#london cycle hire

[londonedge]

Man and a Van by bicycle, Notting Hill

[aneverydaything]

Day 1610, 19 November 2022

[ellecdc]

helloo i’m freaking out

i just re-read “surprise! we’re making love” bc dah it’s a masterpiece and i’m obsessed w that fic and “a man with a plan”. (the way u write remus it’s just 🤌🏼FUCKING PERFECT ILYSM) and idk if i dreamt it or if there was a second part to that fic and pls if there was WERE IS IT I CANT FIND IT AND IM FREAKING OUT and if there wasn’t, im not gonna ask u to write one bc i don’t want to be annoying, but could u tell me how there story ends?���️ i need to know they lived happily ever after in a beautiful cottage with lots of flowers and birds chirping

byeeee!! ilysm you are amazing hope u have a great week!!!💕💕💕💕

hahaha aweeee thank you, I'm so glad you loved it - I really like that fic too

and you must have dreamt it because there isn't a part two! I know how I want it to end but I don't think it would actually make an interesting or engaging fic (it would fall painfully flat in comparison to it's first part)

essentially, I imagine them talking more that night - reader saying to Remus "I'm engaged to be married....." and remus going "I know..............I'm a werewolf" and reader going "I know......"

turns out she was just as invested in him, she just hadn't realized it. but since being top of her class in astronomy (i.e., tracking moon cycles) and noticing peculiarities about Remus following such cycles, she managed to put two and two together.

they do sort of 'date' but it's quiet and soft and timid and maybe perhaps a bit awkward at first - Sirius is sort of against it and says something like "mate, you need to be careful - she comes from another world entirely, and they are not kind to their own let alone anyone else", which sort of pisses Remus off but he understands where he's coming from.

Remus plays a little bit of interference between Avery and reader while at school; showing up and sitting between them if Avery approaches her etc

now it's important to note that in this AU, I do have Voldemort BUT he's not the crazy fuck like he is in canon and it's not a war of sorts, but rather a political campaign and a lot of internal strife within the ministry

like canon, the purebloods/sacred 28 support riddle, with the exception of Crouch sr who agrees with pureblood supremacy but is running for Ministry of Magic himself

but my thought is that they get off the Hogwarts express at platform 9 3/4, Remus stands with his parents and Sirius and James with the Potters.

reader steps off the train with the Rosier twins, Regulus, and Barty and are chatting when the opposite half of the platform grows eerily quiet and readers name is called.

reader et al. look over to see readers parents standing with the Avery's and a very smug looking Avery jr., the Rosier's looking as severe as ever, and the Black's looking at Regulus expectantly.

Crouch sr shows up too, not standing with the other pureblood's but essentially on that side

and the group realizes they need to make a decision - the Rosier's don't feel like going back home to grey walls and apathetic parents who only had children to further their blood line and parade them around at balls, Regulus doesn't want to go back home without his brother to maniacal parents who use Regulus for political gain, and Junior doesn't want to return home to his abusive father who has never felt anything more than disdain for his son anyway.

and reader....well....she's not marrying Avery.

so the five of them shrink their bags, put their belongings into their pockets and they run

they head for the brick wall to cross into the muggle side of the station while dodging curses and hexes being thrown at them from their parents - an unforgivable from Crouch sr which actually finds him in Azkaban in the end

James, Sirius, and Remus find them all hiding in an alleyway in muggle London - the Potter's insist they come to their place, hire lawyers, sue their parents/are emancipated

and Remus ends up bringing reader home to Wales where they live in the Lupin's cottage and she's never been happier

lol

the end

[angryschnauzer]

January 11th 2024

Yeah its been a while since i updated. I haven't had the energy to if i'm honest, but here we go.

Hubby had his brain surgery end of November '23. The tumour they took out was a nasty one, somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a kiwi fruit. The wound has healed well with little to no side affects apart from some double vision, but he was checked out for that and it is a common after affect of brain trauma and was remedied with an eyepatch for a few weeks.

We met with the Neuro Oncology team at Royal Marsden Hospital in London. They are one of the best (if not the best) cancer treatment centres in the whole country, and we worked through a treatment plan.

Just before Christmas hubby was also cleared to have shoulder reconstructive surgery (he broke his shoulder bone in the original seizures back at the end of October '23). There was a really small window of time between it being enough time after the brain surgery that he could go back under general anaesthetic, but also enough time to mostly heal before he started Radiotherapy and Chemo, so just 5 days before Christmas hubby was in and out of our local hospital in a single day to have that surgery.

Christmas was a quiet and subdued affair. I also herniated a disk in my back the day Hubby had surgery (i was clearing the deep freeze out ready for grocery delivery), so it meant both he and I were dosed up to our eyeballs on strong painkillers for most of the holiday, and Little Dude spent the majority of the break either playing video games or building his new lego sets.

Two days before Christmas i also had to have emergency dental work (i had been grinding my teeth and had previously cracked a tooth) and whilst i was in the dentists office some utter idiot crashed into my car. That was the last thing i needed but i simply handed it all over to my insurance company (who are aware of my husbands situation) and they arranged a hire vehicle and sorted repairs.

Onto the start of 2024. This is the first week of Radiotherapy and Chemo for Hubby. He is getting very tired and fatigued already from the Radiotherapy, but thankfully no nausea from the chemo as yet, but that could change over time. He is scheduled for a full schedule of 6 weeks of this dual treatment, where we are having to visit Royal Marsden every day Mon - Fri for the six weeks, and then he also takes the chemo 7 days a week for the six weeks.

He'll then have 4 to 6 weeks 'off' treatment for his body to relax and recuperate, but will have scans and MRI's during that time to gauge what further treatment will be, but its likely to be just chemo but a stronger dose, but no radiotherapy. The chemo is to be 3 weeks off one week on, so a 4 weekly cycle.

