#what is it with Peter and incidents in the Upper Bay

[yourmcu]

You’re Not Wrong

Pairings: Steve Rogers x reader 

Request:

can you do one w Steve where the reader used to be in a really bad relationship and Steve and her get into a fight and she flinches because she think he’s going to hit her? And then he like comforts her and stuff. If you’re uncomfortable w that it’s totally okay! <3

A/n: I apologize in advance if this sucks - also I didn’t know if u wanted it to be platonic or romantic specifically, so I’m sorry for that too !!

Word count: 959

Warnings: angst

Steve Rogers doesn’t get mad.

Or ‘yell’ is probably the right term. Of course he’s capable of getting pissed sometimes.

You worked for the Avengers, being Stark’s best and most reliable intern, assistant and you know, Tony’s friend, he let you play with some of the team’s gear and weapons and eventually letting you take over all of the suit upgrades sometimes.

That was before. You were one of them now, you could say.

Because Steve wasn’t fond of the idea of someone other than the genius philanthropist to tinker with the suits when you first came in. But Tony had his reasons: you had brilliant ideas and he knew what you were capable of, he trusted you (except with his own suits of course, and he had full control of all of Peter’s because he was his responsibility). Anyway,

Steve’s gut ended up being right because some time after Tony’s assigned you to make a few upgrades, missions had been barely succeeding because of some sort of malfunction at every one, whether it was Sam’s wings or Clint’s arrows. The team always came back tense and disappointed whenever that happens. You’d apologize profusely every time. You’d promise to do better every time.

That didn’t turn out well. You got offered to join the field and kick bad guy butt with the team. Steve had no idea how, but he didn’t trust you after all those tech incidents.

It got to the point where he thought you were sabotaging everything. He just didn’t want to go into conclusions yet.

Steve finally had enough when both you and Sam came back after a mission. The mission itself was successful, but Sam was rushed to the med bay. He came out with a thick arm cast.

The captain strode over to the lab where he expected you’d be, and there you were, lost in your own thoughts as you examined Sam’s falcon wings. 

On the outside it didn’t look it, but you felt horrible. Like you always felt whenever you fucked up, which was a lot. How you were still around the Avengers was beyond you. 

You were nice and smart, but you were clumsy and could easily make a few too many mistakes under pressure. Tony had given you many chances to redeem yourself, now you just felt bad for him.

“We need to talk.” Steve interrupted your thoughts.

You chewed on your bottom lip, hesitating to look at the captain because of how guilty you already were.

“I’m really sorry, Cap.”

He remained silent, instead he bore his eyes into yours in search of any sincerity. You tried to avoid it. He was probably too pissed at you to even see it.

“You know what you’re doing to the team, right?” He started. You alternated looking at him for a split second, then to the ground, or the wings placed at the table in front of you. “All those accidents and now... this. Doesn’t look like you feel remorse for any of it.”

“No,” that came out more strained than you’d like.

“You still carried on the mission knowing fully well Sam was injured. He needed your help. He almost lost an arm today.”

“It’s - it’s not like.... I know you’d find a way to blame me either way.” You muttered to yourself as you rubbed your eyes, wanting anything more to fully focus on the task at hand. “I wanna make things right, Cap, I... It was the wings. Sam told me about them when we were on the way home. I’ll make it up to him-”

“What, so he could get hurt again?”

You turned to him with deeply furrowed eyebrows and your mouth slightly agape. Was he being serious right now? “I want to help, Steve-”

“And when you do,” he cut you off again. “Everything goes to shit, haven’t you noticed? What makes you think I’ll believe you’ll pull this one off?”

After that he never let you get the upper hand. He kept going, scolding you on how much trouble you’ve caused, how none of your upgrades have worked properly which he was wrong about, you did have a couple brilliant ones that worked flawlessly but he chose to focus on the ones that went wrong.

You just stood there and took everything he had to offer. He was right. Tony was out of his mind for letting you stay, for even letting you do stuff like this in the first place.

Here comes the parts where he’s telling you you’re no better at the field.

You’d never think Steve Rogers was mean. You believed he wasn’t even if he was here, mad at you, not noticing that his voice was getting louder and you felt smaller and smaller.

When he puts a hand up to run it through his hair, you flinched, thinking he was going to hit you because of how mad he was. Even Steve didn’t notice you did until you let out a shaky “I’m sorry.”

He let out a breath, his eyebrows finally relaxing as he took in what just happened. He never went off like that to anyone before.

“Y/N,” he sighed. “Look, I didn’t mean to get mad. I just-”

“I’ll talk to Tony tomorrow.” You spoke out, packing your stuff as quickly as you can.

“You don’t have to...”

“Just a minute ago you were yelling at me, telling me I’m bad at what I do,” you frowned, still not looking at him. “You’re not wrong and I’m sorry.”

“Y/N,” Steve was incapable of saying anything else other than your name, how he didn’t mean to yell, or that you didn’t have to leave. But you were already making your way out of the lab.

---

shorter than I wanted it to be but I hope it’s okay :]

[princealberich]

GENSHIN IMPACT NAME MEANINGS - MONDSTADT

I wanna preface this by saying that I am by NO MEANS an expert in languages! I’m fluent in English, and that’s it- I’m just very interested in name symbolism!

That being said- it appears that all the Mondstadt names are, in fact, canonically English- Most of the Chinese names translate directly back to their English counterpart 1 to 1. Despite this, I included any possible meaning in their Chinese names, just in case!

AETHER (ENG): A Greek God, the personification of the “Upper Sky”. Represents the air that the Gods breathe, rather than the air of mortals.

KONG 空 (CH): Empty, hollow, in vain, sky, air, free, spare time, free time.

SORA 空 (JP): Sky.

Notes: Definitely a correlation to the sky- With the Chinese translation, could be ‘Empty Sky’.

LUMINE (ENG): To light up, to illuminate.

YING 荧 (CH): Fluorescent, amazing, glimmering.

HOTARU 蛍 (JP): Firefly.

Notes: All linked to light. Could represent the light to Aether’s sky? The light that it’s missing?

PAIMON: An obedient king of Hell under Lucifer’s reign in “The Lesser Key of Solomon”, a book on demonology written mid-1700′s. He has 100-200 legions of demons and wears ‘a precious crown’.

“Teaches all arts, philosophy and sciences, and secret things; he can reveal all mysteries of the Earth, wind and water, what the mind is, and everything the conjurer wants to know, gives good familiars, dignities and confirms them, binds men to the conjurer's will.”

“If Paimon is cited alone, some offering or sacrifice must be done, and he will accept it; then two kings called Beball (Bebal or Labal) and Abalam (Abalim) will go to him together.”

Notes: ...I’m not saying that Paimon is the unknown God, but. Well. Also, Paimon’s name appears to be universal.

KAEYA (ENG): A feminine Indian name meaning ‘Monsoon Flower’. However, it’s also a phonetic translation of his original Chinese name.

KAIYA 凯亚 (CHI): This isn’t a name in any databases. 凯 (Kai) means ‘Triumphant’, while 亚 (Ya) means ‘Inferior, second’.

GAIA ガイア (JP): Pretty much another translation, though in Japanese, it can be loosely translated to ‘Victory song’.

Notes: This is a difficult one. Unless anyone else has a better grasp on languages and understands it, please let me know! However, it may allude to his and Diluc’s fight... Somehow. Triumphant second son, maybe?

AMBER (ENG): Fossilized tree resin. However, it’s also phonetically similar to the original name.

ANBO 安柏 (CHI): Again, this doesn’t seem to be a direct name. 安 (An) means “peace/quiet”, while 柏 (Bai) means “cypress tree/cedar”. Together it may mean a peaceful tree, but it could also just be a recreation of the English name ‘Amber’, due to their similarities.

ANBA アンバー (JP): Translates directly to ‘Amber’.

Notes: It’s at this point that I, a man who can only speak and read English, have made a mistake in doing this. I think her name really is just ‘Amber’, though.

LISA (ENG): ‘Devoted to God/Oath from God’.

LISHA 丽莎 (CH): 丽 means ‘Beautiful’, but this is pretty much just a direct translation of ‘Lisa’.

RISA リサ  (JP): Translates directly to ‘Lisa’.

Notes: Her name is Lisa. Her name is just Lisa.

DILUC (ENG): I couldn’t find any names here, let alone meanings.

DILUKE 迪卢克 (CH): 迪 means ‘To enlighten’, 卢 means... ‘Old Rice Vessel’? I’m not sure. 克 can be translated to the name of the Seventh of the Legendary Flame Emperors.

DIRRUKU ディルック (JP): Appears to be yet another phonetic translation of his name.

Notes: Genuinely cannot find anything non-genshin related to the name Diluc. Maybe the Flame Emperor thing is intentional, given he’s a Pyro user?

Edit: Anon brought up that his name is likely taken from the latin word ‘Diluculum’, which means ‘Twilight’. Similarly, ‘Crepus’, his father’s name, translates to ‘Dusk’.

JEAN (ENG): ‘God is gracious’. Apparently, it’s of Medieval Scottish/English origin!

QIN 琴 (CH): Refers to the qin, a 7-stringed Chinese zither. “There are 3 category sounds produced by the Chinese Zither. Harmonics represents the sound from the heaven. Open strings represents the sound from the earth. Stopped strings represents the human beings.”

JIN ジン (JP): An actual Japanese name, most translations point to ‘human’ interpretations!

Notes: I’d wager that her name is meant to represent her humanity and love for Mondstadt, if it’s not just a translation.

BARBARA (ENG): Linked to Saint Barbara, whom was killed by her father. She’s the patron of architects, geologists, artillarymen and stonemasons. Very heavy religious connotations- It’s also worth noting the similarities to the name ‘Barbatos’, though.

BABALA 芭芭拉 (CH): Considering the repeat phonetic, I’m fairly sure this is just a recreation of the name ‘Barbara’.

BABARA バーバラ (JP): Translates directly to ‘Barbara’.

Notes: Just Barbara. She’s just Barbara.

BENNETT (ENG): “Blessed little one”, or a derivative of Benedict.

BANNITE 班尼特 (CH): Pretty much a direct translation of ‘Bennett’.

BENETTO ベネット (JP): Translates directly to ‘Bennett’.

Notes: baby boy

DIONA (ENG): A variant of “Dione”, from Greek mythology. Said to be the mother of Aphrodite, and means “From the Sacred Spring”... Possibly referring to the event in Diona’s backstory, in which she was granted her bartending talent by a ‘Spring Fairy’ that she befriended.

DIAONA 迪奥娜 (CH): Translation of Diona.

DIONA ディオナ (JP): Same as above.

Notes: If you want to know more about that, see Diona’s lv5 story!

FISCHL (ENG): A German surname meaning “Dweller at the sign of the little fish; the little dealer in fish.”

FEIXIEER 菲谢尔 (CH): Translates to “Fischer”, which is a similar German surname.

FISSHURU フィッシュル (JP): Translation.

Notes: “Prinzessin der Verurteilung” Translates to “Princess of Condemnation”. “Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort” Translates to “Fischl from Narfidort Castle in the air”. I know this isn’t her real name, but I don’t want to spoil anyone, so I can do that separately.

VENTI (ENG): ...It’s a starbucks drink? But it also means ‘Twenty’ in Italian.

WENDI 温迪 (CH): Translates directly to “Wendy”, which... Might be a reference to ‘windy’? 温 translates to ‘Temperature’, while 迪 has no real word translation. ‘Wendy’ as an English name was popularized by Peter Pan! I wonder if that has anything to do with Venti’s eternally youthful appearance?

WENTI ウェンティ (JP): Translation.

Notes: “In demonology, Barbatos is an earl and duke of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons and has four kings as his companions to command his legions. His name derives from Latin barbatus, meaning ‘bearded, old man, philosopher’.” Okay... That sure ain’t him.

On another note, maybe the English translation changed ‘Wendy’ to ‘Venti’ because it’s a traditionally feminine name.

Edit: @silver-dust-12​ pointed out that ‘Venti’ means ‘winds’ in latin!

ALBEDO (ENG): Not actually a name. However, it IS a word. ‘The proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, typically that of a planet or moon.’

On another note, in alchemy, it has a specific definition. Taken from wikipedia:

“In alchemy, albedo is one of the four major stages of the magnum opus, along with nigredo, citrinitas and rubedo. It is a Latinicized term meaning "whiteness". Following the chaos or massa confusa of the nigredo stage, the alchemist undertakes a purification in albedo, which is literally referred to as ablutio – the washing away of impurities. This phase is concerned with "bringing light and clarity to the prima materia (personal material)".

The albedo is the second stage of alchemy. In this process, the subject is divided into two opposing principles to be later coagulated to form a unity of opposites or coincidentia oppositorum during rubedo.

Alchemists also applied it to an individual's soul after the first phase is completed, which entailed the decay of matter.”

ABEIDUO 阿贝多 (CH): Translation of ‘Albedo’.

ARUBEDO アルベド (JP): Translation of ‘Albedo’.

Note: Interestingly, his is the only name so far that is a pre-existing word... Apart from the Travelers’.

KLEE (ENG): A German surname that means ‘Clover’. Likely related to her clover symbolism!

KELI 可莉 (CH): This only brought back Genshin results, so... Pretty sure it’s just a translation of ‘Klee’.

KURE クレー (JP): Near certain this is another translation.

Note: I’d say the English is what it’s meant to be, here!

MONA (ENG): Means ‘Noble and Aristocratic’, which is pretty fitting.

MONA 莫娜 (CH): Translates to ‘Mona’.

MONA モナ (JP): Translates to ‘Mona’.

Notes: Easy one!

NOELLE (ENG): ‘Christmas’, or ‘Birth’. She was born in March, though...

NUOAIER 诺艾尔 (CH): Translates to ‘Noelle’. 诺 means ‘Promise’.

NOERU ノエル (JP): Translates to ‘Noel’, the masculine form of the name.

Notes: I find it a little weird that this is her name? But it could be due to the name’s involvement in religious texts. Also those roses look like shrek’s ears

RAZOR (ENG): “An instrument with a sharp blade or set of blades.” Another word name, fitting considering he wasn’t raised by humans.

LEIZE 雷泽 (CH): Almost a translation of ‘Razor’. Can’t find anything else.

REZA レザー (JP): Translates to ‘Leather’.

Notes: I mean, pretty self explanatory. Wolf boy.

SUCROSE (ENG): “A compound which is the chief component of cane or beet sugar.” Word name, again!

SHATANG 砂糖 (CH): Translates to ‘Granulated sugar’. Literally the Chinese word for sugar.

SUKUROOSU スクロース (JP): Translates to ‘Sucrose’.

Notes: Definitely compared to sugar... Which is cute :)

---

And that’s all of the currently released Mondstadt characters! I’ll follow this up with a Liyue post soon. sorry for how long it got, so remember to tag as ‘long post’ for your followers’ convenience!

[stefciastark]

"Please! I-" ~Webpril Day 20

A/N: Today's is short and sweet, but I enjoyed writing out a bit of an argument scene :) Dialogue scares me to write, weirdly enough, but I think it's because I'm so afraid of writing the characters out-of-character, so this was a fun but slightly anxiety inducing exercise. Peter really is going to be the death of Tony. Hope you enjoy xx Only 10 days left!

~Read it on AO3

~Read it on FFN

“Please! I-”

“Zip it, I don’t want to hear it.”

“But-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Tony dragged his hand down his face, taking deep and measured breaths to hold on to whatever semblance of reason and sanity he had left. “You could have died. Did that even cross your mind for a second?”

