#and Pipe Fitting in Philadelphia

[pttedu]

Explore hands-on trade programs at PTTI, including welding, construction, sterile processing, HVAC, and automotive repair. Designed for real-world careers, our training programs in Philadelphia equip students with job-ready skills, certifications, and industry experience. Whether you're starting fresh or changing paths, PTTI prepares you for success in today’s high-demand skilled trades.

[forkfulofflavor]

Gingerbread Delight Cupcakes These delightful gingerbread cupcakes are perfect for the holiday season, featuring warm spices and a creamy frosting that adds a festive touch. Ingredients 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour spooned and leveled ½ cup buttermilk ½ cup butter room temperature ½ cup packed dark brown sugar ? cup unsulfured molasses 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cream Cheese Frosting: 4 cups powdered sugar 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese room temperature ½ cup butter room temp 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon cinnamon Instructions Set your oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake tin with 12 liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. In a measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and molasses. Set this aside. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually mix in half of the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk and molasses mixture, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before applying the frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting: Using an electric mixer, cream the room temperature cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large French tip and decorate the cooled cupcakes in a swirl pattern. Add gingerbread cookies as a finishing touch. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator if not serving immediately, and let them come to room temperature before eating. Enjoy!

[hillyroberts]

Book 1: Chapter 7

Read here or on ao3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65717263/chapters/170813686

Another kiss???

Before the Show

June 6th, 2017. Philadelphia.

Bennett didn’t think he’d ever get used to the way he felt before stepping on stage. Every time he felt like he had a handle on it, the crowd got bigger and louder. The pulsing energy from the audience, anticipating the Lost Checkers set, echoed in the space behind the stage where Bennett stood anxiously, still tasting the burn of whiskey from the band’s pre-show shot ritual.

He edged closer to the thick black curtain and peeked through the gap. The house was full, a sea of Lost Checkers tee shirts and eager faces illuminated by the stage lights. They were out there for him - for all of them - but the thought that so many people were there to watch him play his guitar tonight still felt so surreal.

“Ben.” A sharp whisper cut through his thoughts. He turned to see Malcolm stepping out of the dressing room where the band had gotten ready together.

Malcolm was dressed in black skinny jeans with a black and red belt, a white button-down shirt embroidered with intricate red roses on the collar. The shirt was only half-buttoned, revealing much of his chest, and the sleeves were rolled past his elbows. His face was striking, with his pale foundation, black eyeliner, and a faint smudge of red shadow along his lower lids. His signature makeup style always gave him a haunted, ethereal look, especially under the lights of the stage.

“What do you think? Is it too much?” Malcolm asked.

“Uh, no,” Bennett laughed, startled by the question. “You’re making me feel a little underdressed, though.”

Bennett glanced down at himself. Black jeans, checkered Vans, a fitted black polo with red piping on the collar. He was always in all black, with his black studs in each ear, a black ring in his nose, and the tattoos that covered his left arm. It was simple, but it fit him. The other three boys did not put much thought into their appearances either, though they had all been convinced to stick to black and red and wear a little makeup around their eyes. Still, Malcolm had been campaigning for dressier and bolder fashion choices for the band.

“Is it too much cleavage?” Malcolm joked, testing if he should do up one more button on his shirt. If he leaned forward, which he was sure to do a lot during the performance, he would definitely give the audience a glimpse of his nipples.

“No,” Bennett laughed. “I think you’re fine.” He hesitated. “What about me?”

Malcolm stepped closer, tilting his head at Bennett, his eyes glittering with a mischievous light. “I might have something for you, if you trust me.”

Bennett raised an eyebrow. “Um, sure?”

Malcolm's smile widened as he ducked into the dressing room and returned moments later with a black makeup pencil in his hand.

“What’s that for?” Bennett asked, taking a step back.

“You said you trusted me,” Malcolm reminded him, his voice soft but teasing as he closed his distance between them.

Bennett swallowed and took another step back, allowing himself to be backed into a corner between the wall and the curtain to the stage.

“Here, look up,” Malcolm whispered. He cupped one hand under Bennett’s chin to tilt his face up.

Bennett obeyed, his heart racing as Malcolm leaned in, so close he could feel the warm brush of his breath against his skin.

“Close your eyes. Hold still.”

He did, resisting the urge to flinch as the makeup pencil glided over his skin. The space between them was so quiet, despite the muffled roar of the crowd just beyond the curtain. Bennett was hyper-aware of how close their faces were, and his mind flashed back to the last time they were this close, when they had kissed.

He couldn’t imagine what Malcolm was doing with his small deliberate strokes of the makeup pencil along his face. If it turned out terrible, or if this was some kind of weird joke, he wasn’t going to have time to wash it off.

“Almost done… okay.”

Bennett opened his eyes, startled to see Malcolm’s face still so close.

Malcolm steered him gently to a mirror on the wall. “What do you think?”

Bennett looked at his reflection. A jagged, lightning-like zigzag stretched across his face, starting beneath his hairline and cutting diagonally across his forehead, ending just below his eye. Malcolm had outlined it with black and shaded it with a faint red hue. Bennett couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be, but it looked fierce - like a scar from a werewolf’s claw or a bolt of lightning, wild and untamed.

“Whoa…” Bennett whispered, resisting the urge to touch it.

“You like it?” Malcolm asked, his voice filled with quiet pride.

“Yeah,” Bennett said, smiling.

Malcolm reached for the red makeup again, adding a bit more color to the outline, blending it with his finger. Bennett watched him in the mirror, mesmerized by the focus in his eyes, the delicate way his fingers worked against his skin.

“Wow,” Bennett said when Malcolm was satisfied with his work, admiring it again in the mirror. “Thanks.”

It was makeup, but it didn’t make him look girly or anything. It complemented the jagged tattoo that wrapped around Bennett’s shoulder, peeking out beneath the sleeve of his shirt. Malcolm’s makeup never made him look girly either. The eyeliner made his blue eyes burn brighter, and Bennett always thought the pale foundation Malcolm wore made him look like he could be a vampire. Not like a cartoonish vampire or a Halloween costume, but as if he really might be a vampire, hiding in plain sight.

Malcolm took a step toward the stage, placing one foot on the bottom step. He peeked through the curtain, catching sight of Sam, Luke, and Xavier on the opposite side, waiting for Malcolm’s signal. But he paused, stepping back into the shadows. He glanced around, confirming they were alone.

Bennett’s breath caught in his throat as Malcolm turned to face him, a grin flashing across his face. A vampire, hungry, out for blood, staring down at him.

Malcolm grabbed Bennett’s face with both hands, his thumbs pressing into his cheeks. Every moment he spent alone with Bennett, he fought this urge. He couldn’t contain it anymore. He kissed him.

It was sudden, intense, and quick. A flash of restrained desire finally unleashed. Malcolm’s lips were warm and strong. Bennett froze, taking in the taste of whisky and adrenaline for the split second before Malcolm pulled apart.

Unlike last time, there was no awkwardness, embarrassment, or trace of regret. Unlike his tentative brush on Bennett’s lips the other day, it was perfect.

“Ready?” Malcolm breathed, the grin stuck on his face.

Bennett was speechless, breathless, but he nodded. He was ready. Or, at least, he would be once he was sure his legs could hold him. A thrill rushed through his body, adrenaline and something else - a warmth and desire he’d never felt. 

The whole set, Bennett couldn’t shake the smile off of his face. He couldn’t look away from Malcolm either. 

[bathandkitchenshowroombroomall]

Why Your Next Home Upgrade Starts at a Plumbing Supply Showroom

When planning a home renovation or update, especially in the kitchen or bathroom, many people head straight to big-box stores or online retailers. But if you're looking for quality, expert advice, and hands-on experience, visiting a local plumbing supply showroom can make all the difference. Whether you're upgrading your bathroom vanity or selecting new fixtures for a custom home build, your local experts have the tools and insights to guide you every step of the way.

For homeowners in the region, a Philadelphia plumbing supply showroom offers a curated, high-quality experience that can't be replicated online.

See and Feel Before You Buy

One of the most significant advantages of visiting a plumbing supply showroom is the opportunity to interact with products in person. Photos on a screen rarely tell the whole story. Seeing faucets, sinks, tubs, and fixtures up close gives you a better sense of how they'll look and feel in your home. You can open drawers, turn handles, and compare finishes under real lighting—things that matter once these pieces are installed.

For something as personal and style-sensitive as choosing from the many available bathroom vanity styles, this kind of tactile experience helps you make a more confident, informed decision.

Access to Professional-Grade Products

Showrooms often carry higher-end or professional-grade products that you won't find in regular retail stores. These are items trusted by plumbers, contractors, and designers for their durability, performance, and design quality. Many plumbing supply showrooms also partner with well-known brands and manufacturers, providing access to premium lines and the latest industry innovations.

Expert Guidance Makes the Process Smoother

When you're browsing products online, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. What's compatible with your plumbing setup? Will this faucet match the finish of your showerhead? Can you fit a double sink in your current vanity footprint? In a plumbing supply showroom, trained professionals are available to answer those questions on the spot. The showroom consultant's guidance can save you from costly mistakes and help you make selections that align with both your vision and your home's technical needs.

Customized Solutions for Any Project

Whether you're remodeling a small powder room or designing an entire home's plumbing layout, your local showroom can help customize your experience. They work closely with interior designers, architects, and plumbers, making it easy to coordinate complex projects. Showroom consultants can help you put together a complete package—from piping and valves to stunning bath hardware, all tailored to your space and budget.

Supporting Local Expertise

Visiting a local Philadelphia plumbing supply showroom also supports small businesses and professionals who know your neighborhood, climate, and building styles. Their expertise is built not just on training but also on firsthand experience in your area. That means better recommendations, quicker service, and a more personalized approach than you'll ever get from a large chain.

Whether you're planning a complete bathroom renovation or simply exploring new bathroom vanity styles, your local plumbing supply showroom offers an experience that's equal parts practical and inspiring. From professional guidance to top-tier products, it's the ideal place to bring your renovation ideas to life.

