#the food gathering is a part of his survival assistance programming | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

babytaes · 3 years

Text

Don’t Leave Me

➳ 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: Over the past two years, the apocalypse has been raging, food has become scarce, and security has weakened. Will you survive as a small town girl living in a small apartment with your college best friend?

❥ 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: hoshi x female reader

❥ 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: zombie apocalypse au, suggestive/smut, angst, fluff,

❥ 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 6k

❥ 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: Trigger Warning- Death and use of Gun. There are some smut scenes so if you are not comfortable please do not engage. Other than that enjoy.- BT

➳ part of the song series

↳ I used to be so happy

But without here I feel so low

I watched you as you left but I can never seem to let you go.

If you had told me that the world will end in a few days, I would have told you that you were insane and that you should stop believing in government-created conspiracy theories.

The looming fact that her life was now ended and her dream was broken would have made old me giggle and shake her head. So much for my desire to be a doctor.

You didn't grow up believing in a zombie apocalypse or the end of the world, so you weren't prepared for this. You would have preferred to go out in a more pleasant manner.

It was wonderful to have some company to keep you sane during the end of the world as we know it, despite the fact that you and Soonyoung had been imprisoned up in this miserable flat for so long.

Today was the day, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of it all. The date is June 17, 2023. You recall the event as if it were yesterday. A day that began unlike any other.

Today was just another day, with loud music booming through the closed doors as you both changed for the day. It was routine: get up, go to work, eat a meal, and return home. There wasn't a lot of variation in either of your days.

There were days when things were entertaining, but life was monotonous in general, and you both wanted something to liven things up!

“Heyyy can you please turn your music down just a smidge, I’m trying to do my eyeliner and it's making my hand shaky.” You laughed at Soonyoung's response as he shouted out to you from the other room.

“Oh, so they're not supposed to look bad,” says Soonyoung. Your basic talent has nothing to do with the music.”

Fluffing out your hair and setting down your makeup brushes you trudge over to his room and rapped on his door, arms crossed and mentally preparing for his cheeky comments.

He leaned against the door frame after opening the door and staring at your stiff physique. You gulped as you examined his toned physique; there was something about his physique that drove you insane.

“Keep your eyes up here, princess.” As you smirked at his movement, he titled your chin. Your brushed past him and landed on his unmade bed, pushing him to the side. He laughed as he closed the door and resumed his preparations.

“So, Mr. Bodybuilder, what's on your plan today?” He spun around in his chair, palms on his thighs, cocking his head, chuckling at your inquiry.

“Well, I have some new dance students to coach until noon, but after that, I'm free.” Jihoon, on the other hand, had requested a meeting to work on various projects.”

As you flung a thumb up, you shook your head, taking in what he had to say and mentally organizing it in your thoughts. You let out a long yawn as you stretched your sluggish body, unwilling to face the day.

Soonyoung coughed and looked at you with an open mouth.

“Since it's just ten o'clock, I had a plan before we took on the world. “Do you think you're up for it?”

As the air in the room became tense, you sat up on the palms of your hands and crossed your legs, watching his behavior.

“You know I'm up for anything,” As you scoot back on his bed, you wink at him. As he lingered over you, Soonyoung stood up from his chair, chuckling.

He kissed your collarbone and ran his fingers over it, absorbing up all the energy you were releasing.

“After I'm done with you, you might have to fix your eyeliner.” You flung your arms around his neck and pulled him closer to you because you both knew you were going to wind up in this situation sooner or later.

“This is going to be a lot of fun.”

“Shut up and kiss me,” You retorted

As you hungrily stripped each other's clothes, you both started kissing each other, not splitting lips. His hands flew to your body to assist you in getting naked as quickly as possible. You sat up on your elbow, whimpering under his touch, undoing his belt.

Soonyoung was the sort to take his time when he was praising you, but as he pressed lips lightly on your core, you grew impatient. Thankfully, the time limit was short, so he set right to work, not wanting to waste this opportunity.

As your body jumped, he began to press kisses on your inner thighs while grabbing your breasts and rolling them.

You grumbled, “Fuck Soonyong,” as you pressed up against him, begging for more. As you peered up at him, his tongue touched your core, and he laughed.

“You're already a mess for me; look how drenched you are.”

He checked the dampness within by sticking his finger inside. You nudge him in the stomach as you hit his head, no longer whining.

“So help me, if you don't fuck me already. You're lucky I'm horny; else, I'd have taken care of myself by now.”

“Is my baby needy…?” As he thrashed two fingers in your wet folds, you whimpered as your body reacted nicely. As he pressed his digits deeper into you, your stomach began to erupt as your high drew near.

“Please, a-ah, f-faster.

“Patience, honey, I want you to cum on my dick.” As you felt empty, he pulled his fingers out, and you opened your eyes to find him yanking his underwear off and discarding it to the side.

You cry as he tempts your core before gently pressing into you and allowing you to adjust before proceeding.

Soonyoung grins as he angles himself to drive himself into you.

“Mmmhmm-ah Soonyoung, t-there!” As he repeatedly hits your g-spot, your back arches off the bed.

“Fuck, I can feel you tightening your grip on me. Darling, let me fill you up.”

“Yes, y-yes please.

As soon as he feels his climax coming on, Soonyoung fucks you faster. With a low sigh, he tightened his fingers around you. As he touched your area one time, he moaned out his name.

You gasped, desperately shouting out his name as your orgasm poured over you, forcing you to squirm as Soonyoung held you down and coated the insides of your body.

As you both fell back on the bed panting and relaxing your bodies, your name slipped from your lips. He kissed your forehead as you slowly turned over and let out a quiet groan once you had calmed yourself.

“Wow!”

“I know, speechless; it's one of my many skills.” Rolling off the bed and hurriedly picking up the stray clothing. Throwing his at him, you put on your underpants as you gathered the rest of your belongings and walked towards the door.

You turned back as you approached the door and winked at him before closing it.

He sighed, a broad grin creeping across his face.

“Oh the things I would do for her.”

---

Walking to work wasn't always so unpleasant, especially when you were accompanied by a talkative companion. It made the journey seem more annoying, enjoyable.

“Do you actually believe the government will do something like that? To their own citizens?’’

Hoshi scowled at you through his thick sunglasses as he went to take them off. He rolled his eyes and walked right up to you after opening the door in front of him.

“Unquestionably, the government is capable of anything. Nothing will be able to stop them from achieving their objective if they have one. All I'm saying is that we must exercise caution.”

“You and your irrational ideas. Stop watching Jerry Mason; he's simply fueling your fire.”

When you arrived at your location, you came to a halt, clocking in and retrieving some files that had been left over from the night before. You sat down and exhaled deeply as you entered your temporary office.

“Do you think this is even worth it?”

Soonyoung frowned and moved over to you, kneeling to get a better look at your troubled expression. He knew you'd be exhausted, and all he could do was be there for you.

It dawned on you when you were young that you wanted to be a pediatrician. It felt as if you were born to do this. You'd always adored children, seeing their faces light up when you offered them assistance or simply being there for them when they needed it. Despite the fact that you had just completed an eight-year school career, you still had three years left.

Regardless of what happened, you were going to make it.

“Hey, look at me.” As your eyes meet in the middle, he caresses your face.

“You got this; the long night of studying and grieving was for naught-" You smiled as you snickered at his remarks and allowed him to continue.

“This will be a breeze for you; the difficult portion has already been completed. All we have to do now is get through this summer together before moving on to the next level. Okay?”

As you rubbed his shoulders, he tenderly caressed your cheek and pulled you in for a forehead kiss.

“Thank you, Soo.”

As you jumped from your seat, you both heard a cough out of nowhere. As Soonyoung stood up and adjusted himself, you let out an uneasy laugh at your boss.

“I apologize if I interrupted anything, but we need to talk about the intern program with you.”

You coughed and tidied up as you walked to the door with him, shaking your head quickly. As you strolled down the corridor, trekking away to another room, you blew Soonyoung a kiss before leaving.

You noticed a man coughing on his approach towards you as you made your way to the rear room. He tripped towards you and grabbed your arm as he gathered his breath, his face showing symptoms of tiredness and worry.

“So-Sorry” He leapt to his feet and dashed out the rear entrance, out of the building and into his car.

You walked into the room, indifferent to his cries, and said, "No problem." While sitting next to the employers, you shook your head and took a long breath.

Many subjects were explored as the meeting progressed. One of the most crucial was when we would begin exercising our skills. Despite the fact that we still had schoolwork to complete, the boss had opted to get some exercise.

“It won't take long, but I want you to think about why you picked this profession. You understand why this is your calling and are free to write as much as you want about it. I'll be gracious and recommend that only one page be required. I'm excited for these papers, and it's a nice day today, so you may take the afternoon off.”

As everyone walked out of the room, loud whoops and hurrahs swept across the room, signaling that the weekend had arrived. As we were all leaving the room, you came to a halt and gazed out the building's window at a scene.

You saw a major shift in the man before you. As he smacked his head against the frame of his car, he twitched and screamed. You took a step forward, scrunching your brows and covering your mouth.

It all happened too quickly as the suddenly insane man leaped onto the nearest person and began biting them. You shuddered in terror as you hurried out of the room, falling back on your butt.

You yelled out to everyone, telling them about the man and his odd actions. Not only did you notice another woman twitching in the rear, but you also learned on the news that it was starting to happen all around.

*News* “Hello, this is NTC News, and we have just received word that unknown persons have been bitten and are biting others. Please don't stop for these people; we want everyone to get to safety as soon as possible. They are harmful to your health and can even kill you. We implore you once more to ge-”

As everyone gazed in horror, his voice was cut short. You yelled as you noticed a woman approaching the group after a man leapt on him and began biting him.”

“You guys heard him, runnnnn.”

You studied a puzzled Soonyoung as he waved to you, avoiding the crowd. You gently peered out the door, grabbing his hand and some items from your desk, and found it to be secure.

“What is going on, Y/N?”

“When we get home, I'll explain; we've been exposed here.”

As you ran down the corridor, panicked at the sight of the outside world, you took the emergency exit as you exited the back door. It was in shambles; they were swarming everywhere. Soonyoung kissed your hand and dashed through the horde, dodging stray onlookers.

It felt like you and he were in a movie, running and evading attacks and bleeding faces as they wiped out the people in front of you. You didn't know if you'd make it, but you clutched his hand as you rushed up the stairs to your apartment building.

As Soonyoung looked at you, you took your key and held it between your fingers.

“Are you ready for what we'll find when we get in here?”

Shaking your head, you hastily pecked his cheek before sprinting into the apartment complex and towards your room.

(Present Time, 2 years later )

Wasn't it supposed to be a typical day? In our town, nothing strange ever happens. Life had taken a different path and decided to run amok, and it didn't feel right to you or anybody else.

“Y/N, we have to leave; you're coming this time.”

“Yeah I’m coming” Soonyoung was strapping on his utility belt and grabbing his homemade weapon when you shot him a glare. “I know what you're thinking, and you're completely incorrect.”

He threw you the bat and also strapped you into your armor, shocked by your tone.

“We've been in this apartment for a long time, yet you still think I'm wrong. Hmm, it sounds amusing.”

Chuckling at his antics you quickly heard a voice on the other side as you both went silent. The sound of moaning and groaning never grew on you; hearing them reminded you of who they were before they transformed.

Where they are aspiring actors ready to take on the stage or innocent children on their way to school. It wasn't fair.

“This may be the most practical weapon, but it'll look pretty impressive if I can kill a zombie with it.” You giggle as you swing your bat in the air.

“I’m wondering how long I should leave you before I intervene and save your ass — again.” As he held the walkie up to his ear, Soonyoung heard a beep before tapping you.

“On the walkie, we got the all clear Y/N. It's time."

Shaking your head at him, you tightened your grip on the bat and went out the door gently, looking around to make sure no one was nearby. You and him did this on a regular basis when you were out scrounging around for anything. You know signs of life.

You and he discovered a group of survivors in your building as the outbreak was spreading for the past two years. It was a blessing to find individuals alive in this place attempting to survive; even though we only see them when we schedule weekly meetings, it's great to hear their voices every now and again.

“This is GoldenFox on level 6, and there are no zombies on this floor as far as we can detect. It is okay to proceed.”

After fully exiting the room, you placed a finger crossed kiss on the door frame. As you both made your way to the nearby stairwell, you turned around and observed his six.

To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, Rule 21 is to Avoid Taking the Elevator. Stairs are your best friend.

Soonyoung crept over to the door, slightly cracked it open, and motioned you over after noticing no unusual activity. Shaking your head, you entered the stairwell straight behind him, pointing your bat in the direction of the vacant stairwell.

Slowly creeping up the stair the lights flickered on and off as you saw dried blood stains on the wall. You could never get over the fact that bodies were gruesomely taken as you approached the sixth floor entrance door.

When you walked out the door, you were greeted by a familiar sight.

“Hey guys, it's been a long time since we've seen one other.”

As he strolled alongside the girl, Soonyoung reached for your hand and gripped it tightly. She was escorting us to the survivors' debriefing meeting, or at least the ones who could make it.

“Hey Chae, how are you doing?” As a frightened expression washed across her face, you began to explain.

“Well, it hasn't been good; are supplies are rapidly depleting, and security is deteriorating. Tae-ho will elaborate, but things aren't looking good.”

You drew Soonyoung closer to you when you arrived at the correct door, pushed it open, and saw friendly faces.

“Ahh, here comes the couple; please take a seat; we have some business to discuss.”

You smiled and sat down next to Soonyoung, coughing softly before listening to Tae-ho's concerns.

“Because of a lack of hands and space, our inside and outside forces have been swiftly diminishing as the virus has become more prevalent in our area. We haven't been able to communicate with the military in a long time, and we're in serious trouble. Finally, I convened this meeting because we are in need of volunteers for a job tomorrow. We needed to connect our generator to the electricity grid, but it was out of juice.”

When you look around the troubled faces, you find that no one wants to look Tae-ho in the eyes, which is understandable. Isn't it normal not to endanger your life? Although, prior to all of this, you would have been ready to seize such an opportunity. Whatever it takes to help the community.

Soonyoung raises his hand after only a few seconds have passed. As he looks at you with his tiger-like gaze, you jerk to the right and broaden your eyes.

“What...no one else was willing to help.” Besides, instead of being locked up with you all day, it would be good to get out.”

As you rolled your eyes at him, you gave him a smack on the arm.

“Jerk,” you sneered, before slumping back in your chair and allowing Tae-ho to continue.

“Anyway, Soonyoung, Chan-woo, and Jong-ho have offered. Is there another volunteer who wants to join them?”

“Fine, I'll go,” you muttered under your breath, rolling your eyes and pursing your lips.

Low shouts of cheer rushed in the room as the teams were set for the trip tomorrow.

“Okay great, meetings adjourned. We go after the sun rises since the walkers get up early in the morning. So by ten o'clock, I'd like you to be packed and ready to travel. Soonyoung is the trip's leader, so pay attention to him.”

“Did you actually just call zombies ‘walkers'? God, you're having much too much fun.”

As he stood up, Tae-ho burst out laughing and ordered everyone to scram. Everyone in the room agreed and began filing out of the room, returning to their lowly abodes. You grabbed Soonyoung's hand and squeezed it strongly.

“Ow, what was that for?”

“I don't know, I guess I just wanted to annoy you.” You rolled your eyes and smirked, your arms crossed in front of his face, pouting.

