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#i also have to clean out all the ports on both the laptop and the charger because they're filled with crumbs and mysterious sludge
fabulouslygaybean · 1 year
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why did i have to get assigned the nastiest fucking school laptop 😭
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emi-maru · 4 months
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A few weeks ago I switched to Linux and I've got some thoughts
I chose Arch Linux because I had some prior experience with using Ubuntu and Linux Mint on laptops, both for work and for myself.
Gaming is, aside from games that require certain anticheats, extremely easy to set up. Steam just works and I use Heroic as an alternative frontend for the Epic games launch and GOG Galaxy and it runs better than both of them did on windows. I haven't looked into Origin the EA App or Uplay Ubisoft Connect but I know I could play their stuff via Lutris or Bottles.
I locked myself out of my system once because I didn't verify a change I made to my fstab (basically a file where all your drives are listed) and while that's my fault for not verifying, you'd think the os would be able to boot if some drive that's not necessary isn't plugged in. A little help from a mutual helped me fix it.
Gnome is a very meh desktop environment. It's kinda considered the default for Linux and aside from KDE and budgie the only one I'm really familiar with. I had to install a bunch of extensions for it to work the way I wanted and it also comes with a bunch of preinstalled software that I don't need and can't (without fearing I'll break something) get rid of (for example, I use Alacrity but have to keep Gnome Console around).
The theming is so good. I can theme so much stuff it's great. I start up LibreOffice and it picks up the background and accent colour I set, I love it.
I'm getting more comfortable with using the terminal and while I still think that ideally every application should have a GUI, sometimes the terminal is more convenient (like using yay to update my entire system).
When I used Windows I had sporadic crackling sounds that I assumed were the fault of my DAC/AMP but I haven't had them since switching to Linux so I guess this was a Windows issue somehow. I tried so many fixes before that didn't work like checking drivers and firmware, using different usb ports and cables, trying different headphones but to no avail even when I got a completely new pc. Thanks, Windows.
I don't get Flatpak at all. Universal packages are neat but when I installed the Flatpak version of Bottles to run save/mod managers inside the proton prefixes that Steam uses, it suddenly took up almost 5gb. It also for whatever reason couldn't see half the folders even after I gave it access to the entire file system. In the end I went with the AUR version of Bottles which does not have that problem despite being Unofficial™. I just wish that the library/shortcut system worked but I can live with it I guess.
The AUR seemed annoying because it took forever to build packages compared to just installing binaries. The Chaotic AUR is a godsent because it contains a ton of binaries from the AUR. I don't get why people don't recommend it more often.
The only software I really miss from windows is ShareX. Not even because of all the tools like scroll capture, but also for OCR. Watching a vod of a twitch stream and being able to grab links out of the chat on screen is nice. Maybe I'll find an alternative someday, who knows.
I've come to despise a lot of people who think that the way they use Linux is the only good one. A big thing that kept me from switching was that the more I informed myself, the more weird opinionated takes I saw. Being forced to engage with questions such as "Is systemd bloat?", " Is neovim the only good text editor?", "Are tiling window managers universally better?", " Is Canonical literally Satan for having made Snap packages?" and "Is it ok to call this person a slur for using solarized KDE?" makes it so much harder to make a choice you're comfortable with.
I should not have put /home on a different partition or at least made the /root partition bigger. It's fine if I clean the pacman cache regularly but I don't want to look up those commands every few days (I know I can resize the boot partition with a live usb and I will, I'm just lazy rn).
My controller only works correctly when plugged in via usb. If I connect it via Bluetooth, the buttons don't map correctly. This is less of a Linux issue and more of a firmware issue since this is a third party controller that does not support Linux. I'm also aware of Steam having a robust remapping tool so I'll use that if I ever need to.
I have not yet looked into software to map my additional mouse buttons and control my keyboard/mouse rbg. Both of these store their settings on board so there's no need for it right now.
Might add more in the future but these are my thoughts for the first few weeks
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gadgetrevive · 2 months
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My DREAM Everyday TechIn a world where every day feels like a technological treasure hunt, I’ve spent the last year perfecting my dream everyday carry for 2024. Each item I’ve chosen has a purpose, a reason for being included, and today, I’m excited to share this carefully curated collection with you. My journey begins with the GTIC 30L Travel Pack, a backpack that stands out from the fifteen others I’ve tried. Its weather-resistant design makes it trustworthy even in the rain, and it distributes weight so efficiently that it feels lighter than it is. You’ll be amazed at how much it can hold as I unpack it.Crafting a perfect everyday carry involves adhering to specific rules. For me, every gadget must charge with USB-C, there are no gimmicks, function trumps form (though having both is ideal), and dark mode aesthetics are a must.Let’s start with the exterior. In the right-hand pocket, I carry the Fagun Mini, a powerful massage gun in a compact form that, of course, charges with USB-C. Also on this side is an AirTag in an ultra-rugged case with a thick braided metal wire, making it hard to cut through. I’ve added a second hidden AirTag within the bag’s inner lining for two-factor security, a tip I picked up from my good friend Technical Gy in India.A dedicated sunglasses pocket is crucial. I use the Rove sunglasses, which fold into a tiny frame but are surprisingly sturdy. Alongside them is my lucky Jetstream pen, a remnant from my high school exam days when I sought the pen with the lowest friction coefficient.On the left side, I have the Chile Series 2 water bottle, which is leak-proof and keeps drinks at their desired temperature. It also features a comfortable lip and a rubber base to prevent clanging. What’s cool about these side pockets is that they’re magnetized and sit flush with the bag when empty.In the front pockets, I keep a bag of my favorite tea and treats for my needy cat, Milo. The numerous pockets in this bag mean I always have space left over, which was one of my criteria when choosing it. It opens completely flat, functioning as a suitcase, which is perfect for hotel stays.The bottom two pockets hold a retractable key holder for my backup keys and a Pokémon Center X Fossil wallet with a Chipolo item finder card, a sleeker alternative to an AirTag. In the main compartment, I keep a Belroy toiletry kit plus, where all my smaller electronics are stored for easy access through airport security.This kit includes the Anker Prime power bank with a massive 27,600mAh capacity and 250W charging power. It’s the hub of my tech system, powering all my gadgets and featuring a built-in speaker for finding it if misplaced. Anker’s ecosystem also includes magnetic charging bases for seamless power bank recharging.I also carry a Maax 100W Universal travel adapter, which combines an adapter and charger with ports for up to four devices, including laptops. This compact device covers all my wall charging needs.For audio, I use the AirPods Pro 2, custom-made with the Mr. Who’s the Boss logo and my team members’ names. While not true Hi-Fi, they offer excellent sound isolation and battery life.I have Zeiss lens wipes for screen cleaning, and my staple Span Ire USB-C cable for all charging needs. A backup SD card, SD card adapter for the iPad Pro, and an ESR CH2 wireless charger that charges my phone, earphones, and Apple Watch simultaneously are also part of my kit.My phone is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, housed in an ESR case that adds MagSafe compatibility. Despite my preference for circular smartwatches, I use the Apple Watch Series 9 for its life-changing fitness tracking, a feature embraced by my entire team for our fitness challenges.In the second Belroy wash bag, I carry toiletries, including a folding toothbrush, hand sanitizers, and the Gillette Labs razor with a unique, dual-axis movement. The bag also holds items like moisturizer, sunscreen, mini mouthwash, antiperspirant, perfume, toothpaste, and an EpiPen for my severe peanut allergy.
The backpack also accommodates three T-shirts from Theory, shorts that double as swim shorts, and cargo trousers with numerous pockets. The middle compartment holds my socks and underwear.A standout feature is the expandable compartment that transforms the bag from 20L to 30L, perfect for carrying additional items like our camera bag. The Belroy camera sling houses our Sony A7 S3 camera, key lenses, and the Aputure MC Pro light, among other essentials, all charging via USB-C.The back pocket of the backpack opens flat to reveal my iPad Pro 13-inch with the Apple Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil Pro, my entire workstation away from home. This versatile device supports idea generation, sketching, and even serves as a Netflix machine on flights. Its cellular model ensures fast data connectivity without hotspotting.And that’s my dream everyday carry. Each item has been chosen for its functionality, reliability, and ability to integrate seamlessly into my life. If you enjoyed this deep dive into my everyday tech, perhaps we’ll turn it into a series. Until next time!For more gadgets like the ones mentioned here, check out Gadget Kings at https://gadgetkingsprs.com.au/. They offer a wide range of tech products that can complement your everyday carry setup.
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Champion Power Equipment - 73001i-P Portable Inverter Generator
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With its True Sine Wave Technology, wireless remote control, and dual USB charging ports, this generator is designed to meet all your power needs. In this review, I will share my personal experience with this product and provide an honest assessment of its capabilities. During a recent camping trip, I had the opportunity to test out the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P generator, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. One of the standout features of this generator is its portability. Weighing only 43kg and equipped with a built-in handle and wheel kit, it was incredibly easy to transport and set up at our campsite.The generator's ultra-quiet operation impressed me the most. With a noise level of only 58 dBA, it did not disrupt the peaceful ambiance of the outdoors. This feature was particularly important during the night when we wanted to enjoy a quiet evening around the campfire without any disturbances.In terms of power output, the Champion 73001i-P did not disappoint. With its reliable 3500W petrol engine, we were able to run multiple devices simultaneously, including our fridge, power tools, and lighting units. The True Sine Wave inverter technology ensured a clean and stable power supply, making it suitable for sensitive electronics such as laptops and TVs.Furthermore, the inclusion of a dual USB adapter and smart charge option was a convenient addition. We were able to charge our phones and tablets directly from the generator, eliminating the need for additional adapters or power banks.However, one downside I encountered was the lack of included oil. It was disappointing to find out that the generator did not come with any oil, and we had to purchase it separately before being able to use the product. This should have been clearly mentioned in the product description to avoid any inconvenience for customers. Champion Power Equipment : Superior Power and FeaturesCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonThe Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P 3500 Watt Petrol Portable Inverter Generator Premier offers superior power and outstanding performance. With multiple fuel types to choose from, this generator is packed with great features. It includes True Sine Wave Technology, which makes it ideal for sensitive electronics like computers and TVs. Additionally, it has Parallel Connectability, Economy Mode for fuel efficiency, Power Surge Protection, Intelligent 3 in 1 Volt Meter, Wireless Remote and Push Button Start, and USB Charging. Plus, it comes with a 3-year warranty, providing peace of mind.Champion Power Equipment : Ultra Quiet and Portable InverterCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonWeighing only 43Kg and measuring just 69 x 49 x 50, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P is compact and lightweight.5cm, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P is incredibly lightweight and portable. It's perfect for camping trips, traveling, picnics, and light household tasks. The built-in handle and wheel kit make it easy to transport. Furthermore, this inverter generator operates quietly at only 58 dBA, ensuring minimal noise disturbance during use.Champion Power Equipment : Reliable Champion 3500W Petrol EngineCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonFeaturing a reliable 3500W petrol engine, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P provides dependable power. It offers both a Wireless Remote and Electric Push Button Start, providing convenience and ease of use. With a maximum wattage of 3500 (3200 running watts) and a 192cc engine, this generator can run for up to 8 hours on a full 6.0-liter tank at 25% load. It also has a 15-second Digital Power Delay to prevent power surges and an Auto Oil Shutoff feature for added safety.Champion Power Equipment : True Sine Wave Inverter TechnologyCredit - Amazon.comPerfect for powering sensitive electronics, the True Sine Wave Inverter Technology of the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P ensures quality performance. Whether you're on a camping trip or need to power small household items like fridges, freezers, power tools, lighting units, or garden equipment, this generator ensures clean and stable power. It also has parallel capability, allowing you to pair it with other Champion Inverters for increased power output using an optional Parallel Kit.Includes Dual USB Adapter and Smart ChargeCredit - Amazon.comWith the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P, you'll receive a handy Dual Port 12V DC USB Adapter. This allows you to conveniently charge your phone, laptop, tablet, or other devices. Additionally, it features a Smart Charge option, which directly charges the battery from the mains, minimizing power loss. If you're looking for even more power, you can pair this generator with another Champion inverter using a Parallel Kit (sold separately) for double the power output.Product Review - Fantastic and doing a vital job in UkraineIn Ukraine, one satisfied customer shared their experience of using the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P. They mentioned that the generator is performing a vital job during power outages in Kharkiv. This positive feedback highlights the reliability and functionality of the product in challenging situations.Product Review - Not properly warranted by the seller - Bimsons Power!Unfortunately, regarding warranty issues, a customer had a negative experience with the seller, Bimsons Power. They expressed frustration that the seller insisted on going through Amazon for any warranty matters, making it difficult to address their concerns. This feedback emphasizes the importance of considering reliable sellers and their customer service when purchasing the product.Product Review - Oil not includedExpressing their disappointment, another customer mentioned the lack of included oil with the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P. They found it frustrating that the generator did not come with any oil, making it unusable until oil was obtained separately. This feedback serves as a reminder for potential buyers to ensure they have the necessary supplies, such as oil, before using the generator. Pros: - Superior Power & Features - The Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P Inverter Generator offers superior power and outstanding performance. With multiple fuel types, True Sine Wave Technology, Parallel Connectability, and other great features, this generator is a reliable and versatile option. - Ultra Quiet & Portable - Weighing only 43Kg and with a compact size, this generator is extremely lightweight and portable. It's perfect for camping trips, picnics, and light jobs around the house. Additionally, it operates at a low noise level of only 58 dBA, ensuring a quiet and peaceful environment. - Reliable Champion 3500W Petrol Engine - Equipped with a wireless remote and electric push-button start, this inverter generator features a powerful 3500 Maximum Watt (3200 Running Watts) 192cc petrol engine. It can run for up to 8 hours on a full tank, and has convenient features like a 15-second Digital Power Delay and Auto Oil Shutoff. Cons: - No Oil Included - One customer mentioned that the generator does not come with any oil, which can be inconvenient as you need oil to operate the equipment. This means you'll need to purchase oil separately before being able to use the generator. - Warranty Issues with Seller - Another customer had difficulty addressing warranty issues with the seller, Bimsons Power. They were instructed to go through Amazon for any warranty concerns, which made the process more challenging and inconvenient. - Limited Product Reviews - With only 8 reviews available, it may be challenging to gather a comprehensive understanding of the overall satisfaction and performance of this specific model. Read also: - Champion 82001i-E 2000: Portable and Powerful Petrol Inverter Generator - maXpeedingrods 5500W Portable Inverter Generator | Versatile and Reliable - Hyundai 3200w Portable Inverter Generator - Reliable Power for Outdoor Adventures - AIVOLT 3300W Portable Inverter Generator: Power and Convenience for Outdoor Adventures Conclusion Overall, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P 3500 Watt Petrol Portable Inverter Generator Premier is a reliable and feature-rich generator. Its superior power output, portability, and ultra-quiet operation make it an excellent choice for camping trips, outdoor activities, and even as a backup power source for your home. Despite the minor setback of not including oil, this generator offers great value for its price. I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a dependable and versatile portable generator. Questions & Answers: Question: Is this generator suitable for sensitive electronics?Answer: Yes, this generator is perfect for sensitive electronics like computers, laptops, and TVs due to its True Sine Wave Inverter Technology.Question: Can I charge my devices using this generator?Answer: Absolutely! The generator includes a Dual Port 12v DC USB Adapter, allowing you to power and charge devices like phones, laptops, tablets, and more.Question: Can I connect this generator to another Champion inverter?Answer: Yes, this generator has parallel capability, which means you can pair it up with another Champion inverter using an optional Parallel Kit for double the power. Buy On Amazon Read the full article
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doctorspiner · 2 years
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Cdock n talk
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#Cdock n talk how to#
#Cdock n talk install#
#Cdock n talk driver#
#Cdock n talk full#
#Cdock n talk windows 10#
If the device is not detected, please reboot the system.While OWC will be making a Rose Gold USB-C Dock to match the latest MacBook in the future, we understand that many users want or need a USB-C Dock now. Once the dock is powered on, reconnect it to your system which will trigger the final portion of the installation. Reattach the power cable to the dock first.
#Cdock n talk install#
Now download and install the 9.0 M1 DisplayLink software, found here -> Once the Cleaner has been run, reboot (even if not prompted to) When done (video walk-through if you need it -> ) Don’t worry if these entries are not present or if the process does not work, just move onto the next step.ĭownload, extract and run the DisplayLink cleaner tool, found here -> and ensure it displays “Cleaning Complete” Uninstall any and all software with ‘DisplayLink’ in the title that is present from within the Control Panel -> Programs and Features. Please keep it disconnected until the last step.
#Cdock n talk how to#
Latest Intel Graphics (you may need to uninstall the currently installed version in the Apps & features control panel first):Īnd finally, here’s how to do a clean install of the latest DisplayLink drivers:ĭisconnect the dock from the system and please remove the power cable from the dock so it turns off completely. Otherwise looking in the diags nothing else is standing out to me as an obvious cause here. Let’s try getting those fully updated and see if that helps.
