#missing plane nepal found

[gadgetsforusesblog]

Indian mountaineer Baljeet Kaur had gone missing from Mount Annapurna in Nepal, it was found, she survived. mountaineer baljeet kaur rescued from mount annapurna in nepal she was lifted by plane

Baljeet Kaur: Baljeet Kaur, the mountaineer of Himachal Pradesh, is still alive and rescued from Mount Annapurna in Nepal. News of his disappearance had come a day earlier when he descended from the mountain. Mountaineer Baljeet Kaur hails from Himachal Pradesh Image Credit source: @Baljeet11684140 Himachal Pradesh mountaineer Baljeet Kaur has been tracked down. Yesterday, ie April 17th, news…

[rocknews]

Nepal plane crash preliminary report: Investigators suspect human error

KATHMANDU: The Yeti Airlines aircraft which crashed in Nepal last month killing 71 people, including five Indians, lost thrust and fell after the propellers of both engines went into a feathered position, according to a preliminary probe report which lead investigators to suspect human error behind the deadly crash.

Yeti Airlines flight 691, after taking off from Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport on January 15, crashed on the Seti River gorge between the old airport and the new airport in the resort city of Pokhara.

There were 72 people including four crew members onboard the ATR-72 aircraft when it crashed, but rescue officials have so far managed to recover only 71 bodies with the other missing passenger presumed dead.

It is rare for the propellers of both engines to come to a feathered position, said one of the members of the five-member probe committee, which is also mentioned in the 14-page preliminary report posted on the website of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation of Nepal.

“Human factor in the accident could not be disregarded. So it is an issue of investigation,” said the member on condition of anonymity.

“When both propellers were feathered, the investigation team observed that both engines of 9N-ANC were running flight idle condition during the event flight to prevent over torque,” states the preliminary report.

“As per the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) all the recorded parameters related to engines did not show any anomaly,” adds the report.

“When Air Traffic Controller (ATC) gave the clearance for landing at 10:57:07, the Pilot Flying (PF) mentioned twice that there was no power coming from the engines,” the report further says.

“During the time of the crash, the prevailing visibility was 6 km and the sky was almost clear with only a few clouds,” points out the preliminary report.

According to experts, the pilots unintentionally pulled the condition levers causing the engine to shut down and feather the propellers. Each lever starts and stops the fuel supply, and controls the idle speed for its respective engine.

One investigator said that they found the levers pulled down at the crash site.“We are waiting for a detailed report. We cannot ascertain what happened before that,” said a probe committee member. “Yes, there is also the issue of flaps. There are questions about why the pilots delayed extending the flaps. The routine checklists were not followed.

There are many factors to look at,” Joint Secretary at the Tourism Ministry Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane - a senior member of the probe committee -- was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

As per International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the state investigating an accident or incident must produce a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident.

The final report should be produced within 12 months of the accident.

According to the preliminary report, the flight crew had made two flights between Kathmandu and Pokhara earlier in the morning.

The flight that crashed was the third in a row by the same crew. There were two captains on the plane.

Captain Anju Khatiwada was in the process of obtaining aerodrome familiarisation for operating in Pokhara, and Captain Kamal KC was the instructor pilot on this training flight.

The take-off, climb, cruise, and descent to Pokhara were normal.

At 10:56:12, the pilots extended the flaps to the 15 degrees position and pushed the landing gear lever to the down position.

Khatiwada then disengaged the autopilot system at an altitude of 721 feet above the ground. Khatiwada then called for “FLAPS 30”, and Captain KC replied, “Flaps 30 and descending.” The flight data recorder (FDR) did not record any flap surface movement at that time.

Instead, the propeller rotation speed of both engines decreased simultaneously to less than 25 per cent and the torque, the force that causes an opposite rotation, started decreasing to zero per cent, which is consistent with both propellers going into the feathered condition, the report said.

When the propellers are feathered, they don't produce thrust that pushes the aircraft forward.

As per the flight data recorder, no recorded parameters related to the engines showed any anomaly.

When the air traffic controller gave the clearance for landing, Captain Khatiwada twice mentioned that there was no power in the engines.

The report said that the aircraft's airworthiness certificate was valid till April 24, 2023.

Nepal's investigators have received analytical support from Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.

The airport, built with China's assistance, was hastily inaugurated and operated without adequate preparations to meet the January 1 project deadline.

Flight calibration, which tests all pieces of equipment at the new airport, has yet to recommend landing from the west.

The calibration report is due to be published on February 26. The flight procedure has not been published either. Airlines have very little information about airport procedures and data, according to experts.

The AAIC has stated that further investigation will focus on the circumstances under which both propellers went into the feathered condition, human factors, and visual approach procedures, including simultaneous operation of both national and international airports, according to media reports.

[jsbmarketresearch01]

Nepal Aircraft Crash Search for 4 Missing Bodies Underway 68 Bodies Recovered till Now

On Monday, a search for victims from the passenger flight ATR 72 crashed on Sunday, took place. It was carrying 72 people on board. The crash occurred just before the plane landed that too in the clear weather of Pokhara city. The incident killed at least 68 people, the deadliest plane crash recorded in the history of Nepal in the last 30 years. The black boxes of aircraft found, which had a passenger flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. 68 bodies have been recorded, and the search for 4 more bodies is still underway.

The rescuers had to encounter poor visibility because of cloudy weather as they searched the river gorge for the missing bodies. A Kathmandu Airport official, Teknath Sitaula said that the black boxes may assist with the investigations as to why the aircraft crashed. The black boxes were recovered in good condition and looked fine from the outside. The authorities from the aviation sector have said that they will take necessary steps to help prevent such future incidents.

The plane carried 4 Russians, 5 Indians, 2 South Koreans, 57 Nepalis, and one person each from France, Ireland, Argentina, and Austraila. The rescue operation had to be halted on Sunday because of darkness, according to Ajay K.C., a Pokhara police official. He said that the cloudiness was affecting the search for the missing passengers and that the search will resume for the 4 people missing and the 5 still in the gorge once the weather improved. The bodies of 63 passengers have been transferred to a hospital.

Nepal, a rich scenic locale of the 14 highest mountains, which also boasts of Everest has seen 350 dead since the year 2000 from helicopter and plane crashes. Given the terrain, sudden changes in the weather are common here, which also is the reason for hazardous conditions for the aircraft to fly. Because of the uncertainty of the cause of air accidents, investigations sometimes take longer than a few months. On Monday, Nepal also declared national mourning for a day as a due condolence and respect for the crash.

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[new-haryanvi-ragni]

Nepal plane crash: ATR aircraft's black box found 24 hours after fatal crash

Nepal plane crash: ATR aircraft’s black box found 24 hours after fatal crash

As per a statement by an airport official, the black box of the Yeti Airlines ATR-72 aircraft has been found by the rescue team. source https://zeenews.india.com/aviation/nepal-plane-crash-atr-aircrafts-black-box-found-rescuers-continue-search-operations-for-missing-victims-2562151.html

[arun-pratap-singh]

Black Box Found; Search Operations Underway For 4 People Missing

Black Box Found; Search Operations Underway For 4 People Missing

Home News World Nepal Plane Crash: Black Box Recovered; Search Operations Underway For 4 People Missing A day after the deadly plane crash in Nepal’s Pokhara, the aircraft’s black box containing data was recovered from the accident site on Monday. Nepal Plane Crash: Nepal Army on Monday confirmed they have not rescued anyone alive from the site of the deadly plane crash. Nepal Plane Crash: A…

[mubashirnews]

Black box and cockpit voice recorder from plane that crashed in Nepal found | World News

Black box and cockpit voice recorder from plane that crashed in Nepal found | World News

The black box and cockpit voice recorder of the plane that crashed in Nepal have been found, a Kathmandu Airport official has said. Both devices are said to be in good condition. The ATR 72 aircraft, operated by Yeti Airlines, was carrying 72 people when it crashed. Rescuers have so far recovered 68 bodies and searches continue for four missing people. Video on local media showed thick black…

[xpertnewsofficial]

Nepal Plane Crash: Search for four people missing in the plane crash started, Army said – we have not found anyone alive yet #new #update #latest_news #Nepal #Plane #crash #newspaper #Army #alive #news

[therealturbosushi]

A Dedication and Making Sense of Ganbare Neopoke-kun ガンバレねおぽけくん（＠攻略）

“Still-a-Threat” Jeff of jeff.zone (and BTW did someone really wonder whether he had lost his threatness?!) remarked this summer on the disappearance of an online game writeup in Japanese. The writeup of which El Jefe speaks is the mild-mannered anonymous game blog entry currently locatable only via la Machine de retour  @ https://web.archive.org/web/20201015072442/http://detteiugames.rash.jp/gameclear/neopoke/index.html. Apparently there isn’t much in English or even Japanese to be found about the strat for this 2000 Neo Geo game, so the loss of that blog page could be painful for gamers wishing to make sense of this game.

Newcomers to the mind of the jeff.zone proprietor may not yet know that the thousands of games of all scopes and flavors and platforms and audiences being lost annually to the sands of time, even if only due to language and usability barriers, is a topic of sincere concern to El Jefe Gmann’s all-seeing, all-thumbsticking uberwatchmen-ism on behalf of the medium’s preservation and appreciation. 

