#numeric ups suppliers

[mckinlily]

Plot armor but it’s Bruce Wayne’s wealth.

Bruce is one of the richest men in the world. Bruce does not want to be one of the richest men in world.

He starts by implementing high starting salaries and full health care coverages for all levels at Wayne Enterprises. This in vastly improves retention and worker productivity, and WE profits soar. He increases PTO, grants generous parental and family leave, funds diversity initiatives, boosts salaries again. WE is ranked “#1 worker-friendly corporation”, and productively and profits soar again.

Ok, so clearly investing his workers isn’t the profit-destroying doomed strategy his peers claim it is. Bruce is going to keep doing it obviously (his next initiative is to ensure all part-time and contractors get the same benefits and pay as full time employees), but he is going to have to find a different way to dump his money.

But you know what else is supposed to be prohibitively expensive? Green and ethical initiatives. Yes, Bruce can do that. He creates and fund a 10 year plan to covert all Wayne facilities to renewable energy. He overhauls all factories to employ the best environmentally friendly practices and technologies. He cuts contracts with all suppliers that engage in unethical employment practices and pays for other to upgrade their equipment and facilities to meet WE’s new environmental and safety requirements. He spares no expense.

Yeah, Wayne Enterprises is so successful that they spin off an entire new business arm focused on helping other companies convert to environmentally friendly and safe practices like they did in an efficient, cost effective, successful way.

Admittedly, investing in his own company was probably never going to be the best way to get rid of his wealth. He slashes his own salary to a pittance (god knows he has more money than he could possibly know what to do with already) and keeps investing the profits back into the workers, and WE keeps responding with nearly terrifying success.

So WE is a no-go, and Bruce now has numerous angry billionaires on his back because they’ve been claiming all these measures he’s implementing are too expensive to justify for decades and they’re finding it a little hard to keep the wool over everyone’s eyes when Idiot Softheart Bruice Wayne has money spilling out his ears. BUT Bruce can invest in Gotham. That’ll go well, right?

Gotham’s infrastructure is the OSHA anti-Christ and even what little is up to code is constantly getting destroyed by Rogue attacks. Surely THAT will be a money sink.

Except the only non-corrupt employer in Gotham city is….Wayne Enterprises. Or contractors or companies or businesses that somehow, in some way or other, feed back to WE. Paying wholesale for improvement to Gotham’s infrastructure somehow increases WE’s profits.

Bruce funds a full system overhaul of Gotham hospital (it’s not his fault the best administrative system software is WE—he looked), he sets up foundations and trusts for shelters, free clinics, schools, meal plans, day care, literally anything he can think of.

Gotham continues to be a shithole. Bruce Wayne continues to be richer than god against his Batman-ingrained will.

Oh, and Bruice Wayne is no longer viewed as solely a spoiled idiot nepo baby. The public responds by investing in WE and anything else he owns, and stop doing this, please.

Bruce sets up a foundation to pay the college tuition of every Gotham citizen who applies. It’s so successful that within 10 years, donations from previous recipients more than cover incoming need, and Bruce can’t even donate to his own charity.

But by this time, Bruce has children. If he can’t get rid of his wealth, he can at least distribute it, right?

Except Dick Grayson absolutely refuses to receive any of his money, won’t touch his trust fund, and in fact has never been so successful and creative with his hacking skills as he is in dumping the money BACK on Bruce. Jason died and won’t legally resurrect to take his trust fund. Tim has his own inherited wealth, refuses to inherit more, and in fact happily joins forces with Dick to hack accounts and return whatever money he tries to give them. Cass has no concept of monetary wealth and gives him panicked, overwhelmed eyes whenever he so much as implies offering more than $100 at once. Damian is showing worrying signs of following in his precious Richard’s footsteps, and Babs barely allows him to fund tech for the Clocktower. At least Steph lets him pay for her tuition and uses his credit card to buy unholy amounts of Batburger. But that is hardly a drop in the ocean of Bruce’s wealth. And she won’t even accept a trust fund of only one million.

Jason wins for best-worst child though because he currently runs a very lucrative crime empire. And although he pours the vast, vast majority of his profits back into Crime Alley, whenever he gets a little too rich for his tastes, he dumps the money on Bruce. At this point, Bruce almost wishes he was being used for money laundering because then he’s at least not have the money.

So children—generous, kindhearted, stubborn till the day they die the little shits, children—are also out.

Bruce was funding the Justice League. But then finances were leaked, and the public had an outcry over one man holding so much sway over the world’s superheroes (nevermind Bruce is one of those superheroes—but the public can’t know that). So Bruce had to do some fancy PR trickery, concede to a policy of not receiving a majority of funds from one individual, and significantly decrease his contributions because no one could match his donations.

At his wits end, Bruce hires a team of accounts to search through every crinkle and crevice of tax law to find what loopholes or shortcuts can be avoided in order to pay his damn taxes to the MAX.

The results are horrifying. According to the strictest definition of the law, the government owes him money.

Bruce burns the report, buries any evidence as deeply as he can, and organizes a foundation to lobby for FAR higher taxation of the upper class.

All this, and Wayne Enterprises is happily chugging along, churning profit, expanding into new markets, growing in the stock market, and trying to force the credit and proportionate compensation on their increasingly horrified CEO.

Bruce Wayne is one of the richest men in the world. Bruce Wayne will never not be one of the richest men in the world.

But by GOD is he trying.

[sgiandubh]

Watch your heid

It is my understanding one of the main 'debunking' arguments about that Stravaigin' event is that well, didn't you know, 'nobody else in attendance went with their significant other'. Or at least nobody from the OL crowd, which wasn't numerous, nor central at all, by the way (perhaps C not being mentioned anywhere is what really pissed her Stans off? 🤷‍♀️).

Oh. So be it. Bummer.

Then who is this charming blonde young lady, mind I ask you?

Could it be...

... Sammie Russel, Rankin's girlfriend?

Nah. My eyes are definitely tricking me. We have been told by people who are always RIGHT and FIRST and BEST such a thing was not possible. You are looking at a shamelessly photoshopped collage, courtesy of Sgian-dubh, the Stupid, Stupid Shipper.

Heh. You'd wish:

The above frame comes from this clip, posted on Stravaigin's IG account:

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBlKUC7qHu8/]

How dare they, btw, thank their 'wonderful customers, suppliers and friends' in that fake news post of theirs? This cannot be and is just beyond me. We have been told otherwise by Two Authorities, therefore we should shut the fuck up and go home: they know BEST.

And surely this guy, too, Mr. James Anderson, a set builder for OL, must be lying through his teeth:

[Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBoqR_otF1M/ and respective IG accounts' bios]

Marrit? Oh. Too bad. But... but... this cannot be. We have been told otherwise.

And oh, lookie here, too. Disclaimer: not Tony McGill - I wonder if you can ask for a refund, or something?

I surely want my money back, on this one.

[Source: The Glasgowist's IG account]

Oh, well. They never got along with irony, either, all Those Righteous, Those Supremely Intelligent People Across The Street

Liars, Fascists and Fools. God bless them all.

PS: thank you, darling. You know who you are and as always, this is spot on!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Sensei, I know you're into classic cars, how many do you own? I hear even Sam has a hard time fulfilling your orders of rare parts. Have you ever rewarded him with a free ride?

Sorry, I couldn’t not have Crewel talk about his car like he’s dating it/j

Sometimes you’re just so passionate about your interests that it comes off as weird to people who don’t Get It… I wanted to capture that feeling here.

If he doesn't scare you, no evil thing will.

Crewel held up a single finger. “I’ve tinkered with and stolen glances at other classic cars, but in my heart, I’m a committed man. There’s a favorite of mine, my one and only.”

“Oh, the red one?”

“The very same, yes.”

The image of it was almost automatic in your mind. Numerous times you had witnessed Crewel pulling onto campus in that iconic car. Deep crimson, like the skin of a fruit forbidden. For a vehicle so vintage, it was in mint condition, free of dirt and dents, shining like a brand new medal.

“It’s a real beauty,” Crewel continued proudly. “I’ve of course lavished it with plenty of TLC—tender love and care. Sam is my primary supplier of parts, though even he can find it a challenge to meet my demands.”

“Wow, you give him a real run for his money!”

Crewel gave a soft laugh. “I never find a bad thing to say about him though. The goods Sam procures are of the highest quality and he is always willing to work with me to find a compromise. He’s highly competent, and that’s something I can appreciate.”

“It sounds like you two have a strong relationship. That’s good, because I was beginning to think you had beef with all your colleagues!”

Trein and Crowley automatically came to your mind. Crewel often butted heads with them in the hallways—like a cat and dog, you thought, or a dog chasing down a bird.

“Sam is an exception. I don’t mind his company.” Crewel shook his head. “The other day, I happened to find him walking along the road in the direction of the town. He said he was taking ‘the scenic route’ to enjoy the springtime, pointing out the lily pads and the frogs.

“… I immediately ordered him into my car and drove him the rest of the way. Typically it’s just my dogs that ride with me, but I couldn’t let him make that steep trip on his lonesome. I consider the lift payback for his painstaking efforts to acquire rare parts for me.”

You chuckled to yourself, and Crewel noticed.

“What’s so funny, pup?” he demanded.

“Nothing, it’s just…” you swallowed your giggles, composed yourself. “It’s nice to see your soft side come out. Crewel-sensei can be as kind as he is cruel.”

He folded his arms, but he did not look displeased. Instead, he offered a sly smile. “Damn right.”

[art-missy]

Books were doors leading to other worlds to which the keys were hidden in the readers' mind. Deadlock knew that very well. That was why she used books as an escapism. Works of horrific fiction were her favorite. After numerous missions, she ended up numbed. She lacked sensations. Sensations that she missed and found in horror novels. Novels that she sometimes shared with Iso who also lacked the feeling of adrenaline.

When she needed a new novel, she came to you. You were her book supplier. Your dorm room literally looked like a bookshop. You had among your shelves different types of book to which one could find the most disgusting, deranged, horrific, unhinged and skin crawling stories humanity could find. Even Fade bowed her head to the nightmares sealed among the pages. Even someone as stoic as Iso grimaced to some books you lent him.

In need of a new reading, she knocked on your door and you invited her in.

"So," you kneeled down towards your lower shelf. "How did you find your reading ?"

Deadlock put down the novel you leant her on your desk. Her eyes landed on an open notebook.

"Where on earth did you find that novel ?" she asked.

"You're always asking the same question." you chuckled. "Aren't you tired of repeating yourself ?"

When you turned towards her with a new book, you froze. She had one of your notebooks in her hand and was flipping through the pages.

"Give it back—"

"You're writing ?" she interrupted you.

You snatched the notebook from her grasp and sighed.

"It's just a draft," you shook your head. "It's...it's not ready, yet."

Deadlock raised an eyebrow and sat on your bed.

"I came here for a very specific kind of reading and my gut is telling me that you have exactly what I need." she pointed at the notebook in your hand.

She was also curious. What nightmarish world did you put onto paper ? How would she feel if she could wander in it ?

"It is a draft, Deadlock." you repeated with a sigh.

"A draft is destined to be read anyway," she shrugged. "If you don't want me to read it, you could read it to me."