The one thing we have discovered isn't done is prognosis's. When we first got to Royal Marsden we were shocked as they started talking about years, and explained that although it was a really nasty tumour, it was found very early and whilst it was still relatively small for its kind. They've discussed things like 'this years treatment plan then we'll look at next years', and also for a while Hubby was being considered for a clinical trial which candidates who have prognosis's of 12 months+ are only considered for. In the end he didn't meet the criteria (his cholesterol was too high). The Macmillian Nurses also have been talking to us about Mobility Car assistance schemes where you can get govt assistance financially and get an adapted vehicle on a 2 year rolling lease. All these timings are reassuring in one way, but worrying in another - we have no idea what the future holds and it really does cement in stone that our time is limited and could end any moment, and makes it very difficult to make any long term plans. You don't realise how much of your life is preplanned until you end up in this situation and aren't sure if you can book your kid onto the school residential trip in 5 months time.

Should anyone want the mundane daily day-to-day life updates you can follow me on my personal instagram @simone_with_an_e its generally a load of utter boring bollocks, but i try to keep it updated daily with updates when i can as its a lot easier to do 1 short paragraph than a big update.

For me my mental health is a little better now that i've had time to process Hubby's diagnosis and that he is getting treatment. There are still days or hours when i fall apart, and it could be something as simple as listening to a song on the radio as i drive back from dropping Little Dude at school and i realise the song would be lovely at his funeral. I end up having to pull over and have a cry whilst switching the radio off. I'm loosing weight and aging quickly, my hair is turning grey from stress and i realised i've aged about 15 years in the last 3 from stress. My appetite comes and goes, and things like red meat now turn my stomach and i can't digest it. But i also haven't drunk alcohol since the day before Hubby had his seizure back in October. I feel like i need to stay 'alert' in case i need to rush him to the hospital for something. I don't miss it as such, but I miss the ability to fully relax. Its hard to describe but i feel like at the moment i've lost myself and am just functioning to care for those around me, going through the motions as such.

Anyway, this has been a long update. I do still lurk here, you may see me pop up in notifications liking something, but at the moment i don't feel its right to start putting fandom stuff back on here yet. I do hope to get back to writing at some point. I miss it and the unfinished stories plague my mind as i have such lovely plans for story arc's and really want to finish them.

Take care all,

Schnauz

xxx

[the-dye-stained-socialite]

Elias has been causing problems for the Captivating Princess, so she hires someone to deal with that. Things don't go quite how she would have hoped, though the job does get done.

featuring @thedeafprophet's charming serial killer Rory!!

Word Count: 1,247.

Major death, and violence! Stalking, stabbing, killing, and more to come!

Relationships: Elias Leroux/ Aurora 'Rory' Winn, Aurora 'Rory' Winn/The Captivating Princess (sort of. she's trying.)

“I never would have expected such an unsavory individual to be dressed so well.”

“ ‘S not all that uncommon.”

The Captivating Princess crinkled her nose in distaste. An upper-class accent lurked beneath the working-class slang. Which meant that the disrespect, and lack of manners, was intentional. Still, the Malignant Assassin was the best tool that money could buy, or so the rumors went. She wouldn’t be putting up with this otherwise.

Unfortunately, she needs to put up with it. “You weren’t the easiest to find. There were quite a few difficulties arranging this on my end. It would have been easier if you had come to the Palace in the first place.”

They snorted, but offered no reply. 

The Princess studied their eyes, drew their glowing green gaze towards her. Still, nothing. Normally people would be falling over themselves to appease and apologize to her by this point. Yet she seemed to have little such affect on them. Peculiar. Or perhaps her effect was that they were co-operating at all.

Well, if they weren’t going to talk, then that gave her an opportunity. “I’m certain you know who I am, and there’s not a soul in London who doesn’t know my family,” she begins. Really, the words themselves are meaningless, but talking gives her the ability to persuade the other person, and influence them before she even brings up what is it that she wants. Manipulation is an intricate and slow waltz. 

More importantly however, it gave her time to evaluate the situation, without it being made obvious that she was doing so.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few scant candles. The darkness of it made the Assassin’s eyes stand out all the more. She could see the red glow of her own eyes reflected in them, which perplexed her all the more that they were still so defiant. 

They do not sit on the chair, rather they lounge across it. The improper posture clashes with their formal outfit. They even wore gloves, though their hands fiddled with a knife. They ran a thumb over the flat of the blade, or occasionally twirl it back and forth. She even watched as they cycled through a few practiced motions which she was certain they’ve used on past jobs. Twisting and twirling the knife with more grace than expected.

She focused more on the physical characteristics. Their hair was long, blond, and looked closer to unkempt than not. It wasn’t kept in any sort of up-do whatsoever, merely brushed out of their face, a few stands tied back. It further cemented in her mind the Assassin’s distaste for anything found in proper society. She noticed they tended to keep their hair from tangling around their ears at least. It showed off their jewelry, though this is not what caught her attention. No, what caught her attention was the elongated length, and pointed shape. Ears like that nearly always indicated a dangerous individual indeed.

Yet, despite these details, the Assassin commanded no audience. They sat there, twirling their knife, and looking very bored indeed.. They simply joined in to the background hum, except for those glowing eyes.

“So I-”

“You want me to kill someone,” they interrupted. “It’s the only reason someone contacts me.”

The Princess was at a loss for words for one precious moment. If persuasion was a slow waltz, then the band came to a dead halt. It was not merely that they were bad at dancing, simply that they refused, then stuck their foot out when she tried to make them join in. She continued anyways, refusing them the pleasure of seeing her stumble. “Yes, I have a job for your specific expertise.”

“Could’a said that ten minutes ago,” they grumbled.

She pretended she didn’t hear that, and continued anyway. “Just one teensy tiny little problem I need you to resolve for me.”

“And if it’s such a ‘teeny tiny little problem’ why can’t you ‘resolve’ it? ‘Fraid to get your hands dirty, your Highness?” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

Her smile tightened. “The very nature of the situation requires things cannot be traced back to me. Hence them requiring your skills.” She paused, and studied their face. A thought occurred. “Are you truly that keen to miss out on payment?”

