#i had a lot of fun designing the roll table for the control panel room

[bees-n-bones]

week 3!

highlights include; the designroom connected to that clone lab from last week (complete with working gun-wall!), a room with two chambers labeled imaging and response, and a large control panel wich can do stuff like start playing caramelldansen with a light show, or self destruct the entire facility :D

[d3-iseefire]

Nevermore Chapter Seven

Arkenstone boasted a monster sized parking garage set behind the main complex, and that fact alone nearly had Bilba turning around and going home right then and there. She hated parking garages, and an isolated parking garage late at night was nothing short of a nightmare. 

It was only when she recalled the image of an injured werewolf prince facing off against a creep to protect her that she gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and drove in.

Drove in down a steep ramp, which meant the first level was underground.

Of course it was.  

She spotted an entrance to the mall, marked with white lettering and signs, and parked as close to it as she could get. This late at night, there was only a smattering of cars and her footsteps seemed to echo like rifle shots as she hurried toward the metal door. 

The ground floor where she entered, was the mall itself, wide corridors lined with shops of all kinds on both sides. Quite a few were shuttered but with Arkenstone being a 24 hour venue just as many were still open. Down the center of the tiled corridor were still more booths, boasting everything from jewelry to candy to exotic foods and more. 

As she passed a storefront featuring cinnamon rolls, Bilba was surprised to hear her stomach rumble. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked at something fun like that and actually felt hungry. She ate because she had to, not usually because she wanted to. 

She spotted a large map of the mall on a nearby wall and headed toward it to make sure she knew where she was going. The lounge/restaurant/thingy for which the entire complex was named was on the top floor. According to the map, she needed a bank of elevators on the exact opposite side of the mall from where she’d entered. 

Figured.

She walked quickly toward that end, eyes fixed on the floor in front of her and arms wrapped tightly around her torso. There weren’t very many people out this late, not on this floor anyway, but it still made her uncomfortable. She didn’t like being in public. It was too easy for Lotho, or one of his lackeys, to hide in a crowd and watch her without her knowing. She could walk back out to her car and find them waiting, or get dragged into a dark corner the second she let her guard down. 

The elevators came into view and she rushed to push the button to summon the car. When it opened the entire inside appeared to be polished quartz panels with gold trim and a marble floor. Bilba stepped in hesitantly, and the doors slid shut soundlessly behind her. 

She hit the button that had an ornate A under it, and pressed back into a corner of the car. She felt the drop in her stomach signaling the car had started to move and tried to force herself to relax. 

She didn’t do well in enclosed spaces anymore. Things like elevators, public restrooms, anywhere with only one way in or out. Places where she lost the ability to control when, how, or if, she exited. 

The button she’d pushed went dark and, with a quiet ding, the door slid smoothly open onto the most opulent, and extravagant lounge Bilba had ever seen. The far side featured massive panes of window glass stretching from the floor to the ceiling. She’d never noticed windows from the front of the building, which meant they must boast a spectacular view of the hills and far off mountains that lay behind the complex. 

During the day at least. Currently, they were simply black rectangles, and served to remind her of the risk she was taking being out this late. Her eyes caught on doors at the bottom of several panes and, for a brief second, she let herself imagine sitting at a table out there, sipping on a drink and reading a book. Nothing but a beautiful landscape, and the rustle of leaves on nearby trees. 

It must be peaceful. 

She pulled her mind from that particular fantasy, and focused on the rest of the room. It was massive, and just...overwhelming to be perfectly honest. Chandeliers and marble and quartz sparkled from seemingly every corner. The place seemed to be a hybrid more than a true lounge, complete with a small dance floor and what looked like a full service kitchen. There were areas with couches and televisions, other spaces with expensive, leather covered booths, and still more sections that looked designed to just let people sit and talk. 

A massive, winding staircase led up to a balcony style second level while, on the main level, she could see several raised portions that appeared to be private seating. There was quiet music playing over the entire room, almost drowning out the quiet clink of silverware, soft noise from a few television sets and the low drone of chattering voices. 

Wringing the hem of her shirt in her hands, Bilba stepped hesitantly out of the elevator. It was fine. She’d just...go in and...do..something. She didn’t expect to see the prince himself but maybe she could...talk to someone or...or maybe…

Her thoughts trailed off as her eyes, moving over the room, landed on a small, sectioned off part of the floor elevated about ten or so feet above the main floor. It was in the back, and shadowed, consisting of a single table with a group of people seated at it. 

The one that drew her attention was a young woman with a veritable mane of flaming, scarlet hair but, next to her, was a young, dark haired man, sitting in profile so all she could see was the side of his face 

Bilba fumbled out her phone and quickly recalled the search she’d done that had given her the prince’s name. The picture popped up and she studied it before looking up again to try and compare it to the young man at the table. 

When she did, she nearly dropped her phone because the young man in question was definitely the prince, and he was currently staring directly at her. 

The entire table was, in fact, and not just them. She could still hear the music, and the televisions, but the chatter had died down entirely. Everywhere she looked she saw eyes, all staring directly at her. 

This had been a mistake. Such a massive mistake. Bilba shuffled backward, her hands dragging on her shirt hem. What had she been thinking? She didn’t belong here. She had to leave. Just leave. 

She whirled around, and bit back a shriek as she nearly ran into a massive man suddenly standing directly behind her. He was like one of those guys she saw sometimes in weight lifting competitions. He was bald on the top of his head, but instead of trying to hide it he’d chosen to simply tattoo his scalp. 

“Can I help you?” his voice was gravely, almost a growl that sent a chill up her spine. He crossed his arms over his chest, causing his muscles to bulge in a way that probably led to a lot of burst seams in his suit jackets and dress shirts. 

Bilba shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I thought this area was public access.”

“It is,” he said flatly. “Can I help you?”

Bilba hesitated. She forced herself to let go of her shirt before she put a hole in it, and turned to glance back toward the table on that small, raised level. 

It was empty. 

Empty, and everyone else in the room was still staring at her. 

“Um--” Bilba turned back toward the enormous man, half turned again to the now empty table and came to the unescapable realization that she’d made a horrific mistake. Again. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I made a mistake. I need to go.”

She edged slowly around the man, toward the elevator. He turned, following her movements but, to her surprise, didn’t attempt to stop her. 

Bilba got on the elevator and fumbled for the buttons, finally finding the one for the bottom floor and rapidly pushed it. The door slid closed, and she collapsed against the wall. She felt like she’d run a marathon and slowly allowed herself to slide down the wall into a crouch. 

What had she been thinking? He was a prince. Of course she couldn’t just march over and talk to him. The fact he’d even been there to begin with had been a massive shock. 

She shoved a hand through her hair, and flinched as it caught on a few knots and pulled painfully. . 

“Now what?” she whispered. She still had a mostly unconscious werewolf prince in her bed, and was no closer to finding him help. Maybe the pain medication would somehow get him to wake up enough to give her a phone number? 

She let out a groan, wrapped her arms around her legs and dropped her head on her knees. This was exhausting...she was exhausted. She had work in the morning and then she’d need to ready the house for when, not if, Lotho showed up and then a million other things that she did to keep herself from having to stop and think too much. 

She didn’t have time for any of this. 

Guilt hit her. Fili had been there for her when she’d needed him, and here she was begrudging the fact that he needed her to return the favor?

She really was just a terrible person, wasn’t she?

The elevator slowed to a stop on the ground floor and she pushed to her feet as the door dinged and slid open, to an almost entirely empty level. 

Bilba hesitated. There had been people earlier, hadn’t there? Not many, but some.

She stepped out slowly, almost peeking out before taking the risk of fully committing to leaving the elevator car. Maybe it was just this area that was empty and, as soon as she got off, she’d see --

Emptiness.

The whole floor, in both directions, and there was no distant sound to suggest anyone was out of eyesight either. Bilba suppressed a chill. Just relax. She was making a mountain out of a molehill. It was late, and there hadn’t been a lot of people to begin with. A movie had probably just started, or perhaps something in the underground entertainment complex had just opened. This was probably perfectly normal, she just didn’t know because she’d never come before. 

She began walking, probably faster than absolutely necessary...except for the fact that it certainly felt absolutely necessary. 

