#like its rapidly spreading and im able to track the spread

[a-crimson-impressionism]

Trying my hardest to not worry about the pain I have that has spread from one knee to the hip above, to below my hip and below my knee and above my knee and to my toes, and to my other hip and other knee qnd down my other leg. Like, I'm trying SO HARD to not panic. Kinda failing sometimes, but I'm trying!!

[icycove]

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

@nonbinary-octopus I was asked this so long ago— I had written a response and tumblr crashed and I thought the ask was gone 😭🫂 Im so sorry, but I want to share a recent one!! I will use a current one that has like— more scattered scenes, and while I may change this one to better fit what I’m doing, here ya go. It’s uh a longer scene than I meant to share but I really didn’t know where else to cut it. 😃

Gist is it’s Sanders Sides, and creativitwins are trapped in the Imagination and powerless and were turned back into kids, Dragon Witch took over and the others are trying to keep them alive safe. Scene takes place near the end-game ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ please excuse mistakes, this was one-take and let me know if anything doesn’t track right/questions ya have …okay?? Okay, here we go (964~ words):

Remus took half a step back, but there was nowhere he could go or duck fast enough that flames or the sweeping long tail of the dragon witch wouldn’t immediately overtake him. Patton all but leapt at him as smoke preceded the concentrated torch.

Heart barely got to Remus in time, rolling with him gracelessly and using his arm to keep the kid protected until they came to a stop, Patton kneeling with Remus clutched to him in his free arm. He felt the heat and smelt the plasma before he saw it and it was all Patton could do to throw up his shield arm to protect them from the heavy blast of heat that struck like it had charged them.

The shield barely held back the blaze and it was all Patton could do to not be shoved back, or worse over, where the shield would do not good at blocking, so digging the toes of his boots into the soft soil, ducking the flames flickering over the top. He grunted with effort of pushing against the rapidly warming glazed shield with most his weight. The shield’s metal edge burned red, but it held, and Patton would have to ask Roman just what it was made of, but he was grateful for it.

Patton still made sure Remus was tucked securely close with himself as a futile barrier should their [tenuous] protection fail. Not that it would do any good if it came to that, and so Patton screamed over the roar for Janus, who he knew wasn’t one of the ones across the clearing with Roman.

He tried to keep his hand clear of that as he strained and the dragon changed the angle, baring down over them. Patton gasps as he panicked, narrowly managing to keep up with the fire’s scorching path, both sweating form exertion and the burst of heat that was far too hot for extended exposure, and how could that level of heat feel so real?! Would it truly burn them alive here in the imagination and what would happen to them if it did?

It was quickly becoming apparent the shield was small, smaller than Patton would have liked as he curled around Remus protectively, the kid having the sense to stay still and pressing close, although that could have been from the threat of the flames burning the ground in a circle around the shield’s edges, singeing the grass that caught fire even beneath their protection as it spread.

Their only saving grace and reason they were not currently being cooked alive was that the fire seemed to have tapered at the end after the initial burst, and it seemed the dragon couldn’t go longer than one could exhale a breath. Patton didn’t think they’d be able to withstand a second wave, the burn of the shield against his arm making him hiss as he found its limit. He was already planning to ditch it and make a break for the evaporated riverbed which would at least give them a temporary earthen wall for cover from a second wide blast if he was fast enough. But it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary, because as soon as the flames lessened, he blink could already see the plan in motion. Janus had heard his cue.

And in the seconds the flames had been assaulting them, Janus had made quick work of the beacon powering the barrier, shattering the box the dragon witch intended to trap the young twins in. He had her full attention now, and she was fury incarnate. Patton gasped out as he detached the scalding, glowing shield from his arm and got his feet under him, Remus swept up in the motion as she whirled on Janus. Not even two steps into their retreat and Patton was throwing them both back to the dirt, covering Remus as the one-ton tail swept just over their heads and right through the nearest oak trees as if they were popsicle sticks, leaves and splintered bark flying past and raining down on the two. Patton’s head shot up to see Janus veering off to the left, drawing the massive dragon after him easily with the flailing yellow of his inner dress cape.

Patton worried about the risk of going winging this part of the plan, but they had no choice. They couldn’t predict what interrupting the spell would do but he had to take the opening Janus gave them for what it was. The priority was the twins, her real targets. He trusted Logan and Virgil to take Roman and possibly help Janus if needed.

Patton swung Remus up into his arms, favoring his uninjured one, and bolted for the castle, crossing the shallowest dip of the riverbed and disappearing under cover of the forest. Remus asked about his brother. Patton gave his best assuring voice in his answer, telling him he’d be alright and they’d see him soon. And the first part he said with all the trust and belief within himself, because he knew without a doubt they would not let harm come to the young creativity. Virgil and Logan were by him and would risk their own lives to make sure they protected Thomas’ embodiment of hopes and dreams. He only hoped the others would meet them there soon.

[witchcraft-in-wonderland]

Hunchback of Notre Dame (One-Shot)

-------------------------

It's a lesson as old as time itself really, never judge a book by its cover, never judge a beast by its claws, thousands of iterations all equal to the very same principle.

But there are people who refuse to take such principles to heart, and would in fact rather spread principles in direct opposition.

Werecreatures have never had a very good reputation, from the animal-like designs to the depictions of their kind as unkind and ruthless. So trying to find a place to stay was much more difficult than it should have been.

"Four travelers for safe passage into the mindscape," a voice shrouded by a cloak muttered, waving down another werecreature, this one holding a bundle in its arms.

The bundle was crying, as though aware of the horrific events that would occur just beyond that gate.

"We've been tricked!"

"Judge Doyle!"

The werecreature holding the bundled skittered away on the eight spindly appendages protruding from it's back, paying no mind to the sound of footsteps against stone rapidly gaining in it.

Until it hit the ground with a sickening crack, and went stock still, the bundle falling to the ground like a rock.

Doyle had always been a cruel man. He'd trained his own son, Patton, to fear him, and to in turn fear that which opposed him.

And it was Doyle who had found the spider's body.

It was Doyle who took the bundle from the still and cold arms of its mother.

And it was Doyle who attempted to drown the eight-eyed and multi-limbed child that resided within.

"STOP!" Doyle only gave momentary pause at his son's call.

"What are you doing?." Patton said as he reached the bottom of the steps.

"Sending this creature to the dark side, right where it belongs," Doyle said coldly.

"You've killed an innocent person, and you believe the best course of action is to add the blood of a child to your crimes? What would Thomas think. . ." Patton said.

That had struck a nerve, the bundle was moved from the well.

"And what do you suggest I do?." Doyle snapped, thinking he'd stumped the man in front of him.

"Care for it, you've raised one son, what's another?" Patton said, raising an eyebrow.

"Me? Saddled with this- this-" Doyle paused for a few moments.

"Very well, we'll keep him in the old bell tower, by your village," Doyle said.

And he christened the child Virgil.

Virgil grew up lonely, terrified of even the slightest idea of leaving his tower.

His tower covered with bells and cobwebs and a table at the center with wooden constructs of the other denizens of the mindscape.

He grew up with no memory of his family other than those fed to him by Doyle. False memories of betrayal.

He grew up looking into the mirror and seeing eight eyes staring him back, each a cruel and sharp reminder of his inability to exist outside of that tower.

Patton had tried his best to undo such conditioning, but rarely was Patton allowed into the tower.

Today was a day Virgil remembered well, a festival of delight and chaos.

The Feast of Fools.

Patton had tried desperately to convince Virgil to attend, but Virgil was firmly locked under Doyle's heel, the spider caught in it's own web.

That is, for a moment.

One conversation at the dinner table, a recitation of the alphabet punctuated by far to many hisses and clicks, and Virgil was ready to flee.

He stitched up his own cloak, pulled it over his head, and ran out.

It was terrifying. His ears rang and his eyes burned like ash.

And then it all seemed to stop as he fell through cloth, instead punctuated by a gasp.

And then he was face to face with the most beautiful man he'd ever seen in his life. Eyes of golden yellow, hair of a deep brown, and scales of emerald. He was gorgeous, and he was holding Virgil's face as though it were a priceless glass treasure.

"I-Im sorry I-" Virgil stammered.

"Nonono, it's alright, you poor thing, you dont look very adept to sunlight do you?" He spoke softly, almost as if he though Virgil might flee if he were to loud.

Virgil shook his head slightly.

"Itll be fun, you should join the crowd, the light's much less likely to hit you there," and Virgil felt a soft kiss on his forehead before he rejoined the festivities.

