#gt july opulence

[awkwardgtace]

City of Opulence

day 11 opulence. I might get something out tomorrow, but it's unlikely. we might pick up day 12 in a weeks or so.

Felix is desperate to atone for the sins the former god of prosperity committed.

City of Opulence

Felix did his best to atone for the sins of his predecessor. He was uniquely aware of them in comparison to the others. His room hadn’t moved or become fit for him when he arrived. He had to fix it himself and when he did he found the old god’s trophies. Golden statues had been hidden all over. They were shaped to look like a variety of mortals. All stuck in moments of terror.

He tried to send them away, but it didn’t work. The truth of that made him sick. Those statues were, at least at one point, the very mortals they looked like. Felix decided to show them a respect his predecessor did not. Cleaned each and every one of the former mortals. The god before him was a slob. 

That hadn’t been enough for him. He sought out a place in the mortal realm. One that gave a lot of open space, away from the societies of the world. Felix carefully crafted a shrine. Piece by piece. 

The floor first, crafted out of the finest material he could make. Soft to the touch, but sturdy all the same. The walls were made of a stone so dense only he could move it. He included windows made of transparent gemstones. It took a lot of time to get them just right. He wanted to make sure the light would glitter and make the ones who suffered shine.

Felix placed each of the mortal turned statues in the shrine he crafted. A spot made for each that would keep them stable. Nothing would ever cause these former mortals to break. He’d guarantee they stayed whole.

Once the last of the statues was in place he had to make the roof. It took time to decide on the right material. Something dense, to protect them from any weather. Sturdy enough that it would never fail them. Light enough that if something went wrong it wouldn’t hurt them. As he considered his options something started to take shape. Before long a solid roof was in place on the small shrine he made. A material he’d never seen before. It was exactly what he pictured. He called it mortalis.

For more than a century the shrine was all that existed in his corner of the mortal realm. A place where he visited on occasion to pay his respects. An attempt to offer apologies for how someone of his domain caused pain. He thought that was all it would ever be. Until the first time he heard a mortal’s prayers echo in his head.

“Help, please help! This can’t be how prosperity is granted!” the voice screamed.

Felix blinked and he was moved. Another spot in the mortal world. The prayer to him was louder. He often avoided mortals directly. The sins of his domain left him reluctant. Delphia gave him at least a bit of confidence. Enough that when he found the crowd of humans he grew curious.

It took more effort than he expected to get close enough to see them clearly. The houses felt much smaller than he’d expected. He worried he’d break one, at least he could fix it. Once close enough he could see a single human woman trapped in the center. A pose that reminded him of the golden statues.

She screamed as one of the others approached. The staff the other held caught his attention. A magic that made him shudder bled from it. Gems formed an eerie glow. Red despite the prevalence of jade. The woman fought against restraints. 

At first, Felix planned to back away. It was better not to interfere with mortals. It could cause too much of a problem in the long run. Make the mortals suffer for things outside their control. Then the staff touched the woman’s leg. The same gold of the statues fed into her skin.

“Please! Let me go!” she begged.

Felix’s mind went blank as he acted. The crowd of humans shouted when his shadow covered them. He didn’t care. His fingers easily pushed the staff away from the woman. The force cracked the gems, the magic dissipated instantly. Prayers hit his mind again. The woman’s were the clearest despite the voices of the crowd coming through. She begged him to spare her.

“What are you doing?!” he growled. The prayers stopped. The one with the staff stepped forward. Felix wrapped his hand around the woman. Lifted her off the ground. She didn’t fight him, it was like Delphia. The little gem had been too afraid to speak her mind at first.

“L-Lord of prosperity,” the staff wielder said. “W-we have struggled and intended an offering for your blessing. H-have we chosen p-poorly?”

Felix narrowed his eyes. Stood to his full height. A part of him wondered if the mortals ever noticed the gods had changed. That they were no longer the ones who enjoyed acts of cruelty. These ones didn’t. Rhys had mentioned worshippers of his own hadn’t either.

“Actions like this won’t grant you my favor,” he said. He made a point to speak loudly. Pressure that the god of prosperity had turned against pain for profit. “Causing pain would more likely grant you my ire.”