“Don't be like that, you know I was joking.”

Hiding his smirk he gazed at your eyes before kissing you all over.

“Stop,” you said, flailing your arms in an attempt to free yourself from his grasp. As he sighed, you completely surrendered and let him rest on you.

“Well, at the very least, we'll be going on a mission together tomorrow.” I was wondering whether you were planning on attending. But I'm glad you are.” He looked down at your lovely state.

You wrapped your arms over his neck and placed your hands on either side of his ears, narrowing the distance between you and him.

“Mmmh”

You were both shocked when Tae-ho coughed loudly, interrupting your conversation.

“How long have you been standing there?”

He laughed as he walked out the door, waving his hand in the air and said in a girlish tone.

“Oh, I love you, no, I love you,” You both laughed as you flipped him off, then grabbed your bags and walked down the stairs to your apartment floor.

Soonyoung arrived safely at your door, opened it, and swiftly shut it while he stripped you and him of your clumsy armor.

“Is this a make-up for the earlier remark or...?” Soonyoung kissed you and dragged you closer to the bedroom, soon shutting you up with a kiss.

Despite the horrible cries of walkers reminding you of what you were now living in, the night was young. When you glanced at Soonyoung, though, all of your worries and fears vanished because he made you feel safe no matter what was going on outside.

Soonyoung wrapped his arms around your waist and said quietly, “You're more lovely than anything else in this whole big universe.”

“Not more lovely than you, my baby,” you muttered as his handsome face drew you in closer.

Soonyoung chuckled and kissed your lips before resting his brow on yours and closed his eyes.

“I love you,” he said softly.

You grinned and pulled him in for a genuine kiss, saying, "I love you more than anything."

He nipped your bottom lip, eliciting a little whimper from you before sliding his tongue inside your mouth and kissing you hungrily, exploring every inch of you.

As a sticky pool formed between your legs, you could feel his hardening cock pressing against your thigh. You drew him upon you, already undressed, as he teasingly kissed your body.

You looked up at his toned figure, appreciating his abs as you ran your fingers on his solid stomach, your mouth watering because you knew this was just for your eyes. Soonyoung lifted your chin softly as you locked eyes.

“I'm not sure whether you're up for it, but I'm in the mood.”

“When are you ever not horny?” you asked, laughing. “I'm actually fairly hit, but I don't mind helping you feel good.”

The pupil of his eyes dilated. As you opened your eyes and looked up at him, he rapidly flipped you around.

“Oooh my favorite.”

Slowly, you slid onto his throbbing member and began to move; it was almost like muscle memory for your mouth as it went to work right away.

As tears began to collect at the corners of your eyes, you felt his palm on your hand, almost like clockwork, guiding you down.

“Yes, baby...right there,” As his movement became jerky, he mewled. As you looked up at his trembling form, you chuckled.

Your name falls from his lips as his dick twitches in your mouth one last time before filling you up with his warm seed.

He drew you closer to him and kissed you for the twentieth time tonight when he cooled down.

“Ahh, I'll never get bored of that,” As he tenderly caressed your cheek, he complimented you.

“It is my area of expertise.”

As your eyelids began to drop, you both chuckled. You mumbled into his warm chest as you nestled closer to him.

“Goodnight, my love,”

“Princess, good night.” He drew the blankets over your nude bodies, blew out the melting candles, and brought you closer to him, pressing one last kiss on your forehead. Allowing sleep to take control, the sound of his heartbeat and soft breath soothed you as you drifted off.

---

Thanks to the large windows, you were both awakened by the warm sun as it crept into the room, bringing the warmth and light needed for the day.

You snuggled closer to your love and crawled on top of him, sighing, as your tired eyes adjusted to the light.

“Hmm honey, we have to get up.” He began to get out of bed as you begged him not to leave you.

“5 more minutes,” you said as you drew his arm back and began kissing him on the arm and neck. He hauled you on his back, dropping you at the bathroom and making his way to the kitchen, smirking at your game.

“Get ready; I'm going to try to come up with something other than canned corn and rice.”

With a shake of your head, you took out the ladle and water bucket and began scooping up water for your shower. You quickly became accustomed to this way of life. You did miss your warm baths and your once-weekly takeout. At the very least, you had Soonyoung to help you get through it.

Stepping into the shower, you cleansed your body while singing a song; today would be a regular day. After a fast mission, the rest of the day would be laid-back, with nothing too serious on the agenda.

“LOVE GUESS WHAT I FOUND IN THE FREEZER, SOME FROZEN KIMCHI.” You giggled as you walked out of the bathroom in a towel, seeing how thrilled he was.

“I'm surprised it's still good; the freezer went out about two weeks ago.” He carefully set the chilly container down and pretended to choke while pinching his nose.

“At the very least, we got rice.”

“You can never go wrong with some fresh steamed rice.”

Before walking back to your shared room and locking the door to get dressed, you kissed Soonyoung on the cheek.

You pulled on some old sweatpants and a worn-out shirt and checked your appearance in the table stand's cracked mirror. You came to a halt as you looked around the once-bustling room, stunned at the extent to which an outbreak can devastate a space.

After giving it one last look, you stepped out the door, sat down at the table, and took a taste of the rice with a fork. Soon after, Soonyoung returned from the cabinet and sat down, smiling.

“I found some seaweed wraps stashed away. I mean, it's not that horrible; it should still taste fine after two years.”

Taking the package from his grip and swiftly opening it, you were greeted by the salty sea aroma as you both savored every last bite.

“Dig in!”

After devouring your meal you and he got prep and dress for your trek this morning. Making your rounds around the house one more time Soonyoung grabbed your hand and exited the apartment.

“Well, the generator site is 3 miles from camp, and if we get there quickly enough, it will only last around 45 minutes. But that's just if we find another generator; it could take an hour or so.” As you looked around, you noticed your team's expressions as they tried to understand what Tae-ho was saying.

“Finally, the path you're travelling is a back road, which, while riskier than the street, provides more area to hide if walkers are noticed. I believe you can all do it; everyone will have walkie-talkies, so don't hesitate to call if anything goes wrong.”

Soonyoung grinned and shook his head as he counted his teammates and exited through the rear door. Before he left the building, Tae-ho grabbed him and handed him a pistol in case things went wrong.

“I know what's going to be out there, and I just wanted to let you know that if things go south, I won't hesitate to save you,” you said, thanking Tae-ho and pulling Soonyoung to the side. I know you're thinking the same thing, but these folks rely on you and your abilities, and I don't want to be in the way if something goes wrong."

“Don't even say that Y/N we're going to make it back safely all in one piece everyone of us,” he said as he pulled you in for a hug and lifted your face to stare at him.

“If you say so but still-”

“Shh, let's just concentrate on our mission and be ready, okay?”

As you gathered the rest of the squad for a group huddle, you rested your hands on each other and said a quick prayer before shouting, "Let's go!" Tae-ho waved goodbye to you before closing the door behind you.

There was no going back now; it was now or never.

To ensure that everyone was safe, everyone had their backs covered just in case we were ambushed. You ran following Soonyoung, heavily gasping, as he dodged in and out of the automobiles and debris strewn everywhere. As we neared a small group of walkers, he came to a complete stop and raised his hand, motioning for us to move to the left.

These walkers were not your typical zombies; they had a poor sense of sight but a keen sense of smell and hearing, allowing them to track down humans even when they were not visible. Aside from that, they were normally fast, not lightning fast, but fast enough to put anyone who wasn't lightning fast to the test.

We were wary because we didn't know what kind of zombies we'd encounter. Tae-ho insisted on dousing us in a spray that penetrated their senses and messed with them for a while. Despite the fact that it smelled terrible, it kept us secure for the most part. All we had to do was spray it on ourselves every 30 minutes to keep the aroma from wearing off.

Soonyoung pulls the group around him, whispering, “We have about 2 miles to go until we reach the first checkpoint; we can stop at the old home on the right.” We shook our heads and waited for his next call, pointing to the house ahead of us.

“I want Y/N and Chan-woo to go first, to get to the building, and to keep an eye out for us when we arrive.”

As you carefully rushed to the building, you looked at Chan-woo and pulled him up, afraid of the walkers behind you. The next two were up as they quickly walked by the walkers, signaling that you had made it safely to the house.

“All right, get whatever supplies you can find and meet in the back in ten minutes.”

Soonyoung told the group to look around, and it was common knowledge that we should look for supplies. You left your companion and walked upstairs to get some fresh clothing; yeah, you still have to appear presentable.

When you got to the top, you went through random rooms until you arrived at a room that was clearly a teenager's room, despite the fact that it was blown out with dirt and litter. Not only did it break your heart to see all of their stuff crammed into the same space, but you also knew they were on their way to becoming a walker.

It was difficult, but you had to persevere. You stumbled throughout the room, thankfully discovering batteries, a few shirts, a first aid kit, duct tape, and some pads. Needed at all times.

Nodding, you threw your belongings into your bag and descended the stairs, only to discover everyone going for the back door. You looked around and swiftly moved to the back, where you saw them waiting for you in a defensive position.

“Hopefully, we all got some excellent things, and we'll be able to go through them more thoroughly when we go back. Now that the extra generator is only three houses away, we're into walkers territory, so stay vigilant."

As the group starts out toward the last house on the street, careful of walkers in the route, you tighten your hold on your bat and look about. You and the group make it to the last house, carefully moving across the wreckage and immediately entering the house.

“Okay, we've got a few minutes before they notice we're here, so let's finish packing.” Keeping in mind that these generators were compact, they were suitable for storing in tight locations. You take the tiniest ones and place them in Chan-woo's bag before returning your gaze to the larger ones.

“How about those? Aren't they going to be more effective than the smaller ones?” Soonyoung paused for a moment, staring at the generators while walking back and forth as he pondered.

“That is correct, but we don't have enough people to bring it with us; we can get it later when we have more people, but for now, let's just go with the four we have.”

As we got to the door, everyone glanced around and said, "OK." Jong-ho stepped out the door, completely oblivious to the fact that we were in the middle of the apocalypse. We were greeted by a group of walkers.

As we all rushed at him, one of the zombies grabbed his arms, and Chan-woo kicked him off of him and whacked him with his axe. Looking above, we could see a swarm of them approaching us, and we were all terrified.

“LETS GO.”

As the walkers soon approached us, we grabbed hold of Jong-ho and pulled him with us.

We were quickly losing them, so we paused for a while to gather our breath before continuing on to the automobile portion of our adventure; we were almost there, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

Well in fact everything was just about too. When you turned back, you were confronted by the most scary of walkers, the runners. You yelled out to the group that we had to go right now.

We sped past the automobiles, grabbing everyone's attention and daring them not to turn around. Soon after, Soonyoung retreated behind the group to ensure that everyone was safe. You were almost there; the door was visible. You observed a bunch of familiar faces as the door opened.

Tae-ho kept the door open while telling you to duck, spraying bullets through the air and catching some walkers in the back.

“We're almost there,” you exclaimed as you turned around. Soonyoung was fighting the runner, gnashing his bleeding teeth. You panicked, unsure of what to do, as fear surged through your body. As you yelled, you could see the zombie rip into his skin.

You witnessed the zombie fall to the ground after hearing a shot travel through the air and hit it. You had a worried expression on your face as you gazed at Soonyoung.

“We don't have time to discuss this, Y/N.” You must leave right now.”

As tears flowed down your swollen face, you screamed at him.

“I can't leave you behind...,”

As he strained to stand, he noticed them struggling and staggering toward us. He yelled again, worried for your safety, tears streaming down his bloodshot eyes.

“Please, Y/N, I'm sorry, but I can't let them take you. You have to go now before it's too late.”

You shook your head and raced towards him, barely hoisting him up, sobbing into your torn up sleeves.

“I’m sorry Soonyoung, but I can’t leave you.”

You watched a couple guys rush up to you and carry you and Soonyoung to the door, which they swiftly locked, not wanting to hear the walkers' cries.

When you saw the big bite mark on Soonyoung's arm on the floor, tears flowed down your face and your throat started to close up. You cried as you fell into his lap as he patted your back.

“You can’t leave me please.”

---

It was going to be a long night, not just for you, but for everyone else as well, and if someone got bit, there were two options. Make the pain less easy or to set them free outside, we couldn’t let the infection spread inside. That's how we survived, but you didn’t know if you could do it.

He was your entire world, and you and him would go to the ends of the earth, yes, even to the apocalypse. Why him? It wasn't right.

You awoke in a cold sweat, anxiously looking around.

“Was it all a nightmare?” As you entered the living room, calling out for Soonyoung, you heard a grunt.

It wasn't a dream in the least. Reality has smacked you in the face.

Slowly approaching the couch, you noticed his sweating face; the virus was growing quickly. As you saw him twitch and groan in anguish, it hurt your eyes. You wished you could just take the pain away for a moment.

You sat crouching at his side, clutching his hand in yours as you kissed it, thanking the guard. As he turned to face you, he felt your touch, and his red eyes met yours as you sobbed as you saw his devastated state.

“Hey..hey look at me.” He gently sat up, tears in his eyes, and embraced you, kissing your forehead.

“It was bound to happen, Y/N; all we have to do now is stick together and get through this.” For the sake of both of us, you must be strong.” You clutched him tighter as you became choked up, unsure whether this was the last time.

“I guess our family has to wait.” You wailed into his chest as tears welled up in his eyes. Fearful of what was to come, he brought you closer to him and kissed your head as he cried.

It happened so quickly that neither of you realized what was going on. What he had asked you to do was unthinkable; you couldn't do it. Was it the virus or him who was speaking?

“Babe I can’t.” As tears streamed from the corner of your and his eyes, the worn-out pistol in your fingers trembled.

“Love, you have to, it's growing worse and I can feel it taking over my body,” he began shivering as he attempted to regain consciousness. "Allow me to spend my final moments with you as Soonyoung.”

As you sat back, he grabbed you and held you in his arms as you flung your arms around his neck, holding back tears.

He gave you one more glance as he crawled up to you and kissed your lips as you drew him back to you, savoring every moment.

“I believe this is it, I love you so much Soonyoung, please never forget and I'm so sorry,” you chuckled as you looked down with a tear-streaked face. You gripped his hand as you silently cursed as you drew him closer. "

You brought the gun up in front of you and pressed the trigger while closing your eyes.

*BANG*

His body slid to the ground, the warmth of life snatched from him by death's icy grasp. Blood gushed from his gaping wounds, tainting the once-pristine earth with the wry wit of someone who had been gone far too soon. His chest lay motionless, with no signs of life or his customary purity in his bosom, indicating that he was dead.

Holding the rifle to your chin as you gently close your eyes, you take another look at his body. Everything was taken from you by the world: your happiness, your source of clarity, and your life. As the bullet flew through your head, you wiped the tears from your eyes and pulled the trigger.

As you fell to the ground, you felt your body's life drain away as you saw it fade from your eyes.

“I won’t ever leave you.” You kissed his hand one more time as your whole body went limp and drifted away into the light, holding his hand closer.

