#free commercial led lighting

[energypowersaver]

Energy Efficient LED Light NSW

LED lights are highly efficient, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly. They can be used to replace traditional lighting systems and save up to 70% on energy costs.

The NSW Government has an incentive scheme available to help households and businesses reduce their electricity consumption. The scheme provides financial incentives to upgrade inefficient light bulbs to LEDs. 

To know more about Energy Efficient LED Light, visit the Energy Power Saver website or call 69650912468.

LED light is a great way to save money and the environment, with savings on your energy bill and carbon emissions. Replacing your lighting with ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs can be one of the easiest ways to save.

The ESS helps households reduce their electricity and gas use by subsidising the costs of purchasing and installing new LED lights in their homes. To find out if you can take advantage of the offer, simply select ‘Energy efficient lighting discounts’ and you will be directed to an approved supplier in your area.

Using LEDs for everyday lighting can save you up to 15% on your electricity bill, depending on how many fixtures you replace with LEDs. These bulbs are also available in a variety of colors and can be dimmable, giving you the flexibility to control the amount of light your home uses.

If you are looking to install energy efficient LED light in your commercial building, there are a number of government incentives that can help you save money on your upgrade. These programs are usually available through your local electric utility company.

Some of these programs can also be applied to residential properties and they will typically pay you a fixed amount for every kilowatt hour you save on your electricity. These are called performance rebates and you will need to meet certain criteria in order to qualify for these.

Another way to get financial help with your project is to look into tax credits. These are federal and state government grants that can be claimed to offset the cost of your LED lighting upgrades.

While these benefits are not as sweeping as some other tax breaks, they can be a great way to offset the initial cost of your lighting upgrade. However, you will want to make sure that your products are Energy Star certified and DCL listed in order to maximize your savings.

LED lights are the most energy efficient lighting solution for your home or business. They use up to 75% less energy than traditional incandescent, halogen or compact fluorescent lights.

LEDs also last longer and run cooler, reducing air-conditioning costs and extending your lighting output. They are available in a wide range of styles and colours, making them a perfect choice for every property.

If you’re ready to upgrade your lights, contact us for a free quote or get a quote online here! Fill out the form below and an expert will be in touch within 24 hours to discuss your options.

The NSW government’s Energy Saver Scheme (ESS) provides financial incentives to install energy-efficient lighting for businesses and households. These incentives are designed to help you slash your power bill and lower your carbon footprint.

LED lighting is a great way to save on your electricity bill while improving the health of the environment. It costs 80% less to operate than traditional incandescent or halogen lights and lasts up to 10 times longer.

There are many energy efficient LED light NSW options to choose from, so it’s best to get a free quote from an accredited energy efficiency company. They will be able to help you find the right LED lighting for your business, and can even save you money through government rebates.

The ESC scheme offers significant financial incentives for businesses that install energy efficient technologies like LED lights. These financial incentives are in the form of 'energy savings certificates' (ESCs) that can be redeemed for cash or used to offset energy costs. 

To know more about Energy Efficient LED Light, visit the Energy Power Saver website or call 69650912468.

Make sure you ask about whether a discount will be guaranteed on the quote or whether it changes after installation based on the assumptions that they have made. It's also a good idea to get a better understanding of how the ESCs are calculated.

[greenupgrades]

Residential & Commercial LED Upgrades in Victoria

Green Upgrades is an eco-friendly energy alternative company in Australia. We provide complete installation of efficient energy saving and high-quality water saving products for your homes and businesses. We only supply government approved products and only get them installed by an A grade electrician.

Visit us:– https://www.greenupgrades.com.au/

[cryptiam]

Sims 4 CC - Mouthwashing: Functional Mouthwash + Curly deco + LED screens:

I hope this hurts.

CC Includes:

Functional Mouthwash drink + clutter version (Buy Mode)

CAS accessory Mouthwash

(Right Middle Finger • Teen-Elders)

Day/Sunset/Night Screen Curved + Flat wall version

Not functional lighting - also curved deco has an invisible wall issue

Curly Deco: 2 versions:

Curly stuck in bed

Curly without bed

CC Info:

Base Game Compatible

Keyword: "Mouthwash" in buy mode

All LODs

Credits:

CC used in screenshots:

Anya Sim made by @pinkflu • TrayFile Page: (Tray-File uses multiple other cc)

Pony Express Jumpsuit by @cr33py-sims • CC Page:

Model from Mouthwashing, created by Wrong Organ. This is not for commercial use.

▼Download | Patreon (free):

