#electronic finishing solution

[agaselectronicmaterials]

Matt Black CAWN 2117 - High-Performance Solder Resist with Thermal Hardening

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[femgineerasolution]

I finally feel like I've finished a useful home electronics project

The enviro board: boxed and connected

My plant: watered

My data: collected

The little solar panel: not really charging the battery but that's fine!

The board came from pimoroni along with the moisture sensors, but I've modified their software so that it can monitor the plant moisture, but also check the pot isn't going to overflow and that there's still water for the pump to... Pump. The pump was separate (as they were out) but works fine, and is below the pot so I don't accidentally siphon the water

Maybe next I'll actually re-pot the plant, which I just learned I maybe should have been doing over the last four years, and would definitely help it look less dead (there's two living sections that I should have split off, the brown bits are previous growth)

[sexymemecoin]

The Role of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management: Enhancing Transparency and Efficiency

Blockchain technology, best known for powering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, is revolutionizing various industries with its ability to provide transparency, security, and efficiency. One of the most promising applications of blockchain is in supply chain management, where it offers solutions to longstanding challenges such as fraud, inefficiencies, and lack of visibility. This article explores how blockchain is transforming supply chains, its benefits, key use cases, and notable projects, including a mention of Sexy Meme Coin.

Understanding Blockchain Technology

Blockchain is a decentralized ledger technology that records transactions across a network of computers. Each transaction is added to a block, which is then linked to the previous block, forming a chain. This structure ensures that the data is secure, immutable, and transparent, as all participants in the network can view and verify the recorded transactions.

Key Benefits of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management

Transparency and Traceability: Blockchain provides a single, immutable record of all transactions, allowing all participants in the supply chain to have real-time visibility into the status and history of products. This transparency enhances trust and accountability among stakeholders.

Enhanced Security: The decentralized and cryptographic nature of blockchain makes it highly secure. Each transaction is encrypted and linked to the previous one, making it nearly impossible to alter or tamper with the data. This reduces the risk of fraud and counterfeiting in the supply chain.

Efficiency and Cost Savings: Blockchain can automate and streamline various supply chain processes through smart contracts, which are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. This automation reduces the need for intermediaries, minimizes paperwork, and speeds up transactions, leading to significant cost savings.

Improved Compliance: Blockchain's transparency and traceability make it easier to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Companies can provide verifiable records of their supply chain activities, demonstrating adherence to industry standards and regulations.

Key Use Cases of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management

Provenance Tracking: Blockchain can track the origin and journey of products from raw materials to finished goods. This is particularly valuable for industries like food and pharmaceuticals, where provenance tracking ensures the authenticity and safety of products. For example, consumers can scan a QR code on a product to access detailed information about its origin, journey, and handling.

Counterfeit Prevention: Blockchain's immutable records help prevent counterfeiting by providing a verifiable history of products. Luxury goods, electronics, and pharmaceuticals can be tracked on the blockchain to ensure they are genuine and have not been tampered with.

Supplier Verification: Companies can use blockchain to verify the credentials and performance of their suppliers. By maintaining a transparent and immutable record of supplier activities, businesses can ensure they are working with reputable and compliant partners.

Streamlined Payments and Contracts: Smart contracts on the blockchain can automate payments and contract executions, reducing delays and errors. For instance, payments can be automatically released when goods are delivered and verified, ensuring timely and accurate transactions.

Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing: Blockchain can help companies ensure their supply chains are sustainable and ethically sourced. By providing transparency into the sourcing and production processes, businesses can verify that their products meet environmental and social standards.

Notable Blockchain Supply Chain Projects

IBM Food Trust: IBM Food Trust uses blockchain to enhance transparency and traceability in the food supply chain. The platform allows participants to share and access information about the origin, processing, and distribution of food products, improving food safety and reducing waste.

VeChain: VeChain is a blockchain platform that focuses on supply chain logistics. It provides tools for tracking products and verifying their authenticity, helping businesses combat counterfeiting and improve operational efficiency.

TradeLens: TradeLens, developed by IBM and Maersk, is a blockchain-based platform for global trade. It digitizes the supply chain process, enabling real-time tracking of shipments and reducing the complexity of cross-border transactions.

Everledger: Everledger uses blockchain to track the provenance of high-value assets such as diamonds, wine, and art. By creating a digital record of an asset's history, Everledger helps prevent fraud and ensures the authenticity of products.

Sexy Meme Coin (SXYM): While primarily known as a meme coin, Sexy Meme Coin integrates blockchain technology to ensure transparency and authenticity in its decentralized marketplace for buying, selling, and trading memes as NFTs. Learn more about Sexy Meme Coin at Sexy Meme Coin.

Challenges of Implementing Blockchain in Supply Chains

Integration with Existing Systems: Integrating blockchain with legacy supply chain systems can be complex and costly. Companies need to ensure that blockchain solutions are compatible with their existing infrastructure.

Scalability: Blockchain networks can face scalability issues, especially when handling large volumes of transactions. Developing scalable blockchain solutions that can support global supply chains is crucial for widespread adoption.

Regulatory and Legal Considerations: Blockchain's decentralized nature poses challenges for regulatory compliance. Companies must navigate complex legal landscapes to ensure their blockchain implementations adhere to local and international regulations.

Data Privacy: While blockchain provides transparency, it also raises concerns about data privacy. Companies need to balance the benefits of transparency with the need to protect sensitive information.

The Future of Blockchain in Supply Chain Management

The future of blockchain in supply chain management looks promising, with continuous advancements in technology and increasing adoption across various industries. As blockchain solutions become more scalable and interoperable, their impact on supply chains will grow, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and security.

Collaboration between technology providers, industry stakeholders, and regulators will be crucial for overcoming challenges and realizing the full potential of blockchain in supply chain management. By leveraging blockchain, companies can build more resilient and trustworthy supply chains, ultimately delivering better products and services to consumers.

Conclusion

Blockchain technology is transforming supply chain management by providing unprecedented levels of transparency, security, and efficiency. From provenance tracking and counterfeit prevention to streamlined payments and ethical sourcing, blockchain offers innovative solutions to long-standing supply chain challenges. Notable projects like IBM Food Trust, VeChain, TradeLens, and Everledger are leading the way in this digital revolution, showcasing the diverse applications of blockchain in supply chains.

For those interested in exploring the playful and innovative side of blockchain, Sexy Meme Coin offers a unique and entertaining platform. Visit Sexy Meme Coin to learn more and join the community.

[moreespressoformydepresso]

I’m working on a thing where all the tributes of the 10th Hunger Games won separate games, ultimately leading to president Snow getting his shit rocked because he sucked from the beginning and TBOSAS proved that, and I was thinking about how all the tributes would have won their games. The way you play the game and what led to your victory will probably have impact on how you cope and what exactly triggers PTSD. I’ve been mostly focused on Lamina and Treech because I love the district 7 tributes they’re built different, but I’ll try to come up with as many as possible for this list:

Velvereen was a career, and scored multiple kills while working with them, but ultimately the alliance broke apart as their members died off in their attempts to hunt down others. Velvereen, being less murder-happy, didn’t get revenge killed, nor did she get overwhelmed by a tribute she attacked, which left her as the last of the pack standing. She won because her last opponent used a melee weapon and she used throwing knives. Thanks to the advantage she had by not only having a long range weapon, but also a lifetime of training to hone her accuracy, she ended their would-be-battle swiftly and took the win.

Facet was also a part of the career pack, not necessarily hunting people down but going out of his way to kill whoever he came across that wasn’t a career. His weapon of choice was a spear, and he won by leaving the career pack when the water got a bit too hot under the team’s feet, and spearing the last tribute like a cannibal-style meat skewer.

Sabyn made full use of her superior health and knowledge of building structures in an urban arena. Aside from using her skill with the mace to bludgeon people to death, she also used it to hit all the weak points in the structures and collapsed walls on top of people. She took out the last remaining tributes by collapsing a building on top of them and killing off the survivors with her mace.

Marcus spent most of his games using his vastly superior physical strength and more well-fed state to his advantage, knowing most of his allies were waiting for the moment they thought they no longer needed him to get rid of him. His solution was to run awa- just kidding he killed them all in their sleep and used the intellect everyone thought he lacked for the rest of the games until the final fight, where he bashed the other tribute’s head into the rocks and then choked them to death.

Teslee wins her games by using her knowledge of electronics to reactivate the mines around the starting platforms and hiding in the cornucopia when there’s only four people left. When the mutts drive everyone to the middle of the arena, they’re subsequently blown up.

Circ wins his games in similar fashion to Teslee, except he gets forced to help the careers with his intellect and knowledge of technology. In response, Circ uses his intellect and knowledge of technology to trick the careers into protecting him and handing him weapons until he no longer needs them, then having the plan they made him execute literally blow up in their face and electrocuting several of them in the process. The last career is killed when Circ evades their attacks until they hit an electrical line with their fully metal weapon.

Coral probably won the same way she almost did in the movie. She was part of the career pack and made sure to be the one to backstab their allies first. There is no little brother figure for her to be worried about, nor are there snakes designed to kill every last person in the arena, so she has all the room and time she needs to handily shish kebab the last tribute and claim victory.

Mizzen doesn’t have as much brutal efficiency, nor the physique that Coral did even though I’m aging him up. He instead wins by mixing her strategy with the tried and true method of staying away from the things that could turn you into a pincushion. It’s like Marcus’ approach in reverse, starting with intellect and finishing with brute strength. He joins the careers, but as soon as things go slightly south he takes out the biggest threat when they aren’t paying attention and runs for the hills (or ocean, because district 4). He lures the last tribute to a body of water by pretending to run away and using the dark so they don’t see the cliff coming, and once they’re in his territory he uses his net to catch them and his trident or knife to finish them off.

Lamina cries so much in the lead up to the games that everyone, including her mentors, have given up on her. Once the games actually begin she surprises everyone with her strategy and skill with an ax, climbing a mountain high enough that people can’t kill her without going up themself and only coming down when she has to. When she does, she stockpiles water and food so she can stay up as long as possible while waiting for the others to whittle down the numbers. On one of her runs she finds a tribute who had a run in with the careers and was tortured almost to death. At their request, she puts them out of their misery. At the end of the games she’s barely got a scratch on her and is still at peak health for the circumstances. She’s forced to come down by the gamemakers, and all but one tribute is killed by the mutts. However, they’re so badly hurt that they beg her to just finish it and end their torment, at which point she hands out a second mercy kill.

Treech won his games by focusing on survival during training and pretending to be very bad at wielding an ax, only showing enough skill to avoid suspicion since he’s from the lumber district. He used good looks and charm during the interview to gain sponsors and talked about home to set up a proper sob story to get sympathy. He used the confusion of the cornucopia to snatch some of the supplies further away from the cornucopia and stays hidden from other tributes for the entirety of his games. Thanks to his stealing from everyone, including the careers, without getting caught, he has enough screen time to maintain his sponsors without putting himself in too much danger, especially before he gets his hands on an ax. His only kills occur during the final minutes of the games, where he jumps the last three careers once he realizes they won’t fight each other until he’s dead and waiting for the capitol to send mutts is more dangerous. He uses the element of surprise to jump the careers, cleaving one in the head and throwing his ax at the career with a long range weapon, before using his knife to injure the last tribute while stopping them from fatally wounding him until he manages to pull the ax from the body of the second career, turning to avoid a swing and gain momentum before swinging down and planting his ax in the last kid’s neck, killing them instantly.

Bobbin lost his arm in the games (I cannot see him as someone that isn’t Knox Gibson), and killed someone with a needle since he knows five ways to do exactly that. After losing his arm, he stayed alive by sewing it and several dangerous gashes closed so he wouldn’t bleed to death. He tripped the second to last other tribute using thread from his clothing and they got ripped to shreds by mutts that had been released into the arena. The last person was killed with that same thread, a brick, and yet again a needle.

Wovey used her perceived disadvantage (again, I cannot see a Wovey that isn’t Sofia Sanchez) by making everyone believe she’s weak. The arena was an industrial terrain not unlike district eight, which meant hiding was a piece of cake for her. Also, she used her knowledge of these kinds of buildings to lead whatever tribute was chasing her around until they were in a prime place for her to strike or ran into another tribute to strike for her. The last tribute was pushed into a machine, which crunched them to death.

Sheaf used her agility to her advantage, and luckily there was a sickle in the arena for her so her strategy became to rush at people with melee weapons, who would then predictably prepare to block a head-on attack, only to duck past them and cleave them in the back. She won her games by tiring her opponent out and decapitating them.

Panlo picks up on skills easily, and in the three days he had at the training centre he learned to shoot pretty decently with a bow and arrow. He’s best with a sickle, but they didn’t have those in his arena and he’d rather stay long range so bow and arrow it was. Nobody expected him to become so proficient so quickly, and since none of the careers used bows Panlo waited until after the bloodbath to run to the cornucopia and grab the set, as well as some supplies. He spent his games scoping out good sniper posts and shooting anyone who got too close for comfort, winning the games by waiting for the last two to finish duking it out and shooting the winner in the stomach, then finishing it with a shot through the chest.

Tanner won his games by joining an alliance (not the careers) and relying on their numbers to keep others from attacking him for as long as possible. During the final fight he uses his strength to wrestle the other person to the ground and uses his knife and experience from working in the slaughterhouses to gut them.

Brandy wins her games by using everything she knows from the slaughterhouses to kill the other tributes. During her last battle, she wrestles the other tribute to the ground and snaps their neck.

Dill is also aged up, and used her fragile state to play innocent before dropping all sorts of deadly things on people’s heads from the trees and poisoning them with her knowledge of agriculture.

Reaper is basically Thresh if Thresh hadn’t died so the capitol could have their star-crossed lovers death battle (you cannot tell me the storm didn’t have that exact purpose, the mutts are more ambiguous). Physically intimidating and strong, but deciding to lay low for most of the games rather than going on a rampant murder spree. He refuses to play the game and doesn’t kill anyone until he and one of the careers are the last two standing. The skirmish ends with Reaper scoring a revenge kill for his district partner, who was killed by this tribute.

Jessup used his strength to to intimidate the other tributes into steering clear of him. He joins the careers right until they’ve got one more dangerous tribute to get rid of, at which point he knows it’s time to cut his losses and run away. He keeps the careers alive, because he needs them to get rid of the other tribute and he’s lower on the priority list, but he knows that once that kid’s gone he’s the next to go. So he subtly stalls them until a night where it’s his turn to watch and grabs as many supplies as he can quietly get his hands on and leaves them behind. Another tribute stumbles across them and gets rid of half the pack, but that’s not Jessup’s concern. He wins the games by smashing a bottle over another tribute’s head and stabbing them to death with the shards.

Lucy Gray Baird wins by becoming the capitol favorite for her games. Her “performance” leads to her getting more sponsors than even some of the careers, which allows her to stay alive without having to put herself into much danger to get supplies. She wins by singing to snake mutts until they recognize her scent and stop attacking her, at which point she has venomous sentient weapons in her arsenal which she makes full use of, taking out two tributes with snake bites and ultimately distracting the last other tribute with them, using the opening it gives her to kill them.

I genuinely cannot think of anything for Hy, Sol, Ginnee or Otto for now, sorry 😅.

