#MEAN Stack Development Norway

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a commonplace book: may retrospective

what's up ladles and germs, i spent the month of may out of town and jumping in and out of wifi coverage, so this post is has been a long time coming!

reading brought rebecca roanhorse's black sun with me on this trip, started and finished the whole thing on various trains in france. loved the main four pov characters, didn't quite get into it until after the first third or so, but all of the details and worldbuilding were terrific. i can never get enough of a third-party perspective on a character, so seeing serapio through xiala's narration was *chef's kiss* and helped me care so much more about him than his own pov, actually. i wasn't at all convinced by the flash-forward / flash-back introduction of naranpa's situation initially (the conversation she remembers with her parents just felt stilted), but doggone it by the time we came full circle and i saw how the dramatic irony was working, i was onboard. got a kick out of trying to place the different cites around the 'crescent sea' aka gulf, which may not have been correct but was fun.excited to see book two.

honorable mention in this section to the paying guests, sarah waters, which i bought from a charity shop for £2 while visiting bath UK (also at that charity shop: a set of porcelain egg cups!!). how different life might have been if i'd been able to read sarah waters younger in life.

listening downloaded to my phone for train rides, metro rides, walks across the countryside of different countries, etc.: florence + the machine's dance fever (2022) and the eurovision 2022 playlist. i don't have developed dance fever thoughts (except that...the aesthetic for the videos/album art feels more cohesive and possibly more successful than the album? but i did like it?) but i thoroughly enjoy 'free' and 'daffodil', and there are times when 'cassandra' really does hit. apparently she worked with jack antonoff on this album; things i learned while researching this post. i wasn't swayed by the spoken moments, all that much, but 'heaven is here' is somehow captivating? 'king' remains the standout; i do in fact need my bloody sword etc.

my eurovision thoughts are that everyone should go watch the performances by serbia (konstrakta, 'in corpore sano') and norway (subwoolfer, 'give that wolf a banana'), like, right now. watch them again if you saw them live. also here's a look at the lyrics and message of 'in corpore sano,' which, yes. and my other thought is that, this year, i actually might go out and listen to the other works by a bunch of these eurovision artists, which i realize is?? probably the actual goal of the contest???

watching finished our flag means death in my buddy's hotel room in london, watched the majority of my brilliant friend: those who leave and those who stay in various hostels with @hematiterings (series thoughts in the next post!), and tried to keep up with strange new worlds when we could. this version of spock entertains me. ofmd was good, i had managed not to be spoiled for the ending.not sure i can find a comment or common thread for these three, but, shows with friends = good. especially when you're footsore and far from home. actually i do have something, showing new trek / uhura to a nontrekkie linguistics person was hilarious.

playing fallow month.

making i may not bullet journal, but i sure did accumulate a stack of interesting things to stick into a hypothetical future scrapbook of some kind. and stickers! I made some good food the week i spent in maine (lots of chicken, an eggplant stir fry that i did have to throw out when i broke the container and got glass in the leftovers, absolutely tragic)

working on this month was the month of Archives Visits so what i made were reservations and emails and notes and pictures of manuscripts. turned out okay though :D EDIT: totally forgot but while traveling i did a zoom interview for, and then found out i had gotten, a small fellowship at my institution for next year. please clap!

[mathbread0]

Cardarine 10mg Vs 20mg, Cardarine 10mg Vs 20mg

What Are Sarms?

Content

Negative Effects Of Sarms.

Blood Glucose Level Arrays.

Iaaf Principles Board Choice: Timeline

Imuscle Sarms Uk Evaluations.

Different Kinds Of Sarms & What They Do.

UKAD used no help to Webster, although its own analyst suggested that contamination may have been a problem. Webster was compelled to spend his life cost savings in attempting to uncover the source of the ostarine, and was approved with the complete four year ban for not immediately confessing an ADRV he argued was not his mistake. It would show up that Jimmy has been fortunate that USADA was prepared to go above and beyond, as well as source its own tub in order to sustain his assertion that the supplement concerned contained ostarine. Not all anti-doping organisations have actually taken the same technique. British weightlifter Sonny Webster, that completed at the Rio 2016 Olympics, was approved with a 4 year ban by UK Anti-Doping in December last year.

Men are buying potentially risky steroid substitutes online to get the 'ideal body' - The Conversation CA

Men are buying potentially risky steroid substitutes online to get the 'ideal body'.

Posted: Wed, 02 Sep 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What's even more, SARMS are consisted of on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List as compounds that are forbidden whatsoever times, instead of just in-competition. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that they are completely secure to make use of - as well as does not imply that their validity might not be challenged in the future. On on the internet discussion forums, users report toughness gains, but they additionally frequently consult about issues such as high blood pressure, skin breakouts and also erectile dysfunction. Problems with eye-sight appear to be specifically typical; andarine is reported to offer customers' vision an eco-friendly or yellow shade. Either way, it is always crucial to keep as much muscle mass as possible during the procedure. The best sarms stack mix for reducing would be ostarine (mk-2866), andarine, and cardarine (gw ). Rad 140, ligandrol, yk-11, and mk-677 are great sarms to stack for bulking, specifically if you're attempting to acquire toughness, also.

Adverse Effects Of Sarms.

That most popular pile consists of cadarine, ostarine and also andarine. If you are a newbie or somebody who is simply getting started with making use of sarms, after that this is mosting likely to be the pile for you. The ordinary muscle mass gains for this pile are around 7 to 10 lbs over an 8-week period. Twp 4way represents the supreme done in one sarm stack in a single item.

FDA seizes SARM products in raid of supplement company tied to Dr. Tony Huge - Natural Products INSIDER

FDA seizes SARM products in raid of supplement company tied to Dr. Tony Huge.

Posted: Mon, 18 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMT [source]

It is very advised that drugs like Clomid and also Tamoxifen are totally understood prior to considering. OTC PCT are likewise offered as well as are much stronger and efficient than the older generation used to be. Sadly, the ordinary differs so much with S23 it is tough to offer any decent indicator without way too many assumptions.

Blood Sugar Degree Arrays.

As an informed assumption, it most likely would run out a person's system within 12-weeks as well as after a detox. Contrasted to tablet computer or pill steroids SARMs are not methylated and as a result, not toxic to the liver. SARMs adverse effects can differ for each sort of SARM and also is typically dosage reliant, meaning the higher the dosage the higher the risk of adverse effects taking place.

Distinctions in ligand-specific receptor conformation as well as healthy protein-- protein communications might cause tissue-specific genetics law, due to prospective changes in communications with ARE, coregulators or transcription factors. I utilized another distributor for caps previously however this liquid item is by far superior IMHO. SARMs are perfect for people that would like to keep muscular tissues whilst on a cut.

Iaaf Values Board Choice: Timeline

Nonetheless, it's the dose of each selective androgen receptor modulator that matters most, in addition to the certain chemicals used to create it. Sarms resemble steroids, but they are not one as well as the same. Both job by binding to your androgen receptors, setting off modifications in your dna which raise your muscle mass' capability to grow. While sarms do have anabolic homes, these compounds are not considered anabolic steroids. Actually, the several advantages of sarms are because of that fact that sarms are not in fact anabolic steroids.

Later in the write-up we will certainly break down the prospective side effects for each and every SARM. Body building Forums can additionally be a fantastic location for some amazing info; nonetheless, they can also be a dreadful area for some hilarious fiction based off a legitimate research study (A.K.A broscience). Numerous countless users across the globe report results with minimal or no adverse effects from numerous different SARMs. Yet a smaller minority of users have experienced some negative effects which differ from person to person as every person is different. Due to this SARMs might be extremely effective for muscle mass wasting conditions such as osteoporosis, AIDS and cancer cells related wasting. Buy peptides Direct Cyprus might also end up being an effective oral male contraceptive therapy. Products and supplements offer for sale by Predator Nourishment Online Limited are not intended to identify, treat, heal, or protect against any kind of condition or major disease.

Particularly during a calorie deficiency, these 2 sarms can help you keep your muscle mass. Hello there everyone, i seem like i got torn on a sarms triple pile. I bought cardarine gw by armed sporting activities nutrition, ostarine by bio nourishment as well as s-4 andarine presently on week 5 as well as do not feel spunk. Andarine is usually piled with lgd-4033, rad-140, sr-9009, yk-11, mk-677 for a lot more noticable muscle growth and also improved functioning. Such heaps enable us to obtain remarkable amounts of lean muscles in a short duration, as well as to get more muscle mass definiti. With multiple released human tests under its belt, rad-140 is among the best-studied sarms. While talking about cutting and bulking, sarms three-way pile gets a stand location that generates anticipated results in a reliable method.

Imuscle Sarms Uk Testimonials.

Nevertheless, in the In-Vitro studies YK-11 did bind and activate to the AR however was only located to be a partial agonist of the AR. YK-11 did reveal to stimulate the launch of follistatin, which is an essential healthy protein for muscle growth as it highly annoyed myostatin.

The attraction for sarms comes from the concept that they can produce results similar to anabolic steroids without the side effects. Well, as strange as it seems, a minimum of, component of that is true. Yet, they show a strong fondness for androgen receptors in bone and also muscle cells just. This is not the first time the United States has been pressed better to prohibiting sarms. If you know, the sarms regulate act made it's means with congress beginning as early as 2018. Sarms resemble steroids in lots of means, so they share a lot of the same adverse effects.

Various Kinds Of Sarms & What They Do.

This can otherwise show to be fairly hard as it calls for avoiding losing muscle. Your PCT can be the distinction in between having side effects and also not. SERMS or Selective Estrogen Receptor modulators are one of the most popular illegal PCT medications due their efficiency however additionally, sadly, some of the side effects that come with them.

Purchase steroids, peptides and pct from ausroids welcome to ausroids, your ideal online resource for purchasing anabolic steroids, peptides, and also post-cycle therapy supplements in australia. Sarms are careful androgen receptor modulators which is presently taken into consideration safer and also less harmful than anabolic steroids. Type sensible, sarms come under 2 major categories, one that is steroidal as well as the second one is non-steroidals. Steroidal sarms were found regarding 70 years ago with no usage for human problems other than those with dire needs.

What does LGD 4033 do?

LGD-4033 is a novel nonsteroidal, oral SARM that binds to androgen receptor with high affinity (Ki of ∼1 nM) and selectivity. In animal models, LGD-4033 has demonstrated anabolic activity in the muscle, anti-resorptive and anabolic activity in bone, and robust selectivity for muscle versus prostate.

Adverse effects of RAD-140 are mostly unknown due the absence of human tests as well as was just first defined in 2010 by Miller et alia, established by Distance Health and wellness. It is widely approved that negative effects are likewise dose reliant. Firstly, Cadarine is not a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator yet instead is a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Delta receptor agonist. It is frequently classified or grouped with SARMs from a sales as well as marketing perspective. The receptor plays a vital role in human metabolism and aids regulated genetics that assist take care of the transport as well as oxidation of fatty acids.

Some sarms such as cardarine and sr9009 are best for cutting, and also various other sarms such as ostarine and also s4 are versatile, as well as can be utilized to either shed fat or develop muscle. The elegance of this stack as well as sarms as a whole is their adaptability in just how they can be utilized to suit different desires and also objectives. Buy best quality peptides Direct Norway am a strong proponent with using the three-way pile since it permits a user to include top quality and also clean amounts of lean muscle while still being to able to drop body fat. The greatest done in one sarm pile of mk677, mk2866, cardarine & lgd. This pile is excellent for a person that wants to get lean and more muscular without the healing problems of making use of hormones.

Medicine screening for SARMs is now common practice in sports yet was unqualified as late as 2016. Ostarine has a half-life of 24 hr or 23.8 hrs to be exact nevertheless no research study can be discovered that definitively reveals the detection time.

Ostarine is classed as an anabolic agent by the Globe Anti-Doping Agency, which reported a reduced 28 adverse logical findings across sporting activity in its 2016 Screening Numbers Report.

It helps bodybuilders as well as other athletes make faster gains from their training, with its reducing and bulking impacts.

It is a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator established as Enobosarm by pharmaceutical company GTX to deal with conditions entailing muscle wastage or osteoporosis.

It likewise raises your strength and also muscle mass, enhances bone density and assists speed up the recovery process after intense stamina training.

SARMs, or careful androgen receptor modulators, are medicines that influence muscle mass development, frequently used in the muscle building community.

Piling produces a synergistic approach to raising lean muscle mass whilst lowering body fat.

Wallhead is a UFC boxer, so is controlled by USADA, in spite of being based in the UK ... However, which programs of this assists Jimmy Wallhead, who was blindsided with use of a supplement that really did not checklist ostarine as a component on the label. Wallhead has been authorized to the UFC, which is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, for concerning 18 months. USADA agreed to run the UFC's anti-doping program on 1 July 2015, an arrangement that was complimented by WADA. Unless you are a drug store or an anti-doping official, the possibilities are that you will not have become aware of ostarine. Neither had Jimmy Wallhead, a Ultimate Battling Championship competitor based in Loughborough, UK. Yet he was approved with a nine month restriction after a supplement he had actually made use of was discovered to contain the material. The mechanistic basis of the cells discerning activities of SARMs is badly recognized, although numerous devices have actually been proposed.

4way consists of ostarine, mk-677, ligandrol and also cardarine in one product - so you can anticipate amazing cause a short timescale, while additionally saving cash contrasted to getting them individually And I EXTREMELY ADVISE THEM, 4 way sarm pile. Careful androgen receptor modulators are utilized by bodybuilders and powerlifters to increase fat loss, increase muscular tissue mass, as well as boost body toughness. They are also used to fix up injuries, boost muscular tissue and also bone toughness, and also enhance the sense of well-being. Some body builders also utilize SARMs in between anabolic steroid cycles, prohormone cycles, as well as testosterone cycle for post cycle treatment or as much safer alternatives to these substances. Unlike anabolic steroids, which bind to androgen receptors in lots of cells all over the body, individual sarms precisely bind androgen receptors in certain tissues, but not in others. Careful androgen receptor modulators-- or sarms for short-- are a rather brand-new classification of drugs that have the capacity to offer every one of the advantages of anabolic steroids without many of the side effects.

There is no need for healing supplements when utilizing these 2 sarms considering that they don't act on the body the same way hormones would. In spite of it being a fairly mild sarm, it's actually truly strong. You will see a lot of researchers pile andarine with ostarine to develop a synergic impact.

It deserves keeping in mind at a PCT is possibly needed as a result of its ability to decrease FSH, LH as well as Testosterone degrees. When S23 was offered to male rats it caused a 100% infertility rate. Yet the majority of surprisingly sperm matter returned to regular after finishing S23, and also rats resumed mating at 100% pregnancy rates. Nevertheless, excessive S23 caused sperm counts to turn around the first result and sustained sperm manufacturing. Because of this we are unable to categorise its results and also prospective outcomes. YK-11 to start with is not a SARM, look into our short article on YK-11 for an extra in depth evaluation. YK-11 was sadly mislabeled as a SARM when in fact it is a new artificial steroid that has just had In-Vitro researches done on it.

[lovesdarkness]

Playlist CH-01

Paring: Thor x OC

Summary: After losing someone close to him, Thor goes to the Avengers to try and escape his grief. While there he makes a new friend who makes it her mission to help him heal.

Warnings: Slight angst…eventual NSFW.

Word count: 3302

Feedback and comments are appreciated. If you wish to be tagged when new chapters are posted please let me know.

Chapter 1 - The Story

All of these lines across my face 

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

*

Having returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base from a mission with Natasha, Phoenix walked off the Quinjet with her gear slung over her shoulder. She signed off on some essential paperwork before heading out of the hanger, nodding to a few agents she knew as she walked past. Feeling a buzz from her phone she stopped to read the message she had been sent. A smirk spreading over her lips she gave her head a shake as she pocketed her phone and kept on walking.

Her stomach let out a grumble as she made her way to the cafeteria to grab a few things to eat, she was always hungry after missions, and made sure to grab a few things for Mia as well before making her way down to the tech labs. She had a feeling that her friend had been holed up in the lab for days working on something and most likely had neglected to eat much, which was common for her.

Walking into the labs Phoenix saw Mia huddled over a keyboard furiously typing code for some new S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon onto it, completely oblivious to the world around her. “Oi, Labrat.” she called, a thick Irish accent slipping from her lips as she threw a package of Goldfish crackers at the back of Mia’s head before walking over, dumping her stuff on the floor, and sitting next to her. “When was the last time you left this bloody room?” She asked, opening a bag of chocolate covered pretzels and popping some into her mouth.

