#todays card: command tower

[random-mtg-cards-daily]

Todays card: Command Beacon

Command beacon, a very simple card. It's a land that taps for colorless, and you can tap and sacrifice it to put your commander into your hand from the command zone. The only real use in most cases is getting around commander tax, as commander tax only applies when you cast your commander from your command zone. It can also be used in some niche strategies using commanders that want to be cast from your hand, most noticeably phage the untouchable, but these aren't recommended in most cases due to the beyond small amount of cards that put your commander into your hand.

There is no real lore significance to command beacon, but the flavor text is interesting. Riku of Two Reflections is a rather insignificant character in the lore, and one that I do not personally know much about, but what they say in reference to the card seems to imply it has some sort of magical, mind-warping effect.

Finally, the art. The tower shown in the art is very lighthouse-like, but also has some castle-like features. The landscape and the general vibe of the card, dark and foggy, makes me think the shown tower is on Innistrad, which makes sense to me, out of any plane Innistrad is probably the one that needs such beacons the most.

[sevendeadlywhispers]

7Seals

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Chapter 1

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• Previous Chapter: Prologue Next Chapter: Chapter 2

•Chapter List

•Content: Levi Ackerman x OC Fem! Canon Verse! Slow Burn!

• Word Count: 1.2k

"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, 'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer."

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In the regiment's relentless rhythm, my days blurred together over six unchanging years. The routine was our relentless master – wake, eat, train, meetings, eat again, and sleep. The mundane melody was occasionally disrupted by Shadis' whims, granting us a fleeting taste of the world beyond the towering Walls.

Our morning table, a sanctuary for the seasoned veterans, bore witness to comrades dropping like autumn leaves. The unspoken question lingered: when would our turn come? While many saw luck in our continued survival, I saw a darker twist. Fate, I believed, lurked patiently, biding its time until we felt secure, ready to shatter the false reality we'd constructed in this hellish existence.

Today, the cruel hand of fate played its cards, mocking our comfort.

"The boys aren't here yet?" Petra's radiant smile broke the morning's routine as she settled across from me.

"Nah," I replied, absentmindedly tearing at my morning bread. "Just Hange and I, probably still asleep."

Petra's grin widened, cheeks tinted with a hint of mischief. "Thank the Wall."

Hange, always perceptive, caught the unspoken secret in Petra's expression.

"I know that look," they squealed with infectious excitement. "Spill."

"Have you guys seen the new recruit?" Petra's playful voice danced through the room.

"Have I?!" Hange's response, a lively squeal, prompted a shared effort between Petra and me to hush them. Yet, if anything, their voice only seemed to gain volume.

"He's a menace! Have you guys seen him in action? He's truly set to revolutionize the Scouts."

One person expected to revolutionize the regiment was a wild accusation, not only wild but big shoes to fill.

"I thought all the recruits died."

"He's the sole survivor. Goes by Levi," Petra disclosed in a hushed tone leaning towards me. "Word has it his entire wing was taken out on the last expedition. Rumor even suggests he took down five titans single-handedly."

"Five?" My surprise echoed throughout the mess hall, louder than Hange had earlier.

"Who is this guy?"

A recruit taking out more than one Titan on their first journey outside the Walls was unheard of. The recruit surviving a Titan encounter was impressive enough, but taking down five was a whole other game.

Petra gestured subtly towards the corner, where Levi sat alone. "A short fella," Hange added with a playful smile.

"But undeniably handsome," Petra remarked.

My curiosity ignited and my intrusive thoughts won as I nudged Petra.

"Go talk to him."

"I'd only fool myself," she sighed. "He keeps to himself, speaks only with section leaders and the commander."

"I don't buy it," I chuckled, glancing in Levi's direction. There he was, absorbed in the morning paper, sipping tea in that peculiar way of his—hand over the rim, neglecting the perfectly good handle on the side of the cup.

"Go see for yourself," Petra challenged with a smug grin.

"I will," I declared, sticking my tongue out playfully before confidently striding towards Levi's table.

He was a recluse no doubt about it. From the moment Petra pointed him out to me, not once has he looked up from his morning paper. I know that nothing that interesting happened in these three walls to keep his attention that long.

Undeterred by Levi's icy reception, I took a seat without awaiting permission. The mess hall seemed to hold its breath, the world stopped moving around me as I gathered the courage to speak.

"What's your name?" I probed, met only with the continued rustle of his morning paper and the measured sip of his tea.

"Not a big talker, huh?" I teased, maintaining a resilient grin. "Well, I'm Iris, been with the scouts for six years now. Sorry for the tardy introduction—"

"Are you a section leader?" he interrupted.

"Oh, no, I'm just—" Again, his interruption cut me off.

"Until you become a captain or commander, don't talk to me unless ordered to," he snapped, his eyes still glued to the paper.

"Until you become captain or commander, don't tell me what to do," I retorted, my smile unwavering. "Until then, I'll talk your ear off as much as I want to."

Finally, he set aside his papers and looked up. His midwinter eyes jabbed at me as they locked onto my own.

"If you're trying to make a friend, save your breath and look elsewhere," he groaned, his gaze cold. "Tell your friends it's rude to stare."

I rose from the table, maintaining my cheerful facade. "Congrats on the five Titans. Until next time, Mr. Grumps."

"Tch," escaped Levi's lips as I walked away, his grumbling fading into the background as I navigated back to my comrades.

Miche Oluo and Alexander awaited my return at the breakfast table. All eyes were on me, especially Alexander's, his light brown gaze burning into mine. There was an unspoken tension, a silent exchange between us that spoke of disapproval and lingering questions.

As I settled beside Alexander, his disapproving gaze burned into my being. "What were you doing with that little freak?" he sneered.

"Hey, don't call him that," I retorted, nudging him playfully.

"What? Freak?" He laughed with a harsh edge. "He's just another underground sewage rat. Nothing but a freak." The disdain lingered on his tongue.

"Kid has a death wish," Miche chimed in.

"I think that kid is older than all of us," Hange interjected.

"There's no way that puny little thing is older than me," Alexander scoffed, dismissing Levi as if he were insignificant. "Just look at him. Nothing but bones under that uniform."

"Now now, Alexander," Hange teased. "I'd think you're jealous of him passing you up."

"Me jealous of that freak? Never," Alexander laughed, a defensive edge in his voice.

"Really? Because he's already at five Titans for his first expedition. I recall you earning three on our first mission," Hange pointed out with a mischievous giggle.

"Listen here, you little shit" Alexander's frustration surged, and he aimed his words at Hange. "I earned my way into the Scouts. That guy is only here to kill Erwin. He's nothing but a thug."

"Alexander, calm down," I attempted to defuse the tension, but his anger was worked up. Hange's teasing had struck a nerve, a fact known to everyone at the table.

"What?" Alexander groaned at me. "Don't tell me you have a soft spot for the freak already."

"Calm down. Hange is just teasing, and we all know it," I laughed lightly, attempting to ease the situation.

The table fell into an uneasy silence as Levi strolled by, his steel-grey eyes fixed ahead with unwavering confidence.

"Freak," Alexander muttered under his breath as Levi passed.

Alexander's sharp words lingered in the air as a bitter aftertaste, and a knot of worry tightened in my stomach. The casual disdain he threw toward Levi struck a nerve, leaving me both surprised and uneasy.

The recruit's gaze met Alexander's, offering an unfazed look. However, Levi's eyes then locked onto mine. I felt a shiver down my spine as his gaze traveled, time seemingly slowing down at that moment.

At that moment, I couldn't shake the feeling that fate itself had chuckled at us, reveling in the disruption Levi brought to our routine. The mess hall buzzed with the usual noise, but an undercurrent of change hummed beneath it all. It was as if Levi's mere presence had punctured the veil of our ordinary existence, inviting uncertainty and curiosity. It was a curiosity I wanted to explore, boundaries I wanted to see be pushed.

If only then I knew how much he would change our little world inside these three walls.