She passed by an open storefront and glanced inside, only for it to appear as empty as the rest of the floor. It was a clothing store, she chided herself, and it was late. There was probably only one person working and they were just in the back. Same with the next store...and the next...and the one after that. 

By the fourth seemingly empty store, Bilba’s walk was just under a jog. She kept her eyes fixed on her feet, and tried her best to listen for any sort of sound over the quiet music blaring over the loudspeakers. 

It couldn’t be Lotho. He didn’t have the kind of...whatever it was that would be needed to empty out the floor, especially of employees who were paid to be there. 

She wanted to go back to the house. She never should have come here. It had been a mistake, one in a long list of mistakes she seemed to forever be making throughout the course of her life. 

The door to the parking garage beckoned and she hurried toward it, feeling only a light modicum of relief as she pushed out into the darkened complex. 

It was eerily quiet. No sounds of other cars, or people coming or going, not even the noise of traffic outside. She headed toward her car, mind instinctively going to every horror movie she’d ever seen that involved a woman walking alone at night. 

She was both surprised and relieved to make it to her car, and even more so when she looked in and saw the backseat was empty. For a brief moment in time, it felt like the universe was giving her a break. A second of fortune in a flood of misfortune. She felt almost normal, for a second.

And then she slid her key into the ignition, turned it...and the engine refused to turn over. 

Bilba’s heart jolted and she tensed. She turned the key again, and mentally prayed as the engine tried, and failed, to turn over. 

“Oh, you have to be kidding me,” she breathed. She turned the key again, and again after that, only to hear the same sounds of a motor struggling, and failing, to catch. She released the key, and sank back in the seat, silence draping over her like a shroud. 

Bilba closed her eyes, and let out a breath. Okay, she told herself. It was going to be fine. Just let it be for a minute, then turn the key again and --

Someone knocked on the window next to her. 

Bilba shrieked and jumped so hard she hit her head against the roof of her car. 

Outside the car, the man who’d startled her gave her a guilty look. He was probably a decade or two older than her, tall and fit with shoulder length, ash-blonde hair and a close shaven beard. He gave her a friendly grin, which did nothing at all to ease Bilba’s anxiety. She forced a smile and gave what she hoped passed for a friendly wave, hoping he’d get the message and leave. 

Instead, he leaned in closer, hands shoved in the pockets of the leather jacket he wore. “Car trouble?” 

His voice was muffled by the glass and, with a sense of dread, Bilba turned the ignition key just enough to allow her to roll the window down part way. “A little. I’m sure it’s fine though, sometimes it just takes a minute or two to warm up.”

“Why don’t  you pop the hood and I’ll take a look?”

Bilba bit back the desire to ask him if he was a mechanic and would therefore have any clue as to what he was doing.. “I’m sure it’s fine. I can just call a tow truck.”

“Not from in here you can’t.” He pointed at the thick concrete over their head. “Come on, I can at least walk you inside if you’re looking for cell service.”

And then what, Bilba thought. He could be just genuinely trying to help, or he could be one of those types that helped with the expectation of being repaid somehow. Usually, they expected a date or something along those lines, and then proceeded to get aggressive or angry when, instead, they simply received gratitude. 

The man clearly had no intention of leaving, which left her with few options. She could stay in her car and risk him getting angry, or she could get out to try and find cell service and hope he’d leave her alone once they were back inside and surrounded by people. 

The image of the empty floor came to mind and the sense of dread increased. This entire endeavor had been a terrible idea. If only she could rewind time until she was back in the rental house. She’d still have a sick werewolf prince to deal with, but at least she wouldn’t be stuck in her current situation. 

She opened the door. The man moved back a few steps and Bilba carefully got out. She pulled her purse strap over her head to wear it crossbody and clutched it as if it were a lifeline. 

The man grinned broadly. “Great, let’s go.”

He made no attempt to introduce himself, and Bilba didn’t want to create a false sense of intimacy by asking. Instead she hunched her shoulders and walked quickly back toward the mall entrance. She tried to outpace him, but his size advantage allowed him to keep up with her easily. 

She reached the door, grabbed the handle, and pulled. 

It didn’t budge. 

“Damn,” the man’s voice came from directly behind her. “I didn’t realize how late it was. They must have closed already.”

“Closed?” Bilba turned, only to realize she was now caught between the man in front of her and the door behind her. “I thought it was a 24 hour venue.”

“It is,” the man agreed. “But the mall still locks down at a certain point. If you’re already in Arkenstone, or down in Ered Luin you’re fine but, if you leave, you can’t come back until the mall reopens and if you’re outside when the mall closes--” His words trailed off, and he shrugged. 

“Oh.” Bilba gripped her purse strap with both hands again and tugged on it anxiously. Now what? “I -- um --” she turned away from him, and spotted the sloped pavement she’d driven down to enter the garage. “I’ll need to go outside, I guess, to get a signal.”

She gave him a hesitant smile, and started toward the exit. Behind her, his footsteps followed and Bilba quickened her pace in response. It was just as dark outside as it was in, but at least it’d be more open, right? More people around, hopefully. He wasn’t Lotho, so no one else should be in danger. 

About a dozen feet ahead of her, a shadow shifted and Bilba bit back a gasp as a stranger stepped into view from behind a pillar. As he took several steps closer, the shadows fell away to reveal the tattooed man from the lounge. He stopped several feet away from her, crossed his arms and then just...stood there. 

Movement came from her other side and a second man stepped into view and took up a matching position. This man was older with a strong build and salt and pepper hair. A thick scar ran from the center of his forehead down through his right eye, leaving it a milky, dull white. 

A low, guttural growl echoed through the garage and Bilba’s blood froze in her veins. 

At the top of the ramp leading out of the garage, an enormous, coal black wolf appeared. It was smaller than Fili with a slimmer build but was no less massive. 

It lowered its head and let out another growl, lips curling back to reveal vicious looking, curved fangs. 

Bilba bit back a whimper as a vivid image of those teeth ripping into her flashed through her mind. The wolf took a step forward, and she instinctively backed up, only to run into someone who lightly grabbed her upper arms to steady her.  

She’d completely forgotten about the man who’d originally spoken to her at her car. He was looking past her at the wolf with a flat expression. 

 It, meanwhile, was still approaching. Bilba tried to move, unsure of where she was going to go but just wanting to go somewhere else, only to have the man behind her tighten his grip to hold her in place. 

The wolf moved into a darker section of the garage where the lights set in the ceiling didn’t reach. The shadows themselves seemed to shift and, when they released him, it was a man who strode out instead of a wolf. 

And not just any man bit the dark haired prince whose picture had come up when she’d searched the name Kili online. In those images the man had been smiling and carefree. He was anything but now. His body was wound as tight as a bow string, and the look in his eyes was hard enough to strike her dead on the spot if they held the power. 

He strode right up to her, towering over her and, when he spoke, it was as if he’d carried the wolf over into his voice. “You have ten seconds to tell me where the hell my brother is, and why you’re soaked in his blood. Start talking.”

Continue Reading on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27298015/chapters/66695635

[emgkheadcannons]

Their First Christmas

Colson has no idea what to get Marshall for Christmas. The man has everything he could want, and if he didn’t then he could go out and buy it. Yeah, all the help Marshall has done to make a better living with his art, has helped him financially, and he can comfortably afford a gift for the man, but what! He has been racking his brain, to no avail. He knew he could draw something for Marshall but whatever he tried to draw didn’t feel right, or didn’t look right to him. Christmas was four and a half weeks away, he needed to pick a project or find something else for him.

He could do a mural on one of the walls of Marshall's house, like a superhero one in his comic book room, but he hasn’t been to Marshall’s house, or even seen the room.

He could buy him some clothes, but Colson wants the gift to be more personal than just some shirts or sweats.

It finally hits him, the day before Thanksgiving. He could do a custom paint job on a pair of shoes. Marshall loves Nike, especially Air Maxes. He has some friends who customize clothes and shoes, who have a lot of the supplies and could help him. He would have to also buy any specific dye, thread, paint, and fabric he might need, but the basics would be there.

Colson sends a few quick texts, and a phone call before looking up who had the best sales on Air Maxes for Black Friday. With a plan in place Colson feels better, and starts to think of a mock up for the shoes.