Skip the guessing and the scrolling. Step into a showroom, see the possibilities, and get expert help to bring your vision to life.

[marksrvrentals]

RV Rentals Philadelphia for First-Timers: Tips & Tricks

Planning your first RV trip can be both exciting and a little overwhelming. With so many options, routes, and details to consider, it’s easy to feel lost—especially if you’re a first-time renter. Luckily, RV Rentals Philadelphia offers the perfect starting point for those new to RV travel. Whether you're heading to the scenic Pocono Mountains, exploring the Jersey Shore, or just enjoying a staycation around Philly, an RV gives you the freedom to travel your way.

At Mark’s RV Rentals, we understand the needs of first-timers. That’s why we’ve created this helpful guide to give you the tips and tricks you need for a smooth, enjoyable adventure.

1. Know What Type of RV Fits Your Needs

Before diving into RV Rentals Philadelphia, it’s important to know what type of RV suits your lifestyle and travel plans. There are various classes and sizes to choose from:

Class A: Large and luxurious, ideal for extended trips or families.

Class B: Camper vans, great for solo travelers or couples.

Class C: A balanced option with decent space and easy handling.

Towable RVs: Travel trailers or fifth wheels that require a towing vehicle.

As a first-time renter, Class C RVs are often a safe bet. They offer a good mix of space and ease of driving. Talk to an expert at Mark’s RV Rentals to find the perfect model for your experience level and trip goals.

2. Practice Before You Hit the Road

If you’ve never driven an RV before, don’t worry—it’s easier than it looks. That said, getting comfortable with your RV before the journey is essential. When you pick up your vehicle through RV Rentals Philadelphia, take the time to:

Practice turning and reversing in a large, empty parking lot.

Learn how to adjust your mirrors and understand your blind spots.

Test the brakes and get a feel for the vehicle’s length and height.

Review any onboard systems like the generator, plumbing, and leveling jacks.

This hands-on prep will make your trip far more enjoyable and reduce stress once you're on the road.

3. Plan Your Route and Campsites in Advance

One of the best parts of RV travel is flexibility, but it’s still wise to plan ahead—especially during busy seasons. When using RV Rentals Philadelphia, research RV-friendly campgrounds, parks, or resorts along your route. Be sure to:

Check whether the site has full hookups (water, electricity, sewer).

Know the check-in times and reservation policies.

Make sure your RV size is compatible with the campsite.

Consider proximity to attractions, fuel, and grocery stores.

Apps like Campendium or websites like Recreation.gov are great for finding campsites with reviews and availability info.

4. Pack Smart and Light

It’s tempting to bring everything with you, but RVs have space limitations. When using RV Rentals in Philadelphia, focus on essentials like:

Bedding, pillows, and towels

Cooking gear and utensils

Toiletries and personal care items

Food and bottled water

Lightweight clothes suited for the weather

Entertainment (games, books, outdoor gear)

Make use of built-in storage, and avoid overloading the vehicle. The more organized you are, the more enjoyable your living space will be during your travels.

5. Know Your Hookups and Utilities

Hooking up your RV to power, water, and sewer lines can seem intimidating at first. Most vehicles offered by RV Rentals Philadelphia come with clear instructions—and our team at Mark’s RV Rentals will show you exactly how everything works.

Here are some key tips:

Always hook up electricity before turning on any major appliances.

Use a pressure regulator for water hookups to avoid pipe damage.

Dump black water (toilet) before gray water (shower/sink) to help flush the hose.

Sanitize your fresh water tank and drinking hoses regularly.

Being familiar with these processes keeps your RV clean, functional, and hassle-free.

6. Follow Safety and Driving Etiquette

When renting through RV Rentals in Philadelphia, always prioritize safety. Keep a safe distance on the road, watch for low-clearance signs, and follow the speed limit. Avoid sudden braking and sharp turns, especially on highways or narrow roads.

Other safety tips:

Use wheel chocks when parked.

Turn off propane before fueling.

Secure all loose items inside before driving.

Never leave the awning out during windy weather.

First-timers who stay alert and cautious tend to have smoother, safer journeys.

7. Embrace the RV Lifestyle

RV travel is all about flexibility, comfort, and the freedom to explore at your own pace. Whether you’re enjoying a campfire under the stars, making breakfast with a view, or taking a mid-day nap in your own bed-on-wheels, the experience is like no other.

With RV Rentals Philadelphia, first-timers often discover a whole new way to vacation—one where the journey itself becomes the destination. Be open to detours, connect with other travelers, and take the time to enjoy the little moments.

8. Choose a Rental Company That Supports You

Not all rental services are created equal. One of the biggest advantages of choosing RV Rentals Philadelphia through Mark’s RV Rentals is our commitment to first-time renters. We offer detailed walkthroughs, helpful checklists, and 24/7 support while you're on the road.

Whether it’s your first RV weekend or you’re planning a longer road trip, our goal is to make the experience easy, enjoyable, and memorable.

Final Thoughts

Stepping into the world of RV travel opens the door to adventure, comfort, and unforgettable memories. With the right guidance and a little preparation, first-time travelers can hit the road with confidence.

RV Rentals Philadelphia is your gateway to a flexible, fun, and rewarding journey—and Mark’s RV Rentals is here to make that journey stress-free from start to finish. So pack your bags, pick your route, and get ready to explore Pennsylvania and beyond like never before.

Contact Us:

Visit Us: rvrental.pro

Mark’s RV Rentals

Add: Trevose, PA, 19053

Call Us: +1 (215) 607–4047

Mail To: divin2345@gmail.com

[trendingreportz]

North America Titanium Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

North America Titanium Market Overview

North America Titanium Market size is forecast to reach US$2,783.5 million by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 3.9% during 2021-2026. Numerous applications of titanium products fueled by low thermal expansion and high co-efficient fire resistance properties that have sparked a massive increase in the North American titanium market demand. Increasing government initiatives, and investments to enhance and promote lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles will further raise the usage of titanium. Thus, this would act as a key factor influencing the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, the rising production of new aircraft for commercial and military use in countries such as the USA, Canada, and Mexico are further estimated to boost the North American titanium market growth. Also, the rising demand for titanium in 3D printing technology is anticipated to create opportunities for the growth of the market in the upcoming years.

COVID-19 Impact

However, in the year 2020 COVID-19 has left a lasting impact on all the sectors, especially on the aerospace and automobile sectors. The aerospace sector has been the hardest hit due to lockdowns, travel restrictions and flight bans. While the demand for defense and space products and services has been relatively immune to the pandemic due to the nature of their respective missions, commercial aviation has had to navigate an unprecedented crisis. Manufacturing was brought to a complete standstill leading to cancellation of orders. For instance, during the second quarter of 2020, Boeing temporarily suspended operations in Puget Sound, South Carolina, and Philadelphia, as well as at several other key production sites due to COVID-19-related operating restrictions. While the demand for defense & space products and services has been relatively immune to the pandemic, commercial aviation has had been hard hit. Boeing, especially, was at the receiving end already battling the grounding of 737-8 and 737-9 over safety concerns, coupled with the deep impact of the pandemic on commercial air travel. This is evident from the revenue of Boeing in 2020 that dropped to US$58,158 million in 2020. 

Report Coverage

The report: “North America Titanium Market – Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the North America Titanium Industry. 

By Form: Bar, Sheet, Pipe, Plate, Threaded Rod & Wire, Tubing, Elbows, Flanges, Stub Ends, Screwed Fittings and Pipe Plugs, and Others 

By Grade: Ti 6Al-4V (Grade 5), Ti 6Al-4V ELI (Grade 23), Ti 3Al 2.5 (Grade 9), Ti 5Al-2.5Sn (Grade 6), and Others

By Application: Aerospace, Military, Industrial Process, Automotive, Building and Construction, Medical, Sporting Goods, Jewelry, Mobile Phones, and Others

By Country: USA, Canada, and Mexico

Request Sample

Key Takeaways

USA dominates the North America Titanium Market, owing to the increasing aerospace and automotive sector in the country. The increasing per capita income and evolving lifestyle of individuals coupled with the rising population are the major factors expanding the aerospace and automotive sector in Europe.

Titanium is one of the rapidly emerging markets. The industry has changed dramatically over time, mainly due to continued growth and integration in aerospace products.

During the forecast period, extensive growth of fuel-efficient and lightweight vehicles is expected to drive the North American titanium market demand.

North America Titanium Market Segment Analysis – By Form

The plate segment held the largest share in the North America Titanium Market in 2020 up to 28% by revenue and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% during 2021-2026. Titanium Plate is about 40% lighter than steel but 60% heavier than aluminium. Titanium grade 2 plate combines flexibility and superior corrosion resistance with high tensile strength. Like Titanium sheets, the Titanium plates also have a wide range of use case applications, especially in medical or orthopaedic implant functions. Titanium plates are used in protective armor, tanks, vests, helmets, and personnel carriers. These protective applications are used by both the military and police departments across the world. As a biocompatible metal, titanium is handled in large doses but has minimal impact on the human body. Although it’s ingested daily, it’s not always absorbed. The medical industry uses the titanium plates for the human body because it presents a similar density to bone and used for joint replacements, hip replacements or knee replacement purposes. A titanium plate can also be used for sporting equipment. An example of how the titanium plate can be used for equipment includes golf club heads/drivers. The lightweight structure of the plate allows golfers (of all abilities) to hit the ball with ease, enhancing their overall performance.

