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arse-blathanna · 7 years ago

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Fight or Flight - [1/1]

[Ao3]

Fic Summary: After Locus disappeared during a movie night, Wash and Carolina took it upon themselves to figure out where he'd gone. The problem was that A'rynasea is fast, and getting Locus to come back would be an effort in itself.

Rating: T

Series: Reduced Polarities part 4

Relationships: Agent Washington/Locus, Agent Carolina & Agent Washington

Characters: Agent Washington, Agent Carolina, Locus

Tags: Running Away, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Sharing a Bed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 7,773

Author’s Notes: I hate editing. Thank you for reading!

Everyone knew that Locus was doing his best to adjust to life with the Reds and Blues on the Retirement Moon. There was something about it that just seemed to sit wrong with him- perhaps the inaction or the social aspect of being around the Reds and Blues.

No matter how hard Locus seemed to be trying, there was still something that wasn’t working. Wash hadn't been the only one to notice it. Locus would shut himself off from the others, or would skip meals or otherwise try to keep his distance as much as he could. If he trained, or ate, or slept, it was always alone.

[Read it on Ao3]

To some, that was merely a frustrating consequence to having Locus around which they assumed would lessen with time. After all, Carolina and Wash had gone through the same thing before adapting and learning to live with the madness. Eventually Locus would come around too.

That didn’t make the time any less frustrating. It was a process which only seemed to slow and slow, never crawling towards Locus really letting himself fit.

For Wash, it was becoming incredibly difficult to work with.

It wasn't as though they weren't trying to be there for Locus or reaching out for him. It wasn't as though Locus was just being left to flounder on his own, and it certainly wasn't as though they were forcing him into things. If anything, they had given him far more room than he had ever truly deserved.

Wash understood it though. The reluctance that Locus was living with was coming from a very real place, Locus obviously treating the rest of them like glass because he knew that one screw-up was likely to end up being the difference between freedom and a likely death penalty to be served on Chorus. Even with due process and appeals, he’d be looking at spending the rest of his life in prison- assuming that nobody got to him before the executioner did.

The only problem was that it was hard figuring out whether Locus was being genuine or whether he was making an effort to separate himself from them even more. Whether or not it was introversion or aversion was something that Wash thought that maybe only Grif had been able to figure out.

And even then, he couldn’t be entirely sure, because if there was anything that Locus worked exceptionally hard to do, it was that he tried to keep whatever he was thinking and feeling locked up as tight as he could. Being in armor helped, and when Locus’ own flesh and blood face would betray him, seclusion would not.

For the rest of them, the world simply kept on spinning. Wash went through his daily routines the same way that he would normally, and everyone else would do the same. The Red's activities had changed a little bit to accommodate for Locus' presence, but with Locus keeping his distance that didn't matter so much.

Friday night came around and Tucker demanded a movie night, while the others came along happily for it (even if there was some grumbling about Tucker choosing Reservoir Dogs yet again). Wash decided to go because the chance to unwind seemed nice. It was a bit of time off from the nonsense that had filled their days. When he got there, Wash realized that Locus hadn't made an appearance.

Grif had even gone off to get him, which normally would have at least gotten Locus to come out for a bit, but Locus had insisted on being left alone.

That was when Wash knew that he should have realized that something was wrong.

One hour and thirty nine minutes later, he left the base and saw that A'rynasea was gone. Ever since Locus had decided to stop and join them, the ship hadn't moved, not even once. Locus would spend some of his time there around it, but actual plans to leave had been absent. Wash had suspected that Locus slept onboard sometimes, but that was as far as anything had gone.

There wasn't even a sign that it had been cloaked, just a patch of brown sun-starved grass where it had been sitting for so long.

Thousands of possibilities ran through Wash's mind. Locus could have run to abandon them, he could have run with the intent of going back to mercenary work, he could have done anything. He could have gone back to Chorus to turn himself in but if that was the case, then Kimball would have called to let them know what was happening.

Panicked and worried, Wash sprinted to Carolina's room on pure instinct. She was inside, sitting on her bed and painting her toenails a familiar shade of blue. Somehow that was something that Wash had never been able to imagine from her- it didn't feel like the Carolina that he knew.

"Locus is gone." He gasped out, skidding on the floor a little bit and bracing himself against the door. "I don't know what's going on."

Carolina startled and shot to attention, accidentally tipping the bottle of robins egg blue paint over. It splashed onto the floor, likely to leave behind a color that she’d never be able to make go away. She gave the spill an annoyed look before asking. "He left?"

"His ship is gone," Wash explained, "And he was acting... weird, earlier."

"Dammit." Carolina groaned as she stood up. "Have you tried his room yet?"

She walked over to Wash's side and grabbed his arm, tugging him along with her as the two of them begin on the way to Red Base. Wash couldn’t help but feel bad knowing that her painted toes were going to be ruined by the time that they get there. She hadn’t even bothered to put on sandals.

"I came as soon as I realized he was gone." Washington explained, keeping pace with Carolina. "It felt urgent because since he got here he has never moved his ship."

"Right." Carolina said, closing a fist and pounding on the door to Red Base, perhaps a tad too aggressively.

Inside, Wash could already hear Sarge shouting about dirty blues, and really wants to bash his own head against a wall because of it. The good thing about the Reds is that some things were delegated.

Simmons was the one to get the door.

"Hello?" He asked, looking between the two of them. "We aren't interested in a surrender today."

"That isn't why we're here." Carolina growled at him. "Is Locus here?"

Simmons blinked, standing up tall and looking much more than just a little bit unsure of himself. "I haven't seen him. Whatever this is, I'm guessing it's important?"

"Very." Wash explained. "Could we please come in?" ‘

Simmons turned and announced their presence, which meant that Sarge was probably going to be keeping an eye on them for the entire time that they were there. That was something that Wash really didn’t want to have to deal with, but if that was what it took to get information, then he’d tolerate it.

But once he was finished Simmons just stepped out of the way, leaving Carolina and Wash to beeline towards Locus’ room in the hopes of finding him.

The door was closed. Wash walked up to it and banged his fist against it, knowing already that Locus wasn't going to be there to open it. He couldn’t just let the issue lie, though. He needed to do what he could and check, just in case A’rynasea had only been relocated to a different spot. It could have just been taken to be cleaned, or on a short flight to check that the engines were in working order.

Wash knew that was unlikely. He knew that the more real possibility was that Locus had taken his ship, and he’d left them without a word or so much as a goodbye.

A minute passed and Carolina swore under her breath before grabbing at the door handle and turning it forcefully.

Locus had left the door unlocked, which was definitely odd for him. What Wash knew about Locus was that when it came to his personal life and his personal thoughts and affects, it was all kept carefully closed away where nobody else could intrude. Leaving a door unlocked was very uncharacteristic of the man that he knew.

He'd only been in Locus' own space a few times, but he had never really learned that much from it. Locus made a point not to have many personal affects around, probably because he was so used to having to go from place to place without any chance to ever settle down. It was possible that there were other issues that kept Locus from letting himself have those things, but Washington had never asked. Pushing Locus probably wouldn't have helped and would have only made him close himself off more.

When Wash pushed the door open, he wished that he could have felt surprised by what he found. It was Locus’ room, but the blanket and pillow that he had allowed himself had been stripped away. The crate that Wash knew Locus kept his things in was gone, and it left the room looking the exact same way as it had when Locus had first moved into it.

That, more than anything else, confirmed Wash’s worst fears.

Carolina set a hand on his shoulder, doing what she could to comfort without saying anything extra. Wash closed the door, since he had his doubts that anything would have been left behind for any of their sakes. Locus had just left, out of nowhere, and he had done it because-

Well, he didn’t know. He did know that if this was going to work, then he needed to be willing to go out there and try and find Locus.

Carolina and his eyes met, and just like that, the beginnings of a plan were in place.

The two of them hurried out of Red Base before starting the conversation on what they were supposed to do. Wash and Carolina both knew the way that things were with the Reds and Blues all too well. If they said too much in a place with prying ears, it would probably start a panic. Or a crusade. Or some sort of strange rumor.

"We need to find him." Carolina said, before Wash even got a chance to get involved. It made him jump a little bit.

"We do." Washington replied, furrowing his brow and pursing his lips. What he knew about Locus' ship was that it was almost unnecessarily fast. If Locus had wanted to be gone, then he was long gone. And had probably did something to cut their ways of contacting him in the process.

A constantly breaking down Pelican which had been in one too many crashes like they had wasn't likely to be able to do the job that Wash needed it to be able to.

"I'm going to call Kimball." Carolina said, holding her head up high.

Wash startled even more at that, because the absolute last thing that they needed to do here was give Locus more reasons to run. "Why-"

"We need a faster ship." Carolina answered before Wash could even get a second word out into the open air between them. "And Vanessa will be willing to offer us something."

"And if she asks questions?"

"We received a distress signal and wanted to check it out." Carolina concluded, blinking and staring into the distance for a moment. "It might not hurt to start preparing for a trip, Wash."

Wash swallowed hard and nodded before rushing off to his own room and beginning to gather his armor. Besides that he didn't actually know what he'd need aside from perhaps a weapon or two- and that was assuming that they both found Locus and he decided that he was going to fight. Wash didn't know what they were going to find, even if they did.

A part of him sincerely dreaded finding out. He'd spoken to Locus enough to at least have an inkling of what was usually going on in his head- and what was going on in his head was never good.

He rushed through the packing process, let Tucker and Caboose know that he and Carolina needed to try and take care of something off planet, and rushed to Carolina's room. When he got there, she was just hanging up from the call with Kimball, and was half-armored.

"Ready?"

"She's going to be here soon." Carolina said, shrugging. She picked up her grappling hook gun, considering it for a moment before putting on the most shit-eating smirk that Wash had seen from her in a long time. "I hope you remember how to use a jetpack."

Wash went pale, bad memory rushing back all at once. "Of course I do."

"We might need it." Carolina explained, sighing. "If we find him."

Washington took a breath because that was really on the top of his list of things that he didn’t want to deal with at all. Carolina was probably right though- if they found Locus’ ship, they weren’t likely to get him to just let them on board. And they’d need a way to get to his ship anyways, since it was unlikely that they’d be meeting on the ground.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

The ship that Carolina had requested arrived just on time. Carolina ended up taking over the controls of the ship, which left Wash as the co-pilot seeking out any sign of A’rynasea on their tracking and radar systems. He wasn't expecting to get anything significant, since Locus was likely to just hide everything away from view anyways, just like he would in person.

Carolina made the verdict that they should go into orbit around the moon first. It wasn't likely that Locus would be there, but it was something that they could try. At the very least, Locus would have had to been there for a little while if he did truly go off planet.

"Carolina?" Wash asked, somewhere in the middle of their fifth hour of flight. He wasn't comfortable and he wasn't happy It was a good thing that armor was basically home for him at this point in his life. If it wasn't, he was sure that he would have been pretty unhappy.

"What is it, Wash?"

"Do you think we're actually going to find Locus?"

There was a moment of quiet, Carolina clearly deep in thought as she stared straight on ahead of them. "I don't think we will." She shook her head, frowning. "When Locus doesn't want to be found, he won't be. You know that as well as I do."

"I guess I just can't believe he's gone."

A year and a half before, that was something that Wash never would have said. He never would have even thought it, really. The time that they spent away from Locus definitely outnumbered the amount with him around by a significant margin. Even when Locus was with them it was rare that he actually spent time with them.

Carolina let out a heavy sigh. "You know that you can tell me what's... going on. Whatever it is."

"I don't know." Washington admitted, his voice quiet. "If I could tell you I would, but Locus is..."

"Different?"

"Yeah." Washington blinked. He wished that he could feel secure enough on the ship to be able to take off his helmet. "He left so suddenly. Grif didn't seem to know anything, and it was like the Reds hadn't even noticed."

Carolina nodded, slow and sure, like she was trying to go over the information in her head so that she could parse out something. She was as aware of Locus' reclusive habits as anyone. Even if she didn't really do much to try and get into Locus' life or schedule, she knew.

The silence filled the room, as wide and empty as the void of space that surrounded their little ship. Wash wanted to be content in it, but couldn't, so he just looked back down at the ship's radar.