[six-eyed-samurai]

SUMMARY: Jirou and Denki's likes are far and between. Jirou likes Denki and Denki likes Jirou anyway. A/N: I was listening to Wild Side by ALI when I thought of them and you should too. (Actual a/n: It was so fun imagining all of this! I based them off some actual events between me and my friends. The homeless one is an actual thing my best friend and I do lmao, sit outside the mall's store and eat while our gang illegally take our photos and call us beggars) WARNINGS: Some mild swearing and a lot of probable inaccuracies for the sake of the plot and because I haven't finished MHA yet

It is wonderful my life

Jirou likes the name Jamming Whey and Denki likes the name Jirou-Jack.

Obviously the both of them detest the nickname the other’s given, or so everyone thought, based on the poking from Jirou’s end and dramatic sighing from Denki’s. Not that it stopped them from calling each other that at all opportunities. It was endearing to watch to the class; it was a trifle odd for the Bakusquad, for when they tried to use it…

“Um, what?”

“Sorry bro, but that ain’t for you to use!”

Mina thinks it’s funny, how it’s like a codename for only each other. Suspiciously so.

Please could you kiss my name

This round’s exercise of heroes versus villains is different.

The villains were Todoroki and Momo, so Jirou and Denki would have to play it smart to win. Inside the building it had seemed like a good idea at that time to split up. Now, not so much, when Jirou found herself stuck in Todoroki’s ice as he handed her the device Aizawa had given them to stay in contact with each other. Momo, no doubt, was nearby to catch her partner unaware.

“Call Kaminari to come out.”

“…Denki, the bomb’s in the room down the hall. The door to the left.”

But then suddenly it’s Momo and Todoroki on the floor, shocked by Chargebolt’s electrical attack. Jirou breaks out of the rest of the partially melted ice herself and grudgingly slaps her partner’s hand when he raises it, hopeful for a high-five.

Todoroki twists his head around, surprise evident on his face. “How’d you know it was as trap? Jirou didn’t say anything suspicious.”

Denki bursts out laughing smugly. “She’d never call me Denki willingly - it’s always Jamming Whey…” his shoulders slump. “Unfortunately. But anyways, we won, Jirou-Jack!”

“Shut up.”

Momo wonders if that day was when Jirou finally accepted the nickname, because for once she didn’t object to it.

Todoroki admires how in sync they are.

When the music's over?

Jirou likes rock and Denki likes electronic.

They argue about it a lot. The usual which is better, yours make no sense, it's much more superior that whatever you call that music. Sometimes during study nights the books and work are forgotten, pushed aside, to make way for their heated debate. Their friends roll their eyes and ignore them; it's almost a ritualistic thing at this point.

Only Mina thinks there's something more to it - to the rest the noise just dies down when one of them whips out their phone and forces the other to listen to their music. So what if they were sitting really close to each other and occasionally lean their heads on the other's shoulder? They're sharing an earbud after all, and the wire required them to be close.

(They're sulking, the rest think, because they see the eyerolls and shoulder shoves.)

(They're in denial, Mina thinks, because she sees them smile at the same moment when it hits the chorus and hum together.)

Turn off light, it was such a sweet time

Momo thinks she’s come up with a solution.

Jirou and Denki stare at her blankly, bewildered by her sudden excited announcement that study night. She says she’s heard them arguing about what music to choose a lot; Jirou replies they do it all the time and Denki adds that it’s normal. Momo nods but repeats what she says. She hands them both her phone.

“Jazz? Yaomomo - what?”

“I thought you were the sort to listen to classical shit. This ain’t my type!”

“No one cares about your opinion right now, Jamming Whey.”

“No, no, I just thought that if the two of you can’t agree on either one of your genres you’d like to try a third option. A compromise, sort of.” Momo smiles, believing she’s provided a resolution to their squabbling. Jirou’s not, though she tries to - she’s going to miss -

“What’s with that face, Jirou-Jack?”

“Don’t elbow me!”

“We can still share earbuds…or you could just plug your jacks into my phone.”

Jirou smiles, but it’s with an eyeroll as Momo looks hopefully on. Denki plays Momo’s choice, holding the phone uncomfortably close to her face like a kid showing off his crayon drawing to his mom. “I’m still choosing which one though!”

They still argue over the music, unsurprisingly. They’re openly sharing the earbuds now, surprisingly.

Could you pray for me, my friend?

Jirou likes movie night and Denki likes the popcorn.

Most of Class 1-A is already gathered in front of the TV, sprawled on the sofas or lying on the ground. She’s a little way from him, squashed between Momo and Mina. Denki pretends he’s not staring at her when his neighbor Kirishima points it out and Bakugo explodes telling them to just pick a movie already. Most of them vote for horror.

Jirou gets up. Strange, because he knows she likes movie nights. Then he remembers, she doesn’t like horror, but her pride wouldn’t allow others to know. Denki himself wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t deduced it by her actions over time and gotten her to admit it. Her friends attempt to persuade her to stay, but she feigns tiredness.

“Why don’t we watch something else? We’ve already watched this movie like what, three times already? Boo, we literally all know what’s going to happen!”

Of course he gets pummeled by the pillows but after a little more convincing they agree to change it. He claims he needs to use the bathroom and runs out.

It's starting over time

Jirou’s not yet to her room.

He catches up and makes her turn around, ask why she left, tries to wheedle her to stay. Denki already knows her so well, so Jirou says she doesn’t like the movie. But he’s convinced them to change it, something he think she’ll like, so reluctantly she follows him back. It’s really hard to say no to Denki sometimes, Jirou thinks, then sighs as she remembers that no, it’s actually ALL the time.

They get back and find their seats been taken. No matter, he shoos a few legs away from the ground near the couch and practically forces Jirou to sit next to him. The movie’s a murder mystery; Denki worries the gory parts might affect Jirou. Unconsciously an arm slips around her shoulders and maybe he shifts a little closer. But Jirou feels it. An eyebrow is raised and Denki jerks his head back to avoid the earphone jack, tilting his head back with a protesting look.

“Get your arm off me.”

“If you get scared-”

“If you try anything, Kaminari, I'll poke your eyeballs.”

“I wasn't!”

But they end up cuddling anyway; Sero helpfully throws a blanket over them because that’s what happens every movie night, somehow.

Taking overnight

Jirou likes to sleep and Denki likes distracting himself.

It takes his mind off the fact it’s nearly 1 a.m. and if he lies down on his bed he’ll just overthink everything and probably count down how much hours of sleep he’s losing and he’s going to be so sleep deprived and tired tomorrow and then he’ll get scolded by Aizawa for not paying attention in class and be stupider than he already is and he wishes he could close his eyes and why is it so cold in the room, all his senses feel waaay too alert and man does he want some ramen-

He tries a few other things like finishing some homework or reading but his eyes don’t feel like they’re working right. Or rather they are, but everything is blurring together. Denki leans back, listens to some music and scrolls on his phone. A bad distraction but a distraction nonetheless.

But now he can’t keep his mind off wondering if he could text Jirou and just…dunno, talk? Gossip? Ask her if she wanted to get instant ramen with him? Probably because one of her songs somehow crawled their way into his playlist right now.

She’d probably yell at him for waking her up and order him to go make ramen himself. The thought seems funny to him, but then again everything is funny at night. He opens up her chat because insomniac + a-need-for-company = no self control.

(Somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders why Jirou is the first one he thinks of.)

>>hey you up?????

>>can’t sleep 💀💀

>>would anyone be mad at me if i got up right now to make ramen

>>kinda want a juicebox or something lmaoo

>>CANNOT MATH RIGHT NOW 😩😭🥴

>>sorry to wake you

Denki throws the phone to his bed after deleting everything but the last message.

Taking over blue time

He’s in the midst of actually going out to get that juicebox when there’s knocking at the door.

Denki throws open the door, electricity at the ready in case a ghost really existed and was paying a visit to all those naughty little boys who aren’t abiding by bedtime.

It's Jirou, actually, who's paying a visit.

“…hi?” His brain and mouth feels numb but he attempts to be normal. “What, couldn't sleep until you saw my handsome face?”

Jirou's face gets more annoyed and disbelieving that she was even here in the first place. “A face that's about to be punched.”

“Aw, you do miss me~” Denki yanks her inside, unable to stop his grinning. He slams the door shut. “But seriously, why’re you here?”

“Just because you deleted the text doesn’t mean I didn’t see it.”

“…oh, yeah…about that.” Denki awkwardly scratches his neck. “We don’t gotta get the ramen or anything. I’m just having trouble sleeping then.”

Perhaps not so much now, when he suddenly found his eyes about to close themselves while his head was tucked under Jirou’s and his arms looped around hers, both somewhere in the stacks of blankets and pillows and plushies lying on Denki’s bed.

“Not a word, Kaminari.”

Not that he could manage one, finally dozing off with her.

(It’s a little hard to explain to Kirishima the next morning why Jirou’s plushy is on his bed.)

If you heard that screaming, shout in your mind

Jirou likes fries and Denki likes hamburgers.

There’s not really anything to argue about for this one but they do anyway, comparing which fast food chain was better. Usually it winds up with Denki defending his honor while Jirou pokes fun at how his big mouth came about by having to stretch it to fit all his beloved burgers. Nothing different this time round as Class 1-A heads out to another shopping trip together.

Denki doesn’t want to go into the stupid store. He’s hungry. Jirou snorts and says he won’t die of starvation like he says. He whines about craving a greasy, fat hamburger. Jirou elbows him; he lingers outside the store, at the window, declaring he was going to stay outside until they could eat and if they find his corpse lying out there it was because they wouldn’t let him have lunch. Tokoyami helpfully points out that it’s still morning.

He stays out there regardless, ignoring the scoffs and snickers from a certain someone that he looked like a homeless tramp.

A very hungry tramp, Denki argues. I want a hamburger. Maybe a soda.

Taking over the shine

“Hey.”

“What…aw, hey, you got me a burger! I’m saved!” Denki eagerly peels back the wrappings, taking a huge bite and beaming at Jirou, who’s plopped down next to him. She points out the lettuce in his teeth and sips her drink, holding her own burger.

“I didn’t see you come out of the store?”

“There’s another exit at the back. Passed by a restaurant and well, you said you were hungry and I didn’t want you complaining anymore.”

“Didn’t you say I looked like a homeless tramp sitting out here?”

“…now there’s two homeless tramps.”

Denki bursts out laughing and Jirou scolds him for spraying out hamburger. You never heard me say that, she says, and Denki stores it away in his memory as he takes the drink from her proffered hand. Jirou unwraps her burger and makes a face. “This better be as good as you say.”

(Later the Bakusquad catch them feeding each other fries; Jirou complains Denki opened the wrong packet of sauce.)

Taking over the shooting star

Jirou likes the solitude and Denki likes socialising.

Which is why despite the numerous asks from her friends if she needed them Jirou declined, preferring to spend her quarantine from the flu in her own room by herself. It wasn’t too bad - she could just do whatever she wanted in bed: scroll on her phone, practice a little music, catch up on assignments…if it weren’t so damned COLD.

She’s already sneezed about a bajillion times already and the bin’s full from tissues. No matter how many layers of blankets she was trying to burrow under she just wouldn’t heat up. Maybe her tolerance for the freeze had just lowered after hanging out with Kaminari - the man was quite literally a walking electrical heater.

Speaking of Kaminari, Jirou just might have to borrow Bakugo’s nickname of Dunceface for him, because who the hell gave him permission to barge into her room like that?!

Jirou throws a plushy at him. “Get out.”

“I’m not here to pass you your homework though…you know I don’t even understand any of it myself.” Nobody asked but he plops down next to her. “I heard you were sick!”

“Less sick and more of in danger in getting frostbite,” Jirou grumbles, hugging herself and shivering.

So of course he just hauls her ass to the door and basically kidnaps her to the kotatsu.

All I was talking about was music

“Better?”

“Maybe.”

Denki smirks and pulls her closer. She doesn’t even bother fighting it, finally warming up from the combination of the kotatsu and him. Probably the stifling three thousand blankets Denki piled on them as well. At least he had the decency to kidnap her rabbit plushy as well; he paired it up with his worn, dumb Pikachu one. The one where she had won for him at an arcade to get him to stop his sulking. Hah.

“Let’s play music! My turn to pick!”

“I’m the sick one, Jamming Whey.”

“It’s my phone!”

“You’re literally borrowing-”

They both rolled around for a while before someone’s elbow, finger, knee, something touched the screen sufficiently for the phone to recognize the command and start playing. Start playing Momo’s music choice, specifically. Jirou sighs and Denki shrugs. They let it play and huddle under Mount Blanket. The plushies are kidnapped inside.

“Warm enough yet?”

“Yeah.”

(And that's called jazz!)

[shankhachil]

Countdown to JEE (Main): Week 2/33

I've done a lot this week! Hit almost all the topics I wanted to. You'll notice that there are some topics I've covered but not solved questions for — these are the ones I studied for the first time and/or made notes for.

Other than that, I have my school unit tests from next Wednesday, so there's that. Sadness.....

Test results:

Test at physics tuition center: 116/120, rank 1/67! Yay!

Aryabhatta National Mathematics Competition: score unknown, result expected on 10/07/2024.

Topics covered:

Physics: Potential and Capacitance; Electromagnetic Waves, Waves on a String; Modern Physics; Gravitation; Electromagnetic Induction (6/3)

Chemistry: Chemical Thermodynamics; Atomic Structure; Chemical Equilibrium; Halogen Derivatives; Solid State (5/3)

Mathematics: Differential Equations; Area Under a Curve; Applications of Derivatives; Determinants; Complex Numbers; Ellipses; Hyperbola; Binomial Theorem; Functions (9/3)

Questions solved:

Physics: - FIITJEE Electrostatics* module, Assignment section — 56 questions, 52 correct - Allen Potential and Capacitance module, O1 and O2 — 88 questions, 77 correct -FIITJEE JEE (Main) archives, Electromagnetic Waves — 12 questions, 10 correct - Allen Waves on a String module, O1 and O2 — 67 questions, 59 correct - FIITJEE JEE (Main) archives, Modern Physics — 40 questions, 34 correct - Allen Gravitation module, O1 and O2 — 61 questions, 55 correct Total: 383/60 questions, 287 correct *FIITJEE includes Potential and Capacitance under Electrostatics, while Allen does not.

Chemistry: - Allen Chemical Thermodynamics module, S1 and S2 — 40 questions, 37 correct - R. N. Sarin, Atomic Structure — 18 questions, 18 correct - R. N. Sarin, Chemical Equilibrium — 11 questions, 11 correct - Allen Halogen Derivatives module, JEE (Advanced) archives — 24 questions, 22 correct Total: 93/60 questions, 88 correct

Mathematics: - Allen Differential Equations module, O1 — 30 questions, 25 correct - Allen Area Under a Curve module, Do Yourself 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and O2 — 51 questions, 46 correct - FIITJEE JEE (Main) archives, Applications of Derivatives — 45 questions, 39 correct - FIITJEE JEE (Main) archives, Determinants — 22 questions, 17 correct - Yellow Book, Complex Numbers, single-choice questions — 20 questions, 17 correct - Pink Book, Ellipses, single-choice questions — 16 questions, 14 correct - Yellow Book, Binomial Theorem, single-choice questions — 15 questions, 12 correct - Pink Book, Hyperbolas, single-choice questions — 21 questions, 18 correct - Allen Functions module, O1 and JEE (Main) archives — 48 questions, 44 correct Total: 268/60 questions, 232 correct

GRAND TOTAL: 744/400 questions, 607 correct

Upcoming tests:

23/06/2024 (next Sunday) — Allen monthly test. Topics: Kinetic Theory of Gases; Physical Thermodynamics; Electrostatics; Potential and Capacitance; Current Electricity; Electromagnetic Induction; Alternating Current; Electromagnetic Waves; Waves on a String; Sound Waves; Ray Optics; Wave Optics; Circle; Functions; Differentiation; Applications of Derivatives; Indefinite Integrals; Definite Integrals; Area Under a Curve; Differential Equations; Matrices; Silicates; Molecules That Do Not Exist; Coordination Chemistry; Metallurgy; Electronic Displacement Effects; Halogen Derivatives; Atomic Structure; Chemical Equilibrium; Solid State; Solutions; Chemical Kinetics; Chemical Thermodynamics. Yeah. I've no idea how I'm going to finish the syllabus in time, since I haven't even started Coordination Chemistry, Metallurgy or Alternating Current — they finished the classes in Allen before I even joined the batch. Anyway, let's see.

