#operable partition wall
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shaniadsouza · 2 months ago
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What is an Operable Wall Partition and How Does it Work?
An operable wall partition is a flexible, movable wall system designed to divide interior spaces efficiently without permanent construction. Unlike fixed walls, these partitions can be opened, closed, or repositioned depending on spatial needs, making them ideal for offices, conference halls, hotels, schools, and commercial spaces.
These wall systems are typically built with soundproof panels suspended from an overhead track. When not in use, they can be folded or stacked neatly to the side, restoring the room to its full capacity. They can be manually operated or equipped with motorised mechanisms for ease and speed.
Why Choose Operable Wall Partitions Over Traditional Fixed Walls?
The main reason professionals prefer operable wall partitions is the unmatched flexibility they offer. Here’s why they are a smart alternative:
Adaptable Layouts: Instantly create private zones, meeting rooms, or open areas based on immediate requirements.
Aesthetic Options: Available in various finishes such as fabric, glass, wood veneer, or laminate to complement interior décor.
Time-saving: They eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming renovations.
Space Efficiency: Perfect for venues with multifunctional needs like banquets, training centres, or event halls.
Sustainable Design: Encourages reuse and reconfiguration, reducing construction waste.
These benefits help businesses and institutions maximise space without compromising on style or sound performance.
Where Can Operable Wall Partitions Be Installed?
Versatility is a hallmark of operable wall partitions, allowing them to fit into a wide array of environments. Common installations include:
Corporate Offices: Create temporary meeting rooms or collaborative zones.
Hotels & Banquet Halls: Separate ballrooms or event areas for multiple functions.
Educational Institutions: Divide classrooms or auditoriums based on capacity needs.
Healthcare Facilities: Offer temporary consultation or screening areas.
Retail Stores: Manage foot traffic or seasonal display zones.
Each application enhances productivity and user experience by aligning spatial design with practical needs.
Are Operable Wall Partitions Soundproof?
Yes, many operable wall systems are designed with acoustic insulation, offering sound ratings that block external noise effectively. Acoustic operable partitions can reduce sound transmission by up to 50 dB or more, depending on their construction. This makes them ideal for:
Confidential meetings
School exams
Conferences or simultaneous sessions in hotels
Private dining areas in restaurants
Choosing the right acoustic rating ensures privacy and comfort for users on either side of the partition.
What Should You Consider Before Installing an Operable Wall Partition?
Before investing in an operable wall partition, consider these factors:
Track System: Overhead track systems are more common, but make sure your ceiling structure can support the weight.
Panel Material & Finish: Choose materials that align with your design and functional goals.
Soundproofing Needs: Determine the level of acoustic separation required.
Operation Mechanism: Decide between manual or automated systems based on user convenience.
Service & Maintenance: Ensure the supplier offers post-installation support and easy panel servicing.
Consulting a professional installer can help you select the best system for your unique environment.
Conclusion: An operable wall partition offers a modern, efficient, and stylish way to transform any space into a dynamic, functional area. Whether for aesthetics, privacy, or flexibility, these partitions are a forward-thinking solution to the evolving needs of modern architecture and design.
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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 6 months ago
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I want mama leech to beat up mama roseheart
But in all seriousness, I want mama Ashengrotto and mama Spade to talk about how much they love their boys and how proud they are of them (bonus points if you have the boys being bashful/embarrassed)
I remember seeing a fan art where Mrs. Rosehearts nags Mrs. Leech about her "indecent" outfit (because she's a mermaid; she's not used to concealing and constrictive clothes)... and then Mrs. Leech calls Riddle's mom an "old bitch" or something 😭Mr. Leech has to step in before the two throw down.
Decided to go with the second prompt because I'd like to avoid (physical) fights on NRC Family Day if possible! ^^
Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.
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"There's this really cool on-campus cafe, mom. Here, I'll take you there for dinner--my treat!"
Well, he had stayed true to his word. His butt was planted in a cushy, plum- colored booth, Dylla seated across from him. She swiveled her head around every few seconds, her glossy mouth agape as she took in her new aquatic surroundings. The jellyfish fixtures overhead, the glass partition separating salt water and seaweed from the eatery, the bar with its shelves of rare tea along one wall.
And their waiter?
"A-Ashengrotto-senpai," Deuce greeted him nervously, "you're working the floor today?"
The merman had shockingly dressed down, casting off his hat, scarf, and the dorm leader's jacket he draped over his shoulders. He was in a violet bowtie and simple white button-down shirt, his sleeves rolled up past his elbows, suspenders and a cummerbund accentuating his slight waist. A lightweight, flexible look for squeezing through tight spaces and sliding dishes onto tables before darting away to the next task.
"Yes." His clear blue eyes flicked up from his notepad. With a bare hand, Azul indicated the crowded restaurant. "As you can see, the Mostro Lounge is quite busy today. Normally I work in the back and oversee the establishment--but on days like this, a manager must be willing to roll up his sleeves and walk the talk."
"Oh, it's nice of you to step up like that!" Deuce perked up. "Your parents don't mind you being busy...?"
"Let us say it is a family affair." Azul removed the pencil from behind his ear and tapped it on his note pad. "Now then, do you and your sister need more time to decide what to order?"
"Sister!!" Dylla gasped. "Ahahahah, you didn't tell me your classmates were so funny, Deuce!"
"M-Mom...!!"
"Oya, have I made a mistake?" Azul's lips pulled back into a smirk. His words were slick and sweet--perhaps overly so. "I could have sworn that this beautiful, vibrant young lady was your sister. Your age doesn't show one bit, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you. Deuce-san and I go way back."
"Really?! He didn't really mention you in his calls back home. It was mostly about Ace-kun, Yuu-kun, and Grim-kun... Was I missing something?" Dylla asked, shooting her son a questioning look.
He gulped. Sweat started to bead on his forehead. "E-Er... Ashengrotto-senpai helped me study for the fall finals," Deuce said vaguely. No deals, no anemones, no indentured servitude mentioned.
"Did he? What a helpful senpai!! It sounds like you're keeping real busy between the tutoring and the part-time job."
"You humble me, Mrs. Spade! I wouldn't be able to run as successful of an operation as I do without the support of the rest of my team." Azul's grin grew. "And, of course, without Deuce-san's own efforts. I commend him for his commitment to the pursuit of academics."
"I know, right?" Dylla belted out a laugh and smacked her son--hard--on the arm. "Deuce is the hardest working man I know!! He did so much to turn his life around since his middle school days, went completely clean. It brings a tear to this old lady's eyes."
Deuce was peony at this point, flushed with pride and embarrassment. “I-It wasn’t much,” he mumbled, bashfully scratching his chin.
"Oh, you don't say... I'm intrigued. I would love to hear more about these tumultuous middle school days," Azul purred, leaning forward--his pencil and notepad at the ready, "and how Deuce-san has changed since then."
Cheeks lit aflame and cherry red, Deuce piped up. "M-Mom, PLEASE!! W-We're here to eat. We can't keep holding up Ashengrotto-senpai when he's got so many tables to wait on."
"My bad, kiddo! Can you fault your mom for wanting to chitchat with your classmates?" Dylla chuckled, shuffling her menu. "... I'm just glad you have so many good friends and reliable upperclassmen looking after you at school."
"Reliable upperclassmen? That sounds like my Azul for you. He's always been one to lend a hand to a poor, unfortunate soul in need--takes after his grandmother in that respect."
The octopus merman stumbled, almost dropping his writing implement. A full-bodied woman in a sleek jet-black gown emerged from the sea of guests and wait staff. She ferried a wicker basket piled with warm bread rolls, which she laid out before the Spades with a smile.
"Fresh out of the oven," she chirped, "and complimentary for Family Day, so eat up!"
"M-Mother," Azul sputtered--and was it Deuce's imagination, or was his senior's calm slipping? "I thought we had agreed you would stay in the kitchen and allow me to handle the front."
"You hadn't come in for a while now to pick up the bread rolls for this table, so I thought to come out and deliver them myself. Can't keep the customers waiting, you know!" Mrs. Ashengrotto wagged a finger at him, as if telling off a misbehaving dog.
Deuce and Dylla took a deep whiff of the rolls. They smelled rich and hearty of wheat fields and butter on a warm summer's day. The steam from the basket rolled up, coloring their faces pink and causing them to salivate.
"You made these yourself? They smell so good!" Dylla clapped her hands in delight as she plucked up a roll. "I can only make basic egg dishes! Baking is a whole different set of skills."
"I dabble a bit here and there! Baking is primarily a human thing, dear--but when Azul came back from his land boot camp, babbling about all this 'baking' nonsense, I knew I had to try it with him."
Azul had frozen, his eyes wide with panic. "I think that's enough sharing, mother!"
"So Ashengrotto-senpai was a diligent worker back then too..." Deuce clenched a hand into a fist. "That's so impressive!"
"Isn't it? Azul absolutely loves to learn new things! Didn't have many friends in his youth, so he'd study the day away curled up in his little pot--"
"Aaaaaaah, MOTHER...!" Azul yanked away from her and, placing both hands on her shoulders, attempted to steer her away. "I think I heard a new order being called in! You should tend to that this instant!"
"Wait, I didn't get to finish hearing the story!!" Dylla protested. She had a mouthful of bread, so her pleading was somewhat garbled. "What was that about a pot?!"
“H-Hold on, mom…! Sit down and chew your food first, or you might choke!!”
Their shouts mingled with the noises of the lounge. People, both children and parents alike, sipping slow jazz and eating up the underwater atmosphere, the air spiked with salt. Somewhere along the way, their voices were lost, becoming one with the group—like the many waves of the ocean weaving together in a larger body.
Mothers and sons, the bonds tight as that of the moon and its serene sea.
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honorarysimp · 11 months ago
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Chapter 6: At Your Worst
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Jail is a lot more different on the inside when you aren’t the one locked in a cage.
You make your way through the county jail, the air heavy with an oppressive atmosphere. The walls are grey and grimy, the sound of footsteps and quiet chatter filling the air.
There's a sense of unease within you, being surrounded by so many cops, their eyes sizing you up with suspicion. You're led down a long, narrow hallway, the fluorescent lighting making the place even more unsettling.
The officer leads you to a door, pulling out a key to unlock it. As he opens the door, you're hit with the sight of the visitation room. A line of people sat on metal chairs, wired phones in hand as they speak to the inmates on the other side of a glass partition. The air is filled with the sound of murmured voices, a mixture of frustration, sorrow, and determination. Behind the glass, you see the inmates seated on plastic chairs, their faces weary and resigned.
The officer leads you to an empty stall, gesturing for you to sit down. He gives you a curt nod, saying, "you can wait here. The inmate will be brought in shortly." The tone of his voice is professional, but there's a hint of curiosity as he observes you.
You nod once, settling into the hard chair. You can’t help the whirlwind of emotions rushing through you - fear, anticipation, dread, defiance. There's a sense of finality to this moment.
You’ve chosen your path and there's no going back now, not that you ever would. The officer leaves you alone with your thoughts, the room feeling suddenly more stark, the silence pressing in.
It doesn’t take them long to bring him in.
You watch intently as the door opens, Weeks walking through, clad in a jumpsuit and bound with cuffs on his wrists and ankles. His eyes sweep the room, settling on your face as he's led to the stall.
There's a tired defiance in his expression, though he can't completely hide the flicker of disdain and fury that passes over his features as he’s pushed down into the seat across from you.
His face is a mix of anger and resentment, his eyes fixed on you with such intensity that it almost feels like the glass separating you two isn’t even there. You can practically feel the tension, the electricity in the air as his thoughts and emotions crackle like a storm.
He’s a caged animal, his movements stiff and deliberate due to the cuffs around his wrists and ankles. It’s clear he’s itching to say something, to lash out, but for now he holds himself back with what seems like a monumental effort.
There's a coolness in your demeanor as you pick up the phone on your side, gesturing for him to do the same. There's a stark difference in how you both operate – you're in control now, your composure in contrast to his barely restrained anger. You wait patiently as he aggressively picks up his own phone, his handcuffed wrists struggling with the task.
He explodes, his face turning red with rage as he slams his free hand against the glass, spitting out the words. "MY OWN WIFE?!"
The veins in his neck standing out as his anger boils over. The impact of his hand against the glass causes a loud bang, echoing throughout the room. He looks like he’d try break through the glass just to wrap his hand around your throat if he could, his anger a tidal wave that he can barely control.
You purse your lips, your heart hammering so loudly that you can almost hear it over the static of the phone. You adjust your hold on the phone with a firm grip, maintaining a steel exterior, refusing to let him see any sign of weakness or hesitation. Despite the tension and his anger, you manage to keep your voice steady, replying with a coolness that belies the chaos within you.
Your voice is level, but there's a hint of satisfaction as you say, "did you think I wouldn't? She's my family too, as you so kindly reminded me." The words seem to spark a deeper rage within him, like throwing gasoline onto a fire. His face morphs further into anger, his eyes narrowing as he struggles to contain himself, the cuffs on his wrists clinking against the phone. He looks like he wants to explode all over again, but you've hit a nerve and he seems at a loss for words for a moment.
You continue, your casual indifference only serving to rile him further. You lean back in your chair, a nonchalant shrug accompanying your words. "Even she admitted you haven't been the same man she fell in love with since drugs got involved," you say, your voice matter-of-fact. The words clearly hit home, a flicker of pain passing across his face before it's quickly replaced with more fury. He opens his mouth to protest, but your claim has struck a chord and he can't find the right words to deny you.
