#the fact that the end goal of this whole fiasco is going to be achieved after all

[2ndstringloser]

at the end of the day we are getting the #bylerscript and yeah maybe it’s gonna be edited and maybe we had to scam ourselves out of $7k to get there but we did it. we took a very strange and convoluted path, but we did it.

[ichigopanhpff]

Mitsuya x Fem!Reader Begin Again: Ch. 12

[Previous Chapter] -- [Masterlist] -- [Next Chapter]

Mitsuya's actually a god for having pulled off those outfits in such a short time frame last chapter. I must've stayed on that spread for a good few minutes taking it all in while tears hung on my eyes.

But Wakui really hit us with the "the real award was the friends we along the way." This mfing troll... You gotta respect it.

Also, I wanna go to the TokyoRev Exhibition so bad! That giant golden Mikey statue posed as a Sleeping Buddha is some next level stuff ROFL.

And thanks for all the new follows and likes <3

---

Hushed murmurs and chattered roused all of Toman after Mikey announced the firing of the third division captain, Kisaki Tetta.

“What’re you saying, Mikey?” the tanned boy inquired in confusion. “Is this a joke?”

“I’m not joking,” he tersely replied and repeated himself. Not knowing what to say, Kisaki stood there stunned; he didn’t consider to factor in the possibility of being kicked out of the gang with his foiled plan. It was then the sixth division captain, Hanma Shuji, stepped up and said he’d be leaving too if the third division captain was fired, leveraging Toman would shrink down to 100 without the additional 350 made up of former Moebius and Valhalla members. The numbers game on the commander seemed to have been no use, stating they’ve gotten too big lately anyway. This was his way in trimming the unnecessary fat.

“Gotten too big?” Kisaki finally found his voice again. “Isn’t that Toman’s goal, Mikey?!”

“Then, was your instigation of the Christmas Conflict done to make us bigger?” the blond commander rebutted. The sudden chatter among members gave way again, some not believing he was the person behind the whole fiasco. Mikey then revealed what Mitsuya and Chifuyu reported to him regarding the events that transpired.

“I’ve ignored your underhanded methods in expanding Toman up until now… It ends here,” he firmly stated.

Feeling vile sense of panic rising from his stomach, the tanned blond made his way to the stairs to try to reason with the commander.

“You’d grown weak! Taiju was a threat to Toman!” he desperately lashed out. “I acted for your sake!”

His attempt to ascend the stairs was blocked by Draken, reminding him of his place. In the blink of an eye, he blocked an incoming punch by Hanma with his left arm. (Y/N) was confident in her reflexes, but seeing how the sixth division captain moved scared her; it was as if his instincts were to purely fight. Personally, she knew she could take him on, but if it’s on speed alone, it would’ve been an easy victory for him.

Tossing his pride aside, Kisaki once again pleaded with Mikey rethink his decision, spinning the fact he alone can help make Toman powerful. He vowed to take on the darkness that bred with its size so only the commander alone could shine.

“You can’t achieve your dream on lip service alone, Mikey!” Kisaki beseeched. “So, reconsider this.”

Toman’s commander gave the former third division captain a look of disappointment and turned his back on him. “We’re through, Kisaki,” he finalized. “Your unpredictable choices will screw up my dream.”

The gaudy, tanned blond fell to his knees, reeling in the defeat in his inability to convince Toman’s top to keep him. With Draken calling an end to the meeting, the group disbanded for the night. (Y/N) took one last look at the tanned blond's devastated form with his partner in crime hovering over him before making her way to the back of the shrine with the rest of the captains. She didn't like either of them one bit; they both have the same aura. Putting her thoughts aside, she advanced up to the vice commander.

“What the hell was that shit you pulled, Draken?!” she huffed angrily looking up at him, finally dropping the honorific. “Tokyo Kitsune?! Don’t put me on the spot like that!”

“Listen, it was Mikey’s idea,” the lanky boy shot back. “Take it up with him. I’m just the messenger.”

“Mikey!” she yelled and chased after him. “Get your ass back here! I see you trying to duck away, you jerk!”

“It all worked out, didn’t it?” he casually replied with a happy grin as (Y/N) snaked her arm around his neck with ominous intent. “Kitsune’s officially under Toman now.”

“’Officially’ my ass!” She tightened her grip and put the commander in a headlock. “You jerry rigged this whole fuckin’ thing to coerce me into announcin’ it like I was the main entree on a silver platter, dick bag! Die!”

None of the Toman captains and vice captains knew what to do, seeing Mitsuya’s childhood friend choke the life out of their precious commander. And if they were being honest with themselves at this very moment, they were vicariously enjoying it through her because they knew for a fact Mikey would one-shot them all with his high kick.

Ah, the perks of being female, they all collectively thought.

“(Y/N)-chan, I think you’ve gone far enough,” Mucho finally stepped in. “Please let Mikey go.”

Clicking her tongue, she roughly released her vice grip around his neck and crossed her arms, huffing a breath. Mikey thanked the fifth division captain and wrapped his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulder like they've been buddies forever.

“If that headlock was the price of gaining a new friend into Toman, so be it,” he stated light-heartedly with a chuckle while rubbing his neck. “And your strength’s no joke, (Y/N). That really hurt! It might leave a bruise.”

“You take karate, don’t you? I’m sure all the capillaries in your body’s used to the beating,” she pointed out, unfazed by his comment.

The two continued bantering on with the rest of the captains joining in. Mitsuya watched from afar and smiled to himself, feeling a little relieved. He thought confessing to her would make things awkward and it didn’t seem to be the case right now. All he can do right now is wait and see what may come from it.

“Phew, that was a helluva meeting though,” Smiley sighed. “To think that asshole Kisaki spurred this whole thing…”

“This may be a random question…” (Y/N) called for everyone’s attention. “What were your impressions of him when he joined?”

“I had my reservations ‘bout him and Hanma. But we needed someone to helm the third division since Pah-chin went to jail,” Mitsuya answered first. “Takemitchy was so against it, he slugged him right in the face during his appointment ceremony.”

“Oh, that’s right… That happened,” the blond pompadour boy sheepishly replied, suddenly remembering the pain in his gut and face. “After I woke up from being punched by him, I told Mikey he was bad news and was trying to convince him to kick him out.”

“I was wondering what the hell Mikey was thinkin’,” Draken answered with honesty.

“So I’m not the only one then…” she muttered and hugged herself, still remembering her brief encounter with him not too long ago. “He had a really bad vibe.”

“What kinda vibe was that?” Mucho asked stoically.

“Being near him felt like… he was suffocating my soul with his dark intents. But he was clever and cautious enough to not rouse suspicion from any of you, particularly from Mucho-kun.”

"In retrospect, I should've kept a closer eye on him," the muscular captain replied with a neutral tone.

Hugging herself tighter, her core shook with uncertainty something big was going to happen. Not wanting to manifest this to reality, she kept it in her mouth.

“Just… Be careful, okay? All of you,” she heeded with concern in her voice.

“What for?” asked Draken.

“Call it women’s intuition. I don’t wanna say anymore.”

Why was Kisaki so obsessed with growing Toman’s numbers? To what end was he willing to use underhanded methods to achieve whatever his goal is? How many more lives was he going to play with? All these questions swam in her head with no answer in sight; the most important thing was he was kicked.

Observing her tense body language, the vice commander decided not to push the issue any further. Everyone went their separate ways after calling it for the night. As if by habit, Mitsuya threw the spare helmet at (Y/N) to catch. Hesitantly getting on Impulse, she tightened the helmet on top of her head before loosely wrapping her arms around his torso.

“You can hug a little tighter, y’know,” he encouraged with a lopsided smirk. “You’re not gonna choke me.”

The ride back home was quiet but not tense. Confession aside, the two were simply enjoying each other’s company. Feeling exhaustion creep up with his bike's calm revving in the mix like a lullaby, (Y/N) rested her head on his back with half-lidded eyes before drifting off. There was always something comforting she found about Mitsuya’s back; it was like a security blanket. The lilac haired boy decided to ride a little slower to prevent her from falling over and to stretch their time together. Pulling up around the corner of her building complex, he turned the engine off before gently nudging his friend with his left shoulder.

“(Y/N)…” he softly called. “We’re here.”

Letting out a breathy moan, she let out a quick sigh and sat up straight to stretch her arms out, hearing her shoulder joints crack. Thanking him for the lift, she hopped off of the bike and returned the helmet.

“How’s your finals prep going?” he asked to make conversation.

“It’s going. I’m just aiming for the public schools with some kinda design program.”

“We may end up at the same school then,” Mitsuya said with a light chuckle.

“Mi-tan, listen…” She fidgeted with her fingertips, not making eye contact. “About what you said on New Years--”

“Let me take you out on a date,” he jumped in with his proposal, making her look up with surprise. “I feel like I pushed my feelings onto you without considering yours.” Hopping off of Impulse, he walked to her and tenderly grasped her hands, staring at her with those calm, lavender eyes.

“Besides, I owe you a meal for Christmas,” he finished with a cheerful grin.

“I… actually forgot about that,” she blinked in realization.

“You? Forget free food?” he teased. “That’s a shocker.”

“Rude.”

Mitsuya and (Y/N) broke out in a light fit of laughter to break the tension.

“And if I say no?” she challenged with a cocked eyebrow, her gaze holding onto his.

“Would you say no?” he responded with a low, deep voice almost to the point of whispering. She stayed silent and continued looking at her friend without any reaction.

“Would you?” he asked a little louder this time with mild concern and knitted eyebrows.

“I’m thinking,” she coolly replied and playfully batted her eyelashes.

“Need another moment?” he quipped with a small tone of annoyance.

“I like seeing you sweat,” (Y/N) finally answered with a coltish roll of her eyes. “But I guess I’ll say yes. You’re really twisting my arm here.”

--

Since the end of the Christmas Conflict, the streets of Tokyo were seemingly much more peaceful as of late. (Y/N) found herself spacing out from studying chemistry. English was a breeze since she had first-hand conversational and writing experience with foreign exchange students at her old middle school. They were the only people who weren’t afraid to talk to her.

This wasn’t the problem right now.

It was her date with Mitsuya. All she had to wear were over sized tops and jeans. Nothing to make her look feminine at all. With her tight budget, it’s not like she could go on a shopping spree to buy a whole new wardrobe either.

She rested her head on her table with a muffled thud and groaned out loud.

“Why do I do this to myself?” she said to herself aloud and lightly slammed her forehead on the hard surface with soft thuds, suddenly wondering about her masochistic tendencies.

Her mobile phone started ringing and drew her attention away from inside her head to pick up the call.

“Emma-chan? What’s up?”

“Ah, (Y/N)? Are you free right now?”

“Technically, no, but my brain can’t study anymore,” she lamented and rubbed her temple. “If I see another science formula in my eyelids, I’m gonna scream.”

“Oh good! Let’s make some sweets together then!” the younger Sano suggested.

“So… you’re stress baking?”

“No, for Valentine’s Day!” Emma exclaimed.

“Isn’t it kinda early?” she asked.

“Well, I wanna do a test run,” she elaborated. “I bought a recipe book, but I can’t decide what to make for Draken…”

“Sure, why not?” (Y/N) agreed with a light shrug of her shoulders. “I need to air out my brain. Oh, I have pictures to give you.”

“Great! I’ll call Hina over too and we can make it a girl’s day,” she cheerfully replied.

The two said their good-byes and hung up. Slowly standing on her feet, (Y/N) let out a big stretch and yawned before getting ready. She reached the Sano residence in 30 minutes on foot with Emma greeting her at the door. Coming here by herself felt weird without the Toman captains for some reason.

“Hina’ll be here soon,” Emma announced as she took (Y/N) upstairs to her room; it was exactly how she imagined it: cute, girly, warm and soft. Her bed had a magenta pink bear resting by her pillow and the walls had scattered photos of family and Toman members, particularly with Draken, Mikey, a boy with long, flowing raven black hair and the other captains. On the table in the middle of her room had scattered recipe books of sweets with taped bookmarks on the edges along with a small bowl of snacks prepared ahead of time.

The doorbell rang downstairs not long after; Emma ran down to let Hina in while (Y/N) snacked on some chips. The girls greeted one another and got to talking. She then gave each of them a copy of their photos.

Emma flipped through the pictures happily. “These came out so good, (Y/N)!”

“The touch-ups took a lot longer than expected. Mikey picked a lot of the Christmas ones when he came over.”

Hina stopped at a specific photo and started blushing; she was staring at a photo of her and Takemichi looking at each other starry eyed during dinner. The next photo was of Emma and Draken mid-conversation with Mikey to the side eating happily, followed with more candid group shots leading up to New Year’s. Hina then revealed one where it was Draken, (Y/N) with a dumb grin on her face and Mitsuya talking. She and Emma couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Ah…” she suddenly remembered and inwardly winced from embarrassment. “I think Yuzu-chan took this when I was drunk… I’ve never felt so betrayed, even though it’s a good one.” Having gone through all the photos, they then turned their attention to the scattered recipe books.

“I was thinking of making Draken a cake…” Emma started off.

“That’s gonna be hard for him to carry, no?” (Y/N) asked. “Since he’ll most likely be on Zephyr.”

“I swear, that bike…” the blonde grumbled.

“Emma sees Zephyr as her rival,” Hina clarified with an uneasy smile.

“I mean, if I had a bike I built from scratch, I’d probably feel the same way…” she trailed off nervously.

“Are you siding with Zephyr now?!” Emma huffed defensively and slammed her hands on the low table.

“No! Of course not!” (Y/N) exclaimed, holding her hands out in a neutral manner. “I mean, it’s not like a bike can cook so…”

Having seemed to have calmed down, Emma went back to flipping through the pages in one of the recipe books as she sighed with relief. Eventually settling on cookies and truffles, the three shuffled their way down to the kitchen to start testing recipes.

“Who will you be making these for?” Hina asked (Y/N).

“Eh? Ah…” She thought for a short beat and scratched the side of her face. “I just thought of giving them to the Toman captains as obligatory chocolates.”

“Boo~” Emma jeered. “I won’t let you make any if it’s gonna be something boring like that.”

“Why don’t you make some for Mitsuya-kun?” the rose brown haired girl suggested with a smile, making (Y/N) immediately look away with blotches of pink dotting the apples of her cheeks and coughed from choking on her own spit.

“Ohhh ho ho ho?” Emma tittered and got up close to her with a sly look. “Did something happen?”

“N-Not in particular…” she mumbled out while continuing to avoid eye contact and inwardly screamed at her body for betraying her feelings.

“That blush says otherwise.”

“Emma-chan, take it easy on her,” Hina playfully tutted.

“I’m…” she came forward with hesitation. “I’m not good with this… girl talk stuff. So… Give me some time, yeah?”

“Of course. Sorry if I was being pushy,” Emma apologized.

The three finalized the ingredients and recipes they were going to test. (Y/N) got to setting up a double boiler on the stove top to melt some chocolates for truffles while Hina and Emma respectively worked on the dough for checkered cookies. Feeling the kitchen was too quiet, Emma ran upstairs and brought her small boombox from her room down to play some music from her favourite radio station. Everything was either chilling or baking after another hour. As if by magic, the sweetness of the cookies filled the Sano household with a sense of home and warmth.

“Something smells really good,” Mikey suddenly entered the kitchen and was surprised to see the two guests sitting with his sister. He greeted them warmly.

“We’re testing some stuff,” (Y/N) told him. “It’s for—mmph!”

The female Sano immediately covered her mouth from spilling any more information. For someone as petite as her, she surprisingly had a lot of strength. She knew Mikey would definitely hang this over her head, especially if it’s anything to do with Draken.

“I just thought of playing around with some recipes for fun,” Emma nervously explained with a light blush and awkward laugh.

“Hmm…” Mikey gave his sister a nonchalant look. Before he can prod any more, the doorbell rung at the main entrance, followed with the opening of the sliding door.

“It’s nice and warm in here,” a familiar voice noted and rubbed his hands together. “And smells sweet.”

“Ah, good timing, Ken-chin,” Mikey greeted his best friend. “The girls are makin’—”

“Gaah! Out! Out! Out!” Emma exclaimed and pushed her brother from the kitchen and into the hallway, out of fear of ruining the surprise. He collided with the tall boy's torso.

“What the—?! Emma?!”

She slammed the sliding door right in Mikey’s face.

“No boys allowed in here!” she shouted from the other side.

(Y/N) used a bathroom break as an excuse to take a breather. Letting out an audible breath, she vacated the washing closet and decided to sneak outside for some fresh air. Sliding open one of the wooden partitions in the living room, she tucked herself into her thick sweater and looked at her white breath floating up to the air in the wintry afternoon sky.

“(Y/N)?” Mikey’s voice called from the left end of the residence. “That you?”

She made her way over and saw him and Draken doing maintenance on Babu.

“I need a small break from the girl talk.” She tilted her neck slightly to the left and let out a small crack; she sighed in relief. “Never thought it’d be that intense. Ah…” She reached into her back pocket and handed each of them a white envelope of photos. The two thanked her and placed them aside so it wouldn’t get dirty.

“This is the first time she’s kicked me outta the kitchen when she’s making something,” Mikey pouted while waiting for the oil on his bike to drain out onto the pan below.

“Well…” She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. “It’s sort of a surprise and she didn’t wanna ruin—”

“She’s making stuff for Valentine’s Day, right?” he interrupted. “She does it every year! So why’s this time any different?”

“Ask her, not me,” she flatly replied, not wanting to get in the middle of their sibling squabble.

“So what’ll you be making, (Y/N)-chan?” Draken asked as he opened a new can of oil for Mikey to put into his bike.

“Truffles,” she briskly answered. “Though it’s just obligatory chocolates…”

“Huh? You’re not makin’ ‘em for Mitsuya?” the vice commander questioned with slight confusion.

“Okay,” she sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “What’s with all the Mi-tan talk today?”

“I mean, he does like you,” Mikey pointed out.

(Y/N) wordlessly stuttered as her face blushed two shades of red and turned her back to the boys to regain composure.

“Oh you didn’t know?” Draken casually asked. “He was staring at you all night when we were at the temple on New Years.”

“I’m not… having this conversation right now.” She knitted her eyes shut, not wanting to think about their upcoming date. “Especially with you two.”

“If anything, we two are the best for you to talk to,” Draken pointed out with a mischievous smirk. “He’s pretty popular with the girls, y’know. We can tell you all 'bout his type, who's confessed, his pe—”

“DON’T. NEED. TO KNOW!” she shouted out of embarrassment and annoyance in Sendai dialect, her face a nice shade of tomato red now. (Y/N) stomped back into the house with a slam of the partition door. The dragon tattooed boy guffawed loudly.

“Ken-chin… Rare of you to say stuff like that.”