And then came the main festival, someone he didnt recognize talked upstage and sang. Dark blue and purple hair like a galaxy bouncing around their face.

"Come one! Come all! Make an entrance to entrance- see the mystery and romance~" they purred as they backed toward the curtains.

"Come one! Come all! Hurry hurry heres your chance- see the finest man in France, dance Janus dance!" And then they were gone, replaced by the man Virgil had met before, now dressed in yellow and black cloth, his hair hidden under a hat.

Virgil flinched as Janus got closer and closer to where Doyle was watching the stage, wrapping a golden scarf around his neck as though Janus planned to choke him.

And then Virgil lost track of what was happening, until he was on stage, and he heard gasping.

He froze, he could almost feel Doyle's gaze from the other end of the stage.

And then the screams and gasping stopped, to be replaced with laughter. A crown was placed on Virgil's head, a cape fitted over the spindly legs sticking out from his back.

He smiled, the first genuine smile he'd had in decades.

Squelch

Virgil wasnt sure where the tomato had come from. Only that more were following, and suddenly ropes were tugging at his limbs,he tried to fight them off, tried calling for his father.

But Doyle only smiled and looked away. His guardsman, a man dressed in white and gold armor, green eyes wide with shock, made a single move toward Virgil, but was held back.

And then everything stopped, he felt hands against the ropes, heard Doyle call for someone to get down.

And then he was once again face to face with Janus.

"I'm so sorry. . . No one deserves this. . ." Janus said quietly before standing up, a hand firmly around Virgil's arm as he regained his own balance.

"You mistreat this poor man the same way you mistreat us all! You would call him a son and yet what freedom has he known! Compared to your only other son! What justice has been served as their spirits are crushed under the heels of men like you!." Janus snarled. Virgil saw a slight movement from the bell tower, likely Patton hiding behind a pillar before Doyle could catch his eyes.

"Silence." Was Doyle's only response.

"JUSTICE!" Janus called. Doyle pointed toward his guards, then toward Janus.

"Oh dear. . . Well let's see theres-" Janus pointed to each of the advancing guards and muttered under his breath "-ten of you, and one of me, oh what's a poor snake to do?" Janus pulled a yellow cloth from his dress and began to cry into it, before sneezing. . . And disappearing off stage.

Vitgil watched with intrigue as Janus led the guards throughout the square before disappearing into the building that made up the lower half of his bell tower.

Doyle beckoned for his head guard to follow him, before turning his eyes to Virgil.

And thus began Virgil's tearful walk back to the top of the tower.

His chest ached, he thought of Janus' hands caressing his face, of those eyes and scales and the way his lips quirked in a fashion that couldve been read as a sneer, were it not for the fact that his eyes looked as though they'd witnessed a miracle.

Virgil heard singing from the lower level of the tower, and upon further investigation, discovered that Janus had even more talents than Virgil had first thought.

So finally, he resolved to help him.

"Theres guards at every entrance, how exactly do you expect us to do this?" Janus said, raising an eyebrow.

"No one said we had to use a door," Virgil said with a sly grin.

"Hold on," he said, he felt Janus' arms around his waist, it was awkward, Janus had to have been almost two feet taller than he was.

Virgil reached one of his webs, pulled, and jumped off of the tower, Janus tried his best not to scream as they fell.

They said their goodbyes and Virgil pushed the necklace Janus had given him under his hoodie, he couldnt have it discovered, he'd rather die than be the reason Janus got hurt.

Which was why he'd decided to pin Roman to a wall when he came up the stairs.

"Woah woah woah- hey- I'm not here for him I promise! I helped him declare sanctuary!" Roman whisper-yelled.

"Then why are you here now." Virgil snarled.

"Just- tell him I'm sorry, and tell him I hope he's safe," Roman said.

Virgil paused for a moment before letting Roman down.

"You know. . . Janus is lucky to have you. . ." Roman said as he trodded down the stairs.

Things only seemed to get worse from there, Virgil could hardly breath as smoke rose from the ground, the crackling of fire mixing with the screams of the were-creatures who refused to give away Janus' location.

Until Janus showed up at Virgil's tower himself, this time carrying Roman's body in his arms.

"He was shot. . . Almost through the heart. . ." Janus said quietly. Virgil nodded and gathered up cobwebs to make bandages. He wished he couldve made fresh ones, but it had been many years since he'd stopped being able to use that ability.

"He can stay with me- you need to run, fast," Virgil said, shooing Janus away. Janus pressed one last kiss on Roman's lips before fleeing.

And soon Roman himself was on the run alongside Virgil. Both on a mission to keep Janus and his people from a gruesome death at Doyle's hands.

Virgil wasn't exactly sure what he'd been expecting from the Court of Miracles, but it certainly wasnt the same galaxy-haired catboy from the stage prancing around in front of a set of gallows gleefully calling out the supposed misdeeds of Virgil and Roman, before declaring their imminent deaths on the charge of complete innocence.

"Stop! These arent enemies! They're our friends!" And then came Janus from the crowd.

Everything happened all to quickly after that. Screaming and racing around trying to escape as their plans came crashing at Doyle's feet.

And then Virgil found himself chained to a tower.

And watching Janus standing on a pyre, straw littering his feet, flames kicking up around him.

And Virgil only felt one emotion, rage.

Chains were pointless. Chains were stifling and unnecessary and Virgil wanted nothing to do with them. He only wanted Janus safe and in his arms.

So it was quite the disappointment when he discovered Janus' lack of breath.

"You killed him. . ." Virgil muttered as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I had to. . . I only wish it had happened before he'd done such damage to you. . ." Doyle muttered. Virgil noticed a knife being brought towards him in the shadows on the walls.

That blade wouldve looked so much better in Doyle's heart. But fire worked quite well to.

Virgil had been afraid if the sun for quite some time, afraid of anything to do with the outside. But it was much easier to get through when he had his hands intertwined with both Janus and Roman's, and when he wasnt stifled by a fear of his own face.

----------------------------------------------

Tag list:

@thefivecalls

@willowaudreykeyes

@pricklyfish777

@the-sad-strawberry

@itsnithbabey

@private-snippers

@0exterc0

@rich-flower-17

@theonetruebeepboop

@mycatshuman

@teamplutoforlife

@melodiread

@meowthefluffy

@frawkeye

@cemmy

@nerosdayinhell

@thecolorfulolive

@frog-candy-bee

@shadowylemon

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP. 6

Last Time on Grand Theft Auto:

Tsubasa recovers from the world’s gayest coma as Hibiki trains her mind while putting aside such silly concepts as “the love of my life” and “literally being with my girlfriend.” After cooling Miku’s paranoia with her brand new washboard abs, Genjuro prepares the team for a pizza run across the city to deliver a dangerously hot pizza pie named Durandal. Chaos emerges as the delivery is intercepted by a rival pizza gang, lead by the nefarious Gremlin known as Yukine Chris. But, before the pizza could be claimed, dedicated pizza deliverywoman Hibiki not only steals it back, but eats it, harnessing the power of the pizza and unleashing cheesy pasta based chaos around the location.

Ryoko is so into it that she taps into her superpowers and protects Hibiki after she passes out. The delivery is considered a failure, and no tip is given.

And so, the journey continues...

Meanwhile, in this weird, tricked out mansion...

Chris meditates on some water metaphors of her own.

“that pacman colored freak took only touching it to activate a cheap ass french sword that gave her weird demon powers and its taken me YEARS to use this dumb stripper outfit and the funny cane that goes with it, what the FUCK man, what even is my life”

“maybe... maybe honeybaked hams ARE that powerful...”

“NO! turkey is the superior meat! it’s healthier, lower in fat, and way more tasty! fuck you! i’ll get my goddamned revenge!”

Chris begins musing about Fine’s motivations to capture Hibiki; during these, we’re treated to some brief image flashbacks of Chris’s life.

Suddenly, those jokes about food are a lot less funny.

It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together as to why this young woman is helping a strange nudist dominatrix spread alien terror across the city of mumblednoises, Japan. She doesn’t really have many an option on the table. It’s either help the weird kinkster with her plans, or die.

Despite everything, she has a high opinion of Fine, for the same reasons someone might have a high opinion of a television show if it were the only show they were ever exposed to. She is deeply afraid of being alone again, because she has lived through such misery that the very thought of existing out in the cold again terrifies the shit out of her.

The Sun rises casually amidst Chris’s thoughts.

“ah shit. it just hit me. i literally have spent the entire night standing here instead of actually going the fuck to sleep. goddamnit.”

