#i was in the trenches for over a year and just ended up using python callbacks

[jflashandclash]

Attrition of Peace

Twenty-Eight: Kalypso

I Do Target Practice with an Angry Eagle

 Author’s note: Finally back on normal posting track. Thanks for reading guys! If you celebrate, I hope you’re ready for Halloween this year :D Now, stayed tuned to see the Heroes of Olympus face off against the Traitors of Olympus!

 When the hail cleared, Kally peeked over her hiding spot by the trench and saw Pax needed help. Euna had immediately gone into battle, but now Kally had to make a decision: help Calex keep Merry from hyperventilating, or save Pax.

A giant eagle—that Kally could only assume was Frank or a close personal friend of Frank’s—snatched the Silver-Tongued Snake off the lawn, lifted him into the air, then dropped into a free fall with him. During this freefall, the eagle morphed into a black bear to bat the reptilian monster around. Right before they hit the ground, Frank morphed back into an eagle and snatched him back into the air.

Kally had a strange feeling Frank knew about the whole Pax-making-out-with-him-as-Hazel thing.[1]

She had to wonder how betrayed and violated Frank felt to have Pax pretend to be someone he liked to make out with him and steal something important.

Kally growled. Thinking about Nico Di Angelo and her Oath to the River Styx, she didn’t need to imagine it. For a split second, Kally sincerely considered letting Frank continue to pulverize him.

There must have been a demigod or godly help group for that right? I’m sorry, I turned into _____’s husband/wife again. I have gotta stop doing that. If not, she was going to make Pax start it.[2]

Despite her frustration, Kally rose to her feet. She fingered her Argonaut statue as she stepped closer. This would have to be a careful shot, considering she needed the discus to hit her target but not do permanent damage.

As she approached, she could see Pax’s desperation.

Initially, the eagle’s prey looked like a human and a drakon had a baby, and that serpentine baby was writhing and thrashing. The more Kally watched them soar higher, the more her friend came into focus. Kally could see Pax scramble to use his acrobatics—to kick Frank, or flip up to attack the talons digging into his pauldrons.

But nothing worked. Pax couldn’t get enough leverage to dislodge the Frank’s claws.

And they were dropping into another dive.

Kally had to time this perfectly.

When they were almost at the end of the descent, Pax doing what little he could to block the bear’s attacks, Kally took her steps to wind up. Like when fighting the Silver Festus, or Python, she let instinct take over. Energy pulsed through her body, following her twist and releasing through her finger tips.

Just as Frank shifted back into an eagle, latching his talons back into Pax’s shoulders and pumping his wings once to stop their descent, Kally’s discus nailed him.

Frank and Pax collapsed onto the grass with a thud. Fortunately, the drop shouldn’t have been too bad, since Kally timed it right when Frank started to ascend. That physics should work out, right? To not equal murdering the praetor and her friend?

The giant eagle flopped onto the Silver-Tongued Snake and morphed back into Frank.

Naked Frank.

Kally already felt bad knocking Camp Jupiter’s heroic bear out of the sky, considering he was normally more of a teddy bear and less a dangerous one. Now she was mortified. Through all the Mist and hail earlier, she had no idea the praetor would be naked or why he’d be naked.

Pax crawled out from under Frank. “Thanks, Kally!” he called, “That was super hot—er—the you-having-amazing-aim—not the Frank-falling-on-me-naked—”

“Shut up and go help your brother!” she snapped, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Trying not to look at Pax—had he been taller?—or anything else on the battlefield, Kally turned back to Calex and Merry. Calex had one hand pressed between Merry’s collarbones, gently lifting and pressing while saying, “It’s okay. Breathe in. Breathe out,” rhythmically.

Tears streaked down Merry’s cheeks as she shook her head, gasping for air. In all the years Kally had known Merry, she’d never seen her like this. Even after fights with her father where, Kally now knew, Merry’s father had been beating her and her little brother, Merry could always put on a mask and make a joke.

Here, Merry was panicking. “N-no! These aren’t baddies… these are… our friends. Gotta… make ‘em… stop…” she rasped between gasps, “What if… someone else… dies?”

The “what if” was shockingly comforting. If this was Merry’s nightmare-prophecy, at least there wasn’t a definitive, additional death forecasted. Just a what if.

Kally felt like she was reaching a new low when “if someone dies” was a positive.

           Kally clasped Merry’s arm, trying to ignore the shouts and yelps behind them. “Merry, I’m going to drag Frank and Jason out of the battlefield and heal them up as best I can. I’m going to try to get Vinyl Scratch over here, so you guys can make it back to camp to warn Chiron about Eris,” Kally’s voice broke, “I need you to be able to do that, Merry.”

           Calex nodded when Kally faltered, his grey eyes ablaze. Kally could almost see the calculations happening in his head. In the past, Kally remembered Calex fearing he was a coward. He didn’t look like a coward now. He looked scared, but in control, calm, and aware of every consequence, like he’d been studying Axel. This was the boy who had protected his mother from drugged up ex-soldiers in Kakata before Thanatos broke his confidence.

“That’s the source of all of this rubbish. Merry, we can save a lot of campers from violence if we get to them before Eris. Are you ready to help us get this sorted?” he asked.

