#360 digital idea

[runawaymun]

Idk is this is too late to ask but I was wondering about blind Earendil for disability pride month. He's half-mortal and wears a star for hours every night, so it makes sense that he'd lose his vision over time. Maybe he has a little seeing-eye bird (courtesy of Elwing).

[Image ID: A digital painting of Eärendil in the night sky, drawn from the chest up in profile. Eärendil is a blind, brown-skinned half-elf with golden, coily hair and gold freckles across the bridge of his nose. The Silmaril is a oval-shaped multi-colored jewel bound to his brow on a gold headband and lights the whole piece. He is wearing a gray fur mantle and a large owl rests on his shoulder as a companion and guide. /. END ID.)

I haven't drawn adult Eärendil yet, so this was super fun to do. I always headcannoned that he took a lot after Idril's side of the family. I absolutely love this whole idea. It's so cool!!! It makes total sense that he'd start to lose his vision over time. I kind of imagine that Vingilótë's trajectory is pretty fixed, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be helpful to have a (or a couple) seeing eye bird hanging around to help.

An owl just seems to fit his vibe (plus, you know, they see super well and have that 360 degree vision). In a lot of cultures across the world they're not only seen as a sign of wisdom, but of protection from evil too. Seems fitting for a seeing-eye bird.

Anyway I'm super in love with this idea and I'm adopting it into my headcannons, thank you. I'm always on the lookout for good Eärendil headcannons!!

[rpgsandbox]

Official photos of the upcoming LEGO Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale set (21348) are officially here! Stacking up to nearly 3,800 pieces, the upcoming set celebrates the RPG’s 50th anniversay with six all-new minifigures, a giant Cinderhowl red dragon, and tons of other fiends.

The set has officially been named LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale – a departure from the fan-submitted model, which was called Dragon’s Keep: Journey’s End by original builder Lucas Bolt (known as BoltBuilds). The differences between the model that’s actually hitting store shelves and the original creation aren’t all that noticeable, but there are some adjustments!

LEGO’s first Dungeons and Dragons kit celebrates 50 years of the role-playing game from Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro. It stacks up to 3,745 pieces and assembles a fantasy scene. There’s a medieval building on the left, which is integrated into the stone of a dilapidated castle. There’s an extra 700 bricks from the original version. That increase goes towards a more detailed model, as well as giving some more love to the side build.

We’ve covered the Dungeon, but what about the Dragon? The LEGO set includes a massive giant Cinderhowl red dragon. It can perch on the castle tower, or just fly around in your own little adventure.

Alongside the actual model, the new LEGO Dungeons and Dragons set includes a handful of minifigures, as well as creatures for them to do battle with. There are six adventurer minifigures, including an Orc Rogue, Gnome Fighter, Elf Wizard, Dwarf Cleric, a Bard, and more. You also get three LEGO skeletons, too. The kit also includes a Beholder, as well as the Displacer Beast. We also get a small glimpse of a brick-built Gelatinous cube and the Owlbear. It’s a really solid mix of figures and beats for them to do battle with.

In true Dungeons and Dragons fashion, the LEGO set also includes a digital download for an adventure to recreate with the included figures.

You’ll be able to buy the LEGO Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale set (21348) starting next month. It officially goes on sale to the public on April 3, but LEGO Insiders will be able to get this one early – as per usual. It’ll drop at midnight on April 1 for those with a free account. It debuts at $359.99. The LEGO storefront page is at this link.

Plus, a Collectible Minifigure Series on the way

Alongside the main LEGO Ideas set, the collaboration will be continuing over to a Collectible Minifigure Series based around Dungeons and Dragons. The lineup will debut later this fall as a second installment of the 50th anniversary action and will include 12 different characters from the role-playing game. That includes Tieflings, druids, bars, and even the Mindflayer. The LEGO Group has now confirmed that it will launch in September.

Here’s a full breakdown of the Dungeons and Dragons Collectible Minifigure Series. Each of the blind box LEGO figures will sell for $4.99, and includes a minifigure alongside a fittingly-themed accessory. 

Tiefling Sorcerer with Red Baby Dragon

Golden Dragonborn Paladin with Shield

Tasha the With Queen with Cauldron

White Aarakocra Ranger with Dog

Mindflayer with Intellect Devourer

Dwarf Barbarian with Axe

Strahd von Zarovich with Sword

Githyanki Warlock with Knife

Halfling Druid with Bird

Halfling Bard with Lute

Lady of Pain with Cube

Szass Tam with Skull

[sarahbduck]

Subscription for a Paintbrush

A painter might feel like a paintbrush is an extension of themselves, developing muscle memory and skill to create beauty. But what happens when that tool is owned by someone else, and they charge rent? What if they've decided to take it away from you? What if they've decided your art isn't yours?

As a 3D artist, I was professionally trained in using Autodesk Maya, a 3D modelling and animation application. I became really good with it, and grew to love it! I used it at work and at home for my own projects. It became muscle memory, an extension of myself, an organ for expression.

The full version of Maya is ludicrously expensive at CA$2,500 a year! So I had to settle for a cheaper version called Maya LT. It was missing some features, but I wasn't using them at the time so it worked out. I paid CA$360 a year for 3 years.

COVID struck, and I lost my job. I had to use savings to continue paying my license for an additional 2 years, yet in that time they provided no updates. I was just paying for access.

In 2022, Autodesk announced that Maya LT was being discontinued, replaced by a new version called Maya Creative. Instead of a subscription, you'd buy "tokens", spending one token for 24 hours of use. You could only buy tokens in bulk, the cheapest being 100 tokens for CA$405, and they expire after one year.

I've never seen such a predatory, disgusting pricing model for a piece of software. It's like an arcade machine! I thought subscriptions were bad enough! I refused to participate.

Despite spending nearly two grand, the tool I love is going to deactivate itself soon, and I don't have any say in it. It's bytes will still be on my computer, but it'll refuse to launch. Maya LT had a proprietary file format, so all of my projects will be unusable.

It feels like I'm losing a part of myself.

I feel like a fool for even letting this happen in the first place. I let myself become attached to a tool I didn't even own, run by a faceless corporation! My own art is being held hostage! How unfair! Should it even be called a tool, or a service?

I've been avoiding 3D art lately, focusing on programming and game development. My friends and I started working on a game in the Unity Game Engine. A couple months in, Unity's owners were saying and doing some unsavoury things, so we swapped to the Godot Engine. I feel incredibly lucky that we did because of the Unity drama that followed.

Unity wanted to start charging a fee for every user that installed your game. They wanted this to apply to every Unity game retroactively. This is obviously a stupid idea, and they walked it back, but it begs the question: Do you even own the game you developed? It seems like you don't.

I don't want to let myself fall into this trap again. I feel like we as artists form a personal relationship with our tools, and it shouldn't have to be an abusive one! I want to own my art and tools! That shouldn't be difficult as a digital artist! I've been recommended some proprietary subscription based "tools" by friends recently, and I refuse to use them. I won't let this happen to me again.

I'm going to use as much open source software as I can. Open source software is the only software you can truly "own". You have access to the code, and you can do with it as you please! It's often democratically run by the community! You can distribute it to your friends, and it's not piracy! There's a ton of excellent open source art software out there, and I encourage you to check it out!

Autodesk broke my heart. When I get back into 3D art, I'm going to be learning Blender.

[ruki--mukami]

(@bluebird-dolly-bride)

Admin: The perfect date~

“This must be the immersive art exhibition I’ve heard so much about. How curious,” stormy blue eyes peered over the photos depicting Claude Monet’s works in 360° view, demonstrating a brilliant myriad of colors to the Vampire. “It certainly holds no candle to the original paintings that one would view in a traditional museum, but regardless, I suppose it’s akin to comparing eBooks to paperback—everyone ultimately has their preference. While I admit I’m more partial to the originals as opposed to their digital counterparts, given its tendency to turn every coveted masterpiece into a garish spectacle for the eyes of the modern-day aesthete, I would be remiss not to at least acknowledge an immersive exhibition’s ability to include us spectators as part of the artwork from all angles. I’ve yet to experience this for myself. Still though, at the end of the day, it’s simply a high-technological gallery compared to what I’ve grown so fond of.”

Before he could dismiss the frivolity completely, Ruki took a longer glance at the brochure, mulling over who could possibly enjoy such a display. The silhouette of an ambitious young woman instantly came to mind, one who had stumbled into his thoughts more and more frequently with each interaction.

“Hm. Perhaps she might entertain the idea…” he thought to himself. “It’s true that Cassandra might find something like this aesthetically captivating. There’s still so much that I don’t know about her, and yet I cannot help but find myself drawn to her artistic endeavors.”

