I am in the truck shaking and trying to breathe slowly and not throw up but my stomach is in knots and terrified.

SBI + Witch-Hybrid Reader

C OR CC: Character

WHO: Sbi

PRONOUNS: They/Them

WARNINGS: Swearing | Character Death [Mentions]

Okay, so I imagine the reader has vitiligo-type skin, like patches of the grey witch skin ya' know?

Like it's grey and makes them look sick in some places

Reader could probably have one dull purple eye

Also, cats would probably be very attracted to them, like reader just come home one day with 50 cats and Phil doesn't even question it anymore because 'For fuck sake [Y/N] it's the fifth time this week and it's only Tuesday'

Also, reader can trade with villagers easier, they get the good stuff for less money (Techno using this to his advantage and getting items for insanely good prices) this armor is seven gold? nevermind one coal will do

Reader being a master at potion-making and enchanting, trying to teach sbi how to enchant, and just

none of them being very good at it

first off, Wilbur's just shit, okay he got bane of arthropods seven different times. Bitch what?

Tommy's next, he's also shit but not as bad as Wil, he only messed up five or six times, but he was like ten when you showed him so, you can't really blame him for being bad

Wilbur though he was like 16/17-ish so he has no excuse

Techno was okay, a lot better than Wil and Tommy, he got the enchanting down very fast, it was bane of arthropods but he got flame on his next try so reader didn't have to help him too much.

Phil was fine, he struggled with the inscribing but overall he did well (he already knew how to enchant but he wanted to support you and your passion)

Also reader with one of the big mumza hats with the veil on it, just, 6-year-old [Y/N] with a massive hat that they stole from their goddess mom, and it's way too big and keeps falling in front of their face

it probably still does, and the veil is so long it drags along the floor like a train, Tommy would probably steal it from you {like a raccoon}

[Y/N] being the cool aunt/uncle/Auncle/(other name for 'sibling-of-my-parent'), to Fundy and Micheal and taking care of them when Wil and Sally/Tubbo and Ranboo were away

or ftm![Y/N] giving Fundy their old binder (or sewing some for him), helping him bind, setting timers, giving him some of their hoodies, and just being there for him when/if he gets dysphoric

Okay so onto the lore,

If Reader joined L'manberg, they would probably be put in a safe, isolated area, not too far from the center but still pretty far

I doubt Wilbur would have told them about the war, so how did Reader find out?

Maybe it was when you intercepted a letter from Dream, a declaration of war, now that surprised you

Or was it when you little brother showed up at your house rambling a mile a minute about Dream, War, L'manberg

Wait did he just say he died?

You sit him down and start cleaning and healing his wounds while he re-starts his story, starting at the creation of L'manberg and ending with his death moments prior

"So Dream-"

"Shot me, yeah"

"And Wilbur-"

"Did nothing to protect me, no"

"... What the fuck"

You might just take a cannon life, you had always been a more peaceful soul, never really enjoyed the fighting Techno did, or at least not in the way Techno did.

You never thought it was very fun that was about to change

If Tommy hadn't stopped you, you might have just destroyed Dream, and every other person there, family or not.

Onto the election, mainly the results

I doubt Schlatt would banish you, especially since your a witch, he would need potions (which are like alcohol I guess)

So you'd probably leave a join Pogtopia, there would probably be a massive fight between you and the cabinet just so you could leave

They'd probably put you on house arrest, despite not fighting very often you were strong and your potions made it harder to get to you

So you were a pretty well rounded fighter

And they were definitely wary because of you relation to Techno

You breaking out and immediately going to Pogtopia

Wilbur being so relieved that his little sibling is okay

He puts you straight to work, helping ready the weapons

Forgetting that your now a wanted person

Okay, onto Wilbur's death

That fucked you up

Your dad just stabbed your brother and it hurt

Sure the explosion was a little far but killing him?!

Why

You really didn't know and didn't want to stay and find out

So you left, you ran far away into the deepest caves cuz who tf would find you here?

Ranboo

Ranboo found you

Somehow, this bitch is like 8 feet tall how did he fit in the cave

Anyway, he told Tubbo and Tubbo brought the (newly made) Butcher Army to your house, and since you were a criminal

You were supposed to be executed

You escaped before reaching L'manberg and ran to Techno's house

He had told you about Phil through an earlier conversation, he tried to help you

But you lead the army to his house, you also met Ghostbur for the first time

"Is that Wilbur?"

"Ghostbur actually"

"But is he Wilbur? "

"I guess, he's part of brother, like his soul almost"

"Does that mean Wil's with momma now?"

This definitely wasn't what the army expected to hear

"Your siblings?!"

"Yes!" "No"

"Don't deny it big brother, I'm amazing"

Maybe hitting the blood god whole you couldn't run wasn't the best idea you've had

But it certainly wasn't the worst

Ya' know what was the worst?

Breaking off the presidents horn during your escape

Now you were a criminal and a bad person

You and Phil made up and you hung out with Ghostbur

You were happy, Dream was finally put in prison and you didn't have to worry anymore

Your family was back - Broken and no longer the kids you once were - but back

Until Ghostbur dissappears during his visit to Dream

Betrayal -- Chapter 19 and 19bis: Inside the Mind of a Criminal (snippet dal 30) + Pigella (LadyNoir July day 30)

<< 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 -- 19: Ao3 || FFN – 19 bis: Ao3 || FFN -- 20 >>

Betrayal Chapter 19: Inside the Mind of a Criminal

Written by: JuliaFC

Beta: Agrestebug and MyImaginationFlows

Summary: We learn the background story of Lila's father, Richard Sphinx, the new Papillon, and how he's going to be much, much worse than the first one...

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

TW: mention of extreme manipulative and obsessive behaviour and cruelty against family

Written for the "Snippet July" challenge of the Miraculous Fanworks Discord server @miraculousfanworks

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Well done, Lila. Now head back to the monk and get his staff. If there are more jewels like these, we need to get our hands on them!" Richard sat at the desk of his office, staring at the nothing in front of him. His elbows pinned on the wood of the desk, his face resting on the length of his hands. His body was wrapped in a purple and grey suit and a grey mask covered his face, making his green eyes shine.

Briefly, he broke contact with Lila's akuma and stood up; he slowly paced the room to the fireplace. His gloved hand picking up a photograph on the mantle, portraying a woman with short brown hair wrapped in an elegant blue tailleur.

He still remembered the day he'd met Melania, Lila's mother. She was a petite Italian lady who exuded elegance and genuineness at a celebrity party. She looked so out of place, and her cheerful smile was like a breath of fresh air in the hypocrite atmosphere of the ball room. He still remembered his burning passion, how much he'd wanted her—her and all she represented. She was the daughter of a rich Italian family of ambassadors, with excellent connections all over the diplomatic world he wanted to be part of. When his charming politeness managed to raise her interest, he thought he'd hit the jackpot.

Their story had been short but intense, their relationship the final tassel in the puzzle that brought him to the limelight. Before their engagement of 5 years ended, FERG, his company, was quoted in the stock exchange. Quickly rising to be one of the top companies in the market.

Everything was perfect. Then, Melania fell pregnant and had her baby. For reasons that Richard couldn't understand, she somehow started distancing her husband — him. He suspected that the accusations of him having committed several cases of fraud, and having caused several suicides, may have been part of it. But Richard had done it for her. Nobody else was important in his mind. He had to protect his family. He had to protect the people who mattered for him. How could Melania not see that?

"You're a heartless monster!" she accused him instead, when she tried to leave him and go stay with a friend; but he found her almost immediately and locked her up in her room.

The more he clenched his grip on Melania, the more the woman became distant, almost terrified. Eventually, she dared to ask for divorce and deny him the rights to see his daughter.

"His obsessive behaviour is harming me and my daughter! I'm afraid for our safety, Your Honour," she told the judge. "Only the money is important to Richard! He puts his company before the safety of his family."

Needless to say, she won the case. Since then, she kept as far away as possible and had tried to keep Lila away from him too. She had changed her surname to the plain Rossi, and changed her job many times. Until Lila was old enough to make her own decisions, she succeeded at keeping him away.

But Lila was a clever girl. Her thirst for power and her quest for attention were second to him. She knew what was important in life, that power and money were the only things that mattered. As soon as she had gained the use of a mobile phone, she contacted him (lying to her mother). They had been plotting against Melania ever since.

Now it was their time to obtain their aim. When Papillon trusted Lila to be his second in charge, Richard advised his daughter to gain as much information as she could about those powerful jewels that gave him power. Now all that hard work was paying off.

He squeezed Melania's photo in his hands, breaking the frame with his strong hold. How dare she run away from him? How dare she disregard his burning passion?

"You don't love me, you think you own me," shouted Melania when she left him, taking away his only daughter with her. "I don't want you to be a bad influence on our daughter. You terrify me."

How dare she. She was his wife, his other half, his property.

"You're mine. MINE. No judge can take you away from me."

He stared in a daze at the blood flowing from his gloved hands, where the shattered glass of the photo frame had pierced the skin underneath the suit. His eyes gleamed of madness. "I will be victorious. I will get the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir. And when I have the most powerful jewels in the world, you will come back. You will love me again. If you won't, I’ll force you to."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Gabriel closed his eyes as he placed a single red rose between Emilie's palms and squeezed her hands gently before closing the glass cover of her coffin one last time. He rested his hand on the glassy surface for an endless moment; the hand of Lieutenant Raincomprix falling on his arm way too soon for his tastes. He sighed and gave one last glance at the peaceful face of his sleeping wife.

"It's time to go, M. Agreste. Mlle. Sancoeur," said the officer.

They had spent a long time talking to SentiAdrien in Adrien's room. The boy had confirmed most of the wrongdoings that his teachers and friends had accused Gabriel and Nathalie of, and had pleaded completely non guilty regarding any involvement in his father's terrorist activities.. M. Raincomprix had decided to be safe, and was arresting both Gabriel and Nathalie.

"Mlle. Sancoeur will most likely be released when the heroes witness her double agenting, but better safe than sorry," said Raincomprix.

Gabriel glared at him as the officer moved his and Nathalie's hands behind their back and handcuffed them. He shot one last, languid glance at the blonde figure in the coffin, before having to follow Raincomprix and walk away.

To be continued… Day 30.2 — Bonus chapter

30.2 - Betrayal Chapter 19 bis: Pigella

Written by: JuliaFC

Beta: Agrestebug and MyImaginationFlows

Summary: Ladybug struggles to understand how to win against the vacuum akuma, but Volpina has to eventually face (temporary) defeat. (1687 words)

Written for the LadyNoir July @ladynoirjuly Day 30 — Rose.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey, Vacuum Lady, Aren't you tired of collecting dirt?" shouted Chat Noir as he used his baton to propel himself up. He smirked and added, "Probably not, since you've got Volpina with you. She's the biggest piece of dirt in existence!"

"How dare you," hissed Volpina and the Vacuum akuma at the same time before they both followed Chat Noir out of the way.

Ladybug gazed at the two akumas following her partner gratefully; then she put her hands to her temples and closed her eyes shut to concentrate. She picked up her communicator and dialled Alya's number.

"What's the plan, Ladybug? I saw Chat Noir jumping away with the akumas, I thought he may be trying to distract them."

"You were correct. Listen, Alya, I need you to use the water dragon. Water passes through surfaces so you will reach me in no time," whispered Ladybug to her Bugphone.

Alya smirked. "Right-o, I'm on it!"

Just seconds after their conversation, Ladybug saw water seeping through the barrier of books that towered in front of her. And, in a whirl of magic, Dragonbee Alya appeared in front of her. She wore a red outfit with the symbol of the dragon at the centre of her chest and curvy golden lines separated the red from sections of gold and black stripes. Her hair was combed in a twirly ponytail that looked like the sting of a bee. Ladybug didn't waste time and picked up her phone again, dialling Chat Noir's number this time.

"Chat, bring your whiskers back here immediately, before your transformation wears out!" she said before he could even say meow. With a gracious jump, her partner was again by her side seconds later.

"M'lady called?" he asked with a little smirk that Ladybug would have loved to take off his face with a kiss, but she knew perfectly well it wasn't the right moment.

"Alya, Chat and I’s timers are running out, we must be quick. Use the wind dragon and swoop us out of this alley and back on a rooftop."

Alya's eyes gleamed. "As you wish, Ladybug. Wind dragon!" Ladybug and Chat Noir were wrapped in a current of wind and next thing they knew, they were on a rooftop next to Nino (or rather, Thueban Jameel (1), as he has called himself), far away from the Library Maze but still keeping it in sight. The two heroes hid behind a chimney to release their transformation and feed their kwami without being spied on, and in no time they were up and running again.

"Okay now…before the akumas find us and we get stuck into that maze again. Lucky Charm!" called Ladybug. A red and black polka dotted single rose fell into her hands. "What?" she muttered, scratching her head.

