#i did use to be the lead of a tool department after all

[djeterg19]

Went and built a bookcase just now and my one take away was I wonder if there are racheting Allen wrenches

[bunni-v1]

Aventurine Relationship Headcannons

🍓Hello gang! I've decided to write for Aven next, because he is literally my pretty princess. I really hope you like them... I did my best and he means a lot to me. I feel like a rat rummaging through trash posting this, so I do hope you enjoy for my sake.

TW: Aventurine has very unhealthy coping mechanisms; Aventurine exhibits manipulative behaviors

Info: Aventurine x Reader; Gn!Reader; Angst; Fluff

-Ah, Mr. Aventurine. Senior manager of the IPC Strategic Investment Department. One of the Ten Stonehearts. Luckiest man alive. Ruthless gambler. That’s a lot of titles for one guy.

-You’d think someone as important as him wouldn’t have the time to fall in love, and he wouldn’t argue with you if you said that. He was a very busy person, after all, and he had so many important things to do.

-Love was a ploy made to waste your time and energy – a marketing scheme for hopeless romantics and saps, a gamble not worth taking nine times out of ten. Aventurine wasn’t stupid enough to invest in such a hopeless concept, not with the life he leads.

-Maybe if things had played out differently. If life was simpler and happier he could see a younger version of himself falling fool to the wonders of affection and sweet words. 

-Unfortunately, he was not that imaginary boy. He was Aventurine of the IPC, and his time was money that he couldn’t waste on frivolous things like love.

-Affections and gifts were tools of manipulation to be used to gain what you wanted. A pretty smile, a few honeyed words, and an expensive set of earrings were nothing more than tactics to further whatever plan he’s cooked up for the week.

-That’s just how the world was. Cold and uncaring, who was he to deny the natural processes of his business line?

-So, no, Aventurine was not interested in romance.

-...Kakavasha though… Kakavasha was still that little starry-eyed boy who craved love. A boy who fantasized about someone who understood him, who would love him for him, scars and all.

-Kakavasha wanted a partner to waste all his time, to be an excuse to spend the excess of money he didn’t know what to do with, to hold him and whisper sweet words into his ears in the quiet of his luxury apartment.

-He was not a hopeless romantic, at least, he didn’t think he was. He just craved love that he hadn’t felt since he was a little boy. He wanted to love and be loved more than anything else in the world.

-Unfortunately for Kakavasha, Aventurine was the one in control. He didn’t get to have a say in what he wanted, because Aventurine knew what was best for himself even if it was miserable.

-He couldn’t fall in love in the way he wanted, so he simply wouldn’t ever fall in love so long as he jaded his views and ignored others' affections that were anything more than skin deep. No soft spots, nothing.

-Ah, but then there was you. Blinking at him with those pretty eyes, Aventurine felt like he needed to slam his head through a few walls to get the image out of his head.

-Sweet, playful, funny, pretty, perfect you. You made his head all fuzzy and his chest impossibly tight. 

-It was sickening, the effect you had on him. Not that you had a clue, with the masterful poker face he puts on around you.

-He tried avoiding you for a week, which was miserable for him because all he could think about was how much he wished he could see you again. What the hell had you done to him? He’s never one to fold so easily, and will stronger than any other person in the planetary system. Yet you…

-Ugh, and when you came to his office with that pout asking why he was avoiding you. Your jutted little lip was so distracting that he almost couldn’t come up with a proper lie to smooth the situation over.

-He was so obsessed, but he could not be obsessed. Not to this degree. He couldn’t let another person in and lose them, he couldn’t get hurt again.

-Still, he can’t stop himself from teasing you. The playful replies to anything you say are genuine and full of affection. The light touches, the brushing of your fingers against him. The thoughtful gifts with too gentle words attached to them.

-That was Kakavasha, certainly so. He couldn’t help himself but indulge in you. Not with how tempting you were, with how he could so easily see that you wanted him too. He wanted to live in a fantasy just a little longer.

-The feeling literally haunts his dreams. Wholesome, romantic dates interrupted by horrible night terrors of you dying in his arms. All because you were connected to him.

-After nightmares like that, he pulls away again. Aventurine remembers why he can’t take the plunge, for both of your sakes. He couldn’t possibly share himself with someone, not in the way you would want him to. He couldn’t possibly stomach the idea of putting a target on your back just by calling you his.

-So, he refuses to let it happen until you warm him up and melt his heart again.

-It’s a brutal cycle of push and pull with him, and it could go on and on and on if you allow it to. He certainly was content with it, because it was the easiest way to go about things like this.

-You can’t tell what the hell is going on in his head, but you know that it isn’t healthy. It’s very clear that he feels the same way you do, but he always slams the door in your face just before you step into the warmth waiting inside.

-You’ll have to confront him if you want anything to get done, and it isn’t pretty. He does not take well to sudden confrontations over things that he so carefully crafted. He doesn’t like it when the world that he built up so painstakingly collapses and reveals the reality around him.

-He’ll pull away fully from you, avoiding you like the plague because Aventurine cannot allow himself to fall in love. He wouldn’t be capable of loving someone as wonderful as you, not the way you deserve. 

-Show patience, be steadfast, and don’t give up on him no matter how many times he pushes you to the side. It’s hard for him to pretend like you don’t exist, it hurts him more than it hurts you.

-Eventually… he’ll break. He’ll show up unannounced, looking far more disheveled than you’ve ever seen him, and he’ll apologize. It’s so out of character for him, it even startles him a bit, but he couldn’t live without your warmth. 

-And so begins your relationship with Aventurine.

-It is not an easy relationship to have, and I’m not going to delude anyone into thinking anything other than that. There are highs and lows with him, like waves on a beach he’ll push you out just to pull you back in.

-To start, let's talk about the lows because they’re hard but they’re so important to get through with him.

-He has such a difficult time accepting that he’s worthy of being loved, and it manifests as him shutting you out. If he treats you poorly, if he makes you hate him, he doesn’t have to live with the guilt of fooling you into loving someone like him.

-He’ll ghost you for days, won’t answer his phone, or if he does it’s short and cold. You’ll be alone worrying about his wellbeing, what’s wrong with him, why is he so upset at you all of a sudden. 

-Then he’ll show up and act like nothing is wrong because he really cannot live without you. If you ask, he won’t answer and instead dance around the subject. 

-It’s another thing you’ll have to be patient about. Just handle it with care and show that you aren’t leaving, despite his very self-destructive behavior, and it’ll melt away at his cold exterior like usual.

-He’ll come to you after another long period where he wasn’t speaking to you, no apology flowers, no sly smile, no intent to woo you again. Just him, vulnerable and honest. He asks you why? Why do you stay, why do you still care, why do you let him treat you like that?

-Once you explain it’s because you love him, and you know he’s struggling so hard, and you want to help him be better… he cries. It’s the first time you’ve ever seen him do so, and it’s such a horrible expression that just does not belong on his face.

-To his credit, after your heart-to-heart, he steadily improves this behavior. It still happens occasionally, but it’s shorter, and he’s more receptive to you if you reach out to him during these low periods.

-They never truly go away, but they lessen and lessen and turn into a period where he doesn’t avoid you, but he tells you he just needs time.

-That’s the key point in your relationship that he struggles with communicating. Once you start to break through that barrier and he tells you how he’s feeling, things get so much better for both of you. 

-He realizes through your patience that he is someone that someone sees is worth loving, and it makes it easier for him to share his love with you.

-The highs aren’t exactly good either. He’s usually manic when he’s at these high points, and he’s very much love-bombing you the whole time.

-Lavish gifts that you wouldn’t even think to ask for, ones that you absolutely could not turn down – he wouldn’t let you, or else he’d get upset and make you feel bad.

-Constant compliments and flirting, most of which didn’t feel genuine. It’s like he’s faking affection, copying things he saw in movies and on the streets in hopes that you’ll believe he means them.

-He’s selling you on loving him in these highs. Like a business venture, going all in all at once and hoping you’ll take the deal. Hoping you’ll be satisfied with what he’s trying to portray himself as.

-It’s not a sustainable model, it’s rather exhausting to constantly put up walls around someone who he so desperately wanted to know. You get tired of it quickly, and he has to shake it up to keep you happy and interested.

-Despite how he acts, he couldn’t bear it if you left him.

-Once you get through to him with communication, his walls slowly come down, and you get to see the real Aventurine – you get to see Kakavasha. Get to feel how he wants to love you, how he wants to be loved by you.

-It’s not all at once, of course, because he could never let someone in so easily. But over some time, you see more and more glimpses of who he is behind all the glitz and glam and smirks. Let's get into that, shall we?

-He is a gift giver, I don’t think there’s any world where he isn’t. The gifts now, though, are so heartfelt and thoughtful. He quite literally slaves over them, spending hours of his precious time ensuring everything is exactly as you might want it.

-I’m talking about extremely rare limited edition copies of your favorite books, custom-made sets of anything you want, and so many clothes. Most of which have some kind of motif of his, because he quite likes seeing you in things that show off that you are his. 

-By the way, he’s a very jealous person, which is another big issue in the relationship. He doesn’t like sharing your attention with other people, at all. He gets jealous of his friends.

-People he otherwise wouldn’t have an issue with become the subject of his ire so long as you’re giving them more attention than him. 

-Oh, and he’s so incredibly insufferable about it too. He’ll sidle up to you, pulling you in close by your hip, and smirk at whoever the offender is. Amps up the pet names to an annoying degree, making it very clear that he’s not pleased.

-He expects you to be very apologetic (not really), and give him a million apology kisses once you’re alone together again. If you don’t he’ll pout.

-That’s on the harmless side of things. On the… less pleasant side he’ll probably make their life miserable until he chases them away from you – how miserable depends on just how… affectionate he takes them to be with you.

-Aventurine is also a nickname giver, and 90% of them are inconsistent and don’t stick. The ones he seems to like the most are doll, dollface, dearest (when he’s being an annoying little shit), and my heart. 

-Unfortunately, PDA isn’t an option for him, as much as he’d love it to be. He’s a celebrity, essentially, and people would be very interested in you if they saw you at his side. He’s keeping you safe from prying eyes by keeping PDA to a minimum.

-He can get away with it in casinos because having a pretty thing sit on your lap as a ‘good luck charm’ isn’t uncommon, but in most public areas the most he can do is stand close to you. 