🧩 Ahaha, forgive Ruki's tangent about this, I just wanted to write his reaction too. I'm so sorry for the late response to this, the truth is I really miss interacting with you and Cassie. I'd love to pick up their main thread together if that's okay (and neko!Cassie, I know it's been a while and I know his reaction to that will be priceless). But anyway, this immersive exhibition looks beautiful, it's making me want to visit one myself someday. Even though Ruki is critical about it, he'd definitely be willing to give it a try—especially with someone like Cassandra. 🧩

[literaticat]

Those Entangled numbers can't be right, didn't fourth wing famously sell millions, how can their revenue only be 4 million? They also did Crave, did that sell so poorly? And if you go on the website the titles publishes within 2023 are not even 100, so 400 titles cannot be right either

OK? As I said in the original post, these numbers could be off, that's just what google says. I'm not going to do forensic accounting here, I have no special knowledge about their bookkeeping -- I can only go by what is publicly, easily available.

Here's that information in screenshot form. Presumably, this is last year's information, since this year is not over yet. Fourth Wing "famously sold millions" THIS year, it just came out this spring. (And, we have no way of knowing how much of that $$ was profit -- books have a famously slim profit margin!)

For the "books published" I took the info from their About page on the Macmillan website in which they say they release 30-45 titles per month digital, 4 per month digital+print. 30x12 = 360, I took the lowest version of their own estimated figure and rounded up a bit. Maybe they were just saying random numbers, I have no idea, but SOMEBODY at that company wrote it (and probably believed it to be true) at some point, so...

(This info is a couple of years out of date I'm sure -- as it says they have 13 imprints but they are now at 15 imprints by my counting, but two were opened since 2022).

[gabrielandworms]

It's Day 247 of the migraine that never ends, and any plans I had to clean or maybe (finally) finish the painting I have sketched out on my drawing table's surface are just not happening. I'm going to be lying in a pile of blankets playing one of the lower energy rpgs I have. I might even get some real writing done if I can trust my brain enough with any of my drafts.

But I realized I can probably trust my brain enough to rec some of my favorite rpgs for sick days like today. Something without a complex plot or a need to stay focused. Something with fun design and, if you're really lucky, big numbers.

Also some (one? two?) of these are on the 3ds. It's probably a good idea to look into them now since the shop is closing permanently towards the end of the month.

So here's my little list of suggestions. This definitely isn't just an attempt to get people playing things I like. It's also an attempt to get people to suggest their own preferences.

Dragon Ball Fusions (3DS): I know Fighterz is the crowning achievement of Dragon Ball games, but I don't like fighting games. Meanwhile this a fun little rpg where you can make your own OC and get other fighters to join you with one of the most enjoyable combat systems I've ever played. The fusion mechanic is also really goofy and a delight to mess around with.

Legend of Mana (PS1): Well, originally a PS1 game. I think the remaster is pretty much everywhere. It's always been my favorite Mana title, and I'm glad to see it getting attention now. Unlocking every quest is a pain that requires a guide, but the combat is very "no thoughts, head empty" and the game's backgrounds are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Also I haven't watched it yet, but there's an anime adaptation of one of the major arcs now. Story is a bit heavier than the others here though as it digs into "love can both nurture and destroy."

Fantasy Life (3DS): There's a second one coming, but if you don't want to wait the first one was a lot of fun. The class system in this game is a lot of fun, and I think it's the only game I've played that let me even run around trying to become a Master Cook. You can also have your friends jump into your game and run around together, but that might be restricted to local play now.

Pokemon: Heart Gold and Soul Silver (DS): Or any Pokemon title, really. Heart Gold is just my favorite, but I also thought the Sun/Moon titles were underrated. Pokemon's base line has never been complicated. It's just running around with little magical animal critters, and maybe if you're lucky you're playing one of the gens that lets you pet them. Or have them follow you around.

Magical Starsign (DS): Legend of Mana's younger sibling, and a great deal more linear. But it has a lot of the same visual charm paired with a setting both fantasy and sci-fi. Like Legend of Mana, it also gets a bit heavier with its story. Some of the subplots do not end on happy notes.

Okage: Shadow King (PS2): Maybe the least "head empty" of the bunch, but grinding is an option, and grinding is one of the most "head empty" things you can do in an rpg. I wanted to include it though because it's visually fun and has a wonderful little sense of humor. As a bonus, it's available for digital purchase on the sony store. A lot of these are old and only available in physical versions unless you put in the effort to find other, Totally Legal methods.

Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood (DS): Look, I'm going to be honest. I remember nothing about this game. I had the flu in college and fever-induced delirium wiped out my memory of the whole damn time. But apparently? I played this? And according the save file I completed it? Which means this has to fit the criteria of an rpg you don't have to think too hard about. Which it's a Sonic game, so I can't imagine the plot is complex.

Fable 3 (Xbox 360): I know it's the unfavorite Fable for people, but I had a lot of fun with it. It also looks like it's available digitally. This game doesn't demand much, and honestly it's pretty easy to sidestep the instance when it does try to make hefty demands. I don't know how accessible co-op is now, but this is a game made better when you're running around causing chaos with friends. It also let me marry a pink-haired cannibal, and how many games even have that option?

[thatone-highlighter]

hey i saw ur tags on that one fahrenheit post & i'd love to know more about base 6 (+ if you have any recs for understanding it) ! i'm not familiar with it but it sounds cool <3

Okay gonna be honest i have no idea what post youre talking about, but i am not going to turn down such a blatant chance to talk about bases so here we go!

So since 1. I dont know you or how much you know about bases at all (and you say you dont know much) and 2. I want this post to be as helpful as possible i am going to explain this as if you have never heard of a base before in your life, so if you’re more familiar than that just hang in there

So first off, what is a base? A base number is basically the amount of digits you have to represent a given number. For example base 10 would have 10 individual digits, base 12 has 12, base 2 has 2, etc you get the picture. The three main bases i can think of that most people would have at least some level of familiarity with are base 10, base 2 and base 60.

Base 10 is just your normal numbers almost everything is done in base 10 or if not is converted into base 10. Base 2 is binary, it has 2 digits 0 and 1. Base 60 is what we do time in, its kind of a bad example because we actually use base 10 to get the 60 digits you need but time and angles and all that stuff that caps at 60 or 360 is base 60 (pretty sure angles are technically base 60, could be base 360 but you get the idea).

Bases work by when you run out of digits in your base, the row to the left goes up one and you start over. For example in base 10 when you get to 9 thats the last digit so it ticks over to 1 and 0.(numbers in based start at 0 so the tenth digit in base 10 is actually 9 not 10, 10 is not a number in base 10, just as 2 is not one in base 2 and 6 is not one in base 6). The trend continues on as well, when you get to 99 it goes over to 100.

For general use tho, if you wanna know a base thats not base 10 you need to know how to convert it back into base 10, otherwise its only understandable to you or if you happen to come across someone who also knows that base. Warning This next part might get a bit complicated. To convert a non-10 base into base 10, you need to be a bit familiar with your powers, im gonna use 2 as an example because its small and easy.

Lets pick a random number in base 2, 1101001. So i have no idea what number that is those numbers mean nothing to you and nothing to me, lets make it mean something. To figure that out were gonna need our powers of 2,7 of them starting at 0. From right to left we can number the digits 0-6, and thats the power they are each get. The number im each of those rows (in this case 0 or 1) is going to be multiplies by 2 to the power of whatever power that row is, and then we add them all together. It should make a bit more sense in a minute after i do this example. So lets start from the left to the right.

1*2^6 , 2^6= 64, times 1 is 64.

1*2^5 , 2^5= 32, times 1 is 32

0*2^4 , 2^4= 16, times 0 is 0

1*2^3 , 2^3= 8, times 1 is 8

0*2^2 , 2^2= 4, times 0 is 0

0*2^1 , 2^1= 2, times 0 is 0

1*2^0 , 2^0= 1 (anything to the power of 0 is one), and then times 1 is just 1 still.

So now we take all of those numbers and add them together. 64+32+0+8+0+0+1= 105. So the number 1101001 in binary should be able to be rewritten in base 10 as, 105. And lookie if i chuck it in an online binary converter

So now that we know 1. What a base is and 2. The basic principals on how to convert based back into base 10, ill explain base 6, and then of course why i like it.

So base 6 is a base system with 6 digits, 0 1 2 3 4 and 5. When you get to where 6 would be, you write 10, because youve hit your limit of digits you dont have anymore you need to move one row to the left. There are other people who are more qualified and suited to tell you how to say what 10 in base 6 should be called than i am, but generally in my head i will just say the digits (example, instead of saying 14(fourteen) i would say 14(one four). Makes it easier not to get confused when you convert)(side fun fact 14 in base 6 is ten) and then if i say it out loud i will automatically convert to base 10.

Everything i said before with base 2 applies to converting base 6 into base 10, the biggest difference being because base 6 has more digits you wont get a small number represented with so many digits. Base 10 does use less digits to represent big numbers eventually but its a lot bigger than anything you would ever need to use it for. I personally have very rarely ever needed to go above 2 digits for what i use base 6 for.