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North America Titanium Market Segment Analysis – By Technology

The Ti 6Al-4V (Grade 5) segment held the largest share in the North America Titanium Market in 2020 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% during 2021-2026. The most often used titanium material is Ti 6Al-4V (Grade 5). Ti-6AL-4V refers to its chemical make-up, which includes about 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium, 0.25 percent (max) iron, and 0.2 percent (max) oxygen. It possesses a high modulus of elasticity and a low modulus of elasticity, as well as excellent corrosion resistance, weldability, and heat treatability. The addition of aluminium and vanadium to the alloy matrix raises the hardness of the material, improving its physical and mechanical properties. Boeing recently designed and deployed a modelling simulation solution for Ti-6Al-4V plate, bar, and forged stock for Ti-6Al-4V plate, bar, and forged stock in 2020. Ti 6AI-4V is most commonly used in the aerospace industry. Jet engine compressor blades, discs, and rings; aircraft components; pressure containers; and many more are all applications where Grade 5 titanium is suitable. Heat treatment allows Ti-6AI-4V round bar material to acquire even higher strengths. Medical implants can also benefit from this friendly material. Titanium has a high capacity for combining with bones and other tissue because to its mechanical and physical properties. Slow speeds, high feed rates, rigid tooling, and flooding the work piece with non-chlorinated cutting fluid can all be used to manufacture Ti 6AL-4v Grade 5 Titanium bar stock.

North America Titanium Market Segment Analysis – By Application

The aerospace segment held the largest share in the North America Titanium Market in 2020 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% during 2021-2026. Commercially available pure titanium and titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V are primarily used for airframe and engine parts, respectively. Because of the low fuel consumption of aircraft, titanium demand is likely to grow. To reduce aircraft fuel consumption, the use of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) in airframes and engine parts has increased recently. Similarly, titanium is in high demand because of its good compatibility with CFRP in terms of corrosiveness and coefficient of thermal expansion. According to Boeing, North America will require a total of 9,160 commercial airplanes deliveries during the period 2021-2040. With a nearly 9% increase in sales over 2018, space systems lead the aerospace and defense industry's growth in the United States. Thus, titanium manufacturing in the North America has been continuously increasing to suit the growing demand for new aircraft and engines. The growth in the production of aircraft will augment the demand for aircraft parts which will lead to rise in consumption and demand for titanium. 

North America Titanium Market Segment Analysis – By Geography 

USA held the largest share in the North America Titanium Market in 2020 up to 68% by revenue, owing to the flourishing aerospace industry in the region. The United States accounts for about 4% of the total world production of titanium minerals and is heavily dependent on imports of titanium mineral concentrates on meeting its domestic needs. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, in 2020 majority of titanium was used in aerospace applications. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. aerospace sector continues to produce the highest trade balance (US$77.6 billion in 2019) and the second highest level of exports (US$148 billion) among all manufacturing industries. This predominant position has remained unchanged for decades, with aerospace exports having grown at an average rate of 5.31 percent over the last 10 years and the aerospace trade balance increasing at an average rate of 4.64 percent since 2010. Thus, it is anticipated that with the increasing aerospace production in the region, the demand for titanium is also eventually rising, which is positively impacting the USA titanium market growth.

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North America Titanium Market Drivers

Increasing Demand for Titanium over Other Metals in the Automotive Industry

Titanium is increasingly influencing the automotive industry, spurred by the need to find alternative sources of materials in production to standard steel and aluminium. Titanium connecting rods are already utilized in engines to improve fuel efficiency and minimize pollution. The same material is also used in automotive engine valves, which improves fuel efficiency and vehicle reliability. Engines with titanium valves have a 20% higher speed restriction than those with steel valves. Also, titanium is utilized in an automobile since it helps to extend the life of motor parts. Titanium springs, for instance, are more corrosion resistant when compared to steel springs, which prolong their service life. Because the young's modulus of titanium is about half that of steel, the number of turns can be lowered when used in the springs. Titanium is hence thought to be beneficial not just in terms of weight loss but also in terms of size reduction. Furthermore, in terms of specific toughness and fatigue strength, the two most important indexes for titanium application to automobiles, titanium is advantageous over steel and aluminium alloys. Titanium is also beneficial to turbochargers as it improves heat resistance and longevity. Because of their low melting point, light metals like aluminium are not suitable for turbochargers, which will enhance an engine's power output. On the other hand, titanium is an excellent material for turbochargers because of its strong heat resistance. Thus, the rising demand for titanium over other metals in automotive components is further projected to fuel the North American titanium market during the forecast period.

Surging Demand for Titanium in the Healthcare Sector

For the past years, the medical industry has employed titanium for surgical and dental equipment in the healthcare industry. Titanium is increasingly used in various biomedical implants, including pacemakers, eye implants, and hearing aids. Titanium's remarkable ability to connect with the bone and living tissue makes it an excellent material for orthopaedic implants like knee and hip replacements. It's also suitable for various other medical tools due to its strength and higher corrosion resistance. It is also the most biocompatible of all metals, and it permits human bone development to cling to prosthetic and joint-replacement devices, allowing them to endure longer. Titanium is used in pacemaker casings because it is resistant to body fluids, lightweight, flexible, and non-magnetic. Titanium is even used in artificial heart valves. Furthermore, titanium has several properties that make it an excellent choice for medical applications. Its benefits include durability, non-ferromagnetism, biocompatibility, bio interfacing, osseointegration, and others, which has raised its demand. With the launch of new titanium implant products in the healthcare sector, the North American titanium market is estimated to rise. For instance, In July 2020, CancelleX Bio-inspired spinal implants from Xenco Medical launched the first injection-molded titanium foam implants for spine surgery pre-attached to disposable instruments. In addition, The Titanium/PEEK Posterior LEIF (Lateral Expandable Interbody Fusion) cage, designed for use in the lumbar spine as a spinal fusion procedure, was launched by Zavation Medical Products company an innovative designer and manufacturer of high-quality spinal implants, instruments, MIS procedural kits, and biologics headquartered in Flowood, MS in August 2020. Furthermore, in October 2020, The Adaptix Interbody System, a guided titanium implant with Titan nanoLOCK surface technology, a blend of macro, micro, and nano surface textures, was launched in the United States by Medtronic. Thus, due to such alluring properties and rising product launches, the demand for titanium in the healthcare sector is further projected to fuel the North American titanium market during the forecast period.

North America Titanium Market Challenges 

The High Cost of Titanium Can Hinder Market Growth 

Titanium is generally more expensive than other metals since it is rare and the fact that it is typically only found linked to other elements, which makes processing more difficult. Titanium cannot be recovered by reducing the ore with carbon because titanium carbide forms, making the metal brittle. Instead, the extraction procedure is divided into many stages known as the Kroll Process. The high market price of titanium is due to the intricacy of the process and the amount of energy required in its manufacture. Aircraft manufacturing entails the fabrication of sophisticated components, resulting in large amounts of scrap. Scrap availability has been limited throughout the second half of 2020 and into 2021, forcing prices to surge to levels last seen in 2012. When aviation came to a halt in April 2020, however, titanium prices plummeted dramatically. As the aerospace industry returns to 'business as usual' following the lengthy COVID-19 lockdown, it is estimated that the titanium market is improving, resulting in higher prices and the end of titanium scrap shortages. Thus, the titanium market is expected to struggle to attain widespread adoption throughout the forecast period due to the concerns mentioned above.

Availability of Substitutes has Restricted Market Growth

Titanium's application in the broad consumer market may be ruled out in the following years due to its high extraction and production costs. As a result, many companies seek new ways to cut costs, reduce the weight of their products, and lessen their overall energy use. As a result, metals including aluminum, magnesium, and steel are increasingly being investigated as titanium substitutes. Because magnesium is incredibly light, it is 50 percent lighter than titanium and 33 percent lighter than aluminum, makes it a viable titanium substitute. In addition, when compared to other metals such as steel, stainless steel of the highest grade is thought to be more durable than titanium. Thus, the increasing use of aluminum, magnesium, and steel as a substitute owing to their advantageous property over titanium is estimated to restrain the market's growth. 

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North America Titanium Market Landscape 

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the North America Titanium Market. Major players in the North America Titanium Market are:

Allegheny Technologies Inc.

Titanium Metals Corporation

U.S. Titanium Industry Inc.

Titanium Fabrication Corporation

Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals Inc.

AP&C Powder Metallurgy

United Titanium, Inc.

Sierra Alloys Co.

Corrosion Materials, Inc.

Acquisitions/Technology Launches

In December 2020, Ulbrich announced the unveiling of one of the world’s most advanced 20 High Rolling Mill at Wallingford, CT, where precision strip and foil is cold rolled for over 160 alloys of stainless steel, nickel, titanium, and other special metals. The new Rolling Mill can handle a wide range of thicknesses. This new mill has a technically advanced automatic gauge control and shape control system to closely monitor real-time variations of thickness and flatness throughout the length of each coil.

[patriotpestsolutions]

Precautionary Steps to Control Common Pests - Patriot pest solutions

Controlling common pests requires a combination of preventive measures, proper sanitation, and targeted treatments. We will look at some precautionary steps you can take to control common insects:

Keep a Clean Environment:

Regularly clean and declutter your living spaces. Pests are attracted to food debris and hiding places.

Vacuum and sweep floors, especially in areas where crumbs and food particles can accumulate.

Store food in airtight containers to prevent pests from accessing them.

Empty trash cans frequently and ensure they have tight-fitting lids.

Seal Entry Points:

Inspect your home for gaps, cracks, and holes in walls, windows, doors, and foundations. Seal these entry points to prevent pests from getting inside.

Install weather stripping and door sweeps to block gaps under doors.

Properly Store Firewood and Yard Debris:

Keep firewood, compost piles, and yard debris away from the perimeter of your home, as they can attract pests.

Elevate firewood off the ground and store it at a distance from your home.

Maintain Outdoor Spaces:

Trim shrubs, trees, and plants away from your home's exterior. Overgrown vegetation can provide hiding places for pests.

Regularly mow the lawn and remove standing water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Inspect Packages and Secondhand Items:

Before bringing in secondhand furniture, appliances, or packages, inspect them thoroughly for signs of pests.

Quarantine secondhand items in a designated area before bringing them indoors.

Use Screens and Netting:

Install window screens and door sweeps to prevent flying insects and rodents from entering your home.