Their eyes flicker with interest. Ah, so that’s the language they speak. She’s found the steps to this particular waltz at last, and they’re quite simple ones at that. Her face relaxers once more. Yes, she knows what to do now.

“Are you willing t’ pay my services? I ain’t cheap.” She smirks. That was the tone she liked to hear. The Princess reached down and grabbed a small bag from the floor. The contents were muffled by the thick velvet, but the Assassin’s ears still twitched. They watched her intently, as she reached in and withdrew a large and fabulous diamond. She twisted it in her hands, allowing it to catch the candlelight. “If you

agree, I’ll pay you this one now, as a show of… good faith. You’ll receive a dozen more, all of similar value, when the deed has been done.”

Their eyes widen slightly, though their face remains neutral. “Awful lot for one job,” they mumble. Then, in a louder voice, “I’ll need a name and your conditions, Princess.”

“They’ve been a persistent little problem. Elias Leroux, do you know them?”

She watched as they considered the name for a minute, then shook their head. “Heard the name once or twice, never met ‘em.”

Despite that being what she had hoped for, the Princess was still a bit shocked. It was harder to find someone who didn’t know them, than it was to find someone who did. Still, this was very good news indeed. This Assassin was one of the rare people in London the little usurper hadn’t won over. “They wear very messy clothes. I expect they’ll be easy for you to find.”

“And the conditions?”

“Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, This needs to be done in such a way that it cannot be traced back to me. No messy loose threads, no one to see it happen, nor to discover it too soon, none of that. Isolation would be ideal, I should think. I want this done cleanly.” She paused, waiting for interjection. When none came, she continued. “Secondly, and far more importantly, I need them to miss an event. This event occurs on the first Thursday of each month, Which month you choose to do so is up to you, so long as you do it. I want them gone the whole night. If you have to keep killing them, do so, and I will pay you the money to make up for it, but they must be gone the entire night. Those are my conditions.”

The Assassin considered it for a moment as they twirled their blade. After a brief moment of thought, they seemed to come to a conclusion. They thrust an open palm in her direction. She pressed the diamond into their glove with a smile. 

The Assassin flashed a sharp smirk, and narrowed their eyes. They retracted their hand quickly, twisting the diamond around now. “Alright, I’ll do it. But what’s t’ stop me from telling everyone their beloved Princess is goin’ around hiring ‘unsavory individuals’ t’ bloody their hands for her?”

She flashed her own smile. “Oh, you can try dear, but no one will believe your word over mine.”

[gabessquishytum]

Sorry for a non-horny request lol, but I am going crazy with this idea. This is not exactly romantic but it's upto you if you want to make it such.

Warning: major character death

Morpheus de Endless, is a grumpy old man, who has a number of health issues. He also happens to be a best selling author of all time but he does have some controversies surrounding him, most notedly his high profile divorce with a famous artist with whom he had a son but the baby died only a year later. It is said that Mr. De Endless excused himself from his public life after this incident, still that didn’t stop him from suffering a lot under Rodrick Burgess in whose publishing company he worked. Now, at the age of 65, Morpheus de Endless is an isolated man who only lets his doctor visit him once a week.

And then, his family decides that he needs a caretaker. A decision Morpheus absolutely hates because he can take care of himself, but still a care taker is hired. On Monday morning, a young man, probably in his late 20s or early 30s comes to his mansion and takes on all the responsibilities with ease. He is incharge of all the medicines, food (though Morpheus barely eats, taking Morpheus to parks to feed the birds and other things.

Morpheus doesn't like this new man, but he cannot argue with his elder sister about it anymore so he just settles on grumply leaving left over food on his plate or intentionally not having medicines.

Meanwhile, Hob is astonished by this man. It was as if a 10 year old lived in the body of a 60 something man. And Hob was trying really hard to make Mr. De Endless take care of himself, to keep himself alive. Because Hob knew, in fact on the first glance he knew, that Morpheus de Endless didn’t want to live anymore. So he tries his best.

Then one day, he blows up on Mr. De Endless, shouting that the man should at least try to look on the brighter side, to at least maintain a schedule instead of killing his body slowly everyday. And Morpheus understands miraculously. He doesn't like it, but to just make Hob’s job easier he improves his habits a bit. From here, things start getting easier, Morpheus genuinely enjoyes his trip to the park with Hob and even those conversations in the silence of the night in the comfort of his home office where Hob tells him about a family he had lost long ago and in return Morpheus tells him about his son, whom he dearly misses.

Now, here, either we can go for happy ending, or a bitter-sweet one. Personally I am all for some bitter-sweet cake so here we go: one morning, Morpheus wakes up and steals Hob’s bicycle. He has a camera with him which he used a lot in his youth and he uses it now after years to capture the beauty of modern London. He had not explored London like this in 20 years and his heart is full for the first time after losing his child. He also uses a pay phone to call his younger brother who lives in a separate country and they have a heartfelt conversation.

Then he returns home at evening only to be reprimanded by Hob and his elder sister for disappearing like that but Morpheus honestly doesn't mind. When the next morning Hob checks up on him he finds Morpheus dead in his bed. Of course a whole day of cycling for a man with heart conditions is bad news. But he did leave a letter behind for Hob, thanking him for making his last days better than ever.

Ah, thank you for sharing this with me!! It's such a sweet story. I really do love the idea of Hob being this positive spark in Morpheus’s life. He's retreated in on himself, grown used to being alone and become a little resentful of a world that doesn't seem to want him. Then Hob comes in with his stories, his gentle routine and his all around youthfulness. Morpheus finds it annoying: Hob is loud, careless, a little selfish. But then one day Hob has him sit down and flick through his old photos. And Morpheus recollects that he was also once loud, careless and selfish when he was young. He starts cutting Hob some slack, and Hob in turn also becomes more patient. He learns not to be frustrated by Morpheus’s moods, to be kind instead. They find things in common instead of bickering. Sometimes Hob stays the night with Morpheus and they talk about everything, or just fall asleep together. There's love between them now, and it really doesn't matter what kind of love. They both needed it.