#Cdock n talk driver#
The Intel graphics and Thunderbolt software are quite old, as is the DisplayLink driver (though this driver wouldn’t affect the 4K HDMI output, the others might). Prozessor Intel® Core™ i7-7500U CPU 2.70GHz, 2904 MHz, 2 Kern(e), 4 logische® Prozessor(en)īIOS-Version/-Datum American Megatrends Inc. Systemmodell HP Spectre x360 Convertible 13-ac0XX
#Cdock n talk windows 10#
Apologizes!Īfter going through the diagnostics here is what I can see:īetriebsystemname Microsoft Windows 10 Home It took a while to get through the diagnostics (since the diagnostics were in German). Thanks again for contacting Plugable support and best wishes! Please don’t hesitate to let us know of other questions. Please plug the dock with your monitors attached to it into your computer, then go to this page and follow the instructions there: We have a troubleshooting tool that helps us find out what is going on in situations like this. What ports are the monitors connected to on the back of the dock? Both “4K” and “2K” HDMI ports? Sometimes a reset in this order can resolve this issue.Īre you using the USB-C to USB-C cable that the dock shipped with or are you using a 3rd party cable? Wait about 30-60 seconds, then reconnect the power cable first, USB-C host cable next, and USB devices last. "Fully unplug the dock from all devices, power, and USB-C cable to the host computer.
#Cdock n talk full#
You’ve already tried a power cycle reset so I don’t expect having you do it again is going to necessarily help, but here’s our reset procedure in full just in case: Thank you for contacting Plugable support! Sorry to hear about this issue. Same goes for the docking station which is charging the laptop correctly when plugged in.ĭo you have any idea how I can get them working again? Also, they work perfectly when plugged into the laptop directly. The monitors don’t seem to be broken as they display a “input signal not found” message when I plug in the docking station. It seems as if the monitor on the HDMI 4k port randomly and briefly displays the screen (but then stops again) whilst the other one on the HDMI 2k port does nothing alltogether. When I touched the HDMI cables of the other monitor to make sure there was no loose contact, the one that had just restarted working, broke down again. One monitor was back - but only briefly, unfortunately. I also tried reinstalling the DisplayLink drivers. I then tried unplugging everything from the docking station and replugging it: power cable first > then USB-C host cable > then HDMI cables but it didn’t work. I tried unplugging it again, and the other one, which ended with me not having none external monitor working at all. I tried unplugging the HDMI and replugging it but that didn’t solve the problem. Suddenly, the first monitor wasn’t able to connect when I plugged in my laptop. I have a HP Spectre Notebook (Win10) and used to connect 2 external moniors (also HP) via HDMI to the docking station (UD-ULTCDL) to have 3 displays in total without any problems.Įverything worked just fine until this morning. All of a sudden, I’m having troubles connecting my monitors to my plugable USB-C docking station.
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crispychannie · 4 years
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Risk~
Bang Chan x Fem Reader
Genre : fluff
Word count : 1.5k
Warnings : None at all
Summary : idol falling in love with a fan.
Note : I just hope y’all like it. I’m blown away at how much love my previous post got, I’m so grateful for it. Thank you so much. I hope I keep delivering content y’all like.
My prev post : “Bestfriend”
Enjoy ~
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The dating ban ended a few months ago, and it has been 2 months since Chan and you had started talking. He met you at a fan sign, and you had caught his eye ever since.
As time passed his crush grew deeper, and would find ways to be around you. There was friendly flirting between you both. You couldn’t believe that your bias, the guy who you only ever imagined talking to, would try to hit on you with corny texts and cheesy pickup lines.
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You raised your eyebrow at the “delivered” status of your text. 10 minutes passed. 15. 20. Did he fall asleep somehow?
Your thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of your doorbell. Who could it be at this hour? Your heartbeat started racing. Could it be a drunk man? Cause that had happened before. You decided to ignore it, hoping whoever it is would go away. A minute later the door bell rang again. Your hands fell cold, blood rushing through your heart. You first went to the kitchen to grab a knife and hid it behind your back. Taking a look through the peep hole, you saw a pale man, wearing a black beanie and black clothes, looking around at the surroundings. Thieves don’t have this amount of patience and manners. You looked again, he was now exactly in front of the hole. As he rang the bell again you unlocked the door and swung it open and let the man inside.
“What took you so long?” He asked as he removed his beanie and ruffled his curly hair.
“I thought it was a drunk man or a thief.” You said as you stood in a more comfortable position, speaking in your defence while swinging your arm around.
His eyes went wide on looking at the knife.
“Please don’t stab me.” He said with his hands in front of his chest.
You chuckled, “Oh come on Chris.”
You put the knife back to where it belonged, with him following you around like a puppy. This was his second time at your place. The first being invited in because he needed to use the restroom after a lunch date.
“Do you know what time it is?” You asked pointing at the wall clock hanging in your living room.
“It’s cuddle time!!” He said as he grinned with his eyes shut close, flashing his dimples while making grabby hands towards you. Gosh why is he such a baby. Failing to suppress your smile, you took him by his hand and led him to your room.
“My bed isn’t big enough for the both of us.” You said while looking at your bed, which was only a bit bigger than a single sized.
“It’s alright, the lesser the space, the comfier it is.” He said while dragging you towards the bed as if he owned it.
You laid down on the bed. All of this was new to you, even though you’ve had relationships in the past, none of them led to cuddling together. So a question sprung in your mind, ‘what is the correct way to do it?’ You look at Chan who was now making himself comfortable beside you, plugging his charger in at the port beside the bed. Having done so, he looks at you with a warm smile. His ears were red, maybe this was new to him too.
“Big spoon or little spoon?” He asked.
“Whichever suits you I guess.” You said being unsure.
“I wanna be big spoon.” You nodded and faced your back towards him. He snaked his arm around your waist and pulled you closer. You stopped breathing for a second but your heart was still pumping at 280 kmph.
“Goodnight, Y/N.” you hadn’t realised his face was so close to you until you could feel his warm breath hit the back your neck as he spoke and small breaths as he breathed softly.
“Goodnight Chan.” You smiled to yourself as you intertwined your fingers with his which rested on your waist, upon which he made himself more comfortable by pulling you closer, eliminating every inch of space between you both. You could feel his curls brush against your ear, indicating how close he was to you, breathing softly, you both fell asleep.
*2 weeks later*
Chan had been coming over to sleep with you every other day. It was now at this point that you’ve developed an attachment with him, it was hard for you to fall asleep without having him by your side. And that scared you. You didn’t plan on getting this attached to him and you knew that one day or the other he would stop coming over and that thought felt like a twist in your heart.
Today was now one of the nights he would come over. You guys would have dinner together, sometimes take out, sometimes you would prepare something for him, or you both would cook together. He was bringing your favourite, cheese tteotbokki.
After dinner, you both did the usual, clean up and head to bed. At this point, Chan had a few of his clothes in your closet. It was more convenient that way. Chan was never the type of person who would go to sleep immediately. He would change into his pajamas, and sit with his headphones on for the longest time possible, until he gets tired. It was now 3:30 am and were woken up by the sound of a thud. When you opened your eyes, you found out that Chan had dropped his phone on the ground and was now patting your head to put you back to sleep.
“Chan it’s late.” You said groggily.
“Yeah, I’m almost done.” He said, with his hand now resting on your head, weaved with your hair.
“You know that won’t put me to sleep, right?” You chuckled as your gaze stopped at him. You were taking in his features for a few moments. He noticed and smiled at you, taking his headphones off, putting his laptop away.
“So what will?” He asked as he laid down beside you, hand now resting on your cheek. You smiled at him and he pulled you close, your head now close to his chest and his hand around you shoulder and head, playing with your hair. There was a different level of closeness and comfort between you both, maybe not usual between friends, or if we’re talking about reality, an idol and a fan.
“Chan... can I say something?” You spoke, breaking the silence. He hummed in response.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but... I feel myself getting used to.. all of this.” You said, mustering up some courage.
“Does that scare you?” He asked. Even though the answer was yes, you thought about it. Why should it? But also, why shouldn’t it?
“Yes.” You mumbled. A silence fell upon the both of you.
“It scares me too. I haven’t felt this way in like, forever. I mean, I don’t know if the decision I want to take is right or wrong. You know what I mean?” He said. You moved back to take a look at him.
“What decision?” You asked.
“I- I don’t think I want to be scared, ya know? Of this or of getting attached to you.” As he spoke about what he had been thinking about, it felt like he was speaking your mind. As if he could read what you had been thinking about. You could only hum out in response.
“Y/N” he said fixing his gaze with yours. All these days of being so close to each other and you never directly looked into his eyes, how brown they were and how they sparkled. They gave you butterflies, heck, you were pretty sure you could feel the whole zoo running rampage inside your stomach.
“I don’t want to hide anymore.”
“I don’t either.” You said, resting your hand on his. He looked at you for a moment before pecking your lips. His lips so warm and soft against yours, and in a short moment, the warm feeling was gone, it made your lips feel cold.
A smile blossomed on his face.
“Do you wanna come with me tomorrow? To talk to PD-nim about us?” He asked.
“And then we make it official?” You asking, failing to hold back your smile.
“And then, we make it official.” He said. He was about to pull you in a hug when you put a hand on his chest to stop him.
“What if he doesn’t approve? You’re an idol, I’m a nobody. I make coffee on weekends. You will end up in great peril.”
“He will. I will convince him, even if he doesn’t, it’s a chance I’m willing to take. ‘Cause I know, I won’t find anyone like you.”
“Chan...I don’t wanna be a menace for you..” you trailed off.
“Sshh. Don’t worry about it. He can’t refuse me.” He shushed you as he pulled you in his embrace and placed a kiss on your temple.
Maybe things would turn out as you both wanted, right?
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gingerale2017 · 3 years
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I Still Feel This Way
(AU Day!)
Cresswell - Day 3 of cresswell ship weeks
Modern tech shop AU
A/N: I finally did a fix for cresswell week. Its rushed and crappy, sorry in advance.
Cress stared at the laptop she was supposed to fix. It had come down with a bad virus and froze completely. It also had a cracked Cinder had to deal with that later. The owner of it definitely does not know who to take care of their belongings.
Sighing, she checked the post it note on the back of the laptop labeling the damages.
Virus, cracked screen, buttons don’t work, USB port broken.
Do people just not know how to take care of technology or is it just this person?!
She rubbed her eyes. What she needed was another coffee. What was taking Cinder so long?
Cress decided to wait and checked who was the owner of this laptop. Carswell Thorne, the chart said. Oh, she was going to have a word with this- wait why did that name sound familiar.
She pushed backward on her rolly chair to the desk behind her where the shop’s computer was. She typed his name and clicked on his Instagram account. Pictures of a very handsome face popped and her hand flew to her mouth.
This was Carswell Thorne! Her crush from high school.
Aces, she liked this man ever since she laid eyes on him. Sure they were close, but Cress never had the guts to ask him out. They promised to keep in touch after they went to separate colleges, but it's been three years.
And although it seemed impossible, she forgot about him. But now, seeing his picture, old feelings and memories came rushing back.
She scrolled down, studying his pictures. A small smile crept on her lips as she remembered her fantasies. Then a blush came next and she closed out of the tab out of embarrassment.
Okay. This is fine. She was fine. Her massive crush from high school is here and she was fixing his laptop. Oh no, what was she going to say when he comes to pick up his laptop?
Cress took a deep breath to calm herself down. She shouldn’t fear the worst because it won’t happen, right?
There was a thump from the front desk. Startled, she rolled back putting on a smile, then dropping it when she saw that was just Cinder with her coffee. But it was a frappuccino. She frowned.
“I wanted an Americano, ” Cress explained.
Cinder didn’t hear and let herself in. Her face was flushed and she had a dazed look, “Cinder?”
She looked at Cress and seemed to be brought back to the present, “huh?”
“Are you alright? I wanted an Americano by the way.”
Cinder blinked, “right, sorry. I forgot because…” she trailed off.
Cress furrowed her brow. She was acting rather odd, “Cinder, what happened?”
“I don’t know, ” she said slowly, “Shit, I gotta go,” she left her latte and headed out.
“What- you just had lunch, it's my turn!” Cress groaned. Better start working Thorne’s laptop, she thought.
After an hour or so, the laptop was ready to be fixed by Cinder, who still hasn’t come back. Her stomach growled and Cress decided to attack her snack stash.
Iko had come in to take care of customers and Cress was so grateful because she was terrible with them. Now Cress was in a workspace she shared with Cinder at the back of the shop. It was far away from people which was the best part.
“Hey Cress?” said Iko, head behind the door.
“Yes?”
“Someones here to see you.”
“Is Cinder back yet?”
“Nope, but the longer the better, ” did Iko know something?
Cress got up and stretched her neck. She turned around and saw a man in the doorway with brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. Spades, it was Carswell Thorne, from high school. He somehow looked hotter and her cheeks blushed for thinking that. And here was she, a mess from fixing tech all day with bad hair and a crinkled uniform.
“Hi, Cress, it’s been so long, ” he greeted, eyes sparkling.
She blushed even more, “hi Captain, ” she blurted. Oh, spades she used her nickname for him. This was going terrible.
Thorne laughed and her stomach felt crowded with butterflies. She chuckled, hugging her arm.
“Wow, I miss that. I miss-” he stopped himself and changed the subject, “how are you?”
“I’m good, school is going well, I’m majoring in Computer Science. Uh, how- how are you?” she stammered.
“I’m fine. I’m visiting family here and I saw Iko’s Instagram and you were in one of the pictures so I wanted to come by. I didn’t know you worked with her, ” he explained.
“Oh, only weekends because of classes. It pays enough. Wow, I can’t believe you’re here, I-I missed you.”
He blushed, “me too, ” he sniffed and looked to the ceiling. Cress also looked away, blushing.
“Cress?” she looked back at his ocean blue eyes. They were so wonderful to look at.
“Yes?” Thorne took a step forward.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, to be honest, and I know I took three years to realize this but,” he grabbed her small hands and stared at them, “everyone I dated since then, which was a lot of people, I thought of you. And none of them made me feel, what you made me feel.”
Cress gaped at him, “Thorne, it's been year's I-”
“You don’t feel that way anymore, ” he looked at her, eyes full of sadness. He let go, “I understand, I know I messed up”
“No!” she grabbed his hands back, “it’s not that. I forgot what it felt like, but I still feel it, ” she cupped his cheek, “and I’m pretty sure that feeling is love.”
He smiled, “well then, would you like to go on a date?”
“Yes!” she hugged Thorne.
“This feels weird, to be honest, ” he laughed.
“Yes it does, and you and I probably changed-”
“We’ll make it work.”
“Yeah.”
(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())(())
Cress picked up her pasta with the fork. It fell before she could eat it and she let out a frustrated huff. Cinder snickered from across the table and she glared but she was laughing at something else.
“Do you like it?” asked Carswell beside her.
She smiled. It’s been a month since that fateful day. Cinder proclaims that she convinced Carswell to confess to Cress, therefore initiating thier relationship.
That’s why she was acting weird but she was also dealing with other business. That business being the boy sitting beside her.
They were on a double date and Cress couldn’t have been happier. She felt as if she was floating on clouds. Carswell transferred here for the pilot program and stayed with his aunt, so they could continue their relationship happily.
“I love it,” she replied, pecking his lips. He smiled as took a sip of his wine, immediately coughing it out.
Cinder and Kai laughed, leaning on each other. Carswell glared at them while cleaning his mouth with a napkin.
“What happened, ” Cress asked, confused.
“We put, ” Cinder stopped to take a breath from laughing so much, “the bottle of salt in his drink.”
Carswell coughed again as Cinder dug her head in Kai’s shoulder. Cress giggled.
“You guys are so immature!” he accused.
“Oh, look who’s talking, ” Kai spat, calming down a little.
Cress was thrilled but she didn’t show it. The real reason they are having a double date is that she, Carswell, and Iko are plotting to get them together. It was working so far and both of them agreeing to this date was a big step. And it brought her and Carswell closer.
She looked at him and he smiled knowingly.
Sighing happily, Cress successfully ate her pasta. She wished that this happy, floating feeling will last for a very long time.
Tlc Ship Weeks 2021 Masterlist
Tagging: @just2bubbly @the-wee-woo-rita @zephyr-thedragon @cerenoya @kaiderforever @salt-warrior @shelbylmkaider @shellyseashell @greenalmond @greasicookies @deprivedmusicaljunkie @impossiblesuitcase @sexy-dumpster-fire (ask if you wanna be added or removed!)
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p1nkwitch · 3 years
Text
Just wanted to drop this cause im tired.
Enjoy some lonelyeyes reincarnation au in a coffee shop.
