#or was that another random article from ‘an anonymous source’

[thegreatimpersonator]

afaik brittany didn’t defend taylor, she was just “reconsidering her views.” which i assume she did for about .5 seconds and then didn’t change them.

and where did she say she was “reconsidering her views”?

[chefkids]

I love Ayo, Jeremy, and Molly — they all mean a lot to me in their own ways. Ayo’s energy is unmatched, Jeremy’s loyalty is real, and Molly has always just been chill and kept to herself. I don’t understand how people can come for her when she’s never even done anything wrong. She minds her business, stays in her lane, and still somehow ends up being the target. That’s wild to me.

But let’s talk about the way you stay so obsessed with Molly. Like, seriously — what did she ever do to you? You’re always bothering her, throwing shade, and trying to make her out to be the problem when she literally just exists. Give me one valid reason why you dislike her so much. Just one. I bet you can’t, because there is no reason. It's giving more personal issue than actual beef. Let her live.

I've already explained this a million times but since you're asking again. Let me make it clear for everyone.

Why I do not like Molly Gordon

I stopped fucking with her on July 2024 when she gave a shout out to an Israeli restaurant, Miss Ada, in an interview.

As a person who also lives in NYC and makes a concious effort to avoid Israeli owned businesses, especially since October 2023, I know she is very well aware of what kind of place that is. Especially considering she was also spotted at Jack's Wife Freda, another very well known Israeli owned restaurant in the city, a few months later.

I looked to see for even an ounce of support towards Palestinians from her because I knew she had played an anti zionist who straight up mentioned the BDS movement (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) in the show Ramy. But I saw that she hadn't even signed the ceasefire letter. I have never seen her post a single thing in support of Palestine or like anything of Ramy's or Ayo's or anyone's this whole entire genocide. Trust me, I tried to redeem her. The last picture of Ramy she has ever liked was literally one he posted of JAW while filming The Bear. She is clearly capable of signing things and posting "political" stuff like she posted her Kamala ballot, which is illegal to do in NY btw. So her silence on the matter is very much a choice.

So to me, she is someone who knowingly supports Israel, who had no problem profiting off of Palestinians stories and learned absolutely nothing from Ramy. Which btw is the only reason she got cast in The Bear in the first place cause Chris directed her episode. Either that or she cares more about not crossing any of her zionist friends and family that fund her projects like Will Ferrell, who funded Theater Camp, than supporting him. Which is still putting her own money and career above just being the bare minimum decent person to me, when she has already so much of her career handed her through nepotism.

On top of that, she had someone accusing her repeatedly of being a racist bully towards her because she got the role in high school theater she wanted.

On top of that, she used a Woody Allen (a known pedophile) movie Annie Hall (which also has pedophilic references) as reference to her romcom, Oh Hi, which literally has sexual assault as the central premise and never treats it with the severity or consequences it deserves. Her friend who made that movies also have highly questionable zionist friends.

And on top of all of that, I find the way she blatantly used her relationship for PR and called the paparazzi on herself every 4 weeks on the dot and pumped out random articles from "anonymous sources" to be extremely desperate loser behavior. I don't care that they were hooking up, quite frankly it was very funny at the start and entertaining to see it crash. He can date whoever her wants, I liked Rosalia, didn't get to know you long enough Ashley Moore but I'm sure she's probably fine.

So basically the entire picture of her that I've gotten over the past year is that she is not a good person and is very desperately trying to get attention, despite how "nice" she might be.

I do not like her as a person and at this point I never will. If I see her doing stupid problematic shit, I'm going to call it out cause apparently nobody else will. I'm sure she is perfectly nice to all her friends and coworkers. That does not make her unproblematic and good person worth supporting, to me.

[mithliya]

this article is so illuminating and shows why so many of us believe this is a genocide-- according to the own words of IDF soldiers and israeli govt and their actions. they are admitting repeatedly that they sometimes target civilian areas and civilians and cultural heritage sites intentionally, knowing hamas is not there, in a twisted attempt of turning creating civil pressure on hamas.

Compared to previous Israeli assaults on Gaza, the current war — which Israel has named “Operation Iron Swords,” and which began in the wake of the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7 — has seen the army significantly expand its bombing of targets that are not distinctly military in nature. These include private residences as well as public buildings, infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, which sources say the army defines as “power targets” (“matarot otzem”). The bombing of power targets, according to intelligence sources who had first-hand experience with its application in Gaza in the past, is mainly intended to harm Palestinian civil society: to “create a shock” that, among other things, will reverberate powerfully and “lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas,” as one source put it.

theyre literally intentionally terrorising and killing palestinian civilians hoping it will somehow cause palestinians to somehow do the job of getting hamas for israel. instead of actually just.......idk.......trying to get hamas.

Several of the sources, who spoke to +972 and Local Call on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Israeli army has files on the vast majority of potential targets in Gaza — including homes — which stipulate the number of civilians who are likely to be killed in an attack on a particular target. This number is calculated and known in advance to the army’s intelligence units, who also know shortly before carrying out an attack roughly how many civilians are certain to be killed. In one case discussed by the sources, the Israeli military command knowingly approved the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to assassinate a single top Hamas military commander. “The numbers increased from dozens of civilian deaths [permitted] as collateral damage as part of an attack on a senior official in previous operations, to hundreds of civilian deaths as collateral damage,” said one source. “Nothing happens by accident,” said another source. “When a 3-year-old girl is killed in a home in Gaza, it’s because someone in the army decided it wasn’t a big deal for her to be killed — that it was a price worth paying in order to hit [another] target. We are not Hamas. These are not random rockets. Everything is intentional. We know exactly how much collateral damage there is in every home.”

the usage of "we are not hamas" to say that they are intentionally choosing to kill civilians instead of doing so at random is.. insane. "we are not hamas" should be followed by being more humane, not.. "we decided killing hundreds of palestinian civilians is worth it to get 1 single hamas member!"

According to the sources, the increasing use of AI-based systems like Habsora allows the army to carry out strikes on residential homes where a single Hamas member lives on a massive scale, even those who are junior Hamas operatives. Yet testimonies of Palestinians in Gaza suggest that since October 7, the army has also attacked many private residences where there was no known or apparent member of Hamas or any other militant group residing. Such strikes, sources confirmed to +972 and Local Call, can knowingly kill entire families in the process.

so, unshockingly, they are sometimes killing everyone within a building over some potential 1 hamas member, and sometimes there isnt a singular hamas member known in that building. so it could just be purely civilians being killed.

Another source said that a senior intelligence officer told his officers after October 7 that the goal was to “kill as many Hamas operatives as possible,” for which the criteria around harming Palestinian civilians were significantly relaxed. As such, there are “cases in which we shell based on a wide cellular pinpointing of where the target is, killing civilians. This is often done to save time, instead of doing a little more work to get a more accurate pinpointing,” said the source.

so they can be more accurate and precise with their attacks, as should be obvious for a highly sophisticated military, but they decide its better to just kill thousands of civilians if it saves them time.

From the first moment after the October 7 attack, decisionmakers in Israel openly declared that the response would be of a completely different magnitude to previous military operations in Gaza, with the stated aim of totally eradicating Hamas. “The emphasis is on damage and not on accuracy,” said IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Oct. 9. The army swiftly translated those declarations into actions.

The third is “power targets,” which includes high-rises and residential towers in the heart of cities, and public buildings such as universities, banks, and government offices. The idea behind hitting such targets, say three intelligence sources who were involved in planning or conducting strikes on power targets in the past, is that a deliberate attack on Palestinian society will exert “civil pressure” on Hamas.

they are deliberately destroying palestinian culture and history and society, hoping it will somehow create more pressure on hamas. 0 regard for palestinians' well-beings and safety and existence and they keep saying this over & over again

The final category consists of “family homes” or “operatives’ homes.” The stated purpose of these attacks is to destroy private residences in order to assassinate a single resident suspected of being a Hamas or Islamic Jihad operative. However, in the current war, Palestinian testimonies assert that some of the families that were killed did not include any operatives from these organizations. In the early stages of the current war, the Israeli army appears to have given particular attention to the third and fourth categories of targets. According to statements on Oct. 11 by the IDF Spokesperson, during the first five days of fighting, half of the targets bombed — 1,329 out of a total 2,687 — were deemed power targets.

so half of their targets were specifically intended to terrorise palestinian civilians and weren't actually attacks on hamas.

“We are asked to look for high-rise buildings with half a floor that can be attributed to Hamas,” said one source who took part in previous Israeli offensives in Gaza. “Sometimes it is a militant group’s spokesperson’s office, or a point where operatives meet. I understood that the floor is an excuse that allows the army to cause a lot of destruction in Gaza. That is what they told us. “If they would tell the whole world that the [Islamic Jihad] offices on the 10th floor are not important as a target, but that its existence is a justification to bring down the entire high-rise with the aim of pressuring civilian families who live in it in order to put pressure on terrorist organizations, this would itself be seen as terrorism. So they do not say it,” the source added.

the goal of their destruction of residential buildings isn't even about getting a hamas member who may or may not be there, its terrorism against palestinians.

Various sources who served in IDF intelligence units said that at least until the current war, army protocols allowed for attacking power targets only when the buildings were empty of residents at the time of the strike. However, testimonies and videos from Gaza suggest that since October 7, some of these targets have been attacked without prior notice being given to their occupants, killing entire families as a result.

unshockingly its as palestinians in gaza have been saying: they get attacked with no warning and countless civilian deaths occur as a result.

According to the Israeli army, during the first five days of fighting it dropped 6,000 bombs on the Strip, with a total weight of about 4,000 tons. Media outlets reported that the army had wiped out entire neighborhoods; according to the Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, these attacks led to “the complete destruction of residential neighborhoods, the destruction of infrastructure, and the mass killing of residents.”   As documented by Al Mezan and numerous images coming out of Gaza, Israel bombed the Islamic University of Gaza, the Palestinian Bar Association, a UN building for an educational program for outstanding students, a building belonging to the Palestine Telecommunications Company, the Ministry of National Economy, the Ministry of Culture, roads, and dozens of high-rise buildings and homes — especially in Gaza’s northern neighborhoods.

Yet despite the unbridled Israeli bombardment, the damage to Hamas’ military infrastructure in northern Gaza during the first days of the war appears to have been very minimal. Indeed, intelligence sources told +972 and Local Call that military targets that were part of power targets have previously been used many times as a fig leaf for harming the civilian population. “Hamas is everywhere in Gaza; there is no building that does not have something of Hamas in it, so if you want to find a way to turn a high-rise into a target, you will be able to do so,” said one former intelligence official.

they admit they use the excuse of hamas to justify attacking overwhelmingly civilian areas.

Indeed, according to sources who were involved in the compiling of power targets in previous wars, although the target file usually contains some kind of alleged association with Hamas or other militant groups, striking the target functions primarily as a “means that allows damage to civil society.” The sources understood, some explicitly and some implicitly, that damage to civilians is the real purpose of these attacks.

According to the doctrine — developed by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, who is now a Knesset member and part of the current war cabinet — in a war against guerrilla groups such as Hamas or Hezbollah, Israel must use disproportionate and overwhelming force while targeting civilian and government infrastructure in order to establish deterrence and force the civilian population to pressure the groups to end their attacks. The concept of “power targets” seems to have emanated from this same logic. The first time the Israeli army publicly defined power targets in Gaza was at the end of Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The army bombed four buildings during the last four days of the war — three residential multi-story buildings in Gaza City, and a high-rise in Rafah. The security establishment explained at the time that the attacks were intended to convey to the Palestinians of Gaza that “nothing is immune anymore,” and to put pressure on Hamas to agree to a ceasefire. “The evidence we collected shows that the massive destruction [of the buildings] was carried out deliberately, and without any military justification,” stated an Amnesty report in late 2014.

Not only has the current war seen Israel attack an unprecedented number of power targets, it has also seen the army abandon prior policies that aimed at avoiding harm to civilians. Whereas previously the army’s official procedure was that it was possible to attack power targets only after all civilians had been evacuated from them, testimonies from Palestinian residents in Gaza indicate that, since October 7, Israel has attacked high-rises with their residents still inside, or without having taken significant steps to evacuate them, leading to many civilian deaths. Such attacks very often result in the killing of entire families, as experienced in previous offensives; according to an investigation by AP conducted after the 2014 war, about 89 percent of those killed in the aerial bombings of family homes were unarmed residents, and most of them were children and women.

