#warning: fatal traffic accident

[turtleations]

Pink Couldy Sky, Chapter 06 – Crossroads (Summarized) - Part 1

Note 1: This chapter is once again split into two parts, the second, longer one following tomorrow. Note 2: Whenever someone is talking about “America” here, they specifically mean the United States. Note 3: I have decided to put warnings about things like fatal accidents, illnesses, parental death etc. into the tags, so pay attention to that if there are things that can be expected to show up in an autobiography that you would rather avoid reading about.

Chapter 00 - 01 Chapter 02 Chapter 03 Chapter 04 Part 1, Part 2 Chapter 05

REM and hide felt the same way: The didn’t have the energy to assemble all new members. They also couldn’t image making a band other than SAVER TIGER. So, looking desolate, hide told REM, “I’m going to quit music and become a beauty artist in America.” REM, too, strongly felt like he should just go back to studying. And if he were to quit the band, he felt like he should quit music altogether.

Having reached this decision, he held a “retirement ceremony” in his apartment and cut off all of his waist-long rocker hair. Then he didn’t touch his guitar at all for an entire year.

Most of his guitars, his amps, he sold. The money he got for that disappeared into three or four days of binge drinking.

He didn’t listen to music either.

He had given up his dream. Threw away anything and everything. And now, he would become a dentist.

Later, REM would talk to the member who had left SAVER TIGER and led to the band’s break up. By then, ten years had passed since that day.

REM never knew it back then, but it turned out that apparently one of the reasons for that person leaving had been the fact that REM continued to go to university.

That member absolutely wanted to go major, and he needed everyone else to give it their all to reach that goal as soon as possible. And he didn’t think REM was doing that, as long as he was still enrolled in university.

Hide never said anything about REM continuing with his classes. And REM though that he was getting the same understanding from the other band members as well.

It was a pity he was not given the chance to convey this to the one who left, but REM shared the dream of going pro with SAVER TIGER and would have dropped out of university as soon as it came true.

In those days, hide often asked REM if he would quit his studies if they made it, and every time REM answered, “Of course!” From the moment REM joined SAVER TIGER, he had the feeling that, as long as he was with hide, they could do anything, make any dream a reality. But in the end that border was never crossed.

REM and that other band member talked openly about it all when they met again a very long time later. Now, REM thinks that for this guy, the choice was an unavoidable one. He cannot blame anyone for it, and does not plan on doing so.

His former band member chose the path that seemed best for him on the shortcut to success. To reach his goals, he did all he could. In that, he was no different from REM or hide.

They all walked down the path they chose for themselves, just unexpectedly in different directions. Who could blame a friend for something like that?

[Note: REM never identifies the band member in question, but by now it has been revealed that it was TETSU.]

Hide was with REM for every day of his binge drinking. Then, several days after the disbandment, Yoshiki from the band X invited him, telling him that he absolutely wanted hide to join them. At that time, X was a forceful band that was rather famous in the indies scene.

Hide and Yoshiki had met through the recording of the aforementioned omnibus album and hide had previously invited Yoshiki to SAVER TIGER at an afterparty.

Now, hide was very torn about that invitation. He meant to quit music! He didn’t dislike X, but it wasn’t the kind of music he wanted to do! But Yoshiki’s enthusiasm and sincerity eventually won him over.

Hide’s decision to join X hardened. There was only one condition that he had: He insisted on twin guitars.

Yoshiki readily agreed. When it came to the guitar, he left everything to hide, who then invited REM to join them, arguing that REM was the one he could harmonize with the best. With those words, he passionately tried to pull REM over. But REM had cut off his hair, returned to university, and given up on his music dreams. His last remaining guitar had been carelessly deposited in its case in a corner of his room, and he hadn’t touched it once since the dissolution.

Even so, his heart was swayed by hide’s invitation. But in the end, he stuck with his decision. The disbandment of SAVER TIGER had been a shock that had done a lot of damage.

REM could no longer invoke the feeling he had when first starting music. So, after some hesitation, he said, “I’m still becoming a dentist,” declining the invitation. Seeming heartbroken, hide ended the call.

After this hide found a fantastic partner called PATA and started to play a very active part in X. X quickly left the indies behind and not only went major but started to climb to the top.

Though he turned from SAVER TIGER’s leader into X’s guitarist, hide ran up the stairs towards his dreams in one big leap. Soon, he left Yokosuka and started living in an apartment in Tokyo. Since the disbandment, about one year had passed. In this time, REM also managed to get over the shock. He even started to sometimes engage with his guitar again.

In this time, hide sometimes called him on the phone. But while they gave each other updates on their recent lives and talked about music, REM couldn’t get into it like he had before.

“Ooh, hide really went pro! I’m glad! I’m jealous!” But even as he thought that, it was like that part of him was far away.

It was probably during this time that REM thought for the first time in his life that music wasn’t everything.

His instincts informed him that he no longer had the passion for music that he had a year ago. So now he put all of that passion into becoming a dentist.

Therefore, it often happened during their calls that REM only listened and left the talking to hide. Still, hide always seemed to enjoy calling him and ended with the worlds, “Next time I’m in Yokosuka, let’s go to Dobuita Street and drink until morning!”, laughing.

The other members of SAVER TIGER also joined other bands and stayed on the path of music. Kyo and TETSU went pro with a band called D’erlanger, Tokihiko joined a band called Dementia. One time, Dementia came to perform on Dobuita, and REM went to watch Tokihiko play for the first time in forever.

Tokihiko had changed his appearance a lot since his days in SAVER TIGER, and it was a refreshing sight to see him play progressive music in jeans and a t-shirt. He, too, had found his own way, REM thought, a little maudlin.

One time, when REM was visiting hide at his place in Tokyo, they also contacted Tokihiko. Until then, they had spoken on the phone a few times, but never made it to the point of having a drink together. This time, things came together and the three of them went out drinking together for the first time in a while.

They met at a place near Meguro Rokumeikan, Tokihiko coming in with his long, glossy, well-maintained jet-black hair. The three of them drank until morning without running out of stuff to talk about.

REM still vividly remembers what hide said to Tokihiko that day: “One day, I want to work with you again. I want you to play the bass on a song I wrote. Even though the music we want to do and our styles are different, I want to have your bass in my song.”

After thinking a little, Tokihiko replied. “I am not satisfied with the things I can do in today’s Japan. Therefore, I think I want to go to America. For that, I want to further raise my level as a musician. But I don’t know when I can go to America, because I have no money. As long as I am in Japan, I’ll be happy to work with you whenever you want. In any case, your words made me really happy!”

REM was deeply moved by those words. This was a Tokihiko who had grown a lot in both personality and music since the days of SAVER TIGER, when he had been young in many ways. He clearly formulated his goals and was able to communicate what he wanted to say.

Then, hide said passionately to REM and Tokihiko, “One day, I want to record with the members of SAVER TIGER! I really want to make an album with you!”

At his words, something hot welled up in REM, and doubtlessly in Tokihiko as well.

A peasant wind was blowing; it was a good night in May.

-

A few years later, in August 1995, when the swelteringly hot summer nights were going on and on, REM was on the other side of Lake Kawaguchiko at a camp of his university “Pops Club” when suddenly his cell phone rang. It was past midnight.

Tokihiko had died in a motorcycle accident. What REM learned from the band man from Yokosuka who called him was the following: In those days, Tokihiko has joined a team of bikers who often went on tours together. That time, they had come back from their tour without incident, separated in the early morning, and Tokihiko died in an accident on the way home.

REM was so stunned, he didn’t even feel sad. He called hide in L.A. and hide, too, didn’t know what to say. Between the two of them, they had no words.

REM soon ended the call because there were other friends from the music scene he wanted to inform. But when he reached them, they said, “I just heard it from hide-chan. I cannot believe it...”

Hide kept calling their acquaintances, including Yoko from UNITED, who was surprised to receive any call at all since he wasn’t even home, being in the middle of a tour. REM thinks that hide felt that was all he could do for Tokihiko at that time.

This is what REM thought when hide returned to Japan a little later and the two of them visited Tokihiko’s house, talking to their friend who smiled at them from the photo as if nothing had ever happened: That after that incident immediately after entering university, he once again got a harsh reminder of how fleeting a human life could be.

Summer turned into Autum. A memorial event for Tokihiko was held in a live house in Yokosuka called “Panama Red”, where the bands he’d been connected with gathered in his honor. Hide was at the studio that day, but even though he was in the middle of recording and kept saying that he had to rush, he was on the phone with REM for an hour, constantly asking who was on stage, who had come, what were they doing.

It was after midnight when hide finally managed to get away from the studio and made it to their meeting place. He came in, got all the tequila in the house for those assembled, and disappeared like a storm. It was a very hide-like way of expressing his grief.

Outside, the threes were covered in morning dew, the leaves on the ground scattered. The clear atmosphere made the darkness in the alleyways all the deeper. Far above the people drinking at “Panama Red”, an orange moon was silently drifting along its orbit. Another season was coming to an end.

Continued in part 2

[flowerandblood]

The Knight & The Judge

[ modern Frollo • Aemond x Esmeralda • female ]

[ warnings: dubcon, sex content, smut, angst, domination and humiliation kink, description of physical and mental disabilities, prejudices against disabled people, aggressive behavior, violence, swearing, trauma, mention of an accident with fatalities ]

[ description: After a car accident, his brother has to deal with the consequences of what happened, and he, as his protector, does not know how to help him. His sister comes up with the idea of hiring someone as his carer who will be able to cheer him up and occupy his mind. It turns out, however, that the girl he hired charmed not only his younger brother. Obsession, self-destructive behavior, verbal and physical aggression, sexual tension, dark, malicious Aemond. ]

Author's note: This story is a request, but I decided to freely use what I liked in the book and Disney film to create a new, disturbing story taking place in modern times. It is intended to be uncomfortable and will contain scenes that are at least morally questionable, in my version "Esmeralda" is not Romanian. This story will also include motifs from Jane Eyre, which was a separate request. My story will also touch on the problems of people with disabilities, so if these are sensitive topics for you, I advise against reading further. You have been warned.

Part 2 − The Sin & The Penance Part 3 − The Doubt & The Delight Epilogue

Main Characters Moodboard Aemond NSFW Alphabet

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Next chapters: Masterlist

_____

On that day it seemed to him that the whole world had turned against him. His coffee machine had broken down, there was more traffic than usual on the roads, he was sure he would be late for work, and his brother had woken up in a mood worse than always and cried all the way to the centre.

"I don't want to go there. I-I'm scared of some of those kids." He muttered under his breath, swallowing loudly, whooping with tears. He looked at him in the mirror, feeling a squeeze in his throat every morning when he left him there, but saw no other alternative.

He still hadn't recovered mentally after what had happened five years ago and, according to his psychiatrist, he wasn't ready to attend a normal school until he gained more confidence.

He did not want to force him to listen to unpleasant comments, however, he felt uncomfortable himself.

The centre was huge, classes were taught in different groups of matched children, however, there were times when Daeron encountered kids with a spectrum of disabilities other than physical and was simply afraid of them.

He tried to explain it to him, but how was a child supposed to understand these complicated, sometimes even uncontrollable behaviours and screams?

He swallowed hard, leaning the back of his head against the backrest, turning on the right indicator with his hand, driving into the car park of the building where he would leave him for the time he spent at work, during which he studied and had various extra classes with children with problems similar to his.

However, was he to surround himself all his life only with children who had mobility problems, who had no arms or legs, who suffered from paresis or lack of feeling in their limbs?

Every time he thought about it he wanted to cry.

He turned off the engine, staring dully ahead, hearing his mother's screams again in the background of his mind as his father fainted behind the wheel and drove off the road into the other lane – he felt once again that hard crash with the big truck coming from the opposite direction that crushed them.

They were only alive because they were in the back seats at the time, Daeron, however, was not as lucky as he was.

Compared to what happened to his younger brother, the glass that smashed into the left side of his face was nothing.

"Mrs Thomson said you can't spend all day at home doing one-to-one tuition. You have to see other children." He calmly repeated the formula he said whenever such a situation arose, opening his door, heading for the boot of his big black SUV – the car dealership had told him it was the safest and biggest model they had.

He took out the small wheelchair that had been put together and unfolded it, driving it closer, to the back seat where his brother sat, opening it – he looked away, unable to watch his brother's weeping face.

"I'm already late for work. Please. I promise we'll play FIFA' 23 together when we get back. Hm?" He muttered, and Daeron nodded, pale, breathing loudly, using his hands to move slowly towards the wheelchair onto which he shifted the weight of his body, hissing loudly as he lifted his legs onto the special supports.

The bones of his little legs had been simply crushed then – he continued to grow, the rehabilitation was hard and caused him great pain.

He would have preferred it to be him who suffered like this and not an innocent child, but God, who he wasn't sure he still believed in despite the deep faith his mother had always instilled in him, decided otherwise.