In this case, I take it Jeff simply wanted to make sense of the finer points of this dang game without the time investment to wrassle a fan translation. I have just enough caffeine and funemployment to help him today! Not to mention the ton of debt to him I owe that I will in fact mention at length now. I owe him incalculable gratitude for giving us his best self over so many years, and hopefully in years to come. He has been an invigorating THOUGHT LEADER (there, I said it) in my ear over 14 years and a dozen audio devices now dead. Both his most elegant and most brutish convictions about product and industry I consumed feverishly even as I crisscrossed the globe in my salad days. For example, as I befell the wonky SFO night schedule for BART. And as I transferred planes in Amsterdam. As I waited in line to hold a koala bear in Perth. As I walked home in Tokyo after missing the last train. As I looked out the window drinking lemonade. As I raged on my keyboard at failing to get GB swag in my size before it sold out. As I was perusing yard sales. As Brazilians and I hunted for an affordable case of limes for a caipirinha party. As I rode my motorcycle to go hear my brother perform his music (in Petaluma, no less!). As I got ready for dates by fussing over the thicker hair I used to have. As I trekked in Nepal. (I have a video somewhere of a solo trek moment with the Bombcast playback audible shortly before a troop of wild monkeys scared the bejesus out of me.) As I sat down at overcrowded restaurants knowing it would take an hour to get an order. As I paused life weekly, under any circumstances, to listen to the cutting reviews and adjacent lifestyles of a talented journalist posse helmed by one J.G. I’ve listened to him dismantle the missed opportunities of several games I’ve worked on, each time to my squeal of delight that my work had crossed his desk in a miniscule way, even if he did not care for the product weaknesses that we in the dev studio too had hoped would not stink as much as they did. At stages when I questioned whether I could literally afford the sometimes immature business practices among my games company employers, Jeff’s rightful (not righteous) chastising of developers, publishers and gamers in all corners of the industry and media circus helped me to contextualize my own career in the industry, and to feel okay that I’m still working in it. He has helped. Tremendously. All hail Jeff’s ethos for what the video games future should be and occasionally shows glimpses of becoming, even as new releases fail to impress, like clockwork, annually. I continue to be enthralled with video games work but never more predictably than at the last minute of an extended dose of Jeff’s insights which rejuvenate me by leeching his belief in a just and brighter video games future. Likewise, my compass spins and I go hungry in the weeks where Jeff is all about wrestling and streaming hardware. Though it’s just as often that those moments lead to such wondrous tales as The White Car and other dubious entities in his LoS, and so I accommodate his attention that spans many an interest. Jeff, of course you didn’t do the ↓ and Bombcast alone, but Ryan Bradley Vincent wouldn’t or perhaps even couldn’t have reached their heights of entertaining gravitas without your staunch Jeffness. You kicked off this strange and darkening century in the best way possible for so many by putting yourself out there and giving a voice to things that we cared about but couldn’t address by our merely reposting Zero Punctuation links. May you know well of the mass good you have done, and may you feel at peace with the fatigue(s) that your soul may be “wearing” this year after the long journey thus far, and may your stride and aim continue to be True AF. In case the bait of Neopoke-kun is the only chance I get to communicate with you, I wanted to make sure it contains this proper Thank You. 

</heartfeltDigression>

And now, the page Jeff was seeking. And more! If you’re in need of a How To then you’ll want to read to the end. Really. I’d planned to merely post a MT of Jeff’s desired page two four several hours ago when I created this tumblr account but actually I’ll put some elbow grease on this and elaborate on the hoped-for strat guide, and on another strat guide that I found on my own today, to make this post worthy of every reader’s patience.

In the J2E (ja-JP_en-US, if you must) translations I’ve used my best gamer intuition about where to invoke singular versus plural. I did not, however, use my best translator manners to retain phrasing, with the excuse that I’m trying to help explain vagaries, not stay faithful to wording (that itself might have been summarizing other texts anyway). Against my better judgement of how I should spend my day I also watched two 25 minute gameplay VODs on YT to triage the more esoteric statements. Lastly, I removed all original parentheses on Jeff’s requested page so that I could use parentheses for my own commentary with an Ed callout. In the second aka deliberate strat page, I’ve left parentheses as they were used in Japanese.

Here we go, starting the Wayback Machine crawl recall with my presentation of “Jeff’s Page” a.k.a. the blog he cited and wanted to find.

//##Begin Ganbare Neopoke-kun Strat Guide Blog Page

★ Intro Ganbare Neopoke-kun is a game in which you make 30 different games by keeping this fairy of Neopoke in a good mood. In the beginning the games created are of the Cassette Vision variety, then gradually become more elaborate. I fondly recall the discount store Don Quixote selling this game bundled with the handheld for 1000 yen a long time ago. Nowadays, together with the box and booklet the bundle would cost almost 10000 yen.

★ How to Easily Get Neopoke-kun to Make a Game If Neopoke-kun isn't in a good mood, you won't be able to get him to make games. There are two ways to control his mood. 1: Twirl (Ed: Move) the levers. (Ed: I solved what for some will be the mystery of the word “lever”: See the 25-minute gameplay Part 1  video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPDUK6-jKbY at 15m 32s where the player gets a Japanese graphical text description of a dev-complete mini-game. At the end of the description is the Japanese phonetic spelling レバー   for the English word lever and beside it are the D-pad symbols for Left Right Up Down.) 2: Use the A button to attract visitors. Avoid method 1 because this’ll lead to a lot of events in the game that will upset him. Method 2 has a level of risk based on the characters that appear. So if a mood-lowering character appears (Ed: list below), you should Reset. If anything other than that, you should Save. Using this approach over a number of hours can result in all the mini-games being created. By “reset” I mean the convenient Soft Reset! Simultaneously press A + B + Option buttons. However, if you do method 2′s reset five times in a row, the door explodes and his mood turns bad. For that reason, on the 5th straight time, either reset or try playing a mini-game. If you only ever do method 2, you won’t get him to make games, so visit the mini game screen regularly! (Ed: "Screen” refers to the development status screen of 6 pages and the games within. And BTW on those pages it’ll be useful for you to understand that the dev-complete mini-games receive simple names in Japanese, whereas the dev-WIP games are captioned with their percentage toward completion.)

Mood-ruining characters to watch out for:

A bratty housewife who kicks the door.

G-Man, bringing a gunfight.

Onoda, an astral projection old man.

Catherine, a dog in clothing that in one event shits its pants. (Ed: See gameplay video Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnkiPZO2_rs#t=302s at 5m 02s, if so inclined.)

Bunka Senta, who wields tree branch clippers.

Gokutsubushi, a samurai who wields a sword and attacks a ninja inside the wall.

Jane, a tornado (Ed: or a dragon?).

Knight Rider, a bat that disturbs his sleep by ultrasound. 

Note, even these characters can do things at times that don’t negatively impact his mood.

☆ (Ed: The 4 screencaps shown on the blog page are as follows.) Title screen, various visitors, a simple game typical of his first games developed, and a more complex game typical of his games developed later. 

//##end Blog Page aka Jeff’s Page

After watching gameplay videos I was wondering whether the author's list of negative-mood event characters might be incomplete when BAM I found a “deliberate” walkthrough @ https://web.archive.org/web/20080704091533/http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Bingo/9553/np/ken/npkun.html If accurate, this page could be a great companion, if not an even greater one. (FYI walkthroughs for other games are reachable through the parent page, I noticed.)

I won’t translate this entire strat page’s characters list but here’s a tailwind for you in the form of nice clean English for the instructions section. I’ll include the Japanese, too, for navigation, and so that language enthusiasts can validate the meaning (I don’t intend to stick to the source text’s phrasing).

//##Begin intentional-looking walkthrough page for Ganbare Neopoke-kun

（１）とりあえず訪問者を２回呼ぶ。（Ａボタンを押す。）

Summon visitors 2 times. (Use the A button.) 

（２）下の表を参考に、２回とも機嫌がよくなる訪問者であればセーブする。 　　　どちらかが機嫌が悪くなる訪問者であればリセットして（１）からやりなおし。

Referencing the list of characters, Save if both times the visitors are in the good mood list, or Reset if either of the visitors are in the bad mood list. Reset by going back to begin again at step 1.

（３）（１）と（２）を３～４回繰り返す。

Repeat steps 1 and 2, three to four times.

（４）何かミニゲームで遊ぶ。（遊ばなくてもいいかも）

Play one of the mini-games. (Even though it might actually be fine not to do so.)

（５）ねおぽけくんの部屋へ戻ると、高確率で作ってくれます。 　　　作ってくれない時は（４）へ。 　　　何度かやっても無理なときは（１）からやり直してみてください。 Return to Neopoke’s apartment and you’ll have a high probability of getting him to make a game. 

If not, return to step 4.

If this part just isn’t working for you as described after several tries, try starting over at step 1.  この方法を使えば効率よくミニゲームが集まるハズです。

This method should have a good chance of getting the mini-games completed.