She laughed a little as Mia cast a glare at her, pushing her glasses back up her nose as she straightened up in her seat and stretched her arms over her head. “Honestly I have no clue. I have to get the schematics for this weapon done so I can get to making it.” she said reaching for the package of Goldfish and opening it up. “And I need to have some real food...not this shit.” she sighed as she dumped a handful out into her hand and shoved them into her mouth. “So...how was the mission? You were gone for a while, the facility must have been well hidden and well guarded. Not that that would ever stop you.”

“Yeah it was guarded well, but Nat and I still kicked ass and took names. The bad guys ran, we chased after them. We shot at each other and then we beat the crap out of them.” Phoenix said as she popped a few more pretzels into her mouth.  “The one guy I fought was pretty cute. Too bad I had to put a bullet in his head, otherwise he might have made a nice fuckboy.” she shrugged a little as she ate more of the salty snack. “Norway was gorgeous though. I'd like to go back in my free time and have a better look around.” She shrugged her jacket off and tossing it on top of the rest of her things. Leaning over she looked at the computer screen her friend had been working on moments before reading over the program.

“Yes well you can count me out of that trip any time soon.” Mia said, shoving Phoenix out of the way so she could get back to work. “I need to get the final work ups for this thing done yesterday...or else Fury is going to have my head. Now get out of my lab so I can get to work please.”

“Ah, I guess you haven’t checked your phone then. Fury sent us a message, he wants to see us in his office. Apparently we’re being reassigned.” Phoenix said as she pulled out her phone and showed the message to Mia who in turn furiously searched her desk for her own phone, finding it under a stack of concept sketches she had drawn up.

“Huh? What the shit!” she hissed, throwing her phone down and reaching up to rub her face. “He can’t do this to me now...I need to get started on this damn prototype…I don’t have time for this shit...” she grumbled as she shoved the papers around trying to get them organized.

“Well you’ll have to make time, cause he wants to see us right away.” Phoenix said as she moved to grab her bags from the floor and slung them over her shoulder. “I mean I’d love to go take a shower right now to wash all the mission sweat off me but I’ve barely got time to dump my stuff back off at our room.” she muttered as the two of them headed out of the doors. They headed back to their quarters quickly so Phoenix could dump her bags before making their way to Fury’s office. As they walked down the brightly lit hall their footsteps tapped against the polished floor and echoed down the corridor as a few other agents rushed past them with important tasks of their own. They took an elevator up to the top floor of the base, where Fury’s office was located. When they reached the tall, ornately detailed mahogany doors Mia opened them and the two entered the massive office of the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fury looked up from the papers on his desk when the two of them walked in and trained his eye on them. “Ah Agent Masterson, Agent O’Connor. You got my message, thank you for coming.” he said as he got to his feet and motioned for them to sit. “Now I…” he started, but was quickly interrupted when Mia started ranting.

“Look Nicholas let me just cut to the chase here.” she said, green eyes blazing as she stood cross armed in front of Fury’s desk. “I really don’t have any time for your silly games here. I have some very important work I’m doing here and time is of the essence. I don’t have the time to pack everything up and jet set willy nilly to whatever place you plan on relocating me to. I have a weapon to develop, a job that you so graciously bestowed upon me and unless this place you’re sending me to provides me with a better lab to speed along my process…”

“That’s precisely why you’re being relocated.” came a voice from behind them and when Phoenix and Mia turned to see who it belonged to Phoenix had to snort back a laugh as her friend started sputtering uncontrollably. “Avengers tower has the best state of the art lab on the planet, we have all the best and newest equipment so it would be the perfect place to work on your little project.”

When Phoenix looked over at Mia she saw that her face had flushed red and she was holding her breath, something that often happened when she grew excited. Rolling her eyes Phoenix gently elbowed her and she sucked in a breath. “Tony Stark...I mean...Mr. Stark...it’s an honour...a pleasure. I can’t even…” Mia stammered excitedly as he walked over and shook her hand.

Rolling her eyes at the scene Phoenix let out an annoyed little huff. “Mia be cool...you’re embarrassing me.” she hissed softly before turning back to Tony and smiling. “Hey Tony, nice to see you again.” she said, tossing her long raven hair over her shoulder.

Tony gave a charming grin as he reached out to take her hand. “The lovely Phoenix, always a pleasure.” he said with a wink as he kissed the top of it. “Now, I’m sure you’re both utterly confused as to why we called you here.” he said, turning quickly on his heel and heading over to Fury’s desk and sitting on the edge, hands clasped in his lap. “Mia I’ve been following your work and quite frankly some of your latest designs are brilliant, and I think the Avengers would greatly benefit from your talents.”

Phoenix glanced back to Mia to see the stunned expression on her friends face, green eyes wide and mouth ajar in shock, clearly speechless that she was being offered the opportunity to work with the tech genius. She couldn’t help but bite her lip to stifle a giggle at the the woman’s starstruck reaction to the offer. Phoenix had interacted with the Avengers a few times so this was nothing new to her, but Mia still had never met them and had idolized Tony for years. Once again she elbowed her friend to remind her to breathe and Mia sucked in a breath and laughed nervously.

“Oh thank you…” she breathed, her face flushing dark.

Tony chuckled softly and shook his head as Fury turned to Phoenix. “As for you, Agent O’Connor...the Avengers have a series of missions coming up that we feel could use some of your expertise.” he said as he walked over to stand in front of her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Natasha was singing your praises during your last mission together, so it’s come to the conclusion that you’d be a great asset to the team. You’ll be assigned to Avengers tower for the time being.”

“You mean until Steve Rogers decides he can’t stand me even more than normal and sends me back?” Phoenix asked with a derisive snort, earning a stern look from Fury. Not taking the hint she continued, looking over at Tony. “Is this really about a mission or does Tony just want some fresh faces and better company around the tower?” she asked with a playful grin, making Tony laugh. Fury gave her another stern look and she rolled her eyes. “I’m just kidding. Sounds like we’ll have lots of work to do. Which means we should get back to our quarters and get packing.”

With a nod Fury dismissed them and the two women went back to their room. Wanting to wash the mission grime from her body Phoenix showered quickly and dressed before pulling out her luggage and starting to pack. Mia had already finished by the time Phoenix stepped out of the shower and was sitting on her bed reading a book, so Phoenix had to work quickly. As she was working on folding up some shirts her phone buzzed and she made a face after checking it.

“Ugh, thank God we’re getting out of here for a while. That Billy guy I fooled around with last week is wanting to get together again and he just isn’t getting the hint that I don’t want it anymore.” she said, tossing her phone down on the bed with disgust.

Having just turned the page in her book Mia looked over at Phoenix, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah? Same guy?” she asked, wondering how the woman was able to keep track of all her partners, while simultaneously having a tiny grain of jealousy. Phoenix was tall and strong and beautiful and attracted men left right and center, where Mia for the most part was fairly invisible when it came to attracting the male gaze, but then again Phoenix was an outspoken flirt who lived to party, while Mia was a raging workaholic and rarely ever left her lab except for when Phoenix dragged her out. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“This guy is so...clingy and needy. I don’t do needy.” Phoenix said with a shudder, making a face as the phone buzzed again and she silenced it before shoving it into her pocket. She sighed, going back to folding her shirts and stuffing them into her suitcase.  “Maybe if I ignore him he’ll go away. If I’m all the way in New York he can’t bug me...right?” she asked as she looked back over at her friend.

Mia let out a laugh and shook her head. “Something tells me that’s not how cell phones work sweetie.” she said as she marked her place in her book and stuffed it into a bag. Getting up she walked over to help Phoenix fold her clothes and pack them away. “I really can’t blame you though. ‘Needy’ is rarely a good trait for a guy, especially by the sound of him.”

“Can’t I just find a guy who likes to screw around a little? No strings, no feelings, no attachments. Just...lots of sex. You’d think there’d be more of them around.” Phoenix said with a sigh as she finished packing and reached up to rub her face. “After a while they all end up being needy. And honestly none of them really does it for me anyway. Probably because I can beat the shite out of them so easily.” She continued as she walked over to her closet to pull out a black leather jacket and slipped it on. There was a sudden knock at the door and when she went to open it Tony was standing on the other side, flashing them one of his charming Stark grins.

“Ladies.” he said as he pulled his sunglasses off and winked at them.

Phoenix smiled and shook her head, turning to face Mia. “This one is one of the neediest.” she joked, jerking her thumb at him before bending down to grab her things.

With Tony helping Phoenix with a couple bags the three of them headed towards the hangar and boarded Tony’s jet taking off shortly after. The flight didn’t take very long and a couple hours later they landed at the tower and once they had gathered their things and left the plane, Tony gave them the grand tour. He pointed out the living area and the kitchen should they get hungry, then proceeded to show Mia, who was struck speechless, around the the labs where she would be working. Lastly he showed them where the workout and training rooms were. They said their hellos to the other inhabitants of the tower before Tony finally showed them to their rooms.

“Alright, take the rest of the evening off to get settled in and what not. Cap says to be up early for a meeting in the morning.” Tony said, laughing at the groan Phoenix let out before leaving them be.

*

Phoenix was not a morning person at all. She never had been. So when her alarm went off at what felt like the crack of dawn to attend the meeting that Steve had called she was not exactly thrilled. Taking a cold shower did nothing to help wake her so she headed to the kitchen to get the one thing that might help. Coffee.

She was sipping on her sixth cup as she sat at the table with the rest of the Avengers and Mia going over a plan. The room the meeting was held in was bright and spacious, the walls were floor to ceiling windows so the whole room was lit up with sunshine flowing through. She noted the bar over in the corner, realizing Tony also used this as a party room for entertaining, and that there was a door that led outside to some sort of platform.

“We’ve been looking at the data Nat found during that raid of the Hydra lab up in Norway.” Steve said as they looked through photos and reports of the mission Natasha and Phoenix had been on. “We think there is one Hydra cell that is working on a top secret experiment involving genetic modification in humans, and another cell developing high powered weapons in order to attempt a hostile takeover. The problem is that we don't know where else they've set up shop. We need to figure this out fast. Nat and Phoenix, being the two who worked on that mission the bulk of this may fall to you. We were hoping the two of you would be able to figure out where their next area of operations would be located.”

“Yeah I’m sure we’d be able to find something.” Natasha said, with Phoenix nodding in agreement as she took a sip from her coffee.

As the group moved on to the next topic of discussion the bright, sun-lit room suddenly darkened. They all paused to look out the windows to see dark clouds billowing and the sound of thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. Tony and the other Avengers knew what the thunder heralded, and a moment later there was a flash of lightning and Thor stood out on the landing pad. Though instead of immediately coming in to greet his comrades, he remained outside, looking solemnly out over the city. Everyone could instantly tell something was wrong, his whole demeanor looked like that of a man broken.

Tony frowned as he watched Thor a moment before turning back to the group. “Newbies, you stay here please.” He said to Phoenix and Mia before nodding to the others to follow him out to check on their fellow Avenger.

Phoenix cast an annoyed look at Tony for telling them to remain behind as she and Mia watched the scene. Quietly they got up and walked over to a window to get a better view.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen Thor.” Mia breathed as the two of them watched the group gathered together outside. The girls watched as they got caught up in a heated discussion with Thor that wound up with the men patting him on the shoulder and Natasha giving him a hug.

“I’ve seen him in pictures but...in person...wow.” Phoenix said with a soft laugh. She swallowed and bit her lip as she felt a knot form in her stomach, her eyes wandering up and down his  impressive form. “Jesus look at those arms. They’re far nicer than any guy I’ve been with.” She sighed before turning to Mia and smirking. “I wanna lick him...alllllll over.”

“Phoenix!” Mia gasped, her head whipping around to look at her friend as she let out a laugh. “Are you seriously sexually objectifying a Norse God?” she asked and rolled her eyes as Phoenix gave her a wicked grin. “Yeah...I guess I should have expected that from you of all people. You’re a horrible perv.”

Phoenix just laughed and stuck her tongue out at her friend before looking back out the window. She was silent as she watched the scene, observing the thunder gods body language and when he turned she finally got a look at his face she saw the immense grief in his eyes. She knew that look all too well and knew exactly what must have happened. “He lost someone.” She murmured softly. As he turned to follow Tony and the others inside she once more saw the pain and grief in his eyes and it broke her heart. She didn't understand why but part of her wanted to take him into her arms and comfort him in any way she could. Biting her lip she turned back to Mia and grabbed her arm. “It looks like they need some privacy. Come on let’s go.” she said, nodding her head towards the door. Mia nodded and the two of them hurried towards the door.

Hearing voices enter the room as they were about to exit Phoenix stopped a moment and looked back, watching Thor with sympathetic eyes. He happened to look over and as their eyes met she gave him a small smile. His hollow eyes held hers briefly before looking back at his comrades, and with a heavy heart Phoenix left the room.

It’s true, I was made for you

I know that it’s been a while since I updated, I promise I’m still working on chapter 2. I’m sorry it’s been so slow going...I’m going thru a lot right now.

[nedcanquen]

Le Loupgarou - Chapter 4 - Home/Journey

I’m still insisting on finishing this one!

Tags: Werewolf AU, supernatural, Historical AU.

Pairings: NedCan

Image from Pexels

Names: Christian - Luxembourg Odd - Norway

It’s no longer home.

After Daan had walked out into the storm into certain death, Matthieu had raged. First came the denial - it hadn’t happened, or clearly, the other man must have lied to get Matthieu to stop him from trying to save him. After a while, Matthieu had to face the truth: the confession had simply felt too real. Desperate but real.

Then the fury came - roaring against the man who had taken his food and space, and squirmed into his heart, but more than that, it roared against Matthieu himself. Matthieu had saved the man’s life, had decided to share a part of himself on his own. Why was Matthieu always so stupid?

When the fury finally abated, all that remained was a hollow emptiness, and shame. Matthieu had chosen to save a man because it was the right thing to do. Whatever “right” meant anymore in this world. Maybe he truly was stupid, maybe doing the “right” thing was the path to death and pain and nothing else now. Still, Matthieu had long ago decided that he would rather hide from the world than be forced to do things he did not wish to, in order to survive. Here, he learned that doing right or wrong barely mattered - he helped someone, and this was what he had earned.

Matthieu didn’t know how much time had passed that night before he eventually tried to follow after the creature - not for concern but out of anger. He wanted to do the exact thing that it seemed desperate for him not to do. Even though the loupgarou had made a futile attempt to block his door, it wasn’t difficult for Matthieu to open it. But it wasn’t the door or the feeble attempt at stopping Matthieu that actually stopped him. It was nature itself.

White upon white, the wind howled with the same rage that howled through Matthieu’s own heart. He wanted to scream into it but he couldn’t. Spit would freeze before hitting the ground at these temperatures - no sky, no ground. Could he die if we ventured out on some mad quest for vengeance? Absolutely. A great part of him was tempted - cold numbs everything. Before the end Matthieu would finally be numb to all pain, he would no longer feel his flesh protesting his folly, he would no longer feel the tear deep within his heart, the heavy weariness in his eyes, or the pounding in his head.

Ultimately it’s the same fury that saves him. If he’s going to die, it’s not going to be for that thing. Matthieu has done his part. If it dies, it dies. If it...he…no...Leve...oh God.

Matthieu throws his door shut in rage and helplessness and screams. He screams and keeps screaming until there’s no voice left. He can’t take it anymore. He can’t keep feeling, he doesn’t want to be this raw, he has to...he…

There. Matthieu crawls over to his chosen supply chest and pulls out the old bottle of rum - a curiosity purchase he had traded a pelt for a few years back. Usually he only drinks it to help numb the pain after stitching up a particularly painful wound, but tonight is different. Matthieu tosses the bottle back and gulps it down like water after a scorching day. He lets the fire burn through him - through the back of his throat, settling in his belly, but most importantly, it burns through his mind, banishing feelings he wishes were never there to begin with.

Matthieu does eventually try to look for him. After the hangover, after doing all the practical things he can think of doing, by the third day he can stand it no more. Even though it’s going to be useless, Matthieu sets out to find...something, anything. Some hint of a body, or fight or…

“There are many things that can survive a storm like this.”

Matthieu shakes off the chilling hope at the memory of those words and walks.

He loses count of the days that he searches to no avail. He’s also lucky that he’s stored extra with the expectation of needing to feed and house an extra person, but eventually that also runs out. He had even brought along the creature’s hand-drawn map from the many papers he had left behind - Matthieu hates it, but the Loupgarou had mapped the surrounding terrain with incredible detail and it would have been foolish to leave such a useful tool behind.