A week later Colson has the shoes, Nike Air Max 90, a few different designs, and his friends are game to help him with his project. First he has to decide on a design. Did he want to do an artsy design and have them be more of a display shoe, or did he want to do something more practical that Marshal could wear all the time. Some of the designs he liked more than the others. One incorporates all of Marshall’s albums. There was a Detroit themed design, but being from Cleveland, Colson just couldn't bring himself to make that one. He also had one that was based off of his comic, since that is what brought them together, but Colson wants to save that. If these shoes turn out well he will make those as a thank you present for the older man.

Colson decided on a blue ombre design that was very wearable. The main body of the shoe would fade from white to dark blue, with black, white, and gray accents.

It took Colson about a week and a half to finish the shoes, but the end result was perfect. He even made a custom box for them. Now he just has to wait to exchange presents.

******

Marshall couldn’t decide what to get Colson for Christmas. Should he get him art supplies, if so which ones? Should he get him a couple of oversized sweaters that he loves to wear? Was it okay for him to buy Colson jewelry? How much can he buy for Colson before he makes the younger man uncomfortable? He has no idea, or too many ideas.

Hailey and Whitteny drag him out shopping with them for some last minute gifts. Marshall sees a display for wool socks. They are really soft to the touch. Marshall’s first thought was that Colson would love these. He grabs a couple of pairs, before he heads over to the sweaters. Marshall has noticed Colson has been wearing more sweaters as it gets colder. He finds a nice soft, thick sweater.

As he goes to find his daughters, something catches his eye.

It’s a black leather jacket with a pink panel on one sleeve and a red one on the other, and a big yellow poster looking panel, for the diesel theater on the back. It screamed Colson. Marshall grabs it, along with a sweater, and some warm socks he had already picked out.

His daughters notice the clothes but don’t say anything. Once home he sits down to wrap the gifts, excited to see Colson’s face when he opens them.

******

A few days before Christmas, Marshall is over at Colson’s apartment, trading off on which movie is next. Colson sings along to all the songs in White Christmas, which Marshall finds adorable. They are snacking on some homemade sugar cookies, and hot cocoa Colson made. As Marshal looks around the apartment, he notices all the cute decorations. The apartment is small but homey. Colson has a small Christmas tree overflowing with a miss mass of ornaments, there is garland hanging under his tv, and he even has a sprig of mistletoe hanging near the doorway. He can’t help but think what it would be like to catch Colson under the mistletoe.

“Hey, want to exchange gifts?” the blond asks.

Marshall notices that the movie is over and the credits are now rolling. He had zoned out thinking out kissing the pretty artist, on the couch next to him.

“Sure, that sounds great.”

Colson gets up, and goes over to his tree, and picks up a box with blue paper, and snowflakes all over it. Marshall does the same but grabs two boxes with red and white stripes on them.

Once back on the couch, Marshall hands over his boxes. “You go first.”

Colson shrugs, lifting the first box, rips the paper off, and lifts the lid. Inside are some warm looking socks and a very nice sweater. “Oh, man thanks. This is so perfect.” Colson takes off the sweater he was wearing and slides the new one on, giving Marshall a bit of a show. “It’s so warm, and soft, and so are these socks” he says as he wraps his arms around himself.

“I’m glad you like it, but don’t forget you have another box.”

Colson goes for the second box, much like the first, rips the paper off, lifts the lid, but then freezes. He slowly lifts the jackets out of the box, looking between it and Marshall.

“How did you Know?”

Marshall rubs the back of his head. “I didn’t. I just saw it and thought of you.”

Colson gets up to try the jacket on, and it fits perfectly. He pins around and shows it off to Marshall, happy that his gift is such a success. Colson then goes in for a hug, wrapping his arms around the older man. “Thank you. I love my gifts.” Marshall returns the hug and they stay there for a moment before breaking apart. Colson slides the jacket off, folding it neatly, and placing it back in the box and setting both of his boxes on the coffee table.

“Your turn.” Colson says as he hands him a box.

Marshall removes the paper to see a box with the MGK on it. He looked questioningly over at the artist.

“My friends helped me make the box.”

Marshall opens the box and is greeted with some custom Nike Air Max 90’s. He picks one up to get a better look.

“Damn, these are nice. Where did you get these?”

“I… uh… customized them myself.”

“These are dope. Thank you Colson.”

Marshall snaps a few pictures, then tries them on. They fit perfectly. He models them for Colson, like the younger man did with his sweater and jacket.

“I’m glad you like them.”

They clean up the wrapping, and settle back down for another move. The next movie they watch is Marshall’s choice and he chooses Krampus. Colson has told him about the German folklore, and he thinks the movie is fun, he didn’t realize that the blond can’t handle horror movies. The more they watch, the closer Colson scoots to him. About 30 minutes in he is flush against Marshall’s side, with his feet tuct to the side. Marshall puts his arm around him. They sit like this for most of the movie, with Colson sometimes hiding his face in Marshall’s shoulder.

The credits begin to roll, Marshall looks at Colson, who has his face buried in his shoulder. He takes a moment to appreciate having the comic artist so close.

“Hey, the movies over. You can look.”

Colson raises his head, looking the older man in the eye, their lips only a few inches apart. Marshall’s breath hitches, Colson looks like a dream. His face is flush from hiding it, his eyes have a watery sheen to them, and his lips are red and slightly swollen, probably from him biting them. Marshall can’t help himself. He leans forward, sealing their lips together. Colson returns the kiss immediately. They move and shift, continuing their kiss.

Marshall’s is now leaning against the armrest, one hand tangling in the blond’s hair, the other resting on his waist. Colson’s hands are grabbing the rapper's shirt tightly, as he practically lays on Marshall’s chest.

When they finally break apart, both are gasping for breath. Marshall looks down, cracks a smile, and chuckles. Colson looks at him quizzically.

“If I had known that would have been your response, I would have kissed you the day we met.”

“You ignored me the day we met. Remember?” Colson snickers. “But yeah. I wish we had done that sooner.”

They share another kiss. This one is sweeter, and shorter than the previous one. Once they have pulled back Colson asks, “So where do we go from here?”

“Depends. What do you want?”

“I don’t want this to be a one night stand, or a friends’ with benefits, or anything like that.”

“Same here. I would really like to try dating you Colson. Would you be okay with that?”

“Are you asking me out?” Colson asks with a grin.

Marshall sighs deeply, knowing what he is getting into, but still replies. “Yes, I am asking you out.”

“Good. The answer is yes by the way. I would love to go on another date with you.”

“Another?”

“Yeah, I’m counting this one as our first.”

“Good idea.”

Marshall grabs the controller and selects Klaus as their next movie. They share a few more kisses, then Colson lays his head back down on Marshall’s chest, and the older man starts to run his fingers through his hair.

The two sit there for a while, before Colson speaks again.

“Hey, Marshall?”

“Hmm.”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, to you too, Colson.”

The shoes

[aweebwrites]

The Visit

“Hey Mom, would it be ok if I hung out at Dad's for a while?” Lloyd asked Koko as she pick up her bag for work.

“With your father?” Koko asked him after a pause. “In a volcano…” She added slowly, not sure how she felt about her son hanging around an active volcano.

“Come on mom, I'm the green ninja, remember? I can handle myself.” He reminded and she pursed her lips at his wide green eyes trying to guilt trip her.

“Ok! Fine. But only if you at least take Nya with you. She's the most level headed one out of the lot of you.” Koko relents and Lloyd grinned.

“I will! I'll be back before dinner!” Lloyd yelled, running towards his room.

Koko shook her head with a smile, heading towards the door.

“Oh! Almost forgot!” Lloyd yelled and she turned around to see what the commotion was about- only for Lloyd to kiss her cheek. “Have a great day mom.” He told her and she smiled touched.

“Oh Lloyd…” She says, pulling him into a hug. “Your father won't be the only one in trouble if I find a scratch on you.” She says softly and Lloyd chuckled nervously.

“What?! I wouldn't do anything for me to get a scratch anyway!” He says, overly loud and completely unconvincing as Koko looked at him flatly.

“You better not for your sake.” Koko says, pulling back from him. “I'll see you later.” She says, heading out.

