#private utility locating companies

[apexlocatingservices]

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[yanderes-galore]

may i request a yandere concept for leon kennedy but in dbd?

Honestly he probably isn't much different but sure!

Yandere! DBD! Leon Kennedy Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Dubious companionship, Paranoia, Manipulation, Implied stalking, Guilt tripping, Jealousy, Possessive behavior, Brief violence mention.

The canon Leon that's sent to the Entity's Realm in DBD is RE2! Leon.

Which means the Leon darling will encounter in their trials would be the much more naive rookie cop Leon.

Think about it, the poor man's all confused.

First he was running from the undead and Mr. X, now he's in a world of fog and darkness with all sorts of threats.

He's nearly defenseless, too.

For the most part Leon is his typical RE2 yandere behavior.

He's an overprotective, clingy, puppy-like yandere towards his darling.

Despite being stripped of his defenses he still feels like he has a duty to defend those he cares about.

Leon could've been dragged into the realm with a darling he already knew or meet his darling later on in the realm.

Either way he never leaves them out of his sight for long.

The moment Leon connects with you as a teammate over that campfire, you probably aren't getting rid of him.

Which starts as a good thing.

Having an ally in this realm is a good thing to have, it creates a certain synergy during trials that makes your fears quiet down.

Leon is a pleasant guy to be around.

He's nervous but he makes an effort to be light-hearted around you while also taking in what's going on.

He quickly adapts to fixing generators in different locations, often helping you out with them too.

He expertly utilizes his flashbang perk to save his teammates and is overall a good teammate to have.

Even more so, Leon is a good friend.

His presence is good to be around and he quickly takes a liking to you when you meet.

Leon is a survivor who can quickly adapt despite how nervous and naive he acts at first.

He's Protective, Manipulative, Clingy, Obsessive, and is still kinda Flirty like his RE4 version but he is more Shy as his RE2 version.

Survivors are limited on how they can defend themselves in the Entity's Realm but Leon would still manage to be protective.

Leon would follow his darling around in trials.

Usually it's good to stay separate in the start to get more generators down, but Leon prefers to follow you like a partner.

Even if you gave Leon an order he prefers to stick around and slowly follow you.

As I said before, Leon is very puppy-like with his obsession in RE2.

He's never far from you and us protective of you like some sort of guard dog.

Killers can barely get their claws on you without Leon chasing after them to divert their attention.

If you ever tried to scold Leon on his behavior, then he guilt trips you.

RE2 is more likely to guilt trip you than his other counterparts, especially in this situation.

If you don't want him helping you... then what if you get hurt?

He'd be devastated if you failed a trial because of him.

Why don't you want him around?

Do you not like him?

Are you no longer close?

Leon just manages to make you regret turning him down which makes it hard for you to say no.

Leon just seems to know how to make you listen to him by pulling at your emotions.

He gets smug about it in private.

Leon is less confident about flirting if he does it to you in the realm, but he tries.

Leon just wants to keep your spirit up and make you happy despite being trapped in the realm.

He always looks out for you even if you hate it.

The issue is Leon doesn't give you a chance to be alone or even allows you to have other company.

You could try to tell him another survivor will look after you in a trial or you're fine alone... but Leon doesn't like that.

If it isn't him looking after you he just loses it.

I don't think RE2 Leon is that violent but he would get into arguments with other survivors.

It's hard to say if Leon is scared of being left alone or is scared of you being alone.

He isn't very clear with that as he acts so upset either way.

Other survivors wonder what's gotten into Leon when he suddenly snaps and yells at them if they are near you or mention you.

Leon is a very obsessive and clingy yandere even in the realm of the Entity.

Although, if we go with the theory that the Entity could influence yandere behavior then he may just be worse.

Maybe if his obsession continues... he will use violence.

Survivors can't truly stay dead in this realm, but Leon's new violent tendencies caused by the Entity would isolate both you and him.

Which may be what Leon wants in the end.

No one wants to be subjected to his bloody violence, be it simply a fist fight or something worse.

As a result... survivors don't help you when Leon gets too clingy.

Leon's your problem when he gets violent due to the realm...

You're stuck with him forever as the Entity sits back and watches your suffering.

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 05

PREVIOUS

It might be objectively funnier if no one knows Fluent Freshman’s first name (even me because there’s some funny ideas but nothing as funny as “UNKNOWN” Smith) aside from Wymack.

Even the announcers just refer to him by his last name (maybe his first name is very foreign and hard to pronounce, maybe that’s why he got into foreign languages, maybe it’s so bland that the announcers just can’t his full name without yawning, maybe it’s just that someone else on the Foxes has the same first name so there’d be confusion, who knows) This only occasionally creates confusion because the Terrapins and the Ravens both have someone with the same last name as him.

Either way after one-two hit confidence crushing combo of the CVS girl knowing he has tummy trouble and the conversation with Neil where Neil asks about his stomach ulcers FF utilizes all of his years of learned behavior to fully fade into the background. Wallflower? No man I’m Wallpaper you cannot see me.” This has unintended consequences.

1. He has become undetectable which means that he is now, once again, hearing all sorts of relationship talk but now it’s not just between Captain Neil and Andrew Minyard and their surprisingly soft private life.

He is subjected to Nicky gushing to Erik in German. He has to listen to Kevin talk to someone named Jean in French (he only finds out later that they’re NOT dating but it sounds like date talk...though most of his experience is listening to Captain Neil and Andrew Minyard loving say they hate one another so maybe he has a bad pool of knowledge.) Matt, Aaron, Jack, and some of his other freshman players all speak in English but CHRIST he wishes it was in any language he doesn’t know. (If he hears Jack say ‘Yeah sure whatever Babe.’ one more time HE’S going to slap the asshole for being so dismissive to his girlfriend.)

2. He has become objectively better at being a defensive dealer because other teams just kind of don’t notice him and pass right to him. Kevin wants to study him on what about him makes him so adept at causing unforced errors in objectively better players. Fluent Freshman, having been yelled at by Kevin more than once, takes the moment Kevin’s eyes are diverted by Captain Neil saying something and just slides out of his seat into a different seat (Middle of the bus. The least noticeable section) and puts up his hoodie and pretends to sleep. (he does not. what if he drools? It’s already hard enough getting sleep in a room with two roomies. He got to campus earliest so that he could claim a top bunk so no one could see him even if heights make him nervous.)

3. Since he has become undetectable that means that Andrew Minyard and Captain Neil have a hard time detecting him. So he has not had to endure their silent judging company. He is sure that Andrew is waiting for him to slip and he’s also sure that Captain Neil thinks he’s stupid. No other freshman gets as much homework help from the Captain as he does. Still, he doesn’t have to sit in the silent knowledge that they both dislike him enough that they want him to know it. HIs ulcers are starting to get better and the girl at the CVS (He’d have to have a whole conversation to change where his prescription is filled and he’d rather die) didn’t even recognize him when he came in for a refill on his prescription or note that he was buying pepto bismol again.

HOWEVER

This means that Neil has come back with slumped shoulders and uneaten snacks the last five times he’s gone for his usual hangout. They are never planned hangouts it’s just that FF is always in the same 3 locations because there are only so many spots on campus where your back is completely secured and that weren’t so intimidating to go into (The library is terrifying. What if he sneezes???) and for the last two weeks Andrew has been unable to find FF outside of practice either.

(It has to be stated that FF is in the EXACT same spots as before but he is in stealth mode and therefore only visible if you are a mantis shrimp.)

Andrew Minyard does NOT like this. FF is THE singular tolerable teammate. Andrew likes the decompression time  he gets when him and FF sit in quiet and do their own things. FF never asks for his attention but occasionally offers him good german literature recommendations for every stage of literacy ever since Andrew had mentioned wanting to get better at the written language so he wouldn’t have to rely on Neil or Nicky when the Monsters vacationed there next summer. He doesn’t call people friend easily but FF is a friend.

So it’s incredibly irritating that for the last two weeks he’s been completely unable to grab that friend and ask what the hell is going on. The Foxes have histories and it wouldn’t be the first time a Freshman’s past caught up with them or that one of them had something set them back into old survival habits. It’d happened with Matt, it’d happened with Aaron and Andrew, it for SURE happened with Neil, Sheena’s coping mechanisms had been the bane of Andrew’s existence the year before, some of the other freshman had setbacks this year and a few players over the years have had to leave due to the very circumstances that gave them a home with the Foxes. Andrew had never really cared as long as his people were fine.

It’s just that Andrew actually kind of cares about this Freshman, he considers him as someone who could be one of his people.

Which is why Andrew will keep stalking the campus around FF’s preferred haunts until he grabs him.

Andrew catches him outside of stealth mode (He had been using a urinal that is NOT where you don’t want people to notice you) and grabs him by the scruff. “We’re taking a drive.” he says and FF just sort of goes limp and lets himself be dragged off.

He hopes that he can write his grandma a letter telling her how much her love and care over the years meant to him before Andrew kills him. He’d even take if Andrew would only let him write it in his own blood.

NEXT

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings, @blep-23

[canmom]

very brief torrent security primer

some brief comments on piracy safety for @goblin-thembo who has been asking a lot of questions in the notes of that post...

OK, so when you download a torrent, you are downloading some files. The BitTorrent protocol makes it almost impossible to substitute a different file than the one you request, but you have no way to be absolutely certain that the original file is 'safe' - that depends on the properties of the file, and what you do with it. Some types of file are safer than others.

Here's some jargon you may find useful.

torrent: a file that describes how to download some files through the BitTorrent protocol. we won't go into the technicalities, but when you load a torrent into your torrent client, you will connect to other people who have parts of the files, download the pieces, and reassemble the files you want.

seeding: providing a copy of the files in a torrent to other people.

ISP: Internet Service Provider, the company that connects you to the internet.

IP address: your computer's identity on a network, notably the public internet. When you connect to a website, they know your IP address. Your IP address is assigned by your ISP.

From an IP address, you can determine someone's broad geographical location (which country they're connected in) and which ISP they are using. You can contact the ISP, who will be able to associate it with a specific user.

swarm: the collection of users downloading or seeding a particular torrent.

VPN: Virtual Private Network, a relay service which hides your IP address from the public internet. People who connect to you will see the VPN's IP instead of your real IP. Your ISP will be able to know that you connected to a VPN, but not what you send through it. So they wouldn't be able to tell if you are using BitTorrent. VPNs usually cost a fairly small amount of money as a subscription service.

Threat model

In security we talk about a 'threat model', which is what you think you need to protect yourself from. There are two major threats when downloading files using BitTorrent.

copyright claims: your computer's IP is broadcast when you use BitTorrent. Copyright holders will often put 'sniffers' on the network which will monitor the IPs in the swarm of popular torrents. They will then send a takedown letter to your internet service provider (ISP), who will usually send you an email to stop sharing copyrighted media on their network, and then cut off your internet on multiple offences. This can easily be circumvented using a VPN. I strongly recommend using a VPN if you download any copyrighted content through BitTorrent.

attacks through the file you download: someone might upload a virus as a torrent, presenting it as a file you might be looking for (e.g. cracked software). So let's go over different types of file you might download and how they could be used to attack you.

Executable files, such as pirated software, are not safe. If you download a program and run it, you are potentially giving the author full control over your computer. So you should make damn sure the uploader is trustworthy. If you're downloading open source software from the maintainer's github release page, you're probably good. If you're downloading cracked art programs or games... good luck lol.

