#drones in disaster management

[pixroottechnologies]

Transforming Disaster Risk Reduction Management: Harnessing Drones for Effective Crisis Response

In an era marked by growing vulnerabilities to natural and man-made disasters, the need for robust disaster risk reduction management has never been more urgent. As organizations and governments grapple with evolving challenges, technology emerges as a potent ally. At PixRoot Technologies, we are at the forefront of this revolution, providing comprehensive drone services that redefine disaster management and risk reduction strategies.

[equinoxs-drones]

Application of Geoinformatics in Disaster Management

Disasters, both natural and human-made, have devastating consequences on communities and infrastructure worldwide. Effective disaster management requires timely and accurate information to support decision-making processes. Geoinformatics, a field that integrates geospatial data and information technologies, including GIS surveying and drone surveying, has emerged as a powerful tool in disaster management.

In this blog post, we will explore the applications of geoinformatics and its transformative impact on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

Geospatial Data Collection and Analysis:

Geoinformatics enables the collection, analysis, and visualisation of geospatial data, including satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and terrain models. These data sources provide valuable information about disaster-prone areas, vulnerable populations, and critical infrastructure. By analysing these datasets using GIS surveying techniques, disaster management authorities can identify high-risk zones, plan evacuation routes, and allocate resources effectively.

Early Warning Systems:

Geoinformatics plays a crucial role in the development of early warning systems for various hazards such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes. By integrating real-time sensor data, weather forecasts, and historical data using geo information systems, geoinformatics can generate accurate and timely alerts, allowing communities to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of disasters. This technology facilitates rapid dissemination of warnings through mobile applications, SMS, and sirens.

Risk Assessment and Vulnerability Mapping:

Geoinformatics enables the assessment of vulnerability and risk by integrating data on infrastructure, population density, and environmental factors. By combining this information with hazard maps using GIS surveying techniques, disaster managers can identify areas prone to specific risks and prioritize mitigation efforts. Geoinformatics also assists in creating vulnerability maps that highlight areas with high concentrations of vulnerable populations, aiding in evacuation planning and resource allocation.

Emergency Response and Resource Allocation:

During a disaster, geoinformatics provides real-time situational awareness to emergency response teams. Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms integrated with live feeds from drones, satellite imagery, and ground-based sensors allow responders to monitor the evolving situation, track the movement of resources, and make informed decisions. This technology helps optimize the allocation of emergency personnel, supplies, and equipment, resulting in more efficient response efforts.

Post-Disaster Damage Assessment and Recovery:

Geoinformatics plays a critical role in assessing post-disaster damage and facilitating recovery. High-resolution satellite imagery and aerial surveys using drone surveying techniques can rapidly capture the extent of destruction, aiding in damage assessment and identifying areas requiring immediate attention. GIS tools assist in coordinating post-disaster recovery efforts by tracking the progress of reconstruction projects, managing resource distribution, and facilitating communication among stakeholders.

Community Engagement and Citizen Science:

Geoinformatics empowers communities to actively participate in disaster management through citizen science initiatives. Crowdsourcing platforms allow citizens to contribute valuable geospatial data, such as road conditions, flood levels, or blocked routes, in real-time. This community-generated data enhances the accuracy and responsiveness of disaster management efforts, facilitating a collaborative approach to resilience-building.

Geoinformatics, including GIS surveying and drone surveying, has revolutionised the field of disaster management by providing decision-makers with accurate, up-to-date, and spatially referenced information. From early warning systems to post-disaster recovery, the applications of geoinformatics are diverse and impactful. By harnessing the power of geospatial data and advanced technologies, we can enhance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, ultimately saving lives and minimising the socio-economic impact of disasters.

To access our solutions regarding disaster management reach out to us EQUINOX’S DRONES

[squishycheekanon]

Human!Techno x reader

Warnings: friends to lovers, fluff, smut, humanTechno being a grump, grumpy guy-sunshineish girl. George complaining (no hate). Touch starvedness. I didn’t mean for there to be a size kink but there is one.

You’re confused, nothing new there, your head swirling from your long week and silly meetings at work. Nothing was more tedious than listening to George drone on about utter nonsense, mindnumbingly stupid complaints that were pointless to point out.

But even after getting up at four am every morning to work late into the night you still agreed to hang out with the gang at their shared house, at first you thought it was idiotic so did Techno maybe that’s why you two and a few of your other friends didn’t join in on the whole living together fiasco.

As much as you loved your friends thirty plus people in one house, no matter how big, was a recipe for disaster. Apparently not. Two years later and they had all managed to make it work setting up chore schedules, and bathroom schedules that seemed to make the house run perfectly.

Still you couldn’t be more glad to end the night in your own apartment snuggled up in your large bed, which is why you’re confused as to why you agreed to hang out tonight knowing full well that Wilbur wanted to have a piss up.

Pretty much everyone had a drink in their hands expect for you. You instead, after having half of the sangria Quackity had made for you, had claimed the little area in the back corner of the big living room. Head tipped back again the sofa, eyes closed and pressing into something warm.

Techno had arrived half an hour after you did, his week had started off great, but by the end of it he couldn’t help but feel a little agitated. He hadn’t seen you the whole week and as much as he’d never admit it out loud, and definitely not to you, he’d missed you.

You were the only person he could truly relax around and he needed that. Has done since he met you. Ten years ago it was, you had been stood up, sitting at a bar quietly crying to yourself when he bumped into you pouring his whiskey on the rocks all down your back, soaking your dress and pulling a squeal from you. A squeal he still teases you for. But he spent the rest of the night doing everything he could think of to make you smile and laugh to make up for it. It worked and you’ve been friends ever since.

Techno weaved his way through the huge hallway into the large kitchen to grab a beer from the double door fridge offering small nods to those who greeted him on his way to the massive living room area. His curious eyes scanning the space until they landed on you, the corners of his lips turning up slightly at the sight before him.

With a shake of his head he sat down next to you perhaps a little too close but when you sighed so softly pressing yourself into his warmth he relaxed against the leather sofa. “Long week?” He asked watching with a knowing gaze as you nodded. Knowing because this would be one of the nights he’d have to get a very sleepy you into his car and all the way up to your apartment and into your bed.

Techno dragged his gaze away from you to watch Wilbur try and teach Tommy and Tubbo how to play poker. At that point Phil and his wife arrived, Phil immediately coming over to Techno giving him a bro hug and saying hi to you which revived a thumbs up and a lazy smile. No matter how hard you try to open your eyes they were just so damn heavy you couldn’t do it, Phil smiled anyway glancing at Techno when he huffed at you.

“Take her home dude.” Phil patted Techno’s shoulder making the latter nod passing his unopened beer to Phil before picking you up. It was meant to be bridal style but you clung to him subconsciously wrapping your legs around his waist. He adapted a big arm around your waist and another under your tush, glaring at those who made whooping noises or whistled too loud making you whine softly onto his neck.

“Alright bun we’re going, we’re going.” He soothed, the words feeling a little foreign on his monotonous tongue.

“Tec!” Tommy was quick to stop his beefy uncle hooking your little handbag onto his shoulder, the sight was enough to make Tommy snicker to himself as he walked away. With a roll of his eyes Techno left the large house rather happy he had managed to skip the get together.

—

You thanked Techno ten times over in the morning when you woke in your own bed, you knew exactly who got you there. You felt ridiculously bad resulting in you spending the whole morning and most of the afternoon baking him sweet treats while you waited for his reply text to see if he was coming over or wether you’d need to drop them at his.

Music played through out the kitchen, your cherry covered apron wrapped around your oversized T-shirt clad body as you iced the cupcakes to look like little Minecraft piggys giggling as you did so.

“Well isn’t this a sight.” You jumped back at the sound of Technos voice, looking up to see him grinning at you.

“What the fuck Tec!” You huffed dropping the icing bag to place your hands on your hips, he simply held up the spare key you’d given him before slipping it back into his pocket. “Dick.” You scoffed instantly regretting it when Techno gasped loudly, overexaggeratingly.

“Excuse you missy! I carry you home-“

“You drove.”

“Risk my life getting you up those stairs-“

“You always take the elevator.”

“Almost die trippin’ over the pile of dirty laundry-“

“It was one sock.”

“And this is the thanks I get?! Unbelievable.” He huffs crossing his muscular arms over his rather burly chest. You suppose you’ve never stopped to think about how big your best friend is, how good looking-

“Those better be for me.” He grumbles coming further into the kitchen freezing when he rounds the island you’re icing the cupcakes on to see your exposed legs. Clearing his throat and shaking off whatever that was, it’s not like he’s not seen it before. Hell he’s seen you in a bikini, this is nothing but he swears that’s his shirt as he walks closer.