Off in the distance, there was a little red blip. Silent and without any signs of life or motion. "Carolina-"

"What is it?"

"Picked up something on radar. Could be something, might not be."

Carolina snapped her head over in Wash's direction and looked down at the radar for herself. With her left hand, Carolina pressed down on a small button before tapping on the blip to set the ship's autopilot. "We'll get ready."

"Should we attempt to make contact?"

"Not until we're in range. If it's Locus, he might not answer though." Carolina shrugged a little bit over that.

"What makes you sure?"

"Locus isn’t exactly like the talkative type." Carolina mumbled. “That was Felix’s thing.”

Really, the worst part of it was that while what Carolina had said was horribly reductive, she was correct. Wash took a deep breath and stared at that blip on the radar again, letting it bore itself into his memory. “I just want to find him. Before something happens.”

There is something there in the way that Carolina went dead quiet. Wash felt some guilt for it- he’d probably managed to drag up some old memories and feelings that Carolina would have preferred left forgotten. While Wash knew that apologies might be in order later on, he didn’t care that much. Priorities.

“I know.” Carolina finally whispered back. The ship sped up, and Wash just watched, and watched, and watched, in the hopes that they had indeed found who and what they were looking for.

As they drew closer, Wash took a breath and looked up. He could almost feel a wave of relief at the recognition of the ship. At the very least, it was of the same make and model of Locus’ A'rynasea. That doesn't seem to mean that much since Wash can't really say that he'd seen one before Locus had first dragged him onto it while he’d bled from the neck.

The gold-orange glow of the lights managed to be almost comforting, even then.

Less comforting was the fact that Locus' ship seemed to just be floating there in the dead of space. At the very least its engines were off. Whether it was being manned was less of a sure thing.

Wash reached for the little radio on the ship that he and Carolina had taken and tried to make contact. "This is the-" He looked over at the little registration plate on the corner of the dashboard. "Wren 57D, attempting contact. Do you read? Over."

The radio was dead silent, and Carolina shot him a look that would have shaken him to silence when he was younger and still in Project Freelancer. Wash shook his head and just committed himself to waiting until a response came, staticy like there had been an attempt made at using vocal masking, but without any of the necessary resources to do so.

"This is A'rynasea. Over."

"This is Agent Washington of the Wren requesting permission to board." Wash winced a little bit. He knew that playing his cards so openly was probably only going to end poorly for him and Carolina. But this was Locus, and Wash was fairly certain that he knew Locus. Honesty would likely only carry them further.

The silence was deafening.

"Over." Wash added hurriedly, just in case Locus was looking for that sort of military propriety. Perhaps he needed it to feel like a more professional situation rather than what appeared to simply be a personal matter.

"Denied. Over."

"Locus, please-" Wash gripped onto the radio transceiver a little too tightly. "I'll come alone. I just want to talk." Once again, he was only met with silence for a long moment before he took the time to rush out the "Over."

"You shouldn't have come." Locus said back over the radio, but Wash could hear something in his tone that was almost akin to desperation. "I am going to ask that you leave."

"So that you can do what, Locus?" Wash snapped back, almost regretting it in the process. "Please, let me come over there. If we're going to do this, I'd rather that be done somewhere private. I just want to talk."

"Fine." Locus hanged up abruptly, and Wash groaned because he couldn't exactly pretend like he didn’t know what was about to come.

Carolina sighed quietly and turned away from him, and Wash could hear her rifling through the crate of supplies that they'd brought along. When Carolina held out the jetpack for him to take, Wash groaned because jetpack flight was something that he still really hated.

Mostly because even through everything, nobody had ever told him what happened to Georgia. And the only thing that he'd gotten out of using jetpacks was a bad reputation involving grappling hooks and his own genitalia, and then an exorbitant amount of teasing after the fact.

It occurred to Wash for just a moment that Locus might not have been familiar with that particular story. He tried not to dwell on it too much as he strapped on the jetpack though, since he had priorities and couldn’t count out the possibility of A’rynasea just speeding off before he could even unboard.

Either Locus would leave, or Locus was expecting him. Either way, Wash knew one thing about A'rynasea which was for certain.

That ship wasn't like most ships. It was high tech in an almost scary way, and managed to always burn much hotter than anything else that Wash had encountered. His armor would shield him, but Wash wasn't sure what he was going to run into when he got there.

Washington walked over to the door, and activated his grav boots. When he glanced over at Carolina, he saw that she had done the same, steady blue glow formed around her feet.

"Are you ready, Wash?"

"I think so." Washington replied, taking a deep breath of recycled oxygen. "I'll have my radio on, but I won't be sending anything back to you unless I have permission. I get the feeling that whatever is happening-"

"It might be personal?"

"Something like that." Wash replied, shrugging. "Whenever you're ready for me to go."

"Take your time." Carolina answered before hitting a button next to the door that will lead to the tiny depressurization chamber. "I'm not going to rush you."

Wash nodded and stepped in. The door closed behind him in a single automated motion and Wash was glad that his armor was able to regulate the air pressure in his helmet so his ears didn’t pop. Once the chamber was completely ready, Washington watched the door open up in front of him and expose him to the openness of space.

Wash hesitated for a moment, taking his time to steel himself for what was to come. With one fluid motion, he pushed off from his and Carolina’s ship and decided to let himself drift forward for as long as he could before he finally decided that using the jetpack was even necessary. Just like he’d been trained, Wash used it only for slight boosts and course correction. Any more was overkill.

Out in the open, it wasn’t as obvious just how far A’rynasea actually was from them. That wasn’t to say that Wash wasn’t confident that he could make it, but he also didn’t know how he was supposed to get onto the ship without using a ramp. He’d certainly never seen Locus use any other way before. When Locus used the ship, it was like a door would just appear from nothing.

Wash turned on his radio and tried to reach Locus’ personal channel. “I’m approaching.” He said calmly. “I hope that you have a way to get me on.”

Nothing else came on from Locus’ end, but Wash watched as A’rynasea turned and set into a very slow motion, Locus clearly taking great care to ensure that Wash couldn’t get hit or hurt. The ship flew over him, and when Wash saw the light appear he realized just how Locus’ ship actually worked. The magnetic tug was harsh, but Wash grit his teeth and let himself be dragged along.

He ended up being warped into one of the larger parts of Locus’ ship. It had been some time since Wash had last been inside of A’rynasea. There was a small stack of boxes off to the side, the things that Locus had taken with him instead of leaving them at Red Base. Wash was sure that there was some more hidden away which had never even made it off of the ship.

Locus was there, tired and halfway out of his armor. He looked almost sad, and Wash wished that he knew why.

He thought back to his promise to Carolina, sighed, and pulled off his own helmet so that it could feel more like he and Locus were on even ground.

"You shouldn't have come." Locus repeated, turning away and looking to the front of his ship. He began to walk, while Wash let himself follow after.

"I felt like I needed to." Washington explained, shrugging. "The only other one that knows that you left is Carolina."

"Then it won't be long until-" Locus hesitated, took a breath, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You should go back to them."

"So should you." Washington said, feeling a slight spike of anger at it all. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on in Locus' head, but as things were at the moment, he didn't know. Wash didn't think that he wasn't going to be able to figure it out at all- but it was probably going to be like pulling teeth to figure it out.

"No." Locus mumbled. "I shouldn't."

Wordlessly and without giving Wash too much attention, Locus seated himself in the pilot's seat of A'rynasea. For a second, Wash could have sworn that he'd seen the little orange glow of an AI, but it was snuffed out too quickly for him to be sure. Wash swallowed and approached the front of the ship, taking the seat beside Locus.

For a moment, Wash could have thought that he'd actually understood. Locus had spent his entire life with only room for one or two people other than himself. Perhaps he'd gotten scared and run off because he didn’t feel like had room for so many people. Locus had only had one person that he’d ever really talked about having before.

And that person was dead, flung off a tower on Chorus, little more than a bad memory.

"Why did you decide that you needed to leave?" Wash watched Locus' face, searching for any sign or any emotion. It was the only thing that would have been able to really give him away, Wash thought.

There was a slight quirk to Locus' eyebrows, and his perpetual frown deepened. "You all deserve better than to have me there."

“We liked having you there.” Wash answered Locus, truly and sincerely hoping that he was going to be able to get through to him. Even if Locus ended up leaving for whatever reason it was that had driven him away in the first place- Wash knew that he had to at least try. “And I mean all of us.”

“Are you just here to try and make me come back?" Locus backed away from Wash, and it was easy enough to see the nervousness on his face. If anything, the one emotion that Wash was really able to get out of Locus' face is pure distrust. Just then, Wash finally realized exactly what Locus was thinking.

What had he thought it would have looked like? Him and Carolina, on a ship that they'd gotten from Chorus and was probably registered there- there was no way that hadn't flown under the radar. If he were there in Locus’ place, Wash knew he would have been able to say what he would have been thinking himself.

It looked more like an arrest attempt than a genuine attempt to make someone come home.

"Yes." Washington mumbled, tilting his head down. "But it isn't... because you left. Or because we want to do something to you."

"Then why-"

"Because we care about you." Washington cut Locus off before he could get a chance to go on and make it worse for himself. "And we wanted to know what made you want to leave."

"You won't-"

"Understand?"

"Yes."

"What makes you so sure that I won't?" Wash watched Locus' face. The entire time since he arrived on A’rynasea, he'd kept his eyes and his attention as closely glued to Locus as he could possibly manage. This is a situation where he couldn't afford to miss any facial cues. Locus wasn't great when it came to social situations to begin with, it would be too easy for him to once again slip through the cracks on some detail.

Wash didn’t want to risk it going both ways.

Locus' silence spoke for itself. He offered no explanation, just stared out into the vastness of space ahead of them like that was what he actually wanted.

"Is it about Felix?"

"Yes." Locus mumbled, eyes flicking away. "And no." He looked down at his hands, folded them together. They're bare, just like his face. Wash had never really noticed just how badly scarred they were before, especially not the large Xs that were slashed into the backs of them. Far from accidental, full of intent. "It's... difficult to explain."

Wash blinked. It reminded him of Carolina, the way that she liked to keep people at arm's length because of what had happened in their past. Perhaps Locus was the same way. Wash knew that Locus had probably been in the military or at war for close to his entire life, but there were gaps in his story that he'd always chosen to keep quiet. Either way, it wasn’t a way to create healthy or regular bonds.

He reached over and touched Locus' hand, hopeful that at least touching him could have been enough to get him to open up. Instead, Locus tensed significantly under his fingertips, hands clenched together far too tight.

"You aren't used to staying in one place, are you?" Wash asked instead, since he was sure that he could wind his way back to the topic of Felix eventually. That was still a horrible mess of feelings that he knew Locus had been avoiding for a fact. Or rather, he'd been dodging the topic because it seemed like he was afraid to give something up.

"I can't say that I am."

"Is that how it is with people too?"

Locus seemed to hesitate more about giving an answer to that question than he had to any other question. Really, it only did more to confirm Washington’s suspicions than it did to do anything else. It explained why Locus was so reluctant to try and bond with the rest of them, and why he often spent his nights on ships.

“I’ve only ever had one person. You know that.” Locus said finally, speaking slowly. “And he’s gone now. And I could have-” He shook his head. “He’s gone now.” He repeated the words, like they needed to be stressed.

Despite that, there was no anger or accusation in his voice. No acknowledgement as to the events that had led to Felix's death. Not even a further discussion because everything on the topic that had needed to be said was already out there.

At his side, Locus stared on ahead, not allowing himself to give Wash anything to show that he was vulnerable. He just focused on something that was definitely out there, but was also unidentifiable because it didn't really exist.

"And he's never coming back." Locus murmured after a long while.

Locus' eyes flicked down to the control console. He reached out over it, his hand hovering there over the maps. Washington felt his heart speed up at that. He didn’t think that Locus would just take the two of them and go like that. Carolina would have been too close behind on their trail, and there was no way that the other Reds and Blues wouldn't rally for the sake of fixing things themselves.

"I'm sorry." Wash said, but it only ended up leaving him feeling empty. The truth is that he’d never felt sorry for Felix, not for what happened. He was sorry that Locus had been left feeling so completely attached and even dependent on Felix for so long, and without any chance of reprieve. He was sorry that Locus was still in drift, hurting and feeling sorry for himself with no solutions to be found. Only memory.