On a public torrent tracker, to which anyone can upload, there is no guarantee that any file is what anyone says. You have to make your own determination of which uploaders are trustworthy. I can't give you great advice on this, since I generally do not download cracked executables. For games, FitGirl Repacks is generally a pretty good source.

If you are on Windows, the default Windows Defender software should be used to scan any file you download. (Paid antivirus software is of somewhat dubious utility, often pushing ads and using CPU resources in its own right.) Fewer attackers will target desktop Linux or OSX, which doesn't mean you're guaranteed safe, but Windows is the biggest target as the most widely used operating system.

Videos, music and images are generally safe. I say 'generally' because it's possible, in theory, to create a video that exploits a vulnerability in your video player (e.g. mpv or VLC) and uses it to execute code. So far as I know this is largely theoretical, and known vulns have been patched, but make sure to keep your player up to date to mitigate against known vulnerabilities.

Any compressed archives (zip, rar, 7zip) can be used to create something called a 'zip bomb', which is a file which goes into an infinite loop when you try to decompress it, swallowing up more and more memory and hard drive space. I've never seen this actually be done, but it's possible. More subtle attacks would attempt to attack the program you use to decompress the file. Keep your software up to date to mitigate against known vulnerabilities.

Besides taking care about what you download, on Windows you should either not run your main account as an admin account, or make sure to set User Account Control to require a credentials check for admin operations, and also keep your operating system and software up to date. Make sure file extensions are visible so you don't get fooled by a file disguised as a different file type. And y'know, if the torrent tracker has comments, check to see if a lot of people are saying it's a virus.

What could happen if your computer gets infected? Well, they might use your computer to mine crypto at the cost of your CPU performance, they might encrypt and ransom your files, and they might steal your credentials for online services (including banking and the like). There are various measures you can take against this, such as making sure to encrypt sensitive data such as passwords, but the best defense is to not infect your computer in the first place.

The most likely time for people to upload viruses is when something is in high demand and there isn't a single authoritative high-quality source out yet.

Ultimately you get to decide what you consider an acceptable level of risk. There is no such thing as perfect safety. I would recommend using your own initiative to learn about computer security and not badger random tumblr users to explain it to you, but hopefully the above guidelines should help you avoid doing anything too dangerous.

[vendettaspathfanfic]

Chapter Nine

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter is where the more full-on action gore begins. It also contains mentions (not depictions or descriptions) of suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

(Chapter Index)

(Previous)

(Next)

As previously mentioned, Moebius found itself in the throes of an environmental crisis. Despite the lack of government support for initiatives to address the crisis, various efforts were being made. One prominent player in these efforts was BioSphere Reclamation Inc., a widely recognized private company. Individuals utilizing their services could opt to pay a one-time or monthly fee, with the funds allocated to projects aimed at cleaning up selected neighborhoods in various cities. Typically, affluent neighborhoods received more attention compared to lower-income areas.

Upon accumulating sufficient funds for a specific location, BioSphere would dispatch teams of cleaners to tackle issues such as litter, graffiti, and general uncleanliness, while also nurturing green spaces within the area.

While such companies tended to benefit the affluent more than others, there were more charitable alternatives available. Dr. Kintobor’s SWEEPbot service, for instance, operated on a non-profit, cost-effective model, albeit facing significant challenges in the battle to preserve a deteriorating planet. Nonetheless, Dr. Kintobor’s efforts played a pivotal role in establishing natural reserves like the Moebian Grand Forest.

Surrounded by a scarcity of thriving nature, McKenna often found herself pondering the potential location of a place she faintly remembered, a place teeming with lush greenery and beauty. However, her recollection of the time before she was adopted was shrouded in a dense fog, impervious to restoration despite her adopted mother's earnest attempts.

That’s what her mother told her anyways.

Over the span of the last decade, Dr. Versipelle had been her mother, providing her sustenance, conducting lab tests, dressing her, subjecting her to body modifications, empowering her, sequestering her, showing her affection, and terrifying her. Following a disturbing incident where McKenna was ordered to taste the blood of a dead man and experience the echoes of his tragic demise through the residual energy in the sample, Her mother tenderly tucked her into bed and recited poetry to soothe her. After undergoing unwelcome surgeries that involved the modification or replacement of various parts of her body, McKenna would be beautifully serenaded on the piano. And following instances where she pushed her magical abilities to their limits, causing her nerves to feel as though they were ablaze, Dr. Versipelle would join her for tea in the greenhouse.

Now, McKenna found herself alone in the greenhouse, awaiting to be called in for a forthcoming surgery intended to adjust her brain and replace her eyes once more, enabling her to perceive visions with utmost clarity. Despite her disappointment about this—having been assured last year that her third-eye abilities had reached their peak—her mother explained that a new threat had emerged, compelling them to leave no stone unturned in service of the Suppression Squad and the greater good, a mission that encompassed both of their fates.

She reproached herself for her surprise at the revelation. As her mother often emphasized, the realm of science and technology was in a perpetual state of advancement. If it were true that progress knew no bounds as aforementioned, there would always be opportunities for further modifications, experiments, training, and pain.

Yet in that moment, all McKenna yearned for was to immerse herself in nature, even if it only manifested within the confines of a softly illuminated greenhouse. From the earthy soil to the delicate petals, the environment felt like a sanctuary to her—a place that resonated with a sense of belonging. Her thoughts drifted to the forest of her distant recollections, envisioning the sensation of grass beneath her feet, the gentle rustle of wind through the trees, and the harmonious melody of a flowing river. She held onto the determination that one day, she would somehow relive these mysterious yet beautiful memories.

Sitting on the edge of a concrete planter box brimming with a bed of roses, McKenna delicately inserted her finger into the soil. With closed eyes, she concentrated intently and took a deep breath, causing her finger to emit a soft glow beneath the dirt, illuminating the surrounding soil. Upon withdrawing her finger, a small yet beautiful daisy bloomed within the spot that had shimmered moments before.

"Hello, little friend," McKenna murmured tenderly, stepping down from the planter box and kneeling in front of the freshly sprouted daisy, viewing it at eye level. "I know you're amidst roses instead of daisies, but there are no daisy beds here. The roses are quite lovely too, however," she remarked softly, extending her hand to caress the velvety petal of one of the roses.

"McKenna, to whom were you speaking?"

Startled, McKenna swiftly turned towards her mother and rose to her feet with her eyes widened. "Nobody, mother," she replied meekly.

"You act as though you've been caught in a transgression," Stellaria remarked slowly, approaching her daughter with a scrutinizing gaze, her hands concealed behind her back.

"I was just looking at the flowers..." McKenna stammered, her fingers twiddling nervously while her arms remained rigidly at her sides.

"Maintain eye contact," Stellaria commanded sharply, causing McKenna to swiftly meet her mother's gaze, which was swiftly followed by a pleased smile before Stellaria redirected her attention to the flowers. "Did you plant that daisy there?"

Aware that she couldn't deceive her mother, given Stellaria's unparalleled understanding of psychology and ability to detect when someone lies; McKenna hesitated before responding, her trembling fingers betraying her nerves. "The gardeners still haven't planted the daisies that you requested for me, mother. It's just a small one," she explained.

"It's an eyesore. It doesn't belong there," Stellaria remarked icily, pointing at the flower. "Pluck it."

With a crestfallen expression, McKenna knelt down slowly and plucked the daisy from the flower bed. She knew she could preserve it in a glass of water for a brief period, but the little daisy would be deprived of the company of other flowers. Despite the dissimilarities between the daisy and the surrounding flowers, McKenna couldn't help but feel a sense of remorse that the lone flower couldn't flourish within a populous garden setting.

"I would have preferred a more mature attitude from you, McKenna," Stellaria remarked, her eyes narrowing as she fixed her daughter with a stern gaze. "You do trust my judgment over a silly flower, don't you?"

"Of course, mother," McKenna replied softly, shaping her expression into a neutral mask.

"Good. It's time for your surgery. Follow me," Stellaria announced, turning on her heel and gesturing for McKenna to accompany her.

"Mother..." McKenna began tentatively, her voice trembling as she sought to decipher her mother's inscrutable expression. "I've been thinking... perhaps if I focused on meditation more, I could enhance my ability to see visions clearly without undergoing surgery."

Glaring at McKenna with icy contempt, Stellaria crossed her arms. "Let me pose a question to you, McKenna. Do you believe that any of my actions are motivated by malice towards you?"

Taken aback, McKenna gasped, raising her hands defensively and shaking her head quickly. "No! I was just—"

"Do you think I act impulsively? How little faith do you have in me, really? Every decision I make is the culmination of generations of research and my unwavering love for you. What causes you to doubt my reasoning, McKenna?" Stellaria hissed, looming over McKenna with a look of disdain.

"Nothing, mother!" McKenna protested, tears welling up in her eyes as she bowed her head in shame.

"Nothing makes you doubt me?" Stellaria growled, seizing McKenna's chin to force her to meet her gaze.

"No! I trust you! I swear! I just didn't want to endure more pain!" McKenna whimpered, her tearful eyes pleading with her mother's intense blood-orange gaze.

"Well," Stellaria remarked, releasing her grip on McKenna's chin, "I take no pleasure in your suffering, but time is of the essence, and we require unwavering precision when it comes to your abilities. On that note, your other cybernetics will be undergoing upgrades. But, you know I always strive to minimize your discomfort and ensure a swift recovery."

"Of course, mother..." McKenna whimpered as she struggled to maintain a facade of composure.

With a warm smile, Stellaria tenderly caressed McKenna's cheek. "Let's put this little tiff behind us. You're a smart girl, and I trust you realize that my intentions are always guided by what I believe is best for you."

"I do, mother. I apologize for offending you," McKenna replied softly, leaning into her mother's gentle touch.

"I forgive you, my dear. Now, let's proceed," Stellaria said, taking McKenna's hand and guiding her to the medical bay to prepare for the upcoming surgery.

Obediently, she decontaminated herself, underwent the pre-operative testing, and resigned herself to yet another in a long series of medical procedures. What could she have done otherwise? Each time she attempted to assert herself, her mother would effortlessly counter her arguments. Every tear she shed only seemed to elicit further disapproval. Progress seemed futile as for every step forward she took, she found herself stumbling two steps back.

Her existence felt like it was predetermined, with her own identity beyond her control.

Upon waking, she found herself back in her room, her body engulfed in a searing sensation despite the effects of the painkillers she had been given, a recurring postoperative discomfort she had grown accustomed to. She knew that with her mother's advanced technology and her own modified flesh, any visible traces of the surgery would soon fade, but she knew this wouldn’t be her last procedure and the vicious cycle would repeat itself.

Forevermore.

As she glanced to her side, she noticed a vial of pills, her water bottle, and a bouquet of daisies in a crystal vase left by her mother, accompanied by a note expressing her good wishes.

Unable to do much more than endure the agony in her bed, McKenna closed her eyes and wept silently.

McKenna's experience, although extreme, was not unique in the realm of those who endured suffering to win a parent's approval. Years ago, a young boy who once called himself Sonic found himself thrust into the role of the caretaker for his family. Following the loss of his father's position at the Royal Court, they were forced to sell their opulent home and lay off the household staff that accompanied it. At just eleven years old, Sonic found himself responsible for cleaning their much more modest lower class home, preparing meals for himself and his parents, and tending to the needs of the new baby.

On a particularly challenging day, he returned home from the grocery store, pushing the stroller that had once been his own through the doorway with one hand and clutching bags of groceries with the other. The journey had been grueling, as Tara incessantly cried despite his best efforts to soothe her, drawing looks of both pity and annoyance from passersby and leaving Sonic feeling irritated and ashamed.