However, evidence from Gaza suggests that some high-rises — which we assume to have been power targets — were toppled without prior warning. +972 and Local Call located at least two cases during the current war in which entire residential high-rises were bombed and collapsed without warning, and one case in which, according to the evidence, a high-rise building collapsed on civilians who were inside.

therefore palestinian civilians are being killed without even being given warnings, just for the sake of terrorising other palestinians and hopefully pressuring hamas.

Six days later, on Oct. 31, the eight-story Al-Mohandseen residential building was bombed without warning. Between 30 and 45 bodies were reportedly recovered from the ruins on the first day. One baby was found alive, without his parents. Journalists estimated that over 150 people were killed in the attack, as many remained buried under the rubble. The building used to stand in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, south of Wadi Gaza — in the supposed “safe zone” to which Israel directed the Palestinians who fled their homes in northern and central Gaza — and therefore served as temporary shelter for the displaced, according to testimonies.

so theyre also attacking "safe zones".

According to an investigation by Amnesty International, on Oct. 9, Israel shelled at least three multi-story buildings, as well as an open flea market on a crowded street in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp, killing at least 69 people. “The bodies were burned … I didn’t want to look, I was scared of looking at Imad’s face,” said the father of a child who was killed. “The bodies were scattered on the floor. Everyone was looking for their children in these piles. I recognized my son only by his trousers. I wanted to bury him immediately, so I carried my son and got him out.” According to Amnesty’s investigation, the army said that the attack on the market area was aimed at a mosque “where there were Hamas operatives.” However, according to the same investigation, satellite images do not show a mosque in the vicinity.

independent investigations are finding inconsistencies between IDF claims and reality.

According to the IDF Spokesperson, by Nov. 10, during the first 35 days of fighting, Israel attacked a total of 15,000 targets in Gaza. Based on multiple sources, this is a very high figure compared to the four previous major operations in the Strip. During Guardian of the Walls in 2021, Israel attacked 1,500 targets in 11 days. In Protective Edge in 2014, which lasted 51 days, Israel struck between 5,266 and 6,231 targets. During Pillar of Defense in 2012, about 1,500 targets were attacked over eight days. In Cast Lead” in 2008, Israel struck 3,400 targets in 22 days. Intelligence sources who served in the previous operations also told +972 and Local Call that, for 10 days in 2021 and three weeks in 2014, an attack rate of 100 to 200 targets per day led to a situation in which the Israeli Air Force had no targets of military value left. Why, then, after nearly two months, has the Israeli army not yet run out of targets in the current war?

Israeli analysts have admitted that the military effectiveness of these kinds of disproportionate aerial attacks is limited. Two weeks after the start of the bombings in Gaza (and before the ground invasion) — after the bodies of 1,903 children, approximately 1,000 women, and 187 elderly men were counted in the Gaza Strip — Israeli commentator Avi Issacharoff tweeted: “As hard as it is to hear, on the 14th day of fighting, it does not appear that the military arm of Hamas has been significantly harmed. The most significant damage to the military leadership is the assassination of [Hamas commander] Ayman Nofal.”

i did not share all of the article so u can feel free to read all of it but it just confirms what many of us know to be the horrific and cruel acts of the IDF.

[aisoftwaretesting]

Dynamic Data in Test Automation: Guide to Best Practices

In the world of test automation, dynamic data plays a crucial role in ensuring that your tests are robust, reliable, and reflective of real-world scenarios. Unlike static data, which remains constant, dynamic data changes with each test execution, making it more effective for simulating real user behavior and uncovering hidden defects. However, working with dynamic data comes with its own set of challenges. This article explores the concept of dynamic data in test automation, its benefits, and best practices to help you implement it effectively.

What is Dynamic Data in Test Automation?

Dynamic data refers to data that is generated or modified during test execution. It can include user inputs, system-generated values, or data retrieved from external sources like databases or APIs. Dynamic data is essential for creating realistic test scenarios, as it mimics the variability and unpredictability of real-world usage.

For example, instead of using a fixed username and password in your tests, you can generate unique credentials for each test run. This ensures that your tests are not only more realistic but also less likely to fail due to data conflicts or dependencies.

Benefits of Using Dynamic Data

Incorporating dynamic data into your test automation strategy offers several advantages:

Realistic Test Scenarios: Dynamic data helps simulate real-world conditions, making your tests more accurate and reliable.

Improved Test Coverage: By varying the data used in tests, you can cover a wider range of scenarios and edge cases.

Reduced Data Conflicts: Dynamic data minimizes the risk of conflicts caused by reused or overlapping data.

Enhanced Scalability: Tests using dynamic data can be easily scaled to handle larger datasets or more complex scenarios.

Better Defect Detection: Dynamic data increases the likelihood of uncovering hidden defects that may not surface with static data.

Best Practices for Using Dynamic Data in Test Automation

To effectively implement dynamic data in your test automation, follow these best practices:

1.Use Data Generation Techniques

Generate dynamic data on the fly using techniques like randomization, templating, or algorithms. For example, you can create unique email addresses, usernames, or transaction IDs for each test run.

Ensure that the generated data adheres to the required format and constraints (e.g., valid email addresses or phone numbers).

2.Leverage External Data Sources

Retrieve dynamic data from external sources such as databases, APIs, or files. This allows you to use real-world data in your tests, making them more realistic.

Ensure that the external data sources are reliable, up-to-date, and accessible during test execution.

3.Implement Data-Driven Testing

Use data-driven testing frameworks to separate test logic from test data. This allows you to run the same test with multiple datasets, increasing coverage and efficiency.

Store test data in external files (e.g., CSV, JSON, or Excel) and dynamically load it during test execution.

4.Handle Data Dependencies

Identify and manage dependencies between test cases to ensure that dynamic data is used correctly. For example, if one test creates a user account, another test should use the same account for validation.

Use shared data stores or state management techniques to pass data between tests.

5.Validate Dynamic Data

Validate the dynamic data used in your tests to ensure it meets the required criteria. For example, verify that a generated email address is in the correct format or that a transaction ID is unique.

Implement assertions and checks to validate the data at various stages of the test.

6.Ensure Data Consistency

Maintain consistency in dynamic data across test runs to avoid unexpected failures. For example, if a test relies on a specific date format, ensure that the format remains consistent.

Use data masking or anonymization techniques to protect sensitive information while maintaining consistency.

7.Monitor and Analyze Test Data

Monitor the dynamic data used in your tests to identify patterns, trends, or anomalies. This can help you uncover potential issues or areas for improvement.

Use logging and reporting tools to track data usage and test outcomes.

8.Clean Up Test Data

Automate the cleanup of dynamic data after test execution to avoid cluttering your system or database. For example, delete test users or transactions created during the test.

Implement rollback mechanisms to revert any changes made during the test.

9.Test for Edge Cases

Use dynamic data to test edge cases and boundary conditions. For example, test with the minimum and maximum allowed values for a field or simulate high-load scenarios.

Ensure that your tests can handle unexpected or invalid data gracefully.

10.Collaborate with Stakeholders

Work closely with developers, business analysts, and other stakeholders to define the requirements for dynamic data. This ensures that your tests align with real-world scenarios and business needs.

Regularly review and update your test data to reflect changes in the application or business processes.

Challenges of Using Dynamic Data

While dynamic data offers many benefits, it also comes with challenges:

Complexity: Managing dynamic data can be more complex than using static data, requiring additional tools and techniques.

Data Consistency: Ensuring consistency in dynamic data across test runs can be challenging, especially in distributed environments.

Performance Overhead: Generating and managing dynamic data can introduce performance overhead, particularly for large datasets or complex scenarios.

Debugging Difficulties: Debugging tests that use dynamic data can be more challenging, as the data may change with each execution.

Conclusion

Dynamic data is a powerful tool in test automation, enabling you to create realistic, scalable, and reliable tests. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you can effectively implement dynamic data in your test automation strategy and overcome the associated challenges.

Whether you’re testing a simple application or a complex system, dynamic data can help you uncover hidden defects, improve test coverage, and ensure that your software performs as expected in real-world conditions. Start incorporating dynamic data into your test automation today and take your testing efforts to the next level!

[bettercraic]

ok so i don't have time to update my Fic at this time (and i hate being the person who won't *know* when it'll be updated but i don't exactly have hundreds of people waiting at the edge of their seats for an update anyway so i think we're ok) but i thought it would be cute to post snippets of old fics i fiddled around with and will likely never actually finish and post

anyway this one's like a pop star au where chrissy is a disgraced pop star who had a mental breakdown and is on her comeback era. obviously eddie comes in as her guitarist and band leader and obviously they fall in love:

“He’s not even coming to see me,” Chrissy mumbled, scrolling through the article. “We barely talked—who’s this ‘anonymous source’ anyway?”

“Probably one of the label guys,” Nancy said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “They saw an opportunity for press, and they took it, maybe? Steve’s single, so it doesn’t look bad for you to be seen with him—”

“But I don’t want to date Steve Harrington,” Chrissy argued, suddenly feeling tired. “And I don’t even want to pretend to date Steve Harrington.”

“Maybe you, um, should,” Eddie said, fiddling with his lighter.

“Should what?” Chrissy asked, tucking herself tighter into her blanket burrito.

“Give it a shot,” Eddie said, not taking his eyes off from his hands. “With Steve, I mean.”

Chrissy felt her body freeze. She cleared her throat before asking, in a quiet voice, “What?”

“I was pretty skeptical of him at first,” Eddie said, through a laugh. “Rich parents, popular, chicks love him—not a douche? No way, man, no way. That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe. And my own personal Munson doctrine.”

Chrissy let herself giggle a little at that. 

“But he turned out to be a pretty cool dude,” Eddie continued. “So, um, it just seems like he’d treat you right, you know? Outside of the whole PR angle, I mean.”

“Oh, um.” Chrissy felt her heart begin to beat a little faster in her chest, and she started to pick at her thumbnail. “I don’t really… see Steve like that.”

“Really?” Eddie sounded skeptical. “Damn, if Steve Harrington can’t catch the eye of Chrissy Cunningham, what chance do the rest of us have?”

Eddie’s choice of the word us made Chrissy’s heart skip a beat, and she lifted her gaze to look at Eddie, who’d dropped his lighter and fumbled around in the dark in search of it.

“I mean, like,” Eddie stammered, gaze avoiding Chrissy’s searching eyes. “Like, proverbial us, you know? Like, the male population, I mean.” 

“Oh.” Chrissy silently despaired at the unmistakable tone of disappointment in her voice.

“Sorry,” Eddie said. “I’m being nosy.” 

“No, I get it.” Chrissy tucked her knees under her chin. “I know you just want to take care of me.”

“You don’t need me to take care of you, Chrissy,” Eddie said through a little laugh. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

That statement was enough to bring tears to Chrissy’s eyes, and she quickly blinked a few times to keep them at bay. “You’re so sweet.”

Eddie shrugged. “Nah, I’m just being honest.”  

Chrissy watched silently as Eddie lit another cigarette, once again marveling at the elegant way he held the thing in his long and graceful fingers. It felt wonderful and terrible to love him, she thought, because he was so beautiful and kind and good, but he wasn’t hers. He’d never be hers, and that truth was getting harder and harder to live with. 

Here, in the dark, she let herself, for a moment, contemplate the possibility of Eddie ever seeing her as someone he could fall in love with. She pictured it: Eddie smiling as he pressed a kiss against her mouth, Eddie holding her hand as they walked down a random street, Eddie whispering sweet nothings against her ear. The pictures that her mind conjured up were terrible and wonderful in equal measure. 

But they were fantasies. Eddie loved her like a sister, she knew. And, though they’d been fewer and less lately, the girls Eddie invited to his hotel room were decidedly nothing like Chrissy. They were edgy and cool, they were almost always older than Eddie himself, and Chrissy knew she could never compete with them for Eddie’s attention. 