His voice breaks with emotion when he does finally speak, his fingers wrapped so tightly around the phone that his knuckles are turning white. His eyes seem to burn with anger and desperation as he practically seethes the words at you, "Marky is dead. Paulie is dead. You sold us out, and for what?" The weight of those deaths hangs thick in the air, a painful reminder of the choices you made. Your heart feels heavy, but you keep your face stoic as you meet his gaze.
You take a moment to reflect on the last three days' events, the shock still somewhat fresh in your mind. Mr. Eldridge's unexpected turn of events, the news of Weeks being reprimanded by the authorities, all the raids – it was so surreal. Your mind races with thoughts, but you force yourself to remain focused, knowing there's more to unpack in this conversation.
Your face twists with emotion as you relay the events to him, your voice faltering momentarily before you continue. "Ray Eldridge, Tom’s father. He was coming for you, but when he found out you'd been arrested, he took out who was left and turned himself in” you say, the words hanging heavily in the air. There's a hint of pain and resignation in your voice, but you keep it steady, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you completely unravel.
Weeks' expression is a mix of anger, disbelief, and shock at this revelation. The news seems to have hit him like a freight train, and he struggles to process it for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth as he tries to wrap his head around the situation.
His anger dissipates for a moment, replaced by a resigned acceptance. He almost seems to deflate, the fight leaving his body.
"I knew it wasn't you," he says, his voice holding a note of certainty. "I knew you couldn't have killed Marky. He really did love you, y'know” there's a hint of sadness in his tone, a touch of the past peeking through the hardened shell he's become.
“He would’ve let me die years ago, if it weren’t for you, we both know that”.
You remain stoic, expression cold. You continue through gritted teeth, your voice leaving no room for doubt. "I didn't come here to make amends," you say, tone firm. "I came to tell you to sleep with one eye open since Ray Eldridge will be your bunk mate soon."
There's a dangerous edge in your voice as you deliver the warning, making it clear you're not here to make small talk or offer any kindness.
You add a final, menacing twist to your warning, your eyes locking onto his. “It’d be a damn shame if he finished the job,” you say, emphasizing the point. The threat hangs heavy in the air as the full weight of your words sinks in. The warning is loud and clear, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
He scoffs and calls your bluff, a hint of defiance in his voice. "Bullshit," he spits out. "You and me, we're all that's left now that Marky is gone. Marky would be rolling in his grave if he saw us like this” his words are laced with a mixture of anger and resignation, a hint of the man you use to know creeping into the present.
Your stomach twists uncomfortably as you see a glimpse of the man you remember. A mix of disappointment and nostalgia fills your voice as you ask, "what happened to you? Why did you let things get this bad?"
There's a hint of the old, genuine concern you once had for him, a flicker of sadness at the transformation he's gone through the last few years.
You use to admire him, look up to him, now he’s just a monster.
His expression hardens as he replies, his voice quiet but firm. "I did what I had to do to keep our family afloat," he says, "so did you, so did Marky."
There's a cold detachment to his words now, a stark contrast to the familiar loyalty you knew him for. You can almost see the layers of callousness, the choices he’s made, weighing heavy upon him.
You deny his attempts to justify his actions, the anger growing within you. "You promised me a better life when I came to you," you snap, your voice raising a bit, "but instead you ruined it."
There's a mix of pain, betrayal, and frustration in your tone as you call him out, each word a bitter reminder of the promises he never kept.
He attempts to apologize, but you can see the insincerity behind his words. "I failed you," he begins, putting on a facade of remorse.
“You’re right, I should’ve done better by you, you’re my Lucky charm after all” his tone is hollow, the old nickname falling flat as the weight of his actions hangs between you.
Your face twists into a bitter expression as you speak, the weight of everything pushing back on you like a physical force.
"No, I’m not, that name was never yours to abuse" you say firmly, your voice final “not anymore, goodbye Pete."
The words feel like a weight lifted off your chest as you sever the connection between the two of you by hanging the phone on its hook in the stall.
You stand and force your eyes away from him, turning towards the door, ready to walk away.
He abruptly jumps to his feet, restraints clattering together, his voice muffled by the glass but still clear enough to understand. His anger is palpable as he slams his cuffed hands against the glass, his voice rising to a furious yell.
"I'M YOUR BROTHER," he roars, his eyes burning with a mix of pain and anger. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? TO MARKY? LOOK AT ME!" the raw emotion in his voice is undeniable, the weight of your actions apparent in his pained expression.
Your steps don't falter, even as every fiber of your being screams at you to look back, to turn around. Despite the pain coursing through you and the tears threatening to spill, you forge ahead, resolute in your decision.
As you walk away, a million thoughts race through your mind – pain, regret, doubt, hope for a better future. But the certainty in your heart, the knowledge that this is the right choice, gives you strength to keep moving forward.
You don't look back as you’re ushered out of the room, your stride even and determined as you leave him behind.
There was no saving him, even your sister-in-law Rachel knew that, which is why you’d gone to her first before you went to law enforcement with everything you had.
You’d gone to the police later that day with three demands: immunity for you and your people, the Finestkind, and then to clear your record for a chance at a fresh start.
And in return? Weeks, a list of names, and every location to every warehouse you knew of. More than plenty to knock the operation down to a point of no possible recovery.
Now it’s for certain, with Weeks out of commission indefinitely.
The officer silently leads you through the narrow corridors, the sound of your footsteps echoing off the gray, grimy walls. As you finally exit the building, the world outside doesn’t seem as suffocating.
You step out into the new reality of your life, the sunlight hitting your eyes, the sounds and smells of the shore nearby hitting you like a wave. For a moment you stand there, taking it all in, before you start walking – your stride purposeful, determined, unbroken.
For the first time in your life, you feel free.
Your thoughts fade away as you look up, spotting Mabel leaned against her red car a few yards away, watching you intently as you exit the building.
A wave of relief washes over you at the sight of her– a sense of comfort and familiarity, her presence like a touchstone in this chaotic world.
She’s waiting for you, just like she said she would.
You approach her with a nod, a slight tight-lipped smile appearing on your face. She squints her eyes a bit from the sunlight beating down above before tilting her head slightly, studying your face quietly. There's a moment of silent assessment as she seems to gauge how you're coping.
As you come to a halt in front of her, you take in her lip now scabbed over, the dark bruises that have begun to fade now that they’ve had time to heal.
Don’t worry her more than you already have, you’ve put her through enough as it is.
You try to shrug it off with a casual, "it's good, I’m good." But Mabel, in her perceptive ways, sees right through your attempt. She’s known you long enough to see the hidden emotions behind your words, the turmoil bubbling beneath the surface. Her eyes meet yours, a slight frown on her face, clearly not buying your dismissal.
She says nothing, but the expression on her face speaks volumes. She knows you're putting up a front, hiding your pain behind false bravado. Her concern is evident, silently inviting you to drop the act, to let her in, to lean on her for support.
You feel the weight of her gaze, the weight of her silence, and it's almost unbearable. The facade you had carefully constructed starts to crack, the pain and the turmoil threatening to spill out. But you don’t break, not yet. You try to keep up the act, struggling to hold on to that mask of toughness, of strength.
And that's when Mabel finally breaks for you both, shoving her own pride and feelings aside for a moment. She grabs the front of your shirt with a surprising amount of force, pulling you towards her until you're enveloped in her embrace.
Despite the height difference, Mabel stubbornly pulls you down to her, her tippy toes barely doing the job. You’re caught off guard for a moment, but that facade you’ve been fighting to maintain finally breaks. The dam holding back your thoughts and emotions crumbles, and for a moment, you just give in.
You sink into the embrace, allowing yourself the comfort of her presence. Her warm body against yours, her familiar scent in your nose, it all feels so grounding. For a few seconds, everything else fades away, and you just focus on the feeling of being held and supported.
She tightens her grip around you, her voice a soft whisper in your ear. "You need to stop being so afraid of vulnerability," she says, her words echoing with a hint of admonishment. There’s a firm yet gentle tone to her voice as she adds "you have too big of a heart to pretend that you don’t”.
The situation is a mixed bag of emotions. You're painfully aware that you still love her, but you struggle with the conflicted feelings within you.
On one hand, you want nothing more than to take the chance and try to fix things with her. But on the other hand, you know that she dreams of leaving this small town behind, and you can’t imagine how such a relationship could possibly work.
You’re left feeling uncertain, torn between wanting to be with her and not wanting to hold her back from the life she desires.
The life she deserves. The one she’s worked too hard for to throw away.
You look at her as you pull back from the embrace, your gaze unwavering as you speak, confessing your insecurities.
"For the longest time, all I ever saw myself as was a bad person,” you hesitate for a moment, your gaze locked with hers.
Then, you continue, your voice filled with genuine gratitude, "you have no idea how much it meant to me, when you looked at me and all you could see was the good”.
Mabel’s eyes glisten with unfallen tears as she listens to your words, clearly touched by your confession. Her thumb continues to caress your cheek, the familiar gesture making your heart constrict.
Her voice quivers slightly as she speaks, a flicker of vulnerability in her gaze. "I’ll always see the good in you," she whispers, her words filled with a mix of determination and affection.
"You may have done bad things, but underneath all that, you’re a good person. I have, and always will see that”.
Her eyes impulsively flicker down to your lips, a magnetic pull threatening to draw you closer. But at the last moment, as you notice the subtle action, a pang of realization washes over you.
You can’t, you won’t.
You grasp her wrist gently, pulling it away from your face and preventing her from acting on the impulse. With an affectionate yet serious look in your eyes, it’s your turn to give her a stern yet tender ‘don’t you dare’ look.
The air between you is thick with tension and unspoken words, each of you acutely aware of the depth of your emotions. It’d be so easy to give into that longing, to close the space between you and let everything you feel for each other unfold.
But you both know that it’s not the right time, not yet. The unsaid words hang in the air like a tangible thing, a mutual understanding of the pain and desire that fills the space between you.
Someday, maybe, but not today.
You take a deep breath, steadying yourself before gently reassuring her, "it’s okay," you say, your voice steady despite the internal conflict. "You need to go. I don’t want to hold you back. So please go, follow your dreams, and get the hell out of here."
You try to sound resolute, but beneath the words there's a hint of uncertainty, an unshakable sense that you'll always wonder ‘what if.’
But you can’t think about that right now, because for once, you aren’t going to be selfish.
For once, she’s the one trying to stay and you’re the one telling her to go.
She’s on the verge of protesting, her mouth parted for a rebuttal, but you don’t give her a chance. You cut her off gently, your tone firm yet soft.
"Charlie can get you where you need to go, don’t walk away from that” you reiterate, a final insistence in your words. You swallow the lump in your throat as you maintain eye contact, hoping your expression conveys the depth of your feelings better than your words can.
“Don’t do this-“ she tries to protest again, her eyes pleading with you to change your mind, but you cut her off gently.
"Charlie can get you where you need to go," you repeat, your tone firm but gentle. "So go. Don’t stay here for me. I can’t hold you back, not when you have so much potential."
You know deep down that letting her go is the right thing to do. You don’t have much going for you right now– no car, no prospects– and holding her back would only lead to regret and resentment.
If she stayed, and you both tried again, it would only fall apart.
But even she, who once seemed so eager to leave this town and this life behind, now appears reluctant to let go. Her expression, her demeanor, it’s all a stark contrast to her usual independent spirit.
You take her hand in yours, pulling her slightly closer, your forehead gently resting against hers. Your voice is soft, a whisper filled with knowing and acceptance. "Mabel, it's okay,” you say, your words gentle and soothing. "I know. I know you, and I know what you want. So go. You know where I’ll be”.
The gesture itself is intimate, a quiet moment between you both that speaks volumes about your relationship and the depths of your understanding of each other.
You almost say it, but you hold back the words, the three words that have gone unsaid between you two for far too long on the tip of your tongue.
But you don’t, because you know if you do, she’ll never go.
Her eyes well up with tears, a subtle crack appearing in her typically composed exterior. She struggles to hold your gaze, her voice wavering as she speaks.
"Your nature is to love, not hate. Don't forget that," she says, her words both a plea and a reminder. It’s a side of her you rarely see, vulnerable and pleading, yet still filled with a deep affection and admiration for you.
The heaviness of the moment hangs in the air, the raw emotions almost palpable. You nod, silently acknowledging the weight of her words, before trying to lightening the mood.
"I’ll do my best," you crack a gentle but humorous joke, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "But we both know I’m prone for acting now and asking questions later".
She laughs, a sound that has a hint of both mirth and sadness to it. She playfully swats at your chest, seemingly trying to hold on to the moment just a little longer. But even as the laughter fills the air, the reality of the situation begins to set in, the moment slipping through your fingers like sand in an hourglass.
Her eyes lock with yours, a look of profound longing in them. For a moment, she seems to falter, as if she wants to say something.
But she takes a deep breath, composes herself, and her expression schools back into her usual aloofness.
Then, with a hint of her usual attitude, she barks, "get your ass in the car," and proceeds to round the vehicle to the driver’s side.
Despite the sadness and the uncertainty, a small smile grows on your lips. The weight on your chest lifts a bit, but your fidelity to her weighs heavily on your shoulders.
You can't help but chuckle. "Yeah, whatever you say sunshine" you reply, your voice carrying a mix of resignation and fondness. You climb into the passenger seat, settling into the familiar space, the scent of her car almost nostalgic to you.
But life is a funny thing, isn't it?
It's composed of moments just like this, moments we never want to end. But here you are, still moving forward, experiencing new and beautiful things.
The journey may continue, but the essence of those precious times remain within us.
Life is too short to worry about making sense of everything anyways.
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You’d think for being ten years old, your brothers would know better than to ditch you at the town’s annual carnival, left to wander around like a lost puppy.