On such a devious metaphorical twist, Fine stands behind her as the Sun rises.

“yeah, jokes on you. i couldnt sleep for shit either. turns out, all nude, no blankets? in japan? real bad idea.”

“thats why i decided to GO GOTH, babey! whattaya think? do i give those witchy vibes, huh? real ‘black magic woman’ santana hours? feeling cute, gonna head out with the girls and summon satan in the woods kinda aesthetic looking shit? come on, be real with me. does this not look baller?”

“you look like morticia decided to go to the grocery store to buy some wonder bread, but other than that, its a step up from your usual pussy out attitude, so sure”

“you know i decided to get some brain cells on loan from Brain Cells R Us, and ive been thinking this solomon cane stuff is solomon lame. i dont need this dumb oversized harry potter cosplay prop to get shit done. also, murder is... sorta bad? im still trying to get the brain cell stuff down.”

“i can punch just as good as goody two shoes if not better.”

“lol go do it then champ, im gonna go cut down a forest of trees now”

And so, they both just kinda... stand there.

“QUACK, NEXT SCENE, QUACK”

Meanwhile, Tsubasa is rapidly trying to rehabilitate herself from her wounds like walking like a madman, her IV drip presumably filled with Taco Bell brand Doritos Locos Tacos super spicy nacho cheese. Taco Bell: Live Mas.

“im gonna clear every fucking taco bell in your goddamned memory, kanade”

“think outside the bun! wait, what? that was a taco bell slogan? ah fuck it, im dead. what nerd’s gonna try and correct me?”

“i would, kanade. i am that nerd.”

Tsubasa is hell bent to try and understand Kanade’s simple philosophy of helping others selflessly. Unfortunately, when Kanade died, she took all the brain cells between them in the process, so coming to this epiphany is a work in progress.

“listen its a fucking miracle you are 1. alive and 2. able to have your blood run on the garbage melted plastic taco bell tries to dupe people into believing is cheese so why dont you just lie down and think of better franchises to eat from”

“no! you dont understand! taco bell is a franchise of the PEOPLE! their meals are cheap and filling and- and the chicken quesadillas are of good quality for their price! i promised kanade- my vow to the death. taco bell... ergh... now and forever... i-”

“wait. my gay senses are tingling.”

It’s Hibiki, probably running track with Miku.

“oh yeah... her... i should probably apologize to her. about trying to kill her. and then letting her almost be kidnapped. and just giving her a general hard time about something that wasn’t explained to her in the slightest for months. she’s a good bean.”

Tsubasa proceeds to never canonically apologize to Hibiki throughout the entirety of all 4 seasons of Symphogear.

Look at em run. See, it’s a metaphor, because they haven’t communicated yet and they’re running from their problems! But they’re running towards Tsubasa, who is part of the representative problem these two share! Clearly literary genius.

It’s like someone went halfway into writing an NTR plotline and went “maybe this isn’t a good idea to market our songs on.”

Hibiki is still thinking about her Hellshake Yano moment with Durandal. Mainly how she nearly killed someone with it. Hibiki is very starkly in the “killing is bad, and wrong” camp of morality, a trait currently unique to her that she’ll wind up teaching literally everyone else she meets one way or another.

Some could argue the L stands for Lydian, and they’re wrong. It stands for Lesbian.

“that was one hell of a run, hibiki! im pooped! why dont we go to the locker room and call it a day, have a nice shower and just get some dinn-”

“this is the last straw.

i clean your plates. i cook your food. we eat, shit, shower, and sleep in the same FUCKING area, and this is how you repay me? huh? you think being your wife is easy shit, hibiki? half the damn time you’re running off like clark kent having food poisoning and the other half ive gotta babysit you, the emotional equivalent of a preteen clown, to make sure your life doesn’t self destruct harder than Atlantis sinking into the ocean. im done! i am DONE. im reopening my tinder, im slamming my ass BACK into okcupid, and im gonna date some CUTE ACADEMY GIRLS that treat me BETTER than this ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL OF HEART AND IM NOT CRYING I SWEAR ITS JUST THE SWEAT IN MY EYES AND HIBIKI HOW COULD YOU-”

“oh yeah, sure! hey, lemme just do a few more laps, ive just been feeling judgmental about myself and my figure, you know? gotta push myself further...”

“o-oh yeah, sure. no worries, ill wait for you. love you too, hibiki...”

The girls bathe together, as good friends typically do.

“hey you ever notice the showers here have like, weird psuedo-luxurious minipools to bathe in? like, how rich is this school?”

“whoever made this place is either rich or a pervert. or both, probably!”

Miku remarks that Hibiki has changed since she’s entered Lydian, in a manner most unheterosexual.

“oh FUCK you really DO have washboard abs now! ohhh my god.”

“damn, those abs were heavenly. let’s get pancakes later.”

I won’t screenshot it but something to note is that they actually wear each other’s corresponding underwear colors (or even, if you want to examine more closely, each other’s underwear). Here’s an equivalent scene to give you the mental image.

This is the face of someone who knows what they want and already have it. Such is the power of Kohinata Miku.

Meanwhile, Genjuro comes back from the funeral of the guy the Americans filled violently and with impunity.

“yo that all black look looks baller. i should borrow that look... id look pretty gothy in it.”

“ryoko i sympathize with your sharp, fashionista eye but this was for a funeral, i was paying my respects to the dead. thats the usual dress code.”

“didnt know they updated that. i remember back in my day, we just went in white garments and chanted in latin!”

“shit was fire. literally. lots of funeral pyres.”

“lmao ryoko buddy your larping sessions arent actual history”

“hey dont shit on larping around me. i used to be a professional larper while i was majoring in acting. helped really sell my career when i had to pretend to slay the Dark Lord Jyarloen atop the mountain of skulls in Hargobor after my family was killed by the Dark Army. asshole.”

“haha yeah, larping, thats cool yeah, i do that

i...

i larp.”

“oh yeah? you wanna join my larping session sometime then? we’re gonna do an ancient babylon plot thats inspired by some anime, itll be fun”

“.....................................im super into realism.”

“i know im dressed for a funeral but id like to not part ways with my dignity yet. besides, we’ve got serious shit to talk about. basically, we’re on the verge of getting shitcanned.”

As it turns out, the death of this politician removed the last obstacle of opposition to maintain the 2nd Division, as the average criticism against the 2nd Division is “why are we funding this mystery division when we don’t know what they do”. Of course, the sensible idea for an organization that defeats the Noise is to declassify it, given people of different jobs and positions have physically seen the Symphogear in action, but you know. “Oh no, the other governments will come after us” stick gets shaken.

“im in a union. i know my rights. you’re not taking my acting job here away from me.”

“im not going back to be a preschool teacher. its been ten year. the bites on my ankles still havent healed...”

“yeah man, shit sucks ass. i cant fund my adoption habits if im fired.”

Look at these cinematic parallels. Symphogear truly is a franchise made by someone living in 3030.

“worst part is the new minister is super into america. he’s a... westaboo.”

“a westaboo?”

“westaboo?”

“did he just unironically say westaboo”

“he said westaboo. oh my god. this is the hell timeline.”

“i mean people kept calling me that for worshipping all these fighting flicks so i guess it fit? i dont see the problem here”

Meanwhile, in Lydian Academy...

“so it hit me, right? we’re ALL girls. and we ALL sing. now, humor me a moment. what if... what if we’ve all been recruited to potentially be superheroes... through our singing? like, there’s no coincidence that all this shit happens around us, right? and a famous singer LIVES here? i saw the black cars outside! weird shit is happening here- im not even gonna eat the all you can eat bar anymore!”

“kathy there is literally no such thing as superheroes who sing. this place is more likely to be a organ harvesting op than whatever madness you’re saying”

“what? you need me, a singing superhero, to go stop a problem happening underneath the school, a location meant to recruit young women into potentially becoming fellow crime fighting singers?”

“yeah im too busy poppin’ caps in asses so go kick ass in my place”

“sure!”

“.....................................who ya talkin to, hibiki?”

“the boss! gotta go do a thing again...”

“hibiki, i dont like the fact that capitalism is tearing us apart.”

“you’ve gotta join me in the revolution, hibiki. you. me. luxury automated gay space communism. aint it the dream? share my vision, hibiki. its glorious.”

“n... no...? no gay space communism today? well, what about tomorrow? or the next day? or... maybe the next day? baby steps, you say? but, direction action, hibiki! we’ve gotta strike now!”

