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iviarellereads · 6 months

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System Collapse, Chapter 6

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which 57 sources of anxiety sounds low, actually.

The team is not happy. Iris records another briefing, even though it's early for a check-in, and Murderbot hopes that this and the other pathfinder return soon with some insight from the rest of the team, but only counts on it as a way to let them know what happened if the B-Es attack them. Threat assessment puts the chance of a B-E attack low, but mostly because these three and MB aren't much of a threat to at-least-5 and another SecUnit.

And oh, that SecUnit is causing some discussions among the team. MB has to explain that it can't just go around freeing every SecUnit willy nilly, and besides that, a freed SecUnit doesn't instantly become trustworthy. A freed unit might need to be killed anyway, if it goes rogue and attacks the humans. Tarik seems to understand. Ratthi definitely doesn't, but acknowledges that MB is the expert on the matter, and he doesn't want to press it into something it doesn't think is safe. MB appreciates that about Ratthi.

After all that, MB and AC2 arrange a secure connection for Iris and Trinh, the primary "operator" for AC2. Trinh is a little unnerved at a second group of strangers making contact so soon after B-E. MB figures it'd be pretty freaked out at that, too. Iris explains the situation, and Trinh observes that she's saying the same thing B-E did: that she's here to help. MB groans mentally that the colonists have no reason to trust them.(1)

Tarik, Ratthi, and Art-drone strategize on the shuttle, and a lot of time is spent on the potential arguments to be made, and what the colonists might and are likely to know from their sporadic contact and, potentially, spying via AC2's connection to AC1.

On the plus side, AC2 gave MB the location of the B-E shuttle, and the best route to it without alerting them. So, it takes the opportunity to go scout it out. MB grumbles about the lack of cameras in the last section of the path AC2 directs it to, as well as none outside. Preparedness is everything, dangit!(2) Meanwhile, Art-drone has taken a defensive position just inside the hangar.

MB takes some comfort that the colonists might not trust them, but AC2 trusts it. Mostly, computer systems trust easily if you keep things simple and don't try to provoke their boundaries. AC2 wants to protect its humans, and MB has so far showed no sign of wanting to harm them.

So, it provides the team with the video feed where the B-Es are still talking to most of the humans. There's no audio, but Art-drone is interpreting from mouth and facial movements, and they probably understand more than the B-Es do since Thiago's translation module is "clearly better". AC2 vouching for MB won't win over any humans, though. Sometimes not even solid evidence can convince them.

AC2 asks MB why the B-E SecUnit refused a connection request. MB thinks that's a good thing, since normal SecUnits can't hack, only CombatUnits.(3) MB is pretty sure this one's a normal SecUnit, since its armour is very similar to Three's. So, it has to explain to AC2 that it's under the control of a governor module. It doesn't have an answer for AC2's subsequent why (is this allowed)?

By now, MB has made it to the other hangar, where the B-Es landed. It wonders how the B-Es knew to look here particularly. Earlier, Iris asked Art-drone if the B-Es could have followed them in, but Art-drone came to the conclusion that they arrived at least a day earlier, from some gap in Art-prime's pathfinder scanning. Art-drone is miffed enough that it expects Art-prime will be furious.

Still, back in the present, MB realizes it's drifted off again, and Ratthi brings it back to task by noticing a second door. AC2 sends MB a rough map of the installation, and MB shares it with the humans. With nothing better to do, MB decides to stand there and hang out on purpose.

The wind outside gets stronger, screaming through the hangar's crevices. Art-drone says pathfinders confirm the weather is getting worse and it may lose contact with them. AC2 confirms, that matches its weather station data.

MB pulls up some Sanctuary Moon, not wanting to distract Art-drone with something new. After a couple of minutes, AC2 asks what MB is doing. MB explains watching media, and AC2 offers its entertainment partition, and MB has hit a goldmine, though some of the titles don't match words in its language modules. When Art-drone notices, it says these are pre-CR media.

The scene flips(4) over to the now-unredacted incident again, and MB says it's fairly sure the corpse never chewed on its leg, but it's even more sure it saw that happen to a human at some point on a survey mission. It told Art that it (MB) had fucked everything up and that Art and its humans shouldn't want it to do security for them anymore. Art asks why, and MB says something is broken inside it.

Art points out that its wormhole drive is broken. MB says that's fixable, and knows it was a mistake to say so since it really doesn't know all of what happened to Art from Art's point of view, but continues that its flaw is in its organic neural tissue. Art points out that this is how the humans diagnosed it so quickly, and asks if they're disposable when it happens to them. MB grumbles that that's what corporations say. Art says it's not a corpo.

MB tells Art to stop, that this isn't it talking, just its… Art finishes the thought MB trails out of: its certification in trauma protocol, which is obviously useless in this situation. MB says it's for humans, and Art points out that this affects MB's human bits. MB says it's not talking to Art anymore.(5)

The first thought MB has is that it should trade all its media for all AC2's. The second is that its humans aren't going to be staying much longer, whether they go with Art or B-E. At least the situation sucking so bad is a great distraction for how much MB feels it sucks, it thinks, just before realizing it missed something in its distraction.

Trinh invites the team to spend the night in the installation, since the weather is worsening. Iris asks MB if they should, and despite the threat of the B-Es, MB agrees. Art-drone thanks it, and MB knows it's not the only one that was imagining the other SecUnit sneaking up on the shuttle.

Trinh sends them directions, which they don't need with AC2's map, but that put them at the opposite end from the accommodations the B-Es were given. It's a nice gesture, even if it's only a twenty minute walk apart.(6) MB sneaks back through the back corridors to meet up with the others. MB does its best to act like the others, even to folding its hood and helmet back. It's not sure what AC2 has told the colonists about it, and it doesn't want to ask, in case it hadn't told them about MB and this causes it to. MB knows it can't stay a secret, but it wants less interaction with them if possible.

Flash to a clip of it telling Mensah it doesn't know what's wrong with itself, and Mensah saying she thinks it knows, and just doesn't want to talk about it yet.(7)

In the present and in the team feed, to prevent eavesdropping by B-E, Iris says so far, Trinh has rejected B-E's requests to speak to the whole colony. They're only allowing them the smaller group. Ratthi worries what kind of employment pitch they might make, and Tarik says they'll be real good at dressing it up, and this group might be more vulnerable to their manipulation.

Iris says the group seems pretty independent, she thinks the chance of them falling for it is low, but it might not even be in their best interest to leave with the others. If they can forge the charter right, they'd have the right to choose to stay or go as they please. Ratthi adds that it would be even easier if the University comes to study the contamination, offering a means of transport out later as needed. Tarik is about as optimistic about this as MB, which is to say, not very.

MB notices that they all look really tired, and kicks itself as it asks Art-drone how long it's been since they slept. It replies that they were supposed to take naps on the flight in, but nobody could rest. MB feels like it fucked up again, but Art-drone offers that they both fucked this one up.

AC2 notifies them that there's a human approaching, as they near their assigned quarters. Ratthi asks in the team feed if this is a sign of trust, on the system's part. Iris asks Art-drone if that's possible, and it reminds her that they've discussed anthropomorphizing machine intelligence before. Ratthi asks what Art-drone considers human characteristics in this way, and Tarik begs them not to start. There's some lighthearted teasing of Tarik by Art, and Iris laughingly says she's sorry she asked.

The human doesn't have a feed ID, but AC2 supplies a name of Lucia and he/him pronouns when MB asks, since it knows the humans will want to know. Iris thanks him for inviting them in, and he nervously says she's welcome and walks them to the rooms, showing them the facilities. Iris tries to initiate three different conversations, to no avail. The team all worries B-E poisoned the well already.

Iris goes to lay on one of the beds in the other room, while Ratthi and Tarik stay in the first room to talk about what's going on between them. MB is stuck in the doorway between the rooms, monitoring everything in case of attacks. It recalls overhearing a heated discussion on Art after the incident, and learning that it was Ratthi and Tarik having a "sexual discussion". Apparently, this felt like the right time to talk again. MB backburners their audio except for a keyword filter in case they yell for help, plays a nice nothing loop of sound, and stares at the wall.(8)

The humans do, eventually, manage to get some sleep. Art-drone gets MB to watch an episode of World Hoppers. MB thinks about how it has fifty seven unique causes of concern or anxiety, and it can do nothing about any of them. That goes up to fifty eight when Trinh calls to ask for an in-person meeting with them and B-E.

=====

(1) Trust the process. (2) There are reasonable limits, it's true. Being prepared beyond a certain point is just feeding your own paranoia. Just look at all the right-wing "preppers" who keep expecting the apocalypse. But, a certain amount of preparation and expecting the worst can keep you safe in an emergency. Never installing cameras in a whole section of your installation or at the exits is absolutely an error in judgement on some level. (3) I'm sure it means hack something this complex, but… Murderbot, you hack literally all the time. Are you secretly a CombatUnit? (4) It's not lost on me that, now that we know what the redacted incident was, it feels like more pre-CR talk means more flashback and MB being more distracted in the present. (5) If that lasted 5 minutes I'll do something improbable. (6) I dunno, see, this is one of those things where MB is programmed to go past what I think are reasonably pessimistic expectations of danger. It's understandable, this is what it was literally built for, but situationally speaking, I think it's a bit excessive. Nobody wants to make a bad impression on the colonists, if nothing else. (7) Why this conversation? Why now? Why here, right after being worried about the colonists figuring out what it is? (8) Personally, I want all the juicy details, but I can't blame MB for its lack of interest.

#the murderbot diaries #murderbot diaries #system collapse #murderbot #secunit #iris (murderbot)#tarik (murderbot)#ratthi #art (murderbot)#trinh (murderbot)#adacol2

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usafphantom2 · 2 years

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CAATSA or PESA: why did some countries decide not to acquire Russia's Su-35 fighter?

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 01/15/2012 - 18:00 in Military

Russian Sukhoi is finding it increasingly difficult to sell her Su-35 Flanker-E fighter, with at least two countries recently choosing not to make considerable acquisitions.

In December, the Indonesian government announced that it had decided not to proceed with the acquisition of the Su-35s. Jakarta had plans to buy at least 11 Su-35 for $1.14 billion. Indonesia will now acquire the Dassault Rafale or Boeing F-15EX Eagle II.

The country may have ruled against the Su-35 for fear of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which requires the imposition of US sanctions against any country that makes large arms acquisitions from Russian defense companies. However, Jakarta's initial request for the jets was made in early 2018, at least six months after CAATSA became law.

Egypt, which ordered a fleet of Su-35 for $2 billion in 2018, also apparently reversed its decision to acquire at least two dozen Flanker-E. It seems that Cairo is also concerned about the prospect of CAATSA sanctions.

Algeria, long a major buyer of Russian jets and other military equipment, decided, on the other hand, not to buy the Su-35 because it was dissatisfied with the fact that the aircraft still has a passive electronic scanning matrix (PESA) instead of an active electronic scanning radar system (EASA). Egypt is also disappointed with the lack of EASA radar in the jet.

This raises the following question: did Sukhoi lose these customers to the Su-35 for political reasons (threat of CAATSA sanctions) or because of the technological deficiencies of the aircraft compared to other 4.5-generation fighters currently on the market?

The author, historian and journalist of military aviation, Tom Cooper, believes it is a "combination of factors".

In what he called "excessive usual optimism", Egypt signed an agreement for the Su-35 that turned out to be "totally useless and unrealistic".

Cooper noted that the Egyptians have already “swallowed a bitter pill” when they previously sought the Su-30, but obtained the MiG-29M2.

“The Russians promised to re-equip the latter with EASA radars, that is, to update them to the MiG-35 standard, but the years have passed and nothing happened,” he said.

“So they ordered Su-35s, only to find out that this one is equipped with PESA radar, and they would have to wait years (and pay even more) for the Russians to develop a suitable EFSA radar,” he said.

"In addition, they did a test, apparently using the first 2 or 3 Su-35 delivered to Egypt, against their Rafales, and it was discovered that the PESA of the Su-35 is simply no match." (Egypt recently tested the Su-35's Irbis-E radar against the electronic countermeasure system of one of its Rafale jets and, in Cooper's words, "the latter easily surpassed the first".)

All this occurred when the prospect of CAATSA sanctions hovered over Cairo.

“So there was simply no point in paying for what was clearly inferior to the 4.5-generation Western jets available – and then suffering the consequences of ending U.S. military aid,” Cooper added.

In late December, the U.S. Department of Defense hired Lockheed Martin to upgrade Egypt's AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters in the first step to upgrade the Egyptian fleet to the latest AH-64E Apache Guardian standard.

In Cooper's opinion, the moment is not a coincidence, but "a confirmation of US 'carrot and stick' diplomacy".

Carrot and stick, or literally translating "carrot and stick", is used to describe a situation in which, to make someone work harder or achieve another desired result, rewards are offered - and at the same time, threats of punishment are made.

Source: Forbes

Tags: Military AviationRussiaSukhoi Su-35S (Flanker-E)

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work throughout the world of aviation

Cavok Brazil - Digital Tchê Web Creation

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sarkywoman · 3 years

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Writing Asks

Tagged by @under-the-shady-tree, thanks!

20 questions, writer’s edition, let’s go!!

How many works do you have on AO3? 85

What’s your total AO3 word count? 712708

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? Oof, uh... since like, 1999? Um, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Andromeda, Supernatural, Heroes, NCIS, DC, Marvel, The Umbrella Academy, Kingsmen, ASoIaF/Game of Thrones, Borderlands, Community, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, Doctor Who/Torchwood, Final Fantasy, Harry Potter, Misfits, I think I’ve forgotten some...

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Noble Blood (Game of Thrones, ASoIaF - GRRM) A Song of Bastards and Wards (ASoIaF - GRRM, Game of Thrones) Young God (Borderlands) Story and Sorcery (Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel) My Shame is True (The Umbrella Academy (TV))

Do you respond to comments, why or why not? I try to! Comments are so important in the fanfic community and I know how hard it is to think of something to say about a story, even when you’ve loved it to bits, so I don’t want people to feel ignored. Especially because I appreciate comments so, so much! I will say though, I have lapses, often when my mental health isn’t good, where I simply don’t know how to respond to people and then months go by and I feel weird about replying... so sorry if you’ve ever commented on one of my stories and got silence - it was me not you!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? The Aimless One (Misfits (TV 2009)) Straight up the saddest story I’ve written, no question. Normally writing sad stuff doesn’t make me sad but I had to take a break in the middle of this to just try and grapple with the idea I’d had because it tapped into a lot of depressing thoughts I have about life and death in general. The comments were all complimentary but so upset that at first I was like ‘hooray, it had the desired impact’, then after a while I started to think ‘why did I want to hurt people like this?’

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? Probably Realising All You Ever Wanted, a Hobbs/Dirk fic for the Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency fandom. There’s such minor conflict in that one that the sugary sweet ending isn’t out of place.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written? Well. I have some fandoms that are sort of crossovers already, things like Marvel where you have comic versions and movie versions and it doesn’t really feel like a crossover to be picking and choosing. Same with a Dirk Gently/Thor fic I did, because Thor cameos in the DG canon, but not this Thor. I think the most ambitious crossover I’ve worked on was a collaborative chatfic with @freshgratednutmeg that we’re never likely to post, where the need for more background characters in an Umbrella Academy A/o fic led to it being crossed over with Marvel and Brooklyn 99. (Leading to such amusements as Diego sparring with Rosa, and Five competing with Shuri in class.)

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Yeah, but it’s never been very well-reasoned so it’s been fairly easy to dismiss. Some people expect everyone to share their own perspective of the characters and it’s weird.

Do you write smut? If so what kind? Not really. I can go there and have done on occasion, but it doesn’t interest me very much. I think I did it more when I was younger because I felt like it was a necessary aspect of grown-up fanfic writing (when I started I was a teenager amongst mostly adults... or other people lying about their age too lol). These days I’m more likely to fade to black or allude to the acts. But I’m not averse to writing it or anything, but it’s never the focus of my story.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Only in the sense that I see them on other sites I didn’t upload to, sometimes in other languages, sometimes not. They normally say my name somewhere on them so they’re not stolen as such, but it’s still uncomfortable to see my work circulated to other sites without my permission.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Not with my permission, but yeah. I don’t know how to feel about translations. Obviously I want people of other languages to be able to read my work, but at the same time I’m not fluent enough to be able to check the translator’s work, so I won’t know if they’ve done any better than google. Word choice is pretty important in fiction. A bad translation can totally warp a text.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Not for posting or sharing, but me and @freshgratednutmeg cowrite all the time.

What’s your all time favorite ship? All time?! That’s impossible to answer. I’m a multi-shipper for starters, in pretty much every fandom I’ve been in. When I find a ship I love, I love it intensely above all others for the duration of the fixation. Then eventually it gets set aside when I find a new fandom. I’m also indecisive enough to not really have an all-time favourite anything.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? A Song of Bastards and Wards (ASoIaF - GRRM, Game of Thrones). I can’t begin to describe the pages of notes I have for this beast. Unless I threw them out, which... scanning my room... is a distinct possibility. Ouch. I’d hoped to parallel the books for a long time with this one, but the amount of work for a project like that is too much when you’re no longer as passionate about the source fandom. I suspect what I might do is scenes with interconnecting notes, just so people get some sense of closure.

What are your writing strengths? Dialogue, baybee! Kinda makes me want to be a scriptwriter. People are always telling me that the characters ‘sound like’ them. I think it’s from reading voraciously from when I was young and being quite a social child, that moving speech patterns and quirks into writing is something that comes very naturally to me. Too natural, in fact, because IRL I write how I speak and that’s not always suited to the situation.

