#Conveyor sorting line

[purepurplesea]

GUANGDONG ZHONGYUE HUATENG INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.

Guangdong Zhongyue Huateng Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd. was founded in early 2000, plant area of nearly 20,000 square meters, with modern comprehensive office building, automatic spraying and drying system, with 3 5T cranes, 13 rolling lines, 2 automatic punching machines, 6 semi-automatic presses, 10 welding machines, more than 10 sets of various testing equipment. The company strictly implements the ISO9001 quality management system, has more than 30 patent intellectual property rights, and its sales network covers Germany, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries and regions around the world. Committed to providing enterprises with one-stop logistics equipment supporting services. Products cover: automatic three-dimensional warehouse, automatic conveying and sorting system, AGV robot system, logistics information software, high-density storage shelves, logistics handling equipment, logistics turnover equipment. Provide one-stop service integrating demand research, consulting and planning, design and development, manufacturing, installation and implementation, and after-sales maintenance.

[immortalbumblebee]

Chapter 20: Forged in Fire

So two chapters of this series passed 100 notes this week? Holy shit, guys!!! Thank you so much! I've been trying to find as much time for writing between finals, but this is probably going to be the last chapter I publish until the hoidays.

Thank you so much for y'all support. The likes and comments are really motivating.

Content warning for mentions of birth

Masterlist

Working at the factory had become excruciating since you got arrested. Well, it had always been a little excruciating. But it had been especially bad for these past few months once word had gotten out that you’d spent the night at the Enforcer HQ. Your pay had been considerably docked, nearly all your coworkers all but refused to interact with you, and all your supervisors would go out of their way to be right pricks to you whenever given the chance. Morichi had made it clear that you’d almost fully lost your job from the whole kerfuffle.

It was fairly easy to ignore when you were working, primarily just focusing on your work. Sure, your supervisors were bad, but no worse than the chembarons your sort were used to back home. No, what really made it insufferable were the moments between work, like in the dressing room when you could feel your coworkers eyes’ on you, hear their judgmental murmurings. 

Finally shedding yourself of the annoyingly stuffy uniform, you couldn’t help but close your locker with a particularly loud ‘slam’. The room grew silent at this, which only worked to further irritate you.

Fuck this

Storming out of the change room, you didn’t even think as you made your way down the hallway and over to the catwalk that led you to the staff entrance. As you crossed the raised catwalk, however, you found yourself stilling as you passed over the main floor underneath. Down there, you could hear the high-pitched hum of the metal on the conveyor lines. Eerily familiar. As you watched the assembly line workers do their work, you found yourself focusing on the metal parts being put together. Long pipes and complex golden mechanisms. All being locked together and assembled until finally…the all too familiar shine of the barrel of an Encorfcer’s gun. Hundreds, if not thousands of them being pumped out of this factory every damn day.

You’d put the dots together after your arrest, when the Enforcers had stormed the fighting ring. The ringing had been too familiar, like a blacksmith recognizing his own maker’s mark. 

Zeroing in on the cool, familiar texture of the metal, you couldn't resist the urge to lift one hand. A few pieces on the conveyor belt trembled briefly, then floated effortlessly a couple of inches off the ground. With a subtle flex of your fingers, the metal obeyed—curling in on itself with a sharp, satisfying ‘crunch.’ It was almost as if you were breathing—effortless, instinctive, and perfectly in tune with the world around you.

Shaking your head out of your thoughts, you let the metal fall thoughtlessly back onto the belt and went to continue on your way, didn’t even notice anyone around you as you began to march down the catwalk. That is, until you came crashing full-force into a tiny body. Colliding, you both stumbled back, the impact snapping you out of your daze. 

“Oh!” Victoria exclaimed, jumping back. “Terribly sorry!”

“Oh my gods, no. I’m so sorry. I totally wasn’t looking where I was going.” You scan her over, but she looks fine.

“No, no. ‘ts my fault, really!” She waved her hands anxiously, her cheeks flushing. “Are y’alright, miss?”

“I’m fine.” You give her a little smile. “Thanks.”

"N' problem!" she says, just as a few of your coworkers round the corner. The moment they spot you and her standing there, their expressions shift subtly, but it's enough to catch your attention. You can practically hear the hushed whispers starting up behind you as they hurry past, heads down, moving with that practiced air of nonchalance—like they think the two of you are completely oblivious to the thinly veiled judgment they're broadcasting.

“Well now,” Victoria murmurs, “who pissed in their pond?”

“Sorry,” You sigh, lifting your hand to rub the bridge of your nose in annoyance. “Y’may wanna back off from me. Seems like ‘m bit of a social pariah at the moment.”

Victoria shrugs. “Like anyone ‘round ‘ere be given’ me the time of day, anyday? I’m the only foreigner workin’ here, lass. Heard you got yourself locked up?”

“It’s…a long story.”

Victoria seems to think for a moment, looks around (lacking any semblance of subtlety) then motions to the worker’s exit. “Wanna catch a smoke wit’ me?”

As she led you outside, you were immediately thrown off by the unexpected direction she took. Instead of heading toward the usual smoking section, she veered sharply in the opposite direction, heading straight for the bridge. Her pace quickened, and despite your curiosity, you asked her where she was taking you. Without even looking back, she waved you off, offering no explanation.

For a moment, a flicker of doubt crossed your mind—was this some sort of twisted trap? Were you walking into some elaborate murder plot? The thought lingered, but before you could give it more weight, she made a sharp turn down a narrow flight of stairs, just as the bridge came into view behind you. You had never taken this path before, and only now did you realize how easily you'd overlooked it. The steps seemed unremarkable, tucked away beneath the looming shadow of the bridge, as if they were meant to be ignored.

The descent felt oddly quiet, the rhythmic thud of your footsteps mingling with the distant hum of the city. After just a few flights of stairs, the air grew thicker with the scent of brine and decay. You reached the bottom and, as you rounded the last corner, the waters of Pilt River stretched out before you. A small, neglected beach lay before you, its shoreline littered with an unsightly amount of garbage. Old, rusted cans, plastic wrappers, and pieces of broken wood jutted out from the dirt, an unfortunate testament to the city’s disregard for this forgotten corner.

Yet, amidst the debris, something caught your eye. Set into the side of a nearby wall, nearly camouflaged by grime and neglect, was a large manhole. About as tall as Vander, if you had to guess. The rusted metal bars that covered the opening were more than big enough for a normal-sized person to slip right through.

“What…is this?” You asked Victoria. 

‘M not really sure, to be frank.” She shrugged, wandering closer to the giant manholes. “When I first moved ‘ere, I took it upon m’self to find all the points o’ access t’ the water tha’ I could. Even if I can’ be swimmin’ in it, it’s nice just to be close to it y’know? But these…these stuck out t’ me.” She slipped right through the bars. “This tunnel in particular splits off, say, ‘bout half a mile out? Goes that-a ways,” she points off in the direction of the bridge, “righ’ under the river.”

You followed her lead, stepping easily through the rusted metal bars. The air in the tunnels was thick and stagnant, a foul mix of rotting garbage and something else—something eerily familiar. A few breaths later, the stench hit you like a wave, sharp and unmistakable—the pungent smell of Zaun’s mines. It was the same stench that clung to the clothes of the boys when they came home from work, the same tainted air that swept through the slums and left so many of your people sick every day.

"This... this is part of the Underground’s ventilation system," you said, the realization hitting you as the damp walls closed in. "It must have overlapped with Piltover’s sewage system somewhere along the way, when they were engineering the city. Seems pretty par for the course, doesn't it?"

Victoria wrinkled her nose. "Ventilation and sewage?" she repeated, sounding dubious. "That don’ 'ound righ’."

You stifle a chuckle. "Welcome to life on the other side of the bridge." You paused, eyeing the dark path ahead. "But... Victoria, you’re sure this leads to the other side?” 

She nods. “Not far in, I’d wager, but it definitely be lettin’ out on the Promenade. Been there m’self. Tunnels could definitely use some serious upkeep though, I warn. There’ a pretty big leak a good ways in.”

“How many people know about this?” you asked, your mind racing with possibilities.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Who else would I be tellin’, Lass?"

You raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Then why show me?"

She shifted uncomfortably, casting a sideways glance at you.

“Well, if I’m bein’ honest…you’re the only one at that factory that treats me as anything more than a stupid immigrant that ‘an’t speak. And I figure, if you e’er need to…y’know, I just figure you’d ‘ave more use for this than me.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. You felt the cogs in your mind clicking into place. A direct tunnel from the Promenade to Topside. The sheer scale of it hit you like a punch to the gut.

"Lady be damned." You muttered under your breath, shaking your head. The magnitude of what you were looking at was sinking in. You raised a hand and let it slide over the worn stone, feeling the miles of metal pipes buried within it. The structure was ancient, far older than anything you’d seen before. It would need significant repairs before being used for anything substantial, but the potential... The potential was enormous.

“Victoria…” you said, your voice low with awe. “You’ve got no idea how big this is gonna be."

Back at the apartment, you’re more than happy to share this news with the guys. You pulled out the old blueprints—dusty, frayed at the edges, but still legible enough to make sense of. They’d been tucked away for years, a relic from when one of you managed to snag them from Piltover’s archives. As you spread the paper across the table, the lines and markings revealed exactly what you’d hoped for: the tunnel on Piltover’s side was labeled as a sewage system, but further down by the shoreline, it merged seamlessly with the ventilation tunnel that led up into Zaun’s upper levels.

The room grew quiet as everyone leaned in, taking in the implications.

“How bad’s the damage?” Vander asked, his gravelly voice cutting through the silence. His brow furrowed with concern. “This girl, Victoria, said there’s a leak?”

You ran a hand through your hair, trying to recall every detail Victoria had mentioned. “I’m not sure exactly. The tunnels are old, and if there’s a leak, it could be a serious issue. But if I can get in there with Connol and some of the other factory folks, we can probably assess the damage and figure out how to fix it.”

Vander gave you a curt nod, but the expression on his face told you he wasn’t completely satisfied. He was always cautious, always weighing the risks.

