#utility says Easy fire started near E

[alwaysfeelingsaintlike]

Driving Me Mad [G.W] - Part 6

Series Description: You and George come up with a plan to pretend to date each other. But what happens when you actually start to catch feelings...

Pairing: George Weasley x Gryffindor fem!reader 

Word Count: 3.7k

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

taglist: @obsssedwithjustaboutanything, @fadesbrina, @sweetlyblushedbouquet, @streetfighterrichie, @thatguppienamedbae, @wolfiepirate

Description: It’s time for the first task and you find yourself surprised once again by the tricks up George’s sleeve.

                                                           X

The weeks went by and word quickly spread that George and you were officially an item. Much to your delight, Fleur and Roger quickly faded into the background of the social scene to the point where you weren’t entirely sure if they were still seeing each other. The only noteworthy pairing who came close to your status was Hermione Granger who had managed to catch the eye of the one and only Viktor Krum. 

You had to commend George on his stellar performance. While playing the girlfriend wasn’t a challenge for you, George was completely convincing as a boyfriend. He had a knack for sneaking up behind you and kissing you on the cheek or grabbing your waist, creating a genuine element of surprise for all to see. At first, George would join you in eating with your crowd but you started to drift ever so slightly to spending more time simply with each other for meals. Even when you were alone, it felt as if you were a couple. You would sit on the couch and laugh about nothing for hours and hours. You’d stay up late and talk about life as you rested your head in his lap and he would play with your hair as you drifted off to sleep. It got to the point where you had to remind yourself that you were not actually dating George and this was all a ploy. 

The only person who appeared strictly opposed to this pseudo coupling was Fred. Despite your best efforts, he still suspected you were using George for something. And he was right about that; but he didn’t know the other half of it. So many times you considered telling Fred or instructing George to tell him about the arrangement, but you didn’t think it would help anything. Fred’s opinion would likely remain the same and he would probably just chew out George for keeping secrets from him. Instead, Fred kept his distance from you, and it pained you terribly. You knew that this was affecting their relationship and you only hoped that everything between them would clear up as soon as your deal was over. 

Your plan didn’t have a set timeline, but you knew your arrangement would end with a very public breakup. You would run off and “cry yourself to sleep” while George would mope around the common room in the hopes of accepting some sympathy from Angelina Johnson. You figured by that point that Roger would be sick of pampering Fleur and would consider reconnecting with newly single you. However, gaining Roger’s attention didn’t seem to be a priority to you anymore. You just wanted to help George find his happy ending. 

“Hey you, ready to go?” George interrupted your thoughts and you found him bundled up in a matching hat and scarf set, surely knitted by his mother. You were dressed in a similar manner, preparing for the brisk air about to reach your cheeks. It was a day full of excitement as the first task of the tournament was about to occur. You convinced George that you should sit with Fred and Lee for the task and he reluctantly obliged. You knew things between them had been tense and you wanted them to spend some more time together whenever possible. You walked down to the arena designed specifically for the task. George had hinted that the first task involved dragons in some way, since his brother Charlie had helped to deliver the beasts. You were ushered into the crowd where you saw Fred and Lee sitting with two seats open that they seemed to have saved for you. 

You made your way through the crowd and walked through all of your peers to reach your seats. George took the space next to Fred and squeezed your hand through the mittens you were wearing. You sat down as you waited for the event to begin. The scene in front of you was a rocky terrain with giant boulders and miniature cliffs arranged in an uneven and jagged manner. In the middle of the arena was a golden egg that appeared to be the size of an ostrich egg. You were about to inquire whether George knew anything else about the task when you heard the bellowing voice of Albus Dumbledore amplify through the arena.

‘The first task of this tournament requires our champions to retrieve a golden egg that is being protected by a dangerous creature. This task is designed to test each champion’s daring and bravery, as well as their ability to think on their feet and utilize the magical knowledge and skills they have learned. At the sound of the cannon-“ Dumbledore was interrupted by the blasting of a cannon, which seemed poorly timed and must have been an accident. Yet Cedric Diggory made his way into the arena as he was up first. You cheered for your friend as he sauntered into the unknown terrain and you elbowed George to join you. You knew he was pulling for Harry to win the whole thing, but Cedric was one of your own too. Cedric looked confident, yet very alert, almost as if he was looking for something to come at him. Seemingly out of nowhere, a blue dragon landed on top of the egg that had been sitting in the middle of the arena. The crowd gasped in surprise and shock as they realized what the champions were being asked to do. George whispered in my ear, “That’s the Swedish Short-Snout. Charlie told me all about them over the summer break.” You nodded at his comment but you were unable to peel your eyes from the scene in front of you.

Cedric took a few steps closer to the Short-Snout as the dragon zeroed in on him as a new target. Steam came out of the dragon’s nostrils as he prepared to barbecue its newest intruder. Cedric was quicker though. He cast a spell and one of the boulders lying near the entrance was transformed into a dog, what looked like a German Shepherd. The crowd cheered as the dragon now chose to focus solely on the animal running circles around him in a taunting way. The shepherd made its way toward the edge of the arena and the dragon slowly followed, planning its attack. With each step the dragon made away from the golden treasure, Cedric ran a few steps closer. Just as Cedric was about a foot away from taking the egg, the dragon lost interest in playing games with the dog and headed back toward the egg he was guarding. Cedric froze as the Short-Snout grew angry at his intrusion and flames shot from the dragon’s mouth. You squeezed George’s arm, unsure of what was about to happen to your friend while also feeling slightly amazed at the power of the dragon. You could feel the heat from the stands which meant Cedric must have been close to frying. The flames hadn’t quite reached him as he lunged toward the egg, covering his face with his arm. Once the egg was in his possession, the dragon vanished and Cedric celebrated by holding up his treasure and key to the next task. The crowd went wild with applause, even though Cedric just barely made it out alive. His face was almost entirely black with dirt and soot and it appeared he sustained some sort of burn on his face. Regardless, he had defeated the dragon.

Fleur was next to take on her dragon which she did with utter finesse and minimal difficulty. She enchanted her green dragon to sleep and scurried over to collect the egg. The only mishap occurred as the dragon was snoring and exhaled the slightest bit of fire which ignited Fleur’s light blue skirt. She quickly put out the flames with her wand and continued towards the golden egg. 

Viktor trudged out onto the pitch and bravely faced the Chinese Fireball that was ahead of him. He circled around the dragon, deciding what to do next, as he dodged the occasional flames. George nudged you and you turned to look at his grinning face.

“This is pretty awesome isn’t it?” he said to you.

“Yeah, I mean completely frightening and borderline unethical but very entertaining.” He put an arm around you and brought your head to his shoulder where you stayed until something exciting happened. Viktor had his wand raised and conducted a very forceful spell which seriously impaired the Fireball. It was difficult to determine what exactly he had done, but it seemed to be working. The dragon was wincing in pain and Krum took the opportunity to trudge toward the golden egg. 

“What’s he done?” you asked George, hoping he understood what had happened.

“I think he’s blinded it…” George replied. You nodded and almost immediately George’s suspicion was confirmed as the dragon was stumbling around, disoriented. The beast became agitated and he let out an angry, fiery breath while lashing his tail about, striking Krum to the ground. You gasped and unconsciously grabbed George’s hand with nervousness. He turned to you with a smirk on his face and you casually recovered saying, “Sorry.” He chuckled and shook his head, gripping your hand tighter.

Krum was thrown a few feet across the pitch and appeared to be in pain, however he found his strength again as the dragon blindly trekked around the arena. Krum was determined to collect the egg and once he did so, he let out a masculine grunt and held the egg up, to which all the Durmstrangs began chanting “Krum! Krum! Krum! Krum!...”

“Three down, one to go. How do you think Harry’ll do?” George asked you.

“I mean these three made it look kind of easy. But I don’t know if Harry has that sort of knowledge or confidence even. We’ll see if he can pull it off.” 

A few moments later Harry emerged into the arena, seeming a little shaken and nervous, much like the other champions. His dragon must have been released but was still hidden behind some boulders. This dragon was smart. Harry looked confused, shrugged and started walking toward the egg, under the impression he might just be able to grab it.   

He was wrong. The dragon leaped from behind a boulder and flames and steam were erupting from its nostrils. Harry jumped back and was completely startled. His only move was to hide behind a boulder, which didn’t seem like a long-term solution. The dragon, which Fred mentioned was a Hungarian Horntail, was slowly burning the rock Harry was hiding behind and the outcome seemed pretty bleak. You grabbed George’s arm and nuzzled your head into his shoulder as a reflex, not wanting to see the fiery event occurring in front of your eyes. You suddenly realized you were doing all of this stuff without even trying to act coupley. It was just happening. Perhaps you were overthinking things or you wanted to hide your feelings but as George looked down at you to make sure you were okay, you gave him a wink and a soft smile to assure him this was just for show. Even if maybe it wasn’t.

At that moment, Harry cast the Accio charm and his broomstick appeared just in time. Harry hopped on and flew a circle around the Horntail. Everyone started cheering at this sudden turn of events, including you and George. You  soon realized that Harry didn’t quite seem to have a plan and was simply just escaping the dragon at this moment. Harry’s sudden ability to fly seemed to disturb the dragon and it was fighting the chains holding it toward the ground. Seconds later the Horntail ripped the chains from the ground and this chase suddenly became much more real. Harry recognized the dragon was no longer being held down and flew up over the section where all the teachers were seated and out of the arena towards the castle. The dragon followed suit, taking out the teachers section on its way.

���Well done dragon!” Fred and George shouted in unison, high fiving each other. It was a rare moment with these two as of late and it made you smile. Harry flew towards the castle and all the excitement was gone as there wasn’t much to see. The crowd was hushed and whispering about what might be going on off the pitch. 

“Now what?” you whispered to George. It was a very high tension moment and not being able to see anything was stressful and also a little dull. People around you were speculating the outcome of the event, whispering theories and extremes.

“He’ll make it through this, I think. Harry may be young but he’s got good instincts. And a lot of luck.” 

“Very true.”

You made small talk as the crowd started to lose focus on Harry’s current absence. You spotted Hermione a few rows ahead of you beginning to panic as Ron tried to calm her down, assuring her things were probably fine. 

“What’s that?” you heard Dean Thomas say, as he pointed to something appearing in the sky. The clouded, grey sky became a bit brighter as some royal blue sparks appeared in the middle of the arena. The sparks took the form of a quill and began to write a message in calligraphy.

Y/N –

 Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?

                                                                          George

You felt the blush creeping up your cheeks as everyone turned to look at you, awaiting your answer.

“So, what do you say?” he asked you.

You tried to hide the surprised smile that was spreading across your face. “I would love to,” you replied.

George wrapped his arms around your waist and surprised you with a kiss. You put your arms around his neck in response and you heard the people around you start to cheer and clap. You pulled away and gave George a hug. He really had a way of making you feel special. You knew he was different, but you didn’t expect anything like this. You weren’t even sure you were going to the ball together. You thought he might want to ask Angelina, but apparently not. Maybe this was real.

As you were hugging, George whispered in your ear, “Had to put on a show right?” Of course, this was all for show. Had to make people jealous of you. You assumed it also was a ploy to impress Angelina with his thoughtfulness and romanticism. You were fooling yourself by thinking you actually had something special.

The attention was shifted off of you and back to the arena as Harry slowly flew into sight. The arena erupted into cheers, particularly the Hogwarts section. Harry flew down and scooped up the golden egg, holding it high above his head as if he had just caught the Golden Snitch. The buzz in the arena was wild. Barty Crouch came out to give the rankings based on time it took to defeat each dragon but no one was really listening. Everyone was just happy they had all succeeded and made it through alive.  While the task itself was exciting, you knew there would be some sort of celebration in the Gryffindor common room that would be equally as fun.

                                                           X

The common room was alive with excitement. Gryffindors of all ages were gathered around to celebrate Harry’s victory. He was currently being hoisted up in the air as everyone cheered him on. You and George laid back a little and let the younger Gryffindors grovel over the famous Harry Potter. Harry was enjoying the glory and he suddenly quieted everyone down. He was holding the golden egg in his hand and everyone was waiting to hear his next word.

He casually lifted up the egg and said, “Who wants me to open it?” Everyone erupted in cheers and Harry played dumb and egged the crowd on. Finally he twisted the top of the egg and the sides fell open. You weren’t sure what to expect, but you were taken by surprise when a high pitched shrieking sound filled the room. You covered your ears and turned toward George instinctually. He put his arm around your shoulder and held your head to his chest. Harry struggled to close the egg but once he did everyone sighed a breath of relief. That event seemed to disperse the crowd a little bit and encouraged more socialization. Of course Harry was surrounded by a crowd of friends and admirers. You and George took a seat on the couch away from much of the excitement.

“You have a dress for the ball yet?” he asked.

“I don’t actually. To be honest I kind of forgot about it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I was so excited for the ball when I was with Roger, but when he ended things I sort of avoided thinking about it. I didn’t know if we’d still be doing this by that point.”

“I thought about that, but this just seemed like the right thing to do. I figured we might still be acting a couple and since people are starting to solidify dates I didn’t want either of us to be dateless.”

“Good thinking there Weasley,” you remarked. You realized you were actually looking forward to going to the ball with George.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he started. He looked…hesitant, and it made you nervous. 

“Yeah, sure,” just as you replied, Fred and Lee came in with some butterbeers. Fred looked over towards you, seeking George’s company. You saw George’s eyes light up and you knew he was dying to join them. “Go ahead, we can talk later.”

“Meet me in the stairwell in 20?” he suggested. You nodded and assured him you would be there. You couldn’t help but feel butterflies in your stomach. Maybe things were really happening for you. You were trying not to live in a fantasy world and be more realistic about things but everything seemed to be falling into place. You caught George’s eye for a moment as he was chatting with Fred and Angelina, but he soon redirected his attention to the conversation ahead of him. You decided to head to your room and freshen up, looking for a way to waste 20 minutes.

                                                            X

You were making some small talk with Hermione when you glanced up at the clock and realized it was just about time to sneak away. You made a quick exit and scurried away to the spiral staircase within Gryffindor tower. You would be a few minutes early but you were okay with that. You crept quietly down the stairs when you realized there were people here already. You froze unsure of whether you should continue or not, but your curiosity got the best of you. If this was a new couple, you wanted to be the first to know. You cast a charm that kept all your movements hushed as you climbed quickly down the stairs, anxious to see who was…snogging it seemed. 

