#the postman is on another level
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Elastic Heart Ch 4 (Linked Universe story)
Summary: When Sky goes missing, the Chain scrambles to figure out where he is and what happened before it's too late.
(AO3 link)
Chapter 1
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Chapter 4: Too Slow
It had been a fairly busy night at the bar, and Telma was thankful that it was emptying out. She loved the cheer and bustle that came with her business, but not when the majority of them were soldiers.
Sighing as she wiped the counter, she glanced over at Auru, Shad, and Ashei. The three were murmuring feverishly as they stared over a map, marking different places where monster attacks had been increasing. She was beginning to grab a round of drinks for them when her cat, Louise, started meowing incessantly at the door.
“Now, why would you possibly want to go out?” she asked the fluffy white feline as she headed for the entrance. “Don’t you know it’s pouring outside?”
Opening the door, she watched her cat scurry outside into the water. That wasn’t completely unusual, but…
Lightning flashed, and Telma gasped.
Leaning heavily against the railing was a small figure, shivering and half collapsed. Telma hastened outside, ignoring the water sloshing at her sandaled feet, and she quickly climbed the flight of stairs to reach him.
At first, she almost felt her heart skip a beat. The green the boy wore was all too familiar. “Link?!”
The boy twitched, his gaze rising to meet hers in acknowledgement, but the face was not Link’s. Who was this boy, and why was he dressed in the Hero of Hyrule’s attire?
Either way, he was clearly ill or…
The crimson stains told her enough.
“Come on, sweetie,” she said as she pulled him off the fence. She stumbled a little as he leaned nearly all his weight on her, limping badly on his right side. He seemed completely unaware he was even being guided anywhere by a stranger, just following along.
Telma shuffled as best she could while supporting his weight and immediately called for the others once she got inside.
Auru was there first, getting on the boy’s other side to assist him before his leg finally gave out entirely. The boy became dead weight, making Telma yelp and nearly knocking her over as Ashei hastily sprang forward to catch him by the shoulders. Auru took a deep breath, grunting a little as he picked the boy up and carried him to the nearest table.
Ashei scowled at the kid. “Why is he impersonating Link? Idiot child probably went gallivanting around as the Hero and got himself hurt for it.”
“That’s not the issue right now,” Auru said pointedly as Telma grabbed first aid supplies.
Shad hesitantly approached, his eyes scrutinous and curious. They settled on the sword still strapped to the boy’s back, still unnoticed by the others. “That blade…”
“Yes, we’ll have to get it off—” Auru said as he unstrapped the belt holding the sword in place, and then he froze.
“Isn’t that Link’s sword? Or it was?” Ashei asked, her tone growing sharp.
Shad glanced around the room warily, scanning for other patrons and seeing none. He took a step closer. “This isn’t just Link’s sword, it’s the sword of the Hero of Hyrule. The legendary Master Sword.”
Telma plopped the first aid kit on the table. “Whatever sword he has, he won’t be here much longer if we don’t get to work. Get his shirt and chainmail off.”
The sword was placed to the side, Auru hissing as it sent a stinging, burning sensation up his arm when he grabbed it, and they sat the boy up to remove his clothes. When the tunic, chainmail, and undertunic came off, though, all they saw were the angry red remains of freshly healed wounds with some blood clots caked around them.
Telma stared at it in confusion. “What… but then where did all this blood…?”
“Never seen fairy magic before?” Auru asked with a smile. “He may not be in danger of imminently dying, but he might have lost a lot of blood before he was healed. What he needs is rest.”
Telma huffed. “And something warm, he’s shivering. I’ll get some blankets.”
In the meantime, she rolled up the boy’s undertunic so it could serve as a pillow; it was damp with sweat and blood but not soaked all the way through like the rest of his clothes. When she walked away, the others grew more somber, staring at the sword.
“What could this possibly mean?” Auru wondered aloud. “Only Link can wield that blade. It tried to injure me from just touching it for a few seconds. How is this boy carrying it?”
“You think he took it from Link?” Ashei asked darkly. “Surely the sword can’t be won over, right?”
Here she glanced at Shad for advice, and he only shrugged. “Legend says that only the Hero of Hyrule can wield it, but it doesn’t specify how that works. But the blade is sacred, so… surely it can’t be from underhanded tactics.”
“A duel isn’t underhanded,” Auru pointed out.
Ashei huffed. “Link would never duel anyone.”
Telma returned with a veritable mountain of blankets, settling them over the teenager, who stayed asleep despite all the jostling. Just as she was about to say something, there was a loud knocking at the door.
“Now what?” she muttered, making her way to the entrance. “This is far too much excitement for this late at night.”
Ashei hastily threw a blanket over the sword lying beside the boy.
When Telma opened the door, she stared in mild surprise as the postman stood in the entrance. “Oh! Is there mail for someone?”
“For you,” he said triumphantly, and then, upon noticing the others behind him, smiled in delight. “Ah, for all of you! Here, I have a letter for each of you.”
Exchanging confused glances, the others approached as the post man handed out letters. Telma looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. “Do you ever sleep?”
“Oh, I do,” he replied with a laugh. “But I was told this was urgent. I’m relieved I found all of you. Now I can go home to my family and get a good night’s rest for more deliveries in the morning!”
With that, he left in haste.
Telma slowly closed the door, baffled. “He… has a family?”
Ashei snorted back a laugh and opened her letter, her brow furrowing. “It’s from Rusl.”
“So’s mine,” Auru announced, having already been reading his letter. “And I think I understand who this boy is now.”
“What?” Telma glanced between her letter and the others. “What does it say?”
“Rusl says Link knows about the source of the monster attacks and is attempting to track it down with the help of other Heroes of Hyrule,” Auru explained. “…Heroes from all over Hyrule’s history, he says.”
“Like… from different… from different eras?” Telma parsed out, bewildered. “Oh, my. I’ve seen some things, but this… are you sure that’s what he’s saying?”
“That’s what mine says too,” Ashei agreed.
Shad was positively beaming. “This is fascinating!”
“So then that boy…” Telma trailed off, her eyes drifting to the teenager on the table.
The others looked his way as well as he started to moan and shift. The group walked over to him, filled with curiosity but still a degree of wariness.
The teenager’s eyes fluttered open and he coughed a little. When he registered his surroundings and state of undress, he started to grow more flustered, breath quickening as he sat up.
“Easy, hon,” Telma said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re okay. You practically collapsed right outside my bar.”
The young potential hero watched her, eyes wide and expressive. He was obviously frightened, but he had a sense of awareness to him, quickly taking in the others and growing more guarded.
“Who are you?” Ashei asked, cutting to the chase. “And why do you have that sword? Do you know Link?”
He bit his lip. His eyes settled on the letter clutched in Ashei’s hand, barely visible as she crossed her arms. Then he noticed the one stuffed in Telma’s belt and wide open in Shad’s hands as he pored over it and then looked at the teenager in unmistakable curiosity.
“Are those from Link?” he asked quietly.
“No,” Auru answered. “But you know him, don’t you?”
The teenager’s hand subtly slid to his right, finding the blade hidden underneath.
“Hey,” Telma cut in sharply. “No fighting in my bar. Nobody’s here to hurt you, sweetheart. They’re just worried about Link. We all are.”
The teenager immediately started to shake his head, grabbing his hair with one hand as if he was going to pull it out. Telma took his wrist and brought it down. “Easy, hon. It’s okay. Why don’t you tell us what’s going on?”
“I have to go,” he muttered. “I’m sorry I bothered you, but I have to go.”
“You passed out less than ten minutes ago,” Ashei said flatly. “I don’t think you’re going anywhere until you rest.”
The teenager raised an eyebrow at her, clearly annoyed. “You look like you need the sleep more than me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ashei snapped as Auru laughed.
The teenager sighed, moving a little more and wincing. Telma finally coaxed him back down gently. “Whatever your quest is, young man, you need to rest first. We can figure it out in the morning, okay?”
“’n the morning…?” the teenager slurred, already falling back asleep. When his breathing evened out, Telma sighed.
“All right,” she said, tucking the boy in a bit more before stepping away and eying the others. “I’ll contact Rusl. Could one of you take him to the back? I don’t think it would be good if word got around about this.”
XXX
Wild would be lying if he said he was okay. But at least he was hiding it better than he used to.
When Twilight had been hurt, the champion had nearly—well, had actually had a meltdown. How could he not? He’d lost so much; he couldn’t bear to lose anyone else, especially someone he cared about so dearly.
Yet here he was, staring at an empty space where Sky should be.
The camp was still, as it was the last vestiges of the night before dawn broke through the darkness. Wild had offered to take third watch, knowing well enough that he would wake around this hour whether he was on guard duty or not. He’d slept uneasily the night before, and the longer Sky was missing without so much as a hint to what was going on, the more anxious he became.
He just… he didn’t know how to process it. He was trying to keep his anxiety to a minimum, but it was a fear of the unknown, a dread that slid into his core like ice creeping through cracks in a foundation and ripping it apart from the inside. With Twilight it had been agonizingly straightforward - he’d seen his brother go down, and there was a clear culprit. He’d felt helpless to stop Twilight from dying, but the issue at hand had been apparent. Here…
This felt like his past, like the painful ache of everyone he’d known before the Calamity haunting him. He didn’t know their circumstances, he didn’t know what had happened to them, he’d barely been able to start piecing it together. He’d barely even resolved to try to piece it together, stories and people from another life a century ago gnawing steadily at his sanity.
But Sky wasn’t a phantom from a past he couldn’t remember. Sky was a part of his life now, and he was terrified he’d become another lost Champion, another piece of his life that just vanished into thin air with no explanation, no closure, nothing.
Wild hugged himself a little, feeling ice cold and alone. Goddess, he hoped Sky was okay. He wanted to get up and look for him now. The sunlight was beginning to make the horizon glow, and he shot to his feet to wake the others. He doubted they’d mind the early start.
A bush rustled and snapped, and Wild grabbed his bow and arrows in a heartbeat, yelling, “Everybody up!”
Snores and yelps sounded around the camp, and a figure shot out of the bushes with its hands held high in the air, eyes wide and terrified.
“Easy!” the figure said shakily, and Wild recognized the skinny, muscular physique and voice after a few seconds of confusion. The postman took a steadying breath as Wild lowered his arrow while others scrambled for weapons and then froze in bewilderment. “I have a letter for a Mr. Rusl, I’m just passing through to get to Ordon.”
Legend dropped his sword to throw his hands in the air. “Do you ever sleep?!”
Twilight stepped forward and smiled apologetically with bleary eyes. “I know Rusl. Who’s it from? I can deliver it for you.”
“I’m afraid I can’t say,” the postman answered, taking a step away. “I have to protect my client’s privacy!”
“You could also try not scaring us half to death,” Legend threw in while gathering his blankets that he’d tossed everywhere in his panic.
Twilight sighed. “I understand. We had just spoken to Rusl yesterday about an urgent matter, and I know he sent word to others. I was hoping it was information we were looking for. You could expedite our search.”
“Your search…?” the postman asked confusedly. “Mr. Link, I’m afraid I’m not following.”
“We’re on a very important quest,” Warriors piped up. “Link is the leader of our team and was sent personally by the queen. We had spoken to Rusl to help widen our search, and he’d been expecting word from others to help gather information. If you at least tell us who the letter is from, it’ll give us a better idea of whether this is helpful information you’re carrying.”
Twilight shrugged, trying to set the man at ease. “You know me. You’ve followed me all over Hyrule—”
“And beyond,” Four interjected quietly.