"Are we going to declare our love to a vacuum cleaner?" was Chat Noir's snarky comment. But before Ladybug could say anything, the rooftop they were standing on disappeared and they all fell on the ground, facing yet another massive wall of books.

"Shoot! Here we are again…" cursed Ladybug.

The vacuum akuma reached them as well. "There you are, you fools. Did you really think you could escape? What a bunch of idiots! Tricksters, like that thief. I'll sweep you all away from existence. I wish I didn't always try to help people. I wish my heart hadn't been so kind. I'll take all the tricksters away, so maybe my boss will forgive me. I need my job!"

The four superheroes had to forcefully separate again trying to escape from the strength of the vacuum's sucking power. Before jumping off, Ladybug took a good look at the akuma and noticed that the akumatised object must be a book, which the victim was holding in her hand to create the vortex of sucking power.

Something in what the akuma had said was nagging at Ladybug. As she ran to hide from the vacuum, she went back to what the akuma had previously said: someone had stolen a book from her library and she was upset about it.

"What do you mean by trickster?" she asked when the akuma reached her once more.

A smirk popped on the victim's face. "That liar tricked me. He told me a sappy story about his family and convinced me to lend him the book without opening an account, but in the name of someone else. He promised me he was going to bring the book back in a couple of days. I'm too nice, too gullible. I wish all the tricksters would disappear!"

Ladybug's gaze fell on her lucky charm and her eyes widened. OF COURSE! How could she be that stupid to not realise before? She unified Kaalki and Tikki, becoming Pegabug. Then, with a smirk on her lips, she called for a 'Voyage' and jumped out of the maze, stepping inside the Couffaine's boat.

"Ladybug? Is there something wrong?" said Rose. That was a strike of luck: Rose was in Juleka's room, but her girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. "Jules is in the bathroom, if you're looking for her," added Rose when she noticed that Ladybug's gaze had darted around the room.

"No, I was looking for you, actually." She opened her yoyo and took out a pearl anklet. "Rose Lavillant, this is the Miraculous of the Pig. I need Pigella's help to win against this akuma."

Rose grabbed the anklet and put it on, allowing Daizzi to come out in a buzz of magic. "I still can't believe how cute you are," said Rose when she looked at the little kwami. Then, she muttered the transformation phrase and changed into Pigella.

It didn't take long for Pegabug and Pigella to find the vacuum akuma again, just in time to see Chat Noir being sucked in the vacuum when he got distracted by their arrival. The sound of Ladybug's scream echoed in the empty alley of books.

"You've got another one with you, Ladybug? I'll suck her in too!" drawled the akuma victim. But Pigella's gaze had a determined gleam.

"Why is your heart so full of sorrow? You should rejoice and be happy!" said Pigella with the sweetest of smiles on her face.

"Don't get close to me! I'm going to suck you in!" warned the akuma, but Pigella didn't just get close to her. She hugged her. The akuma was so baffled that she got petrified on the spot.

"Gift," murmured the pink superheroine and in a flash of light, a beautiful scene appeared in between the two girls, picturing a room full of books and everyone loving each other and being nice and friendly with each other. The akuma victim had tears in her eyes.

"Why are people so nasty? Why do people do wrong things, like lying or stealing? I want everyone to be happy!" The akuma leaned in Pigella's embrace and hugged her back, dropping the book that created the vacuum in the process. As soon as the akuma's grip on the book weakened, Ladybug caught it. She broke the book to release the butterfly, which she hastily captured, cleansed and released.

"Bye bye, little butterfly," said Ladybug as the white insect flew away in the sky. Then she picked up the lucky charm and threw it in the air, releasing the kaleidoscope of ladybugs. The instant Chat Noir reappeared, she was in his arms.

"I'm purr-fectly okay, M'lady," said the feline but this didn't stop the polka-dotted heroine from crying.

"Why do you always die for me? I don't want you to do that anymore!"

Chat Noir smiled softly as he hugged her tight, then he broke the hug to wipe her eyes and stroke her cheek. "I'm sorry, ma Buginette. I'll try to pay more attention, okay?"

"This new Papillon seems very dangerous, especially because he has a cunning fox like Volpina at his side. We need to pay even more attention than before!" said Ladybug as she hugged him again. He patted his hand on her back, gently drawing circles on the material of her suit.

"I'll be okay, as long as I'm with you," murmured Chat Noir into her ear.

oOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm very disappointed, Volpina." Richard's voice was tense as he spoke through the ethereal connection of the butterfly. "We were so close to achieving our goal, and now we have to start all over again! I've no time for losers!"

Far away on a rooftop, Volpina lowered her head and closed her eyes, clenching her fists. "I'm sorry, Father! I still have my Miraculous though, and the akuma."

She groaned thinking back at how Pegabug had immediately found the tracker she'd put on Su-Han's bag. She had completely underestimated how strong and skilled the monk was, and she hadn't been able to steal his staff. Besides, Su-Han seemed to have the annoying ability to see through her Illusions, which she really didn't expect.

"I will come up with a new plan to submit to you, Father, don't worry!" she said, seething in a low growl.

Richard's stern expression didn't soften. "You better. Did you get Melania to sign the document I gave you?"

Volpina took a paper from her pocket and looked at it carefully. It was a request to cease school and start homeschooling, signed by her mother. It had taken her much more than just a trick to obtain her mother to scribble her signature without noticing what it was all about. "I have it here. I told her that the school will be closed because of all the attacks and that I would stay with a friend of mine for some time." Pain flashed through her eyes as she added, "I doubt she would have noticed anyway, as busy as she is with work."

Richard smirked, hearing the hurt in Volpina's voice. "Worry not, my daughter. When we make the Wish, she will have all the time in the world to dedicate herself exclusively to us." His smirk widened when he felt the strength of her emotions. "Together we will succeed."

He cackled, and from her rooftop, Volpina sneered.

To be Continued… Day 31

Notes:

Thueban Jameel: "Beautiful Snake", from the Arabic for beautiful, "Jameel" (جميل) and the Arabic for snake, "Thueban" (ثعبان). (Thank you so much to my Beta, MyImaginationFlows, for her assistance with Arabic!) The peacock is the symbol of beauty, so I thought it would fit.

Author's Note

Hey! Here it is, this is a bonus chapter I had to write because the snippets didn't give me enough space to wrap up the battle and all loose ends. It's a second part for chapter 19, based on the LadyNoir prompt for day 30, "Rose". Let me know what you think of it.

I hope you will like it anyway and will leave me a comment. You know that comments are my bread and butter!

You're lucky today because you're getting even the epilogue and the end of the story. So… until I finish updating that, a temporary 'bug out'!

Princess, part 3

     [This story is a prequel, set several years before The Fall of Doc Future, when Flicker is 16.  Links to some of my other work are here.  Planning to update this at least once a week until it’s done–next update is set to be up by November 2nd.]

Previous: Part 2

     Time crawled by over the Tiber.  Flicker was staying under the speed of sound, but she had to keep her subjective mental speed high in order to counter any efforts by Hermes to escape or create shockwaves with his arms.  He'd tried each once and gotten his head bounced off the water surface for his trouble.  A number of bystanders along the river ended up soaked and with ringing ears, despite Flicker's earlier care.  And the cacophonous passage of what probably sounded like a demonic helicopter was unlikely to reassure people.  At least there were no boats.       Finally they emerged from the river mouth into the Tyrrhenian.  Flicker waited until they were a few kilometers out, then glided to a halt five meters up, still holding Hermes upside down by the ankle.       "Hermes.  Pay attention," she said to his inverted glare, before he could speak.  "I'm speeding up.  I know you've gone Mach 3.  I'm going much faster.  You'll need to use your air resistance reduction to avoid damage.  Can you manage centripetal force over water?"       "Centripetal what?" said Hermes.       Did he know any physics at all?       "Pulling down, like to keep from going airborne off the top of a hill."       "There are no hills on the sea!"       "Everything is a hill over orbital speed," said Flicker.  "But I'll take that as a no.  Do you have any active heat reduction other than sweating?  Radiation and conduction depend on temperature, and you're going to dehydrate pretty quickly."       "I am Hermes the Swift!  No fire can harm me!"       "Did I mention fire?  But fine.  You're about to learn about ablative cooling.  It isn't fun.  I'm going to speed up until you start losing mass to it, then slow down a little.  If you start to struggle or otherwise cause trouble, I speed up again.  Stop and I slow down.  That will get us to the Box the quickest without permanently harming you.  You can rehydrate when we arrive."       "Fool!  Free me and--"       "Enough," said Flicker wearily.  "You think sound is fast, diamond is hard, fire is hot, and steel is strong.  They aren't.  Not to me.  You are slow, weak, and fragile.  But you can heal.  You can heal even if you arrive at the Box as a charred cinder of a head and torso.  Do you understand?"       Hermes stared for a moment, his eyes wide.  "I know who you are!  Free me and I will tell you who your parents are!"       "You have no clue who I am if you think I'm that stupid.  Now cover your ears and eyes with your hands and arms if you don't want to arrive deaf and blind."       She started west without waiting for a reply.  They were supersonic in under a second, and over orbital speed in ten.

      Hermes was radiating at 2800 K when ablative mass loss started.       Flicker slowed down.  A little.       Hermes made no further attempts to escape.       *****       Fifteen minutes out from Rome and several hundred kilometers short of the island where the Box was located, Flicker slowed down further.  It was raining, which was a hazard to Hermes, though it did ease his cooling problem.  And the steady stream of Database updates had taken a discouraging turn.  The head warden of the Box was unavailable, the duty warden was stalling, and the shift security head was being an aggressively obstructive idiot.  Doc had been yelling at people on the phone since five seconds after Flicker left Rome.  DASI's judgment was that Doc could probably get the idiot fired, but not in time to make a difference.       Flicker had planned to take Hermes all the way into his old cell, which was empty and ready for use.  But the idiot was refusing to allow anyone to open doors for her, and at least one on every possible path was purely mechanical, locked, and guarded, so remote overrides wouldn't help.  The stated reason for the refusal was that her plan was an unacceptable security and damage risk.  A far more likely explanation was that Flicker--and the camera in her visor--would see and document security, safety, procedural, or legal violations by Box personnel that they would have no time to hide.       The emergency intake team which should have been at the cell was instead outside in the rain with a transfer container.  And a helpful warning in the corner of her visor display was flashing; DASI was giving her a 90%+ chance of going to Red status for social interaction as soon as she slowed down.       And she'd thought the hard part was over.

     The container was open with a tarp in front of it.  A handling team in biohazard gear stood nearby, with another more varied group a little farther away.  They all had eye and ear protection, so at least they'd listened to their safety guy.  There was an argument in progress.  Flicker set her visor to record it for review while she took care of something pressing.       She lowered Hermes--who looked like something that had been left on a grill for too long--to the tarp, said "Stay here," replaced her glove, and glided over to the EMT in the farther group.       "Oral rehydration?" she said, and watched his eyes.       He started to reply and point, but she'd identified the correct container before he could get a word out, extracted several bottles, and returned to Hermes, who was still lying on his back but had opened his mouth to the rain.  She lifted him to a sitting position and gave him an open bottle.       "Drink."       He needed no encouragement.  He'd lost more than 20 kilos of water mass on the way.  And rehydration would keep him safely occupied for a bit.  She replayed the argument on her visor then focused on the far group again.  Doc had authorized the Database to override com gear as needed and it was telling most of them what not to do.  The team commander was muttering angrily into his helmet microphone, the EMT was tapping at his handcomp, and several others were listening with varying degrees of apprehension while they looked back and forth between Flicker and Hermes.       Flicker read the Database summary for one of the arguers, then glided over to stand in front of him.  He was a middle-aged man with puffy eyes and the resigned expression of someone who was expecting a bad day to get worse.       "You," she said.  "Magician.  Why are you worried Hermes will 'boomerang' and what does that mean?"       "Means he might get sent back to wherever he came from.  Was he summoned?"       "Yes."       "Today?"       "Yes."       "Then there's nothing I can do about it."       "If you were doing your job--!" yelled the commander.       "Hush," said Flicker from just in front of his face.  "Competent people are talking.  Interrupt again and you get duct-taped."       She moved back to the magician.  "Go on.  Is there anything that can stop it?"       He raised an eyebrow.  "Sure.  The anchors in his cell.  And I should be able to handle anything he tries, as long as you leave him inside the circle in the transfer container.  But he's not the problem.  A boomerang is usually insurance set up by the summoner.  Like a timer running down, or a bungee cord pulling something back."       "I could have him in his cell in under a second with no damage and less risk than moving him in your container," said Flicker.  "He could already be there.  But your management won't unlock the doors.  So if he gets away, that's on you."       The magician looked over at the commander and shrugged.  The commander looked apoplectic but said nothing.       Flicker picked up Hermes much more gently than before, with one arm under his back and another behind his knees.  He clutched the rehydration bottles protectively as she placed him carefully inside the circle and emerged from the container.       "Custody transfer complete," she said.  "Records time-stamped and filed.  I'll watch for a bit, just in case."       A technician monitored the sensor feed from the container as the handlers closed the hatch.  Flicker's last view of Hermes was of him hunched over in the circle, drinking from one of the bottles.  The light grey patch where she'd held his ankle was prominently visible against the darkened crust of the rest of his body.       One of the handlers used a forklift to pick up the container and began driving slowly towards the entrance while the sensor tech walked beside and the others followed.  Flicker frowned at the latest Database update from Rome.       A paramilitary response team appears to have located the summoning magician.  Identification is still uncertain.  They are approaching with non-optimal gear and protocols; they were dispatched to counter Hermes, not the magician, but shifted targets after you removed him.       Am I going to have to go back there? she replied.       Contraindicated.  Your status is red.  The team has opened fire with anti-tank rocket launchers.       "Shit!" said the technician.  The forklift stopped and the commander started yelling.       The crisis response team's target is dead.  Several team members are dead or injured from a misfire or malfunction of as yet unclear origin.       Wonderful.  Flicker replayed her visor record and watched the container bounce slightly just before the technician's exclamation, then checked her own sensors.  So she wasn't surprised when the handlers reopened the container.       It was empty.