Terms of Use:

~~~

If you like my cc, consider tipping to my Ko-Fi or supporting me on Patreon! I do this as a hobby and it's very time consuming per cc. I also have commissions usually open if you really want something specific from me! Thx!

[vintagerpg]

Military RPG are weird. They emerged in the ‘80s, initially with light sci-fi/post-apocalyptic theming (Aftermath, Morrow Project), then as just straight-up warfare RPGs (Merc was probably the first of these, focused of soldiers of fortune and is basically one big racist dogwhistle; Recon came out a year later and is similarly polluted, with a heaping side of revisionist history of how the U.S. won Vietnam, actually). The genre wasn’t particularly successful in a commercial sense until GDW’s Twilight: 2000 (1984). To be clear up front: I do not understand the appeal of these games, but I find them endlessly fascinating, in the same way I find myself compelled to watch reels of car accidents when the algorithm serves them to me. If you are big on military RPGs, well, this is going to be a disappointing week for you.

Twilight shares two of the main Traveller designers (Frank Chadwick and Loren K. Wiseman) and I think it’s at least partially informed by the complexity of the unified Classic Traveller rules that appeared in 1983. It’s mechanically complex and primarily interested in detailed simulations of small arms combat (It is more complicated than my tolerances, but I do think it is far more playable than most gunporn RPGs before or since).

The game imagines a world putting itself back together after a small-scale nuclear war in Europe. Play takes place in the destabilized European countries, but players are essentially mercenaries or something like roaming ronin, free for chain of command and forced to deal with the realities on the ground without guidance or support. I can sort of see the appeal of this, coming out during the last years of the cold war (and I believe the starting world-state of the game was determined through GDW staff playing a grand strategy game rooted in contemporary events). It is certainly an interesting artifact of its time. T2K proved popular (and even has a less complex modern incarnation from Free League), but GDW’s increasing preoccupation with these sorts of heavy simulations likely contributed to grown problems that eventually led to the company’s closure.

[havocdream]

Unheard and Unseen - Thirteen

Summary: Vintra and Hunter discuss recent events on their way to Coruscant, urgently trying to come up with a plan to cover up Vintra's illegal meeting with Arvin Haradan and to track down the possible culprit who leaked the intel about her flight off the planet.

Word count: 5.7k

Warnings: Swearing | Mentions of assassinations | Mentions of explosions | Mentions of death of children | Self harm

Notes at the end of chapter

Chapter twelve -> Jawa-brained animal

Masterlist

Half-truths

Despite the constant travel Vintra had to make as part of her role as a Galactic Senator, she’d never had the privilege of boarding a military ship. She assumed it’d be different from a private or commercial vessel, but her imagination failed to fully grasp the reality of what one of these ships was until she stepped through the hatch of the Havoc Marauder. 

It looked larger inside than it did from the outside, with up to three distinct areas loaded with navicomputers, weapons, equipment, and ammunition. In the cockpit, the control panel spanned the entire front edge, featuring hundreds of commands and two screens in front of the pilot and co-pilot seats, displaying comprehensive data on the space surrounding the ship. Two additional passenger seats were positioned behind each pilot's chair. Along the side walls were energy feeders and data cabins, housing the ship's internal power processors. 

To the right of the entrance, a narrow corridor led to the safety seats for transporting additional passengers. These seats offered more protection than those in the cockpit, with extra harnesses and secure fittings against the ship's walls to ensure stability during transit. The adjacent room was more spacious, housing two large computers on each side that received real-time updates about the status of various fronts of the war, military intelligence messages, database updates, and alerts on major socio-political or military events—like the recent bounty hunter attack on the Senate Building and the Executive Office Building of the Republic on Coruscant, news that Vintra was still unaware of. 

At the rear of the ship were the soldiers' sleeping bunks, accompanied by a narrow locker. The final feature was an exclusive compartment for rear artillery, operated only by whoever was stationed there. 

However, despite being a well-equipped and secure vessel tailored for an elite military group, the same praise couldn’t be extended to the orderliness of the interior. Vintra accidentally kicked food wrappers, nearly tripped on an attachment from one of Crosshair's rifles tangled in her sleeve, and her shoe heel got stuck in what she swore was a half-eaten piece of fruit. 

But what provoked her fastest reaction was the smell—a mix of grease, smoke, sweat, and dirt that the ventilation system barely managed to purify. It was reminiscent of a pet food store in one of the sublevel districts of Coruscant's capital. 

"Doesn’t this smell bother you?" she asked the clone behind her, covering her nose and frowning in disgust, fully aware that Hunter’s senses were far more acute than an average person. He tried not to roll his eyes. 

"I’m used to it," he admitted with a slight, humorless shrug, as if it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

Hunter, who had just finished boarding and closing the hatch, gestured for the senator to take her designated seat—one of the safety seats in the mid-cabin. Vintra walked through the narrow corridor with difficulty, trying hard not to trip over the many items scattered on the floor. 

"How... can you even walk in here?" she muttered under her breath, shaking her foot to free it from a cable that Tech or Hunter had likely forgotten to pick up. Behind her, the sergeant advanced without a care, stepping on whatever happened to be in his path. 

The ship's lights turned on, and the engine's warming vibrations made the floor and walls tremble slightly, signaling that takeoff was imminent. Vintra hurried to the nearest seat and sat down quickly, but as soon as she reached for the seatbelt, she found out there wasn’t one. 

"This is an attack shuttle, not a first-class space yacht," he remarked sarcastically, leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, clearly amused by her struggles with the safety protocols. 

"You don’t say," she retorted with equal sarcasm, nodding toward the mess scattered throughout the hallway she had just crossed. Irritated by her inability to figure out how to lower the safety bars above the seats, Vintra shot Hunter an increasingly frustrated look, baffled at his refusal to assist her. "Well? Are you just going to stand there?" she pressed. He barely shifted the muscles beneath his eyes, his expression intrigued and suspicious ever since he had pulled her out of the room with Senator Haradan. 

"You’ve got a lot of questions to answer, senator," he suggested, but Vintra found no humor in his comment. She stood abruptly from her seat, determined to fix the problem herself. 

"So do you! Let’s start with the rancor in the room: how the fuck did you find me?" demanded the ederian as she strained with all her might to pull down the bar. It clattered noisily but refused to budge. The ship's thrusters began to hum louder as they heated up. "Rodova isn’t exactly a well-known planet; it’s barely on any maps these days," she added between light panting and futile attempts to adjust her dress while keeping her back turned to the sergeant. 

"It wasn’t easy, especially since you were presumed dead for quite a while," his dismissive tone clashed with the gravity of his words. For a moment, Vintra almost thought she had misheard him, as if the news of her death were a trivial mistake in the morning reports. 

But she remembered what the sergeant had mentioned earlier—information she’d brushed aside in her adrenaline-fueled concern over losing her deal with Arvin. Her network had intercepted an enemy message: someone had planned to capture or kill her. The explosion of a ship in Evadelar suggested the plan had been executed successfully. 

"After analyzing some debris we managed to recover, Tech identified it was from a commercial cargo ship, incapable of reaching half the speed of light. Wrecker studied the level of destruction and determined the explosion had occurred less than five hours prior… From Coruscant, it would’ve been impossible for that ship to reach Evadelar in under ten hours; it must’ve been in transit for at least twenty-two; and according to surveillance records, you were still on Coruscant fifteen hours earlier," Vintra gave up on the metal harness, unable to find any visible lock to release it or an automatic switch to activate it. "So, we mapped potential destinations within fifteen hours of your location and cross-referenced them with the control station maps, eliminating those paths… Only a few options remained. When I noticed one of them led to the Jalor Sector, I was certain that was where you’d gone. It’s the only sector resembling Evadelar. I figured the enemy intel might have been wrong about the exact location but not the conditions, as both are infamous smuggling routes." 

Just then, Vintra spotted a lever on the side of the seatback bearing a symbol resembling the safety bars. Without hesitation, she gave it a full turn, releasing the heavy gear above her, that would’ve slammed down onto her head, hadn’t Hunter caught it at the last second. 

“Every ship leaves a trail that’s almost imperceptible to the eye, but with the right equipment, we can track it. And it turned out, the only planet those traces led to was Rodova. We found your ship there and then I had no trouble tracking your steps,” he explained behind her. Vintra had instinctively covered her head with her hands when she saw the metal bar falling toward her. At some point, the sergeant had crossed from the threshold of the hallway to her side to prevent her from being knocked out by her own desperation—though all that trouble could’ve been avoided if the sergeant had helped her from the start. 