You looked at her, then back at your notebook. Deadlock's eyes travelled on the other drafts on your desk. You already possessed so many books, so many inspirations. What could you possibly be writing down ? What did you already write ?

"Okay," you finally accepted. "I hope you didn't eat."

You sat down beside her and opened the first pages. You took a deep breath. Deadlock got comfortable on your bed and looked at you, eager to hear your draft.

" ‘Once upon a time, the Netherworld falling from the sky...’ "

[sorrinslays]

More about the Belobog Roleswap AU

So, I decided to make this post because of @lesbianbootheng. Specifically, their reblog right here:

#hsr#role swap au#op i hope u know much i enjoy those aus and the fact u made one is So Cool to me#pls tell me u have more ideas bc dude? i’d love to hear em#and i hope ur comfy w/ me adding some ideas myself bc this sounds soo fucking cool dude like wtf#love the idea of clara and hook being assistants to the silvermane guards that’s so cool <3 it fits them surprisingly well#ALSO THE FUCKING NERD PELA BEING PART OF THE FIGBT CLUB?? idk that’s so funny to me idk why LMFAO#oleg being luka’s father is rlly cute i love that <3 my HEARTT#also svorg being slowly being aaprt of the landau family by serval fixing him and they start to consider each other as the other loved ones#serval is still a musician i hope she’d just be one of those underground artists (literally haha)#also love the fact cocolia/serval r a thing in this au that makes me so happy u don’t understand :3#their yuri is NOT doomed after all :3#also… bc this is a roleswap au imagine bronya as the new supreme guardian… can u see it?#how do u think she’d act as leader?#sampo + bronya would DEF need to reign her in haha#also. do u think geppie sees sampo interacting w/ hook/clara & thinks of lynx & wants to sob when he’s separated#bc I DO. i so fucking do

So here's some more insight on the lives of the characters!

Gepard

He has this rule he set for himself that he doesn't steal from the less fortunate, guards and children. Those he does frequently steal from are nobles and since he used to be one (technically still is) he knows the obsolete worst ones. Sometimes, when he learns something particularly bad, he leaves an "anonymous" tip in Sampo's office.

He tried to grow a side business out of selling flowers. Since he's not a guard he has way more time to actually engage in his hobby, unlike his OG counterpart, he can actually keep a plant alive. However the business sadly didn't end up working out.

He does have "disguises" so he can get groceries without being chased around, although they are all kind of terrible. He doesn't know jackshit about makeup so he relies on hiding his face instead (hats, masks, sunglasses and the like). Almost all of Belobog knows this but they just kinda don't bother him cause the disguise is so bad it's sad.

Whenever Clara and Hook see Gepard in his "disguise" they try to get Sampo to arrest him cause "it's literally the guy you chase everyday, he's right here, just get him!!!!!" only for Sampo to pretend not to recognize him. Gepard goes through all five stages of grief whenever this happens.

He has accidently bumped into Luka sneaking into the restricted zone on numerous occasions and both kept it secret. They have even fought together in secret.

There are rumours of the "Phantom Shielder" amongst the guards, which is just Gepard. He keeps trying to help in the snow plains, since he feels guilty for adding to the workload of the guards by committing crimes. He believes it to the least he could do.

He is a supplier of automaton parts and the like for Oleg. Luka has a sneaking suspicion that's the case but since it's Gepard's most legitimate business venture, he doesn't bother reporting it. Oleg is, like, the closest thing Gepard has to a father figure.

Sampo

As the Captain, he rarely has time to relax alone and anytime he does have the time he spends it in the far away snow plains looking for medicine for Cocolia. He sneaks away when he's supposed to be doing paperwork. Or he "loses track of time and stays on patrol for longer periods".

He has made deals with pharmacists all around Belobog, asking for "defect medicine" that cannot be sold to the public (because of such things as a wrongly colored bottle, wrong print, a small cracks etc.). Basically, he collects it without telling the pharmacists where it actually goes. They don't really question him and he brings it to Cocolia.

He has a house near the restricted zone, not because he wants to be "closer to the actions" as he tells people, but so that he can have more alone time. You need a good reason to be anywhere near the restricted zone or you have to sneak in, so his apartment is like a safe haven to him.

He doesn't have any tells when lying, contrary to popular belief. He has fake ones that he uses to trick Natasha. She believes him to be a bad liar because of this.

Anytime he has free time (which is not all that often) he is surrounded by children anywhere he goes. If you hear manic giggling across the streets you know Sampo has a day off. He will have at least two kids around him at all times and the parents have to practically peel them away from him.

Sometimes, whenever he spots Hook bothering Gepard while he's "in his disguise" he walks over and chats with Gepard just to fuck with him. It's incredibly entertaining watching the poor guy squirm as his voice cracks in ten different ways.

He actually knows if Luka sneaked in and disguised himself as a guard because there's a standard hair length soldiers in the restricted zone have to have that Luka does not follow. He never mentions it, just let's him do whatever since he believes Luka to be capable enough. He does like ordering him around just to fuck with him, seeing Luka flinch and do anything without making a sound or "deepening his voice" so that Sampo "doesn't recognize him" is very funny to him.

Luka

As much as he hates paperwork, he's infuriatingly good at it. So he's probably staying an intelligence officer for a long while. Seele told him as much after a meeting with Natasha. He had begged Seele to bring up his situation, arguing that he's healed now and can go back to the front lines. Seele, true to her word, did mention him, but Natasha shout down any conversation about him, stating he's "too useful as an intelligence officer".

He used to have a small crush on Sampo. He was impressed by his fighting and was asking the Captain for a spar for weeks before the other agreed. It's still unknown if he still harbors that crush. The crush doesn't necessary have to romantic, it's honestly up for interpretation.

He attends every funeral, celebration and memorial held in honor of the Silvermane Guards. It's based on respect but also a little bit of guilt on his part. He believes that if he hadn't lost his arm, he would've still been in the front lines and he could've stopped some of the death that happened in the snow plains.

Whenever he is cooped up in his office for long periods of times, Clara and Hook are tasked (by Sampo, as their "superior") to get him out. Usually, they steal an important document and have him chase them all over the city. By the time he gets back, the day is over and he is ordered to go home and rest.

During his days off, he helps Oleg around the workshop. Oleg has tried to reassure Luka many times before that he doesn't need to keep helping, although all of them were in vain.

He has tried getting new hobbies to distract himself, and one that he enjoyed more than he thought he would was crocheting and knitting. He made matching scarfs for Clara and Hook and Seele called him a granny. He challenged her to a spar after that (he lost).

Whenever Luka and Gepard sneak into the snow plains together, they get into "competitions". Basically, they try to kill more fragmentum than the other. Usually, it's a tie or one of them winning by a small precent (like one or two more kills).

Natasha

Just like every other Supreme Guardian, she graduated in history. Although that's the case, she was always fascinated by human biology and the structure of the human body. She became even more interested after she met a man by the name of Vache, who told her he wanted to make a medicine specifically for people to be able to survive the bitter cold. After Cocolia banished Vache to the snow plains, Natasha brought him to Qlipoth Fort. He is still alive, even after the Astral Express' visit.

She really likes teddy bears, they used to be the only emotional support she had back when she was first selected to be the future Supreme Guardian. She had shared this information with Oleg, and since they used to be very close back in the academy, a lot of her stuffed toys were left at Oleg's place. So their absence during the Stellaron's manipulation helped her spiral quicker.

Vache lives in the lab of Qlipoth Fort and he is, basically, Stellaron 2.0. Since he also believes the Stellaron, he tries to pressure Natasha into following its plan. Natasha, isolated from any actually healthy influences, gives in and soon orders that result in more deaths than victories follow.

She and Oleg used to be very close, to the point that they even grew flowers together and used to babysit children together as a way to gain a little something something on the side. Whenever Luka reports to her, she asks about Oleg and how he's doing, every time she asks she has a wishful expression on her face.

Natasha was actually very suspicious of Sampo in the beginning, after all, before he joined the Silvermane Guards she hasn't heard a thing about him. She remained suspicious of him even after years, until the end of the Belobog arc. When he first made waves, she researched every little thing about him.

Oleg adopted Luka after his break up with Natasha, so when she first saw his last name she cried. She genuinely thought that she had missed a wedding or something.

Doctor handwriting. Even in another universe she couldn't escape the illegible doctor handwriting curse.

Seele

Used to go to the same elementary, middle and high school together with Luka. He was just a year or two younger than her. As a kid, she used to think he was okay, then during middle school she found him annoying and now it's a mix of two. However, he's probably the closest thing she has to a best friend and it's the person she trusts the most outside of Natasha.

She focuses a lot of her combat abilities. Since Natasha doesn't let her go on too many missions and she's not aware she's supposed to be the next Supreme Guardian (she is under the impression that she is just Natasha's adopted daughter) she doesn't think about the political situation or strategies all that much. She much prefers fighting the fragmentum.

Although technically she has a higher position than Sampo, whenever she gets overzealous during training or pushes herself too hard, she'll "be put in time out" by Sampo. Basically, she will be training and Hook and Clara pop out of nowhere, telling her how it's "time for a break, or else Sampo will put you in time out". She always tries to get out of it because she finds it stupid, but honestly dealing with Hook and Clara is a challenge in it of itself, so, unfortunately for her, Sampo's tactic works annoyingly well.

At first, she was struggling a lot in school, specifically with writing. When Natasha first caught wind of this, she sat down with Seele and they spent a whole evening just writing and Natasha helping Seele with school work.

For almost her whole life, Natasha and Oleg were together, so when Natasha turned distant and they broke up, she basically lost her parent. She visits Oleg's workshop every now and then, but they definitely aren't as close as they used to be. Now, unfortunately for her, the closest thing she has in her life that actively acts like a father figure is Sampo.

She regularly makes bets with soldiers in the front lines. Like, "oh, I bet Kyle can't headshot five fragmentum in a row". In general she is very friendly with them. Natasha is not a fan of that.

Luka asks her for a spar session almost any time he sees her. While it "annoys" her, she find comfort in the fact that she can tell him mood easily like that. She knows that if he's just fired up he gonna ask one or two times and if he feels bad for whatever reason, he's gonna be more persuasive.

Oleg

To him, the Neverwinter workshop was something that would've happened one way or another. He always knew that at some point he would own a workshop, however, what he didn't expect was how soon it would happen. He imagined opening it in his late forties - early fifties after passing his Stellaron research to a younger researcher. He never expected to have the nasty break up with Natasha and getting kicked out of the Silvermanes like that.

A side hobby he picked up after losing his job as a researcher was sketching. Whenever the workshop goes through a slow period with no customers or any work to do, people can find him outside, sketching whatever he sees.

When Luka lost his arm, he was devastated. He was so scared for his son he soot out Natasha, asking if she can find a better position for Luka that doesn't endanger him so much. Although he feels guilty for taking the choice from Luka, he also prefers feeling guilty with a son than feeling guilty without a son.

Back when Luka used to be in the frontlines, he wanted to meet his superior (Sampo) just to be sure that the Captain was capable. His first impression of Sampo wasn't a positive one, but after hearing about his achievements in battle, anecdotes from other guards, seeing Luka's admiration of him and seeing him around the street playing with the kids, he backed off.