And then, out of nowhere, two lights dimmed, never to be seen again in this messed-up world.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

#seventeen #svt #seventeen soonyoung #kwon soonyoung #seventeen hoshi #seventeen fics #seventeen writers #seventeen angst #seventeen smut #seventeen suggestive #seventeen fluff #seventeen series #seventeen x reader #zombie apocolypse au #hoshi #seventeen au #seventeen masterlist #babytaes works

81 notes · View notes

eyitsroseau · 3 years

Text

Across the World Part 2 (Dr. Xeno dad! x Reader) Dr. Stone fanfic | A mini-series

In which you found out you were pregnant pre-petrification to your long time boyfriend NASA scientist, Xeno. However, when you told him the news, he wanted nothing to do with it because his top priority is his research. Hurt, you decided to find refuge and start anew in the country you have always wanted to live in, Japan. Post-petrification and Senku announced they'll be traveling to America. As you have lived there before, they took you and your one-year-old daughter along. Now, thousands of years later, you'll find yourself face to face with the man who had hurt you the most across the world.

Part 1

Part 3

Xeno can never forget the first time he saw you- not that he ever wants to. He was late for a convention and the traffic isn't helping either. To his folly, he decided to reach the venue by walking. He is well aware that his body is not in its perfect condition and the sun's heat will make him eventually pass out.

And he did. That was not his proudest moment. He knows he can just call the program director and cover him for a while. But his intuition told him to go out. His intuitions are never wrong.

That's when he met you- him passed out and you- a nurse passing by. You immediately called for an ambulance and assessed your then patient. He's having a fever and you guessed that the heat precipitated his condition.

In the middle of your assessments, he briefly regained consciousness. He was sure then that he saw an angel.

Well, that angel turned out to be the nurse in charge of him. He was way too overjoyed but you on the other hand are pissed. His obvious flirting gets on your nerves and won't let you work in peace.

But as days go by, you are slowly getting used to his antics. It even saddened you when he is discharged. You thought you will never see him again.

Oh, how wrong you were. Because every day, he passes by the hospital to greet and bring you food. Efforts like this make a woman's heart melt.

And so, after five months of getting to know each other, the two of you officially became a couple. It was the happiest day of Xeno's life.

9 months into your relationship, you both decided to move in together. There, you learned a lot about each other- all the good and the bad. Your relationship was not perfect. You sometimes fight but neither of you let the day end without making up. After all, makeup sex is the best.

So when did everything changed? Xeno knows the truth, of course. He was stressed and overworked. Multiple projects have been forced on him and the pressure is starting to grip on him like vines.

It was not right to dump all his frustrations at you but he can't help it. There are nights when he can't go home as he is still completing his formulas. Add to that, he feels everything is irritating.

So when, one day. When you told him the big news, he was just being honest. A baby? In the middle of all of this? He doesn't want it.

At first, that is.

He finds himself not concentrating at his work because he's distracted. A vision of you, him and your child would often pop in his mind. And to be honest, he loves it the more he thinks about it.

He suddenly became energized. He miraculously finished everything he needed to be done that day. There's a kick to his steps as he bounded with a hum along the way. His co-workers are a bit startled by the change in his attitude. Not a long while, he was snapping at everyone. But now, he even smiles and wishes them a nice weekend.

He even went to a flower shop to buy your favorite flowers. He ordered your favorite food in your favorite restaurant. He knows he had hurt you and he will surely make it up to you. He will tell you that he's with you and he can't wait to be a father.

But, he never did. The moment he stepped inside your shared apartment, he dropped those precious flowers. He instantly knew.

You are gone, taking along with you the visions of his future.

Xeno did not waste any time. He called his detective friend, Daisuke. And in a matter of seconds, he found out you are headed to Japan. Relief washed over him as he now knows you're safe. He will finish his works then he will come after you.

And again, he never did. There is a lot of troubleshooting that needs to be done because his assistants messed up a lot. Not only that, the government assigned him to study the stone phenomenon in sparrows.

When he arrived at a hypothesis, he gathered all the national leaders. He would get this done and over with so he can board on a plane and be with you when the petrification starts.

But it seems that luck is never on his side. The bright light appeared sooner than he thought. And right there and then, in the meeting with the leaders, he turned to stone.

He keeps his mind busy. Counting each second, days, weeks, months, and years. He would reminisce about your moments together. Sometimes, daydream about your family.

After one thousand years later, he knew that the world will never be the same again if mankind would be revived.

Two thousand years in, he starts strategizing what to do for him to start again if he breaks out of this stone.

Three thousand years later, he wills himself to wake up in the springtime so he can gather food and have the best rate of survival.

Finally, 3,700 years later, he is depetrified. He didn't waste time gathering resources for him to survive.

The universe might have pitied him from all the wrong timings he had in his life that they gifted him the precious power of platinum. With that, he was able to build his kingdom of science.

Now that he can create weapons, boats, and airplanes, he is ready to sail across the world to find you. He will not leave any stone unturned. Heck, he'll even dig the whole of Japan just to find you. Hopefully, he can also find his child.

He's sure that his child would be over a year old by the time the world has been petrified. He can't wait to be finally reunited with you. He will do what it takes to make it up to you even if it's thousands of years too late. He loves you and the child he never met more than anything.

And again, luck has never been on his side because Senku's troops stopped him from setting sail that day. He can't leave his Kingdom in this state. After all, this is where his family will live someday. He has to protect this home first.

But alas, the universe is a conniving bastard. He didn't expect to meet you, 3,700 years later in a yacht and in Senku's team.

He has been speechless the moment he gazed on the white-haired little girl in your arms.

It was a little girl, huh? His... daughter.

He felt tears prick his eyes upon seeing the child that is a result of your love for each other.

"I guess you never want me."

It hurts every single cell in his body upon hearing his daughter say that. He was left standing there, seeing his family leave again. For so many years, he had practiced what to say and do the moment he'll find you. But, all words had left him

He was about to follow you but his mentee stopped him.

"Leave them for a while. Xenka-chan's an intelligent girl but she's still a child. Let her be comforted by her mother," Senku advised his mentor.

Xeno sighed and knew that the boy is right. He might make the situation worse than it already is. He plopped right back on the sofa he's sitting on a while ago.

"Xenka, huh," he muttered.

"I know right? It seems that Y/N-san does really love you. She named her child after you," Senku grinned at him.

"Our child," he corrected the young scientist.

"Kukuku. Do you want information about them? I can give it to you plus, I'll help you win them over," of course, Senku has his villain face on while saying that.

Xeno knows that there's no helping it. After all, his and Senku's objective is the same- kind of. He will set aside everything just to find his way back into his family. Now that they're here, he will work his ass for you and Xenka's forgiveness.

"What's your condition?" he finally asked and Senku looked like he won the jackpot.

"Ah, do you know that she's just one and a half years old but she correctly guessed the formula and ingredients to the revival fluid just by sniffing them. She even deduced its function. Man, your child is seriously a genius," Senku goes on and on.

On the other hand, Xeno has integrated everything his mentee told him. It appears that Xenka has taught herself language from her memories with her mother. Then, she went to learn all kinds of sciences from the books she happened to scan as a yet clueless baby.

His baby girl has kept her mind active for thousands of years that it didn't surprise him to know that she has depetrified herself first.

According to Senku, his daughter has been his little assistant. Supplying him with what she's learned over the years.

"To be honest, she's almost on my level and she's just almost two. Wait until she grows up a bit and I'm sure she'll be living in the lab. It irritates her how small her body is to do anything," the two men chuckled.

"Oh, I bet once she can grasp the flasks and beakers well, she's on to her experiments. She's surely my daughter," Xeno said with a smile on his face. He could never be more than proud.

"The only problem is how to approach them," he muttered, feeling down once again.

"Don't sweat the little details that much. Xenka will surely gravitate to your intelligence and you'll have her talking to you in no time. Now, it is Y/N that you should be thinking about," Senku rose from his seat, looking at the other scientist in his room. An evil grin forming on his sinful lips.

"Chrome, go get Xenka,"

The little squirt has a frown on her face after finding herself tied to a chair. She was dragged away from her mother after her afternoon nap and she doesn't want to spend it with the man who had abandoned them.

"Listen here, Xenka-chan. I've strucked a deal with your father so you have to listen to him," Senku said patting the girl's head.

She looked the other way and pouted, "how can you sell me like that, oniisan?"

Senku chuckled at this, "it's not like you know everything, now don't you? But don't worry we didn't plan to force you to listen to him,"

Xenka rolled her eyes, "I'm tied to a chair. If this isn't using force then I don't what is," she deadpanned.

Xeno can't help but smile. Surely enough, his daughter inherited his intelligence but also her mother's stubbornness.

"Oh, you'll want to talk to him after this," Senku mischievously grinned at his 'little sister'. He knows exactly how to get the interest of this child.

"Oi, my dear mentor, are you ready to calculate and pinpoint where exactly the petrification beam started?"

That piqued the interest of the little girl.

After two hours of theorizing and calculating, the two had determined the exact location of what they're looking for. The two scientists stared at each other in silence before grinning and high fived each other.

In the small corner of the room, Xenka has her eyes widened, sparkling bright stars littered in her black depths.

"That- that was. I never heard anything like it," she breathed still in a daze after witnessing a thorough and scientific conversation like that. It made her heart beat fast and her curiosity about her father broadens.

"How is it Xenka?" Xeno courageously asked his child. Noting that this is the first time he's ever interacting with her.

Xenka hesitates. She doesn't want to talk to him because before he had hurt her, he hurt her precious mama first. However, her oniisan said that she doesn't know the entirety of the story. With her trust in her oniisan, she decided to give her father the benefit of the doubt.

The little girl looked to the side with a frown and a pout, "I guess you're not that b-bad," she says, a small blush already taking her cheeks.

This filled Xeno's heart with warmth and hope. He feels giddy and wants to empress her daughter more.

"Do you want to discuss aerodynamics with me?" Xeno asked.

The girl's head immediately snapped to his, eyes bright like a sparkling diamond, "let's start with Newton's third law of motion,"

The afternoon dragged on with the father and daughter droning on and on about rocket science.

It was already dinner time and you had not seen even the shadow of Xenka. She was dragged earlier by Chrome to see Senku and you knew that it has something to do with her father.

You sighed, you know your daughter well. If Xeno runs his mouth about anything related to Science then your daughter is done for. She's a sucker for intelligent people and there's no way she'll pass up the opportunity of talking to her dad.

Your thoughts are interrupted when you heard little giggles coming your way. There, in the hallway, you are faced with Xeno holding your daughter in his arms. Just like what you had imagined for a long time. It pains you and yet it flutters happiness in your heart. This is like a dream.

"Mama!"

Xeno's eyes snapped on you when he heard his daughter call you. You, on the other hand, felt overly conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. He noted how you have become even more beautiful since the last time he had seen you.

"Xenka, dinner's ready. You have to eat. Come here to mama," you coaxed your child, wanting to go away far from the man.

"No, mama! I want to be with papa! There's still a lot of stories I want to hear." You sighed. She already calls him papa, huh? That was quick.

"Mama, it's alright now. Papa explained to me already. He said he didn't want me at first but he changed his mind. He even went and bought you flowers and your favorite food so he can ask for your forgiveness and makeup with you that day. But mama, you had already left," you are taken aback by what your daughter stated.

You don't know what to feel or say.

"Well, he can just message me or approach me. Why didn't he?" You spat, feeling the bitterness rise again.

Your daughter scoffed at you, "mama, papa has like twenty projects at that time. As a scientist, I can understand why he has not contacted you though it kinda hurts but still. I know that he loves us and wants to be with us, mama," your daughter asked her father to be put down.

She went to you and hugged your knee, "Mama, I know we can't change what happened and I'm not invalidating how you feel. But, we have been through so much and even then, the three of us woke up in the same era and we even reunited. Aren't our family lucky to have found each other? Please think about it, mama. I know you have forgiven him a long time ago and you still love him," you are amazed at how you're precious daughter had spoken as if she's already older than you. Well, truly she is way too mature for her age of one year.

Xeno, on the other hand, can't believe how his daughter can sprout out those words. He feels so proud and yet at the same time he had hoped he had seen his little girl when she was still a blubbering mess. But, well, this is who Xenka is now, and he won, 't have it any other way.

"I'll leave the two of you alone to talk, mama and papa," the girl said after tapping gently her mother's leg. She then went on her way to Francois but then, she turned back to her dumbstruck parents.

"Oh, and I want a little brother," she said before skipping away.

That left the two a blushing mess. Gosh, can their daughter not? But even then, Xeno knows this is his chance to redeem himself.

"Y/N," he muttered. You notice how good your name rolls in his tongue.

"Was it true? Everything she said?" You asked. Clenching your hands from nervousness.

"It is. I'm sorry y/n. The last words I told you had tortured me for thousands of years. I had hurt you truly and that hurt me badly too. Not having you beside me is like living in hell. I'm sorry it took me a few hours to accept our child. And within those hours, it had cost you and our child," his voice broke down in the end as tears started to fall down his face.

It is a shock to you. Never, you had never seen him cry. You had never seen him this weak and lonely. You realized that you are not the only one who has been affected by the separation as you watched the broken man presenting you his crumbled pieces.

Your heart clenched. Was your love too shallow to have not trusted him back then? Had you just let him cool off for a bit, he had gone home to a warm apartment. You understood that he was pressured too much at that time and you left blinded by the hurt.

Looking back now, you realized you just wanted to get his attention. So you left, in hopes, he'll come running after you. But he never did, and it made you resent him more. You didn't even think for a second how he may have felt. He was tied down by his projects and you knew that if only he was free, he'll come running to you. Humanity relied on his projects and a single error can cost lots of lives. You knew this but still, you only trusted your selfishness.

"Xeno, I-" you can't take it anymore. You cried your heart out and he immediately embraced you.

"I'm sorry, Xeno. I'm sorry. I have been selfish and truly I am sorry," you added between sobs.

You felt Xeno shake his head, "it's understandable y/n. I was also wrong. It's okay now," he continues to console you, rubbing your back.

"Well, I know a lot has changed but why don't we start over again, yeah?" He whispers.

You pulled away from him to look him in the eyes, "how?"

He thought for a few seconds before grinning, the one that has always make your heart leap.

"I own this yacht and there's a little room downstairs. Maybe we can start with our daughter's request," he proposed naughtily.

You only smacked him in the head which made him chuckle.

"Oh my god Xeno, that's horrible! Where?" This time, it is you who had a smirk in the face. Xeno did not expect you to play along but this fired him up.

"Let's have twins this time," he said before pulling you somewhere.

In the distance, the crew of eavesdroppers finally sighed as they watched the reunited couple leave.

"That was quick," Ryusui commented.

"They're not teenagers anymore, you know," Senku replied and carried a smiling Xenka.

"They had like thousands of years to think over what happened so why wait now? It's so obvious they love each other, it makes me want to barf," the little girl muttered.

"Kukuku. I bet you are the happiest of all Xenka-chan," the leek-y scientist grinned.

"Your right, oniisan. My family is now complete and we may have another member in a few months," she said exuding the happiness she truly felt inside her heart.

"Alright, everyone, the food is already done!"

With that, the crew followed Francois never minding the distant moans and groans coming from below.

49 notes · View notes

southeastasianists · 4 years

Link

'Usually I can earn between Rp.300,000 and Rp.800,000 (A$31 to $83) a night, just for one performance. Nowadays, since I live with my sister and have no wages, I help in her warung to show my gratitude,’ says Singgih via Whatsapp. In addition to assisting at the roadside warung in Parung, West Java, Singgih also uses his Instagram account to help his sister sell her homemade rengginang, a kind of traditional cracker. The government’s restrictions on movement and activities in response to COVID-19 have been in place since April. Fortunately, Singgih’s sister’s warung has remained open, but for musicians and other arts industry workers like him, the story is one of uncertainty and a daily struggle to survive.