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Belle (A Christmas Carol)

Tagged by anonymous

Favorite thing about them: I don't think I can choose just one thing. She's a warm-hearted, loving, thoughtful young woman who knows what really matters in life, and when she realizes that her fiancé has lost sight of it in favor of money, she makes the difficult yet wise and brave choice to leave him. She's sympathetic as a whole.

Least favorite thing about them: The way some amateur critics blame her for leaving Scrooge, when it seems so clear that Dickens meant us to see her as right and Scrooge as wrong. "He just wanted to provide for her," they say, "She twisted it into accusing him of caring only about money." And then there's that silly article that accuses her of being a gold digger who never really loved Scrooge and doesn't really care that's obsessed with gain, just that he isn't spending more money on her. If Dickens had meant us to view her that way, he wouldn't have given her a happy ending in a house "not very large or handsome, but full of comfort," with a devoted husband and children.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I tend to be romantic.

*I care more about being loved and happy than about being rich.

*I want a romantic partner who shares my values.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*My family has plenty of money – I wouldn't have been dowerless if I lived in the era of dowries.

*I've never been engaged, let alone broken off an engagement.

*I have no desire to have many children the way she eventually does.

Favorite line: "It matters little. To you, very little. Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve."

"You fear the world too much. All your other hopes have merged into the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master-passion, Gain, engrosses you. Have I not?"

"That which promised happiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two."

"May you be happy in the life you have chosen."

brOTP: Her children, once they're born.

OTP: Scrooge in his youth before greed consumed him; afterwards, the other man she eventually married.

nOTP: Scrooge as a bitter old miser before his redemption.

Random headcanon: The mourning dress she wears during her breakup with Scrooge in the book (which adaptations rarely give her) is for her father, who was never rich but whose death left her more penniless than ever. This makes her realize all the more that the increasingly greedy Scrooge would never want to marry her if they hadn't been engaged already.

Unpopular opinion: I wish more adaptations included the scene of her happy Christmas Eve as a wife and mother, and put less emphasis on her romance with Scrooge before their breakup. Now, I don't mind that most adaptations include her at the Fezziwig party, even though she's not there in the book – giving us more of a taste of the happiness she once shared with Scrooge makes their split all the more poignant. But give her too much emphasis at the party and we lose the scene's original point, which is Fezziwig's example to Scrooge as a kind, generous employer. And when the scene with her husband and children is cut, we miss the full sense of what Scrooge's greed cost him: he didn't just lose romantic love, but lost his chance to have children and to not be alone in the world in his old age. Besides, it's nice to see that after her heartbreak with Scrooge, she found new love and lived happily ever after.

Song I associate with them: No shortage of them! The musical adaptations always give her beautiful songs. In their sources' chronological order:

"Golden Dreams" and "It Might Have Been" from The Stingiest Man in Town

"Winter Was Warm" from Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

"Happiness" (sung by her) and "You" (sung by Scrooge about her) from Scrooge

"When Love is Gone" from The Muppet Christmas Carol

"A Place Called Home" from A Christmas Carol: The Musical

"Later Never Comes" from Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Favorite pictures of them:

Rona Anderson in the 1951 film.

From Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, 1962.

Suzanne Neve in the 1970 musical Scrooge.

From Richard Jones's 1971 animated short (the only version I've seen to dress her in mourning garb as Dickens described).

From Rankin/Bass's 1978 animated version of the musical The Stingiest Man in Town.

Lucy Gutteridge in the 1984 TV film.

Meredith Braun in The Muppet Christmas Carol, 1992.

Laura Fraser in the 1999 TV film.

Jennifer Love-Hewitt in A Christmas Carol: The Musical, 2004.

(Her thin, angular face turns me off in the Fezziwig party scene, as she looks too "modern" and far from 19th century beauty standards, but it fares better in the breakup scene, where she looks drained and haggard from heartache.)

Motion-captured Robin Wright in Disney's 2009 CGI film.

[dmsden]

Funeral for a Friend - Dealing with the loss of a pivotal PC

Hullo, Gentle Readers. This week’s Question from a Denizen is a bit of a doozy that comes to us from an Anonymous source. They ask, “I have a question about character death. I started a new campaign recently with my regular group, and it got off to a rocky start. However, in our third session, things started picking up, largely due to the roleplay and banter of one PC, who really helped create a strong party dynamic. On top of that he's the pc with the largest connection to the beginning plot. And then, at the end of the session, he dies in an incredibly random snipe. How should I handle such a large void being left so early?”

Well, first, in D&D, death doesn’t always have to be the end. If it feels crucial to have this PC back, then you might tell the PCs of a generous temple nearby they could take their friend to. Even if your PCs can’t afford to have a church cast a raise dead spell, the church might be willing to do so in exchange for the one they’re raising accepting a geas to do a task for them. If you don’t want to side track the initial plot right then, the geas could be to return to the temple within “a year and a day” to accept a new task. This will also give you time to come up with a task the temple would want done.

Another option is to have something a bit...unconventional happen. In my campaign, aasimar are not a naturally occurring race. When someone dies, sometimes their body becomes inhabited by an angelic soul, and they become an aasimar. They have some of the previous person’s memories, but they also have the mind and personality of this new entity. You could do something similar with tiefling or kalashtar for that matter. Or, if you don’t mind trying out some new playtest material, there are the new hexblood and reborn lineages in the latest Unearthed Arcana. Perhaps, a few moments after death, the PC struck a bargain with a hag to return, but they come back as a hexblood. Or maybe they have so much unfinished business, they will themselves back to life as a reborn. In any of the above cases, you’d essentially be adding cool new story potential to the campaign.

There are other options as well. Maybe a druid comes back and will drop a reincarnate on the PC. Maybe a gold dragon was watching, invisibly, and will cast revivify on the PC before the time runs out. Maybe the PCs don’t know why the PC is alive again, but now mystic tattoos have appeared on the PC’s skin. The PC owes someone, and they will eventually collect.

I do think it’s worth talking to the player, always, and seeing how they feel about it. Do they have another character concept they’d like to introduce? Would they prefer a chance to come back? Given how early it is in the campaign, I suspect they’d want to come back, but you never know. They might’ve thought of a new character that they’re itching to play.

While I agree that losing someone in session 3, especially someone who was a big part of the game, is hard, sometimes such an event can be very important to the party. Although it was planned, in my campaign, the party lost one of their members in the 4th session. The loss of their friend, Brom, still echoes in the campaign today in various ways. Brom gave them their adventuring party name, showed them the place they played as kids, and always talked about doing the right thing. In many ways, without his loss, the group would not be the same today. It could be that you’ll find the same thing with your own group.

In the end, I think everyone playing D&D knows that PC death is a real possible consequence of the game. Without it, there’s little meaning behind what the PCs do. I’m inclined to say that, if your players are okay with it, you should move forward. Death is going to happen, and, as I’ve said in other articles, I don’t think giving any player “plot armor” is a good idea. If you’re going to have death mean anything, then you’ve got to let it happen.

I hope this helps, my anonymous friend.

[dearestones]

Wine Aunt (Doctor and Sister Interaction)

Warnings: Language, sort of… crack-ish.

Anonymous Request: Hello, happy to hear you're doing better! Do take time off when you need it, though!

Could I request something for the family trope for Akudama Drive? Can be between anyone, I'm curious on how you'll write it. :]

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“You shouldn’t be so mean to Swindler,” Sister said with all the seriousness of a person three times her age. She stood tall, not at all minding that Doctor was a titan compared to her relatively tiny stature. As an added effect to her stance, the young girl stood with her feet planted shoulder width apart and her hands atop her hips. A frown marred her usually pleasant face and her eyes were narrowed in righteous anger.

Doctor was not amused.

“I’m not being mean,” the Doctor huffed. She reclined in her armchair, looking like one of those royals in storybooks that were way out of print with morals and principles that were centuries out of date. “I’m being practical.”

At that, the older woman flipped a page in her medical journal, scoffing lightly at what appeared to be a comprehensive study on how to best apply sutures on gaping wounds in a military context. Fools, she would say if she actually cared about their methods.

Anyone with half a brain and a likc of courage would be able to stitch themselves closed without much trouble.

However, as much as the Doctor would think that the conversation was over, she was all too aware of the young child’s small sounds of displeasure as she wracked her tiny little brain on how to best engage her elder.

Fat lot that would do her, though. Doctor had years of experience dealing with feeble minded men that had skulls thicker than blocks of cheese gone moldy. If anyone was going to admit defeat, it was going to be Sister.

Doctor turned another page in her journal before letting her cold gaze stare at Sister over the rim of her glasses.

“Why don’t you cry to Swindler about how mean I was to you? You’re not going to get anything from me by just standing there.” Doctor flicked another page, this time she felt secondhand embarrassment as she reviewed the sources that were listed below the conclusion of the study.

And they say medical journals were supposed to be far more reliable than random articles found on the internet.

Doctor can confirm: both sources are as unreliable as a first year resident.

Whatever the case, she hoped that Sister would get the picture and that she would leave her alone in peace.

But this was Sister.

And Sister took after Swindler in more ways than Doctor had thought possible.

Sister strode up to the Doctor and practically ripped the medical journal away from her well manicured hands. As the journal thudded on the floor, Sister made sure to stand within Doctor’s personal space, exploiting the fact that Doctor had promised that she would not harm the children.

(That, and Courier had taken all of Doctor’s scalpels, poisons, and other paraphernalia once she had consented to a “body cavity search”).

“As my auntie—”

Doctor slammed a palm over her forehead in disgust. “I don’t care what Swindler says, I’m not your aunt. She can adopt you all I want, but I definitely did not want to end up part of this.”

“Too bad,” Sister declared. She plopped herself on top of Doctor’s lap and gave the women's thin cheeks a squeeze. It didn't elicit the same satisfaction she had whenever she squeezed Courier’s or Swindler’s faces, but it did grant Sister the same sort of smugness that came with the power of being so cute. “You’re part of this family now and I want you to make nice with Swindler.”

The older woman quirked a brow. “And if I refuse?”

“You’ll go from being my auntie to being a shithead.”

Doctor’s voice was flat as she regarded the young child who still looked at her imperiously while seated on her lap. Honestly, the child reminded her of herself when she was young. Bright, stubborn, and willful.

Sighing, Doctor grabbed Sister by the hips and plopped her onto the floor, bedside manner be damned.

“Fine. I’ll stop flirting with Courier.” She tapped her nail against the bottom of her lip before adding, “For a week.”

“Then we’ll prohibit the bento box from giving you free wine with your meal.”

Doctor crossed her arms over her chest.

“You little shit,” she seethed.

Although, despite the fact that Sister had threatened her daily fix of decadent wine, Doctor had to admit that Sister was smart.

Perhaps Sister was taking after her more than Swindler.

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If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

AKUDAMA DRIVE MASTERLIST

[peachdoxie]

A word on misinformation and social media posts/screenshots

There’s a lot of misinformation going around. Be careful reblogging posts or screenshots from social media, particularly Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, though tumblr isn’t immune from this either. It’s very easy to fake a social media profile, and a lot of posts are made by semi-anonymous people without any authority or corroborated sources behind what they’re saying. You don’t know who is making them. It could be someone with knowledge of the subject, but it could just as easily be someone faking information in order to stir discord.

A few things to ask when reading social media posts or screenshots:

Who posted it? Are they knowledgeable about the subject (ie, journalist, medic, experienced protester)? Or is it some random person that you can’t identify?

How old is the account posting it? Has the account been deleted or deactivated? Has it been around a while? Or is it new? Be careful about both, but newer accounts are a stronger indication the profile is fake.

How old is the information they’re posting? Is it from right now, or is it from last month or last year or older? Months and days aren’t enough - you have to check the years as well.

What else have they posted? Do they talk more about the protests? How well sourced are those other posts? Have they only made a few posts?

Do they include information that links to more reputable sources, such as news articles or official webpages for different organizations? Can you find more information about this on your own?

Does the information the post contains make logical sense?

I know that there can sometimes be an inclination to believe social media posts because they seem more “real” because there’s a “real person” behind it. But sometimes that person has bad intentions - or good intentions, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. And sometimes there’s a disinclination to believe news sources because of fears of bias, outdated information, and that they’re leaving out small details from people on the scene. Those are valid concerns, but the same things also apply to social media posts from unknown people.