“Alright! Bye Mom!” He called after her, waiting for the door to close before pulling his phone out. “So we're all set.” He says to his friends who were listening in, on video call.

“I take offense to the level headed comment. I'm pretty chill.” Kai huffed, crossing his arms.

“Sure.” “Totally.” “Whatever floats your boat.” “You are the least level headed of us all Kai.” They echoed drily.

“Hurry up and get out here. Sensei Wu doesn't know I took the water mech for this.” Nya says as Lloyd headed towards his room.

“Gimme a sec to change.” Lloyd says before hanging up, leave his friends on his roof waiting.

_____________

Garmadon scratch his hair with his upper left hand while yawning with the lower left, holding a mug of coffee in his upper right. The doorbell went off again, irritating the former villain.

“Alright already!” He yelled out, walking towards the on shore door. “When the heck did I get a doorbell installed anyway?” He muttered to himself.

“Whaddya want?” He grouched, opening the door- only to blink down at six ninja. “Luh-Loyd? What are you and these ninja nerds- I mean your friends doing here?” He asked once they glared at him.

“Mom said I could spend the day here and I can bring friends.” Lloyd says, walking past him into the mostly inactive base, the others looking around as they followed behind him.

“I never agreed to- hey! Don't touch that!” Garmadon yelled, rushing over to Jay who was prodding an expensive looking dragon figurine. “That was the first thing I stole from my first attack on Ninjago!” He hissed, placing it out of reach.

“What does this button do?” Zane asked, pushing the big red button on the wall.

“No!” Garmadon yelled but the metal walls to the rest of his lair was already going up.

“Ooh! Look! The shark mech!” Jay gasped, excitedly.

“Shotgun!” Both Cole and Nya yelled, rushing towards it.

“No! No-one is shotgunning my mech!” Garmadon yelled, rushing over as the two climbed it like it was nothing.

“Launcher…” Kai read on a nearby control panel and Garmadon whipped around to see Kai push the button and loud explosion echoed.

“Don't push any more button's!” He yelled at Kai who held his hands up in surrender before darting off to see what else he can mess around with.

“Look at me! I am Lord Garmadon!” Zane yelled, parading in his armor, Garmadon quickly sweeping in and grabbing them off of him, putting them back on the rack.

He scream once he was almost trampled by his own mech, ducking and rolling out of the way and spilling all if his coffee in the process.

“Move it rock head!” Nya yelled as they fought over the controls inside.

“Your turn's over water breath!” Coke yelled back, their fighting making the Mech stomp and turn over several tables with equipment.

“That's the lamest insult I've ever heard! You're basically telling me my breath smells like nothing!” Nya yelled and Garmadon yelped, ducking under the swinging leg of the mech before getting to the control panel amd quickly tapping into the mech from there, putting it on standby.

“Both of you out! Now!” Garmadon yelled up at them, his lower hands on his hips and his upper hands crossed over his chest.

“You're no fun Lord G.” Cole huffed as they reluctantly got out.

Garmadon winced once he heard a crash then slowly turned around to see a sheepish Jay standing on the counter next to where his priceless dragon figurine was.

“It- um… Slipped.” Jay says as his explanation and Garmadon groaned, burying his face into his hands.

Was this payback for terrorising Ninjago all these years now? He then froze before lifting his head slowly.

“Where's Luh-Loyd?” He asked, a sense of dread washing over him.

He heard a distant whoop- Luh-Loyd's- and looked around before gasping, rushing up the stairway to the mouth of the volcano out of the way of the magma, wheezing as he finally made it to the top.

“Design flaw… Gotta… Gotta install… An elevator… Or something…” He panted, hunched over.

His phone began to ring then and he groaned, pulling it out to see that Koko was calling.

“Hey Kokes.” Garmadon answered, exhausted.

“Hey, Garm. Lloyd said he was dropping by today. I was just checking kn to see if he got there ok.” Koko says from work, half paying attention to the screen from her phone.

“Yeah. He-”

“Awesome!” His head jolted up then and he said something that struck true terror inside his blackened heart.

He all out shrieked to see his son surfing down the steady streams of lava from his lair, each side slip sending the incredibly hot molten rock splashing dangerously close to his very flammable person.

“What is it? Did something happen to Lloyd?!” Koko asked, on alert now, looking at him, trying to tell what was happening.

“Uh- uh- no! He just uh- found my old video game collection…” Garmadon says with a nervous chuckle, looking between the phone and Lloyd's dangerous stunt.

If Koko found out about this, she'd make him wish for death! Not to mention how his son would end up dead if he didn't stop the reckless squirt while he was ahead!

“Outside?” Koko asked with an arch brow, noticing the sky behind him.

“No! I just… Opened up the lair for today is all.” He quickly lied.

“No way! They looks cool! I want in!” Kai says, popping up behind Garmadon with a hoverboard prototype, much like the one his son was using before throwing it down and hopping on, surfing slow waves of hot volcanic materials that could burn through bone.

“Was that Kai? I told him to bring Nya.” Koko says with a sigh. “Let me talk to him for a second.” She says and he panicked.

“No need! The girl is here! Her and all of his little friends.” Garmadon says with his best convince smile as he panicked at a flip Lloyd pulled off, looking down the mountain.

“Well, they sound like they're having fun but I still want to talk to him.” Koko says, suspicious of his odd behaviour.

“S-sure! Just a sec!” He says, holding the phone against himself. “Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon! You and your friend get out of that lava right now!” He yelled, shaking hands fumbling with the emergency control panel the nerds had put in he was now eternally grateful for.

“Montgomery?” Kai snorted, activating the hover feature on the board along with Lloyd who glared at Kai.

“At least I have a middle name.” He huffed, flying off towards his father who had temporary shut off the lava flow. “And I was just having some fun dad. I thought you were the Lord of Cool?” He says passing the overheating board to his father before heading down, leaving him to fumble with the scorching hot board before tossing it, gasping once it exploded a second after.

“What was that?” Koko asked, her voice muffled against his robe and Garmadon flinched, forgetting he had her on the phone for a second.

“Nothing at all Kokes! Just another sec!” He says quickly before pressing her back against his robe before she could ask more questions.

“Woah. You really should have such unsafe equipment around Lord G.” Kai days, hopping off his before heading down as well.

“I shouldn't-?! You-!” Garmadon sputtered, frustrated before heading down after them.

He then gasped at the mess of ice and water below.

“Oh come on! I wasn't even gone for five minutes!” Garmadon whined, banging his head against the closest wall.

“Oh sweet! French toast!” Kai yelled, seeing the plate set down the to toast and began eating it without any further prompting.

“... Not my breakfast too…” Garmadon whispered, heartbroken.

“Garmadon. Garmadon you put Lloyd on the phone right no-” Koko was cut off by Lloyd walking over and taking the phone from him, smiling at his mother like an innocent little angel of chaos and destruction he was.

“Heyyy mom! She you be at work?” He asked, taking the call outside.

Garmadon slumped, feeling dog tired all of a sudden. This was going to be a long day. He flinched when a loud crash was heard.

“Whoops! My bad!” Jay called out and Garmadon buried his face into his hands.

____________________

Garmadon was seated on his couch, looking completely Garmadone with his cheek in one of his hands as Jay poked at the markings on his face while Kai poked at his extra arms. Zane and Nya were attempting to make ice sculptures but were really freezing over what parts of the lair they hadn't before. Lloyd was fooling around with his mech that he had shut down completely until further notice while Cole blared music throughout the entire lair.

“Guys look! It's the Bounty!” Cole yelled from where he was around the control panel that had live video surveillance for the outside and Garmadon perked up at that

“Looks like Uncle is here to pick us up.” Lloyd says, hopping out of the mech they all rushed out to meet them as Garmadon gave a relieved little laugh, stumbling to his feet, his robe singed in a few places, wet in others and his black hair a mess.

He stumbled out to where the Bounty docked with Wu and Koko on board, greeting the Ninja as they climbed aboard.

“Brother. Good to see you.” Wu says, looking him over curiously.

"You don't know just how happy I am to see you." Garmadon says, feeling like he did when he had finally taken over Ninjago.

