#dep tech

[rajatkhareentrepreneur]

Power wheelchairs created by Swiss company Scewo assists those who have mobility challenges climb stairs

The stair-climbing electric wheelchair Scewo BRO has evolved as a lifesaver for many, harnessing untapped technology to great advantage and winning several prestigious design prizes for its effectiveness. It has already drawn a sizable user base from countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, among others. Scewo's creators have proven their exceptional talent by bringing this technologically advanced product to market in just three years.

The BRO power wheelchair is the only one in existence that can both drive on two wheels and climb stairs. Founders,  Bernhard and Pascal met with Rajat Khare Entrepreneur and founder of European deep tech investment company Boundary Holding in Switzerland who was impressed by the product's adaptability. He quickly concluded the deal after determining that the founders shared the kind of ambition and fervour that he strongly identifies with.

[nornities]

How to use DXVK with The Sims 3

Have you seen this post about using DXVK by Criisolate? But felt intimidated by the sheer mass of facts and information?

@desiree-uk and I compiled a guide and the configuration file to make your life easier. It focuses on players not using the EA App, but it might work for those just the same. It’s definitely worth a try.

Adding this to your game installation will result in a better RAM usage. So your game is less likely to give you Error 12 or crash due to RAM issues. It does NOT give a huge performance boost, but more stability and allows for higher graphics settings in game.

The full guide behind the cut. Let me know if you also would like it as PDF.

Happy simming!

Disclaimer and Credits

Desiree and I are no tech experts and just wrote down how we did this. Our ability to help if you run into trouble is limited. So use at your own risk and back up your files!

We both are on Windows 10 and start the game via TS3W.exe, not the EA App. So your experience may differ.

This guide is based on our own experiments and of course criisolate’s post on tumblr:  https://www.tumblr.com/criisolate/749374223346286592/ill-explain-what-i-did-below-before-making-any

This guide is brought to you by Desiree-UK and Norn.

Compatibility

Note: This will conflict with other programs that “inject” functionality into your game so they may stop working. Notably

Reshade

GShade

Nvidia Experience/Nvidia Inspector/Nvidia Shaders

RivaTuner Statistics Server

It does work seamlessly with LazyDuchess’ Smooth Patch.

LazyDuchess’ Launcher: unknown

Alder Lake patch: does conflict. One user got it working by starting the game by launching TS3.exe (also with admin rights) instead of TS3W.exe. This seemed to create the cache file for DXVK. After that, the game could be started from TS3W.exe again. That might not work for everyone though.

A word on FPS and V-Sync

With such an old game it’s crucial to cap framerate (FPS). This is done in the DXVK.conf file. Same with V-Sync.

You need

a text editor (easiest to use is Windows Notepad)

to download DXVK, version 2.3.1 from here: https://github.com/doitsujin/DXVK/releases/tag/v2.3.1 Extract the archive, you are going to need the file d3d9.dll from the x32 folder

the configuration file DXVK.conf from here: https://github.com/doitsujin/DXVK/blob/master/DXVK.conf. Optional: download the edited version with the required changes here.

administrator rights on your PC

to know your game’s installation path (bin folder) and where to find the user folder

a tiny bit of patience :)

First Step: Backup

Backup your original Bin folder in your Sims 3 installation path! The DXVK file may overwrite some files! The path should be something like this (for retail): \Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin (This is the folder where also GraphicsRule.sgr and the TS3W.exe and TS3.exe are located.)

Backup your options.ini in your game’s user folder! Making the game use the DXVK file will count as a change in GPU driver, so the options.ini will reset once you start your game after installation. The path should be something like this: \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 (This is the folder where your Mods folder is located).

Preparations

Make sure you run the game as administrator. You can check that by right-clicking on the icon that starts your game. Go to Properties > Advanced and check the box “Run as administrator”. Note: This will result in a prompt each time you start your game, if you want to allow this application to make modifications to your system. Click “Yes” and the game will load.

2. Make sure you have the DEP settings from Windows applied to your game.

Open the Windows Control Panel.

Click System and Security > System > Advanced System Settings.

On the Advanced tab, next to the Performance heading, click Settings.

Click the Data Execution Prevention tab.

Select 'Turn on DEP for all programs and services except these”:

Click the Add button, a window to the file explorer opens. Navigate to your Sims 3 installation folder (the bin folder once again) and add TS3W.exe and TS3.exe.

Click OK. Then you can close all those dialog windows again.

Setting up the DXVK.conf file

Open the file with a text editor and delete everything in it. Then add these values:

d3d9.textureMemory = 1

d3d9.presentInterval = 1

d3d9.maxFrameRate = 60

d3d9.presentInterval enables V-Sync,d3d9.maxFrameRate sets the FrameRate. You can edit those values, but never change the first line (d3d9.textureMemory)!

The original DXVK.conf contains many more options in case you would like to add more settings.

A. no Reshade/GShade

Setting up DXVK

Copy the two files d3d9.dll and DXVK.conf into the Bin folder in your Sims 3 installation path. This is the folder where also GraphicsRule.sgr and the TS3W.exe and TS3.exe are located. If you are prompted to overwrite files, please choose yes (you DID backup your folder, right?)

And that’s basically all that is required to install.

Start your game now and let it run for a short while. Click around, open Buy mode or CAS, move the camera.

Now quit without saving. Once the game is closed fully, open your bin folder again and double check if a file “TS3W.DXVK-cache” was generated. If so – congrats! All done!

Things to note

Heads up, the game options will reset! So it will give you a “vanilla” start screen and options.

Don’t worry if the game seems to be frozen during loading. It may take a few minutes longer to load but it will load eventually.

The TS3W.DXVK-cache file is the actual cache DXVK is using. So don’t delete this! Just ignore it and leave it alone. When someone tells to clear cache files – this is not one of them!

Update Options.ini

Go to your user folder and open the options.ini file with a text editor like Notepad.

Find the line “lastdevice = “. It will have several values, separated by semicolons. Copy the last one, after the last semicolon, the digits only. Close the file.

Now go to your backup version of the Options.ini file, open it and find that line “lastdevice” again. Replace the last value with the one you just copied. Make sure to only replace those digits!

Save and close the file.

Copy this version of the file into your user folder, replacing the one that is there.

Things to note:

If your GPU driver is updated, you might have to do these steps again as it might reset your device ID again. Though it seems that the DXVK ID overrides the GPU ID, so it might not happen.

How do I know it’s working?

Open the task manager and look at RAM usage. Remember the game can only use 4 GB of RAM at maximum and starts crashing when usage goes up to somewhere between 3.2 – 3.8 GB (it’s a bit different for everybody).

So if you see values like 2.1456 for RAM usage in a large world and an ongoing save, it’s working. Generally the lower the value, the better for stability.

Also, DXVK will have generated its cache file called TS3W.DXVK-cache in the bin folder. The file size will grow with time as DXVK is adding stuff to it, e.g. from different worlds or savegames. Initially it might be something like 46 KB or 58 KB, so it’s really small.

Optional: changing MemCacheBudgetValue

MemCacheBudgetValue determines the size of the game's VRAM Cache. You can edit those values but the difference might not be noticeable in game. It also depends on your computer’s hardware how much you can allow here.

The two lines of seti MemCacheBudgetValue correspond to the high RAM level and low RAM level situations. Therefore, theoretically, the first line MemCacheBudgetValue should be set to a larger value, while the second line should be set to a value less than or equal to the first line.

The original values represent 200MB (209715200) and 160MB (167772160) respectively. They are calculated as 200x1024x1024=209175200 and 160x1024x1024=167772160.

Back up your GraphicsRules.sgr file! If you make a mistake here, your game won’t work anymore.

Go to your bin folder and open your GraphicsRules.sgr with a text editor.

Search and find two lines that set the variables for MemCacheBudgetValue.

Modify these two values to larger numbers. Make sure the value in the first line is higher or equals the value in the second line. Examples for values: 1073741824, which means 1GB 2147483648 which means 2 GB. -1 (minus 1) means no limit (but is highly experimental, use at own risk)

Save and close the file. It might prompt you to save the file to a different place and not allow you to save in the Bin folder. Just save it someplace else in this case and copy/paste it to the Bin folder afterwards. If asked to overwrite the existing file, click yes.

Now start your game and see if it makes a difference in smoothness or texture loading. Make sure to check RAM and VRAM usage to see how it works.

You might need to change the values back and forth to find the “sweet spot” for your game. Mine seems to work best with setting the first value to 2147483648 and the second to 1073741824.

Uninstallation

Delete these files from your bin folder (installation path):

d3d9.dll

DXVK.conf

TS3W.DXVK-cache

And if you have it, also TS3W_d3d9.log

if you changed the values in your GraphicsRule.sgr file, too, don’t forget to change them back or to replace the file with your backed up version.

OR

delete the bin folder and add it from your backup again.

B. with Reshade/GShade

Follow the steps from part A. no Reshade/Gshade to set up DXVK.

If you are already using Reshade (RS) or GShade (GS), you will be prompted to overwrite files, so choose YES. RS and GS may stop working, so you will need to reinstall them.

Whatever version you are using, the interface shows similar options of which API you can choose from (these screenshots are from the latest versions of RS and GS).

Please note: 

Each time you install and uninstall DXVK, switching the game between Vulkan and d3d9, is essentially changing the graphics card ID again, which results in the settings in your options.ini file being repeatedly reset.

ReShade interface

Choose – Vulcan

Click next and choose your preferred shaders.

Hopefully this install method works and it won't install its own d3d9.dll file.

If it doesn't work, then choose DirectX9 in RS, but you must make sure to replace the d3d9.dll file with DXVK's d3d9.dll (the one from its 32bit folder, checking its size is 3.86mb.)

GShade interface

Choose –           

Executable Architecture: 32bit

Graphics API: DXVK

Hooking: Normal Mode

GShade is very problematic, it won't work straight out of the box and the overlay doesn't show up, which defeats the purpose of using it if you can't add or edit the shaders you want to use.

Check the game's bin folder, making sure the d3d9.dll is still there and its size is 3.86mb - that is DXVK's dll file.

If installing using the DXVK method doesn't work, you can choose the DirectX method, but there is no guarantee it works either.

The game will not run with these files in the folder:

d3d10core.dll

d3d11.dll

dxgi.dll

If you delete them, the game will start but you can't access GShade! It might be better to use ReShade.

Some Vulcan and DirectX information, if you’re interested:

Vulcan is for rather high end graphic cards but is backward compatible with some older cards. Try this method with ReShade or GShade first.