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[inner-viper]

What are their kinks? Their sexual intimacy? An overview of their sex life FS (18+ ONLY) PILE 3! (PART1)

ORIGINAL POST HERE

Hello, my name is Viper and I am an intutive seer/oralce tarot reader. I am well versed in finding information through divination and using my intuition~ Today I wanted to do a spicy topic because its so fun. I haven't started explaining some piles and I already feel the heat. Damn, a lot of passion and fiery enegy in this reading.. Its making me horny LMFAO. THIS TOOK ME 2 DAYS AND I WAS NOT EXPECTING FOR IT TO TAKE THIS LONG. All three of these piles wanted me to do MORE DETAILS. My channeling DRAINED ME. That’s why I took so long because afterwards THEY SUCKED MY ENERGY. (Do not worry, I just received loads of messages. It gets overwhelming). Anyways, remember nothing is set in stone. This is for entertainment purposes only. NO MINORS. 18+ ONLY.

TW: MENTIONS OF KNIFE PLAY, and CHOKING. SEXUAL CONTENT!!

CHECK OUT MY SHOP AT: https://innerviper.etsy.com

I’ll be adding cheaper options in the future. I will be updating descriptions too, so SHOP WILL HAVE A NEW LOOK🔥.

Classical Tarot Deck: Three of Cups, King of Pentacles, Page of Cups, Page of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, Justice (in reverse), Ten of Pentacles (in reverse), The Tower

Oracle Deck: The Thinking Woman, Deceit, Yin/Yang, Goddess of The Moon, Community, Victory (in reverse), Envy, Man Holding a Coin, Archangel Micheal/Root Chakra (THIS EXTRA CARD WENT FLYING).

Ok, GUYS, THIS PERSON IS A SWITCH. THEY CRAZY ASF. They definitely are into threesomes, that’s a fantasy of theirs. They probably want to be surrendered by multiple people. Specifically 2 girls, for some 2 men. I also see that they can BOTH DOM AND SUB. This person knows exactly how to switch. They are fucking experienced well. They can please anyone. They will take it as a challenge if you say you never came before. (They going crazy, this person is a master at sex🫣). They firmly believe that sex is about letting loose and it’s a part of being human. They say fuck the taboos, they definitely don’t care about conservative views. They might have grown up with conservative views and this caused their sex life to manifest that way. I’m seeing that you, the one reading this, might have grown up with extremely conservative views as well. I think you guys might have issues with being intimate and vulnerable with another person. This person will make you open up to a heart-to-heart connection. During the act of making love, they will want you to give them their heart. To pour your honest feelings out, to lay there naked and bare in front of them. Honestly, it would be very sweet and passionate. I’m seeing that they will kiss you deeply and passionately. It will be very romantic, expect to feel loved by them. This will be a very intense experience honestly. They will probably either appear to be innocent and shy on the streets but in the sheets, they are nasty asf. (LITERALLY, THEIR APPEARANCE WILL BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE LIKE LOLLL). You MIGHT be that way too. They will like how you will challenge them.

I think if you guys are innocent looking but freak on the sheets, then they will love that you bring this other side of them out. The dominant side of them will want to push you to extreme highs. They will love to chase after you. In bed, they are into changing positions constantly too. WORSHIPPING HERE IS BIG. They will worship you as a god/goddess. They will trail kisses all over you. They may like your feet because they think it’s beautiful. (I’m seeing an image of a dark skin woman with beautiful feet being kissed on their feet by their FS). I also see that once you guys are more comfortable, they will like your dominant side. I’m seeing that you definitely have a dominant side. They will think it’s so fucking hot when you command them to do something. I think people get confused about dominant and being submissive VS giving and receiving. Being dominant doesn’t necessarily mean you are the giver. (For some people who might read this and be like “What! no way!” LMFAO).

CLICK HERE FOR PT 2

(yes, i tried to fit it in one post with no intro and still couldn't upload.....)

Thank you for reading! Send suggestions and questions in the ask box!~

[rowdyhughesy]

I’m not great at surfing - T.Zegras

“Said shit I'd never do. Wonder if you think it's what I meant. You know I'm into you. Strawberry blonde hair runs for miles. Two summer sources last awhile”

- strawberry blonde, raspy

Idk shit about lifeguards because we don’t really have them in Sweden but I tried

Every summer since you could remember you had worked as a lifeguard at Hermosa Beach. The smell of sea water, family’s playing in the sand, teenagers playing volleyball or surfing. You loved it all. Mostly it was an easy job, there never really were any emergencies or someone getting hurt.

Most days you just chilled in the lifeguard tower playing cards with one of your coworkers, listening to the radio and walkie-talkie in case anything happened. “Hey Y/N I’m taking my break so can you keep watch outside for a couple of minutes?” Your coworker pops her head inside the tower, her nose a faint red from the sun and sun bleached hair in a bun atop her head. “Sure I’ll be out in two seconds.” Grabbing your sunglasses and whistle you wander outside.

The sun is beating down and you can’t help but feel impressed that you haven’t gotten any heatstroke calls yet today. Climbing up the lifeguard chair you just sit there watching everyone in the water or laying around in the sand.

A group of boys around your age catches your attention, one of them flailing his arms around sitting on a surfboard. Cheering one of the others on as he catches a wave. They don’t look like the usual surfer guys. Someone tapping the legs of your chair makes you tear your gaze away. A little girl stares up at you. Her black hair in two pigtails and a cute ruffled bathing suit. “I want to be a lifeguard when I grow up, you’re like a superhero.” Cooing at the small girl you tell her thank you and remind her to drink water before she skips back to her parents.

The walkie talkie sparks to life by your arm catching your attention. “We have a potential ongoing drowning, do you copy guard tower two.” Scrambling down from the chair you let out a quick command in the walkie that you’re on your way.

Locating the group of guys you had seen earlier you see that the one who had been sitting on one of the boards is missing. You have no time to think as you swim deeper into the water. It stings your eyes as waves crash against you but all you can focus on is trying to find the person who’s drowning. You find him rather easily, he’s floating with his face down. There’s blood trickling down his forehead and you know he must’ve been hit in the head by the board hard.

Swimming to the shore with the dark blonde in one of your arms, his friends frantically paddling after you on their surfboards. “What’s his name and what happened?” As soon as you lay him down on the sand you start CPR. “Trevor, I uh didn’t see everything but I think he wiped out and the board flew in the air and hit him.”

You can hear your own heartbeat in your ears as you continue CPR, one of his friends are pressing a towel on the gash on his forehead to stop the bleeding. Who you now know as Trevor starts sputtering, turning him on his side you try to soothe him as much as you can while he gets all the water out of his lungs. Running a hand through his wet hair and the other rubbing circles on his back you ask one of his friends to get one of your colleges that can fetch a first aid bag. “Hey Trevor can you hear me? My names Y/N.” Trevor blinks at you, squinting his eyes against the bright sunlight. “Hey.” His answers earns a chuckle from his friends, all happy that he’s alive.

“How are you feeling?” He ponders for a moment before mumbling out a like I died and came back, a half smile on his lips. Taping the wound on his forehead and getting him some water you advise the group that they should get him to a hospital. Just to make sure that he doesn’t have a concussion or anything else you can’t see on the outside.

Trevor stops just as they’re about to walk away, turning to you. A look in his eyes you can’t place but it gives you butterflies. “I think we’ve established that I’m not great at surfing. But you basically saved my life so what do you say about me taking you out for brunch someday? As a thank you, if you want to of course.”

Blushing you ask for his phone so that you can put your number in. “I’d like that Trevor, just stay away from surfing yeah?”

[pokemonxhyperfixation]

SURPRISE! HAVE SATORI'S PETS!

I made a BUNCH of trainer cards today, and felt like posting Orin and Okuu, so yeah!

IT'S ORIN!!!!!!!

I know it's probably kinda weird for a cat to have a cat, but I REALLY feel like Orin would vibe with having a Liepard of her own. Feels kinda right.

For one thing, Lampent is a ghost/fire type and honestly, Orin is most definitely that too. More importantly, I say Orin has this due to her and Lampent kinda doing the same fucked up thing, where to go to people on their death bed and wait for them to die. Shits fucked.

Since she commands spirits, and also kinda collects and speaks with them, I like the idea of her having a Spiritomb. Notably, I REALLY like the idea of this Spiritomb being one made of 108 spirits Orin particularly became chummy with, and let her shove them into a Spiritomb. It's just a group of her buddies =D!