Felix left before another could speak. He took a deep breath as he appeared back near the shrine. Near the proof of sins done in the name of his domain. He sat down next to it before he brought the woman up to his face. Carefully moved his fingers to see her clearly.

Brown hair, dark skin, and a leg made of gold. Felix brought a finger close and touched it. The same magic he didn’t understand. It made his eyes burn. Another suffered because of a past he had no control over. An innocent hurt in his name.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. The woman moved. Pulled herself from the tip of his finger against her leg. Her small hands felt a bit cold. Not how a mortal’s skin should feel. He knew that, even Delphia was too cold. “I should have acted faster after I arrived.”

“What are you going to do to me?” the woman asked. Her voice cracked. Felix closed his eyes. The burn in them grew stronger. Too strong to fight back. A tear fell free. He managed to catch it before it left his skin to form a gem.

“I’ll give you a home here, a place safe from the eyes of others. You’ll want for nothing, but you're free to leave at any time.” He opened his eyes, put his finger on her leg again. “I don’t have a solution for your leg, but I’ll make sure it never causes you pain.”

“I-it’s true isn’t it?” Her hands touched his finger. “The gods did change. I-I was right to beg for your help.”

“It’s true, under my protection you will be safe.”

“Thank you.”

The woman started to cry. She buried her face into Felix’s finger. At first he froze, but knew she needed comfort. More than what he could give the way they sat. He pulled his finger free. She rubbed at her eyes, but he quickly pulled her to his chest. Held her over his heart. The little gem was comforted like this, he could only hope it worked with others.

As she cried he focused on her. Tried to understand the woman in his hand. Started to form a home in his mind. It had to be easy for her to move around in. She might need a wheelchair. He had no way to know if she could walk with a leg of gold. Anything she could need had to exist. The same things he did for the little gem with Rhys.

The house formed. The same materials used for the floor, walls, and roof as the shrine. The windows were designed after the stained glass art he’d learned about in the last few decades. Big enough for her to have all the space she needed. The woman shifted as the house completed. Her golden leg filled his mind. He gasped when the final product sat in front of him. It had an exterior of glittering gold.

“I’ll have to remake that,” he whispered. The woman struggled in his hold. He curled his fingers over her, she was shorter than Delphia. Less than half the height of his smallest finger. He put his hand on the ground and slid the woman off. “My mind shifted as it formed, the gold wasn’t intended.”

“Is this for me?” she asked. Felix offered her a soft smile.

“A home that will leave you needing nothing. You’ve been cursed because of me. I will care for you all of your life.”

“It’s… beautiful.”

The woman climbed to her feet. Limped forward, the gold wasn’t as heavy as it could have been then. He waved his hand for a wheelchair to appear in front of her. She looked up at him with a smile he didn’t expect. Appreciative and warm. She’d never struggle in her life after what she’d been through. Felix would protect anyone hurt in his name.

That creed stuck with him. More prayers came that begged for help. Mortals of all kinds had this belief that one turned to gold would give them his blessing. Elves, dwarves, giants, fae, and more. At every ritual he found he destroyed the magic they tried to use. Warned that another attempt would cause his ire. Then take the victim away. He brought each to the same spot as the shrine and the woman. What had once been a solitary sign of past sins, grew to a city of his atonement.

As time passed the prayers slowed down. The mortals started to show their age. A part of him was afraid of the day they’d be gone, but the community continued to grow. The mortals formed families. His visits almost always included someone asking him to bless their relationship or introducing a child. 

Each year, when he would spend a day focused on the shrine, they did too. Offerings to those trapped by a spell he didn’t understand. The ones who knew magic would try to break it. He knew it wouldn’t work, but appreciated the attempt. A god’s magic could only be broken by someone just as powerful.

Every attempt made him consider asking one of the others for help. Lord Life had enough power and knowledge to help. It was something he couldn’t bring himself to reveal. The past sins would be easier than his new ones. Lord Life and Lady Death always pushed them to avoid interfering with mortals. He’d gone against their wishes. One year the choice to bring it up was taken from him.