Peter works.
Its not something that particularly bothers him much. His sister laughs and jokes around with him, while moving around serving her orders.
Their cafe is small and cozy but also sort of lonely, they have the oddest shifts imaginable, mostly working the graveyard shift.
Peter cooks the pastries while Judith and Aaron take the orders and serve the food. Clara has her music show on fridays and Lydia works at the art gallery but spends most of her time helping around as well.
The five of them are happy.
Simon was happy to help them pay for the Tundra Cafe. He hums under his breath while Judy sings along, there weren't that many people so they could do it without shame.
He is content.
At least he thinks he is. And honestly why shouldn't he? He has a good job, he has a good relationship with all his siblings, his adoptive dad loved them unconditionally.
By all means he should be nothing but happy.
And yet.
He feels… as if something was missing.
It was like an itch that he could not get over with.
It probably started back when he got a crush in one of his college professors that he realized-
That he really was missing something important.
Mister Wright was older than him sure, but he was handsome and Peter wasn't one to care much about age. However, the few times they spoke it was-
It was like there was something not right, it soured him somehow, but perhaps it was for the best, the man was married and he just had a stupid silly crush. It still did not take away the fact that he felt as if there was something off with him too.
He thinks his eyes should be a clearer grey than they were.
The next time he realized something was off was when he met Elias Bouchard.
Again it was embarrassing how quickly he seemed to get a crush on him, he just saw him a few times and his mind got stuck on his face. He was handsome and this time he was around his age. They had a few classes together so despite his anxiety he actually spoke with him.
And it was….
Dull.
He was dull as a wall. It did not lead up to anything else, beyond a few greetings later on, but it stayed on his mind.
Any other attempt at dating or going out turned out badly for him and its not as if he didn't try! It just was never… right.
Clara said that if he kept looking for the perfect person he would die alone and miserable. Lydia hits her and tells him that its ok, sometimes people don't click, he just needs to find someone who gets him.
He tries, but between his social anxiety, personality and perhaps his lack of interest in sex during the best of times, people are more or less put off with him. His sisters and brother are all offended on his behalf but Peter has resigned himself to not think too much about it.
Maybe he is like Lydia and he is better off alone.
That makes all of them look at him with tight faces and he blinks confusedly at them.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing, just, you have us and dad Peter you're not alone” Judy holds his hand and Aaron nods.
“I- i know, i just meant like relationship wise, maybe i just have to be alone. I know I have all of you. We live in the same building block. I don't think we could be alone if we wanted” That makes them all sort of laugh and the tension breaks.
His siblings talk and joke and he ponders.
He wonders why sometimes they all act weird with him when he speaks about being alone. Why his adoptive dad always made sure to let them know he loved them. Simon was fun and took care of them, but it always felt as if he wasn't saying something.
However he sees his family be happy around him and he ignores that feeling of wrong that always permeates around him. He won't dampen their happiness with his own pessimistic thoughts and paranoia.
So yes, Peter bakes, makes models of ships on his free time, takes pictures a lot-
He found out he enjoyed keeping pictures of things he liked, plus taking odd ones of his siblings. It was just… harmless fun, more often than not he went to the port to take pictures of the ships. He wondered how it would feel to have his own.
Still that's a dream for someone else.
Peter Fairchild is happy with the quaint little life he has.
It stands to reason that his life would be upturned on a Tuesday, Peter has a personal hate towards that day of the week and it makes sense that this happened then.
Aaron was running late, he had to help a friend move out and it took longer than expected, the cafe opened earlier than usual and there were a lot of people. Judith could not take all the orders on her own, and their sisters would not be able to help at least for another hour. So with a sigh and discomfort he goes to take orders.
They work faster like that at least.
Its when he asks about the order of some guy working on his laptop that he gets hit with something familiar.
“One black coffee and a chocolate croissant” The order rings alarm bells on his head so he looks to the face of the owner.
A man with curly auburn hair, red glasses and freckles gives him a practiced strained smile that he sees in more clients, but what actually makes him almost drop the paper he was writing on was the eyes, they were such a cool shade of grey.
He flounders and the man raises an eyebrow impatiently, so he writes quickly and goes back to get order. She gives him a puzzled look since she is usually the one taking them to the customers, but Peter shakes his head and works.
His hands move on autopilot to make the coffee, and even if he says black he puts just the right amount of milk and sugar that his mind provides.
Picking up one of the freshly made croissants and after hesitating a chocolate chip cookie he goes and gives it to the man quietly and without a word. That done and his sweaty palms and his heart going faster he goes to hide in the kitchen, expecting to get yelled at for messing up the order-
But nothing happens.
Judith comes to check on him, but Peter was at that point just cleaning up a little bit and waves her away. Nodding she hesitates and hugs him a little bit before going out. He lets out a breath and sighs.
Lydia and Clara come 10 minutes later and he can stay cooped out in the kitchen in peace. Still he can't help but to be nervous about the customer he gave the coffee and cookie.
Why did he change his order? It was insignificant but it just sounded right. Fretting a little he finishes cleaning the plates. Nothing else comes about and by the time they close the man is gone.
The feeling of loss becomes stronger.
He doesn't see him again for at least another 3 weeks, in fact the only reason he realizes is because Clara says there is a sour red head giving her and Judith the stink eye every time they try to get his order. His lips twitch upwards and he suggests sending Aaron, she rolls her eyes but asks the younger boy to go.
Its not five minutes later that he comes back just as perplexed.
“Is he trying to just get the wifi for free? I'm going to kick him off” Peter dries his hands and quietly prepares the order. Once he is done he sneaks out and delivers it to him, the man gives him a critical look that sends shivers down his spine. Both in disgust and familiarity.
“I didn't order yet”
“... Well you didn't let anyone take your order anyways” His lips purse in thought and he picks up the drink taking a sip. He puts the rest of his things down and goes to turn around to leave, when he asks how did he know how he takes his coffee.
Peter doesn't have a clue.
“You just looked like you needed something less bitter” He sees his mouth fall open slightly and Peter goes while feeling his ears burn, oh god why did he say that?
Once back in the safety of the kitchen, Judy gives him a look but pats his shoulder and goes out.
Ok, ok, he is fine.
The man keeps coming and refuses to let any of his siblings pick out his orders. So Peter is the one in charge to talk with him. Albeit that is an understatement. They merely snark a little, he gives him his order and goes. Whoever is working that day is supposed to charge him, Peter is only obligated to present the food. However the interesting thing is, that just as their cafe opens at weird hours of the day, the man appears there just as well, its kind of eerie how well he seems to know when it's open considering they have the oddest schedules.
Its in fact in one of those times they work at night that he sees him again. Usually he is very put together, but this time he looked… well messy. His hair looked as he had run his hands through it several times, his eyes were red and puffy and he honestly looked miserable.
Peter was completely baffled, the worst part is he wasn't sure what to do, or if he should say something.
The place was almost empty, his sister was keeping watch, so he just stands there and asks what he wanted that night.
He looks up to him and Peter has that feeling that this man should not be looking like this, he should be smug or sure of himself not… whatever this was. He also wanted to pull him towards him and that thought made his cheeks heat up.
“Just- heh, just surprise me i guess. Its been… its been one of those days” He is not sure what he means, but he nods and goes to make him something. Most of the names of the drinks and desserts were Lydia's ideas, the rest of his siblings alongside him were terrible at picking names. He is surprised they even let him pick the one of the cafe, but considering the other options, it was the least weird one.
Still they do have some that they chose for the orders.
Case in point.
The chocolate tower cake lovingly named the panopticon and his special coffee the watcher. It was named like that when it was proven that it had so much caffeine that it made you unable to sleep. He is sure he saw a guy stop blinking for like five minutes after insisting on drinking it, despite the warnings.
So once he grabs it, he takes it to the table and warns him.
“We are not responsible for the repercussions of drinking the watcher” The man looks at him and for the first time since he started to come he sees him smile, soon it turns into laughter. Peter watches while clutching the tray and feeling butterflies in his stomach.
He has a lovely laugh.
“What- what is so funny?”
“You- i- it doesn't matter. I get the name now I suppose. The cake?” The small chocolate tower had several fillings and it was very spongy and full of chocolate.
“Mm the panopticon is the best cake we have, surprised you didn't try it before little man” The slip up comes and he freezes expecting the man to say something or get annoyed, but all he does is sigh and smile more sadly at him.
“Thank you” Its weird and he is unsure what happened but he smiles back awkwardly.
He doesn't come back for 2 weeks.
Its raining when he sees him again.
It was Lydia and him and the place only had two clients sitting around drinking and talking amicably. He doesn't pay attention to the little whistle that lets them know someone entered, Simon thought it would be more fun than a bell.
Still his older sisters comes inside looking-
Frazzled?
Lydia is the most calm out of all of them so he immediately goes to see if she is fine, instead she shakes her head and points inside the cafe.
When he looks he sees the man, but he also realizes he has an awful bruise on his eye and chin as if someone had punched him. His heart sort of seizes and his sister goes out with him.
“Are you-”
“I want another watcher and panopticon” He doesn't let him finish, he is sitting close to the register. The man looks even more tired and wiped out.
“... I will get it?” Lydia elbows him. “Do you- do you want some ice for your face?” He can feel his sister disappointment and need to hit her forehead, but he honestly doesn't know what to say. The man, and he really needs to get a name, nods, so Peter prepares the order and gets some ice wrapped up for him.
“Thank you”
“You are welcome um..-?” He drifts and the man looks at him with one eye squinting due to the swelling.
“Jonah. In Jonah Magnus” He seems to be expecting something, yet Peter just nods.
“Peter Fairchild pleasure to meet you?” Lydia is giving him looks. Jonah seems to deflate, but smiles a little, albeit is tainted by the grimace of pain.
“Now that we have names can i eat?” He scowls but nods and lets him be. Still he checks on him from time to time and everytime he peeks from the kitchen window he sees him staring back at him. Peter blushes and works.
He leaves and he is left with questions.
Lydia acts very oddly and concerned about him and the man, but he waves her off.
Jonah comes back, still with the bruises but he looks more calm.
“I wanted to apologize for the scare, I had an altercation with… a friend. That went poorly as you can see” Peter nods and gives him his cookies.
“So- um.. I was wondering if perhaps as a… you know, treat for being so nice, you would like to go out to eat? Or well i was going to suggest getting some coffee but i think you might already be tired of it by now” It takes him a few seconds to realize he is asking him out. When he does he chokes on air and after thinking it a little he nods.
He sees Jonah smile become more real and realizes he was concerned he would say no. He also sees his cheeks start to slowly become more pink the more he stares. So he looks elsewhere and says they can pick a date later. Jonah nods, grabs the writing pad from his hands brushing their fingers and puts up a number.
“So we can arrange it more easily” Peter nods and laughs nervously while walking away. He feels them tingle pleasantly.
“YOU HAVE A DATE!!”
“With the weirdo Ju, i'm sure Peter can do better than him-”
“Cla don't be mean, plus he said yes so he is interested-!”
“That he is interested doesnt mean its good for him Aaron!”
“Don't be so sour-”
Lydia sits with him and they just watch TV calmly while the others talk in the kitchen making dinner. It was Saturday so they were having it in her apartment.
“Do you think it will make you happy?” The question is too particular, but his sister is always like that so he nods.
“It feels… right, more real than anything i suppose, i know its weird but i just…” He just sometimes feels as if he is sort of existing in some sort of empty space and that everything is his imagination.
Life is good. He has siblings that love him, a dad that cares for all of them instead of their original family that was terrible.
Peter has a job-
Life is perfect.
And yet-
This man is more real than anything else.
Like a splash of color in his grayscale world, he is infuriating with his answers when they have small talks at the cafe, but the banter is familiar, it gives him an ache that doesn't understand.
The same ache he thinks he got when he met James and Elias, only this time its because its right. Jonah is right. He is put out of his musings by a hand on his arm.
“I get it Peter… i really do. As long as you are happy its fine. Just… just know that we love you ok? Don't forget it” He tilts his head and sighs before giving her sister a side hug, the top of her head is a little below his collarbone, so he kisses it and says that he could never.
They meet up to actually have lunch.
Its… its nice.
Jonah is a little bastard and they spend time judging and betting on the people around. He also learns more about him.
He is working mostly in management, which he thinks suits him way too well, he seems bossy enough.
“Rude!” He grins at him and feels…
At ease.
The man likewise seems far more calmer and happy, it makes him oddly happy to see him like that.
They keep going out, sometimes for lunch, sometimes they get coffee somewhere else. But they do and the more he gets to hear him talk, the more he feels as if he had always know him, but just could not remember it. Sometimes Jonah seems that he knows him too and its sort of perplexing. Clara would say he stalked him, but its- there are such small things that its not possible for him to know, even if he had.
Its at their 6 date that he asks him to eat at his place. He looks surprised but nods.
When he opens the door and sees him, he almost stammers a holy fuck, he barely manages to get a hold of himself. Jonah looked-
Handsome, so so handsome. It sort of fried his brain a little bit.
So he lets him and tries to finish cooking to distract himself from saying something stupid or embarassing like-
Marry me.
No, no he is not that stupid.
Still Jonah offers to help and they work in tandem and it is such a familiar feeling he is left breathless.
They move as if they both already were used to having the other in their space, its… nerve wracking. Peter wants to know why.
The dinner is delicious and they end up curling on the couch watching tv, Jonah is using him as a giant pillow and Peter can't complain, the weight on top of him actually makes him feel comforted and also sleepy…
He sees the man yawn and before thinking it better asks if he wants to crash here since its late and they are both tired. Jonah blinks at him and he sees him hesitate, so he assures him he won't take it bad if he says no, it was merely a suggestions and-
He laughs and nods before hiding his face on the crook of his neck. He lets out a breath almost as if punched and feels his cheeks warm up while grinning like an idiot.
Once they change and he offers the man a shirt that hangs a little bit too loosely around his frame they get in bed and Peter sort of… stares, Jonah does the same.
“Hey” His lips twitch.
“Hey yourself” It's not clear which one of them moves first, but the next thing he knows they were kissing. It wasn't rushed or anything merely a press of their lips that sets him aflame inside. God he loves him doesn't he?
He loves-
He-
Oh.
Son of a bitch.
He bites his lip lightly making the man complain and then he pulls back.
“You sneaky bastard” He sees him frown and then light up with realization.
“Oh”
“Hello Elias” He frowns.
“Jonah if you don't mind” Peter mulls it over, thinking of James and Elias. It wasn't the body that he wanted.
It was the smug bastard that was piloting it that he loved.
“Jonah” The man shivers “I died” He sees him lock his jaw and close his eyes. How peculiar, he would not have hidden away before or shown… shame for what he can see on his face, he wonders what changed in this life.
Peter sees him swallow.
“You did” Nodding he thinks. He died, there were fear gods, he was a Lukas once upon a time, but now he was a Fairchild even if by adoption.
He grew alone, he grew with his siblings.
He was lonely, he was loved.
Peter sees a small tear escape Jonah along with his body being tightly coiled, as if waiting to sprint out.
The punches make sense now, if someone else remembered...
Letting out a breath and pulling at his hair in thought, Peter closes his eyes too and lets it all go over him. That was a life ago, and now? Now he is here and he was… content, but not happy.
Not until he found him again. Or more like Jonah found him.
Its easy honestly, the answer to what he wants to do with him and this chance.
Peter in his first life had only cared about two things, his god and Elias. One is gone, the other.. changed, but was still the same. The same man he had fallen in love with so many times, and in different ways through the years of their marriages and divorces.
The only one that had some form of hold over his heart.
“Come here my little siren” Jonah’s eyes flash open and he blinks a few more tears away before scrambling to his open arms. Its raining outside and the sound its what they hear beyond their breathing and the beating of their hearst. The lights of the room are dimmed and Peter finally feels right, he pulls the covers up and tangles their bodies together, fitting perfectly together.
Without forsaken he can admit it freely, that he loves this, loves the feeling of Jonah pressed against him, a different body, but also always the same.
He just needs to get used to it again, slowly playing with his hair he speaks.
“You are quite a bastard, but so am i and… as nice as this life is… i think its much better with you in it” Jonah shivers.
“What i'm trying to say is i missed you, even if i didn't remember you before. It was always like there was something amiss. A hole in my perfect little life”
“I-” He smiles tiredly.
“You didn't, i know, but its ok. I know you” Jonah shakes his head.
“I did- i just didn't know it either, i thought it was Barnabas at first, then the others, but… it was you. I missed you Peter, I really did…. Even- even in the apocalypse I still did, I would look into the lonely often. Useless sure, but i did” His plan had worked, but at the same time that was no longer their issue.
“Well I guess we are at an impasse. What do you want to do?”
“... I want- i want to stay, please” He thinks of his apartment, big enough for two.
“You will have to deal with my siblings and Simon, this time we stayed close” He snorts.