In Orin's lore, it is pretty explicitally said that Orin likes talking to freshly dead spirits since they don't realize they died. And for some reason, that made me think of the Mother Marowak in Pokemon Tower. So yeah. Also her and Marowak are probably bone buddies. (As in both collect bones.)

Since Mandibuzz is a scavenger, I like to think Orin has one in order to help her track down the fresh dead. She probably lets the big bird nibble on the meat of the body. Her and her Mandibuzz are also probably bone collecting buddies.

Orin is explicity shown to be able to kinda raise the dead into something Zombie like, so I thought giving her Pokemon resident Zombie Bug would be fitting. (Also for the sake of me considering her a Ghost Specialist, let's just pretend Parasect is the Bug/Ghost type it deserves to be.)

I ALSO GOT HER BUDDY (AND GIRLFRIEND) OKUU!

(Cynthia was honestly the best sprite for her I could find...)

While I'm kinda iffy on REPRESENTING Okuu on Satori's team as a Moltres, there is not a single doubt in my mind that Okuu herself uses a Moltres! (Certain helps that the Kanto and Galar legendary birds seem more to be a really rare and powerful pokemon species rather than some crazy mythological entity like most other legendaries.)

Kinda like how Orin has a Lampent because it kinda does the same thing as her, Okuu has a Chandelure for largely the same reason! Chandelure is said to burn the spirit and body of it's victims to fuel itself, and Okuu burns bodies to run the Hell of Blazing Fires!

Torkoal is here since I KNEW I wanted Okuu to have a Drought Pokemon, but the thing is, there are only three. And of Torkoal, Groudon and Ninetales, I thought Torkoal was genuinely the most fitting for her. It's just a silly little sun setting dope like her! She 200% either got this thing from Kanako or Yatagarasu.

Honestly, Honchkrow is more so a Pokemon I believe Okuu had BEFORE becoming a living shrine to a Sun God. I imagine back when she was normal, she had this Honchkrow she either used or was at least chummy with, and it either stuck with her or just straight up joined her team once she got the powers of a Sun God.

Volcarona is here since her and it are kindred spirits. Namely in both of them being the fucking sun more or less. Like Torkoal, she got this from either Yatagarasu or Kanako. Helps her keep Hell burning.

Clawitzer is here for a couple of reasons. For one thing, part of Okuu's job is not only fueling the Hell of Blazing Fires, but also cooling it, and Clawitzer is here to help her with that. The other reason is because they're arm cannon buddies =D! (It's a Pokemon she became chummy with after getting the "third leg" (yes, that's what the arm cannon seams to be refered to as canonically), especially since I head canon her arm was amputated to put the arm cannon there.)

Honaray mentions to Coalossal, Volcanion and Walking Wake (AKA the Steam Bois) for all being contenders for Clawitzer's slot (because of the Steam released from Nuclear Power Plants), but I felt giving her an arm cannon friend would have been nicer =).

[slate-skylar]

Continuation of this scene

Slate remained slumped over, his body resting on Ezra's body, until he heard the hovercraft. It was a familiar hum, and he knew what its arrival meant. He stood, picking up the blood-soaked note from the ground, and stepped back into the tree line around the clearing. As the hovercraft came closer, lowering its belly above the trees, he stood still, forcing himself to bear witness until Ezra's body was delivered into its hull. Just as Davey's had been. Just as Buster's had been. And Slate, still standing. Fingers clutched around a note.

It was dark now. The others would be wondering where he was. He should have been back with food by now. But he slumped against a tree, sliding down until he was sitting in the dirt. In the moonlight there was the bead, the bracelet, and in his hand, the note. A note from Cress, to Ezra. And Slate's mind pulling together puzzle pieces against his will. Cress had asked Ezra to stay away from him; Ezra had followed her command and done it, thinking Slate would do the same; but Cress had never asked such a thing of him. And now Slate had killed him. It was an assisted murder, something they'd done together.

He looked at the bracelet on his wrist. Hestia would be ashamed. She would hate him. She would loathe him, regret the day she'd brought him into her home. She'd see him for the monster he'd tried so hard to prove to her he was. "Did I do it, Hestia?" he asked quietly, speaking aloud. "Do you see me now?"

And then the bead; the kyanite. Marble had said that it was a powerful stone; associated with the Tower card, the one she'd pulled for him.

"Said to encourage telepathy when used with another person," she had said.

He touched the bead with a blood-stained finger. His right hand had committed many deeds today; it had lobbed off his ear, it had stabbed Davey, it had stabbed Ezra, and now it held this, from Cress. Evidence of trickery, evidence of a game being played.

"If nothing else, they are a good reminder that you aren't alone, even in dark, trying moments."

"We're just a couple of Careers, aren't we, Cress?" he said.

"You will both make it through."

@cress-meadowforge

[allys-corner]

These Thoughts in My Head - Part 1

*Quick note: Sorry about this being a two parter. It started short in my head, but then it turned into a way longer fic than anticipated. Let me know what you think and if you wanna read part 2. Thanks :) *

Summary: Reader is Tony Stark’s daughter who was involved in a bombing intended for Tony himself, because of this half her body is now completely mechanical. Years later, an enemy is able to hack her system and cause her to become aggressive towards everyone in the tower.

You knew Peter would never be able to hurt you, not even if it meant saving his team’s life. This provided your AI with the perfect opportunity to pick him as a target. You try to stop your legs from moving, but it is a useless effort. Your body moves on its own as it leads you towards your bedroom.

The door opens automatically as you approach. Looking straight into the camera near the ceiling, you hope that maybe FRIDAY would recognize the desperate look on your face. It doesn’t happen and your body proceeds to enter the room. Peter is deep asleep. His patrol ended about an hour ago, so you knew that he must be very exhausted. Your AI knew this as well. Taking calm steps towards the bed, you reach your side and pull out the drawer. Your hand grabs the pocketknife inside before crossing to the other side of the bed.

You can tell the exact moment that Peter’s senses you. The skin on the back of his neck bumps up before his eyelids slide open. He gazes up at you, sleepily confused.

“What’s up, baby? Is something wrong?”

That groggy voice usually makes you melt, but today was different. No response is given as you step closer to him. This is when his senses seem to pick up that something is up. On instinct, Peter launches himself backwards right as the knife pierces his pillow. You hear a rip as your body launches across the bed at Peter. The knife is jabbed towards Peter’s eye, but he grabs your wrist just in time. He holds it down on the blankets before blocking your oncoming fist with his arm. He uses his momentum to wrap your left arm behind your back while squeezing your wrist to break your grip on the knife.

“FRIDAY! Call somebody!” He yells as you already begin struggling in his grasp. You rear your head back and make contact with his cheekbone. Your internal screaming doesn’t seem to faze your AI as it uses the distraction to regain control of your right arm. Lunging for the knife on the bed, you feel your fingers grasp the handle. Turning to slice at Peter, your AI is distracted by the hiss of the automatic door.

Standing in the doorway is Tony, Steve, and Natasha. Peter sighs in relief above you, but the new additions seem to only enhance your AI’s rage. With newfound strength, you kick Peter in the chest before launching off the bed and into a crouch. The group is thrown off for a moment before taking action.

“FRIDAY, get Wanda down here now!” Tony commands as Steve steps closer to you. Tony’s grasps his arm tightly.

“What do you think you’re doing, Rogers?”

“Tony, you can’t just expect us to do nothing!”

“We’re not doing nothing. We wait on Wanda to get here.”