He still misses Seele, even though technically she's not his kid. Even though that's the case, he still makes sure to prepare birthday gifts for her and congratulate her on any achievements.

He teaches Hook and Clara the basics of engineering. Every week he dedicates two hours for them. It's actually one of his favorite past times cause it livens up the place and reminds him of back when Luka and Seele used to be kids.

He still thinks about his research, specifically the Stellaron. He really wants to continue studying it and oftentimes thinks about it. He has a lot of theories about it but can't test any of them out.

Cocolia

She met Serval when the Landaus first moved to the Underground. While all the siblings have a positive opinion of her and they generally get along well, she and Serval clicked almost instantly. Serval helped her a lot with the orphanage, then with the clinic and finally with Wildfire.

Even though the Underground's atmosphere is pretty depressing, Cocolia tries her best make it more homey, warm and, in general, uplift the people. There's a reason why the people of the Underworld trust her with more than just medical issues.

One of her attempts to make the Underworld more welcoming was plants. Although most of them require sunlight, she got Sampo to look for ones that can survive without it. And just like that the Underworld is full of plants (as much as it can be). Unfortunately not all parts of the Underworld have a flourishing flora, the unlivable parts (thanks to the fragmentum) don't have any.

While she is a doctor and a healer is general, if it comes down to it, she can hold her own in battle. She uses a bass guitar when fighting, the one that in the original Serval broke during her companion quest.

She and Bronya have a very strong bond. They spend hours talking about different ways to optimize Wildfire. Serval helps with that too, either as the face of Wildfire or by suggesting ways to update equipment or create new weapons. Whenever Sampo is present, his input is asked as well, although he mostly helps with strategizing and ways to get rid of the fragmentum.

The hardest choice she had to make was exile Vache. She was conscious of his downward spiral when he started obsessing over blizzard immunity but the human experimentation was kept a secret from her until Lynx mentioned hearing something about it. Needless to say when she found out she was heartbroken.

She is well liked by all the children, and she always has some sort of candy on her desk. It's either for children who are being treated or, at the end of each day, the most behaved kid gets two.

Bronya

Although she didn't go to school, she knows the basics thanks to Cocolia and Serval. So now, her favorite hobby is reading. She has read as many books as she could get her hands on. Anytime she sees Sampo, she asks him to deliver her a book or two.

While she is part of Wildfire and she does fight against the fragmentum under Serval's command, whenever fragmentum activity is low, she is seen helping around Cocolia's clinic. While is mostly acts as a nurse following Cocolia's orders, she is still very skilled, to the point that other nurses sometimes call her "Cocolia 2.0".

She has learned the basics of engineering from Serval. It's a skill that comes in handy more often than not, from fixing up children's toys to helping fix equipment that was broken by the fragmentum.

The kids love her too. Whenever they get into trouble the first person they go to is Bronya due to her "not being an adult" (she is, she is just the youngest one working in the clinic so they assume she's still a teenager).

She has heard a lot about Gepard, but she has never actually met him since she wasn't adopted back when the Underworld and Overworld weren't separated. Despite this, she feels as if she had known him forever because of how often Serval and Lynx mention him. As if he's still here, with them.

She and Pela are good friends. Thanks to her, Bronya got into the Tales of the Winterlands. That series got her to wish to one day go to the topside and see the snow plains for herself. It's a wish she holds close to her heart.

She is close to Lynx as well, they spend a lot of time together due to her being the little sister of Serval. The two of them started reading Tales of the Winterlands together thanks to Pela and both of them loved it. They have spent hours talking about what they want to do in the Overworld.

Pela

She is a very important part of Wildfire not only because of her strength but also because of her great investigation skills and data collection. Thanks to her, Wildfire is not only able to catch troublemakers but also because she could predict future fragmentum activity based on the data she managed to collect.

She was the one who investigated Vache when Cocolia first heard of the rumours. She had come to Pela as a friend, asking for help, not as part of Wildfire. Pela accepted to look into it for free, and gave it her all. Let's just say the investigation wasn't all that pleasant.

She has created a fake identity that she uses to bet on herself. She is very strategic about it too. If she wins too many bets, she makes sure to stage a few loses to keep the attention away from her fake identity. She has made bank with that strategy.

Moreover, the reason she is still technically in debt is because the person she owes to is in the Overworld, so she had no way to reach him and she can't ask Sampo for help. She has a small box in her apartment that is the payment to her debt. She's not sure if there's any extra payment due to being late (although it's not really her fault) but just in case she keeps some extra shield.

Her closest friend is Lynx, they hang out together anytime Lynx isn't with Svarog. There's moments were they don't talk, Lynx just shows her picture as they cuddle on Pela's sofa and that's probably their favorite activity. However, anytime Lynx is in a talkative mood, the two of them theorize on what Gepard is doing in the Overworld.

She preforms in Mechanical Fever with Serval. It's a way for her to gain an additional income while hanging out with her friends (Serval, Lynx and sometimes Cocolia (when she's not busy with Wildfire and the clinic, which is pretty rare)). She is a drummer, her drumsticks are handmade and very sturdy (build by Serval) and she uses them when fighting as well.

She participates in a lot of food completions (like eating all 5 crabs that are in the game), but her favorites are the ones with spicy food. She and Serval were the ones with the biggest rivalry in a spice tolerance competition.

Serval

When she and her siblings first moved into the Underworld, they could only afford a one-bedroom apartment. She and Lynx shared the bedroom and Gepard slept in the living room. Soon, after Cocolia formed Wildfire, Serval go the opportunity to move. Now, she lives with Cocolia in a four-bedroom apartment, one for her and Cocolia, two bedrooms for Lynx and Bronya and the last one for Gepard.

While she is part of Wildfire, she also has her own "workshop" which is just her "experimentations" on automatons. She wants to create truly sturdy ones that can handle the fragmentum so that people don't have to risk their lives (and to also win in automaton fights shhh!!!!!).

While she doesn't like Svarog, she still helps him fix up a few things here and there, although she doesn't approve of the way they run their part of the Underworld she understands that he is an important ally. Plus, she gets access to better tools/materials.

She is still the lead singer/guitarist in Mechanical Fever. Most of her songs are about hope and a brighter future, it's her way of helping uplift the people of the Underworld. She is the most popular artist in the Underworld because of this.

When Sampo first arrived to the Underworld, she asked him about Gepard. More specifically, how he's been, if Sampo knows anything about him (whereabouts, health and the like). While he answered her questions, she asked if he could bring Gepard down, but he said "not yet". He did give her other reasons as well, but the "not yet" stuck with her.

Whenever Bronya and her go for patrols or missions together, they just talk. Like, they do get the work down, but they have insanely good coordination skills and synergy together that it's a breeze for them so it works more as a bonding moment rather than work.

The one taking care of most plants in the Underworld is Serval because they remind her a lot of Gepard and his love for plant life. On especially lonely nights she imagines his reaction to seeing how much the Underworld has changed since last time he was there.

Lynx

The reason Lynx got so attached to Svarog was because he possessed a lot of knowledge about the outside world and he could answer a lot of her questions. He once even showed her a projection of how the aurora looks back in the snow plains.

Before meeting Svarog she had tried to go to the surface to, one, find Gepard and, two, to see the Overworld once more. She went pretty far, but she couldn't unlock the Furnace Core, so she had to leave before Svarog found her.

She once confided in Pela that she doesn't remember Gepard's face, that it's very blurry for her and that she feels very guilty about it. She is frustrated because she does care about him and Serval always gets a sad distant look when he's brought up, but whenever she is trying to imagine the three of the reuniting, she can't picture it.

She has tried reasoning with Svarog on multiple occasions, but the robot never changes his mind. She still hasn't lost hope whatsoever. After all, her dream, aside from reuniting with Gepard, is to visit the snow plains.

She knows basic engineering thanks to both Serval and Svarog. Although she is not very interested in it. She prefers learning about the outside world much more, but it's useful information so she doesn't argue.

Whenever she wants to get a few extra shield, she goes to the fight club to bet on Pela. If she is not participating, she follows Pela's betting advice. She almost always wins, but that's because she doesn't visit the club that often.

When she met Sampo, she had asked for pictures of the snow plains, since she learned he fights the fragmentum there. He obliged and now she has a whole pin board dedicated to those pictures in her room.

Hook and Clara

The two of them are a very big deal in their school. They brag that THE Captain of the Silvermane Guards has them as "assistants". At first, the other kids didn't believe them when Hook said that they work for Sampo until he comes pick them up from school one day (Fersman was busy).

While the two of them have their separate bedrooms, every night they have "sleepovers" which is basically them sleeping together in each other's bedrooms. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they sleep in Hook's room and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays they sleep in Clara's room. On Sundays they play rock paper scissors to decide where the sleepover will be.

Seele had to explain to them on multiple occasions that they are not official Silvermane Guards. Hook refuses to listen and Clara is just confused. Both insist that they are cause "uncle Sampo told us we are under his command!!!!!!!!! You're just jealous your boss isn't as cool as ours!!!!!"

While they get a lot out of following Sampo's orders, they are still not allowed in the restricted zone. They don't get it, and Sampo dances around the issue, ordering them to do things outside it like bringing lunch to Luka or something.

Both of them are really scared of Natasha. They've seen her once or twice in public appearances and whenever they bumped into her in Qlipoth Fort, and while at first she seems nice, something about her scares them. Most of the time whenever they see her they run to hide either behind Sampo or Fersman or Luka.

Once, Sampo had an infiltration mission but Hook and Clara kept wanting to hang out with them. Sampo noticed Gepard in his terrible disguise and told them to follow him. They ended up pestering Gepard all day instead.

Anytime there's a disagreement between them they solve it with a game of rock paper scissors. Even when doing homework. If one of them got a 7 as an answer while the other got a 100 they play rock paper scissors and list the answer as whatever the winner got.

[theravenchild]

7, 11 and 15 for the ask game, please 💙

Diana! Thank you for sending these asks! ☺️ I'm so sorry it took so long to finish the reply, but I just kept adding to it and researching! Some of it was just loosely established lore and I had to delve deeper.

7. Describe your MC’s family.

Hellendil comes from a family of mixed background. His father is a muggle blacksmith/metal worker with Lenape ancestry and his mother a Welsh witch who found her calling as a metal charmer and jewelry maker. She was a world traveler after Hogwarts, frequenting worlds fairs and expos in search of materials and new techniques to use in her craft. She met her future husband at one such expo showcasing new technology and techniques as well as suppliers from around the world. With the industrial revolution underway, he needed to find new avenues for his own profession to stay relevant and these fairs were an excellent place to learn.

The two hit it off during one of the panels and continued writing to one another after returning home. He eventually sent a letter to her father asking for her hand with an engagement gift of raw garnets and amethysts he'd collected for use in her craft. When they married, he moved to Wales and worked under another smith until the proprietor eventually retired and sold him the business and property. The pair raised their four children in the house next to the smithy with help from her parents.