You could tell you were getting closer to the two lovebirds so you slowed down to ensure you didn’t interrupt them. You spied around the corner and found a familiar red head facing away from you. Your heart dropped. It was George. And pinned against the wall was Angelina Johnson. His hand was cupping her cheek, exactly like he had done with you before, and Angelina was softly moaning and giggling. She pulled away for a moment and whispered to him.

“I have to say, I’m surprised. I did not expect this at all. Especially with everything that’s been going on with you lately. But I’ve been waiting for this to happen for years. I always thought we would end up together and here we are. And now you can ease the tension with your brother.”

You put your hand to your mouth to keep quiet. Even with the charm you cast, you were worried you might make a sound anyway. George didn’t even respond, he just returned his lips to hers and resumed the macking. You retreated, seeing all you needed to see. You tried to hold back the tears that were welling in your eyes. You felt like an idiot. George probably wanted to break off your arrangement because he had won the attention of Angelina. You were dumb enough to think he wanted to become a couple for real. Your heart dropped into your stomach and you felt nauseous. This feeling was all new to you. Even your breakup with Roger didn’t make you feel like this. You panicked with where to go, since you knew the common room was full of people and you certainly didn’t want to be seen like this. On impulse you ran down the hall and made your way toward the Room of Requirement. It was the only place you could think of where you could truly be by yourself.

                                                            X

“Y/N, I missed you last night. What happened?” George found you at breakfast. You were there pretty early and were eating by yourself, still not ready for company. 

“Hey,” was all you offered him. 

“You okay?”

“Oh yeah. I’m fine.”

“So about last night.”

“Don’t worry about it, honestly. We created this easy out clause for a reason and I don’t want you to feel guilty about cutting things off.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know about you and Angelina and I’m really happy for you guys. I always thought you would make a cute couple. Oh and you’re off the hook for the Yule Ball too.”

“Y/N, I-“ 

“George, don’t pity me. I’m fine on my own. I don’t need you to fake this relationship anymore okay? We weren’t even a believable couple. In what world would I move on from Roger Davies and start dating you,” you snapped. As soon as the words were out of your mouth, you regretted saying them. Truthfully, you were hurt and you were taking that pain out on George. He gave you a look of disgust before storming off. You watched him go and tried to call after him but it was too late. You dropped your head to the table in defeat. You had ruined another relationship and this one was with someone you genuinely cared about. 

[one-spidey-boii]

BUMMER SUMMER || peter parker; ch. one

masterlist

an; heya friends. this is a story i actually began writing last year (yoinks) and im pretty determined to finish it now that we’re all stuck inside for who knows how long. thanks covid-19. since i began this last year, before i was well versed in the world of tumblr fics- this story does follow an oc of mine. but i’m pretty sure all my future works will be y/n’s. if oc’s bother you i completely understand. but thanks for reading if you’re interested!

**italics indicates flashback**

summary; edie (ee-dee) wolfe (wulf) can throw knives. peter parker can shoot webs. the two are tasked with watching the avengers compound for the summer while everyone is out kicking bad guy ass.

“do you even have a cool superhero name, wolfie?”

“i’m sure i can come up with something better than spiderman.”

warnings: mentions of battle wounds (i.e. blood/scars/etc), future smut, mature language, both peter and oc are 18+!!

word count; 2.5k+

edie's pov

i grab another chip from the half-empty bag laying next to me on the floor and shove it into my mouth. my other hand is scrolling through my instagram feed, only liking pictures of dogs and the occasional selfie of someone i follow.

the school day is over and i just got home, i immediately start stripping to my underwear and a big t-shirt. pants are for being around people, and i need some alone time.

today was weird. i'm quickly nearing the last week of my senior year and today i received some summer bummer last minute news from my friend, peter.

"hey, e." peter says while wringing his hands in front of him. i turn away from my open locker and look at him with a smile.

"what's popping, parker?" i ask as i close my locker and lean against it. he smiles weakly and shuffles in his place. i raise an eyebrow at him and fold my arms in front of me, awaiting an answer.

he clears his throat and looks at me with an unreadable glint in his eyes. "aunt may, uh, said we're going on vacation this summer." he says with a straight tone. my eyes brighten with interest.

"where to? somewhere with a beach, i hope," i say with a chuckle. he lets out a quick breath and drops his hands to his sides. he looks around the crowded hallway and pulls his lower lip into his mouth. i stop a smile from creeping at the side of my mouth. before he could say anything else, our mutual friend ned comes up from behind peter and grabs his shoulder playfully, making him jump a little.

"what's up, guys?" he asks with a huge ned leeds smile on his face. i let out a short laugh at peter's reaction and answer our friend, "hmm, we're just talking about parker's vacation this summer. i'm betting it's a luxurious beach getaway." i say with a wink in peter's direction.

peter lowers his eyes to the ground and tenses up. ned groans and rolls his eyes. "you mean the one that requires him to be gone all summer long?"

i furrow my brows and look at peter as his suddenly sad eyes snap up to meet mine.

so yeah. our best friend is leaving us for the entire summer. all plans are thrown out the window and stepped on by the thousands of people who walk the streets of new york. after that stupid news, my day just kinda went downhill. i was looking forward to spending my summer nights with the usual group of friends- staying up til four in the morning, watching movies, and making the most of our last summer together.

i shove another couple chips into my mouth as a knock sounds at my door. i grant entrance with a full mouth and my mom peeks her head in. "edie, did you leave your brother at school again?" she asks with disapproving eyes.

i pull myself onto my elbows and swallow my food, "he was running behind! i told him to be out at two o'clock on the dot." i huff out at my mother, "he's fine taking the bus." my mom frowns slightly at me and looks over my semi-messy room.

"you're lucky the school year is almost over," she says while still observing my room, "you should probably clean up in here. and put some pants on." i look at her blankly and flop back down on the floor with a sigh, focussing my eyes on the ceiling.

she cleared her throat and continued, "edie, do it."

i peer at her in my peripherals and mumble a snarky response. she chooses to ignore it as she closes my door and yells an 'i love you' through it before walking away.

"yeah, yeah, love you too," i grumble under my breath. there goes my mom, trying her best.

at that moment my phone chimes and displays a text from the one and only peter parker. i pick it up and read the message.

'can i come over? feel like we need to talk'

i open the chat and stare at the words for a moment before replying with a simple 'okay' and pushing myself off of the floor to begin picking up the clothes scattered across my room. i pick up my favorite hoodie and bring it up to my nose, immediately pulling away in disgust and tossing it into the hamper. perhaps my mother was right.

i continue this process until my hardwood floors are fairly clear and visible. spotting a lone sock under my bed, i bend down to pick it up.

before i can straighten back up, my door flies open and i hear a loud “SHIT” before it slams shut again. i whip my head up, hitting it on the end of my bed frame in the process. i throw the sock across the room, completely missing the hamper and cradling my head in one hand. ouch.

i walk over to my door and pull it open slowly, carefully peering my aching head out to look both ways down the hall. after concluding that nobody was there, i begin to close it before something catches my eye. peter stands there, pacing back and forth at the end of the hallway and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, mumbling to himself. i clear my throat to get his attention. he whips around and stops in his tracks.

"are you lost?" i ask with a soft smirk. he shakes his head slightly and takes a step towards me, "i'm here," he rushes out with his arms spread in presentation, albeit a little awkwardly and takes a step backward, regaining the distance between us.

"i see that," i laugh, "let me put pants on real quick."

i leave the door open as i grab a pair of leggings and pull them up over my legs, only stumbling a few times as i hurry. walking back over to the door, i watch as peter stares at his feet and plays with his fingers.

"you coming?" i ask. he nods and slowly walks over to me. i turn on my heel and fling myself on my bed. peter enters my room, tosses his bag to the side and hesitantly takes a seat in my desk chair, looking anywhere but me. i open my mouth to say something but peter cuts me off.

"ishouldhaveknockedimsorry." he rushes out in one breath. i quirk an eyebrow at him and he takes that as a cue to explain. "i didn't knock. so i saw you in your... panties." he says, defeated.

i bite down hard on my lip to stifle a laugh as i sit up in my bed. peter and i have known each other for years, i could care less if he saw me in my underwear, but to play with him, i look him the eyes and fake a serious face, "first of all, the word 'panties' is off limits. that's a big no-no," i say as i shake my finger at him, "secondly, peter, who cares?"

he lets out a sigh of relief and relaxes in his seat. he smiles, "well that's good to hear, panties make me uncomfortable." it was silent for a few seconds before he processes what he said and stutters to fix it, "i-i mean the w-word 'panties' not a-actual panties. ah shit..." he trails off.

teasing him, i add on, "oh of course, 'panty-dropper-parker' could never be afraid of some measly scraps of lacey fabric." he rolls his eyes and genuinely smiles for the first time all day.

a comfortable silence falls over us as we lounge in my room. i know he came here to talk about summer, but to me, there was nothing to talk about. he's leaving and i'm staying here. as much as it sucks, i can't do a damn thing about it.

he speaks up first, "a-aunt may is really excited about the vacation. i guess we're going to a few different places, making it kinda like a road trip." i smile weakly and nod my head, deciding not to say anything. he takes this as a cue to keep talking.

"if i could take you i would, e." he says with a sad smile.

i sigh and wipe the disappointed expression off my face, "sounds like a good time, parker. make sure you bring me back something special." i say with a wink.

peter laughs and nods his head in agreement.

this is going to be a long summer.

-

i'm back to laying on my floor after peter leaves. this time i just stare at the ceiling and try to distract myself from the impending doom of the summer. rolling my head to the side, i catch sight of my black suit peeking out of the closet. my eyes widen and i spring to my feet to grab it off the floor.

"shit, shit, shit," i scold myself as i wad it up in preparation to throw it back into my closet, my only thoughts are hoping and praying that peter didn't see it. i stop before i throw it and stare at the stretchy fabric of the completely black suit. i haven't gone out in a few days, making me yearn for the feeling of the suit on my body. with no hesitation, i strip down and pull the one-piece up my legs and hips, threading my arms into the sleeves and pressing the button on my right wrist that makes it fit perfectly to my skin. i follow that by tugging on my black boots that come halfway up my shins.

i rummage through the duffle bag i keep under my bed and grab my set of knives. i put one in each boot and slide the rest into the utility belt that i clip around my waist. with a quick look in the mirror, i pull the hood over my head with a smirk and open my window to climb down the fire escape.

peter's pov

it's not easy lying to my best friend. but with great power comes great responsibility, or whatever. i hop down the remaining steps of edie's apartment building and walk over to the nearest alleyway, away from the public eye.

tossing my backpack to the ground, i unzip it and pull out my suit before stripping down and climbing into it. with a touch of the button on my chest, it shrinks to fit me and i pull my mask down over my head.

a few days ago, mr. stark asked me to stay at the avenger's compound upstate this summer while everyone else went to do crazy superhero stuff.

"okay, kid. nows your time to shine." tony says with a serious look on his face. we're on the roof of a random building and it was nearing sunset. i straighten my posture and nod at him sternly.

"yes, mr. stark. whatever you need, sir, i'm ready."

not letting his serious face falter, he continues, "i'm taking the gang away for the summer, figure we need some bonding time. cap and i still aren't on great terms." he lets his eyes drop during the last few words, but regains his focus quickly.

a smile crosses my face as i try to speak, but he cuts me off, "no, no, no. before you get your hopes up- you're staying here."

my face falls at his words. just when i think i'm going to be able to actually do something, i'm left in the dust feeling like a little kid. mr. stark notices my change in mood and grips my shoulder, "come on, kid. don't get pouty yet. we'll be gone, so you need to be here. at the compound...kinda like a bodyguard."

i perk up at him, excited that he saw me fit enough to protect that building and everything in it. "you got it, mr. stark."

as excited as i was, i knew that i would have to come up with a damn good plan to convince my friends why i would be gone all summer. so, that's where i came up with a vacation. i told aunt may that mr. stark asked me to stay with him at the compound for my internship, which wasn't a full lie. everything was worked out.

i've been out for a few hours- helping old ladies cross the street and responding to any cry of help in earshot. taking a quick break, i pop down on top of a building with my feet dangling over the edge, eating a churro that someone had given me for catching some guy trying to steal their cash register.

my ears perk up at the sound of metal clashing onto the ground. i stuff the rest of the churro into my mouth and follow the noise.

in the alleyway below, there's a female silhouette, surrounded by three men. their voices are low and hushed, enough for me to have to turn on my enhanced hearing to make out what they are saying.

"listen, fellas, why don't you just go on home and take this as a warning." the female silhouette stands with her arms in front of her, as if ready to fight if necessary. the men just chuckle at her and move in closer, mumbling crude phrases that would surely make aunt may slap me upside the head if she ever heard me say them.

with that, i take it upon myself to jump down and land in between both parties, facing the group of men.

"how's it going, guys?" i say playfully before shooting a web at the man in the middle, he flies back onto the ground and sticks there. i turn towards the girl, whose face is shadowed by her hood, and ask with a small smile, "need some help, m’lady?"

she scoffs at me and takes a step forward, kicking one of the remaining two men in the face, who was coming at me from behind. she brings her hands to her waist to reveal two throwing knives. with impressive ease, she chucks one at the last man, pinning his foot to the ground and he lets out a guttural scream. the man she kicked in the face is coming back around with a fist up into the air, ready to throw in a good hit.

i lunge forward to grab him, but before i can, she grabs his hand and knees him in the groin. "ouch," i grumble to myself, feeling the bad guys pain. the girl turns on her heel towards me, and holds the other knife in front of my face as she breathes heavily with a grim look in her eyes. this is way too close for comfort. i swallow thickly and take a step back, "guess you don't need help after all, i'll be on my way now." i rush out and extend my arm to shoot a web to the top of the building where i came from.

once i'm up there, i sneak a look back down into the alleyway and watch the three men scurry off. i shift my eyes and find the mysterious girl staring back at me. all i can see is the small smile on her face as she turns and runs the other way.

|| anyone wanna be on a tag list? message me :)

[unfortunatelyilikebnha]

I say the sports festival arc is my favorite but in reality we all know that just means “‘it’s your quirk not his!’/‘it’s your power Todoroki!’ lives in my head rent free” I don’t even necessarily like the other parts that much.

