#do i tag len goodman?

[thesherrinfordfacility]

in which michael sheen achieves top tier legend status

[cyberjulie]

Executive Summary

Future Crimes by Marc Goodman details the dark side of technology, examining how new technologies are used and abused for criminal purposes.  In just under 400 pages, Goodman provides some basic historical background on computer security and then guides the reader through a cybercrime journey spanning consumer, industrial, medical, and various other technologies.

Fair warning to prospective readers: the story isn’t pretty.  The author starts with a wake-up call about data privacy and how a plethora of companies like Facebook, Google, and OkCupid, and the $150 billion dollar data broker industry regularly collect, sell, and abuse user data.  When it comes to Internet services, Goodman reminds readers, “you’re not the customer, you’re the product.”

Future Crimes also explores the current derelict world of cyber peeping toms, bullies, revenge porn, and extortion.  While these crimes are already rampant today, Goodman theorizes that things will get worse with the proliferation of surveillance cameras, geo-location services, RFID tags, and wireless networking technology.  The point is crystal clear: each technology innovation increases the attack surface, and cybercriminals are only too happy to exploit these vulnerabilities for profit.

Aside from level setting on the present, about half of this book examines the future of cybercrime with an in-depth analysis of cybercriminal organizations, cybercrime processes, divisions of labor, specialization, and the overall cybercrime marketplace.  This analysis is especially useful for cybersecurity professionals seeking to understand what motivates cyber adversaries and how they do what they do.  Goodman also does a good job of aligning cybercrime with the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.  The author succeeds in introducing IoT technologies, describing their potential benefits, and then providing numerous examples of how these innovations have or will be used for nefarious purposes.

Future Crimes can be verbose and even alarmist at times, but these are minor shortcomings within an otherwise extremely educational and informative book.  The author is especially adept at providing real-world examples, research points, statistics, and news stories to back up his points throughout the text.  And while experienced cybersecurity readers may be familiar with many of the events described in the book, Future Crimes goes beyond other books by covering a variety of territories like consumer, industrial, medical, and even military technology threats, vulnerabilities, and crimes.  In this way, Goodman weaves familiar cybersecurity events into a unique wide-angle lens of cybercrime.

I found Future Crimes extremely educational and believe it is a worthwhile read for cybersecurity professionals and even business managers interested in learning more about a broad range of cyber risks.  As such, Future Crimes should be included in the Cybersecurity Canon.

Review

Being an industry analyst, people often ask me a rather fundamental question:  What is the difference between information security and cybersecurity?  Some of my peers believe that any distinction between the two terms is nothing but semantics. I disagree.  In my humble opinion, information security is inexorably linked to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of IT assets and infrastructure (i.e., applications, data, networks, servers).  Alternatively, cybersecurity is a broader topic that encompasses the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all connected systems – industrial control systems, medical devices, consumer devices, etc.

With these discrepancies in mind, Future Crimes by Marc Goodman can be categorized as a comprehensive analysis of the state of cybersecurity, its implications on consumer safety and privacy, and the collective impact of cybersecurity vulnerabilities on our society at large.

The book is divided into three sections.  In Part One (A Gathering Storm), Goodman explores today’s cybercrime realities.  Part Two (The Future of Crime), looks at the cybercrime underworld and maps technology development to new types of burgeoning and creative criminal activity.  Finally, Part Three (Surviving Progress) provides some cybersecurity recommendations to consumers, government agencies and technology companies.

In the first chapter of the book (Connected, Dependent, and Vulnerable), Goodman provides a situational analysis describing the state of cybercrime today and how we got to this point.  Here, Goodman compares cybercrime to physical crime, explains the differences, and then gives the reader a historical review of computer security and basic malware tutorial.  The author then quickly fast-forwards to today’s dangerous threat landscape, illustrating his points by recounting examples of identity theft and data breaches while providing several ominous statistics on the explosion of malware.  By the end of the chapter, readers should be well-aware of Goodman’s in-your-face message:  ‘Think your online world is secure?  Think again!’

With the first chapter as a baseline, Goodman proceeds through the first part of the book by digging deeper into criminal activities associated with the technologies we all use in our daily lives for communication, entertainment, health care, our jobs, etc.

For example, Future Crimes exposes the dark side of all of the free Internet services we all enjoy, such as email, search engines, and social networks.  Goodman provides numerous examples of how companies like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn provide these free services while playing fast and loose with user privacy and monetizing user data as they see fit – today and in perpetuity.  Of course, most users have no idea this is happening, as they are relatively defenseless against typical terms of service (TOS) agreements.  The author actually cites a Carnegie Mellon University study stating that the average American encounters thousands of privacy policies each year with an average of over 2,500 words.

As if this weren’t enough, the book proceeds with a creepier scenario: everyone is gathering and profiting from our data—cellular phone carriers, data brokers, dating sites, you name it.  I was particularly troubled by the story of a supposedly altruistic website, PatientsLikeMe, focused on connecting people with chronic illnesses.  As it turned out, PatientsLikeMe was actually selling this deeply personal patient information to a Nielsen subsidiary (BuzzMetrics), which then packaged the data for sale to drug companies, medical device manufacturers, and insurance companies.  This served as a strong example of cyber caveat emptor for consumers.

Once readers understand just how vulnerable they are, Goodman shifts the narrative from victims to perpetrators.  Part Two of Future Crimes specifies that criminals have always pioneered new ways to use new technologies for malevolent purposes, and this trend is only accelerating with accelerated innovation.   The author delves into the organizational structure of cybercriminals, looking at reporting structure, specialization, outsourcing, and the overall criminal marketplace.  These chapters act as a Cybercrime 101 course with details about things like the use of money mules, cybercriminal communication using the Dark Net, digital currencies like Bitcoin, and average prices for stolen merchandise like credit card numbers, documents, and even assassination services.