Hellendil's older sister is about 5'11" with dark brown hair. She is a more stern and straightlaced individual than her older brother, but also did not inherit any magical ability. As with all of the siblings, she was taught the arts of blacksmithing and jewelry making by their parents. She is a strong and dedicated individual and chose to follow the blacksmith path to a career. She apprenticed to another smith to learn more before she would eventually take over her father's business. With the rapid changes in metal working and technology at the time, she also frequently travels to attend technology fairs as her father did to learn new techniques and be prepared to adjust her work and the business to those changes.

Hellendil is the youngest of four children in the family. His eldest sibling, his brother, is 6'4" and wears his black hair long as well. He is a squib and a bit of a trouble maker in his youth in quest to be the center of attention. He wished to pursue a career as a dragonologist when he was growing up. Out of concern for his safety, the family talked him into an archaeology career instead, a career he is quite happy with after all. He currently assists with archeological digs in Egypt and frequently writes to his little brother about the finds and traces of magical history they are uncovering. He's constantly telling Hellendil to pursue a career as a curse breaker and come work with him.

His youngest sister is three years older and also possessed magical talent. She is the shortest sibling at around 5'7". She has black hair and likes to wear it in cute styles. She attended Hogwarts as well and was sorted into Hufflepuff. She is fun and vibrant, and a hopeless romantic, frequently reading romance novels (and passing them down to her little brother). She is currently working with her mother at the jewelry shop since she is undecided as to what she truly wants to do with her life.

11. What are your MC’s fears?

Ever since the confrontation with Rookwood, Hellendil's greatest fear is the darkness he is capable of when he becomes infuriated. So much anger and hate fueled powerful magic that helped him easily overpower his enemies, but once it was over he was a wreck over what he had done. Yes, he'd avenged Anne and Sebastian and numerous others that Rookwood had cursed or killed, but at what cost? The memory haunts him, especially at times when he's alone and unoccupied.

He also certainly fears loss, especially of those he cares about. He's seen so much loss during fifth year, it's one of those things that will show up in nightmares, and jostle him awake. It keeps him up at night, worrying.

15. What is your MC’s ideal first date?

I did answer this one earlier so I will link it here rather than retyping. ☺️

[acewritesfics]

Hot Summers Day | Eddie Munson

⚠️ THIS IS A REPOST FROM MY MAIN BLOG @/DLMLUFICS. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY. MORE INFO IN MY PINNED POST.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Reader

Request: No

Warnings: Implied friends with benefits relationship, swearing, swearing, smoking, mentions of drug use, mentions of alcoholism, underage drinking, stealing a paddling pool.

Word Count: 1,906

Tag List: Open - acewritesfics taglist sign up

Stranger Things Masterlist

Summer 1985 

Today is unquestionably the hottest day of the year. Y/N’s trailer’s air conditioning unit has broken again, and the local handyman is unavailable to repair it due to the numerous other air conditioning units in the trailer park that need to be repaired. She exits her trailer in search of some form of relief from the heat wave after deciding she can no longer endure it anymore. She finds the Ashburn children’s paddling pool to be empty and begging it to be used. 

Since the children’s mother is too inebriated to even notice where her kids are right now, Y/N is confident that she won’t even notice that the pool is missing. Sonny, the oldest of the three children, frequently takes her younger sisters out for the day, not wanting them to witness their mother’s utter stupidity in choosing the drink over them. She also knows Sonny wouldn’t mind if she “borrowed” the pool because they never use it since they are gone most of the time. 

She drags the paddling pool to where she wants it and grabs the hose, rinsing it out before leaving the hose in it to fill it up with water. She returns to her trailer and changes into the peach-colored bikini top she borrowed (but never returned) from her sister and a pair of light blue Daisy Duke denim shorts she cut up from her favorite pair of jeans to wear during the summer. She slathers on sunscreen, not wanting to deal with a painful sunburn that she could have easily avoided and gathers everything she needs to go outside. On her way back from her bedroom, she grabs her two deck chairs and a can of coke from the fridge and heads back outside. 

Y/N arranges the chairs, one of which serves as a table for her cigarettes, the book she’s currently reading, her Walkman, and sunscreen. She walks over to the outdoor tap and turns off the water before returning to the paddling pool and sitting on the empty chair as she dips her feet in the cool water. She takes a cigarette from her pack and puts it between her lips before lighting it. She picks up her Walkman and puts the headphones over her ears before pressing the play button. 

She closes her eyes, a cigarette in one hand and her can of coke in the other, as she loses herself in the soothing raspy sound of Ozzy Osbourne’s voice. 

Y/N loses track of time until she is startled by someone flicking water in her face. When she looks up, she sees Eddie Munson standing in front of her. The young man has a mischievous glint in his eyes and a smirk on his handsome face as he looks back at her. 

“What the hell, Munson?” She glares at him and removes her headphones. 

Smirking, he shrugs his shoulders, and holds out a can of beer to her. “Can you forgive me?” 

“You know, it’ll take more than a beer,” she quips as she takes the beer from him. “But please join me,” she says, shifting her belongings from the chair she’s using as a table. 

“I have some more stuff if you want to come over later,” he says. He’s referring to the weed he gets from his supplier, Reefer Rick. 

“Can we hang out at my trailer tonight?” she inquires. 

When she last stayed with him, they nearly got caught the following morning when Wayne arrived home early from work. They had just finished having sex, when they heard Wayne’s truck pull up outside the trailer. It had been a mad dash to gather their clothing and rush into Eddie’s room before Wayne walked inside. After almost being caught by Eddie’s only father figure, Y/N thought she’d die of embarrassment. Her embarrassment grew as she realized Wayne knew exactly what they had been up to when they finally emerged from Eddie’s room, her cheeks flushed and Eddie wearing a large smirk on his face after all his teasing. Wayne only shook his head and mumbled something about deep cleaning the trailer. 

Her embarrassment grew as she realized Wayne knew exactly what they had been up to when they finally emerged from Eddie’s room, her cheeks flushed and Eddie wearing a large smirk on his face after all his teasing. Wayne only shook his head and mumbled something about deep cleaning the trailer. 

“Are you worried we’ll almost get caught again?” he teases, picking up her sunscreen and puts some on himself after taking off his shirt. 

“No, I need you to fix my air conditioning unit again,” she responds, her gaze darting to the tattoos adorning his chest and arms. 

From the moment she met Eddie, she knew she was fucked. She was attracted to every part of him, from his tattoos, long wavy hair, brown eyes ripped jeans, and the hellfire club shirt he wore religiously. His big brown eyes revealed that he isn’t a complete asshole like most of the guys she knew that had his same style. Deep beneath that tough exterior is a sweet man with a kind heart who always makes her feel comfortable and safe, who can always make her laugh and smile, that gave the best hugs and makes her feel wanted and special. He isn’t overly confident, or obnoxious and arrogant. He knew how to read the room and could figure someone just by observing them. There is so much more to him than just being some freak with tattoos, that plays guitar in a band, and loves metal music and Dungeons and Dragons, with a family who was well known to the local police. If people took the time to get to know him, she knows they would like him. 

Eddie takes a seat in the empty chair, kicking off his shoes before dipping his feet into the water too. “Does Ashburn realize you stole her kids' pool?” 

“As if she’d be sober enough to notice it missing,” she scoffs, taking a drag from her cigarette and handing it to Eddie before opening her beer can. 

A silence falls over the two friends as Y/N considers the possibilities for tonight. They will undoubtedly get high, eat whatever snacks she has in her pantry, and possibly even cook something. They’ll watch a movie or listen to one of the many vinyl's she kept from her father’s collection.  

One of them will make the first move and they'll end up fucking on the nearest surface. There will be no foreplay in this first round, just rough, hard, and fast sex. Before the next round, they’ll move to the bed and share a cigarette. 

Eddie will put her needs ahead of his own in their next round, which will be a little gentler but still rough, and will last longer. When they first slept together, he paid close attention to all her reactions, learning about what she loves and hates. No matter what the situation or how he does it, he always makes sure she gets off before he does. 

He always makes her come more than once the second time, hoping to delay his own orgasm for as long as possible. Following that, he will take care of her, being as gentle as possible, cleaning her up before himself, being mindful of her sensitive areas, and ensuring she is comfortable, especially after a rough round. 

The third round will occur after they’ve slept or napped, whether for a few hours or all night. Their morning routine is always slower, and lazy with their bodies entwined and sleepy kisses exchanged in between soft gasps of pleasure. Eddie is at his most gentle during this time. 

What began as a bit of fun has evolved into something more for her. She wants to believe that she is the only one who sees the intimate side of Eddie. In their relationship, there was no commitment to each other and thinking of him with another woman hurt her. They both agreed at the start that they weren’t looking for anything serious, but as she got to know Eddie more intimately, not just physically, she found herself completely in love with him. She knows deep down that she needs to end it, and that tonight wouldn’t be a good idea if she’s going to try and distance herself from him. Eddie is her drug. She knows she’ll succumb to him as soon as he touches her. 

“Maybe we shouldn’t hang out tonight,” she says, her chest tight and her heart hurting hearing those words coming out of her mouth. “We shouldn’t do this anymore.” 

“What are you on about?” She feels his gaze on her, his beautiful brown orbs filled with confusion. 

“Forget it,” she says as she rises from her chair. She steps out of the pool and into the trailer, shutting the door behind her. 

Eddie, perplexed, worried, and irritated, throws away the finished cigarette before standing up and following her into the trailer, allowing the door to slam behind him. He finds her in the kitchen, with her hands braced on the counter and her head bowed.  

“What the fuck is going on?” 

She looks up at him, her eyes sad. “Nothing! Just-” 

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” he exclaims. 

“What do you want me to say?” she asks, her own voice rising. “That I think we should stop screwing around because it’s getting a little too serious for me?” 

“What are you trying to say?” he asks, puzzled by her words. 

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in and out, then opens them again and locks her eyes on him. She notices the concern and frustration in his eyes. Her heart begins to pound against her chest once more. “Eddie Munson, you have completely captured my heart and I’ve fallen madly in love with you.  I can’t do this friend with benefits bullshit with you because it means so much more to me. Just save me the heartache and just leave.” 

Y/N turns away from him, so she doesn’t have to watch him walk out the door. 

She doesn’t hear the front door open and close; instead, she is surrounded by Eddie’s distinctive scent of old spice, cigarettes with a hint of weed and the spearmint toothpaste that he uses. She bites her bottom lip to keep from gasping as she feels Eddie’s warm chest against her mostly bare back. His rough hands grip her hips as his soft lips kiss her neck before whispering in her ear. 

“I’m not leaving, baby, because I’ve fallen madly in love with you as well.” 

She turns her head to the side, coming face to face with him, his lips barely an inch from hers. Her gaze shifts from his lips to his eyes, searching for any hint of trickery in his eyes, but all she finds is relief and so much love that her heart soars. She twists her body in his arms as she presses her lips ferociously against his. He kisses her back with just as much love and passion as his hands move to her thighs. He slightly bends his knees and lifts her onto the kitchen counter. 

“I am fucking in love with you,” he says, pulling back enough to look her in the eyes. 

“I’m in love with you, too,” she says as she pulls him back into the kiss. 