“I was in a teasin’ mood,” he answered back with a toothy grin and chuckled, feeling satisfied for the payback she dealt him about Emma.

Recomposing herself at the door, she entered the kitchen to see the cookies were done. Partaking in the freshly baked good, she took a bite of the cookie; it was mildly sweet and buttery. She chased the treat down with a sip of the rose milk tea Emma brewed. It was like a piece of heaven touching her tongue. (Y/N)’s face showed a sudden expression of inner peace and tranquility, as if a halo radiated behind her.

This was what she needed after that weird exchange.

After sampling the cookies, they got to making a simplified version of truffles. Emma wanted to buy cute molds to pour the chocolates in, but were too pricey. (Y/N) demonstrated how to do it by spooning the chilled ganache into her hand. Rolling the cool treat in her palms to form into a ball, she then placed it into the bowl of cocoa powder to coat it and dropped it in clean bowl so it can be chilled after.

In the end, they made more than expected due to (Y/N) accidentally melting too much chocolate. After the last one was rolled, they put the bowl into the fridge and cleaned up while waiting for them to set; another hour later, they were ready to eat. Mikey and Draken then barged into the kitchen to get something to drink.

“Mikey!” Emma tutted. “Didn’t I say you weren’t allowed—”

“Whoa! Chocolates!” her brother stared at the bowl all starry eyed. “They look so good!”

“Emma-chan, I’m sure we can let them eat some,” (Y/N) advocated with a sympathetic tone. “It’s a lot for the three of us.”

“Besides,” Hina chimed in with a smile. “We need them to taste test, right?”

The two boys took one truffle each and ate it, carefully tasting it.

“How is it?” Emma asked nervously.

“It’s not as sweet as I thought it’d be,” Mikey commented and licked the cocoa powder off of his thumb. “But still good.”

“It's good but...” Draken thought for a beat. “Maybe something crunchy to go with it?”

After the sweets were polished off, Hina left since she promised to meet up with Takemichi for a little bit before heading home.

“What’ll you do, (Y/N)-chan?” Emma asked and sipped her tea.

“I don’t wanna go back yet,” she groaned out with slumped shoulders. “I think I’ve maxed out my mental bandwidth with studying.”

“Stay for dinner then?” the younger Sano suggested. “I’m making katsu tonight.”

“Oh my God. Yes,” she quickly affirmed with glitter shining in her orbs. “Have I told you I love you?”

“I thought you loved Yuzuha,” Mikey teased and ate a cookie, remembering her drunken statement from New Year’s.

“I can love more than one person,” she coolly replied.

While Emma got busy to preparing dinner and kicked (Y/N) out because her policy was guests don’t need to help. She followed Draken and Mikey back to his room to hang for a bit. En route, she saw a dojo with the wooden doors shut not too far from where they were.

“You wanna see the dojo?” Mikey piped up.

“I’m… curious,” she coyly responded.

Making their way in, the male Sano slid a door open to let his friends in. The only light source coming in was from the setting sun at the entrance way and the windows at the top of the room. It was still and peaceful with a scent of outside mixed with the people who were here before.

“When was the last time you were in here, Mikey?” Draken asked.

“It’s… been a while.” He looked at (Y/N)’s back analyzing the place with a sense of tranquility and wonder. “Grandpa’s been wanting me to stop by to demonstrate to his students.”

“Oh you have a wooden dummy!” she excitedly noted and briskly walked up to it, the light tapping of her approaching feet echoing in the space. Placing a palm on the main base, a flood of memories came back to her from when Jun was teaching her jeet kune do. “Rare for a karate dojo to have something like this.”

“Guess grandpa’s trying something new?” the male Sano shrugged.

Taking a light breath, (Y/N) struck the dummy at its center with her palm, the hit echoing in the room. She rolled up her sleeves and proceeded to interact with the rest of the pegs in forms of blocking and attacking. Every strike she hit reverberated as a form of expelled energy. The two spectated as she got into a rhythm with the dummy, as if showing them how to use it. Her arms were like interweaving river streams with every movement, each purposeful strike was like a small wave crashing into a rock.

With a final hit, she audibly exhaled and wiped a light sheen of sweat from her forehead.

“Sorry. I got too into it,” she let out an airy chuckle and placed her palm on the dummy again with a dull thud. “I always found fighting to be a physical form of communication.”

“How so?” asked Draken.

“It’s… intimate.” She drew her right hand back and looked at her palm before lightly clasping it into a fist. “You’re fully able to express yourself where words can’t.”

“I don’t get it,” the tall tattooed boy scratched the back of his neck. (Y/N) gestured him to come closer to her.

“Hit me.”

“What?”

“Not for real. Like sparring,” she clarified. “Come on. Humor me.”

Draken audibly sighed and slumped his shoulders. Slowly approaching her, he released a combo with his right and left straights at barely half strength, to which she easily blocked by pushing his arms away.

“’I don’t wanna hurt you. This is dumb.’” she said with a smirk. “That’s what your fists were telling me.”

“Well obviously!” he stated with annoyance. “Anyone with eyes could see that!”

“Let me try,” Mikey chimed in.

“What? No way! You’re too strong,” Draken frowned. “You’ll knock her out.”

“You know I’d never hit a girl, Ken-chin,” he firmly declared with a small smile. The vice commander already knew what Mikey was going to do: he gave him that look of curiosity and wanted to test how strong she was. He knew anything he’d say after this would fall on deaf ears.

“Just… be careful, (Y/N)-chan,” the tall boy warned. “Don’t get carried away.”

The two faced each other as the room got darker from the dying light outside. Waiting for their eyes to adjust to the dark, Mikey made the first move with his signature roundhouse. Foreseeing this, (Y/N) went on the defensive and successfully blocked it with her right arm.

“Oh? It’s like that huh?” she remarked and shook her limb out from the sting. Even at half strength, his kicks packed a punch.

“If I went all out, you’d be out cold,” Mikey pointed out with a smirk and attacked again. (Y/N) managed to block a few of the punches and kicks he threw and ended up being struck on her left shoulder and let out a small grunt. She stepped back and rotated her shoulders, letting out a breath to reset.

“Not bad,” she praised with an amused grin. “My turn.”

Stepping into Mikey’s space, she unleashed a few fast jabs, hooks and kicks at him as he bobbed and weaved through them by a breath’s hair. Her hits didn’t look like it from an audience’s point of view, but they were fast and had weight behind it. The blond knew she was holding back her strength too, mentally admitting to himself he’d be in trouble should he ever get hit by them.

He noticed there was no wasted movement or momentum with her and each attack had intent. (Y/N)’s last right hook lightly grazed his cheek from the amount of power she let out, leaving a red mark. The sting was as sharp as a knife cutting his skin.

“Oh dang. Sorry!” She immediately stopped. “You okay?”

“I’m good,” he replied with a smile and rubbed the area she touched. “But we should stop here.”

“We were getting a little too intense for Draken,” she agreed and chuckled. “He was holding his breath the whole time.”

“I don’t wanna hear you two cry ‘bout it if either of you got hurt!” he angrily grunted.

Wrapping up their brief sparring session, Emma came out on time to let everyone know dinner was ready. They all contently ate while talking about nonsensical things and laughing. Draken had to head back to the salon not long after, remembering he had to cover for the manager at the front desk tonight for the night shift. Realizing how late it was getting, (Y/N) decided to head out as well.

“Thanks for dinner, Emma-chan. It was so good!” she complimented while putting her shoes on.

“Come by anytime! In exchange…” She leaned into the side of her right ear. “You have to tell me what’s going on with you and Mitsuya.”

“On second thought, I think I can manage on my own,” she deadpanned and made final adjustments on her left shoe before standing.

“Meanie!” she pouted and crossed her arms.

“If there’s anything going on…” (Y/N) continued with her back facing her and turned her head with a gentle smile. “… I’ll do my best to let you know.”

Saying their good nights, she exited the house and saw Mikey wearing his white Toman bomber jacket on top of his casual clothes on Babu.

“I’ll take you back.”

Taglist: @netzukochannn @toobsessedsstuff @owiee12 @wakasasucker

[itsclydebitches]

A great example of “RWBY+ can do no wrong” is the whole “Let Penny make her own choices” thing. They keep doing it over and over, yet while watching I never got the idea RWBY+ doing it was bad. They’re never called out, they never regret it, or anything. Ruby takes the scroll from Penny’s hand and answers Ironwood for her, and makes her human without her consent. I get the not killing Penny thing, BUT THAT’S THE ONLY THING THEY DO FOR HER. WTF?!

Yes let's take a hot second to unpack all this.

Now, I'm going to be focusing on late Volume 7 and Volume 8, but in reality this problem started way back during Penny's introduction. Namely, presenting her as a literal tool of the military who has to break the rules set down (go out, have friends, etc.) in order to be her own person. There's a small problem here in the form of making Pietro the shadowy scientist and then changing him into the doting father with no acknowledgement that he a) built Penny with the purpose of being Atlas' tool and b) went along with dictating her actions through that whole run. However, given that Pietro is a minor character we may never even see again, we have a much larger problem in the form of Ruby being entirely disinterested in Penny's plight. Ruby cares about making sure Penny feels real, not that Penny has all the freedoms a real person innately deserves. Admittedly, this is less of an issue back in Volumes 1-3 because RWBY was a less serious show then, Penny was a new friend, and Ruby was the teenager student. But come Volume 7 when our show is questioning the characters' morals, Ruby is an adult now, Ruby has her huntsmen license, and she supposedly has this incredibly strong bond with Penny, it's now a problem that she hears things like "Ironwood doesn't want me to have friends" and just... doesn't seem to care. Or do anything. Or suggest that Penny do something. It's a non-topic. Ruby only becomes interested in Penny's autonomy when that autonomy threatens Ruby's own goals. When Ruby is working for Ironwood, it's totally fine if Penny works for Ironwood too, no matter how she might be being treated. (Though, frankly, I think the show did a terrible job of establishing Ironwood's supposed mistreatment. The no friends rule makes zero sense when Penny is being sent to celebratory parties organized by Ironwood. So that's a whole other issue.) But when Ruby is against Ironwood... well, then Penny needs to be on their side. Of course she'd be on their side. It's presented as inevitable, despite the fact that it very much should not be. But the point is that Ruby cares about keeping Penny away from Ironwood and giving her an illusion of choice only once she is breaking away. Otherwise, Penny's autonomy is not her concern.

So that's where we're starting out which is pretty bad. Already Ruby's status as the contrast to Ironwood is falling flat, but the show admittedly helps smooth things over by giving us such an extreme. Meaning, we learn fairly early on that Ironwood want to hack Penny and take that autonomy away, full stop. Ruby doesn't. Ergo, Ruby is the lesser of two evils here. I can see why so many fans dismiss the scroll scene given its seemingly, comparative insignificance, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Part of that is because Penny never gets to express her own opinions to Ruby. She gets to do it with Winter and, notably, Penny comes to a sort of, 'We can manage both' stance. The dilemma of going after Cinder or saving Winter and fighting Salem or saving the people of Atlas/the Relics are meant to mirror one another and Penny manages to achieve both. She saves Winter and keeps the power out of Cinder's hands too. Then, she's given the one key that controls the latter dilemma: the Maiden powers. So what will Penny decide? How does she view the situation to leave or stay? How will her decision regarding Cinder and Winter impact her decision about Atlas and Mantle?

It doesn't. We have no idea what Penny thinks outside of a 'I'm sad when friends fight' line (which, again, puts a huge damper on the idea that Penny was always Ironwood/the Ace Ops' puppet and should be glad to be rid of them). Penny is brought into Ruby's group and her opinions disappear because Ruby makes all the decisions. Whatever Ruby says goes and THAT'S why the scroll scene is so horrible. Because we just watched Penny deciding for herself what to do about Winter. We just watched Penny deciding to take on the Maiden powers, making herself the most important person in the Kingdom right now. And then Ruby picks her up and all that goes away. Penny is given the chance to decide things again when Ironwood calls and Ruby takes the scroll away, speaking on her behalf. It does not matter whether Penny actually agrees with Ruby's decisions here, the act of not allowing her to make those decisions for herself speaks volumes.

From then on Penny just stops making choices. Ruby is the one who talks her into forgetting about Ironwood and the Ace Ops. Jaune is the one who decides to split the team and Ruby decided they need to get Amity up. Pietro literally takes control of Penny's body to hack into the system. Penny gets cut off from the group due to the Ace Ops and Nora is the one who decides to help. Prior to literally being hacked, she was more of a puppet in their hands than she was with Ironwood because it's in Ironwood's employ that we actually see Penny pushing back: She's going to be friends with Ruby no matter what, she's going to challenge Winter on her views, she's going to take the powers because that's what needs to be done, etc. But that lack of agency is completely overshadowed by Ironwood's hack Penny plan. Everything looks better compared to that, even if what we're left with is pretty awful on its own. Remember, this is the point in the story where Ironwood is fully evil, post-shooting Oscar and the Councilman. The group can do whatever they want at this point and come off looking "heroic," simply by means of not being Ironwood.

The next time Penny makes a decision is when she stands up to Pietro. Note that prior to this everyone talked her into doing something she says she does not want to do: leaving the group to stay on Amity. Pietro suggests it, Ruby justifies it, Weiss says it might be for the best and Blake ends the conversation by saying they need to leave. Penny goes, "I guess we all have to do some things we would rather not." They all make that decision for her. So she goes, fights Cinder, and then Amity starts to fall. Pietro says, "You’re in no condition to do something like this. Even just the temperature out there could--" and Penny counters "It is our only option."

No, it's not. This is Ruby's option. You can very much not send the totally useless message out, supposedly risking your life in the process ("supposedly" because, again, why this is such a danger for Penny when she was just flying outside with Cinder remains a mystery). Penny treats Ruby's plan as something inevitable. They can't fall back after Penny hacked into the Atlas systems, Penny fought off the Ace Ops, Penny defended Amity from another Maiden. She has to go one step further and risk another death because the concept of saying, "Hey, Ruby's plan isn't feasible anymore" is just never on the table. Ruby is in the mansion sitting around while Penny does all the dangerous work to put her plan into action.

So she pushes back against Pietro in a way she NEVER has with Ruby, insisting that this is how she's going to live her life. Even Maria chimes in with a "we need to remember the big picture." (Wait, the potential death of a Maiden and the loss of the key to the vault isn't a part of the big picture?) Pietro is supposedly in the wrong because he cares about Penny, not the war, but if that's such a bad thing... then what does that make this?

We have a whole scene where Penny wants the group to destroy her to (again, supposedly) help them in the war - take her out as a threat - and they give a resounding, 'Fuck that.' Ruby doesn't want to see her friend dead for the sake of this war. Pietro doesn't want to see his daughter dead for the sake of this war. Yet Pietro is the one who is framed as too narrowminded. Penny standing up to Pietro is meant to be celebratory, but Penny giving in to Ruby is meant to be celebratory too.

And then, of course, once it's Jaune with a sword to her throat, Penny's desire to die is honored.

Then, finally, we have the Ambrosius fiasco. I've spoken at length about this already, but suffice to say we never got a scene where Penny expressed a desire to be turned human. As the above scene demonstrates, her desire to risk her life/die is ignored only when it's Ruby making that call. Otherwise, with Pietro and Jaune, Penny's agency is upheld (however horrible the circumstances). Does she want live a life with a flesh body? Does she have any other ideas how they might eradicate the hack? Would she prefer Ruby try to put her into a new android body first? We have no idea! We never see Ruby ask. We never see that Ruby cares beyond what she wants for Penny. They clearly had the time to hash out all these loophole wishes, but we couldn't have gotten a ten second scene where Penny goes, 'I'm cool with this'? Assuming that Penny knows what they plan to do and that she has no reservations prior to waking up with flesh hands doesn't work, not when her character largely revolves around agency and Ruby has not been showing her that particularly well.

Ruby decides that Penny is on their team (scroll scene). Then she decides that Penny will not die (contrast to Jaune and Pietro). Then she decides that Penny will be saved by stripping away a core part of her identity. Penny goes from being hacked to watching that part of herself actually die, glitching out while her friends smile about it. Ruby spent Penny's entire run insisting that she was a person just as she was, but then Ruby is the one to turn around and take that away from Penny, prior to leading her into a battle where she died again, likely because she was now a fragile flesh girl. Ironwood was given the extreme of trying to take Penny over completely, once he went full Bad Guy, but Ruby is the one who made decisions for Penny throughout this run, with Penny given no chance to speak up for herself. Penny, once at Ruby's side, subscribed to the overarching belief that Ruby is always right (fitting in nicely with Ren's arc of learning to stop questioning things). The story didn't even consider giving Penny different opinions, hesitations, anger, or anything that would truly jeopardizes what Ruby wants, because what Ruby wants is, consistently, treated as the only way to go.

[ellestra]

Happy endings

That was one big happy ending for everybody. Sam is Captain America and saved the day. Bucky finished his book. Walker got to be superhero again. Sharon/PB got pardoned. Zemo got all the Flag Smashers. I mean Flag Smashers are dead but their goal was achieved and Karli said that’s all that mattered - so YAY!

And yes, that was sarcastic but I enjoyed most of the show and the episode. It’s just that it all seemed too easy and neat and to quick. I wonder if shortened season and dropping some storylines (like the pandemic one) was the culprit makes it feel like that or was the hard job of walking between dropping anvils (repeat the point and overexplain) and people still not getting it (someone tried to fight me it wasn’t about racism - I can’t even). And there is a certain disconnect between the real world, complicated issues presented in the season and too easy, happy solutions at the end.

Bucky is the most hilarious example as the end lets us assume Bucky dealt with the rest of his list in between leaving Sam and the GRC attack so was done after Mr. Nakajima and basically no need for therapy any more. I get the message about finding peace after opening up and helping people but solutions are never that easy.

I suppose this why it felt the show used less characters that feel like people and more of archetypes that show certain points of view. This meant that the story sometimes had to bend in weird ways to show Sam starting as an everyman (can’t get loan) but ends up with him changing the minds of the world leaders with a speech. And I don’t mean it couldn’t happen (as this week’s Super League fiasco shows - public outrage can move a lot of mountains) but that he always had that power - even before he was Captain America. It tried to redo Steve’s story in many ways but it hard to avoid the fact that Sam was not nobody at the start. The show just needed to start him low so he had to refuse to use it. And that image with Sam carrying Karli looking like an angel - very pretty but too much.