True to its name, the book also examines future crimes associated with evolving Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that combine compute, network, and storage resources with consumer and industrial capabilities.  Goodman is a fan of IoT and highlights its potential benefits but is also quick to identify a myriad of vulnerabilities.  For example, implanted medical devices (IMDs) like pacemakers and insulin pumps could be remotely controlled and monitored by physicians, improving care and reducing healthcare costs.  Alternatively, insecure IMDs could also be hacked and used for criminal acts.  Imagine if thousands of diabetics using a particular IoT insulin pump received an email threatening to give them a lethal dose of insulin unless they paid an extortion fee of $1000.  Future Crimes looks at many similarly frightening scenarios.

It is worth pointing out a core strength of Future Crimes: it is replete with countless real-world stories and copious data points that accentuate Goodman’s points throughout the book.  For example, the book recounts the 2008 attack in Mumbai and describes how terrorists took advantage of technologies like cell phones, GPS, and real-time access to news feeds.  Goodman also reveals incidents of cyberbullying, industrial espionage, revenge porn, and outright cyber vandalism.  For example, the 2001 hack of an Australian sewage treatment plant that “caused millions of litres of raw sewage to spill out into local parks, rivers, and even the grounds of a Hyatt Regency hotel,” really reinforced Goodman’s message on the cyber risks and consequences related to critical infrastructure.

Future Crimes is not without a few flaws.  Experienced cybersecurity professionals are all too familiar with many of the examples cited, and there are certainly other books providing more details about each individual topic.  Some may consider Goodman as a cyber “Chicken Little,” pummeling readers, page after page, with a dystopian diatribe about technological evils.  The author’s recommendations toward the end of the book are somewhat disappointing; those with cybersecurity policy and management experience won’t find anything new here.  Finally, Future Crimes can be a bit verbose and repetitive at times, exhausting even the most energetic reader.

In spite of these few shortcomings, however, I believe that Future Crimes is a very good book.  In truth, Goodman is really a technology optimist and does a fine job of explaining the use of technologies for good and evil.  While some of the stories are familiar to the cybersecurity community, I found the author’s reviews to be concise and relevant toward a variety of cybercrimes.  Future Crimes’ best quality is its breadth of coverage.  In just under 400 pages, Goodman seems to cover everything (consumer technology, industrial technology, medical technology, etc.), comes up with specific examples of criminal exploits, and offers intelligent insight about future criminal trends.  Well done, Marc!

[freddiesaysalright]

Dancing With Ben Week 11

A Ben Hardy x Reader Fic Redemption Week - Jive 2.0

Summary: Reader is one of the pro dancers on Dancing With the Stars. It’s her second season on the show, and this time, her partner is none other than Ben Hardy. Will they win the Mirror Ball? Maybe they’ll win something even more meaningful!

Word Count: 3.5K

Tag List: @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic, @twigleektribute23, @ionlyhavepicturesofflowers, @asquiresofftime, @caborhapch, @iwasnothingbutacityboy, @a-kind-of-magik, @anxious-diabetic, @royalblueviper, @toms-irish-girl, @doingalrightt, @borhapqueen92, @angiefangirlworld-2, @ziggymay, @pink-lemo, @riddikuluslypotter, @wearewiththebands, @i-was-born-like-this, @prince-lucifer-v, @mariekuuuuuh, @teenwolflover28, @minigranger, @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls, @theprettyfandom, @sam-mercurry-sixx, @reddies-stanlon, @irlkell, @deakyismydad, @kimmietea, @lelifesaver, @simmisblog, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession, @kyleetheeditor, @painkiller80, @bensrhapsody, @rrrogahtaylahhhh, @multisuperbananas This story is almost over, but if you’d like to be tagged for the last couple parts, let me know!

A/N: So! Some fun stuff in this one! I included a fun dance for rehearsal since the routine they’re doing is a repeat! I like fun new dance content y’all. Also, a lil BoRhap reunion in this one! Hope y’all enjoy!

Week 1  Week 2�� Week 3  Week 4  Week 5 Week 6  Week 7  Week 8  Week 9  Week 10

Week 11 here we go!!!

“We made it to the semi-finals!” you cried excitedly, hugging Ben as you entered rehearsal together. “Can you believe it?”

“Hardly!” he returned through a laugh. “We’ve been working so hard, and it feels like it’s really paying off.”

“I know!” you said. “I’m so proud of you, I could scream!”

“Please don’t scream,” he chuckled.

“I won’t, but oh my God! This is amazing!”

You beamed at each other for a moment.

“So, what’s this week’s dance?” he wondered.

“I actually don’t know,” you told him. “This week is the week we re-do a dance we did earlier this season to show how much you’ve improved. One of the judges will meet us here and will tell us which dance they’d like to see us do again.” 

“I hope they choose the waltz,” he said.

You chuckled. “But we just did that one.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but I really loved it.”

“Me too,” you agreed. “But until the mystery judge gets here, I brought some friends to keep us company during rehearsal today.”

His brow furrowed. “Who?”

“Come in, guys!” you called.

Through the door came Rami, Joe, and Gwilym. The latter two had flown in to see the semi-finals and finals of the show and support Ben. They were certain he’d make it to the finals and wanted to be in the audience this week and next. Ben gave a cry of delight and leapt into their collective arms. They all laughed as they embraced him and told him what a great job he was doing. Joe and Rami came over to say hello to you again, hugging you and pecking your cheek. Then Gwilym approached to introduce himself.