He closed the car and moved with him to the main entrance, pushing his wheelchair forward. When they got inside they were greeted by a lady they knew very well, several of his friends waved to Daeron, one of them was paralysed from the waist down, the other was missing one arm.

He swallowed loudly, thinking that his brother had to watch someone else's misfortune every day, himself for sure feeling like a cripple, like someone defective, someone who was a burden, even though he loved him the most in the world.

The cruelty of the situation left him with a clenched throat, so he would usually only throw him a few words to say goodbye, stroke his head and leave, only by the car tightening his fingers on the base of his nose, his healthy eye burning from the moisture that gathered under his eyelids.

As he always did in moments of breakdown, he started the engine, selected the number of his sister phone on the display under his dashboard and, turning on loudspeaker mode, started backing his car as he tried to drive out of the car park and drove ahead towards the national prosecutor's office.

"Hello? Aemond, did something happen?"

He heard Helaena's soft, sleepy voice. He knew she was still doing overtime as a doctor, overworking herself as much as he was and thought that he had woken her up after the night shift.

He felt remorse for not being able to handle it himself, although she always reassured him that she would always help him as best she could.

She got Daeron the best possible physiotherapist so that he was even able to take a few steps in the last month while holding on to his supports, however it still caused him great pain, the doctors said his bones would continue to hurt as long as he grew.

Perpetual undeserved suffering.

"I don't know what to do anymore. He says he is afraid of some of the children, those with intellectual disabilities. I know it's cruel, but fuck, I'd be scared of some of them too. Do they have to see each other in the same building, pass each other in the corridor? Shouldn't they be separated somehow?"

"God, Aemond, they're not animals. After all, they're children too." She said with sadness and resentment – he clenched his eye, sighing impatiently, trying to focus on the road again, tense.

"I know. I know. I really feel for them, but it's bad for his psyche. He recently asked me if he was normal, if he too would start shouting and babbling like them. That sometimes they are aggressive and the carers have to drag them away from him and his friends."

"It's horrible. Maybe he really should go there less often?" She asked sighing quietly, he heard her rise up on the bed with a quiet creak of the mattress.

"And what, he's going to sit at home with some boring old teacher? How will I know that no harm comes to him in my absence?" He asked resignedly, hearing silence on the other side for some time.

"Maybe find someone who won't be very distant in age. Someone who won't just teach him, but play with him and spend time with him. Someone old enough to be responsible for him and at the same time young enough not to feel so distant. Someone joyful." She replied, and he rolled his eyes as he drove into the underground car park of his office building.

"Joyful? I am supposed to pay someone to be joyful?" He sneered, shaking his head, his sister sighed again.

"He needs it, Aemond. We're all tired, and he's a child."

He hung up after a few minutes of further discussion, telling her he had to go, grabbed the case folders he'd just brought in and headed for the underground lift. He pressed the button showing the floor he wanted to move to when a woman's hand stopped the sliding doors, which opened a moment later.

Alys smiled broadly at him as she stepped inside with a confident stride – her high black heels emphasised how slender and long her legs were, her fitted, waist high pencil trousers and black blazer with a beautiful white shirt underneath highlighted both her confidence and her attractiveness.

He remembered the last few times the thrusts of his hips had pushed her into her desk, bent over and helpless, with firm, wide buttocks on which he tightened his fingers as he panted heavily, watching what he was doing to her, rooting into her again and again, thinking with mockery and amusement how easy it was to make a mere whore out of such a proud woman.

"Good morning, Mr Prosecutor." She said softly, contentment and calmness on her face, several of their intense close-ups had clearly left an intense mark in her, not just physical.

She liked the violent and determined ones, he knew that – she hid her age well and apparently decided that this was the last moment in her life when she could reach for what she wanted.

"Good morning, Miss Rivers." He replied calmly, uninterested in her ambiguous look, apparently suggesting that she wouldn't mind if what happened between them was repeated a few more times.

He was all about the sex. He was frustrated in this aspect – his artificial eye, although perfectly colour-matched to the other and the still clearly visible scar from where the glass pierced in, were a source of his complexes and shame.

He knew that no matter how perfect a professional he was, it was his appearance that made the first impression.

In the courtroom he still struggled to be taken seriously so much so that his cold, calculating, ruthless nature began to frighten some – his judgement and questioning was harsh and lacking in compassion.

He knew exactly what he wanted and strove to get it.

He preferred them to fear him rather than pity him.

His superiors quickly appreciated how skilful a lawyer he was and his ability to bring cases to an end and push whoever he needed to, hence he quickly moved to the National Prosecutor's Office, where more responsibilities and more money awaited him, which he could spend on Daeron's rehabilitation.

As he sat over the files he thought hard about what his sister had told him and decided that he would install CCTV in the house and then hire someone on a trial basis to see if it made sense.

He put up an anonymous job ad not wanting anyone to recognise him, described briefly his broad expectations and his rate per hour.

It turned out that dozens of people responded to his ad, just as he suspected attracted by the sum he had quoted, but he didn't know how he was supposed to sort them to choose the ones that seemed best to him. He began to read their answers, figuring that already from them he could deduce what types of personalities they were.

I am interested. My phone number is below.

Reject, he thought, clicking the red button informing the message sender that his offer was not accepted, and began to scroll further.

I am a carer with 10 years of experience. I have already cared for 14-year-old Mike with cerebral palsy, Adam with….

Reject, he clicked again.

He had no intention of making his home a second centre for the disabled.

He felt frustration and rage when he found that most of the messages were similar and just as empty in their tone, nothing convinced him about these people.

He knew Daeron wouldn't want to stay with them, and neither would he.

He stopped at one of the messages that looked completely different and blinked.

Good morning! I saw your ad and thought I would speak up. I'm a student, I'm studying costume design at the Faculty of Fine Arts. I'm looking for a casual job and I really enjoy working with children, I teach dressmaking as part of the teaching section of my university classes. I think that helping your brother with his studies at primary school level would be no problem for me at all, and I would also be happy to come up with different extra-curricular activities with him. Even if you decide not to hire me, I would like to sew your brother a costume of his favourite super hero, without any payment of course. You would just have to give me his measurements. I don't think anything makes kids his age happier!!! My warmest regards and I am sending my email below.

He looked at her message not too sure how he felt, at the same time being impressed, on the other hand feeling the seed of uncertainty and extreme caution characteristic of him when it came to his approach to newly met people.

What if this was a psychological tactic to make him believe her to be innocent and unselfish? To make him subconsciously choose her because she was the only one offering him something for free? If it was just her free promotion?

He chose two people reluctantly, but kept coming back to her message, trying to imagine her, seeing some crazy painting student looking like a hippie.

Maybe this was just what he needed? He thought with regret and sighed heavily, opening a new window in his inbox, writing her a short, brief email to appear at their house in a few days' time.

He was going to interrogate her.

The young man before her immediately made him uneasy – he had the impression that he smelled weed from him even though he had taken a shower, so he must have been smoking like crazy, and he had no intention of letting anyone who might encourage him to use any stimulants look after his brother.

The other girl was very frightened – his questions clearly startled her and made her uncomfortable, it frustrated him that she was barely able to make a sound. He thought she had something to hide, that people who have a clear conscience don't behave this way.

He thought with resignation that all he had left was a mad artist.

He sighed heavily as he heard the bell ring suggesting that someone was standing outside the gate. He walked over to the intercom and opened it, seeing in the small monitor a petite girl with dark, slightly wavy hair tied up in a ponytail.

He thought in disbelief that she was dressed for a job interview in a white turtleneck, dungarees and trainers, a fabric floral back on her back.

What the fuck, he thought, opening her door with a cold, indifferent expression on his face.

"Good afternoon." She said softly, a wide smile on her face. Before she walked in she wiped her shoes on the doormat, which pleased him. When she came inside she wanted to take off her trainers – he looked at her surprised, thinking she must be crazy.

"No, you don't have to. You can stay in your shoes." He said lowly, pointing towards the armchair, indicating to her with his hand the seat on the couch next to him.

She sat down in the seat he showed her, looking boldly straight into his eyes, her cheeks rosy with emotion.

She was clearly a tad nervous after all, he thought, musing for a moment that she had incredibly long, dark eyelashes.

"Do you have experience in working with children?" He asked immediately; she blinked and corrected herself in her seat, as if prepared for the question.

"Only in terms of working with them in sewing workshops." She answered simply, without any further explanation, which pleased him.

She was letting him draw his own conclusions, rather than imposing them on him so as to present herself in the most favourable light.

"My brother has mobility problems. How do you imagine helping him, for example, if he needs to go to the bathroom?"

"I think he's old enough that he can tell me himself what he'll need help with and what he won't, and what he'll feel comfortable for me to help him with and when he'll want me to leave." She said without thinking, shrugging her shoulders as if it was obvious. He squinted, intrigued that she was allowing herself to say unthoughtful things in front of him, as if she wasn't afraid of the consequences they might bring.

"And your studies? How will you have so much time to come here?"

"From what I understand, I would be expected to turn up on Tuesdays and Thursdays from eight in the morning until sixteen. I have practice classes then, the costumes I'm sewing I can bring with me and finish them while he's eating or watching something, maybe he'll even like it and want to practice with me?"

"What will you do if I don't hire you?" He asked dryly and she looked at him surprised, a light smile on her face indicating that his words didn't worry her.

"Then I will continue to work in the café. But my words about the superhero costume stand. Even if I can't work for you, sir, I would like to meet him and give him something. Children can be so brave." She said softly with sincere, bright joy and some kind of pride, as if Daeron was her brother and not his, something in her innocence, something in her attitude endeared him.

He could smell a lie a mile away, she wouldn't be able to pretend so well even if she were an actress.

These reactions were natural, she was saying exactly what she was thinking about.

"I will contact you once I have made my decision." He said indifferently, getting up from his seat and pointing with his hand towards the exit, suggesting that their conversation was over.

She stood up and smiled, undaunted by his behaviour or the length of their conversation. Both of them flinched when Daeron appeared in the living room, pushing the wheels of his wheelchair with a light flick of his hand.

"Good afternoon. Who is this lady?" His younger brother asked him, obvious curiosity on his face. He swallowed loudly and glanced at her – she answered nothing but waved at him vigorously, Daeron smiled shyly and waved her back, embarrassed.

"No one. I needed to talk to her." He replied, opening the door for her. She said a polite goodbye to him and his brother, waving at him once more, Daeron waved her back again, looking at him with questioning eyes as he closed it.

"I like her. She seems fun."

With no other choice, he decided he would give her a chance.

The first day she was to be left alone with Daeron he was all nerves despite the fact that his little brother hadn't seemed this excited to him in many years. He told him about his toys and the cartoons he was going to show her.

"First the lessons. Then two hours to play and free time." He replied dryly, tense, glancing at his watch, thinking with rage that she only had fifteen minutes left, that she was sure to be late or not come and leave him in the lurch when he had already cancelled his presence at the centre's classes.

They both flinched when they heard the bell ring; Daeron said, moving briskly forward in his wheelchair that he wanted to open for her and indeed, after a moment the girl he had hired appeared on the doorstep of their house, smiling and content – her cheeks flushed again, her dark hair loose, pleasantly framing her bright face, on her body only a black top and tracksuit shorts as it was a sunny, warm spring morning.

"Good morning, Daeron, nice to meet you!" She said with fondness and satisfaction in her voice, extending her hand in front of her, which his brother shook confidently. Daeron moved ahead of her, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"Come, I'll show you my room. I'll explain everything to you." He said, rolling his wheelchair up to the door, which was located on the ground floor of their house so that he could move around easily. The girl nodded, pulling her trainers off her feet, saying that she will come to him in a minute.

He took the opportunity to walk up to her, towering over her, and she threw him a quick surprised look.

He thought her eyes seemed even bigger than before, he wasn't sure if they were blue or green, both colours blending into one.

"You are to take care of him. I want you to go through all the material that was prepared for today. Only two hours of free time, no more. Behave responsibly and only call if it's really urgent or if something happens to him." He said matter-of-factly, and she swallowed quietly, nodding quickly, clearly horrified by how close he stood and how cold his voice was.

Good, he thought.

He wanted her to be afraid of the consequences of her actions.

He sat in the office all day terrified, stressed and unsure, trying to focus on the file in front of him, while involuntarily still glancing at his phone, checking to see if she might have called him.

Was everything okay? What if something had happened but she was afraid to call him? Maybe he should go home and test her, see what was going on?

He thought he would go mad if he didn't, so he left work an hour early – Alys threw something at him as he walked past her, probably something about a meeting or an evening out together, but he didn't answer her, heading for the stairs and the underground car park.

He drove forward, trying to calm himself down, thinking about how oversensitive he was, that surely everything was fine.

He pulled up in front of their house hearing music in the distance, wondering if any of the neighbours were having a party outside at this hour.