“—And so you know I’m not a dishonest or untrustworthy sort. At least tell me who it’s from.”
The postman sighed, pulling out the letter. “It’s from the barmaid, Lady Telma.”
Twilight immediately perked up, more alert. “Telma! That has to be in relation to Sky.”
“I’m afraid that’s for Mr. Rusl to decide,” the postman said as he moved his arm back towards his pouch.
Wind slid in beside the man, giving him a beaming smile, his expressive eyes twinkling. “We understand, Mr. Postman. You have your own heroic duty that you have to maintain.”
Legend opened his mouth to protest and Wind cut him off immediately, crossing his arms. “The postman delivers valuable conversations, gifts, and information all across Hyrule. He’s a Hero of Hyrule just like Link. We should respect that. Have a good day, Mr. Postman!”
With that, Wind stepped away and waved the man off, who practically glowed with pride and happiness at the compliment, bidding them a good day and running into the forest.
“Sailor, what the hell, that could have—”
Wind’s smile widened, eyes narrowing in mischief as he held the letter up in the air.
“You sneaky little pickpocket,” Warriors huffed with a smile as Hyrule laughed.
“I am a pirate,” Wind replied with a shrug, handing the letter to Twilight. “Now open it up! I want to know if it has to do with Sky.”
Twilight tore into the envelope, perusing the letter quickly before gasping.
“What does she say?” Time asked, facing him fully.
“Telma’s seen Sky!” Twilight immediately said, his face flushed with relief and joy. “She says he’s at her bar. He’s not hurt but he looks like he was at some point, she says he’s resting there now. We have to go!”
The camp burst into excited movement in an instant, and then Time held his hands out to calm everyone. “Easy. If the letter says he’s resting then we have time. Let’s eat so we have the energy to get to him.”
Although the anxiety to reach their friend was palpable, Time’s words made sense. Telma’s letter didn’t indicate that Sky was in serious condition or going anywhere, which gave them all time to take a collective sigh of relief. The slowly building tension within everyone eased and released itself through enthusiastic and cheery chatter.
Wild grabbed the cooking pot and tossed some ingredients in to make a large batch of oatmeal. It would be quicker to eat and everyone could have their bowl individually flavored as they pleased. He would save the majority of his ingredients for a celebratory feast when they found Sky. He grabbed his ladle automatically and then paused as his fingers brushed over the elaborate carving in the handle. Holding the cooking tool with both hands, he felt his chest clench as he traced the woodwork, his heart filled with sudden worry.
Sky’s position was known, and he seemed to be safe for now… but he’d been injured at some point. And that still didn’t explain why he’d left in the first place. Had he been captured and had escaped? Had he waited for them to come rescue him and then decided they weren’t coming? If the postman had been around for Telma to reach him, why hadn’t Sky himself sent a letter to one of them?
Four traipsed over, collapsing beside him with a heavy air, and Wild held back an unamused laugh. Their smallest brother was also quite the worrier; he shouldn’t have been surprised that the cheerful news didn’t help him for long. “I miss him too. But we’ll see him soon.”
“Hopefully,” Four muttered.
“Hopefully?” Wild repeated as he ladeled the oatmeal, stirring absentmindedly.
“I mean… he disappeared for a reason, right?” Four asked himself as well as Wild. “I just don’t understand.”
Wild whistled to catch the others’ attention. Everyone was already packed and nearly finished dressing for the day (Wind was complaining that the soles in his shoes were beginning to wear thin, distracting Twilight temporarily), and they hastened over to eat and head out.
“Guess we’ll find out soon,” Wild said, giving Four a reassuring smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
XXX
Link’s entire body hurt.
More pressing than that, though, was the buzzing in his mind that seemed to reverberate into his chest. Confused, his eyes snapped open as his body tried to process all the sensory input. His chainmail was off, and he was wrapped in what felt like a robe and a handful of warm blankets. His head rested on something that was too hard to be a pillow but too soft to simply be a hard surface. And that buzzing was—
People?
Turning so he was laying on his back rather than his side, he blearily took in the sight of a small room, an antechamber of some sort, that was hidden from a larger room by a curtain. The people were on the other side of the curtain except for one, who was sitting in a chair by the entrance. It was a young man who was heavily preoccupied with a book he was reading.
Where was he? The last thing he remembered was stumbling into the town and being completely overwhelmed by its scale. He was lost, it had been the middle of the night, and he’d been too exhausted to see straight.
He… he’d spoken to someone, hadn’t he? He vaguely remembered doing so. Was this that person’s house? Was that who was reading? No, no… it had been a woman’s voice for sure…
He smelled food and heard murmuring from beyond the curtain. Breakfast? He smelled something else, the smokiness of a hearty fire, the sharp scent that whet his tongue with a flavor he’d had in the past.
Mead? He remembered having some with the others a few worlds back (he had conveniently left out that he wasn’t considered of age on Skyloft - he’d been curious, after all). The smell was definitely something with alcohol, he was certain of that.
…A tavern?
The man in the chair shifted, pulling at his collar a little as he got more comfortable. The blue embroidery on it caught Link’s eye, familiar in its design to his own people’s clothing. What in the—where was he?
Shaking his head, Link turned back towards the wall to see his clothes folded neatly in a pile. His adventure pouch was leaning against them, just within reach.
The longer he stared at his belongings, the less hazy last night became, until it all crashed into him with sudden clarity.
Those people—they knew Twilight! Link had long since figured out this was Twilight’s Hyrule, based on the stories he’d told and hearing familiar names tossed around in different areas he’d visited. He didn’t want to stay here any longer than he had to - what if one of them sent a letter to Twilight and that bizarre postman actually found him? He’d somehow traveled through worlds to deliver mail in the past, after all. Link didn’t want them to know what he was doing, he didn’t want them to get hurt. It was best that they stay in the other Hyrule where he’d left them. The less they knew, the better.
Just like in his own adventure. He’d handled being alone before.
…Well. He’d had Fi. And Gaepora. And Impa, and eventually Groose. But it had been his first journey - he was more experienced now. He’d figure this out on his own. He had been doing fine so far.
You almost died, idiot, he argued with himself. Then he argued back, But I didn’t, so it’s fine.
Glancing around, he saw his escape route: there was a ledge of sorts that framed the walls, and one of them had access to a hole leading somewhere away from here.
Reaching forward slowly, he slid his adventure pouch under the blanket, fishing out his faithful little beetle. Aiming for the rope holding the curtain, he fired the little helper, which flew directly into the rope, snapping it and sending the curtain falling onto the man on the stool, who yelped. He then flew the beetle to a ledge and knocked a few pots over to the ground before summoning it back. In the mild chaos that ensued, he leapt off whatever he’d been resting on, grabbed his belongings, and used the half severed rope to climb up the ledge towards the exit he’d spotted.
The passageway was dark and stuffy, making Link’s skin crawl. He felt like he was underground digging through Mogma tunnels. He tried to ignore his heart rate steadily increasing in a panicked frenzy.
As he stumbled through the darkness, crawling since it was too small and narrow to stand, he saw a dull light up ahead. Eyes widening with hope, he ignored how many scrapes he’d gotten on his knees through the robe as it separated from the movement and hastened his pace. When he reached the opening, he stared in bewilderment.
Was this… a house? Why was it buried in coins? The place smelled strange, coppery and metal, but also damp. Sliding to the ground, he hissed as his bare feet slipped on coins and was cut by glittering stones. He hastily threw off the robe and put his clothes and gear back on properly before nearly rolling his ankle on another mountain of some sort of currency.
Growing frustrated, he grabbed on to a nearby open chest for purchase, and the damp smell slammed into his nostrils. Was it… coming from the chest?
Curious, Link peered into the treasure chest, which was larger than even the ones that held boss keys. He couldn’t see a bottom. He grabbed a coin and dropped it into the chest, listening, and eventually heard a splash.
There was water in there! Where did this chest lead? He couldn’t see any other exit since what was probably the door was held in place by more decadence than he could count, if he knew what value it held. It would take a while to shovel the coins and jewels away from it.
But this…
Pulling his sailcloth off his shoulders, he held onto it tightly and leapt into the abyss. The fall honestly wasn’t that long, but the lighting of the new environment hit him so suddenly he didn’t have time to deploy his sailcloth. This wasn’t an issue, though, since Link slammed into frigid water, making him gasp and nearly inhale a mouthful of it. He slid down a little flooded slope into more water, and as he looked around he was heavily reminded of the lower levels of the ancient cistern where he’d had to retrieve the sacred flame to temper the Master Sword.
Swimming through a few tunnels to a shore, he saw the vestiges of webs and went on high alert. A few keese were flying around and were easily dispatched, and thankfully he didn’t see any skulltulas… yet.
What he did see, though, was a dead end. What was the point of this place? It had to lead somewhere. It looked pretty dilapidated, maybe it used to lead somewhere.
With no other options (it wasn't like he could go back to the place he’d just escaped), he searched for clues. After crawling over some crumbling stone walls, he found something promising: a mound of exposed earth, loosened from being torn into fairly recently. In fact, if Link just moved some of it…
Poking hesitantly at the ground with his Mogma Mitts, he saw it give way into an already-made tunnel.
Wow. This really was like his last adventure.
Tying his sailcloth around his waist so it wouldn’t pull at his neck underground, he took a deep breath and entered the tunnel. He… hated these closed spaces. He already missed the sky. But he could manage. He had in the past, after all. He kept his focus on moving forward, crawling little by little through the passageway. The air grew clearer, and light started to pierce through the darkness. Relieved, Link climbed upward as the tunnel fed to its exit point.
Blinking a few times as the sunlight blinded him, Link dusted himself off and grew even more bewildered. He was in a tower now?
Did anything lead outside?!
Sighing, Link started to climb, noticing that the steps spiraling around the tower’s wall were broken in places, with attempts at construction evident. It looked like maybe a battle had happened here. Link wondered if it had to do with Twilight’s adventure.
Either way, some support ropes were strewn all over the place, allowing him to tightrope walk his way across. When he finally reached the top, the source of the sunlight, he smiled in relief. The windows flanked the doorway, and he exited out to stone walls high in the air. Then he finally got his bearings.
He was in the castle.
“Link?
Link’s head snapped to the side to see someone in ornate attire watching him. He almost asked how she knew his name when the realization sank in: she was talking about Twilight. She must have thought he was Twilight because their clothes were similar.
His stomach churned. He wondered why their attire was similar.
The beautiful brunette woman in the elegant dress watched him with such a… strange look. At first it was surprise, which was expected, as she registered that the person she thought she was speaking to was not, in fact, Twilight. But then her eyebrows returned to their resting place, her mouth closing slightly, and she cocked her head to the side, eyes scanning him. There was something… almost magnetic about her gaze. Link couldn’t move.
“It’s you,” she whispered as if she herself was entranced as well, taking a slow step towards him. Link took a nervous step back. “The one from…”
Here she hesitated, her hand rising to her chest and resting over it. Link watched her, disoriented but unable to look away. She held herself with such an aura of otherworldly… something. Power? Familiarity? The woman closed her mouth entirely, along with her eyes, and she tipped her head forward in a graceful bow.
Link shuffled in place, even more perplexed, but his uneasiness was starting to settle. She wasn’t a threat, at least, but who was she? And how did she recognize him?
“It’s good to see you again, Hero,” she said as she rose once more, a gentleness crossing her features as she clasped her hands in front of herself. “But I must ask… where is Link?”
…What?
Good to see me again? When have we seen each other before? Is that why she seems weirdly familiar?