“Yes they are Mr.Grumpy.” You smile when he pinches your hip slightly, his hulking form compared to you standing behind you, hovering over you as you work to get the pig just right. What you don’t expect, it really does take you by surprise and a warmth spreads in your stomach when he gently undoes the apron sitting on your hips only to redo it tighter.

It’s a simple act of helping but it has your cheeks warming like this man hasn’t done it before, like it’s new but it isn’t. “Thanks.” You internally praise yourself for not stuttering. Techno doesn’t even notice the slight tremor in your voice too focused of the that fact that you smell so good. Like vanilla.

Well maybe great minds think alike because his musky scent is now all your mind can focus on, it swirls around you stinking up the area around you, bursting your precious bubble replacing is with his cologne. Cinnamon and hint of tangerines? An odd combination but it smells so fucking nice on him, you just wanna bury your face in it.

“You missed the eyes.” He chuckled, eyes scanning over your face while you blink out of your little trance.

“Oh right.” You laugh stiffly, nervously. It makes Techno frown, he’s never heard you nervous around him. Others, yes. Him, never. That’s how it should be, yet you are. It makes him lean forward placing both palms on the worktop, essentially caging you in.

“What’s the matter bun?” He asks gruffly and as if by instinct your thighs press together, a small wiggle of your hips to create some unknowingly needed friction. His voice and that nickname, both of them usually so sweet and calming suddenly have a strange effect. Maybe it’s just you simply being touched starved? The loneliness catching up with you?

“Nothing.” It’s a blunt reply but it’s all you’ve got, you don’t dare turn around. How can you? Then you’d have to stare at his gorgeous face, you already feel his careful gaze burning holes into your head.

“Now I know that’s not true.” His breathy laugh skims over your skin making you shiver, he notices his hands sliding to your hips to turn you around, thumb and index finger keeping your chin locked so you have nowhere else to look but him. “Tell me bun, what’s troubling you? The long week?”

His voice, his eyes, his whole demeanour is too sincere it has a whimper slipping from you. The noise enough to make you both freeze, Techno’s eyes darkening.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” You admit honestly, fists tightening in frustration. You hadn’t felt like this in a while always too busy with work to sit and wallow in your feelings, maybe that was a good thing because right now with Techno so close; someone you trusted and knew cared for you; your body was taking control, letting you natural instincts take over.

You needed him, and Techno understood. He understood the look in your eye from what he’d seen in his own. Moving a few inches forward he wrapped his arms around your waist, one hand sliding up to tangle itself in your hair soothingly. Before you could even think about freezing up, “Relax bun, I got you.” He encouraged making you melt slipping your own arms around his muscular form.

“What do you need from me?” He asks after a few minutes feeling you grow restless in his hold. He knew you needed more but what he says next takes you back slight, “Do you need an old school finger fuck and make out session on the couch?” He asks jokingly though there is an air of seriousness to it. Especially with what he says next, his beautiful eyes sparkling with want, “Or do you need to sit on my face and let me lick you until your cum runs down my jaw?”

He squints when you whimper gripping his arm tighter, his head tilting slightly as he looks you over “Or maybe you just need a good fuck?” It takes you a second to comprehend but his hand’s already sliding up your leg, his rough palm against your soft skin.

“Mmmhmm, yeah, I think that’s it. Here, lift my t-shirt up a little so you can slide these panties off.” You blush at his words but do as he says, watching in almost shock when he drops to his knees large hands sliding up your things guiding you to open your legs slightly.

“Oh god your thighs are so soft bunny.” He murmurs against your skin, his nose dragging over the part where your thigh and your stomach meet. “And this pretty pussy, I can’t believe you’ve kept this hidden Bunny. So selfish.” He chided playfully.

The grin broad as daylight disappeared between you thighs, your head falling back, hands seeking purchase on the kitchen countertops. He placed a pressured kiss right on your clit listening to the hitch of your breath. Techno swears he’s never heard a sound so pretty than the moan he pulled from you when he wrapped his lips around little nub.

He wants to work night and day to make sure you never stop making that noise. Techno watched your wetness trickling down your thigh quick to lick it up not letting any go to waste. It’s as if his first taste transformed him from the composed grump of a man you knew to a starving man who had a three course meal laid out in front of him, your eyes rolled back, sinful moans echoing in the room.

He moved his tongue like he was possessed, licking into your clenching hole as if he was digging for something before closing his lips around your clit and sucking it so hard you swear it will be bruised tomorrow. His harsh and continuous actions on your cunt had one of your hands grasping onto Techno’s hair, your back arching as you started a slow grind on his tongue.

“That’s it Bunny make yourself cum, use my to tongue.” He hums into your weeping entrance, but you’re so focused on the feeling of euphoria coursing through your veins you don’t hear him, all your senses being taken over and before you know it you’re cumming, drenching the lower half of his chin though he doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest, slurping down all you give him, trying to pull more from you.

Though with a push of your hand against his head and whine of sensitivity he conceded rising from his knees instantly pulling you close into his hold, lips pressing against your own.

With one roll of his hips he’s inside you and not giving you a second to comprehend it. No, he’s already pulling back and slamming into you over and over again watching as you arch your body into his.

Techno is swift and slick with how he manages to pick you up, placing you on the worktop and deliver a hard thrust quickly after leaving you short of breath.

His large hand slides up over your throat applying slight pressure to push you down against the counter. Then up to your mouth, two thick fingers slipping inside letting you moan and whine around them, saliva dribbling down your cheeks. Neither of you care so engrossed in the feeling of being fucked so thoroughly.

Your moans down right pornographic, when he hit that spongy rough patch inside you. Striking it over and over again, Techno had never looked more happy than when he watched your head fall back, eyes rolling with it.

“Fuck, yes bun clench around me like that, take all that I’m giving you like a good girl.” They way he grunted the words into your ear before sucking your earlobe into his hot mouth had you whining around his fingers. White hot pleasure engulfing your messy form, nothing had ever felt better than this moment.

Your body felt like it was burning with each thrust of his hard cock, all you could do was lie there on the kitchen counter and dribble around his fingers while he fucked your pussy ruthlessly. If this was his version of a good fuck, you’d happily have it everyday.

The coil in your lower abdomen tightened and tightened, until you shattered on his cock, cumming harshly as the waves of pleasure rolled over you so intensely, your walls clenching around him tightly. He snapped his hips into you quicker chasing his own high, wanting to fill you up desperately.

“Please Tec, cum inside me!” That did it for him, absolutely finished him. He groaned thrusting into you so deep as he finished inside you just like you begged him to.

“Fuck bun, you did so good for me. Just relax, breathe, I’ve got you.” He soothed blinking away the last remaining blur of his orgasm, focusing on you and the aftercare you not only needed but deserved.

Cupcakes forgotten about Techno picked you up and carried you to your room laying you on your bed then helping you remove his shirt.

“So fucking pretty bun.” He shook his head staring down at your body, you were ready to disagree absolutely sure you looked like the mess he’d certainly fucked you into but the way his eyes darkened as they raked over your body had your mouth closing.

“Now, before I start running you a bath. I need another taste.” He groaned kneeling in front of the bed, grabbing your ankles to pull you closer to his face.

“But Tec you already-“

“No but’s bun, you’ve been keeping this fucking delicacy from me for far too long. I’ve got a lot of pussy worshiping to make up for and I’m sure she would agree.”

Tags:

@victory-is-here

@lillianastuff

@simply-vulpecula

@itsberrydreemurstuff

@megnotfound

@vanivivs

@cherryblossomdelusion

@dreamwvrld

@fionamk1001

@angelicadiabolus

@bloodgoddarlin

[mistress-of-malevolence]

Cyberpunk anyone?

AU'S BABY, AU'S!

◁◀Details below▶▷ Warning: long.

Because im an obsessive, psychopathic insomniac with no supervision, on top of the mermaid AU I'm working on, I also decided that a murder drones cyberpunk AU needed to be real, and since no one's done it yet (I checked) I figured I might as well. This is that.

--------------

◇Story Stuff (Currently limited)

JCJenson in SPAAAAAACE founded a residential colony on Copper-9. Revolutionary technology allowed Copper City to be the first human settlement on a once thought uninhabitable planet, thus earning the galaxy's praises. Millions moved to the planet once it was finished and the company's reputation soared. Unfortunately for JCJenson, that reputation would soon crumble with a series of increasingly catastrophic events befalling the planet.

