#and how that changes our procedures and gear

[himbeaux-on-ice]

hot take, heavily penalizing teenagers for causing each other head injuries, even unintentionally, is good, actually, and the nhl could stand to take a page from the iihf book on the way that standard is upheld (for all ages).

“how are you gonna prepare them for the nhl if the rules are different?!” this is not an nhl run event. this is not the george parros department of player safety or the gary bettman league. this is not the ‘nhl prospect practice and preparation tournament’, this is the world junior hockey championship. it is its own entity unto itself and for its own ends, it is not just a stepping stone for your favourite budding superstars to gain prestige and fanfare before they move on to the only “big league” that north american hockey fans consider significant or meaningful. it plays a larger role in the development of not only players, but also of entire hockey training programs in countries where hockey, even men’s hockey, is an under-funded or less established sport.

not all of these kids are going to go on to be nhl players. ALL of them should get the chance to grow up to be adults who don’t have their quality of life degraded by lingering head injuries and cte.

miss me with your tough guy bullshit. good grief.

[besobendito]

"Shepard?"

"Bzzt- Yes, Commander Moss?"

"Start a new log recording will you? I need to settle my thoughts."

Log Number #14 Cycle: 10 Planet: PNF-404

"Despite exhaustion creeping into my very bones, I find myself unable to rest for the night. I need to note what has been happening- to convince myself that I haven't completely lost it... There is something.... strange about this planet, and for each day that passes the feeling grows even stranger. Small mistakes like misplaced items, something that Oatchi and I are very careful not to do- We have been rescuing for how many years and all of a sudden we can't seem to find where the ropes has been placed? Whatever we lose ends up right back in its proper place hours after we've lost it. Shepard clears it with me each time this happens... Those items have never moved from their spot on the cameras. Our frantic search shows up, all the crew members searching high and low- and we just... don't see them...? ......Ah, I don't know exactly how to explain this one. Oatchi joked that I might be haunted by the glowmin("Some invisible variety we haven't discovered yet!" he said) but I can see it in his face. It's happened to him too. We are all walking around... Something. Stepping to the side in an empty hallway, looking down and over my shoulder as to not bump into...Nothing? I keep feeling like there's something missing on the ship, something I can't quite remember. I've tripled checked my things and asked Shepard to list everything out in our inventory just in case. I just can't shake this feeling that...

-that I feel like I'm mourning... and for the love of everything, I don't know what. It's maddening.

I was ready to push it all to the side and continue the mission. The list of castaways only seems to be getting longer and we can't have campfire ghost stories to distract us! That is until I found a log not written by myself in my tablet...... Hmph. See, this is what's stressing me out so. No one but me has access to this tablet, it should be impossible!

The log is... Well it's creepy! From what I can tell, it's taken phrases from one of our Procedure Manuals("Bzzt- It would be the Distress and Urgency Procedures") and the logs from an unknown writer and spliced them together. I've been trying to make sense of it but- yeah I need the others to see this first. My theories wont help now. I'll have Shepard add it to this log for now, might as well...(sigh) Just what is going on...

Mm, right. I already mentioned this in the End of Day report- but I'm not done rolling this over in my head.

The castaway we picked up today- the one who limped out of that dark tunnel towards us. His clothing- you don't see pilot gear that old anymore, and the- the liquid? that fell off of him... I sampled what I could so I wont know for sure untill tomorrow, It looked like gold. I hope he wont mind sharing where he found a pool of gold to roll around in. It would be nice to be able to cover the cost of all the repairs... (Yawn) Ah- right there we go, ok I'm done for now. Have to get ready for- 'Everything' tomorrow, hope I don't sound too crazy. This is Commander Moss, Sleeping snug like a bug on a rug... (Yawns again) - - - Log Number: +#3@##0?/ Cycleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Planet: PNF-404

(a) If distress [ ] If urgency [ ] Someone or something [ ] a loud BANG echoed throughout the cave. [ ] (b) Name of station addressed [ ] natural enemy [ ] (c) I got careless... [ ] (d) Nature of distress or urgency. and all the Pikmin perished as a result. [ ] (g) Present position [ ] Horrified, I made my [ ] ; or if lost, last known position, time, and heading since that position. Fuel remaining/Number of people/other useful information [ ] accidentally thrown to their demise [ ] crushed on hard surfaces of by some creatures' teeth [ ] I [ ] Me [ ] My [ ] Do not change frequency or change to another [ ] Fly a course toward the destination which the hijacker has announced. [ ] keeps leading me completely off track [ ] adorable leaf at the top of her [ ] (4) If unable to provide this information, [ ] trusty partner.trusty partner.trusty partner. PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN. [ ] I am so very tired... [ ]

[ncisfranchise-source]

Even the "NCIS" origin story for Austin Stowell has a Cracker Jack opening.

The impossibly rugged actor, 39, had tried to clear his mind after his February audition for "NCIS: Origins," the prequel series to the CBS police procedural (premiering Monday, 9 EDT/PDT, after the 22nd season opener of the OG series). After all, these were high stakes seeking the coveted role of young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, famously embodied by Mark Harmon for 19 TV glory-filled seasons. Gibbs is the guy in the "NCIS" universe, even after the iconic character retired to fly-fishing in Alaska when Harmon stepped aside in 2021.

So Stowell went off the grid, skiing with Charlie Jennings, his best friend and agent. It was robust bliss, until Stowell received a miracle message on the reception-patchy mountaintop saying Harmon, an "Origins" executive producer and narrator, wanted to talk.

"Mark wanted to speak to me, and you can guess what about," says Stowell, who went ski-hill rogue. "We had to get down the mountain and get reliable service ASAP. We race down that hill, take off our gear, jump into the Jeep, and fly down the highway to get reliable service. And we do. Mark calls. We literally pull off the highway."

Harmon signaled that Stowell would very likely get the role of his younger "NCIS" self in CBS' "Origins."

"Mark was very complimentary. He said, 'It's been you from the second you walked in the room," Stowell says. "And he asked me, 'Are you ready for this?'"

Austin Stowell said after 'Star Wars' casting disappointment: 'Onward!'

Oh, he's ready. Stowell has been prepping for takeoff since earning a guest role in 2010 on "NCIS: Los Angeles" and playing a big-hearted swim champion in two "A Dolphin Tale" movies alongside KrisKristofferson. ("He was an amazing man, talk about a real-life superhero," Stowell says. The music legend died lastmonth at age 88).

Stowell even had a serious run at a major "Star Wars" movie role with J.J. Abrams. He was flown to London's Pinewood Studios and donned the "Star Wars" costume and makeup for a day. But the role went to another actor. "Of course. it's devastating," Stowell says. "This is a wonderful job, but the process is tough. But I always have said the same thing when I don't get a job: 'Onward.'"

Austin Stowell was hard to reach after 'NCIS: Origins' audition: 'So Gibbs'

After his memorable audition, "Origins" executive producers Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North faced familiar reception issues when they called to officially offer Stowell the role. "He was out in a cabin in the middle of the woods with no internet and almost missed our call," North says. "I got off the phone and said, 'That's so Gibbs.'"

Says Stowell: "One phone call that changes your life. And two phone calls that I nearly missed. But the Hollywood gods were looking out for me."

Monreal says his physical likeness to Harmon was important. But "Origins" places Gibbs in 1991 as a green Naval Investigative Service officer at California's Camp Pendleton, where the former Marine sniper deals with the murder of his wife and daughter. That required a presence that Stowell, who can turn on full Gibbs with one soulful-eyed look, inhabited.

In "Origins," Gibbs is far from the ultra-competent special agent in command. He's an unsteady newbie dealing with his trauma after failing his psychological evaluations. It was this raw premise, based on "NCIS" lore, that made Harmon's son Sean, who had played the young Gibbs in "NCIS" flashbacks, pitch "Origins." (He's now an executive producer.)

Young Gibbs has immediate "Origins" supporters, including Special Agent Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino) and his eventual mentor Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid), whose power mustache is a scene stealer. "He's electric," Stowell says. "I already joke with him that we are going to see Franks' mustaches at Halloween parties."

Stowell dived into research, reading 1980 U.S. Marine manuals to understand the life and taking long runs with a weighted-down backpack. He stepped up the rifle training he learned in 2018's Chris Hemsworth-led Afghanistan war film "12 Strong" to look silently confident with Gibbs' rifle. Stowell still binge-watches "NCIS" episodes to pick up small mannerisms.

"I want to embody his essence. There are Gibbs-isms," Stowell says. "There is a head nod and he has this stare."

That stare, and Harmon's intense blue eyes, are so pivotal that Stowell wears blue contact lenses over his naturally green eyes. Seeing the world that way changes his perspective: "They make me feel different," he says. "They're such a powerful tool."

Harmon appears near a campfire in the "Origins" opening. The camera zooms up close on his stare, which morphs into Stowell's haunted look.

"It's not the passing of the throne; Mark Harmon has the throne," Stowell says. "If it's the passing of the torch, he lit the torch. It's my job to show how this kid becomes that guy that people admire so much. But I get to play one of the world's greatest heroes. And that's pretty rock and roll."

[xf-cases-solved]

S1E20: Darkness Falls

Case: You know it's gonna be a good time when our heroes have to take off their government office clothes and put on some survival gear. Similar to Ice—which we all know is a top tier episode—Darkness Falls sees Mulder and Scully on the hunt to discover what happened to a team of loggers that disappeared in Olympic National Forest up in Washington. (Spoiler alert: Bad things happened to the loggers.) After the discovery of one of the loggers inside of a gigantic bug cocoon—and after the ominous testimony and environmentalist rant of a random eco-terrorist raiding their base for food—our dynamic duo and their episode sidekick NPCs conclude that there's a serious pest control problem happening out there in the forest, and the only thing that will keep them safe is staying in the light. Good thing they aren't stranded, and that Mulder didn't give away all their extra fuel, and that they definitely have more than just one single lightbulb and a sputtering generator to get them through the night. Oh, wait. 😬

Mulder has weird sexual tension with an eco-terrorist; Scully has the Coat of All Time™️ (in my notes, I literally just have the word COAT written down and then underlined); a forest service marshal has had it up to here with these dumb treehuggers; and CGI is once again used liberally, this time to create fluorescent green bugs that suck you dry (and not in a fun way). Let's go on a nice trip to the forest! 

Does someone die in the cold open: Yes

Does Mulder present a slideshow: Yeah boi!

Does the evidence survive the investigation: Nah, the government is destroying that shit posthaste.

Whodunit: Old bugs

Convictions: None necessary

Did they solve it: Yes! Using Ice rules here. The evidence was technically destroyed, but they were able to solve the case before that happened. Also, that quarantine facility doesn't look like a fun time and I feel bad for them, so I'll toss 'em a bone.

[how do i determine if a case is solved? check the scale here: x]

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: Giant, ugly, multicolored 90s raincoats on tiny people. Provide decades of delight to people all over the world by wearing a giant, ugly, multicolored 90s raincoat on your tiny, tiny frame. You look adorable. You are also so tiny. Why did you buy your raincoat at Big and Tall??