DirectX is more stable and works best with older cards and systems. Try this method if Vulcan doesn't work with ReShade/GShade in your game – remember to replace the d3d9.dll with DXVK's d3d9.dll.

For more information on the difference between Vulcan and DirectX, see this article:

https://www.howtogeek.com/884042/vulkan-vs-DirectX-12/

[cawyden-gaming]

Rogue Trader - Turns and Cycles

I was looking for more information regarding turns and cycles in the game and checked the localization file.

Here we go (-> contains spoiler):

Chrono Turns: seconds? - minutes - hours

Chrono = watch/clock - in game our RT seems to wear or carry one to check the time:

"[Check the chronometer] \"Your five minutes have passed. I hereby sentence you to death. And I will be the one to carry it out!" (-> from Kiava Gamma questline)

"The gilded chrono in your hands tells you that two watch hours have already elapsed."

From a book event (Cassias quest - they return after 20 days): "Entry A-201.48.66. 10 chronometer turns since the incident..." "Entry M-001.87.23. 30 chronometer turns since the incident..." "Entry H-905.00.80. 50 chronometer turns since the incident..." Revolutions = turns "The total time that five servants can spend on arranging their mistress's coiffure should not exceed three revolutions of the chronometer." (-> Eurac V / about Cassia)

Turn: day (dep. on planet/station/ship)

This would be the time that a planet needs to turn around its axis - or a space station around a planet. Voidships might follow Terran standard or have their own specific times.

"Very well, don't just stand there, you're here now. Or do you think the Master of Seals has nothing better to do than receive unexpected visitors?\" {n}The old woman beckons over a servo-skull floating nearby.{/n} \"Begin entry — current hour, current turn, current cycle, 41st millennium.\" (-> Jaes quest / Dargonus)

The length will depend on the ship/space station/planet that is being talked about, if there is no reference to Terran standard being used. But while "Terran cycle" is a frequently used term, "Terran turn" is not - instead "Terran days" are used:

"The Rogue Trader's betrayal of the Emperor's faith was so vile that His statue on Footfall bled from the eyes for three Terran days."

"A Terran day later, the mystery unravelled itself in a most heinous manner — an attempt on the Rogue Trader's life!"

As I said, a turn would mean a planetary, station or ship day, but that doesn't mean it is as long as our Earth days:

"Another thing that surprised me is the city's incredible work shifts — the planet turns on its axis once every 38 hours, and 25 of those are usually spent in the manufactorums." (-> unknown planet)

"It has only been three turns since the attack. How are your wounds?" (-> Dargonus, RT to Achilleas, Time between Dargonus attack + Briefing in act 3)

Not sure if this was a joke or if turns on Footfall are very long too:

"Five turns ago, the Footfall regicide champion got her head blown off after her win, and there was a knife fight for the second place.\" "Yeah, those were the real regicide days. The players are all wimps nowadays, and the stakes just aren't the same…"

Cycle: depends/year

Here we have to keep in mind that cycle is used very often in the game with different meanings. From maintenance or ritual cycles, production cycles etc. to what is of interest to us - planetary or station cycles.

"Begin entry — current hour, current turn, current cycle, 41st millennium." (-> Jaes quest / Dargonus)

Terran cycle = 1 year Opticon 22: "Under the contractual obligation in question, 34.761 Terran cycles ago the Explorator Cognisance Fleet received from …"

RT Response: "You waited thirty years to pay up?" (-> Footfall)

Station/Planetary cycles

"Jae stands over the bodies of her underlings — many of them have been mutilated beyond recognition, as though a troop of expert torturers had worked on them for many station cycles."

"The first of these ships is thought to have arrived two Rykad Minoris cycles ago, early in the winter. The most recent one arrived a month ago.\" (-> From Rykad Minoris log)

"Day twenty-one, third month of the cycle…Now that's what I call good fortune! We hit the Jackpot..." "Day six of the ninth month of the cycle…It is time to end this." (-> Xeno tech smuggler quest log)

Dargonus cycle

If really the planetary cycle is meant, it seems to be rather short - but I would assume it is something else, as this text is from the colony events and likely related to a cycle used on the ship (like watch cycle etc.):

"When the depleted winners had finally cut open the trucks' lining, the only thing waiting there for them was a squad of enforcers, enraged by three cycles of sitting in tight, dark spaces." (-> colony event)

"Dargonus's nobles took no pleasure in distributing the refugees. Some of them have found their way into the personal service of the nobles, thankful to receive a nutribar and a mat, on which they can rest for six hours per cycle."

Here both years and cycles are used together:

"She was acquitted two years ago. But to get the papers certified, and the seal? So much time has passed… And now here I am, standing, waiting. It doesn't matter. At the rate this queue's moving, it'll be ten cycles or more before our numbers come up."

Ship cycles - careful

The term cycle as mentioned above is used in very different context and often it is not clear in which one.

"Twenty lashes a month for the next half-cycle. Deprivation of officer's rations and privileges for the same period." (-> from book event, punishment of officer who made a joke?)

In this case although Jae speaks about Dargonus I think she uses ship (or terran) cycles:

"Shereen! Dargonus is absolutely fabulous this season, wouldn't you agree?\" {n}Jae greets you with a familiar pearly smile.{/n} \"Incidentally… We've been dealing with the aftermath of the xeno-invasion for three cycles now… And far be it from me to hint at anything… but the ceremony of your succession has long since passed." (-> Jae, in act 4?)

In these cases, a cycle does very likely not mean a year (as we know it): "You have been studying the enforcers for several cycles now, observing shift changes, trips to the mess, games of regicide, and the aftermath of boozing sessions. On the fourth day, during a shift change, you sneak into their small room and find a vox-caster that someone left behind." (-> Warp event, RT disappears)

"The Lady Navigator… has been waiting for you on the bridge for half a watch cycle now."

"I have spent the last few cycles correcting the latest log entries, and I thought it would please Master Abelard, as he is so fond of order." (-> Cassia, dialog with her in early act 2 about ship log)

[randomshenaniganery]

Red Fountain Specialist Design Fr this time sksksksk

sorry if its hard to read I'll write it down under

Right is some facts about onyx and their role in the group

Onyx wears face paint on missions as they were aware that if they got face tattoos they would face problems in school

Onyx comes from the same planet as Tecna however from a smaller city and lower class

Stella's friend and main contact with RF (explanation LATER)

Ranged Fighter (main weapon rifle) and Strategist

Closer to Timmy and Riven

Kinda doesn't like Sky doesn't tell anyone about it (one sided rivalry on Onyx's end)

Had a crush on Flora cried over it

Beefs with Tecna sometimes

RIGHT: Drawing of On Mission Red Fountain Specialist Uniform

Right brace is a regular one and the left is modified to be a communication device for all specialists as well as a way to connect to any RFS gadgets, vehicles, machines etc.

The cape/glider in canon is inspired by research done on fairy combat, the wings serve as a glider when specialists are airborne. They function by metallic fluid that look like veins and those veins move the material, they have censors that will trigger to turn on if specialist is unable to use their screen to activate it manually. Before they can use this cape they have to be trained on how to glide and mimic fairies. also do not ask me about the specifics of how this tech works because i am not smart askakskakkaskaskkaskas I'm thinking about that fluid that moves with magnetism or just insert vague it's advanced technology from an entirely different realm

LEFT: In School Training Uniform

Minimal special features because it's meant to be worn when students are enhancing their natural ability

Light weight

Waterproof, non conductive to electricity and fire resistant

easy to put on in case of emergencies

RED FOUNTAIN SCHOOL FOR SPECIALIST HEADCANONS (for my rewrite)

Used to be an all boys school but was very recently changed to be mixed

Has different departments aka more like a university it has magic and non-magic combatants, a technology dep, a magical beast taming dep, etc.

Has more students than Alfea and Cloud Tower combined because it's not restricted to those who have specific magics anymore (used to be)

Privately owned but often works with government programs hence the reason why students would be in contact with criminals and also catching them

only a small percent of graduates become specialists as others use their degrees to get jobs in magix because there's more variety in the courses offered.

RF is considered neutral ground for fairies and witches

Rival to Paladins (Arcane focused school) but like in a friendly way

Principal can be considered like a multimillionaire at this point since he's owns a school that can produce military vehicles and students that create those designs while still studying. I think he's raking in government cash and also opens avenue to shady shit i can explore :3

[credince--writes]

Custody

JITTERVERSE

AO3

Be careful who you trust. The ones you love can hurt you the most.

Anger is a corrosive thing.

It eats away at everything around it, gnawing and clawing, gripping for purchase on your soul until it devours you whole.

"You're the primary suspect."

How?

How could she be the suspect?

She was a member of the team.

She tried to search Price's gaze for anything, some kind of hint or flicker of humor.

This was all just a sick joke,

a stupid sick joke and they were going to laugh in a moment and say 'got ya!' like Soap would always do when he'd play a prank at the base, and the day would go on like normal.

But there was no flicker.

No hint.

No humor.

She looked down at her hands, feeling like the life was draining from her face.

"So. What happens now then?"

The room was quiet for a moment.

"We have a meeting with The General in an hour. You'll be there." Price stated. "Can we have the room?" Price glanced at the men behind him.

They nodded, filtering out of the room quickly. The sounds of footsteps shuffling out of the room leaving them to bathe in the sound of the buzz of the lights hanging in the room.

She still felt dumbfounded- probably looked it too.

"I didn't do this Price." Her voice cracked.

He didn't respond, maintaining his stare. "They are going to ask questions. Questions that the team doesn't know."

"Like what?"

"The reasoning for your contract."

"Oh." She faltered.

She can't remember the last time she really thought about what happened. Mulled over the actions that led to this moment.

"And I can't guarantee how they will react." He said.

"Do they think I did it?"

He was quiet.

"I didn't do it."

"I'm not the one asking questions, Laswell has tried to cover for you. But with the most recent events your past has caught up with you and they'll ask questions about it."

"Am I going to be ok?" She asked.

"Yes."

He didn't reply fast enough to be comforting.

"If they don't think I did it why are they so mad- did I do something?" She asked.

"You were told not to leave that room, and you left the base. You went missing for over 24 hours." He states, crossing his arms. "I can't imagine why anyone would be irritated- What were you even thinking?"

"First off- no one told me I couldn't leave." She said, raising her arms. "I got bored of sitting around, wandering, and I asked Rudy to go see the tech dep. the next thing I know I'm playing Rummy with a fucking mummy and in the goddamn desert and talking to demons."

"What?"

"And on top of that- what is with this Russian thing? First I see his balls, and then Ghost is kicking a spy or something into mush-"

"Slow down. Slow down. You remember what happened?"