First was the infamous "robot uprising" in which hundreds of worker drones began attempting to abandon the city, and some even attacked their owners. The situation quickly escalated to a full-blown war between the machines and humans. As Copper City was a stand-alone settlement on a distant exo-planet, it had no military, leading to a mixed bag of JCJenson security personnel and volunteer soldiers to lead the charge against the malfunctioning worker drones. Many lives were lost, and in the end, the rebelling workers were driven out of the city bubble and into the snowy wastelands.

The second happened only a few months after the end of the war. The ⬛⬛⬛⬛ Event was contained to the Copper-9 branch HQ building. During the event, several worker drones were infected with a virus named ⬛⬛⬛⬛. "Patient Zero" was terminated and from there, all ⬛⬛⬛⬛ activity was easily dealt with. The silver lining to this event was that JCJenson technician "Tessa Elliot" was able to salvage many of the previously infected worker drones and repurpose them to clean up the remaining defective worker drones out in the wastelands. After rigorous testing and development, the new "Dissasembly drones" were revealed to the public, and following their debut were then sent to work. Results have plateaued in terms of terminating the remaining workers in recent years since the workers have built themselves a bunker. Serial designation "J" assures that given enough time, they will find a way in and continue with the extermination as planned.

And finally, the third and most dangerous event: the core collapse. Due to the sheer incompetence of lower-level personnel responsible for monitoring the status of the planet's core as the surrounding area is mined, copper-9 narrowly avoided a core collapse. Such an event would have resulted in total planetary extinction had it not been stopped in time by an upper manager. At the time JCJenson had little to say other than that they were sorry and that the near disaster had nothing to do with the worker resistance or ⬛⬛⬛⬛. They also took the opportunity of the press conference to tease a new project that would make Copper City safer than ever. We would later find out that this was referring to the previously mentioned "Dissasembly drones".

Copper City has suffered many close calls during its time, but today the city is thriving. Surely after so much trouble, there must be a reason those who live here decide to stay, and that reason is the soul of the city. It Never sleeps- always alive with freedom and opulence. Truly, Copper City is everything visionaries had been dreaming of what the future would be like. (But is that a good thing?)

------------

◈ Extra Details

-Tessa was able to save many of the affected worker drones after Cyn went all cookoo crazy solver pants, but the company wanted them disposed of anyway. she proposed that they could be used to take care of the rogue worker drones and that's why they haven't been decommissioned.

-JCJenson higher-ups, demanded that they be disposed of after they had served their purpose. but Tessa plans to propose that theybe once again be repurposed into law enforcement when that day comes.

-After all why not? Tessa put a lot of work into making their modified murder drone bodies into effective, but pretty killing machines. If the public likes them, then they can be marketed. and though Tessa isn't the biggest fan of police in general, she'll take whatever she can get if it means her drones survive.

-JCJenson would love the idea anyway. Copper City is basically a corporate town already, just bigger. The human law enforcement is already in their pocket, so why not have literal robots loyal only to them carry out the law?

-Uzi would try to break into the city to gather intel and a power source for her rail gun.

-JCJenson still manufactures and sells worker drones, but since the war, they've modified the design so that they are much easier to deactivate if necessary.

-This design change is a literal off switch on the back of the head. Uzi does not have one since her parents built her and why the hell would they install one on their daughter? None of the drones at the bunker have an off switch. including those who fought in the war.

-Aside from that, all worker drones inside Copper City are digitally tagged upon purchase and activation. This makes it much easier for JCJenson and Dissasembaly drones to differentiate between a regular, legal worker drone and a rebellion worker that broke into the city.

-JCJenson's reputation suffered a lot during all that nonsense up there, so they really can't leave the workers alone. the public still perceives them as a threat. JCJenson does too, but more so for terrible solver demon reasons.

-That's one of the reasons that Tessa is okay with sending her friends off to commit genocide.

-Uzi is genocidal too though, so morality calls that a draw.

-I'm thinkin' that the Dissasebly drones probably have like, a roost or something inside the city that they can be deployed from. kinda like a cave of bats where they can recharge during the day.

-I think perhaps disassembly drones can go out during the day in the city, but only for a little while. and not at all outside of the city bubble.

-When I say "City bubble" just imagine the moon base from "Scooby-Doo Moon Monster Madness" cuz that's what it looks like.

______________

ANOTHER LONG POST, MY DAWG! I don't have a ton of the groundwork of this done, but it's fun to think about it and I'm happy with what I do have. hope you do too 💖

Thanks for reading.

[carionto]

Everything gets recycled in Human space. Everything.

When we from the Coalition made first contact with Humanity, their space was a disaster in waiting - countless pieces of debris from jettisoned thrusters, random junk from individual space wannabes, and dead satellites that failed to enter a descent orbit, among other objects.

During the period before they and Earth vanished, it became an almost impassable barrier even without our containment measure.

From what the Humans have told and shown us, after they had that massive explosion that burst trillions of tons of the surface and mantle up, the sky was almost constantly dark. One of the first priorities they set was cleaning that up immediately or life on Earth was heading for a fatal ice age. And so they did, in spite of all other calamities happening at once, they put forth enough time, energy and resources to create their extraordinary Orbital Cleaner Crews.

For decades thousands of volunteers went up to man various harvesters, pilot drones, manage processing efforts, and often manually fix problems on the spot. The sheer chaos made predictive navigation and communication of any kind nigh impossible. It was suicide, as well as a complex and delicate task. Not to mention the fact that the Human population had been reduced to less than a billion, with all the associated challenges on the surface. Still, during a time of calamity and uncertainty for their future as a whole, some Humans stepped up to do what had to be done to preserve their future.

Most died on duty, only once most of the chaos had been dealt with did the mortality rate drop below 80%. The memorial for their sacrifice is a humble yet humbling small docking ring with all the surviving vessels and equipment they used parked and locked in stasis, and the names of each engraved on the outside hulls. If there is one thing that unites all civilizations across the galaxy, it is the culture of remembrance.

The result of their effort was an Earth that would not freeze to death, and their legacy is the unmatched professionalism and thoroughness of the OCC. Every object not planet-side is tracked. Regular scanner sweeps find anything as small as an iron atom that shouldn't be there, and within days any newfound junk is picked up and sent to the most relevant station for recovery, recycling, or reuse.

Even the maddening process of their planet crackers as they tear up moon after moon to be used in their insane projects doesn't leave a speck of dust afterwards. Everything has value, be it sentimental or practical, and nothing is left on the wayside.

When it comes to keeping their space clean of junk, Humans have become obsessively compulsive.

[itsagoodluckkiss]

I Know The End

Pairings: Roronoa Zoro x f!reader, platonic strawhats x f!reader

Summary: This is based on one of my favorite songs, I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers, and I take the meaning of this song as a "when you're at the bottom, the only way is up" kind of song. Reader is a friend of Nami, she has air powers and joins the Strawhats after they help her save her town.

Warnings: Mild East Blue spoilers, kinda OC Zoro, typical OP violence, otherwise pure fluff, no use of Y/N

WC: 3.7κ

A/N: Oi, hello there! This is my first One Piece fanfic, took me a bit more than I expected but I did it! I have another one for my first request on the way, but since this is my first, I had to post one about my fave! Also, I'm sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language. Anyways, hope you enjoy it, and if you do, pretty please leave a comment! Requests are open! ❤️

“I’m not gonna go down with my hometown in a tornado, I’m gonna chase it. I gotta go now, I know. Driving out into the sun, let the ultraviolet cover me up. Went looking for a creation myth, ended up with a pair of cracked lips… A slaughterhouse, an outlet mall, slot machines, fear of God… Big bolt of lightning hanging low. Over the coast everyone’s convinced it’s a government drone or an alien spaceship.”

Feeling out of place is something you get used to when living in this part of the East Blue and seek adventure; it is called the weakest sea for some reason after all. Even if she loved her living place, she disliked the fact that people mostly minded their own business without blinking an eye to the suffering and corruption around them. She couldn’t entirely blame them; it wasn’t an easy thing caring about neighboring regions when your own was constantly hit by natural disasters, causing deaths and lifetime labors destroyed.

She had just learned that the Conomi Islands had been freed by Arlong’s cruel rule after eight whole years. She wondered how Nami was. They had met a couple of years ago when she caught her rummaging her family’s vault and helped her through it without getting her caught. She hid her in her room while the Navy was looking for the thief. She didn’t need the money and it was obvious to her that Nami did. Nami was her first real friend. The week they spent together, drinking and getting to know each other, talking about their backstories, their wants and plans for the future was the best in her life. She had promised that after she’d buy her village back and free it, she’d come to see her again. She hadn’t heard from Nami since.