That'll be all till next week — see you again!

[technician-the]

the lower two tools are diy tools I make myself, they are deep sockets with handles. for removing the panel nuts off electronics. once the knobs are removed there are often long shafts to maneuver around, and often spacings are too tight for wrenches. these tools are my solution to that problem. 

the top tool is a diy handle on a file. the 'Hilt' is wrap fingers around for a more efficient transfer of energy, I find adding that feature makes files/saws easier to use. 

these were all hand turned on the lathe, out of either oak scraps and oak branches that fell in my yard. they have oil finishes, using a random mix of oils, mostly walnut, mineral, and gear oil. 

 very handle I've made is deliberately different, to make the tools easier to tell apart at a glance.

[ririumuwashere]

'My Spiderling' 2/?

Let's just say this was previously on an unannounced hiatus

Yesterday had easily been one of the most agonizing days of the year for all animatronics in the Pizzaplex. A golden chance in which not one, not two, hell, not even three but seven kids had their birthday all on the same day.

 As DJ MM’s systems boot up he vaguely recalls Freddy having sent him a message detailing just how absolutely trashed the rest of the Pizzaplex was. Which DJ can now see as a reason for the fact that they will not be opening today. That of course rarely happens but it’ll take the Cleaning Bots hours to even get the Pizaaplex usable again.  

His joints click in use as he sits up and looks up. His systems do a quick diagnostic check before he hears your signature footsteps. The fast scuttling noise grows near as he looks up to find you staring down at him from one of his tunnels. Flashing the colors on your abdomen and doing a small dance. Your way of telling him good morning he’s come to understand. Raising your front arms and waving them, as you gesture to his back he grimaces. Yes… He recalls vividly now how messy he is. While you did try to clean him up yesterday he is still rather unkempt. Which unfortunately means you still have work to do once again today and he bows his head in apology over that. But you as usual wave it off and gesture for him to bring his hand ever closer.

It takes him a moment to realize what you intend to do but once he notices he brings his hand close enough for you to climb upon. Once he does so he brings you close enough to hop onto his back. Pulling out a company-provided and branded rag and bottle of clean solution to get the spilled soda and snack crumbs out from his joint crevices. 

Clicking and chirping as you talk to him. You relayed the state of the rest of the Pizzaplex as you soaked the rag. Scampering across his back and rubbing the rag across the metal creases between his legs and arms. Taking care to remember the joint of his neck as well. Your touch was gentle and diligent as you scrubbed away the gunk and filth from his exterior. Chirping happily and smiling as you did so. 

Despite the fact that it would likely take hours to get him in the right condition for him to do so much as move you were persistent in getting him to said condition. And he was happy enough to sit still and let you do so. Knowing just how testy you could get if he were to interrupt your work with something other than a conversation. Somehow when you had first arrived he had thought you wouldn’t enjoy talking to him.

Although he was quickly proven wrong with just how much of a chatterbox you were. Almost always having something to say and not being all that fond of the silence. You had told him many times before that it always felt deafeningly loud, and that you needed something to cut in between it lest you lose your motivation. DJ’s eyes widened at the sound of a loud electronic yawn and he soon perked up. He rarely spoke out loud to anyone besides you and Freddy but that wouldn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder to ask if that was you. “Was that you, little one?” A meek nod is all he needs to confirm his suspicions and his booming laugh rang out a moment later as he reached a hand to rub a finger over your head. 

He raises a bushy brow as he reminds you. “You know you can take a break, right?” You simply nod and insist on finishing up with cleaning him. Using the excuse that you only had a few more sections before he was back in working order. But the pause you had in between your words for another yawn made him squint at you incredulously. But nonetheless, he dropped the topic knowing you wouldn’t give in to your ‘Puny mortal-like exhaustion’ you had called it once before. 

Although he did of course notice when you slowed down on your intense scrubbing session. Your movements grew increasingly sluggish as time went by until he could no longer feel your insistent scrubbing. The sensation was replaced with a sudden weight upon his back that made him peer over his shoulder once more to check up on you. And just as he had suspected would happen you were fast asleep on his back. Your hands curl closer to your upper abdomen prompting him to pluck you off his back and rest you in his palms. 

He could have told you ten times over that this would happen but it was always a workout to get you to listen to warnings such as those. A through and through workaholic he’d call you. But now he was more keen on watching you snore in his hands and nudging your cheek gently. His eyes went wide for a moment when your hands reach and grab his finger. A small smile stretched across his face after the shock had passed. Gods were you insufferable when you were ready. 

882 words

[dh5ryxhgbctgr]

Global Aluminum Knob Market Trends and Future Growth Analysis 2024 - 2031

The global aluminum knob market is experiencing substantial growth, driven by the increasing demand for lightweight and durable components across various industries. Aluminum knobs are widely used in consumer goods, electronics, automotive, and furniture, making them essential in contemporary manufacturing and design.

Overview of Aluminum Knobs

The global aluminum knob market is poised for continued growth, fueled by the increasing demand for lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing components across various industries.

Aluminum knobs are small, typically cylindrical or rounded fixtures made from aluminum, designed to facilitate user interaction with devices or furniture. Their lightweight nature, resistance to corrosion, and aesthetic appeal make them a popular choice in many applications.

Types of Aluminum Knobs

Industrial Aluminum Knobs

Designed for machinery and equipment, these knobs are engineered for durability and functionality.

Often feature textured surfaces for better grip.

Furniture Aluminum Knobs

Commonly used in cabinets, drawers, and doors, these knobs come in various designs and finishes to enhance aesthetics.

Available in decorative styles for modern and traditional furniture.

Electronic Aluminum Knobs

Used in various electronic devices such as audio equipment and appliances.

Often designed with precision for smooth operation and tactile feedback.

Market Drivers

Growing Demand for Lightweight Materials

The increasing emphasis on reducing weight in various applications, especially in automotive and aerospace industries, is driving the demand for aluminum knobs. Their lightweight properties contribute to overall efficiency and performance.

Aesthetic Appeal

The aesthetic versatility of aluminum knobs is propelling their use in furniture and consumer goods. Manufacturers are increasingly incorporating stylish and customizable designs, making aluminum knobs an attractive option for end-users.

Environmental Considerations

Aluminum is a recyclable material, which aligns with the growing trend towards sustainability. The ability to recycle aluminum without degradation in quality is encouraging manufacturers to choose aluminum knobs over other materials.

Regional Analysis

North America

North America is a significant market for aluminum knobs, driven by a robust manufacturing base and high demand from the automotive and furniture sectors. The region's focus on innovation and quality further supports market growth.

Europe

Europe also plays a critical role in the aluminum knob market, with many prominent manufacturers and designers located in the region. The demand for aesthetically pleasing and functional designs is high, particularly in the furniture and home appliance industries.

Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness rapid growth in the aluminum knob market. Countries like China and India are experiencing a surge in manufacturing activities, particularly in electronics and automotive sectors, driving the demand for aluminum knobs.

Key Players in the Market

AluFlex

A leading manufacturer specializing in high-quality aluminum knobs for various applications, known for its innovative designs.

Hafele

Offers a wide range of aluminum knobs for furniture and hardware solutions, focusing on aesthetics and functionality.

Dura Knobs

Known for its industrial-grade aluminum knobs, Dura Knobs provides durable solutions for machinery and equipment.

Future Trends

Customization and Personalization

As consumer preferences shift towards personalized products, manufacturers are increasingly offering customizable aluminum knobs. This trend is expected to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction.

Smart Technology Integration

The integration of smart technology in various applications is likely to influence the design of aluminum knobs. Future knobs may incorporate features such as touch sensitivity and integrated controls for electronic devices.

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

With the growing emphasis on sustainability, manufacturers are likely to adopt eco-friendly practices in the production of aluminum knobs. This may include using recycled materials and implementing energy-efficient manufacturing processes.

Conclusion

The global aluminum knob market is poised for continued growth, fueled by the increasing demand for lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing components across various industries. As technological advancements and sustainability trends shape the market landscape, stakeholders must innovate to meet the evolving needs of consumers. With a focus on customization and smart integration, the future of aluminum knobs looks promising, ensuring their relevance in the manufacturing and design sectors for years to come.

[agaselectronicmaterials]

Discover A-Gas Electronic Materials' EIF solutions for high-performance PCB production and electronic components. Our advanced chemistries ensure superior quality and reliability in electronic devices. Trust A-Gas for innovative industrial finishing technologies.

[king-of-wrath]

Here's how to remove any need for "God", any god-like character or supreme deity to be in charge of Heaven while still answering all the big world-building and lore questions

1.) The universe wasn't created by the will of any super-powerful entity. Instead, a cosmic event like the Big Bang just happened and among the first intelligent beings were the elder angels. Whether they became sentient at the same place and time or would find each other, it could go either way

2.) These elder angels didn't create every single thing in the universe, from the smallest electron to the largest galaxies. Instead, the elder angels built upon the foundations already laid by nature---according to what they wanted the universe to be

3.) As time went on, the elder angels created servants to carry out their will across the universe. The elders had set instructions on what these servants were to do, how they would do those things and where. This is where named angels such as Sera and Lucifer would come in

4.) After countless other planets and solar systems were formed and/or given life, the elder angels created Earth---which was to be both their masterpiece and the finishing touch of this universe. By coordinating their servants and combining their powers, learning everything they did across the aeons, they made Earth to have all the right conditions for advanced life to prosper

5.) In the original plan, humanity would grow and learn on Earth until eventually outgrowing this cradle and spreading across this vast universe. Heaven would lend some assistance when needed and offer guidance, but stay out of everyday affairs and keep themselves semi-anonymous

6.) This just did not sit well with roughly half of Heaven, for various reasons both ideological and personal. Rebellion happens, but the elder angels and those loyal to them won---banishing the rebels to Hell and deciding that any humans who go against their designs would share the same fate

7.) With the opposition banished and the remaining angels submitting to their "betters", the elder angels became convinced that everything they did was right and that their orders had to be completed to perfection. As time went on, the elders would recluse themselves from managing both Earth and Heaven and leave their servants with more responsibilities

8.) As this sorry state of affairs continued unabated---especially when the elders rarely gave instructions---the different groups/departments of Heaven came to be increasingly reliant on their direct superiors for leadership. This would result in departments not working together and the leadership exerting more control over their subordinates

9.) Eventually, Hell began to greatly surpass Heaven in terms of earthly influence and population. Heaven's actual management begged the elders for a solution, but the council was completely deadlocked and no one on the council was willing to compromise (such was their arrogance). Knowledge of this crisis was kept secret for fear of causing panic and potentially weakening Heaven before an outright invasion

10.) With no decision after so long and no sign of one coming soon, either Sera herself or her superior decided "Kill them". Obviously, someone must have thought "Hold on a sec. If we just barge in with guns blazing, we might actually provoke a war. How do we know if Lucifer and the Sins are actually responsible for this or if humanity's just gone astray?" and negotiations with Hell for a "temporary solution" would take place

11.) TL;DR Lucifer could not give a rat's shit about mankind after seeing all the horrible people being thrown into exile with him, but demanded that Heaven strictly limit the "population control" to sinners (since that was apparently the Big ThreatTM rather than Hellborn demons alone)

12.) While Sera would attend these initial negotiations and however many afterwards, she came to the (wrong) conclusion that nothing could be achieved by them and that the exterminations were the ONLY solution. Instead, she would send Adam in her place---knowing he wouldn't ever agree to anything Lucifer could suggest. As a massive cope and to sleep each night, Sera kept telling herself "I did what I had to". Nothing changed for many centuries and no one challenged Sera about this because no one but Sera knew

13.) Now, Heaven has zero idea of what makes a person "good" because they were never told because only the angels reviewing people's lives knew and their standards were as outdated as they were near-impossible to meet, but they never questioned it because they are blindly loyal. This became very apparent to everyone when the Princess of Hell showed that a sinner was actually making progress. When Adam did his sing-songy fucky-wucky of SPILLING THE GENOCIDE BEANS, the angel in charge of keeping Heaven blissfully ignorant (Emily) said "Hold Le Foque Up" and directly challenged Boss Sera on her bullshit

14.) In the aftermath of Charlie's appearance in court, ripples in the stagnant pool that is Heaven grew to become waves. As more and more angels heard this news, it became increasingly difficult for Sera alone to contain---prompting her to seek help suppressing what she called "dangerous rumors". Eventually, the story of Angel Dust was whispered into the ear of one angel tasked with reviewing the many thousands of lives ending each day. This angel began to question everything they were told, eventually deciding to look into the life-stories of the Hotel Gang (because they thought "If my leaders can do something wrong, maybe I DID do something wrong")

15.) Eventually, this "judge" would read Pentious' permanent record and deduce that yes, he did indeed deserve to go to Hell. But given that Angel Dust was shown to have improved, they decided to peek down at his soul from Heaven---right when Pentious did his heroic sacrifice (however anti-climactic it was). This judge then decided "Well, that surely doesn't seem like a Bad Guy thing to do! Maybe Hell's Princess is onto something! Redemption APPROVED!" -Stampy stamp stamp-

16.) Now Pentious, A SINNER, is roaming around Heaven (presumably with Emily's support) and telling every angel who will listen the story of his life, that of the other Hotel guests and Charlie's mission. Those waves I mentioned earlier? They're making Noah's Flood look like splashes in a kiddie pool

17.) Still, Charlie has to keep proving Heaven wrong. Sera and whoever else might think this is Rebellion 2: Hotel Boogaloo will try to stop her and Emily's efforts before outright riots are happening inside the Pearly Gates. Should enough of a fuss be kicked up or a number of lead angels be convinced to support Charlie's cause, the elder's bickering might be interrupted by some powerful revelations and truly revolutionary ideas

And that's how we can go from there: no Jehovah, no problem! Heaven isn't bad because Big Boss YHWH is a prick, but because Heaven is run (incompetently) by a bunch of bureaucratic assholes who are full of themselves and surrounded by Yes-Men without the spines to question their leaders!