“it’s okay hibiki. when i take over the world and destroy all first world government leaders, and unite the globe in my encompassing reign and love... ill make sure to spare you, and be my bride to be.”

“thanks miku. im just not ready yet for the globe to burn in an unending ball of fire as the continents fuse into a new utopia composed of our combined wills. also, ive really gotta go, its genuinely an emergency.”

“for the cause!”

“yes hibiki... for the cause...”

Admittedly, you can see the stages of grief Miku goes through when she sees Hibiki say she can’t join her for pancakes. It’s sad. This side story sucks.

Meanwhile, as it turns out, the problem Hibiki needed to resolve was checking on Tsubasa to see if she hadn’t dissolved into Taco Bell brand hot n’ spicy Tabasco sauce.

“god, cant believe taco bell was closed. now i gotta deliver these lame ass flowers”

“cant wait to get threatened again. wonder what she’ll say. ‘hibiki, i should have killed you when i had the chance.’ or ‘you’re so goddamned weak. i could break your spine with my fingernail’, or some other stuff about metaphors. oh, my stops here”

“HEY BITCH WHATS GOOD-”

“HOLY SHIT”

“you are already”

“dead.”

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2021/05/colonial-pipeline-hack-shows-ransomware-emergence-as-industrial-scale-threat

Colonial Pipeline Hack Shows Ransomware Emergence as Industrial-Scale Threat

The cyberattack that knocked offline an essential U.S. gasoline pipeline shows that a dangerous, professional-scale hacking-for-ransom threat is worsening, spreading rapidly and plaguing companies, schools, hospitals and other institutions.

While ransomware has been a challenge for small businesses for years, a confluence of factors have emboldened attackers in the past year, culminating in the shutdown on Friday of a critical gasoline pipeline to the U.S. East Coast. The pipeline’s operator, Colonial Pipeline Co., now says that service could be offline until the end of the week, threatening to raise prices at the pump for millions of Americans.

Attacks are growing in number and scale as millions of people around the country work or attend school remotely, in some cases opening back doors to networks without corporate or institutional security protections, security researchers say.

Hackers have grown adept at communicating about vulnerabilities on the so-called Dark Web, a network of computers that can share information anonymously. The ability to demand payment in cryptocurrency limits law-enforcement tracking capabilities. And the growth in insurance policies that cover ransomware payments has helped seed an increasingly professionalized ransomware industry.

Senior officials in the Biden administration have said ransomware is likely the most serious cybersecurity threat to the U.S. and that on its current trajectory the problem will only get worse in the years ahead. A senior Justice Department official likened the phenomenon to “cyber weapons of mass destruction.”

There is no official U.S. clearinghouse to track ransomware cases, but those reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation reached nearly 2,500 in 2020, an increase of 66% compared with the previous year.

While precise data on attacks is often difficult to come by, partly due to the desire for secrecy among both perpetrators and victims, ransomware victims paid criminals at least $350 million in cryptocurrency payments in 2020, an increase of 311%, according to the blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis Inc. Other security experts and cybersecurity officials have estimated the overall toll on the U.S. economy now registers in the billions annually.

“The reason why ransomware is exploding is because it’s scalable, predictable and lucrative,” said Antony P. Kim, a partner with the law firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP’s cyber, privacy and data innovation practice. “If that isn’t a business model, I don’t know what is.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has for years told companies that they shouldn’t pay ransoms when victimized by hackers, but the cybersecurity firm Bitdefender says that at least half of all victims end up paying.

The companies least vulnerable are those that back up systems so they don’t feel pressure to pay, but doing so can be costly up front.

Ransomware encrypts the contents of the victim’s computers, making them unusable until a payment is made, at which point the hackers promise to give the victims a decryption key—a complex series of letters and numbers that will unlock their systems. Often victims pay ransom because they have no backup copies of the infected systems or because the effort required to restore hundreds of computers is prohibitive.

“We are on the cusp of a global digital pandemic, driven by greed, a vulnerable digital ecosystem, and an ever-widening criminal enterprise,” Chris Krebs, the former top cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security under President Trump, said in congressional testimony about ransomware last week.

Propensity to be hit by ransomware across different sectors

Business & professional services

Central government

Technology & telecoms

Manufacturing & production

Energy, oil/gas & utilities

Healthcare

Local government

Financial services

Global average

Media, leisure & entertainment

Construction & property

Distribution & transport

Impact

of ransomware

Ransomware complaints filed with the FBI

Victim loss from ransomware attacks

Cybercriminals

succeeded in

encrypting data

$30 million

Attack stopped before

the data could be encrypted

Propensity to be hit by ransomware across different sectors

Business & professional services

Central government

Technology & telecoms

Manufacturing & production

Energy, oil/gas & utilities

Healthcare

Local government

Financial services

Global average

Media, leisure & entertainment

Construction & property

Distribution & transport

Impact

of ransomware

Ransomware complaints filed with the FBI

Victim loss from ransomware attacks

Cybercriminals

succeeded in

encrypting data

$30 million

Attack stopped before

the data could be encrypted

Propensity to be hit by ransomware across different sectors

Business & professional services

Central government

Technology & telecoms

Manufacturing & production

Energy, oil/gas & utilities

Healthcare

Local government

Financial services

Global average

Media, leisure & entertainment

Construction & property

Distribution & transport

Impact

of ransomware

Ransomware complaints filed with the FBI

Victim loss from ransomware attacks

Cybercriminals

succeeded in

encrypting data

$30 million

Attack stopped before

the data could be encrypted

Propensity to be hit by ransomware across different sectors

Business services

Central government

Technology

Manufacturing

Energy,

oil/gas & utilities

Healthcare

Global average

Local government

Financial services

Impact of ransomware

Cybercriminals

succeeded in

encrypting data

Attack stopped

before the data

could be encrypted

Ransomware complaints filed

Victim loss from ransomware attacks

$30 million

Schools, law firms, local governments, airports and law-enforcement agencies have been hit.

A September hack cost hospital chain United Health Services Inc. $67 million last year before taxes, and a month later ransomware groups knocked dozens of hospitals offline during a widespread campaign.

The 10,000-student Sheldon Independent School District in Houston paid a ransom of $206,931, negotiated down from about $350,000, after a ransomware attack last year rendered it inoperable and threatened a coming paycheck distribution.

“We could not function,” said Sheldon Superintendent King R. Davis. “It was very important to us to keep moving forward.”

The University of California, San Francisco, paid a $1.14 million ransom to a hacker in June. The university has said that it made the decision to pay because the hacker encrypted data for important academic work, including research. The university said in a statement that it was a “difficult decision” to pay the ransom.

DarkSide, the ransomware linked by the FBI to the Colonial pipeline incident, uses the Tor anonymizing software to keep its server’s location hidden from law enforcement. The group that makes the ransomware uses the digital currency bitcoin for payments that can be made anonymously. It uses online hacking forums to recruit “affiliate” partners who can break into victims’ networks, and it is thought to operate out of Eastern Europe, according to security researchers.

The DarkSide developers didn’t respond to a request for comment. On the “press” section for the ransomware gang’s website, they appeared to distance themselves from the Colonial attack and blame an affiliate. They said that they would exert more control over the companies that their affiliates wanted to attack “to avoid social consequences in the future.”

While ransomware groups have traditionally shut down critical operations and demanded payment to provide keys to restore them, in recent years, ransomware groups began threatening to publish documents taken from victims.

This shift has given hackers a new line of business—allowing them to collect payments even when victims were able to restore encrypted systems through a backup, said Charles Carmakal, a senior vice president with the cybersecurity firm Mandiant. “A lot of times, these victims feel compelled to pay,” he said.

Ransomware gangs now notify company employees and even partners when they have infiltrated a victim to maximize the pressure to pay, said Sherri Davidoff, chief executive of the security consulting firm LMG Security LLC. On its website, DarkSide says it is willing to sell information stolen from victims to short sellers, if the victim refuses to pay.

Anne Neuberger, President Biden’s deputy national security adviser, said hackers are increasingly targeting companies that have insurance and are richer.

Photo: nicholas kamm/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Layered together, all of these online services make it easy for a growing pool of hackers to get involved in ransomware with a minimum of effort, Ms. Davidoff said. It’s very point and click,” she said.

Reflecting the scale of the threat, last month the Justice Department formed a task force intended to curtail the popular extortion schemes by making them less lucrative through efforts to target the entire digital ecosystem that supports them, including how criminals rely on digital currency to extract victim payments.