“But I didn’t.” Peter’s voice was small, shrinking back against the cold fury that pulsed off of Tony in waves. It felt worse than the post-Ferry altercation between them months prior, and Peter had promised himself he wouldn’t screw up like that again. Well, the promise didn’t last long, and Peter - as Tony put it - screwed the pooch, hard. Again.

“You don’t even know how to fly a plane, Peter, you’re not Captain Sully. This isn’t ‘Miracle on the Hudson’, you could have killed people!”

“People would have died if I didn’t do something, Mr Stark!”

What had started as frustration turned to anger, and what was anger was now turning into resentment.

“I expected more from you, kid.”

Tony’s disappointment felt like a slap to the face, and the anger and indignation Peter had been holding in for months finally exploded.

“I’m so sick of you underestimating me! You tell me how much you want me to be better, about how now that I’m an Avenger I need to step up from just protecting the ‘little guy’, but you never give me the chance! At every opportunity or sign of real danger you bench me, so when I saw my chance to prove myself, I took it.”

Tony’s tone dropped to a frightening level of calm, and Peter clenched his fists against the faint trembling that had started.

“Everything I’ve done has been to protect you. Do you understand that? I don’t need you chasing the life of a martyr.”

Despite himself, Peter felt his head nodding, and he couldn’t quite bring himself to retaliate. Tony reminded Peter a lot of Aunt May sometimes. They both had an innate ability to scare the living hell out of him. Their anger was like a hurricane and reminded Peter of an Eye of the Storm. It began with chaos, lulling to a stillness and silence that gave Peter one last chance to backpedal, followed by more chaos. Backpedaling seemed like the most viable choice this time around; Peter was more afraid of losing the suit again.

“I just wish you’d give me a chance…”

Tony sighed, an exhausted sound that drifted past his lips into the tense air between them. “I know. Do you remember that little talk we had after the ferry incident?”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t lose you, kid. Every time you swing from a building, I’m afraid the cord will snap. Every time you go up against bad guys with guns, I’m afraid the bullet won’t miss. Bottom line is, I can’t have you giving me a heart attack every mission. Now this? This was almost a cardiac arrest.”

The aggravation Peter had been experiencing slowly transformed into a sickening feeling of guilt. For the first time, he really saw the circles under Tony’s eyes, the very faint and almost imperceptible trembling in his hands - although that may have been from anger, Peter couldn’t tell - and the deepened frown lines on his mentor’s face.

Peter’s heart was still pumping with adrenaline from the incident, the rough jolts as the aircraft hit the water still vibrating through his body. He had managed to land it in the Upper Bay area between Manhattan and Staten Island. Why the hell did it always have to be in the Upper Bay? First the ferry a few months ago and now a plane. Peter mentally vowed to steer clear of the whole area; in all likelihood, the next crisis in line would be a bus incident where it would somehow end up in the water, and he would somehow be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Third time’s the charm.

“I’m sorry, Mr Stark.” Peter closed his eyes, not wanting to see the expression - Peter almost wanted to call it ‘regret’ but he quickly shook that thought away - on Tony’s face again. He felt like ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t quite cut it. In all actuality, he wasn’t sorry in the slightest for doing what he did. Peter was more sorry that he was the one causing the slightly premature grey hairs on Tony’s head.

Peter felt the movement of the space in front of him as Tony moved closer. The anger from the atmosphere had dissipated, leaving behind only an air of bone-deep weariness.

“I’m not going to take your suit, so don’t give me that whole ‘deer in the headlights’ thing.”

Peter swallowed against the lump in his throat. The weight of the snowballing pile of emotion lifted off of his chest and ironically made him emotional once again. This time, relief won out. “Thank you Mr Stark. I just really want you to give me a chance, y’know?” He really hoped his voice wasn’t wavering.

“It’s not that I don’t believe in you, Pete.” Tony placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder and worried his bottom lip for a second before continuing. “You did great today.”

The conversation came to its end as the warmth lifted off of Peter’s shoulder, and he turned to watch as Tony walked towards his portion of the Avengers facility.

Tony smiled inwardly as he approached the hallway that led to his segment of the facility, the smile a reaction to Peter’s heroic performance that he’d never let the kid see. He didn’t want to send the wrong message that impulsivity and recklessness should be the default. Then again, who was he to talk? He felt a deep-seated sense of pride, and he had to shake away the accompanying intrusive thought that asked him whether or not Howard had ever felt that way towards Tony’s triumphs.

As he caught sight of himself in one of the passing reflective surfaces, the image of salt and pepper hair and bags - that sure as hell weren’t designer - under his eyes greeted him. Peter really was going to be the death of him.

[iloveyou3thousand]

Can you possibly do a fic where Peter almost drowns and it is what makes Tony finally realise how much he loves him?

You got it! I willpreface this by saying I am not a medical professional in the slightest soplease take the methods described in this fic with a grain of salt, it’s what I found online :p

CW: neardeath experience and near drowning.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Tony likedto think that they’d had plenty of incidents involving water, but then fate orwhatever-the-hell has a hold of life’s reigns rears its ugly head and Tonyfinds himself watching, mid fight, how Peter’s too-limp body gets thrown acrossthe bay, toward the water, and right into the path of an oncoming ferry.

There’snothing he can do, which is the worst part of it. He’s caught up in a wrestlingmatch halfway up in the sky trying to get these enormous, electronic wasp-likecreatures off of him before they can stick their sharp, metal stingers throughhis chest plating. It’s excruciating because this isn’t something that shouldbe holding him back. He should be able to handle a handful of dog-sized buzzers.He’s handled so much worse before.

And Peter’snot responding on the comms.

“Anyone goteyes on Peter?” He sends a powerful blast from one of his repulsors rightthrough a creature’s twenty odd eyes and watches as it freefalls down to theground below.

Several voicesin his ear regretfully inform him that they don’t or haven’t seen him.

As the oneperson who last saw him, Tony realizes he’s going to have to take care of thishimself. That wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t been covered in meancreatures. He already hated those things enough as it was. Why’d they have toget that big? And that….advanced.

Tony keepsan eye on the bay. He fights his way through the swarm around him to get a littlecloser to the water, make sure he can see Peter the second his head resurfaces.The ferry speeds by but it’s going far too slow for Tony’s liking, who is stillholding out hope that the kid must have come up on the other side, out of Tony’sline of sight. That he’s fine.

The passingferry leaves the water restless, and there’s still no sign of Peter. Tony waitsa second. And another.

UntilFRIDAY informs him that Peter is unconscious, and taking in water.

Tony triesnot to panic. Peter’s been through a lot, he can handle more than most peoplehis age, he has those spider powers to hopefully at least buy him some time,right? Right. Except he’s not so sure of himself and he’s not about to take anyrisks.

“Someonehas to get Peter out of the water. Now. Right now.”

Natasha ison the other side of town. As is Clint. Steve is trying not to get stung andbarely managing. Thor is halfway across the galaxy, Rhodey is in London forbusiness, and Bruce is in Zambia to introduce a new vaccine that StarkIndustries sponsored.

If Tonydoesn’t get these wasps off soon he’s afraid he might not get to Peter on time.

He fightstwice as hard. Stingers scratch sharply at the suit’s plating, leaving gashesand scratches and dents all over, and he throws around repulsor beams morecarelessly than before, frankly not really caring where the blasts ultimatelyland. He needs to get to Peter. The kid can’t drown. Can’t go like this. He’ssupposed to finish college and start up his own company and change the future.That’s what Tony always envisioned he’d do, not play Little Mermaid at thebottom of the Upper Bay.

The secondhe sees an opportunity to get out of his personal beehive he shoots toward thewater, asking FRIDAY to locate Peter, and he has him out of there in a matterof seconds, but he’s not sure if it’s enough. Setting all his thrusters to max,Tony flies Peter off someplace safer, somewhere the buzzing doesn’t reach.

Peter’sskin is a pale blue, and Tony’s terrified that he’s too late, but according toFRIDAY his heart is still beating. He doesn’t wake up when shaken and doesn’tseem to be breathing when Tony tilts Peter’s head back and watches his chestfor any positive signs. Shit. Okay. He wastes no time immediately breathing valuableoxygen into Peter’s lungs and initiating CPR when that doesn’t seem to have muchof an effect. His suit peels away so he can settle his hands against Peter’schest and start pressing, his faceplate retracting so that he can speakdirectly to him and so that the voices of his colleagues still fighting thosecreatures far away stop and don’t distract him. He can’t remember the last timehe’s had to do this but FRIDAY walks him through it, sharing updates on how theboy’s doing but it’s not looking up.

It’sterrifying.

He puts hisfull weight into pressing down against Peter’s chest, his own heart beatingfaster as if it’s willing for Peter’s to do the same, inch back from howdangerously slowly it’s working the blood around Peter’s body.

“Karen,keep our boy warm, will you?” He huffs out, and gets a pleasant althoughvaguely worried affirmative. Peter’s suit dries in an instant, and warmth poursfrom it – something that will hopefully encourage Peter’s body not to give upwhile Tony works himself into a sweat giving compressions.

“C’mon,Pete. C’mon now. Not now.”

Tony’shands are shaking when he reaches for the kid’s face, fingers on his nose andchin to part his lips and force air into his lungs again.

He can’tgive up. He’s not giving up. He was supposed to be the one to go before Peter,not the other way around. The kid’s got his whole life ahead of him and Tonyshould have been able to see it all unfold. But Peter’s not responding, andTony fears the worst.

He pressesdown so hard onto Peter’s chest that he’s afraid he’ll crack his ribs, butPeter’s body is resilient while Tony’s panic grows. His arms are sore andaching, his vision blurry as he watches Peter’s motionless face for a sign, anysign.

“You know I’mnot quick to beg but please, kid. Please.”

Petersputters. Once.

“That’s it.Come on. Come on. There you go.”

He pushesdown again, and this time Peter coughs, but he’s not yet taking in any air.

Tonyswitches from compressions to rescue breaths again until he pulls back andPeter takes in a big gulp of air by himself, followed by wet coughing and hisbody turning onto his side, curled around where Tony is knelt on the ground.There’s water coming out of Peter’s nose and he flounders.

Tony wantsso badly to wrap his arms around the boy and squeeze him tightly when heactually starts to breathe in raggedly and reaches for him the second he openshis eyes, like he’s happy to see Tony, like Tony was always the person he’dreach for first when he wakes up from something like this.

In thatmoment, Tony has a million new ideas on how to improve Peter’s suit and heknows that he’ll lock himself in his workshop until the updates are finished,and won’t come out until he knows something like this will never happen again.

The poorkid is crying. Tony reaches down and lies next to him, keeping him in a safeposition while still being able to wrap him up in a firm hug and run a handthrough his hair. He can’t believe he almost lost him.

“It’salright. You’re okay. Deep breaths, I’ve got you.”

Tony’s gripon Peter is firm, his hands trembling despite his best effort not to show justhow shaken up he is from watching Peter lie there, bluish and still and notbreathing at all and…

Tony burieshis face into the crook of Peter’s neck.

He can’tafford to let that happen again.

He can’tafford to let anything happen to Peter, ever again. And definitely not if thereis something he can do about it.

“I’m neverletting you out of my sight again.”

Peter sitson Tony’s lap on the way home. It’s under the pretense that this allows Tony tokeep the boy warm, but he knows it’s mostly so he can keep a hand wrappedaround Peter’s ribs and count his breaths, and feel the steady rush of airagainst the side of his neck every few seconds where Peter lays his head. He’sseen a medical professional, and May has been informed and Tony promised thathe’s in good hands, that he’ll stay with Tony for the night – just so he cankeep an eye on him and have the potentially necessary medical supplies nearby.

Peter ispretty shaken up, but other than that he seems to be doing fine.

Tony doesn’tdare let him stray too far.

Peter’sbeen quiet since the incident, only answering to any questions the doctors had backat the med bay, giving the occasional panicked look when Tony was asked to leaveor whenever someone wanted to talk to him in private. It would have warmed Tony’sheart if the situation had been any different, maybe.

Tonycontinued to reassure Peter. Kept telling him he wasn’t going to go far, wasn’tgoing to leave, wasn’t letting him go through this alone.

“I’m here,”he kept saying, “Don’t worry, kiddo.”

At acertain point he wasn’t sure who he was reassuring more between the two ofthem.

Once home,Tony helps Peter eat something and tucks him into bed after he’s taken atentative shower with Tony right outside the door, but it’s not long beforePeter’s standing by the couch again, looking exhausted but too shaken to sleep.

And frankly,Tony’s not doing much better.

“You knowwhat?” He says, because he wants Peter to get some sleep above anything elseright now, “Let’s go see if my bed’s any comfier.”

Peter goeswithout protest, and when they’re lying down he doesn’t hesitate to tuckhimself up against Tony’s side like he belongs there, and Tony has the creepingfeeling that maybe he does.

He’s neverbeen more scared to lose someone than he was when he realized that Peter wasn’tbreathing.

He’s neverdreaded the realization that maybe he couldn’t save Peter more than he did thatafternoon.

Maybe it’stime to start accepting just how much Peter means to him.

Just howmuch he loves him.

And embraceit in the same way he now takes Peter so readily into his arms, tucking hisnose into the boy’s hair and letting his hand skim up and down Peter’s backuntil he feels him shiver under his touch and let out a soft rush of breathacross Tony’s collarbone.

It’s ascary thought; loving someone so much. But with every breath Peter takes and exhalesacross his chest, Tony’s a little more glad to be able to feel as much as hedoes.

Now all heneeds to do is find a way to show Peter.

He’ll workon that first thing in the morning.

[teacupwriter]

Amnexia (historical-fantasy wip worldbuilding, pt. i)

✧ updated version (oct. 2018) ✧

This post is the first in a series about Amnexia, a country in western Europa on my alternate earth Terrus, and the setting of my wip The Lost Country.

geography & climate

Amnexia lies hidden within the western Pirineus mountains between Hispania and Francia (Terrus versions of Spain and France.) On our world, the Pyrenees sort of peter out as they approach the Bay of Biscay, but not so on Terrus - they are substantial enough to conceal a country. (I was inspired by Andorra, an actual country located in the eastern Pyrenees.)

Amnexia is very small, but not as small as Andorra. It’s about 1,300 km², the size of the city of Los Angeles, for reference. It lies in a valley, surrounded on all sides by mountains which reach, at certain points, over 2,000 m (6,500 ft.) in height. There are passes which allow year-round access into the country on foot or by horse and cart, though it is infinitely more difficult in winter.

Within Amnexia itself, the forested skirts of the mountains give way to pastures that roll through the valley, punctuated by trees and shrubs, and veined with creeks which swell seasonally from the snow melt. Amnexia receives a lot of precipitation, thanks to the moist air that blows in from the Atlantis Sea. Spring and fall tend to be quite wet, while winter always brings plenty of snow. Summer is short but lovely, and very, very green.

history

Stretching back into prehistory, there’s evidence of people living in what would become Amnexia. The first recorded inhabitants likely pertained to the Vascones (early Basque people) or the Aquitani. They spoke an ancient predecessor of Euskera (the real language of modern-day Basque country) and its sister tongue Amnesk (the language of Amnexia, and my little conlang project.)

The Romans were the first to write about the Amnisti, a tribe of livestock herders settled in a remote valley in the Pirineus mountains. By the end of the Middle Ages they had become their own independent country, ruled by a strange combination of noble families and prominent magic practitioners.