“Gwilym Lee,” he said, extending his hand.

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you replied. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“You as well,” he returned. “Ben hardly shuts up about you in our group chat, so I’m excited to see you in person.”

You laughed. “That’s funny, he hardly shuts up about the three of you to me.”

Ben bear hugged Gwilym from behind and kissed his neck.

“Thank you for coming all this way,” he murmured. 

Gwil patted his arm softly and smiled. “Of course, Ben. We wouldn’t miss it.”

“What dance are you doing this week?” Joe wondered.

You explained to him what you had explained to Ben about it being a redemption week, so neither of you knew yet. 

“I hope it’s the salsa,” Rami said. “Maybe you’d get to come back, Joe.”

“I don’t know if my body could take that,” Joe laughed. “That was tough. Although, Y/N is a wonderful teacher.”

“Thank you, Joe,” you returned. “You’re an excellent student.”

You all chatted for a bit while you waited for whichever judge to come in. After about ten minutes or so, you hear the door open.

“Knock, knock,” came the voice of Len Goodman.

“Len!” you cried.

He came over and shook hands with you and Ben. He offered a little wave to the rest of the boys. Then he smiled widely at you and your partner.

“Well, I am glad to see you two,” he said kindly. “And I’m glad I’m your special coach this week. You two have done so well and are at the top of the leaderboard. Oh, and congratulations on making it to the semi-finals.”

You and Ben both thanked him.

“This week, the other judges and I want to see you dance your jive again,” he continued. “We thought your jive was great, but now that you’re a real dancer, you can make it outstanding.”

“Okay,” you said with an excited clap. “I’m ready to get started.”

“Just a moment,” Len said. “You’ve brought some friends, but I’ve also brought friends of my own.”

You and Ben exchanged a confused glance.

“Not to worry, Ben,” Len said. “You’ve met them before. Please say hello to Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Adam Lambert!”

“Shut the fuck up!” you yelled, your hands covering your mouth right after.

The three men walked through the door of the studio and your heart skipped several beats. You thought you might pass out. You actually stumbled but Ben caught you. When you were steady, he joined the other boys in greeting the band. You looked at Len, dumbfounded.

“Wh - how?” you wondered.

“They’re all in town and they offered to come and play the song for you and Ben to dance to,” he explained.

You gave Len a hug and then watched while Ben, Rami, Gwil, and Joe talked with the band. Your heart fluttered again, and you weren’t sure what to do. Your thirteen-year-old self’s head was exploding at the idea of being in the same room as Roger Taylor. 

“Y/N, get over here,” Ben said. “Say hello.”

On shaky legs, you approached. You shook each of their hands and they introduced themselves. 

“Hello,” you choked out. When had you gotten emotional?

Ben wrapped his arm around your shoulder and squeezed. “Queen’s music means a lot to her.”

“It does?” wondered Roger. 

“Yeah,” Ben said. He looked at you and gently nudged you. “Tell them.”

“Oh, it’s...not important,” you said. 

“That’s not true,” Ben replied. “Go on, tell them.”

You cleared your throat. “Well, um, my parents met at a Queen concert, so I was raised on the music. My mother passed unexpectedly, and your music was always my way of feeling close to her.”

“What a lovely sentiment,” Brian said. 

You nodded. “I’m honestly in shock that I’m even here with you guys right now. I mean, growing up I was this oddball because my friends were all into Justin Beiber and Zac Efron, and I had Roger Taylor on my ceiling.”

They laughed at that. Then they hugged you and you thought your heart might explode because holy shit you were hugging Brian May and Roger Taylor. 

You looked at Adam. “And you’re honestly amazing!”

He hugged you as well. “Thank you, sweetie.”

“Well, you’ve got a bit of an audience, I think it’s time to start rehearsal,” said Len.

The boys and the band moved to the side. You looked at Ben. 

“How much of the jive do you remember?” you asked. 

“All of it,” he said. 

You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “All of it?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not for a second, Hardy,” you said. 

“Wanna bet?” he challenged. 

“Fine,” you returned. “If I win...I get to tell Joe where you’re ticklish.”

“She knows where you’re ticklish?!” Joe cried indignantly. 

“Fine,” Ben agreed with a smirk, ignoring Joe. “If I win, you have to do the routine you did to Body Language when you were captain of your college dance team.”

The others chuckled.

You mouth fell open. “How do you know about that?!”

“Your dad showed me the video,” he returned. 

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Bring it, Hardy.”

He laughed. “Let’s go.”

You started the music. You felt pretty confident initially because you did the jive so long ago. Ben had to miss a step. But as you danced, you got nervous. He was doing really well. You briefly considered tripping him or something but you didn’t want to play dirty. If you were going to win it was going to be fair and square. 

You suddenly remembered when you were first teaching Ben this dance and you had missed a step. He had teased you for it at the time - and a few times since then - and his eyes teased you now, as if he were remembering it as well. You focused. 

Sadly, you lost the bet. Ben did know the entire jive routine from start to finish and performed it well. When the last notes of the song played, you huffed irritably. He laughed as he backed away toward the wall with the rest of your “audience” in rehearsal. Of course, you were doing this on a day when there were tons of guests in the room. 

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this in front of Roger and Brian,” you grumbled. 

“Shouldn’t have doubted me then,” he replied. 

“Okay, let the record show, I was a VERY amateur choreographer at the time and I only did half these moves because there was a boy on the football team whose attention I wanted.”

Ben raised his eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, really,” you snapped. “And I gotta say - worked like a charm.”

He frowned and you headed to the other end of the studio with a little smirk of your own. You started the music, this time with Body Language and began.