Purposefully or not, as the weather warms, Matthieu travels farther and farther from his little cabin, setting up traps, gathering food and other needed materials, hunting when he needs to, and sleeping under the temporary shelters he builds from the branches he finds. When he has time, he expands the map as best he can. It’s not as accurate as the Loupgarou’s but it fulfills its purpose.

When the snows have completely melted, he backtracks, circling the cabin from afar and closes in. There’s no body to be found but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Months have passed, the werewolf could have been dragged away or eaten by other hungry animals or humans even, scavenging in the winter. He could have…

Matthieu sighs and looks down at his feet in front of the door. The snows have melted, green has started to show itself in the fresh beginnings of spring, but Matthieu still feels the emptiness of winter howling within him. He looks at the cabin, once the only home he chose, but now it’s just dried wood and something he can’t recognize. Matthieu looks around him and it’s already painful. He feels the absence of Leverett where the wood stacks are piled, all around this now neglected little haven he once had. Now he knows that if he walks inside the ache will be worse, that he’s been avoiding coming back because that means he will have to face reality, no matter how irrational -

It’s no longer a home.

And he knows, he knows that that man (he can’t say his name anymore) that man deserves his curse, deserves his fate. Matthieu thought he had taken in a man in need of help, he was wrong. He had taken in a wendigo into his home, into his-

Not anymore.

Matthieu stands, he doesn’t even open the door, he can’t. He turns, and goes where the wind takes him.

---

Six years later

The full-time wandering lifestyle suits Matthieu. Before (before), as a part-time coureur des bois , he did caught enough to get what he needed to hide and retreat to his cabin for periods of time. Now he has developed a comfort of sleeping anywhere - in the woods, on his canoe, a floor, an inn, it did not matter - Matthieu finds rest in his wandering. It is harder to be an independent coureur these days, regulations were turning most into owned employees of fur trading companies - voyageours . Matthieu did not feel like being owned. He could handle independent contracts between two people, or even small groups, but if he were going to sign himself away, he would have stayed with the Jesuits.

New France was changing once again. Once he would have cared, once that change would have terrified him. Now Matthieu has grown numb. Life is change, New France is simply some idea that the Europeans had come up with, the land had already been here before it was renamed. Tomorrow who knows? They may change the name again.

People changed. The idea of a new name is no longer so significant to Matthieu, people live short lives and they are meant to change. He now knows many people who have had more than one name in their lifetime. Ironically, his own name never changed, but he had.

Matthieu inhales deeply from the pipe again, letting the sweet flavor rush into him before breathing it out. “This is the best tobacco I have smoked in a long time!”

The man sitting across from him smiles just like he does - like his mother did, and her older sister did. Maybe Matthieu is imagining it, but he’s hoping he isn’t. Some things, time cannot change. The Haudenossaunee may have taken his cousin and given him a new name, as was the post-war custom (at least, Matthieu is pretty sure that this Mohawk warrior/trader called Odeserundiye is his cousin), this is the same boy who took it upon himself to always make sure that odd little Matthiue had been included. The same boy who had always been the most adaptable of them all.

Matthieu wonders if he’s right, if he’s imagining it, if Odeserundiye recognizes him, or is playing along for the sake of a good business relationship, or if there’s some kind of funny charade that they’re both going along with here.

“Best batch of the year!” Odeserundiye boasts. “Worth some of your best pelts.” As the bargaining began in earnest, there were forms to be observed - of course both of them were terribly inconvenienced, no the tobacco wasn’t that good, the pelts not that important. Bargaining is a pretty terrible charade at the end of the day, but a necessary part of the process. Shame, because Matthieu is terrible at it, and only gets through it by pretending to be someone else. It makes him grit his teeth painfully, but it kind of works.

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to be toothless before you hit old age.” Odeserundiye laughs. “And there’s no reason for you not to grow ripe and old. I used to think you were an angry wanderer but now I think I’ve figured it out - I only see you when we have business to do and you just hate bargaining so you make that face. Well if that’s the case, don’t bother, just be yourself.”

Matthieu has to laugh back, all relaxed now. “Yes, you would prefer that wouldn’t you? Then I’ll be limping back to Montreal naked and unarmed because I’ve given you everything for a handful of tobacco.”

Odeserundiye smiles fondly, and that familiar face pulls at Matthieu’s chest. “Relax, relax. Just enjoy the moment.” Matthieu inhales another long drag from the pipe and slowly breathes it out. After a long pause of taking Odeserundiye’s advice, Matthieu focuses on enjoying the sound of the river next to them, as they comfortably sit along its banks.

Eventually the other man breaks the silence. “If you’re willing to take advice, I already like doing business with you. I wouldn’t let you limp back anywhere unarmed and vulnerable - it means losing a good trading partner.”

Matthieu snorts. “I can handle myself.”

“I am sure that you can...you’re alive after all. You’re one of the very few independents still around, still thriving. You can probably continue doing this, but the companies are taking over. It’ll be difficult to survive as an independent for long.”

The contented mood is broken, and Matthieu exhales his smoke this time in frustration. “Why do we always have to accommodate them? They come here, with their new things, and they destroy everything. I was perfectly happy living here before they brought their guns, I was perfectly happy living on my own before I had to sell them fur again, and I have been content as an independent agent. What else will they ruin?”

“No you were not.”

Matthieu turns sharply and peers at his smoking partner, who slowly inhales from his pipe and lets the smoke out from his nose. “No one is perfectly happy all the time. I am guessing your father is one of them, you favor him. You still speak with the accent of the People of the Bear, so you must have been raised as a child with your mother’s people. While there are many children among our nations with European fathers, it is rare to favor them as much as you do; blonde-haired and pale-skinned. Perhaps your mother herself had some voyageur blood as well. It cannot have been easy, looking so different from everyone else-”

“I had a family!” Matthieu hasn’t felt this pain in a long time, he’s used to clamping it down. “They took care of me. They would have continued taking care of me, people would have gotten used to me eventually.”

Odeserundiye simply looks at him, assessing and sad. “I have lost three mothers. My first died of the pox, so my first mother’s sister adopted me. She was killed in the war, and I was given to a new mother in place of the son that she had lost. My third mother was killed in a retaliatory raid. Clearly they succeeded, but it never brought any of my mothers back. Matthieu, there has been war for as long as I can remember. If business is the price of whatever form of peace we have now, I will take it.”

Matthieu does not know where his temper had come from, he usually controls it well. Maybe Odeserundiye is right, war would have come sooner or later. Even before the Europeans had appeared his nation had struggled to keep the peace with the Haudenosaunee. He’s not going to imagine everything would have been perfect, but he likes to imagine that the conflict would have been less imbalanced - a series of small conflicts and skirmishes, but with his people and nation still existing. Not the aftermath of a genocide that he lives with now. “So, you want to keep me around as a business partner, and somehow this means I must join a company?”

Odeserundiye shrugs. “They would hire you. I could be your business partner. They wouldn’t hire me.” He says matter-of-factly. Matthieu knows he’s right - other than a European appearance, another thing that he inherited from his unknown French father was papers. Either that, or the Jesuits invented them for him. These ridiculously fragile papers gave Matthieu rights he never would have dreamed of being denied in his own birthplace - they mark him as a recognized citizen of New France. In these papers, his name is written as Matthieu Gellone. His father’s name is Francis and his mother’s name is written as Marguerite. He knows that’s not the name she used when he was a child. He sometimes wondered if she was actually baptized out of a real sense of faith or out of convenience to have her child with this ‘Francis’ recognized. Either way, he has saved these papers for no other reason than to have this tiny shred of evidence of her existence. The papers have been more useful than he had ever imagined they could be. The entire time he lived in the cabin he mostly forgot about them unless he was especially homesick for the past. Since he’s left the cabin and New France has grown, they have become more important.

Matthieu lets out a sigh. “Is this advice or is this a proposition to form a business partnership?”

“You could start your own company, don’t look away Matthieu I am serious! We could pool our resources, and start a company, have the protections afforded to a company! Under you, we would be protected from European advancement.”

What madness is this? “Protection? The companies go to war as much as our nations used to! I’ve seen so many dead tradesmen I leave them well alone. Staring up a fledgeling company is to put a target on our backs, on the backs of your family!”

“And what happens without risking this? We become enslaved to the companies that remain after the dust settles?”

Matthieu shakes his head. “You have the wrong business partner. I don’t have the brain for it. I don’t like it.” He knows who would have...once upon a time. Matthieu forces the memory of a tall man, straight-backed and lost in his world of calculations, out of his thoughts.

Odeserundiye places a comforting hand on Matthieu’s shoulder. “I would prefer you, but I will ask more. Think about it at least. Here, this is your tobacco. As agreed.”

Matthieu hands over the pelts and gathers up the tobacco. Before they part ways they embrace briefly.

“I am serious Matthieu, think about it.”

Matthieu doesn’t want to, but nods anyway.

---

On the way to Montreal, Matthieu thinks about the man who either looked and acted a lot like his former cousin, or was his cousin. If he is his cousin, this company formation is another act of his older cousin looking out for him. Matthieu cannot deny Odeserundiye’s read on their situation. And really, Matthieu is long past the point of pretending that he only needs his own company to survive. Ever since setting out again on his own again, Matthieu had to put aside enough of his aversion to other people to build a solid network for himself - reliable trade partners, customers, and bases of operation. Still, he likes being on his own. As much as he likes some of the people in his network, it’s easier to bargain with himself - put up with the social niceties and haggling, and reward himself with months of solitary travel.

“Still holding yourself back.” A familiar voice sounds in his head, it’s not accusing, it’s sad. Matthieu narrows his eyes and pushes on, focusing on the path.

Matthieu’s pelts and tobacco earn him good money at Montreal, he’s become familiar enough with the town that it is a comfortable base for now. It’s big enough that no one wants to know too much, it’s close enough that he’s treated to meals when he arrives. Odeserundiye’s words echo in his mind and he thinks deeper than his own instinctive aversion to the idea - objectively, Matthieu does well for himself, he has a small network spread across New France and among the Confederacy. Starting a small company is not inconceivable, and wouldn’t it serve to use his European face and name to afford some protection over this network? There’s a part of him, still a child, that is somewhat averse. Odeserundiye belongs to the nation that killed his family. But he has more in common with them now than to the Europeans.  

Speaking of the Europeans, Matthieu has become adept at imitating them too. Right now he’s sitting comfortably in his favorite inn - not too fancy, not too bad. It’s owners are honest immigrants who try a little too hard to marry him off to their daughter, but he knows how to avoid that for the most part. Instead, he observes.

There were newcomers to Montreal all the time, it was the center for fur trading, and it attracted more and more people. Then … there! Out of the corner of his eye.

Matthieu freezes, then he cannot help but look. Nothing. He looks again to make sure then laughs at himself in relief.

It doesn’t often happen now. In the early years just after he walked away from his cabin, Matthieu always imagined the Loupgarou just out of sight - in that corner, in the turn of that man’s face, in the shadow before a man moved. But it was never him. He thought he felt the other man’s familiar company on lonely walks for months on end in the woods, before realizing that he was only imagining a travel companion in the silence to keep loneliness at bay. It shamed him that of all the companions he could have imagined, it was still him.

He waits for his heart to calm itself then continues drinking. Still, he can’t help but turn around to get another glimpse over his shoulder, just in case.

It happens again. Matthieu thinks he sees a familiar head walk into a hidden corner.

‘I will put this idiocy to rest once and for all.’ He tells himself and stands to confront his imagination, where he is sure he will find nothing.

He turns the corner and finds a knife threatening his gut, held by an unknown man who is sitting across from a very very familiar face.

“Turn around now. Find another boy.” A deep voice advises with a bored tone - accented, Scandinavian? Those Northern settlers were usually more competent than the others, taking to the woods and surviving in them like second skin, almost as well as Matthieu himself.

“What?”

“I said-”

“I heard what you said! I’m not here for…” Matthieu looks at the boy with the very familiar face again and is horrified at the resemblance. But it’s not him. The boy, no young man, is shorter, his hair wavier and loose. His face however, is recovering from shock and settling into a familiar look of concentration.

“Odd please!” The young man suddenly smiles, all amiable as if he owns the Inn and is trying to attract a guest. “Let our new friend sit. I know what men look like when they want me, this one...isn’t looking at me like that. But, that’s not important. Sir...you look like you’ve seen me before.”

Matthieu looks between the young man with the Loupgarou’s face, which is trouble enough for him and his memories, and the other man...Odd? Who is putting away a very large knife. The latter has sharp, almost feminine facial features, very light blonde hair, a long walking staff strapped to his back, and there was just something about him that put Matthieu on edge. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something...more about that man. Too much trouble. Nope.

He tries to turn around and finds that he can’t. Now instead of holding a knife to him, the man... Odd , is holding his arm. Matthieu has to fight an odd compulsion to stay and easily twists his arm out of the grip. Odd looks somewhat surprised at that.

“Look you two,” Matthieu says, “I can’t imagine what kind of unsavory characters have come after you since you’ve arrived here but if you -” He looks at the younger man with the too familiar face, “insist on looking like a bag of gold with legs, I would do something about not looking like that. Meanwhile you -” He looks at Odd and pauses, what did he want to say? “You ah, clearly have skills as a woodsman and you can teach him how to look less…” polished? Rich? “Obvious, but if you insist on pulling a knife on everyone who looks at him the wrong way, it’s not going to help you both stay hidden. None of these things gives either of you the leave to manipulate me or manhandle me. That’s all the help I can offer, I’m going now.”

“Wait!” The younger man runs in front of him with an earnest look he has never seen before but he can’t quite ignore either. “Sorry about that, we started off wrong. Let’s try again please? My name is Christian, and I’m looking for my brother!”

The world condenses right then and Matthieu has to take a deep breath and let it out.

And do it again, and again. Matthieu has to keep doing it….this boy is looking for his brother. Of all the brothers, could it be? Memories comes back, a too familiar voice sounds in his head - ‘somewhere my sister and brother are laughing and they don’t know why…’ the warmth in those eyes whenever he spoke about his siblings, then ‘I bought...my mother her retirement and my siblings a future out of a whorehouse…’

Matthieu looks away.

“You know him.” Christian declares. It’s not a question. “He’s alive then, I knew it. I wasn’t wrong, I couldn’t be. Please tell me where to find him. I can find him myself eventually but it will be so much faster if you-”

“I can’t help you!” He didn’t mean to be so threatening, but Christian shrinks away from him and Odd is standing in front of Christian protectively, looking ready for a fight again. Matthieu takes a deep breath. “I am sorry. I know you must have come a long way, but people arrive here all the time and disappear. Our land is much bigger than yours.”

Slender fingers take his hand, there’s a strange...tingle to them. “Is he dead?” Odd asks softly, almost a whisper. Matthieu did not expect that strong pull to answer...

“I…” Why can’t he answer? “I…” He looks Christian, at those familiar green eyes and that eager face. He doesn’t want to break it, he doesn’t...he knows what it’s like to lose someone he loves, and to search, and search...and search. It would be cruel to let that search continue, this young man should live his life properly - too many had died just for this boy to live a happier life. “I once met someone who looked like you. He’s dead. A winter storm took him.”

And for a moment it happens - Christian’s face goes slack with shock, before twisting into a look of such pain it’s too achingly familiar. Matthieu tries to steel himself from it, to remind himself of what the Loupgarou had done for the sake of this younger brother. He looks at his young man who is falling apart - is he worth everyone and everything that Matthieu’s ever loved?

As Christian folds into himself in grief, and Odd goes to comfort him, for the first time Matthieu allows his thoughts to fly where he’s never allowed them to go - at the volatile age of fourteen when he almost ended his life on this world...if someone had brought his mother back to him, but with a knife held to her throat...promised her freedom if only Matthieu agreed to something that could kill everyone on some nameless nation he didn’t know, across the sea, would he have at least tried?

‘It’s not the same’ Matthieu tells himself. ‘It can’t be compared.’ It didn’t happen that way. “I am sorry for your loss.” Matthieu says, surprised to realize that he actually means it.

Christian shakes his head, but his voice is breaking. “No. No it can’t...he’s a fucking cockroach! Nothing can...he can’t....” Odd’s face is soft and sympathetic, he envelopes the younger man in a hug. Christian grabs onto him, sobbing into his shoulder.

Matthieu turns and sighs - three men arguing then one young man losing all composure is attracting too much attention. “We should leave. I have a room upstairs.”

---

Well...this is awkward.

Once again, Matthieu finds himself sharing his personal space, except this time with two strangers. His sympathy for a young man who has just suffered a great loss has led Matthieu to let Christian sleep on his bed. Tonight, he will make do with the floor, together with another man he barely knows, and who had greeted him with a knife.  Perfect. Why does he keep doing this?