“Of all the squads in the galaxy, it had to be yours that got called,” she muttered, lowering her arms and quickly taking a seat. Hunter slowly lowered the safety bars, adjusting them to the ederian’s size. His hands brushed against her waist as he secured the sides of the seat. The textured detail of that part of her dress felt like a blend of cotton kisses and brocade dusted with fine specks of stones. The intricate weave in his skin created an unexpected sensation, as if he were accidentally bridging the gap of thousands of light-years between an insignificant soldier and one of the Republic’s greatest political figures. 

“Well, all of this could’ve been avoided if you hadn’t decided to break the law,” he reminded her, his lips curving into a threatening smirk as if the whole situation amused him. And it did, as it was one of the few ways he could assert his authority over her. “Which brings me to my questions.” 

After finishing the adjustments, he stood slightly above her, his hands resting on the two bars enclosing the senator’s face. There was no escape—not from the jolts of the ship at full speed, nor from the truth he demanded. 

Vintra pressed her back harder against the seat when she realized how close Hunter’s face was to hers. She instinctively tried to put more distance between them but found she couldn’t. She didn’t know where to place her hands; gripping the bar would mean touching his, so she rested them on the edges of the seat beside her legs, doing her best not to shrink into herself to hide her neck, as if she bore there her darkest secrets. 

“What are you up to?” he asked in a low, menacing tone that sparked an almost uncontrollable urge in Vintra to answer him immediately. The deep vibration in his voice felt like a natural command for her tongue to spill what she was most determined to keep hidden. “You’ve been dragging the stench of a secret since you recognized us, and it’s only grown heavier. Your vital signs now scream for help and regret, as if you’ve made a mistake.” 

Vintra furrowed her brows, terrified that Hunter could see so much through her. 

“It’s in your eyes, your desperation,” he continued, nodding toward the safety bars with his chin, “your constant swallowing, your obsession with glancing over your shoulder on the way here.” 

She couldn’t help but silently curse herself. 

"What’re you hiding from?" 

It would’ve been easier to say what she wasn't hiding from. 

“I know you’ve had… a complicated month on Coruscant,” the ship finally started to levitate, ready to leave the planet and enter hyperspace. Hunter didn’t seem to lose his balance with the slight shakes of the vehicle, nor was he worried about finding something to hold onto. Vintra gripped her hold tightly. “The accusations from your opposition are alarming, and your defense hasn’t looked very good—” 

“Seems like now you’re a real expert on the political context,” she commented with irony, almost offended that her recent defeats were now being judged even by him. Hunter hardened his gaze, but Vintra didn’t feel threatened or intimidated by it; it seemed more like the clone was concerned. 

“I wanted to make sure you were alive,” he admitted with complete honesty, in contrast to Vintra’s reluctant intention of doing the same. She softened her gaze at his confession, remembering how she had basically dismissed him when, in his words, his squad was called whenever the danger increased. “Is this an attempt to win back the Senate’s approval?” 

Vintra held her breath, her eyes meeting his. It was true that returning to Coruscant wasn’t something Vintra looked forward to at the moment. She had spent a month with a terrible case for her defense. 

Forty standard rotations ago, a terrible accident had occurred in one of the primary schools on Coruscant. A gas leak had caused a devastating explosion at the educational center, claiming the lives of several children and staff members. It was a case that shocked the capital planet for several days, with many media outlets and public figures using their voices and resources to support the grieving families and loved ones. 

However, a few days later, the Senator from the Nemeda System boldly addressed the Senate, blaming Vintra for the explosion’s deadly toll. “Had we had infrastructures made with thusten, the explosion would never have left the kitchen area and reached the classrooms and hallways.” That’s what Astar Farwan, one of the leaders of her opposition regarding the Druad bill, had said to spark a flame that quickly turned into a chaotic fire of blame, accusing fingers, and endless speeches justifying Druad’s occupation. 

Several media outlets supported Farwan’s proposition, with entire pieces criticizing Vintra for failing to look out for her own people by wanting to deny them access to a material that could’ve saved the lives of so many children, siblings, or friends. The public, which had supported her so strongly at the start, began juggling between their undeniable support for her peaceful proposal and their disgust toward her for preventing thusten walls from saving so many young lives. 

Despite securing a lot of votes over the last two months, she was starting to lose allies due to the growing public disfavor every time her face appeared in a new headline or cover, still firm in her arguments for the liberation of Druad and her disinterest in acquiring thusten. 

“I need something to convince the Senate that this bill’s possible,” she admitted, her voice barely audible over the noise of the ship almost ready to jump into hyperspace. “Something irrefutable, like the evidence that even the Separatist Parliament is willing to support it.” 

The Havoc Marauder finally propelled into hyperspace with such a jolt that it destabilized Vintra for a moment, forcing her reflexes to release her grip on the seat and reach for the bars in front of her. Her soft, slender hands covered the thick, gloved and strong ones of the sergeant, who turned his attention to her involuntary gesture, though no reaction appeared on his face. 

Vintra, with her cheeks flushed and her chest wrapped in shame, lowered her hands beneath his, her grip tightening on the metal that protected her. Hunter returned his gaze to her, and one corner of his lips lifted in a mocking smirk. 

“Hm,” muttered the clone, curious about the mixed signals emanating from her like a short circuit with different origins. “Your words are true, but you’ve left out the ones that matter most,” he accused, certain that Vintra must be involved in something risky or shady to dare evade the truth in front of him, knowing he’d recognize her intentions. 

Under Hunter’s outstretched arm, Vintra noticed another figure entering the room, with an apathetic expression and tense gestures. Hunter glanced at Wrecker but quickly returned his gaze to the senator and moved his presence away from hers. Neither seemed affected by the speed at which the ship was traveling, while Vintra felt that if she removed her hands from the bar, she’d fall. 

“What?” the clone leader asked, his gaze narrowing but never leaving sight of Vintra. 

“The Kinyen Senator was killed,” Wrecker informed both, although it was Vintra’s face that seemed to fall in horror at what she’d just heard, her eyes quickly moving to the large clone. “The rest of the kidnapped senators barely survived an explosion, and the Chancellor and company have already been freed and sec—” 

“What are you talking about, trooper?” she asked in fear, unsure if she really wanted to know. 

“Mavan Stent has requested to speak with the senator,” Wrecker ignored her, knowing Hunter would explain soon. The sergeant looked at him. 

“Tell him he’ll speak with her once we land,” Wrecker nodded to his orders, and Vintra looked at the sergeant with evident frustration and confusion. “Get the others, we need to discuss the plan.” 

The jolt of the bars from Vintra’s desperate attempt to remove them returned Hunter’s gaze to her, with little warning that Vintra might succeed. The ederian growled in frustration. 

“I want to talk to my Chief of Intelligence!” she complained, desperation painted in the violet of her eyes. But Hunter remained unmoved. 

“You won’t talk to anyone until we’re all on the same page,” the clone crossed his arms in front of her and analyzed her. “If there’s a traitor in the higher ranks of the Republic, manipulating the information about what happened today is key,” Vintra’s face started to paint with distress; the nonsensical news she’d just heard didn’t seem to have settled well. “There was a bounty hunter siege at the Senate Building,” Hunter finally explained upon sensing her fear. “I still don’t know the details of the operation, we were sent to find you when it happened,” footsteps were heard approaching them, and Hunter glanced at his brothers down the hall. 

Vintra hit her forehead against one of the bars in front of her, causing Hunter to return his gaze to her in alert, surprised by the violence with which Vintra had been acting since they had met again. She replayed the clones’ words in her mind and created a fictitious scenario about what had happened on Coruscant that day. Why had they sieged the Senate? Who had been kidnapped? Why hadn’t Mavan contacted her sooner? Who would have betrayed her? 

When the clones entered the room and Tech was about to speak, Hunter’s outstretched hand signaled him to wait. The sergeant’s furrowed brow towards Vintra reflected unease; his senses had picked up something different. 

The squad sergeant didn’t like what seemed more and more like regret within Senator Selana, as if her entire existence had suddenly become a mistake, and everyone agreed with that statement. Something had her cornered, sinking her into a pit of guilt… 

Was it the school incident? Did she believe her opposition was right? Did she feel guilty for the children’s deaths? 

“Are you alright?” 

The genuine and almost delicate interest came from his mouth, not wanting to impose more frustrations and moral burdens on her. A sad gasp escaped her. 

“I’m fine,” once again, she dared to lie to him when she knew he’d recognize it. Vintra took a deep breath and raised her gaze to the clones. “What’s the plan?” 

There were three figures waiting on the landing platform near Coruscant’s Federal District, none other than the Supreme Chancellor himself, along with his Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, both anxious to know how Senator Selana was and what news she was bringing back. Beside them, the Chief of Intelligence from Ederon, Mavan Stent, watched impatiently as Clone Force 99’s combat ship made its rough landing, eager to see his dear friend and finally hear the details of her important mission. 