"Yes, I remember what happened. That's why we went out to the desert." She replies, looking up at him as if it was a simple statement, everything she just said made sense.

"That didn't make any sense, did it?" She sighs.

"No."

"I know what happened. I think."

"What happened?"

"I was... Uh, roofied." She starts, rubbing her arm. "Ghost found me.  And the last thing I remember was going back to my room and getting Soap- well I was being carried. And then I woke up in the truck driving here."

Price sighs. "There are things from our past... and they are resurfacing. You've been involved."

"How?" She asked. "I haven't done anything- at least recently-"

"They have a hit on you- capture. Intelligence- interrogation."

"For what?"

That was a stupid question.

She recognized that after she said it.

She was working with them.

She knew about them.

She had seen things Price had seen, maybe not the others-

breaking encryptions.

Scanning emails.

Listening.

She knew things.

Maybe not enough pieces of the puzzle to fill everything out, but enough to know there was something bigger at work.

There was always something bigger at work.

Always a bigger fish.

Price steps forward, leaning down and grabbing her shoulder tightly before speaking in a scolding tone. "You're working with us. You've been doing this work for how long now? You've made an enemy. It comes with the job."

"Does being accused come with it too?" She replies, almost regretting it as the words left her lips. She was sure he'd let the snark roll off of his back. At least she hoped.

He'd turned, twisting his neck to glance over at her.

She hated when he acted like this.

Had the shielded expression.

He was acting like Captain.

Not Price.

And she hated it because she knew that was his work expression.

She wasn't Jitters, she was the suspect.

He didn't respond.

"Sorry." She sighed, leaning down and putting her head between her legs.

He started walking to the door.

"Price?" She asked.

"Hm." He looked.

"I'm sorry." She said.

What was she apologizing for?

Maybe what was to come.

...

They were all at a table.

It was like the first time she met them, really.

At the end of the table, there was a computer propped up- a camera pointed at them.

Focused on her.

The meeting was long.

Grueling.

Ghost refused to look at her, keeping his eyes locked on the screen.

Soap stared.

Gaz joined the club.

The General, Laswell, and two other unfamiliar men were on the call.

"I'd like to know who cleared having a conspirator against the United States of America added to this task force." The General asked.

"Those charges were dropped, the conspiracy," Laswell said.

"My question still stands."

"I did." Laswell states.

"As did I." Price adds.

"And these previous actions were not considered to be a concern?" The General asks.

"No, the PMC was taken into an advisory period and was ruled to not have any influential ties. No ties, actually." Laswell spoke.

"So..." The General pauses for a moment. "PMC Jitters." He speaks as if her name left a sour taste on his tongue, distaste filling the air.

"Yes?" She asked.

Her voice was small, but clear.

She was getting flashbacks to that cold room.

Her hands propped up on the table being held down with the metal cuffs bolted to the table.

"Was your team made aware of your previous conflicts?"

She glances at Price.

"No, Sir."

"Do you have any affiliation with the group responsible for the leaks that led to us losing our assets?"

"No, Sir."

There was a long pause on the call. She couldn't see him, but they could see her.

She was pale, clammy.

Looked like shit, really.

"I want you off of this, effective immediately."

"Yes Sir."

"Do not make me question your loyalty again."

"Yes Sir." She says, nodding her head.

"You'll be restricted from your current duties, losing access to any sensitive data until this is wrapped up and we track down the source of the leaks." Laswell says. "You'll stay with Price."

They all looked at her as if they never knew her. They were seeing her get cut open, and her guts pulled out and discarded around the table.

It surprised her, after a few moments of discussion Soap, Ghost, and Gaz left the room, leaving the files on the table.

She let out a breath, visibly relaxing to a degree.

They weren't going to send her to prison somewhere.

She'd be able to stay.

They wouldn't lock her away.

She could stay-

but that thought was no longer comforting.

What if they didn't want her there?

The meeting ended not much longer after that, closing up the laptop and Price grabbed the scattered paperwork on the table and pushed it into a folder.

"That went well." Price states, the room now empty save for the pair.

"Did it?" She asks.

"Could've gone a lot worse."

Her hands gripped the table, feeling the perspiration from the stress sliding against the cool surface.

"Can I trust that you'll behave?" Price asks.

She didn't know if she should feel offended or not at his question.

What was she, fourteen?

Was he worried that she was going to go sneak out to a party?

Fucking betray the team?

She could feel herself spiraling. It was as if any foundation of trust that was built- that she slaved to build. Each minuscule piece of foundation broke her bones and tore her flesh.

All for it to go to shit in an instant-

Would they hate her?

Would they ever trust her again?

…

Ghost, Soap, and Gaz, sat.

Almost sounded like the start to a bad joke.

Two Brits and a Scot go to a meeting about the little jittery PMC committing heinous crimes- potentially betraying their team.

Ghost can’t remember the last time he’d watched Gaz chain smoke like was doing now.

“Conspirator against the United States of America.” Soap states, to no one in particular. “The hell does that even mean?”

“Not much.” Ghost says.

“We don’t know anything about Jitters.” Gaz states. “It would be stupid to assume a little girl would be brought onto our team if she wasn’t good at what she does-”

“That doesn't mean being a fuckin’ conspirator. Let alone leaving us all in the dark. Price and Laswell knowingly kept all of us in the dark.” Soap adds. “And now- she goes missing and there’s a data leak?”

Gaz gives him a questionable look. “You really think she’s a rat?”

“Who else could it be? This is going to be Graves all over again.”

“Shut up Johnny.” Ghost states.

“What- they're keeping us in the dark, just like they did last time.”

“I knew.” Ghost states.

“What?” Soap gawks. “And you didn’t tell us? Didn’t tell me?”

“When did you know?” Gaz asked.

“‘Bout four hours after she arrived.” He explains. “Not that she knew.”

“So who told you?”

“Price did.”

“Why would he tell you?”

Ghost gave him a look.

He didn’t need to answer that question.

They all had their skeletons.

Their secrets.

Was it fair to cast stones in such a way?

“Jitters is part of this team. We need to trust our team.” Ghost states. “Don’t forget the only reason we are even is Mexico is because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

Soap scoffed, “Gonnae no’ dae that, pinning this all on me. You took us to Mexico. And don’t even start about trust. You. you were the one that said be careful who you trust. The one’s we know are the ones who can hurt us the most.”

“Guys.” Gaz started once more.

“You have no legroom in this matter. You had her pulled off any roster after that fiasco with Lopez. You had her benched because you didn’t trust her.”

“Guys.” Gaz speaks again.

“And I did. But the difference between you and I sergeant was what I did wasn’t out of a selfish hunt for some cheap pussy.”

“For fuck’s sake guys.” Gaz groans.

Ghost turns to leave, only to be greeted with the sight of Jitters and Price standing in the doorway. Price blocked the door with Jitters awkwardly standing in front of him, staring Ghost down.

Fuck.

Ghost continues forward, not bothering the glance down at her as he pushed past Price and storms off into the hallway. Soap followed soon after him, turning in the opposite direction of the hallway Ghost walked down and stormed down it in his own fashion, muttering something under his breath the entire time.

“Looks like that leaves you Gaz to watch you.” Price states. And with that, he gives Gaz a quick nod before leaving off to handle his own duties.

She stands, staring him down with some of the most uncomfortable body languages he’d ever seen the already-awkward-woman give off. She didn’t know what to say. And if there was even anything to say.

Was there?

Does he even trust her anymore?

Hold her in the same regard?

“Gaz.” She states.

“Hey there.” Gaz says, walking up to her and tossing an arm over her shoulder. “Rough week?”

She laughs. A soft, bitter, weary laugh.

The kind that makes her question if she was going to break out in tears.

She couldn't.

She wouldn’t.

She’d be better.

“You could say that.” She murmurs. 

“Mexico brings back bad memories for the pair.” He starts, trying to comfort her.

“Save it Gaz, I know they meant it.”

He didn’t respond.

He led her to a small common area, a TV, and a couch. Not that either of them understood Spanish- but it created a background noise that supported the two from creating any further conversation.

It was a strange lifeline as Jitters sat, picking at skin peeling from around her thumb.

She’d had her gear confiscated- 

Even her phone.

They were basically putting her on lockdown.

Keeping her from being able to communicate with the outside world.

The phone Ghost had given her.

The one that ended up saving her drunken ass.

What if he hadn’t been there to save her?

What if she just,

Vanished?

Would they of looked for her?

“Gaz.” She says, breaking the silence between the two.

He blinks harshly, pulling himself out of the small trance he was in watching a Mexican weatherwoman. “Yea?”

“Do you…” She pauses, swallowing. As if the words she was speaking tasted bitter on her tongue, pained her to even utter the words. “Do you still trust me?”

His gaze softened slightly. “If this is about what Soap said earlier-”

“I’m asking you. Not Soap.”

“Jitters.”

“Be honest.” She stares at him, their eyes meeting. “I’m not gonna be able to live with myself if you all keep lyin’ to me.”

Gaz sighs, shoulders falling forward. “Right now? No. I don’t.”

She stays silent, allowing him to continue.

“You’re still the Jitters I’ve known- nothing has changed- maybe a little has changed. It’s temporary. It’s part of the game, you have to be cautious. Keep your guard up.”

“So you think I could be the rat.”

“We’ve been betrayed before.” He states, keeping his voice even- even if it was strained. It was his best attempt at keeping his voice calm and collected. The stress glimmering in his eyes at the possibility of a teammate- someone he’d allowed to get close, again betraying him off the table. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again. 

It’s not a confirmation of trust,

If anything its the opposite.

A ‘I’ve seen people I’ve trusted betray me before, I’m not against thinking it could be you too.’

It hurt.

But part of her understood.

But still.

She could feel the anger bubbling in her throat.

The bile rising,

The feeling of the acid chewing at the internals.

Devouring her from the inside.

Causing her to rot from the inside out like a bad fruit.

She stayed silent, allowing them to fall back into their awkward silence.

It was conflicting,

It was confusing.

And it hurt all the same.

She felt as if she had been stripped bare and left to stand in front of a crowd.

They didn’t know the full story.

They didn’t know who she was,

The entirety of what she had done.

Maybe if they had it would end up worse.

Maybe this was for the best.

But it was Gaz.

He was the least conflicting-

He was solid.

She’d never seen him off his game.

He was honest,

She appreciated it, she really did.

But she was so close.

She could feel the burn of his words, the sting of it on her flesh.

She can’t say it didn’t hurt.

But at least he hadn’t fucking lied to her-

Betrayed her.

That’s what it was.