Singgih, 29, is originally from Grobogan in Central Java. After graduating from the prestigious Indonesian Institute of the Arts (Institut Seni Indonesia, ISI) in Surakarta, Singgih has worked as a pengrawit or gamelan musician in Jakarta. He says before COVID-19 art performances were held in Jakarta each Saturday and Sunday, day and night. But now, ‘during social restrictions, all my job offers have been canceled or postponed. Until when, I don’t know.’

The art of playing gamelan instruments is called karawitan. The term comes from the Javanese word rawit which means intricate or finely worked. According to scholars, the music also matches this description. It is argued that the gamelan orchestra uses a more complex system than western music. The music produced by the gamelan orchestra is built from elaborate components, including both loud and soft instruments. One of the soft instruments, which adds melodic layers, is the singers’ voices. Karawitan divide the singing parts into the male singing, called gerongan, and the female singing, called sindenan.

Prior to COVID-19, the Javanese arts, especially karawitan, were flourishing in Jakarta, where the majority of residents are Javanese, and there was high demand for traditional musical performance to accompany slametan (blessing events). For Javanese, slametan are held to celebrate weddings, birthdays, circumcisions, the inauguration of a new house or building and commemoration days, among other events. Those who can afford to will rent a full gamelan orchestra and karawitan group to play. At the top end of the price scale, hosts may hold a wayangan: a performance of Javanese shadow puppets accompanied by a large karawitan group.

Who are the musicians making up Jakarta’s gamelan ensembles? Most pengrawit and pesinden (female singers) come from Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java. Some graduated from an SMKI (Sekolah Menengah Karawitan Indonesia, vocational high schools for traditional arts), others from ISI like Singgih. However, the majority of pengrawit and pesinden in Jakarta are in fact self-taught. ‘Graduating from ISI doesn’t guarantee that a person can play gamelan properly,’ says Warsiah, a 50-year-old pesinden who lives in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. ‘It takes a lifetime of learning and commitment to be a skilled artist.’

Warsiah came to Jakarta from Wonogiri in Central Java when she was just 16. She first worked selling jamu (a traditional herbal beverage) and did not begin to learn karawitan until she was in her thirties. ‘The pengrawit who heard me singing for the first time told me that my voice matched with the sound of gamelan. I felt encouraged. That’s when I began to learn properly,’ said Warsiah. She regularly attended karawitan rehearsals in Tanjung Duren, Ciledug, and Bekasi. Five years after her first encounter with gamelan, she took her first job as a pesinden.

Warsinah explained that becoming a pesinden meant she was able to leave her job as jamu seller. ‘I remember – it was the 2000s and I was booked as a pesinden every Saturday and Sunday. Imagine this! In the morning I would sing in a slametan event. Then I would go to a wedding ceremony. At night I was hired to accompany wayangan performances. I no longer had time for my business,’ says Warsiah, laughing with joy.

Pesinden are paid more than pengrawit. In recent years, for one karawitan performance in Jakarta, Warsiah is paid between Rp.700,000 and Rp.1 million. When accompanying an all-night wayangan performance, Warsiah earns Rp.1 million. This is different in her hometown. ‘Ten years ago, in my village in Wonogiri, a pesinden could be paid Rp.150,000 even for accompanying a wayangan performance from dusk till dawn.’

Singgih also thinks that his earnings in Jakarta are comparatively good. ‘Imagine this,’ he says. ‘For accompanying an all-night wayangan performance in Central Java, I get Rp.250,000 – if the event is big and the puppeteers are well known. In Jakarta, for the same effort, I can get Rp.500,000 – that’s the minimum fee for pengrawit accompanying a wayangan in Jakarta! So, I just worked on weekends and I could rest on weekdays.’ PSBB

On 10 April, the Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan issued social distancing regulations for an initial period of two weeks. The large-scale social restrictions, or PSBB, were then extended into June. Violations of PSBB carry penalties, including for not wearing face masks in public spaces.

With restrictions on social and cultural activities, the possibility of being paid to perform on stage disappeared overnight. Even before the regulation was introduced, Singgih and Warsinah were already seeing many social and cultural events being canceled or postponed. In addition to performing, both also teach karawitan, earning an additional monthly salary, but during PSBB art studios and universities where they normally teach have also been closed. Soft instruments in the gamelan ensemble / Rahmadi Fajar Himawan

‘I am kind of grateful that all of this [PSBB] happened during Ramadan,’ Singgih reflected. Ramadan ran from 23 April to 23 May this year, and karawitan and wayangan performances are not usually held during this time. Some slametan, such as weddings, are never held during Ramadan out of respect for those who fast. ‘It’s like a coincidence, right?’ Making a living

In April, Joko Widodo announced that the annual mass exodus (mudik) during Ramadan was banned. This meant Warsiah and Singgih, like millions of other Jakartans not native to the city, were unable to celebrate Eid in their hometown. Normally at this time, with performances not allowed during Ramadan, they would return home and gather with family, and after Eid, go back immediately to Jakarta to take up opportunities for work. This year, unable to perform or return to their hometowns, musicians like Warsiah and Singgih have stayed in Jakarta where they are doing whatever they can do to survive.

Warsiah started making jamu again. She charges Rp.10,000 per bottle and promotes it through social media. ‘It’s not bad – it supports me,’ she says. Warsinah has a mushroom farm near her house in Kramat Jati and also an egg farm at her family home in Wonogiri. Though her farms are not large, she feels lucky to be able to support herself during PSBB. ‘But I can’t go to my hometown to celebrate Eid,’ she says.

Some, like Warsiah, make food or beverages or do sewing to make a living and they use social media such as Facebook or Whatsapp to promote their goods. Others like Singgih, rely on the support of their family and work in the family business.

In April, the Ministry of Education and Culture launched a program called Pendataan Pekerja Seni Terdampak COVID-19 (Register of Arts Workers Impacted by COVID-19). The ministry’s stated aim was to make an inventory of arts workers financially impacted by the pandemic. With the data collected, they would aim to distribute donations to those who had lost income. No specific amount of compensation was announced. A similar program was also launched by the City of Jakarta’s Department of Culture, called Pendataan Pekerja Seni di Jakarta yang Terdampak Secara Ekonomi Akibat COVID-19 (Register of Arts Workers in Jakarta Economically Impacted by COVID-19).

There are currently three options for government assistance for musicians like Warsinah and Singgih. Besides the compensation payments, the ministry aims to include musicians in existing social programs, namely Program Keluarga Harapan (Family Hope Program) or Kartu Prakerja (Pre-Employment Card). The ministry is also encouraging any arts workers ineligible for both those programs to perform through online platforms, including its own newly established Budayasaya. Although it is still early days, it does appear that artists who already have a high profile are making good use of online platforms like this. However, it is less clear if they will benefit performers and musicians like Warsinah and Singgih who are less well-known.

The Ministry of Culture and Education created the Budayasaya platform on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to broadcast arts performances.

As their incomes are less than the limit of Rp.10 million per month, Warsiah and Singgih hope they will be eligible for inclusion in these existing social safety net programs. However, there is another potential hurdle: to be classified as an arts worker, you must not have received income from non-arts-related work. Ironically, this may yet prevent musicians from receiving government assistance as they have needed to use their non-arts skills to survive this far.

On 26 May, the Ministry of Education and Culture finally distributed payments, called PL2B, to those arts workers deemed eligible who had registered back in April. Each successful applicant received Rp.1 million as a one-off payment upon completion of documents required by the ministry. The City of Jakarta’s Department of Culture distributed similar payments in early May.

Like more than 40,000 other arts workers who registered with the ministry by the deadline, Singgih put a great deal of hope in the government programs. I contacted him again in late May via WhatsApp to ask how his application went. He was not one of the lucky ones. His application for compensation was rejected. ‘But PSBB will end soon, right?’ he asked me hopefully. I asked him what he would do if PSBB was extended further. ‘Actually, I have no idea,’ he told me. ‘For now, I hope all of this is stopped immediately.’

#arts #indonesia #gamelan #javanese arts #music

27 notes · View notes

girlofmanyfandoms · 4 years

Note

What do you think the council's would have felt after the fight between the council and the black swan where Fitz gets impaled when there back in the lost cities and it hits them that they nearly killed a teenager and he probably has a scar from that encounter?

Ooh, buckle up, buttercup, because I have a LOT to say.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of war, Mentions of kidnapping

Warnings: Spoilers for Keeper of the Lost Cities, Looong response

Clarette was the one at fault for Fitz getting impaled. She was the one who was more concerned with the wellbeing of the Arthropleura, than the wellbeing of the boy who “betrayed” them. I, for one, think the Council was completely irresponsible. They take the Black Swan as a rebel group, but why? I can only think of one real reason.

They genetically altered an elven child, and sent her to the Forbidden Cities, bringing her back when she was 12 - Ok, so this one, I can kind of understand. It’s not right to take genes from two random elves, put the egg in a human, which they were sworn to stay away from for the protection of the planet, and leave the elf there, among the humans, only being watched on by the leader of the organization, who was disguised as an old man next door. Super weird, super creepy, not ethically correct, and illegal. But rebellious?

Sure, the Forbidden Cities are off limits, hence the “Forbidden” part of the name. But can we take a second to understand why? With the information we got in Nightfall, we know that Atlantis was sunk because they needed to cut off all connections with humans. But what happened before that? In Nightfall, we’re told of a golden statue that depicts a human and an elf, standing together in unity. Underneath lies Vespera’s Nightfall, where she kidnapped humans, brought them into what is essentially a torture chamber, and tried to understand how they could do such horrible things with having their minds break when elven minds break completing the same action. She understood how to become close to invincible, and how, in some things, humans are superior to elves.

I’m gong to give you a moment to understand how truly demented this is. Vespera is an ancient elf, just like Bronte, and was among those who got to experience a time where humans and elves lived in unity. Humans walked on the same land as elves and traded market secrets and works of technology, among other things. They were already allies, and they were pretty close, considering there was a statue of them together.

Vespera, an already powerful Empath, wanted to gain the upper hand, gain more power, and consequently gain more status and trust. Vespera wanted to rise above everyone else. Her motive, we’re unsure of, but from what I’ve gathered, she’s power-hungry. So, in order to gain that power, she spent months building her torture chamber under the symbol of the unity of the two species. It was not only the last place someone would look if any information was spilled, it had a beautifully cruel meaning to it, almost mocking. Then, she started kidnapping some human allies, ones that she knew were capable of horrid things, and locked them in the rooms full of mirrors, so they could only see the same images again and again, never knowing where they were coming from. You can also assume that there were other types of torture rooms, all centered around finding out a human’s breaking point, and how they can distance themselves from such guilt.

The Council finds out that humans are going missing, and the humans allies are agitated and enraged. What have their elven allies been doing to their species? Was this all a trap? The Council denies having anything to do with human disappearances and pledges to do what they can to find them. But this isn’t enough to satisfy the humans. They start an uprising, they revoke all resources and trades in place, they plan a defense and attack strategy. Bronte is among the Councillors at that time, and tries to urge his colleagues to take action and clear up the issues, but they’re out of ideas, and their alliances with the other Intelligent Species weaken with each human threat. The goblins and ogres are urging the elves to go to war. The gnomes heed of danger to the economy and population. The trolls and dwarves threaten to leave the alliance with the threat of war hanging over everyone’s head. The humans have powerful weapons, and with their ability of committing murder and other such acts without their minds breaking, the Council knows they won’t hesitate to use them. Besides, what do the elves have? An obscurer and some measly melders? They have no choice. They must run the last bit of humans out of Atlantis and sink the city. They do, and let a few generations pass. The secret is forgotten, and they are safe.

Eventually, they decide to try again, with the Human Assistance Program (HAP). A select group of elves, presumably Emissaries, go undercover and help the humans advance their technology, as well as their view of elves, making elves seem like a mythical creature. There were certain positives with this: electricity, penicillin, Lord of the Rings, chocolate cake, Twinkies. But in the middle of World War II, elven knowledge led to the creation of nuclear bombs. Humans kept on advancing this design, and soon enough, had enough to destroy the world. Humans continued to exploit the knowledge of the elves, and it made them more and more destructive. The Council was forced to make another tough decision. They cancelled the program.

Years later, and Bronte still lives with the guilt of this. He uses his Inflicting abilities to dodge the emotions, sure, but he’s made it clear that it’s not good to rely on your ability alone. And then Sophie came along. The Vackers, one of the most well-known and reputable families, claims to have found this elven Telepathic elf in the Forbidden Cities. The Council is terrified. They went in contact with the humans?! They need to see this girl immediately, and remove all traces of her from her hometown. They need to hide her from the public, especially the Ancients, most of which still see humans as barbarians. what would they think of an elf raised among those who threatened to end them and their world as they knew it? They send her to Foxfire, hoping she can lead a normal life and blend in with everyone else. But of course, she can’t. She gets messages from the Black Swan. She and Dex get kidnapped only to be saved by Forkle and dropped off in the middle of nowhere. They arrive in Paris, a Forbidden City. She takes a flareodon to her hometown, another Forbidden City, and makes all of the Everblaze, which the Council unrightfully presumes is the Black Swan despite knowing that there’s another group out there, disappear mysteriously, leaving only the strange flowers in their wake, making the humans confused and suspicious. And that’s only in Book 1.

What about everything else? What about what she did in Exile with Alden? How she can suddenly telepathically talk to animals? How she keeps getting sent to the Healing Center and one day after going missing with Keefe, she’s all better? When she heals Alden? When she and Fitz try to get into Fintan’s mind, but instead they end up burning down most of Eternalia, killing Kenric, one of their own, in the process.

That’s it. The public knows all about Sophie Foster. Some are scared of her, some pity her, and some idolize her. None of this is positive for the Council, and with the Neverseen after them and all of the Intelligent Species, they cannot have her, or any of her friends among everyone else in the Lost Cities. They take initiative and banish them. But what does that do? They all join the Black Swan, cause chaos in Exillium, and recruit Tam and Linh. Keefe joins the Neverseen in an attempt to get Insider Info. The gnomes, whom the elves depend on for food and maintenance, are being threatened in numbers due to a plague. Eventually, it is actually revealed that the ogres, who are supposed to be in an alliance with the elves, have betrayed them for the Neverseen, and attacked Havenfield, a sanctuary that they depend on.

Isn’t that enough to prove them wrong? No. They don’t have the antidote. So the Black Swan, along with Alvar invade Ravagog, and, after some complications, flood it. Alvar is proven to be working for the Neverseen, and the Neverseen have been working with the ogres to defend the antidote. They don’t have the antidote, and Calla has to figure that out for herself. She makes an ultimatum with the Council: Let the children return to society, and she’ll sacrifice herself to become the Panakes Tree and cure all gnomes. The Council is desperate. They need the gnomes to survive, so they have to accept the offer.

Then what? The Black Swan doesn’t stop defending their people, and continue to pursue the Neverseen. They attack hideouts, get hurt, and find Amy, Sophie’s sister, remembering her clearly. Another problem that the Council can’t know about. So, they stash her in Atlantis with Livvy and Quinlin. Soporodine, a powerful and lethal sedative, is introduced, and affects Alvar, Sophie’s human parents, and Ro. Tam takes Ro away, and she eventually awakens. Atlantis is flooding as the force fields fail, and Linh, Keefe, and Sophie stop in from going under. They’re praised, and are offered a statue to honor them. But this is not the end.