This is also what still bothers me about Sharon being Power Broker (besides that she either rose superfast or wasn’t Blipped like everyone though). It’s a cool idea on paper (even if the whole turn the underdeveloped female character people hate for getting into their ship evil is such a bad fandom trope - I think Sleeping Hollow fandom was the worst about it). And I get that she pretended to help to get that pardon and worm her way back into state secrets. It’s just the show made Super Serum such a big pat of Power Broker motivation but the only reason she doesn’t have it is because she let Zemo to he scientist. It only took him 6 months to make all those doses. She could’ve had whole lot more in another 6. And then her schemes got her bullet in the stomach. For a master schemer that whole thing was just a disaster. And so were most of her dealings with Flag Smashers. I don’t see her career as double agent and also running criminal empire lasting long. I suspect it’ll end with her being Skrull (that would explain how non-lethal that bullet was and why she didn’t want a doctor).

The end of John Walker story was I think the most disappointing for being rushed. We all knew he was going end up being US Agent but the way he went beck to being hero just because he managed to make the right choice between vengeance and saving people didn’t sit right with me. I get that public opinion can be easy swayed when it justifies people’s previous belief in him (see he isn’t that bad - he just made a mistake - the guy deserved it) and comes with those blond hair and blue eyes. But Sam and Bucky act like nothing happened either. He just tried to kill them an episode ago but I suppose Bucky is used to that so bygones. At least we know working for Val isn’t all that great. I hope next season would show more of the psychological parts of his redemption when maybe he confronts all the lies he told himself.

Zemo’s manservant blowing the rest of Flag Smashers just as they got the the guard to say “One World, One People” suggesting they were going to be freed was hilarious though. I’m pretty sure Val made sure he knew when they were being moved.

The action scenes were great especially, as usual, Sam’s flying but all fight choreography was awesome. His new suits looks cool and comes with 2 redwings. And Bucky asked for that. It really is a friendship.

But I really loved Karli and the Flag Smashers using the heroes modus operandi against them. From the call to Bucky to slow him down because she knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from trying to convince her to using the heroes save the people first to perfection. Sam even went to save the cops. It gets to be bit overdone with Walker’s whole redemption is choosing saving people over revenge (although I liked the contrast with him just leaving Lamar behind to get revenge last time).

And I loved that Sam refused to fight her. This really showed how much better Captain America he is than Walker. But she knew who Sharon was so she had to die.

But the part that got the most surprising emotional reaction from me was when the GRC people try to justify mass forced expulsions of millions of people as just going to how it was five years ago.

Tony Stark didn’t die for this! He made this mess to protect the lives people got in those five years.

I liked how Sam called them out by comparing them to Thanos. Even though I realise it must be the new “compare to Hitler” in the MCU.

All the moments with Isaiah Bradley were awesome. It was really moving to see Sam bringing that hope to hopeless and showing that it can get better. This is why superhero stories are so popular.

[sayakxmi]

So, about the post I made earlier; I promised to elaborate.

First of all, saying that Hakuryuu’s too focused on his past is unquestionable. Most of his decisions and actions are influenced by his thirst for revenge. Naturally, it’s hard to blame him for living in the past - trauma’s a bitch, and he never got a chance to heal or even forget* because his abuser was way too close and he was too helpless to change that. That is, until he and Judar joined forces, and the civil war was started. Then again, he didn’t really get rid of her, but at least for a while he was victorious.

Going back to the original topic - obviously, Hakuryuu was mainly focused on the past at first, and then, when he gained power thanks to Judar, he began focusing on the present (to some extent). He was still heavily influenced by the past, but because of Judar and Belial, he was finally allowed to act, so he did.

*That’s not entirely correct, as he did have a chance to forget for a while - in Sindria, when he met and later travelled with Aladdin, Alibaba & Morgiana - until the Umm Madaura fiasco.

What he wasn’t concerned too much with was the future. He was ready to forfeit it as long as he reached his goal. He also couldn’t be bothered to think about any possible consequences that would follow the end of the civil war.

I think it’s safe to say that the first moment he begins letting go of his past is when he decides not to kill Kouen - when he finally realizes that he went a little too far, and if he keeps it up, there’ll be nothing of him left. The second important moment is his promise to protect Kou - that’s where he begins to think about the future as well, and slowly starts to head towards some kind of stability.

Alibaba being focused on the present is a pretty obvious conclusion to come to. It is in no way saying that he’s not influenced by his past - he certainly is, as it made him insecure and slightly prone to self-hatred - but he’s more than willing to ignore it all and focus on what’s happening in front of him.

This mentality likely has its roots in his early life in the slums, partly because he had no past to dwell on, and partly because the people who loved him (like Anise and Cassim) tried to make sure he didn’t worry about the future, at least for a while. But even when Anise died and Cassim became distant, he was still more interested in surviving and living happily with what remained of his family than just being sad or changing the world they lived in. As long as they were together, he was content, even in extreme poverty.

To jump ahead - even after Cassim’s betrayal, Alibaba kind of moved on. He fled Balbadd, found himself a job, and just lived day after day. He did the best he could do in the moment. And then he met Aladdin, they conquered a Dungeon, and inspired by the magi’s words, Alibaba found it in himself to go back to the country of his origins. Once again he met Cassim, and instead of holding his betrayal against him, Alibaba decides to focus more on what he can do for Balbadd in the here and now.

I would say that the subtle process of Alibaba letting go of his past takes place from the end of the Balbadd Arc (specifically his last conversation with Cassim) to the World Exploration Arc, where he fuses with his magoi, with one of the more important moments being Alibaba telling Hakuryuu that he won’t hate him*.

*I think it’s important, because, well, it would’ve been more understandable, reasonable even, for Alibaba to despise Hakuryuu for being Kou (a Kou prince no less!), but he literally says, “I don’t hate you. That’s what I decided”. Alibaba thought about it, and he made a conscious choice to not hold the past against Hakuryuu, or even other people later on (eg. Olba, Kouen and Koumei, and Sinbad).

The other part of the development is something we’ve been deprived of - Alibaba learning to think about the future. We can add it to the long list of things we should’ve been shown in the Final Arc but weren’t. What we did see, however, was the outcome. During his talk with Sinbad (and Arba), Alibaba says that not worrying about the future and focusing on living the best he can now, is something his past self would’ve thought, but he had changed. And thanks to the fact that he’s not solely focused on the present anymore, he manages to catch Sinbad’s attention, and slowly change his mind.

Sinbad’s main focus has been the future ever since he entered Baal*; whatever he did, he had a goal in mind, a place he needed to reach. For said future he was willing to accept his past as a necessity, and to keep going - because he wasn’t satisfied with what he’d already achieved.

*I believe that was when he started to focus on the future, though it was a slow process at the beginning. Similarly to Hakuryuu, conquering a Dungeon allowed him to turn his dreams into actual goals with a possibility of achieving them. These goals were later solidified in Valefor, as he told everyone present that he wanted to create a country, and then as the series progressed, especially by the end of and after the Slave Arc, he began to make more and more sacrifices for the sake of his goals.

To clarify, Sinbad did not let his past go, not really. The fact that he was half-fallen was tied to his inability to move on (understandable, again, trauma), but he started to see all the things that happened as unavoidable means to an end. “Stepping stones”, quoting the man himself.

That past, again, led to his willingness to sacrifice the present for the sake of some far-fetched goals. After everything he’d already lost (his family, peace of mind, his found family, and then his country) for the sake of the future he’d promised them, he couldn’t just quit; it would make his people’s deaths pointless if he faltered. So he didn’t.

For the sake of the future, he was willing to use and -  if it came to it - sacrifice other people, even innocent ones, like Kougyoku, Aladdin or Alibaba. But then he succeeded, and realized it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. 

His important realization happened in the Final Arc, as he was trying to reach the Sacred Palace with Arba. It’s when he came to terms that there are things he simply wants to do, even if they aren’t going to help anybody but him, even if they might have disastrous consequences in the future - for him or others.

I believe the gradual development of the process was later confirmed, when he decided not to continue his plan of turning everything to Rukh, and trying a different way that wouldn’t, well, kill everybody in the process.

Many thanks to @zed-27, who proofread the whole thing!

[buzzdixonwriter]

Bill Clinton: The Agonizing Reappraisal

Friends, Americans, countrymen!   Lend me your ears!  

I come not to merely bury William Jefferson Clinton but to drive a stake through his craven heart, chop off his diseased head, fill his lying mouth with garlic, and bury the pieces in separate crossroads.

And if you think this is coming from a traditional anti-Clinton angle, guess again, Trump chump.

I’m progressive by default, conservative by nature.  I didn’t move, the thrice-cursed GOP moved, and what they now refer to as the radical left or progressive liberalism is what used to be called “Eisenhower Republicans” back when conservatives held an iota of integrity, a shred of dignity, an ounce of compassion, a hint of civic duty.

So you fuckwits on the right can shuffle off and die for all I care.  

This message is for my friends and allies in the progressive camp, of which a number are Democrats.

Folks, the time has come to publicly, formally, and officially dump Bill Clinton on the ash heap of history.

Alas, but extension this means assigning Hillary to Coventry as well; so be it.  Lay down with pigs, get up smelling like pig shit.

Hillary Clinton is indeed blameless of the multitude of crimes, sins, and shortcomings the far right attempted to hang on her -- investigated and exonerated numerous times by her political enemies -- but if she wanted a public career she should have walked away from Bill Clinton decades ago.

She’s got the stink ingrained on her now, and not just the stink but toxic radioactive mold as well.

She can still be a help backstage, mentoring young candidates, offering valuable insight and advice but her public career is over, her time is done.

Period. Full stop.

If that pisses you off, direct your ire at the appropriate target:  William Jefferson Clinton.

This fuckwit screwed the country over by not keeping his dick in his pants when he knew his political enemies were actively gunning for him.

Consider how badly screwed up that is: Imagine driving down the highway a mile or two over the speed limit when you see a police cruiser pull up behind you.

Do you: (1) Drop down to the speed limit, or (2) go faster and start zigzagging in and out of lanes without signaling?

It’s painfully clear William Jefferson Clinton suffers from a narcissistic personality disorder on par with Deplorable Donnie; the difference is Slick Willie could hide it better.

(This is doubtlessly due to their different class backgrounds:  Clinton grew up lower middle class and hence acutely aware of his precarious social status; Donnie grew up with a silver service set shoved in his mouth and an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude of entitlement coupled with a complete lack of empathy and introspection.)

Clinton possessed enough political savvy to know that if he wanted to benefit from public office he needed to -- in a paraphrase from Full Metal Jacket --  “afford the voters with the common courtesy of a reacharound.”

When he kept this in mind, he and Hilary managed to do some appreciable good for the country and their party.

But “:doing good” does no good if you throw away your political capital by giving opponents the opportunity to undo what you did.

Knowing his enemies were gunning for him, knowing what was at stake for himself, his family, his friends and allies, his party, his state, and eventually the country as a whole, William Jefferson Clinton recklessly engaged in conduct that exposed him and others to needless risk and opposition even if such conduct was consensual.

THIS IS THE SIGN OF A PROFOUNDLY DISTURBED PERSONALITY.

No apologies, no sweet talking, no circumlocutions, no mansplaining:  A profoundly disturbed personality.

…and one we as a nation and as progressive must walk away from forever.

Painful Truth #1: William Jefferson Clinton committed perjury and Congress would have been negligent to not impeach him.

Period. Full stop.

He should have resigned long before that.

The Democratic Party should have made him step down.

It would have ended the feverish anti-Clinton sentiment and made Al Gore the seated president in 2000 against GWBush – and doubtlessly given him the edge politically and morally in that contest.

Imagine for a moment how different the world would be on September 12, 2001 if American made a more proportional international law enforcement response to Al-Q’aeda as the criminal gang they were rather than elevate to Nazi-level quasi-statehood in order to launch the GOP’s long lusted after “war forevermore” that Dwight D. Eisenhower warned about.

Imaging achieving the same real, practical goals without destroying three nations -- Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United States -- in the process.

Imagine blocking far right efforts to deregulate banks, industry, and commerce in order to mercilessly prey on consumers, possibly preventing the housing collapse and stock market crash of 2008, or slowing the rapid out of control spiral of pollution and climate change.

We lost all that in no small part because William Jefferson Clinton, for God knows what perverse reason, refused to say he didn’t have sexual relations with Paula Jones.

Remember, what kicked off the Clinton fiasco was Jones being listed in a published article among women William Jefferson Clinton had sexual relations with, or whom he had “approached” (groped) for sexual relations.

Jones said said she went up to Clinton’s room, he dropped his trousers and asked for sex, and she fled.

In her lawsuit against those who published the article, Jones wanted Clinton to testify he had not had sex with her.

Now, a smart politician would never have gotten in such a position to begin with, but even a politician dumb enough to get caught with his pants literally down could still escape the situation by saying:  “My recollection of meeting Ms Jones is markedly different from hers, but I will confirm 100% that I did not have sexual relations with her, that anybody who says we did is a liar, and I hope she wins her lawsuit against those who defamed her.”

And boom! -- it’s over, there’s nowhere to go with that story.

But instead Clinton denied meeting her and refused to sign an affidavit much less testify.  Jones expanded her suit to include him.

The Supreme Court ruled he could be sued in a civil case while serving as president.  Again, a savvy politician would simply refuse to answer the suit, claiming legal principle.  The maximum default judgment at that time capped at $85,000 – a drop in the bucket compared to his subsequent legal bills --  and the matter would be closed.

Instead, Clinton fought.

Evidence of other affairs -- most notably Monica Lewinsky’s infamous stained dress -- came to light. He was questioned by Jones’ lawyers on this, he lied under oath, he got others to lie under oath, it was proven he did so.

Perjury:  Case closed.

(Sidebar A:  The end should have been “It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is”.  Holy shit, that’s as despicably sleazy a move as anything Deplorable Donnie has pulled, and the Democrats should have kicked Slick Willie to the curb then and there. Fortunately, they seem to have learned from this mistake.  Al Franken was a capable senator with a bright [and possibly even presidential] future ahead of him, but when he was caught inappropriately clowning around with a fellow performer, he resigned and the Democratic Party endorsed this as the appropriate response.  The result?  That avenue of inquiry has been forever blocked off, there’s nowhere for the GOP to go with it.  Franken continues to aid and advise the Democratic party behind the scenes, but he’s removed as a lightning rod.)

(Sidebar B: Further proof of Clinton’s profoundly disturbed personality is that (1) after publicly confessing in 1992 to an affair while governor and (2) promising never to do it again, and (3) knowing his enemies would go over everything he did with a fine tooth comb, he nonetheless (4) didn’t instinctively think “This is a honey trap” and press the emergency secret service button when an intern snapped her thong at him in the Oval Office.  That’s either brutal asswipe stupidity of the lowest order or a perverse thrill in dangerous behavior at the expense of others that might as well be brutal asswipe stupidity of the lowest order.)

Painful Truth #2: While the Democratic Party recognized the actual Lewinsky affair, however embarrassing, was trivial, their failure to take Clinton’s lies seriously proved fatal to their 2000-2008 goals.

“Put on our presidential kneepads” soured a lot of swing voters (and more than a few Democrats) from supporting Democratic candidates and fired up the GOP base. 

It was a minor tactical skirmish that ended in an even-draw that led to a catastrophic strategic defeat, all in defense of a man undeserving of defense, a man worthy only of shame, ridicule, approbation, and condemnation followed by lifelong banishment.

Painful Truth #3:  There is a very real possibility that William Jefferson Clinton is a child rapist.

The Epstein case will kick over a lot of rocks, exposing a lot of scummy vermin squirming underneath.

We know Epstein is a pimp who traffics in underage victims.

We know Clinton (and Deplorable Donnie as well; don’t worry, I’m not letting that turd monger off the hook) was a regular and enthusiastic habitué of Epstein’s parties.

We know Clinton to be an untrustworthy liar, a convicted perjurer stripped of his law license for his own perjury and suborning perjury in others.

We cannot believe any claims on innocence on his part.

Not only can we not believe any claims of innocence, we must presume guilt by association.

If you catch a previously convicted mobster associating with other mobsters as they commit crimes, you must assume their guilt as well.  “I was in the room but didn’t participate” just doesn’t fly (harken back to Clinton’s own “I didn’t inhale”).

And by “guilt” I’m not referring to the strict legal definition -- it may indeed prove impossible to link him to a specific crime -- but the fact he willingly and eagerly associated with a known pimp at events where underage victims were sexually assaulted and raped requires us, demands us as Democrats, as progressives, as Americans to hold him culpable for the good of the party, the good of the movement, and the good of the country.

We need a symbol end to an era of bad faith politics, a door closed on a period of win-at-any-cost politics.

That generation has to pass away, replaced by a newer, better rank of public servants.

(I’m no pie-eyed idealist; I know sooner or later they will produce members who will disappoint.  But right now they’re a breath of clean, fresh, disinfecting air and we desperately need them.)

Publicly passing final judgment on Clinton seals off that branch of the contagion.  It demonstrates a willingness to confront the mess in our own house, and in dealing with that, the moral authority to deal with the mess Donnie is making.

Like Bill Cosby -- another infamous William -- Clinton must be forever shunned from the public sphere. He inflicted enough damage on the nation and the world through his perversely selfish and reckless antics.

And should there be evidence enough to convict, then throw that lying child rapist behind bars for the rest of his blighted life.

He can share a cell with Donnie.

 © Buzz Dixon

[aion-rsa]

Can Cyberpunk 2077 Bring Fans Back with an Apology, a Patch Roadmap, and a Multiplayer Mode?

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Much has already been written about Cyberpunk 2077‘s successes and failures. Is the game a financial success? Well, according to developer CD Projekt Red, the game sold over 13 million copies in its first two weeks despite being removed from the PlayStation Store, one of the industry’s biggest digital marketplaces. So yes. But has the game also turned out to be a PR and legal nightmare? Undoubtedly.

The buggy state of the game, especially on last-gen consoles, dominated the discussion surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 at launch. So huge was the quality gap between the PC version that CD Projekt showcased in promotional footage and the versions released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One that several outlets ultimately judged them separately, with the PC version receiving stellar review scores while the last-gen versions received remarkably low scores for a AAA release.

Compounding the issue was the fact that reviewers were only given access to the PC version ahead of the embargo, and while many outlets mentioned bugs in their reviews, the PC game didn’t really reflect the much more broken state of the last-gen versions. The non-disclosure agreement sent to reviewers also prevented outlets from using their own captured footage for their videos, forcing them to use marketing B-roll provided by the studio instead. Customers were effectively left to discover the bugs on their own after they’d pre-ordered or bought the game at launch.

Some have accused CD Projekt of purposely misleading customers, reviewers, and investors. In fact, two lawsuits have already been filed against the company, which claim that the studio made false statements and misled investors about the state of the game. (For example, two weeks before launch, CD Projekt CEO Adam Kacinski told investors that the game ran “surprisingly well” on last-gen consoles.) On top of all that is the general outcry from fans who feel cheated by a studio that had promised them an incredible experience no matter which platform they played the game on.