"Hey mom," Sonic called out to his mother, who lay on the couch staring blankly at the television, wearing the same loungewear she had worn for days, showing little acknowledgment of his presence. "I got Tara to stop crying. I just walked her around the block for a little while once I was done at the store, and she finally got tired and fell asleep. Maybe come with us next time, and I'll show you?"

Unsurprisingly, she remained silent, blinking slowly as she paid scant attention to another news report on the failing economy.

"Let's watch something else," Scourge suggested. "I gotta put this stuff up first."

After stowing away the groceries, he tenderly settled Tara in the bassinet, shushing her gently as she began to fuss, letting out a sigh of relief as he gently coaxed her back to sleep.

"Let's check if that one funny cooking show's on," Sonic enthusiastically suggested, settling down on the couch next to his mother, deftly flicking through the channels. As he scanned for the familiar program, he stole glances from the corner of his eye, hoping for even the slightest reaction from her. His brow furrowed with concern, his focus shifting back to the screen, his thumb rapidly tapping the remote in a desperate quest to find the show that once brought them shared laughter in years past.

For nearly a year now, beginning when his mother discovered she was pregnant again, she had gradually let go of self-care, her smiles, her words, and seemed perpetually fatigued. Following their moving and her subsequently giving birth, her well-being deteriorated further, withdrawing into a state of near-perpetual recline in the living room, seldom rising except for a few essential tasks.

He knew she was sick. While she didn’t cough, vomit, or faint, she had become a mere shell of the mother who loved and held him. It was as though something parasitic lurked within her mind, sapping away the warmth and vitality that once radiated from her. Thus, she was trapped in a shattered state in which she didn’t have the strength to tell her own son she loved him.

His father's absence only compounded the family's struggles. When he was actually present, the only signs of him being in the house were the lingering scent of rum and muffled heated phone conversations about his latest financial misstep in the stock market coming from the master bedroom.

Despite the overwhelming weight of responsibility and the heaviness of his heart, Sonic continued to navigate the challenges of their strained household with a sense of unwavering determination. Each day, he carried the burden of caring for his baby sister and tending to his ailing mother, silently vowing to someday bring back the light in her eyes and hear her express pride and affection once more.

Alas, that day never arrived.

As Scourge sat on the hood of his newly-altered car in the litter-filled alley beside the orphanage, he felt as if he had just awoken from a nap; a long-expired cigarette dangling between his lips. How long had he been lost in this haze of dissociation? More importantly, why was he wasting time ruminating on the past again? It wouldn’t fix anything that happened or change who he was. Shaking off the memories that threatened to pull him deeper, he swapped the spent cigarette for a fresh one and fished his phone from his pocket, eager to blast some music to cleanse his mind of the clutter.

“Can I have one?”

His ears pinned back in irritation as Toxic’s voice sliced through the stillness of the alley.

“If you can get your own,” he sneered, casting her a glance filled with distaste as she peeked out from the front of the building. “Hang on, what’s on your face?”

“Face mask.”

“Where from?” he asked, holding the cigarette between his lips, smoke curling from his mouth with every breath he took.

“Simon.”

“Why’d he get you a mask?” He leaned forward, curiosity piqued as he shifted his weight on the hood. Simon wasn’t exactly known for being charitable, so the fact that she got a gift from him suggested he’d somehow started to warm up to her.

“So I don’t look like my, uhm, wanting picture, and I can go to places without people staring, and it helps me not pick at my cut and make it redder.” She explained, making her way over to him, grunting slightly as she climbed onto the hood beside him.

“Hey, watch the paint, short stack,” he cautioned, swearing under his breath as he offered her a steady hand to help her up, trying to keep the car's paint job intact.

“I drew on it ‘cause Flying got me markers, and we drew on my shirt, and then we drew on my shoes.” She rambled on, proudly pointing to the crude, jagged teeth sketched in white marker and the chaotic splashes of color covering her shirt and shoes.

“Flying gave you markers, huh?” Scourge replied, raising an eyebrow. “Did he sniff them at all?”

“Yeah, so?” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Oh, that means they’re the permanent kind.” He growled, staring ahead at the setting sun, taking another deep drag of his cigarette. The thought of her potentially ‘decorating’ his beloved jacket with those markers sent a wave of dread through him. “That’s super.”

“Revine had one of those one time,” she continued, “but she kept coughing and told us not to have any.”

“Mhm,” Scourge hummed aloofly, his attention waning.

“We’ll find them, right?” Toxic asked, grabbing his hand, immediately regaining his attention with the sudden, unexpected gesture that almost seemed to resemble… affection.

“Look, we’ll try, ok? No guarantees.” Scourge replied, pulling his hand away to discard his spent cigarette.

Toxic’s hopeful face fell somewhat as he pulled his hand away from hers. She turned her gaze to some graffiti on the wall of the neighboring building. “Revine’s light blue and a big kid hedgehog. Selene and Ren are little just like me, and Selene’s light green. But Ren’s not a hedgehog, he’s a red panda. Ren likes his hat.”

“Okay,” Scourge murmured dismissively, his gaze fixed ahead. Beneath his facade of boredom, he couldn’t stop thinking about what she did. He’d made it clear he expected her to at least mostly behave well, but never in a million years would he have expected her to try and hold his hand. After all, he still had healing wounds on his arms from her biting and scratching him nearly two weeks ago. Even still, he certainly didn’t give her any special treatment that could possibly warrant this.

Right?

Before he could become too lost in thought, his attention was grabbed by the little blue hedgehog sliding off the car with a little grunt and walking in front of him.

“We’re gonna be the king?” she asked, hopping in place eagerly.

“Well, I’m gonna be the king, princess,” Scourge corrected her, a faint wry smile spreading across his face. “But yeah, we’re gonna be royalty. Livin’ in the lap of luxury just like in the movies, kid.”

“Oh,” Toxic replied, her voice fluctuating slightly as she hopped back and forth over a crack in the asphalt. “What’s in a movie?”

“What do you mean?” Scourge asked, raising a brow as he lifted his sunglasses to his forehead.

“What happens in movies?”

“A lot of things can happen. Wait, have you ever watched a movie?” Scourge asked, his eyes widening in disbelief when she shook her head in response. “Shit, imagine that…”

“Can we see movies if we’re, uhm, royally?” She asked, walking closer to him with big, hopeful eyes.

“Well…” Scourge began hesitantly before sighing deeply, “I haven’t seen a movie since before I got locked up, so what the hell? There should be an old drive-in we can sneak into.”

“Are we gonna see a movie now?” Toxic asked with intense excitement, her little blue tail wagging behind her.

“Yeah. Get your butt in the car before I change my mind, kid,” Scourge said, pulling the keys from his jacket and unlocking the vehicle, which Toxic practically flew into with a squeal.

Driving through the bustling city, he glanced over at his sister, whose legs barely dangled over the edge of the passenger seat as she hummed along to a pop song on the radio. Scourge found himself lost in thought, contemplating whether this outing was truly a good idea. While he respected her to a degree and even promised to let her be the princess of Moebius, he was still undeniably annoyed by her. His manners were far from perfect, but she had a knack for picking arguments, talking his ear off, and demanding an endless amount of attention.

Scourge wasn’t above breaking deals with people, especially those he didn’t particularly like. If he put his mind to it, he could send her to live with another family instead of in the castle with him. With enough money and convincing, he could find a decent family for her. For the past couple of days, he’d been wrestling with the idea of living with her. Being only sixteen himself, he didn’t know the first thing about raising a child, let alone one as wild as her.

Toxic might renounce him as her brother for breaking his promise, and he might never see her again. But at least there’d be no uncertainty about her well-being, unlike the years they spent apart. She’d be out of his way, placed with a family instead of being stuck in a shoddy orphanage, receiving care he simply couldn’t provide.

It would be for the best.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles whitening as his jaw clenched with tension. Taking a deep nasal breath, he passed the city limits, the familiar skyline fading into the rearview mirror. For the rest of the ride, he remained silent, focused, until they arrived at the ticket booth shrouded in smoke, a strong acrid scent hanging in the air.

“What movie do you want?” asked the worker, his eyes glazed and unfocused as he leaned on the counter, blinking slowly.

“Any action movie,” Scourge replied, extending his arm out the window, cash in hand, toward the cashier, who took it slowly, peering into the dim interior of Scourge’s car.

“Wait… you look familiar,” the worker said, squinting at him with curiosity.

Shit.

Aside from the fact that he wasn't the only green hedgehog on Moebius, Scourge had been fortunate so far to avoid recognition by sticking to lower-class areas where people were more concerned with daily survival than with political figures. That luck couldn’t run out the night before he reclaimed his throne.

“I was in a soup commercial,” Scourge blurted out, internally berating himself for coming up with such a ridiculous lie afterwards

“What—” Toxic began, her face twisting in puzzlement before Scourge shot her a pointed look that silenced her.

With his jaw agape and his eyes half lidded, the employee’s face slowly broke into a crooked, gap-toothed grin.

“Oh, that’s right! Soup guy! That’s probably how you got that badass car!” he exclaimed, nodding with satisfaction.

“Yeah,” Scourge said, his head reeling back in disbelief that this excuse actually worked. “So, what’s the station for the movie?”

“Uh, 98.7,” the worker replied, glancing at a sheet in front of him. “Enjoy the movie, soup guy.”

“You too, stoned guy…” Scourge muttered under his breath as he navigated the crowded parking lot, eyes scanning for a spot where they could settle in to watch the movie.

“What’s a stone guy?” Toxic inquired.

“A guy who smokes so much weed he thinks I did a soup commercial,” Scourge scoffed, his fingers flipping through radio stations.

“Why did you do a soup commercial?” she asked, her hand fidgeting with the window controls, sliding it up and down.

“That’s not a toy. Quit messing with it,” Scourge chided, gently swatting her hand away from the buttons. “I wasn’t in a soup commercial. I said that so he wouldn’t figure out who I really was.”

“Are you, uhm, wanted?” Toxic probed, her feet wiggling as she admired the skulls Flying had drawn on the tips of her sneakers.

“Something like that,” Scourge replied, turning up the radio’s volume, the audio synced with the giant screen in front of them.

Toxic’s eyes were drawn to the screen, pupils widening with fascination as she caught sight of an advertisement featuring dancing cartoon characters.

“The movie!” she exclaimed, standing on the seat and eagerly tapping her finger against the windshield as she pointed at the screen.

“‘Ey,” Scourge snapped, “Sit down, don’t scuff up the leather.”

Groaning theatrically, she extended her ring finger toward him in defiance before flopping back into the seat, her shoulders slumped in exaggerated annoyance.

With a roll of his eyes, Scourge mimicked her groan and held up his own ring finger toward her in return. “Back at ya,” he said smugly. He then reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out some cash. “I’ll be right back with popcorn, ‘kay? Stay in the car and watch the screen.”

As he approached the snack bar, the enchanting aroma of popcorn mingled with the seemingly recurring, pungent scent of marijuana. Along with two popcorns and a couple of Anarcho-Colas, he received yet another curious look from the cashier.

“Wait, where have I seen you?” the young woman asked, her eyes bloodshot and squinting as she leaned in closer.

“Soup commercial,” Scourge answered, not missing a beat.

“Right! Brody texted us about that!” she exclaimed, grinning widely, struggling to keep her eyes open as she turned to her coworker; who was munching on a hot dog without a bun. “Marley, it’s Soup Guy! Just like Brody was talking about.”