Poor Hob. Losing Morpheus is so unexpected, because he was sure that despite his frailty he would live a little longer. He could have had 20 years. Hob sits with the birds and just cries and cries because he loves Morpheus so much and they barely even had a year together.

But he has the camera, and that evidence of Morpheus’s last day. Pictures of strangers and buildings and pigeons. They all mean so much and they're bursting with love. Hob will hang onto those. And he's not sure if and when, but one day he'll hold Morpheus’s hand again, and they'll look at the pictures together.

[thessalian]

Thess vs The Big Corps, Again

Dear gods, every time I turn around, one of these big corporate jackasses is saying or doing something trying to force "generative AI" into the public consciousness as something positive ... and failing ... and doing it anyway.

The best one so far was Chris Corps, of Amazon, who actually straight-up said that there's not really any acting in video games. Yeah, tell that to Neil Newbon - the guy who did that scene (you know the one, after a very character-defining stabfest moment?) in one take, unscripted. Yeah, tell me AI's going to do something so glorious that the director's going to go, "No, we are not trying this again, we're just getting this lightning in the proverbial bottle and running with it!" I will laugh so hard.

(See also - one of the biggest reasons that SAG-AFTRA is currently on strike.)

Then we had EA at this big investor's conference, talking about how "We already use it, we're going to use more of it, this is what it looks like in use, it's great! It's a tool for our creatives!" ...And then they had someone basically pretending to have AI generate architecture. Which ... feels more like putting a pink slip in the hands of "their creatives" instead of a tool. I know people who do that kind of work and it's a lot more than slapping together a few bits of skyscraper and coming out with something that not even London would allow in its skyline. I may have a thing about the Lloyds Building being the ugliest bit of modern architecture in the world. Not to mention this one building that's largely glass and somewhat curved and they had to stop people parking in certain places on the street outside because on sunny days, the light reflecting off that fucking building would set people's cars on fire. And yeah, I don't think even London's whole avant-garde architecture bullshit of the Gherkin and the Onion and the Shard (... well, okay, the Shard's pretty cool) would have some of the shit AI generates in its skyline. Seeing the "AI assistance" Google puts on search results if you don't take some very specific steps to not have it there (which I have on my PC but not on my phone, so...), I feel like AI would design a building like Tesla designed the cybertruck. It's like ... some games are only really as memorable as they are because of their skybox, and you want to outsource that to a machine? Really?

I cannot begin to express how tired I am of this whole AI thing. Video game companies are just the loudest motherfuckers about the whole thing, same as they seem to have been with NFTs and all that shit. The entire industry is going, "How can we get more money?" So they went to "live services" and subscription services and "recurrent user spending", and that wasn't enough. So they laid a whole bunch of people off (and are still doing so, I am aware) in the usual boom-and-bust cycle that Chris Deering was talking about awhile back when he was whingeing about how no, really, layoffs aren't about corporate greed! The cycle we're talking about is how they lay off a bunch of people to look their quarterly earnings sheets look good, and then have to hire them back to get anything done. Thing is, they always hire fewer than they need and then they get a reputation for crunch and "stress casualties" and all the rest of it. And now they seem to be pushing AI as The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread in the hopes that people will leave them alone and let them replace all those people they don't want to have to pay wages for with a plagiarism-and-climate-crisis machine.

I think they know there'll be a loss of quality. Thing is, I don't think they care. See, they don't really want us to love games. Or movies, come to that. It's what Matt Damon said awhile back - they don't want entertainment to be loved, because things that are loved, we watch (or play, or read, or listen to etc) again and again and again. They want us to consume it and then throw it away to leave our metaphorical decks clear for the next thing they want us to buy.

It's the meme, isn't it. "NO WAGE! ONLY BUY!" This is not sustainable. This kind of thing is entirely terrifying in the context of Texas, where a judge appointed by Trump ruled a labour board as "unconstitutional". We're expected to tolerate any kind of abuse - being overworked, being underpaid, being treated like shit, the whole nine yards - and we're increasingly not being paid enough to live, let alone spend the kind of money these CEOs want us to spend on what they seem to be deliberately making into homogenous forgettable crap so we'll have room in our hearts and minds (and wallets) for The Next Big Thing. It's supposed to be bread and circuses, but both are increasingly too expensive for what we're getting.

Honestly, I don't know what happens next. This will get increasingly unsustainable, because these jackasses in the money seats are convinced that unlimited exponential growth is possible and nothing but the loss of their fortunes will convince them otherwise. But before they lose theirs ... well, they won't lose theirs because a lot of it is probably in an offshore bank account somewhere ... anyway, the people who work to make them their money will suffer long, long before they get so much as inconvenienced. So Chris Deering can bite me about how hard layoffs are for managers.

All that to say that AI is just highlighting the absolute worst of corporate policy, and I hate it. But I point you to an interesting article titled "Challenging the Myths of Generative AI", which might help if you're anything like me and end up in arguments about things like, "using someone's AI voice after their death is ghoulish and gross and I don't care how much you want George Carlin to read you your homework".

[reiraxtakumi]

Echoes of Everlasting Promises [Prologue]

Prologue: Shadows of the Past

The city of London lay before them, cold and grey, mirroring the emotions that shadowed Reira Serizawa and Takumi Ichinose across oceans. The sprawling metropolis, with its ancient cobblestone streets and looming Victorian architecture, stood in stark contrast to the chaos left behind in Tokyo. Yet, memories clung to them like a relentless storm cloud, heavy and ominous, ever threatening to break.

Four years had slipped by since Ren Honjo, their closest friend and bandmate, met his untimely end. But time had not soothed their grief—it had curdled and festered into something darker, more insidious. What once was sorrow had morphed into a gnawing void, a silent scream echoing through every fiber of their beings. Reira's once-vibrant spirit lay shattered, the fragments jagged and raw, cutting into her with every breath. Takumi, the stoic leader of Trapnest, had buried his emotions so deep that even he could no longer reach them, leaving only an empty shell where his heart had once been. Ren’s death was the epicenter of their devastation, a seismic event that fractured their lives, leaving everything in ruins.