Next: Part 4

Midoriya and his many parents

Not a Dream Daddy post.

 I've mentioned this briefly in Aizawa's profile, but BnHA is just chock full of father figures. There's a big emphasis on mentors and fatherhood, more so than in a lot of other manga and anime I follow. Now, the idea of the 'sensei' is fairly classic, the old master who teaches the young hero their secret technique and all that. But the young heroes in BnHA, with their high stakes environment, do have a lot of them.

 This is especially true for Midoriya.

 Inko Midoriya

Surely I'm not the only one who thinks it's super interesting that we have not seen Midoriya's biological father? Like… he wasn't even on the couch watching the Sports Festival.

Considering his mother appears to be a house wife in a fairly nice apartment, I think it's safe to assume that he at least exists. Maybe he's a salaryman with a lot of overtime, more likely he's working overseas. Whatever the case, he's very much an absent dad.  Now, absentee parents aren't that much of a deal in anime. The '16-year old living alone in Tokyo' is a bit of a trope, after all, but here, with the emphasis on several characters parents, it feels like a statement. This is the manga in which we know the entire family set-up of Tsuyu, and the names and appearance of Jirou's parents. Much as I love Jirou, she's a side character. For the main character to have a blank space like that, is a Thing. It means that growing up, Izuku had one parental figure, and that parental figure was his mother.

And give the woman credit: she did amazing. It is not easy to raise a child practically by yourself. Certainly not a child that is considered an outcast by society. The amount of love Midoriya receives from his mother is heart-warming, their relationship is one of the better ones portrayed in shounen and as a result, Midoriya is a kid with an incredible amount of mental fortitude, capable of handling some pretty devastating circumstances. His mother has been a supporting pillar in his early childhood, which, remember, was pretty rough on account of all the bullying. As such she has shaped a lot of his personality. She’s equipped him with confidence, with an unshakable belief in himself. However, she is very much not a hero.

Her love is one of katsudon and hugs and kind words and worried tears. She wants him safe, above all else. She's never going to teach him hand-to-hand and going by her advice alone will not make him into the hero he desperately wants to be. Him quite literally leaving the warm nest she made for him to learn how to fight evil people is a big part of him growing up.

 All Might

Maybe that's why Izuku puts so much of his hopes and dreams on All Might. Here's his ultimate hero taking an interest in little old him. It's a fairy tale. A manga trope. And I really believe that he sees an alternate father figure in All Might once he gets closer to him. They have their wax on, wax off moment on the beach, with All Might encouraging him to get stronger. This is the trope. The sensei, mister Miyagi thing where the kid gets prepped to receive the ultimate technique (in the form of a lock of... hair, whatever). But unlike traditional masters, and unlike his biological father, All Might sticks around. He is a presence in his life. He cares for Midoriya and his continued success in a way that, at this point, no other male figure does.

Dad Might gives Midoriya a whole bunch of very important advice, but it's good to note that this isn't a rough or distant sort of male mentorship. All Might quite literally opens himself up to Midoriya. He shows him his weaker side. The skeletal side. The broken side. Because All Might, let’s not forget, is a friggin mess.

I mean, I know he's going through a lot, but this man is Such a Dork. It’s definitely endearing and it is also one of his best traits as a character. However: as a person, he's really not very well equipped to be raising a teenager. He lacks, in a way, the stability and level-headedness that comes with the position of a teacher. He cares too much. About everything. All the time. And he nurtures that side of Midoriya, when Midoriya already has plenty of that.

He can't help but admire Midoriya's selflessness. Can't help but praise the very foundation upon which his own heroics are based: helping people. When he saves Todoroki. When he saves Bakugou, All Might is there to tell Midoriya that what he did is all right.

And this is certainly important for Midoriya to hear, but at this point it’s also not the only thing he needs to hear. 

 Aizawa Shouta

Luckily Midoriya also gets a more traditional teacher figure. It's interesting to note that, despite being the younger of the two, and despite the fact that he sometimes teaches from an honest to god sleeping bag, Aizawa is a much more stable mentor and general Adulting Adult. He still cares about his students, but he's also much more likely to Act as a Teacher.

Because Aizawa immediately picks up on Izuku's self-mutilation. He watched the entrance exam, he knows that Izuku's quirk is, at this point, extremely flawed. That Izuku doesn't have control over it. He explains it in a pretty standoffish way, and certainly this early in the show it comes across as cruel, but he's not wrong. Izuku is breaking bones every single time he uses his quirk at this point in time. If he does anything with his quirk, he'll be a casualty. Him using only a single finger is framed as a feat of intelligence, but it is also INSANE. 'Oh you only broke one finger, you have nine attacks left'. That is NOT a good plan. Don't do that. For fuck's sake. I hope we all realize that what Midoriya is doing is Not Healthy. He is eating away at himself, destroying his own body over and over again.

When Aizawa tells Midoriya to get a grip on his powers he's not just being an ass. He's being a responsible adult, a teacher that cares about the general well-being of the students assigned to him.

Manga spoilers under the cut.

This isn't to say he doesn't begrudgingly admire Izuku. He does. He keeps him in the class because of his conviction, because of his intelligence. His Potential. He probably recognizes something heroic in him, just like everyone else does. But someone has to tell this kid to stop from literally breaking himself and that is something All Might can't really do at this point. The man himself has been overdoing it all his life. He is missing Vital Organs and he still can't, like, take it easy.  Even when given a literal time limit on his heroics, he will get distracted by saving people. So that role of scolding Midoriya and reigning him in goes to people like Aizawa and Recovery Girl. But they still can't teach him how to get Better at it.

Gran Torino

Enter Weird Grandpa Gran Torino. The old timer is rather well-placed for this, because he knows All Might better than most, and in a less… fan like way than most. He's capable of seeing All Might's flaws. He knows Yagi is terrible at self-care. He knows that Yagi is a man who decided to be a symbol. Who has pushed aside his own needs for the greater good for decades. Gran Torino recognizes this compulsion in Midoriya. He can see Midoriya's will to be like All Might as the potentially bad situation it is. And he noticed that all the way from his couch in front of the tv screen, watching the Sports Festival.

Most importantly, he shows Midoriya that he needs to let go of a lot of his admiration for his hero, if he's going to succeed him.

Which is something literally no one else would be able to teach him.

 Yagi Toshinori

One of the better qualities of BnHA is that even the older characters, like the big Idol Hero Dude, gain some character development. All Might goes through a lot of stuff in the series, and all in all he seems to take it in his stride that he's losing power. But on a very personal level, he's also getting better. At least at the whole teaching/mentor business. There comes a point when he stops pushing himself to be everything to everyone, and basically retires to be a teacher to Deku and his class. That point is one of my favourite scenes, because it so encapsulates the relationship between All Might and Deku.

It comes after the raid on the League's hideout.Bakugou has been saved, the whole friggin world has seen All Might shrink to his skeletal form and Midoriya meets him late at night on the beach where they first trained. Symbolic stuff. And the first thing All Might does is punch him for breaking the rules. Again. He scolds him and this is one of the first times he’s actually angry at Midoriya. For going above and beyond, for putting himself in harm's way. Again.

And then the Dad Might instinct kicks in, because holy jeebus is he proud. He can't help it. This is where Yagi decides to focus on *his kid*. Where he finally fully takes up the 'mentor' mantle.

And it's so bittersweet, because as with everything between these two, that beginning is also an end. One for All has finally transitioned fully.

And can we just… respect how well Yagi deals with this? He's had some time to process, but look at him. Depending on your point of view, this kid now has his power. Or is the reason he no longer has it. And he is gracious. Supporting. Comforting.

 The team

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the great thing about UA, for characters such as Midoriya, is that it has a lot of good, decent people, who team up to provide some kind of personal growth. And it's so very cute when they do that! They actually do the whole good cop/bad cop thing.

For Yagi, personal growth, heroism, selflessness, bravery, is and always will be more important than rules. Yagi's affection is one of warmth, of understanding. Even when his two most trusted pupils are beating each other senseless, he's the one that pleads for leniency. Aizawa's job, meanwhile, is to provide authority. They are complementary, they have to be. Aizawa acts like this even if he can't enforce it. Even if he doesn't particularly like doing it. He knows it needs to happen, cause otherwise they'll never learn.

He's being Responsible.

But please note, because this is super important, that Aizawa doesn't even start yelling until he knows that all wounds have been at least disinfected. There’s a first aid kit on the table in the previous screenshot. Those kids already have bandaids on their face. The first thing either of those two adults do, is make sure everyone is all right.

Cause that's the thing I absolutely love about these two. Midoriya may have left the safe nest of his mother, he's very much still being cared for. His new guardians are a bit rougher around the edges but they absolutely have his best interest at heart. Yagi may be more prone to hugs than Aizawa, but this is something they both have in common, and something that makes them work together despite their clashing personalities. They care.

More BnHA character stuff.

1st Place!

Bucky Barnes One Shot

a/n: this was meant to be up yesterday, but of course the weather disagreed. My WiFi was out and my dumb laptop wouldn’t cooperate! I refuse to post long imagines from mobile, anyways! I have something pretty great coming up sometime tomorrow, so be ready for that! xx

prompt: A day off for the Avengers can be extremely exciting... or very, very lazy... or both.

pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

warnings: language (?), a very grumpy Bucky, fluff, and awful puns. I swear, I shouldn’t be allowed to write. *not my gif*

“Fuck!” You squeaked when the cup of flower slipped out of your buttery fingers, landing with a poof on the tile.

“Nice one, (Y/n)” You heard Natasha joke from the doorway. “A few of us are gonna have a little getaway for the day, wanna come?” She asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. Wanda walked to her side before adding an excited “We’re gonna go to some big malls!”

You laughed and faced them. 

“Depends, who is ‘a few of us’?” You asked, copying Nat’s stance and relaxing against the messy counter top.

“As of right now everyone’s coming. Besides Banner and Barnes, of course. They’re such hermits.” Wanda chuckled and shook her head at the thought of them.

You hated to admit it but your heartbeat quickened at the mention of Bucky. You had known him since the day he arrived at the tower. Being close with Steve, he trusted you with Bucky. Of course he was hard to break, but you had finally gotten to him. The two of you were close friends and you couldn’t deny the chemistry. Of course, you didn’t want to force anything on him, so you respected his boundaries.

“(Y/n)? Stop daydreaming! Coming or not? We’re about to head out.” Natasha asked, snapping her fingers in front of your face to bring you back to reality.

You looked down at your outfit and released a heavy sigh. Your lounge clothes were coated in a thin powder cast. Hair tossed back messily, bare face, and a muscle tee on. “I’d love to, but I don’t think I’d be ready in time. I’m sorry. Bring me a cupcake from that one shop!!” You smiled to the girls and Wanda nodded in response.

You turned back to your (currently failing) attempt at making pancakes from scratch. A loud ruckus came from the media room as everyone filed out to Tony’s cars. You laughed at how dysfunctional the entire situation was. The best part was how Steve called everyone his ‘gang’, making Sam and Natasha cringe visibly.

Slapping your hands together, you got to work on the pancake batter, giving in and using some box mix. You tossed in some blueberries and threw it all in a skillet, wanting to hurry and bring breakfast to two of your closest friends.

You set the final golden cake on its dish and doused it in syrup and butter before carrying it off to Dr. Banner’s lab. You knocked on the door before letting yourself in. You had practically memorized the scene that was before you. Bruce sat facing the window with multiple manila folders and papers sat around him and each time you entered the room he would turn with a smile.

“Hey Bruce!” You greeted and walked over to his seat.

“Good morning, what’s that?” He smiled again, gesturing to the plate you held.