TAGGED: @rainydayteacups - @alexxavicry

[nerdieforpedro]

Day Twenty Nine - Brick House

Word Count: 624

Warnings: mention of past drug use, fertility issues, mention of sperm donation and clinics, false pretenses, Dieter might be a bit obsessed or a lot

Notes: I wasn’t sure where this was going. I read @fhatbhabie ‘s Dieter fic where he’s being a dad and @wannab-urs has me listening to all the Hozier for her challenge. This is where we are people. We’re on my second D which is Dieter, my first D is Din.

Main Masterlist / March Spring Prompts 2024 / Writing Challenges

A safe place for the both of you is what Dieter Bravo wanted. Finally in the spring, the house was ready. He'd studied your likes and dislikes, favorite colors, asked his assistants and interior designer to decorate according to what you wanted. He believed he had to make things perfect for you. Bravo is aware he’s not - far from it. He has numerous issues with drugs, the law, his career. Never stopping, never slowing down. Always moving forward and not always in a positive direction.

Never would he have expected your request. Dieter was aware of your search, your dream. It wasn’t uncommon but you’d convinced yourself that it would never happen. The doctor had told you there was little chance of it happening ever. Still you believed despite your fears. Dieter watched your perseverance in awe. The idea of you getting what you needed from some donor that you’ve never met kept him up at night. More than the last flop he’d made. It more than paid for renovating the brick house over the last eight months and he was willing to do another one if it meant that he could afford to keep you in that house on bedrest for the last month like you were supposed to be and get him some new oil paints from this one Italian supplier he favored.

You asked if he’d be your moral support as you went to one of the clinics, if he’d hold your hand as you went through the door. Dieter suggested that he could have a physical now that he’s been healthy for a good bit and give you a donation that was more likely to take. He swore that it’s the only form of support he would give you, besides being your friend of course. The clinic thankfully made the process feel ‘impersonal’ as you put it. Bravo knew the first try he was hoping it wouldn’t take, just to be able to have you again. Over two months, he only missed two ‘bun in the oven’ appointments with you and suggested some extra, you know just in case.

It was wrong. He should have felt guilty. Dieter did not and would not. He’d use this process to show you and himself that he could be relied on, constant, strong, like the house he bought you.

He’d gotten you to agree to put his name on the birth certificate and he had his schedule cleared for the most part so he could be wherever you needed him to be. In the room, outside, in the parking lot of the hospital.

Climbing the stairs and walking to the master bedroom he was able to talk you into sharing with him because, rubbing oil on your belly helped calm you and lull you to sleep after proper placement of pillows, he crept toward the door. Your sleeping form was rare to see during the day, among a mountain of pillows and blankets you’ve kicked off because you get hot then cold. Dieter watched your chest rise and fall softly, he had taken a few pictures and saved them on his phone of you at first but that wasn’t enough. Leaving to grab his sketchbook he’d need to draw it, then he may be able to paint this moment later.

This moment that despite the lies and reasons covered under the pretext of helping you with your dream, you were giving Dieter Bravo his - a family with you. Maybe you’ll be mad at him later or even laugh it off but after the baby is safely here, he’ll tell you everything. That you’ve been his ambition for years and regardless of people thinking he’s a scatterbrain, he can focus quite well - on you.

[beba-780]

I will tolerate anything...

Summary:

"Kai is captured by a group of kidnappers searching for clues to the Vengstone. The leader of the kidnappers is willing to torture Kai if it means getting the information he wants. Kai's life is at risk and his friends will have to go against the clock to save the life of his friend in time before it is too late."

Notes:

It's been a long time since I wrote a One-Shot with anguish towards Kai XD Sorry for my English.

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

Kai was already tired...

He had already lost track of time here locked in this dark, dank little cargo hold that his kidnappers had not-so-kindly held against his will.

What was the worst part?

That these kidnappers were part of the group that illegally trafficked Vengstone.

The ninjas had encountered this group when the police reported a confrontation at one of the docks in the city of Ninjago. It turns out that these kidnappers wanted to steal the cargo that they themselves had brought to deliver it to their supplier, who would deliver it to his real boss, who is the one who had requested the extraction of the Vengstone.

The supplier's group and the kidnappers' group had started a fight because the kidnappers wanted to keep half of the Vengstone, but the supplier did not allow it since his boss wanted all of the Vengstone, the kidnappers did not accept this and started a fight, it was criminals against criminals, but once the ninjas arrived it became a real pitched battle, but as they heard the police approaching, the kidnappers in a quick movement pounced on Kai and took him away since the kidnappers assumed that the ninjas would have more information about the Vengstone since they always intercepted illegal shipments of the mineral throughout Ninjago.

Despite Kai's numerous attempts to free himself, his efforts were unsuccessful since the kidnappers were more and Kai was only one, in addition, they had him handcuffed with Vengstone chains, which the kidnappers had also stolen before fleeing with the Red Ninja.

So Kai's fire was useless.

They tied him to a chair and Kai already forgot about the time he had been there, the kidnappers practically began by interrogating him about the location of the Vengstone. Kai obviously didn't know what they were talking about, but of course, Kai still wouldn't tell them anything. Furthermore, Kai knows that the Vengstone is difficult to locate and they only knew how to intercept the illegal shipments thanks to information from some citizens, the police and Pixal's inventions that could track the Vengstone material several kilometers away.

But still, Kai and the others didn't know exactly where so much Vengstone was extracted from, it was even something they were still investigating together with the Ninjago police.

However, the kidnappers were not satisfied with Kai's answers, so his leader, an older man with a beard and a large scar on his face, decided to take extreme measures...

The leader entered the room where they had Kai locked up again, the Red Ninja was still sitting and chained to the chair where they had him confined. Kai seemed a little tired as the hours passed and after so many questions he obviously felt exhausted.

- Okay, Red Ninja, you better have thought about it carefully and now give me a favorable answer for my boys and me. Where can we find more Vengstone? – He shouted as he violently approached Kai's face, who turned his face away from him, completely ignoring the man.

- As if I were going to tell you. And I will give you the same answer: Fuck you – Kai spat with disdain without paying the slightest attention to the burly man in front of him.

- Okay, Red Ninja, try to do it the good way, but now I'll do it the hard way... - with a grim look the man cracked the knuckles of both hands, and without warning he hit Kai hard in the face.

Groaning, Kai looked at the man who had his fist raised.

-If you want to save yourself any more hits on your pretty face, you better tell me where I can find more Vengstone! – the leader demanded again, ready to deal another blow.

Kai spat on the ground and looked at the man again - Fuck you... - Kai showed no fear, which made the leader even more angry.

The man hit Kai in the face two more times, and some blood even started to come out of Kai's nose and mouth. Kai's head fell weakly and he tried to catch his breath.

- Come on, tell me... - again the leader tried his luck with Kai.

Kai raised his head and looked directly at the man's face - Fuck you... again... - laughing dryly Kai closed his eyes and threw his head back - I won't tell you anything... you're going to waste you time... -

- In fact, I will take advantage of this time to torture you until I get the information I want from you... - sinisterly the leader made a sign for Kai to be released and restrained, several of the kidnappers ran towards Kai. Kai struggled against everyone's hold, but it was useless as Kai was facing many and there was only him.

- Hold our guest very well, guys... - Showing a malicious smile, the leader prepared for another round of blows against Kai.

Still, Kai prepared for the worst, but the only thing he prayed internally was that the boys would get to him in time.

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

- Come on, where the hell can he be?! – Lloyd shouted from the Bounty's controls as he and the others tried to locate Kai's signal.

- Pixal and Nya are finishing building the tracker that will help us find Kai, but it seems that Kai is not in this area of the city - Zane mentions as he carefully observes the map on the screen that showed all the criminal hideouts in Ninjago City.

- We've already searched everywhere, and there's no sign of Kai - Cole responds as he and Jay enter the control room.

- We even informed the police – adds Jay.

Growling in frustration, Lloyd punches the panel without having obtained any clue as to the whereabouts of his friend.

Kai is someone important to Lloyd, not finding him worried the Green Ninja a lot, he didn't even want to imagine what his best friend was going through right now.

He swears that if he manages to find those kidnappers...

- We finished it! – Nya shouts running towards all of them while Pixal followed her – We finished the tracker –

- Really? – Hope seemed to return to Lloyd.

- Nya and I modified the tracker to not only find the tracking device Kai has on his suit, but also his elemental energy. This will give a better scan of all the areas we pass through in the city – Pixal responds as he shows the device, it was almost like a tablet with a small thick antenna.

- Let's connect it to the screen and start flying throughout the city until we find a signal from Kai - Nya wasted no time and she connected the tablet to the Ship's large computer.

- Let's hope it's not too late... - Jay mutters as he looks at the screen.

- It won't be like that - Lloyd proclaims firmly. - We'll find Kai in time, I'm sure. - Despite the firmness and faith in his voice, Lloyd still showed a nervous attitude in his eyes, but he had to be strong for the team.

- If those guys did something to my brother... - Nya said, clenching her fists with completely contained fury.

- We will find it Nya - calm down Lloyd - Pixal, let's start with the search of the entire area in the city, we will search the docks, the outskirts or the underground tunnels if necessary, but we will not leave until we find it. -

On Lloyd's order, everyone went to their positions, turned on the ship's thrusters, and began searching all areas for clues about Kai.

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

Kai had already forgotten how long he endured the brutal beating from the leader of the kidnappers.

Hours…?

Perhaps the torture seemed like an eternity to him.

Kai was now completely injured all over his body, his face was bleeding, his Ninja suit was dirty and stained with his own blood, in addition to the dirt from the hard floor. The leader had started with blows to the face and stomach, then, while he was still held by the leader's men, the man took two steel gloves and placed them on his fingers to begin a new painful round for Kai.

As soon as the leader began savagely punching Kai's face, it began to swell from the blows and bleed from the open wounds left by the steel gloves. Blood soon came out of Kai's mouth, it looked like his jaw had been bruised quite a bit, but luckily it wasn't broken or dislocated, his nose was also bruised but not broken.

Kai was lucky to have a hard head, the bad thing was that he made the leader want to hit him even more until he broke the bones in his face.

After hitting him in the face, the leader went on to hit him in various parts of Kai's body, especially in areas of his torso and stomach. Kai was breathing heavily as soon as the boss finished removing the steel gloves from his hands.

The leader's men no longer had to fight to support Kai, his body became quite weak, he could barely stand on his own, it was like holding a puppet without strings.

- Release him – ordered the leader.

The kidnappers paid attention and were not kind enough to push him to the ground while they mocked the pain of the badly injured Fire Master. Coughing, Kai tried to get back up and spit some blood into his painful process. He couldn't get up, absolutely everything hurt.

- Are you going to talk now? – The leader mocked as he crouched down to see more of Kai's best.

- K-Keep... dreaming... idiot... - Kai mocks weakly - Whatever... whatever you do to me... I won't tell you anything... I'll tolerate anything… - Kai's breathing became painfully difficult, perhaps the blows to his stomach and chest affected him quite a bit.

- Demons! - The leader growls as he gets up and walks - What's wrong with you ninjas?! – grabbed her hair with her hands frustratingly and stopped when he turned his back on Kai.