“If they don't kick me out, i was… an ass with them” Kissing his forehead Peter laughs.
“You were, but… they are happy for me”
“... then yes i would like to stay”
“Good, Jonah?” He looks up to him again, and Peter sees the eyes are the same, that this time they are right, leaning down he kisses him. They fumble in bed for a long while and when they are both sated and more used to each other's bodies, Peter lets the smaller man hug him from the back to cuddle and finally fall asleep.
“You know one would think you would enjoy the opposite of this-”
“I do, but i missed you, so hush and just sleep” He stays quiet for a little bit.
“Night Peter”
“Night, I love you”
“.... i love you too” He smiles.
In the morning they will make breakfast, Jonah goes to his place and he prepares to work. Once he sees him come in later on during the day he presents to him his order and gets a smile.
They will try to make this life count.
He wonders how long till he moves in with him.
On his way to buy groceries he sees a box with a familiar kitten left to the side of a building and he sighs. Better take his cat to the vet now, food can wait.
His sisters will be ecstatic.
Aaron not so much since he is allergic, but well.
It is his cat.
Life truly is good now.
He got his husband, his cat, family and job.
Humming along with the kitten pawing at his arms softly he feels the most happy as he has ever been.
26 notes · View notes
acaseforpencils · 2 years
Text
Suerynn Lee.
Bio: Suerynn Lee is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY. She earned her BFA in Printmaking at RISD, and her work has been featured in The New Yorker and The New York Times.
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Find this print here!
I don't have very fond feelings towards anything I've drawn, especially after it's done, but if I had to pick, I suppose my favorite of the cartoons published so far is this one. Formally, I think it's the most interesting.
Tools of choice:  I firmly believe that specific tools do not make or break the artist. If there were some kind of art tyrant who decreed that I could never use the tools I currently do, I would of course try to use them illegally, but if that posed too much of a threat to my safety and well-being, I'd just use different tools and let my anger and bitterness at not being allowed to use my preferred tools inform my work. Who knows, maybe it would be an improvement.
For now, these are the things I use to hand-draw cartoons:
- Staedtler non-photo blue pencil
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- Pentel Presto! Correction Fluid pen, fine point
- Sakura Foam eraser
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- Platinum Carbon ink
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- Platinum Desk Pen, medium nib
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- Rotring Artpen, fine and medium nibs - Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
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- NuMuv Multi-Use Grip Aid
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- Martin Universal Design Sun-Catcher Tracing Board
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I pencil and ink everything on Strathmore Bristol Board (300 series, smooth surface) and scan, edit, and clean up digitally, using either Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint.
For digital drawing, I use my iPad Air or a Wacom Intuos Pro Medium tablet with my laptop and desktop monitor.
Tool I wish I could use better: Probably Procreate, since it's the newest addition to my toolbox, but I don't tear my hair out over it. There's always a learning curve with mastering new tools, and I think that as long as you're excited or even minimally intrigued by the process, you'll step up your facility with that tool/technology/medium soon enough. Heck, maybe you'll develop a certain level of skill but never really be satisfied with where you are, and that'll propel you into obsessively trying to best yourself at it. Tool I wish existed: Maybe software that could directly and accurately translate internal experience into a drawing. Kind of like the eye-tracking software that allows a paraplegic person to control a PC or tablet to draw, but you'd control it with your feelings and thoughts, rather than eye movement.
Tricks:  One of the tricks that's serving me well right now is taking frequent, timed breaks and forcing myself to stretch. I try not to draw for extended periods of time in one position because this invariably results in a lot of pain. I also rely on this strange, gridded silicon egg to open up my grip when holding different drawing utensils, including digital styli, as well as my Martin drawing board, which lets me adjust my drawing angle to a few different positions. I even put my iPad and/or Wacom tablet on it so I don't suffer later. Your body is the one tool that can't easily be replaced or substituted. Yet. Misc: There aren't any rules. Just use the tools that best serve your purpose, and change them out when they stop being useful. We're all just that ship that has all its component parts replaced while sailing from one port to another, begging the question, "Am I still the same ship that started this journey with entirely different parts?" And the answer is probably both yes and no. Website, etc. 
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octalove · 4 years
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II: Blood and Ghosts
(Batgirl/Red Hood)
Description: Reader tries getting a clue. part one
“Typically, they steer clear of the Village, but that doesn’t appear to be the case as of recent. Oracle found out about an operation out of a Hadley’s Deli there- standard money laundering, but it also could’ve been linked to the shipment of cocaine that we found at the Yacht Basin.”
“Right. So what changed?”
“A better question would be what didn’t?”
A beat. The contrasting silence that followed jarred me from my thoughts as I glanced over and realized that Bruce was prompting me for an answer. Tim looked expectant and inquisitive, but that was sort of his default expression.
“Oh. Sorry. What?” I said apologetically.
“Maroni.” He said simply. Nothing came to mind. He didn’t express verbal disappointment as he turned back to Tim, but I knew it was there.
“Red Hood has been operating out of The Bowery. Maroni and Falcone are stubborn, but they’re losing. He’s pushing them north.”
“So moving to the Village isn’t expansion. It’s desperation.” Tim muttered thoughtfully.
“I believe so.”
“May I be excused?” I asked. Bruce glanced back to me, studying a moment. Scrutinizing every detail; not deciding whether or not to let me leave- rather, deciding why I wanted to. Then, he nodded. Seems he wasn’t in the mood to ask.
I swept up my laptop and phone, and ascended the stairs from the cave to the manor quickly, trying to escape the eyes boring into my back. Only when the cool, lemon-scented air of the manor filled my lungs did I breathe a sigh of relief. Alone. All I needed was few minutes alone. I scaled the marble steps to my room and shut the door.
I hadn’t told anyone that I saw him three nights ago. That I watched him murder a man in retribution for me. My alter ego, anyway. I don’t know why. Maybe because it would mean having to tell them I snuck away. Having to walk through every detail again; sights, sounds, smells. What Red Hood was wearing and what he sounded like, what gun he was holding and how he held it, what prompted him to fire, how many shots and how he acted when he did.
But if ever there was a time to be high-strung and anxious, it was when you were keeping secrets from Batman. And Oracle. And Nightwing. And Red Robin. And Robin. Damian in particular could smell a lie like blood in the water, and he wasn’t too polite to hold your gaze until he was certain you weren’t hiding anything. That, and the art of solidarity was still foreign to him- even if I did tell him in confidence, he would take it right to Bruce. Possibly the police. Maybe a news outlet or two just because it soothed his vindictive nature. I’d been avoiding him.
Evening bled into night, and I was barred from masked business on school nights, so I couldn’t even patrol to ease the anxious energy. Still, that meant less opportunity for Bruce to analyze my musculoskeletal ticks or whatever the hell he did to tell when I was nervous, so I decided it was a worthy trade-off and resigned myself to independent research.
Who the hell was Red Hood, anyway? Half of Gotham was looking for him, the other half was running from him. I opened my laptop.
His debut was The Viper House, a strip club in Little Italy that also functioned as a human trafficking hub when the owner, Renaldo, needed to buy his wife (or handful of mistresses) a new Blue Nile diamond. By the end, the building had to be gutted. There’s only so much crime scene clean-up can do with carpet.
Next came the kingpins. Blowing open a trafficking operation had a short grace period if you didn’t cut out the source. Italian mobsters, the Romani families, the crews that had built empires on drug and sex trade dropped like flies until they found that their numbers dwindled for the first time since Joker finally bit it. The dozens of loyal men on their payroll decided that empty pockets were better than a full grave, and when it came to the business of death, Red Hood was very persuasive. It went on like that for six months; he amassed men, power, weapons, and tech. Most importantly, a potent reputation. This was due in no small part to his creative footwork; he liked to send messages. One file covered an incident where Alphonso Kuznetsov decided to write Gotham’s new player an open letter in the evening column suggesting that if he decided to bring his business to Port Adams, he might find himself in a ‘watery grave’. Kuznetsov was found a week later when a fishing vessel drug an entire coffin from the bottom of the harbor, padlocked and full of water. He was bound, drowned, and gagged with a copy of the very paper that featured his message. Red Hood must have been in touch with his artistic sensibilities; it was all very Shakespearean.
Of course, these were all just words. Rumors and hearsay. All I knew of the Red Hood from my intimate encounter was that he had a quick hand, an incendiary temper, and he didn’t fucking like creeps. All the makings of vigilante, if you chose to see it like that.
I sighed. Two hours and none of my research gave me any indication of why me. Why the hell should Red 57-kill-count Hood care if some goon told me he like the way I looked in my suit? I may has well have been the veiled threats of Kuznetsov’s evening column for all my inconsequence to him.
But it all kept running through my mind. Backwards and forwards. The vitriol in his voice preluding the barbarity of his reprimand. The way he said little Batgirl, like the crime was that I’d been engaged at all. More than the memory, something was telling me to keep digging. Something dragging me back to Crime Alley with the current of the running blood through Little Italy’s gutters.
I had to do something. And if that something wasn’t going to Bruce, then school tomorrow would have to wait.
The morning went along as per usual. I woke up at six, dawned my Gotham Academy uniform, grabbed a muffin and coffee, completed a complicated and well-practiced secret handshake with Tim (that Dick was secretly jealous of), and was out the door at 6:30, keys jingling in Alfred’s hand.
He dropped me off outside the ornate gothic academy, and I waved goodbye as I skipped backward along the cobblestone walkway. Once his black Mercedes was a pinpoint on the horizon, I promptly turned heel from the front doors, heading East toward the Narrows. Catching the subway there would take me as far as the Knight’s Stadium, and from there it was a short distance to the Alley. I wasn’t exactly inconspicuous in my academy uniform- anyone who gave a shit could pretty confidently deduce that school was in session at 8am on a Tuesday, and no student native to the Alley could afford a private education, so I was bound to draw eyes. I hadn’t packed an extra outfit incase Tim or Alfred got suspicious- that was paranoia puppeteering. I wasn’t used to skipping school. I’d have to make due.
Crime Alley in broad daylight was a brand new experience. At night, at least the smoke unfurling from the sewer grates hit the flickering streetlights and offered an unconventional charm. During the day, it was like shedding light on a foul sin. I was starkly out of place, and even the lapdog-sized rats seemed to know it, scurrying back across gritty concrete when I passed by. I looked for familiar things I’d seen the other night- a run-down apartment complex, a gated liquor shop, a meager but menacing corner-store, busy with glaring laymen reluctantly dragging out their wallets for a pack of cigarettes. I caught the eye of a woman sitting on the curb with a paper-bag bottle for company, and she scowled.
Spurned by the rats, and now by the people, I was running out of options. Sticking close to the buildings that perimetered the square, I moved in tandem with the motion of the locals, so as not to draw any eyes by looking lost. It was an unnerving scape; too quiet for my liking, but just empty enough to feel safely underseen. I made my way past familiar landmarks until I finally stood before the warehouse where I’d been.
I listened; no sound from inside. Even henchmen have day jobs. Jimmying the rusty padlock was just a matter of brandishing a bobby-pin from my hair, and the heavy metal door swung open without much resistance. I cautiously picked my way around crates and boxes, unsure of what I was looking for. Clues, maybe. Proof that he was here and dropped a body in my name, amen.
There was a dark, daunting stain on the floor where Hoffman’s body was. A phantom gunshot echoed in my ears, along with a nauseating sound of flat-back weight slapping concrete.
“Ain’t school in session?” I spun on my heel, meeting the red helm of a towering man draped in leather and armor. My mouth went dry. My right foot slipped back into a fighting stance before I remembered I was in cashmere and plaid, not kevlar. Not that I even stood a chance either way; but at least he seemed to harbor good will toward Batgirl. Wordlessly, I took a few steps back until I was standing over the blood and ghosts of Hoffman’s demise.
“P-please. Don’t- don’t hurt me.” I rasped.
I could play the rebellious, morose teenager and come up with something like it was a dare, or I could offer no explanation and simply cry.
Red Hood’s head tipped one way. His hands were empty- for now. Two heavy-looking glocks hung on his waist. I didn’t want to die on top of Hoffman’s blood stain. There was a level of symbolism there I was deeply unprepared to spend my final moments analyzing.
“Lookin’ for something, darlin’?” I swallowed- unable to say you.
“Wh-What do you want?” I asked.
He laughed, but it was humorless. Lacking whatever key component made laughs so appealing. As though the sound rung off the gravestones of uncanny valley before reaching my ears. “I think we’re both asking stupid questions.” He said. I was fucked. He outweighed me by a hundred pounds, and could out-draw me even if I had a weapon. I had no explanation for my being here that suited a civilian, and my phone was in my bag, meaning help was a world away.
But just as soon as he advanced a few paces, he stopped, and gestured to the crimson beneath my feet.
“Enjoy the show the other night?” He asked, before pulling something out of his jacket pocket and twirling it between his fingers with practiced ease. A batarang.
“You forgot somethin’.”
Cold, knife-like fear erupted in my spine, driven to the hilt. He knew. How did he know? What the hell was I supposed to do? My terror must have shown on my face, because he stopped fidgeting.
“It’s okay, babydoll. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“H-how-“
He moved again, slow, lazy strides until he was no more than an inch from me.
“Who are you?” I asked, figuring if I was gonna die, I should at least know that much.
His hands grabbed mine. The leather of his gloves was cool on my skin, but it barely registered for the closeness of him. I stared at the red bat symbol on his chest, jagged and angry looking. I blinked and looked down slowly as he closed my fingers around the cold metal of the batarang.
“Go home, little bird.” It was a cold, seething demand, his voice snagging on the scrambler to make it sound like a low growl.
“Tell Batman when he’s ready to stop sending his toy soldiers,” His hand went under my chin, tilting my head upward. My breath shook as I drew it, hitching, even though the man before me was faceless. Clean, red monochrome, glinting in the light.
“I’m getting impatient.” *
I walked through the manor door in a daze, the cold steel batarang searing my palm.
Bruce and Damian were in the living room, each invested in their own reading material. The grandfather clock ticked his steady tempo, and I inconspicuously adjusted the bag on my shoulder. Bruce had a steaming cup of coffee on the glass side table beside his leather chair.
“How was school?” He asked, not looking up. My paranoia convinced me it sounded rhetorical, but I shrugged anyway.
“Same old.” A glance, to see if my lie had landed.
Damian was the spitting image of his father. He, along with Tim, operated in the wake of being an only child, so he never did care about how I did in school, or much of anything else in my orbit. If at any point he did, he never thought to ask. Father and son looked like a matching set of dolls sitting there, cross-legged, with dark hair and gaunt eyes, both leanly muscular, and habitually poised; a consequence of being from the upper echelon of each of their respective backgrounds.
“Hey, um, are you going out tonight?” I asked.
“I am.”
“Can I come?”
“Are you certain you want to?” He still didn’t look up.
I blinked. “Um… yeah. Why?”
“You’ve been distracted since the last outing.”
Damian visibly tuned in.
“Oh. Sorry. I had a big paper I was worried about for school, but I turned it in today, so I’m good to go.” I threw him a thumbs up, even though he wasn’t looking.
A beat.
“Very well, then. Nine o’clock.”
I nodded, and headed toward the stairs.
“Y/N,” I stopped, and turned around. He was looking at me now, eyes blue and steady.
“Yeah?”
“Do you think you did well?”
“…”
“On the paper.”
I threw him a smile. “The best.”