Mavan made little effort to hide his nervousness. He bit down on the skin around his nails with such force that he couldn’t stop tearing off small pieces of it, making the Chancellor glance at him with a mix of distress and disgust. But Mavan paid no mind to the disapproving look from the Chancellor, for the powerful man didn’t understand the true position Mavan was in with his superior. 

He had failed to protect Vintra's critical negotiations because he had gone to an insignificant meeting with Admirals and Vice Admirals about a stupid, incorrect information leak. Because of his absence, chaos had ensued in both his intel network and the army’s, and the Republic’s top trackers had been sent to pull Vintra out of a meeting authorized by the Supreme Court—one that had likely been interrupted and ruined. 

Mavan was sure he had never felt as much fear in years as when the ship’s door opened, and from the darkness inside, Vintra Selana’s copper-colored robes gradually emerged, until the morning light revealed her stunning figure. Behind her, the clone sergeant hurried down with her. 

“Vintra! It’s such a relief to see you’re alright,” exclaimed the Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine, with a shy tone. He stood a couple of feet away from the ramp Vintra was descending, dressed in a luxurious set of ochre velvet fabrics that formed a thick, long robe with voluminous, curving sleeves and a high, sculpted collar that reached up to his cheekbones, almost like a protective cone. On anyone else, it would’ve looked ridiculous, but on the Supreme Chancellor, it gave him an imposing and threatening air. "I’m sorry for this terrible misunderstanding. Should I assume the negotiations didn’t go well?" asked the wise man with regret, as he walked toward her and offered his pale hand to help her down the last steps.  

Vintra took a deep breath of the fresh morning breeze blowing across the open platform, surrounded by the typical urban sounds of the capital, and took the Chancellor’s hand in good faith. A confident smile appeared on her face as her feet touched the ground. 

"Not at all, Chancellor, hasn’t the Supreme Court informed you yet?" Vintra responded to her leader’s concern, and a delicate pat on the hand holding hers tried to convey calm about the situation, although the Chancellor only expressed confusion. "Arvin Haradan had a health issue, he wasn’t going to be able to attend our meeting today... but he contacted the Separatist Court to let us know that he was willing to support the negotiations and present a Druad ceasefire bill in the Separatist Parliament." 

Mavan’s mouth threatened to fall open in astonishment at what he was hearing, but he held himself back, remembering his manners as the leader of one of the galaxy’s most powerful factions. He couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief upon hearing that everything had gone well, and that his absence hadn’t cost Vintra dearly; they still had a valuable card to play for defense in the Senate... 

But as he noticed how her nostrils flared every few seconds, and how her posture seemed to slightly lean forward, as if she were carrying a backpack full of stones on her back and pretending it was something she could bear, Mavan guessed that Vintra was lying. He knew her too well to not recognize those patterns instantly, but the most alarming thing wasn’t that she was lying, but that the lie was directed at the Supreme Chancellor himself. 

Something Vintra had never done in her political career. 

"... Isn’t that right, Mr. Stent?" The Chancellor’s voice, followed by the gaze of both Vintra and him fixed on him, snapped Mavan out of his bewilderment, unsure if he had managed to hide his reaction well enough to avoid suspicion. 

"Sorry, it’s just that I’m so relieved this valuable plan hasn’t fallen apart," the ederian with ash-colored hair and sapphire eyes feigned nonchalance. His young but mature face always helped him hide the expression lines that would form when his worry or distress were too intense. "I assume you’ll want to discuss your speech for the next plenary as soon as possible," he addressed Vintra, eager to have a private conversation with her. Vintra nodded slowly and gave the Chancellor a kind and apologetic expression. 

"Mavan’s right, I’m afraid I must rush to the Supreme Court to draft my proposals for the Separatist Parliament and my speech before the Senate regarding this incredible news," Vintra apologized for having to leave. "I know you’ll be expecting a report on the whole situation, Chancellor. I’ll meet with you tonight after Philo’s funeral, if that’s alright with you." 

Vintra's large purple orbs were known to have a mysterious power of persuasion, if she set her mind to it with full intent. They served her as if within them existed two giant planets equipped with their own magnetic field—hypnotic and dangerous if anyone got lost in them for longer than usual, it was a one-way trip to her control. 

Chancellor Palpatine didn’t usually give in to such clear manipulations, and he had all the authority to demand Vintra clarify everything at once, without giving her the time to surpass him in information advantage or keep him in the dark any longer about that crucial matter. The negotiations with the Separatists, the first to be formalized by the Supreme Court and a nearly winning card for Druad’s bill, were an event that he, as Chancellor, had to have complete knowledge of. 

However, the harsh gaze Palpatine perceived from the clone standing behind Vintra stopped him from giving the order. Unable to see his alert eyes due to the visor covering them, it was as if the Chancellor knew the clone was closely evaluating his response, like a rodent gradually being led to a perfect bait to finally be caught. 

He didn't understand the meaning behind that gesture, as it felt like Vintra was hiding something or scheming something. There was more behind the words she spoke. 

"Of course, Vintra," he said after a moment of reflection on that predicament, curious to know where that sudden distrust and intriguing attitude would lead. "I'll see you in my office after the ceremony." 

The confidence with which the Chancellor's hand touched her shoulder gave Vintra the impression that the Chancellor knew he had been tested. It wasn’t the gesture she had anticipated when the sergeant had suggested saying that. And she didn’t like having to unnecessarily disturb the most valuable political relationships she had, but if it was about hunting down an infiltrator, she had to trust the instincts of the man who had discovered that Luvid Stass was the orchestrator of her assassination attempts. 

"I'm afraid the Republic owes you an apology as well, sergeant," the Chancellor said to Hunter, his expression wrapped in a halo of imperceptible signals for the clone. "We wasted your squad's talents on a mission that involved no real danger, after all." 

Hunter had to acknowledge that the Chancellor’s cunning was worthy of praise. His intent to try to extract information from him made it clear that the Senate leader knew they were hiding something, and it involved danger. His apology was more of a warning. 

"Better safe than sorry," replied the clone with respect, as if wasting his time wasn't a big deal. Although his tone was double-edged, more of a bounce-back to the warning made by the Chancellor. 

Palpatine gave the clone a knowing smile, one that clearly warned him not to try anything clever with him. Vintra noticed the Chancellor’s deadly glare, a look known by all politicians as the signal to flee the scene, for it was the anticipation of a bloodbath. 

Between the two men, Vintra’s figure and face intervened. "At least we can rest assured that the sergeant and company are the ones capable of finding the impossible," she softened the scene, with her gentle face and soothing tone, like a maiden defending a knight before the king. 

The Chancellor fixed his fiery gaze on Vintra, which served as a lagoon to cool off and grant mercy. "Such a relief," the head of the Senate murmured with irony. 

When the Supreme Chancellor boarded his shuttle alongside the Vice Chair and offered a final farewell to those still on the landing platform, Vintra waited only a few seconds before turning to the clone with suicidal intentions. 

"Next time you want to be annihilated, make sure I'm not close enough to get stained with your blood," she scolded, her voice like the clash of iron, harsh and with sharp impact. Behind the visor, it was impossible for Vintra to know the clone's expression, who seemed to just observe her without any emotion. "You know where to find me." 

That was the last thing she said before approaching an impatient Mavan toward her personal transport. Hunter relaxed his shoulders and let out a sharp sigh. 

"Wait," the sergeant's voice stopped her, as he activated his visor's channel to communicate with one of his brothers. "Go with her," he ordered someone, immediately revealed to be Wrecker as he appeared at the hatch and, weapon in hand, positioned himself once again next to Vintra Selana. "There's still a hunt for you, and your guard hasn't returned," the clone reminded her while making it clear there would be no discussion as he crossed his arms. "If word gets out about your successful negotiations, rest assured someone will try to silence you." 

Vintra held her frozen gaze on him for a moment. Although part of the plan was to consider that one of the presents could leak this crucial and threatening information, it didn’t take away the fear of not catching the imposter in time. From the corner of her eye, Vintra glanced at Mavan, a cold pang piercing her chest, at the height of her heart. The mere possibility that Mavan could be the traitor hurt, and it even sent chills down her spine to imagine a scenario where her old and trusted friend would take a moment alone with her to twist her neck and end her life. 

Part of her had been unable to argue with the clone when he told her that Mavan and the Chancellor couldn’t be excluded from the same level of distrust as everyone else. Not because she believed they were guilty, but because she trusted Hunter’s instincts. 

It wouldn’t be the first time that someone unimaginable to Vintra turned out to be behind her assassination attempts. 

But Vintra also trusted her own instincts. It may have taken her time to believe that Luvid Stass wanted to kill her, but Mavan was as impossible as eternal life. There was no room for logic, and deep inside, she screamed with certainty that Mavan would never betray her, not even to save his own life. 