The routine was only a minute or so, and was sexy in an almost silly way. It was a lot of pelvic thrusts and hair flips instead of real choreography, but at the time, it was a big moment for you because it was your first routine you had ever choreographed on your own. You were not nearly as proud of it now. 

As you danced, though, you couldn’t help but smile, despite the slight embarrassment you felt at performing this in front of members of Queen. It was funny because Ben’s idea was backfiring a bit. He swallowed as he watched you, and heat rose to his cheeks. You lost the bet, but you couldn’t help feeling just a bit victorious. 

When you finished, everyone clapped as you took a sarcastic bow. Laughing, you made your way over to them.

“Well, that would certainly have my attention when I was that age,” Roger joked. 

“Like I said, it worked,” you replied. 

“The guy went out with you?” Gwilym asked. 

You nodded. “Yeah. But then he ghosted me shortly after. Not to worry, though, I got him back.”

“How?” asked Joe eagerly.

“Oh, no,” you said. “I’m not telling that story with cameras on me.”

Joe and Ben both opened their mouths to ask more, but Len interrupted.  

“Enough messing about,” he said. “We’ve got a dance to perfect.”

You nodded in agreement, and he started giving feedback on the dance again. He offered suggestions about how you could add to the routine here and there to make it more advanced now that Ben was a better dancer. When you incorporated them, you could tell it made the routine a lot stronger. It really showed what Ben had learned. 

Also, you added a gap where you and Ben would rest while Brian played the guitar solo. Brian insisted that wasn’t necessary, but you cut him off. 

“Sorry, Brian, but it’s too iconic,” you joked. “Legally, we have to let you play it.”

He chuckled and didn’t argue anymore. After a while, Brian, Roger, and Adam left to do their own rehearsal, but not before they all told you how great the dance was. Ben’s castmates stayed. They said a fond goodbye to the band though, and you thanked them again for doing this for you. 

When rehearsal was over, the guys were making plans to go to dinner. 

“Y/N, you wanna come?” Joe wondered. 

“Oh, you guys can catch up,” you said, although you were sad about losing the time with Ben. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not at all,” Gwilym assured you. 

“Yeah, don’t worry about that,” Rami added. “Lucy’s meeting us at the restaurant as well.”

You found Ben’s eyes and he gave you a pleading look. You smiled. 

“Alright,” you agreed. 

As you all took seats around a table at the restaurant, greeting Lucy as you went, Joe looked at you. 

“Alright, I wanna hear the story of how you got that guy back who ghosted you,” he said. 

“Oh, God, I was hoping you’d forgotten about that,” you groaned. 

“I want to hear this story as well,” Ben said, looking at you. 

You sighed. “Okay, this is super embarrassing, but that guy was my first time. He took my virginity, then he didn’t talk to me for four days, when I saw him at a party. He tried to talk to me, but I ignored him and started flirting with his friend. Later in the night, I literally looked him in the eyes while I took his friend upstairs.”

“Holy shit!” Joe cried, an amused smile on his lips. 

“That’s amazing,” Lucy said. 

“The funniest part is that I didn’t even sleep with his friend,” you said. “I just made him think I did. And they’re still not friends.”

You took a triumphant sip of your drink as they laughed. You enjoyed the rest of dinner with them, laughing and joking as you held Ben’s hand under the table. You were so grateful to go into the final weeks of the competition with such support. Ben’s friends were incredible. 

That night, as you lay beside him, your mind ran wild. You were having so much fun with Ben, and his friends, but their arrival just hit home yet again that your time together was dwindling down. You were at the bottom of the hourglass. You looked over at his sleeping form, his chest rising and falling evenly in his sleep, and tried to imagine sleeping without him there beside you. Your heart broke at the thought. 

The next day, you had Ben all to yourself in rehearsal. It was nice. You adored everyone who was at rehearsal the previous day, but you truly treasured your time just together now. He was doing really well since he remembered the routine and you were only having to make slight adjustments. 

Dress rehearsal and camera blocking was super fun since you got to rehearse with Queen and Adam playing for you. The other remaining couples were jealous of your celebrity performers. They were incredibly kind to everyone and signed a few autographs for people. You had already gotten one for your father. As well as several selfies. 

As quickly as it started, the week was over. It was showtime again. This showtime was a lot more exciting since you’d be dancing with Queen and Adam Lambert, but still it felt like time was slipping away from you. 

You and Ben were dancing first because the band had to leave before the show ended to catch a flight. Your video package was entertaining because you got to see just how shocked you looked to see the band, even if they did have to bleep out a few words. You smiled at Ben before taking your places. Then you started.

 Dancing with Queen playing felt like a dream come true. And the fact that it was with Ben made it all the dreamier. You dance to your favorite band, with your favorite person in your arms. When you took the break for Brian to play, you couldn’t hold back the yell of support for his talent as you pumped your fist in the air. Ben laughed at you, but quickly recovered to dance again. When you finished, the audience went crazy for the band. Claps and screams and whistles drowned out the ballroom. You and Ben were just as enthusiastic as Brian, Roger, and Adam took a few bows. 

When it all died down, you and Ben waited for the judges remarks. Len went first since he was your coach for this one. 

“Well done to Queen and Adam, I must say,” he began with a nod to the band. “And you two. Well, it was just fantastic. I mean, you just blew me away. The foot work, your frame, the content of the dance, it was all perfect. Ben, no matter what happens, you’ve won this competition.”

The audience all cheered, and you heard Joe’s voice above the others scream that he loved Ben. Ben laughed and blew him a kiss. 