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Champion Power Equipment - 73001i-P Portable Inverter Generator
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With its True Sine Wave Technology, wireless remote control, and dual USB charging ports, this generator is designed to meet all your power needs. In this review, I will share my personal experience with this product and provide an honest assessment of its capabilities. During a recent camping trip, I had the opportunity to test out the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P generator, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations. One of the standout features of this generator is its portability. Weighing only 43kg and equipped with a built-in handle and wheel kit, it was incredibly easy to transport and set up at our campsite.The generator's ultra-quiet operation impressed me the most. With a noise level of only 58 dBA, it did not disrupt the peaceful ambiance of the outdoors. This feature was particularly important during the night when we wanted to enjoy a quiet evening around the campfire without any disturbances.In terms of power output, the Champion 73001i-P did not disappoint. With its reliable 3500W petrol engine, we were able to run multiple devices simultaneously, including our fridge, power tools, and lighting units. The True Sine Wave inverter technology ensured a clean and stable power supply, making it suitable for sensitive electronics such as laptops and TVs.Furthermore, the inclusion of a dual USB adapter and smart charge option was a convenient addition. We were able to charge our phones and tablets directly from the generator, eliminating the need for additional adapters or power banks.However, one downside I encountered was the lack of included oil. It was disappointing to find out that the generator did not come with any oil, and we had to purchase it separately before being able to use the product. This should have been clearly mentioned in the product description to avoid any inconvenience for customers. Champion Power Equipment : Superior Power and FeaturesCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonThe Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P 3500 Watt Petrol Portable Inverter Generator Premier offers superior power and outstanding performance. With multiple fuel types to choose from, this generator is packed with great features. It includes True Sine Wave Technology, which makes it ideal for sensitive electronics like computers and TVs. Additionally, it has Parallel Connectability, Economy Mode for fuel efficiency, Power Surge Protection, Intelligent 3 in 1 Volt Meter, Wireless Remote and Push Button Start, and USB Charging. Plus, it comes with a 3-year warranty, providing peace of mind.Champion Power Equipment : Ultra Quiet and Portable InverterCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonWeighing only 43Kg and measuring just 69 x 49 x 50, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P is compact and lightweight.5cm, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P is incredibly lightweight and portable. It's perfect for camping trips, traveling, picnics, and light household tasks. The built-in handle and wheel kit make it easy to transport. Furthermore, this inverter generator operates quietly at only 58 dBA, ensuring minimal noise disturbance during use.Champion Power Equipment : Reliable Champion 3500W Petrol EngineCredit - Amazon.comBuy On AmazonFeaturing a reliable 3500W petrol engine, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P provides dependable power. It offers both a Wireless Remote and Electric Push Button Start, providing convenience and ease of use. With a maximum wattage of 3500 (3200 running watts) and a 192cc engine, this generator can run for up to 8 hours on a full 6.0-liter tank at 25% load. It also has a 15-second Digital Power Delay to prevent power surges and an Auto Oil Shutoff feature for added safety.Champion Power Equipment : True Sine Wave Inverter TechnologyCredit - Amazon.comPerfect for powering sensitive electronics, the True Sine Wave Inverter Technology of the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P ensures quality performance. Whether you're on a camping trip or need to power small household items like fridges, freezers, power tools, lighting units, or garden equipment, this generator ensures clean and stable power. It also has parallel capability, allowing you to pair it with other Champion Inverters for increased power output using an optional Parallel Kit.Includes Dual USB Adapter and Smart ChargeCredit - Amazon.comWith the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P, you'll receive a handy Dual Port 12V DC USB Adapter. This allows you to conveniently charge your phone, laptop, tablet, or other devices. Additionally, it features a Smart Charge option, which directly charges the battery from the mains, minimizing power loss. If you're looking for even more power, you can pair this generator with another Champion inverter using a Parallel Kit (sold separately) for double the power output.Product Review - Fantastic and doing a vital job in UkraineIn Ukraine, one satisfied customer shared their experience of using the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P. They mentioned that the generator is performing a vital job during power outages in Kharkiv. This positive feedback highlights the reliability and functionality of the product in challenging situations.Product Review - Not properly warranted by the seller - Bimsons Power!Unfortunately, regarding warranty issues, a customer had a negative experience with the seller, Bimsons Power. They expressed frustration that the seller insisted on going through Amazon for any warranty matters, making it difficult to address their concerns. This feedback emphasizes the importance of considering reliable sellers and their customer service when purchasing the product.Product Review - Oil not includedExpressing their disappointment, another customer mentioned the lack of included oil with the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P. They found it frustrating that the generator did not come with any oil, making it unusable until oil was obtained separately. This feedback serves as a reminder for potential buyers to ensure they have the necessary supplies, such as oil, before using the generator. Pros: - Superior Power & Features - The Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P Inverter Generator offers superior power and outstanding performance. With multiple fuel types, True Sine Wave Technology, Parallel Connectability, and other great features, this generator is a reliable and versatile option. - Ultra Quiet & Portable - Weighing only 43Kg and with a compact size, this generator is extremely lightweight and portable. It's perfect for camping trips, picnics, and light jobs around the house. Additionally, it operates at a low noise level of only 58 dBA, ensuring a quiet and peaceful environment. - Reliable Champion 3500W Petrol Engine - Equipped with a wireless remote and electric push-button start, this inverter generator features a powerful 3500 Maximum Watt (3200 Running Watts) 192cc petrol engine. It can run for up to 8 hours on a full tank, and has convenient features like a 15-second Digital Power Delay and Auto Oil Shutoff. Cons: - No Oil Included - One customer mentioned that the generator does not come with any oil, which can be inconvenient as you need oil to operate the equipment. This means you'll need to purchase oil separately before being able to use the generator. - Warranty Issues with Seller - Another customer had difficulty addressing warranty issues with the seller, Bimsons Power. They were instructed to go through Amazon for any warranty concerns, which made the process more challenging and inconvenient. - Limited Product Reviews - With only 8 reviews available, it may be challenging to gather a comprehensive understanding of the overall satisfaction and performance of this specific model. Read also: - Champion 82001i-E 2000: Portable and Powerful Petrol Inverter Generator - maXpeedingrods 5500W Portable Inverter Generator | Versatile and Reliable - Hyundai 3200w Portable Inverter Generator - Reliable Power for Outdoor Adventures - AIVOLT 3300W Portable Inverter Generator: Power and Convenience for Outdoor Adventures Conclusion Overall, the Champion Power Equipment 73001i-P 3500 Watt Petrol Portable Inverter Generator Premier is a reliable and feature-rich generator. Its superior power output, portability, and ultra-quiet operation make it an excellent choice for camping trips, outdoor activities, and even as a backup power source for your home. Despite the minor setback of not including oil, this generator offers great value for its price. I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a dependable and versatile portable generator. Questions & Answers: Question: Is this generator suitable for sensitive electronics?Answer: Yes, this generator is perfect for sensitive electronics like computers, laptops, and TVs due to its True Sine Wave Inverter Technology.Question: Can I charge my devices using this generator?Answer: Absolutely! The generator includes a Dual Port 12v DC USB Adapter, allowing you to power and charge devices like phones, laptops, tablets, and more.Question: Can I connect this generator to another Champion inverter?Answer: Yes, this generator has parallel capability, which means you can pair it up with another Champion inverter using an optional Parallel Kit for double the power. Buy On Amazon Read the full article
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northcarolinanative · 4 years
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𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 / 𝙲𝚑 𝟷𝟼
Chapter 16: A Sliver of Hope? 
Description: John B’s Sister comes home from staying with their mom, only to find out that her brother is missing and her dad was murdered. JJ may have just lost his best friend. Her and JJ have to figure out what to do and how to pick up the pieces.
A/N: Hey guys, I have no idea if this chapter has literally any accuracy to how things like this work, but here it is. Enjoy. I might not be super active in the next few days because I have a lot going on, but I had this done and wanted to get it out:) As always my asks/messages/requests are always open:)
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Need to Catch Up? Collision MasterList
“Actually, we might have.”  As the words left Pope's mouth I could feel the smile take over me. I pulled JJ in closer to my chest. Looking over at his face he was smiling just as wide. 
“Well go on!” Kie said patting Pope on the shoulder before looking over his shoulder. 
“Okay, Okay.” He laughed before pointing to the screen and redirecting our attention back to it. “Here is what they call a passenger log.” He said pointing to the list. He hovered over the ship's code and clicked. “This right here is the ship that made the weird turn,” He pointed to the column in the middle of the screen. “Here.” He tapped it twice.”Says that there were 8 people on board when they left port in Delaware.” He used two fingers on the trackpad of the laptop to scroll down the screen. It was moving painstakingly slow. Then reached up to point at the second number. As his finger fell right below it. I read the number. My breath left me as I felt a familiar wave of hope wash over my body. “10” Pope said with a smile. 
I jumped back from JJ with a smile on my face as he stood up and turned to face me. “Pope you are a genius!” I was practically yelling. I was literally bouncing on the balls of my feet. 
 “Holy shit,” Kiara said, turning Pope to pull him into a hug. JJ was standing in front of me, his smile was one that I missed seeing. He looked so purely happy, for the first time since we found the ship’s code that night. We locked eyes and I couldn’t look away. The look of absolute hope in JJ’s eyes was enough for me to reach forward, putting both my hands on either side of his face, bringing us closer together. 
I felt JJ’s arms wrapped around my middle as he picked me up. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he spun me around. I dropped my head to whisper in his ear, “I am so fucking proud of you right now.” As he set me back down, it was almost as if I was getting grounded again. The feeling was so overwhelming and heavy, but I was so happy. 
I hadn’t even noticed how emotional the whole deal had made me. “No need to cry baby” JJ chucked the name once again rolling off his tongue without a second thought. He moved one of his hands to cup my face, wiping the tears from my face. I laughed, looking down at his now slightly wet hand, a small laugh escaped my lips as I pulled JJ back into a hug. 
“They’re alive JJ like there is tangible proof that they are.” I stood back from him. I raised my voice so that the other two could hear me. “We did that. We found them.” I said throwing my arm around Kie and pulling her into a hug with me. 
“What do we do now though?”  Kie asked as she pulled away from the hug. 
I felt my face contort back into one of confusion and worry. She was right, what are we going to do. I found my seat back on the other side of the picnic table. JJ followed my movements, once again sliding in beside me. “Well, we’re gonna go to the Bahamas,” JJ said in a joking manner, causing Kie to scoff at him. I wrapped my arm through JJ’s and leaning my head on his shoulder. I felt him rest his head against mine. The worry in the pit my stomach was now joined by an array of butterflies at his small action. 
I looked at Kie who had a knowing smile on her face. Then followed her glance to Pope, who was typing on the computer at a feverish pace. I watched as Kie knitted her eyebrows together and leaned closer to look at his screen. 
“You look tired,” JJ said, looking down at me. I didn’t miss how close his face was, as I could feel his warm breath. Even in the sweltering late July heat, I didn’t mind how close we were, even if JJ was like a human heater. 
“Just what every girl wants to hear” I said chuckling with him. 
“No, no” he stuttered. “You’re cute when you’re sleepy. You got up early this morning, don’t think I didn’t catch you going over the maps before the sun was even up.” He laughed 
“And you didn’t help me?” I said, feigning offense. We kept our voices low, as Kie and Pope we’re focusing on the computer screen in front of them. 
“Bro I was tired.” He laughed, but I didn’t. 
“Where’d you go last night anyway. After..” I trailed off but he knew what I meant. 
“Just to the beach, I walked for a little bit.” He said with a soft smile. “I  wasn’t gone for long, but when I came back you were asleep, so I just hung out and cleaned up the pogue.” Something about his words didn’t convince me but I let it slide, just softly nodding my head. 
I shifted my focus back to the pair in front of us. I left my exhaustion to get the better of me and laid my head back against JJ’s shoulder, I kept my arm laced through his, but this time he reached to place his hand on my thigh, slightly pulling me closer to him. “So what are you coming up with over there, not gonna let you work on this alone” I stated, causing Pope to look up from the screen for a moment. 
“Yea, Okay, so I found the company's number and it’s a long shot, but I’m gonna ask them if I can speak to the captain of the ship? Or a crew member?” Pope said reaching through his bag till he pulled out his cell phone. 
“What exactly are you gonna do though? Like if they ask you why?” JJ piped in causing Pope to groan. 
“He’s got a point,” Kie laughed. 
“School interview?” I said with a question. “That’s how we got the maps?” 
“I don’t know Y/N, they might just ask to answer my questions.” 
“Tell them you noticed a specific wave pattern that day or some shit, and wanted to know how they combatted the storm?” JJ said growing slightly impatient. “Just call em man” 
Pope gave him a side-eye before unlocking his phone and starting to dial the numbers with a beep, I heard the phone turn to speaker mode. Kie reached for my notebook, reached across the table, and handed her a pen. She sat in front of her on the table, so she could write if needed. As the dial tone rang quietly at our table I reached to grab JJ’s hand under the table. His grip was tight, even if he wasn’t showing it, he was worried, just like me, that it would be a dead end. 
“Transatlantic Liners, this is Denise speaking, How may I help you?” The lady over the phone’s voice ringing through the air made all of us tense up immediately. The only thing helping me stay grounded was the small movement of JJ’s thumb across the back of my hand. 
“Uh yes ma’am. I am a reporter for Kildare County… Uh. SmytHS.” Pope made a noise resembling that of a phone static, rather convincingly, before continuing with his statements. “We see here that you had a freight liner come through the morning after the tropical depression that hit our North Carolina Coast. We were wondering if we could talk to the captain or one of the crew members for an interview?” Pope finished his sentences finally, his fake, over-exaggerated, southern accent making his words hang in the air for longer than they normally would. 
“Was the accent necessary?” JJ giggled quietly beside me, making me smile. 
“Ah yes, Did you know which ship you had in question?” Denise spoke, before a bit of rustling was heard. JJ made a typical yes, fist bump with Kie, as she pointed to the ship number on the paper in front of them. 
“Uh, Yes Ma’am, code 45759.” He said, a smile prominent on his face. I started to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline. This was going unbelievably well. 
“Oh okay, Captain Larry Jones and Jim Steinman, were on the ship that day. Looks like they’ll have a good story to report, turns out they came across something, but I’ll let Jim tell you about that.”
Kie was writing down the names of the men as fast as the woman on the other side of the phone was speaking. My heart rate was skyrocketing at this point, but it also felt like the world was standing still. I was staring intently at Pope as he feigned a laugh before muttering a quick “Thank you.” 
“I’ll just transfer you to Jim, might take a bit, he’s a popular man these days.” I could hear her laugh and some rustling again before the line went dead. The air was now full of a monotoned beeping noise as we all waited for Jim to pick up his line. Kie glanced up at me and JJ, a huge smile on her face as she tapped the end of the pen against the pad of paper in front of her. No one dared to speak for fear of jinxing this moment. The longer the beeping continued the more nervous we all became. JJ began to bounce his leg up and down in an attempt to focus his energy somewhere. I used my other hand to cover his, now holding his hand between the two of mine in my lap. JJ sent a soft, blushed smile my way before we heard a sharp click on the other end of the phone. “This is Jim, What can I do for ya?” The man’s voice was sharp, but he spoke slowly. He didn’t sound too old, but rather tired. 
“Hey, yes sir,” Pope began, eyes wide, looking at the rest of us expectantly. We all shrugged and shook our heads. Kie whispered something about the ‘interview and Pope finally began talking again. “I had a few questions about your ride through the Atlantic last week, we had a tropical depression here in the Outer Banks, wondering how you dealt with that?” He paused to take a drink before continuing. “On our map here we saw that you made a rather out of place turn outside of Kildare Island, any reason for that?” Pope finished with the question, but the man on the other line was quick to start talking. 
“Oh, yea! Let me tell you, that was the most interesting ride I’ve been on in a long time fella.” He spoke, obviously trying to recount the events for us. 
“Do you mind giving us some details?”  Pope questioned further. 
“We were out on the water, we’d held back because of the storm, but crossed into the state early that morning. When we were about halfway down the coast we saw a reflector from the water. It didn’t look like much but, we headed that way anyway. Found a shipwreck.”
The man stopped talking and there was a rustle before he continued. “We found two kids out there, in the middle of the sea. I have no idea how the hell they survived that storm in that rickety old boat they had.” The man paused to laugh, causing JJ to scowl at the man's words. 
“She was a great boat” He whispered, causing both me and Kie to laugh. We were all smiling from ear to ear as we listened to the man recount his travels with John B and Sarah, who were alive. 
“And they came all the way to Port with you, in Nassau?” Pope questioned. 
“Yes. Yes. They were awfully excited when I told them they had booked a free ride to the Bahamas.” He chuckled again. “I haven’t seen ‘em since, but they were in a hurry, they asked me what direction Cameron’s Airstrip was in. Blew me away honestly, Mr.Cameron’s got business dealings everywhere.” The man paused for a minute. We all looked at each other, silently questioning how he knew about the Camerons. “Not that you all know what I’m talking about. Did you have any further questions?” 
“No. No. I think that covers it. Thank you so much for your time.” Pope said, the fake smile in his voice evident. 
“No problem son, send us a copy of that article you’re gonna write, alright?” Jim said. 
“Of course, sir.” Pope hung up the phone, as we all let out a sigh of relief as he set the phone down, then let his head fall in his hands. Kie was quick to move her hand to rub his back. 
“So why the hell were they trying to go to Ward’s airstrip?” Kie asked. 
“Isn't it obvious?” Pope said, his head snapping up to look between us. We all wore a confused expression. Our silence begged him to continue. “Cameron’s plane took off with the gold in it?” He drugs his words out slowly, trying to get us to understand. 
Then it clicked. “He was sending the gold to the Bahamas,” I said with a smile, turning to face JJ whose smile was growing to match mine.
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hookedonapirate · 4 years
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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
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Summary: Detective Killian Jones took an indefinite leave of absence from SBPD after his brother was murdered in the Line of Duty. Bitter and broken, he resides in a cabin on the beach when his brother's former partner, David Nolan brings him a case he knows the vengeful detective won’t be able to resist. A case involving Liam's killer.  