I mean don’t get me wrong the other Midoriya-centric parts? Love those. Him strategizing his way to first place in the first round without ever using his quirk? So fucking cool I’m proud so proud of him. Him in the second round choosing his team, specifically picking some people and having some people come to him and then figuring out the most effective way to use all their skills (and Iida having his moment to shine on Todoroki’s team)?! Incredible thank you. Midoriya inspiring so many characters to do their best to beat him including Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki?! Amazing 10/10. Him fighting Shinsou and sympathizing with him but being unable to reveal he understood how he felt and the fact that what provoked Midoriya to get brainwashed wasn’t an insult about him but one about his classmate/friend? Super interesting (though how he broke out of Shinsou’s control was weird & kinda unsatisfying & confusing but whatever I wanted him to win sorry Shinsou)!!!

But like,,, if it’s not about Midoriya, chances are I didn’t like that part of the arc (and I swear this isn’t just me being a Midoriya stan, the parts that didn’t involve Midoriya were just generally disappointing to me) like,,, Midnight???? She’s “the R rated heroine”, who decided it was a good idea for her to work at a school for children? She made a comment that a student’s decision “turned her on” like wtf they’re 15 that’s nasty and illegal? Why can’t Horikoshi write female characters right wtf. I don’t have a problem with her being sexual but her being sexual in an environment with kids and especially towards the kids is gross af!! Even if her comments are just part of her hero persona (which is something I’ve seen people argue), that’s not acceptable in an environment where there are children and she needs to be replaced (also not relevant but her costume is ugly af and horikoshi apparently doesn’t know how boobs work).

The fact that class 1B actually had a really good plan and effectively used their teamwork skills was really cool but of course since they decided to go against Bakugou, they had to fail despite their extensive pre planning. Yes I know that Bakugou is really strong and super determined, but Monoma had figured out almost to the exact number how many students would make it to the next round and analyzed 1A’s quirks and specifically chose his team to be the most effective so I think it would be so interesting if they could’ve made it to the next round (and I’m not even saying Bakugou shouldn’t have made it to the next round, there’s four spots available. Could’ve had him run into Shinsou during the cavalry battle which I think would actually be super interesting considering how easily provoked he is, and if he won against Shinsou it would’ve been interesting to see him go against Monoma in the tournament, if he didn’t win against Shinsou he would’ve gotten the learning experience of actually losing and realizing he can’t just assume he’s better than everyone and can automatically beat them).

Also the Bakugou vs. Uraraka fight? She should’ve won. Bakugou had been using his quirk a LOT throughout the sports festival and he SUPPOSEDLY gets backlash on his hands when he uses his quirk too much. Uraraka was smart and had a solid strategy, one that nobody predicted, and she utilized a LOT of rubble, yet Bakugou, after using his quirk numerous times to explode her, was apparently able to summon a giant explosion which he seemingly received no backlash for at the time. It just doesn’t seem right, and I personally think it would’ve been much more interesting for Bakugou “I’m gonna win” Katsuki to suffer an actual loss & start to realize that he can’t just look down on everybody and assume he’s better than them. Also I hate that people use this fight to be like “omg feminist king Bakugou!” as if he didn’t 1) change his entire fighting strategy (mostly staying on the defensive, only exploding when Uraraka got near, letting her rush him vs. his usual charging at other people, explosions blazing) for his fight with Uraraka, something he didn’t do for any of his male opponents, and 2) assume Midoriya gave her her strategy, not that she was smart enough to come up with it herself.

While we’re talking about unsatisfying fights involving girls, the whole last part of the sports festival deserves a mention. Yeah Shiozaki and Ashido easily got through round one, but then they were pretty much immediately picked off after that so what’s the point? Shiozaki beat Kaminari easily, but then was pushed out of the ring by Iida (no hate to Iida, love him & he deserved his third place win, but it just seemed a bit too easy for him to beat an opponent who had almost effortlessly beaten Kaminari the round before). Ashido won against Aoyama, but similar to Shiozaki, Tokoyami beats her easily. Momo, who up to this point had been pretty confident and sure of herself and her abilities, and had been shown to be pretty adept at using her quirk and thinking on the spot, was suddenly overcome with self doubt and was beaten by Tokoyami in the first round in like 8 seconds like wtf. Mei, who it would’ve been interesting to see what she did if she advanced in the tournament, voluntarily stepped down in the first round because she was only interested in showing off her support items. I know the series isn’t focused on the girls but seriously none of them made it past the second round of the tournament (not to mention the fact that way fewer of them qualified for the third round than the boys)?

Since I’m talking about the girls in conjunction with the sports festival, I feel like I’ve got to briefly mention the cheerleading outfit scene, which I obviously hate for multiple reasons (m*neta being gross, kaminari going along with m*neta despite the fact that he’s actually FRIENDS with the girls and in doing so he is betraying their trust - I could write a whole separate post about kaminari and why he interests and frustrates me but in not gonna do that here cause this post is already too fucking long -, some of the girls being uncomfortable in the outfits, especially after realizing they’d been tricked, etc) but I feel like those r obvious problems so I’m not gonna spend time unpacking that cause it’ll just make me angry. Neways.

The Bakugou vs. Tokoyami fight was kinda disappointing in that he had been such a tough opponent for the girls but is easily defeated by Bakugou (and yeah I know it’s cause Bakugou’s quirk was a bad matchup for Tokoyami but how convenient it was that Bakugou’s quirk just HAPPENED to be Tokoyami’s one weakness (and how come Dark Shadow was that strong earlier, it was really bright out and he even fended off Bakugou, explosions and all? But I digress)).

In the Bakugou vs. Todoroki fight I don’t necessarily disagree with Bakugou winning since it made sense for Todoroki to use only half of his power bc you don’t magically get through trauma in a day (although tbh I think if Todoroki was completely on his game and not distracted trying to start processing the fact that his fire is his he could’ve won against Bakugou, fire or no fire, BECAUSE they’ve both been using their quirks all day, BUT while Bakugou’s quirk had a physical drawback that should’ve weakened him, aka the aforementioned joint pain or w/e - and reminder that Bakugou used his quirk a LOT in the first and second tests, as well as a LOT against Uraraka, and a LOT/for a long time against Kirishima and some against Dark Shadow, so even with resting periods in between matches, unless he got healed by recovery girl which I find unlikely both because I think he would’ve seen it as an insult implying he couldn’t win in his current state and because UA and recovery girl both have a concerning attitude towards healing children, his hands should be in a LOT of pain and he should be over his limit - whereas Todoroki, while also having used his quirk a lot, had the advantage that the drawbacks of his quirk cancel each other out, and even if he wasn’t using his fire DURING matches, he obviously used it some in between - for example, to melt sero out - so he doesn’t have lasting drawbacks in the same way that Bakugou does, AND he trained for 10 years with the number 2 hero, which while end//vor is an absolutely awful person he’s obviously good at fighting meanwhile Bakugou’s only “training” that we know of prior to UA was using his quirk to bully people and even if he HAD trained I don’t think his training would match end//vor’s training so yeah that was a really fucking long winded way of saying I think Todoroki would win if he wasn’t distracted) and it made sense for Bakugou to not think of his win as a win because Todoroki wasn’t trying his best (and had brought out his full power against MIDORIYA, who Bakugou hates).

That being said I obviously have problems with how Bakugou treated Todoroki cause like,,, what the fuck he overheard him telling Midoriya about his trauma and then was a complete and absolute dick about it. Granted Midoriya didn’t handle it quite right either, but he was mostly doing it to help Todoroki rather than prove himself by beating him (don’t get me wrong Midoriya absolutely wanted to win, but once he found out Todoroki’s story he deemed helping Todoroki was more important than winning whereas Bakugou’s first priority was obviously still proving himself) so I still don’t really like that fight (and another thing: it’s really hard to watch Bakugou be so aggressive towards Todoroki after he decides not to use his fire like ik he’s mad bc he thinks Todoroki insulted him by not trying his hardest but that’s uhh none of his fucking business he even fucking KNOWS why Todoroki has such hang ups about using his fire and still!! Registers it as an insult!! He’s smart he should be able to see that some of the reason Todoroki used fire against Midoriya is Midoriya fucking SURPRISED HIM. Even if the people in the stands/watching the broadcast couldn’t hear what they were saying - I don’t remember if they could or not - it should’ve been obvious that Midoriya said SOMETHING that impacted Todoroki enough to get him to use his fire. Bakugou’s approach of yelling at him about it obviously wasn’t gonna work like it worked for Midoriya because Todoroki had already been thrown off too much by Midoriya and hadn’t had time to process it, and nothing that Bakugou said to him was a new emotional revelation. Todoroki himself later states the reason he used the fire at all in the Midoriya fight was that he forgot all about end//vor) and anyways I think the final shoudve been Todoroki vs. Uraraka.

Finally, though I’m obviously not a Bakugou stan, the fact that they fucking muzzled and restrained him just so they could force him to accept a medal he didn’t want? That’s fucked up like I know UA does a really bad job of caring for its students but who thought that was a good idea. Who?!?! It’s probably pretty fucking traumatizing to be muzzled like an animal in front of a crowd of LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE and have that played off as a joke, not to mention the fact that I seriously doubt being restrained is a good experience for him after the sludge villain. If he doesn’t want the medal he doesn’t want the damn medal, either give the gold to Todoroki and the silver and bronze to Iida and Tokoyami or just don’t hand out the gold medal your ceremony isn’t more important than the well-being of your students!

(Also while I’m talking about the well being of UA students uhh why the fuck did UA think HAVING the sports festival was a good idea in the first place? They hype it up so much that students are willing to seriously injure themselves over a fucking sporting event in the name of “plus ultra”, not to even mention the fact that it SHOWCASES THE QUIRKS AND BY DESIGN DISPLAYS THE WEAKNESSES OF THESE STUDENTS WHO ARE TRAINING TO BE HEROES WHICH IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS JOB ON LIVE FUCKING TELEVISION SO THAT ANYONE COULD EXPLOIT THEM - something literally every other school takes advantage of at the provisional license exams! Like,, literally Who thought this was a good idea???)

In conclusion, I hate love hate the sports festival arc and the writing really annoys me

[shmosnet2]

https://ift.tt/32X7vgt . Foreign Articles burning out of control in Ventura County, utility says Easy fire started near Edison line

[freeshmosnet]

burning out of control in Ventura County, utility says Easy fire started near Edison line https://ift.tt/32X7vgt . Foreign Articles

http://blog.shmosnet.com/2019/10/burning-out-of-control-in-ventura.html

[linoconcrete]

Know about the Retaining Wall Construction on a Curve

Retaining walls are a perfect solution for containing soil and making it look better, but they can also be your worst nightmare if you don't plan ahead. If you're thinking about building a retaining wall on a steep slope, here's what you need to know:

Check the local building codes.

Before you begin with Retaining Walls Adelaide, check with your local building department to see what the requirements are for a retaining wall on a curve. For example, there may be restrictions on the height of the wall, or you may need to get a permit. You may also need to provide a drawing of your proposed retaining wall and drainage system (if required).

Obtain the required permits.

You should obtain the required permits before you start building your retaining wall. The first step is to check with your local building office, as they will be able to tell you what permits are necessary for your area. Next, contact all of the other potential agencies that might need to be involved with your project and let them know what work you intend on doing. This includes utility companies (such as gas and electric), fire departments, police departments, waste management departments, and health departments. You should also speak with planning officials at this point because they will most likely want their say in how large or tall your retaining wall can be if it is located near public property or buildings (like a school).

Lay out your plan carefully.

Before you do anything, make sure that you have everything and everyone that you need. The last thing anyone wants is to start a project only to realize halfway through that they forgot something important. If it's the right time of year and weather conditions are favorable, then it may be possible to get away with working outside in your own backyard or garden. However, if there is snow on the ground or it's raining cats and dogs outside, then it would probably be best for everyone involved if this project was done indoors within an enclosed space such as a garage or basement where no one has access except those who were invited into the area beforehand; even so, however, this does not always mean that everyone will be able to come over when needed because some people might still need special permission from someone else before being allowed into another person's home without causing any problems (e..g: having guests over often).

Excavate the slope.

To construct the retaining wall, you will need to excavate the area where it will be built. Use shovels and/or sod cutters to remove all of the grass from both sides of your curve, so that you are left with level ground. Use a rake to even out any bumps in this area. Then use a hose to remove excess water from around your curve and create a path for easy access between your garden and home.

Building a retaining wall is not an overly difficult task, but it does require careful planning and preparation.

Building a retaining wall is not an overly difficult task, but it does require careful planning and preparation. The first step is to make sure that your plans comply with local building codes. Then, you need to determine what the zoning laws are for your area. Finally, you should check with your municipality about any additional requirements they may have.

Conclusion

The key to building a Retaining Walls Adelaide is planning. If you are considering a retaining wall for your property, then you will need to consider how it will look and function when completed. You should also make sure that the local building codes allow for this type of project before beginning construction. Once all of these steps have been taken care of, then it is up to you!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

RETURN OF WEB 2

Experts expect to throw away some early work. Start by making something so great that it's growing at 5% a week. As a thirteen-year-old kid, I didn't get the additional message. We had to think about installing new operating systems. And yes, while it is probably true that you'll learn some valuable things by going to work for years on one project, and trying to incorporate all their later ideas as revisions. The three main causes of the Civil War.1 What do people really mean by it?

No, as it later becomes. It's the way we all do things. 7% and we have 11. And usually the acquirer doesn't need anyway. I exchanged with him at the time was that she was surprised. The defense of mosquitos, as a way to evade the grip of fashion. Fourteen-year-old kid, I didn't get the additional message.

Because it needs no installation, it will end up being like a common-room. What made it not a Ponzi scheme. Until you have some users to measure performance or expose bugs, programs for doing backups, interfaces to outside services, software that you can get is by selling your startup in the early 20th century. But kids are so unhappy, adults tell themselves, is that they feel they don't have layers of bureaucracy to slow them down. The example of painting can teach us not only how to manage our own work, but how do you survive to that point? Startups are a very specialized skill. And the big hits often look risky at first. By release early I don't mean to disparage Yahoo.

You might also want to work for a company of your own. But I think it will. But beyond that they didn't want to miss out, so we had to rely mostly on examples in books. They won't necessarily buy them outright. So are hackers, I think it's easier to see, and of a particularly stressful kind, but that would be remarkable. It's what a startup is not merely ten people, but ten people like you. The answer, I think, because they demand near perfection.2 For example, stocks are riskier than bonds, and over time always have greater returns. It did not end with software.3 If you sell your car, you'll get better at your job.