-It’s to protect you, of course, because he does have targets on his back. As such a high-standing member of the IPC, it’s no shock that he does. However, he knows that people will try and use you to get to him, and he’s trying to nip that in the bud before it can become an issue.

-You and work are very separate parts of his life, and he likes it that way. Very few people within the IPC are aware he’s in a relationship, the only ones being those who caught him being affectionate with you around his office – who he very happily dealt with to keep them quiet. Or… are Topaz and inevitably Jade.

-Other than that, though, you are part of his personal life, and work has nothing to do with you. At all. 

-Ah, but he is so endlessly affectionate with you in private. He loves to just hold you, feel you against him, and assure himself that you are there. You are real and you love him like he loves you.

-He loves to litter your face with kisses after a long day of work, the way you fluster and try to run from his persistent lips is enough to make his heart race. 

-His favorite thing, though, is slow dancing with you. It doesn’t matter if you’re clumsy, there is something so wholly domestic and soft about swaying to music in the soft glow of the kitchen light.

-Once he learns to accept love from you, he becomes addicted to it like a drug. He’ll sit there and pout at you until you give him kisses or love on him to his satisfaction. He can’t help it, he loves your attention.

-He’s so very attentive, even when he has other things he needs to do. If he needs to work, he’ll hold you in his lap while he works, and if you distract him a little that's okay too. He doesn’t mind so long as it’s you.

-He treats you like royalty, honestly. You are so very important to him, and he’s very desperate to prove that to you. If you felt unloved (after he improves upon himself, of course) by him, it would kill him. You are one of the very few things in the world that are unequivocally his, he wants to treat you like you are so you know it.

-He reveals a vulnerability to you that no one else gets to see. A soft side that isn’t hiding behind smirks and sly comments. He is the closest to being just Kakavasha when he is with you.

-Now, it will take him a long time to share his past with you. Even after he learns to trust you, it’s a piece of him that he cradles close to his chest, terrified it would change your view of him.

-When he does share it with you, though, it’s the most vulnerable he will ever be with you. His hand is clenched tightly behind his back, and he is shaking with eyes that can’t quite find a place to land. The only thing that calms him is the warm touch of your hand on his shaking one.

-He’ll tell you details little by little because they’re horrifying, and dumping them all on you at once would be too much for both of you. But you learn about him over time, and you see him warm up more and more to you the more he tells you.

-Goodness, though, the first time you call him Kakavasha, he cries. He cries so very hard because he hasn’t heard that name said with love and affection in such a long time, and it’s hard to imagine that it could be real.

-But it is and you’re holding his face and kissing away his tears, and it’s then that he realizes that he is truly loved by you. He is a person who is worth loving and capable of giving love to someone as wonderful as you.

-It is a kindness he has never been afforded before, and he would fight to his last breath to protect it. 

-Despite the rocky start to your relationship, he grows and changes and learns how to love and be loved. It is the kind of love that Kakavasha has always wanted, and Aventurine finally understood why.

[whocaresstillthelouvre]

Down Bad - A Joel Miller Drabble

Rating: Explicit. 18+ (Minors DNI) Pairing: Pre Outbreak Joel Miller x Female Reader Word Count: 800 Summary: You get ghosted after a one night stand with your handsome neighbor. Warnings: Drinking, smut remembrance, angst. A/N: Happy Tortured Poets Department release day! Thank you to @beskarandblasters for the amazing Taylor Swift Drabble Challenge AGAIN. I previously wrote Paper Rings for it. TBH, I stayed up until 3:30 AM listening to TTPD last night with @ohheypedrito and your girl is STRUGGLING TODAY, but well worth it. What an album.

Masterlist

One night out with your friends, one shared glance, one half smile, one opportunity, one drink bought, one phone number drunkenly tapped into his phone. 

One date, one heated make out session in his truck, one moment of being heaven struck, one naked body left alone in your bed as he quietly leaves without a word. 

One text telling him you had a good time, one week since you’ve heard from him, countless hours of yearning for your neighbor. 

Across the street and two houses to the left, Joel Miller lives. Well manicured lawn, cute daughter who goes door to door selling Girl Scout cookies, large truck parked out the front dinged and well used. 

You’ve been down bad for him since you first moved in, a quick introductory hello and wave one early morning as you took your dog for a walk, how could you be so attracted to a total stranger?

That stranger ignoring you from that moment on, leaving you feeling nuts. Sometimes you’d take your dog for a walk when you’d notice him mowing the lawn, sneaking a glance under your sunglasses, watching the sweat make his skin glisten. Teenage crush vibes, teenage petulance coming out because you can’t have him or his attention. 

You never see him with another woman there, only his loud, precocious brother Tommy who stops to talk with you whenever you’re outside. You know he likes you, but you’re too drawn to his older brother’s beam to even want to lead him on. 

That night shared between the two of you, it almost feels like an evil experiment. He fucked you, fucked you hard, stared into your eyes as he came all over you, devoured your cunt as if he was starving, made you cum so hard it felt like you were floating in a cosmic cloud of sparks, then he left you naked and alone. He owned your body, like it was some sort of hostile takeover. 

You’re barely even sure it happened, like if you speak about the existence of that night, everybody will tell you it never happened, that you’re nuts.

Why did he leave you like that? Why did he strand you the way he did? Why can’t you have him? Why cant you have an us? 

Doesn’t he know what you would do for his attention? How you feel like you could just die when you think back to that night? You’re pathetic for him, isn’t it romantic?

You replay the words he uttered against your skin as he fucked you. “You feel so fucking good, like you were made for me.” 

The taste of your sweat against your lips makes you almost want to cry as you try to run the thoughts of him away on the treadmill at the gym. The last time you sweat like this his cock was stretching you, his hand holding your cheek, his tongue languidly licking into your mouth. 

——

After a night of staring at the ceiling, sleep not visiting you, tossing and turning not being able to get the thought of the weight of his body against yours, you decide to sit out on your porch with coffee in hand, staring at the sky as dawn approaches. A door slamming across the street startles you. He’s outside. This is it, you live in the same old familiar town, he can’t escape you, you can’t escape him. You trudge across the street, only clad in your shorts and your old Rangers shirt. You wave at him to get his attention as he finishes lifting his tool box onto his lift gate. 

You see him swallow as you stand at the edge of his driveway. 

“G’morning,” he nods. “Quite early.”

“It is. Could’t sleep.” 

“Happens to me too.”

“Mm,” you tap your foot, arms folded across your chest. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then why are you ignoring me?”

“S’complicated.”

“Try me, it’d make no difference.”

“Alright,” he runs a hand through his hair, “you’re too good. I don’t think it’s smart… for me to be with someone right now. Too much going on, ’n it’s safer if we just leave it at that. It’s better for you.”

“So, you fuck me, whisper all those sweet things in my ear, make me feel like I’m the chosen one, then just leave? How romantic Joel.”

“Never said I was the romantic type.”

“No, you’re just the fuck ‘em and strand ‘em. I guess.”

“Listen,” he looks down at his watch, “I gotta get goin’, got an important job to start. I really would like to talk more, I respect you too much ’n I really like you, I just think it’s better if you find someone else.”

“Right, well, see you around neighbor,” you bite.

Fuck it, you can’t have him. 

[mushroomates]

the fellowship at a hardware store, from someone who works at a hardware store:

sam: is in the nursery!! goes straight to the discount/dying plants and piles his cart full of wilted and sad plants. likes to rescue the houseplants first, has a soft spot for perennials and citrus trees. is a nightmare to check out but is very sweet about it. dirt and leaves everywhere. like, everywhere. they have to sweep after he’s gone. surprisingly strong and hauls big bags of dirt.

frodo: enjoys home improvement!! likes to wander carpeting and organization, hunts for good deals and keeps tabs on the sales weekends. he likes to peruse the shower curtains and closet accessories. likes to refurbish old furniture he finds off the side of the road- currently fixing up an antique dresser to put in the master bedroom.

merry: doorknobs, handles, dresser nobs. he likes to pick out the interesting and antique ones and customize his home with them. he really likes the oddly shaped ones, he has one starfish and one pickle on his nightstand table. likes to joke about touching all the knobs and fiddling with the knockers.

pippin: is lost in the lighting department. he’s staring up at all the pretty lights and hypnotizing fans. likes the remote controlled lights, enjoys messing with the demos. also likes collecting paint chips. (pippins also the kind of person to get really high and shit in the display toilets.) does not buy anything, maybe some beef jerky and skittles at the check outs.

boromir: this man has like 80 projects going on and is remarkably proficient in every conceivable area featured in the store. he’s here so much people think he works here. he kinda does. he’s happy to advise you, lead you to products, and lifts heavy things for little old ladies and swooning maidens. he’s happy to grab the things on the highest shelf as well as carry those bigs bags of dirt out to your care. he is just a naturally pure and helpful soul. <3

aragorn: has lost himself in scrap wood. straight to the lumber yard, straight to the pile of damaged and recycled wood. once a month, he comes and loads up as much as it will fit in a pickup truck. no one knows what he does with it but he keeps coming back. there are several theories around the store. either he’s building a bunker, has a side hustle by reselling it, makes massive fires or he does wood work. alternatively, he’s a homeless man building his own cabin in the woods so he can live away from society. that’s one’s probably the closest.

gandalf: mixes his own paint. he doesn’t work there but somehow he keeps getting back there and making his own custom colors. was known to pull a miracle and turn gray paint back into white. no one knows how he did this. likes to camp out in the seasonal section. enjoys lounging on couches and swings for long periods of time.

gimli: is so excited to walk into the tools section. wants all the toys. likes power tools in a way that’s both funny and scary. really likes chainsaws and leaf blowers, possibly because they pose the biggest threat to legolas. often gets flagged out the door because no one person needs that many tools and he must be up to something. he always beeps out the door because inevitably someone forgot to take off one of the sensors of his many, many tools. he used to be nicer about this but lately has lost patience with always being stopped out the door, and often will make a show of waving his receipt before leaving.

legolas: spends a good amount of time in the garden. i imagine he gets enamored with the fountains and ponds rather quickly, also likes the statues and fun pots. also, wanders through the garden and samples the plants. by samples i mean eat small bites of it, and if he finds the quality satisfactory he will purchase it. this is rarely the case and he often just goes around eating small bites of houseplants.