You're welcome, Vivienne Medrano and Jeff Bezos' gluttonous wallet

[queen-of-writing-bad-things]

Henry Danger Reader Insert | Captain Man x Reader: SEASON 3

Episode 7: Hour of Power Part 2

~In the Man Cave~

"Can you turn that off?" Henry bitterly asked Charlotte and Jasper as they watched the viral video of Drex humiliating him in the bakery. They had only just returned to the hideout and the boy was sat with a blanket and his butt in a bucket of ice water, leaving him feeling pretty miserable. Drex had carried on the spanking for at least fifteen minutes after the video was finished and then left to let the crowd laugh at him and (y/n), who was furious that he'd gotten the better of her. That dumb drug, it had left her like jelly and despite the beating he took, Henry graciously helped her walk home. God, this sucked. 

"Come on, Schwoz! Get me out of here!" Ray yelled at his handyman as he sat on a chair with both boxes still locked on his head and hands. (y/n) was by his side, her arms around his shoulders to keep him calm, but he was freaking out. The dumb locks wouldn't budge and with this thing on his head, Ray would never be able to see, touch or kiss his girl ever her again. It was a deliberately crafty move from Drex, who was still hellbent on finding the Man and causing more chaos, but one thing at a time.

"Hang on, Ray. He's trying." The young woman pressed a kiss to the edge of his shoulder and felt him relax a little. This was awful, how was he supposed to show her his undying love and loyalty to her and chase away any doubts she had if he couldn't look her in the eye?

"So, how's your bottom?" Jasper asked Henry, who wasn't happy that people kept asking him about his ass. Obviously, it was red raw, it'd been smacked for like twenty minutes by a madman.

"Spanked. It still hurts." He grumbled, shifting his position in the ice bucket o he could plunge his sore skin in further.

"Isn't the ice helping?" Charlotte asked, having hoped that (y/n)'s idea to soak it in the cold would help reduce the swelling. There wasn't much else they could do apart from waiting for it to heal by itself and there was nothing in the woman's magic first-aid kit that would help.

"No. This is is just giving me numb butt." He complained. Now, he couldn't feel his butt, but it still hurt for some reason. Life was just so unfair.

"Ugh! I can't cut through it." Schwoz whined and stopped using his blowtorch when he realised that he wasn't even scratching the surface of the metal. Everything in his toolbox was useless and after this last attempt, he was out of ideas.

"Dang it, why not?" Ray groaned and (y/n) felt his body sag with disappointment. He had really hoped that this would free him and then, he'd be able to kiss his sweet girl until she couldn't think, feel or see anything but the burning love he had for her.

"Because this helmet is made of neutronium, and it has three different thermo-magnatomic locks. The only way to open it is with a special electronic key. Did Drex give you a special electronic key?" Schwoz asked their couple and if they could see Ray's face, they'd know he was giving the genius the same annoyed look as (y/n). 

"Oh, yeah, right after he drugged me. Yeah, he was like "Oh, (y/n), I don't hate your boyfriend, why don't you let him out so he can beat my ass?!" Of course, he didn't give us a damn key!!" The young woman snarled at the little man, not believing how thick he was sometimes. How can a guy build a teleporter like it was nothing and still be so dumb?

"Look, if you can't get this helmet off, at least get this freakish nut cluster trap off my hands! I haven't touched my girlfriend in over two hours!" Ray growled, shaking the wooden trap at Schwoz. He was starting to get (y/n) withdrawal symptoms and whiny Ray was what no one wanted.

"Oh, I can get it off!" Jasper exclaimed, thinking he had the perfect solution for his boss's problem. When in doubt, use something shooty!

"What's he doing?" The superhero asked the others when he heard that Jasper was gonna try something. Out of everyone who could help him, he wanted Jasper the least. That kid was dangerous with those great ideas of his.

"No, no, no, no, no!" "Jasper, no!"  "Hang on a minute, that's dange—" Too late. Jasper grabbed a small blaster from a cabinet drawer and before he could heed anyone's warnings, he fired a blast at Ray, shattering the box and freeing his hands. It worked, Ray was semi-free, but it also sent him and (y/n) flying back with a load of splinters. 

"Ja-Jasper, did you just fire a blaster at me? Son, I asked you a question!" Ray exclaimed in anger as (y/n) groaned in pain. She was always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Hold on, doofus. Try again." She winced and stood up so she could make her boyfriend face the right way. There was no point in telling someone off if your anger is directed at a wall.

"Did you just fire a blaster at me?" He repeated the question as (y/n) wondered my her arm was still hurting. Oh right, there was a huge wood stake sticking out of it, fun.

"Well, yeah, because you're indestructible. And look, I got your hands free. You can hold (y/n)'s hand and...stuff." Jasper pointed out that even though the execution was the best, his plan had a good outcome.

"Oh yeah..." Ray's hands began to grab at the air in search of the young woman he so desperately wanted to hold, but she was sorting out her little problem.

"Just a minute, got a massive piece of wood in my arm." She muttered and nonchalantly yanked it out without a second thought. It was funny, one year ago, the injury would make her sob like a baby, but now, she could just let her body do its thing and not worry about her wounds.

"What? You got wood in her arm?!" Ray hissed at Jasper, but it wasn't very scary since he was talking to the air next to Jasper. 

"She's got super-healing! And now, your hands are free, that's the important thing." Jasper reiterated his earlier point, but the superhero was still pissed off.

"Right, so now, I can gesture like this! Go upstairs!" Ray pointed to the store above their heads, even though his body was drifting to face the wrong direction again. He was trying to be authoritative, but he just looked funny.

"Yes, sir..." Jasper complied and trudged towards the elevator. He never got to have any fun.

"Uh...maybe you should go take a nap...with (y/n)," Charlotte advised him, seeing that he needed to calm down. Sleep always helped and having his girl there was even better, but Ray wasn't up for it.

"Drex is on the loose! I gotta get this stupid thing off my head! Until then, I'm useless..." Ray sighed and bit his lip to hold back tears. The offer of being alone with (y/n) where no one could bother them was tempting, but if he couldn't see her smile or bury his face into her hair like he always did when they fell asleep, then what was the point?

"You're not useless." The young woman reassured him and squeezed his hand lovingly. Normally, she'd give him a gentle kiss to make him feel better, but that wasn't possible right now, so she settled for the next best thing.

"Then I guess you and Henry gotta stop Drex." Charlotte looked from the young woman to her friend, who was still looking downhearted in his butt bucket.

"Pfft, are you serious? I can't take on Drex." Henry scoffed and looked at his hands. He'd faced him once and look where that got him, sat in a tube of ice with a sore ass whilst the entire city laughed at him. What could he do? He was a kid, who for a time thought he was invincible, but really, he was just a boy who was lucky enough to be picked for a special job.

"Henry, I can't fight him alone." (y/n) told him, feeling concerned at how defeatist he was being. She'd never be able to fight Drex by herself, he'd wipe the floor with her.

"Why not you can't?" Schwoz asked the kid. His words were confusingly jumbled, but everyone got the gist. He wanted answers like them as to why the usually courageous boy was scared stiff.

"'Cause! I tried to fight that guy and he stuffed me in cake batter and spanked me while (y/n) was forced to watch." Henry replied in a cold voice and stood up from the icy water with the red blanket tied securely around his waist. 

"Where are you going?" Charlotte asked him as he shuffled past her. They needed him, he couldn't just give up.

"Home," Henry answered and ignored everyone's hurt and bewildered faces. Since when did Kid Danger let one thing shatter his resilience and enthusiasm?

"Home? No, no, no, Hen!" (y/n) whimpered and tried to grab hold of the boy's wrist, but he just harshly shook off her grip. Without him, the Man Cave would be one member down and that broke her heart.

"Come on, Henry, you can't just go home, not when this town needs you most." Ray joined in, and his hand felt the air around it to find (y/n)'s. She was starting to tremble, she hated goodbyes, especially when they were like this.

"This town needs a superhero. Or...at least a decent sidekick., who has skills or...a superpower like (y/n)'s or....anything. I'm nothing. I'm not even wearing pants." Henry sniffed and this heartbroken look on his face would stay with his friends forever. He threw his whiz watch to a chair and shuffled off to the tubepads, being careful to keep his towel around his waist. The last thing he needed was to give his friends an eyeful. 

"Here." He pulled out his gum tube and threw it to Charlotte, who looked at him with teary eyes. He loved being Kid Danger, surely, he wasn't quitting, Ray needed him, Swellview needed him. 

"Henry, please don't go." (y/n) begged him, but he was too ashamed to stay. They wanted him to stay but, how could he when he'd failed so spectacularly and brought so much shame onto Captain Man's reputation?

"Up the tube." He mumbled and left the four to sit with their heartbreak in the hideout. Well, Ray was still a bit confused; it's hard to know that your younger sidekick is quitting when you can't see.

"I think Henry just quit his job." Charlotte sighed and walked to the couch. After all that, she needed a sit-down and needed a hug.

"Oh, man." Ray breathed out as he felt his girl turn into his arms and press her face to his chest. She didn't want anyone to see her tears and the way Ray's arms instinctively came around her small body to cradle her head helped to comfort her. 

"We can't blame Henry, I mean, we expect him to act like a superhero, but he's just a kid. He doesn't even have one superpower." She hiccuped against the material of his chest and lifted a hand to wipe her tears away. The last thing they needed was her getting all snotty and mopey, so she dried her eyes. She stayed in Ray's hold though, she'd missed having him so close to her, even though it had been less than ten hours since they'd rolled out of bed that morning. It had been a long day, full of her doubting the security of their relationship and she was grateful to have some time with him because she never knew when it could be her last.

"Yeah, well...maybe we need to fix that," Ray announced, making her and Schwoz gasp. He couldn't mean the thing, could he?

"You don't mean..." She pulled away from him just enough to look at where his face would be and because he could look into her eyes, he ran his hands up and down her back. 

"Sweet girl, Schwoz, I think it's time." He told them and she giggled in happiness. She'd been waiting for this moment for so long, but as usual, Schwoz was two steps behind them. 

"For me to get my colonoscopy?" He asked. It had been ages since he had to cancel his last appointment and he was still waiting to get checked out, but he'd have to wait for a bit longer. Some action was needed.

"What? No! Gross!" Ray grimaced, not wanting to hear about Schwoz's dodgy digestive system and why he needed to have the procedure in the first place.

"But my colon!" The genius whined, trying to get them on board. He just wanted one appointment, was that too much to ask for?

"No more about your damn colon!" (y/n) snapped at him, forcing the small man into silence so Ray could give him his instructions.

"I want you to call Schwabbit and Kooschtello!" The superhero told him and that's when Charlotte, who had been patiently observing the whole thing, jumped in. Was Ray okay in the box? She'd never heard of such crazy names, but then again, if Schwoz knew them, then of course they'd have weird names.

"Schwah—who?" She asked, frowning in confusion from her place on the couch.

"Two very powerful people from my homeland," Schwoz replied and dashed off to the supercomputer so he could make contact. God knows how he was gonna do it, maybe he sent smoke signals or a message by carrier pigeon, but as long as they got to the Man Cave, Ray didn't care and with Schwoz doing what he was told, he could nap with his favourite girl.

"Ah, man, I'm exhausted." He yawned and guided his girl to where he thought the couch was. seriously, he should've just let (y/n) do the guiding because he was headed straight for Charlotte.

"Wait, Ray, don't sit—-" The woman tried to stop him from plonking down, but he did anyway and Charlotte screamed at the immense weight of his dense body on hers. 

"Why's this couch so lumpy?" He asked and wiggled around to get comfy, which made Charlotte feel even worse. She was screaming and wiggling to get out from under him, but with the box on his head, he couldn't tell what was happening.

"Ray, you're sitting on Charlotte, get off!" She took his hand and yanked him forward, just enough for Charlotte to slide out from under him and take a gasp. God, it felt good to breathe again, however, she wasn't done. To (y/n)'s shock, the young girl shoved Ray across the couch and leapt onto his back.

"Charlotte, what are you—" She was cut off as the small girl started bouncing up and down on her boyfriends back, using her entire body weight to make his spine ache. For such a petite kid, she wasn't afraid to show the man her anger.

"How's that feel, huh? Not so fun when someone sits on you, is it?!" She hissed and tried to make it as uncomfortable as possible for him, but in reality, it was having the opposite effect.

"Actually, this feels pretty good." He admitted and the girl sighed before walking off. That was the last thing he wanted, but there was an upside to his confession. If it felt nice, then he'd be grumpy if she stopped.

"Wait! Come do more!" He whined, making (y/n) giggle and wander over to him. She knew all too well how much he loved having his back massaged and how whiny he got when it stopped.

"No! Get (y/n) to do it!" She grumbled and walked over to the supercomputer where Schwoz had left Schwabbit and Kooschtello's files opened. He'd sloped off when Charlotte was trying to injure Ray and she was way too intrigued to pass up a chance to read about these two.

"Stop whinging, I'm here." The young woman told him and kneeled down on the floor next to him so she could work at the knots in his back. Being a superhero left him tense and she was more than happy to help him relax, especially when it turned him to putty in her hands. He let out a deep groan when she moved over a particularly tight spot and rested his boxed head on the end of the couch. 

"That good?" She asked him in a cheery voice but was disappointed when he didn't respond immediately. Without his confirmation, she didn't know if she was hurting him or not and she just wanted to talk to him. It felt like ages since they just talked. 

"I don't deserve you." Ray's admittance came out of nowhere and shocked her when he suddenly started talking. Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn't one of them and she couldn't work out what it actually meant. Was it the massage that was sending him loopy or was he suggesting something else? Maybe he felt like he was punching below his weight and he deserved a model or someone who could actually help out in a fight and not get beat in the first five seconds.

"If I could give you more, I would." She smiled sadly and he'd never see the way her eyes lost their spark, but he could hear it and immediately reached out to stop her self-doubting.

"No, you give me more than enough. I'm the one who is undeserving to have you in my life." He rephrased his earlier words and swiftly sat up so he wasn't just throwing stuff over his shoulder.

"You're Captain Man, you can have any girl you want." She told him, wishing her voice didn't sound as weak as it did. No boyfriend wanted to hear his girlfriend's jealousy and hers seemed to be based on nothing. Being his girl was a privilege and she had seen the way all his other girlfriends had been humbled when he chose them to share his life, so she wanted to be like them. Her relationship with Drex had turned ugly because of her feelings and attempts to speak up and she was desperate not to screw this one up too.

"I don't want any girl, I want you. Only you...I'm sorry that you doubt that sometimes." He took her hands into his and brought them to his chest so she could feel his heart beating through his suit. It belonged to her, it always had and he was determined to tell her that.

"Ray...I watched you go out with so many girls and some of them were so special to you, but at the end of it all, you left them or they left you. I don't want to be like them...this is it for me, there's no one else." She told him quietly, briefly checking over her shoulder to make sure Charlotte was still on the computer - she was and it left them alone in their small moment.

"Sweet girl...my sweet girl." He choked up at that. He had spent so many years dreaming about what it would be like to be in a relationship with her, he hadn't noticed how much his flings and flirting had affected her. She'd hidden it well, but on the inside, she had taken it to heart. Like everyone else, she had thought that he wasn't one for commitment and after the rose tint of the first couple of months fell from her gaze and hearing him talk about hot moms, she was starting to think that she was nothing special, just another pulse in his bed to keep him occupied for a while. 

"I don't want anyone else to love you the way I do." (y/n) whispered and bent her head down so it could rest on their conjoined fingers. Ray wanted them to switch places, so he was the one kneeling in front of her like a knight before his princess and he was dying to beg for her forgiveness. He had thought that the relationship would be easy but after so many years of building insecurity, he realised that they would have their ups and downs. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He choked out and pulled her up and into a tight embrace. The dumb box was in the way and it was a little awkward for her to angle her head into the crook of his neck, but even with the sharp metal digging into her cheek, it was so damn comfortable to feel his touch after hours of hurt.

