#disassembly seems to be the 'best' option

[ebbywaffle]

ok so with the science of reheating pizza, i feel like proper conclusions have been made(hot skillet + a couple teaspoons of water, big-enough air fryer, etc) but the jury's still out on how to properly reheat a shitty Taco Bell hard shell taco other than microwaving (which sucks bc warmed lettuce and the texture gets weird and some of the meat doesn't get hot enough at times) show me the hacks on that

[libraford]

I know I’m a rando so apologies if this is over familiar but your work situation sounds a lot like what my friend was going through in grad school. She had been doing really well the first year, then the second year her advisor suddenly started finding all sorts of “fundamental issues” with her research project. He discouraged her from applying for grants and said her submissions were too poor to even consider. All sorts of really harsh criticisms that often contradicted each other and were hard to follow. She felt like she was going crazy. Then she learned he found a different student that he would basically be able to pay much less to do all his lab work for him, and he was clearly trying to force her out to make room for the newer cheaper student. Trust your gut, I don’t think this situation is your fault at all. Something fishy is happening with your company for sure. I’m sorry for all this trouble.

Yikes that's harsh.

Part of the reason that my crits have been so numerous and harsh is that this year I was expected to learn something new. And I understand it in concept, but I have been making mistakes that are typical of new learners. But because there was no SAFE place to make those mistakes, the pressure is on to do them correct the first time and every time.

Like with groups, right?

My first groups job I was doing really well, I thought. Up until we got to the football team, which was 45 minutes late to the location. And they lined them up by number even though we asked for tallest to shortest. And the coach said he wanted to do them by number. So I did them by number. When we got to the end of it, he saw how terrible it was to do them by number and we had to redo it by height. At this point, they're frustrated with me for not doing it right the first time. I am frustrated with them for not listening the first time and also being 45 minutes late. The tennis team was waiting for me on the other side of the school, so I did my best. I showed the photo to the coach before leaving. Boss didn't like what I made for the football team and had to go back and do it again because I fucked up. I told her all of this and she said that I should have accommodated them because they're the football team and they have to have the best, even if that means waiting 45 minutes for them to arrive and making the tennis team wait 45 minutes.

My second groups job was a middle school that was asking me to do the team photo AND in between teams do candids for the yearbook. The kids were not behaving well and did not seem interested in taking a good photo, so I did my best even though the kids were fighting. Unfortunately, I made the completely reasonable mistake of leaving my aperature on too low between tasks and they ended up a little bit out of focus- which was not apparent in the camera but WAS apparent on the computer screen. This is a mistake that other people have made. I showed each photo to the coach before letting them go.

My third groups job was a class groups job, which all I had to do was follow the guide given to me. Which I did, up until about the 4th grade classes, which had their special classes going on at that time. Because of this, the number the teacher gave me was incorrect and I had to add students to rows in ways that did not reflect the guide because the other option was to disassemble the class group and reassemble it so that it reflected the guide. Teachers were rushing me to hurry up, so I made executive decisions. This was unfortunately the wrong decision. I also posed them in a way that was consistent with what my boss wanted, but not what the district specialist wanted.

On my fourth groups job, I was told all of the mistakes I had made in the previous jobs and that I need to take consideration all of the details and guides that were there for me to use because my previous jobs required her to go back and do them again, so I had better not make the same mistakes (all of which were different mistakes each time). I am upset. So to make it easier on myself, I asked the coaches if they had a specific way they would like to have them posed. The coaches, delighted that I asked, gave me their feedback on previous years and what they would like to change. And I, delighted that they had preferences, obliged. I showed the photo to the coach before leaving. My boss said I did well! She was very pleased with my work. The district specialist was not! He said that I needed to follow the guide because the numbers were incorrect and that I needed to follow the numbers. He tapes a guide to the back of my slate to use. I ask my boss if she could help me next time.

On my fifth groups job, I am disheartened by the amount of criticism I've gotten but I am determined to get it right this time. My boss is present. I am placing the students with the order given to me by the specialist. I walk away to double check. She tells me that its wrong- that I shouldn't have 9 people in front. I tell her that I was using the guide. She shows me her guide. The guides are different from each other. I ask her which guide I'm supposed to use and she says 'whichever one is correct.' I ask her how I'm supposed to know which one is correct and she tells me the theory of how the placement is supposed to go instead of giving me an answer. I get a little shirty. She tells me that this is my 5th job like this, I should know how to do this by now. I start crying. She goes away for the rest of the day to do admin stuff and I handle the rest of the day fine.

My critique says that I am unable to adapt to change and I am inflexible, struggles to take criticism well or think under pressure.

So I'm expected to do well because its my third year. But I have two different supervisors who don't agree on what 'doing well' is and my progress is not seen as progress so much as 'another mistake.' If my mistakes were consistent, then that would be indicative of refusal to take criticism. But because the mistakes are different every time, that's not the case. I WANT to learn. But I would like everyone to be on the same page about what they want from me.

And when I pointed this out, I was told I was being confrontational.

So I am feeling the rage right now.

[roseofhybrids]

Deciding how Doll would act in this little AU thing is proving a touch troublesome See, her motives aren't exactly clear at the moment

TLDR: It's tricky to figure out where Doll's thoughts are at this point. So, I'll try my best to keep her in character. Episode 7 and 8 might reveal stuff that'll make AU her out of character, and I'll just have to live with that

overly long character rambling below:

Like, from episode 3 we know she's willing to kill a bunch of her peers in order to set up a revenge trap. She tried to kill Uzi, and was fully prepared to try again even after being beaten. So she is very open to killing, even if the person has proven capable of beating her.

But, upon finding out Uzi also has the solver, she decides against it and claims she'll try to help Uzi if she finds out what's going on. And back in 2 we see her risk having her powers revealed to keep Lizzy from opening the door. Was that her trying to protect herself or Lizzy? Maybe a little of both. But, after the revenge plan goes south. Rather than kill Lizzy, she tosses her into the bleachers. So she won't kill those she's close to (even after Lizzy tried to warn V, mind you) or those she can empathize/sympathize with (a girl she's bullied for years, but also happens to be infected with the solver)

Currently, Doll wants answers about what happened to her parents in the labs and the solver, similar to the main group. Despite that shared goal, Doll makes it clear she does not want to work with the Uzi, N, and V on this. But at the same time, she was prepared to go down into the lab with a disassembly drone and a human. Which she changes her mind about after Tessa shoots at her, and the main trio show up.

She had the key bug, she got to the elevator before them, she could have just called the elevator and went down before the main group got there. But instead, she sets a trap to kill them. Why though? Why try to kill them, and why now?

Was the grudge against V so strong that she was willing to get all of them killed just to get to V?

Did Tessa tell her something, and now she can't leave Uzi and N alive despite sparing them? Because at the end of 5 she seemed ready to just take the bug and leave them to their own devices. (Though, she could also have just weighed her options and decided it wasn't worth trying to kill any of them, but I digress). And even at that point, she seems to have some respect for Uzi. Like, at least a sliver of it, based on what she says to Khan. Likely based on Uzi choosing to protect her friends over continuing to fight her for the key bug.

And that's without even getting into how much she knows about what's going on. How much did Tessa tell her? She had to say something in order to convince Doll to help get the key, but how much of her hand was Tessa willing to show?

Does Doll know the Earth was destroyed? Does she know who CYN was? Does she know that the disassembly drones used to be workers? Does she know Nori's probably behind the core melt down? Does she know that Tessa plans to kill all infected drones? And if she does, does she agree with doing that and has just accept her fate, or was she just playing along to get Tessa to help her find answers?

I could continue to ramble on, but this post is long enough. Needless to say, I'm excited for 7 and 8

and if any Doll fans out there have some theories or head canons, I'd love to hear them

[wealmostaneckbeard]

Lancer: Hostile Forces

Here are 3 unrelated factions (each consisting of 3 units) for the mecha/pliot table-top role playing game Lancer:

1. Voidborn Oppressors

They used to be humble spaceship salvagers during the war between worlds. Once the war was over, they found themselves to have more military assets than the surviving planet-bound nations. And so they've leveraged their power to regulate all trade and politics across the entire solar system. Anyone who shows defiance to their authority will be crushed with disproportionate force.

Demolisher + Pirate = Wreck Mistress

During the war, arguments over salvage rights were typically resolved in favor of whoever had a Wreck Mistress. It is an intimidating machine traditionally piloted by a cold woman. It incorporates the most terrifying weapons-tech from the war: Slaver Signal, Demolition Hammer, Coreworm Rockets, Seismic Destroyer. These mechs are passed down from mother to favored daughter. Wreck Mistresses were used during the subjugation of planetary nations to butcher both mechs and their pilots in grisly spectacle.

Scourer + Commander = Las-Boss

Using a mecha-scaled laser cutter to disassemble military cruisers requires a steady hand and a keen mind. One miscalculation or twitch of the controls could result in a small nuke going off. During the war there was always demand for a "lascut specialist" for the previously stated reasons. Those who survived long enough in the profession would earn legions of followers and the best berths in any station. These wartime scrap-stars are now looking for opportunities to prove they are still just as hot as their instruments, prior to cooling. They may be accompanied by a Squad or a couple of Assault Grunts serving as groupie-bodyguards. A Las-boss must have the Melt optional system and the Military Discipline trait.

Assassin + Spacer = Boarder

The Boarder MK.I was a standardized powered exoskeleton designed for high mobility and dirty close quarters combat. It's pilots would typically use Thumper Grenades to disable targets, Leap to close the gap, and a Heated Blade to finish them off. The Mk. II was designed for combat on planet surfaces and operating alongside Wreck Mistresses. This new version of the Boarder was equipped with a Gravity Rifle (much needed ranged firepower) and Kai Bioplating (maintaining it's mobility within a gravity well). The MK. III addresses the fact that Boarders were being destroyed by being out-ranged or out-gunned, and so it features a two-fold solution. The Assassin's Mark would give the Boarder some protection from a single attacker. And a Cloud Projector would give it the ability to dodge fire from multiple attackers. During protests against the Voidborn, effigies of Boarders are set on fire and paraded around.

2. Radiovore Colony

These organisms are like a cross between bombardier beetles and nudibranchs, scaled to megafauna sizes. Radiovores naturally produce hyper-reactive chemical substances that they use for a variety of purposes. They are able to do this because they feed on rare metals and radioactive materials which gives them the necessary mutations. Their diet puts them at odds with human mining colonies pursuing the same resources. Both the Nester and the Suitor have the Regenerator and Living Chassis traits from the Exotic template.

Monstrosity = Progeny

Casually classified as being old enough to leave their nest but not mutated yet. They have claws, a corrosive bite, and acid spittle attacks. Progeny use hit and run tactics on prey, while threats are safely melted from a distance. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how old a Progeny can get, ancient ones gain the Regenerator trait.

Pyro + Exotic = Nester

When a Progeny finds high quantities of mutation-inducing materials in a defensible nest, it will become a bloated Nester. It's acid spitting gland becomes a shorter range flamethrower. They use an ability similar to the FIREBREAK Shield to protect their eggs and Progeny. After mating with a Suitor, the nester will start to lay eggs. Radiovore nests filled with eggs generate so much heat they are practically kilns. Nesters have to have burn immunity and the ability to disperse heat in order to survive. As they get near the end of their lives, an old Nester will form a hardened shell (siege armor) over their body.

Seeder + Exotic = Suitor

Progeny that have left their nests, have found low quantities of radioactive material but little shelter, turn into Suitors. These Radiovores spend their time building biomechanical bombs with different kinds of yields and payloads for multiple purposes. At first their explosives are used for the creation of nests and exploratory mining operations. Once a Progeny has taken over a nest and become a Nester, the Suitor's bombs are then used in a courting ritual. The Nester will only mate with a Suitor who presents bombs that are highest-yield/least-stable. To minimize damage, Nesters will instinctively drive suitors far away from the nest. The Suitor has to make and transport their explosives from these remote locations. They may test out delivery routes to a nest with Stun, Sealant, or Shock Mines first before upgrading to the Explosive type. Wait long enough and an exterminator can follow a Suitor back to their nest, but actually tracking it (even in low flying aircraft) can be incredibly risky.

3. First Strike Team

Long range nuclear missiles, "Super-Hacker" NHPs, TBK bioweapon suites. All these human-made horrors need time to arm, aim, and launch. First Strike Teams can neutralize these threats to national security within that prep phase, if deployed accurately and correctly. Because of that big if, FSTs are maintained and commanded by covert intelligence bureaus, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of reliable target data. These teams are subject to less scrutiny than the superweapons they hunt and are only beholden to a bureau's director. Because of this, FSTs are viewed with suspicion by everyone who knows about them. When deployed to a target location, an FST is a frantic collective because they know they've only got minutes to save their world.