Silco, ever the skeptic, leaned forward, his sharp eyes fixed on you. “And your source can be trusted?” His voice was calm, but there was a glint of doubt in his gaze as he scribbled something into the worn pages of his notebook.

You met his gaze, unwavering. “I’d say so. She’s Bilgewater-folk, like me and Ma.” You paused, considering the weight of your words. "I trust her. She wouldn't steer me wrong."

Benzo let out a laugh, breaking the tension that had begun to build in the room. He threw an arm around you in a rough, familiar gesture, his grin wide and infectious. “Trust a gutter fish to be all tricksy-like,” he joked, the teasing tone in his voice lightening the mood. “Good find, Fishie.”

“If we’re able to get this into proper commission, this could change a lot of Zaun’s infrastructure. What if we—” Silco’s words were abruptly cut off as the door to the apartment swung open with a loud crash. The sudden intrusion startled everyone, and you all whipped around, trying to make sense of the noise.

Standing in the doorway, panting heavily and struggling to catch her breath, was Niya. She was disheveled, her work clothes torn and streaked with dirt, as if she’d sprinted across the entire length of Zaun. Her eyes were wide, panic etched across her face.

“What in the blazes—!” Benzo started, his voice rising in surprise and confusion.

Niya barely seemed to hear him as she staggered into the room, clutching her side and gasping for air. “Felicia, she–fuck that was a lot of stairs-she-” She made a sudden gagging sound, her body curling inward as if she was about to collapse. It was clear that she was exhausted, and something about her frantic movements made your gut twist with unease.

“Fel? What’s wrong with Fel?!” Vander sprang into action, running over to help Niya further into the apartment as she continued to hack up a lung. The moment his hands were on her, however, the poor girl all but collapsed into him. 

“The baby!” Niya puttered out. “Fel, she-oh geez-went into labour!” 

The apartment broke out into panic, all four of you crying out in different voices.

“The baby’s not due for another couple months!” Silco’s voice broke out against the panic.

“Seven weeks, but yeah. I know.” Niya gestured to herself, her breath still ragged. “You think I would’ve run all the way over here if it wasn’t an emergency?”

You felt your heart sink as you moved quickly to support her, taking her into your arms, steadying her as she swayed on her feet. “Niya, where is she?” The urgency in your voice was impossible to hide now.

She wiped a hand across her face, trying to push through her exhaustion. “We were at her place. Had a playdate scheduled. My niece, Skye, she—” She broke off, coughing harshly, and then continued, “She ran to get Dr. Yan.”

“And Connol?” Silco’s voice cut through the room, sharp and demanding.

Niya pointed back toward the door, her body still shaking. “Already ran and got him from Heisen’s factory. He should be with her by now.”

Vander, already moving, was the first to gear up. As he laced up his boots, his expression hardened, a stone wall of determination. His voice dropped into that deep, commanding tone that everyone knew meant business.

“We need to move, now!” Vander’s words were quick, measured. “Min, grab the first aid kit, painkillers, any medicine we’ve got. Benzo, emergency water, towels, matches—now! Move it!”

The adrenaline coursed through you, making everything seem sharper, faster, like your mind was suddenly running in overdrive. Your heart beat heavily in your chest as you sprang into action. Your legs felt like they were moving on their own, each step pulling you closer to where you needed to be. You bolted and grabbed the first aid kit, not bothering to check what was inside as you threw it into an old duffle bag. Then, you started grabbing anything else you could find—rubbing alcohol, numbing ointment, gauze strips, painkillers, and any other supplies that might come in handy.

Benzo was already ahead of you, throwing on his jacket and grabbing the emergency water, towels, and matches, his usual lighthearted demeanor gone. His face was set, and you knew that under all the humor, he was as serious as Vander right now.

“We’ve got that shipment coming in from Noxus tonight.” Benzo mentioned, handing Vander the supplies. “But only one of us has to be there to do the hand-off. I’ll meet you at Con and Fel’s.”

You shake your head, handing Silco your duffle. “Two of us go, just to be safe.

Silco’s sharp mind was already calculating their best route, and you could practically hear the gears turning in his head. “Vander, Niya and I can take the path that lets up by Babette’s,” he said, looking over at you all. “If you take the route we take to Lou’s from the promenade, it’ll get you back to their apartment the fastest. Cuts through some of the alleyways, avoids main streets. You’ll be there in half the time than any of the main routes.”

Vander nodded, already moving toward the door. “Good, let’s go!”

***

The tradeoff had taken far longer than expected, and when you finally reached the apartment, Felicia’s piercing screams echoed down the hallway, sharp and urgent even from several doors away. Your steps quickened, Benzo muttering under his breath about the delay as the two of you pushed through the door.

Inside, the tension was palpable. Niya stood near the window, her arms crossed tightly as she glanced toward the bathroom door. The little girl at her side—her niece, Skye—clutched an old book to her chest, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose as she looked up at you with wide, curious eyes. On the bed in the corner, Violet sat perched beside Vander, her legs swinging back and forth as he played with her and an old stuffed rabbit. The moment you stepped inside, she spotted you, her face lighting up like a candle.

“Auntie Min! Uncle Benzo!” Violet squealed, leaping from the bed and barreling toward you.

“Sorry we’re late!” Benzo panted as he stepped over the threshold, ruffling his hair with one hand. “Damn traders wouldn’t stop haggling, and then someone got knife-happy.”

You shrugged off your jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. “I got them to agree to the original price in the end, didn’t I?” you shot back, giving him a sideways glance. “How’s she doing?”

“No major updates yet,” Silco answered, his tone clipped but steady. “But we haven’t had to call in an emergency ride to the hospital, so that’s a good sign—for now.” His eyes darted to the bathroom door before returning to you, his mouth pressed into a tight line.

Violet reached you, arms outstretched, and you scooped her up effortlessly, her tiny frame folding into your chest. She wrapped her arms around your neck and squeezed tightly, her happiness contagious even in the heavy atmosphere.

“Auntie Min, look what Uncle Vander gave me!” Her little hands grasped a little golden amulet tied to a thin black cord around her neck. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but you recognized it easily as a bracelet that Vander liked to wear to important events.

“Wow! Look at that!” You smiled, your eyes casting over to Vander with a raised eyebrow. “That was very nice of him.”

Vander, standing nearby with a proud smile, nudged Violet gently and stepped over to the two of you. He wrapped a secure arm around your waist, pulling you a little closer.

"Tell Minnie what I told you when I gave it to you, kiddo," he prompted, his voice warm and encouraging.

"Umm... if I'm gonna be a big sister..." Violet said really slow, her eyebrows all scrunched up like she was thinking hard. "I gotta remember to take care of them. And... this is gonna be a thing that helps me remember!". She leaned back just a little, her face lighting up with a wide, toothy grin as she looked up at you. Her excitement was so pure, so full of love, that it was impossible not to smile in return. That bright smile, filled with so much promise and joy, made your heart melt in a way nothing else could. You gave her a little extra squeeze and a kiss to the forehead before setting her down.

“You’re gonna be a great big sister, Luv,” Benzo replied, stepping in for a quick high-five that made her giggle.

“Is Dr. Yan in there with your parents?” he asked, motioning to the closed bathroom door.

Violet nodded, her bright pink locks bouncing with the movement as she pointed toward the door. “Mommy’s been in there a long time.”

“These things take time, little one,” Silco said gently as you brushed her hair back from her face. You could feel her energy, her eagerness, and a touch of nervousness beneath it all. She clung to you like a lifeline, her small fingers gripping your shirt.

From the corner, Vander cleared his throat, catching your attention. He looked calm but watchful, his hand resting on the children’s book he’d set aside. “Felicia’s tough. She’ll pull through,” he said in his steady, reassuring tone.

Benzo nodded, his jaw tightening. “She’s tougher than most of us, that’s for damn sure.”

The seconds stretched into what felt like hours, and the room seemed to tighten with anticipation. The low hum of voices behind the door grew, rising and falling in strange patterns, and then it happened—the crescendo of frantic, desperate cries, followed by an eerie, sudden silence. The apartment held its breath. Time itself seemed to stop. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on that door, waiting for the next sound, the next moment, but it was as if the world itself was waiting to exhale.

And then… the sharp, unmistakable wail of a baby filled the space, raw and full of life. It was a sound so powerful it seemed to shake the air itself.

“Oh, thank the gods…” Niya let out a long, relieved sigh, her head falling forward as if the weight of the world had just been lifted from her shoulders. Her shoulders slumped in exhaustion, the tension that had coiled in her body for so long finally unraveling. Skye gently placed a hand on her aunt’s shoulder.

Vander chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that filled the room with warmth. “It’s got a set of lungs, that’s for damn sure.” His voice cracked with genuine amusement, and he gave a small shake of his head, still eyeing the door as though waiting for the next sound, the next sign. Violet, unable to contain her excitement any longer, made a move toward the door. Her small feet pounded against the floor, eager to see her new sibling. But before she could take another step, Vander was there, quick as ever, sweeping her up into his arms with a gentle but firm grip. "Not yet, kiddo," he said, his voice soft but clear. "You’ve gotta wait for your parents to let you in on their own time. Okay?" Violet pouted slightly, her small lips curling into a frown, but she nodded, her eyes still trained on the door. 

And wait you all did, for yet another set of long moments, Felicia’s cries now replaced with that of the infant. The rest of the group tried to busy themselves as best as they could—Benzo and Skye even began washing some of the dishes that had been left in the sink, their clattering almost a distraction from the tension hanging in the air. 

Violet, content to be held by Vander, made faces at him, trying to distract herself. Conversations about business and idle chatter filled the gaps between those breaths, but none of it mattered. Not really. You couldn’t escape the waiting, the anticipation. Everyone in the room had been drawn into the same orbit, eyes occasionally drifting toward the door, hearts waiting for the next moment to arrive.

And then, with a soft creak, the door to the bathroom opened. The room fell utterly silent, as if the very air had been sucked out of the space. All eyes turned toward Connol, who stood in the doorway.