//##End deliberate walkthrough page

Heads up, this second walkthrough asserts that a 9th visitor is on the Bad Mood list who is missing in the first walkthrough: the lookalike. (Odd, as I’ve seen what I think is encounters with the lookalike result in a happy-looking Neopoke-kun. So perhaps the point was true in the first walkthrough that even the Bad Mood list of entities can also have positive or neutral outcomes.)

Before ending my inaugural and highly meandering post, I pause to salute a fandom.com SNK page for its dated link to a fantastic and relevant relic of the Neopoke-kun era, of more interest to me personally than the game itself: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20001006112056/www.neogeo.co.jp/neopocke_kun/index.html Aside from the now adorable tech limitations and web culture of July 2000 (the apology at the top in Japanese is precious), pay attention to the table containing links. Those are downloadable mini-games from among the 30 in the main game, used as marketing demos! I was able to download the games from https://web.archive.org/web/20001210084700fw_/http://www.neogeo.co.jp/neopocke_kun/mini/game.html#mini_game and had limited success in running one of them called Yabou (a nod to Nobunaga’s Ambition) under Win XP SP2 compatibility mode. I couldn’t get past the samurai selection screen without it crashing but that it launched at all feels miraculous. The directly downloaded .exe is actually a self-decompressing file that produces a folder of a handful of files amounting to no more than half a megabyte, including the game executable. If you’re able to get into any of the games, try left-right arrow keys and space bar as controls. And if you succeeded at running the mini-games on Win 10/11, please post here how you did it. It’d be great if you don’t just post “dosbox you dumbass” as this is an opportunity to help others more than it is to insult my ignorance. Anyone who has read this far surely enjoys Jeff recounting the days of game demos (even if they did tend to cripple the main product’s release timeline). Hopefully these playables are a fun belated marketing easter egg for some of you to discover the existence of. 

In closing, a word to Jeff’s firstborn. You may be reading this in 2037 and the world may lack food, water, oxygen. We may be in a society where electricity for gaming is a real-life murder meta game. Things might be really bleak. But know that your father has been a pillar of good sense and the human equivalent of a carbon sink, probably in the lives of many besides just me. Could you cut him some slack if he didn’t buy you an electric pony or if he misses part of your first hologram DJ gig. I trust that he’s doing everything that he can for you. He certainly appears to have done everything in his power to help the rest of us. 

[reportwire]

Nepal army locates crash site after plane with 22 onboard went missing - National

Nepal army locates crash site after plane with 22 onboard went missing – National

Nepal‘s army said on Monday it has located the crash site of a plane that went missing on Sunday with 22 people on board. “Search and rescue troops have physically located the plane crash site,” army spokesperson Narayan Silwal said on Twitter, posting a picture of the wreckage with the plane’s tail number clearly visible. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by…

[fridayfirefly]

Cowboy Like Me

Read Cowboy Like Me on AO3

Masterlist

Written for Maribat March Day 5 - Last Time

Now I know, I'm never gonna love again

Marinette was a terrible sentimentalist. After such a bad breakup it might have been cathartic to tear up the pictures of them, but Marinette just couldn't do it. No, she could bring herself to destroy the evidence of her six-year relationship. Marinette kept all the pictures, all the movie tickets, all the handwritten notes and put them in a shoebox at the top of her closet, somewhere that she couldn't reach without the help of a stepstool. Maybe the pads of her fingers could brush against the smooth cardboard if she stood on her tiptoes. But Marinette could never open it again. Inside that shoebox were the memories of being in love, kept safe, locked away, just out of reach.

As Marinette boarded the plane, she looked back on everything that had gone wrong. Though the cause of all the destruction in her life was uncertain, Marinette could pinpoint the effects exactly. There were a few things Marinette knew for certain: Marinette would never fall in love again, the city Marinette once loved now only held bad memories, and once the plane took off, Marinette would say goodbye to Paris for the last time.

Never wanted love, just a fancy car

The socialite scene of Gotham was dreadfully boring in the winter, Marinette learned. The weather was so brutal that anyone who could afford a second house in Key West or Malibu left as soon as the first snow-fall hit. Marinette stayed inside her penthouse apartment for weeks, designing her wardrobe for the next few months. It had been so long since she had been able to design for herself, without input from anyone else. It was freeing, to work with the colors, the patterns, the styles that she wanted. Marinette had forgotten what freedom felt like. For so long, she had worked for the whims of others, crafting to someone else's design.

Marinette made her first friend two weeks after the move. Silver St. Cloud was Marinette's neighbor in the apartment to the left. Silver was a model and influencer, and a self-proclaimed expert on all of the rich single men in Gotham. Upon their first meeting, Silver offered to show Marinette around Gotham and introduce her to the socialite scene. Marinette, hesitant but hopeful, accepted.

"Bruce Wayne is the best that Gotham has to offer," said Silver as they leave Starbucks, lattes in hand. "But there are plenty of men who are worth your attention - women too, if that's what you prefer."

"Bruce Wayne is the best?"

Silver nodded. "The Waynes have owned this city for as long as Gotham has been on a map. I wouldn't set your sights on him completely, though. Bruce Wayne doesn't date anyone, not even a former member of Kitty Section."

Kitty Section was known around the world, the biggest band to come out of France in the last decade. Their songs topped charts. Their albums won awards. Their well-crafted image of reclusive, mysterious artists led to a media sensation over the members of Kitty Section. Everyone wanted to know them - Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the lead vocalists whose relationship enchanted their fans. Rose Lavillant, the backing vocalist and keyboardist, and Juleka Couffaine, the bass guitarist, who were unashamed of their love for each other. Ivan Bruel, the mysterious drummer who had the name Mylène carved into his drumsticks. They were famous. They were at the top of their game. They were unstoppable.

Marinette ruined it all when she left the band. Her split had been big news, exposing a dark side of Kitty Section that their fans were never supposed to see. But after their breakup, Marinette quickly realized that she never loved music. She loved Luka, and once that love faded away, she loved nothing.

"I guess I'll find someone else," said Marinette, but it was a lie. There was Luka Couffaine, and after that, there was no one else. She might be able to love fancy dresses and expensive cars, but Marinette would never love a person again, not the way she loved Luka. When it came to love (deep, true love, not just the infatuations of childhood) Luka was her first time, Luka was her only time, and Luka would be her last time.

Perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear

Marinette quickly learned the art of charming everyone she met, either through her impressive resume (founding member of Kitty Section) or through her newfound ability to flirt. It turns out, once you turn off your feelings it becomes very easy to pretend that you can still love.

Marinette and Silver became thick as thieves. The girls became a popular pair, charming every birthday brunch and charity dinner. For Silver, it was all about networking. As she explained to Marinette, "I'm trying to create a brand. I'm trying to turn my own name into something that can be sold, and for that, I need connections.

For Marinette, it was something to do. As long as she used her money wisely, Marinette had enough saved to comfortably live out the rest of her days. The real problem came in finding something to pass the time. Marinette rarely felt joy in living her life, the way she used to back when she was a child, the bright-eyed girl who aspired to be a designer. Now, everything from charming a billionaire to designing a new dress felt like a chore.

"Come meet Bruce Wayne," urged Silver as she grabbed Marinette's hand. "He just got back from Nepal. It's his first time in Gotham in six months. He skipped his own New Year's Gala to go soul-searching in the Himalayas. It's my job tonight to convince him to stay in town for longer than a week."

There was a determination to Silver's voice. From everything she had heard about Bruce Wayne, Marinette doubted that Silver could make him change his ways. However, that wouldn't stop Marinette from helping her new-found friend.

Silver's whole body-language changed, shifting from a determined march to a delicate float as she made her way over to a dark-haired man in a well-fitted tux. "Hello, Bruce. It's so nice to see you again."

"Silver." Bruce acknowledged her, sounding bored. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was the lead singer of Kitty Section before the band split up a few months ago."

"Kitty Section... I might have heard of them before. The band was... French?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes. All the members were born and raised in Paris. Have you heard of any of our music?

"I'm certain now that I have. It was very... commercial."

Marinette ought to have slapped him across the face right then and there. Not only was commercial not a compliment, but it also wasn't even true. It was the biggest criticism of Kitty Section, their reticence to work with popular music trends. Despite her overwhelming desire to assault the most wealthy and influential man in the ballroom, Marinette instead steeled her face and gave Bruce a pleasant smile. "Thank you. So what do you do for a living, Mister Wayne."

"I travel."

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He spoke two words to her. The conversation was anything but interesting. "How interesting. Have you ever been to Paris?"

"I'm not a tourist, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I travel to much more interesting places."

Marinette officially gave up on the conversation. She would let Silver (who looked to be itching to have her turn to talk to Bruce) try and fix the train-wreck of a conversation that Bruce created. "You sound like a man with a lot of stories to tell. I hope you can tell me them over lunch someday."

"Perhaps."

Marinette gave Bruce her politest smile. "I have to excuse myself. Silver, why don't you tell Bruce about your new sponsorship from Lululemon."

Silver lit up. "Oh, you have to hear about this email I got last week. It was amazing, it's so good for my brand..."

Marinette walked away, letting her distaste towards Bruce leave her. Secretly, a little part of her hoped that Bruce would leave Gotham, as he was well-known for doing. Though Silver was her friend, Marinette didn't think she could pretend to like Bruce.

"He's intolerable, isn't he?" joked a voice from beside Marinette.