“It’s your breakfast, smart one! I hope its good. I had to give in and use box mix.” You shrugged, forcing a fork in his hand.

“oh, Thank you so much! It smells delicious.” He was really excited about your kind act and let out a giggle from happiness.

“I have another plate to deliver, catch ya later Doc!” You smiled and ruffled his hair before leaving his favorite room.

You made your way back to the kitchen and grabbed the plate with the most pancakes, adding syrup and butter again. 

“FRIDAY can you tell me where Bucky is?” You asked, staring up to the ceiling.

“Yes, Miss. Sergeant Barnes is in his room.” The AI replied.

“Thank you! You’re a blessing, really.”

“You’re too kind.” 

The elevator came to a sudden stop and let you off on Bucky’s floor. You headed towards his door, reaching out to knock right as the knob jiggled. Startled, you stepped back and held a fork up for protection.

“What’re you doing?” He asked, gaze hardly meeting you as he started to walk past you. Great. One of those days.

“Where do you think you’re going?” You quizzed from behind him but he just continued to strut away.

“Kitchen” He grunted.

“No need, you dummy!” You giggled from behind him.

God how he loved that giggle.

He turned on his heel and his eyes finally took you in.

“Wait, what?” He was clearly confused. You followed his line of sight and confirmed that he was staring at the stack of pancakes you were holding.

“For you!” You exclaimed and pushed the plate out towards him. His mouth fell open slightly only to shut again abruptly. He scratched the back of his neck.

“For... me?” He repeated, completely blown away.

“Yeah! Blueberry pancakes! I wish I could say that they’re from scratch but I goofed that up pretty bad. Anyway, I made enough for both of us, but I figure you would rather eat alone. That’s why I brought it to your room!” you explained, holding the plate out even further, standing on the tips of your toes for balance.

And God you were so cute.

“No, I’ll eat with you, I mean, if you don’t mind.” He took the plate from your hands and stared down at the food, holding back from devouring it.

“I’d love that!” You urged and pushed him towards the elevator. By the time you had reached the kitchen he had finished half of the stack.

You sat at the bar across from each other, laughing at the sight of him stuffing his face, syrup sticking to his scruff and getting caught in a strand of hair that framed his face. You pulled a hair tie from your wrist and walked around behind him, pulling his hair into a loose ponytail.

“Any good?” You asked, breaking the silence.

“Yuhp.” He responded through a mouthful of food, making you shriek at the sight and throw a hand over his mouth.

“Were you raised in a barn?” You joked, hand still covering his mouth as he continued to chew.

“Maybe! There’s a lot you don’t know about me, doll.” He smiled back, shoveling in another giant bite.

You finished your plate and rinsed both of the dishes in the sink. You hummed and swayed lightly as you set the plates in the washer, expecting Bucky to have returned to his room.

“That’s cute.” He chuckled from the other side of the bar, making you freeze in your tracks.

“Gee thanks.”

“So what’re you about to do?” He inquired and titled his head to the side.

“Probably play something in the media room. Wanna get your ass beat?” You teased.

“I’ll take you up on that, ass beating or not.” He laughed and headed towards the door.

You sat backwards on the sofa, watching Bucky shuffle through Tony’s large assortment of video games. He stopped on one and turned to meet you.

“This okay?” He muttered, holding up a MarioKart game.

“Of course! If you put it in, I’ll get the controllers.” He agreed and you turned to find the equipment.

“Here ya go, you can be player one.” You smiled, holding the controller out to him.

“Which race thingy should we do first?” He asked, flipping across each option.

“Whichever has MooMoo Meadows!” You practically sang out, scooting closer to him.

“Alright, if you say so.” He shrugged and the race began.

“WAIT.” He exclaimed at the timer counted down.

“What?”

“WHAT ARE THE CONTROLS?” He asked, urgency obvious in his voice. You threw your head back in laughter at his worried tone and paused the race.

“Like this.” You leaned over and placed your fingers over his, showing him which buttons did what. You felt your pulse quicken when your finger tips brushed his. How could something so basic and ordinary make you feel like a 16 year old again? “Simple, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” he sighed and you resumed the game. 

“YOU TOTALLY CHEATED!” He bellowed. You won by a landslide, he finished in 8th place. It was becoming apparent that he was a sore loser.

“I totally did not! I would never! It’s not like I would need to cheat to win against you, gramps.” You joked.

“Fine. Let’s make a little bet, then!” He snapped back, causing another laugh to escape your mouth.

“Sounds good to me!” You argued, narrowing your eyes at him in mock anger.

“Whoever wins the next one gets to make the other do whatever they want. But only once.” A smirk draped over his lips as he let out the words, but you remained unbothered.

“Fine with me. I’ll even let you pick the map.” You leaned back into the sofa, trying to act as cool as possible in this situation. A devilish laugh came from the dork next to you as he chose the set of races that included Rainbow Road.

“Really Bucaroo?” (he secretly smiled at your nickname for him) “Rainbow Road is like suicide for a beginner!” You laughed at his seemingly foolish mistake.

“Whatever you say, princess.” He chuckled and shook his head, sitting back to match your body language as the race began.

You had come in second place on the first race and he came in fifth, making you laugh and do a small victory dance.

“If you want, you can back out now!” You boasted, enjoying the confidence boost.

“I’m good, thanks though.” He winked your way as the second race began. You were ahead of him until the final seconds of the third lap when you were hit unexpectedly by a shell.

“Fuck!” You squeaked out for the second time today when his cart raced in and claimed second place before you had even recovered. Thanks to other drivers racing in first, you finished in sixth place.

“I wonder what you’ll have to do for me...” He wondered out loud and tapped his chin, causing you to smack his shoulder lightly.

Rainbow Road began and you sighed in disbelief at how awful it was going. Glancing across the screen you saw Bucky was holding second place.

“No way! This is a KARTastrope!” You whined, proud of your absolutely atrocious pun. Bucky stifled a laugh and remained focused on the race, unlike you who had somehow managed to run off the track three times in about ten seconds.

The race ended and Bucky had somehow managed to finish in first place. He was already up dancing around in victory before you had even crossed the finish line.

“First place! First place! ‘Gramps’ got first place!” He chanted, shaking his butt in your face for a second before turning to face you. He was also obviously a sore winner.

Sighing, you turned to him.

“What do I have to do, Barnes?” You looked up to his standing figure and he smiled down at you with a glimmer in his eyes you hadn’t seen before. He leaned down slowly, giving you the chance to move away. When he saw that you weren’t uncomfortable, he placed his lips on yours. It was like a whisper at first, so soft and undetectable, but after a moment he pressed fully to you. Bucky placed a hand on the back of your neck, metal fingers caressing your cheek lovingly. You wrapped your arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss. He pulled away after another moment, eyes shining down to you.

“I say you have to go on a date with me.” When you nodded in agreement he smiled so wide that his nose crinkled and his eyes shut. How was it possible that this man could make you feel this way?!

“Under one condition.” You laughed, pulling him down to face you again.

“What’s that?”

“You promise to kiss me like that again.”

And he did.

New Post Whirlpool 3D Cool Wifi Pro (IOT) Air Conditioner (AC) Review has been published on https://www.reviewcenter.in/8847/whirlpool-3d-cool-wifi-pro-iot-ac-review/

Whirlpool 3D Cool Wifi Pro (IOT) Air Conditioner (AC) Review

Buying an air conditioner has become trickier than ever because of the influx of companies that have entered the Indian market this season. Most of the new companies just want to check their foothold if they can survive the competition or not. We strongly do not recommend buying ACs from any new brand who just entered the market because you never know if they’ll survive till next season or not – no matter how cheap they’re selling their product. Cheap products come with inferior quality parts, and the product won’t survive more than 2-3 years in most cases as per my experience.

More importantly, as customers today we expect the best in technology to be made available to us and we all know that appliances are increasing becoming IoT enabled. When we expect our favourite song to be played just on a voice command then why not have an AC that also listens to us? When we are used to checking our cricket scores on our phones, then why not set the AC temperature also on a mobile app? That is exactly what Whirlpool, the leading Global home appliance brand brings to its customers with the Whirlpool 3D Cool Wi-Fi Pro Inverter AC – A wi-fi and voice-enabled AC that allows you to control it through Google Home.

Air Conditioner is a complicated product and must be bought from reputed old brands only. Not every brand has the capability to offer at par cooling performance, and the technology they’re selling in the air conditioners is way too old for 2019 and the consumer’s needs and deserves better products. At this point, Whirlpool has come up with its 3D Cool Pro Inverter AC Range which is not only at par when it comes to cooling performance but also is way ahead technology-wise. Here in this review, I have covered both aspects, i.e. cooling performance and technology of all-new Whirlpool 3D Cool Wi-Fi Pro Inverter air conditioners.

Why Should we Consider the  Next-Generation Voice & Wi-Fi Enabled 3D Cool Inverter AC?

The future is IoT, and the next generation of home appliances will be IoT enabled. While most of the brands are still preparing for it, Whirlpool has already launched IoT enabled air conditioners in the Indian market with the support of Wi-Fi and can be controlled via Google Assistant too – which means you can operate the air conditioner via voice commands as well. Apart from that, you can control the air conditioner remotely from anywhere in the world using the free “Whirlpool Live” app.

Wi-Fi Enabled Whirlpool Live App

The Whirlpool Live App shows the room temperature and humidity level. You can set the temperature, humidity level, swing direction, 6th sense, Summer Chill and other modes via the app from anywhere. You don’t need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to operate the app as the appliance will be linked to your Whirlpool account.

Voice Enabled with Google Home

Some of the voice commands that you would be able to use with your Whirlpool 3D Cool Wi-Fi Pro Inverter AC are:

Ok Google…turn on my AC

Ok Google…turn off my AC

Ok Google…set my AC to Cooling

Ok Google…set my AC to Fan Only

Ok Google…set my AC fan speed lowest

Ok Google…set my AC fan speed medium

Ok Google…set my AC fan speed highest

Ok Google…increase my AC temperature by 5 degrees (xx degrees)

Ok Google…reduce my AC temperature by 5 degrees (xx degrees)

Ok Google…turn on Swing for my AC

Ok Google…turn off Swing for my AC

What’s more?

Voice and Wi-Fi enabled are of course one of the biggest winning features of the model. But that’s not all, With the Whirlpool 3D Cool Pro Inverter AC Range, you get a host of other power packed features. Let’s have a look at those below:

3D Cool Technology

Whirlpool 3D Cool is a revolutionary technology introduced by the brand which draws the hot air out of the room super quickly and efficiently. Not only do you get up to 40%*^ faster cooling but a longer air throw of up to 12m~ too and cooling even at 55° Celsius.*

How does this technology work? Compared to the conventional air conditioners, Whirlpool 3D Cool Technology Wi-Fi uses a 3-vent arrangement, one at the top and one on either side of the air conditioner to increase the air intake, thereby cooling down the room faster. Higher the air intake, better the air output from front and higher is the cooling efficiency.

* Results shown are based on internal lab testing done on select models under specific conditions and may vary depending on the testing conditions. ^ Testing against select comparable products of other brands available in this segment. ~ Results based on internal lab tests done on select models under specific conditions and may vary depending on testing conditions. The machine operates at 55°C cooling capacity of 1847W.

IntelliSense Inverter Technology

Don’t buy an AC if it’s not powered with Inverter technology. What makes Whirlpool IntelliSense Inverter technology unique is its adaptive nature.

Not only does this compressor optimise peak performance to deliver perfect cooling even at low operating voltage but also adapts and adjusts the energy consumption as per the cooling needs thereby reducing the electricity consumption by a considerable amount and yielding saving of up to ₹66,000* on your electricity bill.

* Results are shown at a unit electricity rate of Rs 8 at 10 hours per day for a period of 8 months over 7 years as per BEE recommended master sheet comparing Whirlpool Magicool Pro Inverter 1.5T 5 Star AC to 1.5 2 Star on-off AC based on 2010 split AC star ratings of BEE.

6th Sense IntelliComfort Technology

One of the key features of these air conditioners is the ability to sense the humidity level and thereby to adjust the cooling level of the room. This is made possible via 6th Sense IntelliComfort logic chip which upon sensing the surroundings take appropriate action to maintain comfort cooling with up to 47%* energy savings. How does it work:

When it senses high humidity in the room, the indoor unit sends the command to the outdoor unit to lower down fan speed and increase the condensation.

When it senses low humidity in the room, it slows down the condensation and increases the fan speed.

* When operating in Intellicomfort mode as against normal cooling mode. 