He looked dazed, weary, his face a mix of exhaustion and elation. His hand rubbed over his face, as if to wipe away the tension of the past hours. For a split second, panic flared in your chest—something about the way he looked, so tired and worn, unsettled you. But then he looked up at all of you, his eyes catching yours, and he smiled.

“It’s a girl!”

The apartment erupted in a wave of cheers and clapping, the tension finally breaking as everyone poured out their relief and joy. Vander and Silco both lunged at Connol, enveloping him in an enthusiastic embrace that was almost too aggressive for the moment, clapping him on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over. Connol, despite his exhaustion, laughed, wrapping his arms around them in return.

Violet, who had been playing with Vander, was suddenly all movement. She wriggled free from Vander’s grasp and darted across the room, her small legs carrying her quickly toward her father. Connol, still smiling wide, scooped her up into his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair and snuggling her closer to his chest. She giggled, the joy on her face as radiant as his.

“Are they both okay?” Silco asked, his voice a little rough with concern as he gripped Connol’s shoulder tightly.

“They’re fine! Perfectly fine!” Connol grinned, shifting Violet to his hip as he addressed the room. His voice was brimming with pride. “Yan wants to keep the baby in an incubator for a few days just to be sure, that’s where she is now. She might have a little trouble breathing, but…” He paused, looking down at Violet, then back at the others. “They’re both going to be okay.”

Violet’s eyes widened, her small hands tugging at Connol’s shirt. “Can I see Mommy now?” she asked, her voice filled with the kind of innocence and urgency that only a child could muster.

From behind the bathroom door, Felicia’s voice echoed out, soft but clear, though tinged with exhaustion. “You promise to be gentle and careful, sweetie,” she said. “Especially around the incubator.”

Yan poked his head out from the bathroom, his weathered face creased with lines that spoke of years spent helping others. He gave the room a reassuring smile. “The bleeding is minimal now, so long as Violet can handle a little post-birth gore,” he added with a knowing chuckle.

“I can handle it! I can handle it!” Violet exclaimed, twisting and wiggling her way out of Connol’s arms before taking off in a full sprint toward the bathroom. Connol watched her with a mixture of amusement and pride, a soft laugh escaping his lips. His eyes softened as he let out a long, weary sigh.

“Seven weeks early…” he muttered, his tone low, his hand rubbing his tired eyes. “I’ll admit, I was terrified.”

Silco, ever the steady presence, gave Connol’s shoulder another pat, his expression serious but supportive. “Yan’s practically delivered every baby in the Lanes for the past 20 years. They were in good hands,” he said, offering his usual reassurance.

“I know, but still…” Connol trailed off, his voice still carrying the weight of the fear he’d carried with him through the night. Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he turned his gaze toward Silco and Niya, who had been talking quietly in the kitchen. “Actually, speaking of being in good hands…” he started, his tone shifting to something more deliberate. “Fel and I were talking, and… we want you two to be her godparents. With Vander and Min being Violet’s, it just felt right, you know?”

Niya’s eyes widened in disbelief. She nearly squealed as she stepped forward. “Are… are you serious?” she exclaimed, her voice cracking with excitement. “Oh my goodness, Con! I don’t even know what to say!”

Silco, his usual calm demeanor never faltering, smiled warmly and extended his hand toward Connol. “I think I speak for both of us when I say we’d be honored, and we won’t disappoint. She’s in good hands, I swear it.”

Then, as Connol took his hand into a firm handshake, Silco paused, “Does she, uh…you know, does she have a name?”

Connol’s smile widened. “We talked about that, too. We were waiting to decide when she came out but,” he gave a nod, his expression full of love and certainty. “Powder. Her name is Powder.”

[iaconsavior]

Starter for @cybertr0nian

"Airachnid. Have someone escort these heroes to my personal service facilities. Best care in Iacon. Until next time, legends" Sentinel smiled, hunched low to prevent his wings snagging the door frame, servos held out in two charismatic finger guns to the two biggest spanner in the works he's had since the thirteen Primes.

Miners. Thinking they could just get out there and race? No. Their job, was to dig, and scoop, and ferry raw energon to the refining station. If every miner decided they wanted to be like Our Friend Orion and D-16 and try and win a race? Iacon would grind to a halt in days. Sure, seeing their friends on the big screen had encouraged them to go harder, go longer, carry more this load, but motivation faded. He needed something ... Inspiring, but still kept them in line.

"... Toss em somewhere no one is going to find them. But I want the silver one alone" Sentinel muttered as he passed the winged enforcer, not really sure if someone with a face mask could smile, but he's pretty sure that visor got a little brighter.

Well, Darkwing certainly took that quite literally. The grey one tossed on level 45, depositing the bi-colour troublemaker a further five floors down on the 50th, and leaving them to their new 'digs', as the cool mechs call them, for a few days to mull over the fact this was the rest of their life, now. Nothing but a conveyor belt into a smelter, a continuous stream of trash to sort, and zero companionship of colleagues or friends. Not even a banged fist on the door of superiors yelling to shut it when you start screaming for help or this was all a mistake.

I mean, what kind of savior to Iacon would he be, if he didn't rescue even the most helpless of miners?

A creak and screech of the primary door pushed back along unoiled tracks, a large step into the room as if 'looking' for something, and optics are landing on the little miner with a beaming smile.

"There you are, Legend. Come on, lets get you out of this dump. I got a little worried when you two didn't show up to the service pods"

[charming-saturday]

An excerpt from The Five-Star Fiasco, in which Hermione and Draco get roped into going on a romantic vacation together and Draco has to go through airport security.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once she has finished with the woman at the check-in counter, she leads them to join the line for security. There is a family with approximately seven too many screaming children in front of them, and once again, the lack of caffeine in her system screams in protest. She tells herself that the children are probably very excited for a summer vacation and that she should try to look forward to her own trip. Sea breeze, homemade pasta, a crisp glass of chilled white wine…Yes, perfect . But then– her self-soothing daydream is very rudely interrupted by some sort of agitating, grating sound. What is that? It’s some sort of screeching to her right. Oh, yes. It’s Malfoy rummaging through his bag, grumbling about how “bloody stupid” this line is. 

“Malfoy. Can you just suck it up and follow my lead? It’s going to be over before you know it and then we can both get a nice cup of hot coffee and wait in silence at our gate until our flight leaves. Not talking to each other.”

“I don’t like coffee.” She shuts her eyes at this because it is truly a terrible confession but he continues, “It’s basically burnt mud water.”

Hermione thinks this is truly the cherry on top of the list of reasons to hate Malfoy. 

“I’m finding it extremely difficult to muster any semblance of sympathy for you at this moment, Malfoy.” He’s about to retort but she sees they’re next in line to start putting their belongings in the bins. “Okay, it’s time. Are you ready?” She hoists her bag up on the conveyor belt, setting a security bin to the left of it for her loose belongings. The screaming children ahead of them are still struggling to take their jumpers off and the line is moving at a snail’s pace, so she relaxes a smidge, knowing she has time to sort her and Malfoy out. She’s praying to whatever gods may be above that he doesn’t make a scene and is able to play the part of any ordinary muggle heading to his summer holiday. 

Surprisingly, he manages to mimic Hermione’s actions perfectly, setting his bag on the belt and procuring a bin from the stack of ones that are currently not in use. She watches him take off his jacket while his eyes rapidly scan their surroundings. His facial expression is tense, and she can see the tension in his movements. Not that Hermione really cares, but she assumes this must be a strange experience for him so she inquires, “Is everything okay?”

“I just don’t understand how you can call this ‘security’. I just saw one of the workers yawn and close his eyes for about ten seconds while he was supposed to be looking at that little screen. Aren’t those where they detect dangerous items? And that worker over there– he’s quite literally licking his fingers clean after finishing his second donut. With these buffoons for opponents, I could easily run through that hallway there with all my belongings and toss a weapon to someone before they could catch me. Then that person would have a weapon when they get on their flight. There’s so many holes in this operation. They could really use a consult from the Auror department.” 

Hermione isn’t sure how serious he is about the Auror comment, but she decides to appease him. “You’re right. It’s not a perfect system. But it’s the best they can manage and it’s a huge improvement to the lack of security just a few years ago.” 

Malfoy doesn’t seem to feel the need to respond to this and they continue inching their way down the belt, shuffling their feet side to side and awkwardly hauling their belongings until they reach the front. 

Hermione has just stepped through the metal detector when she hears bickering behind her. Oh no . 

“Sir, you will need to take your shoes off.”

“And walk on this floor in my socks? Ha! You must be bloody joking.”

It’s Malfoy and he’s arguing with the security worker about taking his shoes off before going through the detector. “Sir, this is a legal requirement for everyone here unless you are over the age of 75.” Another scoff from Malfoy and then, “Sir, I’m afraid if you don’t comply we’re going to have to take you back for questioning.”

“But this floor is a literal cesspool and my socks will be contaminated with every disgusting thing that’s ever touched it.” Hermione can see Draco shudder. Hermione watches him, torn between stepping in or letting nature take its course– nature, in this case, being Malfoy’s inevitable detainment. If she keeps quiet, he’ll probably get pulled aside for questioning, miss the flight, and she’ll have this trip all to herself. Just like she dreamed.

The thought is so deliciously tempting that she nearly steeples her fingers like a cartoon villain hatching an evil plan, but her conscience gets the better of her and she’s bargaining with the security agent before she can stop herself. “Excuse me, sir, this is my brother I’m traveling with and he’s never flown before,” she says, shielding her mouth from Malfoy’s view, “and he’s a bit of an oddball. Has a thing about keeping his socks clean.” Hermione weakly smiles at the agent, silently pleading with him to accept this truce before Malfoy digs them into a deeper hole.

The security agent looks skeptical but is slowly nodding, as if this is something he has dealt with before– tall, platinum blond young men who are exquisitely dressed and cannot bear the thought of their socks becoming soiled. 

Hermione continues with her attempt to diffuse the situation and looks to Malfoy, “Remember I brought a clean pair of socks for you in my bag? You can have them once you take your shoes off and come through the metal detector, okay? Tell the nice man you’ll take your shoes off now.” She has shifted her tone of voice to one that you would talk to a tantruming toddler in, and she finds just a little joy in doing this so publicly. 