Mirage + Ship = Blink-Boat

The purpose of this ship is to get a Ground Team as close as possible to their targets. Blink-boats can teleport from their launch pad to anywhere within a half-lightyear but after that they can only make shorter jumps. That's when their secondary stealth functions are used, to protect itself and passengers from any immediate attacks by defensive. Given how delicate and experimental they are, Blink-boats do not carry any conventional weapons that can backfire on itself. There has been some speculation about what might happen if a blink-boat's launch-pad jump was sabotaged.

Squad = Ground Team

GTs will not leave their blink-boat until they are exactly where they should be. Once deployed, they will overwhelm hostile security with superior numbers and firepower. They are given all kinds of equipment and training depending on which target they are supposed to disable. The gear can range from breaching charges and system hacking tools to 3D maneuvering gear and heavy body armor.

Ace + RPV = Escorters

Durability, mobility, and firepower, these are the three virtues of the Escorter remote piloted vehicle. They deploy and spread out from the underbelly of the Blink-Boat after it has arrived in a target location. These robots will take the hits (which they will occasionally dodge thanks to Barrel Roll) that the rest of the FST cannot. This miraculous semi-autonomous weapon design comes at a horrible cost: Escorters are absurdly vulnerable to electronic warfare. However if one of them was hacked so thoroughly that it fired on the rest of the FST, the blink-boat's e-warfare suite would be able to keep the rest of the team safe.

[driftward]

…

~*~

Incident Report D-F-AL-05142-A Material Contained Within Suitable for Audiences of the Age of Majority Status: Ongoing, one action item outstanding Summary: Negative energy field void transition (ref. Aurora Lab Report for 1205-20/CX-04234-23) experiment experienced a transition divergence event due to system overload. Impact: Transition divergence resulted in loss of one person. Damage to lab equipment incurred is documented in attachment D-F-AL-05142-A-1. Notes: This report is to be only made available to the Students of Baldesion, Gage Acquisitions, and those listed in attachment D-F-AL-05142-A-4 under my sole authority. -Y.Shtola.

~*~

On the manner of this investigation, I have attempted to determine from available records what exactly occurred at the Aurora Laboratory on the day of the incident. I have looked into the logs maintained, various published articles, and held interviews with those who might provide any insight. I have reconstructed a timeline as best as I could with what I now know.

As near as can be determined, experiments earlier in the day had been conducted with nought of concern occurring. It is these experiments which I believe gave rise to the confidence with which the last was approached.

~*~

Madam Commander had spent the entire day checking the atelier, and it was getting late.

Lavender had helped as she was able, of course. That was her purpose, after all, and she saw it through. The nullstone facsimile, the gloriole containment assembly, the aetheric alignment array, all carefully checked and rechecked. Experiments re-run, observations rerecorded. Apples came back, misting but edible. The carbuncle returned, excited and no wiser than before. Lavender herself had made the journey once more, despite Zoissette’s immense reluctance.

Another argument, one Lavender had won, and so she had made the trip. She found it much the same as the first one had been. Vague impressions, drifting emotion, senses and memories she could not describe.

But there and back again. Perfectly fine.

It was getting late.

Madam Commander set up the final experiment.

~*~

At or around nine bells in the evening, the equipment record clearly shows that V. Zoissette began preparation for the would-be fateful experiment. I have reproduced the laboratory’s timetable here for reference.

2107: Nullstone activated. Null field established. Gloriole containment assembly energized. 2109: Aetheric nuoliths aligned. 2115: Demi-Ozma Aetheric Field established. Aetheric nuoliths begin to establish negative energy field. 2118: Negative energy field established. 2122: (reconstructed) Subject V.Zoissette enters the Demi-Ozma containment diameter and engages the aperture.

~*~

There was a loud thud noise, and the entire building shook. “Fury!” yelped the Madam Commander, only the word started out normal, then became stretched out and deep before jumping up into a high pitched hiccough at the end.

The aperture in the negative energy field had opened to admit the Madam Commander, and it had immediately gone unstable. Lavender snapped her gaze away from the console in time to see the Madam Commander had been hoisted into midair, and was now floating and spinning.

And more.

She had lost her grip on her glasses, and they now orbited around her, spinning freely. The Madam Commander herself was bent and stretched and warped, parts of her seeming to separate and rejoin, not in any way that was physically disassembling her. It was more like looking at a twisty reflection, where parts of a person would seem to vanish and reappear as they walked past it.

Lavender began to fly over to her, but stopped herself. Pulling the Madam Commander out was not an option. Lavender was, simply, too small. And entering the field herself would not only not help the situation, but could result in Lavender becoming trapped herself.

The aetheric nuolith array began to whine as it pumped aether out, attempting to maintain the negative energy field necessary to keep the aperture open. A quick glance at the readout showed Lavender that it was rapidly beginning to operate beyond its capacity.

Everything was going wrong, and Lavender was at a loss as to what to do.

~*~

Further entries in the record had to be reconstructed from available evidence. The Allagan node provided much of this data, as did the instrumentation used to take measurements. After the insertion diversion begins, we must needs guess as to what has happened. I have gathered what knowledge I can to this end.

~*~

Madam Commander was not panicked, even as she floated helplessly in midair, her spectacles continuing to float in orbit around her. “Lavender, set the aperture to close in five seconds and then dismiss,” she said, her voice distorting, coming in and out irregularly.

Lavender quickly flew over to the console, and began to set in the commands, but then stopped. She looked over questioningly.

Madam Commander was not facing her, but somehow knew. “Do it,” she said over her shoulder, her voice as calm as ice in the morning.

~*~

The nullstone replica is used to help maintain the negative energy field. However, in case of emergency, the magicks upon it were set to release, shutting down the nullstone. It seems this safety measure was to ensure that a hostile entity would find the use of it difficult at best. Also it would seem that the assumption was that in most emergencies, the equipment would be shut down rapidly to ensure safety.

~*~

Shutting the aperture on the Madam Commander would be, according to one of the experiments that had been run with the Marine, ‘one of the worst ways to make orange juice’.

And no, she would not be dismissed. She would not leave the Madam Commander in the middle of an ongoing casualty.

“Lavender!”

She ignored the Madam Commander.

She did not panic. She was a scholar’s fairy, an anima-based aetheric construct built to purpose by what she was sure were two of the finest minds of the age, an able assistant, a faithful familiar, a creature who despite her newness had been based on gigapulses of collected battlefield tactical acumen. This was what she existed for.

She would not fail the Madam Commander.

~*~

In the situation that the aperture became unstable, I believe the Demi-Ozma aether field is meant to keep both energy field and aperture contained. The nullstone and aetheric nuolith array are meant to work as one to help maintain the energy field negative. Unfortunately, in this situation, the fail safe on the nullstone meant that the nuolith array had to perform this task alone. The full consequences of releasing an unstable system are as yet unknown, however, we can safely assume that the release of energy from such may be catastrophic.

Releasing Demi-Ozma under these conditions, therefore, was probably seen as unacceptable unsafe.

~*~

Closing the aperture was not acceptable. Leaving her in there was also not acceptable. The tidal forces would eventually tear her into pieces.

As if to punctuate her thoughts, she heard a sharp crack noise, and looked over to see a hairline fracture on the Madam Commander’s spectacles. As for the Madam Commander herself, she was, for the time being, holding out alright, even as her form continued to be distorted and bent by reality becoming unstable inside the containment barrier.

Releasing Demi-Ozma was also out of the question. The negative energy field would collapse, and if the resultant energy pulse did not outright kill the Madam Commander, the shove of the fabric of reality rippling outward would do what the tidal forces were already doing, just much, much faster.

Another crackling noise occurred, this one from outside the Demi-Ozma field. Lavender looked over to see the aetheric nuolith arrays starting to vibrate from the strain of the amount of aether they had to pump to keep the aperture open. Above her, in the roof, she could hear the emergency relief valves open and begin to vent aether into the air above the laboratory.

She was rapidly running out of time to solve this problem.

She could not keep the Madam Commander here. She could not shut down the experiment in any safe matter.

There was one, last desperate option. It would mean losing the Madam Commander, possibly forever.

But she might survive.

With a little bit of help.

She would not have much time.

She set the containment field to collapse towards the aperture’s event horizon.

Madam Commander attempted to say something, as she felt the field press in on her, as she began to be pushed through the aperture and out into the rift, but as she spoke, her words became stretched and incoherent, as single words spooled into long seconds.

That would get her through and the immediate danger would pass, but it would not be enough. Lavender kept working.

~*~

It is difficult to piece together what comes next. Nay, I can but speculate, but speculate I must, though I mislike the conclusions I draw with such insufficient data.

~*~

The Madam Commander would need aether, whether she landed in rift or in void. Enough to shield her and keep her safe. It would have to be given to her very, very quickly, faster than the aetheric array could provide it.

But not faster than Lavender could.

Lavender directed the output of the aetheric array to herself, and began to absorb the aether rapidly. Doing so was not without risk. Though a creature of aether herself, she could be simply blown out by too large an infusion of the energies, like a flame before the wind. And she could not hold too much of it without risking losing her form or herself, but those outcomes were not going to be a problem today.

She quickly worked the controls at the console as aether poured into her. She glanced over at the armature. It would not be coming with her, but she could splice herself into it, after a fashion. Make a bit of herself smaller, small enough to fit fully in it, and finish what work needed to be done to see the plan through. Once the greater part of her was gone, she would need to perform one last task.

Lavender swelled and grew rapidly, and she erupted forth, almost losing the aether she had collected. It swept up through the roof as easily as light through a window, immaterial but very present, a brilliant shining light. She reached out for it mentally before it could get fully away from her, and grabbed onto it, and made it part of her form once more.

The aperture was beginning to shut rapidly, the experiment at last coasting down. Without the Madam Commander inside of it, the failsafes could now do their job correctly. The lab would be safe once more.

Lavender carefully watched, straining to maintain her form, holding onto the last moment. And then, just before it passed, she invoked a command that the Madam Commander had never dared to use.

Scholar fairies were familiars, after all. Loyal servants to their commanders. As creatures of aether, they could quickly transfer said aether to their commanders as an additional source of power for more puissant spells. It was of little concern to the fairy, of course; their form would vanish, and it would take some time for them to cycle, regather their energy, and reform, but in the meanwhile, their commanders could use that energy to good use.

Madam Commander did not like the idea of ‘using’ Lavender like that.

She would not be getting a choice this time.

Lavender closed her eyes, and triggered her own dissipation, pouring herself through the aperture and into her commander beyond, and sparing the tiniest bit of herself to stay behind in the armature.

The aperture closed.

The lesser part of her, far simpler, and with only the tiniest bit of what made her her, operated the armature, executing its last commands. The aetheric array cycled down. The negative energy field released. The containment field stayed active just long enough to keep the energies in and vent them out safely, before it, too, released.

A pair of spectacles with one cracked lens fell to the floor, and a moment later, the armature fell as well, folding its wings as the light within its soulwell dimmed.

~*~

To summarize what we know, subject V.Zoissette entered the Demi-Ozma, with the intent of using its ability to contain a negative energy field to create an aperture with which to pass beyond the veil, and attempt traversing the rift, presumably with the intent of travelling to the thirteenth. The system promptly overloaded and control was lost over several key systems, resulting in an unstable aperture and imminent failure of multiple control mechanisms. I believe that at some point, she and her familiar completed transition into the rift, and that shortly thereafter, a complete system failure resulted in the shutdown of all laboratory equipment, and the loss of subject V.Zoissette.

She is gone.

Sette. Is gone.

~*~

Title: The Incident Characters: Zoissette Vauban, Lady Vauban, Foxglove, Lavender, Klynt Gohtawyn, Ryssthota Sundstyrwyn, Apple Silverberg, Meya Ganajai, Gage Acquisitions and Allies, Papalymo Totolymo, Yda Hext, Y’shtola Rhul Rating: Teen Summary: Zoissette avoids her friends and her feelings as she attempts to discover a way across the rift, and makes a terrible mistake. Notes: None

[postwarlevi]

AOT dads getting their kid drivable riding vehicles

All kids around 5 to 6 years old.

Eren - Gets a cool looking Lamborghini Aventador with hydraulic doors. Puts batteries in for the lights and working horn. Those come out when the horn gets stuck on and Eren takes the front apart to try to fix it, and has to get Armins help to reassemble it. Blasts kids tunes from the included Bluetooth.