They were turning this all around on her, weren’t they?

His words even confirmed it.

It was Ghost.

He pulled her off.

She wasn’t good enough.

It was Soap.

His own selfish desires.

But was she?

Was she good enough?

Could she stand on her own?

"You. Are a scared, weak little girl."

"No. I'm not being cocky. You, yourself told me to do something about it and this is me doing something about it." She throws her hands up in the air. "You drag me out to bumfuck, act like I'm your Soap surrogate but when we get back you act like none of it happened." She seethes out.

"You were a liability." Ghost says again, the words leaving his mouth drawled out slowly.

"Yea?" Jitters voice cracks a little bit.

"This isn't some fun game you just get to run around with now." Ghost started.

"This isn't a fucking game, and I earned my spot here. I've earned it multiple times and I've proven that-."

"You haven't proved anything. You are not a soldier. You are a fake. We are not your community service project or your parole officers. I don't need your falsified pity, or courage for that matter." He spits.

She could see where her place was on this team perfectly.

They didn’t need to spell it out for her anymore.

“Can I visit Momia?” She asks glancing over at Gaz.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

“We’re going to leave Mexico, and I’m never going to see him again. Would you at least let me see him?”

He sighed. “What are you even gonna do?”

“Probably play cards.” She sighs. “Please, Gaz?”

It must’ve been something in the tone of her voice.

Because when he looked at her, there was sympathy.

Maybe, in reality, it was a pity.

But are they not the same thing?

Her electronics were gone, she didn’t even know where they were. Price had even sighed, sticking his hand out for her to hand him her watch. Whatever level of technology the watch was classified as was considered ‘too smart’. Most likely because it could receive and send messages- but still.

It was the principle.

Now she was left with a tan mark wrapped around her wrist.

He glanced behind him, at the doorway, then back to her. “Three hours. That’s all the time I can give you without them wondering where the hell you went. And you better stay in that room. Nowhere else. You got it?”

“Clear as crystal.”

“Come here.” He sighed.

He was fidgeting with his watch, setting a timer and pulling it off of his wrist. “It’s got a timer on it- two hours and forty. When it goes off you start walking your ass back over here.”

She laughed, taking the watch and pulling it onto her wrist. 

It draped slightly, rolling off to the side face down.

“And don’t lose it- I like that watch.”

“Thank you.”

“Just go before I change my mind.”

He didn’t need to tell her twice.

She was out the door in nearly an instant, following that familiar path that would lead her to the old man's room. In theory, she could just follow the lingering smell of nicotine tar that radiated from the man's room and she could find it. But she found herself stepping in the exact places she once trotted past- even if it was with a sour expression and two trays of food in hand. 

It was a type of peace.

Maybe she could even act like everything was normal.

That everything was going to be fine.

In theory, she could close her eyes and act as if nothing had happened. This was just another day, her following her routine. 

Soap was an angry man, maybe that was why he got along with Ghost so well. It wasn’t that their friendship alluded her, it was just surprising to see their argumentative tendencies ending with each of them storming off. He had a hot head- and at any sniff of betrayal he would turn on his heels- shackles risen and hiss. She saw his hesitation when she first joined the team- but was it all really in the name of courtesy? Had they not built any true foundation for their friendship? Or was it guilt, a burning shame of feeling blame? Yea, she could resent him, hate him for betraying her trust tie and time again to chase his desires of flesh, but what good would that do her?

She supposes, forgiving him the last many times did nothing.

Ghost was the kind of man to walk away before engaging further in an argument- it was always him getting the last word in.  He also wasn’t the type to verbally apologize. She’d be the one to extend a verbal olive branch- usually after he’d make some small move to initiate them speaking to each other again. Soap? They’d physically fight- taking it to the mats in the training room or scuffling it out in random places until they’d stop where they stood, nod at each other and continue about their day as if everything was fine. She had learned that the hard way.

In a way, she regarded Ghost to be a coward. But could she consider herself to be any better when she had spent all of this time hiding from her own past?

It wasn’t any of their business, in reality. And she knew that.

She didn’t really know anything about them, and they were judging her.

Maybe it was time for her to stop rolling over, soft belly up and letting herself be a doormat in the name of wishing for an ounce of attention from this faux-found family.

It’s obvious they don’t regard her in the same light, so why should she continue to be the weak link?

She stood at the door to Mom’s room, hand reaching out to push onto the handle and open it- meeting with the smothering stench of cigarette smoke. She could hear the odd clicks coming from the old computer that he was now sat at, focused on a game of solitaire.

“Hermana- did not think to see you again,” He said, looking up to her.

She moved past the door and took a seat at the dingy little table in the too-small chair. 

“Fancy a few last games?”

He gave her a small smile, the kind where his lip lifted and it crinkled the aged skin on his face.

Maybe this would be the last game.

There truly was no maybe about it- this would be the last time she sat in this dingy little room, with him.

And so they played.

With a creak and a groan he stood, moving over to sit at the table and look down upon the cards he had neatly put back into their case.

“You get in any trouble from sneaking out, Mom?”

“What would they do, ground me? As if I leave this place.”

“Thinking they’d be real mean, take away your cigs.”

“That is the day I will remind those boys to respect their elders.”

“Gonna open a can of whoop-ass?”

“I’d need to find the abrelatas.”

“I’d just beat em’ with the can-opener.”

“Now you are thinking like a Vaqueros.”

They continued to play, the sound of their fingers pushing against the thick cardstock of the cards filling the room. The smoke drifts off of a cigarette and dissipates into the thick atmosphere of the room.

She was surprised she hadn’t become nicotine dependent from sitting in the room with him.

Maybe that was the real reason she craved his company.

“You think you’ll ever find yourself back out there?”

“When I am dead.” He spoke.

“Why’s that?”

“That is where my comrades are buried.”

“You took me out to a graveyard?”

“You saw a ghost, no?”

“Was that even real?”

“Who am I to say?”

“So you’ve seen him too, right?”

“We all see it differently.”

“You’re talking like we’re trip buddies.”

“That is what the little pequinos call it, no?”

“You drugged me?”

“No, I took you to the ceremony.”

“Was I high?”

“Maybe a little.”

“On what?”

“Maybe the Peyote in the water bottles.”

“What?” She seethed. “They were sealed. You’re full of shit.”

“Melt the seal, boys don’t find them. Water was old, surprised it worked.”

She sat back, feeling her back rock against the small metal back frame as the chair creaked in protest.

“I really need to reconsider how druggable I am.”

“But you saw him, and you remembered. A true warrior.”

“Why are they buried out there?”

“To greet children, like you. Guide the lost.”

“I’ll be sure to find your grave. Leave a pack of cigs for you- or a coyote to eat.”

“Find the cactus that laughs at the sun. I’ll be buried in front of it.”

“I’m sure that is very descriptive. So I’ll write that down.”

He laughed, smoke escaping his lungs as he heaved and gripped the table. “What you, though? Trouble?”

“Si… Muy trouble.” She replied.

“Did you say you found the ghost?”

“About like that.”

“Did they not believe you?”

“Not really.”

“That used to be the respectable, understandable thing to do.”

“Tripping in the desert?”

“Finding guidance.”

“You go out there often? When was the last time you’d gone out there?” “Well… When were you born?”

“Jesus, ok I get it. You just casually broke out to go with me?”

“Why not? I will die in my sleep any day now.”

“Don’t say that.” She bit her lip, eyebrows tinging down in worry.

“It is true. It is why I have these.” He lifts the carton of cigarettes. “So I will simply die faster.”

“Seems like the long, drawn-out way to go.”

“I need to beat my solitaire score before I will die.”

“That the only thing tethering you to the mortal realm then, huh?”

“If you say so.”

She glances over, looking at the blue-hued light that filtered off of the large box screen.

“Hey, Momia.”

“Si?”

“You get internet on that thing?”

“Web?”

“Same thing.”

“I have Solitare.”

She faltered, trying not the puff out a gasp of laughter. She stood, giving him a cautionary glance, and then looking down at her watch.

She still had two hours.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Si.”

“Swear on it.”

“Cross my heart, bury me face down.”

“I was never in this room with you. Playing cards.”

“No, No, never saw you.” He nods.

She smiled.

“Good man.” She nods, moving over and taking a seat at his computer chair and grabbing the mouse. 

“Jesus, Mom.” She comments, he lifts his head and gives her a confused glance. “When was the last time you washed this mouse?” Her finger pressed down against it, skin nearly sticking to the accumulated filth.

“When were you born?”

“God, ok I get it.” She groaned. Grabbing hold of the whole mouse and clicking around the minimize the Solitaire. 

She glanced down, moving the mouse over to click on the internet browser and blinking a few times to find that it surprisingly, was connected.

She continued to fiddle with settings, looking through the computer's files when it clicked.

This was an old processing computer.

This computer was supposed to be destroyed- it was still connected with all of its permissions.

It had full access to the Mexican government's files- even if she was limited to the files she could open with the older software.

She tensed, sitting back in the old chair feeling the faux leather cling to her skin as she stared at the screen.

She hesitantly reached her hand out, clicked open a frame, and began typing. It was almost as if she were in a movie- really. She’d be laughing if she weren’t sweating bullets. The black screen, thick bright green lettering as she typed in a few lines of code before a white screen with the Mexican Special Forces insignia displayed, bringing her to a bank full of files.

She’d call this putting her mud boots on, because this is where she would begin to trudge around searching for anything to spike her interest.

It kind of like an out-of-body experience.

What she’d assume for a soldier to make a successful kill.

The feeling of her fingers tapping against the chunky keyboards, feeding information, and reaping the fruits of her harvest.

In her head, it’s like diving deep into a cold pool.

First you’d feel the cold shock of the water surrounding you.

Then you’d dive deeper.

And you just keep swimming.

It’s lonely in a way.

It’s a bit like drowning.

It’s better to do it alone.

To sift through the information.

Find what she wanted-

No.

Find what she needed.

She knew a little bit about the target- he wasn’t even a target that day.

When she was met with the cold stare of a killer.

A Ghost.

She had finally met the real Ghost.

The masked creature.

The demon.

The Cold-Blooded killer.

She was hyperventilating, eyes frantically scattering back and forth trying to come to grips with the situation.

Ghost huffs, striding over to her and grabbing her face in his hand. Pinching her cheeks together and shaking her head slightly.

"Look at me." He hissed.

It took her a moment, but her eyes opened wide, looking at the skull mask glaring down at her.

"Calm. Down."

She nodded her head, inhaling.

"They know we are here." He started to explain. "They're gonna try and hunt us down."