A good way to check on news misinformation is to google it or read a fact checker like Snopes. An example of this would be the DC blackout hoax from earlier this week. These may not always be accurate, but they’re more reputable than some random person on twitter. You can also check in with the official webpages for protest organizations in the area the news is being reported in to see what they are saying about this.

Protest “advice” is a bit harder to check because it’s not always reported in the news, but bad advice can be extremely dangerous. One way to double check if the advice is valid is to talk to experienced protesters and see what they say about it. Another, though also potentially misleading, way to double check is to look at the notes of a post. What are other people saying about it? Do they give any good sources? Does what they’re saying make sense? An example of this would be the plywood shield “advice” post that’s been going around. There are a LOT of people in the notes talking about how it’s a bad idea because of how weak plywood is and how dangerous it becomes when it splinters.

Spreading misinformation - even if it’s unintentional - can be very dangerous, and the last thing we need right now is more people getting hurt when it can be avoided. Please please please be very careful about what you reblog. Double check everything before you post it.

[kerikaaria]

If I Never Met You: Chapter 36

(??? X Reader) Idol!AU, Manager!Reader

Genre: (PG13) Angst and fluff

WC: 3.4k

Warnings: None

Series Masterlist

Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37

MANAGER OF K-POP GROUP RESCUES IDOL, SEVERELY INJURRED ON MV SET

K-pop group BTS is currently celebrating their first ever music show win tonight with their captivating performance of ‘I Need U.’ But while the idols are basking in the joy of their first win, one of their managers who has been with them since the beginning is not in quite so good of shape.

An anonymous source has provided us with an exclusive behind the scenes look at some of the chaos which occurred during the shooting for the music video for the track ‘I Need U.’ We have photo proof of the incident, captured from a video which our anonymous source provided for us.

In the music video, each member has their own stories to portray. One such story is portrayed by the member V, whose character appears to live in an abusive household. The video shows him having a scuffle with who we assume to be the character’s father. This is where things didn’t go exactly according to plan during filming, according to the source.

“The scene was originally supposed to have some back and forth between V and the actor,” our source explained. “In the music video, you can see that next to where the fight happens there is a piece of furniture, like a shelving unit. During the first filming attempts when the actor pushed V away from him, he had accidentally pushed him into the furniture a few times.

[Picture of the set described above]

“I honestly have no idea how she even saw it. It happened so quickly that no one else could react, but she reacted so fast. The last time V had bumped into the furniture, it had rocked it enough that it started to tip over. Before anyone even knew what was happening, the manager had pulled V out of the way, but the furniture ended up falling on her instead.”

[Picture of the scene, furniture mid-fall]

“It was so shocking and happened so suddenly. After I was able to process what had happened, I couldn’t help but feel amazed that she was able to act so quickly.”

The manager in question is L/n Y/n, who has been working with the group since 2012. She was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for two broken legs. She left the facility a few days later in a wheelchair and we assume she will be unable to work until she can walk on her own again.

To long-time fans of BTS, her name may sound familiar. Not too long after the group debuted in 2013, pictures of her with the idols had been leaked online.

[Picture of Y/n with Seokjin and Namjoon in 2013]

Fans’ immediate reactions to the pictures were very critical, wondering who this mystery woman was and why she seemed so close to the group. It didn’t take long for their company, BigHit Entertainment, to post an official statement saying another employee of the company had gotten into her phone and released the pictures. That employee was promptly fired, and after a post on the group’s twitter introducing her, fans relented on their criticisms.

[Namjoon’s tweet from that day]

“It is really obvious, seeing her interactions with the group that they are rather close,” our anonymous source confirmed. “They seem to be as close as family.”

Not much is known about where she is right now, but we expect she’s probably resting at home, recovering from the injury. Depending on how bad the injury was, she could take anywhere from two to six months to recover…

Bang PD was sitting in your living room, making you feel incredibly anxious. He didn’t want you to come down to the company since there was not really any discreet way for you to enter the building. After the article from yesterday, there were reporters waiting outside, hoping to run into someone they could squeeze information out of.

You really appreciated his thoughtfulness, but at the same time him being in your house was somewhat intimidating.

“I swear, I didn’t have anything to do with that article, PD-nim,” you said.

“Don’t worry, Y/n,” he responded. “I know it wasn’t you. You couldn’t have had access to the video footage they were supplied with. You’re not in trouble. I’m merely here to discuss with you how we are going to proceed from here.”

You nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“So far, there’s a very positive reaction to the article,” Bang said. “Fans are praising you for being so quick and attentive, and for keeping Taehyung from getting hurt. I really don’t see this article causing us any trouble so I don’t think we’ll need to do damage control.”

You felt a lot of the nervous tension you had building up leave you at that. You had seen a lot of comments left on the article yourself and it did appear to be positive, but you were scared to check Twitter or anywhere else so you weren’t sure if the response was similar elsewhere.

“As for what we are going to do, we have a few options,” PD-nim continued. “Now, you are not one of our celebrities. You didn’t sign up to be in the spotlight at all. So I can’t force you to do this, but I think it would be good if you would be willing to provide some kind of statement for the fans. We could do it internally, just have some basic questions written up which you can respond to and then we could then publish in an official statement from us, or send it to different news outlets to write articles about. What do you think, Y/n?”

You took a moment to think about it, but felt really unsure of yourself. “What would you want me to say?” you asked.

“Basically just whatever you want about the incident, as long as PR and I approve it. We’d come up with a list of questions to guide it, and see if there’s anything the fans are curious about that you could answer as well.”

That didn’t sound too bad, to be honest. Especially if it would just be done internally, rather than having to speak to some random reporter or interviewer. “I think I could do that,” you decided. “So you’re doing this to help promote the album even more I’m assuming? Since it’s something getting good PR.”

Bang spluttered for a moment before clearing his throat. “Well, when you put it bluntly like that…”

You laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it as something bad. I just clarified more so that I just understood why you were hoping for me to do this. And if you need me to talk about the album or anything like that.”

“Oh, that you don’t need to do. It’ll be a little too straightforward that way. Just mentioning the music video, which will be easy to do when you’re talking about the fact that it happened on the set, and saying the name of the track is good enough. Only what you’d need to in order to tell the story. Any more than that and it’ll be a bit too much.”

You nodded in understanding. “Okay. Can I just write my answers to the questions though? I think that will be easier for me than talking to someone.”

“No problem. I’ll have PR come up with questions to cover all of our bases, and then if there would be anything else you want to add outside of those answers, feel free. I’ll try to get those sent to you either today or tomorrow, and if you could answer and send them back as quickly as you can, but without rushing it?”

“Sounds like a plan,” you smiled.

It was a lot easier than you expected to talk about the accident, and once your statement was finalized and sent out to the various news outlets, the articles were written surprisingly fast.

It had even gone viral to an extent. Even though BTS was still working their way up, stories like this in the K-pop world weren’t very common. The one thing that you weren’t prepared for was how supportive Army suddenly was of you.

You weren’t unknown to them—of course you were frequently seen with the boys, plus the pictures of you that had been leaked two years ago still circulated every now and then. And there were those who would say nice things about you here and there. But this was a whole new level you had never seen before, at least not for yourself.

They were sending so much support to BTS' Twitter, saying how thankful they were that the boys had you with them and praising you for protecting Taehyung. You felt that some things that they said were a little over the top, though. Some of them were idolizing you, making it sound like you were some kind of hero and that other managers needed to strive to be you. Those things were maybe just a little too much.

No, they were definitely way too much. And it was a surprise to you that the positive reactions weren’t really helping you feel better at all. In fact, they only did when you were actively reading comments. Otherwise, the realization of being further in the spotlight than ever weighed on you so much more than you could have ever expected.

And of course, the promotions for BTS’ album continued to go well, their fanbase seeming to increase faster than ever before. Needless to say, with the increase of promotional activities the boys were busier than ever.

It felt silly that being separate from them so often lately bothered you as much as it did. It was selfish, really, wanting to always be around them. You knew that was unrealistic, not even because of your current situation, but because they had their own lives. You couldn’t expect them to always spend time with you, and probably sooner rather than later they would find friends who they’d rather spend their free time with.

Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, not at all. It was natural. Being stuck here while they were off working and too busy to see you most days now made you realize that you’d gotten unhealthily attached to BTS. You should really have been thinking of a way to fix that, but all it did right now was make you feel worse.

They were currently in Malaysia, and even for a few days before that only one of them was barely able to trudge into your apartment at night to help you into bed. You wished you could just spend all day in bed and not get up, but the nurse would never allow you to. You remembered one morning when you told her you just wanted to stay in bed, but she gave you a mini lecture on why that was really unhealthy and that she highly encouraged you to get into your chair.

You spent too long just staring at your phone screen, which was currently showing the group chat. You had gotten a few texts from one or two of them when they first arrived in Malaysia, a few pretty pictures and a “Wish you were here with us.” But they’d been too busy since to text.

So many times you hovered your fingers over the keyboard, itching to talk to them. But you couldn’t. You knew they were busy. And when they weren’t busy, they were tired and needed to rest. And these were things that you constantly reminded yourself of, things that you repeatedly told yourself to get these stupid incessant thoughts in your head to just shut up.

But logic didn’t work with anxiety. It didn’t matter that you knew that. This thing in your head would still whisper in your ear.

‘But they could find time to text you if they wanted. It only takes a moment to send it. If they really wanted to talk to you, they’d be trying. But they’re not. They don’t care about you as much as they say they do.’

Anxiety was pure evil.

And unfortunately for you right now, you were falling deep into its grimy clutches. Trying to think about Army’s support just made you feel so much pressure and added weight onto your shoulders you didn’t need. Thinking about the boys made your anxiety’s claws dig in even further into your skin.  But maybe, if you just focused on just him that would be okay, right? It had helped you many times before.

As you felt your breath starting to become shallower, you closed your eyes and tried to fill your mind with just thoughts of him. But images of memories that usually warmed your heart were soon overpowered by that voice in your head.

‘You know he doesn’t feel the same. You’re just plain old Y/n. His manager, his friend. He’s an artist, a celebrity. He has both girls and boys falling at his feet every day. Why would he ever want you?’

You shook your head as the tears started to fall from your eyes. You couldn’t even begin to try to reason with it on this one. It was right. You should have figured out a way to put a stop to the way you were feeling when you first realized it. But instead you let it grow and fester and now you were in way too deep to just push it aside. You were such an idiot.

With nothing to stop it, you let the dam break. All the emotions you’d been trying so hard to keep under control just flowed out through your tears. At least when you stopped fighting it, the anxiety seemed to shut up and let you just feel everything in peace.

Your mind gone blank, you lost track of time while you sat there, glad you were at home and alone so no one could see you looking like an emotional wreck. As your tears were slowing down, your phone began to ring.

It was the ringtone you had set for him.

And he was requesting a video call. You cleared your throat and warmed your voice up for a moment, hoping it was enough to hide the fact that you had just been crying for who knows how long and answered with voice only.

Yoongi and Taehyung must have been sharing a room since both of them were on the screen, sitting on a hotel bed.

“Noona!” Tae greeted excitedly, but his expression quickly mellowed almost into a frown. “Why do you have your video off?”

“Ah, sorry,” you replied, clearing your throat again when your voice came out a little too nasally, and to buy you a moment to think up a lie. “I haven’t gotten to shower today so I look gross.”

“We’ve seen it before,” Yoongi said. “Nothing new there.”

“But, you can’t look gross, noona,” Tae said, throwing his hyung a look. “We don’t care, we just want to see you! We miss you.”

“Sorry,” you repeated, sniffling a little. “Maybe next time.”

Yoongi’s brows furrowed, and he exchanged a glance with Taehyung who was beginning to look concerned as well.

“Are you okay?” Yoongi asked. “You sound…”

“Like you’ve been crying,” Taehyung finished.

Darn, you were hoping they wouldn’t have noticed. “I’m fine,” you tried, smiling in hopes that would make your tone sound lighter. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Would you turn on your camera then?” Yoongi asked. “So we can see that you’re fine?”

Curse Yoongi and his deceivingly high EQ. You sighed, not able to come up with a response quickly enough to cover yourself. When they didn’t say anything more and just continued to look concerned, you caved in and turned on the camera.