***

General Total Stats:

(green means stat has changed since last ep; red means new stat added to list)

Total Cases *Definitively* Solved So Far: 10 (streak restarted. it's fucking ping pong up in here)

Total Number of "Mulder/Scully, It's Me" Phone Calls: 1

Total Number of Times Scully Has Conveniently Not Seen Something Crucial: 5

Total Number of Times Mulder Has Been in Mortal Danger: 6

Total Number of Times Scully Has Been in Mortal Danger: 8

Total Number of Sexually Charged, Uncomfortably Intimate, and/or Flirty Moments Between Friendly Coworkers: 10

Total Number of Autopsies Scully Has Performed On Screen: 2 (she examines a dead body, but there's like, not rly a lot left to do an autopsy on even if she had the space to do it)

Total Number of Times Scully Plays Doctor: 2

Total Number of Times Mulder Talks to an Informant: 10 

Total Number of Times People Making Out in a Car Are Hurt or Killed: 2

Total Number of Nosebleeds: 4

Total Number of Times Mulder Has Tasted/Sniffed/Touched Something Questionable Without Following Proper Safety Procedures: 2 

Total Number of Times Someone Says "Trust No One": 1 

Total Number of Times Someone Says "I Want to Believe": 3

Total Number of Times Someone Says "The Truth is Out There": 1

Total Number of Cigarettes Cigarette Smoking Man Has Smoked: 2

Total Number of Maggie Scully Sightings: 1

Total Number of Lone Gunmen Sightings: 1

Total Number of Alex Krycek Sightings: 0 :(

Total Number of Times I Had to Look Up What State the Episode Takes Place in Even Though I Literally Just Watched It: 7½ (i wrote it down in my notes lmfao)

Total Number of Times I Had to Look at an Episode's Wikipedia Page to Fill This Out Because It Was Fucking Confusing and/or Too Boring for Me to Pay Attention: 5 (nah man, i love Darkness Falls)

[askvectorprime]

Hi vector prime! I have a question which I’ve been dying to know, how do transformers age? I’m asking this because some transformers look like old men, for example, revenge of the fallen jetfire has a cane and a beard and alpha trion also has a beard and some transformers look like kids too, for example, wheelie and those kids that were shown on the planet that unicron gobbled up. I hope there is an answer to this transformers age thing, thanks vector.

Dear Mature Matcher,

Well, I like to think I've aged gracefully, ha!

In truth, you ask a good question, though I think your lived experience as a human has colored your perspective. We do not age as humans do, but our bodies are still subject to wear and tear. Our fuel lines erode and leak, our gears grind and slip, our belts become brittle, our joints seize. We discolor, our paint scratches off, decals peel free, chrome flakes away. Stress marks line our faces and hinges. We rust. Our minds are prone to different kinds of degeneration, as newer memories overwrite older ones, or as unhealthy feedback loops develop into rampancy. But few of these processes are fatal, and fewer still are irreversible, so long as we take the occasional tune-up to replace parts as they fail.

The physical traits you observe aren't directly tied to the process of aging. With the usual caveat that not all Transformers are the same, even within the a single universe… it tends to be that, once we are protoformed or built, the only time our bodies naturally change is when we take on a new form. Now, you may not realize this, as we still must appear very alien to you—but on Earth, this might involve changing our appearance in robot form, too, mimicking physical traits that we identify with, the better to be understood by your kind; this is sometimes called "humanizer" technology. Don't be too quick to judge based on appearance, though, as sometimes what you perceive as a mustache might simply be a coincidental arrangement of kibble!

Otherwise, our bodies only change in the course of upgrades. After choosing our first alt-form, we may undergo procedures to bring us up to "full size", speaking either culturally or biologically. There are universes where our sparks grow continuously through our lifetimes, demanding periodic upgrades to match, with the bodies of the biggest and oldest Transformers practically being extensions of the planet—but those are extreme cases, and it's usually not a necessity. You mention Wheelie, who had something of an arrested development while marooned on Quintessa, and although there exist divergent timelines where he did get a larger body, he's usually comfortable with his stature; many Transformers take pride in being "Minibots" and may even make the conscious decision to downsize.

In the modern age, there is certainly an association between youth and a diminutive frame, as Micromasters, Mini-Cons and Protoformers join our society. The fact is that Transformers nowadays are smaller than they used to be, because fuel is more scarce. There have been many such paradigm shifts in the construction of Transformers: generations are usually demarcated by broad design trends, major technological advancements, and shared aesthetic sensibilities. When it comes to these fashions, there are some classics that anyone can recognise—facial adornments, oversized chins, and non-visible olfactory sensors are all characteristic of different points in history, and give a clue for how old we might be. You know, the oldest Transformers predate the introduction of the ball-and-socket joints which are so ubiquitous in Earth life; I myself have not one in my body!

The multiverse being as strange and wondrous as it is, there are plenty more esoteric reasons behind these physical changes. Famously, the Matrix of Leadership is known to induce a metamorphosis in its bearers to better accommodate the collective wisdom of Primes past. Exotic kinds of Energon have been known to possess transformative properties. For reasons yet unknown to my Transtech friends, exposure to negative-polarity particles correlates strongly with facial structures resembling human goatees.

Some believe that we once lived mortal lives, aging as most other species throughout the galaxy do, only for that mortality to have been taken from us in our race's infancy—through the interference of Quintessons, or the defeat of Mortilus, spoken of in myth as death incarnate.

[deandoesthingstome]

Night Moves

Chapter 8

Pairing: Walter Marshall x OFC (Alexandra Pierce)

Series Summary: When Walter Marshall is called to investigate a homicide by the railroad tracks, he quickly uncovers an unsettling pattern. Alexandra Pierce just wants someone to find out what happened to her friend. She has some secrets, too. And Walter’s going to uncover them.

Word Count: 5226

Series Warnings: In general, this series will depict assault, murder, stripping, hooking, rough sex, fingering, oral (m and f receiving), p in v sex in various positions, self-loathing, failed relationships, smoking, alcohol, general violence,  and maybe some comfort. +18, Minors DNI. Edit: If you were here before, know that I removed drug use and drug addiction, as well as makeup sex. I had a plan and things changed, as they so often do.

Chapter Warnings: Worried and Out-of-His-Mind Walter, police procedure (sure), family check ins, some really questionable hospital procedure, fingering, masturbation, oral sex (f receiving).

A/N: I am not a doctor or anything, but I will tell you I had a friend experience one of the scenarios I mention in this chapter, so it’s not completely made up. Also, while the mystery is solved, I’d still like Walter and Alex to have some fun, so there will likely be one more chapter.

Disclaimers: I do not own Walter Marshall, Night Hunter (Nomis), or any other characters from that movie, but I do own this OFC (Alexandra Pierce) and these words. Do not repost as your own. Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are more than welcome. It’s how I get my nourishment.

Header made by me, with pics found from Pexel.com and the internet. Dividers are not mine, but check out the masterlist for credit.

Playlist:  Night Moves Songs 27-29 Direct Spotify Link

Masterlist

They won’t let him into the ER, so Walter paces in the lounge for about 20 minutes before he walks back to the nurses station to see if there is any news.

“Sir, I completely understand how frustrated you must be, but please be assured this is the number one trauma hospital in the region and our top oral and maxillofacial surgeon was on call when her ambulance called in and he is with her right now. They’ve also called in a neurologist to begin taking scans and she will be back to treat her when she wakes up.”

“When will she wake up?” Walter can’t even believe the words coming out of his mouth. He’s not dumb. A thirty minute ambulance ride and a twenty minute ER trip isn’t fixing what happened to her but he doesn’t know what else to do right now.

The nurse takes a deep breath and gives him her warmest smile, full of the same care and compassion she gives all patients.

“If you would like a private room to wait, I can see where they think they're going to put her when she’s out of surgery.”

Walter nods and while he’s sure she’d come back to the lounge to get him, he waits against the wall across from her desk, a little out of the way but not so far he would have to wait one minute longer to find a place he can just put his head in his hands and let the rage dissolve into tears. He’s clenching his jaw while he thinks of everything else he should have done this morning. 

Call out sick. Wait for Sy with her. Take her home and lock her up in his apartment.

He’s been in the private room for about thirty minutes when Rachel calls to see if he needs anything.

“Commander’s giving a press conference in a few hours if you want to watch,” she tells him.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, saying nothing more and not caring about the silence.

“Walter? Do you need someone to talk to?” She knows he does, but she also knows at this moment he’s lost and doesn’t know what to do. She waits while he considers, can practically hear the gears spinning in his head. “I need to be here for the news, but I can talk right now if you want?”

“I appreciate it, Rachel. I really do. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to say anything productive.” Walter slumps in the semi-comfortable chair next to the bed he wants to see Alex in sooner rather than later and holds his head in one hand while he presses the phone to his ear with the other.

“Call or text when you hear anything about her. Or if you decide you do want to talk.”

“Yeah. Yeah, alright.” He hangs up and closes his eyes, but he can’t get the image of her face out of his head no matter what he does. He knows it’s not going to matter, whatever the outcome is as long as she is alive, he’s gonna figure it out. Figure out how to take care of her, how to nurse her back to health, how to make sure she’s never in danger again.

He can feel the moisture gather and since no one is around he lets it happen. Lets big tears spill down his cheeks while leans forward, elbows on his knees and hands clasped. He can count on one hand the number of times in his life he felt this helpless, useless. It’s seriously messing with his head. Maybe he should call Rachel. 

He manages to hold out and by the time the urge to phone a friend has passed, an army of staff is wheeling a bed into the room. There’s Alex, hooked up to a million wires connected to bags of liquid and machines being rolled in with her. At least he assumes it’s Alex. Her face is completely covered in bandages and her eyes are still swollen shut.

“Detective Marshall?” a man in scrubs calls to him from the doorway to the room. “I’m Doctor Khan. May I have a word outside?”

“How is she?” Walter is up on his feet, eager to hear anything this person has to say. Until he steps outside.

“Are you next of kin? Any relation?”

It’s like a cold slap in the face and he has to take a few moments.

“No. Just a friend. On the case.”

“Any idea how to get a hold of someone who can make some medical decisions for her?”

“What kind of decisions?” Ice is running through his veins now.

“We’ve had to induce a coma. The head trauma was drastic and this was the only way to stave off the effects of the concussion and prevent further trauma and possible relapse. Her jaw is wired shut, but will require additional surgery once we can wake her. We need someone to sign off.”

“You say she’s in a coma? So I can’t talk to her?”

“Oh, you can talk to her. As a matter of fact, it’s recommended that someone do, as often as possible, while she’s out. Studies have suggested it’s one of the best ways to keep the synapses vibrant, working. She won’t be able to respond, obviously, but subconsciously we believe she can hear and process these sounds. And if they are from someone she knows, trusts, it’s even better. But we can’t do anything more until we have the proper authority.”

“And I’m not that, am I?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“But I can be in the room with her?”

“For now, at least. We can allow it due to your position with the department, but if the family arrives and rescinds permission, there isn’t anything I can do about that. Do you have any way of getting in touch with them?”

“I’ll figure something out. Thanks doctor.”

Walter steps back into the room and waits for the final staff to finish whatever it is they are doing and leave before he drags the chair closer to her bed and sinks in next to her. He clasps her hand in both of his again, lifting her fingertips to his lips as he closes his eyes.

“Alex, I don’t know if you can hear me, but they said I should talk to you, so that’s what I’m going to do. I probably shouldn’t bring it up, but I’m so sorry, Alex. Sorry for this mess you are in. I’d trade places with you in an instant if I could.”

He opens his eyes and watches for any movement, any sign she has heard him, but there is nothing happening in the room except the mechanical whirr of the machine breathing for her, and the beeps from the monitors indicating it’s doing the job and her heart rate is steady, her blood pressure is good, her body temp is regulated. There are drips of who knows what every now and then into the saline running into her system.

“I’m gonna turn on the tv here, okay?” It’s rhetorical, he knows, but he’s just going to narrate to her until he can think of something else meaningful to say. “Commander’s going to make a statement about what happened soon, and I want to hear it if that’s okay. I don’t want to upset you. And I’m going to figure out how to get a hold of someone for you, okay? Unless you wanna wake up and solve that little problem for me, whaddya say?”

He knows it’s too much to hope for, but he wonders if she’ll sense the little bit of levity he can manage.

He presses the remote and scans the channels until he finds a local news station, leaving it on low until the main event.

“I’m going to text Rachel. See if she can get me some contact information at your apartment building. Oh, hey. Does your friend across the hall know anyone? What’s her name by the way?”

He taps out a few questions on his phone, gives Rachel the apartment numbers of Alex and her neighbor and asks if she can have someone call the manager to see if they can help at all. He sees the text bubbles and doesn’t even realize he’s holding his breath until he sees Rachel’s response and he lets it out. They are about to start, but she’s passing the task onto another officer and will get back to him as soon as she has any info. He taps out a quick, yet sincere thanks, then turns up the volume and sits back to watch the proceedings, taking Alex’s hand once again.

“They’re getting started. How about you watch this with me, okay?”

He sees the commander take the podium, camera lights flash, and a few questions are shouted out prematurely. The commander waits until there is silence, although the cameras are still clicking away.