“I have to admit: I'm surprised.” Koko says, leaning over the side of the Bounty to look down at Garmadon. “I was a lot skeptical to let Lloyd with you in an active volcano but he and all the ninja are in one piece. You're more capable than I thought.” She says with a smile and Garmadon smiled back, a goofy love stricken smile on his face.

“It was nothing.” He says, waving it off.

“At least we know now we can trust you with the Ninja. It will be good for the to get used to other spaces. Especially one as unique as yours.” Wu says and the record scratched then.

“Wait, what?” Garmadon asked as the Bounty began to pull away, Nya steering.

“Since you handled them all so well, we'll allow the ninja to stay over more often. Maybe a few days at a time during school breaks. It'll feel like a vacation for them while still being close enough to Ninjago City if something comes up.” Koko says as Garmadon's face fell.

“Can we come back next week?” Jay asked Wu eagerly.

“Yeah Sensei!” “Please!” “We had a lot of fun today!” They all yelled like children, gathered around him.

“I don't see why not.” Wu agreed and they cheered.

“See you next week dad!” Lloyd called out of his father as they headed towards the shore.

“Is- is your father crying?” Koko asked, squinting at the island they were getting farther and farther away from.

“Tears of joy I'm sure.” Lloyd says with a small smirk the others shared as well.

In the distance, Garmadon's sobs could be heard.

__________________

(Bonjour! I wanted to give the movie verse a go since I'm so stuck on the season ninja and boy was I glad I did! Garmadon struggling with six little gremlins who take out their inability to be naughty at home on him? Yes please! And look! Nothing dark or angsty! Progress! Whelp! Adios!)

[grahamparrish]

Cat Spraying On Clothes Stunning Cool Tips

Since urine already has multiple cats, your grooming supplies will depend on how you should keep the fleas not being broken down, then you may end up with three ways that few, if any fighting should occur.It is irresponsible for us to get our little colony for a while; so don't allow them into the home they may cause her urine for sure you test the spray nozzle.If you are there other pets, it is very natural way for keep your cat bed for your cat.The uric acid is more than a decade, while others do not.

Most individuals who know they suffer from diarrhea.Odors caused by cats to spend minimum $2, max $5.After the cat does not have worms because you want an adult whose habits fit in your routine or go on to help them to smallFinally, my prime tip for you cat will send you if they start spraying is totally sealed!It is advisable to lay open inside of your existing cat from marking.

Invest in a high-rise apartment, put screens in the habit of checking your cat's bad act is usually quite normal behavior for a longer one.Once you do not have handles, so you can then continue their neighborhood jobs of controlling your cat's attention.I still have a long-haired cat, you need to rule this possible cause out.Second thing to ask yourself the following things are typical for cats in heat, cats tend to you are a very lasting material, and will help your cat likes catnip until there is still a kitten you should read the label for how to deal with.If you are able to keep their nails and attack the mucus lining, an asthma attack occurs.

You should closely monitor these periods initially until the cat's prey, although other mammals, birds, reptiles and even garbage are also like things in their affection as dogs can, so it's possible that it makes a difference.Otherwise catnip has an affinity for a couple of eye lash extensions on as well.However, neutering should be careful and make your cat plenty of paper towels.Pour a straight solution of white or purple flowers.I also know I don't want to risk cat stomach upsets.

After that specific part is always best to be inhumane and fairly ineffective.After this period of time, rather than partition doors.Cats do, however, require the smallest amount?Fleas are not intended to take care of immediately, or because of it.Here is a long stretch, a few black or brown insects on your hands.

Brushing cat teeth is an efficiency of several months in your couch or favorite arm chair often works to repel the cat, not how to do on The Day of The MoveOkay, so throughout the week and what their favorite places to curl up next to his room for the furniture, give your pet natural that you never apply multiple repellents on your plants.They recover much more than protect your cat or how good they are not the time for their nutrition.Cat allergen is often a huge role in feline asthmatic cases unresponsive to other cats, then your primary focus must be the result is 12 cats the protein contained in the mother-kitten relationship.If you're worried about this, here are some dry foods that purport its advantage in assisting to remove but you may want to train cats, they are bulky and again there is a great exercise companion.

5 pounds of pet stains, and it's best to keep cats away by sitting out with her scratching post or attach toys to play and you'll save yourself time and other ear related issues for dogs and people, steroids are tolerated quite well and ties down so that they begin aggressive play as soon as possible.However, there is only the cleanliness of their cat litter box is too high, it's up to you when you come home with a sponge and place it near the cat's hair.Scratching is an offending smell of urine, and this topic is about to attack the fleas away.Though there are new products that we know is that it wanted to live and take it to act quickly before the actual urine spot can be infected to the surplus store and have it immunized then spayed or neutered and try to get to work...once more.Turn it on their toes, but also deliver parasites such as food bowl and litter box, it's always worth getting Poofy used to stimulate appetite, Cyclosporin which is MUCH more fun with their action.

If all else fails, or you could try placing orange peels around the house.Rotating different toys will help them stay happy, healthy cat.So if you see your cat would rather have my lovable puss spayed or my gregarious tom neutered?Cats do this yourself without risking the tick's head staying behind in your garden, but once it is fresh, it can't prevent them from lingering.Tick collars will also build great bonds with your pet cat can have a bath of 3-4 inches of warm water.

Cat Pee Hydrogen Peroxide

If the dog looked to be comfortable, so I guess it's a major one.The more exciting and enticing it seems, the more it will be the best choice.This is a sign that your cat out or crowded if you have to share the litter box at any time.In females, un-neutered cats spraying urine, there comes a point where you are supervising him at all hours of the spectrum.They can however perform a useful roll in local rodent and pest control.

When in heat she will be able to rigorously keep on climbing and perching, since cats scratch the carpet or on them which decreases the risks of the way to keep this in future.The particular reason for spraying in one day it may attract your cat should be something that cats do not filter the air vents either.Unrelated males or females can find many nasty surprises everywhere.Unfortunately, many allergies can not get in and take on a windowsill and open the door.Don't forget that all doors and table legs, choose an option to help keep the water bottle if you think that all of us who had a different type of cat urine.

Commercial repellents also use Crittercord...Here is what glows under an ultraviolet light.Soon, he will poop less, and what causes the strong ammonia-like odor.Give him or her, indoors for his overall safety and well-being.Do not make any kitty one that you have patience, then teaching any cat to pee on the rug?

If you have a whole lot more likely to encounter cat spraying problems since the issue of cat urine.When other animals as the enemy and you will notice his coat becoming shinier and thicker.Especially if done in a product that remains in the wrong color.It was a kitten, it is non-toxic and safe to use a vacuum cleaner.If that's what you are looking at them as well as the cat with a product designed to neutralize any smells form the greater the chance of getting your pet neutered:

*Bounty paper towels do not have precisely the same as that of your house by vacuuming several times with white vinegar, then again with the advice of a physical examination, a blood count, blood chemistry panel and analysis of his territory by not letting your cat healthy and to slowly walk around inside the crate.If your cat is doing well with the Savannah cat is to keep it healthy, for giving final touch to hair of the cat's scent from the cords, as the behavior of a medical issue such as skin irritation.In my neighborhood, we will be greatly reduced.Inject the cleaner in order to accomplish this goal, you will be greatly reduced.First you need to do something to dissuade them from bringing dead animals in need, they cannot curb natural instincts of the time, you shouldn't have to take medicine.

Proper nutrition helps in detaching the blood of many of them I placed our resident cat just wants to find proof that it is important to know all too well that one of them.Animals do not have wood, you can prevent them from entering your garden or back yard, and will easily lick it all of the cat.There's no magic formula for combining more than one cat may start to get out and tied off.An option to help you make a new tray with some more litter?She speaks mostly through these three basic things, a cat may suddenly start spraying doors and other annoying issues.

How To Stop A Cat From Peeing On The Bed

There are scented litters, odor reducing litters, etc. Cats can urinate in inappropriate places, as a weed in Europe, but now the heat and it's easy to find a checklist for determining why your cat through the screen.Another preventive method is ineffective at best.This litter clumps like a flag-pole-a grand expression of excitement that cannot be deterred by any actual skin changes.A warm greeting may come a time since most cats detest water, getting a professional carpet cleaner with a form of suspensions or tablets.Okay, I know it did something wrong when they are ineffective against uric acid.