“I actually do probably look really gross right now, sorry,” you said.

“Oh my-. Noona, what happened?” Taehyung asked.

“Fans weren’t being jerks again were they?” Yoongi checked. “Last I saw, they were saying nice thing about you.”

“No, it’s not that,” you said. “I just… my anxiety has been getting to me a lot lately and I guess it just got to be too much today.”

The two on the phone exchanged another look. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Taehyung gently asked. “You were doing well, weren’t you? At least last you mentioned it to us, you were.”

“I was,” you confirmed. “I don’t really quite understand what’s causing it sometimes lately. Sometimes I do, but… it’s something I need to handle on my own.”

“What do you mean you need to handle it on your own?” Yoongi asked. “We promised to be here for you whenever you need us, and we stick by that. We want to help. If it’s this bad then, not to sound rude but maybe it’s something too tough for you to handle on your own right now. And that’s okay, that’s what we’re here for.”

You really had no idea how you could possibly tell them the root of the problem without making them feel bad. It wasn’t their fault they were busy and you were hurt. Not to mention, if you told Taehyung of all people, he would only feel infinitely worse since he never stopped blaming himself for you being hurt.

You must have taken too long to reply since Taehyung offered in a quiet voice, “Is it because you’re alone? That you’re sitting at home by yourself most of the time with no one there to keep you company?”

You were so shocked he hit the nail straight on the head that you just stared at the screen with your mouth open, not able to reply.

“That’s what it is, isn’t it?” Taehyung looked at you through the phone, gaze imploring.

“I-,” you really needed to work on your lying capabilities. With that earnest look in his eyes, how could you dare lie to him? You nodded carefully. “But, I don’t blame you guys,” you quickly clarified. “You guys are busy, it’s your job. I absolutely do not think you guys are ignoring me or that you don’t care. I know that you just don’t have the time, and my only other friends are singers too. I don’t or can’t expect any of you to just drop your jobs for me.”

“No, we can’t,” Yoongi said. “But we could definitely put more effort into contacting you.”

Taehyung vigorously nodded. “Yes! Would that help? If we texted and called more often? Remind you that you’re important to us no matter what? And make sure you know we are always missing you and thinking about you? Because I do. I miss you like crazy without you with us. Even when we’re still in Seoul.”

Taehyung spoke really fast, making you take a second to absorb everything that he said before you could reply. “I think that would help, yes,” you admitted. “If I’m honest, I’m always wanting to text the group chat. But I don’t want to bother you when you’re so busy, and-”

“You could never be a bother to us, noona,” Yoongi firmly responded. “If you want to text the group chat, do it. It doesn’t matter if it’s just one text, or if the next time we have time to look you’ve written us an entire novel. We’ve been curious why you’ve seemed so quiet recently, actually.”

Taehyung nodded. “Yeah, we’d love to get texts from you whenever. Even if we can’t read them right when you send them, I’m sure everyone would feel happy to see them. We all really miss you, especially right now while we’re so far away. Getting done with work just to see you’ve texted us? It’ll be like a birthday present.” His smile was so sweet, you could feel his honesty through the screen.

And it made you smile in return. It was amazing how easily these boys were able to dispel your worries and make you feel worlds better.

“Okay,” you said. “I’ll start texting you guys whenever I feel like it.”

“Promise?” Yoongi asked.

“Promise.”

“You know all of us love you, right?” Taehyung asked.

“Of course I do,” you said.

“Good,” Yoongi replied. “Wasn’t there something you wanted to tell her about, Tae?”

“Oh yeah!” Taehyung bounced a little in excitement.

It wasn’t lost on you how Yoongi had suddenly changed the topic to make sure your mind was no longer on what was bothering you. As you listened to Taehyung animatedly tell a story about something that happened today, the smile sitting on your face was genuine.

You’ve wondered before, but you didn’t know if you’d ever get an answer as to how you were so lucky to get such amazing friends in your life.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37

Tags: @calling-dips-on-j-hope @misohime @netflix-batman-sleep @smallbaby-cat @leitholdwithlove @ramyagovindraj @rjsmochii​ @overtherainbow35​ @leesalts​

Send me a message or ask if you want tagged! And also feel free to leave comments or send asks to just talk to me!

[cutie1365]

A Kid from Queens Part 14

Pairing: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

Info: CA: Civil War Era. Tony Stark enlists his daughter to find the web slinging spider in Queens.

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: n/a

A/N: Hopefully another chapter coming soon, let's keep the quarantine going strong before online classes start.

Masterlist linked in my bio. Taglist in the reblog.

- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -

To say you were keeping busy would be an understatement. If Linda wasn’t dragging you from photoshoot to photoshoot, you were in your lab in your apartment, dissecting the data you’d collected from Thomas’ servers.

The first thing you noticed was an incredible level of encryption. Seriously, the firewalls at their residence rivaled what you used at Stark Industries. That wasn’t a good sign, they were definitely hiding something.

It took you days to follow the money trail, finally finding their private account. They’d been careful, using bitcoin and other nearly untraceable cryptocurrency. Nearly untraceable, but you’d cracked the code. It looked like over the past few months the mayor has been funneling in larger and larger amounts, but you noticed a bimonthly withdrawal to the same anonymous source. It was the only movement of funds outside of the account, all other transactions had been moving money in. Your brain hurt from staring at your screen so long. You knew it would take a few more hours for Friday to track the transaction, and you were overdue for a break.

“F.R.I., trace these transactions, get me an IP address, see who it’s registered to and if we have files on them. I want to know what he’s buying.” You instructed, slipping your coat on, and heading out of your apartment.

“You got it boss.” The AI responded.

As you made your way into the park below to clear your head, you noticed a bodega at the entrance. Maybe coffee would be a good idea, you needed the energy, you could sense it was going to be a long night.

As you ordered, you glanced down to the magazines below, and came face to face with yourself. Your Vogue cover had come out, surely just as Linda wanted it. You knew it wasn’t worth it to waste mental energy on the fact that they’d edited the hell out of your face and body. You swore they had shrunk your waist two sizes.

“This you?” The owner asked in a thick Russian accent, pointing towards the magazine.

“Oh, yeah.” You smiled, humbly.

“You sign?” He asked, holding up a sharpie to you.

“Sure.” You took the pen from him, scribbling your name across the cover. This was odd. You were used to signing large checks for charity, sure, but never autographs.

“My daughter, she like you very much. She want to be engineer now.” He smiled proudly, handing you your coffee.

“That’s wonderful.” You smiled brightly, you never expected to be a role model, but if it was for anything you were happy to encourage young women into STEM fields. It was truly heartwarming. You thanked the man, and left him a large tip.

You strolled through the park, going through your mental checklist and schedule for the week. You were leaving in a few days to go to Boston, Linda had gotten you an invitation from MIT to judge their annual robotics competition.

As you journeyed back to your apartment and opened the door, you heard loud beeping coming from your lab.

Rushing around the corner, hundreds of pictures of black market weapons were flooding your desktop.

“What am I looking at here F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” You asked, pulling the display out into holograms to get a better look.

“Wire payments tracked to a man named Adrian Toomes. Uncertain what the payments were for, but several other black market transactions and evidence seems to point to these weapons being circulated.” She explained, enlarging the clearest photograph in front of me.

“Maybe the mayor was looking to dip into the business, wanted a chunk. Maybe he wanted the monopoly on the mafia accounts, expanding the business to the most powerful underground families in the city.” You guessed.

“Something���s not right,” You grabbed the rendered blueprint hologram of one of the weapons, enlarging it then spinning it, “Are these man made?”

You began to deconstruct the hologram, removing the outer metal layers, landing at its core power source, your eyes growing wide.

“Is that... a Chitauri energy core? How could they possibly have this much volume? Even if they hoarded some after the incident, it wouldn’t be enough to sustain the operation they seem to be running now. The only other stores this large are locked away in the Department of Damage Control, and I don’t know of any authorizations to remove them.” You thought out loud. They must have been stealing them, turning them into weapons and selling them on the black market. This is more than just a mafia turf war, this is terrorism. Shit.

You knew whatever the mayor had gotten wrapped up in was bad, but you never expected it to be this bad. You were way out of your depth here, you knew you couldn’t just sit on this information.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., is dad upstate?” You asked.

“Yes, his plane landed an hour ago.”

“Good, tell him to stay put, I’m on my way.”

- - - - - 🕷 - - - - -

An hour into your drive you were thanking god for the decision to get coffee earlier. Although your car could technically self-drive, you liked to be in control.

As you pulled into the compound, you saw your father waiting for you at the door. You pulled open the door to your car, making your way towards him.

“You’re gonna give your old man a heart attack if you keep showing up like this.” He raised a brow, curious to what you were up to.

“We both need a vacation.” You scoffed lightheartedly, pushing past him, and into the compound.

You led him into his office, you knew you needed a secure location to safeguard the information you were about to present to him.

“You gonna tell me what all this is about?” Your father took a seat, wearily.

“You’re not going to like this.” You nervously held your hands behind your back, unsure of where to begin.

“Do I ever?” He crossed his arms over his chest, he assumed this would be about Peter again, he never could have expected why you were really here.

“At the gala, as we were going in, a man tried to warn me, he said there was something I should know about the mayor. Thomas pulled me away before he could finish.” You began, your father shaking his head at the mention of Thomas.

“He knew what was going to happen?” Your father asked, sitting up straight in his chair, leaning towards you.

“I don’t think so.” You shook your head. “But I never forgot what he said, I knew he knew more, and after what happened at the gala... I had to know. I knew it wasn’t a random attack. I tracked him down, he said the mayor’s in deep. Deeper than mafia, he thought maybe they were dealing some sort of weapons.”

“Why did he try and warn you?” He asked, you could tell his protective side was coming out.

“He thought they might try to target me to hurt them, hurt their image.” You tried to put as delicately as possible without outright saying they were using you, but your father understood, and it did nothing but fuel his anger.

“And you went back to this asshole because...?” He asked, patronizingly.

“Will you let me finish please.” You pleaded, and he sat back slightly, not understanding how this could get worse. “After the... article came out, I knew I could use him as an alibi, to shift the focus, discredit the story. We made an agreement. He needed to get back in his father’s good graces, and I was the key to that, and a boost in his polling numbers. It also gave me the opportunity I needed to look into the family, see if there was any credibility to the warning.”

“What did you find?” He raised a brow, it must have been bad enough to bring you here at this hour of night.

“Dad, It’s bad.” You shook your head, “F.R.I.D.A.Y.” You asked, and the AI displayed all the evidence you’d recently uncovered around the room for the two of you to examine. Tony stood and made his way around the room, taking it all in, in shock. And just when he thought it couldn’t get worse, once more, it wasn’t just illegal offshore accounts and weapons, you grabbed the hologram and deconstructed it just as you’d done in the lab.

“Is that...” Tony asked in shock, picking up the rendered core in his hands.

“Chitauri, I think they’re stealing them from Damage Control.” You nodded, Tony exhaled.

Part of him was relieved this meeting didn’t have to do with Peter, but this was much worse, and potentially extremely dangerous for you.

“What do I do?” You asked, shaking your head. This was new territory for you, you weren’t an Avenger, you weren’t the hero type.

“You take this to the FBI, this isn’t exactly Avenger territory. If they’re stealing from Damage Control, it’s federal property, their jurisdiction. They’ll know what to do.” Tony nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and placing a hand under his chin, still deep in thought.

“You did the right thing here kid. Next time, maybe give me some heads up if you decide to go hacking into people’s servers, criminal records, and the black market.” He smirked, he feigned an authoritative tone, but was really quite proud of what you’d done. He knew the potential you had, but was worried you’d be swayed and deceived by emotions, but he was wrong. You knew exactly what you were doing, and you weren’t doing it for revenge or personal gain, but for public safety and welfare.

“But where’s the fun in that?” You smirked, you really were your father’s daughter.

[johnathanswicks]

Fade Into You: John Wick x Reader Chapter 1:

A/N: Hi! This is the first chapter of my multi-chapter fic. I’ve been thinking about this plot for some time now and I finally built up enough courage to create this. I hope you enjoy!