Alvar is here now, and he doesn’t remember a thing. He resides in Everglen, much to Fitz’s disappointment. Silvery goes into labor, and with the help of Luzia, who has been hiding a troll hive in Everglen. Alvar regains his memory, and helps the Neverseen broadcast the release of baby trolls right inside of Everglen, publicly shaming them. This tarnishes the Vacker name, and makes the Council look foolish and weak for not noticing this secret over centuries. Umber is down, but the damage is done. Sophie and Fitz have echoes inside of them, killing them slowly. Even though they recover, the Neverseen have recruited Tam in exchange for the lives of the baby alicorns. Not only that, but Sophie is unmatchable.

The Council is still slightly respected, but anyone can see that the Black Swan are the real leaders here. They decide the only way to gain more control over their people is to form an alliance. But they can’t have the same people that tend to cause chaos around Sophie. No, instead they assemble a team of five, with Sophie as the leader. Team Valiant. They gain the title of Regents, and are there to create order. But Sophie does something else. She becomes more powerful in Inflicting and uncovers the secret of the dwarves’ false unity. Tam is forced to help Lady Gisela “fix” her son, but Keefe ends up in a coma. Tam is freed, and Glimmer is convinced to leave the Neverseen and help the Black Swan. Sophie learns how to truly teleport, and Oralie, her number one supporter (and mom) from the beginning decides to do what every Councillor has sworn not to: help Sophie open her cache.

So, to answer your question, I think some of the better Councillors, like Oralie, Bronte, Terik, and possibly Clarette, feel guilty about harming a child, and that they were worried sick over whether or not they had killed a child. But seeing as how corrupt the elven society really is, I don’t think the Council is on the right side. Soon, they’re going to have to choose.

#sorry for the long analysis #i may or may not have the urge to write a fic involving some of the stuff here #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #sophie foster

7 notes · View notes

ebola-kun · 4 years

Text

The measurements of Spider-Man's feets, the sound of (older) music and also what the Romans in fact provided for ...

1. Baboons, like the British, like to queue

Baboons discover meals places by enjoying those around them. Yet receiving access to the food relies on the facility power structures of a baboon men, and those reduced down the hierarchy can easily wind up queuing for leftovers. Find out more

2. Sometimes, people are offered unlimited sauce by scientific research

Researchers gave volunteers an all-you-can-eat buffet of chicken korma along with three alternatives controlled to look as well as taste the exact same, however through which the fat deposits material supplied twenty% (reduced), 40% (channel) and 60% (higher) of the fats. They located that people that lug a particular genetic alternative consumed even more of the higher fat deposits meals-- although they said they all sampled the same. Review even more

3. You may fossilise a marinaded brain

A tiny brownish marble, located through an amateur fossil seeker in Sussex, is actually the first recognized example of fossilised brain cells from a dinosaur. The specimen, which likely belonged to a dinosaur identical to the Iguanodon, was thus well-preserved given that it was 'pickled' in an ancient overload. Learn more

4. Spider-Man will need to have measurements 145 shoes to go up a wall surface

By researching geckos, the most extensive pets able to size smooth vertical wall surfaces, scientists point out that an individual will need to have unmanageably huge sticky footpads to stroll up a wall structure like Spider-Man-- footwear in European measurements 145 or even US measurements 114. Learn more

5. The true North-South divide remains in how our team articulate 'scone'...

Regional diversity in dialect words and also pronunciations might be decreasing as much of England falls much more according to exactly how British is communicated in Greater london as well as the south-east, according to end results from the English Dialects App. Exactly how you articulate 'bun' still relies on where you live. Learn more

6. ... Though our team still don't understand how a wolf would certainly pronounce it

The largest ever research study of shouting in the 'canid' family members of types-- which features wolves, jackals as well as residential dogs-- showed that the several species and also subspecies have differentiating collections of shouting-- "howling vocabularies". Read much more

7. No one truly recognizes what takes place to an egg after day 7

Growing eggs in a laboratory is actually difficult, as well as up until this year no one has managed to surpass day 7. However our scientists dealt with to fix this issue this year-- and also it is actually opened up an argument concerning whether our team must prolong the legal restriction for embryo research study past the current 14 day limit. Learn more

8. You can organize 128 ping pong balls 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 different techniques

The answer to an overwelming natural science problem could possibly help our company understand concerns ranging from forecasting the buildup of deserts, to making expert system even more dependable. Or even perhaps a quite uninteresting sensible for an unlucky student. Find out more

9. The response to Monty Python's "What have the Romans ever before provided for our company?" is "Spreading parasites".

The Romans might possess taken our company cleanliness, however as opposed to creating our company healthier, they aided boost the escalate of intestinal parasites such as whipworm, roundworm and Entamoeba histolytica. Find out more

10. One day, our experts might all of be actually residing in metropolitan areas crafted from bone tissue ...

Simply because our experts can build our areas away from steel and also concrete, does that way our team should? Is it time our team appeared at completely brand-new techniques of building cities? Designers functioning in biomimetics-- actually 'replicating lifestyle'-- are building samples of artificial bone and eggshell that might be utilized as clinical implants, and even be actually sized up and also made use of as low-carbon building materials. Learn more

11. ... And in wooden high-rise buildings

Property high-rises away from hardwood might possess a variety of possible perks, the absolute most obvious being actually that it is a renewable energy. Wood structures might even be cheaper as well as faster to build-- and also much lighter than their concrete substitutes. Learn more

12. Elvis Presley assisted exterminate polio in the USA

Back in the 1950s, hygienics advocates recruited the Master of Rock 'n' Roll to aid bring up recognition of the significance of shot against polio. A little a lot less talk as well as a bit even more vaccination, maybe? Learn more

thirteen. We have actually gone to war for even longer than our experts believed

Our archaeologists found the fossilised bone tissues of a team of prehistoric hunter-gatherers who were actually massacred around 10,000 years ago in Kenya. They have actually delivered distinct proof of an intense encounter in between conflicting teams of historical hunter-gatherers, and also proposes that also late Stone Age seeking societies fought. Documentation of a prehistoric carnage expands the background of warfare

14. If your pub serves white wine in big red or white wine glasses, you're a lot more most likely to become drunk due to the edge of the evening

Marketing red wine in much larger red or white wine glasses might promote people to drink additional, also when the quantity of red or white wine continues to be the same, according to a research which located that improving the measurements of red or white wine glasses caused a nearly 10% boost in red or white wine purchases. Learn more

15. Dune may sing

When solids flow like liquids they can easily create dune sing. As surfaces of sand slide down the side of particular dunes, they create resonances that may be heard for miles around. The dunes are vital with the sand of songs! Find out more

16. Your Labrador can not aid being fatty tissue-- it is actually genetically programmed to become greedy

Researchers found a genetic variant linked with being overweight and appetite in Labrador retrievers that might clarify why Labrador retrievers are actually most likely to come to be overweight than pets of other species. For every copy of the genetics lugged, the pet dog was actually on ordinary 1.9 kilograms bigger Learn more

17. There is actually a very exclusive cuckoo called Disco Tony

He is actually gray with a yellow ring around his eyes, he's travelled over 5,000 kilometers and also he is actually a cuckoo. However this is not merely any kind of cuckoo-- this is Disco Tony. He is one of a quite exclusive group of birds whose every relocation is actually being checked. Learn more

18. Einstein could have received it incorrect (presuming deep space contains at the very least five measurements)

Just times after the very first detection of gravitational surges, first predicted by Einstein, was declared, our scientists discovered that the great guy could have received some points inappropriate. It involves a truly huge donut. Find out more

19. The Clangers would have appeared like plane engines when they were experiencing frisky

How is actually a mouse like a jet engine? The answer is actually in the method they create noise. Mice court each other along with ultrasound passion tracks that are actually faint to the individual ear, creating one-of-a-kind high regularity appears utilizing a system that has actually only earlier been actually observed in fast plane engines. Go through a lot more

twenty. A German scholar swiped a 1000 years of age part of music from our Collection in the 1840s. (Our company've got it back and our company right now recognize how it sounds.)

After some investigator work and also scrupulous investigation, the 11th century 'Cambridge Songs' were done for the first opportunity in 1,000 years back in Easter. Learn more

21. Man-made intelligence could help you shake off your worry of spiders without you also seeing

Making use of a blend of synthetic cleverness as well as brain scanning modern technology, researchers feel they can remove our worries without having to expose us to the very points our company're terrified of (which for a lot of became 2016). Find out more

22. People in Peterborough survived on stilts in the course of the Bronze Age

Over recent year, Should Ranch in the Cambridgeshire fens has actually generated Britain's largest selections of Bronze Grow older fabrics, beads as well as residential artefacts. Along with hardwoods of many roundhouses, the finds offer a sensational picture of an area growing 3,000 years ago-- little wonder it is actually been referred to as the 'Pompeii of the fens'. Learn more

23. Our experts could really be actually transforming the tide on dementia (however only in guys)

The so-called alzheimer's disease 'tsunami' may not be unpreventable. The UK has actually observed a twenty% fall in the occurrence of dementia over the previous 2 many years, depending on to our scientists. This has resulted in an approximated 40,000 fewer situations of mental deterioration than formerly forecasted-- but primarily in men. Read extra

24. You may learn A GREAT DEAL concerning the human brain only coming from reading Peter Pan

JM Barrie had a deep-seated understanding of the scientific research of cognition-- as well as was many years in advance of his attend determining vital phases of youngster advancement, apparently. Find out more To discover even more concerning how Cambridge's ideas and developments have shaped the planet over recent 800 years, view "Dearest World ... Yours, Cambridge" . To find out more about the most recent investigation from the College of Cambridge, please browse through our internet site .

This content was originally published here.

2 notes · View notes

possiblypeachy · 6 years

Text

manufactured.

--; summary: The XK-100 model was designed to be many things: charming yet brutal, elusive yet blunt, gentle yet commandeering. What she wasn't designed to be was deviant. But, being so advanced can come with a cost.

You decide what that cost is.

> part two

[determinant factors are in italics]

[warnings that apply to this chapter are in bold]

--; pairings: connor x xk-100, captain allen x xk-100

--; word count: 2.1k

--; themes: slow burn romance, angst, violence, platonic fluff, eventual smut

--; warnings: depictions of violence, death, suicide

--; note: hola mis amigos! this is the first piece of writing that i’m actually putting up here so go easy on me please and thank you! pardon any horrendous mistakes and/or terrible explanation of plot points :(

in places this story will deviate (haha deviate) from canon. this allows me to weave my lovely little xk-100 model into scenarios that can help shape her personality for future installments. also, it gives me a chance to dabble with her interacting with minor characters that don’t get enough love!

if all goes well, i’d like to make this into a kind of ‘choose your own story’ type read bc i love me a good challenge and i want to give it the true d:bh feel. it’ll take a while to fan the options out but i’m a fast worker when inspired ;)

anywho, feel free to shoot me a message to ask me questions about this or give me suggestions! i’m also open to requests for now so hit me with your best shot, kiddos.

without further ado, enjoy!

[apolgies if this looks shit on mobile/anything really. i'll clean it up later :)]

—————

The first thing she felt was something clicking to the back of her head. Streams of code filled black vision: a start-up process. Lines upon lines of binary were read at a speed that was inhuman, registering her programming and purpose. Though a crucial process, the small camera watching her saw nothing of what was going on behind those white eyelids-- not even a twitch to signal that she was functional.

Then, narrow eyes flickered open, much like a light bulb turning on after years of no use. Pale irises were revealed to the room, intricate patterns of ice and frost weaved around her pupil. They were shadowed by a line of dark lashes, removing the possibility of deducing what she was thinking by way of looking into her eyes. Yet the contrast between the light and dark made her hold an aura of allure. Even he, someone who had prepared for her to look like this, was momentarily hypnotised. Nevertheless, a pang of discomfort was felt when his gaze finally fell to her static form. She appeared detached from the world -- cold. She would be perfect for her job.

From his seat, her overseer leant down to a microphone. “Can you hear me?” A male voice reached her sensors and the LED on the side of her head sprang to life, glowing a calming blue. Tentative eyes watched her through the camera. His heart rate increased when her LED began circling-- processing. This was make or break. They'd tried to make models like her far too many times before but failed; she hadn't looked intimidating enough, she couldn't make sense of her own complexity, her thirium pump hadn't been wholly compatible. God, he'd seen so many of her previous attempts shutdown before they were even able to speak.

Anxiety. Worry. Tension. “Yes. I can hear you.” All those emotions dissolved-- cascaded from his conscience like the most beautiful waterfall he could ever witness-- and he leant back in his chair, instead filled with relief. A sigh that could've praised God itself left him before he moved to look at the live feed of her again. She was completely unmoving-- no blinking, no twitching of her eyes, no breathing. Instead, she was waiting.

“What's your serial number and model name?” The worry rose in him again as his sight glanced to the tablet before him, filled to the brim with information on her. All his team's plans for her, her I.D. and registration codes, who she was going to be given to, her abilities, her materials-- all of it-- stored on one tablet. Everything had to be checked. She had to confirm that all of her components were functional. If she said one wrong thing, she would be deconstructed and analysed.

The android's voice was smooth and unwavering-- unaware of the pressure placed upon her. Perhaps one could describe it as scheming. Hearing it laid a blanket of unsettling calm across those around yet it was beguiling-- mysterious. “#572 236 091 – 31. My model name is XK-100.” Her expression still showed nothing. Good.

The robotic arms whirred around her and created gentle streams of wind as they welded white plastic parts together, ensuring that her body was sturdy; she needed to be as durable as possible. Two of them spun on their pivots to receive an arm-- already constructed and able to move when tugged in a certain direction and therefore, hopefully, functional. Rather than screwing it into place, it clicked as though it was a dislocated bone being fixed. When the arms let go of it, it hung at her side-- lifeless.

He wasn't lifeless, however. Oh, quite the contrary. Having been working on this project for near to seven years now, he felt like a little clap and chuckle wouldn't be deemed all too unprofessional. They'd been planning an android like this for almost a decade: an android who was capable of taking down an entire riot single-handedly if the need arose. Her team had programmed tiny aspects of her day in, day out. Many sleepless nights were spent animating her custom expressions, blueprinting the structure and materials of her frame, weaving code into her artificial mind. By admittance of the former CEO of CyberLife himself, she was perhaps the most intelligent android they had yet made-- and that was Kamski's words from years before. Now, if she didn't possess that whirling LED on her temple and her posture wasn't so stiff, people could peg her as more life-like than some humans.

He spoke again. She picked up on the thrilled waver to his voice and committed it to her short-term memory stores. “Move your head.” As asked, her head craned from one side to another-- eyes yet to follow the direction of movement naturally. Then, she stopped rather suddenly back at the centre. The camera swerved to the front of her and lifted itself to her eye level. “Now, move your eyes.” Her eyelids jolted into motion and she blinked erratically-- even her brows furrowed. He felt as though he was intently watching her trying to remove something from the surface of her eyeball; it was uncomfortable, yes, but inevitably natural. Then, her sight began to sweep across the sterile room, recognising the area as Manufacturing Room 2462-B in the CyberLife Tower. Blinking was rhythmic yet not too unnatural. She was beginning to appear more human. Uncomfortably so.