If the studio hoped to command the attention of the gaming world with its highly-anticipated follow-up to The Witcher 3, it certainly achieved that. After releasing several hotfixes for the game in an attempt to remedy Cyberpunk 2077‘s most egregious bugs, CD Projekt took things one step further by posting an apology video that sought to explain the days leading up to Cyberpunk 2077‘s controversial launch. (I almost wrote “disastrous launch,” but, again, the game sold 13 million copies in two weeks.)

Dear gamers, Below, you’ll find CD PROJEKT’s co-founder’s personal explanation of what the days leading up to the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 looked like, sharing the studio’s perspective on what happened with the game on old-generation consoles. pic.twitter.com/XjdCKizewq

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) January 13, 2021

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“Despite good reviews on PC, the console version of Cyberpunk 2077 did not meet the quality standard we wanted to meet,” admitted CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwinski in the video. “I, and the entire leadership team, are deeply sorry for this, and this video is me publicly owning up to that.”

Iwinski went on to explain how the studio underestimated its goal of “wanting to make the game look epic on PCs and then adjusting it to consoles — especially old-gens.” He explained that the dev team had to “constantly improve our in-game streaming system for old-gen consoles” once they made changes to the PC version. Ultimately, Iwinski said, the team thought that whatever bugs and issues were left on last-gen platforms could be ironed out in a “final day zero update.”

“We were fighting for quality on old-gen until the very last moment, and every extra day of us working on the day zero update brought visible improvement,” Iwiński said. “This is why we started sending console review keys on the 8th of December [two days before launch], which was later than originally planned.” (Den of Geek only received a PC review code the day before launch.)

Furthermore, Iwinski claimed in the video that “our testing did not show a big part of the issues,” which is hard to believe when you look at the sheer scope of the glitches, some of which go way beyond minor visual or audio bugs. In fact, a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who talked to 20 current and former CD Projekt employees, refuted that claim, saying that the studio was aware of the extent of the issues as launch day approached and decided to release the game anyway.

If you haven’t seen the performance issues for yourself, GameSpot compiled quite a few of the game’s bugs in the video below:

Beyond apologies and explanations, the CD Projekt video is also a clear attempt to move the conversation forward. Iwinski closed the video by revealing Cyberpunk 2077‘s 2021 development roadmap, which will kick off a year of updates aimed at turning the game around. Two patches will bring further fixes to the game — the first will be out in late January, with the second patch coming “in the following weeks.” Free DLC originally planned for release soon after launch will now drop after the patches on undisclosed dates. The next-gen console upgrade for PS5and XSX owners will follow in the second half of 2021, although it was also originally scheduled for much earlier than that.

While the video still leaves many questions yet to be answered — none of the updates beyond the first patch even have proper roll out dates, for example — one of the biggest ones is whether these future patches and updates will really be enough to put fans back in the studio’s corner. Could the next-gen upgrade spark a No Man’s Sky-level second life for Cyberpunk 2077, bringing back players who dropped the last-gen version?

Cyberpunk 2077 might be facing an uphill battle. The game has suffered a drastic drop in player count on Steam since launch, according to a report by game stats watchdog GitHyp (via GameSpot), losing 79% of players in just three weeks. A steep drop in player count after launch isn’t all that surprising for a single-player game that can be completed in 25-30 hours but it took CD Projekt’s previous game, The Witcher 3, three months to see an equivalent drop in player count on Steam.

It’s also impossible to know what kind of monetary hit the game has taken from refunds requested by angry Xbox and PlayStation owners. But on the surface, it may seem that many fans have already abandoned the title, even on Twitch, where only about 3,000 viewers are still watching streamers play the game as of this writing.

Yet, the game still has its fans, including some of Den of Geek’s own writers, who named the title one of the best of 2020 (I disagree with them). And there are those on the internet who are already anxiously digging through the game to see what might be next in terms of DLC. Recently, a dataminer uncovered references to Cyberpunk 2077‘s upcoming multiplayer component in the game’s code, including mentions of Deathmatch and a Heists mode, as well as player classes, lobbies, and more.

There’s no doubt that a shiny new multiplayer mode will bring some players back to Night City, although the studio also plans to use the mode to usher in microtransactions, which could lead to more controversies for the studio down the line. While gamers as a whole are hardly as anti-microtransaction as some claim the community to be — AAA games that push in-game purchases continue to fly off shelves after all — a monetization fiasco is hardly something CD Projekt will want to deal with once the work to fix the single-player component is finished. After the game’s botched launch from a publicity and performance standpoint, CD Projekt will have to be extra careful about the future of Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk multiplayer/online, which is a separate project, will have some microtransactions, but we said that a year ago already. Like always, expect us treating your money with respect.

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) September 7, 2020

“Like always, expect us treating your money with respect,” CD Projekt said back in September 2020 regarding the game’s future microtransactions rollout. The studio’s fans, still enamored with The Witcher 3, the company’s outwardly consumer-friendly attitude, and Keanu Reeves, had fewer reasons to doubt that promise then. But this was just a few weeks before Bloomberg reported that the studio had implemented a crunch period of mandatory 6-day work weeks despite previously promising not to do so. CD Projekt’s image with the public and its investors has only deteriorated further since then.

In the eyes of many, the CD Projekt that published that apology video last week is a far more unreliable company than it was a year ago. Regardless of whether or not you believe Iwinski skewed further away from the truth by claiming CD Projekt wasn’t aware of all the bugs in the game ahead of launch, the co-founder certainly painted a picture of a studio that is far more timid about committing to anything, such as rollout dates (or even release windows) for its 2021 roadmap or concrete details about the DLC and multiplayer mode it already promised its fans. Just how long are fans willing to wait for CD Projekt to make good on what vague promises it has made for the future?

At the end of the day, CD Projekt’s situation is not without precedent. No Man’s Sky‘s Hello Games suffered a similar fall from grace in 2016 after failing to make good on its more ambitious promises to fans, while Square Enix had to reboot Final Fantasy XIV after the MMORPG’s disastrous launch in 2010. Both games have since made well-received comebacks. CD Projekt could turn things around too, and even regain the trust of its fans and investors, but Cyberpunk 2077‘s controversial launch also means it will be a long time before the company’s leadership can really say with any certainty that it will treat your money with respect. In fact, it may take even longer than Cyberpunk 2077‘s roadmap.

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[seriouslyblacklikemysoul]

Nepenthe - Steve Rogers x Reader (Part I)

Request: Hello!! Could I possibly request a Steve x reader imagine where the reader is younger than him? (Well, anyone would be younger than him). So maybe she is around twenty with a tragic background and she is the one who has been helping him adjust and then she helps him with the whole Bucky thing and they kinda end up together somehow. She is a SHIELD agent. (Something like a timeline from the moment he was revived up until whenever you want). I don't know if it made sense, sorry. Thank you so much. Nepenthe: Something or someone that can make you forget grief or suffering. Safe heaven.  Warnings: My English, language, gifs aren't mine. Credits to their original owners. Also, it deviates from the movies at some points but it’s pretty close. A second(better) part is already planned.  Word Count~7.5k MASTERLIST Pending Requests

It wasn't something new. You should have gotten used it. It wasn't the first time you had woken up in the middle of the night with your breath stolen from you and it would definitely not be the last one. You didn't want to think of your past but every single time you thought you had put it to sleep, that fucking thing popped up unexpectedly and messed with your mind.  You had gone through so much and even more. Not even Fury knew exactly what. He had a clearer picture than all of the others but he didn't even dare to ask.  Your past had left you with so many scars, fears and nightmares that you tried every day to fight off. Some days you would win, some days you would lose. What mattered most was that you never gave up. It was exhausting but you would never surrender to them. You were stronger than that. Not unbreakable, but strong enough to know that there was hope. And to believe it would get better.  The first time you had been brought to SHIELD, you were eighteen years old. You had no relatives at all, no way to live on your own, no chance of survival. You didn't have a choice, really, but what they were offering was appealing in a way that made you think you had a chance. To begin again. That's why you didn't even hesitate.  You were the youngest agent but your progress was rather dynamic. Two years and many training sessions and missions later, you were a level eight. No one ever expected you to achieve so much within so little time. You didn't want yo admit it since your past made you eager to move forward, but it had helped you a lot. All the training you had undergone when you were captured by the Red Room and the missions you were sent to execute while you were under Hydra's capture had made you strong and lethal; you would barely blink an eye when you had to pull the trigger or to split someone's throat open. You used to follow orders blindly, without question because that would have gotten you killed.  However, you had noticed that lately... Something felt off.  A knock on your door alerted you and you immediately shot up and got off of your bed, putting on a jumper two sizes too big and your sneakers.  You opened the door, knowing that whatever had just happened must have been important. Otherwise, they wouldn't wake you up at three in the morning.  "Director Fury is demanding your presence in the Triskelion. You have ten minutes" a guard informed you and you just nodded.  You had ten minutes to get ready. 

When you arrived -when the helicarrier arrived- you were rushed to Fury's office. Some other people were there along with Natasha, Clint, and Maria. Nobody seemed to know why they were there. Until Fury spilled the beans. "Captain America, folks. Alive and frozen". Wait. What? Captain America? The Captain America? But that was impossible. He lived, what, seventy years ago? And he had died when he crushed that ..thing directly into the... ice. Oh, Dear Lord. You couldn't hear much because man, he was alive. He has been frozen for seventy years and now they want to revive him? How hard would it be for him to adjust?  'How awful must it feels to know that all of the people you cared about are dead and you are still here, not aged a day, trying to move on?' you thought to yourself. You would never let someone see your soft side because that was a weakness. Emotions clouded judgment. They were a distraction from your goal. "And I want you to help him adjust" Fury said a little louder than necessary, just to get your attention. And he was pointing at you. You would have to babysit him. You nodded and when you turned to face agent Coulson, you saw him glowing with excitement. Everyone knew that Phil was enchanted by the mighty hero. You arched you perfectly shaped eyebrow at him but if you wanted to be honest you had to admit that his story was actually tragically enchanting. People started moving towards different directions but you just stood there, unable to move so much as a muscle. Your mind was flooding you with your memories. All the tragedy that you had suffered. All the pain and the agony. And how... Guilty you felt once you escaped. Because you hadn't been able to save anyone else. Just yourself. And that was going to be exactly what he will face as well. "Come on, Y/N" Natasha spoke softly as she guided you by your arm. Natasha could understand your pain but only a part. She knew the Red Room and what it felt like to enter a child and leave an adult. When she had learned that you had escaped when you were only fourteen, she was jealous because you had been given the chance that was taken away from her. But then she found out that you had been recaptured by Hydra. She hated herself for ever feeling jealous in the first place. The Red Room was one thing. Hydra... Was another. Once your mind returned to reality, you saw that you were already inside a room. And he was lying on a surface, face pale, eyes closed, lips purple. You tilted your head to the side. Something about his features felt unbelievably intriguing. Agonizingly, perfectly still. He was unconscious but everything about him screamed alive. You tried to listen to Fury as he instructed everyone. They would pretend that it was still the 40s. Something that you thought of as hypocritical, to say the least. Why did they think that he would believe it? He clearly was smarter than that if the stories were true. You stopped paying attention to his words as you took in the picture in front of you. It was going to be one hell of a ride. 

You didn't exactly remember if it had been a month or more, but Captain America was back. And you had been right. He didn't believe it for a second. You felt low-key proud. Your job was mainly to keep an eye on him, but you weren't his shadow. He needed space and time to be aware of his surroundings and the new era he had woken up. You had officially met him the very first day he was revived-after the fiasco. Even though you could feel his uncertainty and his worries, and you would definitely understand it if he was rude to you, he surprised the hell out of you when he politely introduced himself and called you ma'am. That sweet Brooklyn accent and his manners… Killer combination. He also appreciated the fact that you gave him his space. He would occasionally be annoyed by the other agents that took your place when you had to go out on the field. They weren't discreet nor quiet. He would never admit it but he had grown used to your presence around the place. It was somehow reassuring. Especially after seeing you training. He was impressed, afraid and awed. However, things made it difficult for you to keep your distance and let him adjust easier. When Fury told you about the Tesseract, you knew that he needed Steve and that he was recruiting a team. You also knew that he didn't tell you everything but you didn't push it. You would find out in a different way. He was punching and kicking the hell out of that punching bag until it crashed into the wall across the room. You were aware that he was strong but that seemed a bit maniac. "Trouble sleeping?" Fury asked him rhetorically and you felt the need to arch an eyebrow, but you fought against it. "I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill" he answered and even though he was being sassy he was still polite. 'Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world" Fury continued as you both made your way to him. You felt bad for the punching bag. He stopped and walked over to his things as he nodded, acknowledging you. You sent him a small smile, something that you had been doing a lot more recently. And Natasha had noticed. After a whole bunch of dramatic, Fury handed him the file with the information he needed to know. "Trying to get me back in the world?" he almost spat out, darkness creeping up into his voice. "Trying to get you to save it" you popped up before things got out of hand. His expression softened and when he looked at you, he saw nothing more than a person being honest with him. And he liked that. And you liked him. Wait. What?

"I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially. I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping" Phil was rambling again. His crazy obsession had taken over. You simply gave Steve an apologetic smile but you felt that your whole world brightened when he blushed.  There was no use denying the fact that he was handsome. But there was something more than plain looks. He was charming and charismatic. "I mean, I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a huge honor to have you on board" Phil continued. Steve was looking at him with amusement. You were drooling over him.  You had caught yourself thinking about him more than once mainly because you had bonded over dinner. 

It was Monday and it sucked. You have had a particularly difficult day and your body felt sore. A shiver was trailing through your muscles and you just wanted comfort as you were drained of energy.  You wondered around in hopes that you would find something to eat and a fluffy cozy blanket. But plans changed. They became so much better. You made a beeline to the kitchen only to realize that nothing was eatable. 

You began to cook spaghetti and prepare a really spicy sauce with chili.  Working with your hands and not your brain was refreshing and appealing. You even found yourself humming a soft song. You remembered that there was a bottle of red wine hidden somewhere in the kitchen. Why not? The dinner was ready within no time. You placed your plate on the table and you poured a generous portion of wine into your glass and you were ready to sit down but Steve walked in. You didn't want to make him feel awkward and honestly, you liked his company.  "Hungry?" you gently asked him, a bright smile on your lips. He was taken aback and he tried to say no in a polite way but is stomach said otherwise. He blushed and sighed.  "Starving" he admitted and blushed even more. He was so adorable and sexy. How can you be both at the same time?  You added a plate and a glass, after seeking confirmation from him. You didn't know if wanted to drink. As you would find out later, he couldn't get drunk, just lightheaded.  He sat down next to you and you could smell his scent all over the place. It was a bit disorienting. He was hesitant to taste the food because he thought that you were too young to know how to cook and fight at the same time. He genuinely thought that you were too young but he was forgetting it a lot. However, he was pleasantly surprised.  "This is good. Like, really good!" he told you beaming and you laughed. He was just like a child. You didn't know this but he became determined to make you laugh again.  That night was only the beginning.  "Well, I hope I'm the man for the job" he quietly said. Phil was about to say something but you cut him off.  "You are" you simply yet boldly answered him, without leaving him any room for self-doubt.  His eyes pierced yours and nothing felt the same. 

"Can you? Can you wipe off your past? Do you remember them? Do they let you sleep at night? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving the life of a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer; pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors, but they are a part of you, and they will never go away" he said, slamming his fist against the glass. You knew that this was just a plan. You knew that what he meant was to simply scare you. You knew that he wanted to unleash the Hulk. But it hurt, nonetheless. Mainly because he was right. You had killed and tortured and captured innocent people. It took everything in you to remember that it wasn't you. 'Yes. But I still did it' you thought. And most importantly... Now he knew. He would hate you. How could he not? He was a hero and you were an assassin. You didn't care about the others, not that much at least. You had out-sassed Stark and you were quite gentle with Natasha's new love interest. Thor... He was a God. He could handle it. But him... He was Captain America for fuck's sake. You did what you were told but when you returned to the lab, you were welcomed by six people fighting each other... And a gun? So that was why SHIELD wanted the Tesseract. New guns. "Congratulations. You out topped Hydra" you sarcastically told Fury. He was being just as dishonest and manipulative as your previous captures. Guess, you exchanged Hydra and the Red Room for SHIELD. They were all the same. Seeking profit for themselves. Steve looked at you, eyes on fire. "You didn't know?" he asked you in a provocative tone but you refused to give in. "I wouldn't be here if I did" you simply answered him. No sarcasm, no irony. You truly wanted him to know that you had no idea and you were definitely not supporting any of it. He seemed to realize that you would have never agreed on something like this, given your past. Because he knew. He had read your file, he had asked Fury-multiple times- and he had done his research on you. He was actually kind of surprised -not in a good way- that you were only twenty yet you had been through all that. You were just a child when the Red Room got you. He came to hate them for what they had made you do. And Hydra of course. But he had another reason to hate Hydra as well. His best friend. Zola and the red skull had killed him.. And suddenly he was back on that Train. He snapped out of it. But your eyes were still locked with his. And you couldn't avert them.

You had survived the Chitauri invasion. You had all gotten out of that nightmare alive. Not completely alright but safe. "I think I would like a break" you admitted, tilting your head so you could see his face against the blinding light of the afternoon sun. He smiled, and you realized that the sun wasn't bright enough. "I think I might join you" he said amused. He wasn't usually this bold, but you loved it when he was. It was like a completely different side of his personality. You stood there watching Thor and Loki teleporting back to Asgard with the Tesseract before everyone said their goodbyes. You were no longer a SHIELD agent per se but not quite an Avenger as the group was being called. You had stopped taking orders without questioning them. You had also come clean with Steve about your past as you told him everything, things nobody else knew, things you wished to forget. And he was okay with that. He didn't criticize you or hated you. He was starting his motorcycle when he furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to look at you. "Hop on" he told you and you couldn't hide your smile. You didn't question him or his impatient request. "Yes, Captain" you playfully answered as you sat down behind him and hugged his waist tightly, spreading your fingers out, gripping his shirt. You could feel his toned torso, his muscles tensing for a brief second. You could feel his heart beating steadily. A big smile was carved on your lips. He could feel your legs almost wrapped around him, your hands holding him close, your chest against his back, your breath fanning over his neck. He tried to remind himself that you were just twenty years old. But did it really matter?