“Felix,” Lord Life said as he returned from a shrine visit. It had been longer that year. More attempts were made. “I have something I think you could use.”

“Oh? What would that be?” he asked. Lord Life held out a bottle of a bronze liquid. An eye dropper on the tip. It was carefully placed in Felix’s cupped hands.

“This should reverse that gold spell from the old prosperity. It’ll be easy to make more if you run out of this batch.”

Felix nearly dropped it. The solution to his problem was dropped into his hands without any effort from him. Before he knew what he was doing, his arms had wrapped around Lord Life. It was still hard to believe that acting familiar was something the powerful god wanted. Yet arms surrounded him, hugged him back.

“Thank you Vitus,” Felix whispered. A hand was placed on his head.

“Sorry it took so long. I don’t think I could have made it sooner even if I’d known longer,” Lord Vitus said. Felix swallowed a million questions. Called up his door and disappeared before anything more could be said. They could talk later.

He arrived in the city late in the day. For the first time he saw the aftermath of his shrine visit. A more somber feeling sat among the people out in the open. A pain that looked to mirror his own. Those whose attempts failed were being comforted, this wouldn’t happen any longer.

“We’ll do it next year and make him smile,” one said. He stepped closer and took a seat before he became visible.  

“There’s a chance there won’t be a visit next year,” he said. The others were shocked, but only one approached him. The same woman he’d first saved. Her hair had grayed and her skin was wrinkled. Her leg stayed a solid golden reflection of her age at the time

“Lord Felix, what do you mean?” she asked. He carefully pulled the roof of the shrine off. Set it down away from the city and placed the bottle Lord Vitus gave him next to himself.

“I’ve been given something that should help, a gift from another god.”

“I thought you kept this a secret from them!?” Fear in her voice, a fear he might have placed.

“They learned of the past, they offered help. I’m going to try it.”

She nodded. The others of the city gathered around him. For once it scared him. This could kill the ones he tried to set free, but it could save them too. Give them back the life that they never should have lost. He grabbed a giant first, they looked like a doll in his hand. He grabbed the eyedropper from the bottle, careful not to let the solution fall.

With a small prayer to Lord Life that it would work, he dropped it on the giant in his hand. After a few seconds he could feel something about them. Something alive. As he felt more, he started to form a home in the city for them. One that matched the time they’d left and offered entrance into the modern times. 

The giant’s look of fear became one of shock. They took in a series of deep breaths. Felix set them down near the house he’d made for them. Other giants approached them to help. He moved on to another. Continued the process with each of the statues from the shrine.

It took days to finish. He worked without pause. Each was given a house suited to them. Just as he did with the others he’d saved. The denizens of the city took shifts to help those who only just woke up. The golden city he’d made tripled in size.

By the time he finished there was none of the solution left. Those only partly gold would need to wait. The dozens of mortals turned into trophies were gone. Alive. Tears fell from his eyes, gems filled his hands as they landed. The sins were finally gone.

“Lord Felix,” the first woman said.

“Yes?” he asked. His voice was thick, he couldn’t stop his tears.

“Could you fix the shrine?” He nodded, but didn’t move right away.

“Is there a reason?”

“It’s the first thing you made for mortals, isn’t it? I think it’s a good idea to use as our shrine to you. It started our city.”

More tears fell, but Felix did as he was asked. So long ago he made something in a poor attempt to atone. Sins of his domain were finally undone. A city of gold formed from it. A place of opulence that he’d continue to care for until the mortals left it. Golden curse or not, they were under his care and he’d prove the faith they placed in him was earned.

[kaiju-wolfdragon]

Gt July day 11: opulence

[blametheeditor]

Day 11 | Opulence

Gt July Prompt List

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When stranded on an uncharted underwater planet, alone and surrounded by hostile lifeforms, there are only two possible outcomes: adapt and survive, or die trying.

Spoilers: For the game Subnautica

Content Warnings: Mentions of death and violence. Mentions of threats and the intent to kill. Mentions of drowning and suffocation. Near death experience. Referring to someone as 'it'. Mentions of dehumanization, experimenting on people, being held against someone's will. Peril.

________________________

The thing about ghost leviathans is the fact they're naturally independent and territorial of their space. 