But grief alone had not driven them to London. The media had uncovered the scandal that Nana Osaki, lead singer of Black Stones and Ren's fiancée, had unleashed in her fury. When it was revealed that Black Stones had hired Shinichi Okazaki under a forged age to facilitate their debut, the backlash was swift and severe. In a desperate attempt to deflect scrutiny from her band, Nana impulsively exposed the forbidden relationship between Reira and Shin. What had once been a secret affair was now splashed across headlines and whispered about in dark corners. Shin had been underage at the time of their relationship, a fact that only added fuel to the scandal’s fire. Nana’s actions, born from sorrow and self-preservation, sought to lessen the impact of her band’s transgressions by shifting focus onto Reira. The accusations condemned Reira, Takumi, and the entire Trapnest family, leaving reputations in tatters and lives forever altered.

Nana, consumed by a toxic mix of grief and vengeance, had pointed the finger at Reira to deflect blame from herself and Black Stones, and because she genuinely believed that Reira had set off the chain of events leading to Ren’s death. The accusations were sharp, their implications damning, and in the world of fame and music, reputations were everything. But beneath the scandal, beyond the screaming headlines, lay a deeper, more painful truth—one that Reira and Takumi had to confront. Nana’s belief that Reira was responsible for Ren's death, though false, had become a wound Reira could never heal from. The weight of that blame seeped into her soul, trapping her in a cycle of never-ending grief, unable to overcome the crushing guilt that she could never fully shake. And now, with the scandal tearing apart what little remained of her spirit, Reira found herself even further imprisoned by inescapable guilt and depression.

Reira had made a terrible, irreversible mistake, but it was never her intention to exploit Shin. She had been drawn to him not out of malice or selfishness, but from a desperate, aching need that had festered inside her for years. Her life had been a series of empty stages, bright lights, and deafening applause, but behind it all, she felt utterly alone. Shin offered her something she had been starved of for so long—affection, understanding, a fleeting connection in a world that often left her feeling abandoned and unloved. In her loneliness, she gravitated toward him, unaware of the full consequences that would follow. It was a mistake born of desperation, not cruelty, and one that she would carry with her for the rest of her life, like a wound that refused to heal.

Takumi, too, bore his own share of sins. His controlling nature, relentless pursuit of success, and willingness to make morally dubious decisions stemmed from a childhood marked by brokenness. He learned early on that survival meant taking control, that vulnerability was a weakness he could not afford. This need for control drove him to make choices that hurt those he loved, even when he had not meant to cause harm. He knew about Reira’s affair and turned a blind eye, convinced that Shin might make Reira forget her love for him. Though he did not agree to it, Reira's brokenness forced him to ignore reality. It was a decision that haunted him, a choice that contributed to the unraveling of everything he had worked so hard to build and protect.

Their move to London was not just an escape from scandal but a desperate bid for a reprieve from the past—a past that had wronged them as much as they had wronged others. They were not monsters; they were human—flawed, broken, and burdened with the weight of their mistakes and the scars of their histories. They had both hurt and been hurt, and now, all they wanted was a chance to heal, to find some semblance of peace amidst the wreckage of their lives.

Takumi’s marriage to Nana Komatsu, once a fragile bond held together by hope and denial, was now fraying at the edges, threatening to snap under the strain of all that had happened. Their two children, Ren Jr., named after the man who had once been his father’s closest friend, and Satsuki, their bright-eyed daughter, were innocent casualties in this war of emotions. Ren Jr., just four years old, clung to his father with a desperate intensity, refusing to be parted from him, while his relationship with his mother grew increasingly distant. Takumi carried guilt for this too, knowing that his relentless focus on work, on escaping the chaos that had consumed their lives, had driven a wedge between his wife and son.

London offered a reprieve, a chance for Reira to receive the psychiatric care she so desperately needed, a place where the relentless noise of Tokyo’s paparazzi couldn’t reach them. Takumi hoped the move would allow him to finally confront the loss that had been festering inside him, to unravel the tangled knot of grief and guilt that had tightened around his heart. But he knew, deep down, that the weight of Ren’s death, the accusations, the unspoken regrets, would follow him across any ocean.

They had both made grave, terrible mistakes, but in the quiet of London, far from the chaos they left behind, there was a fragile hope, however faint, that they might begin to heal. They were not perfect; they were deeply flawed, but they were still human, still deserving of peace. Takumi, who had spent so long suppressing his own pain in order to care for others, and Reira, trapped in a web of guilt and sorrow, both longed for a way to escape the shadows of their past.

As they prepared to leave for Narita Airport, the cold, snowy weather outside mirrored the emotional frost that had settled over their lives. Takumi knelt to look at Reira. Her once bright, brown eyes were now dulled, clouded with the darkness that had consumed her. She looked like a ghost, a hollow echo of the woman she once was. Takumi reached over and squeezed her hand, a silent promise that he would stay by her side, even as his own grief threatened to pull him under. He knew that this move wasn’t just about Reira’s recovery—it was about survival, for both of them. London was a new beginning, but the shadows of the past had followed them, and sooner or later, they would have to face them.

The prologue of their new life was written in grief and whispered secrets, their future uncertain and haunted by the ghosts they carried with them. They had come to London seeking a chance to atone, to heal, and to find the peace that had eluded them for so long. And though the path ahead was shrouded in darkness, they held on to the hope that one day, somehow, they might find the light again.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

25 July 2024

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will see competitors parade on boats along the River Seine through central Paris on Friday.

An unprecedented security operation is in place, with organisers also facing challenges over the cleanliness of the Seine, costs and the environmental impact of the Games.

When are the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The summer Olympics run from 26 July to 11 August, with 10,500 athletes competing in 329 events.

The Paralympics take place from 28 August to 8 September, featuring 4,400 athletes in 549 events.

There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics, and 184 at the Paralympics.

Where will Olympic and Paralympic events take place?

The main athletics events will be at the Stade de France, on the northern outskirts of Paris.