“Ben!” Bruno cried. “The first time you did this dance, we knew you were a serious competitor. Now, you are looking like a champion! Like Len said, your technique was incredible and you really looked like you were having the time of your life out there. Well done, my boy, well done.”

“I’m always having the time of my life with Y/N,” Ben replied, squeezing your shoulder.

You giggled and kissed his cheek while the audience fawned over you. 

“You guys are so sweet,” said Carrie Ann during her turn. “Ben, you have proven, week after week, just how much you belong in this competition. And you just proved it again. Perfect, perfect dance, Ben. And if you’re not in the finals then I’m gonna - I dunno - riot in the streets.”

You all laughed. Tom instructed you to head to the skybox to get your scores. Erin greeted you warmly. 

“You guys!” she cried. “That was amazing! What was it like to dance with Queen playing for you?”

“Oh, it’s - I feel like I don’t even have words,” Ben said. “Do you?”

You shrugged. “No, not really! It was so amazing!”

“So, Y/N, I wanna ask you,” she said. “You’ve been to this point in the competition before. What do you feel like is different between now and then?”

You considered that. “Well, that’s tough to say. Dancing with Ben is different because we have a connection that is hard to describe. Not that James and I weren’t connected - we were - but Ben is just easy. We dance together and it feels natural and fun and perfect. He’s...everything I could ever hope for in a partner and friend.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him close to you. He grabbed your head and kissed the top of it. 

“You’re perfect, baby,” he murmured, his mouth avoiding the mic. “I love you.”

“That is so sweet,” Erin said, responding to your words as you broke away from Ben. “This partnership has been such a joy to watch. You guys ready for your scores?”

You both nodded and looked anxiously at the judges.

“Ten!” Carrie Ann cried, holding up the paddle. 

“From Len,” Len said. “A ten!”

“Ten!” Bruno added with a punch to the air. 

“Another perfect score!” Erin said excitedly. “Ben, what does all of this mean to you?”

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. “I can’t - I can hardly believe this. I owe it all to Y/N for being patient with me and supporting me and just being the greatest teacher.” 

He cradled your face in his hands and pressed his forehead to yours as you both grinned. 

“I can’t say it enough, you two are adorable,” Erin said. “Back to you, Tom!”

Tom took the show to commercial. The rest of the show went great and the other couples were amazing, but you and Ben were still at the top of the leaderboard. 

At the end of the show, nerves turned your stomach. This was it. If you and Ben survived elimination, you would be finalists. You stood on the stage, holding Ben tightly to you again. You knew that the show was almost over anyway, but even just one more week with Ben was important to you. Every second felt vital. 

“The first couple to dance in the finale is…” Tom began, and he announced Emma and her partner. 

Ben squeezed you again. 

“The second couple going to the finale is…” Erin said. She announced Alan and his partner. 

You rubbed Ben’s back and gripped his jacket. It was down to you and Ben and Witney and her partner. They had been trailing you all competition. And they had loads of support on social media. You were actually worried.

“And the final couple heading to the finale, to dance for the coveted mirror ball trophy is…” said Tom. 

You buried your face in Ben’s chest. Could this be it? Could you really have made it this far only to lose now? You weren’t ready to say goodbye. Your heart couldn’t take it.

“Ben and Y/N!”

You were so relieved, you could only grip Ben tighter. He released a sigh and lifted you off your feet. You were thankful he did because you feared you might collapse. Tears escaped your eyes and trailed down your cheeks, but Ben gently wiped them away as you both laughed. The roar of the audience sounded quiet compared to the thundering of your heart. You had one more week at least.

As Tom closed the show you and Ben went over to say goodbye to Witney and her partner. They said a kind congratulations to you and Ben.

Then Joe, Rami, and Gwilym were upon you, hugging you and Ben and also shouting their congratulations. You were excited to go to the finale, and the idea of winning the mirror ball was thrilling. But there was still a bittersweetness there. You had one more week together, yes. But that was all you had.

[segadores-y-soldados]

Have you already written essays on the idea of Reaper actually being a double-agent Gabe, who merely pretends to hate Overwatch to get into Talon, climb up its ladder, and learn more about what happened to Overwatch? If so, how do I find these essays, or could you link a few of them?

I was going to give you a long, organized reply but then I clicked the “close tab” button like a goddamn moron so now you get uh...this instead.Sorry.General Tags:Resoures and References: a tag I mainly use for my own means.  Has a lot of posts I’ll refer back to. My Essays: mainly used for essay postsChronological order of Reaper and Talon essays and posts:(under the cut)

1. a post about the “Reaper sightings” map in the then-new Necropolis map on the PTR.  Date: May 23, 2017.  Discusses canon locations Reaper had visited between Recall and “Reflections.”  Includes a small discussion Oasis, and why Reaper would go there (well before Moira was revealed).

2. “Talon: Clawing to the Top.”  Date: July 06, 2017.  Written after Doomfist was revealed (July 06, 2017) but before the “Masquerade” comic was released (July 16, 2017).  Is not totally correct (e.g. on the Volskaya part) but more discusses the changing world of Overwatch and why Doomfist is so focused on conflict as a source of growth.  First essay to discuss the implication that Reaper is working with Sombra to bring down Talon.

Reaper in particular has undergone a number of big story shifts.  What is interesting are the two potential hypotheses for this:

Reaper is working to undermine Talon to destroy it from the inside.Reaper is working to undermine Talon’s leadership to orchestrate a coup.Sombra’s goals seem to fall in-line with the latter moreso than the former, and I’m inclined to believe that Reaper - whether he’s being blackmailed or not - is also aiming for that.  But in order to orchestrate a coup from the inside, you have to be willing to push boundaries and shake things up.