Link shook his head a little, focusing on answering the question. “He’s… busy. There are monsters in a distant land that are enchanted with dark magic and he’s getting rid of them.”
“There are such beasts here as well,” she commented. “Did… did he send you here to assist? I didn’t know such a thing was possible.”
Possible? This was making less and less sense. But it seemed she had valuable information he could use to track the Shadow, so he tried to ignore his returning unease. “I’m here to help. Tell me where they are.”
“I’ve heard reports of their presence near Faron, Eldin, and the Gerudo Desert.”
“I eliminated the first two hordes,” Link said. “How do I get to the Gerudo Desert?”
The woman’s brow furrowed together almost imperceptibly, her poise remaining intact and trying to hide her seeming confusion. “There is a passageway that is protected by my guards by Lake Hylia. They can escort you there.”
Her guards? Oh… this lady was important. He definitely didn’t want to ask her name - she obviously seemed to assume that he knew her. That would just make things incredibly awkward.
Wait.
She… she was someone of importance. Who had guards. Who knew Twilight. Who had authority to take Link anywhere in Hyrule.
Oh, goddess. This was… this was Twilight’s queen, Zelda.
Zelda. When Link had first learned that there were others who also bore her name in each Hyrule, he… hadn’t known what to think. He'd assumed that perhaps girls were named after her because of the impact she had on history. But with the curse… the only other possibility was…
Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero.
The spirit of the hero was shared among Link and the others whom he had left behind to protect them. Which meant those named Zelda were… well… his Zelda’s descendants. And seeing as it was highly unlikely she was romantically interested in anyone aside from him…
This woman was his descendant.
Did she… there was no way she actually knew that, was there? How did she claim to know him?
Goddesses. His bloodline. His descendants had to fight Demise on a regular basis as well. He’d cursed his own family.
Link felt his chest tighten and his mind grow numb as the emotions were too overwhelming to process. He pulled anxiously at his sailcloth, words failing him, and leapt over the side of the wall to make a hasty escape just as the woman called out to him in surprise.
Lake Hylia. Gerudo Desert. He didn’t need an escort. He didn’t need to be near anybody. This was—he was—
Goddesses above, he just wanted this to be over. He would restock in the market he remembered seeing last night and then get the heck out of here. There were already too many people here, just adding this to it was—
Link shook his head as he hastened by confused guards. Shouts started to echo across the pathway and he pushed past the last pair to lead out into the square.
And then he nearly had a heart attack. Was that—were those—
What the hell were they doing here?!
Hiding behind a pillar, he sucked in a breath as Hyrule froze in mid step, turning to scan the area where he had just been standing while the other heroes pushed ahead towards the opposite pathway. Legend called for his friend, whose intense gaze finally turned away to follow the veteran.
How did they find the portal so quickly?! How were they here in the capital?! What were they doing?! They… surely they weren’t… there was no way they were looking for him, were they? Link felt his heart clench and mouth go dry at just the thought, and he immediately shut it down. No. That wasn’t why they were here. He wasn’t even going to think about how his absence was affecting the group. He was the slowest member, he’d gotten Warriors and Hyrule hurt when he couldn’t keep up - this had nothing to do with him.
They must have heard about the monster attacks and were trying to clear out Twilight’s land. But that put them too dangerously close to the Shadow. There was no time, there was no time!
Trying to catch his breath, Link rushed away from the group to find directions to Lake Hylia and get to the desert as quickly as possible.
XXX
Wind hovered so closely to the others that he nearly tripped over their feet. As exciting as it was to see Castle Town, this place was overwhelmingly large and crowded. Wind was fairly certain this city alone held double the population of Outset Island. The entire place was floored with uneven cobblestone that reflected some of the sunlight in little puddles, and the air was filled with voices and footsteps and water trickling from the fountain and singing and dancing and calls for sales on acquired goods and—by the sea, this was a lot.
Warriors wandered around with an air of command, making the crowds part out of his way, and so Wind practically clung to his scarf, carried through the crowd like someone caught in a rip current. Hyrule was similarly quiet and subdued while Legend meandered between different market stalls and alleys, hanging near the periphery of the large plaza. Twilight was in the front of the group, leading the way to Telma’s Bar while Time hovered towards the edge of the plaza as well, staying in the shadows. Wild had to drag himself from every food stall he saw, snapping himself back into focus. The energy of the group was a strange mix of relieved, elated, and anxious, as if their quest was almost over but they weren’t sure if Sky was just out of reach or not. Wind was certainly relieved they finally had a location and confirmation that he was alright, and he was eager to see his friend again and give him the biggest hug he could muster.
Four paused just ahead of Wind, glancing somewhere in the plaza at the same time as Hyrule. Wind turned to face them as he continued to walk, nearly tripping over Warriors’ scarf once more.
“What are you guys doing?” he asked.
Hyrule didn’t move, simply staring at something. Four, however, rushed to the other side of the plaza where some musicians were playing and singing. He stood there for a moment, a smile on his face, and then dropped a few rupees in the pan on the ground before skipping back to the group.
“I always love the street performers when I go into Castle Town,” Four explained breathlessly as he caught up with the group. Wind had to smile at his flushed cheeks; Four had been pretty morose despite the good news, but he’d been growing steadily more excited the closer to the city they’d gotten. It seemed he’d finally caught the infectious relief that was swimming through the group.
At least through the younger members of the group. Time seemed strangely quiet, and it made the sailor a little worried and curious. What was the Hero of Time seeing that Wind wasn’t?
“Hope the money’s the same in this Hyrule,” Legend remarked as he joined the group once more.
Four froze in mid stride, horrified that he might have insulted the street performers with useless money, and Wind grabbed him by the wrist. “It’s okay, it’s the thought that counts!”
Meanwhile, Legend called to Hyrule, who hadn’t moved an inch. The traveler finally snapped out of whatever daze he’d been in and hurried to them just as the group entered another street.
As they moved, Wind’s eyes finally lingered long enough on his overwhelming surroundings for him to register something he actually wanted. It was a smaller market stall, which was a relief, and it was absolutely overflowing with apples. The apple looked scrumptious and he was honestly pretty hungry after hiking across Hyrule Field at an accelerated pace all morning. Wind tried to get the seller’s attention, but the man didn’t pay him any mind, seemingly too busy with other clients. When he glanced at Wind after the sailor had done his third polite “excuse me, sir,” he waved dismissively with a comment about street kids and don’t have time or something of the sort.
Indignant, Wind furrowed his brow and snatched an apple anyway, whirling and getting ready to take a bite out of it when it was hastily yanked out of his hand. He let out a protesting whine, but it fell on deaf ears as Warriors plopped the red, juicy, life sustaining fruit back on the stall before the seller had a chance to notice what had happened.
“Sailor, you know better,” Warriors said in a low, chiding tone. “Why are you trying to steal?”
“He was being rude and I’m hungry,” Wind replied, annoyed. “And that was with me being nice.”
The captain raised an unconvinced eyebrow, putting a guiding hand on Wind’s back and pulling him away from the stall. “We’ll get food once we get to Sky.”
Wind understood that. It wasn’t like he didn’t recognize they were moving with a good degree of urgency. This wasn’t some foreign or unintelligible concept to him - he’d lost his sister for Farore’s sake. But the letter had said Sky was safe - Wind also understood that as well, which meant they shouldn’t be so frantic about everything. Being hasty meant not thinking, and despite his exuberance and young age, the Hero of the Winds did try to be measured in his pace.
Most of the time.
He supposed there was more to it, a reason the excitement the younger heroes felt was tempered with a degree of unease in the elders. Ignoring his growling stomach, he let the captain get a step ahead of him, still in sensory overload with everything around him and also wanting some space from more chastisements. Then he saw an apple appear directly in front of him, held by a hand decorated in rings.
Wind blinked, registering the sight, and then gasped, grabbing the fruit with a grateful smile glowing upward at the veteran hero. “Thanks, Vet! Wait—did you buy it from that jerk?”
Legend scoffed and then winked, bumping his elbow against the younger hero’s shoulder. “Guy was rude, anyway. Don’t tell the captain.”
Wind practically gasped in delight. Finally, someone who understood! He took a bite and skipped to keep up with everyone else.
Twilight led the group to the end of the street, but before exiting the city entirely, he veered left down some stairs in a side alley. Wind hastily stuffed his half eaten apple into his adventure pouch as the group huddled together at the entrance to what had to be Telma’s Bar. They entered single file, and Wind felt his anxieties from the city settle with the familiar sight of a tavern.
The place was small and cozy, just as the young sailor liked them. There weren’t many people in at this hour, which was a bonus. But there was something very apparent.
Sky wasn’t here.
“Telma?” Twilight called uncertainly.
A woman who was sweeping what looked like clay shards paused in her work, glancing up. “Link! Oh, honey, what a sight for sore eyes. I’ve had quite the encounter and I think you’ll be interested to hear it.”
As the others huddled around Twilight to see the woman and listen to her words, she raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice. “I see you brought... are these the other Heroes that Rusl wrote about?”
“Where’s Sky?” Wind immediately asked, his earlier cheeriness dissipating.
The woman, presumably Telma, cocked her head to the side. “I’m sorry, dear, but I don’t know who that is.”
Time laid a hand on Wind’s shoulder, and the young hero understood the motion, sighing and biting his tongue as Twilight spoke. “Rusl's right. These are the others, but we're still missing one. He goes by that nickname. I got info saying you might have run into him.”
“Actually, yes,” Telma answered, and Wind perked up. “But you just missed him.”
“Where’s he going?” Legend immediately questioned.
“I’m afraid I don’t know, hon,” Telma said with a sigh, sweeping the last of the shards into a bin. “He certainly caused quite the stir. Found him stumbling outside the bar last night, soaked to the bone and exhausted. I let him rest here the night, couldn’t get much out of him. He seemed like a nervous fellow. But just earlier he disappeared right as half my bar seemed to fall apart!”
Wind wilted under Time’s hand. They were right back where they started. But Sky had to be close, maybe Twilight could follow his scent—
Oh. Of course he couldn’t. He couldn’t turn into a wolf here. Wind blew out a hiss of a breath, blinking frustrated tears away.
I just want my brother back.
“I’m sorry,” Telma said genuinely. “I wish I had more for you. It’s midday and you look exhausted. Why don’t you stay here and eat something while my associates keep an eye out? They were already looking for him.”
“Associates?” Four repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Twilight, though clearly worried, gave a reassuring smile to the smithy. “They’re friends, and they’re reliable. If anyone can find Sky, they can.”
His words did little to ease the tension in the room as everyone was growing more concerned with Sky’s disappearance, especially since he couldn’t be far. Wind wanted to turn right around to track him down, but his stomach growled loudly, and it was practically like a death knell to his plans as Time said, “Let’s eat.”
To everyone’s relief, though, he added, “Quickly.”
The group took a couple tables and pulled them together. Wind noticed a keg on one of the tables he was moving and excitedly reached for the sweet smelling mead when both Twilight and Warriors pulled him away. He pouted. “Oh, come on! Linebeck lets me drink, and rum’s way stronger than mead!”
“You’re too young,” Twilight argued.
“Not on an empty stomach,” Warriors chided at the exact same time, garnering a horrified look from Twilight.
“What do you mean not on an empty stomach, the answer is not at all!”
“He goes through what we do,” Warriors fired back with a shrug. “He should be allowed to partake as we do.”
“That’s—that’s literally the worst logic I’ve ever heard—”
“Just shut your traps and eat, will you?” Legend interrupted, throwing a loaf of bread at the pair.