[glamoureddreamer]

Memories 

Bendy and the ink machine (Sammy Lawrence x Reader)

Warnings: blood/gore, violence (please let me know if I’ve missed anything)

Thank you everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic day and a great night!

(Y/n) wanders the upper halls, listening to every small noise. The rustle of papers- freeze, the creaking of wood- stop.

Drips echoed through the halls, from the ink and her open wound. She was looking for supplies and didn’t see the lost one. It had got her good.

Thankfully she wasn’t far from the music department, inside the music department was the medical station. Hopefully, it would have something to at least stop the bleeding.

She holds onto the wall using it to balance herself, fuck a wound on your stomach was annoying. It felt like she couldn’t walk, though she pushed through and walked up the stairs. She was determined not to die.

She enters the music department the lights were on low making it harder to see. She stumbles her way toward the medical station.

She holds onto a desk rummaging through it, trying to search for a bandage. Once she finds a nice big roll she smiles. She grabs it shakily and closes the drawer. She finds a chair and drops into it, she nearly fell over. She pulled up her shirt and examined the cut.

Thankfully it wasn’t that large but it was just deep enough to cause problems. She messily wraps the bandage around her stomach. She made it as tight as she could, which hurt a lot more than she thought it would.

She stays there for a moment relaxing. She takes deep breaths trying to ease the pain. After a while she stood up, the bandage did help.

She leaves the medical station and heads back to the stairs. She had originally planned to leave though, the upper levels were safer. Not to mention there were no doubt more resources and she had lost a lot to the lost one. She turns around and walks back into the music department.

She searches around for tools she could use. She opens a crate. It was a crate full of posters, she picks one up examining it. She opens it and freezes in her spot.

These posters were ones she had created. They were for the music department and the face of the music department himself, Samuel Lawrence. He looked happy on the front cover.

Though she knew him personally and he wasn’t happy often unless he was at home. However he was always nice and happy around her. Memories play through her mind of a better time. Sammy always walked her out to her car. How he always got nervous around her. Him yelling about the pipes and only (Y/n) was able to calm him. She sets the poster down and gave it a small sad smile.

She turns around to be face to face with a lost one. It jumps on her before she could prevent it. She cries out as it pushes on her open wound. It tried to attack her neck but she pushes its head away.

She tried kicking it but nothing worked. Ink drips onto her, she hoped it didn’t leak into her open wound but that was the least of her concern. Right as it drew closer from her arms getting weak, it froze screaming out in pain. Before it drips weakly on her body.

(Y/n) scrambles away from the body, she looks up at the cause of the lost one’s death. It was another lost one, though he held an axe with ink dripping from it. It also wore a bendy mask that was beaten up and covered in ink and dirt. It holds its hand out. She hesitated taking it. It had just saved her, surely it could be trusted. Once she did it helped her off the ground.

“Are you okay?” It asked, the voice sounded so familiar. Yet she couldn’t place it. She nods a little, and the lost one brushes his hand over her wound. She hisses in pain, he pulls his hand away immediately.

“Follow me I can take you somewhere safe.” The lost one helped lead her to a small office. It did look safe but it was also a mess, clearly living here wasn’t the best. Though it was better than nothing.

It sits her down on a makeshift cot. It grabs bandages from its own small storage as (Y/n) looks around the office still. It gently unravels the messily done bandages and slowly begins to replace them.

“Why are you helping me?” She asked quietly. It had been so quiet it felt as if she had to be quiet. The lost one looked up, the mask was a little unsettling but it saved her it is safe so she pushed it aside.

“Don’t you remember me?” It asked. She only tilted her head.

“I suppose I don’t look quite like my old self, it’s me, Samuel.”

(Y/n) felt her world freeze, she covered her mouth.

“Sammy?… Oh my god is it really you?” She asked tears coming to her eyes. Sammy chuckled and nods but before he could respond she pulls him into a tight hug.

She ignores the pain in her abdomen, shoving her face into his inky shoulder not caring.

“I missed you.” She said her voice wavering. Sammy hugs her rubbing her back.

“I missed you too (Y/n).”

[hesthermay]

𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐒

PAIRING: commander wolffe x gn!mechanic!reader

SUMMARY: long work days and slight carelessness lead to you and three attackers in a late night chase. where you will go, there is only one answer; the den of wolves. who you will call, there is only one answer; the leader of the pack.

WORD COUNT: 1.8k

RATINGS + WARNINGS: general audiences, mature themes, angst. mentions and descriptions of violence, clones using mando’a terms

NOTES: angst! fear! a bit of fluff? we have it all! wuv wuv wuv mr. wolffe. also i hit 200 followers!! what!! should i do anything special?!

STAR WARS MASTERLIST

Late. 

It was late, the sky dark and the street lights on, and it was way past time to clock out. 

A nasty habit of yours, letting work take over the entire day as if you did not have needs to be met and a life outside of tools and machinery. But what could you say? When faced with a problem that needed to be solved, you had to do just that. It mattered little when you were supposed to leave, when you should have taken a lunch break, or how dangerous the streets of Coruscant could be after dark. 

The speeder before you had given you a run for your credits for the few days you’d had it in the shop you worked at, and you were hard pressed to get it running again sooner rather than later; so you let time keep running as one by one the building emptied, every other mechanic departing at the end of the work day instead of never letting it end. 

Still, you did not care. 

You were close, you could feel it. But alas, the rumble in your stomach and the ache of your limbs and back told you that it would have to be another day. As you slid out from under the machine and sat up, sharp pains settled in your head and fatigue weighed heavy on your eyelids. 

“Fine,” you sighed, muttering to yourself as you cleaned up your area slightly. “Tomorrow, then. I’ll get you tomorrow.” 

Your bag was thrown over your shoulder on your way out, but your feet moved on their own. You were not thinking, not paying attention to the route in front of you as your mind ran over the progress that had yet to be made, what you would eat for dinner, what Wolffe was doing, and so you were not aware of the wrong turns you had taken. Carelessness in the wake of caring too much had, once again, gotten you into trouble. 

You were not in a good part of town, that much you knew, and after another turn you were made aware of the body tailing you. One soon turned into two, then three, and you can hear the blood pumping in your ears. What do I do? Where do I go? Who do I call? 

It was a split second decision when you sprung forward, taking off faster than you knew you could go. Fear coursed through your veins, and you were running for dear life, but you did not know where you were going. You surely couldn’t go to your apartment, your home, that would be leading the foxes right to the henhouse. 

Then, the answer became clear, bright flashing lights in your mind's eye. Whether it be instincts or just plain old common sense, it told you to lead them into the den of wolves.

The GAR barracks weren’t close, per say, but that mattered not when thundering footsteps echoed behind you, the occasional shout filling the space. Normally steady hands clumsily reached up to unbutton the breast pocket of your coveralls, pulling out a comm device and attempting to dial the one person you knew could—would—save you. 

“Kriff,” you panted as you took a sharp turn, having to redial the comm code after messing up, but there was no answer. “Wolffe!” you yelled into the device, bordering on desperate. “Come on, Wolffe!” 

Disappointment showered over you and dread filled your boots, making them all the more heavy as you willed yourself to keep going. You were hurting, body aching more than ever and screaming at you to stop, but you ignored it. Your lungs were on fire, trying to regulate your breathing as much as you could as you pushed yourself farther and farther, but you ignored it. Your eyes were bleary from lack of sleep and too much concentration combined with panicked tears welling, but you ignored it.

And then, just up ahead, the buildings housing the Clone Army on Coruscant came into sight, and hope almost had the audacity to bloom in your chest. You began yelling again, not caring about the ruckus you were causing because your stalkers had gained on you and were closer than you were comfortable with. 

You risked a look behind you, and it was the downfall of your escape. You had unintentionally slowed, eyes trying to scope out the predators as they preyed on you, and one had reached out and grabbed you by the collar of your coveralls. You were yanked back, choking as you flew to the ground like a ragdoll and rolled, scraping your elbows and palms as you tried to brace for impact. 

Paralyzing fear coursed through your veins as you trembled, looking up at the three beings who had chased you down as they gathered around you. They sounded accomplished, proud, as they drew closer, closing you in and trapping you. One reached out with a large and scaly hand and instincts once again graced you at the last second in the form of a leg shooting out and making contact with their knee. A satisfying crack! sounded out but your actions were met with retaliation that was anything but so. 

Your head jerked back as a punch landed on your jaw and pain spread around your face instantly. The cry that left you was sharp and seemed to echo around the area, and yet nothing came to stop your attackers from continuing. A kick followed the last blow, driving into your stomach and knocking all of the breath out of you. 

“Fucking bitch,” the one you had kicked growled, reaching out and grabbing your face harshly, lifting your head to make you look at them. “You’re going to regret that.” 

“Oh, really?” 

That voice, though it was one that belonged to many, could have only been from one man. Relief, in almost the purest form, washed over you as the rough hand let go and you turned to see white and gray armor. 

The wolfpack had arrived, eyes glowing and teeth bared. 

“Who do you think you are?” One of the assailants questioned, and the man with the cybernetic eye’s stride never faltered as he answered lowly. 

“I’m your worst nightmare.” He was frightening, lethal, and that had begun to dawn on the lowlifes before him, but there was no chance of escape. Running was not possible, for when they turned to dash away, their path was blocked by more clones. 

“Oh, I don’t think so,” one of them tutted, reaching out to roughly shove one of them back towards Wolffe. 

It was quick, him fixing the problem. He did not play around, beat around the bush, play with his prey; no, the rage that filled him to the very brim was much too strong for that, much too white hot to be slow about things. He had made a name for himself amongst the Republic Army, and he was living up to it. Blood covered parts of his armor when he was finished, the scum lying in a heap before him as he ordered one of his brothers to call the police. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to calm himself even just a little before he turned to you. 

He discovered that was easier said than done. Worry so potent and severe had built up inside of him since he heard your comm, growing all the more when he heard your yells and cries. You, in danger, was something that sent a streak of fear through an otherwise unshakable man. Wolffe did not often come undone, was not one to unravel, and yet when he was on his way to find you he felt himself on the brink. He hadn’t even asked his brothers to follow him, but some had heard your message and all had noticed the shift in their commander. 