There was a dim light illuminating the room making everything appear still. You slowly awoke from your sleep. It had been a peaceful night; no nightmares, no memories hunting you, no screams. Your right hand was rested upon Steve's chest. Your eyes flickered open when you realized that he was shirtless. You found his apologetic gaze already fixed on you but there was a lighthearted smile plastered on his full lips. ‘’Hey...’’ your sleepy voice trailed off before your eyes closed once more, causing Steve to chuckle at the sight. This was normal. You had been sleeping in the same bed with Steve since the first night after New York. You were both too scared to be left alone with your minds. So, when you had slowly opened the door of his room and crept in, you had found a terrified Steve. You had never seen him that afraid. You hadn't given it much thought when you had climbed οnto his bed and hugged him tightly. And he had hugged you back, holding onto you for dear life. You didn't know where you two stood exactly. Like, what were you to him? His friend? But friends didn't sleep in one bed, friends didn't hug each other as much as you did, their touches wouldn't linger on for moments after... Friends didn't get that tingling sensation whenever the other's hand would brush against your own accidentally. You could safely say that he wasn't just your friend. You had developed feelings for him-feelings that ran deeper than blood, feelings you knew you weren't supposed to catch for someone that much older. But then again... He didn't seem to treat you any differently than the others, right? Hugging you tightly and cuddling you to sleep wasn't something that he wouldn't do for someone else. Treating you with breakfast in bed, was something anyone would do. Cooking with you, getting not-drunk with you, running a hot bath for you, carrying you when you were too tired or sleepy to function... For fuck's sake. It was his fault that you were in love with him. Hold it. What now? And there he was, looking all heaven sent in the soft light of the new day, making it hard for you to breathe. The way the light danced around his blonde hair, how golden strands fell to his eyes... His eyes. Those blue orbits that felt deeper than the ocean itself and seemed to change colors; from baby to royal blue. You have had the pleasure to witness his eyes becoming cobalt blue once. In your mind, you were the reason why his eyes darkened. And those lips... Perfectly shaped, full, plump and pouty that made you wonder how would they taste. You could go on and on about his appearance but what had won you over was his personality. He was gentle yet bold, soft yet fierce, polite yet daring. He did what he thought was better for everyone, not just him. He never considered himself a hero. He disliked being called that. In his mind, he was a person out of time. Not even Peggy could help. He had admitted that she was half the reason he joined SHIELD but then he thought about the other half. You didn't know this, but his mind wandered back to the very first time he had met you. "Goodmorning, doll" he breathed out. You felt like melting under his tender touch, as he had his arm wrapped around you, and you wanted to catch fire when he called you that. It wasn't something sexual, but it worked miracles. When you didn't move, he let out a breathy chuckle and draw small patterns with his fingers on your exposed thigh. You understood that it was unintentional, but you couldn't stop your heartbeat from accelerating. "Five more minutes" you husked, your voice thick and throaty. It sent shivers down his spine. "I could lay here all day long" he admitted under his breath. You heard it, but you had fallen asleep before you could answer. He stayed awake. He didn't dare to close his eyes.

"You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes" Natasha told him and you felt your blood boiling. If that her way to piss you off... She was successful. "That's why I don't ask" Steve answered calmly and certain. "Too shy or too scared?" she pressed further. You wanted to slap her. What was she doing? You didn't stay around to catch his answer because you jumped out of the jet. Your mind was clouded and your judgment not on point. Of course. He was ten years older than you, extremely good-looking and single. He should date. Not her. Not any other girl. You landed on the ship and moments later Steve climbed on too. He beat up everyone on the deck (other times using his shield and other times with his hands but mostly mustering both) before somebody could raise the alarm but he was interrupted by one of the pirates pointing his gun at him. Without thinking about it too much, you removed yourself from your hiding place and shot him down. Steve gave you an amusing look. "Thanks" he told you, a bit out of breath. You raised both of your eyebrows in a sarcastic way. "Yeah. You seemed pretty helpless without me" you mocked him earning a playful smirk. Everyone else landed on the deck as well and Natasha picked up from where she had left it off. "What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kind of nice" she informed him, seemingly emotionless. Steve rolled his eyes. At least, he wasn't interested right now. "Secure the engine room. Then find me a date" he answered nonchalantly as she jumped off the current level. "I'm multitasking". More like getting on your nerves. You didn't look at him and that was why you couldn't know but he was looking at you, trying to read your face. He wanted to know if -maybe- you were mad at... Natasha or him? Maybe, just maybe... You could have been jealous?   Mission first, then dames he thought. Shortly after that, you both had your head in the game. He needed your help because he didn't speak French (or so you thought because later you found out that he was fluent), so you were stuck with him, translating. "I do not like to wait. Call Durand. I want the ship ready to move when the ransom arrives" you quickly translated as you were eyeing Steve, trying to understand what he was planning. "He called Durant. He wants to start the engine. Natasha has to be there" you continued. He nodded and took off. You ran into the opposite direction so you could help Rumlow as already planned. He would need someone to deal with the hostiles. Everything went according to plan. But then Natasha never showed up. "Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff missed the rendezvous point, Cap. Hostiles are still in play" Rumlow informed Steve. You were about to yell at her but there was no reply from her. "Get them out of here. I'll stay behind" you practically barked out the 'order'. Natasha had screwed you up. And you needed to fix this. Something that ended up biting you in the ass.

Your head was heavy and you couldn't feel your body. She was dead. The moment you could get up, she was dead. You slowly opened your eyes and tried to move your sore muscles. At least, you weren't paralyzed. You looked around you only to find out that you weren't alone. "Steve?" your voice was raspy and it made you wince. His eyes were instantly on you and a relieved smile had just formed on his lips. "How are you?" he sheepishly asked. You would have laughed but your head was spinning and your mind was thinking about quitting. You slowly and carefully got out of the uncomfortable bed and placed your feet on the ground. "How long was I out?" you questioned rather seriously. He sifted his weight on his other leg. "A few hours. I had a talk with Fury but he doesn't... He is not very helpful" he told you and you could see that he was fighting a battle. Thankfully, you were wearing normal clothes. Because you had a few things to say to Fury too. "Let's go" you said clearly not giving a flying fuck. He knew better than questioned you that moment. All the way to Fury's office, you noticed that Steve walked closer to you than he had before, being a tad more protective than he usually was. And even though you wanted him to know that you were capable of protecting your ass, you were more than happy to feel his presence so close to you. He made you forget all the pain and the sadness. You slammed open the door. You weren't even surprised that Natasha was already there. "And she is alive!" Fury jocked. "You are alright" Natasha said. You walked straight to Fury and slapped him. He was taken aback that much that he didn't even say anything. You turned on your heel, gave Natasha a cold glare and almost hissed at her. "Not thanks to you". Steve was looking at you, debating whether he was impressed or confused by your actions. "Project Insight. Now" you clearly demanded. Fury seemed to come to his senses. "You waltzed in here, slapped me and now you are demanding information that is not to be shared with you?" he asked darkly. He wasn't used to people having authority over him. You tilted your head, a devilish smirk on your face and you waited for about five seconds before you gave him an answer. "Precisely". Everything was still. "Why?" he dared to ask. "I want to hear your version of the story, Nicky" you told him and he understood that you knew. He raised an eyebrow. "There is only one version" he said ominously as he nodded towards the elevator for you and Steve to enter. Steve and Nick had a stupid talk and you couldn't help but wonder. What exactly did they want to achieve? You knew that there was something fishy about the whole thing. Especially, Pierce. He gave you an off vibe. Once the elevator stopped, you came face to face with three huge Helicarrires. "This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites" Nick informed you proudly. You, however, felt sick. "Launched from the Lemurian Star" Steve commented, looking at him. "Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines" he continued like it was something he should brag about. "Stark?" you guessed. He was good but not in the right way. "Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen" Nick told you, while you noticed he still kept his distance from you. "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime" Steve butted in. He was always the one who wanted things to be right. And this didn't feel like it. "We can't afford to wait that long" came the answer. Of course he would say something like that. "Who's "we"?". Steve was so naive. So innocent. This was planned after New York. "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve" Nick admitted. He finally told you something true. "By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection" you finished his line. Because that was exactly what he was about to do. Steve was zoning out. He knew this was bad. And so did you. "You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff" Nick turned back to Steve because he was an easier target. You... Well, he didn't fancy the idea of getting slapped again. And he knew that you were more than capable of way more than just that. He had read your file too. "Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it, so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear" Steve answered truthfully, and you admired the fire inside him "SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap. And you, agent" Nick finally told you what was all about. "I'd rather not" you commented dryly and left. "Don't hold your breath" you heard Steve informing him fiercely. A small smile made its way to your lips.

The moment you found out that Fury was dead was the moment you came face to face with the man that trained you when you were captured by Hydra. They called him 'The Winter Soldier'. To everyone else, he was a ghost story. You knew him as James. One of the few times that he could think on his own, he told you his name because he wanted someone to remember it for him, for he was going to get wiped. That was how things worked with Hydra. And that would be your future if you hadn't escaped. When SHIELD thought that they got you, you played along. They weren't capable of capturing you if you didn't want them to. You had escaped but you had tried to help him too. He was an innocent man that had been manipulated way too many times. But you couldn't. And there he was, standing in front of you, his metal arm wrapped around your neck, no sign of recognition in his eyes. "James, please" your voice was barely audible, but his eyes widened, and his grip loosened. Something sparked inside him, but he was hesitant. "I am sorry James" you breathed out and his hand left your neck for good. He took his mask off and you saw that he remembered something. You, maybe? Before you could do anything else, he jumped off the roof you were standing. You knew that he was gone. If he was here and in his Soldat mood, then Fury was killed. He never screwed up a mission. That was why he had been Hydra's secret weapon for years. More than you could possibly imagine. There was only one person that could help you and he was too occupied trying to get out of the Triskelion alive. So, you rushed to the only place you knew you would find him. The Hospital. If your assumptions were correct, then Pierce would have unleashed STRIKE to take down Steve. And he would have gotten away, only to go to the most obvious place in the world. You hoped that you knew him well enough.

“Stop lying” he growled at Natasha. You almost ran towards him to peal him off of her. “I only act like I know everything, Rogers” she answered defensively. Steve looked at you once you enter the room. “I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?” he questioned her, but he let her go. Natasha nodded at you and you dared to take another step. “Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you” she told him. Steve wasn’t having any of it. He gripped her arms and shook her entire body. He was mad. “I'm not gonna ask you again”. You rushed and put your hand on his shoulder. That made him loosen up a bit, but Natasha was analyzing your every move and how Steve reacted when you were around. “I know who killed Fury. Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years” she blurted. Steve looked confused. You, however, couldn’t stand there listening to her calling him a monster. “James. His name is James” you whispered. Both of them looked at you with furrowed eyebrows, expecting some kind of explanation. “He was the one who trained me back then” you simply told them, your voice becoming even weaker than before. Natasha continued her version of the story. How he had shot her and how he was a ghost story. But to you, he wasn’t a bad person who needed to be stopped. He was a helpless man who needed a chance. Steve, however, was worried. Someone from your past was messing up the timeline? Little did he know that he wasn’t just from your past. When they decided that you had to find out what was on that drive, Natasha thought that you would have to steal a laptop and Steve wanted to break into SHIELD’s base... You rolled your eyes at them. They weren’t practical at all. “The mall disguised as civilians, guys!” you exasperated. They were truly thinking like a spy and a hero. Since when did you become the practical one? “And then what?” Steve asked you mainly because he had no idea how a mall could help. “And then we go to a Mac store to use one of their computers, genius” you answered, your ‘duh’-tone being very well spotted. “Lead the way ma’am”. You had to contain yourself otherwise your blush would be visible to everyone in the building. Natasha saw it, Steve didn’t. She winked at you and smirked. She got it now; why you always seemed to be annoyed when she tried to hook Steve up with someone. You had a thing for him. She should have known. He must have had feelings for you as well because every time she suggested another woman, his eyes would fall onto you momentarily. You brushed the tension off and hoped that the closest mall was close enough. Once you arrived, Natasha made sure that you felt uncomfortable in all possible ways. “You are a couple. And I’m the creepy loner friend. Got it?”. She was actually giving orders, something that made you quirk an eyebrow, but you felt your cheeks burning when Steve didn’t say anything, instead, he looked down, trying to hide his own blush. You all walked to the first store you saw and found a laptop that could handle the drive. “The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are” Natasha informed you. You already knew that they weren’t stupid. “How much time do we have?” Steve asked, his eyeglasses getting in the way of his spasmodic moves. He really didn’t know how to hide in plain sight. “Uh...about nine minutes from... Now” she told him and popped the drive into the computer. “Fury was right about that ship, somebody's trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands” she continued as she was typing. Your brain was thinking ahead but Steve was impatient. “Can you override it?” he pressed. If you didn’t like him that much you would have kicked his ass. Big time. “Steve, first rule of going on the run is, don't run, walk. Stop it” you told him and gripped his arm tightly enough to make him flinch. He gave you an apologetic look. You knew that he didn’t know how to act naturally. “The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me. Slightly” she commented dryly. Yes, maybe. But you were running out of time. “Try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can't read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from” you suggested and she looked impressed. She didn’t know that you had hacked into SHIELD’s system too many times, but Steve did and he was proud. Not of your deviant behavior but… genuinely. Something had changed between you two and he felt it. Something in the way he would find solace in your scent or presence… or the fact that he would never consider dating someone else because, even if you were ten years younger than him and -in his mind- you deserved better, he had formed this huge school-boy crush on you. And he didn’t mind one bit. “Can I help you guys with anything?” an employee asked politely, and your eyes immediately scanned him. “Oh, no, thank you. I am just helping them with some honeymoon destinations” Natasha lied smoothly, and you followed suit even though your heart was pounding in your chest. “Right! We're getting married” Steve quickly agreed, a little too excited. You placed a hand on his chest, acting all wifey. “Congratulations! Where do you guys thinking about going?”. Fuck, he wasn’t stopping. Steve looked at the monitor and saw that the signal was traced somewhere in New Jersey. You knew that he was about to blurt it out. “New Jersey”. He was a terrible liar. Something that you found extremely attractive. “Oh” the poor guy answered. He looked at Steve for a moment and you felt that he stopped breathing. “I have the exact same glasses” he remarked. You had stopped paying attention to the conversation because, a) you were scanning the room and b) Steve. After tracing the signal to Wheaton you walked out, “Standard tac-team. Two behind, to across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro” he gave commands. You looked at Natasha and nodded once. Two agents were coming straight towards you. “Shut up and put your arm around me, laugh at something I said” you demanded curtly.  That made him turn his head too fast. “What?” he croaked. You wanted to slap him. You didn’t have time. “Do it!” you practically barked at him.  Steve quickly put his arm around you and laughed. Natasha quickly lowered her hoodie and walked by without getting noticed. All the agents walked by and Steve looked impressed. As you were going down the escalator you and Natasha spotted Rumlow on the escalator next to you going up and she turned to Steve. She was behind him and you were in front of him. “Kiss her” Natasha told him. You thought you would have frozen, but you were actually calm. Maybe because you didn’t believe that he would actually do it. He just kept looking at you with his eyes wide open. “Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable” Natasha reasoned but before he could answer you quickly pulled down Steve's head and kissed him making Rumlow look away as he went past you on the escalator. The moment your lips touched, you lost yourself and you forgot about reality. Natasha smiled knowingly. Finally. His hands held your waist tightly and yours were resting around his neck. It couldn’t have lasted more than five seconds, but you were out of breath. Maybe it was his scent, maybe it was his body, maybe it was his lips… maybe you were not just in love with him. You pulled away and broke apart when you saw Nat’s smirk. “Still uncomfortable?” she questioned wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “It's not exactly the word I would use” he told her truthfully and you saw him blush. You tried to hide your smile but failed.

“Bucky?” “James” You were playing on repeat that scene for the last fifteen minutes. You couldn’t get over the fact the guy that had trained you, the Winter Soldier, James… was Steve’s best friend. The last days had been chaotic but that was something you would never imagine. Then again, you lived a pretty crazy life. “It was him. He looked right at me like he didn't even know me” Steve whispered heartbrokenly. You didn’t know how to soothe the pain. “How's that even possible? It was like seventy years ago” Sam asked confused but it wasn’t that confusing. “Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and...” Steve trailed off. You could taste your blood in your mouth. Your sight was weakening. “None of that's your fault, Steve” you tried to reassure him but he wasn’t listening. Not really. “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky”. It felt like he was confessing his younger years and your heart ached for him. Sam seemed to notice yours and Nat’s wounds and he glanced at the guards. “We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on those wounds they gonna bleed out here in the truck” he accused them but the world started spinning. Suddenly one of the guards pulled out an electric rod and you thought that you were gonna die but then it neutralized the other guard and knocked him out. The guard took off the helmet and- “Maria?” you questioned. What the fuck? You didn’t get to hear the rest of the story because you passed out in Steve’s hug. He made a promise to himself. If he was to survive this, he would take you out on a date. At least, he would man up and ask you.

You ran towards the bombs, where you knew that he was coming from. Finally, you saw him, rocket launcher in his hand as he made his way towards you. You shrunk back, forcing yourself to become invisible as the Soldier threw down his launcher, opting for his machine gun as he shot a man in the neck, throwing a grenade inside another plane. You launched yourself forward. You knew that you would have to muster Natasha’s thigh hold. You knew him but he knew you too. You threw yourself onto his back, locking your legs around his waist by your ankles as you grabbed your knife, one hand locked around his neck for support and your left hand aiming the knife for his face. “James stop” you tried to prevent what was about to follow. He didn’t answer. But he knew those moves. His reflexes were quicker than you remembered. His human hand grabbed yours and stopped the knife. The two of you struggled for a few moments before he tried throwing you off of him, something that didn’t quite work because your legs were locked around his waist…until he used his metal hand and stuck his thumb into your thigh, right into the wound that Rumlow had inflicted on you moments ago. You held your scream but your legs weakened their hold. He grabbed your arm holding the knife and flipped you over his shoulder. You landed hard on the ground. A groan escaped your lips before your eyes widened at the metal fist aimed towards your head. You quickly rolled over his fist hitting the cement next to you. “James, for fuck’s sake. Please!” you tried one last time. His face became a tragic mask. “You are my mission” he spat out, trying to convince himself more than you. “Bucky” you whispered but never got to see his reaction because he had already jumped off of the building. Later on, in the safety of the trees, you watched the destruction all around you. You simply watched. You couldn’t even more. However, as you were staring at the one helicarrier that still in the air, you saw Steve falling from it into the water. Your breath never made it out of your lungs. And then, moments later, another figure followed it. Bucky. “If you die, I’m gonna kill you” you hissed at Steve. Or, the image in your mind.

Tags: @orionsirivsblack @kapolisradomthoughts @nadinissavage @geeksareunique

[katsuragi-yako]

majin tantei nougami neuro week day three: mystery

notes: Here's the drabble for "Mystery". This one actually went pretty smoothly; I knew what I was going to write for it the moment I saw the prompt haha. Also, if this is hard to read on my blog and you don't have "Read More Now" for x-kit, all of my drabbles are getting posted onto AO3 as well!