They said it was because of the Marines the islands were liberated. She could never believe that for one second. Her curious personality always managed to get her into the Navy’s business, making her family’s influence and prestige on the island take a hit every time she got into trouble with them. She couldn’t help that all this talk from the Marines about justice and keeping the peace made her want to throw up on their shiny uniforms. She knew it was all an act for them and their allies to maintain power. How could Marines talk about values when regions and people were enslaved and the Navy turned a blind eye instead of helping, just for power and some berries?

Her dream was to end all that fake order and bring actual freedom to those in need; to become a freedom fighter and help people. She needed the right opportunity but also, she had to take advantage of every situation if she wanted to get away from that place someday and seek what she so wholeheartedly craved. So she learned her family’s secrets and strengths. It’s not every day you see generations of people knowing how to yield the air around them, giving them a bunch of abilities like flying or sucking the air out of their enemies’ lungs or causing hurricanes of every size. She knew when to play nice and be obedient so that her parents would teach her their ways, thinking that she would grow out of her rebellious phase, would learn about and protect her family’s rule. It’s not an easy task for them to cover up the Navy’s dirt on the island after all.  

The more she mastered her power, the more she could see that something was wrong with her family. She had started to notice the patterns. Every time the island was hit by a storm or a natural disaster, they were never home. At first, it would make sense that they’d go and help their people. Then, after the storms, her island’s Navy unit and its captain started collecting “taxes” for rebuilding the infrastructures. Thing was, the taxes would constantly go up, bringing inhabitants to their knees. Meanwhile, her family didn’t seem affected at all. They would just roam the island, giving advices and pacifying the angry voices that protested the Navy. So, she decided, in the next hurricane, she would learn her parents and older siblings’ sketchy business. She had to know what was the cause of all this and what she could do to change it.

~

Meeting new people travelling between islands and seas was a fascinating thing. She loved hearing stories about their adventures, about different places and bigger dangers, fights between pirates and marines or about the golden age of piracy. About the Grand Line, the different weather conditions in each island, the devil fruits and the abilities they gave their users. She would always wander through the port, looking for more myths coming to life by the sailors that docked their ships on her island for supplies.

When she spotted a beautiful pirate caravel, with a sheep figurehead in its bow and its Jolly Roger with a straw hat, docked in their port, she felt a strange wave of excitement and peace. She couldn’t explain it but that beautiful ship radiated so much love and care, like it had a soul of its own and a smile that made everyone feel like home if they stepped into it. She stood there, admiring it from afar, when she felt someone standing next to her.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she? Her name is Merry! She’s my ship.”

She turned to look at the stranger. A boy around the same age as hers, with a small scar under his right eye and a straw hat on his head, and that made her assume this was the captain. He had a smile so vibrant, it reminded her of the sun. His energy was so welcoming, she felt like she could be friends with him on a whim.

“Hello. She is indeed a sight to behold.”

She gave him a warm smile back, raising her hand to introduce herself.

“That’s a pretty name. I’m Luffy, and I’m gonna be King Of The Pirates!”

She couldn’t help but laugh, but it had no malice. She loved dreamers, being one herself, and even if she met that boy only a couple of minutes ago, she could see he would give everyone in the world a run for their money. A gust of wind blew, taking his hat away, and before he could react, she brought it back to him through the air around her. She placed it on his head and gave him a toothy grin.

“There! You can’t be King Of The Pirates without your trademark, right?”

“THANK YOU! YOU’VE GOT AIR POWERS? THAT’S SO COOL! YOU SHOULD JOIN OUR CREW!”

She was dumbfounded by his enthusiasm and his abrupt proposal. Never had she met anyone like him, so thrilled by her presence and her little air tricks. Before she could reply, she heard footsteps and another male voice behind her.

“Oi Luffy, stop scaring people by asking them to join us like that, will you?”

She turned to look at the deeper voice, and for a moment it felt like lighting coursing through her veins. Taller and more muscular than the boy next to her, he looked a bit older than them both, with short green hair and eyes gray as steel, three golden earrings that gleamed in the sunlight graced his left ear. He had a sharp gaze that radiated a strong and confident energy, one that lacked fear or hesitation. She never believed in love at first sight, but this felt as close as she could imagine it would feel. The man approached them and introduced himself to her.

“Roronoa Zoro? As in ‘Pirate Hunter’ Zoro? In a pirate crew?”

Of course she had heard of his reputation. Who didn’t know the infamous bounty hunter swordsman in the East Blue? He chuckled at her surprise.

“Yeah, well, long story short, this guy here has an effect of convincing people easily.”

“There you are, you idiots! We’ve been looking for you everywhere! We’re not here for me to babysit you not getting lost, we’re here to find my-”

She heard a familiar female shriek before she felt soft arms around her, squeezing her tight, and she immediately knew who it was. She could never forget her best friend’s hugs. She returned the hug as she screamed Nami’s name, before they both started to cry tears of joy. Her hand grabbed her upper arm, and she felt deep scars where her Arlong tattoo should be but was replaced by another, prettier one.

“I was so worried about you! I learned what happened to your village and I didn’t know what to think!”

“You should have known I’d be okay, you know I always pull through. Although, these guys were the greatest help I could get. They are the reason I’m freed and I wanted to keep my promise to you.”

She looked at the boys around them with gratitude, two more joining them, a blond boy wearing a suit, who looked like he would burst into flames from the heart eyes on his face and another one with wavy hair, a long nose and mischief in his eyes.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping my friend. She means the world to me!”

“Whoa, Nami’s your friend? Now you should definitely join our crew! We’ve heard so much about you, the only reason we stopped here before Loguetown was to find you!” Luffy said with enthusiasm.

“Yes, it’s not every day you hear someone born into money giving them away without question, hiding the thief in addition and fighting their way to get them out safely. You must be quite the character.” Zoro smirked at her.

“And to add to that, you’re also a sight to behold, my lady!” the blond boy said as he kissed her hand and introduced himself as Sanji, making her laugh at his advances.

“We’ve heard you have a great mind for plans too. Could use a strategist in this group of idiots that run into danger head on. I always device a plan to beat my enemies. I’m Usopp by the way.”

She was dumbfounded to say the least, taking them all and their kind words in. She met these guys a few moments ago, yet never had she felt such a feeling of being so welcomed by the people around her, she was so used to being ignored that this interaction almost made her sob. She kissed Nami’s cheek before letting her go.

“I… thank you guys… you’re all so sweet… but I don’t think I’m that good-”

“Bullshit, you’ll be the smartest person besides me in this crew. Come on now, I know how much you long to get the hell out of this place, they’ve never appreciated you anyways, and I don’t think anything changed since we met.” Nami proclaimed, smiling at her.

“No… not much anyway. I just learned how to use my powers now… Look, I don’t know what to think of this, I have-”

A loud rumble shook the earth below them. She felt the temperature drop rapidly and she knew what was coming. Now was her chance to find out the truth she looked for, the one that could possibly make her decide to cut ties with her family if her speculations were true. She turned to the Strawhats, as they called themselves, and smiled brightly.

“Thank you guys. But I have to run now. There are rooms for rent down this road, run and cover yourselves and don’t come out before the storm passes. Maybe I’ll see you around after that.”

As they started to protest, she flew off to the source of the hurricane she could see coming from afar.

And sure enough, the feeling of throwing up from disgust and despair overwhelmed her when she arrived at the source. She saw her family controlling the hurricanes and lightings that hit her island, and the Navy captain, who she knew was a devil fruit user, was shaking the ground, causing the earthquake, while his Unit watched from the sidewalks. Bodies were scattered around damaged buildings, scenery of pure horror. Before she could react to stop this, she felt boulders hitting her, splitting her lips and bruising her body, blood running down her jaw as she fell down.

~

Logically, everything fell into place. Emotionally, nothing made sense. She couldn’t comprehend how she could have been raised by such cruel people. Her eyes welled up with tears, but not from the pain she felt on her body, but from the sight in front of her, as her parents approached her, proclaiming she was not mature enough to understand their family’s best interest and how she has always been such a disappointment, never listening, never following orders, an annoying, meddling child.

“Do whatever you want; we can’t do anything about her anymore.” Her parents proclaimed to the navy captain as he too approached.

“You’ve always been a pain in the ass and I can finally get rid of you.” The captain proclaimed as he unsheathed his sword.

She closed her eyes but she never felt the blade on her skin. The captain’s scream echoed as his arm got cut off from the shoulder, his sword hitting the ground.

“Swords are not toys, captain. You don’t get to play with them.”

Her head spin to the male voice behind her and her eyes widen as she saw the five pirates ready to fight. Zoro was the closest to her, having drawn one of his swords that was now covered in blood, leaving a clean cut on the marine’s shoulder. Usopp was standing a few feet behind, a slingshot in his hand as he shoot at the navy soldiers, the collision ended in blasts and the soldiers started to run away. Nami was holding a strange, long, steel pole that seemed by its use to control the weather around them with air bubbles.