However, as he pressed the key to the gate and it slowly swung open he saw in disbelief the girl he had hired riding with lightness and grace on roller skates in his driveway to the tune of the Scissor Sisters song Don't Feel Like Dancin. Daeron laughed out loud, spinning beside her in his wheelchair, both of them wearing elbow and knee pads, in addition to his little brother wearing a bike helmet on his head.

What the fuck was that supposed to be?

He got out of the car, furiously slamming the door, his brother wheeled up to him briskly, his companion spinning slowly around them on roller skates – she raised her eyebrows with a smile, seeing the look on his face and waved at him.

"Look how well I dance, brother!" Exclaimed Daeron, spinning the wheels of his wheelchair around his own axis again.

He, however, instead of looking at him grabbed aggressively the arm of his carer who was doing another spin – she nearly fell over because of his tug and caught him abruptly by his jacket in an attempt to catch her balance.

"Ah!"

"What the fuck are you doing? Is this what I pay you for?" He growled and shook her hard. She stared at him with wide-open eyes, her lips slightly parted in accelerated breathing from fear, her face red from exertion, strands of her hair stuck to her cheeks.

"Let me go, sir. I will not speak to you like this." She said warningly, her brow furrowed. He pressed his lips together noticing that something had changed in her gaze, suddenly confident and angry, ready to fight if necessary.

He felt that look in his trousers, he'd never had the urge to slap a woman's ass as hard as hers before.

He glanced at his brother, who was looking at him in horror, only realising after a moment that the song had long since ended and there was a tense, awkward silence around them.

He let go of her arm, seeing with satisfaction that he had left a bruise on her skin in the shape of his fingers – she massaged at the spot, furrowing her brow.

"You're fired. You're irresponsible. Good thing I came back earlier." He said with mockery and fury, walking over to his brother, unbuckling the helmet he wore on his head. Daeron burst into a loud, uncontrollable sob.

"I don't want to. I don't want to, I don't want to go back there, I want to stay with her. It's my fault, I told her I wanted to dance, please, please, please, I want her to stay, I don't want to go back there." He babbled, running his hands over his shoulders in some helpless, childish pleading gesture from which he felt a squeeze in his throat. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, her gaze fixed on his little brother, sad and resigned – she was leaning over, untying the laces of the roller skates that had once belonged to his sister.

"Something could have happened to you. You could have fallen over and hit your head on the ground." He replied coldly, kneeling in front of him, unbuckling his knee pads.

"But I had a helmet on my head. After all, normal boys fall off bikes and stairs and they're fine! Nothing would have happened if I'd bruised myself a bit, I'm not made of glass!" He burst out suddenly with a fury he had never seen in him before, burying his little face in his hands, all red from tears and despair.

"I won't go back there, I won't go there tomorrow, if she doesn't stay, never, never again, I'd rather kill myself!" He whined out loud, falling into another attack of hysteria in recent months – he had trouble catching his breath, his lungs were wheezing all over. He took his face in his hands, but he closed his eyes, not wanting to look at him.

God, why?

"Remember what I told you?" She asked walking up to his brother in just her socks, kneeling beside him, grasping his hand. Daeron immediately fell silent, looking at her with wide eyes.

"That boy who calls you Quasimodo is just mean. You are my Phoebus, you have his beautiful hair, humour and valour. I'll sew us costumes and we'll go to the carnival ball together. His jaw will drop when he sees that you came with your Esmeralda. What do you say?" She asked softly, and he looked at her in disbelief, wondering if that was the reason his little brother didn't want to go there.

That boy who calls you Quasimodo.

He felt a twitch in his throat and swallowed loudly, his brother nodding quickly, drawing in air loudly, his eyes full of hope.

"Promise?" He asked in a trembling voice, and she smiled broadly, sincerely, squeezing his small hand.

"Promise."

They entered their house as his brother calmed down; he told Daeron to go to his room and leave them alone, which his brother eventually did with great reluctance, crying for a while longer, not wanting to say goodbye to her.

As soon as he heard the door close behind him at the end of the corridor he slipped his wallet out of the back pocket of his trousers, took out a few banknotes and threw them on the table in front of her in a careless gesture.

"Get the fuck out of my house." He said coldly, looking her straight in the eye. He saw her lower lip twitch, the pain of humiliation in her gaze, her eyebrows arched in disbelief that such words had left his mouth.

He wasn't paying her to make a circus of herself dancing like some fucking Esmeralda, exposing his brother to danger and injury.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and trembled with rage as she took the money and tossed it in his direction, the banknotes flying scattered around his feet.

"You could dress up as Frollo for the carnival ball, sir. It would suit you." She said drily, turning away tensely – he moved behind her, feeling anger buzzing strongly in his veins at her words.

He grabbed her by the neck with an aggressive flick of his hand and slammed her back against the wall, her voice stuck in her throat in horror, her big, bright eyes open wide in disbelief.

He took a step closer to her, feeling her warm body quiver all over in his grasp, digging his fingertips deeper into her skin, finding with delight that she was obscenely soft.

"Do you have anything else to say?" He asked in a low whisper filled with threat – she shook her head quickly clearly feeling the situation was out of her control, obviously fearing if he was really going to do something to her.

"No, are you sure? I'm listening to you. Tell me something else interesting about me." He said softly, encouragingly, moving even closer to her, the tips of their noses almost touching.

He could finally get a good look at her and he found curiously that he still couldn't tell what colour her eyes were, now slightly reddened from tears of fear.

She shook her head quickly, not making a sound; all he could hear was their quickened, raspy breaths, her hand touched his wrist as if she wanted to make sure he didn't strangle her.

He was somehow delighted by how delicate, long and slender her fingers were, feeling a pleasant pulsing in his trousers at the thought.

"Look at you. So silly. Because you're a silly little girl, aren't you? You would benefit from someone teaching you a lesson. No? Then apologise and I'll let you go and pretend I never met you." He said calmly, her whole body quivering with terror.

"Never." She said quietly, and he felt involuntarily that his lips curved in a dangerous, satisfied grin, his fingers clenching tighter around her neck.

"You're asking for trouble, Esmeralda." He muttered lowly, her nostrils twitching in accelerated breath.

"I will report what you are doing to the police." She said dryly and he smiled even wider, feeling her tremble all over as he leaned over her ear, his nose sinking into her soft, flower-scented hair – he closed his eyes and savoured the experience for a moment before whispering something she froze from.

"I am a prosecutor −"

Her hand clenched tighter on his wrist, a moan of despair escaping her lips, as if what he had said had really shocked her, as if she was only now realising what she had gotten herself into.

"− and I've never lost a case yet." He whispered in her ear, sliding his face lower, to her jaw and then to her neck, pressing his full lips to her skin, leaving wet, hot marks on it. He heard her draw in a loud breath.

"− w-what are you doing, sir? − no −" She whimpered, he felt her lift her arms up in a defensive gesture, trying to pull away from him, but he pressed her against the wall with his body, letting go of her neck, his erection throbbing hard in his trousers, pressing again and again against her stomach.

She felt it, a terrified cry escaped her lips as his lips pressed tightly against her neck – he began to suck painfully hard on her skin, wanting to leave her a crimson reminder of himself.

"− how did you put it? − who do I remind you of? −" He asked tauntingly, running his rough tongue over her red skin, feeling the veins pulsing rapidly under her soft, warm skin.

"− I'm sorry − I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry − please, please let me go −" She mumbled out in despair on the verge of crying, her voice trembling all over in terror, her breathing raspy and uneven, her small hands clenched on the material of his black turtleneck that he wore under his jacket.

He gasped at her words, sliding his mouth lower, repeating the same process, rubbing against her with his hips – his cock was all swollen and hard, pulsing with pleasure, his hands roaming down her back, sliding at last to her buttocks where they clenched.

"− look at you − so you can be polite after all, hm? −" He asked softly, lowering the material of her tracksuit shorts a little, his large hand grasping her plump, firm buttocks and slapping it hard – she clamped her lips together, trying to hold back the whimper that squeezed its way down her throat.

"− that's what I thought − turn around and let's get this over with −" He murmured, soothingly massaging the place that was now pulsing from his slap, grinning as she did so wordlessly, tears of helplessness and fear on her cheeks.

"− please −" She muttered and he sighed softly, sliding the material of her shorts and underwear down, revealing what was underneath – she shuddered and wept quietly as the tips of his fingers ran over her swollen folds, focusing their pressure on her sweet spot hidden between them, digging into her fleshy skin in circular, calm motions.

"− shhh − this way it will be easier for both of us −" He explained in a soft tone of voice, as if he was telling her something obvious, as if it would benefit her in the future and teach her something.

He heard her shy moan full of fear, then another, a tad louder as his fingers sank more firmly into her skin. He licked his lips at the sight of the wetness that began to leak slowly from inside her and slapped his hand with a short, rough movement into the space between her thighs.

"− quiet −" He ordered, and she pressed her lips together, stifling whatever wanted to come out of them. Daeron was far away, locked in his room, but he still preferred him not to hear anything, and he didn't have the time or desire to take her upstairs to his bedroom.

This situation, her bent figure and her lovely buttocks pushed up towards him, suited him completely.

"− good girl − see? − it's not that hard −" He murmured pleased with how obedient she was despite the fear and terror from which her whole body was twitching. The confident movements of his fingers were accompanied by the louder and louder click of her moisture, her cheek pressed against the cold wall where her hands were helplessly trying to find support in this position, her eyes closed as if she just wanted to wait it out.

She opened them when she heard the sound of his zipper being opened – her lips pressed together with difficulty as he guided the fat, swollen head of his throbbing cock against her opening, leaning with his free hand against the wall just above her head, trying to force it between her tight folds with the motion of his hips.

"− wider − that's it, there you go −" He exhaled as she opened her thighs a little more and he spread her wide on his cock, feeling her muscles gave him a wonderful squeeze – he sighed loudly, surprised at how pleasurable the sensation was.

"− fuck −" He hissed out, clamping his hands on her buttocks, spreading them like a ripe fruit; she squirmed in discomfort as he forced her to take him deeper inside her, filling her so much that he felt like he was going to rip her skin apart.

"− barely fits −" He scoffed, moving his hips back and forth with a splat of her moisture dripping down her thighs – he heard her begin to pant along with him as he deliberately rubbed against her lower wall just above her very entrance, teasing the spot inside her from which her whole body was quivering.

"− here? − do you want me to fuck you here, little one? −" He gasped as he stretched her skin enough to fit all of him inside her, rooting into her again and again with increasingly brutal thrusts of his hips, digging his fingertips into her buttocks, looking at the spot where their bodies joined, at her muscles clenching against him greedily in panic, sucking him inside.

"− please −" She cried out, squeezing her eyes shut, her lips parted in disbelief at how pleasurable and terrifying the experience was. He sank his hand into her soft, dark hair and tilted her head back, burying his nose in the hot skin of her cheek, speeding up, stretching her weeping folds with a loud, lewd slaps of his thighs against her buttocks.

"− use full sentences −" He commanded, his other hand from her hip slid down between her thighs – she squirmed helplessly as his fingers sank again into her fleshy skin, sticky from her moisture, teasing her clit with circular, slow motions.

"− here − fuck me here, sir −" She mumbled with difficulty in a voice trembling with exertion, her cheeks all red, the beautiful curls of her dark hair clinging to her sweaty face – he felt with satisfaction that her hips began to respond to his eager thrusts.

"− good girl − that's my good girl −" He breathed out with a quiet groan of pleasure, seeing and feeling her walls squeeze his fat cock at his praise – he licked his lips thinking that Alys had never responded to him the way she did, so frightened and aroused at the same time, relying only on his mercy, his goodwill.

"− you understand that this is necessary, don't you? − that you need to be taught a lesson −" He muttered, feeling that he was losing his temper, thrusting into her so fast that he was barely slipping out of her, slamming into her again and again, his cock throbbing with desire, signalling to him that his peak was coming, her wonderful scent filling his lungs.

"− y-yes − yes, I'm sorry −" She mumbled out –he wasn't sure if she was saying what he wanted to hear or if she really believed it herself for a second, but she clamped her eyelids shut and spread her mouth wide, helpless, girlish, sweet moan of relief burst from her throat as she came, sucking and squeezing his cock, soaking it in her moisture. He sighed in relief when, after a few desperate, deep slaps he spilled inside her, feeling the wave of hot pleasure shake his body.

"− fuck − oh, God, little one −" He muttered, their bodies involuntarily moving for a moment longer, wanting to prolong this surprisingly shocking experience, both of them panting embarrassingly loudly, her body trembling all over – if his arm hadn't been holding her around the waist she would have fallen for sure, her legs completely numb.

He looked down at their joined bodies, his half-hard, throbbing manhood sinking into her again and again, all sticky from his semen and her wetness.

He swallowed loudly, sliding out of her slowly, realising now what he had actually done to her – he heard her quiet hiss of discomfort and sigh of relief, her face flushed from exertion and tears.