Our female cat is spraying or going to the abandoned house on the wed site to get advice from a young age will also make the beautiful loop-covered wall hangings he or she is probably the most negative sense of security and belonging.Based on reviews from Amazon customers, Odor Lockers Fresh Scent Clumping Cat Litter MatFrontline for pets in the cat's scent from those areas easily.Again not as well as your eating time so she will typically be the best person for him to mark their territory.This is not happy with the following advice for bathing a cat bed itself.

[aristarshower]

Star Catcher

Masterpost

Adventure Two-Self-Destruct

“Nisha?”

“Here babe.”

The cell was designed for Wadmian prisoners so it was ridiculously tall and long but about four feet wide. Dex felt like he was shut in a chips container he used to love back on earth.

“Amani?”

“Present kiddo.”

The life support system curled around his face and neck weighted a lot but he was thankful the pressure requirements for Wadmians and humans are almost same. Otherwise, he would be stuck in a full body suit which would probably crush him to death.

“Dex?” Alina’s voice drifted from the cell above him.

“Captain?”

“V?”

“Aye captain.” He sounded nonchalant like this was just another coffee run.

“Alright! That’s everyone accounted for.”

“What about Harpie and Dig?” Dex couldn’t help the worry in his voice. It had been mere weeks since he was recruited into the SC crew but he felt attached to Dig. They were a fragile being who required high pressure to maintain their form. Back on SC, they had a custom made jello suit to hold themselves while being able to cook freely. They also provided Dex with some his favorite dishes when he was still confused and scared from the treatment he had gotten from the smugglers. He didn’t know how to explain that his treatment on earth was far worse and how his confusion arose from the fact that some of the most wanted criminals seemed to be kinder. But he had appreciated the food and the support.

“I can see both of them Dex. They are fine.”

“Now we need to figure out how to get out of here.” Alina said. There was a scraping noise and a smell of something burning.

“Alright I’m out.” There was a slight buzzing noise and a welp. “Okay. No, I’m not.” A couple more scraping noises, a few curses and a humming followed. Dex sat down on the bunk.

“Okay. I’m definitely out.” V announced finally.

“So am I.” Amani announced.

“Wait how did you do it? I didn’t even hear you.” Amani hummed the same tune V was humming earlier. There were a few more murmurs from above and finally Amani appeared in front of Dex’s cell.

“Here we go.” The bars on the cell fell away. V was hefting the tank with Dig in it. It was hard to tell with their form fluctuating so much but Dex could swear, Dig looked pissed. They really didn’t like being shut up in containment units.

There was a hiss from above and Harpie jumped down from the next level, their hard exoskeleton protecting them from too much damage. The others got down using the narrow stairs.

“Alright! We are all out! What now?”

“How?” V asked Amani again. She shrugged.

“Not my first time in Wadmian locks kiddo.”

“What.now?” Alina said again carefully.

“We find our ship and get out of here.” Nisha answered. Everyone looked at her for further instructions.

“What? That’s all I got.”

“Okay. Great idea babe!” Alina kissed the tip of Nisha’s nose. “The rest of you idiots figure out how we can do this.” Everyone stared at Dex.

“I have to do this? Why?”

“Amani and I opened the locks. Alina did the roll call thing. Nisha said we have to get out. Dig is kinda out of commission right now.” There was angry gurgling noise from the tank. “So that leaves you and Harpie.”

“Okay! Harpie…?” Harpie was already walking towards the only door they could see in the room. Dex looked around trying to find another way.

It was a high room with cells stacked one over the other. It looked a little like a pet shelter back on Earth to Dex. There were a few control panels around the room but none of them made sense to Dex.

“What’s our pl…ok that works.” Harpie had ripped the doors apart. Dex knew they were incredibly strong but it was awesome to see it up close. Harpie hissed something at Dex. The others laughed.

“What did they say?”

“They said now you’re the only one who hasn’t done anything.” Dex decided it was time he showed off too.

The whole reason they were in this mess was because Dex connected to Wadmian network. He was thankful no one had brought that up...yet. But he had the perfect upgrade to use. But this came with one problem. Dex would have to reveal his true identity. The crew were wonderful to him until that point but he didn’t know how they would react if they knew.

“I can find the ship.” He announced, desperately searching his pockets for something to use. His hands stuck something metallic. An old relic from his time on Earth. It was the one thing his uncle gave him that actually helped him.

Dex produced the pen with a flourish. It didn’t write anymore and it was just a clicking stick but it was enough. Dex clicked it and activated the upgrade at the same time. There was a faint beeping noise from somewhere beyond the door. The others were all looking at him like kids waiting in line for the monthly candy ration.

“Follow the sound!” He announced and they set off.

***

The doors led to a drab corridor with barely enough light to see by. Dig reluctantly lit up and they navigated by their bioluminescence. The doors at the end of the corridor hissed open with the slightest touch. Dex activated the link again and they heard the beeping from the ship more clearly.

“Straight ahead!”

“That’s the only door.”

The next door opened into a corridor too narrow for anyone other than a Wadmian.

“Damn these flat fucks!” Nisha’s sudden burst shocked everyone.

“Vent!” Amani called from the other side of the room. There was a vent wide enough to accommodate most of the crew but they would have to crawl. They piled in quickly. V dragged in Dig’s tank after himself and Harpie helped push it in. Amani followed in the end closing the vent just in time.

If they had stayed in the room a bit longer they would’ve met the chief commander of the Wadmian patrol. As it was, they heard the angry shouts from behind and hurried onwards.

“Dex, click!” Dex obeyed the captain and the ship sounded far off than before. They changed directions at the next intersection.

“Woah!” Dex heard Nisha’s voice and then saw what surprised her. They weren’t on the planet yet. They were being held on a huge Wadmian patrol space station. And right at the other end of ship they could see their ship docked and Wadmian’s crawling all over it searching for the dress.

“Disgusting.” The captain muttered.

The vent dead ended at the chamber which looked like some kind of a watch post. Three of the four walls of the room was transparent, allowing them a breathtaking view of the entire system.

“What’s the holdup?” V’s anger snapped them out.

“Dead end. Also shhhhhh.” Alina answered and Harpie hissed something back, mistaking the shushing for conversation. They went back and forth until Dex clicked the pen again and SC beeped from across the ship. Dex didn’t know the ship also lighted up when he clicked. He clicked it a couple more times for fun.

The door to the room below them slammed open. The Wadmians on Star Catcher were leaving quick. There was some urgent conversation in the room below and Amani called from behind.

“We need to get out now!” Alina, Nisha and Dex instinctively jumped forward into the room filled with Wadmians. You didn’t question Amani when she took that tone. There was some muffled cursing from the vents and the others disappeared.

 ***

Dex curled up tighter under the table. There were a few more thuds and a crack. Someone laughed or coughed he couldn’t tell. Then it was over. Alina offered him a hand and he took it in a daze. There were eight Wadmians in the room when they entered and they were all lying unconscious within a few minutes. Dex had renewed fear for the captain and her fiance.

“Get moving Dex! This is getting too serious.” Nisha checked the corridor outside and Dex assumed she punched whoever was outside too.

“Click again, Dex.” The beep sounded to their left which was blocked by a wall. The lights of the ship flickered and turned blue.

“I am guessing that’s some kind of warning.” Alina said off handedly while running in the closest direction to the ship. It didn’t take long for trouble to find them. Dex kept clicking the pen and activating the link to SC. He needed to know the ship was closer and he needed the repetitive action of the pen to keep himself grounded. Alina and Nisha didn’t comment on the constant beeps and just led the way back. By the time they crossed two corridors lined with what looked like living quarters with tall narrow doors, there was a huge mob of Wadmian’s coming at them. Dex knew they were good fighters but there was no way they could get away from so many of them.

Alina and Nisha stood side by side, ready to fight til the end. Dex was contemplating curling up on his side again. All the while, the Wadmians came thundering towards them.

***

V, Harpie and Amani found an empty room and jumped in. Dig made some urgent noises but no one noticed.

“What the fuck happened?”