‘You’re not even here, you’re dead…’ Matthieu speaks to that all-to-familiar memory in his head. ‘Why is it that I can STILL blame all the strange things in my life to you?’ Why could he not turn away a boy with that familiar face? Why does he feel a churning inside?

Odd sits on the bed, leaving a steadying hand on heaving shoulders until exhaustion finally takes the younger man into dreams. Once Christian is softly snoring, Matthieu finally speaks.

“You have younger siblings don’t you?” He whispers.

Odd looks over and nods, suddenly appearing far more tired than Matthieu initially thought.

Matthieu now wonders about the Loupgarou’s European life, about this strange place called Europe in general, and how terrible it must be for so many of its people to willingly leave it. “Did you know his brother?” He has to ask. There’s a part of him that tries to imagine Odd in the Loupgarou’s embrace, but it is gut churning. Matthieu chases the image away and looks down, cheeks burning - what’s wrong with him?

Odd settles down next to Matthieu on the floor and shakes his head. “No, Christian was already looking for him when we met. Or rather, when he met my brother. Those fools had originally planned to come here, just the two of them, without telling anyone. I managed to stop my brother in time and make sure he stayed but I had to come here anyway, with Christian, to make sure he didn’t get himself killed.”

Matthieu looks back at the slumbering young man. “That...must keep you very busy.”

“Yes,” Odd agrees with an exasperated sigh. “It does. Though he’s not without his skills, they’re just completely misplaced. Put that boy in the middle of a thriving city like Amsterdam and he would keep us alive. Here, he has a lot to learn.”

Matthieu could see that. “So that means...who did your brother come here to look for?”

Odd’s face takes on a wistful look, lips turned into a reluctant smile. “An idiot. A ridiculous, self-sacrificing idiot who tries too hard, and if there’s even the smallest chance he’s still alive, I’ll find him. If he’s not, I’ll gather whatever remains and bring him home for a proper burial.”

Matthieu’s stomach calms itself and he finds himself smiling with sadness and admiration. It’s a nice sentiment, but he shakes his head all the same. He can tell just by looking at him that Odd knows what he’s just sworn - a lifetime to this other mysterious idiot who managed to get lost in Matthieu’s home. For heaven’s sake. “You may never find any remains either. Is there really nothing else you’d rather be doing than wandering around my homeland for the rest of your life?”

Odd’s only answer is a scoff. He gives Matthieu and unreadable look then shrugs and lies down on the floor. He’s asleep in no time, and Matthieu wonders about why these two strangers have decided he’s not going to kill or rob them.

Softly, Matthieu knocks his head against the wall. He’s the fucking idiot. A sap. He never learns. Still, he can’t help but stand and silently make his way over to the slumbering young man and drink in his familiar features. Why is he doing this to himself?

It’s torture to see Christian lost in the world of dreams, relaxed from care, just like Leverett had been in those few precious days after learning how to sleep. Matthieu thought time would erase Leverett’s face from his mind, turn it blurry, but even if that had been true, it’s not now. Looking at Christian, Matthieu remembers everything. He remembers enough that he can see where the brothers do not resemble each other, and aches for the familiar even as he detests what he sees.

He reminds himself - Matthieu’s entire world, gone, for this little brother.

---

“Where did you last see him?” The boy asked the moment he realized Matthieu was awake.

Matthieu looks around the room. Odd is not there. With a sigh, Matthieu hauls himself up and stretches. He stands, ignoring Christian for a moment and pours himself a drink, his mouth is feeling dry. To the young man’s credit, he doesn’t push or ask again, waiting as Matthieu walks around the room, loosening the kinks in his neck. Finally, with a sigh, Matthieu realizes he is curious enough to answer some questions, just to see where it leads. He pulls over the lone stool in the room to sit next to the bed. “Christian, the man I saw...that was six years ago. Six. By now there are no remains to be had.” Besides there was one other sibling the Loupgarou had mentioned. Matthieu hoped this sister wasn’t running around here too. “You should go home.”

Christian nods, thinking, and Matthieu is filled with dread. There is no grief in the boy’s eyes, only determination. “Was he alone?”

Matthieu wonders if Christian knew about the curse. “Yes. He was. Look Christian, the man I saw may not even be your brother. For all I know, you all look the same over there.”

Finally, Christian focuses on Matthieu, his eyes searching. It’s mildly disturbing and yet Matthieu can’t really separate himself from staring back. When Christian is calculating something, like he is now, he looks even more  like the man Matthieu knew. Finally, Christian relaxes, “When you saw me, my face, you recognized it. You looked broken, then you looked like you wanted to kill me. You gave me a bed to sleep on instead.”

Well he was certainly just as straightforward as his brother had been. Why is Matthieu here? He may have loved Leverett the Loupgarou, but he knew he hated Daan. This boy sitting on the bed in front of him was part of Daan’s world and acting like who Daan had been - throwing himself into places he had no business being in, spearing through things he didn’t understand. Christian would kill to find Daan, just as his brother had been willing to do the same to give this little brother a different life.

Matthieu stands. “I know what it’s like to lose family. Go home to the rest of yours before you can’t.”

As he’s striding out from the room, Matthieu feels a small sense of satisfaction that he’s just going to pay and leave. This is all the closure he’s going to get - Leverett and Daan dead, his family now knowing about it.

Maybe a different man would seek vengeance on Christian. The thought crosses his mind for a moment and Matthieu angrily dismisses it. It wouldn’t do anything - certainly not bring his family back, just like how a retaliatory raid had not brought back any of Odeserundiye’s mothers. Punishing Christian would not change what Daan did. It would be a waste of energy, time, and peace for nothing.

---

He’s left the confines of the town and is well on his own trail by the river when he senses he’s not alone…he’s also not surprised. Matthieu slows his pace, and Odd matches step with him, as if they were both sharing this journey together all along from the beginning. Maybe they had been. “Why are you so amused?” He stops to ask Odd..

“It’s not amusement.”

“Then?”

“Just trying to complete this puzzle. His brother. You loved him, you hate him, but not enough to really leave Christian behind. You knew we’d follow.”

Matthieu frowns. Is he this easy to read? What was it about Odd that was just so...well, odd? In the distance he can see Christian finally catching up, eyes locked on him in a familiar grim determination. Matthieu looks back to Odd and he voices out his suspicion. “You’re a shaman aren’t you?”

“I promise, other than assessing your intentions when we first met to find out how dangerous you are, and to find out where his brother went, I’ve done nothing else. Your thoughts and decisions are your own.”

Mattheiu thinks he can believe that, other than those first two times, Odd hadn’t touched him. Still, he wasn’t quite sure how to act around this European shaman. He’s partly fascinated by the existence of one - they had struck him as a people so far removed from their earth that he figured they didn’t have any shamans. Not to mention, the Jesuits seemed especially adamant against such practices. Still, there’s difference enough, Odd does not look like any Shaman that Matthieu remembers.

“You walk fast.” Christian pants when he finally reaches them. “And Odd, how could you leave me?”

A slight smile plays at the edge of Odd’s lips as he answers “You were going to be fine. Besides, this is a life you’re going to have to get used to if you insist on going through with this idea of yours.”

Matthieu cannot help but smirk as well. “Dare I ask?”

Christian squares his shoulders and looks directly into Matthieu’s eyes. Matthieu somehow feels like he is about to hear a sales pitch.

“Alright Monsieur Matthieu, you’re right. This land is big. It’s so big it hasn’t even been mapped. Who knows what is out there? I am just one man, I’ll never find my brother, or figure out if he’s still alive, simply by physically looking for him.”

Stubborn boy, but smart at least. “Yet, it sounds like you won’t go home.” Matthieu replies.

Christian frowns. “If he’s alive, I know how to find him, but please Monsieur, I will need your help.”

Curious, Matthieu has to ask. “I’m not agreeing to anything, but what do you propose to do?”

Odd sits down on a nearby rock, indicating that this is going to take a while. Meanwhile, Christian smiles in relief. “It’s a last effort but if I can’t find him this way, I’ll give up the search. I know how my brother’s mind works...strategically. I used to think the world of him, he was never really an affectionate older brother but he did his best by trying to teach me important lessons. You said my brother perished in a winter storm. I know he got on a boat and crossed here in late summer. Either he survived on his own in this strange land for months before running into you and somehow making enough of an impression in that short time, that you now keep looking at me as if you can’t decide whether to cry or to kill me...OR, he stayed with you and traveled with you for months and you cared for him until winter.”

Matthieu frowns and looks at Odd. Odd’s hands are up defensively. “I told you he has different skills.”

Matthieu really wonders how obvious he is, and realizes how lucky he is that his business partners must be fond of him. If he’s this readable he truly must be a terrible businessman. “Fine, I met your brother, we know this. What does this have to do with your plan?”

“My point is, if he stayed with you for months, you know about his curse.”

Matthieu freezes. “I did not mention it because I was unsure if you knew about it.”

“Fair.” Christian shrugs. “And I thought maybe you killed him, except you seemed genuinely sad when you told me that he was lost to a winter storm. So if he survived the storm, and was doing his usual idiocy of running away from the few people he cares about so he doesn’t hurt them, there’s only one way he would have survived!”

Matthieu thinks the answer should be obvious but he honestly doesn’t know it, “How?”

“Change his name and start a trading company of course!” Christian exclaims while jumping in excitement. “I’ve been reading about all the new trading companies that have been exploding in New France in the past five years! It’s easy to hide in one of those! Also, a new territory? Easy to have papers made up for you if you have the right connections and price. My brother wouldn’t disappear into the woods or anything like that, he’s a city man, an entrepreneur. The only place he could hide would be in business! And if he’s hiding in business, I can find him!”

Matthieu shakes his head, thinking of the thousands of trading companies, some so small they only last less than a day. “How could you possibly find him through business?”

Christian grins, “I know how he thinks. Let’s start a company. You’re the local expert, Odd could help us with intelligence gathering behind the scenes, and I’ll handle business. Give me a few years to understand how things work here and I’ll figure out which companies have been around long enough to have possibly been started by my brother - there can’t be that many that have survived for what? Four or five years?. Then I’ll figure out how each of those are run, the history of growth and purchases. I don’t need his name to find him, but trust me, I’ll recognize how he runs a company! He can’t hide that from me!”

This? This is the plan? Matthieu cannot be as enthusiastic as Christian clearly is. He’s also wondering why everyone is after him to form some kind of company lately. “Christian, by some miracle, if you start up a company, and it survives, and you manage to come up with a list of potential companies, and um...all that you said...it’s been six years. Let’s imagine your brother is alive, you may still never find him because people can change a lot in six years.”

The little brother’s grin turns mercenary. “Then I find nothing and I sell you my shares in the company and go home. Then you can sell them and retire and do whatever you want, and not have me bothering you anymore.”

Matthieu groans and looks up at the sky with a frustrated expression. “I was just telling someone yesterday that I don’t want to start a company.”

“Oh great! Who? I sense a new business partner. The more locals the better, most of these places will fail because they won’t have local expertise and networks as its foundation.”

In the end, Matthieu accepted his fate. Which apparently, was to register a trading company. Himself, Odeserundiye, Odd, and Christian were equal partners, with Matthieu and Odeserundiye having the local network and exclusive area knowledge to find resources where most companies didn’t know where to look; Christian handling accounts; and Odd handling...information and intelligence gathering. The deal was, if Christian found his brother, or decided the search was over, he would keep a percentage of his earnings to live comfortably back in Europe, and divide the rest of his shares equally between Matthieu, Odeserundiye, and Odd. As for Odd, as it turned out, the man he was looking for was afflicted with the same curse that Christian’s brother had, so finding one Loupgarou  would hopefully provide a strong lead to the other.

Matthieu for his part, found himself on a new journey that he never expected. Part of his life at first was mostly unchanged. He did the same things he used to do, traveled, built networks, caught beavers; except now he also trained other people to do the same occasionally, and he did all this while...being an owner of a company and having earnings be stored in several banks - Christian took care of those details. The other part that surprised him was that Odeserundiye was right, there was protection to be had under the cover of a company, and as a person with European paperwork, Matthieu did find himself having a little more power than he ever felt before, to protect the parts of his home that he had always seen as under attack. He bought land so that native nations would not be forced to move from it, he used his position to try to warn people of harmful new policies when he learned of them. Of course, Christian would catch wind of it, tsk, shake his head and go straight to the Governor with gifts and flowery words to completely distract him from implementing such boring and unimportant new laws.

Odd’s words from that first day “In a city, he would keep us alive” were truer than ever. Montreal was slowly becoming a city, and it was Christian’s oyster.

Matthieu was no more comfortable as an owner of a well-to-do company than he had ever been before. Change still came too fast, and he wasn’t sure if it was serving his home for the better. He also learned that he would never really be fully accepted among the original nations, even though he was born one of them. It pained him, but he also could not blame them for this prejudice when he obviously gained so many advantages simply for favoring his European father’s looks. And anyway, Matthieu held onto his own prejudices so tightly, even with Christian and Odd as colleagues and eventual friends.

They were a strange group, but they were his group. There’s no time now to imagine he can hear the Loupgarou speaking to him in his head. There’s no time to sit for hours, lost in the memories of the dead, or to listen to the wind howl. He doesn’t know if this is better or worse, but it certainly is different.

The most obvious thing he realizes, is that he’s no longer alone.

[tactuongda9]

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[kodasarat]

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[puckwritesstuff]

51

51. “Are you sure that’s a decision you want to make?”

It was 18 weeks, she kept reminding herself. She was only at 18 weeks. Never mind the fact that she felt bigger than she ever had before, and the stress of being the reigning monarch of a “new” country was more than likely not helpful to fetal development, she was only at 18 weeks.

Meaning it was only going to get worse.

Sitting behind her desk, she put her hand on her swelled stomach. She could feel how cool her skin was under the cotton shirt. Her internal temperature had plummeted to dangerous levels about a month earlier, which she attributed to the child’s need for a cooler environment. He was half-Jotun, after all. They had tried reaching out to Jotunheim for any help or advice on Jotun natal care, but either they did not understand the request, or they did not care to aid the newly crowned King of Asgard. She couldn’t say that she did not understand.

Bruce entered her office quietly. He carried his medical bag. She smiled.

“Exactly who I wanted to see,” she said.

“Is everything all right?” he asked. He looked over her desk to try and gauge with stack of paperwork would be best to set his bag down on.

“Everything is fine with me and the baby,” she said. “I actually wanted to talk with you about a more… political matter.”

Bruce blinked. “Ah, Sig, I don’t think I should—”

“I need you to talk with General Andersen,” she said.

“The Surgeon General of Norway?” Bruce asked. “Why?”

“I want to have my child in a human hospital,” she said.

Bruce stepped back. “Are you sure that’s a decision you want to make?”

“I’m sure you have counter-arguments,” Sigyn said.

“Um, yeah!” Bruce said. “No human doctor has any experience delivering alien babies, for one. I mean, your own healers here are out of their depth, given that the kid is half-Not Asgardian, and it seems he’s taking after his father physically more and more. We don’t even know how big he’s going to be when he comes out.”

“I know,” Sigyn said. “Like I said, however, this is a political matter, not a medical one. It would be a major sign of faith in our new relationship with your planet that I would put my life and the life of my child in the hands of human medicine. I have no doubt that between us, my healers, and the doctors, we could deliver a healthy baby. But I want to show your people and ours that we can trust each other.”

Bruce sighed. “If that’s what you want, sure. But do I have to do it?”

“You’re the closest thing we have to his equivalent,” she said.

“I don’t even technically have a medical license,” Bruce said. “I just went to med school in between PhDs.”

“You’ll be fine,” she said. “You’re both scientists. Speak on that level.”

“You have anything you want me to say?” Bruce asked. “I mean, besides everything you just said.”

She paused. “I’m a young, single mother, looking for a place to safely have my child. If I was his daughter, where would he want me to be?”

Bruce nodded. “I’ll get it done.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

(Thanks for the request!)

[juliabohemian]

Meanwhile in Norway

Title: Meanwhile in Norway Chapter 1/1 (3300 words) Fandoms: Thor (Movies) Warnings: Spoilers for Ragnarok Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel)

Shakespeare, kittens and a king-sized bed. I'm not jumping on that "I'm here" bandwagon.

Meanwhile, in Norway

Thor had been gone for nearly a week. Since they had arrived on Earth, he'd been busy making arrangements to relocate the surviving citizens of Asgard. Most had remained right there, in Helgeland, but some had opted to venture inland to the more heavily populated cities and towns. Such matters required a great deal of coordination with Stephen Strange, who wanted to be kept abreast on all developments. That meant traveling back and forth to New York. Both Stephen and Thor had thought it best that Loki remain inconspicuous in the meantime. Loki -who wasn't particularly thrilled to be back on Earth in the first place- had appeared happy enough to oblige.