W/C: 2,737

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety, mild violence 

To you, life went by moment by moment. It was almost as if you could physically feel each second that passed, like time slowed down for the sole reason of prolonging the emptiness you felt.

But you kept yourself busy as much as you could. You allowed your job as a journalist determine your every decision and at times you tended to risk your safety because you wholeheartedly loved what you did and without it, the emptiness would without a doubt consume you.

Living so close to New York City had always been something you loved. Although you couldn’t afford to live amid the city by any means, it gave you a sense of comfort knowing you were only miles away from a place where your work mattered and you felt you served a purpose.

You lived alone in a house that was enough for just you, it was small but you didn’t need much to get by. You were used to being alone and you rarely attempted to make contact with people unless it involved your work. Your sheer desire to uncover the truth drove you to a place where you felt almost unsafe to risk anyone's else's comfort for the sake of your own.

At times you missed home and when you thought about going back you could almost feel little metaphorical hands tugging at your heart, trying so desperately to pull you back to a life you had let go of. However, the realization that there was nothing to go back to ultimately overruled any of those thoughts and you remained doing what you felt you did best, which was your job.

Your routine was the same every day. You’d wake up a few hours before you’d have to head into the city and you’d have your morning cup of coffee. The few hours in the morning that you had to yourself also revolved mainly around work. Typing up articles on your typewriter, researching, analyzing and pondering leads that you deemed necessary to learn more about took up the majority of your time.

You worked at a small rundown newspaper firm, probably one of the smallest in New York. At times you felt almost irrelevant like you could write for the rest of your life and nothing would come out of it. But your work is what mattered most to you so you felt obligated to stick with it.

-

When you got to your office that morning your desk was flooded with envelopes full of photographs and paperwork that you had to sift through. Most of the supposed leads were dead ends, but reading the fine print and coming to the conclusion that they were dead ends was something you had to get done. If you didn’t, the chance of receiving something important would consistently gnaw at your thoughts.

It took you about half an hour to get through most of the paperwork when you stumbled upon a letter with an embroidered stamp that you remember seeing before. You quickly jumped up and rummaged through your files, grabbing the only file that had a blank label and sat back down. You flipped through the pages until you spotted the same stamp that was imprinted on the letter. Clarification that they derived from the same source immediately piqued your interest.

The letter provided vague information about a criminal association that was managed underground. You had received leads like this in the past but your coordinator always advised you to drop leads that involved powerful organizations like the letter described. She had hounded on the fact that you were merely a measly journalist and even if it was true, there was little that could be done considering the size of the newspaper you worked for. Well, that's what her words translated to in your head.

About a year ago you decided to go against your coordinator's advice and followed one of the leads. You never were able to trace back to where the leads were coming from but you assumed it was from someone outside of the organization. Eventually, you attempted setting up several interviews with a few higher-ups who were owners of huge buildings and businesses in New York but you were denied every time. Almost immediately after you tried setting up these interviews, you received a warning to not investigate any further. You, of course, felt intimated which ultimately created a rift between your desire to continue pursuing the lead and your desire to learn the truth.

Nevertheless, the feeling that you were on to something never went away so you continued to discreetly collect evidence and information here and there. Photos, names of people who seemed to not even exist and a few random documents that you weren’t able to connect to anything. Although it felt as though you stumbled upon something that everyone else seemed oblivious to, you had absolutely no notoriety or power to do anything about it so you were hesitant to investigate any further.

After pondering your thoughts, you read the rest of the letter where It stated that two men who withheld important information wanted to anonymously set up an interview you. It gave a time, location, and stated that voice recordings were prohibited due to the sensitive topics that would be discussed. Although you were aware of the risks, you felt as if this would put meaning to all of the work and research you had put so much effort into.

-

When you arrived home you read over the letter once more “Please arrive at Le Coucou located at 138 Lafayette St. NY 10013 no later than 7:30 pm.” You had heard of the restaurant before and based on what you knew about the cost, you figured you would need to wear something elegant to blend in.

You began getting ready a few hours before so that there was no chance you would be late. Once you showered you decided to straighten your hair and put on makeup. For your outfit you chose a sleek black satin dress, black heels, and a black clutch.

Once you were dressed you looked at yourself in the mirror and you felt taken aback. You almost didn’t recognize yourself because It had been so long since you dressed up or went anywhere other than work.

While looking at your reflection you paused for a moment. Everything that had led you to this filled your thoughts and it felt like your mind was running a mile a minute. You questioned if what you were about to do was worth it. Of course, it was your job, but it was also more than that. As much as you didn’t want to admit it, you were also filling a void. You felt as though you had been stagnant for so long. Alone and looking for something; an answer. You knew at this very moment you may be throwing yourself into something you were not prepared for but at the same time, you couldn’t see yourself not taking the risk.

What seemed like an eternity had passed and your eyes eventually fluttered back to reality. "This will lead to something. It will be worth it,” you muttered to yourself in the most unconvincing tone. You took another moment to calm your nerves then you grabbed your phone and keys, locked your door and made your way into the city.

-

You got to the restaurant about fifteen minutes early and decided to go inside to be seated. After the waiter seats you, you order a glass of red wine and pair it with the bread that they supplied to you. You knew that if you were to order anything else you'd be going over your budget so you figured you'd have the wine and nothing else.

The restaurant was far fancier than any place you had been before and even though you were dressed in the best outfit you owned, you still felt very much out of your element.

After a few minutes the waiter appeared again. “Would you like to order now ma’am or are you still looking over the menu?” “Oh um, I’m waiting on a few guests. I don’t want to order without them. The wine is okay for now, thank you.” He potently smiled and walked away.

After 7:30 came and went you began to feel nervous. The notion that you blindly followed the directions from a lead you weren’t even sure was legit began to sink in. To distract yourself you began to look around and people watch.

You see an array of designer bags that belong to women in fancy gowns accompanied by their spouses dressed in expensive suits. You see a cluster of men who most likely work for wall street or some other high up corporation conversing about numbers and boasting about achievements. All of the people seemed to exist without a care in the world and it was bothersome.

You couldn’t help but gaze at all of the expensive dishes that were being served. Your urge to order something small was strong. All you had consumed that day was a cup of coffee and a protein bar. Keeping a normal grocery shopping regimen was not your forte.

While scanning the room your eyes fall on a man who is seated alone. His jet black hair was parted in the middle and was slicked back. His beard was neatly trimmed and was almost the same color as his hair. He was wearing a black turtle neck paired with a suit that went together effortlessly. He looked as though he was just as uncomfortable as you felt on the inside and for a moment you thought maybe he felt the same way you did.

After a while, you realized you had been starring at him for what must have been minutes and just as you were about to turn away he looked in your direction. His glare felt as though it was boring a hole through you. His honey-colored eyes contrasted his harsh demeanor, but you sensed a glimpse of vulnerability in them. It was almost as if he could read your mind. Like he knew how anxious and uncomfortable you felt and he was giving your emotions a sense of validation.

As you both starred at each other you felt something almost equivalent to magnetism. You so badly wanted to speak to him, to hear what his voice sounded like. It was unlike you to be drawn to people like this and you rarely ever felt connected to people because again, it felt like too much trouble.

You eventually tore your eyes away and downed the rest of your wine. You looked at your phone and the time read 8:06 pm. All you could think about was the tone of urgency within the letter. “No later than 7:30.” You realized you had been waiting for over half an hour so you decided it was time to build up the courage to pay for the wine and leave.

Your eyes fluttered around the room once more when you suddenly spotted two men by the door glaring at you. One of the men then raised his hand up to his ear as if he was receiving orders through an earpiece. You wanted to think nothing of it but you knew that it was too much of a coincidence. The feeling of regret rushed over you and you began to sense that you were in danger. You felt a scorching heat on your back followed by an icy chill that ran down your spine. Like your subconscious was warning you.

You quickly retrieve a twenty-dollar bill from your purse, place it on the table, collect your things and head for the door. You pass the man you had made eye contact with and try not to appear as though you were rushing out but it felt as though you were practically sprinting. You weave in between guests in a zig-zag like pattern so that the men at the door would lose sight of you and eventually you exit the restaurant.

Getting a taxi on a Friday evening in the middle of New York City was almost impossible so you quickly head towards the subway. You look behind you every so often to make sure you’re not being followed but the overwhelming anxiety persistently jabbed at your gut.

Once you arrive at the subway you begin to impatiently wait for the next train. Time feels slowed and in the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of a man that looked similar to the men that were waiting for you. You try not to panic when someone suddenly grabs you from behind, wraps their arm around your neck and covers your mouth. Your screams are entirely muffled , your lungs began to burn and your kicks do little to nothing against the perpetrator. 

You see the other man pace towards you and suddenly everything feels like slow motion. For a moment it felt as if time came to a halt. Your thoughts wander away and all sense of what is happening begins to dissipate. It was almost as if you were witnessing what was happening from outside of your body. 

Suddenly the man pacing towards you is pulled back by his neck, thrown onto the floor and is shot twice in the chest and once in between the eyes. The man that has ahold of you lets go and you fall, gasping for air while struggling to regain consciousness.

When the blackness in your eyes fade, you then see the man who attacked you pull out a weapon and stab the man from the restaurant in the side. The man winces but then proceeds to remove the man's weapon, swiftly wraps his legs around his torso and brings him to the ground.

After about a minute or so the grunting stops and you gaze over to where the fight took place. There is no movement and you question yourself if you should make a run for it or if you should help the man who saved you.

Against your better judgment, you get up and rush your way over to to the man. You see him bleeding profusely from his rib area with the two dead men laying on either side of him. His honey-colored eyes gaze at you once more and the sense of magnetism you felt earlier in the night returns. You can feel your eyes start to burn and the bridge of your nose stings.

You bend down at his side, afraid to touch him. “We need to get you to a hospital” your voice cracks and you look down at the blood seeping from beneath him. “Y-you’re bleeding too much,” you say, while tears rush down your face. “No. No hospitals” he grunts. You begin to panic and a wave of hopelessness hits you like a ton of bricks. Your chest feels heavy and your breathing is irrational. “Sir I-I don't know what to do...” He then lifts his hand to your face, a calmness rushes over you. “H-hey listen. It’s okay.” He grunts harshly but continues to look in your eyes. “My car… take me to my car. It’s gonna be okay.” You nod, take a deep breath and prepare to lift him. Once he’s on his feet you begin making your way to the subway exit.

You struggle to get him back onto the street but you manage to do so without causing any more damage to his wound. “Around the corner… my car is around the corner” his voice fades.

You're winded and struggling but you manage to make it around the block when you spot a grey car. You open up the back seat, help him in and get quickly get into the driver's seat.

"My place…it’s safe,” he says while laying in the back seat. "W-what about you?" you ask worryingly. "Just get me there… Please.”

You’re physically and mentally exhausted and your hands are shaking so bad it takes you a few tries to start the car. Once you feel the loud engine roar, you see the man's bloody hand gently slide a phone on the console over to you. You pick it up and you see a map. You quickly wipe the blood off of the screen, press start and make your way out of the city.

[cryptoinvestorfan]

(Review) Best Top 5 Cryptocurrency Tumbler (Reliable Bitcoin Mixer 2019/2020)

I regret to inform you Bitcoin transactions are far from being anonymous. If this news was not a surprise to you, you’ve most likely used tumbler services and mixed your coins to make them untraceable.If you’re new to tumblers or looking for reliable ones here are our top mixing websites; where you can choose the best Bitcoin mixer personally for you. You will agree that it is a necessity to keep in mind a reliable platform to access any time when you need to clean your tinted coins or make them untraceable.

Look: this article will tell you about 5 best tumbler services operating online for your comfortable choice. Bitcoin mixing has become incredibly popular since the time when the first evidence of coin traceability has been presented. A pseudo-anonymous character of crypto transactions led to the fact that crypto holders began to look for cheap and effective ways of how to increase the level of confidentiality and Bitcoin mixing platforms have become one of them.

A mixer, scrambler or tumbler is a website that is used by Bitcoin holders to disconnect the sender and recipient of the transaction. It is performed by mixing user’s coins in the general pool with coins of other users and private reserves of the service. The procedure is simple and cheap though it requires some time to complete — on most of the services, users select the time of delay themselves and it can take up to several days until clean coins are delivered to the address provided.