She can tell that he understands where this is going, and that it is probably best for them both if he plays along. “Okay, yeah, whatever,” he grumbles and finally slips off his too-shiny loafers. Once they are through security and walking side-by-side to their gate, Malfoy leans his head down and lowers his voice, “Just to clarify– you were kidding about the clean socks in your bag, right?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First five chapters are up now and I'm updating regularly :)

[cator99]

Amazing...... The universe has rewarded me for my righteous deeds by granting me the most joyous grocery shopping experience of my life... I'm uncertain how to describe it, as i dont quite know what happened myself.... but, well, there was a woman causing a ruckus. She was like some sort of looney toons character... running around laughing and smiling... while being chased down by the security guard. She was running absolute circles around the guy, as they went round and round the tills... everyone stopped and wandered over to observe the commotion... every employee had gathered around as well..... And this woman... mischievous and bewildering... her laughter was infectious. You couldn't help but grin at the bizarre event. Even the security guard– despite trying to save face– couldn't help but just start to crack up in bewilderment... however, he did compose himself. Everyone was just kind of giggling and watching this insane game of tag... then he finally grabbed hold of her bag... ah, I suppose she had been shoplifting after all... this is right about when the spell was broken and a lightbulb popped up over my head. I fled into the nearest an isle and shoved as much as I possibly could from my basket into my bag. Went around the store continuing to shove, all to the soundtrack of the woman who was at this point yelling between fits of laughter. By the time I got to the till, they'd managed to get her out of the store... all was quiet for a second, as everyone remarked on the craziness...... and then, right back into the store she comes. Oh no ya dont! The manager just kind of shakes her head in bewilderment and laughs as she calls over the security guard. He chases her out while she just laughs and laughs............ There was a father with an very swagfully-dressed little autistic white boy standing next to me in line. The boy did not care one iota about what was going on around us, and instead just stood reeeeally close to me and examined my groceries with such an intensity... his face right up against them, as they moved down the conveyor belt. I would move away from him and he would move right back to being an inch away, staring intently up at me, then back down at the groceries. Once the guy ahead of me had left, the boy went to the end of the till and put his face up to the metal to examine that as well, but this time poking gently at its different metal parts. He was having what looked like a great time, and the cashier, an older black lady, was quite happy to see him making sure the till was up to par. What do you think– pretty cool huh? I wonder how they build these things... etc. By the time I got out of there, the security and half the staff were hanging out in the entryway, expecting the woman to come running back in... but she was nowhere to be seen.

[wandafiction]

Moose - Just Us Chapter 77

Warnings: None

Word Count: 4790

Series List | Chapter 76 | Chapter 78

================================

We were now waiting at baggage collection, Wanda pulled into my side as my right arm rests over her shoulder. The boy's eyes follow every bag that goes past, double checking to see if they are ours or not as they bounce on their feet excitedly. Luckily, they seem a lot more awake than they were this morning which makes sense since they slept on the plane. 

I rest my head on top of Wanda's feeling her relax against me more, closing my eyes for a moment as I breathe in her scent. When they open up I smile against her hair when I see the boys both grabbing each of our bags off the conveyor belt, turning around with proud smiles on their faces when they show us. 

"Okay so we have the bags. What now?" Tommy asks as he passes me my suitcase.

"Now we head out, we can grab a drink and some food from one of the shops here. Then you have to look out for a white hat volunteer."

"A white hat volunteer?" Billy passes Wanda's bag to her.

"Yeah, so they wear white hats and red vests. They are people who welcome you to Calgary and have bits of information and everything. I just need to know where to find our rental car." 

"Okay so we have the bags, we need to find where we are going and get coffee. Also go to the toilet now because we have a nearly 3 hour drive ahead of us." Wanda lists off as we all start walking out of baggage claim. 

Wanda holds her hand in mine swaying them between us as we follow the boys closely behind, as they follow the signs above to the exit. As the boys lead us towards the exit me and Wanda look out for a coffee shop in desperate need of a caffeine boost. When we finally find one we decide to sit down and to drink it so the boys can disappear to the toilet without getting lost.

"So what's the plan once we leave the airport?" Wanda blows on the top of her coffee before taking a sip.

"Well I thought since we have had a long day of travelling we can just have a relaxed night by the fire watching movies or playing a board game. Then tomorrow we can come back and explore Calgary and some surrounding areas maybe. Or make that a day or two thing. Then it's going to be snowing so we will be sort of stuck in the cabin for a while as the roads can be quite dangerous but it doesn't mean we can't go outside. There are a few look out sights around the area we can look at the mountains from. But we can ask one of the white hats for a guide."

"Okay. So we are definitely exploring, I mean you can't not explore. Where we go is up to you, since you've been here a few times so you know the good spots. The boys have only dealt with New York snow so it should be an adventure for them." She takes another sip of coffee as I watch the boys join the queue to get themselves a drink. "What about wild animals? How likely are we to run into them?"

"We will see them on the drive up to the cabin, but I own the land and paid to have it fenced. It's not fenced off that much that it causes issues with the wildlife, but it is enough so we can explore the surrounding forest a little. Although we should still be careful because the fence doesn't always stop the animals. But we have security cameras that are motion sensors and infrared so we can check for anything before we go out."

"Okay." Wanda takes in the information as the boys join us at the table.

"You mentioned there was a lake?" Tommy takes a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Yeah, it might freeze over during the week but if you want to we can do some fishing while it isn't. We can cook fresh fish too if that's something you want to do?"

"I've never been fishing before, so yes please!" Tommy shuffles excitedly in his seat as I smile warmly at him.

"What about you Billy?" He simply shakes his head.

"I never liked the idea of fishing, sitting there for ages with nothing on the end of the line. I brought the camera so I can take pictures and that. It's for a school project."

"That sounds cool, it's like the most picturesque place I've ever seen." 

"Yeah I've always enjoyed photography, capturing something in the moment that will last forever."

"Maybe I will join you on one of your photography missions. I think it's about time I draw the mountains again." 

"Awesome. I'm already so excited and I don't even know where we are going." Me and Wanda let out a small laugh at that before we both finish our drinks.

I stand up from my chair once the boys have finished their drinks, moving over to Wanda and holding my hand out for her to take as she stands up. The boys walk ahead of us on a mission to find us a white hat volunteer, while me and Wanda smile at the sight of the boys pointing out things around the airport as we wander around.  

"Look there's a lady in a white hat and red vest." Tommy points out to me and Wanda as Billy starts to make his way over to the smiling lady. 

Me and Wanda start to make our way over as Tommy runs over to join Billy who is already chatting to the lady. When Tommy points to me and Wanda the lady smiles wider, gently placing her hand on the boys back as they all walk towards us.

"Hiya folks, welcome to Calgary my name is Janet. Where have you guys flown in from?" I tilt my head slightly as I try to recall where I have seen this woman before.

"New York! We had to get up, like, super early!" Tommy complains, I let out a small laugh while I put my arm over Wanda's shoulder.

"Oh New Yorkers! Is it your first time visiting Calgary?" She aims the questions at the boys as they bounce on their feet in excitement.

"It's ours and mom's first time in Canada. Y/n's been here a few times." 

"Well that is so much to do! Here are these." She hands both the boys a guide then one between me and Wanda. "So where are you guys going?"

"We don't know." Billy shrugs as he playfully glares at me. "Y/n won't tell us." 

"Fine, we are going to my cabin at Cathedral Mountain." 

"Where's that?" Tommy tilts his head in question. 

"Wow you own one of the cabins up there?" Janet looks at me as a look of realisation crosses her face. "Y/n, I thought the name sounded familiar. You own the Stark cabin don't you?" 

"I do, yes. How did you know?"

"My husband and I own a cabin across the lake. My daughter and granddaughter are staying there for a few weeks." 

"Wait Mrs Bishop?" She nods her head at me and I immediately engulf her in a hug. "Wow it's been a while since I've seen you last. How is Eleanor? And Kate! How old is she now?" 

"It has been a while dear. Eleanor is doing well and Kate is 19 now." She moves out of the hug and looks to the other three who look very confused.

"Oh sorry guys. Janet, this is my girlfriend Wanda and her two boys Billy and Tommy. Guys this is my cabin neighbour Janet, I've known her since we first brought the cabin, but have only run into each other once or twice over the years. It must be three years now, wow you look good Mrs Bishop. No wonder I didn't recognise you straight away."

"It's nice to meet you." Wanda holds out her hand, but Janet pulls her into a hug which Wanda instantly relaxes into. 

"Sorry I'm a hugger dear." Janet mentions as she releases Wanda. "So how long have you been together?" 

"Well we met on the 10th of last month so just over a month and a half. But it will officially be one month, tomorrow since she asked me to be her girlfriend." Wanda beams up at me as I speak.

"Well it's lovely to meet you all." Janet leans up to whisper in my ear. "I'm sure Eleanor won't mind keeping an eye on the boys if you want to celebrate your one month."

I blush a little at the insinuation as Janet smirks at me, while Wanda looks at me confused. I shrug and Wanda doesn't ask any questions as Janet nudges my shoulder.

"Anyway Janet. We came looking for a white hat since I don't know where the rental place is." 

"How do you not know? You have been here plenty of times." 

"We used to hire a driver for the airport transport, but since this is more of a family vacation it's easier for me to drive." 

"Okay well if you go towards the main exit, it's like a tiny little booth on the right with one or two workers. You can't really miss it as it has a big sign above saying Calgary car hire." 

"Thank you Janet."

"Of course dear. Anything else I can help you with?" I look around to the other three who are simply watching the interaction shaking their heads at her question. "Very well, but you guys best come to my cabin for dinner at some point before you leave."

"Of course. Is there anything we should bring?" Wanda asks as we all start moving towards the exit, Janet walking with us.

"Just yourselves and some warm clothes dear." 

"Okay, how about Thursday?" Wanda continues her conversation as I spot the car hire place.

"Thursday is perfect. I will see you then, dear." She hugs Wanda then me.

"See you then Janet." The boys give her a small wave as she walks back to her post.