When Thor entered the apartment, he found it to be warm. In the corner, the fireplace was crackling. Loki was sprawled across the sofa. His long, thin legs were crossed at ankle and his bare feet were propped up on a stack of pillows and blankets. His head was tilted to the side, supported by the crook of his arm, and he was staring blankly at a large, flat-screened television. On the screen, a man and a woman, both wearing crowns upon their heads, were speaking to one another in hushed voices.

"What are you watching?" Thor asked, since nearly a minute had passed since he'd entered the apartment and Loki had not seen fit to address his arrival. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought the other man was asleep.

"Macbeth," was Loki's brief answer.

Thor sighed in acknowledgement. He wasn't terribly surprised. He was familiar with the complete works of Shakespeare. His mother had seen to it that they had been educated in classic Midgardian literature, as well as their customs and mythologies. In this strange, new place, it made sense that Loki would be clinging to some sense of familiarity, however abstract.

"And…what did you do today?" Thor prodded, gesturing at the television, "besides this."

"Nothing," Loki replied, absently. He didn't avert his gaze from the screen.

The apartment wasn't terribly large. It was -in fact- the only one they had been able to find that was both available and suitable for their needs. It had come completely furnished, which was convenient. Unfortunately, it had only one bedroom and one (appropriately named) king-sized bed. Initially, given the bed's size, they had attempted to share it. The first few nights were spent, reliving childhood memories and glorious battles, talking and laughing about their current predicament and speculating about the future. The novelty had quickly worn off, however, and Loki had eventually retreated to the sofa, citing Thor's monopolization of the bedclothes and incessant snoring as his reasons. He had even joked that there was obviously only room for one king on a king-sized bed. Thor had been fine with that, for the most part, because he certainly liked not having to share a bed with his brother. It just seemed as Loki had grown quieter and more withdrawn, since relocating to the living room.

Thor examined the kitchen from where he was standing. Unwashed dishes were piled in the sink and on the counter, but none of them appeared to have been used recently. He slowly made his way over and opened the refrigerator. Peering inside, he noted that the interior was almost completely empty, except for several bottles of Bokkøl and a sack of carrots that were very clearly no longer edible. The cupboards contained very little as well, only bags of crisps and a few cans of soup. Thor had put Loki in charge of ordering groceries to be delivered on a regular basis, but he appeared to have lapsed on his duties somewhat.

"What did you eat today?" Thor queried, hopefully.

Loki shrugged, still apparently engrossed in the television program.

"I don't remember. Check the rubbish bin."

Thor rounded the small island in the middle of the kitchen and lifted the lid on the silver trash receptacle. The liner within only contained one item, an empty, cardboard container with the word Krokan printed on the side of it.

"Oh congratulations," he remarked, "you polished off another carton of ice-cream."

"I actually think that might be from yesterday," Loki countered.

"So…you didn't eat anything today?"

"It's possible that I did," Loki offered. "I vaguely recall consuming a sandwich at some point."

Thor frowned. That couldn't be right. He knew for a fact that there hadn't been any bread in the apartment for quite some time, because he had already asked Loki several times to order some, to no avail. It seemed unlikely that Loki had managed to have some delivered and consumed it all himself, within the past six days.

"That had to be over a month ago," he replied.

Loki responded with a disinterested humph.

"Aren't you hungry?" Thor asked.

"Not particularly."

Loki normally had a decent appetite, but since they had arrived here, it seemed like he had been eating less frequently. What he did consume wasn't particularly nutritious. It was usually snacks or deserts or alcohol -mostly alcohol. Thor didn't know if it was because Loki didn't like Midgardian food or if there was something deeper going on. He was hoping it was the former, because he wasn't sure that he had the energy to investigate the latter.

"Have you at least been drinking water?"

"Uh...we're all out."

"Of what…water? You know you don't have to drink it from a bottle, right? It comes right out of the tap."

Loki issued another humph.

"Bruce was saying that people should drink at least one liter of water every day…and he's a doctor, so he knows about these things."

Loki finally looked away from the television to address his brother's claim.

"I'm pretty sure Bruce is not that kind of doctor."

"How would you even know?"

Loki shifted his position, sitting up just enough to make proper eye contact with the other man.

"I mean that he's not a physician. He's a nuclear physicist. I read his dissertation on the effects of gamma radiation on cellular regeneration. It was completely droll and boring, of course...but scientifically accurate, for the most part. Nothing in there about the benefits of frequent hydration."

Thor didn't really want to argue with Loki, especially not about something like this. Because it was so like him to have gone and read all of Dr. Banner's research, not even out of interest, but merely in case the topic ever came up during a debate. Instead he opted to address his brother's recent lack of interest in hygiene. Thor couldn't help noticing that Loki's attire was identical to what it had been when he'd departed for New York the week prior.

"When was the last time you changed your clothes?"

Loki's expression was still mostly unreadable. It appeared to be fluctuating between indifference and the very mildest degree of amusement.

"Weren't you the one who was complaining about me constantly altering my appearance?" He asked.

"You know very well that's not what I meant."

"Well, I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm aiming for continuity. This is the new, consistent Loki."

"The new, consistent Loki is wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with kittens on it," Thor pointed out.

The corners of Loki's mouth curved upwards, ever so slightly. It was only a hint of a smile.

"What do you have against kittens, Thor?"

"Nothing. I love kittens. Kittens are adorable. Just not as a fashion statement."

"We should get a kitten," Loki offered, sounding only half serious.

Thor's brow furrowed at the unexpected suggestion.

"What? No."

Loki shrugged his shoulders, lazily.

"I'll have you know that this shirt is very comfortable."

"It hasn't been washed since you bought it."

"I'm breaking it in."

"You're breaking it down...molecularly. It's going to disintegrate on your flesh, until you're completely naked."

"That's doubtful…it's polyester. It's totally synthetic. Theoretically, this shirt could outlast me."

"When was the last time you showered?"

"It's not like I've been exercising or working up a sweat. I mean, there was that minor debacle with the clicker and the sofa cushions…but I managed to sort it."

"That's not an answer."

"It is an answer," Loki mused, "just not the one you wanted."

Up until then, Thor had managed to keep the frustration from his voice, but he was beginning to lose his patience. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't like it. With all that he was now responsible for, he wasn't sure if he could handle the additional stress of whatever antics his brother saw fit to engage in.

"Loki, you smell like a goat and you haven't shaved in several weeks."

"Maybe I'm growing a beard."

Thor pointed to his own chin.

"This is a beard…what I'm growing is a beard. You look like you have a rash on the lower half of your face."

Loki scoffed, finally opting to sit all the way up on the sofa. He slid his feet down off of the stack of pillows and brought them to the floor. He aimed the remote control at the television and shut it off, before tossing it aside.

"You must be having trouble seeing with your one good eye, brother. This is perfectly formidable facial hair."

"If you say so."

Loki made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

"Hey, I'm not causing any trouble, am I?"

"That I'm aware of. I haven't checked your internet search history."

Loki smiled, wryly, glancing over at the laptop computer on the kitchen table.

"Yes…let's pretend that you know how to do that."

"Well, I'm sure I can easily find someone who does."

Loki pointed to the ceiling.

"There's a 6-year-old girl in the apartment above us. She probably knows how."

Thor decided not to address the other man's dig. He was well aware that he wasn't quite as up to date on Midgardian technology as his brother, but certainly that was going to change, especially if they were going to be staying on Earth for any length of time.

"Are you spying on our neighbors now?"

"I'm not sure why that would surprise you."

"It actually doesn't."

"It's not like I have a lot to do here. Upstairs to the right of us is the weird, old couple that goes fishing every day, even if it's below freezing outside. Upstairs to the left of us is a younger gentlemen, who works for the Ministry of Justice. He gets up before sunrise and he never has any guests. Directly above us is the kid...whose mother is totally single, by the way...and she hasn't gone on any dates or had anyone stay overnight since we moved in. I don't think there's a father in the picture either, if you know what I mean..."

"Wait...why are you telling me this?"

"I'm just saying...she's single...you're recently single."

Thor shook his head. The last thing he needed right now was to complicate his life with romantic involvement.

"She has a child."

"Do you think people with children don't have sex? Thor...do we need to talk about where babies come from?"

"Are you trying to set me up?"

"I'm bored."

"I'm not going to have sex with someone's mother just to amuse you."

"You are so selfish."

"And you are completely insane."

"Pretty sure we already established that...also, next door to the right of us are the two women with all the yappy dogs and next door to the left of us is the family with the three teenagers that wear black and mope around all the time."

"Oh, you should hang out with them. You'd fit right in."

"With the yappy dogs?"

"No, with the mopers."

"You said not to talk to anyone," Loki reminded him. "Besides, I'm pretty sure they only speak Norwegian."

"You speak Norwegian."

"I speak Old Norse. In Norwegian I can introduce myself and order lutefisk...and I really don't even like lutefisk. It tastes like wet garbage."

"Loki...you need to take a shower."

"What's the point?"

"The point is that you would be clean and I would no longer have to smell you."

"It's not like I'm going anywhere. You never let me leave. I have nothing to do in here. I have already watched all fourteen seasons of Mythbusters."

"What is Mythbusters?"

"It's...a program about two men who like to blow things up."

Thor thought that sounded like the absolute last thing that Loki should be watching, but he didn't say so.

"Of course it is."

"That's not the point…the point is, that I have nothing else to do and you're basically holding me prisoner here. I might as well be back on Asgard, in a cell."

Thor found it odd that Loki would make such a comparison, but what he found odder was that nothing was actually keeping Loki in the apartment, other than the fact that he'd been told not to leave. No spell had been cast, and no magic was preventing him from walking out the door. For whatever reason Loki had chosen to do exactly what he'd been told. That in itself was a cause for concern.

"It's not the same thing at all, Loki. You're not a prisoner here. This is for your protection. Do you really think it's a good idea for you to go running freely around this realm, considering the fact that they regard you as a war criminal?"

"No...doesn't mean I'm not bored."

"Well, it's snowing outside anyway," Thor remarked. "It started up again, just as I arrived."

"Figures. You couldn't have picked a place with nicer weather?"

"I didn't pick it. Father did."

"Father's dead," Loki pointed out.

"As if I need to be reminded of that," Thor replied, somberly. He wasn't ready to make light of such things. That wound was still too fresh.

Loki seemed to pick up on the other man's demeanor, and his tone softened.

"I'm just saying, you didn't have to come to this exact place. You could have taken us somewhere else...like California. I've heard they have sunshine and beaches."

"There are beaches here as well. Besides, California is a long way from here...and you'd be far too conspicuous. Stephen said that area of Midgard is heavily populated already."

"Probably because of the weather," Loki mused.

"Probably."

Loki leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs, hands dangling between his knees.

"You know, I never had any trouble leaving it...before."

Thor examined his brother's face. His expression was unchanged, but he could tell by the timbre of Loki's voice that the conversation had just become more serious.

"Leaving what, you mean Asgard?"

Loki appeared to detect that the other man was studying him more closely, because he turned his gaze to the floor.

"Mmm hmm."

"That's because you always knew you could go back, whenever you wanted."

"Knowing it's gone...really gone. It's...surreal."

Thor decided to cut to the chase.

"Are you homesick? Is that it?"

"I never mourned her," Loki confessed, instead of answering the question.

Thor didn't have to ask who Loki meant. He understood now that this was about more than just not being on Asgard. It was about everything. It was about all that had changed and all they had lost. Their mother's death had been sudden and unexpected. Neither of them had been afforded time to process it. Loki had been imprisoned and there was a threat upon them. A lot had happened since then, but that didn't mean either of them had truly dealt with their loss.

"There wasn't time."

"There's time now," Loki reminded him.

"Yeah."

"And now that he's gone too, it's like..."

"It's real," Thor concluded.

"Yeah."

"You're allowed to grieve, you know."

"I'm not grieving," Loki insisted, rather unconvincingly.

"Aren't you, though?" Thor asked.

"I hate him," Loki admitted. Thor felt a stab in his own chest, hearing those words. But he understood that so much had been unresolved between Loki and their father. He understood that Loki had his reasons, and that they were very real to him.

"Because he lied to you?" Thor guessed. He couldn't begin to comprehend the complexity of his brother's bitterness towards their parents, but he knew that it originated with deception.

Loki issued a soft, painful chuckle.

"No...because he forgave me."

That was not the answer Thor had been expecting. He gradually crossed the short distance between them and sat down on the sofa, beside his brother. Whatever the explanation was going to be, he wanted to get comfortable for it.

"What do you mean?"

Loki looked up only briefly, giving Thor a quick peek, before turning his eyes back to the floor.

"I had grown so used to being angry with him. It was what I knew. It was familiar. When I needed his love, he had none to give. Somehow, I found a way to accept that. I accepted that as my reality. I let myself get used to it. So in the end, when I wanted nothing more than to keep feeling that anger..."

"He had nothing but love to give," Thor finished, remembering their father's parting words. In his final moments of life, Odin had only wanted to say goodbye to his sons. He bore no grudges, held no malice in his heart. He had even praised Loki for the cleverness of his duplicity. I love you, he had said to them both, a phrase that he had rarely uttered in all the years that they had known him. It was naked and plain and left very little to interpretation. And before either of them could answer or even acknowledge his words, he was gone, like stardust.

"It's like I don't even get to choose between sad and angry," Loki explained. "It's like he chose for me."

Suddenly, Thor understood.

"And he chose sad."

"I still want to be angry."

"Why would you want that?"

"Because it's easy...because it's what I know. Anger is a fight, and I know how to fight. Sadness is...it's like giving up. It's like surrender."

"Sometimes surrendering is the best option."

"Says the man who never surrenders."

"Oh I've surrendered a few times," Thor lied. He knew what his brother meant, though. It wasn't just about what was easier or what was familiar. Sadness hurts. It hurts a lot more than being angry.

"I don't want to miss them," Loki whispered, harshly.

I don't want to miss them either, Thor thought. He still couldn't see Loki's face, but he could hear the change in his voice, that strangled, nasal sound that meant he was trying very hard not to cry. Thor put a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"But you do," Thor added.

Loki nodded in affirmation, but didn't say anything.

The two men sat quietly for a long time.

[chitinan2017]

給學生的一封信

本文是在2010年挪威卑爾根建築學院的畢業專刊上寫的一篇綱要性的文章，內容是針對世界快速變遷的混亂狀態，指點同學們未來的思考方向。文中提出《葬書》中的觀點與近代「視覺結構」的建築理論不謀而合，可與西方維特魯威的《建築十書》並列為建築學的經典著作，同時，風水理論是建築學的起始點基礎，能夠超越時代指導當代建築的發展。以下是英文原始稿，保留著與西人對話的用意，尚未翻譯。

Kalamaja, Tallinn

Sunday morning, July 18, 2010

Dear Folks,

I feel like talking about how things were begun. To start with, let’s turn our attention to this paragraph quoted from The Book of Burial: 'When the air is riding on the wind, it comes loose. When the air is facing the edge of the water, it seizes up. Thus, we name these phenomena as feng-shui (wind-water).’

The term feng-shui, literally meaning wind-water, was first found here and given an explanation of why it is about wind and water. Hitherto, The Book of Burial is considered the bearer of the original ideas which directed the development of feng-shui theories and practiceslater. Yet, the author and time period of the book were not clarified. It is believed that the content was formulated around 2000 years ago when the social political settings were in shape and a pre-scientific reading of the universe was under way in China.

In my view, to highlight the recycling of life and death and how to make a tomb showed this seemingly rambling text by no means ethnic rubbish, but a book on the beginning of architecture. If we take Vitruvius’ The Ten Books on Architecture as comprehensive notes on the formal aesthetics and engineering for buildings, The Book of Burial is a concise guide for landscape reading and environmental planning with social ethical concerns regarding the connection to the ancestry.

These two books indicate two distinct approaches in architecture, which reflect the differentiation between trajectories of the East and the West.

Below, I picked another paragraph from The Book of Burial, which was translated from ancient writing style, to compare with a description put by Svein Hatløy on visual structure. The correlation between these two texts written in different space and time is unexpectedly illuminating.

‘The outer air flow is keeping the inner energy getting together. The passing water current is stopping the coming dragon. A situation is of thousands of feet. A form is of hundreds of feet. If the situation coming forward while the form concluding to its end, and, reaching out to the front while leaning back, it is considered a good burial ground of luck.’