Today, more and more websites start offering mixing services to crypto holders, but not all of them can be trusted. We have selected 5 best scramblers suitable for mixing coins.

#1 Cryptmixer(Read)

https://cryptmixer.com/

Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Bitcoin Cash

Transaction fee: 0.5% service fee no up charge for payout addresses

Minimum Deposit: 0.001 BTC

Multiple Addresses: 5

Confirmations Required: yes

No Logs Policy: yes

Exchange: yes

Registration Required: no

Referral Program: no

Letter of Guarantee: no

This mixer and exchange is one of a kind. They offer mixing services for everyone at a very low cost, just 0.5%. CryptMixer has a massive reserve of 2000 coins so you’ll never have to wait more than 1 confirmation or 30 minutes max to send your coins. It is one of the finest cryptocurrency tumbler which is used by most of the Bitcoin owners. The best thing about this bitcoin mixer that it provides instant mix. 650 of those coins are dedicated to BTC which have never been tainted. Moreover, CryptMixer offers an exchange service as well for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Monero. It’s a one stop when it comes to converting your coins to an unknown coin origin. The next page will show you the amount of fee to pay for the transaction, a wallet address to send coins to or scan a QR code, and a code to write down for any further transactions via the platform.

Other benefits of this mixer are no logs policy and a 7-day retention period for a better confidentiality level. There is also a referral program which allows earning 50% of the service fee for every mix completed with the referral link. The minimum withdrawal amount is 0.002 BTC.

How We Picked

Since the number of scrambler services grows incessantly, it was not easy to select only ten of them. However, the main factors we have considered compiling this list were the following ones:

Popularity of tumbler on the Web;

Domination of positive reviews;

Higher rating among users;

A variety of features and benefits offered to users;

Number of crypto coins mixed;

Simplicity of the mixing process;

Affordability;

Anonymity level.

How We Tested

Each of the following services was analyzed by our team to ensure that they operate at the moment and are not scams. We have sent a minimum amount to every service to check their work and received clean untainted coins back paying a minimum commission. Moreover, our team has analyzed reviews of these services and feedback provided by other users as well as learned all the features of these platforms to select only the best of them.However, it is our obligation to warn you that we are not responsible for the work of these tumblers. Despite our positive experience, mixing is a risky process which can lead to unpredictable consequences and even loss of your coins. Therefore, we recommend all our readers to invest only that amount which is not critical for them.

Why You Should Trust Us

It is natural that the best way to use bitcoin mixer is to avoid registration and perform a minimum of steps during the process. However, it is important to remember of the fact that the number of scams increases together with the number of reliable platforms, so sometimes it is better to spend more time on mixing and minimize risks. Our team of specialists in the crypto industry has much experience and follows all the latest trends in this sphere. We communicate with hundreds of crypto holders as well as make our own experiments to understand if one or another platform is worth your attention and investment. Our team has spent days to conduct a detailed analysis of every platform so that this list of best tumblers was reliable and trusted. We hope that our work will help you to make the right choice of the scrambler and get clean coins in case you decide to use its services.

When Bitcoin Tumbling is Necessary?

Digital money, as well as fiat money, is traceable and despite much information about Bitcoin anonymous character, there is more and more evidence that crypto transactions can be traced and it is even possible to find out who is the holder of the certain wallet on the basis of the transactions made from or to it. It is a widely known fact that blockchain makes records of the history of transactions and they are available to the public. Nowadays, we face many examples of analysis software which helps to connect two parties of every transaction, make up the history of transactions of a certain wallet, and even compare personal data from the Internet with it. As a result, we can see that crypto transactions are pseudo-anonymous and need additional steps to achieve privacy. Mixers, tumblers, scramblers, and laundry services have been created with the goal to disconnect a sender and a recipient of the transaction as well as clean tinted coins received from unreliable sources. These services perform this function for a minimum commission and add users’ coins to the general pool to mix them or work in a different way like Cryptmixer, but they are meant to improve the anonymous character of coins and they cope with this task perfectly.

Summing up

There are many reasons to make crypto transactions anonymous and mixing platforms help to achieve this goal. At the same time, it is important to choose only those tumblers which have confirmed their reliability and served a big number of users successfully. Every online transaction involves some percentage of risk, but there are much more chances to get your coins cleaned successfully if you use the best mixing services listed in this article.

#2 BitBlender(Read)

https://bitblender.io/

http://bitblendervrfkzr.onion/

Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin

Transaction fee: 1–3%

Minimum Deposit: 0.01 BTC

Multiple Addresses: 10

Confirmations Required: yes

No Logs Policy: no

Registration Required: no

Referral Program: yes

Letter of Guarantee: no

BitBlender is one of the oldest mixing platforms on the web which was launched by a Bitcoin enthusiast who wanted to help other crypto owners to keep the privacy of their transactions. What differs this service from others is the simplicity of its design and the tumbling process. It is one of a few platforms which are hidden by Tor browser and guarantee a higher level of anonymity.The service does not ask its users to provide any other personal information but it is necessary to register an account to start tumbling. Crypto holders need to open the onion link through a Tor browser, sign up for the website, and select ‘Quick mix’ to complete the process as fast as possible.There are several features which make BitBlender outstanding in the modern market of mixing services:

Quick Mix Using a restoreable session ID, guests of the website can return to the session any time within 48 hours since the initiation.

Several destination addresses is possible to provide up to 10 additional addresses to randomize mixed coins.

Time delay Users can select the desired time delay themselves. They are offered several variants no matter whether they sent coins to one or several addresses.

Logs are deleted automatically logs are stored within 48 hours and then are deleted in an automatic manner. The platform does not leave any information connected with the transaction.

Quick processing as soon as a user gets a notification about the delivery of coins, they are ready for withdrawal and any other operations.

BitBlender works similar to other tumbler services since a user sends coins to the address generated. They are added to the so-called ‘pot’ where all other coins are stores and mixed with them within the period of time delay indicated. In this way, any chain between a sender and a recipient is broken.

#3 SmartMix(Read)

Links:

https://smartmix.io/

https://smartmixnjmuoixj.onion/

Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Bitcoin

CashTransaction fee: 0.5% plus 0.0001BTC for every Extra Address Minimum

Deposit: 0.001 BTC

Multiple Addresses: 5 Confirmations Required: from 2 to 30

No Logs Policy: yes

Registration Required: no

Referral Program: yes

Letter of Guarantee: no

What is ‘easy mixing’, you may wonder. In fact, it is a process performed on SmartMix platform where you can tumble both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. There is no need to sign-up for the platform to start a mixing process — the only thing you should do is to select a coin. As soon as you do that, the platform will ask you to perform the following steps:

Provide a final address or up to 5 possible addresses to deliver coins to;

Select a payment type each with a certain number of confirmations (from 2 up to 30);

Insert a SmartClub Code (given to users who have already used a service at least once);

Press ‘Start Mixing’ button.

The next page will show you the amount of fee to pay for the transaction, a wallet address to send coins to or scan a QR code, and a code to write down for any further transactions via the platform. There are two mixing modes to choose from: fast mixing will guarantee you an almost instant delivery of funds, while a delayed mode will make you wait for a certain period of time you have selected.Other benefits of this scrambler are no logs policy and a 7-day retention period for a better confidentiality level. There is also a referral program which allows earning 50% of the service fee for every mix completed with the referral link. The minimum withdrawal amount is 0.002 BTC and BCH.

#4 ChipMixer(Read)

Links: https://chipmixer.com/

http://chipmixerwzxtzbw.onion/

Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin

Transaction fee: pay what you want

Minimum Deposit: 0.001 BTC

Multiple Addresses: unlimited

Confirmations Required: from 1 to 6

No Logs Policy: yes

Registration Required: no

Referral Program: no

Letter of Guarantee: yes

Being one of the mixers which guarantees a much higher anonymity level than others, ChipMixer is also a unique chip tumbler that works in an absolutely different way from other services. The service has wallets with chips that range from 0.01BTC to 8.192BTC which can be split and merged according to the wishes of their holder. These chips are delivered to the wallets earlier than a crypto holder sends funds to the platform, so it is impossible to connect the following transactions in any way. Moreover, every user has up to 7 days or even more (on request) to send coins after the initiation of the mixing process. However, the private keys to the wallet with chips are given to a user only when funds are delivered to the service. From this moment, a user can split and merge coins in the necessary amounts, send them to addresses required, or just store them waiting for their value to grow. All the processes are performed manually, so users are not dependent on any services and can distribute funds as they wish.

Since mixing is performed by the user, there is no standard fee for this process and crypto holders can decide themselves what amount to donate. It is worth mentioning that deposits are counted till three decimal points and a platform gives every user a signed receipt as a reliable source of coin origin. Moreover, there is a betting option to have fun and even increase your crypto assets if you are lucky.

#5 Cryptomixer(Read)

https://cryptomixer.io/

cryptomixns23scr.onion

Supported cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin

Transaction fee: from 0.5% to 3%

Minimum Deposit: 0.001 BTC

Multiple Addresses: 10

Confirmations Required: yes

No Logs Policy: yes

Registration Required: no

Referral Program: yes

Letter of Guarantee: yes

The platform began to offer mixing services in 2016 and is actively used by crypto owners today. It features a reserve of 2,000 coins which allows to make tumbling almost instant and helps to decrease their traceability to the minimum. All the data about the transaction is deleted in 7 days. This service says about proven on Bitcoin Talk reserves and marks every coin which been already cleaned on the platform to prevent it from the return to the customer’s wallet again. It is performed via providing a unique CryptoMixer code during the first transaction.The mixing procedure on the platform is very simple and quick. There is no need to register since you can start mixing when you open the website landing page and press the ‘Start’ button. You will be redirected to the page where you need:

To provide a CryptoMixer code (invent and write it down if you use this service for the first time);

To enter bitcoin forward to address or several of them (up to 10). Funds are distributed by percentages indicated next to each address. It is possible to adjust them on the bar under the service fee bar:

Set a delay (optional). The system determines a delay time automatically and shows it next to each destination address. It can be adjusted on the bar at the bottom of the page too;

Select a service fee by dragging the bar. The minimum fee is 0.5% plus 0.0005 HTC for every transaction. It can be lower if you mix a bigger amount of cryptocurrency (for example, 0.25% for mixing 1,000BTC).

When all this information is provided, it is necessary to press ‘Continue’ and accept two terms of the platform. After that, you will need to send funds to the platform to the address generated or scanning a QR code provided. This page will also offer you to download a Letter of Guarantee for your security.

The platform offers a calculator on the first page for every user to see how much cryptocurrency is sent and what amount is received after mixing. Other great features are a lifetime affiliate program which pays out up to 50%, mobile responsiveness, and easy-to-use API.

[maverick-werewolf]

Random Werewolf Fact #35 - The Beast of Gevaudan, and What Isn’t a Werewolf Legend

The Beast of Gevaudan is easily one of the most popular werewolf legends. Movies, TV shows, books - tons of things are based on it, and new ones pop up every few years.

But here’s the problem - it isn’t really a werewolf legend at all.

(MTV’s Teen Wolf series certainly had a take on the Beast of Gevaudan)

Before we dive into why it isn’t, let’s first look at what exactly the legend is. In brief, because going into too much detail would make this even longer than it already is, and that’d be totally unpalatable.

In 1764-1765 in France, a creature called the Wild Beast of Gevaudan “ravaged several districts,” hunted by a detachment of dragoons, with a bounty of a thousand crowns for its death. It was said to,

[H]ave devoured more than a hundred persons. Not merely solitary wayfarers were attacked by it, but even larger companies traveling in coaches and armed. (Summers 235)

A lot of what we have today about the Beast of Gevaudan comes from extrapolations of the legend, misinformation, and retroactive changes to it based on the modern miscategorization of it as a werewolf legend.

So why am I saying it isn’t a werewolf legend?

Firstly, the beast is only ever described as some kind of unknown creature.

Secondly, and very importantly, it never changes shape beyond speculation.

There were claims made, either then or recently, that the creature was a “warlock, who had shifted his shape” (Summers 236), and one account from a supposed eyewitness who heard it speaking.