3. a post about the significance of Reaper wearing the Red Death disguise at a literal masquerade, and how it compares to Edgar Allan Poe’s short story.  Date: July 16, 2017.

4. “Death Becomes You”.  Date: July 16, 2017.  Analyzed the “Masquerade” comic from the lens of “The Masque of the Red Death.”  Discussed how Doomfist and Reaper compare to the principal characters of the story - Prince Prospero and the Red Death.  Argues that the “main character” who is “masquerading” in Talon is Reaper.

Death leaves no one behind.Not even those who think themselves above him.Death hides himself among the masqueraders - And bides his time.

5. a post about the imagery of Necropolis, and how it appears to symbolize the relationships between Reaper, Soldier: 76, and Ana.  Date: August 01, 2017.  Taken with Number 1, Necropolis seems to hint that there is “more going on” between the three old soldiers, that it’s possible Soldier: 76 and Ana are either trying to help Reaper or are actively working with him, and that Sombra may act as a point of contact between them all.

6. “Devil in the Details.” Date: August 20, 2017.  An essay analyzing the map of active Overwatch investigations, and how one key location (Switzerland) is highly suspicious.  Also discusses if Gabriel and Jack are currently working together in the Recall area.

I’ve been saying for awhile that Reaper’s actions with regards to certain missions are highly suspicious and - to be perfectly honest - pretty damn embarrassing for a man who has done covert operations for like, 30 years.

Unless, of course

That’s exactly what Reaper wants Talon to think.

We are told Reaper “is hunting former Overwatch agents and systematically eliminating them,” but as a reminder - Reaper has failed to kill or even seriously injure any ex-Overwatch agent in any of his canon material appearances.  Soldier: 76, Ana Amari, Winston, and Tracer are all still alive and, honestly, perfectly healthy at the end of their different encounters - hell, Reaper almost goes out of his way to actively piss Winston off (twice) and “throw” the missions.  He claims to have killed Overwatch agents in Masquerade, but as a general reminder, never believe in those “off-screen deaths,” kids.

It’s an easy plot device to bring “old soldiers” back from the dead.

7. “Moira: A Fate Fulfilled.”  Date: November 05, 2017.  Compares a timeline of fan ideas (e.g. “Evil Mercy,” “Mercy failed to resurrect Reyes,” and “we need a Talon support character”) with Moira’s design, her backstory, and her abilities.  Discusses how Moira seemsto fill a “void” that was missing in the plot for a long time, as well as her research on Reaper.

Moira is probably the first character created almost entirely from fan feedback and fan ideas, with the developers’ twists, after all.

When Geoff Goodman says that she was created “completely from scratch,” what he most likely means is that the Overwatch development team had no concept of her at the time of the game’s release.  She did not come from a scrapped Titan hero.  She did not come from a developer’s concept.  She did not come from another hero’s background.

She likely came from fan reactions to three main things: the request for a “morally ambiguous healer,” a “different direction” from the original background plot, and a way to enhance the underlying sinister and darker elements of Oasis (if it was not created in tangent with her ideation).

8. “Everything You Want to Know About Reaper and Soldier: 76.” Date: November 09, 2017.  Reviews and analyzes the then-available information about Reaper and Soldier: 76, particularly in light of Jeff Kaplan’s lecture.  Discusses speculation on the Venice Mission before we fully knew what it would be.  Importantly, it also discusses how Jack Morrison was probably aware of Blackwatch missions, which was later confirmed by “Retribution”.

Jack Morrison, having also been trained in unconventional warfare and different types of special operations, likely would have understood the need for small, highly skilled, highly specialized teams to conducted clandestine and covert operations, intelligence and reconnaissance missions, and other special operations/unconventional warfare tactics.In my opinion, it does not make sense that Jack never knew what was going on with Gabriel’s biology, but rather probably worked with him to use it in a way Gabriel was comfortable with and knowledgeable about.  In other words:2. Gabriel and Jack’s commando backgrounds, along with their early Crisis and OW Strike Team experiences, likely led to the joint decision to form Blackwatch, Overwatch’s covert operations division.

It also discusses Gabriel’s motivations, well before “Retribution”:

“No one left behind” is incredibly interesting because it gives us a glimpse into Gabriel’s mindset - while his background and skills in covert operations may indicate a non-sentimental, calculating special operations leader, his actual dialogue in several places seems to indicate someone who cares a great deal about his teammates, allies, friends - And partners.

9. “Quick Reasons Not to Trust Moira in Retribution.” Date: April 11, 2018.  10. “Long Reasons Not to Trust Moira in Retribution.” Date: April 13, 2018.  Please.  Please read this.  Especially if you have questions at the end of “Quick Reasons.”  For the love of everything, I can guarantee you that if you have a question about Gabriel/Reaper and Moira, I have probably answered it in this essay.  If you ask me “Why would Moira want more funding from Talon if she works for Blackwatch?” I will literally just send you a link to this essay.  

If he is not faking his anger with Jack Morrison, he is furious that Jack and Overwatch let this happen to him, though we don’t know specifically what would cause such a radical shift in his motivations (Jack would have to do something that really upsets Gabriel to lose Gabriel’s loyalty).But Gabriel also probably has very little choice in cooperating with Moira in the present day.

And again - I don’t know if Reaper means this genuinely or sarcastically.  I don’t know what the specific details of his present-day working relationship with Moira are.  I don’t know if she is coercing him into working for Talon, if she is holding up his “cure” as his “reward” for cooperating with her, if he genuinely supports Talon, or if he’s actively using his effective immortality to bring Talon down. 