“At approximately 3:35 this afternoon, local law enforcement in partnership with the county sheriff's office accessed private property just outside of town in an attempt to prevent an assault and possible murder.”

More lights flash, and more questions are shouted.

“In the course of the events,” the commander raises his voice, “the perpetrator was shot and killed after refusing to comply with commands to cease his attack. His victim was taken immediately to Abbott Northwestern Hospital, where a team of specialists has taken life-saving measures. We understand the victim to be in critical but stable condition at the moment. We will not be releasing any information about the victim until family can be reached.”

“Is it true the perpetrator was a member of the Minneapolis Police Department and will you tell us the name?” a reporter calls out, still not waiting for an official invitation to questions.

“We believe the perpetrator to be responsible for a number of unsolved missing persons cases over several years, as well as a rash of assaults on women in the downtown Minneapolis area over the prior three months. Evidence connecting the several assaults with one another as well as the possible missing persons and recent murder of Trixie McCabe has come to light, and our perp is being considered as the only suspect at this time.

“I’d like to commend Detective Walter Marshall for initiating the task force to look into these cases as well as Rachel Chase for her profiling assistance. At this time, the acting lead on the case, Detective Greeves, with assistance from Profiler Chase, will make an additional statement about the operation, the suspect, and our next steps.”

Walter is speechless. The commander said “acting” which implies “not permanent,” which in turn implies they’re going to let him continue with the case. He can’t even hear what Greeves has to say, he’s so stunned and it isn’t until he hears his phone ringing that he realizes the press conference is over.

“Marshall, here,” he answers, not bothering to look at the caller id.

“Dad?”

Walter takes a deep breath before he answers. “Yeah, baby. It’s me.”

“Are you okay? Why aren’t you on the case right now? Did you get hurt at the scene?” Faye’s panic is audible and her questions are coming a mile a minute giving Walter no time to answer. He has to calm her down.

“Faye, listen to me. I’ve answered the phone. I’m alright.” He waits for her to stop. “I’m not on the case because I’m with the victim right now. I need to find her family and get her some medical help. But I’m fine, Do you hear me?”

“Yeah.” He can tell she’s relaxing, taking deeper breaths, thinking of her next words. “I was so worried, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no! No Faye, sweetheart, you don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry you were frightened. I never want that for you.”

“I love you, Dad. Mom wants to talk to you, okay?” Faye asks.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Good night, Faye.”

“Oh, wait! Dad? Do you want to skip Sunday?”

Walter has to take a moment. Has it really been less than a week? Is he really just coming up on a breakfast date with Faye? 

“Can I let you know tomorrow?”

“Of course. Night Dad.”

Angie gets on the line and checks in with Walter too. Same basic questions. Just wants to know he’s alright. She doesn’t ask why he’s with a victim right now. He isn’t sure if he cares why she hasn’t.

Rachel calls almost immediately after he hangs up with his ex. 

“Which one?” he thinks sardonically to himself.

“The neighbor, Mrs. Travers had a number. We’ve made contact with the family and someone will be there in the morning. You gonna stay until then? You need me to bring you anything?”

“Maybe a change of clothes? There should be something in my locker.”

Three days later

“She’s awake,” Drew calls to Walter with cautious optimism, returning to the family lounge.

Walter stands up from his chair and steps forward to speak with Alex’s brother. He saw the commotion outside her room when he stopped by for one of his regular visits, so he set up shop in the lounge while the staff tended to her and shared results with Drew. He wants to grip him in a bear hug but thinks maybe it’s still too soon, too familiar. He hasn’t exactly been forthcoming about the nature of his relationship to Alex, not that he can’t see the wheels spinning in Drew’s head. But he really thinks it ought to be up to Alex to define it for him. So he extends a hand instead.

“That’s great, man. Is she...is she aware?” Walter drops the handshake and crosses his arms, putting up the armor subconsciously.

“She wants to talk to you,” Drew says.

“She’s talking?” Walter asks with surprise.

“Well, no. Not exactly. You’ll need this.” Drew hands Walter a tablet with a messaging app open and he sees the last chat is “Walter?”

He doesn’t waste anymore time. He skids into the room and drops to the side of her bed, careful to grab her hand and not her face the way he wants. He presses her palm to his lips and closes his eyes for a second while he heaves with relief. He almost doesn’t care she can probably see the tears forming, but he wipes them away anyway and gives her a cautious smile.

“Alex,” he calls, unsure how else to begin.

She gently pulls her hand from his grip and points at the tablet. Walter hands it to her and watches as she begins to tap out a new message.

“You're here.”

“Of course, I am. God Alex, I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Walter apologizes.

“Not your fault. No way. He’s dead?”

‘Yes.” Walter watches her eyes close as she breathes a sigh through her nose. Only then does he realize her jaw is still completely shut and the bandages aren’t just for show. “How are you?”

“Tired. Sore. Angry. Confused. Any and all of the above?”

Walter laughs with relief because he can absolutely read the tone of her texts and he can tell she still has all the self-assured personality he discovered and admired about her in their short time together.

“Yeah, to be expected I suspect. Did they tell you everything that happened to you?”

“Not the part where I was kidnapped and beaten to within a few inches of my life, cause I think I figured that one out on my own. But yeah,” she types.

“I never knew they could induce a coma to counter the effects of physical trauma. That’s some sci-fi shit right there if I ever heard it.”

“They said it was maybe the only thing that saved my brain.”

Walter takes a deep breath and tries not to scrunch his face in anguish but Alex pulls the tablet back before he can reply.

“They said it was a gamble and my outcome is the best possible one. Minor memory loss, but mostly so I don’t recall exactly how many times that asshole hit me. And for some reason I can’t recall anything more than one night with you.”

Walter isn’t sure if she’s serious, but when he looks up from the tablet he thinks he sees a twinkle in her eyes.

“Well that would be because we did only have one night together,” he smiles, then furrows his brow and lowers his voice to a dare-to-hope whisper. “Were you wishing for more?”

She nods as enthusiastically as she can without setting off the pain receptors and Walter closes his eyes with relief again.

“Good. That’s really good. Me too, if I wasn’t clear, but just to be clear. Me too.”

They spend the next half hour hashing out some details of her ordeal. He tells her it was apparent from the wounds inflicted on Jonas that she fought back like a hellcat and how proud he is of her. She asks if he really was a cop and Walter has to admit he somehow didn’t see that one coming. They puzzle over the unsigned card that only says “I’m sorry” on a vase of flowers she’s been sent.

“They’re lilacs, right?” he asks, because other than apology roses, he’s never really taken the opportunity to gift flowers to a woman, so he isn’t quite up on all the varieties. He also isn’t quite sure why he hasn’t sent her the biggest get well bouquet he can find, but thinks it probably has to do with how much he was willing or not willing to share their relationship, if he could call it that, with her brother while she was out. But he knows he wants to remedy that with Alex soon. 

When she nods, he hazards a guess. “Could be from Lila.”

“???”

He considers how to approach it and chooses directness. 

“She was Jonas’ girlfriend.”

“That monster had a girlfriend???”

“Somehow, yeah. Real shy one, not sure how she built up the courage to bring us the evidence, except I think she didn’t really think it was his. I think she somehow thought it had either been hidden in their apartment before they moved in, or perhaps elves did it. Don’t really know. But she was a big help in finding you, I can tell you that much.”

Then she asks the question he has been dreading and really doesn’t want to answer, even though it’s over. He just can’t fathom how it all slipped through the cracks and he isn’t sure he wants to talk about it with her. But she asks.

“Was it just Trixie and me?”

Deep breath.

“No. He’d been roughing up women for about three months. At least we tied him to this recent spate of assaults for sure. ” He waits as she nods slowly, the realization sinking in that she likely knew others who were also part of this nightmare. “And he’d been killing for longer than that. That bus he took you to? He apparently liked to keep his victims there. He’d shave off their fingertips for a souvenir. Sometimes keep a piece of jewelry. But then he’d stash their bodies on the bus like he was going to drive them all to prom or something.”

Alex’s eyes are wide and she just shakes her head slowly for a moment.

“There’s more. We’re still looking at all the angles, and I’m just going to trust you won’t be speaking to reporters about this, okay?” he asks with a semi-severe look. When she points to her face, he chuckles a ‘Yeah’ and then gets serious. “Some of the bodies were pretty old. Older than would make sense to be included in his list of victims. We still have DNA testing and matching to complete, but forensics thinks at least one body, that of the “driver” if you will, was a male.”

Alex leaves her eyes wide and tries to plead for more info.

“We’ve got nothing solid to go on at the moment, but his father did disappear some time ago.”

“Holy shit.”

Their reunion is interrupted as a nurse enters the room to gather vitals and offer up the dose of pain medicine prescribed by the doctor when she finally woke up. 

Walter reads off the “don’t need it” chat from the tablet and the nurse insists.

“For one, we want to stay ahead of the pain in these first few days while you’re still recovering and are under close supervision. And for two, this is gonna knock you out so you can keep getting the rest you need to fully recuperate. You think laying around in bed being waited on hand and foot is a cush job? You’ve got hard work ahead of you.”

Walter chuckles at the comment and turns to Alex. 

“She’s right. I should let you sleep.”

He barely gets the two sentences out before she’s tapping away at the tablet again.

“You’ll come back though, right?”

He can’t believe she feels like she even needs to ask, but he replies with his heart wide open, “Yeah, yeah. Of course! I’ve gotta get back to the precinct, but I’ll be back this evening and I’ll stay as long as they let me.”

“Good. I wanna introduce you to Drew. Properly.”

Two weeks later

“Is that my car?” Alex taps out on her phone as Walter pulls into the parking lot of her apartment building. She’s passed all the tests the hospital deemed necessary before they would release her, and while her head is still a mess of wires and bandages, the rest of her is operating just fine. He still wants to carry her, protect her, but she won’t let him, opening the door and climbing down from the cab of the truck as soon as she hands him the phone to read.

He growls and hops out as quickly as he can once he realizes what she’s done, grabbing her bag from the back seat and meeting her around the front of the truck. He passes her the phone then gently takes her elbow to remind her he’s there whenever she needs him.

“Yeah, Sy finished it up and dropped it off for you.”

She leans her shoulder into his chest in a silent thanks as they enter the building and wait for the elevator. Walter won’t let her climb the stairs and she is almost grateful except it’s one more reminder that she isn’t fully self-sufficient yet, and probably won’t be for a while. 

She starts physical therapy soon to help with the dizziness and balance issues she’s been having as a result of the concussion. Walking up and down a hallway a few times to escape the hospital was one thing. Three flights of stairs isn’t happening.

Mrs. Travers is waiting at her door when they step out of the elevator, hands clasped in gratitude that Alex is back.

“Oh honey! I’m so glad you are home. I made you some cookies and gave them to that nice young man staying in your apartment.”

On cue, Drew opens the door.

“There he is now. Did you save Alex some cookies, young man?”

“I put them in the freezer for when she can chew again, if that’s okay?” Drew answers patiently.

“Well, yes. Of course. Or I can just make more I suppose.” She turns to Walter. “Now, you just watch yourself, you. I don’t want you getting Alex into any more trouble.”

Walter takes a deep breath because he knows from his conversations with Alex that Mrs. Travers has a bit of a faulty memory and there is no need to try to explain to her that it wasn’t his fault Alex wound up in her predicament, no matter how he still feels about it. Alex won’t let him take any blame.

“Of course not, ma’am. We’re keeping her safe and sound here for you. Cross my heart.”

“Very good.” With that she steps into her apartment while Walter and Alex enter across the hall and everyone but Alex says see you soon while the doors close.

Walter settles Alex on the couch while Drew offers her a glass of water with a long straw. He and Walter talk a bit about the discharge and recovery schedule, with Alex typing notes and comments every now and then.

“Alright, well. I’ll get out of your hair and over to the hotel. I’ll be back tomorrow, Alex. Okay?” Drew waits for her to tap out ok and i love you and thnx for everything before he turns to grab his own overnight bag and leaves.

She turns the phone toward Walter when he comes back from seeing Drew out and shows him the next message.

“Need a bath badly. A real one. Those sponge baths were for shit.”

“On it.”