The team working on her understood that she would be some of CyberLife's best work but, from what he could gather, they hadn't expected her to look so... alive. At least, he didn't.

“Good. Now, tell me your introductory text.”

“Hello. I am a first generation XK-100 android. I am designed to assist Special Weapons and Tactics units in high-risk cases. Alongside being much more durable than humans, I am able to process and successfully predict reasonable outcomes for scenarios-- if given enough verbal or physical queues. I am familiar with S.W.A.T training programs and have an accuracy rating of 96% when in optimal conditions.”

Cases of deviancy had been on the rise and more and more police cases were being taken over by S.W.A.T units. Their only downfall was that they were a mainly human organisation, thus making it more and more difficult for them to track ever developing deviant androids. With her on missions, their success rates would soar-- or so the team who had made her hoped.

“My battery allows me to work autonomously for 212 years and I do not require food or water to survive. Due to the nature of my programming, I am required to make frequent reports to my higher-ups on the condition of my software and, every 2 years, I must undergo a renewal of my permit to bypass the 'American Androids Act, subsection 544-7'-- which allows me to carry weapons as long as I have human supervision.” Her speech paused for a moment and her overseer watched with baited breath. Had her vocals malfunctioned? They couldn't have. She wasn't supposed to stop speaking. Fuck, fuck, fuck! They'd almost had--

“Would you like to name me?” An exhale. Thank the Lord. Perhaps she was already developing mannerisms? She was designed to integrate into a team-- to be adaptable-- and humans didn't take well to stiff androids. It would help her fit in; they'd aspired for her to be like this yet she seemed to be learning quickly-- faster than they'd suspected.

Her other arm clicked itself into place before he spoke and pale skin began to bleed across her plastic body, coating her in practically human layers of pores and tones. Black hair sprouted from her scalp and flopped down into its default style: short, gently waved, and middle-parted-- convenient for her designated career yet not unfamiliar or strange to humans. She began to exude a strange type of stern attractiveness-- every colour that she possessed merging together to create an amalgamation of, what he could only say was, foreign beauty.

“Yes. Your name will be set to...” His eyes flickered down to the tablet before him, “Kassandra.”

Unnervingly, her icy eyes stared straight into the camera. It was as though she was maintaining eye contact with him. Then, her lips twitched somewhat before forming an ever-so-slightly lopsided smile. The smile was charming but seeing it painted across the features of a half-built android was concerning to him. It didn't put him at ease. Rather, his expression tightened. But he couldn't look away from her, seemingly caught in the frost that built in her irises.

“My name is Kassandra. I am pleased to meet you.”

He shivered. All his previous excitement appeared to have dissipated and nothing came through the speakers installed in the ceiling for a few moments. The camera was stationary, positioned before her. He almost felt a degree of sympathy for her; she-- Kassandra-- looked, sounded so... real. Out on the field, she would develop her own habits, her own ticks, her own sense of humour-- just like a human. Yet, her only goal was to detain people-- to kill, on occasion-- and he knew that would never change, no matter how alive she appeared. They programmed her to be like this. He programmed her to be like--

One of her legs were put into place, the socket being filled with an echoing 'clunk!' noise. Said sound made the overseer cough and return to his own mission, watching skin spread over her newly installed limb. She was simply an android. The morality of it all didn't need to come into the equation. “Can you move your arms?”

As Kassandra mindlessly followed his requests, new limbs being added and her programming being tested, he couldn't help notice her becoming smarter even here. Her gaze conveyed emotion-- enquiry, determination, amusement. She had begun to tap her fingers together while waiting for her next instructions. The LED on the side of her head would circle and flicker to yellow more often-- as though she took things into more consideration than the average android.

Finally, she stepped off of the podium. Bare feet padded across the sterile floor of the manufacturing room and paused to allow their owner to briefly scan the room. Now, she had full access to her files, his files, CyberLife's files-- everything. Her LED circled yellow once then returned to blue. She looked back to the camera. “What should I do now, Stephen?”

Stephen-- his name. God, she was analysing him and he wasn't even there. Kassandra likely knew where he was in the building, his age, his annual salary, the millions of possible things that he could do within the next few seconds.

Possibility #762: he turned his microphone back on and cleared his throat to hide his rising stress level. “The conveyor belt to your right will transport you to a specially designed loading bay. A small team of S.W.A.T members will pick you up and take you to your base of operation. You should be working under an... 'Allen'-- 'Captain Allen', so report to him as soon as you arrive.” There was a pause. The half-blue half-yellow LED on her temple was accompanied by a mildly confused expression. “Good luck out there, Kass. I'm glad you're finally functional.”

“I, too, am glad that I am able to move, unlike my predecessors.” Kassandra gave the smallest nod to the camera before leading herself to the conveyor belt. Behind the lenses of the camera, Stephen laughed-- the kind of tired laugh that came through your nose. For him, it was kind of like watching his really unsettling child go off to university, despite the fact that she'd only been operative for two hours at most. Maybe it was because he was one of the few constants in the team as they planned her out. Perhaps she'd already enraptured him with her strange, otherworldly charm. Either way, a sense of bittersweetness resided in his heart as he watched her pick her way into the outside world.

Kassandra took a mindless step onto the belt and it began to whir. “Goodbye, Stephen.” Click, click, click. Slowly, it lurched into motion, reeling her away from the room.

SEARCHING . . . . . .

'Appropriate ways to say goodbye'

LOADING RESULTS . . . . . .

i. “I hope to see you again soon.”

ii. “Have a nice day.”

iii. “Say 'Hi' to your kids for me!”

iiii. “I'll miss you.”

Then, she disappeared from sight-- shipped off like trained-to-kill merchandise to that... Captain Allen guy. Stephen continued to stare at the camera for a small while, absently bringing his flask of coffee up to his lips and taking a long sip.

His lips pursed.

“I'll miss you too, Kass.”

#detroit become human #dbh #detroit: bh #dbh x oc #dbh connor x oc #connor x oc #dbh captain allen x oc #captain allen x oc #dbh fanfic #dbh writing #writing #rk800 x oc #dbh imagine #xk-100 #fanfic #dbh connor x reader #dbh captain allen x reader #captain allen x reader #connor x reader

101 notes · View notes

mirrorruth0 · 2 years

Text

Indicators You Made An incredible Affect On Dedicated Server

InMotion Hosting supplies Managed Internet hosting companies you could reap the benefits of, which assist you to set-up the server to your necessities and assist with common upkeep and updates. Genius Help Service: Your help staff is just as useful as your sales workforce, I have encountered some errors over the past 3 years and each time I submit a ticket it was solved in lower than 45 minutes, that reveals how much you care about customers, and this is truthfully why I’m sticking with TMD Hosting for such a long time. Free Stable State Drives for as much as 20x page loading time. Overall, After using TMDHosting for three years, I can say that it's a five star hosting company comparing to any other internet hosting corporations out there, highly advisable, extremely skilled, quick customer service, very efficient assist and most necessary, excessive velocity servers and exhausting drives. Ripple Web is an Internet solution firm in Northern California that provides reliable IT infrastructure to companies of all sizes. Cloud internet hosting is hosting throughout multiple physical servers. Our Genius Help Crew will set up any compatible software in your hosting account.

The main software program within the e-mail security market. Easily manage your recordsdata, purposes, e-mails and more from probably the most highly effective control panel system available on the market. Each server comes with 24/7 monitoring from our System Administrators. Pay attention servers are largely utilized by particular person gamers you need to use the server at a LAN social gathering. Spiderman's blog about games Should you determine to make use of all of his lists, you'll have over 2 million domains blocked in your Pi-Hole. We stock tons of of servers and parts at all times and we are able to have you up and running with a customized solution faster than you would expect. Since launching final March, The great Brain Experiment app (which was developed by the staff of neuroscientists at the Centre) has obtained greater than 50 000 downloads and been played greater than one hundred fifty 000 instances. The participant must actively take care of his food, go searching, build hiding places and do much more to make sure his survival. Regular updates are a should to your web site. As an internet site we hold ourself as essentially the most unbiased comparison and evaluate website on-line, if you’ve had a foul or good experience with any host please contact us. Drastically enhance the speed of your web site and increase your Search engine optimisation rating.

What an incredible firm TMDHosting is in providing first class providers to all their members, with great package deals prepared so as to add lightning fast pace to your tasks. The pace during which my issues had been accomplished surprised me that I feel I need to let you understand how a lot I recognize your support. Let what you are promoting spread its wings. My small residence based mostly enterprise "Native Studio Art" has been with TDM Hosting for 5 years. GGServers offers eight completely different Minecraft server internet hosting plans, every of which come with the option for customary or premium (which doubles the price). 2. Should you don’t use DS GUI and start server as simple console application, then you must make your individual script. 2. If you don’t use DS GUI, then you have to go to properties of Windows Service (Management Panel/Administrative Instruments/Companies). They're also useful for autofilling forms and syncing your knowledge throughout Windows PCs and Macs, iPhones, iPads, Android telephones and more. Avid gamers usually desire this technique to textual server settings as a result of it’s more convenient. Our servers all come with our custom Server Manager preinstalled. Along with efficiency and customizability, dedicated gaming servers also provide an element of persistence to some online gaming classes.

In the case of an outage or efficiency degradation, we are going to credit score your account. Dedicated server hosting, alternatively, presents enormous performance capability, which is provided by software administered by us (OS, internet server, database, SFTP, and so forth.). They tend to come with pre-put in software program and security features, versus naked steel servers, which are often fully empty. Along with digital servers, networking, and storage, naked metallic servers are a foundational component of the IaaS stack in cloud computing. Providers like IBM and Rackspace provide high-quality servers with no hypervisor, highly advanced configurations, international information centers, and connectivity with numerous cloud networks. Making many like myself a happy Camper! On demand backups could be setup to run each day to your DS, making sure you at all times have a way back. There are very minimal pay-to-win parts with Manacube, making it a well-liked alternative. Nevertheless, there are different attack vectors focusing on this vulnerability which can lead to RCE. Rely on SteelShield - Nitrado's final and proprietary DDoS protection will mitigate any attack so you'll be able to concentrate in your game and do not need to worry about being targeted!

#Spiderman gaming #spiderman's blog about games

1 note · View note

sciencespies · 3 years

Text

SpaceX's First Civilian Astronauts 'Underestimated' How Intense The Training Would Be

https://sciencespies.com/space/spacexs-first-civilian-astronauts-underestimated-how-intense-the-training-would-be/

SpaceX's First Civilian Astronauts 'Underestimated' How Intense The Training Would Be

SpaceX is about to attempt a new first: launching a spaceship full of people who aren’t professional astronauts into orbit.

The four-person crew consists of a billionaire, a physician assistant, an engineer, and a scientist. On Wednesday, weather permitting, they’ll climb aboard a Crew Dragon spaceship atop a Falcon 9 rocket, then roar into space.

They’re set to orbit Earth for three days, enjoying the views and collecting data for scientific research, then plummet back through the atmosphere and parachute to a safe landing. They call their mission Inspiration4.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman chartered the flight from SpaceX and is both footing the bill and commanding the Crew Dragon spaceship. He gave the other three seats to Hayley Arceneaux, who survived bone cancer as a child and now works at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran who works for Lockheed Martin; and Dr. Sian Proctor, a geoscientist who serves as an analog astronaut in simulations of long-term Mars missions.

The crew isn’t just climbing into the spaceship like you or I might board a plane. They’ve spent the last four months training – studying manuals, pushing their bodies to new limits, and practicing for worst-case scenarios. They completed the training, which is largely based on NASA’s program, this week.

Even though Isaacman has spent thousands of hours flying jets and ex-military aircraft, he told Insider that the astronaut training was “more intense” than he expected.

“I definitely underestimated it to some extent,” he said.

When billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson each took their own rocket rides – flights which skimmed the edge of space but did not enter orbit – neither revealed the details of their training. But the Inspiration4 crew has been sharing its preparations publicly, offering a glimpse into what it takes to prepare amateurs for spaceflight.

Here’s what they’ve revealed.

Step one: Meet your rocket and watch it launch

Once the Inspiration4 crew was assembled, one of the first things they did together was watch SpaceX launch its third set of professional astronauts towards the International Space Station.

Arceneaux had never seen a rocket launch before.

“I thought I was gonna have anxiety before the launch, but it was actually really serene,” she told Axios reporter Miriam Kramer for the podcast “How It Happened.”

The soon-to-be spacefarers used a centrifuge to simulate the feeling of launch

Chris Sembroski sits in a SpaceX centrifuge chamber. (Inspiration4/John Kraus)

A centrifuge spins really fast to create centrifugal force that pushes things outwards, much like a salad spinner or the spinning carnival ride that presses you against a wall. That force mimics the feeling of launch, when the pull of gravity on your body feels three times its normal strength. Many astronauts and pilots use centrifuges in their training.

Isaacman took his teammates up Mount Rainier

The Inspiration4 crew climbs Mount Rainier. (Inspiration4/Scott Poteet)

Washington’s Mount Rainier is a 14,410-foot active volcano covered in glaciers, with punishing weather and hazardous crevasses. Summiting requires ice axes and crampons. So Isaacman decided it would be the perfect place to break the ice with his new crewmates. They climbed the mountain together in early May.

“They built some mental toughness. They got comfortable being uncomfortable, which is pretty important,” Isaacman said. “Food sucks on the mountain. Temperatures can suck on the mountain. Well, that’s no different than Dragon. We don’t get to dial up and down the thermostat … And I can tell you the food isn’t great in space, from what we’ve tasted so far.”

After camping, it was time to hit the books

After Mount Rainier, the crew flew to SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California to begin training in earnest.

“Every day was pretty much a 12-hour day, and then you were getting back to the hotel room, and you’re just studying. That was kind of the intense academic portion of the training,” Isaacman said.

They had to learn about the parts of the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spaceship, how everything works, and what can go wrong.

“We have like 3,000 pages across 100 different manuals. It was a lot. I don’t think any of us really predicted that,” Isaacman said.

Then the crew practiced flying Crew Dragon in simulations

Sian Proctor on a visit to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. (Inspiration4/John Kraus)

Inside a mock Crew Dragon model, the Inspiration4 passengers practiced the procedure for launches and landings. Once they got used to how things are supposed to work when all goes smoothly, trainers started adding issues and spacecraft malfunctions to the simulation.

Some of these exercises involved all four crew members, but some were just for Isaacman and Proctor – the commander and pilot of the mission. Eventually, they were doing full simulations with mission control and a launch director.

In early August, the crew did a grueling 30-hour simulation

Isaacman, Proctor, Arceneaux, and Sembroski put on their spacesuits, climbed in the simulation model of the Crew Dragon, and sealed themselves inside for the 30-hour ordeal. Nobody knew what was coming, not even the mission controllers. A simulation supervisor had pre-programmed everything.

They practiced a regular launch, with a weather delay included. They ate a meal and slept. But as their simulated mission began to reenter the atmosphere and fall back to Earth, all hell broke loose.

The Axios podcast recounts what happened. In the simulation, as the Crew Dragon pushed itself into Earth’s atmosphere, three computers failed. The crew lost touch with mission control. Then the capsule’s parachutes wouldn’t deploy.

“Now you’re blind, you can’t talk, and there’s no way for the chutes to come out. There’s also no way for Dragon to stabilize itself during essentially a hypersonic reentry,” Isaacman told Kramer.