R32 Eco Refrigerant

To make product environment-friendly, Whirpool uses R32 refrigerant which is an environment-friendly gas. Benefits of R32 Eco Refrigerator includes:

Produces fewer greenhouse gases

Requires less refrigerant volume to operate

Consumes less energy, hence savings on electricity costs

Zero-impact on Ozone Layer

Higher cooling capacity, thereby increasing heat transfer efficiency

Can be easily recycled as R32 is not a mixture of other refrigerants

100% Copper Condenser

The condenser offered in Whirlpool inverter air conditioners is 100% copper. The benefits you get by having copper condenser over the conventional aluminium alloy one are better heat transfer rate, better durability, easier to clean and repair. It’s one of the critical factor people look for when buying an air conditioner.

Remote Controller Features

The remote controller provided is quite straightforward to use. The buttons are properly labelled. It has an LCD display which shows the current mode, temperature, swing direction & more. Here’s the list of complete features the remote controller has:

Button Description/Use On/Off To Turn on/off the appliance Mode To select the operation mode Fan To select fan speed – Auto, High, Medium & Low Sleep Modes To set or cancel 4 different sleep modes operation Power Saver To enter or quit Power Saver mode Dimmer To turn On/Off Display of Indoor Unit Timer On To set the Timer operation and clock Timer Off To cancel the timer operation Swing Up/Dn To set the direction of horizontal (lower) Louver Around U* To set/cancel the Around U mode operation Summer Chill To start/stop the fast cooling 6th Sense To enter fuzzy logic operation WiFi To turn On/Off WiFi Humidity +/- To increase/decrease the moisture level

* In Around U mode, the air conditioner operates on the basis of the temperature near the remote rather than around the machine. A temperature sensor fitted in the remote controller helps achieve this. The machine can adjust the temperature so as to provide maximum comfort.

Experience with Whirlpool 3D Cool Wi-Fi Pro Inverter Air Conditioner

It has been two weeks since the air conditioner installation, and so far, it has been fantastic. It cools down the room fast & using Summer Chill mode cools down the room faster as it runs the air conditioner on full speed. You can set the cooling temperature within the range of 16°C to 30°C. I ended up using the 6th Sense feature most because of the way it adjusts everything automatically & kept me comfortable cooling wise and consumed less power.

Integration of Google Assistant is great as I use that daily and it was really cool to turn ON AC in front of guests using voice commands. I also sometimes turned ON AC remotely before reaching home using the app to cool down the room.

Design of the product is also appealing and looks modern, and everyone for once surely noticed it. It looks sleek, the curves on the side are quite stylish, and the colour of the indoor unit would suit almost every wall finish!

Because of the inverter compressor and other power saving features I mentioned above, this 3-Star 1.5 TON inverter air conditioner in an average consumed b/w 1.2 – 1.6 unit per hour. For a continuous 8 hours average run, it consumed around 10-12 units. If I take my standard daily running hours as 10, then the one-month running cost of the air conditioner would be:

12 units x 30 days = 360 units per month

360 units x 6rs per unit price = Rs 2160* per month,

which is great considering you’re running a 3-star 1.5 TON AC.

* This is just a standard calculation; actual figures shall vary from user to user.

Whirlpool Inverter Air Conditioners Product Variants:

There are 3 product variants in Whirlpool 2019 3D Cool Air Conditioners:

Features Whirlpool 3D Cool Wifi Pro Inverter AC Whirlpool 3D Cool Purafresh Pro Inverter AC Whirlpool 3D Swing Pro Inverter AC 3D Cool Technology √ √ √ Google Assistant Enabled √ Inbuilt Wifi √ Built-in Air Purifier* √ 4-Way Swing √ √ √ 100% Copper Condenser √ √ √ Cools Even at 55°C √ √ √ Uses R-32 Eco Refrigerant √ √ √ Stabiliser Free √ √ √ Up to 12m Long Air Throw √ √ √ 10 Year Warranty (on Compressor) √ √ √

  * Feature available in Whirlpool 3D Cool Purafresh Inverter Air Conditioner – can remove PM 0.3 pollutants# more effectively than leading air purifiers. It can clean both dust particles and PM 0.3, unlike most air purifiers in the market, which are only designed to clean PM 2.5. In lab conditions, the purifier is effectively able to get rid of 99% Odour, 98.6% air-borne pollutants and allergens#.

# Results shown are based on internal lab testing done on select models under specific conditions and may vary depending on the testing conditions. Purifying efficiency of PM.03 particulate.

Final Verdict – Should You Buy It?

Absolutely yes, the kind of features these 3D Cool Inverter air conditioners by Whirlpool offer are unmatched. Whirlpool has almost added every feature a user looks for in an air conditioner. While there is always a scope of improvement, I could not think of one feature right now which these air conditioners are missing. Also, not just because of features, but the energy savings it offers with excellent cooling at a justified price point of AC drives the buying decision towards it.

For up to 130-140 sq. ft room, you can consider 1 TON model and from 140 sq. ft to 225 sq. ft; you should buy a 1.5 TON model. Opt for higher tonnage if your room is on the top floor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question: Is the installation provided by the Whirlpool?

Answer: Yes, upon buying the product, you can call the customer care at 1800 208 1800 (Toll-Free) and create the installation request. You’ll get an assured call back within 2 hours, and Service engineer will visit you within 24 hours.

Question: Is Stabiliser required with this Air Conditioner? At my place, we face lots of power fluctuations.

Answer: No, you don’t require the stabiliser as long as the voltage fluctuation happens within the range of 145-290V. If the voltage drops beyond this range, you definitely need a stabiliser which the Whirlpool Service team provides.

Question: Which Refrigerant is Better – R32 or R410?

Answer: Definitely R32 as it is environment-friendly and more energy-efficient.

Question: Will this air conditioner works properly when the temperature outside will cross 48 or 50 deg?

Answer: Yes, the 3D Cool Inverter series of air conditioners are tested to work till 55°C.

Question: What is the minimum temperature you can set in this air conditioner?

Answer: Minimum temperature you can set is 16°C.

Question: Does it work with Amazon Alexa?

Answer: Not at present.

Question: Do these models comply with 2018 BEE Star ratings?

Answer: Yes, they do.

Question: What are the installation charges & other charges like of Stand or Extra copper tubing?

Answer: Please refer to the www.whirlpoolindia.com as the applicability of charges shall depend on current offers, location of the store and other factors.

Question: How much is the product warranty?

Answer: 1 year on the overall product, 5 years on Condenser & 10 years on the compressor.

Question: How many service centre does Whirlpool has across India?

Answer: Whirlpool after-sales service network covers over 3500 cities & towns across India.

Question: What is the input power of this product?

Answer: Operating current is 8.3A, but you’ll need to give input of 16A by installing it with MCB of 16A or 32A (preferred).

Question: Does it have a heater (heat pump) function? Is it an all-weather AC?

Answer: No

Question: Does it have a display on the Indoor Unit?

Answer: Yes it has.

Question: What are the product dimensions?

Answer: Indoor unit (W*H*D) cm = 105×23.5X32

Outdoor unit (W*H*D) cm = 78x54x26

Question: How much is the distance of Air Throw?

Answer: 12m

Question: Does it have a timer function?

Answer: Yes

Question: How much is the operating Noise Level? Is it noisy?

Answer: No, not at all noisy; in fact, it is quite silent. Noise level of Indoor unit is only 37 dBA.

Question: Does it have 4-way Swing?

Answer: Yes, the 3D Cool Swing Pro model of this Inverter Air Conditioner series has this feature. Its 4-way swing functionality enables cooling across all corners of the room.

Question: How much copper tube length does Whirlpool include in box-content?

Answer: 0.5m attached to the indoor unit and 3m in the box.

Question: Is this AC Wifi Enabled.

Answer: Yes, the Whirlpool 3D Cool Wifi Pro model has Wifi Inbuilt.

Question: How much is the length of electric wire attached with Indoor unit and how much is the length of wire from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit?

Answer: Length of electric wire attached to the indoor unit: 1m

Length of electric wire provided from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit: 3m

Fic: A Helping Hand From Beyond (12/16)

Summary: “You know, sometimes the deceased stay with us, waiting until they’re sure we’ve moved on before they can move on themselves. Giving us a helping hand from beyond, as it were.”

When Gloria Rush and Rum Gold meet one cold October morning, they quickly come to the realisation that they share a common goal – to help those they left behind in life to move on and find happiness again. Using what little means available to them, the two lost souls team up to ensure their widows’ future, and find their own peace.

Rumbelle, Rushbelle, Gloria/Nick, and an epic Gold&Gloria bromance.

=====

[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [AO3]

=====

Twelve

In Good Time

Nicholas and Belle take another step closer.

Belle is unaccountably nervous as she moves around her small kitchen preparing dinner. Although neither of them are officially framing this as a romantic date, rather than just an evening with a friend, there is something undeniably more intimate about moving their conversations from a neutral setting to her own home. If nothing happens and they continue on as friends for a while longer, then so be it, but at least she’s made this first step and shown him subtly that she’s interested in something more. She gives a little smile as she watches the pots bubbling on the stove. It’s been so long since she’s been in the dating game that she’s almost forgotten how it works, but she knows that food is always good. She’s keeping it simple, pasta in a creamy sauce and salad; she’s not the world’s best cook and doesn’t want to accidentally poison the man she’s grown to care for so much. From what she’s heard of Nicholas’s life, though, he’s worse in the kitchen than she is and seems to subsist solely off coffee and nicotine.

She looks down at her hands, still finding it a little strange for them to be bare, but the thought causes her no guilt or fear. Perhaps in the future she will remove the rings from the chain around her neck and put them safely away, but she’s not quite ready for that yet. In a way, it’s been cathartic, talking about her loss with Nicholas and learning of his own. Somehow, knowing that he’s been through much the same experience as she has makes it easier to envisage moving on and finding lasting love and happiness with him. It’s only in the last week that their respective states of widowhood have come out. Nicholas had asked her why she’d come to California from Maine, and she felt that he deserved the truth rather than a vague misdirection - not a lie, but not the full truth. It was about the same moment that she had realised he wore a wedding ring, and in his turn he had told her about Gloria.

Belle thinks that maybe people who’ve had their hearts broken in this way, in this most pure and painful of ways in which blame cannot be cast on either side, gravitate towards each other. Perhaps they both give off the same air of melancholia.

She turns the heat down under the pasta and leaves it to cook, going into the living room and looking around critically. The place is clean and fresh, and she looks at the photographs dotted around, biting her bottom lip and wondering if perhaps she should move the ones of Rum, before shaking her head. He was a part of her life, one of the biggest parts, and he still is. Nicholas knows that, and she isn’t going to start attempting to deny Rum’s existence because she’s worried about what a man who might not even think of her in a romantic light might think. She highly doubts he’s packed away all his pictures of Gloria.

The photographs stay, and almost on cue, the doorbell rings. Belle smooths down the front of her skirt, checks her hair in the fuzzy reflection of the TV, and goes to answer.

Nicholas gives her a slightly shy smile, holding up a bottle of white wine.

“I thought I ought to contribute something since I’m getting a free meal.”

Belle takes the bottle and steps back to welcome him into the apartment. She’s never really had much of a head for wine, but she’s pretty certain that this is a good one, and she goes back into the kitchen to pour. When she returns with two glasses, Nicholas is still standing in the entry to the apartment, looking around her domain.

“You can sit down, you know,” she says, handing him a glass and chinking her own against it in a toast to anything. “Make yourself at home.”

“You have so many books,” Nicholas says, gazing around at all her bookshelves.

“Yeah. I couldn’t really bring myself to part with any of them when I left Maine, so I had them all shipped here.”

“Your apartment’s like a library in microcosm,” he continues. “It’s beautiful.”

Belle isn’t sure that anyone has ever described her book collection as beautiful before. Extensive, yes. Scary, yes. Ridiculous, yes. Rum had said it suited her, and he had willingly helped her add to it and created her a library of her own within the pink house, but she can’t remember him ever describing it specifically as beautiful.

“Thank you. I do my best. Well, I don’t at all, actually. I have absolutely no self-control when it comes to buying books and I don’t even try to curb my enthusiasm.”

“You shouldn’t.” Nicholas takes a sip of the wine, savouring it for a moment before he speaks again. “Your enthusiasm is wonderfully refreshing in all aspects. You don’t tend to do anything by halves, do you?”

Belle shakes her head with a laugh. “Never. My parents were always equal parts exasperated and overjoyed by my whole-hearted dedication to anything I put my mind to. I think they were pretty relieved when my ultimate passion turned out to be books. At least it was quieter than if I’d decided to play the drums.”

Nicholas gives a huff of soft laughter and a smile creeps over his face. He doesn’t smile often, Belle’s noticed, but he smiles more often with her, and something inside her preens a little bit at that fact.

Presently the kitchen timer goes off and Belle goes to see to dinner. When she returns, a steaming bowl of pasta in her hands, she sees Nicholas studying the picture of Rum, Neal, and Baby Henry. She’s mentioned Neal, of course, but only in passing. She bites her lip, puts the dish down on the table, and steels herself.

“Dinner’s ready,” she says, and Nicholas comes over, settling himself with his wine as Belle serves. He tops up her glass, and polite small talk is exchanged as they begin to eat.