-The Book of Burial, 200 AD

‘Already after some months experiencing real sites, and the hardship of finding proper visual expressions, you are ready for understanding how to structure your visual language. We have to start with the ABC, how you visually can show phenomena you know from physical practice, naming, and thoughts; light, heavy, dynamic, static, etc. You get to know such phenomena visually only by making them. Instead of only knowing what things are, you have to find how they look. Instead of defining an object by meters, centimeters, and kilos, you can make us seeing that an object is heavy, e.g., by its form, color and spatial relationships.’

-Svein Hatløy on Visual Structure, 2010 AD

It is clear that both are depicting what they see on the ‘real sites’. The‘dragon’is the classic notion to describe continuous mountain structure in feng-shui, which, in analytical terms, is a re-presentation of certain ‘form, color and spatial relationships’. They simply demonstrate how things were begun. We humans were looking and seeing in order to understand our‘being in the world,’as Martin Heidegger persistently reiterated:

‘On the earth already means under the sky. Both of those also mean remaining before the divinities and include a belonging to men’s being with one another.’ (‘Building Dwelling Thinking’)

In the phenomenological discussion, we usually referred this primal gesture as ‘natural attitude’ which is being erased and forgotten in modern society. As a consequence, this simple beginning was disconnected and becoming very obscure to many people nowadays. In light of this missing link, I see BAS have served as a gateway for young architects given an alternative of learning to re-enter this world. What you have learned should have been manifested in your projects which may reveal how architecture was inaugurated in the first place.

In recent years, dark scenarios came in lingering due to the earth we reside on is rapidly changing and getting exhausted. The fear of catastrophic occurrence of unprecedented magnitude either from hostile nature or from our technological failure is vivid. However, the development area and the intensity of urbanization continue to expand for the sake of economic growth in most part of the world. At the moment, the stagnation in the West is like a warning of the limit of wealth accumulation. On the other hand, there is a significant re-distribution of the wealth undergoing towards the East, which accelerated the urbanization process in less developed regions.

By and large, we architects appreciate the green solutions and have sympathy on radical options to be an agrarian exerciser, a scavenger or a squatter in searching for more responsible responses to the changes. It was not a coincidence that around 500BC The Reference Manual for the Book of Change gave us an account of the invention of eight trigrams:

‘Look up to observe the sky. Look down to learn from the earth. Study the situation of the birds and animals and how they accommodate on the earth. Decipher the phenomena according to senses when it’s near or by appropriating various things when it’s afar. Then, the eight trigrams were made to reveal the divinity of gods and to describe the love of everything on the earth.’

The keen observations made by ancient sage eventually led to a prediction system derived from the combinations of a positive sign and a negative sign in trios known as eight trigrams. To stack up two trigrams together provides an exemplary sequence of changes, which portrays the interrelated good or bad happenings in a particular process. In principle, the system assumed and concluded that everything must have a cycle of growing and dying. Either the Nature or the human society is in fact in an inevitable process of vicissitude.

To be in line with the reality rendered with constant changes, the concept of sustainability is not about how to retain the continuation of prosperity, but how to stay closer to the side of well-beings, good luck, and to keep a distance from the side of austerities, bad luck.

So we see, instead of focusing on functionality and facade, how The Book of Burial distinguish the good burial ground as the result of careful balancing acts inherent in the overall form making according to the natural law of the environment and the societal interpretations

The tactical move is to hold on firmly to a holistic understanding of the surroundings in order to choose a resting site as well as to re-shape by making formal expressions, all of which is aimed to enliven the ‘good luck’ for the demised, the living and the next generations:

‘When situation and form are congenial, it is considered of good luck. When situation and form are oppositional, it is considered of bad luck. When situation is bad and form is good, maybe lucky. When situation is good and form is bad, disaster soon coming.’

Good Luck, Chi

( published on The BAS Diploma Catalog 2010, Bergen, Norway )

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

40 years of Ariane ESA and partners celebrate 40 years of Ariane – a launch vehicle operating in the international space arena, and a symbol of cooperation and innovation that ensures independent access to space for Europe. On 24 December 1979, the first Ariane 1 was launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Launch L01 carried CAT-1, or Technological Capsule 1, a small satellite used to provide data on the launch characteristics of the new rocket and therefore only powered for eight orbits. Ariane 1 was the first launch vehicle to be developed with the primary purpose of sending commercial satellites into geostationary orbit. It was designed mainly to deploy two satellites per mission, thus reducing costs. From this first flight, Ariane evolved into a highly reliable rocket boosted by the fast-growing demand for commercial space launches in the 1980s. Operated by Arianespace, Ariane claimed over half the satellite market in this period. Altogether, Ariane 1, 2 and 3 launched 28 times between 1979 and 1989, placing a total of 38 satellites in orbit. Ariane 4 entered service in 1988 and made 113 successful launches. Its last was on 15 February 2003. It featured an elongated first stage and strap-on liquid and solid-fuel boosters providing more thrust at liftoff. For this version of Ariane, a lighter Sylda fairing structure was introduced. The Sylda allows two payloads to be stacked one on top of the other. Ariane 5 is the result of continual investment in new technology, a wider, heavier and shorter design, and new production methods. This has extended Ariane's benchmark lifting capability from its initial 1850 kg to geostationary orbit, to today’s dual payload record of 10 865 kg to geostationary orbit with an Ariane 5 ECA on 2 June 2017. Ariane 5’s ES was used for various missions, such as the Automated Transfer Vehicle in low orbit and Galileo in medium orbit. It was retired from service on 25 July 2018. Europe's Spaceport lies just above the equator in South America, and hosts facilities for Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launchers. Continued updates to the Spaceport’s facilities have kept up with the requirements of each new launch vehicle. The pad used by Ariane 1, 2 and 3 was later repurposed for Vega in 2012 and is currently being modified to accommodate the upcoming more powerful Vega-C successor. ESA is currently preparing for the next decade in space transportation. Part of this involves the transition from Ariane 5 to the new modular Ariane 6 for which a dedicated launch site has been built. Ariane 6 has two versions, Ariane 62 with two strap-on boosters and Ariane 64 with four, for more power. The new Ariane design is intended to serve the diverse needs of a wide range of customers offering new payload dispensers for a variety of configurations while dramatically decreasing the cost of launches compared to Ariane 5. Changes in the way in which Ariane 6 is assembled, paired with new manufacturing techniques, is set to speed up the turn around time, allowing more Ariane launches than ever before. Europe can celebrate Ariane’s history and look forward to building on its successes through innovation and an extreme design-to-cost approach to maintain its lead in a fiercely competitive launch services market. IMAGE 1...The first successful launch of the European launcher, Ariane 1, on 24 December 1979 from Kourou, French Guiana. IMAGE 2...As the size of satellites grew, Ariane 1 gave way in 1984 to the more powerful Ariane 2 and 3, and these in turn were superseded by Ariane 4 in 1988. This is the first launch of Ariane 2, flight V18 on 30 May 1986, carrying Intelsat 5a F14. IMAGE 3...Launch of first Ariane 3 flight V10 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, on 4 August 1984, carrying ECS-2 and Telecom-1A satellites. IMAGE 4...Ariane 4 is justly known as the ‘workhorse’ of the Ariane family. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 it has made over 100 successful launches. The Ariane 4 has proved ideal for launching satellites for communications and Earth observation, as well as for scientific research. This launcher is extremely versatile. The first stage can hold two or four strap-on boosters, or none at all. This means that it can lift into orbit satellites weighing from 2000 to nearly 4800 kg in GTO, nearly three times as much as the Ariane-3 launcher. Now its role is gradually being taken over by the Ariane-5 launcher and the last Ariane-4 flight is expected to take place in 2003. Ariane 4 has captured 50% of the market in launching commercial satellites showing that Europe can more than hold its own in the commercial launch market. Ariane 5 is designed to meet the challenges of the new millennium. It meets several requirements: the ability to launch larger satellites, the increasing use of low orbits for servicing the International Space Station and the need to reduce costs while maintaining a high reliability. Its first successful launch took place on 30 October 1997 while its first operational flight occurred in December 1999, when it launched ESA’s X-ray Multi-Mirror (XMM). Ariane 5 has proved highly reliable and economic, and has been used to launch satellites for communications, Earth observation and scientific research into geostationary orbits and Sun-synchronous orbits. ESA had to build a new launch site at Europe’s spaceport in Kourou for this new member of the Ariane family as well as facilities to make the solid boosters needed to launch this, the most powerful launcher in the Ariane family. Ariane 5 can be used for launches into geostationary orbit, medium-Earth orbit and low-Earth orbit, as well as for launches to other planets. IMAGE 5...ESA and European industry are currently developing a new-generation launcher: Ariane 6. This follows the decision taken at the ESA Council meeting at Ministerial level in December 2014, to maintain Europe’s leadership in the fast-changing commercial launch service market while responding to the needs of European institutional missions. This move is associated with a change in the governance of the European launcher sector, based on a sharing of responsibility, cost and risk by ESA and industry. The participating states are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. On the wave of Vega’s success, Member States at the ESA Ministerial meeting in December 2014 agreed to develop the more powerful Vega-C to respond to an evolving market and to long-term institutional needs. Vega-C is expected to debut in mid-2019, increasing performance from Vega’s current 1.5 t to about 2.2 t in a reference 700 km polar orbit, covering identified European institutional users’ mission needs, with no increase in launch service and operating costs.

[abujaihs-blog]

How modular manufacturing could solve Chicago’s affordable housing crisis

As Chicago grapples with an affordable housing crisis and soaring construction costs, one company is betting on modular buildings to help solve the crisis. Next week, Chicago-based construction firm Skender will begin the first run of prefab buildings on the production line of its new 105,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Little Village. Skender’s first customer, prolific Chicago developer Sterling Bay, plans to bring 10 three-flat, affordable-rate apartment buildings to vacant lots in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago’s 27th Ward. The buildings are composed of 12 modules that snap together like Lego blocks, which makes construction 80 percent faster than traditional methods. With an estimated cost of $330,000 to 350,000 per uni, the units are by no means “cheap” but still 20 percent less expensive than a comparable “stick-built” three-flat. Building a better module Skender takes a Chicago-oriented approach to modular housing by offering a non-combustible, steel-frame design that can be stacked 12 units high. “Eighty percent of buildings are basically the same,” said Tim Swanson, Skender’s chief design officer. “Once you optimize those parts and pieces, you have so much more room for better materials and design.” The company does all of the architecture, engineering, and manufacturing in-house to create a product that really takes advantage of the prefab technology. This wide-angle approach allows the team to quantify the benefits of things that otherwise would be “value engineered” out of a traditional affordable housing project. For example, the units use more expensive wall-hung toilets and one-piece, high-performance insulating metal panels, but these higher-cost elements are offset by a more efficient manufacturing process and energy savings down the line. Since HUD includes utilities in its total rent rate calculations for affordable housing, there’s extra incentive to reduce utility costs.

“If we use technology to think about buildings as products rather than individual projects, we avoid having to keep reinventing the wheel,” said CEO Mark Skender. “The product can evolve over time and get better and more efficient, as seen in just about every other industry except construction.” A rendering of one of the affordable three-flats (center). Skender The buildings won’t look factory-built The company will initially provide two different facade options for its first run of affordable three-flats but plans to eventually offer a variety of designs. It is taking special care to craft its early buildings in a way that downplays the modular construction. “In places like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Japan, modular housing is seen as a luxury item and is sometimes more desirable specifically because it was built in a factory, but that’s not the perception in the United States,” said Skender architect Angela Spadoni. “Right now we are doing everything we can to make the designs not look modular. But in five years from now, who knows? It might be seen as such a better product that we want to find ways to architecturally highlight how the different parts fit together.” Building beyond the three-flat In addition to the first batch of 10 three-flats, Sterling Bay plans to partner with nonprofit organizations to bring affordable housing to 100 lots scattered throughout the city. This includes a 7-story, 83-unit modular apartment building slated for 1100 W. Grand Avenue in River West that could welcome residents as early as next year.

A conceptual rendering of an 11-story modular mid-rise. Rendering courtesy of Skender Skender’s modular designs could potentially play a role in Sterling Bay’s future plans to deliver 600 units of affordable housing for its Lincoln Yards megadevelopment. The developer is required to build half of the units on-site and the remainder within a three-mile radius of the sprawling North Branch project. The technology could allow Sterling Bay to fulfill its obligations faster and at a lower cost. Skender sees its initial plans with Sterling Bay as a proof-of-concept that it can expand to larger multifamily developments including senior living, student housing, hotel, and “deployable healthcare.” The company is currently in the design phase for over a dozen mid- to high-rise projects, according to Spadoni. “We’re talking to a number of developers that want to be the first follower,” said the architect. “There are a lot of ‘number twos’ in line, waiting to see the first one done.” Skender is also a partner in Chicago’s Garfield Green proposal, which was recently selected as a winner in C40’s global Reinventing Cities design competition. The benefits of a safer work site In addition to eliminating logistical bottlenecks, likes crews fighting over an overbooked freight elevator, or the piles of wasteful packing materials that come with individually shipping components to a job site, the modular approach makes for a safer work environment. Crews in the factory no longer face the dangers posed by perilous heights or extreme weather.

“Now every time I walk one of our traditional work sites, I see so many unnecessary inefficiencies and physical risks,” said Stacy Scopano, Skender’s chief technology officer. “Here in the factory, we’re in a climate-controlled clean room with great lighting. The buildings literally flow under our employees’ feet along the assembly line. It’s phenomenal.” Workforce development goals The factory will bring new jobs to Chicago’s West Side. The first group is 30 carpenters hired through a nonprofit workforce development organization. When the facility reaches full capacity, it will employ 150 workers. “We’re bringing the construction industry into the 21st century and also creating 21st-century jobs in the process,” added Swanson. Source: By Jay Koziarz Read the full article

[robertsfichi]

2018. personal retrospective.

March 21st UPDATE: The first words of this letter had been written in January 2019. As I’ve got to the final part of the text I started asking myself if I should share it. I’ve got to the conclusion that writing with a public in my mind constrains my thoughts and I’ve started to write what someone might want to read instead of the truth I felt I needed to spill out. So I did not share it until the moment I was truly convinced that it'd reached the final form.

I have recently made some decisions that changed the way I live on a daily basis. What are the motives of these decisions?

Beside the fact that I want to become the best version of myself (obviously, I think everyone does), I want to get to the point where I will provide for my family & close friends and, along this road, I will create some sort of a get-together space where hard-working people could meet and share ideas/a meal. Like a group-crew-gathering-hub-coworking-space.

Nevertheless, the biggest long-term goal I want to achieve is building a school that will facilitate education for romanian students, offering them the opportunity to grow both intellectually and in spirit.

In order to get all this done, I am forced to find a way to gain financial power & develop meaningful relationships with great people activating in various environments.

After doing some soul searching and spending part of my spare time (last 2 years) learning about web development and web design, I’ve decided that I will become a full-stack web developer. I’ve been thinking about it for at least 2 years but I’ve never had the guts to start doing it as I was feeling as an impostor in the world of informational technology, although I really enjoy reading and talking with people about everything related to what a great impact technology had and will have on humanity. Of course, I know that I’m not a scientist and I will never be, but I’ve spent the last 5 to 6 years studying advertising, marketing & videography and I feel pretty confident that these areas will offer me some kind of advantage in the web development space.

In the short-term, I need to find out what am I currently doing that’s helping me become the person I want to become and what am I currently not doing that could improve the process of getting there. The next part of this text is inspired by Nate Green and will show the answers to the problems stated above.

QUESTION 1: What’s working? What did I do right? What am I proud of?

Started some kind of physical training: Crossfit.

Started reading more insightful books: Sapiens by Yuval N. Harari, Deep work by Cal Newport, Grit by Angela Duckworth, The hard thing about hard things by Ben Horowitz etc.

On January 1st 2018 I challenged myself to shoot and share one photo per day trying to find out if I truly enjoy photography & if I can make it by 31st December 2018. Being one of the most serious quitters I know, this has been pretty difficult for me. (Probably sounds stupid, I know, but I need to emphasise the fact that if a simple task like this one seems so difficult to me, it will probably be much harder trying to do more meaningful work.) Also, this task helped me realise Instagram is one of the most toxic environments you can spend time on. So, naturally, this led to the next point.

Quit social media: facebook & instagram.

Quit the job that I didn’t find meaning in anymore.

Started developing a business plan for my future career.

Beside those presented above, I really enjoyed visiting new places that I’ve never travelled to before, like:

Berlin, Germany

Oslo, Norway

and managed to see Kendrick Lamar in concert for the first time. Brilliant man, great show, tough crowd.