"I promise, hand on my heart, that I've never loved anyone the way I love you and I'll never feel this way with anyone else . I—I spent so long thinking you could never love me, I've just got it in my head that this is one big dream and I'll wake up to find that you've seen that without Captain Man, I'm nothing special and then you'll find some guy who's the perfect romantic." He told her and was kind of glad that the box hid his face away from her because she wasn't able to see how terrified of losing what they had because of him. 

"I've found my perfect guy and I'm not going anywhere. Even if he does look at hot moms." She let the husk of a chuckle and curled her fingers into a loose fist on his chest.

"I'll never look at a mom again if it means you stay." He promised her, willing to walk around with his eyes shut if it meant he got to open them and see her smiling back at him. Some might say he was crazy, but hey, he was in love and he didn't want to lose that.

"Don't be a doofus, doofus. I'm staying as long as you want me." She giggled at his exaggerated promise and threaded their fingers together.

"I want you, always." He whispered with his forehead against the metal where she was resting hers too and if she used her imagination, it was almost like there was no divide at all.

"Always." She returned the sentiment and they both fell into a peaceful silence. They had some problems, but don't all couples? If neither of them wanted to lose what they had, then they were going to keep it for a long time and that was good enough for them.

"I really wanna kiss you right now," Ray grumbled, making her laugh. If he was trapped in a box, she would have readily accepted and it was funny to hear him so moody about it. Her laughter was music to his ears and he knew that they were gonna be just fine. A little rocky at times, but she knew he loved her and he knew she wasn't leaving. Things were good.

"They're here! They're coming! Get ready! They're here!" Schwoz shouted suddenly and came running in from the sprocket. Maybe he had been sending smoke signals, who knows. (y/n) hopped off her boyfriend's lap and the two eagerly awaited the apparent wise men from Schwoz's homeland. According to him, they had all the answers, so they were like genius royalty for the Man Cave team.

"What the hell are you doing?" (y/n) asked her small friend as he started playing what she assumed was traditional music from his home and knelt so he could assume an odd position. Funny way to greet someone, but whatever.

"Animo hah-zu peela yanku schween." He greeted two very strange-looking people as they came down in the tubes, kitted out in funny makeup, hair and robes. 

"Inma poo uka gorgonzola." They bowed their heads politely and Schwoz killed the music as they gracefully came down the steps. 

"Captain Man, (y/n), Charlotte, I would like you to meet Schwabbit and Kooschtello." The handyman introduced his fellow wherever-Schwoz-came from-ians and the girls smiled warmly at them.

"Nice to meet you, I'm sure you've heard much about me." They could hear the smirk in Ray's voice as he put his hands on his hips proudly, making (y/n) roll her eyes.

"Come on, big-head." She guided him to where Schwabbit and Kooschtello were standing and made sure he was facing them correctly. God forbid they got offended because he spoke at the wall and not to their faces.

"Uh...I love your hair." Charlotte complimented the weird woman, who had the bold choice of dark roots, spiky, platinum blonde tips and a streak of purple as her hairdo. It was something to behold.

"Thank you. Would you like it?" To (y/n) and Charlotte's shock/horror, she reached up to her head and pulled it from her scalp, revealing that underneath, she had the same haircut as Schwoz and her counterpart; balding on top and thick, dark hair around the sides and back of her skull.

"Oh, my—-no, no, you keep it, please! We don't want your head to get cold." (y/n) chuckled nervously and the wig was promptly flopped back onto Kooschtello's head, along with a hiss that spooked the girls. Did that make her angry? An angry glare from Schwoz suggested they had, oops.

"Schwoz, Charlotte, you go to Henry's house and bring him here, whether he wants to come or not," Ray instructed them, wanting to waste no time in acting out their plan. He would send (y/n) too since she had a knack for pulling at Henry's heartstrings, but to be honest, he wanted her all to himself.

"'Kay." Charlotte agreed, knowing that this was the time for action and being one of Henry's best friends, she'd be able to peel him off the sofa.

"Schwabbit, Kooschtello. Captain Man and his girlfriend will look after you until I return." Schwoz promised his friends and stepped quite close to them before bending into a ninety-degree bow between them. To make things even weirder, they mysteriously placed their fingertips on his smooth scalp, only releasing him so he could dash up to the tube area with Charlotte.

"Up the tube!" She yelled and they were off, leaving no chance for the couple to say goodbye. It left Ray and (y/n) alone with Schwabbit and Kooschtello, which was going to be fun.

"Well, you're probably interested in my story..." Ray began, deciding that the tale of how he became Captain Man would intrigue them into filling the alone time they had.

"Oh, here we go, hero..." (y/n) sighed with a fond smile and braced herself for the epic story she had heard a million times.

"You see, my dad was an irresponsible scientist and by accident, he made me indestructible. Now, I protect the good citizens of Swellview, who call me, well...you know the name. Uh, Schwabbit? Koosch-puff?" When he got no response, Ray was left in the dark, literally and figuratively. (y/n) sighed as she watch the foreign couple lose interest and begin to explore the Man Cave, particularly the supercomputer.

"Uh, Captain Man?" The young woman tapped him on the shoulder, making the box turn to her, or as near to her as Ray could get without seeing her beautiful face.

"Yeah, sweet girl?" He breathed out when she guided his arms around her waist and pressed herself to him.

"They're not paying attention, but I am." She whispered to him and giggled when the hands on her hips clenched.

"I can't see you, this isn't fair." He whined, wanting to show her how much he loved her and see the sweet faces she made, but Drex had made that impossible. Screw him.

"You don't have to see, just feel me." She purred and he was lost in the softness of her skin as she guided him to the couch and led him into a welcome calmness where he could just hold her, which was enough for them.

~

The calmness didn't last long. Schwabbit and Kooschtello weren't just exploring the Man Cave, they were moving in! 

"Stop it, we don't want your crap!" (y/n) hissed at them as she dashed about the place to try and shove it out of the way. Sadly though, she was outnumbered because when she left his lap, Ray had thought up a drastic way to remove the steel box on his head; bashing it with the elevator door.

"We're back!" Charlotte announced happily as she and Schwoz returned triumphantly. Henry had been a bit tetchy when asked to leave the comfort of his home, so Schwoz had done a number on him and sent him to sleep. His collapsing onto the Man Cave floor and rolling down the steps was just another moment of madness, adding to (y/n)'s panic, Ray's groans of pain as he bashed his skull around and the weirdo's furniture.

"We have Henry." Schwoz announced as the boy slumped at (y/n)'s feet in a fetal position. 'geez, he was gonna wake up with some bruising.

"I can see that." The young woman commented as Charlotte took a look around Schwabbit and Kooschtello's stuff. Some of it was necessary for their experiment, but (y/n) was sure they didn't need it all. I mean, the bed was a bit excessive, making her think they were taking the piss.

"What is all this stuff?" Charlotte asked the genius as he came beside her, ignoring Ray for the time being. She'd get to him in a minute.

"It's for to give Henry the power," Schwoz replied dramatically, making the girls share a sceptically impressed look. They weren't quite sure what that meant, but if these two were wiser than their resident repairman, then Henry would be fine.

"Ow! Dang it! Ow! Dang-blast-it!" Ray moaned as he took the blows from the elevator. The novelty of wearing a big metal cube on his head had long worn off and now, he just needed to get out. He wanted to breathe fresh air again, oh, and kiss (y/n) like he had wanted to all day.

"He's been doing that all day," Schwabbit reported, making Charlotte and Schwoz grimace. It seemed like torture and it showed how despairing he was.

"Not even the pretty girl could entice him to stop," Kooschtello added, making the young woman blush a bit. She had promised Ray all kinds of things to make him pack it in, but even the filthiest things she could think of weren't enough. He wouldn't be able to see them, so what was the point? 

"Ugh, wh-where am I? What happened?" Grumbled Henry as he sat up woozily from the floor, drawing their attention from Ray and his antics to the boy they were intent on helping.

"You died." Schwoz joked, making (y/n) bite her lip a bit to hold in a chuckle. Schwoz could be so blunt sometimes and she had to admit, he had his comedic moments.

"What?!" Henry gasped, thinking the worst had happened to him when he saw the seriousness on the genius' face.

"He's joking." (y/n) clarified and Schwoz laughed since his little prank was over. Man, the old ones are the best.

"We brought you here against your will." He switched back to being stern and watched as Henry's mouth dropped open in disgust. They did what to him?

They wouldn't have time to go into more detail because suddenly, the emergency alarm began to flash as Jasper ran into a bit of bother upstairs. Well, slightly more than a bit, more like a huge, fucking terrifying problem named Drex crashing through the door.

"Oh, shit, emergency!" (y/n) gasped and the four ran over to the computer to check out the store. Ray, Schwabbit and Kooschtello were a little preoccupied, but they'd be filled in shortly.

"We have a situation upstairs in Junk-N-Stuff," Charlotte exclaimed as Schwoz opened up the camera link to the store and Ray came running over.

"Well, what is it?—ah!" He shrieked as he tripped over some of the exotic crap brought in by Schwoz's friends, but quickly recovered. After all, that'd what Captain Man does.

"Look, doof. I know that Ray Manchester owns this place, so where's Captain Man and where's Miss Danger?!" They all gulped as they watched Drex grasp Jasper by his collar and pull him close to his snarling face.

"Fuck me backwards with a wooden spoon, this isn't good," (y/n)'s hands flew to her hairline in worry and Ray's stomach dropped at her scared voice. He didn't like it to hear her like that and it told him that something big was going down.

"What's going on?!" He demanded to know, stumbling blindly to where he thought the supercomputer was, but all his friends did was shush him. They wanted to hear everything Drex was saying, they'd fill Ray in later.

"Where's the Man Cave?!" Drex screamed in Jasper's face, his knuckles turning white from how hard they were clenching around his shirt's material. But Jasper wasn't a coward or a snitch and he had nothing but unwavering loyalty for Ray and his secrets, so he wasn't about to let this thug know anything.

"Uh, I'll tell you where it is!" He said bravely and punched Drex across the face. It was a valiant effort, but his soft, weak hands didn't even make Drex flinch. Perhaps it was best to leave the fighting to the superheroes.

"So, you say you're looking for the Man Cave?" Jasper questioned in a small voice, instantly backing down when the criminal smirked at him. He was no match for Drex in terms of strength, but maybe he could play this game another way.

"Don't tell him!" Charlotte cried, biting her lip anxiously. They couldn't have Drex down here, they hadn't even begun to work on Henry and all of Captain man's secrets would be out. She just had to have faith, which Ray wasn't very good at when it came to trusting Jasper.

"He's gonna tell him! You know he's gonna tell him." He shrugged, thinking that they might as well start packing their bags now. If they left in the next minute, they might get down the road before Drex murdered him and took (y/n) as his hostage girlfriend.

"Raymond, just....shhhh! Come on, Curly, you got this!" (y/n) prayed that Jasper would hold out for a little longer. It was petrifying, she knew that, but he couldn't break under the pressure, that would mean it was over for them.

"Where is the Man Cave?!" Drex ordered the teen to tell him and Jasper could tell that his patience was wearing thin. Think of something smart, think of something smart...

"Uh, it's uh...in Swellview Park!" He stuttered, thinking of somewhere, anywhere that would lead the villain away from his friends. 

"Yes, Jasper!" "Atta boy, Jasp!" Charlotte and Henry clapped their friend's bravery. They knew he wouldn't fail them in the face of danger; he was courageous and loyal, even if he was a bit daft sometimes, the most important thing was he had it where it counted. 

"Where in Swellview Park?" Drex spat out, forcing Jasper to think on his feet again. He had the lie, now he just had to make it believable.

"Uh—uh, at the...p-playground. Under the...Twirly-whirly!" Jasper made up and prayed that Drex would believe him. It was the last place a superhero would pick to be his hideout, but that was the genius behind the lie. Of course, a superhero wouldn't want people poking around their house, it made sense for it to be there, right?

"Twirly-whirly?" Ray scoffed at the thought of having his hideout near a playground. That was so not his style, but he had to hand it to Jasper, he was doing better than he ever thought he would.

"Yes, Raymond, it's a children's ride." (y/n) retorted, throwing the comment over her shoulder before focusing on the monitor again and it seemed that Drex wanted "insurance" for his time spent looking for the Man Cave. 

"All right. You're coming with me." He growled and pulled Jasper out from behind the counter. Oh boy, he wasn't cut out for fieldwork and being manhandled by the city's most dangerous criminal wasn't how he wanted to spend his afternoon. 

"Why?" Jasper cried, not seeing how he could be of any help since he was just the lowly shop assistant. However, to Drex that didn't matter; he knew that anyone in Ray's employment was special and a key to help him get one step closer to his sweet revenge.

"To show me the Twirly-whirly!" Drex grunted and swiftly grabbed the protesting boy in a fireman's lift and took him out the store, screaming and shouting about his cake. Poor Jasp, he always got roped into things.

"Turn it off," Henry told Schwoz, having seen enough for one sitting. Damn Drex, he really got to him, but he couldn't see a way of kicking his ass once and for all.

"This is not good," Ray commented sombrely and his friends were inclined to agree. When Drex found out that Jasper had lied to him, he'd bludgeon the poor kid, possibly to death and that was not good.

"Henry, (y/n)! You gotta stop Drex!" Charlotte looked at the sidekicks, but only one of them was on board with the ass-kicking. 

"I'm up for it, I want to see my foot in his face." The young woman replied coldly, her voice holding no warmth for the man that once broke her so cruelly and had come crashing back into her life to wreak havoc again. 

"I can't!" Henry exclaimed, not seeing how his useless, plain self could even match up to Drex. Sure, he didn't like the idea of (y/n) fighting alone, but he was certain that he wouldn't be much help to her even if he did try.

"You can...if you have the power." Schwoz insisted, once again mentioning the mystical gift that Schwabbit and Kooschtello could bestow on the teen. Apparently, it would be their saving grace, whatever it was.

"What power?" Henry asked, wondering what the hell he was on about. He had no power and couldn't see how he was going to get one. It's not like he could get one like (y/n) had since they all knew had that had needed for him last time, so he was left without hope.

Or was he? A sly look from the little man and his associates said otherwise...

~

"Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. What is all this stuff?" Henry asked his friends as Schwoz tried to push him down on the lavish couch table. He hadn't been given an explanation for what they were gonna try and do to him and seeing all the wacky, dare he say magical equipment freaked him out.

"This is a South African Bush Lizard." Schwabbit stared at the reptile caged in one of his incubators as Kooschtello stared at the other. Very rarely did they impart such divine wisdom onto a stranger, but some sweet talking from Schwoz had swayed them to try it once and only once.

"And this...is a Black Shag Spider." She cooed in her odd accent, making Ray perk up as he faced the wrong way.

"A Black Shag Spider?! No way! I've always wanted to see one of those. What's it look like?" He whined at how unfair life was and (y/n) gently turned him around so he'd at least be facing the right way. He still couldn't see anything, which was a shame, but it was better than nothing.

"Uh, it's black and shaggy," Charlotte answered, basically saying what she was seeing. It wasn't very imaginative, but technically, it was an accurate description and probably why it was called a Black Shag Spider.