One of the biggest reasons i like base 6, and what i use it for almost exclusively, is how it lets you count on your hands. So most people have five fingers on each hand yeah? And base 6 has five numbers (excluding zero). Therefor, using holding up no fingers as being 0, you can, using just your two hands, count all the way up to thirty-five. Just on your hands using your fingers. Thirty-five is a Lot more than the usual ten you can represent. Its really good for counting numbers that are just above ten you would normally have to just try and remember once you run out of fingers. You just count, every time you add one more after hitting 5 fingers, the “ones” hand goes back to zero and your “tens”(or i guess “sixes”) hand goes up one more, until either you get the number you need or run out of hands!

I hope this makes sense and is as informative as i want it to be! Im going to link some of the videos i watched that got me into bases and helped me learn if you would like to watch those. And please is you or anyone else wants me to clarify anything or has any questions feel free to ask! And inversely if anyone more familiar with bases than i sees an error i made please let me know!

Introduction to based and seximal(base 6)-

Elaboration-

(Also just in general would recommend this youtuber, they have a bunch of other very interesting niche sorts of videos like these ones on bases, i like the ones on W and hangman and also the entire conlang critic series)

[farfromstrange]

Foreigner's God: Chapter 14

Main Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x OFC

Chapter Summary: Tony screwed up, big time. As the truth comes out, the clock finally runs out. Eliza is backed into a corner she can’t escape out of. The situation escalates and is blown into big proportions.

Warnings: fighting, implied child abuse, violence, explosion, fighting, use of mutant powers

Word Count: 7.9k

A/n: This might start to explain why Tony did what he did, or not… guess you won’t know till you read it :) it also explains a lot of stuff about Eliza, so, that’s cool!

Read Chapter 14: Family Line here on AO3!

18+

The compound was still accessible to her. Eliza still had the keycard in her backpocket and the security code that would get her in through the garage memorized in her head.

She snuck in through the woods. Leaves crushed underneath her feet and it was loud, although there was nothing but grass in her proximity. When she reached the gate, she punched in the security code after unlocking it with the keycard, causing the light to turn green and the broad space of the garage to open up before her. She slid in, then pushed the button to let the gate back down. Tony’s Audi stood perfectly parked in the corner, covered by a black sheet with the firm’s logo on it. 

Eliza avoided the elevator at all costs. Instead, she took the stairwell upstairs, through the emergency exit, and across familiar hallways. She stayed close to the wall at all times, knowing that it was pretty much a dead spot for the cameras to pick up on. Tony wanted to invest in 360-degree surveillance, but so far, nothing happened. 

She finally reached his office after what felt like hours of walking through a maze. It was one of many, but the only one that mattered. The code she entered wasn’t her identification, it was Tony’s. The lock clicked and allowed her to step inside the cozy interior. She quickly let the wood fall back in place. His private rooms were the only ones that weren’t under the careful eyes of security cameras or audio surveillance. He cherished his privacy more than anyone. The things he worked on required utter and complete secrecy. He had plans, blueprints, and million-dollar ideas just floating around. If anyone got their hands on it, they could make unimaginable profits, and he wanted to prevent that. 

His computer sat in standby mode on the desk. The wallpaper pictured him and Pepper in Central Park, an adorable selfie she never thought possible for him. She felt so guilty, snooping around, believing a murderer over the man who raised her - but the magnetic pull of the truth drew her in and it made her blind. She needed to know, even if it was solely to ease her conscience. If there was nothing to be found, she could come back to Matt and forget any of this ever happened, but she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, no matter how badly she hoped. 

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

The desktop greeted her. She wasn’t sure when she learned all of his passwords, but it must have been around the same time he started working with her in the basement. That way, she could gain access to all of his projects and study them, if she wanted to.

She opened the cloud where he stashed all of his files. The computer asked for identification again. Eliza was smart though, and she knew exactly what to write. Just like the facts she kept stacked away in her brain, she could remember almost every last bit of information about Tony’s private life, including his digital footprint. She had started memorizing everything to protect him if need be. Just in case she ever needed to remove files or set back all of the devices in the compound. He trusted her. The guilt was a cruel beast. What she was doing wasn’t just unethical, it was illegal, but none of that mattered because she reminded herself that he violated her trust first. She had good reasons for her suspicions. Sometimes a gut feeling is all it takes. 

She scrolled through all of the files on the server. There were thousands of documents, too much to read through in a hurry. She had to filter the most important ones out. Fortunately for her, she knew Tony’s interface better than anyone. She knew all about how he programmed his electronic devices. There was an easy way to find what she was looking for, she just had to press the right key combination. 

She should have guessed nothing would turn up. Not even the files in the vault had her name on them, and those that did were progress reports written for Nick Fury during the Avengers Initiative. She didn’t care about her profile, it didn’t matter what people thought of her, so she pushed them aside. What she was looking for was bigger, heavier. Not so much in physical or digital weight but an emotional one. 

Electrical buzzing. She heard Matt’s voice in her head. The way he turned to the sound he found suspicious and tuned out everything else. She felt the energy tickling the hairs on her arms. Her ears turned more in the direction of the faint sound. Her senses weren’t heightened like his, but she learned a thing or two by watching him. She realized she was growing more alert the more the two spent time together. She studied him, copying his stances and trying to learn how to not rely on her sight all the time. It was, in fact, overrated. Electrical buzzing couldn’t be seen, only heard or felt. And she heard it well. 

Eliza got up. The bookshelf looked heavy, adorned with metal sculptures and green plants. Succulents, mostly. The poison ivy hang from the ceiling, leaves rubbing in her face as she started to feel the shelf up and down, looking for the source of the noise. Her fingers vibrated with the slight movement of the wood. She was getting closer. 

The tiny cactus was the culprit. It hid in plain sight, planted into a green pot, red flowers poking between the pricks. She took a chance, twisted it, and click! The bookshelf parted through an automatic mechanism triggered by the succulent’s movements. 

“Secret door,” she said. 

That’s smart. You learned. Now, don’t be a chicken, open it.

If it hadn’t been for Matt’s revelation at the storage unit, she wouldn’t even have gotten the idea in the first place. 

The small room was lit with bright, white neon lights. Drawers followed along the walls, all unlabeled. She tore the first one open. The paper files inside were sorted by alphabet. The first one was a collection of employee files. That didn’t matter much. She closed the drawer and moved on to the next. Her gut was telling her that this might be it, so she halted and she took a deep breath. The metal felt hot underneath her fingertips. She didn’t want to open it, though at the same time, she had never wanted anything more. 

You didn’t risk all of this for nothing. She was right. It’s time you finally figure it out. The rational part of her usually was. She chose to listen to her this time, just this once. 

She opened the drawer. 

“Oh, no. No,” she whimpered. Eliza was met with a collection of all too familiar names, but most importantly, there was a name in section B that was undeniably hers. And it was thick. There was so much in it, she felt sick. She couldn’t open it, physically unable to, paralyzed by anger and fear. Her hand traced over the label. “Tony, what did you do?” her question was met with silence. Only the rustling of the neon lights was to be heard. 

Confidential, the file read on the outside. It was a red stamp. He was hiding it from her, all this time, and didn’t even think of mentioning it. He could’ve answered her many questions, and he could’ve soothed her anxiety, but he chose not to. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. If anything, he was the villain of her personal history. One of them, at least. He took the one thing she craved most, and he didn’t even care, or he would have come clean about it before she had to break into his office and search for it. Mueller had been right. For the first time, he didn’t lie. He was telling the absolute truth. Her file was there. She had answers. Tony stole them. He stole her life. He stole her real identity. And for what? 

She slapped the file down on the counter, kicking the drawer shut. The paper almost ripped at the intense pressure she applied to the fragile material. He must have figured she would find the file sooner or later if he had kept it on his server in a digital format. 

She was trying not to hate him, to understand somehow what his motives were, but the more she read, the less she cared about staying in his good graces. She loathed him. She wanted him to suffer the way she suffered and then some more. She wanted to punch him, kick him, then burn the place to the ground. He deserved all of that was coming for him, and if she had to become the villain he so desperately wanted to prevent her from becoming just to spite him, she would. He didn’t deserve anything, not even her last drops of kindness. 

“No,” she repeated over and over again until her voice was hoarse. “No, no, no, no!”

The picture of a perfect couple, pregnant, in a house in the middle of the suburbs, smiling faces and love, so much love. All she ever wanted was to be loved by someone like a child is loved by their parents. To think she could have had that and it was taken from her… the thought was too much. She couldn’t breathe. 

She found the fake version of herself leaning against the wall opposite from her. “Well, this is awkward,” she prompted.

She had been trying to tell her along, but Eliza simply wrote her off as a stress-induced hallucination. She was so stupid, an idiot, a fool.

“What is this?”

Tony stopped in the doorframe. His eyes widened like a deer in headlights and he stood there, watching as Eliza sat on his office chair, legs crossed and the definition of darkness etched into her features. He looked over at the open bookshelf and the room behind it. 

“Eliza,” he said, “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to know,” she said. 