What are your writing weaknesses? Most things other than dialogue. Even thought processes are an internal dialogue, so they’re okay, but then like... a fight scene? A sex scene? Just even... what are their hands doing while they’re talking? How are these people physically present? Where are they? Are they inside, outside, is the building on fire? My descriptive skills are lacking, to say the least. It’s something I’m working on.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I’m not quite sure what’s meant by this. I’m not fluent in anything other than English so I don’t see that would work well for me. I know a few phrases in German/French/Welsh/Latin/Spanish but nothing useful for conversation. Dropping in words can work, if it’s the same way the speaker would use them amidst their English. Most of the time the characters I’m writing wouldn’t be speaking in another language anyway. We can blame the tag-team of English colonialism and American media for that one I think. I think that sometimes authors utilise a character’s language in a way that just exposes how little the author actually knows of the language and that’s a bit cringe for me.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Buffy the Vampire Slayer. None of those are online atm because they’re so so bad XD I should post them just so people can see improvement but... I can’t even read them, they’re hilarious. The most gratuitous self-inserts, the most ludicrous arguments, the most out-of-character romantic declarations.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? Hmm, that’s a quandary. I think I’ll differentiate between favourite to write, and favourite end product. Favourite to write was probably Noble Blood (Game of Thrones, ASoIaF - GRRM) because it was just a romp through my favourite themes. Given it’s one of my most popular stories, I’d say that just proves you should write what you want! I was going to quickly say Young God (Borderlands) is my favourite fic for quality of the finished product, because I pretty much just sat down one evening and spilled it into a word doc then reread it back and thought ‘huh, did I write that? Awesome’. But I’m happy with a couple of more recent things I’ve done for The Umbrella Academy fandom, notably The Price of Parenthood, which is very different to what I usually write and is a look at the life of one of the mothers who gave up her child to Reginald. Also The Water Calls, which was the only thing I managed to write for the recent MerMay event. It took me a little while to puzzle out how it all fit together, then once I had it worked out it came together wonderfully and I was very happy with the tone of it.

Tagging anyone who fancies doing it.

#long post #this was fun #like being interviewed lol

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saladejin · 4 years

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Call An Uber? | 01

BTS x Reader | idolverse au, uber driver!Reader, translator!Reader | Fluff, flirting, super slow burn, angst and hurt/comfort, mature themes and eventual smut

Summary: Your normal life with a normal, yet inconsistent job gets drastically changed when your dreams come true. Sounds boring right?

What happens when all of this occurs, but you’re still doing something you love AND getting a large sum for it? Now there’s something to think about, and it’s definitely not what you’re thinking.

Warnings: Mild swearing, hysterical fan behaviour

Word Count: 7.1k (Chapter 1 is longer than usual)

A/N: Okay, so in my next phase of finally crossposting my works to tumblr, I’m adding this massive multi-chapter fic.

I began this slow-burner (emphasis on slow-burn) a couple of years ago, so it’s easy to see how my writing has changed and evolved throughout.

Basically, I wanted to imagine what it would be like to have one of those ‘chance encounters’ every fan has thought of at least once. Thus, this fic was born, and though it is full of coincidences and wishful thinking, I always try to work realistically to make it enjoyable (and not as foolish as the premise makes it sound).

I hope you enjoy the ride, and feel free to check out the rest on my Ao3 in the meantime while I try my best to transfer everything in an orderly fashion! <3

»»————- << masterpost | next >>　————-««

Reader 1st person POV

Imagine being asked to remember the most boring day of your whole existence. If you're anything like me, then it's a bit hard to recall...but for once I was certain.

Today was that day.

Or it was, until something outrageous happened. Something so unprecedented and so unbelievable that I struggle to recall it at all.

I suppose I'll give it my best shot anyway.

A clear and uneventful morning leading straight into the annoyingly peaceful afternoon, and I had still only picked up and dropped off a measly number of people. Yes, being an Uber driver had its ups and downs, and I had been one for about a year and a half already. It paid decently enough most of the time, and the job just worked hand-in-hand with the flashy new car leaving a gaping hole in my bank account.

Despite all these alleged perks, today had been an obviously gruelling exception.

The lack of activity could be blamed on a number of scenarios, for instance a public holiday or event stirring attention somewhere else. Whatever it was, it was decreasing the number of customers in this usually bustling city of Seoul much to my dismay. I needed good cash, and I’d been working my ass off lately in order to get exactly that. Even closing myself off to social media and other forms of communication with friends helped me focus solely on working nowadays.

I need a real job…

Then suddenly, even as cliché as it sounds, God decided to answer all of my prayers. A loud ding emitted from my phone and I almost veered off the road in sheer astonishment.

“Thank the Lord!” I pulled up quickly onto the curb and examined the Uber request, almost questioning if I had imagined the whole thing out of desperation.

The name read ‘J’. Literally just the letter, boldly sitting in the middle of my screen. I raised an eyebrow, and normally would have considered declining the request if it seemed too prank-worthy, but I needed this job. I didn’t think the person had even registered or used the service before, as there wasn’t a clear rating to be seen anywhere. Once again...I needed this job.

The pinpoint appeared nearby, and luckily it was only about a five-minute drive to reach the destination. It was located just outside a large shopping mall in central Seoul, and even though this was a seemingly quiet day, it shouldn’t have been this empty. There were of course a few groups of people and individual shoppers wandering about, in and out of the entrance looking for easy buys. Even so, I knew this place to be quite popular and to say I was astounded would be an understatement.

There must be something going on in the city somewhere.

Making a grab for my phone about three minutes after looking around for ‘J’, I considered sending him or her a text to ask where they were. The place was basically empty, so spotting someone on the lookout for their ride shouldn’t have been too difficult.

“They mustn’t be out yet.” I clucked quietly to myself, typing out a message to indicate I had arrived.

The gentle hum of my engine was the only sound accompanying me as I waited. After another thirty seconds, I received a short reply of “there soon”. I glanced at the simple words a second time before lightly scoffing.

“Okay ‘J’, I’m in no rush.”

Still amused over the less than eloquent reply, I leant back into my comfortable leather seat and hummed to myself to pass some time. I would’ve usually had the radio going, but for now I wasn’t really in the mood for any background distractions. I liked silence when it was comfortable, and especially in a place such as this shopping mall, it was rare to come by.

The reverie was soon shattered when faint sounds of various screams erupted from somewhere in the distance, and I instantly jerked my head up with squinted eyes to observe the area. Tinted car windows revealed just enough of the area to discern an overall lack of movement.

The paved courtyard outside the mall wasn’t occupied by a single human being, which was even stranger than before. The only moving things I could eventually see where a couple of dirtied napkins being thrown around in the slight breeze, and a ripped paper cup from a popular juice bar rolling around caught in the same fate.

The frantic screaming continued. Should I be worried? The shouting wasn’t in terror or anger, that much I was sure of. I usually would pin it on some brawl breaking out nearby, but these sounds where mostly female when I listened closer. In any sense, it definitely sounded extreme.

I wondered briefly if there was some massive sale happening at a famous clothes brand down the street, causing a flurry of panic within female shoppers. The anticipation from the sounds caused me to tap my fingers on the steering wheel in curiosity.

Then it happened. An enormous group of Korean women and probably a few men, some looking fairly young, flocked around the corner of a building in an intense hurry.

Was the sale here or something??

My eyes widened in shock, as the group only seemed to be growing in numbers. Many were holding their phones out, as if recording something, and I scanned the rapidly moving crowd with anxious eyes to spot the source of the commotion.

Two well-dressed men seemed to be caught in the centre of it all. The pair that stemmed this chaotic crowd were clad from head to toe in designer clothes, including darkly coloured masks and sunglasses, not to mention the hoods covering their heads. The shorter of the two donned a lighter colour palette through a milky white button-up, while the other was dressed in a charcoal black hoodie and black ripped jeans.

They appeared to be trying to escape the bundling mass of people, as they moved quickly and swiftly ahead of the horde in their haste. I gripped the wheel in surprise. The screams where deafening and I could feel them grating my nerves. I hoped my client would not be caught in this mess. I wanted out, and I wanted out as soon as possible.

Maybe they’re famous, maybe idols?

A small excitement sparked at that thought, but I was still daunted by the scene playing out in front of me. If they were idols, I felt incredibly sorry for them. This was a clear breach of privacy and personal space, and they didn’t deserve it at all. This was the reason for hatred against K-pop fandoms all around the world.

“Who do they think they are?” I found myself muttering, eyebrows furrowing in disappointment.

Suddenly, the more brightly dressed man glanced around and pointed directly at my car, turning to his well-built friend to shout something following a flurry of gestures. I stiffened and my breath hitched when both started sprinting towards me, their fans following desperately to try and at least touch them.

Oh no.

My breathing sped up and the situation finally dawned on me. The empty mall, the shady name and blunt text response. The timing…

I unlocked all my doors and gripped the wheel harder, if that was even possible. The mass of people followed the two guys as they drew closer to my car, and I prayed to God that they didn’t leave any scratches or dents by the time I was gone. The one that acknowledged me first reached the car, and I jumped slightly when he opened the passenger door and clambered in swiftly. The other darkly dressed one threw himself in the backseat next and I jumped again when both doors slammed shut simultaneously.

“Hello!” The first guy cleared his throat from where he sat next to me and I could see he was bouncing his knee in apprehension, obviously wanting to scoot the fuck out of there, but still trying to be polite towards me. His breathing was shallow, and I could see large beads of sweat rolling down the side of his half-hidden face. I was in no mood to sit around and ponder about him.

“To hell with this!” I exclaimed with a squeak, and the second after the passenger door closed I shifted the gearstick and floored the pedal. Making sure that no people were in my way before skidding slightly around the pick-up bend. Only the sound of one singular hand slapping the boot of my car made me wince, but I was glad there was no other physical contact on my precious red Hyundai.

Only the sound of laboured breathing could be heard amongst sighs of relief as we pulled away from the mall. I looked into the rear-view mirror to see some people giving a hearty chase down the road, but most of the fans had broken away and were just waving towards my car as we rolled down the street.

Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I could feel a small smile resting on my face at the thought of escaping something like that. What a turn of events for this tedious day! A muffled gasp caught my attention and I looked into my mirror again to see the darkly dressed guy’s eyes screwed shut as he laughed breathlessly, one hand slapping his knee. His friend was just leaning his head back against the headrest as he gulped in large breaths of oxygen through his plump lips. They had both pulled down their masks and lifted their shaded glasses to catch their breaths, but the sight caused my own eyes to widen dangerously.

Holy shit on a stick, Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook are sitting in my car. What in the ever-loving…

My breathing hitched at the realisation, but I continued to drive steadily. The thing I needed to focus on most of all was getting away from the crazy population of the city. I knew internally I was freaking out a little at the thought of members of my favourite boyband sitting in my own car, but I kept it under wraps knowing they would definitely not appreciate another bout of whatever that shemozzle was before.

I guess nothing goes unnoticed when you’re that famous. Why the hell were they alone?

Jungkook stopped laughing as he looked at my wide-eyed and slightly terrified expression. He suddenly grew apologetic due to his unexplained laughing.

“Sorry, uh, just how you drove off… sorry.” His voice died down as he gradually started to regain his composure, and I watched a shy demeanour suddenly take over his form, as if he had been hit with a realisation of overstepping his bounds. Jimin just turned and glanced pointedly at him, and then back at me to search wearily for a response.

“No it’s fine, I’m just a tad shaken,” I huffed out an exasperated breath, amusement showing on my features at the maknae’s sudden behaviour change. The idol next to me cleared his throat as I turned another corner, luckily no traffic barred my way and I was easily able to fly down the main road.

“We’re very sorry for what happened back there, that was probably quite troublesome for you. We apologise for the inconvenience.”

“Seriously don’t worry. You guys definitely needed an escape from…that. I’m glad to help, honestly.” I smiled to ease any worry radiating from the two flustered boys. “J, right?”

I glanced upwards into the mirror to lock eyes with Jungkook, not missing the way Jimin tried to conceal a smirk from the younger member. “Ah, he’s not that creative with names it seems.”

The older boy’s melodic speaking voice caused my lips to part in an involuntary breath of awe. I had always loved Park Jimin’s voice, whether it be singing or speaking or doing literally anything. Jungkook’s amused exhale and gentle chuckle also made me quite soft.

“Ah, sorry about my rude message too.” He looked downwards and bowed slightly. I noticed how politely he spoke and my insides turned to jelly once again. I felt warm and fluffy from their pleasant mannerisms.

“Don’t worry guys, how could I expect an essay when you were running for your lives?”

The two boys couldn’t contain their amused smiles as they exchanged another glance, seemingly conflicted. I could tell they didn’t know quite what to do with themselves in this situation, as they surely seldom had to get rides from anyone else other than their own personal drivers. I saw Jimin’s brows crease in concentration next to me, as if he was trying to figure out how to maintain his sense of professionalism. His hands fidgeted with the hem of his shirt anxiously.

“You guys may want to start with an explanation, if that’s alright?” I decided to help them out a small bit. If I could establish a comfortable atmosphere here, it would be much easier to converse and work out what to do.

“I notice that you put the next street over as your destination, but I’m fairly sure you’d both want to go further than that.” I made my point with a raised eyebrow and gestured to my phone sitting on the dashboard, destination showing clearly across the bottom of the screen.

Jimin clicked his tongue and leant in to read my phone more clearly. My skin tingles at his closer proximity.

“Seriously Jungkookie, any other place would’ve been better,” he eventually spoke, and although his tone was whiny with complaint, I could see the traces of a smile dancing across his features. He was obviously trying his best to remain stern.

“Ah, sorry hyung. I didn’t have all that much time in this case, did you forget?”

The cheek of this boy.

Jimin turned around and pointed at the younger boy while failing to hold back a giggle.

“Oi, show some respect you brat.”

Jungkook was snickering to himself, and I couldn’t help the smirk from tugging at my lips involuntarily. The group these guys came from always had this certain dynamic of playful teasing that won over so many fans. I included myself in that list honestly, as I always managed to have a good laugh watching their energetic interactions. It made me feel so youthful, as though an inner child would come out to play even though I was still adolescent at the age of 22.

They were fine joking around with themselves for a bit, but I could tell they were still very conscious of me and my presence in the car. They stopped chuckling and Jungkook cleared his throat noticeably in the back, silently handing over the responsibility of the situation to his elder.

“Um, sorry about that as well,” Jimin began to launch into a heartfelt apology, his bouncy blonde hair lowering with his head in a meaningful bow. I stopped him softly with a smile and made steady eye contact for a couple of seconds. His oak-brown eyes were confused, and I knew he was trying his best to deal with the situation properly. Just as his leader would.

“It’s fine, no more apologies please,” I requested warmly, easing the tension as he leant backwards in his seat to relax.

“I just want to know how you both ended up there, if you don’t mind sharing that is. Also feel free to give me somewhere to drop you both off.”

Jimin glanced over at me once more as if calculating my chances of being a threat. I made sure to keep my expression calm and clear while focusing on the empty road in front of me.

“Do you know us?” the sudden question from behind caused Jimin’s head to snap backwards, and my heartbeat to speed up incredibly. It wasn’t an accusing tone Jungkook used, but more on the curious side. Jimin still showed slight disapproval before turning his gaze back to me, a newfound curiosity also flashing across his features. It seemed he became a little shy after the topic of their fame rolled around, but I could tell he still wanted to know pretty badly.

“I’d consider myself a pretty big fan, not insane but you get what I mean,” I managed to force out, swallowing the lump in my throat at the thought of explaining my admiration for them.

They were literally sitting in my car and I never thought I would be shy, but here I was with an embarrassed blush alighting across my face. Jimin widened his eyes next to me, his mouth parting slightly in his shock. Jungkook inhaled a sharp breath before letting out another hearty chuckle.

“Wow! I never would have known.”

“Neither, I guess you must not be as emotional as many ARMY are when they see us,” Jimin smiled at the thought, and it was easy to say he didn’t mean anything bad by the comment.

“I’m just here to do my job. I’m not usually one to express my emotions that intensely, but I’ll let you both know that you’ve made my entire day.”

I saw Jimin turn his radiant smile towards me with an abashed sound falling from his lips. “Thank you, you’ve done so much for us already. Thank you for rescuing us.”

I saw him throw a questioning glance at Jungkook, who in turn squinted his doe-like eyes in confusion.

“It’s (Y/n). You can use honorifics if you want, but I don’t care much for them,” I explained softly, easing his sudden bout of guilt for not even knowing my name.

“Ah, thanks once again (Y/n)-ssi.”

Both of the boys were nervous, as they had just learned that I was a fan and were probably expecting me to flip out on them at any given moment. I knew Jungkook was shy around girls especially, but even he was kind of uncharacteristically silent in the back.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to freak out on you,” I assured them, keeping my eyes fixated on the road with a mostly amused expression. “I’m curious as to why you guys were alone with no protection out there. That usually doesn’t seem to happen.”

“No, definitely not,” Jimin sighed and I heard Jungkook hum in agreement.

“We didn’t mean to get separated from the others, we were all meant to just be shopping,” Jungkook huffed, and I could tell the young man was still shaken from his escapade from the mall. His large dark eyes were still slightly widened from the adrenaline spike.

“Yeah, everyone was together, and then we weren’t. Then the fans appeared and all we could do was run. Jungkook had to download Uber and make an account and everything on the spot. Lucky you were there because our drivers weren’t going to be around until a few more hours,” Jimin provided, his voice rough and raspy with weariness and relief. I could tell the shorter member was finally beginning to relax in the presence of the vehicle.

“Shit, I gotta call the Boss!” Jimin whipped out his phone and groaned when he discovered a couple of missed calls from his manager already.

I gave him a nod to let him know he could make the call safely. I wouldn’t record it or anything shady like that, I respected them too much and it wasn’t in my nature at all. Jimin gazed over a final time before finally deciding to place his full trust in me. I was already driving the car he was hitching a ride in, so trust honestly couldn't have mattered less when both of their lives were pretty much already cradled in my hands.

“I’d like to thank you as well (Y/n)-ssi, you really did save us back there,” Jungkook commented quietly as he leaned forward so I could hear. Neither of us wanted to interrupt Jimin as he fell into a heated discussion with his manager, or possibly Namjoon from the sounds of his replies over the phone.