Waiting didn’t seem in the cards as the AI got tired of their bickering. Taking the chance to rush at Steve, your body is stopped by an arm wrapping itself around your waist. You hear Peter’s voice in your ear, and you pray that it will fix what’s happening. But it doesn’t. An elbow to the stomach makes Peter back up a bit. This is enough to allow you to twist out of his grasp and slip past the two heroes at the door. Wait, two? BAM!

~~~

Waking up from head trauma is never fun. You can contest this now that it’s happened to you. As you gather your bearings, you realize you’re in the hulk cell by how large the cage is. Good. They’re taking this seriously. You look around and notice that you are surrounded by your own reflection. I guess to keep me in the dark about what’s going on. Unfortunately, your AI system has access to the tower comms, therefore, making it able to hear and see everything going on outside.

The room consists of Tony, Peter and Bruce near a table gazing down at a Stark Pad while Wanda, Clint and Nat are perched on a couch nearby talking quietly to themselves. You hear footsteps approach as Steve strides into the rooms along with Bucky and Sam. The only ones missing seem to be Vision and Thor. Steve approaches the table that the engineers are gathered around.

“Bruce, have you found anything yet?” He asks.

“No,” Bruce sighs “Nothing is physically or mentally wrong with the human side of her body. She’s perfectly healthy.”

Steve looks disappointed, but not surprised. He turns to the couch.

“Wanda, what about you?”

“I was only able to glimpse bits and pieces. Anytime I would get too close to anything the AI would reboot itself.” Wanda must have looked inside your mind while you were out. Although you bristled at the thought of her seeing something personal, you were glad they were trying everything to break this.

“That’s the same problem FRIDAY is having. If she can’t get to the source before the reboot, then it’s like pulling teeth. It also doesn’t help that her coding is very complex and hard to get through.” Tony rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry for that one guys.” He puts his coffee mug down before picking up the pad.

Bruce rolls his eyes before adding, “the good news is that we are making progress it’s just very slow, so, there’s that.”

Steve speaks up again. “Any suspected locations of where this may be coming from?”

“No, but we do have footage of her leaving the tower and returning a couple hours later looking, well, about like she does now. Crazy eyes and anger issues.” Tony explains.

“Okay… Bucky, Sam and I will work on trying to get any footage from when she was outside the tower. Clint and Nat, you guys should try to get in touch with Nebula and Thor,” Steve turns “and Wanda the same with Vision.”

Everyone proceeds to pile out of the room leaving just Bruce, Tony, and Peter. Tony looks at Peter with a tired expression.

“Peter, you need to go suit up in case something happens.”

“With all due respect Mr. Stark, I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don’t think I feel the same way.” You see tears start to gather in your father’s eyes, and you are crushed with guilt. Your dad has already been through so much, and you were just making it worse.  “That’s my little girl in there acting like a wild hydra assassin. But we need to be ready, that way we can protect her.” Tony rests his hands on Peter’s shoulder “I won’t leave her, Pete. I promise.”

Even with that assurance, Peter is still very reluctant as he leaves. He turns back to you about a hundred times before he is out of view. Once he leaves, Tony seems to deflate. He looks like even the slightest breeze could blow him over. He has that distant look in his eyes, like he does when he’s blaming himself.

          Now that the AI knows the team’s plan, it begins to devise its own. Although the hulk cell may look indestructible, there was a fail-safe that your father put in there just in case someone got stuck inside. He didn’t know you knew about this as you had discovered it a couple years back when you had snuck in here to hide from him. As slowly as you could, you pulled your body towards the small panel in the back corner. Using the pin in your hair to pop the panel off, you take a look at the wiring. Now if you knew your dad correctly, he always used a red wire with a gold tip to indicate the cord needed to be cut. Since they had confiscated your pocketknife, yanking out the cord was the only option. Unplugging the cord causes the door to slide open, and you take advantage of your dad and Bruce’s surprise to sprint out of the cage. Unfortunately, their table is right next to the exit.

You try to keep running, but the Iron Man suit blocks your way out. A gauntlet is pointed your way.

“Whoever you are, you need to give me back my daughter right now.” Tony demands. Up until this point you didn’t know if your AI could speak, but it replies calmly.

“Are you sure this is your daughter? She seems more metal than flesh to me.”

“Of course she is, and if you’re inside her head right now, you know it too.”

“Hmm, a story so tragic,” the AI mocks “Stark child loses half her body to an explosion meant for her father. You must feel so guilty.”

“Shut up. You will never understand the guilt I carry around every day for that, but I know she’s already forgiven me for it a hundred times over. That’s the person she is, and who you will never be.” Tony takes a menacing step forward with the gauntlet still raised. “I’m going to get her back and no one or nothing is going to stop me. So, we can play this any way you want because, no matter what, the outcome will always be the same. So why don’t you get back in that cell for me.” Tony demands.

The AI seems taken aback for a second before grinning sharply.

“What are you going to do Stark? Hmm. Harm your own daughter? Haven’t you done that enough?” It taunts.

“This shoots electromagnetic waves, therefore, shutting down the tech side of the body for long enough to figure out how to get y/n back.”

“But Stark I think you forget that the technology inside of me is also keeping y/n alive. Remember the piece you had to put in her lung? She can’t breathe without it.” Tony shrinks back while sending a concerned glance at Bruce. Your AI breaks into motion as it shoves into Tony’s arm hard enough to knock him out of the doorway and make your escape.

END OF PART ONE

[saganssorcery]

𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Vine

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Today we are being asked to have faith in our power but we can use this strength for good or ill. Be aware that you build what you need and not pull down that which serves. The energy of this day will help you take what you need, with force if you have too, but I still think it wise to exercise this with a careful balance. Magick is likely afoot on this day, and if your intuition pings it's very likely you could follow the energy line to find out exactly who or what it is.

𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗸 “The 45 spirit is called Vine, he is a great king & an Earle, & appeareth in ye forme of a Lyon ridding on a Black horse wth a viper in his hand his office is to discover Things hidden, witches, and Things present past & to come. he, at ye command of ye Exorcist, will build Towers, Throw down great stone walls, make waters rough wth stormes &c, he governeth 3582 Legions of spirits, his seal is this, wch make and wear as a Lamin cc.” -Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, The Lesser Key of Solomon, Detailing the Ceremonial Art of Commanding Spirits Both Good and Evil. -Joseph H. Peterson, Editor.

©️Sagans Sorcery 🔥🖋️

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀

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[the-northern-oracle]

FRIDAY TAROT WITH PRINCE SITRI

April 21st, 2023

Prince Sitri is a wonderful spirit who presides over love and lust. I consider him to be a dear friend and an important part of my life. He has agreed to help me each week in providing advice regarding love to the collective. For the sake of transparency, please note that I do not consider this to be a channeled message from Prince Sitri; his role is to influence the cards and help guide my thoughts to help me interpret the meaning.

Please choose a card below and then proceed to receive your message.

Today’s cards:

The Tower, Judgement, Strength

Let us begin!

THE TOWER

Though it may be something that you deeply desire, you are not yet ready to bring a relationship into your life. You are in need of undergoing some major changes first because, right now, you do not have a good relationship with yourself. You are hoping that someone else can provide you something that you truly need to be giving yourself. Before you can accept that you are worthy of someone else’s love, you must first accept that you are worthy of your own love. At this time, you need to focus on taking command of your life and understand that an external relationship will never bring you happiness if the pillars that support your life are not stable. You may wish to build something with someone else but that isn't going to be possible if your own foundation is not set on solid ground. Address your inner conflict and seek satisfaction from within rather than looking for validation from romance. Then you will be in a better place for a healthy and lasting partnership.

JUDGEMENT

You may have had shaky relationships in the past but understand that forgiveness is the key, both for yourself and for others. Seek to move forward from a place of balance and stability. This would be a good time to focus on releasing the baggage from past relationships; you really don’t want the fear of failure hanging over your head. Understand that there is truly no such thing as a perfect partner and sometimes people are going to disappoint you, but that doesn’t mean everyone is going to hurt you. Don't be too quick to let the past define your future. Allowing yourself to do this will make room for healthier and more successful relationships. Have faith in who you are and don't let hang-ups about failed relationships prevent you from being open to new ones. There is still love to be found, but you do need to be accepting of potential flaws, including your own, and realize that any relationship is going to require growing together.