General Windu's gaze hesitated for several seconds, unsure whether to turn into confusion or astonishment after witnessing what the sergeant of the Clone Force 99 was communicating to him. 

“An infiltrator? Here on Coruscant?” he questioned incredulously from the seat across from the clone, who stood firm and at attention before the Jedi. The room they were in ascended to nearly the top floor of the Coruscant Central Command Building, just a few streets away from the Federal District. The walls of the place, in the hours of dusk, were bathed in warm artificial lights, bright enough to make out the large filing cabinet of classified reports in the darkness, and the touchscreen board that traced route calculations and real-time information of high-profile targets across the galaxy. All of this oversaw by the wise Jedi Master, who, in those days, was referred to as 'General.' 

“Or a traitor,” suggested Hunter, his expression serious and alarmed, but confident in what he was conveying. General Windu, whose authority was emphasized by his perfectly tailored brown robes and adorned with his unique lightsaber, sighed in frustration. Hunter wasn’t a soldier who made mistakes in such accusations, and, in truth, it wasn’t hard for him to believe what he was saying. 

What was difficult to accept was the clone's request to be reassigned as bodyguards for Senator Selana. 

"I’m afraid this is a case that one of our Jedi Knights should handle, sergeant," the general confessed after a moment of reflection. "The Order has... suspected this infiltrator for some time now, an entire division has been tracking him for months," he explained, and Hunter was beginning to tire of realizing that everyone he’d spoken to that day revealed a bit of truth but hide the bulk of it. "Needless to say, they haven't had success," he raised his hands slightly to show how empty they were. Hunter raised an eyebrow. 

If the Jedi Order had an entire division dedicated to monitoring the figures of power in the Republic to track down the traitor, and they still had nothing, it complicated things. First, because they weren’t sure if they were talking about the same person—there could be two impostors at play. Second, it might suggest that the data leak had come from their front of the war, not from the Separatist side. 

“In my experience, general,” Hunter began, his purpose in that room being to ensure his mission was to protect Senator Selana, “if you haven’t found the culprit, it’s because they know how you operate,” he placed his hand over his chest to emphasize his figure. “My squadron tends to work with uncommon, hard-to-predict methods, and we have the advantage of knowing that this person is close to the few involved in the negotiations Senator Selana was having with Senator Haradan,” General Windu’s frown seemed to indicate that he recognized the points the clone was making, almost convinced that reassigned them to Coruscant wouldn’t be such a bad idea. “Besides, we have the Senator’s trust to take care of her security.” 

His final argument, the best he had, pierced the Jedi’s core like a fine needle, leaking enough conviction to accept the sergeant’s request. Of course, they were a group of clones worthy of the most complicated challenges the war was presenting more and more. 

But this was different, because it wasn’t an impostor he believed even they could face. And he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his best clone unit for the inefficiency of the Jedi Order itself. 

“Why are you interested in this case?” the Jedi asked after a moment of uneasily observing the clone, on an exciting journey to try to decipher him. The question caught Hunter by surprise, leaving him speechless for a good while. 

He hadn’t thought about it, as his mission to find and secure Senator Selana had already concluded. The fact that there was more danger lurking didn’t mean it was his responsibility to protect her. And yet, he felt like it was. 

“I already had to turn my back on her once when she needed us most,” he confessed, almost without thinking about how to put his words. But as soon as he found the little sense of what his gut felt and his mind thought, there was no turning back with his tongue. “I think this is a case only my unit can handle, and her life’s still at risk… it’s not natural for me or for them to turn our backs on this kind of danger.” 

And as if some invisible force was laughing at him from a higher plane in some far-off space but still alongside him, Hunter felt the vibrations in his head and chest from revealing part of a truth but omitting most of it. 

I'm sorry I took a while to post it, I thought december was going to be chill but suddenly my job's important (booo) and I have to be responsible lol.

Thank you for reading!! I don't know if you felt this chapter short like I did, my excuse is that it serves as a bridge between the first scenario and the core of this current part. Once we press full speed we aren't slowing down! :)

See you soon! xx

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Nation of Change:

China’s largest automaker, BYD, is selling its Dolphin hatchback EV for a low-low $15,000, complete with a 13-inch rotating screen, ventilated front seats, and a 260-mile range. Here in the U.S., you have to pay more than twice that price for the Tesla Model 3 EV ($39,000) with lower tech and only 10 more miles of driving range. In case $15K beats your budget, the Dolphin has a plug-in hybrid version with an industry-leading 74-mile range on a single charge for only $11,000 and an upgrade with an unbeatable combined gas-electric range of 1,300 miles. Not surprisingly, EVs surged to 52% of all auto sales in China last year. And with such a strong domestic springboard into the world market, Chinese companies accounted for more than 70% of global EV sales.

It’s time to face reality in the world of cars and light trucks. Let’s admit it, China’s visionary industrial policy is the source of its growing dominance over global EV production. Back in 2009-2010, three years before Elon Musk sold his first mass-production Tesla, Beijing decided to accelerate the growth of its domestic auto industry, including cheap, all-electric vehicles with short ranges for its city drivers. Realizing that an EV is just a steel box with a battery, and battery quality determines car quality, Beijing set about systematically creating a vertical monopoly for those batteries — from raw materials like lithium and cobalt from the Congo all the way to cutting-edge factories for the final product. With its chokehold on refining all the essential raw materials for EV batteries (cobalt, graphite, lithium, and nickel), by 2023-2024 China accounted for well over 80% of global sales of battery components and nearly two-thirds of all finished EV batteries.

Clearly, new technology is driving our automotive future, and it’s increasingly clear that China is in the driver’s seat, ready to run over the auto industries of the U.S. and the European Union like so much roadkill. Indeed, Beijing switched to the export of autos, particularly EVs, to kick-start its slumbering economy in the aftermath of the Covid lockdown.

Given that it was already the world’s industrial powerhouse, China’s auto industry was more than ready for the challenge. After robotic factories there assemble complete cars, hands-free, from metal stamping to spray painting for less than the cost of a top-end refrigerator in the U.S., Chinese companies pop in their low-cost batteries and head to one of the country’s fully automated shipping ports. There, instead of relying on commercial carriers, leading automaker BYD cut costs to the bone by launching its own fleet of eight enormous ocean-going freighters. It started in January 2024 with the BYD Explorer No. 1, capable of carrying 7,000 vehicles anywhere in the world, custom-designed for speedy drive-on, drive-off delivery. That same month, another major Chinese company you’ve undoubtedly never heard of, SAIC Motor, launched an even larger freighter, which regularly transports 7,600 cars to global markets.

Those cars are already heading for Europe, where BYD’s Dolphin has won a “5-Star Euro Safety Rating” and its dealerships are popping up like mushrooms in a mine shaft. In a matter of months, Chinese cars had captured 11% of the European market. Last year, BYD began planning its first factory in Mexico as an “export hub” for the American market and is already building billion-dollar factories in Turkey, Thailand, and Indonesia. Realizing that “20% to 30%” of his company’s revenue is at risk, Ford CEO Jim Farley says his plants are switching to low-cost EVs to keep up. After the looming competition led GM to bring back its low-cost Chevy Bolt EV, company Vice President Kurt Kelty said that GM will “drive the cost of E.V.s to lower than internal combustion engine vehicles.”

So, what does all this mean for America? In the past four years, the Biden administration made real strides in protecting the future of the country’s auto industry, which is headed toward ensuring that American motorists will be driving $10,000 EVs with a 1,000-mile range, a 10-year warranty, a running cost of 10 cents a mile, and 0 (yes zero!) climate-killing carbon emissions.

Not only did President Biden extend the critical $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of an American-made EV, but his 2021 Infrastructure Act helped raise the number of public-charging ports to a reasonable 192,000, with 1,000 more still being added weekly, reducing the range anxiety that troubles half of all American car owners. To cut the cost of the electricity needed to drive those car chargers, his 2022 Inflation Reduction Act allocated $370 billion to accelerate the transition to low-cost green energy. With such support, U.S. EV sales jumped 7% to a record 1.3 million units in 2024.

Most important of all, that funding stimulated research for a next-generation solid-state battery that could break China’s present stranglehold over most of the components needed to produce the current lithium-ion EV batteries. The solution: a blindingly simple bit of all-American innovation — don’t use any of those made-in-China components. With investment help from Volkswagen, the U.S. firm QuantumScape has recently developed a prototype for a solid-state battery that can reach “80% state of charge in less than 15 minutes,” while ensuring “improved safety,” extended battery life, and a driving range of 500 miles. Already, investment advisors are touting the company as the next Nvidia.