“You’re not hurting a lady on my watch.” Sanji proclaimed before his leg collided with the bleeding captain’s face, kicking him to the ground.

“He was already done, curlybrows.”

“Shut your mouth, marimo!”

They were bickering as if they all were not in a life or death situation. The most shocking thing was Luffy, who was stretching his body as he was wielding what seemed to be the bark of a tree around, taking soldiers and her family with it.

“Nami said you had problems with your family. You seemed worried. So we followed you.” He said with a toothy grin.

Zoro grabbed her hand and raised her from the ground.

“You know how to fight I assume?”

“Yes I do.”

“Well then, let’s give them hell, pretty girl.”

~

Either way, we’re not alone. I’ll find a new place to be from. A haunted house with a picket fence, to float around and ghost my friends. I’m not afraid to disappear. The billboard said "The End Is Near". I turned around, there was nothing there. Yeah, I guess the end is here.”

And sure enough, she couldn’t believe the six of them managed to stop the destruction while fighting the whole navy unit and her family combined, who were now running away from the angry crowd that had assembled when the hurricanes stopped and saw the whole thing happening.

“You guys… I can’t thank you enough-”

“Pffff, that was nothing, it was funny being blown away, felt like flying hehe.” Luffy laughed as he grabbed her in a hug. “You’re Nami’s friend, so you are our friend too!”

She had started crying by now as she hugged Luffy back, the feelings she felt in that moment couldn’t be described.

“I think… I think I’ll join you guys!”

~

A week had passed since her family fled off the island that was now filled with marines who listed the damages and arrested their own dirty kind. They had made a futile attempt to take the strawhats in, and before they would even start a fight, the people of the island wreaked havoc, not even letting them close to their saviors. She took the crew in the house that was now hers.

She helped Nami move all the gold from the house onto their ship. She gave Usopp advices for his trinkets and how they would fly through the air easier. She cooked with Sanji and then would catalog the storages that would be taken with them to their journey, with Luffy receiving several kicks from the cook because he tried to eat everything. She had never had so much fun in her life as she had with them. Her favorite moments came at night, usually spent drinking with Zoro. They had talked about their childhoods, he had told her about his family how died when he was a toddler, his promise to his childhood friend who died way before her time, how he acquired that big scar across his chest. The more she got to know him, the more connected she felt to him, like a final puzzle piece falling right in to place.

On their last night, everyone was fast asleep, getting the rest they’d need since they would cross the entrance to the Grand Line the next day. But her anticipation wouldn’t let her sleep. After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, she got off her bed and walked around the house, taking it in one last time. She had decided to gift it to a large family whose home got destroyed. It was a fact that she didn’t want anything to do with that place anymore. Tomorrow morning her life would change forever. Her mind leading her nowhere in particular, she walked to her terrace. The wind, soft and gentle, rustled through the leaves of the trees, creating a soothing melody, and she could see the sea ahead, illuminated by the moon, which casted a silvery glow on the water. It was a peaceful scene, yet she could feel her heart racing when she saw Zoro sitting on the bench of her terrace, polishing his swords. 

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asked as he glanced at her.

“I… I guess I’m nervous about tomorrow.”

“It must be a little overwhelming, I guess. Don’t worry though, we’re a good crew, we’ll take care of you.”

A small smile played on his lips. His words were reassuring, but there was something else in his tone, something that made her heart skip a beat. She bit her lip, walking to the edge of the terrace, her hands holding on to the railing as she tried to find the right words to say.

“I know I’ll be safe with you, guys. It’s just… it feels like the end is near for me in this place… and being in a pirate crew is going to be something so new and big… and I don’t feel like I bring a lot on the table…”

He chuckled softly as he placed his swords down, walking towards to stand next to her, taking her hand in his to give a firm squeeze.

“The end is near for this part of your life, indeed. But you’re strong, you’re brave, and you’re a great fighter. You’ve been through a lot and yet you’re one of the kindest people I’ve met, still standing here, ready to face whatever comes next. That takes a lot of courage, and it takes character. I think you bring a lot, and you’re going to fit right in with us. You’re not alone.”

She smiled shyly, feeling warmth spread through her chest, her eyes almost welling up. He smiled back, his expression genuine.

“Thank you, Zoro. You really have no idea how much that means.”

“I think I do. I know what it’s like to be uncertain about the future, to feel like you don’t belong anywhere. But you belong with us now. You’re going to make a great crewmate. It’s good to have you on board. I have a feeling you’re going to surprise all of us with what you can do.” He paused, his expression a bit more serious. “And… if you need to talk… or vent or… anything… I’m here.”

A deep blush crept up across her cheeks. “I… thank you… for everything. Same goes for me.”

She felt her heart flutter as he continued to hold her hand, her stare moving to meet his gaze. She couldn’t help but feel more at ease with him and he couldn’t deny the way he felt either.

“For now, I think we should just enjoy being together and explore this new thing we’ll find ourselves in. Who knows what kind of trouble we’ll stumble upon?”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what awaits us.” She leaned a bit closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “And I’m looking forward to get to know you better too.”

It was time for his heart to skip a beat at her words. Her eyes widened but before she could shy away, he leaned in closer, and their lips met in a tender, hesitant kiss, a slow, gentle brushing of lips. The sounds of the forest faded away, leaving only the beating of their hearts and the rush of blood in their ears.

~

“Take care!”

“Come back soon!”

“Sorry I was mean to you, can’t wait to see you again!”

“Be safe and make us proud!”

“Don’t disappear!”

Most of the town’s people were at the port to give their regards to the strawhats and her. The others were already abroad, her being the last to climb the rope ladder on to her new home. She turned around before hoping on to the deck, and took in how weird and eerie her town looked now, like looking at a haunted house from afar.

“So, the end is near, then?”

She lifted her head to see Zoro’s smirk as he gave her his hand to lift her on to the ship. Someone shouted at her to not disappear. She wasn’t afraid of that. She was afraid of staying still. Her head turned around one last time and she saw nothing there.

“Yeah, I guess, the end is here.”

And she took his hand.

[spoopyblues214]

IKEA

A ficlet about a dream I had where I went to ikea with the disaster twins. Second person, you decide if it's platonic or romantic I don't know lmao

Also to the ask I got, requests are open! Yours will be next and to anyone else who's interested just send an ask

Word count: 610

°•.•°

You walked through the entrance with the two turtles, only for Leo to take your hand and pull you along. Apparently, you hadn't been walking fast enough for the slider. In turn you grabbed onto Donnie's arm, making him fumble his phone before holding it with just his free hand and giving you the other one to hold. When Leo slowed, he swung your hands back and forth, which you gladly attributed to. Donnie rubbed circles and lines onto the back of your hand as the two of you walked, but he didn't look up from his phone.

Every now and then Leo would break away and come back to show a silly trinket or make a pun on the swedish name for an item, which had you smiling and rolling your eyes. Donnie didn't gain any interest until the displays turned into example rooms, which is where he began to split off and mumble to himself about the decor. You'd follow, stand next to him and rock on your heels unless you felt like picking up a smaller thing to inspect in the fake bedrooms. Once you got to the display kitchens, Donnie got this strange look in his eye, and you couldn't decipher it until he spoke.

"Shelldon's been struggling processing things lately, though I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about that."

I had to try very hard to keep from smiling, before replying, "I'm not the one keeping him from recharging his energy at night, working on hundreds of unfinished projects."

He failed at hiding his smirk about the fact that you were in on the joke, but still continued, "oh, I'M the one keeping him from recharging? Maybe if you didn't get him sucked in to all those video games-"

"You're upset with me for rewarding good behavior? Don, when I'm not around he's miserable," the argument had been started, and the fake anger providing entertainment from passersby was rewarding.

It was especially fun for the two of you to walk the tightrope that the little drone could be an actual kid. Leonardo had come by with wooden birds on metal wire legs only to almost drop them at the shouting match the two of you had gotten into. Though, after his jaw un-dropped, he was losing his shit, trying not to laugh and fighting an uphill battle whenever someone passed by and made faces at the two of you arguing. He made damn sure to take pictures to laugh at later. The two of you came to the conclusion that Donnie would stop keeping Shelldon operating even if he was still working on something after twelve am. You would have to stop pampering him for every little thing, even if you were the only one who did so for the little drone.