“Man, I love soup!” Marley shouted, raising their half-eaten hot dog in a gesture that resembled a toast toward Scourge.

Honestly, Scourge found himself wanting whatever they were clearly indulging in.

“Same,” he replied with a forced smile, quickly gathering his snacks and hurrying back to the car before the conversation could continue any further.

Toxic was so engrossed in the moving pictures on the screen that even the enticing aroma of popcorn didn’t immediately catch her attention.

“Here,” Scourge said, handing one of the bags to her.

“What didja get me?” Toxic asked, peering into the bag with curiosity.

“You’ve never seen popcorn before?” Scourge replied, his cheek already stuffed with the warm, buttery treat, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

“Nope,” she answered, burying her face in the bag and grabbing a mouthful. Her eyes widened with amazement as she savored the taste.

“Good stuff, right?” Scourge asked, barely hiding a smile as he watched her devour the popcorn with animalistic abandon.

“Yah, ah like ih,” Toxic mumbled through her mouthful, bits of popcorn flying out with each word.

“Don’t spit popcorn all over my car, kid,” Scourge warned, taking a sip of his soda. “Movie’s about to start,” he noted as the previews came to an end. “Be quiet or we leave.”

“Why?” Toxic whispered, her voice filled with curiosity.

“That’s the rule, now shut up and watch,” he whispered, settling back into his seat as the film began.

The movie wasn’t anything spectacular. The acting was mediocre at best, and the plot was half-baked. Under normal circumstances, Scourge would say the only redeeming quality was the presence of the actress he’d had a crush on for years. However, after spending several torturous months in Zone Jail, struggling to avoid beatings, he hadn’t had the luxury to focus on whatever played on the few tiny, grainy television screens available there.

Every single day since escaping, he often had to remind himself he was safe. The bump in the night wasn’t an inmate coming to throw him around the cell like a ragdoll. He no longer had to rush through meals to prevent them from being stolen or having his face shoved in them. He didn’t have to sit on the edge of his seat, ready to flee unwanted attention. Gone were the days of the inhibitor collars, and he was finally ready to reclaim his world.

This was his first movie in a long time, and he was finally safe enough to watch it. That was enough for him to love it.

Watching his little sister giggling with delight during a particularly audacious motorcycle stunt, he was taken aback by how much he didn’t mind her presence at that moment. Her excitement reminded him of a young, once-blue hedgehog he once knew, staying up late to watch his favorite films. The nostalgia was palpable, and her enthusiasm was unexpectedly contagious. To his own surprise, he found himself whispering comments about the movie to her, chuckling at her responses, and engaging in a way he hadn’t anticipated. Not only was she not a burden, but she was genuinely enjoyable to be around.

In the film’s climax, things seemed bleak for the protagonist. Bloody and beaten, he stared down the barrel of his enemy’s gun, with death looming ominously on the horizon.

Toxic furrowed her brows in worry, her voice barely above a whisper as she chewed on the last of her popcorn. “Are they gonna die?”

“Just watch,” Scourge whispered back, a half-grin forming as he correctly anticipated the moment when the hero would rise and take down the enemy with a clever line.

Pumping her fist in the air, Toxic couldn’t contain her excitement. “Yes!”

“Legends like that don’t just die like chumps, kid,” Scourge added, his grin widening at her reaction. “Golden rule of, like, every movie.”

“He’s fucking cool ass!” she exclaimed, a soft, excited giggle escaping her as the credits soon began to roll. She reached for more of her popcorn, only to realize her bag was empty. “Gimme yours,” she demanded, her eyes darting to his unfinished bag.

With a shake of his head, Scourge dug his hand into his popcorn, nonchalantly swatting away Toxic as she desperately clawed for the bag.

“Stop, bitch!” she groaned in protest.

“Nah,” Scourge replied, chewing on a mouthful with a satisfied smirk.

“Yes!” she growled, trying to crawl over him as he pushed his hand against her forehead, leaving her scrambling in place.

“Mmm, this is mine. I love my popcorn.” He teased, savoring the last few pieces before finally releasing her, “Take my bag, short-stack.”

“Cuntsack!” Toxic shot back, slamming her fist on the seat in frustration.

“That doesn’t mean anything, you dip,” Scourge scoffed, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Yeah, it does!” she argued, crossing her arms defiantly.

“It doesn’t, idiot. Time to go.” He said, shifting the car into gear as the lights of the parking lot flickered around them.

"I wanna see more movies," she said with a defiant pout as he slowly backed their car out of the parking spot, the engine purring to life.

"We're going to the castle tomorrow," he reminded her. "Don't wanna stay out all night and be too tired for that."

"But we can watch movies at the castle with popcorn and soda, right?" she asked, her fingers fiddling with the straps of a face mask she had just pulled from her pocket, her voice carrying a hopeful lilt.

"That and more," he assured her, a smile tugging at his lips. "But first, we gotta work for it. Just like in that movie, we gotta kick some major ass before we get ours on the throne."

"Are we gonna break windows and shoot people like in the movies?" she continued, her green eyes wide with a mix of excitement and innocence.

The green hedgehog chuckled softly, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Something like that, for sure," he replied to his sister, before groaning as a chime sounded from the dashboard, signaling that the car was running low on gas.

"What is it, Scourge?" Toxic asked, tilting her head with curiosity, her gaze shifting between him and the fuel gauge.

"We need gas. Might as well pick up more cigarettes while we're at it," Scourge grumbled, his eyes scanning the dank, desolate streets as they rolled past, searching for a gas station.

"I want a cigarette," she proclaimed.

"I know. You want everything," he muttered under his breath, steering the car into a dingy gas station and parking by one of the pumps. "Stay here, okay?" he ordered, stepping out of the car.

After filling up the tank, Scourge made his way into the grimy little convenience store. The smell of stale grease and sweat hit him like a wave, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust as he spotted a rat nibbling on a slice of pizza that had been left on display. Shaking his head, he turned toward the counter, ready to ask the cashier for a pack of cigarettes.

Before he could open his mouth, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, spinning him around with surprising force.

"I know you, fucker," a cheetah snarled in a low, menacing growl, his clothes adorned with photoluminescent accents that glowed under the dim fluorescent lights, his flashy sunglasses obscuring most of his face but not his fury.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I was in a soup commercial," Scourge replied with a deadpan expression, showing no fear at the cheetah's aggressive stance.

"Don't fuck with me!" The cheetah roared, baring his fangs just inches from Scourge's face. "You stole my car!"

"I dunno what you're talking about," Scourge sneered, his lips curling into a smug grin.

"Oh, really?" The cheetah chuckled without humor before slamming Scourge back against a wall. "I bet you'll figure it out while you bite the curb."

"At least take me to dinner first, babe," Scourge retorted with a playful wink, his eyes flickering with twisted amusement.

"Wait a minute, Danny," another voice cut in, drawing closer. One of the cheetah's cronies, who had been lurking nearby, stepped forward, peering at Scourge with a look of surprise. "This ain't your average carjacker... shit! This is Scourge, the old king!"

"Well, he ain't king anymore, right? His ass got thrown in jail, I heard," Danny laughed, tightening his grip on Scourge's jacket. "Must not be that powerful if he's hidin' in the shadows and nabbin' cars. Still, how much do you think they'd pay to get him back behind bars?"

"Penny, lock the door," another goon ordered the cashier, who obliged, pulling out a handgun from her back pocket and flicking the safety off with a sinister smile.

Before Scourge could come up with a snarky comeback, the unmistakable click of a phone camera went off somewhere beside him.

It was getting late. He glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:32 PM. They had to wrap this up quickly.

"Yeah, so, that won't do," he muttered before launching into action. With a sudden burst of speed, he delivered a rapid one-two punch to both sides of Danny's face, stunning him and loosening his grip. Seizing the moment, Scourge kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him crashing into a shelf stocked with candy. As Penny fired a shot, Scourge blurred out of the way with his supersonic speed, dodging the bullets effortlessly.

"Get my good side while you're at it," he quipped, appearing beside the person who had taken the photo. Snatching the phone from their grip, he took a quick selfie with a perky grin before slamming the phone down hard against a shelf; the screen shattering on impact. Before they could react, he swiftly snapped their neck, their body crumpling to the floor.

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the broken phone at Penny, striking her square in the forehead and causing her to drop the gun. Vulnerable and disoriented, she was left wide open for Scourge's next move. In a flash, he closed the distance and stomped down on her skull with a brutal force, her body going limp instantly.

"You fucking—" the last crony screamed in terror, but his cry was cut short as Scourge aimed the now-recovered handgun and fired. The back of the crony's skull burst open in a bloody display, brains splattering against the wall behind him.

"Yeah, that's sweet of you," Scourge said with a gleeful grin, lowering the smoking pistol. His gaze then turned to a dazed Danny. "C'mon, pookie. I saved the best for last."

"Muh... Nuh..." Danny mumbled weakly as Scourge grabbed him by the back of his jacket, kicked the door open, and forced him to press his mouth against the edge of the curb outside. Without a moment's hesitation, Scourge stomped down hard on the back of Danny's head, a sickening crunch echoing through the night as blood and teeth splattered across the concrete.

Scourge couldn't help but laugh. These jokers thought they could take on the hedgehog who once, and soon would again, rule over Moebius. The sheer arrogance of their challenge made the victory even sweeter.

He glanced at the clock again. 9:33 PM.

Lost in the rush of adrenaline, Scourge almost didn't notice Toxic sitting just a few feet away, perched atop a faded truck kiddie ride. Her jaw hung open beneath her mask, her wide eyes filled with a mix of awe and morbid fascination.

"I thought I told ya to stay in the car," Scourge said, slightly exasperated. He was surprised such a dumb kid had figured out how to unlock the door.

"I'm in this car," Toxic countered with a nonchalant shrug.

Scourge clenched his jaw, a sigh escaping his lips as he nodded in reluctant acceptance. His eyes caught sight of a coin near Danny's limp leg.

"Sit tight for a sec," he instructed, slipping the coin into the ride's slot. The kiddie ride sputtered to life, playing a grainy rock and roll tune and jerking with clunky engine sounds.

Stepping over the mess of bodies and debris, Scourge made sure to destroy anything that might have recorded the scene. Afterward, he grabbed a few packs of cigarettes, a beer, and some cash from the register. Before leaving, he noticed a stuffed cheetah toy on display, its big eyes and innocent smile staring back at him. The irony made him chuckle, and he decided to take it with him. Motioning for Toxic to follow, he led her back to the car.

"Why did they fight you?" Toxic asked, hopping alongside him, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"The cheetah guy got mad at me for stealing his car. He and his buddies were gonna get me thrown in jail, so l killed them all," he replied casually, opening the car door.

"Oh," she responded simply, satisfied with his blunt explanation as she climbed in on her side.

"Here," Scourge said, handing her the stuffed cheetah. "That's your reminder not to let anyone mess with you. If someone gives you trouble, show 'em who's boss."

Toxic's eyes widened as she stared at the soft toy in her hands. For a moment, she was speechless. She glanced up at her brother, a mix of surprise and something else-almost like admiration.

It wasn't every day Scourge showed such a gesture. Was it the adrenaline that had him feeling generous? Or perhaps some hidden guilt, knowing she'd soon be placed with another family? Maybe, just maybe, he was warming up to her.

He cranked up the radio to drown out his thoughts, not noticing the way she kept staring at him. Eventually, she broke the silence, her voice tentative. "Do we have the same mama and daddy?"

Scourge's stomach twisted into knots. He knew where this was headed.

"Yep," he replied tersely.