Properly Store Pet Food:

Store pet food in sealed containers and avoid leaving pet food out overnight.

Regular Pest Inspections:

Schedule regular pest inspections with professional pest control services to identify and address potential issues early.

Practice Good Hygiene:

Clean up spills promptly and wash dishes immediately after use.

Wipe down counters and surfaces regularly to remove food residue.

Proper Waste Disposal:

Dispose of organic waste properly using sealed bins or compost systems to avoid attracting pests.

Use Natural Predators:

Introduce natural predators like ladybugs or nematodes to control specific pests in gardens.

Implement DIY Pest Control:

Use traps, baits, and insecticides following the instructions provided. Use caution and keep these substances out of reach of children and pets.

Address Moisture Issues:

Repair leaky pipes, fix plumbing issues, and ensure proper ventilation to prevent mold growth and attract pests like cockroaches.

Severe pest infestations may need professional assistance like Patriot pest Solutions pest control company whether you're dealing with a persistent pest problem, better to consult with a licensed pest control expert to develop a tailored strategy for your situation. Patriot Pest Solutions is the leading pest control company in Providing Pest control in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania.

[ohdearymee]

You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to talk about my beloved creations omg, I haven't thought about them in a while but this is a fantastic time to bring them back. You are in for a very very long ride!

They absolutely have names, MD and Nut. (They sound weird but there's lots of backstory, trust me.) So basically I came up with these two cats with a friend as a crack idea and it morphed into whatever the fuck it is now. The premise was simply 'Berlin is a cat person' and the idea of this pathetically pampered cat came about, and along with the personality we decided the cat needed a ridiculously ostentatious name, and so we named her Magnus. Also, despite the name, Magnus (MD) is a female cat because my friend and I decided it'd be hilarious if Berlin never actually bothered to check the sex of the cat before naming it, and then was too stubborn to admit that he was wrong, so the name Magnus stuck.

As to how Andrés got Magnus, I actually don't know. I can't envisage him going to buy a pet, it somehow doesn't fit his vibe, so I just gloss over that and imagine that she just spawned in? Nut is a different story but I digress.

The name MD for Magnus came about after we bounced around the idea of the rest of the banda meeting Magnus and taking the piss out of Berlin for messing up the name and stuff. Which eventually evolved to her being called Magnum Dong (due to it's similarity to Magnus) by everyone but Berlin, because my friend loves It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and couldn't help but reference it. And MD is simply an abbreviation of Magnum Dong because we imagined that the rest of the banda would want to mock Berlin, but subtly, for maximum irritation. MD was actually a joke at first but it eventually stuck hahah.

But yeah MD is this silly little black pipe cleaner of a cat, who's scared of literally everything. She's a pedigree of some kind but I couldn't tell you what sort as my friend is the cat expert, not me (I am allergic 💔). She has silk pillows placed in optimum spots for the sun, and has like, top grade sashimi prepared for her because she literally won't eat anything else (Berlins fault, he spoiled her rotten the moment he got her because why would he have an animal and not provide the best of the best for it?) And she absolutely does have a collar! An entire collection (colour coded to match Berlins suits) and the bows would be a nice touch. No bells though because she's strictly an inside cat and the bell would piss Berlin off I believe.

Now for Nut. He is an emotion, a feeling, something more than man or beast. Nut is simply Nut (I love this stupid fake cat far too much, help me)

Picture the scene, you're Martín, coming in from a long day doing whatever the fuck it is that you do. You open the door and are greeted by the fluffiest, biggest cat you've ever seen destroying your flat. And whatever you're thinking of needs to be like, 3 times worse btw. Somehow this,,, thing, opened the (supposedly locked) window and is now helping himself to a box of cereal that definitely wasn't open when you left this morning. This is Nut. Named aptly for the fact that he is an absolute Nutcase, and is the devil in feline form. If MD was a crack idea, then Nut was like, Heroin laced with MDMA when we came up with him.

The most important thing about Nut is that Martín doesn't treat him like a pet, more like a roommate. At first he wanted to get rid of him (I agree with what you said originally about him taking a while to warm up to cats, or any animals for that instance) but he eventually gave up as Nut just kept coming back. And after that he just let him do his own thing? We imagined Nut to be very intelligent, but only really use his intelligence for menace and surviving death-defying stunts only cats can do, like somehow clawing his way up the wall and launching himself at whoever walks through the front door. We thought it'd be funny if Martín trained him to fetch him beer from the fridge though so that's another one of his skills.

I don't believe putting a collar on him ever crossed Martíns mind, and if he does feed him, it's never anything cats are actually meant to eat. (Worry not however, this cat could eat fucking concrete and be okay)

Nut therefore sustains himself by decimating the local ecosystem of the neighbourhood, which suits Martín just fine because A) he genuinely doesn't care about the ecological warfare his cat wages and B) it saves him so much money from not having to feed him. Because like I said before, this cat is very big. Imagine like a really big Maine Coon, but he's not one. For some reason we styled him after a Ragdoll cat before we realised they don't get all that big, and also a Ragdoll probably wouldn't be living on the streets, but we didn't care tbh.

Originally these cats were created as separate entities, by which I mean this was an AU for the cats and their owners, not Berlermo + cats if you know what I mean? So we never really considered Nut and MD interacting on a day to day situation, but I think it'd be chaotic at first and then simmer down. If we imagine a situation where all 4 of them just randomly spawn into the monastery, i think MD would spend the first few days shaking like a leaf and dramatically yowling for help any time she saw Nut, and then eventually adjust to just scampering around him (out of his potential reach) the whole time like a weird shadow. Nut would just ignore her I think though. She literally doesn't register on his radar as anything particularly interesting, so he let's her do whatever she wants.

I do think Andrés would dislike Nut though because he sheds loads of hair (MD would have been specially selected based on her inability to do just that), and also I think Nut would purposefully rub against him to piss him off. Or even better, make a bed in his wardrobe. Martín on the other hand would think MD is a prissy little shit, but would still relent to her every whim. The man would be coordinating his clothes to her collar colours, and be picking out matching bows within a week of living with her and Andrés.

So here it all is, the majority of what I can remember about these two cats, I hope you enjoy, 😌🙏🏻✨️ (this took 45 minutes to write hahah)

I did also actually make these cats in the Sims, which was a new low in my opinion (along with their owners)

LCDP and Netflix Berlin cannot brainwash me into thinking Andres is a dog person

I don’t care if he’s friendly with dogs

He’s only friendly with them because he was a simp for their women owners

He’s so clearly a cat person! They don’t require constant attention or walks, they’re very independent, they’ve got sass, they look majestic, the monastery would probably allow a cat to live there, and the cat doesn’t need a shit ton of affection. Just occasional scratches behind the ear and strokes

(He wouldn’t mind if a cat curled up on top of his heist plans. He’d be annoyed if a dog did)

That man would adore having a cat - and he’s make sure it was well looked after, well groomed and well fed. Put all the other cats to shame

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Beautiful artist’s loft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an artsy and eclectic mix of French, Asian and Mid-Century modern furnishings and decor unite in this vibrant and colorful loft space. The result is bold, unexpected and energetic.

Under the exposed pipes and skylight ceilings is elegant furniture, fabrics, and wallpaper that would be found in the finest homes. 

A black & brass chest holds the TV. I like this look - none of my TVs are mounted on the walls, either. 

Then, here, in an area of ethnic fabrics, they have a funky 70s dripping oil lamp on display.

Colorful modern art on a black background that brings out the brass bar cart. 

The furniture and accessories are very different, but placed as they are, make them look completely cohesive.

A classic IKEA bookcase all dressed up with lovely things and fronted by an Eames chair makes it look very expensive.

Notice how they paint sections of wall to match the furniture. This bright blue section complements a deep pink table, bright white accents and red stools. 

The dining table has traditional bamboo style chairs around an Eames table. Even though it doesn’t fit w/the era, they chose chevron striped fabric for the seats and a patterned tablecloth that ties in. 

The kitchen is unremarkable- small, neat, functional. 

The bedroom is light, but not overly bright. A muted wallpaper gives just enough pattern to the space.

https://www.designmanifest.com/fairmountavenueartistloftinterior

[pttedu]

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[pttiedu]

Our pipefitting program lays the groundwork for a promising future in the industry. Through hands-on training, students learn to construct and maintain complex piping systems with precision and skill. With a solid foundation in pipefitting, they are poised for successful and fulfilling careers, contributing to vital infrastructure projects worldwide.

[thesehauntedhills]

HAUNTED HERSHEYPARK

The park officially opened on April 24, 1907 and in its early days, was not much more than a nice place to have a picnic and go boating. It was created by Milton S. Hershey as an outdoor recreation area for employees of his candy factory. Over the years, additional attractions were added, including a swimming pool complex, amphitheater, and rides. In the early 1970s, HERCO pushed for the expansion of the property as a modern day theme park with a one-price admission for total access.

Over its long history, the park has definitely picked up its fair share of ghost stories. Here’s just a few of those tales!

"MILTON HERSHEY"

The ghost of founder, Milton Hershey is said to roam the grounds of his park, keeping an eye on this aspect of his chocolate empire. Although a few witnesses have claimed to actually see

Mr. Hershey’s apparition after park hours, this is one ghost that is usually smelled, and not seen. A phantom smell of cigar smoke is said to indicate Mr. Hershey’s ethereal presence.

“THE CARROUSEL ”

Every amusement park needs a carousel…and a haunted one is even better! The current carousel at Hershey’s is actually the park’s third. A year after the park opened, Milton Hershey decided to allow the public to enjoy it as well and added a used carousel for the enjoyment of his guests and employees. It quickly became a hit, and in 1912, a larger carousel was installed and operated until 1944. That year a new carousel was purchased, but due to a shortage of park funds, an older, used model was picked out.