There are also Olympic and Paralympic venues in the city centre.

The Pont d'Iena, for example, is hosting cycling events, while beach volleyball is at the Eiffel Tower and the marathon starts at the Hotel de Ville and ends at Les Invalides.

Is the Seine clean enough for swimming?

Open water swimming and triathlon events are due to take place in the Seine, more than 100 years after swimming in the river was banned.

Tests done in mid-June showed that levels of E. coli in the water were 10 times the acceptable level.

However, Games organisers hope July sunshine and measures like a rainwater storage basin will make it clean enough.

Ahead of the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip to try to prove the river was safe.

How are France's security forces preparing for the Games?

The Games will be protected by the largest peacetime deployment of security forces in French history

Up to 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guards will be on patrol in Paris at any one time to guard venues and events.

The use of the Seine for the opening ceremony, with crowds watching the parade from the banks, is a first for the modern Olympics.

The original plan was to give free tickets to 600,000 members of the public to watch from the river's banks.

However, the government was worried about potential threats such as a drone attack, and spectator numbers were scaled back to 326,000.

More than 220,000 of those will be invited guests and 104,000 will be members of the public who have bought tickets.

Some 44,000 barriers have been erected, with QR codes for residents and others seeking access to the river Seine and its islands.

Many of the barriers will be removed after the opening ceremony.

Intelligence services uncovered two plots against the country by suspected Islamic militants in early 2024.

In May, a man was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on the torch relay in Bordeaux, and another man was arrested in southern France over a plan to attack an Olympic football venue.

How much are the Games costing?

The cost of this year's Games is estimated to be about 9bn euros (£7.6bn), less than any of the previous four Games — in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Beijing.

Much of the funding is coming from private companies, as well as sales of tickets and broadcasting rights.

The government's official auditors have said it may have to pay between 3bn and 5bn euros (£2.5bn and £4.2bn) for costs such as policing.

Are the Games environmentally friendly?

The organising committee of Paris 2024 has promised to make it the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The Games will be held in the same city where, in 2015, world leaders agreed to try to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C.

About 95% of the Olympic and Paralympic sites are either existing structures or temporary ones.

The organisers say they are using as much recycled material as they can — including recycled cardboard beds for athletes — and trying to minimise carbon emissions.

However, it has been reported that thousands of air-conditioning units have been ordered for Olympic Village rooms by some national teams.

Are the Games pushing up prices in Paris?

Millions of visitors are expected in Paris during the Games, with ticket holders expected to spend an estimated 2.6bn euros (£2.2bn).

Hoteliers in Paris pushed up their rates, in many cases doubling them or more, in anticipation of a big rise in demand.

But there have been reports that many hotels have had unexpectedly low sales.

Bus and metro fares are also doubling in the capital during the Games.

In January, the Louvre art gallery put up its entrance fees by almost 30%.

[autistictaylorhebert]

Ooo i have So many triggers saved up. This is one ive already genned awhile back that resulted on one of my favorite powers, but Im curious what youd do with it. Also, how many triggers should I limit myself to sending lol.

"Okay, so, ordinary joe is living in London in 2003 when Ziz attacks. People are just learning how and why ziz is terrifying. People are panickingz but Joe feels weirdly calm. If he dies, well, hes enjoyed his life up until now. He still tried to hide obviously, hes not suicidal, but when Ziz's railgun bursts open the shelter hes in, he feels little more than mildly apprehensive. As ziz floats towards the now destriyed shelter, he just hopes itll be quick and closes his eyes. But when he opens them, he finds himself completely untouched, surrounded by the slaughtered corpses of every single one of the thousands of other people who were in the shelter. When the fight is over, hes fiund there, too shocked to leave on his own. At first people say its a blessing, but that rapidly turns to deep suspicion and fear. As he gets his swan tattoo on his hand, hes designated an extrenely high risk individual.

He tries to move on with his life, find a new job in a nearby city, but he finds that his face is known from the media. No one wants to hire the guy the Simurgh left alive. Who knows what she has planned for him? Unable to get work, he eventually gets evicted. His few friends who survived are too terrified to interact with him. As he realizes hed be much better off, much happier overall if he had just been killed in that shelter, he triggers

There's a changer aspect, since his identity is different now, he's been singled out amongst many others to survive, and now people view him as a time bomb. This could also be a stranger element, or somewhere in-between.

There's a thinker element in terms of a big lack of information, and something big theoretically coming for him that he doesn't know about.

There is a mental/emotional connection to powers and something power-generated, so it could be a trump power.

He can disguise himself, transform his facial features into another specific person he has targeted. If he does this to a cape, he gets a much weaker version of their power (and especially weaker if it's not a stranger,changer, or thinker power).

Simultaneously, he is connected to a massive, invisible, and intangible monster in a half out of step with reality. It's as big as a city block, monstrous and dangerous, ever shifting into different shapes a capabilities based on the nearby parahumans. He is aware of its position and shape at all times, and can't control what it's focussing on or which people it's claws are currently trained on. The parahuman is like an anglerfish lure at it's head, and any person he mimics has a line of flesh linking them.

Every time he is stressed out, experiences intense negative emotions, is physically hurt, or when people suspect he's lying to them, the monstrous thing attached to him comes closer to exploding into reality. When this does happen, the monster is visible, deadly, and has access to multiple powers similar to whatever parahumans he was recently near. It takes hours to recede, upon which the cycle starts again.

[bizarrebazaar13]

"🧍‍♂️— What stats would they provide as a companion? Where would you obtain them?" for everyone? 👀

Vela: Mithradancy +1, Shapeling Arts +1. acquired at the end of the flute street carousel.

Aria: Artisan of the Red Science +1, A Scholar of the Correspondence +1. complete an expedition in the forgotten quarter to unlock her.

Alexandria: Zeefaring +1, Glasswork +1. can be acquired via a multi step story Polythreme after completing multiple sartorial cooperation cycles.

Dexter: Monstrous Anatomy +1, Katapletic Toxicology +1. defeat him in a black ribbon duel.