"I have to leave." Locus mumbled, his expression too heavy. There were dark bags under his eyes, that would have needed some time to have been able to develop. Days worth, probably. How hadn't he noticed that Locus was in such bad shape? "To protect the rest of you."

"Protect." Wash repeated after Locus. "What is there that you think we need to be protected from? Hargrove and Charon are dealt with. Felix is gone. After what happened with Temple- which had nothing to do with you until you found us, we're probably going to vet our adventures a little better. Why do you feel like you need to-"

"Because you're here." Locus cut Wash off. "Everyone I ever end up close to ends up being... lost. I don't want to continue that trend."

"So you're just leaving."

Locus shrugged. "I figured it might have been easier not to drag out the process."

It was an explanation, that was true, but Wash couldn't help but feel like it still wasn't good enough. There were too many things missing, it felt wrong to be Locus' reason.

Later he would realize that it felt so wrong because it was a decision based on emotion rather than any sort of reasonable logic which Locus could have applied to it. Morality had nothing to do with it, nor did anything else. It was simply based on emotion and fear more than anything else.

"Do you really think this will... help?"

"No." Locus mumbled. "But it would be better that the rest of you aren't so involved with someone like... myself anyways. I know that none of you have forgotten."

And god, of all the times where Locus could have been right, why did it have to be that one?

Wash hadn’t forgotten the nature of Locus’ crimes. None of them had, aside from Caboose possibly, but whether Caboose remembered something wasn’t always the best measure to go by. That was something that Wash had learned long before.

“I understand that you’re afraid.” Wash sighed, running a hand through his hair in complete frustration. “And I know that… I can’t technically stop you from doing anything.”

Wash was pretty sure that Locus wouldn’t try to drive off with him still on board. Locus swallowed hard and looked down, shaking his head in a way that makes him seem even more resigned and unsure of himself than usual.

“Washington-” Locus mumbled. “I don’t wish to hurt any of you.”

“I know.” Wash replied. “But you’re going to anyways.” He swallowed hard, an obvious lump in his throat that he wasn't going to be able to ignore that easily. Wash felt a little like he was going to throw up. He needed to call Carolina and let her know how things were going, but he couldn't do that without also spooking Locus in the process.

"I know." Locus' hands balled into tight fists that probably left his fingernails digging into his palms. "But this is... for the better. It will keep any of you from paying for my crimes."

Wash looked out at the darkness of space that stretched out in front of them infinitely. Distant stars created small points of light, but they weren't enough to make the universe bright. It occurred to him briefly that this may have been the only way in which Locus could view anything. He lived surrounded in impenetrable darkness, and the bright spots-

He would actively run from.

Wash reached over for Locus' hand and caught his wrist. Locus went shock still the second that the contact was made. It was almost like he'd stopped breathing, just like that- all because of a single touch. "Locus."

The look that he got back from Locus was the only response. His eyes were storm grey and upset, wide and impossibly scared.

"I'm here because I don't want for you to leave us." Wash said as firmly as he could manage. "If you stay with us... things may not be great, but everyone seems to like having you around. The Reds, Caboose. Everyone."

"Yet you ignore yourself."

"I'm here. And Carolina’s on the ship that brought me here."

Wash tugged on Locus' arm, and Locus moved in closer to him, if only by increments. He didn't seem to be happy about it at all, but he also didn’t resist. "Please, just come back. You don't have to run like this. You're doing it because you're afraid and I understand that, but with us-"

The words that Wash wanted to say seemed to die on his tongue. It seemed like nothing he said would ever really be enough. "You'll be safe. And you can help to keep the rest of us safe."

Locus stared down at the spot where they're touching, and tugged his arm away from Wash. "I will never understand why you want this from me, Washington."

"Good." Wash said, because the discussions about understanding that the two of them used to have were things which he was glad to have strictly as a part of their past. "You don't need to understand. You just need to know that's the truth."

Locus squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head before taking a seat at the console again. Wash joined him, making sure to sit as close to Locus as he could. It wasn’t about making Locus uncomfortable, it was about giving him a way to be ground himself.

"All you have to do is turn the ship around, go back to the bases, and then everything will be fine." Wash explained calmly. "Nobody is coming looking for you. The guys probably don't even know that you're gone yet."

"And?"

"And that means that if you don't want to hurt them, you can get back without doing that." Washington leaned forward, to watch Locus' expressions as they came. "I know that I can't make you do anything. I don't think that after Chorus, anyone could. This isn't an order, this is a request. Come home."

Wash hadn't thought about how the Retirement Moon had become home to him. He didn't know if the others had come to think of it in that way yet either. It was just nice having a place where they didn’t feel like they had to run or fight.

"What happens if I do?"

"Nothing." Wash repeated. "I'm just going to request that you come back, and when you get back you actually try to be a part of the things that we do there. Come to movie nights, come to dinners with the rest of us. It might make things easier. I know that’s all stuff that you’ve heard before, but it’s still true."

Locus nodded, but he still didn't seem convinced. He was still keeping his gaze away from Wash, his expression too solemn and sad. "I don't know that I can."

"You just... have to try." Wash didn’t like that the old saying the only advice that he could think of to give to Locus. But it was also all that he actually had that he could even offer. "You show up and just... let yourself be a part of things. You don't have to live like all that matters is that you punish yourself. It's okay to want to be around people."

"I don't know." Locus mumbled, pulling his hands away from Washington and letting them reset down in his lap. He was fidgeting, in minute ways that Wash never would have been able to imagine Locus doing a year before. "I can't shake the feeling that... something will happen."

"Nothing's going to happen." Wash reassured Locus. "I promise you. As long as you're with us, I don't think that anyone is going to want to turn you in. The fact is that ever since you got back you've been... better. Amazingly better."

Locus shook his head again, exhaling slowly but still sounding too tense. "I don't feel better." His hands tensed in his lap again, balling back up into fists. "I just feel like...." He shook his head, and Wash realized then and there that this was one of those issues where Locus didn’t have the vocabulary to express the things he felt and worried about. "Like me. I feel like I am still broken. And that will not change."

"You don't have to feel that way."

"But that's what I feel." Locus mumbled. "I'm trying. But I don't know that I can. Because it’s never… enough. And it never will be."

He hadn't managed to get through to Locus in the ways that he'd been hoping. Wash sighed and just made sure to keep close to Locus and to keep Locus from feeling like he had to run. It just wasn't that easy when Locus was almost unwilling to listen.

"We're willing to help." Wash said, calmly and plainly. "You don't have to believe me. But you can come back and let us try."

Locus hesitated. "And if I need to go again?"

"Then I think that you know what will happen." Wash said as pointedly as he could manage. He didn’t want for the Reds and Blues to be put into a position where going after Locus was a need, but Washington wasn't sure that it would never end up that way. Whether they liked it or not, Locus was still a wanted man with horrific crimes to his nam. If he was just using them to rest before going on the run, then it would be dealt with in time. "But that doesn't have to."

"I know." Locus mumbled. He balled his hands into fists in front of him, staring down at them with the same cold grey eyes that somehow managed to be vulnerable and soft as they were hard and emotionless. "I'll come back."

"You don't want to, do you?"

"No." Locus admitted. "Not particularly. But it's probably for the better that I do. You're right."

Wash looked out into space again. He can see the ship that he and Carolina had taken. She'd steered it closer to A'rynasea, clearly looking to be able to corral the ship if necessary. It wouldn't be, but the effort seemed to mean enough just fine. He was going to have to make a call to her so that she knows it's safe to go.

Wash gently pat Locus' shoulder, squeezed it gently like it would be able to ground the man and remind him that he's really there. Locus needed that sometimes. "We can go whenever you're ready." Washington reassured Locus.

Locus nodded, expression carefully blank. He stared at the controls again, readied to reach out for them and use them, but hesitant in all of the wrong ways. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Locus squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, pained and upset. Washington gave his arm one last squeeze before going ahead and picking up his helmet. The sound of metal scraping quietly against the metal of the ship's dash startled Locus at least a little bit. Wash was sure to mumble an apology of sorts to Locus before putting the helmet on and calling Carolina.

Within an hour, the two of them were on the way back to the retirement moon.

For that first night back, Wash realized that Locus wasn't interested in going in and making his presence too well known again just yet. The two of them ended up bunking together on the tiny bed in the back of A'rynasea that Locus considered to be his home for what appeared to have been an extensive amount of time. Locus didn't sleep much. Under the bright glow of the alien ship, Washington couldn't get any sleep either. The possibility that Locus kept the ship so brightly lit intentionally crossed Wash's mind for a moment, but he chose not to dwell on it. There were a lot of things that were going on with Locus that Was knew would never be explained to him. Locus had managed to sleep though, even if it was only a little bit. Wash laid open-eyed and wide awake in the bunk, Locus slumbering silently and deathly still at his side. They bumped together in a few places, and Wash didn't want to leave. For a moment, he understood why Locus preferred A'rynasea over staying with the Reds. It was a spartan living that he had there on the ship, but it was also much more personal than Locus allowed anywhere else. Wash tried hard not to think about the little photo of Locus and three other friends pinned up near where the pillow is. One of the men on it is obviously Felix. The other two were people Wash didn't recognize, a couple. Their earlier conversation rang in Wash's head. A reminder of just how much there was that he didn't know about Locus. He tried not to think about how Locus had mentioned that he was afraid of losing them. How Locus had more specifically said that everyone close to him ended up being lost. Washington looks at the photo, with Locus and Felix and all his sharp angles, and the couple at their side. The man is grinning wide, the woman tucked in against him with a broad bright smile. In the photograph, Locus looked as sad as he always did. Wash looked down at Locus' sleeping form, and thought about where he came from himself. For just a moment, he thought that he might have actually understood. Wash knew that no matter what, he probably wouldn’t ever get the full picture when it came to Locus. But he'd get bits and pieces. If Locus ever felt like he wanted to talk about these things, then he would. Wash could trust in that much at least.

#locus #samuel ortez #agent washington #locington #red vs blue #rvb #mantiswrites #oops my hand slipped #reduced polarities verse

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ayepeepdisrightherenucca · 3 years ago

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Gemstone - Opal

Element - Air

Polarity - Male and Female

Tree - Elm

Deity - Sif

Astrological Correspondence - Libra

Tarot correspondence - Lovers, Temperance

Keywords:

Relationships, binding energy, a balance of giving and receiving, a gift, a magical exchange, partnership

The common Germanic name for this rune is Gybu. Derivations of this name has appeared in later Germanic languages, such as Gothic (Giba), Anglo-Saxon (Gyfu), and Old Norse (Gyfta). Its literal meaning is "gift".

The ancient concept behind the term "gift" is that one gives in order to receive. If we open our eyes we see this throughout Mother Nature as an essential balance. Gebo also represents balance between our spiritual and physical needs

The meaning of the Gebo rune is quite easily interpreted on the basis of its translation - a gift. The rune embodies the universal idea of partnership, it is a union in the broadest sense - a business alliance, friendship, love. Gebo's meaning can be reduced to equilibrium, the balance of two oppositely directed vectors, in the esoteric aspect it is a gift and a sacrifice, which equalizes it.

In formulas, Gebo is used to form a strong bond between two people, to forge partnerships and friendly alliances. It is also possible to use it to enhance own energy, achieve balance, and internal peace.

The rune is able to combine two streams of energy into one, while maintaining balance. Of course, if the energies are incompatible, such union will not be eternal.

Many consider this rune to be the rune of love. But this is not entirely true, because it does not evoke romantic feelings, but rather establishes communication and relationships. At the same time, it requires maintaining a balance on both sides. Simply said, if people are incompatible, then there will be no effect or will be a negative one.

The only verse available for this rune is from the Anglo Saxon rune:

Gyfu gumena byþ gleng and herenys, wraþu and wyrþscype and wræcna gehwam ar and ætwist, ðe byþ oþra leas.

Gift brings credit and honor, which support one's dignity; it furnishes help and subsistence to all broken men who are devoid of aught else.

Hávamál, Stanza 42:

To his friend a man a friend shall prove,

And gifts with gifts requite;

But men shall mocking with mockery answer,

And fraud with falsehood meet.