Merry trembled. She reached up, and took the hand Kally had on her arm and the one Calex had on her collarbone. The sight almost made Kally give a hysterical laugh, seeing how pale and small Merry’s hands looked in Calex’s and how tan and strong Merry’s fingers looked in Kally’s.

Merry’s breathing became more regular as she nodded her head. “You guys,” she managed.  

After all this was over, Kally would need to remember to tease Merry about Calex the same way Merry always teased her about Pax. If Kally could ever work up the courage, considering Merry could tear apart anyone outside of physical battle and considering Merry would immediately do so after.

With that, Kally raced away from the trench into the yard. Fortunately, she didn’t need to dodge much other than charred tree roots and weird stones to get to Frank. She hoped Alabaster didn’t recast that hail spell while she was out here, since she wouldn’t know which way would be back to safety.

Kally tried to keep her focus on Frank for now, before she could let herself think about the others.

Regardless of her concentration, she felt her eyes wander. Watching Alabaster, Euna, and Hazel’s fight was difficult. Not because she liked all three of those people—though that didn’t help either—but Hazel and Alabaster seemed to keep disappearing. Hazel kept shifting in and out of shadows to dodge the vines twisting and snaking around her feet and her opponent’s attacks. Euna kept pivoting to follow Hazel’s movement. She’d extended Kronos’s xiphos into a full scythe again, something that made Kally shiver to see against a good person like Hazel.

Mist kept warping and changing Alabaster’s form. Green runes would glow on his black armor as he trailed Hazel. He and Euna clearly didn’t know how to function as a team yet, which was fortunate for the Roman. Their staff and scythe combo outdistanced Hazel’s spatha, but the Roman seemed to know this, driving in close when she could.

Maybe fifteen feet away from them, Percy was on his feet, facing off the Pax brothers. Well, sort of on his feet. Instead of balancing Percy’s weight on what must have been a torn ligament, Kally could make out a watery bubble encasing Percy’s injured limb; he’d made himself a liquid leg cast.

Practical. Will would applaud if…

Kally tried not to tear up. True, she’d only known her half-brother for a few months, but…

She skidded to a stop when she reached Frank. Somehow, she’d forgotten he was naked. Keeping her eyes above waist level—or at least trying—she fumbled to withdraw an ambrosia square from her messenger bag. When Kally knelt down and tilted his head back to give it to him, she could feel the knot forming on his skull.

He would have a nasty concussion.[3] There were cuts all over him from Pax’s daggers and bruises from the fall. He shivered in the cold.

Maybe she could sing while dragging Frank to the side of the house. She thought she’d seen Annabeth, Calypso, and Piper there. It would be safer than leaving him out here, within ten feet of the fight.

But, carrying the large Chinese Canadian—

Kally almost yelped when Calex appeared at her side. The son of Eros had taken the time to sling Merry across his back. Unlike his usual bridal sweep, he’d picked her up fireman style, with Merry’s stomach and face down across his shoulders, one of his arms laced through her legs and the other lacing through one arm. Much less graceful, but more mobile.  

Although Kally couldn’t imagine how, he let go of Merry’s arm to lean down and take Frank’s just below the elbow. “You got the other arm, Kal?” he asked.

Kally nodded, grabbing Frank’s other arm at the same spot.

As smoothly as possible, they dragged Frank towards the side of the house. Kally breathed out the words to any song about sunshine she could think of, knowing she had to keep Frank from any more brain damage. Kally wished they had a towel or something they could wrap him in. When she glanced ahead—

Kally dropped Frank.  

“Kallybae, I know Calex is a big teddybear but he can’t—”

She ignored Merry’s mumbles and sprinted ahead.

Where she could see her namesake smothering Annabeth with Percy’s hoodie.

No one but them would have been able to see her. Calypso, Annabeth, and Piper were further towards the front of the yard, where Calypso or someone must have dragged them away to keep them safe from Festus, Leo, and the weasels.

Instinct completely took over as Kally closed in.

Calypso teared up while shoving the material into the unconscious girl’s face. She didn’t hear Kally or notice her until Kally nailed her foot into Calypso’s chest, the same way she might kick a soccer ball for a final goal.

Calypso flopped backwards with a gasp of air. Kally could envision Pax shouting, “GOAL!” while running in circles, if he wasn’t off helping his brother.

Once done, Kally tore the hoodie from Annabeth’s face. She exhaled in relief to find the daughter of Athena still breathing without assistance. Annabeth’s face was just flushed.

Calypso gasped on the ground. Kally had to wonder if she’d broken a few of the girl’s ribs. She didn’t look mad, just startled. “I—I was supposed… supposed to be healing…” she gaped. “Thought about… being alone on the island…. Another hundred years… and…”

Calypso released another sob.

Kally couldn’t tell if this was an act or not. She didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, Calex stepped up beside them. He’d set Merry down near Annabeth, so he could pick up Calypso.

She squirmed and struggled. “No!” she tried to shout, though she was still winded. “Put me down! Leo! Help!”

With a quiet rage, Calex carried her to the edge of the trench. One stretch of the ditch ended by the border of the property. He knelt down and said, softly, “If you ever try something like that again, or if Annabeth ever gets hurt, and I think it might have been your doing, so help me God, I’ll assure no one ever loves you again.”

Calypso stopped struggling. Her almond eyes went wide. The tangles of her cinnamon hair looked dramatic fluttering in the wind with Calex’s black scarf.