Magic, on Terrus, comes from the currents of energy that criss-cross the planet’s atmosphere, connecting all living things. There about a dozen places where many currents intersect, causing magic “hotspots.”

The universality of magic does not mean it is universally interpreted in the same way. In the case of Amnexia, their polytheistic belief system and magic practice/witchcraft, called sorkenza in Amnesk, dates back to ancient times. But across the globe, other peoples interpreted these energy currents differently, some as the presence of multiple gods, or just one, or no gods at all. The major monotheistic religions we know, such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity, all exist on Terrus.

Unfortunately, this means Amnexia was caught up in the Vasconian witch trials in the early 1600s, and was forced to suppress this aspect of its culture in order to survive. Amnexia did submit to Catholicism and remains, at least in name, a Catholic country, but those deep strains of magical practice and polytheistic belief, while not always explicit, remain present and relevant to its culture.

Due to its nature as a magic hotspot, Amnexia continued to draw unwanted outside attention. As I explained before, magic on Terrus is not universally understood. By the early 19th century, a scientific community of ‘perceptivists’ had emerged among upper-class circles in western Europa, dedicated to studying the nature of magic energy.

In the late 1820s, a series of disastrous events occurred. First was the collapse of the Amnexian monarchy, due to the rise of a nationalist, magic-purist faction. They weakened the Church, as well, allowing them to maintain symbolic/cultural status only. In the chaos that ensued, no one took much notice of a mysterious, hushed incident involving a Hispanian perceptivista who had wound up in Amnexia by pursuing magic currents. (Purposefully vague because of spoilers!)

It was this magic-purist faction which led Amnexia’s isolation. They cut off all ties to the outside world, and established absolute control over the country. They called themselves the Araztan, or the Pure Ones, and their agenda was clear: to make it so that, to the rest of the world, Amnexia didn’t exist.

By the late 1830s, they had succeeded. From then on, the country developed with little to no influence from the Outside, as the Council of Araztan maintained tight control over the borders. They elected a small group of officials to oversee what little trade Amnexia continued to conduct (very discretely) for its own survival, which included importing any essential items they couldn’t produce on their own, such as lamp oil and paper. For the most part, however, the people of Amnexia were forced to adapt.

Self-sufficiency, along with invention and resourcefulness, became the pillars of society. They developed complex raised bed systems and ‘greenhouses’ (constructed using animal hides scraped so finely as to become sheer and let in sunlight) which allowed for the cultivation of crops that otherwise couldn’t survive the wet and cold climate. They bred and trained the Amnexian wolfhound (pictured in the aesthetics board above) to serve as companions, hunting dogs, and message carriers. They invented ingenious systems for collecting and distributing rainwater throughout households.

But in many ways, Amnexia was stagnated. After the initial shock of the transition wore off, a long, exhausting cycle of internal conflict set in, pitting the dominant notions of isolationism and fear of the Outside (those held by the Council of Araztan) against the current of curiosity and rebellion among Amnexia’s youth. This repeated generation after generation, and fomented a rich subculture that carried into the 20th century.

But by the late 1930s, when the events of The Lost Country take place, there is no longer a single Amnexian living who has ever seen the Outside...

to be continued!

If you’ve read this far, you deserve a medal, and I sincerely hope you found it interesting. If so, please give this a like or reblog and earn my undying love! I’d also be overjoyed if people messaged me with questions or comments, especially to poke at gaps in my worldbuilding (I promise I won’t be offended!) If you’re intrigued, check out Part II here, which is all about Amnexian society and culture.

P.S. - If this story world reminds you of something else you’ve read or another wip you follow, please send me a link or tell me the title/author!! I want to see more examples of this concept and how others have done it.

[were-cheetah-stiles]

The College Years - Freshman Year (Chapter 3) - Stiles Stilinski

Author: @were-cheetah-stiles​

Title: “The Coffee Shop Talk”

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Lydia Martin, Isaac Lahey, Malia Tate, Cora Hale, Ethan,  & Reader/OFC

Summary:  There had been two more attacks since the first night they encountered the vampires. Scott and Stiles have devised a plan for capturing the dangerous creatures of the night. They gather the gang at a coffee shop on campus to break down the threat, and Lydia gets jealous of Stiles flirting with Y/N.

Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four

"And then she walked away before I could tell her about the merits of being a long suffering Mets fan over being a Yankees fan. It was borderline offensive." Stiles lectured to Isaac Lahey, who was sitting across the coffee table from him, on the opposite couch, with his mouth agape. He wasn’t sure how Stiles had managed to move the conversation from Isaac’s shitty first test in his environmental science class to you not being a Met’s fan.

"Is he talking about her being a Yankees fan, again?" Scott asked as he brought over cups of coffee for his friends. He sat down next to Isaac and pushed Stiles’ coffee across the table.

“Yea, he is, and now I’m really curious to see what this girl looks like.” Isaac commented in a hushed tone.

“She is actually really pretty in Stiles’ defense.” Scott said.

"I'm just saying." Stiles exclaimed, pointing his hand in Scott’s direction in agreement. "So how did Cora close up the shop?"

"I told my boss that I was the only one able to work tonight and I didn't feel comfortable walking home alone at night after the third attack." Cora Hale said in a pretend weak tone, knowing full well that she could beat the hell out of any vampire that tried to jump her. She pulled up a tattered armchair to join her friends around the massive coffee table in the center of three worn-down couches in the dimly lit and cozy campus coffee shop.

"When is everyone else supposed to get here?" Isaac asked.

"I said 6PM in the text, so about ten minutes." Scott replied, wiping the whipped cream off of his lip.

"Y/N said she'd come after her class, so she should be here soon." Stiles said, staring at his phone, his leg jiggling in nervous anticipation.

"You are so obsessed, dude." Cora said, as she shook her head.

"Listen, Sassywolf, I am not obsessed. I just think she's cool and gorgeous and... She's a witch, and that, you cannot deny, is awesome."

"Yea, okay, Stiles." Cora teased.

"Yea, okay, Cora, whatever." Stiles mimicked her.  

Their ribbing of Stiles was interrupted by a knocking on the door to the coffee shop.

"We're closed, can't you read the sign?" Cora yelled at the door, annoyed.

"Umm... I'm sorry, I was supposed to meet..." You poked your head through the door that you held ajar.

"Y/N, hey!" Stiles exclaimed, a big smile spreading across his face, as he sat forward on the edge of the couch, all but jumping up at the sight of you.

"Hi." You said quietly, quickly raising your hand to wave, and then looking around for a seat. Stiles moved closer to the arm on the loveseat he was sitting on, and placed his backpack on the floor, indicating for you to sit down next to him. You smiled at Stiles, your face filling with rosy color, and sat down next to him. "How are you?"

"I'm great, yea, great, you? How are you? Did you find this place okay?" Stiles mumbled, literally biting his upper lip to stop himself from continuing to ramble.

"Yea, I've been here before." You chuckled quietly to yourself.

"Great, great.. oh um, you know Scott, and this is Isaac Lahey and Cora Hale, friends of ours from Beacon Hills." Stiles explained, remembering that there were other people in the room besides the two of you.

"Oh hey, Stiles told me about you guys. You're both werewolves, right?" You asked and Isaac nodded. "Are you students here, too?"

"Yea, we both are." Cora explained, leaning over to place her hand on Isaac's thigh, making it clear that he was taken.

Cora got up to pour Y/N a drink and hugged Ethan and Malia as they walked through the front door and took seats with the group on the last empty couch. Cora brought over more drinks and watched as Stiles introduced Y/N to the newcomers and then continued trying to make small talk. Lydia walked through the door and sat down next to Malia.

"Who's this?" Lydia said agitatedly, gesturing to you and looking around at her friends.

"Lydia, this is Y/N, Y/N this is Lydia." Stiles made introductions.

"The witch?" Lydia questioned. You nodded at the overtly beautiful redhead.

"All we're missing are Derek and Kira then." Scott said aloud, cutting everyone off from their separate conversations.

"Oh shit, I forgot to tell you. Derek isn't coming. Something about Braeden having morning sickness all day... I don't know how babies work. I just know he’s not going to make it tonight. I'll just fill him in later." Cora said as she refilled Isaac's black coffee, and rubbed his shoulder lovingly.

"And I don't think Kira is coming either..." Lydia said hesitantly, locking eyes with Scott.

"Oh... did you talk to her?" Scott asked, trying to hide his disappointment.

"She wouldn't answer my phone calls but I finally got her to answer my texts, and she said that she was busy. I'm sure it's just difficult to get all the way across the Bay at this time of night. I mean, it's not like she goes here." Lydia reasoned.

"So?" Stiles quipped, contorting his face, showing his disapproval at Lydia's hollow reasoning and Kira's non-commital attitude. "You go to Standford, Lydia, and you managed to get here on time. San Francisco State is like half the distance of Stanford. We have to face the facts, Kira is trying to phase herself out of the group. She doesn't want to help, and frankly, we don't need her then." Stiles spoke matter-of-factly.

The room was filled with silence for a few moments, as everyone tried hard to not look at Scott.

"I'm sorry, buddy." Stiles offered to his best friend.

"Well if everyone is here then, we should just start." Scott finally proclaimed, trying to change the subject, as he pulled out a stack of papers from his backpack. He handed a few to Isaac on his right and a few to Malia on his left, gesturing for them to pass them along. "So Stiles and I worked with everyone's class and work schedules and we figured out patrol shiifts."

"So far all three of the attacks have been on South Campus, and it’s been near or in Magnolia Park. I think that’s where we should focus, cause they’re probably staying near there for a reason. Everyone is going to split up into pairs, about two each night, about five and a half hours each." Stiles interjected.

"Lydia and Parrish are going to take the first shift tonight, and Cora and Ethan are going to relieve them around 10PM, and then Stiles and Y/N are going to relieve them around 3AM." Scott explained.

"Then tomorrow, Malia and Isaac have a long shift that Scott and Kira are supposed to relieve..." Stiles continued.

"I can call Derek or Peter or Mr. Argent and see if they can pitch in if Kira bails." Scott mumbled. "We have to stop them from hurting anyone else. They've already gotten three people."

"Is there anything in the bestiary, Lydia?" Isaac asked.

"No, which is really weird, but I've been doing research online and trying to sift out what is legend and what is truth." Lydia explained quietly, as she watched the new girl whisper something into Stiles' ear.

"Oh, it's this book that belonged to our friend, Allison's family, and it has all this information on supernatural creatures, but stuff that's actually true, not the crap you find online." Stiles whispered loudly back to her, as Y/N nodded.

"Ahem," Lydia fake cleared her throat. "I think that either Gerard never came in contact with vampires, and they are incredibly rare, or it was intentionally left out or taken out of the pages. But from what I can gather, they really don't like the sun and I don't think the garlic thing..."

“Do we know why they’re here?” You interjected, causing everyone to turn their focus to the new girl. “Like, is this a reoccurring thing that happens in Berkeley or have they migrated here from somewhere else?” You asked rhetorically, knowing that no one could answer that question yet, but understanding that it was a question that you all should be trying to answer.

“I’ll make sure to ask them the next time I see them.” Lydia dismissed her question, annoyed at being interrupted.

"No that’s a good point, maybe they really don't exist on the East Coast and that's why you didn't think they were real." Stiles interrupted Lydia again to talk to you.

"What are you talking about?" Lydia questioned, growing more agitated by yours and Stiles’ back and forth.

"Oh it was something Y/N said the other day about them not being in New York... Maybe they aren’t, maybe they do migrate.” Stiles answered Lydia, not noticing her irritated face.

“Maybe Twilight was onto something." You gestured to Stiles, making him laugh. "No, seriously, Washington state is sunny and warm in the summer time, but cloudy and rainy the rest of the year, and San Francisco is incredibly foggy and rainy in the Spring and Summer, starting around this time of year, so maybe they move up and down the coast attacking people and using the weather as a cover so they can go out in the daytime."

“Or maybe our presence brought them here.” Isaac inserted himself into the conversation. Stiles nodded at the guess.

"I really hope that they don’t start attacking during the day, but Stiles, you should have your Dad and Parrish look up incident reports during the crappy weather months in Washington, Oregon and California for similar injuries and attacks." Scott suggested.

"Yea, I’ll call him later... that was a great catch." Stiles smiled at you and patted your knee, lingering a moment too long for Lydia's liking. You smiled back at him, your dimples making Stiles blush.

Lydia huffed. "Well, Jordan just texted me and he's here, so I guess we should stop this Pack meeting, plus visitor, and start our shift." Lydia said, standing up abruptly and shoving the schedule into her bag. 

“Don’t listen to her, you’re definitely part of the Pack already.” Stiles whispered to you, nudging your side. Lydia rolled her eyes, but he missed it because you glanced up at him, a warmth in your eyes, directed towards only him. 

"Remember, we aren't doing anything to them now, just recon. That's it. We need more information before we fight them again." Scott reminded the group.

"Oh, and before I go, I have an announcement." Lydia stated. "I thought that I could help sufficiently from Stanford, but I just can't be useful from there, and I don’t like being so far away from you all, so I put in an application for transfer to here for next semester. So next year, I'll be in school with all of you again."

Everyone clamored around her, happy and congratulatory at the news, except for Stiles, who was still sitting on the sofa with Y/N, devising their game plan for their patrol later that night.

"Oh by the way..." Stiles said as he walked you towards the shuttle bus that would take you from campus to your apartment. "Our friends Liam and Hayden will be up here patrolling in two weeks, on Saturday, and we got invited to this big party by this guy in mine and Scott's martial arts class the same night. Usually I hate parties but this should be decent, everyone will be there, I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Oh, um... like a date?" You mumbled, staring at your shoes, hoping that a cute boy had finally asked you out at your new school, and a bonus that it was a boy as cute as Stiles.

"N.. no, no, no, no, no, god no, everyone is going to be there, and you can bring your roommates or boyfriend, or whoever. It'll be fun. It'll be a grand old time.." Stiles rambled, pushing his fist through the air.

"Okay, sounds great. I’ll bring my roommates. I'll see you around 2:45?" You said as the shuttle doors closed in Stiles face.

Isaac walked up behind Stiles and put his hand on his shoulder, startling him. “And you said, ‘N.. no, no, no, no, no, god no’ to it being a date because?”

"Because I'm an idiot." Stiles muttered as he walked back towards the coffee shop with the blonde werewolf. “But you heard her, right? She said she’d bring her roommates not her boyfriend, so she probably doesn’t have one, right? Oh come on, Isaac, stop running. I’ll stop talking about her! ISAAC.” Stiles threw his hands up in the air as he watched Lahey jog away from him.

Chapter Two <- -> Chapter Four

[ohboywonder]

Suddenly There - A Narnia Fanfiction

This is my attempt to write a Narnia fanfiction. If anyone wants to beta, message me! 

AO3  

Chapter One: The Beginning 

Words: 2240

Warnings: slight swearing

Content: Suddenly Joyce stumbles into Narnia. Meeting the four Pevensies, she gets taken in and care of. A tension builds up between her and Edmund, although Joyce is clueless that he himself is a King, too. Peter though seems interested in her too and just as Lucy and Susan found out that there's no way back to England, an attack puts Joyce to the test and she has to proof that Asland picked out the right person to bring back peace to Narnia.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - ...

It was one of those summers I had spent countlessly before in this old house in the woods - but this one was different. Never had mom and I needed to leave the city, we always came because we wanted to. But not this time. A quick look over to the calendar on the wall revealed that we already were here for a month. A month away from home. A month spent with mom and my great-uncle Lewis. One month spent in fear of what would happen next.