Short about Gebo:

Prevents mistakes in choosing a partner

Will strengthen established contacts

Helps to establish contact with higher powers, receive advice and help from them

Provides the growth of magical powers and abilities, paving the way to the "most ancient and wisest part of your soul."

Helps to find a balance of spiritual and physical principles in a person

Will end internal conflicts

Teaches you how to manage your time more effectively

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countessofbiscuit · 4 years ago

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Please, please vindicate me on this. In Fantasia Fourteen is Fox in Phase II armour yet, it really is *so* much sexier than that Phase I crap

Hate to disappoint and possibly taint Fantasia for you, but no. Fox is still in Phase I, as the story takes place about three months after the Senate Hostage Crisis — or, by my reckoning for this canon-compliant ‘verse, in the last week of the sixth month of 21BBY. Excepting a prototype teaser in a previous episode, Phase II isn’t seen on troops until the first arc Season 4 (Water War), which occurs after the passage of the Army Enhancement Bill (that time the Senate agreed to an injection of 5 million more clones).

I figure upgraded armor had been part of Kamino’s proposal for that bill, designed free of charge and offered at discounted rates for all new clones and current cadets; then a supply for all deployed clones gets earmarked. Interoperability and all that jizz. It starts being fielded to combat units sometime in the first month of 20BBY, though it’s a few months before Phase I is totally superceded and all officers have been persuaded to dump their old gear.

So while I can’t give you vindication, I can offer a consolation fic?

. . . . .

Deuce Gear | ao3

Commander Fox dons new armor and is reminded that being kept by the well-heeled Republic isn’t all awful.

. . . . .

Fox stood at the foot of his cot. He flipped a large roll of tape in his hands as he studied the shiny plastoid shell he’d arranged.

His “phase two” self.

News to him that the armor they’d been sporting this last decade had been the first phase of anything. But Kamino’s armorsmiths had been as busy as Baktoid’s bugs, the DOD was making clones shed their carapaces, and it’d been a carousel of cargo vessels at every barracks on Corrie since the new year. K81 Operational Combat Plates Mk2 didn’t flat pack.

For all the logistical fuss, the plates weren’t all that different. More angles than curves, and lighter too, Force save their knees (steroid injections couldn’t now, and unless the Veterans Budget bill passed, they wouldn’t be getting those either). And there were updated instructions for wearing spaulders upside-down that would exasperate sergeants for weeks.

Fox had been surprised to find his new issued kit fit like a forgettable dream. After all the back-and-forth bellyaching between the corps’s QM, Procurement, and Kamino about the need for flexibility, the need for funds, and the need for reduced caloric intake, someone on the longnecks’ side had clearly folded — or someone was getting kickbacks. There were more than two sizes now; no clone’s gains would be limited by the armor he could squeeze them into, or the shimming he figured could safely get away with.

The helmet had borne the brunt of the overhaul. Its faceplate was more humanoid, in a skeletal kind of way. Fox still hadn’t decided how he felt about it, besides robbed. Clones didn’t have much to call their own, and nearly every brother loved his bucket like it held his last breath. More importantly, how would she feel? He glanced over at his old helmet — the face she’d smiled at first — and considered how badly he’d be reamed for ‘misplacing’ it. Eloquently and with extreme prejudice. ‘Losing’ a damaged spaulder was one thing; the helmet was serialized and must be handed back. The spanks were the same for all ranks where INFOSEC was concerned.

Fox returned his attention to the bed. The new helmet still featured a mounted lamp and an enhanced comms and sensor array, but the polarized lenses rendered the visor redundant. He’d requested one anyway: it made a complex HUD field easier to scan and incoming data feeds easier to triage in sunlight — and it was always sunny in Galactic City.

Finally, there was a stiff new kama. Fox had taken a fastcutter up the back and along the edges and the lethris was now in need of some trim. He couldn’t cannibalize the silk from his old one: it was utterly sky-shredded where not scalded from three weeks of near continuous down-draft. And to his kama’s credit, Fox had burnt through more than one jetpack traversing a goodly part of the planet via its sewers, storm drains, and skytunnels in a quarterly sweep of the infrastructure. It was impossible to keep them totally clear of criminal elements, but at least a red wave could keep them from getting too comfortable.

Someone knocked on his door. It was Floren, bearing caf and two cans of spray paint in the unit’s new color because continuity was for chumps.

“They give you any trouble?” Fox asked. The motorpool mechs were stingier than medics sometimes. Mostly with good reason.

“No, sir. There’s crates of the stuff. No repulsor threads for the larties, ‘course, but enough paint to make sure they go down in a blaze of fresh Corrie red.”

“Sell tickets and call it a lightshow.”

“I’ll put it to the ladies down at the RSO,” Floren replied, accepting Fox’s desk chair. He squirmed around in his seat for a minute, like a cadet newly graduated to hard plates. Or a grunt selected to play officer lackey for a day without really knowing why. “Still stumped, sir?”

Fox nodded.

(continue reading for the spice)

#commander fox #foxiyo #coruscant guard #riyo chuchi #the clone wars #biscuit fic

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roamnook · 7 months ago

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"5 Key Insights on Modern Application Management: What You Need to Know Now"

RoamNook | Bringing You New Information

The Power of Data: Unveiling the Truth

Welcome to RoamNook, your source for cutting-edge information and data-driven insights. In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, access to accurate and objective information is more important than ever. That's why we're here to provide you with a comprehensive analysis of key facts, hard information, numbers, and concrete data. Our focus is on bringing new, polarizing, numerical, and objective facts to the table. Through our informative content, we aim to empower you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and drive digital growth.

At RoamNook, we are an innovative technology company specializing in IT consultation, custom software development, and digital marketing. Our sole priority is to fuel digital growth by leveraging the power of data and technology. By staying ahead of the curve and providing our clients with the latest insights and trends, we help them unlock new opportunities and achieve their business objectives.

The Role of Data in the Digital Age

In the digital age, data is king. From small businesses to multinational corporations, organizations across industries rely on data to drive decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and deliver superior customer experiences. However, with the abundance of information available, it is crucial to separate the signal from the noise and uncover meaningful insights.

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By incorporating data-driven strategies into your operations, you gain a competitive edge in the market. Whether it's optimizing your supply chain, personalizing marketing campaigns, or predicting customer behavior, data holds the key to unlocking new opportunities and driving growth.

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Unveiling the Numbers: Concrete Data that Matters

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1. Big Data Growth:

According to a report by International Data Corporation (IDC), the global datasphere is expected to reach 175 zettabytes by 2025. This exponential growth is driven by the increasing volume, velocity, and variety of data generated by various sources.

2. Data Security Challenges:

A study conducted by IBM found that the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was $3.86 million. This significant financial impact underscores the importance of implementing robust data security measures to protect sensitive information and maintain customer trust.

3. AI Adoption:

According to Gartner, by 2022, 70% of enterprises will be actively experimenting with AI technologies. This rapid adoption is fueled by the potential of AI to automate processes, improve decision-making, and uncover valuable insights from vast amounts of data.

4. Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses store, analyze, and leverage data. According to Forbes, 83% of enterprise workload will be in the cloud by 2020, highlighting the shift towards cloud-based infrastructure and services.

5. Data Science Talent Gap:

A McKinsey report estimates that by 2024, the United States could face a shortage of up to 250,000 data scientists. This talent gap poses challenges for organizations aiming to harness the power of data and analytics.

Raising the Bar: RoamNook's Role in Digital Growth

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Our IT consultation services cover a wide range of areas, including infrastructure design, software architecture, cybersecurity, and technology strategy. We leverage our expertise to assess your current IT landscape, identify areas for improvement, and provide actionable recommendations for achieving your business objectives.

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Source: https://devops.com/5-microservices-design-patterns-every-devops-team-should-know/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwixg4b897SFAxXcMVkFHVYABVQQxfQBegQICBAC&usg=AOvVaw3fqUov1X1kj5Kbsb6P2l_w

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northvieweyecare · 4 years ago

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When It is all about Vision Don’t Compromise Choose Polarized Sunglasses

Looking for a new pair of quality sunglasses? Confused about whetherto go for the metallic or the plastic ones. More worried about the aesthetic looks? It is therefore advisable not to buy one in a hurry. After all, they are a part of one's personality. Also, many people wait for the weather to change to go for the right sunglasses. Waiting for the bright sunny day and then deciding on the sunglass at the last moment may end in buying cheap flimsy frames as well as non-UV protection lenses.

Many sunglasses have the tag of 100% UV protection lenses, whereas, in reality, they may be plain ones. The critical part is to decide what you want when it comes to protecting yourself from the harmful UV rays. Choosing the right kind of polarized lenses can be overwhelming as a layperson may not be well-versed with different lens technologies.

This article will discuss all that is needed to know about polarized lenses, which will help you to figure out what is best suited for you.

Who should go for polarized sunglasses?

Polarized lenses are mostly used in sunglasses as it contains a special filter that blocks intense reflected light thus reducing glare and protecting the eyes. It is popular with boaters and those who enjoy fishing.These lenses are strategically designed to protect against direct sunlight. Hence, polarized sunglasses can greatly reduce the reflected glare from the water. People who spend time in outdoor waters eventually have discovered the benefits of polarized lenses.

Polarized sunglasses in Orangeville are popularized by outdoor enthusiasts who swear by them. Bikers, skydivers, golfers, and joggers who use polarized sunglasses ensure that they are protected from the glare of the sunlight as their activities require complete focus. Any distraction of sunlight glare may affect their safety and performance.

For drivers, polarized sunglasses are helpful, too, as they reduce glare-causing reflections from flat road's surface. If you have noticed, even people who wear regular powered eyeglasses have anti-glare lenses for safe driving.

Many eye-sensitive people who are continuously exposed to sunlight due to the nature of their job and post-cataract surgery patients also wear polarized sunglasses for protection.

How polarized lenses function?

Going back to the basics of physics, we learned that light usually scatters in all directions. Still, when they fall on flat surfaces and then reflect, they tend to become polarized. This means that light travels in a uniform and usually horizontal direction. This causes the reflected light to have a greater intensity which causes glare and reduces visibility. This effect can be both dangerous and annoying.

To overcome this problem, polarized lenses offer the solution. These lenses ensure that only vertically oriented lights pass through a laminated filter and simultaneously block horizontal-oriented light. This way, the glare is reduced or nearly eliminated.

Polarized lenses come in various shades of colors. These colors vary from light to dark shade depending on the material from which the lenses are made. Darker colors provide greater polarization. Though polarized lenses come in all colors, it is seen that the most common ones use Gray and brown. Other colors such as melanin, yellow or green are also popular.

Not for everyone

Though Polarized sunglasses improve comfort and visibility, they may not benefit certain outdoor activities such as skiing, especially on a downhill slope. In skiing, it is good to have refection from ice patches as it alerts the skier to the approaching hazards.

In case of water, polarized sunglasses work best as it provides superior glare protection.However, it may not work best in certain other applications asit reduces the visibility of images produced by LCDs or LEDs that are usually found on car dashboards, automatic teller machines digital screens, petrol gas pumps, smartphones, or GPS devices.

Many users, such as pilots and boaters, have faced similar problems when viewing LCDs on instrument panels with polarized lenses. This can be dangerous as split-second decisions have to be made based on the information displayed on a panel.

Advantages of using polarized sunglasses

A good quality pair of sunglasses usually have polarized lenses. They offer many benefits such as

Reduces reflections and are anti-glare in nature

Enhances visual comfort

Increases visual clarity and improves contrast

Reduces strain on eyes during any outdoor activity

Disadvantages of using polarized sunglasses

While many people find polarized sunglasses beneficial, certain people may not find them to be comfortable. Some may encounter dizziness or disorientation, and for others, it may give a 3-D effect. Whether this effect is neurological or psychological, it should be taken seriously and not forced upon them. For this category of users, tinted lenses are the best option. Some occupations require workers to read certain digital numbers on an LCD. In this case, a polarized lens can interfere with the visibility of the numbers and should be avoided.

How to know whether the lens is polarized?

For an ordinary user, it is not possible to know whether the sunglasses he is buying have polarized lenses or not. He will go strictly by what the salesman will tell him. To check oneself, the easiest way is to take your sunglass to a drugstore and place it at a 90-degree angle to another pair of sunglasses from the drugstore. If the combined lenses turn darker, it means that your sunglasses have polarized lenses.