STRENGTH

You haven’t had bad relationships, per se; In fact, your past partnerships have taught you a lot about who you are and what you want in life. Mostly, you're in a pretty good place to have a healthy relationship but maybe you really aren’t sure if you’ll ever find “the one”. You have a unique personality and feel pretty confident in yourself. You’d really appreciate a partner who can keep up with you and meet all of your expectations. The problem is, you may be viewing relationships purely from a logical point of view and less from an emotional one. Take the time to re-evaluate your relationship goals and what you are seeking in a partner. Love isn’t about checking off boxes, so try to find areas where you can adjust your standards and you will likely have more success in finding a suitable partner. Reflect on your past relationships and use what they've taught you to find areas where you could be a little more flexible. Though it's good to be sure of yourself and your life goals, you can't always have your cake and eat it, too, so be aware of this moving forward!

[leonsrightlations]

The Earth is Online Chapter 2.2

When he woke the next day, he saw Victor’s message. He hurried to reply, but Victor was already offline. 

Tang Mo stretched his body and suddenly felt that his psychological state was much better. His heartbeat was still very fast, but that feeling of being anxious for no reason had disappeared without a trace.

On the internet, the Black Tower incident was still being discussed. Since the relevant government agency had yet to give a definitive explanation, many netizens could only secretly discuss pertinent information regarding the Black Tower, but their discussions were basically all useless.

Tang Mo clicked on a few forum posts speculating on the Black Tower that seemed reasonable. A large number of people thought the Black Tower was the result of some kind of advanced technology research. There were also a few who thought it was the end of the world, but their tone was joking.

In the afternoon, Director Wang sent an announcement to the city library’s group chat.

“Urgent notice! Starting from the day after tomorrow, the city library will be commandeered as a temporary research center. If you have any personal items there, come fetch them within the next two days. I’ll repeat the notice once again: Starting from the day after tomorrow, the city library will be commandeered as…”

The group chat immediately exploded out of control.

A few older employees inquired one after the other - if the city library was commandeered, where would they go to work? A few young employees jokingly said: “It’s the end of the world, why work, ah?”

Tang Mo raised his head and turned his eyes to the distant Black Tower. He picked up his bag and caught a bus to the city library.

It must be said, the stability of A-country’s social order was really very good. Aside from those who worked close to the Black Tower and had to stay at home for the time being, the rest of the infrastructure was operating extremely steadily, the same as always.

But when he got on the bus and swiped his card, Tang Mo saw that the driver had an ashtray in front of him, filled with ash, and there was a cigarette in his mouth.

A middle-aged woman complained, “Mister, why are you smoking while driving? Isn’t it banned?”

“So troublesome. If I can’t smoke, I don’t want to drive. Why don’t you come drive?”

“Ai, what are you saying? The ban on smoking is a rule from you guys at the bus company. It’s already bad enough that you’re smoking, but you also won’t let us speak?”

The driver and the middle-aged woman continued to argue. Sitting beside Tang Mo were two female university students who hurried to mediate. They managed to soothe things over with great difficulty.

The two female college students returned to their seats and one of them said, “Today is the third day, right?”

“Oh, it’s like you said. It really is the third day.”

The female student, playing on her cellphone, said, “Something was said about needing to eliminate a player, but not being limited to playing a game. What does that mean? Even after three days there’s still no change. What counts as a game? If we play rock, paper, scissors, does that count?”

“Hee hee, want to give it a try?”

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Ah, I lost. Then, was I eliminated by you?”

The two female college students glanced at one another and began to laugh heartily.

Those who sat on the bus, continuing their everyday lives, didn’t care much about the Black Tower incident. When Tang Mo reached the city library, he saw countless people holding signs, surrounding the Black Tower on all sides. Those who cared deeply about the Black Tower incident were also those who indeed thought the Black Tower had brought about the end of the world.

Tang Mo made a detour via the backdoor and entered the city library. It seemed that he alone had hurried to fetch his things, because there was no one else in the spacious library. Outside, the chanting of the demonstrating masses could be heard, the hubbub echoing within the library as well. Tang Mo found his cabinet and retrieved several books from inside.

He was about to leave when he suddenly heard a muffled sound coming from the southeast corner. Tang Mo halted in his steps and looked in that direction. A moment later, he grabbed a black stun baton [1] from within the security locker and cautiously tip-toed toward that corner.

“Who’s there?”

There was no response. But Tang Mo could indistinctly hear the sound of someone moving, as if someone had stuffed a book back onto its shelf and then, in a fluster, dropped another.

Tang Mo approached the bookshelf in the corner and, rounding the corner, called out, “Who’s there!?”

An ordinary young man with a headful of chaotic hair looked toward Tang Mo in agitation, still holding a book in his hands.

The hand Tang Mo was using to hold the stun baton lowered. In astonishment, he said, “Spiritual…cough…Mr. Chen? What are you doing here?”

The spiritual weirdo looked stiffly at Tang Mo, forced a laugh, and returned the book he was holding to the bookshelf.

Tang Mo furrowed his eyebrows. “How did you get in here?”

“There’s a sliding window on the east side that’s not shut well… I just entered to look…look around…”

Tang Mo thought back and recalled that there really was a sliding window on the east side of the city library. But that sliding window was on the ground and opened into the basement, primarily serving as ventilation. How had the spiritual weirdo entered? Could he really have crawled through the window?

Tang Mo said, “Mr. Chen, your behavior is very awkward for us. Isn’t this considered theft?”

“I haven’t stolen anything!” the spiritual weirdo hastily said.

Tang Mo looked him up and down, his hand still grasping the stun baton, and walked to the bookshelf to carefully look it over.

Indeed, there were no fewer books. It was the same as when he’d left three days previously.

“So then the reason you entered is…”

[Ding dong! The game [2] ‘Who Stole My Book?’ has been triggered. On November 17th, 2017, at 17:52, players Tang Mo and Chen Fangzhi safely joined the game. Players have entered the sandbox. Game map generation is complete. Data loading is complete.]

In a split second, the turmoil and chanting coming from outside the city library completely disappeared. In the deserted city library, a sly, melodious child’s voice sounded out of nowhere, reciting a nursery rhyme that no one had ever head before -

[La la la, la la la.

Hit gently with a stick,

Two players playing house.

Three days and nights without speaking,

The angel and demon want it.

Hiss…who stole my book?] [3]

[PREV] [TOC] [NEXT]

Translation Notes

[1] Something like this:

This is a wild thing for a security guard at a LIBRARY to be carrying, btw.

[2] It's literally 'pit game.'

[3] This all rhymes in Chinese. I think it makes more sense that way because some of the nonsense is obviously there to 'force' the rhyme that highlights the key parts, but there's not really a good way to make it work in English. At least, not with my limited skills. Just......take my word for it, I guess. >_>;;

[firsttarotreader]

Asking for the cards, but seeing other anons naughty asks today I wanna keep it fluff 🤣

So if he's romantically interested in someone, would he make the first move himself to get to know that person or maybe he's like "nah I'll just chilling and wait them to *approach* me" ?

I feel like it's the latter? I mean I remember when he was in that Casillero del Diablo wine QnA, one of the words Pedro said would describe him is "lazy/idle".

Hello! So this is an interesting complement to the latest reading about him letting the other person make the first move. I asked directly if he is one to make the first move himself if he is interested. The Major Arcana were The Emperor, The Tower and Judgement.

The Emperor is usually Pedro’s card and it represents someone who can be an “authority” in the situation, he rules, he controls, he commands and he organizes everything in his Kingdom. The Tower represents this shakeup where the walls fall apart, where something crumbles and is destroyed. Judgement is about being wise enough to judge what is the best for you, to know what you want and to be ready to start over, to start something new. We could be seeing here someone who likes to take control of the situation and would be willing to risk it all and let his guard and his walls down once he knows what is the best course of action and is ready to make the move.