11. things I found interesting about the Blackwatch Venice memos. Date: April 24, 2018.  Basically summarizes “Long Reasons” but in a lot less detail.  Goes over the “declassified” memos about the Venice Mission.

Moira is implicated as being involved in Talon at the time of Retribution not only because of the Snipers’ abilities, but also because all four Talon minibosses are either stated to possess “genetic” engineering or modifications, or are implied to possess “enhanced” genetic modifications.People keep asking “Why would Moira betray Blackwatch?  They’re funding her.”The issue isn’t directly one of funding.

The issue is that Moira wants to do research on human test subjects without restrictions, safety, or “red tape.”

And Talon will let her do that without consequence.

12. An important detail people are missing.  Date: April 24, 2018.  Reviews both Retribution and “Devil in the Details” but with more current information.

So, even though McCree is angry and furious throughout the Venice mission, whatever he learns during Reyes’ debriefing is enough to convince him to stay in Overwatch for another 1-2 years.

More importantly, whatever Reyes tells Morrison, Amari, and Lacroix is not enough to convince anyone to kick him out of Overwatch.

It is not Reyes’ integrity nor his “trustworthiness” that’s on the line during his debriefing.

It is something else.

[lesbianbeiovaz]

Parallel: From Another World 9/33

Chapters: 9/33 Fandom: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Tenth Doctor / OC Characters: Tenth Doctor, Rose Tyler, Rita Stone (OC) Additional Tags: Friendship, Major Original Character(s), Season/Series 02 Summary:

Rita Stone lives in our world. The world where a big blue box bigger on the inside is simply impossible. However, this all changes after what is most definitely an impossible event. Then again nothing is impossible with the Doctor.

Follow Rita through time and space, learning about herself while struggling to comprehend her new life travelling with the Doctor and his companions. Doctor x OC

*I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters. All original ownership goes to the BBC.

A03 | FF.NET

"Come on!" The Doctor ran back to Sir Robert, the Queen, Rose and Rita running through the hall where the woman had saved Rose's life. He turned a corner and sprinted up the stairs.

"The observatory's this way." Sir Robert told them taking the lead.

The five continued to run up the stairs following Sir Robert. "No mistletoe in these doors because your father wanted the wolf to get inside." The Doctor pointed out running into the room then stopping. "I just need time. Is there any way of barricading this?" he asked gesturing to the door.

"Just do your work and I'll defend it." Sir Robert made the quick decision.

"If we could bind them shut with rope or something," he suggested running back to the man knowing what he was thinking of doing, the five then heard the wolf howl getting close to them.

"I said I'd find you time," Robert repeated "Sir. Now get inside."

"Goodman." The Doctor patted his shoulder proudly, Rita stood by the TimeLord looking at Sir Robert sadly, he was risking his life for his Queen and country, did he blame himself for this? For not warning the Queen? Most likely, should he? No definitely not Rita couldn't stop thinking about it as the Doctor pulled her away, into the observatory.

"Your Majesty, the diamond." The Doctor gestured to the diamond inside of the Queens bag, Rose stood by frowning not understanding what was going on. Rita, on the other hand, stood not paying attention, her mind elsewhere silently grieving over the people lost tonight and the people to be lost in her future.

"For what purpose?" Queen Victoria frowned although she complained bringing out the diamond and handing it to the Doctor.

"The purpose it was designed for."

"Rose." the Doctor ran to the controls of the telescope which began to rise. He pointed at the controls, "lift it. Come on."

"Is this the right time for stargazing?" Rose asked sarcastically not understanding why the Doctor was doing this.

"Yes, it is." He said back, "Rita stand here" he pointed next to Rose not noticing the plain empty look on the brunettes face, nothing like the ecstatic jumpy look she girl normally had.

"You said this thing doesn't work." Rose pointed out to the Doctor snipping the wheel on the controls moving the telescope up further and further.

"It doesn't work as a telescope because that's not what it is." He explained "It's a light chamber. It magnifies the light rays like a weapon. We've just got to power it up."

"It won't work. There's no electricity. Moonlight. But the wolf needs moonlight. It's made by moonlight." Rose spoke not having very much faith in the Doctors plan. Yet she continued to do as he said. "You're seventy percent water but you can still drown." he pointed out as if his plan was very simple and clear however to Rose and most likely Rita when she was 'watching' the episode they didn't understand. "Come on! Come on!" The Doctor shouted just as the wolf broke into the room. The Doctor then slid the diamond under the telescope lens which caused a bright light to bounce inside it getting larger and larger the further down. The wolf charged over to Queen Victoria as the light hit the floor then reflecting upwards coming into contact with the wolf which howled in pain and then slowly rose from the floor. An outline of the wolf was left mid-air in the bright light before it changed into a young man.

"Make it brighter. Let me go." the wolf/man whispered. The Doctor compelled to the wolfs wishes brightening the light and setting the creature free causing it to change back into the wolf and then howl before vanishing the light following its path.

"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" the Doctor spoke concerned slowly walking over to the Queen.

"No, it's, it's a cut, that's all." she denied. the Doctor knowing different pressed on with the subject.

"If that thing bit you"

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart. It's nothing." she waved the subject off. The Doctor, however, continued to press on slowly moving over to the Queen.

"Let me see." he ordered more than asked.

"It is nothing." Queen Victoria snapped her arm away, a scold on her face. "I'm perfectly fine.

"Ok then" the Doctor nodded finally letting the subject go.

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Rita, the Doctor and Rose were all kneeled down before the Queen and those who remained in the house. Queen Victoria herself held a sword and began to speak what looked like a knighting.