That carousel was the Philadelphia Toboggan Company #47 Carrousel (notice the two ‘r’s). Built in 1919, the carousel began its career at Liberty Heights Park in Baltimore, where it remained for ten years. Then, it moved to Enna Jetta Park in New York before it was purchased in 1944 by Hershey Park. The theme of the carousel is one of understated patriotism. Beautifully carved eagles, flags, and Lady Liberty are sprinkled throughout the artwork of the ride as a tribute to the end of WWI in 1918–the war to end all wars. It was quite fitting that it would arrive at Hershey Park in the last days of WWII.

Today, the carousel is famous for being one of the spookiest places in the whole park! Originally installed near Spring Creek, it was moved to Founder’s Circle in 1972. Since then, park personnel have seen the carousel’s lights turn on by themselves, and the ride eerily start to turn without a living soul nearby. The music coming from its Wurlitzer organ begins to drift through the park, all under the command of an unseen operator. Well, mostly unseen. There is one story where a security officer was doing his rounds, when he noticed the lights of the carousel turned on. He turned them off and began to walk away, but the lights flipped themselves back on. As the officer turned back around towards the ride, a shadowy figure of a person sitting near the controls was seen. By the time the officer actually reached the ride, the mysterious figure was gone.

The Carrousel is still there but will be moved to the new front entrance in the summer of 2020 as part of Chocolatetown.

🎠 The Carrousel is periodically restored., According to Hersheypark, the organ that produces the music was restored. The 153-duplex Wurlitzer Military Band Organ has 164 pipes, 54 keys and 16 bells. It was recently restored again for the 🎠

"THE LIGHTHOUSE "

The original swimming pool complex of Hershey Park was completed in 1911 and lasted until 1928. The following season, a new swimming complex, complete with a concrete island lighthouse, was opened. The pools were filled in during the 1971 season and all that remains as a reminder of those years gone by is the lighthouse near the front of the park….that, and the ghosts. Over the nearly half a century that the pools were in operation, several children unfortunately drowned in their waters. The spirits of those children have been seen near the lighthouse wearing their old-fashioned swimwear, oblivious to the changes made by time.

"THE SOOPERDOOPERLOOPER ROLLERCOASTER "

The 1977 season of Hershey Park opened with the addition of a brand new thrill ride: the Sooperdooperlooper rollercoaster! However, the ride seemed cursed from the very beginning. On its opening day on July 4th, 1977, the ride experienced a mechanical failure, stranding passengers, including Hershey’s CEO and other VIPs, on the hill lift. No one was hurt, but passengers were forced to walk down the narrow catwalks to safety. Unfortunately, it would be only a month later when someone WOULD get hurt....

William Harter was a 16 year old high school student working at the park as a maintenance man as part of a summer vocational program. On August 25th, Harter was removing some bolts from a magnetic control device designed to stop the train. Standing between the rails with his back toward the train, it suddenly started moving and ran over him. Since the incident, many security guards, maintenance personnel, and other employees in the park after dark have seen the shadowy figure of a young man standing or walking along the rails of the coaster.

[phykios]

honesty and promise me, part 5 [co-written with @darkmagyk] [read on ao3]

 Annabeth is making her periodic pilgrimage to the gynecologist when she gets Leo's call. It's very fitting--two uncomfortable and invasive things for the price of one. She answers her phone, ignoring the doctor's chastising frown. Surely she can place her new IUD while Annabeth deals with whatever Leo wants.

 "What are you doing on the 18th?" he asks, about the only type of hello she ever gets from Leo.

 The two of them never really grew out of pretending not to like each other, after they had gotten over their initial dislike. When he and Piper first got to Miss Minerva's, more or less straight out of juvie after Piper's dad made a lot of calls and called in a lot of favors, she and Leo had really hated each other. They used to fight over everything, from Piper's attention to the position of captain of the Mathletes team. And also, over Leo hating a rich white girl on principle, which, in retrospect, is totally fair. But then, by a weird twist of fate, they wound up in Boston together.

 If Annabeth had to choose between hanging out with her creepy, Norse mythology-obsessed uncle and hanging out with Leo, she'd pick Leo every time. They had gone through a lot together, things both big and small.

 "Of August?" she asks.

 "Please be still, Ms. Chase," says her doctor. Annabeth rolls her eyes.

 "Duh."

 Wracking her thoughts she can't think of any prior commitments she might have had. Maybe there's a concert that day, but if she can't remember, it probably wasn't that important anyway. "Not much."

 "Good, because we have plans."

 She frowns. "Piper didn't mention any--"

 "No, you and I have plans. I'll see you in Philly, yeah?"

 Philadelphia? Ew. "Why Philly?"

 "Our Smarter House thing won an award."

 "No shit?"

 "Eta Industries Award. The gala is on the 18th. You're my plus one."

 She sucks in air through her teeth, readjusting her hips as unobtrusively as possible. Eta Industries was… a very big deal. "Isn't that, like, an engineering specific award? Maybe you should accept it by yourself." She'd be better off staying out of the limelight for this one, she thinks, even as some part of her longs once again for recognition.

 Something electric whirs in the background, tinny and buzzing. "I'll see you on the 18th, then," says Leo, not having heard a word she said. "Also, you've been summoned to the castle."

 "Leo--" she jumps as the gyno touches something she really shouldn't have.

 "No arguments, she's expecting you today at two. Adios!" He clicks off.

 "Okay, Ms. Chase," says the doctor, a little too chipper for Annabeth's taste. "You should be all set."

 Annabeth leaves the doctor's office with her brand new IUD, a handful of medical literature which immediately gets tossed in the trash, and a sinking feeling in her gut as she gets on a train to Brooklyn, headed to Piper's place for another annoying and unnecessary fashion show. It's not that she doesn't enjoy being Piper's model--it's a position she's held since their time at Miss Minerva's, and it's never really a hardship to be told how gorgeous she is--but Piper has a way of just... getting information out of her that she doesn’t always want to share.

 Stopping off early, Annabeth gives herself a moment to walk down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, to settle her nerves and indulge herself a bit. That skyline gets her every time.

 Turning down Pierrepont Street, she is once again struck by just how quiet the city can be. Manhattan is loud, rude, in-your-face, almost an entirely different world from the stately, deafeningly silent Brooklyn. For Annabeth, who is incapable of falling asleep without city horns blaring, it wigs her out a little.

 She barely has time to ring the doorbell on Piper's dad's place before the girl herself wrenches it open, grabbing Annabeth's hand and yanking her inside. "You're late!" she trills, suffering what Annabeth can only assume is the onset of a caffeine overdose.

 "I thought I had until two."

 "That was before I had the best idea."

 The brownstone is a mess, as per usual, reams of fabric tossed over every available surface, enough dressforms strewn about to make it look like Piper is hosting a party exclusively populated by headless zombies, adorned with a warehouse's worth of half-finished dresses and jackets. Based on the loud fabrics and structured angles, it looks like Piper is in the middle of a Klimt-ian phase of inspiration. Annabeth eyes a bright gold gown with a huge, extended collar, embroidered with silver eyes, the raw edges trailing the floor. "Please tell me this isn't your idea."

 "First of all," Piper releases her arm as they enter her kitchen-turned-photo studio, gingerly stepping over a box of assorted beads, "even though it would look amazing on you, that dress is for an actual paying client. Second of all--" she snatches up a dressform from its position behind the camera, setting it down in front of her with a flourish. "This is my idea."

 Annabeth was right--Piper is definitely on a Klimt-ian kick.

 Pulled straight from her art history classes, the dress looks like a two dimensional painting come to life, a stunning skirt like a column of liquid silver descending onto the black mat, pleats like fluted columns precisely draped over the dressform's hips… and not much else. Annabeth points. “Is that it?”

 Piper makes a face. "I have a bodice, promise. Now go take that shit off."

 Annabeth looks down at her repurposed The Police shirt, fished out of a thrift store bin some months ago, shirt collar cut and sides resewn to bring the waistline in. "I like this shirt."

 "Oh, I like the shirt plenty," she agrees. "But you could stand to wear a nicer pair of jeans."

 She does have a point there--her jeans are clinging to life at this point, the knees and hems all but obliterated, strings of fabric valiantly attempting to hold their original shape. "Fine. Be right back."

 When she emerges from the bathroom a minute later in just her bra and panties, Piper has laid out another bolt of fabric in that same color, silver with a blue shift beneath the studio lights. Piper, bent over with a strip of measuring tape, looks up at her, then squints. "So who is he?"

 Annabeth starts. "Excuse me?"

 "The guy you've been seeing."

 How... the fuck does Piper always know these things? "I don't know what you're talking about."

 She flicks her eyes down to Annabeth's thigh, Annabeth following her gaze to the remnants of the bruise that Percy had left there with his mouth two days ago. Dammit.

 Piper tsks, a smile distorting the sound. "Naughty, naughty, Annabeth."

 "How do you know it wasn't from a girl?" she asks, petulant.

 "Because if it had been a girl, you wouldn't be nearly so defensive."

 Shit. "We've been friends way too long," Annabeth grumbles.

 "That we have," says Piper. "And out of respect for our friendship, I will refrain from grilling you about him until you are more comfortable sharing."

 "So, for a few hours?"

 She shrugs. "More or less."

 "I suppose you want me to thank you for holding back."

 "Don't thank me yet," she grins, wide and toothy. "I've been cooped up here working on my collection for three days, and I am dying to talk to someone."

 Annabeth sighs, but obediently raises her arms, making room as Piper crouches down to pin the skirt on her. "Okay, you got me. I'm seeing this guy."

 "Seeing or seeing-seeing?"

 "Just seeing," she clarifies. "It's pretty casual."

 "Can't be that casual if you're telling me about it," Piper points out.

 Fuck. This is why she never tells Piper about her hookups. "You're the one who asked."

 "Another business bro, I assume?"

 "He's--" Piper swats at her as she automatically sucks her stomach in, their long held code for "stay put." "He's a dancer."

 She hums, arranging pleats over Annabeth's knees. "Like on Broadway?"

 "Ballet."

 Piper glances up at her, eyes sparkling. “Un danseur! Ooh la la,” she trills. “What’s his name?”