Marinette turned to face the stranger, a beautiful woman, taller than Marinette by quite a few inches, with dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. She wore a dress of royal blue silk, so elegant it reminded Marinette of the sort of thing she always dreamed of making. "Who?"

"Bruce Wayne. Who else would it be?"

Marinette let out a quiet laugh. "He is quite unpleasant. I take it you know him."

"I accompanied him on some of his travels. Bruce is a good friend of mine, but these parties tend to bring out the worst in him. He hates this city and he especially hates the wealthy of this city." The woman grabbed a glass of wine off of a server's tray and handed it to Marinette, who gratefully took it.

"Then I doubt Silver will have any luck convincing him to stay." Marinette tried to keep the satisfaction out of her tone, but the woman laughed anyways, an indication that it didn't work.

"You're quite funny..." The woman paused for an introduction.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And you are?"

"Diana-"

The sound of shattering glass interrupted Diana's introduction. The crowd started to get frantic, and Marinette was pushed one way while Diana was pushed the other. The glass of wine was knocked out of Marinette's hand, staining the fabric of her dress. Marinette struggled to stay on her feet, desperate to not twist an ankle in her four-inch heels.

"Listen up!" shouted an oddly-dressed man. "You're all going to listen to me, and no one will get hurt."

Marinette had a very odd feeling that this would be a moment she remembered for the rest of her life.

Never thought I'd meet you here. It could be love

"They're calling him a supervillain. Apparently, his name is The Riddler," reported Marinette, looking up from her phone, where she was reading about the events of the night before.

Silver glanced up from her seat on the sofa across the room where she was painting her nails a delicate shade of pink. "It's about time Gotham got its own supervillain. Metropolis has had Superman and all the villains that follow him around for years."

Marinette snorted out a laugh. "You think that a supervillain is a good thing?"

"Sure. It means that Gotham will be getting a superhero of its own soon." Silver brightened up. "Plus, the hostage situation from last night meant that I got to spend a whole two hours with Bruce."

Marinette groaned. "I can't believe that you two are going on a date. Bruce Wayne is one of the most insufferable men I've ever met."

"It's not a date. Bruce specified it as just dinner between friends. You should come too, Marinette. I'm sure that once you spend some time with Bruce you'll warm up to him."

Marinette gave Silver a skeptical look. "You want me to come with you on your date with Bruce?"

"Again, it's not a date. Bruce said that he would be bringing one of his friends along as well."

Marinette finally understood Silver's intentions. "You want me to come with you so that I can partner up with Bruce's friend, and you can get some alone time with Bruce."

"Well it doesn't sound very nice when you put it that way," huffed Silver.

Marinette giggled. "I love devious plans. We'll just have to make it look natural."

It took a little time to get all the details, but Marinette and Silver got their plan in order. Silver would arrive first and meet Bruce and his friend. Marinette would arrive later, strike up a one-on-one conversation with Bruce's friend, and spend the night engaging Bruce's friend in conversation so that Silver could flirt with Bruce. Marinette's only concern about the evening was that Bruce's friend would be just as unbearable to talk to as Bruce himself.

The restaurant that Bruce picked out was very fancy, but Marinette didn't mind. It allowed her to wear her new dress, a pale blue and silver creation meant to mimic the shimmering quality of ice. Marinette thought it might be a little too experimental for the old-fashioned Gotham society, but Silver approved of it, and Marinette trusted her friend.

As soon as Marinette walked through the doors her eyes caught sight of Silver's white-blonde hair. Then she noticed Bruce sitting beside her friend, his eyes trained on Silver with an odd intensity. Finally, Marinette noticed Bruce's friend. She was shocked to see that it was Diana, the very woman that Marinette had met at yesterday's gala, the very woman whose introduction was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Riddler. For a second, Marinette was shocked into stillness. The chaos of the night before had overshadowed her meeting with Diana to the extent that Marinette had forgotten how very charmed she had been by Diana. Now, it seemed Marinette had the perfect opportunity to get to know the charismatic woman from the night before.

"Marinette," the surprise in Diana's tone told Marinette that she was just as blind-sighted by their meeting.

"Hello, Diana. Fancy meeting you here," said Marinette with a smile.

Bruce raised one eyebrow. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We met last night," explained Diana. "I wanted to let her knew that you aren't usually so insufferable."

Bruce looked affronted. "I wasn't insufferable."

"You lied about having listened to Kitty Section," piped up Marinette. "There are a lot of valid criticisms of Kitty Section. However, our music being too commercial is not one of them."

Bruce had the decency to look guilty. "I apologize, then. I'll make sure to take the time to give your music a real listen."

For Silver's sake, Marinette was willing to forgive him. "Maybe next time you can give me some real criticism."

Bruce nodded graciously. "I'll do that."

Diana took that moment to bring back up their introduction the night before. "So Marinette, I don't believe we got the chance to finish our introductions last night. I'm Diana Prince, newly a curator at Gotham's Art and History Museum."

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, former member of Kitty Section, currently taking a soul-searching sabbatical."

"Soul-searching for what?" asked Diana.

"I suppose I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. When I was younger I was so passionate about fashion. I made my own clothes, entered my creations into design contests, spent years creating a portfolio. I'm trying to rediscover that passion."

"Maybe you could show me your designs some time," offered Diana.

"I would like that," agreed Marinette.

"Actually," chimed in Silver, "Marinette made the dress she's wearing right now."

"Really? I would have assumed that it was professionally made. It's a gorgeous dress," praised Diana.

Marinette blushed, a warm fluttery feeling stirring deep within her. The rest of the night passed in a blur, with Marinette hanging on Diana's every word. It was easy to talk to Diana. She was so naturally charming that Marinette couldn't help but enjoy herself. As the evening winded down, Marinette felt only regret that they would have to part so soon.

As Marinette stood outside the restaurant, waiting for a taxi, she felt Diana's hand settle on her shoulder. It had been a while since Marinette had felt such an intimate touch. "I had a nice time talking to you tonight." The feel of Diana's fingers gently trailing down Marinette's arms was almost more than Marinette, touch-starved and hungry for more, could bear.

Marinette smiled. "I did too. I hope to see more of you."

"I'm sure you will." Marinette took comfort in the certainty in Diana's voice.

And in the back of her mind, Marinette began to rethink her policy of never falling in love again. Something about Diana made Marinette think that Luka wouldn't be her last time after all.

And the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up

Marinette could not believe he did this. After everything they had been through together, Marinette's one final request to Luka was that he not release a song about their breakup. But there it was, top of the charts, the lead single of Luka's new solo album, Different Cities. And if it wasn't bad enough that Luka broke the only promise she asked him to keep, included in the song was a snippet of the last voicemail she sent to him. She left it for him weeks after they broke up, as an explanation to him, to let him know she was leaving Gotham.

In the last few seconds of the song, Marinette's voice is hesitant as she speaks. "I know that you wanted me to stay so that we could work things out, but I don't think that our relationship is fixable. So I guess I'm calling to tell you that I give up. I'm leaving Paris next Friday. I've already bought the plane ticket. You can't change my mind. Goodbye, Luka."

It was the rawest emotion Marinette had shown since the breakup, and Luka exploited it for his own gain.

Marinette spent the day joylessly deleting emails from various news outlets begging her to tell her side of the story. As if she would give Luka the satisfaction of giving free publicity. Everyone loved drama, so Marinette was going to make her reaction - or lack of reaction, in this case - as boring as possible.

Every time her phone rang, Marinette ignored it. The voicemails started to stack up, and eventually, Marinette found herself going through them one-by-one. One from Alya, letting Marinette know that she was there for her when she wanted to talk. One from Adrien, more joking in tone, trying to cheer Marinette up. One from Ivan, directly threatening to punch Luka in the face if Marinette wanted it (and that was the only voicemail that actually brought her spirits up). One from Juleka, an apology.

In the voicemail, Juleka's voice was rough, like she had been crying. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I begged Luka not to release it, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said- he- he said-" Juleka broke off into a sob, and Marinette couldn't help but sniffle along with her. "I can hardly recognize him anymore. Rose and I aren't on speaking terms with him now. He's no longer my brother."

Marinette wished that she could pick up the phone and tell Juleka that it was okay to forgive Luka, but Marinette couldn't. The wound was still fresh, still bleeding out.

One step forward, one steps back. Two days after Marinette considered the idea of loving again, and she was right back where she started - in too much pain to even consider friendship, let alone love.

Speak of the devil, Marinette's phone rang, Diana's name lighting up on the screen. Part of her wanted to throw her phone across the room and curl up under her blankets. The other parts of her answered the call. "Hello?" spoke Marinette, wiping away the moisture at the corner of her eyes.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Diana's voice was soft. It was the most comforting thing Marinette had ever heard.

"Not really. I can't decide if I want to punch Luka in the face or if it would hurt too much to ever see him again."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marinette sighed. "I met Luka when I was fourteen. He was my classmate Juleka's older brother. Luka had his own band, so all the girls in our class thought that Luka was so cool, but he mostly ignored us. Then one day his backing vocalist got bronchitis and he needed someone to fill in. I was a soloist for the school chorus, so I volunteered. Luka was hesitant to let me join his band until he heard me sing. He told me I had the voice of an angel. Two days later he kissed me, and I fell in love with him so hard and so fast I didn't have a chance to consider if he was really the one."