QUESTION 2: What’s not working? What could be improved? What are my biggest opportunities for growth?

I don’t have a pre-made daily schedule. Most of the time I lose energy and a lot of minutes/hours trying to figure out what is the best action that I should take next in order to get closer to what I thought were the goals I was pursuing.

I am currently finding myself in a financial crisis. I don’t know how much money I spend monthly. I have never kept any kind of budget. I have very little money saved and by August 2019, I will run out of it (In addition to this, I feel I have to share the fact that before quitting, I had a serious talk with my parents [happens not so often as you would think] and they told me that if I am in need of financial help, they will be there for me. This does not mean that I will get advantage of this situation but it does mean that if all goes to sh*t I will not be homeless. Nonetheless, living and working in Romania is pretty demoralising and in 5 to 10 years my parents won’t be able to deploy as much work as they do now and I  definitely want to help them live a better life.)

The points mentioned above are on my mind since the beginning of 2018 but I thought that by ignoring them and trying to keep myself busy all the time, I will manage to get to a point where it will all work out. Needless to say these thoughts developed into more serious issues that affected both my personal and professional life.

Although I started attending Crossfit training approximatively 3 months ago, I still don’t have any kind of schedule set for this activity and in the last 50 days I’ve found myself skipping most of the classes. Of course, part of this can be forgiven (holidays) but a lot of the time was wasted.

QUESTION 3: How can I fix what’s not working? What specific things can I focus on next time?

Creating a yearly-monthly-daily plan. In order to get things done I will make a plan that will simplify the decision-making I will have to do every day. I need to:

Define clearly, as specific as possible, what the goals are.

How much time will it take me to get there? As in, what is the exact date I assume that “X” will happen?

Start reverse engineer the process.

Set specific daily steps -> monthly steps -> yearly steps -> GOAL.

Stop bleeding financially. Get to financial freedom. In order to get to the point where I will provide for my family and friends I first need to take care of my financial problems. I will create an excel sheet where I’ll put all my monthly expenses. After I find out what is the total sum of money I owe, and how much do I need to live a decent life, I will work as hard and as organised as I plan in order to:

Pay off my debt. Normally, I would describe this as the second step but as I don’t really owe that much money and as I don’t like being in this kind of situation, I will take care of it first.

Start saving for an emergency fund. 1000$. start small. I’ve never done this before so I expect to find it very difficult.

Start saving 6 to 12 months of expenses. This, like the emergency fund, represent savings that I will only access if I will get through some tough times like not finding any new clients or projects that I could take.

Start saving for retirement. as I will get done with the previous steps I should start looking for an efficient retirement fund/investment method. I expect this to happen at least 3 years from now so, for the moment, my focus will be on the first 2 steps.

Organising time. The difference between being able to reach my goals in 10 years vs. 30 years is crucial and I think that those 20 years can be saved by creating and, more importantly, STICKING TO a daily schedule. Most of the time I lose myself in the process of finding the best tool to keep track of the process. This time I will try to keep it as simple as possible. Beside the big picture excel sheet, I will use pen & paper to write the tasks for the next day.

Start attending Crossfit training at least 3 times/week. Go +1 day when available.

I haven’t lived very much but, up until this point in my life, I’ve met a lot of great humans that helped me develop into what I am today. From that crowd I can name 7 people or less that, whenever I’m in need, will put their best interest behind and help me succeed. One of these people is my girlfriend. As I’ve previously said, in 2018 I’ve had a lot on my mind and this reflected on my professional life, as well as on my personal life. I took the advice Elon Musk shared last year (“The reality is great highs, terrible lows and unrelenting stress. Don’t think people want to hear about the last two.”) and I’ve never really talked to anyone about what was troubling me. Not even to the person I’ve spent the most time with. And that’s not because I didn’t think she could help me, but I didn’t want her to worry about some issues that we’re not even hers to deal with, in the first place. This miscommunication led to some other issues and tension started to develop between us. Nonetheless, we’ve always managed to get through the problems we’ve faced and I hope that we forever will. To keep adding value to this relationship I will:

Spend more valuable time together.

Have more patience. Listen more.

Speak my mind more often. Be clear on what makes me feel uncomfortable.

Give more than I take.

In order to take the best decisions every day, start meditating consistently. 10 minutes/day. Don’t need to keep track. Just add it to your everyday schedule and DO IT EVERY DAY.

I am aware of the fact that these are not some very pretentious goals. The goal of this letter is not to impress anyone, but to document what I think and how do I feel about these thoughts. Also, all opinions are my own, and may or may not be shared by my family, friends, or my future self. 

Thank you!

[industry5566-blog]

Compack Sequence Box Making Machines

This computerized BOXMATIC machine is right for the manufacturing of corrugated packing containers, trays, industrial paper straw making equipment partitions and minimize-outs with the choice of additional die-cuts and flexo printing. The carton field making machine market is aggressive and the vendors mainly compete based mostly on factors akin to price, technology, and options. four Rolls of kraft paper for corrugating can be found in lots of sizes to suit the manufacturing tools at different corrugating vegetation. We constantly perform our spirit of ''Innovation bringing improvement, Extremely-high quality guaranteeing subsistence, Administration selling profit, Credit score attracting prospects for Computerized Powder Auger Filler Packing Machine, The product will provide to all around the world, corresponding to: Curacao , New Delhi , British , We solely provide quality products and we believe that is the one option to maintain enterprise proceed. After all these flutes solely describe single wall packing containers - if you see a field that claims ‘BC Flute' or ‘AB Flute' that is when a double wall carton has been specified, the first letter is the fluting of the highest layer of board and the second letter is the bottom layer. Since their invention, corrugated packing containers have been mainly used to pack and transport meals and beverage products. Try the infographic below that details a field's manufacturing lifecycle. A report from GlobalData states that nearly 70 p.c of shoppers at all times recycle their packaging boards and 50 % of customers avoid excessively packaged grocery products. For certain, the corrugated market can at all times depend upon the fact that the breakdown of cargo from plants or manufacturing services versus the sheet vegetation or converters remains unchanged. Even with the unstable value of the wood pulp, the worth of cardboard box stays comparatively same. You can even find other packaging and printing options reminiscent of packaging machine, packing machine, carton machine with aggressive worth. Cardboard bins are after all one of many core products of the packaging trade. China and India dominated the corrugated box making machine market in APAC. Main packaging firms are already operating paper mills that make fresh, clean kraft paper by de-inking and pulping used containers. Our CORRUGATED FIELD MAKING EQUIPMENT import knowledge options meet your actual import necessities in high quality, volume, seasonality, and geography. To supply nation degree evaluation of the marketplace for segment by software, product sort and sub-segments. Good packaging allows the a number of usage of the box with out dismantling it. This will scale back losses occurred through the dismantling of a box and primarily advantages customers after they select to return the product. A: We have a special QC department in charge of products high quality. The growing reputation of good packaging in the e-commerce industry can be one of many newest traits that may acquire traction within the corrugated field making machine market through the next 4 years. As a field or carton plant, we give you the best quality field making equipment. Supplied are automated and semi-computerized box makers for the manufacturing of slotted bins from single, double or triple wall corrugated. The e-commerce industry is growing and can most definitely continue for the following decade, so in case you are planning for a cardboard field manufacturing enterprise, you have to be good for the next few a long time and if the advertising is right, you might be a giant participant within the trade. There are fifty seven,074 carton field making machine suppliers, primarily located in Asia. A warp test determines the flatness of the box blank, insuring that each blank will journey smoothly by means of the flexo machines. Kolbus AutoBox have been producing quality machinery for over forty years. All Machines consist superior expertise, high velocity and better output production. We are able to present our prospects with the most high-end machines and one of the best after-gross sales service. These boxes enable the shipping containers to additionally act as retail packaging. All of the settings could be set by means of a contact display, and operators do not have to be geared up with any expertise in carton field manufacturing.

Discover a broad range of sustainable, robust and protecting packaging products and services tailored to your needs. air strain auxiliary cardboard drop, before the back and front of the cardboard box. A knowledgeable packaging specialist works with a customer to determine the strength required for the corrugated cardboard container being deliberate. The method begins by making corrugated board on a corrugating line, a long collection of linked machines totaling the size of a football subject. After being glued, the cardboard can be conveyed to be formed and collected to be auto calculated because the preconcert quantity and auto mark withouot stopping production, construction: Control unit, paper feeding unit, paper transfer unit, glue spreading unit, forming unit, gathering unit. Cardboard or cardboard field manufacturing enterprise is a profitable business within the USA, particularly with the ever-increasing e-commerce stores. GMS Internationals is China's leading professional supplier and manufacturer of corrugated machines. When the hot paper passes between the corrugating rolls, flutes entice and bend it to type the middle of the corrugated cardboard. Cardboard bins are the most cost effective type of packaging; furthermore, the costs reduces when corporations purchase cardboard containers in bulk from producers. eight. Prices in equipment and gear, uncooked supplies and the promoting costs of the completed merchandise and so on., are generally prevailing at the time of preparation of the venture profiles and should vary relying upon numerous components. QINGDAO AOPACK focuses on the on-demand packaging solutions and has developed a series of box making machines with our own Patents. Our straightforward-to-use machine is capable of producing as much as one hundred different box styles, giving your online business flexibility on orders. Corrugated boxes are light-weight and straightforward to deal with and transport. The feeder transmits the pre-printed and lower cardboard from the paper shelf to the convey chain and the sends it to the shaping mildew, throughout the procedure, the cardboard has been glued an you possibly can regulate the position of the gluing, the quantity of gluing could be measured while in progress withour stopping word. Peterson, VPK's Scandinavian packaging division, has launched more particulars of its new production website in Halden, Norway. From the flexo, the finished boxes are robotically stacked and sent to a banding machine to be wrapped for transport. It affects the forms of gear available to production traces, the measured laboratory performance, the field efficiency, and the ability of finish-users to easily and safely open the field. Recently subscription containers have caught-up within the eCommerce business. Kite Packaging have grilled its technologists to inform us exactly what the method is for cleaning the raw materials and processing them to make the cardboard packing containers you buy each day for your online business. Paper and paper products are versatile industrial uncooked supplies with all kinds of software on this era and due to scarcity of softwood, wood packing cases are increasingly more changed with corrugated board- packing containers and cartons. However it's simple to overlook that the cardboard containers you use frequently were once a not-so-humble tree. The opposite outstanding vendors out there are Acme Equipment, Associated Industrial, Box On Demand, DING SHUNG MACHINERY, EMBA Equipment, MarquipWardUnited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Natraj Industries, Packsize International, Serpa Packaging Solutions, Shanghai PrintYoung International Trade, Shengli carton Tools Manufacturing, SOLAR Automation Group (Langston), SUZHOU KOMAL EQUIPMENT, T-ROC TOOLS, Valco Melton, and XINTIAN CARTON MACHINERY MANUFACTURING. offers 10,610 carton field making machine costs products. Their research and evaluation focuses on rising market trends and gives actionable insights to help businesses establish market opportunities and develop efficient strategies to optimize their market positions. Many folding carton producers are working to include technology to fight theft and counterfeit products.

[hudsonespie]

Maersk Drilling Announces Up to 300 Layoffs in North Sea Region

On Friday, offshore rig operator Maersk Drilling said that it would be taking steps to "adapt [its] offshore crew pool" to the changing level of demand in the North Sea market. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lower oil price environment are impacting offshore drilling activity for all operators, including Maersk Drilling. Last week, the company announced that two clients have given notice of early termination for its rigs. BG International, a subsidiary of Shell, has terminated the contract for the semi-submersible Mærsk Developer with immediate effect. Aker BP has also terminated the contract for the jack-up rig Maersk Reacher, which was hired for accommodation services on the Valhall field. 

For both of these contracts, Maersk Drilling expects to receive compensation in the form of early termination fees, so the financial impact is expected to be small. However, the required crewing levels for inactive rigs are much lower. 

In light of the current outlook, Maersk Drilling said that it intends to stack a number of its North Sea rigs. This means a reduction in the offshore crew pool, and Maersk Drilling has begun consultations with trade unions and employee representatives about redundancies in Denmark, Norway and the UK.

“Though it’s standard practice in our industry to adjust our workforce to activity levels, it never feels right to say goodbye to good colleagues, especially when so many have walked the extra mile to keep operations running in these very difficult circumstances. However, it’s our responsibility to safeguard our business and we are now taking steps to maintain competitiveness in the challenging market environment,” says CEO Jørn Madsen.

Maersk Drilling expects that the consultations will lead to a total of 250-300 redundancies in the North Sea crew pool. The consultation processes will follow the timelines laid out by local regulations in Denmark, Norway and the UK.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/maersk-drilling-announces-up-to-300-layoffs-in-north-sea-region via http://www.rssmix.com/

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Paper Field Making Machine

c section galvanised steel 

How a cardboard box is made at Kite Packaging. Discover a broad vary of sustainable, robust and protecting packaging products and services adapted to your needs. air pressure auxiliary cardboard drop, earlier than the front and back of the cardboard box. A knowledgeable packaging specialist works with a customer to find out the power required for the corrugated cardboard container being deliberate. The process begins by making corrugated board on a corrugating line, a protracted sequence of linked machines totaling the size of a soccer area. After being glued, the cardboard might be conveyed to be formed and picked up to be auto calculated as the preconcert quantity and auto mark withouot stopping production, structure: Control unit, paper feeding unit, paper transfer unit, glue spreading unit, forming unit, amassing unit. Cardboard or cardboard field manufacturing business is a profitable enterprise within the USA, especially with the ever-rising e-commerce stores. GMS Internationals is China’s main professional supplier and manufacturer of corrugated machines. When the recent paper passes between the corrugating rolls, flutes lure and bend it to type the middle of the corrugated cardboard. Cardboard boxes are the cheapest type of packaging; moreover, the prices reduces when firms buy cardboard boxes in bulk from producers. 8. Prices in machinery and equipment, uncooked supplies and the promoting prices of the finished products and so on., are generally prevailing on the time of preparation of the mission profiles and may differ relying upon various factors. QINGDAO AOPACK focuses on the on-demand packaging options and has developed a sequence of box making machines with our own Patents. Our straightforward-to-use machine is able to producing up to a hundred completely different field kinds, giving your business flexibility on orders. Corrugated bins are lightweight and easy to handle and transport. The feeder transmits the pre-printed and minimize cardboard from the paper shelf to the convey chain and the sends it to the shaping mould, during the process, the cardboard has been glued an you possibly can alter the position of the gluing, the volume of gluing may be measured whereas in progress withour stopping word. Peterson, VPK’s Scandinavian packaging division, has released extra particulars of its new manufacturing site in Halden, Norway. From the flexo, the completed boxes are automatically stacked and sent to a banding machine to be wrapped for transport. It impacts the sorts of equipment accessible to production traces, the measured laboratory efficiency, the field efficiency, and the ability of finish-users to easily and safely open the box. Lately subscription bins have caught-up within the eCommerce trade. Kite Packaging have grilled its technologists to inform us exactly what the method is for cleaning the uncooked supplies and processing them to make the cardboard packing containers you buy every day for your small business. Paper and paper products are versatile industrial raw materials with all kinds of utility in this era and due to shortage of softwood, picket packing circumstances are increasingly more changed with corrugated board- packing containers and cartons. But it surely’s simple to neglect that the cardboard packing containers you use regularly had been once a not-so-humble tree. The other prominent vendors out there are Acme Machinery, Related Industrial, Field On Demand, DING SHUNG EQUIPMENT, EMBA Equipment, MarquipWardUnited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Natraj Industries, Packsize International, Serpa Packaging Options, Shanghai PrintYoung Worldwide Trade, Shengli carton Tools Manufacturing, SUN Automation Group (Langston), SUZHOU KOMAL EQUIPMENT, T-ROC TOOLS, Valco Melton, and XINTIAN CARTON MACHINERY MANUFACTURING. offers 10,610 carton box making machine costs merchandise. Their research and analysis focuses on rising market traits and gives actionable insights to assist businesses determine market opportunities and develop effective methods to optimize their market positions. Many folding carton manufacturers are working to incorporate technology to struggle theft and counterfeit products.

