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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 month

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Meatspace twiddling

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me next weekend (Mar 30/31) in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON, then in Boston with Randall "XKCD" Munroe (Apr 11), then Providence (Apr 12), and beyond!

"Enshittification" isn't just a way of describing the symptoms of platform decay: it's also a theory of the mechanism of decay – the means by which platforms get shittier and shittier until they are a giant pile of shit.

I call that mechanism "twiddling": this is the ability of digital services to alter their business-logic – the prices they charge, the payouts they offer, the particulars of the deal – from instant to instant, for each user, continuously:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

Contrary to Big Tech's own boasting about its operations, the tricks that tech firms play to siphon value away from business customers and end-users aren't very sophisticated. They're crude gimmicks, like offering a higher per-hour wage to Uber drivers whom the algorithm judges to be picky about which rides they'll clock in for, and then lowering the wage by small increments as a way of lulling the driver into gradually accepting a permanent lower rate:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

This is a simple trick. The difference is that tech platforms like Uber can play it over and over, and very quickly. There's plenty of wage-stealing scumbag bosses who'd have loved to have shaved pennies off their workers' paychecks, then added a few cents back in if a worker cried foul, then started shaving the pennies again. The thing that stopped those bosses was the bottleneck of payroll clerks, who couldn't make the changes fast enough.

Uber plays crude tricks – like claiming that a driver isn't an employee because the control is mediated through an app – and then piles more crude tricks on top – this algorithmic wage discrimination gambit.

Have you ever watched a shell-game performed very slowly?

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-do-penn-tellers-famous-cups-and-balls-trick-in-12-steps

It's a series of very simple gimmicks, performed very quickly and smoothly. Computers are very quick and very smooth. The quickness of the hand deceives the eye: do crude tricks with superhuman speed and they'll seem sophisticated.

The one bright spot in the Great Enshittening that we're living through is that many firms are not sufficiently digitized to to these crude tricks very quickly. Take grocery stores: they can get up to a lot of the same tricks as Amazon – for example, they can charge suppliers for placement on the most prominent, easiest-to-reach shelves, reorganizing your shopping based on which companies pay the biggest bribes, rather than offering the best products and prices.

But Amazon takes this to a whole different level – beyond simply organizing their product pages based on payola, they do this for search. You ask Amazon, "What's your cheapest batteries?" and it lies to you. If you click the first link in a search-results page, you'll pay 29% more than you would if you got the best product – a product that is, on average, 17 places down on the results page. Amazon makes $38b/year taking bribes to lie to you:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/06/attention-rents/#consumer-welfare-queens

Amazon can do more than that. Thanks to its digital nature, it can continuously reprice its offerings – indeed, it can simply make up each price displayed on every product at the instant you look at it – based on its surveillance data about you, estimating your willingness to pay. For sellers, Amazon can continuously re-weight the likelihood that a given product will be shown to a customer based on the seller's willingness to discount their products, even to the point where they go out of business:

https://www.businessinsider.com/sadistic-amazon-treated-book-sellers-the-way-a-cheetah-would-pursue-a-sickly-gazelle-2013-10

Twiddling, in other words, lets digital services honeycomb their servers with sneaky wormholes that let them siphon value away from one kind of platform user and give it to another (as when Apple silently began spying on Iphone owners to create profiles for advertisers), or to themselves.

But hard-goods businesses struggle to do this kind of twiddling. Not for lack of desire – but for lack of capacity. Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon Fresh – an online grocery store – can change prices and layout millions of times per day, at effectively zero cost. Jeff Bezos, owner of Whole Foods – a brick-and-mortar grocer – needs a army of teenagers on rollerskates with pricing guns to achieve a fraction of this agility.

So hard-goods businesses are somewhat enshittification-resistant. It's not that their owners are more interested in the welfare of their customers, workers and suppliers – they merely lack the capacity to continuously rejigger the way their business runs.

Well, about that.

Grocers have been experimenting with "electronic shelf labels" in order to do "dynamic pricing" – that means that prices change quickly, in response to circumstances:

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1197958433/dynamic-pricing-grocery-supermarkets

This doesn't have to be bad! As @planetmoney points out, it's a little weird that grocers don't discount milk whose sell-by date is drawing near. That milk is worth less to shoppers, because they have to use it more quickly lest it expire. Instead of marking down the price of perishable goods – day-old lettuce, yesterday's bread, etc – grocers put them on the shelves next to fresher, more valuable products, leading to billions of dollars' worth of food-waste and and unimaginable quantities of methane-producing, planet-cooking landfill.

In Norway, ESLs are pretty well established and – at least according to Planet Money's reporting – they are used exclusively to offer discounts in order to reduce waste. They make everyone better off.

But towards the end of the story, they note that Norway's grocery sector – which alters prices up to 2,000 times per day – has been accused of using ESLs to rig prices, hiking them and blaming them on pandemic supply-chain problems and loose monetary policy. Greedflation, in other words.

Greedflation is rampant in the grocery sector, all around the world. Remember when the price of eggs doubled and they blamed in on bird-flu, even as the CEO of the one company that owns every egg brand you've ever heard of boasted about how he could hike prices and suckers would just pay it?

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/23/cant-make-an-omelet/#keep-calm-and-crack-on

In Canada, grocers rigged the price of bread, the most Les-Mis-ass form of corporate crime you can imagine (do you want guillotines, Galen Weston? Because this is how you get guillotines):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_price-fixing_in_Canada

EU grocers – another highly concentrated industry – also collude to rig prices:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/17/how-to-think-about-scraping/

Which is all to say that while these companies don't have to use the twiddling capabilities that come with ESLs to enshittify their stores, we'd be pretty fucking naive to assume that they won't.

And here's the bad news: US grocers like Whole Foods (owned by Amazon, the company that wrote the enshittification playbook) are already experimenting with ESLs. So is Alberstons/Safeway, the massive, inbred conglomerate that has already demonstrated its passion for using twiddling to fuck over their workers:

https://knock-la.com/vons-fires-delivery-drivers-prop-22-e899ee24ffd0/

Economists love "price discrimination" – where prices change based on circumstance, trying to match the perfect price with the perfect customer. On paper, that sounds plausible: if I need a quart of milk for a recipe I'm making tonight and I get a 50% discount on some about-to-expire 2%, then everyone's better off. I get a discount and the grocer gets some money for milk they'd have to throw away at the end of the day.

But these elegant, self-licking ice-cream cones only emerge if the corporation offering the deal is constrained. Perhaps they're constrained by competition – the fear that you'll go elsewhere. Or perhaps they're constrained by regulation – the fear that they'll be punished if they use twiddling-tech to cheat you.

The grocery sector, dominated by a cartel of massive companies that routinely collude to rip us off, is not constrained by competition. And for years, regulators let them get away with ripping us off (though finally that might be changing):

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/us/politics/grocery-prices-pandemic-ftc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ek0.t2Pr.g4n2usbxEcoa

For neoclassical economists, the answer to all this is "caveat emptor" – let the buyer beware. If you want to make sure that ESLs are only used to offer you discounts and not to gouge prices, all you need to do is note the price of everything you buy, every time you buy it, and triple-check it every time you go back to the grocery store. Just be eternally vigilant!

Thing is, the one thing computers are much better at than humans is vigilance. With ESLs and other twiddling mechanisms, you're a fish on a hook, and the seller is tireless in giving you a little more slack, then a little less, until you finally drop your guard.