Marinette took a deep breath, then continued, "It was a whirlwind after that. We started dating. We started a new band and named it Kitty Section. We started writing songs together. The weird part was, he never asked how I felt about any of it. He never asked me if I wanted to date him, he never asked if I wanted to join the band, he always assumed that I wanted what he wanted."

"And what did you want?" asked Diana.

"Back then, I thought I wanted a future with Luka. Now, I guess I just want to feel passion again. I've felt so empty since I left him."

"You might feel better with some company. Do you want me to come over to your place?"

Marinette looked around at her empty apartment, at the way the shadows filled the room, at the way seemed to lurk in every corner. "Sure."

"You could show me some of those designs you were telling me about the other day," suggested Diana.

Marinette glanced over at her sketchbook, which had laid empty for months. "That sounds good."

As she hung up the phone, Marinette realized that talking to Diana had made her feel a bit better. The knife wound that Luka had left in her heart had begun to close up at the edges. Marinette took a deep breath and picked up her sketchbook. If she wanted to rediscover her passion, she needed to work for it.

Now you hang from my lips, like the Gardens of Babylon

Marinette let out an appreciative noise as Diana re-entered the room, modeling one of Marinette's creations. "Give me a little spin."

Diana turned herself around, letting the red fabric swirl around her legs. Something about the way that the dress looked on Diana made it so much prettier in Marinette's eyes. Suddenly the fabric wasn't just red, it was carmine. The dress wasn't just being worn, it was being modeled. It didn't just move, it flowed. "It's a gorgeous dress," complimented Diana as she looked over her shoulder at the mirror behind her to admire it.

"It is nice, isn't it." Marinette had been so caught up in her head she had forgotten to truly admire her creation. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. "You should keep it. One of Bruce's charity galas is coming up in a few weeks. You could wear it there."

"I couldn't," protested Diana.

Marinette shook her head. "It looks best on you. I could never pull off such a vibrant shade of red." There was a second part to the sentence that was left unspoken. If Marinette made the dress knowing that it wouldn't look good on her, she must have made it for another reason. She must have made it with Diana in mind.

Diana smiled, seeming to have caught those unspoken words. "Well if I'm going to wear the dress, you'll have to put up with me gushing about how talented you are all night long."

Marinette flushed. "It's no big deal. It's just a dress."

"It's not just a dress. It's your passion." There was truth in Diana's words that Marinette couldn't deny. It was so much more than a dress. It was the passion for design that Diana had helped her rediscover. It was the newfound friendship with Diana that chased away the loneliness and despair that had taken over her life. It was the glimmer of hope for a future with Diana.

Takes one to know one, you're a cowboy like me

Diana looked beyond gorgeous in that carmine dress. Marinette could keep her eyes off of her as they mingled around the ballroom. Marinette's dress was nice, made with the same passion that Marinette had in her younger years, but it paled in comparison to Diana. However, Diana made up for this disparity by gleefully explaining that Marinette was the creator of the dress every time it was complimented. By the end of the night, Marinette had spent so much time blushing over compliments that she worried her face would become permanently flushed.

The gala was a complete success for everyone involved. The charity, which happened to benefit Gotham Child Protective Services, raised twice their goal amount. Marinette got to spend time with Diana. Even Silver had spent the night looking very pleased with herself, her hand resting on Bruce's forearm as they walked through the ballroom together.

As the night winded down, Marinette and Diana found themselves walking out of Wayne Manor towards Diana's car. Diana had offered to drive Marinette there and back, and Marinette had eagerly accepted. Marinette hated driving in Gotham, as Gotham was known for its aggressive drivers and high rates of automobile accidents.

Marinette sat down in the passenger seat with a sigh, kicking off her heels. "Tonight was nice."

"It was nice," Diana agreed. "We'll have to attend galas together more often."

"You just want an excuse to get your hands on another one of my dresses," teased Marinette.

Diana laughed. "I wouldn't say no to another dress. But really, Bruce's rich friends are much more bearable when I have someone to make fun of them afterward with."

Marinette shuddered. "And to think I thought that Bruce was bad. His friends are intolerable. I never want to talk about golf again in my life."

The two women chatted as they drove through the dark streets of Gotham, back to Marinette's apartment.

"Thanks for driving me home," said Marinette as the car pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"It was no problem." Diana hesitated, before continuing. "I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner sounds good," Marinette replied, strapping her shoes back on.

"I'm asking for this to be a date." Diana finished.

Marinette looked up at her, surprised. Her friendship with Diana had been so easy that Marinette had forgotten that it could be anything else. She had half a mind to decline, to stay in the familiar, but that little bit of hope in her heart urged Marinette to take a leap of faith and accept. "I would like that. What time will you pick me up?"

Diana smiled, her whole face lighting up. "How does six sound?"

Marinette smiled back, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

And as Marinette got ready for bed, she realized that all of the sadness that lingered in her heart since the breakup had gone away. All that was left for her to feel was hope for the future.

@maribatmarch-2k21

[redjaybathood]

reasons to be missed

Jason&Talia, Gen, Post-Canon, references to Gotham Nights, Batman Incorporated

Prompt by @dn-ky: On the anniversary of his death, Jason lays his ghost to rest.

Timeline: PostCanon, Jason’s POV It's a small affair. Only him and Talia at the cemetery. It's unusually windy in late April. She shivers. He takes off the jacket and stops short of throwing it over her shoulders, thinks again, and offers it to her. She chuckles but accepts, slipping it on.

"Did you know her?" Talia asks, nodding at the gravestone. 

Ann Kelly, it reads.

"We met," Jason shrugs. "I found her. And one of her killers. She didn't leave any family behind, and my place was sitting here, empty. So, you know."

"Ah," Talia says. "You never liked waste. Funny that you decided on this not a year after you reinstated your legal identity."

Jason rubs his shoulder, where a bullet wound not quite healed, yet.

"It was never a long-term plan. Suzie and Miguel have things in hand there. They don't need Bruce Wayne's ward’s name on papers to run the things anymore."

Talia hums, sitting down and stubbing the weeds that grew in much more oppressive numbers than chamomiles Jason planted.

"Don't," Jason panics, delving into his pockets looking for a handkerchief. "Your hands..."

Talia spares him incredulous glance over the shoulder.

"I am not afraid to get my hands dirty."

Jason knows.

Jason sighs and joins her.

"I will hire someone," he says. "To do the maintenance. You know, weeding, watering. Make sure nobody defaces the stone or dig her out for whatever freaky shit people do it for. You really don't have to do this."

"She would appreciate the effort, wouldn't she?"

"No," Jason says, tagging on one very stubborn root. "She won't really care. Wherever she is, you don't really care about things like that anymore. It's those of us who stick around could only ever be so petty."

Talia's hand steadies him.

"You weren't petty," she says.

He looks her in the eyes no more than a second. The intent, the power behind those eyes, it only hurts him more, knowing she is still on his side. Only ever wished the best for him.

"I used to hate you," he confesses, his hands touching the soil. 

His fingers grab the earth. The smell of grass and dirt used to make him nauseous. Now, it's only him.

"I killed my own son," she says, evenly, like she's agreeing that Earl Grey is superior tea.

Which is not.

"Yeah, you kinda did," Jason says. "I wish you haven't done that. It would have been much easier to love you."

She stands up and stands straight. Looks down at him, smiles sadly.

"I wish I haven't done that either. It would be much easier to live."

"Come with me," he says, in a desperate rush. Still kneeling on the ground where once upon a time, his own body rested. "You must have wanted to leave it all behind at least once. Come with me, All Caste needs people, and it's bullshit that you weren't able to pass trials before, they must have sabotaged you somehow, I know what assholes they could be about outsiders. You showed me that punch, remember? I know you can do it yourself. You were my first teacher, you..."

"Stay," she counters. "You got your friends back. You got a school up and running, kids who you can help. You don't have to go back to All Acres, just like you never had to come back to Gotham."

"No, that was a mistake," Jason said. "This..."

"Protecting the world, I know, I remember," she says. "That's what my father always said. We're protecting the world!"

Jason flinched.

"That's not..."

"I know, your leader is different. This time, it's different."

She touches him on the forehand, gently fixes a strand of hair in place. Corners of her lips lift and come down again.

"I am being morose," she says. "Don't mind me. When you come back, come find me."

"Deal," Jason says.

In two hours, he's going to be on the plane back to Nepal. Two days after, he will reach All Chambers. 

Two, twelve, or maybe twenty years later, however long it takes... They're gonna meet again.

Timeline: Mid-Leviathan Dawn, Damian’s POV

It's dark and quiet in the Cave. Manhunter - the female one - is unconscious on the examination table. When they brought her here, Father left almost immediately. "She will be worried," he said. "I will bring her son here."

In his absence, Damian is left to look through the newest reports on Mark Shaw, on Superman, but that's not what his mind is at. A thought pulses in his head: will she? Be worried, that is. Her son is not involved after all. And if she is so worried, why wouldn't she train him herself? Or find a capable teacher who would be able to serve as a guardian when she's incapacitated. Not like Talia... Not like Damian was taught. But self-defense, like Batman trained his Robins. That's what Grayson told him: Father was worried too much about him going off on his own, getting in trouble. That's how it was with all of them. Why doesn't she do the same? Does she care less than Father? Is he just projecting, maybe, and she wouldn't even remember she had a son until she needs something from him?