Armin - Picks the Ford Mustang with extra safe seatbelt. Takes a while to put together but worth it. Best on pavement so brings it to the park walking trails. Teaches kid about steering and reversing, while keeping a tight grip on the remote control.

Connie - Gets a Trailer Racer ATV. Goes up to 6mph and 3 in reverse. Can go on hard surfaces to walkways and grassy terrain. Accidently let's his kid crash into things by putting it right into fast mode. They won't give it another go until daddy shows them it's safe by getting in, and almost breaking it due to his weight. Keeps it on slow speed and disables reverse.

Jean - Goes with the two seater Dune Racer. Similar features to the ATV. Keeps it in slow mode, let's Connie's kid join in the passenger seat. Great for trips to the beach. Speed walks along side it until he gets tired, or the battery starts to runs out. Talks Connie into the upgrade so the dads can race while the kids are at school so the kids can drive together at both houses.

Levi - Does not want his kid having one. Has the most trouble being persuaded. Insists it's dangerous. Goes with the BMW where the parental control, controls everything. The speed, even the steering wheel. Still pads the kid up to the point they barely fit in the seat. Eventually takes it off and let's them have more control, but still holds the remote just in case.

Erwin - Looks up reviews for safest option. Goes with the Toyota Tundra with a long range parental remote control so he can keep an eye and intervene if needed. There's an emergency brake system, workable headlights, and with a top speed of 3mph, it's useable inside too. The remote control gets used more often though.

Miche - Get's the Jeep Wrangler. Uses it to teach his kid about cars. Instead of assembling it out of the box, they disassemble it and put it back together. The kid knows more about cars then lots of adults. Is a great driver. Talks dad into modifying it's speed to go faster.

Reiner - Goes with a reliable John Deere Tractor. Has a big yard so very quickly feels comfortable with the higher speed. Has a radio and an attachable trailer, so helps dad carry around tools for yardwork. Also brings out snacks and drinks from inside. Learns how to go in reverse after a while. Adjustable seats let them stay in it longer as they grow.

Porco - Is quite skeptical but gives in after doing some research. Gets a Land Rover featuring a real driving experience. Has a key, adjustable mirror, lights, radio, etc. Two seater to share with cousins. Keeps it on low speed mainly. Gets annoyed that the battery seems to die rather quickly and takes it apart to install a better one.

@m-jelly @theferricfox

[murmiss]

Side story

Pairing-Neteyam /Reader

Warning in this chapter :Mention of death, mention of organs, Cruelty, mention of surgery, depressive state, bullying

Summary - This story will tell you about a planet destroyed by humans even before the events of Pandora, about a girl who was captured and survived the loss of wings - an important attribute of their species, about survival, first love and human cruelty.

Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4 , Pt5, Pt6

Part three

The flower with the baby is closed. The soldier stood in one place for a long time, peering at the plant, which either pulsated and seemed to “lull the child to sleep”, then moved from side to side, swaying slightly. The man stood like that for about half an hour, as if spellbound by this strange creature. Where can you see that the flower takes care of the child?

He took out an old hunting knife from his pocket and cut off the bud at the very base, it smoothly sank to the ground and began to shimmer with different bright shades, trying to scare away the intruder. But the man did not lose his head, did not react to the “attack”, but picked up a strange plant from a lifeless gray flower bed.

Quaritch was young when he was sent to Elea. And even then he won prestige among his comrades. No one could say a word to him when he carried a small bud in his hands, because it is better to remain silent than later to get hit by the most severe comrade, only curious glances accompanied him to the laboratory.The research area was located in the "heart" of the ship. It was extensive and had only the best equipment. Alfred Wolsen, an extremely disgusting and two-faced person, was appointed the chief scientist - researcher. and his favorite look was a tight marsh-coloured turtleneck and trousers with crisply ironed creases and gray boots. His character left much to be desired. He was a greedy, ruthless man with obvious passive aggression towards all living things.His only goal and motivation for research is only money. The baby was not the first fairy in his hands. He completely “studied” one Ilis, taking out her insides for the sake of research, disassembled, leaving only a trophy in the form of wings, which still hangs in his personal room.

After several hours of heated discussions, it was decided to keep the child. The problem was only to separate the baby from the protector flower. First, the flower was placed in a kind of glass "Aquarium" saturated with poisonous air, but the bud shrank even more, preventing the baby from inhaling the poison, after which an attempt was made to forcibly detach, "pull out" the petals. , but even Quaritch, whom he seemed to trust at first glance, did not let the flower in, and the last option was surgical, and he just approached.

The flower was separated from the baby, and as soon as this happened, the bud instantly broke into petals and died.

The little girl was actively waving her legs and arms, crying loudly. Ilis babies are deeply connected to their protective colors, Mr. Walsen thought. The baby did not have a name, instead she was called "sixth", in honor of the laboratory block where her "room" was located.She was kept in one of the rooms of the laboratory, divided in half, where the first part was a working area with medical instruments, and the second was a closed cage, consisting of special impenetrable glass, where the child was. Time on Elea passed very rapidly, therefore, while by human standards she was about a year old, then by the standards of her planet she was about a hundred years old. The girl grew rapidly, at the age of one she already walked, could make whole sentences and fully communicate, surprisingly, never hearing the speech of the ilis, she herself could speak their language. However, her needs grew with her.At the age of 1.5 years, the wings began to “cut through” in the place where only small “bones” had previously been seen, larger processes began to appear, all this caused the girl severe itching and hysteria, she beat against the walls of the cage, trying to reach the processes, scratched skin. Usually, the cutting of wings is much easier for ilis, Iieva helps the kids, relieves their pain, as soon as the child gets up under the Sunlight. with age, everything only got worse, the wings were already like those of a full-fledged individual of her species, long, with openwork patterns, and were no less dangerous because as she grew, she learned to create wind currents, periodically disabling expensive equipment.Because of her "upbringing", the girl grew up extremely aggressive and nervous. She reached out to people, looking for someone close in these indifferent faces, someone who would understand and support her. She also wanted to run around the lab like Annisa, the daughter of one of the scientists, to go outside the cage, to be a normal teenager, not a locked animal. But the only thing she had were glass walls and a bunk, "carefully" set up so that the girl did not sleep on the floor.She wanted to get attention by trying to imitate the local children, talking like them, walking like them. She was silent, refused to eat, but no one noticed anything: “You don’t want to eat? These are your problems.", "Don't act like a child." Then she began to rush at the scientists, turn over the bunk, pour out a plate of “slurry” unknown to her, refusing everything that was offered to her. “If I were like them, they would love me!” - this thought firmly settled in the head of the Sixth, causing more and more aggression and hatred, both to herself and to everyone else.For Mr. Walsen, this was a huge problem, he was not hired to babysit an "alien freak", such a "great explorer" is not obliged to deal with a child. Honestly, a few years later, Alfred hated himself for the rash decision to take this arrogant soldier in his laboratory with this damn flower, and not send him back where he came from. These were everyday problems: "Sir, sixth is rowdy again", "Mr. Wolsen ! The sixth broke all our devices again!”, “Mr. Walsen!”, “Mr. Walsen….there again” - he felt like he was going crazy.Should have killed that alien freak the day she got here. They just put them on organs for research, and then this "miss problem" would be more useful than now. Gradually, his nerves gave out, until one day everything changed. It was a normal morning, the man was already ready for Six's antics, but there were no complaints all day. It was extremely strange, that is, before that, every single day she took out his brain, bringing him to a state of hysterical laughter, and then stopped?

Something is not clean. Alfred got up from his seat, left the office and went to his ward right in the sixth block. When he found himself at the glass cage, the following picture appeared before him: The girl was sitting in the lotus position in the middle of the room, Her eyes were closed, and her wings were lowered, slightly covering her mistress.

From that day on, the Sixth did not bring any more problems, instead she hung in this incomprehensible state for hours or even days, she was absolutely calm and it suited him. She was 12 when she first contacted Great Mother Iieva. It was a normal day, blood collection in the morning, a bunch of tests, then some disgusting porridge for breakfast, but then a voice sounded in her head-"Hello, little firefly… "taking the girl with him, into her mind. From the side, it looked like the Sixth fell asleep, while she, somewhere in the bins of her consciousness, returned wandered through the meadows, jumping from flower to flower-"Hello .. My child .. I know you are scared .. Don't be afraid, go to your parents. .."-a voice sounded in her head. A magnificent landscape appeared before the girl, flower meadows stretched for many kilometers from here, and waterfalls of crystal clear water flowed from high cliffs. She wanted to touch these flowers, dip her hand into the water and touch the strange creatures floating there. Patience quickly ran out, and she ran towards the reservoir, lowered both hands there, trying to touch a creature that looked like a “fish”, as the heavenly people called them.It was Ri'is - creatures that live in the reservoirs of Elea. They really looked like fish from Earth, but they had two pairs of eyes, luminous processes and several pairs of fins. Classic representatives were pure blue; emerald and lavender Ri'is were considered rare. The “fish” swam up to the stranger and began to rub against her hands and “gurgle”, as if talking. Surprised, young ilis giggled, and the patterns on her hands began to glow with mother-of-pearl, turning into a soft pink shade, and the freckles on her skin lit up.The ilises who were nearby looked at the girl with a certain charm, they had long rested with the Great Mother; Who was sitting on the flowers, someone was whispering, who was collecting pollen, until someone exclaimed - "My girl .. You have grown so much!" - a woman ran out of the crowd, running up to a frightened teenager - "Who are you?" - quietly whispered young Ilis, recoiling a little - "I am your mother" - the woman tightly pressed the unfortunate child to her chest - "mother? .."

"-O Great Iieva! What have they done to you, my child?" - The woman held her daughter's face in her hands, examining her from all sides.

..........................

From that moment on, Six began to fall into this state very often. Eat in the morning, donate blood quickly, surprising the scientists with their calm behavior, and eventually flop down on the bed, returning to their home, to their parents and the Great Mother Iieva. Hayla greeted her daughter with open arms every time and talked about the flowers, about the life of their village, about everything except one.“Mom.. Why did you leave me?” The woman just smiled sadly before disappearing again. And again the wall, the same faces and the same procedures, not changing from year to year. Same Mr Walsen. How annoying...

One day the little girl broke down. There is no point in putting up with these disgusting people anymore, she can run away! Mrs. Knowsen accidentally let slip in a conversation with Miss Ann that the sixth from a planet called "Elea" was the target of the Sixth.need to be at home as soon as possible, and then you won’t have to imitate people, wait in a dream to meet your parents ….Huge wings opened up behind her, everything around her trembled, and the equipment began to fail, and at the same time she frantically flapped her beautiful wings, creating wind currents that knocked down everything in its path. Scientists shouted to her: “Sixth, stop!"

But she didn't hear. It was a hysterical outburst, like a time bomb, when you accumulate all the emotions, all the pain and loneliness in yourself for a long time, and then it all breaks out like a tornado that knocks everything out of its way. She must escape, somewhere there, on Elea, is her home, a place where she is expected and loved.

Walsen was furious. His latest equipment failed and all his records were erased. Time to teach this alien freak a lesson, right? The room in which the girl was located was filled with sleeping gas, and as soon as she fell asleep, preparations for the operating room began. It's time to clip the wings of our chick. Thus, Mr. Walsen, without a twinge of conscience, deprived his ward of the only hope left - her wings.After some time, the girl came to her senses. The first thing she jumped off the metal bed and tried to feel her wings, but instead of them there was only an ugly scar and a phantom sensation. At that moment, the breathing slowed down and the heart began to beat furiously in the ears. “It can't be… it can't be! They can’t! ”- The sixth falls to her knees and begins to sob uncontrollably, a feeling of silence and loneliness fills the whole body, The stomach seems to be tied in a knot, and the legs become cotton.

There was no more connection with the Great Mother. She would never see her mother again, run barefoot through huge flowers… And never again be able to escape… Wings were her only hope. A state of apathy seized the poor child. There was no more meaning to life .. It seems that this is the end, the image of the mother is slowly fading in her mind, only gaps and rare memories of her native planet remain in her memory, because the wings were the only thread connected with her family and Iieva.

The days dragged on one after another, nothing made sense, until one day a stranger appeared on the threshold of her cell.

-Hello, dear, I'm Grace, Grace Augustine.

[nothorses]

Like so very many things it seems like people are responding to your posts about school with all/nothing takes. For me, personally, homeschooling was overall a positive thing! There were areas that could have been better, or things a public school probably would have caught - like I didn't know I needed glasses until I got to college because I never had to focus on a distant board and could accommodate my vision at home. I had some experiences with charter schools (interesting), a parochial school (nightmare), and watched what happened to a lot of my peers at the local public schools (sadly not great).