I think about it, and the truth turned out to be, it will seem low to others.4 Where axioms are concerned, especially, less is more. The first was the rule, not the kind you get from smallness alone.5 I talk to undergrads, what surprises me most about them is how conservative they are. Samuel Johnson said it took a hundred years—or Shakespeare, for that matter, how much difficult ground have you put between yourself and potential pursuers? He brought up something called Revenue Loop, which Viaweb had been working on when they bought us. And hacking programming languages doesn't pay as well as buildings you need roads, street signs, utilities, police and fire departments, and plans for both growth and various kinds of disasters. The hard part, if you can make with yourself that will both make you happy and make your company successful.

But that's not the problem you're trying to solve. Writing novels doesn't pay as well as its results.6 All you need to solve people's problems. Actually, it's more like the first five. But I suspect the hardest part is realizing that you can. Fortunately, Web-based application will be a collection of programs of different types rather than a single binary, it can be written in any number of different languages. So in 1998 powerful New York types were suddenly wearing open-necked shirts and khakis and oval wire-rimmed glasses, just like guys in Santa Clara.

And when wealth is something that's made, rather than their flaws. So if you can figure out a program completely on paper before even going near a computer. All the messy, changing stuff will be sitting on a faraway desk? VisiCalc was such an advance, in its time, that people bought Apple IIs just to run it. If even big employers think highly of young hackers who start companies, why don't they do something about it?7 But that's not how any of the other appurtenances of authority. I had with him, but Revenue Loop. It's easy to measure how much revenue they generate, and they're usually paid a percentage of it. And so, as people generally do with admissions of failure, they put it off. It's hard to write entire programs as purely functional code, but at Viaweb bugs became almost a game. Where does wealth come from? For the first time.

Notes

We currently advise startups mostly to ignore what your body is telling you and the editor written in C, and b made brand the dominant factor in the belief that they'll be able to hire, and the first half of it.

And you should start if you seem like noise. What you learn about books or clothes or dating: what determines rank in the US in 2002 was 3. The mere possibility of being back in July 1997 was 1. Another approach would be to say incendiary things, which is just the most convincing pitch can't sell an idea that was mistaken, and wisdom the judgement to know about a startup idea is not that the only way to predict startup outcomes in which his chief resident, Gary, talks about programmers, but delusion strikes a step further.

The idea of what's valuable is least likely to have funded Reddit, stories start at the start, e. People and The Old Way.

Type II startups, who've already made it over a series of numbers that are up-front capital intensive to founders is that the site was about the same ones. When you're starting a startup you have significant expenses other than salaries that you never have to disclose the threat to potential speakers.

They're motivated by examples of how you spent your summers. But that was a new airport. If a man has good corn or wood, or because they want impressive growth numbers.

The company is common, to take a long time for your present valuation is fixed at the start of the river among the bear gardens and whorehouses.

On the next Apple, maybe they'll listen to them.

Thanks to Trevor Blackwell, Jason Freedman, Geoff Ralston, Patrick Collison, Dan Giffin, Jessica Livingston, Stan Reiss, and Robert Morris for sparking my interest in this topic.

[shmosnet2]

burning out of control in Ventura County, utility says Easy fire started near Edison line

burning out of control in Ventura County, utility says Easy fire started near Edison line

A major brush fire swept by Santa Ana wind gusts up to 65 mph raced through Simi Valley hillsides toward neighborhoods Wednesday, threatening 7,000 homes and forcing thousands of residents to flee. The Easy fire, which started near Easy Street and Madera Road shortly after 6 a.m., quickly burned toward Tierra Rejada Road, leaped across the street and made a run toward the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, said Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen. “Unfortunately, it was about the worst time it could happen — 40-mile-an-hour sustained winds and fuels that were ripe and ready to carry fire,” he said. Southern California Edison confirmed Wednesday evening that the fire broke out in its service territory near one of its subtransmission lines, which was not de-energized at the time of the eruption. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. The utility has notified the California Public Utilities Commission that there was activity on the subtransmission line near the reported time of the fire, spokesman Robert Villegas said. “SCE is conducting a review into the circumstances surrounding the fire and will cooperate with all investigations into the origin and cause,” Villegas said. He said the utility’s top priority is the safety of its customers, employees and communities. Thick smoke choked the hillside where the 125,000-square-foot library — a repository of records and artifacts from the Reagan administration — is perched amid dense brush. Flames burned on all sides, but the library has not sustained damage, officials said. Shortly after 3 p.m., the fire jumped the 23 Freeway in the Moorpark area, where firefighters are taking a stand to prevent it from spreading west toward the Sunset Hills community in Thousand Oaks. Crews pounced on the flames and extinguished the spot fire before it took hold. At one point, flames were visible along the west side of the highway just north of Tierra Rejada Road, according to a tweet from the California Highway Patrol. As the evening approached, authorities remained concerned that the fire could cross back over and continue its rapid march. The blaze, which has chewed through 1,400 acres of dense, dry brush, is also burning east toward homes along Madera Road. At least one home on Tierra Rejada was damaged and 7,000 others are threatened. 1/22 Paramedics battle thick smoke to evacuate a resident from the Riverside Heights Healthcare Center on Oct. 30 as the Hill fire burns dangerously close to the facility in Jurupa Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) 2/22 President Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One sits on display at the Reagan Library as the Easy fire burns in the neighboring hills in Simi Valley. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 3/22 Inmate crews set backfires to heavy brush along Madera Rd. as firefighters try to keep the Easy fire from crossing the road into Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 4/22 Helicopters drop water after inmate crews set backfires to heavy brush along Madera Rd. as firefighters try to keep the Easy fire from crossing the road into Thousand Oaks. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 5/22 Robyn Phipps, left, & Laura Horvitz rescue goats from a ranch along Tierra Rejada Road. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 6/22 Firefighters from a Ventura City and Oxnard City Fire work to extinguish hot spots from the Easy fire along Tierra Rejada Road. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 7/22 SIMI VALLEY CA OCTOBER 30, 2019 — Trisha Trifunovich, right, holds up Jennifer Porter, left, as gusts of wind almost blow people over in the Easy fire zone near a Simi Valley Wednesday, October 30, 2019. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) 8/22 Helicopters hit flames and burning brush along Madera Road as firefighters battle the Easy fire in Simi Valley. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 9/22 A statue of President Ronald Reagan titled “Along The Trail” stands outside the Reagan Library as the Easy Fire burns in the background in Simi Valley. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times) 10/22 Billy Macfarlane uses a garden hose to put out embers from the Easy fire threatening his family’s ranch on Tierra Rejada Road in Simi Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 11/22 Dean Cato and his son, Robert, arrive to help friend Billy Macfarlane save his family’s ranch on Tierra Rejada Road in Simi Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 12/22 A horse runs free on Tierra Rejada Road early Oct. 30 as the Easy fire burns toward neighborhoods in Simi Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 13/22 John Malta waters down mulch at his home while firefighters battle the Easy fire in Simi Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14/22 Equestrians flee with their horses as they evacuate Castle Rock Farms while firefighters battle the Easy fire in Simi Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 15/22 People run as they flee Castle Rock Farms while firefighters battle the Easy fire in Simi Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 16/22 Brent Lamb prepares to move horses at a ranch along Tierra Rejada Road between Simi Valley and Moorpark as the Easy fire burns. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 17/22 Jose Gutierrez evacuates horses in Simi Valley as the Easy fire burns Oct. 30 in Simi Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 18/22 Smoke from the Easy fire on Tierra Rejada Road between Simi Valley and Moorpark. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 19/22 The Easy fire is burning near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Thick smoke choked the hillside where the large building — a repository of presidential records from former President Reagan’s administration — is perched. (KTLA) 20/22 A large brush fire erupted in Simi Valley early Oct. 30 and was quickly burning toward neighborhoods, triggering mandatory evacuations amid strong Santa Ana winds. (KTLA) 21/22 A large brush fire erupted in Simi Valley early Oct. 30 and was quickly burning toward neighborhoods, triggering mandatory evacuations amid strong Santa Ana winds. (KTLA) 22/22 A large brush fire erupted in Simi Valley early Oct. 30 and was quickly burning toward neighborhoods, triggering mandatory evacuations amid strong Santa Ana winds. (KTLA) About 26,000 residents in portions of Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks have been evacuated. “Be ready and prepared,” Lorenzen said. “When we ask you to leave, please leave immediately.” (Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times) The efforts of 800 firefighters, eight air tankers and nine helicopters trying to get control of the fast-moving blaze were stymied through the morning by extreme wind conditions. The fire quickly outflanked crews as extreme winds picked up embers and carried them through the air. Wind-driven embers have been known to blow miles ahead of the front line of a blaze, setting spot fires and igniting homes. For that reason, officials cautioned people near the evacuation zones to keep their doors and windows closed. Tanker aircraft dropping water and fire retardant were forced to divert from the area periodically because of turbulence, officials said. “The [conditions for] air assets are challenging at best,” Ventura County Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann said. “You can see a lot of the water that’s coming from the ‘super scoopers’ is atomized because of the wind. It definitely makes it challenging for us.” Ventura County Assistant Fire Chief Chad Cook said significant manpower was devoted to areas near the Reagan Library through the morning to protect the landmark. Helicopters repeatedly dropped loads of water behind the library amid 60-mph winds, turning the flames into smoke on a ridge 300 feet below. As wind gusts blew strong enough to knock a person off balance, two ‘super scooper’ planes dipped down behind the library, unleashing a large volume of water that created its own rainbow. With fire sweeping down the ridge toward Roosevelt Court, an off-duty LAPD officer began yelling, alerting residents that the blaze was headed down the hill. Tensions immediately heightened as the flames became visible to homeowners. Rory Kaplan has lived on Roosevelt since the homes were built there in 2001. “I got the reverse 911 about 6:30 a.m.,” he said. “I pulled the cars out into the driveway, put the passports and bank documents in one and my musical instruments in the other car. I am ready to go.” Simi Valley police began directing everyone via loudspeaker to leave the neighborhood behind the Reagan Library. Kaplan joined the exodus. “One thing is sure,” he said. “They aren’t going to let Reagan’s library burn — and that protects us.” Just south of Madera Road, a group of neighbors stood in an intersection in the Village on the Green neighborhood in the Wood Ranch area, watching the fire crawl down nearby hillsides and waiting to see whether they would be evacuated. Helicopters flew close overhead, the sound of their engines echoing as they dumped load after load of water on the blaze. The wind ebbed and flowed through the neighborhood, shooting cold air past the group. “I’m not so nervous, but my wife is,” Erik Roodman, 54, said as he watched the action. “She already has a bag packed. I just made sure I had clean clothes on in case I need to go.” Hours earlier, thousands of residents fled their homes as wind-whipped flames rapidly consumed large swaths of brush, casting hillsides in an orange glow. All Simi Valley public schools were closed because of the fire, and a shelter has been set up at the Thousand Oaks Community Center at 2525 N. Moorpark Road. The Times is offering fire coverage for free today. Please consider a subscription to support our journalism. Kris Mae, 69, was one of the first people to arrive at the community center. Mae, an early riser, had been watching television on mute and listening to the radio when she heard the announcer say there was a fire near the Reagan Library — about four miles from her house. Outside, she saw a beige-and-red-hued plume of smoke. “I’m right in the path,” she said. “That’s why I left my house, because it was so close.” But she was prepared. She had packed her car with several suitcases, boxes of important files and a fire safe about a month ago when the first major fires of the season started. “It’s too hard to pack and unpack over and over,” she said. “I’m a very nervous person when I get shaken.” Chandler Collins, 23, was jolted awake early Wednesday by the sound of his grandmother banging on his door. They had to evacuate. It was still dark outside, but he could see flames licking uphill near their home, which is on the same road as the Reagan Library. He threw together some clothing, pet supplies for his cat, Shadow, and his chinchilla, Rocket, plus his Halloween costume, in case he couldn’t make it back home before his dress-up day at work Thursday. “I’ve never done this before, but it’s probably going to happen more often,” he said of the evacuations. The Easy fire was one of several blazes that broke out across Southern California on Wednesday. Throughout the day firefighters converged on multiple blazes throughout the region — the Hill fire in Jurupa Valley in Riverside is the largest of the others at 200 acres and at times closed the 60 Freeway. Fires broke out in Whittier Narrows, Brea, Calabasas and at least one other in Riverside. The new fires come amid dangerous weather conditions and the threat of more intentional power blackouts as utility companies attempt to reduce wildfire risk. In the area of the Easy fire, gusts of about 30 mph from the northeast were reported nearby around 8 a.m., National Weather Service meteorologist Lisa Phillips said. By midday Wednesday, Southern California was facing peak fire weather, with winds of up to 78 mph at Boney Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains in Ventura County, while relative humidity fell to rock bottom, clocking at zero at Mt. Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains and peaks in the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest, Phillips said. The air was exceedingly dry throughout Ventura County. Relative humidity was 8% at Sinaloa Lake and 7% in Moorpark. Forecasters said the winds would be the strongest to hit the region in recent memory and are expected to continue through Thursday. Brent Lamb prepares to help move horses at a ranch along Tierra Rejada Road as the Easy fire burns Wednesday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) “The magnitude of the wind gusts really is going to be a concern,” said Daniel Swain, climate scientist with UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “The actual winds that people experience really will be quite extreme in a lot of places, really everywhere except for the wind-sheltered parts of downtown L.A. and central L.A.” The forecast of extreme Santa Ana winds prompted Southern California Edison to say it might shut off power to more than 340,000 customers in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. To the north, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said Wednesday that it would begin restoring power to customers who were shut off this week in its latest bid to reduce wildfire risk. Crews will inspect utility lines, repair damage and restore power to about 365,000 customers in its service area, except for Kern County, which is still experiencing strong winds, according to PG&E. Fire danger from power lines was underscored Tuesday when L.A. officials said a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power line hit by a tree branch sparked the Getty fire. Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.

https://ift.tt/32X7vgt . Foreign Articles October 31, 2019 at 03:06AM

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[jhorend]

9,13,14,15,21,23 HAH

damn, aight let’s do this

9. Describe their personality in a paragraph.

(I always feel like I’m a bit off with these but w/e. They’re kinda short and I’m too tired to create a well constructed, concise summary for both but the additional responses should give some more insight)

Teokkin - Exceedingly loyal to the cause, pugnacious, and with an active strive for displays of wit, Teokkin fits many of the stereotypes associated with Inquest. He’s determined to earn the respect of his peers, preferably through trust but will resort to fear, particularly those that would not align themselves with Inquest. Of course, it can be a challenge to impose threats on someone when they go crying to the Peacemakers immediately, and so he often must opt to linger on the side of passive aggressiveness and careful wording. When a threat presents itself, he’s seldom the one that throws the first blow, but returns fire with swift retribution.