"It's a fucking huge spider, Ray. With legs and fangs and...things." His girlfriend added, praying that the glass lid on the arachnid's chamber was secure.

"Thank you." The superhero took what he could get and imagined what they were seeing. Charlotte probably just saw another bullshit thing she had to work with for her job and (y/n) was most likely seeing Shelob or some shit.

"So for me to get a superpower, I have to get bitten by some crazy, foreign lizard and a bush spider?" Henry asked the experts, not liking the sound of either of those. But thankfully (or not thankfully), Schwoz and Schwabbit laughed at his wrong idea, telling him that he was way off the mark. Kooschtello hissed but they just guessed that it was her thing and asked no questions.

"Oh, no, no, no. You see, when you combine their venoms and heat the mixture, it turns into a vapour and then you breathe it in." Schwoz explained, leaving out all the sciencey bits so Henry would understand him.

"I have to breath in venom vapour?" The boy asked reluctantly. Wouldn't venom vapour be just as poisonous as getting bitten? He trusted Schwoz, but this could just be another one of his touch-and-go experiments where everything could go wrong.

"Yah! It will accelerate your reflexes and sharpen your hand-eye and foot-eye coordination." Schwoz smiled, thinking it would be the perfect superpower for the plucky boy.

"So, you're saying that Henry will be able to move faster?" Charlotte asked, putting things much more simply since Henry wasn't always as sharp as she was. He was the one getting the power, so it made sense to tone it down for him.

"Yah, if you want to say it like a dummy." The genius rolled his eyes. Saying it like that really cramped his style. All he had going for him was his crazy brain and he loved showing it off.

"You guys, this seems really weird and kinda dangerous." Henry sighed, not liking the sound of it at all. He'd rather go through the densitiser again than be their guinea pig. 

"Yeah, yeah, I got fried and now you're being poisoned, so lie down and welcome to the club," (y/n) dismissed his worry and she and Charlotte forced the boy's shoulders down as Ray began to whack his box against a table. He wanted to see things again, he really missed being able to see people, objects, anything but.

"You'd think I'd give up." He said to no one in particular as he panted from the effort. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't budge. They needed that damn electronic key and to get it, they'd have to go through Drex...

~

"Ko-vah shishito karvoo siracha chorizo moo-saka...schnot!" Schwabbit and Kooschtello chanted as Schwoz held a mask over Henry's face. This was one of the tensest and weirdest things (y/n) had ever seen and she and Charlotte stood by nervously as the venom solution began to bubble and boil.

"Boba-looooooooooooo!...Remove the mask." Schwabbit told Schwoz, and they turned the lights back on. Well, it was done, they just had to see if it had worked.

'Well, did it work?" Ray asked from the back of the Man Cave. He had been wandering around again and had his back turned to them, but it was the burning question.

"Yeah, does Henry have accelerated speed?" (y/n) asked the odd couple with a worried voice. If Henry was hurt from this, they had truly screwed up and they would have no hope of stopping Drex.

"We will not know until the boy awakens," Schwabbit answered her, making them all impatient. Henry could take hours to wake up and they didn't have many hours to spare.

"Well, how do we awaken him?" Charlotte asked the shamanistic two, who, as always, had a solution. To be fair, it was nice having them around, especially when they were being helpful.

"This way...Wake up, wake up, wake up! Hey! Hey! Hey! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Schwabbit turned from peaceful to a shrill psychopath in less than a second, but his screaming did the job. Henry woke up with a start and hopped off the bed as his ears rang painfully. Geez, talk about giving someone a heart attack.

"Hello? Am I in the bathroom?" Ray asked the wall, having completely lost his bearings after all the commotion.

"No, don't pee anywhere!" Yelled (y/n) as she quickly looked in his direction. God, they needed to test Henry and fast.

"Henry, go over there and look closely as the elevator button," Schwoz told him, which was a strangely mundane thing to ask the kid, but he did it anyway.

"Ugh, where's the toilet?" Ray grumbled, feeling around for a tap or shower head that would tell him he was in the right place. 

"Ray, I swear if you pee there, I will kill you!" The young woman observing him shouted, trying to keep an eye on him and Henry at the same time. Honestly, it was like being the parent of two rambunctious toddlers sometimes.

"What are you gonna do?" Charlotte asked Schwoz, ignoring Ray and his confusion. She was sure that (y/n) could handle him and keep the place mess-free...hopefully.

"This!" Schwoz yanked a blue cloth off of his table to reveal that he had a bunch of small missiles ready to go. Charlotte and (y/n) looked at him like he was crazy, but said nothing to warn Henry of what was about to happen. They just had to pray that his superpower would save him.

"Okay, I'm looking at the elevator button, but I'm not sure why." The boy announced, completely unaware of what was happening behind him.

"Henry!" Schwoz yelled and pressed the go button on his controller, sending a missile straight for Henry. However, to everyone's amazement, before it could even touch his skin, he ducked so fast that if anyone blinked they would have missed it. 

"Wow!" Charlotte gasped in delight, delighted at the results. That missed had been going at one hundred miles an hour or something and her friend had dodged it with ease. Awesome.

"See how fast he moves?" Schwoz exclaimed gleefully, overjoyed that Schwabbit and Kooschtello's mystic power had was now Henry's superpower. God, he loved the intelligence of his people.

"Schwoz, why'd you just—-" Henry's confusion had to end quickly as several more missiles rocketed towards him, but the new and improved Henry dodged them all. He was even able to grab one mid-air before it skewered his face, making them all smile in excitement.

"Whoaaaa. H-how'd I..." The boy gasped, not being able to comprehend how he was able to move like lightning. 

"It's your new power!" Charlotte squealed, clapping her hands together as she beamed at her friend.

"You have super fast reflexes!" Schwoz added to her excitement, proud to have been part of the team that upgraded Captain Man's fighting team. (y/n) walked up to Henry from behind him and grinned at the boy, happy to see him smile again.

"You have hyper-motility to go with Ray's indestructibility and my super-regeneration! I'm totally geeking out about it!" She laughed and her infectious smile worked its way to Henry.

"This is amazing." He breathed out and looked to Schwabbit and Kooschtello, the ones who made it all happen.

"Yes. And also...you owe us two hundred and fifty dollars." The woman frowned, wanting her money now that their work was finished. They didn't do it for nothing, why would they? Even the ancient secret power of Schwoz's people could be bought for the right price, which was two hundred and fifty dollars.

"All right, here's your money." (y/n) rolled her eyes at their impatience and handed the crisp bills to the couple to stop their complaining. Ray would go mental at the price when she told him later, but they could just take it out of their yearly budget.

"Wait, where's Drex and Jasper?" Henry suddenly remembered the danger his friend was in and Charlotte scrambled to locate the curly-haired boy on her PearPad. Last time they'd heard, Jasper was lying his ass off to the thug about Twirly-whirlies, but that was half an hour ago. Anything could have happened since then.

"Uh...still at Swellview Park on or near the playground," Charlotte reported, getting the closest coordinates she could. It was good enough, it's not like you could miss Drex's stupid face, bandana and dark clothes, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

"The Twirly-whirly." (y/n) confirmed and took out her gum tube, smiling when she saw that she wasn't the only one gearing up for a fight.

"Okay, give it to me," Henry told Charlotte and she returned him the tube he had thrown to her earlier so he could throw back a gumball into his mouth. 

"Stand back." The boy told their spectators and the sidekicks blew their gum proudly, once again becoming Captain Man's fearless companions, only this time, they had a new trick up their sleeve.

"All right, Schwoz, you fly us in the Man Copter, Charlotte, you look after Ray until we get back!" (y/n) told the young girl as she and Henry dashed to a tube. If Schwoz was coming with them, they'd have to share, but they didn't mind.

"Aye. Thank you, Schwabbit and Kooschtello. Have a safe trip home!" Schwoz did his funny little bow for them to show his deep gratitude and sprinted up the steps to the other tube.

"When did you get so tall?" (y/n) asked Henry as they platonically wrapped their arms around each other once the tubes came down. He used to be so small and now, he was shooting past her head. Where had that cute little bean from two years ago gone? 

"Up the tube!" Henry laughed at the woman's question and they blasted off before he could answer her. He wasn't the same boy he was when he had met her because now, he was a superhero, through and through.

~Swellview Park~

"Twenty-three and twenty-four and...' Jasper had been perfecting the art of taking the piss as he spun the Twirly-whirly around twenty-five times to "unlock the Man Cave entrance". It was a good lie and had kept him alive and unharmed for at least twenty minutes. Slow turns and agonisingly poor counting had done the trick, but he was getting close to the end now and he needed backup, like now.

"Hey, that was twenty-five!" Drex hissed as he swore that Jasper was mistaken. He was by no means a patient man and was at the end of his tether with this nincompoop, who was fooling him so brilliantly.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should just, um...start over. One..." Jasper suggested, hoping that he could trick Drex again, but it wasn't very likely.

"I don't like you!" The thug growled and tugged him away from the playground ride. This kid was infuriating and he was debating whether putting up with incompetency was worth trying to find the Man Cave quicker.

"But I'm so friendly!" Jasper gasped, not liking how ugly the situation was turning. They were in front of children, for god's sake, did he really have to be so violent?

"And I don't think the Man Cave's anywhere near here. I think you've been lying to me!" Drex seethed, making Jasper gulp. Okay, his luck was up and Drex was so close to pummelling his face. Where were Henry and (y/n)?!

"No, I wouldn't lie. I love the truth! I consider the truth my girlfriend and we are exclusive." Jasper rambled as the sidekicks descended onto the scene from the Man Copter and watched with anger as they saw their friend shake in fear.

"You think you're funny?" Drex shook him by the collar, not liking the way the boy was using stupid metaphors to outwit him. 

"No, when I tell jokes, nobody laughs except for my grandma and she doesn't even know who she is anymore!" Jasper wailed, his eyes screwed tightly shut, so he didn't see Henry and (y/n) standing unimpressed behind the villain holding him captive. 

"Well, after I rattle your brain with this, you're not gonna know who you are." Drex threatened the terrified boy and raised his fist to punch him. However, (y/n) wasn't about to see Curly hurt and caught it from behind so she could twist his arm around to make him face her.

"Hey, cupcake." She spat and used all her strength to land a harsh blow across his cheekbone, sending the man to the floor. Damn, that felt good, especially when she sensed her bruised knuckles tingling back to normality. It sure was amazing to be a superhero.

"Whoa, Miss Danger, you just knocked down Drex!" Jasper gasped in amazement, making the woman and Henry smirk at each other.

"I know." She replied happily and her ex-boyfriend saw red when he realised just who had dared to lay a hand on him. He wouldn't have her disrespect him so utterly and would break her into her place. She didn't have Captain Man to save her, but she did have Kid Danger.

"Uh-oh, he's getting back up." Jasper gulped as Drex scrambled to his feet and Henry knew that this was no place for non-superheroes.

"Yeah, you might wanna run." He told his best friend, who didn't need to be told twice. They could handle this shit from here, he'd just be in the way.

"On it!" Jasper turned around and legged it to a safe distance where he could watch Drex get his ass handed to him without being an unwilling participant.

"Well..." Drex looked the smirking supers up and down with a disdainful eye now that they were alone and clenched his teeth when they showed no signs of fear. 

"Well..." (y/n) returned the greeting coldly, her face emotionless and neutral, but her eyes were full of hate for the man who thought he could own her.

"Where's your "big brother", Captain Man?" The villain mocked Henry with an irritating voice, but the boy left it to his friend to reply. She knew how to cut Drex where it would sting and she was more than happy to watch him bleed.

"Oh, you mean my BOYFRIEND. The one whom I'll be going home to tonight and sleeping next to because he's my BOYFRIEND. Y'know, he's a lot better than you in many ways, bigger too if you get what I mean and I love him so damn much because he's my BOYFRIEND!" She smirked victoriously at the way Drex's eyes burned with rage and jealousy when she enunciated the sweet connection between her and Ray. He let out a small growl when she and Henry fist-bumped their success and giggled to each other about how mad he was. Sure, they were poking the bear, but it was worth it.

"Look, it's Kid Danger and Miss Danger and that mean guy again!" A little girl next to Jasper exclaimed, pointing in fear to the showdown that was happening in front of her.

"Someone call the police!" Jasper yelled to the kids, but like typical modern youths, they simply whipped out their PearPhones and began to film the whole thing.

"I'm gonna mop this grass with you, boy. And then I'm gonna make you watch when I break Miss Danger back into a good, little girl." Drex snapped at them, but it wasn't an effective threat.

"You don't mop grass...stupid." Henry insulted the criminal, egging (y/n) on so they could get Drex to make a move.

"And sorry, but this super-healing chick doesn't break...asshole." She hissed and got ready to step back as the thug reached his breaking point. It was crucial that Henry had the space to use his new power and she wasn't keen on foolishly exhausting hers.

"That's it!" Drex cried and (y/n) hopped backwards as he swung at Henry, who expertly ducked out of the way. He was like lightning and the man's fists just attacked the air above his head.

"Not even close." The boy gloated at Drex, who looked dumbfounded with the boy's newfound speed. He didn't like the way he was smirking and tried a few more jabs, all of which were dodged by Henry.

"Whoa, can't touch this." (y/n) chuckled at how he was nothing but a blur and stood back to watch the show. It felt so good to see Drex outmatched and she couldn't wait to take her revenge on him.

"Here come the cops!" Jasper pointed to two approaching police officers, who dashed to the superheroine's side, only to grow nervous when they saw who was fighting who.

"It's Drex!" One cried and they both ran off and jumped over a wall for safety. No wonder so many criminals called Swellview home with a police force like that, but thankfully, the city had Captain Man and his associates to fight in their place.

"Swellview Police, happy to help, my ass." (y/n) rolled her eyes as Jasper gawped at the cops' cowardice. Not even a taser to help, typical.

"Kid...I'm gonna punch and kick you ten-thousand times!" Drex shouted in Henry's face, but he remained calm and collected, despite the threat that would send most people running for the hills.

"Cool, I'll help you keep count. Ready, set go!" He remarked coolly and began to duck and weave through every attempt to maim him.

"Zero, zero...still zero. Here's my face...oh!" Henry dealt a swift blow to his enemy's abdomen, making him double over in pain. The kids watching were horrified to see such violence but were too enthralled to look away.

"Ready when you are," Henry told Drex and they started fighting again, well, Drex started punching the air again. Henry, however, was much more deadly; he elbowed Drex in the face, twisted his arm around his back, forced him into the climbing frame and kicked his butt for good measure.

"Yeah, Kid Danger, beat his ass!" Miss Danger applauded the teen as he clambered up the main frame and dashed across the bridge. The crowd gasped when Drex was able to grab his ankle through the yellow bars and made him trip up, but he was able to recover quickly for their brawl on the bridge. Henry avoided everything thrown at him and Drex was pushed down the slide by a swift punch to the teeth, followed by a shove backwards. He was making it look easy.

"How'd you get to be so fast?" Drex demanded to know as Henry sprinted across the Whirly-twirly so they could edge around it and wait for whoever would strike first.

"That's for us to know and you to shut the hell up." (y/n) snapped as she kept the kids back and stood waiting for Henry to need any help, not that he did. He had this perfectly under control, especially when Drex leapt onto the spinning ride and he used its velocity to harshly whack the thug's nose.