In an interview last month, John Carlin, a senior official at the Justice Department, likened ransomware to “cyber weapons of mass destruction” that, like nuclear weapons, were growing more powerful and devastating over time. The success of ransomware operations has allowed criminal hackers to demand ever greater sums of money into the tens of millions of dollars from victims and reinvest those profits in new tools and services that enable more and better attacks, Mr. Carlin said.

Newsletter Sign-up

WSJ Pro Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ’s global team of reporters and editors.

“We have to figure out a way to break the unvirtuous cycle we’re in right now, where the more money they make the more is being funneled back into the tools they are using,” Mr. Carlin said.

Speaking during a White House press briefing on Monday, Anne Neuberger, Mr. Biden’s deputy national security adviser, said that many companies are “often in a difficult position if their data is encrypted and they do not have backups and cannot recover the data.”

Ms. Neuberger also said there was a “troubling trend” developing of hackers targeting companies that have insurance and are richer, and therefore more likely to pay a ransom. “We need to look thoughtfully at this area, including with our international partners, to determine what we do in addition to actively disrupting infrastructure and holding perpetrators accountable to ensure that we’re not encouraging the rise of ransomware,” she said.

Colonial Pipeline Shutdown

Write to Robert McMillan at Robert.Mcmillan@wsj.com, Dustin Volz at dustin.volz@wsj.com and Tawnell D. Hobbs at Tawnell.Hobbs@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

[blueweave]

Global Real-World Evidence Solution Market Expected to Reach worth USD 4,415.3 Million in 2027

According to a study conducted recently by the strategic consulting and market research firm, BlueWeave Consulting, the global real-world evidence (RWE) solution market has reached USD 1.487.1 million by 2020 and is expected to reach USD 4,415.3 million by 2027, with a healthy CAGR of 17.1% during 2021-27 (forecast period). The growth is due to the shift from volume to value-based care, aging population and prevalence of chronic diseases and delays in drug development, and the subsequent increase in development costs. Besides, the real-world data sets are widely adopted by end-users for RWE for various applications such as drug development & approvals, market access & reimbursement/coverage decisions, clinical decision-making, and medical device development & approvals, among others, that helps in the growth of the overall market.

Regardless of challenges, if RWE research performed correctly can generate significant value throughout the product life cycle. To be successful, a company must first develop a strategy based on a deep understanding of which treatment areas and products to be prioritized, and must define specific RWE applications that would complement routine clinical research. With a strategy, an organization can adopt a method that suits its purpose. The market is witnessing major developments wherein pharmaceutical companies and health authorities are accelerating and strengthening their ongoing efforts to define and implement RWE standards.

Increasing Number of Cancer Patients

The increasing incidence of cancer, combined with untapped opportunities in developing economies, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the developing healthcare infrastructure in these regions, are among the main trends driving the market growth. According to The World Health Organization (WHO), there was a total of 19.3 million cancer cases in 2020. By 2040, the cases are likely to reach 30.2 million. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical, and thyroid cancer are the most common among women. Surging demand for effective diagnostic procedures for cancer is also predictable to work in favor of the market.

Rising Investment to Create Market Opportunities in Upcoming Years

A rise in investment creates new opportunities in the market. For instance, Syapse, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of precision oncology solutions announced USD 30 million in new equity funding to accelerate the creation and use of real-world evidence in oncology led by Revelation Alpine, LLC, with participation from existing investors including Amgen Ventures, Ascension Ventures, Intermountain Ventures, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Roche Finance Ltd, Safeguard Scientifics and Social Capital.

Revelation Alpine’s Managing Partner Zack Scott, MD will join the Syapse Board of Directors. Syapse collaborates with life sciences companies to provide insights from real-world data through its portfolio of products to support research and product development, clinical trials patient matching, real-world evidence regulatory filings, and monitoring of commercially approved products. Syapse health systems with insights supports large-scale precision medicine programs through integrating the clinical, molecular, and outcomes data they need to make the most informed treatment decisions.

Report URL: https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/global-real-world-evidence-solutions-market-bwc19297 

Therapeutic Segment Contributing Major Share in the Real-World Evidence Solution Market

Based on the therapeutic area, the real-world evidence market is broadly categorized into oncology, immunology, neurology, cardiovascular disease, and other therapeutic areas the oncology segment has been accounted for the largest share of the real-world evidence market. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the high number of clinical trials conducted for oncology and the rising prevalence of cancer worldwide. According to the WHO, Cancer is the second leading cause of death across the globe, with an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. There is also an increasing personalized medicine and a more precise requirement for oncology, which is expected to further fuel the market growth.

Impact of COVID-19 on Real-World Evidence Solution Market

The global real-world evidence solution market has shown a sudden increase in the market demand due to COVID-19. The pandemic has severely affected the several industry players with regard to business and functional parameters but the pharmaceutical sector has grown up. Healthcare practitioners all over the world are working diligently to improve diagnosis, response time, and the efficient use of human resources, as well as to ensure the safety of medical staff. RWE is poised to become the most powerful new technology in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic as the virus continues to wreak havoc on global markets. Since it offers useful insights into how to best understand, track, and plan for the pandemic's challenges the same monitoring models may be modified to combat any future COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks by determining where and how rapidly the epidemic is likely to spread.

The industry has witnessed effect of COVID-19, wherein the medical system is astounded, and has raised countless questions about how to best diagnose patients, treat infections, save lives, and control the pandemic. In the short term, researchers have started randomized trials to discover pharmacological interventions that can prevent or reduce the severity of the disease. But it would take some time to get healthy results. In the first few months of the flu pandemic, time is a luxury, and doctors may not be able to afford it at the forefront of the coronavirus fight. On a lookout to obtain medical insights and hope to be able to solve other questions that cannot be answered in a specialized research environment, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies immediately turned to health information obtained through insurance claims, electronic medical records, patient registers and other methods, like real-world data source.

Global Real-World Evidence Solution Market: Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest share of the real-world evidence market in 2020, followed by Europe and the Asia Pacific. The presence of a favorable regulatory environment, a high number of RWE service providers, the presence of a well-established pharmaceutical industry in the region, coupled with the high R&D expenditure, are the major factors responsible for the large share of North America in the global real-world evidence market. The U.S. is expected to dominate the North American market, owing to a high demand in clinical research activities, which is one of the important factors augmenting the demand for real-world evidence solutions market in the North America region.

Competitive Landscape

New entrants have a much lower chance of succeeding as it is difficult to match the high capital requirements of the market’s leading players. Key players for real world evidence solutions market are Anthem, Inc., Clinigen Group plc, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, ICON Public Limited, Quintiles IMS Holdings, Inc., UnitedHealth Group, Oracle Corporation, PAREXEL International Corporation, PerkinElmer, Inc., and other Prominent Players. In order to improve their production capability, product portfolio, and provide competitive differentiation, companies are increasingly participating in acquisitions, alliances, and mergers.

Anthem -The company generates consistent and actionable evidence to support decision making while helping to guide fresh initiatives for a range of stakeholders in the healthcare industry through wholly-owned health outcomes research subsidiary, HealthCore, Inc. HealthCore, Inc. operates through three divisions namely, life science companies, government & academia, and payers & providers.

About Us:

BlueWeave Consulting provides all kinds of Market Intelligence (MI) Solutions to businesses regarding various products and services online & offline. We offer comprehensive market research reports by analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data to boost up the performance of your business solution. BWC has built its reputation from the scratches by delivering quality inputs and nourishing long-lasting relationships with its clients. We are one of the promising digital MI solutions company providing agile assistance to make your business endeavors successful.

[jaku-the-askblog]

Ok so i couldnt do the exact way you prompted, because i tie in Aku’s “sickness” heavily with personal headcanons about how Aku even functions (which i will post once im done collecting them in a cohesive way), but i have attempted a thing nonetheless

under the cut cuz it ran a little long

(from here)

Jack races outside to a balcony from the citadel, and stares up, gawking, with the rest of the crowd at the dark underside of the tremendous spaceship lurking overhead that is now blocking out the sun. A virtual screen flickers on, and a green-scaled, bug-like face comes into view. Its antennae wriggle as the mandibles move to make a fast series of clicking noises, evidently speaking.

Jack is about to ask if anyone can understand what’s being said, but then a robotic voice rings out from the ship, louder than the alien.

“Your leader Aku is weak and we have come to take that power! Do not panic, and do not fight it, or you shall be met with consequences.”

Jack narrows his eyes, and is about to prepare to run inside and grab his sword when he notices that the minions and workers are all just...standing there. A few even look bored.