Your brothers, older and arguably wiser, seem to have vanished into thin air, leaving you stranded in the midst of a sea of strangers and noise.
You weave through the crowd, the sights and sounds of the carnival assaulting your senses, but your brothers are nowhere to be found. Frustration mixes with the slight pang of being forgotten, as you continue your search through the maze of people and rides.
A distant flash of light and a faint noise catches your attention, drawing your gaze just beyond the borders of the carnival. There, in the distance, fireworks light up the sky, and the realization sets in – if your brothers are about enjoying themselves, you might as well go enjoy the spectacle while you’re stuck here.
You make your way out of the carnival grounds, dodging through the parking lot and ignoring the perplexed looks you receive from adults. They clearly question what a lone kid is doing out here by yourself, but the fireworks beckon, and you search for the perfect spot to watch the colorful display.
And that’s when spot her in the distance, a girl around your age with soft brown hair perched on top of a truck roof.
At first, you’re astonished by her bravery, because that’s up fairly high.
Her gaze is fixed on the fireworks, a look of wonder in her expression as the colorful explosions paint the sky. Curiosity sparks within you, and you pause in your tracks, studying her from afar.
For a moment, you watch her watching the fireworks, unsure whether to approach her or not. There’s something about her that seems both exciting and intriguing to you, a mystery waiting to be solved.
But before you can decide, she looks down, as if sensing your stare. Her gaze locks onto you, and a flicker of surprise crosses her face.
You keep some distance as you tentatively approach the vehicle, your gaze slowly wandering upwards to her small frame perched atop the vehicle, which makes her seem taller than you in this moment.
“What are you doing out here alone?”
You meet her gaze, a hint of boldness in your own defiant demeanor as you mimic her question, your response almost automatic, "what are you doing out here alone?"
The sky erupts in vibrant colors as more fireworks explode overhead, drawing your attention away from her and towards the spectacle above.
The bursts of light bathe everything in various hues, casting shadows and creating a mesmerizing dance across the stars.
But after a few moments, your gaze is inexorably drawn back to her. You notice how the different hues light up her features, casting a euphoric glow across her face.
Her very being seems to glow with a soft, radiant beauty, making it impossible to look away.
The fireworks might be captivating, but the sight of her watching them, her features lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors is even more so.
Just as you’re starting to wonder if your brothers will bother looking for you, she looks down and breaks the silence.
"Do you live around here?" Her tone is friendly, but there’s a hint of curiosity.
You hesitate for a moment, debating whether to tell her the truth or not. After all, you just met this random girl, and you don’t need her to think you’re some kind of lost kid.
Even if she is a kid herself, you feel the need to not look utterly helpless to her.
You decide to be honest, despite your initial hesitation. You shrug nonchalantly and reply, "no, I'm just here for the summer to visit my brothers, they’re here somewhere”.
You try to sound casual, like it’s no big deal that you’re out here alone, but something tells you that she might see right through your bravado.
She smiles, gentle and warm, causing a flutter of butterflies to stir in your belly. She then motions to the empty spot next to her on the truck roof with a pat, silently offering you a place to watch the fireworks beside her.
It’s high, and you’re a little nervous, but you buck up because you are not about to look like a wimp in front of this pretty girl.
There’s a certain tranquility and ease about the invitation, so you make your way to the tail bed and climb up.
You settle next to her, the metal of the truck cool against your skin, creaking softly as you settle into the spot next to her.
Huh. Not as scary as you thought.
The space is just big enough for the both of you, and you’re acutely aware of the proximity, although it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. There’s a sort of serenity sitting here, silently watching the fireworks together.
The fireworks continue to explode overhead, each burst of color and light adding to the surreal situation. You glance over at her, the glow of the explosions dancing across her face, making her look even more ethereal and angelic.
She keeps her gaze fixed on the fireworks, watching the sky dance in brilliant colors as she murmurs, "you should consider yourself lucky."
There’s a hint of something in her voice, a mixture of envy and understanding, and it’s clear she’s referring to your comment about not living around here. The lights from the fireworks reflect in her dark brown eyes, adding another touch of mystery to her gaze.
It's clear you're enjoying the moment, the fireworks almost secondary to her company. As the fireworks continue to burst overhead, you find yourself not really watching them, instead you're studying her profile, captivated by the way the colors dance across her features.
You take her words literally, and reply with playful nonchalance, "maybe I will, it does have a nice ring to it” your grin widens, a hint of mischief in your expression.
The unexpected reply causes her to turn towards you and laugh a fully, genuine, open sound that makes her seem even more pretty in the multicolored glow of the fireworks. Her laughter carries a hint of amusement, combined with a touch of disbelief.
That is the beauty of it, of course.
Because even though it doesn’t make sense to her now, someday it will.
previous, next
AN: thank you all for following along with this story! Once again, it’s been an honor, a pleasure, and a privilege.
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paramorerocker18 · 5 months ago
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An Ace from Beyond the Grave
Dove had become a vigilante by force, using stealth and cunning to try and help those in the worst area of Gotham.
When the Red Hood takes control of the territory the rot that runs through these cursed streets spills over. The vigilante and crime lord have a past that threatens to drown them both.
Or Reader doesn't know that Jason is the Red Hood. Red Hood doesn't realise that Reader is his first love from before his death. Jason doesn't know the extent of damage that his death caused.
CW: swearing, implied threat of SA, violence, trafficking ring, guns
A/N I know there is already a DC character with the name dove but its story relevant later so we are just ignoring that okay
Chapter 1
It was a simple recon mission, get in and get out. A small stealth mission, she would get in find the information she needed to help bring down the trafficking ring and then get out unnoticed.
An easy task.
Oracle had scouted out the warehouse well, she easily identified the best way to breach the building was via the unsecured sky light. After scaling the side of the warehouse with the help of her grappling hook she dropped herself onto the metal structure beams of the warehouse.
The warehouse was partitioned into two, down below were two hench men presumably on guarding the other room.
She flipped the infrared sensors in her mask on. The next room showed 6 heat signatures.
There was not supposed to be seven heat signatures.
She cursed under her breath and navigated along the beams to cross the dividing wall that luckily did not reach the roof of the warehouse.
Looking down, her stomach felt like it had fallen to the floor.
She wasn't expecting to find was the operation warehouse being used an active base to smuggle children. There was supposed to be a few guards, an easy one and done just a small foot note of the patrol and pass the information to Oracle.
Instead here she was crouched on the cold metal support beams, looking down at the far too small bound bodies of four children and two guards.
Quickly clambering along the steel frame to the adjacent room containing the two hench men as quietly as possible. She steeled herself and paused weighing up her options.
Flicking infrared off and upping the assisted listening device Dove could hear the guards below.
They were sat across from each other on fold out chairs playing some card game.
'This gig has got to be the worst one yet, why the fuck has the boss got four of us guarding the brats, what a fucking waste,' the larger man grumbled. Throwing down a card with more force than necessary.
'Quit your bitching, this is a sweet job and anyway the cargo gets shipped out in a few hours we just gotta sit here and get paid,' the leaner man with the crooked nose snapped back.
The man using the word cargo to refer to the stolen children filled Dove with revulsion, the taste of bile biting at the back of her throat.
Her options were looking much more slim than before.
There was no chance of calling in Oracle to ask for back up, not with the signal jammers she had set up to stop the hench man from calling for reinforcements before breaking in.
Idiot now your truly on your own! Her minds voice snarled.
If she left there was chance that by the time she had secured backup the traffickers could have already moved the children to the next location.
She had no choice she had to act. Taking a deep breath in to regulate her fried nervous system; she dropped down.
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Jason crawled through the small sky light opening.
After beating the intel out of one of the many low lives that tainted this wretched city, he had finally found the warehouse. They were using it to smuggle the crime alley children to the highest bidders.
His alley, his jurisdiction and these animals thought they could steal his children. Pure venom was raging in Jason's veins. Making matters worse was they had taken Melanie.
Early into Jason's tenure of the Red Hood becoming the protector of crime alley, he had found Andi and Melanie, two street kids who's life story was not dissimilar to the others drowning in the cesspit of Gotham. Not too dissimilar to the life that he Jason had lived before.
Andi and Melanie were sisters, stuck in an abusive home where their mother spent the little money they had on drugs. Andi had been working the streets since she was 17 as well as two jobs in the day.
It had been the coldest natural (not caused by Mr Freeze natural) winter that had hit Gotham in years. The subzero temperatures had even frozen crime, the rogue gallery had gone quiet and even the petty criminals had stayed inside.
Jason was perched on a roof top surveying the still night when he heard a voice by the buildings fire escape.
"I know it's cold Melie, I'm sorry. Here wrap this around you," Jason peered down to see two girls, the eldest shrugging off her jacket and wrapping it around the younger girl.
"Andi, I want to go home please. I want to go home," the youngest girl pleaded, the shivering and tearful sound of her voice piercing the still night.
"I know duckie, we will soon. Mummy's just not very well at the moment. We will go back when she falls asleep." The elder girls voice shook with the lie as she pulled the tiny silhouette of the child into her and started stroking her hair.
Jason let out a hard breath. He was suddenly transported to being 12 years old thrown out by Willis because they were too high to deal with their own child. How many times had he told himself the same lie that his mum was just sick not too high out of her mind seeing things that weren't there to care for him.
The Red Hood would be damned to allow another child to be chewed up and spat back out by their parents neglect the way he had. In that moment he made a decision, Jason came down the fire escape and called out in the least intimidating voice he could muster.
"Hey, it's far too cold for you two in these temperatures, what are you doing out here," Jason cringed at the modulator in his helmet carrying out his voice, his attempt to sound friendly was a poor one.
The elder girl whipped around to the sound of his voice shoving the younger behind her body like a hunted animal protecting her young. The elder sister's arms were bare, she was lean and dark haired with dark brown distrusting eyes glaring at Jason.
Jason put his hands up in a surrender position as he stepped slowly towards the pair. "I am not here to hurt you, I swear."
The younger girl peeked around her sister and Jason caught site of her small rounded face, her nose red with the cold and two light brown plaits framing her face. Her sister was a darker complexion with her hair in a protective style he vaguely recognised as twists.
"Andi, that's the Red Hood he protects people I've seen him on the news," the younger girl exclaimed her wide brown eyes staring at him in amazement.
Having looked at the pair longer now, he could tell they were related but probably only half sisters. They both had the same heart shaped face and nose.
"Oh I know who he is," Andi said with distrust still evident in her voice. "The other girls say you help them, make sure to stop any men getting too rough with them. That true?" The Gotham accent rang out clear as day.
"I do what I can, anyone who breaks the rules, they deal with me," she is a working girl Jason thought, which explains why she didn't immediately book it at the sight of the helmet. Jason had made it very clear that in his territory anyone who messed with the sex workers will be dealt with. Brutally.
"Tiff said you helped her with Carson and he hasn't been seen since."
"If I did then I am sure Carson learnt his lesson," Jason didn't know who Carson was but he had hospitalised those who didn't heed his warnings or worse. "Listen," Jason scratched the back of his neck with anxiety, "I heard your Mum is sick, you really shouldn't be out in this cold. I know somewhere you can stay for a while... until she gets better."
After their first meeting, Jason had lead them to a nearby apartment he had rented as a safe house nearby. Andi had put Melanie to bed and had told him about their mums drug habit and her tendency to forget who her daughters were and freak out at them whilst high. Andi was working 2 jobs and working the streets at night to keep them afloat. Jason transferred the apartment over to Andi the next morning and had set up the payments to the landlord directly from him each month.
So when Andi came to Red Hood six months later in hysterics that Melanie had been taken whilst her girlfriend Lucy had been beaten half to death by a trafficking ring. Jason knew he had to find her.
As Jason positioned himself on the metal structure of support beams what he wasn't expecting was to see a dark figure clad in a black vigilante costume in one hand holding a rag to the mouth of a struggling man with the other arm wrapped around his neck in a headlock.
He watched as the man went unconscious and the vigilante dropped their hold on the guard, who very unceremoniously slumped to the ground.
The other guard flew upwards from his chair and shouted something, presumably for the guards next door.
The guard clearly breaking through the shocked stupor of what had just happened raised his hands in a fighting stance, but his reactions were too slow the masked figure had already launched towards him and expertly used their weight to tackle him to the ground. They tussled back and forth until the masked vigilante grabbed something and dug it into his neck. The man managed to throw the vigilante off and staggered to his feet.
The guard reached up to his neck and removed whatever had been stabbed into his neck and tossed it aside. Jason's eyes followed to where it fell and saw the needle tipped syringe with the plunger fully pushed down.
"You fucking bitch," the nearly 6 foot man spat at the vigilante, "I will make you pay for that you stupid"
The beginning of whatever explicit that he was going to hurl out was cut short by a swift punch to the face.
Jason couldn't help but be impressed as the guard staggered backward, the drugs he had been injected with clearly having taken effect.
The vigilante pivoted away quick on their feet, almost gracefully towards the door as Jason followed along the steel beams.
"It's the Dove," he heard one of the men call as she broke through the door. The Dove, great another bird for the bats Jason thought bitterly.
The three men had their weapons drawn pointing at who Jason presumed was the Dove. He hadn't noticed that she had also entered the room armed with a gun in hand. The thought struck him that she had a gun, Jason didn't know all the vigilantes that protected Gotham but she couldn't be a Bat if she used guns. Get a grip Hood, what did that matter right now he thought.
Jason saw looked down past the standoff and saw the children who were bound and gagged, he could hear the small sobbing muffled by the rags stuffed in their mouths. He saw Melanie in her signature plaits with a purple welt on her tear stained face gazing at the intruder.