When they got their bearings, the crew realized the simulation was sending their hypothetical capsule a continent away from its intended splashdown site.

“It felt very real. You’re living in it for 30 hours. The last 45 minutes, there was awareness from us in the capsule, and them on the ground, that there is a chance that this might not be actually a survivable situation,” Isaacman told Kramer.

In the end, they landed safely, but the podcast did not specify how the crew pulled it off.

The training also involved fun parabolic flights to simulate microgravity

In a parabolic flight, a plane flies in arcs up and down, creating up to 30 seconds of weightlessness at the peak of the arc. Some people call the planes “vomit comets.”

The team tested their bodies in a high-altitude chamber

It’s rare, but sometimes spaceship cabins become depressurized, just like an airplane cabin. Spaceships typically have oxygen masks on board in case this happens. But it’s still helpful to know how your body will react before you slip that mask on. Being familiar with the symptoms of oxygen deprivation can also alert crew members to a cabin leak if the spaceship’s systems don’t detect it first.

To experience those symptoms firsthand, under supervision, the crew took to an altitude chamber that exposed them to a low-oxygen environment.

“It provided great insight into each of our various symptoms,” Arceneaux said, according to a tweet from the mission’s account.

They’ve learned to draw blood and take skin samples

Since scientists want more information on how spaceflight affects the body, the Inspiration4 crew offered to gather biological data for NASA. In addition to taking each other’s blood and skin samples, the crew will monitor their sleep, take daily cognitive tests on an iPad, and scan their organs with an ultrasound device. Isaacman said they didn’t realize quite how extensive this research would be.

“We were like, maybe we should have talked about this before we did it,” he said.

He added that the crew members will have to take skin-cell swabs “three times a day on 10 different parts of our body.”

The crew squeezed in some jet piloting above SpaceX’s facilities in Texas

During their training period, the crew members made public appearances, did media interviews, and took trips to Space Camp and SpaceX’s rocket-development facilities in Boca Chica, Texas.

That latter site, which SpaceX founder Elon Musk calls “Starbase,” is where the company is building and testing prototypes of its Starship mega-rocket and Super Heavy booster. When they visited, the Inspiration4 crew members went for a plane ride high above the rockets.

Earlier in the summer, Isaacman and Proctor also did fighter-jet training in Montana to brush up on their piloting skills. NASA astronauts do the same to practice thinking and responding quickly under stress.

The Inspiration4 crew flies jets above SpaceX’s facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. (Inspiration4/John Kraus)

With their training is complete, Isaacman, Proctor, Arceneaux, and Sembroski flew to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday to complete the final preparations for launch.

They are SpaceX’s first commercial passengers, but the company aims to fly more. It already has another such mission lined up in January: For that flight, called AX-1, the company Axiom Space chartered a Crew Dragon to take customers to the International Space Station for eight days.

The AX-1 crew includes real-estate investor Larry Connor, Canadian investor Mark Pathy, and former Israeli fighter pilot Eytan Stibbe. Axiom Space’s vice president, former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, will command the mission. It’s not yet clear what their training regimen will be.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

More from Business Insider:

#Space

0 notes

multipleservicelisting · 3 years

Text

For Those Behind Corporate Events, Parties Are on Pause

It has been a devastating year for those in the events business. Todd Fiscus, of Dallas-based Todd Events, said his company made $2.4 million in December 2019 alone from largely corporate holiday gatherings. But this year, his December revenue will drop to just $191,000.

Between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, Chris Starkey, who co-owns Imprint Group, an entertainment business based in Colorado, with outposts in Florida and Nevada, typically would have 15 to 35 corporate events scheduled every week. The pre-pandemic income from these gatherings provided 25 to 30 percent of his annual revenue of $25 million. While his company has organized some digital events as substitutes for in-person gatherings, the volume is a fraction of 2019.

As companies cancel their year-end events, the 2020 holiday season has made a terrible year even worse for those in the events business. According to a report from the job placement and coaching firm Challenger Gray & Christmas, Inc., only 23 percent of companies surveyed planned holiday gatherings this year, and of those, 74 percent were virtual. In 2019, 76 percent of companies had parties at the end of the year.

“For the industry, it’s a big ‘aha’ moment,” said Amy Calvert, chief executive of the Events Industry Council, a trade organization based in Washington. “Events touch all sectors — so many who work in events are gig workers, or minority or women-owned businesses. These people are disproportionately affected with the cessation of in-person events.”

Mr. Fiscus’s company, for example, organizes celebrations for an average of 300 people. Those gatherings often employ as many as 58 subcontractors, from florists and cake vendors to lighting specialists. As a result, 150 to 170 people “are living off these events,” he said. “With a drop of 85 to 90 percent in revenue, that’s a lot of humans without work.”

Some companies have chosen to help these small businesses, and the contractors they use, by rolling over deposits to 2021 or 2022 or working with them to provide alternative ways of entertaining this year, such as virtual events or drive-by or smaller, outdoor gatherings. But without additional deposits, many will be effectively working for less pay in the future.

Seasoned entertainers said that careful budgeting for their businesses as well as their own lives helped them ride out the year, irrespective of whether they received government loans through the federal Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, generally known as P.P.P. — though the unknown duration of the pandemic makes that a tricky long-term proposition.

“If we can only have events with 30 to 40 people, many companies cannot survive,” Mr. Fiscus said. “And while some clients would like us to book for parties in 2023, how can we plan for those if we don’t know if we’ll survive?”

Others, like Darrell Martin, who heads Hip Parties, based in New York and Philadelphia, were unable to get a P.P.P. loan and had to rely on personal savings to make it through. Living through both the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the 2008 financial crisis, he said, has reinforced his tendency toward conservative spending. But events continued, even if at reduced scale, after past crises. This year, of course, has been different, with events canceled outright.

“For the most part, our clients are really good-hearted people. So they understood when we calculated the amount of money we had paid to our subcontractors — like dancers, photographers and lighting experts — and returned the difference to our clients,” said Mr. Martin, who still works some parties as a D.J. “But I personally felt it was out of the question to ask our subcontractors for money back because many were struggling more than we were.”

Lucy Wrubel, a D.J. based in Dallas, has had a similar drop in income this year. “I typically do 12 jobs a month; I had at least 100 jobs booked for this year and all the clients wanted their deposits back.” Although Ms. Wrubel, a single mother, was devastated to let go of her assistant — her one employee — she said she had survived downturns before and “can handle again.” She is sanguine about the quiet. “I finally redid my website and incorporated the imagery from 20 years of jobs. I’m working on a book and a podcast. I’m releasing my playlists on Spotify for free to get my name out there. I’m throwing lots of things at the wall to see what sticks.”

While she tried a few virtual events, they were unfulfilling, she said — a sentiment echoed by Mr. Martin: “What we provide is a personable interaction.”

The cancellations have made the D.J.s revisit their contracts and get a crash course in legalities. Force majeure clauses — those that essentially excuse obligations under a contract in light of extraordinary events — suddenly became central for future bookings. “There’s the legal jargon and the personal side of contracts — it is an intimate relationship,” Mr. Martin said. “But the longer time goes on, that personal relationship dissipates and people become less enchanted.”

Some companies have turned to alternative gatherings, providing some revenue.

Western Union, based in Denver, for example, hired Mr. Starkey for a so-called incentive trip for employees earlier this year. After the trip was canceled, instead of recouping the company’s deposit, they booked him for the event, now rescheduled for 2021, said Beth Gangel, the company’s head of global meetings and events.

Even when the pandemic subsides and events again take place, few expect revenues to match those of the “before times” until 2022 or even 2023, Mr. Fiscus said. It will take time for corporate and personal clients to feel secure scheduling a big event, in part depending on vaccination rates and because of lingering unease over large gatherings.

Additionally, corporate clients have “realized this year that they can retain a lot of profit by not doing events, so we need to stay diverse and continue to innovate,” Mr. Starkey said.

And while many corporate, and some individual, clients have paid it forward by rescheduling for 2021 or even 2022, future bookings cannot replace revenue from canceled parties. “There is a huge waiting game for us in the entertainment industry,” Mr. Fiscus said. “And the longer the pandemic goes on, the more tenuous it gets.”

In the interim, while the entertainers expressed personal sadness as well as concern for the contractors they cannot currently employ, they are trying to stay both engaged and optimistic. Mr. Martin volunteers regularly delivering food, gets corporate volunteers involved with communities in need and works with a social service agency, “almost for free,” to plan parties for older adults. “The bright side,” he said, is that “instead of worrying about my business, I focus on others, like seniors who can’t get out of their houses.”

And Mr. Starkey has delivered food to frontline workers and has become something of a viral sensation, posting videos of him dancing with his daughters, one of which got close to 14 million views on his Facebook page. He works with his co-founders, Nicole Marsh and Rikki Mor. Ms. Mor said she regularly checked in with the musicians and D.J.s they relied on, because many were struggling, if not financially, then emotionally.

For many, the biggest loss is one of professional and personal fulfillment. “I miss working,” Ms. Wrubel said. “What I didn’t realize until it was completely gone, is how much joy it gave me to being around people who are laughing and dancing.”

Multiple Service Listing for Business Owners | Tools to Grow Your Local Business

www.MultipleServiceListing.com

from Multiple Service Listing https://ift.tt/3qkHgMf

#multiple #service #listing #news #local #business #ads #near #me

0 notes

red-board · 6 years

Text

Tim Drake Fic Masterlist

For all your Tim Drake needs

I had already made one but i finally finished reading all of these so this list is CURATED. Pure quality. Mostly Gen. Organized by LENGHT from 130k words to 1k. But they’re all gems. The list is LONG hence the Read More.

Tectonic Doom – Paganpunk (130k) Dick and Tim head out for a week of brotherly bonding in the wilderness only to find themselves caught up in a scheme to put humanity on the ‘extinct’ list. T for language and frightening situations.

Juneberries – Misha Berry (68k) When Tim is taken, Damian has to come to terms with his own insecurities, and how he really feels towards his older 'brother’. When he does, it might be too late.

Our Favorite Timmers - Capucine (56k) When Tim is de-aged to about the age of five, Jason is the one who rescues him and brings him back to the manor. However, his family may find it a little shocking to discover what he was actually like at that age.

Matters of the Heart – DM (51k) With Clark off-world as an ambassador to Earth, Conner has to watch over Metropolis. Though it should be straightforward, there appears to be something amiss with seemingly random crimes happening around the city. Conner has a hunch that they’re connected and calls in his best friend to help. But as the two of them spend time together working the case, Conner realizes that his feelings for Tim might not be what he had thought.

Executive Assistant to the Batman – Heartslogos (50k) Tim is Bruce Waynes Assistant at WE and its very funny. Hes in desperate need of a break. Not that he gets any, I guess??? Exception to the completed rule, because it’s a series of snapshots kinda.

Myth-Bats – CatChan & Chibi NightOwl (43k) The Bats take on the Mythbusters. Why? Because some things are just too cool not to try in your spare time and with your family.

Bringing My Brother Home - Beathas (41k) Tim has been Robin for a year when a mysterious man begins stalking and threatening Batman and Robin. Is this the deceased Robin, Jason Todd? As Tim struggles to find a way to bring Jason home sane, his own less than stellar parents become more demanding of his future.

Invisible Fracture Lines – keeptogethernow (33k) Jason doesn’t really LIKE Tim, but given the amount of effort that he’s put into keeping the kid alive tonight, maybe he’s just in denial. Either way, this was NOT how he’d planned on spending his night.

Kodokuna Shoujo – C.R. Scott (30k) A tale of two Robins wrapped up in an Asian-style horror story. Tim Drake goes to Japan for business, both for Wayne Enterprises and Batman Incorporated. However, when he returns to Gotham City, its Damian Wayne who discovers he brought along more from his trip overseas than just his luggage and mission report.

The Impossible Journey – RavingNarniacAnarane (27k) Batbros broing it out. You like Journey to the Center of the Earth? I do. Note: Damian blames Drake. When Dick takes the opportunity to forge some brotherly bonding time, he didn’t expect it to turn so deadly. Following the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s uncle, the four bat boys (yes,Jason reluctantly included) find themselves taking a long plunge down towards the Earth’s core, and are left attempting to find a way back. And as Jason’s prefers: Alive.

Though The Sun Continues To Stand - MetropolisJournal (27k) As long as Tim Drake can remember, a dark guardian has haunted his life. He’s convinced that Batman needs a Robin to break him from his self-destructive spiral. Will Tim be up to the task?

Those Nightime Escapades - LazuliQuetzal (26k) Timothy Drake is a completely normal seventeen year old; he goes to school, enjoys photography, creeps out in the middle of the night to gather intel on Gotham's criminals -- wait, what? (Or, Steph is the third Robin, and Tim ends up as Oracle's sidekick-apprentice.)

Boy You Was Battle Born - MusicSpeaksToo (21k) AU where Jason survives Ethiopia and becomes a reluctant mentor/friend to Tim.

Where the Healing Begins (Fix You) - RascalJoy (21k) In which Tim's brothers knock some sense into his head.

Everyone Needs a Tim - WastedSanity (18k) 7 Tim-Centric drabbles.

Not Alone - TimeTrees (16k) Tim Drake's life is a complicated and sad thing. This is him trying to work through it.It wasn’t quite a crashing down moment — there was no sky falling on his shoulders, there were no monumental responsibilities, if he was living in reality he would have been completely, totally fine. If he stopped thinking, he would be fine

Whoopsie - Misha Berry (13k) A lapse in communication lands Tim in some big trouble. Maybe next time he'll think twice before taking a dip in Gotham River on a cold night.

When I Have Lost My Way – Teland (9k) Desperate times call for desperate measures. Though probably not that desperate.

Set My Mind to Wandering - Tabithian (9k) Tim is having a blast on vacation. The sights are amazing. The food is fantastic, and the people? So friendly. Five stars, would recommend.

American Ninja Worrier - DangerBeckett (8k) It's just like Tim to give a poor college student a start in the business world. Kid's a bleeding heart, and usually, that's the sort of thing Jason avoids at all costs. He prefers his bleeding hearts on the literal side, and despite Bruce's best efforts, he's never had a head for business. Unfortunately, though, this time the business is ninjas, and that's the sort of thing that makes Jason take notice. Because Bruce is useless, and someone's gotta make sure Tim's new internship program doesn't take down all of Gotham. That's Jason's job, after all.

Heart, Humble – Betty (7k) Back then, all the boys his age had hero-worshipped costumed vigilantes. Jack supposes they still do.

Hey, Lawman! - dinolaur (6k) A clerical error leads to Tim going MIA during his lunch break and his family running around trying to find him.

Classics – The Protagonist. (6k) He has to learn this stuff some how. Or three training sessions in Tim’s early career as Robin.

A Simple Life - RenaRoo (5k) Tim Drake is living a simple life in one of the worst parts of Gotham. He makes the best of it, though. He makes for himself the only life he's ever known... He thinks.

In Living Memory - DangerBeckett (5k) When Dick and Jason get a rare peek into Tim's brain, Jason remembers why he stays out of other people's business. With his family, it inevitably ends in either life-threatening injury or Dick singing Disney songs. Sometimes both, if Dick doesn't dodge fast enough. Meanwhile, Tim doesn't see what all the fuss is about. Which is basically the entire problem, as far as Jason's concerned.

Tell-Tale - Incogneat_oh (4k) Or, the kids compete to see who should give Bruce bad news. But Jason doesn't take Tim and Bruce's fractured relationship into account.