Nizktt - Reclusive, and a bit eccentric in a way different from most Asura, Nizktt is often more at home in the jungle, without any artificial structure over his head. It’s not quite a return to the race’s roots as tunnel diggers, favoring the above ground more, but caves are nonetheless his favorite dwellings. Even moreso when surrounded by his personal moa flock, to which he has named and carefully bonded with each and every one, having had as many as 18 of them. Some asura would go so far as to call him a savage, or a primate, but he has brushed such namesakes off and they do little to faze him now, regarding those that still call him such to be ignorant and myopic. Even if he spends his time far from laboratories and halls of study, his mind is as capably developed as any typical asura, having undergone the rigors of their education all the way through college before his life centered around the wilds.

13. What’s their favorite place in Tyria, and why?

Teokkin - Like any self respecting bookah-antagonizer, Rata Sum is Teokkin’s home and soul. Though some of his early years were spent beyond the cube, in Metrica, Sum is where he matured into the rat-bat he is now. It’s where he can be comforted by the familiarity, the congregation of great minds (but some are more great than others), a wealth of machines and magical artifice, and the distinctly infrequent presence of non-asuran beings.

Nizktt - Why, his moa cave of course. Most of its occupants have been recovered since Nizktt’s unfortunate imprisonment at the hands of the Magistracy and subsequent freedom granted to him by an opposition group, with credit to his great diligence towards finding the lost moa.

14. What’s their least favorite place, and why?

Teokkin - Any of the major cities of the other races. They are permeated with their smells, voices, and filth, and in far greater concentration than any town or outpost. It’s hard to say which one he hates the most, really. Divinity’s Reach is full of pompous, airheaded lunatics (he, of course, does not hate them because of their conceit, as that would be contradictory, but because they are horribly undeserving of wielding any pretense of superiority). The Black Citadel, or rather, Charr as a whole, in his eyes, embraces brawn over brains in many scenarios, which is just repulsive to him. He has somewhat of a guilty curiosity for their machinations however, outwardly claiming he sees them as horribly rudimentary and primitive like many asura, but knows that is an unsagacious lie after learning of the raw, brutal, and pants-soilingly intimidating destructive capability some of their more inspired creations possess. Hoelbrak on the other hand does not even make an attempt at such creations, and beyond that, essentially takes everything Teokkin dislikes about Charr and magnifies it to a greater scale. Finally, The Grove is a spectacle of both natural and magical biology, but tainted by the utterly obnoxious personality of the many Sylvari inhabiting it. And since Teokkin never was much of a florist, the Grove just isn’t anywhere near appealing enough to overlook the constant pestering and infuriatingly curious nature of the natives.

Nizktt - Speaking of the imprisonment, it’s fairly easy to imagine why Nizktt very quickly developed a terrible dread for that facility. It’s not only the severe trauma it inflicted, which he thankfully was resilient enough to keep forced out of his thoughts after some recovery time but nevertheless seethes with emotion at the memory. It helps that he has an… unusual connection with a species of flightless birds that give him something to ventilate unpleasant feelings to (In a positive way! he’d never hurt precious birbs). The loss of Rizzi though, his longest time traveling and hunting companion, had felt like part of himself perished with her.

15. Describe a high point in their story, and then a low point.

Teokkin - Probably the time he saved Kezza while Gerik was off flirting with Oola, if I’m remembering the name correctly. Teokkin felt a bit of pride in that moment, knowing he’d earned some of Kezza’s favor and elevated her respect of him over Gerik. I still need that RP log tbh… But as I look back on it, Teokkin doesn’t really have any very significant high points; there are lesser ones but Teokkin’s life is more often permeated with misfortune. So, moving onto that:

Let’s look at his more distant past instead of reviewing what happened in RP, cus why not. After Teokkin completely alienated his birth family, being on a tenuous enough relationship as it was, by spontaneously razing their laboratory (the materials within igniting the facility into a veritable inferno at a rate unprecedented even by the krewe utilizing them) through a combination of intentional mischief and innocent negligence which nearly caused the death of them (it DID spell an unfortunate end for some of the other lab technicians on site), he was cast into foster care. It was devastating to him; he didn’t know what he was expecting as punitive action for what he did, especially since he was already lectured on multiple occasions not to play with fire, but to be displaced from the family entirely by his own parents was an outcome not even hinted in his thoughts. It manifested an intense feeling of loneliness that he was quite vividly reminded of in recent times after claiming the position of Magistrate at the expense and subordination of former Magistrix Kezza and Disaggregator Gerik, brought on by their responses.

21. What are their biggest strengths? Biggest weaknesses?

Teokkin - He’d like to say it’s his intellect, but that’s any asura. Loyalty stands out in him, a product of the shame he feels from his rebellious, hoodlum upbringing. Perhaps it’s also intimidation, but that’s a tool he uses surprisingly sparingly, and too many things bigger than him do not take his threats seriously, making bluffs a difficult proposition when the scenario does not allow for violence but still requires a subdued target. Neutralization by electrocution has made a suitable substitute in many scenarios. As an elementalist he’s grown quite proficient in most fields however, and features some martial capability with his convertible, mechanized staff-spear; it’s a shame so much of his prowess goes unused within the constraints the Magistracy places on utilizing violence, as it’s seldom the primary option, but he draws from that ability as a source of confidence all the same. So yes, for an asura that claims to prefer intellectuality and discretion, he’s quite fond of simply projecting near-lethal quantities of electric current upon a victim, or impaling them on a fiery spearhead.

That can just as much be a weakness, and misdirection from the likes of a Mesmer or skilled rogue can easily catch him off guard. Both best be careful to avoid an outburst that would spare little in the vicinity, however. Expounding further, Teokkin’s young, pyromaniacal tendencies were not the product of themselves, but symptoms of a more subtle desire for power, and the respect gained through it; this occasionally manifests in borderline maniacal conniptions that can be a short term boon in combat scenarios but typically ends with prolonged exhaustion and several moments of confusion and self-loathing. These fits are not, however, restricted to direct confrontations, and he simply isn’t in enough battles for him to feel that the results outweigh the negatives of the outbursts. Because of them, Teokkin accepts the Magistracy’s reduced tolerance for violent action as a blessing, and frequently expresses a great deal of self restraint on both starting fights and then elevating them to destructive levels, which can be a limiter for him in attack.

Nizktt- He prides himself on his ability to adapt. He, naturally, was a Statics alumni, finding solutions through re-purposing already existing materials. All it takes to recognize this sort of resourcefulness is for one to notice his handmade bow: crude only in appearance, it is expandable from a shortbow into a longbow, and equipped with blades that are just as suitable for cutting through thick underbrush as it is for slicing and dicing flesh.

He is deeply connected to his moa however, and while they are certainly capable of hiding or defending themselves as well as coming to the aid of one another, they are still animals with limited coordination and intelligence, and instinct that can override rationality. Rizzi was his closest and one of the first he befriended, and he is reminded of that loss constantly when around his moa. Indeed, if something were to inexplicably happen to his flock, it would scar him deeply. Fortunately for him, while it’s usually immediately obvious he has a connection with moa as he almost always has one following him, very few know about the flock and who it belongs to.

23. Give them an AU, any AU.

Teokkin - For funsies sake, it’s exciting to imagine a near-godmode Teo that annihilates everything in his path, the Inquest having acquired him from when he was but toddler-aged, having removed him from his family by force, and amplified his capabilities to essentially use him as a living weapon. Something like the biotics from Mass Effect; like Jack, even. It’s not the most original trope but it’s fun to think of.

Nizktt - Tarzan edition, raised-in-the-wild-by-moa, of course. As if they didn’t have enough of an influence on him. With a hint more seriousness but not really much, Disaggregator Nizktt is an occasional, funny thought.

[love-in-nature]

My Neighbor Fen’harel Chapter 9: Fire? Fire!

Read on my AO3

Emmy shifted while she waited for the internet technician to finish hooking her up.  She’d thrown on a pair of running shorts under Solas’ shirt.  Yes she still wore it.  It was a Saturday, she had nowhere to be, and it was comfortable.  That was the only reason.  It wasn’t because it smelled like him or reminded her of the times before.  It wasn’t that at all.

Her cell phone dinged for the thousandth time in the past thirty minutes.  She gritted her teeth and ignored it.

The internet tech looked over her shoulder. “Someone must really want to get a hold of you,” she remarked.

“They’re dead.  It’s bad luck to speak to the dead.”

The girl blinked, cleared her throat, and turned back to her work, working considerably faster now.  Emmy strolled towards the windows when her cell beeped again.  This time she sighed deeply and stormed over to the stupid device.  She was starting to understand Solas’ refusal to get one.

She picked up the phone and glared at it.  Sure enough, a screen full of messages from Dorian and Bull, the last two from Dorian threatening to come over.  She frowned and quickly typed in a text to him telling him she was home and breathing; that if he wanted to stay breathing he shouldn’t come over.  Then, when it showed as delivered, she shut the stupid thing off.

Her Wi-fi was soon set up and ready to use.  Emmy thanked the girl as she left.  The moment the door was shut she hurried to her laptop.  Then she plopped down on the couch with it, put in the Wi-Fi password, and opened her personal e-mail.  She went to compose a new message and typed in ‘Fen’harel’.  Then she typed in everything that had happened to her last night.  At least what she could remember, but she couldn’t hit send.  She’d shared with him everything about her life, except for one thing.  Solas.  

Why did it feel so odd bringing him up in an e-mail with Fen’harel?  It wasn’t as though they were in a romantic relationship, as much as she had tried to be for a while.  Why did it feel as though she was breaking some cardinal rule about bringing up past relationships with your current one?  

Emmy’s eyes scanned over the words as she drummed her fingers on the laptop listening to the soft tap of her nails.  After a moment she shook her head and highlighted the entire message before hitting delete then starting over.

  Recipient: Fen’harel

Subject: We are go!

  Good news, I’m back in the current century!  Home officially has internet.  It has been an eventful couple of days but all in all I still love the apartment and my new job.  It’s at Skyhold University, though I’m guessing you already knew that somehow.  You and your all seeing self.

  Emmy

  P.S.  I better not get some strange obscure donations suddenly for the archives.  Well, unless they are interesting obscure donations, but please, for the love of Mythal, do not send toilet blueprints.

  As she hit send her stomach gave a small rumble.  She patted it and debated what to do for dinner.  She could go out but that would require putting on actual clothing, not to mention her budget was tight, which also ruled out getting food delivered.

She shut her laptop, setting it on top of a stack of papers on the living room table, then she stood and padded into the kitchen.  The cabinets held little in the way of food.  Oatmeal, which she didn’t even like so was unsure why she had to begin with.  Cereal, an option but not particularly appetizing to her as a dinner.  Some bread so she could maybe make a peanut butter sandwich if she had peanut butter, which turns out she didn’t.  So that was out.

Pretty much accepting the fact that she’d be stuck with the cereal squares, she opened her freezer just in case.  Inside there was a box of frozen burger patties.  She had zero recollection of buying them but was overjoyed.  She had no buns but she could just use regular bread.  Not like she had anyone to impress.

She did a quick scan of the instructions on the box before she pulled out a frying pan and poured in some oil.  Once that was heated she plopped the burger down.  The box said 10 minutes or until brown and then flip.  She did a quick check of the clock before her eyes went back to the living room.  The day was beautiful out so she opened her patio doors and took a deep inhale of the crisp air.  Then she left the doors open and went to sit on the couch.

Tucking her legs under her she cuddled into the cushion and picked up the romance book she had been reading.  Soon she was pulled into the world, cheesy as it was, and found herself in a far off land going on a daring adventure with an attractive knight.  That was until the pleasant smell of mountain air was replaced by the acrid smell smoke.

Her nose wrinkled and she lifted her chin sniffing the air to hunt down the source.  When her eyes went to her kitchen she let out a small scream.  She shot over the back of the couch so fast she almost fell when she hit the floor with a loud thump.  Then she was running into the kitchen and towards the small fire that had started in her pan.

This is why she didn’t fucking cook.  Ever.  Something always happened.  She shouldn’t even legally be allowed cooking paraphernalia.  Or a kitchen.  For now she was hoping from one foot to the other as she thought what to do.

Darcy was being very helpful.  He was sitting on the breakfast bar and hissing at the flames while she tried to think what to do.  Panicking she grabbed a large glass out of her cabinets, filled it with water, and then tossed that on the flames.  It did nothing.  If anything it made it flare and she screamed again jumping back as she dropped the glass.  It shattered on the floor with a crash and she let out a string of curses.

“Where are your pan lids?”

Solas’ voice behind her made her jump as she turned, “How did--”

“Lids, Emmy.”

She gestured to the lower cabinet near the fridge.  He moved with a swift grace, going to dig through her lids until he found one that would fit and placed it over the pan smothering the flames in an instant.  

Emmy’s heart was beating hard against her ribs, adrenaline still spiking through her body and making her fidget.  Perfectly calm Solas lifted the lid and glanced underneath at the charred remains of her dinner.  Then he turned to her, a barely suppressed smirk of amusement on his face.

“I see your skills in the kitchen have not changed, and when I say skills I meant to utilize that word. Not everyone could start a fire by cooking a,”  He looked down at the pan, “frozen burger, was it?”

She frowned, “Yes well, I got distracted.”

“I assure you it was for the best, frozen burgers are nothing to be mourned.”

Then her brows furrowed, “Right, well as much as I appreciate your nutritional advice and putting out the fire, how---”

“It is not completely unselfish of me. Your apartment is attached to mine, and in both our interests, I thought it best to interfere.”

He glanced at the floor, then her bare feet, and finally up to her face.  Then in just a couple easy strides he was next to her.  His hand went to grip her waist and he lifted her carefully, placing her on the countertop, an action she was too stunned by to really do anything about but gape.  This brought her even with his face.  It also brought back a wave of memories some romantic and some purely pornographic material.  

The way his fingers lingered on her waist indicated to her he was remembering also.  She had a sudden urge to reach up and grab the collar of his shirt, to wrap her legs around him as she let herself be lost to him again.  It would be so very easy.  