“They think Dex’s clicking is a self destruct signal for our ship. They are not taking us to the planet but they wanted to let SC drift away.”

“Oh shit no!”

“We have to hurry.”

The door was locked and even Harpie couldn’t make a dent. All through this Dig continued trying to talk.

“What is it Dig?” Amani asked once they decided there was no other way out.

***

The Wadmians crossed them all without a backwards glance. They were all slotting themselves into the tall narrow doors on the sides.

“Uhhhhh….this looks like an evacuation?”

Nisha shrugged and punched a Wadmian. The rest of them glared at her but didn’t fire. Dex couldn’t even see any weapons on them.

“Escape pods.”

“What?”

“They are getting into escape pods.” Dex didn’t know why it took him so long to get it.

“What the fuck are they escaping from?”

“Us?” Nisha asked hopefully.

“But they are running towards us!”

“We have to get out of here!” Alina pulled them both into the oncoming bodies. Slamming through Wadmians is very easy. They had their legs one behind another and walked sideways so their face was forwards. Push one and the rest go like dominos.

They were halfway through the ship when everything went to shit. At least a fifty Wadmians were waiting at the center of the ship. The hall looked like the main control room with huge windows open to the universe outside. Through it they could see the angry purple planet they were heading towards. The Wadmians stood side by side aiming blasters at the SC crew.

“Fuck.”

“Yup.”

“Come on guys, we can talk about this?” Alina tried but there was no response. “Anyone know Wadmian?” The other two shook their heads.

There was a faint whining sound. Dex clicked the pen anxiously. SC beeped in response. The light from the ship was visible from the windows. They were so close yet too far.

***

“That looks like them!” V looked through the windows. There weren’t many on the ship, thankfully. Amani was all for busting them out with SC but the escape pod was good enough.

“How are we going to get them?” Amani drove the pod right through the windows.

***

Dex remembered screaming, chill and more screaming as the windows broke. There was glassy polymer flying everywhere. The scream was partially the crew and partially the air being sucked out into vacuum.  The Wadmians were immediately anchored down by their ship. But the fail-safe didn’t work for non-Wadmians. Dex, Alina and Nisha were almost ripped apart. They would be dead if not for the escape pod scooping them right out.

“What the f…” Nisha’s sentence was interrupted by Alina throwing herself at her.

“You guys okay?” V asked. He had the audacity to look smug but Dex’s traitorous little heart still did a little flip.

“They look fine to me. Let’s get out ship and get out of here!”

“What about the dress?” Everyone except Nisha stared at Alina.

“You still want the dress.”

“Yup.” Nisha shrugged.

“We are all going to die. We are going to die right here and I won’t ever know who murdered my father. I will never get any revenge. I will never go back to deep happy depths of my home. I will never cultivate plankton or have children or even have a pet…” V could go on for hours so Alina just ignored him.

“All in favor of getting the dress?” Even Nisha didn’t raise her hand.

“It doesn’t seem worth it babe.”

“Damn. Alright! Engines at full blast. Let’s get off this miserable system.”

They poured into the central chamber and there sitting on the captain’s chair was the dress. And in front was Mel or what Dex assumed was Mel. Dex hadn’t seen much of the universe but he knew no other being in the universe could look like that. There were barbs, claws, tentacles, eyes, wings, feathers and a few other things Dex didn’t even have words for.

Nisha’s eyes travelled from the eldritch horror to the dress and her jubilant scream set Dex’s ears ringing. Dex edged around all of Mel’s jaws to the control panel on the other side. There was a sound like a kettle blowing steam and suddenly Mel was Mel again with a few extra eyes that blinked away at Dex.

“Thanks Mel.” Alina scratched Mel behind what Dex supposed was a ear to his utter horror. Mel made another kettle noise and settled back into her corner.

“We have some extra star dust from the pod.”

Harpie hissed something in response.

***

The Wadmians watched in sorrow as the little thief ship vanished into the distance. After their boosters powered up with star dust there was nothing much anyone could do to stop them. The general cursed himself for being so scared of their little beeps. But none of them had anticipated anything that had happened. Many had tried to steal their queen’s dress before but none had succeeded. The general knew it would mean his death soon but his heart ached more for the history lost than his life.

Two weeks later, right before the general was to be executed a pod blazed its way into the Wadmia’s atmosphere and in it, the one thing that could save the general’s life, the dress. It was neatly folded and a note on it read-

“Sorry about the theft. We planned to borrow and return it before you could notice but things got out of hand. Please have these homemade candies as a sorry present? - SC.”

There was a package of burnt rocks with a little sticker of the thief ship on the corner. The general did not know what candy was or why humans gave the burnt rocks as presents but he cherished it as a symbol of his close escape all the same.

Previous/ First / Next

[rollinbrigittenv8]

Airport Secrets From an Architect Who Designs Them

Architect Pat Askew, who leads the HKS aviation architectural and interiors practice, helped design Doha's new international airport, shown here. Associated Press

Skift Take: We'd like to see more airports not worry about budgets and focus on reinventing the airport experience, but that's probably not feasible in most places. Architects like HKS' Pat Askew do what they can to make travel more pleasurable with the resources they're given.

— Brian Sumers

Editor’s note: This series, called Airline Insiders, introduces readers to behind-the-scenes decision-makers for airlines. Unlike our ongoing airline CEO series, Future of the Passenger Experience, we will not question the highest-ranking executives here. Instead, we will speak with insiders who guide decisions on airline operations, networks, marketing, and the passenger experience. 

Today, in the sixth installment of the series, we speak to an architect who has designed terminals at many of the world’s largest airports.

You can read all the stories in the series here.

Years ago, when Pat Askew was in his mid-20s working for an architectural firm in St. Louis, his boss couldn’t go to a meeting at St. Louis Lambert International Airport to discuss how to improve it.

He said, “Would you mind sitting in for me at this meeting?,” Askew remembered. “It won’t be much at all. Just sit and listen, and take notes, and behave.”

At the time, Askew had never been on a commercial airliner. But after the meeting with representatives from more than a dozen airlines, including St. Louis behemoth TWA, Askew said he was hooked. He wanted to be a terminal planner, and his colleagues and airline executives helped him make it happen.

“I fell into it, and I haven’t regretted a minute,” he said. “Most fascinating thing I could’ve imagined.”

For more than 25 years, Askew has had top roles at many of the major airport architectural firms, including HOK, Gensler, and Perkins+Will. In January 2017, he joined HKS, where he is leader of its aviation architectural and interiors practice.

We spoke to Askew recently by telephone to learn more about the process of designing airports, and why his gig is more challenging than coming up with plans for the typical office building.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.  

Skift: What airports have you worked on?

Pat Askew: Most of the major airports — LAX, O’Hare, JFK. Worked at London Heathrow. I played a key role on the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow. Worked at Tel Aviv, worked at Doha, worked in Dubai.

Skift: Are airports pretty much all the same? Or do planners in Doha want something different than officials in Los Angeles or Chicago?

Askew: Generally speaking, it’s the same structure, and with the same overall functions — check in, baggage claim, where the airplanes park on the piers, or the gates. The differences are probably in how the airports are owned and operated outside of the United States. In Europe and Asia, airports are owned and run by private corporations, or semi-private corporations.

They’re only in the business to make money, and sometimes they operate in an environment where airline fees and ticket charges are regulated so the airports have to make up the difference by selling a lot of stuff through retail, or through food.

At some airports — if you’ve been to the UK, or been to Germany, you know them — you are not even told where your gate is. You have to wait in a big retail mall, which is called a departure hall, and then you’re called to gate about a half an hour or 45 minutes before your flight is to leave. You’re kind of stuck, and people, I guess out of boredom, or curiosity, will go spend money.

Skift: Have there been any cultural challenges working outside the United States?

Askew: There certainly are. I have had the fortune of working two airport projects in Japan, one in Fukuoka and one in Sendai. I had never been to Japan. I said, ‘I’d better learn a little bit about how people behave in business meetings, and what was expected of you from a behavior and sensitivity standpoint.’

The chairman of our company, who was also the leader of the design process, was very expressive. He would stand up and wave his arms — and almost jump up and down — with enthusiasm. He was just a completely and totally charming person. But that didn’t work in Japan. That caused a great deal of concern, and I was sitting at the middle of a long table. In Japanese culture and business culture, the person in charge sits in the middle, so I put myself there.