Admittingly one must say that great-uncle was a rather peculiar person, but his house in the woods had always had something magical about it. Leaning my head on the window I started to remember all the adventures I had in these woods, all the magical creatures I met and all the battles I fought against invisible enemies. Never had I dreamed that this fantasy world would conquer the real world - never had I dreamed that one day a real war would tear the country, the world apart.

Since the war had started mom had grown more worried every day. Dad had fallen in the early days and she never has been the same since. The decision to move to the country, to this shack, had been a quite spontaneous one. My mom seemed more relieved here, but also troubled in another way than back home in the city. I slightly shifted because I could feel my legs slowly going numb, but… this view.

I could not pull away from the view out of the window. The sun had not risen over the trees yet but it looked like a golden light came from within the forest and the dew that still hung in the covert glittered. The dark ground of the forest was a mass of black, brown and green and no light touched it - and still. It added to the whole picture, a scene so beautiful I couldn’t pull away from it. And while my eyes got all teary from staring so hard and not blinking I swear I saw it.

The trees…

Did they…?

They did!

They moved!

They.

Moved.

It looked like they parted in the dark thicket, gently sliding aside, suddenly revealing a passage. I could not believe it. It was like the trees invited me to come and discover. The sun slowly broke through the upper branches and it looked like a painting, too good, too perfect to be true and then, as a tear ran down my cheek and I needed to blink, it was all gone again.

I blinked another time and tried to find the passage again, but nothing. Just trees. Disappointment filled my chest and I sighed deeply. This moment felt... strangely familiar. Now I remembered. As I’d been little, playing in the woods and fighting with dwarfs about food was my normal summer game whenever we stayed with uncle Lewis. It all came back to me there. Even the memories of a similar passage, a path cleared for me in the woods.

How old was I back then? Maybe seven? 15 years ago…

Playing near the woods in the break of sunset, mom and dad had been sitting in garden chairs while my great-uncle was in the house, fetching drinks for everyone.

Yes, of course… I played with my toys, sitting in the grass as something caught my attention. The chatting of my parents, their voices, the noises the animals made in this warm summer evening, all that stepped into the background of my perception, it was all a blur then. The only thing I remember was a golden glow, coming from the trees, and I swear, I saw them shifting into a passage, just a like second ago. It also seemed like I heard voices coming from in there, a silent, soft voice, singing my name.

“Joyce!”, they called me. “Joyce…”

How could they know my name? I hadn’t thought about this incident in forever and now it seemed so real again, as if it had happened yesterday.

“Joyce!”, suddenly I snapped back to reality and realised it was my mother’s voice I were hearing just now.

“Coming”, I answered and got up, swung my blonde curls back and hurried downstairs. The house was smaller now. I remember it being bigger, but maybe it’s really small and maybe it’s just me that has grown.

Since I can remember I slept in the attic. Uncle Lewis had his bedroom and my parents usually slept in the garden, in a little room that used to be a spacious tool shack. When we came here, my uncle had offered my mother to sleep in the house with me. He had moved into the shack and stayed there, too, for most of the day.

He was a strange man, my uncle. But family. And that was what was most important right now.

“Is everything all right? I called for you three times…” Mom looked worried as I climbed down the ladder that lead to my bedroom, or as anyone else would call it, the attic.

“It’s fine, mom. I just was lost in a book.”, I lied quickly and she looked a bit less worried.

“I know, it’s early, but would you mind going and get some firewood for the stove? I can’t find your uncle anywhere and I need to prepare breakfast.”, she asked and her hazel eyes scanned me. She was always good at detecting when I was lying, it has always been like that, but I did my best and held my smile, nodded, and grabbed the basket that stood next to the door.

“Of course… Maybe I’ll find uncle Lewis somewhere.”, I said jokingly, but she didn’t smile. While talking to my mother the sun had finally risen and shone softly into the forest while the birds were singing and other insects were buzzing around. Surrounded by all this beauty I should have been distracted enough, but I couldn’t get the memory of the passage out of my head, the golden light I’d seen and the whispers I’d heard. While being in the city this had never occurred to me. But being in the city I also had never waisted a thought on these woods.

They seemed so real now, so old, big and full of wonder. How could I have forgotten about them? It seemed rude and arrogant of me and I felt ashamed. Softly I touched the bark of one of the trees, as to apologize for all these years and suddenly I could hear it again.

“Joyce…” A soft whisper. Someone just whispered my name... In the middle of nowhere. With furrowed eyebrows, I walked on, picking up some sticks on the way, convinced someone was doing mischief with me, trying to be funny.

“Joyce, we know you hear us.” Several voices whispered, softly, and at the same time and a shiver ran down my back. Okay, this was starting to get scary.

“Uncle Lewis?”, I called out, feeling uneasy. Silent laughter was the answer. The giggles got louder and my hand clenched around the basket. Without even knowing how it happened my footsteps got faster, fists clenching, and I made my way running to where I thought the laughter was coming from.

To be honest, I had never avoided a confrontation and I wouldn’t now. Whoever was doing this would have to explain themselves. Mom always said it got me more in trouble than was good for me, but father used to softly smile before saying: “Let her be. She’ll find her way.”

And that was what I’ve always done until now. But this situation got to me. Unconsciously I started to run as I suddenly heard a voice on my left.

“Joyce”, it said again, but this time the voice was male and sounded like my father’s, so naturally I looked left. I missed him so much and hearing his voice again made my heart stop. It got harder to remember his voice, his smell. As time flew by I started to forget…

A golden glow appeared where I was heading and my feet got caught up in something. I stumbled over a branch and closed my eyes, expecting to fall on the ground, hitting my head on a branch and getting leaves in my hair but… it didn’t happen.

I fell, but landed in water. For a second I thought I might have fallen into a puddle or a pond, but the water tasted salty and was rushing all over me. This must be a joke. I rolled over and sat straight up, only to be rolled over by another wave again. As I resurfaced, spitting out water and coughing, I realised I wasn’t in the forest anymore. I might not even be in England anymore.

Looking around I noticed I was sitting by the sea. Or rather… in the sea. A beautiful beach stretched out in front of my green eyes, backed by heavy cliffs raising to the sky behind it, scarcely covered in trees that clung onto the rock, trying not to lose grip. On top, there was a large castle, with columns and huge glass windows. It was made from sandstone and a banner was flying on the top of the highest tower and from down here it looked like the was an animal on it.

My mouth was still hanging open, the sea still washed over my body again and again and nothing made sense anymore. “What the hell?”, I mumbled to myself and looked around, still trying to figure out what had happened, as suddenly a loud noise arose somewhere to my left.

Around the bay two horses appeared and galloped their way directly to where I was sitting (still in the ocean). On top of the horses sat two young men, though of different age. The first one sat on a white horse, his long, blonde hair whipped up and down as he got his horse to stop. A beard grew over his cheeks and blurred his features, leaving me guessing how he looked beneath it and how old he really was, because right now he must be at least ten years older than me. At least that was my guess back then. What facial hair can do! The other man was younger than the first and sat on a brown horse, patting its neck as the horse stopped. He had dark, messy hair and looked down on me more curious than the other one, who seemed rather cautious.

“Who are you and what are you doing here? How did you get here?”, the first boy asked in English and I was astounded, but a bit overwhelmed by the amount of questions.

“Why are you sitting in the sea?”, the other one asked, a cheeky grin on his lips. That was a question I could deal with.

“I… I don’t know.”, was my answer. Very witty. “But I do know what my name is.”, I answered after a second thought. “I’m Joyce.”

“Well Joyce, what are you doing here? How did you get here?”, the one with the beard asked again and finally I got up. My skirt was soaking wet, and not only that. My tights and underwear were dripping from sea water and as I looked down at my feet, I could hear my mother shouting at me in my head for going in the water, still fully dressed. I missed the next question.

“Sorry, what?”, I said and looked up to the blonde man again.

“Would you consider”, he said, badly hiding his annoyance, “your way of talking to the High King of Narnia?”

The what?

I let out a curse and my hand rushed back up, covering my mouth. My mother would have killed me for swearing in front of any member of the royal family. “Oh god I’m so sorry”, I said and stumbled back a few steps, further into the sea. “I am from Bracknell in England and I have no idea how I got here. I was walking through the forest and heard voices and then I tripped and I fell into the sea and now I’m here.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them and I looked up at the two guys on horseback and added: “Your Majesty”, quickly.

A short pause arose and it made me quite nervous, but then the dark-haired boy said: “Come on, Pete. You can’t leave her here in the water.” And with that he got off the horse and approached me: “I’m Edmund. Can you ride? If yes, get on the horse, we’re going to get you to the castle and see what we can do for you.”

For a second I hesitated. There were two strange men talking to me as if I was an intruder and an enemy, but then I noticed the swords hanging on their belts. I sighed. Fine.

Leaving me with no other choice than to get on that horse, of course with Edmund’s gallant help, I now followed the white horse of Pete, around the bay and up through the forest that stretched out over the side away from the sea, to the castle I’d noticed earlier.

[therearemonstersinthedark]

Book 2 Luciferous

Chapter 8: Moth

A Guardians of the Galaxy Fanwork

Pairings: Peter Quill / Gamora (one-sided), Peter Quill & Nebula

Genre: Adventure, general

Word Count: 5k

Rating: T to be safe, mild gore in later chapters

Links: Fanfiction.net || Ao3

Summary: It’s time to return to Ego’s planet, and Peter is less than excited.

Author’s Notes: Title is from 'Moth’ by Audioslave

Chapter 8: Moth

Things rolled into action with surprising speed once Peter gave his answer. So much so, that they must have been prepared at least somewhat in advance. Peter felt like a stone in the middle of a hurricane as the crew members swept around him.

There was a tap on his shoulder and Peter pulled his eyes up to find Dey standing behind him.

"Let's gather your friends."

Peter and Dey were joined by Drax and Groot, and a handful of other crew members in the hallway.

The group swept into the Containment unit, and headed straight for the cell at the end of the hallway. Gamora and Nebula both sprung back out of reach as the Nova Corps entered, seeming to sense the sudden shift in attitude and sense of urgency in the air.

"Peter?" Nebula asked, taking up a defensive stance and eyeing the nearest soldier suspiciously.

"They're taking us to Ego's planet." Peter explained.

A heavy hand settled on Peter's shoulder. As he twisted his head to shoot Drax a curious look he heard the sound of the other cell door opening and weapons being readied.

"Hey!" He shouted, but the hand held him firmly in place.

"Let them do what they must." Drax's voice rumbled. "The rodent can clearly not be trusted, and now is not the time to let your foolish eccentricities delay us further."

The Guardians were lead swiftly down to the docks. Gamora and Nebula had been bound again for the transport. Nebula had a new set of cuffs which ran from her wrists nearly to her elbows, but it was obvious from how twitchy their escort was that they hadn't forgotten how easily she had slipped free last time.

Peter hovered close to Rocket, who was being surprisingly compliant. He had a look about him, like he was thinking very long and hard about something and Peter wanted to be ready to stop whatever plan he was cooking up before the already very edgy Nova Corps shot him. Rocket never did make a move, and other than some threatening looks and an obscene gesture or two, they made it to the docks with no incidents.

Saal was waiting for them at the base of a shuttle that could comfortably fit an entire crew. Marlowe was at his side, back in her regular uniform and watching over the quiet docks as though expecting trouble.

As they drew near, Dey waved his hand in some sort of signal. Saal gave a brief nod in return and he and Marlowe turned to walk up the loading ramp ahead of the approaching group who followed after without stopping. Almost as soon as they were on board the ramp was raised and Peter could hear the engines rumbling to life.

"What's the big rush?" Peter asked, trying not to let Rocket out of sight as he made his way towards Dey. He wasn't in any particular hurry to see his father again, and all this running around was rattling his already very frayed nerves.

"You're going behind their backs, aren't you?" Gamora's voice rang out from behind him. "That council of yours has no idea what you're doing here."

Dey didn't answer, but the guilt dancing across his face was enough to tell Peter she had hit the nail on the head.

"The Nova Prime's word is law." Saal said, pausing in his own conversation with some officers to address Peter's group. "The Upper Council was formed to provide guidance. They have no power to contest my decision once it's been made. They will just have to accept what has been done." With that he turned and strode purposefully up a set of stairs that Peter could only assume lead to the flight deck. The officers he'd been conversing with followed after.

"Well isn't he a piece of work." Rocket's ragged voice was dripping with sarcasm. "If his word is so all powerful, how come you're all sneakin' around? I hope none a'you idiots are banking on a happy welcome back."

"I agree with the mad beast," Drax added, crossing his arms and staring disapprovingly after the Nova Prime. "Leaders should not deceive their people. On my planet, he would be seen as a traitor, and likely executed."

"Saal isn't concerned about being the most beloved Prime," Marlowe turned a rebuking look on the Guardians. "But he's determined not to be the last."

Sometimes leaders, like parents, must step in and make decisions that are necessary, but unpleasant. Cosmo's voice rang through Peter's mind moments before the psychic dog stepped into view from a small side room. Crew members, like children, may not always like them at the time, but if the decision was truly made for the good of the people, and not the gain of the individuals, then we can only trust they will see the sense of it in time. I assure you, Nova Prime does not make this decision lightly.

"Children are easily deceived," Drax pointed out. "There is no honor in it. Children should be told immediately that they are wrong, or else they should be allowed to learn from their mistakes."

Perhaps Drax has point, Cosmo conceded with a panting smile. Perhaps crew members are not so much like children, as children are more willing to learn, and less afraid of being wrong.

"Cosmo?" Peter interrupted before their conversation could spiral too far off-topic. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you were planning to come with us?"

Behind him, Peter could hear a low growl from Rocket. A quick glance back revealed he was growling at Cosmo.

Cosmo is not. Cosmo paid no mind to Rocket's rude greeting. Cosmo is needed on Knowhere and cannot stay away that long. Is just here to help with... negotiations.

"Oh, well, we're always glad to have you." Peter smiled as best he could through the nerves.

Do not worry so, Cosmo soothed, tilting his head and wagging his tail softly. Cosmo will be watching over brother Peter and his Guardians from afar while you are interned.

Speaking, or thinking, of which reminded Peter of another matter that hadn't been discussed yet.

"How long are you guys planning on leaving us there?" Peter asked, turning towards Marlowe. "I can't stay there forever. I have promises to keep."

"You'll have to remain at least until things have calmed down after your friend's little incident. There's no way to tell how long that will be."

Peter felt his heart sink he risked a glance back at Gamora who was standing quietly beside Rocket, watching their exchange with calm indifference. Marlowe followed his eyes, her hard expression softening slightly.

"I'll continue to look into the matter you raised while you're away, but I'm not going to be making any promises of my own."

That was enough for Peter who thanked her and offered her his best smile.

The ride after that was mostly quiet and all too short. Before Peter knew it Saal was returning, jogging down the steps with a grave look on his face.

"Step back," The Nova Prime ordered as he passed, and the Guardians were ushered further onto the ship. Dey and several officers slipped forward to take up a defensive position between Peter and his friends, and the small loading bay which was giving off the unmistakable sound of accepting a new passenger. No one drew their weapons, but the gesture was clear enough.