“Are you alright, mesh’la?” he questioned almost shakily as he crouched beside you. Tears had streamed from your eyes from the impact and pain of the blows dealt to you, and just the sight of it made his heart constrict. The bruising on your face and the hand clutching your stomach only made it worse, and he couldn’t stop himself from putting a hand on the back of your head. His gloves were filthy, stained, but he hardly cared. 

Your only response was a nod of your head, though you still shook slightly on the ground. “I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call, I was held up; but I heard it,” he apologized, emotion making the words come out thick. “I heard it, riduur, and I wasn’t gonna let anything get you.” 

“I believe you,” you whispered hoarsely, throat raw from the screaming. “That’s why I came here. I knew you’d help.” 

He sighed, trying to get it through to himself that you were alright, that you had made it. His eyes took note of your attire—grease stained blue coveralls with your name patch sewn on crookedly— and he sighed again. “Y/N, what are you doing leaving work so late?” His brows were furrowed and he didn’t look very happy, and it may or may not have been because he had specifically made it a point to tell you not to do that. He’d had a conversation with you, and mentioned it in passing numerous times, that you needed to leave the shop before it got too late and if you absolutely had to stay, do not go alone. 

“It’s—” you started, having to look away from the face he was giving you, knowing that no matter how valid you felt your reason to stay so late into the night was, Commander Wolffe would not agree. “It’s that speeder I’ve had for a bit.” 

“You left late because of a speeder?” 

The question was incredulous as it came from over your shoulder, as if it was the most ridiculous thing ever. Perhaps because it was. You sheepishly looked behind you, eyes landing on another clone clad in gray and white. His helmet was off like the rest of the 104th at the moment, and he looked down at you with a quirked brow. 

With warm cheeks, you nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m a bit dedicated.” 

Wolffe chuckled, lowly and almost undetectable, but his shoulders shook nonetheless. “Yeah, and it just might be the death of you one day.” He stood up straight, extending a hand out to help you up. 

You accepted, spirits already rising again in the presence of your beloved, and cracked a small smile. “Oh, mesh’la, you wouldn’t be so lucky.” 

In a rare moment of wearing his heart on his sleeve, Commander Wolffe put his arm around your shoulders, his smile growing at your use of mando’a. Around him, his brothers watched in awe and amusement. “No, it wouldn’t be very lucky at all.” He began to lead you away from the scene, in the direction he knew your home was, still holding you. Behind him, his brothers followed. 

“So, Commander,” Boost piped up, and he could already tell he was going to stretch this out. “When were you gonna tell us you were basically married?” 

all works on this blog belong to hesthermay.tumblr.com: do not copy, repost onto other sites, or claim my content as your own. 

[lunarcovehq]

I was working in the lab late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster, from his slab, began to rise And suddenly, to my surprise He did the Monster Mash

The Great Jack-O-Lantern Lighting - Activities of the Week

The festivities continue! This week with some fan favorite events. From Lunar Cove's annual costume contest to the Great Jack-O-Lantern lighting, there are even more fun fall activities in store and an exciting update! Progress is being made on the Pendulum repairs. The Clean-Up Crew is on track to complete the Pendulum renovations by early November, but they still need your help. Any donations or time you can give would be greatly appreciated. Let's work together to restore our town to it's former glory! Not to mention, any additional funds left over from restoring the Pendulum will go towards a project near and dear to one of our missing residents. The Clan was helping Ralph Middlemas fundraise to build a skatepark in Mason Mahir's honor and, while our resident Mayor is still missing, this skatepark can be your way of honoring those who have sacrificed so much for this town.

In other Covian news, Elena Gomez-Alvaro's PSA aimed at both drivers and pedestrians, reminding all to be mindful of their surroundings as a pedestrian and behind the wheel, will be airing all throughout the week. While, the search parties for Dhruv and Meena have been, unfortunately, called off. After the Council meeting last week, joint search parties were set up, with each search party having a member from a different organization (one witch, one werewolf, one vampire etc). Each leader was also given an illusion disenchantment prepared by the coven advisor, Jake Sullivan, in case anyone wandered into an illusion that might be hiding the missing residents. But, after two weeks of endless searching, the town's resources have all been utilized and Lunar Cove no longer have the resources to continue to exhaust to keep the town wide search going. Some residents have taken it upon themselves to still continue to search every single night, but most have lost hope. Authorities are still looking into the case, while the Council is seeing if checking the historical archives to search for any rituals that may be connected to the case. They will also be reaching out to the few spirit raisers in town to see if anyone might be available to commune with the ghosts to see if they dead might have seen something that the living might have missed and looked into the origin of the van which was, in fact, reported stolen weeks ago from one of the local florists in town. The Sheriff's department still has their tip line the Council has also chosen to utilize as the Council looks into the missing residents and tries to gain more information on the shadow figure that emerged during the ritual at the Carnival. Only, it seems several residents have been taking their tips elsewhere.

A group of true crime podcasters have been releasing new episodes with every outlandish story or lead they can find. The most recent tip they've received has pointed them towards the King's Cross Hospital. The Song family has refused to comment, but an inside source who works at the Hospital, has come forward. They have taken note of several sedatives that have gone missing from the building along with a concerning list of tools frequently used in surgeries. Could upper management be trying to cover up the missing equipment up? And could this be connected to the missing residents? Or explain why folks around town have been reporting blacking out for days on end with little to no memory of what happened to them?

REMINDERS

This is a plot-driven event that will run until 10/31 both IC and OOC. So, please keep a look out for future plot drops to come! We will be dropping one a week leading up to 31st, so while we encourage you to react to any of the below in threads or starters, please know that more fall and festive activities are to come.

The tag for the event is lunarcoveevent13. Everything from pictures, outfits, Halloween costumes & threads etc. should be under this tag. Starters should have both the starter and event tag.

This event is mandatory and is occurring all across town so feel free to post starters or have private threads reacting to any of the below.

For anyone looking to bring in new characters, we are back to our regularly scheduled acceptance and will be holding acceptance this Wednesday.

Last, but not least, we hope you have some skele-fun!

ACTIVITIES OF THE WEEK

MONDAY/CONTINUING ALL WEEK LONG

Halloween Costume Ordering - Swing by Blush Boutique to pick up a Halloween costume before they sell out! From Princesses to Humans to your favorite characters, the Blush Boutique has a wide range of costumes that are flying off the shelves, so if you don’t want to be stuck with a dusty and deformed skeleton mask, stop by sooner rather than later.

Town Clean-Up Crew- Meet at the Rec Center every morning where you will then be assigned different locations around town to help fix up. There is also a donation booth set up for anyone who wants to donate towards the Pendulum repairs and the skatepark.

TUESDAY

Hay Rides- It’s time to bundle up, grab a partner and watch the scenic views of Echo Acres. Tractors will take you along the landscape until dusk.

WEDNESDAY

Horror Movie Marathon- If you’re thinking of going to the Key Theatre to watch the eight hour long Horror Movie Marathon, make sure to invest in their endless popcorn buckets. Your popcorn will end up flying out of your hand at one point or another as you watch the (frankly sometimes offensive) human depiction of ghouls, vamps and werewolves! And if you stay for the Witching Hour showing, you may finally get to see the ending of the independent film, made right here in Lunar Cove back in the 80's, known as the Creature of Shadow Lake.

THURSDAY

Ghoulish Bar Crawl - From witches brew to apple cider spritz, join the Seen It Route’s Ghoulish Bar Crawl this year for a different kind of trick or treating! The tour will take you all over town from Shipfaced to Bad Moon Brewery to even the likes of the Country Club. If they serve boo-ze, this tour will be there and offering you one free drink at every location. Costumes are welcome, though your tour guide may roast you depending on who you choose to dress up as.

FRIDAY

Costume Contest- Time to whip out your favorite costume and get ready to strut down the Costume Contest Catwalk. Best Costume, this year, will take home the honor of being able to light this town's Great Jack-O-Lantern. Note: OOC survey to vote on which character should win to come, so make sure to post your costumes with the tag Lunarcoveevent13.

SATURDAY

The Great Jack-O-Lantern- The winner of the Costume Contest will have the honor of lighting the giant carved pumpkin on the Town Green. But, even if you aren't selected to light the pumpkin, you should still come on down. There will be corn hole and other fun games as well as popcorn and treat booths.

[militantinremission]

Is Tyre Nichols' death a watershed moment?

The Nation is supposedly On Hold, awaiting video footage showing how 5 Memphis PD Officers brutally beat 29Yr Old Tyre Nichols. The members of the Memphis PD 'Scorpion Unit' were supposedly stopping Tyre for Reckless Driving, but how did things escalate? The Press says that Tyre initially fled The Scene, & there was an indication that he may have resisted arrest, but nothing suggests that he needed to be pepper sprayed, tased, & beaten severely. The incident took place on Jan. 7th- Tyre died from his injuries on Jan. 10th. The Family of Tyre Nichols have chosen Attorney Benjamin Crump & his Team to represent them.

I don't always agree w/ the methodology of Benjamin Crump. He frames himself like he's the Thurgood Marshall or Johnnie Cochrane of This Generation; I still haven t decided if he is. He spends as much time on his Self Image, as he does on his High Profile Cases. I can rationalize that he needs face time On Camera to boost his ability to serve his clients, but I think he goes a bit too far. Who named Ben Crump: 'The Attorney General Of Black America'? It's framing like This, that leads me to call the man: Benjamin 'Buttah Biscuits'... To be fair, Crump has won some monetary awards for his clients, but we're still waiting to see the Outcome of several Police Trials.

Regardless of my critique of Ben Crump, I agree 100% w/ his Press Conference Commentary. He pointed out how these Officers were fired & arrested on Murder Charges in less than 3 Weeks. Is it because all 5 of the Officers are Black Men? We have seen Black Officers, like Muhammad Noor get convicted for incidents that Non Black Officers get acquitted. Crump is correct, when he says that this should be the blueprint for All Police Involved Incidents. It doesn't matter what Sex, Race or Ethnicity the Officer is, it's pretty clear that this is about Police Culture.