"But where are they at?" she asked, her voice growing softer, more childlike.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, Scourge's jaw clenched as he tried to find the right words.

"They're dead, Toxic," he finally said, his tone darkening.

Toxic's face fell, her body turning toward him, eyes locked on his. "But how could they, uhm, die?" she asked, her voice trembling.

The air felt sucked from Scourge's lungs. His mind raced for a lie, but nothing came to him. He was trapped in the truth. His palms were sweaty, his grip on the wheel unyielding as he forced himself to continue.

"Dad... h-he..." Scourge stammered, wiping the sweat from his brow, "he was a piece of shit, Toxic. We got in a fight, and he died."

Toxic tensed up, clutching the cheetah tightly in her small hands. "Did you, uhm, have a fight with our mama like you had a fight with daddy?" she asked, her voice small, nearly breaking.

"No!" Scourge barked instantly. "Mom was good! I'd never fight her!" He took a deep, steadying breath, staring out at the blur of passing cars. "Mom... she... took her own life," he added, his voice heavy with regret.

Furrowing her brows in a mix of sadness and disbelief, Toxic shook her head and asked, “but why?”

Scourge's mouth went dry. He'd asked himself that same question for years.

Why had she left him and Toxic behind with that monster? After that day, his life had spiraled down a twisted path he couldn't escape, molding him into the hardened criminal he was now.

Should he have done more to help her?

He felt an odd combination of resentment and guilt, hating himself for being angry at her choice. She had been his only real light for years, even in death.

He didn't know who to blame-his mother, himself, his father, an invisible illness, or even his sister, whose birth might have driven his mother over the edge with postpartum depression.

Years had passed, but deep down, he still felt like that lost, scared twelve-year-old kid he once knew.

"Scourge?" Toxic whimpered, reaching out for his arm, her voice quivering with a need for comfort.

"I don't want to talk about this shit anymore, Toxic!" Scourge snapped, his voice sharp and pained. "Just... shut the fuck up and listen to music or something!" he roared, slamming his fist against the steering wheel with a burst of frustration.

Hugging the stuffed cheetah closer, Toxic remained silent for the rest of the ride, the radio's music filling the tense, uneasy quiet between them.

Back at the orphanage, they were greeted by Flying, who was waiting with a lantern held high, his wide eyes glimmering with excitement.

"There you hedgie-wedgies are!" he exclaimed, dropping to Toxic's height with a playful grin. "Where have ya lid-squid-kids been!? Did you make a new little friend, Toxic little girl? Can I eat him?"

Uncharacteristically quiet, Toxic kept her gaze down, saying nothing as she grabbed a lantern and hurried off to the area where she usually slept.

"Say, what's the big idea?" Flying asked, scratching his head, bewildered by the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"She's tired, and I need a cigarette," Scourge replied coolly, turning on his heel to head back toward his car, only to be stopped by Flying once more.

"Yanno, you two are actin' fishier than a pond-wand-blonde!" Flying said, his head tilted, arms crossed as he studied Scourge from head to toe. "And I'm not talkin' about that pretty blood on your shoes!"

"I'll clean it in a bit, okay? Fuck off," Scourge grumbled, pushing past him and returning to the car's front seat. He lit a cigarette with almost frantic urgency, desperate for the calming burn in his lungs.

His mind raced, teeming with chaos and torment. Every so often, he'd lash out, slamming his fist against the dashboard or the seat beside him, shouting out a random obscenity. By the time he'd made it through nearly an entire pack, exhaustion finally washed over him, pulling him into sleep right there in the car.

The night before the Destructix would storm the castle was full of tension, but not just for them.

After spending the day resting and regaining her strength, McKenna stood in the castle's vast training arena, bracing herself for the tests that awaited. The room was expansive and intimidating, filled with workout equipment, targets, and combat robots designed for practice. Today, her training wasn't just about physical prowess; she was also testing her ability to see an attacker before they appeared, and her skill with different kinds of combative and defensive magic.

All stops had been pulled out tonight. She'd even been given a new outfit: a sleek, bulletproof bodysuit, her boots were designed to silence her footsteps, and her arms and legs were covered in a protective lycra-adjacent fabric. She was dressed in all black, allowing her to blend in with shadows. Strapped to her thigh was a dagger, her only non-magical weapon aside from her fists and feet.

Physically, she was prepared, but her mind was another matter entirely.

While resting earlier, she'd had a strange dream. She was back in the forest that haunted her memories, but someone had intruded and started a fire. The act sparked a fury in her unlike anything she'd ever felt. Who dared to harm her sanctuary? It was her territory, and no one was allowed to defile it. She wanted to hunt down the culprit, to make them pay violently for their audacity.

The raw, unfiltered rage was a new sensation, and it terrified her.

"My dear, you aren't still worried about your dream, are you?" Stellaria's voice broke through her thoughts, drawing her back to the present.

"Mother... I've never felt like this before," McKenna confessed, her face creased with concern. "I don't want to be a monster."

"Why, you are no monster," Stellaria soothed, her voice carrying a maternal calm. "I can tell you with certainty the dream does carry a message. But if you follow it, all will be well. Think of this castle as the forest, and the arsonist as someone who wishes to bring harm to those within. I've equipped you with the tools to protect us, and I know you won't fall short."

The tension in McKenna's face eased, a faint smile spreading across her lips.

"Thank you, Mother. I love you," she said, straightening her posture with renewed confidence.

"I love you too, my dear," Stellaria replied, her hand gently caressing McKenna's cheek as she leaned in close, her smile warm and reassuring. "Be ready."

From a separate room, Stellaria watched her daughter meditate for a moment before speaking into the microphone that fed into the arena's speakers.

"Now, begin."

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Settings Sketch

So Scrivener has a "Location" Template, but I thought it was rather weak, so I beefed it up to have more things to think on, but not necessarily fill out. I used my inner nerd, Sociology and Anthropology to make this one.

As a Scrivener Template, I set it up to look like this (with invisibles on)

Here is the list of items I put in.

I know most people will do maybe the Name, name origin, the Geography, but for me, I like to know the people who live there and how the place woks in a social setting to get the place to feel alive and breathe.

This is my city template. For other locations, like say a mountain or lake, you probably could cut the majority of the list.

For individual buildings, etc, I'm more inclined to post a picture of the layout.

My favorite parts of the building up the locations are the grunt workers over the professionals. It makes your locations feel alive when the village/town/city is changing in some way or other. There is construction, the sewer system failed, the cogs fells out of place, the steam isn't steaming, etc. So it's worth it to put a little thought into it. Oh noes, there is a pothole, so a construction crew has to fix it. Often other world fantasy neglects this part, but in a way, a city/town, etc is a breathing changing entity, so it makes it feel much more vivid when it is doing that and maybe a small action your characters do affects that indirectly.

BTW, while you're at it, be a bit more creative with your prison system. You don't have to say lock up people with mental health problems and the poor. You could actually restructure society so that there isn't a permanent homeless and prison population, or children running around without homes or supervision. All those institutions you have in your day to day life--you could challenge them change them because you're wolrdbuilding.

Here is the text for those that don't have Scrivener or your screen reader is failing you.

Name of Setting

General Information Graphemes:

Meaning:

Origin:

Nicknames:

Role in Story:

Type of Place:

Government Type:

Story Characters Associated:

Geographical Features Climate:

Soil Types:

Vegetation:

Water Resources:

Landforms:

Mineral Resources:

Geological Description:

Demographics Ethnicities:

Race:

Age:

Socio-Economic range:

Religions:

Population Numbers:

Population Density:

Political Landscape:

Economy Real Estate:

Finance:

Large Companies:

Production and Industry:

Buildings:

Economic History:

Community Schools: (How many? How many students pers school? What levels?)

Major Parks:

Mixed Use Locations:

Major Public Places:

Must-See Locations:

Unique Features:

Utilities and Public Works Lights: (Gas? Electricity Magic Fire) Water Works: (How does water get to your residents?) Safety: (Fire, Fire Warning, Law Enforcement, etc) Park Services: (Who cleans up the Parks, trims the trees, etc) Trash and Recycling Removal:

Public Transportation:

Mail:

Communication:

Street Cleaners:

Sewer System:

Health Services: (Out of Pocket, Public, Private, Types of Practitioners) Mental Health Services:

School System: (Public, Private, Home, Mixed? Who gets it?)

Sensory Information Sights:

Sounds:

Smells:

Taste:

Touch:

General Information History:

Notes:

[diaphin93]

Racial Allegory: The Quick guide on how to write The Whites as the true victims of racism

Okay, try to keep it quick here, I got this hitpiece shown to me and it dabbles into a topic I wanted to write about for a while: Racial Allegory

To make things super short, racial allegories can make for captivating and engaging narratives concerning bigotry and can often be a good narrative tool to subvert tropes and conventions in genres such as fantasy, sci-fi and horror, to analyze relations and depictions of fictional races under the lense of bigotry and marginalization.

The issue with the whole 'genre' of racial allegory is though, that it does very little to actually adress racial injustice and White Supremacy in real life, especially in the western world, as this would require a closer and more critical look into how our history, culture and social systems are shaped to benefit white people over people of color and how even to this moment, the western quality of life is entire build upon colonialism and the continuous exploitation of the global south.

More importantly and more problematically, racial allegory as a genre is highly centered around removing people of color, or in some cases also queer people, from stories about their own oppression project them on a cast of mostly whites and cisheterosexuals. Even in cases where racial allegory is utilized in a diverse cast, it is often used to defocus stories about oppression away from the people affected by them, by inserting liberal colorblindness onto human ethnicity. The X-Men started off as an allegory for the civil rights movement, yet its original cast was comprised of white mostly middle class teenagers, lead by a an upper class white man who owns his own private school. The very premise of the series takes inspiration from the struggle of the black community for equality and instead makes it a fantastical adventure about white kids. And lets not get started with the messy origins of Magneto as a character.

And don't get me wrong. I love the X-Men. They are my favorite Superhero series ever and I absolutely adored X-Men 97. They are great and they are capable of telling good stories about opression, marginalization and resistance. Magneto is my all time favorite Marvel Character and one of my favorite characters in fiction period. And potentially they can be a good starting point to teach younger people their first lesson in concepts such as bigotry and tolerance, but we are all adults here, and I think at some point there is something wrong with grown up people to whom the X-Men are still their first point of reference when it comes to making a point about bigotry.

Because the problem with the concept of the X-Men is exactly of what the original poster brought up here: They fall apart under any closer critical evaluation, because yeah, they are actual dangerous. We wouldn't want in our real lives people who are capable of copying in every detail, up to the intimate, who can cause rapidly changing climate conditions, mess around with he earths entire magnetic fields or infiltrate and manipulate our very mind at a whim running around without any accountability and oversight. You know with what butwhatifidothis surely would agree? That we don't want people to have the means of commiting mass murder at any public location without any regulations, control and oversight. I'm talking of course about gun control here. What we also don't want surely is people being able to change the climate around us for whatever personal benefit they deem fit, to invade our privacy and gain access to our most personal information, to incorperate our image in any context on very public plattforms or be able to kill any innocent civilian without any means to stop them.

These exist in real life of course. They're giants of industry, tech companies, people who creat deepfakes and any police officer, armed redneck standing his ground or white Karen calling the guy on a black guy in a park. And this is really where such racial allegories fall flat, because minorities in real life are not those who wield this form of unchecked power against their environment, but those who get targeted by it and protest to stop it, to creat checks and balances.