The acid in Peter's stomach sloshed about as the decompression chamber gave a low angry hiss and the doors slid open to reveal a very smug looking Ego. Behind him, Mantis slipped through the doors as well. The empath was doing a very good job at making herself invisible as she took in the room with wide curious eyes, and Peter couldn't tell if the nervous twirling of her fingers was from anything Ego may have done, or just her usual level of uncertainty in social situations.

"Hello Peter," Ego greeted, again ignoring everyone else in the vicinity as he locked eyes with his son. "I'm glad you've come to some sense."

Ego took a step forward, his arm outstretched as though he intended to greet Peter with a hug.

"Not so fast," Saal interrupted him, stepping forward to cut off his approach. "We have some terms to discuss first."

"Of course," Ego said easily enough, but his face fell just a fraction, his annoyance plain. "Go ahead and state them."

"First and foremost, I would like to make it clear that while the Nova Corps is willing to give your offer a chance, we are by no means naive enough to simply take you at your word. Precautions can, and have been put in place should you attempt anything we find suspect. We are not so enfeebled to not be able to deal with a volatile planet or two, and we will not hesitate to eliminate you."

"Even at the expense of your trump card here?" Ego's brows rose with a small disbelieving smile.

"Even so."

"Very well then. I have been warned. I have no interest in this universe right now."

"Second," Saal continued on, ignoring Ego's dismissive comments. "We will expect to remain in contact with those we are sending to you. At least once a cycle we will send you a hail. If it is not answered we will have reason to suspect you have broken one of our other terms."

"Fine, fine," Ego huffed, crossing his arms and obviously beginning to lose patience. "I have designed a communicator of sorts into my ship. Peter may use it as he pleases. It would be good practice for him, anyways."

"Which brings me to my next order." As Saal spoke, Cosmo stepped forward.

Cosmo knows brother Peter's light very well, and will be keeping very close eye in it. Will be able to sense distress or misdeeds, even from great distance such as this. Ego will have very hard time doing anything that Cosmo is not immediately aware of.

"Learning to use the light within may be a stressful process," Ego said. "Do you intend to sound the alarm every time he is faced with growth? That will quickly become exhausting for everyone."

Then Cosmo would suggest Ego avoid, how you say, pushing it. Cosmo's lip lifted into a sneer which Ego visibly struggled not to return.

"Hold on. I agreed to come to your planet to protect my friends," Peter spoke up. "But I never agreed to let you hook me back up to the light or teach me anything."

"Do you really think you're in any position to be passing up such an opportunity?" Ego turned his piercing eyes on Peter. "Do you intend to live off of the pity of these mortals indefinitely? They can't protect you forever. They'll die trying." Ego's eyes swept over the Guardians. "It looks like they're half-way there already."

Guilt churned Peter's guts as Ego once again struck a raw nerve. It was true. He'd nearly lead them all to their deaths on Traxxon III, and hadn't stopped beating himself up over it since. The image of Gamora's eyes, wide with shock and just the barest flicker of fear just before she'd been swept out into the red sky, was burned into his mind and haunted him whenever he closed his eyes. They had all suffered terrible injuries, even Rocket who still moved with a faint but definite stiffness.

If Peter was more powerful, could he have prevented any of it? It wasn't the first time he had asked himself this question. Since even before Ego's appearance in the court he had tentatively entertained the idea of learning to use his light. Cosmo had been able to hold his own against Ronan, at least for a while, and even done some damage to the Kree warlord, something none of the other Guardians could boast, separately or together. More than that, Cosmo's powers had saved their butts on many occasions in their brief time together. If Peter could use powers like that, he might have been able to save Rocket earlier. He might have been able to save Gamora, or at least stopped her, before she contacted Korath. He might have been able to do something other than twiddle his thumbs and wait for rescue on the Oasis.

The thought of being able to take control again was tempting. He was so sick of becoming everyone's prisoner here, and it hadn't been lost on him how much his allies had suffered to save him at every turn. But how could he trust Ego not to use that for his own gain? There was no way the Celestial was doing this out of the goodness of his self-made heart. He had to have an angle, Peter just, for the life of him, couldn't figure out what it was.

Peter cast a look at his friends. The Guardians, the original ones, back together again, but hardly any better off for it. They all stood apart from each other. Drax's chest wound stood stark and ugly across his bare chest, the staples glinting in the light. Nebula caught his attention, meeting his desperate eyes with a calmness that he clung to like an island in a raging sea. He took a slow breath through his nose like Gamora had once taught him, focused on Nebula's steady gaze, and tried to shed some of the panic bubbling within him and clouding his mind. 'There's a difference between trusting someone and using them,' Nebula had said and the words echoed back at him now. The thought of trusting his father was madness, but using him... Peter thought he could find a way to live with that. He sucked in another deep breath like he was preparing to dive into an actual ocean, and turned back to Ego.

"Alright," He breathed out. "I'll learn to use the light. But I'll have my own terms. And when it's time for us to leave, I want Mantis to come with us."

"You can have her," Ego said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Behind him, Mantis startled and snapped her head up to look at the celestial with huge eyes. Her mouth opened as though to protest, then she seemed to catch herself and shut it again, ducking her head back down and fiddling with her fingers with a renewed energy.

"Just like that?" Peter asked. He had expected his father to argue the terms more, to extract some worse payment in exchange for Mantis's freedom. Instead, it felt like Ego was telling him he was welcome to the chips in the cupboard.

"Of course," Ego huffed. "I think we both know where her true loyalties lie."

Behind him, Mantis was looking increasingly confused and worried, and Peter wished he could offer her some sort of comfort. But she was glancing between her hands and Ego, and Peter could not even catch her eye to offer her a reassuring smile.

"If that's how you feel, then why keep her around?" After worrying so long about whether Mantis was even alive at all, and after everything the other Guardians had been though in this horrible reality, finding her so relatively well off felt more than a little suspect.

"You are cursed with the sentimentality of those mortals you love so much." The disapproval in Ego's voice was clear. "I figured you'd be back to try to save her if nothing else, so of course I kept her around."

"As a hostage?" Gamora cut in.

"As a peace offering."

"Regardless of your motives," Saal cut back in. "We are in agreement that she will be free to go when we retrieve Peter and the rest of the Guardians. The Nova Corps will not tolerate any deviation from these terms. The repercussions will be immediate and final. Have you any objections?"

"No," Ego breathed. "So are we done here?"

Peter could see the muscles in Saal's neck move as he clenched his jaw. Obviously, Saal was buying about as much of Ego's act as Peter himself, but he'd come too far, the Nova Prime couldn't return with the Guardians without handing over a large portion of his credibility, and probably his power, to the Council.

"Yes. I believe we are done."

A wet nose pressed against the side of Peter's hand, causing him to jump.

Be very careful, brother Peter. Cosmo was staring up at him, his warm copper eyes shimmering with just the faintest traces of unnatural light. Not just of Ego. Peter will be safe enough in Blinding place, there is nothing left there to find, and Peter is strong, but remember, do not cross into the Blind place. There are too many things that would steal your fire, and many more who would snuff it out. They cannot help themselves. Mindless things so fear the unknown.

"The 'Blind place?'" Came a derisive snort from where Ego stood watching their interaction through narrowed eyes. "How quaint. It is none of your business what I do with my son, dog, but I will not be leading him into the Nothing." Ego spat out the last word like it was something filthy. "That is no place for creatures of the Light."

No one plans for every step of their journey. Cosmo told Peter. Be careful.

With that he stepped away and joined the ring of Nova Crewmen who were busy removing the restraints from the assassins. As Rocket's cuffs were removed he feinted a snap at the hands of the nearest Denerian who flinched back, one hand reaching for his weapon. Before things could escalate, Cosmo gave the raccoon a viscous snarl, his eyes glowing dangerously. Rocket seemed to take the threat and turned away from his victim to join the rest of the Guardians at the door to the air locked loading bay which would lead to Ego's ship, spitting at Cosmo's feet as he passed.

"Wait!" Peter said when Saal looked back like he was expecting Peter to go next. "I want his collar off."

Peter glanced over at Dey who he was pretty sure still had the remote.

"This again?" Saal growled.

"There's no reason for him to wear it on Ego's planet," Peter argued, drawing himself up to his full height and trying to match Saal's hard stare with one of his own. "There's nothing he can do, and you won't even be there to use it."

"And if Experiment 89P13 attacks one of you?"

"He won't." Peter's declaration was met with a derisive snort from the raccoon, so he quickly amended. "If he does, we'll handle it. Ourselves. No collars involved."

Saal held his gaze for several beats, and Peter did his best to convey how serious he was being. He was rarely serious, so it wasn't his best expression, but it must have worked, because Saal was the first to cave, relaxing with a sigh.

"Very well. You may remove it for his internment on the planet. We will see what he does with this freedom."

Dey stepped forward, but licked his lips and held the remote up for Peter to see.

"I don't know how to do that," He confessed with a guilty shrug of his shoulders.

Peter looked back at Nebula for help, but she just twisted her lips into a frown and rolled one shoulder into a small shrug of her own.

"Gamora?" Peter turned his eyes on the older sister. "You know the codes for that thing, right?"

"Yes..." Gamora answered hesitantly. She had been studying Rocket with her brows drawn tightly together, and suddenly Peter was worried Gamora was going to refuse, or pretend she didn't know how to remove it. "It's complicated," She finally said, stepping back towards Dey with her palm outstretched. "Thanos didn't want him to be able to remove it on his own. Please allow me."

Rocket was standing very still now, watching everything through narrowed eyes. Other than his twitching tail, he strongly resembled a lifelike statue.

Dey turned to Saal, who nodded his approval, before handing it over to Gamora, watching carefully as she began inputting some sort of complicated code. Peter nearly forgot to breath as he watched as well, only remembering when his lungs began to burn in protest. After some time, which probably wasn't quite as much time as it felt, the little screen at the bottom lit up with a little chirrup and Gamora pressed her thumb against it.

Peter glanced back at Rocket. His ears were pricked forward and his eyes had grown huge. After a moment, Peter realized there was a tremble coursing through Rocket's entire body, in anticipation or disbelief, Peter couldn't be sure.

"Nebula," Gamora's voice was soft, and almost tentative, if one knew Gamora very, very well, but from the corner of his eye Peter could still see the younger sister stiffen and narrow her eyes at the adress. "The panel on the back of the collar. It will only release to one of Thanos's children."

Rocket made no move to acknowledge Nebula when she first reached down and wrapped her hand around the back of his collar. The red light underneath his chin blinked rapidly and gave out a little beep, which Rocket visibly flinched at, then popped open. Rocket returned to his frozen state as Nebula gave the collar a cursory inspection then handed it to the nearest Nova Crew member. Even the trembling had stopped.

"Rocket?" Peter asked, worried that the raccoon had simply stopped breathing altogether.

Rocket didn't answer. His jaw was hanging slightly slack, and a small trembling hand raised up towards his neck. The fur where the collar had sat was rumpled and stuck out in odd directions.

"Rocket are you Okay?"

Rocket suddenly shook himself from his stupor. His eyes darted between Dey and the man holding his collar, then he turned and vanished into the airlock without a word.

"Well," Ego said with a smile, "I believe that would be our signal to leave."

-x-

The ride down to Ego's planet was short and surprisingly uneventful. Ego, for all his eagerness to be on their way, seemed content to ignore Peter in favor of piloting his ship. Mantis had fretted for a moment over where to go, but had ultimately chosen to follow Ego to the approximate of the flight deck in his oddly shaped craft. Peter wasn't certain, but he thought he had seen a flicker of fear in her eyes when they had landed on him. Maybe demanding she be handed over without so much as a hello wasn't the best way to start off their relationship. If she honestly had no idea who he was or that this was the wrong timeline, his attempts to rescue her might more closely resemble a kidnapping from her point of view.

Rocket had vanished again to some far corner, perhaps afraid someone might change their mind about his collar, or perhaps just enjoying not being stuck in a cell for the time being. Nebula was leaning against a wall at a distance, arms crossed and quietly studying the ship with offhanded fascination. Everyone else had taken a seat on the same couch Peter recalled from his last time.

Peter stared up at the ceiling, slumped back on the couch as well, one leg thrown over the other and his hands linked together over his stomach. As he fiddled absently with his Walkman, one thought scraped at the back of his head.

"Yondu's gonna kill me."

End

[biofunmy]

The World’s First Ambassador to the Tech Industry

COPENHAGEN — Casper Klynge, a career diplomat from Denmark, has worked in some of the world’s most turbulent places. He once spent 18 months embroiled in reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. For two years, he led a crisis management mission in Kosovo.

Yet Mr. Klynge, 46, says his toughest foreign posting may be the one he has now: as the world’s first foreign ambassador to the technology industry.

In 2017, Denmark became the first nation to formally create a diplomatic post to represent its interests before companies such as Facebook and Google. After Denmark determined that tech behemoths now have as much power as many governments — if not more — Mr. Klynge was sent to Silicon Valley.

“What has the biggest impact on daily society? A country in southern Europe, or in Southeast Asia, or Latin America, or would it be the big technology platforms?” Mr. Klynge said in an interview last month at a cafe in central Copenhagen during an annual meeting of Denmark’s diplomatic corps. “Our values, our institutions, democracy, human rights, in my view, are being challenged right now because of the emergence of new technologies.”

He added, “These companies have moved from being companies with commercial interests to actually becoming de facto foreign policy actors.”

But after two years in the job, Mr. Klynge is under no illusions of where Denmark’s concerns figure in the minds of Silicon Valley executives. Denmark’s population of 5.8 million is smaller than that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Fewer than 0.3 percent of Facebook’s 2.4 billion global users live in the Scandinavian country.

Silicon Valley companies and their leaders have given Mr. Klynge a mixed reception. He has never met with Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Sundar Pichai of Google or Timothy D. Cook of Apple. Danish officials said it was like dealing with an opaque new world superpower.

“We’ve been too naïve for too long about the tech revolution,” said Jeppe Kofod, Denmark’s minister for foreign affairs.

So Mr. Klynge’s position is part of an effort “to make sure that democratic governments set the boundaries for the tech industry and not the other way around,” Mr. Kofod said.

Denmark is emblematic of the many small countries that are grappling with technology’s effects on their societies and are frustrated by an inability to meet with, let alone influence, the companies causing that disruption.

Danish officials have been particularly concerned by how technological change is causing challenges that have afflicted other Western democracies: the spread of false and politically divisive content on social media, questions about privacy and data-hungry services, cybersecurity and the low taxes the companies pay outside the United States.

Andrew Cooper, a political-science professor at the University of Waterloo who studies diplomacy, said smaller countries had long needed novel ways to get attention from nations with more power.

The Maldives, for instance, has hosted underwater cabinet meetings to raise awareness about climate change, while Sweden created an embassy in the virtual-world video game Second Life. What’s surprising, Mr. Cooper said, is the extent to which Denmark is applying the strategy to private companies.

“Denmark has to play a different game,” he said.

But the obstacles Mr. Klynge has faced in Silicon Valley have been humbling. He said it had taken nine months to sit down with a senior executive at one of the biggest tech companies, which he declined to name. He arrived expecting a frank conversation on issues agreed on beforehand, including taxes, cybersecurity and internet misinformation — only to be offered a headquarters tour, he said.

When the executive arrived later, he began a brief rant against European regulations of the tech industry, before saying he did not have time for the meeting, Mr. Klynge said. Then the executive left.

As Mr. Klynge was exiting the building, the executive called his mobile phone to ask him to wait. Mr. Klynge thought there had been a change of heart.

Not so.