Having his nerves afloat, the leader looked at the iron pipe of one of his assistants – Give me that! - The leader shouted as he snatched the tube from the guy's hands - Last chance, Ninja... Either you tell me where the Vengstone is... Or I'll beat you to death! And believe me… I won't hesitate! One less Ninja in town will be good for my business. -

- Good luck with that... idiot... - Kai taunts, showing no sign of fear in his eyes as he looks at the tube in the leader's hands. Whatever the man does with him, he won't get what he wants, after all, he doesn't know anything about Vengstone.

The leader shouted angrily and hit Kai's head hard with the pipe, causing him to fall heavily to the side as Kai only let out a painful grunt.

Kai knew this would be really painful...

The leader hit him again with the pipe this time on his back several times, then on his side, then on his hands, legs... in fact it hit him all over his body, Kai only let out pitiful sounds from his mouth. He didn't spend much time staining both the floor and the tube itself, not having enough strength to cover himself from the blows, Kai had to endure the blows of the tube all over his body.

He didn't cry or scream in pain, Kai didn't want to give that satisfaction to the despicable man. He simply let painful moans escape from his mouth.

What Kai wouldn't give to see his friends, his family again...

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

- We found a signal on the south side of the Ninjago docks! – Nya confirmed when checking the screen in the control room.

-The signal coincides with the coordinates indicated by the locator, setting course right now – said Pixal while he described the coordinates in the Ship's computer.

- Guys! Head to the coordinates set by Pixal! – Nya shouted through the speaker, which reached the navigation area of the Ship where the others were.

- Understood! – Zane confirms as he turns the helm towards where the coordinates of the signal on the docks were.

- Okay guys, get ready - Lloyd orders as he arrives with Cole and Jay.

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

Throwing the blood-stained tube to the side, the leader breathed tiredly as he continued to look at the battered Red Ninja, who was now lying on the ground lying on his side while breathing heavily, his body was completely battered, his wounds did not stop bleeding and was still coughing up blood.

- Damn, ninja... - the leader curses as he moves away from Kai's body - I assure you that I will not give you a quick death, so... prepare for more pain - the man threatens.

Coughing, Kai tries with great effort to look at the man, despite not looking at him completely, Kai took enough breath to be able to speak - T-That...is...everything...? Hah – Kai snorts weakly – Y-You're…a…weak….Hah… -

-You'll see...-but the leader was interrupted when he heard loud noises of his men fighting outside the warehouse - What the hell is happening now?! –

Snorting with mockery, Kai looked back at the leader - Hah... I hope... they wrote his will, idiots... - Kai grimaces as he tries to move a little.

- Boss! The other Ninjas found us! Ah! – one of the kidnappers was hit by a ball of green energy after he rushed into the warehouse from the main door.

- Where is our friend?! – demanded the Green Ninja followed by the other Ninjas.

- Hah ha... - Kai snorts painfully as he forces a weak mocking smile - It's your funeral... -

- Demons! – The boss shouted frustratedly – Attack them idiots! –

The kidnappers rushed at the Ninjas but they were quickly knocked down by their elemental powers. The boss also tried to knock down the ninjas but was easily knocked down by Lloyd, who threw him towards Nya who with his spear threw him towards the wall where he was unconscious.

- Kai! – Nya and Lloyd shouted as they reached their brother's side.

The look of panic reached all the ninjas when they saw the serious condition that Kai was in, Nya carefully picked him up and held him in her arms, his pitiful physical condition could be seen, the severity of the wounds on his head could be seen and torso, at least that's what Zane noticed when scanning his injured friend.

Trying to see the faces of his friends, all Kai could do was let out a shaky breath – God...why...did he take...so long...? – Despite the fatigue and unbearable pain he felt now, the relief Kai felt at seeing his friends and his sister again was greater than his physical pain.

But still everything hurt a lot.

He now just wanted his friends to take him home so he could get some sleep.

- Don't worry, you'll be fine, Kai - Lloyd assured him as he placed his hand on Kai's shoulder, who could only let out a painful moan in response - Nya, Zane, take Kai back to the Ship, Tell Pixal to prepare the ship medical area, Jay, Cole and I will stay to inform the police about the kidnappers, we cannot allow them to escape again –

Lloyd wanted more than anything to accompany Kai, but as the Green Ninja, he had to stay here to make sure the police arrested all of these criminals. But he knew Kai would be okay, he had to be, and Lloyd knew that his older brother was in good hands and would be even safer inside the Ship, where he would receive real medical care.

Zane and Nya very carefully helped Kai to stand up, with the little consciousness that Kai had, he tried to walk just as his sister and Zane picked him up, but walking was a challenge, it was almost torture for Kai, his legs were still in bad shape after the leader of the kidnappers hit him with the iron pipe, his body felt like lead, he could barely walk properly but luckily Zane and Nya did all the work for him by carrying him carefully to the Bounty.

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

The next few hours were confusing for Kai, obviously everything seemed almost like a dream after his sister and Zane took him out of the warehouse. He even feared it was a dream, perhaps his mind in an attempt to put him out of his suffering offered him a dream where his family found him alone to give him their consent before dying, after all, during all that torture, Kai wanted to be with his family and friends, with his sister, in his room resting in his comfortable bed without having to be subdued in that dark basement, being beaten mercilessly by the kidnappers.

But it wasn't a dream, it was all real, coming and going in his weak consciousness, Kai felt how they were putting him on the ship, the blurry voices of his friends made his head hurt more, apparently he felt very sensitive to noise after having been hit on the head many times. He felt how they laid him on the stretcher in the medical area, it seemed to be the most comfortable place in the world for Kai.

He no longer felt his body too much after Zane injected him with a sedative so he could better care for Kai's wounds without having to cause him more pain in the process, clearly his friend had already suffered enough and he didn't want to cause him more pain, Zane knew that Kai deserved a break from his pain, at least for now, since as soon as the sedative wore off he would have to face the pain in his body again, but it wouldn't hurt as much anymore.

Zane and Pixal were in charge of treating Kai's wounds, Nya did the same for them, but she only helped them by bringing the medical supplies that her seriously injured brother would require. They had to remove the top of her ninja gi to better examine the damage, it was not a pretty sight, now Nya wanted to kill all the kidnappers even more.

Kai's body was full of bruises, cuts, and dark red spots due to the obvious beating that the leader of the kidnappers gave him. Luckily, nothing seemed broken. Kai was lucky to have a strong and resilient body thanks to his training. Ninja.

Zane cleaned and bandaged every affected area on Kai, Pixal cleaned all the cuts and bruises, and Nya helped clean and cover the wounds on his brother's battered face.

- Kai was very lucky - Zane suddenly says as he bandages Kai's head. Nya helped gently remove Kai's hair so Zane could better wrap it around his head, Nya was kind enough to clean her brother's spiky hair of dirt and dried blood using her water powers.

Kai was now breathing somewhat normally, at least a little, it seemed like it still hurt him to take deep breaths, Zane examined the damage on his chest and despite not having anything fractured or broken, a lot of damage was shown in the area, the blows They must have affected his lungs and throat too much.

-Are you sure she will be okay? – Nya asks worriedly when looking at Kai's wounds in detail – Those idiots mistreated him badly, I hope the commissioner recasts them in the darkest cell of Kryptarium – Nya mentions with clear anger when imagining everything that those guys made him suffer his older brother.

-Don't worry, Nya, he'll be fine - Zane calmed her by putting a hand on his shoulder - Nothing's broken, just bruises, but they're repairable, he'll just need to rest and we'll have to take good care of his wounds -

Zane was also worried about Kai, but he knew that he would be fine, he already gave his friend the best healing process, and being a Nindroid he could give a better diagnosis, clearer and faster than any doctor in a hospital.

- Thanks, Zane –

Nya doesn't want to leave her brother's side and Zane understands that, giving her one last encouraging smile, Pixal and Zane leave the room leaving Nya to take care of Kai.

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

It took Kai only three days to fully wake up, he discovered that he was now in the medical area of the monastery after recognizing the new room. He must have assumed that he had been moved here after the others left town.

Even though his entire body still hurt, he noticed a slight numbness and must have assumed it was from Zane's special painkillers.

Thanks Zane...

Kai felt several bandages and gauze covering his body, he wasn't even wearing his ninja gi, just his cloth pants, he looked almost like a mummy, the torture turned out to be worse than he thought.

But it was obvious, the leader of the kidnappers did not treat him kindly, he literally used iron gloves and an iron pipe to beat Kai, obviously he would be in bad shape.

His head was what hurt the most...

And looking closely at the room, he could see traces of food, blankets and chairs around the room, surely the others spent the days here with him until he woke up, there were even feathers from Wu's chicken on the floor.

Did they really let the chicken in here?

Suddenly Kai heard someone enter the room.

-Kai! – Lloyd's cheerful voice brought him out of his thoughts as the young ninja ran to his side and gave him a big hug. Kai obviously complained about the pain, but he didn't care, he was happy to see his younger brother again, so he hugged her back too.

-Hello green machine... -how he missed a hug from his little brother.

- Do you feel good now? – Worried, Lloyd examined Kai's condition, and although he didn't look so bad anymore, he still had some bruises.

- Only a little… -

- Brother! -Nya suddenly interrupted as she ran to Kai's side and gave him a quick hug as well. To Kai's relief, Nya studied him frantically in case she had opened any wounds - You feel good? Does something hurt you? –

- Nya calm down, I'm fine. Sore... But good... - Kai smiles to calm his sister's nerves.

Sighing in relief as she took her seat, Nya looked at her brother – Thank God…-

- What happened? How did they find me? – Kai asked, wanting to know everything she missed about being in that place of torture.

- Nya and Pixal built a tracking device that not only tracked your Ninja suit but also your elemental energy, we made several perimeters around the city and at the docks we found a signal, we tracked the coordinates and saw that the signal sent us to a warehouse south of the docks – Lloyd explained.

- Then we saw two suspects outside in the warehouse where they were holding you and seeing them suspicious we approached and the signal intensified - Nya mentions - So we knew that you would be locked up there and we did not hesitate to enter by force. We took down all the kidnappers and their leader and when we saw you lying there on the ground and wounded... - Nya sighs as she remembers the painful memory of seeing her brother half dead on the floor of that warehouse - Well, Zane and me we went up to the Bounty to tend to your wounds and the others stayed guarding the kidnappers -

- As soon as the police arrived we explained to the commissioner that the group was responsible for the previous battle at the other docks in the city. Considering them dangerous, the Commissioner ordered them to be taken directly to the Kryptarium – Lloyd said sounding somewhat satisfied knowing that the men who had hurt Kai would never see the light of day again.

- Well... - Kai sighs knowing that the problem was solved, he can rest easy knowing that those guys wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.

-By the way... -said Lloyd as he looked at Kai-What did those guys want with you? Why were you kidnapped? – was the doubt that apparently everyone had, they were not able to obtain a confession from the kidnappers so maybe Kai would know something.

- The boys wanted to know how to get more Vengstone – says Kai.

- Vengstone? – Nya questioned, raising an eyebrow.