Are polarized sunglasses prohibitive?

Sunglasses with the polarized lens are usually more expensive than regular lenses. Polarized sunglasses in Orangeville can start from $25 and go up to $450, depending on the designer label. This additional investment is worth it for those whose activities require protection and safety. However, it can be an unnecessary expenditure for regular users as standard lenses can do the job equally well.

Conclusion

Glare can be dangerous. It can be a nuisance as it impairs visibility, distorts views, and causes temporary blindness leading to accidents. For sportspersons and athletes, the extra cost is worth it as it enhances outdoor experiences, improves performances, and combined functionality ensures protection from accidents.

#Ray Ban sunglasses in Orangeville #Polarized sunglasses in Orangeville

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basicsofislam · 4 years ago

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ISLAM 101: 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM: ALMS AND CHARITY: VIRTUES OF ZAKAT: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ZAKAT ON SOCIETY? (PART 1)

Zakat, with its innumerable facets, is a bond between members of society, one wherein collective harmony is dependent on individual harmony. For zakat explicitly creates a virtuous setting that eliminates various social problems by establishing a harmonious atmosphere for both the rich and the poor. In a nutshell, zakat forestalls, reduces, or eliminates social conflicts, strengthens the growth of the middle class, and obviates all of the greatest social diseases pertaining to financial issues, especially interest and money-hoarding.

ZAKAT

REDUCES CLASS STRUGGLES

The establishment and maintenance of social solidarity is maximized when the gap between social classes is kept at a minimum and the voids likely to cause social conflicts are filled. In other terms, relations between the rich and the poor must not deteriorate if anarchy is to be avoided. Undoubtedly, the most important power that upholds these crucial relations between the rich and the poor is zakat and other principles of assistance. In societies where zakat ceases to exist, the precipice between the rich and the poor widens to the effect where abhorrence and hatred replace love and appreciation for the poor, and concomitantly, disdain and scorn replace compassion and charity for the rich.

Leaves of history attest to the gradual deterioration of civilizations that have opted to divide themselves into conflicting classes. Their initial happiness, a fruit of uncompromising discipline, has always been, more or less, short-lived, a prelude to their swift exit from the world stage, under the debris of their own civilization, as they have paid the ultimate price for their social injustices.

By pronouncing, “Zakat is the bridge of Islam”42, the Noble Messenger amplified the importance of zakat in abolishing economic gaps between members of society. Zakat is a bridge used for passing over economic strife and when the whole community makes use of this bridge, class conflicts have the potential to become part of history. This bridge also constructs a stable middle class through which increasingly more recipients of zakat can become its donors and a possible clash between the rich and the poor is prevented.

ZAKAT

STRENGTHENS THE MIDDLE CLASS

By the prevention of the polarization of society, Islam envisages the construction of a strong middle class. In providing an opportunity for the unemployed to embark on new business

ventures, zakat gains them back into society, stronger than ever, instead of deserting them to become burdens of the community. The strengthening of the middle class in Islam is not encouraged just through zakat and sadaqa; in actuality, there are more precepts pertaining to this issue. For instance, when dividing booty or the spoils of war among members of society, God declares:

That which God gives as spoil to His Messenger from the people of the townships, it is for God and His Messenger (for the State) and for the near of kin, orphans, the needy and the wayfarer so it will not become the property of the rich among you. (Hashr 59:7)

The circulation of capital solely in the hands of the rich inevitably leads to them becoming richer at the expense of the poor, who then become even more stricken. In actual fact, wealth has been created for the benefit of the whole of humanity, indiscriminately. In societies where individuals are deprived and usurped of the wealth bestowed by God, the existence of social classes is tolerated and the scorn of the rich towards the poor is sustained, riches never bring true happiness; on the contrary, financial resource easily becomes a profound source of conflict, even within families and close-knit groups. Additionally, in such societies, the poor remain in perennial anxiety in regards to attaining their sustenance whereas the rich foster a similar anxiety pertaining to the security of their wealth. The resort to dangerous alternatives can thus evolve into an option for the poor, a plight we have been so used to witnessing around the world. In contrast, zakat eliminates all of the illegitimate options, graciously providing the poor with an ethical way out of their strife—exhaling into the community a fresh breath of life.

ZAKAT

CURES SOCIAL DISEASES

The prime hindrance of the formation of a harmonious atmosphere within societies is the existence of social classes based on wealth. It is self-evident that it is an impossibility for the poor to nurture love for the rich in a society where they are turned a blind eye on. As prevalent experience has shown, such a society is destined to become a hotbed for social conflict. The following verse corroborates this proposition:

Spend generously for the cause of God, and do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. And know that God loves the doers of good. (Baqara 2:195)

The embracement of self-centeredness, at the expense of abandoning an altruistic life with social awareness, would be tantamount to trotting dangerously, as brilliantly illustrated by the Qur’an. Throwing one’s self into danger is due to deserting infaq or spending in the way of God and its grave outcomes that immediately c o me to mind, including anarchy becoming the dominant force over society that further leads to inextricable national and international complications. This dissipative demeanor of the aristocratic class, indubitably, remains the prime cause underlying anarchy. It is this shockingly irresponsible attitude of the rich, who squander astronomical amounts of money to attain luxuries in an attempt to satiate their interminable carnal desires, which causes the insurgence of crude souls, leading to anarchy and eventually turning the social welfare system upside down.

Wasteful displays as such will, no doubt, wet the appetite of the poor, inculcating in them an insurmountable feeling of hatred for the rich and perhaps, an excuse to usurp their property upon the first chance given. Obstinately abiding by the notion that enormous financial gaps between individuals do not cause an implicit or explicit upheaval is simply ignoring the realities of life.

The inveterate enmity the poor have for the rich, through zakat, providentially evolves into love and respect, patching up the wounds initially caused by greed and selfishness.

By responding to hate with love, the rich will attain an immense respect, and consequently the

bond of fraternity throughout society will be reinforced. Those who do not spend in the way of God impede the rights of others by depriving them of what is theirs and simultaneously, wrong themselves by evading an obligation. God, indeed, dislikes wrongdoers and following such a line of action would ultimately attract the dislike of the Creator.

“Indeed God does not wrong humankind in any way; but humankind wrong themselves” (Yunus 10:44) underlines how human’s worst enemy is, ironically, himself. Those who indulge in “self-oppression” by avoiding zakat will suffer an assault of another form of oppression. “The oppressor is the sword of God; taken revenge with and then taken revenge of”43 is a vital principle of social life. Thus the wealthy that are in denial of their duty with regards to alms are prone to suffering onslaughts from the poor as immediate punishment for their ignorance. The poor, given they partake in such an upheaval, are also punished in turn, as the realization of the celestial cycle enunciated by the Prophet of God. God may delay a punishment, but when His verdict is decreed, there is no turning back.

Those who furtively stockpile wealth and withhold it in fear of zakat are bound to receive an uncalculated slap in the face as their insatiable greed generates unavoidable calamities from their wealth.

By fixing the problem before it spreads, zakat forestalls the potential complications of society, establishing a firm social structure. Looking from this perspective, many current issues could be avoided if zakat is effectively utilized.

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psyga315 · 4 years ago

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The problem of "I Watch RWBY For The Fight Scenes" and how to account for when that logic fails.

“I watch RWBY for the fight scenes.”

You heard these words before at some point in the RWBY community. Ever since the Red Trailer back in 2012, there was a huge emphasis on fights as shown with the titular “Red” doing nothing but battling proto-typical Beowolves. No huge emphasis was put on story bits like how she was visiting her mother’s grave or on the music (Red Like Roses pt. 1 has only 4 verses and most of it’s instrumental), and Ruby isn’t even voiced in the trailer. Hell, for a good chunk of RWBY’s pre-production stage, fans perceived Ruby as a stoic girl. RWBY’s core has been the fight scenes… Right?

Well, it doesn’t really take a rocket scientist to figure out that isn’t true. While an argument can be made of how RWBY’s fights are what makes the show, the case can’t be held true for its quantity and quality. Volume 3 is the only Volume in RWBY where there’s at least a fight scene per episode (the sole exception being Episode 8, Destiny), some even having two or three packed into one episode, making the Volume more of a roller coaster, especially in the last quarter. Conversely, Volumes 4 & 5 are the volumes with the fewest amount of fights, both totalling to 5 spread out across their 12 and 14 episode run, respectively, with Volume 5’s feature fight, the Battle of Haven, being the subject of massive ridicule to the point where a two-hour video was made to detail all the errors made, among them being that the core climax of that fight occurs off screen.

However, the reverse can be held true. Some criticisms for Volume 3 include that the fight scenes were either extraneous or had poor quality to them while the highlights of Volumes 4 & 5 were things that they made up for in spite of having the fewest amount of fight scenes. So, this begs quite a few questions towards RWBY.

Most of them, however, can be summed up into one: “What feature of RWBY can match or even rival its alleged selling point in case the viewer encounters a drought or lack of quality in fight scenes?” For these, we’ll break them down into some categories. I will try to be as fair as possible for this.

The first, obvious thing, would be:

Plot, Setting and Theme

Can a viewer enjoy RWBY for its plot when the fights prove lacking, evocative themes or even its rich environment? It depends. One of the biggest things that fans enjoyed about Volume 3 was its development of the plot. Suddenly, the world expanded and there’s tons of depth and lore to an otherwise standard “wake up, go to school, save the world” deal.

However, later complaints of RWBY involve the plot in some way. One of the biggest conflicts between fans in RWBY’s 7th Volume was the execution of its cliffhanger which involves the main villain flying in with her army of monsters, many arguing that at that point, the plot has entered a phase known as “only the author can save them now”, which causes some fans to even beg for an explanation as to why Salem never did something like what she did before.

While the setting in RWBY has been interesting, at times, they end up with the short end of the stick. No case is this more truer than when Mistral, reputed as a two-faced Kingdom which had both a cultured surface and a seedy underworld, was reduced to a few paintings and a couch and only now have the people at Rooster Teeth decided to shed more light on it as a setting for their Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

The themes are extremely interesting to dissect, especially since there’s a meta layer to some of them with the passing of Monty Oum leaking into some of the plot developments and even music decisions. This, too, however, is subjective to taste, though due to the nature of themes themselves and not because of execution. One person could have a completely different interpretation of what RWBY’s core theme is compared to another’s, and that leads to their opinions. For instance, a common theme that critics picked up on in RWBY is “Kids vs. Adults” as they end up reading the conflicts that occur in RWBY and Ruby’s wording in her speech to Qrow as “kids rule, adults drool”, something they took contention with.

While plot, setting, and theme are there, it isn’t enough to supplant fights should they fail too… So, what about…

Characters and Relationships

Can a viewer enjoy RWBY for its characters and relationships? I feel like this would be a strong case to make, but at the same time, this is also a bit of an oxymoron. While the characters can sometimes feel interesting and their relationships even more, the problem is that the characters sometimes lack the focus necessary to be fleshed out and their relationships even less.

You might heard these complaint before: “Bumblebee came out of nowhere”, “Black Sun/Fair Game was bait”, or even “RWBY has too many characters!” and that is, in of itself, a bit of a problem with RWBY. When it takes the time to do character arcs and relationship progression, it is pulled off masterfully, though whose arc it was is also subjective. A key contributor to the problem is how RWBY’s focus is spread too thin.

There’s, on average, 13 characters that make their first appearance in each Volume of RWBY, about half to three quarters of them go on to make reappearances in other Volumes and even a few of them become major characters. This becomes a balancing act for RWBY to juggle all the characters and developments, leading to two characters getting a massive shaft: Ruby, the main character of RWBY, and Oscar Pine, a plot important character.

Ruby has the criticism of being a flat character. While there’s no inherit problem in of itself, the fact that the plot has been shifting and stakes become raised while the most we got out of Ruby before Volume 6 is that, sometimes she expresses sadness, was concerning. Even after Volume 5, a common complaint is that her “character development” consists of her delivering speeches.