“It’s okay Jungkookie, I know you guys deserve a much-needed break after all that. Sit back and enjoy the ride is all I'll say,” I said with a sigh, and finally decided to relax as well by releasing the tension in my muscles to sit more comfortably. I noticed Jungkook smirk cutely at the nickname accidently slipping out, and was just glad that he didn’t find it inappropriate.

“No, I swear she’s fine. She won’t do anything like that hyung,” Jimin’s suddenly louder response caused my smile to drop and my eyes to swivel around to the blonde boy. His temperament had grown agitated and I could see he was having difficulty trying to convince his managers and group leader. His round cheeks were blown out in exasperation, and I could clearly read the worry flitting across his expression.

“Jimin-ssi, if he wants to talk to me he can,” I offered softly so I didn’t spook him, raising my eyebrows in encouragement. We’d travelled a fair way, so pulling over was an option even though it was probably still too dangerous to linger in one place for long.

“No thanks it’s fine, I do trust you.” Jimin shook his head and I couldn’t help but smile at his kind, yet stubborn nature. These boys had no idea who I was, yet they put their faith in me and my driving ability for longer than they even needed to.

Jimin finished up with his call after another few minutes of stressed reassuring.

“Um, (Y/n)-ssi? I have an address I need to put in. If that’s okay.” He turned to me after letting out an explosive sigh, and I nodded towards the phone resting on the dashboard.

“Go ahead, distance isn't an issue.”

Jimin smiled at my response and shyly reached forward for my phone, still trying to be respectful.

“Hyung said it would be ideal if you dropped us off somewhere nearby the dorms so there’s no suspicion, but apparently all nearby areas are swarming with fans trying to figure out what’s going on.”

“Shit,” I breathed, the full realisation dawning on me. If their fans found out who I was, I wouldn’t be left alone for a while. I could imagine receiving threats and loads of unwanted attention, possibly not even being able to leave my house for a few days at the very least.

“So, you’ll have to drop us at the actual dorms then.”

“What?” I questioned in an instant. That sounded like the dumbest thing I’d ever heard.

“Isn’t that the area where most of the fans would be?”

“Well, most likely, but there's security.” Jimin ran a hand down his face as if trying to rub away the sudden bout of stress brought on, and I could fathom just how tired he was from all the rambunctious disorder.

“Why not drive you somewhere far away and get your driver to pick you up or something?”

“I did suggest that, but they just want us back as soon as possible so they can calm everyone down. I don’t mean to be rude, but they can’t exactly know or predict what you’ll do.”

That definitely made sense. Watching another car pull out of the building might also cause the fans to suspect the worst. They could even believe that I kidnapped the two band members instead of saving them. Well, that and there was absolutely no reason for their company to trust me with two of their idols that much.

“Okay, but one of you lend me a mask or something. I’m not going in there with a death wish.”

Jungkook chuckles from the back seat, and I’m slightly startled due to not hearing from the younger boy for a while.

“You’re right though, here you can use mine. I have my hoodie anyway.” A hand appeared next to me holding a familiar black mask, the faint but fragrant smell of a rare cologne wafting around me at the action. Of course, anything he’s worn would smell this expensive. Seeing how normal they can act, it’s hard to remember just how rich they actually are.

“Thanks.” I slipped on the mask and the smell was now stronger. I almost swooned.

“It’s actually not as far as I thought,” I commented when the map displayed the route to take. I knew the traffic was most likely to be more congested in this area than the city mall was before, so I decided to take a couple of back routes.

“Good plan,” Jungkook piped in with a nod and I saw the excited grin plastered on his face.

“What are you so happy about?” Jimin scoffed with a raised brow.

“I dunno, just this whole thing is so… exciting? Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Jungkook replied while trying to smother his grinning, but failing miserably.

“True, you guys would usually be living a careful life, right?” I decided to join in. Jimin and Jungkook didn’t seem to be shy or guarded around me as much as they were, but I knew they were still keeping face amongst all the drama.

“Of course, we don’t want our precious fans to worry about us,” Jimin went on in a level tone, his hand flying up to emphasise his point. I still couldn’t get over how captivating his voice sounded in person, and how it was this close to me...

“Speaking of fans, you’re an ARMY?” Jungkook’s cheeky lilt gained my attention and caused me to look up and lock eyes with him in the rear-view mirror.

“What of it?”

I try to suppress my sharp exhale of amusement, but fail miserably as well. Kookie’s adorable expression of playful confidence, bordering on egotistical even, made the laughter bubble up.

“Well, obviously you’d have a favourite, a bias.”

The question causes me to now laugh loudly, smacking the wheel once.

“Ah, I should’ve seen this coming honestly.”

Jimin clicked his tongue at his junior band member. “As if it matters.”

His voice is also playful, and I can tell he’s just as curious as the maknae by how he looks across at me with raised eyebrows and a small knowing smirk adorning his full lips. They were both taking this as a joke, and I was not going to be any different.

“Of course it matters Jimin, this is the question that decides my fate,” I feigned offense, and watched as his smile caused his eyes to disappear in the cutest, squishiest way imaginable.

Before I could say anything else, an embarrassed blush swarmed my cheeks as I spluttered, “Oh crap, I forgot the honorific.”

“Its fine,” Jimin assured. “You mentioned you don’t care for them before, so I can live without it.”

I smirked at him and shook my head slightly. “You’re actually too nice.”

His melodious chuckle was then interrupted by the mischievous maknae in the back.

“Hey, don’t change the subject hyung. Who’s your favourite member (Y/n)?” I noticed he took instant advantage of the honorific drop, and almost slipped an amused snort.

“Well it’s not either of you, that’s for sure.”

I knew they could tell there was a certain level of sarcasm in my tone, but they still let out varying noises of defeat.

“What, no way. It must be Jin-hyung then,” Jungkook groaned and I couldn't contain a giggle. His narcissistic nature was showing, and this time I wasn’t even sure if it was a joke or not. Jimin chose to pipe in as well, obviously enjoying the mystery that was my ‘supposed Bangtan bias’.

“Nah, I reckon it’s Tae. She’s weird enough to be a perfect match for him.”

Oh my, he really went there.

Both of the boy’s breath hitched, as if they thought I was going take offense and kick them out on the curb.

“Honestly, if you think Tae’s weird then I’m a whole other level. Although I guess I can never know who you guys are behind the screen.”

Jimin visibly relaxed after hearing me take the joke, but then grew serious again after my last comment.

“We’re fairly genuine to our fans, as much as we can be,” He defended, but wasn’t insulted. Jungkook nodded in agreement from the back, still smiling from the joking around that happened before.

“Of course, that’s why you’re one of my favourite groups, but you have to admit it is kind of impossible for someone like me to make a judgement on someone I’ve never met.”

“That is true, I guess. We really do try hard for you guys. I never thought super hard about that,” Jimin looked upwards as he pondered, and I felt proud that I’d gotten more than enough glimpses of both their true natures just from this simple car ride. Though, realistically they could be phenomenal actors and I wouldn’t know any different.

“We may be one of your favourite groups, but I’m still waiting for the member~,” Jungkook started lowly from the back, his sentence breaking off into his famous high pitched giggle when he saw my deadpan expression staring him down in the mirror. Jimin joined in and I sighed in defeat.

“Okay. I don’t have one.”

There’s a small silence, but both boys explosively let out sounds of understanding.

“Ah, you’re one of those.”

I was about to question what Jimin meant, but Jungkook cut me off.

“I was just about to pin her as a Yoongi stan.”

The sudden and serious statement made me cackle, although the sound was muffled by the black fabric of the mask over my mouth.

“Oh boy, you have absolutely no idea. My best friend…” I trailed off as laughter gripped me, almost causing me to veer off the road uncontrollably.

“Jesus Christ, watch out!” Jimin breathlessly squeaked as he made a grab for the wheel to steady the moving car. I gripped the wheel harder in fear, but amusement washed over me once again.

“Hyung did your voice just-”

“Shut up.”

I couldn’t stop the amused snort, but managed to regain control. My chuckles were now borderline wheezes, and I could hear Kookie in the back sharing the same demise.

“As I was saying,” I began, but erupt once more as the memory of Jimin’s voice crack surfaced back to the front of my mind. Jungkook is in shambles, but Jimin is just sitting with his head buried in his hands next to me, shoulders shaking as he tries to avoid his inevitable embarrassment.

“Stoooop.” He drawled it out and reached behind him to smack the chortling maknae on the knee somewhat harshly. I knew he hated the fact that he just got embarrassed in front of some stranger, who had also been established as a pretty avid fan. Poor Chim.

“You forget I’ve seen videos of your many embarrassments,” I offered in between chuckles, and caught the moment his face scrunched up in an adorable cringe. A sigh of defeat fell from his lips. “Yeah, I give up.”

He still chuckled and shook his head, the tinkling sounds causing me to bring a hand up to clutch my chest dramatically. Both boys laughed cutely once again at my reaction, Jimin’s eyes disappearing as he covered his face with one small hand.

“You sure you’re not a Jimin stan, noona?” Jungkook chimes in. I raised a brow and decided to skilfully avoid the question.

“Ah, so you picked up that I’m older than you?”

Jungkook stopped, his jaw going slack at the sudden question, and I found myself face to face with his widely memed blankness instead. I almost can’t contain myself.

“Oh, yeah maybe? It kind of actually just slipped out.”

I find myself giggling at the return of his shy persona, and he smiled bashfully at the floor in response. His tongue pushed out one of his cheeks in shame.

“Yah, don’t assume such a thing,” Jimin chuckled, obviously grateful that the heat was finally off of him.

“Don’t worry, I’m the same age as Jiminie I believe,” I decided to help the poor boy out, craning my neck forward to check the next turn off for oncoming cars.

We were actually almost to the destination, and the trip had flown by way too quickly. After Jungkook made a noise of comprehension, Jimin looked around suddenly and grunted in surprise.

“Crap, I was meant to call Namjoonie back a few minutes ago.”

“What are you doing hyung?” Jungkook chided in flippant scolding, to which Jimin responded with another angered slap. He brought out his phone and dialled a number quickly, obviously not concerned that I could very well easily read and memorise it in two seconds flat.

As If I would anyway.

I fell silent as Jimin waited for the phone call to connect.

Jungkook 3rd person POV

Jungkook also waited, breathless at the thought of how dire the situation was to their careers as a whole. This was such a strange occurrence to the famous band members, and he thought about how normal and relaxed the car ride had actually been when compared to how awkward they thought it was going to turn out.

When Jungkook had made the Uber request originally, he and Jimin were prepared to face the worst. Anyone who had the opportunity to drive a car unsupervised with two famous idols in tow could easily turn the tables and expose them more, or maybe even do worse things…

He shook his head at the thought and silently swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He glanced over to your form sitting in the driver’s seat, stiffened slightly due to the very important call being made.

You had been nothing but kind and understanding so far, not to mention hilariously easy going. Jungkook found himself respecting you immediately. You could have freaked out and demanded autographs or photos from them at any time. You could have decided to not drop them off where they wanted and just continued to drive for eternity. You could have even taken them anywhere you wanted to, but no, you listened to them, respected their privacy and even agreed to risk your reputation to drive them into their dorms where countless fangirls could eat you alive if they found out.

You were just amazing, and Jungkook knew his hyung felt similarly. Well, considering how he defended you without question before when Namjoon probably jumped to conclusions, it was evident that Jimin trusted you too.

Jungkook was completely numb from bewilderment. Everything could have gone wrong for them in their haste to escape the mob of their excited fans, but it didn’t, and it was all thanks to you.

These types of people drive our purpose, we’re so happy to have reached you.

Although if he was honest, he wouldn't mind at all if you got all flustered and cute while gushing over him. Just a little bit.

Reader 1st person POV

I watched as Jimin jerked the phone away from his ear suddenly, a loud voice booming loudly through the tiny speaker to reach even my ears. Jimin’s face winced as he brought the phone back to his ear hesitantly.

“We’re so sorry for the mess Sir, but it worked out.”

I knew that he was most likely talking to his manager or director with how his language changed. He ruffled his blonde hair anxiously and continued to listen to the voice on the line, eventually digging his teeth into his bottom lip in another bout of anxiety.

“Wait, we’re almost to the dorms, she’s got a mask on and everything-” Jimin was cut off and my eyes darted in between him and the road ahead to try and figure out what was happening. His breathing sped up and I could see his own eyes meeting mine a few times worriedly.

What is going on?

We were getting close to the dorms, and I had already noticed how the housing had become wealthier the more I drove through the city. The streets were becoming beautiful and cleaner. I knew that the boys lived in most likely the richest place in the city, and this place was by far the definition of that.

One thing I also noticed is that there were a few groups of girls dotted here and there that were walking or sitting around the footpaths. Some even saw my car and started pointing and taking photos while jumping up and down.

“Well, there goes my anonymity.” I sighed and slumped further in my seat, as if to hide my face better than it was already hidden. The only sound as I drove onwards was Jimin’s occasional reply into the phone next to me. His responses were becoming less worried, but still sounded unenthusiastic.

“Yes, I understand, okay I’ll tell her,” Jimin murmured and I held my breath at the sound of the call being hung up. My curiosity was nothing short of burning, and I instantly turned to the blonde boy when he looked at me pointedly.

“Um, our manager needs you to come in with us so you can speak with him and sign some stuff.”

I look forward again and nod once in understanding. “Yeah, I knew this would most likely happen. Confidentiality, right?”

I crack a smile at the thought of actually going in and meeting the famous Bang Sihyuk, CEO and founder of Bighit Entertainment.

“Wow,” I breathed after fully wrapping my head around what was happening.

“I guess you never thought this would happen.” Jungkook chuckled from the backseat, and I scoffed in disbelief.

“Yeah it’s not every day you meet two members of Bangtan and their producer.”

The sarcasm was heavy, and the two boys grinned in amusement. Jimin leant forwards to rest his forehead on the dashboard in a weary manner. “Ah, I’m so sorry for forcing you into this mess (Y/n)-ssi.”

“What did I say about apologising? I love you guys and your music; this is the least I can do to repay you for all the happiness you have brought me.” My voice became emotional and quiet as I let out all my pent-up feelings. I didn’t know how exactly I could express my bundling thoughts into formed words, but I felt as though that might have been just enough to let them know how ecstatic I truly was that this miracle had happened to me.

“You must be an angel,” Jimin smiled at me so sweetly and genuinely that I had to rip my gaze away from him in order to prevent tearing up. I heard Jungkook sigh in awe at my words, and I looked up to see him smiling shyly at the ground before glancing forward.

“Devoted fans like you are the reason we have made it this far, (Y/n).”

Jimin turns his head and gives Jungkook a look that says 'Well that was fucking sappy' but I can’t help but smile wider and let out a tiny gleeful squeak unknowingly.

His words had caused my emotions to storm again, and I was so fortunate to hear them in person that I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I gripped the wheel tighter so I wouldn’t let go and do anything stupid. Since I had my mask on, they could only see my smile through how my eyes and cheeks bunched up, but unfortunately the mask wasn’t large enough to cover my entire face.

“Awe you’re so cute when you blush like that!” Jimin laughed loudly, reaching out to poke my reddening skin. I gasped and knocked his hand away softly with one of my own.

“Leave me alone, I can’t control it or anything.”

Jungkook was also sniggering in the back, his cheeky nature making a comeback as I shook my head to try and rid myself of the heat.

“Sorry for that noona.”

Now he was using the word to tease me, and I fought the urge to slap him like Jimin did before. “Silly boy, I swear you’ll never make me blush again.”

“You sure about that? I’ll accept the challenge.”

“And we’re here!” I dragged out the first word to hopefully try and cut him off. I could still hear him giggling in the back, his knowing smile holding an impish quality.

The sight before me was spectacular, if that was even enough to sum it up. The area in which BTS lived was absolutely breathtaking, and I knew that this was in fact one of the, if not the richest place in all of Seoul.

The gardens were marvellously well grown and maintained, while the architecture seemed to gleam and glow in the sunlight, too perfectly constructed to be true. Modern was also an understatement, as this place seemed borderline futuristic. To describe it in one word, glorious.

“I don’t even know if someone like me should go in there,” I stammered, my voice cracking multiple times in sheer astonishment.

“Don’t be silly, how else are we gonna get in there?” Jimin joked and I snorted lightly at his change of demeanour.

“Walk, silly.” I shared a cheeky glance with the maknae behind me when Jimin gasped.

“Rude, and here I thought you were a fan?”

“I’m joking Jimin, alright how do we actually do this?” I looked around and saw a parking space out the front of the main building. Jimin gestured towards it and nodded, giving me the go to proceed.

There were no fans lurking around this place due to the security, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape any photographers if they were there. Luckily we had only a few brief, yet concerning encounters with the fans while driving in to the complex itself.

If Kookie hadn’t given me the mask I would be dead meat cooking on a spit.

I parked the car carefully and fell back into my seat with a sigh. Jimin and Jungkook eyed me with concern clouding their features.

“We’re so-”

“Park Jimin, will you eventually heed my words?” I tilted my head and blinked rapidly at him with a smile on my face. He sees my playful, yet tired expression and shakes his head with an annoyed groan.

“I probably will never stop apologising for the trouble we’ve caused.”

I sighed again and exaggerated a pout, borderline mockery if you will. Jungkook let out a huff and a click of his tongue indicated the long-awaited comeback of his cocky attitude.

“Come on hyung, she already said it doesn’t matter.”

His tone caused Jimin to narrow his eyes towards the back accusingly, and I watched as the younger member sat back down, satisfied with the reaction.

“Thank you maknae,” I rolled my eyes and suppressed a chuckle at his scoff, catching Jimin’s amused and appreciative look. I observed around one more time before turning my gaze upwards to glance at the building next to us.

“Okay it’s now or never boys, run and don’t look back.”

170 notes · View notes

indiavolowetrust · 4 years

Text

Matthew 7:7

SUMMARY: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Satan tutors a particularly curious, chatty student.

Notes: This MC is based on various female saints. Prior to falling into the Devildom, this MC lived in Catholic rural Spain -- hence the name Maria Cruz (MC). This fic explores the possibility of demons having their own language outside of the MC's native language, as well as Satan's inner wrathful nature.