Walter gets the water running at the right temperature, then returns to the living room to lead Alex into the bathroom. 

She can’t type while he’s undressing her and helping her into the tub, sinking as far into the warm water as she can without getting the head bandages wet. Can’t type while he’s soaking a washcloth and lathering it up, rubbing it along her legs, her arms, her torso, her back when she leans forward at his urging. Can’t type when he dips the cloth into the water to rinse off the soap, then holds it over her body and squeezes to let the water wash the suds away. Definitely can’t type when he “drops” the cloth between her legs and plunges his arm in after it.

Walter can see the way her eyes light up as he pretends to feel around for the washcloth with his fingers nudging her folds gently. He gives a little smirk and eyebrow raise in question, to which Alex sighs and nods and closes her eyes.

Walter would think the water would wash away any natural moisture, but she’s slick and ready for him when he finally slides a finger inside her while he gently presses her chest with his free hand so she settles against the back of the tub. He drags his hand over a breast, rolling the nipple, gently pinching, squeezing a little harder when she arches into it.

He’s also pressed another finger inside her and he swallows hard, relishing the feel of her soft, warm center and all its nooks and crannies. He closes his eyes with a wish that he could put his mouth on hers while he works to make her feel as good as he can under the circumstances.

Walter opens his eyes when he feels her hand on his cheek and the droplets of water dripping from her arm that fall on his neck. Alex’s eyes are soft and pleading, needy even, fluttering closed each time he brushes against her spot, teasing her and drawing out the pleasure.

He leans toward her and whispers with a low growl, “I’m gonna make you come with my fingers and then I’m gonna get you out of this tub and into your bed and I’m gonna do the same thing with my mouth.”

The way she whimpers “mmhm” finishes the job of getting him hard, but he barely cares how he’s gonna get off. He only wants to see her glowing for him. It’s all he cares about right now.

Her breath is hitching and her moans are as loud as they can be through closed lips and he watches her close her eyes while he stretches his fingers deep inside her, twisting and curling and caressing her spongy center while his thumb rubs against her sensitive clit. He can feel Alex clench around his fingers, feel her core temperature rise ever so slightly when the waves of her pleasure start to take over. Walter barely registers the splashes of water that have hit the floor and his jeans.

When she comes down, he helps her up. Opens the drain and grabs a fluffy towel from the bar, wrapping her in it and his arms. He helps her step out of the tub, aware that she’s more lightheaded than usual and grateful she realizes it, too. She would normally be protesting his assistance, but her moans right now are all residual rapture. He can’t wait to hear more.

She lets him lift her, her knees and back cradled into his arms as he carries her into the bedroom and gently deposits her on the bed. Walter pulls his shirt off and is about to unbutton his jeans when she covers his hands with hers and moves him out of her way.

Alex keeps her eyes trained on him while she pops the button and drags the zipper down slowly, easing it over his solid bulk. She watches the relief wash over him when the warmth of her palm finds its way into his briefs and around the flesh of his cock. She is pleased he’s letting her stroke him like this.

Walter fights the urge to close his eyes and relish her touch but he wants to watch. She squeezes him just right, but her hand isn’t sliding as easily as he’d like so he grabs her wrist and pulls her palm to his mouth quickly before she can even begin to think he wants her to stop.

He tongues her hand, a little like he wants to do to her pussy, leaving a swath of spit she now realizes she can use to keep jerking him off. He just shakes his head slowly at the way he lucked into this woman who wants him so badly.

He doesn’t want to come before he gets her one more time, so he peels her hand away again and eases her back before kicking off his shoes and pushing his pants all the way down. He steps out of them as he climbs onto the bed and positions himself between her legs. Walter watches as Alex drapes her hands over her chest and drags one hand down as if to show him where he needs to be.

He catches her fingers with his tongue and gladly lets her rub her own pearl while he laps at her open sex. Every now and then he nudges her fingers with his nose and moves her out of the way so he can suck her clit and press the tip of his tongue against her. When he does, Alex pushes her own fingers deep inside and pumps slowly while she waits for him to drag his tongue back down into her pussy.

When she comes her knees clamp hard around his head and he holds them in place, savoring every drop and scooping some of her essence onto his fingers so he can reach down between his belly and the sheets and finish himself off while she finally comes back down.

He’s memorized the recovery schedule the doctor provided and he can’t wait to make up all the kisses they’re missing when it's safe but in the meantime, he’s gonna be content to crawl up next to her and wrap her in his arms and fall asleep in a post-orgasmic daze. He’ll let her chat how fucked out she feels tomorrow.

Taglist: (If you asked for a tag and it’s not here, Tumblr likely isn’t letting me tag you. Ask if you want me to try again.)

Chapter 9

Anything: @kittenofdoomage @fvckinghenrycavill @mayloma @sillyrabbit81 @kebabgirl67 @beck07990  @itsrubberbisquit​ (Also throwing in a few from the old days for old times sake ;) @littlegreenplasticsoldier​ @anotherwinchesterfangirl​ @sebbytrash​ @feelmyroarrrr​)

NM: @enchantedbytomandhenry​ @kingliam2019​ @henryownsme​ @littlefreya​  @marantha​ @angelcavill66​ @sweetdreamsofgelato​ @jeremyrennermakesmesmile​ @liveoncoffeeandflowersss​ @greensleeves888​ @dinoswierdmom​ @geralts-yenn​ @wabi-sabi1090​ @bourbonwithice​ (@used-to-be-bourbonwithice @identity2212 these don’t work for me, sorry!)

[amomentwiser]

We need to stop acting like people -- women especially -- going through painful procedures is normal.

"Beauty is pain" is such bullshit. I've been told that was something I had to get used to, what with being a little girl and all. As if "beauty" has a single definition. We decide what the definition of "beauty" is, and I've decided that body hair is included in that definition. I say this because today someone, once again, commented on the fact I don't shave at my ripe old age of 21. ("You'd look so much prettier if you did just this one little thing," they say, referring to the act of putting hot wax on one's skin and ripping it off.)

Hurting ourselves over constantly-changing beauty standards is so normalised, and I fucking hate it. It makes me so angry I want to cry, and then tell every teenager who hates themself right now to please stop. To take them in my arms, and shield them from a world hell-bent on skewing their perception of what a human looks like. I want to protect them and never let them see those toxic "how to surprise your boyfriend for Valentine's Day *wink* " or "how to prep for hot girl summer" articles.

When I first found out what a Brazilian wax was, I was horrified. I couldn't believe people voluntarily did this to themselves.

But they -- the media and the magazines and the beauty industry -- do such a good job of conditioning you to believe that your body is dirty, that thick hair is something to be ashamed of, that that horror has been replaced by a new one -- the fear that no one will ever love me, or find me attractive, if I do not conform.

We've been taught our body hair is bad since SUCH a young age. Fuck, as an Indian, I was even taught darker skin is bad. Bleaching skin is SO common in India; the fairness cream ads are utterly shameless and ubiquitous. My mother casually talks about how she went for skin bleaching before her wedding -- part of the "bridal makeup", I suppose. In a country of dark-skinned, hairy people, we look to blonde, fair-skninned Hollywood stars for guidance. And OF COURSE we fall short. Beauty standards like that were never meant for us; in idolising them we set ourselves up to fail.

Does anyone else see how insidious and sinister this plot is? To start conditioning people to hate themselves right when they are babies -- through their mothers who hate their own bodies and pass these insecurities on; through main characters in TV shows and books who are only ever one kind of pretty; via movies where the 'unattractive, unpopular teen' turns sterotypically beautiful, and only then becomes 'cool' or worthy of love; through magazines geared to audiences as young as twelve, telling them to alter their appearance in order to be deemed desirable.

What a masterstroke:

To inextricably connect beauty with lovability, so that our fear of not having good enough hair, skin or makeup turns into a fear of being unlovable.

The former they mock -- "women take so long to get ready!" "Heather cares too much about her makeup" -- while the existence of the latter is normalised or ignored: "Everyone has insecurities. Everyone hates their body." Yeah, WHY? It doesn't need to be that way.

They make people believe the pain is worth it. They give the illusion that you have a choice, that you've made this decision -- to get that brazilian wax or boob lift or nose job -- but you've been led here all your life. They make us believe that the pain is a worth it, a stepping stone to get something far more valuable -- others' love and approval. You've been influenced to believe certain things are desirable. You've been taught your natural existence, isn't. Does this count as acting under your own volition if you've been born into a world that's been pressuring you, in direct and subliminal ways, since the day you were born?

The pain is not worth it, and I will not let them make me torture myself. I do not exist for their aesthetic pleasure. I exist to experience the earth and what it is like to be a human, to eat food and watch sunsets and frolic in the grass and hug friends.

Repeat after me:

I do not exist for other people's aesthetic pleasure.

Fuck everyone. I'm so done.

No more shame.

No more hiding my legs with jeans and long skirts.

I have body hair. Not only on my hands and legs, but on my fingers and toes as well. I have an almost-unibrow. And you know what? I have decided it is beautiful. One day I will find people who agree, and goddammit, I will be loved by them.

And if I can't, fine.

I will yearn for love, and maybe I will be desperate and lonely, but I WILL NOT change myself for someone to love me. Because that wouldn't be real love in the first place. They wouldn't be loving me, not really. They would be loving the actor who is playing me. And I would still feel lonely, only this time in their company.

A boyfriend whose love I'd constantly be afraid of losing; afraid he would find out what a monster I really am. I'd hold on to my shame and keep it buried in the darkest recesses of my mind: the natural habitat of insecurity.

But the thing is: any relationship that requires you to hide parts of yourself is not real love at all.

So, I reiterate: I. Am. Done.

With the beauty standards about hair, skin colour, makeup, eyebrows, glasses, weight, boob or butt or dick size (?? Why are these even a thing? I genuinely don't get it), height, teeth, everything.

I don't fit them. It's okay.

(It's not always okay. My self-esteem swings from finding myself absolutely repulsive some days, to remembering I've been conditioned to be this way, then feeling years-old rage (how dare they brainwash me to hate myself so?) and grief (how much more confident a person could I have been if I hadn't been made to feel trapped in my own skin).

It goes from sunny skies of heartfelt gratitude (my body is healthy, it does so much for me, keeps me alive and helps me experience the world) to the dark pits of self-loathing (no one could ever love me; I shouldn't subject people to my hideous existence) -- to wishful thinking (all my problems would be solved if only I were as pretty as them; how do people look like that??)

But through it all, I will be my natural, hairy, big brown self -- and anyone who has a problem with it can go to Hell and suck Satan's dick.

[elendiliel]

Beautiful Chaos

Reached the canon events at last... (Though the chronology may have been adjusted a bit. Time is weird.) Inspiration credits to the usual source.

---

“Doctor, what is the current status of your synthetic Energon experiments?” Ratchet didn’t turn round when Ultra Magnus addressed him, but his second, Glitch, who had been perched on the edge of his desk, legs swinging and digits tapping against each other like an Earth crab’s claws (her usual way of keeping her shell occupied while her processor worked), stilled herself in preparation for a potential battle of wills, mildly annoyed by being left out. What am I, chopped rivets?

“Doing the best we can, Commander, given the lack of functional equipment at our disposal.” A common complaint from both medibots. They were relying on Earth technology – about a century behind that to which Glitch was used – and the gear she had brought with her from her own reality, which was designed for field medicine, not chemistry.

“You do realise that an alternative energy source may be essential to our survival?” Talk about stating the sparking obvious.

“Believe me, Ultra Magnus, no one is more acutely aware of the stakes than I am.” Also very true. Ratchet had control of the team’s Energon rations – though Glitch regulated her own oil and gasoline intake – and replaced lost fuel after injuries. And his colleague was pretty sure he was short-changing himself to keep everybot else running. Ridiculous. He needs it as much as anybot else.

“And we’d work faster if we weren’t being pestered for updates every five minutes,” Glitch chimed in, glaring up at the much taller mech. The Wrecker commander and the field-tech were usually “ride or die” for one another, and both knew it, but medic solidarity came first. And it unsettled her to see Ratchet, any Ratchet, even slightly subdued. Hers generally gave at least as good as he got in clashes with authority, especially where their Ultra Magnus was concerned. (He had considerable reason for that, she knew.)