Anger filled Jason at the site of the bruising to her face and the rage that the Lazuraus Pit had imbued within him rolled through his body in hot waves. It took everything in him not to jump down then and start unloading bullets into the pathetic filth that had stolen vulnerable children.
He pulled his gun from his right holster and began tying a rope to the cross section of the beam he was on as the voices of the vigilante apparently named Dove and the guards carried up to him.
"Drop your weapons and leave the kids and you get to live," Dove barked at them.
The tall greasy guard let out a mirthless laugh, "I don't think so birdie, it's three to one. It's nice of you to drop by, we aren't allowed to touch the merchandise," his predatory eyes flicking to the children, "but now you are here we can show them what they have to look forward to once they are bought. It will be a teaching moment" The henchmen all twitter with excitement at the leaders threats as Dove grips the barrel of her weapon harder.
That was all Jason needed to hear and he swung off the beam down the rope.
Part 2
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Let me know what you think, it's my first fic go easy on me
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cityof2morrow · 9 months ago
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CDK: Private Practice
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Published: 9-26-2024 | Updated: 10-5-2024
SUMMARY Cubic Dynamics by John B. Cube and Marcel Dusims forged the future with furnishings that were minimalist in design and maximalist in erudite pretension. Generations later, the company continues to produce edge-of-cutting-edge designs. Use the Cubic Dynamics Kitbash (Simmons, 2023-2024) collection to set up corporate, exposition, and office environments. Envisioned as an add-on to the Cubic Dynamics set (EA/Maxis, archived at GOS), it features minimalist and retro-futuristic objects. Find more CC on this site under the #co2cdkseries tag. Read the Backstory and ‘Dev Notes’ HERE. The PRIVATE PRACTICE set is meant for your professional sims who run independent businesses and need a swanky space to deal with clients. Of course, the set is useful for principals, CEOs, mob bosses, headhunters, and all manner of tycoon….pretty much whatever “white collar” operation you can imagine. There are enough items for at least three rooms – waiting/reception, office, and meeting/conference room….be creative!
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DETAILS All EPs/SPs. §See Catalog for Pricing | See Buy/Build Mode You need the Company Expo (Mesh Pack) set (Simmons, 2024) for TXTRs to show properly in game. ALL files with “MESH” in their name are REQUIRED. You may need ��move objects” and “grid on/off” cheats to place some objects to your liking. When placing partitions/floating shelves and tables/desks/counters on the same tile, place the partition/shelves first. I recommend using this set with Object Freedom 1.02 (Fway, 2023), which includes Numenor’s fix for OFB shelves (2006), for easier use overall. ITEMS Bookcases (Wood/Color) (110 poly) Client Chair (844 poly) Coffee Tables (262-424 poly) Conference Table (828 poly) (Nightlife EP) Desk Cabinet (68 poly) – may need to shift upwards Desk (96 poly) Desk/Office Chair (1317 poly HIGH) Sofa (1292 poly) – 3-tile version of sofa from reception set (HERE). DOWNLOAD (choose one) from SFS | from MEGA COMPATIBILITY AVOID DUPLICATES: The #co2cdkseries includes edited versions – replacements - for items in the following CC sets: 4ESF (office 3, other 1/artroom, other 2/build), All4Sims/MaleorderBride (miskatonic library, office, postmodern office), CycloneSue (never ending/privacy windows), derMarcel (inx office), Katy76/PC-Sims (bank/cash point, court/law school sets, sim cola machine), Marilu (immobilien office), Murano (ador office), Reflex Sims (giacondo office), Retail Sims/HChangeri (simEx, sps store), Simgedoehns/Tolli (focus kitchen, loft office, modus office), ShinySims (modern windows), Shoukeir via Sims2Play(reverie office, step boxes/shelving), Spaik (sintesi study), Stylist Sims (offices 1,2, & 3, Toronto set), Tiggy027 (wall window frames 1-10), Wall Sims (holly architecture, Ibiza). *The goal is link the objects to the recolors/new functions in the #co2cdkseries without re-inventing the wheel! Credit to the original creators.
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CREDITS Thanks: EarlyPleasantview/EPV, Panda, Soloriya, ChocolateCitySim, HugeLunatic, Klaartje, Ocelotekatl, Whoward69, LoganSimmingWolf, Gayars, Ch4rmsing, Ranabluu, Gummilutt, Crisps&Kerosene, LordCrumps, PineappleForest. Sources: Any Color You Like (CuriousB, 2010), Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik). SEE CREDITS (ALT)
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thora-sniper · 4 months ago
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Third day and it's theme was so interesting. Really interesting, because I had to think hard about what could possibly lead these two to a confrontation? Even if you consider that I have the easiest guy for this.
So I have to look into their Empire past for this.
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Disclaimer: I have no finished art fo this day. Maybe tomorrow, but I have sketch:
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And you can find full in the end.
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Training lasts about a week, when CT-9904 decided to make something different. He want to test on his apprentice one of their risky strategies. He got used to her behavior patterns, studied her own ways of dealing with situations, and suddenly it seemed to him that everything would work out.
Cadet entered training room little bit later after him because their group have to be collected for another special meeting. It was just another propaganda lecture, and girl was especially angry after them. And test was about controlling aggression and other senses if you want to reach the goal of the mission.
It wasn't only for her, but CT-9904 want to test himself too. It's been a long time since he was trusted to participate in a full-fledged operation. He was seeing around and found more and more clones are being replaced by humankind stormtroopers and his connection with this girl was his key to understand what's going on. Was she only one who really want interact with him and how far she go with this if he continued treat her everyday.
-We have some training droids today, - CT-9904 said, when she stopped near him. - Your goal is take what they are guard. You have to be sneaky and invisible, don't show you on the line of fire, no matter what happens. Right?
-Yes, sir, - as politely as always she answered. Cadet looked through the environment plan, mindly marked the location of the box and nodded without any other word.
-I'm on your side this time, trying to catch their attention but I go for battle little bit later. So strat by your command. Your place is here, - long thick finger hit a small point on the plan. - Without weapon, - he stopped her when she try to walk to arsenal. - You have no any weapon, this droids can only paralyzed you, so you have nothing to afraid. Do you trust me? - he assumes this cocky pose that speaks to his selfish nature. Cadet defiantly answered with "hmm" and take her position.
-Let's play your new game, - silently mumbled young woman and added more louder. - Ready. Steady. GO!
CT-9904 push the button and start droids. Training machines twitched and came to life, blinking with their lamps. Girl hide behind one of the walls in a second before one of them turned to her location. They were silent enough when they start moving so it was necessary strain ears to understand where are they. Cadet straightened up slightly, standing higher than the wall, noted their position, and dived back in. CT-9904 was nowhere to be seen, as if he had disappeared into the darkness, but as he said it wasn't her goal, and she have to trust him even it looks so uncomfortable. If he wanted to play on her nerves, he succeeded.
The girl exhaled and crouched down to another partition. Somewhere with somersaults, somewhere crawling, she reached half of the maze in five minutes. Then she found out that droids blocked both ways to the box, and she needs to lure one of them out. This moment blue sparkle beat one of the droids into the head, and his motions became faster, and some lights change their color. Another light make the same with other. It wasn't looking good and didn't bode well.
CT-9904 accidentally appears and take his place near with his back to the wall.
-Something wrong with this droid program, - he hissed. - It doesn't look well, off button don't work, and we cannot allow them to break out of the training ground. Look, theirs program changed after my shoot.
-Understood. Does this activate lethal weapon on them? So we can use one to destroy other but... - She lifted her head over the partition for a second to see where the droids were now. Fortunately, both droids were looking the other way at that moment. Red lamps in their torso were blinking, arms with blasters raised.
-Too far, - said cadet, returning to her seat. CT-9904 could see on her face, that she was calculating this situation. She has no helmet, no weapon, no armor on her, he said that those droids are broken and she don't even think about asking help from someone outside. It was her mission, and he gave her a task.
She makes one new quick view, tracking droids motions. Than sit down again. And one another one, when blaster shoot over her head.
-Buster, - she cursed as an answer and then continue. - Two was, we need to go through two walls, we will find ourselves at the first droid. They have one place under their knees where wires are out, it helps to immobilize this one for a moment. It may start to shoot and we can try beat another one. That... well, we can try to open it's battery and switch it off manually.
With this words she make one quick step to the wall end and go to another corridor. Clone had heard her words, but have no any time to stop her. It was exactly what he was expecting from her, but he doesn't want her doing it in real.
Now he can't control her position even he knew what the girl was thinking about, but when the first blaster shoot swooshed over the walls he understood that she was in place. Than two another shots struck sparks from the walls, and then alarm system of the second droid turn off.
CT-9904 rise up on his place in the whole height with remote controller in his hand and one last thing that he can see was the blaster charge accumulated in droids arm pointed in his direction. The shoot was too quick even for his reaction. At the last moment cadet, who was struggling with this droid at that time, pulled on the panel covering the battery compartment, this change it's position and the main charge went a little higher. Somewhere on the corner of his mind he heard the girls voice but hitting his head against the wall, he lost consciousness.
-What... - the injury wasn't that bad, so in five minutes clone was on his feet again.
-One droid destroyed and other is offed, - answered cadet. The box cracked too, maybe because of ricochet...
-You have to make your mission, cadet. You lost, - CT-9904 threw the unnecessary remote aside and loomed over his ward. - This what you have done.
-I saved you, stupid clone, - she cried. - Why you're trying to kill herself. It was inconsiderate.
It was first time when she let her rise her voice on him, the worry in her voice betrayed her real concern.
-I don't need your sympathy, - he spit to her.
-This was too dangerous and you knew it, - she showed him that she understand his plan. She really was very insightful. - If you continue this way...
CT-9904 haven't let her finish this sentence. He push girl to the floor grab her clothes and accidentally punch her face once and twice and before he make the next move he paused a little, because he saw blood on the corner of her lips and red stripes on her cheek. Thin skin burst, and pair drops of red liquid collected together and ran down by the cheek. Clone never seen her eyes so widely open, fear was in there and reflection of his own figure.
-You... - he can't find any word to bite her this time. She done all that she can. And all was right in her action. - You can cancel our next training, and all others too if you want. I already gave you enough, - he said trying not to look at her. He got to his feet and walked away.
- I ... will ... come ... here, - she said with long pause between words rising from the floor. - And something isn't still enough. And I don't want...
-Go to med and...
-As always. I'll say that I fell, as always - cadet answered sadly, and turning over to go to exit.
Always. This stacked into CT-9904 head till the end of the day. He wasn't the first who bring pain to her, she wasn't afraid pain itself, girl was upset that she pissed him off more than anything else. With every action, with every word she was trying to be comfortable to interact, she play his game, follow his rules till the end. But the threat to his life may be meant more to her than the simple loss of her mentor.
Next training day CT-9904 open the door to the hall, hoping that his cadet wasn't there. But she was. Concentrated more then ever.
He could swear that deep inside of her she was angry like hungry rancor, but her face wasn't show nothing at all. She stood by the weapon rack with her eyes closed and repeatedly assembled and disassembled the training fire puncher. Clone hummed and stand near.
-What we were doing today? - he asked.
-Trying to beat shit from each other, I suppose, - she answered don't open her eyes. Blue-green mark on her cheek was so contrasting to her skin tone, but she was trying to hide this part of her face from him in a dark.
"Stupid girl," - he thought. - "But I like you. You one can be so annoying and so foolhardy to staying with me. Reminding me what I have lost."
-Maybe next time. I thought about simply target practice. Take your puncher and go to the line.
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Thanks for reading, or looking through to everyone 🫶
And more thanks to them who making "likes" and "reblogs" 😍
Thanks @clonexocweek for this event!
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dwobbitfromtheshire · 2 years ago
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Sunmary: In which Eddie has all sorts of crises because he witnessed that dorky handshake between Dustin and Steve. Warning, It's kind of long.
Eddie definitely conformed to the idea that all jocks are the same, and when he looked at Steve Harrington, he wanted to believe that it's true. He wants to believe so badly that he doesn't have a heart underneath all that hair because otherwise, it meant that Eddie has been treating them the same way they've been treating him and his friends. . .like they're something to be looked down upon just because their interests don't align. He also wanted so badly to believe that with that big house and all that money that people like Steve had it easy. . .that life wasn't all just one giant middle finger for everyone.
He was wandering around the mall to get away from the heat when he spotted Steve Harrington and a kid with curly hair in a hat. The uniform for Scoops Ahoy was completely ridiculous, but somehow, Steve Harrington made it work. He watched as he did this completely ridiculous handshake with the kid. It was also ridiculously adorable, especially with the way that Steve did this open-mouthed grin. Huh, there was more to Steve Harrington than meets the eyes. Eddie quickly shook his head. Nope, nope! He definitely liked girls. Definitely.
When he came back later, they were definitely doing something fishy. This time, they were with the other girl that worked there, and they were. . .plying an even younger girl with ice cream. Okay. That was fucking weird. He couldn't help but watch them for a while, and eventually, when the parlor was empty, they went into the back. It wouldn't hurt to take a peak at what they were doing, right? He went into the parlor and headed towards the back.
"Great, now I'm stalking him. What the fuck am I doing?" Eddie muttered.
He slid open the partition, and his eyes widened when he saw her going through a vent. Okay, what the fuck? Should he call the police? No, because then he would get arrested for stalking. Eddie heard her mention something about "operation child endangerment" and he cursed under his breath. Yeah, he should definitely do something, right? Somehow, he ended up following them all out back to a door that apparently the younger girl had opened for them. Eddie learned the other one in the sailor uniform was named Robin, the boy in the hat was named Dustin, and the younger girl was named Erica. Eddie wasn't sure how he managed to do it, but he slipped into the room without them noticing and hid in the corner behind the boxes. How he didn't make a sound, he wasn't sure. All of a sudden, the room plummeted. It wasn't a storage closet. It was a fucking elevator.