 “I can just leave,” Annabeth says, distinctly not thinking about how Percy will occasionally slip into French whenever he stubs his toe.

 “Okay, okay, no more boy talk.” Piper moves in front of her, adjusting the fabric about her waist. “Tell me about the thing you just won with Leo.”

 “I had honestly forgotten about it,” she says, lying a little, pulling her arms forward. “You remember his master’s thesis?”

 “The shmart kishen thing, right?” Piper asks around the tape measure in her mouth.

 Leo, the prodigal boy that he is, had spent his last year of school dedicated to a singular problem faced by people around the world: the sudden, out of control kitchen fire. Using very complicated electronics and engineering that Annabeth does not understand, he devised a handful of mechanisms to sense, contain, and ultimately douse random fires as soon as they popped up. Annabeth came on as his design partner after he had graduated and had gotten some funding to conceptualize an entire safe house.

 “Well, it just won an Eta Industries award.”

 Her head snaps up, hands freezing in their tracks. “Holy shit.”

 “Yeah.”

 “Congrats.”

 “Thanks,” she shrugs as Piper gets up to grab some more fabric. “I mean, it was mostly Leo’s doing. I just made sure he didn’t leave any stray pipes around.”

 Holding out her arms again, Piper slides them through the sleeves of a heavy, corset-like piece, structured and straight and very forgiving on Annabeth’s lack of curves. “You shouldn’t sell yourself short,” she says. “I’m sure your skills as a guinea pig were very valuable.”

 “Are you ever going to let that go?” Annabeth asks, she who has literally burnt pasta while it was submerged in water.

 “You’re just lucky my dad was out of town that weekend. Have you decided what you’re going to wear to the awards ceremony?”

 She shoots her friend a strange look. “I thought I was wearing this?” she gestures to the unfinished silver gown currently making her feel like an absolute goddess.

 Piper makes a face. “What do I look like, the fucking Flash? This isn’t going to be ready for another thirty hours, at least. I’ve got decals to add, Swarovskis to bead, not to mention all the hand-stitching on the neckline because for whatever reason my machine has decided to hate me this week.”

 “Okay, well,” says Annabeth, appropriately cowed, “then I guess I’ll wear the black one you gave me.”

 “2019 fall/winter?”

 Annabeth nods.

 “Styling?”

 “Luke gave me this really nice scarf for my birthday.”

 Throwing her head back, she groans.

 “What? What’s wrong?”

 “You’re so boring,” she moans, pulling Annabeth’s hair out of the way. “Let me guess, you’re going to pair it with the black shrug and opaque nude tights.”

 “Well… yeah, I was.”

 “Exactly! Boring.” Coming back around, she pushes Annabeth lightly into the light, before taking her place behind the camera. “You could do so much with that dress and you choose to make it boring. Why not some fishnets? Or a big statement necklace?”

 Annabeth waits after a few shutter clicks to answer. “Because I doubt that the people at Eta Industries are going to be big fans of my tattoos.”

 “That is a bald-faced lie and you know it,” Piper says. “Your tattoos and piercings are gorgeous and you would look absolutely rocking with them. Knock all the old farts right off their feet. Turn.”

 Obediently, Annabeth rotates, letting Piper snap off as many pictures as she likes. “This isn’t a Vogue event, Pipes,” she says, rolling her eyes where her friend can’t see them. “Punk isn’t exactly accepted practice yet.”

 “Punk was the Met Gala theme almost a decade ago, babe. It has filtered down from Vogue. It's practically cerulean now. Side.”

 Annabeth turns again, keeping her eyes straight. Side-eye would ruin the shot, no matter how much she wants to give it.

 “I will never understand why you both refuse to wear halfway decent jeans and then refuse to go guns out in my dresses that demand it. I can almost guarantee you that Leo will show up in those stupid suspenders with grease on his face. And you’ll have to get him to leave his tool belt in the car.”

 “Then it’s probably for the best that I have a modicum of professionalism, huh?”

 Piper leans out from behind the camera, glaring. “At the very least,” she hedges, “will you let me set you up with some shoes?”

 “I don’t know…”

 “You are not allowed to wear those horrid Manolo pumps you wear everywhere. And your nude Louboutins won’t look right with the black.”

 “What did you have in mind?”

 Piper’s grin is evil, and the way she scampers out of the room means she’s got something she’d been trying to force on Annabeth for a long time.

 Five minutes later, Annabeth is presented with a set of black strappy sandals, its edges detailed in a gold zipper, with safety pin pull to match. She frowns. “Are you sure? They look kind of… hardcore for something like this.”

 “They’re Versace,” Piper says. “I was not lying about punk’s democratization.”

 Well. They are pretty cool.

 “It’s either this or the McQueen boots. They have studs.”

 Annabeth sighs, holding out her hand. Piper squeals, bouncing a little, wrapping her in a brief, but exuberant hug, kissing her cheek with a loud, wet, smack. “You’re the best!”

 “I haven’t even done anything.”

 “I am saving up favors to cash in. Now,” she releases Annabeth, retreating behind the camera. “If you’ve got some time, can I borrow your head? I’m working on a helmet and all my mannequins are busy.”

 ***

 “Hey,” Percy begins. It is so late at night, the dawn is on the edge of breaking, and they are both exhausted from some particularly good sex. Which is saying something, because all their sex is particularly good. “You doing anything on the 18th?”

 “Yeah,” She says, distractedly, snuggling down into his bed. The fact that she’s also snuggling into him is just a coincidence.

 “Oh.”

 “Why?”

 “Nothing. Was going to invite you to a thing if you weren’t.” She nods her head against his shoulder and falls asleep in his arms, thinking absolutely nothing about it.

 She continues to think nothing of it on the train to Philadelphia on the 18th, half-asleep and listening to Paramore to pass the time, blasting Misery Business on repeat as she changes in her hotel room.

 The Eta Industries event is pretty much exactly what she expected: a lot of old rich white people milling about, sipping champagne and verbally circle jerking each other, the insipid strains of classical music spilling out of the ballroom as Annabeth steps up to claim her name tag. “Name?” asks the young, college-aged girl, skimming her printed guest list over the rim of her glasses.

 “Annabeth Chase.”

 She runs a long fingernail over the assorted collection of name tags, before settling on the correct one, handing it to Annabeth, her star tattoo on the inside of her wrist free and open to anyone who would care to look. “Here you are, Ms. Chase,” she says, smiling. “Have a wonderful night!”

 Automatically, Annabeth goes to pin it on Luke’s scarf, before she remembers that something is already occupying that place--Percy’s Acropolis pin. She had taken to keeping it in her pocket these days, something of a good luck charm, and thought that it might… she doesn’t know, maybe send a subconscious signal to Percy that she’s thinking of him. Even though there is, quite literally, no way he could know, she hopes that maybe he can sense it, and that maybe he’s thinking about her, too.

 Ugh. She snatches up a flute of champagne from a wandering waiter, eager to get that thought out of her head, making a beeline straight for the refreshments table. It’s there that Leo finds her, not five minutes later, munching on some chocolate covered strawberries.

 “And here I thought you might ditch me entirely,” he says, even as he bumps her shoulder. True to form, he is absolutely, 100% dressed in those stupid suspenders, a smudge of grease behind his ear.

 “You’ve got a…” Annabeth trails off, motioning behind her own ear.

 “Huh? Oh!” He snatches up a napkin, rubbing discreetly. “Thanks.”

 She squints. Something about him is distinctly different. “Are you taller?”

 Kicking out a foot, he wiggles it, triumphant. “Platform shoes.”

 “Seriously?”

 “Hey, if they're good enough for Robert Downey Jr., then they’re good enough for me. After all, I am Ir--”

 She groans, good-natured, taking another gulp of champagne. “If you quote Marvel in your speech, I’m leaving.”

 “Fine by me, Your Highness, they’ll give me the award either way.”

 “Excuse me, Mr. Valdez?” The same college girl from before sidles up to them, clipboard clutched in her hand. “They’re about to start.”

 He claps his hands, rubbing them together. “Excellent. You coming?”

 “I…” She casts her gaze to the makeshift stage they’ve constructed, eyeing the bright “Eta Industries” placard, the sharp angles shiny and alluring, the siren-song of recognition.

 This is a big deal. There are photographers in the audience. In the write-ups and reviews, she would be listed as a co-winner of the award, a co-designer of the world’s safest house, a thought so happy she practically starts flying.

 “I think I should stay out of the limelight for this one, Leo,” she says, politely. “This is your moment. I don’t want to ruin it.”

 He frowns. “You sure?”

 Were it not for the fact that people were watching, Annabeth would have leapt up onto that stage without a second thought, snatching up the trophy like she had just won the Oscar, holding it up like the goddamn Olympic torch. “What, you want a white woman stealing your glory?” she says instead, arching a brow.

 “You get a pass this one time,” he quips, holding out his hand. “Don’t make me regret it.”

 Whatever social grace she has left crumbles. She’s denied it enough--she wants to be up there. “Oh, fine. Since you insist,” she says, following clipboard-girl to the stage.

 There’s a quick burst of feedback, then an elderly gentleman at the podium begins speaking into the mic. “Excuse me--sorry about that. Yes, yes, thank you all for coming tonight to the annual Eta Industries awards presentation ceremony. It is always such a pleasure to come together with our hard-working and generous board members and shareholders to honor the best and brightest upcoming talent in engineering.”

 Internally, she rolls her eyes. Rich people.

 “It is my pleasure, however, to introduce the young man who is the recipient of this year’s Millennium Prize for innovation and safety. One of MIT’s youngest and most decorated graduates, he was a recipient of the Mead Prize for Students, the Friedman Young Engineer Award, and the Collingwood Prize, among several others. His master’s thesis, ‘Towards the Design and Implementation of Autonomous Safety Measures in Commercial Kitchens,’ formed the basis of the project which we recognize tonight, the so-called ‘SmartSafe House,’ reflects the pioneering spirit and outstanding creative vision of not only Eta Industries, but also the field of engineering as a whole. Please join me in congratulating this year’s Millennium Prize recipient, Leo Valdez.”