I also got up close and personal with some truly terrible homeschooling situations. It was a what-can-you-do joke that there were home schooled kids and *home schooled* kids. My situation was good, when it came to the immediate area- my mom had been a teacher and kept up with current guidelines, constantly researched. My siblings and I developed disabilities that were far easier to handle at home. Each year we would have a roundtable about how we all felt re public school and other options. We had a lot of opportunities to connect, via co-ops, library programs, volunteering, community theatre, etc, so we were never isolated by our parents. It would have been easy though, if that's the direction they had wanted to take. If my *extended family* had their way it would definitely have been unhealthy. (Not quite homeschooling, but a tiny religious school.)

So many comments seem to be on one extreme or the other. There are things that are good, teachers that are amazing and systems that protect kids in public schools! There are people who homeschool who do a fantastic job and make an excellent fit for the kids!

There are *also* kids who wilt or get lost at home, who get curriculums/lack of curriculums that are lacking at best and harmful at worst. There are kids who get ground down in public school systems because no one system, public, private, or otherwise will fit the needs of every kid. I have no great love for the public school system of the US but if it was all disassembled today there would be a lot of kids who would suffer.

I think a lot (not all, but a lot) of it comes down to individual teachers and people making the changes within their systems, public, private, or at home. And since there is no current great way to regulate or standardize those teachers who make that push, who reach the kids, it's going to be uneven. None of the systems are unilaterally better, in my opinion. I think homeschooling was great for me! I have no way to ensure that another person would get the same opportunities or care that I did, though. My friends who suffered at public school have siblings who flourished there. I know a few people who floundered until they started online courses that were essentially the same as what the school offered in-person, just through the computer.

I think I got off track, but I just wanted to add to what you were saying and agree that there isn't one single perfect answer. The Glorious Revolution™ is cool in theory but in the meantime kids need support. There ought to be a perfect way to meet every need but that's not what *is*.

This is an older ask, but this is a good time to bring it back, imo.

I want to push back on the idea that so much of it comes down to individual teachers/parents/etc.; I think there's a lot of power that those folks have, for better or worse, and that's definitely important to talk about (and utilize for the better!)

But a majority of the problems we see in the system today are fundamentally caused by a lack of resources, and the kind of structuring of priorities and systems that necessitates. Kids are educated in The Most Convenient Way Possible because there simply are not enough resources to prioritize anything else.

I really encourage folks to talk to some long-time teachers about this sometime; my experience has been that teachers (yes, even more conservative ones!) genuinely want to change their classes for the better, to better support students and allow room for differentiation & student-lead curriculum. The thing that just about every single one of them points to when this is brought up, however, is that they just don't have the resources or support necessary to do it.

How are you supposed to design and implement a brand-new curriculum from scratch in the middle of the school year? Hell, how are you supposed to design any new curriculum when you're already spending most or all of your "free time" just getting caught up on your existing work? What can you actually implement from all the teacher development workshops you're going to- required or not- when your work day starts at 6am and ends at 6:30 or 7pm?

Even if your particular state subject standards leave room for creative, individual curriculum, a lot of teachers feel like every new ask for changes in the curriculum is unrealistic at best, and completely missing the point at worst. They see kids who can't afford to eat breakfast, kids who miss classes to take care of their families or work part-time jobs, kids who desperately need basic support that they aren't getting, and mountains upon mountains of work they need to do just to keep a handle on the decades-old curriculum they know by heart. And adding work to that without addressing those more pressing issues can feel really, really pointless- if not outright infuriating.

And this topic is a lot more complicated than that as well- there are people actively doing harm that could be stopped, and people actively making positive, noteworthy change that need to be recognized and uplifted, and there are a lot of other facets to this extremely nuanced and complicated issue- but I only bring this up because I think when people talk about How Awful Public School Is, they're missing the point. There are so many people working within the system to make it better. What they're missing isn't A Better Moral Compass or something; it's help.

(Not that this is all super relevant to your ask, anon. I'm not assuming you don't know this or disagree; I just had Thoughts and wanted to take the opportunity to process & share them.)

[abbatoirablaze]

The Avenger's Initiative, Chapter 29

Word Count:  3.5k

Warnings:  smut, oral (f receiving), fingering, unprotected sex, murder, creampie, unprotected sex, manipulation, jealousy, angst.

Bucky’s POV

She breathed in my scent, and I saw her eyes flutter closed. It was like she was remembering all of the intimate moments that happened between us. As an alarm went off, I pulled her body closer to mine. It didn't seem to phase her. She looked up at me with half-hooded eyes.

I knew she felt it.  Her arms reached up slightly and braced themselves low on my hips.

"Mir."

I licked my lips as I stared at her.

She knew I wanted her too.  We were feeling a high from our first mission together…but it wasn’t a natural one.  We’d both inhaled a sex pollen, and we were fighting our own baser instincts. 

Her eyes flicked to my lips before snapping back to me. Her breathing was heavy against my chest. I could see her cleavage as the zipper was slowly giving way.

Nat had convinced her the best way to go was with a similar suit style that she'd worn, and god was I regretting allowing her to do that. Even as we landed on the roof, the grace she used had me holding my breath.

She was confident.  She disassembled the landing pack and spread it out along the roof. I repeated her actions.

"Who taught you that?"

"Sam and Tony," she smiled, "the disposable packs will look like junk and no one will question it if they do their rounds."

"You clear on the mission?"

"Get in," she nodded, "breach point is through the room on the fourth floor. We can get into the elevator line and then get off on the main to the supply room. From there we take the vents to the mainframe room in the basement. Get the information. Get out to extraction."

"No casualties," I reminded her, "if we have to, leave that to me."

"Keep it quiet."

I nodded as she pulled out a phone and set the timer. Pressing a few more buttons she looked up at me, "you ready?"

"What-"

"Jammed the hallways we're going to be using. Set up a loop so they won't see us."

She opened the door, watching the phone intently. Leading us through, it felt like she knew what she was doing, and I smiled, keeping my gun trained in front of us. We made it to the fourth floor quickly. Once inside the room, she got to work making a hole.

"Shit," she hissed. I turned, giving her a look, "elevator is above us."

"How many floors?"

"Three."

"Options?"

"Wait til it hits three and hop on."

"What?" I asked with a smile, "You don't want to see if you can flatten yourself out against the wall when it comes down?"

"The space is thin," she smirked, "It's not me I'm worried about."

I felt the corners of my lips twisting into a smirk.

"You calling me fat?"

"I'm calling you beefy," she whispered, playfully bumping my hip. But then she began crawling through the hole, "but if you want to go. Let's go.  Like I said…it’s not me that I’m worried about, Barnes."

She disappeared quickly but the image that stuck in my mind was how that perfectly toned ass was shaped even more by the tight black leather bodysuit that encased her.  

"James."

My breathing matched hers.

The red lights came on, and it only highlighted her features.  The fullness of her lips.  The curve of her breasts.

"Miracle."

Her fingers were dancing along my chest, unzipping my jacket.

Mine were pulling on the zipper that held her curves tucked away from me.

"Just give us the information," I said slowly, pointing my gun to his cheek, "and we'll let you live."

But Mira was hard at work, typing furiously. She pulled out a flash drive and inserted it into a port. The guard’s eyes were watching her.

"No."

"It doesn't matter," she said, not stopping her typing, "I'm almost in. Just knock him out."

The guard smirked.

"When we catch you," he spat, "I'm going to enjoy taking you.  Going to enjoy taking you in front of your little boyfriend here."

I felt a snarl pull itself from my lip as I flipped the gun, whipping him across the face, "shut up."

"Ohh," he spat, getting blood on my pants, "I'll enjoy making you watch. Watch as we take your little whore, one after the other."

"Got it!"

I pulled the trigger.

Mira looked at me in shock, "James!"

"I didn't like the way he talked about you."

"Well now you've just given up our position," she hissed, tucking the flash drive into her suit. I heard footsteps nearing us as she rushed us to the vents, "James come on."

"I can take em."

"Hey asshole, this was supposed to be quiet, remember," she growled. She pulled the gun away from me and hooked it to her back, crawling into the vents, “now come on…before they catch us…I’m not going to get caught and fail my mission because of your testosterone.”

God damn it. 

"James," she moaned. I reached up with my flesh hand to cover her mouth as I worked circles on her clit. I felt my thumb make its way into her mouth and she began to suck on it as her back arched, pushing her pussy more against my mouth, "fuck. So amazing."

"You're doing so well kitten," I praised, my vibranium fingers dipping from her swollen nub into her beautifully wet pussy, "so tight...so wet for me. I'd bet you take my cock so well. Wouldn't you, kitten?  God, I want you.  I want to take you over every fucking surface in this place."

She nodded, moaning against my hand again, and I felt her cum against my lips. Her pussy fluttered around the two fingers I had in her, and I grew angry at myself.

I wanted that to be my cock.

I unwrapped her leg from my shoulder and slid to the floor. Putting my hand to my mouth I sucked off all of her sweet juices and smiled to myself. She slid to the floor to meet me. I didn't realize that she had slid my tactical pants down until my hard cock hit the cold air.

"Shit!" I hissed.

I looked up just in time to watch her slide down onto my cock. Her eyes closed and I knew that she was feeling some pain, but the only thing I could think of was how tight she was. How her tight little pussy choked my cock.

She licked her lips as she rolled her hips when I filled her to the hilt.

"So good," she moaned. She balanced herself on my abs and I felt her nails dig in as she slowly rode me, "fuck. James."

Her breathing became even as she worked in a rhythm. I admired the way her perfect little body rolled as she used me so that she could hit the spots she wanted. Breathy little moans filled the room, and I gripped her hips tightly. She leaned down and I leaned up slightly.

Our lips met.

I bucked my hips against her, and her nails dug little crescent moons into my chest. Doing it again I knew that I was hitting something. I picked up my pace and hers faltered. She bit my lip hard, trying to stifle her own moans.

"James."

Her pussy clenched around me and her eyes closed as she came.  

Mira’s POV

"And where have you two been?"

I spun around to Nat. She had a knowing smirk on her face.

"I'm gonna take the flash drive to Fury." James said in a low tone. He kissed my temple softly. I nodded and handed it off to him. His hand grazed my waist and Nat raised a brow.

"It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing," she grinned, "Haven't seen Bucky that relaxed in years. And you-"

"Don't say it, Nat."

"You look like a woman who just had sex."

I blushed a deep red.

I could tell from the look on her face that she originally was joking, but her eyes got wide when she saw my reaction.

"You did!"

"It just happened," I said in a confused tone. Nat grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the side, "I don't know how they found us but they released sex pollen into the vents. One minute we're making our way out, and the next my legs are around his shoulders and the next I'm riding him on the floor."

"Maybe it was the pollen…or maybe It's the suit," she said matter of fact with a wink, "first time I went on missions with some of the guys, we always ended up naked."

"WHAT?" I all but yelled. She smiled at me as I tried to lower my voice, "why didn't you tell me that?"

"Slipped my mind," she shrugged, "tight fitting stuff is a little uncomfortable at first, but after a while it feels like a second skin. I wasn't thinking about who's fucked me in it."

"Well, I fucked Bucky," I said nervously, "and-"

"Is he big?" she asked. My eyes went wide, and she laughed, "let me rephrase that. Is he big?"

"NAT!"

"What?" she asked, "I've never slept with him."

"Who have you slept with?"

"Steve. Clint. Banner."

I blushed at how she was just able to list off names as if it were no big deal.

"Well, James was my first."

"Still didn't answer if he was big or not."

"I feel like my organs were rearranged."

She laughed as she took my hand and we started down the hall, "that means nothing. You rode him, right? That means you controlled that flow."

"Well, the first time I rode him."

"First time?" she asked, "How long were the two of you fucking?"

"In the base," I recounted slowly, "then at the extraction point...and maybe once in the plane."

"In the plane?"

"It just happened," I exclaimed, "It's not like I planned it!"

"Well, the sexual tension between the two of you seems like it's gone!"

"Yeah," I nodded. I swallowed, "have you seen Steve and Kenzie yet?"

"Yeah," she affirmed, "their mission didn't go as smoothly. Steve and Kenzie were covered in blood...apparently Germany was not quiet."

"I have to go."

Before she could respond I made my way down to our room. Wrenching open the door I saw Steve sitting on the couch, staring at me.

"Bunny."

"Steve." He rushed me, scooping me up in his arms. Immediately he started looking me over to make sure that I was okay, "Steve...I'm fine."