"− are you all right? −" He asked in a trembling voice, quickly zipping up his trousers, her shaking hands slipping her underwear and shorts back onto her buttocks.

"− y-yes −" She mumbled in embarrassment, horror and disbelief, not looking at him, in some automatic gesture reaching for her trainers, putting them quickly on her feet.

"Come back on Thursday as we agreed before." He muttered, feeling the rapid pounding of his heart and the panic rising inside him, a complete void in his mind.

What had he done?

"I can assure you that you will never see me again." She whispered in a trembling, broken voice, quickly put her backpack on her back and walked out, slamming the door, leaving him with complete silence, remorse and horror.

He pressed his forehead against the wall, hiding his face in his hands, and burst into tears like a small child.

How could he treat a strange, innocent girl like this?

What if she didn't take her pills, what if she got pregnant?

How could he have been so irresponsible?

What if she really does report it to the police?

I'll destroy her, he thought with a bitter certainty that, after a moment, turned again into terror, regret and shame.

He grabbed his phone quickly and dialled her number, wanting to beg her forgiveness, but she didn't answer. He sat down on the couch and drew in the air loudly, devastated, not recognising himself, realising what kind of man he was.

He laughed desperately, shaking his head, thinking with painful amusement how well she had judged him.

He didn't even have to pretend.

He was like Frollo.

_____

Author's note: Many of you may believe that Quasimodo is the best and most worthy of imitation character, not Phoebus, and this is true when it comes to the book, but I assume that if anything, Daeron at this age has only seen a Disney fairy tale, in which Phoebus is a handsome man with a noble heart. The whole idea of this scene, in which the heroine says that he will be her Phoebus and she will be his Esmeralda, is that Daeron wants to see himself not only as a person with a disability, but as someone handsome, a warrior that a woman could love one day. It's easy to understand how children's minds work and why his works this way, and his "Esmeralda" only wants to help him become the person he wants to be and encourages him not to give up on these dreams and this self-image.

_____

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[sprout-fics]

König could wrap one hand around maus’ waist and another around her neck and just manhandle lmao

You're so right for this anon

Still

(König x F! Reader 'Maus')

Part of 'Little Mouse'

Word Count: 2k Rating: Teen and up Tags: Protective König, Worried König, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Size kink, Personal guard dog König, Manhandling, Hallucinations, Panic attacks, General violence, Explicit mention of stabbing/blood, Reader is described as being fairly small compared to a 6'10 mammoth of a man Warnings: Nonconsensual drug use (Maus gets dosed on accident) A/N: Takes place waaaaaayyy into the future where König and Maus are at last on the same side.

He’s a step too late.

König sees the man reach for his pocket before you do- as you turn to look at your radio, muttering something about sending traffic regarding a potential hostile scout that the team has caught as they make their way through the bombed airport adjacent to cartel territory. The smoking ruins crackle around you both, with König’s massive form in your shadow. 

The operative before you is backed against a wall, hands loose at his sides and stiff. That should have been the first indication, his body posture, the way his eyes dart from König to your much smaller frame and back again. They’re wild, jumpy, and the sun catches strangely off of his pupils blown much too wide, eclipsing his irises.

He moves too fast, the man, reaching for something in his pocket. König takes a step forward, reaching for you, trying to push past you, to haul you wordlessly behind him, but the stranger is quicker, more agile. He raises his voice, barking a warning that’s mangled on his tongue, but it’s too late.

It happens in a blink. You twist, reflexes too slow for the man who moves with near superhuman speed, his mouth open and face pale. In an instant there’s a syringe sticking out from your forearm just as you shout in surprise, try to lift your weapon.

König reaches him first.

There’s something about the way his combat knife embedding into the man’s throat that makes his blood sing, loathe as he is to admit it. There’s a sickening squelch as blood gushes out past the fatal wound, oozing from the man’s jugular down König’s wrists, soaking the black fabric of his gloves until it glistens in the afternoon sun. The man tries to speak but the sound is just a wet, grotesque gurgle until he slumps. 

König feels his blood racing, poisoned by adrenaline as he tries to steady his breathing, eyes too wide and heart thrumming too loudly in his ear. 

“Maus-” He breathes at once, and his eyes turn, body twisting as he holsters the knife, blood and all.

You’ve stumbled backwards, and as König turns he sees your hand wrap around the syringe, eyes glassy and frightened. You’re trying to remove it, trying to withdraw it from where it’s pierced your bare arm, but your grip is unsteady, shaking. 

It’s König’ hand that wraps around your much smaller one, and it feels for all the world like a baby bird in his grip, trembling, fluttering. When he pulls the syringe it’s a touch too harsh, too insistent, and your shaky, shuddering gasp is enough to make the panic in his blood simmer higher, to a fever pitch. 

Yet you’re worse. You stare at the wound, a small, beading red dot just below the inside of your elbow, fixated. There’s a look in your eyes König has only seen a scant few times, and he recognizes it instantly for what it is.

Terror.

“T-there was something wrong with him.” You try, and there’s a shake to your voice as you strain to speak up at König’s towering figure, even as one hand grips your wrist and the other reaches for his med-kit. He can feel your pulse, and distantly he realizes it’s much too fast, even for a circumstance such as this. It pounds rapidly inside your veins, throbbing out of control. 

“His eyes.” You speak, voice cracking. “T-there was something wrong…”

“I know Maus.” König breathes, and he’s fumbling with his kit, fingers too large and cumbersome. It feels like a toy when he fishes it from his vest, too tiny. “You’ve been drugged.”

It’s a matter of fact statement, but when your breathing shudders and then instantly picks up König realizes it’s the wrong one. You’re hyperventilating, shaking where you stand, and when König glances at your face he realizes you’re sweating, eyes unseeing. 

“Maus? Maus.” König tries, but you can’t hear him. He doesn’t know if it’s the drug or the panic that’s flooded your system, but the way you’re reacting he knows it won’t be long before whatever the man dosed you with overcomes you and you lose whatever sense of reasoning you have left within you. 

“Maus, look at me.” König tries again, and he hates the way his voice suddenly pitches, afraid and pleading with you as he fails to ground your attention in him. “Maus, please.”

Yet when you look at him there’s a fright, a fear there he doesn’t recognize. It’s as if you stop seeing him altogether, and in his place is something huge, horrifying.

Deadly. 

You reach for your weapon with trembling hands, but the motion is slow, paralytic as you fail to assert control over your body. König’s hands stop you, gripping down as you cry out, trying to thrash in his hold.

He can see it now. Whatever it was that you were dosed with, the same thing the man likely had as well, is making your adrenaline race high, too high, perceiving anything and everything as a potential threat in need of fatal response. Logic fails you as you squirm, yell and try to grapple with him, attempting to reach your weapon. 

“Maus!” König yells, and his voice is thunderous, enough to briefly send you stilling against him, whimpering in fear. Sharper than the slice of his own blade, the sound pierces his heart, bleeding an ichor that tastes acutely of guilt, of anger. If the man wasn’t already dead König would kill him again, making holes as many times as he needed to until the man who did this to you stopped breathing. 

For now, however, his attention is on you, and the way you writhe against him with renewed strength, raising your voice high enough so it gasps into a stale puff of air. 

He has no choice. If you don’t still you’re going to hurt yourself, going to hurt him, as absurd as it sounds. If you don’t calm down the drug will only continue to build higher inside you, reaching your heart and choking it with putrid venom. 

It takes hardly any effort for him to flip you around, ignoring your searching hands as he lifts your weapon from where it’s holstered around your shoulder and setting it aside. When you cry out in fear König only grits his teeth, jaw threatening to crack at the effort it takes to not release you. Both hands pinning your arms to your sides, König maneuvers you both over to a nearby wall, low enough for him to perch upon.

One hand settles across your waist, pressing you backwards until the length of your spine is pressed into his front. The other wraps up, around your collarbone, and like this you’re forced entirely into him even as you struggle and whimper- the world fading to only shapes and colors and the feeling of being restrained. 

“Shh, shh, it’s okay Maus.” König murmurs, and his grip doesn’t yield, not even as you cry out at his voice right in your ear. “I’m right here, you’re safe. Breathe, just breathe.”

Your air comes in quick little pants, but as König continues to hold you, murmur to you he can feel the fight in your limbs fading, dying out like embers. He ignores the way your nails dig red crescents into his arm, the way he can feel your body shake and shudder with your entire form pressed into his. König can only curl around you, dwarfing you with the shield of his massive frame, bracing his hooded face against the crown of your head as he waits for the struggle to die in you. 

“Stehenbleiben, kleine Maus.” He mutters, voice rumbling deep, low in his chest. You only shudder at that, and when you swallow he can feel your throat bob against his forearm. “It’s okay. I’m here. Breathe.”

You’re so small like this, he realizes. A fragile, reedy thing in his embrace. Even as you squirm it takes hardly any effort to keep you still. You have to stand while he sits for König to fully wrap his arm around your middle, hauling you so you’re forced to lean into his frame. Your legs are splayed between his massive thighs, trembling, shaking as you try to find enough balance to fight him. It’s a vain effort at best. König simply closes his legs around yours, immobilizes them and ignores the little cry of protest that escapes you as a result. 

Your struggling is reduced to jerky little motions now, throat dried of any protests as you begin to slump in his arms. There’s a trickle of blood oozing down to König’s elbow, but the pain feels dull compared to his own hammering heart, the dull ache of guilt, of worry that has him holding you tighter against him. 

“That’s it, Maus.” He breathes, and his breath fogs warmly under his hood. “Stay with me. Shh.”

He can still feel the way your chest rises and falls, but the overwhelming gasps of hyperventilation have stemmed to a series of ragged, shuddering exhales. You’re fighting it, he can tell, clawing your way back to him, past the noxious haze of narcotics in your veins. He’d be proud if it weren’t for the fact he’s so worried, trying to steady his own breathing in time with yours, ground himself against the wash of fear that he could have lost you, could have been a step too late had the man pulled something else. 

The red ooze of the stranger’s blood thickens on his knife, and König tries to erase the thought that it could have been yours.

With his nose buried in your hair König can smell the lingering scent of your shampoo, of your natural musk. He breathes it in, lets it cloud his senses and dull the painful throb of his heart as you whimper and flinch against him. The fear, the shock of almost losing you is almost too much to bear, and König desperately tries to dull it with the memory of the last time you two woke up together, of you pressed and nuzzled into his front, nose buried against his collarbone and letting your blissful sigh dissipate into his flesh.

“Stay with me, Maus.” He murmurs again in an endless litany, the words as much a comfort to himself as they are to you, meant to anchor him as the opiate of fear, of guilt and anger pulses dimly under his skin. “I’ve got you, you’re safe.”

“K-König.” You gasp, and your voice is a reedy whine in your throat as you fully go limp into him, head lolling against his chest. 

König’s head shoots up at that, and the motion is enough to inspire a brief resurgence of struggle in you, one he keeps still even as you whimper. 

“That’s right. That’s right, Maus.” He breathes, and when he does it feels as if he’s exhaling the last of the poison, bleeding it dry of his veins. “It’s me.”

“König.” You sigh again, and it sounds like recognition, like surrender.

“I’m here, kleine Maus.” He mutters into you, and his own voice threatens to crack, fissure like the rubble around you both. Yet that fear is stifled when you exhale, and the rush of air feels for all the world like your sleepy sigh echoing into his bare chest with you tucked, hidden in his form.

“Always here.”

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[baki-tiene-un-simp]

Hey Hey hey! Yujiro, Jack, Baki and Hanayama, BUT. . . They are traditional Onis from the Japanese folklore 👀

En lo profundo de la montaña / Deep in the mountain.

~Palabras / Words~ 1k

It is often whispered that in the high mountains of Japan there are monstrous creatures, mischievous entities that enjoy tormenting people who are unlucky enough to get lost on mountain trails. Demons similar to enormous beasts with fangs like daggers, mountains for muscles and horns majestic like a crown, but terrifying like enormous spears.

It may sound like a legend invented to keep people away from the mountains, to prevent hikers from getting lost or having fatal accidents, but there is simply something that can disturb you about the religiosity with which this legend is maintained; as if it were not a story, if not, a warning.

They warned you a lot, all those kind old people who seemed so concerned when you expressed that your destiny was in the mountains. The worried look on their faces made you endeared, but it was also disturbing how they believed, so fervently, that if you weren't careful you would end up running into those terrifying creatures. However, you couldn't turn back now. Your grandfather, a self-proclaimed hermit in his eighties, lived at the top of the mountain, and it was your responsibility as the eldest grandson/granddaughter to take care of his health now that your father is gone, as well as supplying him with provisions for up to a month.

You belong to a very close-knit and somewhat traditional family, you couldn't even think of turning your back on your grandfather, even if he wants that. Your father went up the mountain every month, cleaned your grandfather's house, showed him respect and came back down, every month without fail. Now it was your turn.