Metis: Watchful +8, Inspired +3. take a detour while hunting bees in old newgate.

Xerxen: Shapeling Arts +2, Persuasive +5. complete the exceptional story “The Art of Revolution” which I will one day write.

Elaina: Shadowy +3, Mithradancy +2. hire her in the bazaar side streets.

Mr Phantasy: Glasswork +4. hunt it in your parabolan base-camp, requires at least 5 levels of all the main dreams.

that’s all my ocs that live in London. the Thane, the Tower, Mr Suns, Mr Morbid, and Mr Masks would be met in sunless skies.

[zot3-flopped]

Harry being seen cycling around London is something to celebrate ! Cycling is environmentally friendly and doesn't add to the city's traffic problems, unlike cabs. And why use this brand - well for someone who's not a professional cyclist, it's better using a bike hire company than buying your own bike as they deal with all the maintenance. For people living in the real world (ie not Larries) he's encouraging environmentally friendly transport, and that's a really good thing.

100%! I love seeing him cycling around, enjoying the sights and sounds of London and getting exercise in a fun way. So different from other celebs skulking in their fancy cars or getting black cabs everywhere.

[pestcontrolbloguk]

pest control blog

How To Get Rid of Rats in Drains: Expert Tips & Solutions

Identifying Mouse Droppings: Potential Hazards and How to Clean Up Safely

Rat Droppings: The Hazards of Inhaling or Touching Rat Faeces

Expert Advice on How To Get Rid of Rats From Home and Garden

Pigeon Lifespan: How long do pigeons live?

How Do Flea Bombs Work? The Pros and Cons of Flea Bombing

How Long Do Flies Live?

Do Mice Hibernate?

Field Mice: How to Identify and Control

Bed Bugs: How to Identify, Control, and Treat

Understanding the Bed Bug Cycle and How to Kill Bed Bugs

Where Do Bed Bugs Come From And How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

The History of Bed Bugs

Locate and Destroy the Bugs: Bed Bugs

Heat Treating for Bed Bugs: Pros and Cons

How to Identify Bed Bug Bites and Recognise the Signs

Bites in the Bed: Identifying Bed Bug Bites

Treatment of Bed Bugs – Effective Solutions

How to Get Rid of Bed Bug Bites Overnight

How to Effectively Treat Bed Bugs: DIY and Professional Solutions

Uncovering the Mysteries of Bed Bugs: From Diagnosis to Prevention

Pest Advice For Controlling Rats

Common Mouse Species Found in The UK

Mouse Control: What are the Best Mouse Exterminators and Repellents?

Mouse Identification Chart to Quickly Identify UK Mouse Species

How to Get Rid of Mice: The Benefits of Different Mouse Traps, Repellents, and Baits

Identifying Fox Den Locations in the Garden to Keep the Foxes Away

Types of Earwigs and Their Habitats

Identifying Different Types of Crab Spiders

Identifying Fly Eggs: How to Spot an Infestation

How to Identify House Crickets Infestation and Take Action to Stop Them

A Guide to Identifying Big Spiders in The UK

How to Tell If You Have a Roach Infestation and When to Hire an Exterminator

Choosing the Right Pest Control Services: Tips and Advice for Homeowners

Debunking Common Myths About Spider Bites in the UK

Flea Spray For Home: Professional Tips for Controlling Fleas 

The Best Tips for Setting Up a Humane Mouse Trap in Your Home

Baby Pigeon: How To Humanely Remove Baby Pigeons From Your Home

Effective Ways to Deal with an Ant Infestation in Home and Business

Rat In Garden In Daylight: Tips for Making Your Garden Rat-Proof

How to Get Rid of a Wasp Nest: A Guide to Safe and Effective Wasp Control

The Most Effective Treatment of Bed Bugs: What You Need to Know

Types Of Fly – What Are the Different Types of Flies In The UK?

Small Tiny Brown Bugs In House UK

How To Get Rid Of Ants In Kitchen

What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?

The Dangers of Pests: How to Protect Yourself from the Health Hazards They Bring

Don’t Take Pests Lightly – A Comprehensive Look at the Health Dangers They Pose

The Hidden Health Risks of Pest Infestations: The Link Between Disease and Rodents, Insects, and Other Pests

How To Get Rid Of a Mouse?

What is the best way to get rid of rats at home?

How to deal with rat in garden in daylight

Who Is Responsible For Rats In a Rented Property

Wood Worm Control

Pigeon Pest Control Near Me

Pest Control Harrow

Tower Hamlets Pest Control

Seagull Nest Removal Near Me

Cluster Fly Killer

Best Way To Get Rid Of Mice

Flea Exterminator

Wolf Spider UK: Bon Accord Pest Control, Wolf Spider Control Experts

Garden Spider UK

House Spider UK – Control and Removal

Wasp Nest Removal Near Me

Wasp Exterminator

Biscuit Beetle Control

Carpet Beetle Spray

Bon Accord Best Ant Killer UK – How to Deal with Ant Infestation

Spray For Bugs

Pest Control Supermarket

Spray for Bed Bugs

Wasp Removal

Say Goodbye to Pests with Bon Accord – London’s Best Pest Control

Bed Bug Killer

London Pest Control Near Me

Mouse Deterrent

Do Mice Usually Go Upstairs

Rat Repellent

Rat Killer

Cockroach Killer London: Bon Accord Professional Extermination Services

Bird Netting Services

Bed Bug Spray

Moth Killer

Spray For Bugs in Bed

Fly Killer

Bon Accord Ant Killer -We Deal with Ant Infestations

How Common are Bed Bugs in London Hotels

Rats In Garden – Find Out How To Get Rid Of Them

What Do Ants Eat?