“That’s my stepson Neal,” Belle says, deciding to bring up the topic before it gets under her skin. “And my grandson Henry. Well. Step-grandson technically, but I’ve always been his nana.” There’s a screamingly awkward pause. “Yeah. I’m a grandmother.”

Nicholas’s expression is amused. “Well, I think I can safely say that you’re the most unconventional grandmother I’ve ever met. I’m sure not many children can say that their grandmothers are astrophysicists.”

Belle laughs. “I’m hardly an astrophysicist. I’m a librarian with a fascination for space.”

“I think that makes you an astrophysicist. Definitely an honorary one at least.” They continue to eat in silence for a while, but the awkwardness has gone. Belle’s a grandmother and Nicholas doesn’t seem in the least bit phased by it. “Do you see them often?”

She shakes her head. “Not since I moved, but I speak to them a lot. We’re close and we love each other as family, but we live very different lives. I’m not all that much older than Neal; we don’t really have a traditional mother-son relationship. We’re friends first and foremost. I’m going to see them for Thanksgiving weekend, which will be nice. But I don’t miss them, not in that sense. They have their lives and I have mine. What about you?” she asked. “I feel like I’ve just been talking about myself.”

“That’s all right. I like hearing about you, and it means I get to enjoy the food whilst you’re talking.”

It’s nice to see Nicholas a little bit less tightly-wound than he usually is, a little bit more teasing. The fact he’s lighter now makes Belle think that perhaps something more can come of this.

“All the same,” she continues, “I would like to know more about your family. Where are you going for Thanksgiving?”

Nicholas just shrugs and shakes his head. “There’s not really much to tell. I don’t really have any family. Well, there’s the extended web of cousins and step-cousins and twenty-first cousins half-removed and all that nonsense, but they’re all still back in Glasgow. We were never particularly close to start with and I haven’t seen them in years. To be honest I think we moved to California to get away from family.”

Belle bites her bottom lip, wondering what to say. She thinks about how lonely it must be to spend Thanksgiving alone at a time when family were supposed to come together. She couldn’t fathom spending the weekend apart from Neal, Emma and Henry.

“So you’ll be alone on Thanksgiving?”

Nicholas gives another non-committal shrug. “We never really celebrated Thanksgiving properly,” he says. “We never celebrated it back in Oxford, obviously, and we never really caught on to the thing when we moved out here. It’s just a long weekend to me, it doesn’t hold any kind of significance. I usually just spend it grading papers and watching old Westerns.” He smiles, and Belle has to smile too, because there’s no sign of regret or sadness in his face as he discusses the forthcoming holiday, and there’s no point in feeling sorry for him if he’s not feeling sorry about it himself. By mutual consent they move the conversation away from family and onto safer ground: books, music, films. Belle’s surprised and delighted to find that she and Nicholas share several of the same eclectic favourites, and they manage to rant about the inaccurate physics of some science-fiction movies for almost half an hour, stopping only when Belle remembers that she made chocolate mousse for dessert and she’d hate for it to go to waste because they were too busy talking about anti-gravity boots to eat it. As the mousse is eaten, though, Belle can feel that the evening is coming to a natural conclusion, and she’s pleased with how it’s gone. Neither of them have been scared off, and her cooking went off without a hitch. They finish the wine, exchanging pleasantries and talking about nothing of much importance. Whilst Belle wouldn’t go so far as to say that she doesn’t want the evening to end, she would say that she would very much like to see it repeated.

Eventually, Nicholas gets up to leave, and Belle walks him to the door.

“Thank you for coming,” she says.

“My pleasure.”

“And thank you for the wine.”

Nicholas gives a soft laugh. “That was also my pleasure. I know nothing about wine, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Oh, I enjoy wine in general, I don’t think that you could have gone wrong with a bottle.” She grins, and in that moment, with the front door half-open and Nicholas halfway out of it, she finds herself leaning in towards him, unable to take her eyes off his face, watching his tongue dart out nervously to wet his lips. Could this be it? Does he want to take the next step just as much as she does. She thinks he does, there’s a glimmer of desire in his eyes, but when they’re just a few inches apart, he pulls back.

“I, erm, I should probably go,” he mutters, sounding a little awkward but more annoyed with himself than with her for initiating the almost-kiss.

“I’ll see you in class tomorrow?” Belle suggests tentatively, and Nicholas nods firmly.

“Yes. Thank you for tonight. I had a great evening.” He means it, he’s not just being polite, and Belle wonders what it was that made him pull back. Maybe he’s just not ready to move on yet, like she had not been ready when the idea of entering a relationship with him first presented itself in her mind those few weeks ago.

“We should do it again,” she says. A firm statement, no vague ‘sometime’ added in there. Nicholas nods. “Definitely. You should come over to mine. I’m no great chef but I’ve been told I cook a decent steak.”

Belle smiles. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Nicholas just nods, and moves down the corridor towards the stairwell with a wave.

Re-entering her apartment, Belle looks at the stacked plates in the sink and wraps her arms around herself, feeling truly happy for the first time in a very long time.

Surrender (Library Boys, NC-17, 16/?)