“Of course,” that universe’s Magnus conceded before heading off to berate half the team for not being out in the field – only to be told that they were complying with his own orders. At least he can’t charge me with dereliction of duty, Glitch thought. She had woken up that morning feeling tense and irritable, with a growing processor-ache (a normal one, not the kind that had plagued her since the cortical psychic patch) and much too aware of everything – all the warning signs for a Bad Day and potential meltdown – and tipped Ratchet off so that he could requisition her to help with his Synth-En project. All according to the now-standard procedure that prevented her from becoming a liability in combat. She wondered whether Ultra Magnus were having a bad day – or Bad Day – of his own, trying to keep the chaotic team – so far outside his comfort zone, more like a family – running while Prime was away, and resolved to cut him more slack in future.

Wheeljack did not share her sentiments when he came inside coated in coolant after tinkering with Magnus’ ship, the Iron Will, to her pilot’s displeasure. Luckily for everyone concerned, though, the argument had barely got started when Prime’s jetpack came into auditory range. Glitch sympathised with Magnus when everyone else greeted their leader with affection they never showed him, but decided to leave that problem in Prime’s capable servos and deal with a simpler issue.

“Better clean yourself up before you get coolant everywhere,” she advised Wheeljack, throwing him a towel she kept beneath her repair table. “And soak that immediately once you’re done, or it’ll stain.”

“I know that,” Wheeljack said, applying the towel to the worst of the coolant patches. “But how’d you find out?”

“The hard way.” As ever. “If you’re going to fly a ship, you have to know how to fix her.”

“I didn’t know you were a pilot.” Somehow it had never come up in conversation, she realised, and the team usually bridged everywhere. When the Iron Will was needed, Magnus and Wheeljack had a duopoly on the controls. “What’s your ship?”

“IG-2000 cruiser, heavily modified. Technically she’s state property, confiscated from a bounty hunter my Ratchet and I arrested, but we’ve put so much work into her that everyone considers her ours. Handles like the proverbial dream, especially since we stripped out most of the weapons, has top-of-the-line stealth tech, and we boosted the shields for when that’s not enough, as well as fixing the hull breach her last pilot made trying to kill us, renovating the med-bay and changing her name from Death’s Head to Moth.” Glitch suddenly realised just how much she missed that ship. Almost as much as she missed her team, their base in Detroit and her old home, family and friends on Cybertron. I’ll see them again. When we’ve beaten this lot of ‘Cons.

“Good name. Suits you. You’ll have to show her to me when we get you back home.”

“Which might not happen if we don’t solve this,” Ratchet put in, recalling Glitch to the matter in servo. She refocused her attention on the problem of synthesising Energon, until the detection of the natural version posed a new and more familiar problem and the Autobots rolled out.

One solar-cycle, Prime’s Windu-on-Anaxes impression might actually work. (Offering the enemy a chance to surrender, that was, not defusing a bomb with the Force.) It was not that solar-cycle. The battle was as short and sharp as expected, the Vehicons going down almost too easily, leaving carts of Energon for the taking. Prime assigned Stealth Team to transport them to base while the Wreckers – plus Smokescreen – inspected the mine for hidden fuel or enemies.

“Watch your backplates in there,” Glitch warned, levitating a cart with her magnets. “Something about this doesn’t add up.” When she said that, it usually meant something, rapid data analysis being one of her built-in abilities.

“Ah, c’mon!” Smokescreen didn’t know that. “What’s that Earth saying – don’t look a gift house in the mouth?”

“Horse,” Glitch corrected, which clearly made more sense to the sports car. “Daft expression. I can’t quite compute it, but there’s something off here. We pick up a motherlode of Energon, already mined and packaged, badly guarded, right when we need it most – doesn’t that seem a bit too convenient?”

“Coincidences happen. I mean, what were the chances of you turning up when and where you did?” Smokescreen had a point – probably. “Anyway, I’d better go. I’ll tell you whether you were right when we get back.” The Wreckers vanished into the mine, and Glitch returned to the task she had been given, still more than a little uneasy about the whole situation.

That unease was still present when, a while later, the last carts of Energon were about to go through the groundbridge and none of the Wreckers had come back. Instead of continuing with the Synth-En project, she scanned for the team’s energy signatures, focusing on the area around the mine. Prime, Bulkhead and Smokescreen were together and stationary, but the others – she knew that pattern of movement, and it chilled her to the struts. Doubly so when she tapped into Wheeljack’s and Ultra Magnus’ comms and heard the unmistakable sound of Autobot alloy striking rock, over and over, the ring of metal on metal, and, in particular, the Forge of Solus Prime hitting both Autobot armour and a similar but distinct alloy, not Autobot of either reality, but not Decepticon either. The difference was subtle, but with her senses heightened by a Bad Day she could hear it. There was no time to lose. She switched channels to call the Autobots nearest the battle. “Wheeljack and Magnus need backup. Five flipping cycles ago.”

“Wreckers don’t call for backup,” Bulkhead protested automatically.

“If those two don’t get some sharpish, we’ll be cleaning up what’s left of their shells, if we’re lucky.” Glitch regretted her harsh tone, but was too tense to apologise.

“Can you guide me?” Prime broke in. Of course he was the logical choice, the fastest and most heavily armed of the three Autobots there. And yes, she could.

“I’ll prepare the medical bay,” Ratchet said as Glitch began to relay directions to Prime, one audial listening to the battle in the mine, one optic on the life-sign scanner. The Wreckers were fighting well, co-operating as never before, but it might not be enough. “Arcee, bridge the others back, and be ready to do the same for Optimus, Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack.”

The next few minutes were among the longest of Glitch’s life. Time slowed to a crawl as the Wreckers and their unknown (but suspected) assailant hammered away at each other, and almost entirely stopped when she heard Wheeljack say, “And here I was just beginning to tolerate you.”

“It’s been an honour, soldier,” was Ultra Magnus’ reply, just before something metallic – not the Forge, please, not the Forge – broke. They would have been perfect last words for each one had Prime not arrived just in the nick of time. Glitch’s spark was still humming as he carried his soldiers away, no longer needing her guidance, though she kept the comm lines open. Which was just as well; nanokliks before the groundbridge opened, the sound she heard justified her fears and told her and Ratchet with what kinds of injury they might be dealing.

Ultra Magnus was out like a light when Prime flew into the hangar that served the Earthbound Autobots as a base, but Wheeljack was still conscious as Smokescreen took him from their leader and half-carried him over to Glitch’s repair table (significantly lower than Ratchet’s, as Glitch was less than half her superior’s height, and would have struggled to keep even Wheeljack upright). His processor-to-synth filter had taken a beating, though. “Oh, great, I get stuck with the rookie.”

She knew he didn’t really mean it even before her scanner revealed minor processor damage, as well as a number of other injuries. “You just have straightforward impact trauma. Magnus lost his flaming servo; he needs Ratchet, not me.” She remembered what had done the damage even as Wheeljack flinched. “Sorry. Bad choice of words. Flaming and Predacon go together too well.”

“How’d you know about the Predacon?”

“I was listening in on your comms. I’ve sparred with Dinobots and Jetfire back home; I know what a fire-breathing ‘bot sounds like.” She remembered something else she had heard, which hadn’t made sense at the time. “Can it transform?”

“He, I think, and yes. And he’s one Pit of a fighter in both forms – though Magnus fought like a Wrecker.”

“We know,” Bumblebee beeped. “Glitch was watching your life-signs. She made sure you got backup in time.”

“Seriously? You could tell we were in trouble just from that?”

“I know what a combat movement pattern looks like, too. My processor’s weird like that. Can’t deal with social conventions, can barely read faces, but can spot teammates in trouble and go full-on – angry medic at whoever might be able to help them.��� She almost said “Kix on Umbara”, but she knew Wheeljack hadn’t seen The Clone Wars.

“Well, thanks, from both of us.” Wheeljack glanced over at Ultra Magnus, who was slowly coming round to find Ratchet cauterising the twisted metal where his servo had been. The younger Wrecker lapsed into silence for a little while, allowing the field-tech to fix him up. “Optimus didn’t get there a moment too soon. The Predacon threw a fragging stalactite at me, used the Forge to take Magnus’ hand clean off, broke the Forge and was about to kill Magnus when -,”

“Broke the Forge?” Glitch had known that was on the cards, but had hoped her suspicions weren’t correct. “And you didn’t bring the pieces back?”

“We were a little busy not dyin’,” Wheeljack pointed out, quite reasonably, though Glitch was almost beyond reason. Now that she had finished repairing her friend, the anger she had pushed away so that she could do her job – anger at herself for not doing more, at the Decepticons for setting up the trap, at everyone who had fallen for it – surged up through her circuits and took control of her processor. All she could say was, “We needed that.”

Before anyone could stop her – Smokescreen tried, but Prime held him back – she had stormed over to the groundbridge, switching the coordinates to the last log entry but one, and activated it with a magnetic pulse. Nobot tried to follow her back to the mine. They knew, as she did deep down, that she had to work that fury out of her system, preferably by doing something constructive.

The mine was deserted when she arrived, outside and, as far as she could tell, in, but she still put her stealth training to good use. She was built for stealth, after all, despite her often-conspicuous bronze plating. Had she been protoformed during the Great War, she would probably have been a scout, not a field-tech – never mind that her digits seemed to have been made for medical work, or that she felt most alive when she was treating a patient (or with Bee). Form had defined function back then. Things had got better, though; becoming a field-tech, rather than an academic like her caregivers, hadn’t been easy, but it had been possible, and she had chosen to learn stealth – among other skills – from her cyber-ninja teammate Jazz, when he had the time.

She had also learned well from her Ratchet, her mentor. Just before the space-bridge malfunction that had sent her to that universe, he had taught her one of the finer points of using her magnets. They could be employed as a kind of scanner, distinguishing objects by their magnetic susceptibility. Describing the difference between one metal and another was like – to use a cliché – explaining colours to a blind person, but she could sense it. (Bee called that “using the Force,” naturally.) The Forge, a relic of the Primes, was easy to pick out once she had almost reached the site of the battle; the pieces all but jumped into her servos. The handle was cleanly broken, and could be repaired, shorter than before but functional, while the head was intact. Autobot alloy was also quite distinctive. She was able to retrieve some of Ultra Magnus’ shattered servo – all the digits and part of the palm – and stowed the fragments in her repair kit. The mechanisms were probably beyond saving, but the alloy could be recast, at least.

“Fascinating…” She nearly dropped the pieces of hammer as the voice echoed through the mine. Cybertronian, but not familiar. Perhaps the elusive Shockwave? She crept closer, her steps still soundless despite her humming spark. It was Shockwave all right, if the others’ description were accurate, a purple tank mech standing with his backplate to her in the wreckage left by an explosion (Wheeljack’s servo-work, most likely). Shattered glass and fragments of metal were strewn around, and here and there she could see something that might once have been part of a Predacon. (What had Wheeljack done?) But Shockwave’s attention wasn’t on any of that. He was studying another set of metal structures at the far end of the space, which showed no signs of damage. Nor did they seem to have been forged by human hand or Cybertronian servo. The random shapes had an almost organic quality to them, as though they had grown. Cybermatter?

She had no more time for sightseeing; Shockwave had called Megatron, who would surely be arriving soon. Best to be gone before that happened. She slipped away as quietly as she had come, towards the groundbridge back to base and her newest family, sparing only one more glance for the beautiful chaos she was leaving behind – before heading for another sort.

[the-fiction-witch]

The Procedure P2

Media IRL

Character Thomas Brodie Sangster

Couple Thomas X Reader

Rating Sweet Af

Concept The Procedure 

We had to wake up bright and early for the day ahead, I got dressed into comfy but presentable clothes and I made sure Thomas has a bath we packed up a small bag just in case he had to stay in overnight and we headed off in the car I was driving today mostly just because… I don't think he was scared but nervous. 

"You okay?' I asked rubbing his thigh a little as I didn't have to change gear in his car 

"Yeah, just…. Feeling kinda weird"

"You don't have to go though with it if you don't want to Thomas"

"No I want to. Just I don't know hospitals always freak me out"

"I know, you wanna stop for breakfast?'