My head pulses with the reverberation of the rain, the battering against the windowpane a thunderous, steady march. While I can’t quite fathom how the Devildom has changes in weather -- outside of temperature changes, that is -- it is difficult to do anything but take the anomaly in stride. In a realm crowded with demons, angels, and beings dangerously akin to monsters, it would be only a headache to dwell on it. A waste of time.

But aside from that, it is comforting. A vague resemblance to a typical autumnal rain. If I close my eyes for a moment, I can almost imagine that I am in one of Sister Marta’s classes again: bored, tapping my pen against the wooden desk, and on the verge of sleep, the sound lulling me into a placid state. Sister Marta would drone on and on about the syntax and grammar of Latin, citing various points in scripture. My pen would scrawl doodles and notes alike, creating looping whorls on my paper. And the occasional running line for each time I nodded off, of course. The storm would rage on and on, drawing my eyes to the rivulets of droplets on the window, and my patience and attention would slowly slip into nothingness.

I regret doing so each and every day that I spend in the Devildom.

I take another glance at the two books strewn on the desk, attempting to focus again. A compilation of notes sits beneath my hand, the two tomes in Latin and Enoch flipped open to what should be the same page. My fingers cramp from writing so much, protesting the constant workload, but I wholly ignore the sensation. If I had paid more attention in Latin class, I would be able to translate Enoch better. If I hadn’t drifted off so much and ignored Sister Marta, I wouldn’t have such a noticeable accent when speaking to the demons of the Devildom. If I hadn’t spent so much time daydreaming about the end of the school day, I wouldn’t have embarrassed myself upon my first arrival in the Devildom. My skin still bristles at the memory: my complete bewilderment, combined with the Lord Diavolo’s lack of foresight to provide me with a translator, had only led to disaster.

A complete idiot, some part of me says, chiding me. You looked like a complete idiot, spouting off nonsensical phrases in Latin.

Then again, it wasn’t as if I had really believed in demons or angels before. How was I supposed to know that the language of the demons was only a derivative of Latin?

Another clap of thunder nearly shakes the House of Lamentation’s foundation. I read the hands of the grandfather clock: it is only half past midnight. Plenty of time to finish the last five pages of translations and vocabulary practice. I will myself to understand the texts before me, gripping the pen tightly in my hands. I force my eyes to focus. If I am to survive the remainder of my exchange year at RAD, I would have to do a much better job at hiding my humanity -- starting with disguising my Spanish accent. But the words only blur in my vision again, the call of sleep urging my eyelids to close, and I feel myself sway unsteadily in the chair. The stress and fatigue from work hits me all at once. The lull of the storm sings to me, exacerbating my exhaustion. My pen begins to drift off the paper. My head nods forward.

“Maria?”

I blink, immediately forcing myself back to consciousness again. My eyes scan the library, drawing itself over rows of bookshelves and dark mahogany tables. The dim lamp on the desk is dim and flickering, casting long shadows across the room.

And Satan stands in the doorway, looking just as surprised as I am.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, hand still on the doorknob.

I glance down at my notes. I’ve drifted far enough into sleep that I’ve drawn a crooked line over the preexisting words, I realize with embarrassment. I quickly hide the ruined sheet. “Just studying,” I respond. “It’s -- it’s late, isn’t it? What are you doing here?”

Satan arches a brow. “Well, aren’t we curious?”

“Ah, I didn’t mean --”

“No, no, it’s fine,” he dismisses, throwing a smile my way. It does nothing to disarm me, nor does it ease my sense of embarrassment. He reaches one of the bookshelves in the corner of the room with long strides and pulls a book off the shelf, evidently acquainted with the contents and layout of the library. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I would read something to relax. I left one of my favorite novels here.”

I nod, trying to hide my discomfort. “I see.”

I look down on my notes again, reading over the newly written content, but I make sure to keep a wary watch over Satan out of the corner of my eye. While traveling to the human world with Satan, Lucifer, and Mammon had helped in forming the bonds between Satan and Lucifer, I cannot say the same for myself. Only a few weeks have passed since Satan’s outburst. Since his threats of, verbatim, slicing off my nose and ears, ripping off my arms and legs, and feeding me to the lower-level demons. While it is easy for someone like Lucifer to simply overlook the transgression, being a demon, it is much more difficult for a human like me to forget the terrifying experience. Satan had clearly meant to make good on his word. If Lucifer hadn’t stepped in, I would likely be nothing more than a pile of torn flesh and bone.

“You’ve gotten pretty proficient,” Satan’s voice says over my shoulder.

I nearly startle out of my chair, turning towards the source of the voice. Satan stands to the side of the desk, leaning as he regards my notes. His gaze draws itself over my notes and the tomes with interest. I shrink back instinctively from his presence, still caught in surprise. Thankfully, he doesn’t notice. The wrathful demon simply nods, as if satisfied by my work.

“So this is how you’ve become fluent so quickly,” Satan remarks, green eyes lighting up. “Tell me, are all humans like this?”

I shake my head. “Not really. It’s -- I just figured it would be a good idea if I learned more Enoch,” I explain hastily, my hands already working to close the tomes and collect my notes. “Didn’t want a repeat of the first few weeks of school.”

“Well, it was almost incomprehensible when you first started.”

My cheeks flush. “I --”

“And you’ve improved significantly,” he says. “You should be proud of yourself, human.”

There it is again: that brilliant, faux smile. I merely nod in acknowledgment and utter a small thank you as I gather the rest of my things, closing each tome with finality. Satan steps back as I stand from my seat, bearing various notes, notebooks, and a pen in my hands, and I do my best to offer him a smile in return. A goodbye gesture of sorts. If I am to have my choice in the situation, I will not spend another moment in Satan’s presence. Not alone, anyway. It is late, as it is. He probably wouldn’t be too offended if I made the excuse of exhaustion. I begin to make my way past him, the excuse falling from my lips.

Satan catches me by the arm. I flinch as I regard him, both the surprise and fear registering on my features before I can stop myself -- and Satan lets go immediately, the facade slipping almost imperceptibly. He draws his hand back to his side, the action creating distance between us once more. I stare awkwardly at him for a moment.

“I can tutor you, if you would like,” Satan finally says, breaking the silence. “Tomorrow, same place.”

Say no. Just outright refuse, my conscience advises, attempting to build my resolve. You can tutor yourself just as well as that demon can. Just say no and he’ll leave it alone.

* * *

The tip of the pen emerges from its casing with a gentle click, Satan’s fingers wrapped securely around its base. His eyes scour my written translation for a moment, peering over the frames of his reading glasses. He scratches corrections onto the paper after a moment, then pushes the notebook towards me. His pen taps on the various scrawlings.

Satan pushes his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, “This word is pretty close, but there are too many connotations for it,” he explains. He writes out various characters in Enoch, pronouncing the syllables of each word. “It’s a bit more formal, but it’ll probably get your point across a little more clearly. Your professors will probably appreciate that.”

I take a look over Satan’s writings, comparing them to the text. As promised -- or mildly coerced, depending on how I regard the circumstances -- Satan had met me in a small library of the House of Lamentation, at least several high-grade novels and other books piled high before him. And, as expected, Satan is nothing but strict in his teachings. Each wrong stroke of an Enochian character leads to a quick, ruthless correction, Satan immediately scratching out the mistakes. Each wrong pronunciation of a word in Enoch incites a tsk from him, his typical gentlemanly countenance making way for his true nature. While it is somewhat reassuring that the demon no longer feels a need to hide his nature from me -- therefore making his outbursts more predictable if they do occur -- I still can’t quite shake the discomfort. The contrast between his outward and inward nature is unsettling.

I sigh inwardly, dispelling the thought. If I had really wanted to refuse, I should have done so right then and there. Because I was given a choice, wasn’t I? An implied choice. I could have said no. I could have refused. But then a memory had suddenly occurred to me, and I found myself completely stripped of my will.

Don’t you dare trifle with me, human, Satan’s voice echoes, the memory still fresh and palpable. If you dare say that you won’t make a pact with me again, you’ll pay for it with your --

“What’s wrong?” asks Satan, casting a glance at the space underneath my pen. Empty. “Is there something you don’t understand?”

I blink, then quickly shake my head. “No, I was -- I was just thinking about something.”

“Like what?”

My mind searches for an excuse, eyes inadvertently scrutinizing his appearance. While one would normally wear something more comfortable and casual for bed, Satan is dressed in an almost formal sweater and sweatpants that could be taken for slacks, his hair still perfectly mussed and styled from the school day. Nothing about him is undone. The meticulously thought-out details make me feel nearly out of place with my borrowed, oversized sweater, pyjama pants, and pineapple-like bun of curls sitting on top of my head. A slovenly effort when compared to Satan.

My eyes land on the reading glasses perched on top of his nose.

“Do you need those?” I ask, distracting myself from my own thoughts. “I always imagined demons were all-powerful. Did you have to go to a doctor in the human world to find your prescription?”

Satan looks surprised for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected me to comment. Or notice, depending on how low his expectations of humans are. “Well, no, but I thought they seemed appropriate.”

“You thought I would learn faster if you looked the part?”

“You like to ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” he counters, clearing his throat. “Curiosity killed the cat -- isn’t that what you humans always say?”

“‘Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back,” I recite, correcting him. I lean in closer to peer at his glasses, my curiosity overtaking my unease around the demon for a moment. The glass is thin, free of any curve in the glass. Moreover, they bear a plain yet distinctive design -- akin to what a gumshoe in a noir novel would wear. My mind flashes back to the book he had pulled off the shelf the other night. “They aren’t real.”

Satan gives me a withering look. “If you knew that, then why did you ask?”

“You’re wearing them because you want to look like Detective Vic Stone from Masking the Shadow,” I observe. Satan’s impassive facade falls for a moment, his flustered state suddenly apparent, and a sense of victory nearly quirks my lips into a smile. A strange sense of victory over the wrathful, figuratively masked demon -- but a victory nonetheless. “You can correct me if I’m wrong.”

Satan brings a hand to his face, partially obscuring the flush over his features. “You try my patience too much. If you have any other questions, I would suggest you ask them now.”

“Just one.”

“I’ll make sure to bind your mouth next time.”

“How much would you like to be paid per session?” I ask, ignoring his words. “I work part-time, so there isn’t really a --”

He cuts me off. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” I echo, confused. “If this is because you think me incapable of compensating you, you are sorely mistaken.”

He sighs, obscuring his face as he focuses his attention back on the Enochian tome. Adjusts his glasses again. “Why wouldn’t I?” Satan says matter-of-factly, as if I should be aware of the answer. “That would be like refusing to take home a kitten in the rain. There’s no reason why I wouldn’t help you.”

“But --”

My words die in my throat as Satan places his hand on my head, patting my pineapple-like bun of curls as if I were truly a pet. That fake, polite smile graces his features once more. “You ask too many questions,” he says, his tone halfway to a threat. “Work.”

part 2

#obey me shall we date #obey me!#obey me satan #obey me fanfic #original character #writing #writing practice

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thekaijudude · 5 years

Text

Bandai 2020 Catalog List LEAKED

So a few of my sources are saying that this is the Bandai 2020 list of merch, mostly just reissues of old items but I bordered a few items that I would like everyone to pay close attention to

And note that there's some MAJOR info drop here

From the top:

1. DX New Generation Eye & (Untranslated)

So ignoring the second item first cause it's not translated but likely related to the first item

Judging that the item is an 'Eye', I wouldn't necessarily say that it's Zero's henshin item cause Zero technically already has Zero Beyond accessed using the New Generation Capsules

So it's safe to say that it's likely Taiga's new henshin item

Which means that going back to one of my earliest predictions, it's very possible that Taiga will use some form of Ultra Overlapping to fuse with all the New Gen members

Which also means that the second untranslated item is likely gonna be the weapon for the new fusion

2. Ultraman Reiga

Welp, I think everyone forgot about this trademark cause it seemed fake

Maybe this whole list could also be fake but let's just examine this abit further

If we all remember what Taiga said at his first series conference that he explicitly stated that 'The New Generation is in good hands'

So it'll sort of make sense if Reiga isn't actually a Trinity fusion (cause TS kind of already is anyways) but actually a fusion of all the New Gen members

And it's probably a pure fusion considering that the Ultra has a totally new name here which is gonna be OP as hell to see

And tbh if like Zero which gained SCZ and LMZ from being Saga, I won't be surprised if Taiga gets like 10 new individual forms each based on a New Gen Ultra after the movie

(And tbh I won't be surprised if Zero's also included in the fusion)

3. Grimmudo

So y'all can remember this trademark which was released alongside the Shin Ultraman trademark which everyone thought he was gonna be the villain for the Shin Ultraman movie

Tho as stated in said post that it seems REALLY weird that Gimmudo will be the villain for a reboot cause of his relatively outlandish title of 'Jashin Majuu' (Evil God Demon Beast)

And itll definitely make more sense if it's the villain for the Taiga movie

HOWEVER

This also means that Toregia will not be the villain for the Taiga movie, that also means that we could probably see Unsealed Toregia at the end of the Taiga movie cause as seen with Imitation Belial and Ura (that clusterfuck kaiju), the Q2 scans have fooled us all

But it's likely that Toregia would still be pulling off another fake death once again if only the Tri Squad and Zero are present. And more likely than not, it still be likely that Toregia will 'die' against the Quattro Squad Blaster

BUT HELL, considering that this dude is possibly going against a 12 Ultra Fusion, sounds too unbelievable even to me at this point

This means that despite the lack of Taiga movie catalog leaks, it seems that it's still more likely that the Taiga movie will still be a thing

And I suspect that TsuPro didn't drop them in the usual time cause they don't want to take attention away from the November scans bombshell that was Imitation Belial and Ura so likely we'll see them in early November

Or perhaps the Taiga Movie will not be released in March as usual but later which could also explain the delay

Or heck, it might not even be a movie but a spin-off

BUT ANYWAYS, everything seems really exciting from all this new information but once again, take this as a grain of salt until at least early November where I hope the Taiga Movie scans will drop

#ultraman #ultraman taiga #shin ultraman

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goofygomez · 5 years

Text

What Goes Unsaid - Clouis Oneshot

Description: After the boat was taken care of, Lilly’s group took AJ and Tenn. Clem, Violet, Aasim, and Louis must reach the raiders’ camp and get them back.

Wordcount: 5816

This is one of the angstiest fics I ever wrote or will ever write. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without @twdteacakes so go give them love.

---

Louis sat on a large grey rock, the tail end of his jacket cushioning his seat, as he stared vacantly at the rushing river, Ruby's voice barely registering to his ears as his mind wandered. The redhead was cleaning up the blood that stained his neck and chest, but the worst was yet to come. She was going to have to check his tongue next; or rather, the significant lack of it. God, he still couldn't believe it was gone, but the constant excruciating pain in his mouth was a clear reminder.

But that was the least of his worries. AJ and Tenn had been carted away by what remained of Lilly's group, and Clem was recuperating by the fire, after nearly drowning in the river. Thankfully, Violet had managed to pull her out in time. Louis just wished he could have been there to help, instead of being stuck here at their makeshift camp, wondering if Clem was even alive.

His gaze landed on her, the bright glowing embers twinkling in her eyes as she stared back, offering him a shy smile, which he returned. I'm glad you're okay, he thought, wondering if he could send that message telepathically.

Aasim and Willy were on guard duty at opposite ends of the tiny perimeter. The former had the string of his bow drawn back as his eyes scanned the line of trees, preparing to loosen an arrow into whatever stumbled into their camp. Omar was sitting in close proximity to Louis, his wounded leg already seen to and patched up by Ruby.

Minnie, after being shot by Violet, had passed out. Violet, with the help of Aasim, had managed to drag her out of the boat and onto the mainland. Ruby had patched her up as best she could, but they had still tied her arm to a tree, just in case. Can’t be too careful.

Violet, who had been scouting the river, walked over to Clem and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Clem, are you ready to go?” she asked, meat cleaver already in hand, her grip on the handle tightening.

Clementine looked over at him again and shared a wavering glance. Louis held eye contact, his dark tired eyes pleading with her. Please don't go without me, please don't go without me. He wished she knew what he wanted.

She turned to face Violet and nodded, before steadily climbing to her fight. “Ready.”

His eyes widened, and before he knew what he was doing, Louis was pushing passed Ruby and sprinting after the two girls, as they began to approach Aasim. Ruby's voice ripped through the air behind him, shattering the previously quiet atmosphere. “Louis! Come back!”

Clementine whirled around as soon as Louis caught up. His lips were moving a mile a minute, but whatever he tried to say came out as incoherent babbling and distressed noises. You can't leave me behind! his thoughts screamed. I know I'm in bad shape, but I can help, please Clem, you can't just-

Clem was watching in stunned silence, evidently confused judging by her expression, as he became progressively more frustrated at his inability to talk. Every time he restarted his sentences, the less sense it made. Louis felt tears begin to prick his eyes as he sighed heavily, the words dying in his throat. What's the point?

“Louis, are you okay?” Clementine asked concernedly. “Is something wrong?”

Louis nodded vigorously. Yes! I don't want to sit on the sidelines, I want to help AJ. I know how important he is to you, and he means a lot to me too!

Her brow became knitted with sorrow as she avoided his gaze miserably "I'm sorry, Louis, I- I don't know what you're trying to say,” she admitted.

Louis pounded at his own chest, before pointing his finger at her, Violet, and Aasim, and then out into the woods - in the direction the raiders went.

“I think he wants to come with us,” Violet muttered. She had barely finished her sentence before Louis started nodding again, a wave of euphoria rushing through him now that his blight was understood.

“You can't. It's dangerous, and Ruby still needs to patch you up,” Clem replied.

No, please, you have to let me come. Louis begged, although his words were quickly lost in translation. It doesn't matter what happens to me, I need to make sure you're safe - I need to see AJ and Tenn safe. Clementine was already itching to leave, but he grabbed her hand and clutched it tightly, stopping her from moving another inch. She met his gaze once again, whilst he gave her puppy dog eyes. Don't leave me.