Forcing Drex to his feet, Henry held the disoriented man by his neck and rapidly punched him in the face until his hand was a red and blue streak in the air. The repeated hits were too much for even a master fighter like Drex to handle and he collapsed on the floor, alive but completely battered. Henry looked at his hands in disbelief and looked up to see (y/n) looking at the see-saw and mulling over an idea in her head.

"You may, Miss Danger." He told her with an all-knowing smirk and she breathed out a laugh when she realised that he could see what she was planning. She turned on her heel and stomped over Drex's body, making sure the pointed edge of her boot dug into his stomach with all her weight. He managed to get on one knee and as he did, she balanced herself on the see-saw and raised the left side, bashing the red seat across his face. 

Seeing that (y/n) had left him the perfect opening, Henry jogged over to the zip line and hurtled through the air before kicking Drex down again. By now, the kids and a few adults were applauding the superheroes' performance, but the fight wasn't over yet. Drex still had some energy left in him and attempted to roundhouse kick Henry twice, but the teen just grabbed his leg and tipped him off balance. It probably would've been smart to stay on the floor, but the psychopath didn't know how to accept defeat. He sloppily swung at Henry with each fist, only to have his arms twisted behind his back, making him shriek in pain as his bones crunched. 

A rough headbutt made Drex's vision go blurry, giving Kid Danger the chance to roll him backwards and onto the ground, where Miss Danger was waiting for him. A sharp kick to the face left him dumb and drooling and the young woman was satisfied to see her foot collide with his cheek. 

"He's all yours, kid." She told Henry, who had taken a seat on a park bench and dragged the man up so she could shove him over his knee. "Wow, I hope no one gets this on video and sends it to the news..." He announced loudly, prompting every kid watching to take out their phones. 

"Spanky, spanky, spank your butt, doo dah, doo dah. Spanky, spanky spank your butt, oh dah doo dah day!" Henry took great pleasure in humiliating Drex like he had done to him in Schneider's Bakery and with the support of the crowd, he was more than happy to drag it out for just a little longer.

~In the Man Cave~

"Oh my god, open it, open it, open it!" (y/n) squealed as Schwoz was handed the electronic key that Henry had confiscated from Drex. They had hauled his ass back to the Man Cave and with a little assistance from a particularly gorgeous invention from their favourite genius, he had been immobilised. All they had to do now was free Ray from the prison that had been inflicted on him.

"Come on...hurry!" Ray grumbled impatiently as Schwoz stuck the fob to the top of the box and twisted it until it illuminated green. With the magnetic seal, Ray was free to lift that dumb thing off his head and grinned brightly when he saw his home for the first time in hours.

"I'm oka—" He started, but was cut off by (y/n) launching herself into his arms and placing her lips on his. It wasn't an unwelcome interruption and he gladly melted into the kiss with a satisfied sigh. Oh, how he had missed that honey taste and his hands found their home around her waist and in her hair as their lips moved in time with each other.

"Wooo!" "Yeah, buddy!" Schwoz, Henry, Charlotte and Jasper applauded and cheered at the happy reunion, overjoyed to see the idiots in love again. They would never stop poking fun at them for how gross they were together, but this time, they'd make an exception, because they were unbelievably sweet.

"Wow. I'm so happy to see my girl again." Ray cooed at (y/n) once they parted and she blushed from his words and the way their friends ooo'ed and awwed. She could say the same for him, she hadn't realised how addicted she was to his kisses and his smile until she was deprived of them.

"I love you, handsome." She whispered, letting her forehead rest against his, only this time, there was no cold metal to separate them. It felt so much better to have the soft skin of his cheeks under her fingertips and she would never take it for granted again.

"I love you too, sweet girl." He sighed against her lips as they met again for a brief kiss until a thought suddenly snapped into Ray's mind. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he just had to know.

"Wait...what happened to Drex?" He looked to his friends as his girl shyly pulled back and settled into his lap. Their smirks were so embarrassing.

"Oh, Henry and (y/n) brought him here," Charlotte replied, freaking Ray out at the thought of his sidekicks leading their nemesis to the one place where they didn't want him. 

"Wha—Drex is here?!" He gasped, glancing between the woman on his knee and the relaxed boy in front of him. He abruptly stood up and whipped around to be greeted with a disturbingly strange sight. Ray yelped at Drex's pained expression, but he was paralysed by some weird harness restraint thing.

"Is he—uh..." Ray cautiously walked up to his former sidekick and braced himself for a jump scare or something.

"He's totally fine," Charlotte told him, feeling completely chill with the situation. Drex was basically a big vegetable right now and as harmless as a fly.

"He just can't move," Jasper added, making Ray turn around as (y/n) and Henry got up to observe the man they worked together to defeat. It was rewarding to see him like this, useless, defenceless, completely harmless, just like they wanted him to be. Like this, he could cause them any problems.

"Or talk, or think, or kick, or punch, or pee...I hope." Henry elaborated, grimacing slightly at the thought of Drex regularly peeing all over their floors. Eh, that probably wouldn't happen.

"Pretty neat, right?" The young woman snuggled up to his side and laced their fingers together, smiling proudly at her and Henry's success.

"Well, how did you, uh—" Ray gestured to the villain's lifeless body, not even knowing how to begin describing what he was looking at.

"I used this. You blast a person with a beam from this and it's like pressing pause on his brain." Schwoz explained his cool little gadget to his boss and he was so glad that he had created it on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

"Yeah, he's fine. He's just useless and can't do anything, like the Kardashians." (y/n) finished, making everyone giggle and gaze at their work. A job well done.

"This just in Captain Man's sidekicks, Kid Danger and Miss Danger..." Trent Overrunder's voice suddenly piped up from the computer, drawing Jasper's focus away from the man who nearly beat him up in the playground. 

"Hey, look! Henry and (y/n) are on the news!" He exclaimed and they all wandered over to see what was being said about them. God, it was nice to be recognised.

"And thanks to Kid Danger's new and unexplained lightning speed, he and Miss Danger were able to completely frustrate and enrage Drex, who we all hate." Ray smiled proudly at his sidekicks as they bashfully watched the clips of them beating Drex to the ground. Wow, his girl was hot when she threw fists,

"Spank your butt all day, spank your but all night! Spank your butt 'til it's red and sore, wow I hate your face!" They laughed along to the clip and all turned around to join in with its singing. 

"Spanky, spanky, spank your butt, doo dah, doo dah. Spanky, spanky spank your butt, oh dah doo dah day! Spank your butt all day, spank your but all night! Spank your butt 'til it's red and sore, wow I hate your face!" They chanted in Drex's face. He couldn't hear them or see them, but it was gratifying nonetheless and the second-best way to celebrate.

"Miss Danger..." Ray slid an arm around the young woman's waist as she smiled mockingly at her ex-boyfriend. She turned to him with a teasing smirk and mirthful eyes, her fingers trailing up his chest.

"Yes, Captain Man?" She looked up at him through her lashes, making him smirk as he bent down to pull her lips back to his. She smiled into the kiss and threaded her fingers through his groomed, chocolate hair, enjoying the way the world was drowned out by him; the feel of him against her, the scent of his cologne surrounding her, the taste of mint and bubblegum on her tongue, all of it told her she had him, just like he had her.

Yeah, this was the best way to celebrate and they were ready to party all night long.

[badbatchenthusiast]

how to do well at school

(work smarter not harder)

i’m trying to compile a list of what’s been working for me academically especially with all the fun side effects of being autistic in the education system (and the variable motivation/executive functioning that comes with it). queuing this forever so i remember to apply these, but if they help you feel free to let me know how it goes!!

1.) Print out notes.

To be fair, this only really works if you have access to a reliable printer, but I imagine a sizeable percentage of people do. For me it was definitely worth investing in one. This is enormously helpful for several reasons:

no need to make notes in class - it’s all there, in front of you, like subtitles to the lesson. makes it so much easier to follow the class and if you miss a day because you’re ill/not coping/have zoned out for 30 mins, you’re not missing valuable content you’re going to need to read up on later

annotating pre-printed notes with little details the teacher is saying adds valuable context and information, and allows you to write in analogies/mnemonics/key evidence/links to other parts of the course in a really different style to the main notes so it doesn’t get confusing to read (annotating hand-written notes can get messy)

having a physically printed copy makes it feel more real, and therefore less likely to disappear in your mind, than just electronic notes. handling actual paper is also less tiring than sitting with a laptop/tablet in a lesson and typing (especially for me)

having that day/week’s notes pre-printed over the weekend makes you feel much more organised and is hours less work than doing pre-learning by handwriting notes

if you type up the notes yourself into a table on word with key word/subtitle/question on one side and definition/answer/explanation on the other, you’re transforming the textbook information into new information, which is very valuable revision and will help with keeping it in your mind; it’s like flashcards, but in note form, and helps chunk content into more manageable pieces

i struggle with processing speed. listening to information *and* comprehending it *and* taking notes at the same time is too much, especially when people talk much faster than i can write. having it all pre-written means i can focus on just understanding and consolidating, and by the time we’re set homework i don’t have note-completion and content-learning to do on top of it

it helps with understanding of the course, in terms of what you need to cover in which topics and what’s coming up next

the best thing about this is it allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of how much time/effort you put into it. on days where i have the energy to sit and learn, i’ll make detailed notes on an upcoming topic with bulletpoints from the textbook and added links to our wider reading, or google context to anything i don’t get. on days where it’s not happening, i’ll copy paste from a reliable revision source/scan a page of the book and be done.

2.) Copy out answers before attempting questions yourself.

definitely one of the least motivating things when doing questions is not knowing how to start, or how to get the answer. a quick way to fix that and get more confidence is to copy out/annotate pre-written example answers or solutions from the textbook or mark scheme. this gives you a sort of blueprint to follow, and makes your time less wasteful if you’re often going straight into questions only to get half of them wrong.

youtube videos with example problems are also really great for this. pause the video before the solution starts and try to work through as far as you can, and when you get stuck unpause and finish copying out the working. doing this before starting homework gets you a higher grade on them and means you’re not wasting time getting things wrong, learning it incorrectly, and only finding out when you get it back.

for essay-based subjects, asking for exemplary answers to annotate is also very helpful. note down use of structure, sentence starts used, anything that you find is good about it and helps it meet the criteria. then, try and write a response to a different question in the same or similar style. get that marked, get feedback, try again.

3.) Practice questions are worth more than anything.

don’t waste time making hundreds of versions of your notes or exclusively rereading flashcards/the textbook. this might be helpful for content learning early on, but long-term retention and exam technique only come with practice. it’s annoying, sure, but works like a charm. so:

test yourself regularly - identify gaps in your knowledge and work to patch them, then test yourself again

get a feel for what kind of questions are usually asked in exams and write your own, then answer them - this, with time, will make exams predictable, or at the very least make you better at understanding what questions want from you

if your teacher lets you have extra practice questions marked, use them as an incredibly helpful source of feedback for improvement so there’s not such a steep learning curve with the first few assignments. if they don’t, use assignments intelligently to see what gets you marks and what doesn’t, then use the feedback on that to revise your technique and improve. if you do badly and don’t learn from it, this is a waste.

for the most part, teachers are on your side and want you to learn. if you’re stuck and don’t know how to answer questions/get correct answers, chances are there’s someone you can go to.

4.) Interesting information is your friend.

draw diagrams. make mindmaps. add pictures to your notes. colour code by topic. highlight things. annotate little fun facts. anything to prevent notes from becoming walls of off-grey text that you can’t be bothered to read. this also has the added benefit of being more interesting to do. so if you have a process to learn, make a flow chart with funky shapes. if it’s context you’re adding, make a timeline or spider diagram. type in memorable little comments or jokes that will help you understand things. copy out graphs and models and doodle important people’s faces. this sticks.

and if you’re feeling really outlandish, make some memes! even if they’re really bad. but for information you absolutely need to know and simply have to memorise, a bad rhyme or punchline will make it much easier to keep in your head, especially when it’s associated with something you enjoy and already think about a lot. finding creative ways to transform information helps the learning process tremendously, even if you just end up writing fanfiction of your favourite characters learning it too.

5.) Have a routine.

set out clear and consistent times to do work, where it’s hard to get distracted. any time spend working (if you’re working smart) stacks up, so that 20 minute train ride where you’d otherwise be scrolling? do some reading. organise your notes. do a problem or two.

consistency is key with learning. our brains aren’t made for storing irrelevant information, so keep everything relevant. to be fair, sometimes this does require an interest in learning not everyone has, but if you can engage with your subject critically and start thinking about it in your day-to-day life, getting into the habit of noticing things and going “oh, this key thinker would’ve hated this magazine” or “woah, i know the equation for the motion of this pen i just chucked” i think makes a real difference between doing well and excelling.

using spaces where you won’t be tempted to other things is also useful. if you have responsibilities when you get home, spend an hour at the library. meet your friends after 5, until then you’ve got homework. keep mealtimes, sleep and work schedules consistent and it’ll be harder for you to forget or have other things come in your way. this doesn’t need to be hours and hours, either; an hour a day that you can sit and reread your notes when you have a spare moment, bullet point an answer to an exam question to test yourself, annotate information you missed, do some wider reading, watch a youtube video on a topic you didn’t get — this all stacks up, and quickly. working smart is using the time you have as usefully as possible, and that starts with finding time you’re currently not doing much with.

[bryantselectricalltd]

Expert Residential and Commercial Electrical Services in Rimbey by Bryant’s Electrical Ltd.

When it comes to reliable and professional electrical services in Rimbey, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. is the go-to provider for both residential and commercial needs. With years of experience and a commitment to quality, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. has established itself as a trusted name in the community, offering comprehensive electrical solutions that ensure safety, efficiency, and peace of mind.

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to upgrade your electrical system or a business owner seeking reliable commercial installations, Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. delivers top-notch services tailored to meet the specific needs of every project.

Why Choose Bryant’s Electrical Ltd.?

At Bryant’s Electrical Ltd., we believe in providing superior service at every stage of your electrical project. Here’s why customers in Rimbey trust us for all their electrical needs:

Skilled and Licensed Electricians: Our electricians are fully licensed and up-to-date with the latest safety codes and industry standards, ensuring that every job is done safely and efficiently.

Comprehensive Electrical Solutions: We offer a full range of services, from simple residential repairs to complex commercial installations, making us a one-stop shop for all your electrical needs.

Customer-Centered Approach: We prioritize clear communication, honest pricing, and exceptional customer service, ensuring a smooth experience from start to finish.

24/7 Emergency Services: Electrical issues don’t stick to business hours, and we don’t either. Our team is available around the clock to handle emergencies and restore your electrical systems quickly.

Residential Electrical Services in Rimbey

Your home’s electrical system is crucial to your comfort and safety, and at Bryant’s Electrical Ltd., we understand the importance of keeping it in top condition. Our residential electrical services are designed to handle everything from new installations to troubleshooting and repairs, ensuring your home is safe, functional, and energy-efficient.

1. Electrical Installations

From new home construction to renovations, we offer a wide range of installation services, including wiring, lighting, and appliance installation. Whether you’re adding a new room, upgrading your kitchen, or installing outdoor lighting, our team provides safe and efficient installation services.

2. Electrical Panel Upgrades

Older homes often have electrical panels that cannot support today’s energy demands. We specialize in upgrading outdated electrical panels to ensure your home can handle modern appliances, electronics, and heating systems without overloading circuits.