“When I got back to the conference room he gave me a goody bag with a T-shirt and cap of the particular company,” he said. He said Danish officials “laughed about this incident a lot afterward, but it says a lot about the mind-set of some of the companies in Silicon Valley.”

Some tech companies said they were beginning to better understand Mr. Klynge’s job.

Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, said he spoke regularly with Mr. Klynge, whose appointment he said gave Denmark “outsized influence.”

“If I want to compare notes on technology issues, he’s one of the best-informed people possible,” Mr. Smith said.

Peter Münster, a spokesman for Facebook, said, “It did take a few meetings before we understood the scope and intentions embedded in Klynge’s role.” Now, he added, “we have a good and constructive dialogue with the Danish tech ambassador, who speaks frankly, expressing both criticism and positive feedback.”

Google and Apple declined to comment, while Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Klynge said Denmark should not be overlooked. As a European Union member, it can influence regulations on privacy, competition, content moderation, taxes and misinformation. (He said he often had to clarify to tech executives that he worked separately from one of Denmark’s better-known officials, Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s top antitrust enforcer, who has levied billions of dollars in fines against the tech industry.)

Denmark has faced some criticism for putting corporations on the same level as sovereign governments, but other countries are also dedicating diplomatic resources to the tech industry. France created an ambassador for digital affairs, and Australia, Britain and Germany, among others, have added tech-centric postings, often to help facilitate trade and investment. But Denmark said it was still the only country with a dedicated tech ambassador posted overseas.

Priya Guha, Britain’s former consul general in San Francisco, said that even as societal challenges grew as a result of giant tech platforms, economic ties were a top priority for diplomats sent to be liaisons with the industry.

“Diplomacy has shifted. We aren’t in the 1900s anymore; we’re not in a world where it’s all about bilateral relationship with other countries,” said Ms. Guha, now a partner at Merian Ventures, a venture capital firm. “Countries need to adapt their view of diplomacy to counter that. The companies will have significant influence on the world, and you can either step back and watch that happen or you can work with that.”

About 55 people in Denmark applied for Mr. Klynge’s job when it was created. He now has a team of about 11, with seven in California, three in Denmark and one in China. His office is in Palo Alto, Calif., not far from the headquarters of many tech companies.

Mr. Klynge maintains some Danish traditions, like cycling to work every morning. But other aspects of living in California remain a shock.

“Despite probably being one of the places with the highest density of millionaires, every single day I meet homeless people on the streets,” he said. He added that there was no way he could afford to live in Silicon Valley, where fixer-uppers regularly cost more than $1 million, if housing was not provided by the Danish government.

Mr. Klynge said he had approached the tech companies as if they were countries, building relationships and networks. In lieu of often frustrating attempts to meet with senior officials, he spends time with lower-ranking workers, former employees, people from smaller competing companies, civil society groups and government officials.

His team sends intelligence cables to government leaders on what is going on within the companies, as well as reports on issues like cybersecurity, the growing use of health data and autonomous vehicles. Danish officials can then use those to inform policymaking.

Mr. Klynge said he traveled to other tech hubs about half the year, visiting China, India and countries in Europe. He said he was surprised that Chinese companies were more open to discussing political issues than those in the United States.

He counts some successes. Last year, when a Danish citizen was killed by an Islamic terrorist while traveling in Morocco, Mr. Klynge quickly spoke with representatives from Facebook and Google to get them to remove the video of the grisly attack.

“Diplomacy is by nature a long-term business where you don’t necessarily see goals being fulfilled from one day to the next,” he said.

Sahred From Source link Technology

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[stefciastark]

Time Travel ~Webpril Day 23

A/N: After Endgame, Peter needs some closure but he doesn't quite anticipate the hurt. This one references a previous fill for the prompt "Please! I-" from a few days ago. Short and sweet, but definitely on the sadder side x

~Read it on AO3

~Read it on FFN

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yeah. I just want a chance to say my goodbyes, y’know?”

Bruce handed Peter a pair of glasses with a grim closed-lipped smile; they looked comically small in Bruce’s now Hulk-sized hands. The frames were thick and dark. They looked like something that the hipster kids at Peter’s school wore, but he knew these cost infinitely more than anything any student could afford. It was so strange to hold something in his hands that would give him the ability to essentially travel back in time. Not literally, but it would allow him to relive a memory he had wished was different.

B.A.R.F. Peter could almost laugh at the name. Bruce had to explain to him exactly how Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing worked, and the technology blew Peter’s mind. It would connect to his hippocampus, creating a holographic projection that would find a specific memory that Peter wished to alter - in this case, one that Peter found retrospectively traumatic or regretful in one way shape or form - and project it externally for Peter to re-experience. Bruce had gone into a lot more detail than that, but he had spoken so quickly and passionately that Peter couldn’t remember half of it.

Peter steeled himself for the rush of emotion he was sure to be flooded by. He was looking for a chance to get closure after Tony´s death, the sudden loss of his mentor, role model, and father figure feeling like a massive steel weight on his chest. Peter had so much left unsaid, and he had expected that they would have all the time in the world after the Battle of Earth. No one had expected Tony’s passing, and ever since he felt like he couldn’t really take a full breath.

Stepping into the centre of the large square room, Peter looked back at Bruce for the go-ahead. They exchanged a nod, and Peter placed the glasses behind his ears. Nothing happened for a moment until slowly but surely, his surroundings began to change as the glasses drew the memory out from his subconscious.

He was momentarily surprised at the memory that was chosen. It wasn’t particularly traumatic, but Peter had wished it had ended differently. Peter was once again in the Avengers facility third floor hallway, face to face with Tony who was currently voicing his disappointment. This was the day he had piloted a plane and safely crash landed it in the Upper Bay area. His first big screw up since the Ferry Incident.

“I’m not going to take your suit, so don’t give me that whole ‘deer in the headlights’ thing.”

And there Tony was in front of him. “Thank you Mr Stark. I just really want you to give me a chance, y’know?” Before Peter could think too much, he felt his lips forming the familiar words. This was a memory he had replayed in his head many times before, the shame and guilt of his failure having kept him up at night for countless months after.

“It’s not that I don’t believe in you, Pete.” Tony placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder and worried his bottom lip for a second before continuing. “You did great today.”

Peter had to blink back the tears that formed at the corners of his eyes. He knew that Tony wasn’t really there in front of him. He knew that Tony’s hand wasn’t resting on his shoulder either, but somehow he felt the warmth and weight of Tony’s presence. It was as if they were back in that moment, transported back in time to before. To Peter, there was only before and after. After hasn’t been so good.

The warmth of Tony’s hand lifted off of Peter’s shoulder, and he turned to watch as Tony walked down the hallway towards his domain inside of the Avengers facility.

Peter was still momentarily frozen in place, his mind not quite catching up with his emotions, and he was worried for a moment that he would forget to even speak.

“Wait, Mr Stark!” Peter finally managed to call out.

Tony stopped mid-stride, turning on his heel to look back at where Peter stood silhouetted against the golden afternoon sun. “Yeah, kid?”

Peter did a half-walk half-run to where Tony was standing, slowing down to a walk once he was only a few feet away. He took the time to take it all in. The way Tony looked so real; it was hard for Peter to process that this was only a memory. Taking a deep breath, he found the words he was looking for.

“Thank you... for everything, Tony. Over the last few years, you showed me how to be a hero, and how to trust myself. I never really had a dad in my life, and I’m so lucky to have been able to consider you my father.” Peter swallowed against the lump in his throat that just wouldn’t go away, the tears beginning to flow freely despite his best efforts. “Sometimes I do the wrong thing and I mess up, and whenever I don’t know what to do, you’ve been there to guide me and show me how to be better than who I was yesterday...What I’m really trying to say is thank you.”

Peter stepped in closer to Tony and wrapped his arms around him. He could feel the generated phantom sensations of Tony’s suit fabric against his fingertips, the familiar smell of his cologne, and the warmth of the embrace that Peter knew wasn’t real, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

“It’s part of the hero gig, kiddo. If you ever need to talk or whatever, I’ll always be here.”

Peter felt the two gentle pats on his back before the hug faded into nothingness once more, the illusion crumbling around him. As the last of Tony’s projection dissolved, he felt a trembling start in his fingertips and spread like a wildfire throughout his body as he crumpled slowly to his knees. His heart felt like it was filled with lead. He thought having his chance to properly thank Tony, to see him again, to alter the ending of a memory he resented for so long would make him feel whole again. Instead, it twisted the knife in his chest and made him realise how lost he felt without Tony in his life.

Through a blur of tears, Peter saw the large green form of Banner approaching where he had sunk in the centre of the room. Slowly kneeling down in front of Peter, Bruce gently plucked the glasses from Peter’s face, and set them aside gently on the ground beside them. Bruce reshuffled where he was sitting so he was situated beside the young Avenger, and placing one arm over Peter’s shoulders, drew him in for a side hug.

“I’m sorry, Peter.” Peter felt the hum of Bruce’s voice from where his ear rested on the side of his chest.

“I just really miss him.”

“I know, me too.”

[bettyvwilliam]

What is the DRX9000?

Herniated Disc Treatments – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

What is the DRX9000 and how is it used to treat herniated discs?

Herniated discs are a relatively common problem that can affect individuals of all ages, with the incidence rate steeply rising in persons over the age of 30. Degenerative disc disease is often the cause when a slipped disc or herniation occurs. While the term “disease” may sound scary and intimidating, rest assured that degenerative disc disease is something that occurs in many individuals over time. Disc herniations aren’t always accompanied by symptoms but when symptoms arise, they can be very painful, making it difficult to participate in activities you once enjoyed.

Unfortunately, herniated discs are not something that will disappear on their own with the use of an ice pack and bed rest. Instead, herniations need to be addressed by a chiropractic medical professional as soon as the issue is noticed to prevent further limitations and discomfort.

While it’s possible for spinal injuries to exist without the presence of symptoms, the majority of those who are living with a bulging disc, slipped disc, or herniation report:

Arm, back, leg, or foot pain

Muscle weakness

Spasms

Overactive reflexes

Foot and hand numbness

For those who are suffering from a herniated disc, there are a number of treatment options, many of which do not require surgery and other painful treatments. Instead, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to offer more conservative treatments and, when needed, techniques like spinal decompression which allow for increased motion and reduced inflammation without the need for invasive procedures.

There are a number of herniated disc treatment options that chiropractic professionals are able to offer to patients as an alternative to surgery. These include medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs as well as physiotherapy practices which help patients to learn which positions are beneficial and/or harmful to recovery. Chiropractic care, massage, and exercise can also be very helpful at alleviating pain and encouraging healing. Each of these treatments can be used separately or in conjunction with one another to facilitate improved spinal health.

When classic conservative treatments, like physiotherapy and exercise, are not able to successfully address the problem, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to use other techniques such as non-surgical lumbar decompression to help the patients see real, long-lasting results. Dr. Eingorn uses state-of-the-art equipment to provide spinal decompression services tailored to each individual.

What is spinal decompression?

Decompression techniques have been used for quite some time as a means of helping patients experience relief from pain due to herniations and other spinal injuries. The method consists of stretching the spine either by using traction or computerized methods in an attempt to reduce pressure and to ease joint compression. The ultimate goal is to relieve the back and/or leg pain that the patient is experiencing. While traction used to be a popular herniated disc treatment, Dr. Eingorn uses far more advanced equipment that allows for targeted non-surgical lumbar decompression. The DRX 9000 is a machine that has truly revolutionized joint compression treatment. In situations where basic conservative treatments are unable to resolve the problem and give the patient relief from their slipped disc or similar ailment, this technique is a valid and very effective alternative.

Herniated Disc Chiropractic Treatment – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

What is the DRX 9000?

The DRX 9000 is a machine that is utilized by Dr. Eingorn to help patients rid themselves of their herniations and the symptoms that occur as a result of these spinal injuries. The equipment is a computerized tool that allows for each vertebrae to be targeted specifically. It’s able to isolate each disc and the computerized mechanism is able to perform gradual pushing and pulling motions on the spine in order to encourage the healthy flow of fluid. This reduces the incidence of inflammation drastically and can help to reduce pain in just a few sessions. It’s unique “pumping” motion on the spine has truly worked wonders when helping patients quickly and effectively experience real herniation relief.

This amazing machine and the decompression it provides to patients has proven to be a phenomenal alternative to surgery. It allows for targeted slipped disc and herniation treatment without the need for painful, invasive procedures that are accompanied by significant side effects and pain. Dr. Eingorn believes that natural, alternatives treatments are preferable when possible. Treating patients with methods that are free of side effects and extensive discomfort and downtime is something that he has shown to be a priority time and time again. He truly cares for each of his patients and wants to provide them with therapies that really work.

Herniated Discs Chiropractic Consultation – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Eingorn

If you’ve been experiencing pain for the first time in either your neck or lower back or you’re aware that you’re living with a bulging disc or similar problem, you deserve to be able to experience relief now. Don’t give in to the misinformation out there that says that rest and time will do the healing. In order to experience real relief, you need to receive professional care, and that’s precisely what Dr. Eingorn is able to provide.

Dr. Eingorn has over 25 years of experience helping patients who are struggling with neck and back injuries as well as chronic spinal conditions. His expertise covers a number of topics, but his passion has always been on providing quality herniation treatments. He offers advanced techniques designed to give patients the relief they need and deserve quickly and without surgery, when possible.

He believes in making each of his patients comfortable while in his office, and he and his staff go the extra mile to ensure that you feel welcome and secure in his care from your initial consultation until your final visit. If you’re one of the many individuals who is dealing with pain in your lower back or other region of your spine, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Call the office of Dr. Eingorn today at (646) 553-1884. His staff will be more than happy to answer all of your questions and help you to find a convenient time to come in for your consultation.

DRX900 Consultations

Dr. Eingorn at Better Health Chiropractic provides patient consultations to determine the best treatment for back and neck injuries. This can include treatments for back and neck pain with the DRX900. Many patients that see Dr. Eingorn for consultations come from these areas of NYC:

Manhattan, NYC, Midtown NY, Battery Park City NY, Financial District NY, TriBeCa NY, Chinatown NY, Greenwich Village NY, Little Italy NY, Lower East Side NY, NoHo NY, SoHo NY, West Village NY, Alphabet City NY, Chinatown NY, East Village NY, Lower East Side NY, Two Bridges NY, Chelsea NY, Clinton NY, Gramercy Park NY, Kips Bay NY, Murray Hill NY, Peter Cooper Village NY, Stuyvesant Town NY, Sutton Place NY, Tudor City NY, Turtle Bay NY, Waterside Plaza NY, Lincoln Square NY, Manhattan Valley NY, Upper West Side NY, Lenox Hill NY, Roosevelt Island NY, Upper East Side NY, Yorkville NY, Hamilton Heights NY, Manhattanville, Morningside Heights NY, Harlem NY, Polo Grounds NY, East Harlem NY, Randall’s Island NY, Spanish Harlem NY, Wards Island NY, Inwood NY, Washington Heights NY

The post What is the DRX9000? appeared first on NYC Chiropractor – Better Health Chiropractic New York – Call 646-553-1884.

This blog post originally appeared here: http://bit.ly/2WQ3Nlt

What is the DRX9000? published first on https://betterhealthchiropracticnyc.wordpress.com

[latricepcox]

What is the DRX9000?

Herniated Disc Treatments – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

What is the DRX9000 and how is it used to treat herniated discs?