A communicator beeps with an incoming message. It's from Father: "Heading to Metropolis. Batmobile is taking Ramsey Spencer to the Cave."

That's unexpected. That meant Father was trusting him to stay on his own. Does that mean Robin's probation is over?

Or, Damian swallows his bitterness, he's assigned to be a glorified babysitter to an injured ally and their child while Batman takes care of recent developments. Yes, that is more like him.

It wasn't always like that. To think, a few months ago Damian was living in a different city, heading his own team. It all changed when Damian fell for Black Mask's plan. It wasn't even a good plan. In hindsight, he can recall something Red Hood was trying to say to him as a warning, not a threat. If Hood figured it out, or was suspicious at least, then Damian should have, too. But, just like his Mo... Just like Talia, he let himself get distracted by his emotions, by his failure that led to Pennyworth's death. That's why Batman is so good at what he does: he compartmentalizes, he does not get distracted.

Damian still has a lot to learn from his Father. He should be grateful that Father still allows him the opportunity. He should...

Manhunter groans sits up. Damian does a quick concussion check, and she replies quickly, through her teeth, and as he shines the light into her eyes, she catches his hand.

"Where am I? I need to get home to my son."

"Your son is on his way here." So Father was right. "You should rest."

She thanks him, and sits back, closing her eyes. Damian should go back to the computer, see what might come up on his search for Mark Shaw, but... There's one thing that bothered him very much.

Kate Spencer was deliberately set up to take the fall for Leviathan, to be red herring. And Damian, despite his memories of going through a similar thing himself still fresh, fell for it.

"I am sorry," he says.

Manhunter opens her eyes wide.

"Ms.Spencer, I was so focused on the Manhunter clues that Leviathan laid out for us... that I was focused on the wrong Manhunter and pointed wrongly to you." She tries to speak over him, to assuage his worries, but Damian knows that it's not - fine, or okay, or just a mistake. He knows what consequences of a mistake like that could be. "Which is exactly what Leviathan wanted someone like me to do. I owe you a huge apology, or two. You will never know that realizing not only that you were wrong and accused someone innocent..."

"Come on brat, you apologize to her but not me? When in fact, you've falsely accused me twice? Oh, you're his son alright."

Red Hood slinks out of the shadows and jauntily waves at them. Despite being through the wringer earlier that night, he looks no worse for wear. Damian stiffens. Manhunter jumps off the examination table she was sitting at.

"You're not making yourself more trustworthy by breaking in my father's cave."

"What do you do to make yourself trustworthy?" Hood shoots back but then shrugs, looking around and up, at the ceiling, where all the cameras are installed. "He doesn't mind. Or else it wouldn't be that easy. Now, I am sure you guys were having a nice talk, but we need to go."

"I don't think you're allowed to take him with you anywhere," Manhunter says. 

She is still wobbly on her feet, but nonetheless tries to stand in front of Damian. Why? Does she think Damian is incapable of handling Hood himself? The last two fights didn't go Damian's way, but there's no way she knows about that. 

Hood just crosses his hands over his chest and rolls hiss eyes. Manhunter now looks at Damian, uncertain.

"Is he?"

"No," Damian dismisses whatever idea she had. Just that Hood isn't attacking immediately, doesn't mean much. "And if he was, I wouldn't go with him."

"Do you, or do you not want to take down the Leviathan?" Hood asks impatiently.

"Am I to believe you're able to? You're willing?"

"True, I have other engagements. I'm here as a glorified taxi service."

"So where you want to take him?"

"No offense lady, but it's confidential." Hood then turns to Damian. "I know you don't think much of me, less alone think about me as a family. But think: have I ever lied to you?"

"What I know of and can prove? No. You just shot me once."

"Not my proudest moment. I was trying to get Nightwing off my dick so, sorry about that. Next time I shoot you, it will be about you."

"That's not an apology."

Hood loses a little of his devil may care demeanor. He rubs the back of his head.

"I don't think it was something I can make better by saying sorry. How about this: when this mess is over, I am standing straight and standing still, and you shoot me."

Manhunter looks from Hood to Damian, as if to ask, is he for real? Damian isn't sure. With Hood, it's an even bet.

"This is not going to make it better either."

"Nothing will, except time, maybe. Maybe not. But it will bring you some degree of satisfaction."

"I am not engaging in violence for gratification."

"Yeah, you all in it only for the better good, whatever. Can we go now, please? Before your father comes home?"

"You mean your father, too," Damian shoots back, without thinking. 

It's not that he really thinks that. It's what it will piss Hood off, especially today. But, to Damian's surprise, he ignores it.

"Look. You know where's only one person on this Earth that could possibly give you an edge in fighting Leviathan. That's who I am going to take you to."

Ah. Well, that explains why Hood bothered to come at all. Damian is not quite sure what it is between Talia and Hood, what connects them except for Father who they both eschew. So he scoffs.

"Was that supposed to convince me? That's a, what would Jon say, a 'hell no'. Did you think it would work?"

"They are also in danger. If we don't act now, you won't be able to rely on their help at all. If you're not going, I am leaving alone."

In danger. She is in prison! If anyone is in danger, it's other inmates. She can handle anyone who goes up against her one on one. With her sword, she will be able to slay any numbers of criminal scum, metahuman or not, who dare to breathe in her direction. 

But she won't have her sword.

No matter! No one would dare to gang up on the Daughter of the Demon.

Except Leviathan managed to infiltrate and disband all of the high-level International spy organizations under their noses. Superman placed her in Iron Heights for her own protection, as well as protecting others from her. But will it be sufficient?

Damian jabs a finger in Hood's direction.

"That's blatant manipulation."

"Yes, it is!" Hood throws his hand in the air. "Doesn't mean it isn't true."

"Now, you're not going anywhere with Robin..." 

"Lady."

"Manhunter." Damian touches her shoulder as he steps around her. "I am going to be fine. Your... the package you're waiting for is going to arrive here soon. Please wait here at the Cave. Don't touch computers, we will know."

"Your dad won't be happy if he knows I let you go," she tries.

True. He can't possibly endorse Damian teaming up with Hood, especially if it concerns a criminal like Talia. Saving her and not taking her down, Damian means. But... cameras are, indeed, on. There are motion detectors on every entrance and scanners that detect who enters. Hood is good but not entirely bypassing Batman's security good. So... Father knows? And he didn't call or even send Damian a message. 

Is this a test on how Damian would conduct himself in his absence? That's ridiculous and unnecessary. The only point of this test would be if there were any questions not about Damian's behavior but his loyalty. And Father knows it belongs to him. He does, doesn't he? Or does he expect a different result?

But that's not the most pressing question. Knowing that it is a test, and Damian leaving with Hood to save Talia would mean failure, can Damian stay? It would mean failure in another way.

Does he... want Damian to fail?

Maybe he's looking at it wrong. Maybe, if both outcomes are failure, it would mean they also are both a win. 

"You better have a car. I'm not riding a bike with you," Damian says.

Hood doesn't question where Damian's bike is, of course recognizing it as what it is - Damian lost driving privileges, something that must have happened to Hood a lot when he was Robin. He takes it as a sign of weakness and presses advantage. 

"Trouble in paradise? You know if you want to bitch about Bruce, I am always a willing ear, and I am always on your side. Not like Alfie or Dick either, no excuses. To think, with the fifth kid he would pick up at least some basic parenting skills, right?" 

"I do not need to cry about how my father doesn't hug me enough, unlike some people, Todd, spare me."

"Good for you. For the record, if you ever need it? Offer doesn't have an expiration date. But please, can we go now?"

Hood indeed has a car. It is... a minivan. Good for infiltration, stake-outs, and undercover missions, Damian supposes. But this was neither of it, it was a rescue.

He scoffs at the dashboard. In his mind, she stands towering above him, imposing, uncompromising. "Your father is a hero, and he calls me a villain. You? Be whoever you want. I do not care for labels. The only thing you can't be is weak. I will not allow it. Pick up the sword. Again!"

Her voice is still ringing in his head when Hood bumps an elbow into him.

"Open the glove box."

Damian stares at him while he does it. 

"Good, now, take out what's inside."

Damian, still not looking away, gropes for whatever Hood so pressingly needs. A metallic cylindrical object. He sneaks a glance at whatever in his hand now. It's a thermos.

"Unscrew it."

"I am not going to help you drink while you're driving!"

"That's not for me. It's soup. You've been awake for, dunno, a day? Two? More than 24 hours. I doubt Bruce stopped to get a warm home-made meal inside you. Or that he usually bothers. Do you guys live off take-out now?"

"We have meals delivered, actually. The same firm that does lunches for Wayne Enterprises, but our menu is more... specialized. To help me with muscle mass and energy levels."

Damian doesn't know why he is explaining, except for how Hood's insinuation that Father doesn't feed him enough in absence of their main caretaker (it's not absence, a voice inside his head says, he's not on vacation, your incompetence killed him, he won't be back) is offensive and wrong and. Anyway. It's Hood who has to do some explaining.