The thing about Vincent is how loyal and protective he is above all else. 

Can you see where there might be a contradiction somewhere?

Now don’t get him wrong, he genuinely enjoys having his own space. There’s a reason why he’s the only ghost and leviathan who has claimed the blood kelp island as their territory. The biome that’s purposefully the farthest away from a certain leviathan he couldn’t handle getting a visit from almost every single day. 

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t genuinely enjoy the presence of others. He makes semi-frequent trips around the crater to see how the guppy’s he’s watched grow up are doing. Gives surprise visits to remind everyone who the strongest is and make sure no one’s stupid enough to challenge someone to the death, and that happens more often than you’d think, much to his disappointment. 

It’s quite a balancing act, however. Because on one hand, Vincent is content to swim deeper than the sunlight can reach without worrying about someone bugging him. On the other, he slowly starts loosing his mind not knowing if he’s missing something important. Creatures from the sky start a mass extinction once and it’s all he worries about for the rest of his life. 

However, it has been a while since he’s made his rounds. Left the opulence of his little corner. Patrolled to see if any of the glowing green buildings activated. Annoyed a few leviathans that are always entertaining. 

Found a burning ship symbolizing it was going to start all over again. 

Vincent stops breathing when he realizes what exactly he’s looking at. That he wasn’t mistaken the water is murkier than the last time he visited. The dunes always tend to be sparse, but not so much there’s not a single coral in sight. And metal isn’t supposed to be the first thing he sees. 

Panic erupts as he darts forward to try and find a reaper. Wanting to headbutt each and every one of them not telling him while also hoping they’re all okay. Especially when it becomes apparent just how massive the entire thing is. There’s no telling who it could’ve killed purely on accident, and what it has in store for those who are purposefully hunted down. 

After taking a survey of when this happened to what’s been encountered, and rams into a few reapers in the attempt to knock some sense into them after they claim it’s ‘not a big deal’, Vincent’s terror turns into relief. Because nothing out of the ordinary has been seen except for the parts scattered along the seafloor. And after careful examination, it looks like the ship crashed rather then landed, leaving a majority of the weapons unusable. 

That is, until he does a headcount. Out of the 10 reapers that have claimed these destroyed dunes, only 9 are accounted for. 

His entire body down to the tip of his tail tenses at the realization someone’s missing. It’s been 30 days, the ship nothing but a pile of metal, and someone has already been taken. And there’s no telling what their fate might be. It could’ve been a merciful death where they didn’t know what was happening. They could be trapped in a cell much too small and much too warm. 

They could be getting tortured, needles piercing their skin as their body is permanently altered, experiencing the most excruciating pain they could’ve ever imagined. 

“Who?” Vincent pleads before anger starts to take over as he visibly begins to tremble. ”Who is missing?” 

David.

With a roar that sends everyone scattering, he whips around toward the self-centered reaper’s territory with one thought, and one thought only. That being to find whatever did this and rip it to shreds. 

He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, but he doesn’t need to. The one thing he can always rely on is finding something that doesn’t belong and start from there. Where there’s something artificial, the creator won’t be far away. 

It’s a long process of meticulously combing every inch of the trench, he swims closer to the surface to continue searching the shallows, hatred spurring him on even as his limbs grow tired and his energy wanes. He won’t eat or rest until he’s guaranteed everyone’s safety. If he stops at any point, that’s more time to let those monsters take another leviathan. 

His diligence pays off. After slowly but steadily getting closer to the surface as the seafloor gradually slopped upwards, he spots a shadow cast by the afternoon sun that clearly doesn’t belong. Looks up to see something floating on the water. And beneath it sits a fully functional ship, albeit smaller than the one that destroyed the dunes, but size doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of killing or sedating its target. 

He found it. 

Vincent carefully approaches the two metal objects, not daring to touch them in case they activate. Instead he looks around to see if there’s any structures built into the ground, or a vent leading to something underground. When he doesn’t see anything, not even the remains of a reaper, he carefully swims deeper into the shallows. 

Come out, come out wherever you are.