She nods again, his grip never wavering over her.

"That means, we are going to do whatever is necessary to get out."

She nods.

"Even if it's a boy behind the gun."

She doesn't nod at that, inhaling through her nose.

"You're upset." He states.

She nods.

"Be upset later. Now we need to survive."

She needed to find out who he was.

She wanted to get under his skin just like he had done to her- just like her so-called team.

Anger is a corrosive thing.

It melts.

Destroys.

It’s a vicious, painful thing.

So is watching the eyes of her teammates land on her, with a look so disgusted- so disappointed.

She was tired of being the sidelined victim.

Woe is me.

She wanted to lash out.

Finally, give some hurt for a change.

Give this big bucket of acid living in her gut to the next man- open his mouth and force it down his throat.

Maybe that would be the real satisfaction of pulling a trigger.

What a real soldier feels.

What a warrior feels.

Vengeance? Revenge?

Or maybe simply, it was just spite.

They say that a woman is a very spiteful creature.

One that fights with lies, treachery, and poison.

She stared at the screen, reading the file.

~

FARHAD LOPEZ

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

DRUG TRAFFICKING

ARMS DEALER

LOCATION OF OPERATIONS:

MEXICO

+REDACTED

+REDACTED

1367 MANGROVE WAY +REDACTED

COLUMBIA

TASK FORCE 141

CAPTURED

~

Maybe they hadn’t had time to update the file.

She glanced through it, reading the descriptions of crimes he had committed- and was probably committing now.

It made her stomach tumble in flips.

But a large chunk of it was missing.

Redacted.

And the address.

What was it even too?

She leaned forward, prodding through the system trying to find any information on the address.

Anything at all.

There were bits and pieces.

Whispers.

But then she saw it.

A old, blurry photo scanned in from a document.

It was a photo of a woman standing in front of an apartment complex with three children.

ANITA LOPEZ

JOSE LOPEZ

FARHAD LOPEZ JR.

ROSE LOPEZ

1367 MANGROVE WAY, SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA

She stared, blinking a few times.

He had children hidden out in the States.

Children.

This monster had children?

And a wife?

Did they love him? Know what he did-

Who he was? Did they care?

The sound of the watch buzzing broke her from her train of thought, glancing over to see Momia asleep, head leaned back in his chair as he lightly snored.

She smiles lightly, looking at the content look on his face.

He looks peaceful.

As much as he could be.

She stood, quietly, closing out anything she had to do with and opening solitaire.

She stepped over, lifting the hat from the side of the man's head, and place a kiss on his temple, lightly patting his shoulder so as not to wake him up.

“Thank you.” She whispers. Turning, and leaving to meet back up with Gaz.

..

She’d met back up with Gaz. Finding him in the same place that she left him in, handing him the watch around her wrist and sitting as far as she possibly could get from him.

“Have fun?” He asked.

“Yea.” She mumbled. “I think I’m gonna turn in.” She said.

“Alright.” He replied.

She stood and left, walking to the room filled with cots they were sharing at the moment- not like any of them would be sleeping in the same room as her. She was sure they couldn’t bring themselves to been in such close proximity with her.

Walking up to her designated cot- which used to be much more recognizable with her laptop bag and miscellaneous wires scattered on it. Now long gone, whisked off to some locked box she was sure.

She groaned, throwing her body onto the cot and slumping her head down on the pillow.

“What the fuck-” She hissed, opening her eyes and arms and reaching for the pillow, man handling it.

There was a hard little rectangle in the pillow.

“What the fuck.” She grumbled, pawing at it through the minimal stuffing in the pillow.

It was inside.

Stitched in.

Which just further added to her confusion,

She glanced around, eyes landing on Soap’s bag tucked in next to his bed and a pocket knife he kept attached to a pocket on the front of it.

She cautiously stood, grabbing the knife, and rushing over back to her cot where she carefully flicked the blade and ran it against the seam of the pillow.

If there was one thing nice about Soap, it would be how much of a freak he was about keeping his knives sharp.

The blade easily glided through, popping each stitch and allowing her enough space to slip her hand up into the pillow, gripping the rectangle and pulling it out.

She was a little confused to say the least when she found a phone.

A fucking smartphone? Like the one she had, on her person, before it was taken away?

She clicked the power button, looking at the screen only to see a message from an unknown number.

KEEP ME ON YOUR PERSON, JAYME.

She stared, eyes reading over the text, again and again, to see if what was sent was correct.

She unlocked the phone, pressed on the messages and replied.

WHO IS THIS?

There was no response.

She tucked the phone up into her bra.

No one would be looking there, she assumed.

She could feel her heart rate in her ears, pounding away as her mind was running a million miles an hour.

Who?

What?

Why?

What kind of conspiracy bullshit warrants a phone inside a pillow?

Was this a setup?

Were they setting her up?

To prove she was disloyal?

Maybe she should’ve dealt with the awkward tension of sitting across from Gaz. 

She didn’t know Mexico could be this cold.

It should be joke, really.

Why would she be cold?

Curled up on the shitty little cot, trembling from the cold- or what she’d assume to really be fear.

But she’d let it be blamed on the cold.

She sat up, bile bubbling in her throat as she looked around the empty room hoping for any explanation.

Anything at all.

She shivered.

Maybe she could bare a little bit more time with Gaz.

She walked back out, holding the thin blanket that used to live on her cot. He must’ve heard her footsteps because his head poked out and glanced at her. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I’m cold.” She grumbled, resuming her spot furthest from him on the couch.

“Don’t get me sick.”

“I’m not sick.” She bit back.

He gave her a side eye- one of him wondering where the sudden attitude came from.

He wasn’t going to touch that with a ten-foot pole.

“Come here.” He said, lifting an arm up for her.

“I’m fine.” She bit back.

“You mad at me?”He asked, dropping his arm.

“No.”

“You sound mad.”

“I’m not mad. I am cold.”

“Then come here.”

“I’m fine.”

“Fine. Have it your way.” He huffed, going back to watching the Spanish weatherwoman. 

She shivered, the horrible feeling of dread cementing itself in her gut.

She can’t remember the last time she felt like this.

She didn’t even feel like this when she was staring into the glazed over eyes of a corpse.

Why was that? She’d ask herself.

As much as she hated to admit it, it was their presence.

She knew that Ghost would have her back- all of them.

Which just made it hurt all the worse when they displayed their distrust.

She glanced at Gaz, who was seemingly focused on the Tv.

She continued to look back and forth for a while, debating on inching forward and sucking some of the heat from his bones.

Maybe the fourth time she glances, he lifted his arm again, without saying anything.

Without moving his head.

She leaned forward, leaning her body against his and enjoying the feeling of warmth radiating off of his body, head resting next to his shoulder on the back of the couch, slowly drifting off into sleep.

Pulling the blanket closer to her, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her in closer.

For tonight, she could pretend.

She could act like everything was normal.

That this was normal.

And that corrosion wasn’t melting through her heart.

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

violently smashing my two major fandoms with an F together as a form of procrastination

A question for the ages: WHICH Avatar character matches up with WHICH Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle one and WHY the fuck should anyone (besides me) care? We'll answer at least one of those questions for you tonight, dear viewers!!!!

First up

Neteyam - Leo

Eldest son, blue theme (like I could say this for all the Sullys, but shush), can do no wrong except when one of the siblings stubs a toe and then the Guilt, daddy's favorite solider who's also a huge dork (like we don't see a lot of evidence of this in canon for Neteyam but let me have this), Neteyam's Untimely End vs Leo getting treated as such a punching bag by each TMNT iteration that throwing him through a goddamn window is an established franchise staple by now.

Kiri - Donnie

A case can be made for April-Kiri parallels (particularly for psychic powers re 2012 April, my beloved, and dead mom syndrome) and also Karai-Kiri (for dead mom syndrome, how often I've mixed up their fucking names while writing), but Kiri-Donnie fits the siblings theme, so there. They're tech nerd-nature nerd solidarity, autistic Entities of unparalleled death and destruction, happy to destroy government property, younger siblings pretending to be above the Chaos while very much not, and in desperate need of a nap and a stiff drink.

Lo'ak - Raph

Rage issues. Daddy issues. Big brother issues. Relatively smol and Keenly aware of that fact. Adored by the (smart) fans, cursed by Eywa/God. Makes strong bonds with animal fwends and also collects traumatic experiences like magnets collect nails. 100% either in a fistfight or sobbing into his pillow rn. In a family living at the bottom of a fucking sewer and/or on the run from the government, still manages to feel like an odd one out. Someone needs to introduce Lo'ak to emo music, it would fuck him up so much /pos.

Tuk - Mikey

Youngest and most excitable sibling, heart of gold and jaws of steel. Optimism that remains in the face of innocence slowly being shaved away by Events. Hates being left out or left behind, committed to various Schemes and Plans with historically mixed outcomes. Has definitely either killed a man or will do so as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

Spider - Karai and April

Spider's kind of an unholy amalgamation of April's Token Human We've Shared Traumatic Experiences With journey and Karai's At Odds With Creepy Undead Father Figure And Complex Relationship With Less Creepy Father Figure (see below) arcs. Basically part of my ongoing psyops plans to Feminize That Boy (don't worry Karai-Kiri and April-Kiri parallels, I still love you). Also, Leorai/Apritello and Speteyam/Spiri (mix and match at will) have exciting interspecies and/or vaguely incestous vibes we should all strive for in our weird fanfics.

Jake - Splinter/Hamato Yoshi

Tired dads trying their best and just so happening to raise The Kids as soldiers-warriors along the way. Exciting and confusing relationships with the concept of this thing you call "death." Shameless species hoppers, even though Jake did it on purpose while TMNT writers in various iterations have to come up with increasingly more convoluted ways for it to happen to Yoshi against his will. Is not afraid of violence, especially when it comes to their homoerotically homicidal relationship with

Quaritch - Shredder

Big Bad of the story, or at least the one everybody pays attention to. The Bitch Who Refuses To Die. Unhealthy, possessive, genuinely quite creepy (/pos) obsession with sort-of-kid who ended up in his care through Unfortunate Means. Will destroy everything he remotely cares about and sit in the ashes with surprised Pichaku face before finding someone to blame. Refuses to let go of a fucking grudge, be it with aforementioned homoerotic-homicide buddy or various children.

Neytiri

Technically the best Neytiri parallel in terms of family relationships would be Tang Shen, Splinter's wife and the pseudo/actual (depending on the iteration) mother of his children. However, Tang Shen has an unfortunate history of being Dead Girled and Ghost-Momed in a way that puts her more in common with Grace or Tom Sully (rip). Still, Neytiri has a lot in common with the vengeful demon ghost version of Tang Shen that exists primarily in my head.