Dr. Emma Swan makes all of her decisions like she operates on her patients—with care, competence and compassion. But when her colleague, Graham Humbert, is murdered in cold blood by the man who was freed because of a decision she made as a juror, she starts second-guessing herself. To make matters worse, her squeaky clean reputation is being questioned when she becomes a suspect for Graham’s murder.
There is one detective who believes she’s innocent, and he has a plan to protect Emma and find his brother's killer at the same time. When Killian finds himself caught between his duties to the SBPD and his need for vengeance, matters are only complicated by the feelings he develops for the woman he's supposed to protect.
He's impulsive and hot-tempered, and she's methodical and cool under pressure. Despite their differences, can they work together to bring the murderer to justice, or will the murderer get to them first?
A/N: Many thanks go to @ultraluckycatnd for her wonderful beta-ing skills and @onceuponaprincessworld as always for her encouragement and letting me bounce ideas off of her.
So a few things before we get started with this chapter.
You've probably noticed, I made Emma older than she is usually portrayed in fanfics since being chief of surgery requires an extensive medical background, education, training, experience, etc. Basically this is how old she would be ten years later from the OUAT pilot. With that said, I've made the other main and supporting characters older as well. Emma and David are 38-39, and Killian, Elsa, Anna and MM are 32-35. Just wanted to clarify that to avoid confusion, though I do mention some of their ages in the story. I'm doing my best to keep the timeline consistent but if anything doesn't make sense with the timeline, or in general, please don't hesitate to ask me about it either on here or Tumblr.
Secondly, I know some of you, or maybe all of you are hoping Emma will contact the police about Neal, but keep in mind, Emma's a suspect and yes, contacting the police would be in her best interest, but Emma's going to be paranoid about every move she makes because she overanalyzes and thinks everything through. And any move that could potentially bring more attention to herself regarding graham's murder could effect her career she has worked so hard to obtain. So please keep these things in mind before you get too upset with her.
Also, this chapter is in Killian's pov, so we will see the video footage of Emma's interview. To avoid a bunch of repetition this chapter shows different points of the interview so that's why different questions are shown in this one, except for a few that I included in both chapters..
You will find that Killian has to iron out some wrinkles in his relationships with David and Elsa, so this chapter and the next will include some angst, but I think all of you lovelies are going to like what I have planned for chapter 5, so please bear with me until then :)
Okay enough of my rambling and on with the story. Thanks for reading!
Rated: Explicit due to mature language, character death, violence, murder and smut. The scenes won’t be too graphic, but I’d rather overrate than underrate it.
Catch up: Pro I Ch 1 I Ch 2
Chapter 3
“Uncle Killian!”
  With a big smile on his face, Killian watches his nephews charging toward him. He sets down his tackle box and fishing pole and wipes the sweat off his brow as he steps off the dock. “Oof,” he feigns a pained noise with a chuckle as Leo tackles him. Killian picks him up, drawing him into an enormous bear hug, noticing his nephew is heavier than the last time Killian picked him up. “You’re growing too fast. Soon you'll be taller than me.”
  “Nah-ah,” Leo laughs, shaking his head. 
  “Uncle Ki-wi!” Liam wobbles toward him and wraps his arms around Killian’s legs. 
  “Can you tell they missed you?” Mary Margaret asks as she catches up with her children, David hot on her heels, their hair rustled by the wind.
  “No, not at all,” Killian chuckles, setting Leo down to pick up Liam. “It’s been too long. Far too long.” The two brothers are four years apart, and though Killian is not related to them by blood, he’s like a brother to David, thus Uncle Killian to David’s sons. “I missed you too,” Killian says, dropping a kiss to the crown of Liam’s head. 
  The little lad will be three years old soon, but it feels like only yesterday when Killian cradled the newborn in his arms as the parents announced they were naming him after a man who died a hero—David’s best friend and partner, and Killian’s brother. 
  He sets little Liam on his feet and looks up at David, noting the laptop satchel strapped around his shoulder. He fooled Killian into thinking this was only a social visit by wearing his casual clothes—khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. And Mary Margaret is carrying a tote bag of beach supplies, ready to lounge on the beach.
  “Did you catch anything?” David asks. 
  “Fishing is not about the catch, mate.”
  David grins. “I know. It’s an excuse to drink during the day, right?” 
  Killian scoffs playfully and waves his words. “Like I need an excuse.”
  They share a laugh as they draw each other into a hug and pat one another on the back. They’ve been friends long before Killian joined the Storybrooke Police Department. David’s four years older than him and the same age as Liam would've been—thirty-nine—but the three of them were pretty much inseparable. And after Liam passed, Killian and David shared a heartache neither would ever fully recover from. “I’ve missed you, Jones.”
  “Missed you too.” After they break the hug, Killian turns to Mary Margaret, smiling warmly at her. “Thanks for bringing the boys.” 
  “Of course,” she says, throwing her arms around him. She’s six years younger than David and has been married to him for ten years. They met right after she graduated from college and moved to Storybrooke to take a teaching job. She is now the vice principal at Forest Grove Elementary. 
  “Sorry if I smell like fish and sweat,” Killian apologizes as he wraps his arms around her.
  “Oh wow, you do,” she laughs, pinching her nose but doesn’t pull away. “That’s okay. Wouldn’t expect anything less since you live in this fishing town.” 
  He chuckles. “You know, I could’ve just visited you all in Storybrooke if I had been given more notice. I could’ve saved you a trip.” He didn’t even know they were coming over until last night when David had called him out of the blue.
  Mary Margaret waves off his words as they break the hug. “Nonsense. The boys were dying to see their Uncle Killian, and they've been begging us to take them to the beach, so we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone.”
  “It’s nice to see all of you again.” He looks at David, narrowing his eyes. “Though I have a feeling this isn't just a pleasure trip for you, is it?”
  David gives into a grin and pats Killian on the shoulder. “Is it ever just pleasure with me?”
  Killian chuckles and shakes his head. “Never.” Outwardly he’s relaxed and cheerful, but inwardly, he has a bad feeling about whatever David wishes to discuss with him.
  “Uncle Killian, will you make sandcastles with us?!” Leo asks as his mother hands him and Liam a big sand bucket packed with sandcastle molds and a shovel.
  Killian opens his mouth to answer but David beats him to the punch. “Actually, we have some important things to discuss first. Then Killian can make sandcastles with you.”
  The boys groan their disapproval, Leo gets over it quickly and wastes no time racing off toward the shoreline, Liam wobbling after him.
  “Not so fast, you two! Sunblock, first, then floaties!” Mary Margaret calls out, following their trail of messy footprints in the sand.
  When Leo halts in his tracks and turns around, going to his mother as she spreads out a blanket on the sand and retrieves a bottle of sunblock from her tote, Liam trails behind his brother.
  “Anyone want something to drink?” Killian asks them.
  “Sure, I’ll take some iced tea,” Mary Margaret replies.
  “Do you have Capri Suns?” Leo asks.
  “Of course I do. What kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t stock up on Capri Suns for when my nephews come to visit?”
  “Yes!” Leo exclaims, fisting the air.
  Mary Margaret pulls off Liam’s shirt and rubs lotion over his back and arms. “Thank you, Killian. And you don’t have to worry about Liam, he has his sippy cup with juice in it.”
  “Okay.” Killian turns his head to look at David. “Want a beer?”
  “Sure, you got Lone Star?”
  Killian’s lips stretch into a wide grin. “Any other beer would be treason.” After he grabs his fishing gear and stores it in the garage, he and David head inside the house. 
  Killian goes to the refrigerator and pulls out a pitcher of sweet tea, a fruit punch Capri Sun and two bottles of beer, setting them on the island counter. He pops off the caps of the beers before handing a bottle to David. “What important things did you have in mind to discuss?”
  David holds up his bag. “Take a wild guess.”
  Killian sighs as he pours Mary Margaret a tall glass of tea. “And here I thought you just wanted to catch up on old times.”
  “I do, but I also want to discuss a case with you,” David admits softly before taking a swig of his beer.
  Killian’s jaw twitches as he glares at his old friend. “Then you’re wasting your time. I came here to Port Lavaca to get away from that stuff.”
  “Which is exactly why I brought it to you.” David sets down his beer and places his laptop bag on the counter, unzipping it. “Just give me five minutes, okay?”
  “And why should I?”
  “Because you’ll want your hands on this case, trust me.” David pulls out his computer and sets it up on the counter.
  “How are Elsa and Camila doing?” Killian asks, deliberately changing the subject. He’s not interested in whatever case David is about to present to him, nor is he pretending to be. 
  “Why don't you ask them yourself?”
  “Because you see them and talk to them more often than I do. I didn’t even get invited to Anna’s wedding, which I’m positive the Maid of Honor had something to with.”
  David looks up from his open laptop, furrowing his brows. “Doesn't the bride and groom normally choose the people on the guest list? Mary Margaret and I chose our own guests for our wedding.”
  “True, but even if Anna and Kristoff wanted to invite me, you don’t think Elsa talked them out of it?”
  David shrugs. “Maybe, but if she did, who’s fault is that?”
  “David…” Killian mutters with a pained expression, his heart constricting. “You know my relationship with Elsa hasn’t been the best since Liam passed.” 
  David turns around and plants his hands on his hips, gaping at Killian. “Hasn’t been the best? It’s almost nonexistent.”
  “Aye, because of what happened,” Killian states bitterly. “Since then, she’s only ever let me stop by so I can pick up my niece and spend time with her.” He desperately wants to change that though. He wants his sister-in-law back, he wants the friendship they once had, and he wants to spend time with both her and Camila again. He’s tired of missing out on important milestones in Camila's life all because her mother and uncle prefer not to be in the same room together. He’s just been too much of a coward to tell Elsa that. To apologize for letting his temper get the best of him.
  “Do you blame her? You let her husband’s killer get away with murder,” David scolds.
  Killian slams his beer on the counter, anger surging through him. “I loved him too, okay?! I was only trying to prove—no, you know what?” He raises his open palms in protest. “I’m not doing this with you. Not today, not ever.” He gathers the beverages and storms out, the backdoor squeaking on its corroded hinges as he strides onto the deck and rushes down the steps. He doesn’t need this shite. His nephews are here to visit with him and he’s not about to waste the opportunity.
  “Killian, wait!” David calls out from the deck as Killian trudges through the sand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said that! I know you loved him! We all did!”
  Killian turns around, pinning him with a glare as David makes his way down the steps. “He was my brother. I’m the last person in the world who wanted that piece of scum to get away with ending his life.”
  “I know.” David sighs as he inches closer. “Which is why I’m here.”
  Killian narrows his eyes, his brows knitted in confusion. “I thought you were here to discuss a case?” 
  A pained expression etches David’s features. “I am. A case involving your brother’s killer.”
  Killian’s fists clench around the drinks, his jaw tightening at the thought of another innocent victim falling at the hands of—
  No, he can't do this. He’s not going down that path again; it only leads to anger, bitterness and vengeance. He shakes his head. “I told you, I’m done with detective work. I’m not interested.” He walks away again, heading toward Mary Margaret and his nephews.
  “What if I said there's a good possibility you could catch him this time? Then would you be interested?”
  Killian stops in his tracks, gazing out at the sea as David’s words slice through him. No, he shouldn’t care about catching Liam’s killer anymore. He gave up a long time ago. But somehow he finds himself turning around to face David again, curiosity clawing at his gut. “How?”
  A triumphant grin crawls across David’s lips. “I knew that would gain your attention.”
  “Just tell me,” Killian demands ardently.
  David steps toward him. “I'll tell you when you agree to hear me out.” He holds up the five fingers of his right hand. “Five minutes.” 
  “I’m sorry, I can’t,” Killian mumbles and turns around, walking away. This time, David doesn’t holler after him or follow him.
  When Killian brings the drinks to Mary Margaret and Leo, she thanks him and lifts her sunglasses, perching them atop her head and squinting up at Killian. “What were you and David shouting about?”
  He shakes his head. “Nothing important.”
  Mary Margaret frowns, not believing him. “You should hear him out, Killian. He really misses working with you.”
  Killian sighs and sips his beer as he watches Liam filling his bucket with sand and Leo walking along the shore, collecting seashells. “Will I really want my hands on the case?”
  A solemn expression creases Mary Margaret’s features. “Would David drive three hours to ask you if he thought otherwise?”
  “He would if it meant spending time with an old friend… or at least I would hope,” Killian grumbles.
  “Of course he would, but if he didn’t think you’d be interested, he wouldn’t have brought it up.” 
  Killian takes another swig of his beer, pondering David’s offer.
  Mary Margaret puts her tea in the beach cup holder she’d brought with her and gets up to walk toward her sons, giving Leo his drink and sitting across from Liam to help him make a sandcastle. 
  Killian misses spending time with them, but he doesn’t know if he’s ready to head back to Storybrooke. He’d moved here to this fishing town, Port Lavaca, almost two years ago and bought this cabin on Lighthouse Beach. After Cassidy got away with murdering Liam, Killian blamed himself—everyone blamed him—and he couldn’t stand to be in Storybrooke any longer. He couldn’t live in a town that reminded him of his brother, a town that couldn’t bring his brother’s murderer to justice and pointed their fingers at Killian for the reason Cassidy got away with his crime. David knows he has no interest in going back. Not to Storybrooke, not to the SBPD, and yet he made the trip with his family three hours away from home. Nolan wouldn’t have bothered bringing the case with him if he knew Killian wouldn’t take the bait.
  When Killian heads inside and steps through the backdoor, David’s back is leaning against the counter, his arms crossed as he waits for a different answer. Or rather the answer he wants to hear.
  Killian knows he’ll regret this, but he can’t deny his curiosity is piqued. The detective in him is itching to know more about the case, or so he tells himself. He assents with an exasperated sigh. “Five minutes. That’s all you get.”
  David grins. “That’s all I need.” He brings his laptop to the table, and once Killian takes a seat next to him, David plays a video that’s ready to go on his laptop. “This was recorded yesterday.”
  The video feed takes place in the interrogation room. David and Detective Jefferson are sitting at one side of the table and there’s a man in a suit sitting on the other side who David says is an attorney. But what really piques his interest—or rather who—is the blonde woman sitting next to the attorney. She’s beautiful, with long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail and striking green eyes. She’s wearing a black blouse under a fire engine red, two-piece suit and red pumps on her feet. Bold color choice. She’s definitely not a woman who lacks confidence. 
  “Who is she?”
  “This is Dr. Emma Swan. She’s a surgeon at Storybrooke General.”
  “That name sounds familiar,” Killian comments, more to himself than to David.
  “She’s Anna and Elsa’s cousin. But this conversation and what I’m showing you has to stay between us. I’m only here to visit with an old friend, got it? I haven’t even told Mary Margaret that Anna and Elsa’s cousin is involved in the case.”
  Killian nods. “I understand, but what’s her crime? Dressing too nicely. Being too pretty?” he quips with a smirk.
  David rolls his eyes. “This is serious, Jones.” He reverts his gaze to the computer screen. “Her colleague, Dr. Graham Humbert, was murdered seven days ago in the Storybrooke General parking lot. They were rival surgeons who bickered and teased each other all the time. Both were vying for the Chief of Surgery position he was appointed to just a week before he was murdered.”
  “And you think she offed him for his job title?” Killian asks, unable to take his eyes off her. She doesn’t look like your typical suspect by any means. She’s calm and still, her arms and legs crossed casually, her face expressionless. Typically, people who were being questioned for a felony offense trembled, couldn’t sit still and would sweat profusely. But not this woman. He can't detect any sign of fear or worry in her eyes, her posture or her behavior. 
  “I think there’s more to it than that, but yes, I think she had something to do with his death. The night he was murdered, Dr. Swan was with Graham at the Rabbit Hole. According to other colleagues who were also there celebrating Graham’s promotion, the two surgeons were having an intimate discussion.”
  Killian lifts a brow. “You think they were lovers?”
  “According to Emma and everyone else, they weren’t. They often squabbled, but it was mostly friendly. They respected each other.” 
  “Ah, I see.”
  “Dr. Swan said he walked her to her car that night, and before she left, she saw him head back inside. According to the bar owner and his employees who were on duty that night, Dr. Humbert left the bar an hour later, around eleven o’clock and went home. His phone records show he received a call at 2:20 in the morning, but it was from a restricted number.”
  “And let me guess, the number was untraceable?”
  “Yep. But whoever called him knew the safety code.”
  “Safety code?”
  “Anyone who calls in hospital staff is required to supply the safety code. You know, like when parents give their kids a safety word for emergencies so they don’t get abducted by strangers.”
  “So, whoever called Humbert was someone who works at the hospital?”
  “Possibly, and either that person had something to do with his murder or it’s a sheer coincidence the phone call preceded his death by only twenty minutes. But no one I spoke with at the hospital knew about the phone call or why he would've been called in. He wasn't on call that night.”
  “Was Dr. Humbert married?”
  “Nope, never was. A few people I interviewed mentioned he once had a fling with Dr. Regina Mills, head of Cardiology, but it ended four years ago. She’s now happily married.”