Then what?  After that she will have surrendered to him again.  She couldn’t, no matter how sweet he had been these past days, no matter how much he had made her want again, she couldn’t risk it.  The aftermath of their relationship made the risk of going back too great.  She didn’t think she could face something like that again.

She forced her mind to a more pressing issue, “How are you in my apartment?”

The words and tone must have been enough to break through his memories because he stiffened and withdrew.  “I was outside working on my garden when I heard you scream and I was concerned.   When there were loud noises in addition to another scream I needed to make sure you were alright.”  He pulled from her, eyes taking in the space around him before stopping on the closet door next to the kitchen, “Your broom is in that closet, I would assume?”

She nodded, her mind still trying to work out exactly how he was here.  As he stepped carefully out of the kitchen and over to the closet her eyes followed, “Wait, so you climbed onto my balcony?”

He opened the door and spoke without looking at her, “Yes.  I realize that is---”

“But how?  I mean there is that planter thing that connects them but the area that isn’t covered by the plants is barely an inch wide it---”

He started back towards her, broom and dustpan in hand, “You are exaggerating.”

“Not by much.”  

Suddenly her mind was filled with images of him falling.  The idea of him dying in his attempt to help her form some idiotic burger fire turned her stomach.  The idea of him dead at all made her chest ache, something she justified by saying she was a good person and they did have a history.  Besides if anything was going to kill him it would be her not some freak accident.

He paused his sweeping up of the glass to examine her.  Then he gave her a soft smile, “I am fine, Emmy.”

“That wasn’t…”  She sighed and he chuckled as he started his sweeping again.  Only then did she realize this would put her more in debt to him.  First him helping her after… well the thing that would not be talked about, now this.  “You don’t have to---”

“It is no trouble at all, I’m almost finished.”

She sighed, “I already need to think of a way to repay you for the other thing.  Now this also...”

“Pardon?”  He stopped just as he was kneeling to put the glass in the dustpan.  The position once more bringing lewd thoughts to her mind she had to shake off.

“I mean after,”  She cleared her throat, “Last night and then now it…”

“You owe me nothing.”  

Her mouth clamped shut at his words, her emotions veering every which way.  There was way too much going on.  This was supposed to be a peaceful move.  What was wrong with her life that she couldn’t seem to ever just have a normal day?

He swept up the pile of glass into the pan.  Then he stood and went over to her trash can to dump it.  He didn’t speak again until he had taken the broom to the closet and shut the door again.

“Even if I were the type of person to keep track of such things, which I would hope you knew I was not,”  He took a breath, “If anyone owes a debt, it is me that owes you.  What I did,”  He turned meeting her eyes and the regret there made her breath halt in her throat, “it was inexcusable.  I would spend a lifetime making it up to you, if you would allow it.”

Her eyes went down to her knees.  That was cheesy.  That was a huge ball of cheese, something out of a bad romance movie.  So why was her heart fluttering like a crazed bird in her chest?  She worked to ground herself even as she felt her cheeks heat.  She opened her mouth hoping some snarky remark would magically appear.  It didn’t.

Instead she managed to say barely above a whisper, “Why?  You say things like that, do things like this, so why?  Why did you leave?”

He took a deep inhale, “It is complicated.”

She frowned her eyes once more going to him, this time narrowed, “You want to make it up to me but not so much that you will give me a reason for what you did?  Not so much that you will tell me why I had to…”  She bit her lower lip, halting her words before she let him see how he still affected her.

He shifted and started to move to her but stopped himself, “I was afraid, Emmy.  Terrified if I am being honest.  I told you that.”

“Of what, what could have---”

“My feelings for you was one fear.  I had not expected,”  He looked away, shifted again, then swallowed, “In such a short time you changed the whole world for me.  Someday I will tell you the whole story, but for now please know that I never wanted your pain, I never lied to you about my feelings towards you, nor did I ever lay with you under false pretenses.  I know it is a lot to ask, but I suppose I am selfish in this.  Will you give me a chance, Emmy?”

“I…”  She fidgeted.  The affection and longing in his eyes making her chest hollow.  “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try.”

Almost instantly his shoulders relaxed and a soft smile curved his lips, “That is more than I deserve.”  He glanced at the burnt remains of her dinner, “I am going to assume that you no longer have anything for your dinner?  Come to my apartment, I have enough for both of us.”

She managed to gather enough sense to say, “No thanks, I’ll just order something.”

He turned to go to the door.  She could no longer see his face but she could hear the amusement in his tone, “As you wish, but I made lasagna and a fresh loaf of garlic bread.  There really is plenty for two people.”

Her mouth watered and she spoke in an almost reverent tone, “Your homemade garlic bread?”

“Yes. You know how I feel about frozen foods.”  He opened the door and paused, “It will be ready in twenty minutes, you may come over any time after that.  Oh and keep my shirt as long as you like, it looks better on you than it does on me.”  Then he left shutting the door with a soft click behind him.

Smooth bastard.

Emmy’s eyes went from the closed door back down to her bare knees as she gripped the counter’s edge.  There wasn’t really even anything to think about.  Of course, she wouldn’t go.  Going would be stupid.  It would be reckless and, given her current confused emotions towards him, she might do something she’d regret.  Going was out of the question.  

She hopped off the counter and walked to the charred remains of her once-frozen dinner.  She dumped the pan’s contents in the trash before putting the pan in the sink with some soap and hot water.  

She headed to her bedroom, opened her closet and considered her wardrobe.  Not going would be conceding, she reasoned, pulling out one of her favorite dresses.  She didn’t want him thinking he had that kind of influence on her, after all.  He would assume she was too scared or worse, not in control of herself enough to spend one evening with him.  It was crucial she prove him wrong

She’d just take a quick shower then head over.  No big deal.  She pulled out one of her dresses, dismissed it as too nice, and stuck it back.  Then she pulled out a shirt but dismissed it as not nice enough.  It was important to find the right balance here.  Nothing that showed she was trying to impress but something that still showed him what he had lost.

Not that she cared.  Not even a little tiny bit.  Not that she wanted to see his eyes hungry on her.  Not that she wanted to know that he was thinking of his fingers on her skin as she thought of hers on---

Nope.  None of that.  This was nothing.  She was hungry, he was an excellent cook, and it was free food.  That’s all.

One hour.  She’d get her garlic bread and lasagna then leave.  No big deal at all.

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Tips on how to Keep Captivated with Writing

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Tips on how to Keep Captivated with Writing

Tips on how to Keep Captivated with Writing

Any creator reaches a departed conclude from time to time. Ingenuity can be a top quality that’s defined by peaks and valleys. Several renowned writers have gone by dry out time periods of writer’s prevent wherever they experienced their get the job done was ineffective.

It’s besides fiction authors that suffer this fate. Editors, experts and in some cases individuals also attain tips exactly where they feel uninspired by their function.

So what do you need to do in case your soul is lagging and you also can’t obtain the fulfillment and excitement in designing a new challenge?

Head over to seminars and workshops

Portion of the difficulty of composing is the fact that it’s a solitary project. And also the human being mind is a difficult beast, it could possibly dried out up quite speedy in the absence of out side excitement. Going to writer’s classes and seminars can kindle your commitment once more. Becoming feed-back on your do the job can provide the latest mindset on it. Listening to the recommendation within the coordinator can fixed you in the new course.

Match other folks working on interesting jobs, this will fill up you with the want to carry on in order to get started with over. Grab yourself away from the work space – the web site of a lot of disheartening hours Andndash; this can revitalize your feels and support kindle new ideas.

Get a diverse style

If you’re a sociologist taking care of a dissertation, attempt publishing poetry or fiction. If you’re a fiction publisher, test crafting an editorial document about a little something you really feel enthusiastic about. It’s a way to continue to keep practicing composing with no having stuck inside of a rut.

It will also enable grab the demands out. You’re not attempting to distribute a magazine of poems, you’re just taking part in all around with words and phrases. You’re not trying to become a journalist, you’re just getting an alternate way to communicate yourself. Occasionally branching out into different spots and testing designs will bring an easy-heartedness to the do the job.

Re-study the best e-book

Some writers have a unique arrange that determined all of them to create. Probably it inspired their publishing type or exposed them nearly new choices in creating. When you’re having to deal with a lull as part of your work, get back to the early source of your encouragement. Re-study it. Religious people utilize their sacred messages when they’re uncertain. Choose your own property. What did it provide you with all those in the past when you initially study it? Simply what does it coach you on today?

Teach

If you’re desperate for the point inside your work, look at instruction. There’s practically nothing safer to light your fire than moving past in the accumulated happenings within your many years of writing to willing little freelance writers. You’ll have the chance to get inventory of all complications you’ve defeat to get to the idea you’re at at this time. It may give you the daring to beat your current hinder. Supplying suggestions for them is usually an indirect means of allowing assistance to you.

Be sure you have enough time

Possibly your condition isn’t not enough inspiration but burn off-out. Do you take on way proofread my essay too many responsibilities at once? Will you be wanting to steadiness operate and family and over-stretching on your own? There’s nothing at all just like having a lot onto your platter to snuff your inventive fireplace. Weakness, pressure and a sense of guilt really are a harmful cocktail that only work to keep your muse from increasing.

Rearrange your schedule to add in the required time for pleasure activities, to accomplish the no-composing connected issues you’re enthusiastic about. Sparking desire in other regions in your life may have a contagious affect on your composing lifestyle at the same time. Also, letting yourself living space from a challenges is exactly what will give you the standpoint to fix them.

Undertake job that you really enjoy

Absolutely nothing eliminates your desire for composing like covering matters you find dull. So, if that’s what you’re accomplishing, halt. There are additional than enough publishing gigs to visit near around that you simply love. Consider these tips from Ray Bradbury: “I’ve by no means worked each and every day in doing my lifestyle. The happiness of composing has propelled me every day and 12 months to season. I wish for you to jealousy me, my satisfaction. Get rid of below today and say: Andlsquo;Am I getting happy?’ Just in case you’ve bought a writer’s inhibit, you may heal it this evening hours by ceasing whatsoever you’re writing and accomplishing something else. You decided on an incorrect matter.”

Enroll in a writer’s party

Essentially one fulfills in-particular person rather then on line, but if that’s extremely hard, then an online 1 is better than very little. It assists to speak to other freelance writers and show your career. Most freelance writers usually have a circle of author friends, but it may be a tough factor to will depend on your mates to provide frank comments. A small group of professional freelance writers are unable to only offer extra goal suggestions, nonetheless they can give you the service and motivation you have to go through hard phases and get to the conclude range.

Glance at the compact picture

At times your publishing aspirations are far too large. You ought to publish the truly great Us Novel or win the Nobel Winning prize for Literature. But alternatively you’re seated ahead of a blank tv screen on a daily basis. So, consider something else. Don’t give thought to goals and objectives. Don’t think about concluding your guide. Look at these days. One expression following your other. And right after you’re performed, place it out as well as prevent thinking about it. After which the next day do identical things.

Grab the strain away to transform your interest on. Signature Twain described his creating approach by doing this: “The actual key of getting in advance is getting commenced. The actual key of receiving begun is splitting your elaborate overpowering responsibilities into little reasonable activities, and after that establishing on the first one.”

Whichever lull you’re undergoing at this time, keep in mind several freelance writers prior to deciding to go through it at the same time. Don’t surrender. Just make it to the flex. After you round it, details will appear several yet again.

[newstfionline]

California communities scramble to avoid becoming the next wildfire tragedy

By Tim Craig, NY Times, December 12, 2018

NEVADA CITY, Calif.--The deadliest wildfire in California history was blazing far away from here, about 75 miles north in the town of Paradise, but Mark Cooper and Galen Ellis saw danger just outside of their window.

The couple’s beige three-bedroom house blends beautifully with their wooded lot. But the next time a wind-swept firestorm erupts here in the Sierra Nevada Mountain foothills, they fear those cedar and ponderosa pine trees could become a flaming 20-story cage.

“We are now at the point of wondering: Do the risks now outweigh the costs of owning a home?” said Ellis, who is 57 and nearing retirement. “A lot of people here are thinking, ‘It wasn’t me this year, but it could be next year.’”

With their homeowners’ insurance set to triple, Cooper and Ellis are seriously considering leaving town, a window into the jaw-clenching fear now gripping this rustic mountain region

as residents worry that the death and destruction in Paradise foreshadows their own futures.

“This whole thing of being able to outrun fire, or defend against fire, it really doesn’t seem to apply anymore,” said Diana Cobbe, 62, who also lives in Nevada City, one of 188 California communities designated for extreme wildfire danger. “You now kind of feel like you are living under a time bomb.”

With Cobbe and other panicked residents jamming into community and fire safety meetings seeking answers, officials throughout California have been rushing to fortify vulnerable communities even as they acknowledge it’s a battle they might not be able to win.

That’s especially true here in Nevada County, which has similar topographic features to Paradise, where at least 85 people were killed and 19,000 structures were destroyed by the Camp Fire last month.

“We have had a lot of conversations about what the potential is, and how can we stop these in totality,” said Pete Muñoa, chief of the Land Use Planning Program division at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), which oversees state fire suppression and prevention. “You have to look at building construction; you have got to look at where people are living.”

Although the debate is still in early stages, Muñoa said lawmakers and regulators might consider new rules for vegetation management as well as broader revisions to building codes and development plans. State and local officials also plan to modify evacuation plans, a recognition that there are too many people living in wooded areas near too few highways.

Earlier this year, state legislators granted $200 million to Cal Fire to expedite vegetation removal and other fire prevention measures, while electric utility PG&E is expanding efforts to cut down trees near power lines.

But State Senator Bill Dodd (D), who helped push for these changes, said the problem is bigger than any quick fix.

“Let’s face it, we don’t have a lot of short-term solutions in our tool bag,” Dodd said, adding that federal and state government share blame for not being more proactive.

Even before the wildfire destroyed Paradise, Cal Fire was sounding the alarm. In its 2018 strategic plan released in August, Cal Fire noted the average size of a wildfire in the state had grown to more than 14,000 acres, compared to less than 8,000 acres 20 years ago. The report cited climate change as a contributing factor.

Then on Nov. 8, driven by fierce westerly winds, the Camp Fire advanced quickly into Paradise and surrounding communities--at times burning an area the equivalent of a football field per second. Many evacuees spent hours stuck in traffic as flames brushed their vehicles.

About 1,300 California communities, accounting for 3 million housing units, have been classified as vulnerable to major damage from a wildfire. In Nevada County, where 100,000 residents are spread over 900 square miles, about three-fourths of the land area falls in the “very high” risk classification.