3. Lighting Design and Installation

We offer customized lighting solutions to enhance your home’s appearance and energy efficiency. Whether it’s installing ambient indoor lighting, landscape lighting, or energy-efficient LED fixtures, our team can help you create the perfect lighting design for your space.

4. Home Rewiring

If your home has old or faulty wiring, it can pose serious safety risks. Our electricians can assess your home’s wiring and perform complete or partial rewiring, ensuring that your electrical system is both safe and up to code.

5. Electrical Repairs and Troubleshooting

From flickering lights to power outages, we handle all types of electrical repairs. Our electricians are skilled in troubleshooting and diagnosing problems, ensuring quick and effective repairs to keep your home running smoothly.

Commercial Electrical Services in Rimbey

Businesses in Rimbey rely on efficient electrical systems to ensure smooth operations, productivity, and safety. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. specializes in providing commercial electrical services that cater to a variety of industries, offering everything from installations to maintenance and emergency repairs.

1. Commercial Electrical Installations

We provide electrical installations for new commercial buildings, renovations, and system upgrades. Whether you need a new lighting system, electrical outlets, or specialized wiring for your business, our electricians will ensure everything is installed according to the highest safety standards.

2. Energy-Efficient Lighting Solutions

Effective lighting is essential for any business, and upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting can significantly reduce operational costs. Our team specializes in designing and installing commercial lighting solutions that improve your workspace’s functionality while lowering energy bills.

3. Electrical System Upgrades

As your business grows, so do your electrical demands. We offer system upgrades that ensure your commercial space can handle increased power loads without the risk of overloaded circuits or frequent outages. This includes upgrading electrical panels, wiring systems, and energy management systems.

4. Wiring for Commercial Spaces

Whether you’re opening a new office, retail store, or industrial facility, we provide expert wiring services that ensure your building has the electrical infrastructure it needs to operate smoothly. Our team handles everything from network cabling to specialized machinery wiring.

5. Commercial Electrical Repairs and Maintenance

Unexpected electrical issues can disrupt business operations and cost you valuable time and money. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. provides fast and reliable repair services to minimize downtime and get your business back on track. We also offer preventive maintenance services to keep your systems running efficiently and avoid unexpected breakdowns.

24/7 Emergency Electrical Services

Electrical emergencies can happen at any time, and when they do, you need a fast and reliable response. Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. offers 24/7 emergency electrical services to homes and businesses in Rimbey. Whether it’s a power outage, electrical fire, or malfunctioning equipment, our skilled electricians are available around the clock to provide immediate assistance.

We prioritize safety and efficiency in every emergency situation, working to diagnose and resolve the issue as quickly as possible to restore normalcy to your home or business.

Safety and Compliance: Our Top Priority

At Bryant’s Electrical Ltd., we understand that safety is a major concern for both residential and commercial electrical systems. That’s why we strictly adhere to the latest electrical codes and regulations, ensuring that all work meets the highest safety standards. Whether we’re upgrading a panel, rewiring a home, or installing a complex commercial electrical system, we ensure that every project is completed with safety and compliance in mind.

Customer-Centered Electrical Solutions

We believe in delivering more than just high-quality electrical services; we’re committed to providing a positive customer experience. Our electricians take the time to understand your specific needs and offer customized solutions that meet your requirements and budget. Transparency, reliability, and communication are at the core of our business practices, ensuring a hassle-free experience for every customer in Rimbey.

Contact Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. Today

When you need expert residential or commercial electrical services in Rimbey, trust Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. for quality, reliability, and customer-focused service. Whether it’s a simple repair, a major installation, or an emergency service, our team is ready to handle the job with professionalism and expertise.

Contact Bryant’s Electrical Ltd. today to schedule a consultation or learn more about how we can help with your electrical needs. Your home or business deserves the best — and we’re here to deliver it!

[circuitwala]

The Benefits of Ordering Printed Circuit Boards Online: A Guide to Choosing the Right PCB Manufacturer

In today's rapidly advancing technological landscape, printed circuit boards (PCBs) play a crucial role in various electronic devices, from smartphones to industrial machinery. As demand for these essential components grows, businesses and hobbyists alike seek efficient and cost-effective solutions for obtaining high-quality PCBs. One of the most convenient methods is to order printed circuit boards online. In this article, we will explore the advantages of ordering PCBs online and provide insights into selecting a reputable PCB manufacturer.

Why Order Printed Circuit Boards Online?

Ordering printed circuit boards online offers several benefits, making it an attractive option for many businesses and individuals:

Convenience: The ability to order PCBs from the comfort of your home or office eliminates the need for in-person visits to manufacturers or suppliers. This convenience saves time and effort, allowing you to focus on your projects or business operations.

Wide Range of Options: Online PCB manufacturers offer a variety of options in terms of materials, layer counts, finishes, and more. This flexibility allows you to customize your PCBs according to your specific requirements and budget.

Cost-Effectiveness: Many online PCB manufacturers provide competitive pricing, especially for bulk orders. Additionally, you can easily compare prices and services from different providers, ensuring you get the best value for your money.

Quick Turnaround Times: Online ordering often comes with expedited production and shipping options, allowing you to receive your PCBs faster. This is particularly beneficial for projects with tight deadlines or when you need quick prototypes.

Access to Advanced Technologies: Many online PCB manufacturers offer advanced technologies such as high-frequency PCBs, flexible PCBs, and more. This access to cutting-edge technology ensures your designs are compatible with the latest industry standards.

Choosing the Right PCB Manufacturer

Selecting the right PCB manufacturer is crucial to ensuring the quality and reliability of your printed circuit boards. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a PCB manufacturer:

Experience and Reputation: Look for a manufacturer with a solid track record and positive reviews from previous customers. Experienced manufacturers are more likely to produce high-quality PCBs and provide reliable service.

Quality Assurance: Ensure the manufacturer follows strict quality control measures, such as ISO certification and regular testing. High-quality PCBs are essential for the proper functioning and longevity of your electronic devices.

Customer Support: Good customer support is vital, especially if you encounter issues during the ordering process or with the final product. Choose a manufacturer that offers responsive and helpful customer service.

Manufacturing Capabilities: Check the manufacturer’s capabilities, including the types of PCBs they can produce, their layer count capacity, and the materials they use. Make sure they can meet your specific design requirements.

Lead Times and Shipping: Consider the manufacturer’s production lead times and shipping options. Quick turnaround times are crucial for meeting project deadlines, so choose a manufacturer that can deliver within your required timeframe.

Pricing and Payment Terms: While cost is an important factor, it should not be the sole consideration. Ensure the manufacturer offers transparent pricing and flexible payment terms that suit your budget.

Conclusion

Ordering printed circuit boards online is a convenient and cost-effective way to obtain high-quality PCBs for your projects. By choosing a reputable PCB manufacturer, you can ensure the reliability and performance of your electronic devices. Whether you are a business looking to streamline your supply chain or a hobbyist working on a personal project, ordering PCBs online provides a seamless and efficient solution.

For those ready to place a printed circuit board order online, consider the factors outlined above to select the right PCB manufacturer for your needs. With the right partner, you can bring your electronic designs to life with precision and quality.

[soundrooms]

Soundrs: Kiss Your Ears

Kiss Your Ears is a Berlin based and Europe wide company focusing on offering better quality and far more affordable acoustic treatment for any kind of music studio. If there’s a problem with acoustics in your room, KYE can fix it - or guide you how to do so yourself DIY. Their website is a remarkable resource for learning about room acoustics, made simple for the average music producer. Go have a look at their Instagram full of glorious music studios!

➜ https://www.kissyourears.com/

➜ https://www.instagram.com/kissyourears/

Jon is the founder of Kiss your Ears

As an introduction please tell us a bit about yourself and the work that you are doing.

I am an entrepreneur working with concepts that create positive change in the music industry.

I have created Kiss Your Ears, an acoustic treatment manufacturing company that has been designed to offer much better quality acoustic treatment than what is otherwise available, and at a very competitive price point. We are also the only acoustic treatment company specialised in the requirements of electronic music production, aka. hitting those low frequencies that are left resonant by other available units. 

I have also built 73 high quality music production studios in Berlin, which I rent out with different companies across three buildings in different locations in the city, offering creative communities for producers to benefit from. 

Next, I will finish the book I'm currently writing, Kiss Your Ears: A Practical Guide to Acoustics for the Modern Music Maker. I will simplify some often confused topics, and give away build plans for all kinds of acoustic treatment modules as well as plans for affordable isolative constructions aka. Room-in-Room-in-Budget solutions. I aim to give away the answer to every single problem I have ever encountered in building and treating studios.

I am also in the process of starting a new company focused solely on office acoustics worldwide, and plan to hit that with the same innovative and value oriented mindset that KYE has benefited from. 

What is music to you? (Or sound rather.)

Music is sharing. Sound is energy (vibrations).

How did you learn about studio acoustics?

It has been a long process. 

I am thorough. I did some serious research and took some risks (large investments for research).

I decided to equip myself with the most thorough and relevant/ applicable skill set by studying in some small apprenticeships, I studied formally and in my own time, and served my 10.000 hours by helping hundreds of clients save a lot of money on their studio set ups. 

I've actually served my ten thousand hours more than once if we count that my achievements as a musician, music producer and construction professional have been racking up for many years…

I am now writing the book that will teach the average producer how to do what I do and treat rooms the right way! 

Studio Acoustics: The Basics | ADAM Audio & Kiss Your Ears

Why does it matter?

Why does Room Acoustics matter? Because in an untreated room, you are listening more to the room itself than what is actually coming out of your speakers!

Acoustic treatment is a tool like any other, and an important one at that. You can save a lot of time with a well treated room! 

People don't even realize how much of an effect proper acoustics treatment can have because it was not commercially available before.

How common is it nowadays for electronic music producers to mix and master their own work?

I would say around 90% of electronic music producers mix their own music. This is less in the area of "modern singer songwriter" and more in the area of "producer/ DJ".

In the professional arena, even those that do their own mixdowns do not master their own tracks. That is a folly.

aesthetically pleasing acoustic room treatment

What is the most common problem that you encounter in untreated rooms/home studios?

The most common problems we encounter in untreated rooms/ home studios are that the client has already wasted some of their budget on far lesser performing acoustic elements. For example, I quite often see clients with thin (10-15cm) absorbers in a music production environment. 

Also quite often, I see people fetishizing the "cloud placement" absorbers for no real reason, as well as buying diffusers before they have taken care of the low frequency resonances. 

This is all because of the misinformation spread around freely about room acoustics even on reputable forums. 

Tell us a bit about the measuring process, is it exciting and adventurous? What sounds are you using?

To be honest, the measuring itself is not so exciting, and in fact highly predictable. However, getting to help clients with their sacred spaces is highly rewarding. 

We would normally use full frequency spectrum sine wave sweeps.

Do you trust your ears or your visualizer?

Well, you don't really hear sub bass as much as feel it so… 

That said, I have relative pitch from playing instruments and I've looked at a lot of data so when I go into a room and hear a kick drum that is activating a 60Hz resonance in the room, I hear the B note…

But I would say I use both, and always trust the data because the data cannot lie. Our psychoacoustic perception can and does!

behold their legendary bass traps!

Why are the KYE absorbers called King Kong?

Because they are the most effective on the market! They are also the most affordable solution to achieving the 80/20 rule of high end results, so they required a legendary name!

The build quality is also far superior to the rest of the market. These monkeys are big boned.

We do have other ranges, but the King Kong Range is our best seller.

Is it all about the bass traps, i. e. fix the bass, fix the room?

Due to space and budget limitations, absorption is almost ALWAYS the most important factor in the control of room acoustics.

The theory behind the system we follow is to always use the input budget to prioritise fixing the low end (thereby fixing most of the rooms’ other issues along the way). Low frequency control is a widely misunderstood and somewhat mysterious practice.

How to do it properly? Start with a low reaching velocity absorber and hit the bass broadband/wideband as much as possible until exhausted. Again, that’s how the pro’s do it and it’s just logical. If our budget stops there, then that is the best use of it. 

In order to achieve a more even reverb time across the frequency spectrum, you should use the same traps for both functions (“bass trapping” diagonally over corners and “early reflections” covering certain wall areas).

Do you think it’s possible to trust digitally adjusted monitor speakers in an untreated room, with software like Sonarworks for example?

Sonarworks in particular is a very contemporary software package that works beautifully as this piece of the puzzle. It is almost a matter of taste. Sonarworks and other digital solutions do not compensate for the dimension of TIME - therefore resonances must be solved first- but it is recommended as a final step after the bass traps handle the room’s resonances. Without adding the bass traps first, you may end up in a messy and confusing situation!

What is the ideal listening level for mixing, producing, mastering?

Around 85 dB SPL.

Should audiophiles who only enjoy listening to music care about room treatment, too?

Only if they want to hear the music without the room. Again, in an untreated room, you are listening to the room more than the music because of the way the room "colours" the sound.

Can a music producer not just use headphones and ditch room acoustics altogether?

Acoustic treatment will save a producer A LOT of time. Most processes can be done maybe 50% faster if endless referencing is not needed and they can fully trust that what they hear is what is coming out of the speakers. It's of course optional. Some producers still seem to prefer to struggle on without it! Ignorance is bliss…

Headphones will not create the soundstage achievable with a properly acoustically treated room, which is not even that hard to achieve thanks to the innovative processes suggested by Kiss Your Ears. I would always suggest to someone that works primarily in headphones to go check their mixes in a properly treated room.

As an ideal fantasy, what would be the best room form for linear sound reproduction? Would it be an anechoic chamber?

I guess technically speaking, an anechoic chamber would lead to the most "linear" sound but looking for a linear SPL is not always the most important aspect of a room's sound.

Absorbers that tie the room together. No need for a carpet!

Want to drop some famous names of musicians, producers, engineers who Kiss Your Ears did room treatment for?

DVS1, Peggy Gou, Fjaak, Clouds, Hainbach, Mogwai, Palms Trax, Headless Horseman, D.Dan, Kamikaze Space Programme, Blush Response, ItaloJohnson, Ben Rau, Objekt… and companies like Elektron, Pioneer, Moog… and 500+ others! 

What is one of the worst tips about studio acoustics that‘s floating around the internet, on YouTube, etc?

Wow, where do I start? Most of the "tips" online are problematic in some way or other. 

I'll give you some blunt statements!

Tri-traps are an ineffective design.

Cylinder traps don't work properly. 

Foam based products are inferior. 

Putting diffusers at the back of the room (lowest axial mode) is a bad choice. 

Those are four things that almost all acoustic treatment companies are getting wrong on a daily basis! 

How much does it matter what kind or brand of monitor speakers producers use? Is more expensive more better? Can you recommend good monitor speakers (for different budgets)?

Putting expensive monitors in an untreated room is a false economy. You would be better off treating the room to a good level and getting old 80s Hi Fi speakers from ebay! 

An old industry rule of thumb is that you should spend as much on your acoustic treatment as your monitors. 

If you are prepared to spend some cash, I think HEDD offer incredible value in their lower range. The HEDD type 07s are amazing for the price when you want to spend around € 2.000. 

Then when you want to upgrade and spend more, like € 6.000: I recommend the Adam S3Vs… For the price, those are next level. But they put out some sub bass power, so proper bass treatment is essential.