He backed up a step and looked at me. Sighing softly, he bit his lip, "you're alright."

"We're both alright."

And that's when I'd noticed all the blood on his tactical suit. I gasped.

"It-it's not mine."

"I thought Germany and Russia were supposed to be quiet."

"They were," he groaned. He let go of my hand and went back to sitting on the couch, "it was a nightmare. Ken...she made it a bloodbath."

"I'm sorry."

"You can talk to me about it if you want," I offered. He shrugged his shoulders and I sat on his lap, straddling him, "well at the very least you could take these off. You don't need to stain the couch."

He allowed me to pull on the zipper. I gasped when I saw that he'd had scratch marks on his chest.

That's when he pushed me off of him, "shit."

"Steve?" I asked, "What happened?" 

"Mira," he moaned painfully, "I don't want to talk about it." 

"Well, I do," I whispered from my side of the couch, "Steve you're all scratched up...what happened?" 

He looked at the ground, almost as if he was ashamed of himself.

"I can't." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I can't hide it from you," he growled, "I-I'm so ashamed.  I don't want to think about it.  I've been fighting with myself all night and I feel like I'm turning into some twisted version of myself.  I-I thought I was doing so good but the mission-I just-" 

"Steve," I sighed, reaching for him.  He shifted away from me, "Steve.  Look at me." 

When he did, my heart broke.  

He had tears in his eyes.  

"it just happened....I got so angry," he cried, "She kept digging into me.  She kept pushing me...I killed so many people...and I-I didn't even feel bad.  I just kept seeing his face.  I kept seeing him with you and it made me so fucking angry.  Miracle...I-" 

"Steve?" 

"She told me that Bucky was still in love with you and that you chose Bucky over me...." he admitted, "I couldn't stop picturing it...I kept picturing you at the lake house.  How you latched onto him after what I did...and I just kept thinking about how I'm a monster...how you'll never be able to-" 

"You're not a monster." 

"I am," he said slowly, licking his lips, "don't you see that, bunny?  You try so hard to make it seem like I'm not...but I am. I slept wit-" 

"Give me your hand." 

"What?" 

"Give me your hand."  He did it and I opened his palm.  Running my hand along a line that went across his palm, right by the base of his thumb.  I hummed to myself for a moment before speaking up, "long life line.  You've been through a world of hurt...alone for the most part.  " 

He sighed as I traced the line.  "Mira." 

Then my hand traced along below his finger, "your heart line tells me that you've been hurt when it comes to love too…but you have a sweet soul..." 

Ignoring him, I pretended to look for something, "hmm?" 

"What?" 

"No monster line," I said slowly, looking into his eyes.  They softened and he sighed heavily.  I pulled his hand closer to me as I crawled back onto his lap.  Kissing his palm, I let it fall, and he gripped my waist, "I hate to tell you, Rogers...but you're missing the line that makes you a monster." 

"I slept with Kenzie," he admitted softly, "I-I just kept thinking about everything she said...and I thought about you with Buck...I fucked her, bunny." 

I felt my heart racing in my chest, "how many times?" 

"A few," he admitted slowly, "I-" 

"I slept with Bucky." 

His eyes shot up to me, "what?"

"I-I slept with Bucky on our mission," I told him, "it just happened.  I-we didn't plan it...it just-" 

"Happened." 

"Yeah.  S-someone put sex pollen in the vents…and we both just…you know," I muttered. He stared at me for a few seconds, before nodding and getting up from the couch.   I got up as well, "Steve...where are you going?" 

"Shower," he muttered.  I watched as he slid out of his tactical gear, and walked into the bathroom, "are you coming?" 

Following him in I watched him adjust the knobs on the shower until it was the right temperature.  His muscles rippled at he stood up and turned to me.  When I didn't move, he stepped towards me, his hands making easy work of the zipper.  I slipped out of my own suit and soon it was just us and his boxers.  

We didn't speak. 

We just watched one another.  

His hand reached out to me, brushing against the flat expanse of my stomach.  Softly he pulled me a little closer towards him, "she meant nothing to me...you know that right?" 

"I know." 

He nodded and I felt my hands reach out to his boxers, pushing them down.  Our eyes stayed locked.  Lightly lifting me he placed me on the counter of the sink.  My eyes stared into his and he licked his lips.  

His breathing was heavier.  

Our noses touched as he leaned towards me, his hands going on either side of me, gripping the counter.  

"I can't say that James meant nothing." 

"I know," he swallowed.  Our lips brushed against one another, and I shuddered, "I just want to mean more.  I want to mean more to you than he does." 

"Y-you do."  I admitted.  He smiled and his lips gently captured my own.  My hands tangled themselves in the thickness of his beard as I fought to deepen the kiss.  As my tongue explored his mouth, I felt his hand slide in between my thighs.  He slipped a finger inside of me and hissed.  

"So tight."

"You're my world, Steve," I admitted as he added a second finger.  I felt my walls already wanting to clench down on his thick digits as he hit the soft spongey part of me.  Moaning, I opened my legs more so that he could get deeper, "fuck.  Right there."

He worked his way down my jaw and began nibbling on my ear, "I want to make love to you, Miracle." 

I felt my heartbeat race.  

You want him. 

DO IT!

Pushing his fingers out of me, I pulled him closer until he was right there.  Scooting forward so that I was on the edge of the counter I gripped his length.  He closed his eyes and licked his lips, biting them softly as I pumped him a few times.  

"Fuck," he whimpered.  I lined him up with my entrance and he looked at me, "are you sure." 

"Give me what I want," I pleaded, kissing him, "make love to me, Stevie." 

That was all the encouragement he needed.  

I closed my eyes as he slid into me, inch by amazing inch.  I'd never felt as full as when he finally buried himself to the hilt.  Without thrusting I could already feel him bumping into my cervix.  I clenched down on him. 

"Fuck," he hissed, his head already falling to nuzzle in the crook of my neck, "I don't know how long I'm gonna last inside of you, bunny.  Fuck.  So much better than I'd imagined." 

I tried to keep my breathing even, but as he pulled out slightly and I felt the drag of his cock along my walls, I couldn't stop the moan from slipping out.  I could feel every inch, every vein, every delicious ridge.  When he slowly pushed in again, and the head of his cock bumped against my cervix again I couldn't help but find myself on the ledge.  The coil had already been stretched tight against the core of my stomach with Steve.  

The way he touched me.  

The way he looked at me.  

The way he held me.  

It felt like we were connected on such a different level.  

I felt like all of the pleasure in the world still wasn't reaching the highs I felt as he picked up his pace.  Every time he pushed into me again, I fought off my orgasm.  Every time he got the slightest jerk in his hips, I knew that he was having the same issue.  

"Cum inside me, Steve," I pleaded when our moans and thrusts had reached a fever pitch, "please, cum inside me.  I wanna feel you cum in me." 

His grunts were almost animalistic as he rutted into me.  My hands, clawing away at the marks Kenzie had made, making my own.  

Claiming my man.  

Marking my territory.  

He rutted into me violently, his pace becoming more erratic, and I came as he gripped my hips hard, and I felt him paint my walls white with ropes of his thick, hot cum.  

"STEVE!" 

I felt myself milking him for everything he was worth, fluttering around his cock, spasming just as violently as he'd fucked me.  His breathing was heavy as he cursed into my neck.  Kissing and nipping, "gonna fill you up every time with my cum, bunny.  Never fucking leaving this perfect pussy." 

I kissed the side of his face as I tried to calm myself down.  He moved just enough so that our lips met one another, yet again.  

When he backed away, pulling himself out of me, I watched as his cum dripped out of me and onto the counter.  He lifted me and placed me on the ground next to him.  I gripped his shoulders as my legs felt wobbly.  

He smiled at me, and I gave him a look as if to say 'don't say it.'  

Shaking his head, he helped me into the shower and held me against himself.  We washed in relative silence, but our hands always seemed to be on one another.  He pressed soft kisses to my shoulder and neck, and I felt his member start to harden against my back again.  I turned and his lips caught my own once more as he cornered me between himself and the shower wall.  

Slowly he lifted me, balancing the both of us, and I felt him at my entrance again.  Nodding into the kiss I hissed as I sank back down onto his cock, "Fuck..."

"You okay?" 

I nodded, his eyes meeting my own as he began to roll his hips into me, "Fuck...I love you Steve Rogers." 

“I love you too bunny,” he uttered against my ear, “I always have.”

Chapter 30

Tag List:  @krissy25, @lohnes16, @multifandom-world8, @cjand10, @fandom-princess-forevermore

[sapphim]

no pressure or anything but i’m curious since you go in the game files a lot + have a mod sorta centered on this quest, i’ve never seen anyone do this, and i don’t have access to da2 rn, do you know how best served cold like. works? if bethany/carver are both dead, sebastian is never recruited, fenris is either not recruited or hawke betrays him during his act 3 quest, anders gets kicked out of the party after his act 2 personal quest, isabela leaves at the end of act 2, and hawke has aveline, varric, and merrill with them the whole time?

does the quest still work or does it get glitchy? i suppose it might not be too difficult to get to work from a gameplay standpoint, but that seems potentially even less comprehensible than the normal quest lmao and i know the devs were under crunch

lmao I don't know about "get" glitchy, since it is already glitchy under typical circumstances. after a companion is kidnapped you can still add them to your party from the party picker and sometimes go initiate conversations with them at their party base. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

what usually happens is that there will (should!) always be a "default" option the game will be able to fall back on, even if it's not itself a "correct" option. what I mean is like, if you have two lines that play based on Hawke's gender, you wouldn't set one to play if Hawke was male and the other to play if Hawke was female, you'd set one to play if Hawke was female and then set the other to *always* play, and then if Hawke's gender wasn't registering as either male or female for whatever reason, it would still have *a* line to play, even if incorrect, rather than abruptly breaking and falling out of the conversation early.

as for how best served cold works—in Keran's dialogue where he announces which character has been kidnapped, he has a long list of lines describing the kidnapped character, with special plot flags used specifically to determine if that character is eligible to be kidnapped there. this is for the siblings and romances. if there's no sibling alive and no romanced character not in the active party, it falls through to the default, generic line "We just got word they pulled it off, right before you came here."

cut for length

if that line plays, it calls a special little bit of plot script used to determine, if a sibling or romance isn't kidnapped, then who should be kidnapped instead? I've looked at the script disassembly for this flag recently and I don't 100% understand it, but it goes thru a list of characters and checks their availability and their approval level and then picks the first one in the list that meets its requirements. there SHOULD be a fall-through state for this too in case no one passes. I know back when I was making my mod, I made my fall-through state if all the changes that *I* made failed to pick a kidnapping victim to just... call this plot flag and let IT figure it out lmfao.

still, it's very probable that they didn't ever consider this one very specific situation in which NOBODY would be eligible and now I'm curious, so I deleted most of the characters from the party pool in my save game, unset some flags that would lead the game to believe bethany and carver were available anyway, and rocked up to the warehouse with aveline, merrill, varric, and no other friends in the whole wide world to see what would happen, keran told me someone unspecified had been kidnapped, and then lying there on the beach...

was no one

and then we abruptly fell out of thrask's conversation early because the conversation was set up "improperly" with no fallback line and so Grace couldn't decide whose death to call for, leaving us all stranded standing aimlessly on the beach with no way to progress the rest of the quest or the game

which was very funny

then I checked the cnv and saw the other dialogue choice WOULD have allowed the cutscene to progress (the third dialogue option was missing from the wheel completely), tried that, found a second dialogue wheel with a missing option, and then

we abruptly fell out of the conversation here once again because there was no one to thank me for rescuing them again and, once again, no fallback line, so once again our game was softlocked

so I'd say, to answer your question, the quest does NOT work and "glitchy" is an understatement

thanks for asking!

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers West Coast #49: BAPTISM of FIRE

October, 1989

Aw, geez, the Avengers West Coast Avengers are so side-lined in their own book that the Great Lakes Avengers have taken over the roster box!

John Byrne must be really proud of coming up with the Great Lakes Avengers. They've only showed up in Avengers West Coast so far and been alluded to when Hawkeye showed up to the big Avengers meeting in Avengers East Coast. I wonder if they'll show up in the Avengers East Coast book or will just be a thing to happen in the West.

I do like the type of cover that's just 'wow, look at how many things happen in this book!' and it called me a true believer so I'm in a good mood right now.

Last times in Avengers West Coast: Vision got disassembled by every government in the world. Hank Pym put him back together but now his brain doesn't emotion. None of the Avengers seemed to care so Scarlet Witch took Vision to Absolom College when they offered to help. But it was really a trap, so ancient bacteria could oozefest Wanda and use her to learn how to take over mutants.