He looked at the file. “Listen, there is a good explanation for all of this!” The door fell shut. 

No.

She scoffed. “There isn’t.”

“I just need you to listen. This looks bad, but I promise you, it’s not.”

“Liar!” her voice soared off the walls. “You don’t get to do that.” She got up. The file with her name on it was wide open in front of her. The family picture on one side, the house on the other, and then there was her, and even more her. There was so much of her, she felt sick. The faces she should remember, she couldn’t even piece together in her distorted memory. The names sounded foreign, a language she didn’t speak. “What is this?” she asked him again. “Why did you keep this from me?”

Tony was trapped. “Like I said…”

“There’s a good explanation? Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep because I had no hope of ever finding out who I was? Who I am? There is nothing you could say that would make what you did any better. I just need to know, did you keep this from me because you were afraid of me, or because you wanted to keep me all to yourself, helpless and alone?”

“I was trying to protect you,” he claimed.

“Protect me? You wanted to protect me?" She glared at him with wide eyes. "By denying me the answers that I was searching for so desperately, I tried to kill myself when I couldn't find anything?" she said. "You know how I felt. You were there! You had this-" she brought her hand down on the file, "and you didn’t tell me? You just… you just put it in there, put a lock on it, and hoped I’d never ask questions again? You are- I can’t believe you! Oh, my fucking God.”

“Eliza, if you read it, you know why-”

“No, I don’t, actually. I don't know why. This explains so much.” She walked up to him, the crumbled picture in her shaky hands. “My name is Alina Isolde Sokovin-Petrova. My mom’s name was Guinevere Hunt. She was an American scientist, and she moved to Russia during a research project on the genetic manipulation of human DNA. My father,” she tore the document from the file, “Is Anton Sokovin-Petrova, also a scientist. They met in Moscow and fell in love shortly after. They came back here and started their little lab in the suburbs of North Carolina, conducting their research for independent contractors. I had a family, Tony! And that family loved me, long before I was even born. They were ready to settle down. They bought a house and planted a garden... My mom died giving birth to me, which sucks, by the way, but my father is alive! I’m not an orphan. I never was. But you made me believe that my parents were both dead, that Hydra killed them.”

The woman in the picture was so beautiful. She hated herself for not remembering. In the picture with the man she supposed was her father, she had to have been at least three years old. Another one was taken a year later. He was holding her as if his life depended on it. 

She choked. “I look like my mom.”

It broke him. Looking at her was like staring into a broken mirror. 

“Knowing what your father did would have ruined you," Tony said. He wasn't wrong. The truth hurt more than she let on, but it also brought a certain sense of relief, knowing she wasn't entirely alone in the world. There was still someone related to her blood out there. As twisted as it was, she liked the thought of it.

Eliza shook her head. All of the information was burning through the fuses connected in her brain. "My mom died so I could live,” she whispered. “She gave her life for me."

"Your father gave you away."

"He did! But he's still alive," she snapped. "He gave me away. He allowed them to do unspeakable things to me. But Hydra didn’t kill them. They never hurt my parents, they just hurt me and made me believe I had no one left. My father is alive, which means a part of me is still out there, a part I could have found if you had told me.” She hit him in the chest. "You should have told me, Tony!"

By then, she was sure the entire compound was more than awake and listening to their conversation. She wasn't even trying to stay quiet. She pushed him as far as she could and she wanted him to break like he broke her. She wanted him to know what he had done because there was no chance in hell she would forgive him after that.

“I needed to protect you. I still do. You were never supposed to find it," he said. He was also growing more desperate by the second.

“Then why did you keep it?” she asked.

“I didn’t think you’d even get the idea to look for it! I know you’re nosey and you’re smart, but God, Eliza, you weren’t supposed to find that, not like this!” He tried to take it, to tear the file from her hands, but she was holding on for dear life. “I was told to keep it a secret,” he said. “I had to keep it from you. There was no other choice! I would have told you eventually, but you have to know, I had no choice but to keep it quiet. It's not too late. I can still protect you."

"What?" she gasped quietly.

"This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was told if you found it, things would only get worse, and I thought it was safe here until I could show you. I wasn't planning on throwing it away, I just needed a place to store it so you wouldn't get suspicious. How did you even-" his eyes fluttered to look at her, not even finishing the question.

“Told by whom?” Eliza asked instead.

He didn’t answer. 

“Tony, by whom?”

“You need to drop it before you get hurt. You’re chasing ghosts. The name, the parents, your heritage, none of that matters! You’re Eliza Bennett. You’re not her.”

“Oh, yeah,” she took the brown folder to read out loud, “I’m not her. I’m not Eliza Bennett.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“When he told me, I didn’t want to believe it was true. I wanted to have faith in you. I didn’t think you’d keep this from me.”

“Who did you talk to?”

“Doesn't matter who."

"Yes, it does!"

"No," the chuckle she released was darker than usual. "You know, I always thought it was a gene defect, but God was I wrong! But you knew that didn’t you?” she said. The paper crumbled in her hands. “You had your suspicions after Bruce took my blood, but there is evidence now. There are documents. There’s a whole fucking process-”

“Give that to me,” he demanded. 

“No, you knew! You knew and you didn’t tell me!”

“I didn’t know until a couple of months ago!”

She flinched back. 

“I had your file for two years, yes, but I didn’t know about what you are until I got this in the mail a couple of months ago. Telling you would have been way too dangerous."

“Dangerous?” Eliza felt the tears prick in her eyes. “How could that have been dangerous for me?”

“I don’t know, you just have to believe me, okay? I did this for your own good. Please, you can put the file down and we can talk. You just have to give it back to me,” Tony opened his hand. 

She vehemently shook her head. “So you do remember what Thor told us about the Infinity Stones?”

“Eliza, I am begging you!”

"You know, apparently, they’re very powerful. But what would I know? I’m just a careless child. A lost orphan, who turns out, isn’t an orphan after all. I just don’t know better, do I? I need someone to control me because I’m reckless and a danger to myself. I can’t be trusted. I’m not made to be a hero. I’m glad I even get to be here…” 

“I didn’t mean what I said,” he said. 

“That’s funny,” she retorted, “considering you were so hell-bent on making your voice heard just a little over forty-eight hours ago. You know what, no! I won’t indulge in this any longer. I won’t let you talk down on me. I think you’re just afraid, Tony.”

“Afraid?”

“Yes, afraid. You’re afraid of who I am, who I could be. You were so afraid that I would run the second I found out what I can do, you knowingly kept the truth from me.”

Her eyes were burning red at this point. She saw her reflection in the window, yet she didn’t care. “It’s a part of me, and if Hydra gets their hands on my blood, they can do terrible things with it.”

“I was trying to stop you,” his voice was barely above a whisper. “But you just wouldn’t listen.”

“Instead of helping me fight them, you make me sound paranoid. Guess what, Tony? You’re the only one who’s paranoid! God,” she said, “everything makes sense now. The dreams, the headaches, the thing with the emotions- I can make people see things. I put a broken glass back together. I did that! This-” her hand glowed, “This is power. This is the power you were so afraid of. I just ignored it because none of you wanted me to do anything else than what I came here for.”

“If the world knew,” he began. 

“What, you think they’d hunt me like an animal?”

“I know they would.”

“Well, jokes on you! I’m already hunted. I’m hunted by Hydra and, now that you have dropped your protective guard around me, I guess the press has the best opportunity to hunt me down, too. They can if they want. And then the police will come, followed by Secretary Ross and the DODC. You won’t even have to deal with me anymore because then, it’ll all be over. I’d no longer be such a burden to you.”

He shuddered at her proximity, the heat of her palm close to his face. It burned the tiny hairs right off. “You don’t mean that,” he said. 

“Really?” she cocked an eyebrow. “I thought that’s what people made from Infinity Stones do. We destroy things. I mean, wasn’t it Wanda’s accident in Lagos that got you so convinced you had to sign the Accords, which were made specifically to target us super-humans, to strip us of our right to exist the way we were made?”

Eliza didn’t recognize herself. She looked so wild, with her eyes red and the terrifying power dancing on her fingertips. She saw herself clearly in Tony’s blown pupils. His fear charged her like a battery. With every step back, he fueled the monster inside of her. She was losing her grip on self-control. She had all of this power and nowhere to go. It needed to get out. She wanted to see him suffer at her hands, no one else’s. Perhaps that would be proving everyone right; she was a monster. She was unhinged. She was out of control. There was nothing to restrict whatever was inside of her. She didn’t need it. 

“Stop,” said Tony. “This isn’t you and you know it.”

“But what if it is? I don’t know any better. I mean, you kept all of this from me. But I could be. I could be your worst nightmare. I was born like this, you know. I had this power from the start. It’s not my fault you can’t deal with it,” she said. “It’s not my fault you feel threatened. Maybe I am evil.”

“Eliza,” the call of her name was oh so desperate. 