Economists desperately want these elegant models to work, but "efficient market hypothesis" is a brain-worm that always turns into apologetics for fraud. Dynamic markets sound like a good idea, but they are catnip for cheaters. "Just be eternally vigilant" is miserable advice, and no way to live your life:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

In his brilliant novel Spook Country, @GreatDismal describes augmented reality as "cyberspace everting" – that is, turning inside-out:

https://memex.craphound.com/2007/07/31/william-gibsons-spook-country/

The extrusion of twiddling technology from digital platforms into the physical world isn't cyberspace everting so much as it is cyberspace prolapsing.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/26/glitchbread/#electronic-shelf-tags

#pluralistic #fraud apologetics #caveat emptor #twiddling #competition #groceries #price discrimination #norway #electronic shelf tags #planet money #enshittification #constraints #greedflation #efficient market hypothesis brain-worms

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elabels109 · 1 year

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Elabels is an Australian owned company that was formed as a result of extensive research and investigation into the changing nature of retail and warehouse technology as we move into the future. Electronic Shelf Labels are the way of the future for retailers and warehousers.

#Electronic shelf #Electronic Shelf Labels #Electronic shelf tags

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solumesl · 2 years

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Benefits of Electronic Shelf Label’s Location Based-Service to Retail Management

SOLUM’s latest electronic shelf label lineup is now backed up by the Newton system that offers upgraded features to help you manage your retail store.

Managing your store is crucial to reaching success. You must achieve sales goals, ensure that you provide the best customer service, oversee daily activities, and help employees reach their full potential.

One of the most efficient tools to keep your retail store intact is by taking advantage of electronic shelf labels. Many think that ESL only replaces paper labels for its modern way of showing the price. Still, it can do a lot more — it elevates your store’s capabilities by automating your operations.

SOLUM Electronic Shelf Labels

SOLUM’s latest ESL lineup is now backed up by the Newton system which offers upgraded features that ordinary ESL systems can’t provide.

Newton has a location-based service feature that enhances retail management. It uses real-time geo-data through a mobile device and RF-enabled tags to provide location-based information, allowing entity (products or people) tracking in retail stores such as hypermarkets, groceries, manufacturing plants, and industrial facilities.

Here are four benefits of Newton’s location-based service feature to retail management.

Asset Location Management

Moving

Moving assets are the equipment that workers can move from any point of the facility at any time of the day, such as shopping carts, trolleys, scales, PCs, and machines.

Attaching Newton tags enables you to manage the current location and carry in and out of mobile assets. For trolleys, it’s possible to plan effective routes to optimize transportation time.

Fixed

Fixed assets are stationary equipment in their location like the shelves or the large equipment used for manufacturing the goods.

Attaching Newton tags lets you know the location of fixed assets such as fire extinguishers and first aid kits so that you can find them immediately in case of an emergency.

Location-based Retail Analysis

Store geography has a significant influence on customer behavior. Each aspect of a store’s layout is designed to convince consumers to make a purchase. Using Newton, you can promote your products by changing their position to the bestselling place — very helpful when conducting sales promotions.

Low Battery Location Notification

Newton shows the location of tags that are almost out of batteries, eliminating the need to check the labels one by one and allowing management to find and replace the label before the battery is exhausted.

Failure Tag Location Notification

When the operation fails, or the update is not reflected due to time out, the tag attached can be located on the map through Aims, so the staff can check it.

With Newton, your business never loses track. We help you find ways to make your operations more profitable and manageable.

For more information on Newton, visit our website at www.solumesl.com.

#Electronic shelf label #solumesl #pricetag #digital tag #esl #electronic shelf label #esl display #esl displays #retail management

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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 4 months

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Three for One 3

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, cheating, customer service abuse, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: As a customer service associate, you’re used to work with a wide variety of characters. Your efforts to go above and beyond draw the attention of a certain set of customers who want more than what’s on the shelf.

Character: Andy Barber, Lloyd Hansen, Ransom Drysdale

Note: Let's go!

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. Take care. 💖

Two days before Christmas. The store is left in tatters. Shelves strewn with sparse lefftovers and aisles hastily paced by those who left their shopping a bit too late. The frantic shoppers searching for a diamond among the sand grains of untouched product.

You work at arranging the remnants of the season’s beauty advent calendars on a table draped in a bright red cloth. There’s a large tag in a metal stand that marks them as ten percent off. On the other side of the holidays, they will drop to a full eighty percent off. You always believed giftcards were a better prize, not that you got many gifts.

That year, Luanne gave you a new journal and a specialty hot chocolate bomb in the department’s secret santa. You go Michelle and gifted her a copy of your favourite novel and some nail polishes. That is the extent of your shopping and gift exchanges. Except for your puppy, Ernie, who will get a bone and one of those special gourmet dog meals.

You finish your arrangement and step back, admiring your work. It’s close to close and so close to the end of the race that the shop isn’t as busy as usual. The only customers you do see are in a rush and horribly disappointed when that very specific thing isn’t in stock.

“Excuse me,” you’re drawn around the deep voice. A man strolls up the center aisle of the beauty section, the tails of his coat flicking behind him, “hi,” he uses your name as he approaches, “I’m so sorry to bother you again but can you point me to, erm,” he looks down at his phone, “a ring light?”

You hesitate. He seems to know you and you admit, he looks familiar. You’re at that point where the faces all blur together. Your one innate flaw is that you really don’t have a good memory for that, bt you definitely recognise his voice.

“Hello, sir,” you fall short of his name. You want to say Alan but you also don’t want to be wrong. “The ring lights are actually with the cellphone.” You gesture back at electronics, “I know it makes more sense to put them with cameras.”

“Ah, oh, thanks,” he nods but doesn’t move to find his quarry, he lowers his phone, “how’s your holiday going? Thing’s slowing down,” he looks around and you can’t help but do the same.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, most people are all done,” you shrug.

“Ha, wish I could say the same,” he sighs, “I thought we were done but the wife just sent me on a wild goose chase.”

“Hm, oh, well, I’m not very busy, did you need help finding anything else?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, my manager’s done for the day so doesn’t really matter if I leave my zone,” you say, “kinda boring around here.”

“You’re too sweet,” he smiles, his blue eyes deep and swirling, “and that sweater is adorable.”

You look down at your dark blue sweater with the white crochet peter pan collar. You wiggle your shoulders and grin back at him, thanking him. You know he bought some perfume for his wife but you’re still blanking on his name.

“Here’s my list,” he tilts his phone towards you and looks down, shifting closer to you as he shows you a text bubble.

“Oh my, right. I’m not sure we’ll have everything,” you teethe your lip as you go through the items, “but we’ll see.”

A message pops up over the top and you try not to read, putting your head up as you try to act like you didn’t see it. It’s not that you meant to decipher the words but your brain quickly skimmed that ‘tomorrow night?’ Not much but just feels a bit personal.

“Alright, we’ll go to electronics first, then work our way forward,” you suggest.

“Good idea,” he agrees.

You set off and he follows at just a step. You have to remember to slow down as often you’re so determined you find yourself leaving your customers far behind you. You bring him to the mobile accessories and point to the ring lights.

He considers them and rubs his chin. He points between two; “what’s the difference?”

“Oh, this one comes with a tripod extension and this one is a full kit with a mic,” you point from one to the other.

“What do you think is better for, uh, streaming?” He sounds unsure of that last word.

“I think that kit would have more to it, especially if whoever it’s for is just starting out. But I’m don’t know too much about these things.”

“I’ll take the kit,” he scoops it off the shelf, “the kid can never have enough.”

“Oh? You have kids?”