According to a Statement from the Memphis Police Department: Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., & Justin Smith have violated multiple Department Policies, including Excessive use of Force, Duty to Intervene, & Duty to Render Aid. While Black America applauds the expedience of the MPD, We also question why it doesn't happen so quickly when the Officer isn't Black. As a Community, We have serious questions for these 5 Men. Some of Us want to 'Check their Paperwork'. Contrary to the National Conversation, Blackfolk don't go after each other like this. Certainly not Black Cops. This is why most of Us are talking about Police Culture.

Tyre's brutal murder, is an example of why Critical Race Theory can be a valuable tool. If We follow the basic model, which is a History of Race Relations in America, We see how Police Departments play an important role of maintaining the Institutionalized Racism in American Society. We're told that Police are here to Protect & Serve, but they leave out how that is limited to Corporate Property & Interests. The Police Force comes out of the Slave Patrols, who 'protected' the interests of Plantation & Business Owners. As German, Scottish, & Irish Immigrants appeared, they were given jobs 'regulating' the Black Population- Free & Enslaved.

As Cities grew & Police Departments were established, the protocol remained the same; Protect Corporate Interests, & regulate the Black Community. This was a National Effort. As cruel as the White (WASP) Officers were, immigrants always tended to take Anti- Black actions further. It's like they were trying to prove to Mainstream Society how much they belonged. Irish, Italian, & now, Hispanic Officers are generally more aggressive w/ Black 'Persons Of Interest'- that's just a fact. Black America has complained about this 'Police Culture' for over 100Yrs, but have just gained ground in recent years. The difference between Justice for Mitrice Richardson & Sandra Bland, compared to Atatiana Jefferson has been encouraging.

Qualified Immunity has been a literal 'Get Out Of Jail Free' Card for Police Officers. Recent Police convictions have shown that this may be a thing of the past. Despite a few hard won convictions, the legal road getting there has been a long & drawn out one. Many have accused the various Police Unions, DA Offices, & Judges of collusion. They're collectively kicking The Can down The Road; hopeful that The Public will lose interest & eventually forget the incident in question. The actions taken by the MPD, following the brutality of their Officers is worth noting. Tyre Nichols isn't the 1st Black Man to get beat by a gang of Police Officers; Rodney King (RIP) was beat in front of The World 30Yrs ago.

Some may try to focus on the actions of 'Black' Officers, but this behavior happens against Blackfolk in Every City & w/ Officers of Every Ethnic Group. As I said earlier, it's a Culture. What's different about This Instance, is the fact that ALL of the assailants are Black Officers. The City of Memphis is probably still feeling the reverberations of Breonna Taylor's murder in Louisville; I doubt they want Blackfolk to bring that level of Energy there. Cutting their losses is a no brainer. They will likely face an expensive lawsuit from Benjamin Buttah Biscuits; no sense in adding a Riot to an Embarrassment.

I see The City Of Memphis offering up these 5 Bullies, w/ the hope that it will quell a still simmering undercurrent supporting Independent Police Investigations. Defund The Police rhetoric has quieted, but every new incident brings talk about restricting Police 'Street Crime Units', along w/ the equipment & tactics used. Family Attorney Antonio Romanucci hit the Nail on the Head, when he called Street Crime Units, like the MPD's Scorpion Unit 'Suppression Units'. Those of Us that live in 'Inner Cities' understand the reality of these Units patrolling Our Neighborhoods like Military Troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I don't expect alot of hoopla coming out of Memphis. Blackfolk see tangible results, so we're willing to see what develops. What We do expect, is for future Events (that WILL happen) to move w/ the same expediency. The World will see yet another instance of Police involved Anti- Black Racism in America; i'm pretty sure many have also heard Ben Crump's suggestion about a blueprint. Moving forward, if the Legal System treats Non Black Officers differently than these 5 Officers in Memphis, all the rhetoric that the Department Of Justice can muster will not get the racist stench out of the Courts.

-Just My 2 Cents

[mariacallous]

WASHINGTON (JTA) — As the High Holidays near, Rabbi Mara Nathan doesn’t expect the recent wave of fake bomb threats directed at synagogues to significantly change the way she and her congregation worship together. 

After all, her synagogue will already have its usual, extensive array of security measures in place: from bomb-sniffing dogs and security checks for each attendee to coordination with the local police department and FBI office. But she said emotions were running high as news reports piled up about synagogues evacuated after facing threats, often while livestreaming services. 

“I think we’re on high alert,” said Nathan, the senior rabbi at San Antonio’s Temple Beth-El, a Reform congregation, “maybe a little more than usual.”

Nathan’s approach underscores how synagogues across the country have responded to the reports of rising antisemitism in recent years, and how a recent wave of nearly 50 spurious bomb threats is affecting — and not affecting — their procedures. The bomb threats, which have led to the evacuation of congregations from California to Florida, come after many synagogues have adopted a posture of readiness following the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and other violent antisemitic incidents. 

“Law enforcement and the synagogues have to respond to it because you don’t ever know when it’s actually going to be the real thing,” said Evan Bernstein, the CEO of the Community Security Service, which trains volunteers to patrol their synagogues. “When multiple things like this happen, people become numb and maybe won’t respond in the same way if, God forbid, something is legitimate.” 

That reality was laid out at a briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday focused on securing Jewish institutions during the High Holidays, which begin with Rosh Hashanah on Friday night. The briefing focused on the false bomb threat incidents, which security consultants predicted would continue because they lead to significant disruption with minimal effort. 

“The increase in the bomb threats and the swatting incidents are designed to get a law enforcement response,”  Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, using a term that refers to making prank calls in order to generate a police response. “They’re designed to create fear, they’re designed to create confusion.”

Leaders of the Secure Community Network, which coordinates security for Jewish institutions nationwide, told members of Congress and their staffers at the hearing that the bomb threats have become a popular tool for extremists. SCN and its partner organization, the Jewish Federations of North America, organized the 90-minute briefing. 

“They actually targeted a livestreaming of the service so that they can witness the police coming in and disrupting the service during this swatting session,” said Kerry Sleeper, a former FBI assistant director who is now a senior adviser to Masters’ group, referring to a bomb threat during services in July at Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

(The Ann Arbor synagogue has for years been the target of anti-Israel and antisemitic protesters. Courts have rejected attempts by some of the congregants to stop the protests.)

“Here’s one my fren [sic] did yesterday,” said a message on Telegram, a social platform popular with extremists, which was attached to a video of a rabbi conducting services. “It’s funni [sic] bc when we swat them they have to shut down the synagogue for the day.”

One long-term result extremists are hoping for would be to inhibit Jewish expression, Sleeper said. “The question has to be obviously, do you have the comfort, the security to enter into a house of worship after there’s been a bomb threat or the threat of a shooting?” he said.

Masters said that ahead of the High Holidays, when sanctuaries see their highest attendance of the year, synagogues need to review security procedures in order to avoid panic if a threat is received.

He described methods that could head off panicked reactions during High Holiday services, including making contact with the local police department, reviewing an orderly evacuation plan and ensuring that police have officials in place to report whether an attack is indeed underway.

“In many jurisdictions, law enforcement is very proactive about sending someone to the synagogue, or at least doing a drive-by so … they know whether something or not is happening,” he said. “Having a point of contact at the synagogue that the law enforcement knows who they’re supposed to find, so they can do a coordinated response.”

The briefing also focused on a proposed increase of federal grants to protect synagogues and other religious institutions. The 18-year old program has grown exponentially in recent years as threats against Jewish and other institutions have increased, and there is an effort underway to raise funding from $250 million last year to $360 million.

“It is truly indispensable to the physical security of churches, synagogues, mosques, and all other faith based places of gatherings across the country,” Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said at the briefing. “There’s not a security camera or secure door that isn’t in some way costly and needing the help and support of these resources.”

Fingerhut added that Jewish federations have collectively spent hundreds of millions of dollars to enhance security for local institutions. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, the Connecticut Democrat, said the briefing exhibited “the panoply of efforts we need to undertake in order to decrease the risk of physical harm to those who are in Jewish communities, for those who are showing up in synagogues, Jewish day schools.”

Increased preparedness due to the bomb threats is one of a few ways synagogues across the country are girding up ahead of the High Holidays. In New York City, the Community Security Initiative, which helps coordinate security for local institutions, is funding the purchase of one new patrol car each and other resources for four Jewish civilian security patrol groups that operate in heavily Orthodox neighborhoods in Brooklyn, where a rash of street-level incidents have added to safety concerns. Last week, Bernstein’s Community Security Service launched a partnership with the Orthodox Union, an umbrella group with hundreds of member synagogues nationwide.

The bomb threats have reverberated across the country. At the Chicago Loop Synagogue, president Lee Zoldan told JTA that local law enforcement — with whom Zoldan said the synagogue has a “very good relationship” — often keeps a presence in front of the building, which is located in downtown Chicago.

Zoldan said law enforcement officers are aware of the recent wave of bomb threats and that the synagogue has shared its holiday schedule so that police know when people will be in the building. In addition, a few months ago the synagogue purchased a metal detector, and is considering asking worshippers to be screened upon entrance for the High Holidays. Zoldan said the measure was a response to the rise of antisemitism in the United States, rather than any specific threat.

“Anything we can do to enhance security, we are going to do,” she added.

[lightwise]

Ahsoka Episode 3 Spoilers/Thoughts

So I never actually got around to listing out my reactions to Episode 3. I laid out some of my thoughts on Sabine using the Force here, in two parts because I'm surprised it's taken me this long to transcend Tumblr's image limit on a post.

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

My love for Huyang continues to know no bounds...obviously

Still annoyed that Sabine's injury is basically non existent at this point even if she does fiddle with her waistband like it still hurts. Girl you are moving fine, why are we pretending it wasn't a completely unnecessary plot point.

"You told her that??" "It's true." (Still loving the Tech/Huyang comparisons, which I laid out here.)

Oooh the training mask looks like the temple guard mask Kanan put on when he was blinded.

Those wooden training sticks are really beautiful. The props department did not forsake the details in this show.

"Anger and frustration are quick to give power, but they also unbalance you." I honestly really like Ahsoka's version of this more than Yoda's "they lead to the dark side." They can be helpful and sometimes useful tools, and they are innately human emotions. But letting them run rampart will leave you unbalanced and out of focus.