But wait a grim moment! If we take President Donald Trump at his word, his policies will slam the brakes on any such gains for the next four years — just long enough to potentially send the Detroit auto industry into a death spiral. On the campaign trail last year, Trump asked oil industry executives for a billion dollars in “campaign cash,” and told the Republican convention that he would “end the electrical vehicle mandate on day one” and thereby save “the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration.” And in his victory speech last November, he celebrated the country’s oil reserves, saying, “We have more liquid gold than anyone else in the world.”

[unconvenchinal-charm-reactivated]

What advancement of technology used to look like:

We made flat-screen TVs! They’re smaller, lighter, and have incredible picture quality!

We made the flat-screen TVs LED! It’s brighter, more energy efficient, and lights the screen more evenly!

We made DVDs! They’re smaller faster and better quality than VHS! And you never have to rewind them! Loaded with bonus features like bloopers and deleted scenes!

We made blu-ray! They’re the same size as DVD, hold a lot more information, and have incredible video quality!

We made LED bulbs! They’re the same size and work with your existing sockets! They’re not as fragile, not as hot, and use SO little energy!

We made solid state hard drives! They’re smaller, faster, lighter, more reliable, and work in your existing hard drive socket!

What technology “advancement” looks like now:

We took the disk drive out of our new computers! If you still want to use disks, you can buy a disk drive for $60, take up one of the two USB ports we gave you, and have it use up space on your desk!

We got rid of headphone jacks! If you don’t want to pay $100 for our wireless headphones that weren’t included with your audio device, then you can pay $10 to buy an adapter that will take up the only port on your phone!

We took away your ability to play music in the background! If you want it back, give us $5 a month, EVERY month, FOREVER!

We added commercials to your commercial-free streaming! If you want to have your commercial-free experience back, pay us more money every month than you already do!

[starqueensthings]

Here’s the quote lovely! Take your time! I’m so glad you wanted to participate!

“may my heart

be the softest place you fall,

may this love

be the wildest place you run”

I am stoked to see what you come up with! 💖

(I got carried away 🙂)

Pairing: Fives x Fem!Reader

Inspired by @anxiouspineapple99’s lovely prompt.

Warning: GENUINELY not proof read. Sorry for all the inevitable comma splices and passive verbs, because Wrecker, is that a bagel?

“Quick, Mesh’la! Climb!”

His tone was frenzied, hurried, panicked, and yet somehow still dripping with the same wild glee that never failed to emerge in the direst of times.

“I’m trying!” you gasped, heart hammering heavily in your ears as you urgently heaved yourself up the narrow, rusty ladder, ignoring the sharp flakes of paint that kept breaking away from each rung and embedding themselves into your palm. “You didn’t tell me I’d be climbing an old fucking ladder on the side of a building, Fives, or I wouldn’t have worn heels.”

“Why would I tell you and ruin the fun?” he jeered from below you, failing to repress the chuckle that accompanied the infuriating grin on his lips.

“This is fun?” you demanded, halting your movements entirely to glare down at him.

“I swear it’ll be fun when we get there!” he defended, nodding toward the top of the ladder still a dozen feet above your head.

“If we don’t get kriffing arrested first,” you grumbled, giving him an indignant shake of the head and a roll of your eyes.

“Yeah, well… they’re not far behind us so I’m not holding my breath,” he answered with a snort. “Here’s hoping whoever is holding the handcuffs likes your pink panties as much as I do, because I think they’re going to be our ticket out of this.”

“Fives!” you gasped, pausing again to jam the hem of your dress between your legs, humiliation threatening to send your cheeks aflame.

“Hey, don’t cover the goods!” he protested, reaching up and yanking the fabric from its unceremonious pinch between your thighs. “I was enjoying the view.”

“I’m going to murder you once my hands are free.”

“Talk kinky to me later, Babe. For now, just climb a little faster… I can see their flashlights around the corner.”

At the top of the ladder was the expanse of a commercial rooftop; the apparent poor craftsmanship of the structure now below your feet had caused significant pooling of water in some areas… yet despite the obvious derelict and despair, the sight before you had instantly robbed you of breath. Your mouth fell open, and without a second thought to the fear that had sent you frantically scrambling up a decrepit ladder in the darkness mere seconds ago, you eagerly took the dozen steps toward the opposite side of the rooftop, deftly pulling your shoes from your feet and tossing them haphazardly to the ground beside you.

Barely inches from your toes was a seemingly infinite drop into the underworld; a column of emptiness encircled with hundreds of thousands of lights, the coil of radiance so descending so deeply into the core of the planet, that their luminescence simply became no match for the sheer distance. A quick glance upward lay the infamous Coruscanti skyline; as majestic as it was endless, and as breathtaking as the audacity of the man who’d led you here.

“Thought you’d like this.” His hands slithered their way around your waist, pulling you tenderly backward until your body was flush with his.

“It’s… gorgeous,” you breathed, tipping your head backward to his chest as he perched his chin atop your shoulder.

“Yup, you sure are.”

You pursed your lips against a grin that would too eagerly expose just how happy you were to be in his company. Since that night that he’d feigned ignorance and asked for help racking up a set of pool balls in the dim lighting of 79’s, Fives, and all his mischievous endeavours, had kept you entirely on your toes. And while his affinity for “fun” was one of the things you loved most about him, it was moments like this that you held close to your heart when the harrowing loneliness of his extended deployments threatened to dismantle your resolve to spend forever with him. It was these quiet spans of only a blink where all distraction went ignored; these seemingly frozen seconds where your love for each other remained impenetrable by the menial factors of time and space; times like this when nothing except the feeling of his fingers between yours and his breath tickling your neck mattered in the grand scheme of life. If you had Fives, you had enough… you had everything.

“I love you,” you whispered, reaching up to weave your fingers into his dark hair.

“I love you too, Cyare.”

You tipped your head back, eyes fluttering closed in preparation for the euphoric feeling of his lips against yours, for the taste of him on your tongue, for his hands to tighten their grip around your body.

“THERE THEY ARE!”

“YOU TWO! HALT AND STATE YOUR BUSINESS.”

Your shoulders jerked in fright at the sudden intrusion; the flashlights that you’d spent the last ten minutes evading, now directing their stark beams of light directly into your eyes, but neither of you moved a muscle.

“THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY,” the officer continued to intone loudly. “HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM.”

“Should I throw my panties at them?” you whispered coyly against his lips.

“Honestly? I kinda wanna keep them…” Fives risked stealing another tender peck before saying, “Your shoes will have to stay here though. Get ready to run.”

“Wha-?”

“Now!”

.

Taglist: @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @starrylothcat @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @secondaryrealm @dystopicjumpsuit @freesia-writes @blueink-bluesoul @littlemissmanga @523rdrebel @wings-and-beskar

[jurijyuu]

Scratch an Itch Ch. 37: Putting Distance

Link to full chapter on AO3

Ynna’s POV

The incident in the hall lingered. In the words that rang painfully similar sentiments to your own. In the disappointment that followed when yet another encounter with Alastor led to even more bitterness between you two. In the subtle warmth that flowed through your body, in the aftertaste of his blood. Strangely, rather than an inferno of anger and rage at that man’s fucking audacity, only a wary sort of gloominess came about. Dragging along behind you like tangled strings, wrapping around your limbs with just enough pull that moving felt too troublesome, this gloom lingered, anchoring you to your bed.

Sleep came and went and while your body was rested, that gloomy string had unfurled through the dreamless night and strung thoughts and words and all your many insecurities into a banner you could now understand in the sober light of morning.

You needed to leave. This wasn’t your place any longer.

Months ago, the thought of leaving the hotel would have terrified you, the memories of your first months in Hell fearsome enough to send your heart racing in panic. After knowing that there were such kind people down here, you would have groveled on the ground to stay if Charlie had asked it of you, though the princess of Hell would never ask. She welcomed you with open arms and gave you hope. And it was because of that generosity that you had courage now.

With somber resolution and a smile that felt more freeing than any you’ve let out in the last few weeks, you marched to the dining hall. The sight of all your friends clenched at your heart a little bit. You would have to say goodbye to them a lot sooner than you’d thought. You could only hope that they would understand and that the distance between you all wouldn’t change anything in your relationship with them.

Cheery good mornings and a lot of cereal became today’s breakfast. It was a simple affair. It was markedly missing a certain red-suited demon. You wondered where he could have been, that gloom coming back to knock on your senses as you glanced over to the empty seat at the head of the table. You probably shouldn’t care.

After breakfast, you took Charlie aside, asking to meet with the woman in private to discuss your plans. Vaggie, sensing something in your mood, obliged and went to go hunt down the absent facility manager, leaving you and Charlie alone in the shared office. 