Herniated discs are a relatively common problem that can affect individuals of all ages, with the incidence rate steeply rising in persons over the age of 30. Degenerative disc disease is often the cause when a slipped disc or herniation occurs. While the term “disease” may sound scary and intimidating, rest assured that degenerative disc disease is something that occurs in many individuals over time. Disc herniations aren’t always accompanied by symptoms but when symptoms arise, they can be very painful, making it difficult to participate in activities you once enjoyed.

Unfortunately, herniated discs are not something that will disappear on their own with the use of an ice pack and bed rest. Instead, herniations need to be addressed by a chiropractic medical professional as soon as the issue is noticed to prevent further limitations and discomfort.

While it’s possible for spinal injuries to exist without the presence of symptoms, the majority of those who are living with a bulging disc, slipped disc, or herniation report:

Arm, back, leg, or foot pain

Muscle weakness

Spasms

Overactive reflexes

Foot and hand numbness

For those who are suffering from a herniated disc, there are a number of treatment options, many of which do not require surgery and other painful treatments. Instead, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to offer more conservative treatments and, when needed, techniques like spinal decompression which allow for increased motion and reduced inflammation without the need for invasive procedures.

There are a number of herniated disc treatment options that chiropractic professionals are able to offer to patients as an alternative to surgery. These include medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs as well as physiotherapy practices which help patients to learn which positions are beneficial and/or harmful to recovery. Chiropractic care, massage, and exercise can also be very helpful at alleviating pain and encouraging healing. Each of these treatments can be used separately or in conjunction with one another to facilitate improved spinal health.

When classic conservative treatments, like physiotherapy and exercise, are not able to successfully address the problem, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to use other techniques such as non-surgical lumbar decompression to help the patients see real, long-lasting results. Dr. Eingorn uses state-of-the-art equipment to provide spinal decompression services tailored to each individual.

What is spinal decompression?

Decompression techniques have been used for quite some time as a means of helping patients experience relief from pain due to herniations and other spinal injuries. The method consists of stretching the spine either by using traction or computerized methods in an attempt to reduce pressure and to ease joint compression. The ultimate goal is to relieve the back and/or leg pain that the patient is experiencing. While traction used to be a popular herniated disc treatment, Dr. Eingorn uses far more advanced equipment that allows for targeted non-surgical lumbar decompression. The DRX 9000 is a machine that has truly revolutionized joint compression treatment. In situations where basic conservative treatments are unable to resolve the problem and give the patient relief from their slipped disc or similar ailment, this technique is a valid and very effective alternative.

Herniated Disc Chiropractic Treatment – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

What is the DRX 9000?

The DRX 9000 is a machine that is utilized by Dr. Eingorn to help patients rid themselves of their herniations and the symptoms that occur as a result of these spinal injuries. The equipment is a computerized tool that allows for each vertebrae to be targeted specifically. It’s able to isolate each disc and the computerized mechanism is able to perform gradual pushing and pulling motions on the spine in order to encourage the healthy flow of fluid. This reduces the incidence of inflammation drastically and can help to reduce pain in just a few sessions. It’s unique “pumping” motion on the spine has truly worked wonders when helping patients quickly and effectively experience real herniation relief.

This amazing machine and the decompression it provides to patients has proven to be a phenomenal alternative to surgery. It allows for targeted slipped disc and herniation treatment without the need for painful, invasive procedures that are accompanied by significant side effects and pain. Dr. Eingorn believes that natural, alternatives treatments are preferable when possible. Treating patients with methods that are free of side effects and extensive discomfort and downtime is something that he has shown to be a priority time and time again. He truly cares for each of his patients and wants to provide them with therapies that really work.

Herniated Discs Chiropractic Consultation – Better Health Chiropractic NYC

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Eingorn

If you’ve been experiencing pain for the first time in either your neck or lower back or you’re aware that you’re living with a bulging disc or similar problem, you deserve to be able to experience relief now. Don’t give in to the misinformation out there that says that rest and time will do the healing. In order to experience real relief, you need to receive professional care, and that’s precisely what Dr. Eingorn is able to provide.

Dr. Eingorn has over 25 years of experience helping patients who are struggling with neck and back injuries as well as chronic spinal conditions. His expertise covers a number of topics, but his passion has always been on providing quality herniation treatments. He offers advanced techniques designed to give patients the relief they need and deserve quickly and without surgery, when possible.

He believes in making each of his patients comfortable while in his office, and he and his staff go the extra mile to ensure that you feel welcome and secure in his care from your initial consultation until your final visit. If you’re one of the many individuals who is dealing with pain in your lower back or other region of your spine, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Call the office of Dr. Eingorn today at (646) 553-1884. His staff will be more than happy to answer all of your questions and help you to find a convenient time to come in for your consultation.

DRX900 Consultations

Dr. Eingorn at Better Health Chiropractic provides patient consultations to determine the best treatment for back and neck injuries. This can include treatments for back and neck pain with the DRX900. Many patients that see Dr. Eingorn for consultations come from these areas of NYC:

Manhattan, NYC, Midtown NY, Battery Park City NY, Financial District NY, TriBeCa NY, Chinatown NY, Greenwich Village NY, Little Italy NY, Lower East Side NY, NoHo NY, SoHo NY, West Village NY, Alphabet City NY, Chinatown NY, East Village NY, Lower East Side NY, Two Bridges NY, Chelsea NY, Clinton NY, Gramercy Park NY, Kips Bay NY, Murray Hill NY, Peter Cooper Village NY, Stuyvesant Town NY, Sutton Place NY, Tudor City NY, Turtle Bay NY, Waterside Plaza NY, Lincoln Square NY, Manhattan Valley NY, Upper West Side NY, Lenox Hill NY, Roosevelt Island NY, Upper East Side NY, Yorkville NY, Hamilton Heights NY, Manhattanville, Morningside Heights NY, Harlem NY, Polo Grounds NY, East Harlem NY, Randall’s Island NY, Spanish Harlem NY, Wards Island NY, Inwood NY, Washington Heights NY

The post What is the DRX9000? appeared first on NYC Chiropractor – Better Health Chiropractic New York – Call 646-553-1884.

This blog post originally appeared here: http://bit.ly/2WQ3Nlt

[michaelbconkling]

What is the DRX9000?

The next article What is the DRX9000? is republished from NYC Chiropractor - Better Health Chiropractic See more on: http://bit.ly/2WQ3Nlt

What is the DRX9000 and how is it used to treat herniated discs?

Herniated discs are a relatively common problem that can affect individuals of all ages, with the incidence rate steeply rising in persons over the age of 30. Degenerative disc disease is often the cause when a slipped disc or herniation occurs. While the term “disease” may sound scary and intimidating, rest assured that degenerative disc disease is something that occurs in many individuals over time. Disc herniations aren’t always accompanied by symptoms but when symptoms arise, they can be very painful, making it difficult to participate in activities you once enjoyed.

Unfortunately, herniated discs are not something that will disappear on their own with the use of an ice pack and bed rest. Instead, herniations need to be addressed by a chiropractic medical professional as soon as the issue is noticed to prevent further limitations and discomfort.

While it’s possible for spinal injuries to exist without the presence of symptoms, the majority of those who are living with a bulging disc, slipped disc, or herniation report:

Arm, back, leg, or foot pain

Muscle weakness

Spasms

Overactive reflexes

Foot and hand numbness

For those who are suffering from a herniated disc, there are a number of treatment options, many of which do not require surgery and other painful treatments. Instead, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to offer more conservative treatments and, when needed, techniques like spinal decompression which allow for increased motion and reduced inflammation without the need for invasive procedures.

There are a number of herniated disc treatment options that chiropractic professionals are able to offer to patients as an alternative to surgery. These include medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs as well as physiotherapy practices which help patients to learn which positions are beneficial and/or harmful to recovery. Chiropractic care, massage, and exercise can also be very helpful at alleviating pain and encouraging healing. Each of these treatments can be used separately or in conjunction with one another to facilitate improved spinal health.

When classic conservative treatments, like physiotherapy and exercise, are not able to successfully address the problem, chiropractors like Dr. Eingorn are able to use other techniques such as non-surgical lumbar decompression to help the patients see real, long-lasting results. Dr. Eingorn uses state-of-the-art equipment to provide spinal decompression services tailored to each individual.

What is spinal decompression?

Decompression techniques have been used for quite some time as a means of helping patients experience relief from pain due to herniations and other spinal injuries. The method consists of stretching the spine either by using traction or computerized methods in an attempt to reduce pressure and to ease joint compression. The ultimate goal is to relieve the back and/or leg pain that the patient is experiencing. While traction used to be a popular herniated disc treatment, Dr. Eingorn uses far more advanced equipment that allows for targeted non-surgical lumbar decompression. The DRX 9000 is a machine that has truly revolutionized joint compression treatment. In situations where basic conservative treatments are unable to resolve the problem and give the patient relief from their slipped disc or similar ailment, this technique is a valid and very effective alternative.

What is the DRX 9000?

The DRX 9000 is a machine that is utilized by Dr. Eingorn to help patients rid themselves of their herniations and the symptoms that occur as a result of these spinal injuries. The equipment is a computerized tool that allows for each vertebrae to be targeted specifically. It’s able to isolate each disc and the computerized mechanism is able to perform gradual pushing and pulling motions on the spine in order to encourage the healthy flow of fluid. This reduces the incidence of inflammation drastically and can help to reduce pain in just a few sessions. It’s unique “pumping” motion on the spine has truly worked wonders when helping patients quickly and effectively experience real herniation relief.

This amazing machine and the decompression it provides to patients has proven to be a phenomenal alternative to surgery. It allows for targeted slipped disc and herniation treatment without the need for painful, invasive procedures that are accompanied by significant side effects and pain. Dr. Eingorn believes that natural, alternatives treatments are preferable when possible. Treating patients with methods that are free of side effects and extensive discomfort and downtime is something that he has shown to be a priority time and time again. He truly cares for each of his patients and wants to provide them with therapies that really work.

Schedule a consultation with Dr. Eingorn

If you’ve been experiencing pain for the first time in either your neck or lower back or you’re aware that you’re living with a bulging disc or similar problem, you deserve to be able to experience relief now. Don’t give in to the misinformation out there that says that rest and time will do the healing. In order to experience real relief, you need to receive professional care, and that’s precisely what Dr. Eingorn is able to provide.

Dr. Eingorn has over 25 years of experience helping patients who are struggling with neck and back injuries as well as chronic spinal conditions. His expertise covers a number of topics, but his passion has always been on providing quality herniation treatments. He offers advanced techniques designed to give patients the relief they need and deserve quickly and without surgery, when possible.

He believes in making each of his patients comfortable while in his office, and he and his staff go the extra mile to ensure that you feel welcome and secure in his care from your initial consultation until your final visit. If you’re one of the many individuals who is dealing with pain in your lower back or other region of your spine, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Call the office of Dr. Eingorn today at (646) 553-1884. His staff will be more than happy to answer all of your questions and help you to find a convenient time to come in for your consultation.

DRX900 Consultations

Dr. Eingorn at Better Health Chiropractic provides patient consultations to determine the best treatment for back and neck injuries. This can include treatments for back and neck pain with the DRX900. Many patients that see Dr. Eingorn for consultations come from these areas of NYC:

Manhattan, NYC, Midtown NY, Battery Park City NY, Financial District NY, TriBeCa NY, Chinatown NY, Greenwich Village NY, Little Italy NY, Lower East Side NY, NoHo NY, SoHo NY, West Village NY, Alphabet City NY, Chinatown NY, East Village NY, Lower East Side NY, Two Bridges NY, Chelsea NY, Clinton NY, Gramercy Park NY, Kips Bay NY, Murray Hill NY, Peter Cooper Village NY, Stuyvesant Town NY, Sutton Place NY, Tudor City NY, Turtle Bay NY, Waterside Plaza NY, Lincoln Square NY, Manhattan Valley NY, Upper West Side NY, Lenox Hill NY, Roosevelt Island NY, Upper East Side NY, Yorkville NY, Hamilton Heights NY, Manhattanville, Morningside Heights NY, Harlem NY, Polo Grounds NY, East Harlem NY, Randall’s Island NY, Spanish Harlem NY, Wards Island NY, Inwood NY, Washington Heights NY

[goodnewsjamaica]

How The Harder They Come created Jamaican cinema

New Post has been published on http://goodnewsjamaica.com/world-view/harder-come-created-jamaican-cinema/

How The Harder They Come created Jamaican cinema

I’m in the middle of an ocean of people, converging as one on the side entrance of Carib Theatre in Kingston, Jamaica. It’s Monday evening, June 5, 1972, and this cinema I’m slowly pushing toward is hosting the first public screening of The Harder They Come. Somehow the pressure of the push and crush forces open the theatre’s side door. We pour in. The cinema’s 1,500 seats are filled in an instant. Very few of us, if any, have paid—maybe some planned it that way because they can’t afford it. Others, like myself, were prepared to meet the cost. There’s way more people outside the theatre than in it. What unites all of us, both inside and outside the Carib, is the fear that we won’t witness the initial screening of the first Jamaican feature film — and more, that we won’t be able to see ourselves on the silver screen for the first time. We know that the people who populate The Harder They Come are African-Jamaicans: grassroots sufferers, strivers, the middle class, Rastafari, all of them mirroring the very audience seated in the theatre.

An announcement tells us that we have to vacate the theatre. The Jamaican prime minister Michael Manley is outside the theatre, but the chaos on the street is blocking his entry; his fiancée Beverley Anderson, a TV personality and actor who has a role in the film, is already inside. We notice that the temperature is rising, and realize that the management has turned off the air conditioning to get us to leave. The heat is suffocating, but no one moves. The stand-off simmers with an ever greater sense of urgency. Eventually, the management decides to start the screening. The tense mixture of defiance and anxious anticipation hovering like a thick fog lifts, and a collective exhale of excitement permeates the room. By the time the film’s opening scene appears on the screen — a truck and a country bus meeting head on in the middle of Flat Bridge, a thin beam strip over the Rio Cobre, just after star Jimmy Cliff’s fantastic “You Can Get It If You Really Want” finishes playing on the soundtrack — everyone is relaxed. Laughter fills the theatre when the drivers of the two vehicles exchange comedic insults with one another. The audience’s joy and wonder sustains itself throughout the entire screening. The incident at the premiere is how The Harder They Come enters the world; it is born in circumstances that echo its own rebellious, innovative energy.

Jimmy Cliff in The Harder They Come

What the audience sees on the screen at the Carib that day is the story of Ivan Martin (Cliff), a young man who, lured by the promise of Kingston’s urban embrace, is on that bus looking to escape his humble rural existence. Seeking fame and fortune as a recording artist, Ivan falls afoul of corrupt elements in both the city’s music industry and law enforcement; when he violently defies both, he finds himself an underdog hero, a flamboyant, daring outlaw in the mold of the real-life 1940s gangster/folk hero Vincent Martin, better known as Rhygin.

The Harder They Come was the brainchild of director Perry Henzell, who was born in 1936 in Annotto Bay, a Jamaican north coast town in St. Mary, and grew up on the Caymanas sugar estate operated by his parents and located in St. Catherine. Although his heritage was upper-class and Euro-Jamaican, an early childhood experience presented him with a visceral understanding of Jamaica’s racial and social hierarchy. The decade of Henzell’s birth saw the emergence in Jamaica of Rastafari, an Africa-centric spiritual movement demanding equity for the dispossessed. When Henzell was four years old, Leonard Howell established the Rastafari commune of Pinnacle not far from Caymanas. A few years later, the young Henzell rode his horse to a building site where some of the Rasta brethren from the commune were working. “They talked to me about the Bible, because in those days I loved Bible stories,” Henzell remembered. “They looked ferocious, but in fact [they] were very friendly to [this] little white boy on a horse.”