You carried the provisions on your back, duly packed and sealed, setting off towards the mountain when the birds were still waking up and singing in the morning. The paths were lonely, but full of vegetation, an unmistakable sign of the little traffic that there was in that area, the view was simply beautiful; You don't remember the last time you saw a green as bright as the color of the trees that stood and covered the ground.

You kept up the pace of your walk as you reflected, remembering all the warnings and good wishes from the people who lived at the base of the mountain. They talked about the oni and how aggressive they were, that you shouldn't leave the trail for anything and that you shouldn't stop at anything. They mentioned that there were some who walked around these parts more frequently, their names and how you could identify them.

When they told you about Baki they told you to be careful, although he was the calmest among the four oni in the area, the reddish color of his skin still betrayed his greedy nature. Despite his otherworldly and monstrous appearance, it was comforting to look at him, his smooth features a little more striking than his rough fangs and horns that stood out from his short tangle of hair. It would be lucky to run into him when you are lost, he is usually in a good mood, so if you can give him some interest, he will be willing to help you get off the mountain unscathed.

Both Jack and Kaoru can be unpredictable, although they are not very problematic, but they are not completely neutral either.

Jack is a tall oni, you could mistake him for a building if you forgot that you were in the forest, the reddish tone of his skin also denotes a certain greed, but he does not seem to follow these instincts unless he is in the presence of the blue oni. Jack shows very little interest in the travelers, almost ignoring their insignificant presence if he is in a good mood; If he's upset, well, it's easy to imagine what such a large, powerful creature could do to a tiny human who scream and struggles in vain against him.

Kaoru is not very different from Jack, his reddish skin marked by multiple wounds shows that he is a creature to be feared, that he is no stranger to battles and that he is capable of resisting a lot. No one wants to be a prisoner of his enormous hands, gigantic prisons that would end the life of anyone. Not many incidents have been heard involving Kaoru, but everyone who has gone on his hunt never returns. He is more selfless than Jack when it comes to human presence, but his calmness does not guarantee safety.

And finally, the blue oni, Yujiro. He is angry and confrontational in nature, the presence of people is repulsive to him and there is no chance of turning out well if you end up in front of him. Many of the incidents on the mountain are his work. They say that his eyes shine a crimson red in the middle of the darkness of the night, you won't be able to confuse them with anything, because once you notice them it will be too late. There is no way to reason with him, there is only one way to go with him; run away, the problem is that nothing guarantees your survival. No matter how fast you run or how much advantage you think you have, he will catch you.

You didn't quite believe in that, but inside you… Deep inside you, there was a little voice that begged heaven for your path to be safe and away from any problematic entity that would disturb the rhythm of your walk.

The sound of footsteps caught your attention, you would swear they were footsteps. You were sure. The birds moved and took flight, fleeing, small, harmless animals ran a few meters away from you, fleeing, and if it weren't something intangible you would assume that the breeze blowing against your face was also fleeing.

You froze when you noticed a large silhouette among the trees, from your place, you were unable to make out anything other than its large size and unusual height, it was certain that it was not a human. Your mind thought of every possibility; A bear… A oni. Bear or Oni, you couldn't face them, you had to get away before they noticed you, but it was difficult to look away thanks to the fear you felt at the thought of losing them from your field of vision.

You backed away slowly without looking away, which made you not notice the unevenness in the path, you fell with a scream of surprise and when you recovered you could notice that the great shadow was looking at you with luminescent eyes. You froze in place as a clawed hand emerged from the darkness to make its way through the trees that blocked its path, your mind hazy and your throat dry from the long gasps of fear…

… You really would have preferred a bear.

[Open ending to let you choose the ending you prefer, and I don't know, maybe I can write continuations with each character (Baki, Jack, Kaoru or Yujiro)]

Versión es español.

Se suele murmurar que en las altas montañas de Japón existe criaturas monstruosas, traviesas entidades que disfrutan al atormentar a las personas que tienen la mala suerte de perderse en los senderos montañosos. Demonios similares a enormes bestias con colmillos como dagas, montañas por músculos y cuernos majestuosos como una corona, pero atemorizantes como enormes lanzas.

Puede sonar como una leyenda inventada para mantener a las personas lejos de las montañas, para evitar que los senderistas sigan perdiéndose o teniendo accidentes fatales, pero simplemente hay algo que puede perturbarte por la religiosidad con la que se mantiene esta leyenda; como si no fuera un cuento, si no, una advertencia.

Te lo advirtieron mucho, todos esos amables ancianos que se mostraban tan preocupados cuando expresabas que tu destino estaba en las montañas. La mirada preocupada en sus rostros te daba ternura, pero también era inquietante la forma en que creían, tan fervientemente que si no tenías cuidado terminarías topándote con esas aterradoras criaturas. Sin embargo, no podías retroceder ahora. Tu abuelo, un autoproclamado ermitaño de unos ochenta y tantos años, vivía en la cima de la montaña y era tu responsabilidad como hijo mayor el cuidar de su salud ahora que tu padre se ha ido, además de abastecerlo de provisiones hasta el mes siguiente.

Perteneces a una familia muy unida y algo tradicional, ni siquiera podrías pensar en darle la espalda a tu abuelo, aunque él quiera eso. Tu padre subía cada mes a la montaña, limpiaba la casa de tu abuelo, le mostraba respeto y volvía a bajar, cada mes sin falta. Ahora era tu turno.

Cargaste las provisiones a la espalda, debidamente empacadas y selladas, emprendiendo camino hacia la montaña cuando todavía las aves se despertaban y cantaban por la mañana. Los senderos eran solitarios, pero repletos de vegetación, una señal inconfundible del poco tránsito que había en esa zona, la vista era simplemente hermosa; no recuerdas la última vez en que viste un verde tan brillante como lo era el color de los árboles que se alzaban y arropaban el suelo.

Mantuviste el ritmo de tu caminata mientras reflexionabas, recordando todas las advertencias y buenos deseos de las personas que vivían en la base de la montaña. Hablaban sobre los onis y sobre lo agresivos que eran, que no debías salir del sendero por nada y que no te detuvieras ante nada. Mencionaron que había algunos que se paseaban con mayor frecuencia por estos lares, sus nombres y como podrías identificarlos.

Cuando te hablaron de Baki te dijeron que tuvieras cuidado, si bien era el más tranquilo entre los cuatro onis de la zona, el color rojizo de su piel seguía delatando su codiciosa naturaleza. A pesar de su apariencia sobrenatural y monstruosa, era reconfortante mirarlo, sus facciones suaves eran un poco más llamativas que sus toscos colmillos y los cuernos que resaltaban por su corta maraña de pelo. Sería una suerte el toparse con él cuando estás perdido, usualmente está de buen humor, así que, si puedes darle algo de interés, estará dispuesto a ayudarte a salir de la montaña ileso.

Tanto Jack como Kaoru pueden ser impredecibles, si bien, no son muy problemáticos, pero tampoco son completamente neutrales.

Jack es un oni de gran altura, podrías confundirlo con un edificio si olvidaras que te encuentras en el bosque, el tono rojizo de su piel también denota cierta avaricia, pero no parece seguir dichos instintos a menos que se encuentre en presencia del oni azul. Jack muestra muy poco interés en los viajeros, casi ignorando su insignificante presencia si está de buen humor; Si está molesto, bueno, es fácil intuir lo que una criatura tan grande y poderosa podría hacerle a un pequeño humano que grita y lucha en vano contra él.

Kaoru no es muy diferente a Jack, su piel rojiza marcada por múltiples heridas muestran que es una criatura de temer, que no es ajeno a las batallas y que es capaz de resistir mucho. Nadie quiera ser presa de sus enormes manos, gigantescas prisiones que acabarían con la vida de quien sea. No se ha escuchado muchos incidentes que involucren a Kaoru, pero toda persona que ha ido en su casería jamás regresan. Es más desinteresado que Jack cuando se trata de la presencia humana, pero su tranquilidad no garantiza seguridad.

Y por último, el oni de color azul, Yujiro. Es de naturaleza iracunda y conflictiva, la presencia de la gente es repulsiva para él y no hay oportunidad de salir bien si terminas frente a él. Muchos de los incidentes de la montaña son obra suya. Dicen que sus ojos brillan en un rojo carmesí en medio de la oscuridad de la noche, no podrás confundirlos con nada, porque una vez que los notas ya será demasiado tarde. No hay forma de razonar con él, solo hay un camino a seguir con él; huir, el problema radica en que nada te garantiza sobrevivir. Sin importar que tan rápido corras o cuanta ventaja creas tener, él te atrapara.

No terminaste de creer en eso, pero dentro de ti… Muy dentro de ti, había una vocecita que rogaba al cielo porque tu camino sea seguro y alejado de cualquier entidad problemática que perturbe el ritmo de tu andar.

El ruido de pasos llamo tu atención, jurarías que fueron pasos. Estabas seguro. Las aves se movieron y emprendieron vuelo, huyendo, pequeños e inofensivos animales corrían a unos metros lejos de ti, huyendo, y si no se tratase de algo intangible darías por hecho que la brisa que soplaba contra tu rostro también estaba huyendo.

Te congelaste cuando notaste una silueta grande entre los árboles, desde tu lugar eras incapaz de distinguir algo más que su gran tamaño e inusual altura, era seguro que no era un humano. Tu mente pensó en cada posibilidad; un oso… Un oni. Oso u Oni, no podrías hacerle frente, debías alejarte antes de que te notara, pero era difícil apartar la mirada gracias al miedo que sentías al pensar en perderlo de tu campo de visión.

Retrocediste lentamente sin apartar la mirada, lo que hizo que no notaras el desnivel en el sendero, caíste con un grito de sorpresa y cuando te recuperaste pudiste notar que la gran sombre te miraba con ojos luminiscentes. Te congelaste en tu sitio cuando una mano con garras salió de la oscuridad para abrirse camino entre los árboles que bloqueaban su paso, tu mente estaba confusa y tu garganta se secó por los largos jadeos que te provocaba el miedo…

… Realmente hubieras preferido un oso.

[Final abierto para dejar que escojas el final que prefieras, y no sé, quizá pueda escribir continuaciones con cada personaje (Baki, Jack, Kaoru o Yujiro)]

[argumate]

Chinese President Xi Jinping has given important instructions on the rescue and disaster relief work after a fatal expressway collapse in south China's Guangdong Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attached great importance to the disaster, instructing that every effort be carried out for on-site rescue, treatment of the injured, and properly handling the aftermath.

Efforts should be made to repair the damaged roads and restore traffic order as soon as possible, said Xi, adding that all regions and relevant departments must adhere to bottom-line thinking, consolidate work responsibilities, strengthen monitoring and early warning, improve emergency plans, promptly investigate and deal with potential risks in key areas and key sectors, and ensure the safety of people's lives and property and the overall social stability.

Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and premier of the State Council, has given instructions to spare no effort in rescuing the injured, carry out follow-up work, do everything possible to search and rescue trapped persons, and strictly guard against secondary risks.

Li emphasized that the ongoing May Day holiday is the peak of tourism prime time, accompanied by widespread rainfall in some areas, necessitating all-out efforts to prevent accidents and disasters.

Following Xi Jinping's instructions and Li Qiang's request, Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, led officials in charge of relevant departments to the scene to guide the rescue and disaster relief work.

I don't know how Global Times is so good at capturing the editorial voice of The Onion in articles like this, they must be making all-out efforts

[fictional-love-is-my-life]

May I have hotrod, Bumblebee, and Optimus reactions by headcanon of them running into eachother while in their alt modes ( car form) during a Decepticon chase? Like they are chasing the same con and they end up crashing into eachother by accident? Not fatally, just like a major dent and skimmed paint or broken windshield or lights out. Who crashes into who is up to you to decide.

Warnings: Mentions of small car crashes. Accidents in cars, cars hitting each other while driving. Mentions of swearing.

Hot Rod:

Hot Rod and Bee are driving side by side behind a Decepticon.

He tells Bee that he's going to go around and cut the con off, Bee acknowledges. Now he assumed that Bee was going to continue going straight, or perhaps go in a different direction. But that's what he gets for assuming, and also not indicating which way he was going to go.

He starts to speed up to try and get in front of Bee. Bee decides to drift left and catches Hot Rods bumper.

This surprises Hot Rod, startling him, the hit was also enough of a bump to push him off course making him swerve.

He brakes and controls his steering so he doesn't spin out of control. He drops back losing the con, but he'd rather that then get into an accident.

He proceeds to swear in French over the comm link. "Really Bee? Merde!"

He feels grumpy and petty so tells Bee to go and catch the con by himself. He does still follow after them, in case Bee gets ambushed. But he stays a far distance behind, not wanting to get hit again. He starts to drive the speed limit, still complaining over the comms, making remarks such as 'I've never been hit by a human before, only you Bee' and 'Do you know how much effort it will be to fix that?'