And that’s when he hears a whistle of air, and his eyes only barely catch the streak of black before it collides with the ship, but it doesn’t seem to impact it. Instead, darkness spreads over the ship like a giant wave, the screen of the alien’s face flickering out as the spread continues, until there is nothing but the solid mass of black.

Jack’s jaw drops open again as that mass begins to float away, but he winces as light from the sun filters back in as the ship leaves. The crowd begins to disperse back into the citadel, though Jack is still frozen to the spot.

“Amateurs.” one of the minions remarks, rolling his eyes under the hood while he passes Jack.

When Jack finally makes his way inside, in the main hall Aku stands there with a massive crew of aliens exactly like the one that had been on the screen, all looking terrified as they are handcuffed by Aku’s minions. He walks up on shaking legs, but he can’t decide if he’s terrified by the display or almost bursting with awe and excitement at it.

Aku seems to delay in noticing him, even creaking as he does so. He beams when he sees it’s Jack, however.

“Ah, samurai! I am glad you are here to witness these criminals experiencing punishment for their crimes!”

Jack succeeds in not flinching at that, and then notices Aku seems...wispy at his edges. His shoulders, especially, seem to be in a constant, barely-there state of dissolving away. He blinks and refocuses on Aku’s face.

“Er, yes, good job Aku.” Jack walks up to gently put his hand on Aku’s arm, and he frowns when Aku feels a little more liquid than solid. Aku stiffens, and instantly his body is its usual texture.

Neither of them mention it again, but Jack does learn that not only did Aku control himself and the ship, but once he had landed it safely he used his essence to control the hundred aliens or more to get them to teleport back to his lair.

Truly, just one more impressive feat that Jack now knew Aku was capable of.

— — —

That night, two more ships come in and start off attacking the city. Thankfully most of the damage is superficial, as Aku’s reaction is fast once more. He uses the same method for one of the ships, but once the second comes in he simply grows in size and grabs it from the air, then tears off its engines before not-so-gently putting it next to the other.

This time Jack catches a ride on one of the beetledrones, following them out to where Aku has landed the ships, and while the minions and beetledrones do their work of capturing and taking record of all the new prisoners Jack walks around, trying to find Aku after the demon seems to vanish.

They literally run into each other as Jack rounds a corner, and when Jack steps back he sees Aku’s form ripple and shudder, and Aku seems to have trouble reforming himself into his usual stature at his typical height. He makes a sort of annoyed growl, and after a couple seconds gets himself together.

“Any damage reports in?” Aku immediately begins. Jack nods, but he’s keeping a wary eye on Aku.

“Are you alright?” He can’t help but ask.

Aku snorts, but it turns into a grin as he strides up and past Jack. Jack turns and follows him.

“Your concern is touching, truly, but not necessary.” Aku’s voice is clipped, almost tight. Jack doesn’t pursue the subject, even if it lingers in him, because they grow too busy directing the beetledrones and checking in with the damaged areas.

Aku had always seemed quick to recover from the times they fought before, anyway.

— — —

In the next three days there’s a whole series of more ships, with at least three a day appearing at any location on the planet. Aku is always there instantly, taking care of it each time, but Jack begins to notice a distinct weariness to the demon’s features, and Aku seems to move around the castle more and more sluggishly. He’s of course insistent that he’s fine, but Jack makes sure to move his own work to Aku’s throne room or office as often as he can to keep close to Aku, and he casually requests Aku’s secretary to move as many appointments out of the way as possible for that week.

By the fourth day the alien species, which they now know is the Hvarkthons from the Sarris system, officially surrender. The prisons in the citadel haven’t been this full in at least a year, but after they all sign the treaties and contracts all the temporary prisoners are finally cleared out and a sigh of relief is collectively breathed around the castle.

Jack heads down to Aku’s office the next day, but as he gets closer he sees a trail of small black puddles that grow larger and more frequent as he nears the door. When he steps inside he notices that Aku is hunched over, his face on his desk, and the demon is— there’s no better word for it— dripping. His entire form just looks soggy.

Jack rushes up to his side, and carefully reaches his hand out to what he can make out to be Aku’s shoulder. He is sure that touching Aku like this won’t result in getting possessed by the demon’s essence again, but he’s also never been this close to Aku if the demon ever got like this.

“Aku?” he asks softly, and his hand makes contact with the wet shape. He grimaces as his hand starts to sink in, so he keeps the pressure light and is sure to only let it rest just on the surface of Aku’s form.

He hears a low groan from somewhere inside Aku, and the blackness wriggles and shivers. It takes nearly fifteen seconds before Aku peels his face from the desk with a suction noise and stares past Jack, squinting. His eyebrows are low, almost out, but at least he seems to be able to keep his face mostly in its normal form.

“Samurai?” he mumbles, then begins to cough and hack, his body trembling and jerking about violently in the chair. Jack pries his hand back, and some of Aku’s body comes away between his fingers before slowly falling away and to the floor.

Jack takes a breath, and straightens his back.

“Enough! You are going to bed, and resting until you are better.” He makes his voice as firm and projected as possible, and when Aku stops coughing he seems to understand, drooping his head but making a little nodding motion as he does.

Aku doesn't really stand so much as contort his body into an upright position, but immediately starts to tilt. Jack reacts instantly, stepping forward with his arms out to grab Aku, but when his hands make contact Aku falls all over him, coating Jack in a wet, black goo.

Jack had flinched, but after a few moments he can’t feel much on his face so he risks cracking open one eye, then the other. He looks over himself to see splatters of Aku everywhere, effectively coating him, and he peers down to see a pair of small flames burning from the center of his chest.

He blinks twice rapidly, and then sighs through his nose and starts to cautiously make his way out of the office and back through the hallways and stairs to their bedroom. He passes thankfully few minions and workers, who only give him wide eyes before steering clear of him.

When he finds the final staircase down, Aku begins to slip from him, his essence peeling down Jack’s body and clothing. Jack quickly cups his hands around the two eyebrows, holding them, as he picks up his pace.

He spits out to get off anything that might have landed near his mouth, and then offers in a reassuring tone, “Come on, just a little further. We are almost to bed.”

The essence seems to shudder in response, and stops dripping heavily long enough for Jack to reach their bedroom and allow the puddles to pool together and slide under the sheets.

Jack takes a breath, and walks around to sit on top of the sheets, settling himself in for a long meditation. He can’t think of what else to do— as far as he’d known, Aku should be immune to diseases. It’s not like the demon has organs, or anything to become unwell. The only other time he’d seen Aku like this he’d never figured out what had caused it, and he’d never thought to ask Aku.

He loses track of time, and before he knows it he’s woken up by a hand on his leg. He shakes himself out of the lost state, and looks over to see a still obviously under-the-weather Aku, but at least he has a face and horns again.

The demon sniffles, a short series of deep, snorting noises, and clenches his half-formed hand into Jack’s leg with all the power of a small child.

“Is there anything I may do to help?” Jack offers, placing his own hand over Aku’s. It’s still mostly a liquid state, but at least he can distinguish between fingers.

Aku starts to cough again, hacking up essence that spills onto the pillow before it drools down to go back into his body. Jack watches with something akin to morbid fascination, since Aku’s anatomy is a strange (but sometimes fascinating) thing.

The demon paws at Jack’s leg, hitting the apex between his hip and thigh, and Jack almost warms a bit. But he takes a guess and lays down closer to Aku, bringing their hands up and between them. Aku seems to settle, closing his eyes again and starting to snore shortly thereafter.

Jack chuckles softly and lets himself relax again. He’ll be here for Aku, as long as the demon wishes.

[forever-yoongis]

My Chemistry Of Love

Ships: Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Fluff and angst

Do you know the one thing that spreads faster than chicken pox---or any other “communicable disease” that we doctors always seem to be worried about?

Rumours.

Rumours that the neurosurgeon in charge of Room 206 has started dating Min Suga, idol rapper of BTS. The nurses would start whispering fervently whenever I would pass them. The doctors would turn to look at me whenever I would pass them in the corridors. Even the Department Chief, an old man, who had always been much like a father to me raised an eyebrow when I entered his room last day to give him the reports. “Congratulations Ann, you finally got yourself a boyfriend”, he had laughed. “Who would’ve thought that you had so much potential in yourself?”, he had teased playfully. “I-I don’t know what you mean sir. I have to be in the ER now. Excuse me”, I almost ran out of the door, slamming it behind me. Oh God, that was so embarrassing, I thought, my cheeks burning.