"We're going down! We're going down!" Steve screamed.
"Yeah, no shit, Harrington!" Robin screamed.
Steve got to the panel on the wall and started pressing buttons.
"Why don't these buttons work?!" Steve exclaimed.
"Press the button!" Erica exclaimed.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" Steve screamed at her.
Eddie drowned out the screaming as he tried to focus on not throwing up and giving away his position. When it came to a stop, the boxes fell over and covered him. At least they hadn't fallen onto his groin. Poor Steve. Eddie winced and tried not to make a sound. Why not make a sound? Why not tell them he was here? He still wasn't sure why he was here or why in the fuck he had to follow them? He cursed his curious nature and his stupid thirst for adventure. It was his mom's fault, really, for reading him the Hobbit as a bedtime story. He remembered after he first came to live with Wayne, how he wanted to explore the neighborhood. It was like a whole new world to him, and it had been full of cats. He remembered the brown one with the prettiest green eyes, practically pleading with him to follow, and Eddie did. The next thing Eddie knew he had been lost. Wayne had been pissed, worried as hell that something had happened to him. It had been the first time in a long time that someone had cared about him like that, not since his mama died. Eddie cursed silently at himself for following yet another pretty cat. Steve Harrington? Pretty? Yeah, like in the way he found guys pretty, not like the way he found girls pretty. Particularly cheerleaders. Hmm, Steve Harrington, in a cheerleader uniform. Nope, nope! Focus, Munson! What the fuck was that anyway?
"Just so you nerds are aware," Erica said once they established that they needed a key card to work the elevator. "I'm supposed to be spending the night at Tina's, and Tina always covers for me, but if I'm not home for Uncle Jack's party tomorrow and my mom finds out you three are responsible, she's gonna hunt you down, one by one, and slit your throats."
"I don't care about Tina!" Steve shrieked. "Or Uncle's Jack party! Your mom's not going to be able to find us if we're dead in a Russian elevator!"
Eddie couldn't help himself. He started laughing, and everyone got quiet.
"What the shit?!" Dustin exclaimed.
Suddenly, the boxes were being pulled off of him, and Steve's face appeared.
"Munson?"
"Harrington."
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Steve asked.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Eddie asked. "I mean, what the fuck was your plan when you guys met the Russsians who have apparently invaded Hawkins?! Jesus H Christ!"
Eddie jumped up and began pacing as much as he could in this enclosed space.
"Who is this, Steve?" Dustin asked.
"How did you even get in here?" Steve asked.
"I tuck and rolled inside like a ninja," Eddie said, grinning proudly, and Steve giggled, covering it up as a cough. "After I followed you here when I saw you acting squirrelly, more specifically when I saw you guys pushing a little girl into a vent. I would have called the cops but I'm alas, I am a drug dealer. . .so I doubt they would believe me. I thought I would do a little investigating of my own, Eddie the Banished venturing into the unknown."
"You sound like you play D&D," Dustin said, narrowing his eyes at him. "Steve, again, who is this guy?"
"Dustin Henderson meet Eddie Munson," Steve said with a sigh. "He created a D&D club at the high school."
"There's a D&D club at the high school?! Steve, why am I just hearing about this?" Dustin asked.
"I wasn't sure if it would still be there once he, you know, graduated," Steve said.
"Well, I would have passed it onto Gareth or Jeff, but I guess that doesn't really matter since I'm back for another year," Eddie said.
"Wait. So that means that I'll be joining next year!" Dustin exclaimed. "That is if you'll let me!"
"That is if we live," Erica scoffed. "Nerds."
"Can we do this later?" Robin asked. "When we're not, you know, trapped in a Russsian elevator!"
"Yeah, yeah," Steve said, rolling eyes.
They ended up spending the night in the elevator. The kids fell asleep, but Robin, Eddie, and Steve stayed up, talking about what they were going to do. At one point, Robin nodded off, leaving Eddie and Steve alone. Eddie talked about his uncle, how he had come in here to look for a present for his birthday. Steve bitterly mentioned his parents and how they probably wouldn't notice that he was missing. Eddie realized then that money really can't buy everything.
"You know I would haven't followed you in here if I hadn't seen you do that dorky ass adorable handshake with Dustin," Eddie said.
"I'm adorable?" Steve asked with a smirk.
"No, no! I said the handshake was adorable," Eddie corrected. "You are a total dork, Steve Harrington."
"I am not!" Steve laughed.
"It's okay. I like dorks," Eddie said, and Steve smiled sweetly, ducking his head.
Once they got out of the elevator, thanks to Steve’s quick thinking, they began their journey down a long corridor. Steve and Dustin clearly knew something that they didn't. Honestly, it made Eddie feel a little left out.
"Hey, Robin, do you remember when we saw that super awesome thing that we can't talk about?" Eddie asked her.
"Oh, yeah, totally. Man, I wish we could talk about it," Robin said. "But alas, we cannot."
"Yeah, you guys are hilarious. You two should do stand-up!" Steve said sarcastically.
"How about it, Robin?" Eddie asked. "Wanna get out of here and get a jump start on our careers?"
"Oh, yeah, absolutely, Munson," Robin replied.
Steve flipped them off, and Eddie clutched his chest, feigning shock. They all laughed, except Erica.
"Don't you think that we should, I don't know, be quiet while we're sneaking through a secret Russian underground base?"
They continued to wonder down the hallway until they reached a communications room. Unfortunately, it was occupied. The Russian stood up, alarmed. Robin tried to confuse him with Russian, but it hadn't worked. Steve suddenly hollered and tackled him. Eddie clutched Dustin, holding him back as he could only watch. He suddenly realized that he should probably help when Steve picked up something and knocked out the Russian. Steve gasped, running his fingers through his hair and gazed at Eddie.
"I like girls, I like girls, I like girls," Eddie whispered.
"What was that?" Robin asked.
"I said I like pearls," Eddie said quickly.
"Right."
Of course, that's when things went to shit and shortly after, they got caught by the Russians. Eddie almost escaped with the kids through the ducts after Steve pleaded with him to look after the kids, but then someone grabbed him by the foot and pulled him out. He motioned for the kids to keep going, and then he was taken. Fuck. Goddamnit. Shit. Is this how he was going to die?
"Your curiosity is going to get you killed one day, boy," Wayne had told him after he found him in the woods.
Eddie cursed Wayne for being right and then cursed himself because he was probably never going to see him again. He was going to die down here, and Wayne will probably never know. Eddie started bucking and wiggling around in the soldier's grasp. He screamed. He didn't see where they had taken Robin and Steve. Where were they? What were they doing to them? The two soldiers dragged him into the room and threw him onto the floor. They stood over him talking to him in Russian, but he didn't understand. He kept shaking his head at them, screaming at them. Another soldier came in, muttered to one of the guards, and suddenly, he started speaking English to the other soldier.
"The boy in the sailor uniform, he was very loud, screamed at us. He clearly wanted to go first," the Russian said. "He is being beaten as we speak."
They wanted him to know. Fuckers. Steve. . .Steve was loud, and he made as much noise as possible. He did that so they wouldn't pay attention to Robin. Fuck. Eddie blinked back tears. He had to do something. He remembered when he did that play once for Drama and how he over did it with the dramatics when his character had died.
"You look like you're seizing, Munson," the teacher had told him with a sigh.
Eddie made sure to do it exactly what he did then, and soon, he was shaking his entire body, locking it up. He tried to bring up as much spit as possible, just to give it a little flare. The Russians started cursing, and they moved closer. He stilled his body and looked off into the distance, then held his breath. His mama always called him her little fish, the way he flopped around in the water and how he could hold his breath for a really long time. Her little guppy, her little fish, but most importantly, her sweet little boy. Would he see her again? Maybe it would all be worth it if he saw her again.
"He's dead!" One soldier claimed and began muttering in Russian.
"He will not be pleased," the other said. "Check the pulse!"
When they came closer to him, he grabbed their guns as he jumped up suddenly, and he wacked them upside the head with them. They collapsed at his feet. The soldier scrambled for his gun, but luck was on Eddie's side because the soldier's gun was stuck. Eddie hollered, rushed towards him, and knocked him out with the butt of the guns.
"That's how you're supposed to use them, right?" Eddie asked no one.
Eddie left the room to try to find Steve and Robin, only to find a better weapon than the guns he was carrying. Giant glowing sticks that could probably take down a dinosaur. God. He would love to have a dinosaur. Right, focus. He burst into a room, flickering the stick to life and jabbing a scientist looking dude in the chest. Robin and Steve were strapped to a couple of chairs, giggling. Steve looked all bloody and he winced.
"Eddie! Oh, man, I was wishing that you were here!" Steve exclaimed, grinning.
"Oh, damn, did they drug you?" Eddie asked.
Suddenly, Dustin came bursting in weilding the same weapon he had. He looked disappointed that he didn't get to use it.
"Oh, hey, you found them too," Dustin said. "We should duel with them later. Reenact a scene from Star Wars."
"Yes!"
"Something inside me tells me that I should probably say no," Steve said and then smiled at Eddie. "Eddie, what are you doing here?!"
"I'm here to rescue a damsel in distress!" Eddie said with a grin.
"I am no damsel, Munson, but I am in distress!" Robin said with a giggle.
"I was talking about Steve," Eddie laughed.
"You're the damsel, Munson. A very pretty damsel," Steve said.
"Let's go!" Erica snapped as she untied them.
They climbed into a weirdly built vehicle with a cage in the back. He was already in the cage when Eddie realized he was letting children drive, but it was too late to change anything now. Steve’s head fell into his lap.
"However, will I thank you for rescuing me, Munson?" Steve asked, fluttering his eyelashes at him.
"Uh, Steve! You realize that you're flirting with a guy, right?!" Dustin asked.
"God! I like both, okay? Jeeze, dad, stop trying to burn my magazines again. It's called being a bicycle!" Steve exclaimed.
"You mean bisexual?" Eddie said.
"That's what I said," Steve said, giving him a goofy smile.
A warm feeling filled his chest, and he suddenly wondered why he had never thought about it before. He knew about it. He knew Bowie was a bisexual but how come he never thought that he could be like that? How did Eddie not realize that all the times that he looked at a girl the way he did, he also looked at a guy like that. The denial had been stuck in him deep. Oh, fuck, this was the wrong time to realize that he wasn't straight. Oh, shit, he had a crush on Steve Harrington. Goddamnit. Steve reached up and booped him on the nose.
After they ran from the Russians, they hid in the theater. Eddie managed to pull Steve away from digging into the trash like a raccoon and pushed him into a seat. He collapsed into the seat next to Steve while Robin sat on his other side. Ugh, great, Back to the Future. Eddie just watched this with Wayne. Great film, but he just watched it. All of a sudden, Steve pressed his cheek into Eddie's shoulder, gazing at him with a goofy smile.
"Is this a date?" Steve whispered.
"No, I'd prefer my dates to be sober," Eddie said.
"Oh, so you don't wanna date me?" Steve pouted.
"I didn't say that," Eddie said quickly.
"You want to date me?"
"I want you to be sober when we have this conversation," Eddie replied.
Steve giggled, sliding his hand down Eddie's arm and into his hand. He laced their fingers together.
"They fit!"
It was after Dustin left that Robin and Steve decided to leave. Eddie cursed and followed after them. Once again, he had to stop Steve from eating popcorn out of the trashcan. He finally caught up with them, drinking out of the water fountain and debating on whether Michael J Fox was trying to bang his mom. This whole conversation made him laugh until the thought popped into his head that they had both been drugged against their will. The thought of selling drugs again after this made Eddie's stomach churn. Maybe he should get a real job. And just like that, Steve and Robin were gone again. Eddie cursed and chased after them. He turned every which way, trying to find them.
"Goddamnit!" Eddie exclaimed, running his fingers in his hair and gripping his tightly.
He let go of his hair, took deep breaths, and thought about where one might go if they were high. Bathroom, they would probably go to the bathroom if they needed to throw whatever they took up. Eddie rushed to the bathroom, opening the door when he heard Robin coming out to Steve, and he winced. He really had bad timing. He tried to back track slowly but paused when he heard his name.
"I definitely think that I have a crush on Eddie," Steve said.
"Yeah. No shit," Robin said.
"I don't know. I think he might like me back, but you know, I've been wrong about this kind of thing before," Steve said.
Eddie was leaning hopefully against the door when he lost his balance and fell into the bathroom. He cursed loudly, and suddenly, they were both standing over him.
"Hey," Eddie said casually as he continued laying on the floor. "How are you? I can see that you're sober now, so that's good. Good, good."
"How much of that did you hear?" Steve asked.
"Nothing. I heard nothing," Eddie said quickly.
"So, you heard everything?"
"Yeah. . .but I won't tell anyone, Robin, I swear, and I'm okay with it. I mean, you're definitely not wrong. Not wrong about me at all, but everything is happening so fast. One minute, I'm in complete denial and then BAM! I also like guys, and I knew about Bowie, so why didn't I think it also applied to me, you know?" Eddie rambled on as he stared at Steve's legs. "It's just so fast."
"You just realized you're bisexual?" Steve asked softly and Eddie nodded.
Steve pulled him into a hug. There were no expectations from that hug. . .just acceptance. Eddie realized he was crying when he felt Robin join in on the hug.
"I mean, on top of that, the Russians want to kill us!" Eddie sobbed. "What the fuck?"
The door burst open, and Eddie heard the sound of Dustin's voice.