BONUS

Payakan - Casey Jones

Outcast from society, defender of the weak, wanted by the authorities. Combines genuinely passionate belief in justice/revenge with an equally genuine talent for wanton violence and destruction. Has an interspecies bromance with Lo'ak/Raph that puts Achilles and Patrocles to shame. Someone definitely needs to introduce Payakan to emo music, too, not to mention death metal--he'd start a band to put those Little Mermaid fuckers to shame.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Arguments? (you're all wrong btw) Only know me from one of these fandoms and have no idea what the hell I'm taking about? Hit me up in the reblogs!

[saintelia]

hello!! can I request a titles based on needy streamer overload or something that related to being an ai or internet stuff like that, im not good at explaining :'<

names based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! [PT: names based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! END PT]

nanno , aurora , cody , link , cache , aria , darling , melody , nett , moira , idyia , angel , amy , amelia , & coda.

pronouns based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! [PT: pronouns based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! END PT]

ai / ais , want / wants , crave / craves , cy / cyber , wi / wire , tech / techs , idol / idols , stre / stream , chuu / chuus , rec / record , live / lives ( like live events ,, ) , & dep / depend.

titles based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! [PT: titles based off needy streamer overload / being an ai! END PT]

the ai that needs , she* who craves fame , the ai , the ( adjective , like cutest ) streamer , her* popularity , the digital idol with a dark side , her* digital desperation , she* who the net depends on , & the ai of your dreams / the ai of everyone’s dreams.

*you can replace the example pronoun with any pronouns you like!

O1 ; holy always starts off the creation process by doing research , thus she went to look into “ Needy streamer overload ”. my! one was Surprised to figure out how many endings the game has! and , many of the endings have Musical references! holy adores Musical references in media .. so naturally she spent a Long time searching through each ending and getting a feel for the game. how fun!

[going-astronuts]

From: Mechanics Dep., Crew Member 2523, T5

To: Mechanics Dep., Open Comms

Anyone else hearing something crawling in the walls?

Mechanics Dep., Open Comms Responses:

Crew Member 2544, T8: Maybe it’s those fu*ing lizards eating our tech

Crew Member 2572, T5: Buddy it’s not. It’s funnier than that. You really want to know?

Crew Member 2523, T5: What is it?

Crew Member 2572, T5: It’s our Captain. Well he’s also in there w a couple of other Mechs and Engineers that are small enough and. they’re chasing the lizards. I saw him crawling out.

Crew Member 2544, T8: What in the fresh hell

Crew Member 2523, T5: This is so ridiculously off protocol it’s kinda funny. How did he even get into command. Baby Captain

[lizardsarecute]

Transcript Half Rest Ch 5

for the overseas homies. Posting this before I post the chapter so I can link to this in the notes.

Page 1 Chapter Image

Page 2

WING 2 CLOSED FOR REPAIR

Korsica: “Thanks for the help. There’s a meeting at the terminal today–the details will be on your feed soon. You are dismissed.”

Page 3

Korsica (thinking) “A little cramped, but it should do as a temporary measure”

“I barely had any sleep last night, a coffee oughta–”

Page 4 

Words next to the arrow says ‘forgot about decaf’

*coughs* “What did they put in this? Charcoal??”

Sfx on the container says ‘flip’

Page 5

MISSION REPORT

After Roxanne Vandelay took over the company again, repairs around the island started in earnest.

The text in the first sticky note says “DMG LVL (damage level)” HI, MED, LO (high medium and low across the island)

Our immediate priority is to make sure campus residents are out of harm’s way while our crews conduct repairs.

The text in the second sticky note says “SETUP CORDONS”

Thankfully the most severe damage is beyond public view. But we’ve been told that most of the restoration work will be done through an overhaul of company policies.

Third sticky note says “Kale erased Roxanne’s work. Ground up restoration initiative.”

Page 6

Hundreds of thousands of policies, training manuals, and videos need to be re-evaluated. Older and more experienced units are slowly being reassigned to their old positions.

In addition, Security will have to contend with a growing number of…unusual units that have come out of the Production Department. Apparently production never stopped when Rekka and QA-MIL were taken down, because Roquefort wanted to keep those numbers up. Sighs

Left sticky note: “More focus! SEC. DEP. (Security Department)

Send more security to production

Attend to security alerts in person (increase success rate)

Staggered schedules for new workweek. 4 Sundays (how?)

Security paper file re-eval (re-evaluation)

Additional unit training

Bottom right sticky note: PERSONAL

Delivery by EOD (End of day)

Overlook at MON1 (Monday 1). SUN2 (Sunday 2)

Meet in Hangout

(cut off text) Beans?

Page 7

This thing is not helping me stay awake.

Maybe covering security alarms in person will wake me up a bit.

Page 8

Nothing like a bit of exercise to stay alert.

SFX k-chack! Shlk! Crackle! Sounds of shoulder mechanism locking in place and turning on.

“Beep!” “Boop!” Notification sounds

Perfect timing

Page 9

Hmm, knocked out cameras…in an area deep under an active repair site–on the opposite end of the island.

Looks like Peppermint needs help with something.

Peppermint: Hey Korsica! If you have a minute, can I call you in? Need to measure something from your tech

Korsica: Can it w- (the word that’s cut off is ‘wait’)

(She helped save your life)

Written text says ..PAUSE

(And she’s Roxanne’s daughter)

It’ll be quick. I’ll just have to pull available units and remote lockdown this area before the perpetrator gets any farther.

Page 10

“Korsica here. Send any available security in this area to the west side of M-B2. There’s a report of a broken security cam. If it’s an intruder, capture if you can but use evasive maneuvers. I’ll be on my way.”

Alright, call me in. I can help.

Page 11

Hm-never been here before.

Peppermint: “Hey Korsica! Good to see you!”

Korsica: “Hey Peppermint–and 808. What can I do for you

Page 12

Peppermint: “Just hold still! Checking frequencies–”

Korsica (startled): “Oh? Is there something wrong with it?”

Peppermint: “It’s unlikely, but gimme a sec. How’s the prosthetic by the way? Has it given you any trouble lately?”

Korsica: “I still have full range of motion, so it seems to be working just fine.”

Continued: “Though the edges around the upper arm does chafe after a while…”

Peppermint: “Hmm, I can fix that”

Peppermint: “Anything on the ICD?”

Korsica: “It’s been good.”

BLEEP sound effect 

Peppermint: “Got it! Nice, I’ll need the numbers for one of my side projects. So thanks for stopping by!”

Page 13

Korsica: “That’s all, huh. What’s it about?”

Peppermint: “Don’t want to ruin the surprise. Let’s just say 808 is helping me with it!”

Peppermint: “Time’s almost up anyways. But before you go–”

Peppermint: “I’ve charged up some extras. They should be keyed in already so you can bring it back with you.

Korsica: “Thank you”

Continued “These will come handy. Good luck on your side project Peppermint. I’m sure it’ll be amazing.

Peppermint: “Thanks! I think you’ll like it!”

Page 14

Effect says “Dodge! Dodge!”

Page 15

WHAM! And CRACK! 

Bounce! Fwoooom (wind noise), and CLATTER as the winged robot hits the screen.

Page 16

Page 17

Sound effect says ‘CRASH’

Page 18

Korsica: “Only the two of you?”

Korsica: “Report.What was this unit doing when you found it?”

Gunner1: “It was making a lot of noise!”

Gunner2 (with their hands over their eyes) “Ugh, this guy.”

Gunner1: “It was…uh…flapping its wings at the generator?”

Korsica: “It was overheating it?”

Gunner1: “Yessir.”

Korsica (thinking): “It could be an accident. Or it could be faulty code that could have easily made it past our non-existent QA. Either way, I need more information.”

Korsica: “Request a transport unit and send this VU-TOR1 to R&D (Research and development). Let them pick apart the code that caused this behavior

Page 19

Page 20

Sound effect: BASH!

Korsica (thinking): “Crap, that was definitely–”

Sound effect for hitting the ground: PLONK!

BOOM

Page 21

“Too much.”

Korsica: “Dammit! Nevermind the transport unit. I’ll make a separate report and forward it to R&D in person.”

Korsica: “You, head back to Production for repairs. We’ll go back to the terminal. I’ll be assigning teams to help our repair crews.”

[mctionsick]

like this for a wish list starter from one of the following (feel free to request or else i will just choose who fits the plot i pick best):

DALLAS WEXLER. fc: jacob elordi.  20-24.  he/him.  bisexual (closeted).  (semi) pro athlete.  ▶︎ MORE INFO 

FLOYD BARNETT JR.  werewolf / human.  fc: ryan gosling.  30-40.  he/him. heterosexual.  handyman.  sibling to tj barnett.  ▶︎ MORE INFO 

XAVIER JIMINEZ.  human.  fc: brandon perea.  24-30.  he/him.  bisexual.  bassist for drunk jesus.  day job as a wedding DJ / sound tech.  ▶︎ MORE INFO

AVERY DECKER.  fc: lili reinhart.  21-28.  she/her.  lesbian.  bassist for romantic getaway car.  day job as a barista.  / verse dep. ▶︎ MORE INFO 

JAY HALEY.  fc: miles teller.  32-40.  he/him.  bisexual.  high school soccer coach.  (test muse)

[selfshipdorito]

ok I've checked ba.ndori out again and wow. was anyone going to tell me that some of them are in COLLEGE now?! they've grown so much!!! the nostalgia train is hitting me full force today.

ba.ndori was such a comfort media for me some years ago. I had forgotten why and now I remeber. aaaaaaaaa they helped me so much, y'all have no idea. listening to some of their music is making me cry /pos

also, I kinda selfshipped with some of them back in the day..? like, imagining me being the 6th member of afterglow was something

(also, of course sa.yo had to be studying law. of COURSE she had. and I was surprised to see maya in the social studies dep. like, weren't you the tech overlord bestie?)

[jeraldleehill]

Balancing Privacy and Security: Constitutional Challenges in the Digital Age

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has significantly impacted the balance between privacy and security, creating complex challenges for constitutional rights. In the digital age, individuals' data is more accessible than ever, while governments and corporations are increasingly focused on ensuring national security and preventing cybercrime. These competing interests often conflict, prompting questions about how to protect individual privacy without compromising security.

This tension between privacy and security has led to numerous constitutional challenges, with courts struggling to define the limits of government surveillance, data collection, and personal privacy in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The Fourth Amendment and Digital Privacy

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, providing a critical foundation for privacy rights. However, interpreting this amendment in the context of digital technologies has proven to be a significant challenge. Traditionally, the Fourth Amendment protected physical spaces, such as homes and personal property, but digital information doesn't fit neatly into these categories.