  “Maybe they still had something together, but kept it secret so her husband didn’t find out? And if so, maybe her husband found out and is the one who murdered him?”
  “The husband, Mr. Locksley owns the Rabbit Hole, and he was closing the bar at the time Dr. Humbert was murdered. One of his employees was there to corroborate that.” 
  “Dr. Mills didn’t take his last name when they got married?”
  “No, I asked her about it during the interview, and she said she wanted to keep her maiden name to avoid confusing her regular patients.”
  “And where was she that night?”
  “She was tending to a patient with cardiac arrest.” 
  “What was the cause of Dr. Humbert's death?”
  David clears his throat and retrieves a folder from his bag, pulls out some photos and spreads them over the table. 
  Killian swallows the sizable lump in his throat. The photos are of the murder victim with a knife lodged in beneath his left arm. 
  “Massive hemorrhaging from the stab wound.”
  Killian picks up one of the photos, studying it. “And the knife’s untraceable as well?” he asks bitterly, though he doesn’t need to. He already knows the answer.
  “Of course. The knife is an average filleting knife that could’ve come from any kitchen. The blade went through clean as a whistle and popped Dr. Humbert's heart like a balloon. And no fingerprints. Whoever did this knew what he was doing. Or she.”
  “Like another doctor?”
  David shrugs. “Possibly.”
  “And you’re certain the cardiologist was with a patient? She would know exactly where to stab a person to make it fatal.”
  “I checked the hospital security footage for verification. She went into her patient’s room at the time of the murder. Her alibi checks out.”
  “Were there any witnesses?”
  “A security guard saw Humbert pull into the parking lot but never saw him go inside. When he left his post to check on Dr. Humbert, he found Graham’s body near his car. The murderer was like a ghost. Never seen, never heard. He left without a fucking trace.”
  The hairs on the back of Killian’s neck stand on end. “Cassidy...” He cringes from merely speaking his name.
  David nods. “Question is, who hired him?”
  “This Dr. Swan… is she married?” Killian doesn’t think Emma had anything to do with the murder, but perhaps a jealous lover who saw her with Graham that night hired Cassidy. He’s drawing straws though.
  “No husband or boyfriend to speak of. She lives alone. No kids, not even birth parents. She was shuffled around from one foster home to another until she was adopted at the age of ten—by Anna and Elsa’s aunt. I’m sure you've heard the story?”
  “Aye, after their parents died in a car accident, Anna and Elsa went to stay with their Aunt Ingrid and her adopted daughter.” Killian points at the computer screen. “That’s her?”
  David nods. “Yep. The aloof cousin.” 
  “Huh.” Why has he never met this aloof cousin? Of course, if he’d known she was so gorgeous, he’d have made that happen a long time ago, but he'd never seen a picture of her, at least not one of her as an adult. If he had, he would have recognized her on the video. Killian shakes off the thoughts and studies the photos again. “I don’t get how a good-looking, successful doctor like this man stayed single?” Or a beautiful, successful doctor like Emma for that matter.
  David shrugs. “He probably was by choice. Maybe he was too focused on his career and thought a romantic relationship would only distract him. Or maybe he was in love with Regina and knew he couldn’t have her, so he didn’t want anyone else.”
  “Or maybe he was in love with someone else?” Killian poses. If he were Graham and had a female friend like Emma, he doubts he’d have only platonic feelings for her. “You said he walked Emma to her car that night?”
  “That’s right.”
  “Was there a kiss goodnight?”
  “When I questioned Dr. Swan, she said they hugged, and he kissed her on the cheek. I asked her if that was normal and she said no. It surprised her. But I checked the video footage in front of the bar. Mr. Locksley set up a camera there after someone tried to throw a rock through the door window a couple of years ago.”
  “To steal alcohol?”
  “Or cash from the till,” David shrugs. “Whatever their reason was, they weren’t successful. Probably got spooked by someone who saw them. Anyway, the hug between the two surgeons lasted too long to be friendly.”
  “How long?”
  “Ten seconds.”
  “How long is a normal hug?”
  “A few seconds, maybe more, depending on the relationship of the person you’re hugging. But ten seconds is too long if you’re only friends. Or frenemies in this case. So maybe, Graham had feelings for her but she didn’t return them? Maybe Graham made her feel uncomfortable or said something to her when he hugged her, and that, topped with him getting the promotion she desired was enough to want him dead.”
  Killian mulls it over for a moment, then shakes his head. “No, it’s too obvious. She’s smarter than that. She’s a doctor and has way more education than both of us combined. If she really wanted him dead, she wouldn’t have hired someone to murder him a week after his promotion. I don’t think she hired Cassidy.”
  David cocks a brow, a sly smirk curving his lips. “So does that mean you’re in?”
  “I didn’t say that,” Killian grumbles.
  “But it’s been over five minutes. Which means I’ve intrigued you. Otherwise, we’d be outside with my wife and kids right now.”
  Bloody hell. 
  David’s right. Killian is intrigued, and not solely by the case, but by the blonde woman on David’s computer screen. He wants to know more about her; he wants to find out more information. He has a gut feeling about her; he knows she didn’t murder Dr. Humbert. He doesn’t believe the whole rival surgeons scenario is a motive for murder. He and David also bicker and tease each other, but he would never murder David over a job promotion. “Okay, fine. I’m intrigued. But as I said, I don’t think she had anything to do with Dr. Humbert’s murder.” 
  David makes a noise of hesitance and appears to be unsure about Killian’s assessment. “There’s something else you should know that might change your mind.”
  Killian cocks a brow. “What’s that?”
  “Did you hear about Cassidy’s most recent trial?”
  Killian shakes his head. “I stopped watching the news or following any media regarding that arsehole,” Killian mutters. “Not knowing there’s yet another victim left in his path of destruction is the only way I can sleep at night.”
  “He was acquitted from another capital punishment.” 
  Killian scoffs. “So he got away with another murder? What else is new?”
  David sighs and fast-forwards through the video. “Just listen.” He hits play.
  “Dr. Swan, did you recently serve on a jury that recently acquitted an accused contract killer, Neal Gold?”
  Killian’s eyebrow jumps, and he reclines in his chair, crossing his arms.
  “What’s the relevance of the question, Detective?” Mr. Hopper asks, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
  David raises his hand in defense. “I’ll get to that, I promise.”
  “Please do very quickly,” Emma says curtly. “Some of us don’t have time for unnecessary interviews. I have patients waiting for me.”
  David sighs. “The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner you can leave.”
  She expels a tentative breath. “Yes, I served on the jury that acquitted Mr. Gold.”
  “And were you or were you not the forewoman?”
  Killian swallows the lump in his throat. 
  “I was. But you already knew that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked.”
  “Feisty lass,” Killian remarks with a subtle smirk.
  David nods. “That’s for sure. Feisty but polite.” 
  They revert their attention to the video.
  “That’s correct. I’ve already interviewed the other eleven jurors.”
  “Why?”
  “Because I believe Dr. Humbert’s killer was hired. He wasn’t robbed, and he has no known adversaries… other than you, Dr. Swan.”
  Emma narrows her eyes at the insinuation. “Dr. Humbert and I were not adversaries. We were friendly colleagues.”
  “Yes, you were a colleague of his who wanted the promotion he got, and recently let a contract killer back on the streets.”
  Her eyes widen as she lunges forward in her seat. “I didn’t free him. The judge made the final decision. My job was to determine the facts and reach a verdict based on all the facts and evidence. In that case, the evidence was lacking.” 
  Her attorney puts out his hand to stop her from continuing to speak any further. “Detective, Mr. Gold’s crime was alleged and has no relevance to this case.”
  David pauses the video. “Some of the jurors said Cassidy and the doctor kept making eyes at each other.
  Killian quirks a brow. He doesn't doubt any straight, red-blooded male would be attracted to Emma, but he highly doubts a woman of her class, beauty and intelligence would be interested in a scumbag like Cassidy. “Did you question her about it?”
  “Yes, she claimed he kept staring at her, but that his attentions were very much unwanted. That’s as far as I got before Mr. Hopper stood and asked if there were any more unnecessary questions I wanted to ask her.”
  “So, you think the doctor hired Cassidy to eliminate her competition?”
  “The crime scene had his name written all over it.”
  “I’m not arguing that. But I don’t think someone like her,” Killian says, pointing at the paused screen, “would get involved with someone like that piece of scum.” The thought makes him utterly sick to his stomach.
  “He may be scum, but he’s clever scum. That’s why your brother coined his moniker, remember?”
  “Aye.” He remembers very well when Liam began calling him Cassidy. 
  One time Killian asked his brother why he called him that, and he said Neal’s father, a convicted felon Liam successfully put behind bars, was referred to only as his surname, Gold. To avoid any confusion, he didn’t call Neal by his surname too, nor did he wish to call Neal by his first name—Liam never called perps by their first name—so initially, Neal was the clever killer because he seemed to be an exception to Locard's Exchange Principle, which asserts, “the perpetrator of a crime will bring something to the crime scene and leave with something from it,” and that “both can be used as forensic evidence.” Dr. Edmond Locard was the Sherlock Holmes of France who came up with the basic principle of forensic science, “every contact leaves a trace.”  
  While Cassidy always leaves a weapon at the scene, he never purchases the weapons, or at least there is never a trace of the purchase. He also never leaves fingerprints. There was only one single time when Cassidy was sloppy and accidentally left something of his behind and that was when he murdered Liam. But he never took anything from his victims.  
  The name Cassidy was brought up when Elsa became pregnant with Camila and they were deciding on names. Elsa had mentioned Cassidy as a possible name for their daughter, and when Liam looked up the name to see what it meant, he discovered the origins of the name and that it meant clever. So it became Neal’s nickname.
  When Liam’s daughter was born, he suggested they call her Camila, which means perfect , and Elsa was immediately on board with it. Killian’s glad Liam and Elsa didn’t end up naming their child Cassidy. How ironic would it have been if Liam gave his daughter the same name he gave the man who eventually killed him? 
  Liam never mentioned Neal Gold to Elsa, he didn’t like bringing work home with him and he especially didn’t like to cause his wife any distress by talking about a notorious serial killer on the loose. He didn’t want Elsa to worry about her husband, and while she knew the risks that came with Liam’s job as a homicide detective, he made her believe he mostly reviewed old, unsolved cases. 
  After Liam died, Killian promised Elsa he’d find her husband’s killer. While no one was certain of who murdered Liam because there was no evidence, except for a single thread of fabric left behind at the crime scene, Killian and David knew. But Killian botched any chance they had of convicting Cassidy and failed Elsa and Camila in the process. Not only did he fail, but he’s the reason why Cassidy couldn’t be convicted. He acted on high emotions after Liam’s death. He was so angry and vengeful, he was willing to do whatever it took to put Cassidy behind bars. And that’s exactly why he failed. He didn’t think. He made a split decision, and several people have subsequently paid the price for that decision. Now a highly respected surgeon has been added to that list, along with who knows how many others.
  “So, how will you proceed?” Killian asks skittishly, afraid of what David’s answer might be.
  “Not me. Us,” David says. “I need your help.”
  “Why me? Why not Scarlet or Jefferson?”
  “Because I need someone with your instincts, someone good, and you're better than them or anyone else in our department. Besides, no one knows Cassidy like you do.”
  Killian shakes his head. “I can’t. Any case involving Cassidy is personal for me. After he killed—” His voice cracks. He can’t even force the rest of the words out. “I can't.”
  “Come on, Killian. I’m not asking you to come back permanently; just this one case, that's it,” David pleads. “If you won’t do this for me, do it for your brother.”
  Damn it, Nolan. Why did he have to go and use that card? 
  Killian sighs and stands up, pacing the kitchen. When he reaches David again, he stops and places his hands on his hips. “Let’s say I said yes, what would you want me to do?”
  “Search for any clues that will tell us if Emma and Cassidy are in alliance.”
  Killian furrows his brows. “Since you need probable cause, I'm guessing you don't have a warrant for Dr. Swan, so how do you suppose I do that?”
  David shakes his head. “Ah-ah, I’m not telling you until you say you’re in.”
  Killian sighs dramatically as he drags his hand over his face. He has a feeling he’s not going to like whatever plan David has up his sleeve. But he misses working with him again, and he has to admit, he still doesn’t believe Emma had anything to do with her colleague’s murder. So perhaps he can go along with David’s plan to prove that. He looks at David again and with a curt nod, he makes it official. “I’m in.”
  To that, David says nothing, just grins complacently.
  Killian gulps. What the bloody hell did he just sign up for?
Tagging some people who have shown interest so far. If you would like to be tagged or untagged, please let me know.
@itsfabianadocarmo @snowbellewells @ilovemesomekillianjones @nikkiemms @teamhook @xhookswenchx @nikkiemms @xsajx @julesep3026 @hookedmom @biefaless @cluttermind @yasbio2015 @kmomof4 @lfh1226-linda @harshini01 @noensnaringnet @xarandomdreamx @onceuponaprincessworld @annastasiarinaldiva @royalswan @brustudyblog @officerrogers @gingerchangeling @melly326 @singersdd @mzbossyboots @unworried-corsair @iamemmaswanjones @authorarsinoe @kingofmyheart14 @nightskylover @jamif @resident-of-storybrooke​ @iam2307​ @winterbaby89​ @chinawoodfan @mormonkryptonite @ultraluckycatnd @captainswan-shipper88 @killianswanjones @bethdacattfm @andiirivera
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nadirhayyat · 3 years
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Lenovo IdeaPad 5i | Intel 11th Generation + NVIDIA MX450
Today we have a very special laptop Lenovo IdeaPad 5i with us. It is a 16-inch laptop, and it comes with Intel's latest 11th generation tiger lake processor. So, let's check the laptop out, and then let's review it together. It also has Intel IRIS XC graphics, and it comes with an NVIDIA MX450 graphics card, so that's amazing. What you get in the box are the laptop, some documents, and the charger.
Now let's jump to the review.
Today we are reviewing the latest and the greatest from the stables of Lenovo, the laptop Lenovo IdeaPad 5i. The exact model number is 14i tl05. Let me quickly sync up on its killer specs, so we have Intel's latest 11th generation core i5 processor with IRIS XC integrated graphics 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, 512 GB of M.2 SSD storage, and to top it all, it also has a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics card with 2 GB of GDDR6 video RAM. You get all this and much more for less than a thousand bucks. This might be the best price to performance ratio I've ever seen. Let's talk about its display; the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i comes with a 14 inch full HD 1080p IPS panel. The display is not made for content creators, but it will serve its purpose for normal usage scenarios like watching movies, YouTube, and office work.
Why not for content creators? It's because the display only covers 65 percent of the RGB color gamut, not bad by any means, but if you're into serious photo and video editing business, then you may want to hook up an external monitor. The display gets sufficiently bright as well. I am happy with the display, considering it is the only weak point in an overall awesome package. However, the chassis is all plastic. It looks and feels super durable and premium. It is a very well-constructed laptop with a robust build quality. The finish is smooth and resistant to fingerprints. It is, after all, an ultra-book and weighs around 1.4 KGs. This makes it a fairly portable laptop that is easier to carry and will fit in nearly every backpack on the lid. IdeaPad 5i has an aluminum finish which looks nice. The hinge of the laptop is strong, and there is very minimal flex on the lid. The bottom of the laptop is clean with the air intake grilles and rubberized pads. The heat vents are located at the bottom chassis behind the keyboard, and they are quite large, which keeps this laptop cool. The unique feature of this laptop is the privacy shutter.
The camera button slide opens when you are ready to be on the camera and pushes it back into place when you are done.  Thanks to its amazing internals, it is powered by intel core i5 11th  generation tiger lake CPU, which is almost 30 faster than the previous-gen. With 11th gen Intel has finally caught up with the Ryzen 4000 series CPUs. One big addition to this year's release is the IRIS XC graphics through which you can easily do 1080p gaming at 30fps which is just brilliant from Intel. This model with NVIDIA's latest MX450 dedicated graphics card, which is a treat for gamers and someone who needs additional graphics power for the programs they run. On top of all that, 16 GB of RAM makes everything better in this laptop. It forms like a champ. Its performance is superb, even if your system is overloaded. It neither stutters nor gets heated up without any thermal throttling whatsoever. 4k video editing is possible on this laptop.  It performs well. 512 GB of SSD also helps in fast speed. Thanks to Lenovo for bringing this amazing device to the masses.
Let's talk about gaming. Gaming is a cakewalk for IdeaPad 5i. It gives you between 50 to 60 fps on high settings. The benchmark scores are also amazing. Thanks to MX 450 dedicated graphics with 2 GB of GDDR6 video RAM. You can easily play on medium settings on this ultra-book. Battery life is amazing on low to moderate usage with brightness at eighty percent with a battery life of between six to eight hours. It charges quickly as well and will charge up to fifty percent in an hour.