Mon my beloved! I realllly want to know more of why her leadership in the New Republic wasn't able to thwart the First Order (or I guess Thrawn coming back?) She's so capable and intelligent all through her efforts to fight the Empire and advocate for her people. I wonder if she kept her powers too minimal as an overcorrection from Palpatine that she was unable to influence senators like Xiono to do the right thing. Like give me a Dr. Pershing Mando season 3 level episode here on what's going on in the Senate, I beg you.

All of that said, in a vacuum I definitely understand the Senators' efforts to want to put resources toward their people and building up the new Republic, not further military operations. That's not a bad desire at all. Unfortunately it's just too early to let up on security yet (even though that is the same tactic Palpatine used to start squashing dissenters of the Empire in TBB).

Sometimes the dialogue in this show feels like it's not connected to the Rebels characters we know. Hera assuming that Thrawn had died in the first episode, now here she's saying he killed friends that were like family to her? Idk if these are Dave's attempts to give some context to new viewers, but they end up feeling like the characters don't remember what we know about them.

MEW is definitely nailing Hera's strength and emotion though.

Jacen!! And his hair is still green! I wonder what the Lego fakeout was for then. He's so Kanan's son. And Hera's face here!!

The whole conversation about the Force between Ahsoka and Sabine ahhhhhh

Lol the cup is so obviously on a track in the groove in the table

The entire conversation about Sabine between Ahsoka and Huyang AHHHHHHHH

DISASTER LINEAGE :D :D :D

Is it just me or if Hera and Sabine are going to be wearing heavy makeup, Ahsoka should have her darker purple lip color?

Sabine is everyone their first time playing a video game.

"I have several thoughts on everything else going on" LOL

I LOVE Ahsoka's ship. Homey and agile.

I was very worried that Huyang would get wiped with that power surge, but I guess after 25,000 years he's learned to have a backup databank or two.

Ahsoka in a space suit heck yeah. That's Anakin's padawan and Plo's adopted daughter right there. And I love that it's a continuous shot showing her getting back onto the wing/into the ship.

Marrok talking and flying a ship is so funny to me. Especially given ep 4.

Ahsoka and Sabine's dynamic feels much more dialed in now.

THE SPACE WHALES HAVE ARRIVED AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL

Huyang completely unphased at them almost dying multiple times. He knows what Jedi shenanigans are like.

Seatos is absolutely stunning. I can't get enough of the gray fog and the red trees

The visuals and the banter in this episode are 10/10

Intergalactic hyperspace lanes followed by the path of the Purgill!!!!

Man I need Baylon's backstory NOW.

[astrajinn]

Dolorous Design

The next morning, they had something to eat before leaving and all departed together to the area where they were finishing preparing the ships. Astra was on her speeder, while Shmi and Kitster were on an Eopie, and Anakin was on another one with Padme. They were about to get off when Watto approached and told Anakin to make Qui-Gon stop betting, or he would end up owning him. This angered Astra so much that the boy had to hold her back.

"Jee oto killkoosoo/I want to kill him," she complained.

"How do you speak that language?" Padme asked.

"I speak many languages, and Huttese isn't that difficult to learn," she quipped.

"What did she say?" Ani asked Qui-Gon as he passed by him.

"I'll tell you later," he responded, helping Shmi to get off.

"This is amazing, Ani. I know you'll make it this time," Kitster encouraged.

"Make what?" Padme asked.

"Finish the race, of course," his friend revealed.

"Haven't you won a race?" she asked worriedly.

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"Not even finished," she scolded.

"He already said it, I'll do it this time."

"Of course you will," the older boy encouraged him, and just as he was about to speak, the girl gave him a deadly look to make him be quiet.

"Not only will you finish, Ani, you will win."

The children gave the ship its final adjustments, and before eventually positioning it, Astra took Anakin's hand to talk to him.

She hugged him tightly to be able to whisper, "I can't accompany you in the race, but I'll help you win."

"How will you do that?" he asked in the same way.

"I'll be your eyes around the track when you look at it, and I'll be your eyes on the track if you need to fix something."

"We'll make it."

"Take care of yourself, Ani. I don't want anything to happen to you," at this point, she spoke again through their connection, as she always did, unconsciously.

With your help, I know nothing will happen to me, Astra.

Kids, we have to go now! Shmi called them, pulling them out of their bubble.

Once on the track, a Troig was in charge of introducing the racers of the race and the "eminent figures" of the Outer Rim. Nothing more than common criminals taking advantage of the lack of authority and governance. Jar Jar and Astra finished adjusting the propulsion parts, and Anakin checked the controls.

This is done, he turned a wrench quickly in his hand, placed it on his tool belt, and stepped back.

The racers started their engines, and the rest of their technical team stayed in a separate area. Astra ran towards where the racer's family was, as she would serve another purpose.

"You Jedi are reckless, the Queen isn't."

He interrupted her "The Queen trusts my judgment, young lady. Why don't you?"

She muttered under her breath "He assumes too much."

He retorted "And you lie too much."

She argued "You don't realize what's at stake; if he loses this race "

He interrupted her "No, you don't worry about things beyond your control, and that leads nowhere. You've been complaining since we arrived. If our methods bother you so much, suggest your own instead of criticizing even how we breathe."

While everyone adjusted their datapads to watch the race, she sat in the typical meditation position and used her Force ability to see what was happening around Anakin, isolating herself from whatever the others were saying. She also connected her eyes and senses with the boy's.

The first lap went smoothly until he passed through a cave and one of the racers collided with a stalactite, causing an explosion. After shots were fired by the Tusken Raiders, she didn't hesitate to help avoid all the shots, but one hit him.

During the second lap, one of the racers stopped for repairs, and their engines ended up damaged. She focused on helping to avoid collisions with other racers as much as she could. However, moving at high speeds like this was sometimes making it hard for her to concentrate fully. Then, due to an error, she managed to see clearly.

"Anakin, Anakin!" she called desperately, "Sebulba is cheating, he's throwing parts at the engines. Don't get behind him."

Anakin responded to her call, trying to spot her amidst the chaos around him.

"Astra," he called out upon hearing her, trying to look around.

"I'm at the finish line. Be careful!" she shouted when one of the engines disconnected, "I'll guide the path, you reconnect it."

Astra kept her focus on the path ahead while Ani worked to reconnect the engine, bringing their sight back to normal just in time to dodge all the shots.

At the beginning of the third lap, Ani stayed close to Sebulba. However, with each passing moment, it became harder for Astra to see. Her pained groan caught Qui-Gon's attention, and he touched her shoulder, trying to calm her. As they were about to reach the chasm, Sebulba pushed Ani into a series of lanterns that led to a ramp.

"I can see, but you were in charge of driving!" she scolded him, wishing she could give him a slap.

"It's not as easy as you think!" he snapped as he ascended the ramp.

"Use the momentum and overtake him, just don't... Don't crash this time," she pleaded wearily.

"Astra, Astra, what's wrong with you?"

"I'll be fine, accelerate as much as you can."

"You're too weak; I'll finish the race," he determined.

"No, Ani, I'll help you."

"You already did it, the rest is up to me."

With this sentence, he unconsciously severed the connection abruptly, causing her to stumble. Qui-Gon picked her up and continued watching the race.

"Is she okay?" Padme asked with concern.

"She's just tired; the sun doesn't agree with her."

"Blame it on the sun," she mumbled, snuggling into his neck.

Less than two minutes later, the crowd erupted in cheers. Anakin had won. They descended from the platform and rushed towards the Pod. Astra shifted, allowing herself to get down, and she tried to run to hug Anakin.

"You won, Ani, you won."

"No, Astra, we both won."

Qui-Gon lifted them both onto his shoulder and leapt in celebration. Then he gently set Anakin back on the ground and cradled his daughter in his arms.

"Using our abilities excessively like that is irresponsible," he whispered to her.

"I won't do it again, I swear," she exclaimed uneasily.

"Let's head to the hangar," Anakin called.

"I need to go talk to Watto. Astra, can you walk?" Qui-Gon began to sway her to wake her up.

"Give her to me, I'll take care of her," Shmi requested, taking Astra, "The sun is not good for you," she assured, covering Astra's head and walking towards the Eopie.

"If you carry Astra, someone else will have to walk," Padme indicated as she climbed onto hers.

"I'll use her speeder," Anakin yelled, grabbing it from Jar Jar.

By the time they reached the hangar, Astra felt much better, and she didn't need to be carried all the time anymore. Padme thanked Anakin, as she owed him everything at that moment. For the first time since Astra had known her, she felt that Padme was sincere and not so unfriendly.

Padme, Jar Jar, and R2 went with Qui-Gon to help load the parts, while Anakin went to Watto's shop, and Astra stayed with Shmi in the house, helping with chores during the short time they would be together.

"It's clear your father loves you."

"I wish he were my father, but he loves me with all his heart, and I love him," she commented, levitating a glass to the shelf.

"As a Jedi, you must have seen as many worlds as my son dreams of."

"I'm not a Jedi; I'm a Youngling."

"Youngling?" she asked, not understanding.

"Yes, a Youngling. Younglings are the children of the order, too young to go on missions. We're apprentices to Padawans. Padawans are Jedi apprentices like Obi-Wan. Younglings that have grown up have to learn, and for that, they're assigned a master to teach them. Then there are the Knights and Jedi Ladies, Padawans who completed their training and can start doing missions alone or with another Knight. And the highest rank, I think, is the Masters.

"The Masters?"

"Yes, Qui-Gon is a Master. He trains Obi-Wan, and once he becomes a Jedi, he'll train me. Masters are very important because there are no bad students, only bad Masters. They make sure we learn to listen to the Force and follow its will."

"Does the Force have will?"

"Yes, like this. That we met Ani and you is not a coincidence. The Force willed it so. If they had found him as a baby, I'm sure he would be even better than me," he affirmed, passing her a jug.

"Do you really care for my son, don't you?" she asked, going to a desk and sitting her on her lap.

"Mmh, I like being with him. Qui-Gon will try to free him, and if he can't, I promise I'll come back and free both of you. So he can see the Galaxy as he dreams, and you won't have to be far from your son."

"If they manage to free him. Will you promise to take care of him?"

"Of course, he's my first friend. I'll be a Jedi, and I'll protect him from everything, except Rathars. If he encounters one, I'll use it as bait and run away."

"I trust they won't encounter Rathars. You'll be very beautiful when you grow up. If I had a daughter, I wish she'd be like you."