The Harder They Come

This face-to-face encounter with the reality, and humanity, of the Rastafari — who were commonly viewed as vagrants, outcasts, the dregs of society — allowed Henzell to develop an enlightened perspective on these people and their way of life: “I wasn’t moving around with the bourgeoisie. My hero was the guy driving the tractor. I grew up like a rebel but lived in the big house.” Henzell’s compassion for grassroots African-Jamaicans persisted throughout his time abroad, first at McGill University in Montreal and then in London, where he obtained work at the BBC; returning to Jamaica in the late ’50s, he directed commercials for several years before he began developing what would become his country’s landmark first feature.

Henzell’s decision to make his protagonist Ivan a singer brilliantly tapped in to the current cultural moment in Jamaica. In 1968, just one year prior to the beginning of pre-production on The Harder They Come, reggae emerged as the successor to the homegrown popular-music styles of ska and rock steady. Powerfully influenced by the Rastafari philosophy, reggae at that time was above all a singer’s medium, its lyrics reflecting themes of freedom, justice, and equality for people of African heritage everywhere and for humanity as a whole.

Director Perry Henzell on set

As the late ’60s gave way to the early ’70s, the reggae aesthetic began to permeate the mediums of poetry, non-fiction writing, theatre, dance, and canvas art, leading to a veritable golden age of the arts in Jamaica. The music itself, meanwhile, became both a local and international juggernaut, dominating sound-system dancehalls on the island and in the Caribbean communities in cities like Toronto, New York, and London; records by the likes of THTC star Jimmy Cliff, the duo of Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths, Desmond Dekker, and Lee Perry entered the mainstream charts in America, the UK and Europe on a regular basis.

In The Harder They Come, Henzell captures the spirit of the moment through a powerful soundtrack featuring Cliff, Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, Scotty, the Melodians, and the Slickers. More than just accompaniment, the songs on the soundtrack are an integral part of the film’s story, texture, and meaning; the title song performed by Ivan/Cliff encapsulates many of the film’s themes in its defiant lyrics.

The Harder They Come’s relationship to reggae, however, goes beyond music. The film is immersed in Jamaica’s everyday life and culture reflected through the creative beauty of reggae’s flesh and blood: Ivan’s struggle for a better life in the face of a rigid class structure; the presence of the Rastafari (in the person of the character Pedro) as righteous beacons of peace, love, and equity; the use of the Jamaican language; the argot of body movement through action and dance; and, of course, the reggae rhythm itself. Deeply and vitally engaged with all aspects of the movement, The Harder They Come is the film component of Jamaica’s reggae-influenced golden age.Making a film is a team effort, and for The Harder They Come Henzell assembled his cast and crew based on the cinema he aspired to create — a kind of cinema exemplified by directors like Ken Loach, Gillo Pontecorvo, and John Cassavetes, emphasizing collective creation, realism, and (in at least the first two cases) prominent political themes. Henzell thus met with such people as Rasta elder Mortimer Planno while conducting his extensive research for the film; he co-wrote the screenplay with the talented African-Jamaican playwright Trevor Rhone; selected noted Rastafari canvas artist Daniel Hartman for the role of Pedro; and, as the film’s hero Ivan, he cast Jimmy Cliff, a reggae singer with a prominent international profile.

For most of the talent in front of the camera — including Cliff, Hartman, Carl Bradshaw (as Ivan’s friend Jose), Basil Keane (as Preacher), Winston Stona (as the police detective pursuing Ivan) and Lucia White (as Ivan’s mother) — The Harder They Come represented their screen debuts. (Janet Bartley who portrays Elsa, Ivan’s love interest, was likely the only experienced actor in the film.) “I always cast on the assumption that I was trying to cast people that knew more about their role than I do,” said Henzell. That was certainly true of Cliff, who, like Ivan, moved from country to city and became a recording artist, and also of Hartman, who shared his character’s spiritual worldview.

The Harder They Come

The finely tuned authenticity of the performances is matched by the film’s attentiveness to the sights and sounds of 1970s Kingston, as captured by Henzell and cinematographer David McDonald (along with additional camerawork by Franklyn St. Juste and Peter Jessop). An early scene where Ivan first arrives in Kingston and is promptly ripped off by a handcart man neatly depicts the rhythm of abandon disturbing the city’s downtown streets. Sally Henzell’s art direction aids immeasurably in achieving the realistic textures that the director was aiming for, particularly in such settings as the humble room where Ivan’s mother lives. A sequence depicting a church service offers a precise depiction of how the sensual and the spiritual sometimes converge in these places of worship: a woman overwhelmed by spirit possession almost seems to be experiencing an orgasm, as the congregation itself reaches a frenzied climax to the pulsing beat of Jamaican hand-clap and tambourine gospel.

After its successful domestic run, The Harder They Come embarked on a world tour, with its director in tow (“I went to 43 different countries in six years,” Henzell recalled). The first stop was Europe, where it was met with an initially favourable reception: at Ireland’s Cork Film Festival it received the Editor’s Prize, while at the Venice Film Festival it earned an award for best soundtrack. Before Venice, the film arrived in the UK and played at Brixton’s Classic cinema, where the turn-out for the first screenings was disappointing, despite the neighbourhood’s significant Caribbean population. Henzell was forced to publicize the film himself by handing out leaflets in the neighbourhood, and — with these grassroots tactics and a positive review from the Sunday Observer’s George Melly — the audience and enthusiasm for the film steadily grew.

THTC’s next engagement was in November 1972 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in L.A., where it screened as part of Filmex, the Los Angeles International Film Exposition. While the film was well-received by the packed house that attended, it initially failed to attract a distributor; however, Henzell’s dogged persistence paid off yet again, and it was finally picked up by Roger Corman’s distribution company New World Pictures. Film critics A.H. Weiler (in The New York Times) and Tom Shales (in The Washington Post) both praised the film ahead of its US release in early 1973, while Time Magazine’s Jay Cocks wrote that “The Harder They Come is always exuberant, and sometimes strong, as casually surprising and effortlessly sinister as the blade sliding out of a gravity knife.” Nevertheless, the release ran into problems due to New World’s promotional campaign, which had targeted the film at the blaxploitation market. Henzell proceeded to cancel the distribution deal and take charge of the marketing and publicity of the film himself.

A friend of a friend connected Henzell with Larry Jackson, the programmer for the Orson Welles Theatre just outside Boston, who was seeking “rebel films” for his midnight screening slots. Jackson watched the film and loved it, and agreed with Henzell that it should not be promoted as “Super Fly Goes to Jamaica.” The Harder They Come opened in prime time in the 400-seat theatre of the Welles triplex in April 1973, and, as Jackson recounts, “In the first few months 75, 000 people had gone to see the film. After six months we took it off the regular screening schedule and showed it at midnight,” where it continued to play to a full house for the next six years. This is but one example of the spectacular success that the film enjoyed on college and repertory screens across the US, from Boston to New York City, Washington D.C. to San Francisco.

In Toronto, the film’s host was the now-defunct Cinema Lumiere on College Street near Spadina, where THTC began screening in the summer of 1973 to enthusiastic audiences that included many Caribbean-Canadians. “The Harder They Come surges with exotic life and an exhilarating sense of continuous movement,” The Toronto Star’s Clyde Gilmour wrote at the time, and the city’s Black community press was just as effusive in its praise: in the pages of the monthly Spear magazine, film critic J. Ashton Braithwaite flatly declared “The Harder They Come… is a good movie, period.”

Perry Henzell’s No Place Like Home

At 11:00pm on September 13, 2006, Perry Henzell — now 70 years old and battling cancer — stood in front of the screen at the Cumberland 3 in Yorkville, looking out on a capacity crowd that had just finished watching TIFF’s world premiere of his new work No Place Like Home. Henzell’s long, grey, bushy beard, erudite voice and insightful comments give him the presence of a hippie intellectual rather than an elder statesman of Caribbean cinema. The Festival showed The Harder They Come in its “Dialogues: Talking with Pictures” programme a few days later. Just two months after his visit to Toronto, Henzell died back home in Jamaica. But his spirit still thrives in his art, most powerfully in his first and greatest film, which put Jamaica on the world cinema map for the very first time.

The Harder They Come screened on Sunday, December 10 as part of the TIFF Cinematheque retrospective Black Star.

By: Klive Walker

Original Article Found Here

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Under Trump, future of U.S. nuclear arsenal slowly taking shape

http://ryanguillory.com/under-trump-future-of-u-s-nuclear-arsenal-slowly-taking-shape/

Under Trump, future of U.S. nuclear arsenal slowly taking shape

JULIETT-01 MISSILE ALERT FACILITY (Reuters) – About 70 feet (21 m) below ground, in a shielded military capsule that can launch nuclear missiles, 23-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Tia Hewuse is concerned that Americans have the mistaken impression that her mission is a gloomy one.

“America doesn’t understand what we do,” says Hewuse, whose post sits below a tiny U.S. base surrounded by vast expanses of windswept North Dakota farmland.

“This is what keeps our enemies at bay,” she says with a smile.

Hewuse is one of the U.S. Air Force missileers who met Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday as he oversees a Pentagon review of America’s aging nuclear arsenal. Experts say it could cost a trillion dollars or more to modernize it.

Critics of the intercontinental ballistic missiles have argued that the silos scattered across thousands of square miles of the upper Great Plains are sitting ducks in a war and that, given the costs of modernizing ICBMs, the United States should spend its money on weaponry that could better survive a first strike by an enemy.

Mattis himself questioned in 2015 whether the three legs of America’s nuclear “triad” of ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles should perhaps be reduced to a “dyad.”

But in the latest sign that places like Hewuse’s Cold War-era missile alert facility will be around for years to come, Mattis said on Wednesday he believed all three portions of the triad were vital.

“I have been persuaded that the triad, in its framework, is the right way to go,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Minot Air Force Base, where he got a firsthand look at U.S. land-based nuclear missile facilities and nuclear-capable bombers.

Mattis declined to set a deadline for the review, which is expected to take months to complete.

FIRE AND FURY

Mattis’ tour of America’s doomsday weaponry comes as President Donald Trump uses bellicose rhetoric about the “fire and fury” that could await North Korea, should it choose to attack the United States.

North Korea has responded with similarly bellicose warnings after it staged its sixth and largest nuclear test this month. In July, Pyongyang tested an ICBM that experts believe was capable of reaching most of the United States.

U.S. officials have also noted that America’s nuclear modernization is lagging behind Russia’s upgrade of its own nuclear triad.

General Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress in August he believed Moscow was already two-thirds through its nuclear modernization process.

The Arms Control Association estimates that the total cost of upgrading the U.S. nuclear forces will be between $1.25 trillion and $1.46 trillion over the next 30 years.

Mattis, without offering a figure, suggested that nuclear deterrence was worth the investment.

“America can afford survival,” he said.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Mattis says his goal would be to ensure that an adversary concludes that there is no viable prospect for successfully attacking the United States and surviving.

“We want the enemy to look at it and say this is impossible,” he said.

The land-based, nuclear-capable missiles are a big part of that.

The U.S. forces who staff these facilities near the U.S. border with Canada have to endure bitter cold in the winters, which can get so bad that missileers can be stuck in their posts for up to 72 hours, officials said.

Officials says morale has improved since the nuclear forces were rocked by test-cheating and drug scandals under the Obama administration and a 2007 incident under the Bush administration, when the Air Force accidentally flew live nuclear weapons between Minot and another U.S. base.

Hewuse uses her free time to study for a postgraduate degree in entrepreneurship. She has also brightened her capsule by painting the lock used to keep nuclear missile launch keys shut in a cabinet above her head.

She painted the lock gold, with sparkles.

“I‘m a pretty sparkly person,” she said. “There’s no sunshine in here. So that’s my sunshine.”

Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Peter Cooney

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source link

[awesomefelicitylewis-blog]

Under Trump, future of U.S. nuclear arsenal slowly taking shape

http://ryanguillory.com/under-trump-future-of-u-s-nuclear-arsenal-slowly-taking-shape/

Under Trump, future of U.S. nuclear arsenal slowly taking shape

JULIETT-01 MISSILE ALERT FACILITY (Reuters) – About 70 feet (21 m) below ground, in a shielded military capsule that can launch nuclear missiles, 23-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Tia Hewuse is concerned that Americans have the mistaken impression that her mission is a gloomy one.

“America doesn’t understand what we do,” says Hewuse, whose post sits below a tiny U.S. base surrounded by vast expanses of windswept North Dakota farmland.

“This is what keeps our enemies at bay,” she says with a smile.

Hewuse is one of the U.S. Air Force missileers who met Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday as he oversees a Pentagon review of America’s aging nuclear arsenal. Experts say it could cost a trillion dollars or more to modernize it.

Critics of the intercontinental ballistic missiles have argued that the silos scattered across thousands of square miles of the upper Great Plains are sitting ducks in a war and that, given the costs of modernizing ICBMs, the United States should spend its money on weaponry that could better survive a first strike by an enemy.

Mattis himself questioned in 2015 whether the three legs of America’s nuclear “triad” of ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles should perhaps be reduced to a “dyad.”

But in the latest sign that places like Hewuse’s Cold War-era missile alert facility will be around for years to come, Mattis said on Wednesday he believed all three portions of the triad were vital.

“I have been persuaded that the triad, in its framework, is the right way to go,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Minot Air Force Base, where he got a firsthand look at U.S. land-based nuclear missile facilities and nuclear-capable bombers.

Mattis declined to set a deadline for the review, which is expected to take months to complete.

FIRE AND FURY

Mattis’ tour of America’s doomsday weaponry comes as President Donald Trump uses bellicose rhetoric about the “fire and fury” that could await North Korea, should it choose to attack the United States.

North Korea has responded with similarly bellicose warnings after it staged its sixth and largest nuclear test this month. In July, Pyongyang tested an ICBM that experts believe was capable of reaching most of the United States.

U.S. officials have also noted that America’s nuclear modernization is lagging behind Russia’s upgrade of its own nuclear triad.

General Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress in August he believed Moscow was already two-thirds through its nuclear modernization process.

The Arms Control Association estimates that the total cost of upgrading the U.S. nuclear forces will be between $1.25 trillion and $1.46 trillion over the next 30 years.

Mattis, without offering a figure, suggested that nuclear deterrence was worth the investment.

“America can afford survival,” he said.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Mattis says his goal would be to ensure that an adversary concludes that there is no viable prospect for successfully attacking the United States and surviving.

“We want the enemy to look at it and say this is impossible,” he said.

The land-based, nuclear-capable missiles are a big part of that.

The U.S. forces who staff these facilities near the U.S. border with Canada have to endure bitter cold in the winters, which can get so bad that missileers can be stuck in their posts for up to 72 hours, officials said.

Officials says morale has improved since the nuclear forces were rocked by test-cheating and drug scandals under the Obama administration and a 2007 incident under the Bush administration, when the Air Force accidentally flew live nuclear weapons between Minot and another U.S. base.

Hewuse uses her free time to study for a postgraduate degree in entrepreneurship. She has also brightened her capsule by painting the lock used to keep nuclear missile launch keys shut in a cabinet above her head.

She painted the lock gold, with sparkles.

“I‘m a pretty sparkly person,” she said. “There’s no sunshine in here. So that’s my sunshine.”

Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Peter Cooney

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source link