“Trust me. I’m a son of Eros. I can do that,” he stated.

Then Calex dropped her into the trench.

Calypso let out a breathy scream before a subtle thump hit somewhere ten feet down.

Calex rose, flipped his scarf back over one shoulder, adjusted his black-and-red Arsenal beanie, and walked back towards them.

Merry spoke for both of them when saying, “Boy, you can be a much scarier teddy when your fan crush is on the line.”

“That’s sorted,” he said as a we’re not talking about this response. “How about it, Captain? What’s next?”

Kally almost gawked to realize he was talking to her. Instead, she felt her mouth moving of her own accord, like he hadn’t just signed over their metaphorical sailing ship to get hit by a train by some slip of cruel and unlikely fate. “You and Merry should still take Vinyl—”

He put two fingers into his mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

“—get to Camp Half-Blood—”

Galloping erupted from the other side of the house. A blast of sparks appeared beside her, and she was startled to see a black and crimson stallion huffing there with an unconscious weasel in its teeth.

She reached out and gently took the weasel from Vinyl, who huffed again, probably to say, Take it before I eat it for a midnight snack. The California Long-Tailed Weasel had a patch of black spots—Hunnie. She tried not to tear up at how singed the weasel was.

“—and still warn them. Chiron and Dionysus trust you. I’ll stay here and try to heal who I can. They—they don’t have a healer anymore—s-so…”

Kally had to stop or else she knew she’d cry. This situation had gotten so chaotic. She wanted to say she’d stop the fighting, but she didn’t know how to do that. And she wanted to say that she would heal everyone as best she could, but Will had been a far better and more experienced healer than she was, and he was dead.

As Calex picked up Merry to lift her onto Vinyl Scratch’s back, she gave Kally a warm grin. “You got this, Kallybae. Look at how much you can do when you’re not being a doormat.”

That sapped the tears right out of Kally. She scowled at Merry while Calex saddled up behind her. “Shut up and get back to camp,” Kally snapped, the words coming out as easy as if she were scolding Pax.

“Oh! Fiesty. The new Kallydear has no end to her sass,” Merry continued.

Kally could tell she was trying to cheer her up. It just hit her that Merry was probably as scared of leaving Kally as Kally was of staying. Merry should be okay with Calex and Vinyl though, right?  

“Kal,” Calex said, putting a hand to Vinyl’s mane, “I trust Axel, and—Hades, I can’t believe I’m saying this about that dodgy perv—but I trust Pax enough not to be a complete idiot. I don’t trust that Alabaster bloke. I know you think he’s fit, but he’s wrong in the head. Broken and angry. Be careful around him.”

Kally felt like she should have been offended or confused by Calex’s assertion, but he was a son of Eros. And, she knew what he meant.

Merry managed to give her a brief thumbs up before they heard someone say, “Are you three trying to escape from Commander Toolbelt? Because I have some pretty strict orders from an unconscious eagle, and I’ve still got a bone to pick with you for the Leo and Calypso House Party Incident of October uh—whatever year this is!”

Kally turned to see Leo Valdez standing beside the house. His impish features were contorted into a scowl that seemed unfamiliar to his face. He scanned the area, like he was looking for their big red self-destruct buttons or whatever machinists did. Kally swallowed when she realized he was looking for Calypso and checking to assure they hadn’t killed anymore of his downed friends. A small makeshift cage containing a white weasel dangled from his belt and banged against his thigh.

“Where’s Calypso? And what did you—scratch that. I don’t want to know what’s going on with Frank’s clothing.”

Leo shoved a hand to the side.

Fire extended in a wall, meeting up with the end of Hazel’s trench. Either they needed to run through that or turn back towards the battle.

Calex huffed, raising his chin. “She’s gone mental, mate.” He turned back to Kally. “You still got this, Kal?”

Kally nodded her head, uncomfortable with how much confidence he had in her to “still have this.” Whatever that meant when facing someone that could make this yard look like the Fourth of July with the snap of his fingers.

“Go,” she said.

“Leo!” Calypso’s voice came from over the edge of the trench.

Leo flinched and searched for the source of her voice.

“Vinyl,” Calex called.

Instead of rushing towards the fire, or back towards the battle, the unicorn took off towards the trench in a rainbow blur. Although Kally couldn’t see well enough to tell, the blur didn’t seem to break stride while hopping over the gap.

Leo’s fire sizzled to smoke at their escape. “Hey! No rainbows or unicorns allowed!” he shouted.

Kally fumbled inside her messenger pack, shoving Hunnie inside for now. She should have picked up her discus when she was dragging Frank. There was an imperial gold knife in her bag, but she didn’t want to go flaming-sledgehammer to knife. Leo already had a slight one-up on her in being flame resistant and the whole human torch thing. And, for some weird reason, the knife kept pressing into the side of the bag, like it wanted to fly towards the battle. She should really keep that blade away from Hunnie.

Leo turned to face her dead on, a crazed smile coming to his face as he shifted his steam-punk goggles down over his eyes. She’d once heard Will describe him as a rogue Santa’s helper that was high on sugar. That summed it up.

This fight hadn’t even started and Kally knew who would win.

           Then a gigantic snake rose from the grass beside her—or what Kally thought was a snake initially. Both Leo and she flinched before recognizing the serpentine helm of the Silver-Tongued Snake as the humanoid figure stood to its full height.