X-Men ultimately is build around never thinking too deeply about the implications and just accept the premise, to engage with the fantasy of superheroes who are the underdogs fighting against oppression and for social acceptance. They live off of ignoring the bad optics of, for example, a white girl lecturing a black man about oppression. Becoming too immersed on them on the other hand, to obsessed with their initial premise, too uncritical of it, leads to some fairly bad understanding of bigotry and marginalization, to the point where one basically becomes obsessed with contextualizing those who hold power as the oppressed against the weak, impotent masses. You start at X-Men and end at The Incredibles, of which the randian subtext has already been well enoug discussed.

Going back to Fire Emblem here, away from X-Men, there is already a fairly objectivist fantasy present in the people who make Nabateans their primary racial allegory. Lets not ignore the problematic aspect, that the game doesn't really do racial allegory. It does racism, targeted at people of color, with the most violent examples being commited by the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and with Claude, a mixed race man, having already confirmed it to be the result of the churches doctrine of xenophobia. Instead of getting invested in this though, people like OP focus on the Nabateans as their primary racial allegory. A group of immortal dragons with power beyond any human, who are the offspring of an alien dragon goddess and who used to rule humanity as deities. And who are, of course, depicted as whiter than white, their differenciating traits being elvish ears and mostly light green hair which, lets be honest, would be understood analogous to blonde hair if it wasn't explicitely shown to us to be special, considering the presence of colors such as blue and pink as regular hair colors in the setting. Ignatz and Linhardt even have green hair without being ever framed as looking anything out of the ordinary, lol.

And I think it becomes fairly self-explaining here. There is something deeply randian about hyperfocussing on a race of superhuman immortals who frame themselves as superior and with the duty of leading the weaker, dumber, mundane masses as someones primary racial allegory. Because it becomes immediately muddy. Rheas entire outlook on humanity and her role in relation to it is never one of equal co-existance, it is practically her claiming the white dragons burden, as horrible as it sounds. And many of her defenders among the Edelcrit community take exactly this stance as a moral good, which is inheritly problematic. I'm talking about people such as butwhatifidothis, gascon, randomnameless and fantasyinvader, Boofire too if we want to include youtubers.

There edgy "humanity can't be trusted and is inheritly incapable of controlling itself" position is not progressive. Its deeply elitist. It is ultimately a reflection of contempt towards the common masses. It is the act of primarily immersing oneself with those who stand above those supposedly unenlightened masses and taking the position, that they are incapable of governing oneself. And the act of hyperfocussing on constructing a racial allegory around it, it also means to immerse oneself into the idea that those born with powerful are the most victimized and marginalized group in society by the inferior, who want to take away their rightful positions of leadership and power. It is also sadly one I feel like is highly encouraged by the Blue Lions route in general, by its decission to focus mostly on the way those born with crests into nobility are mistreated and envied by those without them, probably by accident encouraging those kinds of randian implications.

And as a disclaimer, I'm not saying here that one can't chose the Nabateans as ones favorite and feel deeply sympathetic and empathetic around their plight, because this is one is real real as well. They were victims of a genocide orchestrated by Agarthans in their attempt of getting vengeance against the Goddess Sothis for their own destruction, they had their blood stolen and their bodies defiled by bandits who wanted to claim their power for themselves and uplift themselves to the status of rulers. They are deeply human and their depth comes from the fact, that they deal with trauma in very flawed, very human ways. The issue comes from viewing the Nabateans as both sympathetic victims but also inheritly superior beings with Rhea being framed as justified in the oppressive systems that are the root cause of the majority of issues inside of Fodlan. Something the games text supports. Their Crimson Flower ending describes Byleth as ending the Tyranny of a Godlike being. In comparison, the Azure Moon Version speaks about crushing the Ambitions of the Empire. Rheas own S-Support has her admit her guild and be remorseful for it, the ending card speaks about her rehabilitating the church.

So in the end, yeah, hyperfocussing on racial allegory over actual depictions of racism centering people of color can be problematic, they often have messed up implications and require just accepting the premise and alot of people are really into imagining themselves to be both the superior elite but also the underdog.

[deltawebservices]

10 Web Hosting Terms You Should Know Before Building a Website

If you're planning to create a website, understanding web hosting is essential. If you're looking for a website hosting company in Gurgaon, knowing these terms will help you choose the right provider. Web hosting provides the server space and technology needed to make your website accessible on the internet. However, the world of web hosting can be full of technical jargon that might seem confusing at first. To make informed decisions, here are 10 key web hosting terms you should know:

Control Panel A control panel is a user-friendly interface that allows you to manage your server settings without needing extensive technical skills. It simplifies the process of managing your website, offering tools to configure domains, emails, databases, and security settings. Popular control panels include cPanel and Plesk, which let you handle server tasks through a graphical interface rather than typing complex commands.

Bandwidth Limit Bandwidth refers to the amount of data your website can transfer to and from the server each month. Hosting providers, like a Web hosting company in Gurgaon, set a bandwidth limit to ensure resources are distributed fairly among customers. If your site reaches this limit, your hosting provider might slow down access (throttle it) or even temporarily suspend your site until the next billing cycle. Knowing your bandwidth needs can help you choose the right hosting plan.

Managed Hosting Managed hosting is a type of service where the hosting provider handles essential maintenance tasks for you, such as software updates, security monitoring, and backups. This can save time and effort, especially for those who are less experienced with server management. Managed hosting is an excellent option for businesses that want to concentrate on their main activities while entrusting technical tasks to professionals.

IP Address An IP address is a unique set of numbers assigned to each device connected to the internet, including your hosting server. It acts as an identifier, allowing computers to locate and communicate with each other. When you purchase a hosting plan, your server will be assigned an IP address, which you can use to access your website files, manage the server, and set up remote connections.

Uptime Uptime is a measure of the reliability of your hosting service. It represents the percentage of time that the server is online and accessible. Most reliable providers aim for an uptime of 99.9% or higher. A high uptime rate is crucial because frequent downtime can result in lost traffic and frustrated visitors. Some hosts offer an uptime guarantee, promising compensation if their service falls below the agreed uptime rate.

Shared Hosting

It is an affordable hosting option where multiple websites utilize the same server. Since the cost of running the server is divided among all users, shared hosting are generally inexpensive. However, because resources are shared, high traffic on one website can affect the performance of others on the same server. This makes shared hosting ideal for small websites or those just starting.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) A VPS, or Virtual Private Server, provides a more dedicated portion of server resources compared to shared hosting. Although multiple users still share the physical server, each VPS operates independently, with allocated CPU, RAM, and storage. VPS hosting is a good middle-ground option for websites that need more power and customization than shared hosting can provide, but without the higher cost of a dedicated server.

Dedicated Hosting With dedicated hosting, you have an entire server reserved solely for your website. This means you have full control over all resources, including CPU, memory, and storage, without any competition from other users. Dedicated hosting is the most powerful but also the most expensive option. It’s often used by large businesses or websites with high traffic that require top performance and customization.

Disk Spaced

Disk space, or storage space, refers to the amount of space on a server available for storing your website's files, databases, and other content. The two main types of storage drives are HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and SSDs (Solid State Drives), with SSDs offering faster performance. When choosing a hosting plan, consider the storage needs of your website, especially if you plan to host high-resolution images, videos, or large files.

11. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) SSL is a security protocol that encrypts data transferred between your website and its visitors, keeping information secure. To activate SSL, you'll need an SSL certificate, which enables HTTPS for your website, signifying a secure connection. This is particularly crucial for websites that manage sensitive data, like login credentials or payment information. Many web hosting providers in Gurgaon now offer SSL certificates as part of their hosting packages

Conclusion Understanding these web hosting terms will help you make better decisions when setting up your website. Choosing the right hosting plan and knowing the features available can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. Whether you’re just starting with a small website or launching a large-scale project, familiarity with these terms will make the process smoother and more manageable.

If you want to know more about our services, please feel free to contact us at:

Mobile: 08826196688 or 9910248322

Email: info@deltait.co.in

Website: www.deltait.co.in

[lboogie1906]

Attorney Lonna Romaine Hooks (1959) is an attorney and the first Black secretary of state for New Jersey. She was born and raised in Nashville. Her father was head of the art department at Fisk University, and the Hooks family lived on campus. While attending her local high school in Nashville, she took a public affairs course and worked at a local TV station, writing about “hot topics.”

She attended Howard University, earning her BA and her JD from Howard University School of Law. She first worked as a clerk for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, before becoming a lawyer for Schering-Plough, a pharmaceutical company located in Kenilworth, New Jersey. She was in a car accident that left her with extensive injuries that required months of physical therapy. After that, she relocated to Montclair, New Jersey, and started a home-based private practice law firm.

She was president of the New Jersey State Board of Public Utilities when she met Hooks and hired her as her legal assistant. She worked as chief of staff during Whitman’s run for governor of New Jersey and was chosen as the 19th Secretary of State in 1993, the first African American to hold the position. As secretary of state, she, a Republican, was in charge of the New Jersey Historical Commission, the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, the New Jersey Division of Elections, and the New Jersey State Museum. She served as Whitman’s business ombudsman and remained in the position until her resignation in 1998. She worked at Bloomfield College as the executive director of their new Global Leadership Institute, and next as executive director of the American Public Welfare Association. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[sarkariresultdude]

Understanding Police Recruitment Result Implications for Future Candidates

 The recruitment procedure for police officers is vital in retaining law and order in society. Police departments internationally seek devoted individuals who are devoted to serving their groups. With the development of technology, many police departments have streamlined their application techniques, permitting candidates to use online. This manual will provide a top-level view of a way to observe online police recruitment, what the recruitment system includes, and pointers for successful software.

Police Recruitment Result 

Understanding Police Recruitment

Police recruitment is the manner by way of which regulation enforcement companies select and lease new officials. This method commonly includes several steps, which include:

Application Submission: Candidates submit their programs, which encompass personal facts, educational history, and work experience.

Preliminary Screening: The branch critiques programs to make sure candidates meet the minimal qualifications, which can also encompass age, education, and physical health requirements.

Written Examination: Candidates can be required to take a written examination to evaluate their cognitive abilities, reasoning abilities, and knowledge of regulation enforcement ideas.

Physical Fitness Assessment: Physical health assessments are carried out to ensure candidates can perform the demanding duties of a police officer.

Background Investigation: A thorough background check is carried out to verify the candidate's history, including criminal data, employment records, and private references.

Interview: Successful applicants are invited for an interview with police branch officials.

Psychological Evaluation: Candidates can also undergo mental checks to ensure they are mentally able to handle the demands of police work.

Medical Examination: A clinical exam ensures candidates meet the health necessities necessary for police work.

Training Academy: Those who skip all of the preceding steps are enrolled in a police training academy.

The Online Application Process

Applying online for a police role can be a convenient way to begin your journey into law enforcement. Here’s a step-by-step guide on the way to apply online for police recruitment:

Research the Department

Before applying, study various police departments to locate one that aligns together with your values and professional dreams. Each department can also have precise necessities and options, which include:

Educational Requirements: Some departments require at least an excessive faculty diploma, whilst others might also select or require a college degree.

Background Checks: Understand the branch's guidelines concerning crook facts and beyond conduct.

Visit the Official Website

Once you've been diagnosed with a police department you want to apply to, go to their respectable website. Most police departments have a committed phase for recruitment that provides information about contemporary openings, application processes, and specific requirements.

Create an Online Account

Most police departments require applicants to create a web account to apply. This account will assist you to:

Fill out and submit your software.

Track the fame of your application.

Access vital documents and forms.