You glanced around. Even this place held some stark memories of you and Alastor. No. Don’t think about him.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Charlie, ever cheerful, offered you one of the chairs in front of her desk. She took its matching set, sitting next to you instead of across. For a second, you imagined that cheerful smile turned sour, turned angry, turned all sorts of disappointed and it hurt your heart. Fear and apprehension crawled through your rib cage, grasping at your throat in an effort to stop you from saying anything that could invoke that kind of reaction. But weren’t you just saying you weren’t a coward anymore? Steadying yourself, you thought to be straightforward. Rip the bandaid and hope for the best.

“Charlie, I’m checking out of the hotel.”

A few seconds of silence followed. Two sets of eyes stared at each other unblinking, one in uncomfortable surprise and the other in just plain discomfort.

“Ynna, is everything okay? Why would you want to check out?” The princess’ frozen expression quickly turned into soft concern in the way that Charlie, with all her sincere wishes for the happiness of her people, could not help but show. It was so sweet. She was so sweet. Which made your decision feel all the more like the right one. You took one of her pale hands and sandwiched it gently between your own, hoping to give her a bit of comfort and yourself a bit of strength as you answered.

“The truth is, it’s been a while since I’ve truly wanted to go to Heaven. When I first got here, I was just following that commercial, trying to find some way out because even after a few months in Hell, I still couldn’t find the hope to live here. I was scared of everything and fell for every trick. It was miserable. And I was alone.” A crack bubbled up your stinging throat, threatening to break the determination you mined your words with. Despite how often you’d thought of this, it was still difficult to truly express what you felt. “I thought that if I could just get to Heaven, I’ll finally feel like I could live. But then you welcomed me in, gave me a home. I made friends and learned so many things. I even got a job now. It’s been a while since I’ve been scared.” Not even the threat of your soul being torn apart by an Overlord could shake you. 

“I feel like…I feel like I could be happy down here.” For a moment, you paused, wondering if some feeling of doubt and even self-mockery at that thought would come but you only felt that it was true. The previous wish for Heavenly Grace had long been eclipsed by a wish to stay with the loved ones you made down here. And even with your current situation, your heart didn’t feel too discouraged. It still hoped for a better afterlife. That was more than you had when you first stepped foot in the hotel. “With my feelings like that, I thought it wouldn’t be good for me to stay here. I can’t take advantage of your kindness when all I want is to build my life down here.”

Slowly, Charlie’s expression shuttered to muted distraught and helplessness. Her red eyes dulled only to sparkle with unshed tears. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.” You couldn’t help but apologize. You never thought you’d ever feel differently about redemption.

“Oh Ynna, don’t be sorry. I—“ She took her hand back, grabbing you into a hug so tightly it felt like a sweet small punishment for daring to apologize. “I’m honestly happy that you feel that you can be happy in Hell. That's all I want for my people. You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and if you want to stay down here then I think Hell would be all the better for it but…this isn’t about Alastor is it? I know you two haven’t been on good terms for a while. Do you feel like you need to leave because of him?” She pulled away just enough to look into your eyes and you wondered if in those honest depths, which person she would support if the truth of how badly things have become ever came to light. But you wouldn’t make her choose. 

“Nah. I wouldn’t leave this place just because I don’t get along with him. If that were the case, I would have left a long time ago.” As suffocating as things have been, it never crossed your mind to move out whenever you bumped into Alastor. Blocked from redemption by the fact of your acts of cannibalism, that sin was yours to bear. Forced as you were now, it didn’t change the fact that you willingly did it once.

Maybe you’d abandoned Heaven a long time ago after all. “But I’m not gonna lie and say that he’s not a part of the reason but he’s only a little part of it. I really admire your dreams and the effort you put into it everyday. Seeing all of it, I can't help but feel like I’m mooching off of you. So I decided that if I can’t get into Heaven, I can at least not be a burden. No! Even better, I can try to find more people who would be a good fit and send them your way.”

“You’ve never been a burden! Not even once. You respect my dream and that’s enough. And yes, I’m disappointed that you’re leaving. But I—I!” With shaking arms she shook you as if to rid you of those thoughts. When you smiled at her, happy to hear your worth from her own mouth, she returned it with a watery one of her own. Really, she was trying to be so strong but you could see the cracks, the dreamer hiding her wounds to play the role of a friend. The stinging in your throat felt all the more fiery for it.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered what you could before your own tears clouded your vision.

“I just want everyone to be happy. If—if you think you’ll be happy out there then I won’t stop you from leaving even though I’ll be sad and—and…”

“Th—thank you, Charlie.”

[enswap]

Last but not least are the free-flying Crazy:B!

★5 [ Leader of Bees ] Wataru Hibiki ★4 [ Sly Strategist ] Ibara Saegusa ★4 [ Watching Fortunes ] Natsume Saksaki ★4 [ Competition and Sweetness ] Koga Ogami

The rising stars of Cosmic Production, Crazy:B is a passionate party unit led by Wataru Hibiki. They specialize in live shows where they get things hyped with their fans. Their media coverage focuses on jobs that best convey their individual qualities, like participating as guests on variety shows and talk shows, acting as radio personalities, and doing fashion modelling for commercials. They are affiliated with Cosmic Productions.

[ notes under cut ]

YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH TROUBLE WATARU'S HAIR GIVES ME (sobbing)

I actually didn't have trouble finding a card where the hair is similar to what I want this time, but I couldn't find a card where the lighting was similar. Mostly because I couldn't figure out WHAT the lighting was to begin with...

Natsume's hair was also a pain in the ass :,) It was traced from his 2 star LMAO- I had to mess with it so much so that the perspective matched...

and then there's Koga. who has a sprite so similar I almost considered just putting this as his initial

WHY DOES THIS WORK.

Anyways. That's all for CosPro! It'll be a while before RythLink's comes out, but winter break is approaching soon so I might be able to get them done quicker than the previous two!

[energypowersaver]

Free Commercial Lighting Upgrade in NSW

If you are a NSW business owner and you’re looking to improve the efficiency of your lighting, there are a number of government programs available.

The Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) helps to lower energy bills by providing incentives for businesses that install energy-efficient equipment. These financial rewards are given in the form of ESCs (energy savings certificates), which are then sold to an energy retailer. To know more about Commercial Lighting Upgrade, visit the Energy Power Saver website or call 69650912468.

If you’re a NSW business owner, you’re eligible for a free commercial lighting upgrade. The offer is part of the NSW Government’s Energy Saving Scheme (ESS), which cuts electricity and gas use by creating financial incentives for households and businesses.

Upgrading your lights to LED will help you save on your energy bill. You’ll also benefit from better light quality, lower maintenance costs and reduced environmental impact.

LEDs are environmentally friendly and do not contain mercury, like many traditional light sources. This makes them a great choice for any business concerned about their impact on the environment.

If you’re interested in a commercial lighting upgrade, contact the team at Easy Being Green today to request your free assessment. An LED consultant will be in touch within 24 hours to discuss your needs and arrange a time for a visit. We will make sure your new lights are installed properly to ensure they last as long as possible and look their best.

The Energy Savings Scheme is a government incentive program that offers financial incentives to reduce your electricity bill by upgrading to energy efficient equipment. It is designed to help NSW households and businesses cut power usage and protect themselves from rising costs in the future.

If you are an energy consuming small business, you may be eligible for a commercial lighting upgrade under the ESS. Approved suppliers can explain the ESS process and assist you to claim the rebate.

Once a project is completed CRI will create Energy Savings Certificates (ESCs) to register and sell on behalf of the purchaser. These are digital and tradeable certificates which represent 1 tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent of energy savings.

ESCs can be used to offset the cost of the lighting upgrade and are usually included as part of your quote from CRI. This is known as the ESC rebate and will be clearly identified on any quotations that are provided to you prior to the project being completed.

Upgrading to energy-efficient LED lighting is an attractive way to save money on energy bills. However, an upgrade can also represent a significant up-front investment for the business.

Thankfully, government incentives for LED lighting offer businesses and commercial property owners a way to offset these upfront costs while still recognizing energy savings. These programs are typically offered through your utility company, but they are also available directly from the federal, state, and local governments.

These incentives are designed to lower the need for up-front investments and help keep your cash in your business. They can be particularly beneficial for smaller companies or those who have a limited amount of funding for energy efficiency projects. To know more about Commercial Lighting Upgrade, visit the Energy Power Saver website or call 69650912468.