           “This is Alabaster’s property, and, I assure you, he welcomes both unicorns and rainbows. You speciest and colorist,” the monster hissed.[4]

           For an instant, Kally forgot it wasn’t a monster. The bronze scales of his breastplate seemed to blend in as skin in the Mist. A tail flickered in and out of her line of sight, twisting about the grass and shadows. This couldn’t have been Pax. This monster was… was…

           “Dude, weren’t you like way shorter before?” Leo demanded. He’d taken a step back in alarm, mirroring Kally.

           “Pax?” she squeaked to second Leo’s confusion.

           Pax loomed several feet above both Kally and Leo.

           A hissing laugh slithered from his helm. “Oh, I only grow more powerful and influential in the midst and heat of chaos and war. Ha—ha! Heat. It’s funny because Leo’s hands were on fire.”

           “Over explaining it, hombre,” Leo said, “To think I thought you were fun at the party. Augh, two out of ten for a lazy joke, and that two is just out of pity.”

He fidgeted his fingers along the sledgehammer. His eyes flicked to the side of the house, where the others must have still been battling. Judging by the way the wind whipped a blast of salty rain into them, Kally had a feeling Percy hadn’t been taken out yet.

           She frowned and shoved some of the golden hair out of her eyes. “Pax, Axel needs you to help fight Percy. You don’t need to—”

           “That’s why I’m here. We’re losing but it’s not a party without Leo there. He’s our backup plan,” the way Pax said it disheartened Kally. He sounded tired and… sad.

“You and I are a lot alike,” Pax said to Leo. The words were more… personal and light-hearted than his prior comment. Pax stepped forward and angled his body to shut Kally out of the conversation, like he wanted Leo to forget she was there. Between his tone and body language, Kally felt like an intruder.

“I think the comparisons stop at the bat belt and hot accents,” Leo disagreed, fingering his tool belt with one hand. Absently, he’d withdrawn some wires and began to fiddle with them.

Pax shrugged, holding his hands up helplessly. No weapons drawn. “And an appreciation for beautiful women named Calypso. Both C and K respectively.”

“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Kally said, “but keep me out of it.” She suddenly hoped he’d go back to ignoring her. The way he was moving and talking, Kally wasn’t sure what Pax wanted her to do: if he had this fight and she could go back to get Frank, or was intentionally making a distraction so Kally could retrieve her discus for a double heroicide.

“And we also both want to switch out all the Diet Pepsi for Diet Coke in the camp and film Mr. D’s reaction to get the best soft drink trailer that Mount Olympus has ever seen,” Pax said.

“You know we’re fighting right? Not just listing off things that definitely are going to happen at camp in the near future?” Leo asked. The wires in Leo’s hand were suspiciously forming some kind of trap-like object. Kally wanted to warn Pax, but he seemed to know.

Kally took a step backwards. If nothing else, she’d need her discus, and maybe Calex and she had dropped Frank far enough away from the battle to heal him.

Pax laughed. The hysteria in his voice made her pause.

“A machinist and an information broker. When you and I are panicking during a fight, it means we haven’t done our jobs right at the beginning. We can’t heal people. We can’t make people do what we want with our voices. We can’t really seem to help without blowing something up… literally…” Pax gestured towards Leo. “Emotionally.” He gestured towards himself.

“Hades, your dragon is in pieces on the other side of this house, and my weasel is missing. Here we both are, scrambling to pick up the pieces, because we fucked up. You knew about the Leonis Caput, since he attacked you, but you were too worried about Calypso and Percy to take the proper anti-kitty precautions. I wanted a hug so bad that I wouldn’t go inside. We could have prevented this.”

The trap-mechanism looked complete in Leo’s hands, almost like a hybrid between a leg cage and a bear trap. But his fingers were slowing down as Leo’s expression soured.

“Um, are you surrendering or something? Because, while I applaud your creativity, a traditional white flag will do over this inspiring speech.”

Kally understood Leo’s hesitation. There was a desperation in Pax’s voice, like it was about to pinpoint the single incident in Leo’s life that—if he’d made a different choice—would have left the world perfect. She felt like she couldn’t move until the Silver-Tongued Snake finished talking.

“You see, we’re the people who… when those that we love start to die, can’t do anything but make jokes… fake a smile, and pretend to be okay. Because what better way to mourn someone than to force a smile?”

Leo’s lip twitched.

Kally felt sick to her stomach. She remembered Howe’s Cavern, when she thought Python was going to kill her and Will, and a rage inside her set off a weird sun blast. Pax triggered it. He had spoken like he knew what happened to her mother, like he’d peeled her fears from the corner edges of her brain and forced her to confront them.

As though reading her thoughts now, the serpentine monster hissed, “Kally, go heal Frank. I don’t want you to see me do this again.”

Footnotes!

[1] Mel’s beta notes: “And a whole list of other shit Pax has done to him personally!”

[2] But that means Pax would need to spend time around Zeus, and that has bad idea written ALL over it.

[3] If you’ve read my first two stories, you’ve probably heard me say this before, but I wince when head injuries are used as knock outs for shows, movies, and books. I had to rewrite this line three times because I kept writing “nauseous” instead of “massive” concussion. Stupid Freudian slips!