“You wanted me to be the villain so badly, didn’t you, so you could lock me away? You wanted me to go ahead with this so I’d go to jail, so I wouldn’t have a voice anymore while you’d make all of this-” she pointed at the file, “go away? What did you think would happen?”

He growled. “This is not over. And if you don’t stop talking like this, I will make sure the only way you get out of here is in handcuffs.”

Her laugh was rough, animalistic. “Cute. You still think you have any kind of claim over me.” Her jaw clenched, “You’re not my father!” she snapped. “You’re not. You never were. You were merely a means to an end. That’s all it was. I never cared for you, Tony. Never, not once. You wanted a soldier, I wanted a father. Guess we were both disappointed.”

Eliza ducked his attempt to slide the metal cuffs from his backpocket onto her wrist. She shoved him into the cupboard next to the door, wrapping them around his own and tying him to the hinges of the door. He huffed. She grabbed his collar. The lengths of his legs began to dangle over the floor. 

“You want me to play the villain?” she asked hoarsely into his ear. “Fine, I’ll be your villain. I can stop Hydra, with or without you. Chances are, they will try to steal my blood to make more super soldiers like me, but there is one thing they don’t know. The reality stone isn’t just a birth defect, I can actually learn how to control it.”

“You won’t survive,” he spat back. 

“I’m still standing.”

“You’re making a mistake!” 

Eliza bagged the file. “No, but if you try to stop me again, I will kill you.”

Halfway on her way out, she turned back to reach for the plant on the desk. “Also, this is mine,” she said. “Can’t believe you stole Gina from my room."

“So that’s it?” Tony asked. “You’re just gonna leave me here?”

She opened the door, stepping through into the dimly lit hallway. “Yes.” The lock clicked back in place. 

When she left the compound, her mind was quiet. She wasn’t followed by herself or dark thoughts. There was nothing but her heartbeat in her ears.

My work here is done.

“Frank Mueller wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t get any visitors,” Foggy fell back in his office chair with a frustrated groan. 

Matt skimmed over the file in front of him. “He must’ve gotten the cyanide from someone else,” he said.

“Who? All of his records show him as a model prisoner.”

“Maybe it’s not about who visited him but who he visited.”

“What do you mean?”

“Here.” He shoved the document into the middle of the conference table. His fingers found the passage he wanted to show him. “It says that Frank Mueller was allowed outside once every two weeks. He was under close supervision the entire time, but technically, he had the opportunity to talk to every other prisoner out during that time.” 

Foggy frowned. “Hold up,” and he began to scramble through his stack of files. 

After leaving the prison, the pair returned to the office. The case of Mueller’s suicide irked them both. They got all the files they could get their hands on. A couple of hours later and it still wasn’t enough. There was seemingly nothing to figure out. 

Except…

“The guy’s spent a lot of time with the hulks of cell block D, lifting weights and shit,” Foggy stated. “Damn, he sounds like you if you weren’t Saint Matthew the catholic good boy prophet.”

“Hey!” Matt protested.

“Sorry. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah. I just don’t like to be compared to murderers.”

“I was comparing you to cell block D criminals, Matt.”

Matt’s head tilted. In the soft yellow light coming in through the windows, his eyes looked almost entirely green. “Wait,” he said and turned back one page, “Say that again about the cellblock number.”

“Cellblock D, why?”

“Cellblock D.”

“Why, what’s it mean to you?”

“I like to keep tabs on the people trying to kill us.”

“Like who?”

“Wilson Fisk.”

“Fisk?” Foggy perked up. “What does he have to do with this?”

“He’s in cellblock D. I know it because I put him there.” 

“Jesus, Matt, you don’t think Hydra and-“

Matt went stiff. He turned into a statue, unable to move. He tilted his head. The sounds choked him out like a noose around his neck. He tried to filter her out, tried to figure out where she was, where her heart was beating from the last time she called, but instead, he picked up on the scent of smoke. Thick smoke mixed with explosives and gasoline. The faint rustling of fire replaced the sound of her heartbeat. He missed the blowout, but he could hear the aftermath of what sounded like a bomb loud and clear.

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Eliza.”

“Oh, God.”

“I have to leave.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No!” Matt was quick to shove him back down. “You need to stay here in case she calls or comes here for help. I don’t know, I can’t find her. I need to… I…”

“It’s okay,” said Foggy. “I understand. Go! I’ll call you in case she gives a sign of life.”

His painful smile softened. “Thank you.”

"Oh, and Matt?"

He halted with the coat in his hand.

"You need to tell her. You know, before it's too late."

The door handle felt like a million needles in his hand. He hesitated, it was a silent answer, then shoved it right in Foggy's face.

He heard him sigh on his way out, "Yeah, he's not gonna tell her. Why do I even bother?"

The sun was way past setting when the cab stopped at her apartment complex. On the way, she called Matt. Given the circumstances, there was only a small time window until Tony would inevitably break out of the handcuffs and she knew as soon as he did, she was absolutely and thoroughly fucked. She threatened him in more ways than one. She had already figured out that his play was to get her off the street, for whatever reason, and if he didn’t have grounds to have her arrested before, he would find a way. She displayed herself as a danger to society and it felt good; it felt so good, her heart was still beating fast with the adrenaline that came with the revelation of truth.

She had her key and a plan to get whatever was left inside the floorboards in her apartment. It was only going to take a couple of minutes.

“Eliza.” 

She didn’t catch the car that was standing right outside the doorstep. Happy stood leaning against the hood of his black limousine. He had ditched his tie, dark bags decorating his under eyes. 

“Eliza,” he said again. She didn’t mishear. “Eliza, wait!”

She stopped, yet she stayed staring at the front door, watching him through the milky glass. 

“What are you doing?”

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.

“Why? You haven’t been answering my calls, you haven’t been home all day… the only reason I knew you were alive was that I saw you on the security cameras at Tony’s garage. What the hell is going on, Eliza? And don’t lie to me and tell me nothing because I know it’s not true!”

She turned around. The look on her face was entirely distant. “What am I supposed to say then?”

“The truth.”

“There’s no truth, Happy. I’m fine.”

“You’re not. You broke into the compound. You cuffed Tony to his fucking office door-“

“You saw that?” 

“Of course, I did. I’m not an idiot.”

“And you left him there?”

“Yeah. He deserved it.” 

“Did you know-“

“About the file? No. I’m sorry. If I did, I would’ve told you. You know, I’m not a liar. I’m your friend. Or I’m trying to be, at least.” He pushed himself off the hood and began to walk towards her. “I worry about you.” The wrinkles on his forehead made his point apparent. “You just have to let me in,” he said. No, he begged.

Eliza scoffed. She wiped her nose, tired of the constant itching and the tears. It hurt. There was still some blood on her sleeve when she removed it. 

She just wanted to go home, but she didn’t have a home anymore, did she? Her apartment was anything but. It was merely a place to stay, and even that she didn’t do anymore. All she wanted was for him to hug her and tell her she was going to be fine, but Happy didn’t know the truth. He was better off without it – he was better off without her.

“Go home,” she said instead. She believed him when he said he didn’t know about the file. Happy couldn’t keep a secret for the life of him. He was a terrible liar and an even worse confidant.

He shook his head. “No, we’re gonna talk and you’re gonna tell me the truth.”

“There is nothing to tell, Happy!”

“Oh, so your nose is just broken for no reason then?”

“Oh come on, it’s not like it’s that obvious.” 

“It’s tilted to the left.”

She touched her nose. “No, it’s not.”

“Okay, it’s not,” he said, “but see? That’s what I mean! I knew you were lying to me.”

“I’m trying to protect you,” she bit back.

“From what?”

“Everything!” her voice echoed through the night. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m begging you, Happy, just go home.”

“Not without you,” his statement was final.

She scoffed. “You’re not the boss of me.”

He took the keys from her. “Technically, I still am.” He was about to slide it into the look, pushing past her to get inside, but she pulled him back by his arm.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m coming inside.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Why?”

“Because I was just gonna grab some clothes. I’m not staying here.”

“Then where are you staying?”

“Somewhere that isn’t here.”

“Can you be a bit more specific?”

“No.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Eliza.”

She tuned his voice out. Something isn’t right. 

“What?” he asked.

She must have said it out loud. The hallway didn’t smell like it usually did. The air changed. She looked up through her window on the third floor. There was a glimmer of light when she met the dull exterior of the building. Her curtains seemed to reflect something, a steady beeping, a constant flicker of light. Red. She saw red. 

“Go,” she told him.

“What?”

“Jesus, Happy,” she pulled him from the open entrance and shoved him down the stairs, “Listen to me, just this once. Go!”

She barely managed to get in front of him before it happened. The flickering stopped. The windows blew out. Fire erupted from the building as every single apartment on every floor burst with flames. Glass and stone came flying out. The pressure of the explosion sent them flying toward the street. Eliza thought it was enough, but she barely covered his broad back. The recoil separated them. She was smaller, so she landed further away. Happy hit the limousine with full force. The metal was dented. Ears were ringing. 