He hasn't seen the damage. It doesn't feel like a lot and it doesn't hurt or impair his ability to drive, but it was still uncomfortable. He's almost scared to look, hoping it really isn't that bad. But he feels annoyed, his alt mode was beautiful and perfect and now it was ruined.

When they do get back to base he points it out to Bee. 'Look what you did to me!'

He demands that Bumblebee be the one to fix it. Bee caused the damage so he should spend the time and effort to repaint his bumper

"I'm never driving with you again." He's being dramatic about it, and a little over the top sure. But that's how he feels. He hates getting his paint scratched, so he's going to make sure Bee never hears the end of it.

He complains the whole time Bee fixes his paint. As soon as Bee is finished he walks off without a thank you. Why should he thank him? Bee caused it. He proceeds to give Bee the silent treatment for a couple days.

Finally after 3 days and a million apologies from Bee, Hot Rod forgives him. He was just frustrated and needed time to cool down. He does forgive Bee as it was an accident and knows Bee didn't do it on purpose.

Even though it was forgiven, it was not forgotten and Hot Rod is now very careful anytime he drives with Bumblebee. Sometimes he'll tease Bee about it. "Remember that time you hit me?"

Bumblebee:

He was chasing the con with Optimus. They had done this dance a thousand times and had never had an incident before, so he wasn't expecting one now. So he followed Optimus, watching him drive in and out of the traffic with ease. Bee was following quite close behind Optimus as he trusted his driving.

What he never expected his leader to do, was brake suddenly. The con had pushed an innocent car into Optimus' way, causing the truck to brake. Bee tried to stop, but was too close behind, so ended up going into the back of Optimus.

His front bumper pushed inwards, his headlights smashing from the impact. He slowed way down, pulling away from Optimus and the con to regain himself. It was not the worst he had experienced, and it did not cause him great pain or cause and energon leak. His bumper would be able to be popped out easy enough, but his lights were gone.

He swore and grumbled, complaining to himself. He knew it was not on purpose, but damn it sucked.

He also hated the fact it was Optimus. Any of the other bots and he would have cursed them out. He also would have gone back to base and scratched their paint, making them feel what he felt. But he couldn't do that to Optimus, so he had to just suck it up and accept it.

Optimus called him over the comm link and apologized. Bee accepted to apology, but continued to grumble to himself. He was almost tempted not to accept the apology out of spite, but he knew Optimus really was remorseful.

He continued to follow Optimus but now driving beside him. He made a promise to himself to never drive behind Optimus ever again.

Bee knew accidents happened, but he never wanted to get into one. It just took time and effort to repair damage and was a bit of a bother to go through. He was not looking forward to going through it.

He was also not looking forward to the other bots making comments about it. He knew Crosshairs would say something about it. Fine, he would just take his anger out on Crosshairs instead of Optimus.

Once the chase is over he goes straight to Cade, getting his help to fix up his bumper and replace his lights. Optimus came over to apologize once more and Bee really wished he didn't. It was awkward that they hit each other and he was trying to be polite, but he felt angry. Optimus could have gave him some warning and he would have swerved, but he didn't.

Once his repairs were done he looked himself over. His bumper was a slightly different color yellow to the rest of him. He tried to not let it bother him but it did. It was going to be a reminder that it happened.

He seeks out Crosshairs, needing to take out his frustration on someone.

Optimus:

He had never driven with Hot Rod before. But he thought he was probably a good driver, Bee tended to give him high praise. So he was fine chasing after a con beside Hot Rod. He was also used to the speedsters chasing off since they were a lot faster than him, and he was fine with that.

Optimus was focused on the Decepticon, expecting Hot Rod to speed off like Bee usually would. In reality he forgot Hot Rod was beside him. The fact that Hot Rod was so low to the ground, also didn't help. Optimus decided to drift right, trying to go around a civilian. He heard a complaint over his comms but it was too late.

Out of fear of being crushed Hot Rod quickly transformed, but going that speed he still collided with Optimus. Hot Rod fell on Optimus, landing on his roof before rolling over and off him.

This left Optimus with both a dented roof and a cracked windshield.

He groaned in complaint. Slowing a little to regain control of his steering. Once he was safe and not in danger of hitting any civilians he sped up trying to catch up to the Decepticon. He radioed Hot Rod to make sure he was ok and not greatly injured, but he continued to drive. He could not let the con get away.

He also tried very hard to ignore his own 'injuries'.

He was not hurt, but he knew his dented roof was going to bother him. He was not looking forward to transforming, knowing it was going to be awkward with the giant dent. For now though he pushed the thoughts to the side and focused on the con.

Once the chase was over he caught up with Hot Rod and drove back home. He felt a little rude, but he kind of wished he had been with Bee. Just because he was so used to driving with Bee.

He apologized to Hot Rod, mentioning that he did not see him. Hot Rod accepted the apology, which Optimus was thankful for, he did not want Hot Rod to hold any resentment to him.

Hot Rod offered to help with the dented roof. Optimus was thankful for the offer and allowed him. While still in truck mode, Optimus opened his door. Hot Rod put his servo through the door and pushed the roof of the cab upwards popping the dent out.

It was a little uncomfortable, like a pinch. But Optimus felt relief once it was done. He transformed and looked himself over. The only indicator he was in an accident was the cracked windshield.

That bothered him. He would have to ask Cade to source him a new one. Unfortunately it could take a while, meaning he would have to drive around with a giant crack.

He didn't need to see through the windscreen, but he didn't need any cops pulling him over for it. He tried to think, maybe he should stay at home until he could get a new one. He didn't want to. He hated being cooped up and didn't want to be stuck in one place. But he didn't want to risk getting pulled over. This made him feel a little annoyed at the situation but he was the one that caused it so he could only blame himself.

He felt embarrassed and awkward, so spent a few days avoiding Hot Rod. He never wanted to be the cause of an accident to any of his Autobots. He knew Hot Rod forgave him, but he still felt awful about it.

He just needed a few days to get over the incident. Deep down he hoped that at some point both he and Hot Rod would just forget about it.

He also made mental notes to himself. From now on, whenever he drove with another bot he would make sure they stayed in front of him the entire time. He was never going to let one get into his blind spots ever again for fear of another accident.

[beardedmrbean]

In Africa, the risks of traffic accidents are exceptionally high. The number of road accidents is also higher than on any other continent. 

In the past week alone, road accidents have claimed dozens of lives in Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa, to mention just a few countries. Available data from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that Africa has the worst rate of road traffic deaths in the world, with an unacceptably high fatality rate of 26.6 deaths per 100,000 people — nearly three times that of Europe.

The Dominican Republic takes first place in a ranking compiled by the health service platform World Life Expectancy using WHO data. After that, only African countries, such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Liberia, Eritrea and others, follow until Venezuela breaks the ranks at 26th.

Kenya's crackdown on traffic offenders

Kenya is ranked 12th, with 48 traffic fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. However, the number of deaths in relation to the population has risen steadily since 2013. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki announced that he would take tougher action against drivers who do not obey the traffic rules.

"We expect all regulations governing traffic on our roads to be complied with 100%, by all people, regardless of their rank or social position," Kindiki told reporters, adding that he had instructed the police to take action against all those who violate traffic regulations without exception.

South Africa: 'Arrive Alive' campaign bears fruit

Traffic authorities in South Africa have warned motorists to be mindful on the roads during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. With slogans such as "Be safe — get there," radio stations have been drawing attention to the dangers of flouting traffic rules almost every hour.

The "Arrive Alive" campaign has been active for years and provides valuable tips on responsible behavior behind the wheel and during traffic jams and other disruptions. It also offers help on how to plan trips to a destination popular with tourists. Recently, South Africa has observed a decline in traffic fatalities.

Nevertheless, traffic accidents still killed about 22.2 people per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019 on South Africa's roads, according to the WHO. By African standards, that's a huge improvement, but well above the global average. 

For example, about four people per 100,000 inhabitants in Germany died in road traffic accidentsin 2018.

Fighting corruption and driving while drunk

Alcohol is a major factor in accidents in South Africa, writes the South African Journal of Science on its website. The journal recommends introducing zero tolerance for drunk driving. 

Overall, calls for stricter penalties for road traffic offenses are growing louder, not least because corrupt police officers often make it difficult to punish traffic offenders efficiently when they can buy their way out for small amounts of money.

In Kenya, too, the excesses of corruption contribute to carnage on the roads. In some instances, some have been caught driving without licenses, thereby risking the lives of other commuters. 

"Our drivers cut it short. They buy papers at the counter, and the next day, they're on the road, driving too fast and we have to be on our guard," Eunice Imwenda, manager of a driving school in the capital, Nairobi, told DW. 

Accidents different from crashes

In Nigeria, road traffic crashes are among the leading causes of death, along with insurgency and banditry, according to data from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Africa's most populous nation recorded 41,709 road deaths between 2013 and 2020.

In many cases, one should speak of collisions (crashes) rather than accidents, Gbenga Akimbule, a policy analyst, told DW. 

"An accident is something you didn't plan for, but if you have a bad tire and you know that the tire might not get you to your destination and you pray and believe that God will get you there, that's different."

Daily reports of road accidents

"Road accidents and collisions have become so normal that hardly a day goes by without a report of a road accident that takes lives or causes permanent disabilities for victims," Badiya Sani from Maiduguri told DW. "Those of us who don't own a car have no choice but to switch to public transportation. But we do so with a lot of trepidation," she added.

As in many African countries, authorities must establish a good public transport network. Buses and minibus cabs are usually in poor condition, technically untested and often involved in accidents. The government needs to do more about this, Sani urges.

Educating Kenya's bodaboda riders

In Kenya, local motorcycle cabs known as "boda bodas" are a popular means of public transport. But they are also responsible for many accidents, Evans Langat of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) told DW.

The agency is therefore emphasizing this in its educational campaign. "We've made all drivers aware, and I think the message has gotten through," Langat said.

The numbers in the coming years will show whether he's right about that. For now, many a Kenyan family will breathe a sigh of relief once the holiday traffic is over.

[safetywala]

Road Safety equipments Suppliers and Dealers in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Road Safety Equipments | Traffic Safety Products- Safety wala equipment.

Safety on the road is paramount, and it's a responsibility that falls on both drivers and pedestrians alike. However, ensuring road safety isn't solely dependent on the behavior of individuals; it also heavily relies on the infrastructure and safety measures put in place. This is where road safety equipment and traffic safety products play a crucial role. SafetyWala Equipment is a leading provider of such essential tools and devices, dedicated to enhancing safety on roads and highways.

One of the fundamental aspects of road safety is visibility. SafetyWala Equipment offers a range of high-visibility products designed to make roads safer for everyone. This includes reflective vests, jackets, and armbands that ensure workers, cyclists, and pedestrians are easily seen, especially during low-light conditions or at night. These products are made with durable materials and reflective strips to maximize visibility and minimize the risk of accidents.

Our Products:

SPEED BREAKER BUMPER

CROWD SAFETY

EXPANDABLE BARRICADES

DARK EYE SOLAR SAFETY DEVICES

DARK EYE PMMA REFLECTORS

DARK EYE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

ROAD BARRIERS

RECTANGULAR CONVEX MIRROR

SPRING POST

RUBBER CORNER GUARDS

CONVEX MIRROR.

QUARTER HALF FULL DOME MIRRORS.

SOLAR SAFETY EQUIPMENTS.

CABLE PROTECTOR.

SAFETY CONE

Another critical area of road safety is traffic management. SafetyWala Equipment provides various traffic safety products to regulate and control the flow of vehicles on roads and highways. This includes traffic cones, barricades, and delineators that help mark construction zones, redirect traffic, and create safe passages for pedestrians. These products are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and heavy-duty use, ensuring reliability and longevity.

In addition to visibility and traffic management, road safety also involves speed control. SafetyWala Equipment offers speed bumps and humps that effectively reduce vehicle speeds in areas where pedestrian traffic is high, such as school zones, residential areas, and parking lots. These speed control devices are engineered to slow down vehicles safely without causing damage to the vehicle or discomfort to the occupants.

Furthermore, SafetyWala Equipment provides signage and signaling devices to convey important information to drivers and pedestrians. This includes road signs, traffic signals, and LED message boards that warn of hazards, indicate directions, and provide guidance on safe driving practices. Clear and visible signage is essential for preventing confusion and ensuring compliance with traffic regulations.

In addition to standard road safety equipment, SafetyWala Equipment also offers specialized products for specific applications. This includes safety barriers for highway construction sites, wheel chocks for vehicle immobilization, and convex mirrors for blind spot elimination. These products are designed to address specific safety concerns and enhance overall road safety.

In conclusion, SafetyWala Equipment is committed to providing high-quality road safety equipment and traffic safety products to protect lives and prevent accidents on roads and highways. By investing in these essential tools and devices, communities can create safer environments for both drivers and pedestrians, ultimately reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities on the road.