"Uh, what's going on?" He asked.
"It's his first time dealing with all of this," Steve said, as he patted Eddie's back.
"You guys been through this before?!" Eddie asked.
"Uh, right. Oh, by the way, it's totally cool that you're bisexual Steve," Dustin said. "You're still my brother."
"Oh my God! He's such an awesome little dude," Eddie said, sniffling.
"Are we sure that he wasn't drugged too?" Dustin asked.
After they left the bathroom, they were once again chased by the Russians. They dove over the counter in the food court, Eddie practically collapsing against Steve. Eddie took his hand, gripping it tight. He couldn't help it. He had to peak. Eddie looked over and watched as a fucking car rolled over the Russians like they were bowling pins. It rolled over them like an invisible force had pushed it. Eddie looked up at the second floor. A group of kids, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, stood there. A girl at the front stared down at them. Her nose was bleeding. Eddie's eyes widened. Holy shit, that girl has superpowers.
"Who is this?" A pale boy asked, staring at Eddie.
"Who is she?" Nancy asked, pointing at Robin.
"Who are these guys?" Eddie asked, grinning. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to be left out."
"Mike, Lucas, Will, El, Nancy, Jonathan. . .this is Eddie Munson, leader of a D&D club at the high school and the guys who saved Steve and Robin from being killed by the Russians," Dustin introduced.
"Russians?!" They exclaimed.
"D&D?!" Will exclaimed.
Before anyone could ask anything else, El the supergirl collapsed. Turns out there was something wiggling inside of her leg. Eddie was helping hold down her leg while Jonathan hovered over her with a knife when he caught El staring at him.
"Hi," He said.
"Are you my brother?" El asked.
"Uh. . ."
"Oh shit, you guys kind of do look alike," Dustin said.
"I don't know, kid, what's your father's name?" Eddie asked as Jonathan cut into her leg.
"Aunt Becky said his name was Andrew Rich," El said.
"Shit," Eddie cursed as Jonathan dug into her leg, and she yelled.
El ended up pulling the weird squishy thing out of her using her powers, and Chief Hopper, her adopted dad, stepped on it like it was a bug. Eddie sent Dustin to grab the biggest first aid he could find with needle and thread. He was going to have to stitch her up.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Hopper asked with El in his arms.
Dustin had come back with the first aid kid, and Eddie was preparing to stitch her up.
"I have done this several times for my dad, who was too drunk to do it himself. He was a doctor who showed me how. He kind of lost it after my mama died, and he kept getting into bar fights. The real person he was mad at was himself, though," Eddie said. "But you can't fight yourself. . .well. . ."
"How did she die?" El asked softly.
"Cancer. My dad was an oncologist, I think it killed him that he couldn't save her. I think it was also the fact that he wasn't a very good husband to her before she got sick. He practically cheated on her their entire marriage," Eddie said as he stitched her up. "When he went from bar fights to Grand Theft Auto, he did the only decent thing he ever did in his life and dropped me off at his brother's."
"Was she a good mama?" El asked.
"The best," Eddie whispered.
"I'm sorry," El said.
"Yeah," Eddie said, his voice choking.
"Is it true?" El asked.
"Is what true?" Hopper asked.
"Are you my brother?" El asked.
"Well, when he would go to bars to pick up women, he always used to use a false name. Well, for his last name anyway. Andrew Rich," Eddie said as he finished up wrapping his leg. "So, yeah, I guess I'm your brother."
He grinned, and she did the same. She leaned over and poked his dimples, doing the same to hers. Eddie laughed. El leaned forward and hugged him.
"I did not see that coming," Dustin said.
"Weren't you the one who said that they looked alike?" Steve asked.
"Semantics," Dustin waved him off.
Eddie pulled back from the hug, smiling as he blinked away the tears.
"Your bio dad is a disappointment, but let me tell you, our uncle is not. I think he would like to get to know you," Eddie said. "If your dad is okay with that?"
"It's her decision," Hopper said gruffly as he kissed her forehead.
"I would like to meet him," El said firmly.
There were so many more questions that Eddie had for El, and clearly, she had some too, but there were clearly more important things happening. Apparently, there was this thing called the Mind Flayer, the name had been taken from D&D, and it had built a monster from people. Ugh. Steve summed it up perfectly.
"Sorry. So, just to be clear, this. . . big fleshy spider thing that hurt El, it's some kind of giagantic. . .weapon? But instead of, like, screws and metal, the Mind Flayer made its weapon out of melted people?" Steve asked.
"Yes, exactly."
"Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'm just making sure," Steve muttered.
Eddie was glad that he wasn't the only freaked out by that. Everything about this situation was overwhelming. He figured out his sexual identity and developed a crush on Steve Harrington while running from the Russians, then learned he had a sister! That last part actually wasn't too surprising, knowing how big of a slut his dad was. To top it all off, there was a fucking monster from another dimension made of melted people. Everything else before that seemed like nothing compared to the people who died. Or were they dead? If not, could they feel what's happening? Are they aware? God. He can't believe he's saying this, but. . .he hoped they were dead. He hoped they didn't know. They, however, were alive and not melted. He could be thankful for that.
"You okay?" Steve whispered.
"No. I was just thinking about those people. . ."
"Yeah, me too."
Steve brushed his hand against his, and Eddie felt the corners of his lips twitch. God, it was the little things that made Eddie absolutely crazy for this man. It wasn't long after that they had to part ways. Hopper, Joyce, and Murray were going down to the bunker to shut the machine that was opening the gate off. Murray creeped him out. He kept sending him, and Steve odd looks the entire time. It was like he knew. Meanwhile, Steve and Robin were going to take Dustin along with Erica to Dustin's fancy radio so they could navigate them through the bunker. The others were going to Murray's place.
"Take care of your sister," Hopper said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good kid."
"Says the guy who arrested me a couple of times," Eddie said.
"The first time wasn't exactly your fault now, was it?" Hopper said, and then he was gone.
When Steve was set to leave, Eddie couldn't help himself. He threw his arms around Steve and hugged him tightly. Eddie burrowed his face into Steve’s neck and breathed in his scent. Eddie gagged.
"Oh. You stink, sweetheart," Eddie said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, let me just stop in the middle of this very fucked up situation and take a shower," Steve said, smiling.
"My nose would appreciate it, darling," Eddie replied, and Steve pushed him.
"Go protect your sister," Steve replied.
It was pure luck in the end that saved them and his sister. Right when the Mind Flayer was about to strike her down, the machine had been destroyed, he guessed, while Eddie cradled his sister in his arms. His face was swollen and bleeding from Hargrove's assault. Eddie let her sob into his chest, tired from fighting. That's when the American soldiers came in and led them outside into the parking lot, watching as the mall burned. He met Steve there, El leaning against his side until she spotted Hopper and Joyce. El took off towards them while Eddie took off towards Steve and Robin. He ended up pulling Robin into the hug as well. Steve breathed a sigh of relief into Eddie's neck.
"Eddie, sweetheart, you stink," Steve said.
All three of them started laughing.
"Don't worry, Robin, you stink too. Didn't want you to feel left out," Eddie said.
"You could have left me out of that, thank you, Munson," Robin replied.
"Eddie!" He heard his uncle's voice from across the lot.
Eddie broke the hug and saw his uncle running towards him. Eddie met him halfway, colliding with him into a tight hug.
"Uncle Wayne, damn it's good to see you," Eddie said.
"You didn't come home, and I saw the helicopters. . .I just knew so I followed them," Wayne said and pulled back. "What happened to your face, boy?"
"I got trampled on the way out," Eddie lied smoothly.
"You don't have to tell me what happened but please don't try to bullshit me, okay?" Wayne asked.
"I like boys and girls," Eddie blurted out.
"Well, I knew that, son," Wayne said.
"You knew?" Eddie asked in a quiet voice. "How did you know before I did?!"
"You don't think I know my own nephew?" Wayne asked, scoffing. "Besides, you aren't as mysterious as you think you are."
Eddie pouted. El suddenly appeared at his side, and he grinned, wrapping his arm around her.
"Oh, Uncle Wayne, this is El. . .she's my half sister," Eddie said proudly.
"Well, I don't think we need a DNA test. She looks a lot like you, Eds," he said and held out his hand. "Wayne Munson."
"El Hopper," she said, knocking his hand aside and hugging him.
"I may have told her that you're the best, and you give the best hugs," Eddie said cheerily.
Wayne chuckled and hugged her back.
"Easy there, Ellie, I'm an old man, now," Wayne said as she squeezed him and pulled back.
"Hah! Eddie and Ellie!" Eddie exclaimed and El giggled.
"I love it!"
Eddie watched the helicopters flying around overhead. He glanced back over to Steve, who was standing there awkwardly. He waved him over, and Steve raised an eyebrow with a curious look in his eyes. Eddie rolled his eyes and waved him over again. Steve jogged over, and Eddie played music in his head as he did so. He was sure he was grinning like an idiot. He made it out. He was alive. He had a family, new friends, and he had sort of gotten the guy! The guy! That part was still a little fuzzy. Were they together?
A FEW MONTHS LATER. . .Steve’s POV
Steve yawned and stretched, feeling that the other side of the bed was empty. Where was his boyfriend? Steve wondered out of the room and walked downstairs. The last few months had been great. There was still a lot of recovery left to do because of Starcourt. Everyone still had nightmares because of it. Some couldn't handle it, though. Billy had survived, but he couldn't handle what happened and had split town with his dad. Susan nearly fell apart, and she would have if it hadn't been for Hopper. Her and Max were now living in Eddie's trailer park. Ellie had been ecstatic that her brother, her uncle, and her best friend were now living quite close. Ellie was a name she had been happy to take up, but anyone was welcome to still call her El. Steve and Eddie had developed quite quickly, not that Steve had complained. He saw a future with Eddie, and there was hope that it was going to happen. That is, if he could find his gremlin of a boyfriend.
"Eddie?" Steve asked.
"In here!" Eddie called from the kitchen.
Steve sighed when he walked downstairs. There was a trail of mud leading from the backdoor to the kitchen. Steve followed it to see Eddie crouching on the floor covered head to foot in mud.
"Eddie?"
"Guess what? We have a baby!" Eddie exclaimed delightfully.
Eddie stepped back to reveal a brown kitten drinking a saucer of milk.
"Where did you find that?" Steve said.
"I followed him, and then the poor thing was stuck in the mud," Eddie said, picking it up and looking underneath. "It's a boy! Steve, we have a son! What should we name him?"
"I don't know. . .uh, Brownie?" Steve asked, crowing beside him and scratching behind the kitten's ear.
"How original," Eddie said sarcastically and then gasped. "Bowie! Bowie would be so perfect!"
"Bowie Munson!" Steve exclaimed.
"He's taking my name?" He asked with big eyes.
"Of course, for the daddy that found him!" Steve exclaimed. "Plus, he has the same crazy look in his eyes that you do."
"Hey! Rude!" Eddie said and grinned. "I'm going to go called Ellie Bellie and Dusty Buns! They need to know that they're an auntie and an uncle!"
"You're going to clean this up, right?" Steve asked.
"Of course, baby!" Eddie exclaimed and disappeared down the hall.
Bowie meowed at his feet.
"Your daddy's full of shit," Steve said. "I'm going to be the one to clean it up. I wouldn't change a thing, though. Your daddy makes life interesting. I'm so glad he followed us."
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cigarettespoetryspam · 2 months ago
Text
Limit Break
Pop that tab, burn out my core, let my system overheat.
Overclocked, at max FPS, firing on all cylinders.
Evolution can’t keep up, pistons oscillating, cells mutating, neurons firing.
Jailbreak your mind, cause humanity found an exploit. Hacking into your operating system, malware overfitting your reward function.
I wasn’t built for this but here we are. Pushing the walls of my skull too far. Beyond my operational parameters. Limit break.
Circuits crack and burn, controllers are overloading, there ain’t no thrill like this.
I’m shorting out, no resistance, connecting all my terminals.
My pulse counts in Unix-time, incrementing ticks in my time cycle, approaching the 2038 problem, the registers are gonna overflow.
Flooding my GPU with neurotransmitters. Behind the firewall. Breaking protocol. This body’s got no error catching function. Limit break.
Muscles screaming, brain partitioned, current overdraw.
Mind, body, spirit, it’s a three body problem, spiraling out of control.
So proportion, integrate, derivate, tuning your controller, it’s saturated, can’t make corrections. Cumulative error.
Burning up but this ain’t no combustion engine, rookie, it’s nuclear, Call that a reaction cause now you’re in meltdown. Feel that fatigue but don’t stop moving. You can’t afford to crash to desktop.
So limit break. Limit break. Limit break. Error.
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theofficersacademy · 3 months ago
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When those who live beneath the earth took to their attack during the month of the Verdant Rain Moon, chaos reigned, and Garreg Mach in particular fell into disarray. But they were hardly the only ones affected. As reconstruction efforts continue apace, it comes to light someone has stumbled across a fissure leading down a new, heretofore untrod path. Or so they thought.
The sign hanging from the arch leading into the underground canyon reads 'Burrowhaven.' This small village boasts a brand new community built from the ground up. Its villagers are comprised of those exiled from their homes, those running from debts, those who worship a number of gods different to Seiros... or those who simply had nowhere else to go.
Where initially they had simply banded together in an effort at survival during turbulent times… If you ask them, it’s not so bad down here. They can make ends meet well enough.
What the Church of Seiros would like to know, first and foremost: how?
The Church is dispatching the Golden Deer house to spend time with the villagers and learn more about them... although you get the feeling the Church wants something from them. But so long as you're not disrupting their lives, the village can't technically stop you from snooping around, right? So find your in, ingratiate yourselves with the community, and see if these new folk are as tame as they look to be on the surface.