This is really dumb. And oddly will be an echoed plot point later when Morrison does the same thing and calls it Sublime.

Anyway.

Also, last time, Captain America and She-Hulk followed a Quinjet distress signal and tried to rescue Wanda. But ooze-possessed Wanda blew them the fuck up.

Glad they bothered to guest star.

Mr. Random, the Absolom College robot department head, congratulates Black Suit Wanda for beating "two of your most powerful former colleagues in less than thirty seconds!"

While that may be the case for She-Hulk, that's kinda overselling Captain America.

Ooze Wanda clarifies that She-Hulk and Cap hesitated to attack her because they probably thought they could talk her down "not realizing there can be no reasoning with That Which Endures."

A sentiment that Mr. Random can get behind.

Mr. Random: "We stand upon the treshold of the age of mutants like yourself, Wanda. For many years it seemed as though the fates -- in the form of a cruel, genetic quirk -- had chosen to bar us from that coming age. But now, with your assistance, the stage is set for our continued endurance. As mankind falls by the wayside, we shall ride the crest into the mutant millennium!"

Have I mentioned how weird it is when Marvel comics acts like its a natural, inevitable thing that mutants ARE homo superior and will supplant humanity? Cause that's the villain position but you see a lot of the heroic mutants echoing. Their main difference with the villains is willing to let humanity just wither and die on its own rather than being proactive about it.

It's also funny how on one hand everyone acts like The Mutant Millennium is inevitable but also most Dark Futures have something Bad happen to prevent that.

Anyway, these assholes sure talk a lot for people that are supposed to be a hivemind or whatever. I'm not entirely sure I understand how it works.

Meanwhile, the true heroes of the book, the Great Lakes Avengers.

They don't have a Quinjet or even a Quinjetta so they've had to take the next best option.

Buying a private airplane with Big Bertha's money and then have Hawkeye complain incessantly about how slow it is.

I was sympathetic with him when he was being underminded out of his team but I'm back to thinking Hawkeye is a jerk.

Big Bertha even points out that the Great Lakes Avengers don't have access to any of the super cool Avengers tech.

Hey, guy who has spent years with the Avengers, maybe pull some strings and get your new team hooked up with the good stuff?

Meanwhile, Mockingbird has the private plane pointed right in the direction of the Quinjet emergency signal but but but it was so faint they only got one reading. So they can't triangulate. So they're just flying in a direction but have no idea how far to fly in that direction. They don't even have a destination. Making Hawkeye complaining about how fast they're going even more of a jerkass move.

God I suddenly hate Hawkeye.

Mr Immortal snarks that they're on a wild goose chase because now that he's conscious again he can express opinions about Hawkeye taking over his team by putting quotation marks around the word "leader."

He's the Hawkeye of the team. The heroic starscream-lite who is always waiting in the wings to tell the leader he sucks and agitate to become leader instead.

Hawkeye: "Keep the sarcasm out of your voice, buster. You and this crew of oddballs you've assembled were nothing but bush league super heroes before me an' Mockingbird hooked up with you. Now, for the first time, here's a real chance to show the rest of the Avengers what you're made of... if we can ever find 'em!"

Okay. But. Before you took over, the Great Lakes Avengers fought crime. This really seems to be more about you, Hawkeye, wanting to show up the Avengers than about helping the Great Lakes Avengers be all they can be.

Meanwhile, the Avengers West Coast return to their compound following their own wild goose chase.

Wasp calls the trip fruitless but Hank goes NUH UH its good that we talked to Professor Horton so he could tell us what we already know about Vision not being his design and Vision's backstory flashback a lie.

Wonder Man is still a little confused on how everything has changed gears. It really did seem like all that stuff the Avengers learned about Vision's backstory was true. But Hank says it only seemed true to dumb idiots who are stupid.

Is Byrne mad that people don't like this new characterization direction for Vision? Why do we keep getting the same stuff re-stated.

It was annoying enough when Byrne upended Vision's character on authorial fiat but he keeps rubbing it in and being boring.

Even if I don't like this direction, surely there's a better way to handle it than words words words.

Say, for example, the Avengers (West Coast) found the robot Human Torch. Well, shit, what does that mean for Vision? His body was supposedly remodeled from the Human Torch. If there's a Torch still around, where the hell did Vision come from?

THEN you play the mystery out further.

Anyway. Another annoying subplot, ho.

While Hank goes ahead to go do some computer work

(and takes a little rollercoaster car to fast travel to the computer room)

Wasp stays to talk to Wonder Man.

Because he's still in the dumps about Wanda hating him because he refuses to let his brain patterns be used to rebuild Vision's brain.

Simon goes more into his feelings.

His creeper feelings.

He says that it was love at first sight when he came back from the dead and saw Wanda.

Wasp claims that because Wanda had been working on getting Vision to emotionally open up, that's why Wonder Man was so attracted to her. Because... Vision is just a copy of Wonder Man? So trying to appeal to Vision made her irresistible to Wonder Man?

I hate this ship.

I was begrudgingly tolerant of it when it happened in Busiek's run. But now I hate it. I want Wonder Man to blow up. Maybe from a space laser.

Ugh. Anyway. Wonder Man never mentioned his feelings for Wanda because she was already married to Vision.

Then Wasp claims that Wanda doesn't love Vision for his body but for the sensitive soul within and that inner man is actually Wonder Man because his brain is based off Wonder Man's QED Wonder Man should date Wanda.

Wasp: "So even though she didn't know it herself, it was you Wanda was really falling in love with..."

Wasp. You're my fave. But I am getting irritated with you.

Over in the computer room, Hank is also frustrated but for his own reasons. He wanted to do Vision research to try to iron out this riddlesome enigma about Vision's origins.

But the Every Government In the World taskforce Vigilance put a computer virus in the Avengers' computers to wipe out all information about Vision. So Hank has nothing but his own memories to go off of. So even though he said he had important work to do in the computer room, he's mostly just staring at a blank screen.

I know that feel.

Instead, Hank decides to try to figure out where Wanda went.

... Why wasn't that your first priority? She stole a super-sonic jet and vanished!

Hank starts by talking to the butler, Carlos, and asking if Wanda has acted strange lately.

Carlos confirms that Wanda has been distressed since what happened to Vision but her mood seemed to change after she got a letter recently.

But Interrupting Tigra interrupts the conversation by racing by naked. And also feral.

But not Feral. Just feral.

Hank has no idea what's going on but Carlos tells him that Tigra has been acting weird and chasing mice and stuff.

I am once again just flabbergasted by how little attention the West Coast Avengers are paying lately. Seriously. It took THIS for you to notice something was weird with Tigra?

Hank fears that she's going through another phase where her feline nature becomes dominant (even though that should have been permanently cured when something something cat people cat soul something). He chases after her into the woods.

Immediately loses track of her. And then gets pounced.

Idiot.

Tigra jumps Hank and starts trying to maul him.

Hank's costumes are usually pretty durable - his original Ant-Man costume was designed to protect him from ant bites, after all. But he's got a big weak point sticking out of the collar region.

So he resorts to using his shrinking powers on Tigra. Shrinking her to a tiny widdle kitty cat.

I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT. Ever since Hank and Tigra casually alluded to it in Avengers Academy.

I hate every bit of context that led us here but I deeply love Hank just holding Chibi Tigra and going 'uh what now?'

Meanwhile, in a Absolom College holding cell, Captain America stops pretending to be unconscious.

He was apparently pretending the whole time, having used his shield to shield himself and She-Hulk from the falling masonry. He thought it smarter to let them get captured then to risk hurting Wanda when she's clearly not herself.

And She-Hulk followed his lead.

Except, she's clearly not on the same page as him. She hoists him up and yells he must be destroyed because he's not been properly assimilated!

Okay, I guess She-Hulk has been oozed too, off-panel. Or... something. She doesn't have the ooze look.

Captain America can't figure out why She-Hulk got taken over but he didn't. And he doesn't have time to really ponder on it while she's trying to make his skull into a bowl.

But luckily? he doesn't have to dodge long because Mr. Random comes in with a zap gun and zaps Captain America. They need him alive, you see?

Elsewhere in the facility, Vision gets bored.

He has no emotions but he's been left lying on a table alone for seven hours four minutes and twenty-three seconds exactly. Logic dictates that he get off his ass and go find out what's going on.

Vision: "This is inconsistent with the alleged purpose of my being here: the reconstruction of my missing data base. Plus, it has been even longer since I last saw my wife. Logic indicates it is time to find out what has become of her. Captain America and the She-Hulk seemed concerned for her well-being."

It's funny that the evil ooze's plans have otherwise been all "everything transpires according to my plans!" and they just forgot Vision.

Now that Vision is thinking about it, Mr. Random's claim that Wanda took off after leaving Vision doesn't really fit with her previous behavior.

Buuuuut, he has no reason to think Mr. Random would just lie about it! So he's going to go find Wanda.

Goddammit Vision. This is why emotions are good, actually!

Vision flies straight up from the facility and JUST HAPPENS to do so right when the Great Lakes Avengers are flying by in their plane. And they JUST HAPPEN to spot Vision so Hawkeye has Big Bertha turn the plane around to rendezvous with Vision.

Hawkeye introduces Vision to the Great Lakes Avengers and Vision says that Midwest Avengers would be a better name. So Hawkeye defensively says the name wasn't his idea.

Then Hawkeye asks about the Quinjet distress signal and Vision doesn't really know but Cap did mention something about that.

SPEAKING OF CAP, Mr. Random and his guys are studying Cap to find out why the evil bacteria can't take him over.

There's some factor in his bio-matrix that blocks the assimilator apparently.

She-Hulk speculates that it might be the super-soldier serum, still in his bloodstream after all this time. Chemically blocking the assimilator.

WHICH MAKES ME WONDER.

Why does super-soldier serum block the assimilator. And gamma radiation do nothing?

Because the evil bacteria is in every "higher life form", it should be in Cap so it should be able to take him over. But its apparently been completely eradicated from his system.

And I just have a lot of questions about how the evil bacteria works. If the evil bacteria is in everyone, why does it mostly seem to be operating out of this college. Instead of... everywhere?

Why come up with a scheme to kidnap Wanda when you can just bacterially zonk Hank Pym and expose Wanda to the ooze under guise of a medical procedure?

Why worry about Cap and She-Hulk investigating if you could just zonk them? Was the assimilator an outside compound that had to be introduced to allow She-Hulk to be taken over? She-Hulk is now loyal to the cause but she doesn't even know what the cause is. So if the evil bacteria is controlling everything, is everyone a hive mind? They're not acting like it. She-Hulk had to be told by Mr. Random not to kill Cap.

HOPEFULLY this all gets explained.

Wanda shows up, unoozed (or looking unoozed, wearing her usual costume) to exposit the hell out of the backstory.

Blah blah blah, first cellular life split in two. One was evil and ate the other one. From then on, all lief had the evil bacteria in it. The evil bacteria guided the evolution of dinosaurs and made them masters of the world until the evil bacteria made the (wrong) decision that dinosaurs were a dead end and abandoned them for mammals.

Scarlet Witch: "Without our presence to guide them, the dinosaurs quickly died out."

Okay, well, fuck the meteor theory then. What really caused the extinction of the dinosaurs was abandonment of evil bacteria.

She-Hulk asks if the evil bacteria is conscious and making decisions. And Mr. Random finally explains some of how it works.

Mr. Random: "While it is true a form of intelligence developed in us almost immediately... for the most part, that intelligence lay dormant. It was many millions of years before we learned to control the process Charles Darwin named 'natural selection.' Once that occurred, however, we began to take an active interest in our hosts. Once every hundred thousand years our intellect manifests itself in a few... ah... random creatures. We study the progress of life. We match the adaptability of one species against another. An assessment is made. Those life forms we judge to be at their maximum potential we abandon. Our presence within their cells shrinks, dwindling eventually to nothing. And our guiding intellect turns to other, more profitable species. After all, our whole and sole purpose is to endure. Thus, we left the dinosaurs in favor of concentrating on the mammals. There we further narrowed our focus to the ultimate mammal, mankind. When Neanderthal proved unsuitable, we shifted to Cro-Magnon."

And presumably on to homo sapiens and now to homo superior.

This whole thing feels like Byrne got really interested in some junk science and wanted to shove it in the book. Like Kirby and his Chariots of the Gods obsession.

Before Mr. Random can further words words words, "Avengers" show up and assemble.

Mockingbird starts kicking college students in the face while Flatman wraps them up in his fantastically stretchy body. And Vision does that fisting thing he does.