Now laughing at that incident last day, I skipped my way to Yoongi's room early in the morning, waving to Sophie on the way who gave me a subtle wink. I shook my head at her, giving her a mock glare.

You may ask, why am I so happy today? I started humming a tune softly and pushed open the door to room 206. This is the reason behind my happiness. Didn’t get it yet? Nevermind then haha. “You actually got up early today,” I raised an eyebrow, giving Yoongi a look of approval. “ Just wanted to reduce your work for a day”, he winked at me. “Plus, getting up early means I can spend a little more time with my doctor”, he smirked. “Yah, stop being so weird early in the morning”, I scolded him while pouring out a cup of coffee from the flask. I couldn’t help but start smiling at his words. “C’mon, I brought your breakfast”, I picked the tray from the table and walked towards the bed. Yoongi was sitting on the bed, his legs dangling from the bed. I sat on a chair beside him. He opened his mouth in a big “aaah~” and I picked up the spoon, chuckling at his antics. With his mouth wide open in a big “aah” but slowly eyeing the food I’m about to feed him, and hair still messy from the sleep, he was honestly the most adorable creature I have seen in my entire life. While he ate contentedly from the spoon I used to feed him, I started thinking back on last week.

“Aah”, Yoongi opened his mouth and I kept feeding him. He would mumble in content and start chewing deliberately making a lot of noises and I would keep on laughing at his weird behaviour. This had been going on for over a week. I would adjust my schedule just so that I could be free for an hour in the mornings, afternoon and evenings, for true to his word, he would refuse to eat unless I fed him. He kept on making weird expressions with his face to make me laugh and then I scolded him a little for not eating fast enough, at which he started showing me his puppy eyes, whining and complaining that he wasn’t getting enough attention. “Yah yah, be like that and I won’t feed you again”, I glared at him. He would reply,” would you want me to starve?” and I sighed in defeat.

“Uh, Doctor, the patient's family is here to see you”, a nurse stood at the door, shuffling nervously. Beside her, an elderly couple stood smiling at Yoongi. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I’ll leave immediately”, I leapt up from my seat, putting down the tray at which Yoongi said “what about my food?”. I laughed nervously at him, “Im sure you’ll be able to eat them yourself”, and then ran out the door. How much did they hear? Clutching my chest, I tried to calm myself. I hope they didn’t think too lowly of me, I thought worriedly. A doctor feeding and chiding a patient? His parents must’ve been shocked. I facepalmed. What the hell did I do?

My eyes suddenly perked up on hearing a laugh from inside the room. Should I eavesdrop? Oh no, that will be terrible of me to do. But...No, Ann!! What if somebody saw you? I told myself. But still...I wanted to know what his parents thought of me. I kept having this argument with myself in the corridor when a nurse came up to me with a tray, “Doctor, could you give the medicines to the patient? The parents would be there for a while and the-“ “oh I know I know. He’s supposed to have them right after breakfast. I’ll give it to him”, I took the tray from her. God bless this nurse! I laughed to myself. Now I can go inside with a perfect excuse...

“You didn’t ask her out yet son?” a male voice sounded from inside. I stopped in my tracks. They couldn’t possibly be talking about....me?! “no”, I heard Yoongi's voice speak. “Our son's just so dense and blind”, a female voice (probably his mother's) spoke. I pushed open the door slightly trying to make as little noise as possible. “He sees his soulmate right in front of him and doesn’t do anything about it”, complained the mother. I froze in my tracks. “Ann?”, Yoongi looked wide-eyed at me. Shit. Now I’m done for. “I-I just c-came in to give you these meds, you’re s-supposed to have them right after breakfast”, I mumbled and kept them quickly on the bed. The woman turned to look at me. “Thank you for looking after our son so well, dear”, she smiled kindly at me. “I-its no problem. This is my job”, I tried to smile back at her. “Make sure you have them”, I gave him a “I’ll-not-tolerate-any-nonsense-from-you” look and he grumbled, “yeah I got it”, under his breath. I left the room quickly after that, heart beating rapidly inside my chest, my spirits soaring and I almost felt giddy with happiness that his parents liked me so much.

I smiled a bit at the memory as I fed Yoongi, who seemed too busy munching on his food to notice that I had completely blanked out and was smiling like an idiot just like that. He finished off his breakfast soon after that, and after giving him his meds, I told him that I’ll be back in the afternoon. Like always, he would whine and tug at my arm a bit asking me to stay but would finally budge ,however not without trying his “puppy eyes” tactic and calling me ice-woman when that wouldn’t work. I laughed and patted his head, then keeping the tray back into place, left the room.

I had made it into a habit to not talk much with the nurses these days, in fear of being asked about Yoongi. But today as I entered the canteen room, I saw Alex (who had finally and sadly recovered from his wound) surrounded by the nurses and I could see that they were having a serious discussion. What are they talking about? A bit curious, I went close to them to try and listen to their words.

“You can’t be serious”, I heard Alex scoff. “She’s dating that idol?” I stopped dead in my tracks. Oh, so that’s what the hype is all about. Since I didn’t want to confront their questions right then, I turned back to leave when I heard Alex's voice call out, “Ann!”. I shut my eyes. Shit. I’m getting caught a lot today. Turning around slowly, I looked at him. He started walking towards me with a strange look in his eyes.

“Is it true?”, he demanded. “What is?”, I pretended not to know. He sighed. “You’re dating that rapper, aren’t you?”, he asked. “No I’m not. We’re friends. When did you start believing in rumours? I thought you hated them”, I replied without changing my expression. He sighed again. “Not when it comes to you”, he looked up at me. “You know how worried I get about you always”, he rubbed the back of his shoulder smiling at me. Ha! Always worried about me. My foot. I rolled my eyes internally. But I managed to hold in my temper.

“But still, I hope you would think twice before doing anything Anna. You know how these idols are like, right? They love to play with girls who are innocent like you”. If criminal law hadn’t existed, I would’ve killed this guy right then. Who’s he to warn me about players anyways. I let out a scoff.” Thanks for the advice, I’ll keep that in mind”. “Don’t take it so lightly. Don’t forget your ideals and principles. Don’t you remember what you used to say? Always draw a line between your patient and yourself. Are you really abiding by your own rules right now? Think again”, Alex ended, nodding his head as if the idea of me overstepping that line with Yoongi vastly devastated him and went back.

Always draw a line between your patients and yourself. The statement kept on repeating in my head. He was right. The tray of food suddenly grew very heavy in my hand. What am I doing? I remember how I used to lecture the interns here not to flirt or be friends with their patients. Am I really following what I taught them? What kind of a terrible doctor does that make me if I do not follow the basic rules of this profession? My heart seemed to drop as I realized that the happiness I felt for the last two weeks was wrong. Everything I did was wrong.

And if there was one thing I had to do right then, it was to correct my mistake I had made.

[okkcats]

FR4 thermal conductivity

FR4 Thermal Conductivity management for LEDs

Just like the light-emitting diode, which for decades served exclusively as an indicator lamp, PCB has also left its shadowy existence and has rapidly advanced to a multifunctional element within an electronic system. It, therefore, has to withstand high currents and ensure the cooling of high-clocked, but heat-producing processors and heat-dissipating power components, which brought us to today's topic- FR4 thermal conductivity.

1. Comparison of a conventional two-board solution with FR4 / copper combination

As UHB LEDs (Ultra High Brightness LEDs) with up to ten or more watts per housing and LED arrays with many LEDs placed closely next to each other are being used more and more, the question of heat dissipation is becoming more and more pressing.

This applies in particular since, unlike incandescent lamps, light-emitting diodes only emit a negligible part of the heat loss; practically everything goes the way of heat conduction.

Of course, there are solutions, for example, ceramic carriers or IMS PCB (insulated metal substrates) with thick aluminum cores. However, these are very expensive in comparison to classic FR4 PCB boards, and a second board is usually required to make to accommodate driver electronics.

FR4 PCB with copper wire

Moko Technology takes a different approach with »HSMtec«. The technology, which is qualified in accordance with DINEN60068-2-14 and JEDECA101-A and audited for aviation and automotive, is selective: only where high currents are supposed to flow through the printed circuit board does thick copper.

Currently, 500µm high profiles with widths from 2.0mm to are available in variable lengths, with wires a diameter of 500µm has become established. The solid copper elements that are firmly bonded to the conductor patterns can be applied directly to the base copper using ultrasound connection technology and integrated into any layer of a multilayer using FR4 base material. There are several reasons why copper is used: It has twice the thermal conductivity compared to aluminum and thus ensures rapid heat dissipation without insulating intermediate layers underneath the LED heat pad.