Oscar’s problem is that the most pivotal moments of his character are relegated to the background, to the point where his nickname is “Offscreen Pine”, as every Volume since his first in Volume 4, there has always been some moment of his story that happened off screen and, often, it was that moment that makes his character arcs of those Volumes incomplete.

That is also a bit of a problem with relationships as well. Sometimes they end up being complete without any actual set up or they do have set up, but it’s either a red herring for the actual ship or, most infamously, it was never intended to be a ship to begin with. Now, there are ships that have been well-developed, but, again, it’s subjective. One such example is Bumblebee, which, to this day, has been hotly debated as whether it’s the best ship RWBY’s done, a rushjob of a ship that was only made to appease the fans after a lackluster Volume, or, at worst, a ship so polarizing, that merely criticizing it would have you accused of being a homophobe.

In fact, some characters develop at different rates, to the point where it is almost whiplash and requires a fan to actively point out how the development was foreshadowed from the start of RWBY (which, itself, leads to a common criticism). Two infamous examples of this are Adam Taurus, who only appeared in a short trailer before making his full debut appearance three years later and showing a completely different side to him, and General Ironwood, whose status as an antagonist is still being debated to this day.

So, these two fields are also wild cards in terms of enjoying RWBY… So, what then? Perhaps we could turn to…

The Community

Watching RWBY is one thing, but talking about RWBY with other people might make it worth it, right? … Yeah, depends. RWBY has become a rather… interesting subject matter. Trawl around the internet enough and you’ll find people in a fight about whether RWBY was good or not… though it’s more often one side calling the other side names and insults nowadays.

No example is truer than Youtube, which if you ask a RWBY fan, is a minefield and that, if you watch just one video of a person saying how they dislike even one aspect of RWBY, you’re suddenly swarmed with videos on “RWBY sucks and here’s why” essays… Even though that’s not how the Youtube algorithm works.

Even RWBY’s Reddit isn’t safe from this. Since the end of Volume 6, it had fractured into a smaller subreddit, RWBY Critics, where people freely share their opinions of RWBY that they would otherwise be judged harshly on the main Reddit. It feels like, when you traverse through the RWBY community and interact with it, you either love it or hate it and your first impressions could mean the difference between getting welcomed or rejected.

It doesn’t help that, with every hiatus in RWBY, the fanbase becomes more and more unstable, to the point where a contest made in good fun with the purpose to help Rooster Teeth with designs for Grimm (a win-win) was eventually turned into a toxic environment simply because one of the artists chose to base a Grimm off something that people found culturally insensitive and made even worse when endorsements were made in favor of and against this aforementioned Grimm, eventually forcing Rooster Teeth’s hand in removing the public’s ability to vote and judging on the three remaining Grimm designs (two of them ended up being removed for different reasons).

I know that was a very specific example, but it highlights just how broken the community has become. It bears repeating: a fan contest where Rooster Teeth would use the winning design in RWBY ended up becoming a flame war because one of the designs was determined to be problematic and a couple of people promoted/denounced the design, effectively rigging the contest to be centered around this one design. I will not be surprised if, years down the line, when someone else chronicles the worst dramas in RWBY, this would at the very least get an honorable mention.

And then there are where you stand on certain characters or plots. Should you ever find that your opinion differs from the majority’s opinion on a certain matter, prepare for a world of hurt or even being asked “why do you even watch RWBY?” That said, I doubt the entire community is as dark as I put it. I think there’s parts of the fandom you can enjoy, like fanmade content or even just a simple conversation with a close-knit group, especially if you enjoy RWBY…. Which, I guess leads to…

So… What do you watch RWBY for?

The point of this article was to see what part of RWBY one can find enjoyable when fight scenes prove to not work and, given what I said, you might expect me to say that there’s nothing enjoyable… Though, surprisingly, my conclusion is a lot more optimistic than that.

If you watch RWBY solely for the fight scenes, then prepare for droughts or lack of quality, or even just watch fight compilations. However, if you watch RWBY solely for the plot, setting, themes, characters, relationships, or even the community itself, then you’ll need to be prepared for similar problems.

There’s two keys to enjoying RWBY: having tolerance or patience, and having more than one thing to watch RWBY for. I think a major reason why you usually have a bunch of people drop RWBY after a volume is because they were disappointed with how RWBY did something or how RWBY lacked in something and decided to quit while they were ahead. For the most part, it might be that they took all they could get from RWBY and decided they had enough.

That said, I’ve seen people sing praises for RWBY’s story, setting, theme, characters, relationships, and even community. It’s led me to think of this struggle to find enjoyment in RWBY to be similar to a theme found in the show: the theme of persevering in the face of despair. Several characters in the show have become bitter, cynical, or even evil because they had enough of the hardships that the world threw at them while the heroes are those who try desperately to keep moving forward in spite of that.

And it’s not easy, I will admit that. It’s not easy to come back to enjoying RWBY once you begin to feel contempt for it. After the finale of Volume 5, I felt confused. Before, I had wanted to enjoy every episode of the Volume, but this one felt so rushed and so incomplete that I found myself thinking “that’s it?”. While I started to become cynical about RWBY after Volume 4 and had temporarily dropped RWBY in between “The First Step Pt. 1”’s release and sometime after “Breach”’s premiere, it was Volume 5 that made me begin to lose enjoyment. Just knowing that Rooster Teeth could do something like Volume 5 again had me lose faith.

However, there are moments that made RWBY enjoyable for me. Certain episodes were hailed as being good watches, there were a few plots, characters, and relationships I enjoyed (even ones I normally wouldn’t got some delights), settings I wished would be better explored, and I’m always going to examine themes of RWBY since that’s one thing I enjoy about it.

And, true enough, RT has done stuff that even the more hardened of critics enjoy. It’s all about patience, tolerance, and perseverance.

I know this isn’t a straight and narrow answer, but there are no easy answers. The major takeaway from this is that “I watch RWBY for the fight scenes” has the potential to backfire and you need backup reasons to enjoy RWBY and a little bit of patience in order to appreciate RWBY.

#RWBY #RWDE

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playertsuna · 5 years ago

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Silver Sky Chapter 4 [Part 2]

Chapter Four [1/3] | Chapter Four [3/3]

Fanfiction Master List | Silver Sky on AO3

A mirror verse to New Games Plus. [Still debating whether to post on ff.net.]

Summary: Instead of simply returning to the beginning with higher stats, Tsuna returns with all his powers levels and skills.

XXxxx Chapter Four xxxXX

[A random limited time quest is taking place near the train station. Would Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] like to participate?]

Tsuna nearly walked into a wall.

A limited time quest?!

He couldn't remember the last time he’d seen one of those. Not only were they rare but the amount of experience and loot he could gain from completing one of them was far beyond the amount he earned doing normal quests.

He moved the pop-up window to the side and clicking into his inventory he scanned through the items.

If this quest was anything like the last one this quest would be difficult, perhaps even impossible to complete. He needed to be prepared for anything.

He could equip the Ember Sky Gloves again, but if he needed firepower they weren't the right gloves to use. Not only was the purity of his flame limited, but the amount of flame he could channel was limited. If he wanted to use something like the X-Burner he'd give himself second-degree burns at the very least. It was likely he was going to need something stronger.

He did carry the upgraded version of the Ember Sky gloves but...

He frowned thoughtfully.

If he remembered correctly there was some drawback to them.

He slid his finger across the screen scanning through his inventory until he finally he found what he was looking for. He clicked on the gloves and a caption appeared above them.

Ember Celica Sky Gloves {D Class}

A set of gloves designed to add additional protection to the wearer's fingers. Allows for usage of tinted Sky Flames as well as finer control over the amount of flames points used. Caution: usage of gloves for extended periods will lead to burning and loss of Health Points due to the poor quality of the flame metal used in its design. -50 HP per minute. Reduces flame cost by 30%.

Unlike Health Points, his Flame Points couldn't be restored by eating food and they took quite a lot of time to recover, but was it worth losing HP per minute? Probably not. Maybe if it was just another set of everyday thugs he was going up against he might have considered it, but this was a limited-time quest and it was going to be difficult to defeat as it was. He didn't need to make this any harder on himself.

Scanning through the rest of his gear he decided to come back to it later. For now, he should start figuring out which armor to equip to himself.

Clicking the inventory into its subsections, he further separated it into mat types. Clicking on headgear, he scanned through the equipment. There were several masks, ranging from high B-Class items to a few S-Class items, but Tsuna ignored most of them in favor of the earrings and chokes. Unlike the full masks or hoods, he could equip both a set of earrings and choker if he was careful. Considering he was going into a limited-time quest, there was likely going to be flame fighting and high-level weaponry.

Considering that it was likely to be a battle of attrition, he would need to increase his defense as much as possible. Even with his auto-healing, there was still a good chance that the enemies he would be fighting would be at powerful, perhaps high-level mafioso.

Scanning through the sets of accessories, Tsuna looked through items available to him. Because he was in the pre-chaos arc, he was limited to items below A-Rank. Additionally, the fact that this quest took place in the middle of a busy train station, there was still the danger of Vendice getting involved if the battle escalated too far. He needed to consider power as well. Tapping on the inventory filters he limited the items visible to B-Rank or lower. Studying what was left, Tsuna immediately moved through the sets eliminating anything that wasn't usable for fighting. There likely wasn't going to be intelligence or wisdom checks that he couldn't overcome at his current stats. Moving some of the items back into his normal inventory, he has only left with four sets of jewelry to choose from.

Waving his hand, the armor pieces floated in front of him, their stats screen floating side by side for comparison.

Silvergrace Earrings {B Class}

"A set of earrings said to have gained their power from a sea-dwelling race known as the Zora. Silvergrace earrings are strong, durable and easy to repair, but are difficult to find. It is said that find a pair as part of a boss reward grants a person good luck. This pair was found after defeating Man-Eater during overtime during the third playthrough. "

Grants the ability to swim faster, and breathe underwater. (While in water, +16 to all stats, and complete resistance to all water attacks.)

VIT:+ 15

DEX: +22

Noctis Royal Earrings {B++ Class}

"A set of earrings created by an ancient prince but never worn. These earrings show some slight wear and tear, as well as some repairs, though who it was done by is a mystery. As a result, this set of earrings are now unbreakable. This set of earrings was discovered in a limited-time event during the second playthrough."

Grants additional power at night as well as the Quicksilver (+25% speed in using machinery) perk. (During the nighttime, add +20 to the stats below as well as night vision.)

FP Reduction: 21%

VIT:+14

FP:+10

Exp Inc by 15%

Goron Choker of Armament {B+ Class}

"Said to have originated from a city deep in a volcanic mountain, the player accidentally created this replica during synthesis at Talbot's house in the last playthrough. The chance of creating this particular piece of armor is only one in a thousand, but after learning to craft from the Ancient and Wise Talbot, a miracle happened (and you didn't explode). This choker's durability is medium and it needs some repair."

VIT:+50

Defense is raised by 50%

Aureole Earrings { B- Class}

"Created with the remaining pieces of a B Class boss dark type monster. This artifact is rarely ever created, mostly because the requirements are not only difficult to obtain but because of its reputation for leading men to their doom. Colored a bloody red, and styled in a fashion known as Gothic, this piece is cursed."

Grants special ability Life Drain (killing an enemy restores health to the player).

Cursed item Debuff: Increased blood lust

Attack is raised by 12.5%

All stats +17

Thinking over the sets, Tsuna banished two of the sets back to his inventory and equipped the rest.

Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] has equipped [Noctis Royal Earrings]. Two stats are raised, and experience gained is increased by fifteen percent.

Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] has equipped [Goron Choker of Armament]. One stat is raised and defense is raised.

[NEW] [Player Sawada Tsunayoshi] has gained three new titles.

He blinked at the last one but decided to wait to view it. He still needed to equip the rest of his armor set. Going back into his inventory and changing the filters yet again, Tsuna scans the rolls of chest armor. Unlike jewelry where he had around thirty items, the sheer amount of chest and pants armor he currently owned bordered on ridiculous.

Some sets he owned for various and specific battlefields, and then he had several costumes he had for the pure trolling effect. Separating the amusing from the actual functional armor took a little more work than he would have liked, but at least it saved him time. The first thing he did was filter out any full-body outfits, most of which were for beginning players and would remove his earrings and choker. After the screen refreshed itself he manually went through the twenty or so armor sets left and tossed out anything with the costume title back into his normal inventory. From there he was left with ten items, of which he ran the filter over again canceling out anything over A-Rank. He was only left with four outfits.