Make sure to apply a legitimate e-mail cope with, as all conversations regarding your utility will in all likelihood be sent there.

Complete the Application Form

Fill out the web application form appropriately. Be prepared to offer:

Personal Information: Name, deal with, date of birth, and make contact with facts.

Education History: Schools attended, levels earned, and relevant certifications.

Employment History: Previous jobs, such as dates of employment, activity titles, and descriptions of duties.

References: Contact information for folks that can vouch to your man or woman and work ethic.

 Submit Required Documents

Many police departments require assisting documents to accompany your utility. Common documents can also include:

Resume: A cutting-edge resume detailing your work to revel in and abilities.

Cover Letter: A letter expressing your interest in the function and your qualifications.

Transcripts: Academic transcripts from excessive faculty and any post-secondary training.

Certifications: Any applicable certifications, together with CPR or first aid.

Ensure all files are formatted efficaciously and submitted in the required record formats.

 Pay Application Fees (if relevant)

Some police departments charge an application charge. If required, ensure you pay this charge as a part of the software system. Keep a receipt of the transaction to your information.

 Review and Submit

Before submitting your application, carefully evaluate all information for accuracy and completeness. Double-check that each one required documents is connected. Once you are confident everything is accurate, put up your utility.

After Submission

Once your application is submitted, the ready sport starts offevolved. Here’s what to expect subsequent:

Confirmation of Application: You will generally receive an affirmation e-mail acknowledging receipt of your software.

Application Review: The department will assess your software to determine in case you meet their minimal qualifications.

Notification of Next Steps: If you skip the initial evaluation, you will be notified approximately the subsequent steps in the recruitment procedure, which may additionally include scheduling assessments and interviews.

Tips for a Successful Application

To enhance your chances of fulfillment, bear in mind the following tips:

Be Honest: Complete your application certainly. Any discrepancies can result in disqualification.

Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume and cover letter for the unique police department and role.

Prepare for Tests: Study for written exams and exercise bodily health assessments earlier.

Gather References Early: Choose references who understand you nicely and might offer fantastic testimonials approximately your individual and painting's ethic.

Follow Up: If you haven’t heard lower back inside an affordable time frame, don't forget to follow up with the department to inquire about your utility status.

[novankenn]

Ah, come on!?!

FOUR

Jaune and Wolfie sat dejectedly off to the side while a moving company, dropped off all the salvageable equipment in the waterfront warehouse that was to become the new home of the Grimm Development Department. Jaune was despondent due to the hours it was going to take to reconnect everything… Wolfie because he/she met her/his “donor”.

Saphron Arc was a piece of work, and while she did present Wolfie with a proper set of attire, she was entirely TOO handsy in helping him/her put it on. Memories of that encounter caused the humanoid grimm to shiver in fear, particularly because Saphron Arc made a point of saying she would be coming back for another visit, with more cute outfits for her little “sister”.

Wolfie: This is bullshit.

Jaune: You think this is bad? Wait until we have to attend the emergency BoD meeting and explain the added expenses… my budget is going to be decimated!

Wolfie: Seriously, dude? How do you get anything done?

Jaune: I don’t. I’m lucky I get a paycheck each week… which reminds me I have to take you to Human Resources, soon.

Wolfie: Why?

Jaune: You need identification, and your Social Insurance Number, plus you have a TD-1V to complete. Then we need to go to the bank and set up an account.

Wolfie:Uh, again. Why?

Jaune: You are an employee, and as such you need to have the proper documentation, plus the Inner Circle refuses to get nailed for tax evasion so we need to pay you as well as take the proper hold backs for governmental remittance.

Wolfie: Huh? But I’m a monster?

Jaune: You are… or will be a valued employee.

Wolfie: But you built me for combat?

Jaune: Yes, I did, and you will be most likely listed as an active combatant member of our PMC forces.

Wolfie: PMC?

Jaune: Private Military Contractor.

Wolfie: Seriously? I thought we’re supposed to be trying to dominate the world?

Jaune: Well to rule the world we need to be able to provide for security or our people, as well as have sources of income to provide needed social welfare programs, in addition to collecting taxes, etc…

Wolfie: This sucks.

Jaune: Tell me about it. At least you’ll be lucky, once your paperwork is done you’ll be transferred to the PMC division… which Saphron is in charge of by the way…

Wolfie: WHAT?!? SERIOUSLY!?!

Jaune: Yes, anyway, once you’re transferred you’ll be free of this mess and can enjoy yourself…

/==/ 72 Hours Later /==/

After working basically around the clock, Wolfie and Jaune finished reassembling the lab into something that was functional. A day before the scheduled meeting with the Board of Directors. Though, neither, due to sleep, deprivation, noticed the blinking lights on one of the bio-pods.

/==/ 24 Hours Later /==/

Jasmine Arc (Director of Finances): So as a result of the repairs required and the need to relocate Grimm Development, plus the rental of said location… I’m sorry to say Jaune your operating budget is going to be lowered by sixty percent.

Jaune: How am I supposed to get ANY work done? 

Jasmine Arc (Director of Finance): Well, fifteen percent of your budget is just your salary, and ten percent is overhead expenses like utilities. So you still on paper have fifteen percent to allocate towards project development.

Jaune: I was barely able to complete Wolfie under my normal budget! How do I…

Oleander Arc (Executive of Espionage): As important as this is to you, dear brother, I feel we have much more pressing matters. In particular, the assault on one of our SECRET and secure facilities, by the Red Huntress at that. We have a leak.

Saphron Arc (Director of PMC Operations): I can direct my teams to start searching for the leak. Though I would need some assistance from the Security Department.

Azalea Arc (Director of Internal Security): My department has already started to searching, with a focus on former employees.

Tyrian (Director of Legal): IF the leak is an employee, then we do not need to use the PMC forces to “black bag” the perpetrator. All our employees sign an iron clade NDA, and as such if YOU can give my department proof of their actions I can have my department bury them… legally.

Saphron Arc (Director of PMC Operations) Phooey, that’s no fun.

Salem: Be that as it may. We must be vigilant, and protective of our image, and as such we can not afford any rumors of misconduct on our behalf. What of the plan to infiltrate Beacon?

Oleander Arc (Executive of Espionage): We have contracted the Strategic Development Department, and they have drafted a report, for our consideration. Director Watts, if you please.

Arthur Watts (Director of Strategic Development): Upon closer examination of the proposal, we have come to the conclusion that it is inadvisable to sens Doctor Arc in as applicant. His lack of combat training, coupled with his aura not being unlocked, makes it a potentially hazardous work environment for him and as such after consulting with the Legal Department would give him grounds to sue.

Salem: I see. You wouldn’t do that to us, would you, Jaune?

Jaune: I… um… I…

Salem: Jaune?

Arthur Watts (Director of Strategic Development): If I may continue my Lady.

Salem: My apologies. Please, the floor is yours.

Arthur Watts (Director of Strategic Development): Upon further consideration, we have submitted adjustments to the proposal. Namely, that if the operation to get a more insightful information as to the nature of Beacon’s training practices, Jaune should attend as a member of an established team.

Oleander Arc (Executive of Espionage): We have already begun the process to screen potential applicants, though only needing two makes the process easier.

Jaune: Wait a second? Two? Aren’t teams made of four?

Oleander Arc (Executive of Espionage): They are, but as you and Wolfe Bete are both employees of Grimm Development

Wolfie: Since when?!?

Oleander Arc (Executive of Espionage): And this is a project for your department, of course you will both be members of the operation.

(== Table of Contents ==)

[coworkingspacesinmumbai]

Office Space for Rent in Andheri East, Mumbai: Your Ultimate Guide

Coworking Spaces in Andheri East

Are you on the lookout for the perfect office space for rent in Andheri East, Mumbai? Whether you're a startup, an established company, or a freelancer, finding the right office space can significantly impact your productivity and business success. Andheri East, known for its bustling commercial activity, offers a variety of options to cater to diverse professional needs. In this blog, we'll explore the benefits and options of coworking spaces in Andheri East, dedicated office spaces, and shared office spaces in this prime location.

Why Choose Andheri East for Your Office Space?

Andheri East has emerged as one of Mumbai's leading business districts, thanks to its strategic location and well-developed infrastructure. Here are some key reasons why Andheri East is an excellent choice for renting office spaces:

Excellent Connectivity: Andheri East is well-connected by road, rail, and air. It is close to the Western Express Highway, the Andheri railway station, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. This makes it convenient for employees and clients to commute.

Vibrant Business Ecosystem: The area is home to numerous multinational corporations, IT companies, financial institutions, and media houses. This bustling business ecosystem provides ample networking opportunities and a dynamic environment for professionals.

Amenities and Infrastructure: Andheri East boasts world-class amenities, including premium office buildings, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and healthcare facilities. This ensures a comfortable and convenient working environment for your team.

Exploring Office Space Options in Andheri East

Coworking Spaces in Andheri East

Coworking spaces in Andheri East have gained immense popularity due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. These spaces offer a collaborative environment where individuals and companies from various industries work under one roof. Here's why you should consider coworking spaces:

Flexible Terms: Coworking spaces offer flexible rental plans ranging from daily to monthly memberships. This is ideal for startups and freelancers who may not want to commit to long-term leases.

Networking Opportunities: The shared environment encourages networking and collaboration, allowing you to connect with like-minded professionals and potential partners.

State-of-the-Art Facilities: Most coworking spaces are equipped with modern amenities such as high-speed internet, conference rooms, ergonomic furniture, and recreational areas.

Dedicated Office Spaces in Andheri East

If you prefer a more private and exclusive working environment, dedicated office spaces in Andheri East are an excellent choice. These spaces provide you with your own office area, ensuring privacy and a quiet atmosphere. Key benefits include:

Customization: You can customize the space to reflect your brand's identity and culture.

Security: Dedicated offices typically offer enhanced security measures, giving you peace of mind.

Professional Image: Having a dedicated office space in a prestigious location like Andheri East adds credibility to your business and impresses clients.

Shared Office Space in Andheri East

Shared office space in Andheri East is a cost-effective solution that combines the benefits of coworking and dedicated offices. In a shared office setup, multiple companies share a large office space while maintaining separate work areas. Here's why shared offices are worth considering:

Cost Savings: Sharing office space allows you to split the costs of rent, utilities, and other expenses, making it an economical choice.

Collaborative Environment: While you have your own workspace, the shared layout fosters interaction and collaboration among different teams.

Access to Facilities: Enjoy access to communal facilities such as meeting rooms, lounges, and kitchen areas without the burden of upkeep.

Tips for Finding the Perfect Office Space in Andheri East

Finding the right office space for rent in Andheri East requires careful consideration. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:

Define Your Needs: Determine your space requirements, budget, and desired amenities. This will narrow down your options and make the search more efficient.

Visit Multiple Locations: Schedule visits to different coworking spaces, dedicated offices, and shared spaces to get a feel of the environment and facilities.

Check Lease Terms: Review the lease terms carefully, focusing on the duration, rent escalation clauses, and additional costs.

Consider Future Growth: Choose a space that can accommodate your future growth. It's better to have slightly more space than you currently need rather than moving frequently.

Seek Professional Help: Engage with real estate agents or property consultants who specialize in the Andheri East commercial market. They can provide valuable insights and assistance.

Conclusion

Andheri East offers a plethora of options for office spaces, catering to the diverse needs of businesses and professionals. Whether you opt for coworking spaces, dedicated offices, or shared office spaces in Andheri East, you're sure to find a space that suits your requirements. By choosing this prime location, you can enjoy excellent connectivity, top-notch amenities, and a vibrant business ecosystem that propels your venture towards success.