Hyrule picked up a bowl of stew by the hands immediately after it was placed in front of him. Wind did the same and the two caught each other’s eye. For a moment their anxieties were channeled into mischief instead, and the pair set off to racing to see who could gulp the stew down the fastest.
“For the love of Farore, you’re going to choke,” Four groaned, rubbing his face tiredly.
Wild slurped the remains of his stew, plopping his bowl on the table. “I win.”
Wind coughed, flabbergasted and affronted. “You weren’t even in the race!”
Before the atrocity could be further addressed, the entrance to the bar burst open and multiple soldiers rushed in as if they were about to arrest everyone in the room. The heroes quieted, hands subtly sliding to their weapons, but the soldiers didn’t lay a finger on anyone. Instead, they were scanning the area with a strange frantic energy, poking at corners as if the barrels of wine would come to life.
“What’s with all the fuss?” Twilight asked the soldiers as they scurried about the place.
“Her Majesty ran into the Hero of Legend himself,” the soldier answered.
The entire group stared at the armored man. Then at Twilight. Then at the soldier again.
“Really?” Time asked, eyebrow raised and tone denoting exactly what he thought of the man's intelligence.
“The Hero of Legend,” Legend deadpanned. “Oh boy. Wow. That’s—wait, the Hero of Legend?!”
Everyone stared at the veteran now, bemused. Then it hit Four.
“He was seen here?” Four asked quickly. As soon as the question left his lips, everyone went on alert, figuring out exactly who the soldier was talking about. This wasn't about Twilight at all, it was about Sky!
“We have been tasked with finding him and escorting him to Gerudo Desert to eliminate the beasts that plague the land!” the soldier explained.
“Yes, he’ll get rid of the monsters! We're just doing escort duty,” another added. “Now stand aside; we must fulfill our duty!”
The soldiers pushed by them with high importance and haste, leaving the eight heroes in their wake.
Wind blinked, processing the exchange they’d just had and then looked at Twilight. “Your knights are idiots.”
Twilight huffed. “I won’t deny that. But now we know where to go.”
"You think he already headed out?" Hyrule asked.
"Of course he did, at the rate he's going," Four answered. "Why is he doing this?"
The group went silent.
“We should leave now,” Time said, putting money on the table for Telma as he stood. “We can’t fall too far behind.”
#I. FINALLY. FINISHED. THIS. CHAPTER.#good GRIEF the took forever#once I got it going I had fun it was just GETTING IT GOING#so happy I could update this#elastic heart#writing#Dusk when met with an impossible and surprising situation: *maintains composure and grace while processing*#Sky when met with an impossible and surprising situation: *yeets himself off an eight-story stone wall*#Legend is a thief#Wind is a pirate#Wild is having a crisis#Hyrule's Magic Senses are Tingling#Sky wrecks another food/drinking institution#the postman is on another level#linkeduniverse#linked universe#lu sky#and all the boys#lu dusk#telma
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what if.. reader that always has a mask on and is really stoic around others so everybody is suspicious of them (naib, orpheus) but it turns out theyre just socially awkward and dont like interacting with people 😭😭
The terrifying prospect of being perceived
A/N: I have no idea if I did this right tbh I am so sorry
Pairing: none
Additional Info: Reader is socially awkward
Content: manor games, awkwardly hanging out in the same house as like 40 other people
Chapter 1/1
Word count: 1.6k
"Maybe they're mentally disabled"
An interesting theory. However, unfortunately, it was entirely false. It really was incredible to see how much bullshit your fellow players could come up with to explain something as simple as not wanting to hang out with them. Did the Embalmer ever get these questions? Probably not. Everyone just automatically assumed it was part of his profession. What about the Postman? Was he ever questioned for his silence?
Of course not. Just you.
All the rumours and talks behind somebody's back did nothing to make you like anyone here any more than you did currently. Which was to say you didn't like anyone here. In fact, if they were to stay 60 meters away from you at any given moment, that would truly be paradise.
Some were worse than others. The gardener was fairly friendly towards everyone. Emma was undoubtedly one of the most tolerable people here but still, her friendliness seemed almost unnerving. On top of that, it would probably only be a matter of time until she too decided you were weird for one reason or another. So really, there was no point in investing copious amounts of social energy into a platonic relationship that would fall apart in the end anyway. Really it was... useless. But she was an okay person, you supposed. Then there was the Seer. He was also okay personality-wise but... but he was just creepy as hell. How do you make an animal your eyes? How do you see through an animal? He was worse than that priestess lady even. At least she just talked about occult things, he actually pulled them off! But both of them at least minded their own business.
No, the real nuisances of this place were the overly nosy, overly suspicious ones. Meaning more specifically: Naib and Orpheus.
It was like they were addicted to staring at you for no reason. What had you ever done to warrant this kind of treatment?
If it was only the rumours, the stares or the side glances that they thought you didn't notice, if it was just that it would have been fine. Unpleasant, but not that big of a deal. However, at some point, you realised that it hadn't stopped there. No. You were being followed. What was initially assumed to be just standard levels of paranoia, that you simply develop automatically after being stuck in a life-and-death game for so long, turned out to be a very real circumstance. Certain members of the manor were shadowing you. This realisation was, quite frankly, incredibly disturbing and led to everything getting worse. You became progressively more paranoid and so you spoke less, interacted with people less, and barely showed your face around them. The more you tried to go into seclusion, the more suspicious you looked to the other inhabitants, and the more of an effort would be made to observe you, follow you, and question you. In the end, neither of you tried to hide it anymore. You only showed up to acquire food and participate in games and certain people would openly follow you when ever you went somewhere.
Seriously, did they do this to Aesop too? Unfortunately, you weren't around enough to really pay attention to it, but they probably did, didn't they? So cruel. This was precisely why you didn't want to be around them in the first place. All you could get out of hanging out with other people was judgement, shame and discrimination. There was nothing wrong with you physically, nothing that would justifiably warrant their suspicion. It wasn't like you'd shown up with blood stains on your clothing. Still, you could feel their eyes on you all the time. It made you feel less like a circus animal, and apparently gave them all the more reason to treat you like one.
This uncomfortable stalemate of avoidance of suspicion went on until one day you had a match. You were scheduled with the Psychologist, the Novelist and the Acrobat. However, right before the match was supposed to start, the Patient asked to switch places with you so he could be with Ada. You saw no issue with that and happily skipped out on having to socialize, instead, you went up to your room again. You always kept the door locked, no matter if you were inside or not. Now laying on your bed and peacefully reading a book, the knowledge that no one could disturb you gave you a feeling of safety. That was, of course, until you heard quiet scratching noises coming from the door. Before you actually realised what was going on, the door opened to reveal the Mercenary. You both looked at each other, shocked. He had picked the lock expecting you to be in the middle of a match. Still, despite having the absolute nerve to do that, he was still the one who asked: "What are you doing here?"
"This is my room," you responded, "I have every right to be here. The question is what are you doing here?!"
Perhaps after such a long time, the issue was ready to boil over the top.
"I want to see what you're hiding," he answered, honestly.
You snapped your book shut and sat up. The book was placed on the nightstand and even though you didn't yet stand up, you didn't feel safe laying down anymore.
"I'm not hiding anything, I live here!" you replied. For the first time in so long, your stoic facade of never seeming involved, interested or intrigued began to crack. You were angry. People don't like angry people, and without a doubt would they use this against you to turn you into an overly emotionally crazy person. So you tried to stay calm most of the time, but there was only so much one can take, especially if their room was just broken into.
"If you're not hiding anything then why do you act so suspicious?"
"I'm not acting suspicious! I have done nothing to you people. Nothing!" your voice cracked. Great. Just when you thought the situation couldn't possibly make you look any more pathetic. "I don't like people's eyes on me. I don't like to be looked at. It feels like I'm on display. Like everyone looks at me like an animal. And I always think they see all of my flaws. And if they don't see any then they'll find some," you explained, finally. "And somehow to all of you this is some sort of unforgivable crime. I already try to stay out of your sight as much as possible. What more do you want me to do god damn it?"
Naib remained quiet. He sat on the chair across your room. You don't remember inviting him in, but at least he was no longer blocking the door, which prompted you to walk over to it and close it initially, but you didn't retreat back to the bed. You stood by the door just in case you'd need to make a sudden escape or something.
Naib remained quiet. He sat on that chair, across from you, and looked around your room. It was mostly empty. Safe for a few personal items like clothing or books there was nothing in here. Most certainly nothing suspicious. This went on for what felt like hours but could have really only been a couple of minutes, maybe even just a few seconds. Time dragged on seemingly endlessly.
"We thought," he began finally "that you might be spying on us for the other fraction.
"Sure. And I would make it this obvious because then of course no one would know. Brilliant detective work." you responded and aggressively opened the door again, wide enough for a person to fit through. You took a step back and motioned towards it with your arm. He got up again, and the closer he got to the door the more you retreated, keeping a rather large amount of distance between the two of you at all times. He closed the door on his way out. God. That was terrifying.
In order to ensure your own peace and quiet you took the chair he'd sat on earlier that day and used it to keep the door in place. if one was unable to push down the door's handle, then no one would be able to enter even if they did manage to pick the lock. You skipped dinner that night for good measure, even though you tried to sleep early. You ended up not sleeping at all until dawn. Consequently, you didn't go to breakfast either, and it wasn't until the gardener knocked on your door around noon that you interacted with another human being. The patient, the seer, the magician and she had a match today. Since Emil had taken your place yesterday, it only made sense if you'd take his place today. Fair enough.
You didn't come out of your room until the match was supposed to start, and to your confusion, you found that the Mercenary had traded places with the Magician. Overall, the match was... strange. All of your teammates made an actual effort to keep you alive, and so even though you got chaired twice, you ended up managing all four people to escape. When was the last time that happened? Usually, you'd just end up being left for the wolves. They were so friendly with you today? Why? Did they want something? Did they feel guilty?
You accepted their friendliness only very hesitantly, and although most people still gave you cold stares or suspicious looks, you also found that some had magically warmed up to you more. It was odd.
These people were odd. All this time you thought you were the strange one here, but now look at them.
But hey, at least the Mercenary's presence didn't feel as threatening anymore. So that was something, wasn't it?
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'You found yourself coming across an old abandoned warehouse that'd been left sealed off from the public for decades.
After braking in, You find old stageprobs, merchandise, broken lights and tools of all sorts just left struwn about.
The place is in pretty bad shape with nearly everything having some level of decay or another.
After a brief search however, an old memory flashed past you mind.
You werenot certain what it was at first.
Growing up watching your parents old childhood VCR tapes, you just barley remember the characters anymore.
The once colourfuly painted backgrounds of home now peeling and faded infront of You.
Who were they... The big blue dog? The Postman?
One character you do remember however. The most.. what was it again? the most...? nevermind.
You found him in the very back,
Not a puppet like some of the others, nor a suit.
You parents had told you he was special, he was a robot...
It was heartbreaking to see him now though... once technology that astounded a generation. now left to rot, hung up but the metal bars and wires that once helped move him.
"...Wally..." you had muttered to what was left of the the once children's star as it stared right through you with its dead eyes.
That was the day you had decided... you were going to fix this animatronic.
Even if you didn't know much about technology, there was no way in hell you were going to leave such a crime be, to let something like this rot in here alone. It was unjust!
It would be tough work but you know he'll be worth it.
As you pack up for the night, telling the motionless blue haired robot you'll be back again tomorrow evening, for a moment you could have sworn Wallys eyes were staring right into yours.