Way of the Dawn Checkered Set Level MAX (Includes chest, belt, pants, and shoes)* {B++ Class}

"This armor piece is a study in balance and mastery. One of the rare few sets that level up, this particular piece was worn by warrior walking the thin line between light and darkness. The player has found/created all current pieces in the set. Gifted as a reward for the completion of the first playthrough, this armor set is the first B plus item the player received."

All stats +20.

Increased Attack by 15% at night.

Increased Defense by 15% during the day.

Grants three additional abilities when the whole set is worn;

Mass Effect: Area of effect attacks are 10% more powerful and require 5% less flame power.

Deux Ex Humanity: Every perfect dodge gains the player a 1.5% chance to increase a random stat permanently.

Balance: The player cannot be knocked back.

Void Gear (Includes chest, belt, pants, and shoes) {B+++ Class}

"A set of armor found in the endless palace. Most of its abilities remain a mystery, however, the few facts known about this item, detail a great sacrifice made in the name of love. The polar opposite of the Existence armor, the void specializes in nullification of enemy immunity and battles of attrition."

Complete Set: Grants increasing amounts of Auto-Healing the longer the player is fighting.

Unbreakable

All debuffs are nullified.

Despair Aura: causes fear in enemies.

Medium Flame immunity up to 20% of the player's flame power.

Mist Flames cause 60% less damage to the player.

Belladonna Bright Clothing (Include chest, belt, pants, and shoes) {C++ Class}

"Once a set of armor worn by the infamous witch of the forest, this outfit was crafted by the Atropa Family after the death of their daughter Blake. Contrary to its name this outfit is in no means brightly colored, and instead this outfit was created using only three colors; Nightmare Black, Crimson Blood, and Greedy Gold."

Complete Set: Blood bending and Vampiric Healing (drain blood to heal).

Weakness to Lighting Flames.

Aura of Fear: Simply seeing the player wear this outfit causes fear on a level higher than Despair Aura. Cannot be blocked.

Increased Stealth stats by 75%

Attack decreased by 25%

One Autumn Leaf; Shades of Fall

"Once owned by a great battle mage, the player received this set from the greatest and most famous of the Great Tacticians. Named after the battle mage's main avatar, this set boasts great attack, at the cost of high cool downs. The player was warmed by Ye Xiu himself, not to use this armor set until he has reached level 500."

Abilities:

Level 0-300: all stats +15

Level 300-320: Healing Light: The player heals at double speed. & Healing Wind; Heal Allies for half heath.

Level 321-340: Meteorain: Random Damage to Enemies & Meteor Strike: Heavily Damages One Enemy

Level 341-350: Cosmos Memory: Damages all Enemies

Level 351-370: Radiant Creation: Heals Party Completely & Doom of the Living: Cast debuffs on all enemies

Level 371-380: Incantation of Chains: Casts chains on all enemies slowly stealing FP and HP for 20 seconds.

Unknown: LOCKED (ten lines are hidden)

Mulling over his choices Tsuna immediately, banished the Belladonna Bright Clothing back into his inventory and started comparing the last three armor outfits before he finally made his choice. The One Autumn Leaf armor set didn't really add anything to his stats, and beyond the extra abilities, it wasn't much help at his current level. The Void Gear armor had much the same problem as One Autumn Leaf without the abilities, so banishing them back to his inventory Tsuna equipped the last armor set left.

Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] has equipped [Way to the Dawn Checkered Set Level 3]. Three new abilities are now available. All stats are increased by 20. The player's attack is increased by 15%.

Going back to his inventory, he filtered his inventory to show only weapons. Now, that he had chosen his armor, he had a much clearer idea of what he needed for his weapon. He immediately sent back any weapons that were too bulky, or unusual. Maybe he would try some of them out another time, but not now. Reducing his weapons to only gloves, and gauntlets, Tsuna scans the list. Compared to the list of items he had for his other armory pieces, he had a massive amount of gloves and gauntlets. Nearly two hundred items were left, so he set to work limiting the list as best he could.

He removed anything above B Rank and removed anything made for beginners as well as anything far too specialized in physical combat. He needed a good mix of flame and physical ability if he wanted to have any chance of completing the limited time quest. Sadly, even with the list limited he was left with still had far too many weapons to go through. Frowning, he went back to the filter screen and started trying to adjust the stats, looking for ways to reduce the nearly fifty sets of weapons pieces into something more reasonable.

Thankfully, he was able to find a way to separate the terrible from the good when he remembered the level meter. Considering he rarely used anything under S-Rank it wasn't surprising that he had forgotten about it. Unlike all other armor pieces, weapon mats came with a level requirement as well as a rank. At his level, there was little he couldn't use, but just because he could use nearly any weapon he did obtain didn't mean he was a master at using them. Weapons training was still necessary and experience counted for more than hit points. A beginner swordsman could never defeat a master swordsman just because he could pick up a sword.

Clicking enter, Tsuna watched as the list shorted to ten pieces, he immediately sent six of them back to his inventory when he noticed that they were specialty items good for only very specific situations and not much else. The debuffs on them might not have had an impact if he was fighting normal Mafioso, but in a limited time quest, any debuff was a disadvantage he couldn't afford to have.

Spreading out the weapons information, he started to compare the last four weapons in his inventory to each other, looking for flaws and strengths.

Polaris Arias {B+ Class}

"A set of gauntlets created with ice from the sparkle of Stardust lodged in its metal. The radiance of cold space is said to pierce enemies in all directions. This item was obtained during the first playthrough from the boss drops of ‘The Dark Sky, Bermuda’.While strong against people using Night Flames, this set of gauntlets is limited in its might against any other flame of the sky."

Special Effects:

Lowers Defense and Attack of Enemies during an area of effect attacks by 10%.

Has a high chance (49%) of slightly lowering the amount of damage received from night flame attacks.

Fixed 12% chance to slightly increase damage while attacking.

-22% flame power against all flames other than Night Flames.

Bloody Gauntlet {B- Class}

"A brutal weapon that specializes in wounding enemies and reducing their ability to recover. It is said that this weapon’s performance reflects the mindset of its user. There is a high chance of increasing the blood lust of the player and party members. This weapon was created through weapon creation during the third playthrough."

Special Effects:

Has a high chance (47%) of causing the bleed debuff, which causes a constant HP loss on enemies.

Has a high chance (49%) of slightly lowering the amount of damage received from normal attacks.

Heals allies by a mild amount of HP for equal amounts of damage to the player up to 40% of the allies' health.

Sky's Ordinance {B+++ Class} Level 2 of ?

"This weapon holds the karma of many people. This famous set of gauntlets has a long history of protecting its wielders. Perfect for groups ofenemies, its true power can only be seen after going through numerous battles. Enemies defeated will increase its power. Defeat a fixed number of enemies to level this weapon. (27,064/1,000,000). This item was received as a prize for completing Sky's Raid Grounds."

Special Effects:

Reduce the flame attack and defense of enemies by a great amount 42%.

Flame attacks on the player have a 28% chance to restore FP to the player.

Any flame attacks by a flame other than Sky Flames have a 27% chance of harmonization (turning to stone) before hitting the player.

There is a small chance 1.5% of permanently increasing FP when the player damages an enemy.

Dragon's Claw {B Class}

"Handcrafted from the claws of a Steel Dragon located in a volcano. It is said that those defeated by this weapon will have burnt slash marks on their body. Dragon materials have a chance to increase stats and possibly increase rank. Bought as a low-level weapon, the player has increased this item's power and rank through material additions."

Special Effects:

Has a chance of causing the burn debuff, which slows enemies and causes damage at random points during a fight.

Deals great flame damage to one enemy and increase the player's own attack by a large amount.

The player is granted an increase in both attack and defense by 22%.

Resistant to flame attacks is increased by 19%.

Looking over the list Tsuna could already eliminate Bloody Gauntlets and Dragon Claw. Bloody Gauntlet was a weapon best used while in a party, while Dragon's Claw was great for attacks it was much better for battles where he only had one enemy. Considering that limited-time quests were pretty much always battles of himself against many, he would be better served to choose something else.

So down to two options Tsuna sent the rest of the items back to his inventory and compared the remaining two items side to side.

At first glance, Polaris Arias seemed like a good idea, with its enemy area of effect debuff, and physical damage lowering but he knew it would be a waste of a buff considering his natural regeneration was maxed out. Not to mention that at his current level increasing his attack wouldn’t do much if, in the long run, he ran out of flame power. Siding that screen back to his inventory, he equipped the other armor piece.

Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] has equipped [Sky’s Ordinance]. Defeat 972,936 enemies to level up this weapon.

Feeling the gauntlets appear on his arms, he was a little surprised to see them change color to match his outfit. He had forgotten about that system effect.

Turning back to his inventory he was left with just one more armor piece to decide upon.

Normally after equipping chest, belt, shoes, headpieces and a weapon a player was no longer able to equip anything more. However, once a player completes a hidden mission at the end of a playthrough an extra slot can be obtained. Tsuna had only found the hidden mission once, but it was enough to grant him an extra slot. Theoretically, anything could be placed in this slot, from an additional chest piece, rings, or even a second belt but Tsuna had discovered through much trial and error that it was much more efficient to equip a wing array. Unlike the dexterity reduction he would gain from having extra armor piece on or being overburdened from having too much armor on, a wing array simply increased stats without a reduction in his weight or a limitation to his dexterity.

Sliding through his rather limited wing arrays inventory, of which only contained four pieces, Tsuna picked the only one with any buffs.

Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] has equipped [Strife Black Wings]. FP is reduced by 6% any time the player uses a flame attack.

Waving his hand, the inventory screens vanished, and Tsuna was left staring at two screens. His stats screen and the screen asking if he wanted to participate in the special event. Ignoring one screen in favor of the other for a moment, he clicked on his stats. He was curious to see what new titles he gained.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, Level. 383

Exp: 209,189/383,000

HP:10121(SSS)* FP:10975 (SSS)* VIT: 321 (SSS)* STR:217 (A)* DEX:210 (SS)* INT:223 (A)* WIS:357 (SSS)* LUK:561 (S)*

Skills [Hidden]

*Note: Stats have been increased from armor buffs.

Title [show buff]

Hyper Intuition (Active): +12 WIS and +1 DEX per lvl.

Second Great Sky: +4 FP and +1 WIS per lvl.

Tainted Saint: During Battle only, WIS inc. by 10.

Student of the Demon (Reborn): + 10 VIT per lvl.

The Sky Tactician: +5 INT and +4 WIS during battle.

Protector of the People: + 5 to all stats when protecting someone during battle.

Protector of People II: + 7 to all stats when protecting someone during battle.

International Criminal: +8 STR and +6 FP per lvl.

Master Tactician: all allies gain +4 to all stats when led into battle by the player.

Healer in Training: a temporary increase in Sun Flames whenever the player is in the presence of a doctor, or a skilled flame user.

Handy Healer: a temporary boost in flame power whenever the player uses Sun Flame to heal.

Divisions of the Sky: +12 to HP and FP permanently whenever the player fights and wins against another sky flame user.

Will of the Strong: %#$$#*^&%@+*/#@ to the player.

[NEW] Armed and Ready: Weapons have a 6% chance to causes a critical hit.

[NEW]History Maker: Any time the player has three or more stats S Rank or above, the player gains an extra 3% experience during battle.

[NEW] Sky's Awakening: Enemies using flames of the sky have a 50% greater chance to be sensed while in the presence of the player in or out of battle.

Looking over his new titles, Tsuna blinked. He had never heard of any ability that allowed flame users to be sensed before attacking, and if this new title was anything like he was guessing it was going to add a whole new level to his fighting. Instead of having to wait for his enemies to launch an attack and then having to dodge, he could make the first move and attack first and yet something about the wording bothered him.

What did this title mean for normal day to day life? Could the percentage increase? The move itself didn't say, and while the addition of an extra ability could give him an edge in battle, there was also the fact that he might have to train a whole new ability that he hadn't accounted for.

Frowning Tsuna went over the matter in his mind.