It’s almost eerily silent as he glides through the water. Not even the peepers squeak when he gets too close to one. As if they know he’s here to take care of a disease. 

And then he sees something as bright as blood kelp moving among the rocks. Slowly turns as he keeps the extensions on his back from bumping into coral. Watches the color disappear before reappearing as it swims out into the open. 

It’s a human. Which means it is happening again, and David was the first victim. 

He was too late. 

Vincent roars as he coils up. Sees the expression of pure terror as he lunges himself toward it. 

He misses a fatal bite. But with it being so close to the rock, he rams directly into it, sending debris showering down. If it didn’t get squashed by him, it might’ve gotten crushed by its own shelter. 

A high-pitched shriek tells him otherwise. Vincent pushes himself away in order to circle around and ram into the rock again with a roar. Watches as coral falls to the seabed, fish scatter in all directions, dust bellowing as everything begins to crumble. 

“Wait, please!” 

Rage rises up like a tide at a plea its victim would’ve screamed as well. One he knows wasn’t listened to, and he won’t either. Vincent roars again as he dives down at an angle, the extensions on his back digging into the rock as he passes. 

The sound of a mechanical hum tells him it escaped the collapsing spire of rock. And when he turns, he sees it completely out in the open, swimming as quickly as it can as close to the seafloor as possible. 

Unhinging his jaw, Vincent dives after it. 

“David!” 

Vincent reacts like he’s been electrocuted, stopping himself short despite having a clear shot to kill it. Unable to do anything except stare in disbelief as it darts into another opening in a rock that will be much harder to destroy. 

It doesn’t matter it’s escaped. What matters is that there is no possible way the human just spoke leviathan. And not just any leviathan, the name of the one who’s missing. The one it killed. 

“David?” Vincent demands. 

As if on que, the roar of a reaper is heard in the distance. He might not be able to spot them, but he knows they can see him. And when they finally get close enough for him to get a good look, all he can do is stare as David races toward him. 

“Don’t eat him!” 

“Him!” Vincent snaps, pissed at that being the first thing said. “What are you doing with a human!” 

“None of your business!” 

The ghost leviathan roars as he launches himself at David, unable to appreciate the genuine fear in the reaper’s eyes, just glad a side-effect were the mandibles snapping back so he has the perfect opportunity to headbutt barely gentle enough to not be fatal. 

“It is my business when I thought you were dead!” Vincent shouts as the other leviathan gasps in pain, hands massaging his forehead. “What the fuck were you thinking!” 

David hisses through his teeth in a plea to be given a moment. And as Vincent’s own adrenalin begins to fade, he gives the reaper some space. Glares to state he will be given answers but he’ll be patient. 

“Did you really need to headbutt me?” 

“I did. Considering you thought it’d be a great idea to befriend a human.” 

“I’m watching him,” David grumbles. With one last ginger touch on his head, the reaper gives a glare of his own. “And I’ll have you know I tried to kill him several times. But he survived every one, so now I keep an eye on him to make sure he’s not going to start killing leviathans.” 

Vincent stares. “Do I mean nothing to you?” 

“Absolutely nothing,” David smirks. “Besides, he’s too stupid for his own good. He’s basically harmless.” 

The ghost leviathan is unable to fully process what is being said. Because the word human and harmless can’t exist in the same sentence. And there’s the sheer audacity of someone saying something like that to his face. Someone who’s entire body is a deep purple, even the parts of his tail meant to be translucent have the distinct hue due to experiencing firsthand the cruelty humans possess. 

He should’ve let David get eaten by a stalker when he was a guppy. 

The reaper suddenly gestures toward something behind him. It’s the look of amusement that has Vincent slowly turning rather than attempting to dodge an attack. 

The human stares up at them with a distinct expression of concern. But the thing that has all 12 of his eyes widen is the fact it swam closer, even though it left them completely vulnerable. A coral tube that can easily be smashed being used for cover. 

“Are you okay?” it squeaks, and Vincent sends a look when he hears the human speak not only its own language, but leviathan as well. 

David waves him off. “I’m fine, ‘Fritz’.” 