“I’m so glad you live here now, because if you’d gotten snowed in at your old apartment, I would’ve cried. For real.” Jensen cards his fingers through Jared’s tangled bed hair. Jared rolls over and looks through the half-open blinds to see a thick blanket of snow covering their driveway, the little bit of yard they have, their sidewalk, and the empty parking spaces across the street. The actual street itself has been plowed enough to get one car through, but that snow is piled up in front of all their driveways. Thank God their homeowner’s association payment goes to the crew that shovels the driveways, because they’re gonna earn their fucking money today. “Yeah, I’m really glad I’m here with you. We’re not going anywhere for a while.” “I can’t believe Jeff waited until 8 o’clock last night to close the system, and didn’t even put in on social media until 11:00! Eleven o’clock at night, it finally goes up on Twitter. What the fuck.” Jared groans. “It’s too damn early to talk about work.” He turns back over to face Jensen. “I can think of better things to do with that mouth.” “Oh really?” Jensen brushes his lips against Jared’s jaw. “What did you have in mind?” Jared meets Jensen’s lips with his own. He lightly traces the tip of his tongue along the seam of Jensen’s mouth, until Jensen parts his lips and lets Jared inside to sweep the last traces of the evening’s mulled wine from inside Jensen’s mouth. “Mmm, spicy,” murmurs Jared. “And sweet.” “This is the best Tuesday morning I’ve ever had,” replies Jensen. “And it’s only 7:30.” “Yeah, no work, no shoveling…” Jared’s voice drops down an octave. “No reason to leave this bed.” “I was just thinking that,” purrs Jensen, sliding a hand down Jared’s belly to his cock, which is sporting a fairly impressive case of morning wood. “And you’re just rarin’ to go, aren’t you, baby?” “Your mouth. My dick. Now,” growls Jared. “I promise to return the favor posthaste.” “Ooh, busting out the big words this morning.” Jensen peppers Jared’s neck and sternum with fluttery little kisses. “Once a librarian, always a librarian.” “You are the worst dirty talker in the known universe.” “Maybe I should read The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica, get some pointers.” “We sent that out in delivery and it never came back, as far as I know,” replies Jared, grinning. “Maybe you should put a hold on it. With your staff account.” Jensen throws his head back and laughs. “Do you have any idea what Osric or Briana would do if that hold came up on my staff account? I’d never hear the end of it!” “Are you kidding? Osric would probably put it on hold for himself.” “We’re talking about work again,” Jensen points out. “We are the fail at being horny gay men.” “But we’re fucking awesome librarians,” replies Jared with a smirk. “We should try and convince Jeff to sign the new outreach van up for the Pride Parade.” Jensen honest-to-God cackles. “Oh my God, I would pay to see that! I might have to try, just to see what Jeff and Kim would say.” Jensen drops his head onto Jared’s chest, still chuckling, and vibrating Jared’s nipples in a surprisingly pleasurable way. “We are unforgivably nerdy.” “Librarians through and through,” agrees Jared. He reaches down and wraps his long fingers around Jensen’s half-hard dick, giving it a couple of sensuous strokes and bringing it up to speed with Jared’s own massive hard-on. “But you’re gonna blow me now, and then we’re gonna get in the shower.” “When did you get so bossy?” complains Jensen, but he pushes himself up and starts licking a trail from Jared’s navel down to the shaft of his dick. He laves a thick stripe down the top of Jared’s shaft to the tip and licks off a bead of precome. “Since I moved in,” replies Jared, tangling his fingers in Jensen’s hair and holding his head in place over Jared’s painfully hard cock. Jensen slides the tip of his tongue around the underside of the head and then teases the slit some more. Jared drops his head back against the pillow and moans. “Yeah, babe, tha’ss it.” Jensen closes his lips around the head and hums. Jared almost loses it right then and there, but forces himself to stay in control by reciting Dewey Decimal numbers in his head. 0-.01, Computer Science. .01-.02, Biography, .02-.03, Library Science, .03-.04, Encyclo— Jensen flutters his tongue over Jared’s slit and Jared sees white sparks at the edge of his vision. Jensen turns his attention to the underside of the shaft, fluttering his tongue all the way down to the base and then behind Jared’s balls, and that’s it. Jared shoots his load all over the sheets and lets out a stuttering moan. Jensen’s head pops up and he grins wolfishly. “Okay, now I’ma strip the bed and meet you in the shower.” “Gimme a minute, I don’t think my legs work yet.” Jared takes a few deep breaths and tries to slow his heart, which is currently jackhammering against his ribcage. “You’re a fuckin’ menace, you know that?” “My tongue is legendary,” replies Jensen with a wicked smirk. “Admit it: you are in awe of my blowjob skills.” “I’m in awe of your ego, that’s for sure,” replies Jared. He runs a hand through his sweaty hair and pushes himself up on his elbows. “You do that laundry thing you mentioned, and I’ll warm up the shower.” Jensen tosses off a mock salute. “Yes, sir.” He shoves Jared toward the end of the bed. “Can’t take sheets off while you’re on ‘em.” Jared gets to his feet with some difficulty and staggers toward the bathroom. “I’m getting too old for this shit.” Jensen cackles at that, too. “You’re too old? I’m a fucking decade older than you.” “No, you’re not,” retorts Jared. “You’re six years older than me. That’s only half a decade.” “It feels like a fucking generation,” mutters Jensen. “You put holds on every single graphic novel we process. I read David Foster Wallace and Elena Ferrante for fun. You and I could not be more different.” “And that’s why the sex is so fucking awesome!” replies Jared. “We’re opposites in pretty much every way except sexual orientation. We’re never gonna get bored.” “Just get in the damn shower so I can wash the sheets?” Jared leans against the wall outside Jensen’s—well, actually, their—bedroom. “Comme tu veux.” “Oh, you remember that.” Jensen strips the sheets off the bed with practiced ease. “I checked the Berlitz French course out from AFL,” says Jared. “Je t’aime, mon petit chou.” “Embrasse-moi, ma puce.” Jensen kisses Jared on the lips as he reaches for the closet door behind him. “Je voudrais faire un câlin. Mais, après la douche.” “You want to do…something…after we shower?” Jensen smiles. “Not bad. Faire un câlin is cuddle. But we can totally fuck first.” “You’re so generous.” Jared slaps Jensen’s ass as he passes by with the dirty sheets. “Just turn on the fucking hot water already!” calls Jensen as he starts down the stairs. Jared goes into the bathroom and starts the shower. He’s got the water nice and hot by the time Jensen comes back up to join him. Jensen steps under the spray and moans out loud. “Tu es le meilleur.” “I am the best?” Jared presses a kiss to the junction of Jensen’s neck and shoulder. “Merci beaucoup.” “De rien.” Jensen wets his hair and then steps aside so Jared can do the same. They end up sharing the shampoo, but it takes Jared so much longer to rinse out his hair that Jensen gets impatient, seizing Jared’s free hand and guiding it to his dick. “Ooh la la,” murmurs Jared, fisting Jensen’s hard length in his hand. “Someone’s impatient this morning.” “T’as bien raison,” growls Jensen, grazing his teeth over Jared’s pulse point and thrusting further into Jared’s grip. “What does that mean?” “Damn right.” Jensen starts to suck a claiming mark onto Jared’s shoulder, and Jared responds by jacking Jensen roughly from shaft to head. Jensen groans and leans into the touch. “Ça c’est bien. Très, tres bien.” That doesn’t take any translation at all on Jared’s part: very, very good. He continues to jack Jensen’s hot, heavy cock until he can sense that Jensen’s getting close. Then he shoves Jensen up against the wall and wraps an arm across his chest, letting the hot water sluice down his back and into his ass crack. He pumps Jensen’s cock until Jensen shoots his load all over the shower wall and eases him through the aftershocks. Then he draws back and lets Jensen clean himself off under the spray. Jared’s feeling a little endorphin-high himself, and he grabs a washcloth from the bar and soaps them both up with Jensen’s Old Spice body wash. They both rinse off under the water until Jensen shuts off the spray. He hands Jared a clean blue towel and takes another one for himself. They both dry off and hang the wet towels back on the towel bar. Then they brush their teeth, sharing the small vanity sink by pressing their hips and thighs together to fit in the space. Jensen dries his hair with a smaller towel and then offers it to Jared, who ends up soaking it through with all the excess water from his chestnut mane. Jensen shakes his head and hangs it over the shower curtain rod. “Breakfast?” asks Jensen. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” “What’s on the menu?” “I’ve got eggs, ham, cheese, and bread. Omelets and toast okay?” “Sounds great,” says Jared, following Jensen into the bedroom to throw on a robe and slippers. “I’m gonna check my email and then I’ll be down.” His email is pretty much empty except for a class assignment from Samantha, so Jared accepts it and then heads down to the kitchen, which smells so much like Jared’s childhood home that he’s momentarily transplanted back to his kitchen in San Antonio, banging on pots and waiting for his mom to finish grilling his hot ham ‘n cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It’s not a terribly sexy image, but it’s comforting. Jensen turns around when he hears Jared’s plodding footsteps. “Yours is almost ready. Go hit the button on the toaster oven?” Jared does as he’s told and the toaster oven timer starts ticking. Jensen plates a beautiful-looking omelet just as the timer starts beeping so Shirley Jared mistakes it for the smoke detector. “Holy shit, that’s the toaster oven?” “Yeah, it’s kind of obnoxious,” replies Jensen, handing Jared the omelet and opening the toaster oven door. He grabs the sourdough toast with tongs and throws it on a paper plate, which he carries to the table himself. He sets the plate down next to a butter dish and silverware, and Jared places his omelet plate on the placemat. “Thanks for this,” he says, pressing a quick kiss to Jensen’s jaw. Jensen grins. “De rien, mon coeur.” He kisses Jared’s cheek and heads back to the stove to start his own omelet. Jared takes his time with his toast so he can wait for Jensen to join him at the table. Jensen brings his own omelet and plate of toast over and steals the butter from Jared’s side. “You could’ve asked,” says Jared. “Less fun.” Jensen grins and slathers his toast in butter. “I don’t know how you manage to fit in your pants if this is the way you eat at home.” “Only today,” replies Jensen, smirking, “because I know I’m gonna work it off later.” “Oh, do you now?” Jared takes a bite of his omelet. It’s really damn good, and Jared is even more convinced that moving in with Jensen is the best thing he could’ve done. “Again, you could at least ask.” “You plannin’ to hold out on me?” Jensen quirks an eyebrow. “I should,” says Jared, spearing a piece of ham, “but I won’t.” “That’s my boy.” Jensen takes a bite of his own omelet. “I should’ve gotten some fresh cheddar at the store. This is a little bit stale.” “Really? I couldn’t tell.” Jared takes an experimental bite. It tastes utterly fantastic to him. “Maybe you just have ridiculously high standards.” “Well, I date you, so how high can they be?” Jared throws his napkin at Jensen. “You’re in quite a mood this morning.” “I don’t have to deal with patrons this morning,” counters Jensen. “I’m over the fucking moon about that. No Carletta, no Chang…I’ve earned a fucking break.” “Yeah, you have been pretty stressed lately.” Jared finishes his omelet and starts on his last piece of toast. “I hereby declare this house a library-free zone. No more talking about work until the day we go back.” Jared glances out the back door at the thick wall of white. “And it’s looking like that might be even further in the future, if this doesn’t slow down soon. There’s gotta be a foot on the ground already.” “They said one to two inches an hour, and it started snowing around eight last night,” says Jensen. “That’s almost twelve hours, so twelve inches sounds about right.” “I’m just glad we don’t have to shovel it.” “A-fucking-men,” says Jensen with a smile. “That’s what I pay the big bucks to the homeowner’s association for. I don’t know when they’ll come by, but it’ll be before the end of the day.” Jared smiles back. “I love your house.” “I love having you in my house.” Jensen reaches over and places a hand on Jared’s knee. “Now, finish up so we can spend the rest of our well-deserved day off in bed.” Conversation is put on hold while they both finish eating. Jensen collects the dishes and puts them in the dishwasher, then puts a few beers in the fridge to chill. After that, he extends a hand to Jared. “Allons-y, mon coeur.” “Oui, mon cheri.” Jared follows Jensen up the stairs to the bedroom and helps him put clean sheets on the bed. Then he reaches into the nightstand drawer for the condoms and lube he knows Jensen keeps there, plus a little surprise he stashed there yesterday. Jensen stretches out on the clean cornflower blue sheets that do wondrous things for his green eyes and freckle-dusted alabaster skin. Jared takes advantage of his drowsy, sated state to clasp one cuff around his left wrist, wind the chain through the headboard slats, and fasten the other cuff around his right wrist. Jensen’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline and his eyes widen enough to see that, despite his obvious confusion, his pupils are blown wide with lust and excitement. “What the fuck?” “Relax,” murmurs Jared, tracing a fingertip down the inside of Jensen’s arm to his elbow and then to his chest. “Just go with the flow.” He takes one of Jensen’s nipples between his lips and flicks his tongue over the sensitive bud until it stiffens under his ministrations. He lightly runs his tongue around the base and then flutters the tip of his tongue over the hard little bud, making Jensen growl deep in his throat. Jensen pulls at the cuffs, but they’re lined with fleece; they won’t leave bruises or friction burns. Jensen’s perfectly safe. He just doesn’t think so…yet. Jared turns his attention to Jensen’s other nipple, coaxing it into hardness with strategic flicks of his tongue and light grazes with his teeth. Jensen’s moaning with abandon now, still straining against the bonds. “Jen, seriously, you gotta relax. It won’t be any fun if you don’t.” He brushes his lips feather-lightly over Jensen’s. “You’ve gotta give a little to gain a lot.” “Now who’s the one not askin’?” hisses Jensen. “Don’t you trust me?” replies Jared, breathing hot and heavy over Jensen’s cheek. “You know I do,” answers Jensen quietly. “Then just trust that I have your best interests at heart, and surrender.” Jared murmurs the last word right into Jensen’s ear, and the hot breath on sensitive skin raises goosebumps on Jensen’s arms and chest. Jared nips at the shell of Jensen’s ear and then sucks Jensen’s earlobe between his teeth. Jensen shivers, and Jared presses his chest to Jensen’s to warm him up. Jensen’s skin is cool and slightly clammy; Jared’s is flushed and heated from within. Jared slides a hand down Jensen’s side to his hip, and then rolls off to give himself better access to Jensen’s cock. “You want me to fuck you, babe? Split you open and lay you bare, till all you can do is scream my name? You wanna submit to my every desire?” Jensen nods, eyes still dark with lust. “God, yes,” he hisses. “Fuck me, Jay. Fuck me so hard I forget my fuckin’ name.” Jared smirks. “I can do that.” He squeezes lube onto his fingers and inserts one into Jensen’s hole. Jensen’s a little tight, but he relaxes quickly and lets Jared work his magic. Jared coats the ring of muscle with slippery lube in a slightly sloppier fashion than he’s used to, but he can sense that Jensen’s getting impatient. He adds a second finger, then a third in quick succession, and starts to scissor. Jensen’s panting and groaning, desperate for some relief from the tension. Jared covers Jensen’s protesting mouth with his own and kisses Jensen until he stops fussing and is forced to concentrate on just sucking in enough air to keep from suffocating. Jared opens the condom, but Jensen jerks his head up and knocks it out of his fingers with his chin. “You’re clean, I’m clean, we’re exclusive. Fuck it.” Jared nods. “Comme tu veux, bébé,” He tosses the condom aside and coats his dick with lube instead. Then he positions his dick at Jensen’s entrance and eases in. Jensen gasps, but quickly adjusts to let Jared in. Jared pushes in as far as he dares and then pulls back. He starts to thrust, pressing his hands to Jensen’s shoulders for balance, and Jensen bucks his hips, forcing Jared in even deeper. “Hey, hey, calm down,” he whispers, his breath hot on Jensen’s cheek. “I’m in charge here. No fair muscling me out.” “Nothing about this is fair,” barks Jensen, pulling at the bonds. He bucks his hips again and Jared’s cock slides past the ring of muscle to hit home. Jensen cries out with pleasure, finally giving up the little bit of control he’s fought for and letting Jared take the reins. Jared hits home again, but then draws back, wanting to stretch this experience out as long as Jensen will let him. It’s a lesson he feels Jensen needs to learn—he’s not the almighty Branch Librarian in the bedroom. In the sheets, he’s just Jensen, and he’s at Jared’s mercy. Jared’s the almighty in the here and now, and he intends to teach Jensen a very important lesson about submission. Jensen’s panting breaths start to include a noticeable wheeze, and Jared decreases the intensity of his thrusts. “You okay, babe?” “Never better,” gasps Jensen. “Keep going. I still know my name.” Jared picks up the slack, slamming his engorged cock into Jensen’s slick, sturdy hole. He hits the sweet spot once, twice, and then a third time, and that’s it for Jensen. He comes like a fucking shotgun all over Jared’s abs. Jared speeds up his thrusts until his own orgasm crashes into him like a tsunami. He shoots his load into Jensen’s ass and pulls out with as much finesse as he can manage. He collapses on the bed next to Jensen and reaches for the handcuff key on the nightstand. Jared unlocks the cuffs and Jensen immediately yanks his hands free. Jared sticks the empty cuffs in the drawer and watches as Jensen rubs circulation back into his abused wrists. They’re not red or bruised, though, just a little numb. Jensen tips his head back and struggles for breath, making the cords of his neck stand out. “Fuckin’ hell, that was hot.” “You didn’t think that a minute ago,” Jared points out. “I was delusional.” Jensen sucks in air and pushes himself up on one elbow, but he’s not upright for long before he sinks down onto Jared’s slick chest. “You were right. About everything. Is that what you wanna hear?” Jared grins and kisses the top of Jensen’s head. “Indeed it is. You trust me now?” “Implicitly.” Jensen kisses Jared’s jawline until he makes it to his lips, and then covers them with his own in a somewhat daunted display of affection. “You are a god among men.” “Remember that the next time I tie you up and you wanna give me lip.” Jensen nods solemnly. “I will, I promise.” His head falls back down onto the pillow and he rubs his free hand over Jared’s back. “Where did you learn that, anyway?” “I ain’t tellin’ you!” Jared kisses Jensen’s forehead and slides an arm over his stomach. “Some things will just remain a mystery.” “Until I get The Sexy Librarian’s Big Book of Erotica back.” Jensen’s breathing is somewhat close to normal, and he’s speaking full sentences with only one or two pauses. “Then I’m gonna learn all your secrets.” “You’ll never learn all my secrets,” insists Jared. “I’ve got moves you’ve never even dreamed of.” “I look forward to finding out.” Jensen kisses Jared’s jaw. “Until then, you gonna keep tying me up till I listen to you?” “Maybe,” says Jared. “Maybe not. You’ll never know, now, will you?” “God, that’s hot.” Jensen pushes sweat-damp hair out of his face. “You’ve more than earned your Sexy Librarian badge.” “Guess you’ve got some catching up to do,” replies Jared. Jensen grins wickedly. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

Chapter 8: A Dragon, 3 Mystical Beings, A Cyborg, A Giant Turtle, and A 1000 Year Old Demon all want me dead.

This is the big one! The final chapter of the video game. We entered the Palace of Shadow and begun our trek to the innermost chambers. Here’s the line up of Battles:

Gloomtail

Shadow Sirens Redux

Grodus

Bowser + Kammy Koopa

Shadow Queen

Gloomtail 

Gloomtail is the brother of Hooktail, who we fought all the way back in Chapter 1! Hooktail was a pushover, but how does her brother fare? He has 80 HP, 2 defense, and 8, 10, or 16 attack. Don’t worry, the 16 attack is always after he charges for a turn. Using Vivian, we can veil to avoid it. (Even if he does it 3 times in a row, like for me). Relative to the rest of this chapter, pretty easy. 

Shadow Sirens Redux

You know how Vivian, the third Shadow Siren is in our party now? Yeah. The other 2 recruited Doopliss to help. They have 40, 40, and 30 HP respectively, and no defense. The hardest part about this fight is that you’re taking 3 hits at once, but Clock Out is your friend here. Use that repeatedly and they won’t be able to make a move!

Grodus & Bowser + Kammy Koopa

These final 3 fights were streamed live on my twitch! If you’d like to take a watch, the link is below below, but i’ll give a brief summary here as well. 