    Sometimes, she wonders about the “Ultimate Mystery”, and what it would mean for humanity. And Neuro.

    If any species is capable of creating the "Ultimate Mystery” that he seeks, Yako knows without a shadow of a doubt that it is humanity. Despite their short lives, they carry inside them a near infinite potential for evolution, which is the perfect catalyst for the creation of not only endless mysteries, but also the possibility of that lofty goal: a puzzle to thoroughly satisfy her partner's hunger. Perhaps it wouldn’t be in her lifetime; perhaps it would take many, many long years of waiting and him struggling to survive on her plane before it is born. But regardless of how long it could take, the possibility is there. She truly believes that.

    And yet... she still can't help but wonder what the birth of such a mystery would mean for mankind. The puzzle that he had eaten after the defeat of Electronic Person HAL had been huge. So huge, in fact, that he'd even remarked his stomach had bloated from its size. Though, at the same time, he had also lamented that it had not been as large as he'd hoped—that it wasn't the “Ultimate Mystery”. If what he'd gained from that case was not even close to the size of what he wanted, a part of her could not help but be uneasy at what sort of case would.

    HAL, while not on the same level as Sicks and the New Bloodline, had still been a considerable threat to the world. And though with enough time others could have figured out the password like she had, whether that would have been enough is still up in the air in her mind. Because Neuro had used his demonic tools and demonic strength to win. Not to mention, he'd been immune to the Electronic Drug. Sure, he had collaborated with humans and had relied on her for the important task of breaking the last barrier, but the fact still remains that he possesses abilities that humans do not have. There had been very little damage done and very few casualties due to how quickly they had gotten in and dealt with HAL. Perhaps eventually humans could have overthrown him on their own, but she had no doubts that it would have been at a great cost—one that hadn't been needed with Neuro around. She almost shudders a little just thinking about it, pulling her blanket tighter around her as she stares at the wall of her bedroom.

    If a threat like that hadn't even been close to creating the puzzle that the demon desired, what would? If there had been any sort of mystery wrapped up in the whole Sicks fiasco, would that have been enough? Had it not been for the two of them, humanity likely would have lost. And Neuro had put himself on death's door to assure that win. Yet still Yako wonders if something on the level of The New Bloodline would be enough. Though, there's a nagging in the back of her mind that shouts “no”.

    And so, it begs the question: what would be? What sort of mystery would have to be born into the world for it to be considered the “Ultimate”? And what sort of threat would that pose? Humanity had been on the brink of extinction because of Sicks, though most did not know it. Would it have to be something even more threatening than that? Would it have to mean the end of the world itself, and not just the humans that inhabited it? Brow crinkling at the mere idea, she rolls over onto her back and gazes up at the ceiling where her demonic partner is fast asleep. If that is the case, what does that mean for Neuro? If that is how the “Ultimate Mystery” manifests itself in the world, would he drain himself dry again just to pursue the puzzle?

        Of course he would, she thinks instantly. It's his true goal—his dream. He'd chase down the “Ultimate Mystery” even if it kills him in the process. And for a moment, her heart clenches before she forces herself to move on to a ( hopefully ) happier thought: what if he actually succeeded in consuming it?

    The echo of the demon's gleeful laugh after he'd eaten HAL's puzzle bounces around in her memories, and she can't stop her mouth from twitching ever-so-slightly into a smile. He would be giddy beyond belief, no doubt. A puzzle big enough to satiate his hunger for the rest of his days? The most delicious thing in all of existence to him? While she isn't exactly sure she'd be as thrilled at such a concept as he is ( she likes to eat far too much; not having to do so ever again would actually be a bit sad ), she can understand his excitement. His longing. And to have that fulfilled would put him over the moon, that she is certain of.

    But what then? Demons live incredibly long lives, and while he has never told her his true age or how long he expects his life to stretch, she can tell from the way he talks that he isn't exactly old yet by demonic standards. Even if he waited hundreds of years on Earth for the “Ultimate Mystery” to appear, it likely wouldn't be much of a dent in his lifespan. She knows that survival of the fittest reigns in hell, and she can definitely understand how never having to worry about hunger ever again would bring a great amount of joy and accomplishment. But would he truly be satisfied never needing to solve a puzzle ever again? Would his restless mind, always wanting to soak up every scrap of knowledge around him, truly be able to quiet?

    Obviously, Yako knows that if one goal is achieved, it's not as though someone cannot find another, new goal to pursue. And perhaps the same could be said for Neuro. Maybe he would find something else to pursue if he ever did accomplish solving and eating the elusive “Ultimate”. But what would it even be? And would he be content?

    —So much for a “happier” line of thought. Letting her eyes slip closed, she brings a hand up to rub her temples a few times while she breaths a soft sigh. It's unlike her to get so caught up thinking about such things. Fussing and worrying over completely hypothetical future situations she probably will not even be around for accomplishes nothing; it's only a distraction to what she should be focusing on: the present. But it's the middle of the night, and sleep is eluding her for some reason she can't entirely nail down. Even as Neuro sleeps right above her on her bedroom ceiling, she is left tossing and turning in her bed while her mind runs wild. She knows the common ways of trying to fall asleep: counting sheep, shutting her eyes and breathing slowly to relax, and more. But try as she might, nothing is working, and as a result, her mind wanders.

    Perhaps she's thinking about it all wrong. HAL's puzzle had been the closest they'd ever gotten to the “Ultimate Mystery” case-wise. But what if it is not manifested like a case that they're used to solving? What if it is something different?

    To triumph over HAL, Neuro had needed her help. And the help she had provided had been to do what the demon could not: discover the human emotion weaved into it all. Harukawa's love for Setsuna, and his anger at the fact that he could not cure her disease. His inability to accept that recreating her perfectly was impossible, and creating a virtual copy of himself to try in vain for eternity. And that double's need to undergo its task, but struggle with the emotions it inherited and the futility of its job. How all it had really wanted was to cease, to be deleted and freed. All of it had been so deeply steeped in humanity and emotions—concepts that her partner still struggles with and most certainly would not have been able to comprehend at the time.

    Could that be it? Could the “Ultimate Mystery”, instead of being a case that needed to be solved, be something as simple as... understanding the way she does? Yako's brows tighten a little, and she's tempted to shake her head and brush the idea aside; it sounds a little silly when she actually considers it that way. But while it may sound mundane to her, she has to remember that she's thinking about a demon from hell. Both he and she have their respective strengths, and make up for what the other lacks. Despite the fact that her skills of deduction have improved tenfold since knowing him, discovering the “how” is still his forte. Try as she might, and no matter how she improves, she would likely never be able to beat him at what he does best. But the very same can be said for the flip side.

    Neuro left his home because the puzzles there were bland and boring. Even the smaller mysteries from her world are better that most anything he'd eaten in hell. Or, so he claims. And the more complex the emotions motivating the case, the larger and tastier the meal is. At least, that's how it seems to her based on questions she's asked regarding the topic. And it just so happens that those cases are also the ones he's much more likely to need her assistance with...!

    Sitting up in bed, she runs her fingers through her hair a few times before glancing upwards at him again. Could that really be it? She'd never expected the “Ultimate Mystery” to be something easily obtainable, but her worries about the difficulty usually go in the direction of fearing he'll die somehow pursuing it; either by waiting and drying up before it appears or it being too big an undertaking even for him because of how he is at a disadvantage in her world. But... was that wrong? Could it already be right under their noses?

        Is the “Ultimate Mystery” to Neuro... humanity?

    The more she thinks about it, the more she begins to believe it could be entirely possible. But, it of course means something very crucial if true: there's no “ultimate” meal to gain. Humans will never stop creating mysteries for him to solve, but if they themselves are the true “Ultimate Mystery”, Neuro's goal of finding the one mystery large enough to quell his hunger eternally is... likely derailed. Would he be able to accept that?

        Yes, she thinks as the demon on the ceiling moves his head ever-so-slightly in his sleep. Surely he'd be disappointed, but he is nothing if not logical. If it is ever proved to him that what he seeks is different than he expects, he will certainly adjust his goals and plans accordingly. And for the time that she has with him, she will keep doing the best she can to not only continue evolving herself, but aid in his own evolution as well. She isn't going to be around to tackle the human side of cases forever; and if he ever wants to be able to do it on his own someday ( perhaps he doesn't, she isn't quite sure ), he will need to continue learning. And she can do it; she knows she can. If he lets her, Yako can help him unravel the mysteries of humanity little by little—whether they end up being the “Ultimate” or not.

    And, with that thought cemented firmly in her mind, she lays back down and closes her eyes, finally managing to drift into sleep.

[fidamatrimoni]

Why is Background check must Before hiring an Employee?

A 2017 information record said that 1 out of 6 recruits lied on their resume. It additionally delivered to mild that 6,265 applicants amongst 1,000,000 failed to clear the drug exams. The objective of

background checks

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In November 2018, a smokescreen became lifted off by using Hyderabad police venture pressure of an otherwise professional organisation in Gurgaon. The Organisation consisted of three folks who were covertly production and promoting faux employment certificates. Securing 30,000 to 40,000 INR from every candidate, they supplied faux secondary school exam and senior secondary Faculty examination certificate.

The fallout of an awful lease can play out very badly for the employer’s popularity. There are numerous motives to get a historical past take a look at finished before recruitment. Amongst all the steps taken via the organisation reemployment, this is the most critical one. Preserve analyzing to discover why a background take a look at is obligatory for your organisation.

Criminal History: A hiring selection wishes to be hazard-loose. A buried crook beyond of a worker can prevent the enterprise’s boom. A loss research before hiring can put the reputation of the firm on the road as nicely. If it’s miles a brand-new venture, things may even crash earlier than they might take a flight. A crook history also can be dangerous within the workplace. If the activity of that worker calls for dealing with kids or even a consumer-going through task, it is a chance. In case of a mishap, the worker may flee leaving the firm and the agency dependable consequently, to keep yourself from such state of affairs you need to lease corporate investigator. Process Overall  performance: when hiring someone, loads of steps are to be taken in advance. Task seekers observe for vacant process profiles; they are filtered and picked out with the aid of employers. They undergo a series of interviews and in the end make a lease. But, up until this stage, a fake demeanor may be staged with the aid of the recruit. They are able to confidently feign to be ideal for the activity profile. however, a background take a look at will include their education, information, paintings revel in to give out a full photograph of the employee. This records will promise whether your capacity worker is actually going to be proper on the task or not.

Decreased employee morale: If many personnel are lower back-to-returned have become fired or leaving, it is able to damage the work output. A horrific hire can dent the group morale. This sense can together reduce productiveness. Whilst paintings productivity is threatened, the demands of the clients are not being met. This process-associated anxiety in personnel can convey losses to the firm. Additionally, it can also appearance terrible within the marketplace.

Safety: a secure and sound place of work is a prerequisite to an effective one. There are safety regulations and methods that exist for the proper motives. They make certain fewer accidents, compliance, reduced administrative center stress, and accessibility. When an employer makes an mistake in judgment while hiring, the complete place of job is suffering from the decision. No protection manual can undo the harm that a worker with an unknown criminal past. With a history check in advance, a sense security is assured.

Accept as True with: After background exams, an surrounding of accept as true with is established. With consider and conviction, comes dependence. This is a superb aspect. Reliability, compared to aptitude, is ultimately some distance greater vital to increase. A great employee would possibly give you the results you want a year, however they would go away the minute they get a higher provide. But a dependable worker becomes critical to the place of job and receives invested for real. A trustful environment will even ensure multipled productivity. For this reason, suitable work tradition is described by way of its valued employees.

Internal fraud and theft prevention: Worker fraud isn’t uncommon in businesses, banks, and other industries. Improved corruption, financial announcement fraud, and asset misappropriation are amongst the common employee fraud threats. At the same time as this is something no one can see coming, such someone’s behavior and psyche might also show warning signs of chance. Fraud perpetrators exist in small and massive agencies. They are able to reason entire downfall of the organization with their one move. Such type of personnel is probable to have a beyond in which they have got completed similar things. That is wherein a history take a look at comes in on hand.

Turnover: Achieving ideal turnover is uncommon. While this turnover will become dysfunctional, it could be notably negative to the increase of the corporation. The recovery could be expensive, hard and gradual. Low or excessive turnover is dependent on the sort of employer we are speak me about. But after a couple of bad hires, the dearth of professionalism of the personnel is conjoined with the exception of the organisation. Consequently, yielding the right amount of turnover is greatly suffering from a negative hiring choice. To a person who does matters manually, a history take a look at would possibly sound some distance-fetched however it’s far as critical as coverage is in these day’s age.

Growing significance of screening: There may be a surge in call for history exams. With user’s fiasco of dangerous drivers, loads of new and old companies have commenced doing screening before hiring. An absence of this formality can now imply that it’s far an indicator of disorganized paintings quarter. This move demonstrates the cost you have incorporated into your company. New organisation have come to that behavior such investigations.

Recruitment costs and training time: A corporation actions in advance with quick-time period and long-time period goals annually. Those desires undergo a value. Expenses of go out interviews, expenses of the latest hires, schooling costs: that is most effective the Recruitement Associated Budget. The quantity of funding in the education of the recruits is going to waste if it turns out to be a bad hire. That is the handiest speaking in monetary terms. It can’t also be imagined how a lot a letdown it’s miles overall. Limitless hours and days spent inside and out on simply one hire can’t be recovered despite the fact that the money is. a heritage check maintains this from going on in your agency.

Proceedings: Unluckily, in case your awful lease has duped a consumer of your employer, you are the only answerable as business enterprise. This responsibility exists on a felony degree. an employer may be sued through outdoor birthday party or parties for a slip-up. Thereafter, hiring a lawyer, retaining up with the fines and going to the court is a heavy fee to place up with. This may be a big blow while the fault was not even yours.

Gig economy: As cited earlier, the world on a whole is embracing the gig financial system. This gig financial system is the fast growth of a workforce that consists of impartial people. These people are  better called as freelancers. Even as the hiring system of such personnel is distinctly quick, an experience of self belief is wanted to be hooked up in them before hiring. It’s miles apparent by now that this security is likewise reassured via heritage screening of the recruits.

We should realize that backgrounds tests aren’t prices, however an investment in the agency. Partnering with a quality and skilled heritage verification enterprise can prove useful in the remote future. This area of understanding worker verification and historical past analysis is topped via dds. FIDA Detectives in Delhi is the finest

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[logh-icebergs]

Episode 23: The Fall of Goldenbaum

September 797/488. After a riot on Westerland leaves his nephew dead, Braunschweig decides to take the rather drastic measure of nuking the small planet’s entire population out of existence. This leads to the sinister Oberstein’s most sinister plan yet: Instead of stopping the Westerland attack, why not send a probe to record it and broadcast evidence of Braunschweig’s atrocities throughout the Empire? Reinhard’s tentative objections can’t stop Oberstein from lying to accomplish his goals, so the Westerland attack is carried out, the footage is broadcast, and Reinhard wins popular support and the civil war. Meanwhile: Ansbach, swearing revenge against Reinhard, forces Braunschweig to do the Honorable Thing and drink poison; Reinhard’s admirals save the Empire’s art collection; and Annerose gazes wistfully over a balcony.

Westerland

We’ve been given numerous warnings about Oberstein ever since he forcibly introduced himself to Kircheis back in episode 4, and guess what: In episode 23, shit finally hits the fan. No, Oberstein isn’t the one who planned and executed the attack on Westerland, but—well, actually, let’s go ahead and break down who exactly was responsible for what, because this will in fact be on the exam:

Person of Interest 1: Braunschweig

Braunschweig personally ordered a nuclear attack on Westerland, killing 2 million innocent people. He is obviously the worst and guiltiest party. Moving on.

Person of Interest 2: Oberstein

When Reinhard's instinct was, of course, to swoop in and save Westerland from Braunschweig’s attack, it was Oberstein who suggested allowing the attack to happen for Reinhard’s political gain. That’s fucked up, Oberstein!

Reinhard was rightfully scandalized at first, but he’s long been susceptible to Oberstein’s simple and effective brand of Machiavellianism, so he put off his decision until the last minute, which Oberstein told him was six hours away.

Oberstein then ordered Ferner to follow through with his plan despite Reinhard’s misgivings, in the process revealing to us that he had lied to Reinhard about how much time he had to make up his mind. Oberstein: He truly does suck.

Person of Interest 3: Reinhard

In a one-episode vacuum, Reinhard is almost blameless for the Westerland massacre: We don't know if he would have decided to side with Oberstein, or with his own conscience (and, presumably, Kircheis’s), had Oberstein decided not to be a duplicitous fuck. Outside the vacuum of this single episode, however, Reinhard is far more culpable. After all, he hired Oberstein, despite Kircheis’s warnings, under the naïve assumption that he could rein him in. More on this shortly.

Reinhard and Oberstein

The word Reinhard uses here, 許す (yurusu), can mean either “forgive” or “permit,” so both the fansubs (left) and the official subs (“If you were here, you’d never, ever allow me to do this”) are valid interpretations, despite having different meanings.

Okay so are we all clear on who did what? Good. We’ll come back to that, but for now let’s fast forward a bit to the aftermath of the attack, at which point Reinhard, defying all earthly logic, finds out that Oberstein lied to him and decides not to punish him for it.

Maybe I’m just being optimistic, but it’s moments like these, in which Reinhard appears completely blindsided by the fact that Oberstein went behind his back, that make me think that if he hadn’t been lied to, Reinhard would have stopped the Westerland attack. Oh well.

The last time one of his subordinates flat out disobeyed him, Reinhard was so furious that Kircheis had to lecture him on the importance of leniency—and Bittenfeld’s transgressions were nowhere near as bad as Oberstein’s. So why does Reinhard not only refrain from taking action against Oberstein, but listen to his bullshit rationalizations after the fact?

Watch as Oberstein does a live performance of the dictionary definition of “refusing to take responsibility for your own damn actions, Oberstein.”

Since Reinhard hired (acquired? bought?) Oberstein, there have been very few times when they’ve disagreed enough for Reinhard to put his foot down. The only real exception has been the subject of Kircheis’s special privileges and “number two” status, on which Reinhard has (so far) been unwilling to budge.

Reinhard is far more uncomfortable with the fact that he is unable to convince Kircheis that Oberstein is an asset to their team than he is with Oberstein himself—to a point.

To be fair to Reinhard, Oberstein has, until now, refrained from recommending a course of action that was unequivocally evil—both to Reinhard’s mind and to Kircheis’s. His plans may have been morally ambiguous, but they were still at least on some level redeemable: Not only could Reinhard rationalize directing his subordinates to follow Oberstein’s recommendations, but Kircheis could rationalize turning a blind eye (sometimes literally) to Reinhard’s increasing reliance on such an openly morally grey character.