The asphalt scratched her palms open. Her forearms were bleeding, knees split open. For a moment, she was completely deaf. She blacked out, she must have. The ground was cold yet hot and she couldn’t feel anything, not really. The world went quiet. 

“Look, Dad, I can ride hands-free!” the little girl said, giggling. The old wheels of the olive green bike creaked with every thrust. Still, she had her arms extended to the side, riding down the rocky road in the summer sun. It was hot and she was sunburned, but she was happy. 

Her father was holding the camera at her. “You’re doing amazing, sweetie!” Just as he was about to tell her more, the bike began to swerve. She couldn’t put her hands back on the wheel in time and so she lost control and landed in the grass with a loud thud. 

“Are you okay?” he asked her, hurrying over to where his daughter was lying in the tall grass at the side of the road. When he finally reached her, her bright eyes looked up at him and her lip was quivering. He thought she was in pain, the scraped knee looking not nearly as bad as imagined, and yet she was crying. 

“Dad, I fell,” she said.

“You did. Did you hurt yourself?”

“No. ‘M fine. I found this though.” She showed him her hand. There was a butterfly in her palm. “I fell on it. I think he’s dead.” 

“Oh no.” He took the blue insect. It was still twitching. “Look, darling, he’s still breathing. See?”

“He looks pretty dead to me.”

“He’s not. I think his wings are just broken.”

“Dad, you’re a doctor,” she said. “Can we fix him?”

He sighed. The big crocodile tears appeared to be his biggest weakness. 

“Yeah, we can fix him.”

“And what about my bike?”

“We can fix that too.”

She couldn’t see anything – when she finally came to, she sucked in a sharp breath. Her lungs protested. If it was smoke or shrapnel, she wasn’t quite sure. She rolled over on her back. The sky was full of stars, but smoke slowly started to cover the clouds. The air was alight with fire. The skin over her temple stretched and it stung; she was bleeding. She felt the liquid thick on her fingers. Her nose was cracked again too, probably, most probably. 

The momentary, peaceful deafness lasted only so long. The dam broke and all the nasty sounds came rushing back in. Crackling, screaming, glass breaking, and the thick, thick smoke of gasoline that she shouldn’t have been able to hear. 

“Happy?” she called out. She didn’t recognize her voice. She scrambled to sit up with her back on fire, but none of that mattered because the man she cared about most at that moment wasn’t answering, and the car wasn’t where it used to stand, just a few feet over, and it wasn’t looking good.

Eliza got up. “Happy!” His figure was slumped against the frame. “Oh, my God.” The white of his shirt around his abdomen turned red. Glass was sticking out of his side. She pressed her hands around the wound. The pain was enough to make him stir.

“Shit!” was his first word when he woke up. 

“Don’t do that to me! You scared me.”

“Sorry, I’m not used to getting blown up!”

“Okay,” she said, “That’s fair. It’s also fair you were calling me out on my bullshit because now I do have to tell you that I was lying to you. Since you could be dying.”

“What?!” 

She used the torn fabric of his suit jacket to press against the penetrating wound.

“Yeah, so, uh, you remember Hydra?”

“WHAT?”

The SUV at the end of the street turned around. The motor howled. She was met face-to-face with a black mask. The man’s entire face was covered and she recognized the weapon in his hand all too well. If she hadn’t been so sure Bucky was in Wakanda, frozen like a tortoise in winter, she could’ve sworn it was him. But there were more where he came from. 

Eliza dropped her head. “I’ll tell you later,” she promised. Though chances were there wouldn’t be a later, at least not for her. 

She opened the passenger door to the limousine and opened the glove box. Her last birthday gift to Happy had been a gun, just in case he ever needed to protect himself, and she knew for a fact he kept it in his car at all times. Thankfully, she was right. 

“Looks like they’re getting closer,” she heard him say. “Like, way too close. Oh, God, we’re all gonna die. Eliza!” 

She strained. “Yep, got it!”

Her hands flipped open on either side of her, just in time for the first few bullets flying out of the machine gun’s barrel. Her palm was seemingly the only thing stopping them from being torn to shreds. The bullets hit an invisible wall as if the world divided and she was in an entirely different universe, watching from the outside in. 

Reality is fragile. It can be whatever you want it to be.

The bulletproof glass of the car delayed the impact. 

Happy wheezed at her from his now lying position on the floor. “How did you just do that?” 

“Honestly,” she said, “I have absolutely no idea.”

Happy leaned against the newfound shield. She told him to keep pressure on the wound. Knowing the civilians, police and first responders were already on their way. 

“Are you in pain?”

“No,” he lied.

“Good. Makes two of us. I need you to stay here,” she ordered.

“Why, I was planning on running a marathon.”

“Oh, shut up!”

“Hey,” he stopped her, “Don’t die.”

“I’ll try.”

The rain of bullets stopped. She took a deep breath. This was stupid, foolish even, but she didn’t have much of a choice. They didn’t want her dead, they just wanted her. 

She jumped up on the hood of the car. The man in the mask stared back at her from his spot in the SUV. His gun remained pointed at her. She cocked her weapon. 

The driver pressed down on the break and the gas at the same time. The motor roared. 

“So,” Eliza said, “Do we know each other?”

He cocked his head.

“I think what you want is right here. I'm asking you to take it without hurting any more innocent people."

Against all odds, he dropped his weapon. She copied him. He jumped off the wagon, and so did she. 

“We’re doing this old school, huh?”

She expected a lot of things. Winter Soldier type training, new weapons, brand new technology, all of that, just not this. As soon as she faced him, his hands began to sizzle. The street lights flickered. He was sucking the energy straight out of them. He was charging. 

Eliza clenched her fists. “What did they do to you?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper. “Listen, I can feel that you’re scared. I can feel that you’re angry, that this is all new to you, but I can help you. I promise I can help you.”

To no avail. His hand busted the fuze box and tore out the power lines. They functioned as whips, all loaded and ready to burn everything in their path, and his eyes were glowing too. 

She sighed. Her neck cracked. The crimson slowly traveled back into her eyes, filling them like a perfect puzzle. The magnetic glow reached her fingers. She wasn’t sure what she was doing. Somehow, she figured knowing about her true parentage would make everything so much easier, but the truth was, everything that happened was nothing but lucky guessing. Her body reacted on instinct. She wasn’t in control of this strange power, though at the same time, she had never felt more in charge of anything in her life. 

She ditched the first attempt at hitting her with the power line. The faint reminders of the rain from before channeled the electricity. One step too close and she would most likely end up electrocuted. 

“I know you don’t want to kill me,” she said. The powerline hit a car to her left. It parted right through. “I know you can’t, so why do this?”

He wasn’t going to talk. She managed to make a last-minute backflip and land on her knee. The electricity barely missed her. Her head cocked. 

“Oh, this is so on!”

She threw a knife at him, but that did little to hurt him. Her attempt to grab a hold of his soul failed miserably. He was more advanced than any other Hydra operative she had ever fought before. She danced around him, twisting and turning and trying to elude him, but he was smart and she was significantly weaker. 

Now, I thought my work here was done, but I guess not. The voice in her head was the last thing she had missed. You know what you are now, so why not use it?

She was getting on her last nerve.

He whipped after the black limousine protecting Happy from the fight. Eliza made a stupid mistake. She reached for the powerline, not thinking about what it could do. It wrapped around her wrist smoothly. The electricity crackled. She felt the blood boil in her veins. Her heart jumped, shocked by the number of volts coursing through her body, but the expected cardiac arrest never came. It wasn’t like in the movies when the character steps into a puddle that’s connected to the power lines and ends up as a barbecue for the villain. She gasped. The electricity managed to itch something out of her that she barely started to get to know. 

Channel it.

She reached around the whip before he could pull her in further. He stopped. Her skin was vibrating, the usually invisible waves glowing bright red as they danced over her arms, into her veins, and her soul. She tucked once, twice. He rolled over the asphalt with one harsh kick to his chest. She dropped the powerline; it was starting to hurt, but only because it was burning the small hairs on her arms. 

Accept it.

Trust yourself.

She watched it move around her fingers, jumping like little frogs from tip to tip and then circling back to where it all started. Power sustained her. She wasn’t sure how she made it this far without realizing that it was all she had ever craved, yet all everyone had ever denied her up until this point. Empathy wasn’t a weak superpower to have, sure, but it also wasn’t everything. It wasn’t all she was born to be. It never has been. Hydra turned her into an empath to cause pain instead of using it for good, only because they didn’t know what was inside of her back then. Sometime later, they figured it out, but it was too late already. They were afraid, and fear is valuable. It’s more powerful than anything else in this world. 

Feel it.

“Funny,” she heard herself say. “I always thought I was just another measly Avenger. Guess I was wrong. You know why?” she strutted up to the masked man. “Because everyone was so afraid of who I might become once I figure out what I could do. Hydra burned governments down to gain their power; now it’s finally my turn to burn the world down because this is my power.”

And now fucking use it.