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/954368310

This fight is ROUGH. You see, you have to beat Grodus first and then fight Bowser and Kammy Koopa without saving in between the two. That means your luck has to be immaculate for even a chance at beating both fights. About 12 attempts in, I realized that if your partner isn’t out during the turn switch from you to the enemy, Power Lift stays active. In tandem with Quick Change, this allows you to do the following steps:

Power Lift Mario and Whichever Partner you’d like to beef up

Use the partner’s attack. You’ll have to let the timer tick down at least once.

Next Turn, switch order so your partner is in front. Attack with them, then use Mario to put another partner out.

Attack with Mario

When it’s your turn again, switch to the beefed partner and then repeat steps 3 & 4.

Your partner is now powered up “permanently”

This was needed to beat these fights, and probably SQ as well, though I’ve only attempted her once at the time of writing this. I recommend checking the video out so this all makes more sense. 

Shadow Queen

I got insanely lucky during the Shadow Queen fight. It took me 3 attempts total and the last one was crazy. Let me start at the beginning. 

Phase 1: Shadow Peach

After possessing Princess Peach, Shadow Queen has 150 HP, 0 defense and a myriad of attacks from 3 to 14 damage, all piercing. Defense will not save you now. She can also give herself more defense and attack. With power lifted Bobbery, I was doing about 9 damage per turn plus whatever Mario had. This phase, you just have to get her down to about 80 HP, not fully kill her. The strategy from before remains.

Phase 2: Shadow Queen True Form

When you get her low enough, she heals back to 150 HP and begins this phase. (after some cutscenes). 2 things are important to note. 

The cutscene heals you for full FP and SP.

There’s a scripted shine sprite Bingo! which will heal you AGAIN for full FP and SP. This means you get 3 moves with full action commands of pure whaling on her before you’d have to heal yourself or whatever.

I used these turns as follows:

Power Lift Mario/Bobbery; Bobbery Bob-ombasts

Bobbery Bob-ombasts again; Mario switches Koops in and uses Clock Out, which fails 70% of the time.

Clock out succeeds, Bobbery bombs.

Next there were 3 turns of her stunned. This was just pure action, with Bomb and Power Smash from both Party Members. At this point she’s at 67 HP. It’s worth mentioning that at least 7 of that damage is from stage hazards. The fog machines at front exploded her twice and there was a fork. Somehow, I got her down to 22 HP. Some well done power smashes and bombs, and the fight will be over. I’m averaging 17 damage a turn, so I power smash. That makes her at 14 HP. She takes her turn, it misses. I bomb with Bobbery. 5 HP left. The stage effects activate. The fog machine explodes once more dealing 5 HP to her. I won. I beat the game.

If you don’t want to watch the full fight, watch the clip of the last 2 turns. I promise it’s worth it. It’s one of my favorite moments in my gaming career. With that, lets talk Statistics. 

FINAL RESULTS

Stats:

1 HP / 30 FP / 66 BP

Game Overs:

This Chapter: 26

Total: >62

Badge Setup for Final Fight (Ordered Most BP to Least)

Quick Change

Power Plus

Power Plus P

Defend Plus (x2)

Defend Plus P (x2)

Flower Saver

Power Bounce

Pretty Lucky (x3)

Pretty Lucky P

Unsimplifier

Close Call (x5)

Close Call P (x5)

Power Smash

L Emblem

Attack FX P

Total Playtime:

28:56

Up Next: Pit of 100 Trials and thoughts on the run as a whole. See you then!

A Marti Report Is a Birth Certificate for Your Ford Muscle Car

When it comes to documenting muscle cars, Ford guys have it good. Not only does every VIN tag identify the original engine that was installed in the vehicle, but a vast wealth of information is available from Ford’s own computer database, which is now exclusively licensed to Marti Auto Works. While a Marti Report is familiar to many Ford fans, even some Dearborn faithful may be foggy as to the genesis of the data, as well as some of the findings through the years.

In a nutshell, a Marti Report identifies a multitude of specifics about an individual car and is available for all FoMoCo products from 1967-2012. The Deluxe Report is the midrange of the three available levels of documentation, and the most popular. (A Standard report costs $18, Deluxe $46, and Elite $275.) The Deluxe Report identifies such things as a complete list of options, scheduled and actual build dates, selling dealership, and how many similar cars were built. The information is not only a gold mine for current owners but also a fantastic resource for potential buyers. The latter may find the Standard Report adequate for their needs. It includes a complete list of original options, colors, and drivetrain specifics. The Standard Report is sent as a PDF file in 7-10 days, and rush/same-day service is also available.

Far beyond the individual stats that the Ford/Marti database can provide is the potential to research information more broadly applicable to the hobby. Ever wonder how many 1971 Mustang convertibles were built with the 429 Super Cobra Jet and four-speed? The answer is five. Care to know the breakdown between 3.91- and 4.11-geared cars among them? Marti can do that as well. In short, the Marti data has transformed the Ford collector car scene with an incredible amount of factory documentation and accurate production numbers, enabling buyers to purchase with confidence and dispelling years of false information, myths, and rumor.

Marti Auto Works’ owner and driving force, Kevin Marti, is actually a Mercury Cougar fan. “When I was 16, I was looking for my first car and was primarily interested in a Chevelle or Camaro,” he says. “While looking through newspaper ads I stumbled across a listing for a 1967 Cougar. I went and looked at it, fell for it, and the rest is history. I still own that same Cougar today.”

It’s from Kevin’s enthusiast core that Marti Auto Works initially sprang, offering concours-quality wear items such as radiator hoses, fan belts, and sparkplug wires, which remain a big part of the business today. As a participant in the hobby, Kevin developed a curiosity for understanding the rarity of FoMoCo products. Through contacts he made over a period of 15 years, he came to realize there was a good chance that Ford computer data still existed from the 1960s. Eventually he connected with the right people at Ford, determined that the data was still there for cars built from 1967 on, and was able to exclusively license the database.

In an indirect way, Ralph Nader played a role in the existence of the Ford/Marti database. Nader’s famous auto safety campaigns led to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. Among other things, the act required manufacturers to retain detailed production data for the purpose of potential recalls. “This same sort of data was produced by Ford beginning in about 1957,” says Kevin, “but unfortunately it was erased each year prior to the 1966 Safety Act requiring it to be kept.”

Myths and Revelations

One of the great things that the Ford/Marti data has done is dispel a number of myths, some literally decades old. Chief among them? The 1967-1968 427 Mustang. In short, none were ever produced at any of the Ford assembly plants, despite reports of the contrary coming from various magazine articles, owner’s manual references, and the old-timer who swears that he saw an original 427 Mustang back in the day. The conjecture is understandable, as Ford frequently offered the same drivetrain options in its intermediates and ponycars. Fairlane had a 427 option in 1967, and the Cougar GT-E had a 427 in 1968, but it turns out that neither crossed over to the Mustang. The same holds true for 1968 Torinos. None were built with the 427, despite early FoMoCo sales brochures listing the 427 as an option.

Another myth revolved around 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs. A popular book reported production breakdowns of these cars that were later proven to be erroneous. The book identified 1970 as the year that the fewest number of 428 CJ Mustangs were built, followed by 1968 1/2 and then 1969. At the time it was a head scratcher, as 1968 1/2 CJ production lasted just four months while 1970 production spanned the model year. Nevertheless, the book numbers were picked up as gospel. It took the Marti data to reveal the legit numbers: The fewest CJ Mustangs were built as 1968 1/2 models; 1970 had about three times as many; 1969 was the most popular 428 CJ Mustang.

Closely related to the busted myths are the numerous revelations that have come to light. For instance, it has long been understood that while Ford offered the 427 as a production option in 1967 Fairlanes, the engine was strangely unavailable with the sporty GT package. Marti has uncovered that there was one legit exception, a 427 GT that appears to have been built for a Ford executive.

Another revelation: When the 428 CJ was introduced to ponycars and intermediates in the spring of 1968, an oddity occurred in which CJ Torinos and Cyclones were not available with a four-speed. You could get a four-speed in a CJ Mustang or Cougar, but not in an intermediate, with one Marti-documented exception. That’s right, a single 1968 428 CJ Torino was built with a four-speed transmission.

These “one-of-one” examples turn up somewhat regularly in Marti’s reports, due to the way production data is broken down and because of the myriad option combinations offered by all manufacturers, not just Ford, in the 1960s. But not all one-of-ones have the same significance. You can’t really compare the collectability of, say, a 1968 Mustang coupe that’s one-of-one because it’s yellow, has a bench seat, a 390, and a three-speed stick with the Fairlane and Torino mentioned above. The latter two are truly noteworthy, unusual, and desirable cars.

Outside the Box

There are other ways to use the Marti data, such as the reverse search. Jim Chism hoped he might someday find the original 1968 Ford XL GT that was given to him as a high school graduation present by his parents in 1968. He says, “I knew the dealer where it was sold and the equipment that was on it [including a Q-code 428]. Kevin was able to reverse-search it and come up with the original VIN. Now I’ll know for sure if I ever find it, even though I admit the chances are small. The Deluxe Marti Report I had done on it makes me feel like I have some small token of the car still with me.”

These examples scratch the surface as to what the Ford/Marti database has to offer. A Marti Report will continue to be enviable proof for buyers, sellers, and enthusiastic owners of Dearborn iron, while new discoveries are perhaps limited only by the man-hours necessary to uncover them. Already known are the VINs of numerous famous movie cars (Kevin was instrumental in documenting what turned out to be the long-lost 1968 Mustang from the movie Bullitt), a non–GT-E 1968 Cougar with a 427, the identities and unique equipment of prototype Torino Talladegas sold to private parties, and more. It all makes us grateful that Kevin fell for that Cougar all those years ago, rather than a Chevelle. If the latter had happened, it’s quite possible the Ford community would still be living without this godsend of detailed production data.

Kevin Marti’s database and paperwork were critical to proving Andrew Hack’s 1971 SportsRoof—an eBay find he was going to turn into a driver—as the lone known prototype for the stillborn 1971 Boss 302 program.

This is part of the Marti Elite Report for Luis Chanes’ 1970 Mach 1 Twister Special. It spells out in detail virtually everything about the car as it was built and delivered. Just 96 Twister Special Mustangs were made as part of a Kansas City Ford dealer promotion, with 28 being 428 SCJ/four-speeds such as this.

Another day at the office for Kevin Marti and his staff. In addition to the vast Ford computer database Marti Auto Works is known for, the company also stores tens of thousands of invoices and documents on microfiche and paper in a 2,000-square-foot warehouse.

This is one of eight Mustang convertibles built in 1971 with a 429 Super Cobra Jet engine. While the VIN will verify a 429 CJ car, documentation from Marti will prove out specific details such as gear ratio (3.91s or 4.11s mean SCJ), transmission, color, trim options, and even if the car originally rolled on the Magnum 500s.

Chris Osborne’s 1970 Cougar is a rare and original 428 CJ XR7 model. If he were to sell the car, a Marti Report would reveal several items that a buyer would want to know. One, Ram Air is original to the car, something the 1970 VIN doesn’t show. Also, the car was originally Black Jade with a black vinyl top. As the guy who changed it to Competition Yellow, Osborne would be up front with a potential buyer. But if the car were to change hands several times in the future, the color change info might be lost in the shuffle. The Marti report will tell it like it is.

When Walt Golembiewski bought his 1970 Torino GT convertible in 1989, he knew it was one rare beast, but it wasn’t until the advent of the Marti Report in 1997 that he fully understood how rare. It turns out just 19 1970 Torino GT converts were built with a 429 Super Cobra Jet, and of those, 13 were four-speed cars like his. (We offer our condolences to the Golembiewski family, for as we put this story together, we learned of Walt’s passing.)

Only four factory Pastel Yellow Boss 302s were built out of a total production run of 7,014 Boss 302s for 1970. This model year saw a marked change for Boss color availability, going from just four for 1969 to nearly the full Ford color palate for 1970. Mike Bickford is the proud owner of this rare Boss. His Marti Report proves its Code 9 Pastel Yellow provenance.

Ford door tags changed from an aluminum tag to a sticker in 1970. Either way, door tags can prove much about a given Ford. But would you recognize the difference between an original and a reproduction that had been altered to reflect a transmission or color change? What if the tag had gone missing? These possibilities illustrate the relevance of a Marti Report beyond the information that can be deduced from the door tag.

Jim Chism’s 1968 XL GT Fastback may be long gone, but he knows the VIN of the car thanks to a search of Marti’s database. The scrapbook photo shows the fullsize fastback as new, along with Chism and his cousins, Susan and Tommy Flowers.

Kevin Marti’s database was particularly revealing for 428 Cobra Jet Mustang owners, as some erroneous production numbers had been widely circulated in previous years. Take Neil Biddlecombe’s 1968 1/2 Mustang coupe. We now know that just 221 coupes were equipped with the 428 CJ that year, making for a rarely seen beast.

The post A Marti Report Is a Birth Certificate for Your Ford Muscle Car appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/marti-report-birth-certificate-ford-muscle-car/ via IFTTT