“One,” he sounds less than excited, “teenager now so he really can’t stand me.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to…”

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” he forces away the shadow across his features, “you know how they can be. What about you? You going to see your parents? Spending the day with someone special?”

“Um, just Ernie,” you answer, “my puppy.”

“Cute,” he remarks, “are you guys open tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, yeah, ‘til five,” you try to remember the next thing on his list.

He seems less concerned with the items than before, instead turn to examine a pop socket, “you have to work on Christmas Eve?”

“Yeah, closing, but I don’t mind.”

“What’s this?” He holds up a pop socket.

“It goes on your phone,” you pull out your phone and show him your daisy one, “see?” You hook your fingers around it, “it’s a grip to help you hold on.”

“Ah, makes sense,” he turns the thin package over, “kid’s always breaking his screen…”

You wait patiently as he makes up the mind to add the grip to his haul.

“What’s next?” You prompt as gently as you can.

“Oh, uh,” he looks at his phone, “video games…” he squints, “V-bucks?”

“Ah, yes, that would be a gift card,” you say, “I can show you the rack.”

He lets you lead him to the large rack of subscription cards. You point out the various currency amounts available and he rubs his brow. His forehead lines as you see the stress needling in his cheek. He’s struck with the late shopper syndrome. He’s start to feel the crush of time.

“So, just your dog?” He wonders as he picks up a $75 card.

“Yeah,” you answer softly.

“No boyfriend? Siblings?”

“Just me,” you assure him, “I don’t mind. I get to choose the dessert!”

He chuckles, “that’s a good way to look at it. Did you buy yourself something special?”

“Not really, I’ve been saving for a vacation so I put most of my overtime into that,” you explain. “You having a big dinner?”

“Last minute change, wife’s parents want to host. Had to figure out travel plans.” He looks at the giftcards again and your eyes fall to the large back curled up in his arm and the card and phone grip balanced between his fingers. He slides free a Netflix card and reads the fine print.

“Do you want a basket, sir?” You offer.

“Oh, well, sure,” he accepts as he looks down, “that’s very considerate.”

“Don’t want you to drop anything,” you smile and turn on your heel.

You go to the stack of rolling baskets beside the electronics desk. Tyler doesn’t acknowledge you as he sorts through game shells to put back on the shelf. You pull the basket behind you, rattling on its wheels as you approach the shopper by the gift cards.

“Here,” you veer it around towards him.

He bends to lower the ringlight inside and drops the smaller items into next to it; he adds the Netflix subscription along with it and holds onto the Kindle card in his hand.

“You got any of these around?” He holds up the card, “the reader?”

“Hmm, we should,” you rub your neck, “I suppose if we didn’t, you can get a tablet and download the app.”

“I guess,” he nods, “can you check?”

“Of course, sir.”

You turn away and call over your headset. Regan tells you there’s a kindle up in return they can sell. You ask them to put it aside.

“There’s one left at checkout. They’re going to have it waiting for you,” you announce proudly.

“That’s great. You like to read?” He asks.

“Oh, sure, my one vice is my book addiction,” you giggle, “how about you?”

“Well, I don’t get much of a chance with work. I’m usually burnt out from all the legal documents,” he drones grimly, “then the kid has extracurriculars or there’s a PTA meeting or the wife needs something done.”

“Sounds busy,” you say empathetically, “I hope you get some time to relax this holiday.”

“Me too,” he agrees. “I almost envy you. I’m sure your dog’s good company.”

“He’s so sweet,” you can’t help but beam at the mention of your boy.

“Big cuddler?” He asks.

“Uh, yeah,” the question is a bit unexpected, “you like dogs?”

“Never really had one. Don’t need the extra work,” he says, “but I don’t mind them.”

“That’s fair. He can be a bit needy.”

He flinches and looks down at his hand. His screen flashes and he gives an apologetic look as he raises his palm, “I’m so sorry. I need to take this.”

“Take your time, sir, I’ll wander,” you point over your shoulder with your thumb.

He mouths a thanks before he answers, “Barber.”

You back up and turn to distract yourself with the shelf of controllers and switch cases. His deep voice carries but you focus on the Sinatra carol playing overhead to drown him out. Still you can’t help but catch a few words.

“Five, yeah…no, she won’t…it’s fine…” He’s quiet for a moment before he raises his voice, “figure it out.”

His stern tone sends a chill through you. It’s a sharp contrast to his previously friendly demeanour. Well, he mentioned he’s a lawyer, you assume he has a lawyer voice, akin to your customer service one.

“Sorry,” he comes back to you, “my wife…” he takes a breath, “you don’t happen to sell wine here?”

You smile. The way he answered, it didn’t sound very affectionate but maybe he hadn’t expected his wife.

“No, sorry, sir.”

“Kidding,” he chuckles, “well, I guess I should get my butt in gear,” he flicks through his phone, “um, I assume toiletries? Face masks?”

“Oh, that’s near me,” you point back towards beauty, “there’s a special for the sheet masks.”

“Great,” he grabs the extended handle of the basket, “thanks so much for this. I’m so lost.”

“That’s fine,” you go ahead of him, “it’s the job.”

🎀

You groan as you put the last empty bin in the stack. You stand and rub your shoulders, traps sore from all the lifting and moving. The night crew will set up for the day after Christmas but in the last hour of work, you and the few others in the store scrambled to get the old displays torn down.

Luanne walks with you to the employee break room. She’s in more of a hurry as she has her three children waiting for her at their grandparents. She goes ahead of you and punches out as you wait and stretch out your arms.

“Have a good Christmas,” she says breathily as she opens her locker and pulls out her purse and jacket, folding the latter over her arm, “I’ll see you after. You’re opening, right?”

“Sure thing,” you say as you punch in your employee number. “Merry Christmas.”

“Give Ernie some pets for me,” she trills as she goes to the door. “Thanks again. You saved my ass today.”

“No problem, “ you shake your head, “Christmas Eve brings out the best.”

“Does it ever. Bye, sweetie,” she waves over her shoulder as he sweeps through the door.

You go to your locket and take out your fluffy pink sherpa coat and purse. You loop your scarf around your neck and slip your earmuffs around your head. You sit to pull on your boots and stand with an ache in your calves. You feel the fatigue finally setting in. It’s not over yet; one day off and you’re right back to the furor.

You yawn as you leave the breakroom and drag your feet across the store. You take out your phone as you pop your earbuds in and choose your holiday mix. You wave goodbye to a few other stragglers and go out the front door, Spencer locking it behind you.

It’s bitterly cold out. You’re surprised by the fresh fall of snow swirling in the air. It gives an extra sparkle to the time of year.

You scroll through your phone. The buses are on holiday hours already. The next one is in an hour. Great. You can just walk, at least until you get to the next stop. More buses stop there and you can get at least ten minutes within your building.

You trod along, kicking through the powder of snow as headlights gleam ahead of you. You walk along the narrow walk beside the hotel on the other side of the intersection and a pair of flashing tail lights blink ahead of you. A dark figure stands beside the white SUV but you can’t make out much more than their silhouette.

You keep going, peeking up curiously as you near. The boot of the car pops up and the stranded driver searches. As you pass, you trip over an unseen shape, the metal clank painfully against your toe. You look down at the small foot jack.

“Oh, shoot, sorry,” the man stands straight and turns to you, “I didn’t see you coming. I was just grabbing the iron–”

“That’s okay,” you pick out your earbuds, “I wasn’t looking.”

“Wait,” he stops short and points a gloved finger in your direction, “it’s you. You work at the store just down the way, right?”