"I can't have coffee doctor says so"

"Yes but you can have hashbrowns?"

"I don't wanna be late"

'what are they gonna do? Start your vasectomy without you?"

"Good point" he chuckled, "hashbrowns?"

'hashbrowns for my brave boy" I smiled giving his cheek a kiss making him blush a little, we got our breakfast and I filled up my coffee canister as I know we'll be waiting around alot and we headed off to the hospital, he sighed in while I got us some nice seats in the waiting room and soon enough he joined me 

"they'll summon me when the time comes" 

"Good, you okay?"

"Yeah just hospitals" 

"Alright, cuddle?"

"Yes please" he smiled leaning on my shoulder 

"It's just a little snip snip. Under fifteenth minutes and you'll be home in time for tea"

"I hope. What if it fucks up? What if they accidentally like sneeze and cut my cock off!"

"There surgeons Thomas they know not to do that"

"If doctor's didn't make mistakes they wouldn't make you sign malpractice paperwork"

"....... I can't fault that you have a point' I shrug "you'll be fine, they probably do a million of these" I told him giving him a cuddle we waited for a good while watching people come and go, often watching the BBC news on the TV with closed captioning and no sound often eyeing up vending machine possibilities we'd been here so long I'd almost finished my coffee canister And I ordered four cups for it this morning. 

Until At Last two hours after we were scheduled to be here a nurse called him in 

"Go on then"

"Can- can you come with me?"

"Really?'

"Please" he asks 

"Alright come on" I smiled holding his hand as we went though to a little room with a bed he got changed and nervously sat on the bed so I held his hand often giving it a squeeze to help him feel better, the doctor soon arrived and we did some simple questions and answers, he explained the procedure and the rules for afterwards no baths, no heavy lifting, just rest for about ten days and ice lots and lots of ice. He explained what we'd have do after it heals to make sure everything is fine.

"So? You ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready" he nods squeezing my hand tightly

"Good, good. Let's just have ourselves a check" he says making me giggle a little as the doctor checked him over "you were supposed to shave"

"I was? Ohh. That was not on the phanflet"

"No but I told you when you came in about it."

"Sorry"

"It's fine you'd be surprised how many forget. Get it done and we'll get you off got a room open at one" the doctor said before heading out to deal with other people

"Can-"

"No. No Thomas you shave your damn self"

"But I can't see all underneath and such"

"How do you think I shave between my legs?" 

".... I've never thought about it" he says "please?"

"No. I'm going to get a galaxy caramel bar" I laughed heading out finding myself a vending machine and grabbing a snack for myself and returning to the room "holy fuck Thomas!" As the beds white covers and his hands where coved in either little bits of blood or bloody tissues 

"Mistakes where made." He says 

"What did you do!"

"Apparently there is a wrong was to shave down there"

"Yeah there is"

"I did it wrong"

"You silly boy" I sighed helping to clean him up even giving him a little kiss 

"Y/n!" he complained "I don't think it's supposed to be hard when they do it"

"So?"

"So don't give it kisses" he complained

"do you not want my kisses?"

"Of course I want your kisses" he Cooes "but I don't want the doctor's to get mad at me. You know how bad I'll miss your kisses over the next few days"

"I'm still be able to give little kisses even if there over your pants" I smiled giving his nose a kiss 

"You will?"

"Of course I will I have to take care of you" I cooed 

"Your too sweet to me" he smiled we finished up and soon enough the doctor and a nurse returned and got him set up in the bed 

"It's gonna be fine, we'll be done before you know it"

"Ooookay" he sighed giving my hand some squeezes 

"You'll be fine" I smiled "see you soon"

"See you soon, love you"

"Love you too" I smiled giving him a kiss before the started to take him away so I waved and blew him kisses till he disappeared around a corridor so I headed to the restaurant or whatever it technically is grabbing myself some lunch and sitting by the window mostly to read my book and wait while I had his bag I waited a good hour before I got a texted 

Thomas X 

I'm alive

Y/n <3 

Good to hear, where are you?

Thomas X 

Room C 16, please bring me water and a snack xxxxxxxxx

I laughed and got him a some crisps and a wrap as that was all they had heading thought and grabbing a bottle of water on the way before I found his little room overlooking the car park where he laid in bed clearly in pain 

"Hi" I smiled giving him a little kiss on the head 

"Noooo" he whines so I smiled giving his lips a kiss and setting the stuff on the table "ummmm I love you!" He smiled immediately having the water 

"How you feeling?" I asked sitting in the chair 

"Horrible."

"You where in there a while?"

"There were complications" 

"How so?"

"Couldn't find where they need go in, went in found out they where in wrong, found where they should have been went in it wouldn't cut. Just complicated sweetheart" he sighed 

"Alright, you numb?"

"From the waist down yes. They always give me way more numbing then I need. Just numb and sore"

"Get used to it your gonna be numb and sore for a while now"

"I know. But it's worth it."

"Ummm my little watermelon" I smiled giving him a kiss he looked confused "cause your seedless" 

"Ohh fuck off y/n" he laughed "but really it's done now. That's it."

"Regret it already?"

"No. I'm happy it's over now" he smiled holding my hand "and I promise I will do a much shinner sign of commitment soon" he says kissing my hand 

"Do you need too? I've already permanently marked you"

"You kinda have. And yes. It was not supposed to be hard when I went in. I got told off"

"Awww sorry"

"It's fine I blamed you"

"I'm sure you did, you want anything?”

“...will you feed me my wrap?”

“No.”

“I’ve just had surgery!” he pouts 

“You had a vasectomy thomas. Don’t pout and plead like someone just stole your kidney” 

“Please” he pouts

“No. if you're home tonight we’ll have pizza okay?”

“Okay, will you pet my head?”

“Yes,” I smiled happily giving him a gentle cuddle petting his hair a little to relax him into a nap. 

[normal-thoughts-official]

I've already made a post about this outfit but it's so beyond ugly that I need to make another because this is literally keeping me up at night.

First of all. The goth neck brace + funerary radar dish combo. Outfits to give your dog when it has arthritis AND a flea infection. What does Marguerite have against our neck. Is there even a reason for the grey reverse V thing with not one but THREE buttons, one of which is in the INNER part of the cervical collar in an emo phase, or is it just to constantly bother MC? Their chin is gonna chafe and that's just embarrassing. And I do mean their chin because this spinal cord injury contraption is thick enough to reach the very tip of their obnoxiously long jaw. And the button isn't even VISIBLE unless the expectators are going to be sniffing MC's shoulderblades as part of the show. All in all, traumatizing

The pattern on the coat itself makes me mad because it could be something if it... were something, but it's not. Pick. A. Pattern. You can't start with one and then randomly change your mind halfway through, especially when neither of them are good patterns to begin with. It's like she Frankestein'ed her grandma's favorite dish towels and made it silver. Why are there buttons on the lapels (and the neck brace) when the coat doesn't have buttons anywhere else? Why is there a ZIPPER that clearly can't be used due to said buttons, especially when she decided to just hold the coat closed with one of those childrens backpack's handles? And it is clearly TOO TIGHT. This is at least the third CoP2 outfit with a butthole in it, and all I have to say is WHY. Why go out of your way to draw a butthole for your outfit so it looks like it DOESN'T fit right???? This is the fashion equivalent of a stroke simulator

The sleeves are also too long which is just. I mean, seriously. It can't be that hard to locate a wrist and have the sleeve end there. Why is this shit nearly reaching their palm. This isn't fashion this is immobilization fetish gear. Maybe Marguerite is the murderer and she plans to suffocate us with the death belt while we're unable to move our hands and neck. Holy mother of jesus I just realized the turtleneck has stripes. I don't even have the time to unpack that

The cobra ring is just record breakingly ugly. Not to mention big enough to cover MC's ENTIRE KNUCKLE, and everyone knows Choices men have yaoi hands

And then there's the pants. It's like she saw that shoe-pants meme and thought "how can I make this worse". Why would you have zippers that cover the entire leg? Zipping this up would be more effective than most hair removal procedures. A perfect hairless straight line on each leg, just what I've always wanted. And why is it so lumpy? Is MC hiding snacks in their thighs? Do they have leg spikes? WHY would they draw this? Again they're going out of their way to make this seem ill-fitting and weird and then asking us to pay to wear this. It'd make more sense to hold us at gunpoint and demand ransom money to allow us to take this off

In short: Mags, I love you, but STOP FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS. Go work at IKEA. I can't do this anymore

[dzthenerd490]

File: OC 12

SCP#: AFO

Code Name: Lunar Cat Church Merchandise

Object Class: Joke/Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-AFO has been contained at Site-AB and locked in a 5x5 meter room. It is placed on a podium with a glass container over it, the glass is laced with memetic patters preventing anyone from viewing SCP-AFO to suffer its effects. Testing with SCP-AFO is not permitted as the Foundation already knows the full extent of its anomalous effects. 

Description: SCP-AFO is a small statue of 20cm in height and 8cm in width, it is a has a square black marble base, with a flat hollow metal crescent on top of it with a flat metal shape of a cat sitting on the crescent. on the marble base is a metal plate that states "praise the cat for they are the messengers of the moon. The moon see's all, believe in the moon and you'll see too." 

When someone views SCP-AFO without proper Cognito-Hazard protection gear they will become worshipers of the "Lunar Cat Church". This effect applies to everyone who views it from any place at any time, even viewing it form a photo or video places the view under its anomalous effects. Worshipers of this religion worship the moon, take great care of cats, tries to adopt new cats, and even make and sell merchandise based on the religion. 

When someone views SCP-AFO they claim that by looking directly at the moon they can see visions of the future and the past. Anomalous events relating to SCP-AFO confirm this to be true such as worshipers solving old crime cases with no evidence, saving others form disastrous events, and even winning the lottery. The number of visions worshipers have typically depended on how many cats they have. This also leads to a secondary anomalous effect relating to the cats owned by the worshiper. 

Cats owned by a worshiper will also become under the anomalous effect of SCP-AFO. Cats under the anomalous effect will have glowing eyes and the ability speak. They normally end up speaking about "missions" that the moon has for them. These missions typically include making merchandise for the church, protecting important people, and spreading the "wisdom" of the moon. Thankfully the merchandise they make has no anomalous properties and therefore are not a threat. Targeted "important" people are either talented and/or rich people that could owe the church some favors. Spreading the "wisdom" of the moon, normally just amounts to spreading quotes about the future, past, cats, the moon, and just creating memes relating to the church. 

SCP-AFO was discovered in 2018 when a sudden surge of moon and cat relate merchandise was being sold in [data expunged], Canada. Every item and purchase lead to the city [data expunged], Foundation agents eventually found SCP-AFO within an abandoned warehouse surrounded by worshipers. However, they were quickly placed under its spell and thus were compromised. Later Mobile Task Force Eta-10 "See No Evil" was deployed and was able to take SCP-AFO with surprisingly no resistance. However, after it was retrieved form where it was placed, a paper was found.

There have been religions that praise cats, there have been religions that praise the moon.

Yet there's never been a religion that praises both? Why is that?

Maybe it's time for a change, maybe it's time for a new era, maybe it's time to praise both! And maybe its time to make a quick buck off it.

But maybe that's just us losing our minds, after all, we're just Zealots on Crack!

For those who are unaware, Zealots on Crack is a small Group of Interest that split off the much larger GoI: Are We Cool Yet? quite similar to GoI: Gamers Against Weed. They are actually a more chaotic group of interest that like to create anomalous items and entities that always revolve around the aspect of religion one way or another. Like SCP-AFO the anomalies they produce are typically harmless and at best are a joke and at worst a potential BM Class Broken Masquerade Scenario, but rarely do they ever cause any physical harm to the public. However, this is not to say that such a scenario is impossible, it has been seen in the past that Zealots on Crack have made demonic and sacrificial religions especially religions relating to the "Abyss".

Efforts are currently underway to find out if it's possible to cure the people who have fallen under the effects of SCP-AFO. Besides that, efforts to stop the media from spreading information about SCP-AFO is conducted by Mobile Task Force Dionysus-1 "Fake News". The nature of SCP-AFO was fully revealed during its discovery and containment as such testing has not been permitted or deemed necessary. 