[4] A colorist is actually an artist who uses colors in a special way, like a hairdresser that works with dyes. I’m not sure Pax has ever seen a hairdresser, of—if he has—the hairdresser could live through the shock of dealing with his hair, so excuse his misuse of the word.

[shell313-blog]

Mike

A modern day fairy tale? Reality is not a fairy tale, they simply do not exist. This tale is darkness, it is cold. These beings are sheer insanity integrated with wickedness. To the human beings, they represent the goodness of heaven. Human beings cannot comprehend Heaven. It is not in their nature to understand it. As it is not in the nature to understand God. Satan? He too contradicts their fears and overall knowledge of him. Me? I'm an angel. I oversee the actions and misconduct of my peers. My job is to make sure the human world remains balanced. Me? I am the watcher. My name is Broddock. Time does not exist for us. Not the way the humans understand it. Time is their way of measuring their world, as their curious little nature must measure everything. For some reason, they need to organize things and break them down into smaller pieces. You won't find my name in your Bible. This particular tale begins with some punk kid named Mike... "Dude, you would never kill anyone. You're such a pussy." Mike scowled at his friend Tarrin and snatched the blunt from his hand. "Don't fucking test me Tarr...I'm feeling crazy right now." He sucked on the soggy cigar paper, and inhaled the pungent smoke. "Anyway, I'd do something really insane that would make sure no one would ever forget." "Oh yeah, think you can top Charles Manson?" Tarrin asked, watching Mike exhale. "He just wanted to get laid. I can definitely think of something better." Mike handed him the blunt. "Maybe you need it more, ya know, for inspiration...dumbass." Tarrin took the blunt, now almost finished. "Speaking of which, this shit is almost out. I'm not even high." Tarrin moaned. "I can't smoke these tiny ass roaches." " I can," Mike said, proudly. "Yeah, well I'm not a fiend. Shit, you sold your car for an ounce. Crack head." "I didn't need that piece anyway." He stood up and kicked a beer can across the alley. "Don't need a home, don't need a woman." Tarrin smiled. "I can't live without my bitches." "That's why you're pathetic, thinking with that worm in your pants." "Oh, you mean my tremendous python?" "More like a caterpillar." "That's not what you were saying last night." Mike kicked him in the stomach and laughed as Tarrin doubled over in pain. "Now...what were you saying?" Tarrin rose to his feet and met with the shiny blade of a samurai sword. "Woah! Dude! Where'd you get that?" Mike turned and tore through the air with his weapon, slicing an imaginary adversary. "My father.." He slid the sword in it's sheath which he kept on his back underneath his long black trench coat. "Your father gave you that?" "Yeah, before he died. His last words were, 'avenge my death son'." "Really?" "Dumbass, I stole it," he answered, leaning up against the wall. "Sounds like you. I'm just surprised you never sold it for buds." “I'd never give up my sword. It's gotten me out of a lot of jams." Tarrin pulled his cellphone from his puffy down jacket. "Shit, it's eleven o'clock. My bitch will have a fit." "Better get home and play house." "Yeah, I'll see ya around, bro." Tarrin turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Mike alone with his samurai sword and his thoughts. His sword. He saw it in a weapon shop when he was sixteen. He had a part time job sweeping the floor of a butcher's shop. It smelled, it was dirty and all he did was sweat, but he received a paycheck at the end of the week and that's all that really mattered. He did it to help his mother. Mike's father died when he was a baby. He didn't remember him. All he knew of his father was told to him by his mother. From what she said, his father was in a lot of debt and all he left her was unpaid bills. Mike never really believed this. His mother blew through all of his father’s money, that scenario was more likely. His mother lost her mind and started using drugs just to cope. She was able to handle herself for a little while. She was stunningly gorgeous and used that to snake through life. After a few years, the drugs just drained all her vitality and she could no longer use her looks to get her by. Mike had seen pictures of their house in the suburbs. It was beautiful and he couldn't imagine having lived there when he would look out the window of their apartment. They lived on the fifth floor of an old building that probably never saw any good days. It was in the forgotten side of town, the one that people just avoided. Anyone that was unfortunate to find themselves there, never made it too long. His mother and him were considered veterans in the neighborhood. He religiously handed his paychecks over to his mother, even after he learned they were supporting her habit. Mike often wondered if he wanted her to just die. The more money he gave her, the more drugs she could buy with it. Eventually, the poison she shot into her veins would have to kill her, and he would finally be free. He wondered, but knew that couldn’t be it. Perhaps it was out of obligation, or simply there was nothing else to do. The sword gleamed under rose colored lights. He'd never had an interest in weapons, but this sword struck something inside of him. It felt as though it were a part of him, and as though it had been searching for him. He didn't bother going into the store and asking how much it was. Even if it was fifty cents, he couldn't afford it. So he went home to plan the heist. He would take nothing else, only the sword. He would tell no one about it. It wasn't really much of a plan. An elaborate scheme wasn't at all necessary, though. It would take the cops at least ten minutes to get there. Cops never came to that side of town. Like everyone else, they avoided it. All he needed was a few seconds anyway, just to smash the window and claim his prize. He waited until it was dark. He walked down to the weapon shop, thinking of nothing else but that sword. The shiny steel with the jade handle. The small dragon engraved under the handle. He thought of the design, the flames that were etched into the steel. He later learned, this was for the blood to run down. It was as easy as he'd planned. With a brick he smashed the window and grabbed the sword. He ran. He kept running until he reached his building. At that point, he heard the sirens, off in the distance on their way to the weapon shop. He smiled. It was too easy. He'd never stolen anything before. So, naturally, he felt guilty about his sword. He kept it hidden in his closet until the day he left. He came home from school one day to find his dead mother, the needle on the floor by her lifeless body. He was a senior in high school and had just turned eighteen. He had no other family. He grabbed his sword, nothing else, and left. He didn't cry for his mother. To him, her passing was a relief. She wasn't good for anything or anyone. She just couldn't accept the responsibilities of raising a child on her own and could not survive without his father. She was weak and useless. He was never sure if he really loved her or just pitied her. But she was gone and it was time to move on. He was twenty years old. The two years prior were spent sleeping in abandoned buildings, stealing scraps of food, and hitching rides all over the country. Do something with his life? He was just trying to survive. He had ended up in Florida. He stayed here the longest. It was warm, even in the winter, so he could survive being homeless without the fear of freezing to death. He'd met Tarrin a few weeks earlier. He made up stories about himself. He told Tarrin he lived in an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale. He told him he waited tables. The truth was, Mike didn't have a job, or a home. It didn't matter much anyway. Tarrin was so wrapped up in his woman, he didn't really pay attention to anything else. For Mike, it was just really nice to have someone to talk to. 