You know the man. He’s the one who was in the store just yesterday. There’s a flutter in your chest at the coincidence of your encounter. It happens, especially in the shopping district. Half the city at least passes through her during the holidays.

“Yeah, uh, that’s me. You finish your shopping?”

“Just about,” he tuts and shakes his head, “blew a tire. So, happy holidays to me.”

“I’m so sorry,” you look down at the snowy walk.

“Mhmm,” he grumbles, “all this snow, I can’t get the jack to work either.”

“Dang, unfortunately, I’m not help. I don’t know much about cars.”

“That’s fine, I called roadside assistance but they’re taking their damn time,” he checks his watch.

“Oh…” you utter.

“Don’t let me rain on your holiday, honey,” he says, “your toe okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine,” you look down.

“Wait, are you walking home?” He asks.

You nod.

“Wish I could offer you a ride. This weather’s only getting worse,” he bemoans. He slips his hand into his jacket and pulls out his phone, “they should be here shortly so if–”

A set of headlights pull onto the apron and roll towards you. You look over as the man beside you does the same. You stand, somewhat dumbfounded at the unexpected run-in.

“That’s them,” he declares, “hey, guys.”

He waves as the white van pulls up. You were expecting a tow truck. Oh, well. Not your problem.

“Great, I guess I should get going,” you excuse yourself, “have a happy holi–”

As you step back, your heel catches on something. You don’t realise until your plummeting onto your ass that the man stuck his leg out behind you. You hit the ground with an oomph, barely missing the metal jack half-buried in the snow.

You hear the van door sliding open and a clatter of heavy treads. You can barely catch your breath as the world moves fast around you. The man bends over you as another rushes over, grabbing you off the ground as the two vehicles block out the street from view.

“Be nice,” the first man warns as your arms are seized. “Don’t hurt her.”

You suck in a deep breath. What is happening? You go to let out the shriek as you’re struck by the situation. This can’t be real but you’re being half-carried towards an open vehicle. A hand comes up and stifles your scream, smothering you as you’re yanked harshly forward.

“Careful,” the man girds again.

“Shut the fuck up,” the other grits and pulls you away from the other, spinning you around as he hooks an arm around your neck and covers your mouth, forcing you towards the van. He bends backwards, lifting your feet as you kick and squirm.

“Honey, calm down,” the friendly customer coaxes, “it’s okay.”

You don’t understand. Why are they doing this? Why you?

The man’s hand slips as you grab at his arms and your teeth come over the vee between thumb and index. You bite down and he yowls. Even through his leather glove, you give him a viscous pinch.

“Fuck!” He tosses you forward so your knees hit the side of the van and fall half-inside.

“Hurry the fuck up,” another voice calls from inside the van.

“Trying,” the second man snarls as you stand and let out a shrill note, only for a second before you’re caught from behind and muted again. This time the leather glove seals over your nose. “Fucking bitch.”

You’re lifted into the van, writhing and kicking as the door slides shut from the outside. You’re pinned on the floor in the seatless rear of the vehicle. You whimper as your eyes glisten with a sudden spring of tears.

That question rings in your head again; why you? You have no one to look for you, no one to care. It’s only you against them.

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no-see-um-incorrect · 7 months

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Teen Asher headcannon’s

When they were teens, Asher saved up a bunch of his allowance to buy a new game he really wanted. David needed to get a few things for the house so he went with him, and Milo tagged along

Milo was looking in the clothes, David was in home supply, Asher was in video games/electronics

And Milo sees this green and white letterman jacket with MG embroidered on it. Asher(game in hand) walks over to Milo, who is staring at the jacket

“oOoOoOo nice jacket!”

Milo lifts up the price tag ”……nice jacket, dumb price” and walks away

Immediately, Asher sets the game on the shelf next to him and start looking through the sizes

“MILO! What size are you?” Milo turns around.

“…I don’t got enough money Ash”

“I know YOU don’t but I do. what’s your size?”

“ash, I can’t ask you to do that”

“YOUR not asking. if you don’t tell me your size, I’m just gonna guess”

“…..Large…..”

That day, Milo left the mall with his jacket. David left with his home supplies. and Asher left video gameless but with a smile on his face.

(that one was long and cheesy. Let’s speed it up)

Asher and a tank used to sit on the roof of the pack den and throw shit at Christian

Asher was and still is a One Direction fan

At school, a bunch of kids were making fun of Amanda, because she bled through her pants. So Asher splashed a bunch of water on his pants so it looked like he pissed himself (for those of you who get the reference. Like in Billy Madison)

David was his first kiss. it was through a game of spin the bottle

One of Asher’s famous phrases growing up was

“I may have been a mistake, but I was never a regret!”

Asher ask tank to prom because he knew that they weren’t going to go if no one asked

One year for Halloween he got dressed up as a clown (not remembering that David’s dad is afraid of clowns) and Gabe accidentally clocked him

Asher didn’t know how to spell algebra (still doesn’t)

his first job was working as a stock boy at a liquor store (to this day he still questions why they gave that job to a 16-year-old)

Out of all of them, Asher is the one who got hurt the most. Hence why he is so familiar with Marie’s rations of shit.

After his sister said that she was moving to Michigan they got into a big fight and he stayed at David’s house for like two weeks

Absolutely swept the floor with whoever he was playing with in Uno

He would very frequently go into his sisters room and steal her makeup and skirts

When he was begging for his parents to say yes, to something, he would shift and give them literal puppy dog eyes

Haven’t done something like this in what feels like a minute

Hope you guys enjoyed. I hope you have a fantastic week. Stay hydrated, eat some food. all that good stuff. Love you💋💋💋

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redacted headcanons #redacted incorrect quotes #redacted asher #redacted david #redacted milo #writing

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chrrypiecho · 6 months

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first post!! short n sweet

choso x reader fluff

warnings: ummmmm mentions of halloween and and yuji and pokemon and marriage 😭 idk

walmart during the halloween season is never something you want to miss. inflatable ghosts over 10 feet tall dot along the aisles, and there is a good chance to find yourself a cute bat hairclip for only a couple bucks. but if you already have most of your costume put together, walmart during the halloween season may seem kind of boring. it’s not exactly fun to walk in for colored hair spray and immediately leave, so of course you have to do some poking around! new mascara would be nice, maybe a new juice flavor to try, and choso said he needs new earbuds.

choso’s not surprised to see a large plushie in your shopping bag when you return home. you never fail to return with one when you make a trip out, and he hopes it’s something that will never change about you. you’re always always proud of your purchases, but it seems very much so today.

“what’s this?” he asks as you hold it out to his hands.

he recognizes the squishmallow tag, but not the character. he’s sure he would be able to recognize the character if it was something you enjoyed. instead of responding, you point to the eyes of the plush.

“hmm? what is it, babes?”

“look. it’s like yuji!” and you smile so wide until your eyes disappear and your hands curl into balls.

unbeknownst to choso, he is looking at a togepi squishmallow you found abandoned on a shelf by electronics.

“the lines next to his eyes and the spiky hair! and he’s sooooo cute!”

in that moment, he knows he’ll be marrying you. as soon as he gushes to yuji about this and find the perfect ring, of course.

inspired by the squishmallow i just bought 😈😈 i’ve been wanted to buy it for a couple months because it’s so cute but i’m not a big pokemon fan but then i saw a post saying togepi looks like yuji so i was like omg i NEEEED

#choso x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #choso kamo #jjk choso #choso kamo x reader

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in-kind · 4 months

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I was tagged by the, always, near and dear @alex-cheraya to put together and share a handful of albums of personal value. So, what I've up and gathered here, are just a few sentimental LPs from my shelf.