With Westerland, this changes. Oberstein’s suggestion that Reinhard allow the attack to take place is the first time we see Reinhard balk at a non-Kircheis-related proposal from his staff officer, and is therefore also our first chance to see if Reinhard really can, as he promised Kircheis back in episode 8, stand up to Oberstein. At first, it seems like he might:

Reinhard is obviously and viscerally repulsed by Oberstein’s cool utilitarianism here, and though Oberstein pushes him hard on it, Reinhard doesn’t back down from his insistence that he have time to decide on whether or not to exploit the attack for his own gain.

In the end, of course, we don’t get to find out for sure what Reinhard would have chosen to do, because Oberstein goes ahead without his knowledge. But Reinhard still has another shot to prove that Oberstein isn’t pulling his strings: Even if it’s too late to save Westerland, he could remove Oberstein from his position as Reinhard’s chief advisor (after Kircheis), thus preventing more Westerland-like fiascos in the future. But he doesn’t.

It makes sense that Reinhard would avoid the public, political spectacle that might result from court-martialing Oberstein; at worst, this could lead to popular opinion painting him as both complicit in the Westerland attack and incompetent. However, some form of discreet, private censure seems like it would be easy enough to do without attracting much attention. Unfortunately for Reinhard, there are other, less tangible obstacles standing in the way of not letting Oberstein walk all over him.

First of all, Oberstein is fucking terrifying. This isn’t as important a consideration as the next obstacle I’m going to talk about, but it’s worth mentioning that the man Reinhard would theoretically be up against just proved that he’s willing to allow an entire population of 2 million innocent people to be brutally murdered to achieve his goals.

Until now, Reinhard’s commanding presence has been a dominant aspect of his characterization, especially when it comes to anything related to war: Above on the left (from episode 14), Reinhard leads his staff in a victory toast before he’s even won; while on the right (from episode 15), his harsh words for Bittenfeld’s actions cause a low-ranking officer to visibly cower. It’s not surprising that Reinhard, whose primary goal in life is literally to conquer the universe, projects confidence that often crosses the line into arrogance.

But this is in stark contrast to his subdued affect following the revelation that Oberstein went behind his back vis-à-vis Westerland:

Reinhard seems trapped during this whole scene, unhappy and yet—for the first time that we’ve seen in a military setting—without the power to act. Unlike his usual fearless, imperious self, post-Westerland Reinhard has the disconcerting air of a cornered animal.

Of course, Reinhard’s fear is (or should be) moot, because he isn’t a cornered animal—he’s an Imperial marshal with a cadre of talented and loyal subordinates who would deal with The Oberstein Problem as soon as Reinhard said the word, if he ever did. Which brings me to Reinhard’s second and far more dangerous intangible obstacle: his pride.

From the moment that Kircheis first voiced his concerns about Oberstein, Reinhard has treated him like more than a mere staff officer; faced with the possibility that Oberstein might be too much for him to handle, Reinhard promptly turned him into a symbol of his belief that, in fact, nobody is too much for him:

In this moment from episode 8, Reinhard is essentially betting Kircheis that Oberstein won’t do the exact sort of thing that he ends up doing in episode 23. The bet is, of course, one-sided—Kircheis has no interest in proving Reinhard wrong; he just wants Oberstein to stay the hell away.

In order for Reinhard to censure Oberstein, he would first have to admit that Oberstein deceived him in such a way as to cause the deaths of 2 million people. And the enormity of Oberstein’s crime would reflect the enormity of Reinhard’s failure not only to control Oberstein in this one instance, but also to have the foresight to see what was coming—which Kircheis did, unlike him.

In short, Reinhard is too proud and too stubborn to admit that he’s in over his head, and was wrong about Oberstein. And without a willingness to ask for help shouldering the burden of Oberstein’s treachery, the fact that Reinhard has a team of handpicked and distinguished admirals at his disposal is irrelevant. He’s alone, and faced with the prospect of no support in a fight against Oberstein, he gives in.

An obvious drawback of Reinhard keeping his fears and concerns secret: Anyone who puts two and two together is going to assume the worst. Luckily, he has Kircheis to argue for giving him the benefit of the doubt—at least until he can confirm or deny the rumors for himself.

Stray Tidbits

Reuental and Mittermeyer holding their hands in identical positions as they walk past the disgraced nobility is such a good detail—the animators absolutely never miss a chance to show us how fucking in sync these two are. Damn.

And here is another nice bit of LoGH’s trademark consistent characterization, in which Artist-Admiral Mecklinger rallies the troops to... save the Empire’s art collection? Yes. A very soldierly activity. I love how enthusiastic and serious they all are.

Okay so it looks like Ansbach’s feelings in Braunschweig’s direction are less of a comparison with Kircheis’s and more of a foil for them. Ouch. Rest in pieces, Braunschweig.

In less unsavory news that somehow still relates to men swearing undying loyalty to one another, Merkatz and Schneider are going to the Alliance! And as another contrast with the fucked up retainer/vassal relationship between Braunschweig and Ansbach, Schneider proposes that he and Merkatz defect together only after keeping him from committing (honorable) suicide. What a precious young man! I wish these two nothing but the best. Bon voyage!

[ic-upf-blog]

Not able to.

I was not able to do it. I couldn’t find the right way. To say that I have tried it by exploring every single path that has crossed my mind is not an excuse but, in my defense, I’ll argue that I did not take it lightly. I simply did not find an accurate form to do it as I expected and, consequently (and for the first time ever), I resigned and not took it as a failure.

It is not that I have never given anything up. Of course. I am not the kind of person who achieves every single objective marked in his or her life (if it does exist anyone like that, indeed). However, I used to stop doing instead of surrendering when it came to quitting either an activity or any personal goal owing to the fear of accepting the failure it implies. No one will be surprised at the fact that life is a pity and that, on some occasions, you are not prepared nor feeling prepared enough to confront certain circumstances. And less if it is because of a lack of time, motivation, resources or money. Yet, any excuse is acceptable when it comes to run away from facing the failure. My usual reaction to these impediments tend to consist in stop doing what I was about to finish (which can’t be considered as a gave up). Because in our society, to consider the resignation would mean that I was not able to solve it and, therefore, that I could not meet my expectations or the ones from my fellows: to fail.

For a person like me, the concept of relinquishing implies a certain connotation of failure that I am not willing to bear. Well, neither willing nor prepared. Accepting failure is an even bigger breakdown that the failure itself: one thing is to accept that you have not been able to do a certain thing. The other, to accept the fiasco that not having been able to presuppose. Because, let’s face it, the failure has nothing to do with the American Dream that has been sold us. And I, like you, am a daughter of this belief.

So the thing is that I have spent a whole week planted in front of a white sheet of paper not being able to fill it. Any of the ideas occurred seem futile to me, mediocre or with too little substance to be presented. I admit that my expectations are way too high and that the fear of not meeting them clouded my mind. I admit, as well, that I personally am the only one putting pressure on my own self. Still, I haven’t found how to deal with this issue so, finally, after many attempts, I decided not to do the assignment, throw in the towel, resign and not blame me for that. What a surprise when I reflected on my surrender and realized that I actually did something for (maybe not the very first) but one of the first times ever. Wow.

You see, it seemed to be very easy at a glance: it’ll be for things I’ve never done! My assumption, however, made me expect to find something that defined myself that much that I couldn’t. I planned to visit the Parc Güell (Barcelona) for the first time ever, but I felt it to be very superficial (and I am not the person to begin a reflection on tourism and its effects in a task like this). Taking me to the limit also came across my mind, by painting an oil portrait of myself and forcing me to spend several hours in front of a mirror poring over my own image, but I did not feel prepared for doing that neither to publicly philosophize about it. I even thought of burning a book (extraordinary fact due to my love for reading), but it’s an action that sounded too performative to fit me.

Clearly, as evident, I poorly manage my expectations and the fear of failure. Anyway, I believe that understanding the defeat as a social concept very linked to efficiency is important. It is not that I am the only person confronting this issue, but that in the capitalist society (characterized by the production, the optimization of resources and the achievement of objectives) set an objective and do not fulfill it is otherwise known as being a loser. But, it has not necessarily to be like this.

In a certain way, we could affirm that each and every time I have stopped doing instead of giving up I’ve been denying a self-imposed failure. Rather than facing the problem or the specific circumstance and admitting that I was not able to overcome it, I’ve decided to look away and let myself drift.

In spite of all that, however, I feel that time (and experience) have given me the tools to begin figuring out that a surrender doesn’t have to involve the failure. Limits must be set by one’s self. In addition, somehow we could end accepting that yield the field gives us the opportunity to try it again. At another time, elsewhere, with other company or resources. But quitting and stop doing can be conceptually closer than quitting and failing. Because many times, taking the desition to let something go is even more courageous than desperately try it with no result.

Astonishingly, what began as frustration has become a huge relief. It’s not that now I feel prepared to deal with every failure that may show up in my life. Nevertheless, both my ego and my emotional stability look mature enough to be able to, at least, reflect on that and not assume it as, simply, an error. There’s nothing but a tough essay of a thousand words to philosophize about why an unfulfilled assignment should not be considered as a failure. And when reflecting on that, I’m here, writing this text so to achieve the task someone has asked me to do, again.

Raquel AG.

[weloseeveryweek]

16/17 season review

It needs to be said that Bristol Rovers aren’t a successful team. In fact, Bristol as a whole has massively underperformed in football considering that cities like this have Premier League clubs knocking about. That’s the way it goes, and both clubs have somewhat accepted that neither of us will never be the best in England. 

That’s practically the city of Bristol in a nutshell. You can look at places like Cardiff just across the bridge: when they want something, they say they’re going to get it and they do. In Bristol, the lads here say they want something, say they’re going to get it, and two appeals, five years and a court case later the project is “looking at other options”. It’s exactly the same with football here. 

But what can you do about that? Really? 

Because City have spent the season hanging around the bottom of the Championship, and two years ago Rovers were relegated into non-league; humiliation and heartbreak echoing around North Bristol. 

City weren’t amazing that season either. 

It was a bad season for football in Bristol, but at least City didn’t have the overhanging embarrassment of leaving the Football League entirely. 

Rovers, however, spent the summer playing the role of a lost child, unaware and needing constant reassurance. Sack the board and Clarke out were all the gasheads could mutter. It was a travesty, and it was the first time it had ever happened to us. 

The season started shaky, a couple of draws, a loss here and there, wins scattered across the board. That was just the beginning, and all we could do was hope for the best and not expect anything. 

Soon things picked up. We won. A lot. We went 22 games without defeat and broke the longest unbeaten streak record for the Conference. We thought we’d get automatics. Of course it’s the Conference and only number one can certainly escape, but we nearly had it in the bag. A win at Dover and a win on the last day would’ve sorted it. But we don’t like doing things the easy way her apparently, so we drew at Dover and a seven nil thrashing of Alfreton wasn’t enough to knock Barnet off the top spot. 

We picked ourselves up and glided through the playoffs: a 3-0 aggregate win against Forest Green Rovers, a local derby. And Wembley was stressful as well. Grimsby Town vs Bristol Rovers. We took 30,000 and they took 17,000: a record. From the thirty minute mark to the end of extra time, it was 1-1. Penalties were a blur: John-Paul Pittman kicking straight over the crossbar, and Lee Mansell slotting home the winner. 

Relief. 

The main emotion at the blue and white end of Wembley. 

Relief. 

And so the 2014/15 season came to close and the new season began. 

In our low league minds, it was the comeback of the decade. 

Bristol Rovers, little Bristol Rovers back in the Football League and ready for the next step. 

A promotion campaign that doesn’t end until the 7th May 2016. Dagenham & Redbridge at home. A win and results to go our way to steal 3rd place. 

It was only luck that Accrington didn’t win. 

But it was pure resilience that we won, 93rd minute and Matty Taylor hits the post and Lee Brown pounced on the rebound. 

That wasn’t relief; it was ecstasy. Because this time, we weren’t escaping; we were achieving. 

And that was just the prologue.  

2016 was almost an excuse to calm down. Relax and not stress out. We were back in our comfort zone of League One. I think i read somewhere that if you averaged out our league finishes since we entered the football league, we’d be around 15th in League One. 

That just sums up Rovers really: 15th in League One. 

Anyway, as long as we weren’t threatened by relegation, we didn’t really mind what happened. 

We lost our first match because we always do: a 3-1 loss at Glandford Park. Ollie Clarke and Tom Lockyer both get booked, the silly bastards. Our first and second most disciplined players respectively. 

That was alright, we’ll bounce back. 

And we did, obviously, because The Memorial Stadium is our own and too easy to win at. 5 yellow cards, and that’s excluding the two that sent off Oxford’s Sam Long. 

 Up until January, our results were hit and miss. We won a few, lost a few, drew a few. I reckon the 5-1 battering at home at the hands of Charlton was the highlight. 

We won our boxing day match and our News Years Eve match. Granted, they were both at home, but 2-0 vs Wimbledon and 4-1 vs Coventry were cracking games and we deserved to win them. 

We went into the New Year feeling confident. 

We took a big knock away at Charlton, them winning by a large margin once again. It was vaguely embarrassing really. Our away record was shocking all season; we only won about five games away. It was home record (which was genuinely the best in English football for three years) that kept us in the top half of the table. 

Northampton at home was supposed to be fairly easy because they were soft and mid table and one of the only teams we’d beat away. 

And fairs to us because we beat them 5-0, with a banger of a Billy Bodin goal, a seven minute hat trick by Ellis Harrison, and then another Harrison goal later in the game. This lead to some quality Harrison propaganda, and Rob Page getting the sack after calling the game “men against girls”. 

Classic sexism. 

(He got the Wales u21 manger job a bit later on so it turned alright for him in the end.)

 Then we were blessed with a couple of 3-1 away losses in a row. Bit of a shit two weeks for the gasheads really. We were all sick of our shocking away record, and I dreaded away games, especially when i wasn’t going. That might sound weird, but watching us be shite live is better than suffering whilst refreshing twitter and seeing us concede every ten minutes. 

 The last game of January was a Westcountry derby: Swindon Town vs Bristol Rovers. It’s a derby that used to have a history of Rovers fans going into pubs with bats and smashing up a few Swindon fans, and then them lot glassing us back. 

Now it’s just us singing inbreds and roundabouts and them nicking City’s song about hating gas scum. 

Swindon were playing shit all season and our home run was quality so their wasn’t much doubt of us winning. Also, when we played them at the beginning of the season, after the called off match and the ticket price fiasco, we pulled a comeback out of our arses with a penalty and an own goal. 

Billy Bodin scored what would turn out to be the only goal of the match and it was classic Bodin magic like always. 

It’s a BTEC Bristol Derby, but because that never happens anymore, it’s was decently entertaining, if anything fairly stressful. 

 31st of January was the day that us Rovers fans were humiliated and angry. 

Fucking hell were we angry. 

Matty Taylor, our top goal scorer, who’d scored 61 goals in all competitions across three seasons, the bloke who played a massive part of our back to back promotions from the Conference and League 2, the lad we took from Forest Green and essentially made him relevant, decided to pay us back by moving to Bristol City on the last day of the transfer day. 

Bristol City. Our fucking rivals. The only team that every gashead hates. 

Taylor produces a great explanation of “it was too hard to resist” as if there aren’t actual contracts out on his life. 

It was shambles. We had no idea what to do and we had no chance to pull ourselves back together. We had about four hours of the window left and no one to buy. 

We were fucked essentially. And it was more than that. 

I heard about it at school. I kept hearing whispers about Matty Taylor and i didn’t properly realise what was happening until last period. 

The City fans were piping up and I felt sick, because we were about to lose our debatably best player to our local, and more importantly major, rivals. 

School was going to hell, even though it’s in a village just off of North Bristol and in theory, my school should be full of gasheads. It’s not though because half of this city are glory hunters. 

None of us though we’d fare well for the rest of the season, what with us not having a consistent goalscorer and all. It was just another excuse for other teams to take the piss out of us. 

 We found options though. 

Ollie Clarke got his big break, which still makes me laugh considering he’s been here since he was about 14 and has always had bags of talent. He’d been in the squad for most of the season, and starting the majority of them. Ollie has 128 apps and 12 goals to his name and a good 11 of them were absolute worldies. He pulled one out against Oxford at the beginning of March, our first away win since October. My lad got one against Scunthorpe and a 40 second banger vs Chesterfield.

Billy Bodin became the main man. CR7 is just a poor mans BB23 really. He scored more goals than our actual strikers. We’ll be so lucky if we can keep him this summer. 

Speaking of which, Luke James massively failed. The poor bloke didn’t score a single league goal in his 23 apps for us during his loan from Peterborough. He’s a lush lad, and his baby’s really cute, but he just can’t put the ball in the back of the net. Babber even had a straight penalty given, and it got saved straight out. (It was a pressure penalty and he shouldn’t have been taking it anyway so I’m not sure if i can be blaming him for this one.

 Bolton away was such a crease it’s unreal. We should’ve won. We practically beat Bolton in their own backyard and we were disappointed. Darrell Clarke said in the post match interview that it shows just how far we’ve come that we’re disappointed in a draw at Bolton. He’s not wrong mates. 

Our playoff push managed to last until the penultimate weekend, where we go full circle and pull a Bristol Rovers by losing 4-2 at Peterborough. 

Quality. 

 Millwall at home was our last game of the season. They had to win to secure playoffs, and our result didn’t matter because we’d finish top ten either way, but we wanted to mess with Millwall’s play off party, and if all else fails, watch them get battered to fuck in the playoffs. 

The first two goals they scored were textbook offside and that’s just a fact. The Mem was the loudest it had been all season even if we were leaking goals like a tap. (Ryan Sweeney not in the squad makes a massive difference apparently. Better than England u20s international Jake Clarke-Salter definitely.)

Anyway, we get one back, and then they get another, and then we get another one, and we go into half time 2-3 down. Us over here was thinking we were gonna lose 6-2 in the second half was decently wrong. 

Our attacking force was mental and Millwall didn’t have a chance. Eventually, we get a free kick in a dangerous position. Bodin can take free kicks apparently and puts it top bins. 

Southend were winning, and if we could keep that draw Millwall we’re out of it. 

Course, they scored 85th minute, but we had our brief moment of glory. 

There were upsides to Millwall making the playoffs (and eventually winning them) like not having to play them next season, more specifically going to The Den. 

 And that’s the season over. 

A season that considering the circumstances, was very successful. We finished in our highest position since 1999 when main man Ian ‘Ollie’ Holloway was our manger.

Two years ago and if someone told me we’d be cracking it in League 1 I’d’ve twist your wrist in. 

We’re not a big team, and we never will be, but Bristol Rovers is enough for me. 