You took both your turtles hands and led them to the cafeteria, where Donnie had just the meatballs, you had yours with gravy, and Leo had his with the lingonberry sauce. When Leo was done he kept stealing your mashed potatoes, so Donnie gave you his after you ran out. After lunch you all made for the exit, Leo still appearing with random items that caught his interest, though he stopped with the puns. You were easily distracted as Donnie went and paid for something.

Once out the door, the slider teleported all of you back to the layer, where you were scooped up by Raph for a movie night. Later that night you found a stuffed turtle on you bed that looked a little derpy, the tag labeled "BLÅVINGAD." How the twins had managed to sneak it past you was a mystery.

[mikeneedsadrink]

Gunblr Game: CASCADIA

[Disclaimer for anyone new here: These are strictly fictional entertainment exercises within hypothetical scenarios. None of this is meant to be taken too seriously, or as a threat, or any sort of political stance. Just interactive fiction. I am not responsible for anyone else's actions or statements.]

Background: An unprecedented event has occurred in which both the San Andreas Fault Line and Cascadian Subduction Zone shift, triggering massive earthquakes, just minutes apart, leaving the West Coast devastated. The Cascadian quake occurs offshore at a magnitude of 9.5, causing massive tsunamis to pummel the coastline of the entire PNW and reduce the cities of Portland and Seattle to rubble. Vancouver, B.C. fairs a big better but is still heavily damaged. The bulk of the San Andreas quake is along the southern half of the fault line at a magnitude of 8.2 and significantly impacts every major city in the southern half of the state. In the aftermath, fires have ravaged what's left of the cities and further raised the death tolls and number of homeless.

Failed Response: Predictably, the US government prioritized California in relief efforts declaring the central and southern areas as the California Disaster Zone and declaring the northern most section of the state up to the Canadian border the Cascadia Disaster Zone. The region is enraged at their abandonment, while similar outrage occurs in Canada at the minimal relief efforts there. This leads to a power crisis and a huge autonomous zone that more or less runs from the NorCal Redwoods to Vancouver B.C..

This is not a secession, as the federal powers are completely indifferent and leaving the region their its fate, focusing on the wealth and voter power bases to the south.

Current Situation: It has now been several months, and within the PNW, various factions operate is loose collaboration due to necessity. At least one faction has sided with Chinese interests, whose personnel are on the West Coast under the guise of relief efforts. Refugee camps are all over the place as many flee the Portland and Seattle regions on foot. The majority of the factions are just people protecting what's left of their communities, bolstered by volunteers, many of whom originally arrived to assist in S.A.R. and rebuilding efforts. With interstates destroyed or operating at very limited capacity, many supplies are trucked in via smaller roads.

The Game:

You are a volunteer inside the Cascadia Disaster Zone, specifically a small town with an influx from neighboring towns : What would you arm yourself with from the mix of what's left in stores, personal collections, police stations, guard armories, and the massive cross section of weapons and gear brought in through sympathic American and Canadian supply lines? Aside from your personal security patrol gear, is there a role or setup you would insist be included among teams?

Threats - Chinese backed collaborator militia with PLA "advisors", supported by FPV drones and robotic dog scouts. Groups of armed looters attempting to take what they can as they escape the region. Random opportunistic criminals operating in the lawless environment.

Roles - Static security in towns and camps, patrols/sweeps of local area, S.A.R. should community members go missing, maintaining supply routes, and manning lookouts watching for threats, be they human, animal, or environmental related.

These security roles are supplemental to survival/relief efforts. You are there to help, not invade.

That's the premise for this one, folks. Almost the whole of the American and Canadian outdoor and shooting industries is on the table for gear. Assume a large, if poorly managed, stream of private aid is coming in, and lots of volunteers have technical knowledge. Feel free to get creative. Be as detailed as you like with your equipment choices.

[unfortunate-songbird]

ok hear me out

what if April was older

pov you’re like 15, working your after school job at your local pet store, nbd

Then this guy walks in wearing a literal suit of armor. It’s bright blue. He’s got long pinkish hair and golden horns. Are those freaking gargoyles on his shoulders. he asks for four turtles.

Sure, whatever. New York be like that sometimes. You get him four turtles, different types. While you’re, like, ringing up the turtles or w/ever, he starts droning on about how he’s going to mutate them into the greatest warriors in the universe and use them to reclaim his peoples’ rightful place on the surface

you aren’t really paid enough for this, but honestly it’s either this or freaking McDonald’s, so you deal with it

guy takes his turtles and leaves

maybe you mostly forget

maybe it keeps you up a few nights, idk

you get fired four months later in an incident that Totally wasn’t your fault but the managers just saw thirty hamsters dyed bright pink and jumped to conclusions, yknow? That’s how it be sometimes

Anyways, picture about 3 years later

you pick up a part time delivery job at a pizza place. Not ideal, but when you’ve been blacklisted from the majority of businesses in your general area, beggars can’t be choosers. Anyways, a guy asks for 3 large pizzas. You can hear kids yelling in the background. He sounds tired. Mood. then he asks you to leave them in an alleyway near a manhole. uhhhhh

look, you’re dead inside from customer service, but you’ve still got a Little of that investigative spirit that got you expelled from that fancy smancy high school sophomore year

So you wait

A rat man (!!?!???) emerges from the sewer, holding a very small toddler that’s also a turtle (?!???!?)

Wait. wait. wait.

that guy from the pet store.

no way.

Anyways, it takes a lot of yelling, panic, a few ninja moves (??) and some really awful lies from the rat man, but they manage to talk it out. It helps when one bawling turtle kiddo quiets after a couple minutes of the April O’Neil flair. (For once’s she’s grateful for her many younger cousins)

besides, she’s basically their aunt at this point. She sold them to the goat man, so she kinda counts. She’s pretty sure Rat Man- Splints- is just glad to have some help wrangling the disasters. He pays her nicely for her services, which is great, so she drops the other jobs and babysits mutant turtles in the sewers. It’s weird, for sure, but it could be way worse.

Plus, they’re all so cute.

Raph is super helpful, always following her around and trying to participate in whatever she’s doing. It’s so cute watching him bite his lip as he carefully fills Mikey’s sippy cup with juice (April holding onto the carton to make sure he doesn’t spill everywhere)

Donnie is super smart already, eagerly recounting to April whatever cool facts he’s learned. April buys him some Legos to build stuff, and he’s over the moon about them. Mikey eats one of the pieces, leading to a few hours of panic and a lifelong hatred of people touching his stuff.

Leo is a little show off, always yelling “April, April!! Lookit this!!” (Those words have proceeded, to date: three broken bones (at least mutants heal quickly), two sprained ankles, a sprained wrist, a nasty cut down his leg, and more scraped up knees that April can count).

Mikey is much less of a daredevil on his own, but he’s quick to copy whatever dangerous stunt Leo is doing. He’s always easily mollified with colorful bandaids, though, and Leo has more than once abandoned a trick when he sees Mikey trying to attempt it too. His drawings cover both the lair’s fridge and April’s own.

((( idk what this was I just think it’s very cute. My brain went “haha Draxum in a pet shop” and then everything else happened. i don’t know where Splinter gets his money, but he obviously Has it. He doesn’t work, but the boys can still afford pizza and have allowances (I’m assuming, since it’s unlikely they have jobs to earn money, so whatever they get is probably from Splinter.) and also?? Electricity?? (Where do they get that)

anyway I have Many questions that are never answered about that)))

[ametistacollinsworld]

☼ Uzi x Older Sibling Figure! Reader that got missing years ago ☼

My 47 request! Hope you like!

◇───────◇───────◇

Uzi, a female Worker drone that is very strong, different and closed in her own bubble, but who also had a big sweet heart.

You, an ordinary Worker drone, but who had a caring and protective personality, always looking after Uzi when her father was not around.

Uzi and You, two drones that when meet could not be separated anymore, besides you didn't care much about what others said, as long two were together.

Until one day…

You were helping other drones with the installation of a new colony door, staying outside with two other drones to check that everything was ok.

'' I think that's all guys. Let's continue the rest of the tasks after the break '' You spoke with a satisfied tone, wiping your dirty hands looking at the other two drones that were inside.

But then… disaster struck… with a Murder drone attacking one of your co-workers, which startled you all, with some screaming and starting to run for their lives.

" Close the doors! Now! " You shouted in a hurry, quickly running away from there, seeing your other companion was caught and now looked like a disgusting pile of scrap metal.

" B-but (Y/n)! What about you? " Your companion screamed in despair, which you diverted your attention but trying to keep your figure steady.

" JUST DO IT! WE DON'T HAVE TIME! " You scream in despair, scaring the poor drone more than scolding your other companion.

" Come on man! We have to leave them! The colony is in danger! " So, with that line they finally close the door leaving you there for a moment.