"Why do you want me to eat your soup?"

"Because we have half an hour to go till we reach the airstrip I parked my ship, and it's a short trip to Kansas after that. We're not stopping at MacDonald's, and you won't be able to sleep at all, but at least I'll get some nutrients in you."

Damian sniffs. He doesn't hear anything except tomatoes, lentils, garlic, and coriander. It smells... nice.

"Is it drugged?"

Hood rolls his eyes and takes one hand off the wheel to take the thermos from him, take a sip, and hand it back.

"I don't eat meat," Damian peers inside.

"That's great, especially as it doesn't have any."

Oh. That's okay, then. If you trust the Hood.

Damian's stomach grumbles.

He pours himself a little in the cup, noticing that Hood now was driving slower. He tasted it. Warm, still, but not that hot. Tasty. Spicy. Is that mint?

"Why the mint is in there?" he demands.

Jason shrugs.

"Don't bust my balls, I tried it once five, no, seven years ago. The recipe I found may have been not very authentic."

"Did Pennyworth cook a lot of Turkish meals then?" Damian asks before he can stop himself.

It's not like he has a right to this piece of memory, or anything about Pennyworth's past as he's not around to tell it himself.

"No."

The rest of the way goes in silence. The soup tastes okay, though, mint and all.

[emile-hides]

Second kid

Part two of my Found Family Overwatch self-insert story, staring me and my squad. This time how I wound up adopting my lovely daughter @bopin-lucio-beets

In which I go back to work

“Well hello, little one~” Zenyatta happily cooed as a now one-year old Ari crawled her way onto his lap.

I glanced up from adjusting Genji’s arm just to be sure she was safe. Yes, I trusted Zenyatta, but it was a nervous habit I’d picked up. Ari was constantly getting into things she shouldn’t, and she’d pulled more than a few cables while being handled by Omnics.

As to be expected, Zenyatta handled Ari perfect. He floated gently off the ground and pet her hair, softly cooing his hellos down to her. I felt myself let out a relaxed sigh.

“Are you ready for this?” Genji’s question snapped my attention back to him.

“Huh?” Was all I could muster, he took his half repaired arm from my hold and flicked my forehead.

“Traveling with me to Japan, more specifically leaving Ari. You’ve been stressed about it all day.” He was... correct. Genji could, unfortunately, read me like a book.

“It’ll be fine.” I said, more for my own comfort than his, “The monks are all very caring, and Cross will be back from Con in a few days. I just hope she doesn’t say her first words while I’m gone...” I drift back to looking at Ari, who was now babbling nonsense to Zenyatta, to listened and nodded as though she was speaking the Iris Gospel.

“Besides, you need me.” I snatched Genji’s arm back, huffing, “Who else is gonna fix you up after you kick your brother’s teeth in?” I smirked.

Genji rolled his eyes and leaned on the table, “We’re not going to fight... Well I’M not going to fight, just defend and speak to him. No attacking.”

“Uh-huh...” I say, unconvinced as I return to fiddling with Genji’s shuriken dispenser.

With one final baby bah noise from Ari, Zenyatta chuckled, “You are so wise, young one.” He lifted her up, placing the baby on the table, “You two should be going soon, the plane won’t wait forever.” The monk gently took Ari’s tiny hand in his own, waving it, “Say bye-bye to daddy, little one~ Bye-bye uncle Genji~”

Of course, all that came from Ari was a little wah, but it was enough to make my heart weep. I gently hugged the baby, kissing her head, “I’ll be home soon, okay? Be good for all your Uncles and Aunties, okay?”

Another babble and a little pat to my face was our send off.

In Hanamura, Genji and I set up in a hotel far enough away from Shimada castle as to avoid being noticed on the streets. Not that anyone would recognize either of us.

I’d already checked in with Zenyatta on how Ari is doing. He sent me a picture of her laying in the snow in her snowsuit. I missed her already.

“You need to stop.” Genji said, snatching my phone, “This should be like a vacation. Relax a little.” He tried, I just sunk into the bed.

“I can’t. I won’t. I will lay here and suffer.”

“I know a good arcade~” Genji leaned over my slunk form.

I glared up at him, with no intention of going.

The arcade was pretty cool, though. Four floors, a big poster of the rising gamer, Hana Song, all times of games. I kicked Genji’s ass at ski-ball, won a handful of Pachamari in a claw game, and admired Genji’s locked in high scores on almost every game.

It was the break I needed.

Kill a kid ran into my leg.

“Daddy!” He cried, clinging tightly onto my thigh, tears streaming down his face.

“W-Woh, h-hey...” I gently pat his head, “I-I’m sorry, I-I’m not...” I trailed off when the kid looked up, his bright blue eyes full of tears.

Genji stepped in quickly, lowering down to the blond child’s level. He asked the panicked kid something in Japanese. He just hugged my leg tighter.

I gently pet his hair and knelt down beside him, “Are you lost, honey?” I asked gently. The kid nodded. So he spoke English, that was good at least. “Okay. It’s okay. We’ll help you. I’m Emile, this is my friend, Genji, he’s a ninja. Cool, right?” I tried.

The child looked at Genji, gripping my shirt, “A... real Ninja...?” He asked, timidly.

Genji nodded, “Yeah! Look!” In excitement, Genji flicked his wrist, releasing three shurikens from his reload. The kid immediately stopped looking scared, and excitedly reached for the throwing stars.

I quickly stopped him, of course, “So, what’s your name?” I turned him back to face me as Genji hid away his shuriken.

“Jojo!” The boy smiled.

“Jojo. Good. And where did you last see your daddy, Jojo?”

“Outside. Some big guys in suits wanted to talk to him.”

Genji gained a look of concern and joined us back on the ground, “Big guys in suits...?”

Jojo nodded, “Yeah! Really big! Like giants!” He over exaggerated.

I looked to Genji, he rubbed his arm and glanced around the arcade for a moment before looking back to me. Despite his visor, I could tell he wanted us to get out of here.

“Okay then... Jojo, is it okay if I pick you up?” I asked. The little boy nodded, and I quickly scooped him from the floor, following Genji as we quickly exited the arcade.

Is this kidnapping? Probably, to some extent. He wasn’t our kid, and weren’t positive his father was assassinated by the Shimada clan, but as we rush walked down the streets of Hanamura, it became increasingly more obvious he probably was.

So. Back at the hotel with some random kid. Luckily, he’d fallen asleep on the walk back.

“Now what??” I whisper shouted at Genji as he paced a circle into the carpet.

“I don’t know! We can’t leave him here, or take him to the police. The clan has no morals, he’s a witness, they’ll take him out too!” Genji panic whisper shouted back, running his fingers though his hair.

I rubbed my temples and sank into a hotel chair, “We could figure out where he came from, take him home?” I suggested. Genji shook his head.

“The clan has resources outside of Japan, they’ll find him...”

“They’ll go though all that for a four year old who maybe saw his dad get kidnapped?” I tilted my head. Genji gave me a clearly panicked glance. I sighed and beckoned him over. 

Genji sat on the floor infront of my chair, I tilted his head forward and opened his neck paneling, gently readjusting the wiring hidden inside. “Deep breaths. In the nose, out the mouth.” I told him. 

The cyborg took a shaky breath in, then released it, relaxing a bit.

“We’ve got the kid. He’s safe, he’s blissfully unaware, and he’s sleeping. Right now, everything’s fine.”

Genji nodded, leaning back on my knees.

“You still want to go meet Hanzo tonight?”

He shook his head, closing his eyes and he sunk down onto the floor a bit.

“You gonna sleep right there?” I chuckled a bit. Genji nodded, smiling a bit. I chuckled at him, petting his hair, “Genji cat returns...” I joked.

The next morning, I found my luggage packed, and an excited little Jojo tied to Genji’s back.

I didn’t have much time to question anything before we were on a plane back to Nepal, our relaxing trip cut short.

I walked into my small, two bedroom home with Baby Ari in one arm, and a 4 year old excitedly clinging to the other.

“I’m back...” I said, half awake to what I assumed to be an empty home. 

However, Cross was also home early. They poked their head from the kitchen, glanced down at the excited toddler, slowly looked to me with a look that read they hadn’t slept in three days.. and went back into the kitchen.

[tombraidergirl]

SotTR Impressions (1): Reveal Demo

On 26 April 2018 I was given the opportunity to try out the first hands-on demo for Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the London reveal event to which I was kindly invited by Square Enix Germany. Square Enix sponsored my travel an accommodations to this event.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider will complete the story arc that began in Tomb Raider - where adventure found young, fresh-from-college Lara Croft, forcing her to fight for survival - and was continued in Rise of the Tomb Raider - where Lara actively sought out adventure to honour her father’s legacy. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider Lara chooses to continue searching for great archaeological and mythological mysteries, out of curiosity and her love for adventure, slowly turning her into the adventuress we know and love from the classic games.

