-the-unexpected.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

[itsfinancethings]

October 18, 2019 at 06:00AM

Lori Alhadeff is haunted by the fact that she did not send her 14-year-old daughter to school with a bulletproof backpack. The mother of three had wanted to buy one but never got around to it. By Feb. 14, 2018, it was too late. Her first child, Alyssa, was fatally shot trying to hide under a classroom table at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. “I wish to this day that I did give that protection to Alyssa. It could have saved her life,” Alhadeff says. “Obviously, I regret that.”

After the massacre, which killed 16 others, Alhadeff bought bulletproof backpacks for her two sons, who are now 14 and 12. “I have peace in my heart for my two boys, at least, that I’m doing everything in my power to protect them,” says Alhadeff, who won’t let her sons go to school without the backpacks.

With more than 69 people killed so far in mass shootings in the U.S. in 2019, thousands of Americans like Alhadeff are seeking security through an explosion of products marketed to those scared of being shot or of losing loved ones to gun violence. Backpacks that double as shields are sold by major department stores, including Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond. There are bulletproof hoodies for children as young as 6; protective whiteboards and windows; armored doors and anchors designed to keep shooters out of classrooms; and smart cameras powered by artificial intelligence that alert authorities to threats. In Fruitport, Mich., officials are building a $48 million high school specially designed to deter active shooters, with curved walls to reduce a shooter’s line of sight, bulletproof windows and a special locking system.

In 2017, U.S. schools spent at least $2.7 billion on security systems, and that’s on top of the money spent by individuals on things like bulletproof backpacks, the IHS Markit consulting firm reported. Five years ago, in 2014, the figure was about $768 million, IHS said. But school shootings haven’t decreased in frequency, and critics of the growing industry in bullet-resistant items say the only beneficiaries of these so-called security measures are the people making money off of them.

“These companies are capitalizing on parents’ fears,” says Shannon Watts, a mother of five who founded the gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action following the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre that killed 20 first-graders and six educators.

In September, as students were returning to school, Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention nonprofit led by family members of Sandy Hook victims, released a video that used biting satire to highlight the bulletproof industry and the country’s failure to prevent mass shootings. It shows cheerful children returning for classes and using their new clothes and back-to-school supplies to save themselves and others from a shooter. One boy shows off his new skateboard, then uses it to smash a window and escape; a girl demonstrates how her new socks can be used to tie a tourniquet; another uses her jacket to lock a set of double-doors. The message is clear: these shootings should be prevented before kids get to the point of using tube socks to save classmates from bleeding to death.

Survive the school year with these must-have #BackToSchool essentials. https://t.co/9KgxAQ0KGz This PSA contains graphic content related to school shootings & may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel this subject matter may be difficult for you, you may choose not to watch. pic.twitter.com/5ijYMtXRTy

— Sandy Hook Promise (@sandyhook) September 18, 2019

But with efforts at gun control legislation stalled as the Senate refuses to take up a House-passed bill that would require background checks for private gun sales, even critics of the booming security industry concede it’s unlikely to slow down. “There’s not a parent in the country who isn’t worried that their child will be the next victim of gun violence,” Watts says.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 330 mass shootings—in which at least four people other than the shooter were injured or killed—so far this year in the United States. This summer alone, 31 people were killed in back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio and another 10 died in attacks in Gilroy, Calif. and Odessa, Texas. In the aftermath of each tragedy, companies saw striking growth in profits. “It’s a business fueled by fear,” says Sean Burke, president of the School Safety Advocacy Council, which works with school districts and police departments.

TuffyPacks, an online retailer selling ballistic shields that are inserted into backpacks, reported up to a 500% increase in sales after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton in early August, which coincided with back-to-school shopping season. “Every time shootings occur, we see spikes in sales,” says TuffyPacks CEO Steve Naremor, 63, of Houston, Texas, who insists his company’s $129 inserts are no different from other safety equipment, like fire extinguishers and bicycle helmets. Guard Dog Security, a competing company that sells bulletproof backpacks that weigh up to 4.5 pounds and can cost up to $299, couldn’t keep up with the orders. “They were selling out faster than we could get it back in stock,” says Yasir Sheikh, its 34-year-old CEO. Sheikh—who like Naremor declined to disclose revenue figures—launched his company in 2009 but didn’t see a huge demand until Sandy Hook.

The demand that follows mass shootings prompted Vy Tran, 25, to quit her job and use $100,000 in savings and retirement funds to start selling homemade bulletproof hoodies. Her company, Wonder Hoodie, began as a side business, which she launched after her next-door neighbor, a mother of two, was shot dead in their Seattle neighborhood during an attempted robbery in 2016.

Panicked after the killing, Tran says she searched online for body armor to protect her mother and younger brother, but the products she found were either too expensive or too heavy. So Tran, a health and safety consultant, decided to make them herself, using Kevlar that she ordered online. Tran was making an average of one or two hoodies a week until 58 people were killed at a Las Vegas music festival on Oct. 1, 2017 in the worst mass shooting in modern history. Sales spiked, and there were suddenly 10 to 15 requests pouring in every day.

Courtesy: Vy TranVy Tran in one of her bulletproof Wonder Hoodies

“I couldn’t keep up with the orders,” says Tran, who hired a team to help her. Wonder Hoodie has since fulfilled almost 1,000 orders for hoodies that cost up to $600 and weigh up to 9 pounds.