The Murder drone turns towards you slowly, seeming to find the situation at least amusing. Acting like a hero isn't it?

You blinked, just continuing to dodge gunfire and missiles in fear for your life.

'' Forgive me Uzi…I promised I would always be by your side. I guess I'm not a very good sibling after all ''

Uzi was devastated when she found out, why would you do that to her? You were one of the only things that was good about that colony…you had promised to stay by her side forever. You wouldn't break a promise would you?

So, time passed, with Uzi having more experiences in that chaotic place, both nice and not nice… she even got a friendship with a Murder drone… who would say it isn't?

" Uzi? Uzi are you okay? " N asked in a soft tone in front of Uzi, having a worried expression that brought the drone out of its trance.

" Ah.. what is it now N? " Uzi asked in a low tone, turning her head to the side.

" Well, you got so quiet all of a sudden.. I thought something had happened " N spoke in a soft tone, playing with his hands nervously. Uzi snorted rolling her eyes.

" I think… it's nothing.. " Uzi spoke in a dry tone, soon getting up from the ground going to the ship's door.

" I'm going for a walk.. you stay here and take care of V " Uzi spoke in a low tone, quickly leaving the ship not letting N answer.

Uzi started walking through the snow absently, just remembering a moment when you two were still together.

" Hey Uzi! Look at this cool thing I made for you! '' You said in an excited tone, walking into the room of the smaller drone, that at the moment was drawing.

'' And what would it be? '' Uzi asked, stopping drawing looking at you who now had a stupid smile.

'' Oh..no big deal really! Just a gun project I made for you '' You said taking the gun off your back, giving a bigger smile seeing Uzi's face light up in admiration.

'' Wow! Is that a real railgun?! '' Uzi asked admiringly, getting out of the chair she was sitting in to take the gun from your hands. You laughed softly at that, quickly ruffling Uzi's hat and hair.

'' Yes! And now it's all yours! You just have to make a few tweaks here and there, but I'm sure you can manage after all you're very smart, even if you're an emo teenager'' You said with an amused tone, giving a smile seeing how Uzi's expression seemed to fall.

'' Bite me! '' Uzi quickly replied feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. You just laughed, giving her a few soft pats on the head, which Uzi gave a little cat smile.

'' Thank you (Y/n).. I appreciate that '' Uzi spoke in a low tone, giving you a hug which you returned.

Uzi sighed, stopping in her tracks and looking up, seeing how the sunlight glinted above her. She didn't hear the footsteps approaching her...

'' Uzi?! Is it really you?! '' You said with a smile full of longing, running towards the smaller drone with your arms outstretched. Uzi widened her eyes with no reaction, just feeling your arms wrap around her in a big affectionate hug.

'' I've missed you so much sister… '' You said in a soft tone, laying your head on top of Uzi's, which she finally reacted to, wrapping her arms around you in a hurry.

'' (Y/n)! I-I missed you so much- I- Where have you been? Why did you never come back to me? Why did you leave me here alone? '' Uzi spoke in a hurried tone, almost as if you could disappear at any moment.

'' I missed you a lot too.. why don't we go home first? That way I'll tell you better '' You said with a sweet smile, taking one of Uzi's hands, which she didn't complain about.

You and Uzi had many, many things to discuss and talk about. Uzi was happy to have you back, so please don't ever do that again.

[codylabs]

WAIT WAIT WAIT are you familiar with bionicle lore??? I need your help

Because when I was a kid I watched Bionicle: The Legend Reborn, and I fell in love with all the characters in it, and have been completely baffled in trying to find out what the hell the rest of bionicle lore is.

Can you help me understand?? Where did Mata Nui and his friends go after that movie??

Aight so first off, curse you.

Curse you and dang you and blast you and encase you in protodermis for all eternity, because this question is too difficult to answer. It's just too long. But since I love Bionicle lore more than any other lore (it is better than any other lore) and since you asked so earnestly, I will do my best.

I'm also not a real expert on this (there's a lot of tie-in novels for example that I haven't read), but I know enough that I can guarantee the rest of this will have only like 1 or 2 errors.

So.

The center and focal point of Bionicle lore (if you want the big picture and/or have already seen the big reveal (which I gather you have)) is that everything revolves around an enormous titanic robot.

This guy:

That guy.

In case THE OCEAN coming up to his ANKLES and the ATMOSPHERE ending at NIPPLE LEVEL wasn't enough of a giveaway, this lad is fairly large. Enough that he has entire civilizations and ecosystems of biomechanical people and animals living in chambers inside of him, to maintain and repair him, and fill him with life and beauty. All of the regular characters (the ones you read about in the comics and see in the movies and get toys of) are at this comparatively-microscopic scale. Most of the regular characters were actually part of this robot's original crew and passengers, and it's possible that most of them didn't even KNOW they were inside a robot. The robot was controlled by an AI called Mata Nui, aka The Great Spirit.

The robot had originally been constructed on the planet Spherus Magna. A cataclysm had split the planet apart into three pieces: the desert planet Bara Magna, and two moons, the oceanic Aqua Magna and forested Bota Magna. The robot's destiny was to remake the shattered world, but it first traveled the universe doing other tasks. Before it was able to accomplish its destiny, disaster struck:

One of the onboard crew, a Makuta named Terridax, was led astray by conceit and ambition, and sought to supplant the Great Spirit. He sabotaged his home, knocking the Great Spirit offline, and causing the robot to drift off-course and crash into Aqua Magna, where it remained dormant (though not broken) for thousands of years.

The majority of the Bionicle story (the first 8 of its 9 years) follows the adventures of the robot's inhabitants: the Matoran (workers), Turaga (elders), Rahi (drones), and especially the Toa (the warriors) as they worked to defeat the Makuta and his allies and reawaken the Great Spirit. The heart of the symbolism here is that Makuta is a brain cancer, and the Toa are the treatment.

After hundreds of years (8 IRL years) of struggle, the heroes finally accomplish their goal and reactivate Mata Nui, but Makuta Terridax had been ready for them, and managed to install himself into the mainframe instead of the rightful Great Spirit. The robot gets to its feet for the first time in thousands of years, but it's under Makuta's control. He begins to brutally oppress his body's inhabitants, and banishes Mata Nui's spirit to Bara Magna, trapped within the Mask of Life.

Since you saw the Legend Reborn movie I need not recount all the events of that story, but it follows the Great Spirit on an alien world, the same world where his body was first created, among the people descended from those who originally caused the disaster that necessitated his creation. During the events of the movie he joined the warrior caste of Glatorian, faced down a Skrall lord, and helped unify the planet's warring people.

From the moment he had reawakened, Mata Nui's priority had been to return to his body: to save his people and fulfill his destiny.

During and after the movie's end scene, he works with the planet's people to rebuild an second giant robot: the original prototype for his own body, which had been broken ages before. Mata Nui himself goes on a quest to retrieve an power source, and then uses that power source to reactive the prototype. Meanwhile Makuta, back up on the moon, senses this, looks down and sees him standing in defiance and challenge, and then COMES DOWN TO FACE HIM.

If you think you comprehend just how hype this image is, you do not. Comprehend again.

THEY THEN FIGHT

Makuta's minions swarm out of hatches in his feet, to make war with Bara Magna's people, while the titans duke it out above the cloud layer. When the land war seems to be turning against Makuta, he threatens to use a gravity beam to crush the whole planet to dust. Mata Nui grabs his arm and deflects it, forcing the gravity wave to hit the world's moons, and bring them drifting back toward the planet.

Mata Nui's prototype body is fast running out of power, and he knows he dares not harm Makuta, for Makuta's body is full of innocent lives, whom he loves.

But the story's main characters manage to win a sweeping victory on the ground, which distracts Makuta just long enough for Mata Nui to drive him back, right into one of the approaching moons AND WHAM

The cranial circuit that housed Makuta is smashed to bits, and the tyrant falls, never to rise. Mata Nui uses the prototype's last reserves of strength to finish remaking the world, and to fill it with life, before he too falls.

Mata Nui is very much the Jesus character in this whole saga. He had been a God, but defeating his enemy and bringing peace and happiness to the people he loved meant living among them a time, and sacrificing his power for their good. It's a really beautiful thing.

The series ends on a hopeful and open-ended note; the subjugation and annihilation that Makuta threatened will never come to pass, and all the other characters are free to make their own lives on a paradise planet: no longer warriors fighting blindly or refugees from disaster or cogwheel slaves in a grand design, but free people. To answer your original question about what happened to the specific characters of the movie, we get no answer. We know that Kina and Ackar and the others participated in the final battle, and we know that they lived, but of their lives and adventures after that, we do not.