One of the most effective and cost efficient ways for a commercial or industrial facility to save money and reduce emissions is by upgrading to the latest in LED lighting technology. There are several reasons for this, including reduced energy bills, a less cluttered working environment and increased safety for employees and customers alike. Despite the fact that the best lights have been around for the past couple of years, there are still many companies that have yet to take advantage of the opportunity to get their feet wet in the world of green energy. Energy Power Saver is no exception to this, the company has been a trailblazer in helping businesses and the public to make the transition to greener alternatives for the better part of a decade. They have a comprehensive range of LED products to suit the needs of any sized business, with some offerings able to meet the demands of even the largest of agglomerations.

[sophietv]

What are your thoughts on 1975 fans trying to attribute a lot of Easter eggs to Matty in the new video? :( Someone on Twitter put a visual together of all the highlights and it’s so annoying because when it’s laid out like that I see it and I hate that I see it. Just like lighting visuals being very similar, and particular dates being significant to the 1975 and/or Taylor. For example, the July 9th 1:38 people are saying is for Taylor and Matty’s birthdays (the 13th and the 8th). I guess the timeline makes sense because early April when she filmed this video would have been around the time when she was hanging out with him and doing whatever pr nightmare that was…talk me off the ledge pls! Lol.

Hi!

Don't worry, I went and check the threads you were talking about and I'm confident that it's not related or at least not as they think.

The lighting in I Can See You Lyrics Video is the bisexual lighting and fits really well with the theme of the song.

Her comparing being in love with another woman to being a spy and having to navigate cautiously to not be seen.

The spy scene is remisnescent of a commercial she did:

(X)

And what she was trying to protect back then in the briefcase was a microphone you know to "Speak Now" maybe...

The videoclip has a lot of references to Look What You Made Me Do both MV and Eras Tour number, and I think it's very important and meant to point at Karma.

A girl, that is remisnecent of Lizz comes and save her with her beard at the time that shielded her.

All her outfit of her public appearance (X) emprisonned behing glass.

Side note on all of this is reminescent of the Tom Ford commercial Karlie did not long ago

With the lyrics video too:

Her being locked up in a Vault. With an orange door.

And the Eclipsed Sun imagery (do with that that you will ;-) )

Also some Karlie's parallel:

With Long Live lyrics on her arm.

"I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you"

Long Live was written a month after Chely Wright came out. And if you take the time to really look at the lyrics, you see how well this all fits together.

Someone counted all the marks on the wall, and there's 1468 lines/days.

The exact number of days between when her masters got stolen and her releasing Speak Now Taylor's Version (X)

When she's finally free. All the glass closet shatter.

And even more. The building holding her captive explodes once and for all.

The person who help her escape has stars on her right side (Eye theory I'm looking at you)

Stars on the face are there always to depict Taylor Swift TM public personna.

And she's the only one that can actually see Taylor and help her out.

Some say it might be gaylors, who can actually see the real Taylor.

But whoever this person is meant to represent.

She codes...

And has a ring on her right ring finger....

Now the dates:

It's tonight.

Remembre how Taylor said that Speak Now her version would be out on July 7th just in time for July 9th where we would be able to celebrate?

Now the time 1:38. The mission starts at that time. But how much time would it take to get her out? 20 minutes maybe?

Wich leads to: "Lit through the darkness at 1:58" and "That July ninth, the beat of your heart"

Both lyrics from last kiss.

To me it does sound like a rendez-vous. Now the only thing to determine is: is it 1:38 ET or 1:38 Liverpool time wich would be 8:38 ET (just before Taylor goes on stage for the show tonight).

And notice that in the countdown yesterday. Beside the clock in the front, every other clocks pointed to 1:58

And the other date is where it gets really interesting...

I found this last night.

May 22 2020

Here's what happened for Taylor on that date:

And when you type the adress, you are still led to her website with this ULR message:

"they wouldn't me do it Karma" (X)

And yes, I think it is exactly what you think it is...

Remembre how last week right before Karlie posted 6 palm trees (Karma was supposed to be TS 6th album)

The URL on karmaonthewall.com changed for "after Midnights it starts" to "Ready For It"

Suki, Austin and Kristine Karlie's sister also posted palm trees last week....

Here's a post I did about how Ready For It is relevent for all of this (X)

So yeah... everything in that MV is sooo important.

Nothing is related to Matty.

Now we just have to wait and see. And show a lot of support and love for that amazing woman who's been throught so much and deserves the world.

And after this URL change of last night... I think we can safely agree that karmaonthewall.com is really related to Taylor too...

[connectparanormal]

Ghosts in the TV

Ghosts trapped in TVs sound like urban legends, horror movies, or campfire stories. It has an uncanny, symbolic weight that speaks to the weird junction of technology and the supernatural. The ghostly silhouettes on flickering displays symbolize human fears of forgetfulness, loss of individuality, and stagnation. The picture of a ghost caught behind the glass, recreating its life on a loop, is unsettling not only because of its otherworldly character but also because it reflects how we might become trapped in cycles, staring hopelessly at luminous displays. Unlike eerie houses or moonlit corridors, TV ghosts defy expectations. A cathode ray or LED display imprisons these spirits in an artificial afterlife. Their voices become static hiss, their features fade into pixelated bits, and their motions are unpredictable, as if they are fighting their high-tech imprisonment. The idea of a soul, once free to roam the hereafter, now tied to a machine's cold, unfeeling circuitry, is unnerving. It is an organic-synthetic collision that reminds us that technology cannot escape human mortality.

The complex interaction between memory and media typically links these ghosts. Televisions tell stories and capture moments in time. They store human experience and replay it forever. A desperate, lingering spirit might grab onto such a technology, latching onto an image or voice that reminds it of its lost life. Some believe these ghosts are echoes, broken memories imprinted on previous broadcasts' electromagnetic waves—faint remains of a person's energy that refuse to disappear. Others hold the belief that the technological brilliance has lost these individuals, confusing their spirits and preventing them from reaching the afterworld. The way these ghosts appear is frightening. Television ghosts are distorted images and sounds, not chilly drafts or ghostly whispering. They could appear as a flickering screen, a fleeting face emerging from the static, or a faint voice piercing through a program never intended for it. They sometimes distort programming by bending graphics into strange forms or adding their own messages. A comedic laugh track may turn into guttural sobbing, or a joyful commercial may end in a mournful cry for aid. These brief incursions, frequently dismissed as illusions, leave an indelible mark on people who encounter them. Ghosts on TVs tap into a deeper fear of technology. Television provides a gateway to other lives and worlds, not just amusement. It engulfs us in its light and feeds us sights and noises that shape our reality. To think that this gateway may work both ways—that something from the other side could stare through the screen or enter our reality—is fascinating and horrifying.  It makes us wonder if we're alone in front of our TVs or if something is observing us through the glass. However, these ghosts' condition is not solely terrifying. Their existence is gloomy, full of longing and sorrow. In a medium meant to entertain and inform, they become fragments of themselves, unable to move on or communicate with the living. They are neither here nor there, just acknowledged in ephemeral moments of disquiet or interest. They seem like beings in need of compassion, spirits seeking escape from electronic torment. Ghosts on TVs blur the barrier between the supernatural and the technological, prompting us to examine our relationship with our devices. It makes us wonder what we leave behind in the digital world and in the equipment we use daily. Do we run the risk of transforming into ghosts, fragmented into data and pictures, replicated but never truly alive? Is this just another narrative about our dread of the unknown put onto the cold, glaring screens we can't live without? Ultimately, a TV ghost is a representation of both humanity and the supernatural. It expresses our worries, obsessions, and need for connection beyond death. These ghosts, in all their terrifying forms, remind us of memory's fragility and our efforts to retain it. They may warn us against losing ourselves in technology, but they also offer hope that life may survive in the most improbable settings. These ghosts, real or imagined, remind us to be human beyond the screen.

[prismravine]

1. weezer - hash pipe

2. eagle-eye cherry - save tonight

3. brand new - the quiet things that no one ever knows

4. the smashing pumpkins - disarm

5. lorde - green light

6. led zeppelin - over the hills and far away

7. sugarcult - riot

8. lil peep - nose ring

9. jay-z & linkin park - numb / encore

10. the smiths - pretty girls make graves

11. have mercy - i’m gonna be ok

12. jimmy eat world - 23

13. taking back sunday - this is all now

14. free throw - two beers in

15. jimmy eat world - a praise chorus

16. the used - pinky swear

17. tame impala - new person, same old mistakes

18. real friends - short song

19. circa survive - the most dangerous commercials

20. yellowcard - only one

21. armani white - billie eilish.

22. red hot chili peppers - snow

23. movements - panic

24. blink 182 - after midnight

25. juice wrld - in my head

26. semisonic - closing time