It has to be a trick of the light of course.'
#wally darling#wally#welcome home aus#welcome home au#welome home#cybergore au#cybergore wally#cyber gore#cybergore#art#sketch#robot#robots
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TubNet Keynote Summary!
NEW BLOCK PLAZA:
The server lobby is the New Block Plaza. There are two main NPCs that will transport you to the games you want to play, and there's a Postman NPC that will give players daily login bonuses for watching a video!
There's a Snack Attack mini game in the plaza, and a Taxi that will let you explore and sightsee!
The Plaza's New Block Fashion store allows you to get custom cosmetics, and through the TubNet store you can buy cosmetics and ranks!
There is a garage attached to the Plaza, mounts will be available for players very soon!
The Plaza's Craft Cafe is a place to socialize and play social games, such as chess and checkers!
There is a Plaza gift shop that will eventually let players gift cosmetics to each other
New Block City is full of scenery and landmarks, and players will walk from game lobby to game lobby instead of teleporting
New Block City has LORE!!! Which Tubbo shared some of!
CRYSTAL RUSH
A mysterious device has gone haywire, and your mission is to help stop the crystals that are appearing!
You gather crystals to help buy things to defend your own nexus or attack others' nexus (the Nexus allows other teams to respawn)
You spawn with leather and wood, and collect or mine crystal shards to upgrade gear and buy blocks, custom items etc!
Upon death, a player loses all shards in their inventory, but can deposit them!
Nexus Shards can be gained from mining another team's Nexus, it lets you get much better items like nearly impenetrable armor or interesting power ups
Powerups shown in the CraftMaster event like Totems (Cloud, Healing, Defense and Wind), Grapple orbs, and the auto-bridging powerup will be in Crystal Rush!
Tubbo shared tips and tricks for Crystal Rush, such as which items are permanent and which are lost upon death
If a Crystal Rush game goes on for too long, Sudden Death will kick in, which implements a world border and removes all Nexus crystals to force a fight to the death
Forums.TubNet.GG is the place to go for suggestions or criticism about the game!
LIGHT STRIKE:
New Block City detectives have found unauthorized devices being planted throughout the city
This is a 4v4 team search and destroy game mode
There are two teams: The Placers, whose job is to place the devices (known as stars) and the Breakers, whose job is to break them!
The aim of the game is for one team to win four rounds. If a stalemate is reached, the game enters overtime, where three more rounds are added to the clock. Overtime can end in a win, loss, or stalemate.
Light Strike players have a Radio item, a built in Comm system that lets players send messages to various parts of the map so they can communicate with their teammates!
During the shop portion, players can buy weapons, instant-activate potions, and pickaxes for breakers. There are several custom items in the game, which Tubbo went over.
There are two maps available upon launch: Portside, an abandoned warehouse/shipping dock, and Zero, a laboratory built into the side of a mountain! It has boost and hover pads, as well as secret passageways!
PART 2: UPCOMING PLANS!
TUBNET TUESDAYS
TubNet will be hosting weekly events in Tuesdays, starting on Dec 5th!
There will be three TubNet Tuesday events leading up to the holidays, followed by a short break to polish things before more are announced!
CRAFT MASTER THEATER
This is a way for TubNet to get community feedback and see how games work on a large scale
TubNet has taken feedback from everyone playing the Showdown event and has implemented Showdown into the server!
TubNet will be having a "Snowdown" event for the holidays! :]
COMMUNITY REWARDS
TubNet will be giving prizes to the most active members of the community!
For the first 100 people that join the server, an exclusive "First 100" cosmetic hat will be given!
First 1,000 and First 5,000 hats will also be given to players!
LEVEL UP/XP AWARDS
Every 5 level increase gives players a free cosmetic
For the first 48 hours of launch, players will get DOUBLE XP!
TubNet's IGC, Cubits, will be available to earn without spending real life money if you are one of the top players in any game mode!
Number One on leaderboards will be eligible to get TubNet PCs!
Top Ten players on the Network Level leaderboard by Dec 5th will be given Star Rank for free!
TUBNET E-SPORTS
TubNet is doing a series of events with prize pools, both invitationals and open tournaments! Open tournament winners can be invited to invitationals! Invitational tournaments will be broadcast live on the TubNet Twitch Channel
TubNet will be launching a TubNet Challenge Series this upcoming summer!
TUBNET IS NOW LIVE! GO PLAY! :D
#this was me typing as fast as i could while watching live so apologies if i missed anything!#long post#tubnet
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SO HEAR ME OUT LOBCORP FANDOM.
this is the continuation of this post
But
Funky Postman AI abnormality Oc.
“Despite the company shutting down, the mail keeps on getting delivered.”
O-04-168 | Your ‘friendly’ Postman AI
Subject Classification: O-04-168
E-Boxes: 5
Attack Type: Pale (2~4)
Risk Level: WAW
This Abnormality is Capable of Employee Alteration
This Abnormality can Benefit the Facility
Good Mood Range: 10-15
Norm Mood Range: 7-9
Bad Mood Range: 0-5
Managerial Tip 1: When [ employee name] gets a good result, there will be a chance a mail will be given to a random employee.
Managerial Tip 2: Postman AI will send out 2-4 mails to random employees per minute, An Icon will appear above an employee's head, after doing a great or perfect attachment work, 'opening' said mail will give the employee an random buff or an random ego weapon till the end of the day.
Managerial Tip 3: You can't open the Mail if you're doing work on another abnormality or when there has been a breach or there has been a special event during the time. Leaving it idle will soon flicker into red, causing the selected employees to go through a panic effect. Leaving the mail when it has turned red will greatly decrease his Ouilopth Counter.
Managerial Tip 4: When an Insight work is being performed the quilopth counter decreases with a high probability. The mail will give you random buffs, rarely debuffs unless you have a bad result.
Managerial Tip 5: Once Quilopth Counter reaches 0, Postman AI will start breaching, firing barrages of sharp envelopes. Dealing pale damage through any front targets until the end of the room.
Managerial Tip 6: When breaching, any dog or animal related abnormalities will turn aggressive and start breaching too. Trying to find Postman AI.
(Postman AI EGO: Postcard)
(Cost 70 PE boxes)
Postcard EGO suit.
Black: Normal (1.0)
Red: Endured (0.8)
White: Normal (0.9)
Pale: Resistant (0.2)
Special ability: If equipped with the same E.G.O. Gift, it will increase the work speed and Success rate no matter the work preferences.
Description:
“This suit gives you a comforting and pleasing presence, to remind everyone that you are doing your job to hand out news to all,
bad or good. You are the harbinger of everything through paper.”
(Postcard Helmet)
Stat Effects: 4+ HP 10 MS
Ability effects: SP +3, Increase Success Rate by 10% while working on any abnormalities.
(Postcard Weapon)
Cost 60 PE boxes
Damage: Pale (20-22)
Attack speed: Fast
Range: Very Long
Special Ability: Attacking will barrage glitching blue envelopes through any front targets until the end of the room, dealing Pale Damage to anyone.
Description: "Despite how many years went by, the mail still needs to be delivered anyways.
bad or good. You are the harbinger of everything through paper.”
#lobcorp lobotomy#lobcorp#lobcorp oc#lobotomy corp oc#oc art#oc#oc info#please help#lobotomy corporation#Postman AI
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‘‘This issue is an exercise in media ecology that is paradoxically unnatural. Instead of assuming a natural connection to the established tradition of Media Ecology in the Toronto-school fashion of Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, and the work of scholars involved in the Media Ecology Association (http://www.media-ecology.org/media_ecol- ogy/) 5 our issue stems from another direction; its theoretical orientation is more inspired by the work of Felix Guattari and engages with several overlapping ecologies that are aesthetico-political in their nature. It stems from a more politically oriented way of understanding the various scales and layers through which media are articulated together with politics, capitalism and nature, in which processes of media and technology cannot be detached from subjectivation. In this context, media ecology is itself a vibrant sphere of dynamics and turbulences including on its technical level. Technology is not only a passive surface for the inscription of meanings and signification, but a material assemblage that partakes in machinic ecologies. And, instead of assuming that 'ecologies' are by their nature natural (even if naturalizing perhaps in terms of their impact on capacities of sensation and thought) we as- sume them as radically contingent and dynamic, in other words as prone to change.‘‘
https://archive.org/details/FC17FullIssue/mode/2up
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something appeals to me about the idea of henry, who has been forced to learn to take care of himself because his body does not cooperate otherwise, telling donnacha off for not looking after himself properly when he’s injured. he strikes me as the type that might try to walk something off that he should really just sit down and ice for a while… especially if he had endured some lowkey (not mean-spirited) teasing about it from his team
I don't think there's anything better than hearing about these detailed, specific scenarios that people come up with for your OCs. Thank you for this lovely idea, anon!
CW: chronic pain, sports injury (lightly described), enduring injury to save face, general awkwardness for a minute, food mention.
___
Living with someone like Donnacha, Henry often thought, was a lot like living with an energetic dog. At least twice a week, he went around to the flatmates' rooms and tried to convince someone to take a walk with him, he got over-excited every time he heard the postman put something through the letterbox, and snatched up leftover food, often before it'd even been put back in the fridge.
And Henry didn't know a lot about dogs, but he did know that if something was wrong with your dog - a sickness or an injury - then chances were it would go off its food.
"Do you want some chicken?"
Henry looked up from his screen. He'd been having a good mental health day, so he'd dug his laptop out and set himself up on the living room couch to improve his chances of some human interaction.
Donnacha was holding a clear oven dish that had once held a whole, cooked chicken, which had been picked clean on one side the previous day. To some, half a leftover chicken might have seemed like a lot, but it was a standard serving size for Donnacha.
"Really?" Henry couldn't hide that he was intrigued by the offer. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten chicken that hadn't been processed and squished into nugget or goujon form and then frozen for an indefinite amount of time. Donnacha's mum often sent him back with home-cooked food after a visit home, but it wasn't every day that Donnacha went around pawning it off.
"Yeah, really. It goes bad after tomorrow, and I don't think I can eat it."
"Oh." Henry paused and tried to remember what time Donnacha had gotten home that evening. "Sure, I might have some later. Did you... Did you already eat? Did you and the boys go somewhere after your match?"
There was no usual eye-roll, which generally followed Henry quaintly referring to Donnacha's rugby friends as "the boys", as opposed to "the lads". Instead, Donnacha just shook his head and said "no", and it was then that the glassy look in his eyes came into focus.
Henry sat forward. His face must have told Donnacha that he'd given something away, because he cringed and retreated back into the kitchen. Something in his step wrenched Henry's concern levels up another notch.
"Donnacha?"
He heard a decisive throat-clearing from the kitchen, and no reply.
"Donnacha, you okay?"
Still nothing. Either Donnacha really did have poor hearing, or he often pretended to, to avoid uncomfortable conversations.
God damn it, this boy. Henry shoved his laptop onto the couch and gripped his cane to push himself up. His walk to the kitchen was relatively quick and painless, so by the time he got there and saw Donnacha wrapping the chicken back up in tin foil, he was completely focused on him.
And as he turned to walk towards the fridge with the leftover chicken, Donnacha's stride took a brief sideways wobble. The half of his face that Henry could see scrunched up.
"Whoa," Henry said. "What's wrong with your foot, hon?"
"Nothing!" Donnacha grunted wordlessly as he opened the fridge door and slid the oven dish into a perfectly-sized gap on one of the shelves. "Just a little sprain."