My hand moves down to hold onto Wanda's as I start to walk us to the car hire place, the boys on either side of us as we all drag our suitcases behind us. I smile at the man behind the counter who is too busy typing into his computer to even look up at us, holding a single finger in the air silently telling us to wait. I raise my eyebrows at the action and turn to look at Wanda who has the same expression on her face. We wait a few minutes before Wanda huffs.

"Excuse me, I'm sure you're busy but we've just got off our plane and would much rather be driving to our destination than waiting here for you to do your job." I twist my lips as Wanda leans against the counter, the man's eyes widening slightly at the angered tone of Wanda's voice. I may or may not be swooning over the fact her accent was audible too.

"Right, sorry. Hi, how can I help?" He straightens out some papers on the desk as he looks between me and Wanda.

"I pre-booked a car under the name Y/n Barton." He nods as he types away on his computer.

"I have you down for the white jeep wrangler Rubicon from today until the 30th."

"Yeah that's the one."

"Perfect so I just need the card you paid with and your driving licence." I pass them off to him and he looks at the passport then the card, then back to me. "The name on the licence and the card are different, can I also have a look at your passport."

"Jeez, you have stronger security than most airports." He lets out a small laugh as I hand it over.

"Unfortunately, it's a policy. We know that people change their names, but we need extra proof if it occurs so we can confirm that the names and address matches. Or something like that. If I don't do it, I get fired and I can't be having that."

He looks between the three items. 

"So because the surname on the license and passport are Stark I am going to have to change that in our database even if you don't go by that name anymore."

"No problem. I get it, you're just doing your job." The boys both scrunch their brows at me then up to Wanda who shows herself zipping her lips so the boys press their lips together and go back to looking around the airport.

"Okay so that's all sorted, here are the keys and paperwork with emergency numbers and terms and conditions. The manual for the car will be in the glove box. If you come out of here turn right and follow the signs for the car hire parking lot you should easily find your vehicle.I hope you enjoy your stay in Calgary."

"Thank you." I take the keys and the four of us start in the direction the young man had told us. 

Once we spot the car the boys sprint off both calling shotgun on the front seat, trying to push in front of one another, with me and Wanda laughing at their antics as we slowly follow behind them. Once a small amount of arguing starts Wanda simply tilts her head raising her eyebrows and the boys stop immediately, bowing their heads. 

"Right bags in the back, then boys in the back." Wanda takes the keys from my hand to unlock the car.

"But I called shotgun mom!" Tommy whines as he trudges to the back of the car.

"Actually I called shotgun, so you will have to sit in the back with Tommy mom." Billy tries to act smug, but zips his lips when Wanda quirks her brow again. 

"What do you think Y/n? Who should be sat upfront with you?" Tommy pleads with his eyes but I simply wrap my arm around Wanda.

"As the driver of the car I decree that your mother gets the passenger seat every time we share a car, but any other time shotgun rules."

"I guess that's fine." Tommy grumbles as Wanda kisses the underside of my jaw, before leaving my grasp to open the back door of the car. 

Once we are all settled in the car, and having let it warm up with it idle in the parking lot, I set the destination in the navigation system. I rest my arm on the back of Wanda's chair as I look behind me and out of the rearview window to see what I'm doing when reversing. I turn around catching Wanda staring at me with flushed cheeks before I put the vehicle in drive and get us going. 

"So we are going to be driving through Calgary, then will be driving along the prairie land. So everything is super flat until we reach the mountains, but it creates such a beautiful view. We will also be driving through a place called Banff, which is a nice little mountain town. We will explore these places probably tomorrow and Tuesday since it is not snowing. We can do some sightseeing and shopping, go to some cute cafés, that sort of thing. Then when it snows we can stay up in the cabin for a lot of it. Thursday we have dinner with the Bishop's. Apart from that we have nothing apart from relaxing to do. Everyone happy?" 

"Happy!" They all say in unison. Creepy.

I look over to Wanda who, at some point through my ramble, interlocked our hands resting it on the arm rest between our chairs. Her head is resting on her other hand which is being propped up by her elbow on the door, a fuzzy smile on her face as her eyes look into my soul once more. I divert my attention back to the road before looking in the rearview mirror to check on the boys who are on their phones. I feel Wanda squeeze my hand to get my attention, and I squeeze it back to let her know she has it while my eyes flick back to the road.

"I love you."

"Love you too Princess." I laugh when I hear the boys fake gag in the back and Wanda sends them a glare.

~~~~

We've been on the road for about an hour, the boys and Wanda having been looking out the windows at the passing scenery since we got out of Calgary, their eyes lighting up at the sight of a few deers in the fields. Wanda perks up leaning forward to the stereo controls when a new song starts playing. The boys lean forward slightly and I smile and the happy smiles they both have.

"This is one of our favourite songs." Wanda blushes as she says it, and I only smile wider, turning it up more. 

(Shotgun - George Ezra)

Homegrown alligator, see you later

Gotta hit the road, gotta hit the road

Something changed in the atmosphere

Architecture unfamiliar

I could get used to this

I smile when the boys start singing, swaying their bodies side to side in their seats. I look at Wanda who is shyly whispering the lyrics. I squeeze her hand gently taking a quick look at her as I start singing the next verse trying my best to show her it's okay to sing aloud, as I look back to the road.

Time flies by in the yellow and green

Stick around and you'll see what I mean

There's a mountaintop that I'm dreaming of

If you need me you know where I'll be

I look back at Wanda when I realise she stopped singing, the boys only getting louder, and see her already looking at me with her lip between her teeth. Her eyes show me so much love and as I continue to sing as I turn my attention back to the road I see a smile grow on her face from my peripheral vision. I give her hand another squeeze and smile widely when I hear her start singing the chorus.

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone (someone)

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone

All of us are now swaying our bodies left to right, and I tap my hand against the steering wheel, as we get into our groove and start to enjoy the music. Wanda's voice is more confident and for never having heard I sing, I'm amazed her voice is beautiful and she has a husk to it that makes my heart soar at the sound. I just fell more in love with her if that is even possible.

We're south of the Equator, navigator

Gotta hit the road, gotta hit the road

Deep sea diving 'round the clock, bikini bottoms, lager tops

I could get used to this

Time flies by in the yellow and green

Stick around and you'll see what I mean

There's a mountaintop that I'm dreaming of

If you need me you know where I'll be

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone (someone)

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone

Wanda let's go of my hand as she starts dancing in her seat, moving her hand in time to the beat. At first she simply taps at the air but it slowly transforms into her hands waving about in the air looking like waves, or rolling her wrist with her fingers like she is trying to entice someone. She giggles a little when she sees me turning my head to look as she sings a few lyrics to me before I turn my attention back to the road. 

We got two in the front (hey)

Two in the back (hey)

Sailing along

And we don't look back (back, back)

Time flies by in the yellow and green

Stick around and you'll see what I mean

There's a mountaintop that I'm dreaming of

If you need me you know where I'll be

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone (someone)

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone (someone)

I'll be riding shotgun underneath the hot sun

Feeling like a someone, a someone, a someone, someone

I look in the rearview mirror and smile when I watch the boys sing to one another as they bop their heads, smiling at one another. I look back to the road and feel Wanda's hand creep into mine as she brings it up to her lips and starts to sing against the back of my hand. I take a quick look over at her to see her already looking at me with her fuzzy smile before she continues to sing against my hand and I look back to the road. 

We all let out small giggles when the song comes to an end and Wanda leans forward to turn the stereo back down. As she leans back she brings our hands back to her lips as she peppers the back of my hand with kisses, so I squeeze her hand in return. Once she has deemed all of my hand kissed, she brings it down to rest in her lap as she rests her back against the headrest. 

"Guys look." I point out the window to the mountains that we are now starting to drive past, the flat land left behind.

"Woah. It's beautiful." Wanda's jaw drops as she looks out her window.

"It only gets more beautiful from here." 

~~~~~

We have just passed through Banff which means we have another hour left of our journey, the boys are on their phones keeping themselves entertained as Wanda takes a small nap. I suddenly see something in the road that makes me wake her up knowing she won't want to miss it and grab the boy's attention.

"Princess, boys. Look what's on the road." Wanda's eyes flutter open just by the sound of my voice and the boys lean forward to look through the windscreen and I smile when I hear all three of them gasp.

"Holy cow! That's huge!" Wanda sits forward in her seat more as I slow the car down so I can avoid the animal.

"Actually mom, I think it's a moose." Tommy giggles as Wanda rolls her eyes before they go back to looking at the huge animal.

"It is indeed a moose. Looks like a fully grown male to me with how big it is." 

It's walking on our side of the road, I slow down even more to make sure I don't spook it as I check the other side of the road. When I confirm there are no other cars coming I slowly pull out onto the other side and up next to the moose. Wanda and the boys look up to the moose as we pass at a safe distance before I get back to our side of the road and slowly speed up.

"That was bigger than the car!" Billy squeals as him and Tommy look at the rearview window as Wanda looks in her side mirror.

"Yeah, that was probably about 2.5m to the shoulder. They are big creatures. Dangerous too."

"I didn't think they were that big. I always thought they were like deer in size." Wanda thinks aloud as she looks to the boys who look at her nodding.

"Well hopefully we see a few more during this week. We may get lucky and see some bears and wolves too." 

"Wait wolves and bears! Will there be any by the cabin?" I shake my head at Billy's question.

"Shouldn't be. The land is fenced off to a certain point so we are protected." 

"Damn I wanted to see a bear...or a wolf." I laugh as he slumps back in his chair. 

"Well there are plenty of times that you see them on the road, so keep an eye out everytime we drive. You might get lucky." With that both boys start looking out the windows desperate to find the animals they want to see.