Fennesz, Endless Summer - a really interesting guitar driven, ambient electronic LP. A bit jarring and dissonant, at first listen, but cozy and warm, after a few spins.

Miles Davis & Gil Evans, Sketches of Spain - Such a big, and still, intimate record. I have so many soft memories with this album. It's just too damn lovely. This, and Porgy and Bess are really delightful.

Brian Eno, Discreet Music - One of my favorite albums of all time. It was composed in such an odd and distant fashion, by eno. still, it feels so human.

Sunn O))), Black 1 - Maybe, a bit of an outlier, here. Noise and drone just hit different, you know.. Visceral, daunting and grating - all kind of valid elements that i feel should be experienced at some point via music. good times and such.

#personal #tunes #c'est moi

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justrainandcoffee · 3 months

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You may know it, or not, that my modern!Alfie has an Inn called "The Wandering Jew". The series are set in 2020, in middle of the quarantine when he met my oc, Rose. Both of them are "trapped" there.

So... Even when in my mind the Inn is quite clear, I never described it. I'm not capable of writing too many details but now I spent some time hours looking for pictures that more or less represent what my mind created. Even when it's not exactly the same.

A tour to Alfie's Inn:

The main door it's completely made of glass, different of this one, but the ones I saw on Google didn't satisfied me. And this one, has an electronic lock something that the one in the story has.

______________

The reception counter is smaller than this, but basically the same.

Where that wooden shelf is, there's the elevator. Next to the pillar you can find the stairs that lead to the first floor. The main door it's just in front of the reception counter. ←There are the sofas and the tv and there → the dinning room.

___________

It has an inner garden 🌱! They shared their first kiss there (although I didn't write that scene, yet.) The door in the back doesn't exist. But the rest is quite similar. Although there's a tree.

Through this garden you can access to Alfie's apartment. Walking this way → there are stairs that lead you to his and Cyril's home.

_______________

The hallway(s) where the rooms are, look surprisingly similar to this one. Except for the plants. But it's more or less like that.

___________

Bedrooms, too. Well, it's an inn, of course 😂.

Not a five stars (yet) but not those bed and breakfast were you have to share a bathroom either. Quite acceptable place, private rooms and bathrooms.

____________

And the pool that's on the rooftop. Above the third floor. Alfie and Rose spent a lot of time there during the summer. You know... Enjoying. 🤭.

I really wanted to do something like that. Still, in my mind everything is more harmonious (of course) but if you use the imagination...

Tagging my readers, who may interested in it:

@evita-shelby @hoodeddreams13 @zablife @runnning-outof-time

#the wandering Jew #alfie solomons #alfie x rose #alfie solomons x ofc #peaky blinders #modern au

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canonsinthehead · 1 year

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RGG/Yakuza/Judgement at the Grocery Store

UPPER MANAGEMENT = UP WORKING CLASS = WC CHAIRMAN AND HIS ENTOURAGE = CE CLIENTS= C

Yakuza:

Kiryu (WC): Initially a Stock clerk was eventually Promoted to IT (responsible for price accuracy for the printed price shelf tags, maintaining the computers, point of sale software the cash registers use, and any electronic scales that weigh and print prices).

Akiyama (CE): Investor. Due to his generous “donations” to the company, he is part of the chairman’s entourage (due to his wallet’s size, his opinion matters). Thanks to him (and Tachibana), they were able to raise the salaries of the employees not part of upper management, so all of them love him and get along well when he is there. Akiyama can admit that he grew quite fond of many employees, especially Hana who will become his personal secretary. As expected, many members of upper management can’t stand him, wondering why he is even allowed to be around (they are jealous)

Haruka (WC): Cashier

Nishiki (WC): Online order clerk. Spends a lot of time chatting with Kiryu but likes his position since he is away from the upper management most of the day (he thinks they are scary and wants none of it)

Yumi (WC): Cashier

Daigo (CE): Chairman. A big picture of him is in the store saying he is the boss but you can rarely see him in the building. But for the few times, he visits the place, the upper management wake up out of their coma and pull up an act as if issues where not part of their daily lifes (they basically threaded MAjima to not blow the whistle about who is not doing their jobs. Saejima (WC):. He prefers something more simple and since he listens to Majima’s endless rants about his position everytime. he would better be left alone away from customer service but ended up as a Loss prevention associate (helps a grocery store combat and apprehend shoplifters and unlawful employees. They often monitor security cameras for suspicious activity, and some dress as shoppers to monitor activity covertly. Loss prevention associates often contact local law enforcement to alert them of problems.). Lee, who is a security guard works along him.

Ryuji (C): Rude customer

Yuya (WC): shopping cart attendant. While he was proposed higher level position many times, he declined them

Nishida (UP): Previously a stock clerk who graduated from his position to become Majima’s right man. They separate Majima’s workload between them.

Majima (UP): Customer Service Representative. Held to higher regard because of more experience, knowledge, and skills. Since nobody in this company wants to do their job, he has to do a lot people’s tasks. Is the main person dealing with issues with customers (that’s the person we send when they say “I wanna talk to the manager”). Stressed.

Date: (highest working class) Pharmacist.

Rikiya (WC): Floor Clerk

Hana: (upper working class) HR Secretary. She will likely interview new employees. Nishitani (UP): Supervisor. Regardless his personality, he actually does his job. He knows how to make the daily life spicy (Kashiwagi hates but since he knows how to manage rude clients to fuck off so gracefully and he can shut down arguments easily). Since he does his job so well, you can find do all type of random stuff in the store like taking hold of the AUX cord to blast Japanese 80s hits in the radion (play Namidawo Misenaide -Boys Don't Cry- by WINK) or buying items just to annoy Majima. His favorite activity is to announce employees birthdays on the store’s microphone before slapping a cake in their faces (Kiryu couldn’t escape it, Nishiki ran for his life). Nishitani succeeded to slap a cake in daigo’s face to everyone’s excitement (covertly or invertly expressed). He is just appointed himself to Mine’s burning anger, not now but one day. Always to take home what they are supposed get rid of (past date item and damaged food products) Mine (CE): Chairman Assistant/Secretary.

Kashiwagi (UP): Inventory Control Specialist. Give this man a break. He is at the clock at 6AM everyday. Mr. Black Coffee. He spends most of his time making calls to suppliers (and often arguing with them) and check the inventory (IF PEOPLE WERE ENTERING THE DATA CORRECTLY SMH.)

Shinida (WC): Grocery clerk, who graduated from his position to become (kinda off) Majima assistant to help with everyday tasks. To take charge when Majima is too tired or angry. If not, they kinda work as duo for Majima’s work load.

Tachibana (CE): Financial Advisor. He is basically the one over the upper management of the store. If it was not for him being so good at problem-solving and calm regardless of the situation, Daigo will penalize him for how poorly the upper management are doing their job (that’s not on him lol). Always wanted to give Kiryu a promotion so he could join the upper management team and put things back in order.

Baba (WC): shopping cart attendant. Just wants to put his earphones on be left alone.