However, the Minor Arcana change the scenario to an extent. We have the 8 of Cups, King of Wands and 2 of Wands. The 8 of Cups with The Emperor is curious because it makes me think he walks away from his “Emperor self” when he is faced with the idea of making the first move. He abandons this position in a way. The King of Wands is similar to The Emperor to some degree as he is a man of action, passionate, with intense fire energy and who also wants to be in control and take the lead. With The Tower, he might be letting those walls fall apart very consciously, for a reason, to be able to finally approach someone he wants to. Then 2 of Wands with Judgement points to him REALLY wanting to make the move, with a lot of ideas and plans and with a goal set on his mind that he should do it. But does he make the move?? We see him abandoning his Emperor position somehow, although we have the King of Wands. But when it comes to taking action, the 2 of Wands is more of an intention to act than action in itself.

So I would he probably would burn with the desire to make the first move but maybe wouldn’t really do it so fast and so easily? This lines up with him actually liking people who make the first move and feeling insecure when he doesn’t know if they feel the same.

[trixcuomo]

DWC 2023 #1: Weakness

Trixany had seen her father draw a bow many times. Shoot and hit his target without really seeing. Without really knowing it, just needing the thing to be shot dead. Like what he did as a Farstrider commander was more magic than his will, or athleticism. So when their carriage rolled to a stop at the front gate of Windspire Military Academy, and he said, "If you ditch this, I will find you like a shot," young Trixany believed her father.

Trixany Cuomo was seventeen, and she was in serious trouble. She knew it as she took her pink duffle bag, stepped down into the pale dirt road. She knew it as she walked past the first statue on campus, the towering matriarch Ranger-General Lireesa Windrunner.

Lireesa Windrunner was the intense founder of the academy. You didn't have to join the Farstriders at the end, but it was hard to say no once they dug their official gold phoenix claws into you, Trixany knew that.

The Windrunner sisters were too busy to run the academy themselves, it was their mother's legacy and something a school board was in charge of after all. But Trixany's father had tried to cheer her, saying that each of the Windrunners, Sylvanas, Alleria and Valeria, would at least give a guest lecture once during the school year.

Everything today was cast in the deep ivy shades of the trees. The military school and its tall spires against a rainy gray sky were foreboding.

"This isn't a punishment, Trixany. This isn't because you have some weakness."

Trixany was past emotion. She just turned halfway in the road and gave her father a dead inside look.

"Windspire Academy is going to make you stronger," he made a fist. "Like a phoenix."

Trixany blinked, slowly. Her father shooed her, to get along her way. Up the road and through the gates. Two guards in the green and bronze school uniform were waiting. There would be no escape from this fate.

"Dad! Why do you have to dump me here--"

"Phoenix, Trixany! Phoenix!!"

Sullen, Trixany went inside.

A woman in a pale green dress uniform, piped with bronze swiftly marched up to her. Her hair was swept up in a gray bun.

"Ah! Miss Cuomo. The Goblin magazine star who isn't even a Goblin? Who went crazy with fame and too much money for someone so young, in Kezan. You will find no such vices to distract you here. And we expect you to work hard. You've been warned," she offered her hand to shake. "I am Lady Thelmara Solmes."

Trixany was informed she had a weak handshake.

"As for the restrictions here on campus. No cards, no gambling, no smoking..."

"Look, it's alright. As long as I can get a Kezani bubble tea, I'll be manageable most days. Have you ever tried one? They're amaaaazing. My favorite is peach, with kajamite pop rocks of course. Goblin bubble tea got invented in Kezan last summer, but I know they sell them everywhere by now. I think I saw a cart by the road on the way down here."

"NO BUBBLE TEA!"

Trixany hissed in a breath, clutched the front of her shirt. Too cruel a place this was. Too cruel.

@daily-writing-challenge

[snotsloth]

FFxivWrite2023 Day 1: Envoy

Content warnings for brief descriptions of inhumane refugee living conditions, including also brief mentions of death, starvation, and suicide. No specific character deaths mentioned or described.

"Alright, what is next on the docket?" the chairman of the Immigration Committee of the Sharlayan Forum asked, reaching behind himself to where a staffer patiently waited with a fresh packet of papers. "Hopefully this is straightforward and we can adjourn early."

The staffer bent over and whispered in the elderly chairman's ear as he squinted down at the packet in his hands. "Special envoy from the Association of Sharlayan Refugees in Thanalan? What sort of tomfoolery is this?"

The low sufferance of the staffer could not be clearly heard by most in the room, but the chairman's response could be heard clear as a bell, even into the hall. "Yes, I know there's a population of colonials there, but what does that have to do with us here?" More quiet exposition from the staffer. "Yes, I know many have applied for work visas here but most were denied if they weren't already citizens or had sponsorship from one of the academic societies. Theis was all settled years ago. Why are they sending an envoy now?"

The rest of the committee shifted restlessly in their chairs. It was getting on towards late afternoon and many were anxious to adjourn.

"Why should it matter who they sent? They could send Thaliak himself, but it wouldn't change the committee's decision... It's who? Well, why didn't you bloody lead with that you fool?!? Send him in!" The staffer scurried off into the hall.

"I thought you just said it didn't matter who they sent," the vice chairman teased as the double-doors of the council chamber swung closed behind the beleaguered staffer.

"Just wait," the chairman muttered under his breath. "You'll understand in a moment."

The doors swung open again and the staffer held one open as she loudly announced, "Commander Orion Mol-D'Oschon, special envoy of the Association of Sharlayan Refugees in Thanalan, former Scion of the Seventh Dawn, and Warrior of Light."

The entire committee stared as an outrageously tall Xaela man in scholar's robes and spectacles walked into the audience chamber. He was a bit thinner overall than your stereotypical towering warrior of the Steppe and his long, striding legs had a bit of a chocobo-esque quality as he crossed a single yalm with one stride. A careful observer might notice that his short cropped hair was tightly bound into three braids along the side of his scalp in a distinctly Ala Mhigan fashion. He had a deep red complexion and bright, luminous amber eyes that took in his shocked audience with a kind of sharp intelligence that could intimidate even the most elitist academic.

Orion made his way to the podium at the center of the floor and set a robust card-paper folder down. Pulling out a single sheaf of paper, he looked up at his rapt audience, nodded solemnly and began to speak. His voice had the sort of deep resonance most Au Ra men possessed, but his accent had a familiar Sharlayan lilt.

"Esteemed members of the Immigration Committee, I come before you today, not as the Warrior of Light, not as a Scion of the Seventh Dawn, but as a son of your Dravanian Colony. I was born there and spent my earliest years wandering the stacks of the Great Gubal Library with my father, and charting the stars on the parapets of Idylshire with my mother."

"Growing up, I perceived no difference between my parents and other residents of Emporium. My father was an archivist in Gubal and my mother worked as a research assistant for the Faculty of Astrology. We moved in social circles with gleaners, faculty, and various other members of a vibrant academic community. It did not matter to anyone we knew that both of my parents were born to indigenous tribes of the Azim Steppe. But when the Garlean Empire invaded Ala Mhigo and Sharlayan abandoned the Colony, my parents' place of birth suddenly made all the difference in determining whether or not there was a place for us in the ivory halls of Old Sharlayan."

"Like many refugees of both Ala Mhigo and Dravania, my family eventually found ourselves on the outskirts of Ul'dah, all three of us taking what work we could and begging when even the most menial jobs filled up."

"We were seen as outsiders, freeloaders, inconvenient, shiftless, job thieves, just more needy mouths to feed. I would not wish the demeaning, dehumanizing life of a refugee on my worst enemy. The very specific skillset my parents had developed in two decades of service to Sharlayan were of little value in the outside world, and the only other place where their knowledge and experience would be of value had closed its doors to them permanently."

"Still, with all that hardship, my family is counted among the lucky ones. We were three healthy people, capable of hard physical labor and with constitutions that could at least survive if not thrive on the deprivations of camp life. We were eventually able to find stable work more conducive to our skills and afford a small apartment within the walls of the city. many of our friends, and my parents' former colleagues were not so fortunate."

"Over the past fifteen years, the Sharlayan population in Thanalan has seen a mortality rate rivaled only by our Ala Mhigan siblings. Starvation, disease, violence, and suicide claimed almost one in four of my childhood playmates. No child should have to grow up wondering which of their comrades will make it to their next birthday, but to us, death was commonplace."

"I do not tell you all this to play to your sympathies, nor to demonstrate what adversity I fought through even before my days as the Warrior of Light. I tell you all this to impress the stark reality of the consequence of the decisions that this committee made in the past, and to inspire you all to think critically about how your choices in this room will have ripple effects across the entire star."