(as long we get into the championship soon and that uwe stadium starts happening @wael)

[kalinara]

Do you think Rip is going to be written of the show ? I have this feeling that him and Amaya are going to be written off. Amaya's arc is probably going to end and she's going to go back and have her family and Rip is probably going to go off and time travel solo to try and make amends or something like that.

Short answer: No.  Not remotely.

Long answer:  If they were going to write Rip off the show, they had the perfect opportunity after Out of Time.  He had a perfect heroic sacrifice, a good bye message, and an open-ended exit that could facilitate guest appearances at any time in the future.

But they didn’t do that.  Instead, they made his disappearance a plot point.  They mentioned him in every single episode that he was gone.  And they literally put the metaplot on hold until he came back.

But really: If you look at season 2 as a whole, you can start to see how the entire season so far has been basically a fairly epic deconstruction of Rip Hunter’s character.

Out of Time gives us the baseline Rip Hunter: which shows us Rip Hunter as a Time Master: confident, capable, with more than a little bit of swagger.  This is a Rip who’s had some time to heal since season 1, and thus a glimpse of the man he was before tragedy ruined him.  This is the man that the pirates feared.  He keeps secrets from his team, and he basically tries to sacrifice himself to save them.

JSA through Chicago Way have done a really interesting job of deconstructing Rip through his absence.

JSA showcases Rip as a leader, by showing us how the team is floundering a bit without him.  There is no real question that Rip Hunter could have gotten the JSA to listen to him much faster than the team did.  Look at how he managed to recruit the team in the pilot, after all.  The man’s done this for a while and knows how to dramatically prove his case.  And Rex Hunter would likely not have blinked at dealing with a youngish, experienced male leader.

While the show itself usually showcased Rip’s flaws as a leader more than his strengths, Martin’s tenure as leader did the opposite.  It was easy to miss how, despite his secrets and tunnel vision and general inability to keep the team in line, Rip DID usually manage to keep them all focused in a crisis.  He was very good at taking clear, decisive action.  And he was also equally as good at taking criticism from the team and adapting his approach when he made mistakes.

Shogun showcases Rip as a Time Master, and his ability to remain focused on the overall goal.  Sara is a good leader who cares about her team and she shows that here.  But the way she dives into the protect the village/defeat the Shogun fiasco, without any real concern about what effect these actions might have on history, shows that she isn’t used to thinking of the timeline.

The man who spent the France mission focused intently on whether or not Louis XIV was conceived would never have been on board with any plan that led to the possible death of an important historical figure ten years early.  Admittedly, they might not have had a choice in the end, but we would have seen him checking the after effects, at least.

Compromised: set up a situation very similar to the second half of the pilot: Martin Stein fucking around with his past.  We saw how alarmed and intently Rip paid attention to Martin’s behavior in that episode, even finally repairing his relationship with Clarissa.  Now that doesn’t mean Lily Stein wouldn’t have still happened (Martin is a stubborn fellow after all), but Rip would have likely caught it sooner because he knew what to watch for.

Abominations and Outlaw Country: The team did really well here, (despite the loose end of the missing time pirates).  But the reason they did well, arguably, was because they were taught well.  

I don’t think Chicago Way is much of a deconstruction, but then they leads into the actual metaplot, and Rip’s return.

But then we have Raiders of the Lost Art and Legion of Doom, which gives us Phil Gasmer.  And Phil is amazing.  He’s bumbling and nervous and has no idea what’s going on.  But he’s brave, courageous, honorable and clever.  He tries to protect George Lucas, when supervillains attack.  He puts himself in direct danger to try to save the team that kidnapped him and insulted him to his face.  He wrote a screenplay that seems to be a love letter to his team.  And he managed to endure torture and terrifying experiences, and then still read a room well enough to spur his captors into mutiny.

Basically, Phil Gasmer is a deconstruction of Rip Hunter at the core of who he is.  So we can appreciate the man beneath the skills, experience and knowledge.  And bonus: a fantastic opportunity to exploit Arthur Darvill’s exquisite comedic timing.

And we have Turncoat and Camelot which gives us Rip Hunter with his experience, skills, and knowledge, but without his kindness, compassion, and spirit.  We get to appreciate exactly how scary a man with Rip Hunter’s abilities can be, if his humanity weren’t holding him back.

Everything that Broken/Evil/Legion Rip does is something that our Rip has always been able to do.  That capacity has always been with him.  And as much as people who hate Rip like to claim that he cares nothing for the team, that he’d stop at nothing to achieve his selfish goals…this arc proves how untrue that is.  If Rip were TRULY willing to stop at nothing for his goals, if he TRULY did not care about his team, it would look, well, like this.

But while Broken/Evil/Legion Rip is what our Rip could have chosen to become, it’s not who he is.  Eobard Thawne had to fundamentally alter our Rip, the core of who he was, to make this possibility happen.

So this arc deconstructs the man further: we now appreciate his abilities and how terrifying he can be, but we also appreciate his humanity, and the way that keeps him from ever choosing to be this man.  (And it lets Arthur Darvill show off his ability to play evil.  The man played Mephistopheles at the Globe, after all.)

And of course, the episode coming up will give us a look into Rip Hunter’s mind.  And presumably, will culminate in his return.

This sort of deconstruction arc isn’t easy and it’s not accidental.  This takes a lot of work to set up and plan.  And as much as we might compare them to monkeys at a typewriter, the fact is, they’ve always done a phenomenal job with Rip Hunter’s specific emotional arcs.  (I suspect someone could write a fantastic analysis of season one specifically from the perspective of the stages of grief.)  This is where they show their work.

I find it extremely unlikely that the show would put this much effort into deconstructing a character down to the fundamental elements, and putting it all on display for us, if they intend to jettison him by the end of the season.

[whittlebaggett8]

Facebook’s shareholder meeting was a sad display of impotent groveling, and it’s the future in store for many other investors, Defence Online

Facebook shareholders expressed disappointment with Mark Zuckerberg’s running of the enterprise at its yearly shareholder assembly Thursday.

They could do minor about the condition, however, simply because Zuckerberg’s shares give him the skill to identify the result of any shareholder vote and to command Facebook’s board.

The issue confronted by Facebook shareholders is likely to be repeated at other corporations in the long term, for the reason that a escalating quantity are in the same way supplying a disproportionate volume of control to insiders.

That command insulates professionals from accountability and poses potential risks to shareholders, employees, and the general public at huge.

Check out Defence Online’s homepage for additional stories.

As upset as lots of could have been, there was totally zero likelihood Fb investors had been going to oust Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday or even curtail his energy in any way.

The end result of the company’s annual shareholder assembly was determined a long time before it even started.

That plain simple fact shouldn’t just gall Facebook’s shareholders. It should really fret traders and coverage makers as a whole. Which is because the variety of would-be Facebooks is escalating, and their shareholders and the public will have related trouble attaining control of them must they at any time go off the rails like Zuckerberg’s company has.

It was clear at the assembly that several of Facebook’s investors are furious with the way Zuckerberg has been working the corporation. Shareholders got two proposals on the ballot this yr that would have limited his energy. And at the assembly, a number of buyers spoke out versus him.

Browse this: Facebook’s former protection chief says Mark Zuckerberg has as well substantially ability and demands to stage down as CEO

One shareholder instantly requested Zuckerberg regardless of whether he would resign as the Facebook’s chairman. Zuckerberg did not respond to the issue, as an alternative reiterating his own call for govt regulation. An additional shareholder asked Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Facebook’s lead impartial director, if she would hold a meeting of the company’s board with the specific goal of ousting Zuckerberg as chairman she claimed no.

Facebook traders have good induce to be furious

Facebook’s shareholders have very good reason to be disappointed with Zuckerberg and the company’s management. The social-networking big has observed a seemingly non-quit string of scandals considering that the 2016 election, from Russian interference in that campaign to recurring and large leaks of user details to the spread of genocide-marketing propaganda.

The fiascos have harmed the company’s popularity, prompted customers to get started averting its service, spurred expanding calls for regulating or breaking up the business, pressured it to considerably raise its spending on issues these as human moderators, and most likely will lead to a multi-billion dollar fantastic from federal regulators.

Inspite of all of that, Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, his prime lieutenant, have resisted all calls for any form of particular accountability. Zuckerberg has refused to phase apart or to force Sandberg out.

Unfortunately for shareholders, they are powerless to do significantly additional than rant. Solely by himself, Zuckerberg can determine the final result of any shareholder vote. He can install or substitute board members as he chooses. And he can establish the company’s route and plan with out any enter from any person else, if which is what he would like.

What presents Zuckerberg this energy is Facebook’s governance framework. The enterprise has two classes of inventory. Its Class A stock, which is held by every day traders, get one particular vote for every share. Its Class B inventory, which is principally held by Zuckerberg, gets 10 votes for each share. Thanks to these additional votes, Zuckerberg controls nearly 58% of the voting power at Facebook, even however he only owns or has electrical power in excess of about 14% of its whole shares.

Buyers are beggars, many thanks to alternatives created decades in the past

That method leaves shareholders – nominally the house owners of the corporation – in the situation of beggars. Since they can’t regulate Facebook’s board or way, they’re lowered to sounding off – or pathetically pleading with Zuckerberg for change.

Investors in fact referred to as on Facebook to ditch its dual-course system on Thursday. Just one of the shareholder proposals they voted on would have urged the business to phase out its twin-class inventory structure “at the earliest practicable time.” You don’t have to be a psychological genius to know how that went down.

Facebook’s shareholders are struggling the penalties of decisions built 7 many years ago. The bankers who took the company community and the institutional investors who bought shares in its first presenting effectively signed off on giving Zuckerberg his disproportionate energy. But what is galling is that those people early buyers created that settlement not just for on their own but for each individual Facebook trader that would adhere to them. If you get a share of Facebook today, you have to stay by the settlement they struck.

That is what’s referred to as an agency challenge. It may perhaps very well have been in the bankers and institutional investors desire to give Zuckerberg’s outsized energy their stamp of approval they ended up acquiring in on what was expected to be a hot IPO, after all. But their preference – which will dwell on in perpetuity, simply because Facebook’s dual-class framework has no established end date – was not automatically in the passions of later on buyers in the company.

Backers of dual-class buildings normally argue they permit visionary founders to target on setting up lengthy term worth for their firms relatively than on the normally short-phrase worries of the public markets. That was the scenario Facebook’s board manufactured in opposing the shareholder proposal to do away with the structure.

“Our board of administrators thinks that our capital structure contributes to our stability and insulates our board of administrators and administration from limited-phrase pressures, which allows them to concentrate on our mission and very long-expression achievements,” they mentioned on the company’s regulatory doc it filed in relation to the vote. They continued: “Zuckerberg is invested in our extensive-term accomplishment, and less than his guidance we have recognized a monitor record of producing value for our stockholders and navigating important possibilities and difficulties.”

Twin-course structures are bad for investors and society

But, as Facebook has demonstrated, this kind of constructions also insulate company supervisors and directors from the legit problems of buyers and the public. They permit them to function with impunity with very little concern of being held accountable for their missteps, no subject how egregious.

Even appeared at by means of the narrow lens of shareholder returns, these kinds of buildings are normally lousy bargains for buyers. Research from the US Stability and Trade Fee signifies that businesses that have dual-course constructions that exist into perpetuity are inclined to underperform all those that have sunset provisions.

If Fb ended up the only corporation or a person of only a handful with this sort of buildings, it would be poor enough. But the twin-stock challenge has been metastasizing.

A lot of of the tech corporations that have gone community about the previous two many years – which includes Lyft, Pinterest, Zoom, Snap, Dropbox, Spotify, and Roku – have constructions that give insiders extra votes and disproportionate power. And a lot more are on the way, including these types of properly-regarded startups as WeWork, Slack, and, probable, Airbnb.

Whilst lots of of those companies would not look to pose the exact amount of risk to modern society as Facebook has revealed alone to be, some could. As 1 case in point, driving – the activity at the heart of Lyft’s service – actually puts life at stake.

Even if they never pose these kinds of societal-amount hazards, the companies’ twin-course structures pose other dangers. The absence of accountability they empower can encourage fraud, self-dealing by management, reckless shelling out, and additional, any of which could negatively affect not just the companies’ shareholders, but their employees, and the communities in which they operate.

At this stage, curtailing twin-class constructions is probable likely to take an act of Congress. And offered that community policy makers do not look to have targeted on this issue and that Congress alone is hopelessly divided appropriate now, such constructions are not likely away whenever before long.

So be ready to hear about additional investors ranting at corporate professionals but unable to do anything at all about it. Mark Zuckerberg is only the most visible member of the growing class of safeguarded CEOs.

Got a tip about the tech marketplace? Get hold of this reporter through e mail at twolverton@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter @troywolv, or deliver him a safe message by means of Sign at 415.515.5594. You can also get hold of Defence On the web securely through SecureDrop.

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[coppolafrancis]

How Snoopy Ended Up on an Omega Speedmaster Dial

Its a well known fact that other than expounding on looks for FratelloWatches.com, I likewise love to gather watches — particularly famous watches like the Rolex GMT-Master, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Rolex Datejust and, obviously, the Omega Speedmaster Professional. I claim a few of the last model. As far back as I purchased my first Speedmaster (over 15 years prior) I have been snared on this watch. In addition to the fact that I love the plan of this chronograph (a standout amongst the most spotless chronograph dials around); I likewise like its association with the Apollo space program.

As you most likely are aware, Omega has created many constrained versions dependent on the first Speedmaster Professional. Some like these restricted versions, others don't. In any case, the truth of the matter is that a portion of these constrained releases do acknowledge in market esteem great following a couple of years. One of these models is the Omega Speedmaster Professional "Snoopy Award." My expert vocation began around the time this model was presented (2003), so it was just an absence of assets that kept me from purchasing Speedmaster Snoopy in those days. From that point onward, I have ached for one, yet additionally seen that throughout the years they turned out to be progressively hard to discover, at any rate at a sensible cost. As of late, I chose to let it all out notwithstanding the high value (contrasted with that of a standard Omega Speedmaster Professional). I supported the buy by revealing to myself that the more I'd pause, the more costly it would get, at any rate, isn't that so? You can find out about the endeavors I made to get the Speedmaster Snoopy here. In the wake of appearing valuable new Speedmaster Professional with a Snoopy (transformed into a space traveler) to a few people, various them inquired as to why I needed an animation character on the dial of my watch. I was at that point mindful that numerous individuals had this view of the Speedmaster with the Snoopy dial, likewise given the way that it was at first sold to a great deal of (ladies appear to cherish Snoopy a ton).

On the off chance that you are a Speedmaster devotee also, and you know some things about the Apollo missions, you presumably are as of now acquainted with the utilization of Snoopy by NASA. In 1968, NASA picked the well known beagle as a symbol to go about as a kind of "guard dog" over its missions. Around the same time, NASA chose to utilize a sterling silver Snoopy stick as an indication of gratefulness to NASA representatives and contractual workers together with a honor letter and a marked confined Snoopy authentication. Every one of the sterling silver Snoopy mark pins has been flown amid a NASA mission. Illustrator Charles M. Schulz, who made the "Peanuts" funny cartoon (highlighting Snoopy and Charlie Brown) was a supporter of the NASA Apollo missions and consented to give them a chance to utilize "Snoopy the space traveler" at no expense and even drew the Snoopy figure for the sterling silver name stick.

In May 1969, the Apollo 10 mission traveled to the moon to do the last checks all together for the accompanying mission, Apollo 11, to arrive on the Moon. The Apollo 10 mission required the LM (lunar module) to check the moon's surface from close-by and "snoop around" to discover an arrival site for Apollo 11. Along these lines, the Apollo 10 group (Gene Cernan, John Young and Thomas Stafford) named the LM "Snoopy." The Apollo CM (order module) was nicknamed "Charlie Brown." Fast-forward to 1970. In the meantime, people had set foot on the moon and, around one year later, the Apollo 13 mission was intended to convey another group of NASA space explorers to the Moon (Lovell, Swigert and Haise). The mission's goal was to adventurer a specific zone on the moon called the Fra Mauro development. It didn't get that far, as there was a blast on board the administration module at roughly 200,000 miles remove from Earth.

NASA's ground control thought of an answer at last, which required the space travelers to get inventive with a few materials on board their module. After fixes were made and all frameworks worked (pretty much) once more, the group began their adventure to Earth. This is the extremely brisk rendition of the account obviously; the whole experience is delineated in the 1995 film, Apollo 13, featuring Tom Hanks (a devoted Speedmaster wearer himself, presumably getting to be one after his job in this motion picture). Presently comes the part where the Speedmaster assumed an imperative job. The Apollo 13 group required the Omega Speedmaster watch, first to time start of the rockets to abbreviate the assessed length of the arrival to Earth, and besides, to time the start of the rockets to diminish speed and raise the flight way plot for reentry into the Earth's climate. This second task was urgent, since any slip-up in the planning could have prompted an erroneous section edge and, thus, potential fiasco for the group. As clarified previously, NASA utilized the Snoopy honor for unique commitments and remarkable endeavors from both NASA faculty and contractual workers. On October fifth, 1970, NASA gave the Omega Speedmaster a Snoopy honor to recognize the significant job the watch played amid the Apollo 13 mission.

In 2003, Omega presented the Speedmaster Professional "Snoopy Award" to celebrate this 1970 achievement. In spite of the fact that the watch was a constrained (and numbered) release, Omega delivered an incredible 5,441 bits of the Speedmaster Snoopy. The number has to do with the 142 hours, 54 minutes and 41 seconds that the mission kept going. Somewhat of a stretch, as I would see it, however a decent thought. Omega's explanation behind presenting this watch 33 years after the Apollo 13 mission, and being granted with the Snoopy, is obscure to me. In view of the brand's other constrained versions, I would have expected such a discharge on a 30th or maybe 35th commemoration as opposed to a 33rd. Regardless of the relative high number of Snoopy Speedmasters out there, you'll need to pursuit to discover one at a conventional cost. Likewise, be careful with Snoopy Speedmasters that had the dial and caseback fitted later on (Omega conveyed them to benefit focuses as extra parts). Continuously ensure you purchase a Speedmaster Snoopy with the first anthracite (Snoopy) box, authentication of legitimacy (with coordinating number on the caseback). There ought to likewise be a duplicate of the first Snoopy thankfulness declaration with the watch.

So now you know. At the point when there is a Snoopy on an Omega Speedmaster dial, it really implies something. Toward the end, obviously, one need not be versed in this history to buy and welcome this watch; one may simply be an enthusiast of Snoopy. An audit of the Omega Speedmaster Professional 'Snoopy Award' can be found here. More data about Omega Speedmasters as a rule can be found on the Speedy Tuesday page on FratelloWatches.com.

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