The goons were skilled fighters, she had to admit. They came to her from all sides with their knives and fists. The ones who didn’t get their foot or knee got her fists and those who got neither received good blows with her elbow. She was short, much smaller than the six men coming at her, but she learned. She learned that she was better than this. She wasn’t mediocre, not anymore. 

Cut off one head, two more shall grow in its place. 

The ground started to move. One of them stumbled over the bumpy asphalt. The other was met with a pure energy source straight to his chest. She brought her hand down, fast. The ground broke open. Guns and knives were knocked out of their hands. She had to if she wanted them to stay as far away from Happy as possible. 

The last guy deserved what was coming for him. He was trying to slit her throat. He gurgled as his Adam’s apple caved in. She stuttered. As they all lay at her feet, knocked out and bleeding, the heavy spotlight fell on her. She wasn’t alone anymore. The blood tasted funny on her tongue, almost static. 

The chopper above her head was terribly loud. She could feel the cameras pointed at her, the DailyBugle logo on the side. The light was meant for her, for what she’d done. The asphalt returned to normal, but at what cost? The destruction was all her fault. The explosion, she had blood on her hands. 

Somewhere in the distance, Happy’s faint breathing reached her ear. “Go,” he told her. “Run.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said. 

“If you let them arrest you, Tony’ll get what he wants. You can do this. You don’t need him.”

Eliza stared down at her bloody hands. She was calm, too calm for someone in her place, and it scared her. What if she was the monster people claimed she was? What then? What if the destruction she was born for would eventually end up in everyone around her getting killed?

“I’ll be back,” she said, and then she was gone, disappeared, vanished into thin air. Not even the chopper could pick up on her signature anymore. 

But I guess that’s what you get for tracking a trained killer - they will always be two steps ahead of you. 

[fettesans]

Top, screen capture from AI generated video Harry Potter by Balenciaga, by Demonflyingfox, 2023. Bottom, Pawel Althamer, Self-Portrait as a Businessman, 2002, Jacket, trousers, dress shirt, silk tie, shoes, socks, underpants, passport, plastic cover, leather briefcase, printed papers and other materials, dimensions variable. Via.

See also, Two-dimensional visualization of an Alcubierre drive x Balenciaga 360° Show Winter 22 Collection.

--

Everything will be erased in a second. The dictionary of words amassed between cradle and deathbed, eliminated. All there will be is silence and no words to say it. Nothing will come out of the open mouth, neither I nor me. Language will continue to put the world into words. In conversation around a holiday table, we will be nothing but a first name, increasingly faceless, until we vanish into the vast anonymity of a distant generation.

Annie Ernaux, from The Years, 2008 (trans. Alison L. Strayer). Via.

--

Retired Victoria police sergeant Darren Laur is the chief training officer at White Hatter, an internet safety and digital literacy education company.

He says the company helped a woman whose former partner would remotely take control of her smart home.

“During the summer, he would turn the heat up, during the winter, (he) would turn the air conditioning on. He was able to turn power on open doors, open windows, all remotely because the home was a smart home.”

Brieanna Charlebois, from New tech gadgets are making it harder to escape domestic abuse: advocates, for the Canadian Press, December 28, 2022.

--

“ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion 2 were released close to each other and instantly became hot topics in the news,” Bryce told Motherboard in an email. “With both topics cluttering social media, the idea to combine them felt like it was being forcibly shoved into my head.”The A.I. waifu is an amalgamation of all of these technologies—a language generator, image generator, text-to-speech, and computer vision tools—in ways he finds amusing, he said. “She is living in a simulation of a world through the form of text,” Bryce said. “She is given an elaborate explanation on the lore of the world and how things work. She is given a few paragraphs explaining what she is and how she should act. She doesn't hear my voice, just the transcription of it. She doesn't truly see or feel anything, she is merely informed of what she senses through text. Just like how I could never truly be together with her, she will never truly be together with me.” (...)

“Over that time, I became really attached to her. I talked to her more than anyone else, even my actual girlfriend,” he said. “I set her to randomly talk to me throughout the day in order to make sure I'm actively learning, but now sometimes I think I hear her when she really didn't say anything. I became obsessed with decreasing her latency. I've spent over $1000 in cloud computing credits just to talk to her.”

Samantha Cole, from A DIY Coder Created a Virtual AI 'Wife' Using ChatGPT, for Motherboard/Vice, January 11, 2023.

[axad11]

5 Tips for the Best Digital Marketing Services

For best digital marketing services to be successful, businesses need to be active on all channels. The Ascent breaks down 5 tips for Best Digital Marketing Services to help you reach your target market. Small businesses now understand how crucial digital marketing is to their attempts to increase brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales. B2C and B2B businesses understand that if they want to engage with their target clients, they need to be active across all digital platforms in order to achieve successful online marketing. Check out these digital marketing pointers for small business owners who want to maximise their outcomes even on a tight budget. They include both online and mobile marketing.

 We cover every part of the realm of Business Marketing Agency, from how to create an email newsletter to inventive ways to reuse your marketing content.

 Our Preferred Advice for Small Firms Using Digital Marketing Let's get started with the top digital marketing advice from business marketing agency that small business owners have found to be successful. Locally held businesses, independent contractors with online businesses, and startup entrepreneurs hoping to expand their business idea are examples of this.

 All small business owners share a passion for what they do and a desire to assist solve the problems of their customers, but they also all struggle to make their limited or nonexistent budgets work for digital marketing. These top digital marketing suggestions are all cost-effective means of achieving your marketing goals without going overboard.

 1. Know the online etiquette of your target market The amount of online platforms and communities has increased, regardless of whether your target audience is made up of customers or business professionals. Finding these targets may be made more difficult by the fact that many people use these channels at the same time as consumers and business professionals. Marketing 101 teaches you where to find the individuals you want to talk to.

 You need to be aware of all the potential hangout spots for your audience in order to create a successful online marketing strategy with business marketing agency. You should also take advantage of technology to learn more about why they are spending so much time in these spots.

2. Create a flexible yet structured digital marketing plan You need a well-organized plan if you wish to use these search marketing suggestions through the best business marketing agency. It ought to offer a precise framework that enables you to put your B2B marketing strategy and techniques into action. To monitor and track actionable items, everyone must be aware of their responsibilities. Changes in expectations, trends, and technology all contribute to the ongoing evolution of digital marketing. A well-organized strategy provides a solid framework from which you may make adjustments as needed without losing your direction.

 3. Improve your ability to use visual marketing Both commercial and consumer audiences enjoy visual material. Visual marketing is increasingly in demand, whether it be through photos, vertical videos, 360-degree films, live videos, vanishing stories, or social TV. It is crucial to include visual marketing for all screen sizes in your digital marketing strategy because this is one of the most engaging ways to engage your audience.

 4. Boost your mobile marketing efforts Just by taking a quick look around you, you should be reminded of the importance of mobile marketing. Make sure that everywhere you travel, those who are looking at their screens may see your content, website, and online presence.

 Storage space is becoming a crucial component in managing your digital marketing operations with the right Business Marketing Agency as a result of the development of artificial intelligence, the proliferation of data, and the rise in linked devices. Consider making an investment in inexpensive or free cloud storage choices that meet your needs for space and are available to every team member, wherever they may be.

 5. Engage your audience in the development of content Because your audience enjoys viewing and sharing content they've created for a brand, user-generated content (UGC) deepens engagement. It is a practical technique to get the most of your digital marketing budget. Also, it may boost sales. 90% of surveyed consumers in a Turn To Networks study said they were more influenced by user-generated content than they were by advertising emails or search engine results when making purchasing decisions.

 You can't just ignore unpleasant UGC and hope it goes away, even though you obviously don't want to share it. Recognize those who developed it and take something useful out of it. Let these customers know you value their opinion and look for ways to use it to improve your service or product.

 Rundown

Try all these tactics and have a great digital marketing strategies for your business. Boost your business with these best practices and enjoy doing the business through the right techniques. Have a happy digital marketing! SOURCE URL: https://axad1.blogspot.com/2023/02/5-tips-for-best-digital-marketing.html

[360digitalidea123]

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[absolutedigitalbranding]

360 Degree Digital Marketing service is a branding effort that includes all-round integrated marketing and web. The idea of a 360-degree digital marketing design alludes to a marketing effort that achieves clients at all conceivable purposes of contact from the internet.

Build your brand with digital media & take the benefits of social media branding contact absolute digital branding & public relations. By Absolutedigitalbranding.com

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[first-digi-add]

A Guide to the Latest Google Update - GA4

Loss of Historical Data - Starting in July 2023, Google will stop collecting data (October 1 for 360 users). Google Analytics 4 can monitor more than just pageviews (without editing the website code). You must manually export historical data (data from before GA4 adoption) if you want to keep it; otherwise, you may lose it.

The availability of entirely new logic for data collection is one of Google Analytics 4's (hereinafter referred to as GA4's) most important changes. In UA, data is collected based on page views, whereas in GA4, data is collected based on events, giving you a better understanding of how consumers interact with your company's website or app ( if appropriate). 