In the past couple of years the reboot series had to endure a lot of criticism pertaining to Lara’s character and the fact that her weak side was showing, but what people keep forgetting is that the Lara from the classic games (with the exception of Angkor Wat in The Last Revelation and Ireland in Chronicles - which didn’t portrait a very believable character if you’re honest ;-) - which is okay btw, it's fiction) was a seasoned explorer in her late twenties or early thirties (born in 1968). Her original storyline was that an event - in that case a plane crash - at the age of 21 made her turn her life upside down, becoming the heroine of Tomb Raider I and everything after. A storyline that Tomb Raider Legend kind of messed up and Tomb Raider (2013) then tried to fix by getting back to the roots, but replacing the plane crash with a shipwreck to add something fresh, instead of doing Legend’s Nepal again at the “correct” age. So where in the original game was it written that 21-year-old Lara didn’t have weaknesses? I can sympathise with people not loving to play a softer Lara, when we got to know and love her as a tough cookie, but that’s over with anyway, and so is this discussion I hope.

Shadow adds a new layer of toughness to Lara. Her body has changed visibly, her well toned muscles clearly showing. Her face seems a little less soft - something that is probably going to be discussed at length on the internet with comments along the lines of “why did they change her face again” - which is only logical given what she has been through in the recent years.

Story

Lara and Jonah are in Cozumel, Mexico hot on the trail of one Dr. Dominguez, a member of the Trinity order, searching for a hidden underground temple holding a key, the “Key of Chak Chel” to some mystery. Lara herself is trying to beat them to it and believes to have the upper hand as a second piece of the puzzle, the “Silver Box of Ix Chel”, Trinity is searching for in Brazil, might actually be located in Peru according to her own calculations. The Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, is being celebrated presenting Lara and Jonah with the opportunity to blend in, Lara hiding her Trinity-wide known face beneath a traditional mask worn for this occasion. With Jonah’s help Lara manages to follow Dominguez, whom Lara begins to suspect of being the actual leader of Trinity. She learns that while they are still unsuccessful in Brazil, they might have found the entrance to the hidden complex here in Cozumel. Gaining entrance to the dig site Lara manages to find a cave entrance Trinity has so far ignored. This ultimately leads her into the heart of the complex, an underground Maya pyramid, where she finds a large mural telling the story of Kukulkan, the creation god, and tells of a ritual that - when combining the key and the box - summons him. But it also warns of many catastrophes, in the order: tsunami, storm, earthquake, and volcanic eruptions. Lara then spots a circular stone tablet depicting the Hydra constellation which is misaligned. After aligning it, the hiding place of the Key of Chak Chel, an ancient ornate dagger, is revealed to her. While Lara marvels at the artefact, she receives a warning from Jonah via the two-way radio that Trinity is closing in. Without having time to think, Lara grabs the artefact and thus inadvertently sets things into motion. “What have I done?” Lara manages to escape the underground structure but is surprised by Dominguez and his men who take the dagger from her and tell her that by grabbing the artefact she started the apocalypse and that the first harbinger, the tsunami, is on its way. Lara manages to escape the tsunami, while witnessing the destruction it leaves in its wake, and is able to reunite with Jonah. She tells him what has happened and that she has lost the dagger to Trinity and that the foremost thing on her mind is beating Trinity in the race for the Box to prevent Trinity from realising their dreams for a new world order. Jonah maintains that Lara is not at fault for the tsunami. “Not everything is about you.” He believes that helping the survivors of the tsunami should be their priority.

Gameplay

In the first part of the demo Lara explores the town square and has the opportunity to interact with a couple of people, by talking to them, and learning more about their lives; a gameplay mechanism that has been introduced in the Reboot, where Lara could talk to the other Endurance survivors and returning in Rise where minor interactions with the Remnant were possible. But Shadow takes the whole thing a step further, as the whole market scene is not really relevant for progressing with the main story, but gives the environment a more lively feel. The market also offers the first resources in the form of a medkit and some herbs.

Another gameplay element returning is the fluent switch between cut scenes and playable scenes, when Jonah distracts two goons to allow Lara to sneak past and explore the back alleys and reach the dig site, which is well guarded and locked down. She then reaches another exploration area, a nice and quiet location with the remains of ruined Maya structures where more resources can be found, including resource crates and where Lara uses the wall scramble, the move that gets her up and over high walls. 

Lara’s use of the climbing axe has also improved, offering new ways of traversal  not seen in the reboot games yet. Besides climbing on craggy walls, she can now attach the rope she carries to rappel up or down, to use that rope to perform a so called rappel swing and reach far off platforms, and to perform wall runs to again reach far off platforms.

Lara finally locates a cave entrance allowing her passage to yet another type of area, where she meets her first prey in the form of the well known and difficult to shoot rats that can be killed for hide and +25 XP. The new gameplay elements introduced here are the ability to disarm spear traps by cutting tripwire ropes using the knife Lara carries and the improved diving skill that gives Lara a new freedom when exploring under water. Unfortunately Lara has not brought the rebreather from Rise along but she is now able to use pockets of trapped air to extend her time underwater. 

After making her way through the underwater passages Lara finally reaches the interesting bit where a series of counterweights waits to be figured out to allow her to ascend upwards. Through the use of carts that can be pushed, tethered to other objects like cranks, or rotated around on a turntable, Lara can use them to break through walls and to weight down platforms. It seems like more of these kinds of puzzles have made their way from the challenge tombs - of which there were none in the demo by the way - into the base game. 

(Concept Art)

Another well known gameplay element is a water slide scene, where Lara has to be steered down a torrential stream, avoiding deadly traps. 

The axe can still be used to pry open doors, widen cracks in walls and even to break windows in this game.

The resources found in Shadow of the Tomb Raider are more plentiful if we are to believe what the developers told us and besides the known resources like herbs, cloths, hide, hardwood (which can also be dug up from hidden caches) we were able to spot ready made medkits and stimulants. More known elements returning are murals - which will now improve Laras overall knowledge of the culture rather than her language skills in particular - shootable targets as part of a challenge and explorer backpacks or maps - that give Lara the location of hidden collectables.

Impressions

Let me begin with Jonah, because he’s right there at the beginning of the demo. I have spoken with quite a few fans who thought that reboot Jonah seemed a lot tougher than Rise Jonah and who missed that tougher side of him. But in Shadow tough Jonah is back. While in Rise I got the feeling that Jonah wasn’t really there of his own free will but coerced by Lara to be there, but in Shadow he’s back and seems genuinely interested in the adventure. He actively helps Lara by distracting mercenaries. The two seem like equals, two adventurers who can both hold their own, no one in need of comforting and supporting (Lara by Jonah in the Reboot) or of rescuing (Jonah by Lara in Rise). Something that does return from Rise is their occasional difference of opinion resulting in heated discussions not unlike the one that occurred in Croft Manor in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

The Cozumel part is a little reminiscent of the Syria section of Rise. It has Lara finding a hidden tomb or temple, it gives a kind of introduction into traps, but Cozumel is a little more bombastic adding a calm town exploration to it (a little like the very beginning of Peru in Tomb Raider Legend but without the town folk hiding in their houses - a better comparison would be another game that is not Tomb Raider where such explorations of towns with lots of friendly characters is common but I’ll refrain from such comparison at this point, you might not own a PlayStation :-) ) The climbing sections shortly later are a little like the beginning of Thailand in Underworld but with a more impressive environment, with a view close to the one enjoyed at the Coastal Bluffs in the Reboot. (Or, possibly passages of number 4 of the PlayStation game I am not mentioning here. ;-))

And finally: The top Lara was wearing in the demo (a different one from the one in the screenshots) is getting closer to the classic outfit we know.

[warningsine]

A plane that went missing in Nepal carrying 22 passengers has crashed and was found Monday, the country's military announced.

The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by Tara Air, took off Sunday at 9:55 a.m. local time, en route to Jomsom, a city in the Mustang district in central Nepal, from Pokhara, a city about 100 miles south of Jomsom.

The aircraft had last made contact with the Jomsom Airport at 10:07 that morning.

The plane was carrying three crew members and 19 passengers; 13 of them were Nepali, four were Indian and two were German, according to Tara Air.

The plane crashed at an altitude of 14,500 feet, according to the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority. It was found the next day in the Mustang district at approximately 7:10 a.m. local time, according to the Nepali army.

By Monday afternoon, authorities said they had recovered 14 bodies, according to The Associated Press.

[new-haryanvi-ragni]

Nepal plane crash: ATR aircraft's black box found, rescuers continue search operations for missing victims

Nepal plane crash: ATR aircraft’s black box found, rescuers continue search operations for missing victims

As per a statement by an airport official, the black box of the Yeti Airlines ATR-72 aircraft has been found by the rescue team. source https://zeenews.india.com/aviation/nepal-plane-crash-atr-aircrafts-black-box-found-rescuers-continue-search-operations-for-missing-victims-2562151.html

[bharatlivenewsmedia]

Nepal Tara Air Crash: All 22 Bodies Recovered

Nepal Tara Air Crash: All 22 Bodies Recovered

Nepal Tara Air Crash: All 22 Bodies Recovered A Tara Air plane which had gone missing since Sunday morning was found crashed on a mountain on Monday morning. Bodies of all the 22 people aboard the plane were recovered as of Tuesday morning. This is the seventh crash in the Pokhara-Jomsom route in the last three decades. The wreckage of the plane was found at Sano Sware Bhir in Thasang of…