 From the sidelines, she claps enthusiastically with the rest of the crowd as her friend takes the stage, shakes hands with the Vice President of Eta Industries, and accepts the award, a blue, blocky triangle which almost seems to glow in the light of the ballroom. “Thank you, Mr. Helms. This is--this is a really big honor.”

 She can see him shaking a bit, taking a quick drink from his water glass. Public speaking was never really his strong suit.

 “As--as a lot of you probably know, this project is very near and dear to my heart. Growing up in Houston with my mother, a car mechanic, I was eight years old when her beloved shop went up in flames, like that.” He snaps his fingers, his other hand pressed to the podium where no one can see, joints white with pressure. Annabeth is proud of him--he hasn’t been able to speak this candidly about it in years. She knows firsthand how much his mother’s near-death haunts him still. “Thankfully, we were able to rebuild, and my mother went on to bigger and better things--including a shop with cleaner vents. But I can definitely pinpoint that moment as the day I knew I wanted to make the world a safer place, for my mom, if not for everyone else.”

 She remembers, so clearly, that snowy night in the dorms at Miss Minerva’s. The power had gone out, and Leo had made them an illicit campfire out of their trash bin and Annabeth’s failed English exam. Cold and miserable and with dying phones, they passed the time instead telling scary stories and funny memories, until the conversation had gotten suddenly, intensely real.

 “But I would be remiss,” he goes on, cheerful, “if I didn’t acknowledge my friend and collaborator, without whose work I wouldn’t be here today: Annabeth Chase,” he waves to his side, indicating her. The whole crowd, as one, turns their gazes on her. She straightens up, imperceptibly, hoping she doesn’t look too haughty or anything. “I’ve never been very good with people. My mama says I’m just like my dad that way. Give me a car, or a computer, or pages of multiplication tables, and I’m golden. But people?” He blows out a breath, and the crowd chuckles, naturally. “Now, if it had been left up to me, the SmartSafe House would have been a top of the line, cutting-edge metal box, efficient to a fault, but completely unlivable. Thank God I had Annabeth on my team to remind me what the project was really about: a home that families could feel safe in, so that what happened to me and my mom might never happen to anyone else.” He hoists his award above his head, leaning into the mic. “Ma, este es para ti. Thank you all.”

 Stepping down from the stage, they reenter the crowd, ready to receive adoration. In another life, she might have been embarrassed by such praise. Here and now, however, she takes each handshake and word of congratulations like a starving man in a desert who just came across an oasis, hungry and greedy.

 Hey, it’s her night, too.

 After what feels like a whole-ass sixty minutes of shaking old people's hands and polite nodding, though, she is in desperate need of a break. Escaping the throng of mingling bodies, she darts into a dark corner of the ballroom, leaning against the back of a rounded stone column, just barely out of sight of the party.

 Rubbing her hands over her face, she sighs, just short of a scream. Blowing out all her air, she lets the faint music and fake laughs melt into each other, becoming white noise, a blank canvas, empty of concrete thoughts and feelings.

 Then, her ear picks up a strand of conversation.

 “...announcing tomorrow that the CEO of Pallas Inc. is choosing a successor,” a woman says, the sneer in her voice almost visible. “About time.”

 “I thought she already picked a successor,” says the woman’s conversation partner, a man with the kind of cookie-cutter cadence that she heard every time she took a business major to bed. “Pallas is a family business, isn’t it?”

 “You haven’t heard?” Annabeth can almost picture it, the furtive glance around the room, the woman placing her hand on her partner’s arm, leaning in to share a juicy secret. “Supposedly she was grooming her daughter for the role, before she went in for rehab.”

 “Rehab? Really?”

 “What else could it be?” says the woman. “She’s disappeared off the face of the earth, and her mother refuses to talk about her. Let’s be honest, if she were dead, she would have raised a bigger stink about it.”

 Annabeth closes her eyes, sucking air in through her teeth. That… wasn’t totally untrue.

 But the woman doesn’t stop. “It’s always the same story,” she scoffs. “You throw countless hours of schooling and millions of dollars into girls like her, and what do they do? Turn around and blow it all on drugs and partying. Honestly, she should be grateful her mother is even bothering with her rehab at all. Hasn’t she wasted enough of the family’s money already?”

 Blood roars in her ears, drowning out the fancy party. Sharp points dig into her palm, pinpricks of pain, before she realizes that they’re her own fingernails.

 The lady has got it all wrong. Her mom couldn’t even be bothered with that.

 Luke’s scarf, the shrug, it’s choking her, suffocating and constricting. Percy’s pin feels heavy on her chest.

 Blinders on, she would have sprinted for the exit were it not for the Piper’s stupid Versace heels, reduced instead to a teetering, tottering wreck, like a baby colt running from a predator. The night is hot and humid, heavy with the threat of rain, and Annabeth can barely breathe, dark spots in her eyes, until she ducks into a nearby Target, the frigid blast of air a welcome distraction.

 Almost in a daze, she watches herself pick up a few things--clippers, an electric razor, beef jerky, a blue Gatorade she considers for a moment before putting it back, choosing a lemonade instead--practically throwing them at the poor cashier who begins checking her out, mechanically. He doesn’t spare her a single glance for her odd assortment of items. He doesn’t even look at her at all.

 The walk to her hotel room disappears in the blink of an eye. Blink--she breezes past the check-in counter, slipping into the empty elevator. Blink--she kicks off her heels in her room, nearly hitting the wall mirror, leaving a scuff mark on the white plaster. Blink--she’s down to her underwear and tights in the bathroom, shaving the right side of her curls clean off. She’d gotten them professionally done for the night, perfect spirals held together by expensive products. And now she wants them gone.

 She pauses and breathes too hard, looking at herself in the mirror. Her mother didn’t like that she was blonde. Maybe because of dumb blonde stereotypes, maybe just because it reminded Athena too much of her failed romance with Annabeth’s dad. And that thought stays her hand from getting rid of the rest of them.

 That, and maybe the idea of Percy, of some broke dancer, tangling his fingers in it as they lie together.

 Fuck her mother, and the fucking stories she tells.

 She likes it. She likes her blonde hair and her fresh undercut.

 She can get Thalia to touch this up later, maybe. Now, though, she needs this.

 It doesn’t look perfect. The left side of hair is too long, her gold laurel earrings too fancy for a homegrown haircut like this, her makeup too pristine. Shoving her hand under the running water, she rubs at her eyes, mascara and eyeliner smearing until they’ve reached something much more respectable for the failure that she really is.

 She misses her industrial. And her eyebrow rings. And the tongue piercing. But this will have to do for now.

 Breathing heavily, eyes hot, she doesn’t register her phone blinking, signaling an unread text message.

 It’s from Thalia. surprised you weren’t at kelp heads bday party, it reads. was pretty boring. Kno he missed you  

[reidio-silence]

New York’s attractiveness as a marketplace was further enhanced by the adoption of gas lighting in the mid-twenties. Nobody liked the smoky oil lamps—few in number and not much brighter than lightning bugs—that had provided unreliable illumination on Manhattan thoroughfares since the 1760s. When Baltimore became the first American city to install gas lights, following the example of London, the Common Council decided to try an experiment. In 1816 a crude gasworks was set up near City Hall and tin pipes run down to several street lamps and store windows on Broadway. Merchants loved the new system, but opposition from tallow interests and a dispute over the merits of public versus private development delayed further action. Finally, in 1823, the city awarded a franchise to the New York Gas-Light Company, a private firm organized by banker Samuel Leggett and others. By early 1825 the company had a gasworks up and running at Hester and Rhynder—one of the largest edifices in the city—and over the next couple of years it ran cast-iron lines into the principal commercial streets. First to be lit was Broadway from the Battery up to Grand Street, soon followed by Wall, Pearl, Broad, William, Nassau, and Maiden Lane. The city paid for installing the street lamps, for “fitting” them up to the mains, and for gas consumed. Office buildings, fine stores, and plush hotels arranged their own connections, and printed warnings—“Don’t Blow Out the Gas!”—began appearing on the bedroom walls of up-to-date hostelries.

By the early 1830s, as Frances Trollope noted, many of the city’s retail shops, now brilliantly illuminated, stayed open as late as those of London and Paris, giving New York a lively nighttime appearance in marked contrast to Philadelphia’s. The contrast with other parts of New York City was equally striking. The gas company did lay mains under residential streets, but only fashionable (hence profitable) ones, leaving most neighborhoods, especially the working-class wards on the east side, blanketed in a darkness punctured only feebly by oil lamps.

— Mike Wallace and Edwin G. Burrows, Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (1998)

[sisterspooky1013]

Damsels, by SisterSpooky1013

Chapter Two: Assignment

Read chapter one here / Rated E

Tagging @today-in-fic

Tense. Awkward. Ambiguous. There are many words she might use to describe her relationship with Mulder at the moment, none of them particularly pleasant. As things between them become more intense, it’s getting harder to ignore the fact that their feelings for one another are beyond those of friendship, partnership, or even family. The problem is, neither of them seems willing to risk an overture bigger than a New Years kiss, an offer of wine and cheese, a night of baseball, or even a request for a sperm donor. The little gestures that say they want more pepper their interactions, but the grand gesture is yet to be seen. They’re in a standoff; guns drawn, but no one is willing to fire the first shot. Stalemate. Conundrum. Catch 22. Stuck.

An idle Tuesday afternoon spent completing case reports is both a treasure and a torture. The smell of his cologne when he leans over her desk to point out a typo makes her dizzy with desire. His boyish smile at his own cheesy jokes begs her to kiss his pouty lips. Just the shadow of his presence, his tall frame looming over her like a safe harbor, makes her ache. She wants to be near him, but being near him is a test of every shred of self control she possesses. How she has not yet climbed into his lap on his flimsy office chair is a minor miracle.