Mike had just left the dirty city that he had grown up in. He found himself roaming the streets of West Virginia in an attempt to get as far away as possible until he found some tropical weather. If he were going to be homeless, he needed a warm sidewalk to sleep on. His mother chose the summertime to take that lethal dose, which was lucky for him. "Hey kid, you shouldn't be out here..." Mike looked up from the bench he had found to rest on. It was a bus stop. An elderly man stood over him, covered in dirt. He was missing most of his teeth and he had wild hair. Most of his hair was actually gone as well once Mike took a closer look. A few tiny strands danced in the cool breeze. Mike wondered if he would someday be this old man. "Yeah? And why is that?" The man took a seat next to him on the bench. "It's dangerous is all." "That's okay, I think I can handle myself." Mike looked down at his shoes. They were filthy. At one time they were a bright white. He'd spent a month just walking, and walking and never really getting anywhere. His shoes suggested otherwise though. He looked over at the old man's shoes. They were construction boots that had become worn and tattered with age. They didn't have any holes in them. Mike had gotten one in his left shoe. The sole came loose. He slid his foot back under the bench. "Where ya goin kid?" "Going? I'm not going anywhere." The man looked behind him at the sign for the bus stop. "Must be goin somwheres." "Oh, my friends are meeting me here." The old man leaned back on the bench. "I see...at two o'clock in the morning?" "Yes, they work nights." The old man pulled a pint of Jim Beam out of his jacket and took a swig. He held the bottle towards Mike. "No, thank you." After all, he thought it best not to accept liquor from a stranger. He could really use a drink though. "Come on, kid. You look like you could use it. I didn't poison it or anything. Well...it is poison I guess you could say. The sweetest poison ever invented." Mike hesitantly reached for the bottle and took a sip. "Awww, come on. I know you want more than a baby sip." Mike held the bottle tightly, so tight his knuckles turned white and chugged. "Woah, save some for me." The old man laughed and took back the bottle. "How'd you end up here?" "I just told you..." "Kid, cut the bullshit already. Look, I know you're not waiting for any friends. First of all, I can tell you ain't from here." Mike looked down at his clothes. "An' I can tell you ain't had a shower. How long you been wearing those clothes?" "I dunno..." "Yeah, see. Prolly don't even know what day it is. Welcome to my world." He took another swig of his whiskey. "Well, you may know more than me, I'm sure you ain't had nothin' to drink." "No, I haven't." "Yer gonna need a better line. You just can't tell people you're waiting for friends. We all have to face the facts one day, kid. We're dirty, we smell and we're homeless. You can't git away from it." "It's only temporary." The old man laughed. "Heard that one, too. Said that before. I been homeless for like, ten years now. After my wife died. Sweet Marie. She just couldn't accept the fact she got old." "So, what happened?" He held up the bottle of Jim Beam. "She couldn't get old, and I couldn't get old without her." "I'm never falling in love." The old man laughed again. "You say that now, kid. Just wait. One day you will see that you have no choice. You don't get to make that decision. Love will find you." Mike rolled his eyes. "Not if I have anything to do about it. It killed my mother." "She shoulda been lovin you." "Yeah...well..." "Hey, kid what's your name anyway? I hate ta keep callin' ya kid. " "Mark." He still didn't trust the old man. He didn't know why he was talking to him. He must've been up to something. "My name is Ted. Ya got any money?" "Nope. I'd be on the bus if I did." "Got anything to sell?" "Nope. Just the clothes on my back, and they aren't worth much." The old man threw the empty bottle across the street. There was a gas station across from the bus stop. It was open, but there weren't any customers. It was a small town and people were already in bed. Mike had more fear in a place like that, than he did back home. At least there was life in the dark. Here, everything just went to sleep. So it really made you question the things that stayed awake... Ted put his arm around Mike. "Hey, listen...see that gas station?" Mike nodded. "The guy in there is a real pussy. We could rob that fucker and get some more whiskey. If you want..." Mike knew there was something in it. The man was crazy though, he had no choice but to play along. He knew he'd run into these kinds of people when he stepped outside his building and made the choice to run away. He was prepared for this. "How about we split it, fifty fifty..." Mike suggested. "Deal, kid. After all you're gonna be the muscle." Mike wanted to laugh. That was the first time in his life anyone ever said such a thing to him. He was skinny, but certainly not very muscular. He had an average body. He was strong, but you couldn't exactly call him the muscle. Mike appreciated his game, though, as old as it was. He tried to get Mike to trust him first, and when Mike pretended to trust him, he made him a partner and used flattery. He had given him a sip of whiskey and then once it was finished, tried to use it as a reason to rob the