She sighed, her breath wavering and eyes glistening with the ghosts of tears. "Ok, fine, you can come. But you have to stay in my line of sight at all times. And definitely don't put yourself in harm’s way. Let us take care of any walkers or raiders, and you just focus on making it back alive."

Elated, Louis pulled Clementine into a hug. She quickly relaxed and embraced him. Thank you, thank you! You won't regret it, I promise. He looked over at Ruby with a hopeful expression, and the redhead sighed dejectedly.

“You better come back in one piece,” she said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Too little too late, my sweet Ruby, he thought ruefully, though a sly smile crept on his face.

He started following them, but Clementine stopped him one last time, presenting him with a large hunting knife.

“I can’t have you there unprotected,” she said, offering the freckled boy a sad smile. He returned the gesture, gratefully accepting the weapon.

With that, the foursome headed out into the forest. Ruby and Willy had seen the rest of Lilly’s group descend from the boat and walk along the opposite bank of the river, going downstream. So, the four of them headed in that general direction, their weapons at the ready in case any danger befell them.

They walked for the better part of an hour, thick clouds covering the morning sun from view. Birds had started welcoming the beginning of a new day, their sing-song voice almost mocking the freckled boy. As he walked, he kicked at the pebbles on the ground, absently humming a tuneless song. He took the rear of the group, Clem walking a few paces ahead of him.

He stared at the back of her head, sighing dejectedly. For hours, he’d heard her ramble about the best plan to get AJ and Tenn back until Aasim convinced her she needed to rest first. Of course, she hadn’t slept. Louis had taken the night shift, unable to coarse his brain into sleep. The memories of last night’s events were still fresh in his mind.

At one point, Violet slowed her pace to be level with him, her pale green eyes studying him up and down. She opened her mouth a few times, seemingly searching for words.

“You okay, Louis?” she asked finally, pursing her lips. “I know it’s a stupid question, considering… but I gotta ask.”

He looked up again at Clementine, heaving a sigh as he shook his head. He shrugged, pointing at Clem and then wrapping his arms around himself. Vi frowned at him, trying to decipher his rudimentary version of sign language.

“You’re uh… worried?” she guessed, her eyes darting to Clem. Louis nodded slowly. Violet pursed her lips. “It’s normal, but you gotta remember Clem is strong. She’s survived more shit that all of us combined.”

At that, Louis actually smiled. Before their conversation could go further, they heard Aasim call from ahead. They all gathered around Aasim, who was kneeling by an assault rifle tossed on the side of the river bank. The water flowed slowly downstream, its sound a soothing song against the silence of nature.

“Trail ends here,” Aasim declared. What do you mean, trail ends here? Louis thought.

“What do you mean?” Clem asked, seemingly reading his thoughts.

“They must have crossed the river here,” he explained, gesturing to the other bank. “This is where the tracks stop.”

Goddamn it, Louis cursed, kicking a branch by a large oak. The others looked at him for a moment, concern present on their faces. He buried his hands in his dreads, attempting to pull them off. His eyes darted around his surroundings trying to find a clue they’d missed. “Might as well rest up for a bit,” Aasim said.

While Clem, Violet, and Aasim sat on the ground, stretching their legs, Louis walked forward a few yards downstream. He stared at the ground intently, searching for tracks Aasim might have missed, but it was futile. Above them, dark clouds were forming; preventing what little sunrays were seeping through from reaching them. While he searched the sky, he noticed something was amiss and called out to his friends.

Guys! They’re there! he was thinking, though his words came out of his mouth a garbled mess. Frustrated when they looked at him with confusion, he pointed at a point in the sky on the other side of the river. A column of smoke of billowing from amongst the trees, joining the black clouds.

“You think that might be their camp?” Clem asked, looking up at Louis. He nodded vigorously, gesturing at the water, making the motion of diving. “Yeah, you’re right. We gotta swim across.”

“What are we waiting for?” Violet said, making her way to the edge of the water. The others followed, and together they swam through the calm waters, making long strokes so as to not tire themselves. Once they reached the other side, Aasim spotted the smoke through the trees and beckoned them to follow him.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the edge of a small makeshift camp, about a hundred yards from one end to the other. The shrubbery was their only cover, extending the length of the western part of the camp. On one side were two rather large tents, one of which had a small lantern turned on inside. Through its fabric, they saw the shadows of two people standing over a table, seemingly in disagreement with each other.

The source of the smoke was a small campfire in the middle, fueled by at least a dozen logs to keep it going for a while. Louis spotted Dorian walking out of one of the tents, making her way to a third, smaller tent a few yards from the others. He let out an involuntary growl at the sight, his mouth curling into a snarl.

“What is it, Lou?” whispered Clem, looking sideways at him. He pointed at the woman who’d taken his tongue, making a slashing motion near his mouth. After a moment, Clem gasped, realization dawning on her. “She’s the one who…?”

Louis simply nodded, a bitter taste filling his mouth. He heard Clem utter a similar growl to his, her golden eyes dead-set on the despicable woman. “I’ll kill her,” she said slowly.

No! Nothing like that. We’re only getting Tenn and AJ, he wanted to tell her. He was shaking his head frantically, a plea in his eyes. When she looked at him, she sighed. “Alright, no unnecessary risks,” she agreed, making him smile.

“I don’t think Tenn and AJ are in this tent,” Violet suggested, gesturing to the one with the two silhouettes closer to them. Two raiders were patrolling the perimeter, their rifles at the ready. Louis and the others ducked under the bushes as one of them got too close for comfort. When he was gone, Louis inspected the entire camp. He counted a total of six raiders including Dorian.

He showed both his hands to Clem, signaling six. She smiled at him and nodded. After a moment’s thought, she turned to the others. “We should split up,” she suggested. “Vi and Aasim, you will take that tent on the far side, while Louis and I check this one close to us.”

“You sure?” Vi asked, her eyes darting to Louis.

I’m ready, damn it! He nodded aggressively, placing his hand on Clem’s shoulder.

She looked back at him and grinned. “I think his mind is made up.”

They all jumped as the clap of thunder announced a storm coming, tiny droplets falling on their faces. A thick grey smoke erupted from the campfire, and one of the raiders replaced the logs. Darkness fell upon them like a thick blanket, making the small fire and the lantern from the tent the only sources of light as the sunrays died with the storm. Through the sound of the rain, they could hear the distant moans and groans of walkers prowling for prey.

“Shouldn’t be hard to sneak in under this rain,” breathed Clem, her eyes set on the tent on the far side of the camp. “If we don’t find each other, we’ll meet up where we crossed the river, understood?”

Aasim and Violet both nodded. “Good luck,” said Violet, heading to the east side of the camp, Aasim at her heels. Once they were out of sight, Clem and Louis made their way slowly toward the back side of the tent with the other light source. A small window with a screen stood on the side, and Clem approached it. Reluctantly, Louis followed her lead and perched himself beside her, looking out for danger on their back.

Inside the tent were Lilly and a woman they recognized as one of the raiders who attacked the school. Her face was contorted in anger, screaming at Lilly.

“I told you we shouldn’t have taken these kids on!” she was saying, slamming her fist on the plastic table in between them. Lilly’s back was to them, but her shoulders tensed up as the other woman screamed. “We should have cut our losses and taken those three kids back to the Delta.”

“I just figured-“

“All you do is figure, Lilly,” the woman growled. “Now we lost those three kids, seven good men, and our damned boat! All we got in return were those two scrawny little boys.”

At the mention of the Tenn and AJ, Clem suppressed a gasp. Louis’s hands balled up into fists. They’re here, he thought. He knew Clementine was thinking along the same lines, and her hard expression confirmed it.

To their surprise, Lilly didn’t even flinch as her mistakes were laid out in front of her. Strangely, a low chuckle escaped the woman. “You have a surprising lack of faith, Sullene,” she said, with much more confidence that she had any right to. “After we take these kids back to the Delta, we’ll go for the lot with more manpower.”

“We can’t afford to lose more people, Lilly,” Sullene said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We should take these kids back, and hope to god Michael doesn’t kill us both.” Without another word, the heavy woman left the tent, leaving Lilly alone in the faint glow of the lantern.

Clem and Louis shared a look and moved slowly over to the black tent. This one had no window, so they approached from the far side. She turned to Louis and nodded. “I need you to cover me,” she whispered. “I’ll check inside the tent for AJ or Tenn, and you’ll-”

Louis pressed a finger to her lips as they heard the heavy footsteps of one of the raiders approaching the tent. They crouched lower, holding their breaths. Slowly, they saw him turn the corner and walk past them into the forest. He was whistling absently and stopped behind a tree a few yards away from the camp. They heard him untie his zipper, and Clem sprang to action.

She sneaked over to him, Louis watching helplessly from the side of the tent. Following her, he watched as Clem took a hold of the man’s neck from behind, her knife dangerously close to his throat. “Shh,” she whispered as he opened his mouth, shutting him up.

“Where are the two boys you took?” she asked, her tone irritated. Louis stood a few paces away from them, his eyes darting toward the camp every few seconds. Fortunately for them, the other raiders seemed to have been respecting this man’s privacy.

We don’t have time for this, Clem.

“One of them is in that black tent,” he choked out, gesturing with his finger to the one they’d been surveying. “The other is tied up in the tent on the far side. They’re both out of it, but they’re alive. Please don’t kill me,” he breathed, raising his hands.

“Believe me, I want to,” she whispered, pressing the edge of the knife softly against the man’s neck, drawing blood. “But I’m not Lilly.” She withdrew the knife, hitting the back of the man’s head with the butt of it. Knocked out cold, the man’s body dropped to the ground with a thud.

Together, he and Clem dragged him under a brush of bushes and crept back to the tent. As he watched Lilly’s silhouette move about the other tent, he thought of an idea. He tapped Clem on the shoulder, making her turn.

“What is it?” she hissed. She already had a hand on the flap of the tent but followed his pointing finger. He was gesturing toward Lilly’s tent. “Yeah, what of it?” Louis fumbled in his coat, withdrawing a small box of matches. He made the gesture of lighting one, imitating a fire with his fingers.

Let’s burn this motherfucker to the ground.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” she said, nodding. “You light the fire and I’ll get AJ out in the commotion. Hopefully Aasim and Violet see through your crazy plan.” Excitedly, he nodded once more and bounded off to the other tent. He walked slowly, laying low when another guard’s footsteps drew near. Fortunately, they subsided, and he resumed his plan.

When he got to the edge of the tent, he overheard Lilly muttering to herself, a groan escaping her. “Had to stab me in the leg, huh, AJ?” she breathed. “We’ll make a soldier out of you yet.” With determination in his eyes, Louis scratched the tip of a match on the rough surface of the box, creating a spark. The pitter-patter of the rain around him masked the flame’s slow hissing sound.

With a hand protecting the flame, he edged it closer to the base of the tent. This better fucking work, he thought ruefully. The fire took quickly, and the flames started climbing their way up the fabric of the tent. As they spread farther, he heard Lilly’s scream.

“FIRE!” she yelled at the others, bringing them to the site. As they tried to douse the flames, with little success, Louis crept back to the black tent, where Clem had already sneaked in. Nervously, he waited for her to emerge from inside, his eyes fixed on the flames as they engulfed the large tent not ten yards away from them. Two of Lilly’s men attempted to put it out by throwing a bucket of water on one side, but the flames were already too high on the other.

“Got him,” she heard Clementine say from beside him. She was carrying an unconscious Tenn in her arms, a bandage over his head.

I got him, he said, pointing at Tenn and then at himself. He didn’t give Clem enough time to react as he grabbed him from her hands, nodding at her. They crept father away from the camp, still hearing the yells of the raiders, interspersed with the grumbling of nearby walkers. We don’t have much time.

As they ran, Louis looked back over his shoulder. Clem was keeping up with him, her labored breaths masked by the thundering wind. Over her shoulder, Louis spotted the raiders going around their camp, most of them holding buckets to douse the flames. He could have sworn he saw Lilly looking in their direction from the middle of the camp, but they were already about fifty yards away.

Louis and Clem ran as fast as their feet would take them, the howling of the wind drowning out all other sounds in Louis’s ears. He looked down at Tenn, a soft smile on his face. We’re getting you out of here. He jumped over a fallen tree, stumbling slightly. As they continued their journey back to the river bank, he called over his shoulder to Clem. We gotta hurry; they could be right behind us!

Of course, his words were lost in his mouth, a garbled mess of noises replacing them. A strong gust of wind blew past them, making him shiver. Not long now, Tenn. It was then that he spotted Aasim through the tree line, kneeling over an unconscious AJ on the edge of the river. Violet stood over him, her cleaver clutched tightly in her right hand.

As he reached them, he placed Tenn slowly on the ground beside AJ, his own breaths labored from running. He looked up at Aasim and Violet, equal looks of concern on their faces. I’m okay guys, he wanted to tell them, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. Are you guys hurt? He gestured to them, pointing at a gash on Violet’s right cheek.

“This?” she said dismissively. “Ran into one of those fuckers in the tent. He won’t be bothering us,” she said coldly, sending shivers down his spine.

“Uh, Louis?” he heard Aasim ask, turning to the other boy. “Where’s Clem?”

His blood went cold. Turning around, he realized for the first time that Clementine was not beside him. He scanned the tree line in search of her. Clementine! CLEMENTINE! his yells were muffled by the thundering storm, the tears in his eyes masked by the rain falling over his head.

Maybe she took a detour? Maybe she’s alright? He doubted both those thoughts. He turned to Aasim and Violet, pointing at the boys and then over the river. Take them back to Ruby. I’ll go back for Clem.

“Are you crazy?” Violet exclaimed, approaching him. “You’ll die out there, Louis. Please, don’t go,” she pleaded.

His mind was made up, though. He shook his head slowly, shrugging. I don’t care what happens to me anymore, he thought, but I can’t leave Clem behind. His best friend looked into his brown eyes, a frown in her pale green ones. Sighing, she nodded and turned to Aasim, picking up AJ.

“You better be back right away,” she said to him.

He nodded firmly and turned toward the woods, breaking into a sprint. Rain poured down around him, forming puddles on the ground beneath his feet. The soft slapping sound of his boots against the mud was all he heard as he searched in the dark.

After five minutes of seeing no sign of his girlfriend, he heard voices ahead of him. Clem! As he got closer to the voices, they became clearer. Louis heard Clem growl something, followed by the unmistakable drawling voice of Lilly. Turning a corner, he stifled a gasp upon seeing them.

Clem stood on the edge of a clearing, her hands balled into fists. Another lightning flashed across the sky, shining over Lilly menacingly, followed by the clap of thunder. On the other side of the clearing was Lilly, a gun clutched in her right hand. The barrel was aimed straight at Clem. No, Clem!

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Lilly was saying, her voice high above the sound of the storm. Another thunder roared above them.

“I’m getting my people back!” Clem shot back, venom in her words. “All of them!”

“Not all of them,” said Lilly, raising the gun and aiming at her head. “You think I wanted to do this? You think I take enjoyment in taking kids to have them fight for us?”

“So you’re just a saint, right?” Clem shot. Thunder clapped again. “You kidnapped my people! YOU CUT OFF LOUIS’S TONGUE!” Louis crept closer to Lilly from her left, brandishing his knife. His heart was pounding hard, threatening to jump out of his chest any minute.

“I’m following orders,” Lilly corrected the girl, her voice breaking. “You don’t know how bad it is out there! Our community is dying, and we need every soldier we can get to fight against our enemy.” Thunder.

“Somehow, I find that hard to believe,” Clem spat, her hands on her hips. “But you’re not getting to my friends while I’m here. So if you want to get to them, shoot me!”

Clem, what are you trying to pull here? he thought, inching closer to Lilly. By now, he could see the lines that streaked her face. Strangely, her eyes glistened with tears. As he approached her, the memory of her in the cells flashed before his eyes. Her disdainful look as she ordered Dorian to take out her knife. I’ll make them pay, Clem had said to him that night.

I’ll make her pay, alright, he thought, fire burning in his eyes. As yet another thunder roared in the sky, he leaped forward, plunging the knife into Lilly’s side. They stumbled sideways, and Louis fell on top of her, his knife still clutched tightly in his hands. Lilly looked up at him, her eyes wide.

“You!” she screamed, struggling to get out of his grasp. But he was stronger. He was kneeling over her, both his legs pinning her to the ground. The tip of his knife was aimed straight at her heart, slowly inching downwards. Though she tried to hold him off, the adrenaline coursing through his veins fueled him with anger.

You’re not hurting my friends again, you evil bitch! He wished he could have said it right as he sunk the knife through her heart, watching into her eyes as the life seeped out of them and her mouth filled with blood. Breathing heavily, he lifted himself off Lilly’s body. His hands were shaking as he looked up at Clem with a triumphant smile. We did it, Clem.

When his eyes met hers, his blood went cold. She was looking at him with wide eyes, her hands clutching her stomach. He looked down at them and his heart dropped. Beneath her fingers, a flower of blood blossomed on her shirt, spreading in every which direction until her shirt was almost completely red. As Clementine kneeled down, Louis got to his feet and rushed toward her.

CLEMENTINE!

He fell to his knees, taking Clem by the shoulders and laying her on his legs. You’re alright, it’s alright, his might kept repeating, like a mantra. She coughed as he moved her, droplets of blood staining her chin. This wasn’t happening. It was some sick trick. He cupped her face, tears stinging his eyes.

“Louis,” she breathed, looking up at him with a smile. “Thank you.”

Thank me? For what? I should have been faster, Clem, I’m so sorry. He was getting increasingly frustrating as the garbled sounds that escaped his mouth caused her to frown. Rain kept pouring down on them, thunder clapping above. The lightning that lit up the sky shone on Clem’s face, her cheeks pale as she kept losing blood.

“Louis, it’s okay,” she assured him, raising her hand and placing it on his cheek. “I’m okay with this.”