As upset as he is about the fact David is acting so flippant about the countless lives at stake, never did he think someone like the reaper would ever speak human. Forgetting the fact there wouldn’t be a reason to, he thought pride would be the biggest hurdle. The second would be the fact it’s painful to mimic. 

Vincent would know. He thought pleas for mercy using words they understand would’ve worked far better than incomprehensible wails. 

He had been wrong. 

“You’re not killing him.” 

David stares at him intently. And with it being a statement rather than a question, it’s a guarantee the reaper will fight him in order to protect the miniscule creature. 

A smile stretches across Vincent’s face at the realization David’s attached. “I’m assuming ‘Fritz’ is his name.” 

The reaper sputters. “How did you get it on the first try!” 

“It’s almost like I’ve met one before,” the ghost deadpans. He ignores the growl to look back down at the human seeming to be absolutely ecstatic. Becomes excited when it’s realized Vincent’s watching. 

Proceeds to gesture toward himself, David, and then Vincent. “Fritz, David...” 

Now he’s starting to see why the reaper adopted him. “Vincent.” 

Fritz’s eyes grow wide. Starts to quietly murmur. “In...Inen...Vin...Vinen?” 

Alright, he can stay for now. The ghost will be watching for a bit, though. Make sure David isn’t being an idiot and missing the fact a weapon or cell is secretly getting built. 

Slowly as to not spook David, he coils himself up as he sinks down to the seabed, sneering when the reaper is unable to lie close to him. Not with the wings on his back posing a risk of hitting a vulnerable head with a well placed turn. 

“Vin-cent,” he repeats slowly. 

“Vincent!” 

“Great, he got your name,” David growls. “Time for you to go.” 

The ghost hums. “No, I think I’ll stay.” 

“You are not-” 

The protest is cut off by Fritz disappearing into the coral, swimming back into view with a peeper, boomerang, and a piece of quartz in hand. The human looks hopeful as he tosses the rock toward David, followed by the peeper. The second fish is offered to Vincent. 

It takes a moment to understand what he’s seeing. When he does, the ghost leviathan laughs. “Have you been living in luxury this entire time?” 

“Shut up.” 

“Oh I am definitely staying. Need to make sure he’s not bribing you with peepers and rocks,” Vincent grins, surprised with himself for not automatically assuming the worse. He’s simply enjoying the fact he has numerous things to hold over David’s head whenever to use for whatever he wants. 

He doesn’t fully trust the human. But he will take advantage of this rare opportunity until it’s proven this is all a rouse. 

“I don't keep the rocks!” 

[firenze11]

GT July 2024 - 11 Opulence

Drew gawked at the wealth at this party. Up on Sage’s shoulder, he could see it all. Everything seemed made from auric gold, stellar silver, or etheric steel, all echo conductors. There were also echo-storing gemstones and crystals just sitting around. Knowing Annabelle’s parents, they were stuffed full of echoes.

“Why would you even need all this?” Sage muttered.

“To decorate?” Drew shrugged.

Sage grinned.

“Oh. My. Lord. Aren’t you just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

Drew stiffened. He was not fond of Annabelle.

Sage turned to face her.

Annabelle McCormack was a dragon and currently in her hybrid form which was giant-sized and mashed her reptilian and humanoid forms together. Her skin was green scales that had been polished to shine like tiny stones. She was the same age as Sage and Drew and was around the same height as Sage, eleven or twelve feet tall.

Drew was a gnome. He’d just gotten over a foot tall a year ago.

“Annabelle,” Sage greeted her.

Drew gave a little wave.

“Thank you so much for coming!” Annabelle reached out, grabbed Sage’s arm, and pulled him close. She’d grabbed the one that was attached to the shoulder Drew was on, so now he was stuck between the two.

“Let me show you my hoard.”

Drew sidled closer to Sage’s head to get away from Annabelle. Why had they ever accepted her invitation?

“Right,” Sage muttered, and Annabelle dragged them off into the depths of her lair.

---

An excellent question Drew. An excellent question.

Another excellent question: When in Sage and Drew's new timeline does this happen?