Wanda pulls my hand up to her face, her hand moving behind mine as she presses it against her cheek. She kisses the palm of my hand and I start rubbing my thumbs over her cheek bone, I feel her lean into my hand more. She kisses it a few more times before placing it in her lap as she plays with my fingers, and I smile when she starts drawing random shapes and patterns.

~~~~

"And we are here." I inform them as I stop the car on the gravel.

"Wow this is massive." Tommy says as he climbs out of the car with Billy.

"It is beautiful Y/n." Wanda leans over the center console to kiss my cheek before she climbs out of the car. 

I join them in grabbing our bags from the back before pushing the door shut and locking the car watching as the three of them race to the front of the cabin. I smile as they look through the windows of the cabin gasping at what they see inside. I make it to the front door of the cabin, watching their excitement grow as I unlock the door. They walk into the cabin, eyes scanning every detail as they spin around to get a full view. 

"Okay so Tommy your room is going to be up the stairs third door on the right, Billy yours is the first door on the right. The second door is a cupboard with some games and other stuff in it. Boys, your rooms have their own toilets, but make sure you lock both doors when doing your business because the other door leads to the shared bathroom. You have two sinks and there is a walk in shower, so you sort out who is showering first between you two."

"Okay Y/n!" They both shout as they make their way up the stairs holding their suitcases up so they don't bump against the stairs. 

"Where are we staying?" Wanda asks as I grab her bag nodding for her to go up the stairs.

"We are in the only room on the left hand side. We have an ensuite with both a big bath that fits two, and a walk in shower like at your apartment. The room has a built-in wardrobe, a few chest of drawers and the view is spectacular." 

She opens the door and her eyes scan the room as she walks around dragging a hand over every surface. She looks back to me after a while, and I let go of the suitcases when she runs towards me and jumps. I easily catch her as she wraps her arms and legs around my body while I spin us around a couple of times.

"You happy princess."

"I'm over the moon baby. This is so beautiful, it's amazing, it's….I love it. I love you. So, so much." I smile at her as I bring our lips together for a few seconds before resting my forehead against hers.

"Go have a look out the window." I put her down and she shuffles over to the window, a small gasp escaping her lips as she looks up to the mountains.

"I wish we could stay forever in this moment." I come up behind her wrapping my arms around her waist as my chin comes to rest on the top of her head.

"You get to see this everyday for the whole week Wanda." 

"I'm never going to get bored of that view." I kiss the top of her head.

"The view never gets boring, it's always as mesmerising as the first time I saw it."

"Y/n. Remember what I told you my dream home was?"

"I do and I know princess. We can have our own cabin in the mountains, in the woods, by a lake one day. You just need the boys to be in college." She turns around with a few tears in her eyes and I smile softly at her as I cup her cheeks.

"You remembered?" I nod softly as I lean down to peck her lips a few times.

"If it is a dream of yours then it is a dream of mine."

================================

[dykentery]

had the weirdest dream about having sex with one of my mutuals (not the weird part) on some sort of conveyor belt train line (not the weird part) whilst still under a sheet like we were on a bed (not the weird part) and at one point her girlfriend walked in on us and i hid under the flimsy thin sheet (not the weird part) and successfully got away with hiding in the most obvious spot (not the weird part). weirdest part though was that my mutual shaved her pubes. i just cannot wrap my head around it.

[thistransient]

I am sitting by the gate in shock, I have never experienced such chaos at an airport in my life. The word queue lost its meaning entirely. It was survival of the fittest. I was no match for the pack of Indians with luggage trolleys who brashly cut the whole entire line at check-in, but I was steeling myself to fight the old French people behind me if they tried the same thing. Who knew where the trays were coming from at security but clearly the only way to obtain them was to steal them from someone else and fight for a gap in the mass of humanity by the luggage scanner, whose conveyor belt and the metal-detector wanding station were at opposite ends of the room, so one just sort of surrendered one's bags to fate and oneself to the thorough prodding.

It makes me almost miss the security check in Delhi, which, while being the slowest queue I've ever experienced in my life, at least had a queue to experience.

[lark-in-ink]

My first job was at the grocery store that my parents shopped at during my entire childhood. I was just thinking about it and it wasn't until after I'd grown up and moved away that I realized it was. Rather Strange Actually.

So I think it was built sometimes in the 1960's, as what the builders assumed was the vanguard of a bold and innovative movement of urban design post highway boom. (Spoiler: it was not.) The highway was in a sunken trench next to the older railroad tracks. And they decided: let's build the grocery store OVER the highway.

I have created this diagram for your viewing pleasure:

So, in a move that would please modern urbanists, the store did come right up to the sidewalk (which in turn was on the edge of the little cluster of commercial development around the commuter rail station). There was a large parking lot next to it also along the sidewalk, but what can you do. The first floor of the building- at least most of the front of it- contained the small retail also beloved of modern urbanists.

In a move that would displease anyone conversant with the ADA act, to get to the actual grocery store, you entered a lobby in amongst the small retail, and were immediately confronted with an escalator going up and stairs going... well, both up and down, but in practice, down. Proceeding to the top of the stairs, you found the shopping carts, which never went outside.

So, you'd proceed with your shopping cart out to the produce section, which extended a fair way over the highway. from there it was a fairly normal grocery store actually. From inside you could not in fact tell that half the building was. Extended over the highway and supported by pillars. But it was.

Anyway. Once you finished your shopping you'd get in a checkout lane. And the cashier would, as normal, ring up your groceries. And the bagger would -- as I thought was a common and ordinary variation within normal until I was about twenty years old-- put your groceries in a sturdy metal bin that held about 3 bags of groceries. Then they would carry each bit over to the conveyor belt which took hem into the Mysterious Hole, and bring back another bin. Each bin was labeled with a three digit number. After you had paid, the cashier would hand you a stack of very sturdy plastic cards with those numbers on them. (They were hefty and pleasant to hold in the hand. A fond sensory memory.)

Then you'd go down the stairs, carrying your cards but no groceries.

Once safely ensconced in your car, you would enter. The Tunnel. Which ran at regular ground level under the grocery store, behind the urbanist-approved-small-retail, with the entrance in the parking lot. There, you would wait in the Car Line. And then, you (whether 'you' was the driver or 'you' was the small child lucky enough to be allowed to sit on the driver's side back seat and be entrusted with the cards, an honor and privilege to be taken in turns) would hand your cards to a strapping young man, who would then find your bins, and load your groceries into your trunk for you. Then you would proceed out of the tunnel on the other side, trigger the warning buzzer as you crossed the sidewalk, and get back on the street.

This was all VERY exciting as a child, but you know. in a normal sort of way. Highpoint of the week, really.

When I was 17 I got a summer job at this grocery store. I was a grocery bagger, which was a position that could NOT be combined with cashier, on account of managing the metal bins and bringing them over to the conveyor belt. At no point during this period of employment was I privy to the Mysteries Of The Hole, though I presume a hidden set of further conveyor belts was involved. I was also not employed in The Tunnel, as I was a minor (and I suspect, as allegedly A Girl, though of course this could not have been official policy in the late nineties and early aughts). I did at last understand that the cards were matched with the bins by the simple expediency of the strapping young men putting the matching card back in the bin before they sent them on the presumable Up Conveyor Belts.

When I was 19 and doing a share of the grocery shopping alone for the first time, I discovered first hand how incredibly untenable this system was when you did not have a driver's license. Seriously, I had SO much cargo room on my bike but I could only buy as much groceries as I could carry down the stairs at one throw. Super annoying.

I haven't been back in at least fifteen years. I wonder if they have self-service checkout lanes and how the fuck the system works with that. The area's gone from 'fairly well off neighborhood' to 'this area is inhabited by the fuckoff rich' so maybe they just adequately staff their checkout lanes and charge out the nose for it idk. Perhaps someday I will return just to find out, but probably not.

I still do drive under the produce section from time to time though.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Mega Drive - KLAX (Namco version)

Title: KLAX / クラックス

Developer/Publisher: Namco / Tengen / Atari Games

Release date: 7 September 1990

Catalogue No.: T-14063

Genre: Puzzle

Released in Japan by Namco, this Atari original game brought to the Mega Drive by Tengen is probably best described as a square Puyo Puyo. It's basically the same idea. Instead of blobs falling down, blocks are coming down a conveyor belt. You then need to sort these into an order that will make them disappear just like Puyo Puyo. You can line 3 of the same color in either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines to make them disappear.

[missamyrisa2]

I love edging to your machine tickles 😵‍💫 the way you write is soo sensual 🙈

It flatterssss me to no end when someone edges themselves to my words ooh my gosssssh~

And you're just the sort of naughtyyyyy self teaser that is going to find themselves in a world of tingless when the Tauntress tosses you into her latest machine ~ this particularly snide factory operator lovess to watch and smirk as you struggle against the fuzzy claw apparatus, aided by a swarm of graspy hands which begin stripping away your clothes and poking n stroking at your exposed skin so that you'll wiggle over towards the waiting mechanical minion ~ the claw opens and closes threateningly, it's fuzz-lined extensions waiting to clamp down on your naked body ~ "Struggling is pointlessss~" she remarks, hands on her hips as she strolls around and casually activates more routines on this wicked tease engine. The claw surges forth and gently closes on your midsection, the soft fuzzies trembling as you're lifted like a prize high into the air and waved around proudly before the scanning pods zip out from their portals. The claw positions and repositions you, catching and tossing you so that the tingly scanning beams can coat over every part of your body from toes to knees to thighs and royal area over you belly up your chest and arms and face ~ then back down and across and criss-cross, all while displays far below pile up with data on your hot spots, sensitive spots, death spots, sour spots, and erogenous spots~

"Oooh my my my myyyy so many spots detected. How pray tell do you even get through the day without falling apart my gooodnessss~" she muses, studying your results and sending them into a handheld tablet as the crane whirls you over like a ragdoll to a conveyor belt. With a whoosh you are rushed into the next room as the Tauntress casually strides by, watching your progress through the glass down the hall as she passes her colleagues. Your body is processed thoroughly ~ mechanical hands lift your feet so orbital buffers can descend and spin along your soles and under your toes ~ dusting brushes drop from the sides to caress at your sides and over your belly ~ while gloved exam hands float over to probe and teasingly stroke your royal areas, stimulating you as you're tickled. The Tauntress gives you a big thumbs up through your gasping struggles when the machines light up and buzz for a new protocol, flipping you over and holding you taut to the moving belt ~ which goes from smooth to softly bumpy~ the material changing out for a feathery lined surface which begins gliding along your frontside. A soft clamp drops from above to catch you at your natural waist and lift you so that your frontside is continuously teased by the moving belt as it slowly drags you forward to the exit.