These endeavours embrace the availability of customized designs with speed and dispatch for Manufacturing unit Worth Corrugated Cardboard Box Kraft Paper Shifting Carton Field, The product will supply to all over the world, equivalent to: Bangladesh , Latvia , Finland , With the goal of “zero defect”. Which means, is it usually safe to compost the whole lot of the box: cardboard, the ink that is printed on it, and most significantly, the glue that’s used to adhere the sides of the field collectively. If long-time period storage of corrugated packing containers in high humidity is anticipated, extra strength and moisture resistance known as for. We manufacture and provide High Pace single facers, Rotary reel to sheet cutters, Sheet Pasting machines, Sheet pressing machines, Rotary creaser slotter, Board Printer, Printer Slotter, Rotary Die and lots of such machines. Box blanks requiring only simple, one-shade printing and die-reducing could be run via a stand-alone die-cutter, print station, and curtain coater to supply water- or grease-resistant containers. So as to provide you with convenience and enlarge our enterprise, we even have inspectors in QC Group and assure you our greatest service and product for High Productiveness Carton Paper Field Erecting Forming Machine, The product will provide to all over the world, comparable to: Thailand , Chile , Haiti , We at all times stick with the tenet of “sincerity, prime quality, high efficiency, innovation”. Engineers and designers start with the needs of the actual venture: price constraints, equipment capabilities, product characteristics, logistics needs, relevant laws, shopper wants, etc. This challenge profile intimately foresees setting up of unit to supply corrugated board and bins. The demand for corrugated bins is also anticipated to increase from other Southeast Asian international locations as these consumable merchandise have not reached the maturity stage. Positioned in Kolín in the Czech Republic in the prestigious Industrial Zone Ovcary, of their state-of-the-artwork facility that homes machine and components production, assembly and show room areas. ACM 900, ACM 4500, ACM 9000 these are the paper bowl machines we offer in the huge market. Throughout 2010-2015, the global demand for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) witnessed a considerable progress, and contemplating the high demand for electronic merchandise, the marketplace for corrugated boxes is expected to witness progress throughout 2016-2021. The boxes are processed at round 100 packing containers per minute, whereas the cut off papers are despatched for recycling. Usually, cardboard containers have a check paper internal liner, and a Kraft paper outer. These packing containers are very durable and have excessive security requirements compared with the other modes of packaging akin to cardboard packaging. As we speak, there are nearly 2000 cardboard field manufacturers with industry employment of 140K. Fast-rising pine trees present the primary uncooked material used to make corrugated cardboard. 5. The estimates are drawn for a production capability generally thought of techno-economically viable for mannequin type of manufacturing activity. At Packsize we provide a wide range of corrugated field making machines designed to help your organization save time and increase productivity, whereas decreasing prices and your carbon footprint. Carton Pack has an array of machines and equipment for producing cardboard containers and cardboard packing provides. It lets you create packing containers which are the right measurement and shape for your product. Moreover, the customers are anticipated to see a significant enhance in the price of corrugated cardboard by four % than final 12 months. Skilled production employees use a computer terminal and printer to organize a job ticket for each stack of box blanks produced by the corrugator. Boix Europe is the main vendor for Boix packaging machines in Europe and market leader in forming and gluing each corrugated and solid board packaging. Corrugated packing containers are made in field plant factories.

The supplied products are tested in terms of high quality to ship only defect much less vary from our side. Since then, pulp processing, paper making, and corrugating operations have been developed to a high state of effectivity and productiveness. We hope that our worth for cash merchandise will assist you in growing what you are promoting for many years to come. This corrugated cardboard box making machine with excessive efficiency has handed the CE certification. We have been an brisk corporation with wide market for Used Paper Egg Carton Making Machine, The product will supply to everywhere in the world, resembling: Suriname , Curacao , Rome , We warmly welcome home and overseas prospects to go to our company and have business talk. Explore the detailed product pages to search out all it is advisable know about any field making machine. Kraft and Test paper can also be used to create the fluted paper in between liners which lastly create a powerful board. We comprehend the fact that majority of import companies in are energetic in sourcing distinct ranges of products together with uncooked materials, machinery and shopper items and so forth. Next, you must procure machinery, which can differ relying on the type of box you want to manufacture. affords 57,111 carton field making machine merchandise. There are 10,610 carton field making machine costs suppliers, primarily situated in Asia. A quick guide to cardboard containers by Kite Packaging. All Boxmatic machines will be outfitted with two or three-out manufacturing and up to three smart flexo print units. Recycling and different environmentally friendly processes will continue to develop in significance in the way forward for corrugated cardboard. In-home making of corrugated boxes contributes to reduction of outsourcing prices. Our pros are lessen costs,dynamic gross sales crew,specialised QC,sturdy factories,high-quality providers and merchandise for Corrugated Carton Box Making Die Cutter Machine (ML-1600), The product will supply to all around the world, reminiscent of: Albania , Sheffield , Swansea , “Make the ladies more enticing “is our sales philosophy. Most typical types of bins in demand embrace mono cartons, standard field, massive box, bins in 2,3,5,7, ply. All kinds of carton box making machine costs choices can be found to you, similar to beverage. Another 6 million tons of uncorrugated boxboard or paperboard have been additionally produced to be used in folding cartons. Corrugated box making machine is a equipment used to making corrugated boxes. The machines discover their strategy to numerous market sectors: from agricultural to industrial use in meals and non-meals sectors. Today, within the corrugated cardboard business, designers are creating progressive containers that require four-colour printing and sophisticated die-reducing. At the basic of Corrugated Box Machine BM2508, it provides the perform of die-cutting deal with holes on both sides of the carton box. A semi-automatic cardboard field producing machine will cost your roughly $ 120,000, whereas full-scale production plan will price you $ a hundred and eighty,000. Cardboard box making machines come with a large host of benefits that optimize your field-making process. The lifetime of a carboard field by Kite Packaging. The technology is pretty cutting-edge for the cardboard field trade. Different raw supplies are used to finish the corrugated cardboard after production. It may additionally present essentially the most suitable corrugated packaging field on demand for furniture, hardware equipment, e-commerce logistics and other industries. It’s now quite common for these liners to even be made up of a considerable proportion of recycled content, sourced from outdated cardboard or other sources of second hand paper. I fully suggest SPB machinery to anyone seeking to buy machines. For extra information on corrugated bins, click right here to browse our assets. 1 Manufacturing a corrugated cardboard box begins with the pulping of wood chips within the kraft (sulfate) course of.

Analysis evaluation on the worldwide corrugated box making machine market identifies that growth in e- commerce trade will probably be one of many main components that may have a optimistic influence on the expansion of the market. If you are prepared to get into the cardboard box manufacturing business, we consider it might be a worthwhile enterprise. Corrugated packaging is greatest suited for transport and transporting numerous products which can be fragile in nature. eighty% of industrial packaging is completed by carton bins attributable to effective cushioning, mild weight, simple to manufacture, straightforward for storing, easy for disposal, no strapping necessary, printing and promoting advantages, should in export market, recyclable etc. We specialize in corrugated containers, custom shows, labels, versatile packaging, folding cartons, inflexible bins, moving and transport supplies, and specialty and protecting packaging. As a result of corrugated cardboard is such a versatile packaging material, thousands and thousands of tons are used every year to protect and display merchandise. Located in Faridabad (Haryana, India), we are a Sole Proprietorship agency engaged in offering a high-quality vary of merchandise. Boix delivers tray forming machines in Europe and is the market chief in forming and gluing both corrugated and strong board packaging. It begins by pulping wooden chips using a kraft process; the popular tree for the kraft paper is a pine tree. This production line consists of three units:Printing Slotting Die-slicing Unit, Folding Gluing Unit,Stacking Unit(non-compulsory). T-ROC’s automated box making machines are designed to create custom on demand boxes of any dimension eliminating the need for packing peanuts, bubble wrap and other unnecessary fillers. Autobox is a subsidiary firm of Kolbus AutoBox, which started life within the UK, and was established to bring box making machines to North America. To analyse the Corrugated Box Making Machine market based on various elements- price analysis, provide chain analysis, porter five power evaluation etc. This business is without doubt one of the important shoppers of paperboard, producing packing containers and cartons for practically all varieties of business available in the market. Vertical columns provide the very best box efficiency whereas interlocking patterns of boxes considerably reduce performance. The corrugated field market in the US primarily witnesses demand from the meals and beverage industry. Like EMEA, the Americas witnessed a gradual progress in the demand for numerous services and products owing to the financial slowdown throughout 2012-2015. The Corrugated Field Making Machine industry report firstly introduced the Corrugated Box Making Machine Market fundamentals: sort applications and market overview; product specs; manufacturing processes; value buildings, raw supplies and so forth. Carton box making machine products are most popular in United States, Mexico, and Bulgaria. Moreover, it is a B2B enterprise, so, you should be capable to produce a large number of bins to satisfy massive orders from companies. 7. The data equipped is based on a normal sort of manufacturing activity utilizing typical techniques of manufacturing at optimum degree of efficiency. With a turnover of over 200 crores, SPB Machinery presents paper related machines for a wide range of merchandise. However for high-quality boxes virgin Kraft remains to be used. Solarco Machinery was founded in 1990 and specializes within the production of boxmaking machines designed for mid and brief runs. The beginning of 2016 witnessed a gradual increase in the demand for corrugated box making machines owing to the rise within the demand for packaging materials,” provides Gaurav. For partition packing containers the half slotted boards are used which might conveniently be produced over a partition spotter machines. Our crew of in-home experts provides specialized services and products that will deliver your brand to life. International Corrugated Field Making Machine Market 2019report gives key statistics in the marketplace standing of the Corrugated Field Making Machine Manufacturers and is a helpful source of guidance and direction for firms and individuals fascinated in the Corrugated Box Making Machine Trade.

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The Trees and the Forest of New Towers

This article is part of our November Design special section, which focuses on style, function and form in the workplace.

Michael Green has seen the future of the building industry, and that future is wood. Lots of wood. The Vancouver-based architect is among the most ardent proponents of what is known as mass timber, prefabricated structural wood components that can be used to construct buildings — even large-scale buildings — faster, with less waste and eventually with less money.

Most crucially, Mr. Green and others say, building with mass timber can ameliorate climate change because it produces less in greenhouse gas emissions than construction with concrete and steel. And wood has the benefit of storing the carbon dioxide trees absorb during their growth, keeping it out of the atmosphere indefinitely.

“Roughly 11 percent of the global carbon footprint is related to what buildings are made out of,” said Mr. Green, whose mass-timber projects include the T3 office building in Minneapolis (the name stands for timber, technology and transportation) and a pair of buildings for Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, including a research and development facility for the school’s TallWood Design Institute.

Over the next 40 years, he added, it is estimated that nearly 2.5 trillion square feet of new construction will be needed to support growth in the world’s increasingly dense urban areas, according to the 2017 Global Status Report issued by the United Nations Environment Program. “If we continue to build the way we are,” Mr. Green said, “we are absolutely not going to meet any kind of climate objective, and we’re going to change our children’s future forever in a pretty bad way.”

While cutting down trees to make buildings may not sound environmentally sensitive, mass timber supporters argue that wood could be harvested from sustainably managed forests.

Increasing numbers of architects, developers, governments, educational institutions and corporations are embracing wood. In Biel, Switzerland, Swatch Group just completed three buildings said to be among the largest timber construction projects in the world. Designed by Shigeru Ban, an architect admired for his innovative use of wood, the complex includes a serpentine company headquarters wrapped in a spectacular latticed timber facade.

Notably, big players in the tech world are adopting wood. Microsoft is using mass timber throughout its new Silicon Valley campus, while Sidewalk Labs, Google’s sister company, has plans for a new waterfront district in Toronto consisting of wood buildings, some as tall as 30 stories.

“We’re past the tipping point in the acceptance of wood,” said Thomas Robinson, founder of the Portland, Ore., firm Lever Architecture, which recently completed the Nature Conservancy’s local offices and community center using Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood and is working on an expanded mass-timber headquarters for Adidas. “The people who are the innovators, looking for the next thing, a richer experience for their employees or how they live, they’re turning to mass timber.”

The benefits are aesthetic and environmentally responsible, he added. “People just connect to wood in a way that is visceral.”

Mr. Green, who is consulting with Sidewalk Labs on its proposal for Toronto, said mass timber should be embraced for buildings much larger than residential and low-rise structures, which now account for most wood construction. When the seven-story T3 Minneapolis (designed with DLR Group) was completed in late 2016, it was the tallest wood building in the United States. An eight-story residential building in Portland, Ore., called Carbon 12, has since been built.

A second T3-branded property is planned for Atlanta, and other projects are in the works for Nashville; Denver; Austin, Texas; and two are planned for Toronto.

At the end of last year, the International Building Code was changed to allow wood buildings of up to 270 feet tall, or the equivalent of about 18 stories, from 85 feet. The United States code won’t adopt the revised standards until 2021, but some states will allow projects based on the new criteria to be submitted before then.

In Europe, where mass timber began gaining traction nearly 20 years ago, encouraged by aggressive climate policies, wood buildings are rising to new heights. Last spring the 18-story Mjostarnet office and residential tower by Voll Arkitekter in Brumunddal, Norway, became the world’s tallest mass-timber building at 280 feet (including an openwork wood structure on its top).

Just a few months later, the HoHo Vienna, a mixed-use building designed by Rüdiger Lainer + Partner, was nearly the same height but had six more floors.

Enthusiasm for timber, however, is not universal. Some environmental groups have raised concerns about the effects of scaling up wood construction, especially without universal commitments to sustainable forestry. Skeptics also note that there is limited data on mass timber’s long-term impact on atmospheric carbon levels — the full benefit of which is possible only if the wood components used are recycled and not allowed to decay at the end of a building’s life.

There are also deeply ingrained fears around wood and fire safety, and both the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Association of State Fire Marshals opposed the recent updates to the International Building Code, arguing, among other things, that additional fire testing is needed before mass timber can be safely used in tall buildings.

Those who favor timber, however, say far taller wood buildings are possible. Prominent architecture firms like Skidmore Owings & Merrill, PLP Architecture and Perkins & Will have done studies for wood-framed skyscrapers between 40 and 80 stories. The Japanese timber company Sumitomo Forestry has proposed an 1,100-foot, 90-percent wood tower for Tokyo that would be the country’s tallest building of any type.

“We’re already designing at 35 stories,” Mr. Green said, citing a tower he conceived for a development proposed for the Porte Maillot area of Paris.

To be clear, timber advocates are not pushing for a return to old ways of building, before devastating fires prompted large cities like New York and Chicago to ban most new wood construction in the 19th century. Mass timber refers to a variety of different types of engineered wood components, the most common being cross-laminated timber (known as CLT) and nail-laminated timber (or NLT), in which multiple layers of wood planks, stacked at 90 degrees, are glued or nailed together under pressure to form structural panels. So-called glulams, which are made in a similar fashion and have been around for more than a century, are typically used for long elements like beams and columns.

Mass-timber components have a resistance to burning that is relative to their thickness, as extensive tests conducted by the United States Forest Service and the American Wood Council at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Fire Research Laboratory and elsewhere have demonstrated. When mass timber is exposed to fire, the outer layer chars, slowing the burn and creating a protective barrier around the core. In multiple fire tests, mass timber’s performance has consistently exceeded building code requirements.

Wind becomes more of an issue as buildings get taller, one reason that most mass-timber buildings higher than several stories are hybrid structures, incorporating some concrete, steel or both to provide rigidity and weight.

For now, a lot of mass-timber projects are about recapturing the spirit of old industrial wood buildings, albeit updated with 21st-century comforts and technology. In Toronto’s Distillery District, the New York firm SHoP Architects plans to use mass timber for a sprawling five-story retail and office complex inspired by the area’s historic buildings. It will be SHoP’s first mass-timber project, after plans for a much-anticipated 10-story residential tower in Manhattan fizzled a couple of years ago when approvals stalled.

“People want to live and work in these kinds of buildings — they have a sense of connection to the material,” said Chris Sharples, one of SHoP’s founding partners. “And what we’ve seen from fabricators and builders is that there’s a 35 percent drop in construction time for mass-timber buildings, which means the carrying costs are less.”

And, he said, the work sites are quieter and cleaner, generating less waste. “When you live near a job site, it’s noisy, with all of the trucks — it’s a horrible quality of life,” Mr. Sharples said. “You see these wood buildings go up and it’s like a barn-raising in the middle of your block.”

Ultimately, economic and quality-of-life factors are driving mass timber as much as global climate considerations. “People don’t do this for the environmental reasons,” Mr. Green said. “I may, but my clients want to know it’s cheaper.” And it is getting cheaper, as the industry expands and supply chains are developed. Mr. Green’s firm was acquired by the building technology company Katerra, whose enterprises include one of the world’s largest CLT plants in Spokane, Wash.

While he imagines explosive creative possibilities for architects inspired by future technologies like 3-D-printed wood, Mr. Green said climate considerations were paramount. “We need to change the conversation around what to celebrate in architecture,” he said. “This movement is about switching out the concept of what good design is. There has to be a new framework of what we see as beautiful.”

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