You'll all find out eventually. :D

Check out the prompt list here: https://www.tumblr.com/gianttol/751027101880270848/gt-july-2024-prompt-list?source=share

[neonthewrite]

Peter the Photographer

It's the last day of GT July! The prompt this time is a free space, and with so much freedom I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I decided on a project I've had knocking around in various forms for years now - this is still probably not the final Vibe I'll want for Peter and his sordid adventures, but it's always been intended as a bit of a departure from my usual. Here there be more monstrous giants, ones that earn the fear aimed their way (in other words - they are being violent in this story, so please keep that in mind if you decide to read past the cut; nothing too graphic, but the implications are all there).

~~~

Peter hid under the table. Not two seconds later, something crashed to the floor in another room. Everything shook as the destruction raged outside. Screams and roars and breaking glass filled the air with sounds of terror. Peter shut his eyes tight and tried to block it out. To hide away until the monsters rampaging over the marina moved on or grew bored.

His camera hung against his chest, a heavy, accusatory weight. He was supposed to be on the front line of any story, documenting it for all to benefit. What if he could catch something important? What he held the last chance at recording exactly what happened here, what had driven the buildings into the ground and destroyed what had once been a huge, bustling port? What if he found some sign of what to do, maybe some weakness in the armor of their sudden enemy?

What if he died trying?

Peter cringed as the house shook again. It was a simple beach hut, meant to stand as an example of the opulent vacation homes available from the brand. It wouldn’t stand up to any kind of attack if the giants turned their rage upon it.

He could die crushed under the rubble, with an empty data card, or he could die having saved a small glimpse of the horror that had befallen the tense attempt at diplomacy on the beach that day. Peter didn’t want to think too hard about his odds. They weren’t good no matter what he did, but one thing still nagged at him: no one had seen this coming, and no one else would see it coming again if he didn’t do something about it.

Peter swallowed a noise of fear and crawled out from under the table. Something outside cracked and snapped, and someone cried out, a noise that definitely hadn’t come naturally to them and that cut short soon after. Peter’s heart pounded, but he didn’t let the ghastly sounds stop him. He stumbled for the door, barely keeping both legs under him, and lurched outside into the mess.

The main shipyard warehouse was demolished completely and the shops on the main street had all been dismantled from the front, their facades pulled down like the flimsy lid of a wooden crate and crumbled across the dust-coated street. Debris floated in the choppy waves, and Peter snapped a photo of a car in midair after one of the giants tossed it.

The car landed somewhere out of sight on street further inland, a screech of metal and glass suggesting it had landed on another car. Peter turned away from the inland roads and faced the beach instead, once an idyllic little stretch of sand that now stood ravaged and littered with metal and wood and … 

Peter’s hand shook as he snapped another photo, this one of the fallen body of one of the workers from the warehouse. A footprint surrounded the body in the sand, framing the grisly state of it. He didn’t want to linger too long or think about the words to describe what fate had befallen the poor man, so he hoped his quick photo would do it justice.

People were still running around the harbor, true panic leaving them directionless while the enormous beings, so humanoid and so ruthless, stomped out buildings and structures and people alike. Peter snapped a photo of a pair of boots crushing down on a bakery at the end of the lane, a tandem effort from two different giants.

The third giant stood out in the water, deep enough to obscure his boots but not much more. He’d already destroyed all the piers, and held a mid sized sail boat in his hands, turning it over curiously. Peter raised his camera in time for the giant to snatch someone out of the cabin, dragging them roughly into the open before tossing their boat aside.

He caught an image of the giant holding the hapless boat owner up to his face. Then, with a disdainful scoff, the giant hurled the man further out into the water, well past any debris but far enough that Peter despaired about that man being able to swim safely back to shore, if he managed to land safely and stay conscious after such a fall.

The more photos Peter managed to take, the more he despaired about any help coming. The harbor wasn’t the busiest part of town, but it wasn’t sparse, either. A lot of people had been hurt or killed in the destruction, and the giants didn’t seem content to stop until they’d flattened the harbor.