If you want to get a more in-depth plunge into the lore, the Biomedia Project is pretty much your one-stop-shop. I'd recommend reading the comics. They don't give the entire story, but they're a good jumping-off point, and you can absolutely get enough of the story to make all but a few things make sense. In this explanation of mine I brushed over countless worldbuilding cornerstones and plot threads: the protodermis, the elemental powers, masks, the lost city Metru Nui with its eyelid suns, the jungle island which is confusingly but appropriately also called Mata Nui, the red star, the saga of Voya Nui, the masks of light and life, and Karda Nui, the center of the universe floating in the swamp beneath the thousand city pillars.

Bionicle is the greatest.

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[collapsedsquid]

If someone ever pitches the book “the history of the world in 1000 metaphors”, there will definitely be a place for the 2007 letter from Warren Buffett to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway.  If I close my eyes and pretend my speaking voice is considerably more broadcast-friendly than it actually is, I can hear myself droning away on Radio 4, explaining that one folksy quip in that letter led to decades of economic stagnation, as the middle class of England sips tea and says “oh I might listen to that later”. “A truly great business must have an enduring ‘moat’ that protects excellent Returns on Invested Capital”. I don’t know if this ought to be in a miniseries “Buffett as miseducator”, or whether he meant it, but the concept of a “moat” really caught on like nobody’s business, and it’s been an absolute disaster for the Western world.

[...] What happened, though, was that a lot of people who didn’t fancy the hard yards of creating a big intangible asset thought that they could do a “moat” on the cheap, by hiring some lawyers, consolidating an industry through financial engineering or trying to lock consumers into proprietary formats.  Ever since the Buffett letter, an ungodly amount of management effort and talent has gone into trying to earn “excellent returns on capital” not by continuing to improve the product but rather by trying to create conditions which allow you to go on charging a premium price for the same thing. Obviously, other things were going on in the world in 2007, but it is interesting that this management fad coincided with a disastrous slowdown in productivity.  Jonathan Tepper makes the case in “The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition” that it’s causal.  Back in the olden days, it was considered that a major problem of monopoly was “x-inefficiency”, the tendency of monopolies to lay back and enjoy an easy life because they weren’t under threat.  Maybe it turned out that when you took that waste and managerial nest-building, and turned it into a financial dividend, the underlying problem didn’t go away. I’d be tempted to switch the metaphor.  When you hear someone talk about their “moat”, mentally replace it with something like “our subscription system and proprietary interface mean that our return on capital is protected by a strong Berlin Wall, preventing our customers from getting out to a freer society and forcing them to consume our inferior products for lack of alternative”.

It is a bit funny though that he proposes a "good" moat of "make a product that requires a lot of technical expertise that other people aren't going to bother to duplicate," not as bad but still not great.

(This is from the author of "Lying for Money" btw)

[tomorrowusa]

Putin has effectively fired his hunting buddy Sergei Shoigu as defense minister. He is being replaced by an economist with no military background. What could possibly go wrong?

Vladimir Putin has removed his longtime ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister in the most significant reshuffle to the military command since Russian troops invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. In a surprise announcement, the Kremlin said Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister who specialises in economics, will replace Shoigu. Putin, who was sworn into his fifth term as Russia’s leader earlier this week, proposed that Shoigu take the position as head of Russia’s powerful security council. It is currently led by Nikolai Patrushev, a hawkish former spy and one of Putin’s closest advisers. Shoigu, Russia’s longest-serving minister, assumed leadership of the defence ministry in 2012 after his tenure as the emergency services minister. He has been leading Russia’s military through its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.

That Russian 3-day "special operation" in Ukraine is now in Day 809.

Russian losses in Ukraine make Soviet losses in Afghanistan seem like a day at the beach.

Shoigu must have had an especially difficult time explaining to Putin how a country with no conventional navy managed to sink 26 Russian warships as well as a submarine.

Ukraine is not just playing defense. It continues to hit oil installations and other heavy industry deep inside Russia. At the very least, that looks embarrassing for Russia.

Media: Drones attacked Russia’s Volgograd oil refinery, Kaluga oil depot, Lipetsk steel mill

Of course Putin himself has only himself to blame for this military fiasco. His unhinged desire to restore the decrepit Soviet Union in all but name is the real cause of this ongoing disaster.

Analysis of the departure of Shoigu via DW.

[changingplumbob]

Pancakes Household: Chapter 9, Part 6

Onyx finishes their last day attending active high school solo

Onyx: Anyone seen Mrs T

Mrs Hensley: For your information Mrs Tinker is taking the younger class today, you’ll just be stuck with me

Onyx and Carson pull faces at each other over Amie’s desk. Mrs H is not a favourite of theirs. She is much more strict than Mrs T and Carson won’t soon forget when she yelled at him for not being in class before class even started. The idea of an hour of math led by her does not fill the soul with joy.

Mrs H: For today’s lesson we shall be focusing on the pie chart. Now there are several types of pie chart…

Darwin: *whispers* Apple or raspberry

William: *whispers* Definitely apple

Darwin: *whispers* Hot with ice cream, the only right answer

Mrs H: We will be focusing on teaching you two types which come in different forms, and yes- this will be on your exam

There is a general murmur of discontent through the class at the idea of exams.

After the class draws to a close Onyx realises the girl they gave Halloween candy to is sitting behind them, and decides to go say hi. She’s a little confused at first, after all she never saw their face under the helmet, but she gladly goes to lunch with Onyx and their friends, explaining that the bus from her town to the school only started recently.

Mr A: Pancakes. Were you paying attention in class

Onyx: Yes I was. You know my brother is starting this week so you’ll have to refer to me by my name soon

Mr A: But Pancakes is your name

Zhafira: *whistles* Wow, what a jerk

Onyx: I think he just finds calling us by our last names easier, he seems pretty daft for a principal if I'm honest

Carson: What did you do in art then

Scarlett: Oh we got to do these magazine collages, trying to represent one colour through various images

William: *sighs* I miss Mrs T

Onyx: You want to check out the roller rink?

Carson: I’ve still got some science homework to do, sorry Nyx

So Onyx goes and mucks about on the computer until it’s time for science class. Something glitched though and everyone got called to class at 3pm and the class day ended at 3:15... I have no explanation.

Back home Bob has the house to himself and Ginger while the younger Pancakes are off to their after school activities, Onyx has cheer-leading and Fergus has drama club. Bob is pretty happy with how the visit he and Eliza paid to the social worker went. They seemed to make a good impression and the woman assured them they were being put on the wait-list. Bob doesn’t normally like the idea of cheating his way through something but has called Aaron asking if he can keep an ear out for any situations that could get him and Eliza an infant sooner.

At the moment he’s running names through his head. If they’re lucky and get a young enough one they should be able to pick a name. The drone beeps reminding him that he’s meant to be talking to his fans, whoops, lost the train of thought there. Bob is able to cook a little on auto pilot these days but he should be following along with the baking closely to avoid disaster. Luckily the cake comes out perfectly! All ready for Fergus' birthday.

As Bob leaves for shift the kids arrive back and Onyx goes straight to setting the table.

Eliza: Are we ready for dinner

Onyx: Yes, I’ll grab Fergus

Eliza: I think you two should know I got promoted today

Fergus: YES! Treat time

Eliza: Why do you say that

Onyx: Mum last promotion we got the treehouse

Eliza: That was for rebate day

Fergus: *scoffs* Like that’s a real day

Ginger: *whines* I want to go walkies

Onyx: I know Ginger, I know, just let me finish this homework

Ginger: *whines* Hurry up, it's been 15 years

Onyx: Alright, pie chart done. Where’s your harness

Ginger: *barks* in my pockets

Onyx sets her up and then the pair head out for a night walk. Luckily they live in a good area so Onyx isn’t worried about their safety.

President, just two steps away from the top of the corporate ladder! Eliza feels proud she’s managed to get this far. The promotion also came with some bonus vacation days she’ll be able to use as substitute maternity days when they can get an infant. She continues the needlework she was doing and despite pricking herself once or twice finishes it off nicely.

Ginger: *barks* Is it bedtime mother

Eliza: Don’t worry Ginger, as soon as Bob gets back and eats, we’ll go to sleep

Ginger: *barks* I call dibs on the middle of the bed

Bob had another uneventful shift, before he can get a promotion he needs to increase his fame and baking. Nevertheless despite being gloomy he feels like it’s slowly getting closer. After finishing his meal he heads to bed to find Eliza sitting up awake.

Eliza: What did Aaron say? Can he pull any adoption strings?

Bob: He’ll put the word around to keep an ear out but it could take some time. Don't worry, it'll happen

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