While useful, the last place to be trying out a new title was a limited-time event. Tapping his fingers, he attempted to see if he could turn off the buff and apparently he could because a second later the title faded to gray, signaling its deactivation. Steeling himself, Tsuna banished the last screen away.

He clicked on the only screen left.

[A limited time quest is taking place near the train station. Would Player [Sawada Tsunayoshi] like to participate?]

He clicked on Yes and felt the ground fall out from beneath him.

XXxxxxXX

Chapter Four [1/3] | Chapter Four [3/3]

Fanfiction Master List | Silver Sky on AO3

#khr #katekyo hitman reborn #sawada tsunayoshi #vongola tenth generation #op tsuna #playertsuna #fanfiction #silver sky

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arse-blathanna · 7 years ago

Link

Summary:

It's been three months since Locus first joined the Reds officially, and its been three months since the last time Wash found the former mercenary awake at night and alone.

It's just him checking in, that's all.

Tags and other info can be found under the cut.

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Red vs. Blue Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Locus | Samuel Ortez/Agent Washington Characters: Locus | Samuel Ortez, Agent Washington (Red vs. Blue) Additional Tags: Red Team Locus, Pre-Relationship, Bonding, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Hurt/Comfort Series: Part 2 of Reduced Polarities

#locus #samuel ortez #agent washington #red vs blue #locington #rvb #mantiswrites #oops my hand slipped #reduced polarities verse

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mrsspidermanmaryjanewatsonparker · 6 years ago

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You seem pretty well versed in Peter and Mary Jane’s history, and I just want to ask, can you go in depth about Mary Jane’s personality? I know her history, her terrible home life, her history with Peter, but I want to know about HER. Her personality. Her dynamic with Peter. I feel these days that she’s been reduced to the “Pretty love interest” for Spider-Man, which I hate. I KNOW Mary Jane has a lot of depth and evolution as a character.

I know she’s a party girl. Fun loving. Spunky. Independent. Funny. Intelligent. Confident. But I want to know MORE about her, as a person. What else does she do in her life? How does she interact with other people? Before she got in serious relationships, did she sleep around? Was the type of gal that did drugs? Is she open minded? Those seem like weird questions, I admit, I admit, but they really help define her character. How energetic and charismatic is she? Does she completely control the life of the party?

Mary Jane has really become a character I’m really interested in, but I’ve never really seen her “Comic Accurate” personality adapted to a modern adaptation right. The closest I would say would be the Spectacular, but even then she felt too calm.

So I want your answer. I wouldn’t mind hearing an in-depth one. I know you’ve got idealized versions (And I do to, I think I can go on an essay long rant about why I think the two complete each other) but I want to hear YOUR opinion. And if you could adapt the story into the modern day, what would your idealized Mary Jane be like? How would she and Peter’s lovely history happen?

Sorry for the long, oddly specific question, but I really want to figure out MJ, and you look like you have the matching passion and knowledge to help interested fans in her like me.

MJ’s personality is tricky because it evolves over time. But modern MJ when written correctly would have, as we all do, multiple sides to her personality.

She can be goofy, funny, carefree, a party animal, a worry wort, self-deprecating, harsh to her loved ones, selfish, self sacrificing, brave, fearful (but never cowardly), ambitious, beat herself up, socially savvy, very confifident, innately sociable, can keep a secret and just about everything between all that.

Her dynamic with Peter is also very complicated, it’s ort of easier to talk about examples you throw out at me. But I guess on a fundamental level her dynamic with Peter is all about mutual emotional fulfilment and how that is ultimately mitigates the extreme baggage that comes from life with a hero.

You can phrase it in many different ways but fundamentally MJ loves Peter because of his sense of responsibility.

In essence her Dad was her male role model in terms of a romantic partner, but in the negative. So she found herself attracted to a guy who on a certain superficial level (studious, a bookworm) was like her Dad but on a much deeper level was the polar opposite. Peter wasn’t a raving tyrant, he wasn’t a selfish dick, he wasn’t irresponsible.

She grew up under the fear of a (verbally) abusive man but in Peter she saw a guy who in spite of having a lot of intelligence and raw physical power to also be an abusive and exploitative person, instead NEVER truly abused his gifts and chiefly used them selflessly, even at personal cost.

It is not canon but a great summation of this is in Spider-Man: Reign #4 where MJ’s ghost tells Peter she didn’t love him because he could beat bullies like Flash up but because he could but never would.

Similarly in Web #6 MJ ponders how she could never marry peter due to the worry over his risking his life and how if he didn’t do that he’d have been someone she’d have jumped to marry. But then she realizes if he was someone who was selfishly going to use his abilities for fame and fortune he’d never have BEEN the kind of person she’d have fallen for.

So MJ, unlike Peter’s other girlfriends, is the one who loved him for the thing that most defined, him his sense of responsibility.

But it’s a double edged sword because in caring about him, she obviously doesn’t want him to be hurt, hence you have this brilliant narrative tension.

Wrapped up in this is the fact that MJ understands Peter’s issues with guilt and responsibility because she also renegaded upon her responsibilities and has felt guilty about it ever since because it also hurt her family.

So they are kindred spirits but whilst Peter passively stood by and let the burglar escape MJ actively ran away from her pregnant sister.* Then both of them kept that pain all to themselves for years before admitting it to one another, whilst also keeping their true personalities concealed behind public masks, meaning MJ gets that about him too.

But in confiding in one another they were able to remove those masks and be themselves in one another’s company.

You asked what else MJ does in her life. Mostly she has great ambitions in regards to usually acting, modelling, night club owning, stuff like that. MJ enjoys the spotlight and always has since she was a child.

Her interactions with most people used to be light and jokey or flirtatious. Now they are more even handed though she can be lightly flirtatious just because its in her personality.

MJ’s sex life is very much up in the air. Fans have presumed she had a lot of sex prior and after her first relationship with Peter but there is little on the page evidence confirming or denying this. Certainly she went out on a lot of casual dates.

MJ in terms of drugs is also something never touched upon in spite of her name. However the subtext of the Harry drug story implies MJ is aware of Harry’s drug abuse and she does dump him during that arc specifically when he is as high as a kite so it could be implied from this that MJ has little time for drugs.

When you think about it, between her abusive Dad and her need to maintain a facade around herself it’s unlikely MJ was going to use drugs. She wouln’t want to risk losing any control of her facade. She did smoke in high school though and later due to stress when she was married to Peter, but only briefly.

Is MJ open minded? Well...that depends upon the topic doesn’t it. She isn’t racist or homophobic. She was okay with doing a nude scene in a movie or wearing revealing lingerie on a modelling gig, only really being concerned with how Peter might feel about her doing that, so she’s no prude. She did display an initial prejudice against clones during the Clone Saga. Again what topic are we talking about.

How energetic or charaismatic is she. I mean...very charismatic and energetic most of the time. but it depends upon the situation. She’s not gonna be charismatic or emergetic after someone has died.

MJ could probably control the life of a party if she put her mind to it, yes.

Regarding the Spec cartoon, yes maybe MJ wasn’t comic accurate and more calm but in fairness everyone was because you aren’t going to present a modern cartoon with the same over the top characterization as a Stan Lee 1960s comic book. Peter was comparatively more chill in that show.

In terms of how I’d adapt her and Peter’s story and her characterization it would basically be as it was from the comics but with modern dialogue and pacing with more foreshadowing towards MJ having a hidden personality. I have mapped out my ideal Spider-Man TV series and in that you get MJ in season 2 ala her Romita era debut and then things are as they are in the comics up until she breaks up with Harry. I’d leave them separated unlike what happened in the comics (due to them repurposing an older story where they were together but that’s another issue) then have her and Peter fall in love as they did in the Conway run and break up as they did in the Wolfman run but change it from Peter proposing to MJ to asking her to move in with him.

My rationale is that in the modern day its very uncommon even for a college senior to be discussing marriage. You’d get the same thing with him surprising MJ with a crackerjack box or something but it’d have his apartment key in it instead of a wedding ring.

Additionally, I’d have her outright dump him (as opposed to the pair just not going steady anymore) and leave New York within the same story, the same story where Peter graduates, just because it’d make for a good season finale and makes the story more concise. In essence MJ just hard runs away from Peter the moment commitment rears its head.

This would lead to more of an impact in the next season when he’s dating Felicia and MJ (with no foreshadowing, which is how the comics made things happen) shows up at Peter’s door.

Again from there things would progress as they did in the comics except when we get to the MJ backstory episode I’d work her scenes from Parallel Lives into that too.

For reasons I won’t go into, for this hypothetical adaptation I’d bring the events of Hobgoblin Lives way forward in time so instead of happening when Peter and MJ are married shortly after the Clone Saga they happen shortly after Ned Leeds dies and after Peter and Felicia have broken up again. They would form the basis of another season finale wherein MJ’s role would be functionally the same as in the comic book but with two additions. Since this would be the season finale there should be some payoff for her and Peter’s relationship.

So after she, Peter, Flash and Betty formulate their plan to smoke out the real Hobgoblin MJ asks Peter how he copes with this stuff and he shows her by taking her out webswinging and we homage Sensational Annual 2007. Then later after Hobgoblin beats Peter hard he recovers at MJ’s place and she covers for him and they almost kiss before he heads off to save Betty.

I’d open the next season with the storyline wherein Peter proposes to MJ and they eventually get engaged. But instead of them marrying immediately I’d adapt loads of stories that in the comics happened after the wedding and use those to present challenges and doubts to Peter and MJ about getting married. It’d basically be a whole season about whether or not they will get married at all.

So you’d get things like the Jonathan Caesar storyline, the return of Black Cat, Kraven’s Last Hunt as the mid-season finale and the penultimate episodes would be the introduction of Venom. Obviously Venom debuted confronting MJ so there is that, but also Brock is a divorcee, the symbiote is literally one of Peter’s ex’s and a lover scorned, whom he tried to kill in a church bell tower. In the first Venom story and in my version Spidey and Venom end their first battle in that same church bell tower.

All of which is thematically juicy for an arc about relationships and marriage (because wedding bells get it).

I’d make 2 major changes though, one of which is Venom’s battle with Felicia from the second Venom arc would happen before he confronts Spidey for the first time and Peter would defeat Venom in his classic suit. The idea being that MJ makes a new version of his classic suit both because she prefers it and because it represents his true self vs the black costume which is what he’s like to be.

The classic suit = friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man/ the black suit = bad ass scary Spider-Man.

So only by being himself, by being the person MJ loves, can Peter defeat Venom this dark reflection of himself.

The story would end with Peter and MJ reunited but both clearly having doubts, as though Venom has ‘poisoned’ their future relationship.

The actual finale would mostly be an adaptation of ASM Annual #21 but with more of a focus upon the doubts each character has and unlike the comic we see HOW those doubts are put to rest. For MJ its having a conversation with Bruce and with Peter its having a conversation with the hospitalized Felicia.

Through their conversations the pair realize that rather than all the stuff they’ve been through (Venom, Kraven, etc) showing them they shouldn’t be together, the fact that they’re still together in spite of all those things proves that they can make things work. So the season wraps up with them getting married.

The next season would be a Harry Osborn centric season but MJ in response to Peter’s parents seemingly returning would seek out her sister and her Dad in jail and reconcile with them like she did in the Clone Saga.

Then I’d do the clone saga so that’s essentially going to be the same thing except obviously Peter will not be hitting any pregnant women in this version because fuck that shit. Also Peter and MJ wouldn’t leave New York although Peter would still temporarily retire as Spider-Man.

Finally I’d do a season set after the Clone Saga leading up to the pair reuniting with their kidnapped baby, Peter losing his powers and truly retiring forever, then we go into a Spider-Girl TV show.

*This is important also because when MJ closed the door after Gwen died to comfort Peter she was choosing to do the OPPOSITE of what she’d done with her sister.

In essence Peter made MJ a better person, he made her confront her issues or helped her to do so and she grew as a result. She became a more heroic, more self-sacrificing and more responsible person. This was always the case since before they were dating Peter pushed for MJ to give a witness statement to the cops about a murder which she didn’t want to do out of fear.

In turn MJ made Peter fight all the harder. He very much needs her in his life as she has emotionally, mentally and physically saved him multiple times, see Kraven’s Last Hunt for an example.

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