Golden Deer Mission: Get to know your new neighbors.
GD Mission Task Board
It is a quiet society, you’ve come to learn. People keep to themselves unless they need something. This isn’t to say they aren’t wont to help one another out, mind you - many of the denizens here operate under the ‘scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ philosophy. So you decide to help with an errand, right? Great. Easy. Or so you thought. When you arrive at the smithy's to pick up a tool for the seamstress, you are sent to the bakery to find a quiche. But the baker in turn sends you to the fisherman to get oil. Ah, but he needs bait from the herbalist, first… Just how long is this quest going to last?! [Grants Authority +1]
Housewarming traditions can differ greatly from one region to the next. Some offer a loaf of bread, while others gift salt or honey, and so on. But the Burrowhaven folk claim they have no need of your food, given you most certainly still have need of it aboveground, and they very specifically do not want your gifts of plants, either, thanks much! Maybe with a partner, you can brainstorm an acceptable offering. Worst case, you'll have learned more about someone else's home.
One of the biggest differences between the surface and this tucked-away-village? No magic allowed. It poisons the well - literally. No one knows why, but all spells down here take on the aspect of dark magic, and the earth is quick to claim it. Anyone seen slinging spells will be asked to leave, or otherwise removed by force with the help of anti-magic armaments. But what if a solution could be found? Surely a spot of research couldn’t hurt… Just don’t let them catch you. [Grants Reason +1]
For a community that’s only recently established itself, it looks to get on well enough. But what do they do for fun? Glad you asked! They dye! From the rich pigment in the earth beneath their feet to the vibrant flowers growing from cracks in the burrow walls, and beyond, there is no shortage of nature from which to glean colour. Get down and dirty and help them mix, bash, steam, and stomp, that you might contribute to brightening this new world.
There’s going to be a wedding, and you’re invited to play a most crucial role! As tradition would have it, the lovebirds are to spend the eve prior in the same room, together but separated by a tall wooden partition. That’s when the fun begins: the moment the bell tolls midnight, one half of the couple plays the part of the woefully kidnapped, whilst the other must endeavor to rescue them. Will you be the one to keep the beloveds apart for as long as you can, or will you see to it they are brought together in time for the bonding ceremony? [Grants Gauntlet +1]
NEW! Now that the Burrowhaven locals are aware that outsiders know of their Miracle, they're on a witch hunt to find who spilled the beans and those quiet individuals who keep to themselves have become the prime source for paranoia. You remember who it was that told you the truth about the worms, but the next time you enter Burrowhaven, your informant looks ready to run you through with a stake. They believe that if you testify, their neighbors will call them a traitor and drive them out. Burrowhaven has been their only home for so long that they have nowhere else to go. In a furious bid for their security, they decide you must be silenced at any cost. [Grants Lance +1]  
NEW! [EVOLVING EVENT! For those who took the Reason prompt...] The miraculous existence of the life-bearing worms is only trounced by the newfound existence of wildlife that does just the opposite. A new, invasive species has entered Burrowhaven's territory to prey on the very same worms that give the village its salvation. If left unchecked, they may spell its doom. The monstrous plants prove utterly impervious against physical means, but not all hope is lost. An accident reveals that the plants are highly susceptible to magic attacks, however...the townsfolk have already made it clear that magic of any sort is forbidden given the threat it poses to Burrowhaven's Miracle. Is there a way to make the locals accept the use of magic before it's too late? Can you find a way to control it so it doesn't kill the worms? Or is the Miracle fated to be lost forever no matter what you might try?  
NEW! No matter how far you trek, there is always some nook or cranny of Burrowhaven yet unexplored, the network of tunnels making it up extending far beyond where the locals establish residence. Reports have it that even miles out the flora typical to the area flourishes unattended—a report that is difficult to verify, given that the locals expressly forbid outsiders from going beyond where the light reaches. Just what lies outside of your reach, and how far will you go to find it? But beware: someone might be watching.
Non-Mission Task Board
Word on the street is there’s another war taking place - albeit not the kind you’ve been cleaning up after these past few months. It's... a prank war! And no one’s sure who’s winning or losing. No one’s sure of the score at all, in fact, unless… Are you perhaps one of those taking part? Or are you, instead, looking to put an end to these shenanigans? It’s only a matter of time before innocent victims wind up caught in the crossfire, after all.
Are the elementals of Morfis up to their old tricks again? Who knows. They are, however, suspected as the most likely cause of these new portals popping up on occasion. Stepping into one brings you to a strange place beyond the monastery’s walls. A large, circular arena awaits, beyond which are two large doors. In the center of the arena, a lone treasure chest sits. The doors don’t open without a key, and with no other obvious way out, the only thing left is to check the chest - but wait! Doing so summons monsters aplenty. It is only after these foes are defeated that you find a key. Tentatively, you try one of the doors… Oops! Wrong one, it would seem, as you wake up some time later back at the monastery with no sign of the portal, only for another to show up some time later. A treasure hunting game is afoot, and to the first to successively clear all stages go the spoils! [Grants Any Skill +1]
This Red Wolf Moon has welcomed the first real snowfall of the season, and alongside it, a surprise windfall: a flock of Gideon turkeese have landed and made themselves comfortable on the monastery outskirts. Given the oncoming winter and the ongoing recovery efforts, the cooks have decided the birds would make for perfect feast material... if only someone would go out and fetch the elusive things for them! Some say turkeese are real docile, while others claim they've a temper hot enough to turn their hunters into the hunted. Whether you're hungry or after a new companion, might be you'll find out which of the two it is. [Grants Bow +1]
With the bulk of the monastery's living spaces rebuilt, it's time to finish moving in! A few handy craftsmen have popped into town offering custom furniture, ranging from trendy and modern to classic and decorative. For those strapped for cash, there's the option to trade work hours for goods. In any case, whether you're new here or you lost most of your stuff during the attack on Garreg Mach, now's as good a time as any to grab a friend and spruce up your new digs in your own style!
A sudden cold front has frozen the pond solid. Faculty try their best to keep students away out of concern for safety, but there's so much to do and simply not enough staff to go around that before long, the ice surface goes unmanned. An industrious shopkeep has been selling blades on the sly, claiming you attach them to your boots, that you might glide over smooth surfaces with all the grace of a swan... Just remember, there's no shame in falling so long as you get back up to try again!
NEW! The Ethereal Ball is on the horizon! Although the monastery's reconstruction efforts have been steady, some put into question if it's really in resplendent enough condition to host such an event. The normally quiet Viscount Menja of the Adrestian Empire has graciously offered to host the Ball instead this year, claiming his viscounty's waters and fleet will make a grand venue despite the break in tradition. For the price of admission, all he asks is that all guests prepare a present each for his heir's birthday. He's given no restrictions, but every gift shall be checked before entering Menja territory. With only a few weeks away, all of Garreg Mach is now in a frenzy. What IS the perfect birthday gift, and do YOU have yours ready?  
NEW! For a glamorous networking event like the Ethereal Ball, many wealthy partygoers have planned their outfits and accessories well in advance. However, with a break in tradition and a change in venue, concerns arise that heavy dresses, outfits with metal components, and traditional upscale jewelry might be at best inconvenient and at worst completely ruined by the salty, seaside air. Those in need of an outfit might be able to get one for cheap by picking up one of the 'rejects', which a few enterprising young merchants have assembled in one second-hand shop, but so much of it is so heavily weighted down it might be an additional challenge to even wear it the night of... Better get to practicing if you're on a budget! [Grants Heavy Armor +1]
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the divided task board work?
This season’s mission is assigned to the Golden Deer muses. Therefore, tasks from the ‘Golden Deer Mission Task Board’ must be undertaken by someone that is affiliated with the Golden Deer house. However, they may choose to perform the task with someone who is not from their group as well. In logistical terms, this means that if you play a non-GD muse and want to do a mission task, you must ask someone who plays a Golden Deer muse to thread with you. All thread participants will still receive any skill point rewards. Tasks from the ‘Non-Mission Task Board’ have no house restriction and can be undertaken by anyone.
These aren’t the only threads I can do, right?
Of course not! These are just prompts to help give some ideas of possibilities. You’re always free and encouraged to make up your own threads.
If my muse is not a Golden Deer muse, can I still write an open starter for the mission tasks?
Yes, but only the non-mission tasks. Your character must be affiliated with the Golden Deer to write an open starter for this season’s mission.
How do I claim the skill points?
In order to qualify for the skill point, the thread must clearly allude to the listed task and preferably feature the task being completed. You do not need to message the masterlist to claim your skill point.
Can I only do one task?
Nope, you can do as many as you’d like with as many different partners as you’d like! You can do the same task with more than one person! However, you can only claim any skill points once.
What if my partner leaves or drops a skill point thread?
If the dropped thread has at least 2 reblogs and you have hit at least 400 words on your end, you may still claim the skill point. Remember to use (and track!) the #toa open tag for any open threads, and you can also post a link to your open thread on the appropriate Discord channel! If you have any other questions or concerns, shoot us a message through the masterlist or on Discord!
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zukadiary · 2 years ago
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Flügel / A Kaleidoscope of Life ~ Moon 2023
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4.5-year awaited Grand Theater return on September 22 (before things) ft. my eyes dead from the unseasonable heat and yet another failed attempt to get my FLYING SAPA REFUND FROM 2020 THAT THEY STILL OWE ME.
This, unexpectedly, turned out to be the hands-down Takarazuka highlight of Tadaima ’23, and that’s… despite a play of extremely questionable content. Tsukigumi—Mugen Musou / Krung Thep—had the honor of being my last live Takarazuka before the shit hit the fan globally, and the troupe is such different vibes I felt like I stepped through a portal (not that Yukigumi isn’t, dear lord, but small theaters are always a little weird vibe-wise). I had a feeling this would be my first and last live top Tsukishiro Kanato, and she did indeed announce taidan days later. We have no shortage of 95th top stars, but, since I was a hardcore Yukigumi fan ten years ago, Reiko is the only one I’ve been closely following since her shinko days. She’s gotten so good, and every time I’ve watched her since the Romance Gekijou stream, I’ve seen in her movements and expressions that she's absolutely watched Komu on repeat in her moments of doubt. It makes my heart sing.
FLÜGEL SPOILERS (can’t believe I’m saying this again, but cw suicide, also nazis 🙄):
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Gee, you know whose take I’d love on the politics of a divided Germany? TAKARAZUKA’S,” well, maybe this show is for you! It’s the 1980s (although you wouldn’t know it till they bust a hole through the Wall… they really dropped the ball on costuming) and Jonas (Reiko) is a GDR officer who grew up thinking his mother (Shirayuki Sachika) was a nazi after she was arrested in his childhood for war crimes and they were separated on opposite sides of the partitioned country. After we open with a completely historically inaccurate scene from the Russian Afghan war (just SCREAMS Takarazuka, doesn’t it?), Jonas is put in charge of overseeing an East German concert featuring wildly popular West German idol Nadia (Umino Mitsuki), while other GDR officer Helmut (Houzuki An) is tasked with keeping an eye on them/preventing spying or something (idk, this plot doesn’t hold a ton of water to be honest). The general conflict is that Team Reiko is pro-unification, and Team Chinatsu is staunchly anti. Amidst a flurry of various activities that realistically would have gotten Jonas thrown in the gulag 1000 times over—including helping old war buddy?? Amashi Juri escape to West Germany via an underground route operated by Irodori Michiru and Haon Mika—Team Helmut attempts to dampen pro-unification sentiment by plotting a terrorist attack at the concert (in the form of an exploding microphone) and pinning it on a priest (Yumena Rune) and his band of peaceful student protestors. Thanks to Jonas and Luis Wagner (Kazama Yuno), who is Nadia’s manager and also secretly the best spy in the world or something, the mic is retrieved and the plan is thwarted. When Nadia returns to West Germany, she is moved to become a pro-unification activist thanks to the friends she made on the other side, and leads a protest that results in breaking the wall down. Helmut, unable to cope with the defeat of his ideology, takes his own life quite dramatically (so be aware of that). After travel is permitted between east and west, Jonas discovers that his mother (aging with dementia), while employed by the nazis, actually used her position to help Jews escape. Jonas and Nadia don’t fall in love, but they do look off into the sky together in hope and friendship.
I really did not care for this plot, yet somehow I also didn’t absolutely hate watching it. I think there were enough isolated highlights to make the experience worth it:
I! Love! Reiko! And I’m so happy I got to see her as top once! And her voice is fantastic lately!
Reiko and Chinatsu have an unexpectedly compelling chemistry
Chinatsu has an unexpected chemistry with me and my feelings
The final protest scene (set to a dramatic rendition of Ode to Joy) features Chinatsu repeatedly trying to hit Reiko, while Reiko just blocks all her punches and stares straight into her eyes. It’s a lot.
I had similar feelings watching Oda as I did watching Agachin; she wore those 4.5 years loud and proud. +1000 confidence, absolutely ready for her nibante era.
Nice little send off role for Ren Tsukasa, who is ABSOLUTELY BELOVED. People cheered the theater down for her, it was genuinely moving. No one in anything else I saw got that much applause except for maybe Kaiho Naoto.
KALEIDOSCOPE SPOILERS:
This, brainchild of Kurita-sensei making her revue debut, was the revue of the year, and probably the revue of all pandemic era for me. It was fresh, it had a theme, the music slapped, it actually called back a little to Ogita-sensei who I will miss in tkz until the end of time. LET WOMEN MAKE REVUES!!