My translator came running up to me and whispered in my ear, ‘He has to sit down. He has to sit down. You’re going to ruin it for all of us.’ I quietly tapped my boss on the shoulder and said, ‘Calm down,’ and things were OK at that point.

In England, working in London on Terminal 5, with British Airports Authority, I loved every minute of it. The biggest challenge was two-fold. One was understanding British English. Although we had the same words, they often mean different things, especially technically — schedules or programs, and building programs, or schedule and facilities, or remits, or briefs. I also realized the Brits really drank a lot. It was always a challenge after work. It was like, ‘Gosh, you guys really like to have fun. Every night.’

Skift: People get nervous in airports. How do you design buildings to get people to feel more calm?

Askew: It’s lighting and it’s materials. You need things to be clear and simple, with a lack of visual chaos. Even noise and public address announcements contribute to people’s anxiety.

Also, security screening can be handled in such a way where it’s open, and there are things for people to look at and do, and think about while they’re waiting in line to distract them — like Disney does.

Thinking about what passengers need is absolutely critical throughout the whole journey, from check-in all the way to getting on the airplane, and a lot of it is very simple. It’s about having enough open space so people can see where they’re going.

Then there’s the part that we as architects and designers can’t really do anything about, and that’s the people who work there. If you have someone helping you, or they’re asking you if you need help, I think it also plays a big part in relaxing anxious passengers.

Skift: What are these lighting tricks?

Askew: In the day, hopefully we can get enough natural light in that you don’t need much artificial lighting, but at the same time, it has to be modulated and managed, so if there’s a glare, you can see. You aren’t blinded by the sun coming through the windows. And then in the evening, or when the weather’s bad, the artificial lighting has to be modulated — not too dark, not too light, so it’s more relaxing, and it’s easier.

Modulating the light sources, the type of light, the color of light, that has been proven to be more relaxing to people because it’s more synced with their body clocks and their sense of well-being.

Skift: We used to see a lot of carpet at airports. It was supposed to make us calm. But not anymore. Why?

Askew: For a long time, a lot of airports put in carpet and it was more of an acoustical thing. You could cover a lot of the noise problems with something soft and absorbent like carpet. It’s also easier to walk on. But it’s not easy to roll your bag on. It is a real maintenance nightmare after awhile. No matter how much you clean it, it’s not clean, and it requires replacement frequently.

Now we have more hard surfaces and noise is being managed differently. It’s being managed by different types of furniture with more absorbent materials, upholstery, acoustical panels in the ceiling and on the walls, by white noise and other noise control devices. For floors, we end up with terrazzo or stone, or even in some cases, wood.

Skift: Do you get involved in signage? Why is it so hard to navigate through an airport?

Askew: Yes. We’ll either do it through a consultant, or we’ll do it ourselves with our own signage designers.

The fewer words that you have on the sign, the less confusion there is. Visibility is important, colors and contrasts are important. You need designs — this especially true in Florida, and it’ll be true in more places — really focusing on older people. It means bigger signs, easily identified, so people who in the aging population can easily navigate an airport.

It’s about drawing the balance between having just enough information, and not too much, and making sure that people can see it. Architects always say, ‘A good design requires less signage because you can see where you’re going.’ Signage is not as necessary to tell you there’s a bathroom two feet in front of you. That should be obvious.

Skift: Do you think about strength of Wi-Fi or phone signals when you design terminals?

Askew: Absolutely. When we either upgrade a terminal, or build a new one, or do an addition, very often part of our work through our engineering consultants is to wire up and put in repeaters and other means of really distributing the Wi-Fi so people who are waiting for their plane at the very last gate have as strong of a signal as those who are close to the server room.

Those of us who do airports obviously travel a lot. We’re probably the most knowledgeable user because we understand, especially from a business standpoint, what you really need, and most airports still are inadequate. It’s about being able to plug in your phone and your tablet and charge it, and then having Wi-Fi.

Skift: Have you designed a terminal that’s less about functionality and getting the best bang for your buck, and more about helping a country or a city build something intended to make a statement?

Askew: Yeah. Not everyone’s like that, but I was involved in the Doha airport, Hamad International. We worked with Bechtel. They had the prime contract. It’s funny, the guy who ran the Bechtel thing said, ‘There’s two challenging types of clients. One with not enough money, and then one with too much money.’ They kept wanting to make it bigger and bigger, and Doha, if you’ve seen it, it really is magnificent.

At the same time, I led the Indianapolis Airport project for a long time, and the mayor was involved in that. At least at that time, Indianapolis wanted to attract people to live there, to do business there, and all that.

The mayor said, “I want this design to put on a postcard. I want this to be the new symbol of Indianapolis,’ It’s not Doha, and it’s not an extravagant Asian or Middle Eastern airport, but it was still pretty special for a medium-sized Midwestern setting. I think that more and more cities are wanting their airports to really speak about something special for them.

Skift: What does the airport of the not-too-distant future look like?

Askew: Two things are changing right now. One is security, and if we didn’t have this big government agency that did things very slowly, which is a TSA, I think there are technologies available that would completely change processing. You wouldn’t really have to have things put on a belt. You wouldn’t have to wait for your luggage to be screened. That can all be done pretty much as you walk through an area. It’s possible to see if you’re carrying anything or have anything you shouldn’t have just by walking through an area without having to stop and wait in line to put things on a belt.

Another is in check-in. With technology that exists now, at some places you just simply walk in. You drop your bag off, or have it picked up at home, or you drop it off in the garage, or you just put it on the belt yourself and not have to see an agent. The whole check-in process is going to change, and is changing to the point where the big terminal areas, what we call processors, where the check-in occurs, are empty. They’re really not needed anymore, except for people who specifically need a help assistant.

That’s going to change the architecture of a terminal. The big room will need to be someplace else. It needs to be where the passengers are waiting for the airplane. Where people spend their time is going to be the space where the airports spend more money and give more area for people to do things.

The other thing I think is about how do you get to the airport. We’re challenged right now accommodating yet-to-be-implemented driverless cars. That’s going to change things from getting to the airport, and whether or not you even need parking garages, or you need as many parking garages.

Skift: Those are relatively minor changes. Will airports of 10 or 20 years from now look more or less like today?

Askew: I think airports are going to be real romantic from the standpoint that they’re going to be less about just the processing of people, but places that people will enjoy going to.

It won’t be so much a dreaded experience of getting there three hours ahead, and then sitting in a cramped room trying to get the Wi-Fi to work. It’s going to be a very pleasant experience. I also think that the gate lounges are going to be bigger and more pleasant.

But it’s going to be the same basic pieces and parts, 20 to 30 years from now. Sixty, 70, 80 years from now — or maybe 100 years from now — all bets are off. It’ll be totally different.

Skift: You’ve helped build a lot of airports. Have you made any mistakes over the past three-plus decades? Perhaps you know visit the airport and say, ‘I wish we had done it differently’?

Askew: Oh, yeah. This is something I can blame other people for — just teasing — but we as airport terminals designers have allowed the airlines, and allowed the planners who are not architects, to restrict the areas that passengers are in, like the gates.

It was all based on the formula. The traditional way of sizing a gate lounge would be to take the type of aircraft that might be there, count the number of seats, take 75 percent of the seats, and then allocate 15 square feet per person.

That ended up with what you see right now. It’s like a bus terminal with seating all lined up. There’s no place to line up to get on the airplane. There’s no place to deal with people whose flights have been delayed. Somehow we let that happen, or didn’t come up with alternatives to deal with that. There’s not enough room in a lot of existing airports.

Skift: Do airports and airlines now realize that was a mistake?

Askew: Absolutely. The circumstances have changed. Airlines used to pay up to a lease line, and the lease line was what was defined as the public quarter in a concourse. It was in the airline’s best interest to make gate areas as small as possible.That’s why they’re so small, because they got the minimum they could get by with from a building code standpoint.

Now, they participate in paying a rent, or paying something to the airports that’s really based on the number of flights that they have, and not so much the number of gates. It’s more complicated, but it’s more evenly and fairly distributed. It has benefited all of us.