Based on one entire page of action, Vision declares the Great Lakes Avengers "most efficient." So I guess that training was worth it.

Possessed She-Hulk tries smashing Big Bertha with a giant techno tube but she's got Blob-esque ability to absorb hits. And in response, she jumps up and crushes She-Hulk underneath her.

I bet She-Hulk is really glad she did this guest starring role now.

Doorman and Mr Immortal spot a big locked chamber that seems really important. In fact, the college student mooks are trying really hard to keep the Great Lakes Avengers away from it.

So obviously, Doorman and Mr Immortal want to see what's in there.

Doorman stands against the big locked door, forming a portal, and Mr Immortal dives through him.

And inside he finds the Assimilator. Apparently not a drug or an ooze, apparently a big piece of tech.

A big piece of tech that creates the telepathic link between all the people infested with evil bacteria. And if its busted, the evil bacteria's plans will be delayed for a hundred millennia.

So, seems like a good idea to bust it and save the day, right? Bad guys just exposed their flashing red weak point and begged the hero not to strike them in it and thwart them totally.

Well, Mr Random thought of that. The Assimilator is protected by a chamber that will flood with deadly radiation if anyone steps inside.

But no sooner can you say, "this looks like a job for Aquaman," Mr Immortal gleefully jumps into the death chamber. When a plot presents you with something tailor made to your skills, you gotta seize the day.

Mr Immortal: "All you're threatening me with is death! An' dyin' is what I do best!"

The mad lad.

Back over at the fight, She-Hulk throws Big Bertha off of her and readies a punching fist. But then suddenly is overcome by a sense of not knowing where the fuck she is or why she's doing what the fuck she's doing.

And it's not just She-Hulk. All the college people that were working for Big Bacteria suddenly start wandering around in a daze.

Mr Random himself has no idea why Vision is calling him Mr Random. His name is Charles Edison.

... Why did bacteria possessed Charles Edison change his name to Mr Random? What's the sense in that?

Anyway, Mr Edison tells the Avengers that there's a dude of theirs dead in the radiation chamber.

But despite the eulogizing the poor, deceased Mr Immortal, Hawkeye just opens up the radiation chamber (the radiation is off now although you'd think the chamber itself would still be radioactive?) and has Flatman scoop Mr Immortal up (you'd think that Mr Immortal would be radioactive?) without touching the pressure sensored flooring.

Since Mr Immortal is dead as a doornail, Big Bertha estimates he'll be back up in approximately ten minutes.

It's fun to have a dude whose power is "doesn't die" so the team can throw him at all the death traps.

Hey, now that the action is done. I have to comment.

Byrne still keeps Wanda from doing... anything.

Post-hypnotic suggestion kept her from fighting Fake Ultron. And then she was too paralyzed by feelings to fight Beserk Vision. And then Mr Random sprung a trap on her faster than she could react two issues ago. And, sure, she fought Cap and She-Hulk but it was revealed that they threw the fight and weren't even hurt. And now when the big Great Lakes Avengers rescue showed up, Scarlet Witch didn't fight any of them. She just hung around with Mr Random.

It keeps happening.

Byrne doesn't seem to want her to contribute to action scenes.

Also, as the Great Lakes Avengers first Avengers level mission where they held their own and showed their stuff... It was okay.

They showed up on page 16 out of 23 on unlimited. They basically all got to do one thing to show their stuff. The issue is titled Baptism of Fire, which I assume is referring to the Great Lakes Avengers entering the Big Times but, yeah. They got a couple pages at the end of a complicated plot and happened to find the Resolve Story button.

I'm so far not impressed with how Byrne is balancing three teams in his two interconnected team books.

Anyway, Hawkeye declares that due to bacterial possession, nobody is getting arrested for any of this.

I suspect that he doesn't really want to untangle the situation.

Charles Edison: "... Thank you for that, at least, Hawkeye. It's bad enough to realize I've lost half a lifetime and every penny I own to this thing, without having to face a jail sentence as well."

Vision explains (how does he know???) that the evil bacteria awoke in him and took over his brain. It compelled him to use his family fortune to buy Absolom University and use it as evil bacteria HQ. Also, it apparently compelled him to change his name to Mr Random.

Then, Mr Random gathered together a few hundred other people that the evil bacteria had also awoken in and they all donated DNA to build the assimilator, which I guess let them awaken other people's evil bacteria and create a telepathic link between each other.

Hence why the evil bacteria people were always verbally discussing things and weren't always on the same page.

This plot is dumb.

I understand the mechanics of it all better now. In a last page exposition dump kind of way. But its dumb.

The Evil Bacteria were supposed to be influencing evolution but it seems most of them were doing a snooze. And they needed a big technological thing despite not needing it when they ruled the dinosaurs.

This has been a stupid ass plot.

I'm pretty the last bit of it is why the plot even exists and why I think its because Byrne got enamored with junk science.

Scarlet Witch: "But... Vision... it's all so... frightening... The memories the Assimilator placed inside me... I still have them... Can it be the dinosaurs died because That Which Endures left? And if it someday leaves mankind for the mutants, as it planned..." Vision: "I am not properly programmed to consider such philosophical matters, Wanda..." Captain America: "Maybe not... but I have something to say... I don't know how much of what we've learned today I'm really prepared to accept... Maybe it's all true. Maybe without That Which Endures mankind would still be squatting in the caves, afraid of the dark, of the thunder and lightning. But I like to think there's something more to humanity than just a few pounds of flesh and bone. Something deep inside that sets us apart in the scheme of things. I hope that's true. And I hope no part of it was due to That Which Endures. For if it is... if we are no more than vehicles for this parasite... When a day comes that the Survivor does finally depart... We're going to find ourselves very much alone..."

Meh.

Also, I'm sure its fine that evil bacteria stuffed Wanda's head full of mutant superiority rhetoric and that she still has those memories at the end of this.

I'm sure that's just fine.

Follow @essential-avengers because everything is going to fine forever and nothing will be blisteringly stupid in this book ever. Like, comment, reblog, give me attention. I'm lonely. Just kidding, I've got a cat curled up against my arm as I type this. I live a good life.

[dailycharacteroption]

Races Among the Stars 6: Strix

Long ago on lost Golarion, the strix, a race of humanoids with birdlike wings, dwelled. Though best known in the Inner Sea for a certain isolated colony’s clash with the nation of Cheliax, their people were actually originally from Arcadia, where they once served, and later left behind, the mysterious and imperialistic syrinx.

In the time of Starfinder, much of this has been forgotten, either due to the passage of time or the vexing obscurement of the Gap, and now the Strix find their primary home in underground fortress cities on the Fullbright side of Verces.

Much like their ancient counterparts, strix are mistrustful of other peoples, which leads to some interpreting their insular nature as hiding some dark secret. However, once someone gets to know them, they share how magnanimous they truly are.

 Physically, strix resemble elves or half-elves with skin tones ranging from those familiar to humans to dusky blues, grays, and blacks; avian feet complete with talons; clawed hands; and mighty wings on their back. However, despite their similarities to other humanoids, their body structures continue to bear the mark of the avian. For example, their eyes barely move in their sockets and are milky white, while their necks can crane,twist and turn unnervingly to bring their gaze to bear in much the same manner as owls.

 The strix, once one gets past their exterior, are actually a highly communal people, something that puts them at odds with the individualistic Verthani that share the planet with them. Such a focus on personal journeys over the needs of others tends to exhaust most strix, so those that do choose to leave tend to leave the planet entirely, often forming aeries elsewhere or bonding with like-minded crews aboard starships, where all are expected to work together most of the time.

Interestingly, strix are quick to adopt new technologies, but are generally mistrustful of magical solutions, perhaps from some ancient cultural mistrust of spellcasters, be they human, syrinx, or some other species.

 Strix tend to be agile and cunning, but lack interaction skills outside of their own kind.

They have also developed keen night vision from their underground homes, not just piercing the darkness, but also easily picking up all sorts of minor details in the dark.

Though somewhat ungainly on the ground, strix are naturals in the air with their powerful wings.

They also learn the dangers of trusting their senses when magic might be abound, making it easier to spot illusions.

Their knack for technology also allows them to disassemble and build devices with surprising speed.

 Agile and intelligent, operative is a solid option for these winged warriors, who can use their familiarity in darkness and flight to make the most of a situation. Similarly, ranged soldiers, solarians, vanguards, and nanocytes are also good options for them. Their focus on technology makes them good biohackers, mechanics, and even technomancers: the one magical discipline they seem to halfway trust. Some may even become evolutionists as long as the path they take isn’t obviously magical. Envoys may be difficult due to weakness in charisma, but is still possible if they focus on the skill side of things. Spellcasting classes are where strix hesitate, though many of them are good choices for them. Even still, strix mystics, precogs, and witchwarpers may believe their power is more curse than blessing, or else perhaps be oddities among their kind that appreciate magic.

 That about does it for today, but I was delighted to see the strix return in Starfinder, just as I am with every other race from the past that makes it in. This also marks the last playable species from the Pact Worlds book as well!

[egg-emperor]

Ever notice how almost all of eggman's minions are robots? It makes sense, after all robots can be programmed to be loyal , don't talk back, they do whatever he tells them to do and best of all he doesn't have to pay them or give them dental unlike the fleshbags.

Yes absolutely because the man has a huge passion and talent for robots, of course! 🥰💜

But yeah, I can also see a big part of the appeal for him being how they can be perfectly designed, built, and controlled entirely in his image much more often than not. He's had robots that talk back and the rebellious few but many more have been loyal and obedient and have served their purposes. Much like Eggman seeing himself as superior to all, that also includes the creations of his genius. He doesn't think that any living being could do better and be more efficient than his robots that can be programmed to do literally anything he wants them to and serve all his needs.

I've never seen game Eggman as the type to want to constantly be around other organic living beings. I like how he really is seemingly a lone wolf type, aside from having robot assistants that can talk and be a form of company but he went years fine without that before they existed so he doesn't seem to have a need. It makes sense because I'm sure he feels that he's superior and untouchable, above everyone and doesn't feel any other being is worthy of his presence. He wants to be recognized, admired, and worshipped by from afar, while he's far above everyone.

And while he's great at manipulation abd using people, it's always temporary and he wouldn't trust them to stay with him long term. Infinite was temporary, just like with Knuckles and likely with Shadow and/or Rouge too when they were no longer of use. The exceptions like Bowser and Zavok that he keeps getting with is proof he has a thing for them and can't help it lol. Because there's still a chance that even his robots can betray so he's going to be especially wary around living beings that can't be entirely controlled by programming and have adjustments made to it if they go rogue, like he can with his robots.

Aside from reprogramming, they can be destroyed, replaced, disassembled and repurposed, or melted into scrap too and he's been seen to be ready to do all of that at any moment, without hesitation. Though of course he'd also destroy living beings too if they dare to betray, rebel, or fail him and he's decided he doesn't need them and can't get good use out of them anymore hehe. But robots usually give him opportunity for lots more forms of punishments and options that are just as fun and have a higher possibility of him getting more use out of them, so they're much more ideal as a result. XD

Living beings have free will to realize they don't like how they're being treated and want to leave it rebel, they expect to be repaid with money or otherwise and he'd prefer not to give anything when he's so greedy, they have to eat but he wants all the good food to himself lol, and they have to sleep so they can't be working for him non-stop and get much less work done than robots can in a short time. Eggman can also mistreat robots more and because they often won't know the conditions are bad and want to leave because it's all they've ever know and all they're programmed to do.

Robots are a lot less of a hassle for many more reasons too. I often see the popular belief that he'd provide things like healthcare, dental, and other helpful benefits to people and stuff when he takes over the world and rules his empire and I'm like lol where did game canon Eggman say that at all? He's selfish and doesn't care about other people, he wouldn't even think of stuff like that as he's 'without a thought for anyone else' and he only cares about taking care of himself. And even if he did promise that through propaganda, he definitely wouldn't genuinely deliver it.

The only thing he can give people is the robotomy treatment like in the Forces Eggman Empire propegganda, which results in them losing themselves and a complete lack of freedom, including never being able to think, eat, or sleep ever again. That way he has full control over them, just like all the robots he's built! Then, much like the animals and environment, not even people go untouched and are reshaped into his perfect fucked up image. They're under his complete and total control, only submit and serve, and will never try to betray him. Much better... >:)

All the more to love about the power and beauty of robotics, made possible with Eggman's genius and power alone 💜

[trustedpackersandmoversblog]

Reasons to hire movers for your next move

Buying and moving into a new home is an exciting experience. But the thought of carrying your entire home - belongings, clothes and valuables - adds to the nervousness. Relocating base and planning a move is definitely a daunting task. However, packing and assembling these products for moving can be easy with the help of packers and movers.