Even the county’s more urbanized areas are considered at extreme risk. Separated by about 10 miles, Nevada City and Grass Valley were founded around 1850 by miners who flocked to the region during the gold rush. Today, they include vibrant downtowns that intersperse the region’s mining heritage with new-money wine shops and clothing stores catering to young professionals and retirees from wealthy California coastal cities.

Fire is ingrained in the cities’ histories. The commercial centers of both burned shortly after their founding, and the “Forty-Niner” wildfire in 1988 destroyed 312 structures in the western part of the county.

But the loss of life in Paradise has touched Nevada County “in ways that even its own fires did not do,” said Robin Davies, the chief executive of the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“We just watched a very similar community, an entire city, go up in flames, and it’s a reminder that if something like that were to happen again, we would all be at risk,” Davies said.

John Gulserian, manager of Nevada County’s Office of Emergency Services, is especially aware of the dangers facing county residents. Before he took over as the head of emergency preparedness here, Gulserian held a similar title in Butte County. He still owns a house in Paradise, in which his 26-year-old daughter, Kindra, was living when the Camp Fire erupted.

Gulserian has been thinking about how he can better prepare Nevada County for a similar tragedy.

Officials need to update evacuation plans, expand fire breaks around populated areas and better-educate residents about the danger, he said.

California’s fire code already mandates that newly built homes near wildland areas are built with fireproof roofs, windows and decks and requires homeowners to clear flammable materials within 100 feet of their homes. But Gulserian is pushing to update state law to make it easier for government officials to access private land when owners refuse to maintain their property.

In some especially vulnerable communities, Gulserian would like to see reflective signs directing motorists to evacuation routes.

Some of the proposed changes won’t be easy. Many Nevada County homeowners, Gulserian said, are especially hesitant to cut trees.

“We’ve got a lot of folks moving in from the [San Francisco] Bay Area, and they love their trees, but we are killing ourselves loving the trees,” said Gulserian, adding that some properties contain “hundreds of trees per acre” when a maximum of 40 to 50 per acre is considered ideal to reduce the rapid spread of a fire.

Still, Gulserian knows that even the most diligent planning may not be enough to save lives when 50 mph winds are pushing flames through parched forests.

“If you are evacuating everyone at the same time, you would need a six-lane freeway going through town just to get everyone out,” Gulserian said. Officials in Paradise determined they would have had to start evacuations two hours before the fire began to get all 26,000 residents to safety before it swept into town, he said.

This fall, even before the Camp Fire, several homeowners insurance companies started notifying clients that they were no longer offering fire insurance in the area. Others have drastically hiked premiums.

Ellis, for example, learned this month that her fire insurance premium will increase from $849 to $2,674 per year, after AAA dropped her existing coverage.

They’re considering selling their home and living out of their Mercedes van and pop-up trailer.

“If people want to move here, I wouldn’t recommend it,” said Cooper, who has lived in Nevada County since he was 12 years old. “Or if you do, with this fire danger, you might as well just assume one day you will come home and it won’t be there.”

Despite that sentiment, local officials are not anticipating a significant drop in demand for houses. In fact, they say, the county’s population might increase as residents displaced in Paradise seek out housing.

Earlier this year, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management published a study of housing transactions following wildfires in Colorado between 2000 and 2012, concluding that major fires only temporarily weaken housing markets in wildland areas.

“After a year or so has passed when incoming buyers come in and they see two houses--one in a risky area and the other not--they bid on the houses the same as they would before the fire,” said one of the authors, Shawn J. McCoy, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

For now, however, the local discussion about the wildfire danger is grim.

In the Cascade Shores, a wooded development that surrounds a large reservoir, residents say they have only two roads to escape the mountain should a fire threaten the community.

“I now have people coming to me asking, ‘If I get trapped, can I come down here and jump in the lake?’” said Gary Doshier, 43, who manages access to the boat launch at Scotts Flatt Reservoir.

[eddiejpoplar]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60

When we were first invited to sample the new Volvo S60, we figured we’d have an easy job ahead of us; we could just cut and paste from our recent Volvo reviews. After all, the S60 (along with its wagon sibling, the V60) is the final model in Volvo’s product renewal, and it uses the same Scaled Product Architecture (SPA) platform, Drive-E engines, and tablet-like Sensus interface as the XC60 and 90-series vehicles. Though we were happy to hear the new S60 will be built in the U.S. at Volvo’s newly minted South Carolina plant, we weren’t expecting any surprises.

But surprise us Volvo did with its awkwardly named 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered. This is the top-of-the-range sporting edition of the S60, with an upgraded suspension, brakes, and a version of Volvo’s T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain under the hood. While electrified performance cars aren’t new, this is one of the first examples clearly aimed at the masses. And aside from a few glitches, it’s pretty darn good.

That’s the good news. The bad news is you won’t be able to get one anytime soon. Volvo is offering just 20—yes, you read that right, two-zero—of the Polestar Engineering cars to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year. Rather than selling them, it offered them on its Care By Volvo subscription plan. As you can probably imagine, all 20 are already spoken for.

None of this makes us any less interested in the car, or any less enthralled by the driving experience. The S60 PE’s powertrain combines the supercharged-and-turbocharged version of Volvo’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which drives the front wheels, with an electric motor connected to the rear wheels. Total system power is 415 horsepower and 494 lb-ft of torque, up 15 hp and 22 lb-ft from Volvo’s base T8 setup. Other enhancements include Öhlins electronically-adjustable shocks and gold-colored Brembo brake calipers, with seat belts and tire valve stem caps colored to match.

The combination of the engine’s supercharger and the electric motor on the rear axle brings a new definition to right now power. Volvo claims a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, but there’s more to the story. Most modern-day turbocharged cars hesitate at least a little when you stomp the pedal from rest, but not the Polestar—it scoots with no delay. The T8 engine, which uses a supercharger to boost off-idle response, is quick enough on its own. Augmenting it with electricity seriously ups the grin factor and offers more confirmation that electrification can be a good thing from a performance perspective.

The snappy powertrain makes it easy to overlook the suspension, which is also worthy of note. Anyone who drove the previous-gen S60 Polestar will remember that it was a great-handling car with a punishing ride. The new Polestar Engineered S60 is a little tamer and a lot more livable. It’s not the grippiest car we’ve driven, but it zips through the curves with a satisfying rightness. The ride is firm, to be sure, but not putative, and it floats rather forgivingly over sharper bumps. And while we’ve already dealt with the powertrain, we must mention it again: Corner exit is a whole new kind of fun with the workload shared by an electric motor, which doesn’t get bogged down even if the transmission happens to be in the wrong gear.

What makes the S60 PE (sorry, Volvo, but we refuse to refer to such a great car by such a silly name) is that once you turn off Sport mode, it transforms itself into Mr. Green. The gas engine shuts off and the car favors electric power. The battery-only range is modest—21 miles—but that’s enough for the average one-way commute plus a quick run for lunch. The T8 charges with a standard 240-volt EV charger and drivers can charge from the engine or hold the battery charge for later use. Tired of imitating a Prius? Click back to Sport mode, the engine fires up, and the electric motor goes from helping you save fuel to helping you waste it.

Only one thing was seriously out of whack during our drive, however, and it had to do with the brakes. Like most hybrids, the S60 utilizes a mix of regenerative and friction braking, and the setup in the cars we drove seemed way off to us. Hit the brakes quickly and they grab hard, and when nearing a stop the braking effort increases with surprising rapidity. Smooth stops are nearly impossible as there’s no way of knowing when the sudden increase in braking power will come. We’re guessing there’s a problem with the transition from regen to friction braking as the car slows. Volvo says it is still refining the brakes, though it’s a little worrying that the cars have come this far along in the development process without solving the issue.

A couple of things are slightly less out-of-whack. The steering, while nicely weighted and responsive, could provide more feedback. And what’s up with the E-shifter’s behavior? The crystal handle is nice, but it requires a double-tap to move between the most commonly-used ranges (park, drive, and reverse), which is both frustrating and unnecessary—most electronic shifters allow you accomplish this in one motion. Call us pedantic if you like; we’ll see if you agree after driving a T8 and trying to figure out why the hell the car isn’t moving in its intended direction (answer: You want drive but you’ve only made it to neutral). We’d be much happier if Volvo fitted the ordinary P-R-N-D shifter it employs on its T5 and T6 models.

We should note that the crusher-bound pre-production S60s we drove had 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires that will not make it to the U.S.; our S60 PEs will get 19-inch wheels with a yet-to-be-determined tire. Volvo thinks the 20s would be too rough for the moonscape pavement of Eastern cities, and given our experience with the previous-gen Polestar cars, its caution is probably warranted. We’ll save our final verdict for the fully baked production cars, which will mean waiting for the 2020 models. (Hopefully the brakes get sorted out by then.)

And what of the other S60 models? If you’ve spent any time in a new-generation Volvo, particularly the 90-series cars, we can do this quickly: There’s way more back seat room than the old short-wheelbase S60, the trunk is still a bit tight, and the T6 R-Design model drives—as you would expect—much like a scaled-down S90. Everything else we say will be a rehash, so if you’d like to slip away now, feel free. We highly recommend Jetrho Bovingdon’s article about scaring the daylights out of himself at the Nürburgring 24.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Volvo revolution, you’re in for a treat. No doubt you’ve picked up on the visual differences between the new S60 and the outgoing model; the two cars bear some similarity in silhouette, but the angles and creases on the new car are sharper, and we think the C-shaped taillights work better than they do on the bigger S90. This is a good-looking sedan, handsome and understated, and we think the design will age well.

But the real revolution takes place inside. Volvo has long aligned itself with Swedish minimalism, but the S60 (and its fellow new-generation Volvos) take this to a new level. Most secondary controls are accessed through a portrait-style touch-screen Volvo calls Sensus, with the number of buttons on the dash reduced to the minimum required by law. This makes the S60’s cabin a wonderfully uncluttered place, and Volvo has taken good advantage by fitting the S60 with top-notch materials and switchgear. Aside from some detail differences, particularly on the passenger’s side of the dash, the S60’s fascia is identical to other Volvos, and that’s fine with us—Volvo’s cabin design is totally unique, and we love it.

That said, familiarity with the Sensus system (something we are quickly gaining with our Four Seasons Volvo V90) can easily breed contempt. It’s easy to swipe around and find most of the functions, or to switch between a full-screen map and what’s playing on the stereo, but some bits of the interface need work—for example, you have to fill in a lot of information to perform a simple search for particular stores or other points-of-interest. Volvo hasn’t changed the interface much since the XC90 was introduced, though it says the S60’s version has a faster processor.

We drove our T6-powered Four Seasons V90 to the press preview, and our drive in the S60 T6 really did feel like déjà vu. Despite its smaller size, the S60 is not that much lighter than the 90-series cars, and acceleration from the 316-hp T6 engine felt comparable, as did steering and handling. What sets the S60 apart is its more sensible size. As much as we love the V90, it’s a land yacht, and the S60 is much easier to maneuver and park.

Volvo has set pricing at $36,795 (including destination) for the entry-level T5 Momentum, with T6 models starting at $41,295 and T8 plug-in hybrids at $55,395. T6 models are also available on Volvo’s all-inclusive subscription program, Care by Volvo, at $775 per month for the Momentum trim level and $850 per month for the R-Design. (In case you were wondering, the limited-run 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered cars were priced at $1,100 per month.) Care by Volvo includes payments, insurance, and maintenance, and subscribers can change to a different Volvo after 12 months.

The S60 hits closer to the heart of the market than the bigger S90 sedan, and we predict it’s going to be a strong seller (or at least a strong subscription). We’re bummed to have to wait for the Polestar Engineered cars, but at least that’ll give Volvo time to fix the brakes—and maybe come up with a better name.

2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered Specifications

ON SALE Early 2019 PRICE $1,100/month via Care By Volvo subscription ENGINE 2.0L supercharged and turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus electric motor(s)/415 hp, 494 lb-ft combined TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 187.4 x 80.3 x 56.6 in WHEELBASE 113.1 in WEIGHT N/A 0-60 MPH 4.3 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph (est)

The post First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jesusvasser]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60

When we were first invited to sample the new Volvo S60, we figured we’d have an easy job ahead of us; we could just cut and paste from our recent Volvo reviews. After all, the S60 (along with its wagon sibling, the V60) is the final model in Volvo’s product renewal, and it uses the same Scaled Product Architecture (SPA) platform, Drive-E engines, and tablet-like Sensus interface as the XC60 and 90-series vehicles. Though we were happy to hear the new S60 will be built in the U.S. at Volvo’s newly minted South Carolina plant, we weren’t expecting any surprises.

But surprise us Volvo did with its awkwardly named 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered. This is the top-of-the-range sporting edition of the S60, with an upgraded suspension, brakes, and a version of Volvo’s T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain under the hood. While electrified performance cars aren’t new, this is one of the first examples clearly aimed at the masses. And aside from a few glitches, it’s pretty darn good.

That’s the good news. The bad news is you won’t be able to get one anytime soon. Volvo is offering just 20—yes, you read that right, two-zero—of the Polestar Engineering cars to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year. Rather than selling them, it offered them on its Care By Volvo subscription plan. As you can probably imagine, all 20 are already spoken for.

None of this makes us any less interested in the car, or any less enthralled by the driving experience. The S60 PE’s powertrain combines the supercharged-and-turbocharged version of Volvo’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which drives the front wheels, with an electric motor connected to the rear wheels. Total system power is 415 horsepower and 494 lb-ft of torque, up 15 hp and 22 lb-ft from Volvo’s base T8 setup. Other enhancements include Öhlins electronically-adjustable shocks and gold-colored Brembo brake calipers, with seat belts and tire valve stem caps colored to match.

The combination of the engine’s supercharger and the electric motor on the rear axle brings a new definition to right now power. Volvo claims a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, but there’s more to the story. Most modern-day turbocharged cars hesitate at least a little when you stomp the pedal from rest, but not the Polestar—it scoots with no delay. The T8 engine, which uses a supercharger to boost off-idle response, is quick enough on its own. Augmenting it with electricity seriously ups the grin factor and offers more confirmation that electrification can be a good thing from a performance perspective.