With your body thoroughly teased up by the conveyor, you are at last brought to the room for processed products and tossed onto a packaging table. Your body is snared at the wrists and ankles by the mechanical table ~ slowly restrained as the ratchets crank and hold you snug with click click clicks. The Tauntress studies her electronic chart and twirls the feathery tip of her digital pen over your tingly body. "Hmm hmm. Nice pinkening hereee. Ooh yes, and right here tooo on the belly and thighs. Our clients are going to be very satisfied with you~" She taps a button on the wall and steps back, grinning wickedly as slats from the table begin sliding away exposing various strips of your body's underside. "Be sure to giggle and gasp for me real good okay? I'm taking voice samples toooo~" she activates recording equipment for your product page and smiles as the machinery starts bringing out long strips of silky material. The wide strands first glide under your legs behind your knees, the entire length easily sixty feet as it spools from one side of the room to the other, every bit of the soft deep green material tickling and teasing at your skin. Another roll is tugged behind your back, then brought over your belly and pulled through the table, caressing in an endless sensation around your body. The next silk goes across your chest, kissing continuously at your royal buttons and upper ribs and outer armpits. Then the machine adds strips from the perpendicular direction, rolling over your underarms and up your soles. A very slowly growing meter on the wall for "packaging preparation" increases with each silky roll brought over your writhing helpless body while the machine whirls and buzzes. An array of microphones and lenses are trained on you as the machine works, capturing every sound and visual for the operator which she merrily posts for her clients ~ particularly as the central silk is now being draped and tugged over your royal area incessantly, uncaring at how aroused and edged you've become~

Should you ticklegasm, the gigglecum alert blares and the cleaning routine begins with buffer brushes and gentle jets of cleansing water whooshing from all corners of the table ~ and following the scans for cleanliness, you may be cleansed again should that treatment inspire more gigglycums~

As the preparation nears completion, the silks begin wrapping over your spots in layers. The tickly tingles bind over your knees, thighs, belly, chest, royal area, soles, neck, and underarms. You are decorated with the soft packaging and endlessly tingly~ with your product page fully completed by the Tauntress, you are whisked out into the display room, silken wrapped and standing in your clear case ~ all for the swarm of electric toothbrushes to begin buzzing and trilling over your body to keep you dancing and giggling for the excited bunch of clients who have just entered the building~

[maridiayachtclub]

let's try documenting a big Satisfactory project!

so i have this facility called SPINE. it's a multi-function structure with a stupid (but cool) name. pics under the cut because they're big:

it's bad and it could stand to be renovated.

it was one of the first large facilities i built. it was conceived as a centrally located factory that would gather in resources from the surrounding area, use them to manufacture various fundamental parts like iron plates and screws and whatnot, and then funnel them outward to specialized factories. where possible, additional functions could be built within what felt at the time like a roomy interior, and the structure could be extended upward to make more factory space within.

in addition, it was built on legs, making space underneath for three purposes:

allowing tractors and other vehicles to pass through (at the time, i had an automated tractor running stuff back and forth between a few buildings, and anticipated having a fleet of little wheely friends going to and fro)

making space for ceiling-mounted conveyor belts that would not just move materials through the building but provide the means to deliver them up into the building's interior for processing

room for aminals to wander through :)

so, seeing as this was going to be the center of a general stream of many different products needed throughout my growing factory-city, it seemed analogous to a a spinal column. hence, SPINE, or rather, S.P.I.N.E. what do the letters stand for? i figured i'd think of an appropriate combination of words eventually, but i never did. the name nevertheless stuck

SPINE has been doing what i have asked of it for a while now. the inside chambers mostly look like this

anyway, as mentioned, this was made early on, and while i think the concept is sound, the implementation has ultimately proven insufficient. the space underneath ended up being too small for the variety of materials i require to move through, as well as all the necessary branches needed to move things back and forth between the transport space on the bottom and the factory spaces inside. here's what the underside looks like:

seriously it fuckin sucks down here bro

i can't just keep extending the conveyor lines further down from the ceiling; making enough space to move all these materials and move them up into the factory requires all sorts of stupid twisty turny conveyor belt tricks. the backside, where everything funnels in, is absolutely embarrassing. wizard-of-oz-man-behind-the-curtain bullshit. glasgow willy wonka experience-ass levels of fulfillment. slapdash mickey mouse duct tape effort. real "I didn't do my homework and now i gotta make up this presentation live in front of the class and they can see me sweating" energy embodied.

the horrid tangle running through SPINE is complicated by its output, set up so that it delivers things to my central storage barn. things need to leave the facility in a very specific way, like so:

this part, at least, works fine. this massive vein of conveyor belts is a bit ugly but it works very well. i put a lot of time into designing my central storage barn (there were spreadsheets involved) and it paid off. look at this shit, look at how neatly everything gets sorted into easily accessed bins

i love it. the power fantasy of living in an organized environment, realized here in digital form!

unfortunately the clean functionality of this building just draws into stark relief how bad SPINE is. even if I spruced up its exterior, fully finishing the walls and adding fripperies such as signage and doors and lights, its core functionality is insufficient for my needs. SPINE was conceptualized and built far in advance of my understanding of what i would actually need it to do and i can't stand it any longer! no more!

so, i'm planning to tear it all down and replace it with a bigger, better-organized SPINE. in addition to making it look nicer, it could actually be expandable without adding another strand into its already tangled guts. it would give me an opportunity to incorporate the functions of numerous smaller satellite facilities, cleaning up the surrounding landscape a bit and making room for other factories i know i will have to build in time. it would, potentially, allow me to incorporate a train station or two, so products could be picked up or delivered as needed... not something i need at this time, but even if i never do, having the capability of entertaining visiting trains is a worthy goal in itself.

anyway i haven't started on that yet. SPINE 2.0 is still in the planning stages, and i'm leaving on a trip in a day or so so i'm not gonna be able to start on this project in earnest for at least a week.

i might keep documenting the project here for funsies. i love Satisfactory; it's a perfect vehicle for one of my favorite things to do in a game: turning nothing into places. if you're in a video game and you see a bunch of hills and trees and rivers and piles of iron ore and other natural features, it doesn't really mean much on its own, but spend enough time there and you grow accustomed to it. you put together a mental map, figure out whatever routes you're going to be taking through it, learn how to navigate it quickly and efficiently, and soon that random bit of wilderness is a place. the rocks you have to navigate around and the rivers you have to jump over become familiar sights. and if it's a building kinda game, and you're populating this unsullied wilderness with the mortal profanity of civilization, that place is even more place-y than before. i very much like the places i have built in Satisfactory, so regardless of how this is received, it's fun to talk about it, get some of my internal thoughts on this project down in a format that can last. at least until tumblr shutters its doors and gets sold to some venture capitalist vultures in 2026

[crinkledmap]

The TSA kicked me out of the Kona airport

I've got to record this before I forget all the details. I want to send this incident to my senators and house rep, and we're thinking of retaining a travel lawyers, but I also want to stop thinking about it because it really sucked.

Background: I get the dreaded SSSS 98% of the times that I fly. I've tried the redress route on the DHS website and never heard back. We have no earthly idea what frigging list I'm on or how I got on it. I'm a middle-aged data analyst and mother of 2, from Oregon. In the beginning I was fairly good natured about it. It helped that for a long time the TSA at PDX, where I normally fly out of, were really cool people. But after years of harassment, I'm not really good natured anymore. I don't cause a scene or holler or call names, it's just clear that I'm NOT amused.

Kona Int'l Airport, Big Island, HI

I'm headed through security with my husband, 2 teenage kids (18 & 17) and another couple who are dear friends that traveled with us. I had a camera bag, purse, and shopping bag that went on the conveyor and I went through the body scanner (which I despise for already making me feel like a criminal).

Unsurprisingly, the scanner went off and I got pulled aside. When I fly I always wear really basic clothing, no belts or wire bras, and slip-on shoes, but it doesn't seem to matter. I asked if she (the agent) could tell me why I set off the scanner.

The agent replied, "no, because I don't know. Why don't you just let me do my job."

When they explain what the pat-down entails, they always ask if that's ok. (No?) I always ask if I have a choice. They always say that they can call their manger over. So I declined told her just to get it over with. Afterword, in a slightly snarky way, I asked if she found anything. She stopped and stared at me and made some sort of vague threat that I don't recall, but included the standard Hawaii TSA line of, "the only way off this island is to fly, so..."

After that was done I gathered my things off of the conveyor belt and met the rest of my party on a bench. When I was putting on my shoes, I realized that I was missing the shopping bag. Thinking I'd overlooked it and left it on the conveyor belt, I ran up to the first TSA agent I saw and, clearly agitated because the bag had over $1000 worth of jewelry, explained that I was missing a bag. The agent asked me to describe it then said not to worry because they have it. I replied, "ok, that's great, can I get it back." The TSA agent said something along the lines of me needing to calm down because they have my bag. Again, I ask for it back. Again the agent reassures me that they have it. I can't figure out why the hell I can't get my shopping bag back when he says that they found a "substance" on it and were testing it.

Why did they let me just walk away? Why didn't anyone tell me that they were holding the bag over for testing? I missed picking it up because it wasn't there.

Another agent asks me if I have any more products. I'm confused. I mean the bag is full of all the stuff we bought in the shopping district on the way to the airport. I reply, "Products? In what context?" They ask if I have any more powder. Powder? What are they talking about? Yet another agent accusingly holds up two bags of unopened Kona coffee, that I bought less than an hour before, in Kona. I'm like, "oh yeah, we bought coffee." This whole time it's pretty clear that I'm not ok with any of this. Again, I'm not yelling or cussing or anything, just really really irritated.

The agent says to come over to where they are behind plexiglass because they going to pat me down again.

I say absolutely not, because I've ALREADY been through a full body pat down. She says that I have not. I say that I have and it was that agent ,pointing to the agent who "just wants to do her job". She says that was only a targeted pat down, only in the area that set off the scanner. I say no, it was FULL BODY, thank you very much. Another agent briefly walks over to the agent who did my pat down, comes back, and says,