Best Rat Poison In The UK

Bed Bug On Mattress – How To Get Rid Of Them

Fox Deterrent And Repellents That Actually Work

How To Eradicate Bed Bugs In The Home – Bed Bug Removal

6 Signs You Have a Bed Bug Infestation – Bed Bug Exterminator Advice

Why Hiring a Professional Exterminator is the Best Way to Treat Bed Bugs

8 Bed Bugs Treatment Options

How to Avoid Bringing Bed Bugs Home from a Hotel – Bed Bugs Killers

How to Get Rid of Ants and Keep Ants Out of Your Home

[positivegreenford]

Hire bikes, they're like mushrooms or wire hangers, they seem to multiply if you turn your back on them. There are even more around the corner. Horsenden Lane North, Greenford, London Borough of Ealing, London, UK, December 2022. #cycling #transport #LondonBoroughofEaling #London #UK #December2022 #suburbs #suburban #suburbia #photography

[techtired]

Certified electricians: Elevating London's Electrical Standards

Far beyond the capital, London is actually the heart of England. Therefore, it is bursting from the seams with homes, businesses, and historic sites that all rely on the integrity of robust electrical infrastructures. Ideal Electricians will become a guiding light in such a fast-moving landscape of unparalleled electrical professionalism and expertise. With electricians being second to none in terms of qualifications, we commit to enhanced electrical safety and efficiency demanded by a very eclectic mix of architecture within London. Our company will provide much more than electrical services; by ensuring the satisfaction of our client, we shall remain the custodian of London's electrical health. We knew how paramount electrical systems are to the daily operations of homes and businesses in this city, even to the preservation of the grandeur of historical edifices. Fuelled with pride and the deep sense of responsibility it gives Ideal Electricians; this solemn pledge is made: to live up to and improve these standards with every project undertaken, assuring it contributes positively towards the city's lasting legacy. At Ideal Electricians, our approach is marked by excellence. We seek to root our devotion deep into the communities we serve and negotiate the complexities of modern electrical needs with precision and foresight—not to produce solutions that work but last. From standard maintenance and security checks to full electrical installation, everything is carried out according to the best professional standards and detail. We welcome you to explore more of our full suite of capabilities in detail by going through our website, where you will have clear insight into our meticulous artistry and customer-centered services. Ideal Electricians is not just a name but a quality and reliability standard by which London will come to trust. In other words, we are perfect. Join us in continuing to light paths, power dreams, and ensure that one electrical solution at a time keeps this great city's historic charm preserved. Welcome to Ideal Electricians, where excellence is hardwired into everything we do. Here, in such diversity of architectural outlines and infrastructure of London, there is no replacement for the role that a qualified electrician fits in. It is the skill of a trained person who operates and keeps the lights on and the machines running so that the life cycle of the city never has to miss a beat. Certified electricians in London are and will forever be the cornerstone of delivering such high levels of expertise, with more than a decade of service in the London electrical arena. Qualified to Serve, Prepared to Excel Ideal electricians are respected not only for the wide spectrum of services but also for the quality of their qualifications. When clients hire any of our electricians, they get not only certified specialists but also people with good experience and ongoing training. This commitment to expertise gives our company the tools to meet any electrical challenge, from the most basic residential job to complex commercial projects. Why Our Qualifications Matter When you select the Ideal Electricians, you choose to make a level of certainty. That means the qualification and years of service from recognized industry standards and, in doing so, can diagnose, do repairs, and installation with capabilities that others can't bring. In an industry where precision is paramount, our credentials are your assurance of work that is executed flawlessly. The Services We Offer: Our suite of services reflects our versatility and readiness to respond to any electrical need. This includes: Full Home Electrical Installations: Whether you are building from scratch or renovating, our qualified team will be in place to make sure you have the home electrical infrastructure brought up to date, efficient, and safe above all. Commercial Electrical Solutions: We understand the complexity in terms of needs and, therefore, cater to our services by keeping them on par with the standards even set by the industry. Exact Electrical Inspection: We will guide you and base your decision on up-to-date regulations by means of precise state-of-the-art tools through the inspections towards a compliant, safe environment. The Ideal Electrician Advantage: Reliable and committed employees: On top of the technical skills of our team, we accomplish every duty with trust and commitment. Work Insured and Guaranteed: Our quality work is backed up by insurance and guarantees that will leave you peaceful-minded with every service rendered. Friendly and Helpful Service: Qualified, not stand-offish. Our electricians are well known for their friendly manner and the valuable support their advice carries. Safeguarding London's Electrics: At Ideal Electricians, taking care of your electrics goes beyond just fixing issues as they come from preventive care to effective troubleshooting and upgrades that consider the future needs of a home or business in our city. But our electricians are central to this pursuit, and in doing so comes qualified experience that blankets every area of London, be it in the north, south, east, or west. Concluding Assurance: Certified electricians in London not only employ electricians but also hire custodians of the electrical integrity of London. Ideal electricians give the credentials to guarantee quality. Ideal Electricians provide a guarantee of your satisfaction with the service. There is nothing more to feel but this peak of electrical service. From consultation and emergency service to details about our competitive prices, contact us today. Let us light up your spaces with the assurance that comes from peerless qualified expertise. Read the full article

[folwealth]

Seek Help of Best Financial Advisor London to Tackle Debt Challenges

Debt is a vicious cycle that does not allow you to get out easily. It is a trap that may destroy your life if you do not have a clear-cut plan to overcome the crisis. The best approach is to seek the help of an experienced financial advisor in London. How do expert professionals help you overcome a debt crisis? Read on to find highly beneficial information on this topic.   

Not seeking professional help is a mistake  

Numerous people never listen to experts. They follow their own plans. You must not commit this mistake. Financial experts are those people who know how to create a goal-driven personal debt management plan. They will analyse all aspects in a careful way before developing a customised plan. A crisis, a debt trap, can make you insecure. Many people lose clarity when burdened with debt-related issues. So, hire the best financial advisor Londonto solve your debt trap.

Losing hope and feeling depressed

When you are in a debt crisis, your mind is filled with numerous thoughts. Many people feel low during this period. There is nothing unusual about it. However, do not sit idle and waste time. It is time for remedial steps and immediate actions that help you tackle the challenges. Source: https://buddiesreach.com/best-financial-advisor-london/