- Yes... - Kai says - They couldn't steal the Vengstone that they themselves had stolen so they kidnapped me when they wanted more information about the location of the Vengstone, they discovered that we have intercepted several trucks loaded with the material so they assumed that maybe We would know of a place where they could extract it –

- Wow... if they knew that we were also trying to locate the origin of the extraction - says Lloyd, thinking that several of the criminals would think that the ninjas had knowledge about the extraction of the Vengstone.

- Obviously I didn't tell them anything - Kai confirms, but shows a gloomy expression at that - But even if I knew... I wouldn't have told them anything, that clearly bothered the leader and I don't hesitate... well, to torture myself to the point of exhaustion... -

Nya and Lloyd were obviously worried about this, they had faced so many dangers that there was almost no time where one of their friends was seriously injured on several of their adventures, but this time, they almost lost Kai, all because of the information that none of them owned, if they had not arrived in time to save it...maybe it would have existed...

Dead….

Obviously no one wanted to imagine that, so they completely ignored that scenario in their heads.

The best thing would be that in each battle no one was alone so that no criminal could take them by surprise.

- You don't have to worry about that anymore, you're already home, and that's what matters - Lloyd confirms optimistically as he looks at Kai.

-And the important thing now is that you rest until you fully recover - Nya says as she gently rubs her hand on Kai's back, ignoring the fact of feeling the fabric of the numerous bandages that covered her older brother - And we will take care from you-

- Thanks for the offer sister, but I can take care of myself, I bet I'm not as bad as everyone thinks - Kai was obviously the most stubborn person anyone had ever met, and he didn't like that someone else was spoiling him like a baby.

"Don't even think about it, you're not going to escape this time, Kai," Nya responds with motherly authority as she looks directly into Kai's eyes. "You can barely get up, you obviously need our help and I don't I don't want to hear you complain that you're going to do something yourself only these days, you understand? – that fierce look was impossible to ignore.

-S-Sure – Kai agrees, although with some fear when seeing the protective fierceness of his younger sister, it is worse than his own. Devils…

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

The days passed and Kai was on the road to recovery.

Obviously the first few days were difficult for Kai, since if he wanted to get out of bed he would need the help of one or two people. Zane had informed him that the severe blows to the head had severely affected his body, he could barely get up alone, in addition, his back hurt too much, he was confined to bed for several days and he only got out of bed with help of someone if it was not to go to the bathroom or take a shower, obviously Cole and Zane helped him a lot in be his personal crutches but Kai had no choice, everyone seemed like mother hens around him.

He didn't mind being pampered by his family, he hardly ever gets this kind of attention since Kai is supposed to provide them comfort. But it seems that now things were the other way around.

When he was feeling better, Kai hardly needed anyone's help to stay upright, of course he held on to the walls and didn't mind having someone next to him in case he fell to the ground.

Jay bothered him because he looked like a baby taking his first steps, but Kai swore that as soon as he got better, he would make Jay suffer in training.

For the moment, Kai was glad that he had endured the difficult event and that he was now home with his family, and that was all that mattered.

[manilaxmiindustrial]

Carbon Pipe Fittings : Astm A234 WPB Pipe Fittings Manufacturers

Introduction:

ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings, also known as carbon steel pipe fittings, have largely become standard parts in many industries. The fitting elements will be used to adapt straight pipe or tubing sections, to maintain different size or shape, and to control the rate of flow of liquids.

Always resistant to strength and versatile, ASTM A234 WPB fittings play a critical role in industries dealing with oil, gas, petrochemicals, and power generation.

What are ASTM A234 WPB Pipe Fittings?

They are used to connect pipes in shapes such as elbows, tees, reducers, and caps. The prime factors that make the use of these fittings highly prevalent are their excellent mechanical properties, like high tensile strength and resistance to corrosion. They are very important in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of piping systems across industries.

Manilaxmi Industrial also supplies Carbon ASTM Pipe Fittings around the globe.

Real-Time Advancements in Industries

Ranging from new manufacturing technologies and materials science to improved performance and reliability, these fittings have carved out a niche in use. Applications of the ASTM A234 WPB carbon steel pipe fitting have greatly improved in the industrial sector.For example, refined heat treatment processes leave behind fittings that are easier to manipulate and work under higher pressure and temperature conditions.

Besides, numerous coating and lining innovations provide improved corrosion resistance and give extended life expectancy.

Manilaxmi Industrial the Indian manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters have been among the most active adopters of these developments to ensure that the country is retained as a main supplier of quality pipe fittings in the global market.

Technology and Need in Various Countries

Demands for ASTM A234 WPB carbon steel pipe fittings are ever-increasing in the global scenario. This demand has been hastened further by the requirement of strong, efficient piping systems in the developing countries and renovated or rejuvenated ones in the developed nations.

Such as setting up power plants and oil refineries. In contrast, developed nations always require update works and servicing of already existing facilities. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology in the manufacturing process, these fittings comply with strict standards that make them very important and cardinal for maintaining efficiency and safety during industrial operations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ASTM A234 WPB pipe fittings are the most essential material in the industrial market, possessing qualities of high durability, adaptability, and tolerance toward extreme situations. With relentless development in the manufacturing technologies, further improvements are made in their performances, making them trustworthy for different applications.

[tarnishedinquirer]

Person of Interest: Godrick "The Grafted/Golden" (DECEASED)

Name: Godrick Alias/Title: "The Grafted/Golden" Race: Demigod Gender: Male Occupation: Lord of Stormveil Deceased Affiliation: Malenia (former)?, Lord of Blood (current)?, Carian Mastermind? Godskin apostles? Notes:

Likely responsible for creation of Grafted Scion

Some sources reference him as "The Golden." Perhaps a fall from grace? Fell so hard he left a crater.

Varré calls him "decrepit"

Kenneth Haight calls him a "jumped-up country bumpkin."

Hid himself among the womenfolk to escape the capital

Hid in his a previously abandoned castle from Radahn.

Insulted Malenia, then licked her boots.

Sounds like he was allied with Malenia at some point before he insulted her.

Allowed a Lord of Blood follower to take Kenneth Haight's fort. Has very little control over his soldiers. Numerous turncoats and false flags in their ranks.

Last of the Golden Lineage, descended from Godfrey.

Dubious legitimacy?

Why did he flee the capital?

How did he insult Malenia?

Stormveil was abandoned before he took up residence there.

May have association with Godskins—inspiration for grafting?

Weapons are found throughout the land. Possible arms supplier for the Shattering War.

Replaced previous emblems of Stormveil with the Tree-And-Beast. Both tree and beast are found in his castle.

Might have a dragon corpse in the castle. Confirmed.

Uses Banished Knights and Exiled Soldiers as castle guards. No loyalty to him personally, but sworn to protect the castle.

Stole numerous treasures from the capital, including mimic veil.

What else?

Has very few allies and makes enemies easily.

visage beneath the castle has connection to Godwyn.

Tried to repair the castle and outfit it with golden fittings, but the curse meant that fell to naught.

Considered himself a kin to dragons—Godwyn's consort a dragon?

Axe combines symbols of Godfrey, the beast regent, and the nameless revenger.

Grafted a dragon's head to his arm during our fight. Nothing much to say here, but I was impressed.

Gostock had especial hatred of him going beyond that of an abused servant. Probably an even less legitimate heir.

Conclusion: A terrible ruler on every level. Self-obsessed and cowardly. Grasping for legitimacy and failing to prove it. Commands no loyalty from his men, makes no allies among his peers. Decrepit without his grafting, monstrous with it. Yet someone still has enough respect to call him "golden," even as they erected a monument to his humiliation.

Who erected the sword monument?

[cryingpariah]

Whenever Jackie isn't in the mood to deal with Morgans's shit, she scatters a giant bag of popcorn on the floor and he drops everything to peck at it for at least thirty minutes.

You do what you have to to get a moment's peace at the World Economic Journal.

ASDFGHJKL Oh most definitely 😈

Only when he’s being particularly annoying, sending her off on numerous deliveries and schmoozing sessions without rest makes her resort to such a petty option.

“Jackie! I need to send a notice to our ink supplier in Saboady about our restock, then head over to Germa Kingdom to get approval for our next publication of Sora of the Sea, after which you need to-“

*cue jumbo red and white striped box of popcorn majestically soaring through the air, perfectly popped kernels falling as if in slow motion*

By the time Morgan finishes with his impromptu snack break Jackie is already in a deep sleep on a nearby couch with a thoughtfully written [Wake up at your own risk] sign on the end table next to her.

He scoffs dramatically but still covers her with a blanket, half out of concern for pushing his the kid too far and half because waking her up on anything less than 6 hours of sleep results in him being the next thing tossed.

[polyglotportal]

Polyglot: The Advantages of Being Multilingual

Being able to speak multiple languages is a desirable skill in today's interconnected world. In fact, it is so valuable that people who are fluent in more than one language are referred to as "polyglots." Being a polyglot has a multitude of advantages that go beyond just the ability to communicate with people from different parts of the world. Here are some benefits of being multilingual.

Increased Cultural Awareness

One of the most significant advantages of being multilingual is increased cultural awareness. When you learn a new language, you also learn about its culture, history, and customs. Being able to understand and appreciate different cultures is essential in today's globalized society. It helps to break down cultural barriers and promotes mutual respect and understanding.

Improved Career Prospects

Being fluent in multiple languages can give you a competitive advantage in the job market. Businesses are increasingly looking for employees who can speak multiple languages to communicate with clients, partners, and suppliers from different countries. Even if your job doesn't require international communication, being multilingual can make you a more versatile and valuable employee.

Better Brain Functioning

Learning a new language helps improve brain function, memory, and concentration. Studies have shown that being bilingual can improve cognitive abilities and reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Being multilingual also helps you switch between tasks more easily and provides a broader perspective on problem-solving.

Travel Opportunities

Speaking multiple languages can open up a whole world of travel opportunities. Being able to communicate with locals in their language can make your travel experiences more enjoyable, meaningful, and immersive. You can also discover hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path attractions that are less accessible to monolingual tourists.

Personal Enrichment

Learning a new language is a fulfilling and enriching experience in itself. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. It also allows you to appreciate the beauty and complexity of human languages and how they reflect our culture, history, and identity.

In summary, being a polyglot has numerous advantages, from increased cultural awareness and improved career prospects to better brain functioning and personal enrichment. So why not start learning a new language today and take advantage of these benefits? An excellent place to start is by finding language classes or online resources that are tailored to your interests and needs. With dedication, patience, and practice, you too can become a multilingual speaker and reap the benefits of multi linguistic fluency.

[dropshipautomation]

Maximize Efficiency and Profit with Dropship Automation

In today’s fast-paced e-commerce world, managing an Automation business efficiently can be challenging. Between managing orders, customer service, inventory, and supplier relationships, it can feel overwhelming. That’s where Dropship Automation comes in transforming your business by streamlining processes, saving time, and improving profitability.

What is Dropship Automation?

Dropship automation refers to the use of software tools and systems that help automate various aspects of your Automation business. This includes inventory management, pricing updates, and even customer support. By automating these time-consuming tasks, you free up valuable time to focus on growing your business and creating a better customer experience.