Their professional team will visit your premises where you can discuss with them the details of your move - the amount of goods you will be moving with you and the moving list you would give them for your priority packages. They will give you an estimate before closing the deal. It is recommended to notify them a few weeks or months in advance, depending on your products and destination. If you are moving across state, give them a few weeks notice to get a set date. If you are moving to another city, plan ahead of your chosen date.

Moving is not easy; rather, it is a multifaceted event. You have a lot to plan and decide what is best for you. At first it may seem like a nightmare, but when you have a trained moving team with you, you will save time and things will fall into place. You have all the time to focus on other important tasks. And you know the best part? If you hire a replacement crew, the replacement crew will do all the packing and moving.

These professional packers pack your products in the best way. They assemble, disassemble and pack your belongings. None of your items will be harmed because these people are well equipped with their packing materials and other necessary protective equipment to keep your items safe and reach their destination as they are with you. So you don't have to worry about finding accessories and protective sheets because they come with all the stuff you need. So you can sit back and relax. And all this happens in a short period of time.

Hiring professional packers for your next local move is one of the best decisions you can make and you won't regret it. Moving is a complex process that requires time, energy and money. Why not choose the best in the moving industry? When you hire a professional team, they will handle all your breakable items in the best way because they have various accessories and tools that can protect your belongings from damage. So, whether it's your massive bed, giant LED TV or your favorite Mac system, you can be sure the team will handle your move with ease.

Also if you have sensitive items, you may like your artwork, glassware, mirrors, antiques, chandeliers and other valuables - everything is taken care of. You can help tag them.

Labels are very important for keeping track of items that move with you to your new home. Packers, make sure each of your small and large items is packed and labeled so nothing gets lost in transit. Naming sensitive objects would give them additional protection and care.

Moving long distances requires different rules and skills from a team of professional packers. After all, they will remove all the materials from your house in a certain period of time, and the concern is definitely there. To make your shift memorable, you should notify the team in advance so that you have your belongings with you when you arrive at your destination.

Hiring professional movers and packers is the key to a successful move, as they have the prior knowledge and necessary expertise to move goods from one place to another. Before finalizing a mover, you can browse their services; compare prices and invoice before restoration. There are several options in the market and the prices are competitive due to their nationwide coverage and latest technology followed by a team of highly trained staff.

Many people face issues when they make a move in certain months of the year when it is hard to avail of the packaging services. Peak time in business affects a lot. So, make sure you do not plan during the off-season. Consider shifting during a time when you can avail of their services at the best prices.

The next thing to take care of is to decrease the load. For this, prepare a list of inventory for all the items you need to move. Your checklist should have all the necessary items barring those which you have not used in the recent past – say a year or so. Remember as much as you lessen your luggage, the easier it would be to manage your move. After all, fewer loads mean fewer costs that the move will incur.

So when the date has arrived and you commence on your relocating journey with the professional movers, you can talk out things in advance. Assist them in every way. Many moving companies give you the provision of arranging your items on your own. They leave the cardboard packages with you and ask you to stuff them with your items. This again saves additional efforts on their part.

Finally, when you specify a date, you might or might not get a counter date from them because they might be booked for other assignments. So, try to be flexible before you approach them and plan early. The team of movers and packers will reach at your place on time.

Have a happy and safe move!

[auclogistics]

10 Steps to Finding the Best Office Relocation Services in Oman

However, If you are not aware of how everything works, the logistics of moving from one office to another in Oman’s town might be exhausting. This is where an office moving company in Oman becomes crucial; they can handle the entire event, ensuring that it is completed as quickly and enjoyably as possible, minimizing downtime and maximizing professionalism. Getting your office to Soman could be a wonderful experience, particularly if you are moving into a town of development and a new era for your organization.

Recognized as a top provider of International Relocation Services, AUC Logistics understands the intricacies involved in moving your office.  We have created a helpful resource to guide you in selecting the best office relocation company in the US, guaranteeing a smooth and successful transition.

Step 1: Define Your Needs

The first step is to identify your specific needs and requirements for the office relocation. 

Here are some key factors to consider:

Move Size and Scope: Is it a small office move within the same building, or a large-scale relocation across town?

Inventory: Take stock of all your office furniture, equipment, IT infrastructure, and inventory. Categorize them based on size, fragility, and disassembly needs.

Timeline: Set a realistic timeline for the entire relocation process, considering pre-move planning, packing, transportation, and set-up at the new location.

Budget: Determine your budget for the relocation services. Consider getting quotes from multiple companies to compare pricing and services offered.

Step 2: Research Potential Office Relocation Companies

Once you have a clear understanding of your needs, start researching potential office relocation companies in Oman. 

Discovering trustworthy choices can be achieved through these impactful methods.

Online Directories: Utilize online directories like Yellow Pages or business listing websites to find companies offering office relocation services in Oman.

Industry Associations: Look for companies affiliated with industry associations like the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI). Membership in such associations often indicates a commitment to quality standards.

Client Testimonials and Reviews: Dive into online reviews and hear directly from past AUC Logistics customers. This will give you a clear picture of their reputation, the quality of service they provide, and how satisfied their clients typically are.

Word-of-Mouth Referrals: Reach out to colleagues, business associates, or companies you have worked with to see if they have any recommendations for trustworthy office relocation services.  Specifically, inquire about their experiences with AUC Logistics.

Step 3: Shortlist Potential Companies

Based on your research, shortlist 3-5 companies that seem to align with your needs and budget. Consider factors like:

Experience: Prioritize companies with a proven track record and extensive experience in handling office relocations in Oman.

Services Offered: AUC Logistics streamlines your move with a complete suite of services. From meticulous packing and careful furniture disassembly to secure transportation, efficient unpacking, and final setup at your new destination, they handle everything.

Insurance Coverage: Don't settle for uncertainty! Before trusting AUC Logistics with your belongings, confirm they offer sufficient insurance coverage to protect your valuables during the move. This simple step ensures peace of mind, knowing your possessions are safeguarded in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Licensing and Permits: Ensure the company possesses the necessary licenses and permits for operating relocation services in Oman.

Step 4: Contact Shortlisted Companies for Quotes

Once you have narrowed down your moving company options, it's time to secure official quotes from AUC Logistics and the other finalists.  Be ready to share some key details about your relocation, such as the square footage of your office, a list of your inventory, your preferred moving date, and your budget.

Step 5: Evaluate the Quotes

Avoid making your decision solely based on the lowest price. Carefully review each quote, paying close attention to the following aspects:

Breakdown of Services: Ensure the quote details the services included, such as packing materials, labor costs, transportation fees, and insurance coverage.

Hidden Fees: Ask clarifying questions about any potential hidden fees or additional charges that may not be readily apparent in the initial quote.

Payment Schedule: Understand the payment terms outlined in the quote, including any upfront deposits or progress payments required.

Step 6: Schedule Site Visits

Once you've narrowed down your options, request site visits from your top two or three contenders. This allows you to:

Assess Facilities: Check out AUC Logistics's capabilities. Make sure their storage space and equipment are a good fit for your move. You want to be confident they can handle your belongings efficiently and securely.

Meet the Team: Get to know the AUC Logistics crew that will be handling your move! Don't hesitate to ask about their experience, qualifications, and the safety measures they take to ensure your belongings arrive securely.

Gauge Communication Style: Observe how the company representatives communicate and address your concerns. A smooth and transparent communication style is crucial throughout the relocation process.

Step 7: Ask About Insurance Options

Most moving companies include basic coverage for your belongings, but for peace of mind, consider exploring additional insurance options offered by AUC Logistics. This could provide a valuable safety net for high-value equipment or irreplaceable documents.

Step 8: Discuss the Moving Timeline

Discuss the proposed timeline for the relocation process with the shortlisted companies. Ensure the timeline aligns with your desired move date.

Step 9:  Finalize the Agreement

Once you have chosen the best office relocation service provider for your needs, finalize the agreement. Ensure the contract clearly outlines the following:

Scope of Services: A detailed list of all services included in the agreement, such as packing, transportation, insurance coverage and set-up at the new location.

Costs and Payment Schedule: The total cost of the relocation services, including any breakdown of fees and the payment schedule.

Responsibilities: A clear delineation of responsibilities between your company and the relocation service provider.

Insurance Coverage: Details of the insurance policy offered, including coverage limits and exclusions.

Cancellation Policy: The terms and conditions for cancellation, including any associated fees.

Step 10: Prepare for the Move

Once the agreement is finalized, it's time to prepare for the move itself. Below are several crucial measures to guarantee a seamless transition:

Declutter and Organize: Dispose of unwanted items or arrange for their donation or storage elsewhere. A streamlined inventory simplifies the packing process.

Communicate with Employees:  AUC Logistics recommends keeping your employees updated throughout the relocation process. Clearly communicate the timeline, procedures, and expectations. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions and ensures a seamless transition for everyone involved.

Coordinate IT Relocation: Work with your IT team to develop a plan for securely disconnecting, transporting, and reconnecting IT equipment at the new location.

Prepare the New Office: Make your new AUC Logistics office move-in ready. This involves taking care of any essential renovations, getting utilities connected, and arranging the furniture for optimal workflow.

Conclusion

Moving your office is not as difficult as it sounds, depending on what your company needs and how quickly you want it done! By taking the following initial steps, relocating your office would be seamless and quick, particularly if you choose an Office Relocation Service provider you can trust, such as AUC Logistics! In Oman, AUC Logistics can engage a team of seasoned experts who work tirelessly to ensure that your office relocation is a success. We take care of all the logistics, from pre-move decision-making and packaging to safe transport and setup at the new spot.

[junknorthdfw]

Property Clean Out

Efficiently Clear The Clutter: Top Tips For A Smooth Junk Removal Process

In our bustling lives, clutter can accumulate faster than we realize. Whether it's old appliances, furniture, or simply unused items, junk removal becomes a necessity to reclaim space and maintain a tidy environment. 

However, decluttering can seem daunting without proper planning and execution. Here are some tips for efficiently clearing the clutter and ensuring a smooth junk removal process.

Assess Your Junk

Before diving into junk removal, take some time to assess the clutter in your space. Identify items that you no longer need or use and separate them from belongings you wish to keep. 

This step is crucial in streamlining the Light Demolition process and avoiding any potential confusion during cleanup.

Categorize Items

To facilitate efficient junk removal, categorize items based on their type and condition—separate appliances, furniture, and other miscellaneous items into distinct groups. 

This categorization will help you better organize the removal process and assist the removal team in handling different types of junk appropriately.

Determine Disposal Method

Once you've categorized your junk, determine the most suitable disposal method for each group of items. Some items may be eligible for donation or recycling, while others may need proper disposal at a waste management facility. 

By planning ahead and identifying disposal options, you can ensure that your junk is handled in an environmentally friendly manner.

Hire Professional Junk Removal Services

Consider hiring professional junk removal services to expedite the clutter-clearing process. Experienced removal teams have the expertise and equipment to efficiently haul away large, heavy items, saving you time and effort. 

Additionally, they can ensure that your junk is disposed of responsibly, giving you peace of mind knowing that it won't end up in a landfill unnecessarily.

Schedule Pickup Or Drop-Off

Once you've decided on the disposal method and hired a junk removal service, schedule a pickup or drop-off time that works best for you. 

Coordinate with the removal team to ensure smooth logistics and minimize any disruptions to your daily routine. Clear communication and punctuality are key to a hassle-free junk removal experience.

Prepare For Removal Day

On the day of furniture removal, make sure your items are easily accessible to the removal team. Clear pathways and remove any obstacles that may impede the removal process. 

If you're disposing of large appliances or furniture, disassemble them beforehand to facilitate easier handling and transportation.

Monitor Removal Process

During the Appliance Removal process, stay informed and monitor the progress to address any concerns or questions that may arise. 

Ensure that the removal team follows instructions for your disposal methods and carefully handles your belongings. 

By actively participating in the removal process, you can ensure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish.

Clean And Organize Space

Once the junk has been removed, take the opportunity to clean and organize your space. Wipe down surfaces, vacuum floors, and rearrange furniture to maximize the newfound space in your home or office. Embrace the feeling of a clutter-free environment and commit to maintaining it in the future.

Conclusion

Efficient Property Clean Out is not just a dream; it's entirely within reach with the right approach. Following the above steps, you can transform your cluttered space into a clean and organized environment. 

From assessing your junk to monitoring the removal process, each step is crucial in ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience. Contact Junk North DFW today, and let us handle the heavy lifting for you.