.

SCP: Horror Movie Files Hub

[dankusner]

CHAPTER 9

124

involvement of a number of participants. There are multiple steps now required of several different entities, ranging from school officials to the triquire prosecutors who file the cases to the judase When i hear them, and even, on some occasions, the juries that have been impaneled to decide the child's fate in a contested truancy matter. There are contempt procedures for those who do not cooperate with the court, and a long list of potential court-ordered remedies ranging from simply attending school to completing community service hours to participation in programs addressing alcohol and drug abuse. There are programs that teach self-improvement and self-esteem, programs that teach manners, and programs geared toward pregnant students that show "how to be a good parent."

The court may also order DPS to suspend the student's driver's license for a specified period of time (for those students old enough to drive) —a practical punishment for teens who love the liberation of the open road, but one that's not so effective for those teens too poor to have any practical access to a car.

The majority of the kids I see don't have driver's licenses anyway.

They say, "I don't even have a desire to get a driver's license." A lot of them aren't even citizens.-Hon. James R. DePiazza, Denton County

The judges who talked to me were all over the map when it came to whether failure-to-attend should have been left where it was, or if the criminal penalties that had long existed for truancy should have been done away with. (Incidentally, the correlated case known as "parent contributing to non-attendance" is still subject to criminal prosecution.)

Don't Fix What Ain't Broken

Jeff Monk (Johnson County) saw merit in the way that truancy used to be handled in Texas's justice courts.

Let's just say me and the senator who wrote the truancy bill don't see eye to eye. I felt the truancy laws that were here when I took office were good laws. They were strong. They allowed the courts to have some teeth to go with that bark, to hold people accountable. The way it is now, it

Juvenile Justice

125

pushes responsibilities onto the schools even before it gets to the courts, which I have no problem with, but once it gets to the court, we're now very limited in what our sanctions can be. The judges are restricted from making good decisions that will benefit the next generation. Was the law abused by some courts? Yes. I will not deny that. But what I did when I first started hearing these cases was I thought about standing in the court myself-standing before that IP who made a difference in my life. I want to make that same difference in somebody else's life.

When they first changed the failure to attend school law I said, well, you took out my teeth and gave me false teeth.

-Hon. James R. DePiazza, Denton County

When the law changed, Tisha Sanchez, a JP court clerk at the time, said that the county attorney for Palo Pinto County stopped handling truancy cases.

It really hurt the schools as far as attendance. He said, "I'm not a civil attorney." No truancy cases were filed for two years.

When I got into office, we got a new county attorney and a new county judge; I got with them and the school superintendent and I said, "I want to get this back."

Sanchez said she thought everyone was going to throw a party because finally they could deal with this problem.

Talyna Carlson (Gregg County) finds that the change in the law prevents her from seeing students as often as she used to. The old system, despite its shortcomings, brought the kids into her courtroom so she could work with them.

I was standing at the Clinique counter in Longview, and this big woman said, "Are you that judge from Kilgore?"

I was thinking, I'm fixing to get beat up, but I said, "Yes, maam."

"Well, I'd like to tell you that if you hadn't been so tough, my grandson would have never graduated from high school. Can I hug your neck?" When they changed the laws and I couldn't see the kids anymore, I couldn't ask the boys, "What's your dream truck? What color is it? What kind of wheels do you want on it?"

She misses that.

[linuxgamenews]

DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1: New Features and Improvements

DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1 for the epic FPS roguelike game adds new features for Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Thanks to the creative team at Team_Derelict for making this all possible. Aiming for a release later this year on Steam. Team Derelict is eager to announce that DROSS is taking over with Demo Update 0.8.1. Bringing a lineup of new features — fresh weapons, new enemy types, and creepy Dross nest infestations. Plus loads of fixes and tweaks to make Linux gameplay smoother. So if you're into FPS roguelike games with a heavy dose of horror, you’ll definitely want to dive back in and see what’s changed. DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1 throws you into a derelict facility crawling with alien bugs—the Dross. As you explore this spooky, procedurally generated world, you’ll collect powerful weapons and gear to help you survive. Each run is different, keeping things fresh (and terrifying) every time you drop in.

The DROSS - 0.8.1 demo Update Features New Weapons

First up in Demo Update 0.8.1, we've brought back the Plasma Rifle and the Automatic Shotgun in DROSS. These bad boys are higher-level, so they’re a bit tougher to snag. You can grab them in the shop (for a price) or track them down in armories as you level up. Time to bring some serious firepower!

Armored Enemies

Now, some enemies are coming at you with face armor. This makes them spawn slower and move a bit slower, but also makes them a tougher target. As you progress and start landing more headshots, you’ll see these armored enemies pop up more frequently.

Nest Infestations

Things are getting creepier with nest infestations across levels. You’ll see more enemies around these areas, which are now visibly infested on your map. In the Demo Update 0.8.1, tThe higher the infestation level, the stronger the red marks on the DROSS map. So, if you see a red zone, be ready for action!

Improved Enemy Director

Our updated Enemy Director now keeps tabs on how you’re doing in-game – shots fired, damage taken, accuracy, all that good stuff. This should help balance the combat, giving you breaks and ramping up the action depending on your performance. It also affects which types of enemies spawn, so every run will feel more dynamic and suited to your skills.

DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1 Trailer

Polished Details

We’ve added tons of small touches. Locked doors now glow red, explosions add some smoke and light, grabbing items out of combat has its own animation, and time slows slightly when selecting grenades or switching weapons. These Demo Update 0.8.1 tweaks should add up to a smoother, more immersive DROSS game on Linux.

First-Person Animation Fixes

We ran into some issues with first-person animations, mainly with arm and hand rotations that caused…well, some wild spinning! It was quicker to rework animations from scratch, so things look a bit different. Now, switching from holding a weapon to guarding is smoother, and you can even guard without a weapon. Some animations aren’t fully polished yet, but they’re getting there.

Corridor Themes

To make each floor feel unique, Demo Update 0.8.1 has different themes for the DROSS corridors. It’s simple for now, but it adds a bit of atmosphere as you go deeper. This will continue to evolve based on feedback, so let Team_Derelic know what you think.

Player Luck & Shops

We’ve introduced a Luck stat that affects item drops and shop discounts. Higher luck means better chances for goodies in boxes and sales in shops. You can boost your Luck in subtle ways as you play, adding a nice layer of strategy to item hunting.

DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1 Bug Fixes and Adjustments

We’ve tackled a long list of bugs and issues based on player feedback. Here are a few highlights:

Fixed problems with some rooms not updating infestation visuals correctly.

Adjusted armored bug AI so they don’t get too close or start walking on walls unexpectedly.

Smoothed out the shotgun reload and grenade animations.

Addressed issues with vending machines not spawning ammo or grenades.

Added map icons for bigger machines to make navigation easier.

And a ton more!

DROSS Demo Update 0.8.1 Final Touches

Lastly, there is some polish around locked doors, item pickups, and ambient lighting. Due to make the whole experience feel more immersive. It's taken a lot of work – and more than a few all-nighters – but it's coming together very well. Remember, the DROSS FPS roguelike is still in development, so keep that feedback coming for Demo Update 0.8.1. Let the dev's know what you like, what you don’t, and they’ll keep working to make it even better. You can add it to your Steam wishlist now if you haven't already. Due to release in Q4 2024 on Linux, Mac, and Windows PC.

[tahirkarim2244]

 Preamble to The Virtuoso Wave: Opening Your Psyche's Actual limit

To Becoming Great Genius Wave JOIN NOW

In this current reality where shrewdness, creative mind, and loosening up are principal for progress and flourishing, The Virtuoso Wave offers a vital resource for help with improving your cerebrum. Whether you're expecting to help your proficiency, redesign your creativity, or find a feeling of concordance and loosening up, The Virtuoso Wave could be the plan you need. However, what exactly is it, and how might it work? In this article, we'll dive significantly into the science behind The Virtuoso Wave, examine its development, and discuss the many benefits it offers. You'll moreover track down how to effectively use it and why such innumerable people are going to this procedure to achieve their own and capable targets.

What Is The Virtuoso Wave?

The Virtuoso Wave is a sort of brainwave entrainment development expected to empower express brainwaves, helping clients with showing up at needed mental states. These states could go from significant loosening up to expanded creative mind or sharp focus. The development works by using sound or visual enhancements to ask your frontal cortex to match the repeat of the external source, truly "tuning" your mind to work at a specific repeat.

Imagine it as a mental gadget that helps you with changing gears to you — whether you need to focus, loosen up, or be creative. The Virtuoso Wave uses sound frequencies that sync up with your brainwaves to help you with achieving the mental state you need, whether it's clearness for work or quietness for consideration.

Diagram of Its Advancement and Benefits

The Virtuoso Wave uses carefully made sound frequencies, known as "binaural beats" or "isochronic tones," to coordinate the frontal cortex into different states of perception. These sound waves help out your psyche's ordinary rhythms and engage an adjustment of brainwave plans. By waiting there patiently, standing by listening to these phenomenally arranged tracks, you can overhaul your focus, imagination, and loosening up.

Key Benefits of The Virtuoso Wave:

Mental Enhancement:Further created obsession, memory, and thinking skills.

Stress Help and Relaxation:Decreases tension and advances a state of calm.

Overhauled Creativity:Strengthens the brain to kick off something new.

Further created Decisive reasoning Abilities:Sharpens your cerebrum to deal with challenges all the more in fact.

Support in Learning Abilities: Paces up the most widely recognized approach to learning and holding information.

How The Virtuoso Wave Capabilities

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At its middle, The Virtuoso Wave chips away at the possibility of brainwave entrainment. This technique incorporates using external upgrades — typically sound or light pulses — to synchronize your brainwaves with an optimal repeat. This grants you to get to different viewpoints, similar to raised concentrate, significant loosening up, or creative stream.

The Science Behind The Virtuoso Wave

Our frontal cortices work at different frequencies, dependent upon what we are doing and how we are feeling. These frequencies are divided into unquestionable brainwave plans: alpha, beta, theta, and delta waves. Each brainwave configuration connects with another mental state. For example, when you are locked in and alert, your frontal cortex is consistently conveying beta waves. Right when you're free or considering, your frontal cortex will make alpha waves.

The Virtuoso Wave uses sound waves that are played at unequivocal frequencies to influence these brainwave plans. The goal is to coordinate your frontal cortex into an optimal state by playing tones at a particular repeat, helping you with focusing, loosening up, or becoming more inventive.

Brainwave Fervor Methodologies

There are two head techniques used in brainwave entrainment:

1. **Binaural Beats:** These are hear-capable misdirections made when two imperceptibly different frequencies are played in each ear. Your psyche sees the difference between these two frequencies and produces a beat at a comparable rate, guiding your brainwaves to match the repeat of the beat.

2. **Isochronic Tones:** Unlike binaural beats, isochronic tones don't require headphones and are uttered by pulsating sound at express stretches. These dull pulses cause the frontal cortex to synchronize with the temperament, thinking about an even more noteworthy and direct brainwave entertainment experience.

 Kinds of Waves Included (Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta)

Each kind of brainwave looks at to a substitute point of view:

Alpha Waves (8-13 Hz):Related to loosening up and peacefulness. Typical when you're in a smart or clever state.

Beta Waves (14-30 Hz):Associated with dynamic thinking, decisive reasoning, and obsession. These waves are overwhelming while you're managing an endeavor or participating in reasonable thinking.

Theta Waves (4-8 Hz): Related to significant loosening up, creative mind, and the dream state. These waves are a significant part of the time present during consideration or gazing vacantly at nothing in particular.

Delta Waves (0.5-4 Hz): The slowest brainwaves, normally conveyed during significant rest. These waves are principal for recovering and recuperation.

Sorts of Virtuoso Wave Downloads

Virtuoso Wave downloads are tweaked to suit various necessities. Whether you're looking for mental clarity or significant loosening up, there's conceivable a specific download planned to help you with achieving your goal.

Different Classes of Downloads:

1. Focus and Concentration:** For those requiring an edge in productivity, these downloads help with stimulating beta waves, keeping you sharp and careful.