"If I had a mom, I know she'd be like you," she murmured with a smile upon hearing the door open.

"Mom, we sold the Pod. Look how much money they gave us."

"That's wonderful, congratulations."

And Anakin is free now.

"What?" he questioned, surprised, as Shmi put Astra down on the floor.

"You're no longer a slave.

"You're free, Anakin," her friend pointed out as she passed by him and stood with her father.

"Did you hear that?" he said, astonished.

—"Now you can reach your dreams, Anakin. You're free. Will they take him with you? Will he become a Jedi?

—Yes, our meeting wasn't a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident," he explained in the same way as the girl.

—It means I'll travel with Astra and with you on your ship.

—Anakin, training to become a Jedi isn't easy, and even if you succeed, it's a tough life.

—But I want to do it. I've always dreamed of this. Say that I can go.

—Life put you on this path, and the decision is yours," the woman pointed out, remembering what the girl had said.

—I want to go with them.

—Then pack up, there isn't much time," she encouraged him with a smile.

—Yippee!" he exclaimed happily and took Astra's arm to lead her with him, stopping when he realized something. "What about Mom? You freed her too, right?

—I tried to free your mother, Ani, but Watto didn't agree.

—You'll come with us, Mom," he approached her.

—Ani, my place is here. My future is here," she took his hands and looked into his eyes. "It's time for you to leave.

—Everything will change, and I don't want it to.

—You can't prevent it from happening, just like you can't prevent the suns from setting," she calmly stated. "I love you. Now run."

—I'll protect him, I give you my word. Will he be alright?

The children managed to gather their things in the room and activated a C-3PO.

—Hello, Master Anakin, Miss Astra.

—Well, 3PO, now I'm free, and I'm going to travel on a starship.

—Master, you are my creator, and I wish you all the best, and of course to Miss Astra. But I must admit, I'd like to be a bit more complete.

—I'm sorry I couldn't finish you, 3PO. I didn't leave you covered and all that. You've been a great friend. I'll ask Mom not to sell you.

—Sell me?" he panicked.

—Don't worry, I'm just joking. If we ever come back, we'll finish covering you," he assured, smiling.

—Goodbye.

While Anakin finished collecting some things, Astra went to Shmi, who worriedly matched her height and asked.

—Astra, you don't lie to me. You helped Anakin in the race. Will I see my son again?

The girl took her hands and, closing her eyes, tried to distantly see the future, but it was very uncertain. She only sensed pain and strangeness. As she felt a tear run down her cheek, she said.

—The future isn't written, and it can always change. I don't know how many times, but you will undoubtedly see him before you die," she assured with a pained look.

—Once is enough for me.

The three walked out of the house, and Shmi stayed outside, watching them leave. Qui-Gon was in the lead, holding Astra's hand, and Anakin was one step behind. Suddenly, he stopped, and the elder noticed him hesitate before he ran to his mother and hugged her.

—I won't do it, Mom. I don't want to.

—Oh, Ani.

—Will I see you again someday?

—What does your heart tell you?" she asked with a smile.

—I hope so... Yes... Maybe.

—We'll see each other someday," she promised.

—I'll come to free you, Mom. I promise.

—Now be brave and don't look back. Don't regret," she pleaded and gently pushed him towards the two who were waiting for him, watching him march towards an unknown destiny.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Chut Chut Pateesa, I hope you're doing well.

And as promised, here's Chapter 4 of this beautiful story. I wanted to publish earlier, but one of the padawans was celebrating their 17th lifecycle day, and some of their friends asked for our help in organizing a surprise.

Speaking of Ani, between Padme and me, we almost broke a plant pot trying to hang the banners on the roof. (We were forbidden to use the Force to lift things after I dropped it on Master Windu at the age of 13.) Did you know that clones are incredibly good at doing the Macarena? We found that out today.

Anyway, as always, give it a like, comment, and follow me to know when I publish.

See you soon, sleep well. Guard yourselves from the Sith, my young padawans. Remember that "Liberty can die with the thunderous applause," and may the Force be with you.

[retrowaving1]

"Chervona Ruta", 1971 So, I've been obsessing over this 1971 Ukrainian musical so much that I decided to reanimate my tumbler account and create this little video extract with English subtitles. I would love to share this with the Internet mostly because I find this movie absolutely legendary, for multiple reasons. The film's name is Chervona Ruta ("The Red Rue") and it was inspired by one of the most famous Ukrainian song of the same name written by an iconic composer Volodymyr Ivasiuk. "Why is he iconic?", you might ask. Well, first of all, he made such a huge impact on Ukrainian music like no other composer ever did. His songs were inspired by popular Western music and Ukrainian ethnic motives, primarily by Hutsul culture. Together with an ensemble "Smerichka", and some other really cool composers of the time, he played a tremendous role in saving Ukrainian culture in the time of Soviet oppression. Moreover, he always composed in Ukrainian, which was very sassy for that moment in Ukrainian history, for a lack of a better word. He wasn't a political activist, like many other Ukrainian creators of the time, who were repressed for their worldview, yet he did a lot only using his own tool - music. Soviets knew that his impact is huge so, as it is widely stated today, he was murdered by them.

However, his death can only be a subject of much more professional investigation, not a post on tumbler. So, let's go back to "The Red Rue". The song itself was a huge success at the time and became a hit sung all over the Soviet Union. The lyrics, inspired by the legend of the red rue, a flower which brings love and happiness to one who finds it, is probably the most widely known text in the modern Ukraine. So the film was kind of a spin-off for this song, which is a masterpiece on its own. The plot of the film is fairly simple: a miner and musician Boris (played by Vasyl Zinkevich) from Donetsk (by the way, the city has been occupied by Russians since 2014) meets a singer Oksana (played by Sofia Rotaru) from the Western Ukraine on his way to the Carpathian Mountains. The couple fall in love with each other, but get departed after arriving to Yaremche, a famous town in the Carpathian Mountains which remains a popular tourist attraction to this day. The music, however... You guys, the music is perfect. I honestly believe that there are no fitting words to describe the beauty of the music in the film. Every song is an absolute treat to one's ears, very well written and wonderfully performed by lead actors and different ensembles of the time, including Smerichka, Karpaty and Rosynka. Even Ivasyuk gets a cameo in the movie. If you are in anyway interested in Ukrainian culture, art or music, I highly recommend watching this film, as it is available on the Youtube. There are no English subtitles, but I assure you, all of the songs are understandable whichever language you speak, if one listens to them with their heart. And don't mind the quality - the equipment that the crew possessed was far from perfect and the version you see on the Youtube is one of the few versions which survived, as most of the copies of the film were destroyed after Ivasyuk's death. Still, it's a wonder, but it's watchable and gives off this perfect retro vibe. Here's the link to the musical - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av3FZVui6fQ&t=598s

[60seccyberbrief]

Software Memory Safety

This week I got the pleasure of meeting the white house’s NSA director as he met with my school’s college of science department. It was very brief but a very informative and cool experience. One thing he did point out was the reports the NSA puts out, specifically one about Software Memory Safety. After reading this report some of the most notable takeaways I learned are, how critical memory safety is for modern software security. The report emphasizes that many vulnerabilities stem from memory management issues, such as buffer overflows and memory leaks, which can be exploited by malicious actors. The report goes on to say how we commonly use C and C++ as they provide a lot of freedom and flexibility in memory management, but they rely much on the programmer to perform the needed checks on memory references. Which in turn, can lead to simple mistakes and exploitable memory-based vulnerabilities. They go on to recommend using a memory-safe language, when possible, like Rust, Java, C#, Go, Ruby, and Python to name a few can significantly reduce these memory risks. NSA states, “Memory is managed automatically as part of the computer language; it does not rely on the programmer adding code to implement memory protections. The language institutes automatic protections using a combination of compile-time and runtime checks. These inherent language features protect the programmer from introducing memory management mistakes unintentionally.”

 Another key point was the role of testing—tools like static and dynamic analysis can help detect memory issues early in the development process. If stuck using a non-memory-safe language, this mechanism can help harden these languages. Static analysis examines the source of the code to find potential issues. It allows all the code to be analyzed and can be used throughout the development process. However, static analysis can be prone to generate false positives by identifying potential issues incorrectly. Dynamic analysis examines code while it is in execution. Dynamic analysis has much fewer false positives than static analysis but has to have a running application. This means most of the issues might not be identified until late in the development cycle. Both have their place in the testing cycle but exceed if employed correctly.

Source:

[no-code-chatbot-builder]

Transforming My Business with WhatsApp Business Automation Features.

Running a business often feels like juggling multiple tasks at once. There’s customer service to manage, orders to fulfill, invoices to send, and so much more. As my business grew, it became clear that keeping up with customer inquiries while ensuring operations ran smoothly was becoming more and more challenging. I needed a solution—a way to streamline communication and optimize how I managed my business interactions.

That's when I discovered WhatsApp Business Automation. It wasn’t just about sending messages faster; it was about transforming the way I engaged with customers, managed inquiries, and kept my business running efficiently. I had already heard about chatbots and automation tools, but what intrigued me most was the idea of using Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot for Business Automation. This seemed like the perfect solution for someone like me, running a growing business and needing to automate repetitive tasks while maintaining a personal touch.

The First Step : Understanding WhatsApp Business Automation Features

At first, I wasn’t sure how WhatsApp Business could fit into my business model. It seemed like just another messaging tool. But as I explored the platform's automation features, I realized how powerful it could be.

With WhatsApp Business, you can automate several key functions that directly impact the customer experience :

Automated Greeting Messages : First impressions matter, especially in business. With Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot, I was able to set up automated greeting messages for new customers or anyone reaching out for the first time. This immediately helped me create a welcoming atmosphere without being glued to my phone 24/7.

Quick Replies : Often, I found myself answering the same questions repeatedly—questions like “What are your hours?” or “How do I make a booking?”. The quick replies feature let me set up predefined responses for frequently asked questions. Not only did this save me time, but it also ensured that customers always received accurate and prompt answers.

Away Messages : No more worrying about missed inquiries after hours! One of the most useful automation features was the away message. Whenever I was unavailable, customers received an automatic response letting them know when I’d be back or offering alternative solutions.