Henry's eyes darted between Donnacha's legs, adequately exposed in the soft, drawstring shorts he wore around the flat after he'd showered and settled in for the night. He was wearing open-back slippers without socks, and now that he was looking, Henry could tell there was some discolouration and swelling going on around his right ankle.
"Donnacha, that looks awful!"
Donnacha made some attempt to look confused, but his gaze almost immediately dropped to his own foot. He slapped on a smile. "Oh. That?"
"When did you do that?"
"It's not that bad," Donnacha laughed.
"When?"
"I don't know. Wednesday? It was raining, and I slipped on the field."
Henry's stomach dropped. "And you played on that today?"
"Hen," Donnacha said plainly. He made it back to the table without wincing, though he did plant a hand on the wood to steady himself, shifting all of his weight to his left side. "It's better to just keep playing than sit it out. O'Rourke had to have his appendix out last year and the lads are still getting on to him for missing the quarter-final. It's better this way."
Henry blinked, his brain hurting more from trying to understand this than if he'd been looking at a page full of Ancient Greek.
"Trust me, it's grand."
"It might seem grand," Henry murmured, unclenching his teeth long enough to speak, "but that's... that's how you can fuck your body up for life, Donnacha."
As was to be expected, Donnacha gulped and looked at the floor. His eyes inevitably glimpsed over Henry's cane before he looked away again, searching for anything else to focus on.
The awkwardness sat there, gnawing at Henry's gut, for a few seconds. He was at a loss for what to say, besides just being plain.
"I mean, obviously I... had less of a choice in the matter," Henry murmured.
"Shit. I'm sorry. I know that."
Henry nodded.
Donnacha sighed and leaned harder on the table. He dropped his head. "It sounds stupid, but I think... I think I thought if I kept playing, then it just wouldn't be real?"
Henry nodded again, slower this time. "Yeah. That does sound stupid."
Donnacha exhaled through a laugh. Reckoning he should let the boy know that he was worried, and not as angry as he was coming across, Henry reached over and patted the back of his head.
"Call your physio in the morning," Henry said. He thought about adding or else, but thought the mock seriousness might undermine how serious this actually was.
"I will." Donnacha was nodding as he looked up at Henry's face. He sounded surprised to hear himself say it, and even went ahead and said it again. "I will."
#Lucyverse Donnacha#Lucyverse Henry#whump fic#hurt and comfort#hurt comfort#sickfic#injury mention#Lucyverse
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Highlight Essential Tools, Libraries, And Resources For Web Development Process
Web Development Tools: Highlight essential tools, libraries, and resources that can streamline the web development process and boost productivity.
Web development is an ever-evolving field, and staying ahead requires not just coding skills but also familiarity with a plethora of web development tools, libraries, and resources. These tools are designed to streamline the development process and boost productivity, allowing developers to create websites and web applications more efficiently. In this article, we’ll highlight essential tools that are indispensable for modern web development.
Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code): This open-source code editor from Microsoft is incredibly popular for web development. With a vast collection of extensions, it supports multiple languages and offers features like auto-completion, debugging, and Git integration.
2. Sublime Text: Known for its speed and efficiency, Sublime Text is a lightweight text editor that is highly customizable and supports various programming languages. It’s favored by developers for its simplicity and performance.
3. WebStorm: WebStorm by JetBrains is a robust IDE designed specifically for web development. It provides advanced coding assistance, intelligent coding insight, and powerful debugging capabilities.
Version Control
4. Git: Git is the standard for version control in web development. GitHub and GitLab are popular platforms for hosting Git repositories, facilitating collaboration and code management.
Package Managers
5. npm (Node Package Manager): npm is the default package manager for JavaScript and is used for installing and managing libraries and dependencies for Node.js and frontend projects.
6. Yarn: Yarn is an alternative to npm, designed for performance and reliability. It offers faster package installation and deterministic builds.
Task Runners and Build Tools
7. Gulp: Gulp is a task runner that automates repetitive tasks like minification, compilation, and testing. It’s particularly useful for frontend development.
8. Webpack: Webpack is a powerful module bundler that optimizes and bundles JavaScript, CSS, and other assets, improving website performance.
9. Grunt: Grunt is another popular JavaScript task runner, known for its configurability and ability to automate various development tasks.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
10. WordPress: For content-driven websites and blogs, WordPress is a versatile and user-friendly CMS with a vast ecosystem of themes and plugins.
11. Drupal: Drupal is a robust and highly customizable CMS ideal for complex websites and applications. It provides advanced content management and user access control.
12. Joomla: Joomla is a middle-ground between WordPress and Drupal, offering a balance of user-friendliness and flexibility for various web projects.
Web Frameworks
13. React: A JavaScript library for building user interfaces, React is widely used for creating dynamic and interactive frontend components.
14. Angular: A full-featured frontend framework by Google, Angular is suitable for building complex web applications.
15. Vue.js: A progressive JavaScript framework, Vue.js is known for its simplicity and ease of integration into existing projects.
16. Django: A high-level Python web framework, Django is ideal for rapidly building secure, maintainable websites and applications.
17. Ruby on Rails: A Ruby-based framework, Ruby on Rails follows the convention over configuration (CoC) and don’t repeat yourself (DRY) principles, making it efficient for web application development.
Testing and Debugging Tools
18. Selenium: Selenium is an open-source tool for automating browser actions and performing functional testing on web applications.
19. Chrome DevTools: A set of web developer tools built into the Chrome browser, DevTools includes inspection, debugging, and performance profiling features.
20. Postman: Postman simplifies the process of developing APIs and services, allowing developers to test requests and responses.
Libraries and Frameworks for Styling
21. Bootstrap: Bootstrap is a popular CSS framework for creating responsive and visually appealing web designs.
22. SASS/SCSS: SASS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets) and SCSS (Sassy CSS) are CSS preprocessors that simplify and enhance the CSS development process.
Collaboration and Communication
23. Slack: Slack is a messaging platform that facilitates real-time communication and collaboration among development teams.
24. JIRA: JIRA by Atlassian is a project management and issue tracking tool, which is often used for agile software development.
Learning Resources
25. MDN Web Docs: Mozilla Developer Network’s Web Docs is a valuable resource for web development documentation and tutorials.
26. Stack Overflow: Stack Overflow is a community-driven platform where developers can ask and answer technical questions.
In conclusion, these essential web development tools, libraries, and resources are the backbone of efficient and productive web development projects. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned developer, leveraging these tools will streamline your development workflow and empower you to create cutting-edge websites and web applications. Keep in mind that the web development landscape is dynamic, and staying updated with the latest tools and trends is crucial for success in this field.
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#kushitworld#saharanpur#india#itcompany#digitalmarketing#seo#seo services#webdevelopment#websitedesigning#webdesign
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ACTUALLY FUCK IT, I WILL ELABORATE, STRAP IN, BITCHES
Let me first make the following statements -
1) I come not to bin Caesar but to praise him. WOE.BEGONE is beautiful chaos, an erratic smorgasbord of musical talent, and complex characterisation. I respect this craft, I see how much work has gone into it and I am deeply impressed. Multiple ten-minute plus long fucking musical numbers, season finales with three whole songs in them. The memetic virus that is Old Brush Valley. Wild.
2) However, apart from respecting the music, I massively bounced off this podcast the first time I tried to listen to it, because I found the protagonist such an awful damp weasel of a man. I do not like the wet cat men so beloved of tumblr. I find them deeply annoying. No shade on you all but your kink is not my kink etc. I bounced off it so hard that I actually confused it with Ostium which I listened to around at the same time, and I would describe as fun and poignant, but really rather heterosexual.
Woe.Begone is not remotely heterosexual. It is gayer than Quentin Crisp in a little Sailor Suit, gayer than the letter Bram Stoker sent to Walt Whitman saying "I am six feet two inches high and twelve stone weight naked". Gay as Elton John in a feather boa riding up Brokeback Mountain on a bear while sniffing poppers and quoting Oscar Wilde.
I should have known.
I should have guessed from the fans being absolutely feral nightmare gnomes. They reminded me of the Stellar Firma fans. That shrieking bucket of wild kobolds snorting ketamine and downing tide pods vibe. That should have been a warning.
But they asked nicely and they politely invited me into the discord server and like a fool I humoured them. I gritted my teeth at the horribly flawed characters and I stuck with it….
Spoilers follow.
::deep breath::
MIKE WALTERS? Stupid idiot motherfucking Mike Walters goddamn fool multiple murderous alternately callous and arrogant shithead or wet as depressed otter’s pocket sociopathic-ARG-playing biggest varmint in the west cowboy motherfucking MIKE WALTERS
WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK DID I JUST LISTEN TO? WHAT IS THIS CASUALLY/DELIBERATELY VIOLENT SLAPSTICK TIME TRAVEL FUCKING COSPLAY MURDER FEST? COWBOYIFICATION? Okay I understand this is a clever way for the VA to distinguish between characters played by the same guy, weird fetish aye but I’ve seen worse BUT WHY THE FUCK DOES NEARLY EVERY OTHER CHARACTER DO IT TOO JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A BISCUIT IN GRAVY I ALMOST STARTED DOING IT MYSELF MULTIPLE TIMES I HAD TO DRINK TEA AND THINK OF ENGLAND TO STOP MYSELF SAYING GET ALONG LITTLE DAWGIE shit here we go again help RULE BRITANNIA WHAT WHAT YOU WON'T GET ME YA BASTARDS
AND ANOTHER THING: IN THE HISTORY OF NARRATIVE NO PROBLEM HAS IN ANY WAY EVER BEEN SOLVED BY RAISING THE DEAD jesus doesn’t count anyway that was consensual NON-CONSENSUALLY RAISING THE DEAD AND THE FACT THIS ENTIRE CLUSTERFUCK STARTED WITH THAT SHOULD BE EXTREMELY TELLING HOLY FUCK every time I hear him talk I just want to shriek OH MY GOD WHY CAN’T YOU GET THERAPY WHY DO YOU KEEP REPEATEDLY RETRAUMATISING EVERY VERSION OF YOURSELF I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND EXPLAIN TO ME WHY ANYTHING YOU EVER DID FROM EPISODE 1 ONWARDS WAS EVER A GOOD IDEA AND YET I COULDN’T STOP LISTENING, SOMETIMES OUT OF SPITE, SOMETIMES OUT OF A HORRIFIED DESIRE TO SEE WHAT HE FUCKS UP NEXT it was like listening to a car crash in slow motion sweartaefuck.
HOW CAN SO MUCH ABJECT HYPOCRISY, USELESSNESS AND NAKED SELF-INTEREST BE CRAMMED INTO THE BODY OF ONE, AND I USE THIS WORD LOOSELY, MAN?? NOT TO MENTION THE FRANKLY HETEROSEXUAL LEVELS OF TOXIC MASCULINITY FUCKSAKE
AND WHILE I’M HERE HEY LETS TALK ABOUT THE OTHER CHARACTERS. Edgar “Inexplicably Evil Gluten-free Postman”, Anne “I support my transfemme sisters but fuck this may be too far”, Marisa “Where in the holy fuck do you keep getting that tank?!” Ng, Matt “I thought you were too sensible to get involved in this nonsense but boy was I wrong”, Ty “No amount of apparently learning to respect boundaries will make up for this level of affably psychotic ‘For Science and the Greater Good’ leering viciousness” Betteridge, Я осуждаю тебя за то, что ты оставил свою собаку с Майками Борисом, Felix “Criminal Offence Against Oreos”, Hunter “Somehow worse than the protagonist, apparently that’s possible” Hartley, Sylvester August “Actually this character isn’t absolutely terrible, which is weird for a Harlan character, I’m usually immediately sus of anyone he plays carry on sir“ Baxter. HAVE I JUST GONE TO THE very helpful thank you WIKI SO I CAN ENSURE I HAVE VENTED ABOUT EVERYONE I WANT TO in this fucking TRAUMA POLYCULE YES I HAVE
(Hey one second voice actors I hope you know I adore you even those of you who are CLEARLY COMPLICIT in this unstable lunacy anyway it was cool waiting to see which of you would voice the FUCKING MONSTER PEOPLE)
14/10 absolute fucking masterpiece, I look forward to the next episode so I can SCREAM LIKE A BANSHEE AND CALL DOWN THE WRATH OF EVERY HARPY IN EXISTENCE TO WREAK SHREDDING VIOLENCE ON
MIKE.