"These days, the Sharlayan community in Thanalan is small. At this point, I believe I know every living soul by name. many are aging, reaching a point in life where their bodies can no longer withstand the kind of manual labor and long hours they still must work in order to keep a roof over their heads."

"In this folder, I hold the proof of identity and employment records of every former Emporium resident currently living in Thanalan. Not all of them need or want to relocate to Old Sharlayan at this late stage in their lives, but all of them deserve your attention and consideration for some level of official Sharlayan support. These brilliant, amazing people dedicated their lives to the values of Sharlayan; knowledge, learning, unraveling the mysteries of the universe and sharing that knowledge and wisdom with others. While I understand the extenuating circumstances, it cannot be denied that Sharlayan's actions directly impacted their lives and livelihoods. We owe them at least comfortable, fulfilling twilight years."

"Thank you for your time and consideration of my proposal. I will be residing with the Students of Baldesion for the next academic term. This project is my top priority, so I am at your disposal for any information or aid I can provide towards this endeavor. I wish you all a pleasant evening."

With that, he folded his sheaf of paper and tucked it into a pocket of his robe. He picked up the folder and handed it to the staffer who had taken up her post along the side of the audience chamber.

"Thank you, Miss Magnúsdóttir," he said quietly, as she took the folder from him. The young woman's eyes sparkled with hero worship as Orion nodded his head towards her and quietly made his way back through the chamber doors.

As the doors closed, the entire committee could hear what sounded like the lady Ameliance Leveilleur saying to Orion, "How did it go?"

And his humble reply, "Well, I hope. I wasn't jeered out the door."

There was a moment of ringing silence among the committee as Miss Magnúsdóttir hurried back to where the chairman was seated and passed him the hefty folder. "Well," the chairman sighed, defeated. "There goes our budget surplus."

Rules & Info || Prompt List || #FFxivWrite2023 || kofi

[chatotbox]

“ You’re to take an extended leave, Sato. ”

The Director of the Radio Tower is a kindly man named Hiro who Remy has known for three years now. He looks frazzled still, his auburn hair refusing to lay flat with the stress of the tower’s takeover by Team Rocket in the last few weeks. He’s aged overnight almost -- if Remy looks closely, they think they can see gray starting in his hair already.

(They think about how the morning started so normal, how Hiro had greeted them so kindly, and the sour roiling in their gut when it turned out to be Petrel in disguise -- the way he grinned with recognition at seeing Remy has their skin crawling even now.)

The command (because it is a command, not a request) comes on day two of Remy’s hospital stay. The burn salve under the bandaging wrapping their left side does very little to stave off the intense pain that thunders through them without strong painkillers. There’s talk of what can be done and what has to be tested first. Houndoom bites, apparently, never stop aching.

(Archer must know about it, because why else would he point a Pokemon at a person like that?)

Remy nods numbly at the order when Hiro pauses for a response, before he continues speaking.

“ You’ll be paid for it, of course, and the Tower. . .well, the station is going to be closed for repairs and renovations for some time anyways. You’ll have time to recuperate. You aren’t the only person I’m paying visits to today. ”

He tries for humor and Remy misses it in the fog of painkiller and exhaustion. The station is going to be closed for an indeterminate amount of time while they clean up the broken machines, busted furniture and Rocket blood.

(There’s a lot of Rocket blood, too, because of a boy and his hulking beast of a Feraligatr.)

They have time off for now, to recuperate and wonder how fucked their life might be now. It’s not like people aren’t going to notice the recognition from the Executives that had decided to torment them in the Tower. Remy hopes, more than anything, that they can brush it off as a case of mistaken identity.

Hiro, in his infinite patience and honestly baffling charisma, says nothing of the matter right now. It would be insensitive to insinuate such a thing to a worker who was now hospitalized because of those same Executives, or so Remy assumes.

“ We’ll keep in touch, of course, and you’ll be one of the first to know when we’re back up and running. If you decide to continue with us, we’ll be happy to have you. ” He strokes a hand through his hair and musses the auburn strands more, causing them to fall across his face. “ You did good work up there, or so I heard. I didn’t know you were a trainer! ”

That gets a little smile from Remy, the forced kind of kindness that comes with a public persona, and they shake their head.

“ I don’t -- battle, usually. It’s been a long time. Thank you, sir. ”

The smile, wobbly as it is, works -- Hiro takes it in stride, leaves them a get well soon card and a promise to call when work resumes, and Remy’s left alone in the buzzing quiet of the hospital room until a nurse comes by to tell them they’d be going home soon.

And home they go, with more painkillers and a note to seek out a therapy group for other people with chronic pain problems.

(Home is hardly comfortable either, with their face known to Rocket again. They don’t sleep very well, not until their Pokemon post up around the home to keep them safe. The first time they sleep through the night, they do so with Ariados hanging by their side and Arbok curled across their feet.

Ampharos, newly evolved, stands guard with a slowly blinking red light illuminating the room to chase shadows from every corner.)

[melodylnoelle]

Companions

The Cards Have Spoken - Week 9 (My cards)

Another week of two-for-ones because we got a little behind. This one is my cards for this week, and then the ones with Amanda’s cards will be for next week.

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Characters: Maria Hill. Barton family Category: Fluff - Adopting a pet Timeline: Post- Civil War (man we pull this one a lot) Setting: Barton residence (Additional - New York City/Maria’s apartment) Warnings/Notes:  None // We are trying to keep these all to a minimum of 500 words. You can use these same cards for your own story if you like, but please tag me and @brightsun-and-darkmidnight so that we can see what you do! Please enjoy Words:  1514 Summary: Maria decides to add a little furry companion to her life Masterlist

           It had been over two years since SHIELD had fallen apart, and Maria was still figuring out what to do with herself. She had spent time off and on with Fury, her former commander needing to keep someone updated on all of the events that were going on. Fury was playing a long game, waiting and hiding until there was a way to bring SHIELD back together in some way. She had helped him with the helicarrier in Sokovia,

           Maria had tried to stay with him at first, but they quickly realized that it was easier for him to stay off HYDRAs radar and play dead if he was alone. And he had given her one last mission as a part of his long game – keeping the remaining pieces of SHIELD together. So that’s what she did – she helped the Avengers stay informed, worked in the tower, stayed in New York unless her work called her away. There might not be a real headquarters anymore, but SHIELD was still alive, and she intended to keep it that way.

           Today, though, she looked around her New York City apartment. There was nothing new going on, no missions to follow up on for agents to assess. It was a quiet morning, and those always unsettled her. She didn’t often have a chance to feel so incredibly alone because she was always around one team or another, but these moments always managed to bring it out of her.

           She got up to get dressed. She needed something to pull her out of this stupor before it had a chance to take hold. She donned leggings and a tank top before slipping her phone into the armband and wrapping it around her bicep. She took one more gulp of cool water before slipping out the door for a run.

           The run lasted an hour before she decided it was time for a break. She had gone back and forth around multiple blocks but ended not too far from home. She turned the volume down on her podcast as she slowed to a slow walk, pulling deep breaths into her lungs. The sidewalk was busier here, anyway, and it was harder to push through the crowd at a full speed. It was a perfect time to cool down before a short jog back to the apartment.

           She looked around to the people on the street, eyes moving quickly over all of the faces that she could see. It was a part of her brain that never turned off – the part that made her look to every slight movement in a restaurant, every hand that rose in a theater. Her brain was wired to search for threats in innocuous places after so many years of serving as an agent.

           She glanced to her left at the sound of a laugh so loud she heard it over the soft voice on her podcast. Two families were paused in front of a storefront, looking down to the pavement with amusement painted on their faces. One family had a beautiful golden retriever, happily wiggling under the small hand that was petting it. The dog jumped up onto the girl, making her stumble back with a high-pitched giggle as its tongue grazed her cheek.

           Maria could feel the smile pulling onto her own lips. She thought what it would be like to have a companion like that, one that could bring that much joy to a whole group of people,