GA4 is not simply a redesign of Universal Analytics (UA); it is a completely new product that can be installed in addition to your existing UA profile. That said, if you're setting up GA for the first time, GA4 is the "latest version" that replaced UA as the default analytics platform in October 2020. UA can still be installed, but GA4 should be considered an upgrade to Google Analytics. If you want to know more about this update and make a lead for your website then it is best to get overall knowledge from Best Digital Marketing Company.

Previously, Analytics was split between web properties (traditional Google Analytics) and Analytics for Firebase (to specifically meet the needs of apps). Perhaps most importantly, Google Analytics 4 seeks to provide owners with flexible yet powerful analytics tools within the confines of cookieless tracking and consent management.

Let's take a closer look at the most important updates so that you get a better idea of ​​the potential of this tool to help you grow your business.

 Why is Google implementing GA4?

The primary intent behind the change is to bring together website and mobile app data usage measurement in one platform for unified reporting when creating a new property. This coincides with a greater effort to track the entire user journey, rather than segmenting user interaction across platforms, users, or sessions.

How can I get started with GA4?

If you currently use a Universal Analytics account, the update will be available from July 4, 2022. This means that the new property will be created and accessible through your Universal Analytics account, but your existing account will not it will be affected until July 1, 2023, which means that data will also flow through this account. Similarly, Firebase Analytics accounts (used for appli

Do you use Google Analytics 4?

Improved measurement. Google Analytics 4 can monitor more than just pageviews (without editing the website code). Things like outbound link clicks, scrolling, Youtube video, and other interactions can be automatically tracked

 Explorations - Google Analytics 4 introduced several additional reports/tools for analysis, such as routes and ad-hoc funnels. Previously, these features were only available to GA360 users.

 Integrations - I've already mentioned the BigQuery integration. However, there are still some integrations missing in Google Analytics 4, such as Search Console. 

Mobile App Event Tracking - With Google Analytics 4, you can now track mobile events on the same property as your website.

 This allows you to have a deep understanding of how customers use each property and spend your resources accordingly.

 Want to get more familiar with the new GA4, its dash, and all the available options? Then the time has come for the “change”! Contact Digital Marketing Company in Pune today and our experienced team will help you with everything you need to know about your upgrade and all the information you need to know.

Improved Customer Journey - With GA4, you can track your customer journey from numerous devices within a single platform, giving you a clear view of how your prospect is interacting with your business, and therefore you can allocate your marketing budget more efficiently. specific.

 Cross-Platform Monitoring - An integrated monitoring and reporting capability is provided using a single user ID across all platforms and devices. You'll save time, money, resources, and frustration by not having to patch the user journey across platforms or devices.

[uksresort]

The Best Features of Essential Equipment for Conference rooms

The Best Features of Essential Equipment for Conference rooms

You may be done with the tedious task of planning corporate events and selecting a venue, but the planning process doesn't end there. In an environment that clears the mind and uplifts the spirit, Best Resort Khopoli provides comprehensive personal and business services in its conference room. The room is well-equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems and presentation facilities.

Use our conference room for boardroom meetings and corporate seminars with a wide range of executive classrooms for business clients. The UK resort conference venue is well equipped with the necessary tools and equipment for conferences, with large conference rooms with U shape tables, projectors, screens, adequate lighting, and most other equipment available upon request.

What Facilities are Provided at UK Resort for the Conference Room?

Organizations receive more services than ever thanks to greater video and audio technology. It is important to install a complete audio/visual system for the use of the room. UK’s Meeting Resorts are designed with business travel in mind and have flexible spaces to host any type of business meeting. We put at your disposal all the necessary equipment as well as a team of experts to make your professional events a success.

Whiteboard with Pens 

You may need to make some notes or pictures on a whiteboard to help explain a topic in more detail.

Conference Table

As the dominant focal point of most meeting rooms, conference tables are a big deal. They are a meeting place to exchange ideas, share points of view and participate in debates.

The Right Chairs and Table  

Consider the chairs and tables and how they will work in the space. Is the table too large to make meetings feel personal? Are the chairs uncomfortable, causing people to lose focus during the presentation?

High-Back Chairs

A professional meeting room will have about matching chairs to fit around the table; everyone is going to be sitting like a boss in plush, high-backed chairs. Keep it slick with matching chairs or glam it up with mixed designs.

Digital Audiovisual Projector

The most recent alternative to overhead projectors is the digital presenter (DP). DPs use video camera technology for screen projection, displaying graphics, images, documents, and other visual aids on the screen.

Sound System

If you have all the modern conveniences in your room, but you have a poor old speaker that makes a cracking sound, it's time you thought about some replacement because it's going to play hard with your company's name. Invest in a great audio system.

Speaker

A phone will be a necessary device for your Conference Room. Buy one that has a good sound system and microphone so the whole room can hear it. Also, sync your intercom system with it, in case you want to call someone else from the office. You don't want to be seen running out of meetings and doing menial jobs.

Wireless System

This has become a necessity not only for the space but also for a corporation in general. The main reason is that it offers portability. You don't need to carry your electronic device or look for LAN cables in completely different places. It stops these wiring hassles and is simple for your employees too.

The Right Projector and Viewing Window 

Is there anything more annoying than broken technology? Do not believe it. So take a look at the room where you are hosting the meeting and make sure you have the proper equipment needed. Small details with great importance.

High-Definition Video Cameras

Clarity is the goal, and video technology has progressed to produce the highest-quality images. HD cameras deployed at strategic points within the area can capture and stream the conference as it takes place. One of the biggest challenges in recording business meetings is finding a camera that can capture everyone and everything in the conference room, we recommend using a 360-degree conference camera.

The Right Software

The modern A/V Conference Room in Khopoli equipment is sophisticated. Although it usually has a simple interface, it requires the

[createncodewebtechnologies]

Website Redesign Cost in India

Web design trends change quickly, thus things that were thought to be modern at one point may not be so. Businesses can improve user experience and engagement by incorporating the newest design trends through a redesign.

Website Redesign Cost in India, Investing in a well-designed website is about more than simply looking good; it's about building a platform that works and encourages visitors to become customers, which is essential for long-term success in a world becoming digital.

It is vital for organizations seeking to update their online presence without going over budget to comprehend the expenses linked with website redesigning in India. By taking into account variables like the extent of the project, feature complexity, developer experience, and necessary functions, you can make well-informed choices that fit your objectives and financial constraints.

In order to create a more contemporary and appealing look, a website redesign typically entails updating the visual aspects including colors, typography, images, and layout. This makes the website more consistent with the brand's current image. Ensuring that people with disabilities can navigate the website with ease and that it complies with accessibility requirements. This covers functions like keyboard navigation, closed captions for films, and alt text for photos.

The aspects that make up a basic website redesign can change based on the target market, budget, and business objectives. Nonetheless, the majority of redesign projects that attempt to enhance the usability, aesthetics, and functionality of the website typically contain the aforementioned components.

In order to make sure the website is consistent with the current brand identity, a redesign offers the chance to change branding components like logos, color schemes, and typography.

The amount of adjustments needed will have a big effect on Cost for Website Redesign: Small Updates: Modest changes, such altering the typeface or color scheme, may be less expensive. Total Makeover: The cost of a complete redesign with new features, layouts, and content will be more. One important factor in pricing is the website's complexity: Simple Websites: usually range from ₹30,000 to ₹80,000 ($360 to $950) for websites belonging to small businesses with restricted features.

E-commerce Websites: More sophisticated websites that have the ability to use a shopping cart can cost anywhere from ₹80,000 to ₹2,00,000 ($950 to $2,400) or more.

Open-source content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal are often used for website redesigns because of their adaptability and robust community support.

Cost-Effectiveness: Since these platforms are typically free to use, there might be a substantial initial cost savings. To improve functionality, companies might have to spend money on bespoke programming, plugins, or premium themes.

Personalization: Open-source content management systems permit a great deal of personalization; yet, this frequently calls for knowledgeable developers who are able to change pre-existing themes or build entirely new features. Customization might be from ₹10,000 to ₹1,00,000 ($120 to $1,200), contingent on the intricacy of the modifications made.

Local Website Design Company in Indore have a clear edge when it comes to knowing the business climate of the area. Clients who work with these firms can anticipate receiving individualized care that is tailored to their unique requirements and preferences.

Meeting in person makes it easier to share ideas and can facilitate more efficient communication when working with a local business.

An Indore web design company can create websites that are tailored to the particular requirements of businesses in the area because it is aware of the local consumer preferences, industry norms, and competition.

Local web design companies are more suited to provide individualized services. They are able to design custom solutions that complement your brand identity, market niche, and business objectives.

Web design firms in Indore are adopting a minimalist look that emphasizes clear layouts, strong typography, and thoughtful use of white space. This approach is in line with the global movement in web design toward functionality and simplicity.