gas station. It would've been well played for any other kid Mike's age. He was only eighteen. He should've still been in high school. Mike grew up without a mother, and in the worst city in the country. He knew better. Part of him enjoyed the game, and he would just play along. Mike had never killed anyone. He came close once. A man broke into his apartment. He was looking for Mike's mother, who knew, of course that he was looking for her. Apparently she owed him money for her last fix. She didn't think to make sure her son was out of harm's way. When did she think of her son, though? Mike was in his bedroom when he heard the heavy footsteps in the hallway. A man's voice was calling his mother's name. He ran and hid in the closet, his hand on his sword. The man came into his room and started pawing through his things. Probably looking to see if he could find something worth some money. Mike had to laugh at this. If they had something worth anything, they would not be living there. Flashes of him running out of the closet and slashing the bastard kept playing in his mind. His body was shaking and sweat was pouring down his face. He then feared that the sword would slip from his clammy hands. Mike lost his nerve. He grabbed a baseball bat and hit him on the back of the head. He didn't kill him. He called the police from a neighbor's phone. It was at that moment, that Mike learned in order to be a man you must not have fear. The true test of one's manhood is to be able to act without thinking. In a split second, a man must be able to let go of all inhibitions. Everything has to disappear in an instant. Consequences, religious beliefs and all morals ingrained in one's mind. "'K...here's what we gotta do. We walk in there an' grab the money." Mike waited for the rest. Silence seemed to suggest there was no more. "Ummm...that's it?" "What else does there need to be? This ain't Hollywood." "True. But don't we have to scare him?" "We're homeless. Most of us are a few cards short of deck. That's what people think anyway." Mike leaned back on the bench. "Excellent point, but not at all practical." "Yer prolly right. I ain't never done this before." "I haven't either." "How do you get food?" The old man asked. Mike gave him a most pathetic expression. "Like that," he answered. "Easy for you kids." Mike sighed. "If you say so." "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that unless I tell people I was in 'nam, they won't even spare a nickel." "People are selfish." Maybe it was the fact that he smelled like whiskey and people knew what he would spend the money on. "You can say that again. So you think we need a better plan, Mark?" "Yeah...we need to scare him, ya know threaten his life." The old man pulled a box cutter from his pocket. Mike suddenly felt uneasy. "Will this do?" "I dunno...he probably uses that everyday to open boxes, so it might not affect him." "Bet he never had one pointed at his throat before." The old man quickly held the box cutter up to Mike's face. He made sure he didn't flinch. "Have you ever had one pointed at your throat before?" "Can't say that I have." Ted was practically drooling as his eyes fixed on the blade. He ran his tongue along it's edge. "Wouldn't be a good thing, even if it is only a box cutter." "I suppose it wouldn't be." "See, a box cutter is a good weapon, kid. Fits right in yer pocket. Once you cut someone, all ya gotta do is pop that blade out. Common enough, not like they could trace it back to you, and it doesn't have to be considered a weapon. Not unless yer in the airport." He chuckled. "Perfectly legal..." The old man assumed Mike still thought they were talking about the robbery. Mike hadn't been thinking of it the entire conversation. He knew this man never intended on robbing the gas station. "That'll scare him, then." Mike answered. "Does it scare you?" "If I were being threatened with it, sure." "If you were? You are, boy." The old man held it closer to Mike's face. "I wan't your jacket..." Mike took off his jacket and handed it to the man. Ted took his arm off Mike and rubbed his hands together. He saw the hilt of Mike‘s sword. "There it is, sure looks valuable boy." The old man licked his lips. He was looking at Mike's sword. Mike turned a little bit. The old man tightened his grip on the box cutter. Mike never imagined he was capable of doing it. When he slashed the bum across his abdomen, spilling his intestines on the eroded pavement, it was almost as though he were watching a movie. It wasn’t happening to him, it was happening to someone else. This man, he wasn’t real. He was imagined, he was never really there. The blade of his sword seemed to vomit blood. Mike watched it run all over the asphalt. He could never go back. There was an eerie satisfaction to the event and he was no longer sure he actually wanted to go back. Now he could live without inhibition and without the crippling fear. He was ready for any obstacle. All he needed was that sword. Before, the sword was just for show, a novelty. Now it had a purpose. The sword used to be a weapon. Now he was the weapon, the sword merely an instrument. When he first saw it, illuminated by the rose colored lights, he was intimidated by it. The sword owned him in some way. Now he owned that sword. The sword must now be used for his purposes. It became an object. It became his sword. 