Now let's talk about the keyboard. Lenovo makes great keyboards, and it continues to deliver the same stellar experience on IdeaPad 5i. The keyboard on offer is responsive with good key travel. you can type for hours on this top. The inbuilt fingerprint sensor below the keyboard is really good and one of the fastest out there. It's decent, not made of glass, so fingers do not light smoothly. It supports Windows 10 gestures. You need to apply a bit of pressure to register a click. You have 2 USB 3.1 gen1 ports and a full-size SD card reader. You have the charge port USB C port, which supports power delivery, an HDMI port, and an audio jack in terms of upgradability. Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade the RAM as it's soldered onto the motherboard, but you have the option to upgrade the SSD to a bigger and better one if you want speakers.
Lastly, the speakers on IdeaPad 5i are upward-firing, which produces great sound. It supports Dolby audio and can easily fill up the room alright time for final thoughts for under 1000 bucks you cannot ask for a better deal in 2020. what you're getting is Intel's latest tiger lake processor, 16 GB of RAM, and NVIDIA's dedicated MX 450 graphics card, all this and much more in a very slim package as well I love my time with this great machine if you're looking for a serious work plus fun laptop then this should be it. It's great for both professionals and students and with such serious power underneath you will never be left wanting for more. The laptop is my top recommendation; great job Lenovo for bringing this to the market at such an amazing price if you are in the market for a laptop. Please don't buy Intel 10 generation laptops.
">Go for the 11th generation, and take your pick.
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ghostpajamas · 4 years
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PJ .......do you have any advice for like. art programs and tablets and the like? cause im lookin to upgrade my art set up from my fingie and a samsung tablet the age of a second grader KSALHSJDKSJD. any advice is helpful like what to avoid what to get, etc. im just going around asking other artists what they think.
HMMM! YEAH I COULD PROB GIVE A RUN DOWN OF STUFF I'VE USED AND WOULD/WOULDN'T RECC! do you have a pc or laptop that runs windows? bc thats what i have going on so its basically all i can recc for kkjjjgjjgg
programs
>firealpaca/medibang: FREE!!! theyre basically the same program but medibang has cloud support and firealpaca has onion skin mode for animating. both work very smoothly (even on an ancient pc like mine) and have easy to learn interfaces! this is a big fave recc for beginners and honestly? it holds up, i still use it often. almost no computer strain. 4 stars
>aggie.io: free, in browser, can be used collaboratively. it has good tools ngl. i use it a lot to fuck around with and its pretty functional. id recc it for getting used to a tablet or if you dont want to learn a whole program right of the bat. or just for fun really. low strain. 3.5/4 stars
>paint tool sai: last i checked sai is 40$ish? now, sai is probably my favorite program in the world. it has such a smooth and comfortable brush engine, pretty limited tools (but sai v2 has a text and shape tool, swag), and a very clean ui. it took a bit more time to get the hang of than firealpaca but it's been my go to for 4 years now. low strain 4.5 stars
>photoshop(cs6): a million fucking dollars just pirate it. it has good brushes and tools if you know how to use them but its honestly a huge hassle to figure out how to do basic shit it. i really dont recc it. HIGH strain. 2 stars
>clip studio paint: 50$ but it goes on half off sale like, twice a year. photoshop done RIGHT. clip is very comfortable to learn and it has an online marketplace and forums for downloading other people's brushes/materials and figuring stuff out if you're having a rough time. has just about the same functionality of photoshop but without the brain hell ui. medium-high strain. 4.5 stars
>autodesk sketchbook (pc): free. i used this when i was just starting out back in 2014/15 and its pretty good for goofing around but i dont think i could do serious illustration in it (edit: iprob could if i could get my tablet to work with it). i reopened it a few months ago and i had no idea how to use it. last i checked it had a layer limit of like, 3 but i dont know if thats gone. (edit: it is) low-medium strain. 3.5 stars
tablets
for pen tablets, id recc taping shiny paper on the surface bc they (wacom tablets specifically) have rough surfaces that eat through your nib like candy
>wacom intuos pen and touch (small, old version): 200$, it was good. it broke for a while bc tea spilled all over it and the cord fell in yogurt but i excavated it from the attic and it works fine now? setup is pretty easy but wacom product constantly want driver updates. has an eraser and 2 buttons on the pen. 4 on the tablet, comes with 3 spare nibs. 3.5 stars
>wacom intuos pro (small): 250$, this baby was smoother and had a nicer pen, ngl. it also needed constant driver updates which was a real hassle. has an eraser and 2 more pronounced buttons on the pen. good pen weight. 6 buttons and a touch wheel on the tablet. comes with 10 spare nibs (variety set) and a pen stand. 4.5 stars
>xp-pen 13.3 inch monitor tablet: 300$, set-up was a BIG hassle but i havent had to update the driver since and it works very smoothly. 6 buttons on the tablet, 2 on the pen, no pen eraser. comes with 10 spare nibs, a glove, pen stand/a tube to keep it in, a screen protector (that i removed like a fool). no tilt support (i dont like tilt anyway so it wasnt a problem for me). requires an hdmi port on your computer. id say it's pretty good for the price, though i do still like pen tablets. 4.5 stars
for starter tablets id recc xp-pen or huion pen tablets bc they go for like, 40-60$ dollars and i hear theyre pretty good. or! i think wacom has some pretty cheap tablets available. a wacom intuos small is about 80$.
haha this was really long sorry. i hope it helps, good luck, evan!!! ❤️❤️❤️
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ranger-jedi-knight · 5 years
Text
A New Hero Ch 11
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20887313/chapters/55650205 Tag List: @vixen-uchiha
I’ve done a bad. I’ve been forgettin to put TWEETS AT THE END OF THE CHAPS!! IM SO SORRY!! I’LL FIX IT BY STARTIN IT BACK UP!!! As you’ll see, I’m givin Gotham some love. It just seemed right to do it. Ok, so there’s goin to be a delay as my laptops charger port(n possibly also the cable cause fuck me apparently) failed finally where it won’t be seen let alone charge. So ya, I gotta use my phone for the majority of things(but on the lucky days that I can get my laptop to work yay! But ya), so sorry bout the delays. Here it is!
The batbois could only sigh as they swung around Gotham at night patrolling. The night was tough. They’ve each dealt with three muggings, a few robberies, drug bust each and Red Hood, Batman, and Robin all dealt with Penguin trying to rob the museum. Then Nightwing and Red Robin both talked about stopping potential rapists. So they were pretty tired after the fairly active night.
Don’t get them wrong, they know they’re lucky since this was one of the quieter nights in Gotham. They’ve faced worse nights. They’re all just glad that their patrol was almost done. Red Hood glared at the street as he watched two guys following a girl. He tapped Robin’s shoulder and the two started after the three.
Lana was absolutely tired. It was late. She should have been home hours ago sleeping. But no. She had to stay behind at school, then moved to a 24-hour cafe a few miles from the college(and her apartment a block from the college), for a group project and her group kept getting backtracked. She heard two people following her and took her phone out and raised it a bit to look behind her. It was two men in dark clothing with the hoods up. Her screen lit up showing the time. 1:32 AM.
She could only sigh at the reminder. She tugged her messenger bag’s strap up her shoulder as she walked. She soon stopped under a lamp, rolling her neck as she waited for the two men to reach her. She might as well deal with them so they didn’t follow her home. Her friends Bee and Cahaya were there waiting to do a sleepover, something she promised a week ago. They were saints for being ok to wait for her even though she told them it would take a while to finish the project. So ya, she didn’t want to risk them to the two perverts.
One man put his hand on her shoulder and started turning her while the other pulled out a knife to point at her. As he turned her to face them, she pulled her bag off her shoulder and swung it hard at the two. It hit the two men in the head and they stumbled back or to the side shocked. She then kicked the knife out of the shocked man’s hand and pulled the pen out from its place in her hair. The one that held the knife reacted first and she threw the pen as hard as she could and it caught his sweatshirt and pinned him to the telephone pole behind them.
The first man growled while the other one looked absolutely shocked at what she did. The first man then charged at her and she sidestepped him while grabbing his arm. As he went past her, she stepped behind him and twisted his arm up so that his hand was against the opposite shoulder blade. Lana grunted as she raised her right foot and kicked the small of his back, sending the man stumbling down onto his knees. She turned to the other one who threw the pen onto the ground.
She smirked as she pulled her fist back and punched the man hard in the nose. As the man fell against the phone pole clutching his nose, she rammed her elbow into his head dazing him. The first man wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. Her feet kicked out before he leaned over and her feet touched the ground once more. She threw her head back, hitting his nose, then rammed her elbow into his stomach and broke from his grip and kicked him hard in the crotch. He fell to his knees gripping there before glaring at her.
Jason was shocked. He and Damian had been staring as the girl, now identified as Lana Grayson, beat up her stalkers. When the man she kicked started getting up, they jumped down behind the guy and quickly take him down. While Robin tied up the two, he went over to Lana as she sagged a bit with a yawn. “Are you alright miss? That was quite the takedown you did before we came,” he said and Lana nodded and covered her mouth with her hand as another yawn left her.
“Yeah, I’m alright,” she mumbled out as she put her bag onto her shoulder once more. Red Hood nodded at the info.
“How come you’re out this late miss? You know it’s dangerous,” he asked this time and she just groaned.
“Classmates. We-*yawn*-had-have a group project for-*yawn*-class. Just...just finished it,” she answered rubbing her eyes. Now that the threat of being raped was gone, her tiredness came back full force. Thou she wished it waited until she was safe and sound in her dorm/apartment. Red Hood smiled as he watched Lana respond throu yawns, thou she couldn’t see it.
“Where’s your place?”
“Over-*yawn*-there,” she pointed to a complex still a mile away near the college and he nodded.
“I’ll escort you the rest of the way, miss. You look like you could fall asleep at any minute,” he offered and she nodded at that.
“Thank you-*yawn*-Hood,” she said before walking toward her place. Robin nodded and told the others what was happening, well giving better details that is since they did hear his voice just not the other persons, while Red Hood walked with her.
“Ok, understood. See you two back at the cave,” Nightwing said and the others grunted their responses. Red Hood stood in front of Lana’s building as she stood in front of the door opening it.
“Stay safe alright, miss?” he called and she gave a nod and smile before entering the building with a yawn. He stayed there until he lost sight of her entering the elevator and went back to Robin who had the two men tied to the light pole.
“Ready, Hood?” Robin asked and Red Hood nodded. The two then continued on and head back to the cave to meet with the others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~(ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So Jay-bird, you ran into and helped Lana. Hmm?” Dick asked teasingly as they ate breakfast. Jason glared at Dick while Damian smirked to the side.
“Fuck off. All I did was make sure she got home safely after taking out her potential rapists. Damian helped with it,” Jason grumbled eating his breakfast.
“No need to get embarrassed, Jay-bird,” Dick said and Jason leveled a glare at him which had Dick’s smile lessening a bit.
“What’s to be embarrassed about, I helped her out as Red Hood, my job. But the thing we should be embarrassed about is how long it’s taking you and Babs to get married,” he retorted and Dick frowned with a blush, looking away. Tim and Steph snorted in response to that.
“Did you hear the news Damian? Mari’s class won the contest WE hosted,” Tim said and Damian smiled.
“Yes, I did. Mari called me to tell me the good news. For your information also, Mari asked for me to come to Paris for a few days to help finish a project they started last year,” Damian replied and his brothers nodded at that.
“Ah yes, the movie,” Jason responded and Damian nodded. “How are you helping them finish it?”
“Mari and her friends figured a good end would be for a person the main antagonist lied about showed up and exposed her,” he explained and his brothers nodded understanding. “Though, she also said she had a surprise.”
“A surprise?” Dick asked and Damian nodded.
“Yes, a surprise. She wouldn’t say who it’s for. Just that since I’ll be visiting it’d be hard to hide so she’s going to tell me. But I won’t be able to tell anyone else about it,” he explained taking his plate to the sink to clean it.
“Hope it’s a good surprise for the person,” Tim muttered.
“I’m sure it will be. This is Mari we’re talking about,” Damian countered which had the others nodding. “Now, I’ll be off, Ember and Jon said they have a surprise for me and I wish to get it over with as soon as possible.”
“Alright, brat. Have fun and don’t hurt them too much if you hate the surprise,” Jason teased out. “You know father hid the kryptonite. So Jon is safe until I locate it.”
“Well, Clark appreciates him hiding it,” Steph said and like that Clark came down into the kitchen smiling.
“I do appreciate it. And Damian, I know what the surprise is, I have a feeling you’ll really like it,” Clark said and Damian nodded to him before leaving the room to find his friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~(ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon @supersonsfriends
Looks like the surprise went well!! Welcome back, Rae!! #yess #thatwasnervewracking #sogladitwentwell #oldmentor *Damian hugging a dark skinned woman with her dark brown hair pulled into a braid, a rose hairpin holding her bangs back, a pink nose ring on the right side of her nose along with a lip piercing. Rea held him just as tightly. Jon and Ember(pale skinned with brown hair pulled into a bun, a scar over her right eye(gray eyes)) smiling at the camera while looking back slightly at the three*
Dick smiled at his phone and Alya smiled herself as she looked over his shoulder at that. “How sweet. Knew em back before moving in with Bruce?” she asked and he nodded.
“Ya, they were close. He didn’t know what happened to them when he came to Bruce. I’m glad they’re reunited,” Dick answered and Alya nodded agreement as she started working on the case they were assigned.
“I’ll be honest. I’m not sure how this case will end,” Alya said after a bit and Dick had to nod his agreement.
“Yeah. Cahaya’s attacker is slippery. Even with B’s help, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do this,” Dick whispered looking around as he watched their supervisor Mr. Lingo work at his desk. The man was questionable, he seemed like the perfect fit for Liam Gravesworth, Cahaya’s attacker, to bribe into looking the other way and destroying evidence. Heaven knows he keeps trying to butt into their investigation and break their trust with Cahaya. The poor girl was so scared to tell Alya about the attack even though it’s been years. It took Lana and Bee’s reassurance for her to go forward to them.
They can’t blame her though. Liam was a businessman. Rich, slimy, and was able to buy basically everyone’s loyalty. Even Cahaya’s businessman friends had trouble finding any evidence. Even with Tim helping, they mostly only could find destroyed evidence. Tapes erased from the time and place it happened. Money trails carefully covered up. “Let’s talk elsewhere,” Alya mumbled out and Dick nodded agreement.
“Alright, come on,” Dick replied and the two left the precinct. Their coworkers were speaking Spanish to each other or mumbling it. Mr. Lingo apparently was obsessed with everyone speaking Spanish fluently and didn’t like it if someone had been ignoring the app. It was freaky for them. At least Gordon was looking into it himself. Once they had proof, Lingo would be gone.
They just needed proof that Gravesworth was bribing him.
But who knows how long that’ll take to get.
They sat down at a cafe nearby and Alya rested her chin on her interlaced fingers. “We may need to get someone on the inside,” she said and Dick nodded agreement.
“But who could do it. We need someone who isn’t well known. Do you know anyone that could do it?” Dick asked and Alya hummed in thought.
“Perhaps my boyfriend can help. He hasn’t met Cahaya yet so there’s a chance he could work well as a spy,” Alya said slowly and Dick nodded at that.
“He did a business degree correct?”
“Yes. He did a theatre and business, double major,” Alya said nodding and Dick nodded agreement.
“He could work. Contact him and ask. Once you know if he’s up to it, we’ll talk to Gordon,” Dick said and Alya nodded.
“Ok, sounds good. Now, I overheard you teasing Jason earlier. About saving Lana from rapists?” Alya asked giving Dick a small glare, daring him to lie.
“Ah, yes. She was out past 1 AM because of a class project. Two dudes followed her but she dealt with them and Jason and Damian quickly finished them off. Jason then escorted her home. She wasn’t hurt, don’t worry,” Dick explained and Alya nodded, giving a sigh.
“She’s probably right in not telling me,” Alya mumbled and Dick nodded agreement patting her hand.
“Yeah. You probably would have attacked them had she told you,” Dick said and Alya gave a light glare.
“Don’t have to say it. I already know that,” Alya grumbled and Dick laughed.
“Come on, we better get back before Lingo gets suspicious,” Dick said and Alya nodded, standing up.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t test me. Or I’ll tell Babs,” she said with a smirk and Dick sputtered.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would,” Alya said laughing as they made their way back to the precinct.
Mari-aculous @MDC_Designs
Can’t wait for the big surprise in a month!! #thisllbegreat #theyllbesohappy #onemonthleft #monthaway #surprise
Ok so here’s the next chap!! So ya, this was a kinda simple chap, wanted to go back to the others for a bit before the last chap of Paris. I hope you enjoyed it! Until next time u lovelies!!! -Love Willa<3<3<3
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