"I saw that pat down, I saw the whole thing. It didn't count because you were uncooperative."

I was NOT uncooperative. I put my hands and feet where she told me too. I was just pissed about it.

I told the agent that this was ridiculous.

Her and another agent say that that's it, I'm refusing to comply and that I can't fly.

They give me my carry-ons and escort me back out of the TSA area and say that I have to stay there and calm down and then they'll assess if I'm calm enough to be screened. I start texting my traveling companions.

It's pretty clear at this point that they haven't found anything that constitutes an actual threat, it's punitive.

Perhaps 20 minutes go by and a supervisor and one of the other original agents come over. He asks if I know what why I'm out here and if I know what the TSA is for. Reply that I do and I don't. He wants me elaborate on the "don't". I decline. Then he starts lecturing about what they trying to do, etc etc. I ask if I can ask a question. I figure that if I have some 1:1 time with a TSA agent, I'm going to use it to get some frigging answers.

This is really where things go completely off the rails. The highlights:

When I ask why this happens every time I fly, he says BOTH that they do a background check on passengers 72 and 48 hours before the flight, but also that "it's not like we know Nicole is coming. It's not like we make a plan to hassle Nicole because we know she's coming." (Emphasis his.) It really seemed like he was trying to make me sound like a crazy person.

He says that the TSA doesn't like doing pat downs. If he'd known he'd have to do pat downs when he applied for the job, he wouldn't have. (??? Has this brother never effing flown? He's now a supervisor. He could have quit? This makes NO sense to say).

He goes on about how the patch on his arm says that he would never lie. (Uh huh)

He says that he has a family and got into the TSA to make sure the skies were safe for his family and didn't I want safe flights for my family? I say, yes, of course. He snaps back, "no you don't!" (A really weird thing to argue about).

He goes off on how I should be telling HIM how to act, not the other way around. That my generation should be setting the example for his generation and admonishing THEM, not him out here admonishing ME. That I'M OLD ENOUGH TO BE HIS MOTHER. (Son of a bitch was 35 if he was a day, I'M 47!, JACKASS! No, I didn't say that. I was thinking it. Another weird thing to be lecturing me about.)

I asked him if the body scanners were set to indicate a false positive as a pretext for pulling aside SSSS passengers. He again says that "we don't rig up million dollar machines just to harass Nicole. And you pick which machine you go through." Which - doesn't answer my question.

He announces that I'm a conspiracy theorist, am wasting his time with all my questions, and that I'm not safe to fly. He's not going to let me on my flight with my family, but I can rebook for later in the day or the next day. (I'm not actually a conspiracy theorist, but that isn't illegal and it isn't a threat. Also, if I'm such a threat, why am I allowed to fly later, but not now with my family?)

It should be noted that at no point in this conversation did I seem agitated or raise my voice. At that point my goals were to 1) get some answers, 2) get on that plane.

So I gather my stuff and walk to the Alaska airlines desk and explain to the 2 women there what is up. The senior one comes around the desk, hooks her arm in mine and says, "I'll help you get through the TSA." These being were not actual women, they were angels. Unfortunately the same wackadoodle agent and his sidekick meet us at the entrance and they explain to her that I can't take my flight with my family, but I can rebook later in the day or the next day. She tries to get them to pay my expenses for being stuck. They say no (shocking).

We go back to the ticket desk and she starts making calls.

She gets through to the head of TSA in Kona and is told that I am actually BANNED from the airport and cannot fly, period.

She counters that they can't strand a person on the island, and that the agents told her I could rebook.

She is told, "fine", but if one thing goes wrong that I'll be arrested.

She doesn't understand why they won't just let me on the flight with my family if I can take a different flight. That I'm going to be the same person later in the day or tomorrow.

She ended up working well past the time her shift ended to get me on the same flight for the next day. Her and her coworker were both amazing.

Meanwhile, my friends who were now boarding the plane managed to use travel points to get me a room at the Marriott King Kamehameha and get deets on a Lyft. My kids want to literally burn down the airport and have to be talked down off the ceiling by husband and friends.

I'm a very flexible an easy-going (except for the TSA) but I'd lost my resilience about the time the agent was getting me re-checked in for the new flight. I was in tears. I cried while I waited for the Lyft. I cried while riding in the Lyft, I cried while getting checked in to the hotel (the receptionist, "Ooh, yeah, we don't need your phone number and all that, lets just get you checked in. Would you like a tissue?"). I had to compose myself to get dinner and ask the front desk for a toothbrush, toothpaste, a shaver and shaving cream, because while I stayed in Kona, my luggage went to Portland. I cried on and off all night.

The next day I had dinner at the overpriced buffet and ran errands. I had the settings on the jewelry we bought checked and cleaned, and I asked the people in the coffee shop if they would ship the coffee so there would be one less thing to cause problems. I went to the airport early, just in case, and I didn't even get stopped for a pat down. Sailed right through. (I did the the more junior Alaska rep tho, and she gave me a big hug and told me that she wanted to see me again, just not that day. Then when walking up the gang plank to the plane, she was coming down and we gave each other another big hug and she said she was glad I made it.

Epilogue

It's taken about 4 days to write this up because I have to do it in sprints. It's just too traumatic to relive for log periods of time. The week after I returned, I slept a lot and hardly worked.

Everyone says "get TSA precheck." 1) that doesn't save you from the SSSS code, 2) does anyone really think I'm going to get precheck after all of that? However, I do have a friend. One of those friends who is really successful AND really gregarious and knows EVERYONE. I told him the short version of my story and he said that he knows people at both of the agencies that have "lists" and they can help get me through the process of getting off of any lists.

[ajcgames]

A long line of 'em

I spent a large part of the day tinkering with the new belt code, I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

The new belt definition as discussed in my previous post actually came together really well.

The removal of the tricky old '12 directions' belt code paved the way for the much more efficient version demonstrated above. Plus, this new version comes with the added benefit of doubling belt density.

I also added the code I was toying with to allow you to just 'paint' the belts and have the corners autofill for you. It's not perfect yet, but it already takes away a huge amount of tedium when just laying down a quick snaking line of belt segments.

Before I wrapped up for the day, I did notice a small position flicker issue which I believe is caused by a small handover rounding issue.

When an item finishes its transit of any given belt segment, it is handed off to the next next segment (if available), and the next belt's transit time is set to zero. However, there's even chance that the last delta time update (i.e. the amount of time elapsed since the last logic frame) takes the position of the belt's item just a little bit past the end of the belt. In this instance, I want to carry over the little bit of excess overshoot to the new belt, rather than zero it out.

The result of this bug is that the item moves a little way on to the new belt, then immediately zips back to the zero point. It's an easy fix, I just subtract 1 from the item's final 'finished' position and apply the remainder to the new belt's start time. That should smooth things out.

Having doubled belt capacity will be really nice for throughput for places where you need lots of items to be sent but can't use fast belts for whatever reason.

So where do we go from here?

I do have some small annoyances with the way the belts are created, but it's a far cry from my first implementation. But in reality I think conveyor belts are now a solved problem. The outstanding issues I know of aren't really grand problems, and I can start thinking about the wider mechanics of the game.

I think my next task will be to consider what things actually put stuff onto belts, and what things can take them off of belts (or, more specifically, where the belts feed into).

This will probably require me to implement a type of placeable structure that can take items as an input (i.e. understand the concept of having an input item slot), and also spit items out after certain work is completed.

As a starting point, having a machine that generates Item A, which can be spat out onto a belt would be a good place a begin. This belt can move the Item A objects into another machine that converts it into Item B, which can go onto another belt. I can maybe just have a machine that destroys things that go into it as a sort of universal trash bin for now whilst I work on this.

It will allow me to think about placeable objects, their rotation, inputs and outputs, and of course - the internal item slots and all that good stuff.

Until next time!

[just-another-blog-of-fluff]

Jessaaaa it’s been ages🥺 i was wondering if you had more sneak peaks for the Loki blip in the universe?

Hope you are well love

- C

Hi lovely! I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond to this!

I don't want to give TOO much away of the story, but here's a small sneak peek of one of the alternate universes Loki visits:

Loki lay in place for just a moment, catching his breath. While he picked himself up off the ground, he took the time to observe his new surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the relative lack of purple lightning streaking the sky. Must not have infiltrated this universe just yet, he thought to himself.

Once he'd made note of that, he began to really take a look around.

He was standing beside a building, similar in shape to the one he'd just used as an escape route when the portal had opened, but composed completely of a surface of mirrored glass. Beneath him was a posh, polished stone sidewalk running parallel to a narrow walkway where the street should have been. On closer inspection, he realized the walkway was moving; a conveyor belt of sorts, carrying passerby along to their destinations.

The electronic whirring overhead captured his attention next. Translucent tunnels spanned the distance between buildings, running in line with the walkways below. Shadows rapidly whizzed through them, belonging to what Loki could only imagine were transport pods or cars of some kind. Obviously, the Midgard of this universe had come much further in their technological development than the one he knew.

Most startling, though, were the electronic billboard screens scattered throughout the city, all depicting various moving images of none other than Tony Stark.

President Stark, in fact - based on the largest billboard hovering high above the city.

[msvelawciraptor]

Dear God,

Please do not let me turn into the sort of old white person I encountered all over the new Whole Foods this afternoon.

As I age, let me remember that personal space is important and that I can load my groceries onto the conveyor belt without basically being pressed up against the human being ahead of me.

Let me maintain the situational awareness that I don't just cut off the Asian woman standing patiently in line at a respectful distance because clearly I'm the main character of this grocery store.

As I drive, do not let me become so obsessed with parking head out that I trap someone pulling out of a space into their spot, making it impossible for either of us to get what we want. And then, when I finally have moved enough, grudgingly, to let the poor bastard out, let me remember to look behind me before I back desperately into my desired space, nearly running over an actual human being.

Lord, I know that aging comes for us all and that deconstructing whiteness is an ongoing project. But seriously, give me the self-awareness not to become any of those assholes.