For More Information:

104 - Symmers, Near IBP Petrol Pump, Sarkhej Sanand Road, Ahmedabad, Gujarat - 382210

 +91 99790 80559

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[akhlisheshsrivastva]

Transforming Road Safety in India: The Integration of Technology and Education

As India grapples with the persistent challenge of road safety, it's increasingly evident that a multifaceted strategy is essential for effective solutions. The "Road Accidents in India-2022" report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways revealed alarming statistics: 461,312 reported road accidents, resulting in 168,491 fatalities and 443,366 injuries in 2022. These figures represent an 11.9% increase in accidents, a 9.4% increase in fatalities, and a 15.3% increase in injuries compared to the previous year.

We firmly advocate for the integration of innovative technologies into infrastructure and the promotion of road safety education, particularly among children, as significant steps towards enhancing safety on Indian roads.

Technology holds immense potential to revolutionize road safety through improved traffic management, enhanced infrastructure, and effective enforcement measures. Advanced Traffic Regulation Systems (ATMS), utilizing state-of-the-art sensors, cameras, and communication networks, monitor traffic flow, detect violations, and respond to incidents in real-time. These systems not only enhance road network efficiency but also proactively identify and address potential hazards, thereby reducing accidents. Similarly, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in vehicles, such as driver drowsiness detection and automatic emergency braking, contribute to accident prevention by detecting hazards and providing timely alerts or interventions.

Emerging technologies like Emergency Response Systems and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication show promise in facilitating communication between vehicles and infrastructure, allowing drivers to receive warnings about hazards ahead.

Furthermore, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) augment road safety through dynamic message signs, traffic signal optimization, and electronic toll collection, optimizing traffic flow and minimizing congestion, thus reducing accident risks.

AI and analytics offer significant contributions to road safety by analyzing real-time data to predict traffic patterns, detect risks, and provide actionable insights for improvement. Data analytics can identify high-risk areas and inform targeted interventions to reduce accidents and fatalities.

However, technology alone isn't sufficient; education also plays a crucial role in fostering responsible behavior among road users, especially children. Road safety education programs equip children with essential knowledge and skills, including understanding traffic rules and respecting pedestrians, cultivating lifelong habits that promote safety on the road.

Collaboration and partnerships are vital for amplifying the impact of road safety initiatives. By working closely with government agencies, schools, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders, we can leverage collective expertise and resources to implement comprehensive road safety programs nationwide.

In conclusion, integrating advanced technologies with targeted education initiatives holds immense potential for reducing road accidents and creating safer roads in India. By investing in smart infrastructure solutions and empowering the next generation with road safety knowledge, significant progress can be made towards the goal of zero road fatalities. Together, let's build a safer future for all.

Source Link: https://medium.com/@akhlisheshsrivastva/transforming-road-safety-in-india-the-integration-of-technology-and-education-b2d3af96abe5

[unitedtreepro]

5 Warning Signs That Indicate It's Time for Tree Removal

Trees are not just static features of our landscapes; they're living organisms that require attention and care. While we often cherish the presence of trees for their beauty and environmental benefits, there are times when they can become hazardous or pose risks to property and safety. Knowing when it's time to remove a tree is crucial for ensuring the safety of your home and surroundings. Here are five warning signs that indicate it might be time for tree removal:

Visible Decay or Disease:

One of the most apparent signs that a tree may need to be removed is the presence of significant decay or disease. Decay can manifest in various ways, such as hollowed-out trunks, extensive fungal growth, or large sections of dead or dying branches. Diseases like Dutch elm disease or oak wilt can also cause rapid deterioration of a tree's health. When a tree is extensively decayed or diseased, its structural integrity is compromised, increasing the risk of collapse, especially during storms or high winds. In such cases, removal may be the only viable option to prevent potential accidents or property damage.

Leaning or Unstable Structure:

Trees naturally grow towards sources of light, but sometimes, they may develop a significant lean due to various factors like root damage, soil erosion, or wind exposure. While slight leaning may not always indicate a problem, a pronounced lean can be a sign of instability. Additionally, trees with multiple trunks or branches growing at odd angles are more prone to structural weaknesses. If you notice a tree leaning precariously towards your home, neighboring structures, or areas with high foot traffic, it's crucial to have it inspected by a certified arborist to determine if removal is necessary to prevent potential accidents.

Root Issues:

Healthy roots are essential for the stability and vitality of trees, but root-related problems can pose serious risks. Signs of root issues include soil heaving or cracking near the tree base, visible root decay, or roots encroaching on underground utilities or foundations. Trees with compromised root systems are more susceptible to uprooting, especially during severe weather conditions. In urban areas, compacted soil or construction activities can also damage tree roots, leading to decline and potential hazards. If root problems are detected and deemed irreversible, a tree removal company may be the safest solution to avoid property damage or injury.

Dead or Hanging Branches:

Dead or hanging branches pose significant risks as they can fall unexpectedly, causing property damage, injury, or even fatalities. Dead branches are common in mature trees due to natural aging, disease, or pest infestations. Additionally, storm damage can create hanging branches that are at risk of falling. Regularly inspecting trees for dead or hanging branches and promptly removing them can mitigate potential hazards. However, if a tree has extensive deadwood or multiple hanging branches, it may indicate overall poor health and necessitate removal to ensure safety.

Visible Pest Infestation:

Pest infestations can weaken trees by feeding on their foliage, bark, or wood, ultimately compromising their structural integrity. Common tree pests include beetles, borers, caterpillars, and aphids, which can cause significant damage if left unchecked. Signs of pest infestation include visible holes in the trunk or branches, abnormal leaf discoloration or wilting, and sawdust-like frass near the base of the tree. While some infestations can be treated through appropriate pest management techniques, severe or recurring infestations may warrant tree removal to prevent the spread of pests to nearby trees or structures.

In conclusion, recognizing the warning signs of tree decline and potential hazards is essential for proactive tree management and safeguarding property and safety. If you notice any of these warning signs in your trees, it's advisable to consult with a local tree removal company to assess the situation and determine the appropriate course of action, which may include tree removal to mitigate risks effectively. By prioritizing tree health and safety, you can ensure a secure environment for yourself, your family, and your community.

United Tree Pro Service LLC 1487 Milford Church Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30008 770 795–5616 https://unitedtreepro.com/

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[sharpeagle-tech]

OSHA Requirements For Forklift Safety Lights

The latest NSC data reveals that Forklifts caused 70 deaths in 2021 and 7,290 fatal injuries in 2020. These numbers indicate the urgent need to take safety measures in the workplace. 

Safety lights have become a significant forklift safety solution in recent times. Many industries use the appropriate safety lights to enhance safety and help the operators work more effectively. However, whether or not the Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates the use of forklift safety lights has still been a common question for many of our clients. Keep reading to learn if OSHA requires you to use forklift safety lights. 

We understand that installing safety lights is a crucial decision for any organisation employing forklifts. Forklift safety lights contribute to enhanced safety for operators and pedestrians. Hence, we will delve into OSHA guidelines for forklift safety lights and explore various types of safety lights that contribute to a safer work environment.

‍➢ Forklift Safety Light Guidelines by OSHA

‍OSHA– Occupational Safety & Health Administration aims to ensure employees' safe and healthy working conditions. It has enforced some safety regulations about the use of forklifts. There are three significant guidelines related to safety lights by OSHA.

Headlights Usage

Osha regulation 1910.178(h)(2) states that you must use headlights when the ambient lighting in the workspace falls below 2 lumens per square foot. This is particularly crucial during nighttime operations or when traffic obstructs visibility. Adequate illumination increases the operator's productivity and addresses operators' varying visibility needs, with older individuals requiring more light for optimal safety.

Maintain forklift safety compliance as per the guidelines to avoid penalties.

Tail/Brake Lights

Tail/brake lights, often integral to forklifts, are another requirement under OSHA's forklift safety rules. Tail/Brake lights enhance visibility, reducing the risk of forklift accidents in busy work environments. While not mandatory for forklifts operating in less crowded areas, OSHA recommends installing them in traffic areas with significant pedestrians.

Horns and Lights Requirement

The OSHA guideline also emphasizes that you must equip forklifts with horns and lights if workplace conditions demand them. This ensures the necessary audible and visual warnings are available to prevent potential hazards.

Apart from headlights and tail/brake lights, there are other types of forklift safety lights that you must use for enhanced safety. In the next section, we will discuss the types of forklift safety lights you can use to prioritize safety at your workplace.

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Light Up Safety With Osha Guidelines. Install SharpEagle Forklift Safety Lights For 100% Protection!

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➢ Types of Forklift Safety Lights

Depending on your requirements, you can use different types of forklift safety lights to prevent accidents caused by forklifts. These lights protect operators and serve as adequate warnings for nearby pedestrians.

‍• Red Danger Light: The red color is associated with a warning. Hence, The red forklift safety light creates a warning zone around the forklift, signaling the pedestrians about a restricted area when the forklift is in motion. It surrounds the area up to the mark where people must not enter. This visual cue aids in preventing unauthorized entry into potentially hazardous zones.

‍• Blue Spot Light: A blue safety light serves a dual purpose by helping operators identify roadblocks on their path and warning pedestrians about the forklift's movement. However, blue spot forklift safety lights are less effective than red safety lights for warning pedestrians from entering restricted areas. Hence, we suggest identifying your requirements and employing different safety lights to serve each purpose. Taking such safety measures will demonstrate corporate social responsibility and build stakeholder trust.

‍• Strobe light: The intensity of the beam in strobe lights is very high. Hence, it is highly efficient in drawing the attention of pedestrians and bypassers towards the forklift. Careful placement of the light ensures that workers and pedestrians know that the forklift is operating and they can stay clear of it. 

‍• Arc Safety Lights: Arc safety light is a multipurpose touch light made of a polycarbonate lens. This forklift safety lighting comes with casting aluminum alloy housing and double-insulated silicon rubberized wire for efficient working in low & high temperatures. You can also use this light for working in low & high temperatures. The tempered glass cover protects the system from external damage and is 100% dust, water, and earthquake-resistant.

As mentioned earlier, OSHA guidelines emphasize using these forklift safety lights to make your workplace safety-compliant. We often recommend it to our clients if the lighting conditions are deficient and need enhanced visibility.

By improving the operator's visibility, these lights protect workers and pedestrians from forklift accidents.

Enhance visibility in low-light conditions and improve forklift safety by up to 40% with our OSHA-approved safety lights!

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‍➢ Conclusion: Install the Finest Safety Lights from the house of SharpEagle

We recognize the importance of prioritizing safety at a worksite where workers are always at risk of accidents and even deaths in some cases. Hence, we do rigorous site inspections and suggest robust safety measures that you should take to make your workplace safety-compliant.

We understand your commitment towards safety and fostering a culture of safety within the workplace. As a result, we suggest the best safety solutions depending on the nature of your work site.  Contact our experts today to enhance the safety of your worksite. Let’s safeguard your workers and assets and create a safe workplace today.

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FAQS

What are the OSHA requirements for forklift lighting?

OSHA's forklift safety rules recommend the use of two types of forklift safety lights. These guidelines require installing a forklift safety light if the lighting is less than 2 lumens per square foot. They have specified the use of headlights in this situation. These rules also recommend employing brake/tail lights when operating forklifts in congested areas. 

What are the OSHA regulations for forklifts?

OSHA forklift safety regulations contain three safety measures for forklifts. The first step is to use headlights in low-light settings, particularly at night. Another law emphasizes using brake/tail lights when operating forklifts in busy areas. OSHA requires that forklifts be equipped with horns or other sound devices while working in places where the operator's eyesight is restricted.

What are OSHA requirements for lighting?

The General Duty Clause mandates that you keep the workplace free of potential risks. If insufficient lighting creates a risk of harm, you must address it and follow this clause. It also includes general illumination requirements. It recommends appropriate illumination, especially well-lit escape paths, to reduce accidents and eye strain. To avoid dangers, consider installing emergency lights in case of a power outage.

What is the minimum lighting requirement for forklift operations?

The minimum lighting requirements for forklift operations vary depending on the location and type of the operations. Maintain a light level of 30-foot candles for adequate vision for everyday movements. Increase lighting levels in high-traffic areas and junctions to avoid collisions. To guarantee optimal safety, please consult an expert to determine the specific lighting needs for your job. Refer to OSHA forklift safety rules for workplaces compliant with safety standards.

‍You can call us at +971-4-454-1054 or mail us at sales@sharpeagle.uk

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The Lifesaving Role of Traffic Management Attenuators (TMA)

In the fast-paced world of transportation, safety reigns supreme. Amidst the hustle and bustle of highways and construction zones, one unsung hero stands tall, quietly safeguarding lives: the Traffic Management Attenuator (TMA). Let's delve into the vital role played by TMAs in ensuring the safety of both workers and motorists alike.