It’s not just young and new CEOs leaping into the growing field of gun safety products, and the merchandise isn’t all body armor. Chris Ciabarra and Lisa Falzone of Austin, Texas, launched Athena Security, a smart camera system, after they sold their first tech startup for $500 million in 2017. Athena’s software detects 900 different types of guns and can send an alert and video feed to law enforcement if it senses a threatening movement, like someone pointing a gun, according to Ciabarra. More than 40 schools, malls and businesses in the U.S. use Athena’s software, which charges $100 a month for each camera it monitors. Since schools and malls typically have 100 cameras building-wide, Athena could make more than $100,000 a year monitoring just one school. The weapons detection program has been installed in one of the two New Zealand mosques where a suspected white supremacist opened fire in March, killing 51 worshippers. After the massacre, New Zealand’s prime minister banned assault weapons. But that’s not likely to happen in the United States, says Ciabarra. Even presidential candidates during the fourth Democratic debate Tuesday night couldn’t seem to agree on how to manage assault weapons. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg clashed on the best way to get the weapons off the streets, whether by banning the sale of assault weapons or also instating mandatory buyback programs.

“We’re not going to change the law and forbid guns. It’s not going to happen,” Ciabarra says. “People will have weapons.”

Jason Connolly—AFP/Getty ImagesAA teacher takes part in an active shooter drill during a firearms course for teachers and administrators in Commerce City, Colorado on June 28, 2018.

When Mike Lahiff, a former Navy Seal, launched ZeroEyes, a competing gun-detection system based in Philadelphia, he and his team of fellow veterans saw it as a continued service to the country. Lahiff, a 38-year-old father of four, hopes the U.S. will find a way to reduce gun violence and put him out of business. “If the active shooter problem goes away, and that’s the end of the company, then great,” he says, “that’s a win for me.”

***

While mass tragedies spark surges in sales, most of the bulletproof products on the market today, including backpacks and hoodies, would not withstand the force of the assault-style weapons commonly used in high-casualty attacks. Killers used assault-style weapons in the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings, as well as in El Paso and Dayton. The products would, however, protect against most handguns—the weapon of choice in the majority of U.S. gun murders in 2018, according to newly released FBI data. Handguns were used in nearly 65% of the roughly 10,000 gun murders that year, while rifles were used in about 3% of the cases, statistics show.

But spending hundreds of dollars on a hoodie or backpack is not a viable option for many people, particularly those living in lower-income neighborhoods plagued by gun violence. In St. Louis, for example—which has the highest murder rate among major cities in the nation, according to FBI data—more than 65,000 people are living below poverty, and the median household income is about $44,000, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Even across the nation, many Americans are not prepared to handle a sudden expense of $400 or more, like replacing a broken car engine or visiting an emergency room without insurance, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve. Nearly 30% would have to borrow or sell something to pay for the expense, and 12% would not be able to cover the expense at all, the report says.

NICHOLAS KAMM—AFP/Getty ImagesBulletproof whiteboards and backpack inserts at the Hardwire factory in Pocomoke City, Maryland, on March 1, 2018.

Bulletproof products may make consumers feel safer, but they may be putting people in more danger, according to school safety experts like Michael Dorn, a former police chief for the Bibb County School District in Georgia who’s now the executive director of Safe Havens International, a nonprofit that advises schools on security. Dorn worries that in a shooting situation, students with bulletproof backpacks may expose themselves to greater risk by standing in place and holding up their packs for protection instead of running away. “A focus on the armor could result in death because people don’t focus instead on things they need to do like lock a door,” says Dorn.

The products may also be distracting officials and parents from focusing on long-term solutions to gun violence, like adequate training and stronger gun laws, critics say. School districts investing in these products are doing so, in many cases, knowing they’re not real fixes, according to Ken Trump, a school safety expert and president of the consulting firm National School Safety and Security Services. “They rely on the hardware, the technology, the gadgets, so they can focus less on the human side,” he says.

Researchers have found some evidence that so-called red flag laws, which allow courts to take guns away from potentially dangerous people, may help stop mass shootings. A recent study by the University of California Davis School of Medicine cited 21 cases in which such a law in California was used to help prevent potential mass shootings in the state. The measure exists in 16 other states and Washington, D.C.

Rather than buy body armor or conduct active shooter training drills, school officials and parents should focus more on early intervention strategies, including student-threat assessments and better student supervision, according to gun control advocates and safety experts. Dorn, who has an 11-year-old son, says he wouldn’t let his child carry a bulletproof product to school, even if it was free. “I teach him how to be alert and react rather than rely on something that’s so statistically unlikely to do any good,” he says.

Alhadeff knows the backpacks she bought for her sons are only the last layer of protection. To improve safety in other ways, she launched a national nonprofit, Make Our Schools Safe, and won a seat on the local school board, where she’s pushed for legislation to make schools safer. In February, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy enacted “Alyssa’s Law,” named for Alhadeff’s daughter, which requires every public elementary and secondary school in the state to install a silent panic alarm button. When pressed, the alarm would immediately alert local law enforcement, reducing emergency response times. On Oct. 4, a bipartisan version of the bill was introduced in Congress.

“Before the shooting, my biggest fear was whether my children would do well on their tests,” Alhadeff says. “It’s sad and unfortunate that our society has come to this.”