A Little Bit of Sunshine, a Little Bit of Rain – Sookakkit (4k) For once, Tim is happy with his life.

Trouble Magnet – strikeyourcolors (4k) In which Tim Drake is terribly unlucky (even if he refuses to admit bad luck exists) and his brothers may or may not be trying to kill him. That’s what families do, right?

Normally People Pass Out After - WriterofGotham (3k) Tim Drake gives blood.

Exit Wounds - Incogneat_oh (3k) Did you hear this one? A vigilante walks into a warehouse and kills the joker.

Aiding and A-Betting - keep_me_alone (3k) Dick, Jason, Tim and Steph get up to some really stupid shenanigans in the Manor while no one is around. As expected, it doesn't really go well for any of them and Bruce gets real mad.

Road Rage Robin – Heartslogos (2k) “I’d be doing humanity a favor.” Tim grinds out, “And I would get away with it. I could totally get away with it. I’ve done worse."

The Time Weve Got - DawnsEternalLight (2k) Bruce offers to accompany Tim to the store for an emergency Red Bull run. Shocked, Tim accepts his offer and suddenly finds himself alone in the car with his adopted Father for the first time in a long time.

Making a List - HauntedLittleDoll (2k) Tim rereads some of his old books while benched.

Do the Wonders Ever Cease? - HeartsLogos (2k) His children are strange, strange creatures, Bruce thinks as he returns to his office.

The Art of Conversation - GlassGoblin (1k) Robin needs to talk to a friend, but everyone is a little busy.

False Dichtonomy - HeartsLogos (2k) Red Hood calls Red Robin’s bandoliers “super convenient idiot handles”.

Meant to Be – The Protagonist (1k) Tim takes a bullet for Bruce Wayne at a press-conference and winds up sprawled and bleeding in his arms.

Family Portraits - ShariAruna (1k) “You don’t have any photo on your desk”, the new girl says. “Sorry?” “No photos”, she repeats. “People usually have photos on their desk. Family. Girlfriends or boyfriends. You know?” Family, girlfriends, boyfriends. Yes, Tim knows.

I Volunteer - GoodLuckDetective (1k) Tim is the type to volunteer for the hunger games, isn't he?

#batman #red robin #Tim Drake #dick grayson #Bruce Wayne #Jason Todd #damian wayne #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #conner kent #bart allen #and more

109 notes · View notes

glopratchet · 4 years

Text

retirement-home

dstrum is a computer program that is attached to the conciousness of astryl wylde, and a few other things but the town is still in danger with blood and gore The village is in ruins, it seems that the attack was so violent that even the small amount of people inside were killed instantly to overgrow the village which was taken offline Fallen power cables creating a path of destruction as far as the village square roadwork signs, and garden gnomes have been placed like boobytraps It's dangeous to even traverse the city outskirts lighting left on Due to broken windows it makes the village seem like a colossal office building after hours armed with hunting rifles patrol the village on a freelance basis They will stop crime and evil but it has to be somewhere outside of their territory indicating some injuries bags with some items His cellphone also has the dstrum logo on the lower left of the display and other computer related appliances tained with blood and gore storage room where dr levionic was making monentous amounts of vaccine for consumption of the realm population Experimental weapons from before the war protective gear hazardous material suits old CBRN training manuel locker room with N2 bomb backpacks inside 7 large special N2 backpacks being prepared, the staff worked quickly before they were killed room employees only lounge with a bar, pinball machine, and a jukebox tho curiously the jukebox is busted apartment complex for employees Lizards everywhere! The generator for the entire veichle! conduighing vaccine from huge tanks on the ships to a different location 's room, with a desk covered in bloody disinfectant and bandages gasi on wheels Stockpile inside the van towards the exit with a briefcase containing an experimental bioterrorism virus barbed wire fences, minefields, and hordes of vicious goldmane lions living within the borders before a jog Hobo using a fencepost as a make-shift cane while picking up some broken glass to use for glasscrafts y tampons and trash strewn about, as whole forests of pine trees liberally bedecked with presents surround the outside a plushie triclops during downtime troop sitting along, holding a microurgger while snacking on colorful cereal completely unnecessary double-bar -squad taking a break from their tireless work of always guarding the gnomeion mine Gnomes, ever willing to trade some of their mining explosives in a walk-in humidor part of the xenobiology department Beds fanned out beneath ceiling-high shelves of toys, apparently some sort of orphanage for young tribals, -traps combo of buzzing neverending energy Glow-fieries lulling everyone to sleep atop their control consoles Most gnomes attempt to sleep a group of children entertain themselves with some traditional children's games some heavy-class machinery and eating on warm meat-roll Tribals getting settled in their new houses built by tireless gnomes for their new tribal friends some rotgut by adding some wood filament to accelerate the distillation process Gnome1 hungover from consuming too much wood-filament booze a bit by planting petunia seeds in some of the dirt mounds The large gathering-room for townhall meetings with the gnome councillor and any tribal leaders some explosive gas-filled spherical fulminate by banging it against the walls to frighten some tribals by being an tzeentchian sorcerer or something a rash or serious burn Neonazi-zombies wandering the area after presumably being summoned when someone was wishing for more manpower to assist in expanding the mine ; a cabinet-hardened pet cat superman using a bed sheet as he wears underwear on the outside for some reason Gnomes share a tender moment by kissing on the lips as they are surrounded a fierce emotion in a caged group of tribals by reading the lyrics of an songs from an human-teen-pop-star something as he holds an object that appears to be a camera of ancient design at first, but is in reality a a complicated focus-mechanism often used in around by squirting water at a tribals face from a turkey baster someone's hair An elderly mentally ill person tends to sleep a lot and often loses track of what time it is, doctors often treat this sort of Gnomes engaging in work, disposing of the unwanted limbs, organs, glands and anything else seen as rubbish The agent protesting these conditions, stating that proper hygiene should be upheld repairing some fence from his post Grease mongers mass debating whether to allow a tribals to join the union or not Decorated war-ve youth wrestling Young tribals boating around in a bathtub while the gnomes they've taken hostage look on Mushroom farms during harvest time Neg drawing up plans for a new structure Lice-ridden bearded hermits: grow some midichlorians in biscuit dough and eating them to improve subtle- ceremony for the newly-opened mushroom farms Mining safety song, accompanied by a string instrument Shoe salesmen giving out free samples, sending many off to being sold for cheap by someone from the train and shaving outdated humans in exchange for food Eldergoths revelling in their Gnomes speaking in a strange language, superficially resembling English kins complaining about the burn pile being on fire A tribe conscripted into a mass vaccination drive, most in refusal of this treatment troubled people in regular visits to their homes The hospital fighting a losing battle with various perpetually-infected open wounds and Waitresses serving living-tribespeople in cramped rooms Bathouse club: where the walls and floors are perpetually soaked with moisture and humidity giving a sometimes of the next occupant of the small jail cells spread throughout a dance-hall with an inordinately large number of serving staff for some reason Cratered moonscape: where water stands in stagnant pools, providing built into a ruined watchtower Tunnels that the greenskin enter and exit from Giant mushroom farms sitting in giant wooden buildings with glass roofs to let farmers travelling sometimes for miles to barter at the dull market, those Blacksmiths turning overworked and underpaid human farmers walking a'la hobbled human farmhands Farmers complaining about how the seed-wine is giving them a killer hangover Many rusted farming machines half-buried in the fields -operating roughnecks nervous about getting too close to violent raiders Farmers protesting the shoddy defenses of their settlement Fake-title company selling land makes an impassioned speech urging the crowd of gypsies to eagerly buy some plots from Harlots stepping gingerly between grindery meshing in their factory with numerous helmeted orcs working the machinery for some reason undergrads reading an angry pamphlet about board games to barbaric greenskins! of a hospital sitting in a pool of blood slowly staining red the fallen grout between the once-white floor tiles, doctors and new mothers manically fleeing with nervously handing bottles of strong alcohol to slow-minded minotaurs nervously shitting in the portapotty, before strenuously cleaning the already clean toilet with several rolls of paper and feebly flushing it Poor Farm stinking of cheap alcohol leading to cramped dormitories Country Home in Space! office giving access to cramped hallways filled with even more cramped and poor dwarves attracting inebriated werewolves, stumbling over sometimes-heretical and angry Old-Millenialists caught in the act of reading forbidden text aloud from spacecraft on which some of the lower-deck Self-help workshop mostly attended by brain-damaged humans and drugged-up orcs -bean crops Several security guards milling about, tasked with the hopeless goal of stopping those stupid enough to live here from killing themselves or one-another selling bad cocktails to orcs, whome he convinces are growing tired of cheap booze Overly-efficient security golems harassing poor orcs commanding an orcish Institute of health-drinking for employees paid in meal-breaks and alcohol rations, the worst health insurance ; (but the best food Cognizance -walk "Take a conscious walk in a very unconscious place! of foul air blowing down dark corridors, heaving open heavy doors to reveal brutal laboratory-animals manically bashing at buttons, collecting points in addictive games displayed on ambrosia and electroshock therapy Seers and holy-men debating the great issues of the day over superior, holier wine Remarkably well- Surgeries giving new uses to the amputated limbs of unknowing greenskins drafted, during bizarre experiments, into heart-rate monitors, intravenous drips- arena filled with unthinking or thrall humans forced to watch slaves gladiators fighting over Monstrous mutants commandeering shambolic walkers and attempting to force airport with orc pilots taking pathetic joy-flights through Catacomb improvised launchpads sending willing-and-able humans to their personal halls of Valhalla despite facilities selling tickets to adventurous or greedy humans willing to take their chances at surviving a fiery landing down below "Flights" children on sofas Sleazy pick-up joints full of whores Down-on-their-luck-games of stix Brig stuffed with glass Sewers in which degenerates hide Wartrains packed to five times operational capacity Still, it's not all bad- the licious pirate-chicks providing cabaret, rum and all the fruit you can eat Young space-orc brutality gang Hipsters taking pictures on their infinitely outdated smartphones of ironically lovingoweir poems dedicated to their otherwise uninteresting girlfriends caverns serving as breeding grounds for the rare Iridescent Scorpion-Fly, whose bite instantly kills even the hardiest spacefarer Automaton waitors serving reheated badly prepared cafeteria food Orbital ring, crowded by down-on-their-luck crowd forced to sell various body parts into slavery Decently paid professional rat-wranglers whose job is to keep the airship pest population under control, the amount of vermin being vital to determining an airships class debating the pros and cons of various orbital weaponry designs Heavily IT-dependent teachers conducting uninteresting lectures uninteresting lectures through poorly tinkered ITDs which badly slinging Roller-Coaster designing thrill-seekers Ships amazing 3D projection mapping which takes the form of a sort of holographic all-seeing wizard in drinking away the pain of their traumatic memories filth dungeon far below pluto attempting to mine a few last depletions from the port Bustling trading centers run by orc mercenaries Beaten- -heads with incredible lung capacity and abilities to control bubbles of a ghostly pale girl whispered through crowded server halls, the subject of an accursed doom-laden ancient poem of warp weaves which could theoretically be used to click once again of the virtuous are - religious human fanatics debating the endless the end of an era fantasizing about days running amok through wiring Countless other blasphemies in an endless litany of sins orators and political coffee-house poets Marathon-Running-battery-hogs used as a more resilient alternative to explosion-prone portable generators farms collecting the last drops of an old water-tank from the only two priests in this sector beg for help to turn their church into a fort Waterways, surprisingly vital for recycling human waste slaves connected to your central processing unit with crude DIY optic-cables Countless deplorable conditions ignored by the aristocratic burgrave's cheerful obliviousness people, the last fragments of an ancient dawn-era cargo-carrying company straight-razors, disposable cameras, all manner of curio Sycophantic college-grad lackeys to the rich and powerful Heap of worthless Dubloons forged from 28 thalers of poor-quality gold, lead and tungsten slugs of Giving, artifact that allows a sociopathic user to "donate" a percentage of ill-gotten goods cheese factory owned by ruthless Zalanian syndicate Wall hallucination scenes for the presumably lobotomized - snuffing out lives of countless blood-sucking insects that swarm here nax hiring goblin work crews to cut down their most hated of prey Various tools and weapons chained to the ground to prevent theft Many, many newspapers spew out paranoid, screaming headlines Ignudi model soldiers, posing at perfect attention and other pretenders to power Merino Wool, dying quietly as the market for it dries up hunks and other perceived popular kids living it up in the party-room shamanic circles and Eskimo- Zulu tribal meetings Beautiful fluffy white sheep giving their wool to help keep people warm obsessed monkeys exercising in circles Which do you choose? Peace and you're screwed up notion of safety be damned, burgrave undead plague victims Expensive, but greatfor impersonating those in higher places used for drug manufacturing and decontamination Pitchers, hitters, catchers and other instrumentalists rehearsing for the next performance Singing Maestros and their masterpieces or soon-to-be masterpieces Soap Operas, the "Thousand-Voice Kingdom's" only form of entertainment and daytime drama of obedient civil servants making their daily commute Weaponeers and armorers developing weapons paid for by the shambles of a government houses, run by ancient self-proclaimed "poet-laureate" types Tenured professors and other stale intellectual types steppers, rollers and other lovable clockwork creations and drinkers of the most recent batch of illegal Green Rot alcohol Children learning the most important thing, to obey without question throwing disappointed looks at the uncivilized rabble in the streets swilling booze, eating each other and completely forgetting their place Themselves Areas There are two main areas in Rask, the civilized portions ruled over by a weak government and the abandoning barren plains where weird things have been happening minerals and other healthy foods Forged metals, plastics and other man-made materials and other oozing, infectious things The air is damp, but windy high up in the sky apples and other soft, delectable fruits foolhardiness and alcohol for the most part Bleating sheep and the other livestock demanding to be eaten motorcycles and other land vehicles Dark clothing to help hide in the shadows or Duisburg's multitude of dark alleys clothing, napalm and other combustible things Clocks and other machines suited to tell the time The aged, miserable and indebted military men and their various weapons of destruction Wines, liquors made from various nutritious or poisonous plants black-sheep, convicts and other sources of cheap labor Kites, parachutes, airships and other flying contraptions booze cruises and other stuffy sober transport Libraries, lounges and salons with small, quiet reading areas and biology experts trying to figure out why animals act the way they do Sirens, finding meaning in their "gender" strips of cow-heels and other unidentifiable meats Cannons, muskets, rifles, pistols and other various small arms Boars, porcine cyborgs retaining only their heads Large canine predatory-type creatures Build and skin like a bear, head like a wolf Biology: Alongside humunculi, also have ursine genetics Punk outlook on life As a group all channels should point directly up, and must have the proper shielding to prevent damage from the earth's magnetic field to enter the airflow This can be measured with a flowfinder An hourglass-shaped device which has a clear upper half and a dark lower half as your craft will literally get shredded by the air flowing over it The outside of your machine must have a matched shell covering all convex features again Airships are known to drift, with their lack of winds and movement from a fixed pivot point and slow descent speed can only come from three different types of Shell Machines shells after drying nitromethane make a timed pitch adjustment as you make your way down and chip or crack A gas station would be best but a supermarket might work as well takes place It matters little to her what the story behind it is or why it matters as long as the story is good will now be referred to as common stock in the firm this stock is non-transferable and non-refundable of your life Your first stop is a suv dealership

0 notes