What is a TMA? A Traffic Management Attenuator, commonly known as a TMA, is a specialized vehicle designed to absorb the impact of errant vehicles in construction zones, highway maintenance areas, or other roadside work sites. It serves as a protective barrier, mitigating the force of collisions and reducing the risk of injury or fatality.

How does it work? At first glance, a TMA may resemble a typical truck or trailer, but its construction is far from ordinary. The rear of the vehicle is equipped with a crash cushion or impact attenuator, which is designed to collapse upon impact, absorbing kinetic energy and decelerating the errant vehicle in a controlled manner. This crucial feature prevents the vehicle from plowing into workers, equipment, or other obstacles, significantly reducing the severity of collisions.

Why are TMAs essential? Construction zones and roadside work areas are inherently hazardous environments, with workers exposed to the dangers of passing traffic. TMAs provide a vital layer of protection, creating a buffer zone between workers and oncoming vehicles. By absorbing the impact of collisions, TMAs minimize the risk of injuries and fatalities, ensuring that workers can carry out their duties safely.

The human cost of roadway accidents The importance of TMAs becomes all too clear when we consider the human toll of roadway accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), work zone crashes resulted in 842 fatalities and thousands of injuries in the United States alone in recent years. Behind these statistics are real people—workers who left for their jobs in the morning and didn't return home, families shattered by sudden loss, and communities left reeling from the aftermath of tragedy.

The role of TMAs in preventing fatalities In the face of such sobering statistics, the role of TMAs in preventing fatalities cannot be overstated. These devices serve as a critical line of defense, standing between workers and the unpredictable dangers of the road. By absorbing the impact of collisions, TMAs save lives, plain and simple. They provide peace of mind to workers and their families, knowing that every precaution has been taken to ensure their safety.

Innovations in TMA technology As technology advances, so too does the effectiveness of TMAs. Manufacturers are continually innovating to improve the performance and safety features of these vital devices. From enhanced crash cushions to advanced warning systems, modern TMAs are equipped with state-of-the-art technology designed to minimize the risk of accidents and maximize protection for workers and motorists alike.

The human element Beyond their technical specifications, TMAs embody a deeper principle: the value of human life. Behind every TMA deployment is a team of dedicated professionals committed to ensuring the safety of their fellow workers and the traveling public. From the engineers who design these devices to the operators who deploy them on the front lines, their collective efforts make our roadways safer for everyone.

In conclusion In a world where every second counts, the presence of a Traffic Management Attenuator (TMA) can mean the difference between life and death. As we strive to create safer roadways for future generations, let us never underestimate the importance of these unassuming yet indispensable devices. For behind their steel frames and flashing lights lies a simple yet profound truth: safety saves lives.

[novushitech]

Forward Collision Warning Systems: Your Guardian Angel on the Road

Rear-end collisions are among the most common types of accidents on the road, often resulting in serious injuries and even fatalities. In today’s fast-paced world, distractions are everywhere, making it easy for drivers to lose focus and react too late to a sudden stop or slowdown in traffic. This is where Forward Collision Warning Systems (FCW) come in as a critical safety technology that can help prevent these types of accidents.read more here

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Enhancing Roadside Safety: The Impact of 2 Meter Road Safety Barricades

Across the world, millions of people use highways for daily transportation. For our infrastructure to remain modern, road construction and maintenance are necessary, but they can also put workers, pedestrians, and cars in danger.

What is 2-meter Road Safety Barricade?

These barriers, typically constructed from strong, durable materials like premium quality virgin high grade plastic, with a width of 2 meters. They are placed along roadsides to absorb the impact of a vehicle which is deviating off course, preventing it from entering dangerous zones or colliding with fixed objects.  The bright yellow color of these barriers makes them highly visible, even in low-light conditions.

How does a 2-meter Road Safety Barricade improve roadside safety?

1. Reduced Severity of Collisions: 

These barriers can significantly reduce the force applied to the car by absorbing the impact during a collision. In the case of an accident, this might result in fewer fatalities and serious injuries.

2. Guiding Traffic:  

Roadside construction, accidents, or stalled vehicles can disrupt traffic flow.  2-meter barricades effectively channel vehicles away from hazards, creating a designated safe zone for workers and unforeseen situations.

3. Enhanced Pedestrian Protection: 

In urban areas, 2-meter barricades can create a clear separation between traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways. This provides a layer of safety for walkers and cyclists using the roadside.

4. Enhancing Visibility:  

These barriers stand out due to their vivid yellow colour, especially in low light. This enables drivers to recognise hazards at a distance and adjust their course accordingly.

Where Safety Barricades are Used?

1. Construction Zones: 

These barricades reduce the danger of accidents and injuries to workers and motorists by acting as a protective barrier between traffic and construction activities in areas beside roads and highways.

2. Traffic Management: 

During road maintenance or repair work, 2-meter road safety barricade help redirect traffic flow, creating a safe passage for workers and maintaining the smooth movement of vehicles.

3. Event Management: 

These barriers are essential for marking event areas, providing participant and spectator safety, and regulating crowd size for everything from parades to marathons.

4. Pedestrian Safety: 

By preventing cars from approaching people and reducing the possibility of collisions near sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian walkways, these barricades increase pedestrian safety.

What Benefits do Swift’s Road Safety Barricade Offer?

1. Easy Deployment and Maintenance of Road Safety Barricade: 

These barriers are relatively lightweight and can be quickly positined or removed when needed. This is crucial for temporary road closures or ongoing construction projects.

2. Durability and Weather Resistance: 

These barriers are made of sturdy materials that can withstand even the worst weather, providing years of dependable protection.

3. Cost-Effectiveness: 

While the initial investment might seem more, the long-term benefits of reduced accidents and improved safety far outweigh the costs.

4. Reflective Properties on Road Safety Barricade:  

Equipping barricades with reflective sheeting significantly improves nighttime visibility.  This is especially important on high-speed roads and in areas with limited lighting.

5. Water or Sand Ballast:  

Filling the base of barricades with water or sand adds stability. This prevents them from toppling over in strong winds or being struck by vehicles. Also absorbs the impact upon collision. 

6. Signage on Road Safety Barricade:  

For enhanced safety, consider incorporating signage and warning lights on barricades.  Signs can communicate specific hazards, while lights provide additional visibility during nighttime hours.

Conclusion

2-meter road safety barricade is a simple yet powerful tool for enhancing safety on our roads. By absorbing impact, preventing vehicle skids, and creating a buffer zone for pedestrians, they play a critical role in protecting lives.  Through proper implementation, maintenance we can ensure that these barriers continue to serve as guardians on our journeys.Contact us today to learn more about our road safety solutions and discover how we help to create safer roadways.

[rohitpalan]

Driving Growth: Automotive Semiconductor Market Set to Reach $115.6 Billion by 2033

The demand for automotive semiconductor market is predicted to grow at a consistent growth rate of 7%. It is projected that the worldwide automotive semiconductor market is likely to be worth approximately US$ 58,770.1 million in the year 2023 and is expected to increase to a value of US$ 115,609.68 million by the year 2033.

Innovations in the automotive sector are proceeding at a breakneck pace.

When an error occurs in the vehicle, such as with the accelerator, the anti-lock brake interface, or the lights, a semiconductor is used to control the fail-safe system, manage the electrical control unit’s functions, and implement automotive fault tolerant systems, which alert the microcontrollers and safety systems installed in all vehicles. By way of illustration, consider the situation in which a vehicle loses traction on icy roads; this would call attention to the system’s ability to tolerate and recover from failure.

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When the driver applies the brakes, the anti-lock braking system is activated because the sensors and semiconductor devices have detected an incident. As a result, semiconductors play a crucial role in the automotive sector, and the industry’s rapid expansion is anticipated to boost the automotive semiconductor market’s growth over the forecast period.

Demand for improved vehicle safety features continues to rise.

As the number of traffic accidents grows, so does the need for safety features like parking aids, collision avoidance systems, lane departure warnings, traction control, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitors, airbags, and telematics. Numerous ADAS technologies rely heavily on automotive semiconductors, which improve the systems’ functionality and enable them to detect and classify objects in the path of the vehicle, alerting the driver to changes in the environment and the state of the road as necessary.

Furthermore, these systems can use semiconductors and associated components to automatically apply the brakes or bring the vehicle to a stop, depending on the road conditions. In recent years, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people losing their lives in traffic accidents, making it one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

According to a 2021 report by the World Health Organization, for instance, nearly 1.3 million people worldwide lose their lives in traffic-related incidents annually. Teenagers also have a higher rate of fatal road traffic injuries. Due to these causes, there has been an uptick in interest in car safety features. Businesses in the auto industry are working to address consumers’ concerns by designing and releasing new products with enhanced safety functions. For instance, HELLA (a company that makes advanced lighting and electronics components) is expected to begin mass producing their newest 77 GHz radar system soon.

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Key Takeaways

The automotive semiconductor market is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years due to increased demand for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Advancements in ADAS technology are driving the demand for semiconductors that enable these features.

The development of autonomous vehicles is driving the need for more advanced semiconductor technology, such as LiDAR, radar, and camera systems.

The rise of connected car technology is driving demand for advanced semiconductor components that can support features like telematics, infotainment, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

The adoption of Industry 4.0 technology is driving demand for more advanced semiconductor technology that can support IoT and AI systems.

The United States is currently the largest market for automotive semiconductors due to its robust automotive industry and investment in emerging technologies.

The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience significant growth in the automotive semiconductor market due to its growing automotive industry and increasing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape in the automotive semiconductor market is highly fragmented and characterized by intense competition among key players. There are several global players, including NXP Semiconductors N.V., Infineon Technologies AG, and Texas Instruments Incorporated, who are investing heavily in research and development to improve the performance and functionality of their semiconductor products. These companies are also expanding their product portfolios through strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and collaborations with other companies in the value chain.

The automotive semiconductor market is seeing increased competition from new entrants and startups that are developing innovative semiconductor products to cater to the evolving needs of the automotive industry. These companies are leveraging emerging technologies like IoT, AI, and cloud computing to develop cutting-edge semiconductor solutions that enhance the functionality and performance of automobiles.

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Key Segments

Automotive Semiconductor Market by Component:

Micro Components (Processors)

Memory Devices

Logic

Optical & Sensors

Analog ICs

Discrete Devices

Automotive Semiconductor Market by Vehicle Type:

Automotive Semiconductors for Passenger Vehicles

Automotive Semiconductors for Light Commercial Vehicles

Automotive Semiconductors for Heavy Commercial Vehicles

Automotive Semiconductor Market by Application:

Body

Safety

Telematics & Infotainment

Power Trains

Chassis

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Unlocking the Potential: Benefits, Costs, and Application Process of Rooftop Solar Systems

Crash barriers, also known as guardrails or safety barriers, play a crucial role in ensuring traffic safety on roads and highways. These barriers are strategically placed alongside roadways and are designed to minimize the severity of accidents and protect motorists and pedestrians. Here's how crash barriers ensure traffic safety:

Vehicle Containment: One of the primary functions of crash barriers is to contain errant vehicles within their designated lanes. When a vehicle veers off the road or loses control, the barrier acts as a physical barrier to prevent it from crossing over into opposing traffic or off-road hazards.

Absorbing Impact Energy: Highway crash barriers are engineered to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of a colliding vehicle. They are designed to deform or deflect upon impact, which helps to reduce the force experienced by the vehicle and its occupants.

Redirecting Vehicles: In certain cases, crash barriers are designed to redirect vehicles away from dangerous obstacles or structures. For example, on curved roads or bridges, barriers are positioned to guide vehicles back onto the roadway if they drift off-course.

Preventing Rollovers: On highways with significant height differences between lanes or at the edge of a cliff, barriers can prevent vehicles from rolling over the edge, offering critical protection for drivers and passengers.

Pedestrian Safety: In urban areas, crash barriers may also serve to protect pedestrians by preventing vehicles from mounting sidewalks or pedestrian areas.

Separating Traffic Flow: Crash barriers are often used to separate opposing lanes of traffic on highways, reducing the risk of head-on collisions.

Reducing Severity of Collisions: By absorbing impact energy and redirecting vehicles, crash barriers help reduce the severity of collisions, potentially preventing serious injuries and fatalities.

Warning Drivers: Brightly colored or reflective W beam crash barrier can also serve as visual aids, warning drivers of upcoming hazards or changes in the road layout.

It's important to note that W beam crash barrier must be installed following proper design and engineering standards. Regular maintenance and inspection are essential to ensure their continued effectiveness. Additionally, the choice of the appropriate barrier type depends on various factors, including road type, speed limits, and the potential hazards present.

By providing a protective buffer between vehicles and potential hazards, crash barriers are instrumental in enhancing road safety and minimizing the impact of accidents, ultimately saving lives and reducing the severity of injuries on our roadways.