FUCKING.
WALTERS.
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What is Web Services Integration and where to buy it?
Web services integration refers to the process of connecting and integrating different web services to enable seamless communication and data exchange between them. Web services are software components that allow different applications to communicate and interact with each other over a network, typically the internet.
Web services integrationinvolves the use of standardized protocols and formats such as XML (eXtensible Markup Language), SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), REST (Representational State Transfer), and JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) to facilitate the exchange of data and functionality between different systems.
The Web services integrationenables businesses and organizations to leverage the capabilities of multiple applications or systems, even if they are developed using different technologies or programming languages. For example, a company may integrate a customer relationship management (CRM) system with an e-commerce platform to synchronize customer data, order information, and inventory levels.
Web services integration can be achieved through various methods, including:
Service-oriented architecture (SOA): This architectural approach focuses on designing and implementing services that can be accessed and combined to form new applications. Web services are often used as the building blocks of an SOA.
Enterprise service bus (ESB): An ESB is a middleware solution that provides a centralized hub for routing, transforming, and managing communication between different systems. It can help facilitate the integration of web services by handling message routing, protocol conversion, and data transformation.
API (Application Programming Interface) integration: Many web services expose APIs that allow developers to interact with their functionality programmatically. By integrating APIs, developers can incorporate specific features or data from one web service into another application.
Web services integrationoffers several benefits, including improved interoperability, increased efficiency, enhanced data accuracy, and the ability to leverage existing systems while incorporating new functionality. It enables businesses to create integrated and cohesive software ecosystems that streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and deliver better experiences to users.
Get the best Web Services Integration
When it comes to integrating web services, there are several options available depending on your specific needs and requirements. Here are some popular choices:
Cloud Service Providers: Major cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offer comprehensive web services integration capabilities. They provide a range of tools, APIs, and services that allow you to integrate and manage various web services effectively.
API Marketplaces: Many companies provide API marketplaces where you can discover and integrate third-party web services into your applications. Examples include RapidAPI, Postman API Network, and Mashape. These platforms offer a wide range of APIs that cover different functionalities, allowing you to easily integrate them into your applications.
Custom Development: If you have specific integration requirements or need a more tailored solution, you can opt for custom development. This involves building integration logic directly into your application using programming languages and frameworks that best suit your needs. This approach provides greater flexibility and control over the integration process.
Integration Platforms: Web services integrationplatforms like Zapier, Integromat, and Microsoft Power Automate offer visual, low-code/no-code tools that allow you to connect and automate workflows between different web services without extensive coding. These platforms provide a user-friendly interface to set up integrations, making them accessible to a wide range of users.
Open-source Tools and Frameworks: There are several open-source tools and frameworks available that provide integration capabilities. Examples include Apache Camel, MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform, and Spring Integration. These frameworks offer a wide range of connectors and components to integrate various web services.
When choosing the best option for Web services integration, consider factors such as your specific requirements, scalability, ease of use, support, and cost. Evaluate each option based on your needs and select the one that aligns with your project goals and resources.
Data Integration Web Service and Web Services Integration
Data Integration Web Service refers to the use of web services to facilitate the integration of data from multiple sources or systems. It involves exposing Data Integration Web Service functionalities as web services, allowing different applications or systems to access and manipulate data from disparate sources.
Web services integration, on the other hand, refers to the process of integrating or connecting multiple web services to achieve a specific functionality or business goal. It involves orchestrating and combining various web services to create a composite application or service that can perform complex tasks by leveraging the capabilities of individual web services.
In the context of data integration, Web services integrationcan be used to connect and exchange data between different systems or applications using standardized protocols and formats such as SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) or REST (Representational State Transfer). By integrating web services, organizations can streamline data exchange, automate processes, and enable real-time data access and synchronization across multiple systems.
By leveraging Web services integration, organizations can achieve seamless data integration across disparate systems, enable interoperability, and automate data exchange processes. This approach promotes efficiency, agility, and scalability in managing and utilizing data from multiple sources within an organization's ecosystem.
Therefore the Web services integrationplays a crucial role in modern application development, enabling systems to communicate and share data seamlessly over the internet. By integrating web services, businesses can achieve interoperability, improve efficiency, and enhance the user experience.
Overall Web services integrationis an essential aspect of modern software development, enabling businesses to connect systems, share data, and deliver enhanced user experiences. It empowers organizations to leverage the capabilities of various applications and services, leading to improved efficiency, scalability, and interoperability.
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Knowledge Is Power(less).
The above meme was inspired by Neil Postman, and his idea that we are "informing ourselves to death". The main message is that there is an overflow of information accessible that comes with the constant evolution of technology, however, what is missing is the tools to help people take action upon consuming said information. In an interview with Richard Heffner, he described this as "information glut". (Postman, 1990). Information glut is then followed by the consequence of people not having a "basis of knowing what is relevant..." (Postman, 1990). This is to say that information, when consumed in such portions, becomes meaningless.
I agree with Neil Postman's comments on information glut, and it holds true to this day more than ever. In the context that he was referring to, namely television news and limited access to internet, he believed strongly in these ideas. In this day and age, information is now literally everywhere. We are subjected to it on a daily basis somewhat against our will through our phones, laptops, tablets, tv's, in public etc etc. Lot's of the time, consumers don't have a choice in which information they are subjected to in their everyday life, which mean that information glut is taking over our minds, causing a state of information paralysis. Not only do we not know what to do with the information we are given, but we are stuck being overwhelmed, with no way of filtering what we have access to. I would argue that in this state of being overwhelmed with news, tik tok trends, celebrity gossip and politics, that a large majority of the population has become desensitised to truly relevant and perhaps negative media.
An example of this might be something extreme such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Whilst many people can care about this war when they are presented with horrific videos of people suffering as a result, they are immediately able to self soothe by scrolling away from the video, sometimes forgetting about it entirely until another video is presented to them. Media has a certain effect on us, and the danger of it is that is has a strong hold on our emotions and our thoughts. As Postman said, we have no basis to know what to do with important information, so when it is presented to us (Postman, 1990), we are paralysed, and therefore desensitised and left in a state of not knowing what is truly important.
The constant evolution of technology and the rapid growth rate of short form entertainment stems from an idea that new technology will eventually lead us to "paradise", or a better state of being (Postman, 1990). The awareness in the general community that this kind of short form entertainment is designed to keep you scrolling endlessly, is very low. Whilst there are good content creators out there who want to spread relevant information, they rarely make it onto peoples algorithms because it goes against what these algorithms were designed to do, which is to ramp up dopamine levels and keep you addicted. And even when these creators do make it onto people's screens, what are they supposed to do with that information? It's a cruel, twisted cycle to be stuck in.
Everytime another video is uploaded on the internet, time is taken away from people seeking causes they care about, and could potentially do something about. The world is not a pretty place, human being's do bad things to each other, but until we stop doom scrolling and self soothing with mindless entertainment, and start actively looking for information we can do things with, then nothing will change.
[Vuur Van De Wolf]. (2014, June 28). Neil Postman Open Mind: Informing Ourselves to Death (shortened edit) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ApPkTvQ4QM&t=10s
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Hit and Run
In the 1950s, Hugo Haas directed a series of low-budget films that turned a profit by promising more sex than they delivered while hinging on romantic triangles. The budgets were so low the visual style borders on the minimalist, though when things get tense toward the end of his HIT AND RUN (1957, TCM, YouTube), he throws in some jarringly close two shots to raise the tension. Despite their flaws, the films often have interesting plot twists and the casts, usually including Haas in a major role, perform with a surprising level of conviction. In HIT AND RUN, he's a widower running an auto shop who falls for a beautiful blonde (Cleo Moore, who starred in seven of his films). The moment he says he never wants to marry again, Haas cuts to the two at their wedding. There’s no clear sense of why she marries him. It doesn’t matter. It’s just a device to set up a DOUBLE INDEMNITY/POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE plot about wife and lover plotting to get rid of her husband. The first twist here is that it’s the man who’s the honey trap, involving Moore against her will in his murderous plot. Since the man is Vince Edwards, that’s a lot of honey, honey. Then there’s another twist setting up the denouement. Even without any overt sexuality, the film feels sleazy in that entertaining 1950s way where it's all about repression. Adding to the sleaze is a direct lift from THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE when Dolores Reed (who had a fascinating life; look her up) turns up as a statuesque female lion tamer out to add Edwards to her act. This was Haas’ last independent film before his success led him to MGM for the disastrous LIZZIE (1957) and Moore’s last film, which is a pity, as she could act. Some smart producer should have seen past the platinum hair and pouty mouth to realize she had the makings of charming romantic comedienne.
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What is the best tool to start with Automation Testing?
There are many tools available for automation testing, and the best one for you will depend on your specific needs and the technology stack you are working with. Some popular choices include Selenium for web application testing, Appium for mobile app testing, and TestComplete for desktop application testing. Other factors to consider when choosing a tool include the programming languages it supports, the level of support and documentation available, and the ease of use and maintenance. It's always good to start evaluating different tools and then decide which one is the best fit for your project.
Selenium: A browser automation tool that can be used for automating web applications.
Appium: An open-source tool that can be used for automating mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms.
TestComplete: A commercial tool that can be used for automating web, desktop, and mobile applications.
Jenkins: An open-source tool that can be used for continuous integration and continuous testing.
JUnit: A popular open-source framework for writing and running unit tests in Java.
TestNG: A testing framework for Java, similar to JUnit, but with additional features such as support for data-driven testing.
Cucumber: A tool that supports behavior-driven development (BDD) and can be used for automating acceptance tests.
Postman: A tool for testing and documenting APIs.
Another popular tool for automation testing is JUnit, a framework for writing and running unit tests in Java. It is widely used in the Java community and integrates well with other Java development tools. Another one is Cucumber, it's a tool that supports Behavior Driven Development (BDD), which is a technique for writing tests that focus on the behavior of the system rather than its implementation. It allows tests to be written in plain language, making them more understandable to non-technical stakeholders.
Additionally, some commercial tools are available such as TestComplete, Test Complete is a functional testing platform that allows you to test web, mobile, and desktop applications. It supports various technologies and programming languages and has a user-friendly interface. and Test Studio, Test Studio is a comprehensive test automation platform that supports web, mobile, and desktop testing. It has a visual editor for creating tests and supports various technologies and programming languages.
In summary, the best tool for automation testing depends on your specific needs and the technology stack you are working with. It's important to evaluate different options and choose a tool that has good documentation and support, is easy to use and maintain, and integrates well with your existing development tools and processes.
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
If you're looking for a cozy, wholesome novel featuring a gay man in his 60s choose this! Best to read while curled up in a blanket, with a cat at your feet, and the rain pouring down.