Hamura, Kuze & Sagawa (UP): Head supervisior, but nobody is sure what is role is since they can’t answer nobody’s questions about anything. More the corporate type, since they send another head supervisor (lower than them) to do all the work (a.k.a answering clients complaints). they spend all their day laughing, chatting and smoking and discussing everything but work-related things. But if there’s financial losses or their quota are not met, you will sure hear one of them raging anger ready to crack the whip on any subordinates. Shimano (CE): Store Manager. He represents the Chairman when he is not there. So he kinda acts like he owns the place (in a way he does owns the building). He is the one watching over a lot of things in the store and especially keeping an eye over the employees. He picks Majima apart and sends Sagawa to scold him about what he is supposedly doing wrong. He is behind most (if not all) employees discharges. Keeps the business afloat. Mirei (UP): HR Yakuza 7/Like A Dragon

Ichiban (WC): Started as a custodian but (after Jo’s training) was upgraded to stock clerk for general merchandise and non-perishable food items. They are always calling him to go check prices and exchange articles since he is so fast and his store clerk colleagues are nowhere to be found.

Adachi (upper working class): Butcher Nanba: (upper working class) Works in the pharmacy.

Han Joongi (WC): Food Preparation: Bread.

Zhao (WC): Food Preparation: Pastry/bakery. Decorates the cakes and makes pastries sold in the grocery store. Saeko (WC): Beauty & Health Department Staff. Masato Arakawa/Ryo Aoki & Kume (C): KAREN Jo Sawashiro (UP): Hourly Supervisor & Training. Technically has the same job as Nishitani but he doesn’t even want to associate with this brown hair clown. But recently he has been upgraded to pay management and was more than willing to cut Ichiban’s pay off when he accidently spilled his coffee on him. (Chill, Jo! Is it even legal?!? Apparently, it is…) Taka The Striker (WC): Auto Care Center Main Manager Yumeno (C): Karen Reina (WC): Cashier Hamako (WC): Senior Cashier

Judgement/Lost Judgement/Judge Eyes

Yagami and Sugiura (C): they came only to buy a bag of chips and move on with their life but they are stuck waiting to checkout and it takes forever. For some reason, everyone that day filled their cart to feed the entire population of china.

Minami, Akutsu, Kaito (WC): Stock Clerk who is always late (or don’t even come) when someone call his department. Spends most his time chatting and smoking. Get to work when the boss or supervisor is near.

Tsukumo (WC): Data Entry Clerk

Higashi (WC): Electronic Department Staff

Mafuyu (WC): Beauty & Health Department Staff

Saori-San (WC): Cashier that covertly hate her job

Awabe (WC): Overnight Stock Clerk

Kengo (WC): shopping cart attendant

Sawa-Sensei (WC): Cashier

Kazuki Soma (CE): Investor. While nobody really knows where he stands or where his interested for the company comes. Rumors says he is an old supervisor but nobody ready really knows. Gets along well with Shimano and was able to conclude all types of deals with him like in exchange of generous “donations’” they could redirect some of the employees to work in his company. Some believe, him and Shimano use the grocery store for money laundering.

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dru-plays-starbound · 9 months

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Home That Our Feet May Leave, But Not Our Hearts

Universe: Starbound CW: Swearing, deliberate tense switching Words: 3212 Context: Started for August's monthly prompt: "Home". Finished for the Woe, Cubes be Upon Ye Protectorate Event. Title is from The Poet at the Breakfast Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Concrit welcome. Or read on AO3 Tag list (ask for +/-): @jacquesfindswritingandadvice, @writeblrsupport

Somewhere, an alarm is chirping incessantly. Mio pulls the covers up, trying to drown out the sound. "Cadet." The voice has an electronic cadence, devoid of emotion. "Cadet, wake up. I calculate a 99% chance that you will be late if you don't get up now." Mio throws the covers back. "SAIL?" "No. This is your other automated assistant, LIAS." The delivery is almost deadpan. "Oh, very funny," Mio replies, equally deadpan. "You know, I regret ever installing that sarcasm module. Just my luck it was unstable…" The air is the first thing she notices – it's fresh and clear, devoid of the synthetic smell recycled air carries. The light is bright and warm, reflecting off light grey and orange walls. Mio nictitates. "SAIL, what day is it?" SAIL's audio crackles as it plays a snippet from an old movie, "Why, it's Christmas Day!" "Ocean Tides, SAIL!" Mio runs a hand over her face. "Mio, are you unwell? Did you somehow forget today is your graduation day?"

Mio fumbles out of bed and stares at the room. "I think I'm dreaming…" The sunset postcard and hula girl Lonny got from xir sister. Goldwall's maintenance manuals next to Chian's trashy romance novels next to Mio's textbooks. Xilli's turtle plush, Fabian's guitar… It's all exactly as Mio remembers, right down to Chian's clothes spilling out of the drawers. Mio pulls the turtle plush off its shelf, crushing it against her chest. She can feel the soft pile, feel it tickle the membranes of her hands. It even has the little worn spot on the top of its paw that they all rubbed for luck or anxiety. Mio finds herself thumbing it even now. This doesn't feel like a dream, and yet… "SAIL, what the fuck is going on?"

"Mio, I am concerned. I know you have been looking forward to graduation day; however, I recommend you forgo the ceremony and instead get checked out by the medical team." "I feel fine, SAIL. I'm just…" Already the lines are blurring. "I'm confused. I had a dream? The craziest dream. The Protectorate was gone, the Earth was destroyed… I met Grand Protector Bright, and she had me collecting these relics…" Mio shakes her head. "Your vitals seem normal," SAIL says, though its tone is reluctant. "If you are to make Graduation, you must hurry." "Right." So Mio shakes off the remnants of her confusion and hurries. Bathroom ablutions are done in haste, her uniform – perfect from where it was laid out the night before – is donned, and she grabs a slice of cold toast Xilli has left out for her, chewing as she rushes through the halls.

Lonny is the first to see her. Xe waves and laughs as Mio is hustled in with her group. They may be Dorm B, but their outstanding performance means they graduate first. As a diplomat, Mio is their team leader and is hustled right to the front of the queue. "Anxious. Hurry, Mio. The ceremony is about to start," Goldwall says, nudging her through. "Why isss Mio sso late?" Chian hisses as Mio passes. "I had a bizarre dream. SAIL was this close to shocking me awake." Xilli clacks her beak. "Tell us about it later. Did you manage to eat something?" "Yes. I found the toast, thank you!" Xilli nuzzles Mio's fronds. "Someone's got to take care of our Captain." "Not Captain!" Fabian chuckles, his eyes dancing. "Not yet." Because they all know it's coming, Mio thinks as she stands proud at the front of the line, straightening her uniform. The six of them will be deployed to join an existing crew, and in a few years they'll get their own ship, and then she'll be Captain.

There's applause as Grand Protector Portia steps up to the podium and begins her speech. A sense of déjà vue floods over Mio, like she's heard these words before. "Today, in the name of peace," Portia is saying. Mio's stomach clenches, dread and fear rising. She shakes her head. "You okay?" Fabian whispers into her ear. "I feel strange," Mio whispers back. Fabian squeezes her shoulder. "It's just-" he starts, but a rumble interrupts him. "Huh?" Mio moves instinctively, like she's done this dance before. She spins, shoving Fabian hard. A chunk of concrete drops from the ceiling between them. "Mio!" "Run!" she screams back.

There is nowhere to go but the stage. Mio's running, scooping the Matter Manipulator up, even as Portia, wrapped in the huge tentacle of some giant beast, is shouting at her to run. She's chased down the corridors by screams and the noise of ripping infrastructure, and arrives on the shuttle pad as smaller tentacles worm their way through the building towards her.