           She caught movement in the storefront window behind them that drew her eye. A bird flapped its wings, looking down at the scene she had just been watching.

           Her footsteps paused as she took in the signs for the storefront, and she chuckled to herself.

           It was a pet shop.

           What are the odds? she thought to herself. She thought back to earlier this morning, staring out the window and willing the silence to go away. Maybe a dog would be a fix for her problems.

           She immediately put that thought aside. She could get called away at any moment and would have to scramble to find someone to take care of the dog. She didn’t really have many friends here that would not be just as likely to be called away, and that simply wouldn’t be fair. Nor would the lack of yard be.

           But maybe there was another solution in there somewhere.

           She shrugged to herself, taking the headphones off and making her way through the door.

             A week later, she was approaching her destination in the cloaked quinnjet. Soft cries came from the carrier strapped into the passenger seat. She had let the little one wander around for the majority of the ride, but now it was time to land, and she was not the happiest of campers.

           “I know, sweetheart, we’re almost there, I promise,” she cooed as she landed the jet softly. It still jostled somewhat, earning her another soft cry from the carrier.

           “Sorry, sorry.” She kept her voice light and high-pitched. Apparently, that was comforting for the little buggers,

           She was greeted at the end of the ramp by two children running up to her, the oldest carrying the third little one along with her.

           “Maria! You’re here!” Lila was bouncing on her toes.

           “Hey guys!”

           “Do we get to see her now?” She was already trying to poke her head into the carrier, peering in. Cooper was trying, too, his taller frame having to bend more to see in.

           The carrier bobbed in Mara’s hand.

           “Why don’t we take her inside and let her out?” Maria suggested.

           “Ok!” The kids took off again, rushing up the trail to the front steps.

           Clint walked up from the side of the house where he had been chopping wood. “Hey there.” He was brushing woodchips off his hand with a towel. “Good to see you.”

           “You, too. How’s retirement treating you?”

           “Ah, pretty good, I should say.” He flopped the towel onto his sweaty shoulder and motioned for her to keep walking along the trail. He stepped in line beside her. “How about you? How’s everything going?”

           “Keeping busy enough most of the time, I suppose. There’s always some trouble those kids are getting into.”

           Clint chuckled at that. “Oh, trust me, I know.”

           “Hi Maria!” Laura called from the steps, a smile on her face. “Thanks for coming all this way. The kids were so excited to hear you bought a pet.”

           “Oh, sure thing.”

           There was another bob of the carrier as she moved around again.

           “Alright, alright, almost out honey.” She put the carrier down as soon as she entered the house. “Do you wanna come out and meet your new friends, huh?” When she heard the door click softly closed behind her, she opened the door to the carrier. “Yea, come on out, it’s ok.”

           Cooper and Lila were on all fours in front of the carrier, looking on expectantly as the little orange tabby poked her head out.

           “She’s so cute!” Lila giggled.

           The cat took one tentative step out of the carrier, and then another. She pointed her nose in every direction as she sniffed around.

           “Hey, honey, it’s ok.” Maria said softly from behind her.

           She immediately turned around, running to headbutt Maria’s thigh. Maria pet her head softly, scratching under her chin. “Oh, you’re such a sweet girl. Go say hi!”

           “What’s her name?” Cooper asked.

           “Goose,” Maria answered, smirking to herself at the name.

           Clint bust out laughing from behind her, and Maria turned to watch as he doubled over. “Does Fury know that?”

           He had obviously read the file, which made Maria smile wider. “Not yet. Can’t wait to see the look on his face when he meets her, though.”

           “You will have to record that and send it to me.”

           “Deal.”

           Laura looked between the two of them, confused. Clint caught that, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he said, nodding his head to the kids. She understood, nodding.

           “C’mere, Goose!” Lila called.

           Goose looked over to her, ducking her head a little in uncertainty. Lila reached her hand into the space between them. Goose sniffed her fingers before bumping her head against the little hand to accept the pets.

           Maria let out a breath, glad that Goose had turned out to be so friendly. She had talked to Laura about taking the cat if anything ever happened to her, and it was good to know that Goose seemed to take to the kids so easily. She watched as Goose moved on to Cooper, and then even sniffed at little Nathaniel, not seeming to mind that his tiny hands tugged a bit on her ear. Soon enough, though, Goose was running back to Maria, bumping her head against her stretching her front pays up to Maria’s shoulder until she got the pets she wanted.

           Goose would fit in if anything happened. But for now, she was happy to have a little friend that made those quiet mornings feel a little less lonely.  

[govindhtech]

CORSAIR Releases iCUE LINK 9000D RGB AIRFLOW PC Case

The 9000D RGB AIRFLOW case, an update to the wildly successful OBSIDIAN 1000D Super-Tower case, was made available today by CORSAIR. The 9000D, widely regarded as the best case for bespoke water-cooling projects, outperforms its predecessor in all aspects of expansion, cooling, and buildability while also introducing a modernized industrial design look.

The 9000D builds on the successful base of the 1000D to deliver a modern feature set with even more cooling potential and expansion capability. For maximum versatility and performance, it has created a new variable fan mounting solution called InfiniRail that enables you to cool your build using any fan or radiator configuration. The fact that the front panel I/O contains an integrated USB 3.2 hub allows you to fully utilize the USB Type-C and Type-A ports with just one internal USB a PSU connector for power and a Type-E port for data.

NEARLY ENDLESS COOLING OPTIONS

A wide variety of cooling configurations are supported by the cavernous interior, which can hold up to 18x 120mm, 7x 140mm, or 4x 200mm fans. Depending on the radiator thickness and mount location selected, the front and top panels can accommodate up to two 480mm radiators side by side, a 360mm radiator on the case’s side, and a 240mm radiator on the back.

All of these radiators can be placed in a push-pull configuration. Multi-system, multi-GPU builders can choose from an unmatched array of cooling options because to the astounding cooling capacity. Instead of depending on pre-drilled fan mounts, users may easily install fans with the CORSAIR InfiniRail mounting system by sliding the rails to the appropriate fan diameter and positioning them over their hottest components.

A FULLY OPERATIONAL iCUE LINK COMMAND CENTER

Up to 23 more iCUE LINK devices, from fans and coolers to the high-end Hydro X Series custom cooling family of products, can be managed via the bundled iCUE LINK System Hub, which also handles the RGB front I/O. Fans, pumps, AIO coolers, and other devices can be connected to the award-winning iCUE LINK ecosystem, which is extendable, to monitor and control lights, fan speeds, temperatures, and even on-product LCD panels (separately offered).

Expansion Nearly Beyond Reason

In addition to having an astounding amount of room for additional hardware, the 9000D RGB Airflow boasts exceptional cooling capabilities. There are eight PCI Express expansion slots that can support GPUs or other devices up to 400mm long, and the main motherboard tray can hold ATX, mATX, and even server-sized SSI-CEB and SSI-EEB twin processor boards.

An Elgato capture card or other PCI Express device, such as a full-sized dual-slot GPU, can be installed in a second, horizontally oriented Mini-ITX Motherboard tray. The 9000D has a detachable hard drive cage that can accommodate up to six 2.5″ SSDs and five 3.5″ HDDs for storage. The 9000D RGB AIRFLOW has a plethora of cable routing tie-downs, Doubleshot rubber grommets, and a whole cavern of space to tuck wires away for a neat and organized construction. It can also support two power supply at the same time, one SFX or SFX-L size and one ATX up to 225mm in length.

Builder Friendly is an Understatement

With two tool-free swing-out doors, its QuikTurn fan screws that drastically cut down on fan install times, more than enough room to work behind the motherboard tray with over 60mm of clearance, and a variety of included accessories to make every build even simpler, such as cable management ties and a reusable screw box that can be kept in the case itself if desired, the9000D RGB AIRFLOW makes sure that all of this hardware and cooling can be easily installed and accessed by users. All of this is contained in a robust 696 x 698 x 307 mm steel-framed container. In almost every way, the 9000D RGB AIRFLOW is superior to the competitors.

Availability, Warranty and Pricing

The CORSAIR iCUE LINK 9000D RGB AIRFLOW Super-Tower PC Case is available for immediate purchase on the company’s website and through its international network of approved dealers and distributors.

In addition to a two-year guarantee, the 9000D RGB AIRFLOW is supported by the global customer care and technical support network of CORSAIR.

Please visit the CORSAIR website or get in touch with your local CORSAIR sales or PR representative for the most recent price information on the 9000D.

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