The snappy powertrain makes it easy to overlook the suspension, which is also worthy of note. Anyone who drove the previous-gen S60 Polestar will remember that it was a great-handling car with a punishing ride. The new Polestar Engineered S60 is a little tamer and a lot more livable. It’s not the grippiest car we’ve driven, but it zips through the curves with a satisfying rightness. The ride is firm, to be sure, but not putative, and it floats rather forgivingly over sharper bumps. And while we’ve already dealt with the powertrain, we must mention it again: Corner exit is a whole new kind of fun with the workload shared by an electric motor, which doesn’t get bogged down even if the transmission happens to be in the wrong gear.

What makes the S60 PE (sorry, Volvo, but we refuse to refer to such a great car by such a silly name) is that once you turn off Sport mode, it transforms itself into Mr. Green. The gas engine shuts off and the car favors electric power. The battery-only range is modest—21 miles—but that’s enough for the average one-way commute plus a quick run for lunch. The T8 charges with a standard 240-volt EV charger and drivers can charge from the engine or hold the battery charge for later use. Tired of imitating a Prius? Click back to Sport mode, the engine fires up, and the electric motor goes from helping you save fuel to helping you waste it.

Only one thing was seriously out of whack during our drive, however, and it had to do with the brakes. Like most hybrids, the S60 utilizes a mix of regenerative and friction braking, and the setup in the cars we drove seemed way off to us. Hit the brakes quickly and they grab hard, and when nearing a stop the braking effort increases with surprising rapidity. Smooth stops are nearly impossible as there’s no way of knowing when the sudden increase in braking power will come. We’re guessing there’s a problem with the transition from regen to friction braking as the car slows. Volvo says it is still refining the brakes, though it’s a little worrying that the cars have come this far along in the development process without solving the issue.

A couple of things are slightly less out-of-whack. The steering, while nicely weighted and responsive, could provide more feedback. And what’s up with the E-shifter’s behavior? The crystal handle is nice, but it requires a double-tap to move between the most commonly-used ranges (park, drive, and reverse), which is both frustrating and unnecessary—most electronic shifters allow you accomplish this in one motion. Call us pedantic if you like; we’ll see if you agree after driving a T8 and trying to figure out why the hell the car isn’t moving in its intended direction (answer: You want drive but you’ve only made it to neutral). We’d be much happier if Volvo fitted the ordinary P-R-N-D shifter it employs on its T5 and T6 models.

We should note that the crusher-bound pre-production S60s we drove had 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires that will not make it to the U.S.; our S60 PEs will get 19-inch wheels with a yet-to-be-determined tire. Volvo thinks the 20s would be too rough for the moonscape pavement of Eastern cities, and given our experience with the previous-gen Polestar cars, its caution is probably warranted. We’ll save our final verdict for the fully baked production cars, which will mean waiting for the 2020 models. (Hopefully the brakes get sorted out by then.)

And what of the other S60 models? If you’ve spent any time in a new-generation Volvo, particularly the 90-series cars, we can do this quickly: There’s way more back seat room than the old short-wheelbase S60, the trunk is still a bit tight, and the T6 R-Design model drives—as you would expect—much like a scaled-down S90. Everything else we say will be a rehash, so if you’d like to slip away now, feel free. We highly recommend Jetrho Bovingdon’s article about scaring the daylights out of himself at the Nürburgring 24.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Volvo revolution, you’re in for a treat. No doubt you’ve picked up on the visual differences between the new S60 and the outgoing model; the two cars bear some similarity in silhouette, but the angles and creases on the new car are sharper, and we think the C-shaped taillights work better than they do on the bigger S90. This is a good-looking sedan, handsome and understated, and we think the design will age well.

But the real revolution takes place inside. Volvo has long aligned itself with Swedish minimalism, but the S60 (and its fellow new-generation Volvos) take this to a new level. Most secondary controls are accessed through a portrait-style touch-screen Volvo calls Sensus, with the number of buttons on the dash reduced to the minimum required by law. This makes the S60’s cabin a wonderfully uncluttered place, and Volvo has taken good advantage by fitting the S60 with top-notch materials and switchgear. Aside from some detail differences, particularly on the passenger’s side of the dash, the S60’s fascia is identical to other Volvos, and that’s fine with us—Volvo’s cabin design is totally unique, and we love it.

That said, familiarity with the Sensus system (something we are quickly gaining with our Four Seasons Volvo V90) can easily breed contempt. It’s easy to swipe around and find most of the functions, or to switch between a full-screen map and what’s playing on the stereo, but some bits of the interface need work—for example, you have to fill in a lot of information to perform a simple search for particular stores or other points-of-interest. Volvo hasn’t changed the interface much since the XC90 was introduced, though it says the S60’s version has a faster processor.

We drove our T6-powered Four Seasons V90 to the press preview, and our drive in the S60 T6 really did feel like déjà vu. Despite its smaller size, the S60 is not that much lighter than the 90-series cars, and acceleration from the 316-hp T6 engine felt comparable, as did steering and handling. What sets the S60 apart is its more sensible size. As much as we love the V90, it’s a land yacht, and the S60 is much easier to maneuver and park.

Volvo has set pricing at $36,795 (including destination) for the entry-level T5 Momentum, with T6 models starting at $41,295 and T8 plug-in hybrids at $55,395. T6 models are also available on Volvo’s all-inclusive subscription program, Care by Volvo, at $775 per month for the Momentum trim level and $850 per month for the R-Design. (In case you were wondering, the limited-run 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered cars were priced at $1,100 per month.) Care by Volvo includes payments, insurance, and maintenance, and subscribers can change to a different Volvo after 12 months.

The S60 hits closer to the heart of the market than the bigger S90 sedan, and we predict it’s going to be a strong seller (or at least a strong subscription). We’re bummed to have to wait for the Polestar Engineered cars, but at least that’ll give Volvo time to fix the brakes—and maybe come up with a better name.

2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered Specifications

ON SALE Early 2019 PRICE $1,100/month via Care By Volvo subscription ENGINE 2.0L supercharged and turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus electric motor(s)/415 hp, 494 lb-ft combined TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 187.4 x 80.3 x 56.6 in WHEELBASE 113.1 in WEIGHT N/A 0-60 MPH 4.3 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph (est)

The post First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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[jonathanbelloblog]

First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60

When we were first invited to sample the new Volvo S60, we figured we’d have an easy job ahead of us; we could just cut and paste from our recent Volvo reviews. After all, the S60 (along with its wagon sibling, the V60) is the final model in Volvo’s product renewal, and it uses the same Scaled Product Architecture (SPA) platform, Drive-E engines, and tablet-like Sensus interface as the XC60 and 90-series vehicles. Though we were happy to hear the new S60 will be built in the U.S. at Volvo’s newly minted South Carolina plant, we weren’t expecting any surprises.

But surprise us Volvo did with its awkwardly named 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered. This is the top-of-the-range sporting edition of the S60, with an upgraded suspension, brakes, and a version of Volvo’s T8 plug-in hybrid powertrain under the hood. While electrified performance cars aren’t new, this is one of the first examples clearly aimed at the masses. And aside from a few glitches, it’s pretty darn good.

That’s the good news. The bad news is you won’t be able to get one anytime soon. Volvo is offering just 20—yes, you read that right, two-zero—of the Polestar Engineering cars to the U.S. market for the 2019 model year. Rather than selling them, it offered them on its Care By Volvo subscription plan. As you can probably imagine, all 20 are already spoken for.

None of this makes us any less interested in the car, or any less enthralled by the driving experience. The S60 PE’s powertrain combines the supercharged-and-turbocharged version of Volvo’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which drives the front wheels, with an electric motor connected to the rear wheels. Total system power is 415 horsepower and 494 lb-ft of torque, up 15 hp and 22 lb-ft from Volvo’s base T8 setup. Other enhancements include Öhlins electronically-adjustable shocks and gold-colored Brembo brake calipers, with seat belts and tire valve stem caps colored to match.

The combination of the engine’s supercharger and the electric motor on the rear axle brings a new definition to right now power. Volvo claims a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, but there’s more to the story. Most modern-day turbocharged cars hesitate at least a little when you stomp the pedal from rest, but not the Polestar—it scoots with no delay. The T8 engine, which uses a supercharger to boost off-idle response, is quick enough on its own. Augmenting it with electricity seriously ups the grin factor and offers more confirmation that electrification can be a good thing from a performance perspective.

The snappy powertrain makes it easy to overlook the suspension, which is also worthy of note. Anyone who drove the previous-gen S60 Polestar will remember that it was a great-handling car with a punishing ride. The new Polestar Engineered S60 is a little tamer and a lot more livable. It’s not the grippiest car we’ve driven, but it zips through the curves with a satisfying rightness. The ride is firm, to be sure, but not putative, and it floats rather forgivingly over sharper bumps. And while we’ve already dealt with the powertrain, we must mention it again: Corner exit is a whole new kind of fun with the workload shared by an electric motor, which doesn’t get bogged down even if the transmission happens to be in the wrong gear.

What makes the S60 PE (sorry, Volvo, but we refuse to refer to such a great car by such a silly name) is that once you turn off Sport mode, it transforms itself into Mr. Green. The gas engine shuts off and the car favors electric power. The battery-only range is modest—21 miles—but that’s enough for the average one-way commute plus a quick run for lunch. The T8 charges with a standard 240-volt EV charger and drivers can charge from the engine or hold the battery charge for later use. Tired of imitating a Prius? Click back to Sport mode, the engine fires up, and the electric motor goes from helping you save fuel to helping you waste it.

Only one thing was seriously out of whack during our drive, however, and it had to do with the brakes. Like most hybrids, the S60 utilizes a mix of regenerative and friction braking, and the setup in the cars we drove seemed way off to us. Hit the brakes quickly and they grab hard, and when nearing a stop the braking effort increases with surprising rapidity. Smooth stops are nearly impossible as there’s no way of knowing when the sudden increase in braking power will come. We’re guessing there’s a problem with the transition from regen to friction braking as the car slows. Volvo says it is still refining the brakes, though it’s a little worrying that the cars have come this far along in the development process without solving the issue.

A couple of things are slightly less out-of-whack. The steering, while nicely weighted and responsive, could provide more feedback. And what’s up with the E-shifter’s behavior? The crystal handle is nice, but it requires a double-tap to move between the most commonly-used ranges (park, drive, and reverse), which is both frustrating and unnecessary—most electronic shifters allow you accomplish this in one motion. Call us pedantic if you like; we’ll see if you agree after driving a T8 and trying to figure out why the hell the car isn’t moving in its intended direction (answer: You want drive but you’ve only made it to neutral). We’d be much happier if Volvo fitted the ordinary P-R-N-D shifter it employs on its T5 and T6 models.

We should note that the crusher-bound pre-production S60s we drove had 20-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero tires that will not make it to the U.S.; our S60 PEs will get 19-inch wheels with a yet-to-be-determined tire. Volvo thinks the 20s would be too rough for the moonscape pavement of Eastern cities, and given our experience with the previous-gen Polestar cars, its caution is probably warranted. We’ll save our final verdict for the fully baked production cars, which will mean waiting for the 2020 models. (Hopefully the brakes get sorted out by then.)

And what of the other S60 models? If you’ve spent any time in a new-generation Volvo, particularly the 90-series cars, we can do this quickly: There’s way more back seat room than the old short-wheelbase S60, the trunk is still a bit tight, and the T6 R-Design model drives—as you would expect—much like a scaled-down S90. Everything else we say will be a rehash, so if you’d like to slip away now, feel free. We highly recommend Jetrho Bovingdon’s article about scaring the daylights out of himself at the Nürburgring 24.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Volvo revolution, you’re in for a treat. No doubt you’ve picked up on the visual differences between the new S60 and the outgoing model; the two cars bear some similarity in silhouette, but the angles and creases on the new car are sharper, and we think the C-shaped taillights work better than they do on the bigger S90. This is a good-looking sedan, handsome and understated, and we think the design will age well.

But the real revolution takes place inside. Volvo has long aligned itself with Swedish minimalism, but the S60 (and its fellow new-generation Volvos) take this to a new level. Most secondary controls are accessed through a portrait-style touch-screen Volvo calls Sensus, with the number of buttons on the dash reduced to the minimum required by law. This makes the S60’s cabin a wonderfully uncluttered place, and Volvo has taken good advantage by fitting the S60 with top-notch materials and switchgear. Aside from some detail differences, particularly on the passenger’s side of the dash, the S60’s fascia is identical to other Volvos, and that’s fine with us—Volvo’s cabin design is totally unique, and we love it.

That said, familiarity with the Sensus system (something we are quickly gaining with our Four Seasons Volvo V90) can easily breed contempt. It’s easy to swipe around and find most of the functions, or to switch between a full-screen map and what’s playing on the stereo, but some bits of the interface need work—for example, you have to fill in a lot of information to perform a simple search for particular stores or other points-of-interest. Volvo hasn’t changed the interface much since the XC90 was introduced, though it says the S60’s version has a faster processor.

We drove our T6-powered Four Seasons V90 to the press preview, and our drive in the S60 T6 really did feel like déjà vu. Despite its smaller size, the S60 is not that much lighter than the 90-series cars, and acceleration from the 316-hp T6 engine felt comparable, as did steering and handling. What sets the S60 apart is its more sensible size. As much as we love the V90, it’s a land yacht, and the S60 is much easier to maneuver and park.

Volvo has set pricing at $36,795 (including destination) for the entry-level T5 Momentum, with T6 models starting at $41,295 and T8 plug-in hybrids at $55,395. T6 models are also available on Volvo’s all-inclusive subscription program, Care by Volvo, at $775 per month for the Momentum trim level and $850 per month for the R-Design. (In case you were wondering, the limited-run 2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered cars were priced at $1,100 per month.) Care by Volvo includes payments, insurance, and maintenance, and subscribers can change to a different Volvo after 12 months.

The S60 hits closer to the heart of the market than the bigger S90 sedan, and we predict it’s going to be a strong seller (or at least a strong subscription). We’re bummed to have to wait for the Polestar Engineered cars, but at least that’ll give Volvo time to fix the brakes—and maybe come up with a better name.

2019 Volvo S60 Polestar Engineered Specifications

ON SALE Early 2019 PRICE $1,100/month via Care By Volvo subscription ENGINE 2.0L supercharged and turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus electric motor(s)/415 hp, 494 lb-ft combined TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE N/A L x W x H 187.4 x 80.3 x 56.6 in WHEELBASE 113.1 in WEIGHT N/A 0-60 MPH 4.3 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph (est)

The post First Drive: 2019 Volvo S60 appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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