Table 1: Thermal conductivity of the materials involved Another advantage of copper and the circuit board base material FR4 are the thermal expansion properties (Table 2): Especially in connection with ceramic LEDs, circuit boards based on copper or FR4 have a high resistance to thermal stresses, which depend on environmental or operating conditions and others Temperature cycles, such as for "intelligent" lighting controls.

Table 2: Thermal expansion coefficient in the X / Y direction In this way, the lifespan and reliability of the entire lighting unit can be significantly increased compared to conventional metal core PCB based on aluminum.

Printed circuit boards manage heat

A look at the specific thermal conductivity shows the importance of the continuous metallic path from the source to the sink and the performance potential of HSMtec. Copper conducts heat 1000 times better than FR4. The combination of integrated copper profiles with modern circuit board constructions such as micro and thermovias makes it possible to directly contact a soldering surface (components, heat sink) to the profiles, thereby avoiding bottlenecks in the thermal path.

A thermally optimized layer structure also ensures rapid heat spreading and thus supports the entire thermal concept. In the case of very small LED housings, filled microvias ensure a direct metallic connection to heat-conducting copper elements, which can be attached approximately 60 μm below the top layer of the circuit board.

2. Thermal properties of metal core boards and FR4 thermal conductivity with embedded copper

Compared to Thermovias, which are placed directly under heat pads, for example, it is possible to solder filled microvias without any problems. Based on various empirical studies, Häusermann was able to gain all kinds of knowledge in the areas of thermal management and high current on the printed circuit board. The main advantage of HSMtec compared to alternative solutions is the use of inexpensive standard FR4 material in addition to manufacturing in the standard manufacturing process. It is also possible to use this process to construct self-supporting, multi-dimensional printed circuit boards with copper wire

With the help of notch milling at the predetermined bending points, individual segments can be brought into the desired orientation by any adjustment of the inclination angle. The thick copper integrated with profiles and wires withstands currents of up to 500 A. This represents a sensible alternative to circuit board solutions that provide full-area copper layers up to 500 µm thick, or to cost-intensive IMS solutions that use massive aluminum cores as heat carriers instead of the usual base material deploy.

The design allows large amounts of heat and/or high currents of up to 500A to be conducted directly inside the circuit board. In addition, the entire architecture does not require cables, connectors or other mechanical connections. This not only increases the reliability of the application but also its lifespan. In order to successfully implement creative lighting design with power LEDs, close cooperation between the customer and the circuit board manufacturer is essential: Already in the concept phase, the entire thermal design - from the printed circuit board to the luminaire housing - must be optimally coordinated. Different prototype variants and thermal analyzes allow individual solutions.

The properties and characteristics of FR4 thermal conductivity materials ensure great versatility at an affordable price. For this reason, they are often used to manufacture PCB boards. So it is not unusual for us to dedicate an article to them on our blog.

FR-4 is a standard set by the NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) for a composite of hardened epoxy resin and fiberglass fabric. The code 94V-0 is on all FR-4 circuit boards. It ensures that fire does not spread and goes out again quickly if the material catches fire. The glass transition temperature (Tg) for High TG or HiTG is between 115 and 200 ° C depending on the manufacturing method and the resins used. FR-4 uses bromine, a chemical element, and so-called refractory halogen. It replaces G-10, another composite material that is less fire-resistant in most applications. FR-4 also offers a good ratio between fire resistance and weight. FR-4 High CTI: The Comparative Tracking Index (tracking resistance) is over 600 volts. FR-4 without copper foil: Ideally suited for insulation boards, models and circuit board carriers. More information about the properties of these different materials can be found later in this article.

What holds our world together

The properties of base materials for electronic assemblies.

What is "base material"?

The individual components of the typical base material are adhesive, a backing material and the conductive layer. The FR4, the most widely used base material, is made of adhesive Epoxy resin and the base material made of twisted glass fibrils, which are woven into a glass fabricate. "FR" stands for "Flame Retarding" and thus points to the indispensable flame retardant Property of the material. The "4" stands for a certain FR type. There are also the types "FR2" and "FR3", which are hardly in use these days, and "FR5" with a higher one Temperature resistance as "FR4".

Prepregs and laminates

When manufacturing FR4 base material, the glass fabric with the epoxy resin is used first soaked. The result is "Prepregs", an artificial word that stands for "Preimpregnated" and on it to indicate that the epoxy resin matrix has dried but has not yet hardened.

Each prepreg consists of exactly one type of glass fabric, which is specified with a number, for example, "106", "1080", "2116" or "7628". This type of designation was previously related to the prepreg thickness is very binding. The 106 was about 50 µm thick, 1080 about 60 µm, 2116 approx. 115 and the 7628 approx. 180µm.

The modern demand for a safe but also inexpensive pressing of Multilayers has led to various prepreg variants that differ in the thickness of the resin coating differ. There are still prepregs with standard resin content but now also with medium ones and high resin content. The usual identifiers are then "SR" for "Standard resin", "MR" for "Medium resin" and "HR" for "High resin". Including all manufacturing tolerances, the thickness of one so-called 1080 prepregs recently between 56µm (= SR variant, lower tolerance) and 84 µm (= HR variant, upper tolerance) fluctuate.

Colloquially, "thin laminates" with thicknesses between 0.05mm and 0.86mm, and "Thick laminates" with thicknesses between 0.90mm and 3.2mm available. The thickness of the copper cladding can be 5, 9, 12, 17, 35, 70, 105, 210 or 420µm. There is no direct physical property associated with these copper thicknesses. The designations come from the Anglo-American language area for historical reasons just a multiple or an integer divisor of 1 ounce (= 35µm). Vincenz, Taube, Wiemers: PCB and assembly technology PCB and assembly technology. Prepregs and copper foils are the Electronics raw materials. laminates are already derived products. Incidentally, this reference also explains the classic PCB thickness of 1.50mm.

Technical characteristics of FR4 thermal conductivity

The foreseeable future belongs to the FR4 and its derivatives. The material is stable, the insulation is reliable, the dielectric behavior is usable, the costs are acceptable, the processing is established and the heat resistance is tolerable. The derivatives are essentially generated by modifying the epoxy resin matrix. In the wake of the switch to lead-free electronics (~ RoHS), it has become common to replace part of the resin volume with mineral fillers. This delays the temperature-related increased Z-axis expansion of the circuit board (parameter CTE (z) = "Coefficient of thermal expansion").

As a result of the higher temperature resistance, the likelihood that the circuit board will be damaged during soldering. One then speaks of “FR4 thermal conductivity with a higher Tg value” or also of “high Tg material”. The standard value for FR4 is 130 °, higher Tg values ​​are 150 ° or 175 °, depending on the material manufacturer. In general, "Tg" is misleadingly translated as "glass transition temperature". What is meant, however, is that the epoxy resin structure becomes soft and elastic as soon as the Tg value is reached and that the Z-axis expansion consequently increases considerably.

Error events are then cracks in the contacted vias and/or tears of the internal conductor tracks from the via sleeves. Delaminations can also occur which leads to a partial dissolution of the pressed material composite. The consequence is usually a failure of the module. The continuous operating temperature of a module with FR4 material should not exceed 95 to 100 ° C. A higher Tg value does not increase the continuous operating temperature of a module. The continuous operating temperature essentially depends on the epoxy resin matrix and should not exceed 95 to 100 ° for FR4 material. Another parameter is the Td value. "Td" stands for "Time to Decomposition" and describes the temperature value at which the material has lost 5% of its mass due to outgassing/evaporation.

Since the introduction of SMD technology, the requirements for the base material have increased. The reduction in the design of SMD components also leads to a reduction in the SMD areas on the circuit board, because otherwise, reliable soldering is not possible (i.e. twisted components, tombstoning). When an SMD pad gets smaller, the area with which this pad adheres to the circuit board also becomes smaller. Simple mechanical loads, vibration and braking or acceleration forces can cause the component to tears. Reflow soldering additionally reduces the adhesion between the SMD pad and the circuit board by up to 75%, depending on the base material type, circuit board surface and number of reflow cycles. Unfortunately, the measures to achieve a high Tg in return often lead to a reduction in copper adhesion. With standard material, pull-off forces of around 2 N / mm can be found, which can drop to 0.8 N / mm with high-Tg material.

Note

Find out about the technical quality of base materials on the Internet or through a talk to your PCB manufacturer. Use the physical properties of Base materials for your circuit concept. Ensure that the used base material for consistently high product quality of your assembly.