Ready to make the move? Explore the possibilities and set

[twilightmalachite]

Machina - Epilogue 1

Author: Kino Seitaro (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Shu, Sora, Makoto

Translator: Mika Enstars

"We’ve had a painful experience due to equipment troubles before… Oshi-san didn’t say anything, but he seemed to be worried."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: ES Live Stage Backstage

A couple weeks later, backstage at the venue for Valkyrie’s live…

Sora: HaHa~, HiHi~, HuHu~!

There’s so many things backstars, it’s exciting looking at them~!

Makoto: It’s dangerous if you move around too much, Harukawa-kun!

There’s a lot of video equipment in the area, even the slightest touch can shift their positions. It might be best to sit tight for a while.

Sora: Ah, Sora didn’t mean to get so excited!

Sora never expected to be called to work backstage with everyone! It’s way different than the backstages for Switch, so it’s really interesting~! ♪

Makoto: Ahaha, I also thought “there’s no way” when I first heard, too! The theme for Valkyrie’s live here is the fusion of digital technology and art.

The game company had apologized for what happened in the Test World.

That led to a strange sequence of events that ended up with them requesting the game company to be in charge of the live video.

Sora: But thanks to it, now Sora and the others can also work with the latest technology! It’s a win-win!

There’s a lot of expensive equipment being lent that most people normally cannot get their hands on, so Sora’s looking forward to seeing what kind of live this will be~! ♪

Mika: Nnah, Sora-kun, Mako-kun, thanks for yer hard work! So the both of ya are backstage, huh? I thought ya had already returned to the reserved guest’s seats!

Thank ya fer helpin’ bring in all that equipment. The staff said that they couldn’t have done it without ya~!

Sora: Nah, Sora also feels bad for the trouble Sora caused Mika-chan-san. So it’s an apology~!

At the start it helped Mika-chan-san get out of his slump, but in the end it turned into something amazing!

Makoto: That seriously was a super-mega raid battle, wasn’t it~?

It was fun in it’s own way, but it’s undeniable your efforts haven’t been rewarded. So the least I can do is to help out a little.

…What can I say, I’m just an equipment geek interested in live performances that utilize the latest technology. So I’m sorry for mixing up my public and private life, I guess?

Mika: Nah, no worries, no worries. We’re a household of two, so any help we can get is greatly appreciated!

Besides, it’s all thanks to the Test World I got to become savvy with the digital. I’m glad I was able t’experience both the good and the bad! ♪

Sora: HeHe~, then Sora’s glad too~!

And it looks like Mika-chan-san’s all changed into his outfit for the performance too, everything’s all ready to go~! ♪

Mika: Mhm, and Oshi-san gave me perfect maintenance, so I’m all good to go!

If anythin’, I’m more worried ‘bout the equipment. We’ve had a painful experience due to equipment troubles before… Oshi-san didn’t say anything, but he seemed to be worried.

So I thought to do a final check before all preparations are finished. You can never be too sure ‘bout things like this, can ya?

Makoto: That’s right. It’s easy to get carried away with something new and not think about the risks involved.

…Wait, why am I saying that? I’m the guy in Trickstar who always feels like he’s gotta come up with new things!

Sora: Rest assured! Switch is always enthusiastic about new ventures!

As long as Sora and Yuuki-sense~ are here, all equipment troubles will be prevented from happening~! ☆

Mika: Ahaha, yer right, yer very reliable.

You’ve been a real help, no kiddin’. It’s thanks to the help of all sort’sa people that we Valkyrie are able to further our own pursuit in art.

If ya could watch our live to the very end, I’d be real happy. ♪

Shu: Kagehira, it’s about time to begin. Don’t go and relax, you must keep a sense of tenseness.

This live, Machina… Will be a live with a new song based on our experience of the virtual world.

The stage production involves a number of monitors, so this live will require more control than usual.

Mika: Ahaha, I’ll do my best, do dont’cha worry, Oshi-san!

Shu: Hmph. You’ll lose your footing if you’re able to talk lightheartedly like that.

Well, I shall trust your autonomy here. You are no longer someone who is constantly chasing me.

With autonomy comes responsibility. So you must work harder than ever.

Mika: Nnah~… That’s different than what ya usually say, Oshi-san.

Well, that makes it easier fer me too. With yer eyes shining, Oshi-san, I can stand up straight, y’know?

Let’s create a performance of wonderful art, Oshi-san! ♪

Shu: Yes, and I’ll be living up to the theme this time too.

To control, to direct, and to express all—Not even a god upon a machine shall be able to get in the way.

[ ☆ ]

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[singlesablog]

The Synthesizer “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” (1981) Daryl Hall & John Oates RCA Records (Written by Sara Allen, Daryl Hall, John Oates) Highest U.S. Billboard Chart Position – No. 1

Released in 1981 and hitting No. 1 at the beginning of 1982, one of the most forward-looking pop singles ever still retains a lot of its mystery.  I have been all over the archives and it is impossible to locate the synthesizers on the song (especially the chimed ringing keyboard sounds that float over the top) but one of the definites is the deployment of an early, boxy, primitive drum machine called the Roland CompuRhythm CR-78.  The apocryphal story is that Daryl Hall flipped the switch to the first setting, Rock 1, and immediately started to write the song.  The band gathered around and quickly filled in the gaps, and the song was finished in a couple of hours.  The lyrics center around the insane demands of their record company at the time, which Hall kept general so they could be reinterpreted, and because they were starting that wild ride of fame where material gets thinner because you are working all of the time, one uses what is closest to them, OR, because he was entering the Refusenik phase, where, as George Michael would evidence, one starts to complain about Uber fame, and say No Go.

This is the second post where upon close inspection it is the drum sound that signals the future.  I had always enjoyed the perfection of the song as an example of synthesizers in the studio, but what I can understand now is that the song is really an example of more than a decade of fine tuning and distilling the many musical influences, especially Philly Soul, into this new poppier one.  It may be no accident that this very same drum machine opens 1980’s “Kiss on My List”, which announced this new leaner sound for Daryl Hall and John Oates (their preferred band name), and the record they were recording, Private Eyes, was to shine this up to a high luster.  

Nothing can truly unwrap the unique quality of “I Can’t Go”.  It can’t have hurt that Sara Allen, Hall’s paramour, added her pop touches to the tune (she is an unsung and pivotal part of their pop success in the 80s as their co-songwriter), but what makes its special is the attack: spare to the bone, like the Roland drum machine that inspired it, everything pinned down to its meanest parts: drums, a lone guitar line, a sax solo, and Hall's (and Oates') super lean, dubbed vocals on top. Is it a new wave song, a pop song, or a soul song?  It is hard to disassemble, but what is certain is that it hit No.1 on both the Billboard and the R&B charts, which certainly adds to their mystique and credibility.  It is also on the record that while recording “We Are the World” Michael Jackson admitted to Hall that he cribbed the bassline for “Billie Jean” from the hit, by which Hall was amazed and flattered, never having noticed the similarities before.  In this day some lawyer would sue for the fun of it, but it should be a rule that one good song should in part inspire many others, and that there is room for a lot of players at that table.  For a song as good as this one, I doubt it could ever occur twice anyway.

“I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” hit the No. 1 spot for one lonely week at the end of January in 1982.  By comparison “Ebony and Ivory” (a truly awful song) stayed on top for 2 months, and “Eye of The Tiger” for 6 weeks, proving the adage that only time will really tell you anything about anything.  

Many bands utilized this early Roland drum machine, most notably its early use with the sped up (Bossa Nova?) noises that open Blondie’s“Heart of Glass” (1979) and it’s prominent presence on Phil Collin’s eternal hit “In The Air Tonight" (1981).

[my-mt-heart]

Hey MT! Marketing anon again. I noticed a couple of questions around AMC not announcing Melissa’s return and their S11 Caryl crumb tactics—so I figured I’ll add more thoughts. Again this is just my speculation from a marketing perspective. Take it if it resonates, or leave it if it does not. ❤️

Here are my thoughts on the announcement: I’m sure they anticipate Melissa trending on her birthday and the premiere in June. So if they plan on making an official announcement, it may be near one or both days to help them generate more buzz. 

But I read somewhere that CP and the stand-in with Melissa’s description are shooting on May 11th. If Melissa is present on a location that isn't private, then I’m not sure how they’ll hide her from fans. So it's also possible that they'll announce her return before any unofficial photos can get out.

I’m sure AMC understands the damage it will do to their reputation if the photos come from anyone but them. Anyone—even Norman. I don’t believe they’ll allow him to post unofficial confirmation when they can rebuild some of our trust by announcing and “doing the right thing” first.

Here is my speculation on their marketing tactics: I think they understand that the situation is different now than in S11. Because if they didn’t, I don’t think we would have received a single drop of news about Melissa. The intentionally vague mentions of her from the cast/crew keep us generating buzz and building that hype. Which means they’re moving away from triggering fears to lean more into the audience's desires. And possibly gauging the reactions. 

I believe in March-April, they were building the level of awareness in the audience to take them from “she’s never coming back” to “Melissa is involved somehow”. Because the trust is extremely low, and they need to rebuild it first. Now most fans are starting to believe she’s involved somehow. So if they announce now, the reaction won’t immediately be disbelief or a demand for more proof. But fans will mostly get excited about the official confirmation and go into FOMO mode. 

I’ll elaborate. It is very possible they may lean on what we call Fear of Missing Out, aka FOMO marketing. Many companies use this technique. If they announce her return, I think the official trailer will follow shortly after. And if S1 episodes drop AFTER the official confirmation of Melissa’s involvement, then peer pressure will generate buzz for them—because we’ll see endless tempting (Caryl-centric) clips, stills, analyses, tweets, teasers, and edits on SM. 

At this point, whoever posts a picture or definitive news of Melissa instantly gets a boost in trust and reputation. I’m sure AMC understands the damage it will do to their reputation if the photos come from anyone but them. Yes, even Norman. I know they defended him from harassment (and not their female actresses *eyeroll*) in the past, but I don’t believe they’ll allow that boost to go to him when they can benefit financially from it first. 

If the announcement does come through before the show airs, it may be vague. It could even be a Carol teaser (which will make a stronger impact than a news blurb tbh). However they announce it, they'll try to maintain the "big surprise" element before she’s revealed on the show. And it may mean they're confident in their storytelling to hold Carylers' attention (because they could hide her till the last minute if they really wanted to).

I leave you with this: Please remember that your feelings are valid, and falling for these techniques only makes you human. Marketing is meant to appeal to the audience's emotions. It just sucks that there are unethical ways of utilizing it.

If you ever feel the urge to direct your ire at people connected to the show who are just trying to do their job or keep their job (or lost their job)—please remember that AMC is the reason we lost the Caryl spinoff. So they’re the ones that have to fix it. Getting Melissa and Caryl back is just the start. 

I hope this helps somehow. Caryl on. ❤️

Hi again :) Thanks for coming back to share more of your thoughts. I think a lot of this makes sense, and it would be nice if AMC started steering away from fear tactics because my guess is it's just going to backfire. Like you said, the trust is too low (for good reasons). And also like you said, it's unethical. Always has been, but especially after last year. Actually, it says a lot about what they think of S1 if they have to trick people into watching it xP

I hope AMC "does the right thing" by confirming Melissa is filming so we can stay hyped for S2 at least, but I completely agree it's just the start. I want riveting storytelling for Carol and Caryl, not just ploy after ploy.