[lewiskdavid90]

60% off #The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production – $10

Learn how to build and deploy web applications with Docker in an automated way. Level up your DevOps skills today.

All Levels,  – 7.5 hours,  110 lectures 

Average rating 4.3/5 (4.3 (702 ratings) Instead of using a simple lifetime average, Udemy calculates a course’s star rating by considering a number of different factors such as the number of ratings, the age of ratings, and the likelihood of fraudulent ratings.)

Course requirements:

A computer with at least 4GBs of RAM running Windows, OSX or Linux

Course description:

From Docker novice to DevOps expert in 7 hours

Looking to level up your skills by deploying your own web application? How about furthering your career by picking up years worth of general DevOps skills?

Prepare to get excited about Docker (and this course)!

Dozens of massive companies are using Docker every day but the awesome thing about Docker is it works incredibly well even for the smallest projects.

Nowadays learning about Docker and general DevOps skills is gaining massive momentum in the tech scene. It’s similar to how mobile app development was a few years ago.

Companies are EXPECTING new developers to manage the full life cycle of their web applications. This means BOTH developing and deploying your apps.

Here’s your chance to STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

The Docker for DevOps course isn’t just your run of the mill introduction to Docker course, you can get that info by skimming Docker’s website.

This course shows you WHAT you can build with Docker and HOW to do it — of course you’ll learn the Docker basics along the way!

Together we’ll walk through developing and deploying a multi-service Flask and Ruby on Rails application (more framework examples will be provided as bonus lectures too).

Oh and don’t worry, you won’t need Flask or Ruby on Rails experience to understand this course. The emphasis is on deploying a web application, not building one.

Learning by example is a great way to retain information and learn quickly.

“The course has a perfect balance between theory and practical material. At the end of the course, you have a working and secured web app with fully automated deployment along with an understanding of how it works. This is exactly what I wanted from the course.”

Ready to level up?

Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up to my course today:

You’ll learn how to get your development environment set up to run Docker. Windows, Mac and Linux users will be able to follow along. Next, you’ll learn the Docker basics and we’ll complete a hello world example. You’ll Dockerize a Flask or Ruby on Rails application and pickup a few best practices on how to create a production ready application with those frameworks. You’ll learn how to create a staging server so you can test your app. You’ll learn how to keep your app running forever by getting a crash course with systemd. You’ll learn how to configure and serve your app over SSL (HTTPS) with nginx. You’ll get $10 in free hosting credits on DigitalOcean to deploy your application. You’ll learn how to purchase and configure a domain name (and make it work with your new server). Finally, you’ll learn how to obtain a FREE SSL certificate and hook it up.

I’ll also give you tips on where to go next for topics such as:

Adding more services to your app Scaling out beyond 1 host Monitoring and alerting Hooking up a continuous integration pipeline Dealing with centralized logging Looking into using various configuration management tools

You’re getting all of that AND additional bonus lectures for just $25.

This course is jam packed with over 100 lectures, 7+ hours of videos and quizzes. You’ll also receive full PDF text directions for each video lecture and complete source code examples.

“This course was really well put together and covers a wide range of topics around both DevOps and Docker. I chose it primarily for the Docker side, but learned a lot about Ruby and Python too. I am very pleased with this course.”

Why is it worth using Docker?

Saves a ton of time and headaches when setting up development environments. Easily move an application across environments or servers. Removes issues such as “well, it worked on my machine!”. Makes developing with teams a much more pleasant experience. Works on most major platforms. Has amazing support on most cloud hosting providers. You won’t need expensive hosting to deploy your web applications. Docker as a company is well funded and moving forwar

Reviews:

“Great course: eloquent and instructive. A lot of content covered. Some parts, bash scripting for example , should be explained in a more detailed manner though it is impossible to cover everything in the same manner. Overall very recommended.” (Peter Kuralt)

“Its very clear and easy to follow (given its a complicated topic, you have to work hard as well). But don’t worry, Nick is working around the clocking answering questions and addresses the little glitches in the lecture. I encourage everyone to learn from Nick. He is one of the best in Udemy.” (Ken)

“Very clear voice. Knowledgeable instructor. You need to have some knowledge about Docker and DevOps before starting the course” (Niusha)

  About Instructor:

Nick Janetakis

Hi, my name is Nick and I have been interested in software development and technology since the mid-1990s. Over the years I’ve worked as a consultant doing contract work for various clients. Nowadays I’m really into teaching and training but I’m always working on side projects and keeping up with the latest technology trends because it’s my passion. I routinely attend technical meetups in NYC and maybe I have met some of you already. All of my courses have been created from experience I’ve gained while being in the trenches and figuring out things through real world experience.

Instructor Other Courses:

The Build a SAAS App with Flask Course Nick Janetakis, Developer / Teacher / Entrepreneur (178) $10 $40 Scaling Docker on AWS …………………………………………………………… Nick Janetakis coupons Development course coupon Udemy Development course coupon Web Development course coupon Udemy Web Development course coupon The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production course coupon The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production coupon coupons

The post 60% off #The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production – $10 appeared first on Udemy Cupón/ Udemy Coupon/.

from Udemy Cupón/ Udemy Coupon/ http://coursetag.com/udemy/coupon/60-off-the-docker-for-devops-course-from-development-to-production-10/ from Course Tag https://coursetagcom.tumblr.com/post/155588976913