Catalog and Ordering : WhatsApp Business also allows businesses to upload a catalog of products or services. For me, this feature was a game-changer. Customers could browse my offerings, ask questions, and even place orders—all within the chat interface. It felt like I had created a mini-e-commerce site right within WhatsApp, and the Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot for Business Automation handled much of the process seamlessly.

Implementing Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot for Business Automation

While the built-in features of WhatsApp Business were incredibly helpful, I realized I needed something more tailored to handle the growing volume of requests and interactions. That’s when I turned to Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot for Business Automation.

The transition was smooth and the benefits were immediate. The Botbuz Chatbot allowed me to integrate more sophisticated automation into my WhatsApp Business account, taking care of tasks like lead generation, customer follow-ups and appointment scheduling. Here’s how it worked for me :

Automating Customer Support : With Botbuz, I set up a system that automatically categorized customer inquiries and routed them to the correct department. Whether it was sales, billing, or general support, the chatbot ensured each request went to the right place without me having to manually intervene.

Sales Funnel Management : One of the most impressive features of the Botbuz Chatbot was its ability to guide customers through a sales funnel. From the moment someone sent a “Hi” to my WhatsApp, the chatbot engaged them with questions, offered product recommendations based on their preferences, and even completed orders directly in the chat. It was like having a virtual sales assistant available around the clock.

Customer Follow-Ups : Keeping track of customer engagement can be overwhelming. But Botbuz’s automated follow-up messages were a lifesaver. The chatbot sent follow-ups to customers who hadn’t completed an order, offering them gentle reminders or promotions to encourage action. It also thanked customers post-purchase and invited them to provide feedback.

Custom Workflows : One of the standout features was the ability to create custom workflows. For example, when a customer placed an order, the Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot would automatically update them with order status, delivery tracking and even send a thank-you message once the order was fulfilled.

Personal Experience : How Automation Improved My Business

The more I used the WhatsApp Business automation features and the Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot, the more I realized how much time I was saving. I no longer had to worry about missed inquiries or spending hours responding to repetitive questions. Instead, I could focus on the bigger picture—growing my business.

Here are some specific ways it helped me :

Enhanced Customer Engagement : The automated greeting and quick replies ensured that customers always felt attended to, even if I wasn’t personally available. This improved customer satisfaction and reduced the likelihood of losing potential leads.

Efficient Sales Process : The Botbuz Chatbot’s ability to guide customers through the sales funnel meant that inquiries turned into purchases faster. This not only increased my sales but also improved the overall shopping experience for customers.

Better Time Management : Automation freed up my time to focus on other aspects of my business, such as marketing, product development and customer relationship building. Knowing that my WhatsApp communication was handled smoothly allowed me to be more productive.

Data Insights : With the analytics tools provided by Botbuz, I could track which messages were performing well, how quickly inquiries were being resolved and which products were most popular. This data allowed me to make informed decisions about how to improve my business strategies.

Why WhatsApp Business Automation is Essential for Modern Businesses

In today’s fast-paced digital world, customers expect quick responses and seamless experiences. Manual processes can’t keep up with the demand, which is why business automation through tools like the Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot is essential.

Automation not only saves time but also improves customer interactions by providing timely, relevant responses. With features like quick replies, away messages and personalized workflows, businesses can maintain a professional and consistent presence, even when they’re not online.

Moreover, the ability to integrate catalogs and manage orders directly within WhatsApp makes it easier for customers to make purchasing decisions without having to leave the platform. This streamlined experience leads to higher conversion rates and increased customer satisfaction.

Final Thoughts

My journey with WhatsApp Business Automation and Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot for Business Automation has been nothing short of transformative. What began as a quest to manage my time more effectively has turned into a complete overhaul of how I engage with customers and run my business.

The ability to automate repetitive tasks, streamline communication, and offer personalized interactions has not only saved me countless hours but has also improved my customer satisfaction and sales. If you're looking to enhance your business operations and provide top-notch customer service, I highly recommend embracing WhatsApp Business Automation and exploring what Botbuz WhatsApp Chatbot can do for you.

[noah-moth-cursed-chaos]

The young man who sat in front of the camera looked… tired. Miserably so. He always did, tired, bruised, exhausted, but this may just be a new height. This wasn’t just ‘tired’ this was ‘defeat’. This was ‘my life isn‘t in my control anymore and I’m stuck in hell’.

But nonetheless he started the recording.

“My name is Tristan Oleander Oslac, better known around Cassidy Labs as Researcher Oslac, or Ollie. I am with the spectral research department, and have made leaps and bounds in what little is known about the ways ghosts form and function since I was hired seven years ago. Of course this research does not align with my boss’ goals and therefore has been kept strictly under lock and key. Regardless my methods have given us priceless information. And one thing I’ve noticed is most supernatural creatures, not limited to spirits, gather in groups for various reasons. For some, like vampires and witches for example, it is mainly due to safety in numbers. For others such as werewolves or angels it is because they’re naturally social creatures. And then, as for specters and demons, some gain more power the more of their kind they gather near. It is no coincidence the strongest hauntings manifest in places with the most spirits.” He paused, “And that means threats to supernatural populations spread quickly. A particularly spunky group of demon slayers can wipe out an entire pit in weeks if they know the right poisons to use. Avian flu can take down entire flocks of angels just like that.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “Large concentrations of curses are one of the most deadly things for a group of supernaturals. They feed of the suffering of magical creatures like nothing else, and therefore given the chance, despite their usual hesitation to do so, will latch without hesitation. A curse latching has only one result, no matter how slow or fast: Death. It’s why witches spent so long domesticating the damn things. They’re a terrifying tool to have on your side.” He glanced at something behind the camera, maybe halfway up the wall, “My boss has recently gained a concerning fascination with them. He wants to know how they’re created, how they spread, how they gain power, everything. And he’s been getting them shipped in from anywhere they’ve been captured. The lab is crawling with the little shits and I know he’s letting them get out into the streets.” He frowned, “I have not had good experiences with the supernatural. I have the gift, a special type of clairvoyance which allows you to not only see spirits but causes you to influence the way they act near you, and my influence seems to… attract them and amplify the driving emotions in them. It’s good for research and bad for continuing to be alive, I guess… my parents are who I gained these abilities from, and their own abilities lead them to their deaths, and many of my decisions in life have been made solely so I and the people I love do not meet that fate. So if anyone can understand a fear of the supernatural it’s me. But… they still deserve to exist, just like any of us. They don’t deserve to be hunted or hurt simply for existing. Most of them are just people trying to get by the day to day. They didn’t ask to be the way they are and it’s unfair to punish them for it. But… Dr.Cassidy is powerful, and my attempts to go against him in the past have ended… less than ideally. So at this time I am unsure how to approach or counteract the problem at hand.”

One thing Kyou Oslac was learning all too well recently is that curse tamers are awful, and curses are sticky when you kill them. Literally. They explode into a pile of the most awful mush you’ve ever encountered and sure, after a few hours it dissolves as the thing loses its physical form but it’s still gross.

And she was fucking coated in the shit.

She tried not to cry as she trudged through the city, trying to think of where she could wash off at 2 am, or if she’d just have to wait it out covered in curse mush.

It started pouring.

Well. Curse mush is also highly dissolvable. So that solved one problem and caused another.

Because puffer jackets are heavy as hell soaking wet.

“I gotta get home…” Kyou took a deep breath and continued walking, ignoring the water quickly soaking into her sneakers. She had a lot of things she had to do.

She had to figure out what she was eating for dinner, if she could get dinner.

She had to try to figure out where all the curses were coming from and why so many of them were tamed but just… set lose.

And she had to figure out where the curse tamer taming them was, and how to stop them.

But for right now, getting out of the rain was a good first step on the to do list.

She tried not to think about how she shouldn’t really be worried about any of this, how she should be a normal 15 year old doing normal 15 year old things like homework or trying to figure out what colleges she wanted to apply to.

Because she didn’t have that choice.

Because everyone else seemed to either not care or not know how to make things better around here. And she did care. And she was willing to figure it out.

So it had to be her.

[physicsphddiary]

2023 Week 50

I think that putting my work notes into weekly pages has helped a lot with keeping it consistent. They are quite nice now.

The paper derived from my Master's thesis was just published (13th). I'm not the first author because my supervisor took over after I was too busy moving. Still, it's weird to see something that's like 70-80% stuff I wrote over a two week mad rush at the end of my degree be in a journal. I guess I can call myself a scientist now (though perhaps would like to leave that until I have a first author paper aha).

I'm going home on Wednesday, so today will probably be the last day I do any work. I think I'm wrapped up though. I've planned out my paper, got every figure that I want, I just need to write it now. I have a meeting with my supervisor on Tuesday to let them know what I'm going to do and make sure I've got a complete story, but I think I've got something nice about the behaviour of fronts due to instabilities.

I suppose while writing I have to think about what to do next. I've got a couple things I'm thinking about, but will likely wait until after my conference in February to hear what people have to say. I still need to apply for a funding thing for that. I have until April. I still need to prepare a poster and presentation.

Anyway, if I can get this paper properly drafted by around late January I think I'll be on quite a good pace for my degree, that's a paper and a conference before I've even qualified and officially become a PhD candidate. That happens in April or so too, I have to assemble a committee by the end of January (did I mention this before?). I've already got one member, my second one is someone who is joining the department next year and is probably the closest to what I do right now.

Here's a nice (unlabelled) plot that I think contains the lead of my paper, that the flow around a strong enough front behaves as a trapped inertial wave forced by an initial instability. It's not entirely a realistic setup but it's a response to a paper from someone else that used the same setup, and I'm trying to explain what's going on in a more lucid way (they didn't simulate for long enough to capture this behaviour). I want to look at more realistic setups of the same thing later, that's probably the way I want to go. It would be cool to simulate the evolution all the way from large to small scales, and I can use this tool I spent a while thinking about in like August/September to do it. I could also try writing my own simulation code that does these two-scale simulations. (I don't really know how to explain what it is that I think is possible to do, and I also don't know whether it's even a useful thing.) That would be a lot of coding though and I'd have to get a lot better at debugging than I am now (not very).

I got some locally roasted coffee to take home yesterday. Hopefully it's not too long after it was roasted (I think it was the 5th). I hope I'm done with presents now. I just want to sit in my room all weekend.

I'll try to update while I'm at home.

Cassi