For this reason, being called into A.D. Skinner’s office for an impromptu meeting is a welcome reprieve. Mulder is perplexed as to why they only requested her but she shrugs him off, promising to fill him in on the details when she gets back if he finishes the case report he’s been toiling away at for the better part of the day. He gives her a coy smile that makes her belly do flips as she pulls the door closed behind her. Each step she takes away from the basement releases her from the pull of his nearness and she’s able to breathe easier, but knows she’ll start to miss him within the hour.

When she arrives in Skinner’s office, she’s surprised to find that A.D. Kersh is also present. A most unpleasant surprise, given their history.

“Agent Scully, please take a seat,” Skinner directs her, and she sits in the empty chair beside Kersh. This is normally a situation in which Mulder would be by her side, which adds to her discomfort.

“Agent Scully,” Skinner begins, “you’ve been requested to assist in a special investigation being handled by Kersh’s team. It’s an undercover operation.”

Scully’s eyebrows lift in surprise and confusion. “Is Agent Mulder also being requested, sir?” she asks, wondering if this would be a repeat of Arcadia. Though if they went undercover as a married couple now, things may play out a bit differently than last time.

“No,” Skinner continues, “you, and you alone, have been specifically requested. Agent Mulder will not be needed for this investigation.”

“Can I ask why?” she queries, characteristically being respectful of the authority of the men in the room, while also skeptical of Kersh’s motives.

Skinner looks to Kersh, silently signaling him to take up the explanation.

“Agent Scully, this case requires an undercover operation in search of a missing young woman,” Kersh explains in his deadpan, unfriendly demeanor. “Mila Chamberlain went missing from her New York apartment four months ago. Her parents have connections with the bureau by way of a scholarship they fund. They believe that Mila is being held against her will in Philadelphia by a man named Ricky Dean. Our investigation so far has been stalled by the fact that Mr. Dean has a very tight circle and no one is willing to talk. At this point we believe an undercover agent is our best opportunity to locate Mila and extricate her from the situation she’s in.”

Scully listens quietly with her hands folded in her lap. When Kersh finishes, she looks to Skinner to gauge his response, then back to Kersh. She has a feeling there’s something they aren’t telling her.

“What’s the assignment, sir? What is it that I can provide or do that the agents in your division can’t?”

Kersh looks at Skinner and waits.

“Agent Scully, Ricky Dean is the owner and operator of a large and very successful gentlemen’s club in Philly,” Skinner explains, forcing eye contact that clearly makes him uncomfortable.

Scully juts out her chin and looks at him expectantly. It would appear that she has to pull teeth to get the details of this case. “What is the assignment, sir?” she asks again, clear irritation in her voice.

Kersh pipes in. “We need an agent to go undercover as a dancer, Agent Scully, to get close to Ricky and the other girls who work there. To locate Mila and extract her from the club.”

Scully’s mouth falls open slightly. She has to be missing something. “A dancer? Forgive my candor, sir, but am I to understand that you’re asking me to go undercover as a stripper?” She works very hard to keep the edge out of her voice.

“That’s correct, Agent Scully,” Skinner replies. “If you recall, when you signed on as a Special Agent with the FBI you agreed to investigate and solve cases by whatever means necessary.” It seems that Skinner has rehearsed this well. He’s ready for her objections and has prepared rebuttals, though the flush on his neck gives away just how uncomfortable this conversation is for him.

“I do understand that, sir, however I can’t help but wonder why I specifically am being selected for this assignment. I’m assigned to the X Files. This is not an X File. Surely an agent in A.D. Kersh’s division can assist with this.”

Skinner shifts uncomfortably in his seat and avoids her eyes. She looks at Kersh, openly frustrated. “Sir?” she asks.

Skinner speaks, looking at his desk. “We require an agent with a certain…look. Age demographic, physical…features. They have to be able to get a job at the club without the opportunity for a plant. They have to walk in off the street with the certainty that they’ll be hired,” he raises his gaze to look at her. “There is no one on Kersh’s team who fits that description.”

Now it’s Scully who blushes. They’re assigning her to this case because they think that she, of all people, can get a job at a strip club. She swallows hard.

“Sir, with all due respect, I’m very uncomfortable with this assignment.” She looks back and forth between the two A.D.s, directing her plea to whichever she might be able to sway.

“And with all due respect, Agent Scully,” Skinner replies, pulling rank, “we are asking you as a courtesy. Need I remind you that you are not at liberty to pick and choose which assignments you take?”

That’s it. There’s no option to back out or say no. All she has hope for is to try to negotiate some of the parameters. She looks at her hands, which she hadn’t realized she was wringing in her lap. Her skin is now mottled and red.

“I understand, sir. If I may, this sounds like a very…sensitive situation. One in which other agents being aware of the assignment could compromise the case.” This is her very professional way of saying that if the guys in the bullpen get wind that Agent Scully is on assignment as a stripper, they will surely pay a recreational visit to the club. She’s been through a lot and there are many challenges she knows she can overcome, however her coworkers seeing her in such a degrading situation is not something she is capable of surviving.

“Of course, we’ve considered that as well. No one other than myself, A.D. Kersh and the lead investigator on the case, Special Agent Wiley, will be aware of your assignment. We have and will continue to go to great lengths to protect your privacy on this, Agent Scully.” Skinner has softened just a bit now that he got past showing Kersh that he can compel his agents to toe the line as well as any A.D., even unruly ones like Mulder and Scully.

“What about Agent Mulder?” she asks, lifting her gaze. “I don’t mean to be dramatic, sir, but if he finds out about this, he’ll…I’m honestly not sure what he’ll do but I don’t imagine it will be pleasant.” She pictures Mulder storming the strip club, throwing her over his shoulder and hauling her out of there like she’s a wayward teenager. That’s the only scenario even worse than the assignment itself.

Skinner nods solemnly. “Yes, I’ve considered that as well. You’ll tell Agent Mulder that I assigned you to assist with a case at Quantico and that you’ll be away for a few weeks. Tomorrow morning you’ll be transported to your temporary residence in Philly and you will cut all contact with him, and I do mean ALL contact, Agent Scully. I’ll deal with him after you’re gone.”

“Thank you, sir. Is there anything else I need to know right now?” She feels nausea creeping up her spine.

“That’s it for now, Agent Scully. Report to my office at 0400 hours tomorrow. You’re to bring nothing. Not your wallet or your service weapon, and definitely not your cell phone. Everything you need will be supplied to you.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

She stands and leaves his office, a lump forming in her throat as she blinks furiously against the tears that threaten to break loose. Once in the hall, she makes a beeline for the ladies room and spends the better part of 20 minutes calming herself down. This is a living nightmare. She can’t even begin to think about what she’ll be asked to do. What absolute depravity she’ll need to bear witness to, much less participate in. Only two people other than her doctors have seen her in anything less than a bathing suit in the last 7 years; Ed and Mulder. The idea of taking her clothes off in front of anyone, much less men there for the express purpose of ogling her, makes her physically ill. There’s a strong possibility that she’ll deliver a right hook to the first guy who lays a hand on her and get herself fired, which might actually be the best case scenario.

And Mulder. She has to lie to Mulder. Even if she gets through the initial lie, she’ll have to come clean eventually. What will he think of her? This might seal her fate with whatever is going on between them. Knowing that she has done this, that she has degraded herself so completely and defied her own morals in such a profound way, could change how he sees her irreparably. After talking herself down from quitting on the spot several times, she leaves the bathroom and heads to the basement.

Mulder has his feet propped up on his desk, the completed case file stacked neatly in the corner as he flips through a stack of photographs. When she pushes the door open, he smiles broadly and she feels a clench in her chest.

“Hey, you’re back. That was a seriously long meeting. The case file is all done, so what’s up?” he asks, bringing his feet to the floor and propping his elbows on the desk.

“Oh, nothing exciting.” She’s already unsure if she can fool him. “They need some help at Quantico, a big case with a heavy autopsy load, and Skinner is going to reassign me for a few weeks.”

He looks at her quizzically and she feels her pulse quicken. “Really? What case is that? I don’t think I’ve heard anything about it.”

“Uh, I’m honestly not sure, he didn’t give me much information, just said that I needed to report there tomorrow.” She busies herself with organizing the papers on her desk, taking mental note of the fact that she won’t be returning for quite some time.

“Scully, you were gone for like an hour, he didn’t give you any details?”

Her brain scrambles for an excuse. “Oh, yeah, I was only in Skinner’s office for about ten minutes. I ran into Agent Vincent in the hallway and chatted with him for a bit.”

Mulder narrows his eyes while she does absolutely everything other than look at him. “Agent Vincent? I thought you hated that guy. You called him, and I quote, ‘dumber than a bag of hair.’”

Her fight or flight response kicks in and she whirls to face him, irritation bubbling to the surface. “I said I talked to the guy, Mulder, not went on a date with him. He asked for some help with a case he’s working on. Am I not supposed to speak to anyone but you?”

He puts up his hands in defense. “No, I didn’t say that. Sorry. Forget about it.”

“I’m gonna head out early, I don’t feel all that well. Can you make sure these reports get submitted with yours?” she asks, setting her four completed reports on top of the one he’d finished in the same timeframe.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Are you getting sick?” Concern clouds his features; he’s always so worried for her health.

“I’m fine, Mulder, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She collects her briefcase and coat and makes for the door.

“No you won’t,” he says as her fingers grasp the handle.

She freezes, thinking she’s been caught. She turns to look at him, but his expression is neutral.

“You’ll be at Quantico, right?” he offers.

She exhales deeply. “Right. Yes, I’ll be at Quantico.”

“Maybe we can get lunch. Email me when you know what time you can sneak away,” he says, leaning back in his chair and picking up a baseball from the surface of his desk.

“Okay, I will. Goodbye, Mulder.” She takes a long look at him, not sure when she’ll see him again.

“Later, Gator,” he replies nonchalantly, tossing the ball in the air and catching it as she pulls the door closed behind her.