No, you don’t mean that, Clem! Don’t do this to me. I love you, Clem. I love you… he mouthed, hoping to god she’d understand him. To his relief, she smiled up at him, pulling his face closer to her. She closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his. Her hands gripped his dreads tightly, keeping him in place for a few seconds of passion.

As they pulled apart, she sighed contently. “I love you too, Louis,” she whispered. “I’m sorry it has to end this way, leaving you guys alone with AJ.”

No, I’ll gladly take care of him! he wanted to say, shaking his head vehemently and pointing at himself. She coughed again, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth. I can’t lose you, Clem. Please don’t leave me. She smiled sadly, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

“I’m going to assume you just said something cute and funny,” she said softly.

“Louis, I’ve lived past my time. I’ve seen the people I love either leave or die, all for me,” she said, her breath becoming labored. He placed his hand over her injury, shuddering when he felt the warm blood seeping through his fingers. Please, Clem…

“I just want to rest now,” she said, nodding. “I love you guys so much. I hope you can forgive me,” she added, her eyes darting to his mouth and then dropping sadly. Tears pricked at both their eyes, streaking their cheeks. Another thunder clapped as Louis sniffled, shaking his head.

There’s nothing to forgive, Clementine. This is not your fault, he tried to said, shaking his head and pointing at his tongue, or lack thereof. They stayed silent for a minute, basking in each other’s presence, for however long that would last. Louis just kept shaking his head, willing his brain to wake him up from this living nightmare. This wasn’t happening, there’s no way Clementine’s dying.

“I’m gonna need you to take care of… me, too,” she said simply, looking up at Louis with a plea in her eyes. He nodded slowly, pressing her body closer to his. Of course, Clem. I’ll… take care of it. How he was going to do it, he didn’t know.

To his surprise, Clem cleared her throat then. Her eyes were looking at a place somewhere deep in the forest, the tears accenting the beautiful golden hue of her irises. She began singing then. The same song Louis had sung for her when he learned her name.

“Oh my darling, oh my darling.

Oh my darling, Clementine.”

Her voice broke when she got to her name, making her shake her head. Louis kissed her forehead slowly, as if afraid he’d break her upon contact. He gestured for her to go on, relishing every second of her singing.

“You are lost and gone forever.

Dreadful sorry, Clementine.”

She cupped his face, looking deep into the eyes that had once harbored so much joy and hope, and whose spark had suddenly died away. How could he live on without Clem? The girl who had saved him from the raiders. The girl who confessed she loved him. The girl he loved.

“Light she was… and like a fairy,”

Clem coughed once more; breathing heavily as she slowly shook her head. How am I gonna tell AJ? Louis thought ruefully, his mind racing a thousand miles a second.

“And her shoes were number nine,” she choked out, more blood decorating her mouth. She looked up at Louis one last time, an uncharacteristic smile making his world a little less dark, if not for a second.

“Dreadful sorry, Clementine…”

As she struggled to sing the last line with labored breaths, her eyes closed, a smile etched on her face as she relaxed. Louis stared down at her, unable and unwilling to believe what was happening in front of him. Her body stiffened as she drifted off, and Clementine’s spark died off one last time.

Louis stood in the middle of the courtyard, the afternoon sun bearing down on him. He’d just finished his watch shift, having been relieved by AJ. He looked back at the young boy and smiled. He’d turned ten a few months ago, and was growing strong as his mother. Birds chirped above him as he made his way to a very special place in the school.

Past the gate to the right of the admin building was the graveyard. In it, five graves lined the walls. He passed Marlon’s and Brody’s, sparing a small glance for them. He’d have to get flowers for them soon. On the far end was the one he’d been looking for, lined by a pair of bouquets of roses.

A large rock stood at the head of it, rough carvings on its surface.

“Here lies Clementine.

May we meet again.”

He’d chosen that inscription himself, shortly after her funeral. He wasn’t sure where he’d read that, but it seemed fitting at the time. Now, it was an ever-present reminder that she wasn’t here anymore; and that he was. He didn’t even know her birthday. What kind of boyfriend doesn’t know his girlfriend’s birthday?

A soft breeze picked up from the courtyard, blowing on the flaps of his coat. Sighing, Louis fumbled inside his back pocket for a piece of crumpled paper, straightening it on his leg. For the past five years, he’d taken short trips to the graveyard, and he’d always end up brooding in the corner, so he wanted to do right by her.

Slowly, he kneeled down and placed the piece of paper on the grave, its messy lines of paragraph facing into the sun. In his mind, he read them to her, hoping against hope that she was out there somewhere listening to him.

Clementine:

It’s been five years since you left us, and I still miss you. It’s funny, because I only knew you for three weeks, but I will always cherish them as the best three weeks of my life. You believed in me, when no one else did… You trusted me with AJ, and I’ve done my best to honor your sacrifice every day for the past five years. He’s getting bigger, actually. I hope you’d approve of my parenting, though I never had any experience with that. He talks about you a lot, and most days I try to keep his mind off it by telling him stories from when I was younger. Maybe I do it to keep my mind off it too. I don’t know…

Even after five years, I can’t help but think of what could have happened if I’d been a little faster, or a little smarter. But I guess that’s what you were thinking after you found me in that cell. I didn’t blame you then, and I don’t blame you now. As for AJ, he and I will always be thinking of you. I hope you can forgive me.

Love, Louis.

He’d memorized those words back to back, having spent the better part of a month on them. Some days, he wondered how it was that Clem had coped with the loss of so many of his loved ones at such a young age. He’d give anything not to be feeling like that now.

Shortly after her death, Violet had found a book on sign language for him to learn, and he’d put it to good use. Turning toward the courtyard, he looked over his shoulder at her grave and made a gesture with his hands.

I’m sorry. I love you.

#twdg clementine #twdg louis #twdg aj #twdg tenn #twdg violet #twdg final season #fanfic #fanfiction #au #angst #tears #good luck

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velkynkarma · 7 years

Text

The Quintessential Paladin Armor Guide

Hey guys! We’re 5 seasons in now, and I thought it would be useful to put together this reference sheet for everything we know the paladin armor can do to date. I’ll also update this guide when new seasons come out and we learn more armor functions, too. Currently, this guide has been updated for Season 5. I provide references to episodes where each ability is used for samples of an ability, and visual examples for some abilities as well. This guide is primarily intended to be factual, with hard evidence from the episodes. However, some parts of the armor are still open-ended or have some degree of speculation surrounding them. I will indicate this as well if something about its abilities is unclear.   This guide contains a large number of screenshots, so all observations will be under the cut. For general reference, the guide is arranged in the following order:

General Armor Observations

Breakdown of individual armor pieces and their abilities

Helmet

Shoulders

Cuirass/Chest Piece

Jetpack

Gauntlet

Belt

Thigh/Leg Armor

Boots

General Bayard Observations

Character-specific notes regarding armor/bayard usage

Conclusion

Let’s take a look at what this armor does!

GENERAL

One size fits all: Despite Hunk’s misgivings (S1E1), the armor appears to fit itself to any body type (with the exception of the helmets, which Hunk appears to struggle with sometimes). This is further established in the wake of S3E7, where we see five different races with five different distinct body types and sizes, also wearing a variation of the paladin armor

High Durability: The armor is fairly durable. The only case we’ve seen of it being broken (outside more fragile extra pieces such as the jetpacks) is when Keith takes a direct hit from a druid’s blast (S1E10). Even when Lance shielded Coran at point-blank range from an explosion, his armor appeared to have held itself together and likely saved his life (S1E4), although it was severely scuffed and likely had still taken significant damage. The same is true when the entire team holds scaultrite in S2E5 for the teludav (their armor is scuffed but not broken) and when all of them are hit by dark energy/electricity (S4E6, but not entirely clear if they’re being struck with electricity or magic). It is also at least moderately resistant to acid, since Keith is able to swim in the Weblum’s stomach for a short period without being digested (S2E9), although it’s made clear this won’t last forever. It does appear to be somewhat weak to electricity, as Pidge is effectively stunned/injured when struck by an opponent using this attack (S4E2).

Full Environment Functionality: The armor is fully functional both for space environments as well as underwater environments. It is not clear if the suit also accounts for underwater pressure, although in S2E2 both Lance and Hunk were perfectly safe underwater in their suits.

Other Minor Observations:

The armor can be made in any color, regardless of whether or not it matches with a Lion’s color (S3E2, Allura’s pink armor, although there is no Pink Lion). They appear to only traditionally match the colors of the Lions.

Bayards, “the traditional weapon of the paladins of Voltron,” are distinctly color-coded and linked to a Lion. There are only 5, regardless of how many variations of armor we’ve seen.

All the bright blue/teal lines on each piece of armor appear to be lights and will glow in low lighting (S1E4). Most of this appears to be for aesthetic, or possibly to help with visuals in a low-lighting situation. However, at least one set of lights actually has a functional purpose (the ones on the upper leg/thigh armor), which is where bayards are “sheathed” until needed.

Presumably the armor is designed to get into very quickly, as the paladins appear capable of going from casual gear to armor in the elevator ride from the bridge of the Castle of Lions to their respective ziplines (S1E2)

In S1E7 Allura mentions that “there are already sensors built into your suits” when they are discussing dropping the BLIP-tech sensors in order to be able to scan for the enemy. It’s unclear if she means the sensors are used to read the BLIP-tech readings, or if the sensors are there to track where each paladin is.

The armor used by Shiro, Keith, Hunk, Lance, Pidge, and later Allura, is not the exact same design as their predecessors (S3E7). There are distinct differences in the design of the helmet, chestpiece, belt, and boots, and the original paladins do not appear to have the thigh-sheath lights. However, the armor of today’s characters was stored away in cases in the Castle of Lions, implying these may have been later designs.

The original paladins’ armor is slightly different than the designs we know today, although it isn’t clear if it had any functional differences.

HELMET

Space Capable: The helmets are capable of fully sealing shut and providing oxygen (or, presumably, any other needed gas for the species in question) and protecting from the elements. This also applies to underwater (S2E2). It is unclear how the helmet filters oxygen/breathable gases as the armor does not appear to have any kind of tank. It is also not clear how it recognizes what breathable gasses are necessary for the species in question wearing it. It is also not clear if the helmets will automatically seal when the paladin enters a breathing-poor environment, or if they control this in some way. Communications: The helmets have audio communications (like a radio frequency). Paladins seem capable of talking to each other individually or in a full group depending on the situation at hand. Communications can be disrupted in the wrong types of environments if the signal is interfered with (S2E1, Shiro had to get to higher ground before his comm would work, S3E3, the gas interfered with their communications so they could not hear each other). The communications can also be used to some degree even when not wearing the helmet—as long as it is relatively close by, the paladin can be heard and hear others (S1E6, Lance was not wearing his helm but could still be heard when he shouted). Visuals: The visors of the helmet are capable of displaying imagery and data for the wearer in overlay readouts that don’t obstruct their vision. The data can be transmitted two ways. The paladin can transmit what they are seeing to another team member or back to the Castle of Lions (S1E10, Keith displays the quintessence processing chamber to the others).

Keith (S1E10) sharing what he’s seeing with the rest of the team.

Or, data can be transferred from someone else to the paladin (S2E4, Pidge scans the entire building for signs of life and transmits the results to Shiro, who uses it to find Lubos).

Shiro (S2E4) receiving Pidge’s scanned information and using it to track Lubos.

The paladins have also used a variation of this in combination with their gauntlets to create visual communications (S1E8). One paladin will use his/her gauntlet to display visual feeds from another team for something like video chat.

Blackout Training: Used only once (S1E2), this feature is remotely activated not by the paladin but by their trainer. Used to block visuals completely so that the paladin is forced to rely on the Lion’s senses. It’s part of an “expert level drill that really shouldn’t be attempted until you’ve been flying for years.”

Lance (S1E2) is not okay with blackout training helm when he realizes he can’t see.

Team Tracking: In S2E1, Keith is able to track a signature with a special layout on his visor to know what direction to run in when searching for Shiro. Note, it’s not clear if he’s tracking the Black Lion, or Shiro, although the signal appears to center directly over the Black Lion when he gets a visual of it.

Keith (S2E1) following a readout on his visor to find Shiro and the Black Lion.

Translation: In S4E2, Pidge is able to read the rebel monument despite it being in a language she does not know. The helm highlights the text, produces an Altean version of the text on the visor readout, and then reads the script out loud to her in her own language. Note, this may possibly be a newer feature, as in earlier seasons the characters have difficulties translating Galra text; alternatively, it’s coded for other kinds of languages, but not Galra.

Pidge (S4E2) using the helm translation to read her brother’s “grave.”

Composition Scanning: In S4E6 Hunk is able to look at a sample of soil in his hand, and the helmet is able to scan it and determine what particles made up the soil.

Hunk (S4E6) using the helm to identify dangerous explosive material in the soil.

Unknown: On occasion the paladins are shown not having their helmets in one scene, or having left them behind, but then going into battle with them shortly thereafter (Ex. S3E4, the team runs down the halls and fights the Altean sentries without any headgear, and they are not wearing helmets when alternate-Slav opens the airlock. However just seconds later they are shown flying out with sealed headgear for space). It’s unclear if the helmets have a function like the bayards (when they can be stored away on the armor until needed), or if this is a detail oversight.

SHOULDERS

No notable attributes, other than possibly being one of the more distinctive pieces of the paladin armor and color-coded by paladin.

It should be noted the color-coded pieces are not actually attached to the collar. There is a distinct strip of gray-black for each paladin that matches the undersuit they wear.

Hunk (S2E4) shows how the colored shoulder guards aren’t attached to the collar.

CHESTPIECE

No notable attributes, other than possibly being one of the more distinctive pieces of the paladin armor and color-coded by paladin. Each one is marked with the Voltron “V” symbol, although it should be noted a very similar design was used for the alternate-universe Alteans, so this may also be a notable Altean symbol.

Lacks protection for the stomach, which has been a source for one of the major injuries in the series so far (Shiro’s side-wound, delivered S1E11, prominently seen S2E1). This seems to be a notable weakness in the armor’s design.

JETPACKS

Jetpacks are part of the chestpiece, but have their own entry for a few reasons.

The jetpacks are extremely fragile and can break if put under enough pressure (S1E5, Pidge gets shot by Galra fire in the jetpack and it bursts, S1E11, Shiro’s breaks after flying through zero gravity and hitting the wrong way). However, they do appear to provide some extra insulation or armor from the back, since as stated Pidge is shot point blank in the back and lives through it.

when not in use, the jetpacks are retracted against the paladin’s back, which is their standard setting. When they are in use, two “wing” pieces extend farther away from the body, and can sometimes be seen visibly over the characters’ shoulders.

Pidge (S2E1) gives a good example of how the packs extend when in use

The jetpacks appear to be primarily designed for maneuvering in zero gravity and can do so decently well, even in combat scenarios (S2E10, gravity was turned off to allow better maneuverability for the paladins) or with multiple individuals (S2E6, Keith is able to tow Allura with him fairly easily).

They can also be used in an environment with gravity, but to a more limited degree. Generally they appear to be used to slow descent in a fall (S2E4, team Voltron airdropped in for a rescue), or to allow for rapid sudden movement horizontally (S1E3, Pidge and Shiro escape a ship’s crash) or in short vertical distances (S2E3, Keith uses the jetpack to catch Ulaz and strike).

They do not appear to let you “fly” in a gravity environment. This was made pretty clear in S2E1, when Keith could not just fly across the chasm with his jetpack. He launched himself partway and was able to use the jetpack to supplement his movement, but even then he barely made it. He also has to keep touching down in the geyser field despite the obvious danger touching the ground here represents. This suggests the packs are supposed to be use for short distances at best

Weight does also affect the jetpack’s power in a gravity environment to some degree. In S1E3 both Pidge and Shiro jump off the same point in the downed Galra ship when trying to reach the computer. Shiro sinks fairly quickly while Pidge flew significantly higher and came down much lighter. Along a similar vein, in the same episode Shiro was able to carry Pidge out using his own jetpack, but only for a short distance, and he had to touch down at least once and re-jump using it.

They can also be used underwater for enhanced maneuverability (S2E2). Additionally, they do not appear to produce any kind of jet-wash or super-heat the water, so their users are not boiled alive in the process of using them.

Jetpacks are frequently incorporated into combat as well, for short bursts of speed, maneuverability, or height. Keith uses it the most in combat to leap in close very quickly, or to ricochet off walls (ex. S2E3 against Ulaz). Shiro will use his the same way to enhance parkour maneuvering or get in close enough to use his arm (ex. S2E10). Lance has also done this once (S2E10, to shoot at an opponent from the air).

Keith (S2E12) using his jetpack for extra speed and force while fighting sentries

Currently it is unclear how the jetpacks are fueled. They do produce some kind of blue flame, but it is unclear how they do so, if they have unlimited power, or where fuel is stored if needed.

GAUNTLETS

Holographic Computer Interface: The gauntlets can create a holographic computer interface that can be used for a variety of tasks just like a normal computer. Some samples for paladin uses are interfacing with and downloading Galra data (S1E3), using the gauntlets for video communications (S1E8), create maps or plan routes (S1E4, S2E10), analyzing escape options or possible next steps (S1E5), generating holographic distractions (S1E5), or transmitting data to or from the Castle of Lions, the Lions, or each other (S1E7, S2E10, S2E4). Pidge has also used the gauntlet for hacking in a variety of forms, from standard hacking (most eps), to generating a facial recognition hologram from an image (S2E10), to remotely hacking the Castle of Lions (S1E5 for the invisible maze) or Shiro’s arm (only once, in the comics). She has even hacked Galra technology via other paladins’ gauntlets, such as when she uses Shiro and Lance’s interfaces to pass her data in order to let her hack a closed system in the Beta Traz prison (S2E10). However the limit of her hacking is questionable, as there are times when Pidge brings her laptop along to perform some of the same functions (S1E10).