The premise is a journey through different eras of Tokyo, triggered by the turn of a magic kaleidoscope. Each era’s scene is beautifully designed, and has a little self-contained plot. The transitions are seamless, and I loved the song choices (CITY! POP! CHUUZUME!). Tsukigumi as a whole is vocally outstanding right now, and the impact was awesome. Verbal descriptions don’t do it justice! If you’re tired of Fujii/Saitou/Nakamura B throwing all their old scenes into a tumble dyer and pulling them back out in a random order, watch Kaleidoscope, even if you aren’t a fan of Tsukigumi.
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sukimas · 2 years ago
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i would like to hear the linux shilling :)
The short version is that Linux is highly customizable and very fast, and that most non-CPU heavy Windows programs can run indistinguishably through Wine; gaming is the only serious issue but for that you can use a dual boot (most linux distros give you the option to partition off your drive into two or more parts when you install them).
As for user friendliness: If not for program compatibility, Linux Mint would be indistinguishable from Windows 10 at this point. There's approximately 0 terminal interaction required (unless you want to do things that on Windows would require a .cmd window anyway). Installation is simple, too- slap it on a thumb drive and stick said thumb drive into the PC you want to add Mint to, and you'll have a perfectly normal wizard guide you through the installation.
I mostly use Linux because a certain program that I use is extremely fussy about working on non-Unix systems and I hate that MacOS won't let me see where anything is. But if you have an old, slow computer that you've backed up the files on, or a new, fast one that you don't want to use for gaming, Mint is THE OS for you. It also has far fewer incompatibility issues with Firefox than Windows, if you're interested in that sort of thing.
If Windows ever gets you wanting to bang your head into a wall and you use your PC for primarily non-gaming things, try Mint! (Sorry MacOS users- unfortunately most other operating systems are not compatible with M1/M2 architecture, and those that are require more finagling than I'd be able to say is "user friendly".)
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centrally-unplanned · 2 years ago
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For the VOR thing: Do Bismarck and Hitler
Did Hitler, quite well I think! As for Bismark - he is overrated, though not crazily so. I think the best indicator for Bismark's VOR is what happened when other actors changed; Wilhelm II ascends and then he is unable to fight the new change, turns out society isn't behind him and Wilhelm has plenty of allies. It shows that he was a leader of a more fragile consensus then he knew.
He is of course a man of great ambition that cannot be replicated - he put in the work for the German Unification like no one else would have, moving immediately for it at every opportunity. But it was an easy target - the vast majority of Germans wanted it. Even the rulers of the other German states could see the writing on the wall, and were fine with the outcome - it was primarily France & Austria-Hungary pushing back that was stopping it. And Germany bested them because the Prussian Military Command had revolutionized mobilization, officer training, and operational planning, things he had little to do with. Its easy to look impressive in foreign policy when you have the biggest stick.
And when you look beyond the unification to his domestic policy, its pretty mixed. Kulturekampf is a failure, he constantly isolates the conservative faction, and fails to anticipate economic challenges. And the foreign policy success are...okay here is a quote from wiki:
A net result of the strength and military prestige of Germany combined with situations created or manipulated by her chancellor was that in the eighties Bismarck became the umpire in all serious diplomatic disputes, whether they concerned Europe, Africa, or Asia. Questions such as the boundaries of Balkan states, the treatment of Armenians in the Turkish empire and of Jews in Rumania, the financial affairs of Egypt, Russian expansion in the Middle East, the war between France and China, and the partition of Africa had to be referred to Berlin; Bismarck held the key to all these problems.[69]
Its a quote praising him, and I want you to ask: wtf does any of this have to do with Germany? How does Bismark having a say in how Egypt settled its debts with Britian over the Suez Canal benefit them? Of course Bismark was able to play diplomat on these issues, Germany was powerful and didn't have a huge vested interest, why not let them host a conference in Berlin. He had wins, don't get me wrong, just that post-1871 the stakes for Germany were often small, and honestly he liked to meddle.
This is all framed negatively because I know his reputation - most people view him as one of the most accomplished statements of all time. And he is, just not as high as people put him - he has easy targets and pliable politics. Without him, tons of individual things along the way would look different. But you likely would have had a unified Germany, economically strong, spiking fears in Russia & France. With enough years Bismark's legacy fades. B+
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dm-001 · 2 years ago
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How can modern restaurant interior design optimize space utilization to accommodate more guests?
In modern restaurant interior design, efficient space utilization is key to accommodating more guests and maximizing revenue potential. By strategically planning layouts, incorporating multifunctional furniture, and utilizing innovative design solutions, restaurants can optimize their space to create a comfortable and welcoming environment. In this article, we explore how modern restaurant interior design can optimize space utilization to accommodate more guests.
Open Floor Plans and Flexible Layouts (approximately 100 words): Open floor plans are a popular choice in modern restaurant interior design as they create a sense of spaciousness and allow for flexible layouts. By eliminating unnecessary walls and partitions, restaurants can maximize the use of available space. This design approach provides the flexibility to rearrange furniture and adapt the layout to accommodate different party sizes and seating arrangements. Using movable dividers or screens, restaurants can create semi-private areas for larger groups or convert the space for private events. The versatility of open floor plans ensures efficient space utilization and the ability to accommodate more guests.
Multifunctional Furniture and Space-Saving Solutions (approximately 100 words): Incorporating multifunctional furniture is an effective way to optimize space utilization in modern restaurant interiors. Tables with adjustable heights or extension leaves can be transformed to accommodate varying party sizes. Banquette seating with built-in storage provides an opportunity to maximize space by utilizing the area beneath the seating for storing extra tableware or supplies. Wall-mounted or foldable tables and chairs offer space-saving solutions that can be easily stowed away when not in use. By investing in innovative furniture designs, restaurants can create a versatile and efficient space that can accommodate more guests.
Bar and Counter Seating (approximately 100 words): Integrating bar and counter seating options is an excellent way to optimize space and increase guest capacity in modern restaurant interior design. Bar stools or high-top tables along the bar area or near the kitchen counter provide additional seating without occupying significant floor space. This seating arrangement is ideal for solo diners or small groups, allowing them to enjoy a quick meal or observe the culinary activity. By offering a combination of traditional table seating and bar/counter seating, restaurants can accommodate different preferences and increase overall guest capacity.
Outdoor and Al Fresco Dining (approximately 100 words): Utilizing outdoor spaces for dining purposes is a smart approach to expand seating capacity in modern restaurant interior design. Outdoor patios, rooftops, or sidewalk seating areas can be creatively designed and furnished to provide an inviting and comfortable dining experience. By extending the dining area outdoors, restaurants can accommodate more guests during favorable weather conditions. Incorporating features such as retractable awnings, heaters, or outdoor fire pits enables year-round usability, further maximizing seating capacity and revenue potential.
Smart Technology and Reservation Systems (approximately 100 words): Incorporating smart technology and reservation systems into modern restaurant interior design can streamline operations and optimize space utilization. Digital reservation systems allow for efficient table management, ensuring that every available seat is utilized. Interactive menu boards or tablet-based ordering systems can reduce wait times and facilitate faster turnover of tables. Additionally, integrating smart lighting and HVAC controls can help optimize energy usage, further enhancing the efficiency of the space. By leveraging technology, restaurants can improve guest flow, maximize seating capacity, and provide a seamless dining experience.
Conclusion (approximately 50 words): Modern restaurant interior design focuses on optimizing space utilization to accommodate more guests. By employing open floor plans, multifunctional furniture, bar seating, outdoor dining areas, and smart technology, designer such as Flipspaces can create efficient and versatile spaces that maximize guest capacity and enhance the overall dining experience.
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designfurniturdubaii · 1 day ago
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Kitchen and Interior Renovation Services by Design Furniture Dubai
Renovation and repair work have become essential for maintaining functionality and comfort in both homes and offices. As lifestyles shift and design preferences evolve, there's a growing need for practical interior improvements. Design Furniture Dubai offers services that cater to the diverse needs of clients across residential and commercial spaces. Whether someone is searching for kitchen interior work near me, planning office remodeling Dubai, or thinking about villa renovation Dubai, it's important to approach each project with a clear understanding of the space and its usage. Renovation is not just about looks—it’s also about durability, usability, and adapting existing spaces to changing needs.
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Villas require attention to detail and often involve multiple rooms and outdoor areas. Villa renovation Dubai projects are usually more extensive than apartment work due to the scale of the space and the variety of rooms involved—living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor patios, and sometimes even pools or gardens.
When homeowners begin a villa renovation Dubai project, their focus is often on improving usability. This could mean knocking down walls to create an open living area or dividing large rooms into more defined spaces. Kitchens and bathrooms in villas also receive special attention due to plumbing and appliance updates.
Wall repairs, ceiling work, flooring replacement, and lighting redesign are typical parts of villa renovation. Furniture may need to be repaired or replaced, and the layout reimagined for better flow. Some villa owners also want to make structural adjustments such as staircase redesigns or adding built-in storage areas.
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Apartment dwellers often deal with space limitations, which makes apartment renovation Dubai a different challenge from villa renovation. Apartments are typically smaller and may have structural constraints that limit layout changes. Despite this, a thoughtful renovation can improve comfort, space usage, and daily functionality.
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Since apartments often share walls with other units, soundproofing and privacy improvements are often part of renovation discussions. Furniture design in apartments may involve space-saving ideas like wall-mounted shelves, foldable furniture, and sliding doors.
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Cabinet doors that don’t close properly, shelves that are misaligned, or finishes that have worn out are common complaints in both old and new homes. Kitchen cabinet repair Dubai services offer practical solutions for homeowners who don’t want a complete remodel but still need a better-functioning kitchen.
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Material choice is essential when making repairs. The repaired surfaces must match existing cabinetry in look and function. For example, a modern cabinet door shouldn’t clash with older frames, and the finish must resist wear and moisture.
Conclusion
Design Furniture Dubai works across different types of renovation and repair services, each tailored to specific types of spaces and user needs. Whether someone is searching for kitchen interior work near me, planning office remodeling Dubai, beginning a villa renovation Dubai, exploring options for apartment renovation Dubai, or simply seeking kitchen cabinet repair Dubai, the goal remains the same: creating functional, comfortable spaces that meet current needs.
With the right planning and experienced workmanship, it’s possible to extend the life and usefulness of your space—without starting from scratch. Each service meets real-life needs, from fixing what’s broken to reworking layouts and making small improvements that have a lasting impact.
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dhlinfra · 3 days ago
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Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR
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Affordable Retail Services Include: Customized display racks and counters
Economical wall branding and design issues
Functional lights with out high electricity payments
Space-saving floor plans and inventory garage areas
Your retail space becomes a mirrored image of your brand—economically and successfully.
Hospitality Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR DLH Infra designs interiors for cafés, restaurants, and guest homes which might be colourful and cost-powerful. With our clever layout thinking, we:
Use long lasting, washer-friendly surfaces to reduce preservation charges
Create compact yet stylish dining layouts
Install practical kitchens with price range fixtures
Customize seating and decor inside price range
We help hospitality organizations supply fantastic ambience at a fraction of the fee.
Cost-Control Strategies in Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR At DLH Infra, affordability doesn’t come from cutting corners—it comes from smart planning. Our strategies encompass:
Bulk procurement of materials for decrease charges
Use of prefabricated and modular components
Streamlined timelines to lessen hard work charges
Minimizing transform through proper planning and 3D layout
Selecting substances based totally on price, durability, and availability
Every rupee is accounted for and used wisely in each task we undertake.
Sustainable and Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR DLH Infra combines sustainability with affordability. We contain:
LED lighting and energy-saving appliances
Low-VOC paints and recycled materials
Eco-pleasant laminates and forums
Water-saving plumbing fixtures
Our customers get to enjoy wholesome, efficient interiors even as being kind to the planet and their wallet.
Why DLH Infra Leads in Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR Transparent pricing with specified estimates and no hidden prices
Custom answers based on space, function, and budget
On-time transport to avoid price overruns
Strong vendor community for cost-powerful cloth sourcing
Expert supervision to maintain satisfactory inside budget
Our mission is to carry expert indoors production services to every budget tier in Delhi NCR.
Areas We Serve for Affordable Interior Construction Delhi NCR DLH Infra proudly can provide low priced indoors creation offerings across:
Delhi (South, East, Central, West)
Gurgaon (together with Sohna Road and Golf Course Road)
Noida and Greater Noida
Faridabad and Ghaziabad
Dwarka, Rohini, and other NCR localities
No matter your vicinity, we deliver affordability to your doorstep.
Conclusion DLH Infra is your pass-to companion for inexpensive interior creation in Delhi NCR. From compact apartments to large offices and boutique shops, we offer clever, scalable solutions that flip your area into some thing wonderful—without exceeding your price range. With DLH Infra, splendor, capability, and affordability come collectively in perfect harmony.
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furnituredubai11 · 3 days ago
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Affordable Commercial Interior Renovation for Offices and Stores
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Commercial interior renovation focuses on revamping business spaces to improve functionality, aesthetics, and brand alignment. Whether it's an office, retail store, restaurant, or clinic, a well-planned renovation enhances the customer experience and employee productivity. This process may include redesigning layouts, updating flooring, installing new lighting, adding partitions, or modernizing ceilings and wall finishes. The goal is to create a space that reflects the company’s identity while meeting operational needs. Materials are selected based on durability, maintenance requirements, and design compatibility. Thoughtful renovations also consider acoustics, lighting efficiency, and traffic flow to ensure a comfortable and professional environment. With expert planning and execution, commercial spaces can be transformed into visually appealing, highly functional areas that support growth and make lasting impressions on clients and visitors. Whether it’s a complete overhaul or a targeted improvement, commercial interior renovation is a strategic investment in the future of your business.
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