SAIL guides her to a waiting hylotl ship, something she can reliably pilot, and she shoves the AI into the ship's waiting port. As Mio runs the start-up procedures, she can't help but wish Lonny was here next to her. Xe's a far better pilot than she is. Her heart twists. She left her crew. Her family. Her love. "Cadet, I have released the shuttle and plotted a route away from the planet. You may launch." Mio's hand wavers. "Mio. Launch." She hits the ignition, and they rise through the atmosphere. "Engaging FTL… Now!" In her haste, Mio has forgotten her seatbelt. She's slammed back into her seat, then forward. Her head hits the console, and everything goes dark.

–

Mio wakes with a start, jerking upright, and leaping away from a bed. "SAIL?" she calls, voice tight with panic "Good morning," comes the AI's modulated voice. "Where are we?" "Mio?" SAIL sounds worried. "You are in your dormitory at the Terrene Protectorate Academy." "But we-" Mio turns frantically. Golden light reflects off orange and white walls. "There was-" She pulls the turtle plush down from the shelf, crushing it against her chest and thumbing at the bare spot on its paw. "What the fuck?" "You were dreaming, Mio," SAIL says. "I was just about to wake you. If you do not hurry, you'll be late for your graduation." "The graduation!" Mio's eyes widen. "Tides, I have to warn them! Where's Grand Protector Portia?" "She's currently in her quarters. Mio, what are you talking about?" The turtle plush is thrown onto Xilli's bed as Mio runs out of the room, still in her PJs. "Get Fabian on comms. Tell him to grab the crew and our families and get to a shuttle now." "Mio, I understand the last term has been stressful for you-" "Damnit, SAIL! Just do it!"

Mio slides to a halt in front of the Grand Protector's quarters. Taking a breath, she straightens her pyjama top. From within comes Portia's muffled voice, "For over 500 years, we have stood honourably… No, no. We have stood proud…" Mio rings the bell, and the door hisses open. "Blast, is it time already?" Portia asks. Her white hair is neatly swept back, and her ceremonial uniform is missing the golden epaulettes. She's mistaken Mio for her escort. "Ma'am, no. I'm not here to take you to the ceremony. I'm here to take you to safety." "I beg your pardon?" "My name is Mio. I'm a final-year cadet. This will sound crazy, I'm sure, and I can't explain how I know, but we're going to be attacked." Mio swallows. "You'll say 'we welcome our newest compatriots, and present each of them with our greatest tool' and then a giant tentacle will kill you. Please, I must get you to safety." Portia waits for a second, then laughs. "I commend you, Cadet Mio. Usually, the pranks are after the ceremony. I think this is one for the history books." "Ma'am, please. This isn't a prank. Earth is going to be destroyed. I'm trying to warn you!" Portia gives Mio an indulgent smile. "Listen, Cadet. This is one of the more unique and inventive stories I've been given in my tenure as Grand Protector, so I applaud you for that. But I need to finish getting ready. Come and find me afterwards, eh?" Portia turns away, but Mio sticks her foot in the door. She knows she's not being very diplomatic, but the panic for what's going to happen seems to have robbed her good sense. "Ma'am," Mio says firmly. "There's not going to be an after if we don't act now!" "That's enough, Cadet." Portia has a shock weapon in her hand. Mio can already anticipate what's going to happen but knows she still has to try. She takes a step into the Grand Protector's quarters. "Ma'am, please-" Mio's whole body locks up, muscles frozen from the electrical discharge Portia's just struck her with. Mio hits the ground, and everything goes dark.

–

"Cadet. Cadet, wake up." Mio lies in the bed for a moment longer, ignoring the alarm, ignoring SAIL's prodding to rise. Her gaze flits over her surrounds – orange walls, warm sunlight, yellow bedspread – and she sighs. "Hush, SAIL. I'm getting up," Mio says. Mio dresses, eats both slices of the cold toast, and rubs the turtle plush's paw. "It is quite impressive that you can remain so serene when you are running so late. Well done you," SAIL says. Mio says nothing in response, only gives a grim little smile as she exits the dormitory.

"Mio, where are you going?" SAIL says. "The main hall is in the other direction." "I know. Please get Fabian on comms. Tell him to round up the crew and our families, and get them to a shuttle immediately." Mio runs a fond hand over the orange panelling. "Tell him I'm sorry, I won't be joining them." "The message has been sent. Mio, I am concerned. It is unlike you to behave so irrationally." Mio stops at a door, and prises off the keypad's face, fiddling with its innards as Chian taught her. "If something happens once, that's a fluke," she says to SAIL, as she works on the lock mechanism. "If it happens a second time, it's a coincidence. But once something happens a third time, it's a pattern. Agreed?" "Agreed," comes SAIL's cautious assessment. "Then I'm stuck in some kind of time loop. In just under an hour, an eldritch creature is going to obliterate Earth. I don't know why or how this is happening to me, but I've got a chance to stop the beast, so I'm going to take it."

The door hisses open and lights flicker on as Mio walks into a room filled with stacks of weapons and munitions. She walks directly to a cage in the back and picks the lock. "Mio, are you sure you didn't just have a dream?" Mio snorts as she finds what she's looking for – a monstrosity in black and shiny grey. "Yes, SAIL, I had a dream. My dream was to graduate with my friends. To go to the afterparty and introduce my girlfriend to my parents. To have my mother be proud of me. "My dream was to go into space with the people I've spent the last four years training with, to lead them to bold new horizons and share their adventures. "Instead, I end up stranded, Tides' knows where, on a dead ship, all alone. My home, destroyed. Everyone I cared about, murdered. I had to claw my life back, block by block." Mio shoulders the rocket launcher. "The Ruin destroyed my dream. The fuck am I letting it happen again."

It takes longer than Mio would like to get up to the hatch beside the Hall's dome, and many strange looks, but she pulls on the harness, hooks herself onto the safety rail, and starts the climb. The dome is the highest place on the Academy campus. She only knows how to get up here because Whip brought her one morning to watch the sunrise. It had been magical – the golden sunlight glittering off the Thames, turning it into a ribbon of molten gold, and Whip's warm arm around her, protecting her from the wind. The city, unblemished, spreads out before her now, as Mio sets up the rocket launcher. There're no strong, warm arms this time to protect her from the racing wind, and she has to brace herself against the safety rail. SAIL has long since stopped complaining; she can only hope it hasn't sent for Security forces.

The Ruin appears in the blink of an eye. One moment all is serene – the next, the sky is filled with smoke, debris and banded purple tentacles. Through the darkness, Mio sees the glint of something vast and yellow. She aims and fires the rocket launcher. There is an unholy screech. Thick tentacles reach out for her, but she fires again, blasting them apart. The dome shakes. Mio loses her footing. She drops the Ex Machina and watches it skitter away. Something strikes her back. Mio feels the taut safety line snap, and she's plunging towards the edge of the dome. She falls, and everything goes black.

–

An alarm chirps. "Cadet-" "Fuck off, SAIL," Mio says, rolling over. "I'm sick."

An hour later, the building shakes. Mio is knocked out of bed. Goldwall's toolbox falls off a shelf and hits her on the head. Everything goes dark.

–

"Cadet-" "I had a dream that told me not to graduate today," Mio tells SAIL before it can get any further chivvying her awake. She dresses, eats her toast, and tidies the dormitory. As she's putting Chian's clothes away, Mio smiles, thinking of Freya's tendency to drop her clothes wherever.

Mio takes her time strolling down the corridor, chatting to the graduate students. She fixes the vending machine using a trick Nobu taught her, helps the janitor clear the walkway of blossoms – not unlike sweeping flour from Sparkfoot's galley – and sits under the tree, listening to the second-year recite poetry that reminds her of Sakura's. Mio stays on the bench after the second-year leaves, admiring the view and thinking that Kata would like the wind chimes. Then the beast comes. The tree is uprooted, and a falling branch knocks her unconscious.