Shiro (S1E8) projecting imagery from Coran to Hunk and Keith

Scanning: The gauntlets are able to scan items or systems and can be used functionally in this regard both to supplement the computer interface or for additional needs. Pidge used it to scan another computer interface in S1E5 to examine the data and manipulate it. It’s also used in “reverse” this way in S2E10, as Lance and Shiro scan systems to let Pidge connect, and then are able to project codes back into the same system to let them unlock doors. In a non-digital setting, the gauntlets can also be used to scan items or people, such as when Lance uses it to scan the warden’s face in S2E10. Often works in conjunction with the computer interface, but appears to be functionally different, so I’ve put it in its own category. Energy Shield: The paladin armor can create energy shields generated from the wrist to protect its paladin. The shields have so far been demonstrated to block Galra firearm attacks (multiple eps), immobilizing foam (S2E10), distress spores (S2E4), acidic creatures (S2E9), explosions (S2E12) and even druid lightning blasts in one instance (S1E10) so they are pretty durable. Keith has also used his shield as a protective wall in at least one instance against the Weblum’s defense laser (S2E9), although it should be noted in this case it was not used to deflect a direct hit, but rather as an extra bit of protection when he and Acxa were already hiding in a side chamber. Hunk has also used his shield as a weapon on at least one occasion (S4E5) by using it to slam a sentry into a wall. They do appear to have some limitation however, as after being struck by druid magic in S1E10 Keith does not try to summon his shield again, and the attack appears to have broken it. A similar instance occurs in S4E2, when Pidge uses the shield as a defense against a falling boulder; it does not stop the boulder and throws her backwards, and the shield disappears afterwards. Shields can be generated in a large number of sizes, from small for training exercises (S1E2) to full body length (S1E7). Energy shields can be used with both the left and right arms. 

Keith and Shiro (S2E4) summoning shields on both the right and left arms

Energy Disruption Taser: Only used once by Pidge so far in S1E1 to stop the drone she eventually turns into Rover. Fires a beam or pulse of some kind that scrambles enemy technology.

Rover’s pov (S1E1) as Pidge incapacitates it prior to being converted to Team Voltron

Wrist Grappling Lines: In S2E10 Shiro and Pidge fire grappling lines that attach to a surface and reel them in to it in open space. These appear to be for use in zero gravity only as they have not been seen again since with the paladin armor, and are never used to pull or lift a paladin in a situation where they have weight. (It can be noted that Keith used a similar technique in S4E1 with his knife while operating with the Blade of Marmora, so this appears to be standard maneuvering practice in space).

Shiro (S2E10) firing his wrist grapple in open space

Flashlights: Gauntlets come equipped with flashlights for particularly dark areas that the glowing strips on the armor aren’t enough to illuminate (S2E2, S3E4) Medical scan: In S4E2, Pidge uses her gauntlet to scan Te-osh’s body for injuries. The scan works similar to an x-ray and reveals several broken ribs, which the scan tech also highlights. This suggests the technology can not only provide imagery of an individual’s internal organs or skeletal structure but can also correctly interpret if there is an injury, regardless of the species it scans.

Pidge (S4E2) scanning Te-osh and identifying injuries with her gauntlet Search function: In S4E2, Pidge is able to use her gauntlet to scan the ground and locate a doorway that leads to the base Matt is stationed at. Note that it is not a passive feature and she had to actively search for it after deducing that something was there, however the scan did locate the anomaly once set to look for it.

Pidge (S4E2) scanning for possible doorways or anomalies while searching for Matt Matter Compression: This is more speculative, but based on other forms of technology we’ve seen from Altea. Shiro’s glove appears to change when he’s in paladin armor and uses his prosthetic to fight, as though the glove material retracts or disappears (S1E4). There have been other incidents of Altean technology doing something similar, such as the pod “doors” appearing out of thin air to close or dissolving when opening (S1E4), or the way the gladiator seems to dissolve into bits of data when defeated (S1E9 when Keith destroys it). It is possible, but not confirmed, that the gauntlets or paladin armor in general are also capable of this.

BELT

No notable attributes at this time. As of Season 4 we still have no explanation for the gray boxy structures that rest on the right and left sides of the belt. It is not clear if they are there for decoration/aesthetic, if they are the power source for the suit, if they are some form of pockets/pouches/storage, etc.

THIGH/LEG ARMOR

Bayard Holster: The most notable feature for this armor is it’s where the bayards are “sheathed” or “holstered.” The glowing strips that rest just below a paladin’s hips appear to hold an un-summoned, energized form of the bayard. The paladin can summon and return it at will.

Keith (S1E1) summoning his bayard clearly for combat

BOOTS

Heel Jets: In S2E2, Lance uses a set of jets in the heels of his boots a few times: first, to repel baku-brainwashed Hunk during their fight, and then later to fight another mer-soldier. Note that he is only seen using this as a form of attack, not a form of propulsion. Also note that this ability has not been seen again since and was only used by Lance.

Lance (S2E2) using some form of heel blast to repel an attacking mer-soldier

BAYARD

As stated, bayards are limited, and appear to be specifically connected to the Lion in question (ex. Allura now has the blue bayard for the Blue Lion, even though she’s wearing pink, and there is no pink bayard).

According to Allura in S5E3, bayards “amplify each paladins’ life force.”

Bayards can be held by a paladin piloting a different Lion (S3E2, Lance hands over the blue bayard to Allura although he had been piloting the Red Lion). They can also be held by someone not currently piloting at all (ex. Zarkon), and it is possible to be a pilot without one (ex. Shiro, S1 and S2).

Bayards can be used to form a weapon for the paladin. The weapon in question is paladin-specific regardless of which bayard they have (ex. Keith forms a sword with both the red and black bayards). Although they do tend to form the same type of weapon, there may be differences in build and design. Bayards can even evolve over time for a single individual as well, even if they never change hands: both Hunk and Pidge’s bayards change appearances between seasons 2 and 3. See these other meta posts for more in-depth details.

As of S5E2, Lotor has been seen using the black bayard as well. This raises two questions: does this mean Lotor is also capable of piloting the Black Lion? Or, is it possible to use a bayard even without being directly linked to its respective Lion? S3E5 shows Allura holding the red bayard as Lance’s sword form, but it immediately returns to its base form; it is not clear if this means a person unlinked to a specific Lion can’t use that bayard, however.

Lotor (S5E2) holding the black bayard. His base form, sword and chainsword all resemble Zarkon’s.

Bayards can possibly adjust shape or type as well depending on user skill. Lance was able to change his bayard from a rifle form into a sniper rifle form and back at will (S3E6), which is the first indication of this happening in the team.

As of S5E3, he is also now capable of transforming it into an Altean broadsword; see this analysis for more detail on the weapon. It should be noted this has only been witnessed once, and it is not yet clear if he can change it back to a rifle. Lance himself states he does not know how he changed his weapon.This marks Lance as the first to change his bayard to multiple forms from different “families” of weapons, and also makes it clear this is a skill all of the paladins could develop in time.

Zarkon is the only other example we’ve had so far of changing bayard shape, and not just within the same “family” of weapon but into a different kind entirely (ex. S1E11, where he forms a sword, chain whip, shield, polearm, and cannon; see his bayard analysis for more detail). Lotor has also managed to change weapon shape but still prefers swords or sword-variants.

Zarkon’s bayard also appears very differently than the others (S1E11) and changes shape when Shiro regains it even in its base format (S2E13). Lotor’s bayard form takes approximately the same shape. Again, unclear if this is due to Zarkon’s skills and/or bloodline, or the individual in question. Zarkon’s corruption is another possibility having an effect on the weapon, but if this is the case, it would mean Lotor is also corrupted in some form.

Shiro (S2E13) holding Zarkon’s version of the bayard compared to his own

As of S5E2, Lotor has revealed he is also capable of using the black bayard. When he holds it, it takes the same form spiky base form that Zarkon’s does, and he displays a few of the same forms that Zarkon uses (a chain sword/whip and a regular sword). Note his abilities with it appear to be somewhat limited compared to his father still, as he does not use any other forms such as the cannon, polearm or shield that Zarkon exhibits, and he does not used ranged moves with his regular sword.

As of S5E2 it should be noted that the shape of Zarkon’s bayard cannon also appears to have changed. It is not clear if this is indicative of any kind of character evolution or change, especially since Zarkon has displayed several variations of the same weapon in the past (for example, 2 different swords).

Bayards are also used to interface with their specific Lion, in order to form a weapon in Voltron (this only works with Voltron, and not in individual Lions)

Ex. Yellow Bayard creates a shoulder cannon similar to Hunk’s own bayard when activated

Like a paladin’s solo combat, the weapon formed for Voltron is paladin-dependent, not bayard-dependent. Keith still forms the Blazing Sword even when using the black bayard in the Black Lion (S3E6), and the sword is not formed at all in S4 after Keith leaves the team. (There is some possible discrepancy to this, however it may also be an animation error).

As of S5E4, Voltron is seen using its sword again even though Keith is not with the team, which may suggest that Lance is now capable of summoning it due to the new form his bayard has taken. This is not officially proven yet however as we have not actively seen Lance summoning the weapon for Voltron.

This suggests (but is not yet confirmed) that Voltron’s weaponry could be near-infinite, depending entirely on the paladins piloting it and which ones activate which bayards, although there is possibility for some overlap (for example, Alfor and Keith both summoned a sword for Voltron—S3E7). This would also suggest that Voltron is particularly dependent on its paladins for advanced weaponry.

Currently, we have only seen 3 cases of bayards being used to form weapons for Voltron: Hunk forming a shoulder cannon with the yellow bayard, and Keith and Alfor (and now possibly Lance) both forming a sword (with either the red or black bayards). It is currently unknown what form of weaponry might be produced for Pidge, Allura, and Shiro, or if the former paladins besides Alfor formed anything unique. It is also not clear if Lance is capable of producing another bayard form besides the sword.

Bayards can additionally be used in conjunction with each other to power up individual weapons. This is first seen in S2E6, when Keith summons the Blazing Sword with his red bayard, and then Pidge, Hunk and Lance all use their own bayards to make it much larger and more powerful. With the addition of Shiro’s bayard (S2E13) this becomes an extremely powerful upgrade to the point when the sword was literally on fire/emitting energy. However this has only been seen in Season 2 with the sword, and it is unclear if this type of upgrade can be applied to other bayard weapons (such as Hunk’s shoulder cannon).

A similar function occurs in a more defensive nature when all five bayards are used together. Instead of powering up a weapon, all five bayards used simultaneously can give Voltron itself a power boost, which may be strong enough to drive out invasive attacks such as viruses (S5E3).

It should be noted this results in each paladin being transferred to a combined Voltron mind-space. It is not clear if this is a function of the bayard, a function related to Voltron, or if this was an odd side effect. It is also not clear if it functions for all paladins, or only in specific circumstances, as Shiro admits he has no memory of this incident in S5E3.

It is not clear how a person’s original bayard form is determined, or if it is based on an individual’s personality, quintessence, etc. However, as of S5E3, Allura comments that Lance’s new Altean broadsword bayard is showing him “you have greatness within,” and later on in the same episode mentions that bayards amplify a paladin’s life force, which could possibly imply they can adjust based on personal growth, potential or changes in a person’s life force.

If a bayard is knocked out of its owner’s hands it will change back to its original base form (S1E9). However it does have some fluidity of movement in other aspects, as it can be manipulated to some degree in its energy form (S3E6, Keith shifts his sword bayard from his left hand to his right while fighting Ezor). Presumably the difference is whether or not a paladin is holding concentration on it, however this is not confirmed.

Keith (S3E6) moves his bayard to his right hand when his left is restrained

Sparkle power: Bayards can also apparently perform minor illusions or cast sparks, as seen by Lance. It should be noted it is unclear if this is an actual ability each bayard has, or if this was a visual gag in animation to emphasize Lance fooling around.

Lance (S2E10) makes his bayard sparkle

Bayards appear to revert to the base form upon death, even if the user is still holding it (S2E5)

CHARACTER-SPECIFIC NOTES WITH ARMOR/BAYARDS

Some of the characters have so far shown specific quirks or uses for their armor that not all of them use.  

Pidge uses her gauntlet the most often. The rest of the team generally only uses it for communication, or at Pidge’s direction to get or send data for her.

Shiro’s gauntlet is flexible enough to allow him to use his Galra prosthetic without damaging the armor. Additionally although only his hand lights up, the glow will go all the way up to his elbow (note: this only occurs when he is in paladin armor. When he activates it in civilian clothing in both seasons 2 and 3, the glow is usually contained to his hand).

Although Lance will frequently hit targets with his bayard, the strength of the blasts appears to vary, as some targets he will hit multiple times but they won’t take damage. (Ex. S1E2, the gladiator, or S2E10, the warden). Possibly the most notable example is a direct hit to Sendak that did not kill him. In other cases his first shot will completely destroy a sentry.

When in combat with both sword and shield, Keith typically uses the shield on his right arm and sword in his left, but he has been seen using both shield and sword on both arms

Keith has also been known to throw his sword-bayard (or Marmora blade) at opponents, with surprising accuracy. (S1E7, S2E12, S3E4).

Note: The Voltron Show (S4E4)’s depictions were bypassed for the sake of this guide, as most data shown in this episode regarding the armor is subject to embellishment, stage illusion, or other forms of trickery not actually accurate to the armor’s real functions

CONCLUSION

That’s it for now! As stated, I will continue to update this guide with new relevant information whenever more data is given to us on paladin armor functions. Hope it’s useful to all you writers, artists, and fans out there! ~VelkynKarma

#voltron #voltron reference #long post #lots of screenshots #phew!#I've been working on this for a while guys #hope it's useful!

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remotepatientmonitoringhomehealt · 3 years

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Content

$17 Virtual treatment.

requirement Of care.

Back To college: exactly How kid's health In Dallas Is incorporating Virtual care To help support pupils, Parents & professors.

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If you have concerns or problems connected to the assistance in this file, please This record includes links to other web sites and also content coming from or stemming from 3rd parties. Such outside links are offered informative and instructional objectives just as well as are not explored, kept an eye on or looked for precision, competence, validity, integrity, availability or completeness by ASAM.

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Keeping your health currently is equally as essential as ever-- and also telehealth can aid.

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Another drawback of telemedicine is the failure to start therapy immediately. For instance, a patient suffering from a bacterial infection could be offered an antibiotic hypodermic injection in the facility, as well as observed for any type of reaction, before that antibiotic is recommended in pill type. It might be needed that the professional and patient included must fulfill face to face at least when prior to on the internet prescribing can take place, or that at the very least a live-video seminar must occur, not just impersonal sets of questions or studies to figure out demand. Consequently, in 2015 the state legislature legislated digital appointments. Limiting licensure legislations in the United States call for a professional to acquire a complete permit to supply telemedicine treatment across state lines. Usually, states with limiting licensure legislations also have numerous exceptions that may release an out-of-state expert from the additional worry of getting such a certificate. A number of states need specialists that seek settlement to frequently provide interstate care to obtain a full license.

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kopng · 7 years

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Here’s a translation of the Novaya Gazeta article on the gay concentration camp in Chechnya. Unfortunately I had to make this using google translate because my Russian isn’t good, if anyone has a link to a better translation please let me know or link it below.

Novaya Gazeta" became aware of mass detentions of residents of Chechnya in connection with their unconventional sexual orientation - or suspicion of such. At the moment, more than a hundred men have been informed of the detention. “Novaya Gazeta” knows the names of the three dead, but our sources say that there are many more victims.

The information about the arrests began to come about a week ago and was reviewed by us and confirmed by an unprecedented number of sources: the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic, the administration of the head of the republic, the FSB Chechnya, the prosecutor’s office of Chechnya, and local LGBT activists. Some of them were detained and left the republic after they were released (an extremely rare case). Some left after their friends and acquaintances were detained. Detentions are held in various localities, not only in Grozny.

Among the detainees are representatives of the Chechen muftiate, including prominent, influential and religious leaders close to the head of the republic, as well as two well-known Chechen TV personalities. Of course, all these people in no way demonstrated their special sexual orientation - in the Caucasus it is tantamount to a death sentence. However, in traditional Chechen society, between members of which extremely short social distances, such things are recognized quickly, no matter how much they hide.

Chechen users of social networks panicky leave the closed thematic groups in instant messengers, close accounts in social networks. However, some, at the risk, try to warn others about the threat.

MESSAGE FROM VKONTAKTA

(Orthography and punctuation of the original)

“Salam alaykum to all!

I did not think that I would write again here, but now, when there is only one chain in the subject, and if you substitute one, then they torture him until he surrenders others and it can touch and I think it will be correct if I warn.

There are often posts about the bases (referring to provocations to identify people of homosexual orientation - note EM) and I some time ago tried to find the victims of these substitutions. When I did not find any, I thought it was not true. Now I understand why I did not find any who were framed in Chechnya. Unfortunately, many are killed.

Killed not just young guys but even adult men in their 50 years. Among them there are well-known personalities in Chechnya.

At various events, television editions, in competitions participated. I do not want to mention their names. The youngest is 16 years old. He’s from our village. Just a few days ago he was brought back all the beaten, just a bag of bones. They threw him into the yard and told him to be killed. He still says did not come to himself and will hardly come. I do not know how they explain why they do this, they will be asked to show evidence that our son or brother is like that.

In Chechnya, after all, strictly to slander anyone who had no weighty evidence. You can even stay without your pants. Especially to raise a hand on the peasant and slander it in homosexuality is generally a disgrace for many centuries. I do not know how they explain it, but it’s crap. A natural, my military relative who literally told me this morning. I was wrong when I spoke here and wrote that there was no substitute. They are and still have their hands untied now. Be extremely careful and remove your dubious connections.

The main thing is not to rent apartment apartments, probably all realtors are forced to put cameras in apartments and in this way they get dirt on the victims. And realtors from Chechnya will do everything to not lose their business and who will dare to protest our military. Please be very careful. This is my last post here. ” The residents of Chechnya, who were victims of persecution - even if only on suspicion of unconventional sexual orientation - have very little chance of surviving. It is enough for the family to report the reason for the detention, and relatives will not complain to official authorities, and the facts of detention and even the murder of their loved ones will be carefully concealed.