There is no particular reason or purpose behind this creature being a wolf - because it was not a wolf. It simply has absolutely no hallmarks of a proper werewolf legend, beyond the fact that the beast is shown to be intelligent (”With mysterious skill the beast baffled and even spurned its pursuers” [Summers 235]).

The Beast of Gevaudan was physically described by various historical sources, and speculated to be any of the following things:

A “panther”

A “hyena”

“the offspring of a tiger and a lioness” (and we know those are possible!)

It was described as having “most formidable” teeth, which is wolflike. But it was also described as using its tail to fight. “With its immense tail it could deal swindging blows.” Along with being able to jump to tremendous heights and run with “supernatural speed,” it is described as stinking. “The stench of the brute was beyond description” (Summers 235). Yeah, wolves aren’t skunks, so I think we can write another point off toward “was it a wolf?”

There were other instances of people speculating it was a werewolf later in the legend’s history, so not actually at the time when these things were happening. An anonymous writer not even from the time period (great source, right? Very reliable) made some random claim off the top of his head that it must’ve been a werewolf because he once saw an engraving where it was eating a girl, and werewolves likey the girl flesh (this guy must’ve read a very limited range of werewolf legends, though).

But the thing ate everyone regardless of age, sex, or what-have-you, and we have multiple accounts of it eating all kinds of people, so that’s about as helpful or likely to hold up as a bucket with holes in it.

And then we can turn to the illustrations...

(18th-century engraving of the Beast of Gevaudan, now called Lycopardus Parthenophagus, or basically “panther-wolf”)

Oh yeah I see wolves and werewolves that look like that all the time!

Does that remotely resemble a wolf to you? (note: don’t ask that to people designing stylized wolf models for video games, especially WoW, or most people who design werewolves in Hollywood)

Look, I get it. The medievals were super terrible at artistically portraying basically anything. Pick up 90% of bestiaries and they’re full of laughs.

(Cutout from a bestiary entry on wolves. But at least these weird little cuties kind of resemble wolves, you know, in the smallest amount?)

Here’s another Beast of Gevaudan...

(So is she saving herself from getting her hair licked or from getting mauled? More at 11)

Arguably a little more wolfish by medieval standards? Still not doing it for me.

So what’s the problem here?

For a long time, scholars got triggerhappy categorizing things as werewolf legends, vampire legends, dragon legends, etc. - trying to find a way to fit everything into a certain category, because humans seem to have an irresistible need to categorize everything (just look at TV Tropes).

But not all of these categorizations are true. That, and they were trying to make these fields into a thing, trying to prove there was enough material for something like “werewolf studies” to exist, so they got pretty ridiculous about it.

Before someone jumps in with “but Mav, Jean Chastel killed it with a silver bullet!” I’m going to cut you off at the pass, because we have no actual reliable source stating that this is true.

And also other sources say one Monsieur Antoine killed the beast, not some guy named Jean Chastel, so we have conflicting sources about this legend absolutely everywhere.

About the “silver bullet” thing: Until I am given a small mountain (or honestly at least 2-3) of verifiable sources from the actual time period, I 100% stand by that this was retroactively inserted into the Beast of Gevaudan legend by someone who watched The Wolf Man movie, and then the completely fake “source” was made and thrown out there because some scholar wanted to be the first one to find it (i.e., make it up).

And even if it was true, you know what? That wouldn’t make it more of a werewolf legend. Because guess what? Werewolves in literally every other legend ever, everywhere on the face of planet earth, aren’t sensitive to silver like that.

So, no, that is not a property of folkloric werewolves and if true (which I still hold that it is not), does absolutely nothing to nudge the Beast of Gevaudan closer to the “werewolf legends” category.

Because the Beast of Gevaudan is not a werewolf legend. It meets not even a single requirement necessary to be called one. It’s a cool legend, sure, and people have a relatively easy (arguably; I’m not a huge fan of a lot of the media, but some of it is alright) time turning it into a werewolf story, but that doesn’t make the historical legend about a werewolf. Any werewolf media that uses it needs to be aware of that.

This applies to a lot of other “werewolf legends,” too, such as the trial of Peter Stubbe, for a whole lot of reasons. It’s simply a miscategorization. A mistake. And it is one that needs to stop being further solidified, despite being a pretty literal error, in the scholarly world.

Don’t get me wrong, though, the legend itself is pretty hardcore (and horrible, because those people did actually die, you know). It’s just not a werewolf legend.

Note: All quotes in this article are from The Werewolf by Montague Summers, cross-examined with various other sources. But any actual quotes are from that book.

(If you like my werewolf blog, be sure to check out my other stuff!

Patreon --- YouTube --- Wulfgard --- Werewolf Fact Masterlist --- Twitter)

[drferox]

Just a blog

Anonymous said to @ask-drferox: So I understand you're a very qualified veterinarian from following you for a year and working in the field- but when I tell other people about the things you discuss and disclose the source being your blog- I get a lot of, "Blogs aren't good sources," sort of attitude. Is there a good way I can phrase what you talk about in a professional way?

Well, I am ‘just a blog’ and using my posts as a reference has to remember that. They’re not necessarily going to stand up against academic papers but if you’re having a debate with someone who uses Facebook posts as evidence for their argument then they should hold at least equal credibility. 

This comes with some limitations. I know this is just a blog, and a Tumblr blog at that! This url does not add any authority or credibility to discussion, which is why more serious enterprises will buy their own domain name. But I am not trying to be some top-tier academic resource that gets quoted in journals and such. I am simply trying to be accessible and easy to understand. This is something that the pseudoscience camps have done depressingly well, and good science has a lot of catching up to do.

If you are having a discussion with someone who claims ‘blogs aren’t good sources’, examine what sort of things they think are good sources. There is definitely a hierarchy of legitimacy when it comes to quoting sources that looks something like this: 

Peer reviewed literature review journal articles in reputable publications

Primary research in reputable publications

Articles from established universities or well known academics within their field

Press releases from industry representatives (eg AVA, AVMA, RCVS, etc)

A layperson magazine article written by a professional

A layperson magazine article written by a non-professional with an opinion

The blog post of a professional

Facebook

The verbal opinion of some random person.

So the legitimacy of this blog in an academic context is pretty far down the list, but at least it’s not worse than Facebook. You all following me afford me a certain amount of authority on these veterinary topics because I have provided consistent knowledge that checks out, backed up with personal anecdotes in a way that is understandable to you. I deliberately don’t write a lot of pet health articles (there is a million other sites that do that) but I will explain the point that a layperson who has tried to research couldn’t find the answer for, or I will sometimes go into more detail about these topics just to prove I know my stuff. 

I am, for most people, a random on the internet. You have decided by consensus that I am a trustworthy resource because you have been reading for a while and I have been consistent. Someone who has never come across this blog has no idea who I am, or what I do, and may not even believe I am a real vet. That’s okay, a little skepticism is healthy on the internet. 

You can’t just wield my name in an argument. I’m only a primary source, and for most people not a verified one. 

You can assess other sources and compare them to the validity of the other person though. If they are quoting an opinion article on a website, you can counter with an opinion from here. Even if their opinion is on a fancy, own domain name, an opinion is still an opinion. The best way to decide on the validity of that opinion, in my own opinion, is to look at what they’re selling.

Alternatively, you can simply use this blog as a launch point. Take topics and phrases that you may not have encountered before, and see what else is said about them elsewhere. You may well find more authoritative sources now you know where to look, or at least a cutting quip or a good argument.

Keep in mind though that most people will artificially elevate the authority of sources that agree with them in their own mind. So that unreputable Facebook post that told them what they want to hear may be held to be more believable than the blog of a vet. But you do this too. For you I am Dr Ferox, definitely real and trustworthy veterinarian. For them I am jut another rando on the internet. 

I should specify that I’m not trying to be an academic source, nor am I trying to tell anybody what to think. I tell you what I know, what I think, how I got there, and hope people can understand that. You’re all perfectly capable of doing your  own thinking, I’m just showing you where to start. 

Oh, and if this is about someone, for example, comparing this ‘just a blog’ to something like dogs naturally, remember that is just a blog that forked out cash.

[dmsden]

Natural One, Naturally - Finding Fun in Failure

Hullo, Gentle Readers. This week’s Question from a Denizen came to us from an Anonymous source. That source said, “I'm trying to find a post where the DM talked about not losing momentum even if the player rolls a one. They fail in a way that doesn't grind the quest to a halt. They essentially help the player in an unexpected way like rolling a one while picking a lock still picks the lock, but also sounds a hidden alarm. Anyone know what I'm talking about??”

While I know I’ve written such an article, why not take a fresh look at the subject of failure?

Failure can be frustrating, sure. When you’re trying to move things forward, for example in combat, it can be frustrating for players and DMs alike to have that 1 spin to the top on your D20. While I’ve never been one for Critical Failure charts (I mean how plausible is it that you actually cut your own head off while missing an enemy...and isn’t missing in combat punishment enough, really?), I think failure can be its own source of story.

You never want to completely stymie your players. If they need a clue to move forward, or to get through a locked and trapped door to continue with no other alternatives, then that’s bad adventure design. Instead, you can choose for failure to become “success with consequences”.

If the PCs absolutely must get through a door in order to continue the adventure, and you’ve decided that door is locked and trapped, because you’re trying to give the party’s rogue a moment to shine, then be prepared for how things can move forward if the rogue fails all their rolls. Maybe an alarm triggers as the door unlocks, allowing the group to move forward, but instigating a tough fight. Or maybe a guard comes to investigate the noises, forcing the party to try and subdue him through a portcullis, in order to get the keys on his belt. If the PCs are on a timer, perhaps trying to stop the sacrifice of the king by a group of devotees of the Elder Elemental Eye, then failure, necessitating the spending of more time to try to pick the look again, can become its own consequence, as time slowly ticks down.

The Call of Cthulhu game is a game that stresses exploration and research in order to find out what’s going on, and often to stop it. In earlier games, crucial information was often hidden behind skill rolls like Library Use and Spot Hidden. In the current edition of the game, however, more emphasis is placed on making sure the PCs can find what they need without skill rolls. If they need to know a specific piece of information in order for the scenario to proceed, then it’s best to make sure they get that info, rather than letting things stall out because no one in the party has the Archeology skill.

I used a “Success with Consequences” sequence recently in my home game. The PCs needed a magic-item that was held by a tentative ally. Said ally asked them to undertake a dangerous diplomatic mission to speak with a recently emerged self-proclaimed medusa queen on his southwestern borders. I set the situation up as a skill challenge, but, if they had made enough failures, it would’ve triggered a very tough combat instead. The PCs managed to make some pretty cosmic skill rolls, so diplomacy won the day, but I was prepared for the failure.

Another scenario I used recently involved a trio of riddles and a trio of sphinxes. For each riddle the PCs solved, one sphinx stepped out of the fight. Solving all three riddles meant no need to waste valuable resources fighting the sphinxes to gain access to the chamber beyond. But either way, there was a way to move forward.

In general, I recommend avoiding situations where something like picking a lock, finding a secret door, solving a puzzle, or engaging in a social encounter is completely a pass/fail situation that stops things from moving forward. Failure to pick the lock might mean that the PCs have to take the long way around in the dungeon, having more random encounters and wasting more resources on their path to fighting the main villain. If they don’t find the secret door, they won’t fight a magic-item. Failing to solve the puzzle might put a curse on the PCs, making the rest of the dungeon harder. If they fail the social encounter, maybe the captured nobleman thinks he’d rather take his chances with the brainwashing cultists and calls for help. All of these make the PCs lives harder, but they don’t stop things in their tracks.

If possible, the DM should create some good narrative around failure, trying to make it as entertaining as success. In combat, the DM could just say that the PC misses, or he could say something like, “You swing your sword in a deadly arc, but the hobgoblin raises his shield, letting it skitter along the domed surface, sparks flying. He leers at you, then launches a counterattack...” It helps a little to improve the overall feel of the game.

Sometimes narrative of failure makes a story just as memorable as a resounding success. I still chuckle about the time a character in a game I was in blew a stealth check and ended up with a decorative pumpkin stuck on his foot.

Anonymous, I hope this article helps. Failure can be as entertaining and rewarding as part of the story as success. It’s all in the consequences and the narrative.