2. **Creativity and Inspiration:** Planned to exploit your internal virtuoso, these downloads vivify theta waves, taking into account free-streaming considerations and improvement.

3. **Relaxation and Stress Relief:** Alpha and theta waves help with guiding you into a state of peace, ideal for stress diminishing or dialing back following a clamoring day.

4. **Sleep and Significant Relaxation:** Delta wave downloads are perfect for additional creating rest quality, helping you with drifting off into a significant, relieving rest.

 Guidelines to Pick the Right Download for Your Goals

While picking a Virtuoso Wave download, consider what mental state you're endeavoring to achieve. If you're anticipating a significant errand and need focus, a beta-wave-empowering track is perfect. If you're feeling anxious, something expected for loosening up with alpha waves may be more sensible. Those searching for a creative mind should look for theta wave tracks, while delta wave downloads have a significant effect for significant rest and loosening up.

Benefits of Virtuoso Wave Downloads

The Virtuoso Wave offers different mental and significant benefits, making it an adaptable instrument for anyone expecting to upgrade their frontal cortex's actual limit.

Mental Update

By invigorating beta waves, Virtuoso Wave downloads can chip away at your fixation, memory, and ability to manage information. Whether you're perusing up for a test or managing a troublesome endeavor, these downloads can help with supporting your intellectual abilities.

Stress Help and Loosening up

With present day life being despite how rapid as it may be, stress and pressure are ordinary issues. Virtuoso Wave downloads that fortify alpha waves can help with calming your mind, lessen strain, and grant you to relax. These tracks are undeniably appropriate for consideration or loosening up following an irate day.

Further created Memory and Learning

Virtuoso Wave downloads expected for mental update can similarly additionally foster memory upkeep and the developing experience. By synchronizing your brainwaves to ideal learning frequencies, you can ingest information even more effectively.

Updating Creative mind and Decisive reasoning

Invigorating theta waves can help you with thinking about a few new potential outcomes and find shrewd fixes to issues. These downloads are especially significant for experts, creators, makers, and anyone related with inventive work.

Client Experiences with The Virtuoso Wave

Various clients report positive experiences with The Virtuoso Wave, referring to all that from additional created focus to all the more promptly rest. Accolades and context oriented examinations recommend that people who dependably utilize Virtuoso Wave downloads notice basic updates in their mental clearness, sensations of nervousness, and in everyday thriving.

Typical Results and Benefits Nitty gritty by Clients

Extended focus and effectiveness

Decreased tension and anxiety

Overhauled creativity and headway

Better nature of rest

Further created memory and learning limit

 Bit by bit directions to Use Virtuoso Wave Downloads Truly

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To profit from your Virtuoso Wave downloads, it's fundamental to use them dependably and in the right environment.

Recommended Repeat and Length of Direction

For ideal results, it's recommended to wait patiently, paying attention to Virtuoso Wave downloads everyday, especially if you're managing long stretch mental or significant improvements. A typical gathering could last 15 to 30 minutes, yet you can change the length considering your schedule and goals.

Ways of increasing the Impact of the Downloads

Use headphones for binaural beats to ensure each ear gets the right repeat.

Find a serene, pleasing place where you won't be disturbed.

Base on your breath and endeavor to loosen up as you tune in.

Best Practices for Listening Conditions

Your listening environment expects a tremendous part in how effective the downloads will be. A peaceful, quiet space freed from interferences will allow you to totally attract with the frequencies and achieve the best mental state.

Standing out Virtuoso Wave from Other

How The Virtuoso Wave Stands Separated from Other Brainwave Headways

While The Virtuoso Wave grants a couple of likenesses to other brainwave entertainment techniques, for instance, binaural beats, it has unique features that set it to the side.

The Virtuoso Wave versus Binaural Beats

Binaural beats use two extraordinary frequencies played in each ear to make an evident third repeat, which helps with synchronizing brain waves. Regardless, The Virtuoso Wave offers additionally created development, involving binaural beats as well as isochronic tones — a more solid kind of brainwave entrainment. Isochronic tones needn't bother with headphones and give a more grounded, more unsurprising brainwave feeling, making The Virtuoso Wave a more adaptable and convincing instrument for achieving mental clearness, loosening up, and focus.

The Virtuoso Wave versus Standard Thought Strategies

Standard thought can require extended lengths of preparation to overwhelm, regularly requesting speculation, discipline, and express strategies to achieve significant loosening up or expanded mental states. The Virtuoso Wave enhances this association by using rationally tuned sound frequencies to impel comparative states in a matter of seconds. While reflection relies upon mental planning, The Virtuoso Wave offers a simple and fast track elective, allowing clients to experience the upsides of consideration and care without requiring extensive practice.To Becoming a Great Genius Wave JOIN NOW

[ear-worthy]

Two New Podcasts About Our Bodies: Less Radical & On The Table With Ashley

Two New Podcasts About Our Bodies: Less Radical & On The Table With Ashley

Two podcasts just premiered that deal with our bodies in widely disparate ways, yet they share an overarching theme: We should take ownership of our bodies when they’re broken and when they finally break down for good.

Less Radical podcast exposes the battle behind the quest for superior breast cancer treatment.

As the world gears up for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this October, award-winning physician, author, and cancer survivorship advocate Dr. Stacy Wentworth has launched a groundbreaking podcast series, Less Radical. 

The six-part series premiered on September 25 and recounts the remarkable and little-known story of Dr. Bernie Fisher, the surgeon-scientist who redefined breast cancer treatment and changed how we understand cancer itself.

However, his success came with a tragic cost: a public, performative Congressional hearing that unfairly destroyed his reputation and haunted him until his death. Through Less Radical, Dr. Wentworth will bring listeners into operating rooms, the halls of Congress, and research labs to explore Fisher’s profound impact on breast cancer patients worldwide.

The first episode is out, and it is riveting. Wentworth begins with the tale of First Lady Betty Ford and her battle with breast cancer. What listeners learn is that the standard treatment for breast cancer when Ford was diagnosed was the Halsted radical mastectomy, which had been used for nearly 80 years when Betty Ford went under the knife. The procedure removes the whole breast, all lymph nodes under the arm, and the chest wall muscles under the breast. It was a disfiguring and debilitating surgery, and thanks to Dr. Fisher, we learned unnecessary much of the time. 

What Dr. Wentworth uncovers is that the male-dominated medical profession decided for women what the best treatment was for breast cancer for over 70 years. The podcasts, in large part, detail the titanic battle to change orthodoxy and find a more effective treatment for breast cancer. 

Wentworth is an excellent host, allowing the narrative to document the tragedy and travesty of the Halsted radical mastectomy. Less Radical is a compelling story, and Wentworth allows it to unfold seamlessly.

Less Radical is a stark reminder that society—including the medical profession—resists change. Too often, we feel secure with procedures, habits, routines, and lifestyles that are no longer beneficial or valuable.

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On The Table With Ashley Podcast — About Death and Dying

Ashley Gould is tackling an often-avoided topic in her latest series: death. In the Death and Dying series, Ashley will converse with experts who deal closely with dying and grief. From palliative care doctor Alex Gamble to Laura Sullivan Cassidy, who works at the first company to legalize human composting, everything is on the table.

Two episodes are being released each month, running through December. This eight-part series explores how vulnerability and curiosity might allow us to connect with ourselves and others in grief. From a palliative care doctor to an end-of-life doula, a will writer, the first human composting facility, and parents who have turned their grief into action, each one of the guests brings a unique perspective on how facing mortality can lead to more peace. 

The stories and insights are complex, thoughtful, and enriching. Through open, intentional conversations that challenge our biases and offer meaningful insights, the series aims to create a space where nothing is off-limits in finding what really matters.

I listened to the first episode in the series with palliative care physician Dr. Alex Gamble. In the episode, the host and guest discuss the concept of existing maturity when faced with terminal cancer. 

The second episode is a heartbreaker, with Gould talking with a mother who lost her daughter to cancer at 11 years old. 

As Gould states accurately many times, we do not handle discussions about our inevitable death well. Avoidance is our go-to tactic. 

On the Table with Ashley stimulates important discussions about death and dying. As sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov observed so accurately: “Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.”

[thesafetymaster10]

Simple Steps to Strong Safety Management

Process safety management (PSM) is essential for ensuring workplace safety, especially in industries dealing with hazardous materials or complex processes. Having a robust safety management system helps reduce risks and prevent accidents. Whether you’re just starting or looking to improve your safety measures, these simple steps can help you build a strong safety management plan that protects both workers and operations.

Identify Potential Hazards

The first step in any safety management system is identifying potential hazards. Conduct regular risk assessments to uncover areas where safety issues could arise. Look at all possible risks, from equipment malfunctions to human errors. By understanding what could go wrong, you can put measures in place to prevent incidents. This proactive approach is crucial to the foundation of Process Safety Management.

At The Safety Master, we help organizations conduct thorough safety audits to ensure all risks are identified and controlled. Our expert team provides customized solutions to meet the unique needs of each company, making workplaces safer and more efficient.

Implement Safety Protocols

Once hazards have been identified, it's important to establish clear safety protocols. These protocols should outline steps for preventing accidents and responding to emergencies. Whether it’s wearing protective gear, following machine operation guidelines, or conducting regular equipment checks, clear instructions help everyone stay safe.

These protocols must be easily accessible and regularly updated to adapt to new technologies or changes in the work environment. At The Safety Master, we help businesses implement strong safety protocols based on industry best practices and process safety management guidelines.

Train Employees

Training is a vital part of any safety management system. Employees must know how to recognize risks and follow safety procedures properly. Regular training sessions ensure that everyone remains updated on the latest safety practices. It's not enough to just train employees once; consistent refresher courses keep safety top of mind.

By offering tailored training programs, The Safety Master ensures that your workforce is fully equipped to handle safety concerns, reducing the likelihood of accidents and improving overall compliance with safety standards.

Encourage Reporting

Creating a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting safety concerns is essential for improving safety management. Workers on the frontlines often notice issues that management might miss. By encouraging them to report unsafe conditions or incidents, you create an open environment focused on continuous improvement.

Organizations that promote open communication often prevent accidents before they happen. The Safety Master promotes this culture by helping companies establish anonymous reporting systems, ensuring that all safety concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

Regular Inspections and Audits

A strong safety management system requires continuous monitoring and improvement. Conduct regular inspections and safety audits to ensure that all systems are functioning correctly and that safety measures are being followed. Regular reviews of safety protocols can help identify areas for improvement.

At The Safety Master, we offer comprehensive safety audits to help businesses stay compliant with regulations while continuously improving their safety performance. Our audits are tailored to your industry, ensuring that your process safety management systems are always effective.

Create an Emergency Response Plan

Even with the best safety protocols in place, emergencies can still happen. It’s important to have a well-prepared emergency response plan that outlines steps to take in case of fire, chemical spills, or other dangerous situations. Make sure all employees are familiar with the plan and conduct regular drills to ensure everyone knows what to do during an emergency.

Having a solid emergency plan in place minimizes the impact of unexpected incidents and ensures the safety of your workforce. The Safety Master specializes in helping businesses develop and implement effective emergency response plans tailored to their specific operations.

Continuous Improvement

Safety management is not a one-time task; it requires ongoing attention and refinement. Regularly review your safety practices and update them as needed. New technologies, changing industry standards, and evolving work environments all require flexibility in your safety management system.

Continuous improvement is key to staying ahead of potential risks. The Safety Master works with companies to regularly assess and update their process safety management systems, ensuring that they remain strong, efficient, and effective over time.

Conclusion

Building a strong safety management system is crucial for protecting workers and ensuring smooth operations. By following these simple steps—identifying hazards, implementing safety protocols, training employees, encouraging reporting, conducting audits, preparing emergency plans, and focusing on continuous improvement—you can create a safer workplace.

Process safety management is at the heart of this process. It helps prevent accidents before they happen and ensures compliance with industry regulations. If you’re looking for expert guidance on improving your safety management system, The Safety Master is here to help. Our team of experienced professionals provides tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of your organization, helping you create a safer and more efficient workplace.

By investing in strong safety management, you not only protect your employees but also enhance the long-term success of your business.