One key Supreme Court ruling in this area came in Carpenter v. United States (2018), which dealt with the government's access to cell phone location data without a warrant. In this case, the Court ruled that accessing historical cell phone records constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant. This decision marked a significant step in adapting constitutional protections to the digital era, acknowledging that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their digital footprints.

However, the boundaries of the Fourth Amendment in the digital space are still unclear, especially regarding emerging technologies like facial recognition software, drones, and other surveillance tools. As these technologies become more widespread, courts will continue to grapple with how to apply constitutional protections in new and uncharted areas.

Government Surveillance and National Security Concerns

Balancing privacy with national security is another complex issue in the digital age, especially in the wake of events like the September 11 attacks. The rise of government surveillance programs, such as those authorized under the Patriot Act, has fueled ongoing debates about the scope of government power in monitoring citizens' digital communications. The National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies have engaged in widespread data collection programs, often justified by the need to protect national security.

In 2013, a former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, revealed the extent of the government's surveillance practices, sparking a global debate about privacy rights. The disclosure of the NSA's mass data collection on phone records and internet communications raised questions about whether these actions violated the Fourth Amendment. While the government argued that these programs were essential for preventing terrorist attacks, privacy advocates claimed they overstepped constitutional boundaries.

In response to these concerns, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act in 2015 to reform certain aspects of government surveillance, including limiting bulk data collection. However, the ongoing threats of terrorism, cyberattacks, and espionage continue to make it difficult to strike a balance between protecting national security and safeguarding personal privacy.

Data Privacy and Corporate Responsibility

The issue of data privacy in the digital age is not limited to government surveillance. Corporations, particularly tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, also play a central role in collecting and using personal data. While these companies offer services that millions rely on, their business models often depend on collecting vast amounts of user data, raising concerns about how this information is stored, shared, and protected.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018, in which millions of Facebook users' data was harvested without their consent and used for political purposes, underscored the vulnerabilities in digital privacy. This incident led to widespread outrage and a reevaluating of how companies handle user data. In response, lawmakers in the United States and abroad have taken steps to regulate data privacy more strictly.

For example, the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, a sweeping privacy law designed to give individuals more control over their data. In the United States, California introduced the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which offers similar protections for California residents. These regulations have sparked discussions about whether federal data privacy legislation is necessary to protect all Americans, but achieving consensus on the appropriate level of regulation remains challenging.

Encryption and the Debate Over Backdoor Access

Encryption, encoding information to protect it from unauthorized access, has become critical for maintaining digital privacy. Companies like Apple and WhatsApp use encryption to safeguard users' messages and data from hackers, ensuring that sensitive information remains secure. However, encryption has also become a focal point in the debate over privacy and security, particularly law enforcement's ability to access encrypted data.

In several high-profile cases, law enforcement agencies have demanded that tech companies create "backdoor" access to encrypted devices in the interest of national security or criminal investigations. One of the most notable examples occurred in 2016 when the FBI requested that Apple unlock the iPhone of a terrorist involved in the San Bernardino shooting. Apple refused, arguing that creating such a backdoor would weaken security for all users and set a dangerous precedent.

This standoff between privacy advocates and law enforcement highlights the difficulty of finding a middle ground. While law enforcement argues that access to encrypted data is essential for investigating crimes and preventing terrorist attacks, privacy advocates warn that any backdoor could be exploited by malicious actors, undermining encryption's security.

The Future of Privacy and Security in the Digital Age

As technology evolves, the tension between privacy and security will only become more pronounced. The increasing use of artificial intelligence, facial recognition, and other advanced technologies presents new challenges for privacy rights. At the same time, the growing threat of cyberattacks heightens the need for robust security measures.

Looking ahead, courts and lawmakers will play a critical role in defining the boundaries of privacy and security in the digital age. Striking a balance between these competing interests will require careful consideration of constitutional principles, the evolving nature of technology, and the importance of safeguarding both individual rights and national security.

At the heart of this debate is protecting personal privacy without sacrificing society's security. As digital technologies continue to shape the world, finding the right balance between these two essential values will be one of our time's defining legal and political challenges.

[timesofinnovation]

In a strategic move to bolster cybersecurity and digital skills across the European Union, the EU Commission has unveiled a fund worth €210 million under its Digital Europe Programme (DEP). Introduced in 2021, the DEP aims to expedite the EU's digital transformation and is equipped with a total budget of €7.5 billion over a span of seven years. The primary objective of this recent funding initiative is to enhance digital literacy and fortify the region's defense against escalating cyber threats. The allocated funds will be directed towards various initiatives, including specialized training programs, the development of cybersecurity tools, and the establishment of advanced digital infrastructures. By fostering skills essential for the modern workforce, the EU aims to bridge the digital divide and ensure that citizens and businesses alike can compete on a global scale. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the importance of proactive measures cannot be overstated. For instance, a 2022 report by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) highlighted a 26% increase in cyber incidents targeting European entities. By investing in cybersecurity, the EU hopes to mitigate these risks and safeguard critical infrastructures. In addition to enhancing security, the focus on digital skills is set to open new employment opportunities and drive economic growth. According to Eurostat, the demand for ICT specialists grew by 38% in the EU between 2016 and 2020, a trend that is expected to continue. By equipping individuals with the necessary skills, the EU can address talent shortages and fill crucial roles in the tech industry. This comprehensive approach underscores the EU's commitment to securing a digital future that is both resilient and inclusive, ensuring that all member states can benefit from and contribute to the digital economy.

[integrating-sphere]

Netherlands – LISUN engineer provide installation and training for LSG-1800A High Precision Rotation Luminaire Goniophotometer and LSRF-3 Lamp Start, Run-up Time and Flicker Test System

This customer is a supplier of railway lamp in Netherlands. The company decided to establish its own lighting test laboratory to realize the needs of product development and quality control. The company pursues high -quality, high -precision optical measurement results, and hopes to accurately measure and analyze the Luminous Intensity Distribution. This customer has learned about our related products on a third -party website and confirmed a series of technical issues with us. This customer is more cautious and carefully. Since they have not worked with us before, they did not directly place an order to us. Instead of asking for purchase through our old customers. Although customers are not directly purchase from us, LISUN also directly provides customers with free after sales services support. Because the High Precision Rotation Luminaire Goniophotometer that the customer’s previous inquiry did not require testing the color parameters, they only purchased our standard LSG-1800A High Precision Rotation Luminaire Goniophotometer. Later, the customer had newly added color parameters to test. In order to save budget for customer to buy a high precision goniospectroradiometer , we suggest customer to purchase a high precision spectroradiometer LMS-9000C to work together with LISUN LSG-1800A goniophotometer, so it can test color parameter. At the same time, customers are in European countries, so they inevitably need to test flicker and need to meet the latest ErP regulation , so we also recommend customers to buy LSRF-3 Lamp Start, Run-up Time and Flicker Test System and LSP-500Vast-PST AC power supply. These two device should work together with LISUN LSG-1800A goniophotometer to full meet the new ErP regulation. Although there are not many products purchased this time, at the request of the customer, our engineers still go to the customer factory for installation and training. The following is a photo that the customer is successfully installed: Customer is installing the raillway lamp LISUN engineer with the customer’s engineer In summary, we have established a good partnership with the client and gained recognition and trust by providing professional products and services. This collaboration not only lays a solid foundation for our company’s development in the European market but also provides more opportunities for our market leadership in other competitive industries. We will continue to strive to improve our technical capabilities and service standards to provide high-quality products and solutions to more clients. Lisun Instruments Limited was found by LISUN GROUP in 2003. LISUN quality system has been strictly certified by ISO9001:2015. As a CIE Membership, LISUN products are designed based on CIE, IEC and other international or national standards. All products passed CE certificate and authenticated by the third party lab. Our main products are Goniophotometer, Integrating Sphere, Spectroradiometer, Surge Generator, ESD Simulator Guns, EMI Receiver, EMC Test Equipment, Electrical Safety Tester, Environmental Chamber, Temperature Chamber, Climate Chamber, Thermal Chamber, Salt Spray Test, Dust Test Chamber, Waterproof Test, RoHS Test (EDXRF), Glow Wire Test and Needle Flame Test. Please feel free to contact us if you need any support. Tech Dep: Service@Lisungroup.com, Cell/WhatsApp:+8615317907381 Sales Dep: Sales@Lisungroup.com, Cell/WhatsApp:+8618117273997 Read the full article

[credince--writes]

Whispers

Whispers can be heard, calling from the sand.

AO3

Cots sucked.

They really, truly blew.

Blew hard.

She groaned, sitting up on the shitty little cot she'd made her resting place for the last few days. There were whispers she had caught hold of, like butterflies drifting past in stagnant air. Whispers of Price and Gaz showing up soon.

Soon.

She was being left in the dark.

She knew it.

She hated it.

And every butterfly that floated past she'd catch and rip its wings off.

A tribute to her truly, sour mood.

But it had seemed that she wasn't the only one in a sour mood. While she'd be able to corner Soap a few times, at least try to make some conversation as she felt like she was losing her mind in isolation.

Almost as if she was being put in timeout.

She didn't remember.

And that was her fault.

Now all of a sudden they wouldn't talk to her.

Were they mad at her?

Did they not want her anymore?

She was a part of the team.

At least she thought she was a part of the team.

Maybe it didn't mean anything.

She felt useless, sitting here doing nothing.

She wanted to help,

to be useful.

She had caught Rudy in the hallway one day, stopping politely to greet each other she offered her assistance.

"I'm losing my mind here, dude." She'd said. "Your techs need any help?"

"Of course... Let me ask first, then I'll go get you."

What she didn't expect was a very, very poorly managed tech department with a senile old man sitting in front of a computer that looked like it had been pulled out of the nineties.

"This... Is the tech department?" She asked, glancing over to Rudy.

"...Si..."

"You're shitting me, right?"

"No." He replied voice raised slightly.

"This isn't a tech dep, and if this is what you guys are running I'm surprised you aren't all dead." She hisses out. Taking a step closer to him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just following-"

"Orders. Right." She seethed. "So, not tech-dep-tech-dep, what activities are done here?"

The old man lifted his head, lifting a hand with a pack of cards. "Chinchón!" He stood, moving from his chair in front of the computer to a table tucked in behind a shelf.

Her head snapped over, looking at him. "What?"