"By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Sir Doctor of Tardis." she stood before the Doctor placing the sword on both of his shoulders then standing back. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rose of the Powell Estate." She repeated the gesture and then once again for Rita who looked at the Doctor and Rose smiling. "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee Dame Rita of another world." she then finished stepping back "You may stand."

"Many thanks, Ma'am." The Doctor nodded smiling

"Thanks. They're never going to believe this back home." Rose grinned.

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving no message from the great beyond. I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now, Ma'am, from beyond the grave."

"Indeed. Then you may think on this also." She paused and then added, "That I am not amused."

"Yes!" Rose beamed throwing a fit into the air.

"Not remotely amused." the Queen continued "And henceforth I banish you Sir Doctor and Dame Rose." The TimeLord and Rose frowned in confusion.

"I'm sorry?" the Doctor spoke up.

"I rewarded you, Sir Doctor, and now you are exiled from this empire, never to return." she began to explain. "I don't know what you are, the two of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars and magic and think it fun Dame Rita here warned you many times." the Queen smiled a little at Rita who bowed her head back. "But you did not listen to these warning, your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death, and I will not allow it. You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you came to stray so far from all that is good, and how much longer you will survive this terrible life, maybe dame Rita can bring you back to the good she is trying and I very much respect that." Rita just continued to smile which then sadly dropped remembering the course of last night. "Last night her face showed sadness, grief and lost, yours did not Sir Doctor. Now leave my world, and never return." She finally finished her speech and then adding after a moment of silence. "God help you Dame Rita"

----------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry-" the Doctor began to speak. The three sat on the back of a cart which was carrying them back to the TARDIS.

"Don't" Rita stopped him holding up her hand. "I'm fine really" she smiled sadly. "I couldn't stop it and I know that, it would have unknown horrible repercussions not just on this world but possibly mine and other worlds as well," Rita spoke her voice soft yet harsh holding onto the tears which she could feel slowly forming in her eyes. Rita wasn't one to cry very much but after seeing Isobel's face when she was getting knighted compared to the Doctor and Rose she felt guilty and upset.

"I know how you feel Rita I can help-"

"That's the thing Doctor" she turned to him, a tear slowly making its way down her face escaping her glassy watery eyes. "You have no idea who I am or how I am even here" she waved her hands around gesturing to everywhere. "I have no idea what I am doing here and honestly it scares me. I know the future and there are things I can't stop or change and it hurts knowing the future" she sighed "I'll learn, though" gulping back the tears she looked up at him then moved her gaze over to Rose sitting beside her the blonde took her hand and smiled sadly. "Because if I want to find out why I am here then I might as well try to learn how to help." she smiled a little, not a sad smile but a genuine smile.

"I shouldn't have been careless and actually listened to you" the Doctor sighed. "At least I now know what to do." he grinned lighting the mood a little.

"Even you make mistakes every now and then." Rita joked chuckling a little.

"They say 'it's human to make mistakes', I guess you could also say that 'it's Time Lord to make mistakes' as well" Rose and Rita shook their heads at the silly comment.

The three traveled to the TARDIS chatting and watching the senary from the back of the cart the mood was brighter as the Doctor and his companions joked. He didn't forget about her or the Queens words for a single moment. 'Her face showed sadness, grief and lost, yours did not Sir Doctor' He didn't even notice it. Too busy showing off as always but why? How could he not notice sure he didn't know the brunette for long but it troubled him that it didn't even cross his mind. not to mention her comment. 'You have no idea who I am' He sighed at the thought knowing it was very well true, Rita had only been traveling with the Doctor and Rose for just over a two weeks and honestly he didn't know very much about her, she kept quiet about most of her life apart from hobbies and where she lived he knew that her parents were not alive but didn't know what or how they were no longer living. I will find out Rita Stone. He thought to himself jumping of the cart with Rita and Rose when it came to a stop.

"Cheers, Dougal!" the Doctor waved at the man walking towards the small blue figure which was the TARDIS in the distance.

"Walk on."

"No, but the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood." the Doctor explained to the girls. "It's historical record. She was haemophiliac. They used to call it the Royal Disease. But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it, her dad didn't have it. It came from nowhere."

"What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?" Rose questioned. Rita nodded in response the Doctor explained it.

"Well, maybe haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf?" Rose raised a brow.

"Could be."

"Queen Victoria's a werewolf?" Rose laughed at the thought.

"Don't forget the rest of them" Rita snorted

"Could be. And her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip." the Doctor joked while they continued to walk towards the TARDIS which was now quite close.

"So, the Royal Family are werewolves?" Rose double checked.

"Well, maybe not yet. I mean, a single wolf cell could take a hundred years to mature. Might be ready by, oh, early 21st century?"

"You're just saying that to be clever." Rita rolled her eyes. "Yes, they are werewolves Rose" Rita confirmed.

"Nah, that's just ridiculous!" she waved it off then thought for a moment. "Mind you, Princess Anne."

"I'll say no more." the Doctor grinned.

"And if you think about it, they're very private." she widened her eyes "They plan everything in advance. They could schedule themselves around the moon." she started to laugh. "We'd never know."

"They also enjoy hunting" Rita spoke up laughing along with the blonde the Doctor opened the TARDIS door he then walked in and held it open for the girls.

"They love blood sports. Oh my God, they're werewolves!" Rose concluded.

"God that's making me shiver at the thought of a wolf running the country. Very clever though" Rita nodded holding her arms and shivering. "Imagine if someone was to find out! No country would trust us again" Rita chuckled leaning against the console.

"Best not tell anyone then" the Doctor winked and then started to play with the console. The TARDIS then dematerialised the three burst out laughing at their conclusion on the Queen and the Royal family being werewolves.