Key Benefits of Dropship Automation

Time-Saving Efficiency

Running an Automation store involves multiple steps: processing orders, checking stock levels, updating product information, and more. Dropship automation tools handle these repetitive tasks for you, reducing the risk of human error and saving you hours every week. This allows you to focus on marketing, customer acquisition, and scaling your business.

Improved Accuracy and Reduced Errors

Manual processes are prone to mistakes—whether it’s entering wrong pricing, inventory mismatches, or missing a crucial order. Automation ensures that data is synchronized across all platforms, keeping your inventory levels up to date, and preventing overselling or stock outs.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Customers expect fast and reliable service. With dropship automation, orders are processed more quickly, and stock levels are updated in real-time. This results in fewer delays and stock discrepancies, leading to better customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Scaling Your Business

One of the biggest advantages of dropship automation is that it enables you to scale effortlessly. As your business grows, so do the complexities of managing orders and products. Automation tools can handle a larger volume of transactions without additional manual work, giving you the freedom to expand without worrying about operational bottlenecks.

Why Choose Dropship Automation?

Dropship Automation offers an all-in-one solution to simplify your operations and boost your business efficiency. With integrations to popular platforms like Shopify and Big Commerce, and support for numerous suppliers, it’s the perfect tool for anyone serious about running a successful Automation business.

[beardedmrbean]

According to Helsingin Sanomat, MPs are complaining about the poor workload distribution in the Parliament due to the number of committees assigned to each member.

"There are simply too many committees, or there are too few members. I belong to five committees or divisions, all of which require mandatory attendance," first-time MP Pauli Aalto-Setälä (NCP) wrote in a recent blog post.

Over the past 30 years, the number of committees in Parliament has significantly increased, leading representatives to generally serve as full members of two committees, plus alternate memberships.

Former Speaker Matti Vanhanen (Cen) told HS he hoped representatives would voice their concerns on the matter. Vanhanen tried to reform committee work during his tenure but was unsuccessful.

"The current system is completely absurd, hopping from one committee to another," he said.

Parliament members conduct legislative work in committees that typically meet on plenary session days, before the sessions begin at 2 pm.

Aalto-Setälä is a regular member of the Environment Committee and two divisions of the Finance Committee. He also is an alternate member of the Commerce Committee and the Grand Committee.

"Meetings often overlap, making it impossible to fulfil one's responsibilities properly. One, or at most two, committees would suffice for each representative," Aalto-Setälä said.

This situation is problematic when a committee needs a specific number of representatives for a quorum. During budget discussions, committee members have unusually heavy workloads.

This year, numerous budget-related legislative proposals have piled up in the Social Affairs and Health Committee, where member Ville Merinen (SDP) recently took sick leave, citing an "sick" work environment.

Vanhanen's proposal to reduce the number of required members in each committee failed due to opposition from smaller parties that would lose equal representation in the bodies.

Immigration-fuelled population growth

Just three years ago, Statistics Finland projected that the country's population would begin to decline by 2034.

However, Ilta-Sanomat reports that the agency's latest population forecast says that net immigration is sufficient to maintain Finland's population growth.

If net immigration remains at its current level, Finland's population could reach 6.5 million by 2070, according to the forecast.

Its 2024 forecast anticipates that the working-age population will increase by nearly 300,000 by 2040, peaking at around 3.84 million in the early 2050s.

Foreign meat at Kotipizza

Finland's largest pizza chain, Kotipizza, which has always emphasised its strong domestic sourcing, has made a surprising decision to include foreign meat in its offerings. Maaseudun Tulevaisuus was the first to report on the matter.

According to information on Kotipizza's website, the meat used in its products is no longer 100 percent domestically sourced. In November, the chain will introduce a new pizza featuring nduja sausage produced by a Danish meat producer, with meat sourced from Denmark, Germany and Poland.

Kotipizza said its decision stems from the chance to participate in international ingredient sourcing tenders through its parent company, the Norwegian Orkla Group, which acquired the chain in 2019.

According to the paper, Kotipizza may increase its use of foreign meat as it is currently tendering for chicken, salami, pepperoni, ham and bacon, with both domestic and international suppliers involved in the procurement process.

"In recent years, inflation and cost pressures in particular have affected how we can simultaneously ensure reasonable prices for our products and the profitability of our restaurant operators," Kotipizza said on its website.

[digitaldetoxworld]

How To Start Drop Servicing For Free with No Upfront Costs

How To Start  Drop Servicing For Free, regularly described as the digital version of a provider-based total enterprise, is a commercial enterprise model where you act as the middleman between customers and service providers. In this version, you sell a provider to a customer, but as opposed to pleasurable the provider yourself, you outsource the work to a third-party issuer. The middle concept is easy: you fee the patron more than what you pay the issuer, and the distinction is your profit. While the idea appears straightforward, successful drop servicing calls for strategic making plans, market expertise, and powerful management of relationships with each client and carrier company. This manual will delve into every factor of drop servicing, such as how it works, its blessings, capacity-demanding situations, and a way to get started.

What is Drop Servicing?

Drop servicing is a commercial enterprise version that closely mirrors dropshipping however focuses on offerings in place of physical products. In dropshipping, you promote merchandise and then have a supplier ship them directly to the purchaser, without coping with the product yourself. Drop servicing follows the identical good judgment, however, in preference to delivery products, you’re outsourcing offerings.

For example, you would possibly run a digital advertising employer, selling offerings like image layout, SEO, or content material writing. Instead of hiring a complete team to carry out these offerings, you hire freelancers or groups to do the work for you. You act as the "middleman," managing patron relationships and making sure the provider is delivered according to the patron's needs.

How to Drop Servicing Works

Here’s a breakdown of the drop servicing system:

Find Clients 

The first step is to find customers who need the provider you’re presenting. This will be something from net layout, content writing, and video editing, to even criminal or consulting services. Your marketplace and promote your provider as though you’ll be the only one supplying it at once.

Take Orders 

Once a client orders your provider, you get hold of the fee and particular commands on what they want. It’s your process to control expectations, clarify deliverables, and communicate timelines.

Outsource the Work 

Instead of completing the carrier yourself, you locate a 3rd-birthday celebration carrier provider to meet the order. This will be a personal freelancer or a business enterprise that specializes within the career the purchaser wishes. You send them the info and pay them a part of what the client has already paid you.

Deliver the Work to the Client 

After the carrier issuer completes the work, you assess it to make sure satisfactory. You then deliver the final services or products to the patron underneath your brand. The consumer sees you as the carrier provider, even though someone else did the real work.

 Keep the Profit 

The income margin is the distinction between what the customer paid you and what you paid the carrier issuer. Ideally, this margin is sizable enough to make the enterprise profitable.

 Benefits of Drop Servicing

The drop servicing model offers numerous blessings for marketers, especially people who need to construct a commercial enterprise with restricted in advance costs and minimal information in a particular discipline.

 Low Start-up Costs

One of the number one advantages of drop servicing is that you don’t need to spend money on growing a product or hiring a crew of professionals. Since you are outsourcing the paintings, your preliminary funding is confined to advertising and probably setting up an internet site. With the abundance of online freelancers, it’s fantastically clean to find low-priced carrier carriers, which maintain your begin-up fees low.

 No Need for Expertise

In drop servicing, you don’t need to be a professional within the provider you are selling. Your foremost function is to manage the patron courting and make sure that the work is achieved successfully and on time. You can outsource rather technical or specialized services with the need to have the talents yourself. This opens the door to a wide range of industries and markets.

 Scalability

Because you’re no longer the one doing the paintings, drop servicing is especially scalable. As your purchaser base grows, you may definitely outsource extra paintings, lease extra service vendors, and make bigger into new services. The more green you become at dealing with tasks and vendors, the less complicated it'll be to scale your business without being bogged down by using real provider shipping.

Flexibility

Drop servicing offers a excessive stage of flexibleness. Since you’re handling provider providers rather than without delay providing the provider, you could run your enterprise from everywhere in the world. This model lends itself nicely to the "virtual nomad" lifestyle, so long as you have get entry to to the internet and accurate conversation gear.  Minimal Inventory Risks

Unlike traditional groups or dropshipping wherein you cope with stock, inventory issues, or shipping, drop servicing gets rid of those issues. You're selling services, so there’s no need to fear about physical merchandise, garage, or logistics.

 Challenges of Drop Servicing

While drop servicing has many advantages, it’s now not without challenges. Understanding these barriers is fundamental to building a sustainable commercial enterprise. Quality Control

Since you’re outsourcing paintings to a 3rd party, preserving extremely good standards may be hard. If the provider issuer promises subpar paintings, it reflects poorly on your enterprise, even if you didn’t at once create it. You’ll need to invest time in locating reliable freelancers or businesses and make certain they can always meet your expectations. Client Management

Handling purchaser expectations, revisions, and conversations may be challenging. Clients can also have particular demands or expectations that don’t usually align with the carrier provider’s abilities. It’s up to you to bridge that gap, making sure each side is happy without straining your time or resources.  Profit Margins

Depending on the carrier you are offering, earnings margins can range greatly. Some markets are more aggressive, which means that you will want to stabilize pricing to stay attractive to customers while nevertheless paying your service companies. Finding the proper balance between value, nice, and rate can be elaborate, particularly when managing worldwide freelancers.  Competition

Drop servicing has received recognition, which means more competition in certain niches. To stand out, you’ll want to be recognized on niche markets, construct a sturdy emblem, or provide specific selling factors that differentiate you from others. Competition additionally drives down costs, probably reducing your earnings margins.

Steps to Get Started with Drop Servicing

If you are thinking about beginning a drop servicing enterprise, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get going: Choose a Service to Offer

The first step is to determine at the carrier you need to offer. Popular drop servicing niches consist of image design, social media management, search engine optimization offerings, net improvement, copywriting, and video modification. When deciding on your niche, keep in mind the demand for the carrier, your target market, and the way easily you could find dependable freelancers to satisfy the paintings. Identify Your Target Market

Once you've selected a provider, pick out your best customer. This might be small businesses, startups, or even individuals seeking out precise offerings. Understanding your target marketplace’s wishes, pain points, and finances is essential for advertising and marketing your services efficiently. Find Reliable Service Providers

Research and vet carrier providers carefully. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com are top-notch places to begin. Look for companies with advantageous evaluations, robust portfolios, and affordable prices. Establish clear communication channels and set expectations from the start to make certain easy operations. Set Your Pricing

Determine your pricing model by factoring in how a lot you’ll pay the provider provider and what kind of you need to rate your customers. Consider your overhead expenses, marketing prices, and favored income margins. Keep in mind that your pricing has to mirror the price you’re handing over, so ensure it’s aggressive without undercutting the first-class.

 Build a Website and Market Your Services

Having an expert website is crucial for showcasing your offerings and building belief with potential clients. Your internet site needs to without a doubt define the services you provide, pricing, testimonials, and a portfolio of labor (if available). 

Deliver Exceptional Client Experience

To reach drop servicing, focus on turning in an excellent consumer experience. This consists of clean conversation, assembly time limits, and ensuring the very last product meets or exceeds expectancies. Happy customers are more likely to go back for repeat commercial enterprise and refer others for your offerings.