As he filled up his camera’s memory with image after image of the carnage, Peter realized he was running out of hiding places. He and the few others still managing to avoid direct attention had less and less room behind crumbling walls and piles of debris that used to be buildings or cars.

It was time to move inland and hope there might be some help there.

[rakeshreddym]

07/07/2020 News Alerts about Cars Industry

2020 Audi RS7 Sportback set for July 16 launch

NEW DELHI: The highly anticipated Audi RS7 Sportback is set to hit the streets on July 16 2020. The Audi RS7 Sportback marks the model’s second generation and is claimed to deliver improved performance and efficiency.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/auto/cars/2020-audi-rs7-sportback-set-for-july-16-launch/articleshow/76815466.cms

Audi India head says luxury cars may benefit from the absence of luxury holidays

COVID-19 has delivered a body blow to the automotive industry and more so to the luxury car market that could face a fall in demand because of possible austerity measures by potential customers. However, India’s third largest luxury carmaker Audi believes that digital outreach and absence of options like a luxury holiday will reroute buyers to the luxury car industry.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/auto/audi-india-head-says-luxury-cars-may-benefit-from-the-absence-of-luxury-holidays-5510631.html

Fitch Expects to Rate BMW Vehicle Owner Trust 2020-A; Issues Presale

Fitch Ratings – New York – 06 Jul 2020: Fitch Ratings expects to rate the class A notes to be issued by BMW Vehicle Owner Trust 2020-A (BMWOT 2020-A). The social and market disruption caused by the coronavirus and related containment measures have negatively impacted the U.S. economy.

Source: https://www.fitchratings.com/research/structured-finance/fitch-expects-to-rate-bmw-vehicle-owner-trust-2020-a-issues-presale-06-07-2020

Lamborghini India restarts dealership operations on June 8

New Delhi: Italian super sports carmaker Lamborghini India announced on Monday the resumption of business operations across its dealerships and workshops in India.

Sharad Agarwal, Head, Automobili Lamborghini India said, “We are happy to announce the reopening of our Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru dealerships, keeping to the utmost stringent and government approved guidelines and measures.”

Source: https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/passenger-vehicle/cars/lamborghini-india-restarts-dealership-operations-on-june-8/76261220

Formula 1 2020, Austrian GP: Lando Norris’ solid performance to Ferrari‘s struggle, talking points from race

There were several narratives in play through the 71 laps of Austrian GP, especially for drivers chasing victory, we bring you the biggest talking points from the race

Source: https://www.firstpost.com/sports/formula-1-2020-austrian-gp-lando-norris-solid-performance-to-ferraris-struggle-talking-points-from-race-8562121.html

Jaguar XJS V12 Gets Modernized Rendering, Looks Better Than F-Type

Jaguars are among the coolest cars on earth, yet they are somehow so unloved that the manufacturer has been forced into a life of servitude to the soccer mom crossover. Sure, the F-Type is still an awesome fire-breathing V8 sports car, and we give thanks for that. But have you ever spent more than a moment thinking about the XJ?

Source: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/jaguar-xjs-v12-gets-modernized-rendering-looks-better-than-f-type-145713.html

The New Mercedes-Benz GLE LWB & GLS; experience inner strength in the true sense of it

Mercedes-Benz is synonymous worldwide with three words: opulence, elegance, and aspiration. Owners of this exclusive brand know that there are hardly any other vehicles that exude style in a way that a Mercedes does. And now, you have to add one more word to the list: strength.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/brandhub/the-new-mercedes-benz-gle-lwb-gls-experience-inner-strength-in-the-true-sense-of-it/article32004241.ece

Take a peek at the new Porsche Cayenne models

A first look at the 2021 Porsche Cayenne GTS and GTS Coupe

Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/take-a-peek-at-the-new-porsche-cayenne-models-2020-07-06

This Twin-Turbo Corvette C8 Has Bugatti Power

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 delivers some of the best bang for buck on the market. Recently, we saw just how quick a stock C8 is when it posted some insane quarter-mile times. Of course, when it comes to speed and power, there is almost always room for improvement, which is why Late Model Racecraft saw fit to add not one, but two, turbochargers to the Corvette’s 6.2-liter V8, which already produced 490 horsepower on its own.

Source: https://carbuzz.com/news/this-twin-turbo-corvette-c8-has-bugatti-power

= 07/07/2020 News Alerts about Cars Industry