–

The alarm that woke her was the warning blare of defective machinery. Rather than 'Cadet', SAIL was crying, "Captain! Captain!" The air that greeted her nose was stale, her vision wavering and tinted green as she stared through the darkness at the orange shape flitting distantly. Mio twisted, looking around, trying to figure out where she was. Another flicker, white this time, and closer too. "She's waking up! Get her out of there!" "The mechanism's bust. We'll need to get her out manually." The voices were muted, as if coming through thick glass, or water. Mio nictitated. She pressed her hands against a wall of glass. A tank? Why, by the Ocean Tides, was she in a tank? "Guys!" "I'll do it." Another figure resolved out of the wavering darkness, unmistakably a hylotl by their cyan and lavender markings. Their webbed hands and feet clung to the outside of the tank as they climbed it. Metal reverberated against metal, making the tank shake. Mio gripped the walls, fearful of ending up crushed and cut. But the tank didn't fall. The top was removed, and the other hylotl slid in with her. «Leader,» said the hylotl. Mio nictitated. It had been so long since she'd heard the underwater language, that she struggled to understand them for a moment. «What this?» Mio asked. «Rescue.» The hylotl smiled, achingly familiar. Mio was sure she knew this one, but like spume in a storm, their name escaped her. «Hold still. Many points to remove.» «Points?» The hylotl reached up to her head and pulled something off Mio's scalp. Mio screamed, the tank fluid filling with bubbles as she fought to get away from the searing pain. «Leader, leader, wait,» the other tried to soothe. «No! Pain! Pain!» The other launched themself up, leaning over the top of the tank. "Fife, do you have something that can help?" "Try this." The one in white hands a tube of something to the other. "It's a cream that should make the electrodes come off easier."

Mio's mind whirled as the other hylotl massaged the cream into her fronds, lifting the electrodes from her skull. Fife… Fife is a medic. Fife is her medic. The orange blob resolved itself into the form of an avian… Xictli, Mio's second in command. That makes the hylotl… «Youko.» It's not possible to whisper underwater, so zir attention was on her instantly. «Yes?» Mio nictitated. «Nothing. Continue.» As ze went back to the business of freeing Mio from whatever contraption she'd fallen into, Mio can't help but feel a fluttering in her chest. This is her crew. Her family. They came to rescue her, to take her back to her ship, which she captains. Mio put a hand to her head. Her memories are all so jumbled.

Finally, Youko was done. Ze helped her from the tank and into Xictli and Fife's waiting arms. "What happened?" Mio asked as Fife looked her over. "Your last reported position was just outside this facility." SAIL's words were perfunctory, but its tone was fretful. "You declared your intent to investigate an abandoned apex research facility and shortly afterwards your comms died. I waited three hours, planet time, per our standard procedure, then alerted the crew to your disappearance." "When we arrived," Xictli said, "the place was not as abandoned as expected. We can only surmise you were taken by surprise, captured, and put in this… contraption. I'm sorry it took us so long to find you." "How long?" "A few days." "I can see your vitals are stable," SAIL said, "and aside from some malnutrition, you have no outward signs of injury. Doctor, do you concur?" "I'll do a full diagnostic back on the ship," Fife said. "But from initial evidence, I concur. How do you feel?" Mio opened her mouth, then shut it again and shook her head. "That's fine," Fife said. "It's alright to be confused. I can't imagine what they were doing to you." Yon smiled gently. "Let's get you back home." Mio recoiled. "What?" "To… to the ship?" Fife frowned and glanced at Xictli. "I'm going to need a full workup on what that machine was doing." Xictli ground her beak, hands curling into fists. "I'll bring a team back down after the Captain is safe." Mio closed her eyes briefly. "The base is Miniknog. It's thought reassignment R&D. What-" Her voice stuck in her throat. "What was the programme set to?" Xictli and Youko shared a look. "To assess the subject's perception of 'Home'," Xictli said. Mio nictitated rapidly, flaring her gills. "Of course it fucking was," she said with a choked laugh.

As they rose through the floors of the underground lab, Mio watched her team work on her extraction. They might not be the crew she thought she'd have, and they may not have been the ones she wanted. Nonetheless, they were her crew, the ones she'd chosen, bit by bit. She cared for them – shared their adventures, their triumphs and tribulations. They had, she realised, become as much of a family as her first crew; and her ship as much of a home as the Terrene Protectorate.

#starbound #writing #starbound fanfic #starbound fanfiction #sbprompts23 #theprotectorate23 #wandering words #concrit welcome #Tense switching is *hard*. I'm sure I've screwed up along the way XD #This doesn't feel like one of my better works but maybe I'm just hitting that one curve?#The taste vs ability one. Thus all thoughts welcome #oc mio #mio's crew

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elabels109 · 1 year

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#Electronic shelf #Electronic Shelf Labels #Electronic shelf tags #Buy ESL Australia #Electronic Shelf Labels Australia

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usafphantom2 · 11 months

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U.S. Air Force starts modernizing the radar of the B-52 Stratofortress fleet

Diego Alves By Diego Alves 05/31/2023 - 1:00 PM in Military

A B-52H assigned to the 96º Bomber Squadron of the 2ª Bomber Wing prepares to refuel in the Rocky Mountains. USAF

In a significant step towards the modernization of the B-52 fleet, a 307th Bomb Wing B-52 bomber arrived at a Boeing facility in San Antonio to start the installation of the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system. This milestone marks the beginning of a crucial phase in the United States Air Force's B-52 Radar Modernization Program.

The AESA radar, set to replace the outdated radar technology of the 1960s, brings a series of enhanced features to the B-52 in areas of greatest threat. Colonel Louis Ruscetta, Senior Material Leader of the B-52 Program Office of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, expressed enthusiasm at the arrival of the radar, stating: "EFSA will greatly increase the navigation and targeting capabilities of the B-52."

The relatively "cheap" update with installation of the AESA radar represents one of the most significant updates in the history of the B-52 fleet.

The state-of-the-art AESA radar not only reinforces situational awareness, but also offers advanced navigation and targeting skills. In addition, its adaptive design allows the integration of new features through software modifications, ensuring that the aircraft remains at the forefront to deal with future threats.

The installation process is a collaborative effort between Boeing, the original B-52 equipment manufacturer, and Raytheon, a radar supplier selected for the "BUFF" radar modernization program. Taking advantage of Boeing's extensive experience on the B-52 platform and Raytheon's excellence in radar systems, this partnership aims to expedite the deployment of AESA radar. The government shelf solution minimizes development time and test schedules.

The B-52H is one of the current trios of long-range strategic bombers of the USAF. These aircraft routinely fly on long-term missions in support of combat operations and other training and test activities.

Valued at approximately $2.8 billion, the installation of the AESA radar represents one of the most significant updates in the history of the B-52 fleet. With initial operational capacity planned for 2027, this transformational enterprise guarantees the sustainability and combat effectiveness of the B-52 in the face of opponents of the future.

Raytheon's involvement as a radar supplier is critical to the success of the B-52 radar modernization program. Under the contract, Raytheon will take over the design, development, production and maintenance of active electronic scanning radar systems for the entire U.S. Air Force B-52 fleet. Based on your experience with the APG-79/APG-82 family of radars, Raytheon's advanced AESA radar will provide improved navigation reliability, improved mapping and detection range, and the ability to target multiple targets simultaneously.

Tags: Military AviationBoeing B-52 StratofortressAESA RadarsUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

Diego Alves