It is known that some detainees are released for “lack of evidence”. However, in this case, they are in danger, which comes from relatives. In Chechnya, the ancient custom of “killing honor” is still widespread - it is a measure that allows to wash the shame of the family by killing the culprit of this shame.

Our sources in the Chechen special services categorically linked the wave of detentions, which they called a “preventive sweep,” with another wave of information.

Notification of a procession for LGBT rights At the beginning of March in the Caucasus, Russian LGBT activists, participants of the GayRussia.ru project, within the framework of their all-Russian judicial campaign, applied for a series of gay pride parades in four cities of the North Caucasus Federal District. So, on March 9, LGBT activist Vladimir Klimov, who lives in the Sverdlovsk Region, sent a “notification of a public event in the form of a procession” to the administration of Nalchik and the regional administration of Kabardino-Balkaria. The notification indicated that the procession is planned to be conducted along the main streets in the historical center of Nalchik, the estimated number of participants in the event is 300 people (there are scans at the disposal of Novaya Gazeta). The Nalchik administration predictably refused. Actually, it is this, the applicants, apparently, and added. Similar statements were also filed by Moscow LGBT activists on March 9 and 10 in Cherkessk, Stavropol and Maikop ..

Information about the intentions of the GayRussia.ru project activists (the project manager of the well-known Moscow LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev) to hold gay prides in the Caucasus regions was in the media. In the entire Caucasus, this news caused massive protests, where speakers demonstrated a high level of aggression. In social networks there were made with varying degrees of creativity videos and calls for the murder of people with unconventional sexual orientation.

It was at this time in Chechnya that a command was given to “preventive cleansing” and it came to real murders.

Nikolay Alekseev told Novaya Gazeta that by applying for parades in various regions of Russia he is fighting for his constitutional rights, for freedom of assembly and for repealing the law banning gay propaganda. “We no longer hold uncoordinated gay pride parades,” he told Novaya Gazeta. “We used to, we did, but now we do not.” We seek from the state the coordination of our actions and providing security for their participants. But every time we submit an application, we, of course, are preparing for a gay parade in case our application is agreed upon. “

On the clarifying questions of Novaya Gazeta, why 300 people appear in the application and how many local LGBT activists planned to go to gay parades in Nalchik, Cherkessk, Maikop or at least in Stavropol, Alekseev could not say anything concrete. He explained that if the action was agreed and security was secured, Moscow and St. Petersburg activists were ready to come to the Caucasus and participate in gay pride parades.

At the same time, neither Alekseev nor his lawyers came to Nalchik either for giving notice or for a preliminary hearing on the suit about refusing to hold a gay parade in this Caucasian city. Alekseev noted that this is due not only to the workload, but also to considerations of personal safety. After it became known about the application for the gay pride in Nalchik and other cities of the North Caucasus Federal District, he received "a huge number of threats for all possible types of communication.”

Nikolay Alekseev. Photo: RIA Novosti Alekseev, in addition to activism, is known for his numerous lawsuits brought to the courts in various regions of the country: he refuses every refusal to coordinate the action in Russian courts, and then goes to the European Court of Human Rights.

In 2011, Alekseev won his first complaint in Strasbourg, the compensation was 29 thousand euros. At the moment, the ECHR has communicated two more similar complaints, compensation for which, according to the coordinator of the “Gender Program” of the Bell Foundation Irina Kosterina, can amount to 100,000 euros.

In addition, according to Alekseev, now is preparing the third, “unprecedented in scale” wave of complaints, which, apparently, got the cases of refusals in the Caucasian cities. According to Alekseev, “trials in recognition of refusals to conduct gay parades illegal, are in 95 cities, claims for an incomplete year we covered 78 of the 89 regions of Russia.” Alekseev confirmed that complaints on all regions will be sent to the ECHR, but it was difficult to name the requested amount of compensation for legal costs and for non-pecuniary damage.

Asked by Novaya Gazeta whether he knew that his statements about the intention to hold gay parades in the Caucasus provoked the persecution of local LGBT representatives, and in Chechnya led to mass arrests and killings, Alekseev replied that the correspondent of Novaya Gazeta was “ Speculates with unverified information, operates with unfounded facts, and personally he knows nothing about such persecution and the consequences of his actions. ”

One can understand why Alekseev, a fighter for the rights of LGBT people, still does not have those “proven facts”. The fact is that, as if shaking up the patriarchal Caucasus, he did not provide his supporters with at least a minimal cover, at least some channels for retreat.

Absolutely not knowing and not understanding the local specifics, he apparently simply did not take into account what consequences for people can be from just one notification of intention, which no one was planning to implement. The problem is that in the Caucasus the word is still taken seriously. The seriousness of Alexeyev’s intentions was not doubted by those who declared a real hunt for local LGBT communities.

An example of videos with threats to LGBT activists distributed in Chechen WhatsApp-publikas

Novaya Gazeta knows that other Russian LGBT organizations (the GayRussia.ru project does not participate in this) are currently creating a hotline, receiving reports about the persecution of the residents of Chechnya and are ready to evacuate people.

Novaya Gazeta is preparing an application to the TFR and the General Prosecutor’s Office, as well as to the administration of the President of the Russian Federation. We intend to provide the investigation with personal data (name, place of work, place of residence) of the dead and demand the initiation of criminal proceedings, as only in the criminal case it is possible to conduct exhumations to establish the exact cause of death of people.

P.S.

On March 29, the Russian LGBT network distributed the following message in social networks: “In connection with the recent incidence of harassment of gay, lesbian, transgender / -co (or those considered so) in the North Caucasian republics, the Russian LGBT network created the Hot Line for residents of the region in danger. If you feel threatened, you are threatened, immediately contact us at [email protected]

We guarantee that all the information you will give (including your name and surname) will be known only to our three employees who are directly engaged in the op

Assistance.

We recommend that you include the following information in your email: - describe the situation in which you find yourself; - what assistance do you need. - Your name and surname;

We will promptly respond to each request and discuss with you different options for assistance.

#chechnya #gays #lgbtq #russia #concentration #concentration camps #camps #translation #English #novaya gazeta

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swtorprotocoldroid · 4 years

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For the past 3 months I kept my silence as I saw several bloggers/ Vloggers [Vlog] and social media pranks victimizing the people working for food delivery service.

I mean whats wrong with us people, we are facing a pandemic, instead of helping there are those who play prank to people who sacrifice their safety working in this time of crisis.

Front-liners does not end with doctors and nurses, those who work in customer service, food and delivery service are also front-liners.

Over the past 3 months the social media is flooded with reports of people playing jokes and pranks thinking that its funny, not sure what their thinking, most probably their not thinking at all. Wheres the empathy? the core value of humanity is totally lost.

Just recently this girl is making her way all over social media because of the prank she did to a Grab rider.

Translation: She’s looking for a rider, her address is #288 Playa St. Balut Tondo Manila. She’s looking for a rider that can buy her grocery items in 7-11 convenient store

Translation: According to her list it consist mostly of chocolates, total amount will be 2,100 pesos plus the fare of the rider which is 350 pesos.

Translation: The rider was able to arrive on the nearest 7-11 convenient store.

Translation: Using the 7-11 application you can buy the items from the store and present the code to the cashier to scan. This particular app is helpful for this kind of services, because the cashier knows exactly what you are buying for.

Translation: After the rider confirms the order and it was already payed for she then call it a bluff, a prank telling the rider that he can now eat those chocolates that he payed for.

The girl in this prank is known as Arlene Jimeno, not sure if that is her real name or her actual photo.

This post showed up in my social media account, credits to the owner of the photos.

This is not the first time this happened, the list goes on and on in social media.

Here is another one that is really got me frustrated the entire day,

A guy with a name Reynan Gañete ordered a food worth 1000 pesos and again using almost the same type of service wherein the rider will place, pick up and pay for the order and have it delivered to the customer.

The rider will only get paid upon delivery of the order.

The worst part here is that the person who place the order cancels it the moment the rider arrived in front of his house. Telling the rider that everything is just for fun, a joke if you will, for the sake of his blog.

Now, I’m really hoping for this bill. Once approved and in effect the violators of will get the penalty of prison or at least six years of jail time. They must also pay a ₱100,000 fine and reimburse the food and delivery service providers for the value of the items advanced by the rider. They should also pay the provider an amount of money double the fee charged for the canceled transaction.

This covers instances wherein customers order food and/or grocery items for the purpose of pranking or those who have no genuine intention of availing of the service which causes damage and undue duress to the Delivery Riders and their corresponding services.

Also those who shame, demean, embarrass, or humiliate the delivery riders across any platform may face at least six months of imprisonment or prison correctional.

With so many pranks going on in social media right now this bill will be a great help, ensuring the safety, security and source if income of those who are in this type of industry. After all, they just want to make a decent amount of money during this trying time and this is what they get from this kind of people, and for what?

Because they want to be famous in social media?

One of my friend told me that these people lack attention so they are making one, they are attracting attention to themselves no matter.

There’s a saying “Bad publicity is still a publicity”

Anyway thank you for taking the time to read.

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News: House bill wants six years of jail time for canceling food delivery orders For the past 3 months I kept my silence as I saw several bloggers/ Vloggers and social media pranks victimizing the people working for food delivery service.

#Blogging #News #zerotohero

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mrjohnhthompson · 7 years

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Vs iPhone X: The RM4k Question

On Tuesday, Apple rolled out the much-anticipated iPhone X and it broke the internet. Dubbed “the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone”, Apple’s latest iteration is a glass and stainless steel device with an edge-to-edge display. But the release comes on the back of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Of course, these were too hot handle for Malaysia, a country where 89.3% of its internet users rely on smartphones for their online joys as evidenced by local news reports converting those US dollar price tags into ringgit. So while they are yet to reach Malaysian shores – their introduction more than an eventuality – we have done the work and compared these devices side-by-side. Here’s what we have found:

Specs

Powering the iPhone X is the A11 Bionic chipset. Apple dubs it the “most powerful and smartest” processor in a smartphone. Well, while we can’t exactly quantify that claim, it is expected to be a pint-sized powerhouse: the A11 consists of six cores – two for high performance and four for efficiency – as well as a graphics processing unit that is 30% faster than the A10 Fusion chip embedded in the iPhone 7. Why so much extra muscle, you ask? Well the A11 is expected to help iPhone X deliver top-notch augmented reality functionality as well as Apple’s Face ID technology and TrueDepth camera system. We are still in the dark over RAM as, typically, Apple doesn’t reveal those numbers. Now, for the Galaxy Note 8, it utilises Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM. Basically what Samsung has put into this phone is a chip that has delivered smooth and consistent performance across other various Android handsets such as the HTC U11. While both iPhone X and Note 8 come with 64GB of storage, only the latter features a MicroSD slot for extra room. On offer is 256GB on both phones but that comes at a premium. Regardless of which device you choose, on board are Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC for tap-and-pay transactions. It goes without saying that the Note 8 is also compatible with legacy terminals through the Samsung Pay’s proprietary MST technology. [block title="Winner: Tie"] This is due to a lack of real-time testing to see which outperforms the other. Also, on paper, both phones are offering a powerful chip and similar digits for storage and add-ons.[/block]

Design and durability

Let’s start with the iPhone X. Its display follows the contours of the device. It sports a futuristic design: there’s a pronounced black border to the screen as well as that controversial notch housing the camera system and earpiece. Also the new iPhone is clad in glass around the back, allowing it to charge wirelessly and features vertical stacked dual cameras. The sides are designed from stainless steel and look remarkably shiny compared to the matter aluminium of its predecessors. But unlike those older iPhones, you won’t find a home button or Touch ID anywhere on the handset. This makes the phone look so much better overall but where’s that fingerprint recognition? Not having that feature exported into the iPhone X’s stunning 5.8-inch OLED display is a tad disappointing. The good news is that it has been replaced with Face ID. Not that Samsung is perfect. As there is no room for a sensor on the front of the phone, it’s been relocated to the right of the dual cameras around back – just like the Galaxy S8. And who loves a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor? A more central placement would have been better, no? Because reaching across the lenses is a pretty excellent way to smudge them. Design wise, the Note 8 is, well, a larger Galaxy 8. You may shout and scream about that, however it is not a totally unfair claim. Yes, it’s still a great piece of kit – with a headphone jack at that – and if we were comparing that with any random device, it’d win hands down. The face of the Note 8 is a 6.3-inch 2,960 x 1,440 AMOLED panel that is fitted onto a body that is compact for its size however the iPhone has a tighter setup with 2436 x 1125 OLED display. As for durability, both are made of glass and water resistant. The iPhone X is rated IP67 – good to withstand a meter’s depth for 30 minutes – while the Note 8 fares better at IP68, which just means an additional half-meter of submersion. [block title="Winner: iPhone X"] Looks are subjective but the design of the iPhone X, with its removal of the home button or Touch ID, pushes the boundaries of smartphone design, hence being the winner here. [/block]

Battery life/charging

We may not have the hard numbers on the capacity of the iPhone X battery, but Apple has announced that users can expect up to 21 hours of talk time – roughly two hours more than an iPhone 7 Plus. You have wireless charging capabilities as the iPhone X is compatible with the open Qi standard used by many other phone manufacturers. Apple claims the iPhone X charges faster, too, and a high-speed wall adapter packaged with the device will get you up to 50% in 30 minutes. The Galaxy Note 8 also has wireless and fast charging – hopefully not to the point of exploding – and some reviewers believe you can even manage a day and half without charging if you use the phone conservatively. So because the iPhone camp is silent on its battery and charging capabilities, this is an easy decision to make. [block title="Winner: Tie"] Again, just like the first point, due to the inability to make real-time comparisons, we are unable to decided which is better than the other. [/block]

Cameras

It’s unsurprising that the camera setup on both phones are similar. Both have dual 12mp sensors, combining wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Also each lens on these phones is supported with optical image stabilisation, translating into less blurrier shots. Both allow you to take portrait-style photos with background bokeh, although the iPhone allows you to play with the light source of these shots through a new in-built feature called Portrait Lighting. The iPhone X can achieve this through its front cameras as well, courtesy of Apple’s new True Depth system. The Note 8 has an 8mp shooter for selfies and when taking still, you can get impressive results with either camera. But the iPhone X can do a bit more once you get to filming. While the Note 8 can only manage 4k recording at 30fps and slow-motion 240fps at 720p, Apple’s prized child can handle 4k at 60fps and 240fps at 1,080p. Yes, yes, we are getting to it: Face ID. With the iPhone X, you can unlock your phone by looking at it – it’s designed to be that simple. The Samsung uses iris scanning for authentication in the Note 8 but that’s a system that’s simply easier to fool and less secure. We are not sure whether the Face ID is fool-proof – despite Apple saying it works well in low-light and can tell the difference between a picture and a real person – but depth-aware imaging features is a major breakthrough. Also, you can use the iPhone X to transform words and expression to an animated emoji in real time, through a feature dubbed Animoji. [block title="Winner: iPhone X"] This is self-explanatory. From Face ID to filming capabilities, the iPhone X takes home the gold. [/block]

Software

Out of the box, the iPhone X will come equipped with iOS 11. It’s the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system and features an all-new App Store and a host of small improvements. The Galaxy Note 8 is packed with the Android 7.1.1 Nougat and while it’s not the latest version, the 8.0 Oreo should arrive early in 2018. Now, it’s silly to compare both systems and choosing is just a matter of preference. But there are some tools and features only found in one or the other. The standout being Samsung’s S Pen. The Note 8 stylus makes it a powerful tool for jotting down ideas and some quick doodling. The phone’s always-on screen also means you can take notes without having to wake the phone first – a very useful software tweak. Hold the pen over the text you’re reading and it will even translate on the fly or even magnify the area of the screen. Another new feature to the Note 8 called App Pair allows you to join certain apps together so you can launch them both at once. Open a pair and both apps immediately display in split-window mode – a multitasker’s delight. There’s also the DeX Station, which is an optional dock that transforms your Note 8 into a desktop computer. So when you step back from the iPhone’s camera innovations, there’s pretty much nothing new on the software front. But the Note 8 provides more by way of software, so you’ll know where this vote will swing to. [block title="Winner: Note 8"] We expect many to appreciate a phone that multitasks and the Note 8 is a practical choice here. [/block]

Pricing/availability

The iPhone X launches November 3 while the Galaxy Note 8 is available for pre-order. Either way you go, expect to spend a lot of money and, if you are eyeing that Apple, be prepared for the mad rush. But with a starting price of US$999 (or approximately RM4,190 at writing time), the iPhone X crosses a bracket high-end smartphones had been able to comfortably avoid until now. The Galaxy Note 8 begins at US$930 (or RM3,900). Despite being just RM290 cheaper, the Samsung phone is much more generous with add-ons and promotions such as a wireless charging stand or a 128GB memory card. [table id=863 /] Also, we are not sure if mobile carriers here will offer deals for users to upgrade from older iPhones to the X. Checks on Apple’s website does not indicate the option of a SIM-free, unlocked model, whereas Samsung is offering exactly that for customers who wish to stay off-contract. So this flexibility and as well as purchasing and trade-in options, makes the Samsung Note 8 an easier buy. [block title="Winner: Note 8"] This, too, is an obvious choice. At least with the Samsung, you don’t need to camp outside its store just to grab the latest Note 8. [/block]

And the winner is…

So based on our comparison, it’s a tie. It’s really a tough call: the Galaxy Note 8 is a robust smartphone and the iPhone X on paper looks to be equally great. But each carries its own compromises and cancel out each other’s flaws, so the average user can’t go wrong either way. The Galaxy Note 8 is great if you are looking for versatility, multitasking and writing things down. The iPhone, besides the euphoria, gives you cutting edge design, imaging and augmented reality (not to mention bragging rights). However, we are personal finance website and we’ll lean towards pricing and availability. That means our choice has to be the Galaxy Note 8 for its cheaper price tag and also user-friendliness when it comes to trade-ins and off-contract options. However, at the end of the day, it all boils down to: Are you team iOS or team Android?

The post Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Vs iPhone X: The RM4k Question appeared first on iMoney Malaysia.

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