Book content warning: homophobia, homophobic violence, references to '60s and 70's British homophobia attitudes and laws, death (I can't say who dies because it spoils too much but have tissues), homophobic and emotionally abusive parents.
Synopsis: Albert Entwistle is a postman on the verge of turning 65--retirement age. Faced with the reality that he will no longer be able to fill his days with work he takes a hard look at his life and faces the truth--he's alone. No family. No friends. He doesn't even interact with his coworkers much. He thinks back to when he was truly happy and remembers the time he spent with George, the boy he loved as a teenager, but couldn't love openly because of Britain society's homophobic laws and attitudes. Albert sets himself on a quest to recapture that love and searches for the man he loved 50 years ago. In his quest, Albert learns to be vulnerable, connect with others, find community, and embrace himself for who he is.
Non-spoiler review: I loved this. I LOVED THIS. I cannot stop thinking about how much I loved this book. It's been raining all day and I've spent the morning curled up in a blanket devouring this book and breaking my promise to try to take it slow for once reading a book. Albert Entwistle is to die for and as Danny said "from now I'm totally stanning you [Albert.]" Albert had no idea what he meant but he smiled politely." Ahh! There's just something I love about books with an older protagonist. Even with our age difference I see so much of myself in Albert and reading this book gave me hope that even if I screw up my twenties or thirties or whatever that it's possible to always find love and friends no matter my age. Of course, I hope I don't screw up too badly 😂
This book is just the right amount of heartwarming and sad. Surprisingly I cried more at the heartwarming parts than the sad parts. Not because they weren't well done because they very much were (one chapter pretty much almost destroyed me and I'm sure people who have read this know the one) but because the heart-warming moments were perfectly built up.
Now, I know this book isn't perfect. Writing-wise it's probably more a soft 4, possibly even a 3.5. Part of me questions if this should have been a short story and the use of Nicole as an alternating POV was a nice breakup in the story but I found myself wanting to speed up through her parts the further along we got into the story because I was mainly enraptured by Albert's story. I completely understand why Cain wanted to feature her as a main character but I actually wish that she'd been more of a side character in this book and then Cain could have written a sequel featuring her story (another cute way too of getting more Albert content and a potential draw to the sequel). I picked up this book b/c the book spinner said "Fredrik Backman and TJ Klune" vibes and while Cain is close it never quite hits that level of mastery. Maybe a few more years and a few more books and Cain can get there. He can get a little too cliche in his writing and went for things that I've seen a hundred of times in other books about love but it still works for him. So, yeah from an objective POV I could see why people would go for a 3.5 to 4-star review.
But some books I honestly don't care too much to pick and prod at and this is one of them. Sometimes you just want a book that is heartwarming, cozy, uplifting, with a dash of sadness, and yeah very cliche. I learned from this that I can be a cynic because I kept thinking oh this can't end very happily or trying to think of alternative ways Cain was trying to surprise me. But honestly, there are no surprises. This book is pure heart and a clear love message to LGBTQ+ society and the struggles our community has suffered. I appreciate the interviews at the end of the book too.
I really recommend it! And then others can tell me if they too cried when Albert saw the note at the end.
#the secret life of albert entwistle#matt cain#lgbtq books#LGBTQ+ books#queer books#old man protaonist#lgbtq#lgbtq plus#book reviews#2022 books
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Tips for Safe Online Marijuana Plant Seed Purchases
Buying cannabis seeds is not granted in all states, remember to look at your laws and regulations just before proceeding. These strategies will certainly assist you actually, and more importantly, they could maintain you secure. I don't suffer from paranoia, I basically have severe attention with my greater grade of consciousness. Shopping for weed seeds online really does have some risks, we expect that a lot of our guidelines could help you decrease these kinds of risks.
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This applies to your online and real-world activities. How can you assume the man or woman you're sharing YOUR hidden secret with - to continue to keep your secret - when even you cannot?
Best practice: Start using an organization plastic card with a business street address when ordering on the net. It gets shipped with minimal pitfalls to everyone. All businesses have highly discreet CC billing details for our convenience.
Plastic card info has become significantly more protected over the internet. Numerous of these stores wipe out your transaction data immediately after your order has been processed. Going to remain worried? Use a private master card, money order, or cash.
Shipping and delivery to a real name at the address is also important thing. The postman knows whether a person lives at a street address or not. Use several initials in the street address if you definitely feel better regarding the level of privacy. Make cannabis seeds deliverable. Deliveries are totally stealthy.
Never ship to a location where you prefer absolutely no info exists on that home address hooked up to you or your personal hobbies. Please do not send orders to your garden street address.
Don't forget to use a public electronic mail address for your ordering info. Your email addresses are saved somewhere. Be clever.
Mail your package to another person or an address absolutely unrelated to you. A previous girlfriend, aunt, companion, or organization. These people really don't need to find out what it is, just that you have a little something being shipped to them for you. Our cannabis breeders deliver discreetly.
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A Little Life ; Hanya Yanigahara
Strap yourselves in; this is going to be a big one (and an angry one). Also, spoiler alert, although I think you probably should have spoilers for this book if you're going to read it. I will not be covering everything in this post and as usual it will probably be very disorganised. I will try my hardest to stay coherent throughout but no promises.
First things first, I love this book (we are booksofpain[e] for a reason), I think it's a masterpiece, but I do understand why so many people hate it. This is not to say that I think a lot of the criticisms levelled against this book are valid because I don't most of the time; I think that people need to learn that it's okay to dislike something without feeling the need to "cancel" it. To call this book gore porn, or trauma porn, or anything of that sort, is a fundamental misunderstanding of what you are reading and the themes that Yanigahara sets out to explore from the very beginning. The descriptions in this book are undeniably horrifying and graphic which is why this book is not to be entered into lightly. I reject the idea that portraying Jude's life is problematic and I find it, frankly, disrespectful. This book forces the reader to confront a life full of pain and brutality, lives that are, while improbable, are not impossible, nowhere near impossible. It is about Jude's life, Jude's life is full of suffering - "hours with pain and hours without it". There is a scene in which Jude is rescued from his situation and when confronted with the horror on people's faces in reaction to his trauma, he is left feeling more shame and disgust with himself than ever.
Something you will know if you have ever been close to somebody traumatised is that trauma often makes people irrational. Understanding Jude intimately is the only way not to find his refusal to accept love frustrating. To understand his life is to understand his pain and trauma. There is a reason that JB calls Jude a "self-loathing nut job" and the reason is that JB does not understand Jude (ie, The Postman thing). On surface level, Jude lives a very good life, and vague allusions to past abuse would not satisfy the reader enough for them to empathise with his struggle to stay alive, which Yanigahara has said that she wanted the reader to do. A central theme in this book is justified suicide, at what point does life become unbearable? (This is a very controversial theme and so if it is not something you want to explore - don't read the book.) To efficiently explore this theme the reader has to experience the heights of Jude's anguish as not to make it incomprehensible that Jude wants to end his life despite his loving friends, parents, and money. There is a point in the novel when Andy tells Willem to make Jude tell him what happened to him, so that Willem can finally understand why he is the way that he is. When Jude finally does, the reader watches as Willem takes their place, needing to take breaks from the story that Jude is telling him, needing to cry and get angry about it, but he understands for the first time.
(Quick break to talk about one of my favourite details in this book: during a lot of the sessions told from Jude's perspective, he is almost never referred to by name except in dialogue. The intention behind this was to show his lack of control within his life, as he never learned to have a lot of agency.)
Another thing that I see a lot of people claiming is that the abuse is in this book purely for shock value. I hope that we have already established why this is false, but enjoy some more evidence. Due to the sections about Jude's abuse being mostly told from his childhood, he does not have the emotional capability to comprehend what is happening to him (See, "fear and hatred: ...fear of everybody else ; hatred of himself") or the damage it is doing. The tantrums and self harming are signs to the reader that he is being damaged, but Jude doesn't know this. What Jude feels in those moments is mostly a combination of confusion, detachment, and eventually resignation. This is why the scenes of childhood abuse are told bluntly compared to his adult life, explaining them making the reader feel the horror of it but not the sadness. Brother Luke and Doctor Traylor are both very sinister men and I found them terrifying, which I was meant to, because the point is to empathise with Jude and be there for him throughout it.
To qualify as "just for shock value", there would be no reason for this, but there is, as was previously covered. This is why I don't find many valid criticisms for this book - they miss the very point and purpose of the book. Just because a book doesn't tell you what you want to hear (disagreeing with Jude's suicide as a valid decision is understandable) but it does not make it problematic, you are free to leave with your thoughts and explore them deeply, that's what it's for.
Let's move on to the everyone's favourite subject : men. This book is very focused on men, and a lot of people think that this is for misogynistic reasons: it isn't. The choice to write about men when writing a book about somebody who never gets better was an intentional one. Jude's character is shaped by him being male, as he lacks the belief in the support of others to give his emotions space and appropriate care, due to the dynamic of men being considered less emotionally vulnerable than women (his friends accepting the lies he tells to protect his self harm habit is also interesting through this perspective). His emotional vocabulary is not able to be the same as a woman's probably would have been. Not to mention, I can't explain how lovely it was to read about such close male friendships and the open love that the men in this book had for each other. They are so casually affectionate and kind to each other in a way that we don't often see - these characters are not the classic male characters that are often in literature. It was something I and many others appreciated.
Moving on to themes of love and one of the most pressing questions people seem to have. Is Willem gay? Is Jude gay? In response I ask: does it matter? Despite people's insistence that this book is all misery and suffering, love is woven throughout with a lot of care and attention. The love is complicated by Jude's trauma, but it is also omnipresent. Harold's love for Jude is incredibly touching and I found it one of the most moving aspects of the story, his insights into death and parenthood stuck with me. When he adopts Jude, the love he has for him finally allows Jude to be a child. In his 50s, Harold gives Jude the opportunity to throw a tantrum, to break things, to shout and cry, and to remain unpunished afterwards. Malcolm's quiet action of love in designing Jude's apartment to be accessible for him, JB's paintings of him tied with his own jealousy, Ana's everlasting patience, Willem's loyalty and admiration.
Willem is a misunderstood character. First, he is Jude's best friend, and then he is Jude's husband. The transition between these two titles is natural and (not easy) simple, despite Willem having only been interested in women prior to Jude. One of my favourite scenes is when Willem is talking with his girlfriend about their future together, and he slips in that Jude would be living with them too. Jude feels intense guilt and shame because he thinks that Willem says this out of obligation to look after him when he is disabled, but actually it's because Willem is in love with him and has never imagined a future in which Jude isn't present. I see people saying that Willem is Jude's prince charming, and that he's a boring, perfect love interest for him. Shocking no one, I disagree. Willem is a complicated, flawed man. Whilst he is undeniably kind, compassionate, patient, he lives in wilful ignorance of Jude's self-harm and emotional pain for a long time and allows him to continue for a long time, accepting Jude's lies whilst knowing that they are lies, over and over again. This only changes after Jude's suicide attempt.
The love in this book gets brushed under the rug a lot. What people focus on is often the pain and suffering, ignoring all the times when Jude resisted his own self-hatred and kept going, ignoring all the times that he felt happy and loved. Not to say that this is a happy book, because it isn't, but that it is more than people say it is.
'Believe me, because you believed me before; you are beautiful and perfect, and I never meant what I said.'
'"I love you," he calls to them, and they shout it back at him, all of them at once, although even in their chorus, he can still distinguish each individual voice.
"You were treated horribly. You came out on the other end. You were always you."
'And so I try to be kind to everything I see, and in everything I see, I see him.'
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