"You'll get along great- that's Momia, call him Mom. Bye now!" Rudy side stepped and quickly exited the door leaving her alone with the lingering smell of old cigarette smoke, and a wrinkled old man with a pack of cards.

She hesitantly stepped forward, more into the room to glance over a shelf to see him sitting at a table with the pack of cards in hand, tapping an empty carton of cigarettes against the damaged fold-out table. "....Hello."

"Hello." He replied back. His voice was gravelly, aged. It reminded her slightly of Price's. It carried a weight, one that was only acquired with experiences.

Haunting ones.

"You speak English?" She hesitantly asked.

"Fucking hope so." He bites back.

She was taken aback slightly, raising a brow. "Why do they call you Mom?"

"Supposed to be momia, call me Mom."

"What's that mean?"

"Mummy. Cause been here since you were in diapers." He replied, opening the package of cards and placing them on the table.

"I don't understand why I'm being placed with a fucking babysitter." Jitters hisses out, standing up and pushing her chair back. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself and I won't be disregarded to-"

"Sit the fuck down." The old man grumbles out.

She sits back down quietly. "Sorry, Sir." She mumbles, awkwardly folding her hands in her lap.

"You know Chinchón?" He asks.

"No."

"Rummy?"

"...No."

"Gin?"

"You're just making these up, aren't you."

The old man sighs, rolling his shoulders back and letting out a deep exhale.

....

She groaned, leaning back into her chair after losing yet another card game to the man next to her.

"At this point why don't we play something like speed?" She asked.

"No."

"Why, you afraid you're gonna lose?"

"No."

She groaned again, looking around the room. "Why are you in here anyways?"

"It is my room." He replied simply.

"Like, you live in here?" She asked.

"No."

"What do you even do on that computer?"

"Solitare."

"You play it a lot?"

"Si."

She looked over at the computer and the well-worn mouse on the mouse pad next to it. There was a full ash tray sitting a few feet off of the thick computer.

"You play cards a lot?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the old computer.

"No, not many to play with." He replied, shuffling the deck and getting ready for another agonizing round of him wiping the floor.

"So you just play Solitare all day?"

"Si."

"Huh." She turned back around, facing him at the table and watching as he dealt out the cards again.

"You ever get bored of it?"

"Me? No." He replies. "Now play."

"If you just play cards all day and smoke why don't you just go home?" She asked.

"The Los Vaqueros is my home, my child." He states.

"You Rudy's Daddy or something?"

He huffs a light laugh at that. "No... no.... But I remember when he was just a boy. Skittish little mocoso."

"So you've been here a long time."

"Yes."

She sighed. Conversation with the man was impossible, all he would do was shuffle the cards, ash his cig, light a new one, and maybe every once and a while stand to leave to take a piss.

She was going insane.

The room was dingy, and stained with cigarette smoke and it didn't help the chairs squeaked in a horribly irritating way.

Any time she stood she'd been chastised.

She was being held hostage by an old bastard who smoked like a chimney and played cards all day.

It'd be fun, in theory, but she wanted to be anywhere.

Anywhere but in that room.

Feeling useless.

Doing nothing.

It was aggravating, they were occupying her.

Placing her with a babysitter.

What was really happening?

Mom sure took advantage of bossing her around, to bring him his lunch, eat with her, go fetch him a new pack of cigs.

And it went on like that for a few more days.

She'd like to think they'd made progress, she started to understand the card games, play along, maybe even win once or twice.

He'd start telling her long, raspy, and drawn-out stories of the good ol' days.

The days when justice wasn't a foreign concept.

'A bullet can solve any problem' the old man had told her.

To a degree, she agreed with that statement.

His eyes would dance when he spoke of old stories, stories of when he was young.

Stories of when he was strong.

He was crazy, she'd deduced.

Maybe senile.

Half the things he'd tell her didn't seem feasible to survive, but she'd let the old man live through his stories. Watching the life glisten in his eyes as he relived the good memories of his past.

Relive his youth.

"We didn't have these cartel problems when we just strung them up in the street." He said, puffing off of his cigarette and placing a card down.

"Think that's bad for tourism." She replied bluntly.

He laughed, that dry, raspy, old laugh.

They continued to play, the long dreadful games to her always losing and him finishing with a crooked smile with missing teeth.

"Back in my day, we never had those phones. Just cards."

"Bet you didn't have a girlfriend either." She bit back.

"I had many of women." He replied.

"Yea, Mom, the slayer of women."

"Hah..." He laughed. Sitting up in his chair and flexing his shoulders. It was almost like a routine. Trying to correct his poor posture that had been engrained over the years. "I wasn't always Mom."

"Hard to see you as anything other than a chimney with a card problem."

"I remember when the spirits still roamed the desert."

She sighed silently, looking up at him.

"Yea? Dance with the cactus too?"

He laughed lightly. "I thought you'd understand! Have you not seen the demons dancing in the sky?"

She paused, looking at him.

The smoke danced off of his cigarette and up into the air, dissipating into the room's stuffy atmosphere and tar clinging to the walls.

"The desert still lives, at night." He adds. "But only if it deems you worthy."

"Worthy of what, exactly?" She asked.

"A warrior's death." He explained simply, collecting the cards and starting to shuffle them again.

"Why would I need a warrior's death?" She asked, looking at him hesitantly.

"Not need, but worthy. Pure of heart. Intention." He clarifies. "We can all see the demons. They crawl out of the dark, but the life... No, that's only there for the good."

"Have you seen the life of the desert?" She asked.

"Not for a long, long time. Before I became what I am today. When I was a young boy, I would watch the cactus dance on the sand."

"Before you were the momia?"

He laughed, smoke puffing from his lungs as he exhaled as chuckled. "No. When I was a warrior."

"Then who were you?"

"Can you not tell?" He asks.

She gives him a deadpan look.

He lifts his sleeve, revealing a sleeve of old, ragged tattoos.

But one stood out.

One deep into his flesh.

But it wasn't a tattoo.

It was a scar.

A brand.

It was the insignia of something- she honestly couldn't tell.

"El Gran Vaquero!" He chuckles out.

She stays silent, watching his movements.

"Lazo de la muerte, I'd hang them from the streets!" He wheezed out.

She stared.

El Gran Vaquero.

He was the first.

The first of the wild cowboys.

The Los Vaqueros.

The patriarch.

Of course, he couldn't leave. He'd be hunted like a trophy.

The old, sad card-playing man. Isolated into grungy solitude, smoke smothering air.

Lazo de la muerte.

"Can you not tell?" He asks.

She stares at him, and it as if his flesh melts from the bone. Death radiated off of his pores.

The hands that carefully shuffled the cards gripped onto a rough rope, a lasso. Wrapped around the neck of a criminal as they were dragged through the street.

He was no Mom.

He was a God Damn harbinger of death.

Staged atop a horse.

Cursed to never see the life of the desert again.

"Go find lunch, will you?" He broke her train of thought. Killing the stiff mood of the room, effectively turning back to his cards.

She groaned internally, nodding and standing to leave the room.

Following out of the hallways onto her familiar route to go to the mess, pick up grub for the old bastard and herself, follow back and continue on with the prison sentence of sitting with him, inhaling the secondhand smoke and playing cards until the tips of her fingers bled.

To get there, she'd have to route through the majority of the base, which was a pain in the ass but it had given her a much-appreciated break from the stuffiness of the room.

She'd pop her head out, look around the garage. Cut through there as a shortcut and sometimes walk outside and lean against the wall to look at the clouds and the bright sky they tried to devour.

She walked through, opening the door onto the asphalt and looking out onto the tarmac to see the familiar tall figure of Ghost standing next to a Heli.

One that was prepping to leave.

She stared in disbelief.

Were they... leaving her?

Were they not going to say goodbye?

Ghost stood, talking to who she could only assume to be Rudy from that distance. It was much easier to tell who Ghost was- the tall dark looming figure with the white of his mask making him indistinguishable.

Ghost turned, in her direction.

Like he was staring at her.

She stared back.

His body was completely facing her.

She could feel the burning of her flesh, the singing of her hair under his gaze.

They stayed like that for a moment.

Staring.

The sound of the chopper's blades beating against the air fills the silence.

And he turned, climbing into the Helicopter.

And she stared, watching as it lifted off of the ground and ascended.

Leaving.

Without a word.

Nothing.

"I am not your babysitter." He said plainly.

"Never said you were." She shot back.

"Bit defensive are we?" He questions, moving across the room to put away a weight he had been using earlier.

She grumbled a little, crossing her arms. "I didn't mean to. I just am starting to dislike being regarded as a baby."

He turned, looking at her. "Then do something about it."

She stared at where the helicopter once was.

"No. I'm not being cocky. You, yourself told me to do something about it and this is me doing something about it." She throws her hands up in the air. "You drag me out to bumfuck, act like I'm your Soap surrogate but when we get back you act like none of it happened." She seethes out.

"You were a liability." Ghost says again, the words leaving his mouth drawled out slowly.

"Yea?" Jitters voice cracks a little bit.

"This isn't some fun game you just get to run around with now." Ghost started.

"This isn't a fucking game, and I earned my spot here. I've earned it multiple times and I've proven that-."

"You haven't proved anything. You are not a soldier. You are a fake. We are not your community service project or your parole officers. I don't need your falsified pity, or courage for that matter." He spits.

She stared.

They didn't want her anymore.

"You. Are a scared, weak little girl."

Do you ever miss it?" She asks.

He looks at her and nods a bit before flicking the ash off of the end of his cigarette.

"Sometimes." He finally responds.

"Would you ever go back to it?"

"There's nothing left to go back to." He says.

Home.

"I guess that's something we have in common." She mumbles.

But now?

There really wasn't anything to go back to.

[lasal-cleaners-davie]

Water Damage Dry Cleaning in Davie - La Sal Cleaners Davie

Water Damage Dry Cleaning in Davie - La Sal Cleaners Davie

Introduction

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Understanding Water Damage

Water harm can arise because of numerous motives along with flooding, burst pipes, or even a leaky roof. When water seeps into your garb, it may purpose irreversible harm if now not treated well. Fabrics can grow to be stained, expand mildew, or maybe lose their form and coloration.

Why Choose Professional Dry Cleaning?

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Lasal Cleaners Davie: Your Go-To Solution

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The Process of Water Damage Dry Cleaning

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Specialized Equipment and Techniques

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Handling Different Types of Fabrics

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Customer Testimonials

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Cost Considerations

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Prevention Tips for Water Damage

Preventing water damage involves regular home maintenance and being organized for emergencies. Simple steps like checking for leaks and having a plan in region can save you a variety of problem in the end.

Conclusion

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